Chapter Four
Applejack sighed and ran a hoof over the edge of the Cutie Map. "Man. It's jes' too quiet around here with Twilight an' Rainbow Dash gone."
"I wish we'd gone with them," Pinkie Pie said. "They're off having fun without us!"
"Oh, I don't know," Fluttershy said quietly. "I mean, we don't really know what it is they're doing."
"Well, if they're following Daring Do, they're likely to find trouble," Twilight Velvet said. "That pony can't go a week without flying headlong into danger."
"Well I understand Rainbow Dash doing something this crazy," Rarity said, "but Twilight? There has to be more to this."
Velvet and Spike shared a look. Spike shrugged. Velvet sighed. "Apparently, Daring Do is Rainbow Dash's mother," she said.
"WHAT?!" the other mares cried.
Fluttershy blinked. "Wait. Is THAT why Twilight was in Cloudsdale the other day? Trying to get Mr. Blaze to tell her who Rainbow's mother is?"
"Yep," Spike said.
Applejack scratched her head. "Huh," she said.
"And Dashie didn't know?" Pinkie asked.
"Well obviously not, darling," Rarity said. "So this whole business is Twilight trying to bring the two of them together?"
"Yes," Velvet said. She sighed. "I only hope...this doesn't end badly for any of them."
"We'll have to plan a party when they get back!" Pinkie declared.
"Well now, that all depends on whut happens when they find Darin' Do," Applejack pointed out.
* * * * *
Rainbow Dash craned her neck left and right excitedly. Twilight Sparkle's magic brightly illuminated the carved marble walls which ran alongside the broad paved path. "Oh man," Rainbow said excitedly, "I feel like I'm living a Daring Do novel!"
"You are," Twilight said absently. "I don't understand why my Cutie Mark keeps showing up," she said. "Oh, I wish I could read this ancient language...!"
"Hey...your Cutie Mark was on the Tree of Harmony too, right?" Rainbow said suddenly. "Maybe this is all related to that somehow?"
"Maybe," Twilight said with a frown. "But I don't get what that has to do with the Tomb of the Unknown Prince. I mean, I understand how I'm connected to Harmony, but how could I be connected to some ancient alicorn who had to have died thousands of years ago?"
"I bet Daring Do can tell us as soon as we find her," Rainbow said. "Come on, slowpoke! Race ya to the tomb!"
Twilight smirked. "Alright, you're on," she said. They took wing and shot down the length of the ancient underground road, Twilight's light bobbing ahead of them.
* * * * *
Daring Do stared in wonder at the sight before her. "Incredible," she breathed. "I mean, I've seen some pretty amazing old ruins, temples, tombs...but this..."
"It is a most impressive find, is it not, Doctor Do?" a deep male voice rumbled in a heavy Neighpoli accent.
Daring spun around. "I know that voice..."
A large bronze-skinned minotaur in an expensive ash grey silk suit walked slowly toward her, hands behind his broad back. He leered down at her. "It has been a long time, no?"
"Dongnocc," Daring snarled, stamping a hoof. "How in the HELL did you find this place?"
"Oh, it was quite easy," Dongnocc said, pacing in a circle around her. "I have...certain friends in Canterlot Castle." He chuckled. "Two foolish mares were asking about the Tomb of the Unknown Prince. One of them is Equestria's newest Princess. Naturally, Princess Celestia told them exactly where it is. They, like you, have taken the long way here." He grinned. "I, on the other hand, found an easier way."
Daring stared at him. "What do you mean, an easier way?"
"It wasn't difficult to figure out where the secret valley was once I learned it was between Maretania and Ponyhenge," Dongnocc said, examining his fingernails. "I simply flew my airship over the valley and, well..." He chuckled. "Avoided getting my suit dirty crawling through miles of caves."
Daring shook her head. "You haven't changed," she said.
"Nor have you, Doctor Do. Now, if you would kindly stand down..." He grinned. "I am about to make the find of the millennium."
Daring heard machine gun bolts clack as a dozen masked ponies in brown uniforms emerged from behind the tomb's many marble columns...
* * * * *
Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash slowed to a stop and touched down on the ancient stones as they came upon a broad exit, framed by a marble arch with gold inlay, to either side of which phoenix flame torches were mounted on the wall in gold sconces. Shining white steps led down into a place far too well-lit for an underground tomb.
And once more, on the lintel, the crests of the Sun and the Moon were displayed, inlaid in gold and silver respectively, along with the six-pointed star, inlaid with pink topaz...and a fourth symbol, larger than the others, represented by a shimmering pearl surrounded by dozens of rays of light, inlaid with gold.
"That symbol showed up a lot in the carvings on the walls," Twilight said, staring up at the pearl.
"Maybe it's this dead guy's Cutie Mark?" Rainbow suggested.
"It might be," Twilight said.
A series of loud, sharp cracks filled their ears.
Rainbow's eyes widened. "Was...was that...?"
Twilight's ears fell. "Oh no." She charged down the broad steps, Rainbow at her flank.
The scene before them was like something out of an adventure film...or, fittingly, a Daring Do novel come to life. They emerged into a massive underground vault whose walls, floors, and ceiling were made of shining white marble blocks, with numerous thick columns supporting the ceiling. Dozens of tiny glowing sunstones set into the walls in a seemingly random pattern illuminated the tomb. In front of them, two massive alicorn statues, one alabaster and one onyx, faced a large five-sided obelisk with a broad, flat crystal prism on top. The same pearl emblem from the outer arch marked each face of the obelisk. The prism itself pulsed rhythmically with a steady, bright white glow.
Several rapid metallic cracks rang out, and a tan blur shot past, ducking behind a column.
Two ponies in uniforms leaned around two more columns, signalling to one another before aiming machine guns in their direction.
Twilight frowned. "Alright, I don't know what's going on here, but it ends now." Her horn glowed...
In a bright flash, a dozen uniformed ponies appeared in the open space between the two statues. The weapons they carried floated over to Twilight, who made them disappear. Bereft of their weapons and faced with an angry alicorn, the ponies dropped to the ground.
A gold and grey head topped with a pith helmet peeked from around a column. Rose eyes blinked. "Ooookay," Daring Do said.
"Ahh, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Welcome to our little party."
Twilight and Rainbow stared as a minotaur in a suit walked into view, clapping slowly. Rainbow's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh...is...is that Dong-knock?"
Twilight facehoofed. "Dongnocc," she corrected. "It's Neighpoli." She scowled. "What are you doing here, Dongnocc?"
"I could ask you the same question," Dongnocc replied smoothly.
"I wanna know what ANY of you are doing here!" Daring Do said, landing between them and glaring at everypony around her. She stamped a hoof. "Jeez, can't a girl check out an ancient tomb nopony was even supposed to know existed without winding up flank-deep in evil minotaurs and gunponies and princesses and clown-haired fangirls?"
"HEY!" Rainbow yelled.
Twilight held up a hoof, then stepped forward. "Yeah. Hi. Umm...big fan, you already know that, but...I also happen to be a Princess of Equestria, so..." She cleared her throat. "I think I'd like a few explanations. Then we can get down to the real reason Rainbow Dash and I came here."
Daring frowned at her, adjusting her pith helmet. "The real reason you're here? What are you talking about?"
Twilight looked over at Dongnocc, then shook her head. "That can wait. For now, I want to know what you're doing here, what he's doing here—"
"I," Dongnocc said, "am merely here to vindicate myself. My reputation as an archaeologist crumbled when I posited that Ponyhenge was a marker for something greater. Something buried. I suspected it might be an ancient alicorn tomb." He grinned. "Now that I see I was right, I intend to claim this find, restore my honor as an archaeologist...and, of course, make a tidy profit from the relics my team and I will return to the surface with."
"You're not taking ANYTHING from this tomb, Dongnocc!" Daring insisted.
Dongnocc scoffed. "Please, Doctor Do. You are hardly innocent of graverobbing. It would be hypocrisy for you to suggest I not ransack this tomb."
"Nopony's ransacking anything!" Twilight declared, slamming her hoof on the marble floor. "Daring Do, why did you come here?"
"Because I found evidence that there was a buried alicorn tomb here and I had to check it out for myself," Daring said. "So little is known about the alicorns that came before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. This could be the greatest find of all time." She gestured at the two statues. "The fact that I found statues of the Princesses themselves here is proof enough that I've stumbled onto something bigger than I could have imagined."
Dongnocc snorted. "It is hardly a surprise, Doctor Do. My colleague overheard Princess Celestia herself giving this upstart directions to this tomb! Of COURSE she knew it was here!"
"Then that raises an even bigger question!" Daring said. "If Princess Celestia has known about this tomb all along, why keep it secret? Ponies have been trying to solve the mystery of Ponyhenge for hundreds of years! If there was never a mystery to solve, then why?"
"WHO CARES?" Dongnocc roared. "Pony archaeologists can debate and argue and question and complain and worry themselves into their own graves over the significance of this find for years! All I care about is that I was right! All I care about is getting what's owed me! My reputation! Great sacks of gold and gems!"
"That's your problem right there!" Daring shouted, getting in Dongnocc's face. "You never cared about archaeology! You never cared about history and finding answers! All you ever care about is yelling 'First!' and getting paid for it!"
"SO WHAT?" Dongnocc replied, stamping a hoof and pointing a trembling finger at Daring. "I don't care about pony history! All I care about is fortune and glory! Don't tell me those things mean nothing to you...'A.K. Yearling'." He sneered. "You, Doctor Do, are the greatest hypocrite of them all."
"Alright, that's enough! Both of you!" Twilight shouted. She strode forward, wings flaring. In twin bursts of magic, Daring and Dongnocc found themselves separated by four pony lengths. Twilight stood between them, glaring at each of them in turn. "Here's what's really going to happen. I'm going to investigate this tomb. I'm going to listen to what each of you can tell me about it. I'm going to take my findings to Princess Celestia. We're all going to leave here together, and nopony is taking anything out of this tomb."
"Who died and made you the boss?" Daring demanded.
Twilight spread her wings and glared at Daring.
Daring backed away a step. "Oh. Right. Sorry. Forgot." She coughed. "That...seems fair to me, Your Highness."
"And if I refuse?" Dongnocc asked, crossing his arms.
Twilight turned her glare on him. "Don't," she advised. Her horn began to glow dangerously.
Dongnocc frowned. "You are...rather irritable," he said.
Rainbow snorted. "This is nothing," she said. "I've seen her literally turn Ponyville upside down over a late report to Celestia. And that was before she became an alicorn!"
Dongnocc sighed. "Very well," he conceded. "But on one condition. I want it known, in all Equestrian archaeological journals, that I was right about Ponyhenge."
"We'll see," Twilight said. She strode toward the obelisk in the center of the tomb, brow furrowed. "Is this...well...him?"
"It has to be," Daring said. "The Unknown Prince's Cutie Mark is on it, and it's the only thing here other than the statues and the engravings along the Holy Road." Her eyes widened. "Wait a second..." She moved to stare at Twilight's flank. "Your Cutie Mark..." She gasped. "That symbol! The one—"
"Yeah, I know," Twilight said. "For some reason, my Cutie Mark is all over the place down here. I have no idea why." She shook her head. "It's on the Tree of Harmony too. Always paired with Luna and Celestia's Cutie Marks..." Twilight absently laid a hoof on the obelisk.
The pulsing glow of the prism became a solid, blinding white light. The pearls on the sides of the obelisk lit up brilliantly. The horns of the two alicorn statues glowed with spiral streams of golden magic.
"Uhh...Twilight? Something's happening..." Rainbow said, eyes wide.
Dongnocc's cronies looked around in fear, muttering to themselves. Daring Do backed away from Twilight and the obelisk.
All around the tomb, bright golden runes spread out from the sunstones, forming complex, flickering patterns. A deep bass thrum shook the floor.
Twilight's eyes began to glow as she rose into the air, a helix of magenta and white magic spinning around her.
The prism strobed like lightning. The twisting runes began flashing faster and faster even as the sunstones went dark. The ponies and minotaur gathered in the tomb could only watch in stunned fascination as the runes began strobing, casting everything in silhouette.
A bright beam of light from the obelisk engulfed Twilight. She screamed.
* * * * *
Celestia stood on her balcony and watched as a blinding white beam, visible all across Equestria, lanced the sky over Ponyhenge. She bowed her head and sighed.
"Forgive me, Twilight..."
* * * * *
The runes went dark. The sunstones began dimly glowing.
The prism at the top of the obelisk resumed its soft, steady pulsing.
Daring Do and Rainbow Dash stared at the spot where Twilight Sparkle had stood moments earlier.
"Twilight...?" Rainbow asked quietly.
"Sweet Celestia," Daring breathed.
"Uhh...boss?" one of the henchponies said nervously. "I think...maybe we should get out of here..."
Dongnocc frowned. "Yes. Something tells me you are right." He snapped his fingers. "But first, secure those two."
The henchponies surrounded Rainbow and Daring.
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FUCK YOU , CELESTIA! I HOPE TWILIGHT GET'S BACK AND FUCKS YOU UP, JUST LIKE YOU DESERVE! YOU FUCKING MANIPULATIVE SECRET KEEPING WHORE!
Why is nothing ever easy around Daring Do...?
5943112 That, my friend, is the 64 thousand bit question.
5943107 Well put.
Or, as I was about to observe myself:
Celestia, this (Twilight Velvet) right here is the one that you have to worry about, concerning anything happening to Twilight:
Because, to paraphrase a very old saying:
"Hell hath no fury like a mother enraged".
So yeah, you is so screwed, missy.
Hmm. Well, this is quite intriguing. I honestly have no idea what's going to happen next. Also, I quite like Dongnocc. Daring Do needs a well-populated rogues gallery.
M.night shalamanamon's most well known quote "What a twist!"
5941609 What does IGN stand for?
Woah... is Celestia trying to use Twilight to resurrect her dead dad? There's definitely something we're missing so far.
5944100 It's a pop culture website, mostly focused on reviews and gaming.
Sounds like a lot of YouTube commenters ideal job.
5943107 yup
5943679 It's not explicitly or intentionally a reference to anything. I just rolled up a random reptile monster that breathed fire and ice. Given the number of classic RPGs I've played, SOMETHING probably inspired it and I've just forgotten.
5943315 Dongnocc turned into an amazingly interesting villain for me to write, considering when I first created him, the entire point of him was to have a Daring Do villain whose name Rainbow could never pronounce.
I'm calling it. Twilight is loosely related to the princesses
5944309
5943107
Celestia setting up Twilight in a dangerous mission, awfully unprepared and uninformed, with the secret reason of bring back a member of her family? come on! she is not like t... oh, wait
I wonder if someday Twi will grow the balls to give her teacher a piece of her mind, like in Parting words
This is getting really good
twi is so related to Tia and lulu
5943107 ... I hope you do realize that she is trying to make a paradox occur, because if there was no paradox then she would die.
SO CLOSE!
SO CLOSE TO SPOILERS! BUT NOPE! NOT CLOSE ENOUGH!
YES!
Lost me at machine guns
5965917 You do realize the show has made references to guns and tanks, right?
5965917
7292766
Pinkie Pie has a CANON, and I don't even know what that thing Cheese Sandwich has is called, but I know its some sort of more modern weapon, automatic weapons make perfect sense when you think about it. Also, this is a FAN-FICTION, meaning that the author will likely diverge from the canon world at one point or another, if such a small detail breaks a story for you, you shouldn't be reading fan-fiction in the first place.
dude, what the hell
7898522
''Tis true, made everyone go batty and Celestia asked everyone to send in reports because of it.