• Published 9th Nov 2016
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Daring Do Adventures: Daring Do And The Griffin's Goblet - XombieSlayr



Daring Do along with her friend and colleague,Professor Storm Talon embark on a mysterious journey to find the Griffin's Goblet. An ancient relic that holds the seret to finding a legendary lost city in the sky.

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Chapter 8: "The Pony Who Could Fly."

Chapter 8: “The Pony Who Could Fly.”

The rest of the trip passed mostly without incident. Storm Talon ordered the ship searched for any other stowaways, but it turned up no results. The Vengeance made its way across the wide stretches of ocean as its crew worked tirelessly to complete the journey. Daring Do occupied herself by studying the letter she had received. She searched for some clue as to who might have sent it, or how it might be connected to her father. But it offered no clues. She turned her attention to the sea, watching as the shadow of the vengeance flowed over the waves, lost in thought.

She hoped against all hope that she might someday see him again. A memory surfaced in her mind. He’d vanished when she was young, just out of filly-hood, soon after getting her cutie mark. He had gone on an expedition, very similar to the one she found herself on now, and simply never came back. Leaving her, her sister and her mother on their own. The newspapers and tabloids reported fervently about his vanishing, and the resulting searches.

Several she'd even been apart of, during the later years. But as time had passed, the news grew slimmer and slimmer until Daren Do was little more than a hoof note in the occasional scientific journal.

Daring Do had never given up hope of seeing him again. But as she stood there, the wind gently blowing through her mane and the sea below her, looking out as the coast of Zebrica came into view, she could scarcely believe that she might finally have found the lead she was searching for. As the journey grew closer to its destination, she decided to distract herself from her thoughts, climbing once again into the depths of the ship.

She decided to find out a bit more about their most recent addition, whom she found laying in bed in the brig. “Hello,uh… Swift Wing, right?” Daring asked standing at the door of her cell. Swift Wing rolled over onto her back, her eyes still closed.

“Yeah that’s me.” She replied plainly.

Daring took a seat on the floor as she talked. “So…you’re a fan of mine,huh?” Daring asked with a smile.

Swift Wing suddenly opened her eyes and smiled as she looked up to the ceiling. “Well, yeah! I mean your quite the adventurer. The pony who found the Pharaoh’s Tomb when she was just a filly? Who never backs down from a challenge. The Do name is legendary!” Swift Wing gushed.

Daring blushed as she chuckled. “Well, maybe not legendary.”

Swift Wing rolled over and smiled at Daring through the bars. “No, but you are!” she exclaimed. She paused as she scratched her head. “Um, now that I have you here,do you mind if I ask you a question?” she asked nervously.

Daring smiled. “If I can ask you one.”

“Fair enough.” “Why do you do it?”

Daring raised an eyebrow. “Do what?” She asked.

Swift Wing turned to look at her again. “Stay down here, in the muck!” she exclaimed. “I hardly ever hear about you flying anywhere. You could live in Cloudsdale! Not worry about any of this, live in the sky!” she added enthusiastically. Her expression suddenly turned solemn. “Instead you’re on the ground, in caves and tombs and stuff. Why?” she asked turning to Daring again.

Daring thought for a moment. She'd never really thought of it before. But she did have a reason.

“Why? Because my father told me something once.” Daring said gazing out the nearby window at the ocean. “He said, Daring. Too many pegasai think with their wings. Have their heads in the clouds. But, the thing about clouds is they dry up. They shift and change. The only history of the world is on earth. Keep yourself grounded and don’t lose sight of where you come from.”

Daring sighed as the smallest of tears welled up in her eye.

“I think that’s why he was so interested in Kamara Mista. Imagine it: A permanent settlement in the clouds. What history might be found there! I mean, even Cloudsdale changes and shifts. But this city? An ancient civilization in the sky. The only one of its kind.”

Daring sighed as a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with her hoof.

“That’s why he searched so hard for it.” Daring said,collecting herself. “I think he should’ve listened to his own advice. Stayed Grounded.” She added.

Daring gazed out at the sea once more.

“Stayed with mom.”


A moment passed where neither Swift Wing nor Daring said anything. They simply gazed out at the ocean, as waves rolled across its surface.

Daring finally broke the silence. “But, that’s what I plan to do.” Daring said turning back to Swift Wing,who stared at her with tears in her eyes.

Wow. I didn’t mean to make her emotional too. I guess I got a little too personal. Daring thought.

Daring smiled. “I stay on the ground, because it keeps things in perspective.” She said proudly. “That, and it has the coolest swag. But I digress.” She added with a chuckle.

Swift Wing sat speechless on her bed for a minute before she opened her mouth to speak. But Daring stopped her. “Uh, uh. A question for a question.” She said slyly. She sat down on the floor and removed her helmet, holding it under wing. “So now you know why I'm a Pegasus archeologist. Tell me, how does an earth pony end up with wings on their flanks?” Daring asked curiously.

Swift Wing’s eyes twinkled as she chuckled to herself. She sat up on the bed. “Ah,now there's a story.” She said dreamily. She looked down at her cutiemark and smiled.

“My wings. I know its kind of odd. Most earth ponies I know aren’t very fond of heights. But I’ve always loved them!” She said with a smile. She looked down at her hooves as she recalled her story. “I remember when I was a little filly climbing counter tops, leaping from shelves. Drove my parents up the wall!” She chuckled. “I told them I wanted to fly. You can imagine what they told me.” She added.

“Still something about earth ponies, were stubborn. I taped cardboard wings to my sides and jumped out a window!” She chuckled.

Daring chuckled with her. “How’d that turn out?” She asked.

Swift Wing sighed and smiled. “Probably shouldn’t have picked the third floor.” She said. “Still, the bones healed.”

“Ouch!”

“Yeah. They thought I was crazy.” Swift Wing laughed. “They shipped me off to a farming school for the summer to “calm me down.” She continued.

“Didn’t work of course, but…I guess I should thank them.” Daring looked surprised. “Thank them?” she asked. Swift Wing’s eyes twinkled again. “Its where I saw my first plane! I remember it was during one of those boring gym exercises. "

"We were out in the field, running around learning to work plows and junk when…over the horizon, I heard the most beautiful sound in the world."

"The sound of a roaring plane engine."

And then I saw it…My first plane.” Swift Wing’s eyes glossed over as she looked up at the ceiling. As if she was reliving that breathtaking moment of seeing her first plane. “It was like a bird of metal, defying gravity! It was something that didn’t look like it should fly, just like me!

But there it was soaring through the air! How could I not fall in love?” She exclaimed falling back on the bed and closing her eyes, smiling as she relived the feeling.

Daring smiled as she too could imagine the feeling. Going your whole life wanting to fly and being told you’ll never do it.

And then seeing something just like you, soar through the air giving you hope that you could one day do the same.

Swift Wing continued to tell her story with an added passion. “I ran off as fast as my legs could carry me! They tried to catch me,but you don’t try to fly without getting a good running start.

They didn’t stand a chance.” She laughed.

“There was an airshow. Imagine that, first one in Equestria right next to the one place they stuck me, to kill my dreams of flying.” She laughed.

“Orville and Wilbur Flight had set up shop right on their doorstep,and were showing off their newest invention!”

Daring smiled. “Well that’s some kinda luck.” She said impressed.

“You say luck, I say destiny!.” Swift Wing exclaimed her eyes flashing as she spoke.

“I couldn’t keep away. I snuck in, found the nearest plane. Keys right in the ignition.”

“You didn’t!.”

‘Sure did. Five rounds round the field, buzzing teachers like a bumble bee!”

Swift Wing sat up and laughed. “You should’ve seen their faces! Me, flying! The controls felt more natural than my own hooves! I never wanted to stop.” Swift Wing laughed with a smile

She composed herself as she continued. “Of course I had to, after they threatened to start shooting.” She said nervously.

Daring’s eyes went wide yet again as she chuckled at the thought. “Wow. How'd you get out of that one?” She asked.

“I didn’t. I decided landing was better then finding myself with a few new holes. When I got out of the cockpit, I had my wings on my flank, plain as day.” Swift Wing explained, looking fondly at her cutiemark once more.

“Almost got arrested on the spot,but…one of the pilots stuck up for me. A griffin called Kitty Hawk. It was her plane I stole,but she didn’t press charges. She said I had spirit.” She explained fondly.

“A few weeks later I went home, but I didn’t stop thinking about airships. And now I'm here!” Swift Wing exclaimed finishing her story.

Daring Do lay on the floor in front of Swift Wing’s cell, her pith helmet tucked neatly under her wing. She had been completely invested in her story. She got up off the ground and put her helmet back on as she smiled. “Wow. That is quite a story.” She said, thoroughly impressed.

Swift Wing put her face close to the bars. “You…Do believe me don’t you?” She asked hopefully.

”I really don’t wanna cause trouble, I just want to see it. Touch it. Know it exists for myself.” She added looking over at the window.

Daring thought for a moment. At this point, she had no reason to doubt Swift Wing anymore. She was a wild and free spirit. Just like she was. She was here for the same reason as Daring was: The thrill of adventure, and wanting to see the city of Kamara Mista for herself.

Daring smiled. “I believe you.” She said simply.

Swift Wing perked up. “You Do?!”

Daring chuckled. “Yeah. You don’t seem like the backstabbing bad guy sort. Still, I cant go letting you out of the brig, after you snuck aboard and beat up half the crew. That’s asking for trouble.” Daring admitted.

Swift Wing started to argue but Daring held up a hoof to stop her. “But! I will talk to Storm about it.” Daring promised with a grin.

Fwiffwing smiled from her cell. “Thank you.” She said softly.

“Your welcome.” Daring grinned.

Just as Daring said this, a massive explosion suddenly knocked both ponies off their feet as the entire room shook. Daring and Swift Wing got up off the floor, uninjured but shocked.

“What was that!?” Swift Wing called out in panic.

“My Guess?”

“Yeah?”

Daring brushed some debris from her helmet as she turned to look out the window. She gasped as she saw a huge second shadow hover over the ocean next to their own.

“Trouble.”

Daring turned back to Swift Wing. “Hold onto something,I'm gonna go see whats going on!” she told Swift Wing, who immediately grabbed onto a support beam in her cell and clung to it for dear life.

Daring raced up the stairs and out of the brig, through the corridors of the Storm’s Vengeance as they rattled and shook. Something was battering the side of the ship like a rams horns.

She barely kept her balance as she leapt over fallen items. Racing towards the control room,she burst in with a start. She saw that Storm was bellowing orders as loud as he could to the crew.

“Full power, all propellers! Raise altitude, load cannons!” He ordered, as griffins were scrambling every which way to prepare for a fight.

Daring galloped up to him. “Storm! What’s happening?” She asked anxiously.

Storm didn't waste a second. “Surprise attack.” He said sternly.

“Who’s attacking us?” Daring asked worried. Storm turned to look at Daring, his eyes flaring.

“I didn’t get a good look, but I think it might be another griffin vessel.” He stated. Another massive explosion rocked the whole ship. Daring’s helmet tilted on her head as she tried to hold her balance.

She looked around before talking. “Well, tell them to stop shooting at us!” She exclaimed.

“We tried! First thing they aimed for was the antennas!” Storm explained.

Another shot went off. It must have actually missed this time, as instead of the ship, a nearby patch of ocean suddenly exploded upwards. Storm ordered the griffins who were frantically directing the ships wheels. “Pull us on a starboard arc! Reduce altitude and head for cloud cover! Switch ports on auxiliaries!” He ordered, as the griffins did as he said. "And get the matrix out of that cool-down!” He added to a scientist in the back.

Daring didn’t understand what was happening, so she just asked. “What are we doing now?” She asked frantically.

Storm ignored her as he gave another order order.

“Evasive Maneuvers!” He yelled. “All claws,prepare to brace!” he added,just before another shot hit the Storm’s Vengeance.

Daring got up off the ground. “Can't your evasive maneuvers be a little more evasive!?” She asked,freaking out a bit. She didn’t want to end up being blown to smithereens just when she was about to reach Zebrica! Actually, she didn’t want to be blown up at all!

Storm shook himself off. “This old bird has a lot more fight left in her! Mark me on that, Daring Do!” He called in a serious tone.

Storm heard another shot.

“BRACE!” He shouted,as everyone did so. Storm flew over to the controls. He spun the wheel with all his might,turning the ship in one swift movement like a lion pivoting on its back paw. Daring and several crew members were thrown against the opposite wall,as the ship twisted to face its attacker. Daring rubbed her side. Shed hit the wall flank first,and now felt sore. “Ow..” She said rubbing her flank with her hoof,and twinging at the stinging pain. “Okay. That was more evasive.” She said weakly. Daring got up off the ground, only for her eyes to meet a truly terrifying sight as she gasped.

Daring Do looked through the glass in front of her ,to see a giant warship held aloft by almost innumerable spinning propellers. Its hull cast in cold grey metal, easily twice the size of the Storm’s Vengeance. The emblems of the griffin air navy emblazoned on the side, and several massive cannons aimed at them. Daring’s eyes went wide and her mouth was agape as she stared in horror at the massive war machine in front of them.

“Storm.”

“Yes, Daring?”

Daring simply pointed a hoof at the ship and asked. “Whats That?”

Storm looked at the ship and narrowed his eyes. “A Dreadnought, M-class warship. 15 harpoons, magical disruptor array, belamatrix lift and fifteen cannons. Dragonslayer Class.” Storm said, reciting all from memory.

Daring turned and looked at him hopefully. “And…can you out fly it?” She asked. Storm thought for a moment.

“That depends.”

“On what?”

Storm gripped the wheel with both claws.

“Can you find something to hold onto?”