Daring Do Adventures: Daring Do And The Raiders Of Atlantis

by XombieSlayr

Chapter 9: "Chasing Answers."

Chapter 9: "Chasing Answers."

The rain belted down from the skies, as Daring Do struggled to keep up with Moonbeam who flew in the most erratic patterns in an attempt to knock Swift Wing from her hind legs. The two were ducking and weaving past buildings,as Daring sped after them, with added difficulty due to the downpour of rain. It also didn't help, that they were flying above the city skyline, where lighting flashed and arched across the skies.

Daring's wings flapped furiously as she maneuvered through the city, trying her best to keep Moonbeam and Swift in view.

"Ugh! You'd think she'd slow down a little!" Daring thought, frustrated as Moonbeam ducked past a set of skyscrapers, which Daring only barely avoided, skimming her wings along the edge of the windows.

Daring tried to call out to Moonbeam, but Moonbeam couldn't hear her over the howling winds.

She suddenly nosedived towards the busy streets, with a terrified Swift Wing clutching onto her back legs for dear life. Daring quickly followed, as they were now racing just above the streets of Fillydelphia.

Moonbeam glanced back at Daring and sent a volley of black fireballs from her horn, which seemed to zero in on Daring.

She ducked and swerved around them, as they hit several buildings, and exploded in large purple explosions. Daring looked back to make sure no one was hurt. When she saw no one had been hit, she continued her pursuit.

As Daring raced after them, Swift Wing finally manged to grab onto Moonbeam's neck and forced her down to a nearby building, where they crashed into a large garden on the rooftop of a hotel.

Daring landed to see Swift Wing get up off the ground without much difficulty.

"Are you alright?" Daring asked, watching Swift Wing brush herself off.

Swift had a few bruises but smiled back. "I've taken worse." She said confidentiality.

They both turned to see Moonbeam, stumble as she got up from the ground. She had quite a few bruises herself, and her coat and mane were ruined with dirt from the plants she had crashed into.

Daring narrowed her eyes as she glared at her. She was done chasing this unicorn around. Moonbeam knew something about her dad, and Daring was determined to get some answers from her.

"Enough of your games, Moonbeam! I want to know what you know about my father, and you're not leaving this rooftop, until you do!" She demanded loudly.

Moonbeam looked up at her menacingly, but Daring returned the same look. Lightning flashed over both of them, illuminating their faces in the moonlight.

The unicorn's glare wavered as she closed her eyes and chuckled to herself. "Well...If you put it that way." She said in a mocking tone of voice.

The storm around them raged as Daring continued to stare down Moonbeam, with Swift Wing joining in as well.

The unicorn hesitated for a second, before she answered.

"I knew your father, because he was once one of us, Daring."

"He was a member of Altum Magicae."

Daring's eyes flared. "You're lying! My dad would never work with ponies like you!" She yelled angrily.

Moonbeam laughed. "Say what you will! The truth is, Daren Do did work with us." She exclaimed.

Then her face went dark as she scowled to herself. "But he had other goals besides our own."

Daring's anger lessened as Moonbeam told her story.

"He was working with us on a project that involved the Dark Arts. He helped to decipher several of the ancient runes that lined the inside of an ancient temple that supposedly belonged to the Dark Alicorn."

Daring raised the question. "What's the Dark Alicorn."

Moonbeam smiled evilly. "She's far beyond your understanding. You're not worth the time it would take to explain it."

Swift Wing pushed further. "What, is she your dark god, or something?"

Moonbeam ignored Swift and continued.

"You're father was a genius. And a true scholar. He had so much potential." Moonbeam said dreamily, lost in thought.

"But he was narrow minded. He ignored the big picture of what we were trying to accomplish!" Moonbeam exclaimed angrily.

She began to pace around the rooftop, as her face showed disgust.

"No, all he cared about was "making a discovery, worthy of the Do name" and "making his family proud of him!" She said mockingly.

Daring came to her father's defense. "You wouldn't understand Moonbeam. My dad wasn't interested in whatever dark cult stuff you were up to. He was probably only pretending to work with you so he could try and stop you." She said proudly.

Moonbeam laughed, this time in an almost insane manner, that surprised both Daring and Swift Wing.

She narrowed her eyes at Daring and gave a strange smile. "Oh, Daring. So naive."

Daring began to back away slowly, as Moonbeam used her magic to get rid of the dirt and grime on her coat and mane, then heal her bruises.

Now looking just as pretty as ever, Moonbeam sneered at Daring.

"You're just like the rest of them, Daring. Just like the rest of these miserable mouth breathers of Equestria." She growled.

"Ponies like you. Like all of them, will never understand the true power, magic has in our world."

Daring and Swift Wing backed away, as Moonbeam's horn suddenly glowed bright with a dark flame like aura.

They watched in awe, as Moonbeam's form seemed to shift and flare upwards like fire.

"You won't be able to stop us, Daring." Moonbeam said calmly as her body now appeared to have taken on the shape of purple and black flames.

As Moonbeam's body began to break up into flames, Daring heard her call. "But it will be very fun, to watch you try!"

With that, the purple flames that became Moonbeam, flared upwards and faded into nothingness, leaving Daring and Swift Wing to gape at the spot where the unicorn once stood.

For a moment they said nothing as the rain came down around them.

Then Daring broke the silence. "Well....that happened."

Swift Wing walked up to her.

"Do you think she was telling the truth? What she said about, y'know, your dad?" She asked calmly.

Daring could tell when anyone was lying about anything. It had always been a gift of hers, since she was a filly. Every member of the Do family had it. And she saw that Moonbeam had been telling the truth. At least what she had thought was the truth.

Swift Wing nudged Daring gently. "Daring?"

"I...I don't know."

Daring turned and smiled at her friend. "Let's head back to the university. I have some....things, to think about along the way." She said heading to the stairs that lead down into the hotel.

Swift Wing looked back one more time to where Moonbeam had turned into flames and vanished.

Daring hadn't been kidding when she said Moonbeam was powerful. Swift Wing had never seen a unicorn use magic like that before!

She could even conjure up wings and fly! Just what else was that mare capable of? She thought.

A crash of thunder brought Swift out of her thoughts, as she followed Daring off the rooftop.

Canterlot Express (Early Morning)

Neither Daring or Swift Wing were able to forget their encounter with Moonbeam, the entire train ride home.

The unicorn's words echoed in Daring's mind, as she looked out at the gentle rainfall beyond her window.

"You won't be able to stop us, Daring."

Daring could picture Moonbeam mocking her.

"But it will be very fun, to watch you try!"

She couldn't help but think Moonbeam was telling the truth about her dad. But what research was he doing for them? Daring couldn't imagine her father would work with an evil dark organization like that, without a very good reason.

Atlantis had only been his first expedition. What else was he after?

The loud screech of the train coming to a halt at Canterlot Station, brought Daring out of her thoughts, and Swift Wing from her nap. She decided she would discuss it with the others, when she returned to the university. They had other things to worry about now.

Daring and Swift gathered their bags, then joined the large crowd of ponies as they left the train.

She hadn't been paying much attention, when Daring suddenly bumped into a stout looking zebra in a trench coat, who appeared to have come out of nowhere.

"Sorry, I wasn't-

Daring was taken by surprise when the stranger suddenly pulled her close and whispered something in her ear.

"When unicorn's horns loom in dark, A quest for light you must embark."

"Go to where light meets the trees, where the eyes of Equestria only sees."

"Only here is truth unsealed, and so Do's destiny is revealed."

With that the zebra left without another word, and when Daring turned to protest, he had vanished.

Daring stood in that spot for several minutes as other ponies rushed passed her.

"Hey, Daring! You coming or what?"

Daring looked to see Swift Wing already at the exit from the station, waving for her to come along.

Daring looked around for the mysterious zebra, but saw no sign of him in the crowds.

She turned and made her way to swift Wing, her mind now racing with even more questions then before.

"You alright?"

Daring looked up at Swift and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. C'mon Herpy and the professor are waiting for us."

Swift didn't look convinced but nodded anyway.