Repercussions

by Hiver

Chapter 82

"You're Daring Do!?" I asked, keeping my voice down in the flame lit skull chamber.

"You get why I don't publish my papers under my real name, right?" Dee... Daring... asked as she stretched her wings, scraping a hoof against the stone beneath her, "I publish my archaeology papers under Dee Dee. It makes things so much easier."

"I..." I started before I sighed, "I guess I get that much. Are you named for her or..."

Daring sighed and shook her head, "I'm 'that' Daring Do," she admitted, "And I have nopony but myself to blame. I wrote them."

"You're Yearling too!?"

Daring had an expression as if she went through this every time. Which she likely did.

"...Sorry, kind of a lot to wrap my head around," I admitted, "To find out that somebody you have read about is a real person, is kinda... wait... did those things really happen?"

Daring shrugged and sat down, facing me, "Yes and no. They're works of fiction, not biographies. The general outline, sure. But it's written for entertainment."

I slowly shook my head, "You have saved Equestria. I mean, that should be acknowledged, you should have a window or something."

She cringed slightly, "Please don't? I like things the way they are."

I could more than understand that sentiment, "...And you can actually walk around in public without being recognized."

"Yeah," she admitted, "Maybe writing those books wasn't the best idea, but I was a student for the first one and I needed the Bits. It just kind of escalated from there."

"To say the least."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah. So what now."

"What?" I asked and then shook my head, "Name or no name, we're still friends, aren't we?" I asked and held my hoof out for her.

She bumped hers against it, "I would have told you eventually," she said, "I just wanted to wait until we got out of here in case things got awkward."

I grinned, "So... going to write a book about this one?"

"You're already doing that," she said with a shrug, "Seems a bit impolite to just shoulder in on that. Besides, keeping track on so many characters would be a pain."

"Not that easy," I agreed before I smirked at her, "So... in 'Kingdom' there was that scene with the daughter of the chief of the..."

Daring groaned, "Ugh, don't remind me. I thought I'd try spicing the book up, see if it sold better. In reality he had a son and he was an idiot."

"Seems to have worked, it was your best selling book," I commented with a grin.

"And it was too embarrassing," she sighed, "Especially when I realized, after publication, that my parents read all my books."

I couldn't help but laugh, quickly ducking out of the way as she swatted at me with her wing, "Hey! Violence against your Prince! The peasants are revolting!"

"Oh please, like I haven't heard that joke before," she said and grinned, "So, I don't make a big deal about your royal highness and you don't about me being 'in a book'?"

"Deal," I agreed and we bumped hooves again, "So, what's your plans after we get back?"

Daring sighed, "About six months of postings to archaeology journals, paper writing and the final draft on my next book."

"Which explains your mouth writing," I said, nodding.

"Which explains my mouth writing," she agreed before she grinned, "But don't explain your horn writing."

"Oh be quiet," I grumbled before I looked to her again, "So... any chance of an early copy?"

"Trades?"

"Deal."

"On a more serious note," I said and stepped a bit closer, "Next time if there is a threat to Equestria, call in somepony. You don't need to handle it on your own. It's what the guard are for."

Daring sighed, "I would absolutely love to be able to do that, but not that easy when I'm a week's flight from the closest guard outpost and the time limit is 'right now' or the bad guy gets away with the dangerous thing."

...Which was a very good point. I still thought in human terms sometimes. Equestria didn't have the kind of rapid response humans could muster even into remote areas.

"...Yeah, that's fair," I admitted, "But even then, when we get back I'll get you something that'll allow you to pull on the resources of the guard if necessary."

Daring nodded, "Thank you," she admitted, "But that kind of thing has only happened once or twice, usually it's just somepony trying to steal some expensive artifact or it's dangerous just for the general area."

"And next time it might not be."

"Fair enough," she agreed and shook her head, "Oh Luna, if this was a book, now I’m definitely going to need it next time, won't I?"

"Yeeep. Don't introduce a sword in the first act if it's not used before the end," I agreed cheerfully, "Sadly, reality is nowhere near as ordered as fiction has to be."

"Yeah, fiction has to make sense," Daring agreed.

I grinned, "Come on, let's find something to eat."

"And you want to go back to your wife and marefriend," Daring teased.

When she's right, she's right.

Comments

[windy_prance]

Page: So one more question I need answering.

Daring Do: Ok. What is it?

Page: ...the body pillows...

Daring Do: OH CELESTIA! Ugh listen to me! That started as an April Fool's joke from the merchandising department but when the fans of my books caught wind of it, it quickly spiraled into becoming a real product. I was on the field at the time so I couldn't stop it by the time I came back!

Page: If I recall, that product was eventually pulled off the shelves but it is now considered a rare collectable. Not to mention there are now...creative...unofficial pillows circulating from Daring Do conventions.

Daring Do: *dies of embarrassment* Stop reminding me! STOP REMINDING ME!

[Asolem2]

"Fair enough," she agreed and shook her head, "Oh Luna, if this was a book, now I’m definitely going to need it next time, won't I?"

...so you'll definitely need it next time

[m1ntf4n]

New waifu acquired

[FanficReader920]

These two need to team up on a quest AND subsequent book together because it would be SICK.

[AimlessPone]

Discord: Now dear, this really isn't the solution.

Cadence: E̵̤͕͙̿̂̒ͅv̴̝̤̉ǒ̷̦̳̙̮̞̉͊͝͝ĺ̸̢͘ ̵͔͚̀̈̕E̴̼̮̗̘͋̏̊ŕ̷̘̜͍̩̈͘͠͝o̶͚̮͉͔͋m̸̞̣̓̊ ̵̡͚̹́̽̾͝Ȩ̷̡̳͑̏b̵̧͕̗̞̺͛̕ ̴̻͓͓̂̐T̷͓͔̘̳̅̽̎̀͝s̷̖̹̗̐̈́͑̆̕ͅų̵̯̬̤̃͆̓m̷̡͎̀̽ ̶͚̺̗͚̚Ȅ̷͓̣̈ṛ̴̈́̽̉̊͜e̷̦̪̫̓̓̿͊͝h̷̜̙̆̄͐̽ţ̸͍̍̌̆͌͜͝

Shining Armor: Cadence are you in here? Oh, hello Discord, surprised to see you actually.

Discord: I do aim to please.

Cadence: Ỹ̴͚̭͕̲̮p̸̯̣̖̈́̃p̶͕̩̅a̸͍̯͛̀̍ͅḫ̷̾̈́͊͝ ̶̠̣͖͊͒̆͜e̵̞̰͎͔̿̎͠͝b̴̛̫̤̜͖̭̐̈́̂ ̴̻͙́̂o̶̧̦̹̥̜͋ṫ̵͍͈͚̞̯́͗͝ ̷͍̟͎̲̤̒́̇̎ģ̴̣̂̓n̵̰̘̩̣̹͆͒ỏ̷͇͔̞̪̬̈́̐̒̕g̶̯̻̝̔ ̶̝̙̺̿s̶̻͌̃͠i̵̻̼̅ ̴̻̈́ė̷̢̳͙̎̀ń̴͔͌̇͘ͅō̶̞͖̽̆͌̚y̸̥͒r̷̩͋͒ḛ̶͙͚̊̔͝ṿ̶̨͕̰̏̅̀͛̕ȩ̴̹̬̼̖̓̔̑́

Shining Armor: Rough day huh? well Dinners in thirty minutes, discord you can invite yourself or don't.

Cadence: S̶̫͈͊̿̈͘͠ş̵͍̻̤̣̍͝ȩ̶̟͕̑͌̎ṅ̸̡̦͔̺̘̈́̽k̷͗̌͝ͅa̴̙̲̟̫̽̂̆͠r̵̺̰͓̠̒ͅḑ̵̙̤̩̒̽̿̚͘ ̸̻̤̗̽͘e̴̛̞̒̈́̀ͅb̵̩̰͍͈͘ ̷̛̼̟̂͆ͅl̶͈̖͛l̶͔͊̀ḯ̸͈͖̦̎͂w̷̡̹̳͆̾̀̇͠ͅ ̴͈̦̟̮̌̾̾ẽ̸͕̜̜̍͠r̷̠̩͋ͅe̶͈̺͋͒̅̑͝ţ̵̢͕̃͌̌͘h̵͍̬̲̏́͠ ̶̪͎͖͒̐̉͛͜͝r̸͈̓̓ö̷̩́ ̵̝̝͓̗̾͂,̶̙̊̆ě̵̝͐v̵̩̥̉̊͝ở̵̳̮̙̺̃͋l̴̡͓̤͕̇̂͊̚͠ ̸͕͖̝̇̎͝͠ȩ̶͉̳̩̀b̷̨̛̩͔̗̙̎͗ ̶̖̺͎̈́̀ḽ̷̡̰͓̍̌̆͆͘ͅl̵͉̝͚͇̊͆̌ỉ̵͉̹̩͖̐͘w̸͇̑̈́̑͛͠ ̸̰̗́͌̈́̑ḙ̴̯̽̅r̴͔͙̬͑ͅe̷̝͗̈́h̸̺͕̠̓͌̄̂ͅť̴̙̯͍͆̄̚!̵̢̯͐̽̍͊͗

Shining Armor: Dear, i know your upset. But no speaking tongues at the table, or i'm canceling your second bowl of ice cream.

Caence: *Flops onto bed* It's Not Fair!

Shining armor: You can plot romance later *Pats on head* And besides, there's always next time.

Cadence:..plot romance...I've GOT IT! *Runs off*

Shining Armor: *Calculating* Make sure she shows up to dinner please.

Discord: Of course! *Floats away in the meta*
----

AN: *Discord floating noises*

[Kevin Lee]

Didn't Lord Plagiarize ever get around to publishing some of the Indiana Jones stories in his early years?
Now that would've been a fun topic for them to discuss!

[Bojack H]

10474876
he did star wars and a spy novel, he only ripped off star wars mostly

[Bojack H]

10474842
Daring Doo and the Half-Bat Prince

[Tesseract417]

And now when he gets back, he's going to organise the Rapid Response Ponies.

[112mag211]

10474877
10474876
i think that it would be more accurate to say that he adapted the Star Wars saga for the equestrian populace, rather than that he plagiarized the stories.

[fargo11]

"Yeeep. Don't introduce a sword in the first act if it's not used before the end," "

You walk into your friend's gun shop, only to find it empty. "Hey dude, you here?"
Silence.

Passing a sign saying 'avalanche warning', You proceed into the back room, to find him staring Intently at a single katana laying on the table before him.

"You ok dude?" You ask.
"It just doesn't feel the same..."
"What doesn't?"
"This." He picks up the blade, then puts it down. "It doesn't feel like putting down a gun..."
"Anton. You don't always have to put down a gun."
"I know..." He replies in exasperation. "Its just, I have so many." He points to a haphazardly stacked pile of guns behind you, which, of course, promptly collapses.

---

The paper the next day

MAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER GUN AVALANCHE.
When asked for comment, the owner of the gun store, 'Chekhov's guns and plot devices', replied, "he should have read the sign!"

(Sorry if too long, popped into my head and wouldn't go away)

[FoxyLove]

And so we had the double author moment now.

[Kevin Lee]

10474936
Even Page acknowledged that he was plagiarizing the stories, and thanked whatever mysterious force brought him to Equestria would mean he'd never have to worry about Lucus' lawyers finding out what he had done.

[ValonQuinn]

10474905
A more upgraded and trained Minutemen (MinutePony) Perhaps? I'm debating on whether the leader would have to be Preston or not though...

[112mag211]

10475116
I read that as him being grateful that he does not have to be afraid of lucasfilm's legal wrath because he adapted the saga for equestrian audiences without their permission beforehand beforehoof.

But that's just my interpretation, and your free to have your own idea of what was meant...
Or you could just throw me to the ground and kick nuclear dust in my face with a tsar bomba by proving me wrong.

[Kevin Lee]

10475306
I've no need to argue over such interpretations. But it still lends to his well-earned nickname of Lord Plagiarize.

[Fireeaters]

10474675
No wait... I think it might have been dried papaya, thinking about it?

[112mag211]

10475348
Indeed

[Black--Soul]

10474805
Bet Page has one of Luna
10474830
Probably more of a wingmare a adventure buddy...
Page could need a mare that dont ride him... All the contact will shave
10474842
Only if the chapter are longer and more detailed
10474871
How you make that messed up writing?
10474877
As long he dont pull a Kennedy its fine!
10474878
Daring do and the Anatomy correct Alicorn statue

[Black--Soul]

10474905
Wonderbolts reserves?
10474936
Fair enough. Still he probably skipped Darth JarJar
10474977
Make up a story oneshot i give it a like
10475007
When Author breed... Did they consive a story or bear a history worth a book?
10475348
Cant write the word without containing 'Page'

[Maudika]

"Fair enough," she agreed and shook her head, "Oh Luna, if this was a book, now I’m definitely going to need it next time, won't I?"

*cough

[Kadigan]

"Yeeep. Don't introduce a sword in the first act if it's not used before the end,"

There's one for games, too - don't introduce an Insanely Cool Thing(tm) if you don't intend to let the player play with it, even just a little. If you're putting in a live nuke, the player should get a chance to set it off. ;)

Same with enemy weapons - if they can use 'em, you should be able to use 'em too (at some point); in fact, many "story-bound looter shooters" (like Half-Life, F.E.A.R. etc.) have this methodology where a weapon is introduced by enemies about a level or two before you get your own (assuming you can't just loot one from the corpses).

I believe it's called the Law of Conservation of Detail.

[f0st3r21]

They could collaborate on this one: two authors for the price of one…

[Green-Venom]

10474805
For real trough, why did the MLP writers implement it in the first place? 🤔

[Black--Soul]

"Yeah, fiction has to make sense," Daring agreed.

Is that a rule?

[FireAlphaWolf]

They should've collaborated. That would've sold stacks!