Daring Do was flying home from another long adventure. She lost Gin's Goblet in the forever pit and is bummed about it. At least she was going to finally relax for a change. Maybe she could get Pinkie pie to throw a party. None the less, she didn't want to do anything stressful. As she entered her house, she saw that somepony ransacked it. She didn't even have an artifact hidden, at least none she knew about. She got her house after her father passed away. Of course she didn't know anything about her dad, until she heard that she inherited the house from him. Maybe her dad had something hidden and she needed to find what it was. Beside the point, she didn't even have a place to sleep on, since her bed was slashed to bits. She had no choice, she must sleep at a friend's place for the night. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle was out of the option. They will just have her talk about the quest she went on. Pinkie is to hyper, Applejack lives to far to get there before dark, and Rarity amost likely already closed her boutique. Which left the quiet and gentle Fluttershy, which at the moment seemed like the best choice. All she wanted to do was sleep and Fluttershy will understand her predicament instantly.
It took five minutes to fly to Fluttershy's place, which if she walked it would have been twice as long. She then knocked on the door and hoped that Fluttershy was still awake. She was about to knock again when the door opened up. Fluttershy was standing in the doorway with a sleepy look on her face.
"A. K. Yearling? What are you doing here this late at night?" Fluttershy said in a yawn. Daring Do did a tired smile and said "It's Daring Do and I need a place to sleep for the night. My place was ransacked." Fluttershy signaled Daring Do to come inside.
"Oh, my. You can stay the night. I'll help you clean up tomorrow." Fluttershy said while Daring Do entered the cottage.
"That is very kind of you, but all I'm asking is one nights rest." Daring Do said slumping on the couch. She defiantly forgotten how soft Fluttershy's couch was. Fluttershy shook her head and before going back upstairs to her room she said while yawning again "Nonsense, you don't need to clean up on your own. I'll help." Daring Do was to tired to argue and frankly she didn't care if otherponies helped her clean.
Daring Do must have been extremely tired, cause when she woke up the sun was in the middle of the sky. She then saw a note on the coffee table. It read "Dear Daring Do, I let you sleep in, because you were snoring away. I already went up ahead, so come when you finish reading this. P.s. if your hungry, you can help yourself to something in the fridge, Fluttershy." She just grabbed a apple from the kitchen and looked at the note again.
"I snore?" She said confused. She then left the cottage quickly flying home. Fluttershy was inside her house with a small filly that didn't have her cutie mark yet. She had a red mane and yellow coat as well as a big red bow on her head. The filly noticed Daring Do and said cheerfully "Hiya, the names Applebloom. Nice to meet'cha." Fluttershy walked up to Daring Do and signaled Applebloom to clean near the fireplace.
"Sorry about that. She wanted to help with the cleaning. We already finished cleaning upstairs though." Fluttershy said hoping that her friend wasn't mad at her. Thankfully Daring Do didn't seem mad. Applebloom was staring at the fireplace while the to mares were having their conversation. She noticed a small dent in the fire place and touched it. It instantly press back into place and a pole like the firestalions slide down appeared out of nowhere. The to mares looked at the fireplace and saw that Applebloom already decided to slide down the pole.
"Wh-what's down there?" Fluttershy asked nervously. Daring Do squinted her eyes and tilted her head before saying "I don't know." Fluttershy now started to panic.
"Wait, you didn't know that was there?" Fluttershy was now in full panic mode and couldn't stop fidgeting with with her mane. Daring Do was now studying the fireplace and replied "First time actually." Fluttershy took a deep breath to hopefully calm her down and said "Wh-what do you think is down there?" Daring Do shrugged and calmly said "Well, only one way to find out." She then slide down the pole leaving Fluttershy alone in the house. Fluttershy then ran to the pole and yelled quietly "Wait for me!" They ended up in a tunnel, Daring Do started to walk down it. Applebloom started following and Fluttershy remained nervously following from the back. It took a long walk down until the came across a metal door that looked like it was bolted shut.
"Well, dead end. I think we should head back now." Fluttershy said tuning around to go back.
"Um, Fluttershy?" Daring Do said. Fluttershy turned around with a awkward smile "Yes?" Daring Do opened up the door and said smiling at her "it's unlocked." Fluttershy then frowned and followed the mane in the room. For some reason the tunnel let to the town hall archives. They walked though the shelves when Applebloom said "Where's that door lead?" Daring Do looked at the door and walked closer. The door had her cutie mark on it, which confuse her.
"Daring? You okay?" Applebloom asked, but didn't get an answer. Daring Do opened up the door and inside was a note on a small table. There was literally nothing else in the room. She approached the note and started to read out loud, "Dear Daring Do, if you are reading this then I have failed the stop my ex-partner Dilrous from getting the artifact. I hoped it didn't come to this, but I need you to destroy that device that makes the Philosopher's Stone. If made then through it in a volcano. Don't get pick, any volcano will do. The stone grants internal life at a cost. One thousand lives must be sacrificed and it doesn't have to be pony life's. Please do this. Your papa, Raring Do." Daring Do clinched her teeth and said to herself angrily "A stone like that shall never be named. I'll make sure of it." She then turned around pushing past the other to girls who stood stunned at what they heard Daring Do say. First things first, she needed to pack for expadition.
Besides the Everfree forest that was a even scarier location. It may seem normal, but it Nightmare Woods was appropriately named for a reason. If somepony traveled in they will see their worst fear. Daring Do always wanted to go in, but never had a reason to until now, considering she knew a place called Black Mare. It's a weird name to call a black market, but she didn't care cause the only way is through the woods. Unfortunately she was being followed by Fluttershy and Applebloom.
"Why are you following me?" Daring Do asked annoyed by the fact they they hadn't said a word.
"I can't let something like that horrible stone to exist." Fluttershy replied.
"I'm here to give ya back up with Fluttershy, if she panics or faints from shock." Applebloom said. Daring Do raised a eye brow and then continued to walk into the woods with a sigh. Fluttershy can fly so if a group effort involving them to fly, then having her around helps. Applebloom is small so her size will help Daring Do. They were about half way to their destination and they haven't seen anything like the descriptions. That disappointed Daring Do, cause she really wanted to see want the big deal was. Fluttershy was smiling cause nothing has jumped out at all.
"Ya okay? Ya look disappointed." Applebloom said to Daring Do. Daring didn't even realize that Applebloom was next to her. She was so focused on the horror that appears and attacks ponies.
"No, I'm disappointed that this place is a phony." Daring Do said with a frown.
"I'm happy that this place is fake." Fluttershy said skipping along. Daring Do turn to face Fluttershy, but didn't say anything. Daring then smiled and said, "What ever you do don't turn around." Fluttershy stopped, hoping it was only a joke. She then felt a slimy touch, which made her squeal and run past Daring Do and Applebloom. The two girls then ran after Fluttershy to get her to calm down. Fluttershy was to spooked by the sudden silent feel that she had no idea where she was going. She finally stopped when she saw a bunny which was looking another way. Fluttershy quickly walked up to the bunny to see if it's okay.
"Um... excuse me. Um... are you okay?" Fluttershy asked tapping on the bunny's head. The bunny fell on its back revealing that the bunny had no eyes, blood coming out of its mouth, and the stomach was ripped open. At the moment Fluttershy passed out and the bunny stands up.
"Maybe I over did it." The bunny said with a male voice. At the very next instant, Daring Do steps on the bunny preventing him to get up.
"Oh you think? Who are you?" Daring Do asked with an angry tone in her voice. The bunny instantly changes into a changling.
"The names Flin. I'm a changling, and I didn't mean to make her faint." Filn said trying to breath, "I feed on other ponies fear."
"But I thought changlings feed on love?" Applebloom asked picking up Fluttershy to carry her.
"Normally yes that's true, but I'm different. I have no holes in my legs and I feed on fear." Flin said. He paused to get a good breath in and said, "And because of that I was cast out of my kind." Daring Do lifts her hoof off of Flin. Flin coughed a couple times before regaining his breath. He turned to face Daring Do.
"Why didn't you kill me? Anypony would have killed me without even a second thought." Flin asked with a gloomy look on her face.
"I'm not a murderer. Plus I can somehow relate. My father abandoned my mother when I was a foal." Daring Do said turning her face away. She never liked saying that and she didn't even know why she was going on this quest for him. No, it wasn't for her father. It was for the safety of pony kind. Daring Do started to walk towards Black Mare and Applebloom followed with Fluttershy on her back.
"You're strong for a filly." Flin said walking next to Applebloom.
"I would hope so. I'm as strong as any mare." Applebloom replied. Flin smiled and flew onto Daring's back.
"Um... you don't mind if I tag along, right? It gets lonely being by myself." Flin asked slightly smiling.
"Only if you behave yourself." Daring Do said still looking ahead. Having a changling along interested Daring, though she wasn't going to admit it.
It wasn't long until they entered Black Mare and Daring knew exactly where to go. An old informant that she knew moved here to keep low. Mainly because he owes a lot of money to a certain group of ponies. He won't mention who though. First off Daring needed to get Fluttershy to a safe location, being that a Black Market isn't exactly safe for an unconscious mare. The group walked into a bar and sat down at the bar instead of a table. The bartender had his back to Daring, mostly because he was mixing. He was a big stallion that was on the chubby side. His coat was a dark blue color and his mane was a dark orange.
"I'll be with you in a second." The bartender said.
"Is that anyway to speak to me Rumor?" Daring said smiling.
"Is that you Daring?" The bartender said without turning around.
"Yes it's me. Happy to see me?" Daring said with the smile not fading from her face. Rumor turned around to see Daring smirking at him.
"It's been so long, but I know you well enough that it is probably for business. So what can I do for my old friend?" Rumor asked.
"I need a tomb raider. One that can handle a ten class raid." Daring said still smirking at Rumor.
"Come and take you friends in the back then we'll talk." Rumor said and Daring did as he said. Fluttershy still being passed out was layed on the couch in the back. Applebloom and Flin Sat in chairs next to Fluttershy, waiting for her to wake up. Daring and Rumor continued their conversation in the same room.
"There are only five raiders alive who can handle a ten class raid. Tiki is all the way in Canterlot, Jan leaf and Blaze cannot be trusted, and then there's the twins." Rumor said.
"The twins?" Daring asked raising a eye brow.
"Yes the twins. Raider and Nightshade are the best of the best. What artifact are you searching for?" Rumor asked.
"The Philosopher's Stone." Daring Do said and noticed the Rumor' s eyes had widened.
"Nightshade is the one that you want. He is raiding a tomb about four miles off to the west. He's stubborn, but with the right words, he'll take the job." Rumor said and Fluttershy was finally gaining consciousness.
"Um, what happened?" Fluttershy asked completely confused.
"I... uh... kinda scared you and you fainted. Sorry about that." Filn said with a weak smile.
"He's a changling that was kick out, because he feeds on fear instead of love. His names Flin and he wasn't trying to make you faint." Applebloom explains.
"Okay, but that doesn't explain where I am." Fluttershy said.
"Oh, your in Black Mare. That pony over there is Rumor and Daring is getting info from him." Flin said smiling. Fluttershy them grabbed the changling and hugged him.
"Oh, you're so cute. You look more like a pony instead of a changling." Fluttershy said gleefully, but Flin pushed away from the hug.
"The fact remains, I'm a changling. I'm different, but I'm still a changling. I'm only helping, because I made you faint. Don't make me change my mind." Flin said and Fluttershy let go. Daring walks up to Fluttershy, Applebloom, and Flin.
"It's time to go. We are going to find a tomb raider." Daring said and started to leave. They said their goodbyes to Rumor and walked out. For some reason it was more quiet then usual.
"Something seems off." Daring said and like it was right on que, stallions ran at them, "let's go!" The four of them bolted as fast as possible in the direction that they needed to go. Suddenly two pegasus mares blocked the way. One mare had a light green coat and a purple mane, while the other had a purple coat and a light green mane.
"Who are you?" Daring asked raising a eye brow.
"I'm Yin and this is my twin sister Yang. We aren't going to let you find the stone." The purple coated one said. Then a shadowy figure with red fangs and claws towered over Yin and Yang, making the two mares faint. The shadowy figure changed into Flin.
"Did I over do it?" Flin asked and Daring ran past him. Applebloom ran past him next and Fluttershy threw him onto her back as she continued to run. They then hid in the a bush once they entered a forest. The stallions that was pursuing them ran past without looking in the bush.
"Where are we going now?" Fluttershy asked.
"Into a tomb to find a tomb raider that will help us." Daring replied and walked out. She pulls out a compass and nods.
"It's this way." Daring said and started walking in that direction. Applebloom and Fluttershy followed while Flin continued to ride on Fluttershy's back. Daring wasn't going to let anything stop her, even if it involves a tomb raiders help.