The untold story
The story started one Sunday afternoon in a small, sleepy community in the Northern part of Equestria, and even though the clock was getting late, the midsummer sun still stood high in the sky and shone through the windows of one of the small houses in the village, giving comfortable warmth to the two mares sitting on a couch in the room inside.
The younger of the two mares, a golden coloured pegasus with messy grey mane and a compass cutiemark, were leading the current conversation by telling the older unicorn mare beside her a glorious story with dramatic voice and big, exaggerated motions.
“And that’s how I found Hoofetsut’s lost treasure, after which I decided it was time for me to take a little break and pay you a visit. A little longer, this time, too.” Daring Do finished her story, waving her hooves in the air and smiling brightly as she could see the grin on her sister's face, half-hidden by the big pink tea cup she held in her hooves.
“That’s amazing Daring, I’m so proud of you! Glad you took the time to come for a longer visit, though... It feels as if you never have the time to come by and visit me anymore, with all those crazy adventures and the book writing you’re doing .” Diamond Do sigh, smiling bitterly and putting away her tea cup on top of the smooth glass surface of the table in front of them.
“Hey, don’t say that Diamond! You know I’ll always have room in my life for spending time with my amazing big sister!” Daring protested, putting away her own tea cup on the table and lodging forward, attempting to hug-tackle her sister on the couch just like she used to do with their own couch at home when they were younger.
Diamond was almost pushed off the small two pony couch by the sheer force when Daring used her hole body weight to jump on top her sister and embracing her in a strong, passionate hug-tackle that only sister knew how to do.
“I know, Daring, I know.” Diamond whispered, patting her sister on the head and slowly dragging her hooves through her sisters lush grey mane and they lay down and snuggled together on the couch, enjoying a mutual feeling of sisterly love and devotion.
For the two sisters, the sensation of their closest friend and family member lying next to them and stroking their fur against theirs, constantly reminding them that it was no dream, nor a memory of a time when they were younger and with more time for each other, and that they actually for once had the one they could always trust with everything by their side.
But at the same time, Daring slowly started to wonder what she had been doing...when did her visits at Diamond’s house become so sparse, that her sister had started to feel abandoned? Daring had been by to say hi a thousand times, but this was probably the first time in years that she had been around long enough for them to have time to sit down and have tea together.
“I’m sorry, Diamond.” Daring said quietly, cracking her eyes open and slowly letting her gaze wander outside one of the big windows, calmingly gliding across the beautiful landscape before eventually being caught by the rainbow of burning colours playing across the sky while the sun finally started to set at the horizon.
“For what? I’m happy that you’re having such a wonderful and successful life, little sister.” Diamond said softly, following her sister's gaze out the window and into the colourful patterns crisscrossing on the glowing evening sky.
“No...I haven't been fair to you, always letting you come in second place in my life, while I was always first in yours... And without you, I wouldn’t have all I have today, either…” Daring answered, the memory of the faithful afternoon when her sister had changed her life forever being replayed in her mind as she continued to gaze out the window at the beautiful scenery out there.
“Hurry Diamond, we’re going to be late! LATE!” A much smaller Daring Do screamed, quickly running down a muddy hill and almost tripping over her own hooves as she continued galloping headfirst through the forest, not slowing down one bit no matter the obstacle, her sister doing her very best to keep up with her energetic little sister as she trampled on through the forest.
“Late for what? We got the treasure map,so no one else can find the burried treasure!” Diamond laughed, finally catching up with her little sister as they entered a small clearing in the thick forest.
“B-but...In movies, they’re ALWAYS running! Plus, it’s my first treasure hunt, and dad would be SO proud of me if i found an actual treasure!” The little filly pleaded, her eyes filled with stone hard conviction and determination, her mouth nothing more than a serious, perfectly even line drawn across her face.
"Okay, okay, I get it! But always remember, Daring, that dad'll always be proud of you no matter what!" Diamond said, hugging her sister tightly and ruffling her mane.
"I know!" Daring replied, returning her sister’s affectionate hug and keeping it up for a few moments before letting go and running off once more, the excitement of being on a real life adventure too much for her to hold back for any longer amount of time.
Rolling her eyes and giggling slightly at her little sisters over-excited ways, Diamond also sat off again at a slower past, following her sister’s tracks deeper into the lush forest and making sure to take the to enjoy the beautiful scenery around her as she kept an eye out for Daring’s golden coat and grey mane among the trees in front of her.
The nature that surrounded the two sisters were very typical for the more northern parts of Equestria with a rather thick-growing network of conifers and low, bush like plants growing close to the ground, some deciduous appearing here and there, just often enough to remind the ponies living in these area of that they could live here, too.
Of course, this was not what little Daring saw around her as she galloped on further and further ahead of her sister. What Daring saw in the normally all too familiar forest was a dangerous, hostile and unexplored jungle where every little plant, tree and bush could be a potential threat to both the mission at hoof as well as the fillies own little life, or more exactly, the filly and her sister’s life...
Suddenly, Daring ceased to run, falling over on her head as she stopped right on the spot and accidentally tripped over her own hooves , the thought of the to her seemingly life-threatening and dangerous environment forcing her to recall something her dad once taught her:
“It is important to remember that if you got somepony with you on a mission, then you’re a group, and a group stick together. NEVER run off on your own when you’re with somepony, because it can result in endangering both the mission at hoof and the lives of you and your companion or companions .”
“Sister?!” Daring screamed, looking around her to try and spot where her big sister had went in a hope that she hadn’t end up too far ahead of her.
“Yes Daring?” Diamond replied calmly, following her instincts and guessing that Daring wasn’t in any real danger, just overreacting for whatever reason. Diamond therefor smiled widely as her sister joined her on her left, walking so closely by her side that she could feel the feathers in her wing tickling the fur on her leg.
“We should stick together. Dad always say if you’re more than one on an adventure, you should stick together.” Daring explained, trying to get as close to her sister's leg as she physically could, yet still not feeling close enough to her sister and the safety and comfort she represented in the eyes of the small Daring.
“What dad say is normally good advice. Here, you can ride on my back! Then I’ll always know where I got the best sister ever.” Diamond smiled, lighting up her horn and using its glittering ruby red aura to envelope the small filly and levitate her up in ot the air before placing her on her back..
Daring giggled as she was being lift up and placed on her sister's back, lightly kicking her sister in the sides with her back hooves as she wanted her to get moving so they could continue forward on their fantastic adventure through unknown lands, just like their dad would do in all the fantastic story he told them very night!
Daring and Diamond Do were the two children of the famous explorer Daunting Traveler Do, and had grown up with the stories of their fathers fantastic discoveries. All since they were small, they’d dream of getting to experience such things them selves, Diamond having her wish granted when she got her cutiemark for decoding and reading ancient and dead languages. But Daring on the other hoof, being ten years younger than her older sister, had yet to get her cutiemark at the time. This meant that she had not yet been allowed on any adventures with her dad and this mission her sister had taken her on was Daring’s first introduction to a world that she so desperately wished to be a part of.
“Daring, can you check the map and see how far we got left until we’re in the marked area? Diamond asked after a while, levitating an old-looking piece of paper over to her sister, who carefully let go of Diamond’s gray mane and clumsily grabbed the paper, trying to find a way to hold the large ma in her much too small hooves.
“It...it should be just in front of us in that clearing!” Daring said, doubtingly at first before squealing with excitement and delight, surprising her sister by jumping over her head and flying forward into the clearing in the woods upfront.
Diamond smiled in satisfaction as she watched Daring getting to work with removing a few ancient-looking stones form a big tower that had been built up in the middle of the clearing. To her, it was obvious that it must be beneath those heavy stones that the treasure for which they had made this great three-hour journey through the woods would be located.
I took filly Daring another 20 minutes of energetic, inpatient work to remove enough of the heavy stones from the pile so that she could reach inside with her tiny hoof and grab around in a try to find what she expected to be hidden there.
From behind, Diamond watched as her little sister’s figure, which was tense from all the heavy lifting and the burden of keeping herself in the air as she was now exploring the inside of the pile. Even though she seemed a bit tired, it still seemed like she was having a good time, until her hole figure suddenly slumped and she landed ungracefully on her butt in the wet and muddy grass next to the pile.
“It’s empty! EMPTY! Why is it empty Diamond? It shouldn’t be empty!” Daring cried, getting up on her legs and running over to her sister, hugging her legs tightly as she begged for pity and comfort from the older filly.
Diamond looked down at the desperate filly hugging her legs, a painful sting of guilt poking at her heart as she knew that it was her fault that her sister were so sad, and the guilt only got worse as she realised that she was going to become even more heartbroken once Diamond told her the truth about the hole adventure...
“Daring, listen! There is no treasure, because I...I made it all up, so you could go on an adventure like you always wanted. I even faked the dead language on the map so it would look convincing.” Diamond confessed, kneeling down in front of her sister and attempting to give her a hug, which was promptly refused.
“Y...you made it up!? You’re so mean! I hate you!” Daring screamed, her sadness replaced by a raging fury as she realised that her sister had been tricking her all along.
Diamond was taken aback by her sister's violent and angry reaction, not having expected it to be this strong, and there was barely enough time for her to try and come up with some kind of sincere apology that would hopefully make her sister calm down a bit before Daring’s flank lit up with an intense white light that left both of the two sisters momentarily blinded when it blinked away.
When the light finally was gone and they’d gotten back their vision at least somewhat, the first thing they did was to try and see where the flash of light had come from, looking at Daring’s earlier bare flank that now was covered in a detailed depiction of a compass.
“Youg to your cutiemark! Oh my goodness I can’t believe it!” Diamond exclaimed happily, thrilled at the thought of her sister now having her cutiemark too and maybe coming to join her and their dad on all kinds of missions, almost guaranteeing to make them much more enjoyable for everypony involved. However, her happy attitude soon faltered as she saw that her sister was not sharing that attitude.
“Wait...if this was a fake adventure, then how could I get an adventure cutiemark? Is my destiny to go on fake adventures!?” Daring screamed at her sister, panic and fear taking over her voice and tears blurring her vision.
Diamond sight, suppressing the tears that was threatening to come in the way of her own vision and she trotted over to her sister and pulling her into a warm embrace as she tried to cease the little one’s tears, both fillies having forgotten the rage and upset emotions that had been filling them mere moments ago.
“Daring, your cutiemark is for real adventures, because when you went on this adventure, you believed with all your heart that it was real, and it’s always what you believe in your heart that matter!” Diamond whispered softly.
Upon hearing the kind and comforting words of her sister, Daring dragged her hooves across her eyes and removed the last few tears that were blurring her vision before moving in closer and hugging her sister even tighter than before.
“You’re right sis. You’re always right.”
As the sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon and the last few strands of it’s burning light slowly died down, the two sisters were brought back from their trip down the memory lane and Daring sat up once more, stretching her limbs before placing her hoof over her sister's as she sat up too.
"I'm really, really glad I have you, Diamond. Never believe anything else." Daring said, carefully squeezing her sister’s snow white hoof in her own golden one, soon receiving a squeeze back from her sister.
"I know, little sis. I know." Diamond replied, making Daring turn her back to her and gently beginning to rub it. “And I’m glad I have you here, too, so that I can have somepony to love and so that I can let you remind me.”
“Remind you? Of what? I don’t understand.” Daring asked, shaking off her sister’s firm hooves form her back as she stood up and turned to face Diamond, alarmed by the cryptic nature of what she had just told her.
Diamond sigh bitterly, knowing she had gone to far this time and now would have to tell her little sister one of her biggest secrets. Slowly getting up from the old coach and walking past Daring to the big window behind her,she did not meet her sister’s gaze directly as she turned around to stare at her back, only meeting her worried starre as it was reflected by the window slightly to the left of her own reflection.
“Oh Daring.” Diamond started, trying to find a good way to phrase what she had to say, but it was hard. “The more you learn, the more you see, the less the world impassion you. The hungry heart, the roving eye, will come to rest, do not apply. The frantic chases, the crazy rides...the thrill has gone, and you step aside.”
Daring looked at her sister with surprise, taken aback by her words, but suddenly it all became so very clear. Her sister had long since stopped going on crazy adventures like she did, never really feeling fit for such a life anyway, converting her longing for adventure and excitement in life to a burning passion for reading, decoding and analyzing ancient scripts and dusty tombs that she got from antiquariums all over the knowns world, even from outside Equestria.
However, just like anypony else, there was days when she might be doubting herself and her decisions, wondering if she really should have given up on exploring the world around her in person. That’s when she had Daring. Looking through the photos of her, reading her novels and recalling all the amazing adventures she told Diamond about, it made her feel safe and secure that it was the right choice to dedicate her time to the adventures in books, rather than the ones in real life, which after all was what her cutiemark stood for...
When she realised all of this, Daring also realised that she needed to respond, and she needed to respond with an honest confession from the heart, because she too had something to say, something that her big sister needed to her.
“Diamond” She started, staring at her and her sisters reflections in the dark window. “The more I want, the more I steal...but the more i hold, the less is real. All worldly things, I follow blind, in hope not faith, and the result I’m paid in kind. However, now the line is drawn, and the change is made. I’ve come to you, and I’m not afraid.”
Diamond turned around, facing the real Daring, not the hard and closed mare who was impossible to read because she showed nothing to none, but the open and weak mare that Diamond had always known all since before she was a mare. Daring wanted to prove, once and for all, what she felt for her sister, and hoped her sister could see the honesty in her face as she tried to show everything she never showed anyone.
Because Daring knew she had made her sister unsure, made her question if the love Daring once had used to show her only had been a period in life, something she quickly grew past, causing letting go of the once true emotions. And now, she was proving her wrong, showing that the love and emotions was still there,and they were still just a strong as the very first time she showed them to her sister.
“I’d believe in anything, were it not for you. You’re showing me, by just existing, that only this is truth: I love you, I love you without question, yes, I Love you!”
After hearing those words that she longed to hear for so long, Diamond passionately embraced Daring , the burning tears that had been gathering in her eyes slowly spilling over and dropping down onto her sister's golden coat...but already before the first sparkling teardrop made contact with Daring’s metallic fur, both sisters knew that the other one had understood their message.
This was the end of the one story about Daring Do that you will never find any book written by A.K Yerling. It’s a story that started with cups of tea and polite smiles, and ended in a tight embrace and hot, burning tears that was spilling over from their eyes and ran down their chins before finally landing in small, wet drop on each others fur even though none of them really thought it mattered, because all that mattered was that they knew they could trust each other again, because they knew that they cared for eachother.