> Daring Do and the Quest for Friendship > by Sparkler-iFIC > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It all began this very day, the day I learned there is more out there then what I had seen... If only I had learned sooner this could have been prevented... If. "This year I am proud to announce the Annual Flower Festival!" The regal Princess of the Sun announced proudly. "For those who are new to this holiday it's a day where we celebrate the beauty and joy of nature, and all of it's gifts. What we do is we have a giant feast, we dance, and we even have a competition with ponies from all over Equestria entering. Florists from all around Equestria bring their most prized flowers and show off their talents. Whomever is this years best florist wins a prize. Now, I think you all get the idea." Celestia gave a light chuckle. "So let's go have ourselves a Flower Festival!" Everyone cheered, smiling and beginning to dance, eat, socialize... Today was a great day. Removing her hat, she tied her mane up into a bun. Putting her hat into her saddlebag, she also had removed her adventurers shirt. Wearing a fancy red dress, she had tried to make herself look like she fit in. Putting her saddlebag into a hiding spot, she trotted over to the giant table that stretched far across the street from the entrance to the Castle all of the way down the block. It was covered in delicious royal food. "A.K. Yearling?" A voice said behind her. Turning around Daring Do faced the pony. A bemused expression fell upon her face seeing who it was. "Fancy Pants?" She echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Jolly good to see you! You haven't been in Canterlot for years." Daring Do glanced around, "Oh I wouldn't have missed this for the world...." She said sarcastically. Fancy Pants sighed, "Well I hope to see you around." He trotted away off to talk to other ponies leaving her in peace. Daring Do smirked, finally left alone once again. Glancing around she tried to see as to why she was sent here. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you how I got here... This started at my house a few days ago... Daring Do sat down at her desk reading a book. It was 'Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone'. Only reason she was reading it was because it was the only thing that let her remember the great adventure she had. Her moment of peace had soon been interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at her door. Giving a long sigh, Daring Do stood up, closing her book and putting it down on the table. Pushing her chair in, Daring Do trotted over to her front door. Taking in a deep breath, she opened the door. A pony stood their expressionless, and he almost looked colorless. "Mistakes will be made." He left a letter on the floor. She glanced at the letter confused, looking back to look back at the pony, she gave a small gasp seeing as he had vanished into thin air. Looking from side to side, suspicious as to what just happened she picked up the letter. Walking back inside she closed the door behind her. "Miss Do, I know this all must be rather weird, and sudden. And the messenger I sent wasn't helping my case, but you must listen to me and pay attention to this letter. In three days from now there will be a festival held in Canterlot. You must be there from the very beginning to the very end. Things will change, and your adventure lies ahead. I will not be there sadly, but the others will be. And that's all you need to know. Signing off, _---_-" Daring Do had read the letter her eyes wide with fascination. The one thing that bugged her was that the name was smudged and unreadable. Though, this pony mentioned others. "Oh great... Please don't tell me I have to work with others." She groaned. "But if I want to know more I'll have to deal with it, I guess." She shrugged, though she seemed less excited then she was before when reading the letter. And that's how and why she was there. To find out more... Back to the Present... Daring do sat down at the table, many seats empty, as ponies were only beginning to sit down at the table. She searched from side to side wondering what food she should eat. "I wasn't that hungry anyway." She mumbled under her breath unable to decide. Sitting back, she relaxed, just waiting to see the ponies who she was supposed to meet. Would they already know her? Would she know them...? Daring Do hoped she would know them as soon as she saw them. Hopefully. > Cutie Mark Crusader "Crusader Cutie Marks!" > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Cutie Mark Crusaders are going ta' Canterlot!" Applebloom announced with pride. "This is so exciting!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Why are we here? We can’t get our cutie marks in such a place as boring as this!” Scootaloo remarked with a groan. “Who said anything ‘bout getting our cutie marks here?” Applebloom asked tilting her head. “Well we are the cutie mark crusaders. Why else would we be here?” Scootaloo sighed. Spike facepalmed giving a loud groan. “We are here because of the letter! Remember?!” He pulled out the letter from mid-air, showing them. “Dear Cutie Mark Crusaders, I know this all must be rather weird, and sudden, but you must listen to me and pay attention to this letter. In three days from now there will be a festival held in Canterlot. You must be there from the very beginning to the very end. Things will change, and your adventure lies ahead. I will not be there sadly, but the others will be. And that's all you need to know. Signing off, _---_-” Applebloom shrugged, “I wonder what it could mean. Ah’ mean, it’s just as well ya’ll. All of us could be out in the middle of no where trying to get our cutie marks for skydivin’ or going to this fancy shmancy party in Canterlot. It’s a whole new town! It must been full of ways to get cutie marks.” “True, so what are we waiting for? Let’s do this!” Scootaloo said not becoming totally siked with the idea. Spike quickly put them to a halt, “Now hold it! We are here to find out who we are supposed to be meeting. This isn’t a quest for cutie marks. Let’s try and find someone who can help us. Or… Hopefully they find us.” He spoke firmly as he was supposed to watch after them. He had promised Applejack, and Rarity he would do a good job. He made a Pinkie Promise! “Nah!” Scootaloo said, now the three both exchanging glances. A grin spread across all three of their muzzles, they passed glances before looking to Spike giving a devilish giggle. “Ooooh no! Don’t you, dare!” He said, quick to defend himself. Sweetie Belle took a feather from Scootaloo’s wing, before creeping up to Spike. Using her mouth she held onto the feather while she tickled him. Instant tears coming from laughter, “Alright, alright!” He laughed to hard, wanting them to stop. “Go ahead, go ahead!” Sweetie Belle stopped, and he was able to stop laughing at that moment. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, I thought of a great idea!” Sweetie Belle said with pride. “It’s the Flower Festival! Maybe we can get good cutie marks for being amazing flower critics!” Spike heard the idea, rubbing his claw against his spikes, he sighed, “This wont end well…” ~At least Thirty Minutes Later~ “These flowers look like you bought them at a top selling florist!” Sweetie Belle complimented. “These flowers are too… Shiny.” Apple Bloom said in a less kind way. “Oh come on guys! They look fake!” Scootaloo was blunt when she insulted Rose Luck’s flowers. “In the name of Princess Celestia, halt!” One guard said behind them. The three fillies turned around looking up to the guard in fear. “Uh, yes sir?” Apple Bloom said, her pupils dilated. “Are these the ponies who keep causing the local disruption?” The guard asked, the green dragon who came out from behind him. He gave a brief nod, to ashamed to say anything. “You, told on us?!” Scootaloo growled, “Nark!” “You were insulting everyone, and you didn’t listen to me! I’m your chaperone, and I’m responsible for you.” “Sorry ma’am.” The guard told Rose Luck. She just gave an awkward smile nodding slowly. “Maybe we can try flower sniffing…” Sweetie Belle suggested in a whisper to her two friends. All three hung their head low. “I really liked that job.” Applebloom groaned. Spike glanced at the three of them, giving a small sigh. “I heard they set up the tables, I heard there’s loads of food there. Why don’t we get something to eat and maybe I can help you try and get your cutie marks, while looking for the ponies we are supposed to meet?” He offered kindly. Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up, “That sounds good!” “It would be so awesome!” Scootaloo agreed. Sweetie Belle just gave a brief nod, the three headed off to the tables now in hopes to eat. *:･ﾟ✧ﾟ･:* Daring Do needed to keep under cover if she was to do things right. So sneaking off to an alley way for a few moments, taking off her adventures shirt, hat, and other necessities. Putting on a red dress, she also tied her mane up into a bun, putting in two chopsticks, giving her that “author” type look still. Hiding her knapsack down in a secret place she head back out into the fair. Sitting down at the table, she looked at the food. “It would hurt to enjoy at least some of what this place has to offer.” She told herself giving a small shrug. Eating the food, she munched on some delicious pie. All of the sudden, right in front of her she watched this whole scene play out. Three fillies looking for their cutie marks, in trouble, being watched over by a dragon. Now this was too easy. It was obvious it was them. As they sat down in front of her, without even realizing it, Daring Do muttered to herself, “Heh, Cutie Mark Crusader, Crusader Cutie Marks.” Funny, she may have said it just the teensiest bit louder then she would have hoped. “How can you get a cutie mark for that?” Apple Bloom asked the mare. Blinking, Daring Do turned her gaze towards the filly. She looked kind of familiar… Where did she know this filly? “Well, crusaders are adventurers. You know, raiding ruins, recovering artifacts.” They all gasped, “That would be awesome!” Spike rolled his eyes pulling out the letter, “Yeah maybe we can try that out later, after we figure this out!” He snapped at them. He just wanted to get this over with and go home. Although some free food didn’t hurt… So he enjoyed himself while he still could. Daring Do’s eyes widen, “Figure what out? What’s that letter you got there?” “Snoopy much?” Spike asked sitting up looking to her with a slight glare. He thought to himself, ‘She looks kind of familiar. Where do I know her from?’ “Well, you just showed- Never mind… It’s just that I so happen to be here, because I’m trying to figure out something from a letter as well.” Daring Do said to him, as her eyes begin to narrow forming a flustered expression. The cutie mark crusaders gasped, “Do you think she is the one we are looking for?!” They said at the same time. Kind of loud, which made her wince, covering her ears. She pulled out her letter from the- Darn it! She forgot the letter in the knapsack! It was then it hit her. She didn’t care for the letter at the moment… She is going to have to work with three annoying fillies! And a pesky dragon. Could this get any worse? “I see a letter there in your hoof my fellow folk, now tell me are you here for business or is this a joke?” A zebra asked walking up to them. “You see, I have the same letter there, I will not pretend. Now how about you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine as a friend…” Daring Do facedesked, groaning, “Sorry I asked.” > Let's begin... With Waiting. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well if we are to be working together, we are going to need to know each other's names." Spike said logically. "He is right, you should listen to our green little friend, for our names we must begin to comprehend." Zecora said passing a glance to everypony. Applebloom smiled, "Well, Ah'll be the first ta' share. Ah'm Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle was a bit more awkward, but she still managed to smile as well, "I'm Sweetie Belle!" "Oh, oh! I'm Scootaloo!" Scootaloo said waving her hoof as an introduction to herself. Spike put his claw on the table, tapping it with disgust. "Ugh, but we all already know each other!" Zecora blinked, "Well yes we do, but I am not sure she does too." Zecora pointed out Daring Do, who's name she has not yet acquired. Zecora knew about the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike, all of them knew each other quite well. How is it come to be one pony none of them knew? "Well either way, I have to say, my name is Zecora." Daring Do blinked as they all introduced themselves. Raising an eyebrow, a small grin spread across her muzzle. "I'm A.K. Yearling." She put a hoof to her chest, a smile spreading across her muzzle. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Zecora and..." She looked to the Green dragon. "I'm not exactly sure what your name is, you never said." Spike sighed, "I'm Spike." "Ah! Spike, well then. Now that we all know each other... What do we do now?" Daring Do asked looking around at the group of ponies. "Well in the letter it may have what we seek, go ahead and take a peek..." Zecora said to Daring Do offering her the letter. The hero in disguise took the letter, reading it over. Dear Zecora, I know this all must be rather weird, and sudden, but you must listen to me and pay attention to this letter. In three days from now there will be a festival held in Canterlot. You must be there from the very beginning to the very end. Things will change, and your adventure lies ahead. I will not be there sadly, but the others will be. And that's all you need to know. Signing off, _---_- "It says something about things changing and a adventure lays ahead..." Daring Do pointed out. "That's a start!" Apple Bloom pointed out, grinning wide. "True but it doesn't say what to do or where to go. I have no idea how we are going to figure this out." Daring Do remarked. Zecora smiled, "It says that there will be others, there is one, two, and three. Including you and me. There is a sixth who we do not yet know, but I suggest we wait instead of trying to find a place to go..." She explained, "It tells us that he will not come, but who knows... Maybe it has something to do, with the setting of the sun." Spike's eyes widen, "Zecora's right! What if the reason we were brought to the flower festival was not just a way of getting us to meet, but because there is going to be something that happens here at the festival!" The three cutie mark crusaders gasp, "That actually makes sense!" They all said together. Daring Do had a grin spread across her muzzle, "You all may be onto something!" Daring Do said with a confidence she had seemed to lack moments before. "There's only one thing we can do now..." Spike announced. The Cutie Mark Crusaders groaned all of them having a bemused expression fall across their face, "Wait..."