An Eventful Encounter
Twilight Sparkle could only stare blankly at her unexpected guest. She took note of her guest’s appearance as her brain tried to wrap itself around this unbelievable concept. A mare with a tan coat of fur and a grayscale mane was beginning to slightly panic over the fainted and prone form of her dragon assistant.
Twilight assumed he had a more intense version of her reaction, shock. The longer she stared, the more her mind was filled with disbelief. It’s just not possible! Daring Do is a fictional character! She’s not real, and she’s certainly not fussing over her unconscious assistant, much less standing in her humble library! She had to say something!
“D-Daring Do?!”
Really. That’s the best I could come up with…
The mare in question looked up and towards her with a sheepish grin on her face.
“Um… Sorry for making your dragon friend faint… I forget that ponies don’t really know I’m real…I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t decide to wear the costume for giggles…”
Twilight had always envisioned in her imagination a more brash and powerful voice, and thus was completely surprised by the smooth, apologetic tone that came out of the tan mare’s mouth. Shaking her head lightly in order to clear her head before speaking again, she took a deep breath before meeting the eyes of the other mare.
“No, it’s fine. He’ll wake up in a few minutes. I wasn’t aware that you actually existed, and yet here you are! And, if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are you doing here in Ponyville of all places?
Daring’s ears flattened against her skull as she nervously pawed at the ground.
“I’m sorry if my presence startled you. I don’t make it a habit to intrude in another pony’s home without prior notice or an invite. I was actually in town to visit my younger sister. I told her I would meet her at the library, but I didn’t realize that someone lived here as well.”
Twilight was confused at the information. She didn’t know that Daring Do had a sister, but she also didn’t know that she was a living pony as well.
“Oh, well, that’s a nice thing to do. Are you two close?”
Daring Do chuckled cynically.
“I guess it is. Truth is I haven’t seen her in years. We’ve only occasionally communicated through a letter, so I not sure how she would react, much less know where I currently stand with her,” her ears, however, flattened even more at the slight lie, “She has always been rather brash and prone to grudges or misunderstanding, especially with her quick temper.”
She was beginning to grow curious the more that Daring spoke. Who was this mysterious sister? What was the pegasus in front of her really like?
“That could be troublesome. Do I know your sister?” she asked a little too eager. She raised an eyebrow as the polite pegasus in front of her laughed softly.
“Tell me, are you not Twilight Sparkle? Bearer of the Element of Magic and one of six who helped save Equestria multiple times?”
She wasn’t sure where she was going with this.
“Yes. That’s me, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
Daring Do suddenly sported a mischievous grin that startled Twilight with its surprising familiarity. She’s seen that grin before, but she couldn’t recall where.
“It has everything to do with it Ms. Sparkle. Since you’re a bearer, there is no doubt in my mind that you know my sister. And if the family resemblance hasn’t given it way, I’m sure that the second she comes crashing through that window you’ll finally put the pieces together. While you think on it, I’ll just browse the library.”
Twilight’s face shifted into one of thought.
I already know her sister? I don’t recall anyone mentioning that they were related to Daring Do… And there’s a supposed family resemblance? Let’s see: tan coat, grayscale mane, rose colored eyes, a rather athletic build… Who could she be related to?
Wait… Give the mane some color, switch the coat to blue, change the cutie mark, and you get an exact…copy…of… That’s not possible! It can’t be possible, it just can’t! She would have said something and Daring Do is polite and a well-mannered pony! There is absolutely no conceivable way that they’re related! It’s too outlandish to even think about!
“By the look on your face, I’d say you’ve figured it. If you’re not sure, how about I give you a quick pose? I can almost guarantee that she’s done this at least once in the time you’ve known her.”
Once again, Twilight could only stare in disbelief as Daring Do struck a rather arrogant pose. Any doubt in her mind had vanished as the image of Daring Do was completely overshadowed by the image of one particular friend in the back of her mind.
~~~
“Fluttershy!”
The yellow pegasus jumped into the air in fright before dashing off to hide behind the couch. She froze as she heard the front door slam open and the sound of impatient hoof steps grow closer.
“Fluttershy! Come out! I’ve got something important to show you!”
Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the sound of the familiar voice. She knew that rough voice anywhere, and felt a bit foolish at being scared of it in the first place. Stepping out to face her blue friend, she was met with a book cover pressed to her snout instead.
“Daring Do and the Trials of Unity? You ordered the new Daring Do book? What’s the problem, if you don’t mind me asking, but why are you so panicked over this?”
Rainbow Dash groaned at her friend’s confusion. Pulling the book back, she set it on the floor and opened it to an early page. She then pushed the book over towards Fluttershy.
“Read the dedication and tell me what’s wrong with this picture. The author usually dedicates her books to her parents, so tell what’s different!”
Fluttershy looked down at the page and read its contents.
If you’re reading this, I’d like you to know that that is book is dedicated to you little sister.
P.S. Your face will become stuck that way if you keep making those expressions.
P.P.S. Clean your house. It’s messy. I can tell and I haven’t seen it in a long time.
Fluttershy looked up, and true to the dedication’s words, Rainbow Dash had her face firmly set in a scowl. Holding back a small giggle, she went back to inspecting the page.
She took note that below the text, in a sharp and neat script, was none other than Daring Do’s signature. Next to it sat a small drawing of a compass.
Looking up to fully face Rainbow Dash, she hesitantly spoke.
“You mean tha-”
“Yep.”
“So she’s at th-”
“At the library. Yes.”
“So she’s do-”
“She’s done with her current adventure. Correct.”
“And you ha-”
“And I have to meet up with her to say hello at the very least. Duh.”
“But wait, isn’t today the day that we were going to have a picnic in the park later this afternoon?”
Rainbow Dash was wondering where Fluttershy was going with this.
“That’s right.”
“Weren’t we going to meet up at Twilight’s before going? And if she’s already there, then couldn’t our other friends run into her?”
Rainbow’s eyes widened at the realization.
Oh, horseapples! If they see her they’ll start asking questions! I gotta get to her before the others do!
In a flurry of feathers, Rainbow Dash was done. Fluttershy sighed as she picked up the book and set it on the coffee table before taking after her friend, hoping she won’t do anything pointlessly drastic and while contemplating the book now lying forgotten in her cottage.
~~~
“Hey Rainbow!”
Rainbow Dash sat up from her position on a cloud and looked towards the direction of the voice. Seeing the source to be a tan pegasus with a mane similar to her own, she scooted to the side to make more room for the incoming mare.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Sis, you will never guess what dad told me! Come on! Guess!”
Rainbow Dash looked at her older sister in contemplation. She put a hoof to chin and stared at her sister’s excited face.
“You got him to buy us tickets to the Wonderbolts?”
“Nope!”
“Let’s see…he said that you could go deep sea diving?”
“You’re getting closer!”
Rainbow crossed her arms and closed her eyes in an effort to think. A few seconds later she dramatically pointed a hoof at her sister and called out, “You’ve convinced dad to let you travel with aunt Compass Rose!”
Daring squealed in excitement as she tackled Rainbow in a bear hug rivaling that of an actual bear before setting her down when she noticed her sister was beginning to change from her normal cyan blue, to a sickly pale bluish-purple color.
While catching her breath, she realized that she had hit the nail on the head, and couldn’t control the sudden grin stretching across her face.
“No way! Dad actually said yes? You’re going to be an adventurer! Awesome!”
“I convinced him to agree! I’m finally going to see the world! Maybe I’ll even write a book or two of my adventures! You should read them when they come out.”
Rainbow Dash snorted and fell onto her back in laughter. Daring scowled and swiftly kicked her in flank, causing her to cease her laughter.
“Please! As if I’ll ever read any of your sappy romance novels! And I don’t think you could write a good adventure story if your life depended on it!”
Daring’s scowl was deepened.
“Like you would know a good book if it bit you on the flank! Watch! I’ll write the best action-adventure books ever! They’ll even become the best-selling book series in Equestria! Just you wait. Prepare to eat those words once you read my books! They’ll be so good, you’ll want to steal them just to read them!”
Rainbow poked Daring’s side with a lopsided grin.
“I’ll refuse to read them till my dying breath because you only know how to write romance novels. And besides, you’ll be too busy exploring lost caves and stuff to even be able to write me letters letting me know you’re still alive, much less a complete book series.”
A tan hoof poked a cyan body in retaliation.
“Alright. Fine. I probably won’t be able to write a novel or two, but I’ll send you a letter a month or so, and I’ll promise to visit, especially when something important happens. How’s that?”
“Works for me. How will I know when you’re coming to visit so I can make sure my place is clean enough for the mighty traveler?”
Rainbow Dash did a mock bow towards her sister before being pushed over by a hoof.
“I’ll send you a note telling you to clean your house. And if I do have the time to publish a book, I’ll dedicate it to you with the note inside. When you see it, we’ll meet up.”
Daring dusted Rainbow’s coat to free it of the random wisps of cloud that clung to it.
“Cool. Will your secret note tell us where to meet?”
“How about a library?
Rainbow Dash scowled.
“Your face will freeze that way if you keep making those expressions. And I like libraries! And because of that look, we’re meeting in the library closest to your house. That’s final.”
Daring snickered as Rainbow grumbled about how libraries were boring and you couldn’t do anything except be quiet and read in them.
“You and I both know that you don’t hate reading, and you usually volunteer to come with the library with me. And to keep you from whining my ear off, go find Fluttershy so I can tell her to. I have to go home and pack up my things and be ready to go before Aunt Rose leaves without me. Is that all right with you?”
Rainbow nodded before taking off the sky to find their timid friend leaving Daring to go off in the opposite direction.
~~~
“-nd that’s the reason why you should let me style your mane,” a white unicorn spoke to her annoyed earth pony companion as they entered the premises of the library, all while having a pink earth pony happily hop behind them.
Applejack was about to protest when she heard a loud gasp behind her. Before she could turn around, a pink blur shot out behind her and headed towards an unknown pegasus in the center of the room.
“Hey! I haven’t seen you here before! That means that you get a welcome party but Twilight told me to leave my Party Cannon and Welcome Wagon at home because of the incident last week that I’m not supposed to talk about! Are you visiting? Maybe you moved here! I hope you moved here! That means you get a surprise party! But I think I just ruined the surprise, so I’ll just throw a house warming party instead! Do you like Pin-the-tail on the Donkey? It’s my favorite game! Oh, I hope you like Pin-the-tail on the Donkey! Mayb-”
Twilight, who was beginning to show the signs of a growing headache, had stuck a hoof in Pinkie’s mouth in an effort to control the bundle of excitement. She then turned to Pinkie with a look of thin patience.
“Pinkie, I’m going to pull my hoof away, and you’re going to calm down and stop accosting our guest. Is that understood?”
Pinkie’s eyes shone with excitement, but nodded in agreement anyway. As soon as Twilight let go of her mouth, Pinkie shot one look towards their confused guest and instead placed her energy into bouncing around the room instead. Twilight sighed.
“While Pinkie Pie’s methods are questionable, I have to agree with her. Who is this strange mare? I don’t recall seeing her in Ponyville before.”
Before Twilight could answer, the pegasus had already made her way to friends and began to introduce herself.
“Hello. I’m sorry for the intrusion, but my name is Daring Do. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Rarity looked on in approval and slight recognition.
“My, such a polite, young mare. Some of us could do well to hold such manners,” Applejack glared, “I’m positive you get this a lot, but you resemble a certain fictional character as well as sharing her name. Is there any connection?”
Daring Do covered her face in embarrassment before answering.
“Actually, yes. You see, I’m the author of the series. The character herself bears little resemblance to myself apart from her appearance, and she is actually combination of certain personalities that I know. The character, along with the actual adventures, are both greatly exaggerated.”
“Interesting, I knew I recognized you from somewhere. I’m a fan of the series, but I haven’t had the time to read the current ones. Pray tell, what book is the series currently on?”
Rarity asked eagerly, while ignoring Twilight’s completely baffled look.
“Oh! The fourteenth in the series, Daring Do and the Trials of Unity, has just hit shelves everywhere. I’m quite proud of that one. It’s about how Daring has to team up with her siblings to be able to read a specific map and get the treasure by getting past all the various trials.”
“That is quite interesting! I might have to go read it when I have the time.”
“Wait just a minute!” a southern twang rang out from behind Rarity. “Wasn’t The Trials of Unity or something that one book that Rainbow kept goin’ on about?” Rarity turned to Applejack, worry etched on her face.
“Oh dear, I forgot all about Rainbow Dash… If she finds out that her favorite fictional heroine is a real pony, she might just go into shock.”
“Um, girls? There’s something that you need to know,” Twilight spoke up, catching every mare’s attention. She was interrupted however, by smooth voice she knew all too well by now.
“Wait one moment; you said that Rainbow Dash is a fan of my books?”
“You bet she is! She’s happier with those books than a pig is in a fresh mud pile. Can’t stop talkin’ about ‘em once ya
get her started,” the orange, earth pony answered.
“Why that sly, little pegasus… She swore to me that she would never read them. Said I couldn’t write an adventure book to save my behind,” Daring said with a knowing grin.
“You know Rainbow or somethin’? You talk about her like yer friends.”
“You could say that. We’re a bit on the close side.”
“How close?”
Daring was about to answer the earth pony before they all turned towards the sound of a breaking window. Everyone’s mouths were agape as the blur they knew as Rainbow Dash has taken the initiative to completely crash into their guest.
“Ugh… sorry about that. I couldn’t really see where I was going. Flying too fast,” Rainbow said as she shook her head
free of stars with her back to her victim.
“It’s all right Dash. Wouldn’t be the first time, and it won’t be the last.”
Rainbow Dash froze as the voice registered in her mind. As if burned, she jumped straight up in the air and stood facing the voice. She watched, dazed, as a tan pegasus sporting a grayscale mane, and magenta eyes forever burned into her memory slowly stood up and faced her. For what seemed like hours, they stared.
Everybody else was waiting with baited breath. Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were both counting the seconds until Rainbow burst with overexcitement and barely contained glee. Twilight was curious as to whether or not she’d be shocked into silence, much like she had. Spike, who had recently joined them upon hearing the commotion, was wondering if Rainbow would mirror his own reaction.
“Daring Do. Is that really you?”
The group leaned forward with anticipation.
“The one and only.”
They all recoiled in surprise as they witnessed Rainbow Dash send Daring Do crashing into the wall with a punch. Their eyes widened as they saw that the tan pegasus refused to be outdone and delivered a full body tackle towards the cyan pegasus. Frozen in horror, they watched Daring Do and Rainbow Dash square off in the middle of the library.
Feathers flew.
Hooves connected with lightning speed.
Teeth bit and scratched.
Having only seen their friend act on impulse occasionally and fail drastically, they never noticed the extent to their blue friend’s ability to fight and viciousness. It was brutal to the point of them not wanting to intervene for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. They could only watch.
“Girls…”
The group turned towards the timid pegasus that now stood on the window sill. The fighting pair took no notice.
“Girls.”
Everyone backed away slowly as they noticed their shy friend was beginning to grow angry as she dropped to the floor and began to walk towards the fighting pegasi.
“Girls!”
They felt pity for the fighting duo.
“GIRLS!!!”
They all flinched at the sound of Fluttershy’s raised voice. The pair ceased their fighting, they quickly untangled themselves as they hunched over in fear of the reprimand.
“Rainbow Dash! How could you! You know she never really did anything wrong. I know you’re still bitter about feeling abandoned, but this isn’t the way to handle it. You need to talk it out, not rip each other to shreds.”
Rainbow Dash hung her head in shame as their spectators looked on in interest. Daring Do was currently trying to sneak away to no avail.
“And you! You’re older than her. You should know better. You told her you’d write to us at the very least, but we don’t hear from you in years, and the only notice we gets is from a note in a book. I know you’ve been busy traveling and writing, but that doesn’t mean you get to forget about your friends and family.”
Everyone’s mouth dropped open at her scolding of the famous author. They watched in mute horror as Daring Do became a mirror image of Rainbow Dash with an equal amount, if not more, shame and regret.
“Now, I want you two to apologize to each other.”
Both mares’ ears flattened even more against their skull.
“Rainbow Dash…”
Rainbow Dash sighed before turning to face the other mare.
“I sorry I attacked blindly, But I’ll do it again if you keep disappearing off the face of Equestria!”
Satisfied with the apology for the time being, knowing this was the best she would at the moment, she turned to face Daring Do who flinched at Fluttershy’s disappointed look.
“Daring Do…”
Daring flattened her ears even more against her skull as she shrunk down onto the floor in an effort to disappear from the piercing stare.
“Daring Do Dash! Apologize to your younger sister this instant!”
Everyone’s eyes, save Twilight’s, were as wide as saucers at Fluttershy’s words. Up until now, they never noticed the similarities between the two. Both shared the same eyes, same build, and even the same multicolored mane except in that both were on opposite sides of the spectrum. They returned their focus on the tan mare as a smooth voice was heard.
“I’m sorry Dash. I guess I just forgot to keep in touch, what with the exploring with Aunt Rose and all. I’m sorry! I really am! Please forgive me…” Rainbow Dash was beginning to feel uncomfortable at the sight of tears in her elder sister’s eyes. She did the only thing she knew and stretched her wings, pulling her sister into a hug.
Satisfied for the time being, Fluttershy sat down and simply smiled at the pegasi before her. The trio was oblivious to their whereabouts until they heard a cough behind them.
Fluttershy had startled herself into submission as she lay frozen with her hooves in the air with the faint sound of a bleating goat as both Daring Do and Rainbow jumped apart in fright.
Everyone turned to the source and only stared at the sheepish looking dragon before them.