The Mission
The cloaked figure stepped cautiously through the dark twilight. She worked her way slowly through the thick brush, careful to never let her clothing tangle on the thorns or snap a branch that would break the eerie silence. The once well-trodden path had become overgrown and treacherous through years of neglect.
Squeezing under a fallen tree, she gazed up at the form looming over her. What was once an impressive tree had toppled, taking several of its kin with it. The jagged, torn roots that had been wrenched from the ground now reached for the starless sky, signaling their failure for all to see. Everywhere, the smell of death and decay wafted through the air, almost as thick as the fog banks that rolled through the Everfree.
Pushing past a tarp covering a hole, she emerged into the tree’s lit interior. Several creatures sat around a fire and looked up at the hidden figure that intruded upon their gathering. Some tensed at the sight, while others visibly relaxed.
The zebra spoke first, “Miss Yearling, so nice of you to come, among friends you are always welcome.”
The figure whipped off the cloak and donned an old, arrow-ridden pith helmet. “I prefer Daring Do,” she proclaimed. “Sorry I’m late, Zecorra.”
“Does she always have such flair for the dramatics?” asked the griffon.
“Haven’t you read any of her books, Gallus?” whispered an orange pegasus.
“Scootaloo, please stop your fuss, grave matters we must discuss,” counseled Zecorra. “As you know, for many years we’ve fought the six, now there is a chance for us to fix. Maud here may have a way, and our hoof we can play.”
A figure rose, her maddeningly stoic expression speaking volumes. She pulled forth a simple wrapped bundle and set it on the ground.
An audible gasp swept through the room.
“Is that?” asked Daring Do.
“After all these years?” stuttered Scootaloo.
With every creature’s unblinking eyes upon it, Maud pulled the string to release the knot. The simple canvas fell away to reveal a dull grey rock.
“Is that it?” groaned Gallus.
“The Rock of Ages,” said Maud.
“You’ve told us that the Rock of Ages is an all-powerful time stone,” said Gallus. “Shouldn’t it be, you know, something more impressive? Are you sure it is it?”
“I didn’t know you had a rockterate,” retorted Maud.
Gallus opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it.
Daring Do approached the rock. “You know what this means? We can change the past. We just need to take it to the Temple of the Time Lord!”
“Who?” asked Scootaloo.
“The Time Lord.”
“Who?” repeated Scootaloo.
“The Time Lord was an all-powerful sorcerer that predates the Pillars. He could alter time at will.”
A pony spoke up, “So we just need to use this time stone in the temple, and we can prevent their rise?”
Daring Do turned to the voice. “Starlight, it will not be that easy.”
The unicorn sighed, “Of course not.”
“Deep in the north, legend speaks of a hidden temple that was his realm. And let’s not forget agents will be trying to stop us.”
Zecorra spoke, “Difficult yes, but you will not fail. The forces of good will prevail.”
Daring Do, with a cocky grin that would put Rainbow Dash’s to shame, proclaimed, “I won’t let you down!”
***
Daring Do held up her burning torch, squinting into the inky blackness ahead. She took a few steps forward then stopped. She gazed to her left, then she gazed to her right. Holding the torch with her mouth, she picked up a pebble and tossed it forward. The pebble hit the floor with a thunk! Instantly arrows from either side shot forward, turning the hallway into a death trap.
Daring Do let out a chuckle, almost dropping the torch. With an ever-growing smile, she stepped away, twisting her neck with an audible pop! She unfolded her wings, stretching her muscles and spreading every feather from her primaries to her tertiaries. She scrunched herself up, as if she was being squeezed between two unseen walls that were converging. Then, like a released spring, she launched herself forward.
The moment she crossed the threshold the hallway became a firing range. Arrows to the left of her – arrows to the right of her – arrows in front of her! Volleyed and thundered! Into the mouth of Tartarus she flew. She banked to the left, she banked to the right. She dove she climbed. The fletchings graced her feathers, the arrowheads grazed her fur. Still she would not be denied!
After a duanting aerial display, she reached the end and landed, taking a deep breath. She looked up and removed her helmet. Seeing the damage from the single arrow lodged in its brim, she shook her head and quickly knocked the arrow off. Donning her helmet she once again took the torch into hoof and held it forward. “How cliché,” she remarked.
Whoosh!
A swinging ax shattered her torch. “Okay, I really should have seen that coming.”
Carefully she made her way forward towards the dim light, past the other traps until she came to the towering chamber. At the center of the room stood a simple pedestal. A shaft of sunlight from the skylight overhead illuminated it in a heavenly glow. Reaching into her saddlebags, Daring drew forth a simple looking rock. Stepping forward, she approached the pillar. She reached out to place the stone upon the altar. “At last, I can make things right –”
“Stop!” cried a voice.
Daring turned to see six imposing ponies standing before her. She glared at the leader, a tall alicorn, as the others moved around the room, surrounding the single pegasus. “Twilight Sparkle,” she began. “And I see you brought all five of your lackies.”
“That’s Supreme Leader Twilight!” growled Applejack.
“We can’t expect such a ruffian to know proper respect,” tsked Rarity.
“But we can teach her!” declared Rainbow Dash, eagerly rubbing her hooves together.
“It’ll be so much fun!” proclaimed Pinkie Pie with a twisted grin.
Twilight chuckled, “I should have known you’d try something like this. Time travel is the only way to stop us.”
“Stopping your reign before you all snapped and seized power.”
“Come Yearling –”
“It’s Daring.”
“Come Daring, Equestria is so much better since we took control. I admit we’ve had to rule with –”
“An iron hoof!”
“–tough love. But as I was saying, Equestria is safe from the forces that once threatened it. Isn’t some freedom a small price to pay for some security?”
“Those who would sacrifice a little freedom for security deserve neither!” growled Daring.
“Oh well.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“Pa-leeze,” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “We’ve got a spy on the inside.”
“Then why didn’t you try and stop me earlier?”
“We was hoping you’d die nice and easily on them there traps,” answered Applejack.
“That would have been so much fun!” added Pinkie Pie.
“Now, if you will kindly give me the Rock of Ages,” said Twilight.
Daring carelessly tossed it forward. “You can have it!”
All six quickly confused exchanged glances among themselves.
Daring continued, “It’s just a worthless rock, after all.” Smirking, she said, “You have no idea what’s going on? We played this out so nicely. You see, we knew that you had a spy on the inside. Do you really think we’d have some big meeting where we discuss everything for everypony to know? Hah! That was all for show. We used the legend of the Time Lord as a ploy! With my background in archeology, we knew you’d buy it. Hook. Line. Sinker. Then Maud found some rock in the woods. With her rockterate, no pony would doubt that she’d found some fictional ‘Rock of Ages.’ You all fell for this quite nicely.”
“B-but why?” asked Twilight.
“We knew you’d want to witness my death first-hoof. I have been a thorn in your side for far too long. You’d all leave your precious ‘Fortress of Friendship.’”
Twilight's eyes went wide. “No! It can’t be!”
***
Starlight entered the Map Room. Levitating the Timescroll of Starswirl, she blasted it with a shimmering bolt of her magic. Instantly a time vortex opened up. Looking at the swirling cyclone, Starlight took a deep breath and jumped to the past….