The End

Special thanks for collaborating with me on this goes to DeiStar, KillJoy and ambion. The talented cover artist is Syntactics. If you wish to request your own cover art be done by him, you can make the request here. You can find the origin of the cover here.

The lamplight slipping through the blinds slowly started to die. The tree house was silent, and mostly vacant. Only Twilight and Spike occupied the structure at these late hours. For weeks Twilight had been stressing over her studies and preparations for an upcoming test. The late nights of magic slinging, reading exhausting books on varying subjects and constantly questioning how things would turn out left her without the opportunity to read up on the finishing chapters of Daring Do. More than anything, the unicorn had wanted to finish that saga, but without enough time, she didn’t catch the chance to do anything other than work. With a ridiculously heavy stack of numerous sequels, the mare was surprised she finally reached the ending.

“So, Spike, you finally tired? Wanna call it a day?” Twilight asked while putting his health into consideration. The dragon lifted his tired head and blinked with heavy eyes.

“I’d rather stay awake, but really…” With a hard thump, he landed in his picnic basket bed, and fell into slumber. Twilight giggled at his quiet snoring. Seeing him so peacefully asleep was nice for her, as she usually overworked him. I need to give him more appreciation, she thought with a smile. He’s been worked to the bone lately with all my demands... and needs a good night’s rest.

“Are you… g-gonna be in my dreams… tonight?” he mumbled.

Twilight sheepishly turned herself around and pecked the purple being on his scaly head. “Only if you want, Spike.” Yawning, the unicorn hopped onto the bed, levitated her book over and inspected the title.

Advanced Magic and How to Use It

She skimmed her hoof along its thick, overly filled pages, and laid the book down with aggravation. “I’ve reviewed these lessons enough! I’ll pass, I know I will," she reminded herself. All this time, she’d been working and stressing herself over something that didn’t need to bother her so much. With some free time of the night, she decided to end something that had been on her mind since she offered her friend, Rainbow, the Daring Do book. It was time to finish the final entry. As she read page for page, the truth slowly began to force tears to her eyes. The last installment wasn't like the others, for it held a much darker theme.

She laid her book down; her eyes swelled up with bitter tears, and she allowed them to escape. She fell asleep and dreamed of Daring Do and how much it would hurt Rainbow to find out what happened to her fictional idol.

Tossing and turning, ruffling the sheets and making a mess out of the bed, Twilight’s mind raced with radical, absurd and horrific fantasias in the night. She’d been relapsing the same nightmare for hours now, trying to coil around the revelations about Daring Do. The ending had come as a shock; Twilight had read enough stories to be acquainted with sad endings, yet to feel the pressure in her chest, her heartbeat pulsing... it forced her to consider how Rainbow would react.

Jumping up with a gasp, she looked to the window with wide eyes and came to the only logical conclusion. “No, Rainbow must never find out! It could crush her spirit... Wait, just how far into the saga is she?!”

The abrupt self-interrogation startled Spike awake. Falling clear out of his bed, the young dragon slowly made a pained, “Ouch...” Twilight looked out to the cloudy night; her hooves rubbed themselves together in worry while her mumbles were plainly heard by the fumbling dragon. “T-Twilight... what was that you said?”

Twilight simply lowered her ears, hopped out of bed and prepared for her day. Intel needed to be gathered, but as safety precautions, she hid the book underneath the bed in case the cerulean mare came looking for it.

Trotting along, the ending repeated in Twilight’s tense mind. The tears that hurt her, the way it just came out of nowhere; it stung too much. Twilight knew how much her friend cared about Daring Do, and if things turned out the way they did, it was very likely Rainbow would be thoroughly distraught. Maybe, if I keep it a secret, Twilight thought, she’d forget about it. I’ll show her other books. Yeah, there are plenty other great works than Daring Do! Soon, she’ll forget all about it! But what if she doesn’t? What if... Oh, sweet Celestia, I can’t let her read that book!”

Walking along, she detected the one thing she did not need to hear before arriving at Dash’s home. It was the sharp bass of Rainbow’s distinct speed. As she flew right overhead, Twilight let out a startled huff almost immediately from seeing the spectrum streak paint the sky. She whipped herself around and galloped after her home. Looking at the sparkling mane just barely visible beyond silver linings of a plush fog, her thoughts ridiculed her hopes. Please don’t land on the balcony. Please don’t land on the balcony. Please, whatever you do don’t land on the-

When Rainbow’s hooves touched down on the balcony, Twilight’s heart sank. Despite her hiding it, who’s to say Spike wouldn’t be willing to hand it over without question? Soon, she saw Rainbow enter, and having never told her dragon about the truth of Daring Do, nothing was stopping him from giving it to her. Reaching the front entrance, her magic cleared the door open and sent her sliding in with a screech. Looking up the stairs into her room, she heard Rainbow and Spike’s muffled voices leaching through the pink wood. She began racing up the stairs; her tired body felt heavy from all the previous running, making the climb that much more difficult. Her huffs became moist, and every trot seemed like a giant leap for her. The tension of anxiety weighed her down, and once she finally reached the door, a sly smile swept across her face. She slowly forced it open and heard Spike claim, “I don’t know, Dash. It should’ve been in the D section, but it’s just not there.”

Rainbow’s eyes fell upon Twilight once she entered her room. “Twilight, I’m at the last book of Daring Do. You wouldn’t know where it is, would you?”

The mare seemed like she was eager, with her grin showing and her wings slightly extended. Twilight was relieved Spike didn’t know where the book was, so she calmly said, while sounding coyly exhausted, “T-that book hasn’t been found in months.”

Rainbow’s smirk slowly turned into a displeased frown once she heard this. “But... I’m nearly to the end... and I thought you had it.”

With an awkward blush, Twilight levitated a random book over to her friend. “Well, this would probably be a better read.”

Rainbow merely had to look at the cover to get extremely suspicious. “Uh... Twilight, I know you want me to learn more, but don’t you think auto mechanics is a bit extreme for me?”

Twilight looked at the book, facehoofed and apologized. While looking over at the shelves of books, Rainbow saw the corner of Daring Do, seeping through the sheets covering the bed. “Well, what do you know? Here it is!”

Twilight twirled around with a shocked face. Using her magic, she pulled it away from her friend’s grasp. “You can’t read this!”

The shocked mare simply blinked with a blank look. Seeing the book suspended in midair with Twilight’s aura incarcerating it made her jittery. Her hoof scratched the back of her mane with a question, “Err... why not, Twilight?”

The unicorn simply stood there, transfixed by the question. She couldn’t spoil it for her, but she couldn’t let her read the book either. With no other alternative, she teleported herself out of the house.

The Pegasus whipped her head around and caught a glimpse of Twilight running off with the book from outside the open window. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow immediately took flight. Soaring rather near to the ground, she quickly caught up to her suspiciously behaving friend. Rainbow Dash was inches away from grabbing Twilight's tail with her mouth when the unicorn swiftly turned around and shot her with a powerful enchantment. Sliding to the harsh gravel, Rainbow shook her head, feeling a sudden tightness on her wings. The more she tried to spread them open, the firmer their grasp became.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow!” Twilight yelled from up ahead. “I can’t let you see this book!”

The spectrum maned mare planted her hooves and took off. Even if magic was going to stop her flying, she could still outrun Twilight. Passing many houses and buildings, Rainbow’s frustration grew with every step. Why’s Twilight trying to hide that book from me? Her haste continued to increase with every inch she gained. I mean, what’s so bad about a book? Is it the ending? Is it... Could Twilight not be finished with it yet and want to finish it before me?! That would make sense... or could this be something more?

Questions loomed in Rainbow’s head, but the answers remained out of reach. Despite her mental interrogation, Rainbow knew the only way things would clear up for her was to catch Twilight and get that book. Once she finally reached overwhelming outrage, she yelled to Twilight, “Give me that book!”

Twilight just kept running, hoping to escape the gaining mare. Her hooves felt numb. Her mane whipped the air repetitively, and in one sudden dive, Rainbow landed on top of Twilight, knocking the book from her magical grasp. Her hooves were pinned; Rainbow struggled with her, hidden by the shadows that were cast from the tall buildings. Soon, she immobilized the mare and stared into her eyes. “Why’d you run from me?”

Twilight gulped and said, “Rainbow, you have to understand me when I tell you, you’re not going to like that book. It’s not like the previous ones!”

Rainbow blinked, let her friend free and thought about this before uttering, “But... how bad can a simple book be? What happens?”

The unicorn averted her eyes while trying hard not to tear up at the thought. “Look... I’d rather not say... It’s just... so sad.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, picked up the book and read the title out loud. She squinted at it, looked back at the panting unicorn and asked, “Will I regret reading this?”

Twilight lowered her head slightly while lost in thought. “I...” she began, then glanced away. “I honestly don’t know...”

Rainbow nodded her head, wrapped her hoof around Twilight’s neck and asked, “Why don’t you come with me to my house, and we’ll read it together. That way, if I really do feel like crying...” She quickly adjusted her ego. “Which I’m not! Because I’m Rainbow Dash, and I don’t cry... heh... Uh, I’ll have you there with me, for... safety purposes.”

Twilight’s worried face kept a steady expression but still let a quirky grin takeover her mood. “Alright... I guess that could work.”

While the two ventured to Rainbow’s sky sanctuary, Twilight used the spell to allow herself the ability of walking on clouds. Inside Rainbow’s room, Twilight hopped onto the fluffy bed while her friend opened the book. The prequels sat on the stool next to her, all of which were finished. Unlike the others, Rainbow opened the last with worried eyes. It started much like any other Daring Do adventure, and for those parts Rainbow seemed pleased with how things were going. Once she finally reached the final chapter, Twilight gulped and contemplated stopping her, but knew it would be futile.

Daring Do and the End

Chapter 33

The End of Days

Daring Do ran, the Dark Lord Aphotic hot on her trail. The cut on her cheek still had a line of blood running down to her chin. With her wings still struggling to break free of the ropes that bound them tightly to her sides, she put on another spurt of speed, trying to outrun the lord’s loyal forces. She came to a sudden stop once she found herself standing on a dangerously high cliff. Whirling herself around, she stared into the eyes of her enemy and huffed an exhausted sigh. His scraggly, green mane cascaded in the wind, while hordes of his shadow fiends flocked around him. Their dark figures begged him to end Daring Do, there and then.

“So, my little adventurer, what happens now?” He said through snarling teeth, yellow and chipped in many places. But the smiles of mad steeds never entertained Do.

“I’ll figure something out,” she said, pulling the Flame from her knapsack pocket. Its purple shimmers bounced off the ground, and the monsters stepped closer. She contemplated her choices. If she lost and Lord Aphotic seized the stone, chaos would reign throughout the world. The Flame was an artifact the alicorns used when dealing with a threat, but it could also be used as a weapon for evil deeds to be committed. There were only two ways of using it: the darkness, something Aphotic had, and the power of the alicorns. His dark heart controlled the most radical of shadows. Naturally, he had the ability to abuse it.

Time was running out. It was now or never. She peered to her left, and a resplendent phoenix rose to meet her gaze. Smirking, Daring Do whistled to the being from a distance. The creature sailed right over their heads on wings of fire; the mare threw the trinket up into the air, where it was snatched by the blazing talons. Seeing the bird fly towards the far off temple of Princess Monona gave her a warm feeling in her chest, but that feeling was soon replaced by pain.

A long strand of thick red splash the air, tainting her coat with dark crimson. A shadow fiend tore itself free of her, dripping with her vital fluids.

Could... this be my grave? Daring Do wondered, hardly able to conceive it, her vision already blurring until all was hazy and drowned in sanguine red. Blood seeped through the hole in her chest, and her vision fell away like sand playing in the sunlight. The final image she saw was a bright flash of light, coursing through the air. The last sound she heard was her partner, Dream Weight, calling for her beyond the leaves before she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Coursing pain tore through Daring Do. She opened her battered eyes while slowly adjusting to the light. Her upper torso was bandaged with blots of blood visible through the wrappings. Her head felt like it was in a vase. Sounds echoed harshly, but soon, the fuzzy sight of a familiar friend brought a rough smirk to her bruised face. He came over to her side, tears seeping through and onto his muzzle.

“Are you gonna be alright?”

Daring chuckled and replied rather bitterly, “You steeds really are all the same, huh…? You think a mare can get a hole stuck through her chest and live to tell the tale? No… I’m done for… I’ve cheated death so many times… I think he’s catching on to my tricks.” She laughed, choking on her breath. “I doubt he’ll let me slide by again. Not this time, Weight… not this time.”

The stallion slowly brought his head down to her muzzle and kissed her tenderly, knowing she was right. His hoof brushed her mane away from her wary eyes, while his tears graced her fur. “I love you, Daring… I always have… and always w-will… Please, don’t go… not like this.”

Snickering, Daring Do uttered her final goodbyes with a simple, brave smile. “You steeds… you’re all alike.”

Rainbow laid the book down, her eyes glossy. She turned slowly to Twilight, some strands of her hair looming in front of her face. She tried her hardest to keep her cool. Seeing Twilight’s remorseful pose only made it harder. No matter what, Rainbow couldn’t let her friend see her cry. The sound of her whimpers, however, told Twilight she was in tears. There was no hiding something like that. Rainbow was just as miserable about the revelation as her friend had been, if not more. She felt the unicorn’s hoof grace her shoulder kindly and turned to make eye contact, feeling the flow of salty tears increase.

“I wasn’t... p-prepared for that, Twilight.”

The unicorn blinked to let some of her own sadness show and made the decision to hug her aching friend. Rainbow just embraced the feeling. Letting the depression escape was all she could do at this point. Usually, she would’ve never let anypony catch her weeping, but considering her favorite fiction character died, it was tough to hold it back.

“I figured you’d be upset...”

“I loved it. Even though the ending hurt, I still enjoyed every word of it!” Her expression was serious but she still allowed tears to run. Clearing her throat, she explained, “I’m upset about the ending, yeah. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. I know it’s just a book, just like a movie’s just a movie. I can take tragedies and such, you know?”

Twilight smiled. “I never should’ve doubted you. I just wasn’t sure you’d be able to take it. I’m really sorry for keeping the ending from you.”

Rainbow responded with a grin. She continued to wipe her tears away, still feeling blue about the ending. If she ever wanted to read something that Twilight knew would have a woeful ending, her friend would be there to comfort her through it.

“You’ll be there, next time. Right, Twilight?”

“Of course. After all, what’re friends for?”