What happens when you take a literary character and make her real? Hijinks, that's what.
Thanks to a booby trap (or an enchanted book, depending on which side of the looking glass you're on), Daring Do finds herself propelled out of the literary world and right into Rainbow Dash's room. Quite an awesome turn of events for Dash, right? After all, she's getting to meet her favorite literary heroine in person! What's not to like?
Well, how about the fact that Scootaloo has been sucked into the book? And the fact that Daring Do's adventures are slowly and mysteriously being erased word by word? And that if something isn't done soon, both Scootaloo and Daring could disappear from all of existence?
Yeah, not as awesome as you pictured it, huh RD?
Anyways, it's now a race against time as the two unstoppable pegasi must find a way to get Daring back into the realm of the written word. In the meantime, Scootaloo has to play out Daring's latest adventure and find the treasure of the notorious sea pony pirate, Das Reingold. Sounds simple enough, right? What's the worst that could happen?
...
Please don't answer that. These fillies are in enough trouble as it is.
Loosely based on Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series.
Those were the thoughts in Rainbow Dash's head as she flew on back to her house with her pet tortoise Tank by her side. Indeed, the day had been quite awesome for the cyan pegasus. She had just come back from her journey to the Crystal Empire; the upcoming host of the Equestria Games. Of course, the reason for that was because of the effort her friends put in to making the Games Inspector feel welcome (even though they gave the welcome to the wrong pony). Now, the Crystal Empire was living out her own dreams.
And as if the day couldn't get any better, she had an excellent treat waiting for her at home. Thanks to a tip from her friend Twilight Sparkle, she managed to pre-order the latest book in the Daring Do series; Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold. If all went according to plan, the book would be waiting right in her mailbox. It would be the perfect end to a perfect day.
Soon enough, she saw her cloud house just over the horizon. She looked just below the clouds to see a familiar wall-eyed mare jamming a package into her mailbox. Her magenta eyes sparkled.
"Omigosh omigosh omigosh omigosh omigosh!" she squealed. In the blink of an eye, she dived down towards the mailbox, sending her tortoise spinning out of control for a moment. She landed right in front of the mailmare, a large grin plastered on her face.
"Uwah!" the mare yelped, falling to the ground in surprise. "Oh, it's you Rainbow Dash. Um, I have a package for you..."
Without a word, Rainbow swiped the package from the mailmare's hooves and tore it open. Inside the box was what she had been hoping for: The latest entry in the Daring Do series. She held it aloft, as if it were the Sapphire Stone itself.
"Whoa. This is just so cool!" she said. "Can this day get any better?!" She then rushed forward and gave the mailmare a big squeeze. "Thanks a ton, Derpy! You wouldn't believe how long I've been waiting for this!"
"U-um, yeah. No problem," grunted Derpy Hooves, struggling against Rainbow's death grip. "Now, if you'd just sign here..."
"Oh, right," said Rainbow, releasing the grey pegasus and blushing slightly. "Sorry, Derpy. I'm just so excited to read this book!"
She then took the clipboard from Derpy and filled out the necessary paperwork. As she did so, Tank had finally regained control and hovered down towards the two pegasi. Rainbow looked over at the flying tortoise and smiled.
"Hey, Tank! Check it out!" she said, showing off her new book. "Pretty neat, huh?"
Tank's eyelids slowly closed and opened again. Gradually, a small smirk appeared on his face.
"I know, right? I can't wait to read it!" said Rainbow gleefully. "Thanks again, Derpy!"
"Just doing my job, Rainbow Dash," said Derpy with a salute. With that, she flew off.
"C'mon, Tank!" said Rainbow. Wasting no time, she zoomed into her house, plopped down into her bed, and cracked open her book.
***
As Daring Do descended upon the large grey cloud below, she knew she was in the right place. The ancient architecture, the stone that probably dated back to centuries of civilization, the nippy air that suggested the place was devoid of all life. There was no doubt in her mind. This was indeed the lost city of Argoats.
"And ponies say this place is just a myth," Daring said with a sneer. "Heh, shows how wrong they are. Isn't that right, Tailspin?"
The small yellow mare flying by Daring's side gave her professor an enthusiastic nod. Although her Cutie Mark was that of a silver aviator's medal, her flight pattern was erratic and random. Daring chuckled.
"Alright, kid. Cool your jets," said she. "Trust me, we haven't even gotten to the cool part yet."
"Sorry, Dare," said the mare, adjusting the goggles she wore over her lavender eyes. "I just can't help myself! I'm so excited to finally go on an adventure with the great Daring Do!"
"Heh, I was actually surprised when you volunteered to join me on this expedition to earn some extra credit," said Daring as she landed on the edge of the great cloud that held the ancient city. "I gotta say, not a lot of ponies at the Royal University show your initiative."
Tailspin was about to reply when she flew right past Daring and smashed right into a decrepit stone building. Daring winced.
"Yikes. You alright, Tailspin?" she inquired, trotting over to her student.
Tailspin emerged from the rubble, taking off her flight helmet and shaking herself. "Eh, I've had worse," she said, smoothing out her sleek, bleach blond mane. She got to her feet and looked around, the red scarf she wore around her neck flapping in the wind. "Whoa."
"Yeah, pretty awe-inspiring, huh?" said Daring. "But like I said, we're not even at the cool part yet."
She then took off her hat and rustled around in it. "Hmm, now where did I put that? Ah-ha, here it is!"
From the small pith helmet, she pulled out a stone tablet.
"Neato," said an awestruck Tailspin, her eyes widening with wonder. "Where'd you get that, Dare?"
"Oh, this?" said Daring nonchalantly. "Meh, it's nothing special. Just a little something I procured from Shetlandis."
Tailspin gasped. "Shetlandis?! As in the legendary city of the sea ponies Shetlandis?!"
"The very same," said Daring with a nod. "Not exactly a place I'd want to go back to, though. Salt water and wings simply do not mix." She then looked over the tablet. "Now then, according to this, the pirate Das Reingold hid the map to her treasure somewhere in these ruins."
"So we have to find a temple of some sort, right?" said Tailspin.
Daring smirked. "You catch on pretty quick, kiddo. I like that," said she. "Alright, let's see here. If I'm reading this correctly, these runes translate out to 'A funnel in a cup.'"
"A what?" said Tailspin, titling her head.
"Yeah, sea ponies aren't known for their riddles," said Daring. "Honestly, I still haven't deciphered this. It just doesn't make any sense."
"Well, maybe it's a landmark of some kind," Tailspin suggested.
"No, that can't be it," Daring mused. "This tablet is all text, no diagrams. And none of these buildings look like..."
She trailed off as she caught a glimpse of a large tower in the distance. She raised an eyebrow.
"Did you find something, Dare?" Tailspin asked.
"Yeah, I think so," said Daring. "C'mon."
Without waiting for acknowledgment she galloped off towards the tower with Tailspin at her heels. As she got closer, the sound of howling winds seemed to emanate from the great spire. The howls got louder and louder as they got closer and closer. Suddenly, Daring stopped in her tracks, and a deadpan look crossed her face.
"Really?" she said. "This is what you ponies meant? For Pete's sake, how is anypony supposed to get that?!"
"What is it, Dare?" Tailspin asked.
"The riddle meant that the temple was a giant wind tunnel," Daring explained, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her hoof. "Seriously, that's the last time I ask a sea pony for directions. Even the most cryptic texts of the Canterlot Archives are easier to understand than that!"
"Well, look on the bright side, Dare," said Tailspin. "At least we made it! C'mon, let's go!"
Before Daring could respond, the younger mare zoomed off ahead. Daring sighed and shook her head.
"Gotta admire her spirit, I suppose," she muttered to herself, trotting after her.
***
"RAINBOW DASH! HEY, RAINBOW DASH!"
A familiar scratchy voice brought Rainbow back to reality. Quickly using one of her feathers as a makeshift bookmark, she rushed over to the window to see who it was. Just as she thought, it was her biggest fan in all of Equestria, Scootaloo.
"Oh, hey Scoot," said Rainbow with a wave. "What's up?"
"Well, I'm done crusading with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle today, so I was wondering if you'd like to go racing with me through Ghastly Gorge!" said Scootaloo.
Rainbow placed a hoof to her chin. "I dunno, Squirt. I'm still pretty beat from my trip to the Crystal Empire."
"Oh. Right. I totally forgot," said Scootaloo, hanging her head in disappointment. She then looked up at her idol with pleading eyes. "But we can still hang out, right?"
Rainbow smirked and flew down to meet Scootaloo. "Of course, Scoot. What kind of big sister would I be if I didn't hang out with you?"
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash," said Scootaloo with a smile. "So, whatcha doing?"
"I just got this awesome new book in the mail, and it's just getting to the good part," said Rainbow. "You wanna read it with me?"
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Read? I thought that kind of thing was just for..."
"Eggheads, right?" said Rainbow, finishing Scootaloo's thought. When Scootaloo nodded, Rainbow couldn't help but chuckle. "Trust me, I once thought the same thing. Boy, was I wrong. The truth is that reading is really fun. Especially this new book I got."
Scootaloo mulled it over for a moment. "Well, if you think it's cool, I guess I could give it a shot," she said.
"Atta girl," said Rainbow, picking Scootaloo up in her foreleg and giving her a noogie. "Now, c'mon. I just got to the part where Daring Do and Tailspin reached the temple in Argoats."
She carried Scootaloo up to her house and placed her softly on her bed. As the sun started to set, Scootaloo shuffled under the covers and snuggled up to Rainbow Dash.
"Comfy?" asked Rainbow.
"Mmm-hmm," Scootaloo said with a nod.
Rainbow smiled herself, and picked up where she left off.
***
When Daring and Tailspin entered the tower, they were nearly blown away by a sharp gust of wind. Struggling against the current, Daring Do shielded little Tailspin with her wings as she surveyed her surroundings. Up above her head, she saw several oddly-colored clouds that appeared to glow and shimmer. She sighed.
"If there's one thing I hate more than deathtraps, it's deathtraps set in giant wind tunnels," she groused.
Tailspin gulped. "U-um, Dare? A-are you sure those are...?"
"Trust me, Tailspin! I know a deathtrap when I see one!" said Daring, straining her voice so that she could be heard over the wind. "Don't worry! Just stick with me, and you'll be okay! Got it?!"
Tailspin swallowed again, but gave her teacher a curt nod. "G-got it!" she said, putting on her helmet and lowering her goggles.
"Alrighty then! Let's fly!"
With that, the two pegasi took off into the air, fighting against the wind current every step of the way.
"Alright, wind tunnel. Let's see what you got," said Daring, licking her lips in anticipation.
The first trap was sprung, and Daring nimbly rolled out of the way with Tailspin not far behind.
"Swinging axes..." Daring noted as she triggered another trap. "Criss-crossing spears..." Another trap was triggered. "Crossbow bolts..."
Trap after trap she dodged, and Daring made a mental note of each and every one.
"Wow, how original," she said sardonically. "Couldn't these Argoats pegasi have gotten just a little more creative with their deathtraps?"
As if answering her question, the next trap released a large snake-like creature with glowing yellow eyes. Daring smacked her forehead with her hoof.
"I just had to open my big mouth," she groaned. "Hey, Tailspin! Heads up! There's a basilisk dead ahead!"
The large serpent hissed and lunged for Daring. Frantically, Daring spun out of the way. Her heart began to race as she tried to fly faster, only to find more basilisks ahead.
"Basilisks. Why did it have to be basilisks?!" she complained, swooping and diving around the snakes as they tried to devour her. "Tailspin, you alright back there?!"
"Oof! Could be better!" Tailspin called back, bobbing and weaving around like a madpony.
Daring took a deep breath to calm her nerves and slowed her pace so that Tailspin could keep up. Then, just up ahead, she noticed the tunnel beginning to close.
"Ah, yes. No wind tunnel is complete without serrated shutters," she said. "Tailspin, give those wings a rest and hold on tight!"
Tailspin nodded, and bit onto Daring's long black tail. As soon as she felt her student take hold, she zoomed ahead, keeping her eyes forward so as not to accidently be caught in the basilisks' petrifying gaze. Just as the shutters were about to close completely, she darted through. A loud crash resonated behind her as the basilisks tried to pursue.
"Heh. They didn't have a chance," said Daring, brushing herself off. "You alright, Tailspin?"
"That was awesome!" Tailspin exclaimed, leaping for joy. "This is exactly why you're my favorite professor in the whole university!"
Daring chuckled. "Well, I try," she said, taking out the tablet from her hat. "Now then, if I'm reading this right, our goal should be right about..."
She looked up, and saw a tattered piece of parchment enshrined in a glass case. Below the case were several buttons, each with different runes on them. A triumphant smirk formed on her face.
Cautiously, Daring Do approached the glass case holding the tattered piece of parchment. Tailspin tried to follow, but Daring raised her wings and shook her head.
"Let me handle this, Tailspin," she told her student. "There could be more traps. In fact, I'll bet you anything that there are more traps."
"More?!" asked an aghast Tailspin. "How many traps does this temple need?!"
Daring snickered. "Believe it or not, I've ask that question many times myself," said she. "I agree, it's very annoying. But once you've gone on a few adventures, you come to expect it."
"Really?" said Tailspin.
"You bet," Daring answered. "To be honest, I'd be more surprised if a temple didn't have deadly traps around every corner."
"Wow," was all Tailspin could say to that.
"That's just how it is when you're an adventurer," said Daring with a shrug. "Now just give me a sec while I figure this out."
She then took the tablet in her hooves and flipped it over.
"Okay, so according to the sea pony who gave this to me, this should serve as a codex for 'the puzzle that guards the paper,'" she mused. "I'm really hoping that's not another nonsense riddle."
She read over the codex carefully and compared it to the runes on the casing. Despite her concerns, it looked straightforward enough. It was just a matter of tapping the correct runes in the correct order. Nevertheless, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that it most likely wasn't that simple.
"Tailspin, keep your eyes peeled," she said sternly. "I don't want to trigger some sort of falling boulder and not notice it."
"Who does?" Tailspin joked.
Daring gave her student a half-smirk. "Cute, kiddo. But seriously, keep on the lookout, would you?"
"Not a problem, Dare," said Tailspin with a salute.
Daring gave Tailspin a nod and turned back to the puzzle before her. Deftly, she tapped each rune as indicated on the codex. Once she had finished, each of the runes glowed and sparkled with a myriad of colors. Beads of sweat formed on Daring's brow as she waited to see if her answer to the puzzle would be accepted.
With a pleasant-sounding chime, all of the runes changed to green, and the glass case melted into vapor.
"You did it, Dare!" cheered Tailspin. "I knew you would!"
"Hold your horses, kid. We're not out of the woods yet," Daring said tersely. She then motioned her hooves around the parchment before her, looking for any booby traps triggered by light sources. When she was satisfied, she swiped the map from where it stood.
"Okay, now we're out of the woods," said Daring with a smirk. She then heard a curious noise behind her, and her expression fell. "Ugh. I always speak too soon."
She turned to see what trap she had triggered, only to see a most perplexing sight. The runes before her began to change shape and glow. When they had finished shifting around, she took a closer look.
"Hmm. It looks like these runes are now spelling out a message of some sort," she observed.
"What does it say?" inquired Tailspin.
"Hopefully not 'look out' or 'gotcha,'" said Daring. She then placed her hoof against the pedestal, reading over each rune with great care. When she had finished, she raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I've seen a lot of weird things in my adventures, but this takes the cake," she said.
"Why? What does it say, Dare?" asked Tailspin.
"Well, answer me this, Tailspin. Does the name Rainbow Dash mean anything to you?"
"No. Why?"
"Because these runes now say: 'Wow, Rainbow Dash! You were right! Reading is fun!'"
***
Both Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash did a double take, their jaws dropping open in astonishment.
"Um, Rainbow Dash? Is this weird, or is it just me?" asked Scootaloo.
"It ain't you, Squirt," said Rainbow, her eyes still affixed on the odd line of dialogue she just read. "This is just freaky. And not in a good way."
"Yeah. It's like that book heard what I said just a few seconds ago," said Scootaloo. "I don't think books can do that."
"Unless Twilight is trying out a new spell or something," Rainbow mused, placing a hoof to her chin. "Maybe we should pay her a visit and see what's up."
"But wait! I wanna see what happens to Daring and Tailspin!" said Scootaloo. "Can't we at least finish the chapter first?"
"Scoot, I think this is..."
Rainbow trailed off as she looked into Scootaloo's pleading violet eyes. She couldn't say no to that face if she tried.
"Alright, fine," she said with a sigh. "But after this, we should go see what Twilight's up to, okay?"
"Okay!" chirped Scootaloo, snuggling up next to Rainbow. Rainbow chuckled and continued the story.
"'"Why would the runes say that?" asked Tailspin, tilting her head. "That doesn't make sense."'" Rainbow Dash read aloud.
"Hey, the feeling's mutual," commented Scootaloo.
Rainbow shrugged and continued to read. As she did, the book began to generate a faint glow. The glow became brighter and brighter with every word Rainbow read.
"'The runes began to shine brilliantly,'" Rainbow read, oblivious to the glow. "'They became more and more intense as Daring and Tailspin looked on in confusion and wonder. Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash!'"
As soon as those words left her lips, the glow turned into a burst of intense light. Rainbow shielded her eyes from the glare.
"Wh-what's going on?!" she heard Scootaloo exclaim. "I-I'm starting to feel kinda strange..."
Before Rainbow could inquire as to what Scootaloo meant, the flash became even brighter, overwhelming her senses. It took sheer force of will for her to remain conscious.
After a few seconds, the light finally dimmed. Rainbow blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to readjust to the light. When her vision fully returned, she saw that nothing seemed to be out of place. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, that was weird," she said. "Must be one doozy of a spell Twilight's working on. Hey Scoot, you alri...?"
When she turned to address the little orange filly, her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. Scootaloo was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't what got her attention. Standing just at the side of her bed was an olive-colored pegasus with a black mane and tail. She was wearing a green jacket and a pith helmet, and her Cutie Mark was that of a compass. Her magenta eyes reflected curiosity as she took a look around.
"Huh. That sure was something. Not quite sure what, though," mused the enigmatic mare. "Whatever it was, it looks like I'm not in Argoats anymore." She then spotted Rainbow Dash. "Ah! You there! Hi, sorry I just randomly appeared out of nowhere like that, but I had no idea Das Reingold had such complicated booby traps. The name's Daring Do. Think you could tell me where I am?"
Rainbow's eye twitched. She didn't know whether to be freaked out or psyched up. Unable to process the spectacle before her, she spouted off random gibberish before fainting dead away.
"Oooooookay then, apparently you can't right now," Daring said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh well, no biggie. I'll just ask again when you wake up. Hmm, I wonder if there's anything to eat around here..."
Rainbow Dash awoke to the sound of a sizzling skillet and a savory aroma wafting from her kitchen. Dazed and confused, she slowly sat up and placed a hoof to her head.
"Mmph. What just happened?" she pondered aloud. "Last thing I remember, I was reading with Scootaloo, and the next thing I know..."
"Ah, you're awake. Good, good."
A voice made itself known from the kitchen, and Rainbow perked up to see who it was. As the owner of the voice trotted into her bedroom, her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.
"You're not going to faint on me again, are you?" the oddly familiar mare asked as she carried a tray over to the perplexed Rainbow Dash. "Here, I took the liberty of fixing you a little something to munch on. Hope you don't mind."
Rainbow opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a rumbling in her tummy.
"Well, I am getting kinda hungry," she admitted. "Thanks. Um, what'd you say your name was again?"
"Daring Do," said the pegasus, setting the tray on Rainbow's bed. "I'm a professor at the Royal University in Canterlot. At least, that's the boring part of my job."
Rainbow Dash's face lit up. "You mean, you're Daring Do? As in the Daring Do?"
"Last I checked," said Daring. "Why? You've heard of me before?"
"Have I?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "You only have the most awesome book series ever!"
"Book series?" inquired Daring, blushing a little. "I think you might be exaggerating a bit, pal. My stuff hasn't been officially published. You can only get it at the university bookstore, and it isn't really required reading for the course."
"No no no, you don't understand!" said Rainbow Dash. She zoomed over to her personal stack of books and zoomed back, holding a copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone in her hooves. Daring looked over the book with interest.
"Huh. I remember that," she said. "Can't say I remember the bit with the crocodiles, though. Ahuizotl was the only one who gave me any trouble, and that's only because he got the drop on me."
Rainbow's eyes sparkled. "Omigosh, it really is you! I-I can't believe it! Daring Do, right here in my house! Aaaaaaaah~!"
Daring didn't know whether to feel flattered or frightened by Rainbow's overreaction. "Heh, alright. Settle down," she said with a nervous chuckle. "I, actually have some questions for you. See, I don't know where I am right now."
"O-oh, right." said Rainbow sheepishly, her face turning bright red. "S-sorry. This is just so awesomely amazing!"
"Those aren't exactly the words I'd use," said Daring with a snort. "I'm actually more irritated than awestruck."
"Hmm, I guess you would be, huh?" said Rainbow, casting her eyes downward.
Daring gave Rainbow a warm smile. "Hey, it's cool. I'm not mad at you. If anything, I'm more mad at myself for not noticing that stupid booby trap."
"Ah, don't beat yourself up over it," said Rainbow. "I didn't see that coming, either."
Daring gave Rainbow a quizzical look. "What do you mean you didn't see that coming?"
Rainbow awkwardly glanced around the room. "Well, you see, this is kinda hard to explain..."
"Try me," said Daring with a smirk as she folded her forelegs.
"You promise you won't freak out?"
"Do I look like I'm the kind of pony that's easily freaked out?"
"Good point," said Rainbow, taking a deep breath. "Well, I was just reading your latest adventure, see, and I got to the point where you found the map to the treasure of Das Reingold."
"Yeah, go on," said Daring, seemingly unperturbed.
"And well, while I was reading, there was this bright flash. And after that, you appeared."
Daring stroked her chin in thought. "Hmm. Interesting," she mused. "And, where am I, exactly?"
"Oh, right. I didn't get around to answering that, did I?" said Rainbow, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, you're in Ponyville right now."
"Ponyville, huh?" said Daring. "Hmm. I wonder why the booby trap sent me here of all places."
"Hey, beats me," said Rainbow with a shrug. "I don't even know how we're having this conversation right now."
"Um, what do you mean by that?"
Rainbow nervously twiddled her hooves. "W-well, I don't know how to put this. I didn't know you were, well, real."
Daring raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be real? Haven't you ever read Haycartes?"
Rainbow gave Daring a blank stare.
"Cogito ergo sum?"
Rainbow blinked in confusion.
"Ugh, 'I think, therefore I am?'"
"Oooooooh," said Rainbow, finally understanding. "Yeah, sorry about that. The only stuff I really read is, well, your adventures."
"I see," said Daring, clearing her throat. "Well, that aside, it looks like we both have a bit of a conundrum on our hooves. We'd better find somepony who has a better idea of what's going on. Don't you agree, Ms...."
She then blushed. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Oh, yeah," said Rainbow. "I'm Rainbow Dash."
Daring's eyes went wide. "Wait a second. I know that name! The runes mentioned you before the booby trap was set off!"
"Yeah, honestly, I don't know what that's all about, either," said Rainbow. "I think it's my friend Twilight trying out this new spell or something. Scootaloo and I were just going over to..."
She trailed off as a realization hit her. "Hey, where is Scootaloo?"
"I'm sorry, who?" asked Daring.
"My pal Scootaloo. I was reading your latest adventure with her just a minute ago," Rainbow explained.
"Well, I didn't really see anypony else here. Just you," said Daring with a shrug.
Rainbow gasped. "Wh-what?! What do you mean you didn't see anypony else?!"
"Hey, calm down," said Daring sternly, gripping Rainbow's shoulders with her hooves. "We're not going to get anywhere by panicking. Now, think. When do you last remember seeing her?"
"Right before that big flash," said Rainbow. "She was right next to me. Then I heard her saying something about feeling strange, and... Oh no."
"Oh no what?" asked Daring.
Instead of answering, Rainbow picked up her copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold and flipped open to the page where she left off. Her eyes widened.
"Um, Daring? I think you should see this..." said she.
***
When Tailspin recovered from the flash, she found herself pressed against the far wall. Quickly, she shook herself and surveyed her surroundings.
"That was pretty intense," she said. "Wonder what that did? I sure hope..."
She then caught sight of a piece of tattered parchment on the floor. Her eyes sparkled as she galloped over.
"Wow. That's a relief," she said with a sigh as she scooped up the map in her hooves. "Hey, Dare! The map's okay! Ha, some booby trap that was, huh?"
But Daring Do didn't answer her. She took a look around, and found that her professor was actually nowhere to be seen.
"Now that's odd," she pondered aloud as she tucked the map away for safekeeping. "Dare?! Professor Daring?!"
She trotted around the room for a while before tripping over something. She used her wings to catch herself before she hit the ground, and turned to see what she had tripped over. To her confusion, it was a little orange pegasus filly with a purple mane, lying unconscious on the ground. Tailspin flew over to the mysterious pegasus, tilting her head.
"Hmm. I don't remember seeing you here," she said. She then began prodding the child with her hoof. "Hey, wake up."
The filly squirmed as she slowly came to her senses.
"Huh, what?" she said in a scratchy voice. "Wh-what happened?"
As her vision returned, she found herself face-to-face with Tailspin. She shrieked, springing up and backing away from the older mare.
"Hey, are you alright?" Tailspin asked, her voice reflecting concern. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Wh-what's going on?!" the filly asked, her breathing becoming erratic. "Wh-where the hay am I?!"
"Well, you're in a temple in Argoats," said Tailspin. "Although I'm not sure why. Maybe Daring will have some answers, assuming I can find her."
"Daring?"
"Yeah, Daring Do. She's my professor," said Tailspin. "Oh, sorry. I don't think we've met. My name's Tailspin. What's yours?"
The orange filly gulped. "I-it's Scootaloo," she murmured, her violet eyes still reflecting a great deal of panic. "Wh-what's going on? Where's Rainbow Dash?"
"Rainbow Dash? You mean that name the runes formed?" asked Tailspin.
"Yes. I mean, no! I mean, I don't know," said Scootaloo as she began to cry. "I don't even know what I'm doing here. I'm just so confused right now. I want Rainbow Dash. I wanna go home."
Tailspin sighed. "Look, mate. I don't know any more than you do, so there's no use crying over it. Besides, I'm pretty scared myself. I still have no idea what happened to Daring. But we can't afford to lose our heads now."
Scootaloo opened her mouth to respond when a sinister noise was heard from outside. She yelped. "Wh-what was that?" she asked.
"Not sure," said Tailspin, equally spooked. "C'mon, mate. We should probably get out of here. We'll have more time to talk later."
"O-okay," said Scootaloo, drying her eyes and picking herself up. "So, how do we get out of here?"
Tailspin's expression drooped, and a tinge of panic could be heard in her voice. "Actually, I have no idea."
***
"Oh no oh no oh no!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, going into full panic mode. "This is bad! This is very, very bad!"
"You're telling me," said Daring. "I had no idea Tailspin was so bad with kids. She should really learn to be a bit more sensitive."
"I'm not talking about that!" Rainbow shouted. "I mean that somehow Scootaloo is in this book while you're out here!"
"Oh, right. Sure. That too, I suppose," said Daring, still maintaining a calm demeanor. "So, what're we going to do about it?"
"We have to go see Twilight, now!" said Rainbow. "Only she can fix this!"
Before Daring could inquire further, Rainbow darted off out of her window.
"Rainbow Dash, wait! I don't know where your friend lives!" Daring called out. Unfortunately, her exclamation fell on deaf ears. "Ugh, why is it that I always have to figure things out the hard way?"
She then spread her wings and flew after the cyan speedster the best she could.
"WHAT?!" Scootaloo shrieked, gripping Tailspin's shoulders and shaking her violently. "What do you mean you have no idea how to get out of here?!"
"L-let g-go of m-m-me!" Tailspin snapped, shaking the frightened filly off. "Look, I'm not any happier about this than you are, mate. Daring would probably know how to get out, but she's not here right now. So, we have to figure this out ourselves."
"Oh, is that all?" said Scootaloo, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, that's a relief. I thought we were going to be trapped here forever."
"We're not going to be trapped here forever," Tailspin growled through gritted teeth. "Now stop your bellyaching and let me think for a moment."
"You're a real jerk, you know that?" huffed Scootaloo.
"At least I'm not a crybaby," Tailspin shot back.
"Hey! I am not a crybaby!" yelled Scootaloo, her voice cracking. "I'm just scared! And lonely. And cold. And hungry..."
"Good grief, mate! Don't you ever shut up?!" Tailspin barked, flying straight into Scootaloo's face. "I'm not going to figure this out if you keep whining!"
Tears formed in Scootaloo's eyes as she was frightened by Tailspin's harsh demeanor. The older pegasus breathed an exasperated sigh.
"Why me?" she groaned, rolling her eyes. Her expression then softened as she turned back to Scootaloo. "Listen, mate. I know you're scared and confused, but that's no excuse for tears. Now just turn off the waterworks, and I'll..."
She was interrupted by a tremor beneath her feet. Slowly, the serrated shutters sealing off the wind tunnel began to open. Wasting no time, she quickly picked up Scootaloo in her mouth and flew her away from the opening. Using her wings, she shielded them both from the powerful vortex of the wind tunnel. After a few moments, she heard the shutters close and felt the wind die down.
"Now that was curious," she mused. "What do you suppose that...?"
She trailed off as she heard a flapping of wings behind her. She turned around and found herself face-to-face with a bright red pegasus with a sinister gleam in her icy blue eyes. She was dressed in a black military uniform, and held a riding crop in her sleek, silver tail.
"So, this is the great Daring Do," she said, looking over the two pegasi. "Or, is she the one cowering behind you? Either way, you look nothing like I pictured you."
"And who might you be?" asked Tailspin.
"Ah, you're right. How rude of me," said the pegasus, clearing her throat. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Crimson Baroness, Mistress of the Skies. Everything that's ten thousand feet above sea level and beyond is officially mine." She then leered at Tailspin with hungry eyes. "That includes the map to Das Reingold's treasure."
"I-I'm not afraid of you," Tailspin spat.
"I didn't figure you'd be," said the Crimson Baroness, folding her forelegs. "After all, I've heard many a tale about you, Ms. Do. Nothing seems to scare you in the slightest, does it?"
"Th-that's right," said Tailspin, trying her best to stand tall.
The Crimson Baroness chuckled. "Well, aren't you adorable?" she said. "You think you can stand up to me? I assure you, I can be quite nasty. Now, unless you want to see just how nasty I can get, I suggest you give me the map like a good little filly."
"And why should I?" said Tailspin. "I did all the work to get it. Therefore, it's mine."
"And I commend you for that," said the Crimson Baroness. "Nevertheless, it is in my domain, and therefore, it belongs to me."
"Then why didn't you get it yourself, huh?" Tailspin countered. "Why did you have to wait for me to do all the heavy lifting?"
"Um, Tailspin? What the hay are you doing?!" Scootaloo hissed.
"Relax, mate. Daring says she does this all the time," Tailspin whispered back. "I gotta show her who's boss."
"But you're not Daring Do!" said Scootaloo.
"Shh! Do you want her to know that?" Tailspin said in a harsh whisper. "Just leave this to me."
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" asked the Crimson Baroness, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, believe me. Whatever my partner here had to say was way more interesting than anything coming out of your mouth," said Tailspin.
The Crimson Baroness snorted. "Getting a bit cheeky, are we?" said she. "I heard you were quite feisty."
"You got that right," said Tailspin. "And I'm still not giving you the map."
"Oh, really? And why is that?"
"Because Daring would get cross with me if I— Oops!"
Scootaloo smacked her face with her hoof while the Crimson Baroness chortled.
"Ha! I knew it!" she laughed. "You can't be Daring Do! You don't even have her Cutie Mark!"
Tailspin blushed, feeling more than a bit humiliated. However, she still stood her ground.
"I don't care how much you claim to know about Professor Daring!" she snarled. "I'm still not afraid of you!"
"I know enough to know that she wouldn't be so careless as to abandon two fillies to their doom," said the Crimson Baroness. "Now, tell me. Where is she, and where is the map?"
"If you want to map, you'll have to take it from me!" Tailspin proclaimed.
Scooatloo's eyes widened. She did not just...
"Alright then," said the Crimson Baroness. "You have yourself a deal."
Scootaloo gulped. She did.
The Crimson Baroness cracked her riding crop against the ground, and two griffons appeared from the shadows. They were both dressed in matching brown military uniforms, and each of them wore a monocle on a different eye.
"Dorsal! Ventral!" the Crimson Baroness ordered. "These two are on my blacklist. Do me a favor and, check them off for me while I prepare the airship for departure, would you? Oh, and one of them probably has the map. Be sure it remains unharmed."
"It'll be our pleasure, Commander," said one of the griffons as they both saluted their mistress. The pegasus saluted them back before turning to Tailspin and Scootaloo.
"Well then, it was nice meeting you," she said with a sneer. "I'd ask you to give my regards to Ms. Do, but that would be a tad insensitive on my part. Ah well, c'est la guerre."
She then took out a small radio and tapped it on with her hoof. "Fire."
There was a loud explosion from below, and the serrated shutters jerked open slightly. With a mocking salute, the Crimson Baroness flew down the opening before it closed again. Tailspin swallowed.
"Okay, that didn't go as planned," she said, sweat dripping down her face.
"Gee, you think?" said Scootaloo, rolling her eyes.
"H-hey, I panicked!" Tailspin protested. "M-my mind doesn't work well when I'm p-panicking! Oh, this is terrible!"
"I thought you said we shouldn't lose our heads," said Scootaloo.
"That was before I screwed up," said Tailspin, sounding genuinely worried. "Oh, what are we going to do?"
"What can we do?" whimpered Scootaloo, hiding behind Tailspin as the griffons closed in. "We're trapped!"
Tailspin's eyes darted around the room, her mind and heart racing in unison. Finally, she found a small crack in the wall caused by the explosion from before.
"Alright, I think I've got an idea," said she.
"I'm afraid to ask," said Scootaloo.
"Listen, if we're going to get out of this alive, you have to trust me."
"And why should I?"
"Do you want to be torn apart by griffons?"
"Well, no. But..."
"Then RUN!"
With that, Tailspin dashed past the griffons and rammed into the fissure with all her might. The wall gave way, creating a strong vacuum that sucked her, Scootaloo, and the two griffons out of the temple. She spun through the air for a moment before correcting her trajectory.
"Well, that wasn't so bad," she said. "See, mate? I told you..."
But Scootaloo was nowhere to be seen. Frantically, Tailspin looked around before she spotted the little orange filly crash into a thick cloud. The two griffons saw her as well, and began to swoop in.
"Well, that's just ducky," Tailspin muttered to herself. "I'm never going to here the end of this." She then dove into a swoop of her own. "Hang in there, mate! I'm coming!"
A loud crash awoke Twilight Sparkle from her slumber. Groggy and confused, she slowly got out of bed and lit a firefly lantern. Quietly, she made her way downstairs to investigate the noise. When she saw the cause, she had to groan.
"Rainbow Dash, why in Equestria can't you ever use the door?" she groused.
"Ugh. Sorry, Twilight," Rainbow apologized, quickly shaking herself. "It's just that this is an emergency!"
"An emergency?" parroted Twilight.
"Yeah! And I think you have something to do with it," said Rainbow. "Um, not that I think you meant to do it or anything..."
Twilight gave her friend an odd look. "Rainbow Dash, what are you talking about? I haven't done anything."
"Wait, what?"
"Well, I was pretty exhausted from our trip to the Crystal Empire, so I decided to turn in early."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "Wait, but if you didn't do it, then what did?"
"Did what?" inquired Twilight, getting confused.
Rainbow was about to answer when there was a knock at the door.
"Hold that thought. I'd better go see who that is," said Twilight, lumbering over to the door. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she opened it with her magic. When she lowered her hooves, she couldn't believe what she saw.
"Hello. I take it you're Twilight?" said Daring Do. "Rainbow Dash and I have a bit of a problem, and she said you could help."
Twilight stared at the olive-colored pony, her mouth agape.
"Yeah, I seem to be getting that reaction a lot lately," said Daring, letting herself in. "Nice place you've got here. Sorry I'm late, but somepony decided to rush on ahead without telling me where you live."
Twilight quickly shook herself, placed a foreleg to her chest, and took a deep breath. As she released it, she extended her foreleg. When she had regained her composure, she walked over to Rainbow Dash, a knowing smirk on her face.
"Very funny, Rainbow Dash," she said dryly. "But don't you think it's a bit late to be pranking ponies?"
"It's not a prank!" Rainbow insisted. "This is serious!"
Twilight sighed, clearly not believing her. "C'mon, Rainbow. The joke's over. You got me."
Daring stroked her chin for a moment. After a pause, an idea hit her. "Hey, want to see something neat? It's a tablet I got from the lost city of Shetlandis."
Twilight snickered. "Wow, you're not letting up, are you? Everypony knows that Shetlandis doesn't exist."
"It doesn't huh?" said Daring slyly. "Then where do you think I got this?"
She reached into her pith helmet and pulled out the stone tablet. Twilight glanced at it and immediately did a double take.
"Wh—? How did—? HUH?!"
"Heh, it's really nothing that impressive," said Daring with a shrug. "Nothing compared to the treasure of Das Reingold, anyway." She put the tablet away and placed the hat back atop her head. "Oh, wait. I don't think we've been properly introduced. The name's Daring Do. Nice to meetcha."
She extended her hoof to Twilight, who was left utterly speechless. Once again, she placed a foreleg to her chest and took in a deep breath. This time, when she released it, she fainted.
"What is it with ponies fainting around me today?" asked Daring, sounding a bit agitated.
"I, think Twilight can answer that better than I can," said Rainbow with a nervous chuckle. "C'mon, we gotta wake her up."
"Right, sure," said Daring.
***
When Twilight regained consciousness, she almost thought she was seeing double with two similar faces staring over her. When she had remembered what caused her to faint in the first place, her eyes shot open.
"Gah!" she yelped in surprise, leaping back. "H-how are you here?! Y-you can't be here! This makes no sense!"
"Hey, relax," Daring said sternly. "I think I can explain everything, or at least what we know. But you gotta calm down first."
Twilight nodded. "Yeah, you're right," she said, using her breathing technique to regain her composure once again. "Now, what in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on?"
"Well, here's the short version," said Daring. "Apparently, I set off this booby trap in Argoats that teleported me here to Ponyville. At the same time, this book zapped Rainbow Dash's friend Scootaloo, and now she's in Argoats for some reason."
"Wait, what?" asked Twilight.
"I thought it was because you were perfecting a new spell or something," said Rainbow. "But yeah, Scootaloo's somehow in the book while Daring Do is here."
"Hang on," said Twilight, rushing to her bookshelf. Quickly, she pulled out her own copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold and flipped it open. "Sweet Celestia, you're right! It's right here in the second chapter! Daring Do mysteriously disappears, and her partner Tailspin stumbles upon this orange filly named Scootaloo! How did this happen?"
"Like I said, I thought it was you," said Rainbow with a shrug. "I was just reading my book with Scoot when there was this bright flash, and the next thing I know, she's in there while Daring's in my room fixing me a bedtime snack."
Twilight paused for a moment to process the entire situation. "Hmm. This is pretty strange," she mused. "I don't know of any spells that can do something like this. Unless somepony has gotten their hooves on the Alicorn Amulet, and I don't think that's very likely."
"The Alicorn Amulet, huh?" said Daring, stroking her chin. "That sounds like a pretty neat artifact. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?"
"Trust me, Ms. Do. Even you wouldn't want..."
"Up bup bup!" said Daring, cutting across the unicorn librarian. "Ms. Do is my mother's name. Call me Daring."
"Right, sorry," said Twilight. "As I was saying, Daring, I don't think you'd want the Alicorn Amulet. That artifact contains a lot of dark magic that nopony should ever use."
"Meaning someone like Ahuizotl might get the bright idea to steal it if I were to donate it to the university museum," Daring mused. "Alright, I see your point."
"I, think we have more important things to worry about," said Rainbow. "Like, how are we going to fix this?"
"I'm not sure," Twilight admitted. "Like I said, I haven't read about any spells that can bring fictional characters into the real world, nor visa versa."
"Um, I'm standing right here, y'know," said Daring, folding her forelegs. "And I'd like to think that I'm real, thank you very much."
Twilight turned to the eccentric adventurer, giving her an pained look. "Uh, I hate to break it to you, Daring, but you're not a real pony."
"Well, of course I am," said Daring. "Haven't you ever read Haycartes?"
"I have, actually. But this is a magical mishap, not a philosophical conundrum," said Twilight. "You're not supposed to exist. You are a creation of somepony's imagination."
"I'm not debating that," said Daring. "I just don't want you calling me fictional as long as I'm here. It makes you sound crazy."
Twilight stared at Daring blankly. "You know, for a pony who acknowledges the fact that she's a literary character, you're taking this surprisingly well."
Daring sniggered. "Hey, you should know that this isn't exactly my first existential quandary. Although, this is the first time I actually traveled to a different plane of existence and it's not just some sphinx messing with my brain."
"Oh, you mean like in Daring Do and the Riddle of the Pharaoh's Toothbrush?" said Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, how'd you know? Oh, wait. Never mind," said Daring with a chuckle.
"Guys, focus," Twilight said tersely. "There's no telling what will happen if this isn't resolved."
"I can't think it's anything good," said Daring, taking the book away from Twilight and reading it herself. "Tch, case in point."
"What? What is it?"
"Tailspin has absolutely no idea what she's doing. I really feel sorry for that Scootaloo kid."
"That's, not really what I had in mind," said Twilight, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her hoof.
Rainbow Dash's expression drooped. "I hope she's okay." she said glumly.
"Um, define 'okay,'" said Daring Do, continuing to read the book. "Do you mean 'she's unhurt' okay, 'she'll be fine' okay, 'she's a trooper' okay, or 'at least she's still breathing' okay?"
Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes bugged out. "WHAT?! What's happening to Scootaloo?!" she exclaimed, snatching the book from Daring and reading it intently. As her eyes scanned the page, she began to hyperventilate.
"Rainbow, what is it?" asked Twilight, her voice reflecting concern. "Are you alright?"
Rainbow didn't answer, but continued staring at the book. Twilight heaved an exasperated sigh and used her magic to pull Rainbow Dash to the ground, looking over her shoulder to see what she was so upset about.
"It was just a question," said Daring with a shrug. "Hmm, I wonder if there are any books on that Alicorn Amulet thing. Even if I might not want to find it, I would at least like to know about it."
She started looking through the books in Twilight's library as the two Element Bearers remained engrossed in what was happening on the other side of the looking glass. Unbeknownst to the three mares, the cover of Twilight's copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone was beginning to fade...
Scootaloo slowly got to her feet, standing up on the cloud she just crashed into and shaking herself. As she got her bearings, she noticed the two griffons closing in. She tried to run away, only to find herself at the edge of the cloud. She looked at her tiny wings and swallowed. There was no way they could save her from this altitude. She looked back at the griffons, who were getting closer and closer by the second. She then looked down at the sea of clouds below her hooves. Her heart began to pound.
M-maybe this is just a dream, she thought, although she didn't fully believe herself. I bet if I jump off of this cloud, I'll wake up before I hit the ground. That's how it always works. It's at least worth a try, right? If not, I can land on one of those other clouds down there, no biggie. Okay, here goes. One, two...
"Incoming!"
Before she could leap off of the cloud, Tailspin rushed in and scooped her up, carrying her into the wild blue yonder.
"You alright, mate?" she asked.
Okay, so much for my dream theory, Scootaloo thought. Her eyes then went wide as she saw the two griffons giving chase. "Um, Tailspin?!"
"I see 'em, I see 'em!" Tailspin shouted back. "Don't worry, mate! I know how to get them off our tail! Hold on tight!"
With that, she began to fly around this way and that with the randomness of a hummingbird. Scootaloo's stomach lurched with every sharp turn and dive Tailspin made. Soon enough, her face started turning green.
"Wh-what is the *mmph* matter with you?" she moaned. "C-can't you *ooh* fly straight?"
"Only if I want them to catch us," Tailspin retorted. "Now just keep it together, alright? I know what I'm doing."
I'm having a hard time believing that, thought Scootaloo, who was too sick to speak her mind.
The chase continued for a while until Tailspin flew into a thick bank of clouds, disappearing from sight. She sat inside the bank, holding Scootaloo's mouth shut with her foreleg as she looked outside at the two confused griffons. They circled around and around, trying to find their lost prey.
"I think we lost them, Dorsal," said one of the griffons.
"They couldn't have gotten far, Ventral," snarled the other. "Not with the way they were flying. Keep looking."
"Hmm. Maybe we should split up and cover more ground," suggested Ventral.
"Ah, a flanking maneuver. Excellent idea," said Dorsal.
"Great," said Ventral. "You go that way, and I'll go home."
Ventral was about to fly off when Dorsal grabbed his partner by the tail.
"Alright, wise guy. What's the big idea?" he growled.
"Well, we've been gone for a while, Dorsal," said Ventral nervously. "And you know how much the Commander hates waiting."
"In case you forgot, the Commander's orders were to dispose of the pegasi and get the map," Dorsal said tersely. "We haven't done either."
"But if we don't report back soon, the Commander will get furious," said Ventral.
"She'll be more furious if we come back empty-handed," Dorsal argued.
Ventral tilted his head. "Are you sure? I always thought she got more mad when she was delayed."
"No, it's failure that sets her off!" insisted Dorsal.
"I assure you, it's delay," said Ventral.
"No, it's failure!" Dorsal roared back.
"Delay."
"Failure!"
"Delay."
"Failure!"
"Fine," said Ventral with a shrug. "But I once kept the Commander waiting for an hour, and she tied me to the airship's mizzenmast for a whole week."
"Ha! That's nothing compared to what she'll do when she knows we failed!" said Dorsal.
"And, how would you know that?" inquired Ventral. "We've never failed her before."
Dorsal opened his beak to respond, but stopped himself as Ventral's words sank in. "Hmm. You have a point."
He does? Tailspin thought.
"Right then. We'll report back to the Commander," said Dorsal. "But if she punishes us, I'm telling her it was your idea."
"You do that, and I'll tell her that you let the brats escape," Ventral shot back.
"Hey, I didn't let them escape!"
"Oh, so you think it was my fault?"
The two griffons continued to bicker and argue as they flew away. When Tailspin could no longer hear them, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"See, mate? I told you I'd lose those morons," she said, giving Scootaloo a playful punch in the foreleg.
"Mmm," Scootaloo moaned, still feeling sick.
"Ah, suck it up, mate. You'll be fine," said Tailspin, taking out the map. "Now, let's see. Where does this say we should go?"
Scootaloo looked over at Tailspin. "Huh? What do you mean 'we?'"
"Well, I'm not planning on leaving you here, mate," said Tailspin, still looking at the map. "That just wouldn't be right."
"But I just wanna go home," said Scootaloo. "I don't really belong here. In fact, I don't even know how I got here."
Tailspin peered over the map, giving Scootaloo a curious look. "Hmm? What do you mean by that, mate?"
Scootaloo took a deep breath before explaining. "Well, I was just reading this book with Rainbow Dash about you and Daring Do, and then there was this weird part where the book said what I told Rainbow Dash a few seconds before. Then there was this bright flash, and my body felt all weird. The next thing I knew, I was in that temple."
Tailspin blinked. "Eh, sorry mate. A lot of that went over my head. What's this about a book?"
"Just what I told you," said Scootaloo. "Rainbow Dash was reading me this new Daring Do book, and..."
She trailed off as her pupils dilated in horror. "Omigosh! I must've been sucked into the book!"
"Sucked into the what now?" asked Tailspin, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You sure you didn't hit your head or something?"
"Oh, what am I going to do?!" Scootaloo wailed, completely ignoring Tailspin. "How am I going to get back home?! Can I get back home?! Wh-what if I'm stuck here forever?!"
Tailspin gripped Scootaloo firmly by the shoulder and gave her a sharp look.
"Professor Daring says that if you lose your head figuratively, you're gonna lose it literally," she said sternly.
"Right, and you had everything under control back there," said Scootaloo sardonically.
"Th-that just further proves my point," said Tailspin. "Look, don't change the subject, mate. The fact of the matter is you're stuck with me whether you like it or not. Once we find Daring, she'll know what to do. In the meantime, we should probably translate this map for her."
"Fine," said Scootaloo with a pout.
Tailspin sighed. "Look, I wish I could help you, mate. But I don't exactly know where you live."
"I'm from Ponyville," said Scootaloo grumpily.
"Okay, correction: I don't know where that is," said Tailspin. "Besides, I really don't get this 'sucked into a book' mumbo jumbo. Let's just look for Daring, and see what she has to say. Assuming she's gotten her bearings, she should be back in Hoofington with our contact. Now c'mon, let's fly."
Scootaloo sighed, causing her tiny wings to buzz. "There's a bit of a problem with that, Tailspin. I'm, not a good flyer."
Tailspin groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her hoof. "You really aren't making this easy, you know that, mate?"
"And another thing," said Scootaloo. "Stop calling me that. I told you, my name's Scootaloo."
"Right, Scootaloo. Sure, whatever," said Tailspin, not really caring. "Alright, hop on. I'll do the flying."
"No crazy stunts this time," said Scootaloo as she climbed onto Tailspin's back.
"Right, right. I promise," said Tailspin, rolling her eyes. "Sheesh, picky picky."
With that, she flew out of the cloud bank, Scootaloo wrapping her forelegs around the older pegasus's neck as she went into a gentle dive, leaving the ancient city of Argoats far behind.
"Well, at least they're safe," said Twilight as she read of Scootaloo and Tailspin's antics alongside Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah," said Rainbow Dash with a snort. "But I'd still like to give that Tailspin jerk a piece of my mind."
"Hey, you and me both," said Daring Do, who was still browsing through books. "But trust me, she's not that bad. She just needs to get her act together."
"If you say so," said Rainbow. A wan smile then appeared on her face. "I'm sure once Scoot gets her own act together, she'll be fine. She may be a kid, but she's a kid with a lot of guts."
"But you're still worried about her, right?" asked Daring.
Rainbow blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Y-yeah. I, guess I am. She's like a little sister to me. I've even taken her under my wing."
"Hmm. You don't say," said Daring. Although her attention was still fixated on the bookshelves, her voice reflected genuine interest and curiosity.
"Yep. She's always looked up to me as a role model," Rainbow gushed. "Honestly, I don't blame her. I am pretty awesome, after all."
"I'll take your word for it," said Daring with a chuckle. "So, what's her special talent? The book hasn't mentioned it."
"Oh, she hasn't found it yet," said Rainbow. "But it's not for a lack of trying. Seriously, she never gives up. Although sometimes she tends to get in over her head."
"Heh, sounds like somepony else I know," said Daring, an amused look on her face. "Except replace 'sometimes' with 'all the time.'"
She then noticed something on a particular shelf, and the smile slowly faded into a curious frown. Cautiously, she took a book off of the shelf and opened it. Her eyes went wide.
"Okay, that's not ominous or anything," said she.
"Huh? What is it, Daring?" asked Rainbow.
"See for yourself," said Daring, tossing the book over to the cyan pegasus. Rainbow caught it in her hooves and looked at it. It was Twilight's copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone, except that the cover page was incredibly faded.
"Huh. That's weird," said Rainbow, sounding a tad befuddled. "Hey, Twilight. Did Spike forget to dust that shelf or something?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Twilight inquired.
Rainbow flew over to Twilight's side and showed her the book. Twilight raised an eyebrow and opened it with her magic. What she saw caused both her and Rainbow Dash to gasp in horror. A good portion of the pages were blank, and when they had gotten to a page with words, they were vanishing one by one. It was as if they were grains of sand being blown away by the wind.
"My thoughts exactly," said Daring. "Call it explorer's intuition, but I think it might be connected to the booby trap in Argoats that caused this mess in the first place."
"What makes you say...? Yeow!"
Rainbow Dash looked over at Daring, and her jaw dropped. For a brief second, the great adventurer became transparent right before her very eyes.
"Hey, are you okay?" asked Daring, tilting her head.
"Are you?" Rainbow Dash responded. "You just turned all see-through for a second there!"
Curious, Daring gave her body a once-over. "Nope, still seems rather solid to me. But come to think of it, everything did look kinda blurry. It was just for a brief moment, though."
Twilight gulped. "I-I don't want to jump to any conclusions here, but..."
"But what?" asked Rainbow.
Twilight used her breathing technique to calm herself before responding. "It might be that Daring Do's adventures are being erased."
"E-erased?" said Rainbow nervously. "Wh-what do you mean erased?"
"Like erased from existence. It may get to the point where Daring Do will cease to exist altogether, even in a fictional sense," said Twilight, equally nervous. "Of course, I'm not really sure. I-it's just a theory."
Rainbow glanced over at Daring Do, worried about how she was taking the news. However, she was perplexed to find that the literary heroine was merely stroking her chin in thought.
"Hmm. Yeah, I'm coming to the same conclusion, Twilight," Daring mused. "And with Scootaloo taking part in my latest adventure, she's gonna be in trouble, too. More than she already is in, anyway."
Rainbow gave Daring an odd look as she made her way over to her. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?" she asked, her voice reflecting concern.
"I gotta say, I'm not too happy about this whole 'being erased from all existence' thing," said Daring. "However, it won't do us any good if we panic. Keep in mind, I've been on a lot of adventures. Presuming that all of them have been published, we have plenty of time to figure things out and fix whatever needs fixing."
As if by magic, Rainbow Dash's fear and concern gave way to confidence and determination. "Hey, you're right! As long as we work together, we've got nothing to worry about."
"Exactly," said Daring with a nod. "Good to see we're on the same page, Rainbow Dash. Er, no pun intended."
"Wow," said an awestruck Twilight. "I knew you were confident under pressure, Daring, but this is amazing!"
Daring blushed. "Hey, I wouldn't be much of an adventurer if I let my nerves get the better of me," she said sheepishly. She then cleared her throat. "Alright, that's enough of that. We might have time to burn, but we're still on a schedule here. Anypony have any ideas?"
"Maybe we can find something in the Canterlot Archives," suggested Rainbow.
"No, that's too far away," said Twilight, shaking her head. "And I don't think I have anything in my library that can fix this, either."
Daring paused as she pondered for a moment. "Hmm. Sorry if this seems like a weird question, but would either of you happen to know a zebra shaman by any chance? In my experience, they seem to know what's what."
Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other and shared a smile.
"As a matter of fact, we do," said Twilight with a nod. "She lives in the Everfree Forest, not too far from here."
"Heh. Talk about a lucky break," said Daring, adjusting her hat. "Alright, that should be our first stop. Not sure where we'll go from there, but I've got a feeling that it'll be quite the adventure."
"Sounds like we've got ourselves a plan," said Rainbow, radiating a take-charge attitude. "I'll lead the way to Zecora's place. Think you can keep up with me, Daring?"
"Are Ahuizotl's deathtraps needlessly complicated?" Daring answered rhetorically, spreading her own wings.
"Wait," said Twilight. "Let me come with you. I think if I get some more information about this, I can find a better solution."
"Hey, no prob, Twilight. Of course you can come," said Rainbow. "I'll even get my copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold so you can check it for enchantments. Just, don't expect me to slow down for you."
"I've got no objections, either," added Daring. "I know I feel safer with a unicorn around."
"Alright, it's settled then," said Rainbow Dash, a twinkle in her magenta eyes. "Now, let's move!"
With that, she zipped out of Twilight's home in a burst of radiant color. Daring snickered.
"It's like looking at a younger me," she said to herself, taking off after the cyan speedster. After the pegasi left, Twilight got herself together and packed her saddlebags. As she did so, the last words of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone disappeared without a trace, and the book became nothing more than a blank cover housing empty pages...
Scootaloo couldn't help but stare in awe as Tailspin descended into a bustling mercantile city. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The air was filled with the sound of multiple conversations and arguments going on at once. Several ponies traveled to and fro, haggling with merchants and applying their own trades. Not even the Ponyville marketplace was ever this busy.
"Enjoy the sights while you can, mate," said Tailspin as she made a wobbly landing that nearly caused Scootaloo to fall off. "The sooner we find Daring, the better it'll be for both of us."
Scootaloo said nothing as she climbed off of Tailspin's back. Tailspin shrugged.
"Alright, stick close to me, mate," she told Scootaloo as she looked around the city. "Daring would really lay into me if she knew I let a filly like you get lost in a city like this."
Again, Scootaloo didn't respond. Tailspin turned to the orange filly and frowned.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" she asked. "This is important."
"Huh? I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" said Scootaloo.
"Who else would I be talking to, mate?"
"Well, there's this pony named 'Mate' you keep bringing up..."
Tailspin gave Scootaloo a bemused look. "Oh, hardy har har. Aren't we the clever pony?" she said dryly. "Now c'mon, stop being such a grump and follow me. I promise, Daring will find a way to get you back home, wherever that is."
Scootaloo sighed and rolled her eyes as she picked herself up and trotted after Tailspin. After a while of walking through the streets and alleys of Hoofington, she began to get agitated.
"Do you even know where we're going?" she inquired.
"O-of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" said Tailspin, although her tone of voice conveyed otherwise. "We just have to find our contact is all."
"But there are like a million ponies in this city!"
"First off, you're exaggerating. Secondly, trust me when I say our contact is not exactly hard to miss. Ah, speaking of which, I think I see her now."
"What do you mean? I don't see any..."
Scootaloo trailed off as she caught sight of a bizarre-looking creature that she had never seen before. It stood as tall as some of the smaller buildings, with long pole-like legs and an even longer neck. Its coat was white with brown speckles of various hues, and was dressed in fine cloth. Scootaloo just stared at the creature, her mouth agape.
"Hey, it's not polite to stare, mate," said Tailspin, jabbing Scootaloo with her elbow. "Honestly, you act as though you've never seen a giraffe before." She then waved her forelegs and flapped her wings. "Genny! Hey, Genny!"
The giraffe took note of Tailspin's call and made its way over to her. It then bent down its large neck, looking over Tailspin with its striking eyes of silver.
"Ah. I thought I recognized you," the giraffe said in a soothing, melodious voice. "Back so soon from Argoats?"
"You bet, Genny," said Tailspin, taking out the map. "And we found the map there, just like you said we would."
"Hmm. Let me take a closer look at that," said the giraffe. "Doreimi!"
As if on cue, a small bird with bright blue plumage flew out from behind the giraffe and snatched up the map in its thin beak. Her eyes sparkled as she read it over.
"There is no doubt about it. This is indeed the map to Das Reingold's treasure," she said. "My congratulations to Professor Daring. She is truly as great as the stories say she is."
She then took a look around before raising an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, where is she?"
Tailspin blinked. "I, thought she was with you."
The giraffe frowned. "It appears we have much to discuss," she said, noticing the gawking younger pegasus. "And, who might this be?"
"Oh, sorry! I guess I should make some introductions," said Tailspin sheepishly. "Mate, this here is Genevieve. She's the resident expert of ancient runes and hieroglyphs here in Hoofington. Genny, this is..."
She turned over to Scootaloo, who was still in a state of shock. The yellow pegasus groaned.
"Alright, mate. Cut it out," she said, batting Scootaloo with her tail. "Sheesh, were you planning to rent yourself out as a statue or something?"
"Must you be so callous to the little one?" asked Genevieve. "If I remember correctly, you had the same reaction when Professor Daring first introduced us."
Tailspin's face became as red as her scarf. "Uh, ha ha! G-good one, Genny!" she said with a nervous chuckle. "You're such a kidder."
Genevieve sighed, and looked over at Scootaloo. "I take it this is the first time you have met a giraffe in person," she said.
"Y-yeah," said Scootaloo. "Um, my name's Scootaloo. I'm from Ponyville."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Scootaloo," said Genevieve. She then arched her neck back so that she could address both pegasi. "I'll bet you two are hungry after such a long journey from Argoats. I would very much like it if you joined me for tea. We can discuss everything back at my place."
"It's as if you read my mind, Genny," said Tailspin, licking her lips. "Lead the way."
The giraffe nodded and headed off, walking in graceful strides as Tailspin and Scootaloo trotted after her.
***
"Well, here we are," said Genevieve as they entered a modestly-sized house that had perhaps the biggest door in the city. Despite that, it looked like a rather normal study with row upon row of books as well as maps and mobiles hanging from the ceiling. The only difference was that some of the pieces of furniture were bolted to wooden beams sticking out of the wall.
"Just make yourselves comfortable." said Genevieve, sitting herself down in front of a desk that was bolted to the rafters. "Doreimi, would you be a dear and get the tea ready?"
The bird twittered an affirmation and flittered off to the stove.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Ms. Genevieve," said Scootaloo, seating herself on a cushy stool.
"Not a problem," said Genevieve with a warm smile. "It's not often that I entertain guests." She then looked over at Tailspin. "So, what exactly happened at Argoats?"
"Oh, it was pretty crazy!" said Tailspin, her face lighting up. She then began to recount the whole adventure, swooping and flying around the giraffe's head. When she had finished, Doreimi flew over, carrying a tray in his beak.
"Thank you, Doreimi," said Genevieve, pouring herself some tea. The little bird then flew over to Scootaloo, who helped herself to a biscuit.
"So, what do you think?" asked Tailspin.
Genevieve placed a hoof to her chin and nodded sagely. "It's a most curious affair, to be sure," she mused. "I'm afraid I don't have much to say about it beyond that. It's outside my area of expertise."
"Ah, I see," said Tailspin, her expression drooping. "Well, could you at least translate the map for us as a favor to Daring?"
"Of course, of course," said Genevieve. "Just set it on the desk there. Doreimi!"
Tailspin did as she was told as the bird flittered away, returning with a strange-looking pair of spectacles with one lens far bigger than the other. Genevieve donned the spectacles and began reading over the map with a critical eye.
"Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting," she mused. "You are quite a clever one, Das Reingold."
"What is it, Genny?" inquired Tailspin.
"I expected this to be written only in codes that sea ponies typically use," explained Genevieve. "But this map also incorporates buffalo markings and glyphs only used by sphinxes. Das Reingold cleary didn't want anypony to find his treasure."
"Well, can you translate it?" asked Tailspin.
"I can, but it'll take me some time," said Genevieve. "Give me a day, perhaps two."
"Two days?!" said an aghast Tailspin. "We might not have two days! That Crimson Baroness could be out looking for us right now!"
Genevieve gave Tailspin an annoyed look. "Do you want the map translated or not?" she said tersely. "Besides, didn't you say you lost her?"
"W-well, yeah," said Tailspin, twiddling her hooves. "B-but..."
"Then I don't see a problem," said Genevieve flatly.
While Tailspin and Genevieve continued to argue, Scootaloo heard a noise outside. She looked out the window just in time to see a shadow disappear from sight.
"Um, Tailspin?" she called out. "I, think somepony's spying on us."
But Tailspin was too preoccupied with haggling to pay her any mind. Scootaloo sighed, and looked out the window again. Her eyes then glistened as she spotted an unattended scooter parked outside with an orange helmet hanging on the handlebars. She took one quick look back at Tailspin before sneaking outside. As she commandeered the vehicle, she saw the shadow run off into the alleyway. She was just about to leave when a young colt caught her in the act.
"Hey, that's mine!" he yelled.
"Sorry, but I need this!" Scootaloo yelled back, her wings buzzing. "Don't worry, I'll bring it back!"
Before the colt could protest anymore, she zoomed off. The commotion outside caught the attention of Tailspin, who had to smack her face with her hoof.
"Blasted troublemaker. Why must she keep causing me grief?" she grumbled. "We'll continue this later, Genny."
"Only if you want to hear the same thing over and over again," Genevieve retorted. "I'll work as fast as I can, but you have to be a bit more patient, Tailspin. Didn't Professor Daring teach you that?"
"Really not in the mood, Genny," Tailspin growled through gritted teeth. Before Genevieve could inquire as to what she meant, the yellow pegasus flew off after Scootaloo.
"Well, this place is certainly cheerful," Daring Do muttered to herself as she followed Rainbow Dash deeper and deeper into the Everfree Forest. Although the light blue pegasus continued to show off as she bobbed and weaved through the branches, Daring managed to keep up with her with spectacular ease. Finally, the two landed at the edge of a small clearing.
"Heh, not bad," said Rainbow with a smirk. "You really were able to keep up."
"Meh, it wasn't that difficult," said Daring complacently. "I gotta keep myself in top form to deal with deathtraps, after all. Of course, you should know that already."
"Heh, yeah," said Rainbow. "Now, if I remember correctly, Zecora's place should be just beyond those bushes. We'll just wait here for Twilight to catch up."
"I thought you said you weren't going to slow down for her," said Daring.
Rainbow chuckled. "Ah, that's just an inside joke. I would never leave any of my friends hanging, and she knows that better than anypony."
Daring smiled warmly. "That's good to hear, Rainbow Dash. I wish I knew more ponies that had that kind of..."
She suddenly trailed off and wrinkled her nose. "Yeech, what is that stench? It smells like a skunk who hasn't taken a bath in a month."
Rainbow gave the air a cursory sniff herself and blanched. "Um, Daring? We should probably get back into the air."
"We should?" inquired Daring, tilting her head. "But you just said that your zebra friend lives right here. Why are we leaving there's something right behind me, isn't there?"
Rainbow nodded vigorously. Daring sighed and turned around to see a trio of wooden golems shaped like wolves. The middle beast let out a powerful roar, bathing the olive-colored pegasus with its noxious breath.
"Yep, knew it," said Daring. "Alright, let's fly."
The two pegasi took off into the air lickety-split, flying far above the timberwolves' reach. The three beasts barked and snarled, leaping up towards the two and gnashing their teeth.
"Well, I'll say this much," said Daring. "That zebra friend of yours is in for a pretty nasty wake-up call."
"Think we should lure them away or something?" said Rainbow.
Daring placed a hoof to her chin. "Actually, I don't think so," she mused. "For one, if your friend lives here and has to contend with these things on a regular basis, I think she knows how to handle them. Secondly, I wouldn't want to run the risk of leading them to Twilight."
Rainbow gulped. "Oh no. What if Twilight gets here before Zecora notices?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about that," said Daring, looking down.
Confused, Rainbow turned to where Daring was looking and saw a brilliant glow emanating from below. The glow startled the timberwolves, and they began yelping in fear as they ran back into the forest with their tails between their legs. When the glow subsided, a figure in a brown cloak appeared. Rainbow Dash smiled.
"Whew. Talk about good timing," she said as she flew down to the figure. "Hey, Zecora."
The figure drew back the cowl, revealing a familiar zebra who did not look particularly happy.
"I am glad I was able to get you out of that rut," the zebra said in a metric manner. "They usually know better than to hunt near my hut. Now, forgive me for being impolite, but why are you here at this time of night?"
"It's a long story," said Rainbow Dash sheepishly. "Sorry if we disturbed you, Zecora, but we really need your help."
"It is the timberwolves who should apologize," said Zecora. "You have done nothing wrong in my eyes."
"That's good to hear. I'd hate to get on a zebra shaman's bad side," said Daring as she came in for a landing. "Oh, sorry. I didn't introduce myself. The name's Daring Do. I'm a professor at the Royal University in Canterlot."
"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Daring Do," said Zecora. "Now then, what seems to be troubling you?"
"Twilight's on her way over here right now," said Rainbow. "I think she can explain things a bit better than we can."
"Sorry to keep you girls waiting."
As if on cue, Twilight Sparkle emerged from the underbrush.
"Nice to see that you're prepared," said Daring, noting Twilight's saddlebags. "Alright, I think it's time we got down to business."
"I find myself inclined to agree," said Zecora. "But perhaps we can discuss this over some tea?"
"I don't know about anypony else, but I like the sound of that idea," said Daring. "Lead the way."
Zecora nodded and trotted over to her house. Twilight, Rainbow, and Daring quickly followed.
***
"And so that's everything we know," said Twilight as she concluded the story.
Zecora knitted her brow as she took a sip of her tea. "I find your tale to be quite eerie. I'm afraid all I have to offer is a theory."
"A theory?" parroted Rainbow Dash.
Zecora nodded sagely. "It seems whoever did this knew that it would somehow erase Daring Do."
"Hold up," said Daring, raising her hoof. "You think someone's trying to erase me on purpose? That's not just low, it's incredibly messed up. I don't think even Ahuizotl would go that far, and trust me, he hates my guts."
"Keep in mind, it's only a guess," said Zecora. "In truth, I know not what caused this mess."
"Maybe you can help us find out," suggested Twilight. "Rainbow, did you bring that book?"
"Sure did," said Rainbow, producing her copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold from her own saddlebag.
"We have reason to believe that this is enchanted," Twilight explained.
"I suspect that it would be," mused Zecora. "Give it here, and we shall see."
Rainbow complied and gave the book to Zecora. The mystical zebra then trotted over to her shelves and picked up a small pouch. She opened the pouch and poured a glowing green powder onto her hoof. When she felt she had enough, she sprinkled the powder onto the book. The powder sizzled and sparkled, and the book itself began to glow.
"It's just like before," observed Rainbow.
"Yeah, I'm getting a bit of déjà vu myself," said Daring. "That's the light I saw before the booby trap was set off."
Just then, the faint glow changed from blindingly white to a sinister green color. Daring took notice as certain sections seemed to glow brighter than others, forming odd patterns. Twilight, however, noticed something else and gasped.
"No," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I-it can't be. It makes no sense. Why?"
"It seems we have come to the same conclusion. I too find myself expressing confusion," said Zecora.
"Why? What is it?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Twilight's face darkened. "That magic. It's the same kind that the changelings wield."
"What?" said Rainbow, more perplexed than shocked. "Why would the changelings do something like this? Does their queen have something against Daring Do?"
"That's what I would like to know," said Twilight. "And I highly doubt we can just go up to her and ask."
"Indeed, that judgement is very wise," said Zecora. "Seeking out changelings is not something I'd advise."
"Heh," Daring said with a cocky smirk and a snicker. "Whatever these changelings are, I doubt they're that tough."
"It's more than just that," said Twilight. "We don't even know where they live. And I have no books in my library about them."
"Hmm. That is a problem," Daring conceded. "But still, they're our only lead, right? We can't just sit on our hooves."
Twilight sighed. "I think we'll have to take a trip to Canterlot after all. The Royal Archives might have something."
Daring pondered for a moment before reaching an epiphany. "Hold it. Maybe we don't have to go to Canterlot."
"Huh?"
"There's a temple here, right?"
"Um, yeah. It's just some ancient ruins that first held the Elements of Harmony."
"And did whoever build that temple know about changelings?"
"I, don't know. Maybe."
"That's good enough for me," said Daring. "I say we pay those ruins a visit and see what we find."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, Daring. It sounds like a pretty big leap in logic to me."
"I thought the same thing when I got that tablet in Shetlandis leading to Argoats. Shows how much I knew," said Daring with a shrug. "We won't know unless we try."
"I guess," said Twilight, still reluctant about the idea. "But what if it's a dead end?"
Daring smirked. "Pfffft. C'mon, Twilight. The phrase 'what if' is not part of the Daring Do vernacular. You should know that about me."
"Daring's right," added Rainbow. "We might as well give this a shot. We'd waste just as much time going to Canterlot anyways."
Twilight breathed an exasperated sigh. It looked as though Daring was not going to budge on this, no matter how little sense it appeared to make. "Alright, alright. I'll show you the way to the ruins," she said, finally giving up. "I really hope you're right about this."
"Hey, me too," said Daring. "But, you know what they say. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Thanks again for the info and the hospitality, Zecora."
"It is no problem, Daring Do," said Zecora. "Know that I have faith in all of you."
With one last farewell, the three mares left Zecora's hut and headed deeper into the Everfree Forest.
Scootaloo found that navigating the streets of Hoofington was nothing like zipping through the streets of Ponyville. Everywhere she turned, there was another obstacle ahead, be it a fruit stand or a group of unsuspecting ponies taking a stroll. She was used to obstacles and close calls while riding her scooter, but this was simply too much. She bobbed and weaved through the sea of ponies as she kept a sharp eye out for the shadow she saw before.
All of a sudden, she caught a glimpse of something suspicious out of the corner of her eye. Quickly, she made a sharp turn, knocking over a set of wicker baskets.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you crazy pony!" barked the unicorn salesmare.
"Sorry!" Scootaloo hastily apologized before zooming off down a dark alleyway. Her eyes narrowed in anticipation, and quickly widened when she found herself at a dead end with nopony in sight.
"Now where did that guy go?" she pondered aloud. As if to answer her question, she heard the telltale pattering of footsteps behind her. She turned to see the shadowy figure galloping down another alleyway.
"What the hay?" she exclaimed, both perplexed and annoyed. Before she could give chase, she heard a familiar voice from above.
"Hey, mate! Hold up!"
She looked up, and sure enough, it was Tailspin. Scootaloo growled and shook her head, ignoring the older pegasus as she resumed the pursuit.
"Oh, come on! Please don't do this to me!" Tailspin called after her.
But her exasperated cries fell on deaf ears. Scootaloo was too preoccupied with finding out who was spying on them back at Genevieve's place. She continued to make tighter and tighter maneuvers as she tried in vain to catch up with shadow. And with each turn she made, it became more and more difficult to maintain her speed while keeping herself from crashing into anything. Nevertheless, she was determined not to let whoever this sneak was slip through her hooves.
Suddenly, a large Earth Pony walked right into her path. Nimbly, she sprang from the scooter and flapped her miniscule wings. As the scooter passed under the stallion, Scootaloo soared right over him...
Only to land into a clay pot.
"Hey! You break it, you buy it, buddy," snarled a voice from above.
Scootaloo poked her head out of the pot and found herself staring right into the eyes of a very angry griffon. With a nervous chuckle, she tried to pull herself out. This only served to tip the pot over and cause it to roll away. As the griffon merchant roared angry protests, Scootaloo found herself spinning out of control as the pot made its way down a gentle slope. It rolled faster and faster and faster, making poor Scootaloo more and more dizzy.
"M-m-ma-a-a-a-ke i-i-i-i-it sto-o-o-o-o-o-p!" she cried, her plea for help distorted by the predicament she was in.
She got her wish when the pot smashed into a stone wall and shattered into a thousand pieces. She emerged from the rubble, dazed and confused. After she had gotten her bearings, she saw the shadowy figure give her a mocking salute as it darted through the city gate.
"Hey! Get back here, you!" Scootaloo barked, running right past the guards and through the gate. She was about to catch up with the figure when Tailspin appeared out of nowhere and barred her path.
"Alright, mate. What the hay was that all about?" Tailspin growled, not sounding the least bit happy.
Scootaloo didn't answer. She was too busy trying to see past Tailspin and figure out where the shadow disappeared to. Tailspin did not take this well.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," she snapped, gripping Scootaloo's shoulders and forcing her to look her in the eye.
"Answer my question, mate," said Tailspin with a snort. "What in the world were you thinking?"
"I-I saw somepony spying on us," said Scootaloo. "I thought I could catch him."
"And you didn't tell me this why?"
"I tried to, but you wouldn't listen!" Scootaloo yelled, tears marring her vision. "Now c'mon! He's getting away!"
"I don't see anypony here but you, mate," Tailspin said tersely. "And boy, are you in a heap of trouble. You can't just take a joyride through Hoofington because your mind is playing tricks on you. You could've been hurt or gotten yourself lost, and I highly doubt that either of us would've wanted that."
"B-but..."
"No buts, mate," Tailspin interrupted, her tone becoming quite sharp. "I told you before; you're stuck with me whether you like it or not. That means until we find Daring, what I say goes. I don't want any more of this running off on your own. You got me, mate?"
Scootaloo took one last look behind Tailspin. There was no sign of the figure she was chasing. With a reluctant sigh, she nodded.
"Good. I'm glad we understand each other," said Tailspin as she released Scootaloo. "Now then, let's figure out what we're going to do about room and board while Genny finishes deciphering the map. Although I think our chances are gonna be pretty slim after that little stunt you pulled."
"Wait, didn't Daring Do arrange anything when you first got here?" inquired Scootaloo.
Tailspin gave Scootaloo a glare. "This conversation is over, mate. I don't wanna hear another peep out of you until we get ourselves settled."
"But I was just asking..."
"Not. One. Peep."
Scootaloo clammed up, intimidated by Tailspin's harsh demeanor. As they went back into town, the shadowy figure emerged from the thicket and took out a small radio.
"The map is being deciphered, Commander," it whispered into the radio. "It should take a day or two. The filly spotted me, but I managed to elude capture. Awaiting orders."
"Hmm. A tad sloppy, but otherwise excellent work," purred the Crimson Baroness's voice over the radio. "Report back to the airship. We can't have ponies getting too wise to our presence. At least, not until it's too late."
"Yes, Commander," said the shadowy figure. With that, it cut the transmission and took off into the sky.
After a few minutes of navigating through the dense undergrowth of the Everfree Forest, the three mares stumbled upon a rickety old bridge over a large ravine. At the end of the bridge was a large stone castle.
"There it is," said Twilight, pointing to the castle. "The ancient ruins of the Everfree Forest."
Daring Do's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Hmm. And, how old did you say these ruins are?"
"Um, they're over a thousand years old."
Daring whistled. "No kidding? Wow. I wonder if the deathtraps even work after so long."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Deathtraps? Um, actually..."
"Eh, they probably do, knowing my luck," said Daring, ignoring Rainbow. "Alright, let's get this exploration underway!"
She flew off ahead before Rainbow or Twilight could get a word in edgewise. The two friends simply looked at each other and shared a shrug before following her into the ruins.
***
It had been a long time since Twilight first entered the ancient castle to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, and it was still very much as she remembered. The architecture of civilizations past, the dark corridors illuminated only by Luna's great moon; everything about the place gave her a bittersweet nostalgic feeling. Using her magic to provide some extra light, she cleared her throat as she approached Daring.
"So, Daring. What exactly are we looking for?" she asked.
"Something that doesn't belong," Daring said simply, seemingly preoccupied.
Twilight gave Daring a quizzical look. "Can you, get a bit more specific?"
"Nope, sorry," said Daring, dipping her voice. "Now would you mind not breaking my concentration?"
"Oh, sorry," Twilight whispered back before becoming confused again. "Wait, what do you mean?"
"I think you know," said Daring.
"Wait, are you worried about deathtraps?" asked Twilight. "Um, Daring. Rainbow and I have been here before, and..."
"Shh," Daring hissed, raising her foreleg and stopping Twilight in her tracks. "Wait here."
Before Twilight could inquire as to why Daring wanted her to wait, the olive-colored mare lowered herself close to the stone floor and began tapping different tiles with her hoof. After a few seconds of this, Rainbow groaned.
"Ugh, can we hurry this up?" she asked. "We don't have time for this."
"Hey, I might be able to handle myself, and from what I've seen, so can you," Daring told Rainbow. "But I don't want Twilight here to get caught in the crossfire when we set off the deathtraps."
Rainbow breathed a great sigh. "Listen, Daring. Twilight and I have already been here. We can assure you: There are no deathtraps."
Daring perked up and stared at Rainbow Dash as if she had three heads. "Come again?"
"Just as Rainbow said," said Twilight. "The ponies who built this castle didn't build it with the intention of storing treasure. This used to be a royal palace. I highly doubt the architects would even consider putting traps here."
Daring tilted her head and stroked her chin, processing this information. "Huh. Well that's, something," she said in an ambiguous tone. "I mean, it's a nice change of pace. A very nice change of pace actually, considering what I've been through in Argoats. But the idea of ancient ruins without deathtraps, eh, I dunno. It just sounds, weird."
Twilight giggled at Daring's confusion. "You'll find that there are a lot of differences between our worlds, Daring," said she.
"I gathered," said Daring. "Alright, let's keep moving. Remember, we're trying to find something that doesn't belong here."
"What makes you think we'll find it here?" asked Twilight.
"Honestly, I have no idea," said Daring with a shrug. "It's just a hunch."
Twilight was about to comment on Daring's absurd remarks, but thought better of it and instead used her breathing technique. "Well, what are you basing this hunch on?"
"Remember when we found out the book was enchanted by changeling magic?" said Daring.
"Yeah."
"Well, while you saw that, I saw something else. The magic formed these patterns that seemed a bit too familiar for my taste."
"What kind of patterns?" Rainbow inquired.
"Sea pony runes," said Daring. "The same kind I saw in Argoats."
Twilight tilted her head. "How can that be? There isn't any evidence of sea ponies in our world."
"And where I came from, I was about to get the map leading to the treasure of a notorious sea pony pirate. There has to be some kind of connection, right?" said Daring.
"I guess so," said Twilight with a thoughtful nod. "But, why here of all places?"
"I find the best place to look for mystical things is in ancient ruins," said Daring. "It usually doesn't matter where. Heck, if you'll recall, I actually found the Scarab Tombs by accident while looking through some ruins in Saddle Arabia."
"Oh yeah," said Rainbow. "That was in Daring Do and the Minions of the Scarab. You were awesome taking on the Scarab King, by the way."
Daring chuckled. "Save the flattery for later, Rainbow Dash. We've still got something to find here."
"Right, right. Sorry," said Rainbow, blushing a little. "Alright, let's keep looking."
With that, she zoomed off ahead. Daring smirked.
"That friend of yours sure is something else, you know that?" she told Twilight.
Twilight gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, she is," she agreed. "But I only know that because we've been friends for so long."
"Ah, I see. Interesting," said Daring in a reflective tone. She then adjusted her hat, and the cockiness returned to her voice. "Well, shall we catch up with her?"
Without waiting for Twilight's reply, she zoomed off. Twilight sniggered and shook her head.
"It's almost like they're the same pony," she muttered to herself as she trotted after the two pegasi. "Almost."
***
"Hey, Daring! I think I found what we're looking for!"
Daring and Twilight met Rainbow Dash in the main chamber, where the Elements of Harmony used to rest. Right in front of the pedestal was what appeared to be a small golden inkwell with a jet black quill in it. Daring smirked.
"Bingo," she said triumphantly.
"Um, I actually don't get it," said Twilight, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Sure, it's weird to find an inkwell in these ruins, but is that really going to be our key to solving this?"
"We'll know in a second," said Daring, approaching the inkwell cautiously. She hovered her hoof over it and observed it from every angle. When she finally took a swipe at it, her body became transparent and her hoof passed right through it. Daring drew a sharp breath through her teeth.
"Did you two see that, or was it just me?" she inquired.
Rainbow and Twilight both nodded somberly.
"I was afraid you'd say that," said Daring with a sigh. "Okay, let's try this again."
This time, she managed to snatch up the inkwell in her hooves.
"There we are," she said. "Hopefully the next incident won't happen for a while. I imagine as time goes on, it's going to get more and more annoying."
"Yeah, not exactly the word I'd use if it were happening to me," said Rainbow sheepishly.
"Guess that's why you're not me then," said Daring with a shrug. "Alright then, little guy. What have you got for us?"
She turned the inkwell around and around in her hoof, looking at it with a critical eye. She then nodded.
"Yep, this is what we're looking for alright," she said. "The marking around this inkwell are sea pony runes, no question about it."
"But, what does it mean?" asked Twilight.
"Well, for one thing, it means we have sufficient proof that this was no freak accident," said Daring. "Somebody is aiming to erase me from existence."
Rainbow's eyes narrowed and she snorted angrily. "Just wait until I get my hooves on whoever thought that was a good idea," she snarled.
"I'm thinking the same thing," said Daring. "I don't know what non-existence feels like, but by golly, I don't intend to find out." She then looked over the inkwell again. Her expression quickly became one of exasperation. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me."
"What? What's wrong?" asked Twilight.
"Well, unless we're dealing with a complete moron, and even at this juncture that's debatable, someone wanted us to find this," said Daring. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it; this is probably a trap."
Twilight and Rainbow blanched. "WHAT?!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Yeah, apparently the runes translate out to maniacal laughter," said Daring, who seemed more peeved than disturbed. "Seriously, I've seen more subtlety from Ahuizotl."
"B-but that makes no sense!" yelled an aghast Rainbow Dash. "How did whoever did this know you would just run into this castle looking for something you didn't even know was here?!"
Before Daring could answer, the quill became cloaked in eerie green light. It then floated out of the inkwell and drew a circle around the three mares. The ink suddenly burst into sinister green flame, which projected a translucent dome over their heads. The dome then began to descend as the trio found themselves sinking into the floor.
"Looks like we're about to find out," said Daring before they disappeared from the castle altogether.
As the day wore on, Tailspin's mood did not improve. She only had a few bits of spending money, and it wasn't enough to afford any of the inns in Hoofington. By the time the last place turned her down, the sun had already begun to set.
"Well, this is just peachy," she grumbled as she and Scootaloo made their way through the marketplace. "Looks like we'll have to be sleeping out under the stars tonight, mate. You can thank yourself for that."
"How is it my fault you don't have enough money?" asked Scootaloo.
Tailspin snorted. "Daring said we weren't going to be staying her for long," she said, completely ignoring Scootaloo. "We were just supposed to have Genny decipher the map and leave."
"That, didn't answer my question," said Scootaloo.
"I thought I said that I didn't want to hear another peep out of you," Tailspin growled. "Now, let's at least see if we can find ourselves something simple for supper. There has to be..."
Her train of thought was interrupted by a clearing of the throat. Tailspin turned, and saw the griffon pottery merchant from before.
"Is that filly yours?" he asked, pointing his talon at Scootaloo.
"For the moment," said Tailspin, a touch of disdain seeping into her voice. "Why?"
"She owes me fifty bits for the pot she broke," the merchant said flatly.
Tailspin's eyes went wide. "F-fifty bits?! B-but that's all the money I've got!"
"That's the way the clay crumbles, pal," said the griffon, folding his arms.
Tailspin looked over at Scootaloo. "Please tell me you have some money," she said.
"Sorry," said Scootaloo with a sheepish shrug. "I, didn't exactly plan on being sucked into a book today."
Tailspin groaned. "You just keep insisting on being a constant pain in the flank, don't you?" she said as she took out a small purse from her flight helmet. She opened it up and paid the griffon what was owed. "There. That should cover it."
"Much obliged," said the merchant with a bow as he walked away.
"What are we going to do now?" inquired Scootaloo.
Tailspin gave Scootaloo a look. "We have no money, no food, and no shelter. What do you think we're going to do?" she said tersely.
"Um..."
"That question was rhetorical, mate," Tailspin said with a sigh. "C'mon, let's go. We might be able to find a good spot at the edge of town."
Before Scootaloo could say anything else, Tailspin marched off in a huff. Not wanting to be left behind, she quickly chased after her.
***
On a small grassy knoll outside of Hoofington, Tailspin got to work making a small fire while Scootaloo poked at the ground with her hoof.
"Um, Tailspin?" she said after a pause.
"Not now, mate. I'm busy," Tailspin said gruffly.
Scootaloo flattened her ears and cast her eyes downward. "I, just wanted to say that I'm sorry," she said, looking back up at Tailspin. "I didn't mean to..."
"Save it," Tailspin interrupted. "I don't want to talk to you right now."
"But I'm just trying to apologize."
"Fine. Apology accepted. Now shut up," said Tailspin in a flat monotone.
Scootaloo pouted and folded her forelegs. "Why do you have to be such a jerk? I didn't ask for any of this, y'know."
"If you really want to improve my mood, you can start by not talking to me," said Tailspin.
Scootaloo sighed and turned her attention back to the ground. All was silent for a time as Tailspin finally got the fire going.
"There we are," said she. "At least we won't freeze out here."
She then looked over at Scootaloo, who seemed to be sobbing.
"Oh, for the love of Pete," she muttered, walking over to the younger pegasus. "Alright, mate. What's wrong?"
"I-I miss Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo murmured.
A gentle smirk formed on Tailspin's face. "Oh, is that all?" she asked, sitting down next to the weeping Scootaloo. "Well, no worries, mate. I told you, once Daring comes back, she'll find a way to get you back home."
Scootaloo looked up at Tailspin. "C-can she *sniffle* really do that?"
"Of course, mate. Professor Daring can do anything," said Tailspin proudly. "She's the most amazing pony I know. You just can't stop her. No matter what happens, she'll find a way to come out on top. And if you need somepony who'll stick to you like a wingpony to his leader, you don't have to look any farther than Daring."
Scootaloo tilted her head. "That's, weird."
"What is?"
"I feel the same way about Rainbow Dash."
Tailspin was taken aback by this statement. "Y-you do?"
"Yeah," said Scootaloo, cheering up a little. "She's like my big sister. She's an awesome flyer, and she'll never let you down, no matter what. Nothing can stop her, either. I'll bet she's trying to find a way to save me right now."
Tailspin bit her lip. "Um, sure," she said, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"Hey, Tailspin?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Do you miss Daring Do?"
"No!" Tailspin squeaked before clearing her throat. "Er, I mean no. I just want to find her as soon as possible so that she can fix this, that's all."
"Oh. Okay," said Scootaloo. "I was just curious." She then sighed. "I wonder what Rainbow Dash would do right now."
"I can't answer that, mate," said Tailspin with a shrug. "I'm still trying to figure out what Daring would do. That's the only thing that's keeping me going."
Scootaloo then stifled a laugh.
"Hey. What's so funny, mate?" asked Tailspin, raising an eyebrow.
"'What would Daring do?'" said Scootaloo as she continued to giggle.
Seeing the pun, Tailspin chuckled herself. "Heh, yeah. I guess that is pretty funny," she said. "You feeling any better, mate?"
"A little," said Scootaloo. She then yawned. "I-I think I'm gonna turn in now."
"Mmm. Good idea," said Tailspin. "Here."
She then knelt down and draped her wing over Scootaloo's body.
"Don't say I never did anything for you, mate," said Tailspin with a smirk.
"Thanks," said Scootaloo. "Hey, Tailspin?"
"What?"
"Are you still mad at me?"
Tailspin mulled over Scootaloo's question for a while before shaking her head. "Can't say that I am, mate."
"Oh. That's good," said Scootaloo. "G'night."
"Sweet dreams, mate."
As Scootaloo drifted off into a peaceful slumber, Tailspin heaved a great sigh.
When the three mares opened their eyes, everything was pitch black. None of them could even see their hooves in front of their faces.
"Whew. I haven't seen darkness like this since the main chamber with the Medusa's Eye," said Daring Do. "Hey, Twilight. Think you can shed some light on our situation?"
"Sure thing," said Twilight, magic radiating from her horn. The faint glow suddenly was reflected off of what appeared to be several mirrors. She gasped in horror.
"What's wrong, Twilight?" inquired Rainbow Dash.
"I'm getting a bad feeling of déjà vu here," said Twilight. "B-but that can't be. We were nowhere near Canterlot."
"Huh?" said Rainbow, raising an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"
"Remember at my brother's wedding, when the changeling queen disguised herself as Princess Cadence?"
"Um, yeah."
"Well, she sent the real Cadence to the Canterlot Caves, an underground crystal mine that fell into disuse," Twilight explained. "She sent me there as well when I tried to expose her, and it looked just like..." She swallowed. "This."
"Indeed, you are correct," said a sinister voice that seemed to echo throughout the chamber. "Although, I have refurnished it for your visit."
The reflection in the mirrors suddenly changed shape, revealing a bizarre apelike creature with a paw at the end of its tail. Rainbow and Twilight were left speechless, while Daring just sneered.
"Oh, hey Ahui. What's up?" she said nonchalantly.
"I keep telling you, it's Ahuizotl," the ape growled.
"And I keep telling you that I like to tick you off," Daring retorted.
Ahuizotl snorted. "Mock me while you can, Ms. Do. But you of all ponies should know that the horseshoe is now on the other hoof."
"Wait. You don't have hooves," said Rainbow, raising an eyebrow.
"I-it's just an expression!" Ahuizotl barked, sounding very defensive.
"No, Rainbow Dash is right," said Daring, equally skeptical. "Ahui has plenty of cheesy one-liners, but that isn't one of them."
"It isn't?" asked the ape before realizing his mistake. "Er, I mean, it doesn't matter! Very soon, Ms. Do, you won't even be a memory!"
"Okay, I've never heard that one before, so I'll give you a point for creativity," said Daring, still unfazed. "However, it kinda begs the question as to how you would know about my adventures being erased."
"Oh, I think you have more important things to worry about, Ms. Do."
With that, Ahuizotl clapped his paws. The chamber around them lit up on its own accord, revealing a mound of a sticky green substance hanging from the ceiling. The trio of ponies looked at the object quizzically. Ahuizotl, on the other hand, looked shocked.
"What?!" he exclaimed. "Where is the unicorn?!" He then looked down, and noticed Twilight standing there. "You! Why aren't you in the cocoon?!"
Twilight became perplexed. "What do you mean? Aren't you the one that brought us down here?"
As Ahuizotl sputtered for an answer, Daring turned to Twilight. "Hey, do changelings use stuff like that?" she asked, pointing to the empty cocoon.
"Yes, they do," said Twilight with a nod. "In my experience, at least."
"Ah, I see," said Daring. "I thought there was a reason this impostor was a complete idiot, but I couldn't quite put my hoof on it."
"I-impostor?!" hollered 'Ahuizotl'. "I am no impostor! I am Ahuizotl!"
"Yeah, right. And I'm the queen of Prance," said Daring, folding her forelegs. "Even if Ahuizotl did have the brain power to cook up this crazy scheme, he would never go this far to get rid of me."
"Y-you drove me to it, Daring!" roared 'Ahuizotl'. "You've always been a constant thorn in my side! Well, no longer! With you gone, I'll..."
"Be gone, too," Rainbow interrupted. "Daring's right. Ahuizotl has too big of an ego to erase himself from existence just to get rid of his oldest rival."
"Silence!" 'Ahuizotl' boomed. "You little fools have no idea what kind of predicament you're in! Minions!"
From the shadows, two figures appeared. Rainbow Dash was taken aback as she recognized them both. One was a proud-looking griffon with brown fur and an aura that radiated attitude. The other was an greenish-blue pegasus with a sharp orange-yellow mane and a sparkling lightning bolt for a Cutie Mark. Both of them had glowing green eyes.
"Gilda? Lightning Dust?" Rainbow gasped.
"You know these two?" asked Daring.
"Kinda," Rainbow answered. "They used to be my friends. It's a long story."
"And it's further proof that you're an impostor," Twilight added, glowering at the crystals. "I know how changelings can hypnotize others. I've seen it firsthoof."
"W-well, maybe I can use changeling magic now!" said 'Ahuizotl'. "Ever consider that?!"
Daring smacked her face with her hoof. "Okay, now you're just embarrassing yourself. Are you new at this or something?"
"Enough!" 'Ahuizotl' bellowed. "If you wish to escape from here, you have to race my minions through my new and improved Canterlot Caves of Catastrophe."
"Clever," Daring said sardonically. "And if we refuse?"
"Then your unicorn friend will..."
The false ape trailed off as Twilight pointed to the empty cocoon.
"Um, right. Forgot about that," said 'Ahuizotl', grumbling something incoherent. "Well, even so! The clock is ticking, Ms. Do. Tick tock tick tock..."
"So, let me guess. You'll be waiting for us at the end, right?" said Daring.
"And you'll tell us how you got your hooves on Gilda and Lightning Dust," added Rainbow.
"Maybe. Maybe not," said 'Ahuizotl' ambiguously.
"Good enough for me," said Rainbow. "C'mon, Daring! Let's show these two what real flying is all about!"
"Wait, what about me?" asked Twilight.
Daring thought for a moment. "Try to find us a way out, or at the very least where that changeling is hiding," she suggested. "We could use an inside mare."
"You imbecile! That was supposed to be the dramatic reveal if and when you found me! Now you've gone and spoiled it!"
The three ponies gave the impostor an odd look.
"Er, I mean..."
"Save it before you embarrass yourself any further, Ahuizo-fail," said Rainbow mockingly.
Daring burst out laughing. "Oh, man! I gotta remember that one!" she guffawed.
With that, the image on the crystals disappeared, and Gilda and Lightning Dust began to advance.
"So, how good are these two?" Daring asked Rainbow.
"Pretty good," said Rainbow. "Lightning Dust likes to push herself, even to the point where she puts others in danger. Gilda's no slouch, either."
"I see," Daring mused. "You worried?"
"Me? Pfft, no way," said Rainbow with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "You?"
"My only concern is hurting them," said Daring, spreading her wings. "Otherwise, I think we can take 'em if we work together."
"Right," said Rainbow with a nod and a smile. "Mind if I lead?"
"Be my guest," said Daring. "Twilight, are you comfortable playing inside mare for us while we keep that newbie's attention?"
"It won't be a problem," said Twilight with a nod. "Good luck, you two."
"Heh. We won't need it," said Rainbow complacently. "Alright, let's fly!"
With that, the two daredevil pegasi took off and flew past the hypnotized minions. Gilda snarled as she and Lightning Dust gave chase. Just as the four of them disappeared from sight, Twilight used her breathing technique.
"I'm sure they'll be okay," she said to herself before galloping off in the opposite direction.
Tailspin awoke to the sound of her growling stomach. Although conscious, she found that she didn't have a lot of energy to actually get up.
"I hope that this is the last time I have to go to bed without supper," she grumbled, slowly rousing herself and tapping Scootaloo with her wing. "Hey, mate. You awake?"
Scootaloo squirmed and fidgeted. "Mmm. Five more minutes..." she said groggily before turning over onto her back.
Tailspin breathed a deep sigh. "C'mon, mate. Up and at 'em," she said, nudging Scootaloo with her hoof. "We gotta go see if Genny has made any progress with the map."
"Mmph. I don't wanna," Scootaloo mumbled.
"Well, I'm sure not leaving you here," Tailspin said sternly. "But by the same token, I don't have the strength to be dragging your hindquarters all over Hoofington. So, c'mon. Cooperate with me just this once, huh? Whaddya say?"
Scootaloo's only reply was a yawn as she flipped back onto her stomach. Tailspin rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof.
"Of course that would be asking too much," she sighed in exasperation. "Look, mate. I know you're still tired, but we've got stuff to do. I dunno, maybe you'll feel more awake after breakfast."
Those were the magic words. Scootaloo slowly stretched out her legs and yawned deeply.
"Breakfast sounds good," she said, smacking her lips. "I'm starving."
"That makes two of us," said Tailspin. "Now let's go. I'm sure Genny will fix us a little something."
"Mmm," was Scootaloo's only response as she followed the older pegasus into the city.
***
*knock knock*
"Doreimi, would you get that?"
When the little bird opened the door, Genevieve was startled to find two tired, starved pegasi stumble into her home.
"Goodness gracious!" she exclaimed. "You two are a fright! What happened?"
"Don't ask, it's a long story," muttered Tailspin, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I'll just say it has to do with this one running off yesterday."
"I have a name, y'know," Scootaloo growled.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that I have some good news," said Genevieve. "But first, I think you could both do with a good washing and some food. Doreimi, be a dear and show our guests where they can freshen up."
"You're a peach, Genny," said Tailspin sheepishly. "I don't know how to..."
"Tut tut, none of that now," said Genevieve with a shake of her head. "It would be hardly becoming of me to have you leave my home in such a state. Besides, you have a long journey ahead of you."
Scootaloo gulped. "W-we do?"
"Yes," said Genevieve. "Quite a dangerous one, too. But I'm sure it's nothing Professor Daring can't handle."
"Yeah," Tailspin muttered under her breath. "I just wish she were here."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, Genny. We'll just go wash up now. C'mon, mate."
Genevieve simply shrugged her shoulders as the two pegasi left to make themselves presentable.
***
"There we are, nice and clean," said Tailspin as she and Scootaloo returned from their bathing experience.
"I've never seen a shower faucet so high up," said Scootaloo. She then remembered that she was in the presence of a giraffe. "Oh, I mean..."
"No, it's fine," said Genevieve with a chuckle. "I get that all the time. Now, sit down and have a little something to eat. I hope you like leaf crepes."
"Actually, we've never had them before," said Tailspin. "But hey, I'll try anything once."
The two ponies sat themselves down while Doreimi carried them trivets of sweet-smelling leaves.
"So, what's this good news you told us about, Ms. Genevieve?" inquired Scootaloo before taking a bite. It was very sweet and juicy, almost like fresh fruit.
"Ah, yes," said Genevieve. "Well, you'll be happy to know that I have fully deciphered the map."
"You did? That's wonderful!" said Tailspin as she beamed. "Well, where does it say we should go?"
Genevieve picked up the map with her hoof and handed it down to Tailspin. "Das Reingold's treasure is hidden deep within the caverns of Mt. Götterdämarerung, a long-inactive volcano off the coast of Greenice."
"Wait, that's it?" said Tailspin, raising an eyebrow. "How did it take so long to decipher that?"
Genevieve's face darkened. "Most of the text is a warning," she said. "A warning that Das Reingold will see to it personally that no one lays a hoof on his treasure."
"Personally?" asked Tailspin, still being skeptical. "I thought Das Reingold was dead. That's what Daring said."
"Oh, he is," said Genevieve. "But the map you hold is not just a map. It's an account of all of the dark deeds of Das Reingold. Including his dabbling in dark magic."
"What kind of dark magic?"
"The kind that made him unable to stay dead."
Sccotaloo felt a chill go up her spine and shuddered. Tailspin swallowed, but still wore a cocky sneer.
"O-oh come on, Genny," she said, trying to sound dismissive. "Th-that's just an old mare's tale."
"Sea ponies wield more magical power than you can imagine, Tailspin," said Genevieve. "Just ask Professor Daring."
"Genny, even Daring doesn't believe in g-g-ghosts," said Tailspin as she began to look a little pale. "Curses, maybe. But g-g-g-g-ghosts?"
"Is that so?" said Genevieve. "I remember Professor Daring having many brushes with the supernatural."
"Oh, it's probably just one of her jokes," said Tailspin with a nervous laugh. "You know how she is."
Genevieve decided not to comment further. "Anyway, besides the threats and warnings, there's one more thing you should know."
"And that is?"
"In Das Reingold's hoard is a ring," said Genevieve darkly. "That ring is what drove him insane, and caused him to take such extreme measures to guard his treasure. It is the Ring of the Dragon Sages, and whosoever possesses it will meet a bad end."
"Wh-what kind of bad end?" stammered Scootaloo.
"It varies from pony to pony," said Genevieve. "Some end up like Das Reingold; consumed by their greed to the point that they try to cheat death. Some have everything they ever held dear stripped from them in the blink of an eye. Some age until they die, some are betrayed by their closest friend, some..."
"W-we get the picture," said Tailspin, looking a bit rattled.
"Oh, yes. Pardon me," Genevieve apologized. "I tend to ramble when it comes to translations. It's quite fascinating."
"I-it says all that on the map?" said Scootaloo.
"Indeed," said Genevieve with a nod. "But, I feel that you'll be alright. After all, you have Professor Daring with you."
"Or at least we will soon," said Tailspin. "Thanks again, Genny."
"It is my pleasure," said Genevieve with a solemn nod. "Please give Professor Daring my regards."
"Will do," said Tailspin with a nod of her own.
"A-and thanks for the hospitality," Scootaloo chimed in.
"Not a problem," said Genevieve with a warm smile. "I wish you both the best."
***
After leaving Genevieve's study, Tailspin took to the sky with Scootaloo riding on her back.
"Where are we going?" asked Scootaloo.
"Back to Argoats," Tailspin called back. "We need to find out what happened to Daring before we head off to Mt. Gerte-got-whatever Genny said."
"Maybe she's there already," said Scootaloo with a shrug.
Tailspin chuckled nervously. "D-don't be ridiculous, mate. Wh-why would she be there?"
"Why not?" said Scootaloo. "Um, Tailspin? Are you...?"
"Scared?! Of course I'm not scared! Why would I agree to go on this adventure if I was scared?!" Tailspin blurted out.
"I was going to say; 'Are you sure we're going the right way to get to Argoats?'" said Scootaloo with a bemused look.
Tailspin blushed. "Oh! Oh, right. Yes, that," she said, clearing her throat. "No worries, mate. I know what I'm doing."
"Allow me to disagree."
Tailspin turned to the sound of the sultry voice and blanched. Flying in front of her was none other than the Crimson Baroness with an entourage of griffons and pegasi.
"You've given me quite a bit of trouble, you little loudmouthed liar," said the blood red pegasus, flying close to Tailspin and stroking her chin with her riding crop. "Now then, I'll be taking what's rightfully mine."
"H-how did you find us?" asked Tailspin.
"Why not ask your timid little friend?" asked the Crimson Baroness. "She's the one who noticed the spy I sent to Hoofington."
Tailspin looked over at Scootaloo, who was too busy cowering to make a smart remark.
"W-well, you still won't get the map!" Tailspin spat. "Y-you'll have to fight me for it!"
"Oh, I'd prefer not to get my hooves dirty so early," said the Crimson Baroness with a pout. "But, since you won't give it to me, I'll just have to use other means."
She then took out her radio and tapped it on with her hoof. "Now."
From above, two familiar-looking griffons covered in bandages dropped a heavy net from above. The net ensnared Tailspin and Scootaloo, and was caught by several pegasi. The Crimson Baroness then reached under Tailspin's flight helmet and took the map from her.
"Ah, finally," she said nefariously. "Throw those two in the brig! I'll deal with them later."
The pegasi saluted and flew off towards a large airship hidden in a bank of clouds. Scootaloo began shaking like a leaf.
"Wh-what now?" she asked.
"Keep your wings on, mate. I'm working on it," said Tailspin.
"And how long will that take?"
Tailspin closed her eyes and let out a strained sigh. "I don't know."
It didn't take long for Gilda and Lightning Dust to catch up to Rainbow Dash and Daring Do. The two wing pairs flew side-by-side; their presence reflected in the multitude of crystals that decorated the caverns. Lightning Dust looked over at Rainbow with soulless green eyes.
"I'm the better flyer," she said in an eerie, uncharacteristic monotone.
Rainbow couldn't help but give the hypnotized pegasus a complacent sneer. "Heh. You think that's gonna psych me out? Fat chance. If you wanna show me up, you're gonna have to show your stuff!"
Lightning Dust didn't retort, but instead veered to the left and bumped Rainbow Dash. By the time Rainbow corrected her course, the hypnotized pegasus shot ahead. Meanwhile, Gilda pulled a similar maneuver on Daring, swiping at the adventurer with her talons before darting past her.
"Looks like these two don't want to play fair," Daring observed.
"Looks like it," Rainbow agreed with a snort. "Well, we're not stooping to their level. We'll blow them away with skill alone!"
"I like the way you think, Rainbow Dash," said Daring with a smirk. "Alright, I'm your wing."
Rainbow gave the literary heroine a nod as she gradually accelerated. Daring did the same, keeping in time with each of Rainbow's movements. The golden streak of Lightning Dust was just in sight when something caught Daring's eye.
"Incoming on the left!"
Rainbow didn't need to be told twice. She adjusted her trajectory just in time to dodge a large crystal obelisk crashing down from the ceiling. Daring managed to do the same, sticking close to the cyan speedster.
"Good call!" Rainbow called back to her wingpony.
"Save the congratulations for later!" Daring hollered back. "I've got a feeling that was just a taste of what's to come!"
Sure enough, Daring was right. Several beams of light shined forth; each one reflecting off of the crystals. Up ahead, they could see Lightning Dust and Gilda passing through one of the beams, triggering a rain of javelins shooting from the wall.
"Heh, no sweat," said Rainbow, radiating an aura of confidence. "You just keep me alert to anything I'm missing, alright?"
"Can do," said Daring with a salute.
The two pegasi sped straight into the booby trapped caves, nimbly dodging every spear, axe, dart, and pendulum coming their way. They eventually caught up with Gilda and Lightning Dust, who were pulling off death-defying maneuvers of their own. Gilda noticed her old friend out of the corner of her eye.
"No way you can beat me, dweeb," she said in a monotone as she intentionally triggered a swinging log trap. Rainbow flew under the logs before they collided, scowling at the griffon.
"Oh, you're in for it now, G," she snarled, picking up the pace. Daring quickly followed, managing to stick close to her lead pony. Suddenly, she noticed that the passage ahead of them was getting narrower and narrower.
"We're coming in too fast, Rainbow Dash!" she shouted. "We can't both make it at this speed!"
Rainbow looked ahead to see what Daring was talking about. She saw that Lightning and Gilda were long gone, but also noticed a couple of brown feathers hanging on the lip of the small opening. Her eyes narrowed.
You might not care if your partner gets hurt, Lightning, but I do, she thought as she adjusted her speed accordingly. Thanks to her heeding Daring's warning, they both managed to slip through unscathed. As soon as they were through, she accelerated again, with Daring not far behind.
Soon enough, they managed to catch up with the hypnotized rivals. Rainbow glowered as she saw just what she had suspected. Gilda was still managing to keep pace with Lightning Dust, but her flight was very unstable. The griffon had clipped her wing thanks to Lightning Dust's recklessness; just as Rainbow had before when she flew as her wingpony back in the Wonderbolt Academy.
"You really haven't learned anything, have you, Lightning?" she growled. "C'mon, Daring! Let's get a move-on!"
Daring nodded and continued to keep pace with Rainbow. As they flew deeper into the caves, the booby traps became more and more frequent. As such, the two pegasi managed to keep each other informed.
"Runaway boulder to the right, Rainbow Dash!"
"Tripwire ahead, Daring! Pull up!"
"Incoming darts! Dive, dive!"
"The entrance ahead is closing! Time to kick it into high gear!"
Because of their coordination, they managed to bob and weave around the deathtraps with minimal difficulty. By contrast, Lightning Dust foolhardily plowed ahead while poor Gilda kept getting nicked, bashed, and jostled by everything. Rainbow had to wonder how the griffon was managing to keep up with the daredevil flyer in her condition.
She didn't have time to dwell on that thought for long, as she noticed that Daring was no longer behind her. She stopped and turned around to see what was wrong, and gasped at the sight. Once again, Daring had become transparent, and the sudden flicker of non-existence made it difficult for her to concentrate on flying. The olive-colored mare fell to the cave floor with an unceremonious thud. As she recovered from the ordeal, another crystal obelisk fell from above, threatening to crush her.
"Hang on, Daring!" Rainbow yelled, swooping to the explorer's rescue. She shoved Daring out of the way just in the nick of time.
"Whew. That was a close one," she said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "You alright, Daring?"
Daring opened her magenta eyes and blinked a few times. "I-I think I'll be okay," she said as she shook herself. She then noticed the obelisk standing where she had crashed. "Wow. You, really came through for me there. Thanks."
"Hey, no prob," said Rainbow with a warm smirk. "I told you before, I never leave my friends hanging. Besides, I know you would do the same for me."
Daring looked up at the ceiling and gave a smirk of her own. "You mean like right now?"
"Huh? What're you talking abou—? Yeow!"
Before Rainbow could get any further, Daring tackled her just as several stones from a massive cave-in came down over their heads. When Rainbow recovered, she looked over the rubble. The prospect of her being under the rock pile that now towered over her shook her to her very core.
"W-whoa. That was even closer," she panted. "Th-thanks, Daring."
"Hey, I don't like to leave ponies behind, either," said Daring, patting Rainbow on the back. "Can you still fly?"
"You bet," said Rainbow, flapping her wings. "Now c'mon! We gotta catch up! The way Lightning Dust is flying, she's gonna get herself and Gilda killed, whether she knows it or not."
"What a coincidence. I was thinking the same thing," said Daring, lifting herself into the air and adjusting her hat. "I'm behind you all the way, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow nodded and zoomed ahead in a burst of myriad color, with Daring not far behind.
Tailspin sighed. "Mate, that's the fifth time you asked me that since they locked us in here. What do you think the answer's gonna be?"
Scootaloo shrugged. "Yes?" she asked hopefully.
Tailspin gave Scootaloo a bemused look, and the young filly's expression drooped. She turned back to the corner of their cell, poking at the steel floor with her hoof.
"Don't worry, I'll come up with something," said Tailspin. "Now just be quiet and let me think."
"I wish Rainbow Dash were here," Scootaloo muttered. "She'd know what to do."
"Sure, mate. Whatever," said Tailspin, rolling her eyes. "Now will you please shut up?"
"What do you think they're gonna do to us?" asked Scootaloo timidly, turning back to the older pegasus.
"I'm trying not to think about it," said Tailspin. "You shouldn't, either."
"I know, but I can't help it," said Scootaloo, making her way over to Tailspin. "I'm scared."
"Yes, mate. I'm painfully aware of that," Tailspin growled through gritted teeth. "Now please stop talking. Just, think about something else."
Scootaloo complied, sitting herself in the center of the cell and casting her eyes downward. All was silent for a time before she looked up at Tailspin again.
"Tailspin?"
Tailspin gave an exasperated groan. "What now?"
"I'm thinking about it again."
Tailspin's body tensed up all over. She felt like a firecracker ready to explode. "I told you not to," she said in a strained tone.
"And I told you that I can't help it," said Scootaloo, tears in her eyes. "Wh-what if they hurt us? What if I'm never heard from again? I-I wanna be heard from. I wanna be with Rainbow Dash again. I wanna go..."
Ka-boom.
"Alright, that is it!" Tailspin screamed, turning savagely to Scootaloo. "You just broke the camel's back, mate!"
Scootaloo's mane and wings stood up on end as she was startled out of her wits. "Wh-what?" she squeaked. "Wh-what did I do?"
Tailspin made a beeline to the younger pony and got right in her face. "You keep saying you're scared. Well, guess what? I'm terrified! You keep asking me what we're gonna do. Well, guess what? I have no flipping idea! You keep saying that you miss your precious Rainbow Dash. Well, guess what? I would give my right wing just to see Professor Daring again!"
Scootaloo started to feel very uncomfortable and confused. She opened her mouth to ask, but Tailspin cut across her.
"No! No more! I don't want to hear another word out of you!" she snapped. "I have enough problems without your whining! Here I am, trying to keep a cool head, and you just keep making that nigh-on impossible!"
"H-how is that my fault?" Scootaloo whimpered.
Tailspin groaned. "Do I really have to spell it out for you, mate? Alright, fine. My special talent is stunt flying and dangerous aviation. I put my life on the line constantly. I should not be crying. I should not be panicking. I should not be acting like you! I'm a grown mare! You, on the other hoof, are nothing but a sniveling little Blank Flank! Am I getting through to you at all?!"
Scootaloo tried to back away from the angry mare, but Tailspin continued to loom over her. She gulped as she felt her back press up against the cell wall.
"I-I don't understand..." Scootaloo said, her voice barely a whisper as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Then let me make it crystal clear for you," Tailspin spat, venom dripping from her voice. "Ever since you showed up in Argoats, you've turned my dream of exploring with the great Daring Do into this utter catastrophe of a nightmare! I did not go on this adventure to play foalsitter for a petulant crybaby! I-I-I HATE YOU!"
Scootaloo felt as though she had just been bucked in the stomach. She turned her head, not willing to show Tailspin how much her words stung. As Tailspin caught her breath, she slowly began to notice what she was doing and her expression changed from rage to guilt.
"Brilliant job, Tailspin. Way to crash and burn," she rebuked herself before walking up to Scootaloo's weeping form and placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, mate. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I don't really hate you. I'm just being, stupid. Incredibly, incredibly stupid."
Tears began to mar her own vision as she turned away from the crying filly and knelt down to the floor. "I-I just wanted to be brave," she sniveled. "I-I wanted to be in control without actually being in control. I have no idea what I'm doing, and I never did. I-I'm actually kinda glad Professor Daring isn't here to see me now. Sh-she would never want to have a cowardly screw-up like me for a partner."
Scootaloo stopped crying and looked over at Tailspin. Something about her words sounded eerily familiar to her.
I'm afraid Rainbow Dash will find out I'm not as tough as she thinks I am.
As she looked at the weeping mare, Scootaloo felt something stirring in her own heart. She and Tailspin were not the same pony. Looking at her was nothing like looking into a mirror. That much she knew. But even so, she could sense the similarities. It became abundantly clear that Tailspin felt the same way about Daring Do that Scootaloo herself felt about Rainbow Dash. Cautiously, she walked over to Tailspin and nuzzled her with her muzzle.
"Hey, you wanna hear something?" she asked softly.
Tailspin didn't even look up. "J-just leave me alone, mate," she sobbed. "I-I've caused you enough grief."
"I want you to hear this, though," insisted Scootaloo. "Maybe it'll make you feel better."
Tailspin sighed. "Alright, fine. What is it?"
Scootaloo took a deep breath before saying her piece. "Before Rainbow Dash took me under her wing, I kinda felt the same way you do right now. I thought I had to act tough so that she'd know how awesome I was and become like my big sister. But then, she started telling me these spooky stories, and I got scared. I didn't want her to know, but soon enough I had to tell her the truth. And you know what she did?"
"Wh-what?"
"She took me under her wing."
Tailspin looked over at Scootaloo, disbelief in her swollen eyes. "R-really? Sh-she *sniff* really did that?"
"Yep," said Scootaloo with a gentle smile. "And it's because I faced my fears. A pony once told me that we all have fears, and that we all have different ways of facing them. But they have to be faced, or else they won't go away. And I think that if Daring Do is as awesome as you say she is, she'll still let you be her partner."
Tailspin paused for a moment before biting her lip. "Well, this is a low point in my life," she muttered bitterly. "Imagine me, a grown mare, being lectured and comforted by a..."
She stopped herself and shook her head. "You know what? I don't care anymore. I really don't." She picked herself up and wrapped her forelegs around Scootaloo. "I really gave you a hard time, didn't I? I kept seeing you as a nuisance because deep down, I didn't want to admit that I empathized with you."
"Empa-what?" inquired Scootaloo.
"It's a grown-up word," said Tailspin with a chuckle. "It means you share the feelings of another pony, and can understand what they're going through." She then sighed. "Like I said, that was the reason I've been so short with you. That was wrong of me, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Can you ever forgive me?"
Scootaloo mulled over it for a moment and smiled, returning the hug. "Yeah, I forgive you. And, I'm sorry I called you a jerk before."
"Oh, you don't need to apologize for that," said Tailspin with a self-mocking grin. "Believe me, I deserved it."
Suddenly, the tender moment was interrupted as the cell door swung open and a large griffon walked in.
"You," he barked, pointing at Scootaloo. "The Commander wants to see you."
Tailspin swallowed. "Wh-what does she want to see us...?"
"Not you," the griffon snarled, cutting across Tailspin. "Just the filly. She needs her to get through Mt. Götterdämarerung."
Both Scootaloo and Tailspin blanched.
"N-now wait just a minute!" Tailspin yelled, her voice cracking as she stood in front of Scootaloo and spread her wings. "Sh-she's just a filly! Th-the Crimson Baroness can't expect her to risk her life like that!"
"Oh no?" said the griffon with a sneer. "That's not what I think. After all, she managed to chase me all around Hoofington. She's just the pony we need to clear a path straight to Das Reingold's treasure. Now come here, you."
He shoved Tailspin out of the way and lifted Scootaloo up by the collar.
"Hey!" Scootaloo yelped as she struggled in the griffon's grip. "L-let me go, you big bully!"
"If you keep having that attitude, the Commander will not be pleased," warned the griffon. "When she's through with you, you'll be begging her to throw you to Das Reingold."
A new set of tears formed in Tailspin's eyes as she watched poor Scootaloo continue to struggle despite the griffon's threat. She couldn't let this happen, but she didn't know what to do, either. She scrunched her eyes tight and racked her brain for a solution. Just as the griffon was about to leave, her eyes snapped open.
"Y-you heard the filly, buddy," she stated coldly as she got to her feet. "Let her go."
The griffon turned to the older pegasus and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what'll you do if I don't?"
"I-I'm going to p-panic."
The griffon snickered, unable to believe his ears. "I-I'm sorry, did you just say you were going to panic?"
"Y-yes. Yes, I did," said Tailspin. "You see, when I panic, I usually end up doing something stupid. Like THIS!"
Before the griffon could react, Tailspin flew right up to him, spun around on her forelegs, and delivered a powerful buck to the beak. The griffon dropped Scootaloo and stumbled backwards, crashing into a button on the opposite wall. Flashing red lights filled the corridors, and an alarm began to blare.
"Wow. Did I just jinx myself, or what?" said Tailspin, sheepishly brushing the back of her head.
Scootaloo shook herself and looked over to where the griffon lay unconscious. Her pupils dilated as she saw that he was carrying a scooter with him.
"Well, you know what they say," she told Tailspin. "Every cloud has a silver lining."
She then ran out of the cell and commandeered the vehicle while Tailspin kept looking embarrassed. Scootaloo turned to the older mare and motioned with her hoof.
"Hey, you coming or what?" she hollered as she put on the helmet provided for her.
"Um, yeah. Yes, of course," said Tailspin, clearing her throat and composing herself. "Indeed, I think it's high time we got out of here, Scootaloo."
"Huh? What happened to 'mate?'" said Scootaloo jokingly.
"Th-that's all water under the bridge now, yeah?" said Tailspin, blushing a little. "W-we really should be focusing on finding a way off this thing, don't you think?"
"Relax, Tailspin. I'm just messing with you," said Scootaloo with a laugh.
"Hey! Those two are escaping!"
Tailspin turned around to see a group of angry-looking griffons and pegasi coming in from down the hall.
"And there's our cue to skidoo," said she. "Think you can keep up with me on that thing?"
Scootaloo smirked and caused her wings to buzz. "If you think I was awesome in Hoofington, you haven't seen anything yet."
With that, she was off like a shot. Tailspin couldn't help but smile as she watched the orange filly speed away.
Just goes to show you that wisdom doesn't have an age limit, I suppose, she thought to herself as she lowered her goggles and flew off after Scootaloo.
"For pony's sake, how long does that bumbling impostor intend to keep us flying?!"
Rainbow Dash didn't show it, but she shared Daring Do's frustration. There seemed to be no end in sight as they continued to chase Lightning Dust and Gilda through the Canterlot Caves. She still had plenty of stamina left to be sure, but she knew that even she couldn't keep flying like this forever. Nopony could.
"We just have to keep at it!" she hollered back. "I don't believe in giving up without giving my all!"
"Same here, but it doesn't ease the frustration any!" Daring called out, straining her voice to account for the high velocity they were traveling at.
"Heh, I'm right there with you, sister," Rainbow said half to herself.
For a few more minutes, they continued the pursuit. Suddenly, Daring noticed something odd.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" she yelled. "It's been awhile since we ran into any deathtraps, hasn't it?!"
Rainbow pondered for a moment and found herself in agreement. "Yeah, you're right!" said she. "You think it means we're getting close to the end?!"
"I sure hope so!" Daring answered.
"Then we need to step up our game! Lightning and Gilda are still way ahead!"
The two pegasi increased their acceleration. Soon enough, they were right behind the hypnotized rivals. Inch by inch, the closed the gap. They were almost neck-and-neck, when...
"Mwuah ha ha ha ha ha ha! You fell right into my trap!"
Ahuizotl's voice echoed throughout the caverns. Rainbow and Daring both stopped in their tracks and looked around, confused as to what the faker was talking about. They then heard a curious sound from up ahead.
"Any idea what that was?" asked Rainbow, sounding a tad worried.
Daring shrugged. "Only one way to find out," she said.
Rainbow gulped and nodded, flying off ahead while Daring quickly followed.
***
It didn't take them long to find what made the sound. They reached a large underground chamber illuminated by a caldron of sinister green fire in the center. But that wasn't what got Rainbow's attention. She put her hooves to her mouth and gasped as she saw Lightning Dust and Gilda, still under the changeling's spell. Their limbs were tied to a large, unfurled net that was hanging precariously over the caldron. The crystals in the room glistened, revealing a less-than-happy faux Ahuizotl.
"No no no no NO!" the impostor whined, jumping up and down like a foal throwing a temper tantrum. "You were supposed to win the race! Why didn't you win, Rainbow Dash?! You hate losing, don't you?!"
Rainbow looked up at the hypnotized minions, then at the caldron, and then back at the crystals. "Y'know, considering that this was going to be my prize, I'm actually okay with not winning this one," she said.
"Plus, you're not even trying anymore," added Daring. "How the hay do you know about Rainbow Dash?"
"I-I just do, okay?!" snapped 'Ahuizotl'.
"Uh huh," said Daring, folding her forelegs. "Look, just drop the act before I actually have to pity you, alright? We already know that you're a changeling."
"W-well of course you'd think that!" said 'Ahuizotl' with a complacent sneer. "But oh, how wrong you are, Ms. Do. For you see..."
The faux ape snapped his fingers, and became cloaked in green fire. When the fire subsided, Ahuizotl was gone. In his stead was a large lion-like creature with a mane of jade and no nose.
"I am actually the pharaoh's trusted sphinx, guardian of his precious toothbrush!" the creature proclaimed.
Daring raised an eyebrow. "Okay, several problems with this. One, after I got the toothbrush, that particular sphinx didn't have a bone to pick with me anymore. Two, even if she did, she can't leave the pharaoh's tomb. It's forbidden by sphinx law. Three, sphinxes only talk in riddles, unless they are saying 'yes' or 'no.'"
"Um, oh," said the shape-shifting villain, feeling quite embarrassed. "Well, then..."
The green flame reappeared, and a pegasus with a crimson coat appeared.
"I am the Crimson Baroness, Mistress of the Skies!" the creature proclaimed.
Rainbow took her copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold from her saddlebag and flipped through the pages. "Alright, quick question. If you're the Crimson Baroness, how are you in two places at once?" she asked.
The impostor growled in aggravation and turned back into Ahuizotl. "Listen, can't you just pretend that you don't know what I am yet?! There was supposed to be a dramatic reveal and everything!"
"So, in essence, you want us to turn off our brains just so that you can be all 'dramatic,'" said Daring flatly. "Yeah, not gonna happen, Mr. Changeling." Her expression then became contemplative. "Or is it Miss?"
"Don't ask me," said Rainbow with a shrug. "I only know the basic stuff about changelings, like how they can change shape and how they feed off of love. The only changeling with a gender I know of is the queen. Otherwise, they all kinda look the same."
"So they're kinda like bees."
"Except more annoying and dangerous."
Daring stroked her chin with her hoof. "Well, that's another problem. If what you say is true, where's the rest of the hive?"
"Heck if I know," said Rainbow. "I don't even know why they'd want to erase you."
"Now, that's not fair," said Daring in a very matter-of-fact tone. "I don't ignore Ahui. I taunt him and try to get him riled up. There's a difference."
"Y-you know what I mean!" the false ape sputtered.
"Um, no. No, I really don't," said Daring.
'Ahuizotl' growled. "Alright, now you've done it!"
He then used the hand on his tail to pull a lever behind him. There was a creaking sound as Lightning Dust and Gilda were slowly lowered into the caldron.
"You wouldn't possibly let them die, would you?" the impostor said slyly. "But oh, that's right. If you do, you'll waste some precious sands in your hourglass. Oh, what's a mare to do?"
Rainbow scowled. "If you think that's gonna work, you're wrong," she said defiantly. "Daring and I can have those two out in nothing flat."
"Care to put your false bravado where your mouth is, Rainbow Dash?" 'Ahuizotl' gloated. "Those cords aren't clouds. You can't just kick them away. Admit it, you fool! Whether you choose to save them or not, I win! Muwah ha ha— hey!"
The faker's image was suddenly shoved to the side, and a familiar purple unicorn appeared.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," said Daring with a smirk.
"Same to you," said Twilight with a smile of her own. "Are you alright?"
"Just one last loose end to tie up, and we're good," said Rainbow.
"Th-this is a private call!" shouted 'Ahuizotl'. "Y-you shouldn't be here! H-how did you even...?!"
"I've been studying a lot of spells lately," Twilight said simply. "Including this modification of Rarity's jewel-finding spell."
Her horn then pulsed with magenta energy, and several crystals lit up.
"Follow the glowing crystals," she told Rainbow and Daring. "It'll lead you guys to me. I found a way out."
"Good going," said Daring with a tip of her hat. "Alright, I think we've wasted enough time here. Let's go!"
Rainbow nodded and flew up into the air alongside the literary heroine. With masterful precision, they cut and sliced the binds holding Lightning Dust and Gilda. They then scooped up the entranced rivals and flew off into the caves.
"CURSE YOU, DARING DO!" wailed 'Ahuizotl', his cries of defeat resonating throughout the caves.
"At least the faker got that part right," said Daring, rolling her eyes as she struggled to keep up with Rainbow. "Sheesh, griffons are heavy..."
"Attention all talons and hooves! The prisoners are on the loose on Deck 12! I repeat, prisoners on the loose on Deck 12!"
Scootaloo paid no mind to the blaring alert over the intercom as she continued to race through the corridors of the airship. Tailspin, however, remained attentive as she flew. After all, neither pegasus had any idea where they were going, so knowing what deck they were on was a good start.
"This place will be swarming with guards any minute now!" Tailspin called out to Scootaloo. "We need to make our way to the top!"
"How do we do that?!" Scootaloo hollered back.
Tailspin hemmed and hawed for a moment. "Um, stairs! We need to find some stairs!"
"Stairs! Got it!" said Scootaloo, accelerating ahead.
"Hey, wait up!" Tailspin yelled as she increased her own velocity. "Sheesh, I can't believe I have to say that to a filly on a scooter."
If Scootaloo heard Tailspin's comment, she ignored it and continued to forge ahead. As she made a sharp turn leading down another hallway, a bat-winged pegasus flew out in front of her, barring her path. Or, so he thought.
"Heads up, Tailspin!" Scootaloo called out as she ducked underneath the pegasus. As the guard looked between his legs and tried to process the situation, Tailspin kicked down with her forelegs and leapfrogged over him, sending him face-first into the steel floor.
"Ha ha ha! It'll take more than that to stop us!" Tailspin boasted.
When she turned, she noticed a sign pointing to a stairwell up ahead. Tailspin looked over at Scootaloo.
"Maybe you should ditch the scooter here!" she suggested. "I don't think it'll make it up the stairs!"
Scootaloo gave the older pegasus a cocky smirk. "Heh. Just watch this," she said.
Before Tailspin could ask, Scootaloo did a kick flip, landing her scooter on the banister. She then began to flap her tiny wings with all her might as she proceeded to grind up the steel beam. Tailspin's jaw dropped in astonishment, although she was soon brought back to reality by the sound of flapping wings and angry roars. Quickly, she followed Scootaloo upstairs.
It wasn't long before she noticed two pegasus guards waiting at the top of the stairs, obviously posted there as a precaution. She was about to accelerate ahead of Scootaloo and take care of them, but the younger pegasus had other plans. When she reached the top, she did another kick flip, bashing both guards in the head with her scooter and knocking them out. Once again, Tailspin found herself dumbfounded.
"Are you sure you haven't found your special talent yet?" she asked.
"Yep, I'm sure," said Scootaloo, pointing to her blank flank. "I'm still looking for it, though."
Tailspin found that hard to believe, but simply shrugged. "Well, you can't rush these things, I suppose," she muttered.
"What was that?"
"I said I think we should go right here."
"Oh. Okay!"
Scootaloo quickly turned and headed right, with Tailspin right at her heels. They didn't get far before they were stopped by two familiar-looking griffons.
"You know, I really gotta stop saying the first thing that comes into my head," Tailspin groaned.
"Don't think our score is settled just because we captured you," said Dorsal with a snort. "Do you know what the Commander did to us when she realized we failed to take care of you back in Argoats?"
"Hey, it was better than what she would've done if we were late," said Ventral with a shrug.
"I thought we agreed never to go through that again," Dorsal growled. He then turned back to the pegasi. "Anyway, I think it's time for our payback. The Commander told us to leave the filly alive, but accidents can still happen."
"They can?" Ventral asked, scratching his head with his talon. "But the filly didn't really do anything to us."
"She got away from us, didn't she?"
"Only because of the older pegasus. If anything, we should just kill her."
"You're missing the point. We had a job, and we failed. We are not failing a second time."
"You will notice that our job has changed, Dorsal. We should leave the filly alive and deliver her to the Commander, as instructed."
"Do you not know how to hold a grudge or something?!"
"Do you not know how to stop living in the past?"
As the two griffons continued to bicker and argue, Tailspin and Scootaloo shared a shrug.
"Listen, we'd love to stick around and let you two sort this out, but we're kinda in a hurry," said Tailspin. "Perhaps we can pick this up later. Ciao!"
With that, the two pegasi did an about-face and zoomed off in the opposite direction. Dorsal palmed his face.
"Nice going, Ventral," he snarled.
"Nice going yourself," Ventral retorted. "You're the one that let them get away."
Dorsal didn't respond, but simply flew off after the prisoners. Ventral shrugged and followed his partner in pursuit.
***
"Alright, we're making progress!" said Tailspin, straining her voice over the alarms. "Now, we just need to find the bridge, get the map, and get off this ship!"
"Wait, get the map?!" asked Scootaloo. "Why do we need the map?!"
Tailspin's face became bright red. "I, may have forgotten where we're supposed to go."
Scootaloo smacked her face with her hoof.
"Hey, cut me some slack here, Scootaloo! We've been on this airship for who knows how long! Anypony would get disoriented!"
"Okay, you've got a point," Scootaloo conceded. "So, how are we going to get the map back?"
Tailspin swallowed. "I, actually have no idea. I-I'm working on it, though! For real, this time!"
Scootaloo smiled. "Alright, I'll take your word for it," she said. "Now, let's..."
She was interrupted as the Crimson Baroness herself blocked the way, along with an entourage of guards.
"Well, well, well," she purred, walking up to the two frightened fillies. "Where are you two going in such a rush?"
Tailspin landed in front of Scootaloo and spread her wings. "I-I'll hold her off, Scootaloo! You get out of here!"
The Crimson Baroness chortled. "Oh, how quaint," she purred, stroking Tailspin's chin with her riding crop. "You really think you can stand up to me?"
"I-I'm gonna dang well try!" Tailspin spat. "I-if you want Scootaloo, you'll have to go through me!"
The Crimson Baroness sneered. "You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that," she said. "And do you want to know what happened every time?"
Tailspin said nothing.
"No guesses? Poo, you're not fun," said the Crimson Baroness with a pout. "Not nearly as much fun as Ms. Do would've been, anyway. Alright, here's a hint."
Her motions a blur, she raised her tail and cracked her riding crop across Tailspin's cheek. The pain was immediate and intense as Tailspin staggered. As she recovered, she turned to Scootaloo, who was still watching in horror.
"What're you still doing here?!" barked Tailspin. "Get a move-on! I'll be okay!"
"Tsk tsk tsk. How shameful," said the Crimson Baroness. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to lie?"
There was another deafening crack of her riding crop, and Scootaloo winced. A voice inside her head told her to run away, but her body wouldn't listen. As the Crimson Baroness raised her whip for a third strike, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Leave her alone!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
The Crimson Baroness turned to the young filly, surprise in her eyes. "My my. Such spirit," she said, genuinely impressed . "You are indeed just the filly I need to get into Mt. Götterdämarerung."
"I-I'm not gonna do it!" Scootaloo proclaimed.
The Crimson Baroness frowned. "Now now, filly. You must respect your betters," she scolded. "If you don't..."
Instead of completing her thought, she whipped Tailspin a third time. The yellow pegasus slumped over against the wall, breathing heavily as she tried to blot the agony from her mind.
"So, care to reconsider?" asked the Crimson Baroness.
Scootaloo's heart began to pound. She had no idea what to do, so she simply stood there in silence.
"Still need time to think? Hmm, fair enough," said the Crimson Baroness with a shrug.
Just then, Dorsal and Ventral appeared, panting for breath.
"And just where have you two been?" the Crimson Baroness said sternly.
"A-a thousand pardons, Commander," said Dorsal. "See, Ventral here..."
"Oh, right. It's always my fault," said Ventral, rolling his eyes. "Every time something goes wrong, you blame me. Why not take some responsibility for a...?"
The Crimson Baroness was in no mood for this. She cracked her riding crop against the floor, and the two griffons clammed up and gave her their undivided attention.
"Better," said the Crimson Baroness. "Now, take the prisoners to the poop deck. I have something, special for them."
"A-at once, Commander," said the two griffons with a salute. With that, they dragged the injured Tailspin and frightened Scootaloo up the stairs as they followed their mistress. Scootaloo looked over at Tailspin, who gave her a weak smile.
"No worries, Scootaloo," she whispered. "We'll get out of this."
"H-how do you know?" Scootaloo whimpered.
Tailspin shrugged. "I don't. I'm just trying to make you feel better. But even so, I'm not planning to give up here. I know Daring wouldn't."
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile back. "Neither would Rainbow Dash," said she.
It took a while, but Rainbow Dash and Daring Do finally made it to Twilight, who was waiting for them in front of a rickety old elevator at the end of the path of glowing crystals. Daring was the first to collapse, dropping Gilda to the ground with a resounding thud.
"Phew! And I thought ponies turned to stone by the Medusa's Eye were heavy," she panted, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"So, these were the loose ends you were talking about?" Twilight asked Rainbow.
"Yeah," said Rainbow, setting Lightning Dust down. "There was a trap for us at the end of the race, but Lightning and Gilda beat us and fell into it instead. Honestly, I'm not losing any sleep over it."
"I didn't think you would," said Twilight. "Anyway, it's good that you managed to bring them here. Maybe they have some insight into what's going on."
"If they're willing to cooperate," said Rainbow skeptically. "But at the very least, we should free them from the changeling's mind control."
"Right," said Twilight with a nod. "Now, if I can just remember the spell Cadence used on Shining Armor..."
The studious unicorn concentrated long and hard before her horn emitted a magenta glow. Two gentle beams shot forth, hitting Lightning and Gilda square in their foreheads. The two rivals awoke dazed and confused; their eyes back to their normal colors.
"Ugh, my head," groaned Gilda, slowly getting to her feet. "Ow! Wh-when the heck did I clip my wing? And, why does my entire body feel sore?"
"Mmm. What a nice nap," said Lightning Dust, stretching herself out and smacking her lips. "Hmm? H-how the hay did I get here?"
"That's exactly what we want to know," said Rainbow.
Both Gilda and Lightning recognized the voice. Despite her injuries, Gilda tried to play it cool.
"Well well. If it ain't Rainbow Crash, the Queen Flip-Flopper," she said with a sneer. "How's the lamelight treating you?"
"Never thought I'd bump into you again, you little snitch," said Lightning darkly, less than pleased to see her former wingpony. "You wanna explain this?"
"These two used to be your friends?" inquired Daring, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, yeah," said Rainbow sheepishly. "Like I said, it's a long story."
Daring shrugged and cleared her throat. "Well, hello there, you two. I don't think we've been properly introduced. The name's Daring Do, and I'm a..."
Her introduction was interrupted by a stifled laugh from Gilda.
"Daring Do? You mean the character in those lame egghead stories?" she said between snickers. "Pfft, yeah right."
"Yeah. Everypony knows Daring Do isn't real," added Lightning, folding her forelegs.
"Well, of course I'm real," said Daring. "Haven't either of you read Haycartes?"
"Why would I need to read anything?" Gilda scoffed. "That stuff's only for dweebs and nerds. And last I checked, I'm neither of those."
"Eh, I never really 'got' philosophy," said Lightning with a shrug. "It always made my brain hurt. Besides, this is just a stupid prank, isn't it?"
"Trust me, none of us are laughing at anypony's expense," said Daring. "In fact, I'm just as annoyed as you two are, albeit for different reasons."
Twilight sighed. "This isn't getting anywhere," she said before approaching Lightning and Gilda. "Listen, you two. You've both been under the spell of a changeling, and we need to know..."
"Um, excuse me? Changelings?" said Gilda, cutting across the studious unicorn. "You honestly expect me to be tricked by one of those freaks?"
"Well, seeing as you're not smart enough to pick up a book..." said Daring, rolling her eyes.
Gilda did not take kindly to the insult. She got right in the literary heroine's face and stared her in the eye. "You wanna repeat that?" she snarled.
Daring was not the least bit intimidated. "Well, I would. But see, I'm on a bit of a timetable, and I can't afford to dillydally. Besides, I just saved you from being lowered into a caldron of green fire. You should be thanking me."
"This story gets more ridiculous the more I hear of it," said Lightning, shaking her head in disbelief. "Have you three lost your minds, or is this just the most elaborate joke in the history of elaborate jokes?"
Rainbow Dash smacked her face with her hoof. "Alright, Lightning Dust. Just, think for a second. I don't even know where you live. How am I supposed to track you down and bring you to the Canterlot Caves? And furthermore, why would I do something like this?"
"You tell me, Little Miss Tattletale," Lightning spat.
"Wow. Somepony sounds bitter," said Daring. "Let me guess. It's part of that long story, right?"
"Yeah. Let's just leave it at that," said Rainbow, clearing her throat. "Lightning, listen. What's the last thing you remember before waking up here?"
"Going to bed," said Lightning plainly.
Rainbow stared blankly at the reckless flyer. "Wait, that's it?"
"Yeah," said Lightning. "I just went to sleep, and the next thing I knew, I was here."
Twilight placed a hoof to her chin. "Hmm. What about you, Gilda?" she asked.
"What about me, dweeb?" Gilda growled, turning to the lavender unicorn.
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"Same as this pony here," said Gilda, pointing her thumb at Lightning Dust. "I was getting some shut-eye, and when I woke up, I was here aching like I just flew through Ghastly Gorge blindfolded."
"I see," Twilight mused. "I think our foe is smarter than we gave it credit for."
"Well, it could've fooled me," said Daring.
"No, I'm serious," said Twilight. "It hypnotized Gilda and Lightning Dust while they were asleep, so that we couldn't use them as a means of finding it."
"Huh," said Daring with a contemplative nod. "I gotta admit, that is kinda clever."
"Okay, what's the punchline?" said Lightning, shooting Rainbow a glare. "Why did you drag me down here and tell me all this nonsense?"
"I keep telling you, it wasn't me," Rainbow insisted with a sigh. "Honestly, do you really think I'm that petty?"
"It's either that or crazy. Take your pick," said Lightning, her voice dripping with venom.
"Okay, I've heard enough of this."
Daring walked right up to Lightning Dust, intensity radiating from her magenta eyes.
"Look, buster. I don't know what kind of history you had with Rainbow Dash, but whatever it is, I think you have more important things to worry about right now," she said sternly. "You can keep blaming her all you want, but it's not going to change anything. Something is trying to erase me from all existence..."
As if on cue, Daring became transparent again. Lightning blanched as she watched the olive-colored pegasus in front of her slowly disappear right before her very eyes. And this time, it was even worse. Everyone had to squint in order to see any resemblance of the great adventurer. After a few seconds, Daring became solid again and shook herself.
"Brrr. Kinda like that," she said, continuing where she left off. "Anyway, that thing also got to you and that brain trust of a griffon and used you as pawns in its little scheme. Rainbow Dash and I had to save your lives, and..."
"Huh? Wait, wait," said Gilda, blinking a few times. "Where did you come from? You just popped up out of nowhere."
"Yeah, flickering in and out of existence tends to do that," said Daring with a snort. "Now, if I can just get my point across without any more interruptions..."
There was a heavy silence.
"Good," said Daring with a nod, turning back to Lightning. "Now, I suggest you put aside your bitterness for just a few minutes and use your brain. You got me?"
Lightning stared at Daring blankly for a moment. "Wh-who are you? Wh-where did you come from?"
Daring sighed. "Alright, maybe that's a tall order, seeing as we're still trying to wrap our minds around all this. Look, just think about what I said, yeah?" She then patted Lightning on the shoulder before turning to Twilight and clearing her throat. "Anyway, it seems that the flickers are getting worse. We can't waste anymore time down here."
"Agreed," said Twilight with a nod. "This elevator here leads to the surface. It'll be a tight squeeze, but it should fit all five of us."
"Thanks, but I can find my own way out," said Lightning. "I'm done trying to guess what's going on here. I don't even care anymore."
"Ditto," Gilda chimed in. "You dorks are really starting to cramp my style and give me a headache. I'm bailing on this lame scene."
Gilda flew off into the caves, groaning and wincing all the way due to her injuries. Lightning gave Rainbow another look.
"I don't give a flying feather what Spitfire says. It's her loss that she chose you over me," she said bitterly. "Until we meet again, Rainbow Snitch."
With that, she zoomed off in a streak of lightning.
"Well. That was pleasant," said Daring. "Think we should stop them?"
"As if we could," said Rainbow with a wry smile. "I think we've wounded their pride enough for one day. Besides, they're both pretty tough. I have faith that they can find their own way out."
Daring smiled. "You never cease to amaze me, Rainbow Dash."
"I could say the same about you," said Rainbow. "You really stuck up for me back there with Lightning. You, really didn't have to do that."
Daring shrugged. "I've had several partners like her. They're always impulsive; never taking the time to stop and think. That kind of thing is a good way to get yourself into big trouble. I just felt like I had to set her straight."
"Ah," said Rainbow. "Well, thanks anyway."
"Not a problem," said Daring. "Actually, speaking of partners, I kinda want to see how Tailspin's doing. Mind tossing me the book, Rainbow Dash?"
"Huh? Oh, sure," said Rainbow, doing as Daring asked. The two pegasi then climbed into the elevator with Twilight. Daring cracked open the book, and the other two mares looked over her shoulders as the door closed and the elevator began to ascend.
When the Crimson Baroness opened the door leading outside, a blast of wind hit Scootaloo like a splash of ice cold water. If it wasn't for the two griffons holding her shoulders, she felt as though she would've been blown away. She and Tailspin were forced out onto the poop deck, and the Crimson Baroness took in a deep breath.
"Ah~. Refreshing, isn't it?" she said whimsically. "I always find these high altitudes invigorating. Nothing like a nice breeze to get the mind working and make some important decisions, don't you find?"
There was a bit of menace in the Crimson Baroness's voice with that last sentence, and Scootaloo heard it as clear as a bell. She shivered, both out of fear and from the cold winds.
"I-I said I'm n-not going to h-help you, and that's f-f-final," she stammered.
The Crimson Baroness turned to the frightened filly and began stroking her chin with her riding crop. "Well, aren't you a little brat," she said in a sultry tone. "I think somepony needs a spanking."
With that, she swung her weapon at Tailspin, striking the yellow pegasus across the cheek. Scootaloo winced as she saw Tailspin stagger.
"Now, I'll ask again," said the Crimson Baroness. "Will you, or will you not give us a free passage through Mt. Götterdämarerung?"
"Sh-she's not doing it," grunted Tailspin, rubbing her cheek. There was another deafening crack as the Crimson Baroness whipped her again.
"Fool. Let her speak for herself," the blood red pegasus spat. "Well, filly? What is your answer?"
Scootaloo swallowed. "Y-you're not so tough!" she stuttered, trying to sound defiant. "I-if Rainbow Dash were here, sh-she'd show y-you a thing or t-two!"
"Would she now?" said the Crimson Baroness with a mocking chortle. "Oh my. I'd better watch myself. I wouldn't want to offend the great Rainbow Dash. Hmmhmmhmmhmm."
She concluded her chuckling with another crack of her riding crop, her demeanor changing in an instant as she got right in Scootaloo's face. "Get this through your thick skull, filly. Nopony can shoot down the Crimson Baroness. Not Ms. Do, not this Rainbow Dash you speak of, not even Das Reingold himself. I will take what is rightfully mine, and nothing in all of the world can stop me."
"Rightfully yours?" asked Tailspin, confusion overriding her fear. "But Das Reingold's treasure is below sea level, quite outside your so-called domain. Why do you want it?"
The Crimson Baroness shot Tailspin an annoyed look before turning her back to the two pegasi. "Dorsal, Ventral."
"Yes, Commander?" asked the two griffons.
"Do either of you know any dragons that can swim?"
Dorsal seemed perplexed. "That's, quite an interesting question, Commander."
"Interesting? She's asked us this question six times," said Ventral, raising an eyebrow. "Seven if you count this time."
"Well, if you're so smart, why don't you answer her?"
"Oh, and you think I just so happen to know any dragons personally?"
"Well, do you think I do?"
"Don't you know it's improper to answer a question with a question?"
"Looks who's talking, you little hypocrite!"
"Enough!"
The Crimson Baroness ceased the argument with a crack of her riding crop.
"The answer I'm looking for is 'no,'" she said viciously, turning back to the captive pegasi. "There are no dragons that can swim. However, several dragons, if not all of them, can fly. Ergo, the Ring of the Dragon Sages should not be in the hooves of some sea pony scoundrel, but with me! For I am the Mistress of the Skies!"
Tailspin stared blankly at the Crimson Baroness for a moment before leaning over to Scootaloo. "I think somepony has had their head in the clouds for too long," she whispered, making a circular motion around her ear with her hoof. Scootaloo giggled in spite of herself, but was quickly interrupted by another crack of the Crimson Baroness's riding crop.
"You think that's funny, do you?!" she snapped. "Do you not understand the implications of this?!"
"The only thing I understand is that you're completely out of your mind!" Tailspin shot back. "Daring would say the same if she were here!"
"Well, she's not!" the Crimson Baroness shouted before turning back to Scootaloo. "This is your last chance, filly! Are you or are you not going to assist me?!"
"She's not," said Tailspin.
"I thought I told you to let her speak for herself," the Crimson Baroness growled through gritted teeth.
"You misunderstand me," Tailspin stated plainly. "I'm not letting her do it."
All eyes were on Tailspin, and all of them were widened in surprise.
"Wh-what did you just say?" inquired the Crimson Baroness.
"Do you have wax in your ears, you nutter?" said Tailspin, her confidence gradually rising as she spoke. "I am not letting you force a young filly to go through a volcano littered with deathtraps just so that you can get your hooves on a pretty ring! I don't know why I was so afraid of you! You're nothing but a lazy, sadistic nutcase who thinks that she owns the sky! Well, here's a news flash for you: Nopony owns the sky! If you want this treasure so badly, you do your own dirty work!"
The Crimson Baroness stared at Tailspin for a moment, stunned by her insult. But soon, her lips twisted into a sinister smile.
"You know what? You're right," she purred. "We don't really need either of you. We can always just use the airship's cannons to blow up the mountain. I just thought I'd give you both a chance to live. And it looks like you just blew it. I hope you're proud of yourself."
***
"Brilliant job, Tailspin. Once again, your big mouth has been put to great use."
Tailspin was berating herself as she and Scootaloo were tied together along with the scooter, hanging upside-down from the airship's mizzenmast. Scootaloo squirmed and struggled in vain, more angry than afraid.
"You won't get away with this!" she shouted up at the Crimson Baroness.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think I already have!" the Crimson Baroness hollered back. "I'll be sure to give Ms. Do your regards! Happy landing!"
Just then, the rope snapped, and the two pegasi began to plummet to their doom. Scootaloo's fear began to return, and she shuddered.
"T-Tailspin?" she whimpered. "I-I don't wanna..."
"Neither do I," said Tailspin, cutting across her. "There might be a million and one things that I wasn't prepared for in this adventure, but this isn't one of them."
Scootaloo blinked in confusion. "H-huh?"
"I'm gonna show you how I got my Cutie Mark, Scootaloo," said Tailspin with a grin. "Now, can you turn around?"
"A-a little."
"Good. Hold onto me, and don't let go."
Scootaloo shuffled a bit and complied, gripping Tailspin's chest. Suddenly, Tailspin began to spin. She spun slowly at first, but as they fell, she spun faster and faster. Soon, she was twirling through the air with the grace of a ballerina. Scootaloo scrunched her eyes shut, almost blacking out from the breakneck speed.
As Tailspin continued her downward spiral, the cords binding her and Scootaloo began to unravel. Slowly but surely, the ropes undid themselves and were left far behind. When she felt that they were completely free, Tailspin spread her wings and pulled herself out of the dive, swooping back up towards the airship.
When Scootaloo felt that they weren't spinning anymore, she opened one tentative eye. Her heart leapt as she discovered that they were no longer falling, but flying.
"Woo-hoo!" she cheered, almost letting go of Tailspin in her excitement.
"Easy there," said Tailspin with a chuckle, steadying her flight. "Here, climb on up."
"Huh? Oh, sure," said Scootaloo, making her way onto Tailspin's back with the scooter still in hoof. "So, what now?"
Tailspin grinned, and lowered her goggles. "Now, we give that crazy pony what-for," she said. "Hang on tight, Scootaloo! This is gonna be a bumpy ride!"
***
"Commander, we'll be within firing range of Mt. Götterdämarerung in a few moments," said a pegasus soldier.
"Excellent," said the Crimson Baroness with a sneer. "Ready all cannons."
"Yes, Commander," said the pegasus with a salute.
The Crimson Baroness licked her lips as she saw the large volcano off in the distance.
"Soon, I will take what's rightfully mine," she said to herself.
"We're in firing range," said the soldier.
"Bring us to a full stop and fire when ready," the Crimson Baroness ordered.
Just as the airship stopped, something flew past her field of vision. Curious, she looked up, only to see the hot air balloon keeping the airship airborne obstructing her view.
"Probably nothing," she said with a shrug.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the mysterious shape again. She turned her head, and this time, she saw what it was. Her eyes narrowed and her body became tense.
"Dorsal! Ventral!" she barked.
"Y-yes, Commander?" the griffons said with a hasty salute.
"Why are those two still alive?!" she bellowed, pointing her riding crop at Tailspin and Scootaloo.
The griffons looked at each other.
"Should we tell her that we don't know?" asked Ventral.
"Are you crazy? She'll punish us if we tell her that," said Dorsal.
"Punish us for being honest?"
"It's not what she wants to hear."
"But she doesn't want to hear excuses, either. Thus, we're in a bit of a no-win situation."
"Well, what should we tell her then?"
The Crimson Baroness was not in the mood for this. "How about you two just shut up and get them?!" she screamed, cracking her riding crop.
"Oh! Oh, yes," said Dorsal, blushing profusely. "R-right away, Commander."
The two griffons took off into the sky, beginning their pursuit.
"Uh-oh! Here comes trouble!" Scootaloo called out as she saw the bogeys closing in.
"I see 'em!" Tailspin called back. "No worries, Scootaloo! I know how to fix their little red wagon!"
Tailspin then began to swoop and dive, pulling off tight maneuvers as she flew around the airship. Dorsal and Ventral were never too far behind. They occasionally got close enough to scratch at Tailspin with their talons.
"They're gaining on us!" Scootaloo shouted in a panicked tone.
"Yeah! That's the idea!" said Tailspin. "Trust me, Scootaloo. This time, I do know what I'm doing!"
She then made a sharp turn and set herself up in front of a set of wires that tied the hot air balloon to the airship. When the griffons got close again, she zoomed ahead, zigging and zagging around the cords. The griffons spread out, trying to flank her as they closed in. They got within arm's length and made a grab for her...
Only for the nimble pegasus to slip away at the last second.
"Ha! Look at 'em! These blockheads couldn't catch a cold!" Tailspin taunted, pulling down her eyelid with her hoof and sticking her tongue out at her pursuers.
Dorsal snarled. "Oh, you're in for it now, you little runt!" he roared, taking off ahead of his partner.
"Uh, Dorsal? Maybe we should try a different tack," said Ventral, flying up from behind. "Something doesn't seem right."
"Shut up, Ventral!" Dorsal shouted back. "These two have had it coming for too long!"
Ventral shrugged and continued the chase. Once again, Tailspin navigated around the cords tying the hot air balloon to the airship. After a few more rounds of this maneuver, one of the cords snapped, causing the airship to lurch.
"R-report!" the Crimson Baroness ordered.
"Th-there seems to be something wrong with the suspension cords!" said a griffon soldier nervously.
"Well, go and fix it!" the Crimson Baroness boomed.
The soldier was about to reply when another cord snapped, followed by another and another. The soldiers began to panic.
"Abandon ship!" called out one of the pegasi. Hastily, all of the griffons and pegasi scrambled into the air.
"Wh-what do you all think you're doing?!" the Crimson Baroness exclaimed to the panicking masses. "Are you ponies and griffons or mice and jellyfish?!"
But the soldiers paid their commander no heed as they continued to fly away. The Crimson Baroness snorted.
"Well, fine! Be that way, you yellow-bellied cowards!" she shouted, holding the map aloft. "The treasure of Das Reingold shall be mine and mine alone! None of you deserve it, you hear me?! None of..."
"Yoink!"
In the middle of her rant, Tailspin swooped in and snatched the map from the Crimson Baroness's hooves. Before she could process this, the last cord snapped, and the airship fell from the sky while the hot air balloon drifted off into the wild blue yonder. There was a bright flash from below as the ship exploded when it hit the ground.
"Oorah!" Tailspin cheered, pumping her foreleg. "That's what you get!"
"W-wow," said Scootaloo. "Th-that was amazing, Tailspin!"
"Yeah. I-I guess it was." said Tailspin, her cheeks matching her scarf. "So, I guess I'm taking you back to Hoofington, huh?"
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, after I made that big speech, I'd feel kinda bad if I let you tag along," said Tailspin, twiddling her hooves.
Scootaloo smirked. "Are you kidding? No way am I missing out on this."
Tailspin blinked. "Huh?"
"I've done a lot of crazy things to get my Cutie Mark, Tailspin," said Scootaloo with a twinkle in her eye. "And this is just one more! Cutie Mark Crusaders Treasure Hunters! Yay!"
Tailspin laughed. "I'm not even gonna ask what that means," she said. "Alright, it's your choice. But keep this in mind. No heroics. That's my job. Got it?"
"Got it," said Scootaloo with a wink.
"Good," said Tailspin. "Now, let's fly!"
As Tailspin zoomed off towards Mt. Götterdämarerung, Dorsal and Ventral looked down at the mess they made. They then turned to each other.
"If you say 'I told you so,' I am going to tear you limb from limb," Dorsal snarled.
"Okay, I won't say it," said Ventral, folding his arms. "You must admit, however, that I had a point."
"Well, how was I supposed to know that would happen?!"
"I don't know, maybe by paying attention instead of letting your rage blind you?"
"Don't take the high road, Ventral! You were just as mad at that pony as I was!"
"Yes, but I have self-control. You, however..."
The argument was interrupted by a third set of flapping wings from behind. The two griffons turned around and blanched at the mysterious third flyer. They both swallowed.
"I-it was his fault," they said in unison, pointing at one another.
When the three mares finished the chapter, they all shared a bit of a laugh. Daring Do and Twilight both chuckled a little while Rainbow Dash was forced to the ground in a fit of guffaws.
"Well, what do you know? Tailspin managed to get her act together," said Daring, a tinge of relief seeping into her voice. "Took her long enough."
"D-did you see how she took down that airship?!" Rainbow Dash said between laughs. "That was both awesome and hilarious! Oh man, I can't stop— Bwah ha ha ha ha!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Come on, Rainbow. It wasn't that funny," she said.
"Y-yes it was!" Rainbow giggled, her voice cracking as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Just then, the elevator jerked, and the doors opened.
"Looks like this is our stop," said Daring, passing the book back to Rainbow. "We should get moving."
"R-right," said Rainbow, catching her breath. "J-just give me a minute."
"That's actually a good idea," said Twilight. "We don't really know where to go next. The changeling didn't leave us any clues."
"Didn't you want to check things out at the Canterlot Archives?" Daring inquired.
"To be honest, I'm not sure how that would help now," said Twilight. "This is obviously not a typical changeling we're dealing with. Unless this kind of thing has happened before, which we have no way of knowing, I doubt any books on changelings the Archives might have would tell us anything about this."
Daring frowned. "Well, that leaves us in a bit of a rut, doesn't it?" she mused.
"M-maybe we can ask around," suggested Rainbow, finally composing herself. "Ponyville isn't the only town with copies of Daring's books. Maybe somepony here knows something."
"Or they could be just as confused as we are," said Twilight.
"Normally, I'd say that it couldn't hurt to ask around," said Daring. "However, judging by previous reactions, I think we're gonna see a lot more fainting ponies if we share our intel."
"Hmm. Good point," said Rainbow, stroking her chin with her hoof. "Well, maybe you can just hide nearby while Twilight and I do the talking."
"Maybe, maybe," said Daring. As the three continued to ponder their dilemma, a large, imposing shadow hovered over them. Daring was the first to notice. "Or, that could be rendered academic."
"What do you—? Oh."
The trio of ponies found themselves in the presence of a grey unicorn stallion dressed in the golden armor of the Royal Guard. The guardsman looked down at the three with a cold expression for a time. Suddenly, as if by magic, a warm smile crossed his face.
"Oh hey, Twilight," he said pleasantly. "Out for another late night stroll around Canterlot?"
Daring and Rainbow looked over at Twilight, giving her a blank stare. Twilight herself was equally bewildered.
"Um, yes?" she said with a shrug.
"Oh, don't be so modest about it," said the guardsman. "We already know how you like to sneak into the Royal Archives late at night. It's been that way ever since you were a foal, and you moving to Ponyville hasn't changed that habit one bit. Though what you're doing at this old place, I haven't the foggiest idea."
"It's a long story," said Rainbow sheepishly. "Hey, sorry if this sounds random, but has anything been happening in Canterlot lately?"
The guard raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"
"Oh, I don't know. Books disappearing, ponies forgetting the awesomeness of Daring Do. Any of that ringing any bells?"
The guard became quite puzzled. "Um, I don't know anypony named Daring Do."
"What do you mean?" asked Rainbow. "She's standing right— Ah!"
Rainbow pointed to where Daring was standing, only to see barely anything there. From what she could make out, Daring looked uncomfortable.
"Oh no, oh no!" she said, reaching out for her favorite literary heroine. Her panic increased when she found that her hooves passed through thin air. The guard became even more perplexed.
"Twilight, do you have any idea what your friend is talking about?" he asked.
"I, don't think you'd believe me if I told you," said Twilight, rubbing the back of her head.
Just then, Daring's body returned to its solid state.
"Brrr. That was, ugh," she groaned, gripping her forehead and shaking herself.
"Daring, are you alright?" asked Rainbow, placing her foreleg around Daring's shoulder.
"Y-yeah. I'll be fine," said Daring.
"N-now wait a minute!" said the guard. "Where did she come from?!"
"Again, you wouldn't believe us," said Twilight. "Listen, we should get going."
"Oh, right. Of course," said the guard, clearing his throat. "Before you do, though, I just want to give you a heads-up."
"Hmm?"
"If you plan on browsing the Archives, try to avoid the Clover the Clever Wing. That area has been sealed off since early this evening, and nopony knows why."
Daring smirked and adjusted her pith helmet while Rainbow and Twilight shared a nod and a wink. It seemed as though the three of them knew their next destination.
"We'll keep that in mind. Thank you, good sir," said Twilight with a bow. "Have a good night."
"You too," said the guard as the trio of mares headed off. The guard shook his head. "I have got to stop doing these late-night shifts for Holy Lance," he muttered to himself.
***
"Hey, Daring?"
"Hmm?"
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Daring gave Rainbow a smirk as they made their way through the Canterlot Archives. "The silence is getting to you too, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah," said Rainbow with a nod.
Daring shrugged. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but there's not a whole lot on my mind right now. I'm just pondering the wonders of non-existence, or lack thereof."
"Oh," said Rainbow, flattening her ears. "Sorry I asked."
"Hey, it's fine," said Daring. "This might be one of the worst messes I've ever been in, but I know I'm gonna get out of it. After all, I always do."
Rainbow's expression brightened, and she gave a lighthearted chuckle. "Darn right you do," she said, giving the olive-colored pegasus a playful punch in the foreleg.
"Alright, here we are," said Twilight, stopping before a large wooden door marked with a clover. On the door was a mysterious-looking panel that obviously didn't belong. The buttons on the panel were the same sea pony runes as before. "Looks like our hunch was correct. The changeling has been hiding itself in here."
"And that panel looks like the same code combination I saw in Argoats," Daring added. "Stand back, you two. I'll handle this."
Twilight and Rainbow complied as Daring approached the door. She observed the runes carefully before tapping them in a precise order with her hoof. Just like in Argoats, the runes flashed a multitude of colors before settling on a steady green. There was a click, and the door creaked open.
"Well, shall we?" said Daring.
Twilight and Rainbow nodded in response as the three of them made their way inside. The inside of the room was almost pitch black. Only a few scattered light sources provided any kind of illumination. Suddenly, an angry voice echoed from within the chamber.
"H-how did you find this place?!" it bellowed in bewilderment. "I-I didn't give you any clues!"
"We're painfully aware of that," said Daring, folding her forelegs. "Let's just say we have a few friends in high places."
"B-but this isn't how it was supposed to go!" the voice complained. "You and Rainbow Dash were supposed to fall for my trap, I was supposed to give a big speech, and then if you did escape, you were going to decipher said speech to find me!"
Daring was flabbergasted. "Well, gee. That's, needlessly complex. Seriously, Ahuizotl doesn't make me jump through that many hoops!"
"And even if everything didn't go according to your wacky plan, we still found you," Rainbow chimed in, pounding her hooves and cracking her neck. "And now, you're gonna get it!"
"Oh, don't count me out just yet, Rainbow Crash," said the voice. "You may have survived the Canterlot Caves of Catastrophe, but don't expect the same results from my Library of Doom. I assure you, it is far less pleasant."
The door behind the three mares slammed shut, and several green flames burst from several torches lining the walls. The torches illuminated a large and complex labyrinth of bookcases
"Find me if you can," said the voice, cackling maniacally before fading out.
"Okay, I don't know about you two, but that thing is starting to get on my nerves," said Daring with a snort.
"Ditto," Rainbow concurred.
"Same here," said Twilight. "Alright, let's get going. The changeling has to be here somewhere."
"And I'm betting we can't just fly over the maze and find it that way," said Daring.
"Let me test that," said Rainbow with a complacent sneer. She took off into the sky, only to find that the bookcase walls grew to match her. She flew back down and heaved a great sigh. "Okay, looks like we're hoofing it."
"Told ya," said Daring with a playful smirk. "Now, let's go find ourselves a changeling!"
With that, she galloped off into the maze, the other two mares close at her heels.
That was the only thing Scootaloo could utter as she and Tailspin made their final approach to Mt. Götterdämarerung. It was perhaps the tallest mountain she had ever seen in her entire life. Not only that, but it seemed to give off an oppressive aura of impending doom. The air stank of salty brine mixed with smokey brimstone. It was all Scootaloo could do to keep herself from choking.
"Trust me, I know the feeling," Tailspin rasped, her flight becoming wobbly as she fought against the burdensome atmosphere. "We just gotta hang in there."
She then stopped for a second and looked over the map. "Now, let's see. According to Genny, the entrance to the place is near the top. Scootaloo, take a deep breath and hold it. I have a feeling this isn't gonna be pretty."
Scootaloo nodded and complied. Tailspin did the same as she began her ascent. Just as she predicted, the atmosphere became thicker and thicker as they approached the summit. When they reached the crater of the dormant volcano, the area was filled with a white smog that was almost impenetrable. Not to be deterred, Tailspin fought against the harsh environment and flew into the crater. She managed to find a stone pathway that spiraled down into the mountain, and touched down. When she deemed the air to be breathable, she let out a great exhale.
"Whew! That, was not fun," she panted. "You alright back there, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo let out a great breath of her own. "I-I'm fine," she said between pants. "S-so, we just follow this path?"
"Looks like it," said Tailspin. She then sighed. "I sure wish Daring was here. I was actually hoping she'd be here to meet us."
"Well, why don't we wait for her here?" suggested Scootaloo as she set the scooter she took from the airship to the side. "We already took care of the Crimson Baroness, so we're in no rush."
"Care to repeat that?"
Scootaloo's heart froze as she heard a familiar voice from behind. "Tailspin, I'm afraid to turn around," she said with a swallow. "Is that who I think it is?"
Tailspin looked towards the source of the voice and turned pale. She tried to speak, but the words were stuck in her throat.
"I-I'll take that as a *gulp* yes," said Scootaloo, slowly turning her head. Sure enough, there was the Crimson Baroness. Her uniform was torn and tattered, revealing her Cutie Mark of a trio of sinister-looking wings. Also, her blood red coat was badly singed, and she had a nasty-looking scar across her cheek.
"I told you before. Nopony can shoot down the Crimson Baroness," the militant pegasus said with a snort.
"B-but how did you survive?!" squeaked Tailspin, finding her voice.
The Crimson Baroness's expression became deadpan as she pointed to her wings.
"O-oh," said Tailspin, her face turning a bit red.
"Now that we've gotten that cleared up, it's high time I removed you two thorns from my side," said the Crimson Baroness. "Dorsal, Ventral!"
"Yes, Commander?" said the two hapless griffons, who were once again covered in bandages and bruises.
"Get rid of these two. You can have the loudmouth suffer as much as you wish, but make the dodo's death quick and painless," the Crimson Baroness ordered. "Even I have standards."
"It'll be our pleasure, Commander," said Dorsal with a salute.
"Really? You'd honestly take pleasure in killing a filly?" said Ventral.
"Are you questioning the Commander?"
"No, I'm questioning your moral fiber."
"Considering our line of work, that concept is irrelevant, isn't it?"
"It doesn't have to be. The Commander herself just said that she has standards."
"Get on with it!" the Crimson Baroness shouted. "And if you fail me this time, you'll be joining them! Do I make myself clear?!"
"Y-yes, Commander!" said the griffons with a hasty salute.
The Crimson Baroness gave a curt nod and began to fly off. But before she disappeared into the mountain, a voice made itself known.
"Hold it right there!"
The Crimson Baroness turned and tilted her head. Scootaloo was giving her a cold stare, showing no ounce of fear or dread for her predicament.
"Did you just call me a dodo?" Scootaloo snarled, her violet eyes filled with contempt.
The Crimson Baroness shrugged. "And if I did? You may be good on a scooter, but you will never get off the ground. Mainly because, well, you're about to die. It's a shame, really, but as they say, c'est la guerre."
Scootaloo snorted angrily. "You're in for it now, lady! Nopony calls me a dodo and gets away with it!"
"I suppose I'm the first then," the Crimson Baroness gloated. "Now, if that's all you have to say, I'm in a bit of a hurry and you have an appointment with Death. If I ever find your Rainbow Dash friend, I'll be sure to tell her you left this world crying and screaming like the little dodo you are. Goodbye forever."
She then gave a mocking salute and flew off into the mountain. Scootaloo's blood began to boil as she flapped her wings at a blinding pace.
"I am suddenly glad that we made amends back on the airship," said Tailspin, freaked out by Scootaloo's fury. "I guess I'll distract these clods here while you go after her then?"
Instead of answering, Scootaloo hopped onto the scooter and sped off after the Crimson Baroness.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Dorsal roared, flying in front of her path.
But Scootaloo paid him no heed. She merely swerved around him and continued on her way. Dorsal was not pleased by this.
"Why you little—!"
"Ah-HEM. Forgetting somepony?"
Dorsal was about to chase after Scootaloo when Tailspin made her presence known. With a mocking wave, she took off into the sky, flying in random patterns.
"Grr! We can't let them escape this time!" growled Dorsal. "Ventral, you take the filly, and I'll take the loudmouth."
"Listen, you may not have qualms with killing children, but I do," said Ventral flatly. "How about you go after the filly and I take on the crazy flyer?"
"Are you really going to do this, Ventral? Are you really going to disobey the Commander because of something as silly as this?"
"I'm just saying that killing children was not in my job description."
"Yes, but the number one rule is to always obey the Commander!"
"Well, we haven't really been doing a good job of that lately, and yet we're still employed."
"That's because we're the only ones left, you ignoramus!"
Tailspin stopped mid-flight when she noticed that the griffons weren't chasing her. When she saw why, she sighed and shook her head.
"Yeah, I'm just gonna leave you two to your lover's quarrel and try to catch up with my pal before she does something she'll regret," she told the griffons. "Toodles!"
With that, she zoomed off into the mountain. Dorsal groaned.
"Wow. It never really occurred to me before, but we really suck at this," said Ventral.
"Shut up, Ventral," Dorsal snarled through gritted teeth as he took off in pursuit. Ventral shrugged and followed his partner.
***
It didn't take long for Scootaloo to catch up to the Crimson Baroness, nor did it take long for the Crimson Baroness to notice. When she saw her pursuer, she was more annoyed than she was surprised.
"You really insist on trying my patience, don't you?!" she hollered back, turning to face Scootaloo while still flying. "Well, I suppose if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"
With a swish of her tail, she used her riding crop to smack a pebble at Scootaloo. The enraged filly managed to swerve out of the projectile's path, only to see another coming straight for her. As the Crimson Baroness continued to send a barrage of stones her way, Scootaloo continued to dodge them.
But then, disaster struck. While dodging another missile, Scootaloo zigged when she should've zagged, and found herself at the edge of the stone path and overlooking the abyss below. Her blood ran cold as she stared into the chasm, sweat pouring down her face both from the intense heat from the volcano and from the close call. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she corrected her course and continued the chase.
"My, you're persistent," the Crimson Baroness purred. "Well then, how about this?!"
She whipped her riding crop into the wall, and a blast of scalding hot steam erupted from the fissure. Several other geysers followed suit, as if the stone wall was lined with bursting water pipes. Scootaloo's eyes narrowed.
"Piece of cake," she said with a cocky smirk. Not even bothering to slow down, she sped right into the geyser traps, alternating between jumping over and ducking under the blasts of steam. As soon as she got a rhythm, she began to show off, doing hoofstands, aerial somersaults, and ballerina twirls. The Crimson Baroness sneered.
"Well well. It looks like somepony is compensating for something," she said with a great flap of her wings.
Scootaloo's ear twitched, and her complacent expression was replaced with a look of unbridled fury.
"I'm gonna make you eat those words!" she yelled.
"Come and try, dodo!" the Crimson Baroness shot back with a laugh as she increased her velocity. Scootaloo growled and did the same, flapping her tiny wings with all her might.
***
"Hold still, you annoying runt!" Dorsal bellowed after Tailspin.
"Hmm. Let me think about that," said Tailspin, mockingly stroking her chin. "Hmm. Actually, if it's all the same to you, I don't think I will!"
She then accelerated ahead, swooping and diving erratically as she flew.
"Do you really think she thought about it?" asked Ventral.
"What kind of inane question is that?!" Dorsal barked back. "Just shut your beak and pick up the pace! We've got a job to do!"
"I'll shut my beak, but I'd actually suggest that we slow down a bit," said Ventral.
"What are you talking abou—?!"
Dorsal was interrupted when he flew face first into a burst of steam erupting from the wall. Before he could recover, he flew into another one, and another and another. Ventral, meanwhile, gracefully maneuvered around the geysers. When they were through, Dorsal looked like a mess. His fur was covered in scalds, and his wings were soggy.
"Not one word!" he snarled, trying to lift himself into the air.
"Yeah, I think I'll just take off ahead while you sort yourself out," said Ventral.
Dorsal gave his partner a glare.
"What? That wasn't a word, that was a sentence," said Ventral with a shrug.
Before Dorsal could object, Ventral flew off ahead. He snorted angrily as he tried to dry his wings.
"Incorrigible numbskull," he muttered bitterly. "Rest assured, he'd be nowhere if it wasn't for me."
***
As Scootaloo continued her pursuit, she began to notice something different in the air around her. It began to get hotter and hotter the more she descended down the spiral path. The humidity was even starting to make her drowsy.
"Oh, would you look at that. It seems to be time for the little filly to take her nap," the Crimson Baroness said in a sickening sweet voice. "Well then, allow me to tuck you in. With a shovel!"
She then decreased her speed so that she was neck-and-neck with Scootaloo. With a gleam in her eyes, she raised her riding crop. She was about to bring it down when a sinister laugh echoed throughout the mountain. The laugh made Scootaloo's heart pound.
"Ah. We must be getting close," mused the Crimson Baroness with a sly smile. "He knows we're here."
She then lowered her riding crop. "Well, in that case, I'll let him deal with you. So long, dodo!"
Scootaloo forgot her fear; a blazing inferno ignited in her violet eyes. "Don't call me a dodo, you hag!"
It was the Crimson Baroness's turn to be insulted. "Hag?! Oh, now you've gone and done it, you little brat!"
The Crimson Baroness flew back in front of Scootaloo, flailing her riding crop in a desperate attempt to punish the orange filly for her insult. Scootaloo nimbly dodged every strike as she continued the pursuit.
***
"Oh, come on! Is that the best you can do?!" Tailspin taunted as she continued to evade Ventral.
"Not by a long shot," Ventral retorted, increasing his velocity and closing in.
"I'll believe it when I see it!" Tailspin called back, looping around and flying every which way. Ventral tried to keep pace, but found himself getting fatigued. Suddenly, they both heard a sinister laugh resonating all around them. Tailspin's throat became dry.
"I-I didn't just hear that, did I?" she asked no one in particular.
"Well, I don't know. I'm not you," said Ventral with a shrug. "Anyway, time for you to die now."
Without warning, Ventral made a mad dash towards Tailspin. Tailspin ducked out of the way just in time, causing the griffon to smash into the wall. There was an ominous cracking sound as fissures spread from where Ventral crashed.
"That can't be good," said Tailspin with a gulp. Without another word, she flew down after Scootaloo.
Just then, Dorsal showed up, barely able to keep himself airborne. He rolled his eyes as he saw his partner recovering from the crash.
"Just as I suspected," Dorsal grumbled. "You're really useless without me, aren't you?"
"Why is it you have to toot your own horn every time I mess up?" growled Ventral.
"It's the truth, Ventral. Don't deny it."
"Same to you, and more of it. Or do I have to remind you about the airship?"
"Don't you dare bring that up! You're just as much at fault as I am!"
"Well, if you only listened to me..."
They were interrupted by a dull rumble coming from the wall. They turned to see small jets of scalding water seeping out of the fissures. The two griffons then turned to one another.
"If we don't survive this, I am going to kill you," said Dorsal.
"So, you plan to kill me after I'm dead," said Ventral. "How's that going to work, exactly?"
"Oh, I'll find a way!"
And with that, the wall burst open, sending a stream of boiling water cascading down the spiral path.
***
"Call me a hag, will you?! Take this!"
Scootaloo said nothing as she continued to dodge the Crimson Baroness's strikes. Suddenly, her ears perked up as she heard a curious sound behind her. The sound got louder and louder, causing Scootaloo's heart to beat faster and faster. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what was making the noise and blanched.
"That's it. Tremble in fear," the Crimson Baroness cackled. "After everything you and your loudmouthed friend have put me through, this is going to be so satisfying. Say your prayers, dodo."
As she raised her whip again, Scootaloo saw a small incline up ahead. Her eyes glistened for a brief moment before she shot the Crimson Baroness a cold glare.
"I'm. Not. A. DODO!"
She rode her scooter over the incline and did a kick flip, knocking the Crimson Baroness square in the jaw. The Crimson Baroness fell to the stone floor as Scootaloo made a perfect landing and sped away. She was about to get her bearings when she saw Tailspin swoop in from above. Snorting angrily, she got to her feet just as the sound of rushing water reached her ears. Before she could react, she found herself engulfed in the scalding stream.
***
Scootaloo continued to plow ahead, not even bothering to look back. She then heard Tailspin call out to her.
"Oy, Scootaloo!" said the older pegasus. "Just wanted to give you a heads-up about the..."
"I think I already know!" Scootaloo shouted back, pointing behind her.
"Oh, right," said Tailspin sheepishly. "Well, are you alright?"
"We'll know in a second!" said Scootaloo, noticing a closing stone door up ahead.
Tailspin took note of the door and increased her speed accordingly. Scootaloo did the same, beads of sweat running down her face.
"Come on, come on!" she chanted to herself.
At the last second, both she and Tailspin made it through. The sound of the stream crashing into the stone slab resonated behind them.
"That *gasp* was *pant* awesome!" exclaimed Tailspin. "Now this *huff* is what I *puff* signed up for."
"I'm just *pant* glad it's over," said Scootaloo, catching her own breath. When she recovered, her pupils dilated in wonder. "Whoa."
"Hmm? What are you looking a— Oh."
Tailspin was equally mesmerized by the mounds upon mounds of treasure littering the cavern. Gold, silver, and jewels of every sort sparkled radiantly.
"W-we did it," said Tailspin. "We did it! We found Das Reingold's treasure!"
"Aye, lass. Pity ye won't be livin' to tell the tale."
A nefarious voice sent a chill up Scootaloo's spine and startled Tailspin out of her wits. A bright ruby red flame formed in the middle of the room, and the sound of clacking bones could be heard. The two pegasi embraced each other, shivering with fright as they bore witness to a frightening sight. Hovering before them was a skeleton of a sea pony wearing fine gold silk and a silver cravat.
"Those who disturb the treasure of Das Reingold are never heard from again," said the skeleton. "I should know. After all, I be him."
"Well, if that changeling's goal was to waste our time, it's doing a pretty good job of it."
There was a tinge of frustration mixed with concern in Daring Do's voice as she, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash continued to venture deeper into the labyrinth. Everywhere they turned, all they were able to find were bookcases stretched out into the shadows.
"This is quite eerie," said Twilight. "I've been to the Clover the Clever Wing several times, but this feels so, different."
"It's probably that changeling messing with things," said Rainbow irritably.
"Hmm," Twilight mused. "If that's the case, it'd have to be pretty powerful, almost on par with the Queen. This is pretty high-level magic."
"Frankly, I don't care how powerful it is. I am not letting it erase me," said Daring with a snort.
"You said it, Daring," said Rainbow. "It can flaunt all of the magic power it wants, but it'll still be no match for the three of us."
"While that may be true, we have to find it first," said Twilight before reaching a forked path. "Alright, which way should we go now?"
Daring looked down each path, narrowing her eyes and stroking her chin. Her pondering was interrupted by the sound of a loud hiss. She felt her heart freeze.
"Oh no," she said.
"Oh no? What's the matter, Daring?" asked Rainbow.
"If that's what I think it is, then we're in big trouble," said Daring nervously.
"You mean that hissing sound?" inquired Twilight.
"Uh, yeah," said Daring. "Anyway, I vote we go in the opposite direction of wherever that sound came from."
Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other and shared a shrug.
"Um, okay then," said Twilight, sounding a bit confused. "I guess that means we're going right."
The three mares then made a turn and continued their search. As they walked, the hissing sound continued to return. Each time it did, Daring's eyes darted around the room, as if she was expecting something to come out of the wall.
"Hey, you okay, Daring?" asked Rainbow, tilting her head.
"L-let me get back to you on that," said Daring, still looking every which way. "Ugh, as if this day couldn't get any worse."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Worse than slowly being erased from existence."
"H-hey, everything is relative, alright?" said Daring, a bit of panic in her voice. "Now c'mon, we gotta keep moving."
Rainbow's brow furrowed. "It's that hissing noise, isn't it? You've been acting all jumpy ever since we started hearing it."
"Like I said before, if it is what I think it is, we're gonna be in big trouble," Daring said with a gulp. "I'm just praying that it isn't."
"It might just be more of the changeling's magic," said Twilight. "We haven't encountered any traps yet, so I don't think there's anything to worry abou—"
She trailed off as a horrific sight before her caught her attention. "I-I stand corrected," she squeaked.
"What are you talking about, Twi—? Omigosh!"
Rainbow gasped in horror and placed a hoof to her mouth, unable to believe what she was looking at. In front of the bookcases ahead of them were statues of the Wonderbolts, the best flyers in Equestria and Rainbow Dash's idols. However, these statues were not normal. Each Wonderbolt was recoiling in fear, a look of panic frozen on each of their faces. Daring herself turned as white as a sheet.
"H-hey, Rainbow Dash? Remember when you asked me if I was okay or not?" she said.
"Y-yeah," said Rainbow. "Wh-what about it?"
"W-well, to answer your question..."
Daring trailed off as a low rasp resonated from behind. She felt something breathing down her neck, causing her mane to stand up on end. She swallowed.
"I-I'm not okay," she whimpered.
"Huh?" said Rainbow, turning around. "I didn't catch th—"
But she got no further. She saw that right behind Daring was a large snake-like creature. Still staring at the creature, she nudged Twilight with her elbow.
"What is it, Rainbow?" asked Twilight.
"I, think we've got a problem," said Rainbow, pointing at the monster.
Twilight turned around, and immediately saw Rainbow's point. The serpent let out a powerful rasp. Daring shrieked and hid herself behind one of the Wonderbolt statues.
"H-how in Equestria did that changeling get a basilisk into the Canterlot Archives?!" Twilight exclaimed in disbelief.
"We'll have time to worry about that later!" said Rainbow. "Right now, we gotta get out of here! Let's go, Daring!"
But Daring didn't respond. Rainbow frantically scanned the area, worrying that she was disappearing again.
"Daring?! Where are you?!" she called out.
"Um, Rainbow?"
Rainbow looked over at Twilight, who was pointing over at the Spitfire statue. Hiding behind it was none other than Daring Do, trembling all over.
"I hate basilisks, I hate basilisks," the great adventurer chanted, her breathing becoming erratic.
Rainbow sighed. "Okay, this isn't going to work," she said. "Twilight, think you can teleport us out of here?"
"I-I don't know," said Twilight, shaking her head. "With Daring constantly phasing in and out of existence, I have no idea what effect my spell would have on her."
There was another loud rasp from the basilisk. For a moment, Daring looked like she had stopped breathing. A spark of determination flickered in Rainbow's eyes as she landed on the ground.
"Twilight, behind me, now!" she commanded, turning to face the serpent and spreading her wings.
"What?" exclaimed an aghast Twilight. "Rainbow, you aren't thinking about taking that thing on, are you?! You don't have any room to fly!"
"Well, I gotta do something!" Rainbow barked back.
"In that case, let me fight it!" Twilight yelled. "I stand a better chance!"
"This isn't up for debate, Twilight!" said Rainbow, arching her back and pawing the ground. "Stay here with Daring!"
"But..."
"You're our only chance to bring everypony back from stone!" Rainbow said sternly. "If you lose to that thing, it's just gonna waste more time!"
Twilight opened her mouth to argue, but began to see her friend's logic. "Alright," she said, finally relenting. "But remember, don't look it in the eye."
"I know," said Rainbow. She then took a deep breath and galloped straight towards the basilisk. The great serpent lunged for Rainbow, baring its sharp fangs. Before it could connect, Rainbow stopped short of the strike, causing the basilisk to bury its fangs into the floor. As the monster struggled to pry itself free, Rainbow flew over to one of its piercing yellow eyes. Keeping her own eyes closed, she spun around in midair and delivered a powerful buck to the eye. The basilisk hissed in pain, finally prying itself free and turning to face its attacker.
With its limited depth perception, the basilisk found it hard to keep track of the cyan speedster. It continued to snap at Rainbow Dash, but she was simply too quick. Growing annoyed, it focused its good eye on Rainbow, causing it to glow with intensity. The mesmerizing flash drew Rainbow in, but she snapped out of the trance straight away when she noticed that her hooves felt heavier. Looking down, she found that they had indeed turned to stone. Her eyes narrowed and she snorted.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, buddy!" she snarled, flapping her wings extra hard to account for her new weight. The basilisk continued trying to petrify Rainbow, but without the other eye, its power was significantly diminished. The most it could do was turn Rainbow's legs to stone, and that was it. This gave Rainbow an idea.
"This had better work," she muttered to herself.
Rainbow then positioned herself so that her legs trailed behind her. With a mighty flap of her wings, she propelled herself straight towards the monster's jaw at a steep angle. The basilisk reared up and rasped, ready to meet Rainbow's charge.
"I can't watch!" Twilight cried, shielding her eyes.
There was a deafening crack, followed by a harrowing roar.
When Twilight peeked over her hooves, she saw the basilisk falling right towards her. With a yelp, she grabbed Daring with her magic and ran out of the way just in time. The basilisk landed to the ground with a thud, shards of what once were its deadly fangs scattered all over the floor. She looked over at Rainbow, who was on the ground herself and tilting forward.
"Um, a little help here?" she said, her voice muffled by the fact that her face was pressed into the floor.
Twilight couldn't help but giggle before breathing a sigh of relief.
***
"Alright, that should be the last of them," said Twilight, using her spell to free Spitfire from her stone prison.
"Ugh, my aching head," groaned Fleetfoot. "H-how did we end up here?"
"I dunno," said Rapidfire, coming to his senses as well. "Last thing I remember is that snake thing appearing in my bunk."
"Yeah, same here," Soarin' chimed in, his stomach growling. "Man, I could really go for some pie right about now."
"They all should be okay," said Twilight. "Well, I think I've found out something else about our changeling friend."
"What's that?" asked Rainbow, stretching out her now-unpetrified legs.
"It doesn't seem to like you."
Rainbow had trouble processing this revelation. "I, don't know any changelings that do like me."
"Think about it, Rainbow," said Twilight. "It's threatening to erase Daring Do and Scootaloo from existence, it recruited Gilda and Lightning Dust as minions, and it used that basilisk to petrify the Wonderbolts. What do all of these things have in common?"
Rainbow pondered for a moment before coming to a realization. "Oooooh~! Yeah, that is weird. Well, we can find out more once we beat the stuffing out of it. Right, Daring?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sure," said Daring, fiddling with her pith helmet. She sounded less than enthusiastic.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Rainbow.
"That, was pretty mortifying," said Daring, flattening her ears and breathing a deep sigh. "Kinda ironic, huh? I don't even bat an eyelid at the possibility of disappearing from existence, and yet my blood runs hot and cold every time I have to face a basilisk. I don't even know what it is about them; I just can't stand 'em."
Rainbow smirked. "Daring, I knew that already. I've read all of your books, remember?"
Daring's cheeks became a vibrant shade of pink. "Th-those books mention my fear of basilisks?"
"Yeah. So there's no need to be embarrassed over it," said Rainbow, placing her foreleg around the literary heroine. "You're still awesome in my book."
Daring smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I'm happy to hear that."
As she said that, Rainbow felt her foreleg pass through Daring's body. Once again, the great adventurer was beginning to fade from existence. After a few seconds, she became solid again.
"Nnngh," Daring growled, shaking herself and donning her hat. "Okay, we're running out of time. Let's step it up."
"Agreed," said Twilight before turning to the Wonderbolts. "Do you ponies think you can find your way out of here?"
"Easy as pie," said Soarin', licking his lips. "Hey, maybe we should..."
"Focus, Soarin'," Spitfire said sternly as she got to her feet.
"Uh, right. Sorry, Spit," said Soarin' sheepishly.
Spitfire rolled her eyes and smirked. "We'll be fine," she said. "Thanks for saving us."
"Not a problem," said Twilight with a bow. "Good luck."
"Heh. Won't need it," said Spitfire with a complacent smirk. She then gave Rainbow Dash a salute before taking off. Rainbow Dash returned the salute as she watched the Wonderbolts fly off into the shadows.
"I suppose some congratulations are in order."
The three mares turned around to see the owner of the voice. They saw that it was a figure dressed in a black cloak.
"Wow. You are really playing this dramatic reveal thing to the hilt, aren't you?" said Daring, folding her forelegs.
"Mock me while you can, Ms. Do," the figure spat. "For while you may think I'm that dimwitted thug Ahuizotl, I am actually..."
"A changeling," the trio of ponies said in unison.
With a growl of annoyance, the changeling discarded its cloak.
"Really? You really couldn't just play along?" it griped.
"Frankly, we've had it up to here with your games," said Rainbow, pounding her hooves. "It ends here."
The changeling cackled, its crooked horn glowing a sinister green. "Oh, but my dear Rainbow Crash. This, is just the beginning!"
"Heh. I've heard that line before," said Daring, rolling her eyes.
The changeling's expression became deadpan. "I hate you all," it growled.
"N-no. You can't be Das Reingold," Tailspin whimpered, holding Scootaloo tighter. "G-g-g-g-ghosts don't exist."
The skeletal sea pony responded by brandishing a cutlass cloaked in flame and bringing it within inches of Tailspin's throat. Tailspin felt as though her heart had stopped beating.
"Real enough for ye, lass?" Das Reingold inquired.
"Y-yessir," Tailspin squeaked.
Satisfied, Das Reingold withdrew his blade and looked over the two frightened fillies.
"Tch. Pitiful," he said, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "The first ponies to come after me treasure after all these centuries, and they be nothing but a couple of spineless foals. It almost ain't worth the energy to kill ye."
"D-does that mean you'll let us go?" Scootaloo asked hopefully.
Das Reingold pointed his boney hoof at Scootaloo, and a burst of golden flame shot from it. Just before it hit Scootaloo, it disappeared right before her eyes, leaving only a blast of warm air. Scootaloo began to hyperventilate.
"I said 'almost,'" Das Reingold growled. "Trespassers still be trespassers, regardless of how brave they are. After all, ye still had the guts to go through the gauntlets of Argoats and Mt. Götterdämarerung, did ye not?"
Silence was the only response he received. With a sigh, he fired another burst of flame from his hooves, this time grazing Tailspin's cheek.
"I believe I asked ye two a question," he snarled. "Ye ventured through the temple of Argoats and Mt. Götterdämarerung to get here to me treasure, aye or nay?"
"W-well, yes-s-s-s-s," said Tailspin. "B-b-b-but we weren't intending on..."
"Liar!" Das Reingold roared, frightening the two pegasi even more. "Everypony who crosses Das Reingold has but one goal in mind, and that is to get me treasure. Ye be no different!"
"Th-that's not true!" Scootaloo cried. "W-we don't want it, honest! E-especially not that ring!"
Das Reingold tilted his skull. "I have many rings in me hoard, lass. Ye need to be more specific," he said, floating up to Scootaloo and staring straight into her eyes.
Scootaloo blinked. "O-oh! That's right! O-of course they can't! S-silly me! Ha ha..."
Das Reingold drew his cutlass again and pointed it straight at Scootaloo's heart. "In case ye couldn't tell, I am not in the mood for games," he threatened. "Now, tell me what ye were talkin' about, or I'll run ye through."
Beads of sweat formed on Scootaloo's brow. She tried to speak, but no sound came out of her mouth. She was completely paralyzed with fear. Das Reingold drew his sword back.
"She meant the Ring of the Dragon Sages!"
The words left Tailspin's mouth before she could stop herself. She gasped and clasped her hooves over her mouth, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. Das Reingold turned to her and chortled.
"Ah. So, the truth has finally come to light," said he. "Well, ye lasses be in for a bit of a shock. Ye see, the ring be mine."
"W-we're not disputing that," said Tailspin meekly. "Y-you can keep it for all we care."
"Let me clarify, lass," said Das Reingold, menace seeping into his voice. "The Ring of the Dragon Sages has cursed me to protect it for all of eternity. Nopony who lays their hooves on it can leave this cave alive."
Tailspin suddenly became confused. "Wait, how does that make it different from anything else in your hoard?"
"If ye be so curious, I'd be more than willing to give ye a demonstration," said Das Reingold sinisterly. "It would certainly save me the trouble."
Before Tailspin could respond, Das Reingold's hoof detached itself from his body and floated off, sifting through his treasure trove. Finally, it snatched up a dazzling golden right that outshone anything else in the cavern. The hoof returned to its master, who presented it to Tailspin and Scootaloo.
"Here it be, lasses. The Ring of the Dragon Sages," said Das Reingold proudly. "Me most precious treasure. The very thing that makes me able to keep all of me wealth."
"I-It suits you," said Tailspin.
"Y-yeah! I-I can't imagine you without it!" Scootaloo piped up with a nervous chuckle.
Das Reingold crossed his arms. "Flattery will get ye nowhere, lasses," he said plainly. "Ye both are still gonna die. It's just a matter of how. Now, ye can try to take the ring from me, or I will choose yer fate."
"C-can we have some time to think about this?" asked Tailspin.
Before Das Reingold could answer, there was a loud crash from behind. Bursting into the cavern was none other than the Crimson Baroness, looking even worse than before. Her uniform was now completely destroyed, and she was covered in burns of all shapes and sizes.
"It'll take *pant* more than some *pant* hot water to *pant* take me down," she wheezed.
"I don't know whether I should be relieved or exasperated," said Tailspin. "Seriously, you're like a bad case of wing mites. Can't you just go away?"
"I could say the same about you," the Crimson Baroness spat. "And trust me, I'll deal with you and the dodo in good time." She then turned to Das Reingold. "But first, I have some unfinished business to settle with you."
"I'm sorry, am I supposed to know ye, lass?" inquired Das Reingold.
"Well, not per se," said the Crimson Baroness in a sultry tone. "Only that you have something that belongs to me. The Ring of the Dragon Sages belongs in the sky, not the sea. Give it over before I make you."
Das Reingold shrugged. "Alright, here."
To both Scootaloo and Tailspin's surprise, the sea pony pirate tossed the ring straight into the Crimson Baroness' waiting hooves. She looked it over and began cackling like a madmare.
"Y-yes. Yesssss! After all these years, it's finally mine!" she proclaimed in triumph. "The Ring of the Dragon Sages, back in the sky where it belongs! And nopony can take it away from me! Nyah ha ha ha... huh?!"
The ring began to glow with intense power. As it did so, she suddenly felt heavier. She flapped her wings faster to keep herself airborne, but her efforts were in vain. She fell to the ground with a thud, and was unable to pick herself up.
"I-I can't move!" she sputtered. "Wh-what is this?!"
"I take it you didn't actually care to read Genny's translations all that carefully," said Tailspin with a smirk. "It clearly stated that whosoever possesses the Ring of the Dragon Sages would meet a bad end."
"B-but it belongs in the sky!" howled the Crimson Baroness. "I belong in the sky! This can't be happening!"
"Terribly sorry, lass. But ye won't be goin' anywhere anytime soon," said Das Reingold. "The ring be mine, and mine alone."
"You insidious pile of bones!" the Crimson Baroness spat with all the hate she could muster. "When I get my hooves on you, I'll grind you into dust!"
Das Reingold was not the least bit intimidated. "I can end it now, you know. Or we can simply wait until ye get too annoyin' for me to bear. Either way, this cavern will be yer tomb."
He then took the ring from the flailing Crimson Baroness and turned to the other two pegasi. "And ye two will be joinin' her."
Scootaloo gulped. "T-Tailspin? Y-you wouldn't happen to have another plan, would you?"
Tailspin looked over at the entrance that the Crimson Baroness made and drew in a sharp breath through her teeth.
"J-just one," she said.
"I'm afraid to ask," said Scootaloo.
"MAKE A RUN FOR IT!"
With that, Tailspin tried to fly past Das Reingold, only to get blocked off. Das Reingold chortled.
"Ye be goin' nowhere, lass," he said, putting the ring onto his hoof. "Nopony can escape the wrath of Das Reingold."
The ring began to glow again, and several more bones latched onto Das Reingold's body. His form grew and grew, and his shape began to change. Tailspin swallowed.
"Okay, Plan B," she said.
"What's Plan B?" asked Scootaloo, although she already had a rough idea.
"RUN THE OTHER WAY!"
Tailspin flew off into the caverns while Scootaloo hopped on her scooter and followed quickly at her heels. Meanwhile, Das Reingold had finished his transformation. No long was he a skeletal sea pony, but instead a large skeletal dragon. With a harrowing roar, he marched after the two pegasi. The Crimson Baroness snorted.
"One way or another, I'll get that ring!" she yelled at the dragon. "It belongs to me, Das Reingold! Nopony can shoot down the Mistress of the Skies!"
As if in response, Das Reingold sent a blast of fire to the wall above before continuing the chase. The Crimson Baroness looked up, and saw a large stone come loose right above her head. She blanched.
"Mayday."
And at long last, the Crimson Baroness was shot down.
"Alright, enough with the dramatics," said Twilight firmly. "It's time you explained yourself."
"Hmph. If you insist," said the changeling with a huff. "First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Nihilmodo, genius extraordinaire. My intellect is unparalleled."
"*cough*Horseapples!*cough*" hacked Daring Do, patting her chest and clearing her throat. "Wow, sorry. I have no idea where that came from."
Nihilmodo's blank blue eyes narrowed. "It's going to be so satisfying to see you disappear," it snarled at Daring before clearing its throat. "Now, as you are no doubt aware, I am not your typical changeling."
"Yeah, that's kinda obvious, considering that you're working alone," said Rainbow Dash, crossing her forelegs.
"There's a reason for that, my dear Rainbow Crash," said Nihilmodo haughtily. "It's because every other changeling in the hive is a narrow-minded dullard. All they care about is feeding on love and conquering Equestria. Pah! I could do that with my eyes closed. That's why I left the hive."
"You left the hive?" Twilight parroted.
"Well, to be more precise, Queen Chrysalis kicked me out," said Nihilmodo plainly. "She claimed it was something about me being obnoxious, but I think she was either jealous or afraid of my prowess. Probably both, if I had to judge."
"Geeze, and I thought Ahui had a big ego," said Daring with an amused chuckle.
Nihilmodo slumped its shoulders and sighed. "Alright, why are you laughing?" it asked Daring. "I'm erasing you from existence. Your very being is in my hooves. In a few moments, you will be destroyed in every sense of the term and on every conceptual level! And yet you're laughing! At me!"
"And why shouldn't I? You've been a barrel of laughs this entire adventure," said Daring with a shrug.
Nihilmodo marched right up to Daring and stared her in the eye. "Apparently, you don't comprehend the gravity of your situation, Ms. Do. Actually, let me rephrase that. You never comprehend the gravity of any situation you're in, and it ticks me off!"
"Really? That's why you're erasing Daring Do from existence?" asked Rainbow, more annoyed than disturbed. "That's, pretty lame."
"Of course that's not the reason!" Nihilmodo barked before taking a deep breath and regaining its composure. "Though I will admit, it did give me some incentive."
It then turned back to Daring, a sinister gleam in its eyes. "Nothing ever fazes you, Ms. Do. You face peril after peril, and yet your spirit remains unbroken. Well, I'm going to change that. Before you vanish, I am going to break open your shell, and reveal the simpering filly you truly are."
Daring blinked. "I'm sorry, are you talking about me?"
"I'm, looking right at you," said Nihilmodo, equally confused. "Who else would I be talking about?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that you don't really know me very well," said Daring, folding her forelegs.
"I know you better than you know yourself," hissed Nihilmodo. "I know that even the strongest heroine has a sensitive side that is just waiting to be exposed and eviscerated. And after forcing myself to read each and every one of your retched adventures, I think it's only fitting that I act as a catalyst to that payoff."
Daring's face contorted in disgust. "Okay, so not only are you a psychopath with an ego that would put every villain I have ever fought to shame, but you're also misogynistic. Kinda weird, considering that you apparently have no real gender identity, but I'm still insulted."
"Besides, Daring does have a sensitive side," Rainbow added. "She's always concerned about her partners, even when they act without thinking. How is that not sensitive?"
Nihilmodo leered at Rainbow. "Don't you lecture me, Rainbow Crash," it snarled, advancing towards the cyan speedster. "I am a genius. I know more than your puny mind can possibly comprehend. And I'll prove it."
"How?"
"By showing you your dismal future," said Nihilmodo.
Its horn then expelled a stream of energy, forming a viewing portal that showed various images. "Let's start from the beginning. After Queen Chrysalis rudely expelled me from the hive because she couldn't comprehend my intelligence and ambition, I hid myself away. During my solitude, my brilliant mind worked furiously to create a plan that would unravel the very fabric of Equestria. And then, one day, inspiration struck. You."
It pointed its hoof at Rainbow Dash, who wasn't sure what to make of this revelation. "Me?"
"Indeed, Rainbow Crash," said Nihilmodo. "I believe it was during one of your pony traditions. Winter Tie In, or something."
"Winter Wrap Up," Rainbow corrected.
"Whatever, it's irrelevant to the story," said Nihilmodo with a dismissive wave of its hoof. "Anyway, you were escorting the southern birds along with another pegasus, and you two were having a bit of a chat. Now, I've heard about you from Queen Chrysalis, but as you talked to this other pony whose name is not important, something became clear to me."
"And what's that?"
"Your Element is a lie."
Rainbow stared at Nihilmodo as if it had three heads. "Excuse me?"
"Well, let me clarify," said Nihilmodo. "For one who claims to be the Element of Loyalty, you don't follow it all that closely. And as one who has served Queen Chrysalis until I decided to broaden my horizons, I speak from experience."
"What the hay are you talking about?" said Rainbow, incredibly insulted. "I may let my pride get the better of me sometimes, but I'm always loyal to my friends."
"Oh really?" asked Nihilmodo. "What about Gilda? Or Lightning Dust? Or, dare I say, Spitfire? They were your friends, and yet you turned on them."
Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "You really don't know anything about anything, do you? Loyalty's a two-way street, pal. I count on my friends just as much as they count on me. Also, being loyal doesn't mean I'm a blind yespony who does whatever she's told. When I felt that Gilda was being a jerk for no good reason, I let her know it. When I felt that Lightning Dust's reckless behavior was out of control, I let her know it. And yes, when I felt that Spitfire was rewarding Lightning's recklessness instead of what really mattered, I let her know it. 'Cause that's what friends do."
Nihilmodo sneered. "You know, the very fact that you're trying to debate me on this just proves how right I am and how oh-so-delusional you are."
"I think you've got that backwards, buddy," said Daring.
"And I think you should shut up," Nihilmodo growled. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. My inspiration. I heard you talk of many things, Rainbow Crash. About the Wonderbolt Academy, about Daring Do, and about your precious fan Scootaloo. That got me to thinking: What if I could take all that away?
"So, I searched for the darkest and most sinister magic I could find. It wasn't long before I discovered a spell that could erase literature. Not just the words, mind you, but the ideas behind them. And because your flawed 'loyalty' offended my sensibilities, Daring Do was the perfect test subject. So, I perfected the spell and set my plan into motion. I had your little friend and literary heroine swap places so that they would both be erased when the spell was complete."
"And you also recruited Gilda and Lightning Dust as minions and sicced your basilisk on the Wonderbolts," said Rainbow.
"Correct and correct," said Nihilmodo. "Although I do wish you were a bit more gentle with Fluffers. Basilisks are not easy to come by."
Twilight gave Nihilmodo a blank stare. "Wait, you named your basilisk Fluffers? Why?"
"Simply to subvert expectations," said Nihilmodo with a shrug. It then turned back to Rainbow, a nefarious twinkle in its eyes. "And now, Rainbow Crash. The part where I reveal your future. Once Scootaloo and Daring Do have disappeared, only you will remember them. Everypony else will believe that they never existed. You will mourn for something that nopony else even remembers. They will brand you insane. And soon, you will go insane."
Rainbow cringed. "Yeesh. And all this just because you disagree with how I represent Loyalty? Boy, do you have issues."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you, Rainbow Crash?!" Nihilmodo snapped, its horn pulsing with magic. "Well, that's because you cannot even begin to fathom my genius! After this, no literary work is safe! I could even unravel the very fabric of history if I so desired! I have the most powerful mind in all of Equestria!"
"Translation: You're a pretentious twit with delusions of grandeur, an overly-complex scheme that would make Ahuizotl weep, and motives more difficult to follow than a sea pony riddle," said Daring, completely unimpressed. "Can we just skip to the part where we beat you to a pulp and force you to change everything back to normal?"
Nihilmodo chortled. "Oh, that's not in my little script for the finale. But I think you'll find what I have in store much more, intense."
With that, it used its magic to yank the copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold from Rainbow's saddlebag.
"So, here's the deal," said Nihilmodo. "I will go into this story and use my magic to cause Mt. Götterdämarerung to erupt. The eruption mixed with my magic will destroy your world and erase your story along with everypony in it, forever! This is the end, Ms. Do! Enjoy what's left of your pitiful existence!"
With a maniacal cackle, the changeling transformed into a beam of light and flew into the book.
"We gotta go after it!" said Rainbow. "No way is it gonna do that to Daring and Scootaloo!"
"But how?" asked Twilight. "I don't know any spells that can do that."
"Yes you do," said Daring. "You just saw it with your own eyes. You just need to replicate it, and send Rainbow Dash and me into the book."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You really think it's that simple?"
"Wouldn't hurt to try," said Daring with a shrug.
Twilight used her breathing technique to center herself. "Alright, I'll give it a shot. Rainbow, you and Daring stand close to one another."
"Right," said Rainbow, flying over to Daring.
Twilight then closed her eyes and focused all of her energy. Her horn became bathed in magenta light, which became brighter and brighter. When it seemed its brightest, she launched a beam at Rainbow and Daring. The two pegasi became cyan and olive-colored beams of light and disappeared into the book. She then opened the book and began flipping through the pages, the spell still active.
"I know you and Daring can pull this off, Rainbow Dash," she whispered to herself with a small smirk. "Nevertheless, I wish you both the best of luck."
Das Reingold's sinister laugh sent chills up Scootaloo's spine as she and Tailspin fled deeper into the caverns. She didn't know how far away he was, but she was too frightened to look back. Instead, she kept her eyes straight ahead, flapping her diminutive wings like there was no tomorrow and keeping a firm grip on the handlebars of her scooter while Tailspin kept pace in the air.
"There better not be a dead end," she said half to herself.
"D-don't think about stuff like that. Y-you're making me n-nervous," said Tailspin apprehensively.
Scootaloo opened her mouth to respond when a plume of flame illuminated the cave. With a shriek, she sped up and darted ahead.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Tailspin cried, increasing her own acceleration.
Several more bursts of fire followed, along with the heavy stomps of Das Reingold. As he got closer and closer, the two pegasi felt their hearts beat faster and faster. They swerved around erratically in a desperate attempt to dodge the dragon's fiery breath.
After one particular close call, Tailspin emerged from her swoop to notice that something didn't smell right. She sniffed the air a few times before her face lost all color. Slowly, she turned her head, and found that her tail had indeed been set alight.
"AH! MY TAIL!" she screamed, frantically trying to put out the blaze. In her panic, she didn't look where she was going and crashed right into Scootaloo. The two pegasi rolled and tumbled across the stone floor before skidding to a stop.
"Ugh, great. I screwed up again," Tailspin groaned as she got her bearings. "Hey, Scootaloo. You alright? I'm really sorry about that."
There was a muffled noise.
"What?"
The muffled noise repeated itself.
"Sorry, didn't catch that."
"Iph phaid get offa me!"
Tailspin blushed. "O-oh," she said sheepishly as she lifted herself up. "S-sorry."
Scootaloo got to her feet and shook herself before taking a few breaths. "I-I'm okay. I'm okay," she panted. "Let's hightail it out of here before..."
She trailed off when she noticed a shadow draping over her and Tailspin. With a gulp, she turned around to see none other than Das Reingold towering over them.
"'Tis the end of the line, me hearties," said Das Reingold. "Prepare to die."
Scootaloo and Tailspin hugged each other tightly, shivering with fright and scrunching their eyes shut. Time seemed to stand still as they waited for Das Reingold to attack.
Just then, there was a bright flash. Fearing that it was Das Reingold's attack, Scootaloo squeezed Tailspin tighter. All was still for a moment. Then, she heard a voice.
"Wow. That sure felt weird. You think the spell worked, Daring?"
Her ears perked up. Tentatively, she opened one eye to see what was going on. Her eyes snapped open, and her heart skipped a beat.
"R-Rainbow Dash?"
Tailspin opened her own eyes, looking down at Scootaloo in confusion. "Wh-what was that?"
"It's Rainbow Dash!" said Scootaloo, pointing at the familiar cyan pegasus. "Look, over there!"
Tailspin turned to where Scootaloo was pointing, and gasped.
"P-Professor Daring?"
Rainbow Dash and Daring Do heard their names being called, and turned to see Scootaloo and Tailspin huddled together. Daring smirked.
"That answer your question?" she asked Rainbow Dash rhetorically.
"What be this?!" Das Reingold roared. "Where did ye two come from?!"
Daring turned back to the pirate ghost and crossed her forelegs. "Ah. Das Reingold, I presume," she said. "Hey, Rainbow Dash. You mind if I handle this one?"
"I'd be insulted if you didn't," said Rainbow. "After all, this is your story."
Daring chuckled. "Too true, too true," she said. "Now, just make sure to keep Tailspin and your friend out of harm's way, yeah?"
"I'm on it," said Rainbow with a salute. She flew down to the younger ponies, leaving Daring alone with Das Reingold.
"Alright, lass. Ye'd better start talkin'," Das Reingold snarled. "Who be ye?"
"The name's Daring Do," said Daring with a tip of her pith helmet. "I'm a professional adventurer."
"An adventurer, eh?" said Das Reingold. "Well, yer adventurin' days be over, lass. Those who find the treasure of Das Reingold are never heard from again."
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before," said Daring with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "And just like all those other times, I'm gonna break that status quo."
Das Reingold laughed. "Ye got spirit, lass! I'll grant ye that! But that's all ye got."
"Well, a little spirit goes a long way," said Daring. "After all, look what happened to you."
Das Reingold's mood soured. "Them be fightin' words, lass. Ye be askin' for an early grave."
"What can I say? I like to tempt fate," said Daring with a shrug. "It's part of my charm."
Instead of responding, Das Reingold blew a plume of fire in Daring's direction. Daring swooped out of the way. When she emerged, she still wore a complacent sneer.
"Oh, you wanna dance, huh?" she said, adjusting her hat. "Alright then, tough guy. Let's dance."
With that, she swooped towards a pile of gold.
"Keep yer hooves off of that, ye scurvy dog!" Das Reingold bellowed, breathing fire at Daring. Daring quickly flew out of the way, hovering over another gold pile. With an angry roar, Das Reingold sent another plume after Daring. Once again, Daring managed to dodge it. The pattern continued as such for a long time before Das Reingold got frustrated.
"Ye yellow-bellied filly!" he boomed, chastising Daring. "Quit runnin' away and fight like a stallion! Ye haven't even tried to lay a hoof on me!"
Daring turned to Das Reingold and raised an eyebrow. "You're a pirate ghost. Why would I even bother?" she said. "Besides, I think I'd take a look around if I were you."
"Huh?! What do ye—?"
Das Reingold looked around, and was horrified by what he saw. All of his treasure that he had collected in life was now melting before his sockets.
"No! NO!" he howled, scrambling towards the gold piles. He sifted his skeletal claws through the melted gold, trying to salvage at least one gold coin or one gemstone. Alas, there was nothing left.
"Me treasure! I-it's gone!" he exclaimed.
"It's pretty ironic, isn't it?" said Daring. "That Ring of the Dragon Sages cursed you so that you'd protect the treasure for eternity, and you end up destroying it trying to do just that. Tsk, what a shame."
Das Reingold suddenly looked at the ring on his claw. "So, that was yer game, eh?" he said. "Somehow, I knew this curse was too good to be true. Well, take yer curse to the fires of Mt. Götterdämarerung! I be through with ye!"
With that, he tore the ring off and threw it with all his might. As soon as he did that, he fell to pieces bone by bone and began to chuckle sorrowfully. Soon enough, the notorious sea pony pirate completely disappeared.
"It's as they say, Das Reingold. You can't take it with you," said Daring somberly, taking off her hat in reverence. "Rest in peace."
After a moment of silence, she put her hat back on and looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was watching with Scootaloo and Tailspin from a safe distance. "Hey, you three alright?" she asked.
"We're fine," said Rainbow, emerging from the shadows. "That was pretty awesome, Daring. Not that I expected anything less from you."
"I-I don't get it," said Tailspin. "H-how'd you—?"
"Know what to do?" said Daring, finishing Tailspin's thought. "I thought you would know that, Tailspin. Didn't you get the notes from my last lecture? I covered Das Reingold and the Ring of the Dragon Sages quite thoroughly."
Tailspin rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I, guess I forgot," she said with a sigh. "I've just been screwing up a lot lately." Tears then began rolling down her cheeks. "I-I was completely lost without you, Dare. I had no idea what to do, and I kept acting like I did, but..."
"Alright, kiddo. Settle down," said Daring, walking over to Tailspin and placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Listen, I understand. This was your first adventure, and things didn't turn out the way they should have. You got scared, but were afraid to show it. Well, I'm telling you that it's okay to be scared. You just can't let it stop you. Now, that may be easier said than done, but with practice, you'll get the hang of it."
Tailspin looked up at Daring. "D-does this mean I'm *sniff* still your partner?"
"Whenever you can find the time," said Daring with a warm smile.
Overcome with emotion, Tailspin wrapped her forelegs around Daring and gave her a big hug.
"Th-thank you, Dare," she said between sobs. "I-I missed you."
After watching Tailspin and Daring Do reunite, Scootaloo looked over at her own heroine and gave her a hug of her own.
"I-I missed you too, Rainbow Dash," she murmured. "I-I'm so happy you found me."
"Heh. Like I was gonna leave you hanging," said Rainbow, bringing her foreleg around the young filly. "I, actually missed you too, Scoot. I'm glad you're alright."
The reunion was interrupted by a sudden tremor, followed by nefarious cackling.
"D-Dare? Wh-what's that?" whimpered Tailspin.
"The cause of all our problems," said Daring, her eyes narrowing. "And if we want to live to see tomorrow, we gotta put a stop to it."
"Wh-what do you mean?" asked Tailspin.
"I'll explain on the way," said Daring. "You game, Rainbow Dash?"
"You bet," said Rainbow, determination in her voice. "Whaddya say, Squirt? You wanna help, too?"
Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Can I?"
"I don't see why not," said Rainbow with a shrug. "You have as much of a stake in this as we do."
"Darn right," said Daring. "It's time we averted this catastrophe."
"Alright!" cheered Scootaloo. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Catastrophe Averters! Yay!"
With that, she hopped onto her scooter and sped away.
"Hey, wait up!" Rainbow called out, flying after her.
Daring tilted her head at Scootaloo's comment, and then turned to Tailspin.
"Don't ask me. I don't know what it means, either," Tailspin said with a shrug. "Well, c'mon!"
She then flew off herself. Daring sniggered and shook her head.
"This has been a strange day," she mused. "And coming from me, that's saying something."
With that, she spread her wings and took off, quickly catching up to the other three pegasi.
As the four pegasi made their way up Mt. Götterdämarerung, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash brought Scootaloo and Tailspin up to speed.
"So, let me see if I got this straight," said Tailspin as Daring concluded her story. "That booby trap in Argoats transported you to another plane of existence where your adventures are published in a series of fictional novels, and some pretentious maggot is trying to erase those adventures and you from existence."
"That's pretty much the story in a nutshell," said Daring. "There's more to it, but honestly, I can't follow that thing's logic at all."
"I'm just gonna make it easier on myself and say it hates Rainbow Dash for no good reason," said Scootaloo with an angry snort. "That's more than enough reason for me to kick its tail."
"Easy, Squirt," Rainbow said sternly. "Even if that Nihilmodo guy is a complete moron, changelings are a tricky bunch. Not to mention it somehow managed to get this far in its plans."
The area around them was suddenly bathed in green light as a beam of magic from above shot into the heart of the volcano. Soon afterward, the tremors returned.
"Case in point," said Daring, adjusting her hat. "Let's kick it into high gear, ponies! Time is of the essence!"
Nopony needed to be told twice. The four of them picked up the pace, and in no time at all, they reached the summit of Mt. Götterdämarerung. Just as they suspected, Nihilmodo was hovering above the mountain, shooting its magic into the crater.
"Hold it right there, you creep!" Rainbow called out.
Nihilmodo turned to the voice, and its eyes widened in surprise.
"Wh-wh-what?! H-how in the name of all that is holy did you get here?!" it sputtered.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I always feel better with a unicorn around," said Daring. "It was just a matter of having her copy your little spell."
"B-b-but that's impossible! You're not supposed to be here!" Nihilmodo whined. "You're supposed to resign yourself to your fate! You're supposed to cower before my genius!"
"I'm sorry, is this thing for real?" said an utterly appalled Tailspin. "Did it actually expect Daring Do to just give up? Daring never gives up!"
"Apparently, it didn't get the memo," said Daring.
"Silence!" Nihilmodo bellowed. "I will erase you, Ms. Do! I will see Rainbow Crash's mind crack like an egg! And I will prove my mettle as the greatest genius Equestria has ever known! What's more, there is nothing any of you can do to stop me!"
"Wanna bet?" Rainbow snarled, putting up her dukes.
Nihilmodo's eyes narrowed. "I don't make bets, Rainbow Crash. When you're a genius, you don't need luck. I already know that I can defeat all of you without even trying."
"But wait, didn't you just say you didn't expect us to be here?" inquired Scootaloo, tilting her head. "How are you prepared to fight us?"
Nihilmodo scoffed. "Do you actually expect me to explain my genius? Trust me, your brain would explode trying to to comprehend it."
"Ah, so that's your big plan," said Daring in mocking contemplation. "I gotta say, I've never had a villain try and bore me to death with pretentious drivel. Congrats on being the first."
Nihilmodo's expression became deadpan. "You know what? I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. I'm just going to finish my spell and cause Mt. Götterdämarerung to erupt, destroying all of you on every conceptual level."
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" proclaimed Rainbow, pounding her hooves. Daring adjusted her pith helmet, Scootaloo revved up her wings, and Tailspin lowered her goggles.
Nihilmodo sighed. "Fine. Then I'll just have to make sure you don't have anything to say about it. I'll try to leave some of you alive just so that I can watch your expressions as you disappear from existence, but I make no promises."
It then changed its form into that of Das Reingold and launched a fireball from its boney hooves. The four pegasi scattered, dodging the attack with ease. With a snarl, Nihilmodo transformed into Lightning Dust and flew after Rainbow Dash.
"I suppose you could call this a mercy killing!" it said in Lightning's voice. "I truly sympathize! After all, I'd want to end my own existence if I knew I was going to lose my sanity!"
Rainbow leered at Nihilmodo. "That's not gonna happen, you nutball! I'll make sure of it!" she hollered back.
Nihilmodo was aghast. "Oh, you did not just call me that!"
It then swerved and tried to ram Rainbow Dash. Rainbow saw the attack and maneuvered out of the way, swooping in for a counterattack. The two of them rammed each other several times, neither side giving an inch. Then, just as Rainbow made one final swoop, Nihilmodo changed into Gilda and swiped at her with its talons. Not prepared for this, she took the brunt of the attack, spinning out of control.
"Time you lived up to your nickname, Rainbow Crash!" Nihilmodo laughed. It changed into Das Reingold and prepared to launch a plume of flame after Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Nihilmo-dummy! Over here!"
Nihilmodo's shoulders became tense. "Who said that?! Who had the gall to refer to me in such an unsavory manner?!" it demanded, turning its head. It was greeted with the sight of a smug-looking Tailspin.
"I did," said Tailspin, folding her forelegs. "So, what're you gonna do about it?"
Instead of responding, Nihilmodo launched its fireball at Tailspin. Tailspin began flying around like a madpony, the attack missing her by a mile. With a snarl of frustration, Nihilmodo continued to fire plume after plume of flame at Tailspin, only to miss every single time.
"My, what a lousy shot you are!" Tailspin teased. "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if you were standing right in front of it!"
With a roar of aggravation, Nihilmodo transformed into the Crimson Baroness and flew after Tailspin. Tailspin allowed it to chase her, doing barrel rolls, loop-the-loops, and all other kinds of tricky maneuvers. To her surprise, Nihilmodo managed to keep pace.
"A nice diversion, but it ends here, runt!" it said with a sneer. It then caught up to Tailspin and decked her across the cheek. Tailspin was knocked off-course, falling in a downward spiral. Before Nihilmodo could pursue, it felt a tap on its shoulder. It turned around to see Daring Do, an angry inferno blazing in her magenta eyes.
"You want sensitivity? I'll give you sensitivity," she said coldly. "Nobody messes with my partner."
She then punched Nihilmodo across the jaw. Nihilmodo growled and changed into Gilda, swiping at Daring with its talons. Daring narrowly dodged the scratch and punched again. The two continued to exchange blows, making their way down towards Mt. Götterdämarerung.
***
Meanwhile, Scootaloo was circling the crater on her scooter, waiting for her opportunity to join the fray. She caught sight of Rainbow Dash dropping from the sky and gasped in horror.
"Rainbow Dash!" she cried out, racing towards her idol. She managed to catch up to her just as Rainbow recovered from the dive.
"Nngh. That was pretty dirty," Rainbow growled, rubbing her cheek.
"Rainbow Dash, are you alright?" asked Scootaloo.
"Nothing hurt but my pride," said Rainbow. "That changeling is tougher than it looks. We need to step up our game."
"Got any ideas?" Scootaloo inquired.
"One," said Rainbow. "But I'm saving it for later. In the meantime, we should just keep it occupied."
"I know just the thing," said Scootaloo with a cocky smirk. "Now, if only it would come down here..."
Rainbow took a glance around, and saw a small incline in the crater leading towards where Daring and Nihilmodo were proceeding to duke it out. She gave a smirk of her own.
"Looks like you got your wish, Squirt," she said, pointing it out. "Think you can handle it?"
"You bet!" said Scootaloo, flapping her wings. She then looked nervous. "But, it'd make me feel better if you were with me."
Rainbow's smile broadened. "No prob, Scoot," she said. "I'm your wing."
Scootaloo nodded and sped off towards the incline, with Rainbow Dash not far behind.
***
Daring and Nihilmodo traded blow after blow, and neither of them were ready to back down. Suddenly, Daring's punch was blocked when Nihilmodo grabbed her hoof in its talon. It dug its claws into Daring's foreleg and began to twist it.
"T-took you long enough to *ergh* do that!" Daring grunted, fighting against the pain.
"Shut up!" Nihilmodo spat. "Just shut up and bend to my will!"
"Over my dead body!"
Tailspin suddenly flew in out of nowhere, buzzing Nihilmodo with her wings. Being distracted, the changeling didn't notice Scootaloo as she rode her scooter off of Mt. Götterdämarerung and did an aerial somersault right onto its back.
"Guess who~," she said playfully, covering Nihilmodo's eyes with her hooves.
"H-hey! Get off of me, you little brat!" Nihilmodo snapped, desperately trying to shake Scootaloo off and forgetting all about Daring. Daring looked on with interest as Nihilmodo flew around erratically. Rainbow Dash flew alongside it, serving as Scootaloo's safety net. But no matter what the changeling did, Scootaloo would not let go. Tailspin observed the spectacle as well, and found herself doubling over in laughter.
"Alright! Ride 'em, Scootaloo!" she cheered. She then turned to Daring. "Seriously, why should we be afraid of this thing?"
"Don't know, don't care," said Daring. "I'm just enjoying the show."
"When I get this runt off of me, you will all pay!" Nihilmodo barked, continuing to swoop and dive in a desperate attempt to throw Scootaloo off.
"Oh, right. Like she's gonna let go now that she knows you're gonna do that," said Tailspin sardonically. "For a self-proclaimed 'genius,' you don't use your brain all that much, do you?"
Nihilmodo snorted. "Fine! Then I'll make her get off!"
It then shifted its form into that of Ahuizotl, using its tail to pry Scootaloo off of its back. Scootaloo struggled in its grip.
"Now I have you right where I want you," said Nihilmodo with a sneer, drawing back its fist. Just then, it felt a tap on its shoulder. "Nice try, Ms. Do. But fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on—"
It was cut off when it landed with a resounding thud on the stone path leading into Mt. Götterdämarerung. Scootaloo flew from its grip, and was caught by Rainbow.
"I was just trying to remind you that Ahuizotl can't fly," said Daring with a shrug. "But it looks like you found that out on your own."
Nihilmodo changed back into its original form and let out an angry rasp.
"That tears it!" it roared. "You will all disappear, now!"
It then took off into the air, its horn pulsating with magic.
"I think we made it mad," said Daring. "And ideas?"
Rainbow smiled. "You and Tailspin distract it. I've got an plan."
"Care to clue us in?" asked Tailspin.
"Let's just say this is gonna end with a bang, but not the one its expecting," said Rainbow, winking at Scootaloo. Scootaloo's eyes glistened.
"I feel like I'm missing something here," said Daring. "But hey, I like a good surprise. Alright, do what you gotta do."
"Sure thing," said Rainbow, placing Scootaloo onto her back. "Alright, Scoot! Hold on tight!"
Scootaloo did as she was told as Rainbow made a steep ascent into the sky. As she soared upwards, Daring and Tailspin flew in front of Nihilmodo.
"Hmph. Willing to get it over with, are you?" said Nihilmodo with a sneer. "Very well. Take this!"
Blasts of sinister green light erupted from the changeling's crooked horn. Daring and Tailspin flew circles around Nihilmodo, dodging each and every one. Tailspin flew straight above Nihilmodo, going into a downward spiral and buzzing it with her wings once again. While Nihilmodo tried to retaliate, Daring came up from behind and gripped its forelegs in her own.
"Pah! You think you've got me?" Nihilmodo spat. "Once my spell is fully charged, your existence will be compromised! You cannot hope to defeat a genius like myself!"
There was then a curious sound from above. Daring looked up, her eyes widening as she saw Rainbow Dash diving at a remarkable speed.
"Hey, genius. Don't look up," she said.
"What? What are you babbling abou...?"
Nihilmodo trailed off as it saw what Daring was seeing. In a panic, it struggled to pry itself from Daring's clutches, but because it was charging its spell, it couldn't change form. The sound got louder and louder as Rainbow got closer and closer.
"L-let me go!" Nihilmodo sputtered. "Let me go, you insufferable adventurer!"
Daring shrugged. "Alright, if you insist."
She then spun around and threw the changeling towards Rainbow Dash with all her might. As Nihilmodo and Rainbow collided, Rainbow's cyan form seemed to narrow. Scootaloo hung on for dear life, a large grin plastered on her face.
"Here we go!" she cheered, her voice barely audible.
Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion of color, and Rainbow shot forward at a blinding speed. The impact was too much for Nihilmodo to handle, and it quickly blacked out. As Rainbow flew up in an arc and created the trademark arch that was her namesake, she dropped the changeling down into Mt. Götterdämarerung.
"Woo-hoo!" Scootaloo screamed with delight.
"Whoa. D-did you see that, Dare?" said Tailspin, mesmerized by the spectacle.
"Tailspin, I think all of Equestria saw that," said Daring with a chuckle. "Boy, when she said this was gonna end with a bang, she wasn't kidding. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better conclusion to this adventure."
***
A harsh impact on stone snapped Nihilmodo out of unconsciousness. Snarling, it slowly got to its feet and observed its surroundings. It found that it was right next to where the magma was. A nefarious twinkle appeared in its eye.
"Celebrate while you can, Rainbow Crash," it chortled. "For I will still have the last laugh!"
It began to prepare its spell when it noticed something by its hoof. Curious, it picked it up. When it saw what it was holding, its eyes widened in horror.
"Oh no," it said. "No. No, I don't want you! I-I don't possess you! You're not mine!"
But the Ring of the Dragon Sages was oblivious to Nihilmodo's pleas. It glowed with intense energy, and the ground below Nihilmodo's hooves crumbled, sending it straight into the magma.
"No! This can't happen to a genius like me!" Nihilmodo exclaimed as it struggled in the molten pool. "I cannot be thwarted like this! The happy ending should be mine! I should be subverting their expectations! IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, WHERE THE HECK DID I GO WRONG?!"
Nihilmodo's question would remain unanswered as the last of its body was consumed by the fires of Mt. Götterdämarerung, along with the Ring of the Dragon Sages.
After Rainbow Dash finished performing her signature trick, she came in for a perfect landing on the summit of Mt. Götterdämarerung. Scootaloo was still ecstatic.
"That was the most awesome thing ever!" she cheered, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow's neck. "You're amazing, Rainbow Dash!"
"Heh, I know," said Rainbow with a chuckle.
"Hey, are we interrupting anything?"
Rainbow Dash looked up to see Daring Do and Tailspin come in for a landing. While Daring still had a cool demeanor, Tailspin couldn't even finish a sentence.
"I've seen some fancy flying, but that was... I mean, whoa! How'd you...?"
"Okay, Tailspin. Simmer down," said Daring with a hearty laugh. "That was a pretty awesome display, Rainbow Dash. What do you call it?"
"That, my friend, was a Sonic Rainboom," said Rainbow proudly. "It's a specialty of mine."
"And it was just the finishing touch to put our little changeling friend out of commission," said Daring. "Nice work."
"Thanks," said Rainbow. "You were pretty awesome yourself."
"Hey! What about me?" said Scootaloo with a pout.
Daring chuckled. "I think there's enough awesomeness to go around for all four of us." said she. "Isn't that right, Tailspin?"
"Huh?" said Tailspin, her face matching her scarf. "Oh, um..."
"Still worried about how you screwed up before, huh?" said Daring with a knowing smirk.
"W-well, kinda," said Tailspin sheepishly. "It's just, I never thought I'd get a compliment like that from you, Dare."
Daring gave Tailspin a warm smile. "Tailspin, you have a good head on your shoulders. You just gotta use it more often. And I don't care if you screw up sometimes. Honestly, I would've been more angry if you kept lying to yourself."
Tailspin twiddled her hooves for a moment. "Um, Scootaloo?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you come here for a moment?"
Scootaloo hopped off of Rainbow's back and made her way over to Tailspin. "What is it?" she asked.
Tailspin breathed a deep sigh. "Well, I didn't get a chance to say this before, so before you go back to wherever you came from, I just wanna say..."
She trailed off, her cheeks turning a more vibrant shade of red.
"Huh?" said Scootaloo, tilting her head. "What did you want to—? Oof!"
Tailspin suddenly pulled Scootaloo into a tight embrace.
"Thank you," Tailspin whispered. "Thank you for knocking some sense into me. I think I can be more comfortable with my feelings now."
"U-uh, no problem," said Scootaloo, her own face reddening. "A-and, thanks for looking after me."
Tailspin gave a self-mocking chuckle. "Oh, c'mon. Don't thank me for that. I didn't do that great of a job, anyway," said she.
"But you still cared," said Scootaloo. "Even if you didn't like me at first, you still brought me along when you could've just abandoned me any time you wanted. That has to say something, right?"
"I, suppose there's some truth to that," said Tailspin, finally releasing Scootaloo. "I'm gonna miss you, Scootaloo. You're a great friend."
"You too," said Scootaloo with a smile.
Rainbow cast her eyes downward and rubbed the back of her head. "Um, I'm gonna miss you too, Daring," she said.
Daring smirked. "What are you talking about? This isn't goodbye."
Rainbow blinked. "It isn't?"
"Rainbow Dash, if this adventure has proven anything, it's that my exploits are far from over," said Daring. "There are still many a mystery to unravel, and so much more of the world to explore. And I'm betting that each and every one of those adventures are gonna be published in your world."
Rainbow's face lit up. "Hey, you're right! Every time I read your books, it's as if I'm on the adventure with you. So, we will see each other again."
"You got it," said Daring with a wide grin. "It's like I always say. Another day..."
"Another dungeon," said Rainbow, completing the quip.
The two mares then shared a hoof bump. Afterwards, all was still for a time.
"Um, Rainbow Dash?" asked Scootaloo. "How are we supposed to get back?"
Rainbow sighed. "Hey, Twilight!" she yelled at the sky. "If you're reading this, Scoot and I would like to come home now!"
A few seconds later, Rainbow and Scootaloo became bathed in magenta light and began floating off the ground.
"Well, I guess this is it," said Daring with a tip of her hat. "Until next time."
"'Til next time," said Rainbow with a wave.
"Bye, Tailspin! And good luck!" said Scootaloo.
"Thanks! I think I'll need it!" Tailspin called back.
And with that, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo disappeared.
"So, what was it like in that other world?" asked Tailspin.
"Well, I'm not an utmost authority on it, since most of my time there was spent chasing that pretentious changeling," said Daring as she and her partner flew off into the sunset. "Hey, let's check out the library when we get back. I wanna see if our world has any books about Rainbow Dash and her friends."
Tailspin raised an eyebrow. "You really think such a book exists?"
Daring laughed. "The best thing about being an adventurer is that anything is possible, Tailspin. I'm sure you'll understand once you have a few more expeditions under your belt."
***
When Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo opened their eyes, they found themselves back in the Canterlot Archives with Twilight. Scootaloo took in a deep breath.
"Ah~. Feels good to be home," she said.
"Welcome back, you two," said Twilight. "Sorry I took so long to bring you back. I was a bit, distracted by your goodbyes to Daring and Tailspin."
"Ah, don't sweat it," said Rainbow. "So, is everything back to normal?"
"Only one way to find out," said Twilight. Using her magic, she pulled several Daring Do novels out of her saddlebags. Each and every one of them were restored to their former glory, words and all.
"Awesome! We did it!" Rainbow exclaimed, pumping her foreleg. "Daring's world is saved!"
"It looks like it," said Twilight, looking through each book. She then got to Daring Do and the Treasure of Das Reingold and raised an eyebrow. "Uh..."
"What's wrong, Twilight?" inquired Scootaloo.
"Well, I thought that when the changeling's spell was undone, all of the books would return to normal," said Twilight. "But look at this."
She showed the book to Rainbow and Scootaloo, who stared at it quizzically. In that particular book, nothing had changed. It still showed Scootaloo and Daring switching places, and all of Scootaloo's antics with Tailspin. Even the climax with the four pegasi fighting Nihilmodo was the same.
"Huh. I guess the spell couldn't be completely countered or something," said Rainbow.
"I guess that ruined the story, huh?" said Scootaloo, flattening her ears and heaving a great sigh.
Rainbow smirked and put her wing around Scootaloo. "Are you kidding, Squirt? It's true that the original story was probably gonna be awesome, but I think this version is at least twenty percent cooler."
Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow with wide eyes. "R-really?"
"Yep."
Scootaloo gave Rainbow a big hug. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash. That means so much coming from you."
"Aw, c'mon Scoot. You're embarrassing me," said Rainbow, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Well, while you two might like this, I think some ponies are gonna be pretty confused once this book officially comes out next Thursday."
"Meh, I think they're still gonna find it awesome," said Rainbow with a complacent grin.
"Yeah! I can't wait to tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo chimed in. "They're gonna flip! Hey, can we show them right now, Rainbow Dash?! Can we, can we?!"
"Well, of course, Squirt," said Rainbow, equally excited. "C'mon, Twilight! Let's get the next train back to Ponyville!"
Before Twilight could say anything else, Rainbow and Scootaloo dashed off. She simply used her breathing technique and shook her head.
"I suppose there's nothing major to worry about," she said to herself as she followed to two pegasi. "After all, they're kinda right. This was a pretty epic adventure for everypony."
"Oh really? You'll have to tell me about it in your next letter, then."
A motherly voice made Twilight stop in her tracks. She turned her head and saw her mentor, Princess Celestia, standing over her and smiling.
"Thank you for fixing the Clover the Clever Wing, Twilight," she said sweetly. "Your help was much appreciated. Well, happy Tuesday!"
Celestia then trotted off, and Twilight used her breathing technique again.
"Write a letter about my adventure. Sure," she muttered as she continued to follow Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. "As if Spike is gonna believe any of this..."
