Daring-Do and the Deserted Past Chapter 1

Daring-Do and the Deserted Past

Chapter 1


We all need things, things like air and water; but for one pony, that wasn't enough. She needed more, something a little more...interesting. One pony had something in her that made her yearn for more then what daily life could provide.

WOOSH

The flapping of wings flew through the air, drowned out by the sound of a loud engine. A yellow pony lay sleeping on a train seat, completely unaware of the pegasi outside of her window. Her grey striped mane lay curled around her side.

A few of the other passengers talked amongst each other, all waiting to arrive safely in Trottingham. Three pegasi wearing black masks flew up next to the train and flew next the windows.

The yellow pony blinked her eyes open, she felt like she had been sleeping for hours. In reality it was more like thirty minutes. She stretched her legs and tipped her hat out of her face. She shook the sleep from her head and looked down at her pack.

She had just been to an excavation site where ponies had tried to dig up a fabled Fire Ruby, a ruby that was said to be carved out hundreds of years ago but lost in time. They hadn't found it because she had just picked it up right under their noses.

"Too slow guys, you're going to have to be faster if you want to beat Daring-Do."

Daring-Do smiled at the gorgeous sparkling ruby in her saddlebag. It would make a perfect addition to the Trottingham Museum, Professor Atlas would be positively thrilled with one of these in her museum.

The masked ponies smashed through the glass windows, interrupting Daring's thoughts of fortune. Ponies in the train cart screamed at the intruders. The masked ponies looked around the train, looking for something.

Daring-Do ducked into her seat, she recognized these ponies, they had been at the excavation site she was just escaping from. They must have followed her to the train station, and now it looked like they were there to take the ruby back.

She wouldn't let them have it, not after all that work she did to get it. Besides, if they had it, it would end up on the black market fetching an insane price. That group that was trying to get the ruby was a little too shady for her tastes, she didn't want to think what would happen if they ended up with a lot of money.

"We know you're here Daring-Do, and you have something that belongs to us." One of the masked ponies shouted.

Daring-Do swallowed, she put the ruby into her small pouch and tightened it onto her army-green jacket.

"No, it doesn't belong to you." She stood up, "It belongs in a museum, not in the hooves of ponies like you!" Daring shouted back, turning to face the masked ponies.

"What right do you have to claim it? WE dug it up, WE found it, and you swiped it straight from our hooves." One of them shouted back

"History like this should be preserved, not sold. Especially not by some hoodlums like you."

"Give it back and we won't have to hurt you." The pegasus threatened.

"Come and get me!" Daring-Do retaliated.

The ponies snarled and lunged down the isle of the train, Daring jumped up and ran to the back of the train. One of the ponies flew ahead of the others and tried to stop Daring. Daring turned around and saw a pony charging at her. She ran towards the last car in the train.

The last car in the train was a storage car, meant only for storing whatever needed to be delivered. Daring ran towards the storage car with the pegasus flying right behind her. Just as she was about to reach the car her wings shot open and she flew straight into the air in between the train cars.

The pegasus chasing her was flying too fast to slow down and crashed headfirst into the storage car. Daring flew back down and closed the door behind him, locking him inside. She leaned her ear on the door and heard banging and screams of rage. She chuckled to herself and detached the train car before flying up above the train.

Another pony tackled her as she landed on the top of the train. They rolled to stop next to a large box tied down by rope. The pony tried to grab her pouch with their mouth. Daring-Do squirmed as the pony tried to rip the bag with the ruby off of her.

Daring-Do managed to kick the masked pony off of her and stood back up. She turned to the tied down box and grabbed the rope in her mouth. She quickly spun the rope into a lasso and flung it at the pony.

The lasso caught the pony around the waist and tightened. The pony looked down at the rope tied around his waist and back up to Daring-Do. Daring-Do was standing next to the box with a smirk on her face. She brought her hoof to her head and saluted him before kicking the box off the train.

The box fell onto the ground rushing beneath them, the rope tied to it bringing down the pegasus as well. Daring-Do watched as he turned into a speck off in the distance.

"That's two down." She said to herself. "Now where's the third on-"

CRACK!

Daring-Do felt a blow to the back of her head and fell forward into the train. She turned around and saw the third pegasus standing over her. She kicked the pony's legs out from under them and stood back up.

She ran across the top of train cars and stopped on top of a number of crates tied down to the train. The pony charged at her and tackled her to the roof. They exchanged blows as they rolled around between the boxes.

Daring-Do kicked the pony in their face and rolled onto her hooves. She turned and grabbed a small wooden box next to her. The pony turned to Daring-Do and saw her swinging the wooden box at their head. The box shattered as it impacted the pony's head, their eyes going cross-eyed at the blow.

Daring-Do grabbed another length of rope and tied the pony to the roof of the train.

"That outta hold you until the Guard can pick you up." She said to the unconscious pony.

The wheels of the train suddenly screeched as it pulled around a sudden turn, causing the boxes on the train to slide across the surface. Daring-Do lost her balance and was knocked against a crate, her wings instinctively spreading out to catch her fall.

As she fell a box slid across the roof of the train, Daring-Do saw the box sliding towards her and rolled to get out of the way. As she rolled out of the way of the box she felt a sharp pain coming from her back.

She had avoided the box, but her wing had gotten caught in between the crates. She winced at the pain shooting into her wing. She pushed the box off her injured appendage and ground her teeth.

She tried moving her wing but it wouldn't respond at all.

"Oh ponyfeathers not again..." She sighed.

She looked over at the pony that had tried to take the ruby, small stars were spinning around their head. He was out cold. Daring-Do hobbled back down the ladder to the train's seats, weary from her scuffle.

She rubbed her throbbing wing carefully; no doubt that she wasn't going to be able to use for a while. At least she still had the ruby, that was all that mattered. Professor Atlas would give her a good price for it. and she needed it badly. She hadn't had a decent pay in a while now.

The other ponies on the train slowly got out of their hiding places, wondering what happened to the ponies that had attacked the train. Daring-Do saw them looking around and gave them a playful wave.

"Don't worry, they're gone now. Smooth sailing from here to Trottingham. Not a problem for Daring-D-OW!"

Daring-Do grabbed her wing again, it had started to hurt in the middle of her heroic speech. She hoped they would get to Trottingham soon, she needed a doctor badly. The local authorities could easily deal with the unconscious interloper tied to the roof.

Daring-Do settled back into her seat, waving off a pony who kept asking if she was alright. All she wanted to do now was get this ruby to the museum before anypony else showed up to steal it.