CYOA - Daring Do

>The winters are rough around these parts
>Cold, harsh winds rule the wasteland
>It's rough out there
>All you can think about is survival
>But such is the life of a treasure hunter
>You slump through the snow and blizzard towards the hut
>Spending the night in an actual bed will be the greatest thing in your life
>As you reach the door, you sigh in relief
>Mustering all your power, you open it
>The ponies inside all glance at you as you enter
>You spot "Goldie Jack" in the corner
>He's dealing with the usual shady types
>Rosaline is playing cards
>She's obviously cheating, as always
>You walk up to the bar and sit down
>The bartender smiles and gets a drink ready
>He's the only pony you can trust in this place
>You'd wager more than half of the ponies in here would kill you, given the chance
>Except for Raikov "Thunder" Glass
>He's always been a friend to you
>You lob a piece of gold onto the counter
>He nods solemnly and goes to serve the other clients
>As you're planning the following day, a pony sits down next to you
>A female pony
>She isn't from Stalliongrad, that's for sure
>But you pay her no mind
>Getting into ponies' business can be dangerous
>As you take a swig of your drink, she speaks
>"So you're Anon, eh? The world famous treasure hunter?"
>The pony has turned in her seat
>She is looking right at you
>Her eyes are bold and her voice confident
>You recognize her
>Everyone does
>Everyone has heard her name
>Daring Do

"I could say the same to you. So, wanna trade stories?"
>Daring Do gives you a cocky smile
>With your typical hand gesture you order drinks for the two of you
>Within seconds two fresh drinks stand in front of you
>The two of you raise your glasses before swiftly downing the contents
>Drinking always was the best way to get warm after a day in the blizzards
>"Stories, eh? My stories have been well documented, so you must know them."
>You smile at the pony
>You did know of her adventures
>Through the jungles, the snowy peaks of The Forgotten Valley
>This mare was a living legend
>But to see her this far out was surprising
"You are quite right. So tell me this instead: What brings you all the way to Stalliongrad?"
>With those words, Daring moves closer
>Her eyes scan the room
>Although you are not looking, you can feel eyes on the two of you
>"I would prefer to talk about that in private", she whispers
>You shrug and order another drink
>You have no intention of going back out there for the night
>"Hey, this is important. Are you even listening?"

>Once more you down your drink in an instant
>Finally the warmth is starting to spread throughout your body
"I am. Do you realise how cold it is out there?"
>Daring Do sighs
>With another shrug you get back to drinking
>Granted, drinking before a day of the blizzards wasn't a very smart idea
>But you didn't care
>For now, you had to take care of yourself
>"Look, can we just go to a room? This is important."
>You notice the bar has fallen quiet
>Without turning your head, you glance around
>Many ponies are watching you
>Eyeing your every move
>The bar could be a dangerous place to be
>Many ponies had lived their last moments in this place
>And the law around here was not just
>It was bought
>Paid for in gold and trinkets
>Stalliongrad was a horrible place
>But it was also a profitable place
>So long as you played your cards right
>"Give me five minutes alone with you. That's all I'm asking."
>Daring has lowered her voice to a whisper
>Her eyes never leave you
>Not for one second

>With a cheeky smile on your lips, you face the adventerous pony
"Ooh, someone wants to be alone with me? Okay. Let's go."
>Daring gives you a deadpan stare before getting up
>You feel the entire bar watching you as Daring follows you
>Every eye in the room falls on you
>But you pay them no mind
>Ponies have attacked you before
>None lived to tell the tale
>You did not enjoy taking the lives of others
>But when it was either you or them, the choice was easy
>As you and Daring ascend the stairs in the back of the room, the bar busts into sound again
>You walk down the hall of the wooden house
>All the way to the end
>Where you enter the last door on the right
>Your room
>You lock the door behind you and turn to face Daring
>Although a legend, you don't trust her
>And you will keep your eyes on her as long as she is here
>If her hooves as much as touch anything of yours, she's going out
>"All right. I need your help with a job. I can't do it alone, and you're the only one with the expertise to help me."

>The drinks are starting to get to you
>You're in no mood for serious discussion
"With these?"
>You hold up your hands next to your head
>Followed by a great display of jazz hands
>For a moment you stand there
>With a dumb smile on your lips, waving your hands in the air
>Daring Do looks at you strangely
>Like you're some sort of freak
>"What the hell are you doing?"
>She is simply staring at you
>Looking from your hands to your eyes
>It isn't long before she speaks again
>"I thought you were a treasure hunter. But you're acting like a child."
>There is slight annoyance to be found in her voice
>Obviously this wasn't what she expected
>"Look, if you don't want to help me, fine. But don't waste my time like this."
>Daring moves forward and walks past you
>She goes to the door and starts unlocking it
>"It's a shame, really. My job could have brought you wealth beyond you wildest imagination."
>She looks back to you and sighs
>"You could have escaped the blizzards, Stalliongrad, the terrible food."
>As she opens the door, she speaks one final time
>"You could have had a life with any mare you wanted on a tropical island. Instead you want... whatever that is."

>With a chuckle you stop the jazz hands
>You sit down on your bed and wave her closer
>She smiles and relocks the door
"All right. What is it you want from me?"
>Daring's face instantly turns serious
>She was quite a strange mare
>Switching between tones and faces in an instant
>"There's something in a vault. I don't know exactly what it is. I wasn't told. But it's valuable to certain people."
>A vault doesn't sound too challenging
>In your days you have opened more vaults than you can count
>So why would she need you?"
>"The vault is deep within Marenobyl."
>Your eyes widen at the mention of that name
>You feel dryness claiming your throat
"Nobody goes to Marenobyl and lives. Nobody."
>Daring's cocky smile returns once more
>"Nobody. Except for us."
>You aren't sure if the mare is pulling a prank
>After what happened all those years ago, going to Marenobyl is no more than a death wish
>You shudder to think what horrors occupy the place
>"Look, I can't do this alone. I need your help. We'll split the profit 50-50. You in or not?"

>You think long and hard
>Marenobyl wasn't exactly the place you dreamed of going to
>But Daring did have a good track record
>So far, she hadn't failed a job
>Not that you knew of, at least
>With your skill and her experience, it might just be possible
>Might being the key word
>Not wanting to commit yourself fully just yet, you ask
"How much are we splitting?"
>Daring's eyes light up and she smiles
>"Millions. More bits than you could ever spend."
>She looks like a kid on Christmas eve
>"More than enough to buy all the booze you could ever want. You could buy your own country if you so pleased."
>Booze did sound good
>You like booze
>Maybe this was actually a good opportunity after all
>"What do you say? Wanna go on an adventure... 'partner'?"

"All right, fine. But let's not rush things. From what I read, you tend to do that."
>Daring frowns at you but eases up a moment later
>She spits in her hoof and reaches out to you
>With a loud snort you spit in your hand and grab her hoof
>You shake thrice and smile
>"I'm glad you made the sensible choice."
"Yeah, going to Marenobyl sure is sensible."
>You lay down in your bed, completely relaxed
>From the corner of your eye, you see Daring remove her hat and gear
>Before you can speak, she lies down next to you
"What do you think you're doing?"
>She gives you a surprised stare
>"I'm killing sheep. What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to sleep."
>You stare at her in disbelief
"This is my bed in my room."
>Daring simply punches your shoulder and laughs
>"We're going to be spending the next long while together. You better get used to it, sunshine."
>With that she turns to her side and closes her eyes

>Well, if she's going to be like that
>You move closer and put your arm around her
>She seems to be startled for just a moment
>You bury your face in her black mane
>It reeks of jungles and snow
>It is the smell of adventure
>Daring lets loose a quiet moan as you snuggle into her
>All right, this night might get even better
>For a moment you lay there, pressed against the adventerous mare
>She inhales deeply
>Suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your groin
>It is a pain so great you can't even scream
>You are breathless
>Daring simply chuckles
>"I might be working with you, but don't push your luck, sunshine."
>After a full minute of breathlessnes, you groan
>You turn away from Daring and groan even louder into the pillow
>You wonder if you will ever have kids after this
>"Good night, partner."

>The following morning you are still aching
>Sleep was quite uncomfortable after the kick
>The two of you are walking through the bar in silence
>As you are about to leave, you hear a familiar voice call out
>"Hey, Anon! Come over for a second."
>You excuse yourself and walk over to the bartender
>His face is stern and he lowers his voice
>"Be careful around that mare, all right? Ponies have... disappeared when around her, you catch me?"

>With a cocky smile on your lips you reply
"Well, I'm no pony."
>Raikov chuckles and gives you a fist bump
>"I'll be seeing you around, I hope. Don't go dying on me."
>As you walk back to Daring, you wave
"I'll be back to get you outta this place soon enough, don't you worry. I need a bartender when I'm rich and retired."
>As you exit the bar, you are pleasantly surprised
>Although cold, there is no blizzard raging
>Nor any snowing
>It's the ideal weather for travel
>Daring Do is looking at a map, marking locations
"Lead the way."
>She quickly puts away the map and starts walking
>"Friend of yours?"
>You look to the mare
"Hm?"
>"The bartender. You two seemed friendly."

>You shrug
"Sure. I know all the regulars back at that place. Good folks, but not always the most honest. Know what I mean?"
>Daring laughs loudly
>"Compared to what I run into, I would consider those people angels."
>Yeah, you had heard of the people she had been involved with
>Nasty, backstabbing scum
>If you recalled correctly, there was even something about her brother
>He had handed her over in exchange for wealth
>Found the end of his life at that exchange
>Poor fellow
>Then again, making trades with these types never was a good idea
>He was so young, too
>No more than eighteen
>You wonder how Daring carried on with that on her shoulders

>After walking for many hours through the snow, the blizzards finally started
>With nowhere else to turn, the two of you rush for a cave in the distance
>Caves were notoriously dangerous around these parts
>But the two of you had no choice
>As you get inside you both hold your breaths
>With cautious steps you walk through the small cave
>Luckily it seems unoccupied
>Though its owner could be out there, prowling
>It could return at any moment
>Caves were never truly safe
>Simply putting your gear as comfort for your back, you sit down next to Daring
>Although a seasoned explorer and adventourer, she looks exhaused
>The blizzards of these lands were a level above the jungles, her home field

"We best huddle for warmth, darlin'. Better safe than sorry."
>Daring looks at you like you're retarded
>"You're right. But you better keep your hands to yourself."
>Almost being able to feel that kick again, you smile at her
"My hands are staying way away. Don't you worry."
>With a slight chuckle Daring lays her upper body onto yours
>You put your arms around her, but gently
>Don't want her getting the wrong impression
>Not that it would necessarily be wrong
>But if you could avoid another kick, you were a happy man
>Lying here, with the legend in your arms in a cold cave in north was not what you expected to do today
>But fate wishes for it to happen, and you weren't complaining
>It seems even Daring is relaxing quite so
>Her breathing is calm and quiet
>Though you know she is headstrong and confident, a mare of adventure
>Now that she is lying there in your arms, half asleep, she looks like any other pony
>She looks like ... her
>The mare from Trotsky
>The one you never saved
>Stifling a gulp you feel the tears coming
>But you quickly close your eyes and try to sleep
>"Anon? Is something wrong?"
>The books did always describe her as observant
>You could have done without it right now

"Just, uh."
>You have to stifle another gulp
"Bad memories."
>Daring looks to you with knowing eyes
>You respect her privacy and she yours
>It is not something you have explicitly agreed upon
>It was simply a rule of the treasure hunters
>You have all seen terrible things
>Horrible, inhumane things
>Things that are best forgotten and kept in a safe
"So, about that vault."
>Daring's expression immediately changes
>"It's located within the power plant."
>You start choking on your own breathing
>"In the cellar, to be exact."
>The choking doesn't end
"A-are you crazy?!"
>Daring shrugs
>"You signed up for it."
>After getting a hold of yourself and calming down your lungs, you speak
"We can't go there! It's the heart of the accident! Who knows what's in there!"
>Daring chuckles at that
>"And here I thought you were a fearless treasure hunter. The finest Stalliongrad had ever seen. What? Is 'The Scavenger' afraid of getting his hands dirty?"

"No. But I'm afraid of mutating into some weird shit."
>The cave erupts with laughter
>You fail to see the humor of the situation
>For minutes Daring laughs
>And you sit there like an idiot, watching her
>"I, uh, you, hooh! You're a human. Doesn't get much weirder than that."
>You really thought ponies were past the point of joking about your appearance
>Not that it bothered you at all
>It was just impressive how long they kept going
"Yeah, yeah, real funny."
>Daring snickers
>"I know what you mean, though. Luckily there is a building outside the Zone where we will be able to get protective suits."
>Well, that does sound promising
>Of course they wouldn't have suits near a magical power plant of that scale
>Anything else would just be suicide
>Still, there could be unspeakable horrors lying in wait for you
>That safe better be worth it

"Well, let's get going then."
>You're just about to get up when you feel a hoof on your chest
>Daring looks up to you
>"We're not going anywhere in this weather. Lay down and relax. You're going to need the strength."
>You take a glance outside
>The blizzard is still raging
>Daring was right, you wouldn't get anywhere
>Reluctantly you lay down and close your eyes
>You automatically begin stroking Daring's mane
>She doesn't seem to mind, however
>Within minutes, the two of you drift off from exhaustion

>The next few days are uneventful
>You simply walk as far as your legs will carry you through the snow
>The weather had mercy on you
>No blizzards followed the inital one
>As a result you were able to make good time in getting to Marenobyl
>There is not a single plant in sight as you get reach your destination
>Many years ago the magical overcharge swiftly ended the lives of all things in a wide radius
>Ever since then Marenobyl has been a dead zone
>Some have dared travelling there
>None ever returned
>You and Daring are walking up a hill
>The snow is fading as you reach the top
>And as you reach the peak, you see it
>The dead city of Marenobyl
>A horrid wasteland
>Entire buildings have crumbled
>Daring takes off her hat for a moment
>Holding it up against her chest
>In silence you stand, watching
>Watching the city that changed the world
>Shifted powers and changed regimes
>This was where it all began

"I can't believe this is where it happened. The explosion that killed thousands."
>Daring Do puts her hat back on and sighs
>"Yeah, looking at it now, it's so surreal."
>The two of you being walking towards the city
"Why would anyone ever build such a place anyway? Ponies were doing fine without magical power for their cities."
>Daring shakes her head
>"I don't know. It did advance technology extraordinarily, though."
"Yeah. I'm not sure ponies would ever have gotten past steam-powered trains without this place. I guess the need for advancement is too strong. Blinds you to bad decisions."
>Daring coughs as you advance towards the city
>"Ugh, this place is already getting to me. We need to find those suits."
>Strangely enough you don't feel worse in the slightest
>But you've been in vicinity of the city no more than fifteen minutes and Daring is already looking terrible
>"Come on, it's in that building over there."
>Daring lifts her hoof slowly and points at a broken down building
>Her eyes look tired, her walking is weak
>Whatever lingers in the air is slowly getting to her
>Her coughing is weary and harsh
>Like the coughing of a dying man
>Daring is in horrible shape

>After just a few moments of walking, Daring is on the verge of collapsing
>There is no way she is making it to the suits
>You quickly grab her and run back the way you came
>Daring is groaning quietly
>Her body is dead weight in your arms
>You rush with all the speed you can muster
>Once you've gotten far enough away, you put her down
>Slowly she seems to be coming to her senses
>With gentle hands you start taking off her gear
>"W-what... ugh... what are you doing?"
>You check every part of her body
>Nothing seems to be wrong
>Whatever the residual magic is doing must be internal
"You almost fainted out there. I need to make sure you're okay."
>While there was truth in your words, you were also checking to see, whether this was the real Daring Do or not
>She was acting differently from what you had read and heard about her
>And this whole thing could easily be a setup
>There were many ponies who wanted you dead
>You had to make sure
>Cutie mark seemed real, mane was on tight, womanly parts seemed... functional
>You weren't proud of what you were doing
>But this place could be your end
>And that was not what you intended
"All right, you look fine. But you can't go in there. The magic doesn't seem to affect me. I'll go get the suits on my own. You stay right here, all right?"
>Daring groans at you in pain
>"You're, ugh, not leaving me here. You could just... backstab me."

>With a deep sigh you look her in the eyes
"If you don't trust me, you'll die and get nothing at all."
>Daring doesn't even answer
>All she does is groan
>You see that as your cue to leave
>Not before putting her gear back on, though
>The walk back to the building is tense
>Although there have been no traces of mutated creatures, you expect them
>Your eyes are constantly scanning the area
>All you see are broken buildings and wasteland
>This place probably was beautiful in its prime
>But that was many years ago
>And now it would forever be this
>A ruined city built on the bones of thousands of ponies
>As you reach the building you simply stare at the door
>You take slow, deep breaths as you stare it
>Anything could lie beyond it
>As you fully ready yourself, you grab the knob
>Locked
>Well, that was anticlimactic
>With a sigh you get out a bobby pin
>It takes you no more than two minutes to open the door
>Ponies never were good with locks
>Then again they didn't quite have the skill to use a bobby pin
>Except for unicorns
>As you go inside you hear a terrible screech
>It sends a chill down your spine
>Whatever made that noise is not of this world
>But you gotta get those suits
>Luckily you picked the right entrance
>The lockers with suits are right next to the door
>Laying in front of them are the bones of a pony
>It creeps you out to say the least
>Opening the lockers you find only ruined suits
>Not one is intact
>These can't protect Daring at all

>Unfortunately, these suits are all you've got
>Quickly shifting through them, you find the least damaged one and leave the place
>After what you heard, you do not want to spend more time here than unnecessary
>The walk back is even more tense than getting here
>Now that you know there's creatures, you keep your eyes open at all times
>Even blinking feels like a bad idea
>You might die simply from blinking at the wrong time
>As you get back to Daring, you can tell she's gotten better
>But she's still in no condition to go anywhere
>You put the suit next to her and kneel down
>"Great... lemme get it on and we can... go..."
>You sigh at her
"All of the suits were broken. This was the best there was. You can't go anywhere with this. You'll have to let me do this alone."
>You open her bag and pull out the map
>"You... you can't... my mission... backstab..."
>You smile at her
"Guess you'll have to trust me on this one, sunshine."
>With that you lean in and kiss her muzzle
>A shot of energy seems to course through her body
>Her eyes widen and she tries to hit you with a hoof
>But you see a tiny smile on her lips
>And so you move in and kiss those lips
>Whether she likes it or is too weak to struggle, you don't know
>But she becomes a puddle underneath you as you kiss her
>Just as you break the kiss, you feel her press her lips against yours
>You smile as you break the kiss
>She slumps to the ground almost sleeping
>You hope she'll survive this

>You wish you could just run through the city and get this over with
>But knowing that there are dangers here prevent you from doing so
>Instead, you walk quietly throughout the place
>The place is a mess
>There are bones all around
>Normally you didn't mind
>But knowing the history of what happened here made you sick to your stomach
>Those poor ponies never even saw it coming
>At least it was over quickly
>With cautious steps you walk towards the power plant
>Although you are tense, nothing happens
>As you reach the plant, the sun is setting in the distance
>Darkness is falling over the wrecked city
>You are amazed the power plant survived the explosion
>Then again, you don't understand how magic works
>You're not even sure how it could explode
>But explode it did
>Taking countless lives with it
>Standing before the door to the plant makes you worry
>Whoever promised payment for this was either setting you up
>Or there truly was something valuable in here
>With great caution you open the door
>The plant is pitch black
>Reaching into your backpack, you get out a glowstick
>You crack it and illuminate the path ahead
>Grabbing the blueprint for the building, you try to orientate yourself
>The elevators would no doubt be out of order
>You would have to go through the lobby and into the employee section to get to the stairs leading to the cellar
>Another ear-piercing screech fills your mind as you take a step inside
>It sounds like the scream of death itself

>Whatever just made that sound is not something you want to meet
>But in case you do, you need a weapon
>Quickly scanning the area, you see some pipes running along the wall
>They are old and rusted to the core
>With a hard kick, you manage to crack part of it off
>You take the pipe and grab it tightly in your sweaty hands
>With slow, methodical steps you walk through the hall
>Every other second you hear those terrible noises
>Those horrible, nightmarish screams of pain and torment
"For Daring Do. For Daring Do."
>You keep whispering to yourself
>The places you went treasure hunting never had more than wolves
>But now it seemed you truly were in no man's land
>Taking almost five minutes to walk fifty feet, you finally reach a door
>And old, wooden door
>With trembling hands you slowly open it
>It creaks loudly into the plant, echoing through the hollow rooms
>Peeking through the opens space, you deduce this must be the lobby
>It is a grand, open area
>There's a desk in the middle of the room
>But what catches your eye is something in the corner
>It looks like a pony
>A dark purple pony having been through an acid bath
>Its flesh is distorted on the bones
>There is no fur to be seen
>It is slumping through the hallway, slowly
>And it's face
>It has no face
>There is no mouth, no eyes
>There is only flesh
>As it slumps, it emits the most terrifying screams
>Of pain, anger, and hate
>You stand there, frozen in place, watching it
>This monstrosity from Hell

>Whatever that thing is, you do not want to go near it
>The way it moves, the sounds it makes
>Everything about it is just... wrong
>Like that thing shouldn't even exist
>There is no other way to the cellar but through this room
>You have to get past it
>And you are sure as fuck not fighting that thing
>Taking the deepest breaths of your life, you slowly push yourself through the opening in the door
>You don't close the door behind you
>The thing might notice the creaking
>Instead, you leave the glowstick behind and slowly move through the room
>You go all the way to the other side
>As far away as possible from that horror
>You take the slowest steps of your life
>Making sure to avoid any bones on the floor
>The thing is still slumping ahead at snail speed
>At least it isn't fast
>You hope
>It takes you nearly ten minutes to reach the halfway mark
>Your eyes are plastered to the monster at all times
>All the while you're sneaking ahead, it screams
>It almost sounds pleading
>Like its sad
>But you can't let that distract you
>You've got a door to get to
>As the door comes closer and closer, the creature stops
>It doesn't scream, doesn't move
>You stand still, watching it
>Slowly
>So agonisingly slowly it lifts its head
>And turns it right towards you
>With a scream unlike anything you've ever heard it rushes
>Faster than you've seen anything move
>Right towards you
>Without thinking you leg it
>Right for the door

>With burning pain in your legs you run
>The nightmarish screams consuming your mind
>Tears fall from your eyes as you run
>Knowing this could be the very end
>The door is coming ever so closer
>But so is the monster
>You can hear it right behind you
>Almost feel it breathing down your neck
>From the corner of your eye you see the flesh approaching
>Faster than you can reach the door
>Putting everything you've got into running, you finally reach the wooden door
>As your hand hits the knob and rips the door open, you feel the flesh on your leg
>Ripping through your armor
>Almost touching your very bones
>Having no time to scream you rush inside
>Slamming the door behind you as hard as you can
>You can hear the monster throwing itself at the door
>The flesh making disgusting, wet noises as it hits the wood
>With your last strength you lock the door
>You fall to the floor and scream in pain
>But your scream does not drown out the horrible noises of the monster
>Looking to your leg you see flesh missing
>No blood, no wound
>Flesh has disappeared from your leg
>The cellar is so very close
>And here you sit
>Nothing but a wooden door protecting you against this creature of bad dreams
>Every time you scream, the monster increases its volume
>Drowning everything in mind-numbing groans

>You can't stop here
>You're so very close
>The stairs are right there
>Turning back isn't an option
>And you can't sit here forever
>You have to move forward
>For Daring Do
>Getting up on your legs made you wish you were dead
>But you have to do this
"For... Daring..."
>Biting your lip you stand up
>The pain is nauseating
>But you can't stop now
>You take the pipe and prop it against the door
>It might not be much, but it should keep the beast at bay
>Slumping against the wall, you move forward
>Every step you take feels like hell itself
>As you walk, you scream
>Not even the monster screams any more
>All you can hear is your pain
>It is consuming every part of your body
>After the first step down the stairs, you tumble
>Your legs can't do this
>You fall all the way down
>As you hit the ground you are silent
>Your lungs won't let you scream any more
>Lying there on the floor, you cry
>Cry for Rosaline
>For Daring Do
>For what you could have had
>But you get up
>You always get up
>You slump onwards
>Through the darkness, through the pain
>Through your screams of agony to the door
>The very final door
>Behind which is the safe
>And you fling the door open
>You fall into the room, crying
>Through your teary vision you see the safe
>Standing there on a table
>Dragging yourself along the ground, you slowly reach it
>It takes you almost fifteen minutes to reach it
>Your pain halting your movement
>As you reach it, you hear a voice
>"I.. need it."
>Daring Do

>Lying on the floor, your hear her sweet voice
>Her raspy, exhausted voice
>Slowly you turn your head
>Moving it through the numbness
>You look at the mare standing in the doorway
>She's wearing the broken suit
>Her legs are shaking beneath her
>Her breathing is weary and tired
"What the... How... did you get here?"
>Daring takes a step closer
>Slumping and shaking
>"I... need what's in... that safe..."
>Closer and closer she moves
>Like a predator ready to strike
>"Can't let... you... cross me..."
>She moves past you
>Goes to the safe
>She almost collapses on the table before entering the code
>With all of her strength she opens the safe
>She sticks in a hoof and grabs what's inside
>An envelope
>"My... brother..."
>Daring's legs almost give in
>But she keeps herself standing
>All the while the pain is eating away at your body
>Slowly taking whatever sanity you had
>"I... need..."

>You have no strength left
>Not in the slightest
>But you are at the end of your journey
>Daring Do is here
>You have to speka with her
>So you get up
>Through the pain you stand on your legs
>Not caring about the burning agony
>With slow steps you walk to Daring
>Her breathing has become slow and faint
>As you reach her, you put a hand on her back
"What... is that?"
>Daring tries to speak, but all she can do is mumble
>Mumble through the magical residue keeping her down
>But she musters on
>Like she always does
>"My brother's... salvation..."
>Her legs are shaking horribly
>Soon, her body will give up
>Collapse onto the floor
>Lay there in peace and quiet
>Until the final breath leaves her body
>"I... need this... to save... him..."
>All you see is an old, dusty envelope
>There is nothing else in the safe
>Nothing more than a simple piece of paper
>There was never any treasure
>Never any bits
>Fortune and fame
>It never existed
>There was only an envelope
>One that Daring Do needed
>"Save... him..."

>Through your struggled breathing you manage to find words
"I will... But I won't... leave you here..."
>With that you grab the little pony
>Her frail body so very heavy
>As you lift her with all of your might, you feel your legs shaking
>Threatening to give out under you
>But you hold the pony in your arms and move forward
>You ignore the burning pan in your leg
>All that is on your mind is getting out
>Getting far away from this place
>You remember...
>The blueprints
>An emergency tunnel
>Yes
>To the west
>A tunnel leading to freedom
>The fire in your body is re-ignited with every step
>Both the burning, searing pain and the determination to get out
>Daring's breathing grows quiet as you walk
>Dangerously quiet
>But you walk
>Out of the door and towards the tunnel
>With the adventerous pony in your arms
>You put all your strength into your legs
>Walking further than any man before you
>Down the long, narrow tunnel
>Step after step
>With tears streaming down your face
>Soothing the pain as they fall
>You walk to the end, to the ladder and the hatch
>You put Daring over your shoulder and climb
>You drag yourself up with your arms
>Opening the hatch with the last of your strength
>Through the hole you see the night sky
>The beautiful stars and the moon
>You get Daring Do out of there
>Place her on the ground
>You, too, collapse
>Your body has given up
>You close your eyes
>Wanting only rest
>But a voice keeps you from it

>"The envelope."
>As your eyes flutter open, you see three ponies
>They are dressed in fully functioning suits
>You see a fourth pony
>Unconscious
>Lying on the ground next to them
>You don't understand
>"The envelope. Now. We can't risk staying here, even with suits."
>His hoof is reaching out to you
>All he wants is the envelope
>This strange pony
>His golden eyes so old and frail
>"Give it to me or we keep the boy."

>With no strength to speak you simply reach out
>You grab the envelope from Daring's hooves
>Your entire body shakes as you hand the envelope over
>In silence the pony opens it and looks at the contents
>For ages, or so it feels, he looks over the paper
>Looking at it with his old eyes
>When he is satisfied, he closes it again
>"Wake up the kid."
>You see a suited pony inject something into the unconscious pony
>Slowly he wakes up
>Looking around until his eyes find Daring
>"S-sister!"
>With inhumane strength he runs to her side
>His beaten face growing wet as he strokes her mane
>"That's it, gentlemen. Let's get outta here."
>The suited ponies turn to leave
>Except for the old pony
>He stares at you for a while
>Gazing into your eyes

"Help... us..."
>You feel the darkness coming
>The warm, comforting darkness
>As your eyes close for the very last time, you hear him speak
>"Envelope for the boy. That was the deal."
>And thus the darkness consumes you
>Pulling you under it's warm covers
>Lulling you to sleep
>The pain long gone and your mind ever blank
>The good and loving darkness takes you

>With a gasp and violent coughing you wake up
>Instantly the pain is back
>You roar in agony as your leg threatens to fill your body with grief
>With all of your strength you focus on lying still
>You bite your lip to ignore the agony
>And after a few moments of unbearable living, it fades
>Looking around you see wood
>Lots and lots of wood
>You have no idea what this place is
>All you know is that you are alive
>"Welcome back to the land of the living."
>A familiar, yet rough and raspy voice greets you
>You turn your head left and see the smile of an adventerous mare
>Her eyes are bloodshot, her face full of wrinkles
>She looks old and weary
>Like she aged twenty years since you last saw her
>But she is alive and well

"Where... Where am I? And Daring Doo? What happened?!"
>The treasure hunter gives you a smile
>A sad smile
>"We are in the home of two very hospitable ponies. My brother brought us here. He is resting. He has exhausted his magic through carrying the two of us here."
>With a pained look in her eyes she continues
>"Though I survived Marenobyl, my body has decayed. Grown weaker. Like I was an old mare. It... won't last many years longer."
>Though she is emotionally distressed, she does not cry
>She never does
>"We also had to... remove part of your leg. From the knee down. The decay and rot would have eaten you alive. I'm sorry."
>She dares not face you as she speaks, looking to the floor instead
>"I used you. I needed you to get my brother. They had him captive for so many years. So many years..."
>Her old face scrunches up in pain before continuing
>"There is no prize, no reward for you. I needed you as safeguard, nothing more."
>Mustering whatever courage she has left in her heart, her gaze finally meets yours
>"I'm sorry."

>The gravity of everything hits you like a truck
>Forcing all the air from your lungs
>Every good emotion from your heart
>She used you
>You were nothing more than a puppet
>A thing to protect her
>A get out of jail free card
>You remember when the journey began
>The adventure, the excitement
>Exploring the unknown with this legendary mare
>This vile, wretched, pathetic mare
>You thought she was different
>Thought you could trust her
>But not even the legendary Daring Do is all she seems
>With grief in your heart, you speak
"I should have listened to the bartender."
>Daring looks at you in confusion
>"What did he tell you?"
"He told me ponies disappear around you. I should have listened to him."
>You can almost hear the sadness and guilt in Daring's heart
>But that doesn't matter any more
>You are lying here, in a strange bed, in a strange place
>Half of your leg is gone
>You risked your life for this
>For nothing
>"I'm... sorry."

"Sorry for what?"
>You feel the fury, the wrath and the anger well up inside you
"Sorry for lying? Sorry for destroying my leg? Sorry for thinking I wouldn't have come if you told me truth?!"
>You hear yourself roaring the last few words at Daring
>She ruined you
>She took everything from you
>"Anon, I-I'm-"
"SORRY?!"
>You scream at the weak mare in front of you
>You don't want to see her
>You want her far away from you
>Ignoring the pain you sit up in the bed
>Someone has placed a crutch for you to use
>Getting up on your healthy leg you grab it
>Hold it under your arm and move through the room
>Daring is silent
>The tears have finally been let loose
>You jump through the room and towards the door
>Once you open it, you turn your head
"YOU RUINED ME!"
>You exit the room to the sound of a sobbing, adventurous mare
>With disgust in your body you jump through the house
>You see and hear her brother
>But you care not for him
>This is their life now
>Their problem
>You simply move to the front door and open it
>You are met with the cold, harsh wastelands
>Your home
>As you exit the door, you hear his voice
>"Where are you going?"
"Away. Far, far away."
>And with those words you hop out of the house and into the wilderness
>The only place you truly belonged

End.