Morning, Pinkie Pie.
Get your Ponyville Chronicle right here!
Fan-tizzy-astic!
I just love to read about happy happenings,
and it's always good to be a pony in the know, you know?
And there's so much to know!
Eh, seems like a bunch of boring hooey to me.
Does "New Shrubbery In Castle Garden"
sound like boring hooey to you?
Snooze.
What about...
Parasprite Infestation In Fillydelphia Eradicated?
That's great news!
Eh. Another day, another parasprite hype story.
Noodles Named Official Food Of Whinnyapolis.
Author A. K. Yearling Announces Retirement.
Cloudsdale Election Heating Up
For Candidate In Favor Of Cooling It Down.
What?! Let me see that!
I never knew you were so into politics, Rainbow.
No, this! It can't be true...
I'd have never have picked noodles
as the official food of Whinnyapolis either, but here we are.
No, Pinkie!
I can't believe that the greatest author
and secret pony adventurer of all time, A. K. Yearling...
is retiring!
A. K. Yearling just retired. Like, today.
Are you sure she wants visitors?
Pinkie, the A. K. Yearling I know would never
quit and retire out of the blue!
Something could be really wrong,
and we need to make sure she's okay!
Okay! Heeeey...
You're not just trying to make sure
she writes more Daring Do books, are you?
Of course not! But that wouldn't hurt either.
Now, come on!
Uh, maybe she's not home.
Maybe she went to the editor-in-chief of the Ponyville Chronicle
to correct the misprint they've made.
Nope. She's home.
How do you know?
Because she's right there looking all sad and alone.
I knew it! Something is wrong!
A.K!
Now she's sighing with the weight of the world.
Now she's hanging her head in utter despair.
Now she's shaking her hoof and cursing the heavens
like nothing could ever possibly be the same again.
Why, oh, why did this happen to her?!
What?!
Whoops. Never mind. That time, she was just stretching.
A. K., it's us! Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie!
Your friends!
Oh, no. Did somepony ransack
your cottage again and steal some ancient,
mysterious relic that's the key to saving all of Equestria?!
Oooh! Sparky!
Nothing's been stolen.
Then is somepony blackmailing you and forcing you to retire?
Cause if they are...!
No.
Nothing like that.
So you're just quitting and moving away?
Why... would... you... do...
that?!
I already explained everything to the Ponyville Chronicle.
Oh, really? "Author A. K. Yearling announced yesterday
that the next adventure novel in her popular series,
Daring Do and the Curse of the Pharaoh's Tomb',
will be her last.
Yearling looks forward to her retirement."
That doesn't explain anything!
It just says you're giving up writing stories.
But most ponies don't know that you actually
are Daring Do and that the stories are real.
So what you're really saying is that
you're giving up being Daring Do,
but you're not saying why!
Of course, if you don't feel like talking about it,
that's A-okay, A. K.! As your friends,
we completely understand.
Right, Rainbow Dash?
Oh. Yeah.
We just came to make sure you're all right.
That's really why we wanted to find out what's going on.
If you really want to know...
My last quest took me to a village in Southern Equestria,
where I started seeing these.
"Wake Of Destruction, Daring Do Ruins Entire Village Marketplace!"
"Dare Or Scare,"
"Local Rogue Daring Do Involved In Frightful Fiasco?"
"Daring Do Leads Bull Into China Shop During High-Speed Chase—"
That's enough! Everypony I tried to help is mad at me.
That's not true. They're not mad at A. K. Yearling.
They're mad at Daring Do.
They don't sell my books in Southern Equestria.
The ponies there don't know who A. K. Yearling is.
They only know Daring Do,
and apparently she does more harm than good.
Then I guess it's a good thing
you look so different as A. K. Yearling!
So all we have to do is go down there
and explain to these ponies that none of this stuff is true.
Easy-peasy-cheesy!
But that's just the thing – it is true.
What?!
I guess I've always been so focused
on saving priceless relics
and stopping the bad guys
that I never really thought about the mess I leave behind.
Then you are in a tricky pickle.
But why is all this happening now?
I guess ponies are finally fed up.
Either way, I'm done with adventures, having or writing.
Come on! For every one pony who's upset,
there must be at least a hundred
that know you're a hero!
I don't think so, Dash.
Well, why don't we go visit this village
Som...nam...bu...la and see for ourselves?
Those articles seem to make it pretty clear
how the villagers feel.
But if we go there, the ponies can tell you
in person just how much they appreciate you.
And what a heap of rotten apple cores these articles are!
You really think so?
I know so! Let's go!
This is so cool! It looks just like that village
in your last book where Daring Do recovers
the Doomed Diadem from the Wild Bunch Gang
who chase after her through the desert!
It should. I based that entire chapter
on my experiences here in Somnambula.
What happens? No wait, don't tell me.
I changed my mind!
Tell me!
Daring Do thwarts Ahuizotl's evil plot
to separate the Sister Crown Relics.
And if it wasn't for her,
the region would be cursed with eternal night,
and the entire town of Somnambula
would have sunk into the ground!
There's no chance that these ponies
don't think you're a hero.
Watch this.
Hiya there, mister!
I was hoping you could tell me
about a pony named Daring Do.
I hear she's an awesome adventure-pony hero.
Daring Do? Oh, she's awesome, all right.
Awesome at destroying ponies' apple carts...
...and priceless, sacred statues!
Indeed. Daring Do is a menace
who destroys everything she touches!
What?! No!
Daring Do is the exact opposite of a menace!
I tried to tell you!
Coming back here was a mistake!
Come on, A. K.!
So we picked a bad example.
That was just one angry pony.
Two angry ponies!
It doesn't matter!
I never should have come with you!
You two should just go home!
Come on! We gotta follow her!
I dunno. It really seemed like
she doesn't want us cramping her saddle.
But we have to convince her
that ponies do appreciate her!
As her friend, I have to make sure she believes that.
Look, Pinkie!
It's the Get On Inn! Daring Do stays here
all the time in her adventures.
Which means there must be ponies
here who love Daring Do!
Maybe they can help us.
My nose is telling me
to help myself to muffins.
Come on...
Ooh, she's fancy.
I got this.
A good evening to you, madame.
We are but weary travelers who humbly wish to inquire
on the status of a certain mare
of intrigue taking residence here.
What in Southern Equestria are you on about?
Is it true that Daring Do stays here?
Not anymore, she doesn't!
Why not?
The last time I rented that rascal a room,
she was in a such a rush to hightail it outta here,
she didn't even pay her bill!
But—
After that, a band of ruffians showed up
and destroyed half the rooms looking for her.
Guess she made them even more mad than she made me!
No, no, no. You've got it all wrong.
How do you figure?
Daring Do was trying to save everypony
from the curse of the Doomed Diadem of Xilati.
And she was only in a rush because she had to get
the crown back to the Tiara of Teotlale
before the curse took effect.
Chapter seventeen.
Sounds like a tall tale to me.
And a hard one to believe,
now that I know Daring Do is a scoundrel and a thief!
Every year, ponies come to offer precious glowpaz
to the Somnambula statue in the village
in hopes for a good future.
Why, that poor fella had his glowpaz necklace
stolen by Daring Do just yesterday!
There's A. K.!
Daring Do ruined our town
and stole our precious glowpaz!
We need to make sure that if she turns up again,
there will be consequences!
Everypony who's with me, meet at the statue tomorrow!
Now I'm getting blamed for things I didn't even do?
Why would I steal from them?
They are super bad!
But we're still staying the night, right?
Because I already ate all the free mini muffins!
Listen, A. K. After a good night's sleep,
we're going to fix all of this.
I promise.
I shouldn't be here, Rainbow Dash.
This is never gonna work.
Of course it will!
All I have to do is go up there
and explain to everypony how wrong they all are.
Yeah! And then I'll be like, "What she said!"
Easy-peasy-cheesy...
Exactly!
Here it is! The remains of your–
I mean, our Somnambula statue!
Now that Daring Do has destroyed it,
tell me, where will we hang our glowpaz?
We don't even have any glowpaz
because they were stolen by Daring Do!
Daring Do would never steal anything!
And okay, she destroyed your statue,
but it was because she was trying
to save you all from Ahuizotl!
Ahuizotl?
He's about yea big?
Long neck? Itty-bitty face?
Weird claw thingy on his tail?
Ooh! Ooh! I know him!
He's a baddie!
Trust me, if Ahuizotl had gotten away with the Doomed Diadem,
your entire village would have been swallowed up!
And that's a lot worse than losing some crummy old statue!
This was not some crummy old statue!
It was the namesake of our town!
If you want to understand us,
you must first understand her.
Who?
Somnambula. Long ago...
...this village fell prey to an evil Sphinx
who demanded most of their crops.
Like her fellow villagers, Somnambula didn't have much,
but she used what she had to keep others from giving up hope.
The son of the Pharaoh, Prince Hisan,
was so moved by her compassion
that he decreed nopony would go hungry again.
But when Hisan stood up to the Sphinx, the beast captured him,
telling the Pharaoh the only way
to get Hisan back was to solve her riddle.
Nopony would volunteer to save the prince.
Nopony except Somnambula.
The Sphinx gave her the riddle.
I shine brightest in the dark.
I am there but cannot be seen.
To have me costs you nothing.
To be without me costs you everything.
As Somnambula thought of the hardship
she and her fellow villagers had experienced,
she instantly knew the answer.
Hope! She shouted.
The Sphinx was so enraged,
it seemed she might still refuse to release the prince,
so Somnambula asked her for one more challenge.
But if she accomplished it,
the Sphinx would leave from the kingdom forever.
The Sphinx quickly agreed,
asking only that Somnambula walk to the prince
across a deep chasm... blindfolded!
Further, the Sphinx had cast a powerful spell
that prevented Somnambula from flying.
But Somnambula never lost hope!
She knew she'd need to make
a leap of faith to save the prince.
Guided by the sound of the prince's voice...
she easily made it across.
The Pharaoh asked how Somnambula prevailed,
and she explained that she had always hoped
she could make things better
for her people and that hope had carried her through.
The Prince replaced the pearls Somnambula
gave up with a string of glowpaz.
And around her neck, they glowed bright enough
to light the entire kingdom.
Forever after, glowpaz became our symbol of hope.
I had no idea how special the statue was to you.
Somnambula sounds like a pretty cool pony.
But I bet if she were here,
she'd tell you how cool Daring Do is too,
because they've both fought to protect this town!
If Somnambula were here today,
she would condemn Daring Do for destroying your–
our symbol of hope!
Hey, buddy! What did Daring Do ever do
to you to deserve all this?!
Only... everything!
Dr. Caballeron?!
Yes... Rainbow Dash.
When I saw you, her closest friend,
I knew that Daring Do would not be far behind.
I really do owe you for leading her right to me.
But I-I didn't mean to—
Thank you for helping me break Daring Do's spirit
by destroying her reputation,
but I can't have you running off
and telling her my plan.
Help!
Caballeron?! No!
He's got Rainbow Dash!
Come on!
I'm... coming... Rainbow... Dash...
I knew you'd come!
You did?
I sure didn't.
What if I cause more trouble?
You won't.
How do you know?
I just do!
You wouldn't let anything happen to Rainbow Dash.
You care too much.
You're right. Which way did they go?
To the pyramid!
Somepony help!
Somepony! Anypony!
Pinkie Pie?!
Daring Do?!
Is that you?!
Don't worry, Rainbow!
We'll save you!
If my previous plan didn't cause you to give up, Daring Do,
then the shame of losing your dear friend
Rainbow Dash to the slime will!
Oh, and that ancient magic from the legend is real.
There'll be no flying in the pyramid! Good luck, Daring Do!
He's right! We'll never get to her in time!
If this really is like Somnambula's story,
then we just have to have hope that we can.
I think we need more than hope, Pinkie.
There was a bridge in the story, and there's no bridge here.
What are we going to do?
I don't know, but Rainbow Dash is our friend.
Just like Somnambula.
We need to make a leap of faith
and hope that we can save her!
Pinkie!
I knew we'd do it!
Thanks for reminding me to never give up hope, Pinkie.
And I'm kinda "hoping" you ponies will untie me
before we all take a bath in bubbling green slime!
We're on it!
Not so fast, Caballeron!
You stole our glowpaz!
I should have known you were just trying to sully my name
so that you'd be free to steal whatever you wanted.
Of course that was the plan, Daring Do!
At first I just wanted the glowpaz,
but then I saw an opportunity
to write you out of the story for good!
And with the destruction you leave in your wake,
it didn't take too much to convince ponies you were a villain!
You're wrong, Caballeron.
And I won't let you break my spirit again.
Because I'm never going to give up hope
that I can protect ponies
and ancient treasures from miscreants like you!
R-Remember! She ruined your statue! You're fools to believe in her!
You'll pay for this, Daring Do!
Okay, okay, that's enough.
Thanks for helping me come to my senses.
You two are true friends.
Are you kidding?
That... was...
awesome!
We're just glad you're back to your old self again.
Me too.
But I'm glad I realized that even if
you're fighting for something good,
you're still responsible for your actions.
And if something bad happens that you didn't intend,
you shouldn't give up hope or lose faith in yourself.
Yeah! All you gotta do is make it right.
Feel free to use that in your next book!
You know, I think I will.
Subtitles: MLPSubtitles
http://mlpsubtitles.com/
Transcript: OmegaBowser
Sync: OmegaBowser