Buried beneath the sands of time, lost to the memories of all ponies, the Temple of the Wise Mare rested in silence, all her secrets open to any stranger who could find it.

“Finally! After years of searching, I have found it! The Horn of Wisdom! With its power I, Ahuizotl, will rule the world!”

“It´ll be a cold day on Tartarus when you actually achieve wisdom, Ahuizotl!”

“Daring Do! You have been a thorn on my side for far too long!”

“Funny you say that, considering what I´ve gone through to get here,” Daring Do said, taking all the spines from the may cactuses she fell into while trying to get into the temple. “Now…”

With a somersault, Daring jumped down. Ahuitzotl ordered his feline minions to attack her but with her wings free, Daring swiftly avoided them and they end up hitting their head together while she finished landing atop the tiger.

“Be so kind to get your filthy hands off that precious statue.”

“This statue belongs to me!”

“That statue belongs in a museum!”

Daring jumped over Ahuizotl who put a good fight but, despite his apparent advantage of having five hands, Daring proved to be a better fighter and quickly kicked the statue out of him and took him down.

Daring smirked, putting the statue on her saddlebag.

“Always the same routine, Ahuizotl. By now you should know you can´t win.”

“We´ll see about that!” Ahuizotl shouted and threw his last minion, a widdly puddy tat, at her.

Daring barely reacted and hold the kitty in one hoof. “Seriously?” Right on queue, the kitty stated scratched her face with fierce.

“Remember what you said about a cold day in Tartarus, Daring Do?” Daring put down the angry kitten just as Ahuizotl took out a silver whistle. “It´s funny because I got this little item ina bazar. And at a fair price too.”

“You mean you stole it?”

“Details, details, Mrs. Do. Now…” Ahuizotl blew the whistle, that didn't made any sounds.

Daring smirked again, thinking he had been tricked but Ahuizotl never lose his smile and soon Daring learned why, when she heard the sound of giant footsteps approaching. From behind the statue of the wise unicorn, two pair of glowing eyes appeared, followed by another pair and then another pair. Daring´s own eyes opened wide when she saw the looming figure of the three headed mutt, Cerberus.

“You be so kind to handle that statue back to me.”

Daring Do gulped and adjusted her hat, ready to take in the biggest fight of her life, all the while the little kitty kept chewing at her tail…

******

“And then?”

Daring Do smiled. She loved to keep the audience hooked, stopping the story just in the moment of the most danger. It was tactic she learned from those serial movie they made about her and that she later implemented on her books. Ponies loved the mystery and, even if they knew she obviously didn't died, the simple scenario of her heroine being in a certain death situation was the biggest attraction to them. Even the rich ponies of Maretropolis couldn't resist a good story.

“How did you escaped the jaws of the Cerberus?”

“It wasn't easy, I´ll tell you that. When Ahuizotl…”

“Mrs. Do, the unveiling is about to start!”

The assistant ruined the ambiente so Daring had no choice but to cut the story there. It worked for the best since now all those rich ponies, including a few critics, will be eager to buy the book to know the end of the story and those profits will benefit the museum.

Daring couldn't lie and say she didn't enjoyed the attention but her primary has, and always will be, adventure. The thrill of sinking into unknown lands, facing giant creatures and exploring ruined temples. The frivolity of high society parties bored her but she endured for the sake of the museum. History was as much as a passion for ehr as adventure and, if given the chance, she could spend hours talking about all the ancient cultures of Equestria. But, years of being in these type of cocktails parties have taught her that fancy ponies didn´t care about dusty statues or history lesson, just the show.

“Mrs. Do, may I have a word with…”

“Not now, sorry.”

Daring completely ignored the shy reporter and moved into stage. She couldn´t help but beam at the sight of all those ponies applauding her. Despite all these years, she still got the touch.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, many moons ago, three Wise Mares discovered the secret to eternal youth. A fountain that will turn whoever bathes on its waters to never age one day. They decided the knowledge of their location was too dangerous so they guarded their memories in three relics, the Horn of Wisdom, the Wings of Speed and the Horseshoes of Power. Each of these items are a powerful tool on itself but together, they are the keys to ultimate power. Ot so says the legend, personally I just think they´re a nice accessory!”

The audience broke into laughter and Daring smirked. She defintely still had the touch.

*****

Cocktails parties are like a magician's act, the eyes of the audience are always on the stage. Except for the most famous of the guests, those who always get all the shots and interviews, nopony pays any attention on who is holding a glass of powdering her nuzzle.This makes wonders for pickpocketers who find their gold mine in these type of parties. But it also works in the favour of a different type of masked pony, a pony who works in the shadows but with a different agenda.

Just as Daring Do stands proud in the sunny jungle, she works in the shadowy city. An urban legend, a mare of mystery. Nopony had seen her face and those who had seen that featureless mask, usually end up spending the night on a jail cell. Crooks and police forces, they both disapproved of her methods but to the public, be it the honest working class or the down in their luck beggars, she was the true guardian of Maretropolis, making their nights safe from crime. But if any of them could see her now, they will have to question their loyalty.

For their noble guardian was now committing an act of crime and doing so with a swift that even the best safe breakers will envy. Any self respecting thief will realize soon enough that the actual Horn of Wisdom would not be in a public display, inviting them to break the glass and just take it. It will be kept in a vault in the basement, a vault that was the ultimate challenge to any white collar burglar. Once it was inside that vault, it was as lost as it was in the hidden temple. Every thief knew the only chance they had to get their hooves on it was during the gala, when the Horn will be kept in the least secure safe of Daring Do´s own office. Too bad for them that the masked pony got ahead of them and was knowing easily breaking into the safe and claiming the horn for herself.

Or so she thoguht, before a flying kick send her towards a desk.

“I´ve heard many things about you, Mare- Do-Well. But your safe cracking skills are breaking news to me.”

Daring Do spread her wings, hoping her name was enough to get the masked pony to surrender. A part of her knew that was a futile thought and thus,s he smirked when Mare-Do-Well´s reaction was to jump over her.

Daring had fought many rivals over the years, from Ahuizotl´s minions to grave robbers, she had even headbutted agianst bufflaoes and come out the winner; but this was her first time fighting a rival that was not only her match but seemed to have an advantage over her. For every punch she throw, Mare-Do-Well had a block. For every kick, she had a dodge ready. It was almost like the masked pony could read her movements in advance. Daring was trained in several forms of combat and could recognize most of them in mare-Do Well´s movement but there was also an original touch to them, like Mare-Do.Well had combined several schools into one acrobatic fight style.

“Good moves. But you´re not fighting a street burglar here, partner.”

Daring blocked a punch and made Mare- Do-Well jump towards the roof. Being a pegasus, Daring had an upper hoof in the air but her opponent wasn´t going to give up so easily. Daring got a curse halfways when she saw the masked pony cape being thrown at her, blocking her vision and making her vulnerable to a kick. By the time she got rid of the cape, Mare-Do-Well was already on the edge of the window.

“Waot, you´re a pegasus?”

Mare-Do-Well didn´t answered and just spread her wings, jumping outside. Daring wasted no time chasing after her. Flying in the city was a lot different than doing it in the open jungle. Sure, mosquitoes and bats were a hindrance when in the air but buildings and zeppelins, those were a bigger annoyance. Mare-Do.-Well obviously knew this landscape like the inside of her hoof, soaring through rooftops and billboards and she quickly put a zeppelin in between them, disappearing into the night and leaving Daring Do with her pride hurt.

******

“And that´s the story,” Daring Do said to her new audience of masked ponies.

“That was amazing! Now, tell the story of how your discovered the ruins of Aquaria!”

“Fili-second! That was quite a story, Mrs. Do,” a purple alicorn said.

“And one that doesn´t match. Mare-Do.Well methods may be a little unorthodox but I have a hard time believing she had turned into a petty thief,” a masked earth pony said.

“Mare-Do.Well have always been a loose cannon, Mistress Mare-velous. Her vigilantism is not the way a heroine should behave. It doesn't surprise me she would turn to crime eventually,” the masked alicorn replied.

“The real questions here are, first, what interest does Mare- Do-Well have on the statue? And second, is it safe now?” a masked unicorn asked.

“For the first question, I got nothing but for the second one, I´ve the statue right here,” Daring Do said, taking out the horn from her saddlebag.

“What? Are you crazy? Are you carrying around that thing with you all times?” an angry masked pegasus asked.

“Of course not, I brought here to handle it to you.”

“Us? You want us to protect the Horn of Wisdom?” another pegasus asked.

“I tend to be a sceptic, Saddle Ranger. Nine out of ten, the legends I investigate turn to be just hoax or old mares tales. But once in awhile, I stumbled upon a real danger. Ahuitzotl may make mistakes but if this Mare-Do-Well is after the statues too, I have to think otherwise. Like Mistress Mare-velous said, Mare-Do-Well doesn't have the reputation of a common thief. She must have some reason to want this statue,” Daring Do explained while the purple alicorn hold the statue with her magic. “That´s why I came here asking for your help. This is your home city and there´s no better pony to ask that the ponies that have saved the world more times than me. Masked Matter-Horn! Fili-second! Radiance! Zap! Saddle Ranger! Mistress Mare-velous! What better guardians for such a powerful item than...the Power Ponies!”