I woke up the next morning to find myself and Rarity close by me. I smiled as I looked at her sleeping away and I was about to get out when I noticed that my hooves were around Rarity's stomach and she was holding on to them. Okay, guess I'm her cuddly toy right now...but that didn't matter, she looked beautiful to me as always.

"Morning my love." I whispered. "Are you well?"

Rarity turned around to see me and she smiled.

"Morning dear, I feel much better now that we're together and close." she replied quietly.

We shared a loving kiss for a while until we heard a knock on the door.

"I'll go and answer it." I said as I kissed her before I got out of bed and walked over to the front door and opened it.

"Morning Bond, we're having a super duper random party at Twilight's library, wanna come?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, could it wait for a while? Some of us are still shaken up from last night."

"Oh, whoops...sorry."

"It's alright, but we will be there for the random party when we can."

"Yay! Thank you...see you then!"

She then bounced away as I closed the door and went back to the bed and snuggled up to Rarity who hugged me around my neck and we shared calm and loving kisses.

"But all the same, I still need to get up and have some food." Rarity said until we heard her stomach growl right on cue.

"Same here..." I checked the time on my pocketwatch, "...woah, we must've slept longer than we thought."

"Why, what time is it?"

"It's 11:30am...we should get some lunch by the cafe to save time and energy."

"Alright dear, we'll do exactly that."

We then got ourselves ready and all cleaned up before we grabbed a lunch by the cafe before we made our way to the library, holding hooves until we let go and opened the door to find the party had just about to start.

"Hey Bond and Rarity, great to see you both here." Twilight greeted.

"It's no trouble at all, Twilight." Rarity replied, "Is that punch?"

She then went over to get a drink whilst Pinkie gave me a party hat for me to wear. We then heard the door open again to see Dash zoom right in.

"Heya, Twilight! Aren't you excited that-"

Dash got cut off as Pinkie blew a party horn at her.

"So glad you've finally made it!" Twilight said.

"What's everypony doing here?"

"We're having a holiday party!" Pinkie exclaimed, blowing her party horn.

"So what holiday would today be?"

"National Random Holiday Party Day! Woo-hoo!"

"I've never heard of it either." Rarity said as she drank in a glass, "But the punch is quite tasty."

"You might say the secret ingredient is...a secret." Pinkie whispered.

"How come nopony bothered to invite me?" Dash asked.

"Ah came to invite you personally, but it seems you were a speck too busy reading the last Daring Do book for the twelfth time." Applejack replied.

"Yeah, well, in three months and twenty six more days, I'll be able to read the next one."

"Oh, haven't you heard? The release of the next book got pushed another two months." Twilight told her.

Dash then spat out her drink on the floor.

"Two more months?! I've been waiting so long already! I don't think I can take another two months! I'll never make it!"

"Yeah. I can vouch for that..." Fluttershy said to herself.

"Did they give a reason?"

"The publisher just said author A.K. Yearling won't be able to finish the book for another two months. Cupcakes?" Twilight offered.

"A.K. Yearling? Is she related to J.K. Rowling?" I asked out of the blue.

"Uhh...I don't follow." Twilight replied.

"Anyways. How could you possibly know that before me? I'm the series' biggest fan!" Dash boasted.

"I'm just as big a fan as you! In fact, I'm the one who first introduced you to the books, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

"A.K. Yearling just might be my favourite author. I know everything about her. Where she grew up, where she studied literature, where she wrote the first Daring Do book..."

"Where she lives?"

"Uh...no, though I could probably find out somehow. Why?"

"Don't you get it? The new book is obviously delayed because she needs help dealing with whatever everyday nonsense is distracting her from spending her every living breathing second writing! So I– I mean, fans like me, can get to read the new book ASAP! Think about it! We could help her with her laundry, buy her groceries, cooking her meals, whatever! Now, who wouldn't appreciate that?"

"Hmm, I don't know...What she probably wants most of all is respect for her privacy."

"She can always just say no."

The rest of the ponies smiled and nodded.

"Mmh... I suppose you're right..."

"Of course I am. So... how's about getting that address?"

I guess we're about to go on another long travelling adventure. So with the address we got, we left the library and took the train out of Ponyville, past Canterlot, past the drop-off point underneath Cloudsdale, through the Unicorn Range and past Galloping Gorge, before we came across a forest, just miles away from Vanhoover.

Thinking of Vanhoover reminded me of Trixie and I was wondering how she was doing when she told me she was living there now and being a magician teacher at the filly school over there. But I didn't wish to go further, I have my love for Rarity now and besides, there's a crazy fan obsession to take care off in Rainbow Dash.

We were walking through the forest with Pinkie spreading red paint in a line behind us.

"You see what I mean?" Twilight commented, "Why would she live in this remote part of Equestria except to keep folks from intruding on her privacy? We should respect-"

"I think I spotted the house!" Dash exclaimed, cutting her off, "We're super close! This way!"

Dash then zoomed ahead.

"Wait!" Twilight yelled before we galloped, following her.

We came across a small home in the centre of the forest, it looked to be pretty beat up from where we saw.

"Oh no. What happened?"

"Apparently somepony has intruded on her privacy pretty hard already..." Dash answered.

We walked closer to the home and Dash knocked which caused the broken door to fall down. We all walked in to find the inside of the home not any better than the outside.

"Hoo-wee, somepony really trashed this place." Applejack commented.

"Hmm...Maybe...or maybe A.K. Yearling's just a terrible, horrible, unbelievable slob!" Pinkie added.

That sounded a bit awful to say from Pinkie, I thought.

"I hope A.K. Yearling's alright!" Rarity said.

"Oh no! What if something terrible happened to her?" Twilight asked with a hint of worry.

"I know! There might be no more books! Uh...But, of course, I'd be worried about her, too. Heh." Dash said whilst giggling nervously.

"What are you all doing here?" said a voice from outside.

We looked to see somepony with a black cloak over her before she moved towards us to reveal herself clearly.

"Uh... A... K-K... Yearling...?" Dash said nervously before she squealed in happiness.

"We didn't do this! Honest governor!" I exclaimed.

"What have you done to my house?" Yearling asked.

"We didn't do this, Ms. Yearling-whoa!" Applejack got cut off she she slipped off the mat by Yearling who was looking around the house for something.

"We're awfully glad to see you're alright." Twilight said.

"Okay, clearly this isn't the best time, but I've just gotta say how much we all really love your books..." Dash praised before laughing nervously again.

Yearling then took the book that Dash had on her head and tapped her hooves on the side of the book which then unlocked and opened to show a huge gold hoop of some sorts.

"It's safe." she sighed.

"Great! Maybe now would be a good time for me to ask her how we can help move the new book along a little faster. Chop chop!"

"Rainbow Dash, a minute please!" Twilight scolded lightly as she took Dash out of the house whilst we stayed inside.

Just then, we saw three stallions show up and approach Yearling and they seem too friendly.

"I smell trouble here...mares get back!" I ordered.

"No." Yearling protested, "Leave this to me."

She then threw off her pink cloak, her spring hat and her shades to reveal herself as...Daring Do!

"A.K. Yearling is Daring Do!" Twilight and Dash exclaimed from outside.

We all stood outside as we could tell carnage was about to go everywhere in the room.

"A.K. Yearling and Daring Do are one and the same! My mind is officially blown!" Twilight exclaimed in excitement.

"Aw, come on, I knew it all along." Dash responded.

The action didn't last long however as Daring dropped the hoop by the front door, we noticed a fourth stallion who picked it up.

"Many thanks, Daring Do." he complimented in a villainous way "As you've probably surmised, our earlier search for this treasure was... unsuccessful. So kind of you to find it for us."

"Give it back, Caballeron!" Daring demanded.

"That's Doctor Caballeron to you."

"He's from book four: Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams. He wanted to partner with Daring Do on her adventures." Dash explained.

"I know, but she refused! I can't believe it! The real Daring Do and the real Caballeron!" Twilight added.

"So let me guess: Ahuizotl has put you up to this? You're stealing the ring to give to him so his hold on the Fortress of Talicon will be good for eight centuries as foretold by prophecy!"

"Close, but...no. I'm going to sell this to him, make a bundle, and retire from archaeology in splendor."

"Caballeron, you fool! You're dooming the valley to eight centuries of unrelenting heat!"

"To market, henchponies!"

Shortly, he and the other stallions left the house with the hoop and were out of sight.

"Uh... should we go in and help her, maybe?" Fluttershy asked, pointing to Daring who seemed to be having problems with her legs.

"Good idea." I replied.

We walked back in the house as Dash walked up to her.

"Are you okay?" Dash asked.

"I got this." Daring replied.

"Um, she was just trying to help, Ms. Do." Fluttershy pointed out quietly.

"Daring Do doesn't need help. She handles her business herself."

"Oh no...don't tell me you bumped into Trixie and got you to talk in a third person." I said worryingly.

"Who is Trixie?"

"Looks like I was mistaken..."

Daring then flew out of the house and away from the forest.

"We've gotta go help!" Dash exclaimed.

"You heard her! She says she works alone!" Twilight responded.

"How can we just stand by and do nothing? You know what's at stake here! Ahuizotl has sought control of the Tenochtitlan Basin since book three!"

"True, but in book four, she defeated Ahuizotl and secured control of the Amulet of Atonement, dispelling the dark magic of the Quetzalcóatl Empress, and thus protecting the basin with the Radiant Shield of Rasdon!"

"But the Radiant Shield of Rasdon is vulnerable to the dark enchantment of the Rings of Scorcherro!"

"But are you forgetting that the Rings were scattered to the four corners of Tenochtitlan, thus rendering the dark enchantment powerless?"

"Only if you assume that the Rings have yet to be retrieved, and the ring Caballeron just stole isn't the last to completely restore the dark tower and its cruel hold on Tenochtitlan! Did you ever think of that?!"

"You gotta admit, Rainbow Dash makes a pretty good point." Pinkie pointed out.

"We gotta help Daring Do retrieve the ring for safekeeping before it's too late!"

"Okay, but sounds to me like we're in way, way, way over our heads." Twilight replied, "We're going to need a carefully thought out plan..."

"I'm coming, Daring Do!"

Dash then zoomed away.

"That's not a plan!" Twilight shouted.

"It's no good yelling Twilight, she's already far away from us." I said.

Twilight sighed.

"But all the same, we do need to go after her, we have no idea what troubles she'll get into." Rarity said.

"You're right, let's go, gang!"

We then galloped as fast we could to Dash's last known direction, by later afternoon we managed to find her but sitting down and feeling sad.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Rarity said as we walked towards her.

"Quick, where does it hurt?" Twilight asked.

"In here." Dash replied as she pointed to her chest, "Daring Do and the ring have been captured by the dreaded Ahuizotl, and it's all my fault."

We all gasped.

"Maybe this will help." I said before held my head up and shouted, "JUMANJI!"

Nothing happened, all I got was blank expressions from the others.

"Ugh, does any line from any movie actually do something?" I moaned.

Twilight shook her head.

"Dash, I'm sure whatever you did was an honest mistake."

"Whatever. Let's just go home." Dash said almost depressingly.

"We can't go back now! Looks a mite like she needs our help more than ever!" Applejack told her.

"Trying to help is how I got in this mess in the first place. You were right, Twilight. We should've stayed out of this."

"Look, there is more going on here than meets the eye. In every Daring Do book, there always is! We can't turn our backs on her!" Twilight said with determination.

"She doesn't want my help, Twilight."

"Perhaps. But she might need it anyway."

"No. My hero's way better off without me."

"This don't sound like you." Applejack intervened.

"Where's the Rainbow Dash who would help anypony at the drop of a hat?" Pinkie asked.

"Or pith helmet, as the case may be." Rarity added.

"She's here where she's got no business being. She should be at home."

Twilight began to clear her throat for a bit of tough love, "It's fine to look up to Daring Do, but you've put her so high up on a pedestal, you can't even see your own worth anymore! She's in the fortress, and we're here, and we wouldn't be who we are if we didn't go in after her! And neither would you! So, are you with us, or not?"

Whilst they weren't looking, I snuck away and flew off to find the fortress and sure enough, I came a cross a huge temple. This must be where they took Daring. Oh if Indiana Jones could see me now, doing all this work for him. I overheard Daring's voice and an villainous laughter coming from an open window, I saw it and swooped through to find Daring close to being underwater with some piranhas.

I swooped in and grabbed her just in time.

"I've got you, Daring." I said as I placed her on my back and used my magic to free her from the hoof-cuffed cinder blocks.

"I was just about to save myself, y'know." Daring replied.

"Yeah right, more likely you would be sleeping with the fishes."

Just then, I saw Dash turn up with Daring's hat.

"And as for me, I just thought you might need this." she said as she brought the hat over.

"Have I mentioned yet that I work alone?" Daring asked

"Have I mentioned yet that you're lucky I don't?" Dash countered.

"And have I mentioned that if we don't get a move on, we're going to have eight centuries of sunny day hotter than Celestia's worst day?" I asked them.

Daring sighed and smiled slightly as we left the pool area and headed straight to the centre of the temple. We saw the others distracting Ahuizotl and the guards which gave us a chance to do something.

"Come with me! Help me get all these rings off!" Daring asked.

We flew up to the tower and started removing the rings from the tower, each one getting heavier than the last.

"If we can remove the giant ring at the bottom, the whole fortress will collapse!"

"W-Was this your plan all along?" Dash asked.

"I had to find a way to get into the fortress."

"You did it on purpose?! But- but I thought-"

"I didn't count on how heavy this ring would be, though...Guess having a little help can be handy sometimes."

Ahuizotl suddenly turned his attention to us.

"Stop them!" he ordered.

But it was too late, I used my magic to lift the last big ring from the tower, we then heard rumblings around the temple.

"Ponies! Run! This place is goin' down!" Dash yelled.

We followed her and escaped from the Temple as fats as we could. We managed to escape just in time as we looked back to see the temple collapsed in a heap with Ahuizotl trapped among the rubble.

"Daring Do! I will have my revenge!" he yelled.

I flew with Daring and Dash as they shared a hug which surprised me.

"Could never have done this without you, Rainbow Dash. I've got a book to finish!" Daring said as she flew off till she was out of sight.

"Come on Dash, it's time to go home and you've got something to write down in the group journal as well." I said to her.

Dash nodded and soon we were all preparing to take the train all the way back home to Ponyville, it had been a long day of travelling too, it was already nightfall when we got back before stopping outside the station.

"Twilight, do you have that journal, I need to write something down about today." Dash asked.

"Of course, Rainbow. Just come to my home and I'll give it to you, you can then return it tomorrow." she replied. "Goodnight everypony."

We all replied goodnight to Dash and Twilight before rest of us shared our goodbyes, but not before I gave Rarity a loving kiss.

"Well dear, you were a hero to do what you did in that moment." Rarity praised.

"Oh yeah...it was a heat of a moment, I wasn't thinking straight but it was a gut instinct." I said whilst laughing nervously.

"But regardless of that, you're my hero always."

"Thank you Rarity...that means a lot to me and to our love."

"Goodnight darling."

"Goodnight my love.

We shared one more kiss before making our own ways back home. When I got into mine, I went straight to the bed and even though it didn't feel the same, I believe it won't be long before Rarity sleeps with me again. But still, what an adventure that was today. Who would've thought those stories would turn out to be true stories in Equestria...I guess life is indeed full of surprises.

But if I was asked, not a chance. I'd rather remain a lover for Rarity than go on daring adventures around the world and have no time for anything else. Anyways, I need my sleep and I can only wait for what could happen tomorrow. Next Chapter: Flight To The Finish Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 48 Minutes