Prologue: Betrayal

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do; who was currently in disguise as A.K. Yearling; were having a great time at Sugar Cube Corner. Right now, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out with the cake twins for a fun time; the only pony outside of the two pegasi was Pinkie Pie.

"And don't worry, I'll make sure to tell you if I see ANYPONY else comes in here while you two chat." Pinkie Pie said, smiling.

"Thanks for that Pinkie. Now, can you go grab us a milkshake?" Rainbow Dash asked her friend.

"Ookie Dookie Lookie." Pinkie Pie said but before going off, turned to the window. "...Hey, I can see you all there viewing this; but don't worry, I know you all can keep a secret." Pinkie Pie said before going off to make that milkshake.

"...Why was she talking to the window?" Daring Do asked.

"It's Pinkie Pie. Like I told you on the way here, the first rule of Ponyville is not to question Pinkie Pie." Rainbow Dash said. Just as Pinkie Pie came back with a Milkshake, suddenly Ahuizotl came through the door, badly injured, before falling down.

"WHAT THE...AHUIZOTL?!" Daring Do exclaimed as they helped him into a room where they could not be seen by anypony shortly after Pinkie Pie switched the sign from "Open" to "Closed" which allowed Daring Do to take off her disguise.

"What the hay happened to you tough guy?" Rainbow Dash asked Ahuizotl.

"Rainbow Dash...Daring Do...thank goodness I found you both here..." Ahuizotl said. "It's Dr. Caballeron; he's betrayed us..." He added.

"...Betrayed us how?" Daring Do asked.

Dr. Caballeron's henchmen soon beat up Ahuizotl as the evil pony soon took hold of an ancient tablet.

"You really should have just given this to me, Ahuizotl; but I suppose your doing your job as a guardian. But don't worry, you'll be seeing things my way soon enough." Dr. Caballeron said and then left with his Hench ponies.

"I have got to find Daring Do and Rainbow Dash...they are the only two ponies capable of stopping this now..." Ahuizotl said before leaving to find the duo in question.

"But why? We made a promise not to steal from any more temples." Daring Do asked.

"He must have returned to his no good evil ways. I knew some things were too good to be true." Rainbow Dash said.

"So...if you don't mind me asking...what's on that tablet?" Daring Do asked.

"A chant one can say when they have The Three Sacred Treasures to control all the guardians." Ahuizotl said.

"The Three Sacred Treasures? What are those?" Daring Do asked.

"Me and the other guardians have protected the secret of these sacred treasures for a reason: For whomever holds all three will have the power to control all of the guardians." Ahuizotl said.

"That would NOT be good in the hands of somepony like Caballeron." Rainbow Dash said.

"So, you want us to go find them before Caballeron does?" Daring Do asked.

"I'm not stupid..." Ahuizotl said before handing the duo a map. "And neither were we. Our predecessors scattered the three sacred treasures to the edges of Equis while mine protected the chant in the west. One treasure is hidden in the Frozen North; another is to the east past the Dragon Lands; and the final treasure is to the far south, far past kludgetown. Since you have connections to all three locations Rainbow Dash, that will give you two a head start on Caballeron in each direction." Ahuizotl said. The map had the locations mentioned circled on the map.

"So all we gotta do is find one and keep it away from Caballeron and his goons." Rainbow Dash said. "I'll be ready first thing tomorrow, and with the world at stake, this is big." Rainbow Dash said, and then left.

"Where is she going?" Daring Do asked.

"Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbold." Pinkie Pie answered.

"That IS big...and if Dr. Caballeron gets a hold of the three sacred treasures, it would mean certain doom." Twilight said.

"Your taking Rainbow Dash at her word? Isn't Daring Do a bunch of fanfiction?" Spitfire said; she was in on this meeting.

"Actually, it's not." Rainbow Dash said. "Or did you NOT see me on the cover of one of the books?" She asked.

"I don't bother looking at the books in the first place." Spitfire said. Twilight sighed and then levetated the book in question.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge." Twilight said. The book in question was the "Ring of Fate" book.

"I still don't buy this..." Spitfire said.

"Alright egghead, got any other ideas?" Rainbow Dash asked. Suddenly Daring Do showed up, not in disguise.

"What the...DARING DO IS REAL?!" Spitfire exclaimed. "So then the books...and the adventures...and everything..." She suddenly fainted.

"...Was it something I did?" Daring Do asked.

"No. No you did not." Rainbow Dash said.

"This is...I would have never guessed..." Spitfire was struck speechless.

"Gee, where does THIS seem familiar?" Twilight asked, winking at Rainbow Dash.

"Believe it or not Spitfire, I had a similar reaction. Believe me, finding out a book series you thought was pure fanfiction is in fact reality, is a whole shocker." Rainbow Dash said.

"So...then everything in the books is real..." Spitfire said.

"Eh...I may have taken a few..." Daring Do started to say before Rainbow Dash stopped her with a hoof in her mouth.

"What she means is, she and A.K. Yearling are really good friends; Daring Do goes on the adventures, gives the details to A.K. Yearling, and then A.K. Yearling takes a few creative liberties with the stories but for the most part, everything that happens is word for word. Which means yes, there were a few times I did join Daring Do on her adventures. And this time will be no different. It's just going to be for much higher stakes." Rainbow Dash said.

"Well I wanted proof that you weren't lying and...I can't argue with Daring Do literally staring me in the face." Spitfire said. "Which is why, I'm making it your personal mission to go out and stop Dr. Caballeron from collecting these Three Sacred Treasures. I want a full report once your done." She said.

"Or you could just read the next book when it comes out." Rainbow Dash said before Daring Do could say it.

"...Yeah...yeah good point. I suppose I might as well read the entire series from the beginning while I wait for you to get back." Spitfire said.

"I have copies of the entire series." Twilight said, before giving Spitfire copies of every book to date. "So you may borrow them." She added.

"And don't knock them until you've read them." Rainbow Dash said. "Trust me, I did the same, and I found myself a fan." She said. "Then I actually got to live them." She added.

"That's a brag isn't it?" Spitfire asked. RD nodded. "I'll see you when you get back Dash." Spitfire said before flying off.

"Sorry for showing up so early but what the hoof in mouth for?" Daring Do asked.

"To stop you from revealing your secret." Rainbow Dash asked, smiling. Daring Do went wide eyed.

"So then...that was a lie?" Daring Do asked.

"Yep. And look, Spitfire totally bought it. She has no clue what-so-ever of your secret." Rainbow Dash said.

"Well...I guess all I can say is thanks Rainbow Dash. I'm glad your on this with me." Daring Do said.

"Be careful you two." Twilight said.

"We will!" The Duo said as they left to prepare for tomorrow.

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

Author's Notes:

The title may have dropped in the first chapter, but this one of few "slice of life" chapters.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash were packed up and heading out to the Frozen North, and on the train, the two had a conversation on the Friendship Express in the V.I.P. Car which is soundproofed.

"I can't believe that you get to ride in your own soundproof car..." Daring Do said, shedding her disguise for the moment. "What's more, no one is allowed in or out without your say-so." She added.

"Kind of awesome huh? I normally don't ride in this car, as I don't like being treated any different then anypony else; but for this sort of thing where I don't want anyone else to hear us talking about your double identity where we can hang out and be with one another without interference...it's a perk I'm willing to indulge on for this journey." Rainbow Dash said.

"I see." Daring Do said.

"And don't worry about the guards to the car; they are in the loop about your secret, and are under orders from Twilight to keep quiet about it." Rainbow Dash said.

"You keep calling the princess of all of Equestria just Twilgiht and not Princess Twilight like everyone else does." Daring Do said.

"She doesn't want me or any of our friends like Pinkie Pie to be calling her by her full title. Especially friends like Pinkie Pie and I, as we were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony before King Sombra destroyed them and the Tree of Harmony." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm also a part of the Council of Friendship, which is another thing entirely." She added.

"Ah...right. I forget that you and the princess are really good friends. I just don't know if I could ever reach that kind of level with anyone but you, Rainbow Dash." Daring Do said.

"I...beg your pardon?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"What I mean to say is, I've been alone for so long before I met you. And then I met you. Your not so different from myself, and I think that's why we clicked so well and became such good friends." Daring Do said.

"Question for you: Which are you more into, stallions or mares?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Ask me again when this is all over." Daring Do said.

"Fine. Then I won't answer the question myself until this is all over either. Let's talk about some other things. In fact, why don't I tell you about some of the adventures I had with Twilight and my other friends before the Battle of the Bell." Rainbow Dash said.

"This I'd love to hear." Daring Do said.

"Great. Let me begin by telling out about the Eternal Night event first. So, there I was clearing the clouds..." Rainbow Dash started off with their first adventure ever.

"...And that's why Tempest Shadow is now captain of Twilight's personal Royal Guard Squad." Rainbow Dash said, finishing up the tale of the Friendship Festival.

"So her real name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist then?" Daring Do said.

"Yes. But if you call Captain Tempest that, she will give you one of her death glares." Rainbow Dash said. "She only lets Twilight call her that. And frankly, I don't mind calling her Tempest Shadow. I think her alias name which she uses when she's on duty or around others is more awesome anyways. And trust me, she's an awesome mare. But she's also not really someone for me." She finished.

"I can tell. I do here your being trained to becoming the next Wonderbolt captain though." Daring Do said.

"Yeah. As much as I love going on another adventure with you, this was supposed to be my last week receiving that training. But what can you do right? Besides, this will be child's play for the two of us. Caballeron has no chance against me and you Daring. I'm a future Wonderbolt captain whose beat bad guys like him before breakfast; meanwhile your an adventure whose battled and defeated Ahuizotl numerus times. If Caballeron thinks he can get to the sacred treasures before we can, then he's lost his marbles." Rainbow Dash said. "Oh, and don't worry, I don't mind having to wait the extra week. This is more important." She added quickly.

"It's fine. You've really mellowed out since joining the Wonderbolts full time." Daring Do said.

"Meh...I still am a bit brushful here and there." Rainbow Dash said. "But I will admit, I never thought I would actual become captain of the Wonderbolts. My goal was only to settle for being a member of the Wonderbolts. Nothing higher. So imagine my surprise when Spitfire tells me she talked to the board of directors who signed off on her decision to make me the next captain." She said. "I was super excited about it, and while I do have to undergo special training before I take the captain's seat, it's the best thing ever. And what's more, Spitfire and the board of directors agreed that I've earned it. And it's not just because I've saved Equestria so many times, but also because of how far I've come since joining the bolts." Rainbow Dash said.

"That means you'll have more time off to see your friends right?" Daring Do said.

"Not at the beginning at first, but at some point, I will be able to do whatever I want after running the academy students through their paces when I'm not having to work on routines." Rainbow Dash said. "So yeah, eventually I will be able to hang out with everyone, but I can deal with it. I'm not going to leave anyone hanging. Especially you Daring. In fact, I pinkie promise that when I'm able to, you'll be at the top of my list for who I want to hang out with." She said before doing the motions. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow Dash said along with the motions.

"I'll hold you to that then." Daring Do said. And that means a lot to me... She thought to herself.

Chapter 2: Searching the North

"So...was that the Crystal Empire we just passed?" Daring Do asked Rainbow Dash

"Yep. Maybe once we're done here, and when I have time, I can bring you here. After all, Cadence is Twilight's sister-in-law." Rainbow Dash said. "And Shining Armor is her brother." She added.

"You have a lot of connections. At some point, you have GOT to to introduce me to everyone." Daring Do said, smiling.

"Yeah well...be careful when we go to the dragons; some of them are still pony haters." Rainbow Dash said.

"Duly noted." Daring Do said just as they finally reached the station at the Frozen North. "Welp, time for my disguise." Daring Do said.

"No need." A female guard with a broken horn said.

"Tempest? Didn't know you were attached to this detail." Rainbow Dash said.

"You think I'd let a bunch of rookies do this detail without an experienced soldier flanking them? You misjudge me, Rainbow Dash." Tempest Shadow said.

"So your Captain Tempest Shadow. A pleasure to meet you, Captain." Daring Do said, doing a salute.

"No need for the salute Miss Daring Do; right now you technically outrank me as you are a guest of honor. And considering how many artifacts that could've been used for evil purposes have either been destroyed or put into museums because of your adventures, then you've done enough to put you on the same level as Rainbow Dash." Tempest Shadow Said.

"Still...you said there's no need for my disguise. Why?" Daring Do asked.

"All the other passangers on this train got off at the Crystal Empire. This station in the Frozen North doesn't get a lot of people riding to it. It's mostly used as a checkpoint to restock our train's coal. Though considering the crisis..." Tempest Shadow said.

"But what about the station conductor?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He moved post to the Crystal Empire; there's no one here but the two of you, me, and these rookies." Tempest shadow said.

"Huh...how about that. Thank havens." Daring Do said, breathing a sigh of relief as she and Rainbow Dash exited.

"We'll be keeping the train running, and thankfully there's enough coal stocked here to last us a few days." Tempest Shadow said, exiting after the duo.

"This part is expansive...the treasure could be hidden anywhere..." Daring Do said.

"Not really. I think I have a good idea for a lead: Let's check the area where Celestia and Luna banished Sombra." Rainbow Dash said. But before the duo could go anywhere, suddenly a dark shadow appeared. "SOMBRA?! BUT HOW?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"That accursed fool? No. That is not I." The Shadow soon rematerilized into another guardian entity; this one resembling more of a windigo but very pink. "I am the only reformed Windigo of my kind; they call me Radiance." The guardian said.

"So your another guardian? Shouldn't you be protecting the Sacred Treasure?" Daring Do said.

"I am. I created this vast wasteland to deter those unworthy to find the treasure away from here. But, fear not, you are worthy. After all, once it was revealed the Chant was stolen; and the rest of us guardians will be having much conversation with Ahuizotl after this; we knew we had to take precautions immediately." Radiance said.

"So wait...your actually a good windigo...but you created this frozen wasteland?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That's correct. Don't worry, I did so with the best of intentions. Now follow me and stick close to me." Radiance said.

"I don't trust you...but I have no choice for now." Rainbow Dash said.

"Let my actions gain me your trust and not my words." Radiance said. "Hmm..." She said as she lead the duo. "Ah...the bond between you two is very warming to my heart. You two have a very close friendship." Radiance said, smiling as she lead the duo further.

"Don't you Windigos hate friendship?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I used to, but then, this nice stallion showed me the good in ponies. The power of the crystal heart reformed me, and i have been living off of light and love since. I even sometimes visit the Crystal Empire now that it's restored to bask in it's warmth and comfort." Radiance said.

"Does this stallion have a name?" Daring Do said.

"He does, but he was different before he suddenly became the monster that he became known as. Sombra was once a very nice and very gentle colt. Why, just about every mare loved him. But then, one day, Princess Amore; who Sombra was very much in love with; broke off their relationship. That is what caused Sombra to snap the way he did. Tis a shame; Sombra used to be so nice, and then he became so evil." Radiance said. "Turning Pirncess Amore into a statue and then scattering her pieces to the wind was just the tip of the iceburg for the monster he became. I decided right then and there when he snapped that he was no longer the same Sombra that had shown me the good in pony kind." Radiance explained.

"Why are you telling us this?' Rainbow Dash asked.

"Because, you two are very nice ponies, and one of you has encountered the monster Sombra became. I just wanted to let you know that you should not believe everything your told at face value." Radiance Said before suddenly stopping and then using magic to uncover a very hidden temple. "We are here. Inside this temple is the treasure that you seek: The Base of the World. Unfortunately, unlike where the chant was kept, we guardians are unable to enter these temples. It was a precaution, in case a guardian ever turned evil." Radiance said.

"Your alright Radiance. Maybe once this is all over, we can get together for a more social visit." Rainbow Dash said, smiling.

"I'd love that." Radiance said before the adventurous duo entered the temple. "...And I wish you both luck in your feelings. I sense something that you both wish to tell one another, but are scarred to say as much to the other. But do not dwell on what could've been. I do. I wish I had reached out before Princess Amore did to Sombra. Maybe then Sombra wouldn't have become the monster he did. But I did not, and the rest is history. So don't make the same mistake I did." Radiance said, the duo not hearing them as they were too far away to do so.