Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone

Prologue

  "And that, young foals, is the history of the Everfree Forest."

  "But what  about about the Sapphire Stone?"  This had come from Daring Do, one of the pupils in Mr. Book's class, and one of the only ones who had not yet aqquired her Cutie Mark, which we all know to be one of a compass rose in the future.

  "Miss Do," said Professor Artifact, who had come in from the museum that day as a special visit to tell them all about the Everfree forest, "Everypony knows that the legend of the Sapphire Stone is just a tale that an archeologist that had gone deeper into the Everfree Forest than anypony else made up for fame because nopony could confirm or deny it, and that parents use to keep their children out of Everfree.  It's just as real as the temple you mentioned earlier today that supposedly houses the Stone, or the Jackal that you also mentioned earlier today." And that was seemingly just that for Daring.  As theProfessor began to pack up his Everfree artifacts, for the school day was just minutes from being over, the students also began to pack up their school supplies into their saddlebags and waited.  Daring Do sat thinking, not waiting.  The Sapphire Stone is real, she thought, My dad told me so!  He told me that it lies in a hidden temple deep in the Everfree Forest and is guarded by Ahuizotl, the Jackal.  It's just that nopony has found it yet because it was hidden really well and it is in the most dangerous place in Equestria.  Just like the Crystal Kingdom! There were a few moments of silence in which the students sat and fiddled with their saddlebags, drew, read, or levitated things.  Then the huge bell in the belfrey was rung by the pony who had misbehaved enough to have to wait up there in the cold and ring it for that week.  As the students were filing out the door in the daily rush to get home, Daring Do held back and watched the Professor finish packing his things.  

  When Mr. Book left, the Professor called out, "Thank you for letting me teach today, Text!"

  "Any time, Professor, the kids loved it!  Good day!"

  "Good day to you as well!" Daring and the Professor were then alone in the room, although he must've thought he was alone, because he started humming a very out-of-style 80's tune.  When he turned around, he gave a start.

  "OH!  Miss Do... I didn't see you there... Would you like something?" he said, his cheeks red.

  "Yes, actually.  I know you don't believe the legend of the Sapphire Stone, but... Would you know where it would be on a map of Everfree if it were real?"

  The Professor sighed.  "Yes, as a matter of fact I would.  I actually have a hoof-written map of the Everfree Forest here that labels the location of the temple that holds the Stone.  I will allow you to look at it, but not to touch.  See, here it is, you can even copy down the coordinates for where the temple is." Daring's face at these words resembled that of a five-year-old filly being offered  a sweet.  Daring loved these kinds of things.  Her father was a famous explorer, and Daring had always wanted to be just like him and hunt for lost treasures in dangerous trap-filled tombs and such.  Daring's father often took her on trips to safe jungles and caves that always had nothing in them except the natural things caves and jungles are supposed to have, so as to make sure she didn't get hurt, but Daring had always thought that she was going on an actual adventure in search of something old and really valuable.   So when the coordinates to a place that could give her an actual adventure were offered, Daring of course seized it.  She looked at the latitude and longitude on the sideways scroll and wrote it down on a small scrap of parchment and stuffed it in her saddle bags with her books.  She bade Professor Artifact a good day, and flew off to her house tell her parents of the day.  From that moment forward she held on to that scrap of parchment.  Daring grew and learned and explored more and more over the years, gained her Cutie Mark, which was of a compass rose (and everypony knew why), was accepted into the Everfree University and later graduated to start working in the Museum of Natural Equestrian History.  She worked as a professor in history, as anypony  could have guessed.  Then, one day she was offered a chance to travel into the Everfree Forest and search for the Sapphire Stone itsself, an offer that she, of course, accepted immediatly.  Daring Do was finally going after the Sapphire Stone, finally having the adventure she always wanted!  Daring's parents made a visit to see her off.  She was flying there using her own two wings, making occasional stops for food, water, and a rest along the way to Ponyville.  Daring made stops at cities like Manehattan, Seaddle, New Horse City, and such and such.  She made it to ponyville.  Looking at the immense vastness of the Everfree Forest, Daring knew that this would be no easy task, but she also didn't care.  The residents of Ponyville, a newly-formed town in Lower Equestria, had come to see Daring off.  They stood there, shouting their farewells, waving, and wishing her good luck.  At the last second before stepping into the wild unknown, she spread her wings and shot up into the air.  I'll get a much better view of where the temple could be from up here, she thought as she kept on flying through the cool air and scanning for the temple below.  It was very uneventful for just a few minutes, until she ran into the dragon.  No, she literally ran into it.  The huge beast didn't even know what had hit him (although it didn't bother him a bit).  Daring, though, lost her balance and spiraled through the air, headfirst, falling through the trees and their sharp branches, and then Daring's world was black and silent.  This is where our story begins. Next Chapter: Chapter 1 Estimated time remaining: 12 Minutes