Daring Don't

For the character, see Daring Do.

For the season seven episode with a similar name, see Daring Done?.

Daring Don't
Season №:	4
Season episode №:	4
Overall episode №:	69
Original airdate:	December 7, 2013
Written by:	Dave Polsky
Storyboard:	Sherann Johnson and Andy Bartlett
Featured characters:	Daring Do Ahuizotl Dr. Caballeron
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Castle Mane-ia	Next Flight to the Finish

Daring Don't is the fourth episode of the fourth season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the sixty-ninth episode overall. In this episode, Rainbow Dash is dismayed to learn that the next Daring Do novel will be delayed, though upon offering to help move things along, she makes a shocking discovery about the author.

Production

A clip of the opening scene with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was dubbed over by Ashleigh Ball and Andrea Libman and used to promote the series' season seven premiere on April 10, 2017.

Pinkie wishing Rainbow Dash a "National Random Holiday Party Day" reappears in Cakes for the Memories.

Summary

The delay

While Fluttershy tries teaching a pair of chicks how to fly on a tree branch in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash interrupts and enthusiastically reports that a new Daring Do book will release in four months. In her excitement, however, Rainbow ends up crashing into the tree.

Delays: every fan's greatest nightmare.

A few days later, Rainbow arrives at the Golden Oak Library to find Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack celebrating "National Random Holiday Party Day". Applejack explains that she tried to invite Rainbow earlier but found her busy rereading a Daring Do novel. Rainbow excitedly mentions the upcoming book, whereupon Twilight reveals that its release has been pushed back by another two months.

Distraught at the news, Rainbow convinces herself that the book was delayed because the author, A. K. Yearling, is too busy dealing with everyday tasks and decides to offer help completing them so that A. K. can focus on writing the book. Twilight agrees to help Rainbow find the author's residence after some initial hesitation, and the rest of the ponies decide to tag along.

Adventurer in disguise

Writing novels by moonlight...

The ponies track down A. K. Yearling's residence to a cottage in a remote part of Equestria, though upon arrival, they find it trashed and unoccupied. As the group inspect the interior, a heavily-dressed A.K. Yearling walks through the door and begins rummaging through the clutter, largely ignoring the other ponies. She eventually finds and unlocks a sealed container disguised as a book and pockets a large golden ring stored within.

...hunting treasures by daylight!

As Rainbow Dash tries to broach the idea of helping to move the new book along, Twilight pulls her outside and suggests that they respect A. K.'s privacy and leave. Pinkie Pie interrupts and points out three stallions sneaking into the house through an upstairs window before surrounding A. K. on the ground floor. The author manages to distract the stallions by throwing her outerwear at them, leading Twilight and Rainbow to make a stunning discovery as they look on through the front window:

"A. K. Yearling is Daring Do!"

— Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash

The ponies watch in awe from outside as Daring Do fends off the three intruders to stop them from taking the golden ring. She becomes distracted when Rainbow calls out to her and gets overpowered by her assailants just as Dr. Caballeron enters the room. Picking up the golden ring, Caballeron reveals his intent to sell the artifact to Ahuizotl and retire in splendor before calling his henchmen to him and leaving the house. The Mane Six enter and offer to help Daring, only for her to angrily insist that she works alone before flying off.

Never meet your heroes.

Twilight and Rainbow briefly discuss what they just witnessed in the context of the Daring Do narrative and decide to help the heroine retrieve the golden ring. Rainbow bolts off to catch up with Daring but finds herself faltering with nervousness as she offers to help. When Daring reiterates her intent to work alone, however, Rainbow ignores her and flies on ahead.

Rumble in the jungle

That evening, Rainbow and Daring Do locate Dr. Caballeron as he camps with his henchmen in the woods. Daring creates a makeshift disguise and approaches Caballeron with an offer to buy the ring for a large sack of bits, though just as Caballeron agrees to sell, Ahuizotl suddenly storms into the camp and demands the ring. Caballeron flees with the money, leaving Daring to fight Ahuizotl and his entourage of predator cats for possession of the ring.

Dashie really dropped the ball on this one.

During the melee, Rainbow finds Daring's discarded pith helmet and calls out to get her attention, inadvertently alerting Ahuizotl in the process. He grabs Rainbow and uses her to distract Daring long enough for his predator cats to catch her off guard and subdue her with ropes. Rainbow promises to help as Ahuizotl tosses her aside, only for Daring to remark that she has "already helped plenty" before being carried off into the jungle.

The rest of the Mane Six soon catch up with Rainbow, who sullenly recounts what happened and begins walking back toward Ponyville. Twilight encourages Rainbow to remember her own self worth and suggests that Daring may yet need her assistance without knowing it. When her friends voice their intent to stay and help, Rainbow agrees to join.

The ritual

In a dungeon beneath a jungle fortress, Daring Do finds herself shackled to a wall above a pool of piranhas. From a nearby ledge, Ahuizotl reveals his plan to use the gold ring in a ritual that will unleash oppressive heat on the region before opening a nearby water chute and leaving the room. Daring manages to quickly dislodge the shackles from the wall, though as she struggles to fly under their weight, Rainbow Dash swoops in and helps lift her to safety. Though still insistent that she works alone, Daring appears appreciative of the unexpected intervention as they head off.

Teamwork saves the day!

In the fortress' central chamber, the rest of the Mane Six find Ahuizotl attempting to complete the ritual and intervene, snatching the gold ring away and fending off attempts by his henchmen to retrieve it. Rainbow and Daring Do enter the room and sneak over to an altar with a stack of rings set over a central pillar. Daring explains that the fortress will collapse if they remove the rings and confesses that she intentionally got captured to gain access to the altar, though she admits that the rings were heavier than expected and acknowledges Rainbow's help in removing them.

Ahuizotl notices the rings' removal just as the final one is lifted away, and as the structure around them begins to crumble, Daring Do and the Mane Six manage to escape. From the rubble of the ruined fortress, Ahuizotl swears revenge on Daring.

A number one fan's dream come true.

After shattering the ring to pieces, Daring Do thanks Rainbow Dash for her help and flies off to finish her book. Sometime later, Rainbow writes in a journal entry about how comparing herself to Daring almost made her forget how awesome she was, and that putting your trust in others is important. A courier arrives with a package from A.K. Yearling, which Rainbow opens to find a copy of her new novel featuring an image of Daring and Rainbow together on the cover.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Rarity: The punch is quite tasty.

Pinkie Pie: You might say the secret ingredient is... a secret!

Rarity: I hope A.K. Yearling's alright!

Twilight Sparkle: Oh no! What if something terrible happened to her?

Rainbow Dash: I know! There might be no more books! Uh... But, of course, I'd be worried about her, too. Heh.

Rainbow Dash: 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!

Twilight Sparkle: True, but in book four, she defeated Ahuizotl and secured the Amulet of Atonement, dispelling the dark magic of the Ketztwctl Empress, and thus protecting the basin with the Radiant Shield of Razdon!

Rainbow Dash: But the Radiant Shield of Razdon is vulnerable to the dark enchantment of the Rings of Scorchero!

Twilight Sparkle: Are you forgetting that the Rings were scattered to the four corners of Tenochtitlan, thus rendering the dark enchantment powerless?

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

Pinkie Pie: You gotta admit, Rainbow Dash makes a pretty good point.

Twilight Sparkle: We're going to need a carefully thought-out plan.

Rainbow Dash: I'm coming, Daring Do!

Twilight Sparkle: That's not a plan!

Daring Do: Have I mentioned yet that I work alone?

Rainbow Dash: Have I mentioned yet that you're lucky I don't?

Applejack: Drop the ring, Ahui... whatever your name is!

Gallery

Daring Don't image gallery

References

v • e Episodes, films, and animated shorts

Make Your Mark
Episode 1 Izzy Does It	Episode 2 Growing Pains	Episode 3 Portrait of a Princess	Episode 4 Ali-Conned
Episode 5 The Cutie Mark Mix-Up	Episode 6 The Traditional Unicorn Sleep-Over	Episode 7 Hoof Done It?	Episode 8 Have You Seen This Dragon?
Episode 9 Top Remodel	Episode 10 The Jinxie Games	Episode 11 Sunny Side Up	Episode 12 The Manesquerade Ball
Episode 13 A Little Horse	Episode 14 Missing the Mark	Episode 15 Cutie Blossom Bash	Episode 16 Family Trees Pt. 1
Episode 17 Family Trees Pt. 2	Episode 18 Father of the Bridlewood	Episode 19 Mane Smelody	Episode 20 Nightmare on Mane Street
Episode 21 The Isle of Scaly‎‎	Episode 22 Roots of All Evil Pt. 1‎	Episode 23 Roots of All Evil Pt. 2