Oh the Places You'll Go

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”

― Dr. Seuss

Stepping out onto the balcony, the Princess of Night observed her evening work. Taking in breaths of cold air she closed her eyes and basked in the glory of the night. A smile crept to her lips. The wind whipped against her tail and mane sending them fluttering in the breeze.

She hardly registered when her sister walked up behind her. Celestia observed her sister whilst walking alongside her. She chuckled, “it’s good to see you with a smile on your face for once Luna” she teased.

The smaller alicorn blushed furiously and coughed several times. “Why yes! Of course! It’s been so busy around the Canterlot courts recently that I haven’t had much time to sit back appreciate anything, much less my own work.” Luna cast her glance up to the moon again and sighed. “Sometimes, Celestia, I cannot help but wonder how two ponies like us managed to do something so beautiful every single day and night.”

Celestia levitated a small plate of cookies to her sister who gave a mirthless laugh before taking one. Biting into the sweet Luna paused before chewing and swallowing. “Oh sometimes I think the chief thinks the same thing.” She took another. “I didn’t know Frances was back from his sabbatical?”

The solar princess took one for herself and between chews answered. “Just got back in time I think Luna. I’ve been dying for his sweets ever since he left.” Celestia paused for a moment than glanced down toward scuffing her hoofs along the stone of the balcony.

“Something wrong my sister?”

Celestia sighed gently and her gaze wandered up to the moon. After a moment’s hesitation she spoke. “Sometimes dear sister, I wonder the same thing, how we do what we do. Yet, I find it moments like this, it is best to simply enjoy the things you’ve created. For change is inevitable in its vast and terrible nature, so cling to that which keeps you joyous and your days will be glad.”

Luna raised her eye brows at the uncharacteristically poignant speech before laughing softly. “Sage words my dear sister, and I thought Nightmare Moon enjoyed long speeches!”

Celestia blushed at the comment before throwing her sister a playful look. “Sorry Luna, sometimes I forget to turn off my more formal personality. Always entertaining bureaucrats gives you an overly formal speech sometimes and it doesn’t go away easily. Like you said, it can get very stressful.”

“You should probably start drinking again.”

The two laughed quietly at their jest enjoying the calm of the evening. It would surely be a lovely night.

The End…

Unfortunately, as much as it would be nice for this to the end of the story, the point of any tale rests not in the lull, but in action. That any story of merit like the heroes it pertains to, are forged in conflict and strife. The two sisters would have their fill by the end of that night. The anathema that would plague their nation, no, their world, as well as tying in the destinies of so many lives and stories would bring calamity raining down upon them.

The last night of peace that this world would enjoy for a great many nights was about to end. A quiet end really, as if a mute choking their last breath, quietly, pitifully, and unheard and unnoticed. There were others things to be worried about honestly. The end of a day promised tomorrow so how could they have known to worry. How could they have known that death was at their door? They didn’t, and they wouldn’t.

It all began with three.

============

“Daring Do”

It was a small noise, almost indistinguishable from the sounds of the forest, the rustle of trees and the hush of the wind. She had heard it though, something had whispered her name.

As if on a switch her eyes suddenly snapped open. Her head shot up without warning and she uncurled her body switching to a defensive stance. Her eyes were bloodshot and her heart jerked suddenly at the rapid change of action. Her sleepy brain fumbled clumsily after her instincts still trying to piece together the details. It had barely registered that she already had whip in mouth and was brandishing it threateningly against the unseen opponent. Her wing protested the sudden motion and she grimaced as the dull pain not erupted to life again.

“Schloo – uuoslf!” Daring paused for a moment before slapping her forehead in exasperation. Putting down the whip she salvaged her mangling of the English language.

“Show yourself!”

Only silence answered her command. Someone’s there! I know I heard something!

Her vision darted from side to side attempting to locate the stranger in the woods.

It was an unbearably long minute as she strained her hearing to pick up on something, anything.

“Daring do”

It happened again but this time it wasn’t alone. This time with the cracking screeching sound of a tree being uprooted, groaning as it was torn asunder. Daring took a step back and snatched the whip up off the ground.

“Stay back! I’m armed pal!” Daring shouted at the cold dark forest.

“I’ll certainly say Miss Do.”

The pony’s eyes shrunk as she heard that voice. “There’s no way he could be here.” Her heart thundered in her chest as she immediately recognized the owner of the voice.

To her great dread her nemesis, the hulking form of Ahuizotl broke the tree line. His blue fur glowed menacingly against the starlight, the outlines of several of his pet carnivores skulked around her forming a semi-circle with the outnumbered mare at the center.

“Armed and dangerous Miss Do” Ahuizotl echoed her. “Though, nowhere near as normal my dear, in fact, far less than normal.”

Daring bared her teeth at him, still clutching her whip, her gaze dead set on monster.

“Mmmmphh, mmmphhh?”

“Wut?” Her enemy cocked his head in confusion and scratched the top of his head.

She cursed herself for once again forgetting there was a whip in her mouth. She shot her loathsome enemy a venomous look before spitting out her whip again.

“I asked why you were here Ahuizotl?”

Regaining his composure after the initial and awkward exchange, he slipped easily back into his proper role. Waving one of his hands dramatically Ahuizol continued. “I really should thank you Daring, retrieving the Marellenium Medallion and guarding it for me. If I didn’t know better you actually wanted me to have it.” He paused to look at her grinning. “So instead of trading black eyes as usual, why don’t you make it simple on yourself and just hand it over? What do you say?”

He stroked her cheek tenderly and her eyes narrowed. Lashing out suddenly the whip snapped and Ahuizotl ducked quickly out of the way, his cats wincing at the sharp noise.

Glancing at the spot where his head had previously occupied, her dreaded enemy grinned again. “Tsk, tsk Daring, your beauty is only matched by your tenacity! She simply growled.

He paused briefly to chuckle “However, I know your health is not in the greatest state, so instead of causing you more pain, I’ll let you off the hook for once.” He brought his face closer to hers, “For the measly price of one…little…medallion.”

Being the polite, calm, and civilized mare she was, Daring Do cautiously selected the most diplomatic and agreeable answer she could...

Ahuizotl wiped the spit out of his eye while barring his teeth at the mare. “Have it your way Daring” he snarled.

The cats pounced as if on cue. Claws extended ready to rend flesh with fangs bared and eyes dead set on ending Miss Do’s illustrious career.

The largest of the cats a tiger, reached her first, or thought it did anyway. Instead of claws tearing a mustard yellow pony apart, it instead received the biting end of a cowhide whip sending it sprawling away.

Another pounced on the mare but was swiftly met with a buck from her hind legs leaving is gasping and staggering away.

If every dog was to have its day it was the kitten. The tiny miniscule white kitten managed to slip into the melee unseen by the veteran fighters currently occupying it. With a loud hiss it leapt up and clawed Daring’s face. The claws hit home and dug into her skin and with a toward pull tore open the sensitive flesh. “Gwah!” The mare cried out dropping her whip and shutting her eyes as the rest of the cats pounced.

The struggle kicked up a cloud of dust which Ahuizotl watched with great amusement. Reaching down into her saddlebags he plucked his prize. When the dust had settled only moments later Daring Do was held down by the paws of her assailants struggling viciously but utterly beaten. “Give…it…back!” She grunted while straining against her captors.

He merely laughed at her efforts.

“Bad form Miss Do. If only I had known you were this easy to beat, our history together would be much briefer. Perhaps I only lost the Sapphire Stone to my own error rather than your…shall I say lackluster skills.”

Villains loved to monologue and none as much as Ahuizotl. “Yet, I feel as if tonight is a beautiful night Miss Do, and I’d hate to waste such a beautiful night with merely taking one thing from you. What’s the expression your kind uses?” His grin returned in all its malicious glory. “Upping the ante?”

Daring didn’t like the sound of this at all.  “What are you going to do Ahuizotl?”

The villain merely smiled sweetly before continuing. “Well you see Miss Do, we’ve been about this little dance of ours for quite some time. You defeating me and vise versa. Stealing my treasure, you getting beaten up and thrown off a cliff.  However, if I was to take this medallion from you, it wouldn’t trouble you for long. Sooner or later you’d be out adventuring again until our paths crossed. Material objects clearly aren’t of much sentimental value to you. Are they?”

He got closer to her now. “So I’ve considered that this time I should take something...” He ran a hand through her mane. “…more permanent.”

If her eyes were small before they shrunk even more now. Her voice stammered as her heart continued to speed on. “T-take w-what exactly?” Her mind raced towards some unsavory thoughts and for some reason the jungle got a little warmer. Her uniform had torn in the scuffle and Daring suddenly became well aware it left little to the imagination, she figured everyone else present had noticed it too.

Oh my god he can’t be serious. I mean…I-I-I know we’ve have some strange sexual tension in the past. B-But-but…and oh god why me?!

His hand glided down lower on her body passing through her mane and heading towards her back. “I was considering Miss Do, taking something a little…more personal to you.”

What if there are kids?! What do I do then? I’ll have to settle down?! I can’t be a mom! I’ve never even driven to a soccer game!

His voice got lower and deeper, its timbres rumbling through the air. “Something you can’t ever, ever get back.” His hand was passing down between her wings.

Holyshitholyshitholyshit

“Don’t you even think about that!” Daring virtually screamed at him causing Ahuizotl to back away, startled at the sudden outburst. Daring frantically tried covering herself with her hooves. “This not okay at all Ahuizotl! We’re supposed to be enemies!” Daring was getting hysterical “I don’t think of you like that! “I know there’s been some stuff between us in the past but for the sake of Celestia, NO!”

His mouth dropped open and his eyes bulged.

“B-but that…that’s not what I…Oh my god Daring,..what….?!”

Pulling a hoof out from her captors she pointed it accusingly. “You wanted to have your way with me you freak!”

“Why would you even think about that? That’s not what I meant at all!”

“Of course it is!…I mean…I- You…weren’t…”

“….oh….”

The two of them exchanged awkward glances and even the predatory cats loosened their grip on Daring suddenly disgusted as realization washed over them.

Ahuizotl broke the silence first. “I-I was just going to break your other wing Daring…why would I even? With you?...Jesus, how long have you been alone in the jungle?!”

She was blushing furiously. “Shit….”

Her enemy pawed the ground nervously for a moment neither willing to make further eye contact.

Daring coughed. “So…I guess this is the part I beg you about not breaking my other wing.”

The villain glanced up, still clearly uncomfortable. He made a reach for a wing but stopped.

“Eh-not-not…today Daring Do. We have….other business…to…Look…Look just don’t follow us. I have the medallion, you’re beaten, heroine loses, villain wins.”

The cats let go her as Ahuizotl quickly turned back. His face held an awkward expression and he quickly made his way towards the deeper parts of the jungle leaving Daring dazed and confused.

Before he disappeared he glanced back at his foe.

She rose shakily to her hooves, her face still flushing beet red. Not wanting to make it anymore awkward Ahuizotl quickly turned and vanished.

The fight had left her exhausted and after the blood finally decided to abandon her cheeks, Daring fell fast asleep. It seemed she had unnerved the forest enough for one night, it wouldn't disturb her again.

I want to kill myself some days

A rumble in her stomach told her it was breakfast. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, so maybe it was lunch, or worse yet dinner. She had laid there for several hours recovering from the fight and embarrassment.

The last of the granola bars had been trampled to death during the fight and as she raised the canteen to her lips she discovered the bottom had been punctured. The precious liquid seeped out much to her dismay.

Throwing down the useless hunk of metal she nearly screamed in frustration. The fight had left her too tired to walk anywhere and without supplies Ahuizotl might have as well killed her.

She wasn’t ready to give up; but she wasn’t ready to die either.

Furiously she plotted ideas and strategies, the prognosis becoming more and more grim as she mentally calculated her poor chance of success out in the woods. Still embarrassed about her thoughts as well the moment stayed with her buzzing about as a fly.

“Think Daring think!” She smacked a hoof against her forehead in frustration.

She banged her head against a nearby tree.

I can’t fly out here. I can’t walk out of here. It’s too soon for the academy to send a search party and Cat lady and his goonies destroyed all my supplies.”

She lifted her head; a grim smile adorned her face.

There’s no way out is there?

She glanced up towards the top of the trees where glints of sunlight filtered through.

I’m going to need a miracle.

For better or for worse, a miracle is exactly what she got.