If you're reading this, then... well, I guess, you found my journal. I'm not too big on hiding much except this old tattered thing. Its been filled, I went back and wrote this in case somepony were to find it and I'm... indisposed of by my current employer. He tends to do that sometimes to some of the more... disposable minions.
Thankfully I've managed to make myself useful... to a degree, hehe.
My name... isn't really all that important, what is important however, is the story I'm about to tell you. I'm not A.K. Yearling or J.J Neighbrams, and I don't think my writing is all that nice to look at. But I don't want you to read this for the aesthetic value, I want you to read this for the story... the story of how I fell for a pony that would no doubt get me killed...
The sworn enemy of Ahuizotl...
Daring Do.
Entry One: First Meeting
I was sitting behind a clump of rocks, armed with a spear as always and watching as my fellow minions made their way to their hiding spots around the temple of Broken Dreams. We had arrived here before she had come, and had already set up several traps inside of the tunnels leading to the fabled Broken Staff of Sorrow. I was a minion, specifically Disposable Minion Number 4, by my comrades and Ahuizotl. I was a simple pegasus stallion, born into a poor family, raised in one of the villages on the outskirts of Equestria and desperately need money.
That's where Ahuizotl came in, he was looking for ponies to join him on his quest for world domination... and... well... I needed the money, my family was gone, and I didn't have anything to lose, so I joined him. Two years later, here I am. I hadn't seen much action, only getting my butt handed to me as most of the temples we raided collapsed, mostly because of one pony that Ahuizotl has sworn his revenge on for the longest time.
Daring Do.
I had heard about her from some of the veterans who stayed on with Ahuizotl, she was a terror to Ahuizotl, always sneaking in and out of temples, robbing graves and stealing the artifacts that my employer wish to use to take over the world, or shroud it in darkness, or destroy it... the usual evil villain method when they hear word of some great and powerful artifact. The Broken Staff of Sorrow was said to have the power to extract a creature's sorrow and use it to...
I... actually wasn't sure what it did to be honest with you, I wasn't paid to be smart, I was just paid - very little - to guard Ahuizotl and whatever treasures he managed to get his claws on. So here I was, in the jungles of some far off land, sitting behind some rocks waiting for Daring Do to arrive and do one of two things.
Get the artifact and ruin Ahuizotl's day
Or - Unlikely but still a possibility -
Lose to Ahuizotl and he manages to shroud the world in... eternal sorrow?
Again, no idea, not a smart pony remember?
Morning was arriving, and the majority of us had been up all night and were tired, I didn't have to be smart to know this was would impede our senses. I grew up in a tribe of imperial pegasi, we were all about fighting and hunting... so I could tell we were going to have a tough time if Daring did come along. Everypony was already hidden, and I knew Ahuizotl was inside the temple.
I sighed, waiting for that pegasus. Truth be told, I've never seen her before, two years of fighting her and I'm never gotten a good look at her. I only knew she was gold colored, wore a pith hat and a jacket. I've heard all about her, but I've never seen her in my life. But maybe now... now I would see her and see what all of the fuss is about.
*SNAP*
My eyes widened as I carefully looked around the jungle, ears swiveling. I heard that twig snap, was that...?
"Its her! Get her!" I heard one of my comrades scream, jumping out of the foliage and throwing a spear into the trees, it hit nothing. Everypony else was jumping out, and I followed suit. I was about to attack, but I couldn't get a lock on her. She was a blur as she moved through the crowd of ponies, dodging and weaving, following up with attacks and sending minions flying.
She's fast! I noted, a lot faster then I expected her to be. All I saw was a gold streak before she attacked me next, throwing a jab at my head and sending me back into a tree. "Omph!" I grunted, stars swirling in my eyes. My vision blinked white for a moment as I heard the yells, but one of them overpowered the rest.
"DARING DO!" Ahuizotl bellowed, hard to miss his voice. "STOP HER, MINIONS!"
I groaned, managing to get to my hooves and look around, I found a spear and grabbed it in my hooves, flaring my wings and flying up to the temple. I saw other pegasi flyers following my lead, and some Earth Ponies down below climbing the temple with the others going inside, following Daring as she no traveled through the trap infested halls and corridors.
If we did this right, we could set up an ambush up top, there's no way she could go back the way she came. There were too many traps and ponies wanting to stop her, she'd have to escape through the top.
I landed on the temple's peak, where the Staff was sitting, why it was outside and not inside perplexed me. But, again... not a smart pony. The other ponies who followed me rose their spears at the door leading down below, I was at the helm, all of us waiting with bated breath for her to come and take us on. As we waited, I had wondered time and time again who most of these ponies were, we barely knew each other and yet we worked together. I didn't know their names, their hopes or dreams...
Maybe they were just here for the money, like me.
Sure I was a minion who only wanted money, but... I had hope and dreams too ya know.
Down below, even through the thick of the stone, I could hear the traps going off, spears flying from holes and darts embedding themselves into the stone as they missed their target. The yells and screams of my fellow minions as they were either felled by our own traps or by Daring Do's fighting skills. I won't lie, I didn't expect her to be so... strong, or fast.
Eventually the door in front of us... was silent, the screams gone and replaced with an eerie silence. I shivered, despite it being nearly a hundred degrees outside in the shade. There was still silence, not even Ahuizotl - who had taken his place by the staff - had said anything. We carefully moved forward, spears still aimed at the exit...
And before I knew it, Daring Do shot out of the exit, colliding with me and sending me flying back... again. I hit several of my comrades, and we all landed in a heap as Ahuizotl yelled some profanity, I wasn't sure what but I think it involved Daring's mother and a tube of toothpaste. I... didn't want to write that down, I'm sure you understand.
I could hear Daring as she fought against us all, and I was just getting up. I had managed to grab my spear and throw it, and to my surprise Daring had caught it, and threw it back at me. I yelped, barely dodging the sharp end as it embedded itself in the wall behind me. I tried to go hoof to hoof with her, but coupled with her speed and reflexes, I was no match for her. She struck me with a hind kick to the head, and I flew back and landed on the edge of the temple.
I managed to grab onto the edge to keep from slipping down, and I also managed to get a good look at the mare who had caused us so much trouble... and I felt my heart skip a beat.
She was... so much different than what I expected. The pegasus' coat was brighter than any gold I had seen, a grey scale mane and tail whipped from the wind, and a cutie mark of a compass rose was on her flank. She had managed to take down Ahuizotl, sending him flying off of the temple with a cry of her name. The mare calmly walked over to the staff, pulling it out of it slot and depositing it on her back with a jerk of her head.
Daring turned my way, and beautiful raspberry red eyes locked with my blue ones. She stopped for a moment, her breathing calmed as she looked at me... She looked like she was expecting me to get up and attack her, but I couldn't, I was... at a loss for words. Soon, she flared her golden wings out, and quickly took flight.
I watched her go... eventually my vision went black and I passed out.
That was the day she gave me a concussion, among other injuries...
It was also the day... I fell in love...
