"Peanuts..?"

...

"Check.."

...

"Books..?"

...

"Check.."

...

"Toothbrush?"

..Meow.

"Oh shut it, Snazzle.. You should always keep your teeth brushed, no matter where you go," Daring Do lightly scolded her cat. Who was laying peacefully on the bed beside her, staring down her owner with sharp eyes.

The apartment Daring Do was currently living in was.. Dull, to say the least. It had an air of vacancy due to the exclusion of any unique trinkets or decorations. It contained only the most basic of living necessities. Despite this feeling of emptiness, it held a rustic and warm tone because of the wooden design. Hilariously enough, it was the least peaceful apartment in the entire building, due to the mare inside of it. Who was walking back and forth between the kitchen and the coffee table. Her bizarre behavior explained by the knapsack that lay upon said table, the flap pulled open as Daring deposited numerous dry food products inside.

After a few more trips back and forth, Daring took a moment to stare into her bag. Running over a mental checklist in her mind in order to make sure everything required was there, but a discrepancy was quickly detected, a very large one. She had forgotten the most important item needed to make the journey.

"Aha.. I almost forgot.." She murmured to herself solemnly as she trudged over to a small mahogany case secluded in the corner. As her shadow fell over the object, she withdrew a key hidden deep in her mane, which she then used it to unlock the mysterious box and pull out what lay within.

Her hoof wrapped around the handle of a sharp, and certainly threatening sword. It was short and light enough to make it easy to carry with one foreleg, but it still had the means of viciously hurting opponents if so needed. It was in a sheath, which had an apparatus attached to it that allowed it to be strapped to her waist underneath her saddlebags (so it could be concealed.) The only thing that would be in sight was the very back of the handle, poking out reliably. She pulled the sheath to her side and closed the strap around her abdomen. Sparing Snazzle a look of seriousness before her demeanor faded back into one of determination and excitement. She took one good look around her apartment once more before stomping her hoof in triumph.

"Great! It's time to go! Snazzle, be good and don't hurt Mr. Grimlock while I'm gone, Kay?" She flashed a toothy grin towards her cat, who lazily shifted in response. Daring used one hoof to hoist her saddlebags into the air before plopping them on her back, her legs almost buckling at the sudden strain. She winced at the impact.

"Eeeeshh.. Bad idea," she grumbled, rocking back and forth for a moment as she got used to the weight. Once her body situated itself, she shook her mane in excitement and headed out the door into the hallways.

She headed down the stairs and to the front desk, where she exchanged greetings with one Mr. Grimlock, handing him her apartment key as she trotted out the door and into Vanhoover's morning light.

Daring Do walked through the streets of Vanhoover, exchanging brief greetings with familiar faces and admiring the scenery as she made her way around the town, but she was not out for sight-seeing, she was looking for something else. After a good fifteen minute walk, she reached the corner of town and followed a short gravel path through the woods, when she emerged on the other side, a cottage stood in a small clearing of the forest. The windows were only barely illuminated, and the sounds of intense wildlife all around seemed to make the pony-made house more opposing. Daring Do walked up to the front door and raised her hoof up.

Knock, Knock

"Heeey.. Cherry? I know you're in there," Daring called out impatiently as the door swung open. A lithe navy-blue mare stood in the doorway. Her violet eyes the only thing Daring could see within the darkness of her home. The Earth Pony's desaturated pink mane was flat, and dragged along the floor as she stepped back, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh.. Hello Daring.. I didn't expect to see you today," Cherry Blossom greeted her softly, her voice having a melodic inflection and calming effect, "Please come inside.. I'll prepare some tea." Cherry scurried back into her own home as Daring stepped inside.

Daring walked through the home, her eyes running over the numerous artifacts and abstract decorations that hung on the walls and sat on the shelves. It wasn't long before she reached Cherry's living room, there were two fluffy chairs angled slightly towards one another with a glass table between them. The fireplace on the other side of the room was gently flickering and crackling, sending small wafts of heat through the room on occasion. There was a door opposite to Daring as she entered, slightly ajar as the sounds of Cherry's soothing humming flowed from the room beyond. She took a seat in the closest chair to her, waiting for her friend to return.

After a few agonizing minutes of waiting, Cherry returned to the room with a small tray balanced on her hoof. She gently set it down upon the table, revealing two ornate teacups filled with very ordinary (but very healthy) Green Tea. With a sigh of contentment, Cherry slowly sat herself down in her chair and directed her attention to Daring.

"So.. What brings you here to my abode..?" Cherry began the conversation quietly, but wholeheartedly.

"Well, I just came to inform you about how I'm leaving for the next few weeks." Daring explained, her loud voice contrasting with Cherry's calm demeanor.

"Oh? Are you going on vacation?"

"Nope!" Daring reached over and picked up her teacup, taking a sip from it before flashing a grin at her friend, "I'm going to the Avian Empire!"

Cherry visibly winced, her breathing quickening for just the smallest of moments before she picked up her teacup as well, sipping at it. She took a deep breath before placing it back down. "Aren't you worried you're going to get hurt?"

"Definitely." Daring concurred, her expression changing into a stoic one for a few seconds, before changing back to a mischievous grin. "Buuuuuut.. I've gone over all the, uh.. Egghead stuff in my brain, and statistically the chances of me being attacked by some scavengers or something is reeeaaally low." She punctuated her points with a few exaggerated hoof gestures.

Cherry raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure..?"

"Positive." Daring placed her hoof against her chest, "I swear on it."

With these supposedly earnest words from Daring, Cherry's concerns wilted considerably, and she smiled once again. "Oh, I forgot to ask.. But.. Why are you going to the Avian Empire?"

"Ehhhhhhhh-" Daring rolled her eyes slowly to the right as she thought of a response, "In order to meet old friends, Y'know.." Her voice faded away.

"Uh.. Yeah.. I know.." Cherry nodded, accepting the answer for what it was. She retrieved her teacup once again and sipped at it. Daring reciprocating her as they both fell into awkward silence.

...

Daring stared at Cherry, causing the mare to gradually turn red in embarrassment as she squirmed in her seat.

...

"S-stop doing that!" Cherry squeaked as she covered her eyes with her mane. Causing Daring to snap out of a trance.

"Oops, sorry, just thinking.." Daring sheepishly responded, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's okay."

"Sooo.. I think I should be going. I came here just to tell you how I was leaving, after all." Daring broke the silence before it even began.

"Yeah.. That makes sense.. I'll take your teacup if you wish." Cherry began to rise out of her seat when Daring suddenly stood up. Making the mare fall back into her seat again.

"Nahh, Don't worry about it. I got it." Daring gingerly picked up the tray, breaking several unwritten rules of being a house-guest as she walked through the door to Cherry's kitchen, leaving the mare to sit there, bewildered and embarrassed that her own guest just took over her responsibilities.

After a few minutes, Daring returned with a content smile upon her face, stopping in front of Cherry, who just sat there with a guilty expression on her face. Daring ignored this and looked down at her friend, holding out a hoof to bump.

"Thanks for inviting me over," Daring grinned as Cherry tapped her hoof together with hers, before letting it shakily drop to her side. Both Daring and Cherry said goodbye to one another as the pegasus shuffled out of her home and back into the outside world, leaving Cherry to her devices.

Now with her friends (friend) taken care of, It was time to start her journey, but the question is, where does she even begin?

Author's Note

A MESSAGE FROM THE DUCK

First, Let me apologize for the short/boring chapter, It's more of a introductory prologue.

Second, New Story, Hurray!

Third, I need the small amount of people viewing this story for an opinion come Chapter five (If I survive that long), tell me whether I should add a comedy tag or not. I don't like adding a tag that is up for heavy debate, so I'd rather have a minority vote. (This story won't have many people then, either.)

Purposeful Disclaimer.

I would like to warn everyone here that my writing incompetence has embedded itself deep within my soul, and that if you experience any side-effects while attempting to read this fan-fiction (excruciating liver pain, need to gouge own eyes out, death, blindness, insatiable bloodlust, etc.) It is not my fault, this is because I have written "Disclaimer", which has the power to vanquish any type of responsibility for my indirect actions towards you, friends or family members.

WITH ALL HIS LOVE, A PECULIAR RUBBER DUCK