Far Away

CHAPTER XXXII

Your foreseeable future will carry sorrow, agony and anger, I see. Please do not blame yourself of all these doings. These incidents are merely, mistakes. Keep your head high, and don’t look backwards. March forwards with an air of confidence. Your work has been cut out for you and you only can complete it. Do it for him, my child…

“Jack...” said Daring in a very serious tone. She did not want to break the news to him, but it was the right thing to do, “Listen to me, alright? Every single word.”

“Yes?” Jack attempted to ask but the only audible response was a very dry croak.

“You… You have blood poisoning,” said Daring, emphasising every single word. She did not like her reality but alas, this is what life gave her and this is what she has to work with.

“Isn’t there a treatment?” asked Jack more clearly after he gulped down a tall glass of water which was sitting on his bed stand, “A medicine?”

“No. The only thing I can give you is an herb named the fire flower,” answered Daring, “Now listen carefully. I’m going to Sol Mountain to retrieve it, hopefully. Don’t do anything rash or physically demanding which could spread the blood poisoning faster.”

“Ok, I won’t for your sake,” answered Jack light-heartedly.

“No, this is serious,” replied Daring, “I must get going now. I’ll see you in less than two weeks. Know that if I don’t return, I can’t bear to see you…” she trailed off. “I’d rather not talk about the worst case scenario. Keep yourself well Jackson,” she called as she headed towards the doorway. The door closed with a light click and Jack was left in the room by himself. Loneliness will be a common visitor for the next two weeks…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flying was something that Daring rarely took the time to experience. It was one of those things in life that was useful but was never required in Daring’s life. As a pony who enjoyed what they did, travelling on foot would yield a much more colourful exposure to the environment she was in, when flying would be faster, yes, but taking things slowly was one of the little pleasures of life.

In contrast, somepony’s life whom she loved was on the line here. There is ample time to spare looking at the scenery. The one and only option is to dive in deep, with no time to stop and ponder or get side-tracked. In the miniscule time frame of two weeks, anything could happen so being prepared is critical. The thought that everything will remain static in such a small time frame is an illusion. In our fluid, constantly changing world, nothing is static and all things can take a turn for the worst.

Daring spread her wings, not having opened them for a long time. Flying is like riding a bicycle; you will never forget how to do it, but the skill in which it requires to do such an activity well is lacking. (From personal experience, I can say that this statement is completely true. I can ride a bicycle but the skill I possess in doing so can vary due to exposure to. I fell off while mountain biking five months ago and had to get surgery done to correct my fractured wrist.) She took off awkwardly, banking slightly to her left side as her more powerful right wing swung her centre of thrust unbalanced. Correcting it was easy and she took off harmlessly into the sky, now deep in thought as she always was when travelling:

(These are actually my shower thoughts emptied out onto paper as an interesting filler.)

Lapis Lazuli. What an appropriate name to give to a stone that resembled the sky so closely. In translation, it means stone of the sky. It is a celestial blue in colour which looked like what the heavens currently looked like. It was twilight, and the sky to the east was a dark blue, but not quite night yet. The colour of the blue stone was exactly that shade of blue. Only if it could last forever…

Time. Time is always at work; its effects being shown through every single movement in our universe. Time itself is timeless, which would lead to the question, ‘What is time, really?’ Is it every movement of every object in the universe? Time takes a toll on everything, nothing leaving unscathed from its effects. Is time even a plausible concept? What we define as ‘time’ does not even exist, as we give meaning to the world around us, which constitutes our meaning to time? Does that mean that without beings living in a universe, there will be no time because there is no being to define it? Time… is something that only living beings can experience.

“Time is free, but it is priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can use it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” – *Harvey Mackay***

Daring did not even notice but she was nearing the peninsula at Portsmouth fast. Flying low on the ocean was a refreshing experience. For Daring, it cleansed her mind as the salty sea spray moistened her fur and the pleasant sea air entered her lungs. She loved taking the opportunity to experience things that are rare, that can only be done once in a blue moon, but she reminded herself that this was not the time to do it.

She thought of Jack. It gave her a goal to strive towards, to achieve. It gave her motivation, a confidence burning fiercely in her heart. She set a small mental checklist when completing complex or challenging tasks. The next checkbox on hers right now was to get to the Portsmouth train station. Taking a train to Canterlot only took a day and she could transfer to a sky chariot in Canterlot. Time is of the essence, and there is none of it to spare at the current moment.

Daring banked over the golden sands on the beach of Portsmouth, headed inland towards the simple platform that is the Portsmouth train station. There usually is a train that arrives here at thirty minutes past six o’clock sundown, which is perfect. The locals would usually return from wherever they went during the day on this train. Travelling by locomotion was the second fastest form of transport anyways in Equestria.

She landed on the small concrete platform, skipping a few times due to the high speed that she came in at due to strong crosswinds. Landing the other way into the wind was impossible due to a small rocky formation to the north of the station. A makeshift clock was fastened to a pole hazardously on the platform, but it did what it was meant to do; show the time. It was six thirty already, indicating that the train was late today. Trains in Equestria do have a knack for being late to desolate stations, especially to the south of the country.

Daring saw lights on the horizon with a small column of smoke rising slowly. It was definitely the train, approaching at a blistering speed to the station. At the distance of two-hundred score yards, the screech of the brakes being applied was prominent as the short train came to a stop swiftly at the small station. It released an audible puff of air as the pistons depressurised as the craft halted. The doors swung open as a few residents jumped onto the platform and walked down the small trail to the small seaside town.

“One passenger to Canterlot?” asked the controller from the back carriage, “Very well, all aboard!”

Daring stepped onto the desolated train carriage. No other pony was riding back to Canterlot from Portsmouth tonight, as was understandable. The engine hissed as it backed up the track, ready to switch tracks then, ultimately, switching ends so it could be at the front of the train again. The process was swift as there was a T junction very close to the Portsmouth platform, with one track leading up to Manehattan.

As soon as the engine switched ends of the train, a steady column of steam signified that it was pacing steadily across the country, through farms and forests, over rivers and lakes, and canyons and ravines. The scenery was always beautiful in the country, especially at this time of year.

Glorious fall colours littered the ground in forests and the trees growing on farms shed their earthy leaves onto the ground into large heaps. The countryside glowed glamorous shades of yellow, orange and red. Shafts of the setting sun’s light beamed onto the ground, casting shadows under the wispy shadows of the semi-bare trees. The light passed through the clouds of the slightly overcast sky which, in contrast to the dead tree branches, cast large shadows that covered acres of farmland and waterways.

Everything was picturesque except for the little thing nagging at Daring’s conscience. There was nothing to do currently but to observe the world around her but being granted with free time was also a curse. It provided more time to linger on subjects that were not pleasant to ponder about such as the picture in her mind of Jack laying in his coffin. There was nothing to pull her mind away from such disturbing subjects, all she had were the clothes on her back and small pocket tools that resided deep in her pockets.

“Help me Celestia,” whispered Daring to herself as she tossed herself onto the chair in her small compartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Fire Streak! What is on your mind?” asked Artemis, who walked over to where he was sitting, head buried in hooves.

Fire Streak shifted away from her on the couch and said in a small, broken voice, “Leave me alone.”

“No,” she replied, lifting Fire Streak’s half bandaged face gently so that she was looking into his orange eyes. “What is on your mind?” she asked with little force but an air of seriousness.

Fire Streak released a long shuddering sigh, not attempting to keep eye contact with Artemis by looking at the ground. “I could’ve prevented this mess,” he said ambiguously.

“Look at me,” she whispered furiously.

Fire Streak found it hard to look up into her deep blue eyes. “I… I was involved in a firefight this morning when I went out for a stroll with Jackson. You know? That brown earth pony who’s been walking around base.”

“Yes. Go on,” she urged.

“There was a squad of drakes patrolling a block that we recently,” Fire gulped audibly, “and things did not go well after they found us there. I missed half a magazine of shots. Five shots! If I hit, I would’ve saved him! And now… he’s in the infirmary with blood poisoning.”

“Don’t dwell on the past, Fire Streak, for the future brings many challenges that you have yet to face. Do not regret what hast already occurred but look for ways to solve the problem. Dig yourself of the hole you placed yourself in so to say,” she said wisely.

Fire Streak wiped a tear off his face. “You know the feeling when you know you could’ve saved somepony from something and you fail? You feel remorse for not saving a friend who you could’ve if you tried harder,” said Fire. He paused. Fire Streak opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. Making a cutting comment was not appropriate for this situation.

“Don’t fret Fire Streak. Life goes on and the only way you can go is forward. Let the fates determine your future,” she insisted reassuringly, “Don’t worry yourself sick. I’m sure that he’ll be fine.” Artemis knew that this was not the truth. In fact, not many ponies actually recovered from blood poisoning as the cure was so rare. The truth hurts much more sometimes, and lying calms the winds for a while but the tempest will come, she knew.

“Better give that kid some privacy,” muttered Iron from across the room, “At least I was not on patrol so I’m not to blame.”

“Typical,” said Wave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day after…

Daring stepped out of the carriage into the grand Canterlot Station. It was dark outside through the large arched windows and the inside was lit by large chandeliers, burning fiercely, hung up onto the ceiling with heavy brass chains. She stepped onto the white marble floor and looked from her platform to a large sign that high onto the ceiling, but lower than the chandeliers, making it easier to read.

‘Platform VI: Stalliongrad line,’ it said on the sixth row down. Daring walked to the wrought iron bridges that arched over the train lines. She traversed them swiftly as Platform VI approached quickly. She glanced over at the entrance to the station, above which a large mosaic of vibrantly coloured tiles was positioned. The stalls and the newspaper agency on the corner were all deserted. The clop of her hooves on the hard marble echoed through the large building. The whole station was almost empty except for a few passengers waiting for the Stalliongrad train. The billboard at the platform told that the train was due to arrive in ten minutes.

Waiting was dull for such an active pony. Daring fidgeted with her knife as she sat on the cold stone seats at Platform VI. It seemed like time passed at different speeds depending on what she was doing. Waiting usually caused time to drag relentlessly, as seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. Speaking in front of a large audience or rushing through the dense jungle caused time to accelerate, causing the feeling of the experience to be very brief but powerful.

Minutes passed, and the unmistakeable creak and whoosh of the arriving train was heard in the distance. It came closer and closer, brakes creaking as it slowed, sparks flying in many different directions and the wheels on the train stopped completely and grinded against the track, still in motion. The train slowed to a halt and the sound of hydraulics depressurising filled the air. The many doors on the side of the train swung open as the passengers from Stalliongrad disembarked and walked onto the platform, most in suits and carrying black suitcases.

Daring stepped onto the train, the carriages’ insides looking almost identical to the train from Portsmouth but the compartments contained a bunk each. Travelling to the destination was most definitely the most boring of all parts of an adventure.

(Shall we skip to the interesting bits?)

One day later:

The train slowed gradually, wheels screeching in protest as they were slowed to a stop with the brake. The hissing noise of high pressure steam being released from the engine’s valves sounded, and the doors at either end of the train car swung open, revealing the medium sized station. Daring stepped down onto the concrete platform and looked around. She did notice that they passed through several tunnels to get here and now she could see why.

Giant snow-capped mountains were to the north of her, blocking her vision of anything else, even the Regalia Mountain, the mountain that Canterlot is situated upon. She heard things about this chain of mountains that snaked through the middle of the sovereign country of Equestria. She was so far south that the sun set at the north east, casting an orange light from behind the highest peak in the range; Peak Australis, which stood isolated from other peaks which were albeit, smaller.

Colours of the sunset coloured the sky to the north-east and the opposite direction revealed a deep, regal blue colour which looked like it was bordering violet. The moon was already up, low on the south-western horizon, just above the skyline of Stalliongrad which was quite a substantial city.

The racket of wooden carriages and the grinding of steel echoed from the city centre, reminding Daring that this was quite an industrious city. The architecture on the buildings were not sleek like the ones in Manehattan, and covered in glass that reflected the sky. These building were grey apartment blocks, containing small balconies and windows that cannot be seen from a distance.

Daring trotted down onto paved path that led to a road of bitumen upon which many carts and carriages waited as a transit system to transport the populous from the train station to the city, or vice versa. She had a different plan to what she normally thought of, which included staying low profile and going along with the rest of the traffic. She had Sol Mountain in her sights, which was in the Southern Range. It was considerably lower than many of the other peaks, only the tip was covered in snow. Lush green firs lined the lower parts of the mountain.

Daring was determined to head to it tonight and hopefully find it before sundown. How hard could finding a flower be? She took off down a little rocky path that led through the shrubs and curved through the hilly land like a serpent until reaching its destination, a small clearing at the base of Sol Mountain. This track was completely deserted, as tourists usually came during the summer leave, when forest flowers bloomed in the thousands, composing a colourful foreground for the mountain.

She galloped down the path, trying to beat the sunset, and extensively; time. Time really can turn into one’s enemy sometimes. The day was running away swiftly, the sky turning darker and darker by the second until all was a dark blue. Daring burst into the clearing and looked around. A small trail that was fenced off led up the mountain. The gate looked very old and rusted through like it was neglected for decades.

Daring leapt over the fence and landed softly on the other side, hooves slipping a tiny bit on the small rocks and stones that made up the fir forest floor next to the clearing. It seemed easy enough to get to the place, but finding the fire flower would nor become the issue. She started to peek at the small flowers and fungi that were growing next to the stumps of old trees that have already sprouted tiny branches. Firs were evergreen trees; this was why the forest was still vibrant in winter but the cold wind bit hard. Daring shivered slightly as the freezing wind blew over her fur, chilling her to the bones. This was the true power of the southern wind.

She finally came to a small clearing, natural and appearing randomly out of nowhere. She walked into it, feeling the soft wild grass tickling the bottom of her hooves. Something caught her eye, however. A soft red glow came from her left. As she approached, her eyes widened in astonishment as a fully bloomed fire flower lay there, unscathed by the rough pines that have dropped onto it and the winter weather.

Daring reached for it cautiously. It was too good to be true. She tentatively made an attempt to grab at the plant, but was shocked when her hoof came close and a transparent protection field, or shell prevented her from touching the plant. A voice sounded from behind her.

“What in Equestria are you doing?” it inquired roughly with a growl.

“No-Nothing,” stammered Daring as she turned round to see the stallion.

“I will be forced to shoot you, young lady if you don’t tell me. I am part of the Royal Canterlot Police Commissary and you have committed a serious crime by trespassing and now stealing from government property. How do you plead?”

“I have a friend ill with blood poisoning, that is why I am here, harvesting this flower,” replied Daring.

“Are you aware that you are trespassing government owned land and all that grows on this land is entitled to the royal family and high ranking officials?” asked the officer.

“No, I was not but I’m sure we can organise something. Like send a letter to the princess or something?”

“It will take one and a half weeks to arrive at the castle and the same amount of time back,” he informed, “and also, I won’t bother with sending a letter. Your friend would be dead anyways. Stop trying. Fire flowers cost an astronomical sum of money and stealing them is a criminal offence.”

Daring felt fire course through her veins but kept cool on the outside. “Where can I buy one of these flowers?” she asked.

The officer laughed like it was the most preposterous question he ever heard in his life. “Buy it? You need a permit, qualification, registration and everything!”

Acting on impulse right now would be a great mistake. It took a fair bit to stop herself throwing a punch at the officer and knocking him out cold. The remedy was so close… yet so terribly far out of reach. “Look. I don’t have time to waste. How do I get one of these damned things?” questioned Daring threateningly.

“Well, firstly you need to have a doctorate at the University of Canterlot or Manehattan. Then, you need permission from the princesses themselves and need to be a registered member of the academic honour society of Canterlot. There are a few minor details that I have skipped but if you fall into that category, you will have the right to either harvest or purchase one of these flowers, but I’m afraid there are no other ways.”

Daring racked her brain for details of her past. She did not really remember many things from when she was younger, probably wiped out by her vibrant memories of adventuring all across Equestria and beyond. And how did she get money to make those trips? Aha! That tiny card they embedded in her wing actually was useful. “I have a PhD in the University of Canterlot in the field of archaeology,” she responded, stretching out her wing to reveal the small card that was filled with credentials and whatnot.

“Yes, I do see that clearly, but do you fall into the category I described?” replied the officer calmly, “Since you cannot provide those details, I am forced to detain you for the night at the station for trespassing and the attempt to steal property owned by the monarchy.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Morning, Ambros–,” yawned Jack. He stopped mid-sentence. “Where is Daring? I haven’t seen her for two days!” he inquired curiously.

“Oh. I told you before that you have blood poisoning, right?” asked Ambrosia.

“Yes. Yes, you have.”

“Daring was confident to find a fire flower to cure it. She is currently in Stalliongrad and I couldn’t stop her from going. It’s her nature,” she smiled sadly, “I don’t know what will become of her but I hope for the best. Meanwhile, we are trying to get in contact with Celestia. Squadrons one to three will be withdrawn later this week due to the fight dying down and we are low on provisions anyway.”

“Ok,” was all that Jack managed to say before Fire Streak walked into the room. Jack was half expecting Daring to be standing there.

“Jack. Message from Celestia,” he announced.

Jack took the rolled parchment and tore off the seal and unrolled it to reveal the neat writing of Celestia greeting him:

Dear Jackson,

I have heard that your friends have contacted me about the case of blood poisoning you have. I am currently searching through my alchemists’ cabinets, trying to find the cure called fire flower essence. I hope you feel well.

Best of wishes,

Princess Celestia

Jack thought for a moment, to ponder how to respond. “Quill and parchment please,” asked Jack. The requested materials were provided to him immediately by Fire Streak. Jack scrawled untidily on the parchment:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you for caring for me but I will have to ask of one more favour if that is alright. Daring Do is currently in Stalliongrad trying to search for a fire flower to cure my illness. Please send word that there is no need for that anymore.

Thankyou,

Jackson

Jack rolled up the parchment and handed it to Fire Streak. “I trust that you can get this letter to the princess. How long is it going to take?”

“One day if we are lucky but the train line has been bombed again,” replied Fire Streak.

“Can’t you get somepony to fly it over there? It is very urgent because I have a feeling that something very bad has happened,” asked Jack.

“Well, if it is that urgent, I can probably get Fleetfoot to fly it to Canterlot,” said Fire thoughtfully.

“Ah, yes. First squad is off duty for the next two days. Wait a sec, I’ll ask.” Fire Streak handed Jack back the letter before he dashed down the hallway and Jack heard the door being swung open and slammed shut loudly.

(If you still cannot guess what Fire Streak is, he is a messenger/radio operator in the second squad.)

Seconds passed quickly and they turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Jack found himself staring at the clock that hung above the doorway, with a pendulum swinging precariously under it. Jack was about to give up waiting and doze off. He was feeling much more tired recently and had cold chills through his body frequently. He passed them away as shock, but knew deep down that with each symptom of blood poisoning he receives, one more step he takes to heaven’s doorstep.

It was three hours later that he finally heard the door opening roughly and the sound of hooves clacking upon the floor. Fire Streak appeared with Fleetfoot following close behind. “Hello Jack,” she said in an offhand manner. “So I am a courier now, am I?” she said sarcastically at Fire Streak.

“Come on Fleet, it’s not that bad. You were a first class mail courier before you became a Wonderbolt,” Fire Streak retorted.

“Whatever,” Fleetfoot brushed him off and trotted over to Jack. “Letter?” she asked, “And to whom, may I ask?”

Jack took the letter from his bedside table and held it up to her. “Address: Canterlot Castle, Recipient: Princess Celestia,” Jack recited.

“Oho! Sending a letter to the princess?” she chuckled, “Welp let me not put this message on hold any longer. Goodbye!” Fleetfoot turned and headed out of the room swiftly. Through the window, Jack saw her take off in a burst of speed and disappear into the light blue sky.

What will happen to Daring? Find out next week in the next chapter of Far Away. I’m really sorry for the cliffy! (No I’m not)