Author's Note

Allow me to present the side story/prequel to the ESDE story that expands on the relationship between Daring Do and Mystic Moon (not self insert so don't state as such)
anyway a warning this story is much darker in tone than the original

1-strangers on the train

Celestia awoke with a start, breathing heavily her face held fear. “This can’t be,” Celestia said in disbelief before climbing out of bed and grabbing a robe. “Guards!” and almost instantly the door to her chambers opened revealing two of her royal guards.

“Yes your majesty,” They answered in unison with a bow.

“I need you to find a miss A.K. Yearling she is our leading authority on arcane artifacts in all of Equestria,” Celestia ordered to which the guards bowed once more before leaving. “I hope I am not too late to stop it.”

A.K. Yearling sat at her desk typing another one of her novels. With a huff she pushed the typewriter away and laid her head down on her desk. “Why is it so frustrating to write this stupid novel,” Yearling said with a huff looking up from her tan arms. "Who knew it would be difficult writing a story from scratch, guess retirement from the adventurer life was bad for my writing career." she took off her glasses and leaned back in the chair to stare at the ceiling.

A knock soon came from her door drawing her attention away from the ceiling. "Go away I'm busy!" Yearling yelled to whoever was knocking on the wood door.

"Royal guard, this is an urgent summons by Princess Celestia," a commanding voice said from behind the door. Yearling fell backwards in her chair in surprise from hearing that Celestia has summoned her of all people to Canterlot, but why?

Meanwhile...

Celestia descended the dark stairway of her old castle in the Everfree forest. Everyone is in danger unless this threat is stopped and she is the most qualified person to deal with this threat, Celestia thought to herself as she reached bottom of the staircase. “I just wish it didn’t rely on her of all people,” Celestia sighed as she walked down a dark corridor with the only light coming from a solid star forged metal door with glowing yellow magic symbols.

With a nervous sigh she dispelled the magic and opened the door to pure darkness, this seemed odd to Celestia as she had guards posted here to keep the girl company and they wouldn’t sit in the darkness something was wrong. So her horn glowed and it illuminated a horrible sight her guards were scattered across the room torn to pieces.

No, she must have broken free and killed my guards I knew this would--, Celestia’s thoughts were cut off.

“Well, I wish I was the one to do this,” A cheerful voice said from the ceiling causing Celestia to jerk upward to see a small girl dressed in a form fitting black suit with a dopey grin on her face hanging there by a thick glowing golden chain. “Because I wouldn’t leave such a mess.”

“Mystic Moon, so you didn’t escape th-” Celestia started but was cut off by the girl.

“Come on little Tia, you know I wouldn’t break our agreement,” Mystic Moon said swinging back and forth on the chain. “And I really hope you don’t break your end of the deal.”

“Of course I haven’t, I have come here to follow through with the bargain and set you free as promised,” With that, Celestia snapped her fingers and the gold chain vanished causing the young girl to fall hard on the marble floor.

“ Something horrible is underway if you decided to release me,” Mystic laughed before picking herself up. “So your majesty, what job do you have of me?” she said licking her lips in anticipation.

Yearling sat at the train station dressed in her red cloak and thick framed glasses. I wonder why Celestia ordered her guards to fetch me, she thought nervous about the reason of the summons.

“Now Boarding,” The conductor yelled out dragging her out of her thoughts she boarded the train she was led by three guards to a car that was filled with more guards that surrounded a young woman with pale skin, metallic gold eyes, and black hair that reached her back. Her hands were chained together, but despite that she still had a bright smile on her face.

Moon looked at the woman that Celestia’s goons brought in and gave her a friendly smile before looking out the window. it had been an extremely long time since she seen the daylight and even longer since she seen so many happy people it felt almost like a dream to her. Growing bored with the view she turned her gaze to Ms.Yearling who was now looking out the window trying to ignore the golden eyed girl.

“Hello miss,” Yearling heard a voice whisper in her ear, turning around she was face to face with the black haired prisoner.

“Ah!” she screamed startling the guards who brought their spears to the prisoners throat.

“Hey easy now fellas you don’t want to kill someone that your supposed to protect,” She said with a wide grin before she seemed to shatter like glass, before she seemingly appeared behind the guards. “Besides if I wanted to escape I would have already,” she laughed as she sat down the chains around her wrists fell away.

Yearling looked at the really strange behavior of the girl and was a bit taken back by her display of magic, not everyone has magic especially not teleportation magic which is rare even among the star people who are all magic user. Is she a member of the star people, She asked herself as she watched the guards put the chains back onto the stranger.

After the incident on the train the guards kept a closer eye on Moon, Yearling stared out the window still thinking about why Celestia would send for her. after about six hours of silence the train began to slow.

“Final stop Canterlot!” The conductor yelled which brought a huge smile across Moon’s face.

“Oh this is where the fun begins,” she said with glee, while Yearling grew nervous as the two women were escorted off of the train.

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER TWO