Chapter 2: Lost//Found

“Cause if everyone is gone, then I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to be left alone…”

The train pulled to a stop, hissing and creaking. Few ponies disembarked, trotting down the platform. A yellow coated pegasus with a fiery mane strode up and down the platform impatiently, her eyes scanning the crowd. Finally, her eyes settled on a pegasus with an olive green coat, laden down by saddlebags. “Daring! Over here!” She called.

The pegasus gave her a weary smile. “Hey, Spitfire.” The two exchanged a quick hug. “How’d it go?” inquired Spitfire. Daring Do rolled her eyes.

“I feel like… I lost myself again.” She sighed in frustration. “I don’t get it. I’m supposed to be searching for myself, why do I keep getting so lost?” Spitfire pat the pegasus on the back.

“Hey, it’s fine. Come on, let’s talk.” Daring nodded, and the two trotted off down the platform. The two pegasi neared the cafe where another pegasus sat. His ears perked up when he saw the two approaching.

“Hey, Daring!” he called.

“Hey, Soarin,” she responded as she pulled out a chair next to him. Soarin exchanged a glance with Spitfire.

“Still no luck, huh?”

Daring shook her head, laying it in her hooves. “No… It’s getting harder to tell if I’m who I want to be or who they want me to be.”

“Hey, it’s fine, take your time,” reassured Soarin.

Daring slumped back in her chair. “That’s the problem! It feels like everypony’s done waiting. I have no time left. What am I supposed to do?”

Her friends couldn't answer the question. She doubted anyone could. Her mind flashed back to last week, where she was trekking through the desert sands. She spent the week learning about the cultures and traditions there, an overall great experience for her. Yet as she trekked through ancient ruins, she felt as if the ground she walked on was breaking and burning. And no matter how hard she tried, she felt she was drifting farther away from her friends.

On one of the last days, she crawled through the sands, having run out of water the day before. “This is it,” she decided, before flopping on her back, staring up at the sky. For a moment, she shut her eyes, deciding that she would die where she lay. She felt happy to escape all the pain and struggles that awaited her at home.

When she opened her eyes again, she found the hazy form of Celestia staring down at her. “Giving up so soon?”

Daring rolled her eyes. She sat up, squinting in the intense heat. “Why not? Every plan I’ve ever had fell apart.”

Celestia shrugged. “Plans change a lot.”

Daring chuckled to herself. “Yeah… Yeah, they do.” She lay in the scorching sand for a little more. After a few minutes passed, the pegasus heaved herself up, blinking. Celestia disappeared, and Daring had doubts she was even there at all. “Dehydration… must be worse… than I thought....” she mused. She hoisted herself up and continued on her journey. “Plans change,” she said to herself. “Plans change.”

Back in the present, Daring stood up from her seat. “You know, I guess… I guess I need to change things. Maybe if I push my luck, I can get something different for once.” Spitfire raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

“So, you'll stay in town for a while?” asked Soarin.

“Yeah, until I figure out what to do now,” responded Daring. Spitfire stood up.

“We've got to get going. You need anything?”

“No thanks, I’ll figure it out.” The three exchanged farewells and soon Daring was alone on the platform. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a locket. She turned it in her hooves, her face hardened. Ignoring the thoughts flying through her head, she pulled it closer to her chest. “I won’t give up, I won’t fade away. I won’t lose hope, I won’t lose faith… I won’t turn to light or to dark, but if everyone else has gone… I don’t want to be alone.” Daring closed her eyes, the surrounding sounds fading out. “Please don’t let me be alone.”