Stranger in a strange land

“Darin.”

Darin grabbed her satchel throwing in several pairs of socks and various other things strew across her desk.

“Darin.”

She slung the bag over her shoulder, then started rifling through papers litered around the room until finding the one she was looking for. A refolded map yellowed map which by some miracle had ripped quite yet.

“Darin! For petes sake!” Darin jumped at the shout, turning to see a short bespectacled man staring daggers at her from the offices open door. His black hair was unkept and his beard had seen better days the same with his white ink covered shirt and jeans.

“What?” She asked in a huff stuffing the map into her canvas jacket.

“What? You! What are you doing?” The man said angerly holding an open hand out to her. Darin shrugged grabbing another bag laying haphazardly atop a bunch of un opened crates, she slung it over her other shoulder then turned to the man.

“I’m going out.” She replied matter-a-factly.

“You just got back!” He shouted, earning an eye roll from the woman.

“Its been like two days, there’s something I have to do in Sinok so I’m going to do it.” She explained heading to the door only for the man to step in her way. She glared at him and him back at her.

“The last time you went out you told me. No. You swore that you’d take a break and catalog.” He said not taking his eyes off her, Darin groaned trying to get around him.

“Well things change, move geez!” She finally shoved past him, he stumbled falling unto a set of boxes which promptly fell over. Darin winced as thousands of years old marbled bounced then shattered on the floor. The man stared at the bust of had once been a intricate and very detailed miniature of a noble born woman. Darin stood there watching as he knelt down and started to pick up the pieces.

“I-“ she started only to silenced by a hand.

“Go. I’ll do it. Should have figured.” He mumbled not looking up to her.

Darin watched him for a long minute as he slowly picked up the pieces, her watch alarm went off, she was going to miss her flight.

Darin hesitated only for a second then turned and walked away.

--

“Darin!”

Darin almost jumped out her skin at Jacks shout, she looked back at him, his head had stopped bleeding for the most part the bandaged on his head a sickly looking yellow and black.

“Sorry, what where you saying?” She asked sheepishly while smiling awkwardly. Jack pointed to the setting sun, which was almost behind a set of mountains which peaks where hidden by another cloud layer.

“That this Equestrian place you where talking about? Said we’d reach it by sunset.” Darin squinted looking at the mountains, she leaned forwards slightly to get a better view of the ground. Satisfied she turned to him and nodded, Jack nodded back sitting down in the radio chair.

“Think we’ve been flying over it for a awhile now , Those mountains up ahead. Canterlots built into the side of them should be seeing it shortly.” Darin explained as she adjusted the remaining flight instruments slowly lowering the nose of the plane.

“God I can’t wait to get out of this plane.” Jack said with a weak chuckle.

“well long as nothing goes wrong we should be landing-“

WHIrrunch!

Jack ducked his head as the right wing propeller exploded through the wall in front of him and into the radio.

“YOU JUST HAD TO SAY THAT DIDN’T YOU!?” He managed to scream as the plane turned vertical. Darin turned around in time to see Jack making a strangled yelp as he fall out of his chair and smashed head into the other side of the plane. She winced as he lay there limp, whether or not he was dead would have to be found later. Darin grabbed the wheel using all the strength to turn it, gradually and rather painfully the plane slowly came to a semi manageable angle. She could see Canterlot now, she could see the majestic Sun and Moon palace with its pearl walls and ebony battlements. With the sun setting behind it, the entire palace radiated darkness and light in any other situation such a sight would have taken her breathe away.

Right now, as the plane ripped itself apart, as Jack lay likely dead or knocked out, and as the left engine coughed its last breath. All Darin could think about was if they would die hitting the ground or when they hit the force field surrounding the city.

It wasn’t easy, being Queen.

Always having to be good.

Always having to listen to the plights of the people.

Always giving the benefit of the doubt to wrong doers.

Always having to save the fuckin world when a prissy little magic bitch deicides “I’m going to rule ! MEMEMEME!”

Whatever happened to being able to behead your enemies and mount there heads on a stake and letting the crows have there fun with he remains?

“Oh, right democracy.” Muttered Celestia slumping down further in her throne. To here right the Sun guard stood in neat perfect little lines with neat golden plate armour and neat little swords. To the left the Moon Knights in there rugged black, form fitting, spine tingling armor, with their wicked looking glaves held in one hand and half moon shields in the other.

Why did here sister get all the cool shit?

Why did she get a celestial body that could be actually be looked at day and night?

Why did she get terrorize the common folk and only get banished to the moon for a millennia?

Why did she get to spy on peoples dreams, and do…werid things and no ones the wiser?

Because unlike herself, was a fucking Princess.

While Celestia was a Queen. Of the sun. Worst she could do was roast the planet, then were the fun in that? Everyone would be dead. Did it once with the Dinosaurs by accident and those guys had been the shit.

“Sister if fall anymore in your chair, you may cause your royal guards to pass out. Again.” Mused Luna who had apparently been behind her. Celestia lifted her head slightly seeing just how far her dress had ridden up and how much her pale white legs were exposed. She also noticed one of her guards hastily looking away from her, which made a slow smirk spread across her lips.

“Its fun to watch them squirm.” She said quietly slowly sitting back up.

“ Not like your men there always so…” Celestia gestured to Luna’s men whom she was pretty sure hadn’t moved in hours.

“Stoic?” Supplied Luna, Celestia nodded leaning forward slightly resting her elbows on her knee’s.

She felt it then, a throb in her temple enough to make her eye twitch. Luna felt it as well, she breathed in sharply, she looked alarmed to Celestia who was all smiles.

“Sun Guard! Dismissed!” She said loudly, without hesitation they about faced and began marching away.

“Except you Guardsman Talos.” Celestia commanded, the single man stopped as the other went on. He turned around finding Celestia had already crossed the distance to him.

“How long have you been a royal guardsman Talos?” She asked with a smile

“Three years, your highness.” He answered, Celestia clasped her hands behind her back pacing around him.

“You enjoy your position?” She asked.

“More than anything, your highness.”

“And you’ll follow any order given correct?”

“Anything, your highness.”

Celestia finally stopped, Talos turned to her, in the falling light beneath the mosaic of the elements of harmony the various colors reflecting over her white skin only added to her beauty.

“Good to hear. Don’t move.”

Had he been paying close attention he would have heard the screams; had been more aware he would have realized that it was actually getting much darker in the throne room. And if he would have been smart he would have had the common sense to ask why she had asked him to not move.

Crash!

The nose of large aircraft decimated the eons old mosaic, rubble, glass and various rained in the throne room. Guardsman Talos saw his life flash before his eyes as it barreled towards him:saw every moment from his birth, to his first steps, his first word, he saw it all in the blink of an eye.

He was dead.

Until the plane stopped a literal hair from his face.

Beside him Celestias right hand glowed bright white, as rather gleeful expression was on her feature’s. Talos looked to her slowly, she tilted her head flashing her blinding teeth in a smile.

“If you ever look at me in such a compromised state like that again Guardsman. I will burn you so bad you’ll wish you died in the womb. Are we clear?” She asked sweetly, Talos in that moment forgot how to breathe. He bobbed his head as her hand stopped glowing, the plane didn’t move thankfully.

“Very good, now fetch the rest the guards, it appears we have some uninvited guests.” She turned on a heel walking back to the throne where her sister stood face in her palm.

It wasn’t always fun, but hell sometimes.

It was great to be the Queen.