Daring Do and the Unstoppable Stampede

The mare quietly paced back and forth along the train station walk way, her long purple shawl  covering most of her body dragged the ground as she quietly moved about. Occasionally she would adjust large red glasses that would slide down her nose just slightly. Her hooves quietly clicked across the cobblestones, the wind of the desert landscape making the brim of her hat flick about at her forehead.

She had been waiting for her assigned partner on this 'project'


And he was late.

By 20 minutes.

It wasn't enough that she despised working with others, but it was doubly despisable to be working with someone who was late.  Not that she thought he was responsible for the train being late...The irritation to the second fact was highly attributed to the first fact. And as a renowned writer it could most certainly be noted that she was constructing a very well built rant that would be guaranteed to leave the stallion reeling from the metaphorical impact.


Miss A.K. Yearling stood quietly, an additional 30 minutes now having gone by as the train now slowly  slid into the station with an aged screech that only coal driven trains could create. She paced the length of the stretch of train cars, not aware of which one he had been in, but knowing that if she continued her pacing, she would run into him.

And so she did, though, she hadn't quite been expecting him to look as he had.  A somewhat small stallion stood, a large suitcase pulled behind him as he kept his eyes, looking for all the world like a standard tourist in a bright red button shirt with yellow tropical flowers adorning the garments pattern.

He looked Ridiculous.

She approached him noticing the fuzzy tuft of fur that poled up about the tops of his ears twitching slightly as though taking in every sound around him, another detail was that his wings bore no feathers, instead looking rested against him was what appeared to be leather-y bat wings that had been pulled in against him.  She noted how his eyes moved under the shut lids, his head turning to her direction as they opened, an orange that reflected a certain shade she'd be able to pick out if the sun were setting.

“Midnight Sentry I presume?” She asked, maintaining a level of dignified professionalism, he was still late, and he was still going to receive a rant in the next few minutes

“That would be me” he smiled to her, his smile was honest, she picked that up immediately. “And I assume you're Da-”

“A.K. Yearling” she interrupted him

“Excuse me?”

“Take your...baggage” she leaned to the side seeing his large box before motioning “I'll show you to our lodging for the duration of this expedition”

“The Mission?”

“The Expedition” She corrected


He pulled at a strap with his teeth as he followed “Here are the Rules, I am only to be refered by my alias when I am wearing the pith hat and shirt, otherwise A.K.,  Miss Yearling, or My full name  are to be how you will address me.” She continued walking at a very brisk pace as he worked to keep up. “I fully intend to be the one in charge of our expedition, I don't know how things were for you in canterlot, your file was very brief saying you been with Luna for only a few months, so I expect you to fill me in on what I need to know. We will always travel together when it involved our work, and on top of that nything and every task you do while working with me MUST be taken care of in a quick and timely fashion” she turned to him as he closed the 5 foor stretch between them.

“Say the last part of that again” he requested as he let go of the box, leaning his body against it as he panted “I kind of blanked out after the name rules”


The Author sighed heavily “I'm in charge, if something important about you needs to be told, tell me when it's relevant”

They were standing in front of an platform a series of cables and winches visible as they climbed on “Our  room is on the 5 floor of this hotel. We're already checked in. and the dining room is available 24 hours if you need it.” she told him

Midnight sentry nodded, having blanked out while they were moving from the station to this point “I might have to see if they have any good cider”

“Unfortunately” she interrupted “apples are a bit low, most of them are imported. And they locals prefer a more...oh, how-do-you-say..they're beverages are far more bitter, warmer.” She said


“So the mission file was the slightest bit vague. We're getting an artifa-”

“Shush!” I'll explain when we get to the room.

The walk to their hotel room went by in silence before they found themselves in comfortably sized room with two beds  and a small table for two set to on area of the room.

Midnight sentry was the second into the room, shutting the door and sliding a chain into the catch, turning to find Miss Yearling having taken off the long shawl she'd been wearing, and her hat and glasses floating off to sit on a small hook rack.

“So is this the portion of our trip where I call you Daring Do then?”:


“Shush a moment” the author and adventurer held a hoof in his direction “I need one moment to gather myself” she punctuated the statement by inhaling deeply, the warm air filling her lungs, the particular intake no different then the past few hours yet allowed her to get her mind into the right state “There.” She immediate turned to the stallion “Midnight Sentry.”  The statement of his name made his eyebrow raise.

“When I read your file I found your story rather interesting; mysterious stallion appearing from seemingly nowhere, hired as luna's body guard, eventually captain of her guard(that usually happens in reverse by the way, assuming you didn't know) and then leading a successful defense against a changeling invasion” she paused hearing the stallion chuckle once “you read like a character in my books”

“I'm not exactly perfect” he mentions

“and you're unorthodox” she states “according to a lot of the accounts you're rather below average on executions of plans”

“So are you complimenting me, or pointing out I'm only half qualified for this mission?”


Daring Do closed the space between the both of them. “I'm just stating that so far, what little I've been allowed to read about you has me feeling mixed. The fact that you successfully stopped a direct attack on Canterlot is impressive, but you have a casualty mark as well. I'm no stranger, but if I am to work with you, I would like to be assured you'll be able to save my life in the event I am in a situation I can not get out by my own skill”

“Ma'am” he smiled “I can assure you, you're gonna be okay with me” he tilted his head a little forward

“I'm surprised you said that with a straight face” she shooke her head before she turned away “either way, I suppose we need to outline our mission”

She lead him to the small table placing a map and a couple of sketched of some strange looking crown

“This. Is The Crown of The Kingh”  she began “many years ago”

“one thousand?”

Daring do blinked and looked at her with a piercing glare “yes. One thousand years ago”  she then looked back to the paper “