//------------------------------// // The road ahead! // Story: I think we're lost // by Poetic Brony //------------------------------// He killed Ahouizotl, I mean he’s really dead, I am rather glad, now that I don’t have to keep protecting the land from his clutches... Daring Do stared at the large being in front of her. The dark unicorn trotted alongside him and she was happily conversing with him. He must have her under some kind of spell, I just know it! Too lost in thought and due to mistrust of the man in front of her, Daring Do tripped over a protruding root. She stumbled forward and was about to land face first on a rock, but she was enveloped in a white aura. Levitating off the ground Daring Do got her hooves back under her and restored her balance. Midnight gave her a small smile when their eyes met. “I could have used my wings you know,” Daring Do flapped them, though she winced a bit. My right wing is still, sprained but at least it was workable, she thought, stretching her bad wing a few times, before readjusted her hat, giving Midnight the stink eye. Midnight pouted at this, though Arron gave her a reassuring pat on the head. “You did fine Midnight,” Arron eyed Daring Do. “She’s upset because well...” he paused a moment to think. “Actually I have no idea why she’s upset.” “I’m not upset,” Daring Do huffed indignantly. “I’m worried about you!” She pointed a hoof in Arron’s direction. “Me,” Arron pointed at himself. “What did I do?” Daring Do rolled her eyes and groaned. “Don’t play ignorant with me, mister!” She trotted up to him. “You know exactly what you did! You’re dangerous! Maybe even more so than Ahouizotl!” Arron folded his arms across his chest. “Is that so,” he looked down and squinted at Daring Do. “That is so,” Daring Do craned her neck in a vain attempt to get in his face. “And that magic weapon you have is one of the most deadly I have ever seen!” She pointed at the AR slung in front of him. “Admit it you killed Ahouizotl so you could take his place!” She stomped a hoof to accentuate her point. Arron balked, exchanged a quick glance with Midnight before they both started laughing. “This isn’t funny,” Daring Do cried. “Yes it is,” Midnight trotted over to get between Daring Do and Arron. “I’ve only known Arron for a short while, but he would never hurt anypony unless they deserved it!” “Is that so,” Daring Do incredulously glared at Midnight. “That is so,” Midnight countered with such absolution it took Daring Do aback. “Arron,” Midnight gestured to the man behind her. “killed the Diamond Dogs that enslaved me, he killed Ahouizotl to save you!” Midnight pushed her hoof into Daring Do. “What more evidence do you need,” she cried in frustration. I don’t know, Daring Do thought. “I didn’t need to be saved!” She tried to counter, slapping Midnight’s hoof away. I’ve never heard of, nor have I ever seen anything like him before, she eyed Arron. Who knows what he’s capable of, he still could have placed a spell on this pony making her say anything, to make me let my guard down. “Come on Midnight,” Arron turned around. “Let’s leave this delusional Pegasus alone.” Midnight let out huff, turned around and whapped Daring Do in the face with her tail, before rejoining Arron. Daring Do was so shocked, she fell back on her haunches. First she was dumbfounded, then her shock turned into anger. Delusional, she mentally cried. “Who are you calling delusional!” She shot up and galloped right at Arron’s back. Before Daring Do collided with his back, Arron side stepped and the infuriated Pegasus harmlessly passed by. She unfolded her wings and took flight. Doing a reverse loop Daring Do was trying to dive bomb the human, but the foliage was much too thick. Several large leaves knocked her wings making her tumble toward Arron. Midnight gasped. I don’t have enough time to... she watched in awe Arron grabbed the Pegasus right out of the air. He clutched her tight to his chest, stretching out his left leg behind him to compensate for the sudden impact. Daring Do’s eyes were spinning. I know I landed pretty hard, but I don’t feel any discomfort, she thought after regaining her senses. In fact I feel really safe for some reason. Much to her horror she found herself in the arms of the one who she was trying to attack. “Are you alright,” Arron asked worried. Daring Do, couldn’t speak for a moment. “Let me go,” she demanded after she regained her senses and her voice. “Alright,” Arron gently placed her on her hooves. “Gesse!” Right when Arron put Daring Do down, Midnight trotted over to him and tugged on his pant leg. “Arron my hooves hurt can you carry me for a while,” she pleaded with big puppy dog eyes. Arron sighed and picked her up. Midnight stuck her tongue out at Daring Do. He’s mine so you can’t have him, she thought. Daring Do stared wide eyed at Midnight in disbelief and a tad bit of jealousy. After a lengthy moment of inner contemplation and several inner beratements Daring Do recovered and headed after them. It wasn’t long before night started closing in so the trio made camp, while they all sat in front of the fire Arron told Daring Do all about where he came from how he came across Midnight. He then told her about the old church where he discovered his ancestors had hidden something. Daring Do was more than a little intrigued by the apparent quest he was on. After a lengthy moment of staring into the flames of their crackling campfire Daring Do felt a stirring inside of her. “Can I come with you?” At first she wasn’t even sure if she had said it aloud, but from the way Midnight was glaring at her and the furrowed brow on Arron’s face she knew she had. “I’ve already told Midnight this,” Arron looked Daring Do in the eye and she also noticed that Midnight had moved right next to Arron’s side. “You have the freedom of choice, so you can do anything you want.” He had a rather stern expression on his face. “If you want to come with us then I won’t stop you, but,” his voice lowered making Daring Do gulp. “I would try to dissuade you.” “Why’s that,” Daring Do leaned forward trying to press the issue. “Because,” Arron wrapped his arm around Midnight and stroked her side, Daring Do’s right eye twitched a few times. “I cannot guarantee your safety.” “I can handle myself just fine thank you,” Daring Do boasted. “I’ve been fighting Ahouizotl for years, I’ve raided so many temples and ruins I’ve lost count and,” she smirked. “I’ve recovered a lot of historical artifacts saving them from the clutches of”— “Ahouizotl,” Midnight unenthusiastically interrupted with a roll of the eyes. “No,” Daring Do retorted. “I was going to say Caballeron.” “Now there’s a pony who needs a bullet in the head,” Arron said with a vicious grin making Daring Do gulp and Midnight shudder, not because of what he said but because he was stroking her a bit more firmly when he said it. “Are you going to kill every pony you meet?” Daring Do dared to ask. Arron looked at her with a much softer expression. “Only those who would harm others,” he narrowed his eyes at her. “Even in this peaceful land there are still those who are deserving of death, then they can explain their actions to your deity when they meet them.” “You mean the princesses,” Daring Do asked quizzically. Arron shook his head. “They are powerful, but they’re not gods... or in this case goddesses.” He looked into the fire. “You know I’m not sure who your god is,” he glanced at Midnight then at Daring Do. “But if I were him I’d be damned proud to have children like you!” “Children,” both ponies asked shocked. Daring Do glanced at Midnight then stared at Arron “But my parents aren’t gods.” Midnight looked up at Arron. “And mine definitely aren’t!” “Yes,” Arron answered. “I am assuming you are all like I am, you are the children of your deity,” he frowned. “Our souls or spirits are born of the gods. After a time we gain mortal bodies and are born to mortal parents to test us if we will obey his will and follow his words. When we die we are judged based on how we lived our lives during our mortal life.” “And then...” both ponies urged for Arron to continue. Arron smiled at them. “Then we are placed into one of three kingdoms the Celestial being the highest where god dwells.” His words made both ponies ponder their own existence. Daring Do looked up at the stars, with the jungle thinned out there was a great canopy of sparkling dots above. The fire crackled and spit sending a plume of embers heavenward. Midnight leaned her head against Arron’s soft frame. He slowly rubbed her side while he stared into the fire. My parent’s abandoned me out here because of the way I look, she glanced up at the full moon, which no longer had the visage of the mare of the moon. It’s been a long time since the moon was empty of the mare, she lowered her gaze back to the fire. I wonder if my parents would welcome me back now that Luna has regained her senses? The question made her look up at the man next to her. No I found some… one… I almost used pony, she smiled at her own thought. Who likes me for who I am, he doesn’t care how I look. What was it Arron said again, we judge beings by the content of their character, not by what they look like. I wish that all ponies shared the same beliefs he does. She rested her head on Arron’s lap, he smiled at her when she did. The jungle was fully thinning out, the vegetation was slowly ebbing away to a grassy clearing. Arron wiped the sweat off his face and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his car waiting for him. Midnight and Daring Do trotted up beside him they looked at the strange contraption with tilted heads. “What is that,” Daring pointed her hoof at the machine. Arron pulled off his back pack with one hand and yanked the keys out of his pocket with the other. He pressed the button on the FOB to release the trunk latch making it pop open. Both ponies gasped. “This,” Arron finally replied. “Is my Nissan,” the ponies looked at him with such puzzled muzzles he could actually see the question marks above their heads. “It’s a car,” he said without much enthusiasm. The pair of ponies still didn’t know what he was talking about. Arron groaned in frustration. “It’s a motorized carriage,” he exclaimed. “Do you understand now?” Daring Do and Midnight both awed in acknowledgement. “Great,” Arron said opening the rear passenger door. “Now please get in,” he gestured for the pair of ponies to enter the vehicle. Daring Do didn’t move, she was still contemplating wither or not she should go with the strange human. Midnight eagerly trotted up to the Nissan and hopped in the back seat. “Wow,” she plopped her rear down and pressed on the seat a few times with a fore hoof. “Cushiony!” Daring Do sighed and trotted over to Arron she eyed the Nissan before taking enough courage to enter and sit beside the humming and ever so eager Midnight. Arron sighed when he heard Midnight gasp when he closed the door. He wasn’t entirely surprised when Midnight joined him in the front passenger seat. He gave her a quick pat on head after buckling his seatbelt. “Where to,” Midnight asked right when Arron put his key in the ignition and turned it, starting the car. He heard Daring Do gasp and Midnight squealed in glee. He wasn’t at all shocked by the former, but was really happy when he heard the latter. He grunted when he saw the amount of gas in the tank. “Back to Ponyville,” he flatly stated. “Then to the Pie family rock farm.” “Wait,” Daring Do cried, using her two fore hooves she leaned between the seats. “Can we stop by my house first,” she pleaded. “There are a few things I need to pick up.” Arron eyed her incredulously. “Can it wait?” Daring Do shook her head. “There are things there that I can’t leave lying around some pony might break in and take them while I’m away!” Arron grimaced when he looked again at the gas gauge. Daring Do noticed his expression. “Don’t worry my house is actually on the way to Ponyville.” “Really,” Arron sounded unconvinced. “Promise,” Daring Do used her wing and pulled out a well worn map out of no-where. “See,” she pointed to a spot on the map. “This is where we are,” she then pointed at a crude drawing of a house. “This is my place,” then she motioned to point at what looked like a small village. “And that’s Ponyville.” “It’s still a little out of the way,” Arron said while Daring Do put her map back to wherever it had come from. Daring Do gave him a dismissive gesture. “It’s not that far out of the way.” Arron rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he muttered, making Daring Do clap here hooves. “But, if we run out of gas and have to walk then it’ll be your fault.” “Fair enough,” Daring Do sat back down and relaxed, then her eyes bulged in horrific realization. “Wait!” she cried in alarm. “This thing runs on gas!” Arron ignored her and stepped on the gas pedal and they were off. “Wee,” Midnight exclaimed when Arron rolled her window down so she could look at the scenery whizzing by. Daring Do plastered herself in the back seat, she looked as though she was holding on for dear life, but she relaxed when she realized that there wasn’t any danger of the vehicle exploding. Soon she too was enjoying the ride.