//------------------------------// // Daring Doubt // Story: Guarded Emotions: The Final Season // by Alabenson //------------------------------// “I love reshelving day,” Twilight declared as she looked across the piles of books assembled throughout the library. “Just a whole day of organizing books, sorting books, and then putting them precisely where they need to be.” “It is satisfying to see everything properly arranged once the reshelving’s complete,” Moonwhisper agreed. “Now, are you certain you don’t want to make any revisions to your organizational system? If you did, this would be the ideal time to implement them.” “No, I still haven’t come up with a system that works better than the one we’re currently using,” Twilight replied with a hint of resignation. “Besides, with all the work I have getting ready to take over for Princess Celestia and helping Starlight transition to headmare, I just don’t have time to squeeze in a full booksortcation.” “Fair enough,” Moonwhisper said. “So, we’ll be using the existing system then. So, where do you want to start, Classical Non-Fiction?” “Actually, I’d like to go through my fiction collection first. It feels like every time I go through that I always seem to have to move a book or two into nonfiction,” Twilight said with a laugh. “There have been quite a few ledgends and old mare’s tales that have been proven true in recent years,” Moonwhisper admitted. “In fact, there’s a betting pool going on as to which supposedly fictional creature is going to pop up next. I have ten bits on the ice orgs, myself.” “Really, ice orgs? The creatures made of ice that are supposed to live under the Northern mountains? Those are just made-up creatures from stories for little foals,” Twilight said in a bemused tone. “Stories for little foals that date back to before the Pre-Classical Era,” Moonwhisper corrected. “There are scattered references to them, or at least creatures matching their descriptions, in several of the oldest records in the Crystal Empire’s Archives, and apparently they show up in the Yak’s folklore as well.” “Yak folklore? How in Equestria did you know that?” Twilight asked. “Gallus mentioned it,” Moonwhisper said. “He and his friends were swapping stories from their respective homelands, and Yona told them about the ‘ice creatures that live under snow’. On the plus side, there don’t seem to be many stories of the ice orgs being actively malicious, so if they do turn out to be real, they likely won’t pose a serious threat.” “Huh, I guess that makes sense,” Twilight said before thinking for a moment. “Put me down for fifteen bits on the bushwoolies.” “Bushwoolies? And you said the ice orgs were little foal’s stories,” Moonwhisper teased. “Yes, but those stories come from the same set of legends that talked about Mistmane and Rockhoof,” Twilight countered. “Once again, fair enough,” Moonwhisper said as he began carefully shelving books. Suddenly, however, Moonwhisper stopped what he was doing as one particular cover caught his eye. “Twilight, the books in this pile are all classified as fiction, right?” “They should be, why, is there a reference book in there? Just put it with the others. Starlight brings Trixie in here to practice magic every so often, and afterwards I sometimes find books on the wrong shelves. To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s just an honest mistake on Starlight’s part or if Trixie’s doing it on purpose to annoy me,” Twilight added in a tone that suggested she suspected the latter. “No, it’s not that, at least I don’t believe it is. It’s just…I realize this may sound strange, but I swear to Celestia that I’ve seen the mare on the cover of this book before.” Twilight turned to see that Moonwhisper was holding her copy of Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams. “You’ve met Daring Do?” Twilight asked excitedly. “Daring who?” Moonwhisper replied. “As I said, I could swear I’ve met this mare before, but I can’t for the life of me remember when or where. Are you saying this is a real pony? I had thought that maybe I had just met the model for the cover somewhere.” “Well…do you promise to keep this a secret?” As Moonwhisper nodded his head, Twilight leaned in closer.” The author of the Daring Do series, A.K. Yearling, actually is Daring Do! The books are just her accounts of her adventures. And you think you’ve met her?” “Either her or somepony who looks very similar,” Moonwhisper said. “I can’t imagine where, though. I’m guessing by her outfit she’s mostly active in Southern Equestria, the Tenochtitlan Basin, that sort of place.” “That’s right, most of the series takes place in the Tenochtitlan Basin,” Twilight replied. “Though, she does sometimes go to other parts of Equestria, too. The opening to Daring Do and the Tower of Stars had her recovering the Lance of Bucephalus from –” “Wait, did you say the Lance of Bucephalus?” Moonwhisper asked suddenly, both ears suddenly snapping to attention. “Yeah, it wasn’t really the main focus of the book, though,” Twilight replied. “The real story got started after Daring Do turned the lance over to—” “Greater Good,” Moonwhisper said. “Now I remember where I saw her before; she was the mercenary Greater Good hired to recover the lance. I guess she left a bit more of impression since she seemed a bit different than the hired goons he typically contracts out that sort of business to.” “What’s so special about that lance, anyway?” Twilight asked. “It’s an incredibly important historical artifact, it really should be in a museum, not locked away in some secret compound someplace.” “The lance actually has a potentially dangerous curse attached to it. In the wrong hooves it could turn into a massive threat to Equestria in beyond, hence why its necessary to keep it locked up,” Moonwhisper said. “Anypony who possess the lance is granted peerless tactical skill, but also slowly develops extreme megalomaniacal tendencies with a particular fixation on achieving world domination. Thankfully, the corruption takes months to take hold, and it doesn’t grant any particular ability to raise an actual army…” “But, if it were to get hold of somepony like me or my brother…” Twilight said with a shudder. “Or myself, or Princess Celestia, you get the general idea. The protocols I wrote for it specifically prohibit any alicorn or pony of range above sergeant or the equivalent from coming within twelve feet of the object,” Moonwhisper said. “Any alicorn,” Twilight asked wryly. “So, does that mean I don’t have to worry about my niece launching an invasion of Canterlot?” “Thankfully not,” Moonwhisper said. “I think I can safely speak for both of us when I say that the last thing we need is ‘Cozy Glow; the Alicorn Edition’.” Twilight burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity of Moonwhisper’s last statement. “Well, thankfully that’s something we’ll never have to worry about.”