//------------------------------// // Chapter #11: Onward // Story: My Little Pony: Dark Star // by WestRail642fan //------------------------------// Chapter Eleven. Onward. David slowly swam over to Pipp, who was happily swimming as if she belonged in the water. "Haha!" Pipp smiled, swimming over towards David, "So, you feeling relaxed yet?" She tilted her head, her wet mane clinging to her face. "No. If anything, I'm cold." David shivered in the water as Pipp swam closer, touching his nose with her hoof. "Boop." She giggled, sticking her tongue out. "Got ya good there hehe~." She said as she laughed like a cute mare. "Hehe." She said as she splashed some water on David. David used his hands and shielded himself. "Oh, you want a water fight, princess? alright, it's on!" He splashed more water on Pipp. Pipp shielded herself with her wings and giggled. "Hehe watch it. You're gonna get me even wetter!" She laughed more and splashed water at David before jumping out of the water, "Can't catch me~" She sang, the flap of her wings showering the human with water. "Hey! No fair you can't fly away like that!" David shouted grumpily, trying to grab her hoof with his hand. "Hehehe~ sorry David, it's too much fun!" She giggled. "I Haven't had this much fun since my childhood." She flew around in a loop-d-loop. "You can fly, but this guy can't." David said, his eyes showing grumpiness as the pink pegasus princess showered water down on him. "Ok grumpy, I'll fly lower..." Pipp sighed and fluttered closer to the water, David saw this as a chance and he tackled the pink mare into the water, she let out an audible "Eeep!" "Got you." David smiled victoriously, holding the pegasus close to him. Pipp looked around, cheeks slowly turning a red that could rival Posey when she's angry. David booped the pink pegasus right back on the nose, "Heh got ya." He chuckled a little. Pipp's face turned an even brighter shade of red from the boop, she bit her lip as an idea entered her thoughts. Without much thinking, she lunged forward and began to kiss the human on the mouth, wrapping her forehooves around his neck. "Ok, that's the last crate of supplies." Sprout groaned exhaustedly, wiping sweat from his brow. "Well, Zoom and I offered to help you with the load. But you flat out refused." Thunder spoke bluntly, leaning to his side, sipping from a juice carton. "I didn't mean that literally!" Sprout grunted, headbutting the crate in frustration. "Careful now, you're turning red, may want to calm down." Zomm snickered, trying to hide her laughter. "My coat is red!" Sprout shouted, voice cracking in the process. "Ahaha!" Zoom and Thunder broke out in tandem. "H……HEY STOP LAUGHING!" Sprout said as his cheeks blushed bright red. "hEy sToP lAuGhINg!" Zoom and Thunder said as they mimicked him. "Quit it!" Sprout whined, pouting like a toddler. "QuIT It!" Zoom and Thunder continued to mimic him. Haven came and saw Zoom and Thunder watching over Sprout. "Ahem!" Haven cleared her throat. Zoom and Thunder turned around and saluted Haven. "Ah! Your majesty, we did not hear you coming." Zoom stuttered. "Quit teasing Mr Cloverleaf." Haven spoke sternly, "He is our only chance of finding Pipp safely." She added. "Understood your highness." Both guard ponies saluted. "Zoom, can I speak to you for a moment?" Haven gestured for the guard mare to follow her. "Of course, your majesty." Zoom saluted and she followed the Queen. "Thunder keep an eye on Sprout and make sure he does not do anything silly alright?" She added "You got it, Boss!" Thunder saluted, turning back towards Sprout. "I don't need babysitting, I can look after myse-" Sprout spoke proudly before tripping over the corner of the crate, "Gods fucking damn it!" The red stallion shouted in anger. Thunder broke down and laughed hard. "HAHAHA! Yeah right pal, I'm gonna keep an eye on you to ensure you don't hurt yourself!" "You wanted to speak with me, your highness?" Zoom asked, pulling off her helmet and shaking her mane loose. "Indeed Zoom." Haven replied, coming to a stop near the railing guarding the ledge of the bridge, "As you know, you've been a guard here for nearly 30 years and as such, you'll soon be retiring." Haven paused, taking in a sharp inhale of the mid-morning air. "So, I want you and Thunder to join Zipp and her friends as they go to bring Pipp home. Consider this as one last hurrah before you finish your service." Haven looked out towards the horizon, wind fluttering her mane. "Why us?" Zoom asked, tilting her head. "Because." Haven turned towards Zoom, who for the longest time now, was her most trusted friend, "You and Thunder are the only two guards I trust enough for this task. I want you two to keep an eye on Mrs Arcana." "Haven, what I'm going to say, does not come from me as captain, but as your friend. Are you sure Opaline can even be trusted? Sure, her intel helped us years ago, but she neglected to tell us about that thing that wanted the crystal." Zoom looked directly at Haven. "To be perfectly honest Zoom, I don't trust her either. But, she's the only one who can help us locate Pipp." Haven placed a hoof on Zoom's "So please Zoom, do this. Not just for me, but for Zephyr..." "Ok, Haven. For Zephyr." Zoom smiled, Haven quickly bringing the mare into a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, Zoom..." Haven smiled over Zoom's shoulder, "For Zephyr..." She whispered, as memories of the day she first met her loving husband entered her brain for the first time in ages… *25 Years Ago* "Father, I can handle this one diplomatic mission." A young Princess Haven spoke, "It would look bad on us if we neglect to show." "It's too dangerous for you, my daughter." King Ezekiel replied, "Besides, they were promised a king would be arriving." "But father, you said you won't be able to go due to the crisis that's happening with the courts." Haven whined, "I can do this father, you know I can." "Alright..." Ezekiel rubbed his forehead, "You may go in my stead. But please take a guard with you." Haven smiled gleefully, quickly turning around, she spotted a pink stallion mid-conversation with a blue mare, "I pick him." "Wha... Me?" The stallion replied with shock and surprise, "Pick Zoom." The stallion added, pushing the blue mare forwards, "She's a mare. Better fit for a mission with a princess." "Haha. No way Zephyr, she picked you." Zoom chuckled, quickly leaping behind Zephyr, pushing him towards the Princess. Haven giggled as she and the shy stallion came face to face. "Y-your highness..." Zephyr stuttered bowing down before the King and Princess. "Wow, he's so cute, stuttering like that." Haven thoughted to herself. "Hehe, hey." She smiled. Zephyr stuttered again. "I... Um... What do you request of me, your highness?" Zephyr said in a nervous tone. "I'm off for a diplomatic mission and I need a guard to accompany me, and I've elected to choose you for this duty?" Haven winked cutely. "I... Well..." Zephyr pushed Zoom towards Haven, who continued to smile "Why can't she come along, two guards are better than one." Zephyr shifted his eyes nervously, slowly backing away from the Princess who was a head shorter than him. "Zephyr!" Zoom said. "Stop trying to escape. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for ya." She said as she pushed Zephyr back to Haven. Zephyr and Haven were now extremely close to each other and their chests now touched each other. Haven blushed slightly while Zephyr sweated. "If you're all done acting like children." The King's voice boomed, "Zephyr. Zoom. I'd like you both to accompany my daughter for this task." "Thank you, father." Haven smiled, "Come along you two." She added, gleefully trotting out of the throne room. *Present Day* Haven and Zoom pulled away from the embrace as Sunny and the others slowly made their way over toward them. "Ready to go?" Haven smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. "Don't worry mom." Zipp replied, squeezing Haven tightly in a hug, "We won't be long, a week maximum." "Zipp… Dear, please bring back Pipp safe and sound." Haven sniffled. "Don't worry mom, we will bring her back safe and sound." Zipp smiled, nuzzling into her mother's feathers, "What should we do about the human?" "Do whatever you deem necessary." Haven bluntly spoke, "Zoom and Thunder will accompany you for this mission, my dear." She added. "I had a feeling you'd say that, so we already packed extra supplies and gear for them." Zipp smiled, pulling away from Haven as she gestured to the small cart Hitch was dragging behind him. "Are you sure you've got enough supplies for all nine of you?" Haven asked. "We triple-checked, we're very sure mom." Zipp rolled her eyes. "Don't worry your highness." Sunny smiled as Haven hugged her, "We'll be back in no time." She added as Opaline slowly trotted past them, being led by some guard. The group slowly crossed the bridge, back towards Thunder and Sprout. "Thunder." Zoom spoke, " The Queen has requested that we join Zipp on this mission to locate Pipp, to keep an eye on Opaline." "Yes ma'am." Thunder saluted. "Really? Two feathered freaks were enough, now four?! Sprout spouted, before getting a slap to the back of the head from Zipp's wing, "Oww!" He groaned, rubbing the spot where Zipp had just slapped him. "Hold your tongue, lest I rip it out before your very eyes." Opaline leaned close to Sprout, "Do. Not. Cross. Me." She added squinting her eyes. "Whoa, easy Opaline. Sprout didn't mean anything by it." Sunny spoke, stepping in between the red earth pony and the purple alicorn. "Grrrrr." Opaline growled at Sprout, like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. "Fine, I shall spare this incompetent pony for now." The alicorn added, Sprout's ears fell flat against his head. "That'll shut him up for a while." Izzy giggled to Zipp as they loaded their bags into the Sprouticus. "Heh, yep I'm counting on it." Zipp replied, nudging Izzy's leg as she flicked her shades down. "Wait!" A voice shouted from further up the road. "Is that? Dazzle Feather?" Zipp asked, trying to focus on the pegasus running towards them. "Oooh! I know her from TV!" Izzy smiled, rapidly tip-tapping her hooves on the floor of the Sprouticus. Dazzle Feather came up to the group and skidded to a stop, panting as if she ran a long mile. "Let me come with you. I was the pony who helped her escape Zephyr Heights, it's only right that I come along to help you find her!" Dazzle painted, Izzy gently passed her a bottle of water to drink. Zipp looked towards Haven for guidance, Haven simply nodded. "Sure." Zipp shrugged, "The more the merrier." She added, "But it'll mean we'd need to ration out supplies since we could have enough for 9 of us, not 10." "That's fine, I bought my own supplies." Dazzle tiredly smiled, patting one of her overloaded saddle bags. "I packed my own food and I packed a few magazines in case we get bored too, enough for all of us." She added, Izzy taking the saddlebags off of her and placing them gently on the floor. "Let's go already! We're burning daylight!" Sprout shouted from the cab, giving two sharp blasts of the horn. "You heard Sprout. Get going!" Haven giggled, ushering the group. Zipp gave Haven one last hug. "We'll try and call you when we find Pipp!" Zipp shouted from the open door as the Sprouticus began to move out. Haven waved goodbye to Sunny and her friends as they set off on their journey. She turned and slowly trotted across the bridge, smiling to herself as she remembered the time she first left Zephyr Heights before she became queen. *25 Years Ago* "For the last time, Zephyr quit being so nervous around the princess." Zoom chuckled, punching Zephyr in the leg. "I'm not! It's just that she keeps winking cutely at me." Zephyr replied. Avoiding eye contact with the young Princess as he rubbed the sore spot on his leg. "Hehe~ You know I can hear both of you, right?" Haven smiled, resisting the urge to giggle as she made eye contact with Zephyr, "Oh come on Zephyr, you should know this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you." Haven added, fluttering her eyes at the stallion. Zephyr sweated more, looking directly at the floor, trying his best to hide his flustered look, "Besides..." He spoke quietly to Zoom, "She's a princess, I'm a guard, we aren't even allowed to even talk to each other... Nor look at each other." "Who told you that, you dork?" Zoom chuckled. "It's in the rule book given to us in boot camp, did you even read it? It states that any guard regardless of rank is not entitled to talk to royalty unless it is important." Zephyr frowned as Zoom shook her head in reply, turning around in frustration, Zephyr was amazed by the beautiful countryside surrounding them, the city in the distance atop the mountain, "Whoa, Helicon is smaller than I remember..." He spoke to himself, Haven quietly trotted over and stood next to him. "It truly is something..." Haven added, smiling at Zephyr, "Come on, I'd like to at least camp out of sight of the city, we've got a long way to go." She wrapped a wing around Zephyr, "Come along, Zephyr." *Present Day* "David! I'm sorry!" Pipp shouted, swimming after David as the human stepped out of the water. "What hell were you thinking? I told you I'm married!" David furiously grabbed his clothes from the shoreline as he started to climb the embankment. "You must have at least felt something!" Pipp followed after him, before quickly returning for her phone. "Even if I did, I'm married." David was thankful that the hot sun allowed him to dry off quickly as he reached the top of the embankment, "Look, let's just get going ok?!" He added, putting his clothes back on. Pipp followed after David, unable to take her eyes off of his wet abs, "hubba hubba~" She thought to herself, biting her lip as she clipped the holster back onto her wing. David slammed the car door shut as he sat down in the seat, Pipp quietly sat down in the seat next to him. Without another word, David started the car and the pair sped off down the road, living behind a cloud of dust. End of Chapter Eleven.