The trip overseas was long and tiring. The airships, carried by helium and powered by both small magic engines and pegasi, could travel only about a thousand miles a day. It took a whole week to reach Neighpon from Canterlot, and Daring Do hated every second of it. Being a pegasus herself, she couldn't stand being cooped up in a small space within an airship, so while she was on board, she helped out any way she could. Sometimes, she would help the crew with maintenance, and sometimes she would help pull. While most ships would not allow passengers to do any labor, Daring was famous for being a huge help, and this particular ship was piloted by one of her oldest friends, Long Haul. He had been on many international flights with the khaki pegasus, and had helped her out of more than one deadly situation. Daring could recall one time where he saved her in the Ibex Mountains from the claws of Cheetanga. The cheetah had almost captured the adventurer after she had saved the Silver Monkey from her evil clutches.
Eventually, in the distance, the city of Yokoto loomed from the horizon. Soon, the airship landed safely at the airport. Stretching her wings, Daring said goodbye to Long Haul. With luck, it would only be a couple weeks' trip and her boss, President Bifocal Spectacles wouldn't yell at her again. The last time she had left on such a journey, she was a month late, and Bifocal was furious that he had to hire a temp on such short notice for so long a time. The city was bustling, as usual, completely oblivious to the adventurer's presence. It was still midday, and her well seasoned intuition told her that she needed to find more information on the origins of the legend. Despite her penchant for visiting many places around the world, she had only been to Neighpon once before. She had visited to find the four legendary Jewels of Fate, hidden away in the underwater ruins of Shiki, the City of Four Seasons, before Ahuizotl could use them to become immortal. Thinking back, she remembered the guide she had found. She knew he lived in a small building on the outskirts of the city, and began making her way there through the mob of ponies and other assorted animals.
It took an hour to find the place she was looking for. It was hidden away from the view of most in one of the more dangerous parts of the city, but Daring was both smarter and stronger than most of the thugs that called the place home. Finally, she arrived. The tiny abode was placed in tight quarters, surrounded on almost all sides by much taller buildings. The door was little more than a blanket that covered the hole. Brushing it aside, she entered the building. Inside seemed even smaller, the space being used for all purposes, from being a kitchen, to a bedroom, to a living space. Of course, in the corners of the place were keepsakes from around the country, kept in great condition. In the center, the sleeping form of a orange earth pony lay in the bed.
"Excuse me," Daring began in a loud voice, "You wouldn't happen to be Chizu, would you?"
Startled awake, the stallion practically jumped out of his futon. Scrambling to compose himself, he looked at Daring.
"Dare desu ka?" he asked. Daring did not actually speak Neighponese. However, she could tell what he said by his body language.
"It's Daring Do," she answered, "I was here a few years ago. You helped me find the Jewels of Fate, or don't you remember?"
"Sorry," he apologized in slanted Equish, "Yes, I am Chizu. Nice to see you again. What are you here for this time?"
"Well, I was hoping you could help me find Angelblade and Demonblade."
Shrinking back, Chizu uttered a small whimper, "You want to find the Ten no Ken? I do not want to help. Those katana are cursed!"
"The what?" Daring asked, unsure of what he was saying.
"The Celestial Swords," he replied swiftly, "Leave them be, Daring-san. They should never be found."
"Come on," she pleaded, "You only need to tell me where the origin of the legend is. You don't even have to come!"
"If you insist," he relented, "I myself do not know where they are kept. However, the shrine priestess can tell you more."
"Could you come and see her with me?" Daring inquired, hopefully, "I don't speak the local language, as you already know."
"No," Chizu stated with finality, "She speaks your language well. I do not wish to come. Leave me alone now, please. If you could, Daring-san, do not come back. I do not want any curses upon my house."
Having ended the conversation, he rather rudely shooed Daring out the door, mumbling in Neighponese. Looking back for a few seconds, she turned and flew off. Searching the skies, she scanned for the shrine. While the city of Yokoto was vast and had many buildings, Daring knew that the shrine was even farther out. Soon, she located the holy building on the very fringes of the city. Now that she was outside the main metropolis, she could fly safely without worrying about air traffic from the airport. Zipping along, it was naught but five minutes from Chizu's place to the church. Alighting in front of the main gate, she respectfully trotted into the courtyard. She was greeted there by a monk, who directed her to the main building without much trouble. Inside, she found the head priestess in the process of a complicated ritual. Sitting quietly, Daring observed the strange dance.
The priestess swayed her hips and tail, moving slowly in a circle, her cutie mark, a mage's staff, in full view. Periodically, she would bow or rear up, chanting an ancient prayer in archaic Neighponese. On the ground was a circle, made of a sort of dusty material, the vivid colors spread into a picture-like panorama. The priestess' horn, for she was a unicorn, glowed softly with an ethereal blueish white light, creating a small ball of magical energy in the center of her odd dancing pattern. As the ritual neared its end, the ball of energy rose to the ceiling, eventually exploding into eight directions, lighting a chandelier placed high up with candles pointing in the eight directions of a compass. A wind blew downwards, causing the dust to swirl elegantly outwards to the edges of the shrine, coating Daring in the process. She dared not shake the dust off, only waiting for the priestess to give her the direction to do so.
Having finished with her prayer, the priestess glided down the hallway to meet with Daring. Giving her a ceremonial cloth, the priestess gestured her to use it to clean herself off. Once she had finished, the priestess led Daring to a small alcove branching off the main chamber. It was here that they were allowed to speak freely.
"Welcome Daring-sama. My name in your language is Winter Song," the priestess said, her voice smooth and her Equish impeccable, "We have been expecting you."
"You know who I am?" Daring asked, bewildered. She had heard that these holy ponies were good, but to be able to deduce her identity without ever meeting her before was extraordinary.
"Indeed. We know who you are, and why you have come. Kami-sama has told me. We believe it is time for the swords to be found, and you, Daring-sama, are just the right one for the job. You won't be alone, though. Soon, you will be contacted by a traveler from nowhere. You must let him join you, for it is through him that the swords can both be wielded at once. Beware though, adventurer, danger lurks around every corner. I'm afraid my brother is also searching for them, and he is not as friendly as I."
"Sounds like just another expedition," Daring sighed, "Why can't I look for a mystical artifact without running into somepony who wants to use it for nefarious purposes. And a traveler from nowhere? He has to be from somewhere. There's also the last line of the legend. 'The swords will only be found when the world goes dark.' It's all a bit cryptic. Two questions before I go. Who is your brother, and where can I find the swords? They've got to be somewhere."
"For your first question, his name in your language is Summer Storm. As for your second, I know not the exact whereabouts. The only clue has been passed down by my family for generations. Eastward, straight as the eagle flies, over mountains and over riversides. Past the rocks and through the trees, the shrine sleeps between birds and bees. In a chamber sealed with words, sleep the twin Celestial Swords. That's all there is. I am sorry to disappoint. However, there is a large island to the east. That is where you are bound. Although, your trip shall not start today. It is getting late, and you must be weary. Come, join me in the bedchamber. We can set up a separate futon for you and provide you with food in the dining room."
"I think I'll take you up on that offer, thank you," Daring said gratefully. She was indeed tired. The airship ride seemed forever ago, and it was only that morning.
Several hours had passed, and the small meal was probably the best one Daring had had in a long time. After all, she did enjoy the little things. The big city was so full of restaurants and extravagant meals. The meager rations of such a holy place were made with more love than any of the exquisite dinners one might find in most modern eateries.
Winter and Daring became fast friends. The priestess had many tales, almost as many as Daring herself. Long into the night, they exchanged stories. It turned out that Winter had gone on a long expedition of her own. She had apparently gone around Neighpon on a missionary trip. While around Koyoto, Winter was attacked by an insane pony. He had apparently thought she was a messenger of death, and had to be fended off with electric shocks from her horn. Daring, for her part, told of the story of how she had saved the Sapphire Stone from the evil clutches of Ahuizotl with an injured wing.
Eventually, the late hour caused Daring to yawn loudly. She knew she had a long journey ahead of her, and it was so short a time until morning. Climbing into her futon, she closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
Daring Do wasn't sure what time it was. Pre-dawn light came softly through the window above her, shining on the door to the sleeping quarters. She had been awoken by a loud crash coming from the shrine several floors above her. She felt a rush of air as the clopping off hooves passed her. It was clear that something had concerned Winter Song enough for her to rush out of the room. Rubbing her eyes with her fetlocks, Daring groggily rose from the last bed she'd sleep in for a while to follow the priestess to the top floor. It took her a bit to make the three-floor trip, quite a while longer than her friend.
When Daring arrived at the scene, she witnessed something that she hadn't seen in her entire career of exploration, and it snapped her hard awake. In the center of the room, within the octagonal shape of the chandelier, was a hole in space. The hole was just large enough to fit an adult-sized pony. Directly beneath, the body of an amber stallion lay sprawled upon the ground, surrounded by the broken remains of a table and the broken glass of a holy vessel, water spilled all over the floor. Winter was standing over his body, busy performing CPR to resuscitate him. Approaching cautiously, Daring decided to get a good look at his face. His plain features didn't place him as important, but the light burns on his sides made it look like wherever he came from may have been dangerous. All in all, he was a nobody. He may as well have dropped out of the sky, and, although he was a pegasus, and the possibility of that was real, the meaning stuck with her.
"A traveler from nowhere." The words flashed through Daring's mind. Maybe this is what was that line meant. The stallion sure fit the bill. After all, a pony that appeared from a hole that wasn't a hole certainly came from nowhere on this planet, or perhaps this dimension, she couldn't be sure. Suddenly, and thankfully, the strange pegasus started coughing. He rose to his hooves, still shaky from his near-death experience. Looking about himself, he had a look of surprised realization.
"Where am I?" he asked concernedly.
"Welcome," Winter replied, "This is the Shrine of Heaven. We have been expecting you. I am Winter Song, and this is Daring Do."
"The Daring Do!?!" he exclaimed, taking her aback.
"Hello," she said, wondering where this strange pony had heard of her, "Are you okay? You were dead just a second ago."
"Yeah, I should be fine," said he, "I should be...fine."
With that, the pony fainted. Winter and Daring looked at each other, down at the stallion, and back again. With nods to each other, they began carrying him down to the sleeping chamber.