//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Cross World Explorers // by Ximer //------------------------------// Daring Do supported Isabella as the two stumbled onto the bank of the river. The ship was a fireball now, and Daring Do felt confident that this was the last they had seen of Falsemane. The unicorn had a history of eluding death, however. “Thanks…I thought those fish would eat me alive.” Isabella said. “Don’t thank me yet, we’re half a day away from our destination.” Daring Do sighed. “Well, it’ll be safer to travel in a group, right? I mean there are others that made it off the ship.” Isabella noted. Daring Do remained silent. She was still trying to process what had happened on that ship from the time she had fallen asleep, up to their current predicament. Isabella was luckily still alive save for a few cuts. “I know things look down, but trust me-“ “Oh, trust you?” Daring Do snapped. “The evidence of what happens from trusting you is sinking into the water, why in Equestria would you expect me to trust you again?” “Cool your tits, all I did was try to help!” Isabella exclaimed. “Well, if getting into fights and giving our cover away is what you deem as helpful then you need to go look the definitions up anew.” Daring Do spat. Isabella wanted to be mad, she well and truly did, but what Daring Do was saying had some truth to it. Things worked much differently in this world than her own, and once again she felt the sensation of alienation creep over her, alongside an overbearing doubt of her own abilities. “I’m sorry, I’m not like everyone else.” Isabella said, leaving pony out of the phrase. The human sighed as she walked towards the group gathering on the bank, leaving Daring Do. As much as the mare didn’t want to travel in the same direction as the human, logic prevailed over her temper. She didn’t exactly hate Isabella, she just couldn’t fly, use magic, and lacked unnatural strength. How humans survived in their world was a mystery to the explorer. Thankfully the group of ponies that had swam, or flown, to shore had already organized themselves for the most part and were headed for the same town as them. Traveling in numbers would cut down on the assault attempts at least, or so Daring Do hoped if Falsemane had in fact somehow survived the fire. --- Drake surfaced from the murky water with a rainbow fish caught in his maw. The fish struggled furiously, the tables having been turned on it and its kin. With a simple flex of his jaw, the fish fell limp, the thrashing grinding to a unsettlingly quick halt as life drained from the creature’s eyes and rainbow colored scales. Falsemane turned to face the diamond dog as he spat the fish out into the river, its carcass quickly devoured by its own kind in a flash of large teeth and shifting scales. The pungent smell of dead fish filled the air rather quickly as a result of the feeding frenzy. “Well it seems you’re still alive,” Falsemane said in a detached tone. “Good, then we can try to beat our explorer friends to their location with numbers on our side this time.” “No.” Drake spoke up. “No?” Falsemane asked rather dumbfounded that his most trusted lackey had spoken against his plan of action. “I want the two legged thing. I want her dead.” Drake fumed. “Oh, I see now,” Falsemane mused. “You can have your toy so long as you do your part to finish off Daring Do. I need you to keep things in order.” Drake snorted his compliance to the unicorn’s request. Sitting as Falsemane gathered his strength to teleport them. The rumors of his ability to cheat death, and be in more than one place weren’t as crazy as they sounded if one was aware that the crime lord had knowledge of such spells. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished, reappearing in the city their boat had been bound for. Falsemane swayed from side to side before being caught by Drake. This was the downside to such a powerful teleportation spell, the strain it put on the body. Two ponies with their muzzles concealed by cloth rushed to Falsemane’s side. The crime lord’s touch extended far beyond what most ponies considered the limit. Fear was what kept his underlings in line across such long distances, as one never knew where he would show up next. He had his choice selection of hide outs, but he kept those in his pocket on their hooves with surprise visits as any good leader should. He was sure to make examples of any who tried to stir up enough support for a mutiny, letting Drake have his way with them for a while before finally putting them out of their misery. “Have everypony ready to go at day break.” Falsemane ordered once they were safe inside one of the many clay buildings. “At day? What of Daring Do?” One of the ponies questioned. “Shouldn’t we finish her before they get here?” “Hardly, they’re going to lead us right to the site,” Falsemane explained. “Now, go get the others. It’s time Daring Do’s adventures come to an end.” --- Night had finally arrived, the moon taking the sun’s place in providing light. Luna’s moon was bright enough for the job, hanging high above the pollution free sky of this strange world Isabella found herself in. One she had followed her brother willingly into, but was now starting to regret her decision. She had a good mind to confront Twilight about sending her back. Being with her brother was all well and good, but if the rest of the world was against her, what was the point of staying here? It was like they were drawn to him, but shunned her. Isabella rolled over to see the mare she had been traveling with, curled up with a frown on her muzzle. Was Daring Do really just slowed down by her? It certainly felt like that after her outburst, which had been a bit harsh to endure without lashing back at the mare. Isabella sighed through her nose and closed her eyes, hoping to address the issue tomorrow with a fresh mind. The possibility of Daring Do shutting her out completely had forced its way into her mind, which she didn’t want. She felt she had finally found someone she could relate with, when in reality they didn’t have much in common other than their respect and love of things from the past. “Just one pony, is that too much to ask for?” Isabella asked herself. “Yes, yes it is.” Daring Do replied. “Wait, what?” Isabella shot up from her sleeping position, stupefied by the mare’s response. “All you’ve done is slow me down and put ponies at risk. Do you not realize the gravity of the situation we’re in?” Daring Do asked. “Yeah but-“ Isabella tried to reply. “But nothing, I can handle Falsemane on my own. You need to stay behind in the town where it’s safe.” Daring Do snorted. “I’m not some helpless girl!” Isabella exclaimed. “You have n wings, you have no strength, and you have no magic. What good are you to me, or anypony else without one of those traits?” Daring Do’s voice turned unsettlingly cold. Isabella didn’t respond to the mare’s question. She was a tough girl, but she wasn’t beyond tears, and the harsh comments brought her to the brink of shedding them, until the image of Daring Do began to fade. Isabella was now torn between feeling defeated, and confused about what she was witnessing. “It seems nightmares are running rampant tonight.” said a soothing voice that seemed to echo around her. “Who’s there?” Isabella called out. No sooner had Isabella spoken, a dark blue mare appeared in before her. She had beautiful wings, and a mane that was vastly different from the ones she was used to seeing in this world. It seemed to flow with a magical aura, and looked as if it were made up of stars and galaxies. To top of the mysterious mare, was a horn. Much longer and defined than a normal unicorns was. “Whoa…” Isabella mumbled, as the entire landscape around her shifted to that of her old home. “From the looks of things, you’re a long ways from home, Isabella,” The mare came to sit in front of the woman, resting a bit as she spoke. “Fret not how I know your name, for I am a close friend of your brother.” “That figures, how’d you find me?” Isabella asked. “And what is all of….this?” “Surely this is not your first dream?” the mare tilted her head in confusion. “Wait, this is a dream?” this left Isabella even more confused. “Then are you some kind of fairy godmother or something?” “A fairy what? Certainly not, I am the Princess of the Night,” the mare proudly declared. “I have sensed your distress, and thus came to give you peace.” “Oh…well, thanks. There’s a bigger problem though, a crook by-“ Isabella started to explain. “I know, that is the other reason we came to you. To let you know that you are important to stopping Falsemane, even if Daring Do doesn’t realize it yet.” the mare said. “If you know what he’s doing, why don’t you stop him?” Isabella asked. “Because we are the ones that tipped Daring Do off. My sister and I cannot be everywhere at once, trying to do so would exhaust us and leave the kingdom in disarray.” The princess explained. “What can I do? If you can read my thoughts, and know what all is happening, why would you let me continue without telling your guards?” Isabella crossed her arms, anxious to hear this explanation. “I’ve already told you, Daring Do needs you, and by the time we sent an army after Falsemane, he would already have what he wants. Where the sword fails, a dagger pierces.” the mare said. “We’re the dagger?” Isabella asked. “Precisely, a tad dysfunctional perhaps, but a dagger all the same.” the mare smiled. “Daring Do hates me though, I’ve got no magic, or wings. I’m just a human, tall and clumsy.” Isabella sulked. “There was an attack on Equestria recently, where our magic was drained from us. Never before have my sister and I felt so helpless in the face of danger as we did that day. You wouldn’t have cared though, if what you say is true, and that is what makes you special,” the princess said. “You don’t depend on magic, and you’ve done so much without it. Daring Do is wrong in her assumption, and just frustrated.” A blue aura encased a plaque Isabella had been given after returning home. It had her name engraved on it, and the association that had awarded her for her finds and contributions. Indeed, she had done much in her life, but she still couldn’t chase away the inadequacy she felt when she was around Daniel and how he received positive attention so easily. “None of that matters here. I’m just a joke to these ponies.” Isabella said, placing the award on a nearby desk. “I just don’t have anyone, or pony, to relate to. Do you know what it’s like to go from being a common name to the one all the others avoid?” “Yes I do, I felt that way so strongly that my emotions consumed my heart,” The princess confessed. “I still feel that way to this day sometimes, but you have to let those feelings go. Your valued, Isabella, so stop selling yourself short.” “You know…for not being a fairy godmother, you have the whole pep-talk thing down pretty good.” Isabella commented. “I learned from my sister. Sometimes ponies just need a gentle nudge in the right direction.” the mare laughed, as she faded away into the morning light. Isabella wiped the sleep from her eyes, sitting up just as the moon was peeking over the horizon. She looked over to where Daring Do had been to see the mare up and active. The woman had the sinking feeling that this would be a long day for both of them as they trekked towards the city on both hoof and foot.