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[Unyasi] Daring Do and the Fate of El Coltrado (Sign-up in OOC Thread)


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In a lonesome hut overlooking a clean moon-lit tropical sea, one pony disregarded the notion of savoring the nocturnal sights. Inside the hut, a bespeckled pegasus swatted away numerous insect pests as she slaved over a typewriter. This mare was no other than A.K. Yearling, the acclaimed writer of the Daring Do books. Only a few ever learned the complete truth however, that Daring Do was actually Yearling’s adventuring alter-ego. Finished with another of her Unyasi journeys, the author found a secluded seaside spot near the lagoon town of Taraju and began writing about her latest exploits.

This newest story was a peculiar one, starting out with the discovery of a most embarrassing fact. A few months prior to the “official” start, A.K. Yearling attended a book-signing event when she received an odd gift from one fanatic fan. It was a gem, with symbols that appeared to stay in the same position no matter which direction somepony looked at it. Yearling didn’t think much of the obsessed fan at all however; holding the same view towards the gem, she requested her assigned guard to donate it to a random museum when he got the chance.

But that idiotic Pvt. Century Sentry failed to do that. He allowed himself to be charmed into giving the artifact to a pretty young mare, an artist named Presteza. A.K. Yearling by chance later learned that the trinket she rejected was actually a very important artifact, a key to unlocking the secret of one of the greatest lost cities known to ponykind. As Yearling’s story begins, we find that Daring Do has tracked the gem’s new owner to the bustling Unyasan port city of Clawifax.....

 

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CHAPTER 1

Darting from one narrow alleyway after another, Daring Do sneaked her way through the bustling Clawifax streets. As much as she wanted to savor the smells of the exotic fruits and vegetables sold in the marketplace, the adventurer knew she could not stop. Daring Do was on the trail of a young mare, who possessed a gem that could lead the way to El Coltrado, the legendary city of gold lost to the jungle.

But Daring Do was not the only one after this gem. Our heroine spied a gang of masked figures following the young mare through the crowded streets, which only meant trouble! Careful to remain unnoticed by the thugs, Daring Do flawlessly slipped her way through shove-happy zebras and griffons in her chase. It was important that she get the gem before the bad guys did. If Daring failed, all hope was lost. And so, she kept her watch on the unsuspecting mare and her pursuers.

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The lively beat of drums and woodwinds filled the air of the square of this town. The town positively covered in bright and eye catching colors as well as many tribal masks. The smell of delicious exotic would fill the nostrils or nares of either Equine or Griffon visitors to this hub of cultural exposure as both zebra and griffon alike set up stalls for customers to buy whatever cultural item they so chose. Upon the entrance to this town was a large banner with the words, "Hoof and claw: Zebra and Griffon Cross Cultural Festival!"

Among the minority of Equestrians in the crowded town square was none other than the young adventuring Heiress, Presteza. Unlike most of of Trottingham elite she had originally known during her fillyhood, this mare was more happy out in the world in search of adventure and tempering her artistic skills in the hopes of becoming the greatest artist in Equestria... or perhaps even the world! She had changed quite a bit since she started her travels. She'd befriended heroes of Equestria, Won second place in the Running of the leaves, Learned how to better harness her magic, discovered a lost city belonging to an ancient civilization and most impressive of all, managed to get herself a Coltfriend. Speaking of her special somepony, she had taken to wearing a special jacket he had gotten her that complented her colors quite nicely. It was a coat somewhat similar to none other than her favorite fictional adventure; Daring Do.

As the mare strolled through the town she popped what appeared to be some small bit of hay woven into a pattern into her mouth and swallowed, "Well, that's the end of that hat." She thought to herself before she walked toward the festivities, her long blue scarf and silvery white mane rustling in the breeze as she approached.

There was more than one reason why Presteza was here, she had indeed charmed that certain guard into giving her the artifact and after doing so she set out to see if she could find any leads. While she may have been raised as a sheltered and slightly naive pony, she wasn't foolish enough to just go around showing anypony, zebra, or griffon the gem in her saddlebag. Instead she decided it was best to sketch the symbols and ask if anyone knew about their background. If there was someone who knew what these symbols meant they were sure to be here.

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"Seriously? You won't tell me anything about it?" a certain pegasus called out in frustration. "Is there something about those stripes of yours that make you unable to answer simple questions? I know you can understand me... why does every zebra in this city refuse to say a word about it to me?" she added, as she bitterly stared down a much larger zebra stallion who just stared at her silently with disdain in her eyes.

So far this pegasus wasn't having a whole lot of fun on this trip. She supposed it would figure. Generally she was the sort who was happy to go with the flow. It only would make sense that when was was trying to actually get somewhere specific that it would lead straight to annoyance. What could she do though? She was serious about this. She was going to see something worth seeing and she was going to see it whether these stubborn zebras wanted to help her or not. She was Serendipity after all, Las Pegasus luckiest mare; like there was anything that could truly stand in her way. One frustrated eye roll later and the pegasus had turned from the unhelpful stallion and flown off into the crowd.

Clawifax was an interesting city. If it weren't for the locals frustrating her with such frequency, Serendipity might have been enjoying the visit. The blend of Aquellian and Unyasan aesthetics made it immediately distinct and in a way inspiring. If she weren't on her mission, she may very well just have found it a satisfying an inspiring visit in its own right. She was there--or well, her excuse for being there at least--for the sake of this cross cultural festival thing in town. Being daughter of one of Las Pegasus' top casino owners, having her as a guest was something everyone involved apparently wanted. Her pedigree made her worth inviting, and daddy was all over the idea of her going down and flaunting herself in promotion of Las Pegasus and the casino. it worked out, she supposed, and really she hadn't really given too many thoughts about it before deciding to go for it.

Of course, that was mostly because she had her own designs. Letters written by princesses weren't something that just got ignored after all. It was like a challenge to her now. It had been many months since she first read the reply to the letter to Celestia she had sent in on a whim, but for some reason she couldn't get the silly words on it out of her head. If this Amani was so great, she was intent to get there at some point, somehow, even if the locals seemed inclined to shut their big mouths the second she brought it up. That was why she was really there. She didn't really care about the other things. it just wasn't in her nature to. She had never really been interested in being a socialite or an ambassador for her father's behalf. Way she saw it, this was just a matter of convenience. Not that she had ever needed one in the past, but she had been granted an excuse to leave her table for a few days and go down to this other continent for a few days. She was just gonna make the most of it.

And so a sigh left her mouth as she looked around the festival crowds. So many zebras and not a one was cooperative. She was beginning to wonder if the local griffons might not be easier to extract what she needed to know from... though would they even know in the first place? Their presence on the continent didn't extend beyond this city really, after all. Still, she needed to find someone... someone who might know something. She continued to search from face to face, trying to size up someone who might be more inclined to spill the continent's secrets when suddenly she saw a face she recognized! It wasn't a zebra or a griffon for that matter, and she doubted it would tell her much she wanted to know, but this face belonged to a unicorn mare Serendipity had once encountered. What's more, it was the sort of face cute enough that it wasn't easily forgotten. Serendipity couldn't help herself but approach the mare.

"Why hello there! It's Presteza, right?" she started with a grin on her face, holding out a hoof. "Serendipity. We sat near each other at that show in Las Pegasus. I'm not sure we exchanged very many words, but watching you slice another mare in two up on that stage certainly left an impression."

"What an unlikely thing running into a face I know here of all places..." she reflected with an amused laugh, adjusting looking upward and adjusting the designer sunglasses she wore slightly. "What brings you to Unyasi? Just enjoying the festival?"

Seren smirked. This was what she needed, a nice reprieve from all the getting nowhere. That it was with such a cute mare didn't hurt either. Sure, she was positive nothing was going to amount of this particular chance encounter, but still it was something. Of course, on rare occasion, even a pony known for being especially good at predicting just what was in the cards could find herself surprised...
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So far no luck. While this festival was a truly lively event there weren't many zebras or griffon's who knew much about the gem's mysterious symbols. Sometimes she'd get some kind of condescending remark that it could be some Equestrian gibberish she made up herself, the nerve of Some creatures! Walking through the festival she begin to feel a bit discouraged by the lack of any helpful leads, lucky for her she had someone to cheer her up.

From the adventuring artist's saddlebag poked out a tiny hog nosed face belonging to a cute little fruit-bat who squeaked for her attention before perching on her back. Just the sight of Fresco being awake was a boost for her morale,"Aw, Wot's up, li'l guy? Ya hungry?" She asked, assuming the little creature was brought out by the smell of food...in fact there was one type of food that sounded promising.

"Get your Fresh Alloco here!" , shouted a stall owner. Presteza had tasted alloco before... and it had a unique taste that both her and Fresco enjoyed to no end. Alloco was a simple dish of fried plantains, often served with onions and chili peppers.

Galloping over to the zebra selling the food she asked, "Oi, Mister! I'll take a plate! Ya take bits right?" The zebra gave a nod and eventually gave her a plate of the food. levitating some coins on to the counter she slid them towards him with her hoof and soon walked off with her food. She took a seat by a table that was set up for the festival and offered half of the plantains to her flying friend to snack while she did the same.

"Why hello there! It's Presteza, right?" she started with a grin on her face, holding out a hoof. "Serendipity. We sat near each other at that show in Las Pegasus. I'm not sure we exchanged very many words, but watching you slice another mare in two up on that stage certainly left an impression."

"What an unlikely thing running into a face I know here of all places..." she reflected with an amused laugh, adjusting looking upward and adjusting the designer sunglasses she wore slightly. "What brings you to Unyasi? Just enjoying the festival?"[/bg]

Just as she she took a bite she heard a sudden greeting that gave her a start, swallowing in surprise and then going into a fit of coughing while her pet watched in amusement while he ate. The mare was making quite a how as she made some gagging sounds and hit her hoof to her chest until she forcefully coughed up a not entirely chewed plantain slice which went flying and landed right on the chest of a large, burly griffon. The mare looked at the griffon who looked rather dumbfounded for the moment and spoke up, "Uh... S-sorry about that, mate." the only response from the griffon was a potent glare.

Looking at the newcomer she quickly turned to face her and spoke up before taking serendipity's outstretched hoof and pulled her along to another table, preferably far away from the now agitated griffon. As she brought the fellow equestrian with her she spoke rather quickly, "Seren! It's good ta see ya again, c'mon let's go find a nice spot ta sit at. We don' wanna bother this nice griffon anymore than we already have" she said followed by a nervous laugh before levitating her plate alongside her. Once the two sit she smiled a moment before her little fruit-bat friend followed along and perched on her head.

Letting out a sigh of relief, The silver maned pony smiled at the pegasus,"By Celestia! Ya startled me! No harm done though." she said with a smile before sliding the plate to her new friend, "Care fer some Alloco? it's really~ good!" The little creature on her head squeaked eagerly in agreement. Popping another slice in her mouth she eagerly chewed and spoke a bit in between bites, "Anyway, I'm glad ta hear that I left a good impression... and I sure am... among other things." she said glancing at her saddlebag, the gem still within.

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"Uh... S-sorry about that, mate. Seren! It's good ta see ya again, c'mon let's go find a nice spot ta sit at. We don' wanna bother this nice griffon anymore than we already have"

Serendipity giggled as she watched the scene unfold as it did. Evidently, her little introduction had come as something abrupt for the charming painter pony. That was fair enough. Here Presteza was in a completely foreign land, presumably all on her own. The last thing she would have likely expected was for somepony to just run up to her calling her name. Still, it was an awful amusing thing to see, the startled unicorn go into a coughing fit until she spit up all over some angry looking griffon. Looking at the griffon himself, she didn't see much of a threat. Nothing she couldn't diffuse with her charms at least, but with a pretty mare pulling her away with her, she didn't really see reason to stick around. She was content to hurry along to a nearby table to a seat along with the other pony.

"By Celestia! Ya startled me! No harm done though. Care fer some Alloco? it's really~ good! Anyway, I'm glad ta hear that I left a good impression... and I sure am... among other things."

Seren smiled wryly as she took a piece of the alloco offered to her. She didn't really have any idea what it was, but it was hard not to be sold when it came with Presteza's endorsement. Besides, she was all about trying new things. She tossed it in her mouth readily and found herself surprised. It wasn't bad at all.

"Among other things, eh? I suppose that's just it. If you're just looking for a happening festival, you can find one practically any day somewhere a lot closer than this," she said through a sigh. "Hay, if all you're after is a party, Las Pegasus offers up one 24 hours a day."

She grinned and took another piece of alloco, split it apart and ate half. "Here for work then? You're a painter, if I recall. It does stand that there is no shortage of amazing things to see and paint down here in Unysasi," she continued before eating the rest of what she had taken.

"Ha!" she started up suddenly as an idea hit her. "As it were, the 'other things' on my part which brought me to this festival include finding my way to a true paradise, more captivating than any other in the world!" she announced excitedly, grinning fully. She then gave a sight and stretched her forelegs to the sides. "Maybe you should tag along?" she asked, lowering her shades. "I bet if you could capture true paradise on canvas with your brush, it'd make you a star back home."

Serendipity giggled. "Besides, I'm told that being with me is a fun time that's hard to forget," she added, narrowing her eyes and lowering her tone a little.

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As our master of adventure trailed the mare, the sound of rumbling drums grew louder and louder. Daring Do knew they was getting close to the renowned Unity Square in the center of Clawifax. Each year, Clawifaxians of all stripes and feathers celebrated the union of zebra and griffon culture by exchanging arts and crafts, performing ancient tribal dances, and every other manner of fun activity. And this festival was today!

Cowards as they were, the masked figures trailing the owner of the gem stopped at the entrance to the packed square. This meant that either the thugs thought they’d get spotted, or that they were planning to surround the square to cut off all escape for their target. Daring Do had little time to waste; she needed to secure that gem now.

Grabbing a set of oversized sunglasses from her pocket, the adventurer reached into a nearby garbage can and wiped filth all over her muzzle. Next she took off her helmet, holding it in her hooves upside down. Now Daring Do looked indistinguishable from a beggar, and with this clever disguise, walked right past the mysterious goons without them suspecting a thing. Next, to meet up with the equally mysterious lady.

At first, stumbling through Unity Square yielded the “beggar” nothing, except for a few gold coins dropped into Daring Do’s hat by kind-hearted bystanders. Yet just when she thought that the other pony must have slipped away from the festival, the pegasus caught a glimpse of a brown jacket on an orange coat. The gem’s owner at least! Maintaining her cover, Daring stumbled through crowds of merry Clawifaxians until she finally got close enough to the mystery pony to get a good look.

The unicorn mare looked even younger than Daring Do expected. Why, it looked like she only just started getting out into the wide, wide world. Her jacket looked like explorer clothing, but a lack of blemishes betrayed the fact that it has not been used in the wild. The same went for the unicorn’s blue scarf, blowing in the wind. A read of the lady’s face and her eyes of ice blue suggested a certain naivety which concerned our good friend Daring. Finally, Miss Do noted how the ends of the greenhorn’s silver mane and tail resembled paintbrushes... which made sense judging by that painbrush cutie mark.

All this meant that in the face of a determined foe, this artist gal could not be counted on to protect her gem. Determined to safeguard the artifact first, Daring Do began bumbling her way to the unicorn, only to be beaten to the punch by somepony else; another festival attendee.

“Why hello there Quick Brush!” greeted this newcomer as she held out a hoof, a pegasus spotting a faded lavender coat and snazzy sunglasses; “You remember me, Lady Luck? We met in Las Pegasus.” Daring Do snorted; this slick gal had to be a gambler no doubt.

“Lucky! It’s good ta see ya again, c’mon let’s go find a nice place ta sit at.” Not good; now Quick Brush was dragging her friend Lady Luck over to a table. Daring Do cursed this stroke of bad fortune; something about the gambler made her feel ill at ease. A slick talker like Lucky could be capable of any amount of betrayal! Slowly but surely, Daring followed the two towards the tables, keeping up her begging act and earning several more coins for the effort.

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"Among other things, eh? I suppose that's just it. If you're just looking for a happening festival, you can find one practically any day somewhere a lot closer than this, Hay, if all you're after is a party, Las Pegasus offers up one 24 hours a day. Here for work then? You're a painter, if I recall. It does stand that there is no shortage of amazing things to see and paint down here in Unysasi,"

The little fruit based chiropteran upon Presteza's head soon decided to fly down and land beside the rather ritzy pegasus munching on some of the offered Alloco. The little creature sniffing at her curiously. The creature snatched some alloco form the plate again and began to once again enjoy the tasty treat.

Presteza in the meantime smiled at her friend and stretched out on the bench she sat upon alongside serendipity, "Not just any painter!" she corrected the pegasus. "The world's future greatest painter."she stated with no shortness of confidence, giving her mane a slightly stylish flip to accentuate her statement. Seren's statement about amazing things to see in Unyasi was right on the money. During her time here she'd not only managed to find a city hidden from sight in the clouds belonging to a mythical race of dual horned unicorns ... that was a story for another time though,"Oh yea, this land is really awesome! I've seen So much incredible stuff already!..." exclaimed the silver maned pony, holding out the Vowel on 'so' for a couple seconds in her excitement at all the memories she'd stored in her head. "although I'm really dreadin' the ride home..." she admitted with her expression souring at the thought of sailing home on that rocking vessel once again.

"Ha!" she started up suddenly as an idea hit her. "As it were, the 'other things' on my part which brought me to this festival include finding my way to a true paradise, more captivating than any other in the world! Maybe you should tag along? I bet if you could capture true paradise on canvas with your brush, it'd make you a star back home. Besides, I'm told that being with me is a fun time that's hard to forget,"

Upon hearing Serendipity's sudden start as she came up with her idea, the mare beside her jumped a bit in surprise, having been jolted out of her vivid memories for the moment. The fruitbat on the table was also rather startled although in his case he expressed this by flopping on his back and then pulling himself back up to huff at the pale lavender pony before him. The little creature's disposition was quickly dissipated when his companion pushed another alloco slice his way with her hoof.

This pegasus sure knew how to make a place sound appealing, especially to an artist who loved painting the most captivating of landscapes. As Seren went on with her description (short as it was) she could see the unicorn's eyes practically lighting up in excitement... the addition of the prospect of making her a star only making her even more fired up. " A paradise... Now that's definitely somethin' worth paintin'!" she sighed dreamily. Taking a moment to think the mare wondered if she might know of what paradise that her friend spoke of, "So... if yer lookin' fer somethin' like a paradise in Unyasi that, I'm assumin', nopony is is rushin to... I'm guessin' it's either Mbili'pembe or El coltrado." she scooted a bit closer and tilted her head inquisitively while she lidded her eyes slyly, "So... am I warm or Cold?"

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"Not just any painter! The world's future greatest painter."

Serendipity giggled warmly. This pony was just adorable. Her confidence was just the sweetest thing. She liked this kind of attitude. It was naive, it was over-earnest... but at least it wasn't boring. So many ponies just bored her. A pony who could so readily say she was going to be the best ever, that was just something fun. The world needed ponies like this mare to keep it interesting.

"Oh yea, this land is really awesome! I've seen So much incredible stuff already!... although I'm really dreadin' the ride home..."

The dealer nodded. She supposed that was the worst part of all this. Whether you went by water or by air, taking a ship to Unyasi was a rather lengthy and dull event. Still, she couldn't say she really understood why a pony would focus on the end so soon.

"Come now. You've just got here, haven't you? No point dwelling on the trip back just yet. This is an experience! Have fun and live it up as much as you can while you're still here!" she said smiling brightly.

"So... if yer lookin' fer somethin' like a paradise in Unyasi that, I'm assumin', nopony is is rushin to... I'm guessin' it's either Mbili'pembe or El coltrado.So... am I warm or Cold?"

Serendipty gave a moment's pause, tilting her head aside. El Coltrado? Mbili'pembe? She had never heard of either. She shrugged.

"Well, I'd like to say you are hot, but nope, not familiar with those," she said with a small laugh. "My paradise goes by the name Amani. Now I'm not an idiot; I've looked at a map. I know that's the name for the entire southern coast... but there's also apparently a village, a paradise village to which nothing else can compare."

The mare shook her head and sighed. "That's where I'm headed. Only problem is, the village isn't on those maps and no one wants to tell me a thing about it. It's kind of frustrating, but you know, if I had a cute, dependable partner, I'm sure it'd make even a blind search kinda fun!"

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A.K. Yearling always invoked a certain policy whenever her adventures heavily involved actual ponies who either lived in Equestria or were born there. Villains: the author didn’t hesitate to name them anything other than their real names. So if an individual somehow stumbled upon a greedy archaeologist named Dr. Caballeron, rest assured, he would be the guy from the books. Fortunately, such menaces had the good sense not to reveal themselves to society at large, so readers of the Daring Do novels mostly never got any impression that they really exist. And should somepony recognized Caballeron from the stories, they’d know better than to trust him anyway.

More law-abiding ponies however were a different matter. Unless they lived their entire lives in the far reaches of the known world, they always presented a risk of yabbering about how Daring Do was real. And certainly, using their real names would give legitimacy to the whole Daring Do is real theory. Why, if that became public, it wouldn’t take two and two together and figure out the connection between the adventurer and the author. Well, aside from changing the names of such ponies Daring encountered in her travels (ie. Presteza became Quick Brush, and Serendipity became Lady Luck), A.K. Yearling without fail made sure to bound each companion of hers to oaths of silence. Naturally, a breaking of such an oath entailed the end of the official Daring Do franchise. Thankfully, all past allies had the good sense to honor their vows... so far.....

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Daring Do couldn’t wait any longer to make her move; she could see more masked figures standing by all the other exits out of the square. Our disguised beggar only had minutes to spare to get the gem, or the trap would be sprung; a trap Daring knew she might not be able to fight out of. With danger closing in, that meant time to get her charm working!

"Only problem is Quick, my paradise village isn't on those maps and-”

“Excuse my interruption,” Miss Do jutted in, the master of disguise’s voice as gravelly as you’d expect from a lifetime of bad luck; “Do you have any coins or jewels for a pony in need?”

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"Come now. You've just got here, haven't you? No point dwelling on the trip back just yet. This is an experience! Have fun and live it up as much as you can while you're still here!"

The cream colored pony smiled and nodded,"Y'know what? Yer absolutely right! I can't be dwellin' on the future this soon! This continent's already got so much more fer me ta see and paint. I guess I just got hung up on how I don't take boats well... seasickness, y'know?" she said with a slight blush on her face upon admitting the last part. Despite how tough this young unicorn was she always did hate traveling by boat or blimp... and even the occasional carriage ride could make her queasy; it was the main reason the preferred walking to riding. Sadly this pony couldn't walk on water so she was stuck with either flying or going by boat.

"Well, I'd like to say you are hot, but nope, not familiar with those," she said with a small laugh. "My paradise goes by the name Amani. Now I'm not an idiot; I've looked at a map. I know that's the name for the entire southern coast... but there's also apparently a village, a paradise village to which nothing else can compare."

The mare shook her head and sighed. "That's where I'm headed. Only problem is, the village isn't on those maps and no one wants to tell me a thing about it. It's kind of frustrating, but you know, if I had a cute, dependable partner, I'm sure it'd make even a blind search kinda fun!"

The mare huffed a bit once she was told her guesses were entirely wrong, she perked up almost immediately at the mention of a place she had yet to hear of though. Serendipity's explanation only made her smile wider, A paradise village that wasn't located on a map? That sounded exciting, and if there was anything this pony was up for it was excitement. "Amani, huh... Well even though it's not on the map..." she began, before taking off her saddlebag and rooted through it, eventually taking out a map and spreading it over the table, the many lines and shades and details of the map, "Doesn't mean we shouldn't start with one."

Once she finished spreading the map on the table she looked to Seren with a playful smirk and looked over herself, "Well ... I prefer bein' though of as hot rather than cute, but I'm absolutely definitely dependa--" the mare was interrupted by the appearance of a pony in some tatter rags who appeared to have fallen on some tough times.

“Excuse my interruption, Do you have any coins or jewels for a pony in need?”

Looking at the pony at first glance there was something vaguely familiar about her, but she couldn't concern herself where she'd seen her before,"Uh... sure, mate. Gimme a sec." Reaching into her saddlebag her expression fell as she realized she was out of bits.

Despite her wealthy upbringing, Presteza was far from stingy; which was rather obvious given the absence of bits in her pouch. She was also not without empathy, eventually her hoof bumped into the very gem she had come here in the hopes of learning about. She'd come all the way for the Clawifax mountains just for this gem in the hopes of understanding it and even charmed it off a super competent guard who was holding it for the author who didn't want it... but if this gem could bring some fortune to somepony who was down on her luck she knew what was more important to care about. Pulling the large jewel from her bag she looked at nostalgically as if to say, "well, It's been fun." Before attempting to give it to the stranger.

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"Y'know what? Yer absolutely right! I can't be dwellin' on the future this soon! This continent's already got so much more fer me ta see and paint. I guess I just got hung up on how I don't take boats well... seasickness, y'know?"

Serendipity smiled at the unicorn. That was more the spirit. Whatever had brought her here, the cute painter's adventure was just beginning. She needed to keep her mind in the present. Ponies who fretted too much over the past or the future only ended up wasting the precious moments they had in the now. It was better to just live and not spend your time worrying about anything else. What point was there in any of that after all? Life was all about enjoying the ride as much you could. Sure, when she got to those moments leaning over the side of a crowded ship, it wasn't going to be a lot of fun, but that would just be something she'd have to deal with then.

"Amani, huh... Well even though it's not on the map... Doesn't mean we shouldn't start with one."

The pegasus nodded at Presteza's words and looked down at the map she had. it wasn't very different from the ones she had looked at before. The Amani region was marked clearly as taking up the southern side of the continent, but there were no landmarks marked anywhere in the entire region and certainly not any settlements. She supposed the only way to find it was to comb the entire southern coast, as long as that might take. It would likely be worth it in the end though; few things that were truly worth something were easy to come by, after all.

"Well ... I prefer bein' though of as hot rather than cute, but I'm absolutely definitely dependa-"

Serendipity gave a delightful giggle at Presteza's response. Oh? Was she going to play? It was always hard to tell with mares how they'd take to Seren's flirting nature. It was good to see Presteza reacting well. She smirked at the thought. Still, it was going to be hard not to think of Presteza as cute as she was positively adorable. She could definitely see the hot too though... There was just something about that mane of hers and the intensity in her eyes. She was a mare of multiple charms for sure. Serendipity was glad to have run into her, and was eager to see where the conversation would lead... which is why she was somewhat surprised and disappointed when the unicorn cut off suddenly.

“Excuse my interruption, Do you have any coins or jewels for a pony in need?”

"Uh... sure, mate. Gimme a sec."

Serendipity watched the scene quietly at first. A shrouded beggar had approached them looking for a handout. Compassionate as she was, Presteza went immediately to search her bag for something to give. She retrieved a gem. It wasn't hard to tell within just a few seconds that this was no common gem. For one, it had a distinct look to it. More importantly though, there was Presteza's reaction. The way casinos worked the house needed to always have the advantage, lest they be beaten by the sharks routinely. A dealer who took herself seriously needed to be a master of understanding what was going through others' heads just at a glance. Presteza didn't exactly have much of a poker face up either, so it was pretty easy. The hesitation in her movements, the way she looked at it. It was something very important to her and she did not want to part with it, though her disposition toward compassion would likely still force it out of her hoof. The pegasus smiled at the sight. There was really only one thing to do.

"Nah, I got this," she said, holding out her hoof in front of Presteza. She dug through her bag quickly and fished out her bit purse. She opened it and quickly counted out thirty bits from the purse containing around three hundred rolled bits. Smirking to herself, she then, perhaps surprisingly, stuffed the thirty bits back in her bag and tossed the purse of 270 toward the beggar.

"Here ya go," she said with an even tone. "It may seem a small fortune to a pony with nothing, but I see high rollers squander five times that in a single sitting almost every night."

She gave a sigh then as she looked at the unfortunate pony and shook her head. "Which is just the thing you should keep in mind. Money is a silly thing. It comes and goes and It won't cure your troubles on its own," she said in a cool voice, giving a small shrug. "Honestly, it's nothing on me if you spend this all frivolously. Just keep it in mind that it's on you to change your course so that you're not right back here when it's all gone. If you're content to depend on others to keep yourself fed, you're just going to end up going hungry one day."

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"Uh... sure, mate. Gimme a sec." Quick Brush reached into her saddlebag, but quickly stopped as if something was wrong. Doubt clouded her, but even so, the mare eventually took out the prize Daring Do was looking for. The adventurer’s eyes dazzled as she finally saw the jewel; a glittering diamond graced with hieroglyphic symbols on each surface. If Daring guessed correctly, those symbols were the key to finally unlocking the location of the lost El Coltrado!

“Here we go,” Quick Brush’s partner interfered, blocking the jewel with a hoof as she tossed the entire contents of her coin-filled purse into Daring Do’s collection hat, “I see high rollers squander five times that in a single sitting almost every night. Honestly, it's nothing on me if you spend this all frivolously.” Lady Luck’s eyes may have been hidden by sunglasses, but her devilish smirk told Daring everything she needed to know. Lady Luck must be planning to snatch the gem for herself, just like how she conned all those gamblers out of their money!

Little did Lady Luck know though that her fortune would soon run out. That 7 mark on her flank wasn’t going to save her this time! Putting one last plan into motion, Daring Do counted on the fact that Quick Brush lacked much of an idea about what she carried around in her bag. “That-that DIAMOND!” the “beggar” cried out in a hoarse voice; “I’m sure that I’ve seen it before! Let me have a look at it, young mare... and I just might be able to tell you what it is.”

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That gem was just inches from the Beggar's hooves. Just a few more seconds and that artifact would have been in the now disguised Daring Do's care, but just before it was hoofed off Miss Serendipity's voice piped up and spoke on the painter's behalf.

"Nah, I got this,"

It seems that her new friend was just as charitable as herself... or perhaps just as wealthy as her and had money to spare. Presteza blinked a few times as she saw Seren give the stranger what seemed to be her entire purse! She certainly hoped there wasn't anything too important to her in there. If serendipity had left something like a passport in there she might have some difficulty returning home. For now though, Presteza was willing to believe that her new friend knew what she was doing.

The cream colored unicorn almost immediately let out a sigh of relief, giving Seren a smile that said all the thanks she had for what she did. With all the money The pale blue pony had given the beggar she was sure that if this pony followed her friend's advice she could get along really well with it and that meant that she didn't have to part with her gem anymore! Now she still had the chance to ask around this place for information. She couldn't wait to finish of this plate of food and start her line of questioning of other stall owners in the festival.

*squeak*

Suddenly Pressy's ears perked as she heard her little companion squeaked in her direction,"Wot's wrong, mate? Ya want some more?" she asked, nudging the plate of alloco once again toward her little chiropteran friend. Strangely the little creature seemed to not be as much interested in the food now... although he still took a piece and nibbled upon it. While he snacked on the fired plantain the little creature seemed to be staring rather intently at the beggar... almost as if he was suspicious of her. His look only intensified once the rag wearing pony spoke up again.

“That-that DIAMOND! I’m sure that I’ve seen it before! Let me have a look at it, young mare... and I just might be able to tell you what it is.”

That was interesting, Usually you wouldn't expect a beggar to have any detailed knowledge of an ancient artifact. The best comparison the young mare from Trottingham could make was that this was like the local janitor of a hospital for advice on what kind of medicine to give a pony who was inflicted with the cutie pox. On the other hoof, this was possibly the only lead she had since she started looking into this artifact's mystery. The large amount of time she'd already spent, asking around the fair had yielded no results so maybe this pony was her best shot. Once again she held her hoof out, this time to show the khaki colored mare the gem,"Really? Well... okay but ya can only look."

From the look in her eyes, It seemed that the silver maned pony was almost sizing up the beggar in case she tried anything. Presteza was more than willing to chase down this pony if she tried to swipe her gem from her. She seemed to have a bit of intensity in her bright blue eyes as she looked at the mysterious pony before her.

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“That-that DIAMOND! I’m sure that I’ve seen it before! Let me have a look at it, young mare... and I just might be able to tell you what it is.”

"Really? Well... okay but ya can only look."

Reading ponies faces was one important skill a mare learned dealing cards in a respectable casino, but another and perhaps even more important skill was being able to sniff out the unscrupulous sort who tried to pull something over on you. All it took was one crafty cheater with a good system to bleed deep into the casino's profits for the night, after all. It was only natural than that Serendipity had a pretty good idea when things didn't quite add up. This was one such case. Something about this beggar character just wasn't reading right to her, and she didn't care to see cute little Pressy get duped out of something precious to her. Instantly she raised a hoof between Prestezza and the unknown pony.

"Actually, I'd hold that close to you if you don't wanna lose it, Pressy. There's something seriously fishy at hoof here," Serendipity said, pushing her shades up as she focused her attention on the beggar.

"I've seen a lot of depressingly desperate ponies before, but never once has one seemed so completely unimpressed to have near 300 bits shoved into their hooves," Serendipity started, looking the mysterious character over.

It just didn't make sense. Three hundred bits wasn't chump change. That could help change the average homeless pony's life if they spent it wisely enough. It made no sense at all that this beggar would be more interested in a single gem stone than a bag full of money. She felt kind of cool doing it. At the casino, when she caught cheaters she just tossed a signal to the security team and they pulled the offender aside. Here she was actually uncovering something nefarious for herself. It was exciting! She began to consider who this pony really was. Perhaps she was from some kind of criminal group that was tracking Presteza down and forcing her on the run. If so, maybe this was Seren's chance to play the part of the totally sexy action hero. All she had to do was act all cool and outsmart a few criminal types and in the end she'd be the one to sweep the girl off her hooves. It really didn't sound like such a bad gig from what she could see.

"For that matter, I'm not seeing any stripes, which makes it unlikely you're a local here," she said looking at what was exposed of the pony. Clawifax had some ponies to its permanent population, of course, but they were a serious minority. Most ponies who visited were travellers, traders and the occasional creative tourist; it wasn't likely a pony would come to Clawifax and then end up bitless.

"Who are you really?" she asked, her eyes focusing behind her sunglasses. "What is it you want with that pretty little gem Presteza has?"

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"Really?” Quick Brush asked, eying Daring Do with suspicion; “Well... okay but ya can only look." Relenting, the unicorn once again revealed her jewel, right there for everyone to see. Daring leaned in even closer, trying to angle her head to closely inspect the mystical diamond.

But Lady Luck kept on interfering, that crafty mare! Blocking the diamond with a foreleg, the audacious pegasus warned; "I've seen a lot of depressingly desperate ponies before, but never once has one seemed so completely unimpressed to have near 300 bits shoved into their hooves." Adjusting her sunglasses, Lady Luck further interrogated the pretend beggar; "Who are you really? What is it you want with that pretty little gem Quick Brush has?"

Daring Do’s cover was blown! One slip up was all it took to topple the beggar routine over like a flimsy house of cards. Even worse, the adventurer instinctively felt something bad was about to happen. Losing patience, Miss Do dropped her old mare act and sternly flew up into Lady Luck’s face; “Look, there’s no time to explain! I gotta get that gem to a safe place before-”

A loud kaboom rocked the square behind Daring Do, instantly turning around to find a large smoke cloud billowing from the center of the stall cluster. That only meant one thing; amidst the crowds of panicking bystanders, the thugs were making their first move on the jewel of El Colorado.

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(Seems as [in]appropriate a time to bring in His Royal Highness as any)

The cross-cultural festival in Clawifax brought in many visitors to the Unyasi continent, both high class and low. It was perhaps the only place and time an Equestrian could actually blend into the crowd if he wanted to.

Not that such a thought had ever crossed Prince Blueblood's mind in his entire life. In fact, he'd almost wished he'd scheduled his world tour so that he could arrive at some other time, so that the crowd's attention would be drawn to him even more so. As it was, he made for quite the spectacle, white coat and golden mane gleaming in the sun, dressed to the nines in a light cream-colored summer suit and straw hat, a Royal procession of one.

He proceeded slowly down the streets and avenues of the packed city, stopping occasionally to critically examine some native crafts an enterprising salesman thrust into his view. It was all for show; the Prince was here as an exhibit, not as a customer.

He was just crossing the market square, making a note to walk wide of the uncouth beggar he could see in front of him, when the scene was suddenly jarred by an explosion, and the alabaster unicorn's vision was obscured by a cloud of smoke. Blueblood had scarcely time to regain his balance when something shoved him from behind, and he took a tumble onto the cobblestones. He came up looking a bit of a mess; road dust discoloring his clothes and coat, and the brim of his straw hat broken down over one eye. The other, having taken a quick glance at himself, roved wildly in search of the pony that had ruined his look, and seized upon a shady-looking character headed for the trio of ponies ahead.

"Oy, you insolent oaf! You come back here!" Heedless of anything except the fact that he'd been rudely treated by somepony who had no right to lay a hoof on him, he set off in pursuit of the thug as they converged upon Daring Do and her companions.

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As the mysterious beggar began to inspect the gem, Seren began to bring up some pretty good points about the suspicious nature of this situation. The lack of a reaction to having a small fortune by common-pony's standards was one. The fact that she didn't jump for joy and be showing Serendipity with profuse thanks that most ponies who would be begging and just received such money would have been a perfectly appropriate response. Maybe if she'd said she was willing to tell them what she knew about the gem as thanks than maybe the shady pony's cover wouldn't have been blown, but sure enough it was...

“Look, there’s no time to explain! I gotta get that gem to a safe place before-”

Almost as soon as the mare raised her voice, Presteza pulled the gem back to her and stuffed it in her saddlebag. Seeing the 'beggar' promptly and sternly fly into her friend's face, the freckled unicorn quickly stepped between her friend and the stranger and attempted to push her away. If she succeeded the mysterious khaki colored beggar might notice the young painter had quite a bit of strength in her, "I don' care fer how yer talkin' ta my friend." She said with an intense glare in the strange pegasus' direction "And sorry, but this gem is safest with m- wot the hay was that?"

Once the smoke started to rise things only seemed to be getting tense. Maybe this was what the stranger was trying to prevent, it didn't make Pressy trust her though. In fact, how she seemed to lose her composure and confront her friend seemed to give the young painter even less incentive to trust her. "C'mon, Seren, fresco!" Suddenly the bat that had apparently finished off the remaining food when the two mare's were busy took flight and nestled itself in his companion's saddlebag (the one with the gem). "We're gettin' outta here!",taking her pegasus friend's hoof she began to pull her along as she tried to escape... however she had to stop short as she noticed that several cloaked figures were emerging from the panicking crowds and beginning to surround the dining area.

There were twelve of them... about seven of them were exceptionally large and sturdy looking. By some of the features that were poking from underneath the shadowy cloaks it seemed that about size of them must have been griffons. The others when they walked made the distinct sounds of hooves impacting of whatever surface they were upon, the other five must have been either zebras or ponies. Three of the larger members of the group stepped forward and approached the cream colored unicorn,"We know you have the Gem of El Coltrado..." Spoke one heavily locally accented griffon before holding out one of his claw, "Fork it over." He said in a forceful tone.

The freckled mare went wide eyed a moment and glanced at her bag, her little flying friend poking out with an equally amazed look on his little face. Sweet mother of Celestia, Pressy figured that her friend pathfinder might have stumbled across something special when she managed to get it off the rookie private at the book signing... but the gem to El Coltrado. There was NO way that Presteza was gonna give away this gem now. The images of the many riches of the city, the Massive buildings of solid gold. She HAD to be the first pony to ever paint them and she wasn't about to let a bunch of shabby looking weirdos steal her chances at an incredible discovery and achievement,"Sorry, mate ... but ya should really learn ta ask ponies nicely." She said with a hint of smugness in her voice.

As soon as she finished denying their request, the leader looked to one of the big griffon's at his side and it seemed the goon knew what to do. Swiftly he grabbed the mare's and tried to hold her still as one of his friends tried to search through her bag. No sooner did the other griffin's talons try to reach in before they were met by the intense pain of a bite from the little passenger inside who after sinking his teeth into the griffin flew out of her bag and circled the griffon as he panicked about what was happening and gripped his arm in pain and anger.

Since her hindlegs were still on the ground the mare kicked herself off and knocked her and her captor off balance. Due to their close proximity to one of the wooden tables gravity did most of the work and the thug's head collided with the woodwork, leaving the poor fellow with a goofy look and size-able bump on his head. With the griffin's grip loose she found herself free and galloped to the opposite side of the table and with a strong buck sent the furniture sliding toward the leader... and some unfortunate familiar looking stallion as he entered the scene. "Oi, Fancy pony! look out!" she shouted hoping to keep blueblood from sustaining any injury.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Serendipity loved being right. There was just something so satisfying about uncovering an obvious ruse for all to say. It was the same feeling one got in revealing a winning hoof at the poker table- the sense that you has out maneuvered and outplayed an opponent. Seren wasn't beyond gloating over such things, and she very well might have in some situations. As it were, however, there was no time for it.

Just as the deceptive trickster in the beggar's guise admitted her ploy, some manner of chaos broke loose. An explosion sounded behind them and from the smoke came several menacing cloaked figures. Serendipity, shocked and unsure what to do in that instance, soon found herself being dragged along by a swifter thinking Presteza, but inevitably the foe closed in. Three large cloaked figures stood before them, and like the pony before, who Serendipity could only assume was their ally who had just given the signal when her disguise was discovered, they demanded Presteza's gem.

Pressy refused at once and when the goons encroached her and her little pet Fresco fought them back as best they could. Serendipity was rather astonished to see how she moved in this situation. Was she used to this kind of danger? Was this a common thing for her? Was there more to this cute young unicorn called Presteza than the simple artist she attested to be? Either way, it was a marvelous thing and Serendipity found herself with a plethora of things she wanted to log in her favorite notebook.

As for herself, she wasn't really sure what to do with it all. Big and shadowy figures were staring her down and she couldn't very well say that she had much hope to face them. She wasn't one for violence and didn't truly have very many tools to defend herself with aside from her silvered tongue. Ultimately, all she could do was fly to her would be ally's side and hopefully find with her a means to escape.

"Now now, boys... let's not be hasty here. I'm just a passerby. I have nothing to do with you or any of this," she said taking slow steps back from the encroaching figures. Then, once they stopped or looked away, she made a very sudden break for it. Running away wasn't going to happen. Even if she flew, many of them were griffons and surely stronger and faster than she was. Instead, she decided that Presteza was her safety and rushed back to her side, rejoining her just as she launched a table toward the seeming leader of the gang of thugs.

"My my, somepony's gotten herself into some kind of trouble, hasn't she?" Seren said in a low voice, looking out across the scene. "Any idea how we can get away from these creeps?" she asked.
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CHAPTER 2

As the smoke cleared, Daring Do and the two other mares saw that they have been surrounded by twelve of the masked bandits; seven large enough to be griffons, and the rest shaped in the form of zebras. All were clothed in red and black, and several wore modest jewelry, indicating to Daring Do that these crooks probably get paid by someone else to do dirty deeds. Three of the griffons advanced on Quick Brush, intimidating the girl with an offer she couldn’t refuse; “We know you have the Gem of El Coltrado... fork it over.”

Well that’s great; not only did Daring Do fail to get the gem in time, but now Quick Brush (and her shifty friend Lady Luck) knew it was connected with the golden city of El Coltrado. Who knew what they’d do with that knowledge now! More determined than ever to keep the jewel for herself, the painter arrogantly defied those pesky griffons; "Sorry, mate ... but ya should really learn ta ask ponies nicely."

The griffons did not take no for an answer; as Daring Do watched, one griffon grabbed Quick Brush, preventing the struggling mare from stopping another shrouded crook’s attempt to search her bag. But then sweeping down from the sun came a most unexpected of allies; a little fruit bat that must have been hidden this entire time! It took a good bite out of the griffon’s arm, sending him back howling in pain. Quicky meanwhile managed to turn and buck her would-be captor into a nearby wooden table, spilling food and drink everywhere. "How did a painter learn to fight like that?" our professional heroine wanted to ask.

Even so, Quick Brush and her companions faced long odds, and there was not a chance they’d hold out long against an entire gang. But that’s where Daring Do came in! Noticing that nobody was paying attention to her anymore, our adventuring pegasus flew upwards, threw the grime and the sunglasses off of her, and donned her trademark headgear for all of Unity Square to see. “Yo-hooo felllas!” the cocky mare taunted, waving around a decoy satchel to trick the thugs; “Guess who’s got the Gem of El Coltrado alreadyyyyyy?”

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Yes, the fruit bat was really hiding in Presteza’s bag all along. But A.K. Yearling really liked the idea of an animal that dived down to the rescue without any possible foreshadowing; Yearling always liked throwing the occasional bonus curveball to her readers every now and then.
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Presteza's warning almost reached Blueblood in time. He had time to jump, but not quite enough to clear the table. It clipped his hooves, sending him in a mid-air somersault towards her. He did not stick the landing. In fact, he belly flopped completely; nothing was broken, but he was winded, and in no mood for polite and clever banter.

"Will you...*wheeze* blasted savages... *Huff* tell me... What this... is all about?!" It was, under the circumstances, rather fortunate that his Royal Highness had no official position in the Equestrian Foreign office. In a frame of mind comparable to that of an alley cat which has just gotten the payment of one thrown boot for his midnight concert, Prince Blueblood got to his feet, trying to survey the situation.

There were shadowy figures, which were filed under the categories "griffons" and "riff-raff" more or less instantaneously. Moving on to the trio of ponies he was now among, he couldn't shake the idea that all three were familiar somehow, but he couldn't place any of them just now. Had he seen one of them in a book, or at some soiree or other?

One of them was talking, about a gem that she had, and was boasting about having some gem or other. Was she a jewel thief? Yes, that was probably it. But now what to do? He didn't fancy his chances in a scuffle, not exactly being the martial sort. Best thing to do would be to call for the authorities. In a stentorian voice, he roared, "Guards! Stop that thief!" Pointing at Daring Do, he repeated himself to all surrounding, not quite considering that this made him look like the confederate, or leader, of the shadowy figures.

So much trouble is caused by misunderstandings.

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"Will you...*wheeze* blasted savages... *Huff* tell me... What this... is all about?!

Seems that Presteza's warning to the new-coming stallion was a bit too late. The blonde unicorn flipped in midair doing s series of spins before flopping on the ground unceremoniously with a loud resounding thud in front of the painter. Once she got a closer look at him she blinked and stared in disbelief. What was Prince Blueblood doing here? Was he trying to immerse himself in the local culture too? And even more importantly,"Did ya jus' call me a savage?! I'll have ya know I'm just about as noble as you are, pal." Pressy would have to determine what he was was doing hear a bit later as she still had some for -lack of a better word- Ruffians to deal with.

*ROAR!*

Well speak of king umbra, there was one of them now! The leader had indeed been hit by the painter's table based assault and was knocked out of the tent. With that impressive lion's Roar from just a few seconds ago, he was back and looked like he was ready to tear the cream colored unicorn to shreds! The burly looking griffon spread his large wings, his span managed to block out some of lamplight from other side of the festival and casting a imposing shadow over the painter and the prince. Without a moment's notice the giant griffon charged at them with his claws on full display. Presteza was a strong mare but she wasn't nearly as physically powerful looking as the griffin that was bearing down on her and the prince. Quickly looking over her surrounding she saw a large metal platter on the the table nearby, it even had a half of watermelon on it. The clever painter put together a plan and levitated at first the watermelon off the platter and threw it at the charging griffon. The assailant merely cut it into smaller slices with his claws, although now he was splattered with the juice from inside. Taking a second she pushed Blueblood back on the ground and just as the griffin tried to look back at his target as he was about to make contact... he was instead met with a platter to the beak! The dented image of an angry griffin now depicted on the metal.

The painter quickly bucked him back out of the scene and into what appeared to be a cart of cabbages, the metal platter still attached to his mug as he tried desperately to get it off. "That outta keep 'im busy!" said the mare smugly. The painter brought Blueblood back to his hooves and dusted him off with her scarf, "Sorry mate but this really doesn't seem like a place ya should stick around in."

Before she knew it her friend, Seren had once again joined her side. She wasn't sure whether Seren had made the best choice now. The other nine bandits glared and growled at them all circling the trio now. Presteza definitely knew how to handle herself in a scuffle, however she wasn't able to fend of nine attackers all at once; not unless she tried to use her magic and she still wasn't too confident in regards to that subject. Soon Fresco finished his little complication with one griffin and flew back to his owner, perching on her back.

"My my, somepony's gotten herself into some kind of trouble, hasn't she?" Seren said in a low voice, looking out across the scene. "Any idea how we can get away from these creeps?" she asked.

"Yea... I swear I'm a magnet fer trouble, Right about now I tend ta rely on some good luck ta get me out." Seems Lady luck was at her side this time again, as the beggar pony tore off her cloak and flew into the air waving a satchel around and putting on a pith helmet. Presteza gasped out loud as she saw what everyone else could,"... PATHFINDER?!" What the hay was Pathfinder doing here? Did she come all the way to unyasi to get the artifact yearling didn't really want back? That didn't seem like her to dwell on the short term past, Another thing that didn't seem like her was the ruse. Why the costume and trickery? If Pathy wanted to find El Coltrado with her she only needed to ask!

“Yo-hooo felllas!” the cocky mare taunted, waving around a decoy satchel to trick the thugs; “Guess who’s got the Gem of El Coltrado alreadyyyyyy?”

After a look of confusion form the thugs they concluded that the flying mare must have somehow lifted the gem off of Presteza and took flight to bring 'pathfinder' down. How wrong they were... the gem was still hidden safe in pressy's bag, For now though she wasn't about to look a gift pegasus in the mouth, instead she was going to address the one at her side,"Well, Seren. Looks like we've got an opening now! Shall we get outta here and find someplace safer?"

Guards! Stop that thief!"

Too bad for Blueblood, the guards were already busy. The explosion had caused a massive panic and they were busy trying to calm the crowds. Even in the distance a pony could hear the panicked orders to calm down, "Sorry, mate. I don't think the guards are comin'"

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"Yea... I swear I'm a magnet fer trouble, Right about now I tend ta rely on some good luck ta get me out."

Yeah, you sure look like one. Serendipty thought with a giggle, though there wasn't time to actually articulate the thought. Trouble had a way of following the pretty ones. It would be no surprise to Seren to learn that this cute little mare left masses of quarrelling stallions in her path wherever she happened to go. All the same, this was pretty crazy. Seren hadn't seen very many things quite like that. There were rowdy customers at the casino, sure, it happened anywhere there were lots of fine drinks and large sums of money changing hooves, but this was different. It was an organized effort with little Presteza fighting her darndest to get away from it safely. It left Serendipity encouraged to help the poor little thing. They were ganging up on her. As she saw it, that was neither fair nor gentlecoltly. She wasn't one for violence or fisticuffs, but she was going to help little Pressy as much as she possibly could all the same until all of this blew over.

"... PATHFINDER?!"

"You know her?" Serendipity started in shock as her dear Presteza called out in recognition of the formerly cloaked pony who had now revealed her to be some pegasus with a grayscale mane in a hat and vest. Serendipity couldn't say she had ever seen her before, though there was something slightly familiar about her look. She couldn't really place it though.

Still, it seemed odd. If she was an old acquaintance, why had she tried to steal the gem herself at first? Now she seemed to be buying them time though, lying about having the gem in her bag. Just which team was this one playing for? it was odd. Either way, Serendipity wasn't about to trust her. She could only assume everyone there on the scene had it out for Presteza, save for herself. That went for this Pathfinder, that went for the hulking goons on the opposite end of Pressy's barrage, and that went for the noble looking unicorn trying to send guards after Pathfinder. It was on her then to keep all of them safely off Pressy's pretty little tail.

"Well, Seren. Looks like we've got an opening now! Shall we get outta here and find someplace safer?"

Serendipty nodded. She then ran ahead a while and threw her forelegs around the unicorn's back. "Now, my wings aren't very strong, so I can't take us very far... but you seem like you'd be light enough...maybe I can at least get us to safety..." she said as she tightened her hold on Pressy. She then fluttered her wings until she was airborne.

Now, some of the goons had been griffons, so this was no guarantee of safety... but with the confusion that Pathfinder and the shouting noble unicorn had caused, maybe it would be enough. Serendipity held Pathfinder tight around the waist and flew up over some of the buildings of the city. It wasn't long before she started to tire. Presteza began to feel like she weighed more and more and her flight was becoming more awkward. She came down, a few streets over from where they had been before and began to breathe heavily from the strain

"Gah... I've never tried to fly with a full grown passenger before," she said, staggering as she tried to collect herself. "But as much as I enjoy the closeness, I don't think I can manage more than that..." She gave a long sigh and then stepped ahead, too determined to see this through to be fully exhausted. "Let's not stay here long. Let's get somewhere safe before some of them get it in their empty heads to follow..."

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“You fools, stop that thief!” Emerging from the chaos rang out a voice of haughty authority, and Daring Do looked down to see an impeccable unicorn dressed in a cream-colored summer suit and Panamare hat. This stylish gentlecolt, who could have easily been confused for a Prince of Equestria, must have paid the street thugs to rob the Gem from Quick Brush! But Daring Do had a very special gift in mind for this fellow.

Quickly reaching into a pocket, the scrambling pegasus took out an old, weathered bag. Inside was a bunch of sand, which everypony knows is useful for swapping with relics on pressure plates. But in a pinch, Daring Do found sand indispensable for making swift getaways. Dodging one rock thrown by a thug, she wasted no time in throwing the contents of her bag of sand on the ringleader directing the others. With him blinded, Daring then narrowing avoided a charge from a ferocious griffon as she swiftly flew in the direction of the harbor, expecting the rest of the troop to follow in spiteful pursuit.

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It was only sometime after the Clawifax escapade that A.K. Yearling ascertained that no other than Prince Blueblood himself ended up confused for a villain. Served him right though for meddling in the affairs of world-saving adventurers.....
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It was hard for any actual idea to bore through the solid ivory skull of Prince Blueblood, so once one actually succeeded in setting up residence, it would entrench and fortify itself to the point that direct artillery fire could not dislodge it. But what pony could blame him, after all? What could the mare who claimed to be noble's words mean, "Sorry, mate. I don't think the guards are comin'," but a master criminal's taunt before making an airborne getaway via an accomplice?

And as for the sand being thrown in his face, that was the oldest trick in the hoofpad's book! There was no doubt in the unicorn's mind any longer; these three mares were villains of the worst sort. Blinded by the debris in his eyes, Blueblood still attempted to grab a hold of the pegasus in front of him, but ended up only with a griffon in his embrace, who appeared to return no affections.

By the time that the Prince had the grit cleared out of his eyes, the three mares were well ahead, and he was in the center of a group of rather upset thugs. Inwardly suspecting that he had behaved somewhat like a fool, he took the method of avoiding embarrassment common to his class, and assumed a superior air, immediately accusing his surrounders. "I cannot believe you let them get away like that! What sort of guards do you think you are, hm?"

The sharp tone actually took them back apace. There remained the possibility that this imperious pony might actually be associated with their employers. "Do ya work for the boss?" One griffon asked, slightly puzzled.

Blueblood was still under the impression that the group of bravos were the law enforcement officers of the place. Their rough manners did not undeceive him; they actually fit rather well with his preconceptions concerning Unyasi officials. "I'm not in you chain of command, but as a Prince of the Realm, I feel it my duty to stop such rotten thieves as that!" Having a captive audience, he couldn't help but make a show of himself.

The leader of the griffon band picked up on the game fairly quickly. He guessed the misapprehension that the alabaster unicorn was laboring under, and also that their job would be made a heck of a lot easier if they could just string him along. "Well, we appreciate it, I'm sure. We're not exactly part of the regular guard, of course, but we aim to get that amulet back into the claws of its rightful owner. Any assistance you could lend, in the way of getting past bureaucratic hurdles, or securing travel would be much appreciated."

Normally, this offer would not have excited Prince Blueblood much. But, after the indignities he had just suffered at the hooves of Presteza and company, added to the fact that actually doing something somewhat heroic would let him off the hook with his Auntie Celestia to a great degree, he assented with vigor. "The resources of my house, and yacht, will be dedicated to the cause!"

The griffon beamed at the Prince, hardly believing his luck at finding such a prize mark. "Well, then, we'll just fill you in on all the details..." And thus in their company the Prince went.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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"You know her?"

That was a very good question to be honest. Presteza thought she knew pathfinder pretty well, but it seemed there was didn't know quite about her exploring friend. For one thing she had never figured pathfinder the sort to try and trick a friend out of something that could lead the both of them on an adventure. As far as Presteza knew, Pathfinder was the kind of mare who loved a partner on adventure if they had some experience.

"Well... We sorta were partners on an... expedition tagether." The little violet chiropteran on the mare's back made a series of squeaks while fluttering around the duo. It didn't take the sharpest of minds to realize that Fresco was trying to get the painter to move,"...But that's a story fer another time." With the heat off our two heroines They had to make sure the made the most of this opportunity. Thankfully Serendipity took the initiative and wrapped her hooves around the peppy young mare, carrying off into the air an away from the scene. Looking over the palish lavender pegasus, Presteza could surmise that she wasn't really the athletic type...

"Now, my wings aren't very strong, so I can't take us very far... but you seem like you'd be light enough...maybe I can at least get us to safety..."

"Gah... I've never tried to fly with a full grown passenger before, But as much as I enjoy the closeness, I don't think I can manage more than that... Let's not stay here long. Let's get somewhere safe before some of them get it in their empty heads to follow..."

...Seemed she was absolutely right too. After a fairly short flight at least compared to some of the more physically fit pegasi Presteza had met, the young heiress and explorer was set down on the ground once again. Seren looked pretty winded from the flight , although not tired enough to throw out some flirty banter Pressy's way. Hearing her friend say that they should hurry up and leave before those bandits got the good sense to follow the silver maned pony gave a nod,"Good idea, Mate. Time fer us ta dissapear."

Presteza quickly went to the ruined remains of some nearby stalls and soon found some old shabby looking cloaks. They looked inconspicuos enough so the mare wrapped one around herself and then draped another over Seren's back,"Put that on if ya would, We gotta use a bit o' cunnin' if we're gonna get outta here without those bandits findin' us." Hopeflly once Seren took her advice and put on her cloak the two would be on their way, with the young painter leading them to an inn to stay at away from the festival area.

The place looked cozy, it had a warm fire going and there was even the smell of food cooking. Once the two mares came inside, Presteza rooted through her bags and pulled out a large pouch of bits and dropped it on the counter before the innkeeper. "Two adults fer the night... and one pet." she said to the gruff looking griffin who ran the joint. Thankfully he accepted her money and soon Seren and Presteza were given a key to their room.

---The room---

Presteza didn't wait a moment after the door closed to take off that old cloak and hang it up on the coat tree near the doorway. Under the cloak it seemed she was hiding a bright and shiny grin of elation,"That. was. AWESOME!" she said with an excited whinny. The little purple Fruit bat decided to once again extricate himself from her bags and made himself comfy hanging off of a nearby curtain by the window, which his owner hastily drew closed so nobody saw this room's occupants. Immediately turning to her friend the freckled pony excited spoke up, "I swear that was just like a scene from Darin' Do! where she got into that fight with a bunch o' dangerous griffins in a bar that was on fire... but minus the fire... and there were some zebras there. Anyway! I can't believe it!" The mare levitated out the gem from her bag and smiled at it,"This thing is actually gonna take us to -that- city!" After looking over the curious gem she chuckled,"Only thing is we don' have any leads as ta where the place is or how this thing is related..."

The pony's excited expression changed to one of a more serious look as she went into thought. Walking back and forth across the wooden floorboards her hooves made a rapidly increasing pace back and forth, back and forth. If she didn't stop she might wear a hole in the floor! It seemed today was not this floor's day to buy the farm as the mare threw herself upon the bed at the center of the room while she tried to think, "Maybe Chief Zeti'll know somethin' about it..."

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