Staff of Fate: Quake (Team 2, Itailian Mountains, Closed)

[SteelEagle]

Equestria's secrets range wildly in every way imaginable. Some are held in the murky depths of the swamp where only one completely unconcerned with cleanliness dare tread. Others are behind lock and key, kept safe from the depravations of adventurers and thieves(if one considers them to be any different). Others are hidden in dense forests, the trees working in concert, or in awesome mountain ranges whose sheer intimidating force would shoo away any potential troublemakers. These items were of great stylistic variance as well. Legendary weapons, artifacts, letters, documents, statues, jewelry- and orbs. Orbs were commonly enchanted and what a small group of pervasive, privacy averse ponies sought today was the most unusual of them all.

It was hidden, or so theuy believed, in the Itailian mountains that straddled the old border. It certainly looked idyllic, the lush forests advancing on the mountain and small, isolated shacks indicating some form of habitation, abandoned or not. The weather is beautiful and everything is silent except the chirping of birds and the pounding of hearts in tiny pony chests. Despite their alliance, each one has their own reason for being here. Working together towards a common goal, or using one another to achieve their own ends? Nopony knows.

Not yet, anyway.

[RarityDash]

The mountains of Itaily were certainly a sight to behold. Tall and majestic, the Eponnine Mountains which separated the land from the rest of Equestria offered a particularly serene landscape for a chronically bored mare to gaze upon and absorb. Serendipity found a lot to admire in them; striking even when compared to the Brambe and Allacor mountains she knew so well. That said, being she was a mare that thrived mainly on being social, pretty scenery could only offer so much to the lavender mare before she was ready to move on--and indeed, she had come to Itaily not for this resplendent sierra but to enjoy the culture, class and character so closely identified with the city of Roam--but that didn't mean that it wasn't worth her noting.

As the Las Pegasus croupier flew toward an outcropping on which a small mountain shack jut out from the picturesque range, she retrieved from her saddlebag her favorite slim black notebook and a pen. Typically she filled this book with names and brief descriptions of the ponies she met, but she kept a few pages in the back for new places. Flipping through the book quickly to get to this back section, a lose document caught in the notebook flew out on a sharp gust of wind. Serendipity moved quick to grab it before it could fly away, sighing with relief as she folded it and put it back safely in the book.

This document, this letter, was pretty important to her, though she wasn't entirely sure as to why. Evidently it was a written reply from Princess Celestia herself to an inquiry Serendipity had sent in. She had been skeptical in writing, and even now she wasn't entirely sure it was genuine, but nevertheless the letter had served as a reminder and a motivator, telling her that the world still held adventures to seek out. The letter told of a place known as Amani--a peaceful hamlet on the far South side of Unyasi, surrounded by landscapes so lush and magnificent as to inspire the eternal sun princess herself--a place Serendipity would have never known existed. Getting to that distant paradise would be no small task, however, so Serendipity had opted to instead pay visit to Stalliongrad's Mount of Dawn, also mentioned in the letter.

Serendipity loved her job at the High Stakes Casino Resort; she met so many interesting ponies each and every day. At times it did get repetitive though and there was truly nothing like a good adventure. She had been eager to follow the letter to Stallliongrad. Unfortunately, for one rare moment in her life, luck was not entirely on her side. The airship she had boarded to take her to Stalliongrad up from Manehattan had crashed into a mountainside. Her fortune had returned quickly however, and indeed ensured that herself and the rest of the passengers all walked away from the incident. Her wing had been broken pretty cleanly in the crash, but nevertheless she did eventually reach Stalliongrad and the Mount of Dawn, both of which were more or less worth the trip. Opting to stay in Equestria's so called Northern Gem while her wing healed, the eccentric mare had in fact found herself rather impressed with the city and its inhabitants.

However Stalliongrad had not sated the mare's thirst for adventure. No, she was not ready to return home to the resort and turn in her tourist's hat. Instead she had swooped down from Stalliongrad, stopping in Trottingham and Canterlot before heading east to the quaint village of Fet Loch and eventually then past these very mountains to Roam. She was kind of unsure where to go from there. Hoofington? Gallopocus? Manehattan? Cloudsdale? Or maybe straight South to Unyasi to find the sovereign's paradise of Amani? There were quite a lot of options, but nothing was set. No, from here, she'd just take the opportunities for adventure as they were presented to her.

On that very not, she adjusted her designer sunglasses as her discerning eyes focused back in on the cabin now in front of her. Stowing her notebook back away, comments and a sketch of the range now filling a section of a page, she trotted toward the structure. Since it was here, perhaps stepping in for a moment's repose was advised? Who knew, perhaps her path might cross with that of other travelers braving this ridge? She gave a single knock at the door, opened it and then readily strolled in.

[colour=#000033]"Hello! Anyone around?"[/colour] she called out as she stepped through the dimly lit mountain shack.

​

[Bramble Rose]

Across the peaceful, majestic mountains bordering Itaily, the landscape was a gorgeous picture of grace and beauty. Nature was carefully cultivated to be lush and wild here, by the few ponies dotted along its expanse for the purposes of keeping it upkept, but here there were no major cities, and only the occassional tiny village. A perfect, out of the way place to hide anything.

Or so Doctor Whooves thought morosely, the VWORP VWORP VWORP of his automatic cart echoing out over the mountains and bouncing back towards him, leaving a thin trail of blue smoke spiraling up from the wheezing and gasping engine propelling the wooden contraption. [colour=#8b4513]"Nuts and Apples,"[/colour] he muttered to himself, [colour=#8b4513]"Every two hundred years it's the same thing. They find one piece, and we gotta go dig them all up and hide them in brand new places. Can't leave well enough alone."[/colour] He cranked at a dial, threw a lever up and down a few times, and smacked a button - usually enough to make him smile, but now it was just a little resigned.

And he didn't even get to have his new companion with him - Trixie was off with that insane fangirl, Pathfinder, keeping an eye on her. It just wasn't going to be the same doing awesome stuff without her there to nudge and go, "Wasn't that awesome?"

He pulled the cart up alongside some small little cottage and sent it into idle, the VWORP VWORP VWORP trailing off to a distant vworp vworp vworp as the echoes carried the noise just a little further, though the blue smoke continued to puff out in little poofs. He pulled out a nice, trim book bound in blue leather, not at all neat and tidy as it had little bits of parchment pasted into it almost haphazardly. He pulled out a pair of glasses, settled them on his nose, and opened up the book to the right page - a sketched portrait of the area, showing the mountains rising up before him, as well as a little sketch of some stone monastic building on the edge of a cliff, and a lot of scribbled notes all over the place.

He looked up at the mountains above him, then brought up the book before his eyes, the drawn mountains matching the shape of the real mountains perfectly. A little circle marked one point high up on the mountains. Doctor Whooves nodded in satisfaction.

​

[WhiteSlash]

(OOC: Sorry to be a pest, but I'd really appreciate any pointers. This is my first real time in the mane RP and I'd hope to ruin it for everyone.)

[colour=#000000]

[/colour][colour=#000000]The rather majestic mountains of Itaily brought a strange but welcome feeling to Ursa's heart. His lust and yearning for exploration and adventure had taken him to a great many different places but never here. Even as he dug one hoof into the mountain side, one in front of the other, the thought continued to race back and forth through his mind, [/colour][colour=#b22222]Of all the beautiful places and landmarks, how could I have missed this[/colour][colour=#000000]. The air was serene and the atmosphere was that you could only get from being immersed in a hall of the finest art you could imagine. But even with all the wonder the land created an sense of danger and trouble was clinging to the air like pollen from the plants.

Ursa found his gaze locked on a small cabin or hut further up the mountain and was sure that he would find the rest of his team there. He found himself pondering how the others might have got there, the Pegasi would have flown obviously; Unicorns might have utilized some form of magic he could only imagine but Earth Ponies had the hard job. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Well at least so he thought, a strange trail of smoke was visibly peppered along the mountainside leading to exact same place Ursa was heading. Suddenly the determined face Ursa was wearing snapped to a distinct look of fear as his concentration broke and his hoofing was lost.[/colour][colour=#b22222] "Gah! Jeeze I oughta be more careful...What in the hay is that smoke coming from...A fire? Ack I better get moving." [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Not long after the rather embarrassing fumble Ursa was well on his way to, what he hoped was the rendezvous point, though if his trademark luck had anything to say about it the cabin was probably filled to the brim with weapon toting bandits or a pack of greedy Diamond Dogs. Sure the idea of a challenge such as that was a fun thought for Ursa he knew he had much bigger fish to fry. Ursa knew survival skills like the back of his hoof but history and such was never his strong suit. All he knew about the Staff of Fate, or whatever artifacts, he was commissioned to help find was that it was important and in the wrong hands potentially dangerous.

The thought of danger befalling innocent ponies was quickly wiped from his mind as with one final push he clambered up on to more stable ground and was allowed a moment to breathe. The smoke trail from earlier was now revealed to have emanated from some odd contraption he had never quite seen before with an oddly eccentric looking character standing next to it.[/colour]

[colour=#b22222]"Hey! You gotta be the, uh...The Doc I heard about yeah?"[/colour][colour=#000000]

​[/colour]

[Davroth]

The wilderness, depending on where you are, is always a little different. Seeker was used to mountains. In fact, he'd grown up right next one of the biggest mountain massive in Equestria. But these mountains were different. For one, they felt warmer. Which was weird. Rationally speaking, the deserts were the hottest spot in all of Equestria, save for maybe an active volcano. Yet, it still felt hotter here then back home, and he could only assume that was because of the higher moisture in the air.

It's weird how sometimes in live, things move so quickly that you are not even sure any more how it all started. But then, suddenly, you find yourself with the hottest trace in your entire career, and you can almost smell the sweet scent of success in the air. Maybe he'd get a paper published detailing his entire work up until now, crowning it off with the discovery this expedition might lead to. It was all very exciting.

But it was, still, not how it had all started. Being back in the Heartland after a more or less event-less excavation near his home, he had by chance learned of this expedition, and already knowing Pathfinder had opened this door for him. It lined up nicely with his plans. Seeker hadn't been to the mountainsides of Itaily before. There had been clues pointing into this area, but ultimately, it had been pretty low on his priority list. But this was a unique opportunity. It was all well prepared, and for once, he wouldn't have to work alone. There was an entire team on site. It was his first big excavation, and he couldn't be more excited to finally meet everyone.

Seeker and his trusty mutt Blacky had arrived early. The meeting point turned out to be an old shack near the foot of the mountain, and it didn't really provide any comfort. It looked positively deserted. Not that the grey unicorn stallion cared all that much. Ultimately, he was used to sleep outside, so a hut made for a good enough shelter for him at any rate. One positive, though, was an ancient looking stove in the far end, and a small heap of cobwebbed, but nonetheless still perfectly functional, fire wood. It turned out to be a real blessing, since the walls of the shack were everything but air tight, and the wind blew cold at night, even in this climate.

So two days had gone by without anything spectacular happening, and finally on the third day, there was a commotion outside. Ponies had arrived. He couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about, but decided it would be best to wait and see what they were up to. So he thought, but Blacky had different plans.

With a loudly but happy bark, the black dog had stormed out the front door. Seeker sighed quietly. His most loyal companion had so far always been right about what ponies were trustworthy, so it was probably alright. And there really was no point to stay hidden now. So he swung open the shack's door and stepped outside, his goggle loosely dangling around his neck, an embarrassed smile on his lips.

[colour=#a9a9a9]"The Exalted One shall smile favourably on our meeting..."[/colour] He began before remembering that most of the ponies in the Heartland reacted kind of weird to the mannerism his family. He never quite understood how calling the ruler of Equestria 'exalted' was weird. After all, she did rule over all of Equestria.

[colour=#a9a9a9]"My name is Seeker, and this is my dog and travel companion Blacky. Forgive me asking, but I was asked to meet the Doctor here."[/colour] He continued with a bit of uncertainty. Hopefully this was the group he was waiting for.

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000000]Serendipity received no answer. Yup. That settled it. She had scored the jackpot and found herself a nice abandoned mountain cottage to rest her sore feathers for bit. Okay, maybe it wasn't that nice... but it was empty, and that meant not having to deal with whatever kinda weirdoes actually lived in these sorts of things. That was the initial thought at least, but looking around made it pretty clear it had been lived in and just recently. She shrugged. She supposed the occupant had just stepped out for a bit.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Then, all of a sudden, she became alerted to sounds back on the outside. Staring out a small window, she found herself looking at a meeting between three stallions in front of some weird cart thing. Really, looking at it, she had to wonder how she hadn't noticed this action first, before checking out the shack. This was too her advantage though, as it gave her a chance to watch and figure out what these three were about before she decided how to proceed. She smiled and started to study them.[/colour]

​

[colour=#B22222]"Hey! You gotta be the, uh...The Doc I heard about yeah?"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]The pony who spoke these words, which Serendipity could hear muffled through the walls of the breezy hut, had a brown mane and gray coat. Looked kinda tough, but not with too much of an edge. He was kinda hard to size up, but he looked like a fairly good natured guy. Serendipity had met enough stallions to know that often that meant they'd just be boring. She wondered if that would prove true for him as well?[/colour]

​

[colour=#A9A9A9]"The Exalted One shall smile favourably on our meeting... [/colour][colour=#A9A9A9]My name is Seeker, and this is my dog and travel companion Blacky. Forgive me asking, but I was asked to meet the Doctor here."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]The stallion who said these words had very similar colours; you'd almost think they were related. He was a unicorn though, which set him apart next to the two earth stallions. He said more and was thus a little easier to read. He seemed like a total stiff. "Exalted one"? Who actually said stuff like that? Well, she did, but thats because it was in her character to often be facetious. This guy was being al formal with junk and he was meaning it all serious like. That could be fun though. Guys like this were fun to tease. His little doggie was pretty cute too. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Seren's eyes drifted to the last stallion in the group, who hadn't spoken yet. This one had a brown coat and mane and a hard to read expression. Something about him exuded charm. Judging from what the others said and the lack of others about, this was probably the "doctor", she supposed? He didn't really look like a doctor to her. He was too young and handsome. That just made it better though, didn't it? Doctors made a lot of money after all; if he had looks, charm and lots of bits that would make him quite a catch.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]That said, she supposed she shouldn't presume. "Doctor" really could mean anything. She'd eavesdrop a little more to see what these ponies were all about. If they were gathering for something fun, maybe, just maybe she'd feel obliged to make her cute little self known. Who knew, maybe this would prove to be the start of some serious fun?[/colour]

​

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves took in a deep breath and let it out slowly after being nearly pounced by two stallions. He'd rather been hoping to avoid having 'help' in this sort of thing, but as usual, Pathfinder had sent out the messages without consulting anypony except her own insane inspiration first, and now he simply had to dealwith it. Count to ten...

[colour=#8b4513]"Ah, yes, quite!" [/colour]he said with a strained cheerfulness. [colour=#8b4513] "It seems some ancient artifacts that were hidden a long time ago for very good reasons ... seem to have been just a little bit found, of late. Seeing as I have a journal here showing just where they were hidden, I figured I'd pop in, pick them up, dump them someplace new, maybe spruce up the place with a few death traps ... you know how it is,"[/colour] he said in a very casual manner.

[colour=#8b4513]"And Pathfinder thought, for some reason, that maybe I should have some help with the old death traps and whatnot! A bit absurd, but I suppose I wouldn't mind the company."[/colour] He turned to Seeker and nodded, [colour=#8b4513]"Seeker, pleasure to meet me, I'm sure."[/colour] He paused, thought about asking after this 'exalted', then decided he really didn't want to know, and turned instead to the other pony. [colour=#8b4513] "And you were?"[/colour]

​

[WhiteSlash]

[colour=#000000]

Ursa's gaze darted over towards the newest member of the mountain. First impressions caused Ursa to cast some doubt towards whether or not this stallion would be useful, but he was in no place to make such accusations having seen ponies of similar makes prove otherwise. Both eyes now sized up the dog, a loyal companion, if there ever was one and definitely of use for the situations to group would most likely encountered. Ursa was away with the fairies as he stared, smiling at the dog until he snapped to attention with the sudden realization of the question at hoof.[/colour]

Ursa nodded his head acknowledging what he could only assume to be this stallion's way of saying "hello". [colour=#b22222]"I'm Ursa, and to answer..."[/colour][colour=#000000] Ursa was cut off before he had to chance to direct Seeker's attention to the other stallion who revealed himself to be, in the following moments, The Doctor. He was a little harder to make a draw up a decent idea of. Whooves was clearly someone with the utmost faith in his abilities and it seemed that he wasn't too happy about the others being there, this stuck out to Ursa as it crossed his mind that this might prove a tad problematic in the future.[/colour] [colour=#b22222]"You probably heard but I'm Ursa, Ursa Growls. What about you? Or should we just call you "The Doctor"?"[/colour]

​

[Davroth]

Seeker looked between the assembled ponies. It was a quite colourful group, and he knew nothing about any of them. Not that he would mind meeting new ponies. He had grown up among a family of traders and crafters, meeting new ponies was integral part of that. At least if you intended to live from it.

So who were his future companions on this expedition?

First, there was Ursa Growls, earth pony stallion. Seeker didn't quite know what to make of him. He seems like the strong, quiet type, and it was always useful to have those around. And if he was picked by Pathfinder, he had probably something else to bring to the table for this undertaking.

Then there was that pegasus mare, who had yet to introduce herself. So, a strong contender for being a pony of few words? This was already going swimmingly, wasn't it? He prefered meeting the ponies he would work with before they actually arrived on site, Seeker decided.

Last but not least, the Doctor. This one already bothered Seeker a little. His attire, the air he exuded... The grey unicorn stallion didn't appreciate it. This might get a little grating, depending on how the search went. But he was nonetheless determined to make the best of it. No matter what.

Seeker cleared his throat, and like a well trained dog, which he was, Blacky stood to attention instantly.

[colour=#d3d3d3]"Maybe we should go inside? The shack isn't much, but it has a small oven already burning, and I brought additional blankets should it get too chilly."[/colour] He attempted a smile, succeeding more then he didn't. [colour=#d3d3d3]"We can get to know each other and compare notes on the site and what to do next." [/colour]He added hopefully.

His hope was that maybe a warm fire and some tea might be able to break the ice a little, so they could get to the important part as quickly as possible.

[RarityDash]

((ooc: for the record, Dav, Serendipity wass obscured and watching from inside the shed which she entered earlier. Seeker wouldn't have seen her yet))

[colour=#8B4513]"Ah, yes, quite! [/colour][colour=#8B4513]It seems some ancient artifacts that were hidden a long time ago for very good reasons ... seem to have been just a little bit found, of late. Seeing as I have a journal here showing just where they were hidden, I figured I'd pop in, pick them up, dump them someplace new, maybe spruce up the place with a few death traps ... you know how it is,[/colour][colour=#8B4513] And Pathfinder thought, for some reason, that maybe I should have some help with the old death traps and whatnot! A bit absurd, but I suppose I wouldn't mind the company."[/colour]

Serendipity continued to eavesdrop on the band of intrepid young stallions, surprised by what she was hearing. Ancient artifacts? Hidden for ages? Death traps? She had seriously stumbled upon something totally awesome, hadn't she! Gah, if she could get her hooves on some ancient artifacts, that would be sweet. That kinda stuff would look awesome as display pieces back at the casino! She really was the luckiest mare ever just happening to cross paths with these guys. This Doctor seemed to have totally the wrong idea though, wanting to hide the stuff again. That was just stupid. Awesome stuff deserved to be seen by all. Speaking of which, it was probably about time she revealed herself to these boys.

​

[colour=#D3D3D3]"Maybe we should go inside? The shack isn't much, but it has a small oven already burning, and I brought additional blankets should it get too chilly. [/colour][colour=#D3D3D3]We can get to know each other and compare notes on the site and what to do next."[/colour]

And that just sealed it. They were gonna be moving back into the shed, so she didn't really have much of a choice. They were gonna meet one way or the other. Might as well try for style while she was at it. Not that she had to try. Style came naturally for a mare like her. Smirking deviously, she moved toward the shack door and slammed it wide open before flying out and landing before the three unsuspecting stallions, confident they wouldn't be able to resist her many, many charms.

[colour=#000033]"Hi there, boys!"[/colour] she said with a coy giggle, adjusting her shades and flipping her mane back. [colour=#000033]"Handsome here is right, you really should come in out of the cold and join me a while!"[/colour] she said, stepping right up to Seeker, looking him in the eye and smiling at him.

[colour=#000033]"We should all try and get nice and comfortable with each other before our exciting treasure seeking adventure!" [/colour]she invited herself along with a suggestive note and a cheerful lilt, turning her winning smile's attentions to the charming Doctor. [colour=#000033]"How's that sound, Doc?"[/colour]

​

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves sighed softly. None of these ponies had the right feel to them. Sometimes, he could just feel it, right away - the energy of somepony who was just right to be his companion. It was something he knew from first glance. Of course, not feeling it didn't mean they wouldn't make good companions. Sometimes ponies hid it well, but chance just kept them together till Whooves realized that they had the stuff.

Ah well. Patience, perserverence. It was better to keep an eye on them rather than letting them run around loose. Nails and Shoes. Pathfinder, of all ponies. Sigh.

He took a deep, distracted breath, then smiled around. [colour=#8b4513] "Ah, of course. Um. Pleasure to meet you all,"[/colour] he said brightly,[colour=#a52a2a] [/colour][colour=#8b4513]"A pleasant offer, Miss, but we do have a long journey ahead of us - I would really prefer it if you would all get into my cart, and we can get on our way... quite a lot to do! No time for sitting and waiting!"[/colour]

Get to know each other? Really? How can you really get nice and comfortable ... by sitting around doing nothing?

He gave a little bow, and extravegantly declared, [colour=#8b4513]"I am Doctor Whooves, you can call me The Doctor if you wish, or simply just Whooves. And this is my cart."[/colour] He ran a fond hoof over the edge of the cart, smiling down to her. [colour=#8b4513]"She'll be taking care of us this journey... Go ahead, pop on in. She's really more spacious than she looks!"[/colour]

​

[Davroth]

[colour=#d3d3d3]"If you prefer to just leave right away, then that's fine with me. I have been here for a while, and I wouldn't mind finally get going again."[/colour]

Seeker's eyes and horn glowed light grew as he lifted his belonging from behind the door of the hut and let them fly to him, fastening the straps of his travel saddle bags on his back, his googles dangling around his neck loosely. He wouldn't have much use for them out here in the Itailian mountains, but it would just feel weird to leave them behind. Naturally he had also brought all of his papers and notes, even if they weighed heavy on his back, they might actually turn out useful, depending on what they would find. But even his combined notes paled in comparison to the small cauldron he had brought. It was travel sized, but it was also made from solid iron. But he surely wouldn't pass on a good meal just because it was inconvenient to carry it around. Plus, it was his usual travel gear, and didn't even slow him down any more at this point.

Blacky jumped around and barked happily. He was also very eager to get going. This shack hadn't exactly been exciting to him, and the local wildlife had eluded him mostly. So any new arrivals were very welcome to him. He sniffed on each of the ponies in turn and determined that none of them were about to pose a threat to his owner, so he rolled out his tongue and wagged his tail to show his approval.

After Seeker made sure that everything was in order, he nodded to himself. [colour=#d3d3d3]"I'm ready to go, Doctor Whooves."[/colour] He made his way to the cart, getting ready to board.

[WhiteSlash]

[colour=#000000]

[/colour]At first it appeared that the group was split between sitting pretty and getting to know each other or cutting straight to the chase and heading off but the Doctor proved to be quite persuasive with his plan. Ursa couldn't argue though he shared the same line of thought as the Doctor in this manner, after all the group would be able get to learn a bit more about each other on the way to their destination. [colour=#b22222]"As tempting as it sounds to kick back for a lil' bit I agree with Whooves here. I reckon time is of the essence."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Everypony that was on the mountain seemed to fit in perfectly in Ursa's mind but Serendipity was looking to be the odd one out, she certainly was a character though. [/colour][colour=#000000]A more pressing though was this 'spacious' cart. Ursa knew that appearances could be deceiving but still the thought of four ponies and a dog tightly packed into an effective cage rattling along the mountainside made him slightly hesitant about clambering into it.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Ursa lined up behind Seeker who was just making his way into to cart with Blacky at his side. At first Ursa went to get on himself but remembered himself and turned to to face Serendipity and placed one hoof in a welcoming fashion towards the carts door. [/colour][colour=#b22222]"After you."[/colour]

​

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000000]An inquisitive look crossed the lavender mare's face. Seriously? What was with these three stiffs? No reactions? No "who are you?!?!", "where did you come from?!?!" or "how long were you there?!?!"? Absolutely no reaction from any of these young, able stallions to a sultry mare like her popping up here in the middle of nowhere and inviting herself along on their big epic quest for whatever? Well, she supposed on the bright side of things there was no one telling her she shouldn't be there or couldn't come along. They seemed surprisingly okay with it. This Doctor Whooves dude just responded personably and the invited her into his cute little cart wit the others. The other earth pony even put on a quaint little gentlecolt show and helped her in. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Blinking a few times, she decided to just roll with it. She had no clue what was happening and in all likelihood had absolutely no business getting involved in any of it. Who knows though, maybe it'd be fun! Sure, her traveling companions all struck her as varying degrees of stiff and bland, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself. She had no clue what to expect, but whatever. Didn't matter now. She was just gonna go with this flow and see where it took her. Sometimes that's how a mare found the best things, after all, and with her winning luck she could only assume this was no mistake.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]As she found her way into the car, Serendipity gave an affected giggle.[/colour] [colour=#000033]"Been a while since I've taken a ride with three cute stallions before,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, offering a smile at Ursa and a wink Seeker's way as she went to sit down. [/colour]

[colour=#000033]"So... which of you fine stallions wants to sit by me?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she asked, smirking excitedly.[/colour]

​

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves waited for all three ponies to get on board. Well, there it was, at least. Pathfinder's group of 'helpers'. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure everyone was aboard. He peered up into the sky a moment, then nodded, threw a couple toggles, and declared,[colour=#800000] "And here we GO!"[/colour] as he threw the final lever.

... Nothing happened.

He scowled a little, threw the lever a couple times ... then lifted up his rear hoof and gave a solid *kick* to the boiler with a reverberating [colour=#0000cd]BONG[/colour], and then the wheezing [colour=#0000cd]vworp vworp VWORP VWORP[/colour] started up, sending them heading on forward over the hills. It was ... much less bouncy than for a normal cart, though there was the weightless feeling every time he went over a hilltop with a small *hop* that left them airborne for a second. His mop of messy, spiky brown mane was whipped back by the wind, and he sighed in happiness to be moving once more.

[colour=#800000]"All righty!"[/colour] he cried, ignoring Serendipity's question. Obviously he needed to pilot.[colour=#800000] "So! What sorts of experience do you all have in foiling death traps and escaping inescapable situations? What extra little handy skills do you have? Seeker, Ursa, and ... goodness, who are you?"[/colour]

​

[Davroth]

The grey stallion made himself comfortable in the Doctor's cart. He was right, it was surprisingly spacious on the inside, even though Seeker's experience with carts was limited at best, so for all he knew, the wasn't anything extraordinary. At least it was open. He much preferred sunlight to confined rooms.

After he had safely tugged away his various saddle bags and other equipment, Seeker slumped on one of the seats, and not a moment to soon, as the cart started to accelerate. He just happened to sit to the right of the pegasus mare. She had been acting curious the entire time so far, and Seeker wasn't sure what that was all about, but she had winked at him earlier. Maybe she had something in her eye? He decided not to address it.

In the meanwhile, Blacky was kinda struggling to stay one his paws. Ultimately, he decided to just lie flat on his stomach and dig his claws into the ground to not slide around so much. He wasn't too happy about it, and made disapproving sounds.

Seeker made casual conversation. [colour=#d3d3d3]"So, Miss... I don't believe I know your name yet."[/colour] He gave her a genuine smile. [colour=#d3d3d3]"How have you become part of this operation?"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#800000]"All righty! [/colour][colour=#800000]So! What sorts of experience do you all have in foiling death traps and escaping inescapable situations? What extra little handy skills do you have? Seeker, Ursa, and ... goodness, who are you?"[/colour]

[colour=#D3D3D3]"So, Miss... I don't believe I know your name yet. [/colour][colour=#D3D3D3]How have you become part of this operation?"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Serendipity giggled at the questions directed her way, smirking at Seeker who had chosen the seat next to her. Finally these cute little colts were noticing her, huh? Fun. Luckily she was a master at playing it cool in tricky situation. The dealer did need to have the best poker face after all. Playing this like she belonged there was gonna be now trouble at all, not for a master like her.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"It's Serendipity. Studs like you are welcome to call me Seren though, if you're inclined to be especially cute," [/colour][colour=#000000]she said in a somewhat sultry voice as she leaned in close to Seeker. [/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Las Pegasus croupier extraordinaire with a certain adventurous streak. In my day job, I happen to meet a lot of new faces and hear a lot of stories as the cards are dealt. Sometimes it happens that fate chooses to throw a certain card into my hoof; I'll hear word of something exciting or meet somepony strange or fascinating and end up roped into something like this,"[/colour][colour=#000000] Serendipity explained, keeping her language vague, mysterious and flirty. [/colour][colour=#000033]"Of course, it's not like I mind being cooped up in a little cart like this with a couple cute stallions..."[/colour] [colour=#000000]she added with an affected giggle.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She then turned her attentions toward the Doctor, moving up and leaning over his shoulder as he piloted the cart. She cooed pleasantly, a smile on her face, [/colour][colour=#000033]"As for your question, Doc, you just happen to have the luckiest mare in all Equestria right here in your cute little band! With me along, we're bound to survive absolutely anything! Once not too long ago, I was even onboard an airship as it crashed right into a mountain and not a single pony onboard was lost!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Serendipity gave a small giggle.[/colour] [colour=#000033]"I'm also a master of predicting outcomes and seeing through lies. I'm relatively fearless, a fairly adept flier and... well I'm cute and charming beyond belief, as I'm sure you're already well aware,"[/colour][colour=#000000] she added, smirking to herself.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Really, I'm exactly the sort of mare you want along with you on this kinda journey, which is exactly why I'm here!"[/colour][colour=#000000] the pegasus boldly concluded before moving back toward her seat.[/colour]

​

[Hurricane]

Water cascaded down Bamboo's hair as she stepped forth from under the waterfall. She had been testing herself, using the fine air and the hilly mountain region of Itaily to undergo a series of endurance tests. First she had felled a tree using nothing but her hooves, and then ran for twenty six miles. It had been a real marathon of tests, from simple thrust exercises with her bokken, to the afforementionned hike through the mountains themselves. Her last test was also an excuse for a wash, a contemplative meditation under the falling waters, washing away her doubts and her sweat.

Now, however, she was clean, albeit sodden through, with her sword clamped in her mouth as she paced forwards. She usually carried it with her tail, but as this and her mane were damp, lank, and lacking in prehensile strength thanks to the moisture, she chose to carry it this way. The long stick-like wooden weapon was held in the centre, and gave her an early warning if she were about to bump into something. Her pale, sightless eyes twinkled in the sunlight that shined through the canopy, and as she trotted along, she thought she heard a few songbirds twittering in the distance.

After about ten minutes of walking, Bamboo paused. There was a strange sound coming closer, like the chuff of steam powered mechanics, but moreso than that, she did not recognise her surroundings. The ground beneath her hooves felt too soft to be riverside detritus, and the leaves seemed a lot more sparse, and didn't rustle nearly as loudly as they had done at her camp. It was pretty safe to conclude that she was in fact utterly lost.

"OHH NOOO!" she whined, a hollow clatter sounding as her sword dropped to the floor, and rolled away. She mentally cursed, she couldn't believe her own stupidity sometimes. "No no no no no no! I can't be lost, not now! Stupid sword, stupid camp, stupid eyes!" she snapped to herself, as she crouched, and began frantically searching for her sword. As the chuffing noise got louder and louder, she began to wave her hooves about, hoping she was facing towards it.

"HELLOOOO! IS ANYPONY THERE? I COULD DO WITH SOME HELP HERE!" she cried out, her dazzling white mane flicking about lazily against her damp body as she tried to grab the attention of whoever were nearby.

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves turned his head to eye Serendipity, the only pony who had answered his question ... and a very outrageous answer it was. Claiming luck itself as one's one jurisdiction? Downright egotistical!

He suddenly liked her a little more.

[colour=#800000]"Well, then, good thing we'll be having you along! A little luck goes a long way, in situations like these! Not quite as good as, a-hem, having good timing ..."[/colour] he buffed his hoof on his chest, "but I've made it a point in my time never to discount good luck!" He grinned for the first time, a large, manic grin as things finally seemed to be starting to turn up. In fact, about all he really needed to feel right at home would be -

[colour=#8b4513]"Wait... did you hear something?!"[/colour] he asked excitedly, though how anypony could hear anything over the wheezing engine... his head whipped around, tilting to the side. It was like someone was granting wishes! Serendipity really was lucky! [colour=#8b4513]"Ha-HA! Someone's crying for help! ALLON-ZY!"[/colour] He spun the wheel to the side, throwing the other ponies in the cart up against each other with the sudden turn, and hared off into the woods.

After bouncing over several tree roots and hopping another couple hills, he spun the wheel again and pulled a few levers, coming to a skidding halt right next to Bamboo with a crunch of dirt and stone and a spray of leaves. He leapt from the cart, landing with a loud thump next to Bamboo, the leaves slowly floating down around him as he nosed into his saddlebags and pulled out his screwdriver with a metallic *shhhhhing!* He spun around, first left, then right, looking for the danger!

​