To the lost fountain of.... WHAT? Attn Steel, (OPEN)

[Skycoaster]

To say Blizzard was excited about his most recent assignment would be a lie. Having served as the acting captain of Princess Twilight Sparkle's honor guard was beginning to take a toll on the ice mage. He was an introvert after all and would rather have been doing rosters and working in the background in Canterlot Castle. Instead he found himself in a limelight that was not wanted. When the opportunity for a more traditional mission came up, he'd jump at the opportunity to escape Canterlot, even if it was just for a week.

 

The unicorn would find himself on the train platform awaiting a team picked for this expedition by none other then Applejack. Waiting, he'd find himself fidgeting with the gold and purple armor he was forced to wear. Mage robes and high humidity did not mix after all. In the back of his mind, he could not help but think about how this mission came to be. Apparently the advice of a mystic in Ponyville...told to the younger sister by this Miss Spell was enough to this journey. If this fountain really did exist, he'd have to make sure to take a drink himself. Perhaps all those pains from his time as a hermit in the Frozen North.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack didn't know why she was doing this. It was stupid, this whole idea. A fountain of youth? Something to heal her? That was something out of folklore and fairy tales. A part of her cried out that a lot of her life would look like folklore and fairy tales in the distant future, but her heart had never fully accepted that in Equestria the fanciful and free were as real as dirt and water as often as not. So why was she here? She should be home with her family. In Ponyville with her friends. Not on some wild goose chase that was as likely to see her hurt further. All this time and effort and when she returned home she'd return with more work to do and with nothing to show for it. She could often tie her adventures back to home, something beyond a selfish desire for herself. She rationalized much based on that. But this time she could not even pretend to do so. She was strongly considering sending Winona with a note telling them she reconsidered...

 

She sighed and shook her head. No, she had said she'd do it so she'd do it. She didn't really believe in the mumbo jumbo but a part of her was also excited about the prospect of adventure, at least some of it. She had become enamored with the act of it in some way, the thrill of adventure and the excitement of danger. She wanted to believe she was a homefilly and she was perhaps, but she couldn't lie to herself and say that the idea of adventure didn't excite her in ways nothing else could. So she found herself trotting to the train platform, saddlebag efficiently and truly well-packed and ready for whatever came at them. As she made her way to the train station, she saw a member of the Twilight Guard there- shoot, she should have put her own Guard armor on. Twi had let Applejack keep hers when she left the Guard out of respect. She still put them on from time to time. Dash liked a mare in uniform, and so did Applejack for that matter. Shoving thoughts aside, she trotted onto the platform. "Howdy there," she said jovially, "Blizzard, is it?"

[Storyteller]

Shadow Step arrived at the train station with an ever-watchful eye on those gathered there. He wasn't exactly happy with the disguise he had chosen, the vest hugging his chest was tight, the fake glasses he wore kept slipping down, and the satchel he had hanging by his side was full of instruments he didn't know the name of or what they were used for. There was also the matter of his mane, instead of the loose, roguish style he often wore it, it was now sleek back as if he had aggressively over combed it. 

 

I feel like a nerd. He thought bitterly as he made his way to the platform.

 

He was beginning to rethink his plan to infiltrate this expedition. It a was a spur of the moment. An opportunity that had landed in his lap no more than three days when he had first arrived in town. Funny enough it started on a train where he had the fortune sharing a seat with mapmaker. A very talkative mapmaker. A very talkative mapmaker who was far, far too trusting. 

 

It had been easy to gain the unicorn's trust and for the next two nights Shadow Step had given that colt the time of his life. He was still back at the hotel, sleeping off an evening of fun, partying and many mistakes. Such as leaving his door unlock. Shadow almost feels sorry for the poor guy, he couldn't imagine the trouble he's going to get from the Canterlot University when he tells them that he had missed the train or that most of his equipment had been stolen. But that was his problem to sort out. 

 

Shadow Step sees the ponies he believes the mapmaker was supposed to meet. A royal guard of the newest princess and a orange mare who had a certain country charm he didn't mind. Well. He thought as he made his way over to them, preparing to fall into the character he had created on his way here. Looks like this little adventure won't be full of old farts and boring geeks after all.

 

"Salutations my fellows." He said, making his voice sound slightly nasally with a hint of canterlot accent. "I'm Nightwalker from the University of Canterlot, your official mapmaker and archivist. A pleasure to meet you both.  

[Skycoaster]

As Blizzard looked up from a clipboard he'd smile and nod to Applejack. "That's me. Acting Captain Blizzard Blitz. And you need no introduction," He'd smirk. "Heroine of Equestria, Miss Applejack. I've seen your stained glass window enough times on rounds in the castle to be able recognize you." The unicorn would be lying to himself if he hadn't at least once wanted to go on a mission with the great 6 of Equestria at least once since reading the Friendship Journal all those years ago.

 

Looking to the clip board once more, he found it odd that only one pony had shown up so far before he heard a voice growing closer. Turning, he'd smile as another seemed to be joining the group. "Nightwalker you say?" as he levitated the clip board. "Hmmm, oh there you are. They had you listed as University Staff. Kinda odd though that the university would have petitioned to go along on this...expedition. For all we know, it's just based off some old legend. Ether way, at least we know we'll have a map to get back out of the uncharted jungle." 

 

Blizzard would look to the clock on the station wall as it ticked closer to their planned depatrure time. Sighing, he'd say to nopony particular, "Wasn't S.M.I.L.E. sending somepony?" He'd look to Applejack with a raised eyebrow. "An archaeologist if I read my report right...."

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack was pleased as punch to know that Blizzard was in charge of this here expedition. She didn't know him half as well as she would have, but what Twi told her made her confident that he was the soirt of fella who could lead this here expedition right and proper. She was just happy she wasn't expected to do so. She'd be fine doing her part every which way but she didn't know half of what they were doing, let alone whatever important bits were knocking around her noggin. It made the whole heroine business a bit harder to bear. She was no heroine. She was just a mare who was in the right places at the wrong times, doing the right things with the right ponies. Nothing nopony else wouldn't have done. "Ahh, Ah ain't nopony special. Ah'm just Applejack, Captain Blitz. It's gonna be excitin' workin' with ya, even if this turns out ta be a bunch of tail chasin' for no reason," she said as she boarded the train briefly, handing her luggage off to an attendant before turning back around and jumping off in time to see the new fella.

 

It figured that a university would have an interest in such myths. Eggheads and academics needed to expand knowledge for the good of Equestria she figured. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling she knew him from somewhere. Behind the nasally inflection and an accent that seemed hoity toity in an approachable way, something, struck the back of her ear in a familiar fashion. Same held true for what she saw. She couldn't place it just yet, but something felt...hmm, she'd have to file it away. She didn't know any Canterlot professors, certainly none that looked like this fella. "Howdy thar, Nightwalker. Pleasure seein' ya," she greeted anyway. She'd think on it more later, but for now she reckoned it'd be mighty rude to just launch into questions trying to tie him down in her memory. "Figures a university would want in on it. Whatcha teach up thar?" She added with a smile, wanting to put him at ease. 

 

Speaking of archivists and mapmakers, was S.M.I.L.E. sending anypony? Far as she could remember that agency was shuttered. There was R.E.I.N. and E.P.I.C. and other organizations, and whatever other secret, acronym laden groups Twilight liked to come up with. Applejack shrugged. "Well, if they ain't here, they ain't here," she said, nonplused in the extreme. "Reckon we can get going 'for long?"

[Storyteller]

Shadow Step frowns slightly at the mention of a S.M.I.L.E agent joining on the expedition.

 

That might complicate things. He thought as he quickly returns the smile to his lips. He tries to make it look as weak and pathetic as possible, remembering that he is supposed to be a nerd from a fancy university was going to be hard for someone like himself. Playing roles in a robbery can be quite fun, but he was more use to playing parts where he was often ignored or in the few rare occasions as somepony who everypony wanted to be. Still, if this fountain was anything the actual Nightwalker said it be, then this small annoyance was well worth it.

 

 When the guard (Who looks had spent most of his life sleeping in freezers) said he was surprised by the inclusion of somepony from the Canterlot University Shadow Step used the same answer that the Real Nightwalker used when he had asked something similar three days ago. 

 

"Well, it's quite an opportunity Sir. Even if this fountain doesn't exist, we will be exploring a part of the world that few if any ever been to. Who knows what we might find in there. Ruins of lost civilizations, rare animals or flowers, perhaps even a long-forgotten colony of ponies. And I will have the honour of recording all of it."

 

Pleased with himself with both remembering the unicorn's answer as well with adding his own flare to it, Shadow Step had to stop himself from smiling too broadly at how he seems to have answer the guard's question. Like selling snow to a yak. He thought as the country mare asked him another question. This one being slightly more difficult due to him never having asked the Real Nightwalker what it was he actually taught. Or maybe the talkative unicorn did tell him, but he wasn't listening at the time. Why do eggheads have to talk so much!?!

 

"Oh.........I....teach....Mapmaking......and History! Mostly history. Which is why I was chosen to join this expedition. Because history is always being made...." He hopes his stuttering will be taken as nervousness with having to speak to a mare. He's pretty sure that's still something geeks have troubles with. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I've gotten your name?"