It was later. Daring Do sat on a bench in the Indianapples Park and Recreation Center, intently studying a map of the area. For one of the first times in her life, she was glad she didn’t live in a bigger or more exciting town, because that would have meant multiple locations to scout out instead of the lone park the stranger could possibly have been referring to in his notes: the one she was in right now, the only real nature park in Indianapples. She frowned slightly. Of course, now that things were starting to be easy, it sure would have been nice for him to specify exactly which tree had struck his fancy. That way, she could have simply sat near the location and waited for him to show up, instead of spending hours on her current task: noting every possible spot in the park which met the correct specifications.
She sighed as she looked at her chart again. By eliminating every small tree, thick patch of trees, and noisy area, she had come up with a total of thirty-five possible positions for her noisome friend. Still too many. She pulled out the calendar once more and studied the last entry again.
A tree– I must have a tree. The shade will be–” Once again she grimaced as she puzzled over the abrupt cutoff.
Strange how the script just leaves off here… What was she missing?
She pulled out her glass once again and began examining the page, seeking perhaps some tiny print or faint lettering that would give her a clue what to do next. A shout from across the way startled her, and she looked over quickly.
It was only a few foals playing tag. Why was she startled by a few foals playing tag? She was not supposed to be this skittish. She was Daring Do, Explorer, Adventurer, etc., etc… Maybe this whole mystery was getting to her more than she thought.
She looked back to her work and gasped. The magnifying glass, left poised over the paper, had intensified the sun’s rays and begun burning it. She dropped the tool, barely stopping the calendar from catching fire. That was close.
She put the glass back in her bag and concentrated on the paper once again. Startled, she looked at it more closely. Underneath the entry which had faded off before, a few more words had appeared. shade will be most enjoyable, and there is a… She gave a soft cry. A hidden message, written in invisible ink! Trembling with excitement, she grabbed the glass again. Carefully, she magnified the light onto the seemingly empty space where the writing trailed off, cautiously heating it up without incinerating it.
Five minutes later, she had it– the complete entry. She read it aloud.
“Monday, May 22: Meditation. There is a park in Indianapples which will be perfect for my reflections. A tree– I must have a tree. The shade will be most enjoyable, and there is a yellow bench nearby where I can relax in peace and quiet while I wait for my contact to arrive. A yellow bench… these Equestrians are so strange. Ha!” she exclaimed triumphantly. “There’s only one yellow bench in this park– the one over on the east side. I should know, since my class painted it…” She remembered the incident well, especially as she had lobbied hard for green or brown or blue… any color but that sickly shade of mustard her students had insisted on painting the seat. She smiled at the intrinsic irony of the situation. The very color she had fought doggedly against was arguably the defining clue in the hardest mystery she had ever faced. Still, she thought stubbornly, bright red and orange stripes like I wanted would have looked so much cooler…
***
Four hours later, the Neighbian still hadn’t come. Daring Do knew he probably wouldn’t show up if anyone was around, so she had situated herself about 200 yards away, closely monitoring the bench and surrounding area with a pair of high-powered binoculars. Maybe that was why she never seemed to be able to save much money– she was always spending what were for her vast sums on equipment like this. For instance, four months ago, there was that arrowproof vest she had to have. And five months before that, the rope and grappling hook. How often had she used that so far? Let’s see, so far she counted a grand total of one time, and then it was only to climb a rather large pine tree to rescue Mrs. Flan’s tubby cat.
The old mare had asked for her help knowing that a pegasus was needed for this kind of problem. She hadn’t realized Daring’s wing was broken, and apologized for calling her out. But Daring Do was made of sterner stuff. Soon, she had Mrs. Flan’s cat safely back on the ground with minimal damage. Well, minimal damage to the cat, anyway… The brown pegasus still flinched when she remembered the numerous scratches she had received during the descent. Ah, well, the incident had made her a sort of celebrity with most of the old folks in town, and she had always had a soft spot for cats anyway. Maybe it was because they were a small, cute version of the leopards, cheetahs, panthers, and other various felines she had faced in the jungle while confronting Ahuizotl. House cats were mostly harmless– a state she needed to experience once in a while.
She snapped out of her reverie. She’d done it again– let her mind wander while she was supposed to be paying attention. This was one of the reasons why she’d had a hard time at school as a filly. Her imagination usually took her far away from the teacher, and consequently, the teacher usually took her to the principal. The kind of ADD she experienced in school had stayed with her into adulthood, and she sometimes had trouble focusing even while teaching her own class. She wasn’t meant to be a teacher– she knew it. She was meant to be out there searching for adventure, facing danger at every step, and ultimately conquering evil, saving the world from certain disaster, and returning home only until duty called again. She realized that that was why she had done all this. Why she’d spent hours poring over clues, talking to ponies, and trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together. She needed adventure. Monotony got to her more than she’d realized, and this was her attempt to bring some of the excitement she’s experienced during the Quest back.
She shook her head hard and stamped her hooves quietly to bring herself back to reality. And I’ll never figure out this mystery unless I concentrate on what’s important right now. She turned her attention back on the bench area, to find with a start that it was now occupied. A coal-black pony with an angular body and a somewhat diamond-shaped head was sitting underneath the tree, talking to himself. As she watched, he stood up, stretched, and walked over to the bench. He sat down and pulled out a small, thin book, much like the one he had left at Al’s. He set it down. Grasping a pencil firmly between his teeth, he began to write. He must be waiting for his friend now… should I go up to him now, or wait until he’s alone again? I don’t want to lose him if they go off together, and I’m not sure I’d want to confront both of them at once. Best to go now, before it was too late.
Keeping a moderate pace, she casually walked closer to the bench. As she drew nearer, she could hear what he was saying. Even better, she could understand it– he was speaking Equestrian! He seemed to be talking to himself as he wrote, as his voice came out strained from behind clenched teeth.
“6:29 PM. Finished with my daily meditations, now waiting for my contact to arrive. Strange I should be kept waiting so long, but perhaps it’s just cautiousness on her part.” Her part– he’s waiting for a mare, then.
The stranger continued as Daring crept closer. “Strange, I say, because from what I’ve heard, cautiousness is not one of her cardinal virtues. Still, I know she will not disappoint me. In fact, I believe I hear her now.” Daring Do froze, then spun around, looking for the pony to which the Neighbian referred. There was no one in sight. The black pony suddenly dropped the writing instrument and turned around to face her. He continued speaking as if he were still writing in his journal.
“Yes, as I said, she had not disappointed me. She has arrived.” He smiled. “Good evening, Daring Do.