//------------------------------// // Quest Started // Story: A Different Kind of Treasure // by Mechawrecker //------------------------------// Of all the problems in the world, the feeling of an overstuffed wallet is by far the best to have. Cloudchaser dug through the reward bag, letting the beautiful gold coins glitter around her hoof. “Ahh, music to my ears. This is what every day should be like. Now that we have a full bank account, I’m going to get a full feeling in my stomach with some meat!” Before she could turn to the busy marketplace, something grabbed her by the tail and yanked back with a sharp tug. “Ow! What the hay, Flitter? Are you trying to make me go bald before thirty?” Flitter snatched the money bag out of her hooves as she retorted, “If that’s what it takes to make you see reason, then yes. I hope you didn't forget that we still need to resupply as well as pay off our rent.” “I remember,” Cloudchaser mumbled, rubbing her flank with a hoof, “I just thought having a little lunch would brighten up the mood.”  “There’s no way I’m trusting you with our money again. I still can’t believe you spent three hundred bits on a sword sheath. If Sky hadn’t helped us out, we wouldn’t have been able to pay this month. I’ve got to find a way to thank him for that.” Cloudchaser's snout wrinkled as she let out a contemptuous snort. “Don’t bother. He said it was an apology for the way he left us stranded in the middle of a monsoon, remember?” She gave an annoyed swish of her tail at the memory. “Also, why did you start calling him ‘Sky’? Is there something I’m missing here?” “No, there’s nothing going on,” Flitter responded. “He asked me to call him that since his grandfather went by the same full name.”  “When did you find that out? I haven’t seen him around for the last couple days.” Flitter flashed her a harsh glare and growled, “He told me after you wrecked his home and stormed out without fixing any of the damages.” Cloudchaser’s cheeks grew warm as she remembered the violent temper tantrum she had thrown days earlier. “Oh, right. If he didn’t want to get on my bad side, then he shouldn’t have lied and left us out to dry in a hurricane.” Flitter could feel her guilt and shame building, but decided to let them stew for a bit longer to make the lesson more memorable. “Speaking of Sky, have you given his proposal any more thought?” Cloudchaser smirked again at her phrasing and leaped at the opportunity. “I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’d be happy in an open marriage with my own sister in it.” Flitter shot her a deprecating eye roll as Cloudchaser struggled to contain her newest humor. “I’m serious. I promised to tell him before the new mines open up, which is happening tomorrow in case you forgot.” Cloudchaser calmed down enough to give the same answer she had maintained for the past week. “I really don’t know. He seems like a decent hunter and fighter, but he’s still a lying jerk that stole our treasure and got us soaked in the Swamp Maker 2000TM.” “Are you still mad at him for that? We never owned the goblet to begin with, and he was generous enough to give it back to us as a genuine apology. He didn’t even try to coerce us into joining him for it!” “Maybe so, but future apologies can’t erase past mistakes.” Cloudchaser’s muzzle split into a knowing grin. “Besides, I think we both know why you want to group up with him so much.” Flitter groaned as Cloud bit back another chuckle. “Ugh, not this again. I already told you that I don’t like him. I’ve barely known him for a week, which isn’t nearly enough time to know if you like someone.” “Oh yeah? That’s not what you said in your sleep last night~” Flitter froze. Not turning around, she clenched her jaw and stuttered, “What d-do you mean?” “I mean,“ Cloudchaser pressed, a mischievous smirk on her muzzle, “that you seemed to be having a very intimate ‘conversation’ with him in your dreams if your giggling moans were anything to go off of.” “...A-are you serious?” Flitter squeaked, terror and embarrassment gripping her soul. Cloudchaser stared at her for several torturous seconds, letting her stew in humiliation as revenge for her earlier guilt shaming tactic. “Nah, I’m just punking you, sis. The contents of your dirty dreams remain a mystery to me… for now.” Flitter gaped before launching herself forward and tackling Cloudchaser to the ground. “You pervy little pixie! Don’t ever joke like that again!” she screeched, punching at every inch of her sister’s body she could reach. Cloudchaser, however, being the stronger of the two, laughed and reversed their positions so that Flitter was the one pinned to the ground. “Not as long as you keep calling him ‘Sky’ like a lovesick diamond dog.” Skyfall opened the oven as he put the finishing touches on his newest masterpiece. The smell of fresh pastry wafted through the apartment as he pulled the baking tray out. “Ahh, there’s nothing like the smell of home cooking.” Glancing at the calendar taped to the wall, Skyfall remembered why he had started stress-baking in the first place. The new dig site was scheduled to open the very next day, and he hadn’t heard a response back from either sister. Despite hating the need for new partners, he wasn’t so prideful as to deny the truth. He needed support from the two mares since his shield alone wouldn't be enough to fight off a gang of ravenous bandits. Just as he was considering going to ask them again, the familiar sound of Flitter’s quiet knocking echoed through the abode. “Finally! I thought they skipped town or something.” Opening the door, he was greeted by the two sisters, one of which was giving him a welcoming smile. “Hi, Flitter! You too, Cloud.” “Hello, Sky,” Flitter started, nudging Cloudchaser in the side as she opened her muzzle to retort, “We just wanted to get back to you about your offer to form a party.” “Great! The mines open tomorrow, so I’ll need to know your decision before then. So? Do you want to work together?” Flitter pawed the ground nervously. “Well, we’d love to sign on together, but it’s a really big commitment to make this quickly. Cloud and I wanted to ask you if we could form an alliance first instead of an official hunting party.” Raising his eyebrows at her phrasing, he asked, “What do mean an ‘alliance’? Would we still be working together?” “Well, we would communicate about the locations of treasure and other hunters as well as fight to aid each other in case of an attack, but we would still have freedom to move separately and keep the money we make for ourselves.” “I see. What would happen if we go after the same treasure?” Skyfall inquired, remembering their scuffle that almost turned his head into a pincushion. “We would talk with each other instead of fighting, and the first pony to touch the artifact would get to keep it.” Cloudchaser snorted derisively, “That way, no one will have to lie or cheat to collect the treasure.” Flitter glared and kicked Cloudchaser’s cutie mark, causing her to let out a yip of surprise. “Either way, let’s use this arrangement as a trial run to see if we can work effectively as a group. If things go well and all three of us enjoy it, maybe we can consider doing something more serious with each other.” Cloudchaser and Skyfall choked and hid their muzzles behind their hooves at her frequent unfortunate phrasing. Flitter, realizing what she had said, turned beet red and frantically moved to rectify her statement. “No, wait! I just meant that we should experiment with each other before going all the way in!” At this, they lost control. Cloudchaser and Skyfall collapsed to the ground in hysterical laughter, crying tears and pounding their hooves on the ground. Flitter gave up trying to save what little dignity she had left and waited for their fits to end, grumbling to herself the whole time. Eventually, they all managed to become coherent enough to make their alliance official, shaking hooves with each other to seal the deal. “Alright, I guess we’ll be looking out for each other tomorrow. Don’t worry though,“ Skyfall quipped with an eyebrow wiggle to Flitter, “whatever happens between us stays between us.” Flitter’s cheeks burned scarlet as Cloudchaser chortled at her sister’s embarrassment. “Right, Cloud and I will do our best to help out. I look forward to working with you.” “Cool, I feel better already. Now that's settled, I need to get back to my baking. There’s a fresh piece of blueberry crumble waiting for me to eat it, so I’ll see you girls tomorrow!” he concluded, closing the door behind him with the mouthwatering scent of blueberries. “Bye, Sky! See you tomorrow,” Flitter smiled. “Yeah, see ya later, Sky,” Cloudchaser chuckled, still reeling from her earlier laughing fit. As the two turned away, Cloudchaser yawned and checked her bit pouch. “Hey, sis, do you have any cash on you? I want to go down to the market before it closes and get some meat from the griffon vendors.” Flitter wasn’t listening, but rather staring at her with a quizzical expression. “Hey, since when do you call him ‘Sky’?