“The Ancient Kingdom of Zadubadabu!”
Pilate tilted his head about from where he sat in the Noble Jury’s navigation room. “I beg your pardon?”
“That’s where my Uncle Prowse went!” Props hopped up and down in place. “Wooohoo! Yeah! Go Uncle!”
“I do apologize, Miss Props, but… uhm…” Pilate pivoted about and leaned forward. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. Kingdom of… Zab… Zabuu…”
“Zabubadabu!” Props insisted with a frown. “It says so right here!” She waved a sheet around, then blushed. “Oh. Right. Ahem.” She yanked the stallion closer. “Get your knowledge ball out.”
“Gaaah! Well… if you insist!” The zebra cleared his throat, concentrated, and levitated the O.A.S.I.S. sphere. The device scanned the sheet as the runes along his metal brow flickered. “Where in Spark’s name did you find this?”
“I remembered that Uncle Prowse had a partnership with the Upper Bronze Iron Welders! Traditionally, Sooters around these parts share storage lockers, and their joint container hadn’t been opened in months! That meant it was untouched since before I got captured by the Lame Mares! So, I trotted up there with Ebon Mane and we had a look-see. Sure enough, a bunch of my Uncle’s stuff is there! Including a few steam parts, a bit bag with two hundred gold, and this here map!”
“It certainly appears to be… uh… a diagram of sorts,” Pilate said. “But a map? I do find that to be a bit of a stretch.”
“Oh come on, Stripesey! Don’t tell me you can’t see the path to the magical Kingdom Zabubadabu!”
“Miss Props, it isn’t even labeled with that name, much less any title whatsoever.”
“I know one of my Uncle’s obsessive map sketches when I see it!” Props slapped the sheet with her other hoof. “For years upon years, he’s asked ponies from far and wide about this old, old kingdom where the streets were made of silver and the foundation fashioned out of pure manacrystal! According to folklore, Zabubadabu was an immaculate utopia, a work of engineering genius! I mean, the city’s sheer weight in silver has got to be four times the entire fortune of the rest of the world!”
“I… fail to see what any of this has to do with our current plight.”
“Don’t you get it?! My Uncle was always rambling on about this maretropolis, about living long enough to find it someday! It was always an archaeologist’s dream of his to land himself in the city and be the first pony in eons to take a survey of the fantastical place!”
“I thought your Uncle was an engineer.”
“Yup! And he was an archaeologist, a pediatrician, and a bricklayer on the side!” Props blinked, smiling. “And sometimes she flipped the switch!”
“Er… flipped what switch?”
“Anyways, it makes perfect sense why left now!” Props sing-songed. “He must have finally found the kingdom! I mean, this map is the most advanced sketch of the place I’ve ever seen, and this was last updated months ago! Who’s to know how many more discoveries he’s made since?!”
“And you think this whim was enough for him to have completely abandoned his way of life here?”
“Well, Uncle Prowse sure did get bored easily, and he was always wanting a break from the boring clang-of-clang of wrenchwork. So, like, maybe my disappearance was the last straw that broke the seagull’s beak, and he decided to take the first lead that came to him!”
“That’s a touching thought, sad even, but still purely hypothetical.”
“Just think of it! If he’s out there somewhere, looking for the Zadubadabequines, then that means we may still be able to find him! I mean, check out this legend with your brain balls!” Props grinned as she pointed emphatically at the side of the map. “This is totally east, right?! When Rainbow Dash comes back with Kera, we could swing by, pick my Uncle up, and enjoy the spoils of his discovery together! Heck, maybe we could buy our sexy way out of Xona! Huh? Huh?!”
“First thing’s first, Miss Props,” Pilate said, lower her hooves with a gentle forelimb. “I know how desperately you wish to find your Uncle. Don’t forget, there’s somepony very close to me and Belle whom we’re trying to relocate at the moment as well.”
“Oh, I know! And I think the gold that I found in Uncle’s stash should be enough to get us a steam manifold for Nancy’s naughty bits!” Props giggled as she galloped towards the stern. “Heee! This is so great! First, we save the foal, then we track down Uncle, then a bunch of question marks, then profit! Heee hee hee!”
As the mare scampered down the thin hallway, she nearly ran over Josho. The stallion slid to the side, blinked, and trotted into the Navigation room. “And just what’s stuck in her moist craw?”
“Miss Props has found a way to acquire a steam manifold for us, which is fantastic progress.”
“Is that why she’s laughing out both ends like a jester with gas?”
“And… uhm… she believes she may know where her Uncle has gone.”
“Oh yeah? Where?”
“To the mythical Kingdom of Zadubadabu.”
Josho blinked. He frowned. “No.”