A lack of Concern
The two mares had stopped off at an oasis in the desert, and used their wings to raise the bucket from the bottom of the well. As the adventurers lifted cool, refreshing water to their parched lips, A.K. Yearling was already looking under the newly unfurled map.
"Okay, it's about four hundred leagues southwest to the ruins of Pennopolis." She told her companion, tracing her hoof across the map. "We'll need to be careful at our pace, so we don't wear ourselves out." She looked up at the other pony. "You're the more experienced flyer, Dash. You think traveling by air would be faster?"
"I dunno, Amy." The blue Pegasus scowled at her. "which way is gonna be the one where you won't leave me behind if I tire out?"
"Now would you please cut that out!?" The exasperated Yearling snapped, glaring back at her. "We've been over this, and I've told you why it was necessary a thousand times already!"
"It's never necessary to leave a pal behind!" Rainbow snapped, stamping her hoof against the sand. "Who knows what Cabellerion and that freaky cat will do to him! All because he was helping us!"
"Oh, so now you're worried about him?" Her friend snapped. "Have you forgotten who wanted to leave him behind in that sinking city of the sands a few years ago?"
He's a ratling! He could have dug his way out!" Dash snapped back. "Besides, what about the fact you were going to let that whole griffon tribe perish, when we went after the golden coins of Nibblik?"
"They tried to do us in, they deserved it!" A.K. retorted, trotting away from the well. "Now, are you done digging around in the past, and we can get on with this adventure?"
"I'm starting to wonder if I even should have come along on this adventure." The blew wings extended her wings, and took to the sky. "After all, daring Do works alone, right?"
"Now wait just a- I ohhhhhhh - blast you!" A.K. Yearling snorted angrily, flying after the other mare. Two two traveled in silence as soared across the desert, leaving only two shadows gliding over the pristine, untouched sand below them.
That stupid Rainbow Dash, why couldn't she understand? This was one of the other reasons she didn't like making friends in this line of work, other ponies were unable to make the really hard decisions like this. Of course she hated leaving the little runt behind like that, but it was a decision she had to make for the greater good! Dash had been a hero before, why couldn't she understand that heroes sometimes have to make the hard decisions?
Meanwhile, the other mare was troubled by her own thoughts. What had happened to Daring Do, the pony from all those novels she had so admired and looked up to? She had long ago accepted that A.K. was not entirely like her counterpart in the books she wrote, but even the lifelong friend she had known these past few decades wouldn't have been THIS heartless! More and more, the blue Pegasus began to wonder if this mare was sill the great adventurer she had been in her youth. She wondered in Daring was still the dear friend she had known for so terribly long.
These thoughts were still going through both of their heads, when the two mares spotted an object coming into view on the horizon. At first, it looked like little more than a tiny speck on the endless sea of sand. But it soon became apparent that an entire city was spreading out beneath them, it's white marble glistening in the sun.
"A.K., do you see that?" Dash asked, as the two lowered themselves toward the ground.
"Yep, right where the map said it would be." The other mare agreed. "Let's drop in for a closer look, shall we?"
the two mares came in for a landing, their hooves clattering on crumbled remains of a brick road. All around them rose the awe inspiring ruins of the once-great Penna capital, large bird statues and tall pillars holding up grand roofs that were no longer there.
"Wow, the lost city of Pennaopolis." Yearling whispered in amazement. "This place was thriving when we ponies were still scraping our hooves through the mud."
"Yeah, yeah... another set of ruins to trudge through." Dash replied in annoyance, trotting away and looking around. "The map says the necklace is supposed to be in the central temple, right?"
"Boy, nothing impresses you. Does it, Dash?" Yearling trotted over to a freestanding wall, reading the inscriptions on it. "Strange, this inscription here says 'Beware the watchers, all ye who trespass here'."
"Watchers?" Dash looked up at the other mare, concerned. "Daring, you did say this place was supposed to be uninhabited, right?"
It was at that point, that several shadow began emerging from the ruins, and the two ponies took a defensive stance.
"Hey! Whoever's out there!" Yearling called out defiantly. "Show yourself!"
Something threw a spear at the two ponies, knocking the safari hat off of A.K,'s head. Suddenly, the two mares found themselves surrounded by a whole flock of angry white-colored birds, covered in war paint, and pointing their weapons straight at the adventurers.
"Ohhhhh, buck." Rainbow Dash called out in annoyance. "Why the flank didn't we see this coming?"