Dusty Tome and Endeavor: The Amulet of Yolo Swag

by FortheNerd

Waiting for a Contract

Dusty sighed as she rolled over on her back, legs stretched up toward the ceiling. She huffed as she spread out her wings, giving them a flutter and sending all of her notes she had spread out on the floor flying in random directions.

"I take it someone is feeling especially bored today?", Endeavor asked as he flipped through the newspaper he was reading. He levitated a cup of tea resting on his armchair to his mouth. Dusty turned and glared at him as he took a long sip of the cup's contents and turned the page.

“We haven’t had a real job in ages.”

“A month, actually. Remember? Last month we finished that dig in the Griffon Badlands.”

Dusty rolled her eyes at the unicorn. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate having some time to relax, organize my notes…” Endeavor scoffed at the idea of Dusty organizing anything. “And just catch up on some reading. But I’m not content just being a snooty researcher at the University. I want to get out there! We’ve been in Canterlot just sitting around for too long now. Surely somepony has something rare and mysterious for us to find.”

“Well perhaps Equestria has run out of ancient magical artifacts. I guess I’ll have to go back to bouncing at the Bannered Mare. And you’ll have to *gasp* give lectures!” He took another sip of his tea.

"Ugh. Don't even mention the 'L' word. I'd have to grade essays and deal with students." Dusty wrinkled up her snout in disgust at the thought.

"Then perhaps you could just find something else to do today and stop making a mess. Celestia preserve me if you clean up some of your papers." Dusty huffed in response. She twitched her tail, knocking over one of the stacks of papers she had left on the floor.

“OH!” Dusty suddenly jumped up, somehow landing perfectly on her hooves. “Has the mail come today? Maybe someone sent us a letter!”

The small pegasus ran out the door of their flat, slamming it behind her, sending the papers spread about the room flying again. Endeavor could hear her hooves going down the flight of stairs. He took the small amount of Dusty-free time to magically gather up the papers floating about their living room and stuffing them all into a box. In less than a minute Dusty was back at the door.

“Endeavor!”, came a muffled cry as she kicked the door shut behind her. She went over to where Endeavor was perched in his armchair, dropping the scroll she had in her mouth into his lap. “Look! A scroll! Fancy stationery! A personal seal! It’s a client! We’ve got a job!”

Endeavor looked displeased with having the slightly damp scroll dropped in his lap, but unrolled it with his magic without comment.

To Adventurers Dusty Tome and Endeavor:

I have heard of your success in finding long lost artifacts from all over Equestria. I believe I may have a job that is of interest to you.

“I knew it!” Dusty interrupted his reading.

I have recently become aware of a mysterious artifact. It is magical and there is a possibility it doesn’t even exist.

The object in question is a helm. It belonged to a great demi-god of old. The name of this incredible pony was rumored to be ‘Yolo-Swag’. He apparently interacted with some of the earliest tribes of ponies, later founding the Crystal Empire. It is said before he returned to wherever he was from, he hid his Helm somewhere where he thought no pony could retrieve it to use it’s awe-inspiring power. There is a strange magical aura that has been appearing over a certain area where I believe that Helm to be found. The second page of this scrolls provides a detailed map of this area. It also includes the location of a dead drop that will be filled once I receive a contract stating you will fulfill my job. When you have the Helm, notify me and I will send you a letter giving instructions on where to meet me.

I look forward to seeing what you can do.

“It doesn’t have a signature,” Endeavor wondered aloud.

Dusty’s eyes were big and shining. It looked like she might burst. “A mysterious note! No signature! Probably a large pay out… Let’s do it!”

“Woah. Hey now. The pony who sent this message isn’t even sure this ‘Helm of Yolo Swag’ even exists. Let’s do some research first.”

Dusty calmed down at the word ‘research’. Endeavor was right. Research first, accept contracts second. Besides, books were her talent.

“Alright then. TO THE LIBRARY!”

Dusty quickly grabbed her bookbag that had fallen behind the couch, throwing out the random crumpled pieces of paper currently inhabiting it, and dashed out the door. Endeavor sighed, yet again. He picked up the scraps that Dusty left on the floor, got his own saddle bags, filled them with fresh paper and quills and trotted after the pegasus mare. She was well out of sight, probably already halfway to her destination already, but Endeavor knew where she would be. The Royal Canterlot Archives.

Author's Note:

Why yes, I am doing this as I go along.