The Quest for the Sapphire Stone (Daring Do #1)

by BookeCypher

Chapter Six

Daring trotted through the open-air market of Trottingham, the multicolored cloth awnings that made up the sea of merchant stalls casting shadows across the bustling crowds as their owners shouted over each other, trying to entice shoppers or travelers to come take a look. Others were busy haggling with somepony they had already drawn in, or happily chatting with a regular customer. It was a vibrant, lively place and the exact sort of place Coco would be.

But her usual spot – right across from the local confectioner's shop – had been occupied by a gruff looking jeweler instead of the mint-colored earth pony. A quick questioning of the jeweler revealed nothing, and the candy shop hadn't seen her in several weeks. Given that sort of time, Coco could have been half way to Sieyrie Lione by now – or half a dozen other locales. The oddball merchant went where the buyers were, and considering what she sold that meant some pretty disparate places. Daring sighed. “I'm never going to find her.”

“Find who?”

“Coco!” Daring turned to Coco. “Even with Darrin's lead I'll be-GAH!” Daring leapt up and back as the sudden appearance of her friend. Coco, for her part, simply gave her a confused look as she munched on a piece of cotton candy roughly as large as her head. Daring landed again as she considered her friend. “Where have you been?”

“Getting food, silly!” Coco raised the massive bundle of cotton candy as if it was obvious – And, considering Coco, it kinda was. “I know I wasn't in my usual spot but I got into town a few days later then I planned because of this awesome deal I tracked down in Underdark and by the time I got her some jeweler guy had taken my spot and I love that spot because its right across from the shop with those to-die-for chocolate pies and I was looking for another spot and a group of stallions from the local mob I think showed up and started asking for 'rent' and then they started demanding it but then I left and Chocolat came out and sorta maybe scared them really bad and then I heard you were in town so I-”

Daring shoved a hoof into her mouth, interrupting what would likely turn into a record-breaking run-on sentence. “Good to see you too, Coco.” Chocolat' Jasmina Pie, or Coco as she preferred, was possibly one of the best peddlers of the strange and unusual this side of the Marelantic, but know amount of talent nor years of knowing her would ever dull Daring's simple opinion of the chocolate-maned earth pony. Coco was a strange pony, but she was also a good friend. “I need transportation.”

Coco's eyes lit up. “Oh! Where ya goining?”

Daring pulled the map out of her saddlebags. “Just a little Hayan island – no big deal. Think you can arrange something?”

Coco nodded eagerly. “Oh I know just the thing! This guy owed me for this pre-triumvirate tapestry and he payed me off with a plane! It should be perfect for this sort of-”

“Oi, Hey! Girlie!” The two mares stopped their conversation as they turned to face the the source of the interruption. A trio of large stallions were stomping their way toward them, and the surrounding crowds quickly parted in front of them as soon as they got a good look at the three. Daring noted with a smirk that all three of them were sporting a lovely assortment of bruises and black eyes. The three came to a stop with the largest, a white coated, blonde maned stallion built like a small mountain, towering Coco. “You still owe me' crew rent money, Girlie.”

Coco tapped at her chin for a moment. “I don't think I do, actually. Sorry!” Her friendly smile seemed to only enrage blondie further.

“I don't know who you think you are, you stupid nag.” blondie put one forleg around Coco's neck. “But I don't think you're in much position to argue, this time around.”

Daring took a step back, fairly certain of what was coming next. The whole scene went still for a moment until, like leaking balloon, Coco's hair seemed to deflate from its usually bouncing, fluffy mess until it was perfectly flat, draping down her back in a straight flow of almost black hair. “Coco?” No response. Even from her current angle, Daring could see that she was still smiling, but it was a shadow of what it had been before. “...Chocolat?”

The artifact dealer turned to glance at her, the shadow of a smile now a simple smirk. Blondie's two lackeys took a few steps back. “One moment, Daring. I have to take care of the trash.” Blondie blinked a few times as he watched the mare in front of him take his threats of violence far more casually then he was expecting. His confusion was was quickly superseded by agony As a mint green leg wrapped itself around his own and buried a hood into a nerve point. “You seem to be under a mistaken impression of who, exactly, I am willing to deal with.” Chocolat slowly pulled Blondie's leg away from her neck, keeping it in a lock that quickly dropped the stallion onto his rear. “Since you obviously didn't learn the first time, allow me to re-educate you.” She dug her hoof into the nerve point a little harder, and Blondie let out a his of pain. “I am well acquainted with the organizations that work in this city – you work for none of them. They're enforcers are markedly more talented then yourself. Besides, I have an understanding with them. So, let me make one point point very clear – I will not hesitate to inform them that you are scavenging around in their territory – and I can assure you that, no matter what you might think of me, I am far more forgiving then any of the families in this town.”

“You little-” Anything Blondie was about to say was cut off as Chocolat gave his hoof another twist.

“So, here is what you are going to do,” Chocolat continued without missing a beat. “After I let you go, you are going to turn around and walk away. And if I ever see you again you will end up on the receiving end of a lesson in just how small of a fish you really are in this pond.” Chocolat finally released the larger stallion from the pressure hold and he quickly took advantage of it to put a few paces between him and the mare. Then, slowly, he got to his hooves, turned around, and proceeded out of the market at something only slightly slower then a full gallop. His two lackeys watched him go before slowly turning to give Chocolat another look. They turned to each other and then, after a moment of silent exchange, nodded to each other and followed after their boss at speed.

Daring leaned around Chocolat to watch the trio flee. “Well, I don't think those three will be bothering you again any time soon. Right Chocolat?” Daring watched her friend for a moment as Chocolat's mane suddenly poofed out like an overactive pile of springs. The earth mare gave a little shiver that started somewhere around the tip of her nose and only ended after it had traveled her whole body and reached the tip of her tail. “You alright?”

“Woah!” Coco gave herself another little shake. “That was a good one! Chocolat must have had fun.” She took a moment to look around. “Where'd Blondie go?”

“Considering what Chocolat said?” Daring replied. “He's probably half way to the border by now. I didn't think Chocolat handled stuff that minor.”

Coco shrugged. “Guess she was bored.” Daring sighed. She had long since gotten used to Coco's eccentricities, and Chocolat was one of the biggest. Most ponies who worked on the black market at some sort of muscle to deal with 'pushy' customers, and most weren't exactly very cuddly themselves. The bubbly, motormouth earth pony was not what most ponies expected in an artifact smuggler. Of course, every pony had different ways of dealing with the risks and stresses of their work. Some had lucky charms. Others had plenty of hired help. Some hardened themselves to such things.

Coco had Chocolat.

Daring wasn't sure what Chocolat, medically, actually was and she doubted Coco had ever bothered to find out. Whatever she was though, it worked brilliantly. On the rare occasion where a situation of client was beyond Coco's scope, Chocolat would pop out and take care of it. All the cunning of Coco and none of the happy-go-lucky attitude. Chocolat was as ruthless and no-nonsense as Coco was...well, Coco.

“Wow, I'm hungry!” Coco chirped. “You want to get some food? Because I want to get some food! Strawberry rhubarb pie sounds really good right now – I wonder if anyplace sells it around here.”

“I'm sure we can find something.” Daring said as she prodded her friend along and out of the center of the market. A small crowd had formed around the little altercation and Daring felt like being gone before somepony finally recovered from their shock and called an authority figure. “How's Coinbox?”

Coco replied by pulling out from...somewhere, Daring wasn't sure since she was fairly certain Coco wasn't wearing any saddle bags – the gold and gem encrusted tortoise that served as her piggybank. “He's doing great! He got a new ruby for his shell last week too!” The tortoise, for his part, just slowly poked his head out from his shell before lethargically looking up at Daring and giving her a relaxed smile. Daring manged at least three blinks before he finished. Coco idly ran a hoof over Coinbox's jem-studded shell as the walked along. “So, what are you in town for?”

“I need a ride to that island, remember?” Daring repeated.

“Oh, right!” Coco smiled. “That super-creepy Hayan island, right? Bet its all spooky and mysterious!” She drew out 'spooky' and 'mysterious'. “What are you going there for?”

“Looking for some lost temple,” Daring explained. “Might even find some legendary rock. So, you know, the usual.” Daring paused for a moment as she realized that this sort of thing was what qualified for normal for her these days.

“Oooh, sounds like fun!” Coco replied. “Need anybody to go with you? That would be so much fun! We could have a campfire, and share ghost stories and make s'mores and then I could make Wa-” Coco was suddenly cut off as shoved as Daring shoved a hoof into her mouth.

“Thanks for the offer, Coco, but I think I'm better doing this one alone.” Daring said. “Besides, this will probably be a fast one – I've got a map for where to go and everything.”

“Well, if you say so...” Coco replied, a tinge of sadness creeping into her voice before she quickly perked back up. “Besides, I don't think both of us could fit into that plane! Then we would have to walk there, and then where could we put the cupcakes?”

“Right...” Daring wasn't even going to try and follow that particular train of logic. “So, this plane. Must have been a really nice one if you took it as payment.”

Coco nodded enthusiastically. “It is! A Ghibli 377 – I don't get my hooves on those very often. Light weight frame and a really big engine! That baby can go!” She draped a hoof around Daring's neck and pulled her close, continuing with what was quickly starting to sound like a sails pitch. “And it turns like a dream to boot! Loops, corkscrews – you name it, she can do it!” She turned to Daring. “No wonder you pegasi love to fly so much – doing tricks is fun! The plane can probably fly further though, and doesn't get wing cramps after flying half-way across Equestria, you know?”

“Why I was hoping to get the plane, Coco.” Daring replied, unfazed. One could grow accustom to quite a few things given enough time. “Where do you have it parked?”

“Well, its your lucky day, Daring Do!” Coco said with an over-dramatic, sweeping gesture. “As it just so happens, that I am keeping this excellent piece of aerodynamic engineering just outside this. Very. Town!”

“What was with the little pauses?” Daring asked after the last three words.

“They were punctuated for emphasis!” Coco replied.

“They were...” Daring shook her head. “Nevermind.” There were some things ponies were not meant to know. “Let's just grab some lunch.”

“Oh!” Coco started literally bouncing down the street. “I know just the place!”

“Somewhere other then a candy shop.” Daring added.

“Of course, silly! This place is a-”

“Or a pastry shop.” Daring ammended. Coco's expression deflated slightly, but quickly perked back up. “Oh, you're no fun! Oh well – I know a place nearby that sells really good hay fries!”

“Perfect.” Daring trotted up to catch up with her friend. “I could use some good fries.”

“Sure you don't need anything else?” Coco asked. “I mean I could still get my airship and then both of us could...”

Daring sighed. “This again? I already had this discussion with Darrin. I don't need help! I work alone.”

“Thats what you said before the squid beak thing !” Coco replied.

Daring facehoofed. “That was only the one time! Why do ponies keep bringing that up?” It was the one time, it was a complete fluke and it was never, ever happening again if Daring Do had anything to say in the matter.

“Because is was really funny?” Coco giggled. “Really, Daring – you should bring some friends on this one. Life's more fun with friends! The more the merrier and that sorta stuff. That beak thing would have gone differently if you had brought somepony else.”

“Coco, the entirety of Canterlot was there at the end of it.” Daring deadpanned. “I couldn't have brought more ponies if I had planned it.”

“Well, thats kinda the point.” Coco answered as they walked along. “Why, if I had gone along with you, nopony would have ever noticed you were there!” Of that, Daring had no doubt. Coco had quite a way with crowds – she made quite the sight at auctions. “So, come on – grab a few buddies, jump on the airship and we can head down to this island!”

Daring groaned. “Coco...”

Coco had already started pantomiming action scenes. “We can sweep into the temple, dodge our way around dastardly death traps and snatch the treasure at the last moment!”

“Coco, I-”

“Then we'd get attacked by Ahi-what-his-face, and loose the treasure! We would have to fight our way across the jungle and through armies of mooks before finally reaching his evil lair. Then we'd sneak in, grab the treasure and foil his dastardly plan before escaping the whole place collapsing by the skin of our teeth! Then it's Cocoa and schnapps all around!”

“Coco!” Coco finally looked at her friend, whose eyebrow was now twitching in some combination of frustration and annoyance.

The mint earth pony just gave her a look. “What?”

“Coco, I am doing this one alone, okay?” Daring reiterated. “I appreciate the offer, but I don't need it. Besides this is probably going to be a really short one anyway.”

“Oh, an easy one?” Coco had calmed down - as much as 'Coco' and 'calm' went together – and was once again leading the way to the eatery. They finally passed the last of the market stalls and transitioned into the busy Trottingham streets.

The smoother paving of the market gave way to the rougher cobblestone of the city's roads, long ribbons of paving worn down under centuries upon centuries of hoof falls and wagon wheels, leaving the steady, unwavering route of the city traffic visible for all to see. In contrast to the dull stones under hoof, the shops and storefronts packed in around them came in nearly as many colors as the ponies browsing them. Brightly painted signs hung over doors, catching the eye and drawing ponies in while window displays promised everything from clothing and jewelry to exotic pets and magic trinkets, all at reasonable prices. Unicorns and Earth ponies jostled with each other as they made their way up or down the street, carts fighting for space with magically suspended payloads, while pegasi simply soared overhead, chuckling at their ground-bound brethren until they tried to find a spot to land and found the crowds less then cooperative. Daring found it easier to simply stay on the ground for this sort of thing – besides, Coco couldn't fly. She thinks.

Daring dismissed the thought and turned to Coco's question. “Very easy. Hardly worth mentioning.”
“So, if its so easy,” Coco asked. “Why don't you want anypony else along?”

“Because it's easy.” Daring replied. As they turned of the main street. “I can't just go and drag everypony way from their own work when I have to go on a trip.” Daring sighed. “I already had this talk ...”

“With Darrin,” Coco finished for her. “You said as much. And I bet you he said you were being silly for thinking we would mind helping.”

“And like I told him,” Daring tried to keep the slowly building frustration out of her voice. Coco was just trying to be a good friend. “That's the problem. You all would be willing to help me even when I don't need it and you would all be better off staying and working on your own things.”

“Helping my friends is my own thing!” Coco cheerily replied. Such a statement would have been uplifting, really, if Daring wasn't trying to dissuade her hyperactive friend from tagging along. “Come on!” Coco continued. “It'll be fun!”

“Coco, I appreciate the offer.” Daring said. “I really do. But I am doing this one alone. I don't need you or anypony else canceling your plans to tag along for no reason. You have that auction in Tall Tale to go to in a couple of weeks, don't you?”

Coco hesitated for a moment. “That's just the one...”

“And that exhibition in Canterlot the week after that?” Daring added. “And that meet-up in Stalliongrad a week and a half after that...”

Coco arched an eyebrow slightly further then Daring thought possible. “How do you know all of that?”

“I make a habit of knowing your schedule.” Daring shrugged. “Makes it easier to find you if the need comes up.” That, and Darrin had given her Coco's entire travel itinerary for the next six months, the magnificent stallion. “The point is can you really afford to run off on some adventure?”

“But you always run off on adventures!” Coco pointed out.

Daring sighed. “Coco, I'm an adventurer – its what I do.” The pair stopped as they finally reached their destination – a small pub called the Broken Drum, tucked away in on a back road and generally out of sight. The door creaked as they walked in, the interior filled with a smoky, low-lit haze along with a eclectic assortment of tables and chairs, only around a quarter of which were occupied at the moment. It was no watering hole, but it would more then do.

The pair slipped into a corner booth after a brief detour to the bar to order their food. After taking a moment to make themselves comfortable, Daring turned to Coco. “So, what can you tell me about the Hayan coastline these days?”

Coco gave her a puzzled look. “You're asking me about history stuff?”

Daring shook her head. “I was thinking more recent. I don't want to accidentally go flying into somewhere and run into a bunch of disgruntled grave robbers again.” Yeah – that hadn't been fun. Interesting, but not fun.

“Oh!” Coco reached into a pocket and pulled out a small book that she quickly started flipping through. “Lemme see here – Noteworthy has a few scouts hunting around the area, or so the rumors go – probably just shopping around for some new pieces for his personal collection. Canterlot has stepped up patrols in the area. Part of a move to stamp down on the illegal artifact trade.” Coco's nose wrinkled at that bit, for obvious reasons. “What else...oh, yeah! Rumors of a crew of cats passing through Llamaca a week back.” It was Daring's turn to wrinkle her nose. Coco raised an eyebrow. “Friends of yours?”

“Depends,” Daring replied. “Was it a tiger, a cheetah, a panther, and a lynx?”

Coco flipped through her notes quickly. “yep – and a little white fluff ball too. Why?”

Daring bit back a curse. “Ahuizotl.”

“Oh, ugly-Mcugly face?” Coco replied. “You think he's in the area?”

“If those cats are who I think they are, its him.” Daring sighed. “The question is why now?”

“Probably for the same reason you're going, Daring.” Coco suggested with a shrug.

“Coco, that seems highly unlikely.” The only reason she was going was because of the Universities own research expedition. The odds that her archenemy would be looking into the exact same legend at the exact same time she was was astronomically slim, barring the possibility of Ahuizotl catching wind of the teams discoveries – at which point he would have headed straight for the team, not poked around town.

Coco, however, didn't buy it. “Please Daring – almost every time you go on a trip you run into Mr. funny-tail. It's narrative causality.”

“Now that is a scary idea.” Daring replied half-jokingly. “but I kinda doubt my life runs on the power of plot.”

“Still,” Coco said as she put her notebook away. “With the big guy in town, you sure you don't want some help on this one? Maybe a little backup?”

Daring was about to shoot Coco down once again, but found herself pausing. She was certain that Ahuizotl wouldn't become a problem for her even if they did cross paths – that already happened with alarming regularity, and Daring had always come out on top – in the end. A dozen and more close calls briefly replayed themselves in her head, each one a small reminder of how much she depended on luck as her wits or her wings. An extra set of eyes and hooves were almost always good, and Coco had just as much experience with this sort of thing as she did. She didn't come to a conclusion until after their hay fries had been dropped off by a passing waiter. Neither girl had noticed.

“No, Coco.” Coco blinked for a moment, seemingly caught off guard, but Daring continued. “I can manage this one on my own, I think. No need for more then one of us to put our necks on the line.” Daring gave a shrug before taking a bite of her fries. “Besides, I've always gotten through in one piece before – no reason this time should be any different.”

Coco almost seemed to say something, but instead simply slumped over the table, one hoof poking at her hay as she sighed. “I sorta figured you'd say something like that. Jeez, its probably what I would say! Doesn't make it any easier to hear....” She glanced toward Daring, a small hint of a smile on her face. “You an be one stubborn mare sometimes Daring, you know that?”

Daring shot back with a grin of her own. “So my brother keeps telling me. Now come on and eat up – you've still got a plane to show me.”

The rest of the meal went by in mostly companionable silence, their dining only interrupted by the occasional question or suddenly remembered story that had to be shared, and the usual responses such things drew. It was a simple, common, everyday sort of scene – two friends having lunch together, catching up with each other. Daring didn't think she'd trade it for all the jewels in Canterlot.

They finished eating soon enough, and soon set back out onto the streets of Trottingham, the crowds thinned out by the end of the lunch rush. The walk out of town, as a result, went by a lot faster then Daring had expected, given her time getting in. The airfield itself was not the major aerodrome used by the numerous balloons and air chariots that came and went to the city. Instead, this was a smaller plot of land, catering to private fliers and smaller operations as well as, based on some of the equipment and buildings Daring could see scattered around the long strip of the main runway, the local weather teams. A large sign near the main gate with tall, fading lettering identified the field as 'Downsfold Aerodrome.”

Coco led them past the single guard shack near the gate, giving the aging unicorn manning it a polite nod as they walked by and toward a series of hangers. Though, Daring had to admit, 'hanger' might have been generous – the structures lacked any sort of doors or walls, being made of a single extended wooden arch. It was as if somebody had hollowed out a great tree trunk, split it down the center, and laid the resulting sections out in a row. The target of their little trip was sitting under the third hanger down.

The Veneightian built biplane had one been a thing of beauty. Hoof-carved wooden ribs, carefully wrapped in fabric, stretched tight over the structure and into graceful curves. The wings, stacked one on top of the other, were broad and straight, a criss-cross of wires and struts connecting and supporting them. Time, however, had not been kind to the old girl. The fabric around the cockpit was torn, leaving the wooden paneling surrounding the pilots seat exposed, and the engine cowling was tarnished and stained, only a hint of what might have once been the shining brass nose remaining. Daring trotted around the battered plane eying it with a combination of weariness, suspicion, and sympathy. One of her own wings twitched as she noticed a tear in the fabric over one wing. They were both fliers, and she could at least empathize. Still, empathy only took a pony so far. “Coco, is this thing even air worthy?”

“Of course it is!” Coco assured her as she patted the side of the aircraft with a hoof. A panel on the opposite side promptly fell off and landed on the ground with a clatter. Coco chuckled sheepishly as she pulled her hoof back. “She justs needs a little...routine maintenance.”

Daring gave her friend a flat stare. “Right. And how long will this 'routine maintenance' take, exactly?”

“Don't worry about it!” Coco assured her. “I know a guy. He can have this done in a day. Two, tops. He should be able to start tomorrow. You have a schedule to keep or something?”

“Not really.” Daring replied. “I'd just rather get started sooner rather then later.” Once again, she found herself faced with the part of archeology the books never told you about – the endless boring, usually fruitless hours searching for what most ponies would generously describe as a pile of rocks. Sometimes you were stuck looking for rocks among rocks and had to find the right rocks. This time though she just had endless stretches of ocean to look out onto – always fun for the first hour, but the azure seas lose their allure after a while. “Three days at the most?”

“Maybe four,” Coco replied. “Depends on when my guy can get started.” The mint earth pony threw a leg around her friend. “Plenty of time for me to show you around town!”

“Coco, I probably know this city better then you do.” Daring admonished her. It was a fair statement – her work with the university got here sent to Trottingham, among other places, pretty often.

“Then you can show me around town!” Coco replied. “I don't get out of the market very often accept when I stop here. You probably know all sorts of cool places! Or secret passages – old cities always have those!”

“The places I know are only good if you like old bits of pottery or musty books.” She looked over at Coco and found her sporting a large smile. Artifact dealer, right. “okay, okay. Where to?”

“Well, first I need to contact that guy I know to fix the plane,” Coco answered as she started hopping toward the front of the hanger. “After that, I don't care! Anything goes!”

“In that case...” Daring tapped one hoof on her chin as she followed behind Coco at a more sedate pace. “The City Library should have some of Avon Bard's original manuscripts on display right now. Care to take a peak at them?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Coco chirped. “Probably won't be able to read it anyway – ponies back then wrote funny and my middle-canterlish is really rusty.”

Daring shrugged. “Probably to faded to read anyway. Might have time to catch a play after that. See what they're performing at the Old Lunar?”

“Oh, good idea!” Coco clapped her hooves together. “It almost sounds like we planned this! I wonder what play it's going to be? I hope its the Coltish Play!” Daring idly noted the way her friend seemed to automatically avoided using the plays name. She was well acquainted with the folklore of the theater, and her father had talked about the play plenty when she had been...

“Daring?”

Daring looked up and realized she had stopped walking. She gave her head a quick shake before flashing her friend a smile. “I'm fine. Lets get going.”

Coco eyed her friend for a moment before dismissing the oddity with a shrug and continued off toward the city.

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

So we meet the first of the Daring Do Mane 6 Expies, Coco, or as I call her, best pony.

[Darksymphony777]

6017787 it would be the second due to Daring is an expy of RD

[Pinkie Pie Sweets]

I wonder if this Coco is a second Pinkie Pie or something.

[redmar]

7520177 She is a Pie so she must be related to Pinkie. Probably through Pinkie's grandmother Granny Pie, she's the one that taught Pinkie to Giggle at the Ghosties.

[Pinklestia]

Coco Chocolat is best OC pony in the series.