Diamond Tiara and the others arrived back at their room, full of good cheer from their shopping trip. The door slammed against the wall, knocking a book free from the shelf its peers rested on. Blue hurried over to rescue the book, but took note of the title and frowned. She sat down with the book, looking quite perplexed.
Pinkie bounced over to her. "What's wrong? Forgot where it goes? Let me help!" She reached for the book but Blue pulled it away. "Oh, reading it?"
Blue shook her head. "No, but I don't much believe in coincedence when it comes to books, Miss Pinkie. Luminace speaks through them, and this one seems to say we may be hurrying..."
Diamond approached Blue and Pinkie. "What are you talking about? We have the best equipment money can buy on the way." She huffed softly. "We are going to solve this problem like a snap." She clopped her forehooves together.
Blue smiled at Diamond. "I'm certain you would do your best, and well, but none of us are very experienced."
Pinkie pointed at herself. "I helped save your god thing. I've been to a lot of places!"
Blue seemed relieved to hear that. "Then you're the exception. The rest of us, I fear, are new to the, uh, adventurous lifestyle. We won't help anyone if we rush directly into this extreme peril just to get killed."
Silver Spoon joined the conversation, trotting over to the group. "What do you think we should do? This was your idea in the first place."
Blue set the book where it had fallen carefully. "An artifact of the gods will not wither away quickly. I do not think it is in danger, just being hidden. Time is on our side in this. We should learn how to work as a team, and what it means to be what we are. I have learned all I can from reading alone. I need practical experience."
Silver grinned. "That's practically sacrilegious."
Blue shrunk a little. "But true... Luminace would forgive saying that. Reading must be mixed with true knowledge if you want to learn things worth writing yourself." She smiled then. "Understand?"
Gneech shook his head. "Gneech not read much, but learn by doing, this Gneech understands. How you plan to do that?"
Diamond Tiara pointed at herself. "Let's not forget who's in charge here, and that's me! A team-building exercise is what you want? Fine. Half of us are new to this operation, so a few low-scale things to get us working together is probably a good idea, and I know exactly where to go."
The next day, after breakfast, Diamond Tiara trotted along with her team, heading to a manor that stood in the southwesterly part of the city.
Pinkie tilted her head. "Hey, I remember this place. What are we doing here?"
Diamond swiveled an ear towards Pinkie. "If you remember it, you should know why we're here, Pinkie." She strode ahead without waiting for reply.
Silver Spoon slid up beside Pinkie. "What is this place, Miss Pie?"
Pinkie pointed up at the manor. "This is where a bunch of adventurer types of ponies hang out. We stayed here once a long time ago. Fun times! I think I'm still technically a member..."
Gneech looked curious. "Member of what?"
Blue pointed to a small sign that announced 'Seekers of the One Herd, Chapterhouse'.
Diamond had reached the front door, signal enough to get the rest of her party to hurry up to her side, and they entered the building, paying little mind to the smattering of practicing people in the front courtyard.
There was a pony behind the desk that looked up at Diamond with a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity, but it slid away when Pinkie entered. "Pinkie Pie! I thought you'd left us."
Pinkie smiled brightly. "What me? Nah! I just had to take care of business on another world, but here I am!"
The mare raised a brow. "There aren't many ponies I'd accept that from at face value, but you happen to be one of them. Who are your friends?"
Pinkie pointed to the irritated-looking Diamond Tiara. "This is our new leader, sh--"
Diamond thrust up a hoof, cutting off Pinkie. "I'm here to get a job. Something for my group to hone our skills on."
The mare looked Diamond Tiara up and down a moment, then over the rest of her group. "I see... We are not a casual 'adventurer's guild'. We only assign tasks to members, and I'm afraid I don't recognize you, miss...?"
"Tiara, Diamond Tiara." Diamond flashed a smile, then pointed at Pinkie. "You just finished confirming she was a member."
She nodded slightly. "Oh, certainly. She is, but the rest of you aren't."
Pinkie hopped forward. "But they're with me! I'll take care of them, promise!"
The secretary put a hoof over her long face. "You haven't changed much, Pinkie Pie. Very well, let's try something simple." She reached for her filing cabinet and began running her hooves over the many folders within. "Mmmm, here we are." She pulled one out between her lips and set it on the desk. "The city is offering a bounty on k--" She pulled short and looked up at Gneech, then slowly put the paper back and began looking for a new one.
Gneech blinked. "What? What did Gneech do?"
The secretary pulled out a new slip. "Goblins are harassing the trade caravans running from here to Arcysus. The city has a small bounty on each, and a much larger reward on proven termination of whatever little town they've got hidden. If you manage to scatter the lot of them and set fi--"
Pinkie Pie gasped. "That sounds super mean. Why would we do that to anypony?"
The secretary chuckled softly. "Never change, Pinkie. All you have to prove is that the town is gone. If you convince them to move away, that's good enough. Most Seekers would just rush in and start hacking the place apart as soon as they found it, but, with you involved, I'm sure you'll figure something interesting to do." She pushed the paper forward. "I trust you all know what goblins are?"
Gneech bobbed his head. "Seen goblins before, yes. Green big teeth, two legs, no scales or tails."
Pinkie shook her head. "I don't th--Oh yeah! I ran into those when I first came to Everglow. They were funny!"
Diamond Tiara put a hoof on the paper. "Sounds like we'll take the case. Do we need to be carrying any proof or other bits of red tape?"
The secretary pulled the paper back from Diamond. "Simple as can be. Defeat the goblins, get proof of the ones you took care of, and turn them in at the castle, ditto for any proof of their town's removal. If they give you trouble about payment, you come to us, you do not argue with them. The Seekers take care of arguments over pay, not its members. Also, remember that you are representing us in this task, so keep it civil and polite."
Diamond fell back to all fours. "That's the way we do most things. Don't worry about it any longer, we'll have those 'goblins' out of the way of progress in no time at all."
Blue glanced towards Pinkie, then Diamond. "I'd rather they were convinced to move away, or maybe we could even get them to be helpful? They need friends too."
Diamond snorted softly. "Don't get yourself hurt with idealistic thoughts like that. We're a team, and we stick to the plan, and I have one ready to go..." She led them out of the manor and back out into the city, pausing a moment to watch an earth pony with a lance traumatizing a unicorn in physical combat. The earth pony was a mare, and she moved with clear skill and ease as she shouted commands and advice at the struggling unicorn.
Pinkie leaned in. "Oh, that's Fast Shadow. She's super amazing at fighting. She makes a lot of noise, but she really cares about her students. She's, uh, like Miss Cheerilee with a lance and permission to poke her students with it."
Diamond flinched with grit teeth at the idea of Miss Cheerilee chasing her around with that lance, screaming at her like Fast Shadow was doing. The very idea of it was terrifying. "Is she half as good as she is loud?"
Pinkie bobbed her head. "Uh huh. Sparring with her was a real challenge! She knows how to use that thing." She pointed at Fast Shadow's lance. "When I was here with Twilight, you couldn't claim to be a full member of the party without surviving a few rounds with her."
Diamond took a slow breath, then let it out. "Did Twilight do it?"
Pinkie gave a soft mmhmm. "She did. So did Spike, and me."
Diamond clopped a hoof on the ground. "Spike?! If Spike and Twilight can manage her, than I will too. Get her to spar with me." She pointed at Fast Shadow while glaring at Pinkie with her intimidating stare.
Pinkie shrugged. "Well if that's what you want!" She bounced towards Fast Shadow. "Hey, Fast!" Fast Shadow looked up and abandoned the unicorn, giving him time to recover as she met Pinkie halfway and they met in a fierce hug. "How ya doin'?"
Fast Shadow nodded. "It is good to see you well and whole, Pinkie Pie. I'm beating some sense into some recruits after getting back from an assignment. It went well, how about you?" She pointed at Pinkie, her dangerous-looking hoof-spikes on display.
Pinkie pointed back at Diamond Tiara. "She really wants to train with you. You up for a little more sparring?"
Fast looked past Pinkie to Diamond and raised a brow slowly. "Are you certain she's ready for that?"
Diamond proved to have quite keen hearing when it came to things being spoken about her. She advanced on Fast Shadow. "Of course I'm ready! Are you scared?"
Fast slowly smiled. "It would be a pleasure, Pinkie." She flicked her hooves, deploying her spikes. "I am normally gentle to first time sparring partners, but I can tell you're a very... advanced... student. You are clearly ready for me, and I won't hold back. I trust that is what you desire?"
Diamond nodded quickly before she hopped up to two hooves and drew out her flaming axe. "That's exactly what I'm talking about." If she could hold her own on the first try against Fast Shadow, that would make her better than Twilight and Spike. How did Spike even survive? He was a runt... Diamond bounced from hoof to hoof, ready to fight.
Fast raised a brow at Diamond. She was surprised like many before at how Diamond casually held the axe with her flat hooves. "Have you used that before?"
Diamond gave the axe a few swings. "Enough stalling. I'm ready!"
Fast shook her head. Diamond's posture was clearly that of an amateur, and her swings were wild, fierce only with eagerness, not any skill. Still... Fast smiled gently. There was potential there. Potential she'd bring to the surface through painful lessons...
Yup. Civil and polite. Those are definitely Diamond Tiara's watchwords. And she'll send your economy into a nosedive if you say otherwise.
Still, Luminace is wise. Best that the party grind a little so Auntie Pinkie Pie doesn't have to try to keep them all on their hooves with a bard's spell allotment. Goblins are a nice traditional early opponent. I wonder
ifwhat will go wrong.Fast Shadow should beat the typos out of Tiara:
It.
How.
Good chapter, Luminace is wise to send the party out for grinding. Also, I love that there is an outstanding bounty on kobolds. I hope some other adventuring party comes up to them while Gneech is around and is all "kudos for extra effort, but you know the bounty is the same dead or alive, right?"
6318323 Good to hear from you! Thanks for the read and comments, they fuel me! Typos subjected to Fast Shadow's mercies.
Diamond Tiara, you've taken a hard road, but maybe you'll grow from the experience.
I think that is the only road she like to travel! Me where I want to go there are no roads.
accept
Smooth
No xp grinding for Pinkie. Noble quests only, please.
I wonder who that could be.
Oooh, DT bought a first-class ticket on the pain train. I can't wait.
Have I mentioned that I really like Fast Shadow?
(Psst, Blue! You should totally get her to help with your quest)
6319543 Typo destroyed, like Diamond Tiara is likely to be, next chapter!
Let's just see if our little prissy psion ends up with some knowhow to go with the bruises for more than close combat.
Still, it's the flank-spanking she shoulda got from Applejack in the first place...or maybe this is just the Kanto style of things.
Throw your kids out into the wilds so they come back adults! Or get devoured! Win-win!
6320198 Beating the muffins out of DT in the middle of the party would have caused more panic than casually banishing her.
In this case, you don't need to capitalize the intermediate direction.
Begin this sentence with an opening quotation mark.
Her "dangerous-looking" hoof-spikes.
Luminace really can't keep herself from micro-managing the group, can she? Between that, and how Blue can apparently flawlessly interpret what should be exceptionally opaque omens, I feel like the group if being railroaded a bit. Should they really not be making their own decisions, suffering the consequences of their own mistakes, and taking it from there?
Of course, it seems like Diamond Tiara is about to experience that firsthoof...something which I actually frowned over, mostly because I like DT a lot more than Fast Shadow, who always annoyed me. Diamond Tiara can be a royal jerk, but that's part of what goes into being a precocious child (even if this story didn't make it obvious that she's dealing with personal problems). Fast Shadow, on the other hand, seems to spend so much of her time beating the crap out of less-experienced members because - to me - she seems to get off on it.
I know that there's an argument to be made that Fast is giving them necessary - even life-saving - training before they head out into the "real world." But that's an argument that I find to be in bad faith; Fast isn't working a job that requires her to be harsh on her students, but rather took the job because it lets her be harsh on her students. To my mind, she wouldn't be doing this if she didn't get a chance to wallop ponies that had no real chance of winning the match.
That, to me, makes her far worse than anything Diamond Tiara ever did. DT may be unpleasant to be around, but Fast Shadow is deliberately arranging things so that she can get into fights against opponents that have no chance of winning. It honestly seems like she's enjoying hurting others, not due to any sort of sadistic streak, but because she enjoys how it feels when she wins a fight. That is, to me, far worse than anything Diamond has ever done.
So yeah, not my favorite character. Maybe Diamond will get insanely lucky and scrape out a win?
6328452 Luminace, well, yes, she does love her flowcharts doesn't she? Goodness, I did not expect such hatred towards Fast Shadow for doing her level best. She has never been less than a true friend to her fellow adventurers, and wants them to succeed. She's had too many friends die around her. I think the next chapter puts her views into a better focus, but she's not seeking to hurt people for the fun of hurting them.
6328484 I tried to make it clear that I don't think that Fast Shadow is sadistic in her treatment of others, but rather that she does what she does because she enjoys winning. That is, she likes how it feels when she can show someone else that yes, they do suck, and she is better than them.
That's my take on her character, at least. I doubt that's what you were trying to write, but it's how she's always come off to me.
I really only have one thing to say about this chapter, or should I say it is more of a warning. Diamond Tiara you will be beaten down vary quickly.
It occurs to me you never actually said the title of the book Luminace used as a hint. Maybe it was
"Ten Ill-Conceived Quests that Ended in Disaster",
"The Darwin Awards, ic 285",
"Dopplegangers Are not Your Friends",
"The Idiot's Guide to Epic Quests",
"The Extinction of the Short Legs", or
"The BIg Book of Really Dangerous Hazards That Tend to be Found Near Blevik And Will Ruin Everything Unless You're Totally Prepared, Vol III"
6501615 Only the 3rd volume? He only starts getting into the really good stuff around 5.
6501637 Alternatively, it could be a dissertation if it had more pompous word choice:
"A study of the intrinsic hostility of urban, suburban and rural environments common to the greater Blevik biosphere, their detrimental effect on the deterministic nature of multi-member organization objective completion, and a possible methodology for assessment, categorization, and mitigation."