Chasing Treasures

by Yukito

7 - Finding a Lead

The FBI's library was emptied out that day, under strict orders to only allow access to Agent Armor and his team.

Agent Chrysalis, along with Sunset Shimmer, Daring Do and Adagio Dazzle, sat at one of the larger tables in the library, stacks of books all around them courtesy of Sunset and Daring's abilities to sniff out relevant knowledge like bloodhounds.

By the time she had gone through one book, Sunset had gone through five, and Daring was on her seventh. Adagio was half-way through her first, taking many breaks to yawn, check her hair, or simply to stop reading.

"Y'know, you could try to be a little more helpful," Daring Do said, to which Adagio simply huffed.

"I didn't sign on to read dusty old books about the history of my game," she said.

Sunset lowered her book and thought for a second. "Hmmm… Could it be that you don't know how to read?"

Adagio raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Ah, I see!" Daring Do said. "As a siren, you must have never learned how to read before! So sorry! That must be super embarrassing!"

Adagio slammed her book down onto the table and shouted, "I'll have you know that I can read just fine, thank you!"

"Maybe she can read," Sunset conceded. "Just not big words," she added, sharing a grin with Daring Do.

"I'll show you who can read big words!" Adagio picked up her book and buried her face into it, reading at a much faster pace than before.

Sunset and Daring Do silently bumped fists, before returning to their own books. "That was well-played," Chrysalis said, leaning over to speak to Sunset silently. "You found her weakness and exploited it to make her do your bidding."

"I had practice during my reign of Canterlot High School," Sunset said. "Ponies, humans, sirens… Doesn't matter what you are, just as long as you have needs and desires that can be exploited."

Chrysalis chuckled. "You know, it's a good thing that we're not enemies in this world. From what I understand, the Equestrian version of me is an enemy commander to your kind."

"It's funny how things work out, huh?" Sunset asked with a nervous laugh. "Over there, you'd be one of my sworn enemies, but here, you're an ally."

"Truth-be-told, that may very well have not been the case. Back before I ever joined the FBI, I was a criminal, you see."

Sunset lowered her book, listening intently to Chrysalis' story.

"A pirate, actually. I come from a country in the African continent, from a village that is poor and, back then, suffered from the effects of civil war nearby. One side would always be occupying us, as our village was located in a strategically-necessary area. The occupation would change back-and-forth, and our farmlands suffered for it.

"I have a family of fifteen, and I am the oldest one among them. As such, it was my job to provide for them, and the only skills that I had were trickery and subterfuge. It was a stroke of bad luck that my first target was an American military ship… I managed to hide in the hold until the ship docked in America and then I fled, and found myself in Canterlot.

"Desperate, I resorted to armed robbery to earn enough money to buy my way back home. Bet you can't guess who captured me."

"Shining Armor?" Sunset asked.

"The Prince of Chivalry himself. He was a newbie in the FBI, having just left the police force, and his superior wanted to have me shipped back to my village and left there as my country's problem. Shining, however, felt pity for me, and appealed a probationary period for me, highlighting my skills as assets to the bureau."

Sunset Shimmed hummed in thought. "So, you work for the FBI… and then what? Your family?"

"I sent them supplies regularly until I had earned enough trust from my superiors to have them moved here, under the Witness Protection Program. Most of my pay goes to them, so that they can live comfortably and healthily."

"And Shining Armor helped you win that argument, didn't he?" Sunset grinned. "He really is like a knight in his namesake, isn't he?"

"But he's still a dork. Let us not forget that."

Sunset rubbed a hand to her chin. "So why's he so reluctant to give Sombra another chance?"

"Probably because Sombra attacked Twilight, even if it was a Twilight from another world. When it comes to Shining, you can attack him all you want. But hurt his family and, well…"

"Hey," Adagio said, attracting everyone's attention. "I think I found something."

---

Adagio's findings had led the group to research an item called the 'Compass of Bermuda', a compass said to be enchanted by magic to help sailors find the location that the Sage's Stone should be used at.

Upon performing enough research, the group finally found an image of the compass. Daring Do smiled, as it was something that she recognised instantly.

"Good news and bad news," she said. "The good news is that I know exactly where to find it."

"And the bad news?" Sunset asked.

"… The guy who has it wants me dead."

"Offffff course he does," Sunset said with a roll of her eyes.

"What did you do, exactly?" Adagio asked.

Daring Do bit her lip and ran a hang through her own hair. "I miiiiiight have screwed him out of a deal to get some ancient maps to Blackbeard's buried treasures…"

"How much are we talking here?" Chrysalis asked. "Maybe the bureau could clear the debt."

"Eighteen."

"… Thousand?" Chrysalis asked. Daring Do shook her head. "Hundred thousand?" Daring Do cringed. "MILLION?!"

"A little out of your budget?" Adagio asked.

Chrysalis sighed and placed two fingers to the bridge of her nose. "Alright, so, sending Daring Do there will do no good. Is there anyway we can get the item from him?"

"The guy will sell to anyone with the right price, but his prices are high. Although, he does offer to trade treasures for other treasures. The more exotic, the better."

"Didn't all your stuff get destroyed by Tirek?" Sunset asked. "What do you have to offer him?"

"Nothing, yet, but I know a guy here in the States who might offer us a good deal for some antiques. A foreign antique might just do the trick."

Chrysalis nodded. "We should hurry along, then. Tirek might already know about the compass for all we know."

"Just… be prepared. This guy can be a little weird."

Comments

[Emperor]

Ooooh, Daring's gotten herself into a few bad deals over the year. I wonder if this will be the Ahuizotl expy she's talking about.

...and now my brain has me wondering if we'll see a human Quibble Pants sooner or later.