Family Relics: Adventures of the Past and Present

A Risky Trade

Arkabad... a small desert oasis town, somwhere on the border with Blarkland. A two-camel little community built around a desert well, it was supposed to merely serve as a rest spot for weary travellers going along the road between the lands of Equestria and Screera. Bu it served as an excellent place for merchants and peddlers to hawk thier wares, and also as a meeting place for those with less than savory business...

"Ugh, what a bunch of disgusting lowlifes." Yearling thought in Disgust, looking around at the dimly-lit tavern. "Why in Tartarus did our informant have to meet us here?"

No matter how many times she came back here, this place only seemed to disgust the Pegasus mare more and more. A seedy den of vice and sin, The Shimmering Seapony was filled with the smell of a thousand diffrent intoxcants, being imbibed by the most unsavory assortment of brigands, cutthroats, and scoundrels Yearling have ever come across. At one table, two griffons claw-wrestled with each other, as thier surrounding comapinions placed bets and cheered ethier side on. At another, a minotaur with an eyepatch was about ready to start a fight with the drunk earth stallion that he had been playing cards with. Such small dramas played out all over the smoke-filled room around her, making the adventuerer wish she were anywhere but here.

"Ah, there she is!" A.K. thought, noticing a farmiliar blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane sitting at the usual table. "Don't see our contact anywhere, yet."

"Well, fancy seeing you here." Trotting up and pulling a chair out, Yearling greeted the other pony. " But I'm surprised to see you all alone in a place like this."

"Eh, you know the regulars aren't very good converstaion. Besides, I was waiting on an old friend." The other mare smiled. "Hello Daring, it's been awhile."

No matter how old she seemed to get, Rainbow Dash never seemed to lose any of the energy or enthusiasim she had possessed in her youth. To be sure, her beautiful rainobow mane and tail were greying at the edges, and her face was starting to get wrinkles. But there was still a fire in those eyes that told Yearling that this was a pony still looking for the thrill of adventure, where ever and whenever it might appear.

"I've told you before, Dash- it's A.K.. But yes, it has been too long." She smiled at her old friend. "Tell me, how things with the Wonderbolts going?"

"Eh, same old, same old. It's not easy being team captian sometimes, though." Dash rolled her eyes. "Soarin's out with a cold- as ususal- and Fleetfoot is still trying to get a date with Big Mac. He never returns her calls, though."

"Sounds like fun." Yealing replied sarcastically. "Ponyville still as crazy as the last time I was there?"

"Yep, a boring old town of silly ponies, nothing ever changes there. Though our new school mare is having a lousy time with the kids." The blue mare sighed. "Sucks that Miss Cheerilee just up and disappeared like that, she was such an awesome teacher..."

It was at that moment, that the unicorn waiter trotted up with a levitated notepad. "What'll it be, doll?"

"Give me a cider on the rocks." A.K replied, before looking back towards her friend. "And how are those husband and kids of yours doing?"

"Huh? Oh, the little runts and that dumbell I married are okay." She said with a laugh. "Seriously though, they are the most awesome ponies in my life, and I wouldn't trade em for all the bits in Equestria."

"Wow it must be great to come home to a family like that." Yearling snorted, looking down. "At least you found some other ponies to share your life with on your adventures, instead of being a mistrustful fool for the best years of your life."

"Now Daring, you're not being fair to yourself!" Rainbow protested, stamping her hoof on the table. "You were only-"

"Shhh! Dash, look!" A.K exclaimed, pointing a hoof towards the door. "It looks like our informant is here!"

In through the doorway scurried a small, bipedal furry form with a tail and round ears, hunched over and wearing a hood and cloak. Upon spotting the two mares, he skulked his way over to thier table.

"Hello, ladies." The little creature hissed, through broken and jagged teeth. "It is a pleasure to be seeing both of you again."

"Hello Omar." A.K replied, looking down at the slimy runt in contempt. "Trust me, the pleasure is all yours."

Ratlings- one of the sleaziest races of vermin to crawl across the surface of the world. A race of four foot tall unhygenic furballs, A.K. would normally have noting so do with one of these rodents. But the ratlings ran the best spy and information netowrk in the lands beyond Equestria, and made it worth while to put up with thier odious stench.

"Anyway, enough of the small talk." Rainbow whispered, leaning in close enough for the unwashed creep made her eyes water "You got the information we need?"

"Perhaps, it all depends..." Omar rubbed her thumb and index finger together. "You got the cheese?"

A.K. Nodded, and Dash tossed a large triangular-shaped wedge of Swiss onto the table.

"There you go... four pounds of the best stuff straight from the Fillydelphia dairy." Yearling cocked a smile. "Now, you going to tell me where the map is?"

"Map's been passed around a lot through the black market, ever since the blarks stole it from the griffin's royal treasury." Omar squeaked, metnioning the race of thieves and merchants who were cousins to the ratlings. "I've heard it's nearby... and might be avalible for, say, a few pounds of fine mozerella?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Omar." Rainbow snorted. "But take us to the map, and we'll give you a pound of swiss, and two pounds of Limburger."

"I'll give you a better offer, rat." A grey stallion called out from the doorway, causing every eye in the tavern to go to him.

"Oh no," Yearling grumbled, putting a hoof to her head. "Not him again."

That gold Skull flank mark, the two thugs on ethier side of him... every rouge in the tavern knew who this pony was. The three stallions trotted thier way up to the table, thier leader glaring at the trio of idviduals sitting there.

"In fact, I have a rather intriguing offer for all three of you." He hissed. "I walk out of here with the map... and the three of you leave here with your lives."