Author's Note

one trot is approximately equal to one meter

Chapter 11

The next morning after a mostly silent breakfast, Long Shot, Near Miss, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon stood outside the castle. "I can get you to the Badlands," Starlight announced, "But after that I won't be able to help you, and you'll be on your own. While I don't think you will run into anything dangerous on your way to the artifact, you should be prepared for anything, and please be careful." With that, Near and Long entered the caravan, and a short flash of light later, they were on their way.

Exiting the caravan, Near looked around at her new surroundings. Calling this place the Badlands made sense, the land would be useless for farming as it undulated endlessly, erosion having carved out countless valleys separated by equally countless bare sandstone hills. It was, however, not devoid of life, as tufts, patches, and even the occasional larger stretch of grass dotted the landscape along with the odd small shrub. The two ponies and their caravan had materialized on a dirt road, barely wider than the caravan, that wound its way along the valley floor.

"Alrighty," Near said, unfolding their map of the Badlands, "The first thing we have to do is find out where exactly we are."

Long Shot pointed a hoof at a sign a few hundred trots away, "I'm gonna go see what that sign says." Before Near could respond, the grey thestral was airborne. While she waited for her companion to return, Near studied the map, hoping to learn more about the cave system they were headed to. "It just says that Canterlot is 1250 kilotrots that way," Long said, pointing behind them before adjusting her sunglasses.

"Based on that," Near said, pointing to an x she had just marked on the map, "We're only about two hundred kilotrots away from the caves, which are called" -she squinted at the fine print on the map- "Jackie's holes... Ugh."

As Near set about putting away the map, she noticed Long had flown about twenty trots away from the road, and was staring at the top of a small sandstone ridge at her hooves. "What is it Long?" Near shouted, walking over to Long Shot.

"I could have sworn that there was a shrub here earlier," Replied Long as she prodded the spot, as if expecting it to collapse or otherwise reveal its secrets.

How can you be sure?" Near asked, pointing at a nearby shrub around ten trots be away from Long, "Maybe you're thinking of that one."

"I don't think so," Long answered, before leaning down and sniffing at the spot. "That's odd, it smells like cheap cologne."

"That is weird," Near agreed as she hooked herself up to the caravan, "But we should get going if we ever want to collect that five thousand bit reward." Long nodded in agreement and with that they were off.