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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 6 of 21

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DARING DO and the

ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck) @ask-de-writer

And

Carmen Pondiego @askcarmenpondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

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Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions, provided that such things are done without charge. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

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Daring Do, being a pegasus, really had little magic. It was all small and strictly practical. Truth testing, safe grip that allowed the picking up of cracked or damaged things without losing any parts or causing further damage, fast read (handy but you had to know the language fairly well first) and a few other spells of that sort. They were all Non Equine Magic learned from the Non Equine University.

Truth testing was simple and unobtrusive. First, it showed her that what they saw was real. She could have sworn it was staged for effect!

“I am Captain Getsthere, of the Sea Sage. Ship’s a bit obsolete, mixed sail and steam paddle wheeler. She is sound, though, and will get you there. I hear that you want to get to the Chineignese Empire. Main port at Singapone and then up the Dunn See river to Cantrot.”

The Guardian said quietly, “Not to cast a doubt on your honorable self but all the docks are occupied by ships with Lading Deposits. None are loading, however.”

Captain Getsthere smiled, showing yellowed teeth, some with gold or silver crowns. “Legal trick there, Honorable One. If we have cargo to load and a paid Lading Deposit, the Harbor Master HAS to move a vessel that is not loading out to the roadstead and let us have the dock space.”

Daring Do invited Captain Getsthere to sit and said, “Order what you wish. We have the Lading Deposit in Gold and the cargo is in Dock Warehouse #4. So, you can get us to Singapone? What about river barge connections to Cantrot?”

The Captain was briefly busy with the waiter and then replied, “Sea Sage is shallow enough draft that we’ve been up to Cantrot six times. At low water, too. Make that whole run for you without transshipping once.”

Truth testing passed him completely, to Daring Do’s amazement. She saw Cy nodding approval. She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the bag of gold that was the deposit for the previous vessel.

Captain Getsthere carefully counted it out. He shoved back a substantial sum. “Sea Sage’s Lading Deposit is well known. Won’t overcharge you first thing.”

Daring Do considered carefully. “Make us a proper receipt. Make us another for any refits that you think good. We want the ship under us to be as sound as possible.”

At that he nodded acceptance. “I can do that. Got a list, in fact. Was going to use the deposit money to get it.”

He left to make arrangements with the Harbor Master and order his refitting supplies from the chandlers.

The group of them were sitting outside, watching the gulls fly and the coming and going of smaller boats. The docks were full of idle ships. Most of them had the wisp of smoke at the stack that indicated operational steam up. That was required by the Royal Maritime Commission. It let docks be cleared quickly for emergencies, a precaution that had paid off handsomely in the past.

“Look!” Cy exclaimed. “They are bringing up a tug to Dock and Warehouse 4!”

The Guardian said softly, “The Rising Whale does not have steam up as required. They are pulling her out. Her captain is protesting. From the looks of the longshore ponies with axes to cut the hawser lines it will be a useless protest.”

He was right. The captain had to get a gig to catch up to his idle ship, being towed out to the roadstead.

The Sea Sage was in place and ready to load in only a half hour or so. Maneuvering a ship, even a smaller one, near a dock is tricky business and has to be done with care.

Their supplies were being loaded and the Sea Sage was taking on coal while they watched. Daring Do called on her Magic Net mirror. Looking up, she explained, “We will have three others from the Royal University joining us in a short time. I sent them ahead and told them where to wait. They are all experts in conservation and collection of delicate artifacts.”

Sure enough the three came trotting up in a little while. One, a pale mauve pony, introduced himself, “I am Senior Graduate Student Horace. These others are Jeremy, the orange guy there, and the big white mare is Soree Bea Shann. She is a Saddle Arabian exchange student.

“I don’t know why they are along. Jeremy barely made the cut for the program and HER? Her folks back in the desert are RICH. Her only qualification.”

The two were about to protest when Daring Do cut in, “THEY are along because I personally sent for them. YOU muscled your way onto the team without my consent. I am most curious as to WHY?”

Cy simply pounced. She used a right foreleg thrust to the side of Horace’s neck. He was not only knocked down, he was driven over a meter from where he had been standing a fraction of a second ago. Cy was sitting on his neck to keep him down while she explained, “Horace, here, is in ROT’s pay. He was smart enough to demand gold up front and no written contract.

“His job is to report your expedition’s progress and the exact location of the tomb. ROT will then swoop in and steal anything of value. If a few ponies have to die, including you, Doctor Do, no big deal, as he sees it. He will have money and perhaps fame.”

Daring Do considered for a moment. “How can you know these things? I have noticed other times that you knew what you really had no way of knowing.”

Going perfectly serious, Cy replied, “That is a matter of ERIS Supreme security, Doctor. The Guardian knows. In a private setting, he may tell you what he deems fit.”

With a pluck of her sleeve, the Guardian led her inside the Rusty Barnacle. Looking about to be sure of not being overheard, he told her, “You have seen her eye and mane. More was changed in her inheritance after the Mage Weapon Blast of two generations past than only her body. The Watcher of the Most Exalted One can read minds. More it is unwise to say.”

Daring Do, thinking back saw answers to many things. “Her precise combat moves. She knows were the enemy is without looking. The trick with the sewers and fire fighting mains. She was near enough to somepony who knew it! I am glad that she is a Watcher for Eris. So many try to harm her.”

They went back out where Cy was passing time by lightly popping Horace’s head against the ground. She looked up brightly as Daring Do approached. “Can I? Please? We know everything that he is aware of about the plot. I would love to kill him!”

The eager puppy look to her single eye left no doubt about Cy’s sincerity. Daring Do hated to disappoint her. “I am afraid not, Cy. I do believe you. One test, though. How was he to communicate with ROT?”

“Empty his left saddle bag. There is a hidden flap on the inside. Lifting it will reveal the pocket holding a World Wide Magic Net mirror. A small one but with plenty of reach. We at ERIS cracked that algorithm about two years ago. That type of mirror was still in development when we got it.”

Horace sort of gave up. “Those are supposed to be totally private. You heard my signals when I called them to say we were going to the ship.”

Cy looked down at him. “Something of that sort. I waited to be sure that I had what you knew before I moved, that is all.”

Slumped even flatter, Horace asked, “Since I am not going along, can’t you just let me go? I can’t hurt you now.”

Serenely digging out the mirror, Cy poked some codes. “Hello, are you Mister Robber or Mister Overthrow? Oh, you are Mister Tyrrany! I am Cyrene Clopes. I work for ERIS, Inc. I just wanted you to know that we have taken your spy for Doctor Do’s expedition.

“What? No. We are letting him go for now. The Royal Road Police will be handling the charge of Criminal Taking of Royal Funds. We thought that since you are a law firm and have him on retainer, that you would likely want to defend him in the courts.

“This was purely a courtesy call, you understand. Good bye.” She closed the mirror and handed it back to Horace.

“Do be so good as to pack your things and leave, young pony. We really don’t want you along.”

As Daring Do watched Horace go, she had a pang of conscience. She turned to Cy and said softly, “They will kill him, won’t they?”

Cy smiled calmly, watching gulls wheel overhead. “Almost certainly, Doctor Do. I might have handled things differently if this was the only bad thing that he has done. It is not. He has cheated and trampled others for most of his life.”

Soon they were all picking staterooms aboard the Sea Sage. They all rushed up to the deck to wave good bye to Cy, staying behind on the dock as the ship was towed free and the huge, nearly antique paddles began to churn the harbor’s water. Her big whistle let loose a piercing scream and crewponies worked to unfurl the sails.

Heeling gracefully, the Sea Sage rounded the breakwater and swept out onto the swells of the open sea.

Soree, the Saddle Arabian, who had never been to sea before, was happily trotting all over, looking at all of the wonderful new sights! She drew in deep breaths of the amazing salt air, the scent of smoke and lubricants from the massive two cylinder walking beam engine and the pitch on the rigging ropes.

Poor orange Jeremy was hanging his head over the rail and wishing that his heaving tummy would stop. It was emptied long ago!

Daring Do and the Guardian had a low table set up on the poop deck and were happily playing Mah Jongg, to the rattle of dice and the clacking of tiles.

Daring Do felt a deep contentment. She was on the way; another expedition to find the unknown and learn the secrets of the ancient past.

The weather, which at sea, was native and wild, untamed by Cloudsdale or any other such authority, held fine. Jeremy got over his sea-sickness. Both he and Soree began to learn the ins and outs of Mah Jongg. It is an excellent four hoof game.

The weather did not prove to be a problem. The pirates, on the other hoof …

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 6 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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