Viola and Peanut in: The Quest for the Staff of Pandas (Private)

It was a dark and stormy mid-afternoon(blame the fuggin pegasi, they put the storm out too early). The shopkeeper of the Store of Mystical Magicks was understandably pissed because it meant he was either going to get absolutely no business or the very shady type of business, like that crazy showmare several months back.

The door opened from a gust of wind and a violet pegasus mare stepped in, wearing a rain coat. Or maybe the mare herself opened the door. In the end, it doesn’t even matter. There is an open door and pony entering through it. End of story but not really. The point is she left the door open as she entered, as if expecting something else plot-relevant to happen. The shopkeeper himself was rather surprised that a pegasus would pay a visit, when most of the artifacts were for unicorns, and pegasus artifacts didn’t get much marketing attention. “Excuse me Miss, aren’t you supposed to be on that useless weather team that’s managing the storm?” He asked, rather grumpily. Not exactly the tone a shopkeeper should have if he wants business.

The mare shook her head. “No, I’m from… elsewhere. Just looking for something interesting.” She replied quietly, just barely audible to the shopkeeper with the raging storm in the background, wailing incessantly like a baby who desperately needs anger management classes.

The shopkeeper gave her an odd look, but shrugged it off. “Alright. Let me know if you need something.” He offered, actually remembering he owns a business and the mare is a potential customer, and letting her browse.

A little breezie was sitting in a dark alleyway, under a box, sniffling as he waited for the storm to subside. He had only gotten to the city a few hours prior and already he was wishing he was back outside. "Sheesh, and it's only raining INSIDE THE CITY." He complained loudly at the uncaring sky, leaving the grumbling little bug-pony-thing to his own.

That is, until he noticed a mare going to the store that was right across the street from the alleyway. Seeing a way to get to a safe and dry place, the breezie decided to make a mad dash while the mare held the door open.

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-Oh buck-" He cursed as he realized he was gonna hit a vase head-on and he had no chance to decelerate. Thus began a chain of events resulting in lots of pieces of ceramics, a dazed breezie and a glass jar around him, basically holding him trapped. And a rock on top of it.
Once he shook himself out of his daze, he first saw the rock and the glass jar.
"OH COME ON!" The two inhabitants of the building could clearly hear him. Then again, he DID cause a lot of commotion.

The shopkeeper facehoofed at the small Breezie’s rather large entrance. “I swear, this is some divine punishment for not sharing that pie last Tuesday…” He mumbled to himself, getting the broom to clean up the mess.

The mare looked at the breezie, who somehow trapped himself in a jar. She removed the rock and freed him from the jar. “Why hello there, little one. My name’s Viola. What’s yours?” She asked, trying to be polite.

The breezie raised an eyebrow as he was not yelled at by the shopkeeper, fighting back the urge to smile slightly at his quick acceptance to the situation.

However, the mare was interesting to him. She seemed rather pleasant. He righted his helmet and saluted. "Thank you, miss Viola! Name's Peanut!" His helmet fell over his face, diminishing the seriousness factor of his stance by a great deal.
He then hopped into the air to avoid the sweeping broom and all the pieces of ceramic that he created in the first place.
"Well, that's what the pony who saved me calls me anyway. I guess it just stuck with me." He quipped before giving an awkward smile while looking at the mess. "Sorry by the way... I'd pay for the damages but... I can barely lift a bit, so unless I owe a bit then..." He finished his excuse, certain the shopkeep wouldn't let him off just because he was a breezie.

Especially because of his high-pitched voice. He's apparently annoyed a lot of people. Strangely enough they keep muttering the name Na'Vi...

The shoopkepper thought for a moment. “Well you’re no good to me as an employee, so you can’t work off the price of that. However, I don’t think selling you as a trinket will make me friends with the law either…” He mused.

Viola then spoke up in Peanut’s defense. “I’d be willing to help pay his debt off… but I’m broke too…” She said.

“Then why’d you come in if you’re not going to buy anything?” The shopkeeper asked accusingly.

Viola shrugged. “I dunno.”

Mr Meanie Shopkeeper facehoofed. Again. “I’m surrounded by morons…” He mumbled to himself, then turned to face the two. “Fine, if you want to help, I have a little fetch quest for you. I’m looking for a rare magical artifact for my store, and since Daring Do is off on holiday, I need somepony else to get it. Get it for me and consider the debt repaid, with interest.” He offered.

"Eh? Daring Do works for you?" Peanut said. The breezie had read some of the books that starred this daring ("OHH!") pegasus that plundered tombs and stopped her archnemesis Ahuizotl each time.
"I'm interested. Very much so." He raised his helmet a bit as he flew to the counter and sat down to listen to the Shopkeep Grumpy's proposition.

The fact that the shopkeep would rather send Daring Do bothered the breezie not one bit. Whether it was because of ignorance, forgetfulness or just plain up disregard for the possibility of the artifact being in some deadly tomb, the result was the same either way. He was gonna go find this thing-a-ma-doodle and bring it back. And from the looks of things, he might be having company for the road.
Speaking of road, he started feeling a bit peckish. Noticing a small stand with roasted & salted nuts in it, he took one and began to devour it. Most likely it was meant for paying customers, but technically he was getting the details of how he might pay. Besides, he isn't gonna eat all of them... Yet.

The shopkeeper laughed a bit. “You’d be amazed how many ponies don’t know that. Maybe I should advertise more. Might bring in more customers. Then again, I promised to keep it hush-hush. I’m only telling you two because you’re pretty much doing her job. Now, about the artifact. I don’t know much about it, but I do know there is some mighty big competition to get it. Something about pandas. Either way, I’d make a big bit selling something like that, so I’d like you to get what they’re calling the “Staff of Pandas” for me.” He explained, then went and fetched a scroll from the back room. “My first and best guess is to check the Canterlot Archives. The scroll lists a few ponies you can convince to grant you access.” He gave the scroll to Viola, along with a saddlebag. “You’re gonna need that to carry things in. Good luck and get out of my store.”

"Sounds like fun! I'm in!" Peanut said as he finished the nomming. Unbeknownst to him, he'd actually eaten the whole bowl of nuts. He burped as silently as he could - which is to say, the whole building heard it - and slowly and contently flew on top of Viola's mane and soon enough snoozing could be heard from there.

His dreams mostly consisted of falling pandas while he spread his hooves wide as he gazed upon the sheer amount of pandas.

The sight was rather similar to a certain orange-coated farm mare from Ponyville being surrounded by apples.

Viola looked up at the breezie snoozing in her mane and shrugs. “Well, see ya then.” She said, leaving the store as the shopkeeper noticed the empty nut jar and started pounding his head against the wall asking to himself “why me?” Luckily for the new duo, the rain had magically stopped because plot convenience.

So pulling out the scroll, she looked through the names. “Hmm… A.K. Yearling. No, dude said she’s on holiday. Twilight Sparkle. Maybe, if she isn’t busy. Starry Night. Don’t know her, but it says she lives in Canterlot. Dusty Ridge, an archeologist. Nah, might be competition. Alright, I’ll try getting in touch with this Starry Night. Maybe she can help.” She then took off into the not mostly clear skies, taking a shortcut to the local train station.

Peanut's sleep was deep enough to have him not wake up when Viola took off, letting him sleep contently until they arrived at the train station, where the train's whistle made him wake up with a start.

"AAAAAAAACK! I'M AIRHORN, COME AT ME BRO!" He said as he took up a karate stance and made to kick the air before he tripped on Viola's hair and faceplanted onto the train station floor. A muffled, monotone "Ow" could be heard from the breezie. If it was any other universe, one could have heard a very familiar sound effect from a certain series of thieving automobiles. Or maybe they did hear it because Discord.

Viola looked down at Peanut and giggled. “Relax, little Peanut. It’s just a train whistle. We’re getting on a train.” She said, lifting him back onto her mane and letting him sit there as they boarded the train. “So… We’re going to Canterlot to look up some information. While we’re here, how about you tell me about yourself?” She asked.

Peanut looked outside the train window once they got themselves seated.
"Well, I was part of the breezie group that went to collect pollen this year. Only, I got separated from the group early on when we were heading back, just before Ponyville. I had to get rid of all the pollen I had collected just so I could fly fast enough to keep out of trouble. Until I eventually found myself stuck in a glass jar that belonged to a trader who was going to the Rainbow Falls. He planned on trading me for something really valuable and of course I was angry at him. That was, until I was freed by this pony in red clothing, Sugary Market. I decided to stick with him for a while. Had a lot of fun but when I got myself back on the trail I was supposed to follow to get back home, the portal had already closed. I was depressed for a while but then I began helping ponies around and about. And after my most recent venture I found myself in a city somewhere in Equestria, in the middle of a storm, and a door to an antique shop opened. You know the rest."

This was about the most serious the breezie had gotten during their entire trip. He sighed.
"I kinda miss my family. But worrying about things you can't change is not worth it. Now I'm just waiting for the portal to open so I can go home." He stated somewhat dreamily. "Back home to the delicious meals that fill you up with just a single bite yet you wanna eat it all anyway..."

Breaking the laws of the space-time continuum, a voice sounded in the breezie's head: "Yo Peanut I'm real happy for you and Imma let you finish but you get your fill with every bite of anything a pony considers a snack anyway!"
"Shut up Kanye."

Viola listened to the breezie’s sad sad tale of hardship and loss. Or was that another story? “Well it’s good to meet another wayward soul. I don’t really have a home. I just travel a lot. Meet all sorts of ponies that way. I once met a pony so obsessed with Princess Luna, he tackled me and asked me out when I decided to wear a Luna costume for Nightmare Night once. Decent guy, but he wouldn’t shut up.” She giggled at the memory. “I’ve gotten into my fair share of trouble too, but I’m still alive, so I think we could pull this little adventure off Don’t you?” She asked.

Peanut chuckled at the mention of the obsessed pony. He then gave a "Mhm" of approval at her question.

But heroes can't save the world on empty stomachs. "Does this train have cart service? I'm hungry."
Meanwhile his brain facehoof'd. "You just ate." Peanut simply decided to retort by giving his brain a mental raspberry.

The cart service did arrive, but as she was passing by a pony threw a potato into her candy bowl, spilling candy everywhere. The pony’s marefriend then took him elsewhere, presumably to spank his naughty flank. While the cart service mare was cleaning up the mess, Viola snuck a few pieces of candy behind her back. When she left, Viola took the candy out and ate one. “Want one?” She offered Peanut.

Peanut saw Viola hide the candy and giggled as he hid behind the mare, trusting his small stature to hide his presence from the cart mare. Once she was gone, Peanut squeed as Viola offered a piece of candy to him.

Fortunately for him it was a soft type of candy, taffy to be specific. It was a long rolled up and wide taffy, almost like griffonian taglietelle pasta he had that one time in Ponyville. How the restaurant managed to not notice him sneak into the pantry, he had no clue. Even less as to how they didn't notice him having visited that place - he ate so much he thought he'd not have to eat for weeks!
As he chewed on the candy, a thought occurred to him.
"You know miss Viola? I was wondering, what kind of artifact this staff is like. Staff of Pandas. It sounds like something you'd see in the Jungle Book. Maregli and friends finding a staff that makes pandas rain out of the sky. What do you think?" He asked before taking another bite. He looked like he had a pink taffy beard that he was eating.

Viola also took one of the candies and popped it into her mouth. It was chocolate. “Oh, so you’ve read that book too? Good read. But if the staff really makes pandas rain from the sky, the world would be in danger. Imagine an evil overlord ruling the world with an army of raining pandas.” She looked out the window, trying to spot Canterlot in the distance. “You know… I’m kinda nervous. I’ve never met with Canterlot nobility before, and I sure have never been in the Palace. What do you think it’s like?” She asked.

Peanut's mind was racing at the possibilities. He didn't actually know either. He did visit Canterlot before, but that was simply a passing trip while going to Ponyville. A thought bubble popped up above him, actually visible to Viola, and showed things like slavemasters whipping ponies who were dragging huge marble blocks to the top of a huge marble pyramid with Celestia's face stickered on it, fancy tea-parties with dragons and griffons and a biped-like figure with green clothes, a crazed look and a giant top hat, complete with breezie-shaped crumpets, among other things.

"I have no clue. Sounds like fun though!"