1. BIRTHDAY GIRL

Ollie and Cayenne still had a long journey ahead of them. At least according to the map. They first had to reach a ship, a trek that meant several days crossing the mountains. After all, Chestnut Ridge didn’t get its name from the sea nearby. Oh no. But the sea was exactly where they were headed.

Olimpia: Unfortunately, little horse, we still have a long way to go. Assuming we haven’t gotten lost along the way. I hope we haven’t. I know, I know, we shouldn’t have traveled at night, but sometimes we have to make up for lost time. Anyway, that’s enough for today. We’ll continue tomorrow. 

The road seemed endless. Sometimes she felt as if they were going in circles. On top of that, the supplies she had brought were running out quickly, so she had to improvise.

Olimpia: Who would’ve thought fishing was this difficult, little horse? I have no idea what we caught, but a fish is a fish, right?

Olimpia: We’re close to the next stage of our journey now, little horse. This must be Oasis Springs. Here, have a carrot while I check the map and harvest some fruits.

The next day, they finally reached the harbor.

Olimpia: See that ship in the distance? That’s the RMS Queen Cordelia, our next stop and our ride. It should be docking soon.

She spent 6,000 simoleons on tickets for herself and Cayenne. It was a large chunk of her savings, but she had no choice. It was just enough for a space for the horse and a shared cabin for herself. She didn’t even want to think about how much the more luxurious cabins cost. 

Gallery: Titanic - Ship - NFsimFan

She had a plan. She knew where she should begin searching for the lost treasure. More or less. What would come after that? She didn’t know yet. But she had a good feeling about it.

Suddenly, she felt a stronger gust of wind. The ship was leaving the harbor.

After rereading it several times, Grandma Penny’s journal provided a few new clues she had completely overlooked at first. At least on the ship she could finally wash her clothes. Unfortunately, her food supplies were running low again.

At last, land appeared on the horizon. Sulani. A stopover port before the final destination of her journey.

She had 2 days to spend in Sulani. She could explore the island or... Visit family.

Great-Aunt Bea would probably feed her and give her a place to stay. But she would also likely notify her parents and maybe keep her there until someone came to pick her up.

Olimpia: Another time, little horse. Another time.

So she explored the island instead. She visited the Sulani cemetery, as well as the Sulani Cultural Center, where her great-grandmother Anna had once worked. Anna wasn’t a famous painter, but she understood art better than anyone. She probably would have gotten along well with Laura.

She knew she would love life in Sulani. Especially bath beneath the waterfall.

Olimpia: I don’t understand why my family moved away from here, Cayenne. It’s so beautiful! I could spend all day sunbathing, fishing, and swimming! What’s now? You want a bath too? Well, would you look at that...

But duty called, so she had to leave the island behind. One more sea crossing awaited her. She was getting closer and closer to her goal now. She couldn’t give up. So far, everything had gone fairly smoothly. Hopefully it would stay that way.

Gallery: Kin-Ship Restaurant - sunflower2707

Unfortunately, she no longer had enough money to pay for two tickets, so she made a deal with the ship’s owner to work as a waitress in exchange for passage. It wasn’t the worst arrangement. What mattered was that they had a way to cross the sea. They’d figure out the rest later. 

The cruise ship dropped them off in a bay somewhere and sailed on. 

The new land, however, did not welcome them kindly. 

To make matters worse, trying to set up her tent on the beach ended in complete disaster. Devastated, Ollie watched as the wind carried her tent straight into the sea, and there was nothing she could do about it.

All that remained was spending the night in a cave they had found.

The following days were no better. Ollie nervously looked around at her surroundings. She had no idea what to do next. Their stomachs growled constantly, and they could barely stay on their feet.

Olimpia: Okay, okay, maybe this whole expedition wasn’t my best idea after all. But we have to manage somehow. Look, a shelter. Let’s go there.

Olimpia: We’ll spend the night here. At least the rain isn’t falling directly on our heads. And look, I’ve got something for you. At least you won’t go hungry. As for tomorrow... I’ll figure something out. There has to be a town somewhere nearby. I think we got lost in that storm... 

During the night, she woke needing the bathroom. Still unbelievably exhausted, sore from sleeping in a sleeping bag, her stomach twisted unpleasantly from irregular meals and weakened now by hunger, she could barely move. The storm filled her with fear as wet clothes clung to her shivering body.

At dawn, when the sky grew a little brighter, she spotted a bridge and buildings in the distance.

Olimpia: Look, Cayenne, a town. Finally! I promise things will get better now.

But they didn’t. A powerful lightning strike suddenly startled Cayenne. Ollie managed to jump off just in time, but landed directly in a filthy puddle.

Olimpia: I’ve had enough! Everything is going wrong! I was supposed to find the lost royal treasure! Restore my family’s good name! My parents were supposed to be proud of me! Instead I’m standing in the rain, freezing, hungry, soaked, exhausted, everything hurts, and...

Olimpia: I just want to go home... I don’t think I can do this, Cayenne. I’m sorry. I put us through all of this for nothing. It was stupid. Come on, I’ll find you some shelter, and then I’ll ask at that bar if I can call home.

Olimpia: Oh My Watcher... How am I even supposed to show my face in public looking like this? Well, no choice. I’ll just have to swallow my pride. Somehow it’ll work out.

Olimpia: Hello, I wanted to ask if I could use...

Bartender: The bathroom? Of course, girl! I don’t know what you’ve been through, but you look and smell awful. We’ve got a bathroom with a shower upstairs. Go on, hurry up, before you scare away my customers!

That wasn’t exactly what she meant, but there was no way she was turning down a chance to clean up. How had everything become so complicated? Oh well. She will freshen up, head downstairs, and explain to this kind man how she’d ended up in such a mess.

Bartender: Welcome back to the world of the living. You look much better.

Olimpia: Yes. Thank you very much.

Bartender: Now tell me, what brings you to Tomarang, and why were you wandering around in weather like this?

Olimpia: Honestly, your weather caught me completely by surprise. I had no idea you had monsoons here!

Olimpia: I should have read more about Tomarang. I should have prepared better. Once again, I acted on impulse, and, well... it turned out exactly the way it always does. But I wanted to find the lost treasure so badly that I never stopped to think maybe I should actually plan things properly first.

Bartender: So, you came here looking for a treasure? Well, now. I never thought those stories might actually be true.

Olimpia: Do you know something about the treasure?

Bartender: Not much, really. But many years ago, back when my great-grandfather ran this place, a royal emissary came here. She was searching for the treasure too, but she never found it. He talked about it often because people like that rarely came to Tomarang. It was quite the event!

Olimpia: An emissary! So she really was here! I was right! The clues really were pointing to this place!

Bartender: Forgive me for asking, but... you seem awfully young. Maybe even a little too young for adventures like this.

Olimpia: Hey, I’m not too young! Actually... today is my birthday...

Bartender: Your birthday? Well, would you look at that! Happy Birthday! Let’s see if I have anything for such a special occasion... Hmm... This will have to do. And welcome to Tomarang.

Olimpia: Cupcakes? That’s very kind of you. Thanks.

So the emissary was here. That meant she was on the right track. That meant...

Maybe she shouldn't call home just yet.

She wondered how everyone was doing. If little Aurelia could walk yet. If Clayton finally proposed to her mom. She missed them all terribly. It was a shame they weren’t here.

But she had a mystery to solve, and she wasn’t about to return home empty-handed.

So then, Happy Birthday to me!

Olimpia resisted the temptation of evil, causing her to lose the Budding Evil Persona trait, which became nothing more than a bad childhood memory. She rolled the Ambitious trait (yey!), and her teenage experiences also developed the additional Argumentative and Compassionate traits. 

<<<Previous chapter: 52. LOST LEGACIES (2)

>>>Next chapter: 2. MEANWHILE IN CIUDAD ENAMORADA