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Previously, on MAQ:
The night of the ritual arrived!
After settling on a plan of roles between yourself and Cobalt, the two of you set off to foil Brynn's intended ritual.
Seeing through an enchantment over the site of the ritual was only the first step, but you passed it with ease. A detective cannot be so easily fooled by mere tricks, after all.
With the ritual area in sight, you and Cobalt sprung into action! Cobalt took on the role of distracting Brynn and his mare-friend Harley, while you set out to destroy as much of the ritual diagram as possible.
You were successful. Somewhat. A minor setback with the mannequin being far heavier than it had any right to be ate some of your time, but after destroying a few dirt lines and taking/tossing objects from intended circles, you did what you could.
Cobalt was only partially successful. He distracted both Harley and Brynn simultaneously after splitting into two again, though he suffered minor injuries in the scuffle with Harley.
Unfortunately for the two of you, Brynn had already successfully started the ritual. Your actions merely changed the intended target, and after a quick reference check he stated the new one to be summoned would be Leifjka Neferat, Heir to the Forest.
With a bright green light shining from the ground, spiraling into the mannequin and through the back of it like a twisting spire, Brynn stated one had to be bound with the spirit being summoned. To leave her unbound could wreak havoc should she not be properly transitioned. Or, something like that.
Without a moment to spare, you dove into the light, shouting at Cobalt for him to tell Sweetie you love her before the world went dark.
You awoke in a familiar home. After some initial confusion, you ran into a pony that seemed to be you. That is, until he transformed into a bright green stallion who shone like an emerald.
It was this stallion that explained some minor things about the plane you were now on, but more importantly, it was he who told you of the Contract.
A document signed by yourself and the spirit you are to be tethered to, one Leifjka, that dictates the use of her powers in your realm, among other things.
And here is where we find our young Puff tonight; Sitting in a chair across from Leifjka, pondering the details of the contract as the shining green stallion looks on with helpful advice, and wondering just how important the details of the Contract are.
The night of the ritual arrived!
After settling on a plan of roles between yourself and Cobalt, the two of you set off to foil Brynn's intended ritual.
Seeing through an enchantment over the site of the ritual was only the first step, but you passed it with ease. A detective cannot be so easily fooled by mere tricks, after all.
With the ritual area in sight, you and Cobalt sprung into action! Cobalt took on the role of distracting Brynn and his mare-friend Harley, while you set out to destroy as much of the ritual diagram as possible.
You were successful. Somewhat. A minor setback with the mannequin being far heavier than it had any right to be ate some of your time, but after destroying a few dirt lines and taking/tossing objects from intended circles, you did what you could.
Cobalt was only partially successful. He distracted both Harley and Brynn simultaneously after splitting into two again, though he suffered minor injuries in the scuffle with Harley.
Unfortunately for the two of you, Brynn had already successfully started the ritual. Your actions merely changed the intended target, and after a quick reference check he stated the new one to be summoned would be Leifjka Neferat, Heir to the Forest.
With a bright green light shining from the ground, spiraling into the mannequin and through the back of it like a twisting spire, Brynn stated one had to be bound with the spirit being summoned. To leave her unbound could wreak havoc should she not be properly transitioned. Or, something like that.
Without a moment to spare, you dove into the light, shouting at Cobalt for him to tell Sweetie you love her before the world went dark.
You awoke in a familiar home. After some initial confusion, you ran into a pony that seemed to be you. That is, until he transformed into a bright green stallion who shone like an emerald.
It was this stallion that explained some minor things about the plane you were now on, but more importantly, it was he who told you of the Contract.
A document signed by yourself and the spirit you are to be tethered to, one Leifjka, that dictates the use of her powers in your realm, among other things.
And here is where we find our young Puff tonight; Sitting in a chair across from Leifjka, pondering the details of the contract as the shining green stallion looks on with helpful advice, and wondering just how important the details of the Contract are.
>>593847
Your saddlebag doesn't appear to be with you. It's the first time you've really noticed, and you feel a little…..naked, without it or your hat.
#Usable Inventory
- An ink quill that lies on the table in front of you. One sits across from Leifjka as well.
- The Contract. It lies on the table between you and Leifjka.
Your saddlebag doesn't appear to be with you. It's the first time you've really noticed, and you feel a little…..naked, without it or your hat.
#Usable Inventory
- An ink quill that lies on the table in front of you. One sits across from Leifjka as well.
- The Contract. It lies on the table between you and Leifjka.
If you guys need some assistance in coming up with stuff or any of that, please say so. This isn't to stump you, this is to set the table for your future interactions with Leifjka, and what adventures you may find yourselves in. Though the second is really determined already so I wouldn't worry about that.
>>593868
>>593869
>>593871
>>593872
"Alright," you say, finally deciding on the terms in your head, "I'll nickname you Leafy Green. Two way telepathy is fine, we can work out restrictions later. You'll have to consult us about power use unless you or I, or both, are in imminent danger AND you have to promise not to seriously hurt anyone. The contract will last for…one week, with an extension if we both agree to it."
You nod before looking at the green stallion to your right, perhaps looking for confirmation of choosing correctly.
He makes a humming sound as he puts a hoof to his chin.
"Interesting terms," he says with a hint of amusement, "What say you, Leifjka?"
You look across the table at Leifjka, who looks both a little confused and….disappointed?
"Well, I suppose Leafy sounds somewhat like Leifjka. Thoughts and powers are fine. But…why one week? Doesn't that seem like a very short time? How will I learn of what happened to my home, or how to assist you?"
>Be firm about the one week
>Well, maybe a bit longer is fine.
>>593869
>>593871
>>593872
"Alright," you say, finally deciding on the terms in your head, "I'll nickname you Leafy Green. Two way telepathy is fine, we can work out restrictions later. You'll have to consult us about power use unless you or I, or both, are in imminent danger AND you have to promise not to seriously hurt anyone. The contract will last for…one week, with an extension if we both agree to it."
You nod before looking at the green stallion to your right, perhaps looking for confirmation of choosing correctly.
He makes a humming sound as he puts a hoof to his chin.
"Interesting terms," he says with a hint of amusement, "What say you, Leifjka?"
You look across the table at Leifjka, who looks both a little confused and….disappointed?
"Well, I suppose Leafy sounds somewhat like Leifjka. Thoughts and powers are fine. But…why one week? Doesn't that seem like a very short time? How will I learn of what happened to my home, or how to assist you?"
>Be firm about the one week
>Well, maybe a bit longer is fine.
>>593875
>>593876
>>593877
"Well, Leafy sounds kind of cute. And it's close enough to my name I won't get confused. So I'm okay with that as a nickname. You're the only one who'll call me that, right?" She smiles, briefly, before the smile fades a bit, and she looks down at the ground as she idly plays with her hooves, "And I understand that maybe you don't want me around, and that's why you're choosing such a short time. I just want to know what happened to my home, and help you with whatever you want. After I do that, I'll feel I've fulfilled something, and be happy to leave. But if you insist on the one week, I will abide by it."
"Huh," the green stallion grunts, "And here I thought you'd be insistent on a longer time frame from the start." He turns to look at you, a broad smile appearing on his chiseled face, "My, My, little Puff. You've thrown a good number of things off course already, haven't you? I'll have to get my bearings set again after you've gone back if I hope to keep track of what goes on down there."
He laughs gently as he stands, motioning to the contract between you and Leifjka.
"Just sign that and you'll be good to go. It's a bit of a sudden exit, so prepare yourself."
Leifjka nods to the green stallion, then turns and bows to you. When she rises, she picks up the quill on her side of the desk and spins the contract to face her. She signs her name in long, graceful strokes. When she's finished, she turns the contract back to you, revealing her penmanship, and awaiting your confirmation."
>Edit the contract to have more time
>Sign the contract as-is (1 week time slot)
>>593876
>>593877
"Well, Leafy sounds kind of cute. And it's close enough to my name I won't get confused. So I'm okay with that as a nickname. You're the only one who'll call me that, right?" She smiles, briefly, before the smile fades a bit, and she looks down at the ground as she idly plays with her hooves, "And I understand that maybe you don't want me around, and that's why you're choosing such a short time. I just want to know what happened to my home, and help you with whatever you want. After I do that, I'll feel I've fulfilled something, and be happy to leave. But if you insist on the one week, I will abide by it."
"Huh," the green stallion grunts, "And here I thought you'd be insistent on a longer time frame from the start." He turns to look at you, a broad smile appearing on his chiseled face, "My, My, little Puff. You've thrown a good number of things off course already, haven't you? I'll have to get my bearings set again after you've gone back if I hope to keep track of what goes on down there."
He laughs gently as he stands, motioning to the contract between you and Leifjka.
"Just sign that and you'll be good to go. It's a bit of a sudden exit, so prepare yourself."
Leifjka nods to the green stallion, then turns and bows to you. When she rises, she picks up the quill on her side of the desk and spins the contract to face her. She signs her name in long, graceful strokes. When she's finished, she turns the contract back to you, revealing her penmanship, and awaiting your confirmation."
>Edit the contract to have more time
>Sign the contract as-is (1 week time slot)
>>593878
>>593879
>>593881
>>593884
>>593885
You take the contract from the table between you and Leifjka, eyeing it over one more time. You look over the top of it at Leifjka, who sits anxiously, eyes pinned on you save for when she has to push her mane from her eyes.
Sighing, you strike out the "one" from "one week" and replace it with "two", tagging a small "s" onto "week" to make it more correct.
"Such compassion," the green stallion says softly, bowing slightly toward the two of you.
The action makes Leifjka look from him to you rapidly, before a bright smile stretches across her face. Before you can act further, she leaps from the chair, nearly knocking the table over as she leaps it. She thuds into you, rocking the chair onto its back legs for a stomach lurching second, before it settles back on all fours. Leifjka, now Leafy, hugs you fiercely, small head beneath your chin as she nuzzles you affectionately out of excitement while whispering, "Thank you!"
The movement makes it difficult to sign the contract, doubly so since your heart is suddenly beating so quickly with this lithe mare in your lap. But sign it you do.
As soon as you've lifted quill from paper, both the Contract and the quill disappear.
"Thank you!" the green stallion says with a wide grin, "And look how happy you've made the dear. A Win-Win if I've ever seen one." He bows to the two of you once more before turning and heading to the door. "Now, you two have fun for the two weeks you have together. When the time is up, you'll have a small window to negotiate another Contract. Just between the two of you. If you miss it, though, she comes back. Simple enough."
He opens the door, stepping out before poking his head back in and smiling again.
"The Harbinger thanks you for using his services."
When he shuts the door, the world goes black once again.
>>593879
>>593881
>>593884
>>593885
You take the contract from the table between you and Leifjka, eyeing it over one more time. You look over the top of it at Leifjka, who sits anxiously, eyes pinned on you save for when she has to push her mane from her eyes.
Sighing, you strike out the "one" from "one week" and replace it with "two", tagging a small "s" onto "week" to make it more correct.
"Such compassion," the green stallion says softly, bowing slightly toward the two of you.
The action makes Leifjka look from him to you rapidly, before a bright smile stretches across her face. Before you can act further, she leaps from the chair, nearly knocking the table over as she leaps it. She thuds into you, rocking the chair onto its back legs for a stomach lurching second, before it settles back on all fours. Leifjka, now Leafy, hugs you fiercely, small head beneath your chin as she nuzzles you affectionately out of excitement while whispering, "Thank you!"
The movement makes it difficult to sign the contract, doubly so since your heart is suddenly beating so quickly with this lithe mare in your lap. But sign it you do.
As soon as you've lifted quill from paper, both the Contract and the quill disappear.
"Thank you!" the green stallion says with a wide grin, "And look how happy you've made the dear. A Win-Win if I've ever seen one." He bows to the two of you once more before turning and heading to the door. "Now, you two have fun for the two weeks you have together. When the time is up, you'll have a small window to negotiate another Contract. Just between the two of you. If you miss it, though, she comes back. Simple enough."
He opens the door, stepping out before poking his head back in and smiling again.
"The Harbinger thanks you for using his services."
When he shuts the door, the world goes black once again.
>>593890
I was typing. Sorry.
>>593888
"….uf…"
You shake your head from side to side slowly. It feels like you just got hit by a truck.
"Puff….."
You groan as you open your eyes. You have to shield them with a hoof against the bright lights. Or is that the sun?
"Puff. Hey, Puff!"
You open your eyes completely and sit up, rolling over to a standing position as you take in your surroundings.
It's definitely day time, and you're outside. But…where?
"Oh, good. You're awake. I was worried!"
You turn and see an almost mint-green pony with a violet-red mane…..
"Leafy?" you ask, aloud. So it wasn't a dream.
You're suddenly struck with the memory of walking into the green light coming from the ground. You remember the contract, and the green stallion, but some of the details are fuzzy….
You look around again, trying to figure out where you are. There are lines in the ground, somewhat, though they're overrun with grass. There are no ponies in sight, save for Leafy. And yet….
>Player action
I was typing. Sorry.
>>593888
"….uf…"
You shake your head from side to side slowly. It feels like you just got hit by a truck.
"Puff….."
You groan as you open your eyes. You have to shield them with a hoof against the bright lights. Or is that the sun?
"Puff. Hey, Puff!"
You open your eyes completely and sit up, rolling over to a standing position as you take in your surroundings.
It's definitely day time, and you're outside. But…where?
"Oh, good. You're awake. I was worried!"
You turn and see an almost mint-green pony with a violet-red mane…..
"Leafy?" you ask, aloud. So it wasn't a dream.
You're suddenly struck with the memory of walking into the green light coming from the ground. You remember the contract, and the green stallion, but some of the details are fuzzy….
You look around again, trying to figure out where you are. There are lines in the ground, somewhat, though they're overrun with grass. There are no ponies in sight, save for Leafy. And yet….
>Player action
>>593892
You are relieved to find yourself with your saddlebag, though the contents are shifted around a tad. There's a brief moment of panic as you try to find your hat, but Leafy hands it to you with a smile.
#Inventory
- Med bag of saddlebag, complete with bandages of all sizes, splints, and medical tape
- Airhorn, unused
- Short length of rope
- Small canteen filled with water
- Small box of matches
- Snack bar
You are relieved to find yourself with your saddlebag, though the contents are shifted around a tad. There's a brief moment of panic as you try to find your hat, but Leafy hands it to you with a smile.
#Inventory
- Med bag of saddlebag, complete with bandages of all sizes, splints, and medical tape
- Airhorn, unused
- Short length of rope
- Small canteen filled with water
- Small box of matches
- Snack bar
>>593892
Whoops I missed the second half of that. Gettin' tired. Sorry.
You look around at some of the lines on the ground. The grass growing over it is annoying, and you have to tear up several patches to get better looks at the lines. Still, they just seem like mounds of dirt here and there more than anything.
"What are you looking for, Puff?"
You stop in place at the voice in your head. Soft and sweet, like somepony whispering in your ear.
Turning, you find Leafy walking over to join you, a small smile on her pretty face even as she cocks her head to the side as she mentally asks again what you're looking for.
You start to explain in words the diagram used for summoning her to this plane. When you think about what it looked like from afar, you feel something akin to a gentle tug in your head.
"Oh! Okay, I understand now."
Blinking a few times, you look at the ground and begin to rub the side of your head with a hoof. That felt….weird.
Shaking it off, you resume your attempt at identifying the area.
"Allow me to help with that!"
[1d10+5]
Roll #1 6 + 5 = 11
Whoops I missed the second half of that. Gettin' tired. Sorry.
You look around at some of the lines on the ground. The grass growing over it is annoying, and you have to tear up several patches to get better looks at the lines. Still, they just seem like mounds of dirt here and there more than anything.
"What are you looking for, Puff?"
You stop in place at the voice in your head. Soft and sweet, like somepony whispering in your ear.
Turning, you find Leafy walking over to join you, a small smile on her pretty face even as she cocks her head to the side as she mentally asks again what you're looking for.
You start to explain in words the diagram used for summoning her to this plane. When you think about what it looked like from afar, you feel something akin to a gentle tug in your head.
"Oh! Okay, I understand now."
Blinking a few times, you look at the ground and begin to rub the side of your head with a hoof. That felt….weird.
Shaking it off, you resume your attempt at identifying the area.
"Allow me to help with that!"
[1d10+5]
Roll #1 6 + 5 = 11
>>593897
>>593898
You turn just in time to see Leafy wave a hoof from left to right, with no more effort behind it than if she was turning the page in a book.
An awful ripping sound echoes in the field as thousands upon thousands of blades of grass suddenly uproot themselves and are flung far and away from where you stand.
You cough as dust and pollen settle, immediately questioning what happened in choked breaths.
"I merely returned the field to how you saw it. As best as I could, anyway."
As the dust settles you see that she's right: The field is almost as it was the night you tried to stop the ritual. The lines are broken in a good number of places, more than you wrecked initially as well. A single item glistens in the daylight sun near the center of the diagram.
It's a pole. The one from the mannequin.
>Player action
>>593898
You turn just in time to see Leafy wave a hoof from left to right, with no more effort behind it than if she was turning the page in a book.
An awful ripping sound echoes in the field as thousands upon thousands of blades of grass suddenly uproot themselves and are flung far and away from where you stand.
You cough as dust and pollen settle, immediately questioning what happened in choked breaths.
"I merely returned the field to how you saw it. As best as I could, anyway."
As the dust settles you see that she's right: The field is almost as it was the night you tried to stop the ritual. The lines are broken in a good number of places, more than you wrecked initially as well. A single item glistens in the daylight sun near the center of the diagram.
It's a pole. The one from the mannequin.
>Player action
>>593900
You walk over to the pole in the ground. It's half buried in dirt.
Digging it up a bit, you reveal the base that it was attached to. The pole, since you saw it previously, has since been removed from the base of the mannequin stand, and both nearly buried where they were lying.
Even if they were buried, how long has it been since that happened if grass was growing across all the lines?
You walk over to the pole in the ground. It's half buried in dirt.
Digging it up a bit, you reveal the base that it was attached to. The pole, since you saw it previously, has since been removed from the base of the mannequin stand, and both nearly buried where they were lying.
Even if they were buried, how long has it been since that happened if grass was growing across all the lines?
>>593901
>>593903
>>593904
"Leafy," you say, sudden panic rising in your chest, "How long would it take for grass out here to start covering mounds of dirt like this?"
"A few days, at least," she says happily, "To see such woods thriving pleases me greatly. I can only hope my home is of similar, if not grander, stature."
A few days.
Oh jeeze.
"What are the chances it's a side effect of you coming here?" you ask.
To that, she merely shrugs, a soft, "I don't know," reaching your ears.
Well, only one way to find out.
"We're heading into town," you tell Leafy as you find your bearings, "I need to know how long it's been since I went into the portal."
"Is there something urgent you must attend?" she asks, walking to take a place beside you. You notice as she stands beside you that you overestimated her size when the two of you were sitting on the chairs across from each other. She's actually a good head shorter than you, and probably only 2/3 your width, save for her hips back which seem to be as large and full as any grown mare's.
You shake your head to clear it of such thoughts, before replying.
"Yes. Sweetie and I had a lunch date I promised to go to."
"Sweetie?"
>Explain now
>Explain later
>>593903
>>593904
"Leafy," you say, sudden panic rising in your chest, "How long would it take for grass out here to start covering mounds of dirt like this?"
"A few days, at least," she says happily, "To see such woods thriving pleases me greatly. I can only hope my home is of similar, if not grander, stature."
A few days.
Oh jeeze.
"What are the chances it's a side effect of you coming here?" you ask.
To that, she merely shrugs, a soft, "I don't know," reaching your ears.
Well, only one way to find out.
"We're heading into town," you tell Leafy as you find your bearings, "I need to know how long it's been since I went into the portal."
"Is there something urgent you must attend?" she asks, walking to take a place beside you. You notice as she stands beside you that you overestimated her size when the two of you were sitting on the chairs across from each other. She's actually a good head shorter than you, and probably only 2/3 your width, save for her hips back which seem to be as large and full as any grown mare's.
You shake your head to clear it of such thoughts, before replying.
"Yes. Sweetie and I had a lunch date I promised to go to."
"Sweetie?"
>Explain now
>Explain later
>>593907
>>593908
"She's my special somepony," you say quickly, "Has been since we were both young foals going to school together."
"Special somepony?" Leafy asks, "So she's your mate?"
#Spaghetti Roll
First 3 rolls of 1d10 taken. No modifiers.
Less than 20 = spaghetti
Less than 10 = breadsticks included
Not really but you get what I mean. Good luck!
>>593908
"She's my special somepony," you say quickly, "Has been since we were both young foals going to school together."
"Special somepony?" Leafy asks, "So she's your mate?"
#Spaghetti Roll
First 3 rolls of 1d10 taken. No modifiers.
Less than 20 = spaghetti
Less than 10 = breadsticks included
Not really but you get what I mean. Good luck!
>>593909
>>593910
>>593911
>>593913
#11/30
Natural 1
You mouth words that never come as you stare at Leafy and feel the blood rush to your face. When your voice finally catches up, your words suddenly fail you.
"No, well, Yes, but we've never-I mean…just…..uh……I wouldn't mind m-……but…ah…her sister…."
"You're special someponies with her sister, too?"
"NO!" you shout, suddenly unable to control yourself, "Nononono, not like that! It's not like that!"
Leafy snorts, biting her lip as she tries not to laugh but failing miserably as you continue to ramble about how you like Sweetie, not Rarity, and oh goodness why would you think that. The poor mare begins to laugh uncontrollably as you struggle to regain your composure. Flowers seem to pop from the ground at random as she continues to laugh, though you don't notice until the field is spotted by an incredible amount of the sudden blue and purple intruders as Leafy's laughter begins to die down.
When the two of you have regained your composure, Leafy smiles brightly at you.
"Well, if this mare matters so much to you, let us go see her!"
She doesn't seem upset by the fact you're committed to Sweetie. If anything she seems….happy.
Perhaps it's a good sign.
>>593910
>>593911
>>593913
#11/30
Natural 1
You mouth words that never come as you stare at Leafy and feel the blood rush to your face. When your voice finally catches up, your words suddenly fail you.
"No, well, Yes, but we've never-I mean…just…..uh……I wouldn't mind m-……but…ah…her sister…."
"You're special someponies with her sister, too?"
"NO!" you shout, suddenly unable to control yourself, "Nononono, not like that! It's not like that!"
Leafy snorts, biting her lip as she tries not to laugh but failing miserably as you continue to ramble about how you like Sweetie, not Rarity, and oh goodness why would you think that. The poor mare begins to laugh uncontrollably as you struggle to regain your composure. Flowers seem to pop from the ground at random as she continues to laugh, though you don't notice until the field is spotted by an incredible amount of the sudden blue and purple intruders as Leafy's laughter begins to die down.
When the two of you have regained your composure, Leafy smiles brightly at you.
"Well, if this mare matters so much to you, let us go see her!"
She doesn't seem upset by the fact you're committed to Sweetie. If anything she seems….happy.
Perhaps it's a good sign.
>>593922
>>593923
>>593925
You grab some of the flowers and put them in your saddlebag carefully as Leafy watches with amusement.
"You're going to show her you care," she says with unveiled happiness.
"Well, yeah," you reply, having finally found your senses again, "She's my special somepony."
"I hope one day that I too can have a special somepony. One who cares, like you."
The comment makes your ears burn a bit, but it makes you smile. If this pony who just met you can tell how much you care….
"Right, that's enough I think," you say as you shut your saddlebag, "Let's get to town."
Leafy nods as the two of you set off in the direction you're pretty sure town is in.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
You find your way to town without any issue. If anything the day seems perfect. The sun is out, but it's not too hot. A cool cross breeze blows. Ponies play and go about their business all throughout the town as Leafy looks about in wonder. You can tell from her expression that she's holding back a lot of questions. Audibly, at least. Your brain is abuzz with a hundred simple questions that you're pretty sure you know the answers to. You have to briefly remind her to calm down. You'll show her around and explain more after she's met Sweetie.
As you walk through town you look out for any posters with your face on them, or any kind of reference to what day it is. There's nothing of the sort, oddly enough. Perhaps nobody in town is looking for you quite yet. Maybe they didn't notice your absence. Or maybe it's the same day that you left on.
You and Leafy reach the boutique. You knock on the door, waiting for a response as Leafy smiles at you.
The door opens, a surprised looking Rarity greeting the two of you.
"Well hello, Puff! What a pleasant surprise! And you brought a friend. Quite a young one at that. Is she someone you knew from school?"
"Uh, no, not quite," you say bashfully, "But, uh, I was wondering if Sweetie was here?"
Rarity waves a hoof at you, "Oh, Puff. You know she's working at the school today! She won't have a day off until next Monday!"
"Next Monday?" you ask, "But she told me she could meet me for lunch today."
Rarity frowns slightly.
"I assure you she works today. I have her schedule on the fridge. Please, come in and I'll show you."
You and Leafy enter the boutique, Leafy standing and staring in open mouthed wonder at the workspace around her as you follow Rarity to the kitchen to look over Sweetie's schedule.
"Here you are," Rarity says, pointing at the calendar and pointing at today's date, and then next Monday. Next Monday is marked "Ask Puff to lunch" in big red letters and circled several times.
"As I said; She's free next Monday. Though you could catch her after work later this week, or a whole day later this week if Miss Cheerilee has enough chaperons for the field trip she's been planning."
….Something about this is oddly familiar.
>>593923
>>593925
You grab some of the flowers and put them in your saddlebag carefully as Leafy watches with amusement.
"You're going to show her you care," she says with unveiled happiness.
"Well, yeah," you reply, having finally found your senses again, "She's my special somepony."
"I hope one day that I too can have a special somepony. One who cares, like you."
The comment makes your ears burn a bit, but it makes you smile. If this pony who just met you can tell how much you care….
"Right, that's enough I think," you say as you shut your saddlebag, "Let's get to town."
Leafy nods as the two of you set off in the direction you're pretty sure town is in.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
You find your way to town without any issue. If anything the day seems perfect. The sun is out, but it's not too hot. A cool cross breeze blows. Ponies play and go about their business all throughout the town as Leafy looks about in wonder. You can tell from her expression that she's holding back a lot of questions. Audibly, at least. Your brain is abuzz with a hundred simple questions that you're pretty sure you know the answers to. You have to briefly remind her to calm down. You'll show her around and explain more after she's met Sweetie.
As you walk through town you look out for any posters with your face on them, or any kind of reference to what day it is. There's nothing of the sort, oddly enough. Perhaps nobody in town is looking for you quite yet. Maybe they didn't notice your absence. Or maybe it's the same day that you left on.
You and Leafy reach the boutique. You knock on the door, waiting for a response as Leafy smiles at you.
The door opens, a surprised looking Rarity greeting the two of you.
"Well hello, Puff! What a pleasant surprise! And you brought a friend. Quite a young one at that. Is she someone you knew from school?"
"Uh, no, not quite," you say bashfully, "But, uh, I was wondering if Sweetie was here?"
Rarity waves a hoof at you, "Oh, Puff. You know she's working at the school today! She won't have a day off until next Monday!"
"Next Monday?" you ask, "But she told me she could meet me for lunch today."
Rarity frowns slightly.
"I assure you she works today. I have her schedule on the fridge. Please, come in and I'll show you."
You and Leafy enter the boutique, Leafy standing and staring in open mouthed wonder at the workspace around her as you follow Rarity to the kitchen to look over Sweetie's schedule.
"Here you are," Rarity says, pointing at the calendar and pointing at today's date, and then next Monday. Next Monday is marked "Ask Puff to lunch" in big red letters and circled several times.
"As I said; She's free next Monday. Though you could catch her after work later this week, or a whole day later this week if Miss Cheerilee has enough chaperons for the field trip she's been planning."
….Something about this is oddly familiar.
>>593926
>>593927
>>593928
You reel a bit as you realize it's the Monday before you got the case that lead to this whole debacle. But if you're in the past, then the ritual hasn't happened yet. But if that's true, then how is Leafy here? How was the ritual in the field?
"Puff, dear, are you alright? You're beginning to look a tad pale."
"I….I'm fine," you say, trying to give her a convincing smile, "Just, uh….just remembered something I have to go do."
You turn and stride from the kitchen quickly just as Leafy's voice enters your head again.
"Puff, he's talking to me."
"Who?" you ask mentally.
"The green stallion," she replies, "He says, 'Sorry for the mix up. I missed. Side effects may include changing of events, slight disorientation, and a cosmic sense of imbalance.'"
>What do
>>593927
>>593928
You reel a bit as you realize it's the Monday before you got the case that lead to this whole debacle. But if you're in the past, then the ritual hasn't happened yet. But if that's true, then how is Leafy here? How was the ritual in the field?
"Puff, dear, are you alright? You're beginning to look a tad pale."
"I….I'm fine," you say, trying to give her a convincing smile, "Just, uh….just remembered something I have to go do."
You turn and stride from the kitchen quickly just as Leafy's voice enters your head again.
"Puff, he's talking to me."
"Who?" you ask mentally.
"The green stallion," she replies, "He says, 'Sorry for the mix up. I missed. Side effects may include changing of events, slight disorientation, and a cosmic sense of imbalance.'"
>What do
>>593936
Cobalt is in town, I'm pretty sure, so that's not exactly the same thing. But yeah, I think we should go see him.
>>593935
What
Ask Leafy to ask Greeny if he can put us back at a more appropriate time, or if we're stuck in this time, anything we should know about our temporal situation. I mean, it would probably look pretty bad on him if moments after (before?) signing a contract, his client was wiped from the face of the universe
Cobalt is in town, I'm pretty sure, so that's not exactly the same thing. But yeah, I think we should go see him.
>>593935
What
Ask Leafy to ask Greeny if he can put us back at a more appropriate time, or if we're stuck in this time, anything we should know about our temporal situation. I mean, it would probably look pretty bad on him if moments after (before?) signing a contract, his client was wiped from the face of the universe
>>593938
You ask her to ask for some more details about this time travel thing. What are the risks, and so on?
She continues to relay for the green stallion.
"To put it simply; You are you. The one and only. The Harbinger's power is such that he can displace your being, with your compliance, without issue. There aren't two of you wandering about. That said, events may change from ripples in the stream. The ripples are unpredictable in detail, but predictable in vagueness. For example, you received a case. You will still receive one on the same day. Details may vary."
"And no, I can't move you again. Sorry. On the plus side, since you signed the Contract here in our plane, as we typically require, it's not affected by your movement! You're welcome!"
You ask her to ask for some more details about this time travel thing. What are the risks, and so on?
She continues to relay for the green stallion.
"To put it simply; You are you. The one and only. The Harbinger's power is such that he can displace your being, with your compliance, without issue. There aren't two of you wandering about. That said, events may change from ripples in the stream. The ripples are unpredictable in detail, but predictable in vagueness. For example, you received a case. You will still receive one on the same day. Details may vary."
"And no, I can't move you again. Sorry. On the plus side, since you signed the Contract here in our plane, as we typically require, it's not affected by your movement! You're welcome!"
File: 1407638482648.jpg (35.22 KB, 361x361, really.jpg, IO exif Google TinEye)
>>593939
>You're welcome!
Yeah. Thanks.
Well, I guess at this time last time we were at our office, weren't we? I guess we ought to go back there, don't want to miss the assignment.
Maybe this time we'll be a little more subtle when it comes to scoping out that hotel room, eh guys?
>You're welcome!
Yeah. Thanks.
Well, I guess at this time last time we were at our office, weren't we? I guess we ought to go back there, don't want to miss the assignment.
Maybe this time we'll be a little more subtle when it comes to scoping out that hotel room, eh guys?
>>593943
I feel like we ought to go back to our office. Might be fun showing Leafy around, at the least, and we ought to be there when Cherry shows up. Considering we should be there anyways, I guess this means we're late to work. Better than presumed late, I guess.
>>593945
I don't think even Cobalt would believe our story. I mean, maybe it's worth a shot, but….
>knock knock, we're somebody you haven't met yet, but about a week or so I met you a week from now, and I agree to help you stop some kind of ritual, but in the process of said ritual-foiling I fuck it up, wind up bound to a treehugger spirit pony, and sent back in time, so I'm here now. What's up, got any pancakes?
Actually, on second thought, we totally should. At the very least, it'll be hilarious.
I feel like we ought to go back to our office. Might be fun showing Leafy around, at the least, and we ought to be there when Cherry shows up. Considering we should be there anyways, I guess this means we're late to work. Better than presumed late, I guess.
>>593945
I don't think even Cobalt would believe our story. I mean, maybe it's worth a shot, but….
>knock knock, we're somebody you haven't met yet, but about a week or so I met you a week from now, and I agree to help you stop some kind of ritual, but in the process of said ritual-foiling I fuck it up, wind up bound to a treehugger spirit pony, and sent back in time, so I'm here now. What's up, got any pancakes?
Actually, on second thought, we totally should. At the very least, it'll be hilarious.
File: 1407639672590.png (Spoiler Image, 182.31 KB, 2500x2100, WWM.png, IO Google TinEye)
>>593944
>>593946
>>593943
>>593947
You decide to take a more proactive approach to things this time. Saying goodbye to Rarity, you and Leafy head back out into town. Some ponies gawk at the lass by your side, especially some of the younger colts, but overall it's easy going through town toward your office and home. Best be there when Cherry drops off the case this week.
Leafy marvels that you have your own home. Something about how only the really important members of her village were able to live and work alone, in homes separate from their parents or grandparents. Clearly you're a big deal.
You try not to let the flattering words go to your head as you open the door and allow Leafy to enter first. She happily darts from one end of the room to the other, checking out all the papers, knick knacks, and things she's never seen before. Full of questions more than breath, she's all smiles and wonder.
"Ooh, what's that mean?" she asks, finally pointing to your work desk.
You follow her hoof to a lone paper on your desk.
Walking over, you pick up the note and read the single sentence with an image below it.
Somehow, he knew.
>>593946
>>593943
>>593947
You decide to take a more proactive approach to things this time. Saying goodbye to Rarity, you and Leafy head back out into town. Some ponies gawk at the lass by your side, especially some of the younger colts, but overall it's easy going through town toward your office and home. Best be there when Cherry drops off the case this week.
Leafy marvels that you have your own home. Something about how only the really important members of her village were able to live and work alone, in homes separate from their parents or grandparents. Clearly you're a big deal.
You try not to let the flattering words go to your head as you open the door and allow Leafy to enter first. She happily darts from one end of the room to the other, checking out all the papers, knick knacks, and things she's never seen before. Full of questions more than breath, she's all smiles and wonder.
"Ooh, what's that mean?" she asks, finally pointing to your work desk.
You follow her hoof to a lone paper on your desk.
Walking over, you pick up the note and read the single sentence with an image below it.
Somehow, he knew.