Raisin Quest 3
Day 15

Last Time on My Little Dried Grapes Pone:

>Arrive at Canterlot Castle; keep an eye on a box which you believe contains the Adanemzurai
>Hear an old pone arguing with the guards about taking the chest into the Archives without paperwork
>Meet Princess Celestia, she tells you that you've been cursed and must stay under guard
>xXx Use metagaming knowledge to tell Celestia that Twilight is under the influence of Siren Sand xXx
>**Talk around your question, assure her that Twilight told you about it along with Sally**
>Escorted up to a private suite, locked into room with Sweetie Belle
>**Successful Roll Convince Sweetie Belle that you are not cursed; get her to go along with your escape idea
>Search the room, find some Dresses, Fancy Horseshoes, a Glass Jar, some Parchment, Quills, and String
>Equip Dresses and restyle mane; Disguised
>Tie bedsheets together into a long rope

*Asterisks represent good actions, xXx represents bad actions

Raisin and her unicorn friend Sweetie Belle plan an epic escape from their posh prison in the Southern tower sweet of Canterlot Castle. Currently, the two fillies try to come up with a plan that's going to see them out of the room and back on track with their adventure... but a risky decision must be made in order to see them through. How will these prettied up fillies escape their current holdings?

You primp your manestyle quick and take a gander towards the private bathroom in your suite. You trot on up to the door, giving it a once over. Sweetie stands by the small bedsheet rope pile the two of you made, then looks on over to you.

"It'd be a good idea to go before we bust on out of here..." She dumps her supplies out of her jar quick, taking an inventory. "..I'm going to get into character for my disguise... tell me when you're ready..." In a weak french accent, she starts saying 'how do you do' a few times, cracking her voice at the end of her sentences.

You approach the door, seeing how the lock mechanism works. On the inside of the bathroom, the door has a fancy 'key' lock; there's a key that seems stuck in the door that turns the lock to secure it.

"Hmmm..."

After analyzing the door, you feel pretty confident with the plan you've cooked up in your head. "This should work.."

"Vut should verk?" Sweetie Belle speaks in a lame, indistinguishable accent. You quickly give Sweetie Belle a general run down of you plan, whisper shouting it to her as your dash over to the desks.

"...and then, we sneak out while he investigates the door."

"Hey, that should work! For a second there, I thought we were going to go out the window!" She seems excited about this sneaky plan you've concocted. As you rummage through the desk, you see a nearly empty vial of Ink jammed in the back of the drawer. You take it out of the desk.

"Oh, I didn't even see that there..." Sweetie Belle packs her items back into the jar, leaving the String out for you to use. "...so, are we doing this?" She tilts her head toward you, then adjusts her beautiful dress a bit.

You revise your plan a little bit. "Yeah, we're going to do this... except, how about instead, you stand out in the middle of the room and call to the guard? That seems a lot less suspicious..."

Sweetie Belle agrees. "Right! Good thinking!" She stands out in the middle of the room. Quickly, you pick up the little piece of String and tie it to the key on the inside of the bathroom door. It takes a moment, but you're able to somehow maneuver the little thread through the hole and cinch it up with a simple knot. Standing on the outside of the door, you give it a tug. The door simply shuts the first few times, but then, suddenly, you hear the door click upon shutting. Testing the knob, it refuses to open.

Giddily, you scramble to your hiding spot. With a silent prayer, you call out to Sweetie. "Now!"

Sweetie Belle clears her throat. "Guard! Guard! Help!! Raisin's locked herself in the bathroom and she's doing something evil!" Sweetie Belle tries to spice it up by sounding sincere, but it kind of falls flat. Regardless, you hear the door open up. Your heart races as the Pegasus walks in.

"What's the problem?" His expression is flat. He doesn't seem to notice you, but he lurches a brow when he sees Sweetie.

"It's Raisin. She said she was going to use the bathroom, but then she locked herself in there! I think she's doing something evil, I'm sure of it!" Sweetie Belle's excitement shows through a little bit. Your heart pounds, hoping the guard buys your ploy.

"I'll investigate this. Hold on." The Pegasus reaches to his side for his keyring. Sweetie's eyes light up as she turns her head your way. She tilts her head toward the door with an questioning expression on her face.

You carefully slide out from under the bed, picking up Sweetie Belle's Glass Jar filled with Parchment, Quills, and Ink. You take on a very stealthy stance, tip-toeing toward the open door. The guard uses his wings to feather through his large collection of keys. Suddenly, as you're moving out with Sweetie, he speaks.

"You'd do well to open this door right now, young lady. If I must find this key and unlock it myself, you'll be in serious trouble with Her Highness... do you understand?" He threatens the door as he continues looking through his keys.

Within a few moments, you and Sweetie have reached the threshold of the main room doors. Silently, you trade your Glass Jar to Sweetie Belle and pull the big door shut. You notice that the door has a keyhole by the knob...

"...I don't have a key..."

Sweetie Belle jumps up excitedly, carrying the jar in her mouth. Muffled, she repeats 'go go go' around the lip of the jar, heading down the stairs as quickly as she can without tripping.

Panicking a little bit, you follow after Sweetie as fast as your hooves will take you. The Fancy Horseshoes you and Sweetie have on make a light glassy sound as they clop against the stairs, but you're certain the guard shouldn't be able to hear you behind a closed door.

As you reach the bridge heading toward the castle, you hear the doors up in the tower burst open. You and Sweetie dash the last bit of the way and hide inside an alcove. You hear his wings beat through the air as he flies passed an open window right outside the alcove. He seems to be heading toward Celestia's throne room.

"Uh oh..." Sweetie Belle whispers. "...thank Celestia we've got these disguises on..." She adjusts her shoes a little bit, then sits down against the wall. "Alright... let's go get our stuff back. Lead the way, Raisin..."

Ahead of you is another alcove that connect to two bridges going in opposite directions. If you continue straight, you'll be heading down a stairway.

You head toward the next alcove, letting Sweetie Belle follow close behind. As you start heading towards the stairs, she stops you in the bridge alcove. "Wait!"

"What? What is it?"

Sweetie Belle fixes your mane up quick, making it look prissy again. "It's one thing to look fancy, it's another to ACT fancy." Sweetie Belle stands back, then tilts her head back, letting her nose go high up into the air. "Rich ponies always walk around like this."

You take the information to heart, mimicking the pose. "Alright, then let's get going. We don't have much time."

You descend the stairs, then immediately trace your steps backwards in your mind. "Right... left... straight... that should bring us back to the docks." As you exit the staircase, you take an immediate right, walk a distance, then go left. You're down a familiar hallway, but as you round the corner, you see a set of ponies ahead. They look very classy.

"I say, young filly, are you wearing a Hoity Toity #29?" The elegant mare adjusts her spectacles. "...and a Diamond Moon Elegant Design Limited Edition?" She approaches. "You two have such refined taste..."

Her husband comes up to her side. "You wouldn't happen to be Lady Velvet's daughters, would you?"

The guards seem to be patrolling around the hallway calmly. They don't recognize you.

You quickly realize that these two ponies are probably somewhat important, so you decide to go along with their assumption.

"Why, yes, of course!" You primp your mane. Sweetie Belle follows your lead. "I am Amethyst. This is my... loyal companion... Writesalot." Sweetie Belle nods, holding her writing supplies in her mouth.

The jovial gentlepone gives you a warm smile. "Spllllllendid! Tell your mother we have been having ever so many rousing adventures with our new airship!" He uses his telekinetic magic to pluck his monocle out and clean it up. "...Velvet is staying in the West Suite, correct? We'd ever so love to drink tea with her this evening." His wife gives him a sharp glance.

You see a small gaggle of guards rush by and head down the hall from where you just came. Sweetie Belle holds her composure, but you can hear her breathing a little faster. One of the guards gives Sweetie Belle a double take.

"Airship? Oh, I love airships! Can you show me?"

The big stallion laughs lightly. "Ah, a chip off the old block, I see?" He tilts his head slightly. "I'd think you'd spend enough time on board one that you'd be sick of them by now."

His wife chimes in. "Dear, it must run in the family." She gives a light, feminine laugh. "Airship design is a very prestigious business... one of Lord Tackweld's heirs should at least be somewhat interested in the trade."

The guards in the hallway seem to be suspicious of the group that just ran passed. They start whispering to one another as you talk with the rich couple.

"Good heavens... there certainly are a lot of guards out and about today." The stallion finally takes notice to the numerous guards patrolling the halls. "Whatever could it be about, one must wonder..."

You can hear Sweetie Belle getting a little nervous, but remarkably, she doesn't make a peep. She's putting on a heck of a show.

"Oh, do tell me more! Do you fly it yourself?"

He lifts his head up a little, closing his eyes proudly. "Why, but of course! I've been piloting dirigibles and flying aircraft of all sorts since I was just a young lad! I remember my first Hot Air Balloon I received from father on my 6th birthday..." He starts reminiscing in his past exploits.

Suddenly, a guard comes up to Sweetie Belle. "Excuse me. Young filly, are you not the friend of Raisin that was assigned to keep watch of her in the Southern Tower?" Sweetie Belle is rife with fear. If you didn't know any better, you'd say her heart stopped then and there.

Offended, the unicorn stallion butts in. "I beg your pardon!" He pushes you and Sweetie Belle to his side. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

The guard wears a very embarrassed expression. "I...I'm sorry, I..."

The rich stallion gets right up in the guard's face. "This is Amethyst's servant, the servant of the daughter of Lady Velvet..." He pauses for a moment, pushing his snout into the guard's. "...that's Lord Tackweld's daughter's servant you just touched."

His wife comes up between him and the guard. "Darling, please, he's just a guard. Leave him be."

The offended gentlepony stands down. "I'm sorry, dear. I take extreme offense to rudeness from such lowly... 2nd class servants." He cleans his monocle again, looking away from the guard. "Leave us."

The guard sheepishly backs off. The other guards seem to be much less interested in you and Sweetie Belle.

As the proud stallion begins to calm down a bit, you chip in your request to go check out his amazing, fantastic airship that your 'dad' built for him.

"Oh, goodness. That whole debacle with the incompetent guardsman made me lose my train of thought." He adjusts his fancy mane and clears his throat. "Right this way, then. I believe we just passed the docks a moment ago."

You follow behind the couple, making sure to keep a little distance as to not step on the Rich Mare's elegant dress. You hold your noses up high... as you walk, you hang back a little bit. "Good job, Sweetie..." You give her a little nuzzle on the cheek, reassuring her that everything's good now. She breathes a sigh of relief.

"We've sailed all over Equestria in this fantastic new ship!" The Rich Stallion begins speaking. "I just cannot believe how smooth this one glides through even the choppiest of skies! We never feel so much as a single bit of shake or shock inside, isn't that right, dear?"

"Absolutely. This is truly your Father's greatest masterpiece to date, Amethyst." The mare compliments.

You approach the entrance to the airdock. As you near, you feel a wonderfully calm sensation course through your body. "It's near." You whisper very quietly to yourself. That familiar, calming breeze seems to carry through your body, pulling you close like a loving embrace. You know your treasure can't be far off...

Sure enough, you see an elderly pony reading a very long scroll over the White Chest. He's squinting over it, starting at the very top. He mutters to himself as you pass. Two exhausted guards wait patiently as he slowly reads through over it.

Through the glass windows, you see the shadows of many guards. "My... what an... 'aged' fellow, yes?" The Rich Stallion chortles over his shoulder to his wife. She giggles softly.

As you pass by the White Chest, a sudden idea strikes you.

"My, what a beautiful chest..." You put on your best 'want' expression in your repertoire. Sweetie Belle whispers 'fancy' over to you, cueing you to look down your nose at it.

The Rich Stallion leading the way stops for a moment and turns. "...you mean that wretched thing over there by the old dud and his witless guards?" As he looks at the chest, he stops. "Hmmm... now that you mention it... it does seem important..."

"Honey, come. We were just about to board the airship." The Rich Mare pleads for her husband not to get distracted. Ignoring her pleas, he's only encouraged to approach the small group.

"Excuse me, gentleponies." The guards stop and turn. The Stallion continues. "I see that you're having a slight debate over that chest there. Is it up for sale?"

The guards look dumbfounded. "Absolutely not. This chest is property of the Canterlot Archives..."

The old pony drops the scroll he was reading. "Not right now it isn't! Who made this for you two dimwits?!" He shakes the scroll.

"Princess Celestia. Can you please get this thing out of the hallway, old man?" The guards groan as the reluctant old codger is nothing but infuriated with their words.

The Stallion butts in again. "Excuse me, but I want to buy this Chest for Amethyst." He takes a dramatic pause. "...Lady Velvet's daughter?"

The guards look a bit concerned. "...Lady Velvets... daughter?" They look around him and stare you down. One of them opens his eyes up wide. "...R..Raisin? Is that Raisin?!?"

Immediately, you keep your calm and feign incredible offense. "What!? 'Raisin'? That sounds like some dirty... Ponyville dirt farmer name!" You scoff. Sweetie Belle sets her jar down.

"How DARE you insult Lady Amethyst by calling her a small fruit!" She looks around, unsure if her yelling has helped the situation. A small gathering of guards starts to form around your group. The Stallion looks about.

"What is this? Raisin? Do you even know who you're talking to?" He looks at all the serious guards. "And what is this 'Raisin' you speak of?"

The guard by the chest walks forward, looking you over suspiciously. "Raisin is a small, purple filly with blue eyes..." He looks directly into your eyes. "...that is currently supposed to be under lock and key of the Royal Guard. She's been cursed by the item in this chest."

The Rich Stallion looks at you, noticing several of the traits matching up. You keep your nose up in the air, feigning repulsion. "Are we looking at the same filly here?" The Stallion continues. "No filthy farmer pony would have a mane this well groomed, nor a dress this expensive."

The guard who called you out stops for a moment. He rubs his chin. "...now that you mention it..." The other guards shake their heads. "...I...I might have made a mistake... she DOES look a lot like our suspect, however..."

END OF DAY 15