>Get ready for school; Equipped Saddlebags, Royal Medallion, and filled bags with supplies
>Check closet for more supplies
>HUG HAYSEED, SAVED GAME (Raisin’s Bedroom)
>Head into Merlot Residence Foyer
>Greet Mom and Mary; give hugs and go outside
>Discover Mysterious Letter and Applebloom
>Talk about anonymous Love Letters that Applejack keeps receiving
>Observe giant Snake Statue that has suddenly appeared in Town Square
>Team assembles as you listen to the Mayor discuss damage assessment
>Head to school, discover that classes are cancelled because school has sunken into ground
>CRUSADING TIME: Tell team to grab their bags and head back to your place
>Head into house, get lightly chastised by your maid, fetch Bouquet of Flowers
>--Derpy walks by; wave to her because you cannot talk with Bouquet of Flowers in your mouth—
>Team reassembles in front of your house. Compare penmanship on letters.
>xXx Leave letters on doorstep, head inside to pick up equipment xXx
>Juggle items around until you’ve pretty much cleared all items from your room
>Get Signed Permission Slip (Mary Annette’s Signature)
>Rush outside to retrieve letters; Love Letter obtained (25% chance to lose; rolled in player favor). Lost the Mysterious Letter (50% chance to lose; rolled against player favor)
>Finalize equipment loadout, head to Zecora’s
>Enter the Everfree Forest; investigate strange noises coming from up ahead (Random Encounter; 10% chance to appear in dangerous areas)
>**Send Raisin forward to investigate, attacked by Mangy Griffin**
>--Feed the Mangy Griffin your apples—
>Sneak the CMC around him while he eats, lead them to Zecora’s Hut
>Call Zecora out to help you with the now sobbing griffin
>**Warn Zecora that the griffin is aggressive and attacked you on sight**
>Zecora uses Sleeping Powder on Griffin, brings him towards the Hut to assess his injuries
After a very strange morning, Raisin, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo find themselves delivering a potent Bouquet of Flowers to Zecora that they picked during their undocumented escapades through the Everfree Forest. Having just pacified a feral and Mangy Griffin, Raisin sets a small but delicate arrangement of flora on Zecora’s medicine bench as the zebra tries to figure out what’s wrong with the griffin outside. She carefully pokes and prods at the unconscious beast, assessing whatever condition he could possibly have.
With the odd appearances of Love Letters being sent to Applejack by an anonymous source, a Mysterious Letter from what seems to be a helpful stranger, the appearance of a massive Snake Statue in the middle of Town Square, and the sinking of the Schoolhouse into the ground, the sudden encounter with this confused griffin only adds to the intrigue as the stony mare tries to piece together this ever-expanding mystery. What in Equestria could possibly be in store for our typically ill-fated heroine?
That, my friends, is entirely up to you. Your decisions and guidance tonight will see Raisin along in her new adventure as you sort through all this madness. Good luck, questers.
The intoxicating smell of ginger root fills the air as a bubbling cauldron cinders on a fire behind you. Zecora's Hut has always been an inviting home even if it has never been located in the most inviting of places. Something feels safe about this place... though you know it's not an impregnable fortress against the forces of evil.
You watch as Zecora gently opens the front door with the mangy, matted coat griffin on her back.
"Whoa! Zecora, are ya sure that's th-" Applebloom begins to protest as the savage creature is brought into the hut.
Zecora explains that he's suffering from some form of delirium, probably due to severe dehydration and malnutrition. She further explains that it's fortunate you found him; he may not of survived much longer given the state he was in.
"Hey Zecora, not to change the subject too quickly, but... do you know of any giant snake creatures that might like to eat stones or anything?"
Sweetie Belle nods her head. "Yeah! There was some big snake statue thing in the middle of town this morning! Nopony knows where it came from."
Zecora looks about, then sighs. She explains that she's never heard of a creature like that, not in the Everfree Forest at least. Twilight Sparkle should know more about fauna like that.
INVENTORIES:
You go across the room to help Zecora make the beast a bit more comfortable. You notice that your hooves are making the floor creak. The Zebra lays the peacefully resting griffin on a floor mat and puts an herb into his beak. She says it will help him break his fever.
"What was up with him, anyway? Griffins typically don't act this... weird."
Zecora doesn't have an answer for this question. She guesses that he got lost in the Forest... though he didn't seem to want to leave for some odd reason. He could very well be an outlaw; she's seen several ponies creeping around the woods. She doesn't want to jump to any conclusions, however. She'll have to talk to him to learn more.
As you walk back into the main room, you bring up the Mysterious Letter that you got this morning. You explain the author wanted to 'help' you and gave you a map. She asks if she can see it... you explain that the letter was lost to the wind. The Zebra seems perplexed.
Zecora walks over to her medicinal table. Pushing a few vials out of the way and taking care not to tip over her mortar, she picks up the Bouquet of Flowers that you delivered. At first, she wears a pleased expression. It melts after a minute, though, as she realizes that you and the CMC got all 7 species, including the dangerous one.
"Now I know this cannot be, but did you pick all these in the Everfree?" She holds up one species in particular called a Midnight Widow. You remember having to slog through a mucky swamp with a lantern to find one of these.
"Uh... yeah! We picked all of them ourselves. We wanted to make sure that you had all the ingredients for your bath mixture thing."
Zecora looks a bit upset, saying that she typically hires professional explorers to get these for her. After some chastisement, you interrupt with another question.
"So... what are you going to make and who's it for?"
Zecora shakes her head, telling you that the client wanted to keep that private. She does explain that it's a medicinal bath that is designed to cure a specific type of fungal hoof infection. The mental image reminds you of the time you contracted Mold Rot in the caves during your first Crusade.
Zecora is extremely thankful for you bringing her all the ingredients, however, and wants to reward your efforts. You can choose one item to bring with you on your quest:
Sleeping Powder
Bang Powder
Wake-Me-Up Dust
After weighing out your options carefully, you decide that Wake Me Up Dust sounds like the best option. You never know if one of your friends might pass out or need to be on high alert during your adventure... could be extremely useful.
Zecora nods her head, saying that it's one of the harder powders to make. Apparently, it requires a lot of Snail Slime, Bog Mushrooms and Tea Leaves boiled in Swamp Water for about a week and left to dry. You let her know that you'd have been better off not knowing what was in it.
The CMC scrunch their faces as they look the little satchel over. "So... it's gonna let us stay awake all the time?" Applebloom lifts it up and shakes it gently. It sounds like the bag is full of tiny seeds. "Should come in handy, I s'pose."
As you and your friends rest in Zecora's Hut, you try to figure out your next course of action. The griffin snoozes soundly in Zecora's guest room as the Zebra stirs the flowers you gave her into the cauldron. She has a very proud look on her face; you can tell she's impressed that you were able to find everything she needed.
Looking over your current inventories, you see that Scootaloo has one empty Saddlebag pocket. "Hey, Scoots. Hold onto this, would you?"
She turns her side toward you, motioning to the empty pocket. "Sure thing! Right in here." Carefully, you use your stony hooves to lift up the pocket. You've had to train a little while to do this without ripping the saddlebag; you really can't feel when the fabric is beginning to fail.
Before leaving, you make sure to ask about the appearance of mysterious Love Letters. Applebloom jumps up. "Yeah! My sister has been gettin' these really creepy love letters from some guy named 'LS'. Ya'll heard of somepony with those initials, Zecora?"
The Zebra continues stirring her cauldron. She stops for a moment, then repeats the initials to herself. She nods, confirming that those initials have popped up before.
"Oh! Good thinking, Raisin! Finally, a lead!" Scootaloo flaps her wings with excitement.
Zecora explains that she received an order for a very specific kind of Crystalline Powder. Apparently, 'LS' didn't have the proper equipment to refine it himself. That was weeks ago, though... since then, he's sent a single Thank You Letter and told her that his lab was completely transferred.
"...lab? Like a mad scientist lab?" Sweetie Belle ponders.
"Okay, some Crystalline Powder, huh? What's that used for?"
Zecora explains that she's actually not quite sure. The stuff couldn't be used in medicine, she knows that much. The crystalline powder is refined from a weird, bluish ore that she was sent. While she was refining it, she had 2 samples explode with a strange magical energy. She refined a stable mix and sent it to 'LS', for which she received a good sum of bits. She taps the side of her cauldron, asking if you noticed it was brand new yet.
"Magic crystals... huh. That's definitely weird..." Scootaloo thinks. "We gotta figure out who this 'LS' guy is and why he's hitting on Applebloom's sister. He could be the one behind all the stuff happening in Ponyville!"
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle nod.
"...you wouldn't happen to still have that Thank You Letter on you, by any chance?"
Zecora says that she does indeed have the Thank You Letter. It's sitting on her desk near the cauldron.
You walk up to the desk and find a very beautifully written cover to a bi-fold Thank You Letter propped up on her desk. Come to think of it, it's kind of hard to miss...
Thank you for your services. The mixture I have received is 72% pure. I'm rather amazed you were able to achieve this level of purity without more advanced equipment.
Thank you for understanding our agreement to anonymity. My research is highly sought out by many of my colleagues, hence the strange terms of our agreement.
Your payment will arrive in the next two days, 75 bits, as promised. I threw in some extra for your expertise and a job well done.
-LS"
As far as you can see, there is no return address on it. You're wondering how this was even mailed... there are no addresses at all on it.
Going with what you've got, you ask about the Griffin and when he'll be able to talk. Zecora says to let him rest; she'll try to get him in good shape by tomorrow afternoon.
"Before we go... Sweetie Belle, I've been meaning to ask you..."
The little white filly turns away from the door and meets your eyes with hers. "Yes?"
"Well, you've been carrying around some Baby Blue Sapphires... can I ask why?"
Sweetie Belle thinks for a moment, looking around the room for an answer. "Oh! Remember the poster we were working on for school? Rarity let me borrow a couple of Sapphires to help spruce it up a bit!" She gives you a warm smile. "...I guess, since schools cancelled... I should probably give them back."
"I dunno, they COULD be useful.." Applebloom steps forward, stretching with her saddlebags on her back. She looks over her shoulder at them, then up to you. "Doesn't hurt to be prepared, right?"
Before you exit, you stop again. Scootaloo groans.
"Hey, you don't have any extra or leftover powder from LS's order, do you?"
Zecora shakes her head emphatically. She tells you that she made sure to get rid of any that she had left; the stuff was incredibly unstable and destroyed a good portion of her herbal supply... hence her needing explorers to go and find her some flowers in the Forest.
"Ah well, thought I'd ask..."
You jump up again, hitting the floor with a staggering thud. "Oh! Can't forget... hold on guys, just one more second here..."
The CMC look at one another, then take a seat right outside the door. You can hear Scootaloo mumbling something as she stretches. Quickly, you take Applebloom's Love Letter and race back to Zecora's desk, putting the two letters side by side. As you suspected, the writing styles match nearly perfectly. The Love Letter looks like LS spent a bit more time writing it, hence the letter are a bit smoother.
"Good, good. Now that we've got that out of the way..."
The CMC are waiting at the threshold of Zecora's Hut. Scootaloo looks a bit impatient. "C'mon, Raisin! We know what we've gotta do!" She stops there, obviously not knowing what to do next.
"Alright. To the Library!" You feel sort of nerdy for saying this, but then again, you've been a regular at the library since you lost the need to sleep. A book is a great and quiet way to help pass the night.
"Yeah! Finally! Let's go!" Scootaloo flutterjumps up, then starts leading the way. Your group says bye to Zecora as you shut the door and start heading through the beautifully illuminated forest back to Fluttershy's Cottage.
You can hear the birds chirping again... their shrill, otherworldly cries make you feel vulnerable and insecure. You swear that you see some perched in the branches above, but they 'disappear' when you get near. You breathe a sigh of relief out of habit.
Fluttershy's cottage comes into view. You can see her relaxing inside through the window. As you round the stream, the terrifying clucks of chickens echo forth from the small, cramped coop on her land. You keep your distance.
"Chickens too, huh?" Scootaloo snickers.
"It's complicated."
Your friends have a laugh. You feel slightly embarrassed, but you don't care. As long as the birds don't come near you, you're fine.
You start to enter town once again. Before you is the Town Square. The massive Stone Snake is under guard supervision. The library is close by.
"Alright, Library's this way." You point your hoof at the massive tree in the distance. You've always loved the design of the library; the sturdy floors have never once let you down... not like the stairs in your house.
You see a small flock of doves take off from the upper branches. You kick back, nearly knocking Applebloom down. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Sorry..."
You lead the way into the Library, making sure to knock on the door. A mild-mannered purple dragon greets you. "Hey Raisin, back again huh? You go through more books than Twilight."
"Nah, not here for books right now, Spike... actually, we wanted to ask Twilight about the Snake Statue in the town square."
"Oh, that thing. Uh... sure, she's right upstairs." He looks you up and down. "...I'll go see if she can come down quick." Spike heads inside, ushering your entourage in.
"Twilight! Raisin's here!"
The purple unicorn heads down the stairs carrying a large, old book. "Oh! Hello, Raisin. Back for some more books?"
You ask her about the Stone Snake in town square.
"Oh... actually, I'm still doing some research on it." She flips the book over that she's got in her magical tether. "I found out what it is. Apparently, it's something called a Boulder Snake." She looks at you sincerely. "They're extremely rare. This is the first time in recorded history we've seen a frozen one anywhere near a settlement. Crazy, huh?"
She sits down, inviting you to join her.
You walk across the floor, taking care not to step on any of the books. The Library floor doesn't so much as creak under your weight. You take care in sitting down next to Twilight, watching so that you don't accidentally sit on her tail. She pushes the book closer to you, letting your read.
"Do they come to life at night? Please tell me they don't come to life at night."
Twilight laughs. "Oh, no... actually, they're not even supposed to be made of stone. They're nocturnal... that's what the report says... but they've only been found in a few places outside, frozen like giant statues."
"What do they eat? Hopefully not rocks such as myself. Also, could it be connected with the sinkhole where the elementary school used to be?"
Twilight flips the pages, looking around. "Uh... well, um..." She gets to another section about some Winter Giant, but turns back. "Well, it says here that there's usually a tunnel or a lot of damaged rock around the statues, but... it's not confirmed whether or not they eat stone..."
"This is all I know about them..." She shows you the book cover. It reads "Rare Equestrian Flora and Fauna". "...and I'm willing to bet it's all anyone knows. Princess Celestia gave me this book to study when I asked her about them."
"Hmmm... hey, do you know anything about Crystalline Powders? Specifically magical ones?"
Twilight sets the book down for a moment and looks at you. "Oh... uh... Magical Crystalline Powder?" She scratches her chin. "...it's not ringing any bells..." She pulls a few books out from a distant shelf and brings them over. "Spike, do you know where that book on magical ores is?"
Spike rushes off upstairs. In a matter of moments, he returns. "Found it!" No sooner than he can finish his announcement, Twilight takes it from his claws. She cracks it open and starts comparing a few texts side by side.
"Magical Crystalline Powder... not seeing anything..." She skips over the last section in another book. "Well, I'm seeing something for a type of blue stone called Malecite that's kind of magical, but it doesn't do much beyond glow. It used to be used for lighting places that didn't have fuel for fire." She rolls her eyes. "No magic Crystalline Powder, though... not to be terribly curious, but what a strange thing to ask about. Any reason you're looking for some?"
"Have you heard about somepony with the initials 'LS'? Zecora did business with him and he's sending Love Letters to Applejack..."
Applebloom butts in. "Like this! It's all fragrancy and... pink... and creepy." She passes the letter to Twilight, who looks a bit confused.
"Goodness, girls... first it's Boulder Snakes, then it's some Magic Crystalline Powder that I've never heard of... and now mysterious Love Letters? I'm sorry if I missed something, but... what exactly is going on here?" The purple unicorn seems very confused by the sudden barrage of questions.
"That's what we're trying to figure out!" You give a little shrug. "It's been a weird day so far. We've got a bunch of evidence collected so far and I've just got this overwhelming fe-"
Twilight stops you. "You've got that 'adventure' feeling again, don't you?"
You nod.
She stacks all the books she recently pulled out and stands up. "Well, alright... you've been right twice before... and without your gut instinct, Equestria could have been lost for good." She pulls up a big book from the front desk of the Library. "...I'll see if LS matches any of the initials of anypony that lives in Ponyville." She gives you a worried expression. "...it might take a while. There's a lot of names in here."
Applebloom speaks up. "Hey, Raisin! What about that weird letter that ya got this mornin?"
"Oh yeah... that was pretty weird..." You go on to explain that it was not from the LS guy who wrote the Love Letters. Twilight keeps searching through the list of names, softly speaking them to herself. She's tracing through the L's right now, looking for the first initial. She seems absorbed by the task, not answering your question.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Weird letter. Right." She continues searching.
While Twilight frantically searches through the long list of names that begin with L, you whisper over to Applebloom. "Hey, do you know how to make that glowy potion stuff from Sweetie Belle's sapphires?"
Sweetie Belle nuzzles in between you and Applebloom. "Wow... your face is rough." She comments. "Oh! Uh, we can't use those for that. I promised Rarity that I was only going to borrow them for a little while an-"
Scootaloo cranes her head over yours. "C'mon, Sweetie! We're gonna need some light if we're going to Crusade tonight. We don't have school tomorrow... probably... so we can stay up all night! We'll need some light if we plan on seeing anything."
Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes. "Oh... but... can't we just use Candles or something?"
"Candles burn out. That blue stuff always stays lit. C'mon, Sweetie! Rarity won't care; she's got tons of them anyways." Scootaloo pushes.
"Well... alright... but just 2, alright? I think that's all we need..." Sweetie Belle caves in to the peer pressure.
Twilight mutters on about 'Love...' She's getting through the list pretty slowly, it seems.
"Hey, Twilight. Do you have a lantern we can borrow?"
She misses the question. "Oh? Uh... sure, uh... just a second."
"Hey, that mysterious stranger guy... he said he could make me a normal pony again."
Twilight keeps going through the list, but stops suddenly. "I'm sorry, what?"
You repeat yourself.
"...but... No, there's no way... we've tried everything. Not even Celestia could reverse the curse safely." Twilight looks saddened. "I'm sorry, Raisin, but whoever this friend is that says they can help... I don't think they're telling the truth." She returns her head to the list. "Be careful who you trust out there..."
You feel an odd sensation yet again, like someone is watching you. Again, like last time, it doesn't feel threatening.
With a feeling of overwhelming paranoia, you stealthily boop Sweetie Belle. She shivers a little at your touch. "W-what's up, Raisin?"
"I think we're being watched."
Immediately, Sweetie Belle snaps her head back, looking around.
"No! No! Not yet, don't look yet!" You sigh.
"Oh! Sorry... um... okay, whenever you're ready."
You suddenly lose the feel as though something was watching you. You feel slightly annoyed. "Nah... it's gone now. Don't worry about it."
Twilight's list seems to go on and on... "Lyra Heartstrings..." She continues through the L's, looking for any matches.
"Ugh... this is taking forever..." Scootaloo complains. "Isn't there something else we can do while she sorts through it?"
You watch as Twilight starts taking a few notes. You agree with Scootaloo. "Uh... hey, let's see if Derpy knows anything. She delivers the mail, right?"
"Good idea! We'll come on back here later when Twilight's finished." Applebloom opens the front door to the library, leading everyone out. Spike stands still for a second. "Uh... okay then. We'll see you 4 later."
You make sure to tell Twilight that you'll be swinging on back a little later. Before you leave, she lets out an excited "Oh! Wait!" You and the other crusaders stop in the doorway. Suddenly, she gets a disappointed look on her face. "Oh... uh... I guess a flower growing mare wouldn't be sending Applejack love letters, right?" She smiles and laughs it off. "Alright... see you girls in a little bit. Come back anytime if you need anything!"
You suggest that you're probably not going to just up and bump into the clumsy pegasus. The post office should know what route she's currently delivering on.
"Wow... that's actually really smart." Scootaloo gives you a rare compliment. "To the Post Office?"
The four of you join hooves, agreeing to set out to the Post Office for more information. As you start heading into town, you pass the Snake Statue again. It appears unchanged... frozen in place with some stone missing around it.
You're right outside the Post Office. You see a mail mare head on in with a set of empty bags.
You head on inside, leading the group. You feel the floor creak and start cracking under your weight. Carefully, you back out of the doorway. "Uh.. you guys first."
Standing just outside, you let the CMC walk on through. You speak up from a distance. "We're looking for a very ugly mare. Have you seen her?"
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle turn around and scoff. You can see Scootaloo holding back a fit of laughter. The Mail Master doesn't seem to get it. "Uh... none that are particularly ugly, no...?"
"We're looking for a mail pony named Derpy... have you seen her come by recently?" Applebloom asks sincerely.
"Oh, Derpy! Yes, she was just here about an hour ago. She finished her route and clocked out for the day. She only delivers mail for the morning shift." The Mail Master nods.
"Alright, so she's at home. Where does she live?"
The Mail Master gives you a cock-eyed look. "You're not planning to do anything funny to her, are you?"
"No, no, nothing like that. We just want to see who delivered a strange letter to somepony we know."
Applebloom holds up the Love Letter. "Somepony sent this to my big sister Applejack."
The Mail Master chuckles. "A Love Letter? Applejack already came by asking about this!" He smiles. "It's probably from a shy guy that just doesn't know how to approach a mare he likes."
"But... it's so creeepy..." Applebloom complains.
"Whether it's 'creepy' or not, it's an anonymous letter. I don't think anypony but Derpy could tell you who it's from..." He sighs. "If you're really looking to out this guy, I have Derpy's address handy right here."
He hold up a piece of paper and sets it on the counter. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but if you girls will excuse me, I've got some mail to sort." He tips his hat and heads into the back room. Another pony takes the counter in the mean time.
"Hey, Applebloom... you got that, right?"
She picks it up and carefully carries the Address in her teeth. She walks outside with it, leading the other CMC out with her. You can see the floor where you stepped has almost buckled under; it looks weakened.
With the address in mouth, Applebloom passes it off to you. You grab it in your teeth and set it down, memorizing it. "Alright... I know where that's at. She's at the other end of town... her house is going to be hard to miss."
The CMC all nod. Scootaloo smiles, "Finally, we're getting somewhere! Lead the way, Rocky!"
Suddenly, you hear your friends' stomachs growl.
"Oh.. wow... it's getting kind of late, isn't it?" Sweetie Belle comments. "I didn't even realize how hungry I was..."
"Don't worry, I got us co--" Applebloom stops. "Oh, right... the griffin..."
Hungry, the CMC seem ready to continue along with their current mission; find Derpy.
"Hold up. Hungry Crusaders are distracted Crusaders. We need to get you guys some food, stat."
"I like this idea." Scootaloo nods. "Where to?"
"Let's give Pinkie a visit. She's probably got some goods we can munch on."
The CMC are all in agreement. Sugarcube Corner has a ton of snacks that your team could use right now. With a saddlebag full of Bits, you make your way to the sugary shack down the street.
As you walk in, your friends remark at the sweet smell of vanilla hovering in the air. You've been here several times before; you make sure to stay outside. "Alright, get anything you guys want! I'll be out here." They run in quick, drooling over the counter. You remember the taste of candy... you really wish you could get a bite of some Green Apple Taffy again...
You sit on the cobblestone outside of the Bakery. "Hey! What's up, Raisin?"
Pinkie is sipping on a milkshake. Your friends are still inside, pouring over all the treats they can get.
>Current Time: 3:45pm
"Oh, you know, the usual... danger looming over Equestria, some snake statues, Love Letters for Applejack..."
"Oooo~~! Love Letters? For Applejack? Is that what she's getting all flustered about? She kept saying that it was 'nothing' but I knew it was something because she never gets all flushed like that unless it's over a really cute stallion OH! Who's it from?" Pinkie ends suddenly as she grabs the milkshake straw with her lips.
"Uh... actually, we don't know. We're going to see if we can find out."
"I hope you do!" She smiles and finishes off the glass. You see the CMC come out with a variety of cupcakes and lollipops. Mrs. Cake is close behind.
"Hello, Raisin! How are you doing today, sweetie?" Mrs. Cake gives you a warm smile.
"Hey Mrs. Cake. I'm doing fine... what's the damage?"
"15 Bits!" She's still got her big smile going. You reach into your saddlebags and cover the treats. The CMC all sit down at a table near you and begin chowing down on the sugary sweets.
"Hey Pinkie Pie! How're you?" Sweetie Belle says in between feasting on a cupcake.
"I'm wonderful! How are you girls?" Pinkie slides in next to them. As they finish exchanging greetings, you look at your friends in envy. Remembering food fills you with a great want... you're not hungry, but you desperately wish you could taste the food they're eating. You feel out of place...
"Uh... okay. Hurry up, guys, we gotta get going. It's almost 4."
You let the jovial pink mare know where you're headed.
"Oh... out to Derpy's house? You better be careful!" She taps on your stony head. "There's bound to be something nasty lurking out that way! If you see any weird looking ponies, just ignore them and keep going!" Pinkie smiles. "Okay?"
The CMC look utterly confused. "Uhh... yeah, sure Pinkie." Applebloom forces a smile. "We'll be seein ya'll."
"Oh, I know it! Later!" She bounces in through the front door of Sugarcube Corner.
Scootaloo traces a circle in the air next to her head, letting her eyes derp out. Sweetie Belle giggles. "She certainly is... Pinkie."
You begin taking to the long road out of town. The countryside out this way is brilliant; the verdant fields are complimented by little saplings and trees popping up everywhere under the mid afternoon Spring sun. You and your friends trot along down the path... your eyes looking in the trees for any signs of birds.
"So... where is this house at, Raisin?" Scootaloo asks as you pass a few houses.
"It's right up ahead, I know it..."
You see a worried pony walking down the path towards you. She has a very full set of saddlebags... she looks like she's in a hurry. Beyond her, you see a small cropping of houses, one of them matching the address you had memorized earlier.
You motion for the CMC to get off to the side of the path and let the mare on through. She stares at your Royal Medallion as she approaches.
"E-excuse m-m-m-me... girls? G-girls, please... h-h-hold on a moment..." She strains under the weight of her bags.
You shake your head. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope." Sweetie Belle turns around as the mare stops on the path. The overburdened mare suddenly drops down, appearing to have lost her balance.
"Raisin! Wait! She fell over!" Sweetie Belle tries to get your attention as you continue towards Derpy's house. Applebloom taps you. "Wait, hold on..."
Feeling a bit guilty, you stop and turn around to see what happened. Indeed, the sherbet maned pony has fallen over. She's struggling to get back up.
"Ugh... okay, fine. Applebloom, drop you saddlebags off here and help her up."
Applebloom looks confused. "...why would Ah need to take my saddlebags off?"
"She might be a thief. Why else would she be carrying around so much stuff?"
Applebloom rolls her eyes as Sweetie Belle tries to help the mare up. Applebloom drops her saddlebags by your side and bumps Sweetie Belle over. "Hold on, I'll help her."
Scootaloo leans over your head and whispers. "I think you're right... she seems a bit fishy to me."
The mare gets her balance again as Applebloom strains to get her up off the road. "Oh, thank Celestia you were nearby! Thank you so much!" She gives your team a solid grin. "My name is Sandy Shores, traveling salespony! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances!" She has a slight accent that you're not quite able to pinpoint.
"I'm trying to catch the last train out of Ponyville, but I might be too late! My wares are really slowing me down!" She strains. "I hate to be a bother..." She looks at you. "...before I go... are you looking to trade that beautiful medallion for anything? It looks absolutely wondrous!" She shakes as she tries to support the weight of her belongings.
"Uh... no."
Sandy looks disappointed. "Oh... are you sure there's no way you'd be willing to part with that beautiful amulet? I have a lot of wares... I'd be willing to trade anything for it... I know I have something in here you might like..."
While the pony searches through one of her overloaded saddlebags, dropping some spoons and forks on the road, you tell Sweetie to check her saddlebags. Immediately, Sweetie notices something is wrong.
"Hey... hey, wait a minute... I remember having 10 Baby Blue Sapphires in here..." She looks at Sandy.
Scootaloo gets mad. "Hey! Give Sweetie back her Sapphires! Those aren't yours!"
Sandy looks shocked. "B..you mean these ones?" She points down at the road. Sitting at her hooves are 3 brilliant sapphires. "They probably fell out of her bag when she was helping me up..." The mare looks a bit distraught. She looks up at the sun, then down at you. "Ohhhh.... please, are you sure there's nothing you'd like to trade for? What else do you have? I've got tons of strange and exotic wares on my back..."
You count the sapphires in the road and see that Sweetie has six in her bag.
"Cough up the other one that you hid."
Sandy looks flustered. "Hrrumph! Well, I never!" She looks genuinely disappointed. "You have excellent taste in jewelry, my beautiful stone friend, but you have absolutely no man-" Sandy notices that you're trying to circle around her. Suddenly, she bolts off down the road. It looks as if she's not wearing any saddlebags at all; she runs without a hitch.
"W-what the?!" Scootaloo look on in disbelief as the amazing fast mare bolts out of sight. She drops a trail of silverware in her wake.
"Huh. She was a thief." Applebloom looks disappointed. "You were right, Raisin... sorry for doubting you..."
Sweetie Belle runs over to collect the 3 sapphires laying on the ground. "Ohh... she stole one! We can't let her get... away..."
The three of you stand in the road, thankful that nothing else was pilfered.
Derpy's house lies directly behind you as you watch the thief disappear over a nearby hill.
INVENTORY:
Slightly disappointed, you turn towards your intended destination and sigh.
"Alright, Applebloom, grab your bags. Let's get this show on the road."
The team sighs as they march onwards to Derpy's Abode. As you approach the door to knock on it, you figure it best to let one of your friends do so instead. Scootaloo jumps ahead and raps on the door a few times.
"Cooooming!" You hear the mailpony knock something expensive over as she rushes to the door. "Ooops..."
The CMC all kind of stare at each other as they wait for the door to open up. Suddenly, the door flings open, bashing Scootaloo in the nose. The stunned filly grabs her snout and whines a little.
"Oop! Sorry!" Derpy stands in the door looking over the team for a moment. "Oh! Hello Raisin! Hello Sweetie Belle! Hello Applebloom! Hello... Uhmmmmmm..." She stares at Scootaloo for a minute. "...Raisin's Friend!"
"Hey Derpy... do you mind if we ask you about some mail quick?"
Her eyes are focused in a few directions. "Sure! Ask me anything! I know about all kinds of mail!" She smiles softly with interest, standing in the doorway.
Applebloom fishes the Love Letter out of her saddlebags. "We got this really weird letter a few days ago and were wonderin' where ya got it from?"
Derpy looks at the letter, then deftly picks it up out of Applebloom's hooves. She spins the edge of the letter around in her mouth for a second until she settles on a very specific spot. Her bright, off center eyes perk up.
"Ohmmff!" She spits the letter out at Applebloom. "That's from Anonymous! He's my new friend!"
Sweetie Belle stares at Derpy. "...Anonymous? You mean LS, right?"
Derpy stares back, slightly confused. "...who?"
"Your...friend? Do you know where he lives? I'd like to meet him one day."
Derpy bounces in place, flapping her wings giddily. "Oh! Anonymous is soo nice! He's really super smart! He told me a lot of secrets... even though I could see they weren't so secret at all..." She looks past your group with some concern. "But he's really nice! I like him a lot!"
"So... what does Anonymous look like? Is he handsome?"
Derpy giggles. "He's really... um... well, he's not a pony, so I don't know if he's handsome."
"Oh... alright... so, do you know where he lives?"
"Of course!" She smiles. You watch as the wind blows through her mane. You can hear some birds chirping off in the distance.
"...so... could you tell us where he lives?"
"Oh no! He said that was a secret!" She smiles innocently.
Scootaloo groans. "Oh, come on! Just tell us, please?"
"Nope!" Derpy giggles happily to herself.
"Okay... uh... if he's not a pony, then what is he? Has he sent letters like this to any other ponies?"
She shakes her head. "Nope! He said that's a secret! He's only got one marefriend, though, and that App-" She stops. "Whoops! That's a secret too!"
"Derpy, what if you told his girlfriend so that she could meet with him? We don't have to know."
Derpy tilts her head for a moment. "Umm... but he doesn't want to meet her yet." She holds back a silly smile. "I think he's shy!"
"Is he a dragon like Twilight's pet?"
She shakes her head. "Nope! He's nowhere near as small as Spike! He doesn't breathe fire either!"
Scootaloo chirps in. "So... he's a dragon though, right?"
Derpy looks a bit shocked. "Um... I'm not... I didn't say that..."
"Is he made of stone like us?"
"Oh no! Not at all!" She looks like she's enjoying your company.
"How exactly did you meet Anonymous?"
Derpy takes a deep breath in. "I was delivering mail one day. I went to Applejacks house and delivered her mail. Then, I went to the mountains because I saw a house up th-" Suddenly, she looks upset. "Heeeeeeyy, you're trying to trick me!"
"No we're not."
She looks a bit angry still, but her expression goes back to a smile. "Oh, okay."
"Derpy, did he also write me a letter? I got one telling me to go there. In fact. If it was from him, then he WANTS to meet me! No sense in keeping it a secret then."
Derpy looks confused. "He doesn't send anypony else letters." She looks really perplexed. "...and you didn't have mail today..."
>5:45pm
"So you walked into his house and he didn't try to make you stay? Sounds like someone like him would like privacy a lot."
Derpy looks at you with some concern. "He didn't want me to come inside, no. He gives me letters outside of his window. He always looks so busy. We don't talk to much, but he's a really nice new friend and he said my wings were pretty!" She perks up. I hope he has more letters tomorrow!
"Does he live in a dark place? Does he seem like someone who would only go out at night?"
She laughs a little. "Oh no! It's really bright where he lives! He loves the light!"
"Was there a giant stone pony partially carved outside his house? Also, does he like snakes?"
She scratches her chin. "...I don't know. I didn't see any. You're the biggest stone pony I've ever seen!" She looks about. "I will ask him if he likes snakes for you next time I see him."
"What other things did he say was a secret? He sounds so interesting!"
Derpy puffs her chest up. "He said that his name was a secret, that what he looks like is secret, that his house is secret, that his mail-to people are secrets, that where he lives is secret, that what he does is secret, that his secret crush is a secret, that his food boxes are secrets, and all of his machines are super duper secret!" She looks pretty proud. "And he trusts me with all his secrets! He is such a good friend!"
"If we try to visit Anonymous, will he hurt us?"
Derpy looks worried. "Um... but he doesn't want any visitors..."
"Just in case I missed something... do you know when you delivered mail to my house?"
Derpy looks around. "...you didn't have any mail today, though..."
"Are you meeting him tomorrow?"
She shrugs. "Only if he puts the flag up. He doesn't want me to come up unless the flag is up."
"He seemed to want you? Unless he was mean to you until he found out you delivered letters. Was he?"
Derpy shakes her head. "No no no! He's very nice! I flew up to his house in the mo-" She stops. "Heeeeeey..."
"Sorry."
"We don't mean to visit him, but we might find him while looking for our cutie marks."
She nods. "Oh, okay." A nice smile lays upon her countenance.
You hear a pony trot on down the road as you stare at Derpy.
"...okay... so... uh..."
Scootaloo has fallen asleep. She's leaning up against Sweetie Belle.
"Is it cool when Anonymous's machines burrow through the ground?"
Derpy looks puzzled. "His machines don't burrow through the ground..." Suddenly, she realizes what she's doing. "Oh! Ignore that! He said that was a secret!" She looks a little worried. "...you'll keep it a secret, right?"
"Don't worry, Derpy. We will."
She breathes a sigh of relief. "Your coat is so pretty!" She compliments your glossy exterior.
"What do you know about the Ruins in the Everfree Forest?"
Derpy looks completely lost. "Ummm... I don't know?"
Applebloom stumbles a little and yawns. "Hooo wow!" She jumps in place a few times and shakes her head back and forth.
"Does anyone else live with Anonymous? Maybe we can get lab assistant cutie marks!"
Derpy giggles. "Nope! There's nopony else up there! Just him!" She smiles at you. "I like talking to you!"
Quickly, you take a glance at the pony walking down the road. It's an older stallion; you recognize him from the market. He's heading towards town with a Tennis Racket. Looks like he's going to practice.
"Hey, it's been a pleasure, Ms. Derpy. Maybe we can talk some other time?"
The gray pegasus kind of stares at you. "Are we friends now?"
"Uh... yeah! You're cool, so.. sure, why not?"
Derpy shuffles her hooves around excitedly. You make sure to say goodbye. She concludes the conversation with a nod. "Buh bye!" As the door shuts, Scootaloo's tail get caught under the door. She yipes quick.
"My bad!" Derpy opens it back up, letting a groggy Scootaloo collect herself.
"Uhg... jeez, that took forever. What were you guys talking about? Lasagna recipes? How to get your eyes to look in two different directions forever?" Scootaloo looks thoroughly annoyed with this place.
You gently nudge Applebloom. "Hey... are you feeling okay?"
She yawns. "Yeah, just... wow, really tired. What'd you get from our mail mare friend?"
"A lot. We've got a lot of leads."
Sweetie Belle yawns and stands up on her hooves. She blinks a few time to clear her bleary eyes, then asks "What did I miss?"