Raisin Quest 3 Day 1

RAISIN QUEST

> denotes story posts, otherwise it's debate from questers.

Without further ado... let's get started.

>The morning sun beams through your bedroom window as you slowly rouse from slumber. Finally, the weekend has arrived. You roll out of bed and stretch, getting ready for another beautiful summer’s day in Ponyville. Briefly, you shake your head with reckless abandon until your mane snaps into its trademark style. Surely, you’re now ready to enjoy your fantastic, school-free Saturday.

>You look about your room. The first thing you see is your muddy set of rain boots from the day previous. You remember how much fun you had tackling your dad into a big mud puddle while playing ball. You also remember how cold the water was when your mom sprayed you off quick with the hose. Some residual mud that was stuck to your boots seems to have sloughed off and caked into the carpet… it really stands out against the soft green floor, but you’re sure your mom will help you clean it up later. To the left of your boots by your dresser is your light blue saddlebag. Little Hayseed’s hoof sticks out of the flap. Going along the wall, you see your toy chest with a royal blue CMC cape draped over it and big cardboard box that reads ‘stay out – top secret’. Being so clearly marked with such a stern warning, you believe that your parents have kept their hooves out of it.
>“Honey, come out here and get some breakfast! I made pancakes~~!” You hear your mom call to you. The aroma of her delicious maple cinnamon pancakes floods your senses… it’s enough to make your mouth water.

>What a great start to a wonderful day! Raisin’s destiny is now in your hands. How shall you proceed?
grab Hayseed
put on CMC cape
head downstairs
Grab Hayseed and check toybox. Gotta get our items.

Also, equip cape.
Also, grab the boots and saddlebag.
>You trot over to Hayseed and tug her out of your saddlebag. After throwing your adventurous CMC cape on, you feel ready to handle any challenge that comes your way.

>You lift up your toy chest lid. There's a couple of things in here, like a toy wooden train and some other old, not-Hayseed dolls, but nothing seems to really jump out at you. You slam the lid shut and grab your 'secret box'.

>Inside your 'Adventure Box', as you like to call it, you’re greeted with a brand new Stompstarter, Spike’s slingshot, a hammer, and a triple-bagged satchel with Zecora’s cutie mark on it. You're rather proud of your collection.
Peek inside the satchel.

Yell out to mom that you're coming, and to hold her *ponies*
>You remember Applebloom making the satchel a few weeks ago for the Summer Sun Celebration. It contains some extremely volatile, really bright, vociferous popping firework powder. You also recall Applebloom getting chastised for making the recipe a bit too strong… In all honesty, you’re a little scared of the stuff accidentally going off. Applebloom’s satchel accidentally exploded in her ‘adventure barrel’ just a few days ago. Her big sister was dumbfounded as to how a set of twisted barrel rings ended up skewered into the side of the barn.

>AB uses the blast crater as her new adventure equipment storage.

>"Honey~! C'mon down here! Breakfast is on the table!" Your mom shouts up the stairs once more.

>"Hold your ponies, I'm coming!" You retort.
Herp. Put the Stompstarter, slingshot, hammer, and satchel in our saddlebag.
Oh damn.

Grab everything, but BE SURE TO PUT THE EXPLOSIVE POWDER AND THE FIRESTARTER IN SEPARATE POUCHES. Our saddlebag does consist of two bags hanging on either side of us, right?

If we can't fit them separately, then take the explosives. Be sure to get the boots too.
>You wrestle your boots free from the carpet and strap them on. After that weird Moldrot experience a couple months ago, you plan ahead for safety concerns. You also rush over to your saddlebags. Inside currently is a bunch of rocks and some twigs you were going to build a nest out of.

>Do you wish to choose some items to trade into your pouches? (Items will be chosen by vote popularity.)
If we can wear the satchel with the powder around our neck then we should do that, and take the slingshot, hayseed, the stompstarter, and the hammer. If we can't wear the satchel around or neck then we should leave the hammer.
Rocks should be common enough that we can find them on the ground
The stomp starter as saved us more times than we can count. We bring it with us.
>You decide that, just in case, you should pack your saddlebags to be ready for a spontaneous adventure. Knowing the antics of your CMC friends, it's likely that they'll be using the day off to do something extraordinary.

Carefully, you pack your shiny new Stompstarter, Spike's slingshot, and you remove the twigs to replace them with the explosive powder. The small collection of polished rocks remains in one bag. You carry Hayseed in your mouth, delicately. She tastes like a pile of crisp autumn leaves.

>Stompstarter
>Applebloom's Explosive Powder
>Rocks
>Spike's Slingshot

You bound downstairs to the kitchen table. Your mom walks a plate of pancakes over to your dad and sets them on the table. He gives her a quick smooch on the cheek.

“They smell delicious. Thanks, dear.”

He’s wearing his typical smirk as he reads through the morning newspaper. As you climb up one of the chairs to get a view of your plate, you notice the front page picture of your dad’s paper. It looks like some griffin in a set of carnival clothes. The main heading reads ‘Snakeoil Sally a Hit in Ponyville’. Some syrup pours out over your pancakes.

>“Raisin, eat everything up before it gets cold. Don’t forget to deliver that bucket of grapes to the bakery this afternoon.” You know she doesn’t mean to nag, but you’d forgotten to deliver them after school the day previous. Your mom sits down to enjoy a plate of the steaming hot pancakes herself.

>You’ve got pancakes in front of you, your dad behind a newspaper across from you, and your mom to your left.
Eat pancakes (somehow without fingers) and ask your dad who the Griffin is.
eat mom, fuck newspaper, read pancakes
Eat my food and ask dad about griffy.
>Unable to resist your mother’s exquisite cooking, you immediately dive into the fluffy pancakes without a shred of care for the syrup that will surely get in your hair.

>“Hungry this morning?” Your mother smiles softly, eating her pancakes with finesse. “I made plenty for breakfast, so eat up.” You don’t pull your face away from pancake slaughter until you’re sure that not a single crumb remains.
>Hayseed has a bit of syrup on her from your gorging. You make sure to wipe it off her as best as you can.

>You go on to ask about the funny looking griffin on the front page. Your dad lowers the paper for a second, then flips it over. “Oh, you didn’t hear?”

>He clears his throat and starts reading the article in an official sounding voice. “Snakeoil Sally a Hit in Ponyville. Sassy salesman and traveling entrepreneur Snakeoil captures the hopes and hearts of Ponyville’s denizens with her amazing energy elixir.” He continues on for a little bit, mentioning that she’s selling this drink for 3 Bits out in the town square for the next two days.
>“If you want, I can give you a couple Bits so you can grab some candy at the bakery and get one of those griffin drinks.” Your dad smirks at you before he gets back to reading his paper.

>Your mom interjects. “No, no, honey. Energy drinks are absolutely terrible for little fillies. Besides, she’s got enough energy as is.” Your mom fusses around with your tail and straightens out your mane. “She doesn’t need any weird griffin elixir.”

>“Eh, alright. Just make sure to get a lot of candy then.” He pulls out a small satchel of Bits and slides them over by your plate. “Early allowance; go have some fun, grapefruit.”

>As he finishes, you hear a rhythmic knock at the front door. “HellooooOOOOooo! Raisin! Are you awake yet?” You hear Sweetie Belle at the door.
Open the door and say hi.
"THanks mom, thanks Dad!"

Grab the bits, toss them in the saddlebag (it should be small enough to fit. Raisin needs to bags, they're really crappy.) grab Hayseed and head out the door, greeting Sweetie as you leave.
Yes! The grapes!
And we can put Hayseed in the bucket!
>You toss the small pouch of bits in with your stompstarter. They barely fit, but the flap is sorta tied down, so you should be good.

>You hop down from the table to go see your friends. As the door swings open, you’re greeted by the smiling faces of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Raisin!” You hear Scootaloo start to call you ‘Ms. Bossy’, but she’s able to turn it into ‘Raisin’ in time for it to seem more like a joke than a slight at your character. Both of them are wearing their CMC capes and have some small satchels at their sides.

>"Is that... is that your little doll?" Scootaloo laughs. "And here I thought you weren't a little baby!" She banters a little bit. Sweetie likes Hayseed's mane.

>Apparently, they’ve heard of some weird saleslady in the town square that’s selling some potion stuff that’s supposed to give you a ton of energy. They intend to use it to help them crusade more effectively. Applebloom tried some out the other day and said that she felt ‘super-energized’. “But today she’s not feeling as good, so I wanted to go get her some more elixir so we can do some amazing crusading and find our cutie marks!” Scootaloo hops in the air as she finishes.

>“I wanted to get some more for Rarity so she can finish her new dresses even faster!” Sweetie Belle shows you her satchel. “It really helped her yesterday, but right now she’s all loopy headed from not sleeping, so I’m gonna get her some more.”

>“We gotta hurry before the line gets too long again!” The duo bounces with excitement. “C’mon! Let’s go!”
>You remember to grab that bucket of grapes your mom was talking about. You explain that you've got a small chore to run before you can go see Snakeoil Sally in the town square.

>Sweetie Belle nods, but Scootaloo sighs. “You can do chores later, Raisin. We’ve gotta hurry before it’s all sold out!”

>Sweetie Belle says that she’ll tag along with you if Scootaloo wants to save them a spot in line.

>What do you want to do? Finish your chore or take the grapes with you to Sally's show?
Crack juice! I should have known. We need to get Applebloom before she becomes addicted. Hopefully you can break the addiction if you go cold turkey for a while.

See Sally and buy a bottle to keep for analysis. We need to know what's in it as soon as possible.
Do your chore like a good little shriveled grape.
Chores, the bucket will be useful. If we can still manage to talk with a mouth full of doll and bucket then we should ask Sweetie Belle more about how Applebloom is doing.
Send Scoots to hold a spot and see if we can recruit Pinkie Pie. Surely nothing can go wrong when she's with us *right?*

Tell Scootaloo EXPLICITLY to not drink any and that we find it a little suspicious. Explain to Sweetie Belle that the potion might be made to be addictive and that drinking more might actually hurt her sister.
>You implore that this chore is really important. You really don't want your mom to get upset with you. Scootaloo rolls her eyes. "Okay, fine. Sweetie, you and Raisin head over to Sugarcube Corner and do whatever. I'll go grab a spot in line." She starts trotting off, but turns back. "Don't blame me if they're all sold out by the time you get there!"

>You and Sweetie carry the big bucket of grapes off to Sugarcube Corner. You try to talk to her, but she can't understand you. "Oh... umm... yeah." She pretends to understand you. You should wait until your mouth is cleared.

>As you approach, you see a flash of pink darting around the front of the store. "ZOOM! ZOOM! ZIPPEE!!" Shrills and giggles follow the blur with a redshift Doppler effect.
Pinkie with extra energy? WE'RE ALL DOOMED!
Look for the Cakes and deliver the grapes. After that ask them if they have any twine we can use.

Fuck, not Pinkie. Try to catch up with her. If she's working later at the bakery then we might be able to leave the grapes with her. I nominate going to see Applebloom. AJ and Big Mac will probably want to have some crack juice so they can work more efficiently, so we should try to at least sow the seed of doubt in their heads. We don't want to have to confront an addiction-maddened Big Mac in the future.
Turn in grapes, ask the cakes about the elixir, sow the seed of doubt in their minds, ask when Pinkie gets off.

Set out for Apple Acres next.
>“Wha… is that Pinkie Pie?” Sweetie Belle seems baffled by Pinkie’s incredible, instantly changing velocity. You approach cautiously. Almost instantly, a jittery, extremely happy Pinkie Pie stands before you, quivering with energy.

>“Hey there smarty pants!” She smiles and looks you over. She seems to teleport next to Sweetie Belle. “Are you guys finally dropping off those grapes?” She runs a few circles around you quick. “Oh my gosh! We’re going to make such delicious jam out of them! Do you guys want to try some after we make it? Huh huh huh?” She can’t seem to slow down for any amount of time.

>You say that you'd love some a bit later, but you've gotta drop them off first for Mrs. Cake.

>"OH! Here, let me take 'em for you!" Pinkie lifts the bucket up with her head and dashes off, barely leaving you enough time to let go. She zips on back, sliding to a stop. Hayseed is on top of her head.

>"Did you guys even HEAR?! Some griffin girl is selling the most AMAZING super fantastic wonderful super juice in the town square today!" She bounces around. "Do you guys want to come WAIT! Hold on, do you guys want some candy FOLLOW ME!!" She's gone in an instant.

>"What just happened?" Sweetie Belle looks concerned.
Fuck you Pinkie

Fuck you and your thieving zebra ass.

Try to follow her as best we can. Maybe she's heading for Sugarcube Corner. We need to get Hayseed back as soon as possible.
Reach a hoof out in vain for your lost toy.

Follow Pinkie in to get her back. Candy secondary.
He's tricking us. Hayseed will be safe with Pinkie and I'm sure she'll return it soon enough. We need to get some samples of the elixir so we can make a cure.

Go see Skooma Sally.
I have and I knew from the start that we'd be separated from Hayseed for the majority of the quest. We just have to deal with it and act heroically. No risk, no reward. If we spend the whole quest chasing after Hayseed, we're going to have a town full of addicts before we know it.
>You dart off after Pinkie after reaching out for poor little Hayseed. Sweetie Belle sees the concern in your eyes and tries to keep up with you. You enter into Sugarcube Corner.

>The bucket of grapes is empty and there's a boiling pot of water on the stove, presumably already full with jam. Pinkie zips on over to you and Sweetie. "Have some!" She puts a spoon of jam into you and Sweetie's mouth. It tastes a bit sour, but otherwise it's really good.

>You ask for Hayseed back. Pinkie tilts her head, not quite understanding, but Hayseed comes tumbling off her bouncy mane. "OH! Your little dollie! That's sooo cute!" She goes over to the counter, grabbing a couple of peppermint candy canes. "You guys want some? They're deeeelish!"

>Off to the side, you see an extremely groggy Mrs. Cake tending the counter. "Pinkie. Dear. They've gotta pay for candy. If they don't, we'll go out of business." She looks like a mix of sick and extremely agitated.
Ask Mrs. Cake why she doesn't feel well. She could be coming down from a "high."
Ask Mrs. Cake if she has had any of the Energy Potions yet. Tell her we think that Sally maybe be putting an addictive substance in them to boost her sails.
Hug Hayseed. Make sure everything is okay with the grapes. Head to where Scoots is.

I want to get a sample of it and bring it to Twilight, see what she can figure out about it. Failing that, take it to Zecora.
Zecora is probably our best bet. I would say we should have Applebloom look at it, but I don't think we can trust her to not drink it.
>After reuniting with Hayseed, you give her a warm, gentle hug. Her plush, soft body reminds you of a set of fleece blankets you threw over yourself one time when you were ill and your mother read you a bedtime story. You remember how calm you were, how relaxing her voice was as you forgot about the world around you.

Quest Saved.
>You talk to Mrs. Cake at the counter. Immediately, before asking, she says "Peppermint Candycanes. 1 bit a piece."

>You ask her if she's feeling well. "Oh. Perfect. Just fine, dear." You can hear her gritting her teeth a little bit. Mr. Cake walks into the room, trembling a little. "Um... girls? Uh... are you going to buy something toda-day?"

>Mrs. Cake doesn't even look his way, grumbling something incoherent.

>(Also, you tell Sweetie to grab your slingshot. She says she already has hers, but takes yours anyways because she has extra space. You tuck Hayseed away in the slingshot pouch, safe and sound.)
Tell them we are saving our money for a potion. Ask them if they have hand any and tell them our fears of it being addictive.
That's pretty cheap, if we have more than 4 bits let's get one
Buying one may be enough to get the Cakes to talk to us, but we should only buy one if we can still afford to get an energy drink afterwards.
>INVENTORY CHECK
Sweetie Belle: 2 Slingshots, CMC Cape, Bag of Marshmallows
>Current Money: 6 bits

Raisin: CMC Cape, Boots, Hayseed, Stompstarter, Rocks, Appleblooms Explosive Satchel
>Current Money: 5 bits
>You take Mrs. Cake up on the cheap candy. Sweetie Belle look over at you. "Um... were you going to still buy some of that elixir stu-"

>Mrs. Cake interrupts. "DON'T... Don't waste your money on that smarmy chicken's death soup." She looks very irritable. "I swear, when I get better, I'm going to show that overgrown featherbrained nitwit the business end of MY ROLLING PIN!" She slams the counter with her hoof. Mr. Cake darts off. Pinkie seems to have stopped for a moment.

>"Oh. That'll be 1 bit, Raisin."
Hand over the bit.
Get out another bit, but don't buy anything just yet.
"What did it do to you?"
Hold on a second, tell her that we want to buy one so we can have Zecora look at it. Ask her how much the potions cost and if we can't afford both a cane and a potion tell her we will be back to buy candy after we have the gryphon run out of town.
We should really only spend as much as necessary seeing as how the gryphon doesn't seem to be following "the first taste is free" policy.
Encourage her. Tell her that she has to be strong and she'll probably be tempted to "drink just a sip."

Ask her if she's thinking of filing a complaint at the mayor's office.
>You cautiously slide a bit across the countertop. Pinkie zips over and drops the peppermint cane on the counter, then zips back to make another dozen small cakes. "Thanks, Pinkie." Mrs. Cake mumbles.

>She takes the bit. You start to go for another bit, then ask what the effect the potion gave to her. You mention your suspicions about the concoction, thinking that it might be some addictive blend of bad.

>"...addictive?" She gives you a cross look. "Does it look like I EVER want to try anymore of that vile crow poison?" She shakes her mane. "You know, it felt great for the first few hours... and it really does give you a nice boost of energy..." She looks ready to explode. "But then... THIS. Nothing but SICK."

>Pinkie zips over the counter, filling up another container with baked goods. She doesn't dare to interrupt Mrs. Cake.

>"Um... Raisin..." Sweetie Belle motions to the door. "Scoots is waitin' for us over at the... uh... 'playground'... we shouldn't keep her waiting, should we?"
Go see Scoots, even though chasing after Hayseed probably cost us a sample of elixir.
Let's go to Scootaloo. Make sure we have all our stuff before leaving. Eat the candy cane along the way, it should be small enough for us to talk around.
thank her for her time and head out
don't forget to buy that second candy cane for the info
we'd best be careful with those potions

I have a feeling that addiction isn't its primary function
Hopefully not. Fighting an addicted populace is going to be hard enough. If they're mind controlled or something, then we're fucked.
that still leaves a plethora of other terrible things he could be doing

like potions that cause ponies to gradually go berserk, or some shit
>You give Mrs. Cake another bit and Pinkie drops another peppermint candy cane on the counter. You make sure to grab them in your mouth before you head for the door. "Thanks girls. Stay away from that horrible griffin."

>As you leave, Pinkie slides up next to you, jostling your saddlebag. "Oh, don't mind her too much. She's just grumpy because she didn't drink any this morning!" Pinkie zooms around you quick, then heads back to the bakery.

>"Sure seems to give you a LOT of energy..." Sweetie Belle smiles. The two of you head out, two candy canes slowly melting in your mouth and a bustling, excited town square up ahead. "That must be it! C'mon, let's hurry!"

>You see a massive gathering of ponies around a very loud, flashy stage. A griffin lady with a megaphone yells to the crowd, “Come one! Come all! Get your hooves on a case of Snakeoil Sally’s Miracle Elixir before it’s all gone!” She twirls a cane and does a small jig on stage as the bits pour in. You can barely see a grey pegsus with a blonde mane serving up potions on the far right of the stage. She's wearing a bottle hat.

>Scoots runs over to and Sweetie. "Guys! Look! Score!!" She's got two small, ornate little bottles labeled 'Snakeoil Sally’s Miracle Elixir'. "One for me, one for Applebloom. Hurry up and get in line before it's all gone!"
Derpy, stop being evil and helping the bad guy.

Wait in line, keeping an eye on what Sally is doing, exactly.
"Actually, I think that elixir may be bad news."

Explain the effect it had on Mrs. Cake.
Ask her to hold off on drinking them untill we all have one, so we can have more fun. Warn Pinkie against jostling our saddlebag because we have some firework powder that Applebloom made for us, and we don't want it to explode.

Let's go get some potions.
Nah, one's more than enough. Express our concern, but don't try to force Scootaloo to give up her bottle, or else she might chug it right in front of us in spite. Tell her whaqt happened to Ms. Cake and that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to give Applebloom another bottle.

If she needs more convincing, go back to Sugarcube Corner and make Scootaloo listen to the Cakes. If not, then head out to Applebloom's place.
>You shake your head in approval, noting that Scootaloo has more than enough elixir to help us discover what it REALLY is. "Yeah, okay Twilight. Sweetie Belle, you gotta get some elixir for Rarity and yourself still, right?"

>Sweetie Belle nods. "Oh yeah! She gets soo funny when she's all super-fashion mode." She looks at you. "We're still gonna get potions, right?"
>You mosey your way toward the line. You notice that it's a tight fit and ponies are constantly bumping one another.

>"I'll go ahead. Follow me!" Sweetie jumps ahead of you.

>You see Sally still twirling her cane and dancing up on stage. A whisper floats towards the back of the crowd. "Hey... did that stuff make you guys sick at all?" Random audience members chatter back and forth. "Yeah, but then I drank some more and I was fine."
Stick the candycanes to Hayseed.

Try to talk to some of the ponies in line. If they're getting more, ask them if they shouldn't try to wait out feeling bad. If they've never had it before, ask why they're getting some.
>Before you get into the claustrophobic line, you grab Hayseed and stick the slightly melted candy canes to her hooves, like she's holding them. They have sharp ends now.

>"Eeeewwww..." Sweetie Belle watches you put the candy on your doll. Sticking her back into your pouch, you notice that the cane tops keep the flap slightly open. It shouldn't be a problem...

>You maneuver into line a bit. You keep getting bumped about as the other ponies cheer. You hear more whispering from the adult ponies. "This stuff is incredible!" Another goes on, "Did you hear, though? One of my friends started talking about some sand castle thingie..." their conversations gets lost.

>You get bumped again.
Give Sweetie Belle our bits and ask her to buy a potion for us as well, remind her not to drink it until we can find out why it is making ponies sick.

Get out of line before we explode like an Arab.
>bumped, bumped, bumped
OH SHIT THE EXPLOSIVES

GET OUT OF LINE NOW
Fuck.

Check bags now

Watch for anyone moving away quickly through the crowd. If Hayseed isn't there, yell that you've been pickpocketed.
>You remember that you're carrying some rather lethal explosives in your saddlebags. You quickly turn the other way, hoping that it's not too late.

>Sweetie Belle turns around. "Raisin? What's wrong?" You don't let her know about the explosives, telling her to instead just make her way up the line and buy you your potion. She nods, darting in between a pair of legs to get back in line. Sally detonates some fireworks high above the stage, celebrating her 500th sale. "Quick! Hurry up! We're nearly out for the day! Get some while you can!" She screeches over the megaphone.

>Scootaloo runs up to you. "Hey, are you okay?"
>You quickly check your bags. Everything seems to be safe and sound. The explosive satchel is surprisingly hot, but it's not shaking or doing anything else.
GENTLY place it back in our bag. Walk slowly and smoothly from now on, or at least until the mixture has cooled. Looks like we have to stay away from crowds from now on.
Set the satchel down somewhere quiet and far away from other ponies. Let it cool down for a minute or five while we wait for Sweetie and Applebloom. Hopefully it won't explode.
Hug Hayseed and be glad you didn't explode.
Tell her that we may have made a very big mistake by bringing some explosive powder Applebloom made with us and ask if she could step back a bit. Very, VERY gently take off out saddle bags and lay them somewhere away from other ponies, make sure we leave the flap open so the bag can cool off.

Stand back and watch it until Sweetie gets back with our potions.
>Scootaloo's eyes widen up. "You brought WHAT?!" She jumps back 10 feet. "Are you INSANE?! Didn't you hear what happened to Applebloom's Adventure Barrel?!" Some other ponies close by take their eyes off of Sally's show and cast you two a look.
>You carefully walk away from the crowd and sit next to the town square statue in the shade. Scootaloo keeps a safe distance. "You're completely nuts, Raisin. Not even I would bring Applebloom's Bombshell Powder stuff with me."

>Sweetie Belle rushes back with 3 bottles of potion, one in her pouch and two in her mouth. "Gtthf mmm!"
Alright. Ask Scootaloo if she'd be okay with hiding the vials from Applebloom until we've talked with her for a while. If not, then I suggest going over to the library and see if we can't find any books on toxicology.
Wouldn't Zecora be a better choice? We can talk to her about the curse and about the Energy Drinks. If we mix the explosive powder and Twilight's Bad Luck curse, someone is going to die.
>Scootaloo seems to have enough room in her pouches to hold all of the new vials. "Sure... as long as Ms. Ticking Timebomb doesn't hold onto them, I think we should be fine..." Sweetie Belle tilts her head, but quickly picks up on the hint. She jumps back. "Raisin?! ARE YOU CRAZY!? You brought that explosive powder stuff that Applebloom made?!"

>You give her a very flat expression.
I'd really like to talk with Applebloom first. I say we hide the vials in a bush outside her house and have Sweetie Belle stand guard while we talk with her and the rest of the Apples.
Let's just get this elixir to Zecora and see if there's some sort of hocus-pocus voodoo bullshit in it
Go check on Applebloom, then head to Zecora's.

En route, try to convince the other two CMCs that this stuff is bad business, and shouldn't be consumed
>3 for Sweet Apple Acres, 2 for Zecora first
You suggest that the team should go see what Applebloom's up to. Scootaloo agrees, but tells you to keep your distance. She doesn't want you exploding on her.

>You ask about the powder, seeing as you've never personally used it. "Anything and everything sets it off. It can go off for no reason AT ALL, like Applebloom's did. Zecora said it was really bad news, that's why she threw it out in the first place." You swallow hard, trying to walk as level as possible. You can no longer feel the heat of the satchel against your side.

>You approach a field of apple trees. You're at Sweet Apple Acres. What's your next move?
go up to the farmhouse and knock on the door
Let's go find the crater and leave the powder there, we can always come back and get it later if we have to blow something up.

After that give Sweetie Belle the potions and then go find Apple Bloom.
As risky as it is, we have to hold onto it. We might get captured and have to make a distraction or blow something up in the future.

Hide the vials of elixir in a bush and have Sweetie Belle stand guard. Walk up to the door and ask for Applebloom.
>As you approach the little farmhouse, you see a disgruntled Applejack with her head hung low. She's hauling a large cart of apples very slowly. She looks like she's in a really bad mood. She casts you a glance.

>"Applebloom's sick right now..." She groans. "Just like me and Big Mac.You girls need something?"

>Scootaloo recoils. "She's sick? She was doing fantastic yesterday..."

>You and the CMC approach. "Yeah, until that nasty potion business worn off. I feel downright terrible... ugh... I never should have drinken that stuff..." Big Mac comes around the side of the barn, dragging his feet.

>You ask if you can see Applebloom. "Uh... yeah, sure. She's in her room... just be quiet. Granny Smith isn't feeling right either."
Warn them that you seriously think it's addictive and to not drink anymore no matter how tempting it might be.

Walk quietly inside and see Applebloom.
Start to get a bad feeling about this.
Go inside to check on Apple Bloom.
Is it just me, or would the powder exploding kill us destroy Hayseed and thus destroying our ability to load previous saves and causing us to lose?
>Before you head for the house, you ask if Granny Smith had one of the energy drinks before she started feeling bad.

>"Yeah... she drank one after she had gone an seen how much energy me and Big Mac had..." She motions over to the orchard. You reckon that a little over half of the trees are cleared. "We got a ton of work done.. but it cost us a lot more than 3 bits of that nasty tastin' 'elixir' junk."

>Scootaloo starts to have doubts about the elixir. "Huh. Nobody except Pinkie seems to like the stuff..." >She pulls a vial out and looks over the label again. "Rainbow Dash really liked it... she was going like mad crazy doing tricks yesterday..."
>You all make your way into the house as quietly as possible. You head up the stairs and make your way over to Applebloom's door. She motions for you all to come on in. She looks terrible; she's scrunched up in her bed, laying there lazily. "Oh. Hey guys."
Give her one of your candy canes to cheer her up. "Are you alright? You look like the apple trees bucked YOU."
Tell her that we are going to see Zecroa so we can find out what that Gryphon is putting in the potions to make everyone sick. Ask her if she can come with us so Zecora can see the after effects of the potion.

Ask her if we can keep our explosive powder in that crater she made until we need to blow something up.
Tell Scoots that the more Dash drinks it, the worse she'll feel afterwards. Doesn't she want to help her hero?

Also, ask Applebloom how she's feeling. Don't let her see a vial. If she's not feeling up for adventuring, then she might just have to get bed rest. Also mention that she doesn't want to get addicted to the crack juice and should probably stay away from it no matter how bad she feels.

Okay, fine.

Leave the powder somewhere we'll know it'll be if we ever need to retrieve it.
Hold that thought, tell her we need to drop the explosive powder somewhere, and then navigate our way to the crater.

Do this all in one turn and leave Hayseed in the room.
>You express your concern for Applebloom's health.

>"Are you alright? You look like the apple trees bucked YOU."

>She smiles. "Ohhh... I'm just not feeling too good... I think I caught somethin' adventurin' the other day..." She leans back into her pillow. "Sorry guys, I just don't feel li-" She stops. "Oh! Scoots... did you bring me some more of that energy drink?"

>Scoots darts a glance over to you. "Uh..."
--No. No we didn't. It's not good for you anyway Applebloom. That stuff is what's making you sick!
Say we are going to Zecora's so she can figure out how to make the potions without whatever it is that makes ponies sick. Tell her she can have some of the new energy drink once it is ready.

Tell her we have the explosive powder with us and need to drop it somewhere before we all die.

"No, we didn't. We were going to, but saw everyone else sick and thought that more would just make you feel worse."

End the conversation and leave. We don't want to attack her. Be sure to drop off the satchel in the crater for later. Get Sweetie Belle and head to our friendly neighborhood alchemist.
>"--No. No we didn't. It's not good for you anyway Applebloom. That stuff is what's making you sick!"

>She tilts her head. "Whaddya mean? That stuff is 'a miracle in a bottle'. It really makes ya feel really... jumpy. And good..."

>You go further, explaining that everyone you've talked to that's drank the potions have all gotten terribly sick or feel extremely bad.

>"Oh... I didn't know... Why don't you talk to Zecora about it? I bet she could.. you know." Applebloom groans. "Ohmmm... my tummy..."

>You say that's the plan and prepare to take off... but first...
>You make mention that you've got her explosive satchel with you. Her eyes widen up. "Are you crazy? Raisin... what?" She scoots away from you on her bed.

>You say that you're going to go out back and get rid of it. You and the CMC nod and leave her room. You evade Applejack and Big Mac, heading out toward the back of the barn.
Just make sure we put the powder somewhere we can remember, so we can get it if needed.
Tell Applebloom to drink some fresh juice and try to go to sleep. Bolt out of there before Big Mac and AJ can ask any more questions.

Stash the goods somewhere we'll be able to find it later. Like in the barn's loft.

You never know when highly volatile explosives will come in handy.
>You look around and find Applebloom's Adventure Crater. It's got a large rock at the bottom, presumably under which Applebloom hides her stash of secret adventure gear. You carefully take off your saddlebags and grab the explosive satchel. It's air-temp right now.

>"I still can't believe..." Scootaloo watches you handle the satchel, twitching slightly. Sweetie Belle holds onto your tail as you lift up the rock and place the explosive satchel underneath it.

>Under the rock are some candies, a green bow, and a small journal. You set the satchel next to them.

>"Whew. Glad that's over." Scootaloo wipes her head. Sweetie Belle pulls you up quick.

>"Off to Zecora's then, right?"

Peek into the journal.

If it looks like a diary, put it back.
>You decide to peek through the journal just to see what's in it. Scootaloo chimes in. "What is that?"

>You read the first page. In it, Applebloom is speaking first person. "Today, I met this small purple filly named Raisin at school. She seems really cool! Im going ta see if she wants to crusade with us sometime..."

>"What is it? Is it Appplebloom's little diary? Did we finally get it?" Scootaloo looks excited.
Skip to the last few pages. Look for anything out of place.
>You realize that it's Applebloom's diary. You jump to the last few pages quick.

>"...that funny eyed pegasus handed me a couple of vials, one for each of us. Sally seems like really cool griffin, much better than that other one that Pinkie mentions at random sometimes.

>This stuff is amazing! Everyone on the farm is just going crazy fast! I hope this lasts for the rest of the day! I've gotta tell the girls; this is fantastic!"

>You read the final entry.

>"I don't feel very good anymore. I think the energy stuff wore off. Also, Twilight was saying a lot of funny stuff when she drank hers with Applejack... her eyes looked kinda funny too..."

>It ends there. You close it up and put it back
Fuck.

Go see the zebra immediately. And to think I thought Twilight would be smart enough to know about drugs and the like. Surely she's come across something like those in her studies.
>You, Scoots, and Sweetie Belle wave bye to a tired Applejack and Big Mac as you head off towards Fluttershy's cottage, just on the outskirts of the forest.

>"Man... We could get there so much faster if we drank some of these things... did you see how fast Rainbow Dash was the other day?" Scootaloo listens to the rattles of the bottles in her saddlebags.

>"Or how fast Pinkie was moving! She was soo fast!" Sweetie Belle darts her hooves around, accidentally tripping. She gets up, her cheeks a rosy red.

>The Everfree Forest starts coming into view. The three of you head into the currently sunny entrance, taking Twilight's favored path straight to Zecora's hut. "Hey, Raisin... you don't happen to have a lighter do you?" Scootaloo asks. "Never know if we'll run into that green fog stuff again".

>You roll your eyes. Zecora's hut lies in the distance. You can see her walking around her house. She looks deeply concerned.
ask her what calamity's befallen her THIS time
No. I remember that it was some lost formula that the dragon dude only knew. Unless the griffins have mages, then I doubt we'll come across something like that

Ask Zecora what's up in this hizzay. Don't show her the vials unless we know she's worrying about how to fix things, not about how to get some more for herelf because she got addicted too.

And tell remind our friends that if they drink the potion, they'll become addicted and get extremely sick.
>You knock at the door. "Who could that possibly be? Another strange, cross eyed pony?" She opens it up. "Oh, Raisin! Come in, come in."

>"...And Scootaloo. And Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo adds on. "We're here too."

>You say that you saw her pacing around in her house and ask what's wrong. In a way that Jr cannot currently rhyme right now due to time constraints, she explains that Twilight came by with an extremely weird message. Her eyes weren't centered either.
Ask her if she's drank any of the crack juice. Show her the vials only if she says she hasn't. Then, ask her if she knows any ways to find out ingredients and/or magical and physical effects.

Also, ask her if she knows if the griffins practice magic. She's the only foreigner in a 10 mile radius, so she might know more about what lies beyond Equestria's borders.
Derpy eyes? Maybe the elixir turns ponies into mindless zombies.
Ask her more about Twilight's visit.
>You ask Zecora if, by chance, there were some sort of 'crack juice', if she'd be able to find out what the hay is in it so that you could, just as an example, make a cure from said 'crack juice'.

>"If there's a potion, then it's true,
That there's something that I could do."

>She nods. Scootaloo reaches for one of Snakeoil Sally's Miracle Elixirs. "Well... I guess she can have mine, then... I mean, it's poison, right?"

>Zecora snatches it. She reads over the label, scoffing at the picture of the griffin on the front. She says that she knows this idiot. Apparently, she sold her some bad ingredients just a few years ago. Back then, she was 'Snakeoil Sammy'.

>She's a con artist.
keep in mind that it hasn't happened to Pinkie, and she's been taking repeated doses

maybe the curse is making it take effect much faster in Twilight?
Ask her if there's any way to neutralize the effects of this potion.

Tell her it seems to be messing with ponies heads.
>Sammy
>Sally

SWEET JESUS HERE COMES THE GENDERSWAPPING

Get some more info before checking with Twilight. Ask Zecora is she has anything that looks similar that puts ponies to sleep for a while. We can probably make them sleep the addiction off if we trick them.
>She says that she's never seen this stuff before, but she knows exactly who 'Snakeoil' is. She immediately drains her cauldron and dumps the small vial into it, taking notice to the smell. Her nose scrunches up. She can't imagine how anyone actually drank the stuff; a mild mix of lemon cleaner with some other, extremely bitter agent.

>A storm of chemicals and other various ingredients whip off her shelves and into the mix. She starts up a fire and begins to stir it up. While it boils...
>You ask about the visit. Zecora's eyes pop open. She says that Twilight came by just a couple of hours ago telling her about a 'castle in the sands' and how Zecora should travel with her to see it. Twilight would NOT stop going on and on about the castle, saying that the music sounds so lovely, even from here.

>After that, Twilight left. Zecora tried to stop her, but Twilight batted her away with magic. It was the strangest thing... since then, Zecora has been researching a cause and looking for a cure.
Jeez. Well, we're going to need some muscle to take on Twilight. Is there a beach anywhere around here? The Appaloosan desert was dust and dirt, not really the kind of sand you make sandcastles with.

Ask her about a sleeping agent that looks like the elixir that we can put in vials to knock out anyone who drinks it.
I'm thinking we'll need to blow up this castle.

Damn Twilight, you scary. We should probably make the library our next destination. I mean, it can't be a unicorn thing; Sweetie Belle didn't mention Rarity going on about a castle in the sand. Hopefully Spike is still sane. We might have to feign madness for a while.
why did I immediately think of R'lyeh?

Because it probably is some Cthulhu shit. Sally a shapeshifter it seems, so she's probably out to cast some dark spell and might need sacrifice or something. To make matters worse, she has one of the most powerful sorceresses to have ever lived under her command.
>You pow-wow with Scoots and Sweetie Belle. 'Castle in the Sand'? Twilight going nuts? What is going on?

>"I bet that griffin knows what's going on. Let's crash her stage show!" Scootaloo punches at the air.

>"Wait, hold on... it's getting kind of dark out. Should we go to the library and see if Spike knows anything? We could go to Sally's later at night..." Sweetie Belle argues.

>You ask Sweetie Belle how Rarity reacted to the potion. She tells you that Rarity was moving a lot faster, but she started getting all loopy later on. She also kept going over to the record player and hitting it, which Sweetie found rather funny.

>Zecora keeps stirring the mixture. She seems a bit confused. She mentions that there's something definitely magical about the solution, but another chemical seems to be covering it up. She has no idea what it could be.

You guys will need to formulate a plan. How shall you proceed?
>The evening sun approaches the horizon.

Sleeping agent mimic. Maybe we can knock Twilight out. Also, I hope night doesn't turn everyone into vampires or something. I went through that shit already with Shockwave's quest.

If all else fails, leave the rest of our elixir with Zecora so she can at least have material for some trial and error work, and check on the Apple family again. Hopefully the madness only affects unicorns and isn't just accelerated for them. We might need to be sneaky, so we should equip our boots if they do any noise-canceling.
Well I guess that is something we will have to look for at the castle in the sand.

Ask Zecora if it would be safe for ponies to drink this stuff more than once. Also ask her if she can put some sleeping potion or whatever in some empty energy drink vials.
Does anyone think it would be a good idea if we approached the gryphon, said we were interested in learning how to make potions, and then tried asking her questions about the energy drink?

Or should we go to the library and learn about stuff?

too suspicious. we need to keep a low profile for as long as we can

The more you drink, the madder you become probably. It's probably magical, so I don't think the bad feeling can wear off naturally.

Hug Hayseed again, all this talk is making us realize how scared we are.
>You ask Zecora that, in the event you bump into Twilight and she's hostile, if you could use some sort of 'sleeping medicine' on her. Zecora tells you to wait just one moment. She turns around, grabs a small satchel, and hands it to you. She uses this stuff to get to sleep in a flash.

(USE: Throw at face of target)
>You ask the CMC if they should go to the library to see if Spike can explain more... or describe this 'Castle' thing Twilight was going on about. Scootaloo rolls her eyes. "Seriously, you're purple and everything. They should call you Twilight Jr." She banters. "I still think we should go and teach that featherduster a lesson."

>"I hope Spike's okay..." Sweetie Belle chimes in.

>Library or Sally's Cart? (Library is currently chosen)
Library. Save the cart for when it's really late at night so the griffin is more likely to be asleep. Be sure to hug Hayseed though.

Also >implying Spikebelle
Tell Scootaloo that we can come back and kick the gryphon feathery tail once we have enough proof that she is evil. Remind her that the guards in this town are dumb as bricks and probably wouldn't believe us without lots of proof.

SAVE and head to the library.
Nigga, I bet the guards were the easiest to convert.

Channel our inner Solid Snake and stealth our way through town as best we can until we reach the library.
>You pull Hayseed out of your bags. She's still got those sticky peppermint candy canes stuck to her hands. You feel a little grossed out by 'em, but you give her a hug anyways. Her soft mane under your chin reminds you of your mom nuzzling your head after a long afternoon of playing ball with your dad. It makes you calm down and focus on yourself. Your shoulders relax and your heartbeat softens.

QUEST SAVED

>"...Are you still with us, Raisin?" Scootaloo pokes your shoulder. You snap out of your trance.

>You decide to head off toward the library. Spike may have some more info for you guys and might be able to help you find some. The skies darken up a bit and the forest looks a bit more scary. Zecora doesn't seem to notice you leaving; she's absorbed with trying to isolate the magic in the potions you gave her.
Maybe it would be a good idea to tell her that we're leaving. If she doesn't think the way home is safe, she'll speak up.
Let's ask Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle what they have in their saddle bags. If we have to go fight a gryphon or rescue Twilight we need to know what everyone has got.
This, tell her we are going to the library.
If we never return, avenge our deaths.
>You turn around and shout to Zecora that you're going to investigate the Library. She pops up from the cauldron, urging you to come back. She points down the path ahead, saying that Twilight's path isn't safe at night. You need to use the upper bog path to stay in the moonlight; it's almost completely dark, so it'll be much safer than the lower, normal route.

You're thankful you asked.
>INVENTORY CHECK
Scootaloo: CMC Cape, 1 empty vial, 1 Snakeoil Sally's Miracle Elixir
>Bits: 0
Sweetie Belle: CMC Cape, 2 Slingshots, and a Bag of Marshmallows
>Bits: 0
Raisin: CMC Cape, Boots, Rocks, Stompstarter, Hayseed + Peppermint Candy Canes
>Bits: 0
>You continue on your way down the safer, upper bog path. You trot towards the lights at the edge of town, preparing to investigate the library to see what's going on.

>A cold chill runs up your spine.
Ask Sweetie for our slingshot back and ask her how good a shot she is with her slingshot. If she's a good shot then we should collect some small rocks off the edge of the path for her. If she isn't a good shot then ask Scootaloo if she is a good shot and if Sweetie Belle wouldn't mind lending her slingshot to her until we get out of the forest.
Nevermind, get Hayseed out, be ready to hug if a cockatrice leaps out. Otherwise, tell everyone too be brave and to stay close together.
>You look about, trying to spot any danger. You ask Sweetie Belle for your Slingshot back... you think there's something nearby. She shivers, a little scared. "A..Are you s-s-sure?"

>Scootaloo walks ahead. "There's nothing to be s-scared of. C'mon, Zecora said that we were gonna be safe up he-"

>She stops talking. You hear the stones on the path behind you start to rustle about. Some trotting can be heard in the distance.
Dive off the path and try to hide. Be prepared to throw our bottle of elixir at it; it might be a crazed addict.
Trotting? That means it's not a horrible creature that's about to kill us, right?
That means it's a hoofed creature. That probably means it's a horrible insane Twilight about to turn us inside out.

If it is possible we need get off the path and into some sort of cover, put I am hesitant about doing anything before I get a clearer picture of the path.

We should definitely get our slingshot, though.
Hide in bushes. Try to go as far from the road as we can while still remain in good cover. Stand still unless our pursuer stops and starts rummaging for us. Be ready to hug Hayseed.
>Quickly, you and your comrades dive off the path and behind a bush. You peek your nose out to see what's following you. "What do you see? Is it a monster?" Sweetie Belle whispers.

>You see a soft light pour out from the creature. It's definitely a unicorn...

>But its eyes derped. She hums a really strange tune as she trots down the path.

>"Do you know of the Castle in the Sand?" She calls out. "We carve the statue from the rocky land." Her horn glows bright. "We serve under the stony hand... of the king of the Castle in the Sand."

>You're not sure if she knows you're there. Sweetie Belle shakes nervously, aiming a pebble for the creepy unicorn's head. "Just tell me when... oh Celestia..."
Grab Sweetie, gag her, make sure she does nothing to give away our position, even if it's her sister. When the danger's passed, ask her what she saw
Get out the satchel of sleeping powder Zecora gave us. Tell Sweetie Belle to not fire unless we miss with the powder. Don't throw the powder unless we are seen.
>You hold back Sweetie Belle, indicating that she shouldn't do anything to give off your current position. The unicorn isn't one that any of you recognize. She gets closer, staring into the bush. She hums the melody, a little louder now.

>You can feel Scootaloo shivering at your side. "She can see us..." She whispers.
Get out our sleeping powder and tell the girls to run in opposite directions while we hit it in the face with the powder. Make sure we are whispering.
>As the unicorn slows to a stop in front of your bush, you discuss your plan. In desperation, they agree with the idea. The creepy unicorn is now parked in front of the bush, staring into it. "Do you know of th-"

>You toss the bag of sleeping powder at her face. Almost instantly, she catches it with her telekinesis. "Have you ever been to the Castle in the Sand?" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo panic, running toward Ponyville.

>You're stuck in front of the inquiring, wall eyed unicorn. She doesn't move, simply holding onto the sleeping powder you tossed at her.
"Of course I have. I was just on my way back to Ponyville to find more ponies so I could show them."

If she looks like she isn't going to buy it, hug Hayseed and reload.
"Yes, but I don't know what it means. Lead me to it."

Try to trick her. Act like we're just starting to have visions.
Pretend to be insane, but have Hayseed ready in case the unicorn starts casting some sort of mind spell and we feel funny. This might be a good source of information; I say we milk it as far as we can.
"...Maybe?"
>You tell her that you've been to the Castle in the Sand, but you and your friends have lost their way.

>"You have been to the Castle in the Sand..."

>She pushes you with her magic into the dirt path. "King Tezel does not like children. The children have seen his Castle. They took his treasures. You took King Tezel's treasure."

>She shoves you into the road again. It robs some of the breath from your lungs. The fanatic unicorn continues on with her droning message, shoving you down the road every time you try to stand up.

>"King Tezel does not like children."
Grab Hayseed, pray for relief.
It going south. Hug Hayseed. If we do hug Hayseed and go back to Zecora's
>You instinctively grab Hayseed during one of the chants. You grasp her with what little breath you've got left. Giving her a quick squeeze, the world seems to melt away as your chest brushes up to her tail. It reminds you of a soothing feeling you had when you were a little younger, laying down on your mother's tail during a crisp, Spring morning. The unicorn attacking you vanishes... the warmth of your friends returns.

>"...Are you still with us, Raisin?" Scootaloo pokes your shoulder. You snap out of your trance.
END OF DAY 1