Text Adventure Chapter 49 Log

>Inspect Neck-Ring of Kinich Ahau
[A golden, pony-sized neck ring that snaps on with a highly decorative clasp. It has a lot of eerily glowing rubies and amethysts embedded into the ring itself that create a secondary ring of fire around it, insinuating a powerful magical presence. It’s also rather hot to the touch unless worm. (Increases MD by 40, decreases fire damage by 10%, Grants ability Scorch)]

“Alright, we’re still waiting for the rest of our group, which I see is Applejack and Pinkie Pie. When they return, we’re going to go back to the hospital to meet up with Twilight Sparkle as she’s currently conducting her own research on the shadow’s influence on other ponies. After I try a new spell out there with those that are outcold that I just recently learned, we’ll take her with us to the Crystal Palace to go talk to Princess Cadance, and get all of this straightened out. Any questions?”
>All of them shake their heads, and you dismiss them.
>It feels odd being the ringleader of the group despite knowing the least of this world, but you suppose humans have a bit more of a backbone than ponies.
>But what does that make Iron Will and Gable?
>One’s a showboat, the other doesn’t care.
>Your choice of bodyguards really needs a workout.
>After a little bit of time passes, you think about reading your book, but you instead decide to approach Gable and lean on the wall next to him.
>”What is it?”
>Damn, he didn’t even open his eyes.
“Uh, hey. Just wanted to talk for a little bit.”
>”You have other dimwits for that, for the record.”
“True, but you’re my favorite dimwit.”
>Gable opens his eyes and looks right at you.
“Kidding, kidding… anyways, I know you probably don’t want to get into it again, but I really wouldn’t mind you living in Ponyville, if anything else to see each other after all of this is done.”
>”Anon.”
“Look, I’m not telling you where you should live, I just… Don’t want us just separating so abruptly. You’re a cool guy to hang around.”
>He doesn’t say anything, but you swear you see the hints of a smirk on that beak.
“So, the Gryphon Kingdom. How much is a house there? You told me 5,000 for Ponyville, but I’m guessing that’s a little more?”
>”Much more. Reigetalon is a high class city, more like a province under the Jarl.”
“Jarl?”
>”Leader of that Province. Reigetalon’s ruled by Jarl Graegar.”
“Oh.”
>”If I were to get a settlement in there, it’d probably run me upwards of 40 or 50,000 bits.”
>That’s a good deal out of your league.
“Well, I have a few more inventions being patented at Gyro Gear’s, and I’ll be making well over 2,000 bits a week. Add a few more thousand for each invention, and I’ll be having a lot waiting for me back at Redheart’s place. So, don’t worry about anything we spend on this journey, because there’s a literal treasure waiting for when we get back, and however much it is to pay for your house in Reigetalon, I got it covered.”
>He looks up at you more seriously now.
>”Really?”
“Yeah. All you have to do is wait, and help us out.”
>Gable looks over at Red reading her medical book and Iron getting along with the receptionist for a little while, presumably thinking.
>”What makes you such a goody two-shoes, anyways?”
“What do you mean?”
>”All I’ve seen you do is help ponies or save them, even if you screw up sometimes.”
>You can definitely see where you’ve fucked up in the past.
>“I’m simply asking, what’s your deal? What’s the good samaritan’s reason for being so good?”
>You’re not entirely sure why you do what you do.
>What do you say?



>Odd that he knows what a samaritan is.
>Wait a minute, it’s just a normal word, isn’t it?
>You quickly pull out your phone and look through your downloaded dictionary app.
>Sa·mar·i·tan.
>səˈmaritn,-ˈme(ə)r - noun; a charitable or helpful person.
>Well, would you fuckin’ look at that?
>You return your attention to Gable, that little moment giving you the words you needed to explain yourself.
“This world is a lot better than the one I come from. It... well, it inspires me, I guess. I want to make it perfect, for as many people as I can. I don't know what happened to the world I came from; I might never get back there. So I feel kind of obligated to make this one the best it can be. The people with the power to change the world for the better have an obligation to do so. Whether it's a divine tree, a spear with the power to vanquish evil, or just my own hands, I've been given strength that I can use. So I use it wherever I can... weird, I know. I just like helping others, because everyone needs a hand or hoof from time to time. ...It feels good. Good way to make friends, too. You should try helping someone else, you just might like it.”
>Gable was rather entrenched with your speech until the final sentence.
>He just rolls his eyes and stretches out his wings, almost hitting you in the face.
>”I don’t plan on doing that anytime soon, but you’re welcome to keep doing your thing. I was just curious. Figures I’d get a bonehead answer.”
>You’ll get to him, one day.
“By the way, how good are you at fishing?”
>He looks back over at you.
>”Oh right, you’re an omni whatever.”
“Omnivore.”
>”You’re a carnivore at heart, so it doesn’t matter to me. I’m good at it. I can catch a salmon with one quick flight over a river if I’m hungry, if that’s what you’re asking.”
>You rummage through your heavy pack and fish out your pole.
>Heh.
“Here, take this.”
[You give Gable Fishing Rod and kit.]
>He looks at what you give him with a disinterested look.
>”Oh, great. I’m getting food for you, right?”
“Well, us, and only if we need it. We should have enough bits on us to get real meals.”
>He stows it inside his own pack and you pull out your Medical book.

>Read Medical Expertise: Bleeding, Clots and Nasty Gashes
>...
[You get through a few chapters and learn about natural remedies to clot blood.]
[+20 Experience]
[Medical Knowledge: 290/300]
>...

>Red: Read Medical Mastery: Volume 1
>...
[Red gets a higher understanding of the intricate practices of severe injuries.]
[+50 Experience]
[Medical Knowledge: 875/1500]
>...

>You look up from your book and see Applejack and Pinkie Pie finally return, the bell sounding their arrival at 4:55 P.M.
>The first thing AJ does is look for you, and she breathes a sigh of relief when she does.
>”Howdy ya’ll, … What happened to Berry, now?”
>Redheart pats the sleeping Berry on her head, her own book in hoof.
>”She was a little flustered after what she needed to do and got a bit, uh, tipsy. We got her to sleep it off, but we’re waking her when we leave.”
>AJ nods, and you see Redheart look at you for a moment.
>Her eyes lead you over to Pinkie.
>Red didn’t forget the promise you made in the slightest.
>At least Ponk’s looking very happy that you weren’t torn to shreds.
>Well, this is it.
>Do you tell Pinkie here, or lead her somewhere private?



“Hey Pinkie?”
>She looks up at you with those bright blue eyes.
>”What’s up, Nonny?”
“Is it alright if you, Red and I go talk privately for a moment?”
>Her demeanor falls flat immediately.
>”Oh… O-okay.”
>You walk with her with all eyes on the three of you as Red joins your side, now walking to one of the secluded parts of the library, around aisle DS.
>By the time you figure you’re secluded enough and turn around, you see that Pinkie is looking at Redheart like she’s a ticking time bomb.
>You start speaking quickly before anything else messes up.
“Firstly, Pinkie… I want to say again that I’m so sorry for this whole mess and for what I said. I tried to find a solution that wouldn’t hurt anypony but I screwed up, and I screwed up bad, and for that I apologize deeply.”
>Pinkie nods slowly, and Redheart’s expression softens.
“So, here’s the one hundred percent truth of how we feel, how I feel, and what’s going to happen. I’m with Redheart, I will never leave her for anything in this world or the last. So… We can’t be together in any way, whether it’s grouped or not. It won’t happen.”
>Pinkie rubs her eyes of incoming tears, but when she opens them again, she’s smiling.
>”...Thanks for telling me, Nonny.”
>A sudden premonition comes across your mind.
>Use Window of Reality

>You look into the mirror not to see yourself, but to see two diverging paths within your future that slowly clear from the mysterious fogs.
>As the vision focuses, the paths split away from each other and you see two windows of reality.

-The left path is what would happen if you use the Blessing of Harmony on Pinkie Pie. The window shows Pinkie’s cutie mark, and a radiant light flowing from them that soothes your mind.
-The right path is what would happen if you do not use the spell on Pinkie. The window reveals a similar sight, Pinkie’s cutie mark, but there is a steady decoloration to a monochrome light, yet the cutie mark keeps its colors.

>What would you like to do?



>You look back at Pinkie and kneel down next to her, your markings already beginning to warm up.
“Just remember Pinkie, I’ll always care for you. I know I can’t just change the way you feel, but maybe this’ll soothe that pain.”
>You reach out and envelope her in a hug which she readily reciprocates, and the white glow returns, beginning to bathe the pink pony in a calming, rejuvenating light.
>”Ohhhh…. ...Wow, Nonny… I never had a hug this great before!”
>As the blessing washes over her and you part from each other, she looks over her body with a new, refreshed light, her fur and mane pinker than ever.
>You feel completely depleted of your magic, however. You’ll need to do something about that before you go to the palace.
[MP: 0/20]
“And Red? I’m still really sorry for all of this. I hope we can put it in the past.”
>Redheart slowly smiles and walks up to you, throwing her hooves around your neck.
>She embraces you fully as well as your armor sets would allow, and before you can pull away she gives you a bold kiss on the lips.
>”Okay. I’m watching you though, Anon…”
>You stand up with some affectionate difficulty as you follow the mares back to the lobby, where the rest of the group is waiting.
>AJ and Iron Will are currently nursing Berry as she wakes, looking much more sober than she was before, as well as happier.
>”Hey, Anon.”
“Hey. Feeling better?”
>”Loads… Thanks, for uh, what you did.”
“That’s what friends do. Just try to remember what I said, and cut back a little?”
>Berry hops off the bench and goes over to pat you on the waist in reassurance.
>However, you watch her suddenly snag her flash from Redheart in the same motion, giving her a muzzle-to-muzzle stare right in her eyes.
>”But if you ever take my flask again, I’ll give it back to you on your head, and they’ll call you Nurse FLASKHEART!”
>Berry walks away triumphantly as she takes a bountiful swig, leaving Redheart shrunken and afraid.
>She returns to Iron’s side and they exchange a hoof-high five, when AJ gets your attention.
>”What’s the plan, partner?”
>What would you like to do?



“Well, now we’re going to go back to the hospital to meet up with Twilight where she’s doing her research, pick her up, and we’re all going to the Crystal Palace. Are you all ready?”
>”Tride and true, let’s go ya’ll!”
>”Okey dokey lokey pokey tokey rokey sokey mo…”
>”Hey, anyone else got a raging migraine..?”
>”Right behind you, babe. Berry, nothing’s going to cure that hangover except time, or coffee if they have it.”
>”Time to show off the coat, Iron Will style!”
>”Let’s get a move on, bonehead.”
>You’re almost pushed out of the library as you wave to the receptionist, who waves back enthusiastically, a little low to the ground.
>Oh, she’s dangling it.
>Like, yeah.
>Took you a moment to get it.
>You walk out to the streets of the Crystal Empire with the hustle and bustle of many crystal ponies going home or going to work during the rush hour, and you and your party join the traffic as you head off towards the hospital.
>As you walk, you see Redheart’s finally walking closer to you again, so you decide to do a little small-talk with her.
“So how is that book coming along? Mind discussing what you have been reading and teach me some stuff at the same time?”
>Redheart looks back at the book she was reading while walking.
>”Oh, this? It’s a very informative read, I’m surprised how much I’ve learned from it. It’s a lot more detailed than anything I read in nursing school…”
>It is a medical mastery book.
“How many volumes do you think it has?”
>She bookmarks her page and flips back to the front index, and you see numerals that you don’t recognize.
“Whoa. What is all that?”

>”They’re an ancient numeral script. There’s 101 copies.”
>She doesn’t sound very enthused by this.
“Hey, at least you’re a fast learner.”
>”In the foreword, it says if you just want a crash course you just need to read the last few in the series, so I’ll be on the lookout for those.”
>You’ll make sure to look for them yourself.
>”But here, look what it says on page 76…”
>You talk with Red all the way to the hospital and she ends up teaching you some of what she read in the medical mastery book, dumbing it down enough for you to understand.
>The practicality of some of these techniques makes you wonder how you ever went patching ponies up without them.
[+15 experience]
[MEDICAL SKILL INCREASED TO EXPERT!]
[Your skill now increases medkit effectiveness by 75%, poisons and diseases have a 100% chance to be removed, and you’re able to perform full physicals on earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns.]
(Experience: 5/1500)
>You and your party arrive at the hospital about 20 minutes later, and you hold the door for each of them to go in, coming into the lobby yourself last.
>Twilight bumps the far surgery door open with her magic at the same time you come in, holding an extra sample of the shadowy substance and a clipboard.
>She spots your party instantly, especially AJ and Pinkie.
>”Applejack, Pinkie Pie! Where have you guys been, they said you were here!”
>The three mares reunite in hugs and friendly banter, having not seen each other for two days.
>You wish you had a friend like that back on Earth.
>Not that you can really remember.
>While AJ and Pinkie are catching up, you look at the clock.
>It is currently 5:30 P.M., and you’re hoping to get to the Crystal Palace soon.
>What would you like to do?



>Before you do anything, you turn back to Berry.
“Hey, since you found that chest in the first place, I want you to have this. I found it in there, might help you out.”
[You give Berry Neck-Ring of Kinich Ahau.]
>She looks at the ring before taking it, holding it like a hot potato in her hooves.
>”Whoa, this thing is weird… Oh, I see what I can do with this… Thanks, Anon. This should be fun to put on…”
>You bemusedly watch at Berry tries her best to snap on the neck-ring without burning herself, eventually succeeding after a few extra tries.
>Her horseshoes weren’t insulated, after all.
>Once she gets it on, she blows out a certain way, and pure flame comes from her alcohol-riddled breath.
>”Ohhh yeeaaah. Much better…”
[Berry no longer needs matches for Drunk Dragon.]
[Firepower for Drunk Dragon increased by 4x.]
[Berry has gained the ability Scorch.]
“Hey Twilight, Red, come here.”
>Twilight finishes her friendly banter with AJ and Pinkie and the three of them rejoin the group.
>”Sorry, it’s just been a while since we’ve seen each other. What’s up?”
“I have this new ability that my markings gave me, like a sort of blessing. I’m not sure the extent of what it does, but it’s really helped out Berry and Pinkie, and I was wondering if you could study it sometime and help me learn a little bit more about it?”
>Twilight thinks for a moment.
>”I’ll see what I can do after we visit Princess Cadance, okay?”
“Thanks. Now Red, can you go grab a few extra medkits and mana potions if they have them? On the way, can you ask a doctor if there’s any patients that my new ability can help? Oh and uh, any supplies or healing potions that might help Cadance’s condition would be appreciated, too.”
>Red nods with an odd expression.
>”Alright babe. I don’t know why you’re getting me to do it, you’re more well-known than I am here, you know.”
>Everytime you go down the street, you’re still getting looks and points.
“Oh, and ask if they have a Doctor’s Kit?”
>She waves back without looking as she goes up to the receptionist, doing what you asked of her.
>Redheart’s gone while the rest of the party chats idly as the time ticks, Cadance’s condition growing ever worse.
>What would you like to do?