In her defense, it’s not exactly something you weren’t aware of. You’ve just never seen one that particular… shape.

You haven’t! But that’s a good idea! Or, it would be if it didn’t involve a child willingly approaching a dentist. That’s like trotting up to your natural predator. Not out of the question, but certainly out of your comfort zone.

Lyra is pretty good friends with… what was her name? Derpy? Ditzy? … Dinky? No wait, that’s her daughter… Bubbles…? We’ll just call her Miss if we find her.

You also seem to remember Lyra talking with Berry Punch a few times. Golden Harvest too. Lyra knows lots of ponies. But, between your aunt and her roommate, that’s at least four you could choose from.

You search Bon-Bon’s room not expecting much, but are surprised with what you find. In a briefcase in her closet you find a whip. It’s definitely not a prop either, which makes it very cool! It’s a little long and heavy for a pony your size, though. You aren’t sure yet if you should take it.

Something even more important catches your eye. Bon-Bon has always had this old, tan hat hanging from a hook on her wall next to her closet. But all that’s left is an imprint on the wall where it used to be. She might have known ahead of time she was leaving and took it with her. Not enough to prove anything is wrong, but it’s a start.

In Lyra’s room you find… something you’d probably get in trouble if you asked about. You cautiously put it back exactly as you found it and decide to forget about ever searching her room. Ever again.

After looking around the house, and with a little imagination, you’ve managed to fashion something stealthy! By using some belts and a few wash cloths you’ve created Stealth Slippers!

…

It was a really dumb idea, but it’s actually been working incredibly well! Your hooffalls are so quiet you can’t even hear them! Unfortunately, as your bottom discovered, they also make you a little slide-y, and they take a while to put on. You’ll have to know in advance that you want to use them.

You are aware of a friend of Lyra’s that you’ve heard her talking to, but you’ve never seen him.

This is a very important idea! There’s definitely a lot of different ways to go about this, and sneaking around is certainly one of them. You’d have to be more specific, though. What, in a standard household, could be used to be more stealthy?

Regardless, you gain +1 foresight!

Bon-Bon is an entr- an entrée… She owns her own business. She doesn’t have any coworkers. Lyra says she has lots of coworkers. But according to the calender schedule Bon-Bon made up, she’s been on vacation and doesn’t work until tomorrow.

If something suddenly happened to them, who would know about it?

You decide to break the forth wall yet again and explain things more explicitly. You just offer suggestions, y'all. That’s it. A character’s growth is stifled if the one time a crisis calls for action, a bunch of people with extra abilities and third party knowledge come along and hold her hand. Metaphorically speaking of course. Ponies don’t have hands.

You see where this is going and begin packing some food and a leash in your school bag. It’s adventure…! Moment. Date. You’ll work on that later.

You break the forth wall for a moment and lament that bringing a player controlled adult, and an investigator at that, would likely make things too easy. You’re not, however, writing off the possibility of adults helping. Just not ones that can be directly controlled.

You have no doubt that Princess Twilight could probably help. Immensely at that. But… she’s a Princess. You can’t just march up to her front door, knock, and expect a positive outcome. If anypony found out you have no supervision, they’d probably take you “somewhere safe”, and then Bon-Bon and Lyra would get in trouble for leaving you alone! Assuming they aren’t already in trouble. Then they might get in double trouble! You’re not positive, but you think you heard somewhere that that’s a thing.

Even if you know ahead of time where to go and what to do, you’re going to have to get some kind of evidence. You need to prove something really is wrong.

Having taken the last bite of your dinner, you gently lift the plate and head to the kitchen sink. You usually stay at your aunt’s house during school nights, as your parents are too busy to take care of you. But you’ve been here for four hours now and found no sign of your aunt or her roommate. Their dog, Simple, has followed you the entire time, looking more than a little worried. You walked him, fed him, did your homework, fixed your own dinner, ate, and have now finished cleaning up.

Normally you’d find a note in the kitchen if something was wrong. But searching high and low revealed nothing.

You have no idea what most of that means, but you do recognize The Crystal Empire. Such a place is far to the north and out of your reach. Even if you went by train, you have no money. Train tickets cost money, after all.

Tootsie: Hello? I hope it’s okay that I walked home from school by myself. Usually somepony picks me up. But you weren’t there. Hello? Lyra? Aunt Bon-Bon? Simple, do you need to go out? And your bowls are empty. What’s going on here?

1) Lyra: I can’t really take credit for that.

Bon-Bon: Well thank you for the compliment! It’s nice to be appreciated!

Lyra: Bon-Bon, look at the name.

Bon-Bon: … Well that’s mean.

2) That is a good point you bring up. I mean, especially after Twilight went to the- Wait how is that second part more important?

3) I’m not saying I gotta be ripped or anything. But give me a few pity points, at least.

4) Lyra: You’re close. Ahem. Flapjack! Hey Flapjack! Come with me, we’ll go and see, a place called Candied Island!

Bon-Bon: Who needs Candied Island? It’s safer at the docks.

Lyra: But there ain’t no streams of sodie pop, ta go tricklin’ down the ro~cks!

Bon-Bon: It’s dangerous and risky!

Lyra: But adventurous and free!

Tootsie: Adventure that’s the life for me!

Lyra: There’s lollipop trees and a lemonade sea!

Bon-Bon: Doesn’t sound very good to me…

5) Excuse you, I do study literature. Is every song not a poem?

Bon-Bon: Okay, so adequately explaining the mood we were walking into during the wedding requires some context. So-

Tootsie: Is this the pirate story?!

Bon-Bon: Yes, this is the pirate story.

Tootsie: I love the pirate story!

Bon-Bon: I know. I know. Okay, so. Well over a thousand years ago there lived two orphan siblings- a brother and a sister.

Keep reading

1) Lyra: …

Bon-Bon: Hey, you forgave me for that. You can’t go back and blame me again; that’s double jeopardy.

Lyra: None of your business.

2) Bon-Bon: Oh gosh. I’ve been so busy… And at this point the story is hardly worth the wait. Plus it would require some context… Let me see what I can do.

3) Bon-Bon: Ugh…

4) Tootsie: I’m gonna be a forest princess! Mom got me my own bow!

Bon-Bon: Nothing this year. I’m going to be working through Nightmare Night. Have to make up for lost time somewhere.

Lyra: I kinda want to go as, like, an animal.

5) Bon-Bon: I wouldn’t go that far. Ribbon is going to want to pick out who teaches her, when, where, with who, etc. Control control control.

1) I’d ask why humans feel such a strong need to classify and label things, like personal theologies, but I guess that’d only be proving your point, wouldn’t it?

2) At first I thought the Running of the Leaves happened while we were gone, but I’ve since been reminded that happens at the end of fall, not the start.

I’ve also been informed by Bon-Bon that I am participating this year. Yay.

3) As long as the stars align and everypony does exactly what they’re supposed to do, nothing bad will ever happen! But how many things have to go wrong for somepony to take an arrow to the bottom? I’m betting it’s a short list.

4) I have two days off next week! I’m not going to want to do anything on the first one, so how about next Tuesday?

5) Lyra: My theory is that she was trying to say she beefed, you know, farted.

Tootsie: Hey! How come you’re allowed to say fart?

Lyra: Because I’m over a decade older than you. Fart fart fart.

Bon-Bon: Lyra! Stop saying that word!

Lyra: Sorry!

Tootsie: Hehe.

6) Sorry for being sorry about both things I was sorry for.

1) I’m still not understanding how I was supposed to tell him this and it not seem like I’m being told to tell somepony something. I mean, I’d like to think I’m pretty good at lying, but I’d need a better prompt than this.

2) I’m sorry?

3) Does she look angry? Also, “Perfect landing!”

4) Hearth’s Warming decorations out before Nightmare Night has passed? What a horrifying world you suffer through.

5) Lyra: That sounds kind of dangerous. And a lot like work.

Tootsie: My name is Lisa!

Bon-Bon: Actually… that does sound like fun! Maybe you could try working it around my schedule? There’s got to be a time where we’re all free.

Lyra: I don’t wanna go.

Bon-Bon: Exercise, filly! You still need it!

1) The one I hear about is preservatives and sodas causing puberty to occur earlier and earlier in foals.

Pfft. Who has time for a doctor?

2) Tootsie: I hung out with Sweetie Bell while she was staying here. She’s nice! She and her friends are okay, sometimes. They mostly just play with each other, though, which means they exclude everypony else. “Official Crusader business.”

At least they never act mean like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

3) Paul, what’s going on? Is it old men running the world again? (Warning: Crude language)

4) Lyra: Wha’ if yer in a horry to eat an’ you nee’ to say sumfin’?

Bon-Bon: Lyra! You know better than that!

Lyra: Wha’? I’m a gweat rolemadel!

5) Yeah, that was one of the several things I considered saying. Another was-

1) Lyra: Well, I could bring a bag of marshmallows.

Bon-Bon: How would that help?

Lyra: Help what?

2) I was an orphan and spent most of my time on the streets of lower Canterlot. You kinda just eat what’s available.

3) Lyra: Oh! I like sweet tea!

Bon-Bon: That’s full of sugar!

Lyra: I know! It’s great!

4) Mare, you probably load that crap up with creamer. Get that outta here.

On the other hoof, I know a pony you might enjoy a chat with.

5) Lyra: I can’t hear you because your mouth is fULL OF PUMPKINS! PUMPKIN EATER!

Tootsie: Cheater cheater, pumpkin eater!