Written in the tomes of a ruined castle on a mountain, far, far away, a prophecy lies, waiting to be fulfilled. It predicts the return of magic to the land of Equestria, restoring the ancient powers over nature, flight, and spell-casting. This new era would be heralded by the falling of a star, 1000 years after the sisters' disappearance.
>By some miracle, you barely manage to balance a tray of booze in your mouth.
>You wobble back and forth, your fellow pegasi spies giggling at your struggle.
>Though they’re all gathered in the tavern to honor your formal induction into their small guild, tradition has it that you, the newcomer, bring the drinks.
>Before you’re even able to set the tray down at your table, the drinks are swiped away.
>You smile and slide the tray underneath your otherwise useless wings.
>Listening in on the conversation, it seems that your mentor Asha is doing a dramatic retelling of her stories once again.
>“... and so, when the guards trapped me in the guest quarters, I had no other choice than to jump out the third-story window! Can you believe that?”
“I will never understand why you did that, Asha. You could’ve easily injured or killed yourself with a fall that high!”
>“But I didn’t. I landed safely in the bushes, thank you very much! Besides, what would you have done? Let yourself be captured?”
What do you say?
>>27891467
I wouldn't have gotten myself in that situation in the first place. Plan better and you won't get caught.
>>27891506
This.
>>27891467
Bluh, the guards wouldn't have been chasing me in the first place!
>>27891549
This
Changing my this >>27891529 to this >>27891549
>>27891549
This
>>27891467
"Bluh, the guards wouldn't have been chasing me in the first place! Plan better and you won't get caught."
>Regardless of whatever your peers and elders were doing before, all eyes and ears are on you and Asha now.
>Asha glares at you.
>You know that though she might be a bit ticked off at you now, the banter's all in good fun.
>>27891710
Laugh and put your hoof on her shoulder.
Show we were just teasing.
>>27891710Not a prompt.
Maybe I would have a better time thinking of suggestions if I knew who we are, where we are, why we're here, what exactly we're talking about, and what guild we're in. Anywho, throw a arm around her and jokingly say that maybe someday she will be as great as us. Hey, can we get a swirly straw?
>>27891710
You know we're joking right?
Chill girl
>>27891779Wasn't supposed to be a prompt, was gonna follow up with something. I guess I'll queue everything up and post in one go next time. Imma roll with it anyways.
>>27891842
(1/2) fool.
>>27891842You should number posts if they're directly after each other.
>>27891710Why is the light source a spotlight?
(1/2)
>You laugh and nudge her shoulder.
"C'mon Asha, why so serious? You know I'm just teasing."
>"Oh, good. I was considering bringing up some sort of humiliating story about you, maybe like that one training mission you had in the empire's capital."
"Oh, not the one with the stupid formula!"
>"Yes, that one."
>>27891894
(2/2)
>Asha had assigned you to infiltrate the most popular tavern in the empire's capital and acquire a copy of some documents.
>Those documents were said to have a secret formula, one that held the recipe for the tavern's famous ale.
>Should you succeed in this mission unlike your previous ones, you'd finally be inducted into the most elite guild of spies in the republic.
>It's 4 AM, and you stand outside the tavern.
>It's the perfect time: too late for it to be open, too early for anyone to be up, at least in this part of the city.
>Though it's dark out, your special talent of dark vision helps you be more perceptive in the dark compared to a normal pony.
>You have nothing but your wits and 25 bits on you, and you need those documents for Asha by sunrise; what do you do?
>>27891916
Check the doors. Can save a lot of time and trouble just by seeing if someone forgot to lock up.
>>27891916
search barrel for documents, then check windows. we've got wings n' stuff.
>>27891916
Stack some barrels and climb up to the window.
>>27891955
They don't work genius.
>>27891958
Dis.
>>27891916
(1/2)
>You circle the tavern, carefully checking each ground-level door and window, but to no avail.
>Everything is securely locked
>Seems like the owner of this place is responsible.
>You search the barrels, but they're either empty or filled with water.
>Nothing hidden around them it seems either.
>Spying the window above the lean-to, you take some of the empty barrels and stack them to access the top.
>>27892292
(2/2)
>You successfully get yourself to the top of the lean-to.
>Luckily enough, the window is cracked open, but it is firmly secured.
>You hear the sound of snoring coming from inside as well.
>You try your best to make sense of what is inside.
>>27892322
Bedroom. Dangerous entry point but it's all we have to go with right now.
Try reaching through the gap to push whatever's latching the window free.
>>27892322
There's a pony sleeping right next to the window.
Are our wings/hooves dexterous/thin enough to reach in and unlatch whatever's securing the window?
>>27892322
Is that a crib? What do we know about the tavern owner and his family?
>>27892322
No not wake the foal
>>27892322
>You notice the crib on the near right and recall that the tavern owner is a single father of a young foal.
>It pains you a bit inside to do this to him, but what must be done must be done.
>You try slipping your hoof underneath the crack and it does nothing effective.
>With a little bit of ingenuity, you decide to use the wrist of your wing to try to catch the latch.
>While pegasus wings may be useless for flight, they sure are convenient sometimes, not to mention how they're somewhat responsible for your career as a spy anyways.
>Though you can't fly, pegasi are revered as spies for being smaller and more agile.
>Refocusing yourself, you slide your wing underneath the window.
>The window thankfully gives, but falls shut and pins your wing against the frame.
>You suppress back a yelp and bite your lip.
>Gingerly, you lift the window and inspect your wing.
>Nothing bad, just a love tap.
>You silently lift the window and get a much better view of the room this time.
>>27892580
Step down onto the carpet, careful not to make noise or let the window slam shut.
>>27892580
Go inside, close the window behind you and leave the foals room. I think we should leave through the front or back entrance.
>>27892580
Bed, crib, desk, bookcase, and a safe. Lets go downstairs and secure an escape route.
>>27892580
Once inside, close and lock the window again.
Lets hope he has loyal customers, hate to bankrupt a single father.
>>27892580
Is there someone in the bed on the left? It looks kind of empty
(1/3)
>You slip into the room as easily and as silently as a draft of air.
>Making sure not to make any noise, you lower the window and latch it shut.
>You take a quick look around and you know that this is not a good place to be.
>There's a crib with a sleeping foal, an empty bed, a desk, a bookshelf, and a safe.
>Okay, got that memorized; you quietly leave the room.
>Outside the door, you are led to a balcony that looks over the tavern-proper.
>On the other side of the balcony is an open door.
>You peek inside and see the sleeping tavern owner in bed.
(2/3)
>You leave the room and return to the balcony.
>You lean over the railings and take a good look around.
>Chairs are put up and the tavern is completely empty.
(3/3)
>Thinking the coast is clear, you head down and try your best to secure an escape route.
>You head through the arches and into the foyer to come to the front entrance, where ponies of all walks of life pass through to drink the day away.
>You disengage the lock and it gives off a satisfying click.
>>27893055
Uh, search the back area of the tavern? Maybe there's an office.
>>27893055
Look under the door before we open it.
>>27893055
>You walk through the tavern and find no other rooms; there is just the foal's room, the father's room, the balcony, the gathering hall, and the foyer.
>You return to the front door and look underneath it.
>Nothing is moving and there seems to be nothing of significance.
>>27893241
Search the father's room for a place he might store the recipe?
>>27893241
can we open a safe by trying to figure out the combination? Or maybe it's written down somewhere on the desk.
>>27893241
Check any bookshelves for something that looks like it was written by the father.
>>27893241
(1/2)
>Deciding to start the search, you begin with the father's room.
>You quietly rummage through his cabinet and night stand and find nothing of importance there.
>You push the sheets aside to look underneath the bed.
>Balls of dust are the only sight to greet you.
>Moving on to the baby's room, you fiddle around with the safe.
>It's not unlocked, and there's no way you're guessing the combination.
>Instead you search the desk in case anyone wrote down the code.
(2/2)
>You search the drawers, and with enough digging, jackpot!
>12 38 04 is scrawled on a scrap piece of paper.
>But with just your luck, you hear a wry cry come from behind you.
>The baby woke up.
>>27893809
Get under the bed.
Alternatively stand behind the door until the dad comes in and then slip out and hide downstairs.
>>27893809
Are we good with babies? we could attempt to sooth it ourselves by humming it a little song since I don't think the father will awaken instantly. I also don't want to hide and end up stuck.
then again we might end up getting caught so I don't mind just hiding.
>>27893809
Quick, throw the baby out the window. No, wait, hide.
OP, do you have an artist tag on derpi? Your style is nice.
>>27893943I don't have a derpi tag, sorry. The most I have is a tumblr. https://unyxmaedi.tumblr.com/
>>27893943
>t. Psker
>>27893809
Knock out the incoming dad.
>>27893809
O SHIT KILL THE BABY BEFORE IT WAKES THE DAD UP
>>27893809
Do NOT kill the baby. Instead, search for a closet you can hide in, and if all else fails, >>27893895
There's little chance the father's going to do anything other than check the baby, and get him back to sleep, before going to sleep again. We're safe if we slip downstairs.
>>27894730
Seconding this.
>>27894730
Thirding this
>>27894833
dubs confirm we must do this
>>27893809
(1/2)
>You quickly jump to the baby's crib and try to soothe her.
>Thinking back to your childhood in the empire, you mother used to sing you to sleep as a little filly.
>How did that one song go again?
>Argh, you can't remember.
>You resort to humming one of your drinking songs.
>What a wonderful mother you'd make.
>Oh gods above, she's crying even louder now!
>>27894935
(2/2)
>This is not good, this is not good, this is not good.
>You hear hoofsteps approaching from outside the room.
>You need to hide, and now.
>There's no closets, and the bed is too low hide you.
>Welp, there's only one option.
>Hide behind the door.
>You rush to the entryway and squeeze yourself into the corner.
>This is what your life as a spy has resulted in.
>The hide-and-go-seek tactics of fillies.
>The father stumbles into the room, still drowsy from sleep.
>A few grumbles reach you around the door, and soon the room is filled with light.
>The cries have become ear piercing now.
>This is your chance!
>You can escape through the front entrance without him knowing any better.
>Or maybe you can crack the safe before anypony notices...
>>27894942
abort
>>27894942
Why escape the building? He's just going to go back to bed after he puts his baby to sleep. Let's just find a better hiding place and wait him out.
>>27894942
Downstairs and into the tavern. If he comes downstairs to get him some food or a drink, we go back up.
There's a nice entryway that can hide us from his view if he does.
Babies tend to stop crying after they get what they want. So as soon as the baby stops crying, we resume our mission.
>>27894942
Do downstairs and hide until he goes back to bed.
>>27894942
we can leave out the entrance and then climb the barrels again and wait outside the window. when he leaves we can go into the safe.
>>27894942
Get out of the room and hide in another part of the house.
Wait it out, then come back and crack the safe.
>>27894991
He is looking at the window you faggoty dingbat.
>>27895054
he's actually looking at the baby you dumb ass.
>>27895066
Yes, but the view we get (through the window) clearly shows that his line of sight is towards the window. He'd catch movement in his periphery, look up, and catch us.
>>27895097
not if we're against the side, peek and then pull away listening.
>>27895102
It's still safer and more sane to stay in the building and wait until the lights go out. Hide in a closet or something.
>>27894991
>>27895102
Leaving the house seems unnecessary to me.
>>27894942
Knock out the dad if all else fails. It's better to do it while he's drowsy than fully alert.
>>27895217
You can't just give singledadponies brain trauma anon.
>>27894942
(1/2)
>The dad picks the baby up and sits down on his haunches.
>He lands with a heavy thud and starts rocking back and forth in an attempt to calm the baby down.
>The safe is right there, and it's oooohh so tempting.
>But no, it's safer to wait in the tavern downstairs until the dad goes back to sleep.
>With deftness never before seen in the history of ponykind, you swerve around the door and out into the balcony.
>Fuck!
>Your night vision got ruined by the candlelight.
>Oh fuck, the dad's getting up!
>You can't see at all.
>You scramble for your escape -- the stairs.
>Oops.
>Scrambled too fast.
>There was a distinct lack of floor right there where you just placed your hoof.
>You tumble down the stairs, your body assaulted with jabs from every angle.
>You abruptly hit the bottom of the staircase, the impact leaving you dazed.
>>27895551
(2/2)
>Your sense of self just barely returns to you before you hear a crackling old speaker come to life.
>"I wanna know, can you help me?"
>What?
>"I'd love to stay, but."
>What the hell is going on?
>Is that a talking fish?
>"Take me to the river!"
>>27895576
Put the fish down, scramble to the doorway.
>>27895576
Say "Hello, is anybody there, who turned out all the lights, is the bar closed?" act like you were a drunk pased out in the mares room.
>>27895576
A B O R T
B
O
R
T
Head to the safety of outside. You memorized the code, yes? Make a second pass later.
>>27895637
This. This is perfect.
>>27895576
The fish falling should mask the sound of us falling down the stairs. Lock the front door so nothing is amiss and find a hiding place.
>>27895576
Get out of there!
>>27895551
Damn that Billy Bass
>>27895693
That doorway to the right, we have a problem.
>>27895637
Do this. If that fails, do >>27895641 and take the fish with you.
>>27895729
Oh shit.
Yeah, do the drunk idea, we don't wanna get grabbed by that poner.
>>27895730
Seconding the fish napping contingency plan.
>>27895617
>>27895641
>>27895687
>>27895730
You guys do realize that running away would constitute a failure, right? He'd see us leaving or at least realize that somebody broke in and be on guard. Maybe even call the guards.
>>27895637
>>27895654
>>27895730
>>27895742
A cover story like that would be easy to break and it'd allow him to know what we look like. We'd be the primary suspect once he realizes he was robbed.
>>27895763
Then suggest something, fucker.
>>27895576
NOW is the time to bail out.
>>27895772
Well, the mare at the beginning did say that this was an embarrassing story. I bet that we were going to mess up one way or another so that it could be true.....and all we had to do was grab a metal rod and clock him on the head when he opened the door. He was drowsy and unalert at the time.
Also leaving early would prevent this trainwreck, which we know we walk away from since it's supposed to be a funny story, from getting worse.
>>27895816
>>27895806
Then get the fuck out of dodge and take the fish.
>>27895826
>>27895892
F you, you're not OP.
>>27895989
I also want to see just how may ridiculous things the OP can make happen before the story ends.
>>27896052
Well, then >>27895637
Do your best slurred voice.
>>27895576
(1/3)
>This is not good.
>You scramble onto your hooves and pick up the talking fish.
>"Drop me in the water!"
>You shove it into your mouth and burst for the exit.
>There's no way you're getting caught, now or later.
>...
>Welp.
>You're caught.
>>27896912
(2/3)
>Somepony grabbed you by the tail and yanked you back.
>You struggle against their pull, but the dock of your tail complains.
>Wincing in pain, you use the only thing you have available to you.
>Mr. Fish, go!
>You swing your head around and throw the fish at your assailant.
>"Take me to the river!"
>It makes solid contact with the pony's face and they recoil away from you.
>You don't care who they are or what they want of you, but you're outta here.
>You burst through the door and gallop at full speed.
>>27896925
(3/3)
"I'd rather not talk about that incident..."
>"Oh come on, you don't want to talk about how a talking fish sold you out? Or how about how you almost let counterintelligence get a hold of you?"
"Not everyone needs to know everything Asha. You should know that, being a spy."
>"Pfft, yeah, whatever you say."
>She picks up her glass with her hoof and downs half her ale in a single gulp.
>She smiles as she wipes off the foam from her mouth.
>"Alright, cheer up now. Sorry for picking on ya."
>You smile a bit in response to her affection.
>"Come on now, we're here to celebrate. Now bottoms up!"
I'm calling it there for tonight guys. Thank you all for stopping by and participating! I'll be back tomorrow around noon EST. I just have to ask real quick before I go, what can I do to improve the quest? Focus more on art? Focus more on writing? Focus more on speed? Any feedback would be muchly appreciated!
>>27896945
I think your doing just fine really, thanks, looking forward to more. I prefer speed over detailed art if you find yourself contemplating that.
>>27896945
That last panel is super cute too, the crazy straw is a nice touch.
>>27896945
More speed, less detail. You'll burnout.
>>27896945
While I understand the design choice for having dark panels, I really prefer not to have to tilt my screen for every post.
Anyways, enjoying it so far, keep up the good work!
And to answer your question, speed is generally better, but if you want to stick to the more detailed art, that's fine too.Just don't do what my quest did, focusing on detail so much that you slow to a crawl and stop running.
>>27897446
That spoilered part ia really important, it's the number one mistakeq
Live
>>27896945
Good choice in making the MC a really shitty spy. I know for sure it'll come into play when we get going. Wonder what stroke of luck it took her to actually get into this guild.
I'm making a new thread since this was a prequel type thing, and we're trying to do something different.
New thread: >>27899883
Sister thread: >>27899885
Sage for courtesy
I don't understand the point of this.
>>27900621
Indeed
