//------------------------------// // Six Potions // Story: Apple Bloom the Alchemist: a Logic Puzzle Adventure // by Coyotek4 //------------------------------// Applejack warmly greets her sister’s fellow CMC friends: “You two got here just in time; I’m about to meet most of the others on the field for a buckball scrimmage. She’s in the barn, workin’ on somethin’; lemme let you in.” She then opens the barn door and indicates a far corner of the interior. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle observe Apple Bloom hunched over a mini cauldron, a test tube in her mouth and safety goggles over her eyes, as she pours the contents of the tube into the pot. Smoke rises from the bubbling liquid within. “Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo’s sudden greeting causes Apple Bloom to whip her head around; the test tube flies from her mouth and bounces along the floor. She breathes a sigh of relief upon noticing that the tube did not shatter upon impact. “Uhps … sorry there.” “No, it’s all right,” Apple Bloom reassures her friend as she douses the cauldron fire with water. “You just startled me a bit, is all.” The others walk up to the cauldron to inspect its contents. “So this is what you’ve been working on all morning?” Sweetie Belle inquires. “What’s all this for, anyway?” Scootaloo adds. Apple Bloom tests the cauldron’s heat, noting that it’s no longer burning to the touch, she tips over the pot, pours its contents into a beaker, and stops the beaker with a piece of cork. She then places the beaker into a rack that already holds five other concoctions. Satisfied with her progress, she takes off the safety goggles and turns to her friends. “Sorry, I haven’t been trying to avoid everypony all morning … but I’m trying to figure out how all these ingredients Zecora gave me interact with each other.” Seeing Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle turn to each other in confusion, Apple Bloom continues her explanation. “Zecora’s been followin’ my progress with potions while workin’ with Twilight. She asked me to come to her home yesterday afternoon, and—“ “Hold on! You went into the Everfree Forest alone?” “You’re soundin’ like my sister, Scoots!” Apple Bloom replies somewhat icily. “Anyway, I got back before dark.” “So what does Zecora want with you?” Sweetie Belle asks. Apple Bloom points to a blanket on the ground nearby. The others take note of a myriad of objects: purple mushrooms, fern seedlings, phoenix feathers, raven feathers, a vial of golden liquid, several blue flower petals, mandrake roots, some dried-out balls of clay. “This just raises more questions,” Sweetie Belle admits. “Zecora received a shipment of potion ingredients from her home village about a month ago,” Apple Bloom explains. “She said that each of these particular ingredients holds special properties related to vitality, speed, and wisdom, and that combining pairs of these ingredients could make all kinds of potions … but she admitted that she didn’t know what ingredients had what properties. Then she told me that she hadn’t had time to experiment with any of the ingredients, and asked if I could figure out how everything works.” Scootaloo ponders Apple Bloom’s words for a moment. “She told you all of that … in rhyme?” “What can I say?” Apple Bloom responds, brushing off the question. “Zecora has a way with words.” Shrugging off her friend’s answer, Scootaloo inspects the various potion ingredients on the blanket. “I think I see what most of these items are, but what’s that golden liquid? And what’s with the balls of clay?” “The liquid is scorpion venom; Zecora assures me that it this particular species of scorpion’s venom may have beneficial powers. And the balls of clay are actually dried-out … uh … toad stool.” “You mean like the purple mushrooms?” “Not ‘toadstool’, Scootaloo. Just ‘toad stool’ … like, ‘toad number two’.” Sweetie Belle recoils slightly in disgust. “Ewww, keep that away from me.” Taking a moment to collect herself, she then continues: “So, how do you know what potion will do what?” “Weeeeell, that’s the thing, Sweetie Belle … I kinda need your help in the matter? Both of you, actually.” Apple Bloom’s friends turn to each other, then back to her. Sweetie Belle asks on behalf of herself and Scootaloo, “You want us to drink your potions?” “Zecora insists that any effects would be temporary; thirty minutes at most. Come on, I could really use your help.” Scootaloo takes little time to respond: “You know what? Cutie Mark Crusaders are always there for each other! I’m in!” Sweetie Belle’s enthusiasm is less than that of her pegasus friend, but … “Yeah, I’m here for you too. So what kind of potions can you make?” “Well, take this potion,” Apple Bloom states as she grabs one of the beakers from the rack. “To make it, I combined the two feathers I had on hand, phoenix and raven. If I had to guess, this should be a potion of speed.” Scootaloo muses over the thought. “Well I’m already pretty quick. You think that would give me Rainbow Dash speed?” Another thought brightens her outlook: “You think that could let me fly?” “Gee, I don’t wanna get your hopes up or anything … but if you wanna go first …” Apple Bloom uncorks the beaker and hands it to Scootaloo, who takes a deep breath before gulping down the contents.” “So?” Sweetie Belle asks. “How do you feel?” “All right, I guess. Maybe it takes a few minutes to …” Scootaloo lets out a prolonged yawn. “Sorry, don’t know where that came from … say, is it getting late? …” She then falls to the floor. “SCOOTALOO!!!” Sweetie Belle rushes over to her friend … and hears heavy breathing. She then turns to Apple Bloom: “You mentioned ‘vitality’ as an attribute, right?” “Uh, yeah?” “Well whatever was in that potion, it looks like it leads to anti-vitality; you created a sleeping potion. Say, maybe you could brew up another one of those later; my sister’s been having trouble getting a good night’s sleep in, what with the upcoming Sapphire Shores tour and the work she’s been putting in for the new costume ensembles.” Apple Bloom mulls over the effects of the first potion. “Huh. So phoenix feather plus raven feather equals anti-vitality. Lemme jot that down.” Sweetie Belle turns to her sleeping filly friend. “She looks comfortable. I suppose if that’s the worst that could happen … so what other combinations have you tried?” Having written down the effects of her first potion, Apple Bloom reaches over and grabs another beaker from the rack. “I made this potion using a fern seedling and a blue flower petal. Actually, I thought this would’ve been anti-vitality. Well, maybe it still is.” Sweetie Belle levitates the beaker from Apple Bloom’s grip and uncorks it. “For science, I guess.” Like her friend before, Sweetie Belle takes a breath and proceeds to down its contents. She waits for drowsiness to kick in, but remains alert. “Guess I’m oh-for-two, then,” Apple Bloom admits. “So you feelin’ anything.” “No … and that’s kind of the problem.” “What d’ya mean?” “Apple Bloom, I can’t move!” Sweetie Belle’s lament worries her friend. “Uh oh … are you in pain. Please tell me you’re not in pain!” “Well … no, not really,” her friend calmly reassures, her head the only feature able to move. “It just feels really weird to be standing here, all numb and such.” “Strange.” Apple Bloom walks around her unicorn friend and inspects her more closely. She is awestruck by the still nature of her friend. “And remarkable! I guess fern and petal combine to create anti-speed. A paralysis potion.” A grin forms on her face: “I know some ponies I’d like to use this on.” “Uh, you’re sure this potion is temporary, right?” “I’m positive … but I guess I shouldn’t wait for those effects to wear off before tryin’ more.” Apple Bloom packs up the remaining vials into her saddlebag and turns to the barn entrance. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere.” Sweetie Belle glares angrily at Apple Bloom. “Seriously?” “Oh … yeah, right. Sorry ‘bout that again. I should be back in about an hour. If anypony asks, just say I dared you to stand in place for as long as possible.” Sweetie Belle mutters to herself as Apple Bloom runs off. A red ball bounces harmless away from the playing field. “Come on, Twilight, that’s the third one you’ve missed today!” “Sorry, it is my first time playing this,” Twilight shouts out to Rainbow Dash as she trots over to the ball and levitates it into her basket. “You read the book on buckball, you should be a natural by now.” “It doesn’t quite work that way, you know.” “Says the pony who read a book on marathons and finished 5th in her first try,” Applejack wryly counters with a smile. “Well that’s different. All I have to do there is run, but a unicorn’s duty in this game requires a lot of rapid hoof-eye concentration. Anyway, you couldn’t find another unicorn in Ponyville to assist?” Applejack fields Twilight’s question: “Well, Rarity’s busy putting together a new ensemble for Sapphire Shores’ upcoming tour. And trust us, we’ve had every other unicorn in Ponyville try workin’ the basket.” “And besides,” Rainbow Dash adds, “you could use a little less book-reading and a little more sport in your life.” “Anyway, Appleoosa wants a rematch so Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Snails need all the scrimmage we can give ‘em … and it just ain’t the same usin’ a stationary basket.” “And don’t forget,” Pinkie adds, “it’s SUPER-AWESOME-FUN!!!” “OK, you’ve all convinced me about the merits of buckball, but I really need to go, I got some important business to …” Twilight and the others suddenly notice another in their midst. “Oh, hey there Apple Bloom. When did you get here?” “Oh, I ain’t been waitin’ too long, Twilight. I was just wonderin’ if I could borrow Snails for a minute.” Snails approaches his classmate and speaks in his usual, stilted tone. “Uhhh, sure. What can I do for you?” Apple Bloom takes off her saddle bag and pulls out the rack of beakers, selecting one for her unicorn classmate. “Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have been helping me with a project I’m workin’ on for Zecora. I was hopin’ you could assist me, too.” Snails pauses for a moment. “Ehhh, what do you need me to do?” “Just drink this. Don’t worry, it’s safe.” Safe enough, at least. I hope. Snails uncorks the beaker and sniffs at the contents as the others come in for a closer look. “Sooo, what’s in this?” “Oh, just a couple ingredients. Little of this, little of that.” Apple Bloom is careful not to inform Snails that she gave him a mushroom and toad stool concoction. “Wellll, I could use some water. This is close to water. Sure thing!” With that, Snails downs the contents. A minute passes. “So? Feel anything?” “Uh, not really,” the unicorn replies. “What’s supposed to happen.” Apple Bloom’s eyes seek out corners. “Oh, nothin’. Just curious, I guess.” “So Twilight,” Rainbow Dash asks as she loses interest in the conversation between the foals, “why do you have to leave so soon anyway? We could really use more game time.” “After the last bout of pony pox that infected the town, I’m trying to create a mathematical model to plan for possible future outbreaks. Such a model could prove very useful for preparation and timely treatment, but the data I’ve gathered doesn’t seem to match with a linear or even a quadratic rate.” “Uh, have you considered using a logistic model?” Snails’ suggestion causes Twilight to suddenly turn to him. “What did you say?” “A logistic mathematical model would seem to be the best way to represent an infectious outbreak. Buuut, I suppose a trigonometric model could work as well, if you think that the number of clinical diagnoses over a year has consistent peaks and valleys. And then there’s the possibility of a logarithmic growth pattern.” Twilight beams with delight. “Wow! I never knew you were so well-versed in mathematical functions. Thank you, Snails! I have to go and put these ideas into action; I’ll need Spike to dig up my scientific abacus!” Twilight abruptly spreads her wings and giddily flies off. “Uhhh, I gotta go too. But this was fun. Thanks again for the water, Apple Bloom.” Snails heads off down a path towards Ponyville. Finally, I made something positive, Apple Bloom thinks to herself, mentally noting that mushroom and toad stool combine to make a wisdom potion. The others, stunned by the turn of events, then turn to the foal alchemist-in-training. “Whoa … that was awesome, Apple Bloom!” Rainbow Dash exclaims. “You got any more of that stuff?” “Well, I do … but I’m not sure what the other concoctions I made do. But if you’d like to help a young scientist out …” Apple Bloom indicates the remaining three beakers in the rack. “If anypony wants to try, though, I would sure appreciate it.” Fluttershy inspects the three remaining beakers. “Do any of these share an ingredient with the one you gave Snails?” “Uh sure, this one does.” Apple Bloom indicates one of the beakers, politely hiding the fact that the shared ingredient is toad stool and the other ingredient is phoenix feather. “Well, I do feel a little more daring now.” Fluttershy chuckles to herself, her buckball skills giving her added self-confidence. “I’ll try that one.” She grabs and uncorks the beaker and swallows the potion.” “Well?” Rainbow Dash inquires. “Anything?” “Not really. Oh, I hope I didn’t ruin your experiment, Apple Bloom.” “Hey, a non-result can give just as much information,” the foal cheerfully replies. “Yeah, well, nothing more to see here,” Rainbow Dash declares. “Fluttershy, wanna grab something at Sugarcube Corner? Let’s race; loser treats.” “Oh, you know you’d win that race. You always win.” “Fine, I’ll give you a head start. You start while I count to 10, then I’ll chase you. Ready?” “OK.” “OK, go …” Before Rainbow Dash can utter “1”, Fluttershy bolts off leaving a pink trail of vapor in her wake. She and the three earth ponies gape at the vapor trail. “Uh … what just happened?” “I dunno, but I think you owe Fluttershy a treat,” Applejack sniggers as her sister mentally takes note: phoenix feather and toad stool combine to make a speed potion. “Yeah, well two can play that game!” Rainbow Dash quickly grabs one of the remaining beakers, opens it and downs the potion before Apple Bloom can react. Uh oh; that one contained a blue petal like the one that paralyzed Sweetie Belle … and it also contains scorpion venom. The foal silently observes Rainbow Dash’s reaction. “All right, now I’ll catch up to her … and when I do … *chuckle* I’m gonna show her …” The blue pegasus suddenly bursts out in laughter.” “Rainbow Dash, what the hay’s gotten into you?” Tears flow down Dash’s face as she responds, her words interrupted by consistent guffawing: “I *snicker* … I just thought about how *haha* … how silly she’s gonna feel when *heehee* … when she *chuckle* … when she learns that …” “YEAH????” Pinkie urges. “When she *giggle* … when she learns that I’m not there to pay for her treat! BAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!” Rainbow Dash falls to the ground, overcome with hysterics. Pinkie Pie also falls to the ground laughing, sharing in a joke that she honestly doesn’t get, but not caring as her friend is having so much fun thinking about the idea. Apple Bloom mentally observes that the blue petal / scorpion venom concoction resulted in an anti-wisdom potion. Applejack, unfazed by the bout of hysterics playing out before her, turns to her little sister and glares at her. “Well I think you’ve caused enough damage for one day, missy. Let’s go.” “Wait, I still got one more beaker. I don’t suppose you’d want to—“ “OOO, OOO, MY TURN!!!” Without warning, Pinkie Pie jumps up, rushes over, grabs the beaker, opens it and polishes off its contents.” “Pinkie Pie,” Applejack scolds, “have you lost your mind???” Scary thoughts rush through Apple Bloom’s head: Pinkie Pie’s crazy enough as is; what’ll happen if she gets more insane? Or what if she gets super-fast like Fluttershy? Or if that potion adds vitality; she’s already as buzzed as a hummingbird. What did I put in that one? Oh yeah, mushroom and mandrake. Oh Celestia, what have I done??? Apple Bloom shuts her eyes tightly, not wanting to know what reaction Pinkie would have to the potion … but nothing happens. Carefully, she opens her eyes again, to see Pinkie grinning wildly and staring right back at her. “That was a really tasty potion you made there. Reminds me of the soup I used to have when I was a filly on the rock farm.” “Wait, so you don’t feel any different? You’re not sleepy, or speedy, or … more Pinkie-ish?” “Nope! Same-old fun-loving Pinkie Pie, at your service … but right now, probably better in Rainbow Dash’s service. I’ll help her to town as she finishes laughing at that joke that wasn’t really funny.” Pinkie bounds over to Rainbow Dash and helps the pegasus to her feet; the latter continues to laugh wildly at nothing in particular; Pinkie laughs with her as the two walk away. “OK, that’s it!” Applejack scolds. “No more potion-testin’ for you!” “But … but I’ve only made 6 potions! What am I supposed to tell Zecora?” “You and I are gonna walk over to her place first thing tomorrow mornin’. We’re gonna give back any ingredients you got left from her, and then you’re gonna be doin’ extra chores for the next week. Got it???” Apple Bloom nods in begrudging acceptance, knowing full well what that tone of voice meant.