//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: "Potion Brewing For The Soul." // Story: Morning Meir Mysteries: Case 2: A Fright On Nightmare Night // by XombieSlayr //------------------------------// Chapter 16: "Potion Brewing For The Soul." "One can always hope for the unexpected. But can never expect it to happen." - The Goddess Hahn Jadgeman's Unique Wares, Downtown Nawlans According to Miss Fortune, everything we needed for the potion could be found at a very odd little shop at the farthest end of Nawlans, just barely into the Hayseed Swamp. I read the name "Hahn Jadgeman's Unique Wares" on a crude, hastily drawn sign, that actually looked like it had simply been duct taped to the top of the door. We payed no mind to it as we went inside. The musty smell of old leather and dust hit me in the face as we found ourselves in the lobby of the shop. It was cramped with countless, bizarre knickknacks, ancient looking armor sets, scrolls and displayed weapons that were centuries old. Strange memorabilia of planes and hot air balloons hung from the ceiling, along with a full sized canoe and crates wrapped with rope. I stepped hastily under it as I approached the lone counter top that divided the store from the front to the back room. I gently rang the service bell on the counter, which rang out throughout the store. "Hello?" I called. "Is anypony here?" I got my answer when a loud, ruffled stallion's voice suddenly yelled out from above us. "Whuh? H-hold on, I'll be down in...just a minute!" Looking up, we saw an odd, slightly portly, old stallion with wild Einstein-esque hair and a turban climb out from the canoe above us and climb clumsily down the nearby ladder. He stepped behind the counter and adjusted his turban before spreading his arms out to his sides and smiled broadly. "Welcome!" he announced. "To HAHN JADGEMAN's Unique Wares!" He spoke like the ringmaster at a circus, putting dramatic emphasis on his name that was very noticeable. He was a wild looking orange earth pony, with thick bottle glasses, obscuring his eyes (Yet I assumed he could see out of them) and a thicker white mustache that was just as wild as his mane. He wore an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, and I could see his cutie mark of a pyramid adorned quite clearly on his side. He kept his arms outstretched. "I am HAHN JADGEMAN!" He said, again putting emphasis on his name. "What can I do for-WAIT!" Without warning he was suddenly inches from my face, his nose firmly pressed against mine, as his bottle glasses nearly poked my eyes out. "Hmmm..." He said. "Ummm!" I said very nervously, my face turning red. Then he took a step back (to my immense relief) and smiled. "Ah! So you are Morning Meir then!" "Y-yes, but how did you know?" "You're coming was foretold in the great prophecies of the Thebian tabernacle!" ".....what?" "I read it in the paper." "Ah." Miss Fortune told Hahn what we needed for the potion. After he nearly passed out from the dramatic gasp he let out afterwards, he then went to his backroom and returned with a large golden cat statue. I could see hieroglyphics etched into its side. "What is this?" I asked, pointing to the statue. "That is a statue of blessed gold, recovered from the sands of Egypt. It is the central ingredient in the potion." Miss Fortune explained. "In order to use it, we will need to have it melted down."She explained as she took the statue, along with some other ingredients and put them in her satchel. "Melted down? How are we going to make this potion anyway?" Miss Fortune only smiled. "With help." McClophlin's Bar (12:00pm) It was happy hour at McClophlin's, but I was still unsure of why we had come here. Miss Fortune had only said that she had a friend at the bar who could help us. As we entered the bar, I was greeted warmly by Stonewall, who offered me a drink on the house. "Oh, thank you, Stonewall, but again- "Relax, Miss Meir. It's water." he chuckled. "Oh, in that case, I would like one please." "Comin right up!" Miss Fortune led me back to a lone table where a mysteriously robed pony mare sat alone, drinking some impossibly sugary looking milkshake. "You got the stuff?" She asked in a surprisingly cheery sounding voice, that she was trying to sound gruff, and deep. (And failed miserably) Miss Fortune nodded, as she set the gold statue and other ingredients on the table. "How long will it take?" The robed pony pulled back her hood, to reveal she was a green earth pony with a fluffy mane and an extremely cheerful disposition. She smiled widely as she picked up the statue and examined it. "Hmm, well if I hurry back to my stand, I could have it ready for you by, say....tomorrow night?" she said as she put the statue and other ingredients Miss Fortune had given her in her own satchel. I stepped forward. "Is there any way you can- "HEY!" "What!?" I exclaimed jumping half a foot in the air from the odd earth pony's sudden outburst. "You're Morning Meir! Oh wow! I read all about you and how you saved the world in Mareiposa!" the earth pony exclaimed, with a seemingly permanent smile. "Thanks for that by the way." She added whimsically. I was confused. "Um...you mean in the paper?" I asked. "Huh? Oh, no. I don't read the paper, silly!" she laughed. She suddenly leaned forward towards me with her hoof outstretched. "My name's Coco by the way!" I shook the odd earth pony's hoof and smiled nervously. I couldn't get a reading on her at all. All I managed was a deep gut feeling that Coco knew far, far more then she appeared. Perhaps, even more then me. "Anyway!" Coco said turning back to Miss Fortune, who was just as confused as I was. "Since you guys are saving the world in all, I guess I can manage to get you're potion to you by tomorrow morning!" I was relieved to hear that, yet still I couldn't shake this strange feeling this mare exhumed. Though it was probably just my imagination. After all, It had been quite a week for me. I was just letting my self get spooked is all. I smiled as I thanked Coco for helping us. "Thank you, Ms. Coco." "Oh please! Just call me Coco! And don't worry about it, just be sure to tell Goldbloom I said Hi, for me!" she said gleefully. My eyes widened. "Um...you know Goldbloom? Have you met?" I asked, confused. "Hm? Oh! Nope. Never met her. Or Gold Digger for that matter, but say Hi to her too for me if you don't mind!" I wasn't able to process any of this. I was sure I had never met this pony in my life. How did she know all this stuff? "I....I will. Thanks." I said, eyeing her suspiciously, before shaking it off. I couldn't be imagining things...could I? "Well, um, I hope to see you again!" I said quickly. "Eh...maybe. Depends on what the next story will be about." Coco responded nonchalantly. I was now very confused. Hopelessly actually. I was about to question her, but Miss Fortune advised that we should just go. I agreed with her, and we departed McClophlin's, as Coco waved merrily at us as we left. "Good luck tomorrow, Morning! I can't wait to read about it! Should be a real epic showdown!" she called. As we walked away from the bar, Miss Fortune and I exchanged bewildered looks. We both agreed with our eyes: That was the strangest pony we'd ever met.