Quantum Leap: Xenophilia

by Sparky Brony

Chapter 3. Who is this?

Al quickly updates Sam on everything he was told by Lero. And finally Sam felt ready to join this herd date. He finally opens the door, finding a stallion waiting there.

"Took you long enough monkey man." The stallion growls as he runs by Sam. He is shaking his head as he sits down at the table.

Rainbow Dash chuckles, "Was beginning to think you fell in, big guy." She taps Sam with a wing, then snuggles close for a kiss.

Sam regards the puckered lips with complete internal horror, then after a few seconds, he remembers what is going on, and lands a platonic peck on her lips. She gives him a sour look, though it is transformed to joy as a purple pony climbs into the booth with the rest. Sam sees the horn, and the wings, so this must be Princess Twilight.

How does one address royalty in this world. "Princess Twilight." He says in greeting.

Uh, oh, wrong words. Princess Twilight smiles, her eyes twinkle, "Oh Lero, last night must have worn you out. You aren't thinking right today." Lyra disappears and reappears in Twilight's place as Twilight appears right next to him, and Twilight reaches up and puts a hoof to his cheek.

"I think she likes you, Sam." Al snarks from behind him. Sam glares quickly at Al, but quickly returns his attention to the table.

Twilight clears her throat, "Princess Celestia has requested for me to go to a summit in Saddle Arabia."

Lyra clops her hooves together, "Oh joy, a vacation."

Twilight's face falls, "Well, actually. No. She requested only that I go. It should only be a few days, but I get on the train to Canterlot in the morning, we will fly from Canterlot to Neighad, Saddle Arabia and start the negotiations. It would be really boring. Stallions don't have nearly as much freedom there, and Lero would likely be stuck in whatever accommodations they have." She turns to Same, "It wouldn't be fair to you. Princess Celestia and I agree on that."

"Saddle Arabians? Next thing they'll say is the French are the Prench." Al laughs. Again getting a quick glare from Sam.

"Any words on the Prench ambassadors? Did they have a good time?" Lyra asks.

Al snickers and Sam can only apply palm to face.

"Something wrong Lero?" Twilight asks.

Sam shifts to the side, and Rainbow Dash lets him out of the booth, "I'm sorry, but I must have eaten something that has really disagreed with me. Can I see you at home later?"

All three mares look very confused at Sam, "Certainly, Lero. If you are not feeling well, we can reschedule our herd date night." Twilight says.

Oh no, they want to come with me, he thinks frantically, "Oh, no. You girls have fun, I'm going to go lay down. I really don't feel well, and you shouldn't cancel your date because of my being under the weather."

Twilight looks at her herd-sisters and back at Lero, "If you are going to be okay. Then fine, see you at home, Lero." To nods from all of the ponies. Sam gratefully heads towards the door.

"That green one, Lyra, she reminds me of my third wife." Al looks confused for a second, "Or was it my fourth. You better watch out for her. I have a feeling she can be very dangerous."

"Would you be quiet?" Sam snaps, then looks around, some of the other ponies in the restaurant are watching him with confused looks on their faces, "Oh, sorry." He's able to mumble as he flees out the door.

As the door to Crispy's closes behind him, he hears a new, masculine voice.

"Ahh, Doctor Sam Beckett, I've been waiting to talk to you."

Sam turns around and finds he isn't in front of Crispy's anymore, he isn't anywhere. It's blackness all around him. Though Al is right there with him.

"Al, what's going on?"

Al starts to frantically press buttons on his comlink, to no avail. "Sam, my comlink is dead."

"Oh, it's not dead, I just suspended its operation for a bit so we can chat." The same voice says.

Sam whirls around, "Who are you?"

"I am Discord."

"Now that's a name." Al says.

"Shush, Al."

"Oh, I can hear Mister Calavicci as well." Discord says.

Finally a flash of light announces a new arrival. Sam's mouth drops as he looks at the creature standing before him, a vaguely equine and serpentine shape, with a mismatch of other animals for limbs. The creature spreads an eagle's talon and a lion's paw, "Ta daa."

Sam just looks as the creature, so does Al.

After holding the pose for a moment, Discord finally looks at the stunned humans, "In fact, I'm the one who brought you here. You see, Princess Twilight is about to go missing. And I jumped up and down the time line and was unable to find where she went. And the reason I've brought you here through your incessant leaping is because Rainbow Dash gets so broken up about the loss of Twilight Sparkle, that in three weeks time, she kills herself." The draconequus looks very sad, "Then poor Lero succumbs to the pain a matter of days later from the loss of two of his loves. And Lyra. You don't want to know about what happens to her."

Sam looks at the creature, "So, you want me to fix what is going to go wrong? Why don't you do it? You have the ability to jump through time, you apparently were able to drag me into a completely different universe. You obviously have the power."

With a snap of Discords fingers, they are suddenly in the bedroom in the tree. Discord walks around slowly. Looking at the various knick knacks. "Now that wouldn't be fun now, would it?"

"So, you are saying you can fix this, and I'm not needed?" Sam steps towards the Draconequus, anger plain on his face.

Discord disappears and then a snake twirls around Al. The snake's head turns into Discord's head, "I am the spirit of chaos, human. I can do what I wish, when I wish, for whatever reason I wish. But I think the mystery being solved by you would be much better."

Sam crosses his forearms, "And what if I refuse to play your game?"

With a flash of light, Discord disappears from around Al, and reappears in front of Sam, his lion's paw and eagle's claw on his hips, "Then I won't help you."

Al scoffs, "And how can you help Sam?"

Discord looks slyly at Al, "I brought you here, didn't I?"

"No, that impossible, I'm in the imaging chamber. I'm a hologram right now to you."

"Are you so sure about that?"

Al walks to the bed, but instead of phasing through it, he trips into the bed, landing on the soft comforter, "This is impossible!" Sam blurts out.

"And I am Discord, the impossible is my specialty."

Sam rushes over to Al, and for the first time in years, the two men embrace. Tears of joy roll down both of their faces.

"That is how you are helping me?"

Discord chuckles, "No, it is merely a taste." Discord smiles, "I would actually send you back to your home, but unfortunately, your fate is in the hands of others. And I cannot change that, but I can bring some others here to give you some time with the family you so desperately miss."

With a wave of his claw, Sam's wife, and other people materialize. Sam runs to his wife, only to phase through her.

"Silly human, you haven't won yet."

Sam glares at the mismatch of animal parts in front of him, "It's simple, I'll simply tell Twilight that she can't go on the trip, that she won't make it."

Discord smiles evilly, "Oh, if it were so simple, Sam." He snaps his fingers and disappears, along with the visions of Sam's family, as he feels his consciousness fading, "You are going to have to solve the mystery, not avoid it, sleep well, Sam, because when you awake, Twilight Sparkle will be missing."

***

Sam is awoken to a tongue invading his mouth, and what feels like a pair of wings embracing him tightly. He opens his eyes and he notes the cyan fur and rainbow mane. He pushes her away.

"Where is Twilight?"

Rainbow shoots him a very sour look, "Big guy, are you still feeling bad? You've slept in pretty late today. And now you seem to have forgotten that Twilight took the early train to Canterlot this morning. She's been gone for a couple of hours now."

"Crap, we need to get going." He throws the covers off and gets up, then he notices something, he turns back to Rainbow Dash, "Rainbow, why am I naked?"

The cyan pegasus purrs, "Lyra and I found you passed out on the bed, fully dressed and above the covers, so we undressed you and tucked you into bed. You must have been really out of it. You didn't even twitch when I pulled your boxers off of you." She smiles lasciviously at him, then pouts a bit, "No reaction at all."

Sam scrambles into some clothes and says, "Discord visited me last night."

The pegasus' wings wilt, "What did he say to you?"

Sam hesitates, it never really does any good to divulge that he's a leaper, "He said that Twilight is going to go missing, and that we have to figure out what happened to her."

Rainbow's wings change, from being fanned out to the sides, they are raised above her back, looking more like a threat display, "That son of a…" She trails off as Lyra enters the room.

The mint green unicorn stops mid stride, a hoof raised, "Lero, why is Rainbow looking like she's about to kick your ass?"

"Discord told Lero that Twilight is going to go missing."

Lyra freezes, "Is this one of Discord's jokes?"

Sam shakes his head.

Lyra whirls around, "We need to get to Canterlot, we need the Princesses."

Comments

[Ghost-091]

Eh, the whole "Lero turns suicidal" feels like a bit of a stretch, but I can glance over it. I've been debating over whether or not to watch this show on Netflix (and has been recommended to me by it and some friends), but I've never been too interested in it till now. Let's see how this fanfic goes.

[Seirs]

hmmm Discord seems like a nice way to fill in the usual knowledge up and down the timeline that is missing being in another universe. Nice play on that.

[TheTownCrier]

*epic face Palm* Really should have seen that coming.

I'm not sure if Lero had any interaction with Discord on a face to face basis in the original Xenophilia. Still it's rather nice that Discord at least seems to care.

[Super_Big_Mac]

5170558 Honestly, I could see Dash going all suicidal, while trying to find Twi, and then that causing Lero to break, but possibly not prior.

[Ghost-091]

5171873
Agree.

[Phenrys]

5170558
5171873
Ah, but remember, Discord isn't really known for his honesty. His why doesn't really matter, it's what he's done that does.

[Phenrys]

5171409
Not in the original Xenophilia, but in Divided Rainbow he did.

[TheTownCrier]

5172496
I'm going to read that.

[Ghost-091]

5172491
However, we can't make that assumption. Discord has always been shown, canon-wise, to be a prankster and troublemaker. To out right lie about something that serious would be OOC for him. However, that also doesn't mean he wouldn't, which is why I said "stretch" rather than "break" [the suspension of disbelief].

Right now, the only assurances that we can make are those that the author tells us. Discord said Leroy goes suicidal after Sparks () goes missing, and we don't have any real evidence to show that he is lying.

[dark_zero]

I like your story, especially because it has characters from one of my favorite series

and it is this old TV series but still great do

greetings and good luck

[Sparky Brony]

5172643 I have been thinking, and you guys are right, while Lero is in love with Twilight, her loss wouldn't be enough for him to take his own life, though I could see Rainbow losing it that badly, I think I will adjust the scene.

Note: I was following the beginning of the original version of this story, so I was using what was written as a springboard. I can adjust and adapt, I want this story to be enjoyed, and I'll add a little but from AL, I can't believe I missed that.

[Sparky Brony]

5161485 I rewatched a couple of episodes on Netflix, I had forgotten how much Al follows little Al around. Some sprucing is forthcoming.

[Phenrys]

5172643
You have a good point, though I never take anything he says at face value.

[Phenrys]

5172573
You should, it is very good.

[Sparky Brony]

5160895
5161485
5164734

I have adjusted the dialogue and a few details of chapter 2 and 3 per some informative comments earlier. I hope you like the changes.

[Jarimor]

I DON'T EVEN NEED TO READ BEFORE I FAVE, I GREW UP IN THE '90S WATCHING THIS. TIME FOR AN OLD SCHOOL RESET.

[TheTownCrier]

5173581
It was/is in my read later bookshelf. I'll get to it tonight.

[Sparky Brony]

5175739 Eeyup, I haven't watched it for about 3 or 4 years, but I queued it up on Netflix for research yesterday...

[Pony With A Box]

There's the wife joke I was waiting for! And also, Discord seems a good enough explaination for why he's there, for me anyway
Liking this story so far, favoriting, and hope to see more of this

[Luckyfanisaac]

She turns to Sam

To nods from all of the ponies.
Improper grammar

that's impossible,