Second Note: Bye Bye, Blackbird [Visual]

[tinkertytonk]

[When the scroll comes to life, it will show a concerned stallion, pawing at the ground.]

What ho, all! Sorry to be a bother, but I was wondering if anypony knows what it means if you can't catch hold of somepony via these fine little whatsits. There's this fellow, Jay, who's been staying with us on Vantas' farm, but he seems to have disappeared. I mean, I'm not about to go chasing down every fellow who finds an itch to go wandering, but it's been a day or more. There was also another chap I'm having trouble finding. A red fellow with a tiger on his flank by the name of Jan. And then there was another fellow, a very upstanding-looking gent with a rose on the hindquarters going by Tamaki Suou.

All three of them were humans before they were ponies.

[He pauses to ponder.]

Well... Jan might also have been a tiger. I wasn't very clear on the specifics, what with it all being byunbyun due to the zowazowa. Honestly, the cove could do to be a bit more precise about these things. Which does remind me: Are the rest of you actually speaking English? Jan said he wasn't when I mentioned it to him. He said I sounded like I was speaking Japanese, which is a marvelous notion, if utterly mad.

Right, but to the point. Has anypony else noticed their new chums buzzing off for parts unknown sans magical whatsity scroll?

Comments

[visual]

[bluesuit_hoofy]

They may have left their scrolls somewhere. Or the scrolls may not be working.

[He's not sure he believes that, though. He's pretty sure he doesn't believe that all three have just happened to have had difficulties with their equipment at the same time. He won't suggest that they might be hiding from Bertie, since he likes Bertie, himself.]

To answer your other question -- I haven't lately, no. Not since I realized I couldn't tell whether you were speaking English or Gallifreyan.

[visual]

[tinkertytonk]

So, you're speaking Gallifreyan at the moment? How bizarre. You sound like a perfectly fine English working fellow.

[He shakes his head because there are more pressing matters.]

I do hope they haven't run into any trouble. I didn't even think to test out the scrolls under the harshest conditions. You don't suppose they've all wandered into the forest? Oh, Luna! Zetta's out there, and all sorts of other dreadful things.

[visual]

[bluesuit_hoofy]

Now I'm speaking English -- and now I'm not. [Did he really just switch languages? There was no outward sign either way.]

If they have.... [He looks uneasy, remembering Zecora's warnings about the forest.] Somepony must have warned them, though. I can't even remember how many times I've been told not to go in there.

Have you talked to Zecora? She knows her way around the Everfree.

[visual]

[tinkertytonk]

I did speak with Ms. Zecora briefly when I met her in town. Jolly, her being a zebra, what? Dante lives out that way, as well. I can check in with them.

You don't suppose...

[He kicks a hoof along the ground, looking away.]

Would you mind giving it a go, Doctor? Contacting them, I mean. Truth be told, this wouldn't be the first time somepony's tried avoiding me.

audio;

[ghostgem]

Don't know what an "English" is, but I'm speaking Common-tongue! Sounds like you are, too. Haw! Makes sense for a magical place to have magical translation.

Haven't seen the folk you're talkin' about, though. Not that it means much, since I just got here m'self. But I've got keen eyes, friend! I'll keep them clear and clean!

[Visual]

[tinkertytonk]

That's another odd thing. Most of you sound like you've got American accents. There are a few chappies like the Doctors who are speaking the King's E. more properly, but everypony else is sort of...

[He waves a hoof in a vague manner.]

Well, I'm not complaining. Americans are a fine lot! I feel as though I'm back in New York sometimes.

Welcome, though, if you're new, miss! I'm Bertie Wooster. How do you do?

[Visual]

[ghostgem]

American? Never heard of it. Funny how it all works out, huh? Shishishi!

Sure am. Name's Gemineye, friends call me Gemmy. ["Jimmy". Funny name for a girl, but hey] Doin' pretty spectacular, gotta say! Wish I could find me some dark sunglasses though. Sunshine here's super bright and I can't do everything at night.

[trustme]

Some of our fellow visitors have disappeared then? Bertie do you happen to know where they were last seen? It's best we make sure they were not taken somewhere dangerous. As peaceful and friendly as Equestria is, it's not impossible for trouble to be lurking about. Better confirm that we're still safe.

[tinkertytonk]

Well, I saw Suou in the town square. He was asking after birds and beazels to join a club for hosting parties, I think. Well, making ponies happy, you know? I only met Jan the first night we all arrived. He was the fellow yelling his head off. And Jay was just wandering near the shelter. He was staying on Vantas' farm with the rest of us.

That's just near the school house. I don't think he would have wandered into the Everfree Forest. Although...

[He frowns.]

Jan might have. He was raised by tigers. He could have gone looking for more of them in the forest.

[trustme]

Jan said he was a type of warrior. If he really was raised by tigers I don't think he would have trouble surviving in the forest. Jay and Suou though... They had places here in the town. It doesn't seem likely they would simply wander away- especially not Suou if he had big plans for the ponies in town.

Have you heard any thing from the princesses yet on the matter?

[Text]

[noxequus]

Neither I nor my sister have had any issues understanding anypony; to our ears you are all speaking perfectly natural Equestrian.

Perhaps it is another facet of the magic that adapted you into pony form.

[Text]

[tinkertytonk]

It is jolly decent or who or whatever did this to give us a means to communicate, it must be said, Your Highness. Have you found out anything more about the magic that might have brought us here, writing of that?

A chap named West and I were looking into what might have been happening before we came. We were both asleep, but the others I've talked to said they'd only been resting their eyes for a moment when they were transported here. Still didn't manage to catch sight anything, I'm afraid.

[Text]

[noxequus]

All we know is that it is somehow connected to the rainbows that appear whenever somepony arrives in this world... they always accompany somepony new arriving, even if it is a single pony.

[She's also technically not the one to ask about that, for an... assortment of reasons. It's far more something to ask Celestia. All she herself has is her speculations based on a slightly... wider view of the circumstances.]

I am certain that you will find that magic very rarely follows rules observable by the naked eye, however.

[Visual]

[solequus]

...Their scrolls have been returned to the Canterlot Royal Archives.

[And she definitely looks troubled by that.]

[Visual]

[tinkertytonk]

[Bertie looks perturbed, as well.]

What does that mean, Your Highness? Have they... they haven't... I mean, they'd keep them even if they ran into more than a spot of bother and gave up the ghost, wouldn't they?

[Visual]

[solequus]

I don't know. Its definitely troubling.

[Which doesn't even begin to describe how worried Celestia really is.]

[Audio]

[surpriserainbows]

So, you know...I know it'd be scary if someone you cared about went missing. I mean who wants people they care about to go missing right! If someone I cared about went missing I'd probably drive myself crazy trying to find them!

But you shouldn't you know man? I mean, this place isn't that dangerous so no matter where they are they're probably good! I mean maybe they even found a way home!

[Visual]

[tinkertytonk]

[He cocks his head to the side.]

Ms. Surprise? Do you really think so? I mean, I'm all for hoping for the best! It would be grand if they've found a way home, but best to be sure, what? I mean, I just spoke with Princess Celestia and she seems frightfully worried about them.

We can't have the Equestrian monarchy fretting!

[Visual]

[surpriserainbows]

Sure I do! Where else could they have gone, you know?

And of course the Princess has to worry. Rulers have to worry about their people even if those people aren't in danger. That's part of the job right?

[Even though much of her job required deception, Surprise was never great at lying. And this was a lie now. She had no clue what had happened to his friends and even if this Equestria wasn't as dangerous as hers...there were still places like the Everfree they could have gotten lost in.

But she still had to try. If just to put the weird not-pegasus' mind at peace.]

[video]

[un_grounded]

[Gil looks worried, and a bit pensive. Mayfield had a similar phenomenon.]

...

In the last place I was transported to, when someone disappeared it meant they were returned home. I can only hope that's the case here, because otherwise I'm just not sure what this place is capable of. Have you seen any ponies who look like them but don't act like them?

I'm speaking German right now, by the way, and Romanian sometimes. That's how everyone sounds to me.

[video]

[tinkertytonk]

I suppose that's something to hope for, then! I wonder why they might have gotten snapped up as opposed to anypony else, though. They weren't really anything alike from what I could tell. Neither personality, nor powers, nor appearance! Do you know what caused them to return home back where you were, old boy?

Oh! And I'm Bertram Wooster. Bertie. I do wish I could be making your acquaintance under less dire circs, but courtesy in ever sitch, I say!

I haven't seen anypony that looks like them since they've gone missing. Jay recognized me as somepony from another world he was in, though he said I wasn't the right me. The same seemed to apply for some of the other chappies I'm staying with: Wulfenbach, Vantas, and Ms. Disciple.

[video]

[un_grounded]

[Well, that gets a smile. A dry one, because the subject is still "people disappearing," but that was a nice pile of information that he was grateful for.]

I don't quite know what would have triggered it; I haven't been here long enough to determine if there's any rhyme or reason for it. In Mayfield it was at random...

[He pauses. This part is not happy, and he's not sure if sharing it would be at all helpful. Although, he was still slightly recovering from Mayfield, and he'd been there a relatively short amount of time too.]

If you see ponies that look like them, pay attention. In Mayfield, the bodies would stay, but the personality would go. They'd be blanks... we called them drones. Ponyville seems like a happier place than that, though, and I'm almost positive it's not a psychological experiment.

We often can't dictate our circumstances, so we must make the best of them. Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, and very pleased to meet you as well.

[visual]

[millionbitpipes]

Oh. Y'know, people would sometimes just disappear on the Satellite, too. Meant they'd gone back home.

[visual]

[tinkertytonk]

That's what a few other chaps have mentioned happening. I really do hope that's the case! How did you know they'd gone home, though? Did a few pop back to let you know?

Er... well, no. That doesn't seem at all likely. I'd think any decent dasher would let a fellow know how to toodle back home, as well, if he'd made the trip there and back again.

[visual]

[millionbitpipes]

Matter of fact, one or two did come back. They weren't too helpful, though, just said they didn't know how it'd happened.