Chapters Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Doctor Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator - and vanished. He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Doctor Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap... will be the leap home.
The Strange Leap
Written by RDFan1701
Leaping through time has taught me many things, especially to expect the...unusual and unexpected. Like the situation I currently find myself in. Firstly, if the darkness didn't say anything about unusual, it was the fact that I was hunched over and walking on my palms and feet. Then there is the fact, that overall, I feel off...like there is something extra about me that there wasn't there before. In any event, I need to find out why it is so dark in here and find some light. Then I need to figure out what I am doing here exactly and what I need to change.
Sam started to fumble around in the darkness for a few moments before being completely stopped in his tracks with a yank on his legs and arms. Blinking and despite the darkness he looked down, "Chains? What am I doing in chains?" he pulled with his legs trying to see how taught the chains were. He'd nod a few times, "Ok...definitely not coming off of the wall." He then tugged with his arms, "Same there..."
A single moment later light flooded the room Sam was in as a door slammed open against rock. Sam looked up and squinted at the sudden brightness. He then heard...trotting? He blinked trying to beat the light, and then looking around. In his vision he caught what he thought was a small animal walking through the room. Sam shook his head, no there was no way he saw an animal in here with him. Especially what he thought it was, a pony. He scoffed to himself, a pony, yeah right.
"What? What's going on?" Sam asked still looking for the source of the trotting. The trotting stopped a few moments later and a sigh could be heard. Then some rattling and then another sigh. "Who...who's there?" Sam asked loud enough to get the other figure's attention.
"You're being released." A deep voice replied from somewhere in the room. "You done your time and made up for your crime." More trotting could be heard as the figure made it's way from what Sam could tell around and over several objects in the room. Sam groaned and wondered, how long could he have been in this room and not fallen over from exhaustion.
Sam tried to find the voice again, "Well...well that's good then." a nervous chuckle escaped his lips as he felt the chains being loosened. The first chain fell and Sam moved his now freed arm with a relieved sigh. Despite having only just leapt into a new body he felt the strain of what seems like several months worth of wearing of the chains and shackles. Another thud echoed in the room as another set of chains were taken off of Sam's leg and arm. He gave an expression of confusion as he noticed that whoever was releasing the shackles, wasn't touching them. The shackles he noticed, glowed green slightly as they fell.
Sam shook his head again, no he was imagining it. There was no way that shackles glowed like that, not unless they were from the max security prisons he had read about before leaping. They'd glow as a sign that they were locked...but these were being unlocked. Sam's head started to hurt, something was already telling him that this leap was not going to be easy. Sam heard the chains being dragged and then dropped. He sighed as he realized that it wasn't a joke about being let go. But...why was he in here in the first place? Sam needed to figure out that first before he could do anything.
"Heh, yeah, sure. Cause anypony, is gonna give you a job or be near their families after what you did." The voice called out as Sam felt the hard kick of two hooves on his hind quarters. "Go on! Git you thievin' pony you!"
"Pony?!" Sam asked with a yelp as he was kicked, forcing him forward and out of the cell. Only to smash face first into the stone wall in front of him. He shook his head with a groan as he noticed a water bucket to his side. He moved his neck to the side and looked down into the water, seeing his reflection for the first time. Staring back at him was the face of a orange colored pony, with a yellow and blue mane. Well...that was the answer to his question of what he was doing in a prison in the first place. Now to figure out what he needed to do in order to get out of here.
Sam looked up and looked back at the cell being closed by another pony. Who in turn looked at Sam and spoke, "Well! I said git! Or do I need to give you another swift kick in the rear!" Sam shook his head rapidly, "Good! Then git otherwise you'll get one!" Sam started to walk away and then stopped, looking at the barrel again. Tilting his head towards it and gets a small drink from it. Sam looked back at the water and simply replied, "Oh boy."
Author's Note
Taking a minor break from writing MY LITTLE YAMATO due to some writers block and that I need some time to plan a few things out.
Sam shook his head in disbelief at what he was seeing. "No, there's no way I'm here. This place...it's like some sort of cartoon world! Everyone here is brightly colored! And they're Ponies!" he said as he walked through a narrow street after quite literally bumping into two ponies outside the prison. A grey colored one with yellow hair and cross-eyed as if she had some sort of mental disability. And a bright cyan pony with rainbow colored mane and tail. Both of them scowled at the sight of Sam as soon as he started to apologize. And then to his surprise, opened their wings and left promptly.
"Pegasi, Ponies, what's next? Unicorns?" He asked aloud as a Unicorn turned around and looked at him with a frown of his own. Sam just let out a chuckle and shook his head as he slowly walked down the road. Quickly getting used to the fact he had to walk on all fours. Surprisingly how fast he got used to it, he also got used to a new sensation, having a tail.
As he walked he noted that the ponies around him were a rainbow of colors and each had manes and tails that were different colors too. And the oddest thing of all, was the brands on their flanks. He tried to approach one of the ponies and ask them what the date was to start but each time, got shrugged off like some sort of disease ridden cattle that had escaped the farm. This leap was definitely going to take everything he had in order to figure out what he was doing here.
He didn't even know what year it was, and from the looks of things it definitely was beyond the point where he was born. Sam kept trotting through the alley, hoping to find someone willing to hell him figure things out a little. Maybe he would get lucky around the next corner? Nope. Sam winced as he was suddenly hit in the face with a frying pan.
"Oooooh! Ow! What in the world?!" He exclaimed loudly as he placed both of his hooves on his muzzle. "What was that for?!"
"Oh! I'm so so sorry!" A voice replied as the pan vlast trees to the ground. "I thought you were somepony else!"
Sam moved his mouth in several directions trying to make sure his muzzle wasn't broken. "Who did you think I was?" He asked rather angrily despite the apology.
"Why, Discord of course!" The regal accented pony replied.
"Discord?" Sam asked in confusion. Sam lowered his hooves from his muzzle and face. Finally getting a decent look at the pony in front of him. The white coated pony with a purple mane and tail that were done up in several long curls. And on her flank was the typical marking, different from everyone else's mark, three diamonds all aligned perfectly in a triangle. In fact, now that Sam looked at her, the more perfect she seemed to appear. Her coat was kept in pristine condition despite being in a small dusty town and a somewhat dirty alley.
"Oh...oh my, I must have hit you harder than I thought. Please come inside and make yourself at home." she said opening the door with not her hooves but with a glow from her horn and a similar glow from the handle and the door opened virtually by itself. Sam blinked several times at the sight.
He took a few small steps forward, "How did you do that?"
The pony turned around and gave him a look that was full of confusion, "Do what? Open the door? Magic of course!" she turned around and put a hoof on Sam's forehead but off to the side, "Poor dear, I REALLY must have rattled your brains! Are you okay?"
"Considering I was just smashed in the face with a frying pan?" Sam began as he shook his head again, "I'm fine. I guess...considering everything that's happened since I left- since I got here."
The pony before him giggled, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't think that is funny, it's not proper for a lady to laugh at someone else's misfortune." she stepped inside the building they were next to. "Well you are welcome to come in and- hey, don't I know you from somewhere?"
"I think I'd remember if I had met you before." Sam said a little weakly and smiled nervously.
The white pony looked at him skeptically, "Hmmmmm, well, I am Rarity. Owner of the Carousel Boutique and all around Dress Designer and Maker!" she said proudly as she pushed a a bit of her mane out of her face. "If there's any kind of clothes or dress you need made, I'm the mare to ask!"
"I'll keep it in mind." Sam replied as he stepped inside and looked at all the brightly colored walls and items inside the Boutique. "I'm impressed Rarity. There are some very nice outfits in here.You made these yourself?"
"Why yes I did darling." she waved a hoof at him, "Feel free to browse the store. I'm going to go make some tea."
"Alright." Sam replied with a nod as he moved towards several of the dresses in the corner. Rarity slipped off into the back of the Boutique and began preparing two cups of tea. Sam on the other hand was slightly panicking.
As he paced the room, he had no idea who he was, or what he was doing here. Then there was the question of HOW he got here. In the past he had leaped into other humans and a chimpanzee, which was most likely a massive fluke thanks to his subconscious. But now...it confused him, for twenty years he had been in complete control, now...how could he have lost control again and leaped on a whim of fate.
Sam turned as he heard an all too familiar sliding of a solid door opening out of nowhere, letting a flood of light come through it's opening. "Hey Sam. How're things...holy moly...Sam? What...what in the world are you?"
Sam ducked down a little trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, "Al! I'm a pony! How can I be a pony?!"
"Uhhhhhh...Ziggy, well...Ziggy has no idea. We just spent the last three days trying to get a lock on you!" Al said trying to simply NOT gawk at Sam's appearance. "After your last leap as that, Japanese guy we lost contact. We couldn't find your brain patterns until Gushy decided to have Ziggy run a scan in multiple planes of reality and boom, we got a lock. We just didn't..."
Sam glared at Al, "Didn't what?"
"Expect you to be so..." Al paused trying to find a word to describe Sam. "Cute."
"Cute?! Being a Pony isn't cute, it's weird!" Sam shot back, his nerves starting to heat up a little bit, "Look, just what does Ziggy say I'm here to do. Walking on all fours is starting to kill my back Al!"
"Well just hold your horses Sam." Al then paused and smirked, "Horses, ha!"
"Al." Sam said with mild annoyance.
Al shook a cigar clenched hand, "Sorry, ah well, Ziggy says that-"
BOOOOOONG! Sam was knocked forward once again as another frying pan collided with the back of his head, "Gahhhh!" Sam cried out in a mix of a groan, "Again?! What'd I do this time?"
"Ouch. That's gotta hurt." Al said with a wince as he watched Sam fall to the ground.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Sam said holding the back of his head where the frying pan had hit him.
Rarity stood behind him, her magic gripping the pan, "You! I remember you!" she shouted as she took several determined steps towards Sam, "You're that stallion that tried to steal the Crystal Heart from the Crystal Empire two years ago!"
Explanations
Sam groaned as he held his head from the impact of the frying pan. The room slowly returning to a stand still after spinning for what felt like an hour. Rarity still held the pan in her magic ready to strike again if needed. Sam looked between Al and Rarity, hoping that one of them would provide some sort of reason for her outburst.
Al slapped the hand-link several times, "Sam, Ziggy can't pin it down, she's never heard of the Crystal Empire before! Just uh... go with it for now!" Sam frowned at Al, so much for hyper intelligent hybrid computers with overinflated egos.
"Well! What are you doing here? Going to try and steal my dresses?" Rarity pushed getting ready to swing the pan again.
Sam groaned as he struggled to regain his composure. "The guards released me. I was just wandering the streets when you hit me with that frying pan!" He turned to face her, "And no I'm not here to to steal anythingI don't do that anymore, ok?"
Rarity looked at him in skeptiscm, there was something about this pony that was off...just what was it? Rarity lowered her stance a little but kept the pan at the ready. Sam watched and gave her a reassuring smile. Rarity kept her face as neutral as possible, again there was something about this pony that made her pause and think.
Rarity broke the moment of silence and asked, "You were just released? And...looking for a job or a place to stay?" She starts to lower the pan. Sam looked at the pan as it slowly laid down on the small rotating center platform.
"Yes I am actually, the guards didn't return anything to me when they let me go..." Sam replied with a nod.
Al smiled after slapping the hand-link, "Got it Sam! Ziggy managed to find the original history and-uh oh."
Sam looked at Rarity who remained quiet and then at Al, "So..."
Al started first, "It seems Sam that in the original history this...Pony, Rarity. Her sister goes missing sometime in the next 5 hours, and Rarity spends the better half of her life looking for her."
Rarity then replied, "Well...I guess if you did your time...and you need a place to stay and a job...I guess you can stay here and work too. I can use the help."
Sam unfortunately answered Al first, "How?"
Rarity cocked an eyebrow, "I do have a spare room, and the work is easy, just help keep my supplies in check and sweep up sometimes if the shop gets messy. Does that sound like a fair chance?"
Al sighed, "Sorry Sam, we're working on half collected data. But it seems that the sister, Sweetie Bell is found, but many years later and- let's just say you don't want to hear the rest."
Responding to both Sam nodded firmly, "Yes I do."
Al paused trying to find the words while Rarity continued, "Excellent darling! Consider this your chance at something new! But if I think anything funny is happening, you're out, understand?"
"I totally understand." He then looked around, "Quick question though."
"Go right ahead." Rarity replied fixing her mane again.
Sam kept looking around, "Where might I find the bathroom?"
Rarity laughed, "Up the stairs, second door on your left." With that Al disappeared, having done this routine several times before. Sam nodded and then quickly dashed up the stairs, pushed the bathroom door open, stepped inside, and then bolted the lock.
"Al, what happens to Sweetie Bell?" Sam asked without a moments pause.
Al fiddled with the hand-link once again, "From what we can piece together, Sweetie Bell spends a good portion of her life trapped in the Ever...Free...oh Everfree Forest."
Sam didn't like the sound of that BRIEF description. He moved slowly around to Al's behind, "Well that doesn't sound too bad...it's just a forest isn't it?"
"Sort of...it's kind of...you know...a bad one." Al said waving his hand dismissively and placing his cigar in his mouth to try and prevent saying more.
"Al come on, we've been doing this for so long. I know when something makes you uncomfortable." Sam said frowning slightly.
Al finally looks back at Sam, "That forest is dangerous. From what we've pieced together from various sources, ponies go missing in that forest all the time. And sometimes...they come out all...evil. And I mean EVIL. They attack everyone on sight, ruin towns, scare off all the animals. It's terrible, just terrible."
Sam's jaw had hit the floor. "My God...how could that even happen?" Sam asked bewildered.
"It happens in our reality too Sam. Kids are sometimes end up lost in the woods and come out emotionally and physically scarred enough to change. My...third...or was it...no my SECOND wife was like that as a child. Luckily her parents got her some help and she turned out just fine. But some don't get that Sam." Al commented sadly, "They never got a chance to be anything but that."
"It's horrible Al." Sam commented before turning to the door, "Where is Sweetie Bell now?"
Al pointed towards the door, "In her room. She's in there with her two friends, Applebloom and Scootaloo. They're trying to find out what their 'cutie marks' are." He points again but this time to Sam's flank, "That's what those are." Sam turned and looked at the very large mirror with light bulbs on its outer edge. Looking and spotting a mark that looked like a bro and dust pan.
As Sam continued to look Al pressed a key on the hand-link and the for to the imaging chamber opened, "Sam I'm going to go back and confirm this data with Ziggy. I'll be back soon, until then, keep an eye on things here." With a quick side step and a button push, Al was gone in a flash. Sam sighed as he looked over himself.
"How does a filly get lost in the woods in the first place?" Sam asked himself, "This place seems too...peaceful for that." He looked at the door and started to push it open. Determined more than ever to fix this chapter in whomever's history it was.
Author's Note
Minor note to the readers. I was contacted via email from a few people saying they were offended by this chapter. And I personally went back and rethought things and decided to change it for the better. So the revised version is now out and I hope you enjoy it!
Sam had only managed to take two steps out of the bathroom before colliding with Rarity in the hallway. The two yelped and started to tumble down the stairs back down into the boutique's main rotunda. The two groaned as they lie there on the ground in a tangled mess of legs and manes.
Coy chuckling came from behind the pair on the ground, "Well, Rarity, to think you'd be caught lying on the ground with a strange pony that ah don't know!" A pony with a southern type accent called with a massive tease. Rarity and Sam's head snapped up and frowns covered both of their faces.
"This isn't what it looks like!" they both called out towards her at the same time. Turning their heads and blinking at each other before pushing away from each other and standing up. Rarity brushed the small amounts of dirt out of her mane, while Sam stretched out his legs.
The orange pony smirked, "Sure it don't, and I'm not an applebucker."
Rarity frowned and took a few steps towards the other pony. "Applejack, it is NOT what it looks like." she retorted firmly, defiantly stomping a forehoof on the ground. "I am above such things!"
Sam watched with an expression that read with both confusion, embarrassment, and shock. The pony Rarity identified as Applejack laughed and pointed a hoof at Sam, "It looks like your buddy there is more embarrassed than you are!" Sam frowned and lowered his head as if in annoyance now. Rarity, surprisingly did the exact same thing. Which in turn only increased Applejack's laughter!
"You should see y'alls faces! It's hilarious!" Applejack sputtered out between laughs.
"Why don't you take a picture! It'll last longer!" Rarity spat back dragging a hoof on the ground, looking like she was ready to tackle Applejack where she stood.
"Maybe I will!" Applejack said grinning wildly.
Sam cleared his throat, "Maybe we can forget that this-"
"Butt-out!" The pair shouted at him and Sam bit his lip hard. There was two things he learned in the twenty-five years of leaps he had done. One, high heels definitely were the thing he hated the most. Two, when women fight you do what they say. There is no chance of winning when you are the third party until things get REALLY heated. Things hasn't gotten to that point and Sam wanted to see how things would play out.
And we're things heating up, a small joke had now turned into a full on insult match.
"Nit-picker!"
"Fashion-flop!"
"Drama-filly!"
Sam sighed and shook his head, this was just silly. This world was DEFINITELY different. Back in his world the insult probably would have been much more violent and the people would have been hitting each other. This place...it was child friendly...and in a way...Sam felt comfortably at home here.
"Oh really? Well let's ask him!" Sam heard as he looked up and saw Rarity pointing in Sam's direction.
"Fine!" Applejack replied nodding hard with a frown on her face.
Rarity turned to face him, "So which pony is prettier? Applejack or myself?"
Sam looked between Rarity and Applejack, "Uhhhh..." He couldn't find the answer to this question. Never once did he ever consider being asked that question by anyone here. He looked them both over for several long moments.
He smiled and started, "Rarity has a very nice mane."
"Why thank you Darling! See! I told you I am prettier." Rarity said with a smug grin on her face.
Sam held up a hoof, "I'm not finished yet." He then pointed at Applejack, "And your Stetson is simply fantastic." He then pointed at both their flanks, "But I love your marks. Both of them!"
Rarity looked at her flank, Applejack too looked at hers. They then looked at each other and smiled. Then they wrapped their fore hooves around each others necks. Sam didn't even need to hear the apology, he knew the forgiveness was there. Of course, the moment would end suddenly when three fillies screamed at the top of their lungs.
"RARITY! HELP!" Called the fillies upstairs. Sam, Rarity, and Applejack all turned and bolted upstairs. What they found in Sweetie Bells room was something they never expected.
Upon entering the room Sam, Applejack, and Rarity expected something worse than what they found. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell were upside down in the middle of the room a good two feet off of the ground. Around them floated several hundred orange feathers. Scootaloo however was cowering in the corner, both of her wings devoid of feathers and her coat spotted with pink dots against the orange.
"I told you it wouldn't work!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed, squirming in the threads that held them airborne.
Applebloom looked over at her and frowned, "How was I supposed to know that it would make her wings blow up and change her coat color like that!"
Scootaloo remained silent while the two fillies bickered between themselves. Her eyes were wide as she recalled the spell. It started off well, making her wings grow a bit bigger. The pride she felt knowing that she could soon fly like Rainbow Dash. And then when they continued to grow she began to panic. Because the growing didn't stop! Her wings became heavy and then suddenly her feathers contorted where they were and then shout outwards like speeding daggers! Not a second later after the feather attack, her coat began to sport spots that started from a sickly green to a slowly fading to a pink color. She didn't even notice that Sweetie Bell and Applebloom had dove for cover.
Rarity stepped forward, "What did you girls do?"
"It looks like a pillow exploded in here!" Sam said watching feathers float to the ground.
Apple Jack frowned, "Applebloom..." She said instantly irritated. Applebloom instantly shrunk under her sisters gaze. Apple Jacks eyes were like daggers flying in Applebloom's direction.
"We tried the 'Make it Grow' spell on Scootaloo." Sweetie Bell began explaining. "Applebloom saw Applejack have Twilight use it on the orchard once! We though we could do the same, just on Scootaloo's wings! We thought it'd make them bigger so Scootaloo could fly with Rainbow Dash!"
Sam moved over towards Scootaloo, who was still trembling. "Hey, I'm...I'm Rarity's friend. Are you ok?" He asked quietly as he moved in front of her. Scootaloo looked up slowly as she shivered, "Are you cold?" He asked her as he grabbed a blanket.
Scootaloo nodded twice. Sam smiled and placed the blanket on top of the filly. "Thank...thank you."
"You're welcome." He said lying down next to her as Applejack and Rarity disciplined their sisters respectively.
Scootaloo watched them both and lowered her head, a few tears dripping down her face. Sam noticed and then reached out with what he suddenly realized was magic. He looked up feeling the magic conform around the tip of his horn an he lifted the corner of the blanket up and wiped Scootaloo's eyes.
"What's wrong Scootaloo?" He asked quietly.
Scootaloo shook under the cover of the blanket, "My wings hurt...and..." She sniffled as she watched her friends try to defend there actions. "Sometimes I wish that I had a sister that would take care of e and tell me when I'm doing something wrong..." She added quietly. Barely loud enough for Sam to hear her. Sam looked at her with slight confusion.
"Where are your parents?" Sam asked with a warm smile.
"I don't know...I never met them..." Scootaloo replied, her ears drooping downward even further than before. Sam opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Al who stepped through the imaging chamber doors.
He had the hand-link up but spoke softly, "She's an orphan Sam. Her parents passed away about a month after she was born. And she doesn't have any family to take care of her."
Scootaloo looked up at the strange man with wise eyes, "Who is that?" She asked Sam, quickly sliding behind him.
Sam smiled and whispered back to her, "That is my best friend Al, only you and I can see him." Sam explained as he put a hoof through Al. Who in turned wore a face of annoyance, "He's not even here."
Scootaloo put her own hoof through Al who audibly sighed, "Oh yes, lets poke the hologram...can we be a little more mature please?" Scootaloo giggled at Al's outburst and kept swinging her hoof through him. Al mockingly laughed as he watched Sweetie Bell look over at Scootaloo.
"What are you doing?" Sweetie Bell asked, confused at Scootaloo's action of randomly swinging her hoof through the air.
Scootaloo looked back at Sweetie Bell,"Uhhhh nothing! Just waving my hoof around...through nothing." She looked lost in her explanation of what she was doing. All the while Al and Sam did their best to not chuckle at the half baked tale.
Sam leaned his head forward and nudged Scootaloo forward, "Go play with your friends." He then whispered, "I need to talk to Al, remember, they can't see him." Sam said with a wink. Scootaloo grinned as she nodded and headed off towards the other group.
"Some kid, guess she's willing to do anything in order to smile. Even believe that you seeing someone that is invisible to everyone else is normal." Al said waving at Scootaloo.
Sam nodded, "She just had a bit of an accident, even make-believe can make a child smile." Sam replied looking back at Al, "So what's the news?"
"Ah well, Ziggy is...confused actually." Al said with an exasperated sigh, "She can't pin down what you ate supposed to do here. First it was that running away and getting lost scenario, now it's to help that little Pony there find a new home, and don't even get me started on the magic theory..."
"So same as usual?" Sam replied with a smirk.
