There are always a few problems associated with time travel. Some of them are small, and some are... not so small. Once, I leapt into the life of a working woman and it taught me that problems come in all different shapes and sizes. Some were easy to handle, some were difficult, some were a pleasure. That's the great thing about Quantum Leaping; I can always count on it... Being a surprise. Now, I've leapt into some pretty weird characters in my life, but this one was by far the weirdest.
~~~~~
Sam Beckett opened his eyes to see who or what he had leapt into next. He was standing in front of a mirror somewhere. Blinking his eyes several times, he looked around the room. A wooden table and a few chairs were in the center of the room, a bed off to one side that was big enough for two people. Next to the bed was an empty bookshelf and in the far corner was the window underneath the window was a chest of sorts. It was a big room.
He examined himself closely in the mirror. The man he had leapt into was in his 20's, average height, shoulder length reddish-blondish hair, blue eyes, and a red mustache and goatee.
'Not exactly the worst person I've leapt into,' Sam thought to himself, looking at the image in the mirror that was not his own, 'Now what am I here to do?'
His musings were interrupted by a loud knocking.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
“Hey Lero! You almost done in there?” A female voice called from outside the room.
“Yeah! I'll be out in a minute!” Sam called back. ‘Well, at least I know the guy's name. Lero. Odd name...’
Sam went back to examining himself in the mirror, he was wearing a light brown pinstriped three-piece suit with a red tie.
'Heh, either I'm a 1940's detective or I'm going on a date,' Sam thought straightening his tie absentmindedly.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
“C'mon Lero! We're going to be late!” The female voice yelled impatiently from outside the door. Sam walked over to the other side of the room and pulled open the door the door.
“Is it just me, or does this place seem like something out of a kids cartoon?” Sam muttered to himself as he opened the door. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Standing there was a sky blue pegasus, wearing a multicolored cape that went with her mane and tail, a slim golden necklace, and golden horseshoes. Sam stared at the cyan pegasus in awe and wonder. She smiled and giggled at his dumbstruck look.
“C'mon big guy, we can't keep Lyra and Twilight waiting,” the cyan pegasus said, turning around and trotting ahead a few steps. She stopped when she didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind her.
“Lero? Are you coming?” She asked turning to Sam.
“Oh boy!” Sam exclaimed out loud. About 10 million thoughts were running through his head. If anyone could see his inner persona, it was smashing the panic button as fast as it could.
~~~~~
“Um... so where are we going again?” Sam asked the pegasus as they walked down the dirt road into... Wherever they were going.
“Crispy’s, remember? Our weekly date?'' The cyan pegasus clarified, looking at him oddly.
“Right! Right!” Sam quickly replied.
‘A real talking pegasus?' he thought to himself. 'How is this possible? Ugh... Maybe I'm just on drugs... Or this is all a dream. Or, or I'm just going insane! This seems so real... Where the hell am I? Where's Al?'
“Hey Lero, have you read the new Daring Do book?” The rainbow-maned pegasus asked him, unaware he wasn't actually her loving human stallion.
“I'm afraid I haven't, um,” He quickly grabbed a glance at her rainbow colored mane, “Rainbow.”
“Really? I loaned it to you yesterday. Oh... I think I know why,” Rainbow said with a dirty smirk.
“Um... What would that be?” Sam asked confused. Then again, this entire situation confused him.
“You know what I’m talking about...” Rainbow said, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
“Er... right...” He replied worriedly as he pulled at the collar of his coat.
''Lero, you sound nervous. Is there something wrong?'' Rainbow stopped and looked at him in concern.
''Um... No... Nothing!'' Sam quickly replied again with a horrible smile. ‘Nervous? Of course I’m nervous! Horses can't talk, and pegasi don't exist! Ugh... what'd this guy do to deserve this?’
“Remember big guy, if you have any problems with anypony, I'll kick their flank,” Rainbow said, giving him what he assumed to be a loving look.
“Um, sure,” Sam said, letting out a sigh.
~~~~~
Sam and Rainbow made their way down the street to ''Crispy's'' chatting about things Sam knew nothing of. The “Wonderbolts”, the “Daring Do” books, the day Rainbow had at ''Weather patrol'', and their relationship. Sam didn't know how to feel after he learned about this “Herd” of Lero's. Polygamy... and bestiality? Sam's mind was completely boggled.
Sam looked around at the brightly colored, cartoon-like town. Ponies of various races and colors roamed the streets as if this were any ordinary human town.
'Remarkable,' Sam thought to himself. 'Unicorns and pegasi actually exist. Strange that this “Lero” would be so close to “Rainbow” and “Twilight.” What if they wanted to have kids? Thats not scientifically possible!’
“You've been quiet tonight,” Rainbow commented offhandedly and looked at him in concern.
“Like you said, I'm just nervous. Ah, we're here,” Sam said, stopping in front of a building that resembled any other fancy restaurant. He looked at the sky blue pegasus and sighed, returning his sight to the double doors of the restaurant.
'A date with three talking ponies. Well, here goes nothing,' he thought, pushing open the doors. 'I've only been here for about a half hour and I'm having a weird day. Ugh... Just stay calm Sam.'
A light orange pegasus greeted the two with a warm, friendly smile. Sam's eyes wandered around the dimly lit restaurant.
'Seems romantic enough,' he thought.
“Hey Sky Gem, how's it going?” Rainbow asked the creme colored pegasus cheerfully.
“Great Rainbow Dash. Hey, Twilight and Lyra are waiting for you in your usual spot. Come, follow me.”
As the pegasus lead Sam and Rainbow through the dimly lit romantic restaurant, Sam couldn't help but staring at the other ponies who were trying to enjoy their evening. More specifically he was staring at the odd tattoos adorned on their flanks.
“Could you please not stare at me?” An annoyed brown stallion with an hourglass on his flank snapped at him as he passed the table he shared with a creme colored mare, whose a mark consisted of three bows.
“Sorry,” he replied simply, looking back ahead.
“Lero!” A voice called from the corner. Sam looked over to the right corner and he saw a mint colored unicorn and a purple unicorn wave at him.
“Hey Twilight, hey Lyra, what's up?” Rainbow asked, sitting down at the table.
“Nothing much. Come on Lero, sit down!” The purple unicorn said tapping the seat next to her with her hoof. Hesitantly, Sam sat down next to her, trying his best to stay calm and ignore the fact that there were talking ponies with horns and wings.
‘Alright,’ Sam thought to himself, watching the three mares talk with each other, ‘I've made it this far... Wait, what if Al can't locate me? What if I'm stuck as Lero forever? What if-’ Sam's frantic thoughts were interrupted by a soft pair of lips contacting his own. Sam's eyes widened as Lyra's soft lips brushed against his. Normally, after leaping into several people all throughout time, Sam was used to being kissed by strangers he had just met. This this time Sam's natural human instincts wouldn't allow being kissed by an animal, and he quickly recoiled.
“Is there something wrong Lero?” Lyra asked worriedly.
“Yeah Lero, you've never broken a kiss so quickly,” Twilight joined in, looking at him oddly.
“Lero, are you sick or something?” Rainbow asked?
“Actually yes,” Sam quickly responded looking away from the three, and surveyed the room; and at that moment, his hologram companion appeared a few feet away from him, back turned to him.
“What the...? Sam? Sam?!” Al exclaimed turning in all different directions, “Why are there so many colorful ponies here?”
“Al!” Sam exclaimed sitting up in his seat. The three mares sitting with Sam at the table looked at him confused.
“Al?” Rainbow asked cocking her head at Sam.
“Who’s Al?” Twilight asked.
“Um, I’ll- I mean, I have to use the bathroom. Bad,” Sam said, quickly getting up from his seat and speed walking over to Al away from the three mares.
“He must have to go bad if he's going to leave like that,” Lyra said, relaxing in her seat.
“Yeah...” Twilight muttered quietly.
“So... Lyra, have you read the new Daring Do book?” Rainbow asked cheerfully, turning to the mint colored mare.
~~~~~
“Sam, it’s not safe to talk here. Meet me in the bathroom over there,” Al said pointing over to a door that said “gentlecolts” on it and punching away on the colorful handlink. Sam looked over at the door.
“Gentlecolts? Al wha-” Sam said returning his gaze back over to where Al was standing. He was gone.
“Damn it Al.” Sam muttered under his breath as he walked over to the bathroom door and pushed it open. The bathroom looked like any other bathroom, white tile floors, bright lights, sinks, stalls, urinals. Only, smaller. A lot smaller.
Sam saw Al observing a dark blue earth pony wash his hooves in the sink. Al was waving his hands in front of him, yelling at him, and even attempting to grab him. But as a hologram, he couldn't.
“Weird, all animals are supposed see me.” Al said out loud, his back turned to Sam again. He his throat to get Al’s attention. The dark blue earth pony shut of the sink and trotted out of the bathroom. Sam locked it behind him and rubbed his temple, letting out a sigh.
“Sam did you see that?!” Al exclaimed.
“Yes I did, they’re talking ponies! What's next Al? Magic? Breaking the laws of physics?”
“This looks like a kids cartoon!” Al exclaimed again, ignoring Sam’s questions.
“Al I know!” Sam said loudly in a frustrated tone. “Just calm down. Why am I here?” Al hit a few buttons on the flashing handlink and hit it several times.
“Just hold on Sam, Ziggy used up a lot of power just trying to locate you,” Al said as he kept hitting the handlink. “Ah, here we go. Your name is, hold on this is tough to pronounce... Belerophon Michaelides... You are 24 years old... um, born in Boston, Massachusetts. Funny, you don't have the accent... Ugh damn it. C'mon Ziggy!'' Al said smacking the handlink again.
“This guy seems to go by Lero. Al, how can this happen?” Sam said looking at Lero's reflection in the bathroom mirror.
“Being sent to kiddy ponyland? I haven't got the slightest clue.,” Al replied still trying to get his handlink to work.
“Al, none of thinks makes any sense at all. Talking unicorns, pegasi, this human having a really good romantic relationship with them, oh, and polygamy! Am I going crazy?!”
Al looked up at him from his handlink.
''Did you say polygamy?'' The hologram in the red jacket asked Sam.
''Ugh... all of this is just mind boggling.'' Sam said turning away from the mirror.
''Ya know if polygamy wasn’t illegal I would have been dead already. Have I told you about my fifth, no wait, um, my fourth wife Ruthie?''
''Al, will you stop talking about all you're ex wives for 5 minutes? I'm in the middle of a crisis here!'' Sam snapped.
''Uh,'' Al hesitantly said pressing more buttons on his handlink, ''Ah, finally! You're here for... Huh, that's interesting.''
''Just spit it out already Al.''
''Ziggy says... Two days from now... Twilight Sparkle mysteriously disappears, which sets off a chain reaction in the herd, thus splitting it apart. In the original history this sent Lero into a deep depression and he... committed suicide by slitting his throat with broken glass.''
~~~~~
Just a shout out to AnonAuthor for giving permission to use his character Lero and for helping me think of ideas for the story. Thank you AnonAuthor, and thank you for the absolute masterpiece Xenophilia. Also a big shout out to Perception Filter for editing this story. If you haven't checked out his stories already, go do it now.
