Arrival in Equestria
Arrival in Equestria
The two had landed just south of Manehattan. Diana had insisted that they land closer, or within the city itself, but Soarin’ managed to talk her out of it. Now though, she took a moment to examine the city, all of its buildings, streets, any visible monuments, what few ponies that were close enough to be recognized, and she was able to come to a conclusion:
“This city is hideous.” she said. “And huge; you really can’t have that many ponies living here to warrant buildings of that size, can you?”
“You’d be surprised how many ponies you can fit in one building.” Soarin’ said. Diana nodded, but she still did not like how the city looked.
“The least they could have done was make the buildings a bit more... tasteful.” she sighed and began trotting towards the city. “Well, there’s no use complaining. I suppose I should find some government official and alert them to Ares’ plots. I suppose you would know where I could find a suitable magistrate.”
“Uh, wait up, Diana.” Soarin’ flew past Diana in order to come face to face with her. “I know you’re really into this whole ‘save the world’ thing, but you might just want to hold back on it for a little while.”
“But every minute I wait, Ares gets stronger!”
“I know, but wouldn’t you rather get used to the ponies you’re helping before you accidentally offend somepony?” Diana paused, looking away from Soarin’ for a moment.
“That may be a wise course of action. Very well, lead on.”
“Okay.” Soarin’ landed and walked towards Manehattan, Diana following close behind. “We’ll stop by the hotel I was staying at before... well, before I met you. If we’re lucky, the others haven’t left yet and we might be able to get a ride to Canterlot.”
“I do not wish to sound like an ignorant pony,” Diana said, picking up the pace slightly so she was now walking alongside Soarin’. “But a ‘hotel’ is...?”
“It’s... a really big building where ponies go to spend the night when they’re away on trips.”
“Oh.” Diana was silent, looking back towards Manehattan. When Ares is defeated, I must do a thorough analysis of all the differences between this realm and Themyscira. I’m sure my mother would not mind. She placed that thought aside as they reached a road. Like the others it was narrow, too narrow for Diana’s tastes, but it was functionally the same. With less uneven ground to worry about they were able to move a little faster, and soon they were nearing the city limits.
It was then that Diana was able to get a better view of the ponies of Manehattan. The state of undress most of them were in was disturbing, but Diana was willing to set that cultural difference aside for a moment. What she really noticed was how relaxed everypony was; Themyscira being a warrior culture, Diana was always told to be on alert, but these ponies showed little in the ways of discipline or alertness. Artisans, merchants, farmers maybe, but not warriors. She did not know whether to worry for the city’s safety or admire Equestria’s security if they were so calm.
Also, as they neared she noticed quite a few ponies, mostly mares, looking towards them as they walked.
“Is this a normal occurrence?” she asked. “To have so many ponies watching you?”
“Um... Yes?” before Diana could respond, a small group of mares, most of them teenagers, approached Soarin’.
“Um, I don’t want to sound... rude.” the lead mare said, pawing nervously at the ground. “But... are you Soarin'?” Diana raised an eyebrow at this.
“Yes,” Soarin’ responded, turning to face them. “Why do you ask?” As soon as he turned around, Diana noticed, all the nervousness in the mares seemed to vanish. Shy looks were replaced by beaming smiles, and they seemed to lean in very close.
“Soarin’!” the assembled mares squealed, a grating sound that caused Diana to take a few steps back. Several other ponies noticed it as well, but for whatever reason decided to move towards the source of the sound rather than away from it. In their rush, several pushed Diana out of the way, Diana’s patience running rather thin as they failed to apologize.
Even if she felt that her situation was less than satisfactory, she was thankful she was not in Soarin’s position; the colt was mobbed from all angles by excited ponies, all of them were assaulting him with a barrage of questions, most of them frivolous comments about his looks. As she looked on, Diana’s ears flattened against her head and she frowned, her annoyance at the delay growing.
“I take it this also is a common occurrence for you?” she asked, surprised to see that Soarin’ actually heard what she had said.
“Uh, sorry for not warning you?” he gave her a rather weak smile. Diana paused for a moment before giving a snort.
“Colts; one mare bats her eyes at them, and they can’t even think straight.” she groaned before noticing that all the mares were now looking at her. “... What?” Diana’s emotions went from frustration to shock when all the mares began to swarm her too.
“Are you Soarin’s girlfriend?” one asked.
“Why are you wearing that outfit?” another said. “Are you a dancer?”
“I really like your mane!” a third cried. “Who’s your stylist?”
“What’s Soarin’ like?”
“Isn’t he just adorable?”
“Are you two getting married?”
"Uh..." Diana backed away, eyes darting between the mares and the distressed looking Soarin'. She was alone, alone against the tide of questions and intrusions from a culture that she barely even knew. Just from standing next to one pony, and they automatically assumed she was his... consort?! Hera, I beg of you; please make this stop!
"Uh, excuse me, yeah, just coming through," Soarin' pushed his way through the mob, finally reaching Diana and taking her by the hoof. "Don't try to fly, just hang on."
"'Hang on'? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself-" Diana never finished, for Soarin' had spread his wings and taken flight, leaving the crowd of mares behind save for those Pegasi foolhardy enough to try and give chase. For all of his other faults, Soarin' was certainly swift, easily leaving the mares behind until he found a suitably "quiet" spot further in town.
"I had no idea they'd be so aggressive," Soarin' said, letting go of Diana's hoof. "The Wonderbolts are popular, but ponies don't get that close so often."
"Uh..." Diana started before shaking her head. "It's... well... it's ridiculous. You are just one colt; shouldn't they seek pleasure elsewhere rather than just fawning over you alone?"
"Well, they can be a bit much at times, but it's not much different from when you have a champion back on Themyscira, is it?"
"That's entirely different." Diana shook her head. "And the inanity... my mane is fine! What is a 'stylist'?"
"Diana, just calm down," Soarin' placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I know it's a bit much, but I promise that things will make sense soon. So just stay calm, we'll get inside, and you can get to defeating Ares." Diana regarded Soarin' for a moment. It was overwhelming, sure enough, but... having someone like him was rather comforting, she guessed.
"Very well," she said. "Lead on."
...............
Soarin' looked over to Diana, watching as the Amazon took everything in. Other than the incident with the fans, she seemed to be calmly taking everything in as they walked, her eyes darting from one feature of the city to the next. No panicking, no insistence that Equestria was insane, and no violent Amazon rampage... yet. While Diana was much calmer than her fellows, Soarin' was not eager to see how far her patience stretched.
"So, Manehattan's one of the bigger cities in Equestria," he said. "I don't really know how many ponies live here, but it's got to be several hundred thousand if I remember correctly... maybe more." Diana did not say anything. "Yeah, it can be a bit intimidating, but you get used to it after a while." Soarin' looked over at Diana, stopping when he saw that she was not walking alongside him, but had stopped half a block down at a pretzel stand. Soarin' chewed his lip and trotted over.
"... and then you wrap them up like little arms?" Diana asked.
"Yes," the stall owner said. "It's a bit tricky, but when you've been making pretzels as long as I have you pick up a few things. Care for one?"
"Oh... thank you." Diana took a pretzel in her hoof before frowning. "Oh, I'm sorry... I just realized I don't have anything to pay you..."
"Marry me?" Diana's face flushed just as Soarin' stepped in.
"I'll take care of it," Soarin' said quickly, tossing a few bits to the pony. "You have a nice day now."
"You too. You have a very beautiful marefriend!" Soarin' gave a fake smile and gently nudged Diana away before she became more flustered.
"Is that really all you ponies think about?" she started.
"He was just joking, Diana," I hope "Things are a bit more relaxed around here, sure-"
"But he did not even ask if my mother would speak on the matter..." Diana mumbled, taking a small bite from her pretzel. "By the gods, this is tasty. I should have asked how to make these so I could teach the bakers of Themyscira."
"I think I can find you something to help with that." Soarin' looked away from Diana for a moment, spotting their hotel just up the street. "Great, we made it."
"Is that where we will be staying?" Diana asked. "Good. Now, I need to find a magistrate and alert them of Ares' presence." Diana started off, but Soarin' moved to intercept her.
"Easy, Diana, there's no need to run off and get lost," he said. "Besides, I'm exhausted from the flight here. What I really need right now is a shower and some food, then we can save the world."
"Well, enjoy yourself then. Have one of those 'pretzel' breads."
"Diana," Soarin' stepped around her again before speaking. "Remember what we talked about, about getting to know Equestria before you become its savior? What ever happened to that?"
"Well..." Diana started before giving a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I suppose I'll put up with your insanity for a little while longer... but we must remember we're here to defeat Ares, nothing more." Soarin' started to protest, but stopped himself. Diana wanted to get her mission done, and who was he to fault that?
What happened to all that curiosity she had, though?
"Okay. Well, come on; let's rest for a little while and then we can get moving again." Diana nodded, falling in step behind Soarin' as he made his way across the street. It was, surprisingly, a lighter day of traffic, the two not having to dodge carts and hurrying ponies on their way to the hotel. The bellhops at the front of the hotel did not pay him much mind, but they did seem very interested in Diana as she followed after him.
“Hey, Soarin’!” a voice called out. Soarin’ looked up and he saw Rapidfire and a few of the others hurrying towards him. “Where have you been?”
“It’s a long story, I’d rather not talk about it.” Soarin’ stood up straighter. “But why are you guys still here? Shouldn’t you be in Los Pegasus getting ready for the wedding?” there was a pause.
“Uh, well...” Rapidfire massaged the back of his head. “Yeah, um, Fleetfoot was trying out some of the hors d’oeuvres and... well, one of the cooks whiffed a batch and Fleetfoot got food poisoning... bad.”
“... How bad?”
“Like, ‘hungover Princess’ bad.”
“Ooh.” Soarin’ grimaced as another bad image came to mind. “So...?”
“They pushed the wedding back a few weeks, and we decided to spend a day or two more here.”
“Oh.” there was a pause. At the back of his mind he thought he heard a voice whispering You can thank me for that later, but passed it off as stress.
“But seriously, where were you?” Rapidfire asked. “You disappear for three days and then you just show up again? What were you up to?”
“Nothing, really.” Soarin’ shrugged. “I just... was out of town for a few days.”
“Where?” Soarin’ was about to answer with some kind of half-truth when his thoughts were rather forcibly derailed by one outraged Amazon.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" Soarin' whipped around to find Diana towering over one of the bellhops. The pony tried to slip away, but Diana reached out and yanked him forward before he could escape. “Would you like to repeat what you said to me, colt?” she snarled, pulling the colt up so he was eye to eye with her.
“I-I-I-” the colt stammered.
“Speak up!” Yeah, I’m doomed. Soarin’ thought before rushing over to Diana.
“Put him down, Diana.” he said.
“Do you know what this colt said to me?” she asked, still not letting go of the pony in question. “He said I had a nice flank. Coming from you I can understand it, as you were under the influence of the Lasso of Truth, but he said it so casually! I am willing to respect your culture’s lack of clothing, but are these things always treated so... lightly?”
“Uh...”
“That’s all anypony has said to me since I stepped into this city: ‘Nice flanks’, ‘Where did you get your coat cleaned’, ‘Who’s your specialist’, ‘Are those real’, ‘What’s your sign’. I don’t even know what that last one means! Do you obsess over signs as well?”
“Diana...”
“And then there were the proposals of marriage. Seventeen of them! And they didn’t even speak to my mother and ask for her permission to court me... not that they could, but the effect is still the same! And you... you never once questioned why ponies were doing this! Are you that used to mares being subjected like that? Are all mares just objects that you drool over?”
“Diana...” Soarin’ raised a hoof to try and calm the angered Amazon. “I know it’s a bit of a shock, but trust me, most colts aren’t like that. So you hit a rough patch, but you can’t judge everypony just from one experience, can you?” Diana’s gaze softened and she released a bit of her grip on the other colt’s neck.
“I... I suppose you’re right.” she released the colt and got back down on all four hooves. “I am sorry. I guess the stress of arriving in a new culture is getting to me. I will try to adjust as much as possible.”
“That’s better.” Soarin’ smiled, and after a pause Diana returned the smile. That vanished when she looked back to the colt she had tried to strangle.
“Apologies for the trouble. Next time, though, show some respect for visiting mares.”
“Y-y-yes ma’am.” the colt stammered before running away, and once he was gone the other ponies in the hotel returned to their business. Diana looked back to Soarin’ cocking her head to one side.
“Well?" Soarin’ could do nothing else but sigh.
“Look, just forget about this. Relax a little, and we’ll get back to saving the world as soon as possible, and... And I'll try to keep the more intrusive ponies off your back, okay?”
“Fine.” Soarin’ nodded and turned back to Rapidfire and the others, Diana walking up beside him.
“So, Soarin’...” Rapidfire said after a brief pause. “Who’s your friend?”
“My name is Diana. I am visiting from...” she looked around. “Outside of Equestria. I apologize if you saw that outburst back there.”
“Oh, no need to apologize.” Rapidfire looked to Soarin’. “So, we were planning on hitting up a few clubs we missed last time; maybe you’d like to bring your friend along?” Soarin’ raised an eyebrow.
“Do you really think that’s a good idea, after... well...”
“Why not? It’d make things more exciting.” Soarin’ sighed; it was just like Firefly said, Rapidfire had less than average survival instincts.
“We’ll probably skip tonight. Diana’s still tired from the trip, and...” Soarin’ nodded his head back to where the (probably) traumatized young colt was talking to a manager of sorts.
“Eh, suit yourself.”
.............
Diana could not sleep. It was not because to the earlier incident; rather, it was simple curiosity. She stood on the balcony of the room she was sharing with Soarin’, her lasso wrapped around her right foreleg, looking out over the city. She had to admit, at night the multitude of lights was an improvement (she made a mental note to ask Soarin’ just how they were maintained), but it was nothing compared to Themyscira.
Furthermore, she had not gotten a chance to speak with a magistrate; the mares and colts that waited for her at the front (some kind of slave, she guessed), had told her that all of them were busy with meetings of sorts. Even saving the world was not enough to sway them, and once more she found herself having to be escorted away by Soarin', the colt imploring her to stay calm.
Calm... In a city that seemed obsessed over everything and yet incapable of worry about anything, was there such a thing as calm?
“Mother...” she whispered, closing her eyes. “I wish you were here right now. You were always best at keeping me calm.” Save for when I earned my cutie mark; I was the voice of reason then. She sighed and looked on, watching the ponies below as they went about their business.
She spotted quite a few couples among the crowds. Even from up here, Diana could see them, walking and talking without a care in the world. She would have assumed that most colts were like the ones she had met earlier, obsessed over a mare’s body rather than anything else. But from up here, she saw things differently; yes, those old feelings lingered, but she saw enough kindness and genuine love to balance that out.
Mortals... Alexa used to say. Always changing, always moving. Diana set that thought aside before securing her lasso to her waist. That task completed, she jumped into the air and flew over the city, silently looping between the buildings.
She saw many things. She passed by a building wherein several aristocratic-looking ponies were sitting down for a meal (a ridiculously small meal, but a meal nonetheless), and then another where an older couple were sitting silently, smiling at each other. She passed an industrial yard, pulling up to avoid being spotted by a brown Pegasus in a blue flight suit and cape, before turning right and flying out towards the edge of the city, slowing down so she could see more of Manehattan. From above, it was like the stars themselves had descended from Luna's night, resting gently against the darkened earth like birds settling in their nests.
Maybe there was calm in this crazed world after all...
Something caught her eye as she passed over one street. She looped around and saw a mare standing beneath a lamp post, talking to another pony and a griffon, both males. By their body language Diana could tell that the other pony and griffon were on the verge of violence, so she moved closer to see what was wrong.
“I already told you, I don’t owe anything!” the mare snapped, making to leave. She was cut off by the griffon sneaking behind her and forced back to the lamp post, and Diana found herself inching closer.
“Right.” The other pony said, moving closer to the mare. “You keep saying that, but somehow I don’t believe you. Now, are you going to play nice, or do we have to convince you?” the mare opened her mouth to speak, but received a slap from the griffon before she could say anything. As she collapsed, Diana landed and stepped into the light.
“Hey, leave her alone!” she said. The pony and griffon looked towards her.
“Stay out of this, lady.” the griffon growled. “This isn’t your business.”
“I think you will find that it is.”
“Look, we don’t want to have to deal with any distractions.” the pony sized her up. “Unless... you’re willing to make it worth our while.” Diana’s ears flattened again. Before the griffon or pony could react, Diana lunged forward, punching the pony in the face. The griffon tried to strike, but Diana deflected his claws with her bracelets before slamming her hoof into his stomach, knocking him to the ground. Her enemies incapacitated, Diana turned to the other mare.
“Leave, now.” she said. The mare nodded and sprinted off into the night while Diana pulled her lasso out and tossed it around the griffon’s neck. “Now, who do you work for?”
................
It had been a slow night for Officer Golden Star, which was saying alot considering that she worked in Manehattan. Her shift at the station was almost over, and she had received no calls whatsoever, not even somepony apologizing for not paying their taxes on time. The only saving grace was that her cousin in Canterlot had sent various pastries for the chief’s 10th year on the force, and some were still left over when Golden Star got on her shift. So she sat in silence, nibbling on a donut while she waited for her shift to end.
I think next time I should ask Chief for a daytime shift. She thought. It would certainly add to the excitement around- she was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and something being thrown into the lobby.
“Hello? Is there someone here?” a voice called. Golden Star set aside her food for a moment and stepped out of her office.
“Sorry, there should be somepony up there.” she said as she entered the lobby. “With how slow things are around here we tend to get a little-” she stopped when she saw the situation. Hog-tied in the center of the room was a griffon, heavily scarred yet fairly well dressed. Around his neck was a second rope, this one glowing gold with some kind of magical energy, and standing on his back was a red Earth Pony wearing a tiara, bracelets, and leotard.
“What is your name, and what are your crimes?” the mare asked the griffon, pressing into his back with a hoof. The griffon hesitated, but started talking when the rope around his neck glowed a little brighter.
“I’m Josef Ironclaw. I’m wanted on several dozen accounts of murder, theft, kidnapping, and prostitution.” the mare pressed into the griffon’s back once more. “... I’ve come to turn myself in.” Golden Star blinked; Ironclaw was one of the biggest criminals in Manehattan, and here he was hogtied and spilling his guts out to her. She looked up to the other mare, who merely smiled and jumped off the griffon.
“Sorry for the intrusion, officer.” she said. “In the future, I hope we can cooperate more closely in ensuring the safety of your homeland.”
“Uh, okay?” the mare smiled again and exited the building, flying off into the night. It took five minutes for Golden Star to register that not only had she just been given one of the most powerful criminals in Manehattan, but she had seen an Earth Pony fly.
“... Or maybe I’m just going crazy.”
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I TOTALLY MISSED THAT SUPERMARE CAMEO.
2773439 I think it was Thunderlane
2773497 It was Dash as Supermare; this chapter takes place at the same time as Part 2, Chapter 3, so she's on her way to stop Silversmith's plot to sabotage MagiTech
2773526 drat
Nice reference. I wonder how dash missed a costumed flying red earth pony what with her being all super and stuff.
Diana doesn't play around.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
2795254
Well, if Self=Darkseid, that means I'm Darkseid and I rule the universe. I will have a good life, thank you.
Awesome story. I love superhero ponies! Almost as good as Supermare!
Yeah, that's Diana alright. So, what is she going to be in this universe Wonder Mare?
Where is the cameo? I can't find it.
2858324
A little obscure, but it's there
2867090
Might have been a tad bit easier if you had specified the gender and suit color of the pegasus. Seriously, I can name several background ponies off the top of my head who could fit the description of "Brown pegasus in a suit" especially when "Suit" can mean anything from swimwear to business attire.
2773439 Ditto, but that's because this is the first fic I've read in the universe. XD
Supermare was in the area.