//------------------------------// // II: Rising Action // Story: Power Pony Adventures: El Taco Loco vs. The Red Menace // by CoffeeMinion //------------------------------// Starlight galloped down alleys and across streets, casting furtive glances behind her as she went and keeping an eye on the Siren floating next to her. Somehow the Siren moved through the air gracefully and seemed to barely be breaking a sweat. Eventually, Starlight slowed, then stopped. She leaned against a wall and tried to catch her breath. “We…” she panted. “Should get… out of sight.” The Siren looked at the building next to them, then floated up to the level of its windows. “Looks empty,” she called down. Starlight eyed the heavy padlock on the building’s door. The beard reached out and inserted a tendril into the keyhole. Starlight blinked as she could feel it reaching in, questing around for the various tumblers… She heard a click. The beard lifted the lock up and off the door, then reached out again and pulled it open. “Neat trick,” the Siren said, returning to ground level. “Something like that,” Starlight said. Dust stirred underhoof as they made their way into the building. Starlight’s eyes struggled to adjust to the low light inside, but she soon gained the sense that it was a large, open warehouse that was vacant save for a few unoccupied wooden pallets littering the ground. Starlight sat on the ground and rubbed at her face with a hoof. Meanwhile, the beard pulled the door shut behind them, snaked a tendril of itself underneath the door, then reached up and replaced the padlock. “What are we going to do?” she muttered. “Stuck in a comic book with a beard, a Siren, and a bunch of heroes who don’t seem to care…” “Sonata,” the Siren interjected. Starlight looked up at her. “Come again?” “My name’s Sonata Dusk,” she said, smiling. Her tone of voice was sweet, but the effect was diminished somewhat by her maw full of pointy teeth. Starlight shook forehooves with her. “Starlight Glimmer. Nice to meet you.” She frowned. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to get out of here. My friends once told me about getting trapped in a comic book like this one, but they managed to get out by defeating a bad guy. They even had a hint from the comic itself about what they were supposed to do.” She paused, glancing at both herself and Sonata. “But this time, I don’t know what we’re supposed to do… and I think we might be the bad guys!” Sonata’s shoulders sagged. “I’m kinda sick of being the bad guy, y’know? Like, me and my sisters used to be into that sort of thing, but then we got our butts kicked, and we lost our powers, and…” She shrugged. “Besides, it’s not me; it’s this mask! It calls itself ‘El Taco Loco,’ and I can’t control the thing when it gets going.” “I guess I know what you mean,” Starlight said. “About both things. I didn’t used to care what ponies thought of me, as long as they obeyed… and now I don’t know how much I really trust this beard.” They met eyes. “The beard’s alive. It calls me ‘The Red Menace.’ And, like, it can talk to me.” “I can also feel udruchennyy at your distrust, comrade,” the beard said, sounding hurt. “Can you hear that?” Starlight asked, pointing at the beard. Sonata floated a few hoofspans backward and shook her head. “I’m not crazy,” Starlight said, gesturing with her hooves. “I—” “Tikho,” the beard hissed at her. Starlight went silent and cocked her head, listening. The only sounds were of hers and Sonata’s breathing, and the faint click of her own hooves as she repositioned them on the warehouse floor. But soon she heard the voices. They were quiet—probably whispered—and coming from outside the building. But they were close. “What is it?” Sonata asked loudly. Starlight shushed her and went back to listening. After a few moments of nothing but silence, she felt sweat begin to bead at her forehead. “I think they’re outside,” Starlight mouthed. “What?” Starlight facehooved, then spoke in a loud whisper: “I said, I think the Power Ponies might be out there!” Sonata grimaced. “I don’t want them to take me,” she whimpered. “I just want to get this mask off and get out of here.” After several moments that were thick with hoof-biting and consideration, Starlight strode toward the Siren and took one of her forehooves. “Sonata, I’m not going to let that happen. Twilight wouldn’t let that happen. You and I are getting out of here together—” “Did you say Twilight?” Sonata asked, scowling. “Do you mean that purple girl who helped take our powers away?” “I… yes,” Starlight admitted. “She’s kind of my… teacher, these days. But I’m sure she wouldn’t leave you here, no matter what. She’d figure something out.” Sonata’s hesitation seemed to melt. “Yeah, I guess she would. Honestly, it’d be kinda good to have someone like her around. She didn’t teach you any mask-unsticking spells, did she?” “No, but…” Starlight’s horn glowed, and a circle of dim light appeared in front of her. On its swirling surface they could make out the sight of Power Ponies circling the building they were holed up in. “They’re gonna find us,” Sonata whimpered. “What are we gonna do?” Starlight leaned closer, watching Zapp and Mistress Mare-Velous lugging something heavy between them. “What’s that?” Sonata floated down, looked, blinked, then started screaming. “No! No, they can’t! They… Starlight, run!” “I don’t understand, what are they—” On the magical surface, she saw the pair swing the large, heavy object back and forth in their hooves, then launch it upward. Zapp stayed with it, helping aim it toward the building’s upper windows. Starlight looked up just as the glass burst inward. She lifted a hoof, shielding her face from the showering shards. There was a heavy, crunching impact next to her. It brought the thick smell of hot, Central 'Mareican spices. Starlight took only a brief glance at the wrecked taco cart before turning her eyes on Sonata, who was shrieking, backing away, and hoofing at her face. “Get out,” she roared. “The mask… it’s taking over!” Starlight took another quick look through her spell before letting it lapse. The Power Ponies had positioned themselves near the door they’d entered through. Starlight looked around the dark warehouse, then muttered a curse and conjured small globes of light, which she hurled toward the four corners of the structure. She set off galloping toward one of them, chosen at random, but kept her gaze switching toward all the others as she ran. Sonata continued roaring, the sound soon becoming unearthly and animalistic. Then Starlight spotted it: there, toward the opposite corner of where she’d run, across a tangle of fallen and discarded shelving and on the other side of where Sonata was in the throes of having the mask take over, was an emergency exit. She changed direction, trying to avoid Sonata by skirting around some old, broken-looking machinery near the wall. “Why… don’t I work out more…” she huffed as her breathing grew heavier. “I have been asking you this for some time,” the beard chimed in. “Not helping,” Starlight hissed. A pause. And then: “Comrade, you are facing this alone. You remember, in the party there is strength, da?” Sonata’s shrieking reached a climax, then abated. Starlight glanced over— The Siren bellowed and leapt toward her. Starlight froze, panicked. The beard cursed as it shot tendrils out toward the floor and wall behind her, pushing her up into an awkward jump toward, but at an angle to, Sonata’s flight path. They passed within mere hoof-lengths of each other. Starlight yelled with surprise as the beard reached out and gripped her hind legs, pulling her down into a tuck-and-roll maneuver. She hit the floor, first feeling the impact in the middle of her back, then feeling disoriented as the beard guided her through the roll. Then the beard brought her back up again, helping to brace her. “Tell me if you’re going to do that again!” she shouted. “Da, comrade.” Starlight watched as Sonata plowed headfirst into the wall. She came up slowly, looking somewhat unsteady. “Idti,” the beard urged. “You don’t have to tell me twice!” Starlight took off galloping again. She dodged between the fallen bits of shelving, and she smiled, seeing the emergency exit get closer. “Here we go,” she breathed. “Come on, Starlight. Almost there, almost…” She threw her shoulder against the pressbar in the middle of the door. It swung open effortlessly. A lone pony stood on the other side, heavily shadowed by the dim illumination of a distant streetlight. Starlight barely managed to avoid plowing into her, then paused, noticing the mare’s slight build. She would look unassuming, save for her tight green bodysuit and small domino mask. But then the pony met her eyes, and Starlight’s breath caught as she saw the rage that boiled in them. “I’m sorry about what happened,” Starlight said automatically. “Please, you should know that this is all a big misunderstanding, and I’m trying to find a way—” “I don’t like excuses,” Saddle Rager said. Her face began to twitch. “Excuses make me really, really…” Starlight pressed a hoof to the mare’s lips. “Hold that thought,” she said, turning left and taking off at a full gallop again. From behind her came the sounds of crunching blacktop and a thunderous, bloodcurdling roar. It was soon joined by the telltale bellowing of Sonata as she exited the building. Starlight stole a glance behind her and caught the beginnings of a struggle between Sonata and a massively over-muscled Saddle Rager. “Okay,” Starlight panted as she strove to keep her legs pumping. “Now… beard… need ideas!” She came around the corner of the building. But before the beard could answer, and before Starlight could process what was happening, the ground in front of her was overtaken by a sheet of ice. Her legs slid out from under her, and she landed hard on her side. Starlight skidded to a halt at the Masked Matter-Horn’s hooves. The two locked eyes, and Starlight swallowed as she studied the other mare’s glowering face, unable to shake the thought that this was the pony whose identity Twilight had claimed when she was in the comic. “It’s over,” the Masked Matter-Horn said. “I’ll spare you the indignity of icing over your beard, but don’t try anything.” Starlight took a long, deep breath. Moments passed, and the two continued staring. The only sounds came from the nearby struggle between Saddle Rager and Sonata, which, admittedly, were loud, full-throated, and seemed to involve an inordinate amount of shattering masonry. Starlight fully expected the other Power Ponies to join the Masked Matter-Horn, but it didn’t happen. At length, Starlight’s legs relaxed, perhaps for the first time since she’d arrived in the comic world. “Okay,” she said. “I just want things to work out for everyone.” The Masked Matter-Horn scoffed. “Spoken like a true Commie.” “Why do you all keep saying things like that?! I mean, why wouldn’t you want us to work out something that suits everypony’s interests? Isn’t enlightened self-interest one of the pillars of Capitalism?” “Don’t try your verbal gymnastics on me,” the Masked Matter-Horn said, dropping into a ready crouch. “But I’m not!” Starlight groaned. “How can I persuade you that there’s more going on here than you might think at first? I mean… do you remember Twilight… being you?” “Let me tell you how this is going to go down. You’re going to stop talking, and then we’re taking you to jail. No questions, no discussion.” Starlight swallowed. “And Sonata? The…” She jerked her head toward the ongoing sounds of struggle. “El Taco Loco?” “Same for her,” the Masked Matter-Horn said. “Just maybe with a few more bruises first.” “But all she wants is to get the mask off,” Starlight pleaded. “You must have access to resources that could help her!” Starlight watched the look on the Masked Matter-Horn’s face harden. “You aren’t listening to a word I say,” Starlight said, shaking her head. “None of the reasons matter for you, do they? All you care about is ‘getting the bad guys,’ and all you can see when you look at us is ‘bad guys’ who need to be ‘gotten.’” The Masked Matter-Horn grinned. “That’s right, Red Menace. You think this is all so complex, but you saw what she did to that poor taco-cart owner. And he wasn’t the first, you know.” Starlight scoffed. “You mean the owner of the cart—which you knew would set her off again, didn’t you? And which you just put through a window, which I think now puts you up to two counts of property destruction?” “I’m not on trial here.” “Well, neither am I!” Starlight gradually rolled herself over and rose to her hooves. “And neither is Sonata. It would be a joke to call this a trial. It certainly isn’t justice.” “It’s all the justice you deserve,” The Masked Matter-Horn said. Each word was slow, rich, and heavy with condemnation. The beard sighed. “Don’t waste time with this Capitalist bolonka. I can get us free again.” “No, let me keep trying her,” Starlight said aloud. She focused on the furrowed brow of the Masked Matter-Horn. “It’s… sorry, the beard talks to me.” “Now she’s gone mad, on top of all of it,” the Masked Matter-Horn breathed. Starlight sighed. “I’m not crazy. Or maybe I am. I’m talking to a comic book hero who… isn’t really acting like one.” She blinked. “You know, that reminds me… where are your friends?” The Masked Matter-Horn grinned. “Taking up position. Listen. Tell me, what do you hear?” “Nothing.” Starlight’s breath caught. “Nothing at all. Sonata and Saddle Rager… “ She froze at the feeling of a heavy, spindly foreleg pressing on her shoulder, followed by: “¿Hola cariño, cómo estás?” “You turned her.” Starlight squeezed her eyes shut. “The mask…” Sonata said weakly. Then her voice suddenly dropped at least an octave, and grew loud and vibrant. “!Me prometieron tacos ilimitados!” “It seems you should have joined the party before it ended,” the beard said. Starlight rolled her eyes. “Oh great, so now you finally grow a sense of humor, and all it has is puns?”