//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Rainbow Crusade // by TheRainbowDashShow //------------------------------// Raven Flame lay on her back atop her bed, tossing the floral designed notebook in the air. For hours she had been trying to figure out what to do next yet nothing came to her. She rolled over back onto her stomach and flipped open the notebook and stared at the blank pages. She loosened her grip on the diary and let it fall to the floor. As the papers fell to the floor she noticed something and she quickly picked it back up and pressed it close to her eyes. However the room was too dark and she couldn't be sure of what she was seeing. Standing up she scurried to the lightswitch and flicked it back on. "What the hay!" Applebloom mumbled. "Shh!" Raven Flame brought the paper close to her eyes again. She ran her hoof against the pages and could feel the light scratching indents of a quill tip that were imbedded into the parchment. Without saying a word or turning off the light Raven Flame ran out the bedroom, down the stairs and into the cold dark night. "Twilight open up!" Raven Flame called out as she banged loudly on the library door. Twilight Sparkle treaded heavily towards the door, "Do you know what time it is?" she grumbled. Raven Flame ignored her and trotted inside closing the door behind her. Twilight blinked her tired eyes, "Make yourself at home I guess." Raven Flame trotted to Twilight's work desk and rummaged through one of the drawers and pulled out a magnifying glass. She peered closely at the paper and began to giggle excitedly, "Hey Twilight?" "Yes?" Twilight answered, looming over the filly to try and see what she was seeing. "Is there any way to show invisible ink?" Raven Flame asked with a grin. "Lemon juice I guess, why?" Twilight was far too tired for her mind to make any kind of connections to what was going on. Raven Flame squeaked and ran back outside. A few minutes later she returned with a basket of lemons. "Where did you get those?" "Pinkie Pie." Raven Flame answered casually as she squeezed the fruit's juice into a small bowl. "Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked, "But she's asl-" "Hiya Twilight!" Pinkie Pie shouted from behind the two of them. Twilight screamed, lost her hoofing and fell to the floor, "Don't do that Pinkie!" she hissed. Raven Flame gently dabbed a few drops of the yellowish liquid onto the paper. A few seconds later a black ink revealed itself in the shape of lettering. She lightly covered the rest of the paper with the juice and soon the entirety of the page was covered with Diamond Tiara's hoof writing. "Ooh!" Pinkie Pie squealed, "Are we playing a game?" "Not now Pinkie Pie!" Twilight and Raven said together as they read the pages. They flipped through the pages repeating the process of lightly spattering the pages with the juice as they read. The two of them continued going through the diary in search of anything they could use against Diamond Tiara. Hours passed and Pinkie Pie was sprawled across the floor snoring loudly with a small dribble of drool running down her cheek. Twilight Sparkle had fallen asleep as well; she was resting her head on the desk using a book to shield her eyes from the lamp's light. Raven Flame's eyes burned and her hooves ached from the tedious work. After another hour or so she had finished going through half the small book. Finally she came to a single undated page and read it. She dropped the book, rubbed her eyes and reread it a second time just to make sure her lack of sleep wasn't making her imagine things. The rooster's crow echoed from outside the library. Raven Flame snatched up the book in her hoof and sprinted back out the library. "Raven there yah are!" Applebloom shouted from across the road. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were standing with her. "Why were you in the library all night?" Scootaloo asked, the three of them staring at her quizzically. Raven Flame grinned, "Come on you ponies!" she called out running down the road towards Diamond Tiara's mansion. The three of them shrugged and followed her. Trotting up the marble staircase Raven knocked on the mahogany door. Much to their surprise Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon answered the door instead of the butler pony, "Don't you ponies have something better to do than pester me?" She groaned, "I don't know, maybe trying to get your cutie marks or something?" Silver Spoon frowned, "I um, I need to go home. My parents might be looking for me." She squeaked nervously before fleeing from the five other fillies. Diamond Tiara stared, she couldn't believe the pony had just abandoned her so easily. Raven Flame grinned and flashed the pages of the diary now filled with visible written words, "I think I have the proof I need." She said smugly. Diamond Tiara gulped and tried to snatch the book away from Raven Flame who moved her hoof away to quickly, "Give me that back!" she screamed. "I'm going to ask you one more time, will you do something about your father?" Raven Flame asked. Diamond Tiara's face started to grow bright red with anger, "I'm not doing anything for you!" "Fine, I'll just have to read this to your sweet daddy." Raven Flame threatened. Diamond Tiara calmed herself, "He would never believe you. Any pony could have written that. That isn't proof; you're wasting your time." Raven Flame glanced at the book then back at the filly blocking her path, "Well you won't mind letting us in so we can show it to him then will you?" Diamond Tiara sighed, "If you don't drop this then I'll just have to put the picture of you and Scootaloo all around town." A smile spread across Raven Flame's face. A mocking expression that she knew something the other ponies didn't, "What picture?" she asked almost giggling from the thrill she was feeling of everything coming together so perfectly. "This picture!" Diamond Tiara said reaching into her saddlebag but couldn't find it. She slid off her bag and rummaged through the sack but the copies of the photograph were nowhere in sight. "B-but, where are they?" Rarity trotted up from behind Diamond Tiara, still wearing the dress she had on from the day before. She held up a stack of copied photographs as well as their original. Waving the papers she asked in her sweetest voice, "Oh do you mean these pictures? "B-but, how did you?" Diamond Tiara sputtered. "You told me that you knew everything that happened in this town." Raven Flame grinned, "So I figured since I knew your secret, you wouldn't dare let me out of your sight." Diamond Tiara still looked confused. "So I guessed as much that you already knew about the photograph, so I left it somewhere you could easily find it." Scootaloo blinked, "You let her have the picture on purpose?" "Would some pony please explain tah me what in the hay is going on?" Applebloom cried out in confusion. Raven Flame turned to Applebloom, "When we went to tell the others to meet us here in the morning two nights ago, I had everything planned out." "Had what planned out?" Sweetie Bell groaned, her head starting to ache as she tried to understand just what Raven Flame had done. Raven Flame continued to giggle as she made her friends wait for a straight answer. Eventually they started giving her irritated looks and she caved in, "Alright alright, I'll tell you." Two days earlier The four fillies trotted inside the farmhouse and into the living room. Raven Flame slid off the saddlebag near the trash bin by the writing desk. The bag contained an assortment of utensils she thought necessary for their plan. She sat down at the writing desk and dipped her quill into the ink jar and started scribbling fiercely. "What're yah doing?" Applebloom asked curiously as she dropped herself onto the couch. Raven Flame ignored the question and continued writing. After a few minutes of silence she looked at the parchment, mumbled something, crumpled it up and threw it to the side of the desk. "AJ, Dashie, can I talk to you two?" she called out. The two ponies came down from the upstairs bedroom, the two looking rather flustered as if they had been arguing and crying. "Yeah sugar cube?" Applejack said with a sniffle. Raven Flame hopped up from her seat and trotted to the two, "I know how we can fix this." She said with a smile, "I know how we can get Filthy to leave every pony alone." "Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash said, "And how's that?" "Just meet me outside Filthy's Mansion tomorrow after the Rooster's crow in the morning." Raven Flame said confidently. Rainbow Dash shrugged, "Might as well, not like I'm going to have a job to go to in a few days." "Alright sugar cube." Applejack said after much thought but couldn't see the harm in this one small request. Raven Flame picked the saddlebag back up from off the floor, "Come on every pony, we've got work to do!" She said with a smile as she gestured for her friends to follow her. "What're we doing now?" Scootaloo asked once they were outside the farmhouse. Raven Flame looked around casually for anything she deemed suspicious, "I need you three to go tell Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight to meet us at Filthy's mansion tomorrow morning." She said. "Why?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I'll explain everything later!" Raven Flame said waving a hoof, "I'll meet you back at Ponyville fountain!" she said and suddenly started running towards town. The three fillies looked at another one quizzically. "Ah guess ah'll tell Twilight." Applebloom said and took off running as well. "I'll go tell Fluttershy!" Sweetie Belle said quickly and galloped away. "Guess that leaves me with Pinkie Pie." Scootaloo mumbled to herself as she hopped on her scooter and propelled herself out of the orchards. Soon she caught up with Raven Flame and waved at her as she zipped away. Raven Flame rolled her eyes at Scootaloo as the pony passed her. Slowing her pace when she reached the cobblestone roads of Ponyville, she trotted into the Fashion Boutique, the bell jingling quietly as she opened the door. "Rarity, are you busy?" she called out, placing the saddlebag lightly to the ground and searched through it to make sure everything inside was still okay. "Just a moment!" Rarity shouted from her workroom. She finished the last of her stitching and entered the room, "Raven my dear, what can I do for you?" Raven Flame smiled sweetly, "I have a favor to ask of you." Rarity looked down at the small filly wondering what she could possibly need from her, "Alright, I'm listening." Raven Flame trotted into the backroom and looked around where she saw a rather large and poofy dress. Walking over to it she examined it and decided this would be well suited for the task she had in mind. She gestured for Rarity to come closer to her and the unicorn obeyed. "Well what is it?" Rarity asked. "Would you meet me outside Filthy Rich's mansion tomorrow morning?" Raven Flame asked. "I suppose, but may I ask why?" Rarity asked politely. "Thank you!" Raven Flame leaped up and hugged Rarity, burying her hooves into her purple mane. Rarity blinked, "Run along now dear, I've got work to do." She said scooting Raven Flame towards the door. "So you're still coming right?" Raven Flame asked at the doorway. "Yes, yes." Rarity said waving a hoof for the pony to leave. The bell jingled again as she exited the Boutique. She looked around to find Scootaloo already waiting at the fountain. Running up to the Pegasus, "Who'd you tell and did they agree?" she asked. "I told Pinkie Pie and obviously she said okay." Scootaloo said rubbing her ears, "She said it quite enthusiastically I might add." "We're all covered with Twilight!" Applebloom called out as she approached them. "Same with Fluttershy!" Sweetie Belle said close behind. "Great!" "Yeah yeah we know that bit!" Scootaloo interrupted, "Why is Rarity here and how did she get the photos?" Raven Flame groaned, "Rarity, would you care to explain?" "With pleasure!" Rarity said, "After Raven Flame visited me, she had buried a note inside my mane." She turned and frowned at the Pegasus, "Which I had a most difficult time removing from my mane which required rather vigorous brushing afterwards." Raven Flame rolled her eyes, "Sorry?" Rarity cleared her throat, "As I was saying. When I finally retrieved the parchment it had rather specific instructions for what was required of me yesterday morning." "When did you write a note?" Diamond Tiara blurted out, "I was watching you all day and I never once saw you write any notes!" "At the farmhouse." Raven answered casually. "You threw that away!" Diamond Tiara cried. "No, I threw it into the saddlebag next to the bin to make you THINK I threw it away." Raven Flame said with a wink. "May I continue?" Rarity interjected. The five fillies nodded, "After I read the note I was up all night working away to make adjustments to this dress, but I'll get to that later." She gave the photographs to Raven Flame and then continued, "While the others were upstairs searching your room, I was downstairs keeping your father and the butler busy." "Filthy, you have such a lovely home." Rarity said as she admired the portraits aligning the walls. "Please, call me Rich." Filthy said containing his irritation for being called Filthy. "My apologies, Rich" Rarity corrected herself, "Oh what's in here?" she asked trotting inside a room with an open door. "Oh this?" Filthy asked with a bashful chuckle, "This is the lounge." "Isn't it simply gorgeous?" Rarity commented as she took rested herself on one of the red velvet seats. She turned to the butler, "Would you be a dear and…" she laughed embarrassedly, "How rude of me, I never even asked you, what's your name?" The butler coughed and cleared his throat, "My name is-" Filthy Rich interrupted, "Never mind that, go fetch our guest something to drink!" he commanded rudely waving a hoof at the butler whom nodded and trotted across the room towards a rack of glass bottled beverages. "My apologies, he sometimes forgets his place." Filthy said. "That's quite alright!" Rarity said fluffing her mane. The butler approached her with a tray balanced perfectly on his back, "Thank you." Rarity said floating one of the glasses of grape juice over to herself and sipped quietly. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Filthy asked, "You hardly stop by anymore." "Oh, you know me, I'm always working." Rarity laughed, "I've just been so busy I hadn't had the chance to stop by. I had some free time on my hoofs today and I thought I would come and say hello." "What a lovely thought." Rich said as he waved the butler away yet a second time. Eyeing the front door from her seat she saw Raven Flame and the others being escorted outside the building by Diamond Tiara. Purposefully she spilled her glass of grape juice on her dress, "Oh no!" she cried standing up off the chair, "I'm sorry Rich, but I must wash this dress before it stains. I need it for an important fashion show I have coming up!" she said then trotted off quickly before they could object. Hiding behind one of the pillars Rarity watched as Diamond Tiara exchanged angry words with the black filly. Running as carefully and as quickly as she could, she moved her way up the stairs and examined the doors until she found the one with a hoof shaped dent pressed into it. Giving herself a last stretch she went inside and hid herself in the bedroom closet. "You were in my closet?" Diamond Tiara screamed. "Yes, and I must say your clothes are very last season." Rarity said. "Wait wait, wait! What were yah doing in her closet?" Applebloom asked. "Waiting and watching." Rarity said, "Not to sound like some kind of creep pony, but I had been watching you all night Diamond." She grinned, "And Silver Spoon." She said with a wink. "That doesn't prove anything!" Diamond Tiara shouted, "And neither does my diary!" "No, it doesn't" Raven Flame agreed, "Also I was never really after your diary." Diamond Tiara was taken aback by the comment, "W-what?" Rarity smiled, "And that brings me back to my dress!" She patted Diamond Tiara gently on the head, "Aside from the note, Raven Flame left me a few other things inside a saddlebag by the door. But like I said, I had to make some alterations before I was ready." She removed the dress and flipped it inside out, revealing a strap that held a self-developing camera and dozens of photographs. "Wh-what are those?" Diamond Tiara asked, a lurching sensation filling her stomach as she prayed it wasn't what she thought they were. "Proof." Raven Flame grinned. "Lemme make sure ah got this straight." Applebloom cut in, "We did all that so yah could sneak Rarity in her closet?" "Yep!" Raven Flame said proudly. "Why didn't you tell us?" Sweetie Belle asked feeling a little offended. "I couldn't tell you, Diamond Tiara had been following us ever since we left two days ago." Raven Flame explained. She turned to Diamond Tiara, "Now I'm TELLING you, since I have the diary, my photographs, and dozens of photographs of you. Get your dad to leave us alone." Diamond Tiara clenched her jaws and screamed with her mouth closed. She was fuming with anger, her entire face turning a dark red as she grew more and more furious, "Give me those pictures!" she screamed and began to charge at Raven Flame with blind hatred. Raven Flame took a step back and swung her hoof at the hysterical pony that ran towards her. Once again Diamond Tiara fell to her knees and clutched at her already bruised cheek. Tears began to roll down her eyes from both the pain on her face and the fact that she had been utterly defeated, "Fine…" she whimpered climbing back to her hooves and trotted inside. When the door shut Raven Flame began to bounce up and down excitedly, "It worked, it worked, it worked!" She scheered. She felt like she was about to burst at the sensations of her plan working so very perfectly. In an attempt to satisfy her emotions she did a small victory dance. The three fillies gasped as a bright light flashed in front of them and they stared at the dancing Pegasus. Rarity laughed and cleared her throat, "Raven Flame." She said and the filly halted, "There is something else." She said pointing her hoof. Raven Flame looked at her hips and launched off into the air squeaking "YESSSSSSSS!" After flying around in several loops she landed back down on the ground and tried to calm herself as she gazed at her cutie mark; It was the image of a light-brown wooden chess board with the king piece toppled over on its side.