Rainbow Dash was out for her morning run. A real run. No magic super speed involved. While she loved the powers that she had, it felt like cheating if she didn't go through her normal workout every morning.
Her running shoes hit the pavement in time with the beat of the music thumping through her earbuds. Her normal run was about three miles, changing her pace with the tempo of the music. As such, her playlist was an eclectic mix of everything from hard rock, to rap, to reggae, and surprisingly, some classical suggestions from Twilight. (Much like Applejack's love of fairy tales, Rainbow would never admit out loud that she loved the rush from racing through the streets to the 1812 or William Tell Overtures.)
As she ran, she gradually tuned out the lyrics being sung and her subconscious took over monitoring the beat. Her thoughts began to turn to the events of the last few days and her mood darkened.
She was angry. She could admit it to herself if no one else. She was angry Sunset was in the hospital. She was angry she wasn't able to keep Pepperdance from getting hurt. And if she was being completely honest with herself, she was angry at her friends for not getting any closer to finding out who was doing all this. Day after day of questions and answers and nothing to show for it.
I just wish whoever it is would come out of hiding and just attack us or something. She has to know we're looking for her. Just get it over with already!
Her foot hit an uneven slab of concrete in the sidewalk. Rainbow staggered, snapped out of her thoughts, and quickly righted herself. She stopped and leaned against the fence running alongside the sidewalk. She caught her breath and wiped the sweat from her face.
“Guess I better look where I'm going,” she said aloud. She adjusted her earbuds and skipped to the next track on her phone. Much to her surprise, it was a song with a slower beat. Rainbow shrugged and began to jog leisurely down the sidewalk. It wasn't long before her mind picked up where it had left off, only this time her thoughts turned more to the identity of their enemy.
She's fast, we know that, she thought. And it's the kind of speed that isn't just from the magic. It's like mine. Not as fast as mine, but she's definitely someone who's used to running regularly, or doing sports or something like that. Athletic.
Rainbow frowned as she thought back to the fight at the mall. She tried to remember how the woman moved as she attacked. She had been hampered somewhat by the overcoat, but as Rainbow thought about it, she realized her assumption was wrong.
No, not athletic. Strong, yeah, but not someone who works out on a regular basis. She moves too stiff. So someone who doesn't do a lot of training, but still gets a workout from time to time. Maybe she lifts weights?
Rainbow let out an aggravated sigh. I'm no good at this kind of crap. We need Sunset or Twilight for that. You need somebody taken down, just point me at 'em and I'll handle it. I'm no detective. GAH! So frustrating! I need some different music.
Rainbow pulled her phone out of her pocket and thumbed through the tracks until she found something with a driving beat that made her head pound and she began barreling down the street, her thoughts drowned out by screeching guitars and thundering drums.
Rarity was in the tub, submerged under a field of bubbles, a washcloth over her eyes. Normally, she didn't indulge in a bath this early in the day, but she had a scant few hours before she had to be to work at the boutique and was determined to enjoy it to the fullest.
She hummed a formless tune as she felt the warmth of the water penetrate her skin. Her house had an old fashioned cast iron claw-foot tub. It was much deeper and longer than the normal tubs you found in houses and apartments these days. It was one of her favorite things about the house, and she knew in the back of her mind she was going to miss it terribly when she left for college.
College. There was something looming on the horizon. High school wouldn't last forever, after all. Graduation would be here sooner than she thought. Applications to fashion schools, or internships at some prestigious design firm would need to be filled out. Perhaps a couple of years at university to earn a degree, with some focus on costume design. It never hurt to be able to apply one's expected trade in other fields like the theater.
Or at the very least, I could build a decent side line making custom Halloween costumes and cosplay pieces. Rarity giggled to herself. While working on the cutting edge of fashion was her ideal dream career, she harbored no illusions about how hard it was to break in, and how cutthroat the industry could be. Back up plans were not only essential, but vital.
Under the washcloth, Rarity frowned. Yes, back up plans.
They needed a back up plan. They were getting closer to the truth now. She could feel it. They may not have figured out who their enemy was yet, but Rarity knew they were nearly there. The question became, then, what happened once they knew who had hurt Sunset?
Ideally, nothing major. They would hopefully be able to convince them that their current path wasn't the right one, then convince them to undo what they did to Sunset, maybe even help Pepperdance in the process. Then get her to give up the magic, or at very least, use it in a positive manner.
Rarity sighed and pulled the washcloth off her face. Ideals were all well and good, but experience had told her that for every Gloriosa Daisy or Juniper Montage who could be reasoned with, there would also be an Abacus Cinch or Adagio Dazzle who could not. And so far, the woman in the black overcoat seemed to be firmly in the camp which could not.
Rarity grabbed the loofah from where it hung on the bathroom wall and began scrubbing her arms and shoulders. Her mind continued working on the problem of the woman in black. There was going to be a fight soon. She had no evidence, of course, but she had been feeling something building in the air for the last day or so.
Three days. Has it really only been three days since I found Sunset? It seems like so much longer.
Three days of uncertainty. Three days of doubts. Three days of the six of them being tested, faced with the possibility that Sunset might never wake up. Twilight's concerns from the night before would have to be addressed, of course. Rarity didn't really blame her for thinking that way.
While Twilight was making progress, she still had a hard time trusting other people. Which was only to be expected, given the hyper-competitive environment Principal Cinch had established at Crystal Prep, where you expected the other students to backstab and climb all over you to make themselves look better. It was a good thing the principal had retired shortly after the Friendship Games, and Dean Cadance had taken over. Things seemed to be changing for the better, if the girls' newly formed friendship with their former rivals was any indication.
Rarity sighed again, and put the loofah away. The warmth was leaving the water, and she had no further insights into their current problem. She climbed out of the tub and pulled the plug. She toweled off and put on her bathrobe. As she undid the clips holding her hair up, she stared at the water as it swirled down the drain. As the whirlpool spiraled into the blackness of the drain, Rarity felt an ominous sense of foreboding.
She was broken out of her trance when someone pounded on the bathroom door.
“Rarity,” came the voice of Sweetie Belle, her younger sister. “Breakfast is ready!”
“I'll be right there!” Rarity cinched the belt of her robe and opened the door. There were things to do, and time was not on her side.