The only sound in the kitchen was the swallowing and munching of eggs from the family of three, just now having breakfast. Rainbow was digging in, trying to avoid the gaze of disbelief from the purple pony across from her. Clear Skies was literally looking at a ghost. Or what she thought was one. "Are you real?" She whispered stupidly. Rainbow stopped eating and looked up at her nonchalantly.
"Yes, this is all real," she replied before digging back into her eggs. "You can poke me if you want." Clear immediately reached over and poked Rainbow's muzzle. She grimaced and shot Clear a glare. "Except in my mouth."
"Where have you been, Rainbow?" The Pegasus changed back into Pencil Sketch for a moment and made a painting motion with her hoof before reverting back, giving her an answer without moving her gaze away from the eggs. "So...you've been painting this whole time?" A nod. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Didn't feel like talking, leaving notes, sending letters, etcetera," she responded.
"So you just left?" Another nod. Those eggs must've been really good, they were almost gone. "Do you know how worried we've been? The city was burning up because the weather manager wasn't here, and your friends—"
"THEY!" She yelled, pointing a hoof out the window towards Ponyville, startling them everyone at the table. "...are NOT...my friends. Do not call them that. There is a reason I left. Celestia knows, Luna knows, and they definitely know. Friendship is a lie. There are only timely acquaintances. Partnerships. Then we all go our separate ways."
"What happened?"
"Deceit, lies, and masks. They lied to me and shattered my heart. Then they wanted me to return to them? I think not. Then Twilight attacked me. I had her spasming on the floor before I dropped her back off in front of the others."
"What?!" Clear yelled. "Why would you hurt her?!"
"Because they ALL hurt me far worse. For years. Enough to drive me out of town, change my name, my look, and leave everything else and everyone that actually loved me behind. What I have done is nothing compared to what they did. All five of them. They betrayed, lied, and manipulated. They used me, and didn't even have the guts to own up to it when I asked them. The only reason I am here right now is because Scootaloo innocently guilt tripped Pencil Sketch into letting my parents know I am still alive. If she hadn't shown up on my doorstep, I would not be here right now. I'd still be presumed dead and living my life the way I want to live it. Without any deceiving friends to stop me, hold me back, and manipulate me. Flight school was bad enough. You know how bad bullying was in there? Terrible! Everyday, there is an unknown physical assault. To ME. Toilet pranks, bedroom pranks, assault, you name it. And I didn't want to go through that again. So I came to Ponyville, looking for solace only for it to become worse. All the things we did for the last few years was a lie. The events, the parties, the...victories. What I did to Twilight is nothing compared to what I can really do if I see them again. So their best course of action is to let me go. As should you with this conversation."
"Rainbow, things change," Clear said sadly. "Ponies change."
"No, they do not. They just put on a mask. And when the time calls for it, they pull it off, showing their truest colors. I would show you an example...but we're at my parents house. Eating breakfast. Mom, your eggs are still bangin'! You need to teach me how to cook, seriously! Buff is killing me with omelettes!"
Windy giggled and shrugged. "Thanks, sweetheart. When are you going to show us this mansion?"
"Did you guys know about her being alive?!" Clear asked loudly, surprising the adults.
"Actually we found out yesterday, like Rainbow said," Bow answered for her.
"After breakfast I'll show you around Manehattan," Rainbow informed them. "I have to get the Reveal painting inside the vault. It's too risky being out here this long." She used her magic to wipe her mouth, shocking Clear before she stood up. She could do magic?!
"You know," Clear wondered out loud. "I knew something was up when I saw Scootaloo wearing a necklace that was like your cutie mark." Rainbow looked down to her in alarm.
"Let me make some hypothetical guesses. You told somepony about that," she asked.
"Yes, I uhh...told Twilight. I also told her about the Rainbow trail you left in the sky...oh man."
"Yeah. Oh man," Rainbow mocked. "Pencil, take over, please. We gotta rescue Scootaloo from the crazy bucking mares." Rainbow transformed immediately into the emo-looking pony before disappearing into a black mist, obviously heading back to the ground. After a few seconds of silence, the visitor had to ask.
"Was Rainbow using magic?!" Clear asked Bow, using dramatics to emphasize her question. "How is she able to use magic?!"
"We aren't sure," he replied, poking at his eggs. "But she's really good at it. Insanely good even. Got some Twilight-level magic going on in there."
"What am I doing in here?" Scootaloo asked blandly. Twilight had teleported herself and Scootaloo into the library where the rest of the elements were waiting for her. She was sitting in front of the five of them by the window. "I don't want to be around you ponies." Rarity sighed and walked forward.
"Dear, we just want to know where you got that necklace from," she said, pointing to the diamond-covered lightning bolt on her neck. "It is very expensive."
Scootaloo groaned and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Where do you think I got it from? Let's stop beating around the bush. You KNOW what I did. You KNOW I talked to her. And YOU know what YOU did. And you STILL have yet to apologize."
"Scootaloo, it's more complicated than that," Applejack asked. "We can't just apologize. This is Rainbow Dash we're talking about, she hates words, she likes action. I bet that's why she paints. Uses images instead so she doesn't have to talk." She was about to chuckle before a book caught her in the mouth.
"Shut up, Applejack!" Scootaloo yelled at her while she was rubbing her muzzle. "THAT is why she doesn't want to be around you! You're lucky she isn't around or she'll buck you into a wall."
"Scoots, nobody has ever been able to buck Applejack into a wall," Spike commented. Before Scootaloo could respond, a loud crash from behind made them all jerk their head to the side. Applejack was currently pinned to the wall by the neck by...Pencil Sketch?!
"I actually am around," she said calmly. "And have successfully bucked Applejack into a wall. Painfully." Twilight shivered, feeling the large amount of magic pouring off of her. Rarity was feeling the same thing. They both backed up in uncertainty. "And I really don't appreciate you questioning my pupil as if she is some type of convict or suspect." She let Applejack fall to the floor, gasping for air, and walked towards Scootaloo, ignoring their stares. Then picked her up in her magic and placed her on her back before turning back to the elements, looking at them with an icy glare.
"Rainbow....we need to know," Rarity said cautiously, walking slowly towards her. She was negotiating with uncharted territory here. "Are you an enemy...or are you an ally?"
"I am neither....at the moment. But if you mess with anything that I treasure again...I will be your worst enemy. I would have said enemy immediately. But there is youth in the room. And I cherish the youth." She changed to Rainbow Dash, finally giving them the truth that she was still alive.
"But if Pencil wasn't here!" she yelled, stalking towards them slowly, her hooves aglow with dark magic. Her eyes changed from Cerise to pools of black, veins coming from the corners. "I would have tossed you all around like a rag doll until you can't move anymore! Forever!"
The elements quickly backed up, getting as far away from her as possible. She changed back into Pencil Sketch and stopped her threatening movement. Then turned around and walked back towards the door. "Consider yourselves lucky, Elements. Because believe it or not...I have let you live to see another day. Stay out of my life. And I won't ruin yours." She took her leave with Scootaloo riding on her back, leaving them to realize what she just said.
Once she was gone, Twilight closed the door quickly with her magic, letting everyone relax. Fluttershy looked over Applejack for any injuries. She had a large bruise on her head from the bucking into the wall. And she was holding her throat. "She's...gotten a lot stronger," she coughed. "I didn't even see her comin'. Or hear her."
"What do we do, Twilight?" Pinkie asked. "Rainbow's become a real bully."
"And she's somehow gotten dark magic," the mage answered. "There's only one thing we can do. We have to get rid of that magic. After that I'm sure she'll go back to normal."
"But if we get rid of her magic, she won't be able to fly," Fluttershy commented.
"It's better than having a psychotic painter threatening us."
"No, what's better is if you just stay out of her life," Spike corrected snidely. "We're not having another 'Twilight-fights-Pencil-Sketch' episode again. You already tried that once and was convulsing for thirty hours when she threw you back here. And you made us look bad. You're the Elements of Harmony not the Royal Guard."
"Spike, the Elements of Harmony needs Loyalty in order to really be the Elements of Harmony. And right now, the Element of Loyalty's the enemy. She just said that if Scootaloo wasn't in the room, she'd...possibly kill us."
"That's right, because you got rid of that Loyalty. And you can't get her back. She's stronger, smarter, and is at the same level of magic you're at. Face it, Twilight. You're out of your league here."
"No I'm not. She just needs a push in the right direction," the mage retorted determinedly, turning around to face Spike.
"Twilight, I hate to admit it," Applejack hoarsely called out, catching her attention. "But Spike has a point. We're out of our league here. For one, we need all the Elements of Harmony to get Rainbow to see reason and get rid of Pencil Sketch. But then you have the both of them who are the equal holders of the Element of Loyalty. Don't know how, but they are. We can't use the Elements at all unless she participates, which I seriously doubt she will, or if the Element of Loyalty is reassigned to another bearer. Then you have to consider that she can call onto all the Elements at will. Remember at the exhibition when Discord arrived? She wasn't the holder of five of 'em and they all came to her. We had absolutely no control. They floated straight out of the chest plates, and your crown, and into Dash's hooves. And she didn't even have to say a word. And to be honest.....I....I think we're the enemies here."
"That would actually make a lot of sense," Fluttershy whispered. "We...we all have been so mean to Rainbow. We yelled at her, celebrated when she was gone, called her names, didn't even bother to genuinely apologize. We even tried to force her to come home. Not to mention when Twilight attacked her at HER home. And all she did...was accidentally mess up an experiment. Why...why are we even mad at her?"
Twilight looked at them all, trying to come up with an explanation. "Well, I...uhh...." Spike looked up at her and shook his head. Eventually, she sighed and looked out the window.
"We drove her to the point where she destroyed her own home here in Ponyville," Fluttershy continued. "Then run away to Manehattan where she became a millionaire and is living in a mansion."
"Not to mention opening art studios all over Equestria," Rarity reminded her. She walked to one of the windows and motioned to the two story building that had been finished two days ago. It had a sign on the top that read "Sketch It All! Studios."
"She's become more successful without us in her life," Pinkie stated sadly. "She's become richer, stronger, and everything that we're not."
"And there's nothing we can do," Twilight finished solemnly. "I get it now. So we just....leave her alone?"
"I reckon we should," Applejack wheezed. "Just let her go. Let her leave. Maybe one day she'll come back and accept our hoof in friendship, but for now? She wants to be alone." Twilight sighed and looked back at the studio in the distance with sadness. She's been defeated. The pony they barked at has created an empire where she is loved more than Princess Celestia herself. Not to mention...probably more powerful than her. It was probably best if they just considered her....with the Rainbows.
"You're right. This time though....she is really with the Rainbows. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
After Rainbow dropped off Scootaloo with her friends, surprising them in the process, she flew back up to her parents' house, meeting up with Clear Skies halfway. She was heading back to her job and Rainbow was heading back to her parents'. The two stopped and stared at each other with clear looks before Clear sighed.
"I promise I'll keep your secret, Rainbow," she agreed. "But it'll be hard. You realize it won't last forever."
"I know," Pencil blandly replied. "Just hold out as long as you can. And when the time comes, I will do the rest." Clear nodded before preparing to take off when Pencil placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I appreciate what you have done for my parents in my absence. If you ever need anything...let me know. I'm always happy to lend a helping hoof. Just don't tell anypony who helped you. I am still hidden. And I do not always enjoy shelling out my bits."
Clear smiled softly at her, appreciating the gesture. "Thank you....Pencil Sketch."
"You know where I live, Clear. Everypony does." The two went their separate ways again to handle their business. The clouds didn't move themselves...in Equestria that is.
Pencil landed on the doorstep of her parents' home and casually walked inside, where they were obviously waiting for her. She used to live here too, but had moved down to Ponyville in the past. Well, the skies above it. They were occupied with a discussion, but ready nonetheless. "Are you ready?" She said, catching their attention. They quickly jumped up and trotted out the door leaving her standing shocked within a few seconds. They were out in less than three! That explains her fast genes. "I......guess you are." After retrieving her glass-protected painting that she covered with a towel and strapped on her back, they left and flew off.
A little while later, maybe an hour because Pencil was flying at a regular Pegasi speed, they finally landed in Manehattan. She checked her flanks to check on her gray cutie mark which was clearly out in the open, and groaned. She must've forgot to put paint on it. She had to hide that. Using her dark magic, she teleported a white trench coat from her closet at home to her and slid it on. She adjusted it to make her seem inconspicuous and fashionable at the same time.
"My identity would be jeopardized if somepony saw my cutie mark," she explained to her parents, who were looking at her confusedly. Brushing it off, they followed after their daughter into the city to get that tour. Rainbow was waving at the ponies nearby who recognized her, no doubt from the gray colored mane and coat. Buff was off today, but she had a feeling he would be at the house when she got back. Probably cooking or something. Or doing his guard thing. Standing at the entrance.
The two older adults were looking around the city, impressed at its giant skyscrapers, memorials, and parks. Not to mention the clothing stores, restaurants, and jewelers. It was a very expensive city it looked like. And they were right. An apartment here costs six hundred bits a month.
"I have to go come here next week to collect some gifts," she explained, walking towards the Jeweler. "They are actually for the ponies who have supported me while I have been public with my paintings." The three walked in the store to take a look around, ringing the alarm above. A mare with a yellow mane that was covering both of her eyes poked her head out from a doorway in the back, smiling upon recognition.
"Well well well," the silver coated unicorn greeted. "If it isn't the great P.S." Pencil Sketch grinned at her.
"Hello, Golden Diamond," she greeted, giving her a hug. "How are things?"
"They are well. I have your toys ready now, if you're ready to see them." Pencil nodded before the two walked in the back, leaving her parents out front.
There was a table in the middle of the room, along with a lot of boxes, that held the word "Sketch" on the sides. There were around twenty of them, sitting on the floor on the side of the area. "The necklaces are complete. It took me awhile to create this many, a thousand, but I know you'll like them." Pencil looked into one of the padded boxes that held a bunch of small jewelry boxes, and picked a random one out with her magic.
"I really don't understand how you can use magic," Golden commented, shaking her head.
"I am a special type of pony," Pencil replied. She opened the box and looked at the pendant. It was a basic golden necklace that was shaped like the sun. The jewelry was optimized for a foal and an adult. It was a golden necklace that could be stretched out and settle like a choker, or a small item. And all of the pendants were different. All four hundred of them.
"Excellent work, Golden. Once again you have shown me that everypony has their own form of art. You will be paid in full. Twenty five thousand seventeen bits, correct?"
"Yes."
"It will be transferred into your bank account by tomorrow evening." She closed the padded jewelry box and set it back with the others.
"Thank you, Ms. Sketch. How is Sketch It All coming along?"
"Funny you asked. The one in the town I come from has been finished, along with two more in Canterlot. There are three more in the Crystal Empire, and two in Las Pegasus. In the future I will have more built. But until then, this is it."
Golden patted her shoulder softly. "I wish you good luck in your endeavors. Are you sending someone to pick up these boxes?"
"Yes I am. Probably a small carriage. I don't actually have my own, I've been using the ones from the Royal Guard. I have to get one soon. But first, I have to set out another painting."
"Good luck, Ms. Sketch." The painter nodded to her before walking back out into the lobby. Her mother was looking at something in one of the glass cases, talking to her husband.
"You are buying me this," she told him. "And you will place it on my neck. Properly"
"Man, you're bossy," he commented, shaking his head. Pencil trotted over and stood beside them, curious as to what they were talking about. There was a little necklace in there that had a ruby carved into a heart. Not Rainbow's style, but she was sure it would be her mother's. She might as well get it. And take part in her father's misfortune.
After buying the necklace with her bank money, and seeing her mother's happy smile, the three walked back out of the jeweler shop and down the road, heading towards the mansion. The glass box on her back was starting to wear her out and she couldn't really walk around all day with it on anyway. That would be very painful. Not to mention look really strange. She would be getting more looks because of that and not just because of who she was. It's a big hollow arrow-proof locked box made of glass. That hurts!
"So what does this house look like?" Bow asked while Pencil waved to another pony.
"It's the second biggest mansion here," she explained as they turned the corner. "The first biggest is Hoity Toity's, that he likes to call Toity Hall. My mansion is big, but not too big. I like to be humble."
"Well we are really proud of you," Windy told her. "Even if you are....two ponies. We are proud of both of you."
"Thank you, mother. We are nearly there." She pointed towards the wall that had her mansion hidden from view. It was almost the afternoon now, so everyone was getting off work and stopping by to see the big mansion. Which means there was a crowd of ponies at the gate. "Excuse me, we are trying to get through."
The ponies taking photographs looked over and quickly got out of the way, making room for her and the two anonymous ponies to pass. Pencil reached into the pocket of her trench coat and pulled out the golden house key with her magic, stuck it in the key hole, and twisted, unlocking the gate and pushing it open. She held out a hoof to allow her parents to step inside before she herself did.
The ponies outside were all taking pictures of the three, trying to see what was up with that before she closed the gate back and locked it. She turned around and stuffed the key into the pocket of her trench coat again. "Welcome to my humble abode, mom and dad," she whispered.
They were so busy staring at the front yard they didn't realize Pencil had opened the door into the mansion. "Are you coming, or are you just going to stare at the water fountains all day?"
They finally looked at her and the door before briskly trotting towards and into the building. Pencil followed after them and loudly closed the door to announce her presence. "Buff, I know you're here!" She called out. "I'll give you guys a tour in a minute. I want you to meet my bodyguard...and boyfriend."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," a voice said from down the hall. A moment later, the big pegasus walked into the foyer with some type of maid thing going on. "No 'hey I'm home', or 'Buffy, I'm home'? I'm offended."
"Uhh....what are you wearing?" The painter chuckled. The stallion looked down at his belt of cleaning supplies and shrugged.
"I had to clean your office, it was a little dusty. I sneezed, so I immediately started cleaning." Pencil was trying her hardest not to laugh. Rainbow Dash inside was already laughing her bits off.
"O-Okay, Buff. Mom? Dad? This is Buff Battalion, my bodyguard and boyfriend." The stallion shook hands with the two parents, both a little impressed at his size. He didn't tower over Rainbow since they were both technically the same size, but he was certainly bigger than Applejack's brother. That was for sure. "I need to go put up my painting. Can you show them around?"
"What?" he responded, looking at her like she was nuts. "I barely know my way around this place myself. So you're going to have to show me the ins and outs too."
"Ugh, fine. Follow me." She led the way towards the vault in the back of the building, where she kept the three ton pound of metal. Along the way she pointed out the guest rooms, meeting rooms, and business offices. Although she didn't technically use all of them, in the future she may have to. If her franchise kicks off, those rooms will be used. Eventually, they made it to the vault. It stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a whole wall of metal. How they put it in was a complete mystery.
She unlocked it and walked inside, revealing the fifty something paintings hanging on the walls and in drawers. The vault was big and long. It had to be at least half of the house, having been made entirely out of metal with only a few plastic pieces here and there. There was a table in the middle of the room that probably served some very important purpose. There was a single small box on one corner of it. They couldn't see what was in it, but everything in there served some type of purpose.
"This is where you keep it all?" Bow asked as she walked in.
"This is where I keep the unreleased ones," she responded. She stopped and slid the blanket off her back, revealing the tied down glass box with the "The Reveal" painting. She untied and lifted up the box then set it on the metal table to look it over. She opened the latches and took off the lid, placing it beside it carefully. She was definitely using that again. Then abandoned the painting and went into what looked like another vault inside the main vault. Her father was wondering why were there two? She opened the door to reveal another room that had what looked like frames. Making her decision, she picked one up in her magic and walked back into the vault.
She placed it beside the painting and carefully opened the frame, setting it face down. After that she put on some gloves over her hooves from the little gray box on the table and lifted up the painting with her hooves. Carefully, the painting was put face down inside the frame, perfectly before she grabbed four black things underneath the table.
"These are what I call 'Harmless Staples'," she explained. "I use them to keep the painting still inside the frame. If the painting is moved, the painting inside won't shift. It will be completely still." She shifted back into Rainbow Dash for this part. The staples were lowered into the frame and sat on the four corners on the back of the painting. Once they were deemed perfect to Rainbow, she closed the frame and locked it in place, leaving it on the table face down.
"So, that's going to be unreleased too?" Windy asked her, walking into the vault to look around.
"Yes. When the time calls, and rumors fly around about me hiding something that affects my sales, I will reveal this painting. This will not be released for anything other than that purpose. and it will more than likely be historical. It will be the first time somepony had seen my cutie mark ever since I took up this role. It will happen." She turned around and faced them, brushing her long hair back in front of her right eye. "I will be ready. But will they?"