//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 - Small Dialogue(Short) // Story: The Lost One // by thedarktome //------------------------------// After Rainbow put away her painting, she showed her parents and Buff the layout of the home and explained it's actual reason for all the offices. The mansion will be the headquarters for Sketch It All! studios. It was going to be a little busy in there in the future. Right now, the buildings were just being set up around Equestria, but she has yet to talk to anypony about managers, corporates, and executives. The painting studios were going to be a whole franchise. Complete with lessons, a shop for items, as well as studios, like the name implies. Fortunately, Equestria's values on certain things were so cheap. An easel would cost like maybe ten bits. And a paintbrush, no matter the size, would cost between one to three bits. The buildings themselves cost maybe five thousand bits. Gold here costs a lot more than the building itself. Which made her net worth go sky high. Not even that, more like "past the sun" high. When she was done giving the tour, she offered her family to stay the night. There were four guest rooms in the building, but they declined. Saying they needed to head back to Cloudsdale so they can relish in the fact that she was alive. She offered to escort them back, but they declined that as well, saying they'll be fine on their own. Her mother thanked her for the necklace once more with a kiss to the cheek and they walked out the gate. Rainbow sighed when she walked back inside the mansion and shut the door behind her. She had a lot to do. Like send some pony over to pick up the boxes, check her bank account to send her money over to Golden Diamond, not to mention check how much money she actually has in her account. Hopefully she's reached five hundred million. Then she'll sure enough come out on top. "What are you thinking?" She jumped in the air, causing Buff, who was standing directly beside her, to laugh. "Did you forget I was here?!" "Don't do that, you rough stallion!" Rainbow scolded, her cerulean cheeks tinged red with embarrassement. He chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry. Dinner?" She looked at him for a moment with no expression before she chuckled. "You're buying?" "I'm cooking. Would you like to come to my place? You need an alarm for this house." He looked around the giant mansion in confusion. "Why DON'T you have an alarm?" "Because I place runes instead. Much more useful than alarms. If a pony breaks in, or touches my stuff while I'm gone, I'll know immediately, teleport back here, and buck them into the brick wall outside until they are splattered all over it." Buff looked at her in surprise. "I told you I can protect myself. Now, what's on this menu?" "Spaghetti and Blueberry wine. I went out and bought some for you if you ever wanted to come over and have lunch." Rainbow stared at him with her mouth partly open. This stallion was everything. "Let's go. Let's go right now." She threw open the door and walked out, leaving Buff to stare in surprise before chuckling and following after her, making sure to close and lock the door behind him. Nosey ponies everywhere nowadays. The Next Day "So you have decided to give her her space?" Celestia asked, making sure she was hearing things correctly. The elements were at the castle, speaking with Celestia and Luna in private about Rainbow's decision. The two were on their thrones, listening closely. "Yes," Twilight confirmed. "Right after she bucked Applejack into a wall and threatened all of us." "I asked if she was an enemy or an ally," Rarity inputted. "And she said neither for now. But if we were to bother her again, she'll become our worst enemy." "And I don't doubt that," Luna agreed. "Rainbow has become really irritable lately. We should give her her space." Celestia looked at her appalled, but Luna held up a hoof, stopping before she even started. "You don't continue to push your luck with a Twilight-version of King Sombra. You are asking for a death wish. If she wishes to be alone, then who are we to tell her no? Believe it or not, Rainbow Dash is still alive, therefore is still a citizen of Equestria and under the same rights as every other pony here. The right to privacy. If we continue to press the issue, she will become violent and we will lose her forever. The best we can do right now, is leave her alone. Hopefully in the future she will come back to us." Celestia sighed. Once again, her sister was right. "Very well," she sighed. "But how will we know when Rainbow Dash is ready?" "There will be very subtle signs. Such as invitations, which would indicate that she is partly attempting to mend the relationship between her friends. And attendance to events, which means the same. She won't be around Ponyville for long. Maybe even attend the Summer Sun Celebration. Even Rarity's wedding." The pony in question looked at Luna in confusion. "Huh?!!" Luna chuckled at her reaction and dumbstruck face. "I am only pestering you, Rarity. Either way, there will be small signs. But I hope you all have learned your lesson. Like never bad mouthing your friends and actually listening to a pony when they need you the most. As well as apologizing genuinely. And for future reference, never piss of Rainbow again. Seriously, Equestria is literally defenseless right now because of this." "We understand, Princess," Applejack told her. Her voice was still a little hoarse from yesterday's altercation. "But what about her dark magic?" "We will not interfere with that unless she uses it for ill intentions," Celestia answered. "So far, she has only used it to threaten and move around. So we have no reason to reprimand her for it. But if there is an issue where she threatens Equestria, we will take affirmative action against her. Until that happens, she is free to use it in whatever way she feels like. Are you attending her Sketch It All studios grand opening when it arrives?" "I didn't even know she had that much money to even build," Fluttershy commented. "Oh she has a lot of bits. She is currently at over five hundred million bits. She's practically made history as the fastest grossed pony in Equestria. Building a home in Equestria costs maybe two thousand bits. Building a store maybe five thousand. She has over seven hundred million bits. That is enough to start a franchise. And that is exactly what she is doing. Not to mention the fact that different museums all over Equestria are helping fund the project." The Elements were looking at Celestia in shock. "She has over seven million bits?!!" Twilight yelled. "Has she-" "Yes, she has donated some of her money to the Equestrian hospitals, youth programs, as well as to research organizations for medicine, I've checked," Luna interrupted. "Pencil Sketch is upset, but she's not so upset that Equestria's well-being is off her mind. Which was demonstrated plainly at her exhibit in Ponyville a few days ago." "That's good that she's being generous," Rarity commented. "Indeed. Is there anymore news?" "Not at the moment," Twilight responded. "What about with you two?" The two princesses shared a glance before focusing back on Twilight. "There are rumors of strange creatures running around Equestria at night," Luna told them. "They are about the size of a bull and are mostly seen in Appleloosa and Dodge Junction. We have sent the royal guard out there to investigate and have yet to hear word from them. Hopefully, it's a good word. And not a bad one."