//------------------------------// // Chapter 22 - Rise of the Talkative One // Story: Little Lost Raichu // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Little Lost Raichu - Chapter 22 - Rise of the Talkative One “Hey, wake up already! We’re here!” Nica stretched her limbs and yawned, finding herself perched on Quibble’s back. The landscape filled with trees, hills, and rocky formations was replaced with endless sand. She sat up and peeked from behind her ride’s neck, seeing a town filled with square rocky buildings, tents, and one large pyramid in the background. Numerous shopping stands were present at the main entrance. It’s… so hot… She wiped a few drops of sweat from her forehead, feeling the hot air in her lungs and rays of the sun warming her from above. Cold snowy mountains… love-em… Hot deserts… not so much. She glanced to her right at the focused and firm face of Daring Do, though most of it was hidden behind her glasses and large hat, while the violet cape covered most of her body. Nica peeked into her own shoulder-bag, only to be met with the pleading eyes of the tired rat who was supported against a bottle of water. “Are you thirsty?” she asked, catching Patrick’s full attention. He squeaked and nodded energetically. She pulled the bottle out and opened it, dripping a bit of water into the bottle cap before holding it on the bronze edge of her paw in front of the rat, who licked the fresh water eagerly. After ensuring that her little friend was refreshed, she glanced at the bottle and licked her lips, her throat dry. After taking three gulps, she wiped her mouth and sighed in satisfaction. Using her tail, she picked up another bottle and presented it in front of Daring Do. “Don’t mind if I do,” Daring said, accepting the gift. Nica presented another bottle to Quibble who pushed it aside. “Maybe later. Priorities first.” He unlocked his saddlebag and peeked inside, only to groan. “Ponyfeathers, I forgot my newspaper. Nevermind, I can do without them,” he muttered. He looked around over the marked area, and next approached an old stallion. Nica glanced at the wrinkles on the pony’s forehead and neck. He had a red two-layered mane and beard, and wore a headband with a small bronze jacket. His legs… so thin… Her ears drooped as she now looked at the tall pony in growing sadness, wishing for nothing but to buy him a large hay sandwich and a big stack of sweets. Poor guy. “Excuse me, Mr… May I take a bit of your time?” Quibble asked. “Y-yes? How can I help you?” “I’m a fan of a pony named Daring Do and her adventures. After I read an article about her causing damage in this area, I could hardly believe it and decided to come here to learn the truth.” He held forehoof on his chest. “I came a long way and I would be very grateful for information about her.” He glanced at the damaged stand and next picked a few bits form his saddlebag, holding them in front of the old pony. “Of course, I’m willing to compensate you for your time.” The stallion stared at the bits and sighed before taking them into his pocket. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Of course, I would answer your questions anyway, but my business took a heavy hit not long ago,” he spoke in calm voice before narrowing his eyes. “What you learn from me will possibly destroy the image of your idol. Are you still willing to listen?” “Of course.” The elderly pony stepped to the side and pointed at his stand: A damaged wagon with one broken wheel, several planks covering a hole, an old damaged umbrella, and some sort of box supporting the part of the wagon with no wheels. It didn’t support it for long as the stand fell apart, tipping over two baskets filled with apples. “Your idol destroyed my apple cart.” He pointed at the rubble in distance and added, “And our priceless statue!” Not wasting a moment, Nica jumped from Quibble and ran towards the apples, gathering them together from the dusty ground with her paws and tail, putting them into the baskets. She glanced at the damaged cart and rubbed back of her neck. I have no clue how I am supposed to fix that. Having Master Gabby around would be really helpful right now. “Thank you, little one,” the old pony said, patting her on the head. She returned the gesture with a warm smile and nuzzled his foreleg. “Indeed, Daring Do is a menace who destroys everything she touches.” Nica, Quibble and the disguised Daring glanced towards the source of voice, now seeing a greyish-brown stallion with a red coat covering most of his features. A white scarf was present on his neck while a grey beard covered most of his face. Quibble took a few steps forward, taking a closer look. “You… you can’t be serious.” “Oh, but I am. Daring Do is–” “That’s not what I meant!” Quibble interrupted before approaching the somewhat depressed-looking Daring Do. He pointed at the hooded figure and whispered, “Please tell me you recognize this pony.” “Of course I do,” Daring said, bringing smile to Quibble’s face. “It’s one of the worried citizens I hurt with my reckless actions.” Quibble’s jaw dropped as he stared at his idol in disbelief. “Oh come on!” He facehooved. “Fineee… I’ll play by your stupid rules on this stupid adventure.” He turned around and forced a smile. “So… suspiciously-clothed gentlepony, what can you tell me about Daring Do?” He raised a forehoof up to his forehead in a dramatic pose. “As hurtful it is for me to listen how my idol did such horrible deeds, I can’t avert my eyes from the truth.” Nica approached the coated stallion, sensing a large mix of auras. One in particular seemed to be malice, plenty of it. She glared up at him with a soul-piercing stare. “I feel sorry for you, idolising such a terrible pony, but the facts are undeniable.” He gestured over the town, pointing at many leftovers of damage while ponies nodded to his words in agreement. “Daring Do ruined the lives and businesses of many hardworking ponies, not caring for their well-being, and the worst of all…” he paused as Nica’s face was but centimeters away from his muzzle, looking at him with judging stare. “Can you stop staring at me you large rat thingy,” he shouted, stomping in front of Nica who leaped back, performing a backflip. ”I mean… would you kindly stop staring at me while I’m speaking?” “Nica, please stop bothering the nice gentlepony. He’s providing us with so much truthful information,” Quibble said with a grin. “I… I need to collect my thoughts,” said the disguised Daring Do before walking away with a lowered head. Nica looked at the disguised heroine in sadness, only to be pushed behind the wall of a nearby house by Quibble, his face serious and an aura filled with anger. “I have an important mission for you, one that can save Daring Do’s reputation and restore her adventurous spirit,” Quibble said, picking up a small camera from his saddlebag and pushing it into Nica’s embrace. “That pony we just met is one of Daring Do’s recurring enemies, and by the rules of Daring Do adventures, no matter how poor, disguises always work.” “And you want me to spy on him?” “You catch on quickly,” Quibble said with a satisfied smile. “Do you know how to use a camera?” Nica nodded. “Of course you would. All it takes is to press of one button, after all. What about stealth, are you good at that?” “I… think… According to my memories, I was sometimes sent to spy on criminals alongside my Gligar companion, but I was a Pikachu back then. I’m not sure if being a bigger Raichu will make it easy on me.” Quibble shook his forehoof dismissively. “Don’t worry, he’s a Daring Do villain and we’re on a Daring Do adventure. By the rules that keep repeating themselves in her books, Dr. Caballeron is too stupid and self-absorbed to spot you.” He pointed at the camera. “Just take photos of anything that we can use as evidence against him. In the meanwhile, I’ll tell Daring Do what’s going on.” Nica saluted. “Consider it done.” “Great. Once you get the proof, meet me at the local inn. I will wait for you in the lobby.” Quibble peeked from behind the building, his eyes on a hooded stallion who seemed to be performing some sort of speech in front of a crowd. “Now’s your chance, go for it.” He watched as the long-tailed critter ran towards a nearby building and jumped onto the roof. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards the desert, approaching a mare in the distance. Once close enough, he placed his forehoof on Daring’s shoulder, who kept staring at the sand in silence. “You were right.” “Huh?” Quibble blinked in confusion as his heroine turned around and was now stared him in the eyes. “Compensating those ponies for the damage I did is something I should consider first. Instead, I tried to quit, running away from my responsibilities like a coward,” Daring said in a saddened tone. Quibble looked to the side. “Listen… as much as I want to let you have such important character development and stuff, I think first you should know something important.” “Important? I’m all ears.” Quibble nodded before stomping, his hoof sinking deeply into the sand. “Yes, important, like, for example, the fact that this hooded pony is Dr. Caballeron!” “Dr. Caballeron? Really?” Daring asked. Quibble groaned. “Seriously? You have faced him over and over and over again, and you still couldn’t recognize him under that poor disguise? For crying out loud, I’ve met the guy only once and I can already tell it was him!” He held forehoof on his forehead and added, “You’re hopeless.” Daring Do blushed strong red and lowered her hat to hide it. “Fine… I admit, I’m not the most perceptive pony.” “Well, you were more perceptive in in your first series before you decided to push it all aside for the sake of thrills,” Quible said in annoyance. “I mean, you’re exploring dangerous temples! Don’t you think paying attention to small details is important? The number of traps you started activating grew quite a lot on your third–” He paused, and his attention shifted to two ponies in the distance. He raised a forehoof, holding it to protect his eyes from the harsh sun. “Is that… Rainbow Dash?” Daring Do turned around in an instant, taking a moment to stare at the distance before nodding. “It is her! But what is she doing here? And who’s her companion?” Both ponies looked up, watching as the pegasus descended in their direction. They raised their forelegs defensively, protecting their eyes from spreading sand due to Dash’s hard landing. The pink pony jumped from pegasus’s back a moment later. “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?” Quibble asked. “That’s my line,” Daring interrupted as she jumped ahead of Quibble. “Rainbow Dash, why are you here? It can’t be just a coincidence.” “Hey, Daring Do, it’s great to see you again! We read about…” Dash looked away form the disguised mare and asked, “Quibble? What are you doing here?” “I asked first.” Dash puffed his chest and said, “I’m here to recover Daring Do’s reputation so she won’t quit adventuring, obviously.” “And I'm here to help in anyway I can!” Pinkie said with a cheerful smile. “The name’s Pinkie Pie, by the way. Hello, Daring Do, nice meeting you.” She shook Daring's forehoof energetically, causing her hat to fall off. “Same here. When I heard that she was quitting, I decided to push aside everything and help any way I could. Seems like I beat you to it,” Quibble said with a smirk. “Really? I didn’t think you had it in you,” Dash said. “I was hesitant at first, but after I hired a competent bodyguard, I felt confident enough to face any danger that this scenario would involve.” He approached Rainbow Dash and poked her chest. “Good to have a fellow fan and national heroine on board. Now that the dream team is together, nothing will stop us.” Their reunion was interrupted upon hearing a loud laugh. Daring Do took a moment to calm down and next wiped tears of joy form her eyes. “Wow—I mean, wow—I have never felt so happy to have loyal fans like you two. It’s touching.” She forced a serious stare. “But no telling that I was acting sappy to anyone, got it?” “Sure thing,” Dash said before flapping her wings in excitement. “So, are you both here to convince the ponies living here how awesome Daring Do really is?” “Can we help in any way?” Pinkie asked. Quibble shook his forehoof. “No need. I already have it covered. As we speak, my bodyguard is spying on Dr. Caballeron, gathering evidence that we can use to put down his – rather clever plan for his standards – to ruin Daring Do’s reputation.” “Speaking of a bodyguard, who are they?” Dash asked, now staring curiously. “A Raichu named Nica,” Qubble said. Dash’s eyes became wide. “Did you say a Raichu named Nica?” “Yes. After I read about how she took down the mob by herself, I knew she was perfect for the job,” Quibble said. Dash’s eye twitched. “I must admit, even I would be afraid to attack the mob in Manehattan. She must be really something,” Daring Do complemented. Rainbow Dash’s mouth was agape as she stared at Daring Do in disbelief. “Oh, so Nica is here? How cool is that?” Pinkie said before looking at her friend. “You hear that, Dashie? You can finally meet her after all this time! Ummm… Dash, are you feeling okay?” “Okay?” Dash smiled cheerfully. “Am I okay?” She glared in rage. “Of course I’m okay.” Her eye twitched. “I have been trying to meet that Raichu for the past two weeks.” She flew up and spread her limbs. “Finally! After all this time I get to meet her!” “What about helping Daring Do?” Pinkie asked. “It can wait…” Dash gasped in terror. “I can’t believe I just said that! Daring, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that your reputation isn’t important. It’s just that this Raichu I heard about sounds so awesome… ugh…” Daring Do whispered to Pinkie, “Is she always acting like that?” “Not really. She acts like that only when meeting ponies she admires. You should’ve seen how she reacted to the Wonderbolts.” Nica walked on four legs with a lot of struggle as sweat fell down her forehead and cheeks, yet her head was raised in pride. The camera was safe in her shoulder-bag while Mr. Patrick was sitting on her shoulder. A large bag twice Dr. Caballeron’s size was wrapped by her tail as she pulled it, leaving a trail on the ground. While following the bad pony, she discovered that by sensing his aura, she could just follow him out of sight at all times. It didn’t take long before the bad pony led her to his hideout, say his plan out loud to his henchmen and leave more stolen goods hidden in some sort of abandoned destroyed house behind desks under the floor. The camera proved easy to use. Her trainer from time to time asked her to do various tasks, and lucky, taking a group picture was one of them. She stopped and sat, breathing heavily before wiping sweat from her forehead. Mr. Patrick licked her cheek and squeaked sadly at her. “Can I help you?” Nica and the rat looked at the earth pony, who stared at them in pity. “That bag is four, or maybe even five times your size. I can’t just watch you struggle so much.” Nica smiled warmly. “My paws hurt a little, so I’ll gladly accept your help.” She looked around. “Do you know where the inn is, by any chance?” “This way.” The earth pony pointed at nearby building, which was more or less a hundred steps away. As he pressed his head against the large bag, he asked, “It sure is heavy. What’s inside? “To be honest, I’m not sure,” Nica said before pushing herself to a standing position, pulling the large bag despite her tired paws. “My boss told me that the pony wearing the red hood is trying to ruin Daring Do’s reputation, and asked me to spy on him and get evidence against him.” “You mean, the one who has been giving speeches on how Daring Do ruined the town?” “That’s the one.” Nica answered. “I took some pictures of how he was stealing and transporting some green shining stuff. I also overheard him saying to his workers how he would get out of the town with glowpaz and pin the blame on Daring Do.” The earth pony stopped and started at the bag in shock. “You… you don’t mean that inside this bag is…” “It is. He hid all the stolen goods under the floor in some damaged building, so I snuck in when he was away and took it. Now I’m trying to deliver the pictures and this bag to Quibble as evidence so he can clear Daring Do’s name.” The earth pony quickly peeked inside the bag before gasping. “I… I’ll be right back.” Nica rounded the bag and gave the escaping pony a confused glance. She shrugged and opened the door of the inn before pushing the bag inside. “Let us help.” Nica heard an unfamiliar voice, and the bag suddenly felt lighter. A pony or three most likely pulled from the other side. With the bag in the middle of the inn, she rounded it and politely bowed her head. “Thank you.” “You’re wel–” The blue pegasus paused and started to stare intensely. “Oh, hello Nica! Nice to see you again!” Pinkie said as she started to bounce in place. “So, how did the spying go? Got any dirt on Caballeron?” Daring Do asked while standing next to Pinkie. “How did your mission go? Tell me everything,” Quibble asked while perched on a sofa, his face firm and devoid of emotions. Nica puffed her chest and poked it. “I got pictures of the hooded pony stealing some green stuff, and next took the stolen goods from his hideout.” She poked the bag next to herself. “I brought them all here.” Nica’s proud smile vanished as her attention shifted towards the pegasus who now stared at her with a toothy smile and wide eyes while an aura of excitement grew in strength at an alarming speed. She took a step back and her ears drooped. “W-why are you staring at me like that?” Out of reflex, Nica jumped to the side, just in time to avoid being grabbed. The pegasus didn’t give up though, making a sharp turn and capturing her between her hooves. “So you’re Nica, that Raichu that Twilight told me about. I’ve heard so much about you. You have no idea how many times I tried to meet you.” Nica grit her teeth upon being squeezed in a strong hug, only to be released a moment later as the pegasus flew in circles, making ten rounds in only three seconds. “The name’s Rainbow Dash by the way. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me as well, saving Equestria, being a Wonderbolt and stuff.” Dash hovered above the ground and punched air. “I’ve heard that you’ve got crazy cool powers, can cut stuff with your tail, ran into a burning building to save lives, beat the mob into submission in the same day, and now you’re here clearing Daring Do’s name. That’s beyond awesome!” “O-kay...” Nica said, her ears still dropped as she started walking backward on her two feet. While normally she enjoyed words of praise for job well done, in this case she felt different. Something about this pegasus… made her feel uncomfortable. “Actually… neither Twilight nor Starlight said a word about you. I heard about you mostly from Rarity.” “Only from Rarity? Seriously?” Dash said, her excitement replaced with disappointment. Nica nodded. “She told me you were always the first one to rush into danger, and while you have matured a lot, you’re still rough on the edges whenever something annoys you.” Dash crossed her forearms and frowned. “Rough on the edges… I’ll remember that.” Her mood improved in an instant as she started flying around the critter, examining her features. “You don’t look intimidating. Fat belly, small paws and legs.” She poked her ears. “Your ears and tail look pretty cool though, especially the part shaped like lightning.” As Mr. Patrick started hissing at her, she added, “Your rat friend on your shoulder cramps your style, though. Not cool enough.” Dash yelped upon being bitten on the nose by the rat. “Fine fine, you’re cool too.” Nica withdrew her tail from Dash’s hooves and smiled awkwardly. “Calm down Dash. Give her some space,” Daring Do said. “Fine…” Dash said as she landed, her ears and wings drooped. The innkeeper approached the bag. Necklaces with pearls and green gems adorned her neck aside other jewelry, glasses were present on her face and a fancy violet dress covered most of her body. “Is this… what I think it is?” She opened the bag and her mouth opened agape. Quibble approached Nica and exposed his forehoof. “Camera, please.” Nica opened her shoulder-bag and did as she was told, now seeing a wide grin and sensing an odd aura. Her boss was planning something, and it wasn’t going to be anything pleasant. The door into the inn shot open as angered crowd stepped inside, each pony armed with a random weapon, from something as simple as a frying pan to a sharp and intimidating scimitar. The tallest stallion stepped ahead of the group and pointed at the bag. “Where’s the thief who dared to steal our gifts?” He stomped, and his eyes narrowed. Quibble chuckled and next shot Daring Do a sassy smile. “I hope you don’t mind that, today, I will be the one writing the scenario for your newest book.” Breaking the spirit of his biggest enemy, ruining her reputation and pinning crimes on her while becoming rich, truly made that the best day of his life. At least, it was going to be after another speech—truly the best day of his life after years of trackings precious artifacts and selling them on the black market for profit. No annoying Daring Do was going to ruin his plan. With his biggest obstacle removed, only riches and victories lay ahead of him. At least, that’s what was supposed to happen. He stood on a platform in front of a ruined statue, wondering why an angered crowd equipped with pitchforks, torches and blades were heading in his direction. Were they expecting him to point out the location of Daring Do so they could unleash their anger on her? As much as he wished to do so, Daring Do proved her survival skills again and again. Just letting her retire and get out of his way seemed to be a safer solution. He raised his head proudly and was about to speak, only for Quibble to step ahead and give him an angered glare. He forced a smile, struggling not to glare back at the annoying pony. Some time ago, this very colt humiliated him with his criticism, complaining over and over how foolish his plans were and about his overall incompetence. Quibble’s words still haunted his mind. Using his imagination, he pictured Quibble sinking into a pool of lava… something he typically reserved only whenever eyeing Daring Do. “Here it is,” he started, gesturing with his forehoof for the ponies to come closer. “The remains of your… I mean, our Somnambula statue.” “Cut the act, Dr. Caballeron. No one’s buying it anymore,” Quibble said, now standing in front of the platform. He picked up something from his saddlebag with his mouth. Caballeron stared curiously at the picture in the earth pony’s hooves, only to bite his bottom lip. “I got evidence of you stealing from this town and returned all of your stolen goods.” Quibble gestured at the angered ponies. “Everypony already knows about your attempts to ruin Daring Do’s reputation.” Caballeron’s eye twitched. Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “We told everypony how Daring Do caused all the damage, while saving the whole town.” “And they forgave me!” Everyone looked at the pegasus wearing her signature hat standing atop of a nearby building. Quibble pointed at the hooded pony. “But, they won’t be willing to forgive you.” Caballeron grit his teeth, his blood starting to boil. He was supposed to have the best day of his life, opening the door to a bright future filled with riches and artifacts. That talkative brat, however, just had to show up and and ruin it all, and he dared to look back at him with that smirk? In a rush of anger, he grabbed a nearby stone and threw it at Quibble’s face, only for it to be intercepted by the metallic tail of a large critter. “What the?” The stone shattered into dust before his very eyes. “You can use your tail like that? That’s so cool!” Dash shouted, giving it an amazed look. The creature looked back in embarrassment. “I don’t believe I have introduced my trusty bodyguard, Nica,” Quibble said as he patted the head of the Raichu, who slowly lowered her tail and started watching Caballeron’s every move. “Don’t let her size fool you. She’s capable of fighting gangs and is a hundred times more competent than any of your stupid minions.” Caballeron groaned and started backpedalling, his eyes on Daring Do. Was the situation even salvageable? He had his loyal minions hiding behind the statue in case of an emergency, but they couldn’t fight off so many ponies. Much to his surprise, the blue pegasus flew onto the platform and started digging her hoof into his chest. “It’s over Caballeron. Your plan failed a big time!” He smirked. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong.” He whistled as his four followers stepped from behind the ruins of the statue and surrounded them, and with surprisingly little effort, tied the pegasus with a rope. With a smirk, he turned towards the crowd and said, “One step forward, and you can say goodbye to this here pony.” “Taking hostages when you’re cornered, like the rat you are!” Daring Do shouted, her wings spread and eyes narrowed. Caballeron looked away form Daring Do, now staring at Quibble who just kept grinning at him. Why was he so calm and confident? “Boss, can I stop holding back and attack?” Nica asked. “There won’t be a need for that just yet. Leave it to me,” Quibble said as he walked forward, taking slow steps towards the platform. Caballeron stepped in his way and pointed at Rainbow Dash, “I said to stay away, unless you want your friend to enter a world of hurt!” “Don’t listen to him! Kick their flanks, Daring Do!” Dash shouted, only for her mouth to be gagged. Quibble glanced at a grey-blue bald pony with a mustache. “Hey, you.” “Me?” “You work for money, right? How much it would cost me for you to punch your boss in the face?” “Ummm… Ten bits… He doesn’t pay us much anyway.” Caballeron blinked in confusion and next gave his subordinate an angered glare. “You wouldn’t dare.” “Here’s twenty bits, make the punch memorable,” Quibble said as he threw small bags with bits  in the pony’s direction. Caballeron raised his forehooves defensively, yet it did little as the punch sent him flying from the platform. A hoofmark was now visible on his left foreleg. Quibble approached the other three minions and gave them a firm stare. “Now, listen guys. You all know that, in the end, Daring Do will win anyway and kick your flanks, like she did over a hundred times before.” He pointed at the tied pegasus and added, “If you won’t free Rainbow Dash this instant, the fate that awaits you will be worse than all your defeats combined. So, will you free her?” He pointed at Nica. “Or should I ask my bodyguard to cut your limbs one at a time?” Nica swung her tail, cutting a nearby stone half the size of a pony in half. The three ponies gulped and did as they were told. “What are you doing, you fools?” Caballeron asked. “S-sorry boss. He’s… very convincing,” a minion wearing sunglasses said, fear clear in his voice. He pressed his teeth against the rope before pulling it, untying Rainbow Dash as quickly as he could. Caballeron groaned in anger before pushing himself to a standing position, now facing the angered crowd. “Now, now… let’s be reasonable.” Dash looked at Quibble in disbelief, her mouth agape. “W-wow… I… I have no words...” She was about to take a step forward, only to be stopped by his hoof. “Not so fast, Dash. I know it’s a Daring Do adventure and stuff, but seriously? You just stood there in place for five seconds and let those ponies capture you?” He massaged his forehead. “I mean, come on! Aren’t you the Element Bearer who helped save Equestria while always being the first to rush into danger? I know that in Daring Do stories everyone except her is incompetent, but shouldn’t a hero like you at least try to fight back?” Dash blushed. “W-well... “ She shook her head. “Is this even a good time to be discussing things like that?” “Of course it is. From now on, we’re not going to follow the stupid rules of a Daring Do story, but my rules.” He glanced at the closest minion. “Hey, you, pick up that bag.” He glanced at minion wearing a hat. “And you, grab that rope.” Both ponies did as they were told. “Hey, stop commanding my minions!” Caballeron shouted, approaching the platform. Quibble glanced at the bald minion and said, “Five extra bits for another punch.” Caballeron stopped and laughed nervously. “S-six bits for not punching me!” Quibble glanced at his bodyguard. “Nica, if he moves even an inch, slap him with your tail. Hard.” Caballeron gulped, now staring at the smirking pokemon, not daring to move a single muscle. Quibble looked back at Rainbow Dash and said, “Now we’re going to do it again, and we’re going to do it right.” He approached and whispered into her ear. Caballeron looked away from the long-tailed bodyguard, noticing a wide grin on Dash’s face. He covered his eyes with his foreleg and his ears drooped at the noise of his minions being beaten up by the athletic pegasus in a direct combat. Rainbow Dash stretched herself before looking proudly at the defeated ponies. “I must say, it was kind of satisfying.” Quibble chuckled. “There’s no way I would allow you to be damsel in distress in the next Daring Do story.” Caballeron stomped with both of his hooves. “Ugh… You’ll pay for this, Quibble Pants!” He turned around and ran, his minions not far behind him. “Nica, do your thing,” Quibble said, winking at his bodyguard. The large critter nodded before taking off her collar and giving chase, jumping over the escaping minions before spreading her ‘Thunderbolt’ over them. Feeling the electricity seizing all control of his muscles, Caballeron struggled to raise his head, staring at feet of the critter. “W-what the…” “Did you really think I would just let you go? I have evidence that you tried to steal this town’s most prized treasure, and plenty of witnesses of how you tried to pin the blame on somepony else.” Quibble lowered his head to take a close look into his eyes. “You and your buddies are going to jail, Caballeron.” The crowd of ponies and Daring Do approached them from all sides. Caballeron looked at Daring Do and next at Quibble and raised his trembling hoof. “Quibble… Pants… from now on… you’re my number one enemy. Once I’m out of prison… you’ll...” “Blah, blah, blah. Spare me the revenge speech,” Quibble said with a roll of his eyes. “To think at one point I thought you were one of the better developed villains from Daring Do adventures. Such a disappointment.” “I must say,” Daring Do said as she approached Quibble, giving him a proud smile. “When you told me you’d handle it without my help, you weren’t kidding.” “You were incredible!” Dash shouted while standing on her rear hooves and spreading her forelegs. Quibble crossed his arms. “I wish I could say the same about you both.” He gave Dash a stern glare. “I hope the whole ‘damsel in distress’ scenario won’t repeat itself, should you and Daring Do team up again.” “Of course not! Who do you think I am?” Dash asked, her forehoof raised defensively. Quibble ignored Rainbow Dash and turned to the adventurer. “And you, Daring Do: Why do you never lock the villains away or take them to the authorities? If you know they’ll try to get doom-bringing artifacts over and over, why do you let them go?” He frowned. “Are you afraid your stories will get boring without villains to get in the way?” Daring Do rolled her eyes. “Here we go again. Quibble is back to normal. Well, it was nice as long as it lasted.” "Oh, it's not over," Quibble said before gesturing to a tall stallion with a razor sharp blade between his teeth. The bulky grey pony's mane was a red mohawk, and on his flank was his scimitar cutie mark. "I decided to get a crew of my own and start adventuring, as well." Daring Do blinked in confusion and then rubbed her eyes. “You what?” “I noticed that all your adventures have predictable patterns and repeat themselves, so I thought, ‘why not take advantage of it?’ From now on, think of me as a rival.” He fixed his hat and stared at Daring Do with a smug face. “Instead of complaining about what’s lacking in your stories, I’ll bring it myself.” Dash chuckled. “Okay, whatever badassery-improving drink you had, I want some.” The group laughed cheerfully. Nica sat next to Pinkie Pie in the shadow of a nearby house, watching the exchange from the sidelines. I wonder… If Quibble ever became a pokemon trainer, how far would he get? He seems clever enough. She looked at Rainbow Dash, feeling uncomfortable in her presence for some reason. Unlike all of Twilight’s and Starlight’s friends who showed her kindness, compassion and understanding, Rainbow Dash seemed to stand out in a negative way. Her aura of excitement and energetic nature didn’t seem to be the problem, yet for some reason, whenever being near Rainbow Dash, she felt similar to her time in Trixie’s company: Annoyed. But why? When she first meet Trixie, she couldn’t stand her overblown ego, blinding pride, and superiority complex. Rainbow Dash, however, was acting more like an overly-enthusiastic fan, praising Daring Do, Quibble and her, so why didn’t she feel comfortable in her presence? She shook her head. With the bad guys locked away and her job done, she had plenty of time to bond with Rainbow Dash. Some quality time together would certainly help them get along. Nica narrowed her eyes as she looked towards the window of a nearby building, seeing a flashing blue eye for a fraction of second. The hostile aura she felt vanished in an instant. I better keep my eye on everypony from now on. I may be getting paranoid, but if there’s a risk that what I felt was the being who spreads curses, I better stay on guard.