Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as she held her head low. “Well, that was boring!”
Rarity shook her head and smiled. “Considering what we’ve been through since we got down here, I’d say it was delightfully dull.”
Twilight was still shaking in excitement. “Are you kidding? That was some of the best organizing I’ve done in a long time! Who knew a warrior species could come up with such an intricate and multi-faceted bureaucratic system? We had to fill out forms to get forms to enter the waiting room, then we had to go all around the office collecting more forms before meeting with the Director’s secretary’s undersecretary! And don’t get me started on the booth and floor system!”
Applejack trotted up next to Twilight. “Alright, we won’t get you started!” They all shared a laugh while Twilight rolled her eyes and blushed.
Eventually, the gondola they were all riding came to a stop. They all exited as a voice rang out on an intercom. “Industrial/Market District gondola fourteen. Noon stop complete. Have a nice day.”
Pinkie hopped down and bounced the rest of the way. “Thank you, mystery voice!”
Fluttershy followed quickly, glad to be out of the metal box whose only guarantee at avoiding a fifty-foot drop was a flimsy metal cable. “Um… I think it’s just a recording, Pinkie.”
“The quadrupedal female is correct. Please do not speak to me. I am a recording.” Soon after gathering together, the ponies paused and anxiously looked at one another, then around the station before proceeding without a word.
Upon exiting the station, they came upon a road where more (and to Rarity much better dressed) humans walked to and fro, and in, out and around various stores. To their left stood a bed store, a bookstore, and a quilt shop. To their right stood a grocer, a cutler, and a potter. Further into the distance on their right were several rows of stalls. Further to their left was a larger building they couldn’t identify.
Suddenly, from the side of the path, a human came right up to the ponies, wearing a yellow shirt, black vest, and orange bow tie. “G-g-g-g-good afternoon, f-f-f-fair ladies!”
Rarity smiled and fluttered her eyes at him. “Why, good afternoon mister…”
He smiled and bent forward, rubbing his hands together. “M-M-Michael. Micheal F-F-Flamel, at your s-s-s-service, m-miss. I can’t help b-b-b-but n-n-notice that you all aren’t-t-t exactly from ar-r-r-round here, are y-y-you?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, shrewdly smiling. “Oh, is it that obvious?”
Michael gave a small chuckle. “G-g-g-g-good one, miss! I-I-In all seriousness though, it’s v-very easy for one t-t-to lose their way am-m-m-mid all the hubbub. Tell M-m-me, did you all ha-v-v-ve a d-destination in mind?”
Twilight trotted forward. “Well, for now, we’re mostly killing time until we can start the process to move into the next District.”
Micheal reared back and clapped his hands. “Excellent! I-I-If it’s not too much t-trouble, I’d like t-t-to show you all ar-r-r-round! Get past the h-h-humdrum and show you some m-m-m-memorable sights!”
Rarity dramatically sighed. “That sounds positively lovely! Please lead on, good fellow!”
Rarity proceeded towards the market stalls, but Micheal pointed in the other direction. “Um… M-M-M-Miss, the shopping mall’s th-th-this way!”
Rarity abruptly turned around. Her eyes wide with wonder. “What’s a… shopping mall?”
***
Applejack rubbed her folded ears with her hooves as she sat down on a nearby bench, wishing she had human fingers to stick in and scratch around. “Gee Rarity, if you squealed any higher, Winona might have come running all the way from the farm!”
Rarity was still twirling around, taking it all in. “Well, how could I possibly contain myself? It’s all just so… so… much! There’s a store for everything here, and an entire department dedicated to fashion! Rows and rows of outfits and accessories for any mood, season, and occasion! And these human designers are simply brilliant, especially considering how little inspiration they have to work with in these absolutely dreary caverns!”
Twilight came following, floating several batches of books in plastic bags with her magic. “I’m impressed with their varieties of stories! You know that Ultima these humans keep invoking? Well, they were a real historical figure! If even half of the things they’ve supposedly done are true… then again, they seem a tad arrogant.”
Pinkie trotted back to the group, carrying a small mountain of stuffed whatsits and plastic doodads. “I really like the game arcade! So many bright and shiny lights! And the prizes are neat too!”
Micheal politely approached Pinkie. “W-w-well miss, It cert-t-t-tainly helps on the dance m-m-machine that you have f-f-f-four legs.”
Fluttershy got up from the bench and approached the group herself. “I’m just glad to have a nice, peaceful time just seeing the sights.”
Suddenly, from one of the upper levels came the sounds of a ruckus, shattered glass, and weapons clashing. Fluttershy sighed. “Well, so much for a peaceful time. I suppose we should do something about that before some poor human gets hurt!”
The ponies left their swag by the benches and cantered up the nearest stairwell with their human guide regretfully running after them. “Um… L-L-Ladies! Where are you g-g-g-going? I’m sure the C-Central Forces can handle this c-c-c-c-crisis!”
Eventually, they made it to the second-floor armor shop, which was currently under attack by a bunch of Underworlders led by a woman wielding a lance whose armor was painted with a green spiral pattern. She had a tan complexion, mauve hair done in a long, curling ponytail, bright blue eyes and was striking at the shield-like hexagons of energy in the hand of the mace-wielding shopkeeper, who had a dark complexion with red eyes and indigo, flattop hair tied back by a headband.
Micheal nervously approached one of the surrounding onlookers. “Um… e-e-excuse me, has anyone c-c-c-called the Central Forces about th-th-this?”
The onlooker sighed and shrugged. “Right now, they’re a bit preoccupied. There’s been a bombing on the other side of the sector right near a cluster of gas lines. It’s taking all of their elemental units just to contain the fires. Quite a coincidence, hm?”
Their attention was turned back to the battle as the loud clashing filled the air. The shopkeeper was forced back after the Underworlder Administrator made a series of hard thrusts against his makeshift shield. Then, the Administrator was lifted up as a whirlwind appeared below her. Riding the vortex, she charged towards him at a breakneck speed to deliver a mighty thrust, shattering his barrier to glowing flecks. The Administrator gave a wicked grin as she made a curving upward sweep with her lance, creating a spiraling stream of air that flew out to slam the shopkeeper against the wall.
As the shopkeeper sat dazed on the ground, the Administrator gestured for the Grunts to move into the store. However, the ponies galloped in their way. Twilight trotted forward and extended her hoof. “Hold it right there! Nopony or nobody has any right to just hurt whoever or take whatever they want!”
The Administrator got a weird look on her face and gestured to the Grunts, who moved aside to let her through. Once she was directly in front of the ponies, she took a good look at them. “Hm… Hey, you’re all those creatures that have been all over the official announcements.”
She leaned back with a big, mischievous grin. “But Mort had a lot to say about you too. He was absolutely fuming, this time in more ways than one! The name’s Katrina by the way.”
Rainbow Dash crouched low and grimaced. “Well, after we send you packing back to the hole you crawled out of, you can tell Mort that Rainbow Dash says hello!”
Katrina put her hand on her hip and shook her head. “Oh, like I’d dirty my hands on the likes of you!” She made a gesture overhead that caused all of the Grunts to ready themselves and move in to surround the ponies. “Waste ‘em!” The Grunts charged the ponies as one, but Pinkie Pie threw down a smoke bomb that disoriented them and allowed the ponies to scatter.
Twilight soared towards two Grunts wielding a halberd and glaive, who readied themselves and enveloped the heads of their weapons in flames and a whirlwind. However, right as they brought them down on her, Twilight teleported behind them and zapped them with her horn, entangling them in ethereal chains.
Applejack charged a Grunt wielding a battle axe, who made an upward sweep to cause spears of rock to erupt out of the ground in front of him. However, she leaped to clear both the spears and the Grunt and proceeded to buck him in the back upon landing, sending him flying into another Grunt wielding a club, leaving them both on the ground.
Pinkie bounced into the middle of several Grunts carrying bows and slings, who took aim with ammunition made of solid fire, water, and energy. Pinkie however, drew a package (out of nowhere) and threw it below her, causing a small bounce house to erupt and send her skyward. When the projectiles made contact with the bounce house, it exploded and sent flying a salvo of pies and cupcakes, knocking all of the Grunts to the ground in piles of creamy sweetness.
Fluttershy cowered as a growling Grunt bared a partisan and charged towards her. At the last second, she flinched and flew skyward, leaving the Grunt to barrel right into two of their allies and sending them toppling over the edge of the floor’s deck.
Rainbow Dash rocketed towards a Grunt and attempted to unleash a flurry of strikes. However, the Grunt brought out a big shield that blocked each blow. When Rainbow Dash backpedaled, the shield began glowing with a green light that concentrated into a sphere of wind which the Grunt launched at her with a push. Rainbow Dash responded by zooming around in a circle and creating a whirlwind of her own which the sphere u-turned around and returned to the Grunt, sending them flying.
A grunt with a pair of knives leaped towards Rarity with her weapons extended. But Rarity simply zapped their armor with her horn, turning it into a big frilly dress that disoriented the Grunt. Rarity simply hopped to the side as the Grunt tumbled to the ground, hopelessly entangled in the many layers of fabric.
Katrina made a big, nervous frown as she surveyed all of her incapacitated Grunts. Meanwhile, the Ponies surrounded and converged on her, making her take a few steps back. Twilight turned her head and flashed a haughty grin. “You were saying?”
Katrina’s eye began to twitch. Then she shook her head and regained her composure, taking a stance with her weapon held up with both hands. “Okay. Maybe you quadrupeds do mean business. Alright, I’ll show you the full destructive might of my vortex magic!”
Katrina adjusted her grip to hold her lance doward. Then she thrust it into the ground, and from the point of impact emerged a dense whirlwind that quickly grew to a great size. Odds and ends from around the store were caught in the wind and sent flying everywhere as the unfortunate shoppers were forced to hang on for dear life and take cover if they could.
As for the ponies, Applejack and Pinkie were flung aside. Applejack managed to cling to a pillar as she passed by, and Pinkie managed to snag her tail with her teeth as she was flung around. Twilight and Rarity managed to put up barriers to break the wind around themselves and the unconscious shopkeeper, but struggled to hold them in place. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had to fly with all their might to keep in one place.
Her eyes watering, Rainbow Dash carefully turned her head towards Fluttershy. “WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! BEFORE SOMPONY GETS HURT! OR WORSE!”
With a grimace of sheer terror, Fluttershy attempted to respod despite the roaring wind. “Okay! I’ll try my best!” Following Rainbow Dash’s lead, Fluttershy steadily soared towards the tornado. When they got close enough, they began circling around it in the opposite direction it spun. As the pegasi accelerated, the wind began to slow. Soon they became a rainbow and pink ring spinning around the shrinking vortex.
Moments later, the debris that was once flying all over the place came to rest on the ground, and the terrified bystanders came out from their cover to see what happened. Up above, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy made a few final loops as the now miniscule whirlwind disappeared in a puff of hot air. The pegasi came to rest back on the ground, completely winded. Fluttershy’s hooves gave out from under her and she came to lie on the ground gasping for breath.
Once the onlookers came back out, they clapped for and cheered the Ponies, chanting “Ponies! Ponies!” and clamoring around them.
Micheal managed to push his way past the crowd and waved his arms around to get them to back off. “M-M-Make room p-p-people! Th-Th-Th-They’ve been through a l-lot!” As the crowd backed away from the ponies, Micheal approached with a concerned look on his face. “I-I-Is everyone Ok-k-kay? I c-c-c-can hardly believe it! You l-l-lot were j-j-just like heroes of old!” Then, his attention was drawn to the stirring shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper groaned as he rubbed his head. He slowly opened his eyes to his equine saviors gathered around him. “I am Pohl. Is the shop okay?”
Twilight used her magic to help him to his feet. “Your shop is fine. We stopped the Underworlders from taking anything.”
Pohl took a second to make sure he was balanced, then he looked around the area to the people surrounding his shop. “I am Pohl. Where did the brutes and the scary lady go?”
Twilight looked around and sighed. “She probably had no intention of fighting us after the Grunts fell. She must have made that hurricane just to sneak away.” Twilight turned back to Pohl, an eyebrow raised. “Why did they go after your shop in particular?”
Pohl just stared at her blankly with a flat expression. “...I am Pohl.”
“Don’t bother questioning him, dear. Nobody ever could get much out of him.”
The ponies and the pair of humans turned towards the new voice. Micheal himself completely lost his composure at the sight of the new speaker. “M-M-M-M-Madam v-v-von Wr-Wr-Wr-Wr-Wrinkle!”
A tall, old woman glided in from out of nowhere. She wore a silken black dress under a white coat with gold trimming, and a pair of spectacles on her nose. She had dark eyes, pale wrinkled skin, and white hair tied to the side in a double braid with a small disk-like ornament on the end. Despite her weathered features, she held herself with a regality and confidence even Rarity couldn’t help but admire.
She made a mirthful grin and extended her finger, waving it back and forth. “Well boys, you two certainly know how to get yourselves in some real peril. Thankfully, there were some strong, smart, and above all kind young women around to bail you out.”
Twilight grinned and approached the lady. “We appreciate your praise, Madam von Wrinkle. But I’m surprised you all know each other.”
She opened her hand and made some dismissive gestures. “Madam von Wrinkle is what they call me in my office. Please, just call me Maxine, Princess. It just so happens that these two are some of my best clients at my Employment and Temp Agency back in the financial district.”
Maxine pointed at Micheal. “I got this one a gig for over half the stores and chains here in the Market district. For a few weeks more, he’ll be getting a small commission on anything anyone buys as long as he brings them to the store.”
Twilight and the ponies flashed Micheal some mischievous grins. “Oh, really?” Micheal just fidgeted with his hands and shrugged.
Then Maxine pointed towards Pohl, who was occupying himself cleaning up the mess made by the Underworlders. “This one is an odd case that pops up every now and again. Some things most may find easy, he has difficulty with. But he can prove to be exceptional in areas he can find his flow in. I arranged for the bank that owns this store to employ him to sell out the remaining inventory after the resident manager and artisan was carted off by the Central Forces for dealing armor to the Underworlders.”
Pohl got up after sweeping some glass in a dustpan and held his broom aloft. “I am Pohl!”
Twilight turned back to Maxine. “Well, that explains it. They must’ve thought they were entitled to something.”
“Well, they’re gone now, and after a beating like that, they won’t be back. Come on, why don’t we talk more at the food court. I’m buying.” She gestured towards Micheal and Pohl. “You two can come along, don’t be afraid to take a break.”
Micheal wrung his hands followed behind as Maxine turned around and headed deeper into the mall. Pohl carefully set down his supplies and turned to follow himself. “I am Pohl!” The ponies gave each other some worried glances and followed the group.
Meanwhile, in a dark corner above, Katrina gazed at them as they left and turned to speak into a small round object in hand. “The horses have been led to water, time to make them drink. Initiate operation: Justice is no longer blind.”