//------------------------------// // The Greater Good // Story: The Mystery of the Old Ponyville Time Capsule // by GrangeDisplay //------------------------------// For the few months that Rainbow had known Pinkie, the filly had been a non-stop talker. That is, if the pink filly wasn’t passing out or babbling incoherently due to excessive enthusiasm. Rainbow Dash was used to that type of reaction when others were in the presence of her awesomeness. She had seen quite a few of her teachers reduced to nonsense muttering when she pulled off an incredible stunt in the middle of class. Sometimes the other fillies and colts would keel over after a race, completely flabbergasted by Rainbow’s elite speed and prowess.  This made Pinkie’s reserved and quiet disposition all the more unsettling. It wasn’t even a Fluttershy type of quiet, it was a more severe and focused quiet. It kind of reminded Rainbow of Applejack, broody and preoccupied but still not as mean. Pinkie was adamant that they finish their work, so Rainbow allowed her to lead the way. The apprentice baker had offered her a raincoat and a pair of galoshes, but Rainbow was turned off by the plethora of hearts and smiley faces that covered them. Pinkie simply shrugged and wore the raincoat and boots over the ones that she already had on. Despite it being early in the morning, Rainbow didn’t want to risk being seen in the attire. They made their way to Sweet Apple Acres, a location that felt tainted after the explosive 'Star Incident'. Applejack gave them a chest full of bits. A combination of their final paychecks, which none of them would ever be allowed to cash in. At the bottom of the fortune sat Honeybee, the only survivor of the ‘Star Incident.’ The lone firework had found itself outside amidst the chaos, escaping the flames that consumed its counterparts. Rainbow Dash took a moment to study the unique firework, admiring and mourning its potential before she sealed it in its coffin. Applejack was about as bitter as usual, which made the black eye and fractured forehoof that she was sporting all the more fitting. Pinkie didn’t even try to make her feel better as she collected the lock and key. They departed the farm and struggled along to Froggy Bottom Bogg, hauling the loot with their mouths. Upon arriving, Rainbow understood why she might need the boots. Luckily, she didn’t have to ask as Pinkie wordlessly flipped off the extra pair.  Since coming to Ponyville, Rainbow had endured countless new experiences. She hated to admit it, but she kind of looked forward to it. It was easy to be awesome and to train to become a Wonderbolt, but sometimes Dash wanted to do other stuff to. If she wasn’t practicing, she would go to a party, play pranks, take naps, or hang out with Fluttershy. All of those things were pretty alright, but they weren’t consistent. She didn’t always get anything from the things that she did, and aside from Fluttershy, most of her friends didn’t know her too well. There was always something to do or see in Ponyville, even if the residents were pretty boring. The journey through the bog was a grand enough adventure for the young speedster, even if it was a little unnerving. Not to say that Rainbow was scared or anything, she was just overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of the wetland. Once they found a suitable location, she rested on the chest, and looked around wildly. Rainbow knew that she could get attacked or snatched up at any moment, so she stayed alert. She was supposed to be helping Pinkie dig the hole, but the earth pony seemed to be doing a capable enough job on her own. Rainbow listened to the sounds of wildlife as she thought about what she was supposed to do now. Aside from buying a lot of cool stuff with the money, she also kind of enjoyed having something to do that weren’t her usual activities.  Not to say that training or her usual hobbies weren’t fun, but it was kind of nice to be Pony Accardo and not Rainbow Dash for a time. Even if The Rainbow Dash was remarkable, she also had a lot of expectations to live up to. Everypony was telling Rainbow Dash that she was extremely talented, and she knew that she was. But she also knew that she could do better. The Sonic Rainboom had come to her so easily when she was a kid, but she has never been able to repeat it. How could she believe that she was the greatest in all Equestria if she couldn’t even beat a younger and less experienced version of herself.  She worried that one day, everypony might find out that she was a fraud. That she wasn’t capable, special, or great. She tried to keep her head above the water by talking big, but that didn’t stop her from failing. She felt like it was only a matter of time. Rainbow Dash was supposed to be an accomplished speedster, a mythical breaker of the sound barrier, and a future Wonderbolt. Pony Accardo wasn’t supposed to be anything, they had no expectations or natural talents, and they simply lived to sell and be satisfied. It was a good run until it blew up.  Rainbow looked at Pinkie as the earth pony jabbed her shovel into the dirt. She had dug down to the length of her legs and showed no signs of stopping. It took a few hours for her to finish, and it took a little longer than that for Dash to notice. When the pegasus realized that the sound of digging had paused, she ventured to the edge of the hole and found Pinkie absentmindedly staring. It took a couple of tries to get Pinkie’s attention, but she was able hoist her out of the hole to complete their task. They worked together to push the chest in, wincing at the sound of thousands of bits gone to waste.  Rainbow curiously observed as Pinkie picked up a plant and buried it atop the chest. The party pony pulled out a small blade and hissed as she pricked her hoof. The pegasus approached her cautiously. “W-what are you doing there Pinks?” Pinkie paid the pegasus no mind as she allowed drops of her blood to fall upon the flower. “I’m just feeding little dewy here. My granny once told me that blood makes them livelier.”  Rainbow grimaced at how casual Pinkie was being but perked up at the opportunity of learning something kind of interesting. “That's cool…So your granny was like Captain Firefly or something? She hunted and trapped monsters and stuff?” Pinkie shook her head while she tucked the dagger back into her coat and put her boot back on. “Granny Pie and Firefly were lifelong friends, but Granny was only a traveling storyteller. She just knew a lot about monsters because she moved around so much.” Okay, maybe the residents of Ponyville weren’t completely boring. There were definitely a lot of odd ponies in the mix. Rainbow didn’t know Captain Firefly too well, but the aging pegasus proved to be cooler than average. She had several life-times worth of experience with monsters and outlandish adventures. But the thing that impressed Rainbow the most, was that Firefly miraculously arrived at the lab first when the ‘Star Incident’ occurred. She made sure that the three injured fillies were okay before taking charge. Rainbow was so jarred and exhausted that she followed every instruction, and she didn’t realize the gravity of Firefly’s guidance until she woke up the next morning in her own bed. Rainbow scratched her head. “Hey Pinkie? I know that you know Captain FF really well and all, but don’t you find it weird that she just made all of this go away?” Pinkie was preparing to leave, but she paused to answer Rainbow's question, “She didn’t make all of it go away, Dash. We still owe her for talking Mayor Mare into covering for us. And we also owe Mayor Mare for agreeing.” Rainbow strived to catch up to Pinkie as the pair began their return to Ponyville. The questions forming in her head took precedence over her initial fear of the environment. “Yeah, I know that… but like…she knew exactly what to do and say to get ponies to believe her.”  “She’s old Rainbow. She knows how to talk to ponies. Granny Pie did the same. She had lots of friends and lots of favors to call in. Firefly always says that ‘if you say something with enough confidence then ponies tend to believe you’, does that make sense?” Pinkie stated, looking at Rainbow in hopes of finding understanding. “Yeah… it does. But that’s the other thing. I don’t get why she wants to protect us so bad. I mean, you’re like family friends with her, but what about me and Shy? We don’t even live here. And the favor that she’s making me do…I’m not sure how it helps her.” Rainbow muttered while pulling up her hooves to keep them from sinking into the mud. Pinkie maintained her pace with ease and shrugged. “She cares about you and Fluttershy because she likes you girls and wants you both to stick around. She’s…getting old. She might not…be here for much longer. She told me that when she looks at us, she sees the future that she spent her entire life trying to ensure.” Pinkie sighed before deciding to ask Rainbow a question, “What does she want you to do Dash?” The pegasus blew a raspberry as she recalled Firefly’s odd request. “She wants me to join the Ponyville Weather Team, which is whatever, I guess. The work isn’t too hard, and I get paid, but I’m not sure how that's a favor to her. Like, she’s making Shy help her around her cottage, that's a real favor.” Pinkie considered Rainbow’s words. “Well, she knows that Fluttershy likes animals and she keeps chickens and stuff at her home. Firefly’s getting up there, but she doesn’t need full time care or anything.”  “So, what are you saying, that’s not really a favor either?” Rainbow questioned. The pink filly tilted her head from side-to-side. “It is a favor…but I don’t think that she wants to punish us. Remember what she said, ‘it’s all for the greater good.’ I think she just wants us to stay out of trouble, because she believes that we might do something worthwhile one day.”  “Stay out of trouble.’ Rainbow repeated to herself. Seeing that they still had a ways to go, she asked Pinkie another question, “What is she making you do Pinkie?” Pinkie's neutral expression turned to a frown and her posture slacked. “S-she wants me to focus on and finish my baking apprenticeship, then she wants me to invite my family to the celebration,” she muttered.  “Hey, that's not too bad at all. You were already doing that, how is that supposed to keep you out of trouble?” Pinkie didn’t respond, opting to focus on getting them out of the bog and into Sugarcube Corner. As they made their way back to town, Rainbow realized why she might need the raincoat. A torrential downpour began as they reached the outskirts of Ponyville. Pinkie helped Rainbow put on the raincoat before they entered the crowd of onlookers. Today was the day of the New Ponyville Time Capsule’s burial. Navigating the fanfare to execute the next part of their plan became impossible as the crowd swelled. They were supposed to melt the key for the chest at Sugarcube Corner while the Cakes were out, but their lack of mobility made this next step unattainable. They were stuck, sandwiched between various onlookers. It wasn’t an optimal condition for either of the energetic fillies, but the energy of the crowd alleviated some of the tension. Rainbow flexed her wings under her coat as they stood by the road, waiting to see the Time Capsule pass by. Despite the poor weather, the excitement in the air was palpable. Ponies cheered and laughed as performers and entertainers marched in the streets. It seemed like the type of thing that Pinkie would be a part of, but the day’s agenda took priority. Rainbow looked at Pinkie’s dour expression and bit her lip. She was getting kind of hungry, and she had noticed Pinkie carrying around a lunchbox earlier. Rainbow was beginning to wonder if Pinkie was a mind reader, because the pink filly hoofed over her lunchbox without being asked. Rainbow began snacking on a bag of chips as she watched the parade go by. When Pinkie finally spoke again, her words were hushed and uncertain. “I…We…were getting so close. Now everythings all messed up. And we made all those bits, but nopony gets to use them.” she mumbled.  Dash looked at her while munching. “Yeah, it sucks.”  Pinkie looked at the key in her hoof and sighed. “I wish there was something we could do. I’m sure that somepony else could use the money.”  The pegasus quit her snacking to consider it. “You’re not wrong. Like you said, Captain Firefly wants us to stay out of trouble and do better. You know, be the ponies that make this world happier, not more…explosive.”  They thought about what to do next in silence. Applejack had ordered them to dispose of the key, and they were planning on doing just that. But now, things felt different. Rainbow yelped when the lunchbox was snatched from her hooves. She looked over at Pinkie and was relieved to see a wild smile overtaking her features.  “I think I just had the best idea ever!” She cheered as she removed a twinkie from the lunchbox.  “You’re not gonna eat the key, are you?” Dash asked while grimacing. “No silly, I’m hiding it!” ‘You’re hiding it?” Dash repeated as the sound of trumpets blared in the distance. She watched Pinkie stuff the key into the twinkie then miraculously reseal the wrapper. “Oh! Oh! Are you gonna throw it into the Time Capsule?” Pinkie beamed as she began to shut the lunchbox. Rainbow abruptly stopped her with a hoof. “Wait! How are they supposed to know where to find the loot?”  “Oh, you’re right! I love teamwork…let’s see. Hey, I’ll just write a riddle.” Pinkie reached into her cloak and retrieved a pen. Rainbow noticed that the pen had the same character as the one seen on the lunchbox. She smiled at Pinkie’s idea. “A riddle? Just like a real treasure hunt!” Rainbow shouted, growing excited about being the mysterious figure in a future pony’s adventure. It looked like Pony Accardo wasn’t out of the game just yet. “Yeppers! Now lets see…moss…solar…journey…ignite.” Pinkie stuck her tongue out as she jotted down on a sheet of paper. She was crouching down to avoid the rain, a task made easier since Rainbow used her own raincoat to shield the pink pony. As she finished, she raised her pen enthusiastically. “Now for a secret code name!”   Rainbow leaned over to get a better look at the note. Pinkie had done a pretty good job in the time allotted. She read over the name and raised an eyebrow “Cloudy?” Rainbow questioned. Pinkie smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, it’s…it’s my mom’s first name. It’s the only name I could think of.” Rainbow nodded, deciding that she might as well contribute too. “Okay Pinkie, how about Whistles for the second part? It’s the second part of my mom’s name.”  “Whistles.” Pinkie repeated before jotting the name down. She began to blow on the paper, causing a majority of the ink to disappear. The only thing that remained were five words: A Journey You Must Make.  Pinkie folded up the note and sealed it in her lunchbox. She held it fondly before offering it to Rainbow Dash. The New Ponyville Time Capsule came into view, and Rainbow prayed that her aim was still as good under the rain as it was over it. She tossed it and fought the urge to cheer as it landed in the time capsule. A few of the ponies around them shot the fillies disapproving looks, but they didn’t care. Rainbow Dash smiled, because she knew that her work was finally done. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starlight scowled at a trench coated pony reading the morning paper in the alleyway as they arrived at Sugarcube Corner. The aura of the rising sun gave everything an orange tint. Birds sang as ponies opened their windows to let the fresh morning air in. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day, but Starlight only grew more nervous as they came to Pinkie’s work and place of residence. Her nervousness was doubled when she noticed Maud Pie sitting on the steps leading to the bakery’s entrance.  The purple unicorn tried to signal Trixie to slow their walking pace, but Trixie ignored her and did the opposite. The magician broke from her side and rushed toward Maud.  “Well, if it isn’t Maud Pie. Or should I say TRAITOR!” Trixie exclaimed as she rolled each of the r’s in traitor.  “Good morning, Trixie.” Trixie scoffed and stuck up her nose. “Is it good, Maud? I assume that you know why we are here and who we are here for.” Maud rubbed her hoof against the stone steps. “I will neither confirm nor deny if I know what you are doing here, but I will ensure that you do not get in.” “Excuse me! Do you really think that you can stop the Great and Powerful Trixie and her assistant from entering the premises?”  Maud’s blinks were slow and hostile. “I do.”  The blue unicorn’s eye twitched as she tried to understand what was happening. Maud held strong, standing guard in front of the door. Trixie decided to try logic again. “You’re aware of why we are here? You know what she has done? Do you have any idea what we’re capable of?” Maud cracked her neck as she stared directly into Trixie’s soul. “It doesn’t matter. You would be surprised by what I have done to protect my family.”  “Oh- you…” Trixie fumed as she stomped her hooves. She looked like she was about to say more, but Starlight placed herself between them. “Trixie, relax! Maud’s just looking out for her sister. Maybe we should reconsider this. It’s not worth making such a fuss.” “A fuss! A fuss! Since when has consequences been defined as a fuss! At first, I wanted to find Al Capony because I emulated him, but now I see that we let those that we worship get away with way too much!” Trixie cried; she was shocked by her friends’ blatant disregard for justice. Starlight shook her head. “It’s not like that Trixie!”  Trixie glared at Starlight. “It’s not? Then why do you keep fighting me on this! You and I had to suffer for our wrong-doings, why not any of them!” “But what about forgiveness! It all happened years ago, and they’ve done more than enough to make up for it.” Starlight argued. Trixie felt her face growing warm with frustration. “That would be a wonderful moral if everypony got the opportunity to save the world over and over. But most of us don’t get the chance to make things right. We’re forced to fester in our transgressions, no matter how small or insignificant they were.” “Just look at me! I did all types of terrible stuff and basically got a slap on the hoof for it. Some might call it a loose house arrest, but I’d take living in a castle with a princess any day over rotting in a maximum-security prison or being caged in Tartarus!” Starlight held a hoof out to Trixie. “I never would have gotten that chance if they had never given it to me. Forgiven ponies, forgive ponies. If we put good out into this world, then we receive it back tenfold.” The magician turned away from her friend’s gesture. “Are you certain that they did that because they actually cared about good or because they knew that you were powerful enough to escape and wreak havoc again! They simply wanted to ensure that nothing else would go wrong. Their forgiveness wasn’t giving back, it was insurance.”   Seeing the hurt in Starlight’s face Maud placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Trixie, that’s enough.”  “But I’m not done yet. None of this is done, but it will be soon! You both have been brainwashed by Al Capony and her band of shadow government goons! Don’t you think Trixie deserved better treatment for her errors? She barely even did anything when compared to the others. But since she was not destined for greatness or deemed powerful enough, she was not forgiven. It was only when she was shoehorned in by Starlight, that she was allowed to feel atonement,” Trixie cried as she pushed her hooves into the dirt. Starlight swallowed. “Trixie…I-I”  One of the windows in Sugarcube Corner was swiftly pulled open, startling the three mares into silence. Mrs. Cake held a bucket in her hooves as she peaked out the window. The baker was caught off-guard by the presence of customers this early in the morning but smiled when she recognized them.  “Oh, good morning dearies! Could you do me a favor and step to the side a smidge…oh yes perfect just like that! I need to pour this old water out real quick.” Mrs. Cake hummed a tune as she tipped the bucket over, water splashed up at the mares’ hooves, but none of them moved.  Mrs. Cake’s smile waned as she saw that they were in low spirits. “Oh no…I hope you three weren’t waiting for us to open. It’s much too early girls, you all should rush back to bed and get some rest!”  Trixie wiped her eyes and stepped forward. “We are not in search of pastries Mrs. Cake; we are here for your employee. The pink one.” “You’re here for Pinkie? Oh, I’ll tell you what, that girl has been running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I’ve been hearing her at all hours of the night pacing around in that room of hers. I thought that she might be planning a party for Twilight since all of her friends have been coming in and out nonstop, but now I’m not so sure. She better not still be mad about having to wear those glasses! Am I wrong for wanting her to be able see her own hoof in front of her face?”  Mrs. Cake frowned as she gave the bucket two more shakes for good measure. She looked at the confused faces of the other mares and remembered that Trixie had asked a question.  “Oops sorry girls! Pinkie is not in at the moment; I don’t even know if she came in last night. She’s off doing Celestia knows what with Celestia knows who for Celesta knows why.” “The pink one is missing?” Trixie growled, frustrated with the lack of a clear answer. Mrs. Cake didn’t seem to notice Trixie’s annoyance, she looked out at the town thoughtfully. “Well, she’s not quite missing. The other day, Cranky Doodle stopped by to tell me that Pinkie was digging potholes around town. Knowing her, she might still be doing that. You know, she gets these little whims from time to time. I told Cranky that not even Carrot or I can reel her in when she gets like that. You just gotta let her finish and pray that it doesn’t end in another arrest or an egregious injury.”  Trixie stared at Mrs. Cake with a tired expression. “So, she’s somewhere around town?” Mrs. Cake smiled and nodded. “Yes dearie, it’s most likely that she’s still digging holes.”  Mrs. Cake wasn’t sure what was happening, but Trixie, Maud, and Starlight were all silently staring at each other. She was slowly starting to retreat from the window when the mares broke out into a mad dash. Trixie took the lead as the other two chased after her. Mrs. Cake locked the window as they disappeared down the road. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The race to find Pinkie stretched on throughout the day. As ponies began to emerge on the streets, Trixie started grilling them for information. No matter who she asked, the answer was always annoyingly similar. The confronted pony would confirm that they saw Pinkie at a specific location, but upon arriving at said location, Pinkie was not there. Trixie would ask another pony in the vicinity the same question, and the cycle would repeat. Maud and Starlight struggled to keep up with Trixie’s frantic hunt, narrowly avoiding collisions and conversations. They followed her to the lake and found nothing but a mound of freshly dug dirt. Trixie stood over the fresh soil and stomped her hooves. She groaned as Starlight and Maud caught up to her.  Starlight spoke as gently as her winded voice allowed, “Trixie, why don’t we just talk about this.”  Trixie swiveled around and pushed Starlight away. “There is nothing to talk about! We cannot find her, because she is hiding! She knows what she has done, and she is trying to run from it!” Trixie’s shouting carried throughout the near vacant lake, and a nearby bush rustled in response to the disturbance. A bunny lept from the leaves and studied the newcomers. It was closely pursued by Fluttershy.  The pegasus carefully placed a hoof in front of the bunny and pulled it closer. “Oh my…Thank goodness it’s just you three. I thought that…that… um… s-something bad was happening out here.”  Starlight bowed her head and spoke quietly. “We’re sorry Fluttershy, we didn’t mean to scare you. We were looking for Pinkie…what are you up to?”  Fluttershy cradled the bunny in her hooves as more bunnies emerged behind her. She turned around and benignly shooed them back. She looked at the curious bunny fondly before allowing it to return with the others. The confidence that she sourced from her animal care evaporated as she remembered the unicorns and earth pony before her. “Oh um…I’m just…um helping the bunnies find a nice place to hide.” Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide as she rubbed her hooves together. “Hide from the…um…the… big storm, yeah. Rainbow said a storm is coming and I’ve been um warning my little animal friends to take cover.”  Trixie rolled her eyes. She didn’t have time to put up with the yellow one’s sentimentality. Before running to the lake, she had seen Mayor Mare heading to Twilight’s Castle. “And Pinkie?” Fluttershy combed her mane with her hooves, partially obscuring her face. “Pinkie is…um…she’s been digging holes. It’s very important work. It’s b-best not to bother her. Not to say that you’d be a bother or anything, but she’s…um…very busy at the moment.”  “How unfortunate, ‘Fluttershy.’” Trixie said simply. The pegasus seemed to shrink as Trixie glared at her. “Do me a favor and tell ‘Pinkie’ that I need to speak to her if you see her.”  Fluttershy meekly nodded as Trixie stormed away. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Storm clouds rolled overhead as the trio found themselves in the park. It seemed that a majority of the dug-up mounds were located there, with potholes appearing in every direction. Trixie navigated them carefully, uncertain of what type of mind game Pinkie was playing now. Luckily enough, the arguing between the three had reached an uneasy treatise as they covered the entirety of Ponyville on hoof. Exhausted from the day’s activity, Starlight leaned against a tree and watched Trixie scowl into the distance.  Maud sat down in the grass as a strong gust of wind blew her mane to the side. “You won’t find her Trixie. Pinkie won’t be found if she doesn’t want to be found.”  “And why doesn’t she want to be found? We have been looking for her for hours and she is nowhere and everywhere all at once.”  “I didn’t want to be found because I wasn’t done digging my holes you silly filly!” Pinkie giggled, as she leapt into the air and swung from a tree branch.  Rarity hesitantly approached from behind her. They were both disheveled and covered in dirt. Maud was quick to join them, pulling her sister down and taking a defensive stance in front of her.  “Pinkie, you need to run,” Maud demanded, her cyan eyes were piercing.  “And why would I do that! I just found you girls after you’ve spent all day looking for me. It’s only fair that I stop and talk to Trixie.” Her expression softened as she wrapped her hooves around her sister. She whispered into her sister’s ear, “Everything is gonna be okay. I love you so much Maud, and I’m sorry. I can’t keep running from this.” Rarity gasped as Pinkie let Maud go and walked over to Trixie. Her voice lacked its usual buoyancy. “I’m here Trixie, you got me.”  Trixie’s weariness faded once she heard Pinkie’s surrender. She squealed before assuming her showmare voice, “Pinkie, whatever your middle name is, Pie!” She announced, “By the power vested in me by one Princess Twilight Sparkle and the greater Ponyville, I hereby pronounce you under arrest for bootlegging, smuggling, cart-theft, and purposely avoiding the Great and Powerful Trixie!”  Pinkie held out her hooves for Trixie to cuff. “I…do not have hoof cuffs at the moment. You will just have to follow me to face trial at Twilight’s Castle. Now, let’s go…Al Capony!” Starlight deliberated on who to follow. Maud and Rarity stood by with shocked expressions watching Trixie usher Pinkie away. She mouthed an apology to Maud before following Trixie. The two remaining ponies stood in silence as they disappeared.  It took a moment for Rarity to regain her senses before she grabbed Maud by the shoulders. “Oh Maud, darling, I am so sorry that this is happening! But time is of the essence. I know that your heart is probably telling you to pursue Pinkie right away, but I promise you that it would be more fortuitous to gather the others. I am going to find Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Might you be a dear and find Fluttershy before heading to the castle?” Rarity tilted her head in hopes that her words had gotten through to the gray pony. Maud’s eyes focused and keyed in on the unicorn. She sounded utterly devastated as she responded to Rarity’s inquiry, “Yeah, okay.”