//------------------------------// // Two and Two Makes... // Story: Stallion of Tomorrow // by Jade Dawn //------------------------------// A “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” Fanfiction Written by Jade Dawn “Come out, Miss Fluttershy. I want to talk to you.” Of all the things Fluttershy had expected Supermane to say–either in general or as a product of her panic–she wasn’t at all prepared for that. It was such a surprise to her that she actually froze completely; even her shivering came to an abrupt stop. He…actually wants to talk? But why now? What about? Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of this sudden turn of events. Did he actually want to open up now? Or was there something else, some other motivation that she wasn’t aware of? Whatever this was leading to, though, she knew she couldn’t wait on Supermane forever. Especially not when he could somehow see her right through solid objects. She’d come following him in hopes of finding a chance to talk to him. And although her expectations of leading whatever conversation came had been subverted, that chance had just presented itself on a silver platter. And so Fluttershy took a deep breath, pushed the fear and the tension as far back in her mind as she could, and began to creep out from behind the AC unit. As she crept out and stood up, she allowed herself to get her first look at Supermane up close. The dark of the night and the hood over his head cast a shadow over his face so that it was mostly inscrutable. But the rest that she could see, dark as it was, was as she remembered seeing just after the tram rescue; a tall stallion, perhaps a slight bit taller than average, with a black tail and mane. Now that she had a better look at him, she could see how simple his outfit really was. His shirt was just a simple navy blue t-shirt, and the red S-and-diamond shield looked as though it had been crudely painted on. His mahogany hood and cloak–or at least, what was left of his cloak–was equally simple as well. It was a wonder to her how his shirt had held up much better than the cloak had under all that gunfire. And once again she found herself drawn to his eyes. Even shrouded in the shadow of his hood, they seemed to glisten like sapphires, deep and vivid crystalline blue. Fluttershy couldn’t remember seeing eyes like that in any other pony, outside of maybe the Crystal Ponies. Maybe…maybe he’s part Crystal Pony? Mixed heritage…no, probably not. The Crystal Empire hasn’t been back nearly that long for someone like him to grow up– Her train of thought was interrupted when Supermane spoke again. “Thank you. I’m sorry I startled you. Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Fluttershy struggled to form words for a moment. “U-um, yes and no…I-I mean, yes I’m alright, no I’m not hurt, um…” She gestured to the AC unit. “You could see me from…” “Not from. Through.” “You…you can see through walls?” Supermane’s head nodded beneath the hood. “Yes. I can see through most solid objects when I want to.” Fluttershy briefly wondered what didn’t qualify under “most solid objects”. “You said you could hear me too…was I just making too much noise or is your hearing, uh…’super’ too?” “It’s…well, yes. I actually heard your heartbeat first.” Fluttershy nodded. “I see…so, heightened senses. I guess that explains how you know where you need to be. And how to find Dawning…he is alright, isn’t he?” “You don’t need to worry about him,” Supermane said reassuringly. “I got him before he hit the water. He should be with the emergency teams right now.” Fluttershy sighed in relief. She’d heard his quick answer to Lucky back on the Constitution, but getting another confirmation put her at ease on the manner. “So…your senses. Most ponies seem to think you’re, uh…clairvoyant, I think is the word. Or you have some kind of ‘sixth sense’.” “I know,” Supermane replied. “I just don’t particularly care to correct them on that.” “Why not?” This time Supermane didn’t answer. He stood quietly, and Fluttershy began to feel her apprehension creeping back. Had she pushed too far somehow? “I’m actually glad you were the one who followed me,” Supermane finally said, taking a step closer. “Maybe you’ll be able to understand better.” “Um…understand what?” Another pause. “I know why you and your friends are here in Manehattan. Or rather, why Princess Twilight sent you here. And…I want you to stop.” Fluttershy felt her heart start to sink. “S-stop…” “Looking for me. I want you and your friends to leave me alone.” Her heart dropped like a stone, along with all her building hopes that he might finally have decided to open up. “O-oh…I…w-we don’t want to…I mean…” She shuffled on her hooves, trying to form a response. “We’re…we’re not trying to arrest you or anything, please don’t think that. We just want to know more about you, that’s all. So does Twilight…I mean, you must know a little about what she’s like. She wouldn’t want to hurt you or anything…” “It’s not Twilight I’m worried about,” Supermane replied. “And I’m sorry, but I have no wish to be exposed. Not to the Princess or to anypony else.” “Well, um…” Fluttershy stopped for a moment, glancing up and down between the roof beneath her hooves and Supermane himself. He didn’t move; he just stood there patiently. “I mean…isn’t it a little bit late for you to worry about being exposed? They all stopped writing you off as just an urban legend after the train, and Lucky Lead was already…” She stopped as she heard a distinctly exasperated sigh coming from under Supermane’s hood. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–” Supermane shook his head. “Don’t apologize, just…Lucky Lead is a talented reporter, but I didn’t ask for her to be my publicist. I…” Another pause. “I didn’t want to be known. At least, not as much as I am now.” Fluttershy didn’t immediately reply. For a moment she thought about where they currently were. Here Supermane was, saying how he didn’t want the attention that he’d gained. He didn’t want to be known. And yet… “You…you still stepped in at the train, though.” Supermane shuffled his hooves ever so slightly. “I…I did, yes.” “Well…why?” His sapphire eyes blinked. “…what do you mean ‘why’? Ponies would have died. You would have died.” “You still didn’t have to, though. If you wanted to keep whatever secrecy you still had, you could have chosen to let the train go.” “No,” Supermane said, shaking his head. “No…I had to.” He sighed beneath the hood, lowering his head and muttering. “How can I explain…” Fluttershy waited patiently. She knew that she probably sounded callous, and in almost any other situation she might’ve felt bad for it. But there was an angle she was working towards; some unspoken conflict within Supermane that she’d started to catch onto as they talked. Supermane looked up again. “Look out there. Across the city. Nowhere in particular, just in general. Tell me what you see.” Fluttershy turned and, on a whim, decided to stare out towards the west. The buildings here weren’t as tall as downtown, but still they rose up against the moonlit sky, their lighted windows glistening like cubic amethysts. Off in the distance, she saw the illuminated hull of the Constitution, slowly drifting through the sky towards the seaboard. The stars twinkled, fighting the lights of the sprawling city to peek through and join the Moon. “I see, um…buildings. The airship coming back in. The sea, the Moon…” “Okay. And what do you hear?” Fluttershy leaned forward and listened for a few moments. “I hear the wind and…” She winced. “Sirens, heading towards the coast. Voices from the street. I can’t tell what any of them are saying.” She turned back to Supermane. “And you?” Supermane’s blue eyes emotionlessly stared out in the same direction as her; he might as well have been staring at a blank brick wall instead of a churning, loud, living, thriving metropolis. His ears swiveled forward, taking in the sounds of the city. “I see everything, Fluttershy,” he said. “I hear everything. Every cry, every frightened heartbeat, every gasp for breath, every…all of it.” He drew a breath. “Can you imagine what that’s like, Fluttershy? To see and hear the world like nopony else can? To know that at any moment you could hear someone else in danger or distress? Could you stand by knowing that every single day and night?” For a moment, Fluttershy let his words sink in, trying to wrap her mind around the weight of what he’d described. She couldn’t, and she softly shook her head. “Exactly.” Supermane turned back to her, eyes haggard and cold. “That’s what I have to live with, Fluttershy. Knowing that at any time, I could…I could hear something. And I…I just can’t ignore that. Ever.” Fluttershy stared at him for several long seconds of silence as she processed what he’d said. Supermane turned away from her, continuing to stare out into the city, his face expressionless beneath the shadows of his hood. “…you think of it as a burden, don’t you?” Supermane stiffened and turned back to Fluttershy. Her expression and voice hadn’t changed at all, but her words seemed to cut through the air like a knife. “Are you helping solely because you feel like you have to?” she asked. “Because you think you don’t have a choice?” “I…it’s…I don’t…” Supermane stammered, suddenly unable to meet the pegasus’ eyes. “No, it’s not that…” “Then what is it?” Fluttershy pressed. “Do you think it’s a distraction? Is putting yourself on the line to help ponies getting in the way of something else you want?” Supermane didn’t reply. Instead, Fluttershy saw his crystal blue eyes glance downward amidst the shadows, continuing to avoid looking directly at her. “…Supermane, what’s the matter?” she asked softly. “You don’t have to hide away from everypony. You don’t have to worry like this. We can help you. Please…won’t you let us?” Still Supermane was silent. Slowly, he lifted his gaze back up to look her in the eyes. His sapphire-like blue gaze met her aquamarine, and for a moment–just a moment–Fluttershy saw a flicker of desperation in his eyes; a silent, hidden longing to accept, to reach out, to at last open himself up to the world. And then with a blink of his eyes, the moment was gone. He straightened back up and his gaze hardened. “No. I can’t. What I’m after is my secret to keep. And I can’t deal with it if your friends, or the Princess, or anypony else are questioning me or trying to turn me into a lab rat.” Fluttershy’s heart sank all over again. “Wait...please…Twilight wouldn’t–” “I’m sorry, but I’m just going to have to be a mystery that remains unsolved,” Supermane replied, adjusting his hood to cover more of his face as he turned and trotted towards the edge of the roof. “Leave me alone, Miss Fluttershy. I won’t ask again.” “Wait…please don’t go–“ Fluttershy protested, stepping forward after him and reaching out a hoof. But by then he’d gently kicked himself up into the air, his shredded cape swaying behind him. At the last moment, though, he stopped and turned back to look at Fluttershy. “If you want an actual mystery to solve, something actually important and life-threatening…you can see about getting those pirates’ weapons checked. And maybe look into the bridge bombing again too, while you’re at it. I think you’ll find that what’s been happening this past week runs deeper than you think.” Fluttershy stopped. She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant… …but in the span of a blink, he was gone. Lucky Lead couldn’t get down the ramp fast enough; it was all she could do to hold back and let the emergency crews cart off the more severely wounded ahead of everypony else who was eager to finally get off the ship. As soon as she saw an opening, though, she practically bolted down the ramp to the airship dock, Rarity and Quicksnap following behind her as fast as they could. The scene on the dock around them was eerily similar to the one they had beheld after the Bronclyn Bridge explosion, yet seemingly magnified somehow. Maybe it was the greater number of gathered responders and the gawkers watching from the sidelines, or the number of winged officers hauling the unconscious or semi-conscious forms of pirates off to the many police wagons parked nearby, or the group of suited bodyguards that hurriedly escorted Mayor Policy and Goldenrod off to a waiting carriage nearby. Or maybe it was the simple fact that this time, the little group as a whole had actually been through the ordeal itself, not watching from the sidelines. Either way, the feelings of lingering anxiety and exhaustion were decidedly not second-hoof this time. At least, not for Rarity and Quicksnap. Lucky, on the other hoof, wove and squirmed her way through the numerous ponies going to and fro, only stopping to lift her head and call out when she could. “Dawning?! Dawning?!” “Lucky!” Lucky’s ears shot up as she whirled towards the source of her name’s call. Dawning Hope, clothes and fur damp and glasses askew, shakily squeezed his way through the crowd towards her. “Oh, thank Celestia, there you ACK!” He’d barely spoken before Lucky shot her way over at a speed that would’ve made even Rainbow Dash gasp, and pulled Dawning into a hug so tight it may as well have been a death grip. She squeezed him like that for a solid five seconds before pulling back and glaring him dead in the eyes. “DON’T YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, DO YOU HEAR ME MISTER?!” “Uh…s-sorry?…” Lucky sighed, face softening as she pulled him back in for a much more gentle hug. “Just…Faust above, I thought we’d lost you…” She released him, looking him over up and down. “Are…are you hurt? Anything broken, glasses alright…” Dawning shook his head. “Uh, no, I’m…I’m okay, as far as I can tell. I, um…don’t fully remember what happened actually, it’s all a blur, I just remember falling and just hitting the water when…” He shrugged. “I-I dunno, I’m just suddenly back at the waterfront…” Lucky nodded. “It was Supermane. He got to you when he was heading for the ship.” “O-oh, really? Well, uh…guess that explains–” “DAWNING!” Quicksnap cried as he flew into Dawning at full speed, knocking the stallion flat onto his haunches with an “oof!” as he tackle-hugged him. “Holy buck I thought you were dead, sweet Ziz almighty I thought you were actually dead…” “Hey, be careful with him, kiddo,” Lucky cautioned with a slight giggle. “I already gave him a ‘thank goodness you’re alive’ squeezing.” “And, uh…” Dawning offered. “Might want to be careful with that camera, I’m still a little damp here…” “Oh…oh!” Quicksnap released Dawning and scrambled back, checking the camera still hanging around his neck. “S-sorry…” “Mr. Hope, darling!” Rarity panted as she caught up. “Goodness gracious, are you alright?” “I’m fine,” Dawning replied as he stood back up. “He’s–” Lucky started at the exact same time. “…yeah, that.” “Thank Celestia,” Rarity sighed in relief. “We were all so worried…” “H-hey, speaking of,” Dawning asked. “Where are Rainbow and Fluttershy?” “Fluttershy flew off after Supermane,” Quicksnap told him. “Wanted to see if she could get him to actually talk with us. And Rainbow Dash, um…” He looked around. “…actually, where did she go?” “I…I believe she went down below decks,” Rarity replied. “She broke off while we were making our way to the ramp, but she said she wanted to make sure the pirates were all subdued for the police to collect. Something about the guns…” “What happened with the guns?” Dawning asked. “I-I heard they blew up or something–” “They did,” came Rainbow Dash’s voice as she hovered down into the group’s midst. She was carrying something long and heavy in her hooves, wrapped in what looked like a torn piece of table cloth from one of the buffet tables. “I checked over each and every gun they left lying around…or at least, whatever’s left of ‘em. I don’t know what they did, but every single gun they had just completely melted itself into slag.” “Darn it…” Lucky huffed. “I thought there was something off about them, but without any actual evidence…” Rainbow smirked. “Yeah, that’s the thing. Every gun I found was completely destroyed…except for this one." She unwrapped the table cloth, revealing a long, thick machine gun held within. It was partially crushed and crumpled, especially around the barrel and the midsection just in front of the trigger, but it was decidedly more intact than the other weapons that had been left behind. Lucky’s eyes lit up. “Oh, good, good find, Rainbow!” “Where’d you find it?” Dawning asked, leaning closer to examine the weapon. “In one of the corridors leading to the engine room,” Rainbow replied. “I don’t know what Supermane did to it, but it doesn’t look like it went off; whatever made the others go up in smoke, it didn’t work with this one.” “Maybe it’s got something to do with this?” Dawning pointed to the gun’s crushed midsection, and the others leaned in to see as well. Between the low light and the damage to the gun it was hard to make out, but there, just barely poking out between the twisted and torn metal and plastic of the weapon, was a small bundle of charred, tangled wire. “Are you sure that isn’t just part of the gun?” Rarity asked. “I dunno…” Quicksnap said, raising his camera and zooming the lens in. “I’m not an expert on firearms, but I don’t know too many that use electronics…” “Neither do I,” Lucky agreed. “I don’t like it one little bit, and not just because we almost got killed by these things.” She shook her head. “Well…we can pass it off to the police when Fluttershy gets back. I know a pony or two in the force who could probably help look deeper into it.” “Speaking of Fluttershy…” said Dawning. Fluttershy gently alighted on the dock nearby, head down and eyes nervously glancing up at the group, rubbing one foreleg with her other hoof as though sheepishly. “H-hey everyone…” She didn’t get much farther before the rest of the group practically swarmed her. Only Dawning held back behind the rest. “Did you see him?!” Rainbow excitedly asked. “I-I did…” “Was he anypony you recognized?” asked Quicksnap.” “Um–” And then Lucky squirmed to the front of the group. “Did you get to talk to him? What did he say?” Fluttershy kicked at the ground. “Um…about that…” …we on? Are we live now? Oh-oh right! Ahem, good morning Manehattan. Welcome back to Manehattan News Now, I’m your host, Open Mic…well, uh…mere days after the explosion on the Bronclyn Bridge, the city once again finds itself rocked by the aftermath of disaster, with last night’s pirate attack on the newly-christened SS Constitution shaking Manehattan into a rude midnight awakening, with many of the city’s upper-class–including Mayor Sound Policy–put under threat by the assault. That said, uh, furthering the string of events plaguing Manehattan over the past few weeks, Supermane once again showed himself to handle the threat. Eyewitnesses reported seeing him, um…“wading through gunfire”, “dodging missiles”, and “breaking the jaws of a shark-beast five times his size”, yikes…um, thanks to his efforts, there were zero reported fatalities, and his quick work in neutralizing the hijackers aboard the Constitution freed police and naval authorities to easily seize the pirates’ home vessel off-shore. However, the incident has still left citizens all across the country with even more questions than before, both about Supermane himself and recent events in Manehattan. There have been an increase in calls and protests demanding for better Royal Guard response, and the proximity of the Bronclyn Bridge bombing and the raid on the Constitution has left many postulating a connection between the two, not helped by several of the arrested pirates having been found to be known operatives in the vicinity of the Colto Maltese archipelago, long the target of controversy due to high occurrences of piracy and alleged drug outsourcing… “–used to feel safe in this city. I-I mean, when all the villains came around it was scary, and I remember when the Storm King’s army came through here…but now we’re having accidents and bombings and now terrorists every other day now…what are we turning into, Trottingham?!” “So these crooks go around preying on merchant ships and everypony shrugs, but when it’s the upper-crust that gets threatened that’s when ponies start to worry? Yeah, sure, real fair…” “–just saying, he’s been there for every major disaster over the past few days and nopony’s thinking to question it–” “Well yeah I’m scared, ah’ve got family up that way! I don’t wanna wake up one morning an’ hear that somethin’s happened to Babs…” “–this one pony goes in and takes them down single-hoofedly, where the hell’s that kinda response from the Guard?” “As city Mayor, I am not normally one to condone individuals law enforcement into their own hooves. But…in light of recent circumstances, I cannot deny how much of a help Supermane has been to our city, even with his anonymity. And…yes, I will admit that some of it is personal, very much so, in fact; I would’ve lost my little filly last night if it weren’t for him. Supermane, if you’re out there listening to this…thank you.” “Rainbow, would you be a dear and turn the radio down a bit?” “Hm? Oh yeah, sure, on it…” “–sources claiming that the government does indeed intend on committing to a complete reorganization and expansion of the Royal Guard…” “How’s that, that better?” “Much better, thank you. Now Fluttershy, darling, where were we?” “Oh yes, square the jaw a little bit…not that much, a little softer…there, more like that, that’s closer.” “Alright…and the mane, does that look like what you saw?” “Um…yes, that looks like what I could see underneath the hood.” The three Element Bearers, Lucky Lead, and Dawning Hope were all huddled around a table in a boardroom adjacent to the Daily Planet’s main newsroom. The blinds were open to allow the mid-day sun to pour in and warm the room, and the door was left slightly ajar for Quicksnap, who’d gone out for another beverage run for the group. Around them, some on the table, some on the floor, and only a few actually in the nearby trash can, were a little more than a dozen paper cups, long since emptied of coffee. Nopony had gotten much sleep the previous night. The pirate attack had left them all much too rattled, and news of Fluttershy’s brief conversation with Supermane himself, despite the less-than-ideal response she had gotten, had left them all much too excited to boot. They’d gotten to work by the crack of dawn, turning over the discarded intact gun to the police department, interviewing whatever witnesses they could. Technically speaking, they were no closer to unraveling the mystery of Supermane than they had been since the monorail accident. But by now, they were more determined than ever to finally solve it. Most of them were, anyway. The little group watched as Rarity put a couple final touches onto a sketch she had drawn on a stray napkin, at last putting her pencil down and turning to Fluttershy. “So, darling, what do you think?” Fluttershy looked over the sketch; the head and face of a stallion, his mane shaded in dark. Fluttershy nodded. “That’s him. Or, um, at least close to what I could make out, anyway. Close enough.” “And you’re sure his fur was tan?” Lucky asked. “Mmhmm.” “Right, right, that matches…and you didn’t get a look at his cutie mark?” Fluttershy shook her head. “Um, no…I couldn’t see any underneath the cape.” “Well, great,” Rainbow said, a little sarcastically. “Now all we need to do is go looking through the entire population of this city until we find a match for this guy.” “…should we?” The group turned towards Dawning. He was the only member of the group that hadn’t been huddling over the table as Rarity drew, instead standing just behind everypony else in a little patch of sun coming in from the windows. “Um…how do you mean, Dawning?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah, what do you mean ‘should we’?” Rainbow questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Dawning, finding Supermane is the whole reason why these guys came here,” Lucky said. “Heck, it’s what we’ve been trying to do for the past couple months, why the sudden cold hooves? “He did save your life, Dawning,” Rarity pointed out. “Wouldn’t you want to thank him for that?” “Well…well yeah, but I’d rather…” Dawning said, adjusting his glasses a little. “I-I mean, what I mean to say is, well…he asked us to not. Like, not just running and hiding, he’s actually asked us to leave him alone. I guess, just…” He shuffled his hooves. “…why not respect that?” Suddenly from outside the door came a loud crash and a double thud, and the sounds of paper cups clattering and liquid spilling against linoleum. “Ack–what the hell, feathers?!” “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” “–got it all over me, why don’t you actually look where you’re going for a change?!” “I’m sorry, Goal Post, I’m so sorry!” The force of the impact had caused the partially ajar door to swing open fully, allowing a view into the hall. Outside, a buff, cobalt-blue stallion was looming over a cowering Quicksnap, clutching an empty tray and shaking talons, both of them drenched in spilled beverages and surrounded by fallen cups. All of the group thought of stepping in at the exact same time. Except, somehow, it was Dawning Hope who was standing between Goal Post and Quicksnap before any of them even had the chance to finish thinking it, standing up tall and glaring sternly at the other stallion from behind his glasses. “That’s enough, Goal Post,” Dawning said firmly. “Back off.” Goal Post took a step back, angry expression unchanged but ears folding back slightly. “Wh–Hope? Where–” “It was an accident, Goal, and you know it. Just an honest accident, and a couple of spilled drinks. It’s not going to wreck your day if you decide to just let it go, apologize, and not let this escalate to where Whiteout needs to hear about it. What do you think?” Goal Post pursed his lips and hung his head, ears flattening back. He didn’t answer. “Well?” At last Goal exhaled through his nose and flicked his eyes up to Quicksnap. “…sorry, fea–” Dawning cleared his throat. Loudly. His eyes narrowed further. “…sorry, kid.” “Better. Now go and clean yourself off. If you really want to be helpful, maybe come back with some paper towels or something.” Goal Post nodded quietly, turning and walking back down the hall with all the energy of a shamed colt. Dawning watched him go, not relaxing until he saw him turn down a corner out of sight. He sighed, turning around to Quicksnap. “You okay?” Quicksnap shakily nodded, a couple drips falling from the tip of his beak. “Y-yeah…s-sorry about the–” “You don’t need to apologize, you’re fine.” He looked back to the group in the boardroom. “I’m, uh, gonna stay out here and help him clean up, don’t mind me.” “Sure,” Lucky said with a nod. “Take your time.” Dawning nodded back. “Just give me a sec, I’m gonna run down to the janitor’s closet and see if I can get some stuff…” As he went down the hall, the other four ponies turned back to the table. “Asshole…” Rainbow murmured. “Uh, the other guy, I mean, not Dawning.” Lucky sighed. “Yeah, that’s Goal Post in a nutshell on a bad day…anyway, where were we?” “Dawning was just raising some objections,” Rarity said. “Oh, right…” Lucky shook her head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him all of a sudden, I really…uh, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy had circled around to the door in almost complete silence, slowly reaching up and pushing it closed until it shut with a click. She said nothing; she just stared down blankly at the floor, hoof still resting on the doorknob. “Flutters?” Rainbow asked. “You’re acting kinda creepy, what’s going on?” Fluttershy still didn’t answer. She was too busy thinking, running what she had realized over and over in her mind. She didn’t know what exactly it was that had sparked the sudden epiphany as she’d watched Dawning Hope defending Quicksnap. Maybe it was something in how his posture had changed, how he seemed to stand taller, firmer. Maybe it was something in his voice. Or maybe it was the look he’d had in his eyes… …those sapphire-blue eyes. “Darling?” At last Fluttershy turned her head back up to look towards the others. “…he was already there at the bridge, wasn’t he?” she said quietly. “We got there as fast as we could and he was already there long before that.” “Huh?” Rainbow said in confusion. “And even back during the monorail…he got ‘lost’, wasn’t that right? He wasn’t there with you either. And on the Constitution…we saw him come in to enter the ship, but we didn’t see him go back to shore with Dawning, did we? I mean…we know he moves fast, so maybe we just missed him then, but still…and he said he caught him before he hit the water, but Dawning’s clothes and fur were wet…” “Fluttershy, what are you talking about?” Lucky asked. Fluttershy slowly moved back to the table, turning the sketch around to face her. “Rarity, may I have a pencil?” “Um…oh, yes, of course…” Rarity said as she levitated a pencil over to Fluttershy. “But darling, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re on to…” “Just watch,” Fluttershy answered calmly. The other three mares huddled close around her as she put pencil to paper. First a circle over one eye, then another over the other, and then a little bridge between them over the muzzle. A pair of glasses. That was all. Rarity drew a gasp and held a hoof to her mouth. Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, her mouth gaping as her jaw went slack. Lucky Lead’s entire body went rigidly frozen, eyes widening and ears folding back. Fluttershy only pursed her lips and gently nodded. “It’s him.” “Holy crap…” Rainbow breathed as she stared at the sketch. “He looks exactly like–” “No,” Lucky suddenly exclaimed, shaking her head. “Nonono, this is crazy, this–” “Shush!” Fluttershy hissed. “He can…” She paused, glancing over her shoulder at the door before turning back and mouthing out, “He can hear us.” “…what?” “He can hear us,” Fluttershy tried again. “Fluttershy, I’m afraid we’re not the best at lip-reading…” Rarity told her. Fluttershy sighed. “Okay. Then is there somewhere we can go to talk about this?” Quicksnap was doing his best to shake the wet out of his feathers when the boardroom door opened, the four mares hurriedly filing out and doing their best to avoid the spill. “Guys? Wait a sec, where are you all going?” “Out,” Rainbow quickly said quickly as she passed. “We’ll be back.” “Um, okay…wait, what do I tell Dawning?” “Just, uh…” Lucky started. “…just tell him we’ll be back, okay?” She and the others were gone around the corner before Quicksnap could respond, leaving the young hippogriff alone to blink in confusion. He didn’t have to wait by himself for long, though. Less than a minute later, Dawning Hope came back down from the other direction, setting a large assortment of supplies down near the puddle. “Okay…got some towels, some cleaning fluid, some more towels…” He looked up and eyed the open door and the now empty boardroom. “…hey, where’d everypony else go?” Quicksnap just shrugged. There was a doorway out to the rooftop of the Daily Planet building, just at the base of the giant golden globe that adorned the building’s top. The flat area surrounding it was fairly spartan, with a chest-height stone wall protecting visitors to the roof from falling, and four gigantic spotlights placed at each corner, each aimed up at the globe so as to illuminate it at night. This level of the building was mostly traversed by maintenance crews who came up to check on the spotlights or the globe, but every once in a while the staff would come up here for a breath of fresh air. Lucky Lead herself had come up here many times, sometimes at night; she’d lost count of how many days she’d spent working late, then coming up here to look out on the lighted vista of Manehattan, hoping desperately for even a fleeting glimpse of the Pony of Steel. There was a pleasantly warm breeze that whistled through the mare’s manes as they stepped out onto the rooftop. It didn’t calm their nerves any as Rarity shut the door behind them. “Alright,” Fluttershy began. “So–” “No,” Lucky interrupted, glaring at Fluttershy. “Just…no!” “Miss Lead,” Rarity started. “Perhaps let her have a chance to–” “It’s crazy, just plain crazy! Dawning can’t be Supermane, he just can’t! He wouldn’t…” She started to pace. “I mean…I mean he’s a nice guy, really nice guy, but…a-and how does him just happening to be not nearby over the past week have to do with anything? It’s not like he’s constantly disappearing at work or anything!” “But didn’t Supermane only operate at night up until the tram accident?” Fluttershy asked. “How would you know Dawning was missing if you weren’t around for him to go out as Supermane every other time before now?” Lucky paused. “I…well…” “And besides that, you haven’t really got a chance to talk to Supermane in-person for too long…even if you’ve been close to Dawning since he came to the Planet, what reference would you have to compare to?” “And y’know…Dawning did start working with you guys around the same time Supermane showed up around here,” Rainbow added. “That was like, what, six months or so ago?” “Y-yeah, Dawning started working with us a little after Twilight’s coronation…” “Yeah, like…if Fluttershy’s on to something here, that’s a really close timeline there.” “Well…well you saw him when he stopped the train, right?” Lucky said, rounding back towards Fluttershy. “He was in broad daylight, hood down…why didn’t you recognize him then when he got back to us at the Planet afterward?” “I…I don’t know,” Fluttershy admitted. “I really don’t know, I was just watching him stand up to Goal Post and…I just realized I saw Supermane in him and everything else just sort of…went from there, like it all fit looking back. I really can’t explain it other than that.” “I don’t know how far-fetched this may sound,” said Rarity. “But perhaps there’s some kind of magic at work here? Something he uses while disguising as Dawning Hope to throw ponies off the scent, so to speak?” “I…no, there might be,” Lucky conceded. “…but how would that even work? I mean, obviously there’s a weakness to it somewhere if we’re able to realize who he is…” “However he masks himself,” Rarity continued. “You can’t deny that it’s a…rather compelling theory, to say the least.” She turned to Fluttershy. “And…you are certain about this, are you?” Fluttershy nodded. “I am.” “So…what do we do now?” Rainbow asked. “I mean…Supermane told us not to go bothering him anymore, and like…” “That’s, um, that’s the thing…” Fluttershy said. “I…think we need to. N-not bother him, I mean, but…” She stopped, thinking quietly for a minute. “…do you remember when the Map used to summon us? How we’d go and after a while there was somepony who needed our help somehow?” Rarity nodded. “You…feel like this is similar?” “Mmhmm. When we were talking I just had this feeling, like…like…something’s wrong. Like, there’s something he’s holding on to that’s making him want to hide from the world, something he’s afraid of others knowing. But at the same time, he said he also can’t not go out and help ponies even if he wanted to. He’s stuck between the two and…that’s just not good, right? Not for him, or for the other ponies of this city he could help better if it weren’t for this…this thing on his mind.” “…yes, I can see the problem there,” Rarity agreed. “It makes sense to me.” “Okay, but if Dawning Hope really is Supermane, how do we find out for sure?” Rainbow asked. “It’s not like we can just walk up to him and ask; he’d probably deny it on the spot. And if nopony here was able to put two and two together…uh, no offense, Lucky.” Lucky only grunted. “Well, what about his hometown?” Rarity asked. “Smallville, wasn’t it? Perhaps we could glean more information from his friends and family there?” “Now wait just a minute, are you seriously suggesting that we waltz up to Dawning’s parents and ask, ‘hey, sorry to bother you, but your kid wouldn’t happen to be Supermane by any chance’?” The three Elements exchanged glances. “…well, perhaps not in quite that way…” “Holy Faust…” Lucky moaned as she put a hoof to her brow. “Miss Lead,” Rarity said, a firm tone in her voice. “I understand that this is a difficult prospect to consider. It is for all of us, not just you. Dawning Hope is our friend as well, maybe not for as long or as close, but a friend nonetheless. But we came here with a goal in mind. And if Dawning Hope–or Supermane, whomever he truly is–if there’s something wrong with him that we can help him with, then…as his friends, is it not in yours and our interests to find out how?” Lucky stared silently back at her, then at Rainbow Dash, and finally at Fluttershy. Her harsh glare softened, not from calm, but more of a look of reluctant acquiescence. At last she sighed. “…so…who’s gonna be the brave one?” “…I’ll go,” Fluttershy said softly. “I can do it.” The other three mares turned to Fluttershy. “You sure, Flutters?” Rainbow asked. She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. “I…I am. Dawning being Supermane was my idea and…my mistake to bear if I’m wrong. And if I am, well…I can take the fall for it.” “Even if you are, we won’t hang you out to dry for it, darling,” Rarity said reassuringly. “We’re gonna have to figure out a cover story…” Lucky pointed out. “And while Fluttershy is out, we can look into the bridge and the pirates’ weapons. I mean…let’s face it, Supermane might be on to something. There’s something between the two that’s just…just wrong in how they happened, somehow. And he was there for both, so if there really is something deeper…” “Is Whiteout gonna be okay with you guys hopping stories?” Rainbow asked. “For something as big as this? Oh yeah.” “Then I suppose that’s settled, at least,” Rarity said. “So…what do we tell him?” “Aaaand…that should do it,” Dawning said, giving the floor one last look over. It was practically spotless. Quicksnap sighed as he leaned on a mop handle against the wall. “Thanks…you really didn’t have to…” “Oh please, it’s fine, I’m happy to…huh?” Lucky Lead and the three Elements came around the corner. “Uh, sorry to duck out on ya,” Rainbow Dash said. “Just, uh, didn’t want to get in the way.” “Oh, well…I mean, you wouldn’t have been in the way, but…thanks, I guess?” “Dawning, we’ve been doing some talking,” Lucky told him. “And, well…” She glanced at the others, who gave her little nods before she turned back to Dawning. “…we’ve decided you have a point.” Dawning blinked. “…about what?” “About Supermane.” “Oh that…look, I’m sorry, I know–” “Darling, it’s alright,” Rarity said. “We’re agreeing with you. Supermane’s asked to be left in peace, and there isn’t any good reason to ignore that. He’s helped us and this city immeasurably, and it’d only be courteous to return the favor by not treading upon his privacy.” “I…um…” Dawning stammered for a bit before slowly nodding. “…yeah, that’s…kind of what I was trying to get at before, I just…does, uh, does that mean you’re heading home, or…” “No, Rainbow Dash and myself will remain here. We’d…like to start looking into what’s been going on around here as of late.” “As in…” “The bridge and the pirate attack,” Lucky said. “Supermane had a point. Two major attacks on this city in under a week. One of them with carefully planted explosives, the other with military-grade artillery. If that’s not suspicious, I don’t know what is. There’s a bigger story somewhere and, well…” She glanced at Rainbow and Rarity. “I don’t think we’d mind the extra help, would we?” “Uh, no, not at all, no, you’re right…” He paused. “…wait, just Rarity and Rainbow Dash? What about you, Fluttershy?” “Um…” Fluttershy pursed her lips in hesitation, glancing down to the floor before finally meeting his gaze. “I’m…I’m going to be bowing out. I-I’m sorry, just…just between the train and the ship, and…” “Hey, it’s okay…” Dawning said reassuringly. “I…I get it.” “We all do, Flutters,” Rainbow Dash added. “Told you before, no shame.” Dawning nodded in agreement. “So…are you going to leave tomorrow, or…” “Actually, um…I was just going to go back to the hotel to pack. S-sorry, I know it probably sounds a bit sudden, I just…” “No no no, no problems, you…you do what you need to.” Fluttershy nodded. “T-thank you…” She stepped away from the group and turned towards the hall. “I-I’d better get going…” “We’ll meet up with you back at the hotel room, darling,” Rarity said. “And in the meantime,” Lucky told the others. “Let’s see about nailing where to start…” As the group turned and headed back into the boardroom, Fluttershy caught Lucky giving her one last quick glare. You’d better be right on this, her face seemed to say. Then she was gone, and Fluttershy found herself standing alone in the hallway. She swallowed, then turned and began making her way towards the exit, trying her best to not worry hard about– “Fluttershy?” Fluttershy felt her heat skip as she stopped in place, pausing before looking over her shoulder. Dawning had stepped back out into the hallway behind her, blue eyes blinking. “…y-yes?” Dawning opened his mouth, then closed it again, holding for a moment. “…um, just in case I don’t have the chance to later…have a safe trip back home. It was nice to finally meet you, I…” In spite of herself, Fluttershy was able to muster up a small, genuine smile. “Thank you, Dawning. It was nice to meet you too.” She gave him one last little wave before resuming her journey down the hall. She tried her best to keep her breathing steady as she went, but it wasn’t easy; she felt like her heart and lungs were going to burst from the tension she felt. She’d read somewhere that the heart tended to speed up when somepony was lying. And if Dawning truly was Supermane, with all of the exotic sensory prowess that he had described to her last night, then how easy would it be for him to notice, even as she got farther from him and lost amidst the din of the Daily Planet’s workers? How long would it be before he picked up on the others? Worse yet, what if he’d already seen through their charade, and was on to them even now? What would happen then? And will he ever forgive us for lying?…