//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Imperfect // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 11 Well, this wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t the same time, but here Rainbow Dash was, lying with Twilight. The lavender unicorn had fallen asleep, pinning Rainbow’s inside leg to the bed. Not that she had been planning on going anywhere. Rainbow couldn’t help but notice that Twilight was incredibly adorable when she was asleep. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked sleepily, opening her eyes slowly. “I didn’t wake you did I?” Rainbow Dash asked softly. “No... No I woke myself up,” Twilight said, sitting up on the bed. “I think we need to talk, about us.” “I’m all ears,” Rainbow Dash said, thinking that she knew where this was going. “We’ve spent a lot of time together recently and... the more I’ve thought about it... I know that you’re not into mares but...” Rainbow had heard enough, she smiled and pressed her hoof against Twilight’s mouth. “Say no more,” she leaned in and kissed the lavender unicorn. Needless to say, there would be no sleeping the rest of this night either. ... Several hours later, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were lying on their backs hoof-somehow-in-hoof. Looking at each other and smiling. “I really hope Vinyl didn’t hear any of that,” Twilight said with a giggle. “You’re going to be disappointed!” called the muted voice of Vinyl Scratch from several rooms away. “Really. Good. Ears.” Rainbow and Twilight smirked at each other, happy to be truly together at last. The sun came up and the three ponies joined each other for breakfast, of which Vinyl prepared. Vinyl did not say anything about the ponies’ behaviour last night, but she also refused to stop grinning at them. “The two of you are adorable together, you know that right?” Vinyl eventually said. “I’ll have you know. I totally called this when we first met at the edge of Whitetail Wood.” “I remember,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. “I think we need to talk about what we’re going to do.” Twilight nodded. “So far, we’ve done a lot of reacting, but not really any planning.” Vinyl nodded. “I’m going to travel back to Manehattan and see if I can’t use Octavia’s broadcasting equipment to spy on the gryphons in the Hoofson Bay... I know a few tricks,” she said with a grin. “Now that winter’s over, I can get there lickety-split on my own.” Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash frowned, Vinyl had just gotten back, and now here she was leaving again. “I’ll be fine! I know how to take care of myself! Despite what you might think!” Vinyl said with a grin. “I never liked staying in once place too long anyway.” “You can only run for so long Vinyl,” Twilight said simply. “I know,” Vinyl said. “Trust me love, I know.” ... Vinyl packed a few days previsions in a saddlebag and departed several hours later, giving her friends a wave goodbye. She took off at a good pace, intending to make it through the heavily out of the way Whitetail Wood (lest she walk through Everfree) in several hours before cutting across open countryside. Rainbow Dash and Twilight gave their friend a wave goodbye back. Both of them a little saddened, a light that was ordinarily held by Pinkie Pie, but had been taken up by Vinyl Scratch had gone out. Now both ponies that were able to keep the mood light were gone. Rainbow Dash was worried about Pinkie Pie, who knows what that pony was doing? She’d wandered into the Everfree forest several days ago, and nopony (or any of the four kangaroo residents of Ponyville) had seen her since. Around the corner, came Derpy Hooves lugging a rather large and heavy looking package, the grey Pegasus struggled to fly with it, but eventually made it to the front of the Library, setting it down gently. “Special... delivery for... Twilight Sparkle!” Derpy said between breaths. Twilight looked at the package. She wasn’t expecting anything, and she took a look at the shipping address. The box was stamped with thirty different customs stamps, apparently, whatever this package was had had a very long trip to get here. Twilight recognised a few of them, obviously, there was an Equestria stamp, but alongside it was one belonging to the Republic of Zhosa, which Twilight recognised as the Zebra homeland, another belonging to the Kingdom of United Welara. Which Twilight recognised from the book that Sergeant Tebbs had given her on their way back from the Hoofson Bay, of which she’d yet to have an opportunity to read. Another stamp with an alphabet that she didn’t recognise: Казаки́ конфедерация (Kazaki Konfederatsiya) Another one label “Bundesrepublik Schäferhund," and finally, a stamp for the Commonwealth of South Island. It was upon seeing the South Island stamp that Twilight got excited, she knew instantly what this was. She levitated it into the air and thanked Derpy for bringing it to her. There were some kangaroos who would be very interested in its contents. ... “All right mates! Let’s fire her up!” Sergeant Tebbs called out. The kangaroo tank commander had spent the last hour installing the replacement parts the South Island Military had sent him. Corporal McNair started the tank’s engine, it roared to life for the first time in months. “All right! Now we’re in business!” Tebbs called out. The tank rolled a few metres down the road, moving out into the open countryside around town. “Power to turret! Let’s put this thing through its paces!” Tebbs called out. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had followed them out, watching as the tank rolled through the open field. They weren’t far from Fluttershy’s cottage, and the noise had cause the yellow Pegasus to exit her home to see what the commotion was. Fluttershy squeaked in fear of the metal monstrosity rolling past her house, but was calmed by Rainbow Dash and Twilight’s presence. The lavender unicorn waved Fluttershy over and the yellow Pegasus, reluctantly, went over to speak to them. “Twilight? Rainbow? What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked. “Kangaroos fixed their tank,” Rainbow Dash said. “Oh! My!” Fluttershy said. She’d never seen it up close before, on the count of it looking very scary. The three ponies watched as the M3 Light Tank’s turret began moving, sighting in the field’s lone tree, which happened to be the one that Rainbow Dash had crashed into nearly a week before. A flash of light from the tank’s gun barrel was seen, and the single tree exploded with a loud bang. Fluttershy recoiled in fear. “How awful! Why would someone ever make something like that! That poor tree!” The tank turned and began to drive towards the three ponies, the turret re-centring to a forward position. It stopped a few dozen metres from the three ponies and shut off. The turret’s hatch popped open and Sergeant Tebbs popped his head out. “God I missed this! I was beginning to feel like I was leading an infantry section!” “Glad you feel better; I suppose you’ll be leaving soon then?” Fluttershy said sarcastically, clasping her hooves over her mouth, she couldn’t believe she’d actually said that. Tebbs eyes widened, and he swore loudly, causing Fluttershy to jump in surprise. “Our little simulated combat manoeuvre pretty much guaranteed that we won’t have enough fuel to make it back to regimental command... Not to mention that they probably moved it a couple times. We try to drive back to the Hoofson bay, we’re going to get stuck in the middle of gryphon territory, and worse, we’ll be a sitting duck.” So much for fixing the tank, the Kangaroos were still stuck here. “Vinyl Scratch left for Manehattan a few hours ago to go use her friends Radio equipment, if one of you leaves now, you could catch up with her before nightfall,” Twilight reported. Tebbs nodded, he called Trooper Willoughby out from his spot in the tank, instructing him to catch up, he responded in the affirmative, and climbed out of the tank, hopping off at an impressive speed, he was certain to catch up to Vinyl in a few hours at best. Tebbs slammed his fist on the tank’s turret in frustration, causing Fluttershy to jump again. “Take us back to the garage McNair!” he retreated into the confines of his tank, the engine started, as the three ponies watched as the M3 Light tank rolled off back into town. The three ponies sighed for each their own various reasons. Rainbow Dash looked up at the now smouldering tree that she’d hit just after wrapping up winter. Good riddance! That tree had caused her more trouble than it was worth. Her head began to split, clearly caused by her vivid memories of the tree. ... Rainbow Dash opened her eyes; she was hiding behind the ruined tree, the sole bit of cover in the entire field. “I’m going to catch you!” a voice called out. Rainbow Dash peeked up from her cover, to her horror, Fluttershy was trotting through the field, wearing a Ponyville Pattern Sen Gun. “You’re going to be mine! All mine! Forever!” Fluttershy called out. Rainbow had ducked her head back down, she didn’t like where this was going. “Gotcha!” Fluttershy leapt around the destroyed tree, training the Sen Gun right on her and biting down on the control yoke. Click click! Fluttershy let go of the yoke and gave a small pout. “Fluttershy! You silly filly! You forgot to reload!” She said to herself. Rainbow got a good look at Fluttershy, and she did not like what she was looking at, Fluttershy’s eyes were very small and twitching sporadically. “Could you do me a big favour and not run away while I go back inside and get more ammo? Pretty please?” Fluttershy said with an insane smile, followed by an adorably frightening squeaking noise. “Uh... sure?” Rainbow Dash said, not knowing how else to respond. “Oh thank you so much! I promise I won’t be gone long!” Fluttershy said, turning her back to Rainbow Dash and walking back to her cottage. Though cottage was no longer the word Rainbow Dash would use to describe it. Now it was more like a “hardened bunker.” She waited for Fluttershy to enter her bunker and bolted at high speed. Thanks me! You always seem to put me in the best positions to wake up in! Rainbow Dash didn’t stop running until she reached the edge of Ponyville, which was now surrounded by a large wall. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, sailing over the wall and into the relative safety of Ponyville. “RAINBOW DASH!” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs. Clearly, Fluttershy’s voice could carry when she tried. Rainbow then remembered that Fluttershy was still a Pegasus, and that she was not safe just being on the inside of the wall. She took off running, hoping with every fibre of her being that Fluttershy would not follow her over the wall. Figures, no such luck. Rainbow Dash looked back to see Fluttershy was flying after her. The insane pegasi reached out and took the control yoke in her mouth. No! She had clearly lost it, but she wasn’t really going to try shooting the Sen Gun while flying was she? Was she? Once again, no such luck. She bit town on the control yoke, causing the Ponyville pattern to erupt in fire. True to Percy Tebbs word, the recoil was immense, and it sent Fluttershy spiralling out of control, Fluttershy had never been the best flyer to begin with, and she tumbled to the ground, landing hard on her left flank. Well, at least this way, Fluttershy had probably broken the Sen Gun. Fluttershy got to her hooves and bit down on the control yoke. Rainbow Dash had no luck this day. Both of the twin Sen Guns fired as if nothing happened to them. Fluttershy trotted forward, firing the Light Machine Guns at full automatic. Fortunately, the yellow Pegasus was an incredibly poor shot, and the high rate of fire that the Sen afforded, used up the 30 round magazines very quickly. Fortunately for Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy had missed her completely. “This isn’t over! You’ll be mine some day! Some day real soon!” Fluttershy called out, she leapt back into the air and flew back to her bunker. Rainbow Dash sighed, and made her way back to Twilght’s Library. Oh what a story today was going to make for.