//------------------------------//
// Prologue: Morning, Dainty Dash! 
// Story: Bounty Hunters 2: Awakening 
// by Jasper77W 
//------------------------------//

Bounty Hunters 2: Awakening
MLP FanFic


There was a loud buzzing noise as the alarm clock went off, its digital screen displaying the time '7:00 A.M.'. It rocked back and forth on the wooden bed-side drawer, close to falling off.
The blue pegasus groaned from the bed, waking from a pleasant dream. She slammed a hoof down onto the clock, 'accidentally' destroying it and shattering it into pieces. That's the third one this month.
She rose, still sleepy and tired. Damnit, she never thought looking after a little filly would be this hard. The strong glow of the morning sun leaked through the curtains, sending streaks of light across the room. It was a total mess- clothes tossed everywhere, and the blankets sprawled.
Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Rainbow Dash slowly got out of the bed. Limping sleepily and zombie-like into her bathroom, she opened a cupboard and got her cup and toothbrush out. 
The bathroom was clean, the white tiles and walls all nice and polished. Rainbow did clean the house occasionally, but she always left her room like the mess it was. She deserved some personal space, and that's how she treated it. 
Squeezing some toothpaste onto her brush, she made a mental note to buy more, and this time to buy the one with the minty-strawberry flavor. 
The normal mint toothpaste tasted bitter to her- she needed something new. 
She quickly rinsed her mouth, and spat it out. Placing her toiletries back in the cupboard, she yawned again and went to the living room.

*

The little light-green filly was jerked awake and almost jumped out of bed as a loud gunshot echoed throughout the house. 
"Wakie wakie!" she heard Rainbow sing from the living room.
She yawned, but her mind was fresh due to the gunshot. That was how Rainbow waked her up- it was always effective; firing blank bullets. 
Dainty gave her soft toy Mr Rabbit a quick squeeze, then laid him down by her pillow and started making her bed. After making sure that everything was neat and tidy, she left her bedroom. She wasn't forced by Rainbow to keep her room tidy, she just preferred it that way. In fact, Rainbow never said anything about being neat and tidy- although she did keep Dainty out of her bedroom.
Long ago had she stopped expecting Melony to return. There wasn't any point in waiting, as she realized her older sister won't be coming back- although she didn't know why. She had started accepting Rainbow as her sister, and loved them both equally now. And now that her sister had become Rainbow- she decided to add an extension to her own name- how about, Dainty Dash?
It had been atleast a whole year since Rainbow promised to look after her- and she did live up to the promise. She said they'd have plenty of fun together, and so they did.
"Morning." Dainty said as she entered the living room, rubbing a tired eye.
"I already ordered breakfast." Rainbow said, lazily lying on the sofa, the TV talking away. They never cooked- cooking wasn't their thing. Not after the disaster from last time anyway, so they ordered their food.
"Ok." Dainty muttered, slumping down next to Rainbow. She already packed her bag yesterday night, and had actually sneaked out to make something while Rainbow was asleep. "Happy birthday." She said, handing Rainbow a small package. 
Rainbow stared at it for a few seconds. "What?" she asked dully.
"Happy birthday." Dainty said again, studying Rainbow's confused face.
"Oh, right. How did you...?" 
Dainty pointed at the calendar. It had red crosses all over the place, but somehow there was one that stood out.
"Ah." Rainbow said, accepting the gift and nodding thankfully. "Thanks..."
But then Dainty still didn't look away. There was an excited glint in her eyes as she waited. Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"Open it." Dainty said.
Rainbow hesitated. She wasn't exactly known for her acting, so what if she didn't like it...? She caught Dainty still staring at her, sighed, and gingerly opened the box.
"No way..." she lifted a necklace out of the box with a slightly trembling hoof. "You... Made this? This is perfect!" she dangled the small metal plate in the shape of her cutie mark around. "I'm putting this on. Thanks!" 
Dainty grinned, and hugged Rainbow tightly. Slightly startled, Rainbow patted the filly on  the back then gave her a short squeeze.
There was a knock on the door, and Rainbow stood, walking over.
"Ah, breakfast." she said, opening the door, then searched for her wallet. Dainty found it on the table, and passed it to her.
"Miss Dash-" the delivery pegasus said. "You order from us everyday- might I ask why?" 
Rainbow considered it. Maybe she shouldn't say that the last time she and Dainty cooked they mushed all the good stuff together and formed one horrible dish. Steak, cheese, chocolate, muffins and candy. Ew.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just do your job." Rainbow stuffed a bunch of cash into the pegasus's arms then took the food, slamming the door shut in his face, the wood cracking against his nose. "Got your bag packed?" she turned to Dainty, ignoring the painful groans coming from outside.
"Yep." Dainty said.
"That's a good girl." Rainbow ruffled her mane, setting the food down on the table.
"I'm never coming here again! Ever! You hear me? NEVER!" the pegasus outside yelled.
"Shut-up!" Rainbow yelled back. 
"I'm going to file a complaint-"
Rainbow whipped out the pistol loaded with blanks and pulled the trigger. Dainty squealed and jumped out of her chair in fright.
"On a second thought, I'll just fly away like nothing ever happened..." 
Rainbow sighed. Job done.
Like any other day, she dropped Dainty off to school and immediately began sulking on the sofa. Without Dainty there really wasn't any fun- in a way, she kind of regretted sending Dainty to primary- but she knew it was best for her.
Suddenly noticing her aching wing, she knew she needed to fly sometime soon. Probably now.
Walking out onto the balcony, she stretched them out and flexed them in the morning sun. Suddenly her heart ached as this reminded her of a memory she failed to forget. Not that she tried to, anyway. It was an important one.
Feeling a little emotionally sick, she took off into the higher clouds above.
She'll probably fly over to the stores and get a good quality music player. Without Octavia, who occasionally played her cello when they were in Manehatten; there was no music in Rainbow's life. It sounded ridiculous now that she thought about it- how can one be in a good mood without music? 
Rainbow had left all of Octavia's stuff alone in Manehatten, and in the tidy state they were in when Octavia was still alive. This was because that Rainbow still believed it possible to revive Octavia, just like Neon did to Dainty. She knows it's possible, she'll just have to start from the beginning. 
She felt guilty that she hadn't started, but she really didn't know where to. Dainty was the only one to be successfully revived, but she couldn't bear asking her about it. If she accidentally reveals anything about what happened to Melony...
Lies. Rainbow thought. So many damn lies, that I have to keep telling.
Her originally good mood began to drop, the breeze brushing against her feathered wings doing little to raise it as she glided towards the market.