//------------------------------// // Rainbow Dash goes to The Averages Tower (Epilogo v0) // Story: OFIMEËTREËLICIA // by Khampostel //------------------------------// In the Averages Tower, just before sunset. "Well, Miss Dash, I believe I speak for both of us when I say that this meeting has been more productive than expected," said Magi, leaning back in her seat. "I'm quite certain you'll enjoy all the benefits our Premium package offers, and don't worry about the paperwork. The contract you just signed covers all the costs of..." "Uh-huh... yeah, sure," Dash paid her no attention whatsoever. She was completely captivated by the literary treasure she held between her hooves. They were the thick pages of the original draft of 'Daring Do and the Unfinished Journeys', the latest and most recently published book by the writer A.K. Yearling. In her mind, the Pegasus could already envision Twilight's face when she found out about the great gift she would give her. She also imagined how impressed her other friends would be with her discovery. And above all, how Applejack would react when she saw that she had outdone her by just a 'bit'. "You did well, Applejack... but I think I've outdone you this time," Dash whispered to herself with a smug smile. "Is something wrong?" Magi asked, puzzled by Dash's childish behavior. "Huh?" Dash responded awkwardly. But she soon realized she had been lost in thought. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she quickly composed herself. "No, it's nothing. Just remembered something... funny." Magi raised an eyebrow but didn't dwell on it and immediately continued. "Well, Miss Dash, I believe I speak for both of us when I say that this meeting has been more productive than expected," said Magi, leaning back in her seat. "I'm quite certain you'll enjoy all the benefits our Premium package offers, and don't worry about the paperwork. The contract you just signed covers all the costs of..." "Huh?" "Is something wrong?" "Did she just say that... again?" Dash said, confused. "What are you talking about?" Magi responded, now also confused. Dash wasn't sure; she hadn't paid attention to what Magi had said before. But she felt the uneasy sensation of déjà vu. "I think it's nothing..." Dash said, still puzzled, as she began to rise from her seat. "You know, all this talk about being a Premium client sounds good, but I'll review it later. It's getting late, so I better be going..." Without warning and with a swiftness only a keen eye could catch, seatbelt-like restraints shot out from both sides of Dash's seat, wrapping around the Pegasus's body and holding her firmly to prevent her departure. "WHAT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! LET ME GO!" indignantly whinnied Rainbow Dash. Foolishly, she had let her guard down while trying to protect the book between her hooves. "Well, I'm afraid you can't leave so soon, Miss Dash. There's much to learn about our consortium, not to mention the non-optional services you must now fulfill. I suggest you calm down and enjoy the experience," Magi replied calmly as she rose from her seat with a malicious smile. The Pegasus's gaze was shrouded in shadows. "THIS WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL!..." Dash's rage-filled cry was muffled by another restraint that covered her mouth. "Yes, it's part of the deal, Miss Dash. I mentioned it to you a moment ago," Magi responded indifferently while pointing out with a pen the part of the contract that referenced Dash's current situation. Not far from where Dash was seated, a section of the floor sank, and from it emerged a thick column of white gas. Soon, the gas dissipated, revealing the figure of a machine Dash had never seen before. More than a white box with strobe lights, it resembled a sinister mechanical caterpillar. The surface of this machine, mostly smooth, displayed a panel covered with buttons and screens with incomprehensible diagrams. However, the most unsettling aspect of the apparatus was the thin metal appendages protruding from its sides. Their erratic movement evoked the image of the antennas of some monstrous insect. Dash's fur bristled nervously at the sight of the terrifying machine. "This marvel of Averages mechanical engineering is the 'EQ2050 Facial Fixer.' It's highly effective in revealing a lady's inner beauty to other ponies, but we still need to improve its presentation," Magi said as she turned Dash's seat toward the slithering contraption. "Please, don't be alarmed. It's all part of the process." Dash struggled as much as she could, but it was futile. Desperate, she couldn't understand why her body wasn't responding as it usually did. Soon, the aberrant machine approached Dash and enveloped her in a white gas that clouded her vision. It was vapor mixed with a floral scent she couldn't identify. Relentlessly, the machine's appendages covered the Pegasus's face, tapping lightly all over. After a few minutes, Dash felt her entire face growing numb. Then, without warning, a large white tube engulfed her head and began to spray water at her as if she were in a giant washing machine. At that point, Dash no longer knew what was happening; she had lost her sense of orientation and time. Finally, the noisy rinse ended with a quick drying. The restraints covering Dash's body were removed. The shaken Pegasus was free again. But she didn't go anywhere. Despite being an experienced flier, the vertigo she felt was unlike anything she had experienced before. Clumsily, she fell from her seat with her face covered by her newly reformed mane. "Don't worry, the dizziness you're feeling is only temporary..." Magi said, approaching Dash from behind and patting her on the back. "On the other hand, the changes to your face are something you'll surely want to keep." "My face...! What did you do to my face?" Dash said, beginning to recover and feeling that something wasn't right. Her face felt so fresh and sensitive that she could feel her own breath. "Now behold your new and improved image!" Magi exclaimed, extending her right hoof toward the screen emerging from the strange beauty machine. Dash lifted her head and saw the image on the screen. It was a face that seemed to shine with its own light, like a rainbow. Yes, that was Dash's face at that moment. Not only had her mane changed, but also her facial features, making her look younger than she was. She still retained her colors, but now they had a hue that bordered on the perfect brilliance of light reflected by a prism. Any pony who saw her at that moment could only conclude one thing... "You are beautiful," said Magi, who had positioned herself next to Dash, suddenly with a wicked smile. "No," said Dash, denying the image her eyes saw. "You are beautiful," Magi repeated. Three stone orbs marked with runes rotated above them with a hypnotic gleam. "NO!" Dash shouted. "Yes, you are the first... soon the rest of your friends will join you," said Magi, who was distractedly observing somewhere in the room. "I have big plans for you and the rest of Equestria... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, just tell me: Are you beautiful?" Dash stood up completely and extended her right hoof to slap Magi's face. But nothing happened. Unable to understand what was happening, the Pegasus tried again. However, the muscles of her limbs did not obey. Magi watched her playfully as if she were a mischievous pet. The executive Pegasus simply shook her hoof, and immediately Dash's body obediently sat on the floor. Dash was afraid. She couldn't move her wings, limbs, mouth, or eyelids. She was completely paralyzed. And yet, she was aware of what was happening to her. "Good girl. Now answer me: Are you beautiful?" "I am beautiful," Dash replied with a childish voice and a eerie smile. Magi returned the response with her own smile, shining brightly but shrouded in darkness. Deep inside, the rainbow Pegasus begged for someone to wake her from this nightmare.