//------------------------------// // I Hate Being a Leader // Story: Teenage Mutant Ninja...Ponies? // by MemoryLane //------------------------------// The day was going by extremely slow, to the point of where I was just praying for it to end. Inside of the library, it was dead silent. No one was in the mood, not even Mikey, to speak. No one had anything to talk about. I would have considered asking more questions about this place, maybe laws that we should keep in mind while traveling about, but Twilight seemed busy at the moment. Twilight had told Donnie to let her do most of the work, to which Donnie was extremely distraught. He claimed that it was his fault that we were all there, and that it was his job to get us back. Twilight wanted to hear none of it, saying that since she actually had an idea of how to make it, that she should just do it herself. I could understand that, Donnie still didn't have that much knowledge of physics and science here, whereas Twilight did. Donnie was unhappy, but he reluctantly sat down with the rest of us. I was still excited about the fact that I could use magic. It only took a few hours to learn, but it was worth it. At least now I could do basic things like eat and drink. I let out a loud sigh; I was bored out of my mind. Twilight wouldn't let me help her. I couldn't believe this place lacked television. What did ponies here do for fun? I believed that there are plenty of things around town to do; some sort of entertaining places. I knew for sure that there was a diner that we had passed. Hmm, it was still pretty early. Maybe it's not too late to try some haycakes? "Anyone up for a trip to town?" I asked, breaking the monotonous silence. Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello all looked at each other, as if they were trying to come to a mutual agreement using their eyes. Mikey suddenly shot out of his seat, literally doing a cartwheel as he did so. "Sure! Anything's better than sittin' here." He cheered. Donnie sat up as well, hesitantly. I looked over at Raphael, who showed no interest whatsoever. "You comin'?" Donnie questioned. Raph simply crossed his hooves and looked away, childishly. I swear, one of these days... He really needed to get over his little hatred of me. It's going to end up getting me, him, or one of our other brothers hurt, or maybe even killed. I knew that he couldn't hate me forever, and that the emotions will just pass through eventually, but I really needed that to happen sooner rather than later. I'd have to have another talk with him later. "Nah, I'm fine." He waved Donnie off, looking back at Twilight as if he was extremely interested in what she was doing. We all saw through it. "Why not?" Twilight spoke up, taking our side. "It's a gorgeous day outside. Who knows? You may learn more about Equestria this way." Raph, after figuring out Twilight's secret meaning behind what she had just said, stood up in an unamused manner. "Alright, alright. I can take a hint." Raph said as he ushered towards the door. Well, I'm surprised that worked. Deliberately using my magic, I opened the door for everyone. Raph let out a small grunt of displeasure as he walked through the door, staring at me jealously. I'll admit, I didn't think that through, but in my defense he was going to know sometime soon anyways. We all quickly shuffled out of the library in a hurry. It was still a lovely day outside, much more peaceful than New York, that's for sure. Mikey was more than happy to lead the way, seeing as how he was flying ahead of us anyways. I must say, he's really getting the whole flying thing down. He flies so effortlessly, and might I say quickly. Well, I guess being a ninja had its benefits sometimes. I read up on ponies here while being bored at the library. Apparently, there are bigger differences between unicorns, Earth ponies(Wait, Earth? How did that even make sen-), and pegasi. Earth ponies are the most durable, and are much more powerful than the rest. I guess that's why Raph was turned into one. It only made sense. The guy is tough, after all. Unicorns are gifted with magic, but they are physically weaker than the rest. I didn't understand why Donnie and I was turned into unicorns then. I'm not trying to sound like a braggart, but we're not weak. Although the magic, I couldn't complain about that. Pegasi are nimble, and extremely agile in the air. I didn't mean to sound cheesy, but I think Mikey isn't a pegasus for those reasons itself. I think it's more because he can be an air head at times. I'll be honest; I didn't do very much studying. But Donatello sure did. He went through most of the library in a matter of hours this morning. The rate at which he reads is quite astounding, and it's no wonder he's so smart. My brothers and I cantered into the marketplace with a small bounce in our step. For the most part, everyone had calmed down about this whole mess. The marketplace seemed to be just as busy as one would expect a normal Tuesday evening. There were ponies here and there, buying food items and chatting with their friends on the streets. It was a really nice thing to see, the peace was infectious. "So, where are we gettin' the grub?" Raphael suddenly asked, although I'm not sure who he was talking to. "I'm starved." "There is a diner somewhere up ahead." I replied. I cackled to myself. Haycakes here I come! The diner was very small, as we had passed it while searching for the library. It looked quite homely and cozy inside. Just thinking of the place got my stomach growling. "Hey guys!" I heard a very familiar voice shout from among the stands beside me. I turned my head to my left, only to see a very familiar rainbow colored mane. I let out a soft smile. It was the same girl from earlier! Well...awesome. "Oh hey, it's you..." I stated rather awkwardly, realizing that I never actually learned her name. "Leo, you know her?" Donatello asked, not quite sure of what to make of this situation. I simply shrugged, not sure if I even knew myself. "Barely." "I know you guys may be new in town, but I'm surprised you HAVEN'T heard of me." She grinned smugly. I raised an eyebrow at her. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked. I turned back to notice that Mikey was staring intently at the pegasi's mane. Well, he always did like pretty colors... I can't blame him, it sure it a sight to see. I couldn't help but wonder how much time and effort she puts into maintaining that thing every morning. "I am the Almighty," She struck a pose, flaring her wings. "Undeniably Awesome," Another pose. "Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in all of Equestria!" She announced boldly. Great, another pony who's full of themselves. I had to resist the urge to look at Raph. They'd make a good couple. For once, we met a pony who spoke semi-normally, so Raphael was more than happy to speak up. "Jeez, full a' yourself much?" Raph muttered. Rainbow cast an angry glare upon him before giving a proper rebuttal. "Can't be full of myself when everything I say is true!" She put a hoof to her chest and closed her eyes, lifting up her chin -you guessed it - smugly. "I accept this challen-!" Mikey suddenly shouted, but Raph put a hoof over his mouth. We didn't need to have any more ponies thinking that we were insane. "Right...anyways, I'm Leonardo." "Name's Raphael." He said, taking his hoof off of Mikey's mouth. "Donatello." "Michelangelo, brah." Rainbow stared at Mikey for an extra moment, a little bewildered at his choice of words. Not wanting to think about his, she shrugged him off. "So what were you doing at the library this morning?" I asked. I was really quite curious. I don't take her as the reading-type. "What? A friend can't see another friend anymore?" She phrased rather awkwardly. Well, this pony was certainly the opposite of that Rarity mare. So, she's Twilight's friend. How many friend's does that chick have? I mean really. "Oh yeah! Now I remember you! You're the one that crashed through the kitchen window this mornin'!" Raphael was suddenly getting annoyed with Rainbow Dash. Wait, window? I didn't know about a window. Mikey decided to fill me in on what had happened while Donnie and I were outside practicing our magic. Apparently, Rainbow had randomly broken through a window attempting one of her new 'stunts'. Looking back on it, I was surprised that she wasn't hurt! "Eheh..." Rainbow Dash blushed, embarrassed. Had I only known what Raph was going to say next... "Psh, some flier you are!" Rainbow Dash's mouth hung limp, trying to understand the words that had just come out of Raphael's mouth. Uh oh. Raph, prepare for another beat down. He seriously needed to learn how to keep his mouth under control; otherwise the ponies here might riot against him; although that would be quite hilarious. Ponies with pitchforks and torches! Ha! There was a long pause as Mikey, Donnie and I took a few cautious steps back. "What? What did you just say to me?" She spat, her anger and frustration rising as well. Well, Raph hit some sort of nerve. Rainbow Dash cracked her...hooves? Wait, how come ponies do that if they don't have knuckles? Do ponies have bones in their hooves? Eh. Anyways, she looked like she wanted to punch the living light's out of Raph, her face was contorted into a furious grimace... ...she didn't go at him though, to my surprise, although she did begin to scream and shout. I wonder what changed her mind...? "Who the heck do you think you are?! Saying I'm not a good flier?! I'm one of the best in Equestria! I've proved myself more times than I can count!" She boasted. Raphael had no tolerance for people, or ponies, who talk too much about themselves; although he does it quite often. He can be a hypocrite at times. "If you're the 'best' flier, but still crash into unmoving objects, such as a window, I really fear for you and this town." Raph uttered. Rainbow Dash's anger was fueling slowly. I noticed her face was turning quite red. Uh oh. Why does Raph always have to do things like this? Deliberately make ponies angry? Did he seriously not learn his lesson last time with Applejack? "Yeah? Well you're opinion doesn't matter! So back off!" Rainbow shouted. I'm not sure, but I think Raph is getting a kick out of this... He was chuckling to himself amusedly. Mikey looked ready to intervene, but I put a hoof on his shoulder instead. "Haha, rainbow weirdo." He was calling names now? What is he, five? Rainbow Dash seemed offended by his insult. "Pukebrain!" Rainbow shouted back at him, not caring much. "Gak face!" "Stop it!" I barely heard the tiny cry over all of the screaming. Everypony looked around, hoping that they haven't gone crazy. "Please stop fighting!" The voice said again. From out from behind Rainbow, another pegasus appeared. Apparently, she had been hiding behind her this whole time. She actually came there with Rainbow Dash, but she was too afraid to say anything the whole time. The pegasus was a little smaller than Rainbow Dash, but not by much. Her coat was a dull yellow that almost reminded me of scrambled eggs. She had a long pink mane than covered her right eye adorably and her cutie mark was three single pink butterflies. So... exterminator pony? Hmm, either way, she is the cutest thing I have seen in this place. Ever. "Fluttershy! Sorry, I forgot you were there!" Rainbow Dash admitted. Well, that was a little bit rude. Well, looks like Fluttershy had to be the one to step in. I personally would rather that they had just duked it out. But I guess it didn't matter. When my brothers and I all laid eyes on her, she stammered back and hid behind Rainbow Dash. She wasn't much for attention, but it was hard enough not to look at her. She was downright adorable! Fluttershy nodded towards Rainbow Dash as if to let her know that she had heard and accepted the cyan pegasus' apology. "Please, just no more fighting." She turned towards Raphael. "But she..." Raph started, Fluttershy frowned pitifully at him. Raphael looked at the rest of us, then Rainbow Dash, and then the ground. "Fine..." Fluttershy's frown did a complete 180 on her face. "Thank you." Everyone nodded, save for Raphael. He looked downright depressed. If I could have read his mind, he was probably thinking "What the shell just happened". He stared at the ground, muttering to himself. "Anyways...you're both Twilight's friends?" Mikey asked. Good idea, change of topic. Rainbow Dash nodded happily."Yep, we've been friends ever since Twilight came to Ponyville a few years ago." She replied. "Ain't that swee-" Raph began, but promptly shut up after receiving Fluttershy's disapproving glance. After that, the moment was actually quite awkward. No one had much to say, and to be honest, I wasn't much for meager conversation. The Marketplace had gotten extremely quiet as all the consumers had finishing doing their daily shopping. Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings awkwardly. I noticed Mikey's ears perk up, as if he had an idea. "Wanna race?" Mikey asked, flaring out his wings as well. Everyone gave him a look of absolute disbelief. Rainbow let out an amused chuckle. "You? You, want to race, me!?" She suddenly burst out into a fit of giggles, much like what Raph had done yesterday with Applejack. For a moment, I thought she was going to pass out from laughing so hard. I didn't even think she was breathing... Mikey was unamused. "What? Are ya chicken or something?" He asked, giving her a cocky smirk. Although I am one for competition, I didn't think this was a good idea. A mare with this much attitude, and one that claims that she is the fastest in the whole nation, I didn't think it was a fair match. Rainbow Dash suddenly stood up tall, and poked Mikey in the chest. Mikey smiled dumbly, while Rainbow Dash gave him a death glare. "I. Am. Not. A. Chicken." With every word, she poked Mikey's chest, each poke harder than the last. Why is it that no pony likes us? I mean really. Rarity hates Mikey for calling her a marshmallow, Applejack and Rainbow Dash hate Raph for obvious reasons. I believe that the only ponies here that didn't hate us are Pinkie Pie, Twilight and that Fluttershy pony. We need to get better at socialization. "You want a race!? I'll give you one!" She curled her hoof in the air, as if she was about to throw a punch. I had a strong feeling that she wouldn't, however. Mikey simpered. *** It took Rainbow Dash and Mikey about two minutes to decide on the rules. From the Market Place, they would fly all the way to Sweet Apple Acres, and back. First one back gets bragging rights. I had a terrible feeling about this. Mikey's barely practiced flying! Especially at high speeds! Testing your skills against a "pro" probably wasn't a good idea right now. But it's not my decision. Plus, I needed a good laugh. Fluttershy was kind enough to draw a small line in the dirt, depicting the starting line for the two racers. Both competitors eagerly got into position at the starting line, ready to show off their various skills. Raph was the most excited for this race to begin. I was not sure if it was for the right reasons, though. He stood next to the racers and held a hoof in the air as if it was a flag. "On your mark!" Raph shouted. Rainbow and Mikey both bent their knees, ready to take off. "Get set...GO!" In a flash, Rainbow Dash took off like a speeding bullet. I didn't even see her take off, I just saw a rainbow colored trail that lead from the cloud to the sky, reaching upwards. Mikey, a little dazed by the colors, had a slow start. "LATER, SLOWPOKE!" Rainbow shouted as she soared. "Talk about a dash of insolence..." Mikey muttered. He jumped into the air and swiftly gave chase to the rainbow pegasus. I'll admit, I was quite surprised by how fast Mikey was flying when he took off. He was obviously slower, but I had a feeling that he would give his opponent a run for her money. They both bolted far into the distance. Both racers were clear over the horizon in about five seconds. Mighty impressive. There was an eerie silence as we waited for both of them to return. "So, you think Mikey's gonna stand a chance?" Raphael pondered out loud. Donnie and I simply shrugged. To my surprise, it only took both racers another ten seconds to return. Rainbow Dash bolted passed the finish line in a blur. I almost wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't yelling a victory yell. Not even ten seconds later, Mikey's panting and worn out body came flying over the line as well. He landed, and immediately began to wobble. He almost looked like he was going to pass out... "Ha! Rainbow Dash wins again! Nice try!" Rainbow cheered. I hate it when people...ponies...creatures talked in third person. "That was a good race, though. You actually kept up." She said kindly, she walked over to Mikey and held out a hoof. Mikey straightened himself up, and politely smiled back. "They don't call me 'Air Mikey' for nothing!" He boasted, while firmly grasping her hoof. Well, that turned out a little better than I had originally thought it would. Well, after congratulating Rainbow Dash, she and Fluttershy went on their way. I think they said something about an Angel. Eh, I wasn't really paying attention. Either way, I was more than happy for everything to be done and over with. Now finally we can get something to eat. Donatello, Raphael, Mikey and I all made our way for the diner. It took a few minutes to get there from the Marketplace, but I knew that it would be worth it. After closer inspection, it turned out that the diner was called "Frosty's" or something like that. The whole entire place had the 'retro' feel to it. All of the booths had ruby colored seats that stank of leather. The walls had a checkerboard pattern on them consisting of a dark indigo, and a clear white hue. There was soft music playing over a jukebox in the corner of the room. I could barely hear it, but I had a feeling that what was playing wasn't really up my alley anyways. Suddenly, a bright green mare was standing in front of us. She had on a waitress' outfit that completely clashed with her coat color... not that I'm judging. Her dark, black mane was almost floating as she gave us a welcoming grin. "Hello! Welcome to Frosty's! Would you like a booth or a table?" She asked, looking at no one in particular. Michelangelo held up a hoof, trying his best to act scholarly. "Booth, my good dudette." The mare grinned and started to walk into the restaurant. She decided to give us a window seat that overlooked the street outside. It wasn't a breathtaking view, but it was one that I definitely appreciated. We ushered ourselves into position on the tables. I ended up sitting next to Mikey, while Donnie and Raph sat on the other side of the table. Donnie is the only pony that Raph doesn't seem to have a problem with right about now. The only reason why Raph even had a problem with Mikey was because of his random outbursts. The mare handed us our menus. "My name is April Showers. Please tell me if you boys need anything!" She said, before trotting away to let us do the ancient ritual of deciding our meals. Hmm...that reminded me of something. I wonder what April and Casey are up to? I hope Splinter was alright as well... "Hey guys!" Mikey called. I hadn't noticed, but he had gotten up out of his seat. He was leaning on the jukebox, trying to be cool. "Who am I?" Before I had a chance to tell him to sit the shell down, he did one of his impressions. He smacked the jukebox with a single hoof, somehow amplifying the sound to the point where I could now hear it as clear as day. He then clapped his hooves together and pointed them at a wall, hunching over his shoulders. "Ayyyy!" Donnie chuckled loudly, while Raph and I simultaneously slapped our foreheads. *** About one hour later, we were all sitting in our seats at the same booth, holding our protruding tummies for dear life. Oh man, those haycakes were amazing... my brothers weren't lying about them earlier. Raphael had gotten some sort of vegetable soup, while Donnie opted for a more healthy option, a regular hay sandwich, complete with lettuce, peppers, carrots, and other delicious treats. Mikey had gotten a large basket of fries. I never would have guessed that this world actually had french fries, although technically they're called "hay fries" here. April Showers came over to us and set the check on the table. We groaned out a "Thanks" as she quickly went to serve another family that had just walked through the door. I could hear her give the exact same introduction that she gave us earlier. "So, who's paying?" Raph muttered, cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. Every one of my brothers sat up, including me. Uh oh. "Don't worry, I got this." Donnie said, taking out a his wallet just as April was making her return to collect the money. "Donnie, I don't think-" I started, but the waitress was already standing over us. I couldn't help but notice how...muscular...she was. Ignoring me, Donnie took out a twenty and placed it on the table confidently, grinning at the confused waitress. "I think that should cover it!" He beamed. April was none to excited. She picked up the dollar, and looked it over carefully, like it was fine silk. She was inspecting it as if she was cleaning a rifle. A few moments passed before she suddenly spoke up, her confused expression emptying from her face. "Uhm...I don't know what this is, but we don't accept this type of currency..." She admitted. I had a feeling. I had to ask, even though it might make us sound stupid. "What currency do you accept?" I asked. April rolled her eyes. "Bits." She spat. I looked at my brothers, putting a hoof over my mouth so April couldn't understand what I was saying to my brothers. The waitress glared at us impatiently. "Anyone have any bits?" I asked hopelessly. All three of my brothers meekly shook their heads. We all gave a nervous smile as we turned back to her. The mare gritted her teeth, literally growling with anger at our lack of money. I gulped. Uh oh.