Upon Wings of Sacrifice (Rewrite)
Chapter 6: New Friends, New Strangers, New Dangers
An MLP: FIM fic by The Rated PonyStar
Edited by Clavier and Mr. Minimii
Formerly edited by: Fernin and Halcyon
Artwork done by: alfa995
***
To call this a strange day was an understatement in Rainbow Dash’s mind. She had witnessed an execution, racial fighting, tricked an innkeeper into thinking she and another pony were sisters, and rescued a guard who was taking her out for drinks. And I thought Ponyville was crazy.
She was surprised that Silva had been quick to trust her like that, but Rainbow wasn’t about to complain. Neither was she going to turn down a drink either, and she definitely felt the need to get wasted after today. The two exchanged small talk, easing up the awkward tension between them as they traveled through the streets, earning a few glances along the way. Silva told her to relax when she brought it up. “You’re with a guard. Everyone here would think twice before attacking one, even at night.”
It helped eased Dash’s worries a bit, especially when it got darker. Most of the residents were now hiding in the alleys or houses. The few that stood around, mostly griffins, kept giving the pair a dirty look before moving on with their business. Rainbow Dash nudged Silva and asked, “Do these guys have a problem with us?”
“No, just you,” teased Silva, but she quickly got rid of her smile. “I don’t think I need to remind you how much some griffins don’t like you ponies. Bunch of racist jerks if you ask me.”
“Your partner included?” inquired Rainbow Dash, remembering how her new friend and the other guard looked ready to murder each other.
Silva snorted. “Lucion? He’s just an idiot. Ignore the little weasel. He’s only here because he got caught doing some grunt work for a crime boss in Avalon and he was offered two choices: jail time or service in the army. Wish they just put him in the dungeons. All he does is complain about how much his life sucks. Only cares about himself and will sell anybody just to save his own skin.”
“What about your commanding officer?” asked Rainbow Dash. He made Spitfire from the Academy look like a kitty cat. “He was pretty mean on you and me.”
“Commander Blackwing hates everybody. It’s his job,” shrugged Silva, but her tone had a bitter sound to it. “Hell, his job is the only thing he likes. Nothing else and nobody else.” Rainbow Dash tilted her head and looked ready to say something, but Silva gave her a grin. “Ah, forget about them. It’s just a girls night out for us, right? We deserve it after kicking some butt.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and continued to follow Silva until they reached a grim looking bar with the name “Eagle’s Nest” on the front. The two entered the establishment, and were greeted with at least a dozen eyes focused on them the moment they walked in. Dash couldn’t tell if it was because a guard was in their presence, or a pony, or maybe both. Silva, unworried, strolled inside like she owned the place, ignoring the icy stares. Dash hesitated for a moment before following her, doing her best to keep her head up high and her nerves down.
Come on, Dash. You’re not going to let a bunch of griffins scare you! You’re not afraid of anything! Rainbow Dash told herself. She smiled and gave a daring glance at one of the tables where three griffins narrowed their eyes before turning back to their drinks. With her unwavering confidence back up, Rainbow took a moment to check out the bar.
If Rarity had been in here, Dash was sure she would have fainted just at the mere sight of the place. There was dust and dirt everywhere, with the walls torn up and covered in—if the broken glass nearby was any evidence—booze. A few dark red spots made her suspect that some of it was blood, but she quickly put away such thoughts. A jukebox playing a song she didn’t recognize was right next to a set of pool tables where a game was being played by two griffins who had overalls and sailor hats. In fact, most of the patrons seemed to be griffin sailors. Some wore scarves, hats, and one guy even had an eye patch. Rainbow Dash quickly sized them all up, just in case she had to get into a rumble with them.
Making her way to the bar stand, she sat down on one of the stools along with Silva. The barkeep, who happened to be a minotaur in a brown apron, nodded to the guard before eying Dash. “Who’s the pegasus, Silva?”
“Friend of mine who saved my feathers today. Figured I give her a reward and such,” answered Silva, giving Dash a friendly smile.
The minotaur nodded. “Well, what do you want?”
“You got any apple cider?” asked Rainbow Dash. A few coughs were heard and she glanced back, spotting a few griffins at the tables with amused smirks.
The barkeep raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Kind of weak, but whatever.” He turned to Silva. “And you?”
“Condor Shots and keep them coming,” said Silva, putting the bits on the table.
The minotaur nodded and in a few minutes their drinks were presented right in front of them. The girls exchanged a quick cheers before taking in their beverages. Rainbow Dash immediately felt the soothing, icy taste of apple swirl in her mouth before gushing down her throat. Cider may not have been a hard drink, but it got the job done of washing away your worries. That’s why she loved it so much more than other drinks.
The only disappointment was that it wasn’t a Sweet Apple Acres brand. Maybe Appleloosa or another apple farm that belonged to Applejack’s family. She looked at her drink and slowly swirled it in her hooves. What was going to become of the farm in Ponyville now that Applejack was gone? Big Macintosh couldn’t hold the farm on his own, Apple Bloom was still too young, and Granny Smith was too old. There was always the chance they could hire workers, but it would hurt the family pride for sure.
She remembered asking Applejack about the idea once. Her response was firm: “Ah know most folks would be kind to help us, but it’s our burden and our responsibility. Havin’ help is fine and all, but pride is an important thing to an Apple. And if we can’t do it by ourselves then what are we?”
Stubborn pony, thought Rainbow Dash with a chuckle, but that’s what I love about her.
“You alright? You’ve been zoning out for a while,” interrupted Silva, shaking Dash’s shoulder.
Rainbow pushed her thoughts away before nodding. “Yeah, just thinking of somepony... back home.”
“Well, don’t worry about it.” Silva finished her glass and slammed it down on the table before motioning for a refill. “Once your name gets called, you’ll be back in Equestria in no time. Away from all this mess.”
Rainbow Dash smirked, already predicting the reaction Silva would have. “Actually, I’m trying to enter Grydon.”
She looked over her shoulder and snickered at the sight of a stunned Silva, holding her shot glass just above her beak as the alcohol slowly dripped onto the counter. The minotaur grumbled before getting a washcloth to clean up the mess. Silva slowly put her glass down and stared at Rainbow Dash as if she just flew up into space and landed back with no problem. “Are you pecking kidding me?”
“Nnope!” replied Rainbow Dash, using Big Macintosh’s tone and likeness. A second later she yipped as Silva’s talon suddenly went between her legs, feeling around. Rainbow Dash blushed and smacked the talon away, instinctively covering herself soon after. “W-what the hay was that!”
Silva gave a small laugh before grinning. “Just trying to see where your balls are.”
It took Rainbow Dash a moment to get it and when she did she let loose and howled like crazy, pounding the bar stand over and over again. Silva soon joined in and soon the two were soon holding each other, trying to avoid falling onto the floor. Rainbow Dash, for the first time in days, felt completely relaxed. She sighed and held her hoof out for Silva. “Thanks for this, Silva. I really needed this.”
Silva hoof bumped, and said, “No worries, Daring. But I gotta ask, why are you heading into Grydon anyway?”
“I’m...” Rainbow Dash hesitated. She didn’t want to lie to Silva, but if she told her the truth who knows what would happen. “... going to see an old friend. She lives in Peckslyvania.”
“Cool, I’m from there too. What’s her name, maybe I know her.”
“Gilda. Gilda Lockgrip.”
Silva rubbed her beak and closed her eyes. “I know that name... I think... rings a bell...” She then shrugged. “Ah, well. Doesn’t matter. Is this your first time visiting Grydon?”
“No, it’s my second, but...” Rainbow Dash shivered, “It wasn’t as unpleasant as this experience has been.”
“Well, Grydon has always been a bit ‘unpleasant’ suffice to say,” explained Silva, taking another shot. “Even with the corruption in the government, things weren’t this bad until that pecking anarchist group came a few years ago.”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Is it really that bad here?”
Silva laughed, a few others did as well. “That bad? Let me give a little lesson on Grydon.” She shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. “Okay, so here’s the lowdown. We’re a republic,” she quoted while twitching her fingers in the air, “meaning all our senators and the prime minister, have the power here in the nation. But you can forget about the prime minister. Just a figurehead who sits on his butt all day while kissing the toes of every senator who hold the real strings. Now the name of the game here is money, and the senators have a whole lot of it. They buy or blackmail various fractions of the military into their own private armies to do their bidding. There’s never outright battles or war, but it’s mostly used to intimidate rivals or have them do covert stuff. Things you don’t see in the papers, but everybody knows when something dirty has happened. A few senators are good folk trying to help out Grydon, but they still use the same dirty methods to keep the nation from falling apart. Even this regiment here in Dov’alona is owned by a senator. I’m just glad he’s not that bad of a guy. I mean if I was under the greed of Senator Pippo, then I would just quit.”
“But... how do you even function as a nation? What about your citizens?” asked Rainbow Dash, horrified at the idea of an entire nation built and centered around corruption.
“Most griffins don’t care as long as they’re left alone. It’s just the way we do things here. Sure it sucks being dragged into a shadow war between two senators when it happens, but for the most part everyone just wants to keep the peace.” Silva then growled, her smirk turning into a scowl as she threw her shot glass against the wall. “Then came those pecking Blood and Liberty murders.”
“I... I’ve heard about them. Some sort of freedom group?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Terrorists are the better term!” shouted Silva, earning a few ‘yeahs’ from other patrons. “Those guys claim that they’re trying to free the people from the corruption that exists in this nation, to give us a chance to be happy and free. All they’ve done is commit countless acts of murder and destruction. Nobody knows how they are funded or how many of them exist, but it’s got the entire senate trying to work together to wipe them from the face of the earth. Something that’s never happened before. Even the crime bosses of the underworld and the Thieves Guild hate them,” explained Silva, spitting on the floor. “If all three worked together, the B & L wouldn’t stand a chance, but most of the senators refuse to work with each other despite their shared hatred. And they’ll never openly work with the underworld. Ancestors help us all.”
A dark, uneasy feeling lurched in Rainbow Dash’s stomach. “And where do these guys operate most?”
Silva stroked her beak. “They’ve been spotted in nearly every location in Grydon, but I think they're mostly active in the northeast. That’s where they have the most sympathizers.”
Rainbow Dash cursed the goddess in every word she knew. The way to Tintangila’s Passage was in the same direction. Now she had another issue to deal with on her journey. “On second thought, I’ll take something stronger.”
“As much as I like to see you plastered, I’m low on bits so this is all I’m givin’ ya,” said Silva, finishing her last glass before nodding at the bartender while making a cutting motion across her neck. “Besides, as much as I like ya, I’m not dragging your sorry drunk butt back to your bed.”
The two thanked the minotaur for his service and proceeded to make their way towards the door. Halfway there, Rainbow Dash felt something furry jump between her forelegs, causing her to trip and land on her muzzle. The patron laughed at the sight while Silva helped a grumbling Rainbow back onto her hooves. Glancing to her right, she saw a muddy looking griffin with a fisher’s hat and pipe retracting his leg while chuckling.
Growling, Dash stomped towards him. “You got a problem, pal? Or do you like just tripping everypony you see walk by?”
The bar went silent as the accused griffin glared back at Rainbow Dash, slowly rising from his seat. He stared down, Rainbow not giving a hint of fear despite the difference in their size. The griffin slowly pulled his pipe out and settled it next to his drink on the nearby table. “It’s not nice to accuse someone without any evidence.”
“It’s also not nice to have a stick up your butt and smell like an old, drunk geezer,” retorted Dash. She stuck her tongue out mockingly while waving a hoof in front of her snout.
Roaring, he tried to throw a punch, but Rainbow Dash ducked before headbutting the drunk in the gut. Leaning back, he tried to regain his breath, but Dash had already went on the attack with a quick uppercut. The griffin leaned back, allowing her to get low and sweep his legs off the floor with her own. He tripped backwards, head first onto the table and was instantly knocked out.
Rainbow looked at her handiwork with pride only to quickly curse, remembering that she was in a bar full of angry, possibly racist griffins. She turned around and, as expected, saw the other drinkers rise to their paws, charging at her. To her left, she saw two of them coming at her with murder in their eyes. They didn’t manage to reach her thanks to a sudden kick to the face by Silva knocked the first one off his feet, while the other was put down by an armored elbow to the face.
Silva turned to Rainbow Dash with a grin. “It’s not a good week unless you get into at least one bar fight! Let’s have some fun!”
Nodding, Rainbow Dash charged at the oncoming griffins with her wings at full force. She knocked one off his feet and into a table with a well placed kicked, followed by a buck in the face to another. She tried again for a third, but missed and was rewarded with a punch to the jaw, knocking her next to the jukebox. She shook her head and gasped, before quickly jumping out of the way of a diving griffin. Unable to stop himself, he slammed into the glass of the jukebox, cutting off the song as he lay there, limping and groaning.
Silva was dodging and blocking a few blows from the drunks, slowly stepping backwards towards the pool tables. Feeling her rump against the edge of the table, she jumped on top and picked up one of the pool sticks. Flipping it around in her talons, she struck a blow against one of their heads before bashing it straight down on another.
Before she could celebrate her quick victory, one of the other griffins managed to land right behind her. He wrapped his forelegs around her neck, forcing her up to her hind legs as she struggled to avoid blacking out. Raising her armored rear paw, she slammed it on her attacker’s own paw, making him howl. Silva grabbed his front paws and threw him over her head and slammed his back on the table, some of the pool balls giving him and uncomfortable landing.
“Here’s a break shot for ya!” Silva raised her pool stick overhead and slammed it on the griffin’s crotch. A second howl escaped his voice, only this time it was more high pitched.
Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was using her natural speed to her advantage, dodging and bringing down each attacker with a good slug or two. Just as she was about to kick another griffin in the face, one of them managed to grab her by the wings with his sharp talons. Holding back a yelp, Rainbow Dash elbowed him in the gut, forcing them to let go and keel over.
“Nopony messes with the wings!” shouted Rainbow Dash, rearing back both hind legs and bucking him in the chest. He went sailing across the room and into the bar stand, wings first. A loud crack was heard as he clenched his bent wings in tears.
Wincing, Rainbow could feel herself feeling sorry for the guy. Breaking your wings was never fun, even worse was losing them. It would make any flier feel useless.
“Daring! Heads up!” shouted Silvia.
Hearing her fake name called, Rainbow snapped out of it and turned around, noticing another griffin flying towards her. Flopping to her belly, she managed to avoid the flying griffin who instead fell victim to Silva’s knee to the face. Grabbing her stunned opponent around his waist, she lifted him up for a belly to belly suplex right towards a nearby table. Rainbow Dash, not wanting to be left out, flew towards them and grabbed the griffin in a reverse headlock before forcing herself down. Combining their strength, the two managed to drive the griffin through the table and even into the floor.
Recovering from their tag team attack, the two looked around the destroyed bar and saw that all the other griffins were knocked out or immobilized in pain. Breathing heavily, Dash and Silva slowly looked at each other before slamming their talons/hooves in celebration.
“Holy Celestia! That! Was! Awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
“Peck yeah it was!” shouted an equally energized Silva. “Best bar fight I’ve had in a long time!”
The two bumped rears and continued to laugh as they made their way outside, leaving the mess they created. The bartender, who hadn’t moved one inch from his spot, looked at scene and shook his head. “Thank goodness the insurance pays for all this every week.”
***
Rainbow Dash and Silva continued to talk about the fight, even when they were at the entrance of the hotel the pegasus was staying at. Rainbow Dash looked at her new friend and held her hoof out. “Thanks for the evening, Silva. I haven’t had a good time like this since... well... a while.”
Silva grinned and shook the hoof. “No problem. It was great meeting you as well. I’ll try to come visit ya while you’re still in town. If you have any problems, be sure to come look for me.”
“I will, thanks again,” said Rainbow Dash, waving her friend goodbye. She continued to stand outside the hotel until she saw Silva turn around the corner. Sighing, she looked up at the night sky with a smile on her face. After a long series of unfortunate events, she finally found a silver lining in this cesspool of a city.
Silva kind of reminds me of Gilda... before she changed, thought Rainbow Dash, frowning at the memory of her former best friend. Sighing, she entered the hotel, avoiding the owner’s gaze from behind her desk and continued upstairs into her room.
Dash was surprised it took her this long to really think about her old friend and once lover in a serious manner. Since she was heading to where Gilda grew up, the possibility of seeing her again was there in front of her.
But would she even be willing to speak to me? After all, we didn’t part on the best of terms...
***
“See you girls later! I’m heading home!” shouted Rainbow Dash to her friends as she left Sugarcube Corner. It was getting late and after today’s events she just wanted to get home and think about.... well... Gilda.
“Dashie, wait!” cried out a voice from the door. Turning around, Dash saw Pinkie Pie rush over with a worried expression. “Are you sure you're alright? I mean, with Gilda and everything... I know she was a meany pants, but she still was your friend.”
Rainbow Dash tried to keep a straight face. “Don’t worry about it, Pinkie Pie. Yeah, I’m bummed out, but... well... now I know who my real friends are. And that’s you and the girls.”
“Okay, but if you ever need a cheering up you know who to call!” Pinkie waved goodbye as she bounced back into the bakery.
With a heavy sigh, Rainbow Dash started her long flight home, the day’s events still fresh in her mind. What the hay had happened? Last night she was about to head to bed when Gilda suddenly appeared on her doorstep. While the pegasus had been shocked by her old friend’s unexpected arrival, any surprise was quickly replaced with joy as she welcomed her with open hooves. They had chatted about their lives after high school and laughed at old memories involving their mischievous ways. They even sometimes talked about the times they were together, before they broke up. All in all, it was a great time.
But the next day, Dash learned that her best friend was no longer the griffin she once knew. The Gilda that Dash knew—or thought she knew—had spent the entire day harassing her friends, stole stuff, and, worst of all, insulted Rainbow’s home and everypony who lived in Ponyville. And when Dash defended her friends, Gilda had the gall to say she was a flip-flop and walked out like she had been the one in the right.
Rainbow didn’t know which felt worse. The fact that she had lost a friend today, or the idea that maybe she never knew Gilda at all. Maybe this was who Gilda really was and Rainbow Dash just never saw it? What did it matter now? Gilda was most likely halfway out of Equestria by now.
But as she got closer to her cloud home, Rainbow Dash saw that it wasn’t the case. Waiting outside her front door was none other than the bully herself. Her predator eyes focused on Rainbow Dash as she landed. Neither of the fliers said anything, the tension as thick as fog. Finally, Rainbow Dash growled, “What are you doing here?”
“Just came to get my stuff. Then I’m leaving this stupid town and your little friends for good,” Gilda sneered.
“Don’t let me stop you,” replied Rainbow Dash as she took out her spare key from underneath her doormat. Opening the door, the pegasus bowed mockingly and extended her hoof inside, much to the griffin’s irritation.
The two of them entered the living room, Gilda’s backpack was laying on the couch. As the griffin started towards it, Rainbow kept a sharp eye on her. “Just take the bag and leave. You better not take anything else, or I will mow you down.”
Gilda snapped her head back at the cyan pegasus, her eyes blazing with anger. “First of all, you couldn’t take me out even if you had brass horseshoes. Second, I would never steal from you. Well, maybe I would now just to piss you off, but I doubt anything in this two-bit hideout is worth something.”
Dash hovered angrily to look her former friend in the eye, front hooves crossed. “At least I’m not a thief who steals a pony’s hard work.”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “When did you become such a saint? Since you and those five little dweebs you call friends became the mighty friendship squad of harmony? Besides, it was just an apple... and maybe a few other items. It’s not like they were going to be missed.”
“Stealing is still stealing! And those ‘dweebs’ have been better friends than you since you got here! You’re telling me I’ve lost being cool? The only one here who’s being lame is you, Gilda!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “What the hay happened?! You were never like this... the Gilda I knew... she would never become a jerk like this!”
For a split second, Dash swore she saw regret in Gilda’s eyes. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished and was replaced with a dark glare. “Things happened, Dash. Events you can’t change because the world just sucks. You think you got it all don’t you, Miss. Loyalty? Where were you when I needed you?! Instead of taking my side, you took those five over me! It’s all your fault, anyway, that I’m like this!”
“My fault?! How is it my fault?! I wanted you to meet my friends and have fun with them! Not harass and insult them!” Dash growled.
Gilda gave a harsh laugh. “Yeah, whatever. Like I would want to hang out with an anti-social nerd, a slow minded farmer, a fuu-fuu princess wanna be, a pegasus who needs to get a spine, and an annoying pink pony who belongs in a mental hos-”
In a flash, Gilda was picking herself up off the floor. Rainbow Dash hovered like an angry storm cloud, hoof still raised from the smack she'd delivered to the griffin's cheek. The shocked griffin looked at her assailant with wide eyes. Dash slowly lowered her foreleg as the two stared at each other in silence. And then the silence was over with Gilda's angry shriek. “You want to just end everything right here and now?! Well, then fine! You can take your new home, and your new friends, and can kiss my fuzzy behind! Goodbye, Rainbow Crash!”
“I never wanna see you again!” cried Dash, her shout chasing Gilda out of the house. The door slammed, but Rainbow Dash's angry shouting continued. The cyan mare didn’t know how long she yelled that night... or how long she cried.
***
Rainbow doubted Gilda forgot that night. A sigh escaping her lips, she continued up the stairs until she opened the door and paused at the scene before her. She had expected Tender Point to be in the room at the very least, not an unexpected griffin sitting on a chair across from her.
He had tan fur and silver feathers; a bowler hat covered the crown of his head while a folded trench coat with wing holes hanged behind the chair. Sipping into a tea cup in his talons he slowly turned towards the confused Rainbow Dash and smirked. “Ah, Miss. Daring. I was wondering when you might arrive. I trust your little fun at the bar was endearing?”
“Wh-what? Who are you?! How do you—”
“Oh my gosh, Rainbow!” cried out Tender Point, dropping her tea cup and rushing to Rainbow’s side. She looked at the scratches and droplets of blood on her fur and bit her lip. “Are you alright?! You’re hurt!”
“I’m fine. Nothing serious,” replied Rainbow Dash. “Are you okay? Who is this guy and has he done anything?”
Tender Point blinked, glancing at both the smirking stranger and Rainbow Dash in confusion. “He said he was a friend of yours. Knew you and everything.”
In an instant, Rainbow had taken a protective stance in front of Tender Point, glaring at the liar. Checking his talons lazily, he said, “There’s no need to be so hostile, Miss. Daring. I’m here to speak to you and you alone. You can trust me when I say I mean no harm.”
The two continued to stare down each other, one as calm as the morning seas while the other fiercely like daggers in the dark. The only sound heard was a little whimpering from Tender Point who shivered at the intensity displayed before her. Rainbow, never losing sight of the stranger, whispered, “Tender, head into the main lobby. There should be enough eyes to make sure this guy doesn’t do anything. If you hear anything suspicious or if I don’t come down in half an hour, go get the guards.”
“But...”
“Do it.”
Tender Point stuttered a bit before nodding. The others continued to stay still until the door was shut, leaving them alone. The griffin broke away first for another sip of his tea. “I’m glad you did that. Saves me from having to make up an excuse to get rid of her.”
Rainbow slowly walked towards her bed and sat down, keeping her wings flared and her muscles on standby should anything happen. “Now who are you and what do you want?”
“Straight to the point, eh? Very well, then. My name is Toma and I have a question to ask you.” The griffin calmly put his tea on a nearby coffee table. Crossing his hind legs, he clasped his talons together, and asked, “Miss. Daring. How would you like to leave this port in less than a few days?”
Eyebrow raised, Rainbow Dash snorted. “That would be great, except I’m waiting on line with a thousand other griffins each trying to get inside Grydon.”
“Well, let’s just say that there is a way for you to cut the line. It’s sort of illegal, might get you in trouble, but you’re a desperate mare.”
“Hey, bub, you don’t know anything about me,” declared Rainbow Dash, pointing at herself. “How do you know I’m even that desperate to get out of here?”
“Because no pony without an extremely good reason would risk heading into Grydon now, of all times,” stated the griffin, shaking his head. “Honestly, Miss. Daring, I’m not interested in why you want to come to this nation, nor do I care, what I do need to know is this.” For the first time since Rainbow saw him, he removed his grin and exchanged it with a serious frown. “Are you willing to risk your health, maybe your life, to get out of here and damn the consequences?”
“... yes.”
The smirk returned. “Then allow me to inform you of a little event that happens around these parts this time of the month. A few special and highly-profited gentlebirds get together and have a little wager. They each bring a fighter of their choosing and have them compete in a series of matches while having a few friendly gambles. Nothing dangerous, although there are times when the fighters do come out worse for wear,” explained Toma with a shrug. “It just so happens that these gentlebirds provide the winners a boon for helping them win. Sometimes it’s money, other times it’s information, and occasionally it’s a quick ticket out of this dump.”
Rainbow Dash did her best to keep a straight poker face, but inside she was fighting back a range of emotions. She knew better than to accept the deal straight away without even thinking about it despite—admittedly—almost shouting out ‘deal’ at first. Something like this didn’t come without a catch or two. Who benefited most from this sort of thing anyway? Then the idea struck her like a rogue lighting bolt against the flank.
“These guys are crime bosses, aren’t they?”
“We prefer to call ourselves ‘birds of specific trades’,” answered Toma with a wry smile.
“I could call the guard on you,” warned Rainbow Dash, eying the window nearby.
“And I can tell you that half of the force in this port is on a payroll from either my employer or someone else.”
Grunting, Rainbow lowered her wings. “I don’t like dealing with criminals.”
“Which I can perfectly understand, Miss. Daring,” said Toma, placing his talons over his heart. “But I’ve seen you in action today, both helping that guard and during the bar fight. I think we can both benefit from this.” He smirked at the surprised, yet equally pissed off look Dash gave him. “And no, I’m not telling you how long I’ve been watching you.”
“Creep...” muttered Rainbow Dash, shaking her head. She crossed her forelegs and sighed in frustration. “Alright, say I do agree to fight in your little underground tournament. What happens next?”
“Well, first you have to prove to my boss that you’re good and then it’s just three to four matches over the next few days,” explained Toma. “If you win, I can guarantee you, on our honor, that we’ll see to it that you leave Dov’alona safe and undetected. If you lose, well...”
Rainbow closed her eyes, her face scrunched up as she concentrated. The last thing she wanted to do was get involved with criminals, but at the same time they were offering here a quick way out of here. The longer she stayed in one the place, the more danger she was in from being found out. She also couldn’t ‘stay at her parent’s’ forever. One of her friends—most likely Twilight or Fluttershy—was going to find out she lied to them. Whether they figured out where she was going and what she was planning was a different story.
Yet am I really lowering myself to work with thugs like him? thought Rainbow Dash, gritting her teeth. She swore to do anything to find the mirror, was she willing to degrade herself this much?
“I... I need to think about it...” answered Rainbow Dash.
Toma sighed and sat up, brushing himself he grabbed his trench coat and made his way towards the door. “I’ll give you three days. If you wish to take my offer, meet me in the same bar you had your little night rumble at. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure no one bothers you once you enter the district.”
He grabbed the door handle and opened it, but paused just before leaving. Looking back, he said, “I highly suggest you take my offer, Miss. Daring. Things are going to get even worse in this port and I may be your only hope.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“You’ll find out in the morning. Try to avoid the main streets. You know what they say about curiosity and cats,” said Toma, mysteriously. The griffin bowed before leaving Rainbow Dash alone.
Just as soon as he left, the door opened again revealing Tender Point with a first-aid kit floating beside her. She walked towards Rainbow bow and began to work on the small cuts and bruises while Dash pondered in silence. Spraying the disinfection, Tender Point said, “I’m sorry, but I overheard you two talking. Are you really considering his offer?”
“I... I don’t know...” answered Rainbow Dash, lowering her head. “I know that it’s wrong to deal with criminals... but at the same time I just can’t stay here for two or so weeks.”
“Daring, I want to leave too, but the crime bosses are not nice griffins,” said Tender Point, placing her hoof on Dash’s shoulder. She bit her lip and muttered, “You’re the first person to actually be nice to me and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
With a smile, Rainbow Dash lightly punched Tender Point in the arm who rubbed it bashfully. “Thanks, Tender. You’re a nice pony too. No matter what I choose, I’ll be safe, I promise.”
“Okay... just please think it over. I know personally how crime bosses work...” muttered Tender Point as she put away the kit.
“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Rainbow Dash, tilting her head.
“It’s... nothing... I’m going to take a shower and then get some sleep,” said Tender Point rushing into the bathroom and closing the door.
Rainbow Dash stared at the door for a moment before she yawned and fell onto her bed. Actually, getting some sleep sounds good. I’ll think about everything else in the morning.
As she lay on the pillow, fatigue starting to creep up on her, she looked outside and wondered what her friends were doing back in Ponyville. Had Fluttershy forgiven her for hitting her in the cheek? Did Rarity’s business still suffer? Was Pinkie Pie still locked up in her room? Was her name still cursed by half the ponies she knew? No answers came to Rainbow Dash as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
***
“Hey, Twilight? I’m heading to bed early,” said Spike as he walked up the stairs. “Try not to stay up too late alright?”
“Yes, Spike. Sweet dreams,” said Twilight returning to her book, a half melted candle giving her light. She was about to continue reading when a series of rapid knocks alerted her to an outside presence. Curious as to who would be up this late, she walked over and opened the door finding a distressed Mrs. Cake.
“Twilight, please help Pinkie!” cried out Mrs. Cake, on the verge of tears.
“Pinkie?! What’s wrong? Did she finally come out?! Is she alright?” asked Twilight, right away.
Mrs. Cake shook her head. “She still hasn’t come out of her room. At first we thought she was just grieving, so me and my husband gave her space, but a few days ago we started hearing… things…”
“What kind of things? Noise? Horns? Party poppers?” asked Twilight, eyebrow rising in confusion. Hearing noises from Pinkie’s room that could keep you from going to sleep at night was normal. Twilight could vouch for that personally.
“Well, some of the noises were normal ones: balloons popping, confetti shooting and the works,” said Mrs. Cake. “But then we started hearing crashes late at night and sometimes screams of frustration. It woke the babies up constantly. We wanted to go inside and help her, but she refused to let us in, saying she would be out when ‘everything was ready’. We gave her more time, but today… we heard her talking to herself.”
Now Twilight was starting to get worried. While Pinkie was normally silly and a bit outgoing, there were moments when her sanity would slip. It wasn’t a pretty thing to see, and when Pinkie lost it, there was no telling what was going to happen. Luckily, it never involved somepony getting hurt… most of the time. Twilight restrained herself from cursing out loud; she should have been involved in this sooner before things escalated to this point.
“Please Twilight, it’s been a week. She needs to get out, we need to know she’s okay. She’s like a daughter to us, please help us!” begged Mrs. Cake, no longer holding back any tears.
Twilight didn’t need to be told twice, she rushed past Mrs. Cake and made her way towards Sugarcube Corner. Making her way past the door, she saw Mr. Cake by the staircase, holding the sleeping twins in his forelegs. He didn’t say anything, only nodded in thanks as Twilight made her way up the staircase.
Calmly, she arrived at Pinkie Pie’s door. It still held the same balloon stickers and ribbons taped to the door that Twilight had seen many times, but there was something new on the door that caught her interest. A large ‘Keep Out!’ sign was nailed on the front, followed by a smaller sign that said ‘Please’. It was also quiet. A bit too quiet considering this was Pinkie Pie’s room of all places. Placing her ear against the door, Twilight heard nothing from the other side: no sounds of movement, no laughs or giggles, not even breathing. Gulping, she knocked on the door. “Pinkie Pie? It’s Twilight Sparkle.”
She didn’t get a response. Twilight tried again, knocking harder this time. “Pinkie! I need to talk to you!”
Again, no answer. Sighing in frustration, Twilight focused her magic on the doorknob and opened the lock easily. Pushing the door forward, she looked inside and was surprised to find that the lights were off.
“Pinkie?” called out Twilight as she cautiously entered the unlit room. Light from the open doorway streamed in, but barely made it clear enough to see anything upfront. Igniting her horn, Twilight bathed the area around her in a soft lavender glow and tried to find the light switch.
Moving carefully, Twilight felt the crunch of paper beneath her hooves. Puzzled, she lifted some of the scraps for a closer look. Each of them was made with Pinkie’s sloppy hoofwriting, but it looked more rushed than usual. Smudges and crossed-off sentences could be seen frequently, and some of the words were barely readable. As for the notes themselves, each of them was a list. Some of them indexed various types of foods, games, or carnival stands. Some of the scraps weren’t notes at all. A few of them were invitations, each done in a unique design, which had been torn apart. Twilight even found ads for rodeos and various bands. Each of them had been torn apart or crumbled up in frustration.
It looked like Pinkie Pie had been spending her time trying to create a party. That was normal enough, but where was she? As Twilight turned around, she suddenly came face to face with a pair of wide blue eyes. She screamed, leaping backwards and slamming into the wall.
“Oh! Twilight! Sorry! Can’t chat! Need to plan and all!” said Pinkie with, if anything, more than her usual fervor. However, Twilight quickly noticed that Pinkie’s hair was not its usual puffy look, instead it looked more droopy then seaweed on a ship. With a disturbing fixed smile, Pinkie vanished into the darkness. A moment later, the lights clicked on and Twilight found herself blinking away spots in the abruptly well-lit room.
When Twilight’s vision cleared, her jaw nearly dropped. The notes she found were nothing more than part of a large pile that seemed to cover the entire floor. Her own messes at her library paled in comparison to what she was seeing. Looking up, Twilight’s astonishment only grew. Mountains of confetti and apple-shaped balloons were all pushed against the wall across from her. A table to her right looked like it was about to crack in two from the weight of the games, costumes, and party favors that were stacked on top of it. As she continued to observe the room more, Twilight heard Pinkie rambling to herself as she gathered papers and party supplies. “Still needs work. Need clowns. Clowns make ponies laugh! Or maybe I should hire a band? Need to see if I can play the banjo.”
“Pinkie?” called out Twilight, trying to get her busy friend’s attention. Ignoring her, Pinkie Pie continued picking up her supplies. Twilight raised her voice and tried again. “Um… what are you doing?”
As soon as Twilight finished her sentence, Pinkie Pie zoomed up to Twilight’s face, her bloodshot eyes staring into a set of frightened ones. “Oh! Twilight! Do you think you can do me a favor and use a spell that will make all of Ponyville a desert for one day?!”
Twilight stared at her in horror. “A desert?! Pinkie, I can’t do that! Even if I did don’t you think that would be dangerous?! Ponyville isn’t made to survive in deserts and neither are the animals! Fluttershy would be devastated!”
“But I need this Twilight! Pretty please with cherries on top?!” begged Pinkie. Twilight shook her head, causing Pinkie Pie’s smile to disappear. Twilight was about to speak again when the smile returned and Pinkie laughed. The unicorn could have almost sworn it sounded forced.
“That’s okay! I guess an Appleossa-themed party wasn’t going to cut it anyway. I’ll think of something else! After all, I’ve got tons of parties in my head just waiting to get out! Right? Right?!” asked Pinkie, springing up and pressing her face against Twilight’s.
Sweating, Twilight nodded. Pinkie wheeled around and went back to work, giggling with a near incessant twitch in one of her eyes. Twilight continued to observe her friend and began to wonder how she was even going to deal with this. Not wanting to let the Cakes down, Twilight took a deep breath, and asked, “Pinkie, what are you doing?”
“Silly Twilight! I’m planning a party! A big party! A super-duper extra ooper party!” explained Pinkie, bouncing so high into the air she nearly hit the ceiling. “One that will be so big it will make everypony so happy that everypony will go back to smiling again!”
“And how long have you been… planning exactly? Have you been getting any sleep?” asked Twilight nervously.
“About seven days and yes, but only for a few hours,” answered Pinkie with a shrug, “Hey, do you think if I call a favor from Princess Luna she’ll teleport us all to the moon for a Moon Party?”
“Forget about that. Pinkie, I think you’re getting stressed out from all this,” pointed out Twilight, her concerned only growing. “You’re going to drive yourself to exhaustion at this rate.”
“Oh don’t worry! I’m as fit as a fiddle!” shouted Pinkie, bouncing in place. “Yup! I’m as happy as can be! That’s me!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “Don’t you think you should stop? You’ve been worrying the Cakes, our friends, and you’re starting to worry me too.”
Pinkie froze in place and slowly turned to the unicorn. The pink pony’s smile started to waver and she started to fidget. “Stop? Did you say stop? Oh, no Twilight I can’t stop! I can’t! Not till I make everypony in town happy again…”
“But Pinkie. Look at yourself! You look terrible!”
“Terrible? I’m fine! Now enough about me! I need to continue making plans for our town party!” proclaimed Pinkie, turning her back to Twilight.
Twilight growled, and stomped her hoof on the ground. “Stop this, Pinkie! You can’t just keep doing this anymore and drive everypony who cares about into a worrying mess! This is no time to be selfish!”
“Selfish?! Selfish?! I’m not being selfish, Twilight!” snapped Pinkie, her blue eyes alight with sudden rage. Twilight nearly stepped back upon seeing the abrupt change of attitude. The angry mare stalked slowly towards the unicorn, her voice rising with every step. “This is all for the town! It’s my job to make everypony happy and I need to make a party so big and so fun that everypony will forget about Applejack’s death and stop blaming Rainbow Dash!”
Pinkie slammed one hoof emphatically onto the floor, unleashing a wail of despair. “But I can’t come up with an idea! I keep thinking and thinking and nothing comes out! I need to make this party! I need to make it so everypony can move on! So I can move on! I have to do this!”
Twilight’s eyes widened upon hearing this. She looked around the chaotic room and then at the exhausted, raging pony in the middle of it all. It all became clear to Twilight as her heart nearly broke upon her sudden realization. Her eyes slowly began to turn from fear to sympathy as she whispered, “You say you’re doing this because you want everypony to be happy again, right?”
“Duh! Are you deaf?!” yelled Pinkie.
Shaking her head pityingly, Twilight sighed. “Are you sure? Are you doing this to make them happy? Or yourself?” Pinkie ears perked up upon hearing her friend’s words. She looked around her room nervously as Twilight continued, “Pinkie… I don’t think you’re trying to make a party to make everypony feel better. I think you just want to make a party so you can feel better.”
“Th-th-that’s not true!” protested Pinkie, as she stepped back from Twilight, her body shuddering in fear.
“Pinkie, it’s alright. You’re not happy, you don’t have to pretend,” whispered Twilight as Pinkie shook her head in denial.
“No! I’m… I’m h-happy! If… if I’m sad… th-then how can I… how can I h-help everypony…h-how can I h-help Dashie…” choked Pinkie as her eyes started to betray her cries of denial with tears. She started grabbing her party supplies, holding them tight like a foal would to her stuffed animal when she was scared. “I… I’m supposed to… make ponies feel better.”
“But can you help them become happy if you’re not happy, Pinkie?” asked Twilight. Pinkie remained silent, her lower lip quivering. Embracing her friend, Twilight whispered, “It’s okay, Pinkie. You don’t have to act like this. It’s alright to be sad…”
The party supplies Pinkie held in her hooves fell to the floor as she laid her head on Twilight’s shoulder. She could feel Pinkie’s hot, bitter tears dampen her pelt as she gently rubbed her friend’s head. For a while, they stood there in their embrace. Pinkie slowly freed herself from Twilight’s grasp and rubbed her eyes.
“I’m sorry…” Pinkie replied, “I wanted to make everypony happy. To move on from Applejack’s d-death and help everypony see that Dashie isn’t a murderer. I had to do it. It’s what I do and I thought a party could do that… but if they knew I was still sad… then everypony would still be sad as well. I mean, I’m Pinkie Pie! I make parties and make ponies smile while saying everything is going to be alright… But I can’t...” Pinkie Pie trailed off and simply looked at Twilight, too choked up with emotion to speak. Finally, she whispered, “I miss Applejack so much. I never even got to say goodbye.”
Twilight nuzzled Pinkie’s cheek. “I know Pinkie, I do too. But it’s alright to be sad. You don’t have to put up a false face or drive yourself crazy to cheer up everypony all by yourself. You’re not the only one who misses her. We all do. That’s why we need to be together for each other. Isn’t crying in the comfort of those who love you better than crying alone?”
A small smile grew on Pinkie’s face. “I guess that’s… not so bad.”
Twilight smiled and nodded, “You feeling better?”
Pinkie’s hair started to slowly blow up like a balloon. It wasn’t as poofy as normal, but it no longer draped limply down like a mop. The two ponies looked at Pinkie Pie’s hair and smiled. It was a start, at least. The smile was soon replaced with a frown, “Twilight, what about Dashie? I can’t even imagine what she’s going through.”
Twilight sighed, “She left for her parents a few days ago, Pinkie. The town… they got to her and she just had to leave.”
The little poof in Pinkie’s hair quickly deflated. Lip quivering, Pinkie asked, “B-but she’ll be back right… it’s not goodbye forever, right?”
Hesitation held back Twilight from answering. She wanted to believe that Dash was going to come back, but until those who hated her changed her mind...
Shaking her head, Twilight forced a smile, “Yes, Pinkie. She’ll come back… she would never abandon us. But right now, I think you need to head downstairs. There are a few ponies I know of who want to make sure you’re okay.”
Pinkie gasped and quickly rushed out, crying out the names of her surrogate family. Twilight soon followed and found all five of them hugging each other.. As Twilight relaxed, knowing that one of her friends was going to be fine, she couldn’t help, but wonder for another friend and how she was feeling.
Rainbow Dash… I hope you’re okay…
***
“Rainbow! Rainbow Daring, wake up!”
“Uh, what the what?” Rainbow Dash rose from her pillow and yawned, rubbing her head as she tried to get rid of the pounding noise in her head. “Can you tell whoever’s having a party that it’s too early for this?”
“I-it’s not a party! The guards are rounding up and arresting everyone!”
Brain kicking in, Rainbow Dash snapped her gaze towards a shaking Tender Point who was pointing at the window. Rushing towards the view, she felt her hair stand straight up at the sight of the center of the district. An entire patrol of guards were rounding up ponies and griffins on the street, using violence if they were resistant. Children were separated from their parents and others were crying for help while being dragged off the streets.
Rainbow Dash cursed as she turned to a frightened Tender Point. “We need to get out of here now!”
Suddenly, the door broke and Tender Heart screamed. Rushing in front of her frightened friend, Rainbow Dash stared down the barrel of a guard’s fireblaster, with a number of other guards right behind him.
“By order of the military, you are to come with us for questioning!”