//------------------------------// // Getting to Know Each Other // Story: Whenever You Call // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// If Twilight thought that the pony world had been going crazy for Superman after he saved Ponyville, then she would think that the world had gone full blown nuts after he saved the Elements and princesses in Canterlot. The papers were full of accounts from some of the ponies who had been there, about how easily Superman had dealt with the threat of the changelings. He was on the front page of every paper, even though he had no idea of when they got a picture of him. With the threat of the changelings defeated, the Elements headed back to Ponyville to rest for a while. While most of the ponies tried to forget about the whole event, a certain rainbow-haired mare couldn't let something go. Rainbow Dash had taken out her punching bag and had set it up in her training area, beating the stuffing out of it while she grunted to herself. "Stupid...no good...overpowered Superman!" she growled to herself, slamming her hooves into the bag over and over. She didn't like him; she didn't like anything about him. He had not only outraced her and beaten her in a competition she had never lost, but he had also shown Equestria that anything that ponies saw as a threat was just an inconvenience to him. "Think you're faster than me? Think you're better than me?" she growled, imagining that she was hitting him every time she punched the bag. But she knew, even if she didn't want to admit it, that she wasn't truly mad at him. She wasn't mad that he had saved them or even that he had made it look so easy. What she hated was how powerless being around him made her feel. She was the best fighter out of all of the other ponies, yet she had been powerless to fight against the changelings. But Superman just flew in and beat all of the changelings with ease. He beat them by clapping, CLAPPING! She slammed her hoof into the bag and kept it there, letting her emotions get the better of her. She felt worthless, like she was inferior. "How could I get beaten so badly?" she asked herself, looking down at her hooves. "I'm the fastest and one of the strongest in Equestria! So why was I so...helpless? My friends needed me, but I couldn't do anything. If it weren't for Superman, I..." Rainbow Dash was not used to being saved and was never used to being completely beaten. She sighed and brought her hoof back to strike again, until she heard something. "Help! Please help!" a voice cried off from the distance. Rainbow Dash looked over to where the cry came from and flew off towards it, wondering what was going on. She flew over and found that the cry had come from the retirement home, where most of the buildings were now on fire. Old mares and stallions were crying out and trying to escape the flames as best they could, but it was apparent that the flames were out of control. "Oh my gosh! Hold on everypony, I'm coming to help!" she cried out, flying down to help. She flew into the buildings and looked around for anypony that was in trouble. She found a few old ponies trapped under beams that had fallen from the ceiling. Rainbow Dash flew over and placed both hooves under the beam, using all of her strength to lift the beam over her head and free the trapped ponies. "Hurry and go! I can't hold it for long!" The ponies staggered to their hooves and rushed out of the building as fast as they could. She grunted and dropped the beam down, breathing heavily as she looked around. The buildings had gone from 'on fire' to 'roaring inferno' quickly and she saw that the fire would soon spread to the trees. "Not on my watch!" she yelled out as she flew up into the air to gather a number of rain clouds by trapping them in a twister. Once she had enough, she came flying back to the retirement home with a trail of rain following her. She gathered the clouds around the village and started kicking them with all her might, letting loose a torrent of rain down upon the house. She smiled at her victory when the flames started to go out, only to realize that the other houses were also now ablaze. She growled and flew inside of them, looking around for any other trapped ponies. "Hey! Anypony in here?" she cried out through the smoke in flames, hoping that nopony was. "H-help!" a small voice called out. Her heart sank as she realized that it was a colt's voice that had cried out. She quickly sped through the building, frantically looking until she found him trapped beneath another support beam. He was trapped underneath of it and he looked at her with fear-filled eyes, tears running down his face. "Hang on, I'm going to get you out!" she yelled to him, placing her hooves under the beams as she started to lift them up. She had almost done it when the roof gave in and fell down. She looked up and had enough time to toss herself over the colt before the roof came crashing down on her back. She yelled out in pain as the weight of the roof crushed her back, but she planted her hooves and managed to keep the roof off of the colt. She stuggled with all her might against the overwhelming pressure, but she slowly sank down as the roof pressed relentlessly upon her. "No...not like this!" she growled, using all of her strength to push against it, even though it was futile. Then she realized that the weight was receeding, that the roof was being removed from her back. She collapsed to the ground and looked up, wondering what had happened. Then she knew. Through all the smoke and flames, she could still see it. She could still see the big red "S". "Superman..." she whispered as he lifted the burning roof off of them with one arm. He looked down at the two and smiled, before tossing the burning roof away with a flick of his wrist. He then tossed the beam off of the colt and scooped both him and RD into his arms. "How about we get out of here?" he asked them with a smile. The smile had an amazing effect on the colt, who looked at him with awe in his eyes as he stopped panicking at the sight of the hero. Superman then flew the two of them out of the building and away from the flames, placing the two of them in a safe area. He then sped back to the homes and quickly gathered any one else who had been trapped. Once everypony was safe, he then turned his attention back to the flames. "At this rate, the entire area will burn down," one of the old mares said helplessly. Superman chuckled at that and flew above the flames. "Don't worry, just leave this to me." He took in a deep breath and then let it out, unleashing a hurricane upon the fire. The blaze was immediately extinguished, with none of the houses being blown down. The crowd looked at what had happened in awe, before they burst out in cheers. Superman gently floated down and was instantly mobbed by a number of ponies that wanted to thank him. The small colt that RD had saved ran over to him and wrapped his hooves around Superman's legs in a massive hug. While Superman tried to tell them that thanks were not needed, Rainbow Dash turned away and flew off, trying not to cry at the pain from the fires that had burned her body, or the agony in her heart. She had made it to cloud level when a voice stopped her. "Hey, Rainbow Dash, can we talk for a minute?" She turned to find Superman floating behind her, a concerned expression on his face. "No," she grunted and turned to fly away, only to find the red "S" in front of her. "Please? It's important." he asked again. "Buck off," she growled, once again trying to leave and once again being stopped. "Now that wasn't very nice. Words can hurt," he said with a frown. "Yeah, but nothing hurts you, you're invulnerable," she reminded him. She tried to brush past him but he held out an arm to stop her. "Argh, what do you want so badly?!" "For starters...to thank you." Rainbow Dash spun to face him, sure that she had heard him incorrectly. "If you hadn't been there, that colt and a number of ponies probably would have died. You did a good thing back there." RD spun towards Superman with a growl, not wanting to hear anymore of what he was saying. "Let's get one thing straight, Superman. I do not like you," she said with a rage building. "Am I thankful that you saved me and my friends twice now? Yes, extremely. Do I like you? No. I don't like how strong you are or how fast you are. Or how easy you make everything look." "I'm fine with you not liking me, not everyone on my world does," Superman said calmly with a shrug. "You're entitled to your own opinion." RD's rage grew again at that statement. "And that's another thing I don't like about you, just how...good you are," she said. "You're always kind, always understanding, but never get mad or show your true emotions to anypony. It's like you stand in front of a mirror and practice acting like...the way you do!" Superman smiled to himself at how close she had gotten. In truth, he used to practice being calm and collected in front of a mirror so that his emotions wouldn't get the better of him during a fight. It was safer that way. "Well, even if you don't like me I still wanted to thank you for helping them out," Superman said again with a smile. "You have a lot of potential to do good, you just haven't realized it yet." "Ha. Compared to you, what could I possibly do?" she asked him with a smirk. "You're the superhero with all the amazing powers. I'm a regular Pegasus." "A regular Pegasus that held up a flaming building to help others escape," Superman reminded her with a smile. Then he turned his head to the side as a distress call caught his attention. "Somepony's in trouble." "Then go. Celestia knows I can't stop you," RD muttered. "Want to help me?" "What?" "Ever since I came here, I've had a few close calls with ponies in danger and I'd like to have somepony I trust there with me in case I fail to make the catch," he said. "But I don't trust you." "I trust you. So can I please have your decision, the cries are getting louder." RD thought about it for a second, not wanting to be stuck with him for longer than she had to be. But she was an Element of Harmony and a sworn protector of the land... "Fine, just don't slow me down," she said. "Alright, I won't," Superman said with a chuckle as he flew off towards the distress call, RD following behind him. 'Make no mistake Superman, I'm only helping you because others are in danger,' she thought to herself as she flew, hoping that he couldn't read minds as well. 'One day though, I will defeat you in a contest of speed. I don't know how or when, but I will beat you.' ------[{L}]------ "....So you're saying that Superman was an alien on your planet as well and just declared himself protector of human kind?" Celestia asked Lex in disbelief. 'That is correct, my dear. Superman came to our planet and took away our power. Now he decides who is a criminal and who isn't. He decides who goes to jail and who doesn't,' Lex said with disdain. 'He and his allies have made themselves judge, jury and excutioner. No one is safe, whether they break the law or not.' "Why do your world leaders not tell him that he can't decide things like that?" 'Celestia, you have seen his power for yourself. Our most powerful weapons barely even bother him,' Lex said with a sigh. 'Only a few things in the world can hurt him and our leaders posses none of them. One of the few people that has the source of his weakness is on his side, so we can't use him.' "Aren't there others who can fight, that stand a chance against them?" she asked, hoping that there was somepony. 'No, all who could defeat him were...disposed of years ago.' That statement horrified Celestia. Superman might be a protector, but to dispose of those who stood against him? Even Celestia was fine with ponies that spoke out against her, for they told her if she were doing something wrong. "So there's nopony left?" she said, her hopes dashed. 'Well...there is one left, but he may be a bit much,' Lex said with a bit of worry in his voice. 'He knows how to beat Superman, but in all their fights the collateral has been high.' Celestia thought about this for a minute, wondering what choice was right. She didn't like the idea of her subjects being caught in the crossfire, but if Lex was right, Superman would do far worse than that in time. "But if he doesn't help us, Superman will impose his will upon us?" she asked with fear. 'It is most likely.' "...How soon can he get here?" she asked, not liking that she had to do this. 'In maybe a day or two. First I have to see if he will help.' "And what should I do while waiting for him?" 'Act kind and nice to Superman. We must not let him know of our plans. If he learns that you are trying to dispose of him...I hope I don't need to finish that statement.' "No, you need not. Thank you for confirming what Superman is and for helping us. I wish I could repay you in some way for your help." 'The work is its own reward,' Lex quoted, 'but I might like to see your home someday. From what you have told me it sounds like a fascinating place. What with all the magic and technology created by said magic, it must truly be a sight to behold.' "Maybe one day, but right now my nation needs me. They start to panic if I'm gone for too long," she said with a chuckle. 'A great nation must have a great ruler. Go tend to your ponies, I will begin work on this end.' Celestia nodded and cut the mind link, taking a sigh of relief as she did so. Lex Luthor had been very kind and understanding so far, telling her everything she needed to know about Superman. She had no idea that he was an alien that imposed his will on another culture. Now that she knew he was a threat, she would begin work on countermeasures immediatly. The hard part would be playing nice around him for the time being. Celestia walked out of her lab and into the hallways of the castle, arriving in the throne room where Luna sat waiting. "Why Celestia, it took you so long to get here that I thought that you had gotten lost," Luna said with a smile, walking over and hugging her sister. "you have become senile in your old age." "Haha Luna, very funny," Celestia said with a small smile. "You have not seen Superman around, have you?" "No, last I heard, he was assisting ponies in Ponyville whose homes had burned down in a massive fire. Rainbow Dash had also assisted him and the two of them managed to get the fire under control. We were lucky they were there or else many lives could have been lost," Luna said with a small shake of her head. "Yes, thank goodness that Rainbow Dash was there when we needed her," Celestia agreed. "Um...and Superman as--" "However, we have bigger matters to discuss at the moment. Is Chrysalis ready to talk?" Celestia asked her as the two began to walk to the dungeons. "Yes," Luna said with a sigh. "But it will be difficult to get a straight answer out of her. She has been very defiant and even managed to put one of the guards in the infirmary." "She is a tough one, I'll admit to that," Celestia said with a sigh. "But she will talk." The two of them had reached the dungeon entrance and opened the massive wooden door, allowing them to descend. They passed a number of guards, each of whom watched them pass with nervous faces. The two princesses reached the cell were Chrysalis was being held, which had a double magic barrier protecting it. Celestia and Luna channeled both of their magics into the shield, allowing it to fall and gaining them entrance. Chrysalis was chained to the wall and her horn was covered in anti-magic stone, preventing her from even moving. She opened her eyes as they entered and smiled at them. "Why hello there. I almost never receive guests. There may not be much here, but please, make yoursleves at home," she said with a chuckle. Celestia and Luna both glared at her and sat down in front of her, magic at the ready in case she tried anything. "How did you get past out defenses? After the last invasion you tried, we increased security so high that you would never be able to break back in. How did you do it?" Celestia asked through narrow eyes. "Maybe your security is not as good as you thought it was, you arrogant foal!" Chrysalis said with a smirk. Celestia responded by firing a bolt of magic that landed right next to Chrysalis' head. She looked at the smoldering hole with a bored look. "Oh come on Celestia, you fat excuse of a princess, if you were going to kill me you would have done it already. 'Now go away or I will taunt you a second time'." Celestia growled and charged up her magic once more, but Luna stepped in front of her. "It is in your best interest to talk. I do not know how much more patience my sister has left." Chrysalis began to laugh, her laugh piercing her cell and echoing thoughout the castle. "Do you foals honestly think I would tell you anything? Or that I would be caught so easily?" she asked with a smile. When Celestia and Luna both looked at her in confusion, she laughed again. "Long live the queen!" Chrysalis covered herself in a light that blinded both Luna and Celestia. When it had finally died down, they saw to their horror that Chrysalis was gone, replaced by a regular changeling. "She was never here?" Celestia asked in disbelief. "Argh, I should have ended her when I had the chance!" Celestia growled and ran out of the cell, heading to the guardroom. She threw open the doors and burst in, looking at all the stunned guards with rage. "Chrysalis has escaped! Find her immediatly!" she yelled. The guards all scrambled to their hooves and started to run around the room gathering gear. Luna came up behind her sister and sighed. "They will not find her, you know that." "They do not need to find her, we just need the guards to be on the lookout," she said with a sigh, turning around and heading back out. "I am going to fly around the city and see if I can find her." Celestia ran through the door and headed outside, leaving Luna alone in the now empty guard room. While she knew that helping her sister should be the number one priority, she knew that it would be a lot easier to find her with somepony else's help. Luna used her magic to seek out the most powerful creature in Equestria and locked onto him, teleporting herself there. ----[{S}]---- "I'm not sure that I want to ask what a three-headed dog is doing in this city," Superman muttered to himself as he dodged out of the way of a ball of magic fire. Superman and Rainbow Dash had flown to the city of Manehatten to find that some of it was on fire as well. Superman and RD had quickly used a combination of rain clouds and ice breath to quickly put out the fires. After the fire was under control, the two of them spotted the cause of the fire. "It's a cerbures!" Rainbow cried out as the three-headed dog came bursting around the corner. It sniffed the air and all six of its eyes settled on the two of them. It howled and rushed them, with ponies running out of the way of its charge. Superman flew to intercept the dog, which responded with a ball of fire into his face. It caught him in the chest and he was sent flying down the street, colliding with multiple carriages and lightposts. Rainbow Dash flew over and kicked the dog in one of its heads, causing it to yelp and back up. "Ha! Not so tough, are you?" she taunted, her bravado vanishing as the three heads snapped at her with fire in their maws. "GAH! Bad dog! Bad dog!" she yelled as she flew away from the beast, which started to chase after her. A red blur came flying by her and drove its shoulder into the dog's chest, flying the both of them into the side of a building. The Man of Steel held up one of the heads by the throat and used his other hand to push another head into the wall. The third head tried to bite him, but he used freeze breath and froze that head to the wall. "You have been a very bad dog," Superman said angrily. The three-headed dog whimpered and its ears went down, avoiding looking into his eyes. "Now I want you to go back to your home and never bother these ponies again." He broke the ice and dropped the dog to the ground, pointing to outside the city with a stern glare. The dog hung all three of its heads and ran off, tail between its legs, whimpering as it did so. RD flew over to him as the ponies of Manehatten came out to cheer them. Superman and RD said that they were welcome and were about to fly off when a sphere of darkness appeared in front of them. Princess Luna stepped out of the sphere and smiled when she saw Superman and Rainbow Dash. "Hello Superman, Rainbow Dash. I am glad to see you again," she said with a smile. "I have something I need to talk to you about." "What happened this time?" Superman asked with a sigh. "Um, I don't like to admit this but...Chrysalis escaped," she said with an embarressed smile. Rainbow Dash looked at her in disbelief while Superman sighed and put his hand on his face. "Alright, Rainbow Dash, you go back to Ponyville with Luna and get those Elements of Harmony ready just in case. I'm going to fly over the land and see if my x-ray can find her," Superman ordered, flying into the sky and shooting off into the distance, breaking the sound barrier and vanishing within a few seconds. Luna watched him go with an impressed face. "He truely is fast," Luna said with a whistle. "Yeah, don't remind me," Rainbow Dash said with a huff. Luna chuckled at her reaction and activated her teleportaion spell again, teleporting the two of them back to Ponyville. {[]} "I have returned...master," Chrysalis said as she knelt down at the foot of a massive throne. She was in a dark castle far away from any other civilization, a castle that was surrounded by dark magic. "Unfortunately, the plan has failed. The one called Superman interfered with our plan and defeated almost all of my changelings. His power...is beyond anything I have ever seen." "I warned you, did I not?" a dark voice said from the shadows covering the throne. "I already know how to deal with him when the time comes, for our plan is already in motion. But for now, I sense a strong presence heading for our planet. We will wait until he has dealt with that threat before I remove him. I have just been informed that Celestia is speaking with another creature. Continue to observe them in case anything of use is exchanged. We might need it." "Yes, my master," she said with a another bow, standing up and walking out of the room. Two pairs of dark eyes watched her go until she was out of sight. A small crystal ball floated out from behind the throne to in front of his eyes, showing him what Superman was currently doing. "Soon, Superman. Soon."