//------------------------------// // Marching Foreward // Story: A New Equestria // by ZeirMakavar //------------------------------// Chapter 18 Marching Foreward "Are you sure?" Twilight Sparkle asked Rainbow, as they both ideally watched the stallion who took the stage after Vinyl left. "He seems..." Twilight sighed, struggling to find a word. "Odd." "Odd yeah..." Rainbow Dash nodded, her voice firm. "But he's still the one I was in my dream. It was weird really... Never had one like it." "Well, if you insist that he's supposed to help in finding Hunter, I guess..." Twilight smiled, looking over her friend. In the time that Rainbow had been away, she had changed. Beyond the dark black lines that formed symbols that now dotted her cerulian fur. Rainbow Dash seemed more like a leader the Twilight did at first, allong with having an air around her that seemed to dare anyone to cross her. "You've changed Rainbow... You're not as laid back as before." "Times change Twi..." "You going to explain those markings?" "I already explained it to you Twi..." Rainbow sighed, shaking her head. "I was taking a walk, when these weird shadow things came up to me... I blacked out, and woke up a few hours later after having that weird dream." "I believe you on that Rainbow, but it does explain the markings." "Well I don't know what they are!" Rainbow half yelled due to frustration. "What, you don't think if I knew I'd tell you? That place... Hell, this entire island is like the Everfree, I don't know what half the stuff is going on is!" "Okay Rainbow, I get it." "Really, I don't know why they are thre..." The two of them sat in silence until the Stallion bowed and walked of the stage, which Vinyl returned to. Rainbow then sighed, looking at Twilight. She then smillled and walked over towards the stallion. "Hello," She said smiling softly. "My name is..." "Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, and leader of this hear new Equestria's branch of the organization known as Umbra." The stallion, who's black coat seemed sinister up close. "You come to me in the hopes that I will help you hunt for the criminal known as Green Hunter, the Blood Mage." Rainbow stared at him blinking, a loos of words that caused him to chuckling. "I take that as a Yes. Well I won't help." "You need to!" Rainbow pleaded, finally finding her voice. "Please, the dream.. vision... or what ever it was, with out you Equestria could fall into chaos because of Hunter." "Ah, that's where you... And the ones that gave you that vision are wrong." The Stallion finally looked at Rainbow, which gave her a aclear veiw of his face, which caused her be at a loss of words as well. It wasn't that his left eye seemed to have no pupil what so ever, but that it seemed that ahe had a sigil as the pupil of his right eye, which was golden. "I won't be helping. Not you, not Green Hunter, and most certainly who gave you those markings." "You know whe they were?" "Past, Present, and Future..." He chuckled, a brown fedora hat appearing on his head, which reminded Rainbow that he was a Unicorn. "Have at what you want Rainbow Dash. In this one, I'm just a simple observer, minimal distractions from time." He chuckled, and turned into smoke before Rainbow Dash could protest agaisnt his leaving. "So, did you get anything?" Twilight asked, walking up to her. "No, except that maybe we need to rethink what sigils can... no, can't do." "What do you mean?" Twilight asked, looking around the room confused, "Is someone using them now?" "He knew who I was, and why I was looking for him." Rainbow said, shivers goingf down her back. "Then there was his face... He had a sigil on one of his eyes, he might even be a worse threat then Hunter if we leave him unchecked..." "R-really?" Twilight blinked, sighing. "Well, I'm going to have to leave Rainbow, I have some forms to fill out. Seems a group of ponys are asking for a fifth expansion into the forest..." "A fifth?" Rainbow blinked, looking out a window a soift chuckle escaping her. "Well now, this place is growing quite nicely..." "Hey Rainbow!" Vinyl said, waving a hand chuckling, as she walked up to Rainbow Dash, who was sitting at a table alone. "So, what do you think of the place?" "It's... interesting..." "I know!" Vinyl chuckled, her chest puffing out in pride. "I bought it last month from gig money. Though back then it was just a abandoned warehouse. Turned it into a club in fivew days..." "Wait... you own this place?" Rainbow blinked, chuckling when she finally saw Vinyl's unique style around the club. "I just thought you played here." "Nope, I own it." "Say Vinyl... You would'nt happen to know the name of one of the performers would you?" "Yeah, I know all their names... why?" "Well, I need someone investigating him..." "Oh right, Twi did mention you were incharge of some super secret police force thingy..." Vinyl chuckled, nodding her head as she removed her glasses. "Sure, who is it?" "It's that one that went on earlier..." Rainbow said, trying to remember what he looked like, though having trouble. "Um... he was a black unicorn I think... Blind in one eye..." "Ah, that's Rourke." Vinyl chuckled, nodding her head again. "He was one of the first DJs I found here, pretty good if I say so." "Rourke?" "Yup." Vinyl confirmed, smiling softly. "Though I get the feeling that's not his real name... Wonder why he's hiding it..." "Thank you Vinyl." Rainbow smiled, as she began to head back to Umbra. "Trixie, I need you to pull up the residency list." Rainbow said, once she reached the Ops center in Umbra's Castle. "I want you to put a Sigil flag on someone." "Okay... who is it." Trixie's voice came in from her almost completely closed off office. "A unicorn DJ by the name Rourke, I saw a sigil on his... um... right eye." Rainbow mumbled, confused why the memories of him were slowly fading away, as if someone was using an eraser to remove him from her memory. "His eye?" "Yes, his eye." "Think he might have something to do with Green Hunter? Want me to mark him as a possible accomplice?" "No... maybe... Yes." Rainbow nodded, chuckling softly. "At least until we capture Hunter." "Got it Dash." "Welcome back from your jaunt Dashie." Shinze chuckled, as he walked towards her. "I told you not to call me Dashie Shinze..." Rainbow said, not making a motion to look at him from her balcony. "How many times do I have to tell you before you learn." "Have you ever teased the notion that I tease you because you're atractive?" Shinze asked her in his signiture sarcastic tone. Even still, this caused Rainbow Dash blushed slightly. "No, I haven't." She said blatently, with as little emotion as she could muster. "And that's only because I know that it's because I know you do it because you find it funny." "Well there is that..." Shinze chuckled, the sarcasm almost leaving his voice. "Though I do find you attractive Rainbow Dash." "W-What? That's not something you should be saying, and not just because I'm your boss." "What, no time for us to enjoy another ponies comfort? We should be focusing on policing the old magic users? Besides, all I said was that I find you attractive Rainbow." He said, his tone uncharacteristcly flat. "That doesn't mean I have feelings for you. Just that I find you attractive." "What.. oh..." Rainbow sighed, slightly confused by the dissapointment in her own voice. "Right, I knew that... Now why are you here?" "To watch your reaction as I tease you." "So the usual." "Yup." "Then get out."