//------------------------------// // Rumble at the Gala // Story: The 7th Element // by thunderhawk7865 //------------------------------// Chapter 27: Rumble at the Gala "Celestia's going to fight!" A Gala-goer exclaimed, pointing his hoof out the window as Celestia and the zebra lord Anansi fell through the air. Eventually, they both stopped in mid-air and turned to face each other. "Order your minion to return Rainbow Dash and leave this place, Anansi...now..." Celestia growled as her mighty wings flapped to keep her aloft, her horn glowing with magical energy. The zebra chuckled, his black cloak flowing in the wing. "I have become more powerful since last we met, Princess. You have no right to tell me my place or what to do." "You don't have an option, Anansi!" Celestia shouted before blasting a continuous beam of energy at Anansi, who held up his hooves in defense in a cross formation. The beam clashed with his golden bracers that he wore and reflected off of them. He growled as he held back Celestia's attack. "You're good Princess. As good as I remember you..." The zebra laughed through gitted teeth. "But I have a few new tricks up my sleeves!" In an instant, Anansi disappeared. Celestia gasped and stopped her beam attack, looking around furiously. Suddenly she whirled around and used her horn to block an attack from Anansi, who had produced two golden knives. "That's new..." Celestia growled as she heaved his attack off her horn and whirled around and aimed a power-kick at the zebra. The zebra disappeared again in a puff of black smoke. Celestia flew downwards this time at a blinding speed, hoping to catch the zebra off guard. The zebra apeared above the Princess as she dove, hoping to stab at her back. The Princess turned around in the air suddenly and, with a sword made of magical energy, deflected the attack. "What in the-!" The zebra had time to say before Celestia swiped her sword at him, slamming into his chest piece and causing him to go flying into a scaffolding the carpenter ponies were using to repair the castle. The scaffolding fell down in a shower of wood and tools, but Anansi floated in the middle of the smoke of the impact, clutching his chest. He slowly looked up at the Princess, who had since them made her sword disappear from her hoof. "You...you won't get away with this..." Celestia looked behind her as Blue Arrow and his squad of Red Hooves flew down and flanked her, all armed with their weapons and snarling. "I'm afraid she already has lad..." Blue Arrow growled. "Now surrender, bub!" "Please make it easier on yourself Anansi..." Celestia pleaded, her eyes becoming sad. "Tell your minions to release Rainbow Dash and you can leave peacefully..." The zebra looked down for a moment, and then started chuckling. "It's too late for that, Celestia..." He looked up, an evil smile appearing through the darkness of his hood. "For Rainbow Dash is already our prisoner..." "That's it!" Papyrus, the Red Hoof private from the throne room, roared and rushed forward, sword in hoof. Papyrus slammed his sword down on the spot where the zebra lord had been, but all that remained was smoke and an evil chuckle that reverberated into the night. "Remember, Celestia..." The voice echoed. "I want the 7th Element to bring the Elemental necklaces to me, or Rainbow Dash dies...you have three days...hmhmhmhm..." "Damn...we almost had 'im..." Blue Arrow swore, sheathing his sword. Celestia looked in the direction the zebra, Rainbow Dash, and Dan had flown off in. "Hopefully Dan has saved her and Anansi was bluffing..." Several minutes eariler... "ARGH!" Dan burst through the window after the zebra who had Rainbow Dash captive. "Dan!" Rainbow Dash kept calling his real name. "Dan, help me!" "Hold on, Rainbow Dash!" Dan roared, putting one hoof forward and flying in a Superman like fashion. He collided into the zebra from behind and sent all three of them spiraling through the air over the gardens of the castle. The zebra growled and tried kicking Dan in the face as they tumbled through the air, but Dan dodged it, flying around underneath and slamming both his hind hooves into the zebra's jaw. A tooth flew out of the zebra's mouth as they crashed into a garden down below, where Rarity, Fancy Pants, and their friends were enjoying themselves. "Sweet Celestia above!" Rarity said, putting a hoof over her chest as she saw Dan scrambling to his hooves, his tuxedo bloodied and torn. "What is going on?" Dan smiled cheekily, "Oh, hey Rarity... Now's not a good time... ARGH!" All the party-goers gasped as they saw Dan get kicked in the chest by the zebra, who had just risen up from the crash landing spot, still holding Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried out. "And...and is that a zebra?" "Yeah..." Dan got to his hooves again and scowled, "Like I said, not a good time, Rarity..." With that, Dan took off, slamming head-first into the zebra, all the while thanking Celestia that this zebra wasn't armored like Anansi. The hood of the zebra flew off, revealing a mohawk mane and piercing yellow eyes. It was a male zebra, as far as Dan could tell. He let Rainbow Dash slip from his arms a little, and Dan attempted to pull her free, grabbing onto her outstretched hooves. "Daaaaan!" She cried out. "Dashie! I've got you!" Dan said, gritting his teeth and trying to pull her from the zebra's grip. But the zebra recovered from the heavy hit too soon. He whirled around and kicked Dan, with both his hind hooves, square in the jaw. The party-goers down below screamed as Dan flipped through the air three times and crashed down onto one of the food tables down in the garden. "DAAAAANNN!" Dash screamed as the zebra laughed and disappeared into the night as fast as they had appeared. Party-goers surrounded the table into which Dan crashed. Fancy Pants was the first to go and kneel beside the barely conscious, bleeding Dan. "Blue Bass! Ace, dear colt, are you all right, chap?" Dan shook his head and looked up, wiped the blood from his mouth. "He...he got away..." Rarity walked up and kneeled down beside Dan as well. "Dan, you mustn't worry about that right now... You are gravely injured... Stay put, I'll go and get-" "NO!" Dan barked suddenly, standing up painfully. He stumbled froward through the crowd of party-goers and fell to his knees, staring off into the distance where the zebra had flown. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He put his hooves behind his head and fell down face first onto the lawn of the garden, crying. There was heavy flapping of wings as Celestia and the Red Hooves landed. The party-goers, save Fancy Pants and Rarity, bowed at her entrance. Rarity and Fancy Pants were standing behind the broken Dan, who's wails could be heard, though the grass muffled it. "Ace..." Celestia said sadly. "I'm so sorry..." "No no no no no..." Dan shook his head as he mumbled 'no' over and over again into the grass. "We will find her, lad." Blue Arrow said, walking forward slightly. "The Red Hooves swear." "ACE!" Celestia and the Red Hooves turned and watched as Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the group Dan had came to the Gala with ran up. "What happened here?" Twilight asked, running up with Flame Heart, who winced when he saw the crushed table and Dan's torn up clothes. "The zebra got away with Rainbow Dash, I'm afraid..." Fancy Pants remarked sadly, looking off into the distance. Fluttershy, upon hearing this, started crying as well and buried her head in Shadow Breeze's shoulder, who pulled her close and nuzzled her gently. "Shhh...it's okay..." Pinkie Pie and Applejack were at the back of the group, looking down guiltily. "Um...um Ace?" Applejack spoke up. Dan stopped crying when he heard AJ's voice. He slowly rose up, and turned his head to look at AJ. AJ winced when he saw Dan's face. She had never seen a more broken-hearted face. His mane was no longher styled and chunks of it were hanging in his face. Tears and blood streamed down from his face, and his golden eyes were dull and extremely bloodshot. "I'ma...I'ma sorry that I...I um..." AJ pawed the ground nervously. "You're...SORRY!?" Dan roared, charging forward, pushing Pinkie Pie out of the way and grabbing AJ by the shoulders and shaking her. "You're SORRY for sabotaging my night with Rainbow Dash!? Sorry for separating me from her so you could have your way and KISS me!?" Celestia and everypony else gasped upon hearing this. "Applejack!" Rarity turned to her, glaring angrily. "How could you do that!?" "That's a terrible betrayal of trust!" Twilight Sparkle growled. "Aren't you supposed to be the Element of Honesty?" "Ace..." AJ wimpered. "Ah...ah didn't mean fer-" "For Rainbow Dash to get kidnapped?!" Dan roared again. "No, nopony did! If you hadn't have done that, I would've been able to save her! Hay, she might not even have been in any danger if you hadn't had your LACKY..." He gestured angrily at Pinkie Pie, who was cowering on the ground. "Redirect her towards the Wonderbolts, who couldn't do SQUAT to save her!" "Ace..." Tears were welling up in AJ's eyes and Dan yelled at her. "Don't. Ace. Me." Dan gulped through his tears. "I never wanna see you again, Applecrap!" With that, Dan took off with the speed of a bullet towards the windows where they crashed out of. It was Applejack's turn to break down and cry. Though everypony had basically scorned her, they all returned their looks to looks of pity as Dan flew off. "It's okay, AJ..." Twilight patted her back. "He'll forgive you..." "And we will find Rainbow Dash..." Blue Arrow remarked. "That bonny idiot Anansi has no idea what he's gotten himself into..." The dance in the ballroom and since resumed once the mess was cleaned up. Octavia, Mew Len, and Frederic Horseshoepin and once again begun playing and the couples were slow dancing. Dan sat in the corner of the ballroom, a bottle of Canterlot cider in his right hoof, trying hard not to cry as he stared angrily at the crowd. Ink Writer and Gear Grinder both stopped by to give Dan their condolences that Rainbow Dash was unable to be saved, and he nodded at them in response. That was all he could do to say thank you as he sat there, taking an occasional swing of his cider. He noticed one Unicorn couple close to him that were standing out. The female was a light blue pony with a dark blue mane with a pink streak. She had a straightened mane-style in addition she has green eyes. She also wore a blue necklace. The stallion was white with brown hair and brown eyes. Dan coughed in surprise when he realized he was bigger than Big Macintosh. Dan burned up inside when they saw how they looked into each other's eyes, how they held each other, and how they seemed head-over-hooves in love with each other. Another tear fell from his eye as he watched them dance. Twilight Sparkle came into the room and saw Dan sitting in the corner. She walked up to him and sat down next to him. "I'm...I'm really sorry that you couldn't save Rainbow Dash..." "Mmm..." Dan's response was simple, yet uncaring as he took another swig of cider, his eyes still fixed on the couple. "The Red Hooves are going to conduct a full investigation..." Twilight said hopefully. "They say they have a pretty good idea where Anansi went and can have her back in udner the three days Anansi gave them..." "Mmm..." Dan's response was the same. "Listen, Twilight..." Dan's voice sounded cracked and broken when he spoke. It broke Twilight's heart to hear the singer's voice in such bad condition. "I...I kind of wanna be alone right now..." Twilight smiled awkwardly before standing, "Oh...okay...sorry...just thought I'd come over and try to..to..." Dan sniffed and blinked back another tear as he watch the couple dance some more. Twilight sighed and walked back over to Flame Heart, who had gotten her some punch. "Won't talk, huh?" Flame Heart said, leaning over to get a better view of Dan. "Want's to be left alone..." Twilight muttered, taking a sip. "I would too were I in his horseshoes..." Flame muttered. "I mean, if it was you that got kidnapped I'd-" He stopped abruptly and drank some of his punch, coughing awkwardly. Twilight looked up at him, "You'd what?" Flame chuckled a little. "I'd be just as worried as he is about her..." Twilight nuzzled him suddenly and he blushed, "You're sweet, Flame Heart..." "Heh...yeah..." He responded. Dan continued to watch them. In his mind he imaged he was the big guy and RD was the blue one. The music stopped at a signal from the big unicorn and Dan sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Bluebreeze..." The big unicorn said to the mare. "You are te' love o' mah life..." He blushed. "And ta' prove it, I wanna ask you sumthin' in front of everypony here..." Slowly, he got down on one knee, and everypony gasped around him. Dan's jaw dropped as the sight what was happening before him. The mare held a hoof in front of her face in shock as the unicorn produced a tiny box, and inside it was a hoof ring studded with diamonds. "Bluebreeze, will ya' marry me?" He asked hopefully. "Oh yes!" Bluebreeze yelped, kissing the big one fiercely. "Yes, Black Dusk, I will!" Everypony around them cheered and stomped their hooves as they kissed again. Dan leaned back, sighing and taking another huge swig of the cider. "Reminds me of my dream about...about Rainbow Dash..." Dan started crying again as they music started playing and everypony started dancing again. He leaned back, resting his head on the wall. He let the bottle slide from his hoof and shatter on the floor. "I will find you, Rainbow Dash... I swear..." OCs: Shadow Breeze (c) AnonJ31 Flame Heart (c) rederci939 Mew Len (c) Cow224 Ink Writer (c) MadMan95 Gear Grinder (c) Mr. Sev Bluebreeze and Black Dusk (c) bluebreeze15 Blue Arrow, Papyrus, and the Red Hooves (c) QTXAdsy