//------------------------------// // ==Part Ten: Manehattan Masquerade== // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// “Mrrrmmmf...” Lancie glanced over from the bedside table. “'Mrrrmmmf' what?” “So...” Rainbow Dash muttered, lying across her back on the edge of her bed. Her legs stuck up, curled over her chest as she stared upside-down past the blanket folds and at the starry night hanging outside the bedroom window. “Manehattan, huh?” “What about the place? I hear the garbage is especially crispy this time of year.” “I'm talkin' about the friggin' chaos shard. Why else do you think I bought it up?” “Ohhhhhhh...” He dangled his lower legs over the edge of the table and bore a stone smile. “So you do remember the important little tidbits I have to lend you.” “I wouldn't call them important, but I remember it nonetheless.” “I haven't been to Manehattan in... oh... a few thousand years.” Lancie tapped the tip of his fang in thought. “That was, y'know, back when the island was a sylvan glen full of faeries, eidolons, and singing dragons.” Rainbow Dash's face scrunched up. “Whoah, really?” “Pfftt—HAH!” Lancie barked. “I'm joking, of course.” He smiled. “Dragons didn't sing...” “Nnnngh...” “Truth is, I wouldn't very well know what is up or down in that place today,” Lancie said, pretending to examine his talon. “You ponies and your rampant industry and fetish for high places...” “It's not exactly a huge island,” Rainbow muttered. “Ponies couldn't build everything underground.” “Why not? Seems secure and economic too me.” “But it wouldn't be practical.” “Oh, and creating huge phallic towers that scrape the tonsils of the sky is somehow more sensible?” “Look, is the next nearest shard in Manehattan or not?” “It is. But finding it is gonna have to be a team effort,” Lancie said. “With your feathers and my homing ability, I'm certain we can find the building that's housing the part of me in a snap.” “Great.” Rainbow rolled her ruby eyes. “Operation Dual Pigeons.” “Now that's more like it!” “Just who in the hay would be keeping the chaos shard in Manehattan?” Rainbow asked. “Beats me, Sparky. I think ponies are nuts enough as it is to just live there.” “I mean, Top Dog was a power-hungry freak using it to power up a friggin' death machine. And Aatxe probably wants it to build rep with his dragon brood. But some tenant in Manehattan?” “Maybe Whinny Allen is wanting to top off his career.” “Or...” Rainbow winced. “...some pony or some thing wants to wipe Manehattan off the map.” “Seems like a squeaky clean idea to me.” “Lancie...” “What?” He smirked. “Have you smelled their cab pullers?” Rainbow squinted at him. “I thought you've never been to modern day Manehattan Island.” He fidgeted. “I read...” “Eunngh...” Rainbow hung her head back and grumbled. “Guess there's no putting it off.” “If you're doing being fuzzy, we can go right this second!” “Hold your horses, Lancie.” “Et tu, Dashe?” “You know what I mean,” she mumbled. “First thing's first, I gotta get a fix on my legs, and that means a job or two to rake in the bits.” “Okaaaaaaaaay...” He leaned forward. “And then...?” “We'll fly there and scout out it. Once we figure out where the shard's at...” “...yes?” Rainbow shrugged. “I dunno.” “You know, you're not exactly charming when you hit a brick wall.” “Look, I... I wanna feel this one out, okay?” “In what way?” “Someone or something got that piece of you through the illegal black market. That makes me think that some bits were slid under the table. And if it's in Manehattan... well...” “Well what?” Rainbow sighed. “Something tells me that I can't just fly into a hole, beat up a bunch of diamond dogs, and then fly back out.” She clenched her eyes shut and fought the urge to groan. “If somepony possesses this, it's gonna look really ugly from the outside if I just smash my way into whoever's place and grab this thing. I gotta be...” “Unpredictable? Sassy? Kaizo?” She grumbled. “Stealthy.” “Hooo...” Lancie shuddered all over, covering his stone muzzle. “Urp. I think a little bit of my breakfast came into my mouth... and the last time I had eggs and bacon was four millennia ago.” “Tough cookies,” Rainbow muttered. “We're either doing this my way, or we're not doing it at all.” “But is there any way in this picture for you to do it your way?” He cocked his head aside. “Hmmmm?” “I... I've no friggin' clue,” Rainbow Dash sighed, then closed her eyes. “What I wouldn't give for the shard to be located at the bottom of some lifeless crater instead.” “Who says that can't be arranged—?” A pillow flew hard into the statue. “Ackalanche!” “Down, Lancie...” Part Ten: Manehattan Masquerade (Where Rainbow Has To Learn a Few New Tricks)