//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Crack Open the Shell // Story: A Rainbow of a Different Color // by The 24th Pegasus //------------------------------// Chapter 22: Crack Open the Shell “Should turn around.” The streets of River’s Reach had been painted a bedazzling spray of colors from the many coats and manes of the ponies filling it. Lunch hour had put a hold to business across the town, and after filling their stomachs, ponies began to trickle back to their stations to round out the rest of the day. It created a stream of equines moving over the bridges to Cyr Island, back to where the markets and shops were located, and filled the air with chatter. Within this stream, Rainbow Dash, Hawk Tail, and Dawn plodded along, with the lattermost casting jumpy looks around her at the numerous ponies sweeping by. Many were too occupied with their conversations to even notice the orange unicorn, but that didn’t stop Dawn from holding her breath whenever one got too close. “Reconsidered. Changed my mind. Want to go back.” “Oh, come on, Dawn,” Rainbow said, flipping her head around to smile reassuringly at the anxious unicorn behind her. “We’ve gotten this far and nopony’s so much as said anything about the fire. I’m pretty sure they don’t care.” “If anything, they seem happy to see you,” Hawk added, likewise looking over his shoulder. He paused just a moment to let Dawn reach his side, then carefully shadowed her back with a wing, taking care not to touch her and make her even more uncomfortable than she already was. “It wouldn’t kill you to say something back when they greet you, would it?” “Don’t know,” Dawn muttered, ducking her head and trying to use Hawk’s body as a shield to hide her from the crowd. “Haven’t tested. Not likely to. Too much personal bias.” Hawk Tail rolled his eyes, and he and Rainbow shared a sympathetic look. “Well, Dawn, I hate to break it to you, but you’re going to have to talk to that stallion when we get to the printing press,” Rainbow said, resuming her normal trot. “Hawk and I aren’t gonna cover for you.” “Regret everything,” Dawn muttered, earning a squeaky giggle from Rainbow. She likewise dropped back to Dawn’s other side and bumped shoulders with the mare—only for Dawn to literally jump straight up out of shock. Both Rainbow and Hawk froze in place when the mare landed, her eyes wide, and her body rigid. After a second to recover, she looked back over her shoulder, back in the direction they’d come from, and where over the hills her home lay in the middle of the forest. “…Turning around.” Hawk’s outstretched wing interrupted her view of her escape route. “Dawn, I promise that you can go back home after we’re done here. But Rainbow’s right, this is a good idea for you. It’s just the first step on the long road to recovery.” “Rather have not started,” Dawn grumbled, lowering her head and continuing to march forward with Rainbow’s and Hawk’s guidance. “Simpler. Less nonsense.” “Oh, hush,” Rainbow said, shaking her head. She turned to Hawk and smiled, glancing at Dawn out of the corner of her eye. “I didn’t know she got talkative if you take her out of her comfort zone.” Hawk likewise glanced at Dawn and allowed a smirk to creep onto his muzzle as the unicorn suddenly clamped her mouth shut and fumed. “I suppose that’s a good thing, considering talking is already outside of her comfort zone.” “Can turn you into a potato with my mind,” Dawn warned, glaring forward. “Don’t be a potato. Wouldn’t recommend it.” That in turn made both Rainbow and Hawk clamp their muzzles shut. Both shared worried glances, wondering if Dawn was merely bluffing, or if they were in danger of finding out what life as a plant was like. Dawn, helpfully, provided no indication one way or another. At last, the three ponies found themselves in front of River Reach’s printing press. The small building stood out from the residences and storefronts around it by its exceptionally large windows facing the street. Within the building, three ponies moved about a large machine—the printing press itself, Rainbow inferred. Two unicorns had an assortment of metal letters between them, which they slotted into a wooden frame and hammered into place as necessary. The third pony, an earth pony, was busy working the machine, using his strong frame to pull the levers and move the heavy parts needed to make the press work. As the three friends watched, he grabbed a lever in his jaw and heaved backwards, forcing the platen to descend on the open sheet of paper beneath it, leaving behind black ink in the form of words, lines, and occasional pictures. Dawn’s eyes widened at the sight of more than one pony inside of the enclosed space, and she began to backpedal. Unfortunately for her, Hawk’s wing was already extended, and she found herself being corralled towards the door. “Come on, Dawn,” Hawk said, gently ushering the mare forward. “We’re already here. It’s too late to turn back now.” While Dawn feebly protested, Rainbow darted ahead and opened the door, which in turn rang a little bell above the doorway. The three ponies working on the press inside raised their heads as Hawk Tail all but pushed Dawn inside, then stood between her and the doorway with Rainbow by his side. Clearing his throat, Hawk gave a casual wave to the three ponies. “Hey, we’re looking for Chase? Is he here?” “Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” came a voice from the back, and hoofsteps briefly thudded on the wooden floorboards before a vermillion unicorn stepped around the corner. “Who’s asking?” he quickly asked, before his eyes fell on Dawn, who was trying her best to stand still and stay calm. “Ah, Miss Dawn!” he said, trotting over to her. He held out a hoof to shake. “So you changed your mind after all?” Dawn simply stared forward at nothing, mute—at least until Rainbow nudged her in the ribs, snapping her out of it. She swallowed hard, looked down at the stallion’s extended hoof, then gingerly offered her own. She gave the stallion one quick shake before stomping her hoof back on the ground, eager to return to her own personal space as soon as possible. A pink tongue darted over orange lips, and Dawn finally gave him a quick nod. “…Yes?” “Well, it’s good to have you here,” he said, nodding to Dawn. “I’m Chase Bed, and this is my press.” His blue eyes settled on Rainbow and Hawk Tail. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you two helped get her in here?” “Something to that effect,” Hawk said, smirking. He placed a hoof on his chest. “Hawk Tail,” he said, then gestured to Rainbow with his wing, “and Rainbow Dash.” “Good to meet you both,” Chase said. He pointed to the back and began to sidestep in its direction. “Come on, we can talk more in the back if you want.” Rainbow only needed one look at Dawn’s rigid muscles to know that was a good idea. “Sure,” she said, stepping forward and encouraging Dawn to follow her. “Sounds great.” Chase led the way into the back, only pausing long enough to chat with the typesetters and offer a few suggestions on the placement of the words. A single door at the back of the building opened up into an office with a nice view of the river and the east bank of River’s Reach. Chase rounded the desk in the middle of the room and sat down with a groan, then pointed to a chair sitting across from it. At Hawk’s and Rainbow’s gentle encouragements, Dawn sat down and crossed her forelegs in front of her abdomen. The two pegasi stood comfortingly on either side of her chair, and Rainbow happily noted that the orange mare seemed to have calmed down somewhat now that they’d moved somewhere more private. “Well, first I’d like to say that I’m honored that you decided to come out and visit me, Dawn,” Chase said, reclining in his chair and making himself comfortable. “I didn’t mean to frighten you or disturb you when I found your home in the forest. I was just…” He chuckled and shook his head. “I guess the young journalist inside of me saw tracking you down as another adventure, another scoop. I sincerely apologize for bothering you.” “Okay,” Dawn said, meeting Chase’s eyes for a moment before she immediately went back to staring at her hooves. “Accepted. No worries.” After a moment’s hesitation, her horn flared up, and she procured a sheet of paper from a small bag slung across her shoulder. “Your picture,” she said, placing the sketch of the family of robins on Chase’s desk and looking away. Chase took the picture in his own magic and smiled. “Thank you,” he said, setting it aside on his desk. Clearing his throat, he placed his hooves together. “You think you can get me more?” When Dawn’s head snapped around to him, he held a hoof up. “I know you’re a little… skittish around other ponies, Miss Dawn, and I don’t want to infringe on your privacy,” he said. “You don’t have to stop by all that often if you don’t want to. All I’m asking for is a nice picture or two each week that we can copy and put in the paper. We’ll pay you, of course; art like yours is frankly very hard to come by, at least locally.” “Sounds like a good deal, Dawn,” Hawk encouraged. Across from him, Rainbow hummed her agreement. Dawn mulled it over for a few seconds. “Fine,” she said staring straight at Chase. “Easy enough. Anything particular?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Chase shook his head. “Not really, so long as it’s nature. We’ve got a column about local sights and sounds. It’s great for visitors from Mymis who want to visit Honor Bound’s hometown, and the site of Jubilee Day.” “Easy.” Standing up, Dawn nodded to Chase. “Expect pictures.” She looked over her shoulders at Hawk and Rainbow. “Going home now.” Without any further comment, Dawn left the room in a hurried march. Hawk Tail smiled apologetically at Chase. “She’s really uncomfortable around strangers.” “So I’ve noticed,” Chase said, smiling back at the pair of pegasi. “That’s okay. I don’t mind.” Then he waved his hoof. “I won’t keep you two. Go take care of her.” “Thanks,” Rainbow said, the corner of her muzzle pulling upwards. “Getting her to come into town on occasion will be super helpful for her.” “I’m not the one doing the hard work,” Chase countered, smirking. “She’s lucky to have friends like you.” He sighed and stared at the picture on his desk, shaking his head back and forth. “I remember the fire, and the poor filly. Glad to see that somepony’s helping her recover.” Silence hung in the office for a few seconds. Groaning, Chase leaned back in his chair, and waved the two off with a hoof. “Go get her before somepony asks her a question. She doesn’t need any more stress today.” The couple waved and said goodbye, then left Chase to his work. They trotted through the front of the printing press, leaving the busy workers behind, and emerged in front of the building. Dawn was waiting there, hiding in the shadows of the building’s overhang, and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. As soon as Rainbow and Hawk emerged, she trotted over and hid between them. “Enough town for one day. Time to head home.” “Don’t worry, we’re going back,” Hawk said, leading the way and letting Dawn and Rainbow follow. “Why didn’t you just teleport?” “Would cause a scene,” Dawn said, frowning. “Long range teleportation is… loud.” Rainbow shook her head and grinned at Dawn. “You did awesome!” she said, having to resist the urge to nuzzle Dawn and infringe on the mare’s personal space. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Dawn shrugged, but ducked her head in the same motion. “Still alive. A plus, I suppose.” Just then, a cry of “Hey, guys!” rang out from above them, and in a flurry of gray-blue feathers, Lanner landed in front of the trio. The young mare’s sudden appearance made Dawn jump backwards and loose a blast of mana from her horn. Lanner’s eyes widened, and she barely ducked underneath the orange spell, which went sailing harmlessly over her head. She whipped around to see it hit a bird overhead, which squawked in pain and inexplicably turned into a potato, hitting the earth with a dull thud. The trio of pegasi stared at the vegetable that once was a bird, eyes wide, then at Dawn. The orange unicorn merely blinked, then lowered her head. “Don’t like surprises.” “Well… uh, sorry?” Lanner said, rubbing a hoof behind her head. “I appreciate being a pony, not a… a potato.” She whipped her head back and forth, and when she was done, she had a wide smile on her face. “But you’re actually in town? That’s amazing! Good on you, girl!” “Yeah, we were getting her set up with the town paper for some sketches and that sort of thing,” Rainbow said, giving Dawn’s horn a wide berth. “It actually went pretty well. What’ve you been up to?” “Oh, I was just at Flurry’s place!” Lanner chirped, happily falling in line with the other three as they resumed their walk back out of the city. “She needed some help with one of her projects, so she got me to fly up there with her and help out with making and moving ice.” “Really?” Hawk asked. He nudged his sister with the crest of his wing. “What’s she working on now?” Lanner shrugged. “I don’t know. She said it was a big thing, though. She’s going to be taking it to Mymis when it’s done!” “Mymis?” Hawk cocked his head to the side. “She must’ve really impressed somepony with her sculpture during Jubilee Day.” “Didn’t that break, though?” Rainbow asked. “When she dropped it to catch me after my… my stupid airshow?” “I mean, it didn’t completely break,” Lanner said. “It was still okay… well, ‘salvageable’ is a better term. But she must’ve made an impression on some nobles or something to get an order from Mymis!” Hawk Tail shook his head. “I’ll say.” The four ponies separated to make way for a passing cart, then reformed into one group. “She’ll probably need help getting things down to Mymis,” Hawk continued, tapping a hoof to his chin. Then he turned to Rainbow. “Say, you want to go see the capital sometime?” “Sounds awesome,” Rainbow said, rubbing wings with Hawk. “Didn’t the king or somepony say that he wanted to see me when I was feeling better?” “Regal,” Dawn commented from the rear of the group. “Regal the Second. Offered a place to stay in Mymis. If you feel like it, of course.” “Well…” Rainbow smirked. “Who am I to turn down royalty?” “Road trip!” Lanner screamed, unfurling her wings and launching herself into the air. “This is gonna be awesome!”