Rajenstein
I had set out early, at the crack of dawn to be exact. It was pouring buckets that day, but I had a job to do.
Minuette heroically strode through the briar groves of the Everfree, coat snagging on dagger-like barbs. Heavy drops of rain soaked her to the bone, but she pressed on, ignoring the damp, the thorns, and the leering yellow eyes that stared at her from every patch of darkness.
After hours of trekking alone, she smelled in the air something foul. Like burning hair and mouldering ashes. Courageously, she walked towards the smell, intent on finding what danger it might signify.
In short order she came upon what could only be described as a lair. The ground was barren dirt, scorched by fire and reeking despite the hard rain. The trees were withered and dying, each marked with some foul smelling excretion from an even fouler creature. A strange box, muddied and reeking of carrion, hung from a vine lashed to a tree and from the corner of her eye she saw it sway and move, as it a creature inside were trying to escape. She scanned the place with a grimace, fearful of what might have made a place like this or, worse, would call it home.
She heard it before anything, snoring loudly in an echoing box made of iron clawed from the ground. She stood before it, made indecisive by fear. Then she remember her promise to her friend and her duty to equinekind to identify what was surely a grave threat.
Tentatively, she looked through a hanging covering, solid and without fear, and beheld a great beast.
Laying on a pile of moldy moss, was a massive, four-limbed monstrocity. Lank, greasy hair stretched all across the lair, strange limbs muscled beyond sense. Its grasping claws twitched in his slumber, reliving violence in its dreams. At his feet, slept a canine creature as black as coal.
She couldn't help it, she gasped at the sight of such horror, and the creature's monstrous senses picked homed in on her. Bloodshot, yellowing eyes snapped open and it lashed out with a roar, striking her across the face. She yelped and pulled away, dazed by the strike.
The beast's hound started barking and scrabbling, eager to be free and chase the interloper that dared infringe on it's territory.
Minuette took no chances. She spun and started bee-lining for ponyville, ignoring the severity of her own injuries in favor of warning the ponies of Ponyville to the threat so near their homes. The entire run, she could feel the creature following her back, looming after her like shadow.
* * *
“...and that's what happened two months ago.” Minuette concluded, a proud smile on her face.
“Oh, that's bullshit!” Raj cried from the other side of the market “It wasn't even raining hard that day!”
“Shutup you weird monster thing,” Minuette shouted back “That's what happened and you know it! Stop lying to everypony.”
“No, it isn't what happened. The ground wasn't burned, there was nothing alive inside that box, the trees were covered in monster repellant not 'excretions', and my camp wasn't even near the briar groves.” He ticked off reasons on his fingers.
The gathered ponies looked at him and one another, murmuring lightly. One of them called out “But, you did hit her, right?”
Raj lowered his arms “Well, um... yeah, yeah I did.” Gasps and mutters of alarm went through the crowd at the admission. Raj raised his voice to be heard “It was an accident! She surprised me and I reacted poorly. I thought she was a monster or something. I didn't know.”
His protests did nothing to stop the steadily building hysteria. Raj looked around helplessly for a minute before turning to the dragon at his side “Spike, help.”
The little guy nodded “Hey, Rajrishi isn't dangerous, okay? He's a nice guy once you get to know him.” He shouted his words, but the ponies had reached a fever pitch.
“I saw him fighting Luna last week. What was that about?”
“If he could fight the princess, what chance do the rest of us have?”
“Where did it come from? What does it want?”
“Who let it stay in the town at all?”
“Won't somepony PLEASE think of the children?”
“He's gonna hurt somepony!”
Raj grimaced “I never should have left the library. I should've stayed hidden until Twilight was done with her research. This was a mistake.” He turned to leave.
He didn't see who threw the first tomato, but she sure felt it splat against his back. He whipped back sharply, glaring across the crowd. “Really? Throwing fruit? Who did that? Which one you ridiculous people-” he cut off when another tomato splatted between his eyes.
“Um, Raj. Let's get out of here before this gets any uglier.” Spike grabbed his hand and pulled to lead him away.
“No Spike,” he pulled his hand free and wiped the tomato from his face “We're just going to have a conversation. No harm.” He glared at the ponies in the market “None at all.”
* * *
About ten minutes later Raj, sticky with mashed pulp, shouldered the door to the library open and swung around it, letting Spike in after him. A barrage of hurled fruit and discount vegetables followed him. Rajrishi slammed the door shut and slid down it. He shook his head and said “Okay, that did not go as planned.”
“You think?” Spike spat at him. “Why did you start throwing things back?”
“Look, I was mad okay? Nobody was listening, they kept throwing crap. It's not like I hit anyone.”
“No, but you knocked the wheel off Plowrun's wagon, with a butternut squash. It freaked everypony out.”
“I don't know how strong I am!” he shouted back, rising to his full height. He seethed for a minute before regaining his composure “Look, we're back in the library now. Everyone will calm down and we'll figure this out.”
“Hey!” Twilight yelled from the top of the stairs “Why is there an angry mob of ponies with pitchforks and torches outside the library?”
“Son of a-” Raj cut his curse off short and clenched and un-clenched his hands in frustration. He let out a slow sigh and trudged up the stairs to the balcony.
Sure enough, the ponies from the market and then some stood in front of the library, shouting discontent and waving farming implements and burning torches. “There it is! The creature that attacked Minuette!” a new wave of angry cries surged up from the assembled equines.
“Wow, they actually have pitchforks and torches. Like, real ones. That's almost impressive.” Raj groused with somewhat bland surprise.
Twilight propped herself up on the railing of her balcony “Alright everypony, what's going on here?”
A brown pony stood up from the crowd “We want that two legged creature out of our town!” a general murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd.
“Why? What did he do?” she asked.
“He hurt Minuette.” a mare shouted up at her.
"And he threw stuff at us!"
"He's dangerous! He got in a fight with the Princess."
"Won't somepony PLEASE think of the children?"
“And he broke mah wagon!” added Plowrun.
“Yeah!” shouted a dozen or so ponies in unison.
Her ears flattened “Well, if that did happen then I'm sure it was either a mistake or he had good reason.” she looked back at him questioningly.
“You're defending it? You... you're in league with it! Traitor!” a gasp of fear went through the crowd, a chorus of angry stomps joining in. Another pony added “I'll bet that it's not even from the Everfree. I think that Twilight made it in a lab or something. It's Sparkle's Monster!” murmurs of agreement joined the idea.
“What?” Raj asked, approaching the edge of the balcony “That's ridiculous. You're latching onto ignorance and calling it wisdom. You don't even know what you're saying.” Another tomato hit him in the chest. He wiped it off and screamed “Seriously, who keeps throwing those?”
“Everypony shut the Tartarus up!” came a voice from the back of the crowd that cut through the tumult.
The crowd split to reveal a plum colored pony wearing a fierce scowl “You all should be ashamed of how you've been acting.”
Raj furrowed his brow “I know that pony.”
A yellow pegasus scoffed “Pfft, how many have you had today Berry Punch? It's almost 3, so you're probably a bottle and a half deep?”
“Shutup Arrow, I'm sober as a judge you jerk.” The plum pony started walking forward “Rajrishi isn't dangerous you idiots. He's a good... whatever he is.”
“And how do you know that?” asked Plowrun.
Berry Punch glared at him and said “Because he saved my life.”
Raj's eyes widened as he remembered “The chimera...”
Berry explained to the crowd “He saved me from a chimera in the Everfree forest. If he hadn't been by, I wouldn't be standing here.”
Raj vaulted off the balcony, thudding heavily into the ground and startling some of the nearby mob. He paid them no mind and stared directly at Berry Punch “You were the mare in the woods. The one in the stump.”
She nodded “And you're the big, strong thing that fought off a bloodthirsty chimera and saved me and my cousin.”
“The brown pony. He was unconscious. Is he-”
She waved a hoof “Coconut. He's fine. Woke up about ten minutes after you left and was able to walk out on his own. Earth Ponies, we're built to last.” she smiled weakly “Thank you Rajrishi, for saving my life.”
“No problem.” he smiled back “It's what I do.”
“You hear that everypony, it's what he does!” she cast her gaze over the assembled mob “He saves ponies, not hurts them.”
“What about Minuette? He hurt her.”
“I'm not so sure about that. Minuette! I know you're there, come out.”
The crowd shuffled a bit and the blue pony in question stepped forward, glaring at the both of them “What are you doing Berry? Why are you siding with that thing?”
She ignored the question and shot back “I saw you the day you came back from the Everfree with your story and that bruise on your cheek. Is that what this is about, a bruise smaller than a bit?”
Minuette put a hoof to the spot where the bruise once was “Well, yeah I guess-”
“A bruise.” she called out “You're all going to kick the pony that saved my life, that saved my family, out of the village over a bruise?” She waited for an answer “No, no you're not.” She stomped a hoof “The way I see it, that buys him a blank slate, at the absolute least. And we don't do this to ponies with blank slates!” she hissed, eyes narrowed “Now all of you go home. You should all be embarrassed for acting like such fools. Go on, get out of here.”
The ponies in the mob looked around in confusion, some snubbing their torches in the dirt. The ones on the fringe of the crowd slunk away, likely hoping they could get away with denying they were ever a part of the mob. The rest moved away in ones and twos, heads low and eyes cast to the side. Minuette was one of the few remaining when she shot them both a venomous glare before spinning on a hoof and galloping away.
The last was Plowrun. He spat to the side and drawled “Ah expect a fixed cart in my barn come mornin'.” At that he ambled away.
Once the group was fully disbanded Raj turned to Berry Punch “Berry, thank you. I don't-”
She launched up and wrapped her legs around his waist in a hug “You owe me nothing Rajrishi.”
* * *
“...I just laid there with my eyes shut until your steps disappeared. All I could think to do was hide until Coconut started to stir. I got him on his hooves and we ran out of there and never looked back.” she took a drag from her cup of tea “I've never been more afraid in my whole life.”
“That's an awesome story Berry.” said Spike from his cushion, rocking back and forth in excitement “I liked the part where he punched the thing.”
“Thing punching is my forte Spike.” Raj shook his head “It was probably two days after that that Minuette showed up. What was she doing in there anyway?”
“Survey work for the Division of Seasons, gathering numbers on the burrows in the Everfree. She's on the animal crew again this year and she was trying to get her contribution out of the way before Winter Rollout begins this year.”
“Hmm.” Raj sounded into his teacup, pretending he understood what that meant.
“This is incredible.” said Twilight “I heard through the grapevine that something happened with a chimera in the Forest, but I wasn't sure I believed it. A chimera, this close to town... Er, not to say you're an unreliable source Berry.” she smiled weakly.
Berry Punch smirked at her “Twilight, I've worked for years to establish myself as the town lush. That comes with both good, and bad. I'd have suspicions too.” She drained her cup and set it on the floor.
Spike turned to his caretaker “Twilight, what's a lush?”
“I'll tell you when you're older.”
Berry laughed lightly “Rajrishi, I'm sorry for not stepping in earlier. I was there in the market, I should have spoken up then and headed off this whole mob business.”
Raj shrugged “It's fine. Tomatoes are far from the worst thing that's been thrown at me. Not your fault anyway, I blame the ridiculous jerks in that crowd.”
Berry simpered “That's... that's the other thing.” She lowered her head to her hooves “Please don't judge the ponies of this town harshly for what happened today, Minuette especially.”
“What? Why shouldn't I? They're all jerks, every single one of them.”
“No they're not, they're good, hard working ponies that got scared and swept up in hysteria. It happens.”
“It's true Raj.” Twilight piped in “Ponies, well, we are a herd species. We're really vulnerable to group-think and tribalism. Any perceived threat against one is a threat to the group. Most of those ponies probably didn't even know what was going on, they were just going along with the crowd.”
“And that makes it not their fault?” he asked with a sneer.
“No, it doesn't. I'm not saying they're not at fault, I'm just begging you not to be harsh on them. Most of those ponies are my friends. They're my neighbors and customers. Minuette has been my best friend for years, I know how she can be. I mean, I'd be lying if I didn't want to kick her in the face sometimes too, but you saw her and them at their worst today. Please give them another chance.” Berry looked up at him pleadingly.
Raj's mouth twitched and he let out a long breath. He reached up and ran a hand along his stained patka, resting on the knot on the back and fingering the comb underneath it. He said “I will try.”
She smiled brightly “That's all I can ask.” she stood “I should be going. Pinchy is probably very confused as to where I am. I live in the big building near the market with the painting of the bottle on it. If you ever need anything, come on by.” Berry shot him a quick wink “Especially something with a high proof.”
Berry Punch said goodbye to Spike and Twilight and trotted out. After a minute Raj laughed a bit and said “You know the worst part, we still don't have any food.”
Twilight giggled “I'm sure Spike can find something for the day.”
“Oh, you can bet I will. How does ketchup-braised potato slices sound.” the little dragon waddled into the kitchen with an optimistic look on his face.
Twilight hid her grimace and looked over at her human friend “Raj, thank you for giving Ponyville and its villagers another chance like this. I think it's very mature of you.”
Raj gave her a sideways glance and a light smirk “Yeah, 'mature', right. Was your first day in Ponyville this crappy?”
Twilight paused in thought and snorted in laughter “Oh Raj, do I have a story to tell you.”
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Xenophobic...biggot...racism...tribalism...herdism?...specism...That's a lot of problems that need to be addressed...Also, that cart pony...he should relize that it is his own fault. Fuck them and their Xenophobic ways. Human won't just lie down and let them tramble over.
5830214
^ what she said
I'll have you know, I read Rarijack.
You know, when all you do to tell who's speaking is 'she' and you have two females in the room, you do need to notate who's speaking when one cuts in to speak. Otherwise you'd get the blustering impression of one still talking when they weren't.
5831105 These are both twilights? So what?
Edit: I'm dumb my bad. He changed it in the chapter so when I read that it would also make sense for twilight to say that, as well. But he fixed it.
A bald man in a yellow jumpsuit and plain white cape suddenly appears and leans toward Raj with a sinister expression, "Don't you dare start muscling in on my shtick. I'll have to end you... in one punch."
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/029/123/5c4.png
Not once did he EVER mention that he followed Minuette all the way to Fluttershys place to apologize.
That would've taken all that Minuette was saying and rendered it null and void.
7802494
Eh, Minuette will probably twist it to him trying to finish the job, as they say