Dashie: Twenty Percent Cooler

by Kieva Lynn

Eight

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own MLP, nor am I in any way affiliated with the author of the story this fic is based upon.

XXXXXXX

Chapter Eight

Earth, Port Timbrey: Brian had enjoyed the day with his friends immensely. A chance to reconnect with those he had lost touch with and get him mind off of the losses of Miri and Rainbow. As the sun was setting, he found himself seated on a park bench in a local amusement park, people watching as thousands of guests wandered by in differing directions.

Solomon approached and sat next to him. “I know what you're thinkin' man.” He said, “Who would've thought this city would turn around so completely?”

Nodding, Brian agreed. “Yeah, back when I left there's no way a place like this could've stayed in business, let alone did this well.”

“I'm curious man, would you have stayed if you'd known things were gonna get better?”

“No, I couldn't have... There were other concerns I had to take care of.”

“Well, we've missed you. I'm glad you're back.”

“Thanks, though I'm not sure I'm really back. I think I'll probably go traveling some more soon, y'know, see the world. I've never done that before.”

Solomon favored Brian with a skeptical look. “Yeah, 'cause that's not like you. What are you runnin' from?”

Knowing that he couldn't successfully lie to his friend, Brian simply answered “Memories.”

“Well I guess I can understand that some. Alright, I won't push, but if you ever wanna talk about it some more, well, let me know alright?”

“I will.”

“Alright man. Well, I better be getting' home, Wife and kids all worry when I'm out late.” Solomon rose and walked away towards the park entrance. Brian waited a few more minutes, then stood, stretched, and found the facilities. He didn't notice the pair of men shadowing him, nor that they took positions outside the lavatory doors and waited.

After washing his hands, Brian noticed that this particular restroom had entry doors at both ends, an unusual design but one which made sense for the design of the park. Realizing that the far door was closer to the parking lot than the one he had used, he exited that way.

Outside, the two men grew impatient with waiting and followed Brian's path into the facilities, where they found out they had made a mistake; their quarry was long gone. Cursing, one of them contacted his boss and reported what had happened. “Don't worry about it.” was the reply, “I've already got men on the back-up plan...”

XXXXXXX

As Miri drove through the streets of Port Timbrey, Rainbow stared out the tinted car windows in surprise. “Wow. This doesn't look anything like it used to.” She said.

“Yeah, I guess the new businesses helped out the economy a lot. So, where was your old house?”

“South side. No point in goin' that way though, the whole neighborhood was torn down after we left.”

“Well, we'll go take a look in the morning anyway.” Miri said. “For now, I just want to find a nice motel for the night.”

“Sounds good!” Pinkie said from the back seat. “I could use a good night's sleep.”

“Pinks, you've been out for four hours.” Dash answered. “You only woke up like ten minutes ago!”

“Well wall-hopping really takes it out of you.”

“Wall... what?”

“Never mind.” Pinkie stared out the windows along with Dash, and a sign caught her eyes. “Ooh!” She exclaimed, pointing to a twenty-story building with a sign that read 'Carlton Hotel,' “How about that place!?”

Miri snorted. “No. Way. In. Hell. The Carlton? All the money I've ever made in my life might pay for one night. Besides, how would I get the two of you into the room unseen? No, what we need is a cheap cockroach-ridden hole where they'll give me a hidden back room or something.”

Miri drove on, out of the downtown area, into the western suburbs, finally catching sight of a promising option. She parked in front of the motel office, switched off the engine, and said “Stay. Here. I'll be right back.”

Pinkie said “Why would she tell you that? You know you can't be seen.”

“I think she was talking to you Pinks.” Dash answered. “You're not exactly subtle.”

“I know! Isn't it cool?”

After several minutes Miri returned, restarted the car, and drove around the building. “We're in luck. I told the managers I needed a nice quiet room where I wouldn't be disturbed, so they put us all the way to the back.” Miri parked again, got out, unlocked the room. Then after looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she motioned for the ponies to join her.

Inside, they found a typical motel room, two beds, two lamps, a television with the remote bolted to a nightstand. The colors clashed horrifically, bright orange walls, lime green carpets, bedspreads in purple and red. “Holy schmoly!” Pinkie exclaimed. “It looks like a rainbow got sick and puked all over everything!”

“Yeah.” Dash agreed. She looked over at Miri, “Be glad Rarity's not here, she'd either go into seizures or run screaming out into the night.”

Miri chuckled. “It's typical cheap-motel fare. It doesn't have to look good, you've just got to be able to sleep in it.” She excused herself to the bathroom.

Rainbow trotted over to the nightstand. “They bolted down the remote?” She asked, shaking her head in disbelief. “Oh well, let's see if they've got cable I wanna check on the NASCAR circuit.”

The moment Dash pushed the power button, Pinkie's head swiveled towards the television. “Ooh!”

“Yeah, pretty cool huh?” Rainbow said. “It's like radio but with movies too.” She started flipping through the channels, quickly finding a sports station.

Ten minutes later Miri came back into the main room, finding the ponies focused on the T.V. As she turned down the covers on her bed she said “Don't stay up too late, we've got an early start tomorrow.”

“No big, I'm done once I find out who's won the races since I left.”

“Alright... G'night...” Miri was sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

XXXXXXX

Having lost track of Brian, the men pursuing him set their backup plan into motion. One group followed Solomon, and another went after Thomas and Sara. In each case, the quarry was struck over their heads from behind and dragged to a waiting van, then driven to an empty warehouse and tied up in chairs. It was several hours before they were all awake, confused, and scared. “What's going on?” Sara demanded. “Where are we?”

“No idea love.” Thomas answered. “But we've got to find out...” He gathered his courage then shouted “Hello!? Anyone there?”

The sound of approaching footfalls echoed through the empty building, and a single man came into sight. This was the same man who had followed Brian out of the pub earlier in the day, though none of them had seen him. “Well well, you're all awake. Good.”

“What's this about?”

“In point of fact it's about your friend.”

“Brian? What about Brian?”

The man sighed. “Well, I guess you do at least deserve the whole story... You remember several years ago, that weird sonic boom light show thing that happened? Well, it's like this...” The man then told them a story about how, after the event, the government and military had tried and failed to determine what it was that had happened. Part of the reason they had failed was because the event created static that destroyed images from cameras in the city. A couple of years later, he had joined the army on a scholarship program. He did well in electronics, and was eventually assigned to take another look at the fried camera hard drives to see if he could reconstruct their data.

“Most of them were a total bust. But there was one, from near a little park on the south side of town, that I got an image. Your friend, running away just after the blast with somethin' tucked under his arm.”

“Oh come on!” Thomas shouted. “There's no way Brian built some kind of bomb, that's not him!”

Solomon added “And besides, why would the army grab us instead of just going after Brian? And why wait all this time?”

With a predatory grin the man said “Never said I was still army. See, I was never the most dedicated soldier, all I wanted was the money and experience. When I found that image, I knew it was more lucrative to me to keep it to myself. So I made a copy of my own, then destroyed the original, told my superiors I didn't find anything. Waited 'til I was discharged, took the info straight to the boss of this town, Don Calamari.”

“Great, we're in it with the mob now...” Thomas lamented.

“It's not so bad. We'll let's ya live so long as you help us get this Brian and keep yer mouths shut. See, we couldn't find him. I guess he musta left town. Didn't know he was back 'til I saw him at the pub.”

“And now you want us to betray our friend?” Sara scoffed.

“You got it babe. No rush, think it over, talk it over, I'll be back in a few hours... With a guy named Needles in case you still say no. He's well named, Needles...” And with the threat still in the air, the mystery man walked away...

XXXXXXX

Miri woke early the next morning to the sound of music. “WHO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA!!!!” Boomed the television. Pinkie, seated on the other bed next to a sleeping Rainbow Dash, was riveted to the screen.

“Ugh... Did you never sleep?”

“Oh, sure for awhile!” The pink pony answered. “Then I woke up and figured this thing out and found the coolest thing ever!” She gleefully exclaimed.

“Blurgh...” Rainbow grumbled. “It's too early Pinkie...” Her ears swiveled to face the television. “Oh wow you found Spongebob! I loved that show when I was a filly.”

“Yes!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping up and down, “Spongebob is awesome! I'd love to go there and throw an 'Under The Sea' theme party!”

“Um, Pinkie, Spongebob isn't actually real-” Miri stopped, realizing who she was talking to. “Nevermind.”

“Hard to be sure isn't it?” Dash asked. “Though, knowing Pinkie, I wouldn't put it past her to get there even if it is just a story.”

Miri simply shook her head. “I'm gonna need counseling before this is all over, I just know it.” Pulling on her shoes, she said “Wait here, I saw a donut shop across the street, I'll go get us breakfast then we'll head to the park...”

An hour later, everyone cleaned, fed, and caffeinated (well, no caffeine for Pinkie, that would be apocalyptic) they drove to the south side of the city, and found the old park. Miri and Rainbow got out, admonishing Pinkie to stay put until they returned. Unwilling to take any risk, Miri got a Pinkie promise out of her to that effect.

“They repaired everything.” Dash said, looking around. “Oh, hey, look here!” She flew over to a large oak tree. “This is where I learned to fly!”

“That's cool.” Miri looked around. “No Brian though... Dash, we've not thought this through... How will we find Brian even if he is in town? It's a big city, and it's not like we can send up a sign saying 'Hey Brian, here we are!'”

A grin spread across Rainbow's face. “Maybe we can... Wait here, I'll be right back.” Before Miri could stop her, Rainbow spread er wings and rocketed into the skies over the city, flying in ever fast circles higher and higher. Then she dived, straight down, at incredible velocities until...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miri's jaw dropped open at the spectacle of rainbow rings spreading through the sky above her. Rainbow returned moments later and landed next to her. “Only other time I did one on earth was right here. If Dad's in town, he'll know. He'll come. All we do now is wait.”

And wait they did, for nearly an hour, before a car familiar to both of them appeared around a bend and drove towards another parking lot on the far side of the small park. Miri running, Dash flying, they rushed across the park.

Brian parked and got out of his car. He still wasn't sure what to expect. He knew what he had seen, what it had to mean. But how could she be back? Was he just imagining things now? Surely- A voice sounded behind him. “Dad!!!” He turned just in time to be bowled over by his daughter crashing into his chest and wrapping her forelegs around him. Crying now, Brian returned the hug.

“Dashie! Dashie I'm so glad to see you but how...?”

“It's a long story.”

“I've missed you so much...”

“I missed you too dad. And I'm not the only one, either.” Rainbow looked over her shoulder and Brian followed her gaze... ...to Miri.

Getting back to his feet, releasing Rainbow who continued to hover close by his side, he approached her. He was still crying, and he could see that Miri was as well. “Brian...” She said, “Brian, I am so sorry-” Brian cut her off, grabbing her close and kissing her deeply.

“Way to go Pops.” Rainbow chuckled.

Comments

[Ron Jeremy Pony]

Awwwwwww... That's sweet. Thanks for the update to the story.

[Purple Pony]

Who is Rainbow's favorite driver? Just from attitude and sheer skill, probably Kyle Busch.