Origins: Part 3
"The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else."
- Umberto Eco
In a therapist's office, two mares sat cross-legged on cushions on the floor. One was a green earth pony wearing a yellow kerchief over her red dreadlocks. Across from her was a yellow pegasus with long flowing pink hair and big teal eyes, wearing a lab coat. Candles surrounded them in a circle and between them a stick of incense burned in a bowl. The earth mare opened her purple eyes.
"Now, Fluttershy," she said. "Have there been any…incidents since our last session?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "N-No, but…" She bit her lip. "There was this one time yesterday when…"
She hung her head in shame. The other mare leaned forward and gently raised Fluttershy's chin with her hoof.
"Don't be afraid, Fluttershy," she said soothingly. "You're in a safe space."
Shutting her eyes, Fluttershy took a deep breath. "There…there was a client who came into the clinic with her dog and…she…she was tugging too hard on the leash and…the dog was whimpering and…and…I thought I was gonna lose it."
"But you didn't, right?"
Grinning, she opened her eyes. "No, I…I did those breathing exercises you taught me and…I calmed down."
"Good, good." The earth mare leaned back. "You've made such progress, Fluttershy. For six months now, you've been bathed in positive vibes." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Your aura is cleansed."
"I'm glad."
"It might be time for you to move on from my guidance."
Fluttershy's smile vanished. "What?"
She looked back up. "I have taught you all I can. The negative energy within you has been put to rest."
"N-No! Dr. Hugger, you can't…"
Dr. Hugger held up her hoof. "No formalities, remember? Just Tree Hugger. Or Tree for short."
Fluttershy sighed. "Tree Hugger, we can't stop these sessions. I…I don't know how long I can keep this up. It…it always happens unexpectedly and…you've been so helpful. Please, you're the only one in Maretropolis I can talk to about this."
Tree Hugger's thick red eyebrows rose. "You still haven't told your roommate?"
"I…I…" She hung her head. "No. How can I? These past two months have been great and she's been so good to me. If…if she knew she might…not want to be friends anymore, let alone roommates."
"Fluttershy," Tree Hugger said, taking her hooves. "The monster in you can't hide forever. Sooner or later, all that anger you have concealed will come to a boil, and the truth will reveal itself. Those closest to you need to be forewarned so they can be prepared when that day comes.
"And besides," she continued, locking gaze with her, "trust is what builds friendship."
Slowly releasing her hooves, Fluttershy let out another sigh. "I just…don't think she'd still like me if she knew that I was…"
"You don't have to tell her now, but the longer you put it off, the harder it's gonna be." She relaxed into her cross-legged position. "Now. Let us close our eyes, and breathe in as you take in the anger you felt yesterday."
Fluttershy followed her instructions and inhaled slowly as she thought of the aggressive owner. Her hooves twitched slightly.
"Hold it," Tree Hugger said, pausing for four seconds. "Now, as you breathe out, let all the anger flow out of your chakras."
As she released her breath, Fluttershy felt all the tension leave her body. They repeated the exercise until an alarm bell rang and water sprinkled from the ceiling, making Fluttershy cry out.
"TREE HUGGER!" a voice called from outside. "ARE YOU BURNING INCENSE AGAIN?!"
"Whoops." The therapist chuckled throatily as she turned to Fluttershy. "See you next Wednesday?"
"Did you find anything?" Coco asked Rarity as the two of them walked through the streets together after work.
Sighing, Rarity shook her head. "I was in there for hours, Coco. I've looked at every bead, every fabric, every sequin, every mane clip, but found nothing."
"Apples!" a country voice called.
The two mares looked up to see a food cart attended by a blond orange earth mare wearing a Stetson and apron. Her cart was adorned with apples and related treats.
"Get yerr apples here! Apple fritters, apple pies, apple dumplings, apple fries…"
"What do you think?" Rarity asked her friend. "It'd be a nice break from the usual carrot dog or pizza."
"What are apple fries?" Coco said.
They approached the cart and the mare greeted them with a warm smile.
"What can I get y'all?"
"Might I have one of those fritters, please?" Rarity asked, licking her lips daintily.
The vendor turned to Coco. "And you, ma'am?"
"Oh. I guess I'll have the fries. Mainly because I'm not sure what they are."
She laughed. "That'll be four bits, please."
Rarity levitated four coins out of her pink raincoat.
"Oh, Rarity," Coco said, "you don't have to…"
"Tush, tush!" the unicorn said, holding up her hoof. "This is my treat."
She hovered the bits over to the vendor and picked up the fritter and fries with her magic.
"Thank ya kindly, ma'am," the vendor said as she tucked the money into her apron pocket.
After taking a bite out of the warm fritter, Rarity moaned inwardly in pleasure. "My, this is simply divine!"
Coco crunched happily on her fries. "I have no idea how you made these, but they're real tasty!"
The vendor grinned. "Glad some ponies in this town think so. Y'all have a nice day, ya hear?"
The two mares waved before continuing down the street.
"Do remind me to design something apple themed in the near future," Rarity said, taking another ladylike bite. "Once I solve this jumpsuit dilemma, of course."
Coco swallowed her fry. "What if you decorated the suits with apples? Not real ones, of course. But an apple pattern or something."
"Hmm." Her eyes lit up. "Yes, that could…" Then she frowned. "No, no, no. You're forgetting that Mistress Mare-velous has apple-shaped cufflinks. We do not want to risk a lawsuit."
"Oh," her friend said sadly, popping another fry into her mouth.
"It was a good idea, darling, but it just wasn't…"
Suddenly she stopped, took a few steps back and turned to the window of Bray Jewelers.
"What is it?" Coco asked as she squinted through the glass.
Instead of answering, Rarity threw the glass door open and galloped inside. Some of Coco's fries fell out of their pouch as she raced after her. Rarity stopped at a glass case display of two pink diamond bracelets.
"Look at those kite-cut pink diamonds, Coco!"
"They're pretty," Coco said.
"They're not just pretty." Rarity smiled widely. "They're the right color, the right shape, they would go perfectly with the indigo suit! You know, the one with the diamond pattern? And you know something?" She rubbed her chin. "If I could string a few of those gems into the model's mane and tail, it would really bring out…"
"Hold on, Rarity. They're pretty, but they're pretty expensive too."
She pointed to the price tag, making Rarity frown.
"Oh." She hung her head. "You're right. With my salary, I couldn't possibly afford them."
Coco patted her on the back. "It was a good idea, Rarity. I'm sure these diamonds would've made your jumpsuit even better."
A voice a few feet away from them spoke. "Mr. Cutter, how much for those pink diamond bracelets?"
Rarity looked up and saw a tall pink earth mare in a purple pantsuit taking out her credit card for the unicorn shopkeeper.
"And it seems some pony else has bought them anyway." She sighed. "Oh well, it was a pleasant dream while it lasted."
"That dream can be a reality."
The two mares looked up to see the tall pink mare grinning down at them, her blue eyes glinting.
"What are you talking about, ma'am?" Coco asked.
She gestured to the shopkeeper to open up the case. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's when an artist can't complete her creative vision for the ridiculous reason of not having enough money."
Rarity squinted at the mare and gasped. "Y-You're…you're Dee Tangler!"
Coco's jaw dropped. "The Dee Tangler? Creator of Tangler's Shampoo?!"
"And conditioner, and hairspray, and hair dye," Dee said with a chuckle as she ran her hoof through her long blue mane. "That's me, alright." She looked at Rarity. "And you, darling, seem like a pony who is very passionate about fashion. I've always considered mane styling to be a fashion of its own, so you can understand why I feel the need to do this for you."
Once the case was open, she handed the bracelets to Rarity. "All yours, my dear."
The unicorn gasped as the bracelets were placed in her hooves. "R-Really? B-But…I couldn't possibly…"
Dee waved her hoof. "Consider it an investment in your future, Miss…"
"Rarity."
"And what company do you work for, Rarity?"
"Polomare Fashions."
"Oh." Dee scrunched her muzzle. "I know Suri Polomare personally. She can be a hoofful, can't she?"
Coco giggled. "A little."
"Well, Miss Rarity, why don't we make a deal?" She crouched down. "I give you these diamonds, and when your outfit is completed, you will design something exclusive for me. Deal?"
Rarity shuttered in excitement as she shook the businessmare's hoof. "Deal…M-Miss Tangler."
"Please. Friends call me Dee."
She had to bite her lip to contain herself. "T-Thank you…D-D-Dee!"
The two friends squealed as they galloped out of the shop.
"That was a very generous thing to do, Miss Tangler," the shopkeeper said.
"She reminds me of myself when I was her age," Dee said. "Young, full of ideas. Who knows?" She leaned against the now empty case. "She might become as successful as I have."
When Fluttershy opened the door to her apartment, she was greeted by a brown and white dog who was barking excitedly. The dog nocked her to the floor and began licking her face.
"Hello, Wynona!" Fluttershy said, laughing. "Yes, yes, it's good to see you too!"
"Is that you, Fluttershy?" a female country voice called from another room. "I'm in the kitchen!"
Wiping the drool off her face, Fluttershy stood and trotted into the kitchen, Wynona following at her hooves. An orange mare with a freckled face was at the stove, stirring into a pot, creating a delightful aroma. A straw-colored ponytail hung out from under her Stetson and down her back. She looked at Fluttershy with bright green eyes and gave a friendly smile.
"Howdy there," she said. "Hope you're in the mood for gumbo."
"Smells delicious, Applejack," Fluttershy said, inhaling the scent.
She heard a crunching noise and looked to the counter. A small white bunny was nibbling on a carrot in a tiny bowl.
"I didn't think ya'd mind," Applejack said. "Angel there was gettin' real fussy, so I got 'im a lil' somethin'."
"Oh, it's fine," Fluttershy said. "Sorry I'm a little late tonight. I had a hard time getting a taxi from Tree Hugger's office."
"What ya keep seein' that kooky shrink for anyway?"
"Tree Hugger's not kooky. She's just…creative in her methods."
"Mmm-hmm," Applejack grunted as she turned back to the pot of gumbo. "But I've been here two months and ya haven't told me what ya need therapy for."
Fluttershy stared down at the floor. "Um…well, uh…"
"Aw, don't think ya need to be ashamed, Sugar Cube. Lots o' ponies need professional help every now and then. Why, I used to see a shrink when I was a filly, after my folks had…" She stopped stirring for a moment. "Well, anyway. None o' my business."
Fluttershy looked at her and considered. "It's for, um…" She bit her lip. "Anger management?"
Applejack paused and turned to her. Then she threw her head back in laughter, making the pegasus jump.
"You?! Anger management?!" She covered her mouth. "Yeah, right! Like you need anger management therapy! Why, just last week I broke the showerhead and you were as docile as a lamb grazin' in the fields! Seriously, some pony could rob us blind and ya wouldn't bat an eyelash!"
"You'd be surprised," Fluttershy said under her breath.
The egg timer dinged and Applejack switched off the stove.
"By the way," she said, going to the cupboard for bowls, "ya doin' anything tonight?"
"N-No," her roommate replied, shaking her head. "Why?"
"I got some tickets from a friend." She began scooping the hot soup into the bowls. "For this museum exhibit on Ancient Grace. That's why I'm makin' supper a lil' early. Ya interested?"
She handed Fluttershy a bowl and she took it.
"Is it gonna be…crowded?"
Applejack shrugged. "Might be. They're unveilin' this real important artifact called Zeus' Lightning Bolt. Supposed to be legendary."
"I don't know," Fluttershy said as she sat down at the counter.
Applejack sensed her hesitance as she sat across from her. "Ya don't have to go if ya don't wanna. It's just that…well, I don't have that many friends here in Maretropolis, and it'd be a shame to waste that extra ticket."
"No, no. I'll go. I…I like Ancient Grace. It has so many wonderful stories on animals."
Her roommate grinned. "Okay. The exhibit's at eight."
Taking their spoons, they began eating their gumbo.
"Mmm," Fluttershy said, her eyes rolling backward. "When you open your restaurant, you should definitely put this on the menu."
"Yeah, well," Applejack said as she took another spoonful. "I halfta get the apple cart rollin' first."
"How's that been going?"
She shook her head. "Not so good. Every pony on the street today was hungry for those highly-processed carrot dogs. No pony in this town wants good old-fashioned homemade goods. That reminds me." She looked apologetically at Fluttershy. "I might not be able to pay my half of the rent this month."
"It's alright," Fluttershy said, reaching across the table to touch her hoof. "I can cover the rest with my salary."
"But I don't want ya thinkin' I'm freeloadin', after ya took me in and all…"
"No really, it's fine." She smiled kindly. "If you want, we can consider the free tickets your payment for the month."
Applejack grinned in return. "You're a real peach, ya know that, Fluttershy?"
Once they had finished their meal, Fluttershy offered to wash the dishes and Applejack retreated to her bedroom. After shutting the door and window blinds, she went to her closet. Taking a key out from under her hat, she unlocked it.
Folded on a table was a red and black jumpsuit. A golden rope and black saddle carrying golden horseshoes lay on top. Applejack shut the closet door and approached the table. She looked up at the newspaper clippings scattered across the wall. The headlines read: "Longhorn Strikes Again," "Canter Creek Conquered by Cattle," "Longhorn Spotted in Dodge Junction," "Cattle Rustlers Still At Large."
One particular clipping in the center stood out to her. It showed the image of a mare and a stallion, both masked and wearing Stetsons. A lasso hung from the stallion's saddle. A tear fell from Applejack's eye as she read the headline over and over: "Round-Up Rangers Murdered."
Closing her eyes, she thought back to that horrible day. She had been just a filly, standing over her parents' newly impaled bodies. She could still hear the cruel laughter coming from the burly bull whose horns were dripping with their blood.
Applejack opened her eyes and looked at a map on the wall. It was covered in red X's, with one big circle surrounding Maretropolis. She glanced at a target. Taped onto it was a poster of a gray bull in a black Stetson. It read:
WANTED
DEAD OR ALIVE
KING LONGHORN
FOR VANDALISM, THEFT, TAX FRAUD…
"…and murder," Applejack said, reading the last two words.
Letting out a passionate cry of anger, she picked up one of her horseshoes and threw it at the target, piercing the smug-faced bull's forehead.
It was getting late, and Pinkamena had only just arrived in Maretropolis. She searched frantically for her destination.
"You lost, hon?" a carrot vendor asked.
"Kind of," Pinkamena said, looking to the earth stallion. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find Bray Jewelers, would ya?"
He pointed down the street. "Go down another five blocks, turn the corner, keep going and you'll find it on your left. But you better hurry. Shop's closing pretty soon."
"Thanks, pal!"
As soon as she started up again, an alarm broke out. She stopped and turned to the Maretropolis Bank just in time to see a pink light envelop the glass doors and make them explode. A blue unicorn in a star-patterned purple cape stepped out of the debris laughing. Moneybags hovered at her side as she placed her purple magician's hat back on her head.
"Once again," she said, "the Great and Powerful Trixie is victorious!"
Sirens blared as two police cars drove up. Four cops jumped out and pointed their pistols at the unicorn.
"Whoops," she said, reaching into the pocket of her cape. "Time for Trixie's final trick. Her disappearing act!"
As she threw her hoof down, she was suddenly encased in a puff of smoke. When it died down, Trixie and the moneybags had vanished. Pinkamena turned her head to see the crook running down the street.
"See you never!" she called tauntingly.
"Hey!" Pinkamena shouted to the cops. "She's getting away!"
The carrot dog vendor raised an eyebrow. "You're new here, aren't you?"
She cocked her head. "What do you mean by that?"
Her mane whipped to the side as something whooshed overhead. Looking up, she saw what appeared to be a pony in a peculiar costume. Pinkamena gasped at the large purple wings.
"Is that…an alicorn?!"
The vendor smirked. "Yup. Definitely a newbie."
The alicorn was so fast that she caught up with Trixie and flew into her path.
"Oh, darn it!" Trixie said, skidding to a halt. "Don't you have anything better to do than to ruin my life?"
"Don't you have anything better to do than to rob a bank?" the Masked Matter-Horn said. "Honestly, Trixie. I thought you were too good for that sort of thing."
"A girl's gotta make a living somehow. After all, my reputation as a traveling magician was destroyed by you!"
The hero rolled her eyes. "All I did was expose the fraud that you were to every pony. Not to mention you were stealing your audience's jewelry!"
She casually flipped back her platinum mane. "No pony's perfect."
She threw down another smoke bomb, making the Masked Matter-Horn cough.
"You'll never catch me, Matter-Horn!"
Trixie was now running towards Pinkamena, laughing in triumph. But the Matter-Horn was quick to recover and Pinkamena watched in awe as she shot a blue beam at Trixie.
"Freeze ray!" she shouted.
The beam missed Trixie, but hit one of the floating moneybags, encasing it in ice. It instantly dropped to the ground.
"Wow," Pinkamena uttered.
"Curses!" Trixie exclaimed. "No matter! Trixie's still got more than enough for a trip to Las Pegasus!"
The hero fired her freeze ray again, this time hitting the street.
"Ha! You miss—GAH!"
She slipped onto the ice and slid into a lamppost, making her drop the moneybags.
"Give up, Trixie!" the Matter-Horn said, hovering over her. "It's back to Balkham Asylum with you!"
Trixie hung her head. "Alright." She slowly stood. "You've got me." Her hoof slid into her cape. "Trixie will come quietly and…"
She whipped out a string of handkerchiefs, tossing it at the hero. It instantly wrapped around the Matter-Horn's eyes.
"Gah!" she cried out as she tugged at the blindfold.
"No peeking!" Trixie said as she bolted off.
She laughed as she picked up the money and galloped down the hill. She was now directly behind the rock cart. Pinkamena glanced back at the Matter-Horn, who was now using her magic to undo the blindfold. Looking back at Trixie, Pinkamena made a split-decision as she unhitched herself from the cart and kicked it with her back leg.
"Oops."
Trixie didn't see the cart coming. Pinkamena couldn't help but giggle when she heard the criminal's yelp and a crash. The police rushed over to the now broken cart and pulled the bruised unicorn out from under a pile of rocks.
"The Great," she said, wincing, "and…Painful…Trixie…never…gives…"
They slapped a metal cuff on her horn to prevent her from using magic. The Masked Matter-Horn flew over to Pinkamena.
"Thanks, citizen," she said with a salute. "Maretropolis owes you a debt of gratitude."
Pinkamena felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment as she saluted in return. She was still in awe as she watched the hero zoom off into the evening sky.
"Uh, miss?" the carrot dog vendor said. "Your cart?"
Pinkamena's heart sank as she looked back at the cart she had just destroyed. Rocks and gems had burst out of their crates and were scattered all over the street. What had she done?
"Pa's gonna kill me!"
"Ever been here before?" Applejack asked her roommate as they entered the Maretropolis Museum.
"A f-few times," Fluttershy said, looking to the side. "M-My parents used to take me and Zephyr when we were little."
As Applejack turned a corner, Fluttershy paused a moment to glance at a sign pointing to the sculpture gardens.
"Ya comin', Flutters?"
The pegasus picked up her pace. The entrance to the exhibit was blocked off by a red velvet rope. A security guard moved in front of them and held up his hoof. After seeing their tickets, he stepped to the side and unhooked the velvet rope.
"Oh my," Fluttershy said as she looked around the room nervously. "T-There certainly are a lot of p-p-ponies, aren't there?"
"Yeah." Applejack noticed how a lot of the mares were wearing expensive ball gowns and jewelry. "Real high-society types too."
She heard her friend's teeth chattering and put her foreleg around her.
"Don't you worry, Fluttershy. You just stick close to me, okay?" She pointed to the amphorae on display. "Hey, look at those jars! Let's go see what they're all about!"
Fluttershy calmed down once she saw the beautifully painted images. One amphora showed a pegasus stallion in a tunic sitting on a cloud. In his hoof was a zigzag object, which he was handing down to an earth mare. Applejack read the display label out loud.
"Found by Daring Do in the long-lost Temple of Zeus, this image is believed to represent the Gracian god Zeus granting his lightning bolt to a mortal mare. The identity of the mare is unknown." Applejack looked back up at the jar. "Ya think that bolt there really looks all zigzaggy, or maybe it's just artistic license or…?"
She then realized Fluttershy wasn't listening to her, for she was staring at another amphora. This one had the picture of a tall, peculiar creature that resembled a dragon, only his body seemed to be made of different animal parts. In its claw dangled a round pendant with lines coming out of it to show its brightness. Fluttershy's eyes seemed particularly focused on that.
"You okay?"
"Hmm?" She shook her head. "Oh, um, I'm fine. It's just…that's a pretty scary monster."
"Come on," Applejack said, taking her hoof. "Let's go look at those sculptures."
Behind the curtains of the stage, a small purple dragon with green spines was peering out at the crowd anxiously.
"Hey, you!"
The dragon cried out and nearly dropped his clipboard as he turned to the tall, gray stallion in a blue suit staring down at him with green eyes. His dark gray mane was tied back in a ponytail.
"Where's Miss Sparkle? She was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!"
"She'll be here, Mr. Fetlock!" the dragon insisted, glancing at his watch. "She, uh, just…got caught in traffic! I'm sure she'll be here any second now!"
Mr. Fetlock groaned. "Businessmares. You can never trust them to be on time."
The dragon let out a sigh of relief as the curator walked away. His ears perked up when he heard the backdoor fling open and a lavender unicorn in a purple pantsuit came running up to him.
"I'm here!" she shouted. "Sorry I'm late, I…"
"Uh, Twilight?" the dragon said, pointing to his eyes with two fingers.
Twilight's eyes crossed as she attempted to look at the bronze goggles sitting on her muzzle.
"Oh!" She chuckled as she lifted them off with her magic and tucked them into her suit. "Thanks, Spike."
"Well, Miss Sparkle," Mr. Fetlock snorted as he came up behind her. "You took your sweet time, didn't you?"
Twilight smiled innocently. "So sorry, Mr. Fetlock. There was this meeting and…"
He held up his hoof. "I don't want to hear any excuses. We've wasted enough time already."
He pushed back the curtains and went out onstage to the podium. He tapped the microphone.
"May I have your attention, please?"
The room quieted down and all eyes were on the curator.
"I would like to thank you all for coming to this event. As I'm sure you've heard, we have a very special and very rare artifact with us here today. But before we unveil it, I would like to introduce the mare whose funding has made this new exhibition possible. Mares and gentlecolts, please welcome the CEO of Sparkle Labs, Miss Twilight Sparkle."
While every pony else applauded, Applejack whispered to Fluttershy, "Who's she?"
"Twilight Sparkle's one of the richest and most successful ponies in Maretropolis," Fluttershy replied. "Her company's funded the museum, the public library, the university, and all sorts of other establishments for years."
Twilight walked onto the stage and shook Mr. Fetlock's hoof before taking his place at the podium.
"Thank you, every pony," she said in a pleasant voice. "We at Sparkle Labs value the pursuit of knowledge and the willingness to share it with the world. That is why this museum is one of my favorite places in Maretropolis. This is where history is preserved and brought to life for every pony young and old to see. Today, we have with us an artifact which, according to legend, had been a gift from Zeus himself to a mortal pony with a noble heart and soul, a weapon that only she could wield. For over a thousand years, it has been lost, but thanks to the brave endeavors of our archaeologists, it is has been recovered, and is here for your viewing pleasure. Mares and gentlecolts, I present to you, Zeus' Lightning Bolt."
She stepped to the side as the curtains opened. The necklace was placed high on a pedestal with a glass case protecting it. The crowd oohed at the sight.
"Huh," Applejack said. "I thought it'd be bigger."
Twilight came back to the mic. "And now, the brave archaeologist who led the expedition to retrieve the lightning bolt will be taking questions from the press. Mares and gentlecolts, Miss Daring Do."
The audience clapped and whistled as the famous adventurer stepped out in her green suit. Backstage, Rainbow Dash, in her blue suit and tie, let out a sigh.
"Something wrong?" Spike asked.
"She's gonna leave me out again," Rainbow said.
"Miss Do," one of the reporters asked, "did you run into any trouble while retrieving the lightning bolt?"
"We did have a run-in with my old enemy Ahuizotl," Daring said, "but other than that, it was a cinch."
"How did you fight him off?" another reporter asked.
Rainbow watched Daring as she bit her lip.
"I, um…it was easy. I kicked his catty minions off me and they scattered away in fear."
Rainbow let out a groan. "At least that's half the truth."
"I know how you feel," Spike said. "It's not easy being the assistant to some pony famous." He leaned forward to whisper. "You know what Twilight's had me do?"
She crouched lower in interest. "What?"
"Her pencil broke, and she asked me to get a new one, but I couldn't find any in her office, so I had to go all the way down from the twenty-fifth floor to the basement to get one! You wanna know what the worst part of it was?"
"What?"
He winced. "The elevator was out of order!"
Her jaw dropped. "Wow."
"I know, right?" He sighed. "But it's not like I hate her for it or anything. Twilight raised me from an egg. She's like a mom to me, or at least a big sister. I never knew my real parents. I'm lucky to have her."
Rainbow hung her head. "It's not that I don't appreciate working with Daring, but sometimes I'd like a little credit for all I do for her. For example, she wouldn't've made it out of that temple alive if I hadn't…"
She paused when she caught a sideways glare from her boss.
"…h-helped a little."
Mr. Fetlock returned to the podium. "If there are no further questions, please, help yourselves to the buffet we have prepared and enjoy the rest of the exhibition. No flash photography, please."
The crowd murmured as they went back to mingling. Daring Do retreated backstage.
"Dash," she said, grabbing her assistant by the foreleg. "A word?"
Rainbow waved weakly to Spike before she was dragged behind the curtain leg and flipped around to face her boss, who did not look happy.
"I thought we agreed not to talk about what happened in the Temple of Zeus."
"But Boss," Rainbow said. "Why do we have to keep the bolt here in a museum? I mean…I was able to use its power. Doesn't that mean it belongs to me or something?"
"It's too much power for one pony!" Daring snapped. "You wouldn't be able to handle it!"
"But…it chose me…"
She grabbed her by the shoulders. "The lightning bolt is a historical artifact. It belongs in a museum. I know it gave you a taste of power, but it's dangerous power, Dash, power you don't know how to use."
She grinned weakly. "I could learn…"
"The answer is no. The bolt stays here in the museum where it can't do any harm. Just forget about what happened in the temple and don't ever bring it up again."
"But…"
Daring poked her in the chest. "That's an order!" She sighed and moved past her. "Now come on, let's go mingle."
Hanging her head, Rainbow followed her. "Whatever ya say, Boss."
On the other side of the stage, Spike was catching up to Twilight as she stepped down into the fray.
"That was a close call just now, Twilight," he whispered. "Just this week you've been late to three board meetings, two charity auctions, a gala, and an opera! I know you wanna help keep Maretropolis safe, but you can't keep this up on your own."
Twilight sighed. "I know, Spike, but the city depends on the Masked Matter-Horn. If she suddenly stopped coming to save the day…"
"I didn't say you had to stop being the Matter-Horn. I'm just saying you could use a little help." He suavely brushed back his spines. "Maybe a sidekick you can trust to always be there for you?"
She shook her head. "I have thought about it, but Mistress Mare-velous doesn't want to team up."
He frowned. "Actually, I was talking about…"
"Twilight! Yoo hoo!"
Twilight looked up to see two mares at the punchbowl. One was Dee Tangler, the other a pink unicorn with a purple mane streaked with blue, wearing a maroon pinstriped suit.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight said, "Time to mingle with the other business elite."
"Want me to make an excuse?" Spike asked.
"No, no. You go take a break and get something to eat."
He licked his lips. "If you say so."
"Not the jewels! They're part of the display!"
"Twilight, over here!" the pink unicorn called again.
Taking a deep breath and putting on a smile, Twilight approached the pair. "Dee, Starlight! Always a pleasure to see you girls!"
"Wonderful speech there, darling!" Dee said. "And I must say your mane looks absolutely gorgeous today!"
"Well," she replied, brushing her hoof through her mane, "I've been using your shampoo and conditioner." She turned to the other mare. "So Starlight, how are things at Glimmer Industries?"
"Splendid!" Starlight exclaimed. "One of our scientists has made a breakthrough on cutie mark magic! Imagine: making cutie marks appear before you realize your special talent!"
The corners of Twilight's mouth dropped a little. "That sounds…nice, but…wouldn't that defeat the purpose of discovering one's talent for oneself?"
"Maybe, but think of how much we could make on the cream! I'm thinking of calling it," she said as she held up her hoof to emphasize each word, "'Cutie Mark Revealer!'"
Dee scoffed. "That's nothing. Wait until you hear what my scientists are working on. You know how most mane growth formulas can take weeks, even months to take effect?"
Starlight nodded. "Those things never work!"
"Well," she said, running her hoof through her luscious mane. "What if I told you we're on the verge of creating a formula that could cause a mane to grow in seconds?"
The two mares' jaws dropped.
"That's not possible," Twilight said.
Dee smirked. "Not for long."
"Twilight Sparkle!" a reporter called, trotting up to her. "Can I get an interview with you for the Grand Galloping Gazette?"
"Of course." She grinned at the businessmares. "Excuse me."
As soon as she turned around, Twilight dropped her smile. Once she was out of hearing, Dee and Starlight too stopped smiling and let out equal groans.
"I can't stand her," Starlight said.
"I know," Dee said, sipping her punch. "She's too…chipper!"
"She's going to steal my Cutie Mark Revealer idea. I just know it!"
"Now, now, Starlight," Dee said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Remember, it's better to be allies in the business world than competitors." As she walked away, she mumbled under her breath, "Besides, it's a stupid idea."
Starlight scoffed once she was alone. "Mane growth formula! Like that'll ever work!"
At the buffet table, Fluttershy and Applejack were assembling dishes of fruit. The latter was glancing cautiously around the room.
"Is everything alright?" Fluttershy asked.
"Hmm?" Applejack said, turning her head sharply.
"You've seemed a bit…anxious all evening. And that's saying a lot coming from me."
"It's nothing. I was just…"
"Fluttershy?"
The two of them spun around and Fluttershy gasped at the pony coming towards her.
"Rainbow Dash!"
She bounded to her and wrapped her hooves around her neck.
"What are you doing here?" Fluttershy asked as she pulled away.
"I'm here with Daring Do," Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm, uh, kinda her assistant now."
"Really? That must be exciting!"
"Fluttershy, who is this?" Applejack asked.
"Oh! How rude of me! Rainbow, this is my roommate Applejack. Applejack, this is my old friend Rainbow Dash. We were in flight camp together."
"Hi," Rainbow said, sticking out her hoof.
"Pleased to make yerr acquaintance," Applejack said, shaking it. "So, did ya help Daring Do get that there lightning bolt?"
"Oh yeah. Let me tell you, it wasn't as easy as she made it sound. She was pinned to the ground by Ahuizotl's carnivorous cats. Ahuizotl tried to steal the lightning bolt, but it shocked him! It landed right next to my hoof, so I grabbed it and…"
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her boss talking to Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow swallowed her words and sighed.
"It…shocked me too and…distracted the cats long enough for Daring to beat them up and scare them away."
"I still think it was brave of you to try, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "I know I would've froze up in a situation like that."
"Keep it up," Applejack said, playfully punching Rainbow in the shoulder, "and ya might just get into some real action one day."
"Yeah," Rainbow said as she gazed longingly at the bolt on display. "One day."
Across the room, Daring Do was scrutinizing the crowd.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Miss Do," Twilight said. "No pony in their right mind would try and rob a museum while it's open."
"You don't know Ahuizotl," Daring said. "He's not afraid to make his presence known."
Suddenly she stiffened.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
Ignoring her question, Daring bolted towards the curator.
"Mr. Fetlock!" she called.
"Yes?" the curator groaned, spinning around.
She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in so she could whisper. "The security guards. Where did you find 'em?"
"Oh, them?" He glanced at the two burly guards near the display case. "They're new, but they have excellent references."
She pulled him closer. "Where did they say they were from?"
"Someplace in Central Amare-ica, I gather. Foreign fellows."
Daring squinted as a third guard walked onto the stage. His face was concealed by his hat, but Daring could just make out the stubble on his tan chin. She pushed through the crowd as the guard got closer to the display case.
"Caballeron, stop!"
The guard turned sharply and sent the archaeologist a toothy smile.
"Looks like we will have to resort to Plan B, boys!" he called out in a foreign accent.
All the security guards pulled out their guns on the crowd, who gasped in horror.
"Guard the exits!" Caballeron ordered.
Ponies tried to make a dash for it, but even the guards at the exits appeared to be minions of Caballeron as they prevented the guests with their weapons.
"I wasn't expecting you, Caballeron," Daring said boldly. "Whaddya want the bolt for? Power? Money?"
"Eh," Caballeron said with a shrug. "A little bit of both. You see, not only was I paid to retrieve the bolt, but my employer has also offered me a seat of power under his new regime."
"Your employer?"
A blood-curdling hiss echoed throughout the room and Ahuizotl stomped through the entrance, his carnivorous cats dutifully following him.
"That would be me, Daring Do!"
He snapped his tail fingers and the cats dispersed into the crowd. Every pony screamed as they were herded into corners.
"Stay where you are," Caballeron shouted, "and no pony gets hurt!"
"And should any pony call the police…" Ahuizotl said.
He whipped his tail to knock a cell phone out of a pony's hoof.
"You won't get away with this!" Daring exclaimed.
Ahuizotl and Caballeron chuckled.
"But we already have!" the latter said as he turned to his henchponies. "Subdue her!"
The two fake guards leaped at the adventurer, but she held them off with her kicks and punches. As the fight continued, Applejack pulled Fluttershy behind one of the display cases.
"Stay here," she told her before rising back up.
"Where are you going?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"To get help."
Fluttershy raised her eyebrow in confusion as Applejack ducked under the buffet table. Glancing around to make sure she was alone, Applejack took off her hat where her costume and weapons were stored.
As Ahuizotl's tiger closed in on a group of ponies, Twilight crept against the wall and slipped into the restroom. She used her magic to throw the stalls open. Once she was assured that they were empty, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the spell.
Terra, pennae, cornibus, she thought repeatedly. Terra, pennae, cornibus.
Her horn illuminated as she thought harder.
Terra, pennae, cornibus. Terra, pennae, cornibus.
Her back lit up as something started to emerge.
Terra, pennae, cornibus. TERRA, PENNAE, CORNIBUS!
Large lavender wings sprouted, tearing through her suit. Her horn sent another surge of power and slowly encased her from head to hoof. As it did, her mane and outfit transformed into those of the Masked Matter-Horn and a mask and goggles appeared on her face. Once the transformation was complete, she smiled into the bathroom mirror and said:
"Time to declaw some bad kitties."
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The Twin
Great Chapter can't wait to see how Rainbows gonna get thebolt without exposing her identity to the world. Fluttershy will go rage mode for sure. But what I don't understand is how Pinkie gonna get her powers and how are they all gonna become team mates after this?
P.S. what was that pendent Discord was holding in the picture?
This is very well thought!
Now, it's time for some flank bucking!
Fanfic favourited.
Thanks for reminding me of that horrible arc where the whole problem could have been solved with Twilight exerting her authority on a pack of bullies.
But other than that, decent story so far.
I have a feeling Discord has something to do with Fluttershy's "condition."
Hmm....goggle translate says that "cornibus" means "horns".
Is there something we're not getting? :-/
...
Calling it now, this is the future Mane-iac
7786634
I think too. Then there is Glimmer Industries... Iron Mare incoming?
Hey there. Thanks very much for getting this next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Once again, great job on the exchanges, action, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I particularly liked the glimpses of the heroes in their civilian identities. And, yeah, that was a pretty good glimpse into AJ's origins in this universe. Spike also makes a great mixture of Alfred and Lucius as well as Robin, later on . At any rate, I will definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
7786512
Devas is not wrong here; "cornibus" is generally plural (nominative singular is "cornu") for horns or like objects (unless used in reference to the horn, the musical instrument). This is where the "corn" part in the word "unicorn" comes from (unicorn literally means "one horn"). The only "wings" it really refers to is that it does have a second meaning that refers to the "arm" or "wing" of an army, but not really the wings you'd be looking for.
Additionally, "cornibus" is the term in the ablative/dative cases, and would translate a bit more like "to horns" or "of horns." Nominative case would probably be better, which, pluraled, would be "cornua" (which would translate as just "horns")...again assuming the word actually referred to wings as intended.
So I would instead suggest "alae," (nominative plural) which is a better word for the type of wings intended.
Since I was already at it, I also checked "terra" and "magicae," but don't worry, those are correct (though "magicae" is plural (unless used in genitive or dative cases which is spelled the same), and would technically translate as "magics"...it's also a feminine spelling, but in this case doesn't really factor in as it's not being used as part of a complete sentence, and anyway, the feminine form feels appropriate, considering the story's cast
).
Apologies if this is a bit of an information overload, but I did study some Latin in college so since the subject got brought up, I'd thought I'd try and help clear things up.
7788230 I think you are right about cornibus, but not so much on "alae," as that apparently refers to a squadron or armpit.
Nevertheless I'll make some changes.
You just couldn´t help it, could ya?
also, Daring Do is acting like kind of a jerk, IMO.
Ooh, I can't wait to see what happens next! I gotta wonder though, if you do add in Discord, what kind of villain would he be like? Joker? Loki? Or some combo of the two? I don't know, I'll just need to wait and see I guess.
7786727
I think Starlight's supposed to be "The Equalizer" as mentioned in the synopsis. But, I think her character might lean more toward Lex Luther than Iron man.
Great chapter, so many characters! You're doing a great job with this and I'm excited to see where this is headed! How is Rainbow Dash going to get the Lightning Bolt without anyone finding out? Hmm...
7789369
Not sure... Her group's name could have been Glimmer Corp.
7788431
*views changes* That works too!
7789447 yeah cornibus sounded too cool 4 me 2 get rid of
Balkham Asyi BALKHAM ASYLUM?! Really? I haven't laughed this hard reading one of your fics sense the balls joke in dod. XD
7789790 And I just realized how ridiculous that sounded.
7789790 can't take credit 4 it. The comics came up with it
That spell of Twilight's actually makes for a good reference to Raven.
Obvious Mane-iac is so very obvious.
Not sure who would be the traditional bank-heist hero-fodder, but Trixe would do it.
;D
(Snaps) I got it! The perfect role for my OC in my headcanon of this story!Which was bad. The new HC is that my OC is CEO of a big shipping and experimental transportation company. Hyperloops, electric cars, that stuff. And #BigBossBoats
I'm so glad I found this. I placed this story in my "Worth a Read" bookshelf but after this chapter. The world building is too good for me to second guess it. Top shelf buddy, you deserve it.
Dee Tangler is going to become the Mane-iac isn't she?
7949000 that was my first thought.
This is SO FUN TO READ!!!! Everything is getting exciting now. I love how the characters are all interacting like they are.
Captain Marvel (Billy Batson, the DC one) shifts forms with a secret word.
The way AJ uses her horseshoes is like American Maid from The Tick
Trixie could be several Spider-Man villains, but I'll go with Ring Master, although he usually has several other carnie acts to help him
I can also take a wild guess on "Who's going to be the Mane-iac?"
In the case of Twilight, I believe she was actually Green Arrow. It makes sense, since he has an arrow for anything, while Twilight has a spell for anything. As for the spell, it reminds me more of Shazam.
I wonder if Longhorn is going to wind up with Joker Immunity ...
And Zephyr gets a mention, so now i'm wondering when/if we'll see the CMC?
Hmmm ... hires brand new guards for his "big unveiling" of a supposedly mystical artifact, that just happen to work for the bad guy, and was informed before hand that a well know criminal (terrorist? nut job? what is Ahuizotl anyway?) had already made an attempt to acquire said artifact. I think Fetlock may have been in on the robbery.
7786346
At a guess, I'd say the Alicorn Amulet.
A nod to a good many future villains in this chapter.
I'm guessing Dee Tangler would look similar to this person's redition of how she formerly looked like as seen in cartoon?
pre00.deviantart.net/4608/th/pre/f/2013/358/c/c/cc5caa94c35aeed9cb3bd177d03832e6-d6z7mrr.png
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/1/1a/The_Mane-iac_pre-vat_ID_S4E6.png/revision/latest?cb=20131223150753
8973615
Pretty much
Not going to lie, I would totally read that, if only for the novelty of it taking place in a superhero setting, with Twilight running around solving mysteries like a member of mystery incorporated.