The Mane-Raising Joke: Part 2
"I think all of us have a hero and a villain in us."
- Anson Mount
Dee Tangler's former assistants were cleaning out her office.
"What are we gonna do with all these mirrors?" Blowdry asked.
"You remember what Miss Tangler always said," Comb said as he checked his mane in a mirror. "You can never have too many mirrors."
"She certainly was a mare who knew how to care for herself," Shampoo said, sighing as he picked up one of the many desk photographs of Dee.
Scissors, who was carrying a rolled up carpet, shrugged. "Yeah. Until she fell off the catwalk anyway."
He cried out as Blowdry smacked him upside the head.
"What?" Scissors asked. "Too soon?"
"Imagine if the boss were to hear ya say something like that!" Blowdry said.
"Well the boss ain't here, ain't she?"
Suddenly, the door swung open and the four stallions jumped. A dark, withered figure stood in the doorway, panting heavily. They backed away at the sight of her enormous mane, which sparked with electricity, and her piercing red and green eyes.
"Mirror," she said, her voice low and hoarse.
"I-I'm sorry!" Scissors said, sticking his chest out. "You're trespassing!"
"Yeah!" Blowdry said with a squeak. "T-This building's property of Dee Tangler!"
"I know." The mare stuck her dark blue face into the light, still dripping with green goop. "I own the place."
"W-What?" Comb asked, his lip quivering. "W-Who are…?"
Her eyes flicked in his direction. "None of you…recognize me?"
Shampoo gulped. "S-Should we?"
She then spotted the boxes containing her things. Growling, she glared at the stallions.
"So," she said, taking threatening steps forward. "I'm dead for a few hours…"
The stallions screamed as one of her locks of hair snapped towards them, wrapping itself around Blowdry's middle. Three more locks came for the others.
"And you decide," she said, her hair bringing all four stallions to her face, "to raid my office," her teeth gritted together before she shouted, "AS IF IT'S SUDDENLY ALL YOURS?!"
All their manes were standing on end.
"Wait a minute," Shampoo said. "I know that bellow." He squinted at her. "M-Miss…T-Tangler?"
Blowdry gasped. "Boss?"
"You're alive?" Comb asked. "What's happened to you?"
"You could say," Dee said, chuckling, "that little toxic bath gave me quite the makeover."
"Wow," Shampoo said. "You look…"
"Awful," Scissors said.
"Shush!" Comb whispered in panic.
"WHAT?!" Dee shouted, dropping the stallions and making them shriek. "Mirror! Now!"
Scissors grunted as he rubbed his sore backside. "Which one?"
"Any one! UGH! You useless…"
She mumbled under her breath as she made her way to the trifold mirror. What she saw made her gasp. Leaning forward, she got a closer inspection of her abnormal eyes. She then moved back and touched the dark fur on her face. Then her hooves went up to her mane and spread out, unable to meet the ends.
"My mane," she murmured. "My beautiful mane…"
"I think it's a good color on you, Boss!" Blowdry said, nodding rapidly as he nudged Scissors in the side.
"Err, yeah!" Scissors said, forcing a smile. "Matches your…eyes!"
"And goes well with that indigo complexion," Comb said, rubbing his hooves together nervously.
"And, um," Shampoo said as he stepped over one of the wriggling locks, "quite lively too."
"And soft!" Comb knelt down to brush his hoof over one of the locks. "Oh, but a bit knotty too. Don't worry! I can fix those if you'd like!"
"Yes!" Scissors said, examining the length of the hair. "I can also trim it!"
"We can even dye it back to its original color!" Shampoo insisted. "Or something new if you'd like!"
"Are you kidding?" Dee said.
When she turned around to face them, her pupils had shrunk and her mouth was curved into a crooked, toothy smile. The sight made the assistants flinch.
"It's," Dee said, lifting the locks of her mane in her hooves, "gorgeous!" She let out a laugh that sounded like a broken record. "Phenomenal! Bold! And, more importantly," she cackled as her mane rose above her head, "practical!"
One lock snapped toward one of the boxes and grabbed a framed newspaper clipping. It showed a picture of Dee Tangler cutting the ribbon in front of the shampoo factory. Twilight Sparkle was standing with the other business ponies nearby.
"I'd almost thank that Sparkle for ruining my life," Dee said, staring at the picture suspended from her hair. "That is," she scowled, "if she hadn't ruined my life!" She crushed the frame in her mane, sending splinters everywhere. "She's going to pay."
"You wanna sue her, Miss Tangler?" Shampoo said, pulling out his planner. "I'm sure we'll have our case given the physical and…psychological effects of your accident…"
He yelped as his planner was knocked out of his hoof by Dee's mane.
"This isn't a matter of money, Shampoo," she said, using her lower locks to lift her body off the floor. "She destroyed my company, my reputation, my mane! She should pay with her life!"
"Are you suggesting," Blowdry said with a gulp, "murder?!"
"What are you?" Scissors asked, quivering. "Some kind of maniac?"
Dee darted her eyes at him, and he shrank under her gaze. He was certain she was going to hurt him with her hair, but then she surprised him with a dark chuckle.
"Yes," she said, looking into the many mirrors on the wall. "Yes I am."
In Twilight Sparkle's penthouse apartment, Spike slowly opened the door to his guardian's bedroom.
"Pssst," he whispered. "Twilight?"
"Spike?" Groaning, Twilight rose from her large, purple, circular bed and rubbed her eyes. "Why aren't you asleep?"
Sighing, Spike walked into the room. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I…I see her…falling." He sat on the edge of her bed. "And I hear her scream…her awful scream…and I…I see her trip…on…on my pencil…my pencil…"
"Oh, Spike," Twilight said, holding out her hooves. "Come here."
Spike crawled up into her embrace and she tenderly stroked his spines.
"It's been three days," she said. "And it was all an…"
"I know…I know it was an accident," Spike said, sniffing. "But I…I can't help thinking that…it's my fault."
"Shhh," Twilight whispered soothingly. "I know." She hung her head. "I…I feel like it's my fault too. I…I could've helped her, but…I…I was too slow…"
He looked up at her. "It's not like you can save every pony."
"But I'm the Masked Matter-Horn, Spike. If…if I wasn't so worried about revealing myself, I…I would've been quicker…"
"At least you weren't the one that made her fall."
Twilight looked down at his downtrodden face and sighed. "Why don't you sleep in here tonight? We'll keep each other company."
Wiping away a tear, Spike nodded. Twilight lifted the covers for him to crawl under so that they could snuggle together. Although having a bedmate usually prevents one from sleeping, it eased the anxiety of both the mare and dragon, and they were fast asleep within the hour.
Unfortunately, this meant they were unable to notice the shadowy figure at the window. A glowing pair of red and green eyes glared through at the two in the bed. The locks of the figure's mane moved downward and carefully started to lift the window.
The window had only been moved an inch, and an alarm sounded, accompanied by a flashing red light. Spike screamed as he jumped out of bed, while Twilight flopped to the floor.
"What's going on?!" Spike shouted, holding his head as he waddled anxiously in place. "Burglar? Axe murderer?!"
Looking up, Twilight saw the shadow retreat from the window.
"I don't know," she said, lighting her horn, "but I'm gonna find out. Spike, call the police."
Spike watched as she muttered her spell and began to transform. "What do I tell 'em?"
"Tell them there's been an attempted break-in and that Twilight Sparkle went to recuperate in the bathroom," she said once she was in full disguise, "and that the Masked Matter-Horn's chasing the suspect."
Using her magic, she opened the window and flew out. The Masked Matter-Horn rose above the city and searched for the suspect. Then she spotted movement down Canter Street. She whooshed down towards the shadow and gasped when she saw its strange, enormous shape. The creature's silhouette resembled that of an octopus, its tentacles stretching out in all directions, snapping themselves onto buildings and propelling the suspect's body forward.
Shaking off her surprise, the Matter-Horn shouted, "Hey, you!"
The figure's head snapped around and the hero jumped upon seeing its red and green eyes. The suspect sent her a smile, its teeth glinting menacingly in the lamplight. The Matter-Horn charged forward, but just when she was a foot away from the suspect, something grabbed her back hoof.
The hero yelped as she was pulled backward by one of the suspect's tentacles. Despite her shock, she noticed how unlike a tentacle it felt. It wasn't squishy or slimy or covered in suction cups like that of an octopus, but soft like…hair?
The hairy tentacle twirled the Matter-Horn around in the air, getting a dizzy wail out of her before sending her flying across the sky. She was spinning so fast that for a moment, she had no idea where she was going. Then she saw a vertically blurred shadow that looked like the Maretropolis water tower. Seeing that she was going to crash, the Matter-Horn tucked in her hooves and flapped her wings to try and get her bearings. Once she was on a straighter path, she steered to the right, narrowly dodging the water tower, and then lowered herself onto the nearest roof, clumsily tripping over her hooves and landing on her chest.
Groaning, the Matter-Horn lifted her hoof to her ear and pressed down on the earpiece inside. "Matter-Horn to Power Ponies. Do you copy?"
Rarity was rudely awoken by the Matter-Horn's voice crackling in her ear. Screaming, she sat up in bed, her purple eye mask still on.
"Matter-Horn to Power Ponies!" the voice in her ear said again. "Do you copy?"
She heard a few other voices talking over each other.
"One at a time!" the Matter-Horn said.
Rainbow's tired voice came on. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Groaning, Rarity pressed her hoof inside her ear and said, "Agreed. Some of us need our beauty sleep."
"Really? Cuz I'm wide awake!" Pinkie's voice squeaked. "So what are we battling tonight? Giant dinosaur? Giant hamster? Ooh! Is a guy wearing a glass dome over his head terrorizing the streets with his freeze ray?"
"No," the Matter-Horn said, sounding slightly annoyed. "Some pony broke into my apartment."
Rainbow grumbled. "Can't you handle that one yourself?"
"Yeah!" Applejack's voice broke through, sounding strained, as if she were shouting. Her voice was accompanied by the sounds of punches and growls. "I'm…a little…busy…here!"
"You don't understand," the Matter-Horn said. "It wasn't any ordinary burglar. It looked…well, like some sort of octopus."
"An octopus?" Pinkie said excitedly. "You mean with giant tentacles and those squishy suction-ey thingies?"
"It had tentacles alright, only…now, it was only around my hoof for a second, but it felt like…hair."
"Hair?" Rainbow asked.
"Sounds like a hairy situation!" Pinkie said with a giggle.
Rarity groaned along with the rest.
"Anyway," the Matter-Horn continued, "the police are on their way, and Twilight Sparkle's going to have to give them a statement. Now, you don't all have to come if you don't want to, but at least one of you should be here to represent the Power Ponies."
Rainbow moaned in response. "I'm going back to bed."
"Be there in two seconds!" Pinkie said.
Two seconds later, Pinkie said, "Hi!"
There was a yelp from the Matter-Horn.
"Be…" Applejack said between punches, "there…soon!"
Rarity yawned. "Well, as long as I'm up…"
Taking her hoof out of her ear, she used her magic to raise her mask from her eyes. Their lids were heavy from being suddenly awoken. She dragged her back legs over the side and landed her hooves in her slippers. She reached for the drawer of her bedside table.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the room shook. This lifted the heaviness from Rarity's eyelids as she turned sharply to her bedroom door. Hastily, she magically opened the drawer and was about to take out her bracelets and necklace when the door exploded into splinters. Rarity shut the drawer and faced her intruder.
The indigo mare was high above her, the long, thick strands of her green mane and tale holding her up. Her red and green eyes were fixated on the unicorn. Her toothy smile made Rarity shiver.
"Rarity, dear," the intruder said in a low tone that sounded as if it was meant to sound friendly. "Did I wake you? So sorry about the door. I'll get you a new one."
Rarity gulped as she tried to put on a brave face. Unfortunately, when she spoke, her words came out in a stammer.
"W-Who…who are you?"
The intruder put her hoof to her chest, her mouth open. "Rarity, darling, I'm positively heartbroken!" She raised her other hoof dramatically to her forehead. "Surely you would recognize one of your dearest," she thrust herself forward, making Rarity jump as she suddenly found the mare in her face, "not to mention richest," she pulled back, "friends?"
Rarity blinked as she looked the intruder over. Then she noticed the jumpsuit she was wearing. It was purple, with a gold collar and black boots.
She'd recognize one of her own outfits anywhere.
"D-D-Dee?" Rarity said, gazing up at her in alarm.
Squealing, Dee Tangler clapped her hooves in delight. "You do remember me! I'm so touched!"
Coco's small voice was heard outside the room. "Rarity? What is going…?"
She squealed. One of Dee's mane locks reached back and brought Coco into view.
"Dee, put her down!" Rarity commanded, boldly leaping to her hooves. "She's my friend, don't hurt her!"
"Hurt her?" Dee said as she twirled the whimpering Coco with her mane lock. "Why, Rarity, I wouldn't dream of hurting some pony you care about! Besides, it's not her I want."
With a flick of her mane, she tossed Coco across the room. Thankfully, she landed softly on her roommate's bed. Rarity released a sigh of relief. Her fear returned when she saw that Dee was stalking towards her, her mane moving like the legs of a spider.
"I came here for you."
Rarity yelped as one of Dee's locks came from behind, pushing her upwards. She found herself in a sitting position, Dee's mane serving as a chair.
"What's going on?" Rarity demanded. "What's happened to you? I thought you had…"
"Died?" Dee said, releasing a laugh that to the two other mares sounded like that of a lunatic. "I thought so too. Turns out it wasn't death, but a sort of…rebirth!" She held up her forelegs as if she had just finished a marathon. "I mean look at my mane! Have you ever seen anything so fabulous?"
Rarity gulped as she gazed down at the slithering locks beneath her. "It's, err…lovely!"
"Yeah!" Coco said, nodding hastily. "Lovely!"
"Excuse me!" Dee said, moving a lock over and around Coco's mouth. "I'm having a conversation with my oldest and dearest friend here!"
"We've only known each other a few months," Rarity said bluntly.
"Nevertheless," Dee said, wrapping her hoof around Rarity's shoulder, "it feels like we're family. Sisters, even! Why, you even made me this lovely outfit which matches my new look perfectly! It's as if you knew I was going to fall into a vat of radioactive shampoo!"
The unicorn grinned awkwardly. "How…uncanny."
"Which makes you the perfect pony for the job!"
Rarity flinched as a mane lock crept over her other shoulder. "W-What j-job?"
"Here's the deal." Dee moved her body around to face her. "I've got something big planned, and I need to look fabulous! I mean," she ran her hoof through her mane, "I'm already fabulous, but my henchponies have no sense of style!"
"Henchponies?"
Dee waved her hoof. "Former employees. Only ones who weren't hospitalized or in the Union."
Rarity gulped. The only situation where one referred to their employees as "henchponies" was if the employer was a…
"Err, Dee?" Rarity said. "This 'something big' you have planned, it's not by any chance something…illegal, is it?"
Dee scowled. "Dee? There's no Dee here." She turned toward the mirror on Rarity's dresser. "Dee Tangler is dead. I am…" She used her tail to hoist herself up so that she was above the two mares in a menacing manner. "The Mane-iac!" She bent down. "Mane-iac. Get it? It's a play on 'mane' and 'maniac?' 'Mane' as in…"
"We get it!" Rarity said, raising her hoof. "But Dee…" The dark mare glared at her. "I mean…Miss Mane-iac, with all this talk of henchponies and pseudonyms and juvenile puns, it's almost as if…you've taken on the persona of a…criminal mastermind?"
The Mane-iac stared at her, her expression unreadable. Then she threw her head back in a laugh. Rarity forced a smile and laughed along with her. Even Coco giggled beneath her mane gag.
"You really think," the Mane-iac said, still cackling, "that I'm a criminal mastermind?" She thrust her face into Rarity's. "Mastermind's a bit of a stretch, but I appreciate the flattery."
Rarity stopped laughing.
"I'm out to get revenge on those who ruined me," the Mane-iac said. "But as I said, I need to do it in style. Which is why I need you," she poked Rarity in the chest with her hair, "to design new uniforms for my henchponies."
"What?!" Rarity squeaked.
"Do a good job," the Mane-iac said, pressing her cheek against Rarity's, "and I might make you my partner in crime! Vice-president, at the very least."
Rarity pulled her face away. "You need help, Dee."
"Of course I do! That's why I came to you, darling!"
"No," Rarity said sternly. "I don't know what's happened to you, Dee, but I do know that this isn't like you. Look, my friend knows this therapist that might be able to figure out what's wrong with…"
The Mane-iac pulled back, appalled. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Am I wrong?"
The villain chuckled. "Nope. But it seems I'm not the only crazy one here if you believe I'll take no for an answer."
"You think I'm afraid of you?" Rarity illuminated her horn. "Think again!"
"Let me put it this way."
She tugged one of her mane locks into view. Rarity gasped when she saw Coco dangling from it. The earth mare was struggling in the hair cocoon that was wrapped around her.
"Come quietly," the Mane-iac said in a sing-song voice, tightening her grip around Coco, "and I won't squeeze your little friend into oblivion."
She could hear her friend's wheezing as the hair became tighter and tighter.
"No, wait!" Rarity shouted, leaping to her hooves. "I'll come quietly. Just please, don't hurt her!"
The Mane-iac squealed happily as she released her hold on Coco, dropping her onto the bed. "I knew you'd see things my way!"
The green mane then coiled around Rarity's hooves. She stood perfectly still as the hair snaked up to her waist, then to her neck, and then covered her mouth and eyes, leaving an opening for her nostrils so that she could breathe.
"Sorry to have to blind and gag you, Rarity dear," the Mane-iac said. "It's just insurance." She darted her eyes at Coco. "I expect you'll call the police, but if you don't want anything to happen to you or your friend, I suggest you give us a five-minute head start before you put in the call." Coco shrieked as the Mane-iac snapped a lock at her, narrowly missing her muzzle. "Kapeesh?"
With a gulp, Coco nodded in response.
"Splendid!"
Cackling maniacally, the Mane-iac slinked out of the bedroom, carrying Rarity in her coils. Coco rushed to Rarity's bedside table and opened the drawer where the bracelets were kept. Rarity had told her to only use them in an emergency.
"This definitely counts as an emergency," Coco muttered to herself as she slid on the bracelets.
She then raced into the living room and to the opening the Mane-iac had made in the wall. We had just gotten that fixed too, Coco thought as she looked outside. The Mane-iac was still laughing as she used her mane to swing from building to building.
"Oh, how does Rarity do this?" Coco said, looking down at the pink bracelets. "Um…" She pointed one hoof in the direction of the Mane-iac. "Get her!"
Nothing happened. Guess it wants something more specific, she thought.
"Okay, um," she stammered. "How about a…butterfly net?"
A pink butterfly net appeared, but it was hovering in front of Coco and nowhere near the villain. By this time, the Mane-iac had already disappeared around the corner and Coco could no longer hear her evil laugh. Sighing, Coco gazed down sadly at the bracelets.
"Rarity's really gotta teach me how to use these things."
The police were searching Twilight's penthouse for clues. Spike, shaking with fear, was on the bed, hugging a pillow close to his chest. One officer, an orange pegasus stallion with a spikey blue mane and blue eyes, was taking Twilight's statement.
"So the intruder looked like an," he said, lowering his notebook to look at the unicorn, "octopus?"
"Well, I can't be sure," Twilight said. "I mean it had these things like tentacles flying all around its body and when it touched me…"
"It touched you?"
"Uh…just for a moment. It felt like hair."
"Hair?"
She blushed in embarrassment. "Sounds pretty unbelievable, huh?"
"Actually," the officer said, smirking, "even though I've only been on the force for a week, I'd believe anything in this crazy town."
"I thought you were new, Officer…" She looked at his nametag. "Sentry?"
"Flash Sentry," he said, adjusting his cap. "At your service, Miss Sparkle."
She giggled. "Just Twilight, please. I hate formalities."
"Well, Twilight, I just have a few more questions to ask you."
"Ask away."
"Has there ever been a break-in here before?"
"Too many to count." She shrugged. "It's to be expected when you're in the business world."
He nodded as he proceeded to scribble in his notepad. "Any other discerning features of this intruder?"
"Yes. They had green eyes with red pupils."
"Mmm-hmm." He scribbled some more. "Other than you and your dragon, does anyone else live here? Any staff?"
Twilight shook her head. "Spike and I usually do most of the work around here."
"Boyfriend?" He blushed. "I'm, err, asking if any pony else might have a key."
She raised an eyebrow. "Err…no. And before you ask, Spike's not seeing anyone either."
He wrote some more. "Do you like…movies?"
Smirking, she used her magic to levitate the notebook and pen out of his hooves. "Here," she said, scribbling in the notebook. "I'll make it easier for you."
When he got the book back, there was a phone number. He looked back at Twilight, who gave him a wink.
"Um…" he said, blushing as he put his book in his pocket. "Thank you, Miss Sparkle, err, Twilight. I…we'll call you if we find out anything."
Giggling, Twilight replied, "I'll be waiting."
Sending her one last smile, he walked away to talk with his colleagues. Twilight was too busy staring at his back that she didn't notice Fili-Second standing next to her.
"Twilie's got a boyfriend," Fili-Second sang.
Twilight jumped and then scowled at her. "Very funny." She lowered her voice. "Find anything?"
Fili-Second saluted. "I zipped through the whole building and found absatively, posilutely nothing to do with the break-in! Oh! Except for these strands of green hair I found near your window though at first I thought they were Spike's but then I remembered that since he's a dragon he doesn't have hair and what I thought was hair was just green spines so I figured they must've come from your intruder so…"
"Pink—" Twilight heaved a sigh. "Fili-Second. The hair?"
"Oh, right!"
Fili-Second lifted her hoof to show Twilight small strands of green hair. Glancing around to make sure the officers weren't watching, Twilight took out a plastic bag and used her magic to carefully place the hairs inside.
"I'll have the computer at the tower analyze them later," she whispered to her colleague. "No doubt the police will find more of these lying around."
At that moment, Mistress Mare-velous swung in through the open window, causing many officers to jump back in alarm.
"Now what's this I hear about an octopus thief?" Mare-velous asked as she wound up her rope.
"Mistress Mare-velous," Twilight said, pulling her aside. "So good of you to come." She whispered, "We found some strands of green hair that might have belonged to our intruder."
Mare-velous cocked her head. "Green hair, ya say?"
"I know, right?" Fili-Second said with a snort. "If Radiance were here she'd be begging that baddie to get some hair dye!"
"That's really strange…"
"Do you know something, Mare-velous?" Twilight asked.
Mare-velous rubbed her chin. "Remember last night, some pony broke into the glue factory and I went to check it out?"
The unicorn nodded. "The thieves had stolen a whole tub of glue."
"I didn't think much of it at the time, but I spotted some green hair at the scene, stuck to the walls with whatever glue was left."
"Do you still have the hair?"
"Sure do," Mare-velous said, producing an evidence bag from her horseshoe pouch. "Think it might've been the same perp?"
Twilight squinted at the hairs mixed in with the glue. "Looks similar, though I still can't imagine what any pony would want with all that glue, or why they'd try to break into my home."
Fili-Second shrugged. "You are the richest mare in all of Maretropolis, and you run a multi-billion-bit company specializing in magical technology."
"But if they were after my technology, they'd just break into Sparkle Labs." Twilight began pacing. "And all my especially valuable possessions are either kept at the bank or," she whispered, "in the tower. Unless the intruder was unaware of all this, the only reason they would break into my home is if they were after…" She stopped and shivered slightly. "Me."
Fili-Second gasped. "You saying they might have wanted to ponynap you?!"
Officer Flash Sentry heard this part of their conversation and rushed on over. "If this was an attempt against your life, Miss Sparkle, I would recommend police protection until the intruder is caught."
Twilight raised her hoof. "That won't be necessary. As you can see, my apartment is equipped with state-of-the-art Sparkle Labs security measures. The alarm was triggered before the intruder could even step hoof in here."
"Be that as it may," Officer Sentry said, "that doesn't mean the intruder won't attempt to catch you outside your home."
"Then I'll have the Power Ponies to protect me."
Mare-velous stiffened. "You will?"
Grinning, Twilight put her hooves around the two heroes. "Yes!" She whispered in Mare-velous' ear, "I'll never be able to sneak away as the Matter-Horn if the police are watching my every move."
Mare-velous put on an equally bright smile and said, "Of course! We'd be happy to offer our services to Miss Sparkle!"
"Ooh, this'll be fun!" Fili-Second said. "We can all camp in here, have a slumber party, tell each other ghost stories, make s'mores, play Truth or Dare…"
Mare-velous plugged her hoof into Fili-Second's mouth. "We'll keep an eye on her."
Flash Sentry sighed. "Alright, but if you need anything…" He trailed off when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me a sec." He turned his back to them as he answered the call. "Sentry, here. Yes, Chief, I'm still at the Sparkle residence. Yes, like she said, some octopus thing tried to break in and…" He paused. "Wait, really? Where? Okay. I'll be right over as soon as we're finished here."
Hanging up, he turned to Twilight and the two heroes. "Looks like your octopus thief has been busy tonight. We just got a call about a mare with some sort of green octopus mane. She broke into an apartment on Carouse Boulevard."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Did you say Carousel Boulevard?"
"Mmm-hmm. This time, the perp was successful. Ponynapped a young mare. Victim's roommate had a more detailed description of the perp, though."
Twilight glanced between the two heroes. "Um…would you excuse us for a moment?" She pulled them aside and whispered, "Carousel Boulevard. That's where Rarity lives."
Fili-Second gasped and Mare-velous stiffened. The latter pressed on the device in her ear.
"Radiance," she said. "Come in, Radiance. Radiance, are you there?"
There was nothing but static for a moment, then a groan. The three mares' faces momentarily lit up until the groan turned out to be from Rainbow Dash.
"I thought I told you guys I was sitting this one out!"
Mare-velous looked at her colleagues grimly.
"Uh, Officer Flash?" Twilight said, turning to said officer. "W-Who was the mare who was ponynapped?"
Flash raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"
"Oh," she said, giggling, "just curious. I mean if the same pony tried to ponynap me, maybe I know this mare who was ponynapped and maybe there's a connection?"
"And so we can go check it out," Mare-velous said.
"Well," he said, looking at his notes, "I didn't catch the mare's name, but she was taken from Apartment 4B at 811 Carousel Boulevard."
Twilight closed her eyes. Mare-velous and Fili-Second did not need to ask, for they could tell from the unicorn's solemn expression.
That was Rarity's address.
Rainbow didn't want to get out of bed in the middle of the night, but the minute she heard that Rarity had been ponynapped, she clicked on her costume and rushed out to Rarity's apartment. It wasn't hard to find with the large gaping hole in the wall. The police were already there, as was Fili-Second, who was comforting Coco on the couch.
"What happened?" Zapp asked. "Where's Rarity?"
Coco sniffed. "I…I tried to stop her. I really did!"
"Stop who? Who took her?"
"It was…I mean she said she was, but I don't believe it. It was…Dee Tangler."
The two heroes gasped.
"Dee Tangler?!" Fili-Second said. "But isn't she kinda…ya know…?"
"Dead?" Zapp finished for her.
"It was her!" Coco insisted. "I think. But…she had changed. I mean her fur was all blue and her eyes…" She shivered. "Oh, her eyes…they were green, with red pupils!"
"Hey!" Fili-Second said. "Same as the octopus pony who tried to break into Twilight's place!"
"Yes! Her mane! It was…alive! And it moved like an octopus!"
"But what would Dee Tangler, if it was her," Zapp said, "want with Rarity?"
Coco shook her head. "She said she wasn't Dee Tangler anymore. She called herself…the Mane-iac."
Zapp huffed. "Definitely a maniac if she thinks she can keep Rarity captive."
Fili-Second giggled. "No, silly! She means Mane-iac. Mane as in hair?" She snorted. "Come on!"
"Yeah, yeah." Zapp waved her hoof. "Whatever she calls herself, she's got another thing coming." She lowered her voice and said cockily, "She doesn't know about Rarity's secret weapon."
"That's the other thing," Coco said. "When Rarity was taken, she didn't have…" She glanced around at the cops. "Well…"
She opened up her robe and showed the heroes the pink bracelets concealed within. Fili-Second gasped and Zapp's eyes widened.
"Okay," the latter said with a gulp. "That's not good."
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I'm curious to see what happens next, the Maneiac is certainly making quite the debut. But whatever scheme she cooks up is what really raises the suspense. I also look forward to when your other villains appear. Good luck with your writing, and try not to push yourself too hard.
I am really liking this story so far, I can't wait to see what happens next!
As long as this amazing story continues, I don't care how long it is!
I just love that Mane-iac's return mirrors Joker's from Batman 1989. Keep up the good work.
oh I see what you did there
I might be reading too much into it.....but was the use of the word rebirth intentional?
Okay that was bloody fantastic can't wait to see how they get out of this
Great chapter again. Mane-iac doesn't know who she's messing with.
Also, Super-Coco was cute.
8137168 Depends on what you mean.
8137596 I think they're referring to the DC Rebirth but I'm not sure.
8137596 vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/c/c9/DC_Rebirth.png/revision/latest?cb=20160605184422
8137764 Yes, that is what I mean
8137596 Hey, I really love this fic. Hey, maybe after 'The Mane-Raising Joke' arc is over, could I make an oc villain for the next one?
8137795 Do you know a lot about the DC comics?
8137878 Probably not in the way you mean. I don't reall keep up with current ongoing comics. I hear stuff and sometimes I look into it. Up until recently I thought Rebirth was something going on with New 52. Now I know it's yet another reboot or whatever. Starting things up again like Marvel after Secret Wars.
The mane event is about to begin!
So you thought you could kidnap Twi while she was comb alone? Wrong.
You think you can get away with kidnapping Rarity? There will be hell toupee.
I am dyeing of laughter at your stupidity!! This has been the highlight of my day!!
Rarity: You're insane!
Maneiac: Sure I am, what's your point?
Your plot is gonna get kicked, Mane-Iac.
Looking forward to the next chapter! Wonder if Fluttershy is gonna join the team, or if it'll be in the next... act? Arc? Section? Whatever, you know what I mean.
Just curious, is this going to follow a plotline overall, besides the mini-ones in each act? Like, everything builds up to one moment/battle/part. Or is this going to be like several "short" stories put together into one FF with the same story as the background, and not be overly related to each one?
Well, the Mane-iac has to be stopped & FlutterHulk
has toshould be involved. Otherwise, I got nothing.THIS IS ON!!!!
Also, loved that Flashlight scene xD
Pinkie: O my gosh I never been so excited in my life except for that time I went
but really-
Twilight: Pinkie! Enough!
8137988
Now don't go encouraging Fili-Second, y'hear?
8137988 Mind if I use some of those? I seriously think the Mane-iac would say stuff like that.
8139392 Huh?
8139089
Go right on a-head!!!
8139025
8139089 This was amazing. I have some good OC's and a quick crossover chapter in mind. PM if you're interested.
C'mon Spike, it's not like you live in Gotham or BludHaven.
Yep, Radiance needs her sidekick
Why Twilight! Flirting with an police officer on duty! Rarity would be proud of you
Pinkie... As a fellow writer I'm gonna level with you. You gotta stop this or stuff like that will happen!
Wut?