• Published 10th Mar 2017
  • 12,269 Views, 813 Comments

Discord's New Business - KnightMysterio



Discord's opened a new shop. He did it legally. This will end well, I'm sure...

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Customer 7: Rainbow Dash

Discord's New Business
by Jonathan “KnightMysterio” Spires
Customer 7: Rainbow Dash

All characters copyrighted to their original owners. If you like my work, please support me on Patreon!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ponyville...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Discord blinked as a bag of bits clinked down on his stand. He looked up, and saw a resolute-looking Rainbow Dash standing before him.

“Interesting,” he said, smirking. “You seem determined.”

“Griffon,” Rainbow Dash said simply. “For four days. I cashed in some vacation time with the Wonderbolts.”

Discord counted the money. Indeed, there was enough for three extra days along with the freebie he promised her. “Have special plans?”

“I promised a friend I'd be there for her when she needed me,” Rainbow Dash said firmly. “And I finally have an idea on how to help her. But if my plan works, it'll be made meaningless if I'm a pony when we find it...”

Discord blinked. “...And suddenly I think I know what you're up to,” he said.

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Something from the bad old days?”

“An old associate,” Discord said. “Someone who's soul has deservedly passed into Tartarus.” He shook his head. “An orderly brute, that one... Excellent scones, though.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment, frowning. “...Pretty sure I don't want to know,” she said. “Okay, change me.”

“Hm,” Discord said. “Very well...” He lifted his lion paw and snapped his fingers.

The first thing Rainbow Dash felt was her wings growing. The basic magic of a pegasus left her, her wings becoming proportionate to her body mass, as a different, but still somewhat similar magic filled her. Her hooves split open, becoming wicked, gripping falcon talons, the back becoming panther paws. Her fur grew thicker, and her Cutie Mark faded. Her underbelly became white as her muzzle became a beak, one designed for tearing at meat. Her mane stayed the same, mostly, as her tail became a long, whiplike panther's tail with a rainbow tuft at the end.

“Whoah...” Rainbow Dash said.

Discord grinned. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“Stronger,” Rainbow Dash said. “Like my wings are more powerful. Also, griffon magic... it feels weird.”

Discord nodded. “Griffons, I've noticed tend to have a more direct command of the winds as opposed to a pegasi's all purpose weather magic.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Great! Thanks, Discord!” she said.

“See how much simpler being specific makes things?” Discord said. But Rainbow Dash had already flown off.

Rarity, casually snacking on a large bag of gems, came up to Discord. “Was that Rainbow Dash?” the dragoness asked.

“Indeed,” Discord said, chuckling. “Off to visit that griffon friend of hers, I believe.”

Rarity chuckled. “Not before she figures out how to Rainboom in her new form, I'll bet,” she said.

Discord smirked. “No bet, lizard lips. I'm a little jealous, though,” he said. “Only time I can do a Rainboom is if I eat curried rice seasoned with pure rainbow.”

Rarity grimaced. “Must you be so crass?”

Discord shook his head. “No,” he said.

“Then why?” Rarity asked.

“Because you're fun to tease,” Discord said, smirking.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I suppose I walked right into that one,” she said, turning and walking right into the street sign Discord put behind her.

“No, you walked right into THAT one!” Discord said, guffawing.

“I hate you...” Rarity muttered.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Griffonstone...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rainbow Dash flew at top speed, growling to herself. She had been going in bursts, trying to get to her Rainboom speed. She hadn't realized how far she'd traveled yet, when she finally hit the speed she needed. The air rushing around her, the sound of everything drowned out as the power built up...

...and released.

An explosion of sound, and a bright ring of color burst out of Rainbow Dash as she completed her Sonic Rainboom. She laughed, glad she'd managed to do it, proving herself still the best in her own opinion... and then she fainted, crashing slowly to the ground.

“Omigoshomigoshomigosh!” chanted the little falcon griffon nervously, Gabby zipping up as fast as she could to catch Rainbow Dash as she fell. She caught her roughly, carrying her in her forelegs as she brought her to the ground. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need beak to beak resuscitation? I can do that but I may scratch your cheeks by accident, I only just got certification and I really hope you're okay because I don't want my well meaning but not quite perfect means of helping you to...”

“I'm... ngh... I'm fine, I just used too much magic...” Rainbow Dash said, looking up. “You're... You're Gabby, right?”

Gabby nodded. “Yeah! How'd you know?”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Scootaloo told me about you,” she said.

“EEEE!” Gabby squeed, hugging Rainbow Dash as they reached the ground. “How do you know Scootaloo! Oh, she and the girls are the best! They put me on the path to getting my Cutie Mark.” She showed Rainbow Dash the CMC-style shield design on her flanks, which featured a pair of work gloves in them. “I was worried that I wouldn't know what my talent was because I'm good at so much, but my best friend Gilda helped me figure it out! My special talent is helping others! That's how I got my cutie mark!” She paused, and added, “Well, technically, it's not a real cutie mark, I had to go to a fur tattooer in Manehattan to get it, but it's close enough!” She giggled happily.

“Geez,” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Scoots really underplayed how perky you are.”

Gabby giggled. “I can't help it! I just love life in general, and like being friendly to everygriff!” She gave Rainbow Dash a curious look. “How do you know Scootaloo, though?” She gasped. “OMIGOSH! Are you looking for a cutie mark too!?”

Sweet Celestia it's a griffon Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash thought. “Nah,” she said. “I'm Rainbow Dash. I'm normally a pegasus, but I had Discord turn me into a griffon for a few days.”

“Oh...” Gabby said. “...Well, not sure about involving HIM, but so long as it's what you wanted, then neat!” She smiled warmly. “What can I do for you?”

“Can you take me to Gilda?” Rainbow Dash said. “I got a big plan I want her to help with. You can help too, if you want.”

“Oooh!” Gabby said. “What is it?”

Rainbow Dash started to tell her, then hesitated. “I kinda want to wait to tell it to her first,” she said.

“Okay!” Gabby chirped. “She and Greta have their bakery over here!”

“...Who's Greta?” Rainbow Dash asked as the two of them flew off, Rainbow Dash rested enough to fly again.

“She helps run Gilda's bakery!” Gabby said, smiling.

Rainbow Dash grinned, glad that Gilda had more friends. The two griffons flew across the mess of shabby huts, the former pegasus shaking her head. So little progress had been made since she and Pinkie had been there. It seems griffons were still more interested in personal profit rather than taking care of their homes...

“Here we are!” Gabby chirped.

Rainbow Dash stared. “Whoah...” she said. The bakery was the most well-kept building in Griffonstone, a solidly built structure that stood out proudly among the ramshackle, barely maintained huts. The sign on the door said G&G Bakery, and smells reminiscent of Sugarcube Corner were coming out of it.

Gabby smiled, and motioned for Rainbow Dash to come inside, the perky young griffon waving to a griffon with green markings around her eyes and a scarf around her neck. “Hi Greta!”

Rainbow Dash followed Gabby in, looking around at the trays of fresh breads, donuts, and scones. “This place is great!” she said.

Greta smiled. “I'm glad you think so,” she said. “Gilda and I have put a lot of work into this place.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “So how'd you two meet?” she said.

Greta chuckled. “Well... I met her while she was selling scones one day,” she said. “They were delicious, and I wanted to learn how to make them. We ended up forming a partnership, and worked our way up to making this store.”

“Coolness,” Rainbow Dash said. “My name's Rainbow Dash, by the way.”

Greta blinked. “...Wait, Rainbow Dash? As in Gilda's old friend?” When Rainbow Dash nodded, she frowned. “I thought you were a pegasus.”

“Long story,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I'm guessing it has something to do with that freakshow ex-supervillain you made friends with,” said a teasing voice. Rainbow Dash looked up, spotting Gilda standing in the doorway to a kitchen, forelegs folded and a smirk on her beak. “Good to see you, dweeb. Looks like Discord made you twenty percent less lame.”

“Please,” Rainbow Dash said, strutting. “All he did was improve on perfection.”

“Lemme guess,” Gilda teased, coming out to join the others. “That rainbow infused curry fart a few minutes ago was you?”

“You know me, G,” Rainbow Dash teased right back. “I always gotta make an entrance.”

Gilda and Rainbow Dash both laughed, the two of them hugging. Greta blinked, confused. “I'm somewhat lost... Did you mean... Discord, as in the madman who warped the world a year or so back?”

“Discord's switched sides. He backslid when Tirek showed up, but that creepshow betraying him made Discord realize where his loyalties should lie,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Sorry for not telling you, Greta,” Gilda said. “Dash here told me about it in her last letter. Discord set up a business where he changes ponies for a day into whatever they want.”

“And since griffons are the only thing as awesome as me, guess which I picked,” Rainbow Dash said, smirking.

Gabby giggled, and Greta grinned. “Well, I can't fault your taste, at least,” Greta said.

“Hey,” Gilda said, going over to the donut racks, “now that you are a griffon, I want you to try something. I always wanted to share snacks with you when we were chicks back in flight school, but because you were a pegasus then, I couldn't.” She pulled out a donut with three strips of bacon on it.

“Meat?” Rainbow Dash asked, grinning. “Awesome! What is it?”

Gilda grinned. “Fried strips of pig meat. It's called bacon,” she said. “Goes great on donuts. Especially with maple frosting.”

Rainbow Dash took the donut and took a large bite, taking in a whole strip of bacon. She chewed it thoughtfully. “Hm!” she said happily. “That's pretty good, actually. Texture's a bit weird, but I like that greasy, salty flavor mixed in with the sweetness.” She ate the rest of the donut.

Gilda chuckled. “Honestly, Dash, I'm glad you decided to hang out with us today,” she said, her smile turning sad.

“What's wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked, noticing her expression.

Gilda sighed. “I... I've been trying to get everygriff to try and value friendship more, to trust each other, but... well, you're looking at my only successes so far. And Gabby technically doesn't count, because she's naturally nice.”

Greta shook her head sadly. “It's difficult for age-old habits to break...” she said. “I admit, I was worried about Gilda possibly taking my own gold, but...” She smiled at the larger griffon. “Well, she proved me wrong. Plus, she always makes me laugh. I just like being around her in general.”

Gilda blushed, fidgeting. “A-Anyway, we're thinking about moving to Equestria,” she said. “I don't want to give up, but we're doing nothing here...”

Rainbow Dash smirked. Time to promote her plan. “Maybe the problem is a lack of inspiration,” she said.

Gilda blinked. “What do you mean?”

“The Idol of Boreas,” Rainbow Dash said. “I'm here to help you find it.”

Greta and Gabby gasped. Gilda blinked, a slow smile coming to her face. “...You were always good at tracking,” she said.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “With bird of prey eyes, I bet I could easily spot it from above,” she said.

Greta, still stunned, shook her head. “I don't believe it... The Idol...” she said.

Gabby was flitting back and forth excitedly. “Can... can you really find it? It was lost in the Abysmal Abyss.”

“I actually came pretty close the last time I was here,” Rainbow Dash said. “Punk who helped me get there abandoned me when I ran out of bits, though... “

Gilda growled at that. “Punk... He better not let me find him...” she muttered.

Rainbow Dash smiled confidently. “I have a fairly good idea of where the river at the bottom of the abyss leads to, though. With an aerial survey and some digging, we can bring the Idol home. I bought a few days as a griffon, so finding it won't be demeaned by having a pony there.”

“You are rather smart...” Greta said softly. “You recognize that the pride of griffons would be damaged by pony help, so you present yourself as a griffon rather than a pony.”

“I have moments,” Rainbow Dash said, smirking.

“Once in a blue moon,” Gilda teased.

Rainbow Dash laughed. “C'mon, let's go!” she said. Gilda and Greta closed up the shop, turning everything off and locking the doors, and followed Rainbow Dash. The four of them followed along the top of the Abyss, the winds pushing up on the four of them.

“Everygriff be careful!” Gilda said.

“Relax, G,” Rainbow Dash said, chuckling. “Griffon wings are awesome. They can easily handle this.”

Gilda growled. “Our bigger wings also means we're also at greater risk of a surge knocking us off course, dweeb!” she snapped. “I damn near lost you last time. I don't want any of my friends to get hurt.”

Gabby hugged her in midair. “We won't get hurt, I promise!” she said.

“Yes, fine, thank you, we're crashing LEGGO!!” Gilda snapped as the two started to plummet.

Gabby eeped and backed away, grinning apologetically.

Finally, after almost two hours of traveling, they came to the end of the canyons that made up the Abysmal Abyss, spotting a river leading out of the wind-laden caverns.

“There,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing. “We'll start there.”

The four of them landed, Rainbow Dash staying in the air. They slowly but steadily made their way down the riverbed, searching every nook and cranny for the golden idol. They checked under rocks, in trees, in caves, working down the path of the river for miles.

And found nothing.

“I... I don't understand,” Rainbow Dash said, frustrated. “I was so certain...”

Greta looked doubtful. “Maybe... Maybe it's still in the Abyss?”

Gabby smiled. “I'm pretty good in high winds,” she said. “Maybe I can...”

“No,” Gilda said, sighing. “I'm not letting anygriff risk their lives for a hunk of tin. If it's in the Abyss still, it's GONE. Let's... let's just go back to the bakery.”

Rainbow Dash wanted to protest, but a look at the defeated expressions on the other griffons' faces, she sighed, nodding her agreement.

When they got back, there was a small crowd of annoyed-looking griffons standing at the door.

“Who're they?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“My regulars,” Gilda said to her. She turned to the others, and said, “Sorry, everygriff. Got wrapped up in a side project. I'll stay open an hour longer than usual.”

“Hmmph,” said an older griffon with an owl-like head. “What were you lot doing, anyway?”

“It's not importa...” Greta started to say.

“We were looking for the Idol of Boreas!” Gabby said.

Gilda, as she was unlocking the door, sighed, banging her head on the side of the door. “Thank you, blabbermouth,” she muttered quietly.

The gathered griffons cackled mockingly. “You really think that you can find the Idol?” said the owl-headed griffon.

A hawk-headed griffon sneered. “As if you could,” she said. “You don't deserve to have it anyway. You lack a griffon's proper pride!”

The other customers nodded haughtily.

Gilda's eye twitched. “Pride... PRIDE!?” Gilda roared, startling the customers. Other nearby griffons “Do you know why so many griffons move to Equestria? Because this place SUCKS!” She snarled, gesturing towards the ramshackle, broken hots that dotted the landscape. “LOOK AT THIS PLACE! No one takes care of their homes, everyone's rude to each other, no one will help us unless there's gold involved!”

“N-Now, see here!” said an older griffon customer. “Gold is...”

“It's SHINY ROCKS!” Gilda roared. “We're abandoning each other for SHINY ROCKS!”

Rainbow Dash was watching the crowd. Gilda's words were hitting home for a lot of them, many looking away in shame as they realized she was right. “Go Gilda go...” she said softly.

“We used to BE something!” Gilda said, pacing around. “I looked up our kind's history, and we were AWESOME! A military force on the level of Equestria, tough and strong with GORGEOUS homes... Now we all live in a hovel, hording gold and shiny things like... like...”

Greta realized what word she was looking for, and shook her head fiercely. “Gilda, don't...”

“...like MAGPIES!” Gilda said. Gabby gasped, covering her muzzle as the crowd flinched. Gilda nodded. “Yeah, I went there. We're all acting like magpies.”

“I'm guessing that's a major racial slur,” Rainbow Dash said softly. Gabby and Greta just nodded.

Gilda glared at every griffon there...and slumped over, defeated. “We use to be awesome...” she said, gesturing to the various hovels. “How'd we become this?”

Wordlessly, Gilda, Gabby, Greta, and Rainbow Dash went inside, leaving a stunned crowd of griffons behind them.

“I'm sorry...” Rainbow Dash said, looking frustrated. “I thought... I'd be more useful than I was...”

“It's okay,” Gilda said. “I've been needing to get that out of my system for a while now.” She managed to smile. “Anyway! Try some of the scones. I really think I got the recipe down this time, and...”

The four griffons talked casually for about a couple hours, Gilda and Rainbow Dash sharing flight camp stories with Gabby and Greta. The door's bell rung as the door opened, startling the four griffons inside, the owl-headed griffon and a younger, falcon-headed griffon stepping into the shop..

“Um... hi...” the younger griffon said. “What you said... You're right.”

The owl-headed griffon nodded. “Your impassioned speech just now... It made me take a look at myself and how I had been acting... I saw myself, and realized I have been quite the fool...”

Gilda and Greta traded hopeful looks. “So... what do you want to do?” Greta asked.

“Do you think you can still find the Idol?” the younger griffon asked.

Gilda shook her head and frowned. “It may still be in the Abysmal Abyss. I don't think it's worth the risk, honestly...”

“Oh...” the younger griffon said sadly.

The owl-headed griffon stepped forward. “Then what can we do?” he said. “I love Griffonstone as much as you clearly do. There has to be something...”

Gilda fidgeted for a moment as she thought. “Well... What we really need to do is get the town fixed up. So it doesn't look like we're living in a trash dump...”

The owl-headed griffon nodded. “I know some construction people,” he said. “We can get the library and other public buildings started, at least.”

“I can start an awareness campaign,” the younger griffon said. “I have a printing press at home, print up fliers to encourage everygriff to try and fix up their homes.” He frowned. “I don't know what to put on it, though.”

The two male griffons began discussing what to put on the fliers. Gabby grinned excitedly, going over to offer her own suggestions.

“Wow...” Gilda said, stunned. “I... didn't really expect anything to take...”

Greta nuzzled Gilda, making the larger griffon blush. “You were wonderful, Gilda,” she said.

Rainbow Dash smiled. “You just gotta believe in your own herd,” she said. “I firmly believe that most everypo... that most everyONE is basically good, and just needs a little kick in the tush sometimes to get motivated. It's taken a bit, but you managed to help get things started to make Griffonstone awesome again.”

Greta nodded. “You took charge excellently, my dear Gilda,” she said, smiling warmly.

Gilda fidgeted, uncharacteristically sheepish. “I... no, I'm not a leader. I just yelled at everygriff.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Guess what Spitfire does for most of the day,” she said. “And honestly, since joining the Wonderbolts, I've learned how to notice things about the folks I meet. You got great potential, Gilda,” she said. “Especially now since you've dropped the 'bad girl' act.”

Gilda smirked. “Who says I'm acting?”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “Still, I believe in you. Griffonstone needs a leader. And they could do a heckuva lot worse than you,” she said.

Gilda looked at the two male griffons. Earlier today, the two of them wouldn't have even looked at each other. And now, because of what she said, they were talking. Even bonding. And she could almost swear that the younger male was starting to develop a crush on Gabby...

Gilda grinned. “Well... maybe...”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
That night...
Dreamscape...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A blue mist drifted into the dream world. In it, an endless changeling hive, filled with colorful changelings gamboling about happily, extended out over the horizon. The mist found the queen, Starlight Glimmer, and her changeling king, Sunburst, governing over them all, Starlight Glimmer rubbing her swollen belly as new changeling grubs grew inside of her. Starlight, upon her transformation to a fully evolved changeling, had retained her colors and cutie mark, her horn gaining a graceful curve to it.

The mist formed, taking on the shape of Princess Luna. “Starlight Glimmer,” she said simply.

Starlight blinked, and looked around, as if coming to her senses. “I'm... dreaming?” she said. She blushed, and said, “Right, of course... S-Sorry...”

Princess Luna grinned. “Fear not,” she said. “To have a massive brood... You are not the first expectant to have such dreams.”

Starlight giggled nervously, sending the dream Sunburst to go check on the other changelings. “Most ponies aren't stuck as a different species for eleven months carrying hybrids.”

Princess Luna sat down next to her. “I have come simply to check on you,” she said. “How are you now?”

Starlight Glimmer smiled, rubbing her belly. She wasn't that far along in real life, but she liked the sensation nevertheless, even if she was just imagining it. “It's... it's an amazing feeling. I don't know how many I'm carrying yet, but... I can feel the love and trust coming from them.” She smiled. “It's oddly empowering.”

Princess Luna nodded sagely. “Motherhood can do that for a mare,” she said.

“There's more, though,” Starlight said. “I can sense the love of others. When two ponies are in love, or when a parent loves their child greatly, it gives off this... this warmth and light, and it's wonderful!”

“Cadenza has said similar things... Perhaps the magic of a changeling and the Love Princess's magic is related?” Princess Luna said thoughtfully.

Starlight smiled warmly. “I know it's just been a few days, and I know it's crazy to think this, but... well, do you think Discord would let me... stay a changeling queen?”

Princess Luna blinked. “...You are experiencing new sensations almost daily,” she said carefully. “I can understand that they are thrilling. But perhaps you should wait. How you feel may change later on.”

Starlight blushed, grinning sheepishly. “Y-You're right, I'm sorry... I just feel so wonderful right now. Sunburst and I...”

Princess Luna chuckled. “Say no more. I am satisfied that you are all right, and will leave you to your dreaming,” she said, standing up and kissing Starlight on the cheek.

“Thanks for checking on me, Princess Luna,” Starlight said.

“You are our subject,” Princess Luna said as she exited the dreamscape. “Your welfare will always be important to us.”

As she left, she said to herself, “Discord's transformations... Ponies do seem to be enjoying them. Rarity even went back a second time... Perhaps I should try one out for myself...”

TO BE CONTINUED...
Next Up: Princess Luna transforms!

Author's Note:

So sorry for the delays in posting this! This weekend was busier than usual. I hope you enjoy Rainbow Dash's adventures in Griffonstone.

WHOA. Lotta votes on this one. Griffon OVERWHELMINGLY won with 46% of 596 votes!

Anyway. Next time, Princess Luna tries out transforming! Vote here to pick what she changes into!