Even If You Don't Ask
“Where are you going?” Sunset roared. Her freshly straightened mane crackled and burst back into its normal style. Ahead of her, two fillies ran off screaming.
Cadance gave her a soft thwack on the head with a clipboard. “That’s not going to reflect well on your grade.”
“I was just answering their questions,” Sunset grumbled while rubbing her head. “Not my fault they asked stupid things.”
“They’re fillies.” Cadance furrowed her brow. “How would you feel if you were their age and got to meet Princess Celestia and she was broody and grimacing before she started barking at you?”
“Princess Celestia isn’t like that.”
“Exactly.” Cadance beckoned Sunset over to a nearby bench. With a sigh, Sunset joined her. “You’ve had classes with her and so did I when I was in school. I’ve even had some private talks with her.”
Sunset glared forward, but her ears were perked up.
“She’s always got that brave smile on no matter the situation,” Cadance continued. “She embodies the ideal of the hero: one who always gives out help even if it’s not asked for. That, more than her power, is what makes her number one.”
~~~
The Black Griffon skidded backwards, digging in its claws to prevent it from getting launched off the ground. Twilight stood opposite of it, shimmering with the Elements’ energy, with Applejack and Zecora behind her.
“Twilight…” Applejack rasped. “How…”
“Luck and calculation,” Twilight answered. “Lu— Nightmare Moon and I just got here to go to the Everfree. When I saw the state of things and heard you’d left your supervisor, I put out a tracking spell. Luckily, I was familiar enough with your thaumic signature to find you after adding a bit more mana to the spell.”
The Griffon shook its head and growled, “Always count on you to ruin things.”
“That voice!” Twilight gasped. She retook her battle stance. “I had a feeling when I saw the monsters, but you’re behind this, Equality!”
“Indeed,” Equality said with a regained calm. “It’s a shame I won’t get to do it with my own hooves—not with the damage you did to me— but I’ll still enjoy tearing you to shreds!”
Twilight shivered at the intense bloodlust of the Griffon. Just as it bent its knees in preparation for a pounce, rainbow streaks sizzled out from where Twilight had struck it. Talons clawed at its beak and it threw itself against the alley’s walls.
“D-damn!” Equality snarled. Back in her hideout, her horn smoked. Pushing through the pain, she focused on the view from her crystal but her vision periodically blurred. “Don’t tell me that that attack…”
“Applejack!” Twilight called out while keeping her eyes on the Griffon. “Can you move?”
“I can’t. Must be some strange griffon magic.” Applejack huffed. Even though Twilight had her back to her, she could feel Applejack’s glare intensify. “I’ll handle this! This is Apple family business!”
The words stunned Twilight for a second. “What are you talking about?”
A roar focused her back on the Griffon. It was upright and glaring straight at her. Twilight squared off with it. Aura crackled off her. Her body still shivered from the bloodlust the Griffon gave off, but she managed to turn her lips upward even while her teeth chattered. “Doesn’t matter. Because a friend helps out even if you’re not asking for it and so does a hero!”
With her cutie mark glowing bright, Twilight charged.
~~~
Groups of miners huddled under blankets. All of them were coated in coal dust and a few had raspy coughs.
Pinkie leapt over to each miner and hoofed them some vegetable pies. As soon as they took a bite, they perked up and those with coughs breathed easier. Nearby, Mincemeat worked away at a mobile kitchen. Hot pies continually streamed out of his conveyor belt oven while he filled up raw ones, brushed them with egg wash, and put them on the belt. He worked like a fiend and bore a grin to match his work ethic.
Mincemeat
Talent- Eye on the Pie: Thanks to his Talent, this Hero’s pies are devilishly delicious. Depending on the filling, his pies are packed with an extra punch that can give allies or those in need a boost or give his enemies one Tartarus of a heartburn.
Pinkie had just grabbed some more pies to give to the miners when she felt a tingling sensation in her flanks. One pie rolled out of her hooves but she managed to catch it. Still, her mind was occupied by the unfamiliar sensation. It wasn’t like her usual Pinkie Sense. A glance back showed there was a faint glimmer around her flanks. Focusing her attention on the sensation a word tumbled out of her mouth, “Twilight?”
~~~
Underneath the dress Rarity was adorned in, she felt a light vibration around her flanks just as a flash went off.
“Focus!” yelled the director.
Rarity blushed. “Terribly sorry, it’s just…”
“Choking at the last moment?” Suri mocked.
Rarity took a breath and refocused on the commercial shoot. Yet, she could not help but feel as if Twilight had called out to her.
~~~
Fluttershy sobbed by a creek. She could not even stand to look at her reflection. “Those poor fillies, if I’d just been kinder…”
A sensation from her flanks stirred her. She looked around in a daze with her puffy eyes. “Twilight?”
~~~
Spike paused. His fists unclenched and smoke stopped fuming from his nostrils.
Across the room, Ember noticed the change and grinned. “Some common sense come to you? Quit acting like a whelp and get back to filing.”
“It’s not that,” Spike shot back with a glare, regaining some animosity. “I just had a strange feeling like a friend needed me.”
“Ugh, again with the friends,” Ember groaned. “Is that all ponies talk about?”
~~~
Like all her other friends, Dash felt it too. She paused in her patrol and looked to the east— to Ponyville.
Klicks away, Shadowbolt could still spot her and paused his own flight. “What is she doing?”
Just then, Dash spun through the air and bolted off into the distance.
“That idiot!” Shadowbolt snarled and gave chase.
~~~
To an average pony, the fight that unfolded would have looked like a blur, but to Applejack, with her speed-focused Talent, she could see Twilight charge straight at the Griffon. Just as the Griffon raised a claw, Twilight folded her hind legs forward and slid under the massive beast. Before it could kick and gouge her with its paws, Twilight sprung up at an angle.
Rocketing towards a wall, she pressed against it with her hooves and flew back at the Griffon. Applejack’s rage was quelled to an extent that she noticed the way Twilight moved: like a lesser version of her speed combined with the dynamic and offensive attack pattern Sunset used. Twilight reared a leg back just as the Griffon snapped its head back.
Elements of Harmony! Twilight summoned all the power she could control without causing pain to her leg and brought it down on the Griffon’s jaw. Brick Hoof!
The blow smacked the Griffon down and made its body lurch toward the ground. Twilight rolled with the momentum of her attack and managed to land back on her hooves. Aura crackled around the point of impact on the Griffon and it fell to its knees. It writhed and contorted with sickening snaps and cracks. Twilight caught her breath just as it appeared to go limp.
And then she found she could not move.
The Griffon brought a paw that it had winched up to its beak back down. At the tip of a claw on the paw was just the smallest bit of blood.
“A few more of those and I might be in trouble,” Equality huffed. The Griffon got up and lumbered past Twilight and over to Applejack and Zecora. “At the end of the day, you’re still a novice. Now, I will break you.”
“N-no!” Twilight yelled, but the Griffon drew near Applejack. She tried to summon magic to her horn, but neither her muscles nor her thaumic system would respond. Her eyes darted from Applejack to Zecora to the Griffon to the mark on the Griffon’s flank. What did it do? Even if this is a Talent, it has to have limits!
She thought to how the Griffon had licked its claw and then gazed down at her own body. The was a tiny nick on her leg, practically imperceptible save for the tiny bead of blood above it. Is that it? But it’s such a tiny amount!
The Griffon raised up a claw over Applejack. The pose derailed any strategies Twilight had. She could only cry out, “Stop!”
“Become a foundation for peace!” Equality cackled and brought the Griffon’s claw down.
Lightning blasted the space between the descending claw and Applejack. Before it could hit the Griffon, it jumped back, yet did not unfurl its wings. With a snarl, it glared at the end of the alley.
Though it was a clear night, electricity crackled around Rainbow Dash. Her wings were flared out and her body tense, ready for the fight. “I don’t know how you did it, Twilight, but I’m here!”
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COME ON RD! GILDA NEEDS A HERO!
10222865
She must be hungry since she obviously isn't herself. 
Or maybe she needs a gyro.
10222884
In that case I got some Snickers.
The bubbling acrimony between Twilight and Equality's got me on the edge of my seat. Love these animosity things.
I don't know about you but if I had acid reflux/heart burn so bad I was throwing up (which I have before) I would be completely incapacitated.
Mmmmmh I apologize I don't have the full strength to write a proper review but... this chapter was indeed really good. Things are coming together nicely! And all the action packed scenes really paint a good picture. It's also badass to see Rainbow coming in at the nick of time.
Have you now?
Oh? Interesting.
I REALLY like this.
Oh? Now this is interesting.
Considering that friends can help turn a reality warper into stone, yes.
Ah crapbaskets.
And the cavalry is here!
Whatever happened, I blame the minotaur.
Really good chapter! Very excited to see Dash and Twilight team up for the fight
Very nice. I like how Twilight's quirk resonated with the others despite the distance.
Man, like all the parallels. Todoroki Shoto(Rainbow Dash) came to the rescue, but Izuku(Twilight) held his own with moves of Bakugo(Sunset). Can't wait for more. X)