The Mare, The Myth, The Legend

by Mark Young

Chp 2

Rainbow Dash jumped out of bed. She knew what this meant—Friendship mission. Though being called to the Cutie Map in the middle of the night seemed strange. As she was on her way there, she saw Fluttershy half asleep trying not to zigzag out of a flight path to Twilight’s castle.

“Hey, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy strained her eyes to focus on the blurry dark blue shadow under the pale moon. “Oh, hi—yawn­­—Rainbow Dash. How are you so awake?”

“Drills with the Wonderbolts, I’ve gotten used to it. So you were called too, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded and then started to snooze-fly before being jostled awake by Dash bumping her. “Oh gosh, sorry. I wasn’t ready to be awake at this hour.”

“Well, maybe it’s an emergency! Some ancient evil rose up and the map wanted us alerted immediately!” They flew past the balcony and into the castle. “Or maybe we’re called out to hunt some monster that stalks the Everfree Forest only at night! Or...”

Twilight interrupted. “We’re going to Fillydelphia!”

Fluttershy seized her attention. “Oh my, Twilight, were you called too? Were we all called?”

“I think just us three, but isn’t this exciting?” Twilight pranced. “I’m so excited I can hardly stand still! The map rarely calls more than two ponies to a friendship mission. I was having a dream about this place with visions of our time at the Wonderbolt Academy.”

“Huh, I was having a dream too, about an old—uh—pony I once knew who I think lives there.”

Fluttershy yawned. “And I had a dream about taking Angel Bunny to the Cute Critter Convention in Fillydelphia.”

Twilight twisted her lips to the side. “Huh, that’s strange. It seems that we were called in our sleep while dreaming about this place, but what would your old friend, the Wonderbolt Academy, and a Cute Critter Convention have anything in common?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “The map works in mysterious ways.”

* * *

The next day, all three ponies discussed where to go first as they flew through Fillydelphia. Angel Bunny popped his head from Fluttershy’s saddle bag and with a wicked grin, he struck his paw against a cracked bell to make it ring, causing a group of pigeons to fall from their naps. He was laughing at them but then they flew up and started harassing him.

“We should split up and look for Corkscrew Scissors,” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“I think we should go to the Cute Critter Convention first. It’s the only location any of us dreamed about.” Fed up with the pigeons, Angel Bunny buried himself into Fluttershy’s saddlebag.

“I did some research,” Twilight said holding up a map, “and I discovered there was a Wonderbolts recruitment center here.”

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin. “Oh my, Twilight—you don’t think the map sent us on three different missions do you? Oh, this is so confusing.”

Twilight shrugged. “It hasn’t yet, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility.”

Rainbow Dash was busily looking in all directions with a pair of binoculars. “I still say we split up and meet back at the hotel with what we find.” She spotted a glint of gold turn a corner on a street below. She spoke excitedly, “Ok-great-plan-gotta-go-meet-you-at-the-hotel!”

Twilight and Fluttershy rolled their eyes before parting ways as Rainbow Dash zipped around the corner and flew in front of the pony she saw but frowned when she realized it was a stallion with a long black mane. She flew back out onto the main street before seeing another golden coat color fly overhead. She rushed up to that pony but the cutie mark was wrong. “Ugh! There must be ­a hundred ponies that look like her!”

Then a pigeon flew in her face. “Bleh! Puh! Go away you stupid pigeon!”

Meanwhile, Twilight flew to the Wonderbolt recruitment office where a stallion in uniform greeted her at a table. She inquired about any friendship problems but the stallion raised up his hooves without an answer. Twilight continued questioning him but it only got annoying.

Fluttershy on the other hand was happily trotting through the Cute Critter Convention, talking to every little creature there. Angel Bunny pinched his face in jealousy, folded his arms, and looked away. A parrot was there in a cage mocking him and Angel spit at him before burying himself in the saddlebag.

Later at the hotel, Twilight was browsing a stack of pamphlets out of boredom while Rainbow Dash lay on a bed staring up at the ceiling with tiresome eyes. Fluttershy opened the door with a grin while humming.

Rainbow Dash sat up. “Where have you been? We’ve been waiting on you to go eat something! And after all the flying around I’ve been doing, I’m starving.”

Twilight put the pamphlets down. “I’ve only read though each of these guides to the city of Fillydelphia fourteen times trying to get better clues.”

Fluttershy smiled as she set her saddlebag down. “I already ate! There was a very nice Pegasus there delivering chow mane to the ponies at the convention!”

Rainbow Dash grabbed Fluttershy. “What color was her coat? What was her cutie mark?”

“Oh, well it was a light golden color and it was a pair of scissors and a spiral, um—thing.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her forelegs to the air. “That’s Corkscrew Scissors! We need to get to the convention.” Her stomach rumbled in protest. “Eh heh, maybe after we get something to eat?”

“Oh, well the convention is already winding down for the day, but the pony you’re looking for works at the Coltured Cuisine which I’m sure is still open.”

* * *

Later as the three ponies entered the restaurant, Rainbow Dash looked around with a smile. “Hmm, seems kinda similar to th last place she worked at.” They moved to a table and just then Corkscrew Scissors flew to the balcony of the outdoor seating to a register inside, putting in the payment of previous deliveries.

Rainbow Dash grinned wide as she raced up in front of her. “Scissors! It’s nice to see you!”

The other Pegasus didn’t even look away from her work. “Oh, hey kid.” Her words were as dull as Rainbow Dash was excited. “What are you doing here?” She sighed and turned around to get another order ready. “Seems like this meetup being a coincidence is a strong understatement.”

“Right you are! Technically, I’m here on business.”

Twilight walked up and waved. “Official Friendship business that is.”

Rainbow Dash’s never ending enthusiasm continued. “It’s a long story about heroics, saving Equestria like, a dozen times; a magical map, but we were kinda led here to solve a Friendship problem.”

Scissors looked at a ticket order, then used her wing to sweep seven packets of soy sauce into a paper sack, an orange dipping sauce into another sack, and then rolled them up. “Uh huh. And you think the problem is—mine.”

Dash nodded. “Yeah, well, maybe.”

“Is that so?” she stapled the top of each bag. “Well, you can take your business and keep it to yourself, and mind it.”

Rainbow Dash lowered her ears. “C’mon Scissors, what’s eating you?”

Corkscrew Scissors pushed past Dash as she secured her orders in her saddle bag. “A rainbow Pegasus that never learned how to listen.”

As Scissors leapt off the balcony, Twilight bent her ears down and weakened her smile. “Is she always like that?”

Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head. “Eh heh, sometimes. Ok, usually. But the problem’s gotta be about her.”

Fluttershy stepped up. “How do we even know the Friendship problem lies with her? The Critter Convention and the Wonderbolt recruitment office seem like pretty good leads to me as well.”

Twilight swept her hoof towards the city from the balcony. “Who knows? We have a whole city filled with ponies here.”

“Yeah, but, we normally find our Friendship problem by now. Maybe we can ask the staff?”

A squat and rounded Unicorn stallion with a curved horn walked up. “Ask the staff what? I noticed you ponies from the kitchen and I only now been able to get here. Sorry, is been a busy day the Cute Critter Convention going on down the street. I am Ladle Up, co-owner of the Cultured Cuisine.”

Twilight politely bowed her head. “Mr. Ladle, I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle. These are my companions, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. We were sent here on a Friendship mission to solve a problem. Our investigations led us here.”

Ladle rubbed his chin as lowered an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. “I hear much about you, young lady.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes glittered with stars. “Really?”

“Hmm, yes. You seem to be very talented and successful.”

Rainbow Dash flipped her hair and rubbed a hoof in her chest. “Well yeah, I am kinda awesome.”

“Which is why Corkscrew Scissors doesn’t like you very much.”

“Wait, but, eh, hwowat?”