Conventional Approach

by Knox Locke

Chapter 1: The Search For Rainbow Dash

"I'm sure she'll be ecstatic that I'm here," Zephyr enthusiastically said to himself, urging himself forwards towards the convention center.

"I haven't seen Rainbows in ages!" he dramatically emphasized this point by holding a forehoof to his forehead. "She must really be missing the Breeze under her wings."

Zephyr couldn't stand not seeing her. He hadn't seen his crush in almost a year, but he knew just how tough Rainbow was. She could go longer without seeing him if she had to, but he wasn't as strong as her. He was practically going through withdrawals! He had to see her, and there was no chance Rainbow would miss a Daring Do convention. She loved Daring Do!

Zephyr normally couldn't stand conventions like the one he was now entering. He thrives off of attention, and in a place as packed as this one, he easily blended into the crowd. He managed to find the stallion collecting tickets and quickly wormed his way into the convention center. He wasn't much of a Daring Do fan. He'd only read one of the books, and that had been so he could understand what Rainbow was talking about when he eavesdropped on her conversations with his sister. He was here for only one reason, so he set out in search of Rainbow Dash.

---

Little did Zephyr know, Rainbow was looking out of a window at Wonderbolts Headquarters towards the Manehattan convention center.

She let out a long sigh before she felt a hoof rest firmly on her shoulder. She glanced toward it and came face-to-face with her closest friend in the Wonderbolts.

"Sorry Crash," Spitfire said sincerely, "but Wonderbolts practice always comes first, and we've got a big show coming up."

"I know, I know," Rainbow replied, still allowing herself to wallow a little bit as she stood up.

She turned back towards the window and sighed.

"Maybe next year."

---

Daring Do (or A.K. Yearling, take your pick) was on a mission. Never mind, she just completed it. She had the relic stored safely in her hat. She had a meeting with the curator of a museum tomorrow morning. After that, the relic would be safe. All she had to do now was keep the relic away from Caballeron and his thugs until tomorrow.

She had to think fast. The day was still young, and she was exposed here in the outskirts of Manehattan. Where's the easiest place for her to hide?

"Think, Daring, think!" she reprimanded herself as she desperately looked around, deciding which way to go.

Her train of thought finally reached its destination as she ran towards the convention being held in her honor. After all, what better way for her to disappear than to blend in with hundreds of cosplayers!

---

"Where in Equestria could that mare be?" Zephyr said aloud, once again talking to himself.

He'd been looking for Rainbow for hours, but to no avail. He knew she was there. There was no way she wouldn't be. Why hadn't he found her yet?

"Maybe she improved her cosplay?" he said, rolling the thought over in his head. He'd been searching for her signature mane and tail, streaks of vivid color topping her head and running down between her flanks, but he hadn't seen anypony with such a distinct color palette in this place.

He looked around at the fanponies he was surrounded by. Many of the ponies here were wearing wigs that carried similarities to Rainbow's manestyle, but with the vivid colors replaced with a gradient of different shades of gray. The color palette was beautiful in its own right, but it was a very stark contrast from the rainbow-like pattern that had lit up his world for years now.

Others had tried to dye their manes with the gray-scale colors, though most were given away by strands of their original color showing through or the fact that they'd forgotten to color their tail. Perhaps Rainbow had died her hair for the convention? Usually, she flaunted her colorful visage, but perhaps she'd decided to further emulate her personal idol this year.

"That must be it," he said to himself, overly proud of his small epiphany.

He began his search anew, this time looking for similar body shape, eye color, basically anything to differentiate Rainbows from these other Daring Do cosplayers.

Author's Note:

This story is a lot different than anything I've written before. Any feedback (positive or negative) is appreciated and encouraged. I hope you enjoy reading Conventional Approach.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

He'd been looking for Rainbow for hours, but to no avail. He knew she was there. There was no way she wouldn't be. Why hadn't he found her yet?

Poor dude he doesn't know she didn't make it to the convention

[Yoshifan30]

Well this is a very interesting start of a story and oh boy Zephyr Breeze is trying to find rainbow in a convention because she knows that she loves reading daring and there's a daring do convention going on but unfortunately he doesn't know that she's not there and it looks like daring Do is trying to meet up with somebody this is getting very very interesting