• Published 19th Feb 2022
  • 1,210 Views, 67 Comments

Someone Steals Rainbow Dash's NFTs - PresentPerfect



It's not about the art, okay? It's about owning something unique! Or at least something that was...

  • ...
9
 67
 1,210

No, you know what? Screw you! *funges your tokens*

Someone Steals Rainbow Dash's NFTs
by Present Perfect

"Whoa, nelly!"

Applejack thrust a hoof against a nearby apple tree, steadying herself as the ground shook beneath her. Twilight took to the air, nimbly avoiding the worst of the shaking.

"Now I see what you mean!" She eyed the ground like she could never trust it again.

"It's just been these last couple o' days." Applejack let out a breath as the quake subsided. "Been in all different parts o' the orchard, too. None of us can make heads or tails of it."

Still hovering, Twilight tapped her chin. "Have you noticed any pattern in the location of the quakes? Are they always in this part of the orchard?"

Applejack frowned at the tree roots beneath her hooves. "Well, no, I hadn't thought to look at it that way. But now that you mention it--"

Whatever she was about to say apparently didn't matter, because at that moment, Twilight was pile-driven into the ground at lightning speed by The One And Only Rainbow Dash.

"Twilight! Twilight!" she shouted, though it sounded more like "Thrmgwmphplgrt" because she had also face-planted into the soft, supple orchard soil.

"Grnglfmrfpl," said Twilight Sparkle around a mouthful of loam. Once Applejack had helped her to her hooves, she clarified, "Get off me! Rainbow Dash, what in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on?"

"Theft!" cried Rainbow, sinking to her knees and throwing her hooves up to the heavens. "Pilfering! Stolen goods! I've been robbed blind! My life is ruuuuiiiined!" And she broke down into big, disgusting sobs.

Twilight and Applejack shared a look. Moving over to place a comforting leg around Rainbow's withers, Twilight said, "Rainbow, c'mon, what's wrong? Take a deep breath and tell me, I promise I'll do anything I can to help."

Hooves over her eyes, Rainbow could only hiccup in between sobs. Finally, she managed to choke out, "Th-they s-s-stole my art!"


Twilight and AJ agreed they should all find somewhere to let Rainbow calm down. Applejack had suggested cider in the barn. By the time Rainbow Dash had asked for a second mug of cider, Applejack figured she was feeling calm enough to milk the situation for a free taste of the good stuff. But could she really blame her friend? It was good cider, after all.

"Now start from the beginning," said Twilight, taking a seat on a haybale across from Rainbow. "I never knew you were an art collector!"

Rainbow took in a long breath, had another pull of cider, and breathed out.

"Yeah," she said, voice trembling, "just recently, I've started investing my crypto into minting NFTs on the blockchain."

Twilight looked at Applejack. Applejack looked at Twilight. AJ was pretty sure her friend's eyes had swirling spirals in them.

"What," she asked, "did any of that mean, exactly?"

"You mean haven't heard of the blockchain?"

Rainbow Dash had never been tested for autism, but in that moment, her face lit up with the excited, anticipatory glee only someone about to indulge in gushing about their current obsession could have.

"Okay, so, the Diamond Dogs, right? They've got this exploratory mining operation going on right now."

She got up and started to pace, gesticulating to punctuate her words.

"Only, instead of using their claws or shovels or whatever to dig, they've got this chain. And the chain, see, it's made up of big linked blocks. I think they're wood? Or maybe metal? I dunno. But it's not important!

"What's important is, they have this big, huge chain hooked up to a machine that spins it around a whole bunch. And that's what tunnels through the dirt and rocks and stuff. You with me so far?"

Twilight shrugged and looked at Applejack, who also shrugged.

"It's like..." Dash tapped her chin for a moment. "Remember that time I had to go to Sugarcube Corner and help Pinkie Pie snake out the Cakes' pipes after burrito night?"

Applejack's nose wrinkled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight turning green. Neither of them would ever forget the smell.

"It's kinda like that, just not as gross.

"You're both doing really well, by the way! Not everypony can really grasp the subtle intricacies of all this stuff, y'know." Rainbow Dash grinned like someone who thought they could grasp the subtle intricacies of a situation beyond their ken.

"So, the chain goes spinning around and around, and it digs up a bunch of stuff. If it gets too far out, they stop it and add another block at the machine end to give it some slack. It's a pretty slick setup, if you ask me."

"They let you watch it or somethin'?" asked Applejack, scratching her hat.

"Nah," said Rainbow with a shrug. "That's just what the guy who sold me my first BiteCoins said."

From her mane, Rainbow produced a coin. It was a solid third bigger than a standard bit, the right size to take up the surface of a frog, and a good deal thicker as well. The word "Bite" had been stamped on one side, along with a picture of a Diamond Dog gazing stoically into the middle ground. Rainbow flipped it over, to show the word "Coin" and what they could only surmise was a depiction of the aforementioned Block-Chain. The whole thing was a dull golden color, not actually gold, but close enough that it might fit easily into somepony's collection.

"This baby right here?" Rainbow said. "Five hundred bits, easy."

Applejack whistled. "Whoa nelly! They're mintin' super-valuable coins outta what they mine? I might need to get in on this!"

"I mean..." Rainbow put the coin away and waved her other hoof noncommittally. "Not really? They just sort of gave me this and told me how much it was. There was a bunch of technical jargon I didn't really pay attention to."

"All right," said Twilight, in the manner of someone not all right with anything, let alone the status quo. "So the Diamond Dogs are digging up coins or something in the middle of nowhere. How does this relate to your... What was it? Double-you-tee-effs?"

"NFTs." Dash rolled her eyes. "That stands for Non-Fungal Tokens. 'Cause they don't have any fungus or mold growing in them. That's very important." This last bit she said as though she understood fully what it meant and therefore had a keen grasp of its significance.

"Uh," said Twilight, "okay. So they're giving out wooden tokens that are... clean."

"No, not wood." Rainbow poked at the floor for a bit. "How to explain it? Like, okay, you know how I said this was all about art?"

AJ and Twilight nodded.

"So the art is stored in a warehouse somewhere. I don't know where, it's the NFTs that are important here." She stood and began pacing. "They're like, a spot on a list that tells you what art you own." She stopped and jabbed a hoof at them. "This is very important. The NFT tells you that you own a piece of real art in a warehouse somewhere that the Diamond Dogs are keeping safe for you."

"Or they were keeping safe for you," said Applejack, her eyebrow raised.

Rainbow winced. "You don't have to rub it in."

"So what happened?" Twilight said, her attention focused on Dash. "Did somepony break into the art warehouse and steal it all?"

Rainbow Dash sighed. She groaned. She all but swooned from the drama.

"If only!" she moaned. "Then it would still be unique!" She heaved a great sob from deep within her core. A single tear tracked down her cheek.

"They took a picture of my art!"

Applejack glanced at Twilight to see her wearing the same frown as herself.

"Not sure I'm following you there," said Twilight. "How are you going to show other ponies what the art piece looks like if you don't have pictures of it?"

The grinding of Rainbow's teeth became audible. "That's not the point! Who cares what the art looks like? The point is I own it! Me! Rainbow Danger Professionalism Dash! Not some random pony with a camera!"

AJ and Twilight were pretty sure they could see steam escape from her ears.

"And now they're out there spreading their horseapple photographs around, which means my art isn't unique anymore! I may as well own a hole in the ground!"

And with that, Rainbow Dash collapsed into crying once more.

Twilight seemed to grow sad right alongside her, though the confusion was clear on her face. Applejack held out a hoof to stop her from going to Dash's aid.

"Now let me get this straight, sugarcube," she said. "You're upset on account of the Diamond Dogs gave you some coins they dug out o' the ground with some kinda giant industrial sewer snake, that you then spent to put your name on a dang list that claims you own a piece of art that just anypony can go gawk 'n take pictures at, and now you're out five hundred bits?"

"Probably more like two thousand," Rainbow said with a sniff.

"Goldurnit!" Applejack doffed her hat and slammed it onto the ground. "Rainbow Dash, you idjit, ya got plum hornswaggled!"

Twilight's eyes grew wide. That had been a lot of countryisms in a row.

"Rainbow, when you initially bought those coins from the Diamond Dogs, did they maybe mention anything about getting more bits if you brought more ponies into the system?"

"I mean..." Dash's eyes searched the ground for a bit. "Yeah, actually. I'm not really a salespony though, so I wasn't really planning on doing it." She brightened suddenly. "But if you girls are interested--"

She was interrupted by the sound of Twilight facehoofing hard.

"Rainbow Dash, that's the most basic definition of a pyramid scheme! Applejack is absolutely correct, you've been swindled!"

Rainbow gave her that toothy, excited grin that told you she had only listened to the parts of what you'd just said that she actually wanted to hear.

"Wait, you mean they mint NFTs for whole pyramids? I need to get in on that action, I'd love to own a pyramid!"

Before anyone could continue to inform Rainbow Dash as to just what a dumb, stupid, dumb idiot she had been, an ominous rumble shook the ground.

"Whoa nelly!"

Applejack raced out of the barn, the other two hot on her heels. Outside, trees jolted up and down, shedding leaves, apples, birds and two very confused and embarrassed pegasi. But unlike previous quakes of that afternoon, the three ponies were forced to hold onto whatever was handy (because, as the previous body of this story has proven, Rainbow was too dumb to remember she could fly) as the ground bucked beneath them like a rolling sea.

Trees began to topple as the waves of earth grew more and more violent. There was an earsplitting crack! as something breached the surface.

"Look!" cried Twilight, pointing to it.

High overhead, something long and rectangular did whatever the long, large version of wibbling was. It thrashed and crashed about like a giant snake trying to escape an unwanted rider. The more it moved, the wider the rent in the earth became. The wider it became, the more trees it swallowed.

Rainbow Dash's face lit up, even as she flounced about on the ground like a big, dumb, blue fish. "It's the blockchain!"

The only reason Applejack wasn't weeping internally for the lost trees was because she was certain she was going to die right then. But it was only just.

"Consarnit, Rainbow Dash," she choked out, "your cockamamie chain thing is destroyin' my orchard!"

All of a sudden, the shaking stopped. The giant block snake disappeared back into the earth with a soft "ptui" sound. Rainbow dashed out and scooped up the tiny, shiny object it had dislodged. Then she started doing that annoying thing where she dances in midair.

"Aw yeah!" she chanted. "Aw yeah! I got a BiteCoin! It's worth probably a thousand bits! I'm rich now, whoo-hoo!"

Applejack surveyed what remained after the carnage. Rainbow Dash danced above a featureless wreck of broken earth. Nothing of the orchard had survived.

She pulled her hat down over her eyes.

"Goddammit, Rainbow Dash!" shouted Twilight. She flew up to Dash and smacked the coin out of her hoof. "Can't you see what your desire for material excess over all else has cost us?

"Thanks to the blockchain, now there's No Fucking Trees!"

Author's Note:

I just wish laughing at these fucking idiots was enough to get them to stop. :')

Big thanks to Super Trampoline for feedback and encouragement!

Comments ( 67 )

Rainbow Dash had never been tested for autism, but in that moment, her face lit up with the excited, anticipatory glee only someone about to indulge in gushing about their current obsession could have.

This was the moment I burst out laughing :rainbowlaugh:

lol AJ ngmi hfsp hodl diamond dog hands Luna to the moon

11157792
I have autism and this is exactly what I do!!

"How does this relate to your... What was it? Double-you-tee-effs?"

What an apt acronym. Hee hee.

This is quite funny, but isn't the point of NFTs that it doesn't matter how many copies of the art may exist, what matters is the certificate of ownership? (I consider NFTs eminently mockable - the first case of a commodity bubble with nonexistent commodities - but let's be accurate in our mockery! :pinkiehappy: )

11157837
I think it's mostly pointing out (correctly) that a lot of people who buy NFTs don't actually understand NFTs.

The best Explanation i ever heard about NFTs as of yet:
You have a smoking hot wife.
She has sex with everybody else.
But you have the marriage certificate.
THAT RIGHT THERE IS YOUR NFT!

11157841
I suppose? It just doesn't quite seem to work as well if RD's art is just as valuable (or valueless) as it was before, at least to me.

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

11157860
I did the best with what I had. :B Also, I don't care if I got anything wrong lol

11157863
I do believe this was a direct inspiration. :D

Warlock Lifesteal Nerfed > 12 years later > "All My Apes Gone"

This is so true omg

can I downvote this on principle

principles

...all the principles

:rainbowlaugh: I read the title and all I could think about was this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_dbFNWD910

"Thanks to the blockchain, now there's No Fucking Trees!"

A fair trade

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

11157936
that is marvelous :D

One downvote? I guess Tara Strong really does use this website after all!

Dan

Blockchains in general do nothing that the TOR protocol and SHA don't do a great deal better, and NFTs are a terrible idea on the face of it.

Rainbow gave her that toothy, excited grin that told you she had only listened to the parts of what you'd just said that she actually wanted to hear.

This is some sort of metaphor for all of humanity isn't it? :twilightoops:

Dash to photographer: "Can't you see that you've taken what I've rightfully stolen?"

"Goddammit, Rainbow Dash!" shouted Twilight. She flew up to Dash and smacked the coin out of her hoof. "Can't you see what your desire for material excess over all else has cost us?

Don't you mean immaterial excess, since we're talking about NFTs? :derpytongue2:

This was the laugh I needed today. :heart:

I could totally see RD falling for a pyramid scheme.

Dan
Dan #22 · Feb 19th, 2022 · · ·

11158060
More than pyramid schemes... back in the day for Church confirmation lessons, right around the time of the Hale-Bopp Heaven's Gate suicides and Aum Shinrikyo attacks, they gave us a lecture on recognizing cult recruitment language and rhetoric.

There is a definite cultish tone to the folks coming into communities to sing the virtues of NFTs and push people to get in on the ground floor.

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

Postmodern ponyfic

why is this a story

What does NFT stand for?

11158354
Non-Fungible Token. Basically a cryptographically irreproducible bit of someTHING that says you own something else. Usually really REALLY terrible art, and so far always just a Bigger Fool scheme. You get conned into buying an NFT, and the only conceivable way you make any money is to find a Bigger Fool than you who will buy it next.

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

11158320
what else I'm gonna do :B

11158354
No Fucking Trees, it says so right at the end :V

The chapter title alone made me laugh...

"Grnglfmrfpl," said Twilight Sparkle around a mouthful of loam. Once Applejack had helped her to her hooves, she clarified, "Get off me! Rainbow Dash, what in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on?"

Wait, are we summoning C'thulu?

Rainbow Dash had never been tested for autism, but in that moment, her face lit up with the excited, anticipatory glee only someone about to indulge in gushing about their current obsession could have.

I'm on the spectrum, and I approve of this message. :rainbowlaugh:

This was amazing.

A literary masterpiece if I ever did see one myself :rainbowlaugh:

God damn it, Rainbow Dash

You know, regardless of its accuracy, I usually find Rainbow Dash being an idiot hilarious, but this? This is way too close to reality in the creepily unthinking world of... that.

I mean, the story's still really funny, don't get me wrong, but in a "the incoming, planet-destroying meteor has a dick drawn on it" sort of way - it's funny, but it's also just a depressing fact and symbolic representation of how things truly are.

That is SUCH a 'Rainbow Dash' thing for Rainbow Dash to do...

Exquisite. I want every man, woman, and child in the world to read this story. And for some of them to get the Ludovico Technique as they listen to an audio version.

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

why in the fuheck is this in the wackybox

what did you people do

11158671
the real comedy was the friends we killed along the way D:

Nice NFT. Hope you don’t mind if I
cdn-img.fimfiction.net/story/pjqi-1645283222-512316-medium
Right click + save image

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

11158777
this comment is now the only one I recognize, everyone else gtfo

"All right," said Twilight, in the manner of someone not all right with anything, let alone the status quo.

:twilightsmile:: "This is fine."

AJ and Twilight were pretty sure they could see steam escape from her ears.

Maybe, but I also see black smoke coming from their ears, so it's okay.

Rainbow Dash's face lit up, even as she flounced about on the ground like a big, dumb, blue fish. "It's the blockchain!"

Now that's some mental image right now...


Good story!
I enjoyed reading it.

The word choice, the tone, the characterization, everything about this story was enjoyable from start to finish.

Now we wait for Rainbow Dash to insist she mints "eco-friendly" NFTs, and that she'll (eventually) replant Applejack's orchard with some of the (imaginary) money she's made.

I hate trading in things that are Not Freaking Tangible.

Maybe the NFT's are the National Forecast Telescopes we stole along the way, Friendship, IS magic.

I clicked on this because the cover art is exactly what an NFT looks like and I felt compelled to right click it.

Other than that, this is blessed, thank you

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

11159572
I'm glad someone appreciates the hard work I put into these. XD

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

11159852
Okay, but the final line of this article though:

If it's possible to arbitrarily own a jpeg on the internet that’s only purpose is to promote artificial scarcity and sell for profit then I suppose it’s also possible to have it stolen. It’s just hard to tell which of these concepts should actually be considered a crime.

Congratulations. You've somehow managed to make NFTs sound even more stupid. I applaud you, good sir.

DAMN YOU DIAMOND DOGS AND YOUR BLOCKCHAINS!!!

11159997

I agree, making them even more idiotic-looking than even reality has managed is quite the accomplishment.

I'd say it has reached true surrealism!

This NFT nonsense reminds me of the Pog craze in the 90's, only at least you actually HAD the Pogs.

11159030

I have a giant pile PLUTONIUM as my hard assets! (10,000 years later...) HOW DID I END UP WITH A PILE OF LEAD?! SCIENCE!! DAMN YOUUUUUU!!

:trollestia:

11158671 Soon, all shall come to the realization that ALONDRO WAS RIGHT!

And then, in 2032.... the world shall declare me GOD-EMPEROR!! :trixieshiftright:

11158412 It's a huge Ponzi scheme. Bernia Madoff's likely kicking himself in Hell, wishing he'd waited a few years longer before scamming suckers with something that the Feds won't even know who to pin it on when the whole thing implodes.

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