Rainbow Dash goes to The Averages Tower

by Khampostel

Act III

The computer screen displayed a black-and-white image of two ponies in an elevator, captured live by one of the security cameras. From the shadows, an enigmatic figure of a mare, seated in an imposing executive chair, watched attentively, with a barely visible smile of satisfaction in the darkness.

---

The sweet taste of cider quickly faded on Rainbow Dash's palate. The second lunch that Tomy Star and the rest of the Average team had offered her was the energy boost she needed to continue her day. However, the satisfaction of the delicious meal was overshadowed by the intriguing and somewhat dark conversation they had afterwards.

"Another Starlight Glimmer..." muttered Dash thoughtfully as she tried to rid her mouth of a bitter taste that spread.

"Um... excuse me? Did you say something?" timidly responded the young Pegasus disguised as a bee who accompanied her.

"Mmm... it's nothing, Bee, I just remembered something," replied Dash to her companion with a thick and short pink mane.

"Oh... okay," responded the pony with a whispery and somewhat blushing voice. Although she was looking in the opposite direction, Dash could feel the furtive glances she was getting.

This pony was Bee, the latest member of the Average theater group. The story behind the timid Pegasus disguised as a bee was surprising; even Dash was very impressed. Tomy Star, who introduced her to Dash before lunch, told her that the full name of this simple pony was Airela Font Dival. She was the adopted daughter of one of the city's most important officials. Her real parents had been actors, and she too, from an early age, had felt a great attraction to the theater. However, her path to becoming an actress was fraught with setbacks and obstacles. Although her Cutie Mark clearly represented the stage of a colorful pink theater with lights, she had not been able to develop her talent due to her stage fright and fragility in health. Nevertheless, she didn't give up, and it wasn't until a year ago that she met Magazine Doublereport in a motivational talk where everything changed. After several months of hard training and coaching, she managed to overcome her fears and improve her physical health, finally fulfilling her dream of acting by joining the Average children's theater group.

Dash smiled, thinking about her own experiences; this was the kind of overcoming story she liked the most.

"Aaaa... aaaa," whispered and exhaled Airela from one of the corners of the elevator.

Of course, the description of 'overcoming her fears' was somewhat relative. Everything about that Pegasus, even the colors, reminded Dash of her slightly brave friend Fluttershy.

"Hey, I didn't mention it before, but you remind me a lot of my friend..."

"GIVE ME YOUR AUTOGRAPH RIGHT NOW!" suddenly shouted Airela towards Dash with a completely hysterical expression.

Dash didn't flinch, in a way she was already expecting it. Her Average teammates had already warned her about how big a fan the Pegasus was. In fact, when they recently met, Airela almost fainted with excitement. Despite being a big fan of Dash, due to her shyness and her responsibilities in the theater, she had never dared to meet her in person or attend any of her performances as a Wonderbolt.

"Okay... do you have a spot for me to sign?" said Dash totally calm and with a tone of maturity.

"ON MY SKIN."

"Uh... sorry," replied Dash somewhat nervously.

Airela seemed to regain her composure and immediately blushed again. "NO, NO, WAIT... I meant on my peach skin, yes, yes, that..." At that moment, the Pegasus pulled out an old peach skin blanket with a golden border from her saddlebag. It seemed to be some kind of valuable personal item.

"Okay... sure, give me a second," Dash quickly pulled out a marker for autographs from her own saddlebag. She proceeded to sign Airela's blanket. And once she finished, the pink-maned Pegasus began to bounce while holding the blanket, repeating "Yes, yes, yes" at every moment. She looked like a foal who had just received her first birthday present. This didn't bother Dash at all, who watched her smiling; she had already gotten used to reactions like this from her fans.

The elevator, which had been ascending until that moment, stopped.

"Well, I guess this is the floor. I can explore the entire place as long as I have this ID, right?" said Dash as she toyed with the identification badge hanging around her neck. At the same time, the elevator doors finished opening.

"Yes! I mean no, wait..." Airela's joyful expression vanished in an instant, replaced by one of concern. "I heard what the others told you, but I believe Magi is a good person. She has helped many ponies, including me and many others. Her teachings have changed our lives; she is helping the city to be better and..."

"Wow, easy there," Dash quickly responded as she approached her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm not going to lay a hoof on her; I'm just going to have a chat with her, from Pegasus to Pegasus."

"Do you promise?" asked Airela anxiously.

"Yes, I promise. Rainbow Dash's word."

"Oh, thank you!" replied a relieved Airela. "I knew you were a pony to be trusted."

"Excuse me, ladies... Are you finished?" came a peculiar old voice.

Both looked towards the door. There stood a member of the tower's cleaning staff. He was an old pony with thick glasses and a bushy short mustache, waiting to enter with his bulky cleaning cart.

"Ah, yes... we're done," Dash quickly responded as she stepped out of the elevator, leaving her new friend behind. Immediately, the old pony entered, and the elevator doors began to close.

"See you another time!" said Dash, waving one of her hooves in farewell.

"Alright, take care! See you!" responded an excited Airela.

The elevator doors finished closing. Inside, a despondent Airela stood watching them. She felt like crying at that moment. Even some tears were starting to well up between her eyelids.

"Well... that pony seemed quite Excelsior!" abruptly said the old cleaning pony.

"Yeah, she really is," said Airela as she wiped her eyes with her autographed peach skin blanket and carefully stowed it away in her saddlebag.

---

Dash sighed as she watched the elevator doors through which the young actress had departed. Airela bore a striking resemblance to her friend Fluttershy in figure, colors, and even personality, but at the end of the day, she wasn't her.

"It's time to get to the bottom of this," Dash said aloud, determined.

She turned around, ready to proceed. She already had a simple plan in mind: to explore the entire administrative floor from top to bottom and leave Magi for last. However, before she could take a single step, she was met with two burly security guards blocking her path like a concrete wall.

"Miss Rainbow Dash, please come with us," ordered the two agents.

From the other door of the second elevator, a squad of fully armed security ponies emerged, preventing her exit. More security agents poured out from the hallways and emergency exits, while the doors and windows automatically sealed shut, and the security alarms began to blare loudly.

Under intense red light and surrounded by an army, Dash shook her head and sighed.

"All right, gentlemen, what's the way?"

---

The steel corridor in which Dash was being escorted abruptly ended in a spacious waiting room with a single reception window. The window was protected by thick transparent glass, and inside sat a clerk who continued typing on her typewriter. She was a short earth pony with a bulky and disheveled brown mane that partly covered her face, although her shiny freckles and slightly flattened nose were visible.

As Dash observed her approaching, she was surprised to notice that, despite her unattractive features, she bore a striking resemblance to the same pony who had handed her the brochure to reach the tower that morning.

The security ponies escorting her stopped, and then she and the one who appeared to be the highest-ranking among them approached the reception window.

"Here's Winter Solid reporting in, complying with pass 489. We've brought Miss Rainbow Dash to offices 2A on the third level," said the agent in a martial tone as he deposited a paper into one of the window's openings.

Inside, the clerk paused her typing and lifted her head with a somewhat uncomfortable expression. After a moment, she slowly approached the window, received the paper, and mechanically stamped it. Then, she opened a folder where she stored it. Additionally, she approached a machine from which she took a new paper and handed it to the guard.

For Dash, just watching her move so incredibly slowly was torturous.

"Thank you very much for your hard work. I'll guide Miss Dash from here. You may continue with your tasks," said the receptionist with an indifferent and nasal voice.

Immediately, all the security ponies began to withdraw.

The receptionist exited through one of the secondary doors. She was shorter than she appeared. With a slow pace, she stood in front of Dash and after observing her for a moment, said, "Follow me, Miss Rainbow Dash. Magazine Doublereport is waiting for you."

"Is it far?" Dash responded, growing increasingly impatient.

"No," the clerk responded curtly. She turned around and headed towards the large doors on the right side of the room. Using her card, she unlocked the security sensor, and the doors swung open wide, revealing a room shrouded in darkness. Beside the open doors, the receptionist simply extended one of her hooves, indicating to Dash to enter.

"THANK GOODNESS!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, relieved to finally be done with that boring reception, but her joy was short-lived as she noticed the receptionist's stern gaze upon her.

Quickly, Dash adopted a serious and professional posture.

"I suppose this is the end of the road. Thank you very much."

Rainbow Dash ventured into the dark room. Behind her, the receptionist closed the doors and returned to her routine.

---

Beyond the doors, in the most important room of the entire Averages tower, Rainbow Dash found herself walking into a spacious hall that, in its profound emptiness, made her wonder if it should really look like that. There were no paintings, ornaments, or furniture on the walls or columns, just desolation and an overwhelming silence shrouded in darkness. The floor was the only thing notably striking, resembling a vast frozen river in shades of purple, red, and emerald. The translucent and colorful background of the floor, combined with the darkness enveloping the place, gave the visitor the sensation of walking on a moving space vault.

However, Rainbow Dash was not intimidated by any of this and continued to move calmly through the room. As she advanced, she began to notice mysterious runes subtly drawn hidden in the walls and columns. She also observed security cameras hanging from the ceiling that tracked her movements. But none of that fazed her, and she pressed on, her eyes fixed on the far end of the hall.

There, at the end of that ominous room, stood a large desk that stood out in the exterior light filtered through the transparent glass walls at its back.

As she approached, Dash could clearly distinguish the two chairs accompanying the desk, one larger than the other. And to her slight surprise, in the large executive chair sat comfortably the dark silhouette of a pegasus. As Dash got close enough, the dark figure of that pony stood up, and immediately the light in the room grew brighter, revealing the figure of the mysterious mare.

"Welcome, Miss Dash! I'm Magazine Doublereport. You can call me Magi. I am the owner and CEO of the Averages consortium. I am also a reporter, writer, motivational speaker. It's an honor for me to welcome such a heroic, amazing, and friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Magi with a smile from ear to ear as she took Dash's right hoof and greeted her warmly.

This was Magi, a white-coated pegasus with a red and black mane. She wore large emerald glasses with thick white frames on her head and a shiny yellow tie around her neck. Her Cutie Mark was two red and black books dancing together. She wore nothing else, giving her a simple appearance. However, her gaze of bright purple eyes seemed to convey a wild and dominant spirit.

"Pleasure to meet you..." Dash felt fluttery inside and could only think: "Oh, hoof... here we go again."

"Come, please take a seat," said Magi as she released Dash and returned to her own executive chair. "And tell me, what brings you to visit? Are you interested in any of our amazing products or services?"

"Well... look, I..." Dash didn't have a prepared speech. She hadn't thought much about it herself, even as she was being transported to that place. After futilely thinking for a second, she gave up. "You know, I've had a long day, so I'll just be direct with what I say, alright?"

"...okay," said Magi, somewhat puzzled.

"This morning, I was approached by one of your peculiar sales agents, so I came here to learn more about this place. At first, it seemed great, and on the way, I met some of your workers. They told me about you and your business, and that's when I started to realize that maybe this place wasn't so great after all. Then I went to your administrative offices to check if what they told me was true, and that's when I was stopped by your GUARD ARMY. They brought me here because YOU obviously ordered them to, and now we're having this chat about everything I just told you," Dash finished speaking clearly annoyed.

"Well, that... I had no idea you'd been received so poorly. Security was supposed to escort you here only. I sincerely apologize for my security personnel's discourteous behavior," said Magi with a tone of regret as she lowered her head.

Dash couldn't determine if she was acting or genuinely distressed by what had happened. However, her instincts told her to believe the former.

"Look, there's no need to hang your head. I get that guys like those get excited when they have the chance to do their job, but do you really need that many?"

"It's necessary to have a regular amount of security personnel for each floor of the building."

"Even if the vast majority of the floors are completely empty?" Dash questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, I see! I suppose that's what you were told by the workers you met... and I'm sure they also told you even more things," Magi corrected.

Dash nodded indifferently.

"I'm very sorry about all this," said Magi, closing her eyes for a moment. "I didn't expect things to have come to this point."

"You didn't expect it? Secretly aligning with the most unpopular ponies in the city, engaging in their dirty business, and hoping nobody would find out. I also heard you were quite clever," Dash said with a mocking tone.

Magi frowned. For a moment, she seemed annoyed, but quickly composed herself.

"You know, Miss Dash, succeeding in this city is not easy. Not all of us have the fortune or friends to rely on..."

"Yeah, yeah, heard that one before," Dash interrupted, yawning blatantly.

Magi, with a displeased expression on her face, seemed to understand the situation. It was clear that Rainbow Dash wasn't taking her seriously.

"Would you give me a chance to start over?" said Magi, looking gravely at Dash.

"Alright, I'm listening," responded Dash, adopting a more serious stance.

"I am Magazine Doublereport, that is as true as the sunrise. I was a worker at DN and one of the best reporters J.J. Jelly ever had. But due to a political scandal he refused to cover, I decided to leave that news house. I founded my own publishing house, and shortly after, I joined the Averages consortium, of which I became the leader. Since then, I've done everything possible to stay ahead of my competitors, using new technologies and better working methods. I've fostered talent and unity among my employees to increase my company's capital and strengthen the consortium I lead," so spoke Magi, almost banging the table with her hooves. She had a stern expression on her face reflecting great determination and will.

Then there was a tense pause as both ponies stared at each other.

"And why... do you do this?" Dash asked without changing her posture.

"I have a vision," Magi responded quickly.

"That's it?"

"I believe this city can be a better place. A place where ponies have the opportunity to discover their talents. A place where those with talent can reach their full potential. A place where all ponies can shine on their own and march together into the future without fear," as Magi spoke these words, her eyes sparkled with genuine emotion.

Dash sighed. That was the dream of winners. In the past, she would have been excited about a project like that, but now, after her experiences with her friends and her journey around the world, she could only think it was a very difficult dream to fulfill.

"And do your new partners share this vision?"

Magi put on a bitter expression, as if she understood where Dash was going. "No, not all of them do."

There was another pause between the two ponies.

"Do you have anything to drink?" Dash asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes, of course. Here, I have some drinks," Magi responded as she rummaged through one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out some cans of Power-Psoas energy drinks.

It wasn't what Dash wanted at that moment, but she settled for it. Both opened their cans and began to drink. However, as they did so, neither took their eyes off each other.

"She's on guard... maybe she's thinking the same thing as the others," Dash recalled as she drank. When she had met with the Average team, several of them had insisted on asking her if she was on a mission on behalf of the princess. Even though she explained to them that she wasn't and that she was only there for business, it didn't seem like she had convinced them.

Probably Magi was thinking the same way, Rainbow Dash reflected.

On the other hand, about Magi's speech... Dash could confirm its great resemblance to Starlight Glimmer. Although in a way they had taken opposite directions, unlike the lavender-maned unicorn, Magi wasn't seeking to unite ponies in a community with an ideology that eliminated talent, but rather she cultivated individual pony talent to use it as capital for her company. However, in both cases, they only undertook such efforts because they perceived that using others was the most effective means to achieve their goals. On one occasion, they had asked Starlight if she had any plans in case her community project failed. She had replied that she didn't have any. She was so convinced she was doing the right thing that she never contemplated that possibility.

The sunset light projected on the glass walls. Perhaps there was less than an hour until dusk. On the horizon, the Average team's flying ship could be seen flying in the sky towards a new theater function somewhere in the city.

Finally, both ponies finished their drinks.

"Phew," Rainbow Dash exhaled, refreshed, she had already decided what to do next.

"Mmm... Miss Dash," Magi interrupted, placing her can on the desk. "You know, a new company has recently joined our consortium. I think if you meet them, you might..."

Rainbow Dash raised her right hoof.

"That's enough."

Magi looked at her perplexed. "Excuse me?"

"I said it's enough. You don't have to feel threatened by me. I'm not here on a friendship mission or anything like that. I'm not going to report you to the authorities. Nor do I hold a grudge for the reception you gave me. Well... maybe a little. I just wanted to get to know you and make sure you really care about your workers."

Magi blinked a couple of times before responding.

"I didn't ask if you were on a mission from the princess or not, but... are you serious?" asked Magi, suspiciously.

"Yes, as true as my name is Rainbow Dash," exclaimed the Pegasus firmly.

For a moment, Magi seemed to hesitate, then, for some reason that Rainbow Dash didn't understand, Magi opened one of her desk drawers as if to check something.

Then, a look of relief spread across her face.

"Thank goodness! I don't know what to say, well yes, I'm very grateful. You really... are an amazing pony," said Magi, moved.

"Indeed... but you mustn't forget that you have very good ponies on your side!" declared Dash firmly, pointing at her with her hoof. Perhaps she was being too lenient with her, but Rainbow Dash had already decided, besides she had promised Bee.

Magi seemed to want to say something, but she restrained herself. Instead, she averted her gaze and stared longingly at the distant door of the room.

"That's right, I have very good ponies..." she said, releasing a strangely mischievous smile.

Dash didn't quite understand the meaning of that smile, so she decided to ignore it.

"Well, changing the subject, I'm interested in your editorial service. Do you have anything to offer me?" asked Dash with genuine interest.

Magi seemed to startle a bit, as if she had emerged from her thoughts. "Ah, yes... give me a moment."

Quickly, Magi pulled out several documents from her desk.

"A sales agent mentioned to me a few weeks ago that you were working on an autobiographical book with White Horse Publishing. Is that correct?" asked Magi.

"Yes, that's right," replied Dash, not surprised that Magi was already informed about that.

"Very well, Miss Dash, I propose this deal: if you agree to transfer the rights to your book to my publishing house today, I am willing to give you 95% of all the revenue generated from its sales, as well as offer you an annual premium package with all the services and promotions that the Averages consortium offers," proposed Magi with a confidence and vigor that contrasted with the defeatist attitude she had shown a few moments ago.

Dash was impressed by the proposal. She wasn't a math expert, but 95% was only 5% less than 100%. Even White Horse Publishing had offered her only 30%.

"It's really an interesting deal, but..." Dash's intuition began to sound her alarms. "Does it mean you'll be able to have my book finished this week?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Dash. We have standards to meet as a publishing house, but with the advisors we have, I can guarantee that your book will be completed in two months."

Dash sighed. She had already imagined such a response. She had no choice but to set aside the hope of finishing her book quickly and focus on looking for other options.

"Tell me, what does that premium package you mentioned a moment ago include?" Dash asked.

"It's a set of exclusive services that we offer to our most distinguished clients. It includes discount coupons for products from consortium-affiliated stores, as well as free packages for food, health, travel, accommodation..." explained Magi enthusiastically.

"Does it include travel?" Dash's ears perked up at the possibility, thinking of Twilight's special day.

"Yes, indeed. Here's a brochure," said Magi as she passed Dash a set of travel brochures. "I must mention that all our premium package clients can make an immediate reservation and will have priority in the queue."

Dash quickly flipped through the brochures. Although the destinations weren't the most famous, they offered guaranteed transportation and accommodation services. If Rarity were there, she would probably rate them as 'ordinary.' However, for Dash, they were the best option available at the moment.

"All right, I think this convinces me more, but..."

"Excellent. We can proceed to sign the contract right away," said Magi without waiting for Dash's response, pulling out a document of thick white paper with golden edges and a horseshoe emblem in the background.

"Is this for real?" asked Dash, incredulously.

"Of course. All our clients who access the premium package must sign this contract to formalize the agreement," replied Magi with an innocent smile.

"That's a real binding contract!" exclaimed alarmed Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, indeed," replied Magi, unfazed.

Rainbow Dash looked coldly at the cheerful, unscrupulous saleswoman in front of her.

In Equestria, a "real binding contract" was a legally binding document that could even land an alicorn princess in prison. There were many infamous stories about these contracts, and it was believed that only the sheep used them in their trades.

"I think I've heard enough. I'm not going to give up the story of my book and sign a contract like this just for some cheap commercial promotions or a slightly better deal. If you have nothing else to offer, this conversation is over," exploded Dash, tired and annoyed, as she stood up from her chair.

"Wait!" exclaimed Magi, unsettled. "I have something else, I'm sure you'll be interested."

Dash didn't believe it, but after considering the possibilities, she sat back down. If it wasn't a treacherous attack that would give her an excuse to kick her flank, then she would really leave that place very upset.

"What is it about?" asked Dash, with a harsh tone.

"Give me a moment." Immediately, Magi began to search one of the drawers of her desk. "Well... it's this."

Thick stacks of paper fell onto the table, catching Dash's attention.

"What is this?"

"These are the original drafts of A.K. Yearling's latest book: 'Daring Do and the Unfinished Journeys,'" replied Magi calmly as she sorted them on the table.

Rainbow Dash was speechless at that moment, with a stunned expression on her face as she tried to process what was in front of her. Magi took advantage of the moment to sit back more comfortably and continue drinking from her soda can.

A few weeks ago, Rainbow Dash had learned about the upcoming book by her favorite writer, A.K. Yearling (alias Daring Do), and excitedly decided to travel immediately to her writer friend's house. However, upon arrival, she found the house empty and no signs that anyone had returned. She didn't understand why her friend A.K. Yearling hadn't informed her about her upcoming release or, at the very least, hadn't sent her a letter indicating that she had returned. She had really hoped to meet her to help her with her personal project. After waiting in vain for several days, she had no choice but to return to her own home with empty hooves. Even in the central building of White Horse Publishing, they knew nothing about her. They only knew that months ago she had personally delivered the drafts of her book to J.J. Jelly and then disappeared without a trace.

And now, those unpublished documents that should be the best-kept secret of any publishing house were in front of her.

"How did you get these?" asked Dash, trying to hide the anxiety that overwhelmed her.

"It was a stroke of luck... Let's say that a former DN employee sent them to me as a donation. He was probably very upset about how he was treated by his former boss," replied Magi with a knowing laugh.

As Rainbow Dash turned her gaze back to the documents, she began to feel a familiar sensation, similar to when she made stupid decisions. Decisions like betting her house, auctioning off her friend Fluttershy without her consent, pretending to be Twilight for a dubious charity fundraiser, and other mischief she always ended up regretting.

Slowly, that feeling began to fade, and a dangerous idea implanted itself forcefully in her mind.

"Can I review them?" asked Rainbow Dash anxiously, sweat forming on her forehead.

"Of course! Since you're a close friend of A.K. Yearling, you should be able to verify that they're genuine," said Magi, with a playful look on her face, like a cat that had caught a mouse.

Without even responding, or thinking about how Magi knew the latter, Dash immediately began to review the pages. Her breathing intensified as she discovered that, indeed, the documents bore the signature and writing style of her favorite author.

Rainbow Dash's anxiety grew even more. She no longer thought about her friends or the gift she needed for Twilight. She only had one thing on her mind: she NEEDED those documents, and she didn't care what she had to pay for them...

"Well, Miss Dash, what do you think? Do we have a deal?" questioned Magi, leaning back in her seat with a triumphant grin.