Act I - 05 - We Pretend It's Alright
Act One:
"Pride Comes Before the Fall"
Chapter Five:
"We Pretend It's Alright"
Rainbow Dash let out a long groan and slowly opened her eyes. She was in yet another white room except this time it was just her lying on a small bed with no covers or sheets.
She tried to move her legs. Something tightened.
What in Faust’s name? She looked down at her legs to see that she was pinned across each of her legs by tight black straps. She felt a wave of panic burn through her heart like a hot coal and it made her brain buzz like a hive of hornets. She felt her breath coming in dry and short gasps despite that her lungs were aching to draw them out.
A sudden memory of the unsettling earth pony with the saccharine voice flashed across her mind. She clenched her eyes shut.
Stop, Rainbow, and THINK. You make too much of a scene and that pony will return with her horde and spell you again. You’ve been in worse situations before. These are mortal bonds after all. Surely they do not think to hold me down with such simple bindings.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, slowly coming down from her panicked state. Then, she jerked her legs up sharply. But instead of snapping and falling off, the straps remained securely fastened. She let out a puzzled sigh.
“Okay…let’s try that again,” She mumbled as she tried again, this time attempting to push against the straps with her entire body.
Nothing. Not a single strand loosened.
“It can’t be…” she grunted as she began thrash violently. “Must be…some sort…of enchantment…”
She gave a final mighty tug. Nothing.
She let out a frustrated growl. “Think, Rainbow… think!”
Faust, I sound like Trixie. She probably would have been out of this by now.
With that thought in mind she looked down at her forelegs again, this time carefully inspecting the straps.
Maybe…
She very slowly drew her foreleg out from the straps and the strap released it willingly.
“Excellent!” she nearly shouted, quickly catching herself.
After using her free hoof to undo the rest of her bindings, Rainbow Dash sat up slowly and placed each of her hooves on the ground carefully, putting her weight on each one before trying the next. She wasn’t going to make the same rushed mistakes as before. She took several, small, tentative steps forward, smiling as she found her footing.
Satisfied that she was strong enough to walk—and run if she had to—and perhaps even fight if necessary, she started towards the door, walking as quietly as possible. She reached the door and glanced out the small eye-level window. Nobody stood guard outside.
Fools, not even a single guard for their most valuable prisoner?
Never mind, so they were foolish. Simply made getting home simpler for the likes of her.
/////////////////////////////
Daring Do and Scootaloo sat in the restaurant, quietly going about eating their food. Comet Tail had decided to sleep in that morning, so it fell on Daring’s shoulders to take Scootaloo out for breakfast. Daring had the morning paper spread in front of her, but she couldn’t focus on the words because the symbols Scootaloo had pointed out the night before kept appearing in her eyes.
She intended to search through her library the night before, but she had been so exhausted that she simply crashed as soon as she made sure Scootaloo had made it to bed. No matter how hard she tried to shake them from her mind the symbols kept resurfacing like shells through sand; they felt maddeningly familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere before, but she couldn’t place a single one or where she had seen them.
She sighed, shutting the paper in frustration and defeat, glancing out the window near where they were seated. Her sleep ringed eyes nearly popped out of her skull at the sight that greeted her.
Walking down the street, looking slightly bewildered but brash, was a frighteningly familiar bright blue earth pony with a rainbow mane.
“Dear Celestia—”
Scootaloo looked up from her hay fries. “Auntie?” she asked, turning her head to look outside. She gaped. “They let her out already?”
“Looks like it. Maybe she just had a bad trip last night.” Daring replied.
Scootaloo shrugged. “She didn’t look stoned.”
Daring gave Scootaloo a look—How would she know?—but didn’t say anything. Maybe she was right, the mare hadn’t looked high.
Scootaloo abruptly banged on the window with her hoof, waving towards the blue mare. “Hey! Hey, you!”
“Scootaloo what—” Daring Do exclaimed but the pony had already seen them and was approaching the café.
Daring Do gave her niece a dirty look but Scootaloo just stared back innocently. “Scootaloo, we don’t know her.”
Scootaloo shrugged, apparently unfazed. “I just want to say hi.”
Daring huffed, “She might—”
Just then the rainbow maned pony pushed through the café door, instantly narrowing her eyes at the sight of them. She pointed an accusatory hoof toward them. “You!” she bellowed as she strode over to them, causing the other patrons to turn and look at them.
Daring Do quickly stood up and positioned herself between Scootaloo and the pony defensively.
“You were the peasants who delivered me to that ivory prison!” the pony said darkly.
“Now listen here—” Daring Do began but was interrupted by Scootaloo, who peeked her head from around Daring’s wings.
“You mean the hospital? Yeah, you were stoned or something and passed out so we brought you to the doctor.”
There was a pause as the pony opened her mouth to respond, then hesitated and seemed to be pondering intently. “Well then, I suppose I should be thanking you.” She bowed abruptly, so low that her rainbow bangs brushed the floor. “For your assistance in my time of need you have my eternal gratitude, call on me whenever you have a need.”
Daring Do glanced around the café and saw to her dismay more than half the customers were gaping at them. She blushed slightly.
“Um…thanks?” she said slowly, feeling rather awkward.
“Did they feed you at the hospital?” Scootaloo asked.
“No,” the pony replied, standing up and shaking her head, looking somewhat disappointed.
“Then sit with us!” Scootaloo grinned, beckoning towards the table.
The pony was about to say something when Daring Do raised a hand.
“Just a moment, please,” Daring Do said. She turned towards her niece and whispered, “Scootaloo, stop. We don’t know who this pony is or what the matter is with her.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Oh c’mon, Auntie! Does she look dangerous?” she pointed towards the pony, who was now sitting at the table, tinkering with the utensils.
Daring Do shook her head. “That’s not the point! She’s a stranger who we found wandering in the desert and babbling like a lunatic!”
“But she didn’t do anything to us! It was Comet Tail who spelled her.”
“Scoot—”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Auntie Daring, you’ve been telling me I have to start socializing again and here I am willingly socializing with somepony and you’re not happy.” Daring Do was about to reply but Scootaloo cut her off with a pleading tone: “Just let her have some coffee with us, that’s it! We’re in a café with a bunch of ponies, what could she do anyway?”
Daring Do was about to resist, but hesitated. This was the first time Scootaloo had really asked for anything in months, the first time the old spunk was back in her eyes. She really wanted this, wanted to do something new again, have an adventure.
And really, this pony didn’t really look threatening. Daring knew a threat when she saw it and though the mare was physically imposing, she didn’t give off any indication of danger.
What would it take except a few minutes out of her day and a few bits from her wallet to buy this pony a coffee and let Scootaloo out of her shell for the first time in six months? If she didn’t, they would finish their food in silence, trudge home and Scootaloo would lock herself away in her room with her records for the rest of the day. Again.
Daring Do sighed and turned back to the pony. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll buy you some coffee.”
The pony made a perplexed face. “Coffee?”
Scootaloo nodded emphatically. “Yeah! Coffee. Auntie drinks it a lot and Comet Tail says it’s awesome.”
The pony looked at Scootaloo and raised an eyebrow. “Really? I’ve had many a drink, but I’ve never heard of this…‘coffee’. I must try some now, since it seems to bring you such joy.”
“Okay then,” Daring Do said and motioned towards a waitress. “Excuse me, waitress!”
The waitress, a dark green earth pony, trotted over. “Yeah, wadda need?”
“Just some coffee. Straight please,” Daring asked. The waitress nodded, jotting down the order on a paper.
“And the filly?” The waitress asked, pointing towards Scootaloo. Scootaloo was about to open her mouth before Daring held up a hoof to silence her.
“And some chocolate milk for her.”
Scootaloo visibly sagged at the words, muttering under her breath. “But I wanted coffee…”
The waitress nodded again and walked off.
There commenced a long, strange silence between the three. Daring Do attempted to appear engrossed in her newspaper while peering over the pages to keep watch over the strange pony, while Scootaloo skipped all pretenses and settled for staring at the pony intently. The new pony simply leaned back in her seat and scanned the café with a decidedly unimpressed expression, seemingly unaware of the other two ponies.
Just when Daring Do had decided this had been a bad idea and was thinking of a way to excuse herself and Scootaloo, the pony spoke.
“My friends, I have not had a proper chance to introduce myself,” the pony said in a stately voice.
Well, thank Celestia we’re learning something about this pony, thought Daring Do.
The pony straightened in her seat and lifted her head proudly. “I am Rainbow Dash Celestiamaden, First Princess of Storms and Thunder, Daughter of All-Mother Celestia from the line of Borr, the Father of Faust.”
…And she’s completely insane. Great judgment there, Daring Do.
“Wow. That’s totally metal,” Scootaloo said. “It’s like something out of a rock song.”
The pony—Rainbow Dash was the only proper name Daring Do had gotten from the pony’s spiel—didn’t seem to understand what Scootaloo was saying but perhaps her tone was clear enough and she smiled. “I feel compelled to again express my deep gratitude for the assistance you have rendered me. Although I must tell you that I most likely would have found my way to this...” she paused, glancing out the window and eyeing the street rather distastefully. “…village soon enough.”
The waitress pony appeared again and placed two steaming cups of coffee in front of Daring and Rainbow Dash.
“Here’s yer coffee, and yer hot coco. Enjoy.”
Daring Do hardly had enough presence of mind to say “Thank you” before the waitress trotted off to another table.
How in the name of Celestia am I going to get us out of this?
Rainbow Dash took up the steaming cup the waitress had just placed before her in her hooves. “This does not resemble any drink I’ve seen before,” she said.
“It’s awesome! Try it,” Scootaloo said.
Rainbow Dash shrugged and took a sip. Her eyes widened and she threw her head back, downing the cup in one gulp. She held the mug out in front of her and eyed it with wonder.
“This drink! I like it!” She beamed.
“Uh huh. Great isn’t it?” Scootaloo said, grinning at her aunt, who could only shrug as she edged herself to the end of her seat.
I’ll just get up, say we have an appointment somewhere and drag Scootaloo away before she has a chance to—
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash threw the mug to the floor where it exploded into a thousand shards that shot across the polished diner floor. “ANOTHER!” she bellowed. Every pony spun around and gaped at them, except a coffee brown mare with a hammer and lightning cutie mark, who proceeded to throw her coffee mug down.
“YEAH! ANOTHER!” the mare shouted in agreement.
“Sorry, sorry guys, was a little accident,” Daring Do said helplessly as she got up and assisted the unicorn waiter who had come to pick up the pieces of coffee mug. “So sorry, I’m so sorry,” She repeated until the shards were cleaned and the waiter trotted off after giving her a dark glare.
Daring Do turned on Rainbow Dash. “What the heck was that about?” she hissed, though she figured after that display there wasn’t much use in keeping anything confidential.
Rainbow shrugged, looking distinctly unconcerned. “It was delicious. I want another. What’s the matter?”
“Well, I don’t know about where you come from but around here ponies don’t just throw their coffee mugs on the ground when they want another cup! They ask.”
“But I did ask,” Rainbow replied forcefully, as if Daring Do was dim. “I said that I wanted another.”
“Yes we all heard but you didn’t have to smash the cup!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and Daring Do felt ready to slap that smugness right off her face but Scootaloo cut in.
“It’s just different here. Promise not to do it again and she’ll get off your back.”
Daring Do glared at her niece but Rainbow Dash sighed deeply.
“Very well. You have my word as a Princess of Asgard,” She said, though sounding displeased.
Scootaloo looked at her aunt and gave her most pleading smile. “See Aunt Daring? She won’t do it again.”
“Well excuse me if I don’t wait to see the proof of that promise,” she snapped. She tossed some bits on the table, grabbed a protesting Scootaloo and marched out of the café.
“—But Aunt Daring she—”
“Is insane!”
“But she—”
“No, Scootaloo we’re going home.”
“It’s not my home!” Scootaloo shrieked and flung herself off of the sidewalk, almost causing Daring Do fall over her.
“Scootaloo, get up, I don’t have time for this,” Daring Do said and attempted to lift her niece off the ground.
Scootaloo started biting and bucking. “You don’t have time for anything!”
“GET UP, young filly!”
“You can’t tell me what to do you’re not my mom!” Scootaloo screamed and her right hoof hit Daring Do square between the eyes. Daring Do yelped and gripped her face which throbbed with white-hot pain.
“And I don’t want to go!” She heard Scootaloo yell as she blinked fiercely against the pain and the tears welling in her eyes, clearing them just in time to see Scootaloo darting across the street…
…Right in the way of a galloping earth pony and his cart. The earth pony saw Scootaloo and skidded to a halt, sending his cart swinging around him, leaning dangerously to its side. The cart’s contents, a pile of iron parts, began to tumble off.
Scootaloo simply sat in their shadow, paralyzed.
Across the street Daring Do stood, just as immobile as her niece, her mouth opened as if to scream but no sound coming out.
The first iron piece was falling—in excruciating slow motion it seemed to Daring Do—closer and closer to the terrified Scootaloo. That one piece might just knock her out, another would break a few bones, and one more would kill her on impact.
This can’t be happening, not again, NOT AGAIN.
And Daring Do could do nothing about it. Again.
The iron piece was a breath from Scootaloo’s head when there was a rainbow colored streak, the sound of running hooves mixed in with the sound of metal impacting with the ground.
Several pieces of metal and wood went sailing like ballistic missiles, impacting windows and sending ponies sprawling for cover. Daring Do daring do ducked as a piece of wood went spinning past her head. As soon as it passed, she bolted upright, her eyes instantly moving to the same spot as before. She blinked in shock at the sight before her eyes.
What was left of the cart lay scattered across the street, shattered in a hundred pieces. The pony who had been driving it sat sprawled on the ground in a daze. The thing that really shocked Daring Do however, was the total and complete absence of Scootaloo.
A yellow unicorn suddenly ran up to Daring, coming around the corner and gasping for breath.
“Daring!” Comet Tail panted. “You two were taking so long I came to get you and I saw—Holy Celestia what WAS that?”
Daring Do blinked and shook her head which was suddenly rushing with blood. “I-I don’t know…”
“Hey, where’s Scootaloo?” Comet Tail asked.
Daring Do stared at him blankly for a moment then gasped, turned and ran back to the café at top speed. She shoved the doorframe open—there wasn’t a single shard of glass left in it—and ran inside, spinning in circles to take in the whole café. Every pony was where they were when she and Scootaloo had left, just on the floor and some with a few cuts and bruises. Every pony except Rainbow Dash. Her eyes darted wildly, searching everywhere for the rainbow maned pony. She caught sight of her darting around the corner, carrying something on her back.
It was Scootaloo.
The ponies left in the café heard Daring Do make a sound like a squawk and barrel back out of the café, nearly running over Comet Tail.
“Whoa, Daring, wait! What’s—”
“Comet Tail, go to the police station and tell them that pony we rescued last night has Scootaloo!”
“Wait what?”
“Just go!” She shouted and took off into the air in the direction of the rainbow maned pony.
/////////////////////////////
Scootaloo clutched Rainbow Dash’s mane tightly, still trying to process what had just happened.
One minute, she had been mere seconds from being crushed by that cart and the next she was riding on Rainbow Dash’s back, going faster than any earth pony Scootaloo had ever seen. The wind was ripping tears from her eyes and dragging at her mane, the world passing by in strips and streams of blurred colors.
“Um…t-thanks f-for s-saving m-me!” Scootaloo stuttered around the violent bumping of Rainbow Dash’s stride.
“That flying debris would have killed you if I hadn’t intervened,” Rainbow Dash shouted over her shoulder. She abruptly began to slow down, looking confused as her eyes rapidly scanned the buildings they ran past.
“Faust…where am I?” she said. “Filly! Where are we?”
“Um…I can’t tell! Why?” Scootaloo paused.
“Because I must take you somewhere safe,” Rainbow Dash replied forcefully, as if it were obvious. “It’s obvious this is a treacherous place for a foal such as yourself and I must ensure your safety.”
Scootaloo’s first instinct was to deny being a “foal” but something stopped her, Rainbow Dash had done nothing but try to help her.
“Slow down, let me see where we are!”
Rainbow Dash slowed to a steady canter and Scootaloo inspected the buildings as they breezed by. “Celestia, we’re almost home!”
That was fast.
It was ten minutes from Aunt Daring’s house to the main street of town and they couldn’t have been riding more than half of that.
“Where shall I go?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Keep going straight for another block—”
“A block?”
“Another ten houses. And then stop at the yellow one with the green gate.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and sped back up to a gallop so fast Scootaloo wondered how she was able to see at all. But apparently she could because in what felt like five seconds she stopped so suddenly Scootaloo almost fell over her neck.
“Is this the abode you speak of?” she said, sounding dubious.
“Yeah, this is my aunt’s house. I live with her.”
Scootaloo slipped off Rainbow Dash’s back and went up to the gate, unlocking it and pushing it open. “C’mon, Aunt’s probably on her way here to look for me.”
Rainbow Dash eyed the house doubtfully but followed Scootaloo inside.
It was a small place, more like a hut to Rainbow Dash’s eyes, but very comfortable if somewhat disarrayed. There were books, maps and loose papers scattered on every flat surface, jars filled with plants, insects, shells and beads were in every cranny and strange statues and carvings of bizarre masks and creatures Rainbow Dash didn’t recognize.
It reminded her somewhat of Trixie’s workroom with all the artifacts she gathered from every wizard they came along in their travels. She treated the most minuscule amulet, foulest potion and the dustiest book like some ancient relic and hoarded them away as if she was stowing away for some future siege.
“What, are you anticipating an assault from some hidden order of dark wizards? Leif the Upright annihilated them,” she remembered teasing her sister once.
Trixie just tenderly stroked the book she had just acquired from some wandering vendor. “It is a royal’s place to be prepared for any threat.”
Rainbow Dash suddenly realized she couldn’t breathe around the lump in her throat.
What is Trixie doing now?
She fiercely swallowed the stickiness in her throat.
Don’t be ridiculous. She probably lying low until Mother’s mood improves and she calls me back.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Scootaloo’s voice calling to her.
“Hey, you want some food? I think I have some sandwiches or something…”
Rainbow Dash hesitated, not sure exactly what a ‘sandwich’ was. However, a rumbling in her stomach quickly decided things for her.
“Yes, that would be nice.” She replied, walking towards the sound of Scootaloo’s voice.
“Awesome!” Scootaloo called out, “and maybe I can show you some of the old records I found in the attic too!”
/////////////////////////////
Daring Do had been flying for hours, her mind swarming with panic.
I knew it! I knew that pony was bad news, why did I let her sit with us? Oh Celestia, what do I do?! She’s got to be somewhere close, she’s an Earth pony, she can’t have gotten far.
Daring Do’s wings were beginning to cramp violently and she was dropping altitude fast. She was nowhere near as spry as she used to be; years of traveling through remote locations had taken a vicious toll on her body.
Damn it please don’t fail me now, I need you…I can’t let you stop me…I can’t let Firefly down. I promised I’d take care of Scoots and what happens? She gets ponynapped by some crazed pony we find in the desert.
Just then she caught sight of her house. Her wings decided to take this as a sign to clock out, seizing up. Groaning in frustration, she glided down and landed before her gate. At least this was a chance for her to call the neighbors and ask if they had seen Scootaloo.
She walked up to the door and was about to reach under the doormat for the key when she heard something.
Voices.
And one was Scootaloo’s.
Daring Do forgot all about the key and barreled through the door (luckily for her it was already unlocked). She froze, her eyes whirling to catch the direction of the voices.
There it is! It is Scootaloo! Oh thank Celestia!
She charged through the house, up the stairs and burst into Scootaloo’s room, almost blasting the door off its hinges. Sprawled on the carpeted floor with the record player between them emanating some old tune and sipping mugs of chocolate milk were Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.
“Auntie!” Scootaloo said, smiling broadly. “Finally, I thought—” she began but was cut off as Daring Do pulled her into a tight hug.
“Thank Celestia you’re safe,” Daring Do gasped, the tears she had been holding back burst out and streamed down her face. She could feel all the tension pouring out of her body and she thought she might disintegrate. “I thought I lost you…I thought I lost you…”
“Umm…okay. But you should be thanking Rainbow Dash, she—”
At the sound of Rainbow Dash’s name, Daring Do’s crushing relief mutated into frothing rage. She released Scootaloo and turned on the blue mare, who was still lying on the floor looking completely uninterested in the proceedings.
“What do you think you were doing running off with Scootaloo like that?!” she shouted.
Rainbow Dash blinked, looking only mildly confused. “Pardon?”
“I said ‘what did you think you had the right to grab Scootaloo like that’?!”
“Excuse me, but I believe I was the one who—”
“Don’t start that with me!” Daring Do said, cutting Rainbow Dash off. “Around here you don’t just grab fillies and run off with them!”
Scootaloo took a step forward. “Auntie what are—”
Daring Do grabbed Scootaloo and shoved her out the door. “Go to my room until I call you!”
“But—”
“Now!”
Scootaloo shrank at her aunt’s abnormally harsh tone and crept down the hallway to Daring Do’s room. Daring waited until she shut the door behind her before turning back to Rainbow Dash.
“I want you out of my house immediately,” She said darkly. “I don’t care who you are or where you came from but I want you to stay away from Scootaloo you understand?” She shoved a hoof in Rainbow’s chest. “She’s experienced enough madness in her life and the last thing she needs is some lunatic mare inciting more!”
Rainbow Dash looked at her, eyes narrowing. She slowly lifted a hoof and pointed it towards Daring. “Hear me well peasant, if you attempt to assault me again you will most certainly suffer grave consequences! And furthermore, what sort of madness do you speak of? The only madness this filly has experienced in my eyes is your incompetent guardianship! You stand by dumbly as she is about to be crushed and now slander the very pony who rescued her! What kind of guardian are you?”
That was it. Daring finally lost all sense of self-control and saw nothing but red. She never knew what possessed her; she never even recalled grabbing the mug Scootaloo had left on the floor and hurling it at the pony. The only thing she could remember afterwards was the mighty crack as it collided with Rainbow Dash’s skull that sent the pony sprawling to the floor and the strange mix of extreme guilt and satisfaction that accompanied the sight.
“WHAT IN THE NAME OF FAUST ABOVE WAS THAT FOR YOU NAG?!” the pony shrieked, rubbing her forehead.
“GET. OUT!” Daring Do shrieked, still unable to control herself, her own voice now sounding like daggers to her own ears.
Rainbow Dash simply glowered at her hatefully for a few seconds before slowly standing and walking out of the room, shouting complaints all the way down the stairs.
“…To think I thought you worthy of my debt of gratitude! You are a barbarian, a base plebeian! You shall rue the day that you affronted Rainbow Dash Celestiamaden, First Princess of Storms and Thunder!”
And with those words, there was a deafening crash as Rainbow Dash slammed the front door behind her.
Daring Do stood in the empty room and staring out the empty doorway, thinking that she should be calling the police or Comet Tail to let them know everything was alright now. But she heard Scootaloo start to cry down the hallway and realized, no matter how hard she pretended things were okay, nothing was alright, nothing was going be alright and she could do nothing about it. she had allowed herself to be reduced to a seething cauldron of rage and anger.
What had that accomplished? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Daring Do then collapsed on the ground and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
/////////////////////////////
Rainbow Dash stalked through town, grumbling to herself.
“Foolish mortal, how dare she treat me in such a way?! And after I saved that filly’s life?! Doesn’t she know who I am?!” the last words came out more as a shout then a grumble, and several ponies shot her funny looks. She simply glared back at them.
“What are you looking at?!” she spat at a particular pony that quickly darted the other way.
“Foolish mortals...” Rainbow Dash grumbled to her herself as she stalked down what she assumed was the town's main street. "How dare that foolish pegasus challenge my authority?! Doesn't she know who I am?! I'm Rainbow Dash Celestiamaden! First Princess of Storms and Thunder!! She shall pay for her trespasses!"
She looked around, searching for somewhere to drown her frustration. All this griping had made her thirsty. She spotted another random pony walking the streets and beeline towards the brown mare.
“You! Peasant!” she ordered, catching the slightly portly mare’s attention.
“Whadda y’all call me?” she asked, slightly indignant.
Rainbow Dash ignored the question and continued her line of questioning. “Verily, I am in need of a good spot of mead. Where might I find such an establishment in this…” she paused, scanning the town with a distasteful eye. “…township.”
The mare raised an eyebrow. “Ya wanna a drink?”
Rainbow Dash nodded emphatically. “Aye.”
The mare pointed towards a rather bedraggled looking establishment tucked between two other buildings with a large blinking sign that said “Hip Flask’s Bar, Grill and Gun Emporium.”
“I presume that is the establishment in question, peasant?” Rainbow Dash turned back towards the thin earth pony.
The earth pony looked noticeably miffed at Rainbow Dash’s question and nodded. “Yeah…that’s the place. Y’all want a fancy crown with that?” she started to trot away, muttering something that Rainbow Dash perceived as “jerk” or something along those lines, she couldn’t quite make it out.
Rainbow Dash meanwhile bristled at the mare’s thinly veiled insult but decided she had bigger fish to fry and stalked towards the bar. A trio of shady looking stallions loomed around the front door, eyeing her suspiciously.
She ignored them, and strode by, head held high. She was better then them after all. They were mere mortal peasants. She was a goddess compared to them.
“Hey little mare! Nice plot ya got there!” One of them, a dark brown earth pony stallion slurred, obviously quite drunk. Rainbow Dash instantly stopped walking and slowly turned around.
“Who dares speak to Rainbow Dash Celestiamaden in such a manner!!” she spat.
“I did.” The stallion replied, puffing his chest out in pride. He was accompanied by three similar looking stallions that snickered along with him.
Rainbow Dash grated her teeth and stalked over towards the clutch of stallions, which were now snorting and giggling amongst themselves.
“Art thou the one who hast spoken such slander against me?!” she practically roared at them, causing them to all step back in unison.
There was a tense silence between them, before the head of the gang started to laugh.
“Oh, look out, fellas! This little mare got quite a burr under her tail now don't she?!” he guffawed, quickly joined in by his fellow colts, who were now all laughing quite loudly in her face.
“And take a gander at her mane!” a somewhat thin coffee brown stallion snorted, pointing towards Rainbow Dash's mane. “Looks like this here mare plays on both sides of the fence don't she?” he nudged the dark brown stallion, who gave her a lustful smirk.
“That's right! Whadda say I convince ya of the advantages of a good strong stallion?” he asked, leaning in towards Rainbow Dash, a lustful look in his eyes.
He was swiftly greeted by a good hard buck to the face, sending him stumbling backwards, clutching his bloody nose. He slammed into the other two, sending the three of them sprawling into the street.
“You dare insinuate that I, Rainbow Dash Celestiamaden, would partake in intimate relations with a base low-life such as you?!” she spat in his face and emphasized her words with a kick at the ground, sending a thick cloud of dust into the three stallion’s faces. They hacked and coughed. Rainbow Dash then turned back into the bar, her anger now practically boiling over.
“Oh you’ll pay for that!” the stallion with the bleeding nose shouted after her. “You hear me! You’ll pay for this!!”
Rainbow Dash simply ignored him.
“Perverted swine…” she spat under her breath as she made her way to towards the bar, ignoring several dozen drunken catcalls and wolf whistles that she assumed were all directed towards her. These all only managed to make her angrier. She flopped herself in front of the bar and slammed a hoof down on the bar.
“BARKEEPER! I thirst!!” she shouted towards what she assumed was the bar keeper. A rather burly looking earth pony stallion with a graying mane strode over.
“’kay, what’s it ya want?” he asked, pulling up a note pad.
“Whatever’s the strongest…” she grumbled.
The bartender paused. “Are ya sure? I’ve got some pretty strong stuff here…”
Rainbow Dash shot him a dirty look. “Do I look as though I am jesting? And bring me it in a tankard, these glasses…” she motioned to the various shot glasses that scattered the table. “Won’t be enough to quench my thirst.”
The bartender simply rolled his eyes and reached under the bar, pulling out several small bottles. He then pulled out a beer glass and a container of some kind. He then poured the contents of the bottles into the container and closed it, shaking it rapidly. He then poured some of the fiery mixture into the shot glasses. The mixture bubbled and fizzed menacingly.
“There ya go missy, that’s Dragon’s Blood. That’ll knock ya down faster than a barefoot jackrabbit on a hot greasy griddle in the middle of summer in...”
He was cut off by Rainbow Dash taking the beer glass in hoof and downing it in one shot. His jaw dropped as the only symptom Rainbow Dash showed was a slight eye twitch.
“That was most unimpressive.” She grumbled. “MORE!” she unexpectedly shouted, flinging her beer glass down at the ground, where it shattered.
The bar tender simply blinked, utterly gobsmacked. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Well?!” she shouted at him, “I ordered more!”
The bar tender seemingly snapped out of his daze and nodded, pouring her another beer glass full of the concoction, and leaving the container full of it next to the glass.
“Help yerself missy.” He said, his voice sounding somewhat dazed as he turned to address the bar fly sitting next to her, muttering something Rainbow Dash couldn’t quite make out. Rainbow Dash simply grumbled in response, and sulked, downing glass after glass, until she started to feel a tingle. The alcohol was finally doing its work and she smiled grimly.
However, another drunken catcall that she assumed was directed towards her snapped her back into griping. She eyed the bar angrily.
“Cretins,” she muttered, “as soon as my power’s back…they’ll get what they deserve…”
She continued to mutter and grumble to herself, until she caught a glimpse of the bar fly sitting next to her, who had been occasionally casting a weird glance in her direction, mutter something under his breath.
“What’s the matter?” he muttered, “You on your period or something?” he then downed a shot of his drink.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rainbow Dash’s anger boiled over and she picked up her beer glass and slammed it down on the bar fly’s skull, where it shattered into a thousand pieces, sending him sprawling to the floor. She promptly leap on top of the stallion, barraging him with a series of hard punches to his face.
The next thing she knew, she was being dragged out of the bar, kicking and screaming and was thrown into the back alley, face first into a puddle of muddy water that reeked of vomit. She dragged herself to her hooves, hacking and coughing. She spun around and screamed at the thuggish stallions in the door way.
“You dare treat me this way?! I was defending my honor and you see fit to evict me from your establishment like some drunken miscreant?!”
The thuggish stallions simply turned around and walked back inside the bar, slamming the door behind them. Rainbow Dash continued her tirade unabated.
“How dare you?! Have you no knowledge of my identity?! I AM RAINBOW DASH CELESTIAMADEN! FIRST PRINCESS OF STORMS AND THUNDER AND I SHALL NOT BE TREATED LIKE A DRUNKARD!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs at the closed door. There was no response. She flopped down onto her flanks and sat still, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Why was it that every pony in this town treated her like dirt? Couldn't they recognize her? Why did they constantly treat her like some sort of peasant? She was a goddess compared to these...these...provincials.
First she had been expected to clean up after herself like some kind of maid, then, after saving that filly’s life, what had she been repaid with? Hatred and spite. She had been mocked and objectified like some kind of strumpet by every stallion she met. Now, here she was, thrown out of the bar as if she were some kind of drunkard.
Suddenly the sound of hooffalls greeted her ears and she turned around to see the same three stallions whom she had fought with earlier. The leader had several pieces of cotton stuffed up his nose.
“Hey! You! We told ya that we’d get ya for this,” he pointed at his bleeding nose. "And now you're gonna pay!"
Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Surely you jest! I am above your mortal laws and-oof!” she was cut off by a good hard kick to the abdomen, knocking the wind out of her.
The stallion with the cotton up his nose sneered. “Yeah, not so tough now are ya!” he let out a yell and swung a hoof wildly towards Rainbow, who ducked out of the way just in time.
Her eyes looked up towards the stallion, burning with rage. “You dare to assault Rainbow Dash Celestiamaden, First Princess of Storms and Thunder?” she hissed, stepping towards the stallions slowly. The leader nodded, apparently not understanding who he was up against.
“Yeah! And whadda ya gonna do about it?” he snickered. He was greeted by another hoof in the nose, pain searing through his face.
“That!” Rainbow Dash declared, sticking out her chest and readying herself for a fight. “Come on! You challenged me,” she taunted, her pride returning in full force. “And a Borrson never backs down from a challenge!”
The stallion meanwhile growled, lunging towards her at an unexpectedly rapid pace. He body checked her, knocking the wind of out her. She stumbled for a moment, bewildered by her sudden lack of strength.
Shaking her head to regain her bearings, she eyed the stallion vengefully. “HAVE AT THEE!” she roared, leaping towards him, tackling him to the ground.
The stallion, however, put up quite a fight, landing a good hard punch in her face, causing a burst of white to flash across her vision. “OW!” she roared, returning the favor, relishing in the sound of his muzzle cracking underneath her hoof. All of a sudden, she felt a heavy weight slam into her and she fell face first into the ground again. She looked up to see that she had been tackled by one of the other stallions, who was readying to punch her in the face.
Her left eye hurt quite a bit, but she ignored it, instead focusing on the task at hand. She landed an uppercut on the stallion’s lower jaw, causing him to stumble back. Her adrenaline pumping, she stood to her hooves and readied herself to deliver another blow, when she was greeted by an old beer bottle to the head.
“OW!” she shouted. What in Faust’s name? she thought, searching for the pony that had thrown the bottle. As it turned out, it happened to be the skinniest member of the trio, who held another dirty bottle aloft. However, Rainbow could instantly tell this stallion was in no way an actual threat to her. Mainly because he was shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Rainbow gave the stallion an unimpressed look. “Do you seriously believe a mear tankard is going to harm me?” she then launched herself towards the stallion, who yelped and darted away as fast as his legs could carry him. A proud grin spread across her face as she drank in the feeling of victory. the other stallions lay sprawled across the alleyway, groaning and moaning in pain.
Letting out a contented sigh, she started to trot out of the alleyway. She had finally established her superiority to these mortals. However, she paused at the exit of the alleyway, wincing as she felt a pain ebbing from her abdomen.
She glanced at her body, taking note of the ugly splotches of black and blue that had started to form. That’s odd... she thought, rubbing the sore area gently. Normally I can take much more damage than a few mere punches.
She had been to Equestria once or twice before and fought against many a supposed champion, and each time had bested them with her godlike strength. But now she could actually feel physical pain. Never had a mortal caused her physical pain in such a way. She also noticed that her left eye had begun to swell since being punched in the face, and it ached as well. A sudden burst of exhaustion washed over her, and she let out a long groan and started to walk once more, much slower now however, as her legs ached and groaned in protest.
What in Faust’s name has happened to me? she thought, an inkling of worry tingling at the back of her mind. No matter. she thought, shaking her head determinedly. As soon as I acquire Mjolnir, all shall be right once more...of that I am sure of.
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Damn, Rainbow really has no respect for anyone, of course being a Goddess she really should not, but then again she is mortal in this story, for now....wow. Poor Dash. Buck, Daring really just jups right in without even asking for the whole story, I feel bad for Scootaloo
This is crazy
2458098 Don't worry. Things will be explained.
2458108 Bad ass, I'm hoping so
I like this chapter......ANOTHER
Hmmm, not a bad chapter. Like the emotional moments and the dialogue between the characters. Very well done.
I like this chapter.....ANOTHER!
SpongeBob reference:
This was so worth the 3 month wait. And since Daring Do has recieved no character development in the show, I'm looking forward to seeing where you take her.
2458308 Why thank you.
And yes I hope to give her a lot of character development. Explain why she isn't and adventurer any more and the exact relationship with Firefly.
Well... that escalated quickly.
I agree with the others, we require more
2458315 Did she take an arrow to the knee? I hear it's quite common among former adventurers.
2459616
I see what you did there.
2459641 Sorry I'm sort of addicted to Skyrim, but I don't have access to it anymore, at least for now.
[youtube=GI6CfKcMhjY]
UPDATE! WOOHOO! UPDATE! EVERYBODY PARTY, WE GOT AN UPDATE HERE! UPDATE! YAY!
Is Spike gonna Hawkeye?
2483783 Nope.
He's Coulson
I know the marvel movies didnt do a hawkeye/black widow movie, but considering how much stronger the two would have been had they gone that route, would you consider a Pinkie pie/Twilight Sparkle movie?
If spike dies... very harsh and painful words will be exchanges.
no that doesn't work..
how about
HOW CAN YOU THREATEN PEOPLE WITH PONIES
...I never thought I would type that sentence.
2532301 Oh don't worry, I'm giving them a story.
It will answer what happened in Budapest.
Darn, hoping for a full on catfight there
(What?) Anyways, this was really on my attention as the emotion set in. It's what makes your writing brilliant is your character's emotions. I look forward to see how you get Daring Do and Rainbow Dash to overcome the possible disdain they have for each other. But I like how you've made Rainbow Dash from this glorious figure, down to this pony in the mud. It's a classic and is always great so long as it's done well, which of course it is.
Anyways a few notes I wanted to point out.
She looked down at her legs to see that she was pinned across each of her legs by tight black straps. You use legs twice when you could've replaced one of the words with 'them'.
Scootaloo abruptly banged on the window with her hoof, Banged is a bit too violent in my opinion. It just sounds like she actually exploded against it. I could be wrong, but I would rather you used a word like bumped, whammed, shoved, pressed. They might not be as good either, but personally I feel they are good.
call on me whenever you have a need I believe you should take out the 'a', so this sounds more smooth.
Besides that is also taking out the '-ly' words and making the action scenes more fast paced as usual. Except for where Scootaloo is almost hit. It was a fast paced scene, but looking it from Daring Do gave the idea of how much she was taking in at the horrors before her and so on. Again, great work anyways.
One thing I'm going to criticize you on is that Rainbow dash spoke mostly in a normal vernacular for the first few chapters, using words like 'awesome', 'cool' and the like. Here, the change to ye old butchered equestrian is rather jarring, ruining some of the consistency.
Just throwing that out there
2532560 But... but it's a Noodle Incident!
Ah, I see we have an early appearance of the future Beta Ray Bill. I really like how Daring, Scoots, and Comet Tail share a similar role to Jane Foster, Darcy, and Dr. Selvig but are still different characters with different conflicts. The additional scenes are also definitely worth adding. I do have to ask though: why is Rainbow Dash still so fast? As Thor, her specialty would probably be strength anyway, but it seems even odder that with no Mjolnir, no wings, and mortal strength and durability, that she should still be able to blaze through a town like that. Though admittedly, her liver sounds kinda superhuman too….