Dreams and Disasters
By Quillery
Chapter Nine
Bombshell Blonde
Dash felt warm, almost uncomfortably so. Her fur bristled and her skin prickled as a sense of dry heat washed over her. Her eyes strained open to a thin cloud of haze all around her. The presence of the steam caused her to blink rapidly, and her mind to race.
Where the hay am I? What’s going on?
She tried to sit up, but her body did not respond. She felt her back propped against a hard surface, but the foggy environment hid it from her view. Her ears twitched at a sound, and she slowly managed to force her head to turn.
“Stop it!” a voice giggled. “That tickles!”
“Well if you stopped moving so much, I’d be done already,” a second voice said.
Dash peered through the misty air, and spotted the source of the voices. Twilight stood not far from her, with Vanille right next to her. Twilight’s horn was glowing brightly, as she shied away from Vanille, who was scrubbing her with a towel. Or trying to, at least, as Twilight giggled loudly and twitched while Vanille struggled to accomplish her task.
A feeling of fire assaulted Dash’s face as she watched. I must be dreaming again. This can’t be real. She swallowed loudly, trying to calm her hammering heart. I can’t move, and Twilight is bathing with Vanille in a sauna. Totally a dream. I… think I can deal with that.
Dash felt a smirk spread across her face as she stared. Vanille sighed as if she were pouting. “You are absolutely filthy, Miss Twilight. And you are not helping with all of that shrieking.”
“I can’t help that I’m ticklish! What is that towel made of?”
Vanille rolled her eyes.” It is only—” Her gaze fell on Dash. “Oh, it looks like she’s awake.”
Twilight stopped giggling and glanced over to Dash. Her smile faded after a moment, and she tilted her head. “Dash? Why are you looking at us like that?”
“Why are you stopping?” Dash replied dreamily.
Twilight’s mouth hung open. “Huh?”
“As far as the dreams go, this one is pretty cool. Just keep going, don’t mind me.” Dash sat back against the wall, grinning and wishing she had a bag of popcorn.
Vanille cleared her throat and returned the towel to her bags. “It seems Miss Dash has hit her head a bit harder than we thought.”
Dash blinked as her face quickly felt heated. “Uh...y-yeah! Totally hit my head… when I we… fell, and—ow!” She tried to move again, and the first thing Dash noticed was pain. Her body permeated a dull ache throughout, though that was hardly the worst part. Her head spun, and her stomach roiled as a result. She strained to open her eyes and was treated to a dimly lit blur.
Slowly, with the mist clearing, she made out where she was. She sat in a narrow tunnel, made of roughly hewn stone and mortar. It was bathed in a gentle purple glow from Twilight’s horn. Without the warming fog, the air was stale and cold, sending shivers down her skin. Her mouth tasted dry and bitter, and no amount of licking chased it away.
She tried to stand, but her legs wobbled in protest. She landed back on the ground with a grunt. As she landed, she heard approaching hoofsteps. “Oh, Dash! Are you alright?”
“Nnng,” Dash groaned. “Twilight? What’s going on?”
“Don’t try to stand. I haven’t had a good look at you yet.”
Dash lifted her head to see her friend standing over her, horn glowing. She let out a long breath and brushed a hoof across her forehead.
“Thank goodness you’re alright,” Twilight said. “You’ve been out a while.”
Dash rubbed her head and blinked a few times. She tried to stand again, but only managed to heave herself onto her haunches. “How long?”
“Ten minutes at least. I had to carry you for a while we were running.”
Dash tilted her head. “Running? from what?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You don’t remember?”
Dash scratched her head. “I remember falling, and darkness. And before that… nothing.”
“She definitely hit her head,” Vanille said. “My apologies, Miss Dash, I did not compensate for navigating the tunnels with you in tow.”
Dash turned her head and saw Vanille standing behind her. Dash’s eyes widened as her memories raced back to her, starting with the ones concerning the mare in front of her.
“You!” she snarled, jerking a hoof at Vanille. “You got us into this mess, and—ow!”
Dash felt herself being jerked down. She turned back and saw that Twilight had forced her to sit, and was glaring at her.
“Dash, if it wasn’t for Vanille, we would have been ponynapped. She saved us back there, and I would expect you to be a bit more grateful to her.”
Dash felt her throat tighten at Twilight’s words. “She saved us? How?”
Vanille walked up and pulled something from her bags. They were small grey spheres, one of which she hurled against a wall far in the distance. It let out a quiet hiss before sending out a gout of black smoke, which just as quickly dissipated.
Dash glanced back at Vanille, who was smirking.
“A mare in Prance can never be too prepared. In the confusion, I was able to extract you both into the nearby sewer grate.”
Dash frowned. “Wouldn’t they just follow us?”
Vanille chuckled. “They were too busy to not trip over each other to notice me seal up the grate behind me. Even if they knew where we went, they would have to tear up the street to enter where we did, and we are long gone now. So, we have some time to relax.”
“Relax, right—ow!”
“Stop fidgeting, Dash, I’m trying to tighten this bandage.”
Dash’s head spun to Twilight. “Bandage? Where?”
Twilight pointed at Dash’s wing. A small white band was wrapped tightly around the joint that connected it to Dash’s back. Dash gave it a test flap, and was met with a shock of pain.
“I think you just sprained it. It was jerking around while we were running, so I thought it might be injured. Just don’t try to move it and you should be ok in about a day.”
Dash examined the makeshift splint more closely, and whistled. “This is actually a really good job, Twi. Where did you learn to do this?”
“Well, after Applejack ended up putting half the town in the hospital with her ‘baked bads’, I noticed how horribly understaffed the nurses were in Ponyville. So I started volunteering a few days a week.” Twilight smiled. “I can even splint a broken leg!”
“Well, thankfully that will not be necessary,” Vanille said. “I trust you are feeling better, Miss Dash?”
“Yeah…” Dash said. “I guess.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Dash, I think you owe Vanille something more than an ‘I guess’.”
Dash frowned. “What, you want me to apologise?”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “It would be a nice start.”
“But, Twi! You saw that mugshot. Sure she saved us, but she still lied to us!”
Twilight sighed. “Yes, that may be. But without her, we would have been in much worse trouble than her lies brought on. I for one am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, for now.”
Dash crossed her forelegs.
Twilight smiled and put a hoof on Dash’s cheek. Dash’s eyes widened and her legs went slack. She hook her head quickly and cleared her throat.
“Dash, do you remember Daring Do and the Maltese Gryphon?”
Dash blinked. “Of course I do! That’s my second favorite one, next to the Sapphire Stone!”
Twilight giggled. “And do you remember that the thief in that book was actually one of the good ones?”
Dash swallowed. “Uh… I guess she was… yeah.”
Twilight nodded. “So…”
Dash sighed. She slowly rose to her hooves and turned to face Vanille. She was watching her carefully, eyebrow raised. Dash jerked out a hoof to her, but did not look at her. “Vanille, I’m… sorry. I was being a total featherbrain and jumped to the worst possible thing. You saved me and Twi, and I’d like to start over, if you’re cool with that.”
Vanille’s eyes narrowed on her hoof. After a moment, she smiled and shook it. “All is forgiven, Miss Dash. I must admit, being faced with such… incriminating evidence would lead anypony into false reactions. I promise that I have nothing but the best intentions for you two.”
Dash nodded, and turned to look around. “So where exactly are we?”
“Far below the city,” Vanille said. She traced a hoof along the rough stone. “We are on the edge of the Cheval catacombs, beneath the old cathedrals.”
Twilight’s face brightened. “The catacombs?! Really!?”
Vanille nodded with a smirk. “I figured you would enjoy them, even under the circumstances. I know them quite well.”
Dash raised an eyebrow, and Vanille giggled at her. “Because of my tours, miss Dash. There was a time when I frequently guided tourists down these tunnels. They have been closed for some time for restoration, but I don’t imagine we’ll run into much trouble for now.”
Twilight’s smile widened. “Oh my. I never thought I’d get to see them on this trip. This is so exciting!”
“Uh, Twi?” Dash said. “What’s so exciting about a sewer?”
“It’s not the sewer, its what’s past the sewer! The Cheval catacombs are the oldest and largest underground tunnel system in the world, even more so than the diamond dog tunnels we’ve been able to map out.”
Dash opened her mouth to respond, when a thought struck her. “Catacomb… isn’t that a fancy word for…” Dash’s ears folded back. “Graveyard?”
“Among other things,” Vanille said. “These tunnels have served multiple purposes over the years, and we will most likely see many of them as we move through.”
Twilight skipped in place. “Ohh… I can’t wait!”
“Yeah…” Dash said. “Sounds great…”
*****
“Ugh,” Dash said. “It reeks down here!”
Vanille chuckled. “Well, we are not in the sewers like you imagined we were, but they are down here somewhere. I’ve been down here so often that I hardly notice it.”
“Where exactly are we, then?” Twilight asked.
“We have been travelling east, so we will be directly underneath the old cathedrals. The catacombs will not be far.”
Twilight grinned, and her horn brightened. “I can’t wait! I’ve read so much about these tunnels, but I never imagined seeing them up close before!”
Dash glanced around the tunnel. The tunnel hadn’t changed much since they first set off. The stale air went rotten the further they went, but it wasn’t unbearable. Dash fought against her protesting stomach with each step.
“I’m not seeing what’s so cool about this place, Twi,” Dash said. “It just looks like more smelly tunnels, like the last ten minutes of smell tunnel, and—”
Dash felt something catch her leg, and she fell forward. She landed with a grunt, and lifted her head with a shake. “Ow… what is it with me and falling down today?”
“Dash! Are you alright?” Twilight said.
“I’m fine,” she said, getting back to her hooves. “Just tripped on something.” She turned her head to look behind her. “Probably just a rock or—”
Her eyes sprang open, her blood went cold and her heart jumped into her throat. Her lungs gasped a raspy breath as she backed away stammering, from a grimy, chattering, dirt-encrusted skull hovered in front of her face.
Then she heard laughing.
Her mind screeched to a halt as she looked up from her prone position, and saw Twilight holding a hoof to her mouth. She tilted her head back, and saw Vanille standing behind her, smiling, and holding the skull in her hooves. “Oh, I’m sorry, miss Dash, are you not a fan of Shakespony?”
“I… uh… you… bones—huh?” she managed.
Vanille spun the skull to face her, bouncing it to mimic the moving jaw. “Alas, poor maiden, cut down by the night’s cruel embrace. Doth wicked mare of darkness and strife plungeth our world into chaos and despair, lest the moon never wane again under the day’s mighty light.”
She finished with a sigh, and placed the skull back on the ground, and gave it a tap with her hooves. “They must have left this prop from the old tours before they shut down for the restorations. I never thought I’d see it again.”
Dash blinked. “That’s a f-fake skull?”
“Of course it is. You would think me so callous to play with the remains of some poor soul?” Vanille shook her head with a frown.
Dash rolled over and stood back up. “Well, n-no, it’s just that we’re supposed to be in a graveyard and I thought…”
Vanille smiled. “I assure you, Miss Dash, that this is nothing but a harmless replica to frighten tourists.” She lifted a hoof and pointed a hoof to the wall. “Those bones, however, are no such thing.”
Dash turned her head. Behind her along the wall were large, dug out alcoves, filled to the brim with skeletons. Their emaciated forms hung out, mouths open and what remained of their flesh stretched their faces into crude grimaces.
Dash hopped back, wings upright and rigid, and ended up on her back again. Twilight was laughing this time as Dash took a moment to remember how to breathe. Twilight reached a hoof down to help Dash up, grinning. “I thought you weren’t scared of anything, Dash.”
“I’m not! It just… startled me. It isn’t often you see a wall of old bones looming over you!”
Twilight nodded, and then turned to Vanille. “You know a Midsummer’s Nightmare?”
Vanille beamed. “But of course! How could I not know one of Shakespony’s greatest tales? The story of madness and despair, of desperation and jealousy. The birth of la Cauchemare, the god’s wicked plaything to torment the lives of us ponies for their enjoyment. It is truly one of history’s greatest stories.”
Twilight frowned. “That’s… not how I remember it.”
Vanille raised an eyebrow. “Well, surely you do not think la Cauchemare was a blessing to us? She attempted to bring eternal night to us all. Madness!”
“Well… I think she was just lonely. All she wanted was a friend, someone who appreciated the night like she did. And nopony did. That’s why she changed. She’s actually quite nice, once you get to know her.”
Vanille scoffed. “You speak as if you actually know la Cauchemare.”
“We do,” Dash said. “She’s Celestia’s sister after all.”
Vanille froze. “But… that cannot be. “La Cauchemare was defeated a thousand years ago, how is it that you—wait… Celestia’s sister?!”
Dash smirked. “Do you guys not get the same news we do? Princess Luna’s return was a huge thing, wasn’t it?”
“Uh… Dash?” Twilight said. “That’s not entirely true.”
Dash looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, only ponies from Ponyville actually know that Luna was Nightmare Moon. Everypony else in Equestria just thinks Luna was her prisoner. A separate entity.”
“But… why?”
“Well, mostly, it was to curb any distress it might have caused in the remaining noble houses in Canterlot if they thought the Lunar Rebellions were happening again.”
Dash scoffed. “Well, that’s stupid. If any pony actually talked to her for five minutes they would know she’s really cool.” Dash scratched her leg and chuckled. “I still have a small scar from when she zapped me with my own cloud. Turning my own prank against me, heh.”
Twilight giggled and turned to Vanille, who was still staring at them both in shock, and frowned. “But it seems that the story was hidden even over here for the same reason.”
“I…” Vanille said. “I’m not sure what to say. I have all of these stories of the old and new worlds. So much has changed, even in my lifetime, but I guess that I can never really know everything. Such is the price of never leaving the country, I suppose.” She nodded. “I have only heard negative things of la Cauchemare, but if she is as you say, then perhaps I will have to investigate on my own and see what is the real story.”
“Maybe you should just take a vacation,” Dash said. “Everypony needs some time off now and again.”
Vanille shrugged. “Not everypony has the time for vacations.”
“Well, at least it will get you out of being chased by loony ponies for a bit.”
Vanille laughed. “That would be nice.”
Dash laughed as well, but cut herself off when her ears twitched at a new sound. She glanced back the tunnel from where they came, watching and listening. A chorus of distant hoofsteps echoed against the wall, and the quiet din of angry voices.
“I don’t think we’re alone down here anymore.”
“Zut alors!” Vanile snapped. “I did not think they would get down here so fast. Let us be going, I know a few more ways we can keep our distance.”
“Then lead the way.”
*****
“I think I see light up ahead!” Twilight said.
Dash looked ahead, and indeed saw a sliver of light cascading down from the ceiling. As the three of them approached the beam of light, they saw that it came from a long shaft that climbed upwards.
“Hmm, we are getting closer to the newer tunnel systems,” Vanille said. “We are now in the underground railroad that was used to transport refugees from Germane during the rebellions.”
“But I don’t see any tracks,” Dash said.
Vanille smiled. “It is a figure of speech. While it was not a true railroad, it served a vital purpose in the early days of Cheval.” She glanced down to the ground and scuffed the stone with a hoof. “Thousands of desperate ponies and gryphons alike stormed through these tunnels searching for safety. It is saddening to see them so darkened and ignored.”
“Is there much more to see down here?” Dash said.
Vanille smirked at her. “Do not tell me you are growing bored of these too.”
“N-no! Really! The tunnels are cool. But I’m just going a little stir crazy. I’d just like to poke my head out for some fresh air, if thats cool.”
Vanille glanced up. “Hmm, this should lead to a sewer cover. I think that would be fine as long as you don’t open it too far and let somepony fall in. Just don’t take too long. We have some time to rest, but I’d rather not linger if there are more of those guards down here.”
“And maybe we can figure out where we are, too.” Twilight said.
Dash nodded, and climbed up the stepping stones. when she reached the metal plate at the top, she carefully pushed it up and peered out into the street above.
She gulped down as much fresh, clean air as she could, before she scanned her surroundings.
“It’s pretty quiet right here,” she called down. “The cover is in an alley, but I can see the street.”
“What do you see?” Twilight asked.
“Not much. There’s a huge crowd in the road. And a lot of blue decorations.”
Vanille muttered something that Dash couldn’t make out. She went to glance back down, when she saw emerging from the group of blue-tunic-wearing stallions. They were frowning and shouting at each other over the din of the crowd.
As soon as Dash recognized them, she slowly dropped the sewer grate and descended the ladder as quickly as she could.
She was panting by the time she made it to the bottom.
“Dash!” Twilight said. “What’s wrong?”
“The guards! They're still looking for us up there too. Are these guys everywhere or what?!”
“We cannot be certain that they are the same guards.” Twilight said. “Mr. Ruby can’t possibly have all the guards under his command.” She turned to Vanille. “Can he?”
Vanille shrugged. “It’s possible, but unlikely. They might just be surveying the preparations for the celebration tomorrow.”
Dash raised an eyebrow. “What celebration? I mean, I did see a lot of decorations and crowds earlier when I was looking for help, but i had no idea it was a big thing. I just thought this was what Prance was like.”
“Ah, then you have arrived at a wonderful time. I had just mentioned to Miss Twilight that tomorrow is our queen’s birthday. It is the largest celebration we hold, and it grows larger with every queen.”
“That’s it!” Twilight shouted.
“Uh, what’s it, Twi?” Dash said.
“The queen! We can go to her for help!”
Dash blinked, then gasped. “Oh, hey! Yeah! She would have to help us!”
Vanille shook her head. “Pardon me for saying, while our queen is a kindly mare, we cannot possibly expect her just help a commoner and some tourists.”
“Well, we aren’t just any tourists.”
Twilight nodded. She went into her bags and withdrew her sun-emblazoned book. “We’re guests of the crown under by way of Princess Celestia. We’re scheduled to meet with her tomorrow for a special exchange. Her staff would have to help us if we were in trouble.”
Vanille’s eyes widened as she stared at the book. She turned to Twilight. “Twilight…” she muttered. “It can’t be… You are Twilight Sparkle? Celestia’s personal student?”
Twilight blushed, and Dash chuckled. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“B-but, how can you approach the crown with somepony you know to be wanted by the guard? They can’t possibly allow me to just walk in there.”
“Then we won’t mention it,” Twilight said. “I’m sure the real guards are more capable of understanding reason, and if you are friends of ours, we can work something out.”
“I… if you think so…”
Dash raised an eyebrow. “Can we even get there from here?”
Vanille swallowed and glanced around slowly. She took a great deal of time peering down a series of tunnels, before she lingered on the final one and pointed at it. “We will have to exit the sewers a short distance from the palace, but I definitely know the way. We are not far from a safe exit, and can be back on the surface in a few minutes.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go see the queen!”
*****
Dash felt a new vigor enter her body in the presence of the sunlight. She breathed deep the air she missed so much as she chased after Vanille and Twilight who kept ahead of her in the streets.
Two blocks later, they made it out of the busy markets and into a quiet lane. Dash, still in the rear, continued to keep an eye out for any who might be following them, while Vanille led them through the winding streets.
The nearby shops were brightly decorated, with banners in bright, shining blues. The lampposts had been fitted with blue lenses and gave off a gentle blue light under the afternoon sun. Citizens milled about, quietly going about their decorations as the three mares trotted along at a brisk pace.
“We are getting close,” Vanille said. “They are already preparing for tomorrow. The palace is very near.”
“Good,” Twilight panted. “Because I am not cut out for all this running.”
“I can carry you if you want, Twi,” Dash said, chuckling. “Miss Fifth Place.”
“I’m fine,” Twilight growled. “I can make it a few more blocks.”
“This is exciting, no? The thrill of the chase. Running from brutish thugs. It reminds me of when I was young!”
“I’ll keep my books, thank you.”
“You don’t sound as concerned about going to the palace as before,” Dash said, frowning. “What gives?”
Vanille shrugged and kept galloping. “Your words have given me hope that all will be fine upon reaching the queen. And if I should meet my just fate, then I will accept it knowing that I have at the very least guided you two to safety from that wicked Ruby.”
Vanille giggled as they turned down a corner. She stopped and let out a satisfied sigh. “There it is! Just at the end of the road!”
Vanille broke into a sprint. Twilight groaned as she labored to keep up, while Dash merely took to the air. She spun in tight circles, shouting with glee. Vanille passed underneath her, but still she kept on until she reached the end.
She lowered her hooves and touched back to the ground, screeching to a halt just before the open courtyard. Her chest swelled as she inhaled a deep, victorious breath as she glanced around, waiting for the others to catch up.
A single, enormous building sat in the middle of the square. It was a stubby building, but it stretched across the open street. An iron bar fence traced the length of the building, capped with sharp edges shaped like the gemstone Dash had seen earlier in the gallery. The front gate had a similar crest on it over the lock. The sun was high in the sky, and its rays hit the glittering sapphire in just the right way to send a cascade of blue light in all directions.
Dash heard galloping hooves catching up behind her. She almost turned around, when something caught her eye. She squinted to focus on something standing near the gate, and her heart immediately sank.
Dash spun around, just in time to see Vanille catch up. She was still running full speed, and did not look like she was about to slow down. Dash leapt in front of her, hooves flailing. “Wait!”
Vanille planted her hooves, trying to stop. She skidded along the smooth road, and Dash placed herself in front of Vanille to help slow her down. Just as Vanille passed, Dash grabbed her around the barrel, secured her back legs, and the two mares carouselled on the spot.
Twilight was just behind, breaking off into a mild trot just as Vanille finally came to a full stop. “What’s wrong, Dash?”
“More of those goons, in the courtyard just in front of the main gate.”
“What?”
“She is right,” Vanille said. She walked over to the edge of the building and stared out towards the gate. “There are some more of those stallions waiting.”
“How did they know?”
“Maybe this Mr. Ruby guy knows who we are,” Dash said. “We are kinda famous in Equestria. Even Vanille knew who we were after a bit.”
Twilight scratched her head. “If he knew who we were…” Her eyes snapped wide open. “Then he would know we’d have connections with the queen.”
“It was a good plan, up until now.”
“Perhaps all is not lost,” Vanille said. “I believe there is a guard house around the back. We could appeal to the crown guard directly.”
“Yeah! That could work. What do you think, Twi?”
Twilight shrugged. “We came this far.”
“We can back into this street and go around,” Vanille said.” It won’t take too much longer.”
Off again, they weaved back through the winding roads of Cheval passing through many other busy markets. They slowed them, but every time a delay presented itself, Vanille halted, turned, and dashed without missing a beat of her hooves on the pavement. She either ducked into an empty alley or found a secondary road through the mess of ponies with ease.
They eventually exited into a small road tracing the backside of the palace walls. The iron bars lined the street and stretched out along the road and out of sight. Dash looked up and down the road, looking for the guard post that Vanille had mentioned.
Instead, she found a divot in the fence that fed directly into the building just across from them, the border of which ran flush with a massive iron door. Vanille trotted across the road over to the door and knocked against it swiftly. Dash and Twilight followed slowly, looking around carefully.
“This doesn’t look like a guard post,” Dash said.
“They are watching,” Vanille said. “They will come.”
“Êtes-vous certain de ça, petite souris?” a voice asked.
The mares spun around. Mr. Ruby was standing there, flanked by his fellow guards. He had a self-assured grin on his face, as he took a step forward with a hoof extended.
“Est-il temps de mettre fin à ce jeu, ma chere?”
Vanille was frowning, and sighed. “Oui, monsieur Ruby. J'ai eu ce que j’ai voulu.”
Twilight’s mouth fell open, and her eyes shrunk to pin pricks. Her lips trembled as if she was trying to speak.
“Twi!” Dash said. “What’s wrong?”
Twilight didn’t answer, she twisted her head to face her, her look of horror unchanged.
Dash stared at her and spun her head to Vanille. She had turned to face them and nodded. “I think this game has gone on long enough, my friends. I no longer see any reason to keep up the facade.”
Dash’s brow arched together, as Vanille’s words processed through her brain. “This… was a trick?”
Vanille nodded. “If you will allow me to explain, I—”
“I trusted you!” Dash snapped. “We trusted you! And you lied to us this whole time! I knew you were bad news! Why did I ever believe you?!”
Vanille stepped back. “You misunderstand… If you just let me—”
“I understand just fine! As soon as you figured out we were friends with Celestia, you seemed so much more interested in moving along. What was it, did the dollar signs in your head just blind you when you realized your ransom doubled?”
“N-no, that’s not—”
“It’s bad enough that you screwed around with us, but you fought so hard to make us believe you, and this is how you repay our trust? There is one thing that is not cool with me and that’s betraying your friends!”
Dash reared her head and scratched at the ground. “Well, I got news for you, princess. If I’m going down, you’re going down with me! And I’ll die before you get your grubby hooves on my friend!”
Dash bolted into the air and charged at Vanille. She stepped back again in fright, when Dash felt a warm glow wash over her. She saw Ruby focusing his magic into stopping her, but she pressed on, flapping harder than she ever had before in her life. Her joints screamed at her, and her injured wing sent jolts of pain through her sides, but she ignored them all.
Even with Ruby’s intervention, Dash managed to crash into Vanille. They rolled over each other in the street, and Dash launched over her, thrashing and kicking.
Dash sprung to her hooves. Ruby had rushed forward to aid Vanille, but she held up a hoof to stop him. “No, I will deal with this.”
He hesitated, and Dash saw her chance. “Deal with this!”
She leapt forward again, swinging out her hoof. She struck Vanille across the face and sent her to the ground. Mr. Ruby let out a strangled cry and tackled Dash. Seeing him approach her head on, Dash balanced on her rear legs and ducked down.
As Ruby sailed over her, she reared up and catapulted him into the fence. She turned to face him when Vanille shouted.
“Ca suffit!”
Dash spun around to see Vanille standing up. Two of the guards approached her from the sides to assist her, but she waved them off. They spoke in concerned tones, but Vanille continued to shake her head. As she lifted her head, her mane parted and Dash caught sight of a black ring forming around one of her eyes.
Dash smirked. “There’s more where that came from, princess.”
Vanille sighed as she rubbed her face. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t deserve that.”
“S’not like lying is hard for you.”
“But, if you had just let me explain, we could have avoided all of this unpleasantness.”
“Like you’re explanations can—”
Vanille swung out her leg and parted her cloak, revealing her saddle bags. She shrugged her back and allowed them to fall to the ground.There was a loud metallic ring from underneath her when it landed. The cloak rippled a moment, and a bright, shining object rolled out from underneath it. It rolled along the ground, skipping across the gaps in the hewn stones in front of Vanille. All eyes stared at it, as its golden glow reflected the light from the sun.
At the top of the circlet, however, was the true focus of everpony’s attention. It was a small setting, but that did little to detract from its absolute perfection. The diamond shaped gem radiated the powerful glow of sapphire blue light, much like the crown that housed it.
The sound of metal rolled over and over as the crown spun on the spot, the sound speeding up with each revolution. When it finally stopped spinning, Dash heard somepony gasp.
“Is that…” Twilight began.
She rounded her head at Vanille. “Is that the Heart of Prance!?”
Vanille glanced their way and chuckled slightly. She approached the crown on the ground and placed a hoof to it, and with a graceful motion, she flicked it into the air and it landed securely on her head, perfectly aligned.
In that instant, there was a bright flash of light that enveloped Vanille, and Dash threw up a hoof to shield her eyes. When she looked back, Vanille was gone. In her place was a sapphire maned mare, sporting the jeweled crown on her head, fitting behind an ivory horn. Her dress had shifted from plain white lace to a flowing blue gown. Her eyes shimmered in the afternoon sun like radiant gems.
Dash and Twilight were staring in shock, mouths hanging open and eyes unblinking.
The sound of a throat clearing drew Twilight and Dash’s attention briefly. They turned to see Mr. Ruby and his entourage bowing. He lifted from his bow and moved to the new mare’s side and offered her a hoof, which she took and hooked around in her own.
“May I present,” Ruby said. “Her Royal Majesty, Queen Victoire the Fifth.”
Due to a family emergency, I am posting this chapter a day early to avoid any potential messiness of trying to publish on my phone while outside of reliable internet space. Which is a good thing, since this chapter is a doozy. Enjoy
Well that was...
Horribly convoluted?
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Yeah, that works. Lets go with horribly convoluted.
Wait, what? so first vanille was bad, then she was good, then bad again for 10 seconds, then she's the the queen? that is more complicated then it has any right to be.
Dash better not be in trouble for attacking her... she's got enough as is...
3240434 Hey dude, quick question about this fic. Are the titles of the stories in this series based on the titles of songs by owl city? (best singer btw) Because both " vanilla twilight" and "dreams and disasters" are names of songs he's performed.
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Yes, and so are the chapter titles in Dreams and Disasters. I found a motif and stuck with it, I guess. :P
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She dashed a very short distance, somewhere between 5 and 10 feet at best to close the distance with Vanille, so I think with Dash's hardheadedness she would be able to power through the pain of a sprained wing for a bit. As a great mercenary once said, "Rage is one hell of an anesthetic."
3420914 YES! Finally, someone who appreciates owl city beyond "fireflies" and "good time"!
Hm, the last few chapters were reminding me of Roman Holiday, so I am not surprised.
All I can say is-WHAT! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Well, I know what happened, I just read it but seriously... I am so confused right now. Well, great, just great, now I have to wait for the next chapter.
shook
________
Awesome chapter. I can honestly say I did not see that coming.
Imma go with: why? I am at a loss for words as to how these events panned out.
Here's my reaction.
It would seem trolling is a royal past time.
Even in Prance.
But yeah, didn't see that coming until a little before it happened.
The Queen really did deserve that punch in the face. Dash had every right under the conceived circumstances the Queen set up.
Really it was her fault for setting the whole thing up, I mean how else would you expect someone to act.
I can sort of see how the end made sense, or at least logically followed from the middle. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were going to do something reasonable and the Queen had to reveal herself before they reached an authority figure.
But what in the world was the point of everything up until then? If the Queen knew who they were in advance then she should have had some sort of endgame planned, and if she didn't (which seems to be the case) then WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS SHE DOING!? Does she regularly drag visitors into adventures like that? Why? How was that even remotely safe? If either of the two had been armed or more vicious then someone might have been seriously hurt, not to mention if they turned on her in the tunnels the Queen was unprotected.
what the fuck was that all about?! fucking queen deserved to get punched!
3420689 Agreed. What mummery is this? I await the reasoning.
Huh. Didn't see that coming.
Twi, stop being so oblivious! You need to notice that Dash totally likes you! I know you're an academic, but you need to pay attention!
I love this story.
Write on,
Legion
This was really good, that queen deserves that kick.
Well, this unfolded in an entirely unexpected way. Looking forward to explanations in the next chapter, since right now the Queen seems like a gigantic douche.
3420981 You survived getting shot in the face?
Yeah and you survived your ship getting disintegrated. A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything.
Fry you son of a bitch
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I'm with you on this on this one.
Wat, The Actual Fuck.
I just don't know what to expect anymore.
I had a fleeting thought that Mr. Ruby was somehow involved in a coup d'état, judging from the end of the last chapter.
Instead the Queen dragged some "random" tourist on a crazy adventure.
Or perhaps some of the state funding is coming from slavetrading.
And yes I had a notion that Vanille was the Queen all along.
I might agree with many people here, the end just made say "What the f***?"
But yeah, as usual, awesome
I'm really confused, like the rest of the audience. The Queen of Prance is a ponynapper? Or a random troll hiding out in a tourist shop selling guided tours and maps to strangers? Or a wanted fellon chased by her own guards? Guards which then moments later obey her and move to protect her? Well, I'll just have to wait for the next chapter to hopefully explain everything, but at this point I don't see any logical explanation for that royal mess.
must Admit I wasn't expecting Vanilla to be the Queen,
Was Correct about being rescued by royal, but that's stretching it a bit.
Honestly though I can't see the Royal guard acting that way towards the three.
Seeing as they have a picture available of "Vanille" I'm safe in assuming that the Queen
likes to mingle with the commoners on a fairly regular basis.
As such ruby wouldn't have attacked. he would have assumed Twilight and Dash had no clue
who they were keeping company with, and Ruby would have explained in the alley Vanille's true identity.
the whole escape through the underground actually didn't need to happen.
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for myself the ending was more a welcome surprise that I was expecting halfway through the chapter.
with the thoughts, rainbow dash is so going to regret having a brawl with the Queen.
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Can you run on a Sprained leg? The Answer is Yes.
I have twisted my ankle jumping from a flight of stairs at a run
I have then continued running, and my leg has healed itself within 5 minutes.
If I was a Pegasus I wouldn't baby my wings, I'd push them to exhaustion.
to make them stronger
Yes , she deserved it.
Too bad Dash only managed to deliver one punch.
This is idiotic.
Achievement unlocked:
"Confuse the shit out of your readers"
I thought this chapter was awesome XD. You put a "Dream" and a Disaster in it. I can't wait to find out why she thought it would be a good idea to keep up the charade.
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For everyone that has expressed frustration or confusion over the results of this chapter, I have posted a blog that might clear up a little bit of concern. I strongly request you all go read it.
In addition to that, I will be releasing the following chapter early, this Thursday to get Vanille's explanation sooner rather than later.
shakespony? really just face freakin hoof
Ok, can't believe it took this long to notice the chapter titles were Owl City songs. >.>
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I agree, but considering that name, do you really have the right to complain about needlessly complicated plans?
Quadruple plot twist!
“Running? from what?”
She hook her head quickly
Her chest swelled as she inhaled a deep, victorious breath as she glanced around, waiting for the others to catch up. double as structure...
"Vanille broke into a sprint. Twilight groaned as she labored to keep up, while Dash merely took to the air. She spun in tight circles, shouting with glee. Vanille passed underneath her, but still she kept on until she reached the end. " um didn't she have a bandaged wing just a few moments before and couldn't fly?
Seriously?
...Seriously?
It makes for a hell of a story, but plot twist whiplash hurts.
...
What?
Really?
Seriously?
As odd as this plot twist is, there's really only one thing that I can't find a way to explain away in the context of the plot twist. Why did Mr Ruby say that he was going to sell Rainbow Dash to a benefactor?
(How) I (became the Sea)
(Captain and Cruise) Ship(s)
(Vanilla) Twilight
(Honey) and (the Bee)
Rainbow (Veins)
See what I did there?
What? Ok I did not expect that.
nigga oh no