Athazagoraphobiaby ValorousspectreChaptersWhen a stranger comes to townGreat AwakeningDude, where's my lunch?When a stranger comes to town"Are you sure? I'm not certain we have anywhere to house you all. The closest Motel is a few kilometers out of town. We don't get many travelers here." Mayor Mare looked once more at the poster that had been placed before her depicting a set of five silhouettes on a background of black with multi-coloured spotlights. It was a picture that had quite recently become quite well known in the smaller cities and was becoming a bit of a hit in the larger ones as well. The words 'No Love Here' headlined the poster. The pony meeting with the Mayor scoffed. "Ain't a problem Miss Mayor," He replied easily, "Me mates and I have a trailer big enough for us, that's accommodation enough. We've worked so hard this past few years to get where we are, we thought we'd come to the little places. Y'know, return to the roots and all that." He chuckled, leaning forward on his chair, his bright red and yellow mane waving as he did so. "And of course, the popularity you'd gain from allowing a performance here in Ponyville is pretty much guaranteed your re-election, yes? Plus, revenue. Sell Tickets, gain profit. So long as we get a cut, like usual, we'll be only too happy to perform for your little town." "This isn't about my popularity," Mayor Mare scolded firmly, "re-election isn't for two years. No, this is more about the foals. You don't have anything that's going to make them..?" The stallion burst out laughing, his wings and their purple feathers ruffling. "Oh sheila, don't even worry about that. We've got a few protest songs mate, but I swear, nothing extreme. We're not like those big time metal bands or them screamo' things. You can trust me mayor, we won't be sowing any extremist or dangerous ideas in the heads of your young ones, and if you're that worried just don't let them in. But I can promise you..." He leaned forward again, his black jacket parting a little as his hoof came up to his dark shades and he pulled them down to look the Mayor in the eye, a startling blue. "The kids'll love it all the more." Mayor mare was quiet for a moment and the scene was frozen, the stallion leaning forward and mayor Mare considering it. After a time, she smiled. "In that case, we'd be only too glad to accept your offer. It will take time to set up a stage worthy of your equipment, but we'll have it done." "A simple stage'll do Mayor," He replied calmly, leaning back languidly in the comfortable couch, "Out in the open would be preferable. It helps preserve a pony's ears if it's not encased, bouncing the sound around a tight area. Plus, less chance of harm happening by accident IF a mosh is formed. Trust me mayor, Open stages are the best." The mayor thought about that for a moment before nodding. "Alright, an open stage it is," She accepted graciously, "I trust you don't need me to show you out? I'm a very busy mare." "Of course!" He replied, standing and rolling his shoulders, "Thanks for your time Mayor, real pleasure meeting ya." With that, he headed for the door with a smile, stopping just before he opened it to look over his shoulder, shades back in place. "By the way Mayor," he said, "Love the glasses. Brings out the colour in your eyes." And he left the surprised Mayor Mare to consider his compliment. Outside were four others, two unicorns, an Earth pony and another pegasus like himself. The stallion walked into the room and, from the various places the ponies were seated in the waiting room, they all stood up, curious expressions on their faces. "So?" A green unicorn asked sagely. The young pegasus grinned. "She's cute," He replied playfully, "Totally MILF material, if she had a foal. She doesn't, by the way. Unattached." The unicorn sighed, a note of amusement hidden away in there somewhere if one cared to dig deep enough. "I meant the show Ranger." "You sure? I mean, You're around about the same age I'm sure..?" The pegasus, dubbed 'Ranger' teased. The unicorn looked at him this time without any guard on his obvious bemusment. "As touched I am that you're taking interest in my love life, I'm sure." "She's got this cute habit of adjusting her glasses when she reads," Ranger continued, as though the unicorn hadn't spoken at all, and the other two ponies in the room were trying not to laugh, "And she's pretty trim, probably works out-" "Ranger," The unicorn said gently. "Plus, come on. She's in charge, probably so repressed it's painful," He continued playfully, grinning at the older pony and then laughing a little, "I'm kidding. Though she'd totally be your type. The show's on, we've got a lot of preparing to do." The unicorn rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Get outta here," He said, raising a hoof negligently, "Get out! I'll hammer out the finer details with her. As the oldest-" "You'll hammer something in there!" Ranger said quickly, before laughing as he dodged a rolled up magazine of some sort that was telekinetically hurled at him, rushing out of the room followed by his bandmates, leaving the unicorn behind. He sighed softly, but looked at the door to the Mayors' office in careful deliberation, before shaking his head and knocking and entering. Great AwakeningRainbow Dash was really quite a simple mare. In all honesty, she wasn't that difficult to understand if you took the time to get to know her, although getting past her arrogance could take some work. Rainbow had been such for a long time, longer than she could remember, and that was not liable to change anytime soon. With a light blue coat, wine red eyes and the dazzling multi-coloured rainbow mane and tail she was so known for, Dash was an icon in some circles of the pegasus community. Winner of the Best Young Fliers award thanks to her massively memorable performance of the legendary Sonic Rainboom technique, self proclaimed Fastest Pegasus in Equestria (Yet to be tested) and coolest pegasus in Ponyville. She liked naps, speed, tricks and being adored. This much, everypony in Ponyville and, indeed, anypony who had heard of her knew. But Dash was more than just a speedy face. Or, she would be, if she ever learned to stop napping in Applejack's trees. So it was with a startled yelp that Rainbow found herself falling through the branches of the tree she was calling bed as Applejack purposefully and very deliberately bucked it with greatly unnecessary force. After all, Rainbows don't grow on trees. "Ow! AJ, that hurt!" She whined as she looked up from her back at her friend's unimpressed face. "Ah'll say," AJ answered dryly, "Ah think Ah mighta' twinged somethin' in mah leg. Whatcha'll doin' sleeping in mah orchard again Rainbow? Ah thought we talked about this." Rainbow flushed and scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. This was true. Several weeks back, when the pair were still (tentatively) dating, Applejack had broached the subject of Rainbow's constant napping on her trees and the way it was damaging them, and Rainbow had reluctantly relented and told her she'd try to stop doing it. "Aw, c'mon Applejack," Rainbow wheedled hopefully, "It was just one time! I've been good, this is the first time since that day, I swear!" "Third, actually," Applejack answered with a sigh, "Ah just didn't wake ya up the other two times Ah caught ya." Rainbow coloured and looked away, grumbling softly about Applejack's vigil over her damn trees. Sometimes, Rainbow could swear the earth pony loved her trees more than she did her own family. It wasn't true... but there you go. "Whatever, I hardly do it anymore! Did you really have to kick me out your tree? Like, actually kick me out?" "Ya weren't answerin' to mah calls," Applejack responded flatly, "Didn't have much choice." Another flinch from Rainbow. Happened much too often for her to like, not hearing the hails or calls of other ponies when she's asleep. She hated it, but she couldn't help it if she was a sound sleeper. "I'm sorry that I was asleep, okay?" This was not a recent development between these two mares. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had known each other for years and, in those years, had argued or competed about just about everything. From who was stronger, who was faster, who was better in almost every way. The pair had even dated briefly until about a month ago. "If ya didn't sleep so much, Ah wouldn't have ta' knock you out of mah trees now would Ah?" Rainbow grumbled in reply and took off into the skies, her trademark technicolour streak of colour following her. ~*~ "So. We got about two weeks before the stage is set, which don't leave us with much time." The purple pegasus stallion strode before the rest of his band, all watching attentively. "We've done stuff like this before of course, so it's no biggie. Now, we gotta stick with the less aggressive songs of course, Mayor's worried about the kiddies, and that is understandable. So, what I want you lot to do is start brainstorming, get up a list of songs we can play for the good ponies of ponyville whilst the foals are awake and there. I reckon, after that, we have an intermission, and get down to some of our popular songs, 'ey?" The four ponies before him nodded. One of them, a thin, lime green unicorn with a scraggly mane and a soul patch, stood up and stretched. "And what'll you be doing during this?" He asked, obviously amused. The pegasus grinned suddenly. "Well obviously I'll be gettin' us some chow! Guys've gotta eat right?" There was a chuckle and murmurs of agreement from the three seated ponies. The green pony smiled and rolled his eyes. "Figures. Go then, off with you Ranger. We'll take care of the song compilation. You just don't go catching cold." "Would I do that Chords?" Ranger shot back cheekily, "I'll get a bit of everything yeah? Nothing but the best for me best mates right?" A small cheer was his response and he smiled, turning with a subconscious dramatic flair, his black coat swaying behind him as he began his trot to Ponyville proper. It was a pleasant day. No cloud in the sky, but not too hot. He could see a few pegasi flying around the airspace, and a few earth ponies in the town. He wasn't in a hurry, so he wandered through the streets, not really worried about the amount of time it would take him to get back. Scoping out the area as it were. He saw a bright pink, cupcake shaped building, but he didn't really feel like sweets. No, instead he looked around a little more. When he couldn't find anywhere else to buy food in the immediate area, he opened his wings and took to the air instead. Straight into the path of a technicolour blur that hadn't been there a split second beforehoof. "LOOK OUT!" He turned his head just in time to see the multicolour blur smash into him. He was winded instantly, his breath rushing out in a 'oof' and he was pretty sure he heard his ribs creak, maybe even crack, as he caught her full on the chest. The pair shot through the air, tumbling and unable to stabilise their trajectory. They broke through the town limits, Ranger just getting a peek at the incoming landing. It was going to be rough. A clearing not far from the outskirts of town, a lake in the middle of it and, before they hit the ground, He folded his wings around the mare practically wrapped around his ribcage, adding an extra layer of protection between the blue bolt and the ground as they landed. Hard. He collided the ground with an audible yelp of pain and the sound of tearing fabric, back first onto the dirt, and bounced, hitting the ground twice more, both times managing to protect the pegasus under his wings by some miracle of luck, before landing spectacularly in the lake. It took the blue pegasus less than two seconds to burst out from under the water with a gasp of air, although it took Ranger a few more seconds, given his now hurting back, sides and wings. By the time he hit the surface, the projectile that had hit him had swum to shore, and was shaking herself off, trying to get rid of the water on her feathers mostly, he surmised. He too, swum to shore, calling as he swam. "Oi, you alright? You ain't hurt or nothin' are you?" "Ugh, no!" She, he surmised anyhow, called back, "But now I'm all wet, and my feathers are all messed up." He reached the shore and rolled himself onto dry land, shaking himself off and instantly checking his jacket. He groaned as he took note of a huge tear across the shoulder seam. "Aw hay," He grumbled, "That's going to cost me a pretty bloody penny." He looked at the mare who was busy trying to fix her feathers. "Blimey, how fast were you going to rip this? This stuff's imported, very strong." "I dunno," She shot back irritably, "Why'd you have to get in my way?" "Woah, chill out sheila," He replied, slightly surprised at her short fuse, "I wasn't gettin' up ya, I was just asking, coz it's meant to be real tough to break this stuff..." He frowned suddenly and peered at her closer. "Wait a sec, I know you from somewhere." The cyan mare stopped and looked at him with a cocky smile, striking a pose despite her semi wet mane. "Damn right!" She boasted, "I'm only the fastest pegasus in Equestria!" Ranger grinned and sat down, brushing a strand of his mane that had fallen over his eyes. "Well I'll be, Never thought I'd meet The Rainbow dash." She positively glowed at his recognition and smirked smugly. "Well, It's your lucky day! Because I'm totally here right now, and I'm totally ready to sign autographs!" Ranger laughed and shook his head. "Sorry sheila, but I'm fresh outta paper. And if I did have some, it was ruined when we went for a swim." Her ears flattened and she laughed a little, nervously. "Oh heh... yeah, right... about that. Sorry, I totally wasn't watching where I was going and... well.." Ranger laughed and waved her apology off. "Come on, it's not like this happens everyday, right?" he asked with a grin, "Besides, now I can tell everypony that I'll never wash this jacket again, although I'll probably get it fixed though. I like this jacket. It was expensive." Dash chuckled a little apologetically and scratched the back of her head with a hoof. "Yeah... Sorry about that. If it helps, I have a friend who can probably fix that easy." "You think so?" "Yeah!" Dash grinned, perking up again, "I mean, she's prissy and all, but she can sew and stuff, so..." "Sounds great. Where can I find her then?" "Follow me, I'll take you to her!" ~*~ "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! Where everything is chic, unique and magnifique! I'm Rari- Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow actually seemed to flinch as she heard her name, something that Ranger didn't fail to notice, and grin at. "Hiya Rarity," Rainbow said with a smile, recovering quickly, "How you doing?" The white unicorn smiled brightly, her meticulously styled mane and tail both bouncing as she trotted over to her sporty friend. "I'm doing very well, thank you. Have you come to finally model for me? I've told you, your athletic body would make an amazing model~" Ranger chuckled and Rainbow made a face like it was the most disgusting thing in the world and shook her head quickly. "What!? No! No way!" "I dunno," Ranger smirked cheekily, "Reckon I'd pay a pretty penny to see that." Rainbow glared at him and Ranger laughed. It was about now Rarity finally noticed him. "And who's this?" She asked, raising a brow, mostly at the tear in his jacket, "And why didn't you come to me earlier? Give me that, hurry up!" Ranger didn't even have time to look at the mare before he felt his jacket being yanked off of him via magic, actually lifting him up in the process with a startled oath before he hit the floor again, thankfully on his hooves. His feathers were muddled up, he was disoriented, and he was no longer wearing his jacket. It was instead being held within the confines of light blue magic as Rarity inspected the tear with a professional eye. "Goodness..." She began, "This is Palamino Steel Silk! How in the world did you manage to..?" She looked back at the pair. Rainbow was looking at her hooves with a light blush on her cheeks, and Ranger was jerking his head towards the shamed looking mare. Rarity's brows dropped, obviously unimpressed. "Of course. Well, I can fix this, and I'll put it on my list of things Rainbow owes me for good measure." Rainbow looked up quickly, a heated response ready to make its way from her lips before Rarity burst into laughter. "Oh, I'm kidding darling. I'll fix it for your coltfriend, and you can be on your way okay~?" And Rainbow's mouth dropped and she stared at Rarity as the white unicorn giggled her way out into her workroom. "He's not my Coltfriend!" She yelled after her friend indignantly, only to turn and see Ranger's grin. She glared at him, "One word, and I swear to Celestia..." She growled. Ranger chuckled. "Come then my love," he teased, narrowly dodging a swipe from Rainbow's hoof, "I was off to get lunch when you threw yourself at me," another dodge, "So the least you can do is point me in the right direction, and eat with me." Dude, where's my lunch?"So sheila, I take it ya come here often eh?" Ranger grinned across the table at the grouchy looking Rainbow Dash, who held up a hoof. "Don't even start buddy," She shot back irritably, "I'm only doing this because I ripped your stupid jacket." Ranger laughed, looking at the menu again. It was a simple little cafe, but pleasant. Ranger had noticed the occasional glance to him and Rainbow and hushed voices. Probably exactly why she was hiding her face behind her menu. He smirked and took off his sunglasses, laying them on the table. "Hey, that jacket wasn't stupid, aight?" He said with a grin, "And it cost me a lotta money. It's only fair you return the favour, rather than me pay for everything. Y'know, given how it's your fault." "Yeah?" Dash shot back, "Well if you hadn't jumped into the air right in front of me, I never would have crashed into you in the first place!" "If you'd been going at a more acceptable speed," Ranger replied jovially, "You would have been able to stop in time to avoid killing my jacket." Rainbow went to respond again, but flushed and looked away. Ranger grinned and chuckled. "Hey, look, Sheila, we got off on the wrong hoof. You hit me, I didn't watch where I was jumping, let's try this again, shall we?" Dash glared at him over her menu. He had this stupid grin on his face that irritated her. "Fine. You already know my name." Ranger laughed and leaned back in his chair. "Feathers, everypony knows your name. But anyhoo, Me name's Ranger. And I'll take the lasagna too." Dash looked at the waiter that had seemingly appeared out of thin air, then took a quick look at her menu with a brief stab of irritation. She always got the lasagna. And she wasn't about to let him feel the satisfaction of knowing he'd ordered her favourite item. The waiter turned to her. "And, the usual Dash?" He asked brightly. Dash burned red and mentally cursed the friendly pony. "No, I'm not that hungry," She said, trying very hard to keep her voice level, "I'll just... I dunno, just a grilled cheese or something." The pony looked at her, confused, but wrote it down. "Alright... I'll be back in a bit with your meals." Dash was, once again, left alone with the purple pegasus and his stupid grin. "Aight then bluebird. You've got me here now, we've got what, an hour? Steel Silk's pretty tough." "So?" She asked forcefully. He didn't stop grinning. "So," he continued, "You gunna tell me about the town?" "No," She grumbled, "You interrupted my flying practice, and now you're making me buy you lunch. Find your own way around." "I never said anythin' about you buying me lunch!" he replied, "But if you're offering..." Rainbow went bright red and growled at him. "Forget it! I ain't spending my bits on a two bit hack who can't even look where he's going!" "Aw, and here I thought we were gettin' along so well. We're out here having lunch together and everything!" Rainbow's eyes widened as she realised where he was going with this. "Don't you say it," She growled, pointing at him menacingly, which did nothing to lift his cocky smile, "Not even a word!" "It's almost like..." He began teasingly and she glared at him, wings flaring. His own wings were itching too, come to think of it, "A..." "Don't finish that sentence!" Dash warned, looking quite annoyed. Ranger's grin broadened as he finished the dreaded sentence. "Date~" It's still said to this day that the sound of Rainbow punching the cocky pegasus stallion before her reverberated enough to reach even Canterlot, though it's questionable as he didn't get a bruise from it, though he did laugh. "Yeah, alright, I deserved that one," He laughed it off amicably, "Still, it was funny." "It really wasn't," She grumbled back at him, rubbing her hoof absently. Turns out he had a hard face. He smirked at her in reply. "Come on though," he continued, somehow still in a gay mood, "If I'd known I'd meet Rainbow Dash in the flesh on vacation, I'd have worn something a bit more energetic. Didn't know you lived out in the country." "Yeah well," She grumbled, "I don't exactly tell everypony where I live." "So, there's limits even to your boasting~" he teased quickly, narrowly dodging another swipe from her hoof with a laugh, "Cool it Sheila, you'll hurt yourself before you hurt me at this rate. Don't want to stretch anything important do we?" "The only thing being stretched is my patience," She grumbled under her breath, folding her hooves on the table and dropping her head on them crankily, "Seriously, how are you not in the hospital like, all the time?" "Oh, y'know," He replied lightly, "Palamino Steel Silk jacket, big friends, tough words, the usual. Then again, most ponies don't go around at blistering speeds ready to tear my foreleg out of its socket, so... Normally, I don't talk much. At least, not to locals." "Yeah?" She shot back, "For somepony who doesn't talk much, you sure love to mouth off." "Well, yeah!" he said grandly, "Of course I do! Someone's gotta be the grandstander in me group of friends! Might as well be me!" He looked so amused by his own performances... and it grated on Rainbow's nerves. BIG time. It bugged her really, that she'd met someone almost as at home with showboating as herself... that wasn't a Wonderbolt anyway. Even so, he was irritating her, and she hated having to keep him company. "You're more annoying than a parasprite," She grumbled. Surprisingly, this brought a stricken look to Ranger's face. "Hey, don't joke about those things!" He admonished, "They're serious problems! Almost ate me out of house and home a few years back, not to be trifled with! Or given Trifle! Or any food really." She rolled her eyes. She knew how serious Parasprites were. She'd been there when they'd consumed a good portion of the town. It wasn't a pretty picture, and a dark stain on Twilight and Fluttershy's records. A brilliant mark for Pinkie Pie though. It was as a shudder of horror went through her that her meal and Rangers arrived. "Your meals, sir, Miss Dash," The waiter said a little nervously, glancing uneasily at Rainbow as he placed down her meal, "Eggplant and cheese toasted sandwiches, and the lasagna for the gentlecolt. Do enjoy your meals... Let me know if you need anything else." As he walked away, Rainbow looked at her meal in surprise. The sandwiches, two in fact, were arrayed quite neatly with surprising care. Cut into neat triangles, they were arrayed to look a little like an opening flower. Ranger's lasagna, on the other hoof, looked a disaster. It was like there was a newbie just learning the trade or something in there, who'd taken a slab of the lasagna out without a care and plopped it on the plate. Ranger eyed it apprehensively. "... it looked better on the menu," He admitted, before looking at her sandwiches and souring further, "And why does yours look so good?" Rainbow, suddenly finding the tables turned, smirked at him. "Guess they like me better than you," She poked at him triumphantly, "And made you know it." He looked at his lasagna, a little more wary now, and a little afraid. She laughed at him, and shook her head. "Hey, look, it might look sloppy and all, but don't let 'em fool you. You won't find better in Ponyville, trust me I've looked." He shot a disbelieving look at her, making her giggle again, and sighed. "If you say so Bluebird..." She smirked, and picked up a triangle of sandwich, taking a large bite out of it. She tried not to let her surprise show on her face. The cook must really like her, or management did. or something. There wasn't just eggplant and cheese in this sandwich. She could taste the special napolotana sauce they used in the lasagna in here as well, and it was delicious. "I, for one," She said primly, "Am very happy with my lunch. And I won't hear a word against anything." Ranger groaned, and began to eat his own lunch. He had to admit, it was as good as Dash claimed. But clearly he'd upset somepony here, to have it served so carelessly. Ah well, at least it tasted good, and the service had been prompt and good. But he wasn't sure that he'd come back here again... at least until he knew he was in the cook's good books. The sloppy presentation felt a bit like a warning to him... and he didn't appreciate it, but he couldn't ignore it either. Never mess with someone who feeds you. ~*~ He was picking his way back through Ponyville, having said his goodbyes to Rainbow Dash and her Seamstress friend, Rarity he believed her name was, when he finally remembered what he'd gone out to do and went pale. "Aw... Feathers." After a crazy dash around Ponyville to find suitable food (He found a decent fast food joint that sold what looked and smelled like really good nachos) he raced back to the wagon, panting. He arrived to a trio of annoyed, and very hungry looking, stallions. Although, the green one looked more suspicious than annoyed. "Dude," The drummer, another pegasus but with a long blue mane admonished, "Where's my lunch?" Ranger, not accustomed to running for long periods of time, held up a hoof breathlessly, panting heavily. The Green unicorn sniffed. "Better yet," He drawled, "What happened out there to make you take so long to get back?" Ranger, still panting slightly, managed to speak this time, "Lemme give you food first Strings, I ain't got much breath right now." And he managed to give each member their food before sitting down with a sigh of gratitude. The other two members seemed to be happy with their nachos, enough to grudgingly forgive Ranger's lateness. Strings, on the other hand, looked more amused than anything else. "What was it that kept you?" He asked gently. Ranger looked up at him and smiled. "Oh boy, do I have a story for you mate."
When a stranger comes to town"Are you sure? I'm not certain we have anywhere to house you all. The closest Motel is a few kilometers out of town. We don't get many travelers here." Mayor Mare looked once more at the poster that had been placed before her depicting a set of five silhouettes on a background of black with multi-coloured spotlights. It was a picture that had quite recently become quite well known in the smaller cities and was becoming a bit of a hit in the larger ones as well. The words 'No Love Here' headlined the poster. The pony meeting with the Mayor scoffed. "Ain't a problem Miss Mayor," He replied easily, "Me mates and I have a trailer big enough for us, that's accommodation enough. We've worked so hard this past few years to get where we are, we thought we'd come to the little places. Y'know, return to the roots and all that." He chuckled, leaning forward on his chair, his bright red and yellow mane waving as he did so. "And of course, the popularity you'd gain from allowing a performance here in Ponyville is pretty much guaranteed your re-election, yes? Plus, revenue. Sell Tickets, gain profit. So long as we get a cut, like usual, we'll be only too happy to perform for your little town." "This isn't about my popularity," Mayor Mare scolded firmly, "re-election isn't for two years. No, this is more about the foals. You don't have anything that's going to make them..?" The stallion burst out laughing, his wings and their purple feathers ruffling. "Oh sheila, don't even worry about that. We've got a few protest songs mate, but I swear, nothing extreme. We're not like those big time metal bands or them screamo' things. You can trust me mayor, we won't be sowing any extremist or dangerous ideas in the heads of your young ones, and if you're that worried just don't let them in. But I can promise you..." He leaned forward again, his black jacket parting a little as his hoof came up to his dark shades and he pulled them down to look the Mayor in the eye, a startling blue. "The kids'll love it all the more." Mayor mare was quiet for a moment and the scene was frozen, the stallion leaning forward and mayor Mare considering it. After a time, she smiled. "In that case, we'd be only too glad to accept your offer. It will take time to set up a stage worthy of your equipment, but we'll have it done." "A simple stage'll do Mayor," He replied calmly, leaning back languidly in the comfortable couch, "Out in the open would be preferable. It helps preserve a pony's ears if it's not encased, bouncing the sound around a tight area. Plus, less chance of harm happening by accident IF a mosh is formed. Trust me mayor, Open stages are the best." The mayor thought about that for a moment before nodding. "Alright, an open stage it is," She accepted graciously, "I trust you don't need me to show you out? I'm a very busy mare." "Of course!" He replied, standing and rolling his shoulders, "Thanks for your time Mayor, real pleasure meeting ya." With that, he headed for the door with a smile, stopping just before he opened it to look over his shoulder, shades back in place. "By the way Mayor," he said, "Love the glasses. Brings out the colour in your eyes." And he left the surprised Mayor Mare to consider his compliment. Outside were four others, two unicorns, an Earth pony and another pegasus like himself. The stallion walked into the room and, from the various places the ponies were seated in the waiting room, they all stood up, curious expressions on their faces. "So?" A green unicorn asked sagely. The young pegasus grinned. "She's cute," He replied playfully, "Totally MILF material, if she had a foal. She doesn't, by the way. Unattached." The unicorn sighed, a note of amusement hidden away in there somewhere if one cared to dig deep enough. "I meant the show Ranger." "You sure? I mean, You're around about the same age I'm sure..?" The pegasus, dubbed 'Ranger' teased. The unicorn looked at him this time without any guard on his obvious bemusment. "As touched I am that you're taking interest in my love life, I'm sure." "She's got this cute habit of adjusting her glasses when she reads," Ranger continued, as though the unicorn hadn't spoken at all, and the other two ponies in the room were trying not to laugh, "And she's pretty trim, probably works out-" "Ranger," The unicorn said gently. "Plus, come on. She's in charge, probably so repressed it's painful," He continued playfully, grinning at the older pony and then laughing a little, "I'm kidding. Though she'd totally be your type. The show's on, we've got a lot of preparing to do." The unicorn rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Get outta here," He said, raising a hoof negligently, "Get out! I'll hammer out the finer details with her. As the oldest-" "You'll hammer something in there!" Ranger said quickly, before laughing as he dodged a rolled up magazine of some sort that was telekinetically hurled at him, rushing out of the room followed by his bandmates, leaving the unicorn behind. He sighed softly, but looked at the door to the Mayors' office in careful deliberation, before shaking his head and knocking and entering.
Great AwakeningRainbow Dash was really quite a simple mare. In all honesty, she wasn't that difficult to understand if you took the time to get to know her, although getting past her arrogance could take some work. Rainbow had been such for a long time, longer than she could remember, and that was not liable to change anytime soon. With a light blue coat, wine red eyes and the dazzling multi-coloured rainbow mane and tail she was so known for, Dash was an icon in some circles of the pegasus community. Winner of the Best Young Fliers award thanks to her massively memorable performance of the legendary Sonic Rainboom technique, self proclaimed Fastest Pegasus in Equestria (Yet to be tested) and coolest pegasus in Ponyville. She liked naps, speed, tricks and being adored. This much, everypony in Ponyville and, indeed, anypony who had heard of her knew. But Dash was more than just a speedy face. Or, she would be, if she ever learned to stop napping in Applejack's trees. So it was with a startled yelp that Rainbow found herself falling through the branches of the tree she was calling bed as Applejack purposefully and very deliberately bucked it with greatly unnecessary force. After all, Rainbows don't grow on trees. "Ow! AJ, that hurt!" She whined as she looked up from her back at her friend's unimpressed face. "Ah'll say," AJ answered dryly, "Ah think Ah mighta' twinged somethin' in mah leg. Whatcha'll doin' sleeping in mah orchard again Rainbow? Ah thought we talked about this." Rainbow flushed and scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. This was true. Several weeks back, when the pair were still (tentatively) dating, Applejack had broached the subject of Rainbow's constant napping on her trees and the way it was damaging them, and Rainbow had reluctantly relented and told her she'd try to stop doing it. "Aw, c'mon Applejack," Rainbow wheedled hopefully, "It was just one time! I've been good, this is the first time since that day, I swear!" "Third, actually," Applejack answered with a sigh, "Ah just didn't wake ya up the other two times Ah caught ya." Rainbow coloured and looked away, grumbling softly about Applejack's vigil over her damn trees. Sometimes, Rainbow could swear the earth pony loved her trees more than she did her own family. It wasn't true... but there you go. "Whatever, I hardly do it anymore! Did you really have to kick me out your tree? Like, actually kick me out?" "Ya weren't answerin' to mah calls," Applejack responded flatly, "Didn't have much choice." Another flinch from Rainbow. Happened much too often for her to like, not hearing the hails or calls of other ponies when she's asleep. She hated it, but she couldn't help it if she was a sound sleeper. "I'm sorry that I was asleep, okay?" This was not a recent development between these two mares. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had known each other for years and, in those years, had argued or competed about just about everything. From who was stronger, who was faster, who was better in almost every way. The pair had even dated briefly until about a month ago. "If ya didn't sleep so much, Ah wouldn't have ta' knock you out of mah trees now would Ah?" Rainbow grumbled in reply and took off into the skies, her trademark technicolour streak of colour following her. ~*~ "So. We got about two weeks before the stage is set, which don't leave us with much time." The purple pegasus stallion strode before the rest of his band, all watching attentively. "We've done stuff like this before of course, so it's no biggie. Now, we gotta stick with the less aggressive songs of course, Mayor's worried about the kiddies, and that is understandable. So, what I want you lot to do is start brainstorming, get up a list of songs we can play for the good ponies of ponyville whilst the foals are awake and there. I reckon, after that, we have an intermission, and get down to some of our popular songs, 'ey?" The four ponies before him nodded. One of them, a thin, lime green unicorn with a scraggly mane and a soul patch, stood up and stretched. "And what'll you be doing during this?" He asked, obviously amused. The pegasus grinned suddenly. "Well obviously I'll be gettin' us some chow! Guys've gotta eat right?" There was a chuckle and murmurs of agreement from the three seated ponies. The green pony smiled and rolled his eyes. "Figures. Go then, off with you Ranger. We'll take care of the song compilation. You just don't go catching cold." "Would I do that Chords?" Ranger shot back cheekily, "I'll get a bit of everything yeah? Nothing but the best for me best mates right?" A small cheer was his response and he smiled, turning with a subconscious dramatic flair, his black coat swaying behind him as he began his trot to Ponyville proper. It was a pleasant day. No cloud in the sky, but not too hot. He could see a few pegasi flying around the airspace, and a few earth ponies in the town. He wasn't in a hurry, so he wandered through the streets, not really worried about the amount of time it would take him to get back. Scoping out the area as it were. He saw a bright pink, cupcake shaped building, but he didn't really feel like sweets. No, instead he looked around a little more. When he couldn't find anywhere else to buy food in the immediate area, he opened his wings and took to the air instead. Straight into the path of a technicolour blur that hadn't been there a split second beforehoof. "LOOK OUT!" He turned his head just in time to see the multicolour blur smash into him. He was winded instantly, his breath rushing out in a 'oof' and he was pretty sure he heard his ribs creak, maybe even crack, as he caught her full on the chest. The pair shot through the air, tumbling and unable to stabilise their trajectory. They broke through the town limits, Ranger just getting a peek at the incoming landing. It was going to be rough. A clearing not far from the outskirts of town, a lake in the middle of it and, before they hit the ground, He folded his wings around the mare practically wrapped around his ribcage, adding an extra layer of protection between the blue bolt and the ground as they landed. Hard. He collided the ground with an audible yelp of pain and the sound of tearing fabric, back first onto the dirt, and bounced, hitting the ground twice more, both times managing to protect the pegasus under his wings by some miracle of luck, before landing spectacularly in the lake. It took the blue pegasus less than two seconds to burst out from under the water with a gasp of air, although it took Ranger a few more seconds, given his now hurting back, sides and wings. By the time he hit the surface, the projectile that had hit him had swum to shore, and was shaking herself off, trying to get rid of the water on her feathers mostly, he surmised. He too, swum to shore, calling as he swam. "Oi, you alright? You ain't hurt or nothin' are you?" "Ugh, no!" She, he surmised anyhow, called back, "But now I'm all wet, and my feathers are all messed up." He reached the shore and rolled himself onto dry land, shaking himself off and instantly checking his jacket. He groaned as he took note of a huge tear across the shoulder seam. "Aw hay," He grumbled, "That's going to cost me a pretty bloody penny." He looked at the mare who was busy trying to fix her feathers. "Blimey, how fast were you going to rip this? This stuff's imported, very strong." "I dunno," She shot back irritably, "Why'd you have to get in my way?" "Woah, chill out sheila," He replied, slightly surprised at her short fuse, "I wasn't gettin' up ya, I was just asking, coz it's meant to be real tough to break this stuff..." He frowned suddenly and peered at her closer. "Wait a sec, I know you from somewhere." The cyan mare stopped and looked at him with a cocky smile, striking a pose despite her semi wet mane. "Damn right!" She boasted, "I'm only the fastest pegasus in Equestria!" Ranger grinned and sat down, brushing a strand of his mane that had fallen over his eyes. "Well I'll be, Never thought I'd meet The Rainbow dash." She positively glowed at his recognition and smirked smugly. "Well, It's your lucky day! Because I'm totally here right now, and I'm totally ready to sign autographs!" Ranger laughed and shook his head. "Sorry sheila, but I'm fresh outta paper. And if I did have some, it was ruined when we went for a swim." Her ears flattened and she laughed a little, nervously. "Oh heh... yeah, right... about that. Sorry, I totally wasn't watching where I was going and... well.." Ranger laughed and waved her apology off. "Come on, it's not like this happens everyday, right?" he asked with a grin, "Besides, now I can tell everypony that I'll never wash this jacket again, although I'll probably get it fixed though. I like this jacket. It was expensive." Dash chuckled a little apologetically and scratched the back of her head with a hoof. "Yeah... Sorry about that. If it helps, I have a friend who can probably fix that easy." "You think so?" "Yeah!" Dash grinned, perking up again, "I mean, she's prissy and all, but she can sew and stuff, so..." "Sounds great. Where can I find her then?" "Follow me, I'll take you to her!" ~*~ "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! Where everything is chic, unique and magnifique! I'm Rari- Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow actually seemed to flinch as she heard her name, something that Ranger didn't fail to notice, and grin at. "Hiya Rarity," Rainbow said with a smile, recovering quickly, "How you doing?" The white unicorn smiled brightly, her meticulously styled mane and tail both bouncing as she trotted over to her sporty friend. "I'm doing very well, thank you. Have you come to finally model for me? I've told you, your athletic body would make an amazing model~" Ranger chuckled and Rainbow made a face like it was the most disgusting thing in the world and shook her head quickly. "What!? No! No way!" "I dunno," Ranger smirked cheekily, "Reckon I'd pay a pretty penny to see that." Rainbow glared at him and Ranger laughed. It was about now Rarity finally noticed him. "And who's this?" She asked, raising a brow, mostly at the tear in his jacket, "And why didn't you come to me earlier? Give me that, hurry up!" Ranger didn't even have time to look at the mare before he felt his jacket being yanked off of him via magic, actually lifting him up in the process with a startled oath before he hit the floor again, thankfully on his hooves. His feathers were muddled up, he was disoriented, and he was no longer wearing his jacket. It was instead being held within the confines of light blue magic as Rarity inspected the tear with a professional eye. "Goodness..." She began, "This is Palamino Steel Silk! How in the world did you manage to..?" She looked back at the pair. Rainbow was looking at her hooves with a light blush on her cheeks, and Ranger was jerking his head towards the shamed looking mare. Rarity's brows dropped, obviously unimpressed. "Of course. Well, I can fix this, and I'll put it on my list of things Rainbow owes me for good measure." Rainbow looked up quickly, a heated response ready to make its way from her lips before Rarity burst into laughter. "Oh, I'm kidding darling. I'll fix it for your coltfriend, and you can be on your way okay~?" And Rainbow's mouth dropped and she stared at Rarity as the white unicorn giggled her way out into her workroom. "He's not my Coltfriend!" She yelled after her friend indignantly, only to turn and see Ranger's grin. She glared at him, "One word, and I swear to Celestia..." She growled. Ranger chuckled. "Come then my love," he teased, narrowly dodging a swipe from Rainbow's hoof, "I was off to get lunch when you threw yourself at me," another dodge, "So the least you can do is point me in the right direction, and eat with me."
Dude, where's my lunch?"So sheila, I take it ya come here often eh?" Ranger grinned across the table at the grouchy looking Rainbow Dash, who held up a hoof. "Don't even start buddy," She shot back irritably, "I'm only doing this because I ripped your stupid jacket." Ranger laughed, looking at the menu again. It was a simple little cafe, but pleasant. Ranger had noticed the occasional glance to him and Rainbow and hushed voices. Probably exactly why she was hiding her face behind her menu. He smirked and took off his sunglasses, laying them on the table. "Hey, that jacket wasn't stupid, aight?" He said with a grin, "And it cost me a lotta money. It's only fair you return the favour, rather than me pay for everything. Y'know, given how it's your fault." "Yeah?" Dash shot back, "Well if you hadn't jumped into the air right in front of me, I never would have crashed into you in the first place!" "If you'd been going at a more acceptable speed," Ranger replied jovially, "You would have been able to stop in time to avoid killing my jacket." Rainbow went to respond again, but flushed and looked away. Ranger grinned and chuckled. "Hey, look, Sheila, we got off on the wrong hoof. You hit me, I didn't watch where I was jumping, let's try this again, shall we?" Dash glared at him over her menu. He had this stupid grin on his face that irritated her. "Fine. You already know my name." Ranger laughed and leaned back in his chair. "Feathers, everypony knows your name. But anyhoo, Me name's Ranger. And I'll take the lasagna too." Dash looked at the waiter that had seemingly appeared out of thin air, then took a quick look at her menu with a brief stab of irritation. She always got the lasagna. And she wasn't about to let him feel the satisfaction of knowing he'd ordered her favourite item. The waiter turned to her. "And, the usual Dash?" He asked brightly. Dash burned red and mentally cursed the friendly pony. "No, I'm not that hungry," She said, trying very hard to keep her voice level, "I'll just... I dunno, just a grilled cheese or something." The pony looked at her, confused, but wrote it down. "Alright... I'll be back in a bit with your meals." Dash was, once again, left alone with the purple pegasus and his stupid grin. "Aight then bluebird. You've got me here now, we've got what, an hour? Steel Silk's pretty tough." "So?" She asked forcefully. He didn't stop grinning. "So," he continued, "You gunna tell me about the town?" "No," She grumbled, "You interrupted my flying practice, and now you're making me buy you lunch. Find your own way around." "I never said anythin' about you buying me lunch!" he replied, "But if you're offering..." Rainbow went bright red and growled at him. "Forget it! I ain't spending my bits on a two bit hack who can't even look where he's going!" "Aw, and here I thought we were gettin' along so well. We're out here having lunch together and everything!" Rainbow's eyes widened as she realised where he was going with this. "Don't you say it," She growled, pointing at him menacingly, which did nothing to lift his cocky smile, "Not even a word!" "It's almost like..." He began teasingly and she glared at him, wings flaring. His own wings were itching too, come to think of it, "A..." "Don't finish that sentence!" Dash warned, looking quite annoyed. Ranger's grin broadened as he finished the dreaded sentence. "Date~" It's still said to this day that the sound of Rainbow punching the cocky pegasus stallion before her reverberated enough to reach even Canterlot, though it's questionable as he didn't get a bruise from it, though he did laugh. "Yeah, alright, I deserved that one," He laughed it off amicably, "Still, it was funny." "It really wasn't," She grumbled back at him, rubbing her hoof absently. Turns out he had a hard face. He smirked at her in reply. "Come on though," he continued, somehow still in a gay mood, "If I'd known I'd meet Rainbow Dash in the flesh on vacation, I'd have worn something a bit more energetic. Didn't know you lived out in the country." "Yeah well," She grumbled, "I don't exactly tell everypony where I live." "So, there's limits even to your boasting~" he teased quickly, narrowly dodging another swipe from her hoof with a laugh, "Cool it Sheila, you'll hurt yourself before you hurt me at this rate. Don't want to stretch anything important do we?" "The only thing being stretched is my patience," She grumbled under her breath, folding her hooves on the table and dropping her head on them crankily, "Seriously, how are you not in the hospital like, all the time?" "Oh, y'know," He replied lightly, "Palamino Steel Silk jacket, big friends, tough words, the usual. Then again, most ponies don't go around at blistering speeds ready to tear my foreleg out of its socket, so... Normally, I don't talk much. At least, not to locals." "Yeah?" She shot back, "For somepony who doesn't talk much, you sure love to mouth off." "Well, yeah!" he said grandly, "Of course I do! Someone's gotta be the grandstander in me group of friends! Might as well be me!" He looked so amused by his own performances... and it grated on Rainbow's nerves. BIG time. It bugged her really, that she'd met someone almost as at home with showboating as herself... that wasn't a Wonderbolt anyway. Even so, he was irritating her, and she hated having to keep him company. "You're more annoying than a parasprite," She grumbled. Surprisingly, this brought a stricken look to Ranger's face. "Hey, don't joke about those things!" He admonished, "They're serious problems! Almost ate me out of house and home a few years back, not to be trifled with! Or given Trifle! Or any food really." She rolled her eyes. She knew how serious Parasprites were. She'd been there when they'd consumed a good portion of the town. It wasn't a pretty picture, and a dark stain on Twilight and Fluttershy's records. A brilliant mark for Pinkie Pie though. It was as a shudder of horror went through her that her meal and Rangers arrived. "Your meals, sir, Miss Dash," The waiter said a little nervously, glancing uneasily at Rainbow as he placed down her meal, "Eggplant and cheese toasted sandwiches, and the lasagna for the gentlecolt. Do enjoy your meals... Let me know if you need anything else." As he walked away, Rainbow looked at her meal in surprise. The sandwiches, two in fact, were arrayed quite neatly with surprising care. Cut into neat triangles, they were arrayed to look a little like an opening flower. Ranger's lasagna, on the other hoof, looked a disaster. It was like there was a newbie just learning the trade or something in there, who'd taken a slab of the lasagna out without a care and plopped it on the plate. Ranger eyed it apprehensively. "... it looked better on the menu," He admitted, before looking at her sandwiches and souring further, "And why does yours look so good?" Rainbow, suddenly finding the tables turned, smirked at him. "Guess they like me better than you," She poked at him triumphantly, "And made you know it." He looked at his lasagna, a little more wary now, and a little afraid. She laughed at him, and shook her head. "Hey, look, it might look sloppy and all, but don't let 'em fool you. You won't find better in Ponyville, trust me I've looked." He shot a disbelieving look at her, making her giggle again, and sighed. "If you say so Bluebird..." She smirked, and picked up a triangle of sandwich, taking a large bite out of it. She tried not to let her surprise show on her face. The cook must really like her, or management did. or something. There wasn't just eggplant and cheese in this sandwich. She could taste the special napolotana sauce they used in the lasagna in here as well, and it was delicious. "I, for one," She said primly, "Am very happy with my lunch. And I won't hear a word against anything." Ranger groaned, and began to eat his own lunch. He had to admit, it was as good as Dash claimed. But clearly he'd upset somepony here, to have it served so carelessly. Ah well, at least it tasted good, and the service had been prompt and good. But he wasn't sure that he'd come back here again... at least until he knew he was in the cook's good books. The sloppy presentation felt a bit like a warning to him... and he didn't appreciate it, but he couldn't ignore it either. Never mess with someone who feeds you. ~*~ He was picking his way back through Ponyville, having said his goodbyes to Rainbow Dash and her Seamstress friend, Rarity he believed her name was, when he finally remembered what he'd gone out to do and went pale. "Aw... Feathers." After a crazy dash around Ponyville to find suitable food (He found a decent fast food joint that sold what looked and smelled like really good nachos) he raced back to the wagon, panting. He arrived to a trio of annoyed, and very hungry looking, stallions. Although, the green one looked more suspicious than annoyed. "Dude," The drummer, another pegasus but with a long blue mane admonished, "Where's my lunch?" Ranger, not accustomed to running for long periods of time, held up a hoof breathlessly, panting heavily. The Green unicorn sniffed. "Better yet," He drawled, "What happened out there to make you take so long to get back?" Ranger, still panting slightly, managed to speak this time, "Lemme give you food first Strings, I ain't got much breath right now." And he managed to give each member their food before sitting down with a sigh of gratitude. The other two members seemed to be happy with their nachos, enough to grudgingly forgive Ranger's lateness. Strings, on the other hand, looked more amused than anything else. "What was it that kept you?" He asked gently. Ranger looked up at him and smiled. "Oh boy, do I have a story for you mate."
