MANEHATTEN INSTITUTE

Equestrian Union

Telegram

-------------------------------------------------- ***** --------------------------------------------------

Send the following telegram, subject to the terms on the back hereof, wich are hereby agreed to
To: Rainbow Dash

Cloudhome at Ponyville

Ponyville, RG Canterlot

STAYING IN BARNFORD, CONEIGHTICUT THE NEXT TWO

WEEKS --- STOP ---

ARRIVE ON 3, 1ST MOON --- STOP --- MEET ME AT

MAREHALL COLLEGE --- STOP ---

YEARLING A.K.

MANEHATTEN INSTITUTE

-----*****------

"Ohmigoshomigoshomigosh...", Rainbow Dash jumped up and rushed out of the post office, followed by a burst of poststamps and letters and complaining shouts.
Once outside the skyblue mare spread her wings to take flight in an instant, shooting in loopings through several clouds leaving vague pegasus-shaped holes, yelling and cheering in joy.

The last thing, the confused bystanders, at the train station square witnessed, were the echoing words "BEEEEEST DAY EEEVER!" and a fading rainbow.

-----*****------

Derpy Hooves slid gently through the sky. The air was cold and the ground covered in snow, but at least the annoying wind had settled and no snowfalls were predicted. But being a pegasus, she was accustomed to low temperatures, so It was quite nice, seeing the little white heaps marking roofs and the occasional snowpony dotted around below her.

Her post bag was almost empty too and she anticipated a nice, lush and above all free afternoon. One last delivery, she sighed in relief. The days around Hearth Warming Eve tend to be stressful, as suddenly every single pony throughout Equestria seemed to remember every single living relative.

"Rainbow Dash, Ponyville.", the gray mare checked the address. She looked up trying to adjust her vision.To no avail, like every time.
Clouds. Some bigger, some smaller. Hard to distinct whether they were really smaller, or only further away. Derpy was used to her walled eyes. More or less. As any pegasus, she could read the wind. Changing air currents - due to weather, clouds or obstacles.

Minutes later, she approached a distinctive cloud. Shaped like a small temple. Cloud columns supporting a low angled roof. Two small rainbow-falls running down the wall, fading with the wind beneath the base cloud. A typical Cloudsdale- style house. Only, far away from the pegasus city. More and more details became visible. Small statues, small windows. A turtle with some kind of propeller on her back.

Wait a minute. Turtle? Maybe Rainbow Dash had a pet. Derpy wondered, if turtles were like dogs, and therefore love to chase mailmares around. Anyway, how could someone like Rainbow Dash adopt a turtle? Oh - and by the way - a turtle as pet, were a cool thought. Or maybe some other animal. For some blinks the pale grey yellow haired mare embraced the idea, of having a pet. Her daughter would love it.
Derpy's mind wandered anywhere. Anywhere, but not to the house growing bigger in front of her.

-----*****------

"Come down, Rainbow Dash. Keep calm...", Rainbow told herself, about the one millionth time.
She was wandering in circles, hyped and mad with anticipation. a visible, circular ditch had already formed in the ground.
Daring Do had invited her! Awesome!
Rainbow had packed and was ready to start. Now... actually she had sped through the sky, dropped by her home, just to run around like crazy, fetch her luggage and filled anything in, she thought to be useful.
Then she threw out half of the things and packed again. That had taken about five minutes. The train wouldn't leave until tomorrow morning!

"Gnaaaaaah!", she groaned. Likewise about the millionth time.

Rainbow had showered, trained, showered again, made up her kitchen (a real mess after all), trained again and - all in all ran around aimlessly in her home.
Her eye fell upon one of the Daring Do books, she had packed the first time. Not that she would need them, as she were about to meet Daring Do for real.

Reading!

A few minutes later she cuddled up in her favorite reading chair. She had made cocoa, which left her kitchen in the same state of chaos as before she cleaned up.
But delving into the first chapter, following poor Daring Do with her broken wing through the jungle, her wandering mind calmed down. Until...

A remarkable "THUD" left Rainbows cloudhome to quake. Even her beloved framed Wonderbolts-Academy picture fell off the wall. Luckily clouds were softer then tiled floor - so it didn't break.

"What the hay?" she jolted up.

A long moaning sound was to hear outside.

-----*****------

"Derpy?", a dull, worried sounding voice called her. Derpy Hooves looked up and tried to figure out, which of the about four azure blue, rainbow-maned ponies, had actually spoken.

"Ooooohwww. Everything fine.", she murmured, towards number two point five, while straightening herself. Feeling her head, she hissed painfully. That would give a bump.

"Oh my gosh. Come on in. Have a seat.", yes number 2.5 really seemed promising, to be the real Rainbow Dash.

Later Derpy sat on a chair in Rainbows living room. Wonderbolt posters decorated one wall, pictures from several other ponies stood upon her fireplace. The most faces were common to Derpy Hooves. Twilight and her friends. And supposedly Rainbows parents were shown.
The room itself was pretty untidy. It seemed as if some burglar had tried to pack anything reachable in a box, just to throw it out again.
"Hey. You're reading Yearling. Didn't know that.", Derpy discovered the surprisingly neat stacked books.

"Yeah," Dash admitted, balancing a cup out of the kitchen, "Its my favorite."

"Oh. I see.", Derpy received the tea.

"You reading too?", Rainbow asked.

"Yes. And actually I have read the first few Daring Do books.", she explained. She thought to recognize a particular look on Rainbow Dash face. "You know... I maybe have no three dimensional view, with my eyes. But I am pretty good with details - and before you ask. I can read."

-----*****------

Rainbow Dash gestured apologizing. "I didn't mean to offend you..."

"Oh," confusion stood in Derpys face for a moment. Then she blushed "Oh. sorry. I... its just..."

"Anypony sees just a clumsy wall-eyed mare and couldn't believe you're more?", Rainbow added, over her cup. She knew at least what a hell live could be with annoying bullies around. Luckily these days had gone by long ago.

"Yes. Its about that. Sorry again," Derpy looked a bit sad.

"No need to apologize for you. Seriously. Sooo. You read Daring Do, huh?", now Rainbow was curious.

"Not lately. Honestly, -" Derpys eyes started to glow "- I am more into Quarter Mane."

It seems, that Derpy was fascinated of fantastic worlds and adventures. To her surprise, authors long before Daring had written such stories. E. Race Buckskin, H.P. Lovedraft - names Twilight surely knew. But not herself.

"Ooooh kayyyy. I think I got it," Rainbow Dash grinning interrupted Derpys enthusiastic monologue "Uhm, by the way... why are you here, actually?"

"Oh," Derpy looked up, blushing. "Oh my. I... got carried away."

Then she hoofed in her mail bag.

"Here. This is for you."

No sender on the envelope, but an official looking logo 'Marehall Collegue, Barnford CN'

"Huh?", Rainbow grabbed the letter, ripped the envelope open and unfolded the paper.

-----*****------

Derpy could see, how Rainbow Dash moved from surprised, to happy, to shocked. At last she let go of the letter, letting it fall to the ground and sunk back in her chair. The look on her face plain mortified.
Under normal circumstances it was none of her business as mailmare, to sniff in other ponies letters. But under normal circumstances, the blue, flamboyant and engaging pegasus, wouldn't be that depressed.
Hay, Rainbow seemed about to cry!

"Everything ok?", Derpy managed on the second try to lay her hoof around Rainbows back. Instead of complaining, she leaned forward and buried her head on Derpys shoulder. Sobbing sounds - the total opposite of her behavior, just moments before.
Home time or not, she just couldn't leave Rainbow Dash in such a state.
"Don't you want to tell?", she gently asked.
It took a minute or so for Rainbow to get her raised far enough to answer. "Look."

Derpy took the letter.
"...hmhmhm... .... I regret to have to revoke ...... Sincerily yours, A.K. Yearling.... oh.... OH!", Derpy realized.

"Yeah.", Rainbow sniffed.

"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry Rainbow.", she said, unsure what to say anyway.

"It wasn't your fault. Its... Ok. But... look. All my friends are out. Visiting parents over the vacancies, or went skiing to Aspony... Even AJ is in Manehatten with her relatives."

"And you?", Derpy asked.

"Gnah. I had been, too. Had to be back earlier. Weather patrol, yknow. A.K. Yearling wrote me a few days ago, invited me to join her. Today she even sent me a telegram with last details. And now... THIS," Rainbow hung her head low.
Derpy patted the mares back. The letter was a rather harsh and dry written revocation, stating that the author had too much to do, to let Rainbow visit. On second thought, it felt a bit... off. Given Dash didn't lie about being Yearlings greatest fan.
On third thought, this story felt outright suspicious.
Derpy blinked a few times.

"Wait a minute!", she jumped up, nearly toppled Rainbow and her chair over. She grabbed one of the newer books - that one, showing Daring Do and a second mare with intriguing similarities to Rainbow Dash - and opened it.

Yes. It was a vague guess at first. But now it was obvious.

"Look Rainbow."

"Yeah. I can see it. An autograph. And now?"

"Gosh. Look at the writing. Look at the letter!", this was so clear.

Rainbow held the letter next to the inscription. She panted, her eyes wide open.

"Woah! That's not Daring Do's handwriting."

"See!", said Derpy with a wide smile. Now she had managed to uplift Rainbows spirits. It was good to see her lesser crestfallen than before.

"Do you know, what that mean?!" before she could react, Rainbow clutched her shoulders and shook Derpy furiously.

"Nnn n nn oo oo oo o?", the mailmare wobbled.

"Daring Do is in danger. Somepony try to cut her off from us."

"Oh? OH No! And, what should we do?"

"Saving her of course. We'll fly to Barnford as fast as possible."

Derpy deliberated one moment. Maybe Rainbow Dash was right. The whole thing was fishy at least. And maybe Miss Yearling could need help. On the other hoof - why should somepony do something like this?
But anyway - it seems like an adventure to her.

"We?", Derpy was honestly surprised.

"Sure. What did you think? Without you I've never learned about the fraud! I could need some help with this kind of things.... but I didn't even ask if you have time... So if you don't want...", Rainbow Dash closed.

"Oh no, I have time. The Doctor and the kids are on a " - She looked upwards partially - " field trip. Y'know - he wanted to do me a favor and give me some days rest. Second - the most authors I read are dead and gone since decades. So meet a real writer could be fun. And third - if there's really something ahoof... I've never been on an adventure like this..."

"Then - to the rescue!", Rainbow exclaimed, letting Derpy jump with glee - her heroic pose ending as her hindleg got stuck on the table and an avalanche of books buried her.

Author's Note

also starring

Connemara Hinds

Clyde Dale