Ponez: Pony Girls in the City

Chapters

Welcome to Miniopolis!
Minimum Wage Workday
Just Dan D.
Suburban Days
Moving Up
Plans and Progress
Another Day in Urbania
Breaking the Wall
Mann on a Mission - Slight Edit Again
Batten Down the Hatches
None Shall Pass
Get on "The List"

Welcome to Miniopolis!

"OW!" several voices rang out at once as seven girls landed - a little painfully, but not overly harmed.

Sunset Shimmer was the first up, and thus the first to notice the unfamiliar backdrop. They appeared to be on the roof of a business building.

"Uh, girls?" she said, somewhat worriedly, "I... don't think we're in Canterlot any more." She then examined herself and the others, "I... don't think we're entirely human any more, either."

Indeed, all seven girls had hooves, Pony ears and Pony tails. They also had different apparel from when they'd left.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were wearing plain streetclothes, like they'd usually wear, but somewhat more plain. On Rainbow Dash's shirt was her signature cloud and rainbow lightning bolt, while Applejack's shirt bore the familiar three apples. Looking at the rest of themselves, they found that their pants had the same marks. Applejack still had her iconinc hat, though. Also, Rainbow Dash's hair was cut short, but came with shades, for whatever reason. Applejack had a braided ponytail with a red ribbon tying it in place.(1)

Rarity and Fluttershy were wearing simple sun-dresses, one white with violet trim, one yellow with a pink trim. Rarity's hair was tied tightly with parts of it forming several circles at the back of her head. Fluttershy's hair was done in stylish pigtails.

Twilight was garbed in a schoolgirl outfit, with a mane of tight dreadlocks, while Pinkie was wearing a sundress with pink everything. Her hair was briefly in a ponytail, but trembled briefly before a pop was heard and she suddenly sported a mane of loose dreadlocks, with a vague, slight bubbly texture to them. Okay, an extremely bubbly texture.

As for Sunset, she was wearing a white lab-coat-ish dress, draped by a red and gold jacket. Sunset's hair was in what seemed like numerous styles at once.

Twilight said, worriedly, "How did we get HERE?!"

(Canterlot library, downstairs, about 10 minutes ago)

Five of the girls sat in comfortable chairs, reading or (in one case) playing a video game. Two were in one corner of the room, fiddling with various pieces of sophisticated science equipment.

Twilight turned and said, "Rainbow Dash? Could you turn that down a few notches? This is sensitive-"

Rainbow Dash instead turned the volume UP a couple of notches, causing Twilight to drop what she was holding from the surprise. With a muffled explosion, the girls were gone.

The librarian came down the stairs, looked around for the source of the disturbance, only to see nobody there. She scratched her head, shrugged and went back upstairs.

"Oh, yeah." Twilight deadpanned before giving Rainbow Dash the evil eye.

Rainbow dash grinned sheepishly and said, "Heh. Sorry."

Suddenly, the door to the area opened amd a woman wearing overalls and a blue hat entered. "Hey!" she said, "Get back to work."

All seven girls raised one eyebrow.

The woman whispered conspiratorially, "Do you have a different reason for all of you being here?"

The girls looked at each other, then grabbed squeegees and got to cleaning windows.

Minigame Start: Squeegee Clean

With the seven of them working together on the surprisingly large and stable platform, they each began wiping down windows.

First they'd grab a brush they had in the bucket on the side of the platform. Wiping that on the window in question, it was soon covered in soapy water, and there the squeegee came in - and so did the birds.

The pigeons kept pooping on the windows, causing the girls to have to move and then clean the suddenly dirtied window. It only got worse as they went downward.

Getting annoyed at the winged rats, Suntet said, "Rarity? would you please?"

Rarity looked at the birds, nodded, summoned a force shield and, using it not unlike a pinball bumper, swatted the birds with it.

That done, the girls got back to work.

You've advanced to level 2: Streaker

Minigame End.

As they got back to the rooftop level, the woman from before came back in. "Sorry, girls. You're fired."

Rainbow Dash looked outraged. "We've only been employed for, like five minutes and now we're FIRED?!"

"It's the decision of the place's new owner, Daddy Bigbucks. I have no idea why, but that's the way it is. On an unrelated note; I'm Kris Thistle, by the way. Nice work on the windows, there."

Sunset spoke up. "Well, Kris, I'm Sunset Shimmer. Here we have Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity Belle, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy."

"Nice to meet you girls. Either way, hand in your equipment. Then you can probably find space with your rep groups."

The girls exchanged glances, then looked to Rainbow Dash. She wondered why they were doing so, but then got the idea. "OOOOOH. Rep groups are essentially the cliques you fit into. For example, AJ and I are Streeties. So is Kris, there. Rares, Pinkie, Flutters, you three are Artsies. Twi, you are a Nerdie. Sunset, judging by that outfit, you're a Nerdie too, but with some REALLY good connections."

Turning back to Kris, Rainbow Dash said, "Unfortunately, we're kinda new in town. We don't know anyone in our rep groups here yet."

"You can't find any space with them?"

Sunset said, "We... really don't have anywhere we can go, Kris."

Kris thought hard. "I've got it! on the fourth floor is an apartment that's being built. For now, you girls can sleep there. But you've gotta work to earn your keep!"

"Done and done!" Sunset said, the remaining girls nodding.

Kris said, "What say we get some pizza and get to know each other?"

Sunset said, "What do you say, girls?"

All of them were in agreement, so the lot of them went to the main lobby.

Only to discover that the door was locked for the night.

"Damnit!" Kris swore. "Daddy B appears to have already locked the door for the night. That means I'M stuck here too!"

An exclamation mark appeared above her head. "Double damnit! There's only one bed! I completely forgot!"

Twilight thought for a moment. "Aha! We may not need more!"

Kris looked confused. "Huh?"

"Just lead us to the 'apartment'. You'll see."

Arriving there barely a minute later, the eight girls piled out of the elevator, only to discover...

"This place is a dump!" Pinkie Pie said. "Uh, no offense meant, of course." she amended.

Fluttershy commented, "Well, that's true, of course, but there's potential to it. If you don't mind me saying so.

Rainbow Dash said, "Yeah, talk about your fixer uppers. But it's better than nothing."

Twilight strode over to the lone bed in the room. Touching it, she flexed her magic and said, "Extend."

The bed suddenly stretched to accomodate ten people at max, its legs thickening to be able to support the extra mass.

Kris was thunderstruck. "How did you DO that?!" she exclaimed.

"I remembered that Rarity used some magic while we were cleaning the windows. It stands to reason that we still have magic."

"Huh." everyone else said in unison.

"Either way, we might as well get some sleep." Twilight said.

Sliding themselves into the bed one after another, the eight girls went to sleep.

Author's Note

1: I'm using the Character editor from Saints Row 4 for guidance here.

Rainbow Dash is wearing the Hollywood Ready Style, Applejack is wearing the, well, Braided Ponytail style. Rarity has the Debutante style while Fluttershy has the Dreaded Pigtails style. Twilight has the Rasta style, Pinkie has the Cheerleader cut for all of ten seconds, then has the Marley. Sunset has the Skater Cut.

Minimum Wage Workday

(The next day)

Having awakened, the eight girls took their turns showering, then went to the lobby. Using some of their hard-earned Simoleons from the job yesterday, they bought some food and a drink each from the vending machine. Not exactly filling, -much less healthy- but it was better than nothing.

Anyway, Kris apprised them of the situation and gave them their jobs for the day.

"Alright. Since you girls are living here for the short term, you'll need to do some work. Here-" she said, tossing each a work uniform, "-put these on. After that I need you to fix a few things around the building. Basically, if it seems broken, fix it up. Also, the windows of the building will need cleaning again, as will the floors. I'll be around if you have any questions"

Sunset was quick to give a division of labour. "Okay! Applejack, you're the best mechanic of us, you fix the broken machines. Rarity, you chat up any of the Richies that come along -but for the love of Celestia, avoid Daddy Bigbucks AT ALL COSTS!-. Dash, you're the sporty type; Chat up Misty Waters in the basement, when you get the chance. I get the feeling that we'll need her friendship some day soon. The rest of us will be cleaning the windows. Again." she said, deadpannng at the end. "I really despise those rats with wings. Even Fluttershy couldn't stop them." she added with no small amount of annoyance. "We'll meet up later, back at our little slice of the workspace."

Before they went to their jobs, Rainbow Dash came to a nearly literal screeching halt and said to Applejack, "By the way, AJ, get us before you fix the TV on the third floor. You'll see why later."

Applejack shrugged, but went off to do her duty.

Down in the basement, Rainbow Dash saw Misty Waters and went over to talk to her.

"Hey!" Misty greeted, "You new here?"

"As it happens, yeah." Dash replied.

"Cool. Think you can work out and chat at the same time?" Misty queried.

"You know it!" Dash said smugly, taking a set of 20 pounder kettlebells.

Applejack set about fixing -and generally doing maintenance on- the various appliances in the building, from the water fountains to the clocks.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. She began to struggle, but the one behind her said, "SHH!"

Applejack turned around and saw a ninja standing before her. "What in-" she began, but was interrupted.

"No time. Name's Heidi Shadows. When you're able, find me at the carnival. I need to talk to you and your friends."

Applejack nodded. "'Kay. But was that really necessary back there?"

"I'm a ninja; of course it was." Heidi said, before throwing down a smoke bomb, disappearing.

"That was weird." Applejack said, getting back to work.

Rarity was chatting with Lottie Cash about whatever came to mind.

"Hahahaha! I love blonde jokes! Yeah, I know, I AM blonde, but I'm smarter than your average Rich girl, if you know what I mean."

"Perfectly understandable, dear. Speaking of, what rep group are you in, darling?"

"Let me just put it this way:" Lottie said, "I wouldn't leave the Richies if you paid me to. Actually, WOULD you pay me to? Never mind; doesn't matter. Anyway, my name is 'Lottie Cash'. You should have figured that out right off."

"Fair enough."

"I have to say, Rarity," Lottie changed the topic, "I LOVE your hair! I take it you dye it?"

"Actually, no." Rarity said, bringing her fingers through her hair, "This is entirely natural, believe it or not, darling,."

"NO WAY!" Lottie exclaimed. "Seriously?! How?"

"Funny story, that..."

Back in the basement, Dash and Misty were sparring, trading blows.

"So." Dash said, "How often-" she stopped to throw a few punches, "Do you come here?" she said, dodging a flurry of punches.

"Just about ev-" Misty began, pausing to throw a few more punches, then avoid some from Rainbow Dash. "Every day." she finished. "Why?"

"Ah, just curious." Rainbow Dash replied, shrugging.

Later, the girls met in the hallway of the Law Offices floor of the building. At this point, Applejack was nearly done fixing the TV. As soon as she was done, a projection appeared.

"Hey, ladies! It's me! the ghooost of Mister King! No, don't bother answering." the 'ghost' said, "This is actually only a recording, but I've thought of everything that you'll reply, so... I don't expect that'll stop you anyway. Heh."

The girls exchanged glances. This one was a nutter, alright.

"Anyway, when Bigbucks first came to me, wanting to buy the place, he made me an offer that he said I couldn't refuse."

"What did you do?" Twilight queried.

"I refused, by golly!" King said. "I said that he'd have to throw in a yacht or something. He said 'Okay', and THEN I sold the place. Gosh, I'm embarased. I hope everyone can forgive me."

"That's okay, Mister King." Fluttershy said. "We forgive you."

"Thanks, if you said you do. Anyway, Bigbucks is up to something sinister -beyond his business practices-." King said, joking at the end. "I'm not sure what. but you need to find out and put a stop to it. Restore King Tower to its soaring glory!"

"Soaring?" Dash scoffed, "It only has like, five floors."

"Well, yes, but think about the history of the building; the atmosphere. It's just so homey."

"We won't let you down Mister King." Twilight said.

"I know you won't let me down, girls. Remember me!" the projection said before disappearing.

The girls went back to the apartment space to rest up for the night.

Back in the Law Offices, the projection of Mister King reappeared briefly. "I hope I made the right choice." he said, before disappearing again.

Quest Completed

Author's Note

Right. I kinda forgot.

You have advanced to Level 3: Glass Buffer!

Just Dan D.

(The next day)

The seven girls got up for the day. After washing up, they noticed that Kris was nowhere to be found. Presuming that Kris had gotten to work already, they went to the gym belonging to Misty Waters. Rainbow Dash had said that (having won the spar with Misty) they had free use of it.

After working out for a bit, the girls felt stronger.

Dash thought for a moment. "I wonder... Skills."

Before her, a miniature window appeared, dispkaying her Skills.

Rainbow Dash
Body: 9 (1)
--Strength: 2
--Dexterity: 5 at outset
--Stamina: 2
Cooking: 1
Creativity: 3
Logic: 4
--Intelligence: 1
--Wits: 1
--Perception: 2
Mechanical: 0
Social: 7
--Appearance: 2
--Charisma: 3
--Manipulation: 2

"Girls!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly, "Check on your Skills, would you?"

"Skills?" the rest queried, and their Skill windows appeared before them.

Applejack
Body: 9
--Strength: 5 at outset
--Dexterity: 1
--Stamina: 3
Cooking: 3
Creativity: 2
Logic: 3
--Intelligence: 1
--Wits: 1
--Perception: 1
Social: 2
--Appearance: 1
--Charisma: 1
--Manipulation: Locked at 0
Mechanical: 4

Pinkamena Dianne Pie/Cripps Pink
Body: 12
--Strength: 2
--Dexterity: 5 at outset
--Stamina: 5 at outset
Cooking: 7
Creativity: 6
Logic: 6
--Intelligence: 2
--Wits: 2
--Perception: 2
Mechanical: 1
Social: 9
--Appearance: 2
--Charisma: 5 at outset
--Manipulation: 2

Rarity Belle
Body: 4
--Strength: 1
--Dexterity: 2
--Stamina: 1
Cooking: 2
Creativity: Automatic 10 at outset
Logic: 8
--Intelligence: 2
--Wits: 2
--Perception: 4
Mechanical: 3
Social: 7
--Appearance: 2
--Charisma: 3
--Manipulation: 2

Fluttershy
Body: 7
--Strength: 1
--Dexterity: 3
--Stamina: 3
Cooking: 3
Creativity: 3
Logic: 3
--Intelligence: 1
--Wits: 1
--Perception: 1
Mechanical: 1
Social: 4
--Appearance: 2
--Charisma: 1
--Manipulation: 1

Twilight Sparkle
Body: 4
--Strength: 1
--Dexterity: 2
--StaminaL 1
Cooking: 1
Creativity: 3
Logic: 8
--Intelligence: 5
--Wits: 2
--Perception: 1
Mechanical: 1
Social: 4
--Appearance: 1
--Charisma: 1
--Manipulation: 1

Sunset Shimmer
Body: 4
--Strength: 2
--Dexterity: 1
--Stamina: 1
Cooking: 2
Creativity: 3
Logic: 6
--Intelligence: 3
--Wits: 2
--Perception: 1
Mechanical: 2
Social: 9
--Appearance: 2
--Charisma: 4
--Manipulation: 3

At their confused looks, Rainbow Dash said, "Okay; Body is essentially how 'physically oriented' you are. Cooking pretty much speaks for itself. Creativity indicates how good you are at creating works of art and things like that. Logic is like your intelligence. Mechanical... also pretty much speaks for itself, really."

Before Rainbow Dash a smaller window appeared.

You have gained 1 point in Logic: Intelligence 2

"Ooookay..." Dash said, raising one eyebrow.

Either way,, the seven girls went to the lobby to get something to eat.

"Ah'll tell y'all what:" Applejack said, waving one of the 'pies' from the vending machine, "These don' hold a candle ta one'a Granny Smith's pahs."

"Yeah." Pinkie said. grimacing, "And I can make FAR better cupcakes than this."

"It's better than nothing, though." Fluttershy put in meekly.

"Fair enough." the cousins said in unison.

The bunch of them awaited the arrival of Kris. When she came in, she said, "Quick, girls! In the executive office Daddy B. has the building key. Take it and we can get out. One of you needs to have a passing Mechanical skill, though."

"Guess Ah'm up." Applejack said, stepping forward.

Arriving at the Executive Office not two minutes later, Applejack fiddled with the lock on the door, which clicked, unlatching, and the door swung open.

Going to the desk in the back, Rainbow Dash opened the top drawer and found the key... just in time for Daddy Bigbucks to come back.

"AHEM. What are YOU girls doing here?"

Thinking quickly, Pinkie said, "Help! That crazy janitor locked us in!"

"I don't recall firing you girls. In fact, I don't seem to remember you being here before at all. I'm positive that I fired all superfluous personnel."

Rainbow Dash sstepped up. "We may be super.... whatever, but you're..." she thought briefly about what the man had said. "Right."

"Regardless, return that key before you go anywhere."

"I take it you have somewhere specific in mind." Twilight intuited.

"I think you know where."

Taking the opportunity, Twilight added, "I seem to recall Mister King owning this building. Why are YOU here? What are you up to?"

"Clearly you've seen too much."

"Un... too much o' what?" Applejack queried.

"Why, of my fiendishly clever plan to turn Miniopolis -little by little- into the biggest theme park the world has ever known!"

Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "Ooh! A theme park? Like with rides and attractions"

"Of course! And you're doing this... why?" Sunset asked.

Daddy Bigbucks smirked smugly, then turned slightly to Pinkie. "I have something much more subtle in mind than you do. You see, I'm going to take this city over building by building, have them torn down, and replace them with EXACT REPLICAS, only with ticket prices!"

Twilight's jaw dropped. "Do you have ANY idea how much that'll COST!?"

Daddy Bigbucks took on a truly devilish expression indeed. "Far less than I stand to gain. The best part? It's ENTIRELY LEGAL! There's nothing stopping me from doing so!"

Sunset's brows lowered as she said, "You're being awfully forthcoming. Why?"

Suddenly the sound of sirens could be heard. "Ah, the local bluecoat." the villain said smugly.

"Mark me, mister Bigbucks." Sunset seethed, "You've made not one enemy today, but Seven."

"Yes, yes. And in other news, water is wet and fire burns." Daddy Bigbucks deadpanned as the detective came in. "So long, ladies~." he said in a singsong tone, smirking.

On the way out, Rainbow Dash looked at the villainous man and subvocalized, "observe."

Daddy Bigbucks
Body: 4
Cooking: 1
Creativity: 7
Logic: 6
Mechanical: 7
Status: Feeling smug.

"Mark as Enemy #1.."(2)

Marked.

'A storm is coming your way, mister B.' Dash thought. 'Pack an umbrella.'

As everyone went out the door, Kris Thistle took her chance and exited the building herself. "Well, I was kind of right. Not how I intended this to work out, but I'll take it. I hope they'll be okay."

(Local prison; Urbania)

So the girls were in cells.(3) Them having rested up, the detective came to question them.

Sunset opened with, "Thanks for getting us out of that situation."

The man looked taken aback. "Uh... I distinctly recall ARRESTING you girls." He shook his head. "That's there and not here. I'm Detective Dan D. Mann -you can call me Dan-. I need to ask you a few questions. Are you girls ready to answer?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." Twilight said, shrugging.

"Firstly, where were you on the night of August 15th, 1970?"

Dash raised an eyebrow. "None of us were even BORN then."

Dan grumbled, "Rats. I get the feeling i'll never solve that case." He sighed, then said, "Secondly, why were you stealing that key?"

Fluttershy answered this time. "We were locked in and the food from the vending machine was nigh on stale."

"I suppose that's understandable. Question the third: Do you suspect that Daddy Bigbucks is up to anything... Illegal?"

Sunset deadpanned. "No. He pretty much told us that he's going to use legal means to make people miserable."

"Legal or not, that is rather concerning. Ever since he bought King Tower I was gettins suspicious. Anyway, are you ladies looking forward to getting out?"

"Absolutely." they said in unison.

Sunset reacted first. "Jinx. All of you owe me a soda.

Dan looked in both directions and then said conspiratorially, "Would you be willing to be my men -er, women- on the inside? Secret secret agents, if you will?"

The girls looked at each other. "Works for me." they all said.

Twilight was the first this time. "Jinx! The same."

"Excellent!" Dan said, basically ignoring the girls' antics. "Naturally, you'll need to get your own house, that kind of thing. But between the seven of you, I doubt that'll be a problem. Just in case, let me mention that there are ingredients that appear from time to time in random locations; if you use a mixer and an oven, you have some yummy -or valuable- food, we have an... oddly specific recycling bin set that gives out cash, there's the Hoopz game upstairs... play your cards right, these are streets of gold!"

So saying, he started unlocking their cells.

"You're free to go, but remember: we have a deal."

The girls looked at each other, then as one they said, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

This time they also said in unison, "JINX! Jinx again!"

Dan blinked twice, but otherwise seemed unfazed. "That's the oddest promise i've heard since... ever, but I'll take it."

Quest Completed

After the lot of them gathered in the police station's lobby, Sunset divvied up their jobs.

"Okay. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, you're the most agile; give that Hoopz game a try. Rarity, you have an eye for details and prices; see if you can find any good deals or items. Twilight, if you see any Nerdies, try chatting 'em up. We need all the friends we can get. Also, check out that recycling bin. See what needs to be done. Applejack, do the same for the Streeties, and see if you can grow some of the plants around here with your magic. Otherwise, you all can work on your Skills. I'll be checking on housing prices. You all have your assignments; go to it!"

Author's Note

1: This is going to be a bit different from the default game. It'll have some elements of the White Wolf series.
For ease of use, Body, Social and Logic's sub-categories, they will divide the stat points (To a maximum of 5 each).
0: slightly below Average/untrained
1: Average to slightly above average
2: Skilled
3: Very skilled - star pupil level
4: Masterful - mastery level
5: Awesome! - surpassing the teacher.
2: Right now, Daddy Bigbucks is higher on Dash's shit list than Lightning Dust, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Just thought I'd point that out.
3: Yes, I'm aware that the only thing stopping them from busting out is them being bigger White Knights than (pony) Shining Armor.

Suburban Days

(Miniopolis Jail - upstairs)

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie went to the upper level, as instructed. There, they found a rather stocky man leaning against a nearby wall. Upon seeing them, he engaged in conversation.

"'Ey!" he said warmly, "The name's Darius. What brings a couple of lovely ladies like yourselves around here?"

"Magical mishap 41." Pinkie said in an offhanded manner.

Darius raised an eyebrow at that, keeping his expression neutral.(1)

More diplomatically, Rainbow Dash said, "Suffices to say, we're new in town. My name's Rainbow Dash (Call me Rainbow normally, or Dash when I'm 'on the field'(2)) and this here's Pinkamena Dianne Pie (Pinkie's so much easier, though)."

Darius smiled and said, "I take it you two are here to check out the Hoopz game? Nobody knows why, but it does give out some nice rewards, if you get good enough."

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie exchanged looks, put out their fists and one quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors later, Rainbow Dash was the one who was stepping up. She went over to the basketball hoop and picked up one of the balls.

Minigame Start: Hoopz
Level 1 - Got No Game
(3)
With the first ball in hand, Dash tossed it and sank the first shot. She took the second ball and tossed it while catching the first with her free hand.

The second ball started to bounce to the side, but she rolled and caught it, tossing it back to the hoop in one smooth motion.

After the fourth shot, an airhorn could be heard and one of the balls started sparkling with green energy. Dunking that one, a ping sounded off. Having played the game before, Dash knew that she'd just earned double the usual reward for a regular shot.

Rolling the other way and catching both balls, she tossed both back to the net, sinking them perfectly. She went on like this for the whole time the minigame went on. Deciding to finish strongly, she grabbed one of the balls, turned, backflipped and slam-dunked the ball.

You have earned $120
Hoops skill has gone up to Level 2; Granny Styler.

Putting the balls back where they were before she started, Rainnbow walked back over to Darius, giving Pinkie a brofist.

"Dang, girl!" Darius said, impressed, "You got some game!" He put out a clenched hand for a brofist, which Rainbow gave heartily.

"Ah, that was only level one." Rainbow waved it off nonchalantly. "Still, Simoleons earned are Simoleons saved." She joked.

Grabbing her winnings, she pocketed them.

"C'mon, Pinkie. Let's meet up with the others."

Darius said, "Hol' up there! I'm beginnin' to like you girls, so I'mma give ya some Xizzle Beads."

"Xizzle beads?" Pinkie queried.

Darius broke character to launch into explanation mode. "A Xizzle is a perk that makes you special, whether making you more charismatic briefly, making you lose energy more slowly, to just plain shelling out cash to you. Every three beads can get you a Xizzle, once you've earned yourself entry to the Xizzle Club."

"So... what's the password?" Pinkie asked.

"The hair's black, not blonde." Darius said, grinning. "Nice try, though. Now go on; Your peeps are probably waitin' for ya. See ya t'morra?"

Rainbow gave Darius a four-tap 'handshake'.

Darius looked impressed again. "Dang! You know the Streetie Shuffle. I can tell we're gonna get along jus' fine."

Rainbow looked at him questioningly. "The Streetie Shuffle?"

Darius replied, "Well, in case you didn't know, all of the rep groups have their own 'gesture' of that kind. That said, if you don't like being in one Rep Group, you can always kiss up to the boss of another." he then grinned and added "Me? You can call me King Streetie."

Rainbow smirked. "King Streetie, eh? I'll keep that in mind."

With that, the two left the scene.

Twilight was examining the recycling bin that was near the entrance of the police station. 'This is ridiculous!' she thought to herself. 'The pop cans I could understand. The piles of trash and license plates? Why not? But spent nuclear rods? Three eyed bullfrogs?! How do you even?! '

Indeed, Twilight was well and truly flummoxed. Her ears had begun to heat up. If she speculated too much more, she'd start spouting smoke. Rarity had used it several times but hadn't questioned the hows and whys of it. Twilight -being the inquisitive, scientific type- was having a much more difficult time of it.

Applejack was in the small park in the center of Urbania. She'd spent the past five minutes trying to communicate with the planet beneath her very hooves. At length, she'd gotten permission to use its power.

Stomping one hoof, the plant nearest to her -a strawerry plant- grew by about an inch. An instant later, a few large juicy-looking strawberries grew in with audible pops. Knowing that the ground under the plant would have to be dried up somewhat, she got some water from the nearest source, bringing it over to Rarity, who was at the shop, bargain hunting.

"Say, Rarity?" Applejack queried, "Can ya use that horn of yours ta pur'fy water?"

"Of course, darling. Why do you ask?"

Applejack handed her the container. "Just wanna make sure. The water 'round here ain't... of th' best quality. Ya mighta noticed."

Rarity nodded. "Perfectly understandable, dear." She bent down, touching her horn to the water. In an instant, the water turned about four shades brighter.

"Now THAT thar is more like it!" Applejack said, approvingly. "Do it yerself unicorn water." she quipped, then took the purified fluid to the plants in the previous area. Rarity went back to her browsing.

Suddenly, she was tapped on the shoulder by a suspicious looking man who had a cap with a feather in it. "Psst! Hey! Do you have some time?"

Rarity put one hand on her hip. "Talk or walk, darling."

The man nodded. "I'm Berkley Clodd. There's something I want you to get for me. A giant shrunken head set!"

"Giant shrunken heads?!" Rarity exclaimed, taken aback, "That isn't possible!"

"It IS... if they're made entirely of balsa wood. But the set looks very lifelike, which is why it's so important to me. There's something in it for you and your friends if you get it for me."

"How do you know they're my friends?" Rarity queried.

The man smirked. "Do you see any other half animal characters in the vicinity? I didn't think so. It's not hard to put two and two together."

"Fair enough."

"Anyway, the auctions start at night, around 5:00. I've seen you occasionally taking recyclables to the bin in the police station. You should have enough to get it. I'll pay you back for it, of course."

Rarity nodded. "I'll see about it, dear."

"Thank you kindly, madam." the man said, before seemingly fading into the shadows.

A woman came out of the store and over to Rarity's side. Looking in the direction the man had gone, she shook her head and said, "That man. He knows I don't trust him, so he figures that saving face is about equivalent to not showing his face at all, I suppose."

Turning to Rarity, she stuck her hand out. "Name's Phoebe Twiddle. Yours?"

Rarity smiled and returned the gesture. "Rarity Belle. Call me Rarity. I take it you're this venue's local purveyor-"

Phoebe tilted her head. "What?"

"That you own this store?" Rarity rephrased, sighing.

"Oh!" Phoebe said, now understanding. "Yes, that's correct. Anyway, you're a new face around here."

"Well, my friends and I have... only recently come to town. We aren't sure... how long we'll be around, though." Rarity replied, choosing her words carefully. "For the nonce, we'll require a residence for seven."

Knowing full well what that meant, Phoebe lifted her eyebrows briefly. "Well, there are two houses for sale over that way." she said, pointing the way. "One larger than the other, but both should be reasonably priced."

"Excellent!" Rarity said, joyfully. "By the by, how long until these... auctions begin?"

Looking at the watch she was wearing, Phoebe said, "Actually, right about now. Come in, if you like."

Rarity accepted the invitation, heading to the back room of the store.

At length, the item she was waiting for came up. The auctioneer said, "Alright! Here we have a set of false shrunken heads! The bidding starts at 100 Simoleons."

"120." someone said.

"140!" said another

"175!" yet aother put in.

Rarity thought quickly. "293." she stated, loud enough to hear. "Only offer." she added.

After the obligatory three count, the item was sold. Adding that to her inventory, she waited for the next item.

"Next up, we have a Mix Whizzard 1000..."

Author's Note

1: For the purpose of this story, that might as well be his version of saying this.
2: I'm going with this mechanic henceforth.
3: I'd put the music for Hoopz here, but for the life of me I couldn't find it. Sorry.

Moving Up

Having rented out one of the lower-rent houses in the area (which with their combined "income" they could deal with easily enough), they unpacked the box that was sent to them with what they had before getting arrested. Naturally, Twilight was confused.

"Why would these get sent to us? They weren't even ours to begin with! And besides, how are we able to fit these in our pockets?! This just makes no sense!"

Rainbow Dash put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Twilight, for now just chalk it up to Game Logic and don't look a-"

Sunset (who was nearby) coughed.

"Don't question a good thing." Rainbow amended.

Twilight sighed, but got back to what she was doing.

Rarity had given the man that she had met before his prize and got most of what she'd paid back and what looked like skateboards with no wheels. She had the feeling that they'd been gyped, but being one with an eye for detail noticed that they looked like wheels weren't even necessary at all.

On a hunch, she put one to the sidewalk and was delighted to see it floating. Rainbow Dash later explained to her that those were Foxfire Grav-Boards and would help them get around the area far faster than normal.

Sometimes even the best con artists might be unaware of what the value of their product is.

After chatting up Phoebe Twiddle a bit, Rarity learned that she was rather fond of a mister Cannonball Coleman, a sax player who also happened to live in this neck of town. Apparently he was a little difficult to understand, at times, but played a mean tune.(1)

Rarity herself didn't know how to talk to a character like that, but knew someone with a gift for gab and was good with multiple instruments herself.

Over in a nearby dive rstaurant(2), the two girls heard the very musician they'd been looking for playing onstage to the tune of a phonohraph, which was odd and... more than a bit redundant, but harmonized well anyway.

When he finished, he walked offstage, sat at a table and said to himself, "Mmm-mmm-mmm. Nothin' like saxytime."

Rarity was naturally confused, but Pinkie put a hand on her friend's shoulder, giving her the "Relax, I've got this." look.

Strolling over to the seated musician, Pinkie said, "That was the bee's knees, daddy-o. Lemme dip your bill after that."

So saying, she got him a drink.

Pinkie noticed that the man seemed to be somewhat down. She said, "Care to dib your thoughts?"

The man glared at her guardedly, but Pinkie put up her hands. "'Lest you rather I fade?"

Coleman took a deep breath, released it and said, "Honest? I'm on the nut and behind the eight-ball. My last dish was a flat tire; total flop. She also sized up as a worker! She nicked my last bits. As if things weren't duck soup before!"

Pinkie looked appalled. "Good you put the finger on her, though! Frau material? Nuh-uh."(3)

The man shrugged. "Could've been worse. She mighta shown me the Harlem Sunset, then made a clean sneak."

Pinkie turned to Rarity, taking a moment to switch lingos. "The guy's been really down on his luck. He was practically 'casually mugged' by his last date and now he has pretty much nothing left."

Coleman was naturally listening and understood what was said clearly enough. "That's the crop. You bangtails look to be real swell types. What say we take on? I could tip some tiger milk, myself.(4)"

"Huh?" Rarity queried.

"Basically he's inviting us to eat and chat with him." Pinkie supplied. "He adds that he can use another drink after what he's been through."

"Oh. THAT I think we can handle." Rarity said, smiling.

Gathering with the rest of the girls, all were soon seated and eating, sharing tales. With Pinkie translating, things were made much easier.

Pinkie used her magic and natural charm to entertain everyone there, making a good few new friends that day, along with a sharp increase in the popularity of the group.

Pinkie and Coleman even did a routine on stage. When he suggested it, Pinkie pulled a saxophone from behind her. Coleman was shocked, but Applejack said, "I-it's Pinkie Pie, partner. Don't question it."

When the two started to play, Coleman at length said,

"I'm'a walkin' down the road, fingas makin' clicks.." after a few beats, he blew a string of notes that seemed to permeate the air itself.

Pinkie returned, surprisingly calm, "I see kids all over, up to old tricks."(5)

Coleman continued, "Music fills the air, rhythm starts to take..." another string of notes. Oddly, Coleman's ears began to shift, migrating up his head, not that anyone noticed at the time. yet.

Pinkie returned, "Things are hotsy-totsy, still chill as a lake..."

Coleman developed a tail of his own, brown pointed ears sticking out of his remaining hair. "Warmth fills the atmosphere, it's all out of sight..."

"Feelin like a hip cat, so right."

"I dig into ma pocket, findin' what I need..."

"Pullin' out a saxophone reed..."

"Lift the sax to my lips, notes a'flow..."

"I say to myself... here we go!"

What followed would only ever be called magical by all those present. For once in a long time, the place was packed, people young and old dancing to the tune as much as they possibly could in the provided space. Even the few dance platform games that were in the place were pushed to the side as more space was required.

Pinkie and Coleman played long into the night, the new age girl and the old timey player somehow dovetailing nicely.

One thing was for sure, things were never going to be the same in Urbania ever again.

After all was said and done, Coleman (back to normal) said to the girls, grinning, "You kids are swank! We gotta swing again, sometime! Ever need me, I'll be there fast as a Jobbie can. Anyone give ya trouble, the meat wagon be comin' to pick 'em up."

The girls went to bed for the night, not doubting at all that they were in the town's favour now. As for what would happen next? Well, that would wait for another day.

Quest Completed

Author's Note

1: Mister Coleman is going to be largely using broken prohibition era slang here, though in the game he speaks as notmally as anyone. I hope the effort is appreciated, because this wasn't easy! :twilightoops:

2: A bit of a double entendre/pun, since those who have played the game know that the place is underground.

3: Basically, his last date was a gold-digger who made off with his money while he was having a hard enough time already. Not exactly what makes a good wife.

4: Uh... By that he means that he likes that they've caught on to his situation so quickly, not that they seem like racehorses to him. Though he of course noticed that too. :twilightsheepish:

5: quest dialogue with my own little spin on things.

Plans and Progress

The next day, the girls sat around the table, breakfast smoothies being served. Questions had to be asked and (hopefully) answered.

"Okay." Sunset took a deep breath and said, "I think I've figured a few things out." She raised her left hand. "One: I think we're here because this place needs us for some reason. What that could be, I haven't divined yet, but progress is being made. Second: Why we're locked just past our typical 'Pony up' forms."

Everyone in the room took on a deadpan expression. "Equestrian magic?"

Sunset looked sheepish briefly, but continued. "That obvious, huh? Yeah, that's the Idea. But there's more to it than that." Looking to Pinkie Pie, she said, "Pinkie, while you and mister Coleman were playing, he Pony'd up too! Having been exposed to Equestrian magic for so long and so often, however, the seven of us have taken the next step down the anthro chart. I think it also means that things are escalating back in our-"

Sunset looked up briefly and amended, "YOUR world. At this rate, we'll end up with another world populated by Ponies, soon enough! If a video game can be affected by my world's magic so profoundly, WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD B-" She was shouting by now, causing Applejack to halt her.

"Breathe, sugar-cube." Applejack said. "You've ev'ry right ta be worried, but shoutin' ain't gonna solve nothin'."

Sunset took a few deep breaths, then continued. "I'm sorry. You're right, Applejack. Cooler heads must prevail, as they say. Either way, we need to figure out what's going on here and how to beat this game ASAP." She raised a third finger. "A theory; I can't be entirely sure, but I think the AI for Daddy Bigbucks is trying to get another turn with the dice, if you know what I mean. If he actually DOES take over the city in game, the AI might have enough clout (technologically speaking) to make a move upon the real world."

"And then?" Twilight queried

"Game over." Sunset half-whispered.

There was dead silence for a long moment The stakes had risen considerably.

Summoning her will again, Rainbow Dash took on a determined expression and said, "We need to stop him more than ever. I know the game the best - having finished it three times. I'll help as much as I can, considering that the plot will be different from how it was before. The city's FAR bigger than it usually is, for one."

Sunset nodded. "Right. That'd be a huge help. He already has King Tower; probably most of Glasstown. Taking him down won't be easy."

"Nobody ever says anything would be." Applejack muttered, scuffing the floor wth one hoof.

Fluttershy pointed out, "I have, a couple of times."

Applejack looked back at her, "Yeah, but both times, ya were WRONG."

Rainbow said, "Next we should probably talk to Dusty Hogg and... his brother to try to get what support they can provide."

Rarity queried, "What's his brother's name, so we know who to look for?"

Rainbow exhaled sharply and facepalmed. "This is my one issue with this series of games. Let's just say... Dusty Hogg's brother is... Ewan Watahmee."

Immediately getting the terrible joke, facepalms were the unanimous response.

Rainbow continued. "Dusty's going to need about 500 Simoleons for renovations to their place. Also, since Applejack and I are Streeties and the sporty type, we should be the ones to talk to them." Turning to Applejack, she said, "Dusty likes to trash talk. The more you mock him and brag, generally act tough, the more he'll like you. His brother is more... empy... ephma..." She always had troule pronouncing this one word; even though she was a high schooler she still couldn't say it! At length she frowned and said, "He's more mellow. More of a regular guy. I'll chat him up and we'll go from there."

She turned to Twilight next. "Max Moore's more your speed, Twilight. Help him out and he'll give us access to the Max Stat minigame and the Classes system; something of an easier way to earn skill points for some skills. One of the other Nerdies also speaks your language. She's... Polly Nomial." Rainbow said the last bit through clenched teeth. "Yes, she's important later. Get on her good side. Also, ignore the guy sleeping in the corner for now. He won't be important for a while yet."

Next, she looked at Pinkie. "Pinkie, around town now and then you'll see Crystal. Befor you ask, yes, her name is just Crystal. Show her a good time and we'll get access to the Xizzle Club. We can spend these beads we keep getting from the friends that mostly Pinkie makes. With a 'Mini'-opolis of this size, I'll say that... ten of these will get you a Xizzle." she explained, bringing out a couple of the beads she had.

Pinkie said, "Oh! That Darius guy mentioned those, right?"

"That's right. They're really useful skills. And we'll need all the help we can get."

Lastly she turned to Rarity and Fluttershy. "Occasionally you'll see Gramma Hattie wandering around town. She isn't into this whole Rep Group thing and is a bit of a fuddy-duddy, but is an alright sort. She becomes important real soon. Get her some tea, chat with her a bit and I'm sure you'll hit it off with her." Pointing at Sunset, she added, "Probably you too, if you lose the jacket. Even I can tell that with that on you look like something of a rebel."

Sunset admitted to herself that this was more true than they'd think, but kept silent save a single "Hmm."

In front of Rainbow, a window appeared.

Logic +1

She frowned at it. "Oh, stuff it, you." The window disappeared, leaving an air of smugness behind.

Rainbow Dash knew what this implied. By the game's logic, the more she used her brain power, the smarter she was going to get, and likely vice-versa. At the rate she was going, she'd start sounding like a Nerdie.(1)

Disregarding that for now, she said, "We'll need to do this quick. You all know what to do."

Author's Note

1: From Testing Testing 1, 2, 3 we know that Rainbow Dash isn't as dumb as some like to think. And besides....

EDr. Rainbow Dash, MD, PhD, etc.

Rainbow Dash has an unusual way of learning, and Twilight’s determined to take advantage of it. Before she knows it, Rainbow’s life unravels before her eyes as she becomes the smartest pony alive.

FrontSevens · 4.6k words · 1,470 72 · 19k views

Another Day in Urbania

After breakfast was completed, the dishes washed (et cetera...) the girls went about their assigned tasks. The training they had done with their new grav-boards made commuting around town that much easier.

Twilight first headed for the miniature clinic in town. There she found the small-town doctor, Maximillian Moore. Upon hearing her enter the building (taking the time to apply some hand sanitizer), the man looked up from the su-doku puzzle he was engaged in and queried, "Yes? May I assist you with a particular issue today?"

Twilight cleared her throat before saying, "Yes, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'd like to say that it's an honour meeting you, sir. I heard that you had a position open for one final student, to enable them to access the services of the in-town 'school'. I thought that it was worth asking about."

Moore smiled slyly at the girl before saying, "Well... such a prospective individual would have to complete a few tasks before being granted entry. Specifically, they must write a thesis of reasonable quality, gain a sample of an Artemisia plant and bring it here in a timely manner, and finally also have a sufficient Logic stat, preferably 6 or higher. Should you find such a promising pupil, do direct them to me."

Twilight grinned and nodded. "I'll see what can or cannot be accomplished, sir."

The very next place that Twilight went was the local news station. There she found a pompous-looking, fancily dressed man, currently simply standing there, looking important. Twilight introduced herself to the man, who revealed that his name was Pritchard Locksley.

"Neat name!" Twilight said, causing the man to smirk. Some time chatting was spent. It turned out that the man fit into the Artsie rep group, among the high-rollers of the club. He was an actor/director of some renown, apparently. When Twilight realized that they had spent quite some time talking, she brought up that she needed to do some research. The man directed her to the computer bank on the next level of the building.

After doing some research, Twilight returned to the good doctor with a full thesis. "'Ears, Noses and Throats; A Reconsideration'. This promises to be an enlightening read. My thanks."

Taking the time to look around town, Twilight found a sample of the plant she was looking for. Being very careful, she dug aound it with a construct of her magic. "I'd better pack extra earth into this pot; I bet it grows best within its native soil." she thought, as she did just that. Doing so would give her some extra time to return to the clinic, potted pland well in hand.

Upon returning to the clinic again, Twilight handed the requested plant to the doctor, who quickly went about processing it. With that, the man granted Twilight and her friends access to the small college and invited her to assist in the operating room occasionally, when she could find time.

Quest Completed

Entering the college, Twilight introduced herself to the instructor. The next person she saw (aside from the one sleeping in the corner of the room) was the frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing Polly Nomial herself. Upon greeting the fellow student, Polly proceeded to introduce herself - at some great length!

"Greetings, fellow student! It is my understanding that a novel individual was granted the esteemed privilege of attending this establishment's seminars. I am generally addressed under the moniker of Polly Nomial. Am I correct in the presumption that you are said entrant?"

"Y-yes, that's right. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance too." Twilight replied. "You might say that my friends and I are... new to town."

The two chatted for a couple of hours, mostly filled with Polly's words instead of Twilight's. Polly was quite verbose, and no mistake, but she could become a good friend -if you take the time to listen to her- as Twilight discovered. As much as she was into the hard facts stuff, Polly was also a dab hand at botany, as it happened.

Either way, Twilight's job was done.

"I wonder how the others are doing..." she thought aloud.

Quest Completed

Meanwhile, Applejack was in a heated trash talk session with Dusty Hogg. Clearly the two were quite enjoying themselves, as they sported wide smiles.

"City slicker!"

"Valley girl!"

"Meathead!"

And on they went. At the same time, Rainbow Dash had arranged with Dusty's brother that in return for three days' worth of lunch, he'd open up the motocross area for them. As it happened, Rainbow had thought ahead and bought a relatively fresh pizza, so Ewan was happy to tick that day's lunch off the scheduled deal.

After that, the two had spent some time conversing, getting to know one another. At length the two exchanged Xizzle beads (Rainbow briefly wondering how she actually had them to give, but decided not to question it) and parted ways for the time being.

Rainbow also remembered that she had access to the Hoopz game for the day, but decided that she'd let Pinkie take care of it, as per their unwritten agreement. As it happened, Pinkie had the same Idea.

Begin Minigame; Hoopz - Level 2: Granny Styler

Pinkie leaped and tossed the first ball, sinking it with little effort. This game, she had to go a touch faster than Rainbow had, just the other day. Tossing the next two underhand, she managed to sink both - with style!

After the fourth ball, the usual horn sound blew, doubling her points for the next shot.

And so on it went, Pinkie break-dancing to the beat of the game's music -such as it was- while keeping up a perfect score. As time ran out, she heard a voice say, "Nail it with a slam!"

Leaping at the hoop itself, she slam dunked the final ball, ending the game and earning 550 $imoleons.

Shutting down her adrenaline high was already difficult for Pinkie, but when she looked to her left, she noticed just the girl she was looking for, looking rather impressed at Pinkie's display of skill.

"Nice!" Crystal said, "You nailed every shot! Crystal, by the way; just Crystal."

Pinkie smiled and nodded. "A nice way to have fun, get a workout and earn some cash on the side! Wins all around!"

Crystal grinned. "So, what up, Pony-girl?"

"Just looking to have some fun. Wanna join me?" Pinkie said.

Crystal's grin widened slightly. "You know it!"

The two went to the little dive club and ordered some pizza. As the cheesy goodness made its way to giving them energy, the two stepped on the Dance Dance Revolution machines in the bar and selected a song.

Pinkie was somewhat more agile than Crystal, but both did well enough.

Crystal wiped her brow. "Whew! Now THAT is what I call a workout!"

Pinkie said, "And it ain't over yet!" pointing at the screen.

Bonus Game!

Crystal took on a determined look. "Dibs on the next song!"

She scrolled through the selection before coming up with one.

This time, even Pinkie had trouble keeping up after a while! After the song was finished, the pair stepped down and shared a fist-bump. Crystal said, "Pinkie, you're alright, for an Artsie. Let's hang out again, sometime!"

Pinkie said, "Maybe at the Xizzle Club, next time?" waggling her eyebrows.

Crystal smiled and said, "You gotta know the password first, of course. No other excuse you'd have for going in would hardly hold water.(1)"

"So... what's the password?"

"Ah, you'll figure it out." Crystal said, waving it off. "See ya there."
Quest Completed

Fluttershy and Gramma Hattie were chatting in the elderly woman's home. Fluttershy was enjoying her second cup of ginseng tea, while Rarity was nursing her chammomile. The old woman herself was telling them of her not-so-quiet childhood. She spoke much like Applejack did, come to think.

"-so den, when we finally DID git away from 'em, Becky turned ta me an' said, "That was AWESOME!""

The trio laughed heartily. They were getting along just fine.

Hattie smiled and leaned back. "Ah, pity that most youngsters these days don't 'preciate what God gives 'em day afta day." She raised her own mug and said, "To times past, an' hopefully good times ahead."

Fluttershy chuckled and said, "And Amen to that!" taking a sip of her drink just after.

Gramma Hattie took on a slightly more serious tone. "But y'all didn't come to hear me tell stories, right? Word is that the seven o' ya's wanna move to free Moniopolis from the clutches of that foul man."

Rarity's eyebrows raised briefly. "News travels fast, it seems."

"Dear, ah used ta be in the news business fer a while m'self. Ah know how ta keep m'ears ta th' ground." came the smug reply. "If y'all have help ya need gettin', y'know where ah'll be. If it means gettin' rid of that man, ah'm all fer it."

"Hopefully the others will have made progress." Rarity said. "We need to move quickly."

"Best be sure ya take care an' do it right tha first time." Hattie cautioned. "Better ta measure twice than have an uneven cut."

Fluttershy said, "Thank you for the tea and the story, ma'am."

Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Both were excellent. Thank you"

Hattie smiled. "Such polite girls. Some o' the rowdy types 'round here could use an example of how ta respect yer elders. Now git along wit'cha. Yer friends are prob'ly waitin' fer ya." she said, dismissing them.

Author's Note

1: Those of you who have played the game know that the password is bucket, but Crystal is trying to be at least a little clever here.

Breaking the Wall

After the girls got together again, they shared their successes over won-ton soup, followed by apple pie for dessert.

Rainbow Dash was just finishing up her report. "... And as soon as either Applejack or I win a match, we'll have enough clout to open up the SimQuarter. Maybe get a house there, instead."

Taking a bite of the pie she'd been savouring, Fluttershy was surprisingly the next one to speak up. "Rarity and I found Gramma Hattie to be quite knowledgeable. And pretty funny too." she chuckled, remembering some of the elderly woman's life stories. "She's willing to gather some protesters to help us move along. More if we get food for her... 'allies'."

Rainbow Dash said, "Good. Keep on her good side. She's one of the most important characters in the game."

Fluttershy noddded, but otherwise kept silent.

Pinkie Pie said, "We have level 3 of Hoopz available, and as soon as we figure out the password, the Xizzle Club too."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Did you get a hint at what it was?"

Pinkie shook her head. "Crystal said that no other reason we could think of to go in would hold water, but that was about it."

Rainbow Dash snorted softly. "Check the news office, when this is over." she said, with a smile. "It's only a short distance away anyway. Bring some Beads with you for when you get There."

Twilight spoke next. "Mister Moore's willing to help too, if we help him in the operating room now and then."

Night came rather swiftly, as was typical in the little Big City. The Pony-girls decided that resting up for the next day would be the best course of action.

As morning came, the girls that had high enough cooking skills (mainly Applejack and Pinkie Pie) whipped up breakfast and set to making food to... 'fuel the protest'.

Rainbow Dash first went to get her daily workout. It was HER turn this time.

Begin Minigame: Hoopz - Level 3: Sure Shot

As Dash leaped with the first two balls in hand, she nudged another into the air with one hoof, sending it, following the others closey, into the hoop. She tried her best to keep all three balls in play, trying to concentrate more on the game itself and less on the frequent air-horn blasts.

As before, the speed of this round was higher than the last, and Dash found that she had to work harder to keep balanced as she made shot after shot, managing to only miss once, but she did her best to bring the lost ball back into play, to gradual success.

You have earned 1075 $imoleons
Advanced to Hoopz level 4: Hoopz Master
Body +1

Warmed up, adrenaline pumping through her, she went to the racetrack, excited for what would come next. She stood back and watched a couple of races happening. She loved it already; the excitement, the loudness of the engines, the power of the vehicles themselves.

Looking at the vehicles in the nearby lot, the one she could tell was Dusty's semi-eponymous hog was by far the biggest and most advanced among them, most likely the heaviest, too.

Rainbow Dash smirked. She'd show them what she could do, advanced or not.

Walking down to the reception, she saw Ewan congratulating the winner of the race that had just ended. She stepped up and the man greeted her, introducing her to everyone else.

"She's a bit of a newbie here, but she says she's done this before. What say we see what she can do, boys?"

Cheering came from the men gathered in the area. Rainbow Dash grinned and walked further in. "Just get me a bike and you will."

She thought to herself, 'They have no idea who they're dealing with.'

Getting the key for a random, semi-low tier bike, she got on. Concentrating her magic into the key, she thrust it into the slot. Turning the key caused the bike under her to transform, much to the amazement of all those who witnessed it.

Pulling on her goggles, she revved the engine. "Let's do this."

Minigamme start: Motocross Mayhem - Level 2: Novice

Dash kicked the bike into gear, zooming forward. the first small incline was easily cleared, sending her sailing and coming down smoothly on the leaward side of the second. Zooming onward, she went over the next hill, turning the bike and Grabbing it (much like a snowboard, in a Method manouvre) before rebalancing and coming down smoothly again.

The transformed vehicle, being attuned to her magic, did everything she could've asked of it. It seemed to be as light or heavy as she wanted it to be at any given time, allowing her to even use it to ride along the metallic barriers of the track. She could flip midair without losing speed at all. The more flashy her tricks, the more flashy the tricks she was able to do!

She LOVED IT!

Alas, all good things had to come to an end, and so when she completed the fifth lap, she slowed to a stop. Pulling the key out, flourishing with it, she hopped off the bike, petting it lovingly, like a cat.

"You and I are going to have some fun in the future."

The bike's front light flashed a couple of times, but it otherwise remained silent.

Advanced to Motocross Mayhem Level 3: Speed Demon.
Gained 1360 $imoleons.

Heading back to the reception area, a smug look on her face, she was greeted by Dusty. "Okay, I'll admit it. You. Have talent! You didn't slow down once!" he said, holding his fist out for a bump.

Rainbow Dash smiled and completed the gesture. "I told you guys this wasn't my first time on the racetrack."

"And that ride of yours!" Dusty continued, "How did you DO that?!"

"Maybe I just have the touch. That's for me to know." she said, just as smugly.

"Either way, you've got my vote. You girls need us, we'll be there." He turned to the other members of the 'club'. "Ain't that right, boys?"

Cheering followed shortly thereafter, as Rainbow Dash exited the area.

When Rainbow Dash went to the barrier between Urbania and the Sim Quarter, she noticed everyone there, waving protest signs about. As she picked one up herself, who should come up but Daddy Bigbucks. The man's face turned red and steam billowed out of his ears for a moment aas he stomped away. After a few steps, he turned and coughed. "Ahem?"

Suddenly the path was cleared, much to everyone's jubilation. The way to the SimQuarter was open and they were one step closer to saving the city.

"Nice job, girls." Sunset said, smiling. "But we've only just gotten started."

"Still." Pinkie said, "Progress is progress. I'll take it!"

None of the others could argue with that logic. Tomorrow would be another day, and for now they could breathe a bit easier.

Quest Completed

Mann on a Mission - Slight Edit Again

Now having access to the Sim Quarter, the girls sat at their table (each sipping occasionally from a smoothie they had) to go over their future plans.

Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Okay. We're making progress. We have new quests to begin." she turned to Fluttershy. "You have the second best luck among us, and are the most unassuming of the lot of us by far. You should do the next mission. We'll probably receive a call from Detective Dan that tells you to go to Old Salty's boat and play Moogoo Monkey. The rest will unfold from there."

She then looked at Applejack next. "There's a small dock in this area that houses what will be the next game, but it was shut down at the time because the game there was kind of... lame. Either way, Lily Gates is looking to buy it up for her boss. If you talk to Dusty about reviving the Bumper Boats franchise, he'll be willing to listen."

Sunset was next. "You're the best planner among us aside from Twilight and have a charisma akin to Pinkie's. Bring Rares there with you. You might see a bald guy called Luthor wandering around town. Talk to him about the museum. It's peanuts, really, so he'll say, but it'll help us."

Then to Twilight. "Mister Coleman will want someone to take tickets at the Club Zydeco. You're a late nighter; I guess it comes with the name." she teased at the end. "Anyway, he doesn't care for Richies, so if they're a Richie, you'll have to deny them entry. NO MATTER WHO IT IS." She said the last part with something of a deadpan. "Think you're up to it?"

Twilight took a deep breath and nodded.

"Then you should probably catch some Zs while you can." Rainbow Dash said, then looked at Pinkie. "Pinkie,, you and I are going to need to do some guard duty for Gramma Hattie. Her group is meeting in the graveyard. We need to keep Daddy B's fingers out of that particular pie, if you catch my drift."

Pinkie nodded. "Just tell me when. If that jerk comes anywhere near us..." she made one hand into a fist and smacked her outstretched hand.(1)

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Good attitude. In the meantime, I suggest that you get us a woodworking table. It'll be necessary later, trust me. Also keep an eye out for any logs that might make for good material."

With that, they went about their tasks.

(Fluttershy)

Arriving at the boat Old Salty called home, she went up to the Moogoo Monkey table. She thought to herself, 'Let's see... I'm to play one game and my contact will come over with my next instructions.'

Putting her first ante down, she sat at the table...

(2)

After the game was done with, Fluttershy turned out to be the second place winner. Suddenly, a suspicious looking man came up to her. "Not bad for a first timer." he said. "Giuseppi Mezzoalto, by the way. Call me Gus."

"It's an... interesting game, anyway." she replied.

"I noticed that you only played... one game." Gus said, raising an eyebrow.

'This must be my contact.', Fluttershy thought quickly. 'Better try to be innocuous.' "Oh, I'm just... waiting for someone. That's all." she said, finally.

He smiled. "Well, after you "find" them, you might want to stop by the news office."

"That's it?" she queried.

"That's it." Gus said, turning to walk away as silently as he'd come.

'Smooth as silk, 'Shy.' Fluttershy thought to herself with a small smirk.

Entering the news office, Fluttershy saw several messages on the board. One of them said,

Look in the hedges for the next instruction."
-BC

Remembering that she saw some hedges in The Sim Quarter, Fluttershy walked took out her grav-board for this one. Zipping along, she quickly made it to the aforementioned hedges. A quick look inside revealed another message.

The answer you seek lies beyond the graves.

'Oh, dear!' she thought for a moment, but then pondered the wording of the message. 'An answer from beyond the graves. I think I understand.'

With that was another message.

Bring it to me first.
-Det. DdM

The next stop, naturally, was the cemetary. Though she was slightly afraid, Fluittershy summoned what courage she could. "I've got to do this. For everyone." she said aloud, then began looking around the area. Sure enough, past the first few graves, behind another, larger one was a briefcase. On that was another message.

To have this would be another feather in his cap.

Fluttershy sourly thought to herself, 'Mister Clodd. Has to be. Better get this to the detective first.'

Putting thoughts to actions, she went to the police station, handing the detective the briefcase.

"Excellent! I knew I could count on you girls!" the man praised, placing what looked like a steel ladybug on one of the feet of the briefcase. "Give this back to Giuseppi. He'll do the rest for us." he said, smiling.

Finding the shifty youth wasn't easy, but Fluttershy managed. She then handed the briefcase to him. "Bring this to Mister Clodd. He'll do the rest." she said evenly.

Gus nodded. "Alright. Anything strange about this?"

"Nah, nah." she said. "I'm on the level." keeping her poker face up admirably.

Gus smiled and said, "Yes. Yes you are."

With that cryptic statement, he practically faded into the shadows.

Fluttershy only broke her poker face for a smile as she headed back home. 'Like I said before: Smooth. As. Silk. I hope the others are doing just as well.'

Quest Completed

Author's Note

1: Due to continuity errors, I'm shifting it from Rarity to Pinkie, here.

2: Unfortunately, it's hard to accurately describe this game. You'll need to use your imaginations on this one. :ajsleepy:

Batten Down the Hatches

Turns out, the other girls were doing their own jobs to... relative success.

The first thing was when Sunset spotted just the man she was looking for.

"Ah! You must be... Luthor, right?"

The man smugly said, "My reputation precedes me, I see. Only good, I hope?"

"Far better than your father."

"That's fair. I'm honestly not fond of his plot either. Speaking of, I've heard a fair bit about you girls as well. Looking to save the city, as I understand. Care to make some cash on the side?"

"What do you have in mind?" Sunset asked, though she already was told the answer.

"You see the museum building over there?" Luthor pointed to one building. "I have a far better idea than what my father intends there."

"Oh?"

"Yes. If you spend a little cash to buy up some interesting exhibits, people will start taking a look. You'll earn some coin and father won't be abe to make it into a parking lot."

"You're right; that would be better than his idea."

"Didn't I say so? It's peanuts, really, but it's something for you to consider."

'I was told he'd say that.' Sunset thought. Aloud she replied with "I definitely will. I suppose you get something from this too?"

Luthor laughed aloud.

"You're pretty damn sharp. I already bought the property itself. The museum is still up for grabs. As long as dear ol' dad doesn't get his fingers on that, you make some cash; so do I. He gets zip."

Sunset smiled. "Clever. Look forward to working with you."

Luthor put his hand out. Sunset got the feeling that she should clasp his wrist. After suiting thought to action (Luthor reciprocated) she instinctively grabbed his shoulder with the other.

"Hey!" Luthor said, impressed, you know the High-Roller Handclasp. Nice! Somehow I got a good feeling about this."

As Luthor walked off, Sunset turned to the building. "Alright. Time to make some plans..." she said, rubbing her hands together.

At the same time, Rainbow Dash was talking to Ewan -just as Applejack was talking to Dusty- about fixing up the Bumper Boat attraction, to keep it out of Daddy Bigbucks' mitts.

Ewan agreed, if they could get some Nerdies in on the whole bit -surprisingly, they enjoyed tht kind of thing themselves, from time to time, so he said-. Dusty also agreed... under one condition.

"One of you has to beat me in a race." he said, grinning. "If you can do that, I'll be your repairs guy." he added.

Rainbow Dash nodded and said, "You're on!"

Going over to the parked motorcycles, Rainbow Dash noticed that Dusty immediately went for the biggest among them. She could immediately tell that it was tricked out as much as humanly possible and, while very heavy, would also be very fast.

'Good thing I have a trick or two up my sleeves.' she thought. Picking out the bike she'd used the day before, which -without her magic to hold the enchantment- had reverted to its normal form. She charged the key with her magic and inserted it. Immediately the colours on it brightened once more, the shape of it changing. Before long, she was looking at her partner, rumbling beneath her.

"Nice having you back, bud." Rainbow Dash said, slipping her helmet on.

The magicked motorcycle's lights flashed twice, but it gave no other ostensible response.

Minigame Start: Motocross Madness Level 3 - Speed Demon

As the countdown ended, Dash and Dusty rushed forward, going over the first hill. Both got a fair amount of air from that jump, allowing Dusty to do a flip and Dash to do a Superman before both came to land safely on the ground on the other side of the second hill.

As they were speeding toward the fourth hill, Dusty activated his nitrous booster to zip into the lead. Dash grunted, but smirked and said to herself, 'He has no IDEA who he's dealing with.'

She activated her own version; channeling her magic into the vehicle's engine, increasing its overall speed, allowing her to catch up to Dusty. Neck and neck once again with the Pony-girl, to his surprise, Dusty grinned. Nobody had been able to keep up with him for this long, not for several years.

It was exhilarating!

Around and around they went, never getting ahead of each other for long. Just before the finish was one last obstacle. Soaring over that, Dash opened her wings, allowing her to coast into first place. Dusty's bike was just too heavy to do anything similar, and though he landed safely, it was much sooner than Dash's landing, and further away from the finish line, at that.

Coming to a stop on the other side, Dash slowed to a halt, breathing heavily with the adrenaline still rushing through her.

You have earned: 2000 $imokeons
Access to Motocross Madness Level 4: Duke of Dirt

Going back into the entry, to a chorus of applause, Rainbow Dash gave Dusty the Streetie Shuffle.

"Not bad at all!" He said. "Though, you know, I could have beat you easy if I was going all out." he boasted. "Next time I'm not making that mistake."

"All out? Pssh! I was just having fun." she returned. "If I were going all out, you wouidn't have gotten past the third lap, driving that anvil on wheels."

Dusty laughed heartily at that. "You. Are my kind of gal!" he said. "Consider your boats repaired."

Having arrived at the University, Twilight saw Polly seemingly waiting for something.

"Hello, Polly!" Twilight greeted. "Are things copacetic?"

Polly smiled. "Naturally. I'm simply observing the elapsing of this facility's temporal tracker. That is to say, I'm watching the clock, waiting for the next class to start." she simplified.

"Well," Twilight said, "I've heard that the bumper boats are going up again."

"I was under the impression that they were condemned to rusting because the attraction's popularity was sub-optimal?" Polly queried.

"No. They closed because at the time it was -as one of my friends would say,- 'lamer than a three-legged mule'."

Polly chuckled at that, her eyebrows also rising slightly. "I see. And what adjustments make this attraction more... well, attractive in this scenario?"

"As far as I've heard, they're faster and louder. Just bring some friends with you, if you're coming."

"I might just, indeed, gather a... 'posse', you might say." Polly said, just as the clock rang. "Until then!"

Twilight exited the building to report the good news.

Later, a crowd was indeed gathered at the site of the 'Yar, Hey! Bombard!' game. Lily Gates was there as well.

Rainbow Dash said to her, "Hold up, miss Gates; the boats will be bumping again shortly!"

"Huh?" Lily said, incredulous, "I thought that all these people were here to watch me open this case of money or something." she added.

"Nope. We shot; we scored." Applejack said with a grin.

Lily grimmaced at that. "Rats. I'll have to tell the boss the bad news. You win this time. But you won't always be so lucky."

"Keep a-tellin' yerself that, miss Gates." Applejack added smugly.

As the woman walked away, Dusty came out of the entrance. "Alright! The boats are souped up and ready to bump! Who's up first?"

Quest completed.

None Shall Pass

It was almost midnight and it was time for Pinkie Pie to do her part for the city's salvation. To that end, she'd been pumping irons and doing various exercises all day. She looked at her stats with satisfaction.

Body: 12
-Strength: 3
-Dexterity: 5
-Stamina: 4
-Cooking: 8
-Creativity: 7
Logic: 9
-Intelligence: 2
-Wits: 3
-Perception: 4
-Mechanical: 3
Social: 12
-Appearance: 3
-Charisma: 5
-Manipulation: 4

Pinkie thought to herself, 'Okey dokey, I think I should be ready for that quest. Now to find Gramma Hattie.'

Sure enough, the elderly woman was waiting for her at the entrance to the cemetary. Upon seeing the bubbly pony-girl, she raised an eyebrow. "You the one who gonna be guardin' the entrance?"

Pinkie nodded. "Thaaat's right! Correctamundo!" she responded cheerily.

Gramma Hattie didn't look quite convinced.

"Trust me." Pinkie said, suddenly 100% serious. "I'm tougher (and smarter) than I look."

Hattie nodded. "A'ight. I'll hold ya to that. So. Here's the deal. Some friends o' mine and I are gonna be discussin' some plans fo' the future. You need to keep anyone who comes along from comin' in. Do whateva ya need to that keeps anyone from interruptin'. You up to it?"

Pinkie saluted. "You can count on me." she said, proudly. "Don't worry about a thing."

The elderly woman smiled before saying, "Good." And she left Pinkie to it.

(Later...)

Daddy Bigbucks strolled up casually to Pinkie, who had her arma folded. She cocked an eyebrow. "Come to pay your respects to someone?" she queried snarkily.

Daddy Bigbucks said, "You should know very well that there's nobody I respect."

Pinkie shot back, "I figured. I was hoping that you had some redeeming factor. That's all."

Daddy Bigbucks frowned. "Cute. I've heard that there's a meeting going on here. Move aside nd let me go forth."

Pinkie also frowned. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"YES."

"Yes yes yes!"

"NO NO NO!"

Pinkie grinned. "Gotcha!"

Daddy Bigbucks' face reddened with anger and he left in a huff.

Pinkie nodded to herself in satisfaction before calling to the retreating man, "And don't come back!"

(Later again)

Pinkie was still waiting when Darius showed up. Pinkie re-folded her arms.

"'Sup." he said.

"The moon, but not much else."

Darius almost laughed at that, if the twitch of his mouth was any indication. He schooled his expression quickly. "You think you own this spot?"

Pinkie said, "Wanna make something of it?"

Darius blinked slowly. "Kid, you don't wanna mess with me. I can melt ice into water with one punch."

Pinkie stomped on the ground, creating a small crater.

Darius blinked twice. "Okay, how about this. I'm so tough that people call me The D-Bomb."

Pinkie returned, "And people call ME Big Sis." not looking intimidated at all.

Darius did a double take. "You serious?! Okay, okay. But I'm so crazy I wore a red track suit to a bullfight."

Pinkie grinned. "And my friends and I are so crazy that Detective Dan threw us out of jail!"

Darius' eyes widened. "Say WHAT?! Aw, snap! This ain't worth ten times what Daddy B paid me to do this!" he said, leaving just after.

A moment later, Gramma Hattie appeared. "Nice job, kid! The meetin' went off without a hitch! You kept to yo' word."

"Anything interesting?" Pinkie asked.

Gramma Hattie smiled. "Le's jus' say dat we have a few... su'prises planned for dat pompous skinflint. Here; as a re-ward y'can have this; It's a cookbook passed down from m' great-great-great-great gran'ma's day, from mother to daughter. An' now it's yo's." she said, handing Pinkie said book.

Pinkie gasped. "I'm honoured. Thank you."

"You're welcome dear. 'Til next time." Gramma said, leaving.

Pocketing the book, Pinkie started on the walk home.

Get on "The List"

Strolling through the Sim Quarter district, Twilight eventually found the Club Zydeco. It was just about to be the time. The man of the hour himself arrived. As it happens, Pinkie Pie came in just after. She explained, "Dashie forgot that I'm practically the only one who understands what he says."

Coleman greeted, "Yo! Bangtails!" He then said, "You be takin the watch? Aces. Here's the low down. Any butter and egg types that want to bash into the party? Get them ta make tracks, yeah? If they gum the works, it's going to be duck soup, you dig?"

Pinkie nodded. "Let in the help cats, keep the cement mixers out. Things will be eggs 'n coffee, daddy-o."

"No need to give them a Chicago overcoat or squat, you feel me? Just... Make it a trip for biscuits."

Pinkie translated for Twilight, "Basically, he doesn't want any Richies in here. We don't have to kill them or anything like that. Just make their trip here pointless. I told him that things will go smoothly."

As the man moved on, the first person came in. He was wearing black clothing and a toque.

Pinkie reacted first. Giving the man the Streetie Shuffle, she said, "Guiseppe! What up?"

"There's a party going on, here, right? Hopefully I'm invited?"

"You aren't a Richie, so..."

Twilight gave the man a ticket and he moved on.

Next to come along was Misty Waters. This time, Twilight reacted first. "Sorry, Misty. You can't come in."

"Huh? Why?" She queried.

"No Richies; Band conditions."

Misty grumbled. But since she liked the Pony-girls overall, she wasn't too upset. She left in peace.

Next was a two fer. Polly Nomial and a girl they hadn't seen before. Twilight smiled. "Polly! Is everything copacetic? And who is this with you?"

Polly grinned. "Twilight! My friend. All is excellent for me, and in answer to the second question, it is my esteemed privilege to introduce you to my companion for this event: Sue Pirnova."

Pinkie snickered at the name, but otherwise made no response.

Twilight punched their tickets and they entered.

The next was also a group of two. Lottie Cash and Luthor Bigbucks.

"Sorry, you two. Richies throw off the artist's groove." Pinkie said.

They were about to argue, but decided to take their leave instead. For now.

Next was Gramma Hattie. With her was another woman that they hadn't seen before. Pinkie smiled. "Good evening, Gran! Who's this?"

Gramma Hattie smiled warmly. "G'devenin', chile. Dis here's ma friend, Mambo Loa."

The penned woman looked at the two curiously.

"Loa?"

Mambo Loa snapped out of whatever trance she was in. "Right! Sorry. Two tickets, please." She said curtly.

A moment later, they were on their way. But before they got out of earshot, the duo heard "Those two... They have the strongest auras I ever did see!
"
Lastly, Darius, Crystal and Dusty Hogg. Three tickets later, the doors were closed until the end of the performance.

Then Mister Coleman cane down. "How did it go?" Twilight asked.

"It was the bee's knees, babe. A total ring-a-ding-ding. Thanks again. Here's your take: a golden fiddle. Not real gold, o'course."

They thanked the man and left for home. Hopefully the rest of the party had good luck too.

Quest Complete