My Little Human: Friendship Across Worlds

“Remind me again how this can help find the rest of the missing ponies?” Spike asked.

It was now two weeks since Discord's escape, and Spike, Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Dr. Whoof were flipping through newspapers, magazines, TV news channels and scouring the web for anything that might give them a clue as to the human identity of Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and any other ponies that may have been imprisoned in human form.

“Well, since we're all employed in similar occupations as the ones we have in Equestria, we might be able to find other ponies based on their occupation in this world.” Fluttershy leafed idly through the classifieds.

“It's better than wearing out our little hoofsies walking around and around all over town!” Pinkie affirmed.

“But that's how we found Fluttershy,” Spike argued.

“We don't have forever to look for everypony, Spike!” Twilight told him. “Even as we're sitting here, Discord is wreaking havoc across Equestria. We need to find the rest of the Bearers of the Elements as soon as we can.”

“Find them quickly. Got it.”

“Look, everypony!” Dr. Whoof turned up the volume on Pinkie's TV, where a news reporter was interviewing a track athlete.

“Congratulations on your gold!” The reporter stuck a microphone into the face of a tall, lean, tomboyish runner whose hair was dyed bright blue for some reason.

“Thanks!” the athlete beamed enthusiastically. “It's been a great opportunity to get out there today and really dash!”

“And what's with your hair? Is this a charity thing or did you lose a bet with someone?”

“No, it's kind of my signature. Blue as the sky, baby!”

“Rachel Dashing, taking the gold at the athletics championships. Back to you, Jeff.”

“Rachel Dashing! What a name!” Pinkie giggled.

Twilight and Dr. Whoof exchanged glances. “Remind you of anypony?” Twilight asked with a smile.

“Yeah, it reminds me of Cloud Kicker. She's always making the sky look blue. Zoooooom-zoom-zoom-zoom!” Pinkie earned herself some looks from the other ponies.

“No, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash!” Spike told her. “That could be Rainbow Dash!”

“Ohhhhh, that pony!”

Twilight facehoofed.

Fluttershy drove Pinkie, Spike and Twilight down to the athletics centre, where hopefully they could catch Rachel Dashing at one last event. Unfortunately they didn't have tickets to get into the stands and the entrance to the locker rooms was guarded.

“Um... excuse me... but I'm a fan of Rachel Dashing, and, um, I was hoping if I could get her autograph?” Fluttershy asked the guards nervously.

“Sorry, fans will have to wait outside. You might catch her if she comes out this way after the events are finished,” The guards refused to budge despite Fluttershy's sweetest pleas.

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked mischievously. “Do you still have that can of mace?”

“Never leave home without it!” Pinkie produced the item in question from her garishly pink handbag.

“Go get those guards!”

“Grrrr!” There was a blur of pink, a hissing sound and the guards fell to the ground, clutching their faces and crying out in burning agony. The quartet hurried past them into the corridors, looking for the ladies' locker room.

They trotted cautiously through the corridors, keeping their eyes and ears open for more guards or any athletes matching Rachel's description. Pinkie spied the sign on a door indicating the locker room and ushered everyone in. The room was fairly clean and smelled strongly of women's deodorant: scents of vanilla, a pot pourri of various flowers and a little bit of musk. Pinkie and Spike darted around the room, tugging on locker doors, examining every nook and cranny for their target.

Finally, Spike consulted the amulet. “Rainbow Dash!”

He felt the invisible lead stretching out of the room, down the corridor towards the main events area.

“Hm,” Spike mused. “She's probably still running a race or something. Wait, I think I hear somepony!”

There was dead silence in the room as they listened out. Footsteps and boisterous voices could suddenly be heard coming along the corridor.

“Quick!” Pinkie yelped. “Hide!”

The four of them immediately crammed into the nearest shower stall and pulled the curtain across. Twilight turned the shower rose away from them and turned on the water to make it look and sound like someone was just showering after an event.

A familiar voice reached their ears as a trio of sweaty athletes entered the locker room.

“Woo yeah!” If it wasn't Rainbow Dash, it sure sounded like her. “Now that was a race!”

“Pretty close one, too! I was only like a hair behind you, you did pretty good out there.” The second voice sounded unfamiliar and most likely wasn't a pony. Spike peeked out of the side of the shower curtain as a tall, lithe woman with short blue hair and skimpy athletics clothing headed for the stall next to them. The amulet told Spike this was Rainbow Dash.

“It's her!” Spike whispered to Twilight. “Next stall over!”

“Give me the amulet!” Twilight whispered back. Spike handed it over and Twilight knelt down onto the non-slip mat on the floor of the stall. The shower turned on and Dash's bare feet could be seen through the gap at the bottom of the stall divider. Dash hummed happily as she washed off the sweat of her victory. Twilight rolled up her sleeve and carefully reached out her hand with the amulet tightly clutched in it and poked Rainbow in the foot.

The humanized pegasus barely had time to look down and say “What the...” before the convulsions started. Checking that the coast was clear – the other runners were showering  as well – Fluttershy turned off the water and pushed past Twilight and Spike to grab a clean towel and tend to the newly restored Rainbow Dash.