[DE - 9] AiE : Dissonance

Continued from Resonation
-------------------

>Surely Rainbow wouldn't just take a newspaper article at face value.
>Right?
>The paper had not only upset Rainbow, but it had the audacity to drag Vinyl in as well.
>You looked over at Vinyl.
"I'm sorry they dragged you into this Vinyl.  I don't kn--"
>"Don't worry about it babe.  I think we should focus on getting you and Rainbow sorted out as fast as possible though."
"Yeah, I think you're right.  Do you know where this school is?  Maybe we could talk to the teacher in charge or something."
>"I know where it is, but I think we should get Rainbow first.  She really needs to be kept in the loop with this sort of thing."
"Good point."
>"Any ideas on where she is?"
"She said she was going to work, but I don't know where that is."
>"Hmmm... I think I know just the pony for a job like this."
>
>You follow Vinyl back to Ponyville, a couple guards right behind you.
>The guard's presence seemed to stave off the looks you'd gotten on your way to the auditorium.
>You followed Vinyl to what could only be a bakery of some sort.
>Cakes in the windows, a picture of a cake on the sign hanging above the door, the place even smelled like cakes from outside.
"A bakery, Vinyl?  I thought we were going to find Rainbow, not get something to eat."
>Your answer is a swift but light knock in the shoulder.
>"Duh.  The pony I told you about works here though."
>You follow her inside while the guards wait outside.
>Almost as soon as you close the door, a pony yells a greeting from the other side of the room.
>"Hi there Anon!  Hi Vinyl!  What brings you to Sugarcube Corner today?!"
>You turned to find Pinkie Pie bounding towards you.

-------------------

>"Hi Pinkie Pie!  Listen, I need your help with something."
>"Sure thing!  What 'cha need help with?"
"We're trying to find Rainbow Dash.  I don't know if you've read the recent Gabby Gums article, but--"
>"Of course I've read it!  But everpony knows that Gabby Gums is just a bunch of hooey, why do you need Rainbow Dash?"
>"Well--"
"She read the article this morning, and was rather upset."
>"You don't think she'd believe something like that do you?  I mean come ON!  She had to deal with an article about Gabby Gums a while ago."
"She seemed pretty upset this morning.  I just need to talk to her, make sure everything is ok.  Can you help us find her?"
>"Of course!  You aren't really cheating on her are you?  You don't strike me as the type of pony that'd do something like that!"
"Absolutely not!  I would never do something like that to Rainbow!"
>"Good!  I knew I was right about you, Anon!  You and Rainbow make just the cutest couple!"
>
>After Pinkie gathers some strange looking utensils into a saddle bag, you and Vinyl follow her to the Ponyville Park.
>"Um, Pinkie, I don't think Rainbow works at the park."
>"Oh of course not silly filly!  She works at the weather factory in Cloudsdale!"
"Then... why are we here?"
>"You'll see!"
>Vinyl leaned over and whispered to you.
>"I've learned to not question Pinkie Pie.  Your brain will hurt less."
>Right.
>Pinkie looks up at one of the clouds, and starts hollering at it.
>"Hey Rainbow!  It's Pinkie!  I need to talk to you!"
>"Go away Pinkie.  I want to be alone right now."
>"But Rainbow!"
>"Go AWAY Pinkie!"
>Pinkie gets a determined look on her face, before plunging it into the depths of her saddle bag.
>This won't end well.

-------------------

>Pinkie re-emerges from her bag with what could only be described as... well, a cannon.
"Uuuhhh, Pinkie..."
>"Don't worry Anon!  I got this!"
>Pinkie puts on a helmet, and secures herself in the cannon.
>How she fit a full on cannon in that bag, you don't exactly want to know.
>A few seconds later, the cannon fires Pinkie straight at one of the clouds.
>She flew right through it.  No Rainbow there.
>The stunt didn't fail in getting Rainbow's attention though.
>"Pinkie!  Hold on!  I'm coming!"
>From your perspective, all that you saw consisted of a Rainbow appearing from another cloud, and nailing Pinkie in midair.
>A minute or so later, Rainbow was heading for the Park carrying Pinkie Pie.
>"Pinkie, you should know better than to do-- oh.  It's you."
"Rainbow, listen--"
>"No.  If you're happier with Vinyl, then fine."
>"Rainbow!  He's not cheating on you!  You think I'd let him do something so stupid?"
>Rainbow glared at Vinyl.
>"I didn't think he would, but Gabby Gums hasn't lied before!  It's always been the truth!  It's been stretched before, but it's always wound up being true!"
"Will you at least give me a chance to explain?  You just up and disappeared on me this morning."
>She returned her glare to you.
>"Fine."
>Right.
"Ok, so; I'm not cheating on you.  I can see how someone might think that, but Vinyl is my friend and my boss.  Consequently, we spend a lot of time together."
>Rainbow huffed, but didn't say anything.
"I don't know who wrote the article, but they didn't talk to any of us, did they?"
>"Well... no."
"Then we all know that they're making this stuff up."

-------------------

>"....I guess you're right.  But it seemed so... likely."
>"You silly filly!  You should know better than to believe a Gabby Gums article!  Remember last year?"
>"...Yeah."
>Vinyl chimed in a little something that boosted your ego ever so slightly.
>"Besides, he's loyal to you Rainbow.  To separate you two, somepony would have to kill one of you."
>Rainbow looked at you now.
>"I think we should have a talk when we get home.  For now though, I need to find a place to bury some bodies."
>Pinkie was a little too eager to help out with that.
>"I know some places!  Oh there’s a good spot no pony would look over under--"
>"Pinkie, sometimes I worry about you." Vinyl said.
"Besides, I think we should talk to the school's newspaper editor first.  Get all this sorted out where it started."
>"I agree with Anon.  The school should be our first stop.  We need to put an end to these kinds of stories before they start" said Vinyl.
>"Fine.  But Pinkie, I might need you to help me find some of those spots later."
>"Sure thing Rainbow!  Anyways, I gotta get back to Sugarcube Corner before the cakes get super busy!"
>"Ok Pinkie.  Thanks for helping us."
>"No problem Vinyl!  I'll see you guys later!"
>With that, she was off.
"To the school then?"
>"Yup.  To the school.  Rainbow, no thunder clouds."
>"But--"
>"No thunder clouds."
>"Fiiine."
"I'll just threaten to eat them if they publish an article like that again."
>"ANON!"
"What?  I won't eat them, you know that."
>"Besides, it'd be great!  Anon, I don't know why I ever thought you'd cheat on me."
>"You guys are starting to gross me out with all this mushy stuff.  Let’s get going already."

-------------------

>As the three of you approached the school, Vinyl got ahead of you and Rainbow.
>"You two wait out here, while I go and find the teacher" she said as she made her way towards the school entrance.
>"Hold on a sec Vinyl.  Why do we have to wait here?"
>"Because you're ready to murder somepony; And Anon, no offense, but you're an alien."
>She makes a valid point.
>"Now wait just a m--"
"She's right Rainbow.  We can wait out here."
>"Fine" Rainbow huffed.
"Besides," you said as Vinyl entered the school, "don't you like spending time with your special somepony?"
>Rainbow seemed to calm down a bit.
>"Yeah, I guess so" you heard her say as she scooted closer to you.
>A couple minutes later, Vinyl emerged from the school with a purple pony following her.
>"Guys, this is Ms. Cheerilee.  She's in charge of the school."
>"Oh my.  I understand why Ms. Scratch said you were a unique pony, Anon.  Pleased to meet you."
>You nodded your head, and almost got the opportunity to reply.
>Almost.
>"So what’s the big idea publishing an article about me and him, huh?!  Why would you let your students do that?"
"Rainbow, calm down."
>"But--"
"Easy.  Eeeeaaaasssy.  I'm sure Ms. Cheerilee can answer your questions, you've just got to calm down and LET her."
>Rainbow growled a little, but remained quiet.
"Good.  Now then, Ms. Cheerilee, why did you let your students print an article like that?"
>"You see Anon, I'm not directly involved with the school newspaper.  I choose an editor, and the rest is up to the students."
>You could feel the outburst waiting to jump from Rainbow, so you cut her off at the pass and scratched behind her ears.
>That distracted her long enough for Ms. Cheerilee to continue.

-------------------

>"Occasionally, I'll give a student a chance against my better judgment.  I decided to let a student try her hoof once more at participating in the newspaper, but it appears she hasn't changed a bit."
>"I'm terribly sorry about all of this, I'll have her and her team publish an apology article in the next issue.  I don't care for these gossip articles, but my editor doesn't seem to care much about other pony's feelings."
>"If you three will wait here, I'll go and get the press team that is responsible for the inflammatory article about you, and they'll apologize, personally."
"Thank you Ms. Cheerilee, but all we want is for the air to be cleared about myself and Rainbow Dash."
>"I think apologizing to you personally will do these fillies some good.  I really think it would help their apology letter be ever more so sincere."
>Before you can reply, Rainbow answers "I'd like to meet the little squirts behind that Gabby Gums mask."
>"Great!  I'll be right back."
>As the door to the school shuts behind Ms. Cheerilee, you turn to Rainbow.
"Rainbow!  There's no need for that!"
>"She said that a face to face apology would make the letter more sincere, didn't she?  C'mon Vinyl, back me up here!"
>"She is right, Anon."
"You can't be serious Vinyl."
>"Oh, I'm dead serious.  You ever had to apologize to somepony face to face before?  It's a lot harder than writing them a letter."
"But--"
>"No buts!  I didn't get to bring thunderclouds, so I'm at least going to meet the little pip squeaks."

-------------------

>You recall a certain phrase.
>Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.
>
>You're getting a two for one deal today.
>Ms. Cheerilee had lead three young ponies back to the three of you.
>Trailing behind a pair of fillies that carried themselves just a little too... uppity, was a tiny little off-white colt.
>"Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, Feather Weight, I believe you owe these ponies an apology."
>"Feather Weight?  You're working for these two?"
>Feather Weight looked over at Vinyl, and his eyes got huge.
>"I'm so sorry Ms. Scratch, please don't tell my dad!"
>The little colt's eyes were watering.  Big time.
>"Listen guys, Feather Weight's dad works for me.  He's my security chief.  I think I should take Feather Weight to see his dad."
>"Why?"
>"Just trust me on this Rainbow."
>"I dunno..."
"Go ahead and take him to his dad, Vinyl.  Do what you gotta do; we'll meet up later at the auditorium."
>"Alright.  Let’s go Feather Weight."
>"Y-yes Ms. Scratch..."
>Feather Weight didn't seem too happy about being taken to his dad.
>Though, you couldn't blame him.
>Being taken to your parents by their boss?
>Yeah, that’s the beginnings of hell right there.
>Wonder who his dad is?
>Have you met him before, perhaps?
>
>Come to think of it, why haven't you met Vinyl’s security chief yet?
>You'll have to meet the pony sometime.
>
>For now, you've been busy not restraining Rainbow from tearing the little fillies a new one.

-------------------

>"WHY IN EQUESTRIA WOULD YOU WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!  IT'S A COMPLETE LIE, AND YOU INSULTED US AS A COUPLE!  NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU HAD TO GO AND DRAG VINYL INTO THIS!  WHAT--"
"Rainbow-"
>"--WOULD POSESS YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT??  DO YOU ENJOY TRYING TO RUIN OTHER PONIES LIVES OR SOMETHING??  MAYBE SOMEPONY--"
"Rainbow."
>"--SHOULD WRITE AN ARTICLE ABOUT YOU TWO!  HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT??  DO YOU THINK--"
"RAINBOW!"
>"--WHAT?!"
"Calm down."
>She glared at you for a minute, before settling for an angry scowl towards the two fillies.
"Now then.  We accept your apology."
>The pink pony, whom you figured to be Diamond Tiara from... well the tiara she was wearing, laughed at your statement.
>"Ha!  I told you he was spineless Silver Spoon!  And to think, you were worried.  Ha!  He's dating 'Rainbow Dash' for Celestia's sake!"
>"HAY!  WHAT'RE YOU TRYIN TO SAY?!"
>"I'm saying, that your little pet alien over there probably just bends over backwards and takes orders from you.  My father told me about you, and how you'd probably never get a special somepony.  I can see he was right."
>You looked over at Rainbow.
>Her expression was not one you wanted to see again.
>She was enraged, that much was obvious, but she was tearing up.
>Your turn to get pissed.
>Nobody insults your Dashie like that.
>You think for a brief second about telling Vinyl you wouldn't do what you're about to do.
>Fuck it.  They crossed a line.

-------------------

>You muster your most intimidating and primal growl you can.
>Not much, but it had the effect you were hoping for.
>Unwavering attention to the big fuck alien that just growled.
>You beard your eye teeth at them.
"If you ever talk to my special somepony like that again, I can't promise I'll hold back like I did this time."
>The other filly, whom you assumed at this point to be Silver Spoon, turned ghost white.
>Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed.
>"You wouldn't dare."
"I haven't eaten much meat recently.  Try me" you say, bearing your teeth once more.
>Diamond's turn to change colors to ghost white.
>Yeah, you'd say that did the trick.
>It almost felt a little cruel.
>Almost.
>But that bitch needed to be put in her god damn place.
>She's like the annoying little kid that parents take to the supermarket because they're brain damaged and enjoy their child’s wailing screams.
>Ms. Cheerilee ushered the two fillies back inside, and returned to you and Rainbow Dash.
>"Mister, Anon, was it?  I do hope you--"
"No Ms. Cheerilee, I'm not going to do anything to them."
>"Good.  I suppose that little display had the desired effect at any rate."
>"It'd better, or I might--"
"Rainbow."
>She huffed, but kept quiet.
"Thank you for the apology Ms. Cheerilee.  We'll be glad to have the air cleared."
>"I'll make sure to take extra care when appointing my next editor.  Again, I'm terribly sorry this whole ordeal happened."
>With that, you and Rainbow say your goodbyes to Ms. Cheerilee, and start heading towards Vinyl's auditorium.

-------------------

>"That was pretty cool Anon."
"Nobody gets to mess with my Dashie but me."
>She blushes, and rewards you with a light sock in the arm.
>"So where are we going now?"
"I figure we'd better meet up with Vinyl and let her know everything is taken care of."
>"Probably a good idea."
>
>"Nonny."
>Wat.
"Did you just--"
>"Nonny!  It's perfect!"
>Great.  Now you've gotten yourself a pet name.
"I guess that levels the playing field....  Dashie."
>"Whatever you say... Nonny” she says as she sticks her tongue out at you.
>
>A couple minutes later, the two of you arrived at Vinyl's auditorium.
>You hadn't run like that in a while.
>It was worth it to see Dash smiling again though.
>Now, you needed to sit down and rest for a minute.
>Rainbow plopped down next to you, and took a breather.
>Even being toned by the overdose of healing magic didn't prepare you for the spontaneous race with Rainbow.
>You'd kept your top speed for the entire race.
>Which wasn't exactly short.
>One end of Ponyville to the other.
>But you made it, and it looked like Dash was at least a little out of breath too.
>You looked over to her, and she looked over to you.
>You held out your fist, and she bumped hooves with it.
>A second later, you swipe her up in a hug.
>"Hey, what’s the big--"
"It was good to see you smile Dashie."
>"Aww great.  You're getting me all mushy again."
>He he, dirty.
>GOD DAMMIT BRAIN.
>
>Oh well.
>After your short break, you and Rainbow head into the auditorium to meet up with Vinyl.
>As you're heading in, the two of you are greeted by Vinyl, Feather Weight, and a rather large white pegasus.
>"Hey guys, this is Snowflake, Feather Weight's dad, and my chief of security."

-------------------

>He was huge.
>All muscle.
>With tiny little wings.
>Would you point out the wings?
>Not if you valued a good portion of the bones in your body.
>You'd swear he ate nothing but raw steroids.
>As you were pondering just how much of him was muscle and how much was tumor, you realized he was speaking.
>"--like I said before Ms. Dash, my son would never do something like this, unless he had a really good reason."
>"Oh?  And just what was his reason?"
>"From what I understand, the other Pony was threatening to get me fired.  I've told Feather time and again, that it's Ms. Scratch that makes those decisions, not anypony else."
"Wait, so one of those other ponies threatened to try and get you fired if your son didn't do what they wanted?"
>"That’s the gist of it."
>Those manipulating little dickheads.
"Well, as far as I am concerned, I think the whole situation regarding the article about us has been taken care of.  I'd recommend that you talk to Ms. Cheerilee about what the other students said to Feather Weight."
>"I think I'll do just that.  Ms. Vinyl, I'd like to ask for the afternoon off to take care of this mess.  I'm terribly sorry my son contributed in any way to that whole mess of an article."
"I don't blame your son for what happened.  If anything, he takes some fine photos.  I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if someone was threatening my family."
>"Thank you very much Mr. Anon!  It's a shame we haven't met before, especially considering we both work for Ms. Scratch."
"We'll have to fix that some time.  Oh, and if those two fillies give you or your son any more trouble, let me know.  I think I have a method for dealing with them that works pretty well."

-------------------

>Feather Weight said his apologies before him and his father leaving for the school.
>Vinyl had told him to take all the time he needed.
"That was very generous of you Vinyl, considering he's your security chief."
>"Family is important, especially to those two.  Snowflake's wife died after giving birth to Feather Weight.  Besides, he never asks for time off other than his son's birthday."
"Wow.  Quite the dedicated father."
>"You could say that.  Anyway, I think he'll be fine.  He's actually a really nice pony, once you get to know him.  And you have to catch him while he's not working out."
>"I was starting to wonder if those muscles were real or not."
"Why?  You worried Dashie?"
>"Maybe a little.  For you anyways."
>You rough up her mane for that one.
>"Hay!"
>"Will you two PLEASE get a room?  You're making me nauseous."
>You reached over and roughed up Vinyl's mane too.
>Just so she wouldn't feel left out.
>She gave you a deadpan look.
>That, in combination with her mane slightly frizzed, almost made you laugh it up right there.
>Rainbow didn't contain herself so well, and started giggling.
>Vinyl groaned and started heading for her room.
>"I'll see you tomorrow Anon.  We've got actual work to do."
"See you then, Vinyl."
>You led Rainbow, who was still in a giggling fit, back outside.
"So, what do you wanna do now?"
>After her giggling calmed down enough for her to complete a sentence, she suggested a trip to the park.
>She'd said something about wanting to practice some flying maneuvers.
"Why practice?  You fly every day, isn't that practice enough?"
>"One day, I'm gonna try out for the Wonderbolts!  When I do, I'll need my BEST moves to impress them!"
"What are the Wonderbolts?"
>Oh what you did.

-------------------

>Several hours later, you'd been taught every intimate detail you'd ever want to know about the Wonderbolts.
>And some you won't soon be able to forget.
>Did you really need to know that Spitfire favored long walks and a quieter social life?
>No.
>Did you want to know why Sorian liked pie so much?
>No.  But you couldn't easily forget that little tidbit of information.
>At least the two of you were alone at the park.
>Would've been hard to explain that particular conversation away.
>Now that Rainbow had finished showing you her moves that she wanted to use on the Wonderbolts; the two of you were just lying down in the grass, letting the day pass by.
>For being a tomboyish, all-ahead-full pony, she sure had flying down to an art.
>Grace wouldn't be the word you'd use to describe what she did.
>Could someone describe Rainbow as graceful?  Sure.
>Would you?
>No.  It didn't quite fit.
>What did?
>Stunning.
>Yeah, stunning could work.
>
>By now, the sun was low in the sky.
>There were still a couple hours of daylight though.
>"Hey Anon, I have an idea.  Wait here."
"Where are you--?"
>"Trust me" was all she said before zooming off into the sky.
>A couple minutes later, and she's returned with a frisbee in her mouth.
"Rainbow, what are you--"
>Before you can finish your sentence, she tosses the frisbee at you.
>You reach out and catch it, rising to a standing posture in the process.
>Yeah, it was a frisbee.
>Totally happening.
>You threw the frisbee out past her, and she darted out and caught it.
>Moments later, it was on a return path towards your general direction.
>You had to race to catch it, but you caught it.

-------------------

>This little game of catch went on for a while.
>Simple.
>Care-free.
>Fun.
>With your Dashie.
>
>Up until a certain little pony showed up.
>"Oh how cute!  Playing fetch with your little pet, Ms. Rainbow Dash?"
>That caught Rainbow off guard, and messed with her focus.
>The frisbee nailed her in the gut, and fell to the ground.
>Rainbow wasn't too phased by the hit, so much as the insult the little pony had uttered.
>Did Diamond Tiara have a death wish or something?
>"What did you say?"
>"I said, that’s pretty cute!  Playing fetch with your little alien pet!"
>You could see the rage emanating from Rainbow.
>Before you could intervene, she had reached the ground at an incredible speed.
>She was approaching Diamond Tiara, who was now backing away and starting to cry.
>This didn't look good.
>Diamond Tiara was up to something.
>
>"JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DAUGHTER!"
>Well, shit.
>"Hey!  She just showed up and started insulting my special somepony!"
>"And that gives you the right to attack a little filly!?"
>"WHAT!?  I DIDN'T TOUCH YOUR ROTTEN FOAL!"
>"HOW DARE YOU--"
"HEY!  BOTH OF YOU!  CALM DOWN!"
>"AND JUST WHO--  oh, I see.  The alien my daughter told me about.  The one that threatened to eat her."
"I never threatened anything.  Whatever your daughter implies is your concern, not mine.  Why don't you and your daughter just leave me and Rainbow alone?"
>"I'm afraid that’s out of the question.  You'll be hearing from my legal staff, Mr. Anon."
>Before you or Rainbow could respond, the pair had trotted off.
>
>The peace and quiet was good while it lasted.

-------------------

>You and Rainbow headed back home.
>One could say you had some things to discuss.
>Like legal strategy.
"Why'd you do it, Rainbow?"
>"What, scare her off?  You and I both know she needs it!  Spoiled little brat!"
"While we both agree she's a spoiled foal, there are better ways to handle situations like that."
>"That's fine and all, but I wasn't going to just sit there and let her insult my special somepony!"
"Well, what's done is done.  What do you think Diamond's father is going to do?"
>After settling on the couch, Rainbow let out a sigh before answering.
>"I don't know Nonny; but I'd bet it's not going to be good."
>You go over and plop down next to Rainbow.
"I think maybe we should talk to Twilight about this.  She'd know what to do, or what to expect, don't you think?"
>"Yeah, you're probably right.  It can wait until the weekend though.  This whole newspaper thing really got to me."
>Taking your cue, you start administering one of your massages to Rainbow.
>A couple hours later, after Rainbow solidified once again, the two of you had finished a quick dinner and gone to bed.
>The next few days passed without incident.
>You'd go work with the Apples when Vinyl didn't need you, and Rainbow would go about her regular work routine.
>The apology article that the school paper published had done the trick, and you weren't getting anymore unwarranted attention.
>That is, until the weekend finally came.
>You were almost asleep, ready for the weekend to start, when you felt something poking you in the chest.
>You open your eyes to see a midnight blue pegasus unicorn.
>"We need to talk."
>
>
>Fuck.

-------------------

>You had managed to convince Luna to keep quiet, and the two of you made your way downstairs.
>After you found your regular position on Rainbow's couch, Luna began pacing.
"So what's going on, Luna?"
>"Do you know a stallion named Filthy Rich?"
"I've run into him once, why?"
>"He's pressing for legal action against you and Loyalty."
>Shit.
"Why?"
>She glared at you.
>"You know exactly why.  The two of you threatened his daughter."
"There's no way he doesn't know what she's like!  This is ridiculous!"
>"He is perfectly within his rights to take said action."
"But--"
>"No buts.  Do you know what will happen when he wins his case against the two of you?"
"When he wins?  A little premature for a verdict, aren't you?"
>"You have no case, Anon.  You threatened a filly."
"He has no witnesses!"
>"Are you denying you threatened the filly?"
"Well... no...  But she deserved to be put in her place!"
>"Now then.  When you lose the case, he'll take everything you own.  He'll want financial compensation from you.  He knows you work for Vinyl, Anon."
>"He's doing this for the money.  Had it been any other pony, he wouldn't have pressed charges.  He knows exactly how is daughter is."
"So... he's using his daughter to get as much money as he can?"
>"Yes.  He knows he can, so he'll hold nothing back."
>You sit in silence for a bit.
>Yeah, you're pretty fucked.
>He knows you have money, and he's going to do all he can to get it from you.
>Why?  Because he fucking can.
>Conniving little bastard.
>If only there was something you had that he didn't...
>
>
>That’s it.

-------------------

"Luna...  he's pursuing me... with pony law."
>"Astute observation, Anon" she says as she gives you a deadpan look.
"Hear me out on this.  I just want to know if this will work."
>"Go ahead" she sighs.
"Isn't it obvious?  The courts hold no laws for a human.  I can't be tried in a pony court."
>She considers what you said.
>"Technically, you're right.  I suppose it could be argued.  That still leaves you with one problem."
"What's that?  It's me he's after, right?"
>"Yes, but if he can't get to you directly..."
>
"He'll go after me indirectly..."
>"Through Loyalty."
>
>Fuck.
>
>You look up towards Rainbow's room.
>She's going to get the book thrown at her because of you.
>
>God dammit.
"Is there anything I can do to stop him?"
>Luna averts her gaze.
>"You... you could try and settle out of court with him.  He might accept that."
"Well how much money does he want?"
>Her gaze finds the floor.
>"All of it."
"But I don't have it!  I used all the money Vinyl's been paying me to build my house!"
>"The there isn't anything you can do."
"Can't you talk to him?  Get him to come to his senses?"
>"You think I haven't?  I want this proceeding to happen just about as much as you do, Anon.  You're MY responsibility, remember?"
>
>
>She's right.
>That was part of the agreement you had with Celestia.
>There's no way this is going to go well.
"So... what can he legally do to Rainbow?"
>It's a good thing you were sitting down.

-------------------

>There was nothing you could do.
>Rainbow would either lose everything she owned or go to prison.
>Because of you.
"What about the newspaper article?  Is there any way she could claim some sort of anger clause because of it or something?"
>"There are such clauses, but her reputation would suffer greatly if she used anger as an excuse."
"That's out of the question.  Won't her reputation get hit anyway?  Because of the trial?"
>"Certainly not.  Filthy Rich is known for his conniving methods of acquiring money.  This would simply be another of his trials to exploit the courts to his advantage."
>Great.
>You try and fight, you lose.
>You don't do anything, you lose.
>What you wouldn't give to have Phoenix Wright on your side right around now.
>At that moment, you head another voice.
>"Hey Anon, what're you doing up at this--  PRINCESS LUNA!"
>
>
>
>After you calm Rainbow down, you and Luna explain to her what's going on.
>She's just as pissed as you are.
>"We shall discuss this further tomorrow.  I think the two of you should get some rest.  You'll need it" Princess Luna said as she departed Rainbow's house.
>You turn to look at Rainbow.
"Rainbow, I'm so sorry I got you drawn into this.  It's all my fa--"
>"Don't even try to say that.  I'd do it again.  You and I both know that little brat deserved what she got."
"But Rainbow, her dad is going to take everything he can from you!"
>"There's one thing he can't take from me."
>She looked you right in the eyes, a bit of tears accumulating.
>Then she answered the question you were about to ask.
>"You."

-------------------

>You pulled her into a tight embrace.
"And I'll be damned if anyone thinks they can take you from me without a fight."
>
>
>The morning snuck up on you.
>While the sunlight felt warm on your body, you knew what else it meant.
>You, Rainbow, and Luna were going to have a conversation that wasn't going to be so pleasant.
>Your bed was warm, inviting, and reminding you constantly of how badly you didn't want to get up.
>The mare attached to the hoof draped over your chest wasn't too keen on letting you get up either.
>Mare.
>In your bed.
>
>
>
>Oh god.
>What did you do?
>What did the two of you do?!
>
>You hurriedly make your way out of bed and begin your morning routine.
>You still had your underwear on.
>This was a good sign, right?
>
>After your shower and getting yourself dressed, you make your way down to the kitchen.
>Just need to clear your head is all.
>Surely you didn--
>"Hey Anon."
>Moment of truth.
"Hey Rainbow... listen, we didn't--"
>"No.  We didn't.  I know you're not ready for that yet."
>That.
>Was close.
>It's damn good Rainbow knows you so well.
>"Not that I'm not open to the idea..."
>You snapped your attention back to her.
>She had a kind of dreamy look on her face.
"I...  I think that’s a conversation for another time, Dashie...  We've got to--"
>"Yeah...  I know..."
>
>As if the universe could feel your desire to change the subject, there was a knock at the door.
>"I'll get it!"
>You followed her to the door, and the two of you were greeted with a rather grumpy looking princess Luna.
>"Good morning Princess Lu--"
>"Hello Loyalty. Anon.  I do not mean to offend, but I am normally sleeping by this hour.  Might we attend to the matters we discussed earlier as quickly as possible?"

-------------------

>Princess Luna's sleep schedule wasn't exactly the same as anyone else's.
>She was the Princess of the Night, after all.
>After the three of you settled around Rainbow's kitchen table, the ever so unpleasant discussion began.
>You would be perfectly fine.
>Being an alien meant that the governing courts didn't recognize you.
>For the time being, this was good news.
>It meant you couldn't be touched by that money-hungry Filthy Rich.
>Hell, you might even be able to get away with murder...
>Another time, perhaps.
>For now, you had to make sure Rainbow was going to be ok.
>Princess Luna had described what would happen if you didn't settle outside of court.
>Dashie could very well go to jail.
"That’s outrageous!  There's no--"
>"On the contrary, Anon.  Considering the court is letting you off the hook so easily, AND on a technicality, you should be grateful.  It could be worse."
"Alright then, what does he want?"
>"Everything Loyalty owns."
"But--"
>"Done."
>You looked over at Rainbow in awe.
>She wasn't one to give up so easily.
>"Are you sure, Loyalty?  Is this alien really worth everything you own?"
>"And more.  I'd do it all over again, Princess.  I won't give him up."
"Rainbow--"
>"No.  I've made my decision.  I don't care about this... stuff.  I care about YOU Anon, and I'm not going to let some money hoarding pony try and come between us."
>Damn.
>Luna had an apt name for your Dashie.
>"....Very well then.  Loyalty, I'll need you to sign some formal notices....  and then the deed will be done."
>"That'll be the end of it?"
>"Yes.  Filthy Rich won't get any more lenience from the court.  It's either this agreement, or a trial."

-------------------

>"Given his allure for money, I do not think he will risk losing it so easily.  You do know what this means, Loyalty?"
>You knew what it meant.
>"It means that I'll have to start over."
>"That’s right.  It may have more consequences than you--"
>"I don't care.  We're doing this.  If it gets Filthy Rich off of our backs, then all the better."
>
>
>The two of you would have to find someplace to live.
>
>Wonder how your house is coming...
>Either way, looks like you'll be seeing Vinyl again real soon.
>At least, in one way or another, you'd finally be able to start providing for Rainbow, instead of the other way around.
>
>Rainbow dropped you off at the square, while she and Luna went to complete the legal paperwork.
>Since you were no longer involved in the tribulations, there wasn't much you could do anyway.
>You sit down on a bench at the square, and begin mulling over life's great decisions.
>
>Well, not really.
>More like how to approach Rainbow's...  needs.
>Had you not been so deep in thought, you would've noticed the green mare that took up the seat across from you.
>
>A rather peculiar green mare, with golden eyes that she just couldn't seem to take off of you.
>She seemed to notice you were distressed though, and hopped off of her bench and over to you.
>"Hey there Anon, you ok?"
>When you looked up to find her golden eyes, you jumped straight into the air.
>After you recovered from your landing, you finally settled down and realized that Lyra's intentions weren't that of murder, rape, or the violent removal of your hands.
>
>For now.

-------------------

>After chatting with her for a bit, you realized she wasn't as bad as your subconscious would have you believe.
>She was actually rather caring.
>If only a little obsessed with your hands.
>Whenever you made any sort of gesture with them, she'd follow your movements closely.
>"I'm sorry; I don't normally butt into other ponies business like that.  I'm normally very quiet..."
"It's alright.  I could use the company."
>"Is that so?  Been a rough morning?"
"That's putting it lightly.  I'm going to head over to the Auditorium to meet Vinyl later today, got a few things to take care of."
>You had made sure not to let slip anything about your current predicament.
>Not that you didn't trust Lyra...
>But you didn't trust her.
>That stare that your subconscious planted in your dream wasn't going to go away easily.
>At the mention of Vinyl's name, Lyra perked right up.
>"You know Vinyl?  THE Vinyl Scratch?"
"You could say that.  She's easily one of my best friends, not to mention my boss."
>Her jaw dropped.
>"You.  Work.  For Vinyl?!"
"Yeah, I'm her 'Sound Boss,' why?  Do you know her?"
>"Are you kidding me?  I'm not that lucky!  I LOVE her music!  What I wouldn't give to meet her someday!" she said, after falling over rather dramatically onto your bench.
"I might just be able to help you out there, Lyra."
>Her eyes went wide.
>"Really?  You'd do that?"
"Sure, why not."
>"I think I love you."
>You chuckled nervously, and got up to leave.
"I'll see what I can do.  But for now, I've got some business to take care of.  I'll see you around, Lyra."
>"Right!  See you later, Anon!"
>With that, you hastily made your way towards the auditorium.
>
>Hope Vinyl was in a good mood.

-------------------

>As it turns out, she'd just woken up not long ago.
>It must be nice to be able to sleep in and not have to worry about anything.
>She was just telling you about a dream she'd had.
>Something about being a ghost.
>"So what brings you to my humble auditorium today, Anon?  Not that I don't mind the company."
"My house, actually.  Any word on how far along it is?"
>She takes a sip of what had to be coffee of some sort or another, and furrows her brow in thought.
>"I think it was 'bout halfway done or so when I asked last.  Why?"
>Halfway done.
>Well, shit.
"Damn.  I was hoping it'd be finished by now."
>"It's a custom house, Anon; It’s bound to take time.  Besides, what’s the rush?  Don't you like living with Rainbow?"
>She was giving you a rather sly expression when she said that.
"It's great!  But...  well, let’s just say that things are going to be changing around there."
>"What do you mean by that?  I'm not in the mood for guessing games, Anon."
"It's been sold, through a court order.  Rainbow is being evicted.  By extension, that means I'm being evicted too."
>If Vinyl wasn't in a foul mood before, she was now.
>"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
>
>She calmed down a bit after you explained the situation to her.
>"Why didn't you tell me sooner?  I could've bought Rainbow's house and all of her stuff, so that Filthy couldn't touch it!"
"I thought about that, but I think Filthy would've tried to put Rainbow in prison if he couldn't get to her money.  Doesn't matter now though, what's done is done."
>"Yeah.  I guess it is.  That explains why you were so interested in your house."
"Would've been nice, but I guess I'll be staying at a ho--"
>"With me."
"But--"

-------------------

>"But nothing.  You and Rainbow are some of the best friends I have."
"I--"
>"I told you, I'm not in the mood for games.  You and Rainbow are staying with me until your house is finished.  You got a problem with that?"
"Well, no--"
>"Good!  I'll set up your guys' room."
"Thanks.  I think.  Oh!  There's one other thing..."
>
>Yeah, she wasn't in the mood to meet Lyra right now.
>Maybe later though.
>After you help Vinyl set up one of the spare rooms on the penthouse floor, you head back to the square to meet up with Rainbow.
>Vinyl, being in the fantastic mood that she was in, elected to stay behind and nap.
>You found your park bench again.
>And your pesky life questions and what-if scenarios occupied your thoughts once more.
>What are you going to do now?
>What happens next?
>Why can't you seem to go more than a week without some sort of shit hitting the fan?
>It was all very frustrating.
>Rainbow's advances this morning didn't do much to ease your thoughts either.
>She had needs, and you weren't tending to them.
>It almost sounded cruel when you put it like that.
>Not to say that you didn't have needs either.
>It was starting to bother you too.
>The solution was so simple; and yet, so very complicated.
>Was it really though?
>You're not going to see another human, ever.
>Might as well accept that as fact and move on.
>So do you stick to your morals about intimacy with an animal?
>Do those morals even apply here?
>Sure, you're different species; but you're both sentient, and you both care for each other.
>Rainbow was up for it; that much was clear.
>So what's stopping you, other than yourself?

-------------------

>The time for you to make a decision on that subject was closer now than it had ever been before.
>Rainbow needed you now more than ever.
>She, literally, just gave up every worldly possession she had for you.
>Whatever you had done, you didn't deserve anyone like her.
>
>Ok, enough with the beta as fuck bullshit.
>You'll deal with that dilemma later.
>When the time is appropriate.
>
>For now, the best you can do is support Rainbow while she gets back on her hooves.
>Time to man the fuck up.
>
>You gazed up at the sky, hearing the rumble of an approaching storm.
>Huh.  Guess there was a storm scheduled for today.
>Fitting enough.
>It was a big one too, from what you could see.
>Guess it had been a while since Ponyville got a good drenching.
>The cold air of the approaching storm made you shiver.
>It was a good feeling.
>Refreshing.
>
>A couple minutes later, and you spotted Rainbow and Luna approaching.
>They weren't flying; they were walking down one of the paths towards the square.
>Rainbow had a defeated and a quite depressing look on her features.
>Luna looked angry more than anything.
>
>Angry Luna is scary Luna.
>You got up off your bench, and headed towards the two ponies.
>When Rainbow spotted you, she looked down.
>Almost like she was ashamed to look at you or some shit.
>After you achieved speaking distance, Luna told you that the matter had been settled.
>Rainbow had given up everything she owned for you.
>Before she could object, you gathered your little Dashie up into an embrace that could've been mistaken for a murder attempt.

-------------------

>A few seconds of shock later, and she was returning your hug.
>Just as aggressively as you were delivering yours.
>When you finally broke the hug, you looked her in the eyes.
>Her beautiful magenta eyes.
>She'd been crying.
>The streaks on her cheeks were evident enough of that.
>"I... I don't know what to do now, Anon..."
>You hushed her.
"You've done enough for me, now it's my turn.  Everything will be ok, trust me."
>Her eyes were watering.
>"I...  I..."
>Before she could formulate a response, you kissed her on the lips.
>She was surprised for only a second, before she returned your kiss.
>When you broke the loving kiss, you could see that she'd stopped resisting and was freely crying now.
>It was at that moment that Luna chose to speak up once again.
>"I do not mean to spoil the mood, but I do have a bit of information for you, Anon."
>You set Rainbow down, and the three of you headed over to your traditional bench.
>You and Rainbow sat down; Luna choosing to pace in front of you.
"So--"
>"Upon your getting by on a technicality, the laws of Equestria are being reviewed.  I would expect that they will be adjusted to apply to you."
>Ok, that much was practically expected.
>"I wouldn't worry too much about being bothered by Filthy Rich again.  The press will see to that."
"What does the press have to do with this?"
>"Filthy Rich just put an Element of Harmony out on the streets.  I assure you; the press will not let a story like that slip by so easily."
>Great.
>More attention.

-------------------

>It'd be nice to just relax and take things at your own pace for a while.
>Such a silly dream at this point.
>
>You still wanted to find a way to get back at Filthy Rich and his bitch daughter.
>Revenge is a dish best served cold, they say.
>
>Luna still had her scowl on though.
"So what else is bothering you, Princess?"
>She stopped pacing and looked over to you.
>"Honestly?  You are, Anon."
"Me?"
>"Him?"
>"Yes.  Ever since your arrival, there's been nothing but trouble.  One might even call it chaos."
>"Chaos?  Princess, what are you--"
>"I apologize, that was out of line.  You have to understand, I should've been asleep long ago."
"Fair enough.  I can see what you mean though, Princess.  I'll do my best to keep a lower profile for a while."
>Luna seemed to relax a bit after hearing that.
>"Very well.  If the two of you will excuse me, I have some valuable sleep to catch up on."
"Princess Luna, before you go, there's one other thing."
>"What's tha--"
>She choked on her words as you surprised her with a hug.
>If you could've seen Rainbow's jaw, it would have been impressive how far down it had dropped.
"Thank you.  For everything.  I don't know what would've happened if it weren't for you."
>She sighed, and you broke the hug.
>"As I was saying, I could use some rest.  I will revisit the two of you in one month's time.  Until then, good day."
>She seemed a bit annoyed, but didn't press on.
>After she departed, you turned to Rainbow.
"Well Dashie, I've managed to find us a place to stay.  I have to say, I think you'll like it."
>"Really?  Where is it?  How did you pa--"
"No more questions.  Just trust me.  Now come on, we'd better get you settled in."
>You turned, and began leading her to the auditorium.

-------------------

>"So, where are we going?"
"Just trust me Dashie."
>She complied, and took up the position next to you.
>It wasn't very often you caught her walking more than a few feet.
>Must be the whole losing your house and everything you owned.
>Yeah, that would sour anyone's mood.
>
>The oncoming storm didn't help much either.
>The great claps of thunder and the occasional wisp of lightning assured you of just how powerful this storm would be.
"Man, the weather ponies really outdid themselves.  Has Ponyville ever experienced a storm this severe?"
>"There have been a couple, but I haven't seen one like that in a while.  I wonder why nopony told me about it..."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it Dashie.  They probably knew what you were going through, and didn't want to stress you."
>"Yeah..."
>She'll cheer up once she sees where the two of you are staying.
>
>A short walk later, and the auditorium is now in sight.
>Hearing a gasp from Rainbow, you stop walking to see what the matter was.
>"No.  Way."
"What?  Let's just say I know a pony..."
>She looked from the auditorium, to you, then back to the auditorium.
>"You're joking."
"Nope.  Completely serious."
>"How'd you--"
"I went to talk to Vinyl while you and Luna were away.  When she found out about our... predicament...  she was almost insulted I didn't talk to her sooner."
>Her jaw was down again.
>"I...  I..."
>You sigh as you walk over and pick her up.
>She obviously wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

-------------------

>A short while later, you'd made it to the auditorium.
>Dash was still muttering incoherently, so you continued to carry her to the backstage area.
>There, sure enough, you found Vinyl fiddling around with some equipment.
>"Oh hey Anon!  Errrr... what's a matter with Dash?"
"I told her we're staying here and well...  I think she might be a little start struck."
>"I thought we'd cured her of that...  oh well.  C'mon, I'll show ya to your room."
>
>You followed Vinyl up to the penthouse floor, and she led you down the main hallway, past her suite.
>You'd never ventured past her room before; it was your presumption that it was the only room up here.
>When Vinyl opened the door to your room, you'd thought she had been mistaken.
>The suite's size was similar to Vinyl's own suite.
>Meaning you could fit a decent sized house in it.
>Speakers were embedded in the walls.
>The lighting resembled that of stage lighting, and would occasionally change colors.
>Following Vinyl up the stairs, led you to another series of rooms.
>There was one bedroom, albeit a fucking enormous one.
>After you set Rainbow on the bed, Vinyl gave you the quick-and-dirty tour of your place of residence.
>On the same floor as the bedroom, there was the master bathroom, a gigantic closet, and... An indoor fucking Jacuzzi.
>The shower in the bathroom alone was big enough to fit four or five ponies in there.
>Big ones too.
>You didn't find yourself ducking to get through doors like you normally would in Rainbow's house.
>This place was huge, and seemed to have every luxury you could ever imagine.
>
>Vinyl knows how to live it up.
>After exploring for a bit, the two of you retired to your new living room.

-------------------

"I... I don't know what to say Vinyl.  This place is AMAZING."
>"Don't worry about it babe.  I told you, you and Rainbow are my best friends.  Enough about all that though.  What are you going to do now?"
>You sighed.
>It was time to come back down to reality.
"I don't know Vinyl.  I guess I'll be saving up my money and wait on the house to be finished."
>"I figured that much.  I meant, what are you going to do about Filthy Rich?"
"What more is there to do?  I'd rather not have to deal with him anymore if at all possible."
>"You're not going to try and get him back?"
"No.  Like I said, I'm thoroughly tired of Filthy Rich and his bitch daughter.  I'll deal with them if I have to, but for now, my priority is Rainbow."
>"Yeah... I guess I can see that.  Do you mind if I do some poking around regarding Filthy Rich?  I won't do anything without talking to you first, but I feel like I NEED to do SOMETHING."
"That's fine by me I guess.  What exactly are you hoping to find?"
>"Anything really...  I'd like to put him in his place.  You're not the first... well, you ARE the first human... but anyways, you get the idea.  He's done this type of thing before.  It's time somepony did something about it."
"You sure you want to get involved in this?  He could go after you next."
>"...Like I said.  You're not the first pony he's gone after.  I've dealt with him before, and I can do it again.  Besides, he'll be busy enough dealing with the enraged wall of press that’s about to come his way."
"What do you mean?"
>"Rainbow is an Element of Harmony.  He just put her AND her special somepony on the streets.  I give him one day before the press overruns him."

-------------------

>Things were going to be different for a while.
>You and Rainbow would probably be getting an obscene amount of attention.
>For all intents and purposes, it was probably for the better that the two of you were staying with Vinyl.
>She had more experience dealing with press.
>When you'd checked on Rainbow last, she had been sleeping.
>Better than muttering incoherently, but you'd still like to pal around with her.
>Vinyl had equipped you with many a thing to do.
>Apparently, she was also very talented in dealing with boredom.
>
>The auditorium was much more expansive than one would think when viewing it from the outside.
>The first floor was the main floor, what with concession areas and the huge fuck stage.
>The second and third floors were mostly seating.
>The fourth floor was the penthouse floor; consequently, the floor you knew the least.
>If you ever visited the fourth floor, it was always straight to Vinyl's room.
>Little did you know; the fourth floor was where all the goodies were.
>In as little as ten minutes, you'd discovered why Vinyl didn't leave her auditorium all that often.
>There was an indoor pool, complete with Jacuzzis; an ice-skating rink; a theater of some sort; a lounge; you name it, she probably had it stashed away on that floor.
>
>After a few rounds of some sort of volleyball style game on ice, you and Vinyl spent a couple hours in the auditorium, blasting some tunes.
>When you finally checked back in on Rainbow, she was just waking up.
>Once her grogginess passed, and she recalled what'd happened, she plowed you into the floor.
>Aggressive Dashie hugs are best Dashie hugs.

-------------------

>After peeling Rainbow off of you and managing to convince her you needed air to live, the two of you explored your suite.
>"This place is amazing!  I can't believe Vinyl would just up and let us use it!"
"Well don't tell her that.  Like I said, she was almost insulted that I didn't talk to her about what'd happened sooner."
>"She's a really great pony."
"Yeah, that she is.  Ya know, I'm getting hungry.  Why don't we explore that kitchen and see what she left us to work with?"
>"Sure, I could go for some grub."
>As soon as you started the exploration of the kitchen, your mouth started to salivate.
>The pantry might as well have been a damned grocery store.
>The thing had fucking isles.
>The refrigerator was easily three or four times the size of Rainbow's.
>What got you really excited though, was the freezer.
>It was just as big as the refrigerator, but that wasn't the cause of your excitement.
>No, the source of unimaginable joy was the copious amounts of frozen goodness.
>You'd found a few jewels of the substance here and there, but they were few and far between.
>You hit the damn mother load.
>Meat.
>Glorious meat.
>Beef to chicken to fish and everything in between.
>You almost broke down and cried manly tears of joy.
>Almost.
>Rainbow was just as overjoyed at the massive selection of exotic pony foods.
>Exotic fruits from faraway places, rare spices and seasonings, a huge amount of the regular foods Rainbow normally stocked up on.
>It was a vegan wonderland.

-------------------

>After inviting Vinyl to your feast, the three of you shared in what could only be described as an orgy of food.
>Rainbow had prepared most of the food for herself and Vinyl, leaving you to prepare your delicious steak and some sides.
>You'd found potatoes in that wonderland of a pantry, and had yourself groaning with content shortly after allowing yourself to consume your handiwork.
>Vinyl and Rainbow were in a similar state after consuming Rainbow's creations.
>Something massive and leafy, some salsa that you'd shown her how to prepare, and some sort of cake she's mastered with Pinkie Pie's help.
>Certainly one of the better ends to this day.
>
>As the night pressed on, Vinyl went off to her room, and you and Rainbow prepared for bed.
>That’s when you noticed that the two of you would be sharing a bed, or you'd be sleeping elsewhere.
>
>Fuck it.
>It's time to man the fuck up.
>Tonight, you sleep with your special somepony.

###Last Edit: 8/6/12 2145