03 - Part II (en).txt

The afternoon progressed like any other in the bustling city of Manehattan. In its lively streets, ponies carried on with their daily routines, hurrying from one place to another to get to their jobs, make necessary purchases, or simply enjoy a moment of leisure in one of the city's numerous venues.

However, as the sun steadily advanced in the sky, a striking rainbow trail suddenly appeared between the city's buildings, disrupting the normality of the day. The zigzagging rainbow trail abruptly halted over a large building under construction near the coast.

Up there, atop the building, was a Pegasus like no other in all of Equestria.

"Aha! Finally found you!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash excitedly before descending onto the tower.

That building, which was slightly taller than the others around it, was undergoing a major facelift. From above, Dash could see all the worker ponies toiling away at what seemed to be a massive letter 'A' on the side of the building facing the coast. Both the color and the design of the place matched the card that mysterious mare had handed her that morning.

Rainbow Dash was 100% sure this was the right place.

As Dash descended, she began to notice more and more unusual details in the infrastructure. The rooftop, for example, had a special fence for Pegasus landings and aerial vehicles. There were also large antennas and modern equipment subtly disguised as artificial vegetation. She even glimpsed what could be a greenhouse in one of the corners next to a small kiosk.

Dash smiled even more excitedly. This was the kind of modernity she liked. The place made the DN tower look like a boring museum.

Excited, Dash performed a somersault in the air and, wasting no time, landed perfectly on the Pegasus landing fence.

"Wait a second... Is the track made of cloud rubber?" exclaimed a surprised Dash after tapping her hoof against the ground. "Okay, this place just got 20% cooler!"

Dash had initially thought about heading straight to the main offices of the Average Tower, but quickly changed her mind. She felt obligated to explore the place in more detail.

Without further ado, with a big and sincere smile, she made her way towards the kiosk she had seen moments ago. It was empty, which didn't surprise her since she had noticed from above that there didn't seem to be anyone attending, nor did she find any products on its shelves. However, she was struck by the abundance of Power-Psoas energy drink and Jumy cookie advertisements. Unconcerned, the Pegasus continued forward and came across the greenhouse. Using her hooves, she cleared a portion of the transparent glass wall to peer inside. It was a fascinating sight; inside was a bio-garden full of juicy carrots and all kinds of vegetables gleaming with vitality. All the vegetables were stacked in individual soil cubes connected to small hoses and wiring. Someone had certainly taken their time to take good care of this place and make it self-sufficient.

Dash's stomach growled for a moment. Her light lunch had been too little for the appetite she was beginning to feel.

"Ugh... I think I need a recharge," said Dash as her stomach growled louder. Then she noticed that a skylight in the greenhouse was open. "If I take some vegetables, they won't mind... right?"

Prompted by her sudden hunger, Dash ascended and searched for the entrance on the greenhouse roof. It didn't take her long to locate it and curiously poke her head inside. A fresh aroma emanated from the skylight, causing Dash's stomach to growl even louder.

Excited, Dash placed her hooves on the window to open it fully and enter, but she stopped. She caught another scent that made her forget her pressing hunger. It was a faint smell of incense smoke. Dash cautiously observed again from the window opening. This time she noticed four rocks inscribed with runes at each end of the greenhouse, with small incense offerings placed next to them. She also noticed hidden security cameras among the vegetable leaves.

Dash furrowed her brow. "Well... this is very interesting." As she descended from the greenhouse and returned to where she had been before, she thought that the owner of the place was not only forward-thinking but also very cautious and mysterious.

At that moment, a loud whistle sounded behind Dash. One of the landing platforms began to light up with red danger lights, causing Dash to elevate into the air and instinctively look around. She soon discovered the cause of the alarm: a flying ship was rapidly approaching from the north towards the rooftop.

With caution, Dash approached the platform and carefully observed the aerial vehicle approaching. It was slightly larger than others of its class, marked with a distinctive letter 'A', and had striking red and purple colors intermingled with white and black stripes. But the most impressive were the superficial modifications that gave it a futuristic design.

"Wow," was all Dash could say as she watched the sleek and perfect landing of the modern flying ship.

Once on the ground, the main door of the ship opened, and from it descended a striking group of ponies. Dash examined them carefully twice; she didn't recognize who they could be, but the only thing she was sure of was that they were all equines.

The first one, who seemed to be the team leader, was a pony clad in a complete suit of golden armor. It looked so tight and studded at its edges that it gave the impression of being a brass robot-pony.

The second was a handsome white Pegasus with a golden mane. Although he also wore armor like his leader, his design was more traditional and colorful. He wore a helmet and a bulky hammer on his left side.

The third was a large pony of a complete green color, a shade that would make Rarity faint. In addition to his remarkable size and muscular build that made him look like a horse, he wore tight purple shorts that seemed more like a joke for his figure.

Lastly, there was a pony who might be the strangest of all. He was a unicorn wearing a full-body, tight-fitting suit of red with black lines, but the most striking thing was the helmet he wore—it was practically spherical and covered his entire head, with antenna-like appendages. Dash had the impression that he resembled more an ant than a pony.

So Dash watched from above as that group advanced toward the rooftop elevator in a slow pace that resembled an extravagant fashion parade.

"Hey, Tomy..."

"Yeah?" responded the team leader with a mechanical voice to the Pegasus with the hammer.

"About what you mentioned before, that this tower belonged to the city mayor, did Magi really buy it?"

"Yes, that's right, Thur."

"How?"

"She bought it, plain and simple."

"But a place like this, don't you think it's too expensive for just one pony?"

"Not when you have backers..." The brass pony stopped and looked at his companions as if gauging the atmosphere. "It's 'common' among business ponies."

"But the mayor built the tower just a year ago as part of a hospitality project. Why would he sell it to Magi, who is openly opposed to him and his policies?" Interrupted the pony who looked like an ant with an inquisitive voice.

"Look, Hant, she... she has ways to persuade her potential clients..." The brass pony lifted his head as if pondering what he was about to say. "Listen, everyone, I know all this raises suspicions. But I was there and saw the paperwork. Everything's clean. So you can trust that nothing illicit is going on and that the company is sound, as are its contracts. Are we agreed?"

The two ponies looked heavily at their leader. It wasn't a good moment, but then a loud rumble echoed across the rooftop. Immediately, the three looked at the largest one among them.

"Not me," said the confused big green horse.

Once again, a crunch sounded, and the four equines turned their heads toward the Rainbow Pegasus flying a few meters behind them.

"Um... hey, guys?" said Dash with a smile, lightly tapping her rebellious stomach.

The team of ponies exchanged confused looks among themselves.

"Well, this is a surprise..." said the brass pony, taking a few steps toward Dash. "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but... are you Rainbow Dash?"

"That's right, same old me," replied Dash confidently.

"Oh!" exclaimed the other team members, surprised. They began to murmur among themselves, while the brass pony remained impassive, probably due to the helmet covering his face. However, after a few seconds, he started to remove the helmet that covered his entire head.

"Sorry for not recognizing you earlier. This suit doesn't have good peripheral vision," said the brass pony, revealing a stern face with thick eyebrows and a well-groomed beard. Combined with his black mane and peach skin, he gave off an image of a respectable and attractive pony. "I'm Tomy Star, leader of the traveling children's theater group 'Average'. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rainbow Dash."

"You don't have to apologize, I should have introduced myself earlier and..." Dash's stomach grumbled again. "Do you happen to have anything to eat you could offer me, please?"

"Of course!" said the proud white Pegasus, raising his hammer in the air and striking a flashy pose. "It would be an honor for us to invite such a renowned friend of the esteemed princess of Equestria to a grand feast."

"Hey Thur, quit acting, we're not on the job," whispered the pony who looked like an ant.

"Let it be, Hant..." The brass pony turned to the largest member of the team. "Hey Brice, do you mind if we share your food with our guest?"

"Well... I..."

"Excellent! Come along, Miss Rainbow Dash, our offices are a few floors down, if you don't mind."

"Of course! I'm starving and... just call me Dash," said the Pegasus as she touched the ground again.

"Alright, 'Dash'. Let's get going," said Tomy, leading Dash towards the elevator entrance. The rest of the group followed suit, bombarding Dash with questions like "Do you know the princesses? What's Princess Twilight like? Do you have a partner?" Dash had no trouble answering their questions, except those related to her marital status.

The elevator arrived quickly, and the group of ponies entered it. However, not everyone could fit in. Despite the spaciousness of the elevator, the big green horse was left outside, looking to see if his companions would make space for him.

"Sorry, Brice, there's not enough room. You'll have to take the stairs," said Tomy.

Brice didn't respond. Although he didn't seem angry, his face bore the expression of an abandoned pet.

The metal doors of the elevator closed, and it began to descend. As they chatted, Dash felt the comforting air conditioning envelop her coat and the soft music that felt very familiar. It truly was an elevator in a luxury hotel.

"Excuse me, Miss Dash," Tomy interrupted Dash's conversation with her other companions, "but I was wondering what brings you to this pleasant encounter... Are you just passing through, or do you have some business to attend to at the Average tower?"

"Well... now that you mention it, I need to meet with Magazine Doublereport. I believe she's the owner of this place. Do you know her?"

A silence filled the elevator.

"Did the princess send you?!" nervously asked the ant-like pony.

"Hant!" reprimanded the brass pony sternly.

"No," replied Dash, confused by Hant's question and Tomy's demeanor. "I'm here more for a business matter. Is something wrong?"

"We'd better continue this conversation in our offices," said Tomy coldly, casting a wary glance at the security camera on the elevator's ceiling. Quickly, everyone, including Dash, understood the brass pony's comment. Without saying another word, the group continued descending in the elevator.

Several floors above, the big green horse named Brice descended slowly down the tower's stairs. At that moment, he felt quite calm, but it wouldn't be until a little later that he would erupt in anger at how empty Dash had left his pantry.