Pt 2

The afternoon progressed like any other in the bustling city of Manehattan. In its busy streets, ponies carried on with their daily routines, hurrying from one place to another to get to their jobs, run necessary errands, or simply enjoy a leisurely moment in one of the numerous locations the city had to offer.

However, as the sun made its slow descent in the sky, a striking rainbow trail suddenly appeared amidst the city's buildings, disrupting the normalcy of the day. The zigzagging rainbow trail abruptly halted above a tall building under construction near the coast.

It was a pegasus like no other in all of Equestria.

"Aha! I finally found you!" exclaimed Dash cheerfully as she descended upon the tower.

The building, slightly taller than the others around it, seemed to be undergoing a major façade renovation. From above, Dash could see all the worker ponies laboring on what appeared to be a massive letter 'A' on the side of the building facing the coast. The color and design of the place matched the card the mysterious mare had given her that morning.

Dash was 100% certain that this was the right place.

As Dash descended further, she began to notice more and more unusual details in the infrastructure. The rooftop, for instance, had a special enclosure for the landing of pegasi and aerial vehicles. There were also large antennas and modern equipment subtly disguised as artificial vegetation. There even seemed to be a greenhouse in one of the corners next to a small kiosk.

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

Dash performed a mid-air somersault and, without wasting any more time, landed on the cloud-rubber fence with perfect precision.

"Wait a second... Is this a cloud-rubber track?" exclaimed a surprised Dash as she tapped her hoof against the ground. "Okay, this place is 20% cooler!"

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

Without wasting any more time, wearing a wide and genuine smile, she made her way toward the kiosk she had spotted a moment ago. It was empty, which didn't surprise her since she had noticed from above that there didn't seem to be anyone attending or any products on the shelves. However, she was intrigued by the abundance of Power-Psoas energy drink and Jumy cookies advertisements. She continued walking and found herself in front of the greenhouse. Using her hooves, she cleared a portion of the transparent glass wall to peer inside. It was a fascinating sight, a bio-garden filled with juicy carrots and all kinds of vibrant vegetables. All the vegetables were neatly stacked in individual cubes connected to small hoses and wiring. Clearly, someone had taken their time to take 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 growing appetite she was feeling.

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

Prompted by her sudden hunger, Dash soared above the greenhouse. A fresh aroma wafted out of the skylight, causing Dash's stomach to growl even louder.

Dash placed her hooves on the window to fully open it and enter, but she paused. She detected another aroma that made her forget her urgent hunger. It was a subtle scent of incense smoke. Dash peered through the window opening once again. This time, she noticed that there were four rocks marked with runes at each corner of the greenhouse, along with small offerings of incense. There were also hidden security cameras nestled 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 this place was not only forward-thinking but also highly cautious.

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

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

"Wow," Dash could only say as she watched the swift and flawless landing of the airship.

Once on the ground, the main door of the airship opened, and a striking group of ponies descended from it. Dash scrutinized them twice but was only certain that they were all stallions.

The first one, who appeared to be the leader of the team, was a pony wearing a complete suit of golden armor. It looked so tight and riveted at the edges that it gave the impression of being a brass-made robot-pony.

The second one 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 carried a helmet and a bulky hammer on his left side.

The third one was a large pony of a solid green color, a shade that would give Rarity a heart attack. In addition to his notable 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 could very well be the strangest of them all. He was a unicorn wearing a tight full-body suit in red with black lines, but the most striking thing was his spherical helmet that covered his entire head and ended in antenna-like appendages. Dash thought of an ant when she saw it.

Dash watched the group move towards the rooftop elevator with a slow pace that resembled a fashion parade.

"Hey, Tomy..."

"Yes?" replied the leader of the team, the pony with the hammer, in a mechanical voice.

"You mentioned earlier that this tower belonged to the city's mayor, did Magi really buy it?"

"Yes, that's right, Thur."

"How?"

"He 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 partners backing you up..." The brass pony paused and looked at his companions as if reading the atmosphere. "It's 'common' among business ponies."

"But the mayor built the tower just 1 year ago as part of a hospitality project. Why would he sell it to Magi, who openly opposes him and his policies?" interrupted the ant-like pony with an inquisitive voice.

"Look, Hant, she... has ways of persuading her potential clients..." The brass pony raised his head as if contemplating what he was about to say. "Listen, everyone, I know all of this raises suspicions. But I was there and saw the papers. Everything is clean. So you can trust that nothing illegal is happening, and the company is fine, as well as your contracts. Are we all on the same page?"

The two ponies looked heavily at their leader. At that moment, a loud growl echoed throughout the rooftop. Immediately, all three of them turned their heads towards the largest of them all.

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

Once again, a rumble sounded, and the four steeds turned their heads to the Rainbow Pegasus flying just a few meters behind them.

"Um... hey, guys," Dash said, lightly tapping her rebellious stomach.

The team of ponies exchanged confused glances with each other.

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

"Yes, that's me, same as always," Dash confidently replied.

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

"Apologies 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-colored skin, he presented an image of a respectable pony. "I'm Tomy Star, the 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 rumbled again. "Do you have any food you could offer me, please?"

"Of course!" proudly exclaimed the white pegasus, raising his hammer in the air and striking a striking pose. "It will be an honor for us to invite a great feast for a friend of the great ruling princess of Equestria."

"Hey, Thur, stop acting, we're not on the job," whispered the ant-like pony to him.

"Let him 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. Follow us, Miss Rainbow Dash, our offices are a few floors below if you don't mind."

"Of course not! I'm starving, and... just call me Dash," the Pegasus said as she touched the ground again.

"Alright, 'Dash.' Let's get going," Tomy said, leading Dash towards the elevator entrance. The rest of the group followed suit, and they wasted no time 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 for those related to her marital status.

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

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

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

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

"Excuse me, Miss Dash," Tomy interrupted Dash's conversation with her other companions, "but I was wondering... Were you just passing by, or do you have some business to attend to at the Average Tower?"

"Well... since 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 with a stern voice.

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

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

Several floors above, the large green steed slowly made his way down the tower's stairs. At that moment, he felt rather calm, but it wouldn't be until a little later that he would erupt in anger over how empty Dash would leave his pantry.