Pt 1

The elevator descended slowly without interruption to the first floor. Although it would have been easier for Dash to open a window and fly out of the building, that would have been rude and impolite behavior. She was in Manehattan, a city of ponies with its own rules and codes of conduct. In the past, she hadn't cared about respecting those rules, but now she was a respectable adult mare and a close friend of the ruling princess, which was something to consider. In a city like this, which thrived on rumors and scandals, her misconduct could tarnish not only her own image but also that of her friends.

Dash didn't want to take those risks, even though a part of her wanted to leave immediately. Up until that moment, she had remained calm and composed. But once the elevator doors closed and it began descending a few floors, so did her confidence.

"What do I do now?" she exclaimed, agitated. "Think, Dash, think!"

But nothing came to mind.

Several months ago, Dash had gone to the main building of the DN, which was also the shared headquarters of White Horse Publishing, to pitch the idea of a book based on her journey around the world. This was an idea she had kept secret from everyone she knew, including her closest friends. The origin of this idea wasn't rooted in her ego or any selfish motives but rather in an act of friendship and personal growth. Of course, this was a justification Dash repeated to herself to avoid acknowledging the obvious fact that the whole story of the book was about her and her incredible adventures.

However, the true motives behind undertaking such a task so contrary to her personality were, in a way, altruistic.

Nearly three years ago, her friends had made a commitment to do something special for their great friend Twilight during the "Two Sisters Festival," a holiday celebrated by all. The responsibility for this special activity was randomly assigned on that very day, and two of them had already fulfilled that promise with great honor.

Rarity had organized a banquet with the most important intellectuals from all of Equestria, including Starswirl the Bearded and Estigian. Dash suspected that her pink friend had something to do with how she managed to gather them together in such a short time.

On the other hand, Applejack surprised everyone by putting on an impromptu concert in the main garden of Canterlot Castle. Hearing Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight sing together was an experience no pony present at the celebration would ever forget.

Luck had it that Rarity and Applejack had already taken their turns, and Dash could only thank her good fortune for not being chosen. It's not that she didn't want to organize the event for her friend; it's just that she couldn't think of anything cool, and all she could do was try to hide her panic during the drawing. Time was passing, and the bar set by her pony friends only grew higher.

With all of this in mind, setting aside the jealousy she was starting to feel, Dash came to a conclusion: she had an incredible adventure traveling around the world, and Twilight loved books and stories. If she combined both ideas, she would achieve the success she was seeking: publishing an unpublished book about her journey with lavish details and making a special copy for her princess friend on the day of the "Two Sisters Festival."

Excited by her own cleverness, and without thinking too much about it, she proceeded to pour all her experiences from her journey into manuscripts. She wasn't a writer, but she imagined that narrating her own experiences wouldn't be difficult. And although she was disappointed that it took her months of work, once her task was finished, she immediately sent them to the White Horse publishing company to turn them into a book.

What followed next was a string of misfortunes that would haunt her to the present day.

The initial manuscripts she sent were rejected due to their poor writing. The advisor assigned to oversee her work never showed up due to "personal reasons," according to J.J. Jelly. The White Horse publishing company had all its best editors working on the new Daring Do book, which was set to be released in the same week Dash was supposed to publish hers. Finally, the first chapter that had taken so much effort to revise was once again rejected, leading her to today's meeting.

The elevator descended slowly, and Dash no longer had the energy to continue with that project. She didn't have a story to share; it had all been a waste of time, and moreover, she had run out of time.

"No, Dash! There's still time. You just need another editor who can fix this... or come up with something even more awesome for Twilight. But what?" Dash, feeling down, thought out loud as she sat down and stared at the closed elevator doors. The definite answer wouldn't come from there, that much was certain.

"I know someone who can help you," a voice replied from behind her.

Dash immediately turned around, surprised. Beside a stack of boxes that she had ignored when entering the elevator, there was a mare. She had short, tousled mane of a bright chestnut color. She wore a wrinkle-free black jumpsuit that clung tightly to her skin, revealing a slender figure. However, the most striking feature about her was not her perfect body, but the delicate features of her face. Dash couldn't be sure, but it seemed like she wasn't wearing any makeup or accessories. It was probably her natural beauty that made her stand out, especially her scarlet eyes.

"Who are you?" Dash exclaimed, puzzled. She was surprised, but not enough to let her guard down. "No, wait. You heard everything I said!"

"Don't worry, I didn't hear anything, but I think you're a pony interested in the publishing market," the striking mare said softly as a red card with white stripes floated towards Dash's hooves.

Dash curiously examined the colorful card, marked with a large letter 'A'.

The mare approached her and whispered in her ear, "It's always good to consider other options, after all, the publishing market is just a business." Her gaze was intense, and she seemed to know more than she was willing to say.

Dash was about to say something, but at that moment, the elevator doors opened. The mare swiftly exited the elevator just as a tumultuous crowd of office ponies flooded in.

Making her way through the ponies, Dash stepped out of the elevator and quickly began searching for the mysterious mare. But all she encountered was the bustling crowd of ponies entering and exiting the grand lobby of the DN tower.

Dash scratched her head. "What was that?" She examined the card she had received once again. Then she noticed an important detail. The mysterious mare had given it to her using magic, but she wasn't a unicorn; she was an earth pony.

Frowning even more, Dash scanned her surroundings once again. Her instincts told her she was being watched. Uncomfortable with that feeling, she flew out of the building. Her strong wings easily propelled her high up in the sky within seconds. She stopped and began to contemplate the vastness of the city.

"Averages Tower, huh? Well, I'll be there." Accepting the challenge, Dash dove down towards the metropolis.