Where was Twilight? I slowly made my way around, peeking at the shelves once more. Where did she place them again? I thought over what happened yesterday afternoon before Sweetie Belle was taken for questioning. I choked back tears, no, I didn't need to worry about her. She's fine, she has her magic. She's just questioned, no harm in that right? No need to go all teary eyed-I need every ounce of sight I could get. I stumbled over belongings as I made myself around. Luna's night castes above Ponyville, normally with the residents asleep. Not today, not with the dance that was being held. Rarity insisted heavily that I should wear my dress to go, even when I tried backing out. Scootaloo was so excited for this dance-that was the perfect way to manipulate me into going in the first place.

"She wouldn't want you to stay behind on your first dance-go! I won't take no for an answer. Scootaloo's design will not go to waste, not on my watch! Rarity's words still were etched in my thoughts. Going to the dance is secondary objective. My ears perked trying to find any hints of life. Spike's snoring was absent-he must be with Twilight then. I pushed the door slightly with my muzzle to peer in. The blackness was surrounding almost each corner of the room.

"Twilght's bedroom," I took note. Her bed was sitting beside a window, the moonlight somehow made it appear even more desolate than it was already with the sheets neatly tucked in order. There were shelves and sort around the room with stairs leading to the bed. Twilight had her books stashed when she needed them here. I climbed up the steps to look around more. No Spike. Nothing on value to here.

"OOF!" I covered my mouth immediately. Was that a handle? How can I grab that? The handle was meant for a creature with claws or a horn-the ends curved in a way hooves can't grasp. I tried to move it with my mouth, but it was too awkward to move. It pulled up and out, like cellar doors, but lacked better grip. I climbed down the stairs after closing the door behind me easier then it was to open. The stairs winded down narrowly until I landed in a pit filled with nothing but books upon books with shelves along side. Why were they hidden? Were they different? I noticed that it was poorly stacked compared to the other shelves that weren't hidden. The books themselves spewed their contents as they were older then the others upstairs and highly over used. The light showed the truth behind the pit.

"Twilight..." Awestruck, I looked towards the only table where a giant bulletin board. So many papers were neatly pinned along side in chronological order. That filly was plastered all over the board, her past and present were evident. I took a glimpse at her making sure I didn't see another. Nope, the same filly. She had a pink coat with a darker shade of pink mane that contrasted with eachother nicely. Her small pink horn peaked through her straight mane with a small black bead. Her cutiemark was a checkerboard like I saw earlier. From her dark pink eyes to her hooves, she was the same filly I read about earlier. What was her name?

Check Mate, age 8. I shivered. She was the one that died in the other article.

Check Mate, beloved unicorn filly, found dead by the Everfree Forest October 23.

Check Mate found dead after tortured for 11 months.

No Suspect found in Check Mate's brutal death.

"Check Mate was headliner for months on end..." I was dumbfounded. She had so many articles on her, then more on other fillies the same age, but only a few were older then eight years old. Then there were others that weren't named at all without ages or anypony to account for them. Then my eyes fell to Scootaloo's picture. There were scribbles on her strange disappearance, but nothing more then that. I narrowed my eyes; there was a lone note on the board. I couldn't make out what it said other than a few lines.

"Celestia, I will find the ------if its the last thing I do. I promised --------------"

There has to be a camera somewhere in here. I rummaged through my bag. So much nothing. Wait-found a camera! I quickly clicked it to capture everything I needed from the board to examine later. Perfect. I looked down; the desk had so many papers stacked. I pushed through a few papers that were scribbled on until Scootaloo's name was on another few pieces. I took note they were pretty lengthy-too lengthy to read now. I stuffed it in the saddle bag quickly without a second glance. I wondered how much I'll be in trouble for taking anything. I tried shrugging the idea off quickly to continue forward.

"What is that?" A book caught my eye. It was a collection of books, really, but they had a different feel to them. They weren't anything like I seen with Twilight upstairs with her Strict Rule book, they were more...personal. Diaries? Journals? frowned and took them for examination. They were notebooks and in journal format. Each all mouth written by fillies. There were titles for each book. I stuffed them quickly in my bag. There must be a clue in there, some of the pages weren't filled by the children, but by Twilight. I could tell, her hoof script was easy to recognize from the normal texts. My bag was continuing to fill with more information as the time grew. I took pictures for a few and the others I just took. Twilight wouldn't notice much. I started up the stairs, killing the lights as I grabbed one last piece I needed:Deadly Encounters: Manehatten's Greatest Unsolved Mystery by Strict Rule. Whatever is, I'll earn it. If they won't tell me willingly, then I'll make them tell me. Twilight will regret lying to me, they all will. I'll figure it out for both of us. I rearranged all the books that were there back to their correct spots, making sure that it didn't appear to rummaged through. There, done.

"Nothing will stop me. I will get her here and safe. Your work's done Twilight, I guarantee it." I quickly escaped the library wondering whether I was doing what was right, but when Scootaloo's figure came to mind, there was no doubt in mind anymore. If these ponies aren't going to go any further, then so be it.

--------

"APPLE BLOOM!"

My ears fell again as I heard Applejack's voice raise into a yell. I hid the papers from view under my bed along with the saddlebag. I did go to the dance as promised, that I have done. I stole tonight, I broke into Twilight's house for Celestia's sake, but at least I'm going to be honest. Its the least I could do. I know I am right-I did the right thing clearly, but they won't see it like that. No pony will. At least I saw everypony there, some ponies more surprised then others.They never gawked at me, except Dinky. Dinky was always an exception, give her five minutes and she'll scream your name. She sustained everything I did after dance. It was nice-she was nice. Though, she's no Scootaloo. Scootaloo was something that Dinky and no other mare was. She was perfect in almost every detail. I can't let her go-she means the world to me. I can't let her know this-I'll just tell Dinky it was a one time very big thing that I did not plan on. It was true-I did not plan to cheat on my foalnapped fiancee. There's something in the punch, there had to have been. Her touch lingered still. She knew the right spots for a mare, her cutie mark was right for her after all.

"Apple Bloom, get up," Her voice was a controlled anger that was reserved for the worst of cases. I shrunk back. "We need to talk." I bit back, did they figure out what I did? I hope not.

"Applejack..?" I whimpered softly. She was angry with me. No, angry was a term a too light. She was down right pissed at me. I didn't question her, I just moved to her room obediently."What did I do?"

"This is about--" I sighed again, frowning. Scootaloo case, got it for the fifth time.

"Scootaloo, right?" She paused and nodded. She seemed to debate more over something. Her eyes dart towards the wall, looking for a way to word something. I knew the look anywhere. "Appl--"

"Twiight told me what you did." I felt like I was on a roller coaster that was on the first drop. She found out I stole from her, she found out everything. My knees are getting weak. No, this can't be happening now.

"App-" She held her hoof up to me to stop me. Nervousness was not the right term for what I felt.

"Let me finish." She pulled me on her bed. What's happening? I wasn't expecting this."She told me what you said." I cocked my head.

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you tell me you two were like that?" Applejack sounded hurt more then angered now. I bit back. I didn't realize that I held so much back, but...she was my sister nonetheless. There were private matters I wanted to keep just that:private. She didn't know, I was glad. So relieved, but confused. "That makes everything much harder."

"I..didn't know..okay? I didn't know how to tell you...I didn't want you to think I was a..."My voice drifted off. She eyed me, anger flaring.

"Nopony would have thought that!" She argued. I shrunk back almost immediately. She exhaled and smiled softly, pulling me closely. "Look, I'm sorry to have scared you like that, but you need to trust us-we're here for you. Don't you go thinkin' otherwise okay?"I nodded.

"I won't Applejack, I promise." I nuzzled her as her embrace was tighter. When she let go, it felt empty. I quickly missed the feeling. She tapped my shoulder before I tried leaving.

"Oh, and before I forget.." I faced her again, tilting my head towards her. A smile grew from ear to ear on her features, so much so it was uncomfortable.

"Huh?!" I stuttered as I shifted, sudden unease filling my body. "What is it?"

"We're going to save both of them, don't you ever think otherwise." Both?

"Is Sweetie Belle okay? Is she kidnapped too just like Scootaloo?" I hadn't realized I grabbed her until she gently pushed my hoof off of her shoulder.She looked a bit puzzled by the accusation. I was just as puzzled by her as she was me. "AJ, if there's something wrong, why aren't you telling me? Why are you hiding things?"

"You really don't know?" She sounded amazed. "What did you think I was angry about?"

"I thought-" She laughed so hard she fell. Was this hilarious?

"It wasn't shocking to hear you two were together! We all knew that you were something closer," She tapped her chin after she stopped laughing. "Didn't consider you two close enough to share a bed like that--"

"APPLEJACK!" Applejack's smile was mischievous in nature. She wasn't as mad as she sounded anymore. Still, what did she know that I hadn't? My thoughts lead me to the papers from the table with Scootaloo's name written on it. Too long to read on spot. I mentally nodded. I'l read them later.

"Well, what do ya think that would land you? Now you have the consequences to pay." I was dumbstruck. Totally dumbstruck. She can't-there was no way she would be-I was her first! There is no way that she could be---"Look, responsibility need to be taken where its due. When we find her, we'll make sure of that." Definitely reading those papers.

"You can't possibly think--" There wasn't any way to describe it. She couldn't have betrayed me, she wouldn't. "Scootaloo is not pregnant. Why are you thinking I could have-if she was..?" She wasn't, not a chance.

"I also know you tried out Twilight's...'invention.' She scrunched her face after 'invention'. "If Twilight didn't tell you, then I will. I'm guessing she was waiting until Scootaloo came home to say something." I scrunched my nose. I knew what she was talking about. Guilt pricked at me, I tried ignoring it.

"She asked me about Scootaloo and I told her. She dropped her book." I nodded. "She didn't tell me anything about it, she just rushed me out. I guessed the invention had a side effect that she didn't expect." She hummed in agreement.

"Apparently it was for a side project for two mares, I can't say since I don't know either. Its 'disclosed' information, as Twilight put it," She rolled her eyes. "Apparently neither were unicorns and learned that Twilight was available to help. They wanted a foal. I guess Twi found her tester pretty fast." My eyes widen at the answer as my heart finally began to beat again, only for realization to take it back.

"Doesn't that mean--" She'll be the mother to our foals-foals that we didn't know we were going to have. Foals we don't know will make it wherever Scootaloo was.

"We have to find them before something terrible happens. Twilight's already workin' up a storm just tryin' to send off what she learned. I'm sure she's already pretty far by now." Her voice dripped with caution. She didn't even believe what she told me. My mind went to Scootaloo like it had at Twilight's. She was going to be a mother, the mother of foals she and I weren't expecting. I trembled at the thoughts.She was expecting and she couldn't even tell me-she was somewhere. I couldn't stop myself from pacing around in AJ's room anymore.I could sense my sister's green eyes were locked on me, worried. "Now look right here, Apple Bloom. Don't get your bow tied in a knot. Celestia's finest are on the case. I know Scoots pretty darn well-she's not a pony to lose hope so darn easily. You shouldn't either. I get that your scared because of everything that's been said, but worryin' isn't going to help either of you. I'm going to forget that you stole Twilight's little 'invention' and place that aside. Rest, you hear? We'll talk about your punishment later for the...foal part. Right now you need to rest and think."

"I..really don't know what to say..." I flicked my tail as I turned to the door. There weren't many words that could be said. Scootaloo's somewhere with foal and only Celestia knows if she's okay. I mumble as I move to my room absentmindedly. I barely heard my sister's last words before her door closed for the day.

"Good night little sis, we'll find leads by morning. Don't you fret now." I went away, picking the books up to examine them. I wasn't eager to get to my bed-there was no point. The day ended like it began. My friends are gone and I'm not loyal. I know I'm not, I cheated on my pregnant fiancee after she disappears and I stole from my sister's best friend. I really hope what I did was worth it for the better.

Author's Note

I'm rewriting this chapter-I'm not sure how it turned out. I'll expand on it later.
Extras:
Dinky Do:She works part time as a message therapist with Aloe and Lotus. She has a HUGE thing for Apple Bloom. They are a couple on the side in a way. Purely physical and nothing more and happened on and off. Dinky's with Peppermint Twist who couldn't go after an accident with the peppermint sticks.
Note:Apple Bloom LOVES Scootaloo, but she was on the rebound after Scootaloo's foalnapping. This will be covered later, just a minor love triangle.