Chapters Electric Fruit Bungalow Dance Team
Rarity opened the door to her house as she got home from Sugar Cube Corner, she finally convinced Pinkie Pie to be a lady and learn ballet. She scanned the room for her sister, Sweetie Belle. The empty house's fan sqeaked, but there was no nay. Rarity galloped towards the kitchen wondering if Sweetie Belle left a note for her on the fridge. There was nothing on it, just white, cold metal. There was a knock at the door, Rarity opened the door, it was Applejack.
“Have you by any chance seen Applebloom?” Applejack asked Rarity. “Granny Smith is worried she didn't come to dinner tonight, thought she was with Sweetie Belle.” Rarity shook her head.
“I myself am looking for Sweetie Belle, I'm worried something happened to her.” Rarity answered. “She wasn't in Sugar Cube Corner, I just got from there and I doubt she went anywhere else, I mean you know those little sisters. Always trying to find their cutie marks, I doubt they went anywhere twice.”
“I know what you mean, but that doesn't really help us.” Applejack pointed out. “We need answers or at least clues to this mystery I mean Ponyville doesn't really have that high of a crime rate ya know?.” The two ponies put their hooves to their chins and thought.
“I think we should talk to some of our friends, see what they have to say about this. Maybe they even have the same thing happening to them.” Rarity said.
“Excellent idea.” Applejack answered. The two ponies trotted towards Sugar Cube Corner trying to get to Pinkie Pie before she closed for the night. “Do you think the Cakes are victims of this as well?”
“Possibly, we have to check up on Pinkie Pie. I hope not but I am prepared for anything.” Rarity answered. As they came across Sugar Cube Corner, they saw Pinkie Pie outside crying.
“I would ask what's wrong but I think I know what it is.” Applejack bluntly stated not realizing how cold she sounded
“What do you mean?” Pinkie Pie snarled through her tears. “I just lost two foals to my employers!”
“We both lost our sisters.” Applejack and Rarity said in unison. Pinkie Pie blinked and apologized to her friends. “We forgive you, but we have to learn what's happening here. It seems all the foals are disappearing.” Pinkie Pie opened the door to Sugar Cube Corner and the three friends decided to think inside there for fear of what was outside during this night of disappearances.
“Have anything Pinkie?” Rarity asked.
“I have a lot of candy... I mean I do work at a candy shop.” Pinkie answered. Rarity and Applejack both facehooved.
“We meant anything related to the disappearances of the foals.” Applejack pointed out. “We both have nothing, however Applebloom went missing before dinner, we have no idea if that's relevant though. We also obviously know that they simply vanish without a trace.” Pinkie Pie started chomping down on a sundae thinking, after a moment she answered.
“Well, I did serve the Cutie Mark Crusaders today some suckers, they said they would go into the Everfree Forest to see if they could get their cutie marks by digging for buried treasure, that or planting suckers either one worked for me.” Pinkie Pie answered. “Other than that I don't know what could possibly happen to them.”
“Then let's go.” Applejack walked out and headed towards the Everfree Forest. Rarity followed her, then Pinkie Pie, who was surprisingly skeptical about her friends' recklessness.
“You do know this is just an idea, not where I last saw them.” Pinkie stated.
“Yes but we need to find our friends. Who knows they could've been ponynapped, especially with Fluttershy near the Everfree Forest. We need to at least check up on her.” Rarity pointed out.
“OK we split up how's that?”Applejack said trying to play compromiser. “I'll check up on Fluttershy, while Rarity checks up on Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie looks into the what Rainbow Dash is up to. Maybe she has found some evidence towards some other being in Equestria. "We will meet up at Twilight's house. How's that?"
“We can dig that.” Pinkie Pie said as she cantered away from her friends onward towards Rainbow Dash's Cloud and Rarity heading to Twilight's house and obviously with Applejack heading towards Fluttershy's cabin.
Applejack's nerves were getting the best of her, she swore she saw at least ten things that made her look back at her shadow when she was heading to Fluttershy's cabin. She was tempted to head back and just say she did check up on her, but she knew honesty was her power and it showed through in the end. She saw Fluttershy's cabin that was obscured by the trees at this time of night. She peered through the window, she saw Angel and that was a good sign and realized that this could narrow down the suspects. Something that avoids animals and only goes after ponies either because they have no interest in animals, by orders of another being or just wants to hunt ponies, the only species that seems to have a civilized society in Equestria. Applejack knocked at the door after a few tense seconds, Fluttershy opened the door.
“Oh hello Applejack. What's going on? I haven't been to Ponyville today so please tell me what is happening?” Fluttershy asked her friend to do.
“My sister is missing. Along with other foals such as the Cake twins and Sweetie Belle.” Applejack answered. “The six of us have to solve this mystery and well, you're drafted.” Fluttershy blinked.
“Um well, hangin I need to get some things. It will be some time for me to get them however so you can um, leave while I get packing.”
“Nope, I'm staying right here. We go together, no way we're going seperately this time of night with these disappearances.” Applejack stated. Fluttershy knew she couldn't trick Applejack into leaving her alone so she invited Applejack in to help her pack some things.
Electric Fruit Bungalow Dance Team
Pinkie Pie hopped, skipped and jumped over to Rainbow Dash's cloud where the mare was snoozing the night away safely on top of her spaghetti and meatball shaped cloud. For some reason Pinkie Pie always thought that was Rainbow Dash's favorite cloud to sleep on look liked. Pinkie Pie readied her pie launcher and aimed it at her friend, knowing it would certainly wake Rainbow Dash up. Pinkie Pie's motto was “Do everything with a punchline.”
Thump, thump, thump. Went her hooves as she stuffed the launcher with meringue pies. Despite being a free-spirited pony with very little focus in her life, Pinkie Pie was an excellent shot, coming from the shot putting that she had done on the rock farm she was raised in. She aimed more at her friend.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Went the launcher as it fired all three pies at her friend who went THUMP after the first one. The other pies went flying into the distance. Rainbow Dash got up and wasn't amused.
“What did you do that for?” Rainbow Dash asked. Her face being covered in whipped cream and jelly.
“You were sleeping and well, as an earth pony I couldn't reach you.” Pinkie answered as she blew out the smoke from her launcher.
“Could've just yelled at me.” Rainbow replied.
“And wake up all of Ponyville? That would be inconsiderate.” Pinkie Pie humphed. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at this.
“So what's the problem that made you wake me up this early?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“The foals are being kidnapped by something. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are already accounted for the missing. No idea if Scootaloo's around still or not, but it looks grim for any foals.” Pinkie Pie answered.
“Any leads?” Rainbow Dash asked, her anger being replaced by a frown of worry.
“Nope however, it is stealthy and it strikes between dinnertime and dusk.”
“Not much to look into so far. Have anything involving the crime scene?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“That's what I was going to ask you, you're a flyer Rainbow.” Pinkie Pie replied slyly. “You can see things us walkers can't, did you see anything at all that was out of the ordinary tonight, or anypony acting strangely?” Rainbow had her hoof on her chin, thinking deeply about what she saw today, especially before she went to bed.
“I saw Dinky Hooves with the Crusaders but that's not really that odd... I mean they are friends and all.” Rainbow Dash said remembering her daily air patrol. “I went down to talk to the four of them and they were going to play Mare Do'Well vs. The Bad Ponies, so I warned them to be careful and asked them where they would be going.”
“Which would be where?” Pinkie asked.
“Near the outskirts of the Everfree Forest connecting to Rambling Rock Ridge.” Rainbow Dash answered.
“Great we have a crime scene finally.” Pinkie Pie answered. “Let's meet up with up with the others and see what we have. The two friends went to Twilight's house to meet up with Rarity and Twilight, hoping Fluttershy and Applejack would be there two to share their notes.
When they got their all four of their friends were at Twilight's house. Twilight was at her desk with a quill in the air due to magic and already had some notes written down like: “Seems to go after ponies only.” and “Doesn't aim for treasures or possesions.” while Spike was still sleeping.
“Hey Pinkie, Hey Rainbow.” Twilight and Rarity said in unison. “We were waiting for you and your info on this mystery.”
“It strikes in the evening and we have a crime scene.” Pinkie Pie answered.
“Really where?” Twilight asked. “This will help me greatly in my research about what it is.”
“Rambling Rock Ridge.” Rainbow Dash answered.
“That's pretty far out for fillies to play at.” Rarity pointed out.
“Also from what I heard.” Pinkie Pie said. “They would be going to the Everfree Forest to plant things or dig for buried treasure, think somebody could be posing as them to throw us off the trail?” Rarity chuckled
“You don't have little sisters obviously Pinkie.” Rarity said. “Little sisters have mastered the art that is known as lying.”
“Yep they sure do.” Said Applejack. “They wanted to go out further than the forest so maybe they threw that at us so we wouldn't say no and be a killjoy.”
“Plus if they are in the forest I'm sure we could find them easily, I mean the forest and the ridge aren't that far away from each other.” Fluttershy pointed out.
“Either I'm worried for the foals.” Rainbow Dash said. “On hoof, we might be too late what if something happens to them. Even if the forest and the ridge are close to Ponyville it's still a trek walking.”
“I've came prepared for this.” Twilight said. “First thing Celestia told me was to ALWAYS have a teleportation spell ready. Gather around my friends.” With that command the six friends gathered in a circle and with a bamf, the six were at the ridge and the forest.
“Fan out everypony.” Rarity said. “They have to be here somewhere.” Quickly Rainbow Dash saw something discomforting.
“I found something!” She yelled in distress. When everypony came to the place Rainbow Dash was, it was Scootaloo's scooter, battered and missing a wheel as if used as a weapon. “This isn't good, really not good..”
“Good news, no blood. Which means Scootaloo's possibly alive. Bad news, still no sign of them.” Pinkie Pie said.
“I see some prints so they were here.” Applejack pointed out. “I even see some faint unfamiliar ones. So we have some evidence of the foalnapper.”
“I'll see if I can get some DNA off of the scooter back at my place.” Twilight said hopefully.
“First... hide.” Fluttershy said as she hid behind a rock pointing behind her friends. The other five ponies turned slowly and saw something terrifying.
Electric Fruit Bungalow Dance Team
Upon further inspection, it was nothing, just Fluttershy's mind playing tricks. Her friends didn't blame her, the mind in a hyperactive state could be overvigilant at times. A rock could be a monster, a cactus could be a hunter of an odd shape, fear prays on the imagination. Next to Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy was the second most imaginative pony in Ponyville. Her imagination plus all the rocks in this ridge can make for some fearsome images.
“Mind if we use your cabin for DNA testing Fluttershy? It would be quicker than my house.” Twilight asked. Fluttershy nodded. In her mind the sooner they were out of this crime scene, the safer they would be after all. The six ponies went to Fluttershy's cabin. Which not too deep into the Everfree Forest and Twilight started every single test she could use to uncover this mystery in Fluttershy's guest room. The tension was rising with each passing minute.
“So any guesses on it will be?” Pinkie Pie asked her four remaining friends. This broke the silence like most of Pinkie Pies questions. This one was a bit more forced than usual since it was the question nobody wanted to answer. This was some of her friends' families and who knows what would happen to them.
There was dead silence for minutes. Tension was clearly in the air for everypony. Some of them had family members that were in trouble, others were just scared since they was just a monster on the loose.
“It could've been Diamond Dogs wanting revenge on me.” Rarity guessed half-heartedly.
“Griffons declaring war on all ponies.” Rainbow Dash suggested. Fluttershy and Applejack abstained from guesses. Fluttershy because she couldn't pin down which of the monsters she's faced in all of her lifetime could do this while Applejack didn't care who did it, she just wanted her sister back. “What about you Pinkie Pie? What is your guess.”
“Dragons. I accidently kept my bubblegum pop cd on all night long next to the Dragon Queen's nest and well...” Pinkie Pie said in embarrassment.
“You're hopless Pinkie.” Rarity said.
“Well, you're all wrong.” Twilight said as she walked over to her friends out of Fluttershy's guest bedroom. “It's a Newsku.”
“A what?” Rainbow Dash asked puzzled.
“A Newsku.” Twilight repeated as she pulled out a picture of a hairy, simian-like animal with big teeth and sharp claws. “It is a rare but very dangerous beast that has a hide that is magic resistant and weapon resistant. It thrives on eating ponies and just about anything else. A real apex predator you can say.”
“So my sister is good as dead?” Rarity asked not liking this realization at all. “Is that what you're implying?”
“And I might as well give up and tell old Granny Smith that Applebloom died?” Applejack huffed sharing Rarity's sentiments.
“As I told you, there was no blood on the scooter, therefore they are possibly alive.” Twilight pointed out.
“Possibly isn't making the scenario any more happy, Twilight.” Fluttershy huffed.
“Yeah, Scootaloo might've been killed away from that crime scene after all.” Rainbow Dash said indignantly.
“Look we can just find a weakness to the Newsku and defeat it.” Twilight snapped. “Simple as that, the Newsku likes to eat a lot in one meal instead of many meals over time. We have some time.”
“Not needed. I already know its weakness.” Pinkie Pie said. “In fact, I know the two legends who defeated a Newsku that can train us.”
“Legends?” The five ponies asked very puzzled by this.
“Yep, good friends with them in fact. You know them too you just always have them on the backburner, which is a shame in this situation.”
“Get on with it, who are these legends?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody.” Pinkie Pie replied.
