Sweet Apple Acres- 12:20 P.M.
"She's gone!", Big Mac exasperaterd.
"What, but... how? She was locked in a glass box with only one way in or out!", Applejack exclaimed.
"Ah don't know how she did it lil' sis, but Ah have a pretty good idea of where she's going.", Big Mac stated as his eyes scrunched together in anger.
"Ya don't mean..."
"Come on! We have no time to spare.", Big Mac shouted angerly, "WE MUST FIND HER!"
Ponyville Funeral Parlor- 12:25 P.M.
Everypony gasped as the door swung open aburtly, interrupting Twilight's speech, and Applebloom cooly stepped into the room. Her eyes were glued on the picture of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash that was in the front of the room, behind the podium that Twilight was standing at.Everypony in the room trailed her with their eyes, as she proceeded through the rows of pews, to the front of the room, and up to the caskets that displayed the once dare-devil Rainbow Dash and the now infamous Pinkie Pie.
Applebloom stared blankly at the photogrgh of the two ponies and tilted her head to the side as a wicked smile appeared on her face.
"Why are you..."
Twilight was cut off by a giggle from the little filly, "Ya'll are holding their funerals together?", Applebloom smiled, "So, that's how ya'll plan to cope with what happened? Just try and forget it?", Applebloom giggled some more and as suddenly as she had appeared her face dead panned, "Ya'll never be able to forget the lesson that my mentor had taught ya'll.", she turned to the stunned crowd and whispered ominously, "Never."
Applebloom turned and walked over to Pinkie Pie's casket and gazed down at her mentor as a tear filled her eye she asked, "Why did you abandon me?", her voice turned from sadness to one of anger and disgust, "WHY? Why did you leave me?", she shouted at the corpse.
She reached in, and as gently as she could, she petted Pinkie's cold cheek.
"Ah would've helped ya if you had taken me with ya.", she whispered.
Twilight, who was now over the intial shock of Applebloom's appearance, enveloped the filly in an aura of magic and lifted her off the ground.
"How did you get here Applebloom?", Twilight asked the filly.
"We'll take her back home Twilight, let her go.", Applejack said as she entered the parlor at a full gallop with Big Mac on her heels.
"How did she get out?", Twilight asked.
"We don't know but we are taking her back home.", Big Mac said.
Twilight released Applebloom from her magic and walked back over to the podium. Applejack walked over to her sister and nudged her towards the door.
"Applebloom, we have to leave." she whispered quietly to her sister.
"And why is that?", Applebloom asked as se began walking towards the door.
"Cuz lil' sis, the folks of Ponyville are afraid of ya.", Big Mac said sullenly when the trio of Apples were outside.
Applebloom smiled lightly and thought to herself as she looked back at the parlor, 'And they should be.' Applebloom glanced back over to her sister, and a small sinister grin appeared on her muzzle, 'They should be.'
The Next Day
Sweet Apple Acres- 10:15 A.M.
"Applebloom, how did you get out of the stable the other day?", Twilight asked.
Applebloom stared directly into Twilight's eyes and cooled said, "Why Twilight, a girl has got to have her secrets."
Semi-flustered Twilight said, "Well in any case it doesn't matter. You'll be under constant guard from now on."
Applebloom grinned at Twilight and stared at her with soulless eyes. Twilight stared uneasily back at the little filly sitting before her in the large glass stable. Long gone was the filly who innocently crusaded with her friends with hopes of obtaining their cutie marks Twilight realized. She had been replaced by this filly who had seen more blood shed then most ponies Twilight's age. Her mind had been warped by Pinkie Pie to the point that the filly believed that Pinkie Pie was teaching her something valuable that Pinkie Pie was, her mentor.
"So," Applebloom began breaking the long silence between the two, "tell me Twilight, what was it like?", she asked coolly.
"I beg your pardon?", Twilight asked as she tilted her head from confusion.
"Killing my mentor.", Applebloom answered with a stare that held a small spark of genuine intrigue.
Twilight stared at the filly wide eyed half from terror and half from shock. "I don't see why that matters Applebloom. You really shouldn't be asking questions like that."
"Oh, it matters the world to me Twilight. She broke down that poor pathetic excuse of a pony I used to be, and rebuilt me from the ground up. She taught me things that you couldn't imagine in your wildest of fantasies. She became my world, my sun, my moon. She was everything to me, and you took her away from me forever.", Applebloom stated with rising anger evident in her voice.
"If I tell you, will you tell me what she did to you?", Twilight asked in a quiet tone?
"Quid pro quo Twilight, quid pro quo."
Twilight raised her eyebrow and asked, "What?"
"I tell you what she did to me, and you tell me what you did to her."
There was a long pause between the two ponies until Applebloom broke the silence, "What's it going to be Twilight? Yes or no?"
Twilight let out a breathe that was caught in her chest in the form of a sigh and responded to the little filly, "You're on Applebloom, but you go first and no lying promise?"
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.", Applebloom said with an eerie voice as she followed along with the hoof motions of the chant her "mentor" was famous for.
Twilight cringed at the sight and unsucessfully tried to swallow a lump that was caught in her throat, as she pulled her note pad and quill from her saddle bag.
"Ah was walking home from school with Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell awhile back. Pinkie Pie came bouncing towards us and asked me if Ah could follow her to Sugarcube Corner.", Applebloom stated in a droll tone, "So tell me how you found the building she was in Twilight."
Twilight snapped her head back up from her note taking and asked, "What?"
"It's a simple question Twilight. How... did... you... find... the... building?", Applebloom repeated slowly making sure to allow every syllable to smoothly roll off her tongue.
"Tell me more about what happened to you first.", Twilight said sternly.
"Oh no Twilight. You see in this game Ah give you a little, and then you give me a little, or this interview is over.", Applebloom stated as she crossed her arms.
"I found her hide out by mistake.", Twilight admitted while feeling slightly embaressed.
"By mistake?", Applebloom asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I was knocking on all the doors on Manehatten's Main Street. I knocked on her door and she invited me in. She almost fooled me with her disguise and voice but as I was leaving she made a mistake."
"And what was that?"
"Your turn Applebloom."
Applebloom giggled, smiled slightly, and said, "Now yer gettin the hang of the game Twilight. Ah asked her why she wanted me to follow her back to Sugarcube Corner. She said that she needed some help making cupcakes. We all said sure but she said that she only wanted my help. The others complained for alittle while, but eventually Pinkie Pie convienced them to leave. So we headed towards Sugarcube Corner, and when we got there she led me down to the cellar. She closed and locked the door behind us, which scared me at first, but I thought to myself, 'It's Pinkie Pie, nothin bad will happen.'", Applebloom paused and took a deep breathe and slowy released it. "Now it's your turn Twilight. Continue if you would please."
"She broke charecter and said 'Okie dokie lokie!', in her normal voice.", Twilight replied.
"HMM. Then what happened Twilight?", Applebloom quiried.
A tear appeared in Twilight's eyes as she remembered the events of that night. "She ran into a stairwell that led into a maze. I chased her through the maze, and eventually I found Rarity down in that pit. She looked malnurished, and weak and, and...", Twilight broke down into tears and ran out of the barn, leaving Applebloom alone in her glass stable with her thoughts.
Applebloom walked back to the middle of her stable and thought to herself, 'She'll be back.' Applebloom sat down and stared out of the glass stable where Twilight was sitting moments ago.
'Oh yes, she'll be back.'
Golden Oak Library- 1:50 P.M.
"I don't see what the big deal is Twilight. I mean Pinkie Pie's gone and Applebloom is under constant guard. Maybe she'll forget what she saw and be normal again.", Spike said as he tried to no avail to comfort Twilight.
"You don't understand Spike, she needs help. She has to talk these problems out. It's the only way she'll get any better.", Twilight said in between sobs.
Spike wraped Twilight into a hug once again. It hurt him so that he couldn't get his friend to feel any better, but he knew he had to keep on trying.
"Maybe you should let the doctors talk to her.", Spike suggested.
"Princess Celestia has ordered me to talk to her, Spike. So, I have to do it.", Twilight said glummily.
Spike began weighing his options of things to try to cheer Twilight up, but then she broke his concentration.
"She scares me, Spike.", Twilight admitted quietly.
"What?", Spike whispered.
"There's something in her voice, her demeanor, even her smile that's... just... I don't know... off I guess. There's something there, something horrible, something dark.", Twilight said.
Spike noted the twinge of fear that resounded through Twilight's voice.
"Do you want me to go with you next time?", Spike asked.
"Next time?", Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You and I both know that you have to go back to her eventually. The Princess wants you to help her, and I want to help you. So when you go back over to talk to her, I'm going with you.", Spike explained in a low comforting tone.
Twilight immediately thought about saying no. She didn't want Spike to have to experience what she had with Applebloom. She was going to voice her thoughts until she looked into Spikes eyes. Deep within the deep lipid pools of green, she saw just how much he cared. She saw the pleading necessity that his eyes contained, so she slowly nodded her head up and down.
"Alright then, when do we leave?", Spike asked.
"As soon as possible.", was Twilight's response, much to the dismay of the young purple dragon, who was hungry at the moment.
"Can we have lunch first?", Spike asked as his stomach rumbled rather loudly.
Twilight giggled a little and said, "Of course my favorite little assistant."
The two of them walked out of the library and headed towards the cafe that was just up the road. Twilight and Spike walked in silence just enjoying each other's company for the time being. Spike looked over at Twilight and couldn't help but have some thoughts about his relationship with her.
'I love you Twilight, not in the same way I love Rarity of course, but more like the way Sweetie Belle loves Rarity. I mean we're basically brother and sister. I know that you would do anything possible to help me, and I would glady do the same for you.'
Twilight glanced over at Spike, who was staring at her and smiling warmly, so she returned the sentiment. It was then that Spike decided that he had to voice his thoughts, but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, his stomach began crying out once again for food.
'Maybe after lunch.', Spike concluded.
As they approached the little bistro Twilight looked up into the sky. It was a tranquil blue with a few clouds spotting the skyscape. She couldn't help but let it remind her of Rainbow Dash.
Twilight quickly ran through her memmories of her friend and decided that her favorite had to be when they first met. 'I'll clear the sky in ten seconds flat.', Rainbow had said. And she did. More and more memmories began to flood her mind, and soon Twilight realised that there were tears welling up in her eyes. She decided she had to change her train of thought otherwise she would break down again.
Spike looked over at his friend and watched as she studied the sky. He took note of the tears that were forming in her eyes and knew that she was thinking of Rainbow Dash. He also thought of her from time to time, but he knew that with Twilight it was different. Not only was she one of the Elements of Harmony, but she was one of Twilight's first friends here in Ponyville. He knew Twilight was hurting bad, and that he had to do everything possible to make her feel better.
Twilight and Spike approached the bistro together, and decided to sit outside in the warm spring sun. They chose the table nearest to them and sat down.
They sat staring at each other for a while until Spike broke the silence, "So Twilight, how are you feeling?"
"Oh Spike, you needn't concern yourself with that."
"Yes I do! Your my friend and everyone can plainly see that this whole deal has gotten to you! Please Twilight! Tell me what's wrong! I mean if you can't talk to me, then who can you talk to?", Spike retorted in a spout of anger.
Twilight ruffed her brow and said in an equally angry tone, "It's none of your business Spike! Besides, I doubt that you would understand."
"Wouldn't understand what Twilight?", Spike nearly shouted, " They were my friends too you know.", Spike said in a slightly quieter tone.
Twilight could hear the hurt in Spike's voice. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but instead she cared for him to much to burden him with things such as what she was feeling, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings either.
Twilight placed her head in her hooves and fought back the tears, "I know they were Spike. I'm just can't believe what has happened though. First Rainbow Dash is killed by Pinkie," Twilight's voice then beame so quiet that it could have rivaled Fluttershy's, "then, I had to kill Pinkie Pie."
"You were only defending yourself and Rarity. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself.", Spike said as he reached across the table and placed a comforting claw on Twilight's shoulder.
"And what makes it worse is that Pinkie Pie trained Applebloom. She broke that poor filly Spike. Applebloom maybe to far gone to help.", Twilight said as she placed her head on the table tears falling freely from her eyes.
"But we have to try Twilight, for her. We have to help.", Spike said as the waiter approached the table.
"Are you guys ready to order or do you need more time?", the waiter asked with a smile.
Twilight brought her head back up and wiped away the tears, "I'll have a spinich salad with a glass of water please.", she said with a smile.
Spike could tell that it was a faux smile, but it still felt good to see Twilight smile again.
"Do you guys have any gems?", Spike asked.
The waiter gave him a puzzled look to which Spike retaliated with, "I didn't think so. Umm, I'd like some hay fries with a glass of sasparilla please."
"Very well then, I'll bring your orders as soon as they're ready.", the waiter said as he hurried away back inside the building with the order.
Their food was brought to them and they ate together in silence. Well Twilight did anyway, Spike on the other hoof attacked his food like a predator catching it's prey. Twilight watched in awe as he gulped his meal down almost lightening fast, and released a rather large belch for a dragon his size.
"WOW! You really were hungry.", Twilight said.
Spike blushed and responded, "Yeah, I was! *burp*"
Twilight finished her meal while under the watchful eye of Spike. After she was finished she and Spike continued towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Spike cleared his throat and said quietly, "You know I love you, right?"
Twilight stared at Spike for a few seconds with her mouth agape.
"As a sister Twilight.", Spike added with a smile.
Twilight smiled back and said, "And I feel the same way Spike."
"Good,", Spike said more to himself than Twilight, "good."
Sweet Apple Acres- 3:00 P.M.
"Look at'er, Big Mac.", Applejack said quietly, "She's sleeping peacefully."
"Eeyup."
The two older Apple sibblings were watching the youngest Apple sleep with a smile on her face and a look a pure tranquility.
"I wonder what she's dreamin' about?", Applejack asked as she and Big Mac turned to leave.
"Eeyup."