Applejack yawned and stretched in her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and feeling around on her side desk for the blaring alarm clock. It was early- early enough that the misty morning fog was still visible, and that the pasty morning coldness still hung dry in the air. Groggily, she slid out of bed, her hooves finding the floor and, for the extra warmth she slid on her yellow dressing gown.
"Good morning ya'll," she called. "Figures, they must be downstairs already." She said when nopony answered. "Typical for an Apple to get up bright and early I guess..." She yawned and trotted down the stairs, to find Big Mac and Granny Smith already sitting around the table, eating breakfast. "Oh, good mornin'." Applejack said.
Big Mac finished a mouthful of apple tart and looked up at his sister. "Eeyup," he said.
Applejack frowned. Big Mac and Granny Smith were there alright but where was Applebloom? She couldn't possibly still be in bed, could she? "Wheres Applebloom?" Applejack asked. "Anypony seen her?"
Big Macintosh slowly shook his head. "Eenope."
Granny Smith frowned. "Probably off crusadin' as usual." She scoffed. "In ma day, we didn't have friends helpin' us get our cutiemarks! We had to get em' ourselves. Ya know, that filly doesn't have an ounce of patience in her. I don't think I told ya the story of how I got my cutiemark? It all happened after the Apple family founded ponyville, and-
"I know Granny," Applejack interuppted. She was starting to get worried. It wasn't like Applebloom to go off crusading without telling her, much less so early in the morning. It was the weekend, and typically, she liked to sleep in. Maybe she had some secret meeting with her crusaders to go off to? "I'm going to check her room, see if she ain't hidin' there. Save me the last apple tart or somethin', I dunno."
She trotted up to Applebloom's room. "Applebloom? You in there? If your hiding, come out now, ya hear?" She pushed the door open just a bit. The covers were lumpy and thrown back and her toys, per the usual were strewn across the ground. Becoming increasingly more worried, the farm mare slowly pushed the door open and took a few steps forward. "Applebloom! This isn't funny, okay? There's fresh apple tart downstairs ya missin' out on!"
Applejack frowned. It wasn't like Applebloom to pass down a chance to have some apple tart. After all, it was her favorite breakfast meal. Just in case, however, she scanned the room, checking under the bed and in the closet. Getting frantic, she threw back the sheets, just in case she had somehow managed to flatten herself out enough to hide under them. "Applebloom?" An inaudible whimper escaped Applejack's throat. "Please just be out crusadin'." If this turned out to all be a joke, or some sick prank she was playing on her, Applejack had a right mind to ground her. At the moment, however, Applejack was worried.
Really, really worried.
Her face pale, she trotted downstairs. She felt as if the bags under her eyes had gotten at least three times larger. "Well?" Granny Smith asked.
Applejack shook her head. "I-I'll have a look in the crusaders club house," she said. "If shes not there, then I think I'll go to the police. This is just getting a little too worrying."
"Eeyup," Big Mac said.
Äpplejack finished off the last of her apple tart and then got up. "I was eatin' for ten minutes or so. Thats plenty of time for 'Bloom to get back. She hasn't, so I'd better go check." She tried to hide her fear behind a large facade of a grin. "If I don't return, call the police. If I do return, ah... then hopefully I'll have Bloom with me."
"I'm sure nothing bad has happened to her, Applejack." Granny Smith said. "You'll find her. Don't get over your head about these things."
Applejack sighed. "I hope your right, Granny Smith. I hope your right."
~ ~ ~
"Applebloom?" Applejack said. She shivered as a chilly draft drifted through an open window. The ground and walls were caked with dust and even at first glance it was painfully obvious that nopony had been here recently, or even in the last week or so. "Applebloom? You there darlin'?"
Her eyes fell on a solitary piece of paper, stuck to the ground with a strip of tape. "Applebloom?" Applejack whispered. She pried the note from the ground. As she read through the text across its surface, her eyes grew wider and wider. Moments later, a wail that could have reached Sugar Cube corner struck the air.
Rainbow Dash swerved through the air, leaving a multi-colored slinky behind her. The air was just like water at the pool- a bit cold, but warm once you got used to it. Borderless, free and easy to get your neck up again if you got into trouble, but just like in water, you didn't want to drown.
Parallel to her analogy, Rainbow Dash fell into an upside down position, She felt as if she was floating, so typically, she wasn't going to fall unless she panicked. The rainbow maned pegasus used her hooves at first, controlling her speed with only wings and long, flexible back strokes. Eventually, she tucked her hooves beneath her head and closed her eyes, enjoying the freedom of the sky.
After a bit, she fell back into the normal position, and took a detour to the nearest cloud. "Hey Scoots?" She called down. Rainbow Dash frowned. Where was she? They were supposed to have a flight lesson at the ponyville park today, and it wasn't like Scootaloo to miss out. "Maybe she's just late," Rainbow Dash said to nopony in particular. "I'll stay here until she arrives. Keep a watch out and stuff."
A few times, Rainbow Dash thought she heard the familiar buzzing of Scootaloo's scooter but when she looked down, she found she was mistaken. Eventually, she threw her hooves up in despair. "Ugh!" She cried. "Where is that filly? Its not like her to be late. Maybe she forgot?" Rainbow Dash would have gone looking for her, but she had a fairly good view of the park from where she was. She knew she wouldn't miss Scootaloo.
If she wasn't at the park then... where was she? Rainbow Dash found herself biting on the inside of her cheek to keep herself occupied. After all, Scootaloo was an orphan. She was one of the few ponies that Scootaloo had trusted enough to tell. If she was an orphan, of course it meant that she could be anywhere.
And by anywhere, it probably included her scootering through town on the little blue scooter that Dash had gotten her for her birthday. Where did she keep that Scooter again? It was in one of the public garages, wasn't it? Dash had an idea. If she could see that the scooter wasn't there, then it'd be a lot less work finding her.
As such, the cyan pegasus left her cloud and set off in the direction of the ponyville garage.
~ ~ ~
"Scootaloo's scooter had better not be here," Rainbow Dash muttered as she pushed up the door to the public garage. There were very few scooters and bikes in there and no ponies. "I'm starting to get a little worried." She winced as a spider descended from above her, stumbling back a few paces. "Not to mention creeped out. How long has it been since anypony other then Scoots used this place?"
As the light bulb above her flickered, Rainbow Dash was reminded of how the place didn't even have proper electricity. It was no wonder the whole place was abandoned. "Lets see," Dash said to herself. "Scootaloo told me that she keeps her scooter over..." She groaned. Of course, the space was occupied. The scooter that occupied it was painfully familiar. "There. Great," Rainbow muttered as she approached it. "Now how am I supposed to know what shes up to?"
To her surprise, a small, white strip of paper was stuck to the left handlebar. Rainbow Dash looked left and right, as if searching for the pony who had written it. "Scoots?" She whispered. Her curiousity got the better of her, and she unfolded the note to reveal the text. Slowly, she began to read it and just as slowly, a lump began to form in her throat. The result of the lump came out in a lost whisper, that did nothing to sooth her or squash the hill in her neck. "Scoots..." She whimpered. "Oh celestia..."
"Twilight!" Rarity practically smashed down the door. Twilight, who was just in the process of re-shelving her last book stumbled, letting out a cry as she was tackled to the ground.
"Rarity! Wha-
"No time to explain now, Twilight." Rarity insisted. "You simply must gather the others. Something terrible has happened."
Twilight frowned. Rarity was known for being the towns diva but this- this was actual fear. Something very, very bad had happened to her. She hadn't even brushed her hair all day, which was a sure sign that something had shocked her to the core. "What, Rarity? What happened to you?" Twilight frantically asked.
Rarity just shook a hoof. "Not to me, Twilight, not to me!"
"Then who...?" Twilight began.
Rarity shook her head. "Its Sweetiebelle!" She cried. "Shes gone missing! Shes not out crusading or anything- I checked. Gather everyone up at the Carousel Boutique- Quickly!"
Twilight frowned, more then a little confused. "Uh... okay?" She said.
"Oh, thank you Twilight, thank you, thank you, thank you! I tried asking the other townsponies but they know nothing about her! The worst part is the note I found in her room. Twilight, something horrible has happened- I can just feel it!" Rarity sobbed.
Twilight lent her friend a sympathetic smile and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Rarity. I'm sure whatever it is we can solve together, as friends. I'll get you home and assemble the others."
"Thank you Twilight..." Rarity murmured.
Twilight frowned. She couldn't help but think- what had gotten her friend so worked up? This definetly was not like her. She hoped that one of her other friends knew something.
~ ~ ~
Twilight addressed the group huddled on the mat of Rarity's store. "Now, your probably all wondering why you have been brought here," she said. "And I assure you it is for a very good reason."
"It'd better be! I've got things to do!" Applejack snapped. Twilight looked at her friend strangely- it was a silly thought but it almost looked like Applejack had been... crying...?
Rarity scoffed. "What could possibly be more important then finding my darling sister?"
"Finding my own!" Applejack spat back.
The whole room fell into silence as the two pony's expression's mellowed. Rarity was the first to speak. "Y-you sister is lost too, huh? I don't suppose you got a note?"
Applejack shuddered. "Of course I did. It was horrible... Just..."
"Oh my- Darling, I am so sorry." Rarity whispered. "I just..."
Applejack pushed her away with a hoof, but the hurt still showed behind her eyes. "Its fine," she said abruptly. "You didn't know. And I didn't know either."
"Hey, that sounds like what happened to Scoots!" Rainbow Dash gasped. Everypony focused on Rainbow Dash. "I found a note on her scooter," Rainbow Dash said. "The one I got her for her birthday. It said she was gone... that I'd never see her again... Unless I..." The words caught in her throat just as tears escaped.
"It seems like the foalnapper put these notes deliberately in places where we would find them." Twilight frowned. "Strange. Rarity, Applejack, do you have your notes? How about you Dash?"
\ Applejack nodded. "I took it with me.. just incase," she said, handing it to Twilight.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity nodded and stepped up, one carrying it with magic and the other with her mouth. Twilight collected up their notes as well and put them on the table besides her. Starting with Applejack's note, she then started to read.
This note is intended for APPLEJACK.
If you are not the intended recipient, be warned.
By now, you may be wondering where Applebloom is.
If you ever wish to see her again, you will go to the
old castle the day after you find this.
"Y-yeah, that sounds like the note I got." Rainbow Dash stammered.
"Me too," Rarity shuddered.
"Its not signed." Twilight observed, frowning. "Whoever wrote these notes didn't want us to know who it was."
Rainbow Dash snorted. "Well, that's understandable. Whoever it is just foalnapped our little sisters. I don't care if Scootaloo wasn't related to me by blood, we were close enough to be sisters, okay? And I don't know about you lot, but I'm loyal enough to go."
"Have you ever considered the possibility that its a trap?" Fluttershy muttered. "There could be horrible things..."
Twilight rested a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Shes right," Twilight said. "We don't want you to get hurt."
"You don't have a sister!" Rainbow Dash screamed. "How dare you lecture me on this? You'd rather let three innocent little fillies die then lose us? Why, because we are your friends? Don't be so selfish, for Celestia's sake! Unlike you, Twilight, I'm willing to risk my life to save those I love, and not you, nor anypony else is going to make me change my mind!"
Twilight was speechless. "I..."
"Shes right." Applejack growled. She walked up to stand next to Rainbow. "Nothing is more important then family."
"I'm in too. I couldn't bare to lose my little Sweetie." Rarity whimpered. "A little dirt will not stand between me and my sister."
Twilight backed away, looking hurt and worried. "Well... if that's how you three feel..."
"We're coming with you!" Fluttershy blurted out. Everypony looked at her in surprise and she blushed. "I mean... I was just imagining how it would feel if I had lost Angel. It'd be too horrible to bear!"
Applejack shook her head. "No way, no how."
Rarity looked up at the yellow pony gratefully. "No, Fluttershy. You three can't put your lives in danger for us. I'm afraid this is something that we have to do alone."
"But-
"No! We don't want to risk more lives then we have to." Rainbow Dash snapped. "I'm already devastated over Scootaloo- if I lost you guys... well... I just don't think I can take much more of this."
Fluttershy backed away. There were tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Well..." She whimpered. "Okay."
They were already gone.
