The Legend Of The Lonely Ladybug

The Search Party

Hours earlier Applejack had sent an urgent letter to a certain librarian with a request to gather the team to assist with the search for the three lost children of her relative. Having been in Everfree Forest for many times now, the work horse trusted nopony better than her five friends when visiting the treacherous region. With their help she felt confident about saving Ginger, Rubber and Vanilla in time. The mare yawned, standing near the edge of the forest, her urges of constructive action beginning to run rampant in her already tired brain.

Had her friend gotten the message? And even if she did would everyone be ready in time? The longer it took for the search to begin the more danger the three calves might end up to. Not allowing assumption about their current state cloud her mind, she kept herself cool to her best capability. "If Ah had a watch Ah'd probably be able to tell that it's late as night," she pondered to herself with a long deep breath. Still Applejack kept waiting patiently. Even then her eyelids were drooping as a foreboding sign.

She never fell asleep. A bright flash abruptly startled the mare from half-slumber. At the middle of the corn field stood Twilight Sparkle who was in the company of Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy. She had teleported everyone with her to spare time in reaching Applejack's location, a plan that had worked perfectly aside the distinct smell of burning plant matter that made everyone frown. Curious about the cropping that surrounded her, Pinkie snatched an individual corn to her mouth and began to chew. "Om nom nom! Popcorn!" came from her muffled maw.

"I think it should be heated first.........," Fluttershy noted awkwardly.

Rarity had a disgusted look on her face after she saw what they had landed to. “Ick! Good that I didn’t have my favorite sweater on..............wrong shoes! What am I going to do now?!” the white unicorn uttered loudly.

"You have shoes?"

Rarity gave Fluttershy a bothered look amidst grinding her teeth. "I thought that we were going for a long hike, not digging in a muddy corn field," she uttered, feeling the soft muddy ground under her pristine hiking shoes. The location had not met her specifications.

Twilight released a deep exhale, having taken notice of her despair. "Sorry, girls. I really need to fine-tune my targeting," the unicorn apologized, "Pinkie Pie, please put that away." In an instant a lavender hoof slapped the corn from Pinkie's mouth to put an end to her feast. As a result the unsatisfied pony returned a raspberry. All four mares then approached Applejack, Rarity the slowest to keep up because she was constantly assessing where she stood, wincing in her attempt to preserve what parts of her shoes remained untouched.

“Ya finally here. Took long enough,” Applejack spoke out before she scanned their surroundings. “Where’s Rainbow?” she asked curiously.

“She said she’d come here her own way,” Twilight was quick to explain. As soon as the words had left her mouth a sound of a strong whirlwind became audible. Hearing it, the group saw a streaking rainbow approach the field at a fast rate. Rainbow Dash, the distinct blue pegasus of the team came down with a satisfied can do stance after pulling off a voluntary somersault in mid-air.

“Naturally.......," the work horse murmured without a bit of surprise when Rainbow walked up to join them. “What’s the matter, Applejack? Still don’t like my style?” she blurped after a playful punch was delivered to Applejack's shoulder. “Same old Rainbow Dash," her friend chuckled amusedly.

"Okay Applejack, we are here. You said that you need our help in rescuing someone," Twilight spoke eagerly to hear what Applejack would have to tell them about the task, curious about the description of it's urgent nature. The anticipating work horse observed everyone and proceeded to nod her head. "Alright, everypony! Listen up,” the mare began only to find an ecstatically listening Pinkie Pie nearly glued to her cheek. Pushing the party pony to a more comfortable distance, she allowed herself to continue. “Okay, here’s the deal. Mah cousin’s three young kids went after their pet and seem to have gotten lost in Everfree Forest.”

The full description of the subject matter made the other mares react in concern. “When did this happen?”, Twilight asked worriedly. “Earlier today. Janice is all worried about their safety and I promised her that I’d bring them back," Applejack explained. A self-maintained determination overrid what concern she may have had now that her friends were present. “In that case we have to act at once if we want to find them before it's too late!" the unicorn concluded loudly, "Let’s go already."

"Follow me," Applejack instructed and marched forward impatiently. She never got far when Twilight bumped in front of her. "Ahem, if you don't mind Applejack, it's pitch black in there during the night and we need to see where we are going. It will take a little while till we find any tracks and we don't know what else we might bump into. I'll go first," she proposed, her horn already illuminating the surrounding field. "What ever ya say, sugarcube," the tan earth pony admitted, steadying her hat to distract her energetic over-eagerness with a relieved grin. Having two unicorns in the team had halfway ensured their still slight chances of success.

"I'll fly above the forest and scan the surroundings. Keep your lights bright. I'll find you if I see anything," Rainbow was heard from behind them, a notable confidence in the depth of her voice to which Twilight glanced back at. She already knew all too well that the pegasus was planning her usual reckless routine that the others too had become accustomed to during their long friendship. "Okay, Rainbow. Be careful," the unicorn advised.

"I'm not the one who needs to be told that," Rainbow snickered proudly, flexing her cyan blue wings to their full length a small distance behind them, "The forest is awfully clear above the canopy." She immediately shot up from the field and had gone behind the tree line which prompted Twilight's shoulders to sag while she watched her disappear. The cyan pegasus was among her dearest friends but her sometimes almost stallion-like antics can still frustrate a mare. "She’s such a show-off," Twilight sighed and simultaneously rolled her eyes.

Rarity was busy rubbing the dirt from her shoes yet couldn't help herself from noticing her friends bothered exterior. "Don't mind her. Maybe she knows what she’s doing," the other unicorn told Twilight. Pinkie Pie dropped her corn, willing to add something to the conversation. "Or maybe she doesn't," came her two bits, individual corn chunks sent flying by her moving lips.

"I think she’s really brave," Fluttershy stated quietly, having watched Rainbow's chosen route. Rarity chuckled at the comment. "Like we didn't all know that."

Twilight's attention was back at the forest, by now sharing Applejack's preparedness. "Come on, girls. Let's go find those calves." With her in the lead the group finally departed into Everfree, illuminating their chosen path with her light spell which Rarity too was mimicking. Understandably nervous to enter the forest, Fluttershy stuck firmly between the two lights whereas Pinkie Pie was hopping up and down, as sure of herself as she always appeared to be with the corn still carried along in her mouth.

"Ya don't reckon it's wrong to eat someone else’s property?" Applejack pointed out to which Pinkie Pie reacted by halting momentarily so she could spit the corn to the ground in order to reply. "It's going to be a long night! At least some of us need lunch," she claimed in a childish sounding revolt and picked her corn up again. Hopping circles around the others, the party pony began to hum some song that she had invented.

***

Low fog clung close to the ground, making everything appear more eerie as the mares made progress through Everfree Forest. Twilight halted the group to look around, the light in her horn shining. "Hello? Anyone in there?" she called out, carefully watching out for what was at their vicinity. "Vanilla! Rubber! Ginger! Please answer!" Applejack bellowed in turn. What answered was the echo of her own voice that that rang deep within the forest. A silence replaced it with standing calmness.

Fluttershy and Rarity observed their surroundings, nervous and unsure about the choice of action from the part of their companions. "Uh, Twilight. Applejack, are you sure that it’s a good idea to make noise like that in here?"

"How else are we going to attract the children’s attention?" they heard AJ ask.

"That's............kinda the problem," the white unicorn replied openly, visibly reluctant for her own specific reasons.

"We........don't know if it attracts someone......or something else too," Fluttershy added swiftly.

Twilight had not ceased from watching the surroundings but had understood what they meant, her own determination left unhindered by fear of the unknown, the light in her horn blazing as an almost symbolic representation of said mood. "Yes, I know. This place always gives plenty of surprises," she admitted, "But making noise is our best way to find the kids in such a large location. There could be miles between us and them."

Having moved closer, Applejack eyed Fluttershy confidently, knowing her capabilities. "Besides, even if something comes near us ya know how to talk it down don't ya, Fluttershy? You're among the best animal handlers that I'm aware of." The mare pegasus hesitated, inable to gather herself. "I uh.........uh.......," was all that she could muster in return.

"Hey, remember how ya made that dragon cry?" Applejack reminded, still remembering the time when the group travelled up a treacherous mountain slope to speak to a dragon that was polluting the air of Ponyville with it's smoke. Without Fluttershy's help their quest could have ended badly. She had gained her confidence to lecture the creature to the verge of mental breakdown when finding the others between a stone and a hard place. The resulting rain of dragon tears had literally soaked everyone. While it had happened years ago it still felt like yesterday to the work horse. Fluttershy was invaluable against all sorts of creatures that they had encountered.

"Well...........yes but........," Fluttershy mumbled with tacky exposition, still too hesitant to argue.

"Please don't tell me that you're afraid," Applejack chuckled in dismay. Fluttershy restlessly studied her surroundings, rubbing a hoof against another. "Well..........I kind of am," an awkward reply came.

"What kinda creature could still possibly scare ya?" AJ asked, having never thought of Fluttershy as someone to have anything left to be afraid of. Whether it be manticores, cockatrices or dragons, she had faced almost everything from the animal kingdom that Applejack herself knew anything about. Despite said belief Fluttershy was disturbed, eyes darting. "Well...........I fear creatures that.........stick to the dark," she revealed reluctantly.

A rustle startled everyone, followed by deadly silence. Alertly scanning the area with her eyes, Twilight used her illumination to wipe away the pitch black shroud among the trees and the trail only to find nothing on it. Yet the silence remained ominous, threatening, fog still clinging to the bottom of the dark forest.

The risk of a surprise attack was all too real for the group. It could be anything. Whatever it was, she would be the first one to face it.

Out of nowhere an upside down screaming form of a being that was hanging from mid-air popped to view. Intimidated, everyone jumped back in fear, even Twilight who's light became slightly filtered from the abrupt surprise. As soon as it happened Fluttershy was already gone, having executed a quick retreat through the roof of the forest.

Following all this was a laughter that suddenly filled the air. Dropping to the ground from where she had been hanging by using the thick, low-lying branches, Rainbow Dash cackled with satisfaction from the successful jump scare. Before she could gloat on the stunt too long Twilight walked up to her with a furious expression and sharply jabbed her to the chest with a fore hoof. Wincing in surprise, Rainbow keeled down in pain. "What did you do that for?!" she asked confusedly.

Twilight glared daggers at her friend. "This is no time for playing games, Rainbow," the unicorn scolded, "We have to find those children. Why aren't you up there looking for them?" Rainbow was looking down in shame and rubbed the spot assaulted by Twilight's hoof that had hit it's mark well. "I can't really see anything from above the canopy. It's too dark down here and it’s risky to fly within the forest," she explained unhappily, having been confident about her capabilities thus ignoring that light barely enters the forest during night time till she had discovered her mistake.

Taking in the explanation, Rarity looked on disbelievingly until she decided to move ahead from the arguing ponies. "I take back what I said earlier," the fashionist grumbled, "She doesn't know what she’s doing." Hear ears detected a faint thud of a dropping object. "Hey, that’s not a nice thing to say!" she heard Pinkie exclaim from behind her. A slight pause followed until the mare continued with clear sarcasm. "Yup, told you so," she giggled, having taken the whole thing as unseriously as was common from a serious party pony, the most resistant soul that Everfree Forest would ever meet during it's entire time of existing.

Having realized the seriousness of her stunt, Rainbow absently shrugged shoulders with a look of embarrassment, having grown regretful at seeing everyone react so harshly. "Whatever. I'll just go back up, that's where Fluttershy went. Call me when you need me," she expressed ashamedly. Before anyone knew it the mare had already gone as fast as she had appeared.

A grunt expressed Twilight's current feelings. "A total show-off......," she murmured with off-put depth from behind eyes that had now narrowed to mere cracks between two pairs of sagging lids. What confidence she had felt had been disturbed by none other than one of her own friends. If Rainbow alone had succeeded so easily it now became a good question how her nerves could withstand an actually dangerous encounter.

Applejack walked past, shadows moving around as she moved around the unicorn's light. Some minor skirmish between friends had not punctured her mental shield, a stern depth of voice indicating at central seriousness as she spoke. "Come on, Twilight, we must keep searchin’," she coached the unicorn, "I ain't stopping till we bring the kids back, intact or in several bits even if it means that Ah'll myself take the beating to make that happen. Ah made a promise and Ah ain't breaking that."

Motivated by her example, the group pushed on, Rarity and Pinkie Pie occupying the rear. Pinkie hopped along, having stuck behind Rarity to both for her amusement and confusion.

"Aren't you done with that corn already?" Rarity asked, looking at the bare skeleton of the vegetable that stuck out from between her friend's constantly moving lips. Pinkie Pie shook her head in reply and mumbled something playfully, still humming with perfectly synchronized up and down bounces in a seemingly endless energetic motion.

The threatening darkness of nightly Everfree surrounded the searchers, some of the trees swaying in the light, looking more or less alive than they might really be, a fact of life in a cursed forest that's older than any of the ponies who now occupied it's nightmarish reign. "Rubber! Ginger! Vanilla! This is Applejack! Can ya hear me?" Applejack's deep shouting rang through the area again.

Rarity rolled her eyes and trailed after Twilight and Applejack during which she searched the bushes and spaces between trees with her own illumination, the unicorn's motherly instincts fueled by a mental image of three lost younglings. "Poor little youngsters. Where can they possibly be?"

"You tell me......," Twilight exclaimed cluelessly while the search party swept through the area with nothing but Pinkie's bouncing and humming to comfort their minds. There was no way around the fact that the time needed to find the calves was going to be a lot more than a few hours. Mane 6 was facing a long night in the forest that again threatened the lives of innocents.

Unknown to everyone, something observed them in the darkness of the canopy, a silent eavesdropper that knew more about it's surroundings than they ever did.

***