Finding Scootaloo

by Timey-Wimey

Rating: teen
Tags: Scootaloo, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Adventure
Length: 23371

Scootaloo has been kidnapped, and all the evidence is pointing to Rainbow Dash. Can Twilight prove her friend's innocence?

- THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST PART OF THE FINDINGVERSE. MANY CHARACTERS ARE OOC, BUT ALL WILL BE EXPLAINED IN DUE TIME. -

First story in the Findingverse.

Ever since Rainbow Dash adopted Scootaloo, she's been trying her very best to be the best big sister she can possibly be. And so far, she's been doing a damn good job at it too. And tonight, her, Applejack, Rarity and their younger sisters are going to have a big sleepover! Life couldn't get any better.

But then Sweetie Belle wakes up screaming, and by the time Rainbow gets there Scootaloo is already gone. Taken into the night by a mysterious attacker. And the only evidence left behind is Sweetie Belle's claims of somepony with a rainbow mane...

With the town against her, Rainbow Dash goes is forced into hiding, lest she be left to the angry town's mercy. With only one friend able to help her, she turns to Twilight Sparkle to help her not only clear her name, but to find her little sister.

Now Twilight finds herself setting out into the dark, searching for the missing Scootaloo with only the descriptions of a distraught filly to guide her. And as she sets out into the cold, unforgiving world of crime, what will she find? She wants to prove her friend's innocence and save a missing filly, scratch that, she needs to. But with everypony against them, danger lurks around every corner and she has no idea if what is being presented to her is even correct.

Caught in the threads of a web of lies, Twilight Sparkle needs to learn what is right and what is wrong. But how can she learn when the lies are so close to home?

...And what if Rainbow Dash isn't innocent? What if she's... Guilty as charged?

Published 2014-01-19 05:40:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-19 05:40:04 UTC

A Scream in the Night

"Hey squirt!"

There was a loud crash from upstairs, a filly's voice calling, "Coming!", followed by another crash and then an orange and magenta ball tumbled down the stairs and hit the far wall, uncurling to reveal a small Pegasus filly by the name of Scootaloo. She groaned loudly as her violet eyes spun around in their sockets, following the stars in her vision.

Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus who had called her, gasped and was at her side in a flash. "Y'ok squirt?" She asked worriedly, helping the filly to her hooves. She gave her a quick medical scan, if patting her down with her hooves could be called a medical scan, before breathing a sigh of relief.

Scootaloo chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "S-Sorry Rainbow Dash..." She offered, smiling sheepishly up at her big sister.

Rainbow smiled softly and ruffled the filly's mane. "As long as you're not hurt. Anyways, I just got back from my thing with Rarity. She's having a sleepover at the Boutique; you me, Applejack and Apple Bloom are invited. Applejack and Apple Bloom already said they could go, and I told Rarity that we were going. So-" She was cut off when the excited filly tackled her and knocked her to the floor, hugging her and squealing happily.

Scootaloo beamed down at Rainbow. "Oh thank you Rainbow Dash! Thank you, thank you!" She squealed, she was about to pull away, before two powerful hooves pulled her down and she found herself pinned to the floor.

Rainbow grinned wickedly into her little sister's eyes. "Oh, so you're gonna tackle the Dash, eh? It's on!" She exclaimed, before taking her hooves to Scootaloo's furry belly and starting her tickling assault.

Scootaloo started laughing as Rainbow tickled her, little legs flailing as she tried to throw her off. "N-NO! S-S-STOP! I CAN'T T-TAKE IT!" She shrieked desperately, tears of mirth streaming down her cheeks.

Dash scooped the filly up and spun her around, laughing as she did. She set her down after a minute and wiped her eyes with a hoof, still giggling quietly. "Alright Scoots, go back a bag for yourself. I'll wait by the door." She told her, ushering her up the stairs and trotting over to the door to wait.

A few minutes later, the overexcited filly shot down the stairs and towards her big sister, eyes shining brightly as a pair of saddlebags hung from her sides. She hopped onto the blue back and then they were in the sky, heading towards Carousel Boutique.

"Nothing like a bottle of Sweet Apple Cider..."

Applejack chuckled as Rainbow downed another bottle. "Thank Celestia that ain't the hard stuff, or we'd have a very, very drunk Pegasus on our hooves." She teased, eliciting a glare from her spectrum haired friend.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Stuff it AJ, it's not my fault this stuff is do freaking awesome." She replied moodily, placing the bottle to her lips to get any more of the delicious drink.

The Earth Pony laughed at that. "Thank ya kindly RD." She replied, still chuckling lightly as she brought her own bottle to her lips, taking a swig of the sweet drink.

Rarity flared her horn and brought her glass of red wine over to herself, taking a tiny sip as she regarded her two friends with a slightly annoyed look. "Ladies, please. The fillies are trying to sleep in the other room, and it will be a wonder if they can sleep with all the noise you two are making." She shushed, pulling her glass away from her face.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Well what are we supposed ta do, huh? Share stories?" She asked sarcastically.

"Why, that's a splendid idea!"

Applejack very nearly dropped her bottle. "Rares, ah was bein' sarcastic." She clarified, staring at the alabaster Unicorn with a look that said 'you've gone crazy'.

Rarity didn't seem to hear her. "Rainbow Dash, you go first!" She said, looking over at the spectrum haired Pegasus with gleaming sapphire eyes.

While Applejack quietly muttered 'oh buck me' under her breath, Rainbow shied away from Rarity's slightly creepy gaze. "I don't have any sappy stories, you guys know this." She replied slowly, trying to force as much distaste into her words as possible.

Applejack decided that this would be a very good time to be unhelpful. "Why don't ya tell the story of how ya adopted Scootaloo?" She offered, snickering as Rainbow turned a pair of magenta death orbs on her.

Rarity nodded. "I don't believe I've heard this story. Do tell!" She encouraged, tapping her hooves together in giddy excitement.

Rainbow sighed, promising herself that Applejack was gonna wake up with her mane dyed the brightest shade of pink possible. "Well it went a bit like this...

Fluttershy came to my house at like, three in the morning freaking out about something at Applejack's..."

Rainbow Dash opened the door, mane tangled and eyes full of groggy annoyance. "It's three in the bucking morning what do you- Flutters?" Her eyes cleared slightly at the sight of her oldest friend.

Fluttershy had a certain urgency in her gaze that made Rainbow snap to full alertness. "Applejack told me she saw somepony in the orchard, and she brought me in case it was a hurt animal. Listen, I don't have time to explain, but you need to come with me right now!" Even though her voice was soft, she was using her authoritative voice which meant that something was very, very wrong.

Rainbow's wings snapped open as her eyes fully focused. "Ok, lets go." She took to the air and her canary coated friend soon followed, struggling to keep up. Rainbow noticed that she was flying much faster than normal, only making her increasingly nervous. "What's in the orchard?" She called.

Fluttershy gave Rainbow a look that was a cross between sadness and determination. "Scootaloo!" She called back.

"When I heard that Scoots was in trouble, I put it into overdrive and nearly made another Sonic Rainboom! It was so awesome!" Rainbow boasted, beaming brightly as she remembered how fast she'd gone.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Sounds great sugarcube, but would ya mind gettin' back ta the story?" She asked, waving her hoof for emphasis.

Rainbow groaned. "Oh, alright. Anyways..."

Rainbow's eyes widened, before they hardened and she turned back. She wound one foreleg back before surging forwards with as much speed as she could muster, nearly breaking the sound barrier in the process. The wind tore through her mane viciously and forced tears from her eyes, but she didn't slow until she saw the familiar apple trees on the ground. She pointed her hooves down and the rest of her body followed, sending her hurtling towards the ground.

Applejack ran outside, two lanterns in her mouth, when she saw the rainbow streak in the sky. She hurried towards Rainbow Dash, who was steaming slightly and her hooves were digging into the cracked ground from the force of the impact. "Rainbow! Ah-"

Dash cut her off by getting in her face, pressing their noses together. "Where is she?" She demanded.

Applejack passed Rainbow a lantern. "Just follow me." She told her, rapping on her lantern to get the fireflies to light up. When her Pegasus friend did the same, she took off running past her and into the darkness of the orchard, the lantern lighting the path.

Rainbow flew slightly above her, wings beating as she looked around. She held the lantern in her hoof, eyes scanning the ground ahead and trying to see into the darkness. "Scootaloo! Scoots, can you hear me?" She called.

"RD, over here!"

Rainbow did a sharp turn and followed Applejack. She heard a surprised gasp, and she stopped dead at the sight before them. There was blood on the ground, reflecting the silvery moonlight that poured down and speckled the ground through the leaves. There were bloody hoofprints leading away from the puddle.

But no Scootaloo.

Rarity gasped dramatically. "Oh, the poor dear!" She exclaimed, hooves flying to her mouth.

Rainbow glared at her. "I was getting to the good part! Now all the tension is gone..." She huffed, her head flopping onto the couch she was sitting on.

Applejack chuckled. "Alright Rainbow, keep goin'." She told her.

Rainbow lifted her head, a smirk appearing on her face.

"Like I was saying, Scootaloo was gone. As you can imagine, I instantly took charge of the situation..."

Applejack skidded to a halt, eyes wide. "Ah... She was right here!" She exclaimed, turning to look at Rainbow with worried eyes, "Ah sent Fluttershy ta get ya because ah needed ya ta help with her wings in case they were hurt! Ah didn't wanna move her, so ah made sure ah knew where she was and went ta get the lanterns and-"

"YOU DID WHAT!?"

The explosion that was Rainbow's voice made Applejack stumble away from the suddenly infuriated Pegasus, ears slammed flat against her skull. She watched with terrified eyes as Rainbow approached, towering over her with fire in her eyes.

To say that Rainbow Dash was mad was an understatement. She was beside herself with fury at this point, it took all of her willpower not to whip her hoof across Applejack's face. "SCOOTALOO WAS LYING IN A POOL OF HER OWN BLOOD AND YOU LEFT HER ALONE!? IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ORCHARD!? WHAT IF A TIMBERWOLF GOT HER!? WHAT IF SOME ANIMAL JUST CAME AND TOOK HER!? WHAT THE BUCK WERE YOU THINKING!?" She shouted angrily, stomping her hooves as a haze of red covered her vision. She had to scream at herself internally not to shove Applejack to the ground and start beating on her, so great was her anger.

Applejack backed away, sweat trickling from behind her blonde mane. "A-A-Ah'm sorry... Ah-" She was cut off when Rainbow's hoof slammed into the ground and she jumped a bit, not expecting the loud noise. She'd seen Rainbow angry, sure, but never this angry. The Element of Loyalty was snorting like a bull, her eyes practically glowing with pure rage and her entire body trembling as her muscles tightened beneath her skin.

Rainbow felt a low growl building up deep in her throat and she stomped down a few more times, chest heaving as she fought to control herself. She reared herself up on her back legs and brought both forelegs down with a primal roar of fury, driving her hooves into the ground. She then shot into the sky again, wings beating hard as she hovered. She grabbed her lantern from where she'd dropped it on the ground, ignoring the large crack running across the glass surface, and turned to Applejack. "Listen to me and listen to me good AJ. Wait RIGHT HERE and DON'T MOVE. I'm going to find Scootaloo. Got it?" She asked, her voice slow and cold as she continued to shudder with anger.

Applejack nodded. "O-O-Ok." She stuttered back, lifting a hoof in case she had to run. Then Rainbow was above the trees and shooting in the direction of the trail, leaving the trembling Earth Pony alone.

Rainbow was blazing past trees and she looked around frantically for Scootaloo. "SCOOTS! SQUIRT IT'S ME, IT'S RAINBOW DASH! WHERE ARE YOU?" She called, diving lower to the trees and getting as close as possible without the risk of crashing into the foliage.

Then the light passed over something orange.

Dash's wings snapped outwards as she flared them, stopping her so suddenly that she was sure that the feathery appendages would just tear right off and let her plummet to the ground. She turned back and flew more slowly over to the spot, nearly crying out in shock when she saw it.

Scootaloo.

Rainbow dove down and landed next to the fallen filly and gasped at the sight of her. She was unconscious, blood trickling into the grass around her. The wing facing Rainbow was mangled, something had clearly tried to tear it apart. Judging by the way ground was slowly trickling from underneath her, she could guess that the other one was the same way. Her eyes widened at the sight and all of her previous rage melted into concern for the young filly. "Aw geez squirt..." She breathed, gently getting her hooves underneath the small filly.

Scootaloo cried out in pain and whipped around to stare at Rainbow with wide, terrified eyes, her little chest heaving. "DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE! PLEASE!" She shrieked desperately, tears spilling from her eyes as she started pummelling Rainbow's chest with her hooves, trying to get away in blind panic.

Rainbow pulled Scootaloo away and held the struggling Pegasus in the air, keeping careful not to put her hooves on her damaged wings. "Scoots! Scoots it's Rainbow Dash! Calm down!" She begged. One of Scootaloo's flailing back hooves connected with her nose and she cried out in pain, nearly dropping the filly in complete shock.

Scootaloo seemed to register this and her struggling ceased when she was pulled against something warm. She looked up to see Rainbow Dash looking down at her, one forehoof pressed against her now bleeding nose as she regarded her with a look that was a mixture of pain and relief.

Rainbow smiled down at the filly, ignoring her watering eyes. "Ya with me squirt?" She asked carefully.

Scootaloo instantly started bawling and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow's neck, sobbing into her columbia blue coat. "R-Rainbow Dash! It was s-s-s-so awful!" She wailed.

Dash was started by this but nonetheless wrapped her other foreleg around Scootaloo, stroking between her injured wings soothingly and wincing as she felt blood start to smear on her already bloodied hoof. "I-It's ok Scoots... Tell Dash what's wrong..." She whispered soothingly.

Scootaloo pulled away a bit and looked up into her idol's eyes with her own big watery orbs. "M-My dad... H-He always tells me that I'm n-n-never gonna get t-to do anything in l-life because I'm too u-u-u-u-useless..." She started, her voice shaking as she looked down, as if ashamed.

Rainbow felt that familiar spark of rage flicker to life in her belly. "He does what? How could he say that to you?" She demanded, struggling to keep the anger out of her voice.

Scootaloo tried wiping the tears away, but they refused to stop. "T-T-Today he... He was d-drinking a l-lot... He always drinks this really n-n-n-nasty stuff, and h-he always gets w-w-worse when he drinks it... He... He c-came into my room and started y-y-yelling at me and I-I tried to run but he... He hit me! R-Right across the face a-and then he did it a-again and again and again and then he did it so h-h-hard that I-I fell through the w-window in my room and cut up my w-wings... I-I grabbed my scooter and I r-ran away and I-I c-c-crashed because my wing hurt t-too much and then I-I passed o-o-out! H-He wouldn't stop hurting me! No matter how m-m-much I begged and c-cried he kept on hitting me! IT HURT SO BAD!" She shrieked hysterically, her tears flowing fast down her cheeks as she started shaking and her chest heaved as she sobbed.

Rainbow held her surrogate little sister close to her chest and rocked her gently, letting her cry against her. While she maintained a calm exterior, on the inside she was burning hotter than the very fires of Tartarus itself. She took to the skies gently, waiting until Scootaloo cried herself unconscious before speeding up. The tender look on her face slowly turned into an expression of white hot fury, showing her readiness to tear Scoots's father limb from limb if she had to.

She dove down and landed on her hindlegs next to Applejack. Before her friend could say a word, she cut her off. "Take her inside and let Fluttershy take care of her. She might freak out when she wakes up, so make sure that you're careful. I'm gonna go pay a visit to somepony." She told her quickly, setting Scootaloo down on her back.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "And who could be more important than Scootaloo?" She demanded, slightly angrily.

Rainbow looked over her shoulder and gave the farm pony a cold look. "I'm going to the creep who did this." She spat the words like venom in her mouth/

"And who would that be?"

Rainbow looked straight ahead, grinding her teeth so that she wouldn't scream the next words in a trance of fury.

"Her son of a bitch father."

And then she was gone in a rainbow flash.

Rarity stared at Rainbow in shock. "Well I knew after you adopted her that she was being abused, but whatever did you do to him?" She asked.

Rainbow gave Rarity a sinister smile. "He tasted the rainbow. Then I personally handed him to the Royal Guards." She told her simply.

"What do you mean he-"

"I snuck up on the motherbucker while he was asleep and I pounded the living daylights outta him."

What Applejack and Rainbow Dash both expected to hear; "Oh honestly Rainbow Dash, that might be going a bit far."

But Rarity managed to surprise both of them.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Both mares stared at her with slightly wide eyes, before laughing.

Rarity turned and glared at them. "Oh honestly how can you two be laughing? Rainbow Dash, would you kindly finish the story?" She asked, her voice snapping slightly with annoyance.

Rainbow wiped a tear from her eye as she continued to giggle. "Well there's not really much else to tell. Scoots was about to be sent to an orphanage, and I stepped up and said that I was gonna adopt her. Filled out the papers, brought all her stuff up here and now here we are." She explained.

Rarity smiled. "It's so nice that you have your own little sister now Rainbow Dash. All Scootaloo talks about these days is you, and more than normal! She continuously tells us all of how much of a difference you've made in her life, now that she's away from the abusive stallion." She complimented warmly.

Applejack nodded. "Darn tootin'! Poor AB's had ta deal with her talkin' non-stop about how awesome her new big sister is. But if ya ask me, ah'm darn, no, damn proud of ya." She agreed.

Rainbow blushed a bit. "Quit the sappy stuff, would ya? I'm gonna need your hard cider if this keeps us AJ." She teased.

All three mares broke into loud laughter.

It was completely dark. Each and every room in Carousel Boutique was cloaked in blackness, only broken by the occasional window and the moonlight pouring in through it.

Sweetie Belle's ear twitched when she heard a faint rustling beside her and something soft tickled her side. Feathers? Scootaloo? She thought groggily, lifting her head up. She yawned widely and opened her eyes, turning to look at Scootaloo. "Scoots, quit-" She cut off when she saw the figure.

The wing retracted from her as the Pegasus clamped a hoof over Scootaloo's mouth. Scootaloo was struggling as tears poured from her eyes, her cries muffled by the hoof over her mouth. She looked at Sweetie with wide, terrified eyes before the figure turned to face her. She heard a startled gasp, before the Pegasus turned and shot through the window, breaking right through the glass as she took Scootaloo with her.

Just for a brief moment, the moonlight showed a rainbow mane.

Sweetie Belle sat there for a moment, tears sliding down her cheeks as she tried to process what had just happened.

Then it all clicked inside her head.

It was a peaceful night in Ponyville. Stars twinkling overhead, the deep blue and purple of Luna's beautiful night and the full moon shining brightly over the small town. Everypony was tucked safely in bed, Luna watching over their dreams as they awaited the next day.

Then a Pegasus soared over the town, carrying what looked like a filly.

Then the shrill shriek of a filly pierced the calm night air.

A Clue in Spectrum

Rarity bucked down the door of her bedroom in her frantic haste to get out and charged out, eyes wide with panic as she heard her beloved little sister continue to shriek. Her horn ignited and the door to the fillies' room slammed open as the frantic Unicorn practically flew in and hurried over to her little sister. "Sweetie Belle! Whatever is the matter? Did you have a nightmare?" She asked, wrapping the screaming filly in her forelegs and hugging her close.

Sweetie Belle's screams melted into harsh sobs as she buried her face in Rarity's chest, her entire body shaking as her shoulders and chest heaved as she cried.

Rarity gave the filly a worried a look, even as Applejack and Rainbow Dash burst into the room. Applejack was looking around wildly, while Rainbow Dash's wings were flared and she had her teeth bared in an aggressive snarl, as if challenging whatever had scared Sweetie Belle so much to come out.

Applejack hurried over to a thoroughly shaken Apple Bloom, holding her close. This seemed to activate something in the farm filly's mind, for she too started sobbing and clinging desperately to her older sister. The mare ran a soothing hoof through her little sister's cherry red mane, whispering soothingly in her ears as she used her other roof to rub circles on her back.

Rainbow hurried over to the other side of the bed, pulling the sheets away as she prepared herself to see her distraught little sister. She ripped the blanket away from the bed, then fell back on her haunches as her eyes widened and filled with blank terror.

The blankets were empty.

Scootaloo was gone.

That's when Sweetie Belle spoke;

"T-There was a P-Pegasus a-a-and she t-took S-S-S-Scootaloo! S-She's gone!"

All three mares in the room froze.

Applejack and Rarity turned to look at Rainbow Dash, who was shaking as tears started forming in her eyes. She stared directly at Sweetie, eyes filled with terror and panic as the words hit her hears. She... She can't be gone! She can't! "No... No, no, no, no! Scoots can't be gone! She can't be!" She cried, her voice rising as she fought to control her fear.

Sweetie Belle stared at Rainbow with watery eyes, hiccuping as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "T-T-The Pegasus was a m-m-mare a-and she had... S-She had..." Her voice was failing and she started sobbing heavily once more, burying her face in her forehooves as wail after wail burst from her mouth.

Applejack looked down at Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, is this true? This isn't a joke?" She asked quietly, feeling her eyes starting to well up a bit. The prospect of somepony taking a defenceless filly made her feel sick to her stomach, and the fear that came with it was shown clearly in her wide, terrified green orbs.

Apple Bloom pulled away and glared at Applejack, tears spilling down her cheeks as well. "WHY WOULD WE JOKE ABOUT THAT? SCOOTALOO IS REALLY GONE!" She shrieked, surprising everypony in the room. Her anger seemed to fold it on itself, however, and she collapsed against Applejack as she began to wail once more.

Rainbow stomped down on the ground hard, eyes starting to blaze with righteous wrath. She snorted like a bull as she reared up, bringing her forehooves down with a primal roar of rage.

To Applejack, it was just like the night they'd found Scootaloo.

Rainbow spun around and glared at Sweetie Belle. "WHAT'D SHE LOOK LIKE!? WHAT'D THE MOTHERBUCKER LOOK LIKE!? I'LL FIND HER! I'LL KILL HER!" She roared, losing herself to her anger. A haze of red covered her vision as she jumped into the air, wings beating as she growled deep in her throat.

Sweetie Belle let out a whimper and hid herself in Rarity's mane, her large pale green eyes peaking out as she trembled with fright.

Rarity turned to glare at Rainbow Dash. "I understand that this is a truly horrible situation, but there is no need to shout at a-"

"SHUT THE BUCK UP RARITY! WHAT DID THE MARE LOOK LIKE!?" Rainbow interrupted, baring her teeth as the supressed growl turned into a feral snarl, making the four other ponies in the room shrink away.

Sweetie Belle stared at Rainbow with huge, watery eyes. "She... She had a... A r-rainbow mane..." She whimpered softly.

The three mares froze once more.

Rainbow dropped from the air and seemed to deflate, letting the tears she'd been holding back spill out. "N-No... T-That's not p-p-possible... I-I-I-I'm the only P-Pegasus with a r-rainbow m-mane..." She breathed, her voice shaking as she started to shiver.

Rarity gently placed Sweetie on the ground. "Sweetie, please go wait in my room. Take Apple Bloom with you." She ordered calmly. When Apple Bloom hopped down and followed Sweetie, she turned to Applejack. "Applejack, go fetch Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy." She told her.

Applejack tilted her head. "But-"

"RIGHT NOW!"

The scream made Applejack nod and she swiftly left the room, eyes wide with fright.

Rarity closed the door behind her with her blue aura before turning to Rainbow, venom in her eyes. "Is this some sort of cruel joke?" She demanded coldly, her voice like pure ice itself.

Rainbow stopped and stared at her, back moving up and down as she breathed heavily. "W-Why would I... Why would I..." She breathed, unable to comprehend what was going on. Sweetie Belle's revelation had shaken her to the core, and now words and everything around her was just a whirl.

Can't move. Nothing's working.

Scootaloo.

White Unicorn's yelling. In my face. Can't hear. Ears ringing.

Thump thump, thump thump

Thumping. Heart.

Can't move. Stuck.

Scootaloo.

More ponies. Don't recognize them.

Scootaloo.

Can't breathe. Can't breathe.

Ches heaving. Hurts to breathe.

Gonna be sick.

So scared.

Thump-thump, thump-thump

Roaring noise. Blood in ears.

Heart's beating faster.

Can't breathe. Need air.

Help me. Help me.

Scootaloo.

Can't see. Not clear.

Help me.

Can't move. Can't breathe. Can't see.

Ponies yelling. Yelling at me.

Purple one in my face.

It hurts.

Scootaloo.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump

Heart's going so fast. It hurts so bad. It's gonna come out of my chest.

Help me. Oh please help me.

Everything spinning.

Legs not working. Falling.

On my back. Five faces.

Faint screaming.

Can't feel. Everything's numb.

Help me.

Scootaloo.

Scootaloo.

Gotta find Scootaloo.

Gotta get Scootaloo.

Scootaloo.

Can't breathe. Lungs hurt. Trying so hard. Harder.

Breathing so hard. No air.

Purple one screaming.

Others panicking.

Everything hurts.

Dying. I'm dying.

Scootaloo.

Need Scootaloo.

"SCOOTALOO!"

Darkness. Can't see. Can't feel. Can't hear. Can't breathe.

Help me.

I'm sinking.

Scootaloo.

Everything's black.

"It's been seven hours..."

"She'll wake soon, now if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh Rainbow Dash..."

Rainbow shot up in bed with a huge gasp, chest heaving as she looked around wildly. "SCOOTALOO!" She shouted, shoulders quaking as she began to sob.

Twilight Sparkle, the only other pony in the room, wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow Dash and hugged her, letting her cry into her shoulder. Ignoring the tears soaking her fur and trailing down her back, she ran her hoof up and down Rainbow's back and held her close, feeling the tension in her muscles as she cried and cried and cried.

Rainbow pulled away after a few minutes, hiccuping softly as she wiped her eyes. "T-Thanks Twi..." She stammered softly, looking up at her Alicorn friend with slightly red eyes.

Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. "It's no problem Rainbow Dash... We've got the Royal Guard searching everywhere and gathering clues, we even got those detective ponies Sherlock Hooves and John W. Pony on the scene. They'll find her, I promise." She vowed, wiping a tear away from Rainbow's cheek.

Rainbow shook her head. "No. I need to find her. I'm her big sister, and I've failed her." She said bitterly, abruptly standing up. She hopped off the bed, wincing as her legs wobbled and she nearly toppled onto her face. But before Twilight could offer her help, she trotted out of the room and taking all of her self-loathing with her.

Twilight trotted outside of Carousel Boutique, nodding to the Royal Guards as she passed them. She went over to the two detectives, noticing the the tall pale grey Unicorn with the curly black mane was... Licking the glass shards around the broken window, and the shorter sandy-coated Pegasus with the blonde mane was lamenting about how that wasn't a very good idea.

"Princess!"

Twilight stopped and turned to see a black Earth Pony stallion with a short grey mane hurrying over to her. "Hello Officer... Um..." She tried greeting him, but that was when she realized that she didn't know his name.

The stallion bowed a bit before straightening himself up. "Officer Lestride. A pleasure to meet you. Now, we managed to bring Sherlock here but... He might be difficult. Try your very hardest not to punch him in the face, he's not the most... Pleasant character." He warned her, smiling sheepishly.

Twilight smiled at him. "Me and my friends are very grateful that you could bring him Officer, thank you very much. And he can't be that bad, can he?" She replied, waving off his warning.

Lestride was about to reply, but was cut off by a very angry sounding shout. The Princess and the Officer turned to look and saw that the Unicorn had stuck his head into the broken window and that the Pegasus was angrily yelling at him to get out of it before he hurt himself.

Twilight's grin faltered slightly, but nonetheless she trotted over to them. "Hello! I'm Twilight Sparkle, you must be Sherlock and John?" She greeted, her smile brightening slightly.

The Unicorn didn't look at her. "Yes, we know who you are. Now if you could kindly be quiet, I'm busy." He waved her off, gesturing with a foreleg for her to leave.

The Pegasus turned and glared at him. "Sherlock! She's a bloody Princess!" He shouted, before grabbing the taller stallion's tail in his mouth and pulling him out of the window.

Sherlock glared at John before looking at Twilight. "Well I was busy... Now according to the foal-"

"Sweetie Belle. Can't you even learn their names?" John grumbled moodily.

Sherlock sighed. "According to Sweetie Belle, the kidnapper was a Pegasus with a rainbow mane and the obvious suspect is that Rainbow Dash mare. Too obvious." He explained.

Twilight nodded. "Rainbow Dash adopted Scootaloo a few months ago as her little sister, so there's no way she can be involved with this. Why would she kidnap her own sister?" She asked.

Sherlock's lip twitched as he cracked a half smile. "Ah, she's a clever one." He observed.

John's pale gold hoof slammed into his face. "Sherlock just get on with the case." He told him.

The pale stallion sighed. "Well alright. The question everypony is asking is; why would Rainbow Dash kidnap Scootaloo? But I believe the real question is; who kidnapped Scootaloo? It is highly unlikely that Rainbow Dash, given her history as the Element of Loyalty and general heroic acts, would kidnap a filly, much less her own little sister. But she should still be on the suspect less, likeliness or not. I'll need to think about it." He told her.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How would you be able to tell if she's guilty or not just by thinking?" She asked.

John groaned. "You shouldn't have asked that..." He told her warningly.

Sherlock's eyes suddenly seemed to sharpen as he took her in. "You're Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, otherwise know as the Princess of Magic. I'm detecting magical residue off your wings, meaning that they were given to you and you weren't born with them, and judging by the strength of the residue it has merely been around six months since you got your wings. You haven't been a Princess long, and judging by the dark circles under your eyes and your always erect posture you aren't comfortable with the job yet. Your guards didn't bow to you, meaning you told them not to, meaning you dislike having authority. A Princess disliking authority? That's something you don't see every day, Faust knows that Celestia absolutely adores her power.

You choose to stay in Ponyville rather than move to Canterlot, meaning that you don't have any friends there and that your friends are here. You clearly don't have many friends, no offence, and you aren't exactly a social butterfly judging by the way you're blushing right now. You grew up in Canterlot, which means that you lead an antisocial life back home but when you came here, you made friends. If you ask me, a change like that is very sudden, and if you were truly antisocial you wouldn't leave of your own will, so you were probably forced. You look surprised, so I'll take it that you were, indeed, forced to leave home and move to Ponyville. You don't seem to sad about it, meaning it wasn't family problems or anything, just a task. With your past as Celestia's student, I'd say she sent you here to learn about friendship and that is how all the friendships came to be.

Then there's the way some of your fur is slightly darker than the rest, barely noticeable to the common eye, but then again I'm not exactly common. That means you've encountered fire before, but fire would normally leave more permanent scars, meaning that the fire was controlled. You live in a library in a tree, and there are no records of a fire there while you've lived there meaning you have something at your house that can control fire, maybe a pet? A Phoenix can't control it's fire, but a Dragon can. You've got a pet Dragon at home, but by the way you're glaring at me now means it's not a pet, it's more. Judging by the intensity of your glare I'd say a surrogate little brother or sister, and female Dragons are incredibly rare which means it is most likely a male Dragon.

Am I right?" He said it quickly, but Twilight heard every word.

John gaped at him, not quite believing that he'd just done that. "Enjoy being banished from Equestria." He sighed, shaking his head and looking at the ground.

Twilight stared at him with very wide, very surprised eyes. "How... How did you know all that?" She asked quietly, feeling completely awed. When he'd been recommended to her by Lestride, he'd told her about his amazing skills but she hadn't quite expected, well, that.

Sherlock smirked a bit. "I merely observed your highness. Now, going back to your missing filly, this could be of some help." He stuck his head back in the window, much to John's dislike.

The blonde Pegasus groaned loudly and grabbed Sherlock's curly tail again, pulling him out of the window. "You are going to really hurt yourself if you keep doing that! You're a bloody Unicorn, use magic!" He exclaimed.

Sherlock turned to Twilight, most likely ignoring John. In his mouth he held a single blue, slightly torn feather. He flared his horn, a blue aura surrounding the feather and he held it in front of him. "I found this. Blue feather, and it look strikingly similar to one that would come from your friend Rainbow Dash. Would you call her over here?" He asked, still staring at the feather in his magic's grip.

Twilight nodded. She looked around and saw that Lestride was talking with Rainbow, an orange blanket draped over her shoulders. "Rainbow!" She called, gesturing to her with a hoof to come over. The columbia blue Pegasus trotted over to her, uncertainty in her eyes as she came up to the Princess's side.

Rainbow gave Twilight a confused and slightly nervous look. "Yeah Twi?" She asked. Her legs were shaking slightly, and she didn't like the look that the tall Unicorn was giving her. It was like he was judging her or something, which he probably was.

Twilight smiled reassuringly and gestured for her to sit down. When she complied, she turned to the detectives. "Rainbow, this is Sherlock Hooves and John W. Pony," She told her, gesturing at them, "I think Sherlock needs you for something." She explained.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed and she glared heatedly at Sherlock. "If you're gonna accuse me of kidnapping Scootaloo I will break your horn off." She warned viciously, wings snapping out as she stood up again, the blanket falling off of her.

Sherlock raised a hoof. "Please Rainbow Dash, relax. I'm not accusing you of anything. I merely need to check some things, is that alright?" He asked.

Rainbow nodded, relaxing and sitting back down. "Ok, just don't be... Weird." She told him, folding her wings and giving him a cautious look.

Sherlock looked to John. "I assume you'd like to examine her first?" He offered. He cracked a bit of a smile at the dreamy look John was giving Rainbow.

John snapped out of his trance, nodded and stood up, noticing ruefully that Rainbow was a few inches taller than he was. "I'd just like to make sure you're well enough for his questions and whatnot, is that alright ma'am?" He asked.

Rainbow gave him a serious look. "If it means I'm getting my little sister back, I'll go along with anything. And no 'ma'am' stuff, just call me Rainbow." She told him.

John nodded. "Ok, I need you to lean down a bit." He told her. She complied and he leaned in, lightly touching their noses together as he looked into her eyes, brown meeting magenta. They looked normal, no signs of a concussion. He crouched down a bit and pressed his ear against her chest, listening for her heartbeat. Rapid. That was sign of Hypovolemic shock. He straightened himself and placed his hoof on her chest. Her breathing was slightly shallower than regular breathing. She was recuperating from the shock, the danger had passed. "Tell me Princess, what was she like before she fainted?" He asked.

Rainbow felt a bit uncomfortable with him touching her chest, but made no move to stop him. She was blushing slightly, an unsure look on her face.

Twilight looked at John, only now noticing his Cutie Mark. It was just a plain stethoscope. "She just... Stopped moving. She was staring at nothing, her chest was heaving and she wasn't responding to anything we did. Then she fell backwards and just stared at the ceiling until she fell unconscious." She explained.

John sat back and looked at Rainbow's face once more. "Could you please describe to me what you felt?" He asked, narrowing his brown eyes slightly.

Rainbow tilted her head downwards ever so slightly and closed her eyes. "I couldn't breathe. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get enough air. My ears were ringing and roaring, like when the blood roars in your ears, and my heart was beating really fast. Scoots's name kept flashing through my mind, I was screaming for help but I couldn't, like, talk. My legs gave out and I fell over, and I couldn't hear anything besides these faint screams and the roaring in my ears. I thought I was dying, nothing was working and I could only stare at the ceiling." She told the doctor, feeling herself start to shudder again at the sheer terror she'd felt in that moment.

Twilight looked at John. "She also screamed Scootaloo's name at one point, right before she passed out." She added.

John nodded in understanding. "You went into shock, and you're very fortunate that you got medical help as soon as you did. If you had stayed in that state for too long, your heart would've failed from improper oxygen and consumption and an insufficient amount of blood going to it. Rainbow, could you please turn around and spread your wings for me?" He asked.

Rainbow complied and turned around, spreading her wings like she was instructed. She felt his nimble hooves on them as he examined them, blushing a bit at the contact. It wasn't the most comfortable thing, having a strange stallion touch her wings. She looked over at Twilight, noticing how her Alicorn friend was giving John a curious look.

"She's already been cleared by Nurse Redheart, I don't understand why she needs somepony to examine her. No offence."

John sat back and gave the Princess a serious look, a frown on his face. "With all respect Princess, I've been in the detective business for quite a while now. And from this, I've learned that you can't trust everypony. While Sherlock here has had his head in a broken window," His pale partner scowled at him and snorted indignantly, "I've been listening to what the Royal Guards are saying. And most of them are convinced that Rainbow is the kidnapper. And if they believe it, what would stop Redheart from believing it?" He asked. Before Twilight or Rainbow could reply, he continued, "She could've drugged Rainbow for all we know. And she did. Nothing deadly, nothing serious, but she did. I recognize it because I've been drugged with it before. Rainbow, try to close your wings." He ordered, still looking at Twilight.

Rainbow looked over her shoulder and gave him an odd look, but complied. She tried to close her wings, only to discover that she couldn't. Her eyes widened and she tried to fold them once more, but they wouldn't comply. "I-I can't close my wings!" She exclaimed in a panicky voice.

John nodded. "Because she drugged you. It's a drug that was designed specifically for Pegasi, it temporarily disables the wings and renders them frozen and unable to move. You'll be fine in about six hours. Other than that, I'd say you've passed with flying colors. Sherlock," He stepped back and gestured for the taller Unicorn to take his place.

Sherlock stood up from his sitting position, and to the two Elements of Harmony's surprise, he towered over the both of them. He came over to Rainbow, then sat down again, still taller than her. He adjusted his purple scarf so that it went back into his black coat and frowned as she continued to try and close her wings. "Now, now, don't do that. You'll only injure them." He told her.

John walked over to Twilight. "You should go and arrest Nurse Redheart while you have the chance." He whispered.

Twilight nodded. "Thank you for your assistance John. I'll see to Nurse Redheart immediately." She replied, standing before trotting away. She saw Nurse Redheart walking out of Carousel Boutique and she quickened her pace. The white Earth Pony seemed to see her and broke into a gallop.

The Alicorn sped up as well charging after the nurse with her horn ignited. "GUARDS! SEIZE HER!" She shouted, firing off a beam of expertly aimed magic. It exploded on the ground in front of the fleeing Nurse Redheart, making her skid to a halt. She was instantly tackled by two Pegasi as Twilight came up, glaring down at the Earth Pony.

Nurse Redheart glared up at her with venom in her eyes. "How could you befriend such a monster?" She demanded in a low voice, baring her teeth in a threatening snarl.

Twilight drew herself up, towering over the nurse. "Nurse Redheart, I hereby place you under arrest for the deliberate drugging of Rainbow Dash. Guards, take her to Officer Lestride." She ordered, turning and snapping her tail like a whip as she did. She heard the click of hoofcuffs as she walked away.

"YOU'LL SEE PRINCESS! LOYALTY IS A LIE!"

A sudden sleep spell shot from an very angry Alicorn struck her, and she slipped wordlessly into a deep sleep. Twilight turned away again and ceased the magical flow, storming away from the Guards as they dragged her away.

"SHERLOCK!"

"WHAT THE BUCK ARE YOU DOING!?"

Twilight was just in time to see Rainbow Dash suddenly whip around and buck Sherlock's forelegs out from under him, knocking him over. She sped over as the Unicorn got back up, blood dripping from his muzzle and a scowl on his face. "Rainbow! What's going on?" She demanded as she came up to her.

Rainbow whipped around and gave Twilight a very angry look. "He bit my wing!" She squealed, pointing accusingly at Sherlock.

John was inspecting Sherlock's bleeding nose. "Sherlock, for Celestia's sake, you can't just BITE ponies! They'll get mad or scared and attack! You should know this by now, honestly you're a genius but sometimes you act like such a bloody idiot..." He grumbled, sitting back down when he decided that Sherlock's muzzle was not broken and that it would be fine in a few minutes.

Sherlock pressed his hoof against his aching muzzle and glared at Rainbow. "Well she didn't have to kick me..." He grumbled.

Rainbow glared right back. "You could've at least warned me!" She retorted hotly.

Twilight sighed and her face planted into her hoof as she shook her head. "I have a lot of stuff to deal with with my friends right now, and I need Rainbow for this. Are you done with her?" She asked, looking up at Sherlock.

Sherlock nodded. "Yes. I'll have John come to get you when I've come to a conclusion as to who the kidnapper is. Now if you'll excuse us..." He stood up, turned tail and walked in another direction, John following soon after after mumbling a quick apology and farewell to the princess.

John looked up at him. "Did you have to honestly bite her wing?" He demanded.

Sherlock smirked a bit. "Perhaps not, but it was rather amusing. And if I'm right about this, then that was completely necessary." He replied in a way that meant he would reveal no further details as to what he was thinking.

"The game, John, is on!"

Fractured Harmony

About fifteen minutes later, the Elements of Harmony were gathered in the Golden Oaks Library.

Rarity glared at Rainbow Dash. "Could you please close your wings? The implications of your wings being spread like that are quite rude and I'd rather not be in the presence of something so dirty." She sniffed, turning her nose in the air.

Rainbow glared right back. "I was drugged by the good for nothing nurse you-"

Twilight quickly stepped between them. "Now's not the time for fighting girls, can we please just sit down nicely?" She asked.

Rarity and Rainbow turned away from each other and sat as far away from each other as possible.

Twilight looked at all of them, sighing as Rainbow looked away from everypony to glare at the ground. "Alright, everypony's heard of what happened last night, correct?" Fluttershy and Pinkie nodded while Applejack and Rarity shivered a bit, "Well for some reason, almost everypony seems to think that Rainbow is the kidnapper. We need to prove her innocent!" She declared, stomping her hoof firmly on the ground.

Rarity jumped to her hooves. "WE DON'T THINK, WE KNOW!" She shrieked, surprising everypony in the room.

Before even Rainbow Dash could react, Twilight was on her hooves and her horn was blazing with magenta light. "SIT DOWN RARITY!" She barked harshly, baring her teeth and flaring her wings threateningly.

Clearly startled by her friend's reaction, Rarity sat back down and stared at her with wide, still slightly angry eyes.

Twilight drew herself back down and ceased the magical flow, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "Rarity, I don't see how you can accuse Rainbow of kidnapping Scootaloo. She was in your house, in the same room as you. You would've heard her." She stated in a low voice filled with barely suppressed anger.

It was Applejack who cut in this time, "Well RD ain't exactly loud when she don't want ta be. If she really wanted ta be quiet, she coulda." She reasoned.

Rainbow gave her a disbelieving look. "Applejack, I was the one who dragged you out of bed when Sweetie Belle started screaming! When would I have had time to take Scootaloo, fly off with her, then come back to bed?" She demanded.

Rarity glared at Rainbow. "You always boast about how you can do tasks in, as you say, 'ten seconds flat', do you not?" She asked.

Fluttershy peeked out from behind her rosette mane, teal eyes more nervous than normal. "T-That is true..." She agreed softly.

Twilight stared at the shy Pegasus, eyes wide with disbelief and hurt. "Fluttershy, not you too!" She exclaimed.

Pinkie glared at Twilight. "Twilight, you really need to look at the facts. A blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane? It's gotta be Dashie!" She exclaimed.

Rarity stood up. "How could you? Your own sister! And after all she's been through to!" She shouted.

"How the buck can you seriously think I'd kidnap her? We were in your house Rarity, you would've heard me get up!" Rainbow retorted, getting to her hooves as well.

Applejack sighed. "Well Sweetie did say she saw a rainbow-maned Pegasus... And yer the only rainbow-maned Pegasus ah know... It all seems a might suspicious if ya ask me." She admitted, getting up.

"She's my little sister! Why would I kidnap her?"

"Um... It does seem a bit strange to just be a coincidence... If you don't mind me saying..." Fluttershy added quietly, slowly standing up.

"Fluttershy! Come on! After all these years you think I'd kidnap a defenceless filly?"

"My knee's all pinchy, and that means something scary is happening. And if Sweetie Belle really did see a Pegasus with a rainbow mane, well..." Pinkie murmured nervously as she stood up.

"Pinkie! Not you too!"

Twilight shook her head and got to her hooves along with everypony else. "Girls, you can't honestly believe that Rainbow would seriously kidnap Scootaloo?" She demanded, her voice slightly panicky.

"Rainbow Dash, I am truly sorry for what I am about to say, but until you are proven innocent I cannot allow myself or Sweetie Belle to associate with you. It is nothing personal, it is merely for safety." Rarity stated, turning her nose in the air and sounding anything but sincere when she said it was nothing personal.

"Same here RD. Ah just can't let ya come to the barn until everything's cleared up. Ah'm sorry." Applejack agreed. She at least sounded sincere, but the fright in her eyes said that she was scared of angering the spectrum haired Pegasus and was apologizing in case she'd offended her rather than the fact that she was, for lack of a better term, abandoning her.

"I-I think the same thing goes for me... This is all too scary, and it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I want my animals to be safe... P-Please don't be mad..." Fluttershy told her softly. She felt her twist in her chest at Rainbow's heartbreaking look, guilt washing over her as she looked away.

"Me too! I can't let anything happen to the twins!" Pinkie exclaimed, giving Rainbow a heated and suspicious glare.

Rainbow stared at all the scared and angry looks with wide, hurt and broken eyes. "G-Guys, come on! I thought we were friends! You know, I wouldn't kidnap her! I-I Pinkie Promise, I had nothing to do with this!" She begged.

Pinkie swivelled around and locked a pair of blazing blue orbs. "Oh yeah? And can you live up to that Pinkie Promise?" She demanded challengingly.

"She's my bucking sister!" Rainbow shouted.

Pinkie snorted. "Well until you can show me that she's safe, I'm not gonna believe you! Who wants to be friends with a liar liar pants on fire kidnapper!?" She screamed, turning and cracking her tail across Rainbow's face as she did.

"How can you guys think that? I'm not a kidnapper! WHAT THE BUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PONIES!? I MISS SCOOTALOO MORE THAN ALL OF YOU COMBINED! SHE'S MY SISTER!" Rainbow screamed after them as they started to walk away.

Rarity looked over her shoulder. "WELL YOU DON'T DESERVE HER!" She snapped back.

Before Twilight could even say one word, Rainbow let out a wild screech and dove forwards like a rainbow projectile, tackling Rarity to the ground.

The back of Rainbow's hoof came down across Rarity's face as the fashionista screamed wildly. She continued to pummel Rarity with her hooves as the familiar red mask covered her eyes. "TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK YOU DAMN MULE!" She screeched.

Rarity's horn ignited as she tried to slap Rainbow's hooves away. "GET OFF! GET OFF OF ME YOU BRUTE!" She shrieked, trying to blast her off with magic but the flurry of blue hooves threw her aim off and she couldn't get a clear shot.

Applejack grabbed Rainbow and tried to pull her off, only to be met with a buck to the gut. The blow sent her skidding back and knocked the wind out of her.

Twilight started forwards, horn lighting up as she prepared to separate them.

Rainbow continued to beat the Unicorn with her hooves, screaming insults at her as she did. "TAKE IT BACK YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING SNOB! TAKE IT BACK BEFORE I RIP YOUR HIDEOUS DRESSES TO BITS AND BEAT YOU TILL YOUR SIX FEET UNDER!" She screamed ferociously.

Rarity's horn was nearly blinding at this point. "TAKE! THAT! BACK!" She roared. The jet of magic shot off without her meaning to, and connected sharply with the Pegasus' chest.

Boom!

Rainbow was blasted through the air by the magical explosion. She slammed into the stairs with a sickening crunch before howling in agony, her right wing slumping from its drugged state at a sickening angle.

Rarity got to her hooves, blood spilling from her muzzle as she breathed heavily. "I WISH YOU'D NEVER ADOPTED SCOOTALOO! SHE WOULDN'T BE MISSING IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU!" She shrieked. A sleeping spell by Twilight silenced her, and she was dragged away by Applejack.

Slam!

Pinkie slammed the door behind them, and the two mares were alone.

Twilight hurried over to Rainbow's side as the Pegasus sobbed. She helped her to her hooves, and gasped at the sight of her wing. It was bent at the shoulder joint, clearly broken. The shoulder joint remained in its upright position, while the rest of the wing was drooping at a sickening angle.

Rainbow looked at Twilight with pained eyes, her breath hitching as she tried to desperately fight down the pain. "T-Twi..." She whimpered.

The Alicorn nodded and flared her horn. A roll of gauze levitated over and she went to work, placing her hooves on the injured wing and as gently as possible realigning the bone.

Rainbow stopped one of her forehooves and groaned loudly as she tried to suppress her scream of agony. She felt the bandages going around her wing, and then Twilight pulled away. She let out a huge gasp of a breath before collapsing as she began to sob once more. "I-I need to go home... Thanks for everything Twi, but I need to just... Go." She told her as she opened the door.

"THERE SHE IS!"

Rainbow's ears dropped as she looked at the gathered ponies. Each and every one of them were glaring at her with hateful eyes, holding rocks and other things in their wings, hooves and magical auras.

"YOU FILTHY CRIMINAL!" Came Bon Bon's voice.

"HOW COULD YA TAKE SCOOTALOO FROM US!?" Apple Bloom cried.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY STUDENT!?" Demanded Cheerilee.

"I HOPE YOU BURN IN TARTARUS!" Screamed Lyra.

"WE SHOULD KILL YOU!" Hissed Thunderlane.

A rock suddenly binged across Rainbow's shoulder, and she saw that Sweetie Belle had thrown it. More things started to pelt her body painfully, and she ducked back into the library and slammed the door behind her, chest heaving. Her heavy breaths melted into sobs as she slid down the the door, banging her head against it as she cried.

Twilight hurried to her side and wrapped her forelegs around her in a hug, careful to avoid her injured wing. "Shhh... We'll solve this Rainbow, don't worry..." She soothed, pulling the distraught Pegasus away from the door.

Rainbow sniffled and looked up at the Princess with watery eyes. "S-She's really gone Twi... And everypony thinks I did it! I'm so worried about Scoots Twi, what if she's been killed?" She asked nervously, voice shaking.

Twilight placed her chin on Rainbow's shoulder, holding her close as she sighed. "I know that these are troubling times Rainbow Dash, and everypony's blaming you because they have nopony else to blame. We'll find her, together. I promise." She vowed.

Another sob tore itself from the Element of Loyalty's throat. "I can't even go outside without them throwing things at me! They broke my bucking wing, Twi! What are we gonna do? I-I need to know that she's safe! I c-can't fail her!" She cried desperately.

Twilight went silent for a moment. "...I'll go. I'll find her. I promise Rainbow, I'll find Scootaloo." She told her, pulling away a bit to look her seriously in the eyes. Purple to magenta.

Rainbow shook her head. "No! You could get hurt, you could be killed! I can't go with this wing, but I can't let you go! Let Sherlock and John handle it, please!" She begged.

Twilight sighed. "No Rainbow, I need to make sure for myself that Scootaloo is safe. If something happens to her and I'm not the one to find her, I'll never forgive myself. I'd rather be there firsthand than be told by a detective I barely know." She told her honestly.

Rainbow's forelegs pulled Twilight in and she hugged her friend tightly. "Thank you..." She whispered. In a world she didn't know anymore, Twilight was her only friend.

Twilight smiled softly. "I'd do anything for you Rainbow, especially in your time of need. I can't notify the Princesses right now, Spike has been summoned to Canterlot by Princess Luna for something regarding other Dragons, so we're on our own with this. I promise you Rainbow, I'll find her. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a-" She was cut off by Rainbow's bitter snort.

Rainbow looked away. "You don't need to do that. Pinkie promises mean nothing anymore, Pinkie isn't my friend. None of them are." She spat bitterly.

Twilight sighed softly and hung her head. Just as she feared would happen before she gathered all of their "friends", their friendship was coming apart at the seams. "Alright." She agreed.

Rainbow nodded. "Thanks Twi. C-Can I... Ya know... Stay here?" She asked cautiously, giving her friend a shy look.

Twilight nodded. "Of course! If you can't get home, then of course you stay here. I insist." She agreed.

Rainbow gave Twilight a watery smile. "You're too good to me Twi." She complimented tearfully.

Twilight smiled. "It's what friends are for. If you could excuse me for a minute, I'll be right back." She told her, trotting past her and opening the door with her magic. She closed it behind her and faced the crowd of angry ponies, a glare of her own on her face.

Cheerilee stepped forwards. "With all due respect your highness, we demand you give us Rainbow Dash so that we can punish her!" She demanded, stopping her hoof for emphasis.

Thunderlane strode forwards as well. "There's no need to worry yourself about her Princess, we'll handle her and get Scootaloo back." He assured her.

Twilight glared at him. "Rainbow Dash will not be punished unless she is proven guilty." She stated.

Apple Bloom came up to her. "HOW DARE YA!? GIVE US THAT TRAITOR OR WE'LL TAKE HER!" She screamed.

Big McIntosh joined her. "Eeyup. No offence yer highness, but Rainbow is the obvious suspect." He agreed.

Mayor Mare nodded as she walked right up to the front. "Give us Rainbow Dash or I'm going to have to use drastic measure to get her." She warned.

"WE WANT RAINBOW DASH!"

"SHE SHOULD DIE FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE!"

"GIVE HER TO US!"

"WE'LL PUNISH HER FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE TO SCOOTALOO!"

"SILENCE!"

Twilight had jumped into the air with a huge bellow, horn radiating powerful energy as her eyes glowed pure white. She faced the entire town, all of the ponies backing away with their ears pressed against their skulls as she used the Royal Canterlot voice. Luna's lessons had indeed payed off. "YOU WILL ALL LEAVE MY HOME THIS INSTANT, AND IF ANY OF YOU RETURN FOR RAINBOW DASH YOU WILL BE PLACED UNDER IMMEDIATE ARREST. IS THAT CLEAR!?" She demanded.

Silence.

"IS. THAT. CLEAR!?"

Everypony nodded, trembling as they beheld the furious Princess.

Twilight looked down at them. "GOOD. NOW BEGONE!" She shouted, watching as they hastily retreated. She landed back on the ground and walked back inside, her horn no longer glowing with the spell that had made her eyes glow. She only used that spell when she needed to assert her authority, which wasn't very often. She slammed the door behind her and looked at Rainbow with warm eyes. "They're gone." She notified her.

Rainbow gaped at her. "Remind me never to get you mad." She joked.

Twilight smiled softly. "Noted." She teased.

Just for a second, it seemed like everything was alright. On the outside.

Within Rainbow Dash, her emotions were swirling and tumbling around in a confused mess. Pain, sorrow, anger, betrayal and this cold feeling that spread across the back of her mind. She was smiling almost hopefully on the outside, but on the inside she was dying. All the hatred that bubbled and frothed around her was enough for two ponies, and containing it was painful. It hurt, but she had to hold it back.

And within Princess Twilight Sparkle, all she felt was fury. Behind her eyes was a blazing inferno that could set fire to a forest, so hot was her anger. Bubbling up in her belly and spreading through every fibre of being, covering her vision in a pale red fog. The anger at the other Elements who had betrayed not only her, but Rainbow Dash. Fury at the town who had dared to demand that she hand over Rainbow Dash so that she would certainly be killed. Rage at the mysterious mare who had taken Scootaloo in the first place, starting this whole mess.

But both mares masked their true emotions beneath false smiles. And they were quite good at it too.

It'd take Sherlock Hooves to figure them out.

John was relaxing in his chair as Sherlock examined the blue feather. "So how are you going to figure out who the kidnapper is with nothing but a feather?" He asked.

Sherlock looked up from his magnifying glass and looked over at John. "Rainbow Dash's feathers are the exact same shade as this one, but she kicked me before I could check the sizes. Now I don't know if this feather is the same size as hers or not. It's smaller than yours, and I can't see if it's her size anymore. I believe it's bigger, but I can't be sure. There's something off about it, but I can't figure it out!" He exclaimed in frustration, slamming his hoof down on the counter.

John sighed. "You did bite her." He reminded him.

"I had to see if the taste was the same!"

"You could've at least warned her."

"She wouldn't have let me."

"She also wouldn't have attacked you."

Sherlock sighed and looked away, deciding that John was not going to see reason. Dumb John. He continued inspecting the feather, knowing that something was odd but he just couldn't put his hoof on it. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at it at every angle possible, even levitating it close to his face to get an even closer look, grunting whenever he moved it.

John sighed as Sherlock continued to grunt whenever he did anything. "So did it taste the same?" He asked.

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "She attacked me before I got the chance to actually taste her." He replied.

John rolled his eyes and went back to reading the Ponyville Express. Scootaloo's kidnapping was on the ground page, complete with a picture of Rainbow Dash and the blaring red headline;

RAINBOW DASH; KIDNAPPER?

The Pegasus shook his head out. "What do you think Sherlock? Is Rainbow the kidnapper?" He called.

Sherlock looked over. "Like you said earlier John..." He started, his mouth twitching slightly as he smiled a tiny smirk,

"You can't trust everypony."

Saving Rainbow

Twilight moaned as she came to, her head aching. She opened her eyes slowly, very glad to see that her vision was clear. She had a headache, but it was nowhere as bad as a concussion headache. She shook her head a bit to clear her groggy senses, before realizing where she was.

She was in Carousel Boutique.

"Oh, you've woken up!"

The cheerful voice was followed by Rarity as she trotted in, smiling cheerfully. But despite the seemingly warm smile, there was a maniacal glint in her eyes. "I don't suppose you'll take up my offer on tea?" She asked mockingly, a cruel bite to her voice.

Twilight jumped towards her, wings flared and teeth bared, but something pulled sharply on her right hindleg and she slammed into the floor. She got to her hooves and looked back to see that there was rope tied around her ankle, and that the end of it was wrapped in a blue aura. She looked back to Rarity and saw that the Unicorn was giving her a wicked grin.

Rarity strode forwards, before yanking sharply on the rope and bringing it to her. She giggled cruelly as Twilight was knocked over with a yelp of pain. "It's quite rude to fall asleep when you're at somepony's house!" She snapped.

Twilight glared up at her. "Let me go." She growled.

"And then you have the nerve to try and escape!"

"LET ME GO RARITY!"

Twilight's horn flared up, but Rarity pulled on the rope again, the force nearly pulling Twilight's hip out of place. She cried out in pain and her magic faded away, leaving her to glare up at her former friend gasping and holding back tears.

Rarity stomped her hoof. "GET UP!" She barked roughly.

Twilight slowly got to her hooves, still giving Rarity a suspicious look. "Somepony'll find out. You couldn't fool Sherlock if he came here." She spat.

Rarity shook her head. "You act like I'll kill you. No darling, I merely need to keep you here until the job is done. Forgive me." She told her, sounding anything but sincere.

Twilight surged forwards and her hoof came down across Rarity's face. "BURN IN TARTARUS!" She shrieked.

"SILENCE YOU DAMN MULE!" Rarity moved her head as she pulled the rope to the side, causing Twilight's leg to bend beneath her. The Alicorn let out a sharp yelp as her leg went out from underneath her and she hit the ground on her side. The Unicorn went up to her and smirked as her former friend gripped her leg and writhed in pain.

Twilight looked up at Rarity with slightly watery eyes. "I hate you." She hissed through grit teeth, rolling onto her back.

Rarity leaned down and lightly stroked Twilight's cheek. "Oh I know. But after today, after the job is done, Rainbow Dash will no longer be an issue. We'll be friends again soon darling, just you see. For now... Let's have a little fun, shall we?" Without warning the mare leaned down and plugged her lips firmly onto Twilight's.

Twilight's eyes flew wide with shock and she instantly started struggling, opening her mouth to scream against the kiss but instead finding that Rarity's tongue had forced its way into her mouth and was running along the inside of her cheek. Tears started flowing down her cheeks as panic struck her and she screamed against the forced kiss, trying to throw Rarity off.

Rarity pulled away and grinned seductively at Twilight, licking her lips. "Oh, somepony's a screamer... But that was only the beginning dear, Mama's going to have so much fun with you..." She purred. Her magic pulled the rope, bringing the sobbing Princess Closer as she got in her face, hot breath spilling against her nose. Her hoof lightly touched Twilight's chest, then slowly started tracing downwards. Down her chest, down her belly and towards-

"NO!"

Twilight wound up and bucked Rarity as hard as she could, her hooves striking hard against her chest. She heard a loud crack as Rarity's ribs cracked and the Unicorn toppled with a shriek of agony. She quickly got to her hooves and ran as fast as she could, trying to escaped. She was tripped up again and looked to see that Rarity had gripped the end of the rope once more, holding her in place.

Rarity grinned wickedly as the Alicorn got to her hooves and struggled to free herself, screaming and crying. "IT'S NO USE TWILIGHT SPARKLE! I WILL HAVE YOU WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT!" She screeched. She watched as Twilight's own magic undid the rope, but anticipating this, she quickly gripped her leg with her magic, still holding her in place.

Twilight screamed as Rarity grabbed her. "LET ME GO! PLEASE!" She begged shrilly.

Rarity slowly got to her hooves, a bit of blood dripping from her mouth. Her frazzled mane fell across one eye and the other eye had a maniacal look as she looked at Twilight with an insane look. "You're mine..." She hissed, stalking forwards on uneven legs. She felt the Alicorn start to try and free herself with magic, and in response the insane mare used her own magic to painfully twist the ankle.

Twilight cried out in pain as her ankle twisted, before turning and firing a beam of magic straight at Rarity. It connected and sent the Unicorn flying back into the wall, and she ran the minute she saw that her former friend was unconscious.

Twilight broke the door to Carousel Boutique down in her haste to get away. She had to keep her bad leg held above the ground as she ran unevenly towards the library, eyes wide with terror. It was dark out, the streets were deserted. Nopony around.

Rainbow Dash was in danger.

Creeeeeak

Rainbow Dash shot up right in time to see the door to her room close and a shadowy figure slip into the darkness. It was night, she'd been asleep for a few hours at least. She watched as the pony slipped into the shadows and continued to move, but because of the darkness she couldn't see the coat color/ "H-Hello? Who's there? Come on out or I'll buck your flank into next week!" She threatened nervously.

"Cross your heart..."

Rainbow swore her heart skipped a beat."W-Wha?" She stammered as the creepy, bone-chilling song echoed eerily around her room.

"Hope to fly..."

Rainbow jumped to her hooves. "Stop it and fight me already!" She exclaimed, eyes narrowing as she tried to find the mysterious pony. If this was a prank, it was not funny. Her legs shook as she looked around wildly, catching the occasional glimpse of a flat tail whipping out of sight.

"Stick a cupcake in your eye..."

Cold blue eyes glinted in the slim crack of moonlight from a small hole in the tree trunk.

Rainbow stopped dead and stared. "W-Wait... Pinkie Pie!?" She demanded, feeling her heart sink.

"Cause if you lie to Pinkie Pie..." Pinkie came out of the shadows, her mane a flat waterfall of dark pink hair. She was holding a knife in one hoof, a knife that glimmered dangerously in that same crack of moonlight.

Rainbow backed away, her good wing beating desperately as her heart started racing. "Pinkie stop, you're seriously freaking me out... Put the knife down! PINKIE!" Rainbow screamed as the Earth Pony continued to advance on her.

Pinkie stopped for a moment. "You better kiss your ass goodbye." She finished. She flicked the knife up, bit down on the handle and then jumped towards her prey, eyes gleaming with a dangerous insanity.

Rainbow let out a screech of terror and dodged out of the way, hearing Pinkie crash against the wall. "PINKIE! NO, STOP! PLEASE!" She begged, backing away as Pinkie slowly got back to her hooves. The pink face turned its deadly glare to her, blood dripping from a cut on her forehead and she screamed again, scrambling to her hooves and backing away.

Pinkie let out a feral roar and charged after, ramming into the Pegasus and knocking her over, She grabbed the knife in her hoof and pressed it against Rainbow's throat, ignoring the terrified sobs as as she bared her teeth in a snarl. "WHERE'S SCOOTALOO!?" She demanded shrilly.

"I-I DON'T KNOW! PLEASE STOP!"

The knife pressed down harder. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS YOU MOTHERBUCKER AND I MIGHT LET YOU GO!" She screeched.

Rainbow continued to sob as blood started leaking down. "I DIDN'T TAKE HER! WE WERE FRIENDS PINKIE, STOP IT PLEASE! I DIDN'T KIDNAP HER!" She wailed, struggling feebly.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"PINKIE PLEASE!"

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"STOP LYING TO ME!"

"I'M NOT LYING I SWEAR!"

"GIVE ME SCOOTALOO OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"I DON'T HAVE HER! STOP, YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

"WHERE IS SCOOTALOO!?"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

As Rainbow struggled and screamed at the top of her lungs, a face suddenly appeared behind Pinkie. John leapt at the crazed Earth Pony and knocked her clear off of Rainbow Dash, making the knife carve a small track across her chin and cheek. He slammed her hard against the floor and cried out when her knife jabbed his foreleg. He used the other hoof to punch her across the jaw and then her ripped the knife from her grasp, brandishing it between his teeth and facing her. "TELL ME WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!" He shouted.

Pinkie laughed maniacally, her voice shrieking and grating against the ears of Rainbow and John. "BECAUSE THEN EQUESTRIA WILL BE DOWN ON ITS GREATEST DEFENSE. HAHAHAHAHAHA! WITHOUT THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY, THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT WILL HAPPEN!" She screeched wildly, tears of mirth spilling down her cheeks.

John punched her once more, this time putting more force behind the blow. Her head snapped back, and she fell limp with unconsciousness. He got off the mare and gasped for breath, barely noticing the stab wound on his leg.

Slam!

"JOHN!? RAINBOW DASH!?"

The stallion's ears flicked up and he turned to Rainbow Dash. "Come on." He told her, offering her his hoof. She took it and he pulled her over, wincing at the long cut going from her chin and close to her left eye. He trotted ahead of her, knife still in his teeth, and he went out onto the balcony.

Twilight looked up and gasped at the sight of the two Pegasi. "Oh my gosh! Are you two ok!?" She demanded.

John nodded. "We're fine, you should see the other pony." He replied.

Twilight hurried up the stairs as fast as she could with her injured ankle. "You two go downstairs and get yourselves fixed up, I'll be there in a moment." She ordered, before whisking past them and into Rainbow's room. She looked around, noticing that several things were toppled over and that there was somepony lying on the ground. She limped over and rolled the body over, gasping at the sight of Pinkie's still face and the large bruise on her head.

Then she remembered the knife John had been holding. A bloodstained cake knife.

Twilight lifted the body with her magic and walked back outside, taking Pinkie with her. She levitated the pink mare over the balcony and down to the floor below, moving some stuff off of a table and dropping her on it. She leapt over the balcony and gently fluttered down, deciding that going back down the stairs would be too much for her ankle to handle.

John was examining the wound on Rainbow's face with a careful eye. He noticed, thankfully, that it wasn't too deep. He reached into his first aid kit and pulled out the roll of gauze, using some to cover in the injury. "It should be fine in a few days." He told her softly. She didn't seem to be injured anywhere else, and by some miracle she'd kept her broken wing out of harm's way.

Twilight used her magic to light some candles before she staggered over and looked at Rainbow. "Is she going to be ok?" She asked nervously, looking at her friend with wide, sympathetic eyes.

John nodded. "Yes, she somehow managed to avoid further injury to wing and the cut isn't very deep. I'll make sure she's guarded when you're not here from now on." He replied. He looked over at her, and noticed that she wasn't putting any weight on her right hindleg. "Are you injured?" He asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Nothing I can't handle, I'll be fine." She reassured him.

John narrowed his eyes. "That," He gestured at her leg, "Certainly doesn't look like nothing. Sit." He ordered, hopping off the couch.

Rainbow scooted over as Twilight climbed on, leaving room for the doctor to get back on as well. Twilight had turned to face her, and she noticed some red smeared on Twilight's lips. "What's that?" She asked, pointing at her lips.

Twilight put a hoof to her mouth and pulled away, looking at some lipstick. "Rarity's lipstick. I went to her house to confront her about coming here, and she knocked me out and trapped me there. She started kissing me, and she tried to... Tried to touch me." She replied, her voice starting to shake as she recalled the feeling of violation as one of her former friends had tried to force her to be intimate.

John looked at her with slightly wide eyes. "Did she... You know... Succeed?" He asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, I managed to get her off before she touched me... There." She replied shakily.

Rainbow wrapped Twilight in a reassuring hug and felt two forelegs grip below her wings tightly. She ran a hoof soothingly down her back as Twilight's chest heaved with shaky breaths, as if her lungs themselves were trembling with fright. She herself felt like her heart would burst from her chest, one of her former best friends had just tried to kill her after all. But she needed to be strong, for Twilight's sake at least.

John waited until Twilight composed herself before speaking, "Twilight, could I ask you to lie down on your back?" He asked. She nodded in response and rolled over, and the doctor winced inwardly at the way her tail covered her private areas protectively. Poor mare, going through something like that... He thought. He kept a steeled expression on his face, locking his emotions away. He gently took her hoof in his forehooves, feeling her flinch at his touch. Another inward wince.

Rainbow draped her forelegs over Twilight's shoulders and allowed the Alicorn to rest her head in her lap. She looked into the big, frightened deep purple eyes and smiled reassuringly, petting Twilight's mane with a hoof.

John grabbed his roll of gauze and wrapped some around her swollen ankle and hoof, tearing tearing it from the roll when he was done. He put the roll way and looked back up at Twilight. "Only a minor sprain, but you should keep off of it for a few days. Sherlock will have to handle the case till then." He instructed.

Twilight shot up almost instantly. "But-"

"No buts Twilight. There's a dangerous kidnapper and quite a few ponies want to kill Rainbow, so unless you want to be overpowered by possibly armed ponies, you'll stay off that ankle until I tell you otherwise." John cut her off firmly, giving her a look that showed he wasn't going to budge.

Twilight slumped back. "Fine." She grumbled moodily.

Rainbow giggled a bit and pet Twilight's mane again. "Cheer up Twi, I bet Sherlock'll be able to find out just what's going on no problem!" She reassured her.

John took a close look at Rainbow, and he could easily tell that her smile was fake. Behind her eyes, there was a horrible anger and lust for blood that demanded to be met, matched only by crushing defeat, hopelessness and sorrow. And behind it all, a trace of fear. He frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

Twilight sighed and put her head back down. She smiled up at Rainbow, but just like her friend hers was like a mask. Inside her head she felt indescribable terror from what Rarity had tried to do to her, Pinkie trying to murder Rainbow and the danger looming on the horizon. Defeat weighed down on her heart like a boulder, a sense of sorrow and anger that made her want to cry.

But just like Rainbow Dash, she knew she had to be strong. Even if it meant lying to everypony's faces that she was alright. Even if it meant hurting those close to her.

Even if it killed her.

Into the Shadows

It'd barely been a day since Twilight had escaped Rarity and Pinkie had tried to murder Rainbow. The Earth Pony had been thrown in jail the moment she awoke. By some miracle Twilight's ankle had healed, or so she claimed. John could see right through her act, and he knew that she knew that he knew. Mainly because he'd confronted her, but she'd threatened to change his wings into butterfly wings while he slept, so he'd backed off. Rainbow was mainly keeping to herself, and only really spoke to Twilight. Their conversations were hushed and rapid, as if they were keen on not letting John hear. This had been going on for a few hours, and the doctor was starting to get very annoyed. But being the gentlecolt that he is, he decided to leave them to their secrets and tried his very best to ignore them and his growing curiosity.

He went to bed grumbling about mares.

He woke up when the magenta aura closed the door.

Twilight was gone.

Twilight winced as the door closed rather loudly behind her, but before anypony in the library could stop her she took off running. Her horn blazed with brilliant magenta light and lit the way as she galloped through town. Her legs pumped as she sped past the market.

Past Sugarcube Corner.

Past Carousel Boutique.

Past Sweet Apple Acres.

She turned sharply when Fluttershy's house came into view, going along the edge of the forest.

Running through a dark and empty path.

Running towards the small house.

Bursting through the door.

Into the shadows.

John bolted up and ran upstairs, bursting into Rainbow's room. He shook the Pegasus awake, eyes wide and frantic. "Where's Twilight going!?" He demanded.

Rainbow pushed him off of her. "How the hell am I supposed to know!?" She snapped back, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

John glared at her. "She just left, and you two have been talking all hush hush for the past day! What were you talking about!?" He shouted, his voice getting increasingly louder.

Rainbow's ears flicked up and she stared at him. "She left!? AND YOU LET HER!?" She screamed, chest starting to heave.

"WHAT DID YOU TELL HER RAINBOW DASH!?"

Rainbow's ears dropped as the realization sank in. Her eyes widened and her heart started beating in her ears, louder than the roaring of her blood. "We... We were talking about Scootaloo... I... I told her..." Her chest started heaving as terror gripped her with cold claws.

John gave her a terrified look. "You didn't tell her that... You couldn't have..." He breathed.

Rainbow nodded. "I told her where Scootaloo's old house is... Where she lived before I adopted her... On the edge of the Everfree Forest..." She replied, staring into space with her eyes unfocused.

John's heart plummeted. "She went to Scootaloo's old house... No... No, no, no, NO!" He bellowed, getting back to his hooves. He turned and leapt off the bed, wings extending and he flew out the bedroom door. He did a sharp turn and dove over the balcony and out the front door, into the cold of the night.

John beat his wings and took off towards his house.

He needed to get Sherlock.

Twilight was in trouble.

Sherlock was so close. So close to cracking the code, to finding the secret of the feather. The dye was fading away, just barely hiding the color beneath. But the damn dye refused to fade away enough for him to see the color, and it was beginning to piss him off. He was reading through a spellbook, trying to find a spell that would help him, when John suddenly flew in.

John nearly threw the door off the hinges when he flew through it. "Sherlock! Twilight's gone to Scootaloo's house, alone!" He exclaimed, landing next to his partner.

Sherlock looked up at him. "I'll be there in a moment, I need to finish this! Aha!" He found a spell that removed disguises, quickly read it over, before turning to the feather he was levitating and casting it, closing his eyes as he concentrated.

John groaned as Sherlock put his thinking face on and stomped one forehoof in frustration. "Sherlock, she's gone off to the house of a kidnapped filly who was formally in the care of abusive parents! Alone! She could be killed if she's not careful! PUT THE DAMN FEATHER DOWN AND HELP ME FIND HER!" He shouted angrily.

Sherlock didn't reply.

"SHERLOCK!"

The pale stallion finished casting the spell just as he heard John take in another breath to shout. John's breath suddenly escaped him in a shocked noise, and he opened his eyes to look at the feather.

He expected the lime green of Merry May.

It was pale yellow.

John and Sherlock both stared at the feather, eyes wide. The two of them barely dared to breathe. A moment of pure silence, just staring at the pale feather that levitated in Sherlock's magical grasp.

Then, quick as a whip, Sherlock grabbed Twilight's feather off of the counter where he'd left it and brought it up, bringing a ruler with it is as well. With a keen eye he watched them align perfectly, before measuring. His eyes narrowed as he double checked the feathers, making sure that the alignment was absolutely perfect.

The pale yellow feather was one point six centimetres shorter than Twilight's.

The Unicorn dropped the feathers as his eyes flew wide once more. "That doesn't make sense, Twilight and I measured and it was one point five centimetres shorter... Unless..." Memories flew at him and he closed his eyes, thinking.

Knock, knock

Sherlock opened the door with his blue aura, smiling slightly when Twilight greeted him. "Ah, Princess. Do come in." He offered, stepping aside as she came in.

Twilight smiled at Sherlock. "Hello Sherlock. And please, call me Twilight. Your letter said you needed me to be here for something?" She inquired curiously.

Sherlock nodded. "Come." He gestured with a tilt of his head and trotted towards the kitchen, hearing Twilight follow him. He stopped at the counter and levitated the feather over to her.

Twilight looked at the feather for a moment, before looking at him. "I don't understand." She stated.

Sherlock nodded. "I've been examining this feather for the past two days, and I need to take measurements. I highly doubt John will let me bring Rainbow Dash here, or let me near her after the incident at Carousel Boutique, so I must enlist your help. Your feathers are slightly larger than hers, by exactly one point five centimetres," He started. While she was listening, his magic gripped one of her feathers and with a quick tug he pulled it out, making her yelp, "And I need to see if this feather matches the size. Hold these together and make sure that the bottoms match up exactly." He ordered.

Twilight took the feathers in her own magical grasp and lined them up, keeping a close eye on them to make sure that they were perfect. She looked up when she was done to see Sherlock standing there, levitating a ruler. She held them still in the air while he placed the ruler against them and measure them up.

Unbeknownst to both of them, the weight of the ruler just gently misaligned them.

"By exactly point one centimetre..." Sherlock breathed, eyes flying open. His head snapped up and he turned to John. "We measured wrong. Rainbow Dash is innocent." He told him.

John stared at him. "I know that, but who's the criminal?" He demanded.

Sherlock closed his eyes and pressed his hooves to his head, going into his mind palace. The Everfree Forest flew up to meet him, a cheery little cottage surrounded by animals, a stretch of grass and then an insignificant little house.

His eyes snapped open.

"Twilight."

"Twilight's the criminal?"

Sherlock threw his trench coat on. "No, she's in grave danger! We need to get there now!" He shouted, bolting out the door with John following in the air.

Above their heads, the sky split apart with a loud boom and rain pelted the small town.

Twilight walked down the corridor, keeping her side pressed against the wall to shield herself in darkness. Her eyes glowed dully as they reflected the faint light pouring in through the three broken windows. Thunder rumbled outside, and the pouring rain that came through the windows soaked her pelt.

Flash!

Light flooded the corridor, and in that brief second it illuminated something on the wall. Twilight gasped and turned to the wall, trying to make out what she'd seen but failing in the darkness. She charged up a faint illumination spell to keep the light down and walked up to the wall, eyes narrowed as she read the two messages, both written diagonally and crossed together like an X. She placed the tip of her hoof and slowly made out the letters. Her eyes widened and she jumped away from the wall, biting down on her hoof to keep herself from screaming.

For there, on the wall, written in blood, was the message;

GET SCOOTALOO

"I can hear you~" A quiet, singsong voice came from the darkness, echoing in the small hallway.

This time, Twilight did scream and she looked around wildly."Please, whoever you are, stop it!" She begged, eyes starting to tear up.

"I'm gonna find you~" The voice taunted. There was a rustling and a whip of movement right in front of Twilight's face.

The Princess started breathing heavily as she backed herself against the wall, eyes wide with fright. "Give me Scootaloo! I need to prove Rainbow Dash innocent!" She cried, struggling to keep her sobs at bay.

"Guess what Princess?" The voice was so close, so terrifyingly close.

Twilight began to cry. "PLEASE! PLEASE STOP!" She sobbed shrilly, chest heaving.

"I'm right beside you." The voice was right in her ear.

In her panicked state, the Alicorn's horn flashed when she shrieked and illuminated the whole corridor briefly.

And in that brief moment, she saw the mare standing right beside her.

Twilight Sparkle screamed once more.

Crack!

The magenta light gave way to darkness.

Sherlock and John stopped outside the house, both of them dripping rainwater and soaked to the bone. The tall stallion lit up his horn and pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket.

John stared at him. "You brought a gun?" He asked.

Sherlock looked back. "You didn't?" He retorted, before opening the door with his magic and making sure it slammed loudly against the wall. He stomped inside and held the gun up, eyes blazing. "COME OUT WITH YOUR HOOVES UP!" He shouted.

A dark figure crept to the top of the staircase, but the shadows masked her face. It was clearly a mare, and she had her wings flared. Lightning flashed brightly from behind her from an open window, briefly illuminating her eyes.

Cold, teal eyes.

"Come out to play." Came her singsong voice.

A huge gust of wind blew through the open window, slamming the door shut behind them and cloaking the room in darkness.

Rainbow Dash waited until she heard John leave before throwing her blankets off. She ran out of the room and practically leapt the stairs in her haste to get out of the library, heart pumping and eyes wide. She tucked her head in and broke right through the door, wincing as her injured wing was jostled with the impact. She skidded a bit on the ground before stopping, and she took a moment to shake the splinters out of her mane. She looked up again to see that a lot of lights had turned on, meaning she had minimal time to leave before the town set upon her like piranhas.

And so she ran.

The Pegasus knew exactly where she had to go, and there was no force in all of Equestria that would stop her. The past few days had been the worst of her life, and she wasn't going to stand by and watch it happened anymore. No more of that cowering, pathetic mare that clung to anything and cried her heart out. No more of that weak and frail Pegasus who let a cowardly fashionista break her wing.

No. More.

Rainbow was brave. She was powerful. She was fire and ice and rage, and she planned to show it. Her little sister had been kidnapped and she had been framed by the kidnapper. Her friends and the entire town had all turned their backs on her. Pinkie Pie had tried to kill her, and was in jail because of it. And now her only friend was in terrible danger, alone.

The sky broke apart above her and rain poured down on her, slicking her spectrum mane to her neck and forehead. she ignored it.

Twilight was risking her life for her out there in the cold and the dark. Going right to the heart of the issue, an old house by the Everfree Forest. Scootaloo was missing, Twilight was in danger.

No.

No more hiding.

No more crying.

No more running, no more fear and NO MORE WEAKNESS.

She was Rainbow Dash, she was strong.

She had to be.

For Scootaloo.

For Twilight.

For herself.

The Element of Loyalty took a turn and went straight past Fluttershy's house, hooves beating the soggy grass as she galloped with all her might. Eyes narrowed as rain dripped down her face and the wind whipped through her drenched pelt, struggling to see the path in front of her. She blinked rapidly, clearing her vision just in time to see the house coming up on the horizon.

Twilight was getting closer. Scootaloo was getting closer.

Whoever had taken her little sister better be afraid.

Because she was Rainbow Dash.

And she was coming.

Finding Scootaloo

Sherlock stared up at the mare, eyes blazing as his chest heaved. He pointed the gun at her, baring his teeth threateningly. "GIVE US THE FILLY OR I SHOOT!" He shouted.

The mare giggled softly. "Oh Mr. Detective, you wouldn't do that. If you kill me, you never find out just how I pulled this off!" She called, her voice sweet like sugar.

John shuddered slightly, staring at the menacing figure on the top of the stairs. Teasing teal eyes looked down at him and Sherlock, as if this whole thing was merely a game for her. "She's insane..." He breathed.

The mare gasped softly. "Insane? How dare you! How would you like it if somepony called you insane?" She demanded, eyes narrowing.

Sherlock dropped his glare and instead put on a negotiating face. "If you come down here and tell us how you pulled it off, I won't shoot." He offered, placing the gun on the ground for emphasis.

The mare gave him a suspicious look, before a pale yellow hoof hit the stairs. She continued to eye him suspiciously as she started to slowly come out of the shadows, the darkness leaving her form almost as if it was melting away. "Oh, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Can't stay hidden forever, not when the great Sherlock Hooves and John W. Pony are on the case!" She cackled a bit as she descended the final steps and stood before them.

Sherlock stared at her. "I don't believe I know your name." He stated, drawing his head up to assert his authority over her at the moment.

The mare giggled, flicking her rosette mane away from her eyes. "Fluttershy, former Element of Kindness. And yes, former. I suppose keeping not only a filly but a Princess hostage would make me revoke my title." She replied cheerfully.

John shuddered.

"TWILIGHT!"

The terrified voice made Twilight crack her eyes open weakly, and she took in the filly beside her. She blinked a few times, but the fuzziness wouldn't leave her sight. She moaned softly and put a hoof to her head, teeth clenching as her head throbbed painfully. She looked over again, before all the breath escaped her in a surprised gasp.

"SCOOTALOO!"

Twilight pulled herself into a sitting position, eyeing the filly closely. One of her vibrant wings as hanging limply, the shoulder joint swollen and bruised. Most likely sprained. Twilight threw her forelegs wide as Scootaloo rushed over.

Scootaloo hurried over to Twilight and hugged her tightly, starting to sob heavily. She felt a pair of forelegs wrap around her and the Princess sat up, cradling her. A pair of wings closed over her and she buried her face in the lavender chest before her, tears streaming down her fuzzy cheeks.

Twilight hugged Scootaloo close, shielding her from the world with her great, pale wings. "We're going to get you out of here Scootaloo, I promise. I'll find a way." She told the filly soothingly.

"I-It was so s-scary!"

"Who took you Scootaloo? Tell me, please."

Scootaloo sniffled and looked up at Twilight with huge, watery eyes. "M-My older sister..." She hiccuped.

Twilight's stomach dropped and her eyes widened. "N-No... R-Rainbow didn't..." She breathed.

"M-My real big s-sister..."

Twilight's ears dropped. "R-Real big sister? You mean, you actually do have a sister? By blood?" She asked.

Scootaloo nodded feebly. "Y-Yeah... F-F-Fluttershy..." She whispered.

The Alicorn's heart plummeted. Fluttershy. Fluttershy was the kidnapper. Fluttershy had kidnapped Scootaloo.

Fluttershy had done this.

Sherlock gave Fluttershy an emotionless stare, blue eyes guarded and revealing nothing. "So tell me Fluttershy, how did you do this?" He asked, sitting down and looking down at her.

Fluttershy sat back on her haunches and giggled, putting a hoof to her mouth. "It was quite easy, I assure you. You see, Scootaloo has a little fanclub for Rainbow Dash. And they always wear these silly rainbow wigs to show just how much they love her. All I had to do was get my hooves on one, which was just an easy trip to this house, where Scootaloo kept hers in her closet. Then some blue feather dye in case any of my feathers fell, and a short trip to kidnap one filly. Easy!" She explained, smiling brightly.

John stepped over and glared at Fluttershy. "But why!? Why kidnap Scootaloo!?" He demanded angrily, lowering his head as if to charge. Sherlock's pale foreleg prevented him, and he shot an incredulous look at the detective, who only shook his head calmly.

Fluttershy stomped a hoof and her eyes blazed, her cheerful smile becoming maniacal as she shot to her hooves. Her mane frizzed and she started breathing heavily, crouching down in case she had to attack. "BECAUSE SHE REPLACED ME! SHE ABANDONS ME FOR THE NEXT PEGASUS THAT COMES ALONG, ISN'T THAT NICE? WELL IT ISN'T! IT'S NOT NICE AT ALL!" She shrieked, panting for breath.

John stared at her with wide eyes. She was completely maniacal... "How, exactly, did Scootaloo abandon you?" He asked.

Fluttershy gave him a deadpan stare. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She sighed, her hoof hitting her face as she shook her head.

Sherlock glared at her. "I can assure you that John is no idiot. But he does have a point, how did... Oh," His foreleg dropped from in front of John as realization dawned on him. He smirked a bit at Fluttershy, noting the perfectly calm expression on her face, "Scootaloo's your younger sister by blood. But she refuses to admit it because she's ashamed. She's ashamed to have you for an older sister, because she wants Rainbow Dash. When her father beat her, that was the excuse she needed to leave." He continued.

Fluttershy bared her teeth in a threatening snarl. "You have no idea what Rainbow Dash did." She spat.

Sherlock raised an eyebrow at her. "Do tell." He offered.

Fluttershy stomped a hoof angrily. "She killed my father. She broke through the window in Scootaloo's room, grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him outside. They started fighting in midair, my father was mercilessly beaten by my best friend. And even when he begged her to stop, she just kept going. She kept hitting and biting and hurting until she brought her hooves down on his skull and sent him plummeting. He was dead before he hit the ground. But did they press charges? No. They let her go. He was the only good thing left in my family, and he was murdered." She growled.

"I can assure you that she is not aware of the death of Rivet."

Fluttershy let out a dry chuckle. "Well I am. Mother, you'll know her as Merry May, left that night. She abandoned Scootaloo when she needed it most, imagine my surprise to come home and see that my father was a bloody, beaten mess on the ground. I could see his brain, how his broken skull was jabbing into it. Imagine seeing that, your own flesh and blood on the ground and beaten almost beyond recognition. And then I find out that instead of coming to me, her big sister, Scootaloo went to Rainbow Dash! SHE REPLACED ME!" She howled, tears spilling over.

Sherlock held up a hoof. "Fluttershy-" He started.

"WHAT DOES SHE DO WHEN SHE'S SCARED? WHEN SHE'S ALONE? WHEN SHE NEEDS HELP? SHE GOES TO RAINBOW DASH! SHE GOES TO THAT PAIN IN THE ASS WHO ACTS LIKE SHE'S BETTER THAN ANYPONY ELSE, INSTEAD OF HER BIG SISTER! HOW DO YOU THINK THAT FEELS!?" Fluttershy started laughing frantically even as tears flowed down her cheeks, "SHE COMPLETELY ABANDONS ME AND THEN GOES OFF WITH THE FIRST TOUGH PEGASUS THAT SHOWS UP! HAHA! ISN'T THAT JUST HILARIOUS!? LOOK AT ME LAUGH! I'M CRYING WITH LAUGHTER!" She screeched wildly.

Sherlock raised his hoof to calm her, but his eyes revealed that he was alarmed by how fast her mood kept changing. She was a dangerous and unstable mare, and he knew it. "Fluttershy, we need you to calm down." He told her firmly.

Fluttershy brought herself into the air, still cackling as she glared at him. "CALM DOWN!? I SPILL MY GUTS TO YOU AND YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!? MY FAMILY IS GONE, SHERLOCK HOOVES! GONE! I HAVE NOTHING BUT ANIMALS AND SO CALLED FRIENDS WHO DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO ASK ME HOW I FEEL ABOUT ALL OF THIS! TO THEM, I'M A SHY AND BREAKABLE DOORMAT! SHOULDN'T THEY BE CONCERNED!?" She demanded.

Sherlock leaned his head back a bit. "We'll get you mental help Fluttershy, but we need Scoota-"

"SHUT THE BUCK UP!"

Fluttershy wound up and her hoof swung out, cracking across Sherlock's face.

Then all Hell broke loose.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" John roared, wings snapping out as he charged the mare. He rammed his head into her stomach and sent the two of them hurtling, slamming his hoof roughly into her ribs and pinning her against the floor.

Fluttershy retaliated by bucking up into his stomach, causing him to fall away with a pained gasp. With him distracted, she jumped into the air and flew into the darkness, hiding herself.

John scrambled to his hooves and looked around wildly, backing up to stand with Sherlock. Both stallions now knew that they were at a disadvantage, she could see them, but they couldn't see her.

A pale projectile dove at them, and two quick hooves took Sherlock's gun. The Pegasus hit the ground and spun at them, hooves holding the gun out. Fluttershy's crazed eyes stared at them as she laughed shrilly, hooftip against the trigger. "SAY GOODBYE!" She screamed.

Rainbow lowered her head as the house rushed up to meet her. She rammed into the door head on, the wood splintering at the impact. Lightning flashed behind her, lighting up the room as she leapt into the air.

Flash!

She was in the air over John, both stallions staring at her with shocked eyes.

Darkness.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Flash!

She was heading straight for Fluttershy.

Darkness.

Flash!

Fluttershy was holding the gun at Rainbow.

Darkness.

"BRING IT, BITCH!"

Bang!

Flash!

Rainbow lying on the ground howling in agony, blood flowing from her side.

One bandaged cerulean wing lying all alone, bleeding onto the wood.

Darkness.

Scootaloo screamed as the gunshot went off, making Twilight hold her closer.

That's when she heard Rainbow Dash screaming.

Twilight's eyes widened and she gently placed Scootaloo on the ground. "Scootaloo, I need you stay here, ok? I'm going down there." She told her.

Scootaloo sniffled. "But-"

"I'm sorry Scootaloo, but Rainbow's down there."

Scootaloo hesitated for a moment, before her eyes steeled and she nodded.

Twilight stood and only managed one step before falling with a yelp of pain. Her eyes watered as her right hindleg throbbed painfully, but she bit back her tears.

The filly whimpered. "T-Twilight...?" She asked feebly.

"My ankle..." Twilight ground out, looking back at her leg. Her ankle was swollen and bruised, she'd probably reinjured it when Fluttershy had attacked her. Nonetheless, she climbed to her hooves and used her wings to keep the weight off of her bad leg.

Another shriek of agony tore through the air.

Twilight's eyes widened, before narrowing in a ferocious glare as she whipped around and charged the door, turning and driving her shoulder into it. She felt it give way before she tumbled out, hissing as she was forced onto her leg. Her wings snapped out and she took to the air, horn blazing with bright magic as she swooped down towards everypony.

Down to war.

Sherlock stared at Rainbow with horror etched onto his normally emotionless face. She was lying on her side, chest heaving as her blank eyes stared ahead, blood pooling over her fur and dripping to the wooden floor. In front of her, her bandaged wing was just lying there, as if it was completely natural for it to not be connected to her side.

Fluttershy had shot her.

Shot her wing clear off her side.

Fluttershy clicked another bullet into place, but was tackled by John and the shot hit the ceiling as the gun clattered to the ground. Cold, hard rain pelted into the old house and lightning lit up the room in a brilliant white flash.

The flash came just in time to reveal Twilight slam down on the ground, teeth bared and eyes blazing with power and rage, horn flared so bright that the entire room was cast in an eerie magenta glow. She lowered her head just as her eyes flashed dangerously, and her irises went from raging violet to furious orange.

Right before their eyes, Princess Twilight Sparkle burst into flames.

Her coat turned bleach white, and her mane and tail turned into crackling flames, leaping into the air as she faced all three ponies, Rainbow Dash lying on the ground behind her. The aura around her turned orange to match her eyes, and she lowered her head in preparation to charge. "MOVE!" She roared at John as she started forwards.

John dove out of the way just as the flaming Princess hit Fluttershy.

The two mares started trading blows, Twilight's burning hooves leaving black marks along Fluttershy's body. Both were screaming wildly as they tore into each other. Spell after spell struck Fluttershy, but she jumped onto Twilight with a ferocious screech and pinned her against the floor, ignoring the wild spells that failed to do more than singe her already battered body. She raised a back hoof before stomping down on Twilight's injured ankle, hearing a satisfying crunch as the Princess wailed in agony. Twilight's horn flashed suddenly and she blasted Fluttershy square in the chest with fiery magic.

A flash of blinding white light exploded outwards, and then a horrible scream filled the room.

Fluttershy rolled away from the light as flames leapt into the air, feeling her own fur set alight. She rolled until she hit the wall, her body covered in burns as she stared at Twilight with wide, terrified eyes. The Alicorn had advanced on her, standing over her in all her blazing glory. "You wouldn't, even after all of this you don't have the heart to kill me." She spat in a futile attempt to scare her away.

Twilight levitated the gun over to herself and held it forwards. "If you think that, then you have no idea who I really am." She snarled back, clicking a bullet into place.

Fluttershy stared at the gun. "Twilight... Please... Mercy..." She begged. She looked back at her former friend, and felt as if she was looking into the face of Death himself.

"Say it again."

Fluttershy trembled at the cold tone Twilight's voice had taken on. "M-Mercy..." She whimpered, tears coming to her eyes.

"One. More. Time."

"MERCY!" Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs.

There was silence for a moment.

"No."

Bang!

Fluttershy slumped, a bullet hole resting right between her eyes. Her and her twisted, maniacal dreams died in an instant, the glow of her cold teal eyes dying as they reflected the flames behind the Alicorn like glass.

It was over.

Twilight felt the flames die from her body, returning her to her normal state. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils and she whipped around, eyes wide as she saw the fire. "GET OUT!" She shrieked, starting to run over but collapsing with a scream of pain. Now that the rush of adrenaline had faded, she could feel all the pain of her now broken ankle. She spread her wings and took to the air, flying above the flames and heading towards Scootaloo's room.

Scootaloo gasped when she saw the glow of fire behind Twilight. "What's going on?" She squeaked as she was gathered into the lavender forelegs.

Twilight held her close. "Very, very bad things Scootaloo. We need to get you out of here." She responded, turning and flying out of the room. She saw Sherlock levitate Rainbow onto John's back and she followed them outside, the rain instantly plastering her mane to her neck and forehead and she held Scootaloo closer.

Behind them, inside the burning house, a single cerulean wing that held the remains of a certain spectrum haired Pegaus was burnt to cinders, hopes and dreams dying with it. An already dead mare was unable to run from the flames the jumped from her body, burning her fur clear off.

The house collapsed on itself, and the damp ground managed to keep the flames from spreading as the rain slowly extinguished it.

Fluttershy and all her evil deeds were dead.

Twilight was sitting at Rainbow's bedside.

Her right hindleg was in a cast, something she highly resented. That meant she was going to need help getting around for the next month or two, which she didn't really want. Flying was out of the question with the extra weight on that one side, so not only was she practically helpless, but she was grounded.

Rainbow had it much, much worse, however. Bandages were wrapped around her side, covering where her right wing had been. She'd woken a few days earlier, and the sight of her missing wing had brought her entire world crashing down around her. She'd managed to knock one doctor out and throw another one into a wall before she'd been sedated, and whenever she woke up she was lifeless, eyes dull as she spoke to anypony who visited. She was a flightless Pegasus now, and that realization crushed her. Her dreams were impossible now.

But Twilight wouldn't give up on her.

The Alicorn sat at her bedside every day, just watching. To those who watched, they would swear that she was the Element of Loyalty. She was beside the crippled mare every waking minute of every day, keeping a watchful eye over her sleeping form.

While the events had been a week ago, it felt like just a few hours ago to those who had been personally involved. And to Twilight and Rainbow, the scars would always be with them.

Rainbow had nearly lost her sister.

Twilight had intentionally taken a life.

"Twi..."

The Alicorn snapped out of her thoughts and looked to see Rainbow looking up at her. She smiled softly and rested her pale hoof against Rainbow's vibrant one. "I'm here Rainbow..." She told her.

Rainbow's cheeks heated up slightly at the touch, and she looked away. "So I kinda sorta have to tell ya something..." She began, looking surprisingly bashful.

Twilight nodded. "Go ahead." She offered.

Rainbow took in a deep breath. "Well, ever since this whole thing started, you've been by my side. You've been there for me when nopony else was, and that's just... Beyond awesome. You willingly put yourself in so much danger just for me, and... And... I started realizing just how... Incredible you are." She explained slowly.

Twilight's cheeks had a vibrant rose coating. This was entirely out of character for her friend, to be spilling her heart out like this. She put a shocked hoof to her mouth as she realized what words were coming next.

"I... I love you, Twilight."

Rainbow bit her lip and offered Twilight a sheepish look, cheeks bright red.

Twilight stared at her for a moment, before smiling. "I love you too Rainbow. I don't know for how long, but I do. You're just... You're amazing and incredible and beautiful, and I admire your bravery and just how powerful you are. You're so important to me, and... Oh, just kiss me!" She exclaimed, leaning down and connecting hers and Rainbow's lips.

Unlike most stories read, neither of the two were shocked by Twilight's bold actions. Their eyes slowly slid shut as they shared a moment of passion, weeks of pent up emotions bursting forth into the single kiss. All the stress, the fear and the hurt melted away as the heat of love burnt in their hearts and souls.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, the slow healing process had begun.

Epilogue - Sorry Doesn't Fix Everything

Three months later...

Five mares were gathered in the Golden Oaks Library.

Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic.

Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty.

Applejack, the Element of Honesty.

Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter.

Rarity, the Element of Generosity.

Everypony was still talking about everything that had happened three months earlier. The day that Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, had kidnapped her own little sister and had nearly killed Princess Twilight Sparkle. Many apologies were sent to Rainbow Dash from everypony, now that they knew that she was innocent they felt truly terrible for their actions against her.

But none more so then her closest friends.

Rarity stepped forwards. "I... I must apologize to both of you. I wronged you both on so, so many levels and I cannot express how truly apologetic I am." She offered weakly.

Pinkie came up on her side. "Yeah. I... I tried to do something super terrible, when I had no proof of anything. I'm so sorry Dashie, Twilight!" Her voice broke as tears started dripping to the floor. No waterfalls, just normal crying.

Applejack came up on Rarity's other side. "Me too. Ah didn't do anything to stop anypony, ah just hid at Sweet Apple Acres and let all of this happen. Maybe if ah'd tried ta help ya, ya'll wouldn't have gotten hurt. Ah'm so sorry, from the bottom of mah heart. Can ya ever, ever forgive me?" She asked sorrowfully.

Twilight and Rainbow stared at the three mares. Normally when they apologized amongst themselves, all was forgiven.

Not today. Not ever again.

Twilight narrowed her eyes at them. "How dare you come here and try to apologize! Do you three have any idea what you did to Rainbow? To the two of us? Pinkie Pie, you attempted murder just because of lies that were told to you! Rarity, you abducted me and tried to rape me! You're no better than Fluttershy, in fact you're worse! And Applejack, if you honestly think that you could've done something, you would've!" She shouted angrily.

The three took a step back as they stared at her.

Rarity turned to Rainbow. "Darling, you understand, don't-"

Crack!

Rainbow slapped Rarity before she could finish, a cold look in her eyes. "No. Get the buck away from us, and stay away. You guys aren't real friends, real friends stay together. If I don't see any of you ever again, it'll be too soon." She spat.

Twilight stood up and glared at them with all the strength of a raging fire. "Rarity, Pinkie Pie, there are guards outside to take you to prison for attempted murder and rape. Applejack, you go home. From now on, I never want to see the three of you again. You are not forgiven, and you never will be. Get out of my house before I forcefully remove you." She instructed blandly.

All three mares gave her a heartbroken expression.

"I said. Get. Out."

The three needed no further encouragement, and quickly exited the building.

Only when the door closed, did Twilight allow herself to break down crying and hug her fillyfriend tightly.

Rarity and Pinkie were placed in the same prison cell. They collapsed onto each other sobbing, hugging each other tightly as they realized that they had lost their friends, and that their lives were over.

Pinkie had attempted murder.

Rarity had attempted rape.

They were both criminals, they very thing they'd accused Rainbow Dash of being. In their desperation to expose her for something she hadn't done, they'd made themselves into villains. They were no better than Fluttershy.

And that realization broke their hearts.

Applejack was sitting on her bed, looking out the window.

Twilight's words had cut deep into her soul. She'd sat by and watched as everypony turned on Rainbow Dash, doing nothing as the town threw wild accusations as her former friend.

She'd done nothing.

She'd failed as a friend. Not only to Rainbow, but to Twilight. To everypony.

The farm mare felt tears slip down her cheeks and she wiped them away.

She was a monster.

Monsters didn't deserve to cry.

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were sitting in the clubhouse.

The silence was deafening. They had no idea what they could possibly say to each other, now that they were reunited.

"You thought Rainbow took me."

Scootaloo's hard voice broke the silence. She looked up at them with slightly narrowed eyes, anger boiling behind them.

Sweetie Belle sniffled. "It just seemed so... Obvious, at the time. And now... Now that you're back... We were wrong, we were so wrong... We're sorry..." She whimpered, tears starting to spill down her cheeks.

Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo as well. "Ah'm so sorry Scoots, we had no right ta turn on RD like we did." She offered.

Scootaloo turned her head away. "Shut up. You don't mean it." She growled.

Apple Bloom gaped at her, eyes tearing up.

Scootaloo stomped a hoof angrily. "When Fluttershy took me, you guys didn't even try to help. Apple Bloom, you just stayed asleep like a freaking lump. Sweetie Belle, you flat out watched and stared like a dumb brick as I begged you for help. If you were sorry, you would've helped me. You would've tried to stop her. But no, because you guys didn't help me, Rainbow'll never fly again and I nearly died! Twilight nearly died!" She shouted.

Sweetie flinched away. "Scoots-"

"You just went ahead and accused Rainbow of doing things she would never do! How could you!? How could you do that to me!? You guys should've known that she'd never do that to me, or to anypony! What's the point of you guys, huh!? I HATE YOU!"

Both fillies stepped back as Scootaloo continued her rant.

But Scootaloo wasn't done; "I don't care if I never have to see you guys again! Try making friends with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, you've obviously taking lessons in how to be... How to be jerks from them!" She spat, before turning tail and stomping out of the clubhouse without looking back.

Two stunned and crying fillies watched her go.

Scootaloo didn't look back as she left them behind.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had ended.

Ponyville's two most powerful friendships had ended.

The Elements of Harmony were gone. Two in jail, one locked away in her home, two hiding away from the world and one dead.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had split apart. Two holding each other and crying, one feeling no remorse as she went home.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash greeted her, her true family. A lavender wing and a cerulean wing extended, welcoming her. She threw herself at them and started crying, tears trailing down her fuzzy cheeks as she hugged them.

Slowly, the two colorful wings closed on her and hid her from the world.

The couple bowed their heads as their eyes closed, tears dripping from beneath closed eyes as they held Scootaloo close.

The physical scars had healed.

But the mental scars were still there.

And there they would remain, fresh on the minds of the couple and their filly. Two mothers and their daughter. Holding each other as they mourned for what they'd lost.

Not their friendships. They couldn't find it in their hearts to mourn for those who had betrayed them.

They mourned for their lost harmony.

For now, they were all they had. And while that harmony was strong, it pale in comparison to the once powerful harmony connecting them to others.

But they would do it. Some way, some how.

They would find their harmony.

Together.

The Stunning Realizations of a Princess and a Detective

Sherlock was pacing impatiently in front of the front door, scowling as he stared at the ground. It'd been two days since his talk with Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash, and him and the Princess had notified him a few hours later that same day that Rainbow had been injured by Rarity, Element of Generosity, and she'd requested John's help. John had rushed off to the scene and he'd received another letter yesterday that he was staying for a couple days to take care of her while Twilight was busy with the case. He'd sent the Princess a letter after John had left, telling her that he required her presence. He'd gotten a quick reply saying that she'd be there as soon as possible, the writing clearly stating that she'd rushed through writing it. He hadn't the foggiest idea why she was bothering with writing a letter, he'd know when she got there.

Now here he was, waiting rather impatiently for Twilight. He didn't know why she was taking so long, he knew that she could just teleport to wherever she pleased. Maybe she didn't know his address well enough. 221b Baker Street, not that complicated. It was near Sugarcube Corner, and he was all too aware that Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter, lived there. She'd thrown him and John a party when they'd first moved here.

The horror. So. Much. Pink. He'd taken one look at all the sweets and he had sworn he could've gotten diabetes just by looking at all the things she'd put out. Cupcakes and cakes and candies and sodas and... Ugh, he was getting sick just thinking about it.

Stay focused Sherlock, you're supposed to be impatiently waiting for a Princes, not thinking about the horrors of that party. The pale stallion thought to himself.

And so he waited. Impatiently.

And during this time, Sherlock could think about that damn feather. Even after two days of examining it, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. There was something, but he couldn't think about what it was. It matched Rainbow's feathers too perfectly, every feather had a flaw and this one just... Didn't. It'd been gnawing at him every waking moment since he'd found it, which was almost always twenty-four hours a day. No matter how hard he stared, it wouldn't present why it was so... Wrong. He even tried yelling at it at one point, but the stubborn thing had refused to even reply. Stupid inanimate objects and their damn unreliability. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. Sherlock Hooves, one of the greatest minds Equestria had ever known, didn't know what was wrong with a bloody feather.

And Sherlock hated not knowing.

Knock, knock

Sherlock opened the door with his blue aura, smiling slightly when Twilight greeted him. "Ah, Princess. Do come in." He offered, stepping aside as she came in.

Twilight smiled at Sherlock. "Hello Sherlock. And please, call me Twilight. Your letter said you needed me to be here for something?" She inquired curiously.

Sherlock nodded. "Come." He gestured with a tilt of his head and trotted towards the kitchen, hearing Twilight follow him. He stopped at the counter and levitated the feather over to her.

Twilight looked at the feather for a moment, before looking at him. "I don't understand." She stated.

Sherlock nodded. "I've been examining this feather for the past two days, and I need to take measurements. I highly doubt John will let me bring Rainbow Dash here, or let me near her after the incident at Carousel Boutique, so I must enlist your help. Your feathers are slightly larger than hers, by exactly one point five centimetres," He started. While she was listening, his magic gripped one of her feathers and with a quick tug he pulled it out, making her yelp, "And I need to see if this feather matches the size. Hold these together and make sure that the bottoms match up exactly." He ordered.

Twilight took the feathers in her own magical grasp and lined them up, keeping a close eye on them to make sure that they were perfect. She looked up when she was done to see Sherlock standing there, levitating a ruler. She held them still in the air while he placed the ruler against them an measure them up.

Sherlock narrowed his eyes as he read the measurements. One... Point... Five. He thought slowly, eyes widening slightly. He pulled away and looked the Princess dead in the eye. "One point five. Either we have a Pegasus almost identical to Rainbow Dash, or you need to keep a very close eye on the Pegasus in your home." He advised, raising an eyebrow at her.

Twilight glared at him. "Rainbow Dash is innocent." She told him, voice containing quite a bit of anger.

Sherlock looked at her with a 'really?' expression. "Like John said... You can't trust everypony." He reminded her.

Twilight let the feathers drop, not even noticing as he caught them in his own magical grasp. "I know that, and she knows it too. The entire town has turned against her because of this, and she's falling apart inside. Her little sister is missing, everypony wants her dead, and she's stuck at my house with a broken wing. Rainbow is innocent." She explained firmly.

Sherlock smiled slightly. "You have a lot of faith in your friend, I see. That will either make you or break you Twilight, and at this point I can't honestly tell you which." He replied calmly.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you think Sherlock?" She asked.

Sherlock's blue eyes sharpened as he looked at her, like when he'd first met her. "Rainbow Dash is the current Element of Loyalty, and to hold that title she must be incredibly, almost indescribably loyal. Rainbow Dash also adopted Scootaloo, and from what you and the rest of the town have told me, it was because her father was abusing. Scootaloo's father, a stallion by the name of Rivet, went missing around six months ago. This means that Rainbow has had custody of Scootaloo for six months. And if that is true, then kidnapping her at this point is unlikely in the extreme. If she had really wanted to abduct Scootaloo, she would've most likely done it before she adopted her and would've told everypony that either her father killed her, or she went missing. Doing it six months into adoption is an idiotic move, and while Rainbow isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, she's no idiot. With her history as being as loyal as she is, and under the circumstances of the adoption, I believe that she is innocent. But, like John and I have said, you can't trust everpony. And another thing," His eyes went back to normal and he looked to the side, "Rainbow saved Scootaloo from her father, implying that only the father was in the house. John has done some asking around about Scootaloo and her family, and he's found that she has been seen in public with a Pegasus mare named Merry May. It is safe to assume that this mare is her mother. Now ask yourself this; why didn't Merry May help her daughter? Or better yet, why didn't she try to stop Rivet?" He asked.

Twilight's eyes widened at the thought. "You think Merry May took Scootaloo?" She questioned.

Sherlock pulled the blue feather up to his face once more. "You may find the answer if you go to Scootaloo's old house. Rainbow Dash would be able to take you there, a simple illusion spell would be able to hide her from prying eyes, would it not?" He suggested.

Twilight nodded. "Right! Thank you Sherlock, I'll go talk to her!" She exclaimed, turning to the door.

Sherlock continued examining the feather. "Oh, and Princess?" He called.

"Yes?"

Sherlock turned a small smirk to her. "I wouldn't let John get too close to Rainbow Dash. He finds her rather pretty, and I'm sure you wouldn't want any competition." He told her.

Twilight blushed hotly. "How did you-"

"I merely observed. The way you talk about her makes it quite obvious, to me at least. You'll stick with her through this, more than is even necessary. You would do anything for that mare." He replied without waiting for her to finish.

Twilight looked at the ground, before leaving with her face bright red.

Sherlock looked back at the feather. "Mares. So easy to read." He chuckled to himself.

Twilight headed back to the library, ignoring the nervous stares that followed her. Her outburst a couple days ago had shaken the ponies present, and those who hadn't been present had been warned of her ferocity. Soon the blush on her cheeks died down, and as she neared the library she only had one thought;

The game is on.

John was on the couch, reading a book when Twilight walked in. He looked up as she closed the door, smiling a bit. "Any luck with him Princess?" He asked.

Twilight nodded, sitting down by the front door. "Please John, call me Twilight. And yes, we managed to figure something out. Scootaloo's mother, Merry May, may be the kidnapper. She never tried to stop Rivet, nor was she present when Rainbow Dash took custody of Scootaloo. I need to talk to her, is she feeling good enough?" She asked.

John shook his head. "Somepony visited while you were out, somepony by the name of Rarity. Said she had to drop something off. Rainbow took one look at her and started screaming at her to get out and leave her alone, while Rarity suddenly started yelling insults at her. I got Rarity out, but Rainbow was crying and screaming and I had to get her to bed. She's asleep now, but I doubt she'll be well enough for anything involving Sherlock for at least another day." He replied.

Twilight's happy look hardened into a cold glare. "Then I guess I'm going to talk to Rarity... I'll be out for a few hours, can you keep an eye on her?" She asked.

John nodded.

Twilight smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can." Her horn lit up, and she was gone in a bright flash of magenta.

John watched the spot where she'd been for a moment, before chuckling. "Mycroft would certainly appreciate that spell whenever he has to talk to Sherlock." He murmured to himself before turning back to his book.

Twilight appeared in a magenta flash in front of Carousel Boutique. She took a moment to compose herself and suppress the anger, before entering.

"Welcome to Carousel- Oh, hello Twilight!"

Rarity trotted up to the Alicorn with a warm smile. "You didn't tell me that you were visiting today! What can I do for you? Would you like some tea?" She offered, eyes twinkling.

Twilight glared at Rarity. "I want to know what your problem is." She stated coldly.

Rarity sat back and gave Twilight a confused look. "Whatever do you mean darling?" She asked.

Twilight snorted. "You came to my house earlier." She reminded her.

Rarity's smile was quickly replaced by a hard look. "And I saw that you were keeping that brute there." She shot back.

"Rainbow is innocent." Twilight snarled.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you." Rarity sniffed, looking away.

"Why were you at my house?" The Alicorn questioned.

"I had to drop something off." Rarity replied in an emotionless tone, clearly lying.

"You haven't borrowed anything from me recently. Now tell me the truth."

Rarity sighed. "I thought you were there, I felt like a visit. Happy?" She demanded coldly.

Twilight drew herself up a bit and her glare heated up slightly. "Tell. Me. The. Truth." She snarled.

"I heard rumors that you were keeping Rainbow in your house and I went to check." Rarity replied nochalantly.

"Why is it any of your business?" Twilight demanded.

"Friends don't exactly keep secrets from one another."

"You're not my friend. None of you are. Only Rainbow." Twilight growled.

Rarity gasped loudly. "You don't mean that! You'd choose that criminal over us!?" She exclaimed.

Twilight stomped her hoof. "How dare you! You turn your backs on Rainbow and I and then expect us to be friends? What is wrong with you? Why were you seeing if Rainbow was there?" She demanded, her temper rising very, very quickly.

Rarity stood up. "I was just checking." She snapped.

Twilight stood up as well. "No, you wouldn't do that. You knew I was away, that's why you went." She growled.

"And so what if that is the case? That monster deserves to be punished!"

"You were going after her! You were going to hurt her!" Twilight accused.

"Yes, but only because that is the right thing to do in times like this. She kidnapped her own sister, she deserves to be punished." Rarity replied nonchalantly.

Twilight had to fight to keep down the growl rising in her throat. "You already broke her wing, isn't that enough!?" She exclaimed.

"Not even close." Rarity replied coldly.

Twilight's eyes widened. "You were going to kill her. You were going to go to my house and kill her while she was alone." She breathed.

Rarity went silent, choosing to glare at twilight rather than reply.

Twilight's rage finally boiled over. "WHAT THE BUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" She screamed.

"I WAS GOING TO SAVE SCOOTALOO!"

"BY KILLING HER!?"

"IF IT MEANS SAVING A POOR FILLY THEN YES!"

"YOU'RE SICK!"

"I'M SICK!? THAT... THAT MONSTER DESERVES TO BURN IN TARTARUS FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE!" Rarity shrieked back, eyes wild with fury.

Twilight's wings snapped out and her horn ignited, but unlike with the town she had a proper spell charged up. Her eyes turned into twin glowing white orbs as she drew herself to her full height, towering over Rarity. "SILENCE! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A TRAITOROUS, BACKSTABBING MULE! I SHOULD ARREST YOU!" She boomed.

Rarity smirked at her. "I think you should go back home Twilight. Wouldn't want to leave Rainbow unguarded, would we?" She asked. There was a devious glint in her eyes, almost evil in nature. It made Twilight incredibly nervous. There was no fear in those sapphire irises, only that evil smirk that spoke that things were going to happen.

Very, very bad things.

Twilight's eyes reverted back to normal and she stared at Rarity before realization struck her. "Rainbow!" She exclaimed, turning to leave the Boutique. Her head smashed into a ponyquin an she let out a cry of pain as she fell back, eyes spinning as stars exploded across her vision. As darkness claimed her, she heard Rarity's singsong voice;

"Wouldn't want you messing with our plans, now would we your highness?"

Then she was lost to the darkness.

John had fallen asleep on the couch, the book resting on top of his thick wool sweater. It rose and fell with his chest as he slept peacefully. His ear twitched at a faint noise, and his solider instincts kicked in and he bolted upright, eyes wide as he looked around. "Who's there!?" He barked.

Smack!

Something smashed against the back of his head and he felt cold water run down his neck. Flower vase. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell back, unconscious.

The mare behind him quickly trotted past and started heading up the stairs.

Towards Rainbow's room.

Sherlock was about ready to give up with the feather. He'd gone the extra mile to take a picture of it so that he wouldn't be completely screwed if he lost it. He slapped the picture down on the floor beside the feather and stared at them both with frustrated, impatient and sharp eyes. But even with his senses, he couldn't see what was wrong. He threw his head back and let out a cry of frustration, stomping his hoof and making the feather flutter in the air.

The feather waved teasingly in front of his face, so perfect and teasing and just plain wrong. He watched it land right on the picture.

And that's when he saw it.

Sherlock leaned back down and looked through a slight tear he'd caused in the feather. The picture he'd taken was right beneath it, and the color of the feather in that one was definitely more vibrant than the real thing. Still leaning down, he closed his eyes and forced a picture of the feather as he'd seen it when he'd found it a couple days ago, not trusting the camera's quality. He opened his eyes again and looked at the feather with cat-like curious eyes, that image in his head. Definitely less vibrant than it had been.

The blue on the feather was fading.

The feather was dyed.