Applejack trotted to town. Apple Bloom said she would be back by now. That thought raced through her head as she took each step down the dirt path. She told her little sister this morning she is to be back by evening, it is now dusk.
She looked up and what she saw made her heart skip a beat. Rainbow Dash was falling straight down like a torpedo right above Applejack. They both let out screams of surprise. Rainbow Dash landed right on her. She said to Applejack, "thanks for the soft landing." She got up and picked up a cowboy hat.
Applejack got up and took the hat harshly, "what'd Ah tell ya 'bout practicin' above the farm?"
"You said not to practice above the farm, I'm practicing away from the farm," she responded, while smirking at her own cleverness.
Applejack facehoofed, "gah! Ah don't got time fer yer smartass remarks, Apple Bloom might be in trouble."
"Who else?"
"This unicorn filly named Dinky. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo mighta went with her-"
"Scootaloo?!! Let's go!" She flew off to Ponyville.
Applejack chuckled, "wow, she can be suckered easily."
Rarity didn't have anything to do. She finished all the fashion lines she needed to that were due next week. "Maybe I'll go visit Sweetie Belle." She walked to the boutique door. When she opened it, she was surprised to meet a certain farm pony, "good evening Appleja-"
"Is Sweetie Belle with you?" Rarity could see she was worried about something.
"No, she's at my parents' house, who I'm pretty sure are out of town right now. What's wrong dear?"
"We have ta see if she's home then, she might know where Apple Bloom is." She started walking
"Apple Bloom is missing?" Rarity followed after.
"Not confirmed, but Ah have ta make sure."
They walked to Rarity's old home. Applejack fell behind every so often, but caught up. Rainbow Dash flew over them and landed right in front of them, "Scootaloo isn't home, and neither is Ditzy Doo, you both know her." Applejack and Rarity nervously looked at each other. "What?"
Applejack decided to tell her, "hun," their eyes met, "Ditzy's dead."
Rainbow's jaw dropped. Tears immediately flooded her eyes, "no no no! You're wrong!"
"Why would Ah lie to you. Ah hate makin' ya feel like this, but it's better ya find out now."
Rainbow fell on her haunches. Applejack and Rarity went to comfort her, but she resented them. "Where's Dinky?"
"That's another problem, she's with Apple Bloom."
"Why didn't you stop her from leaving?"
"She said she'd be out for a bit, Ah didn't think she'd disappear!"
"You of all ponies..."
Rarity stepped in between them, "why don't we check up on Sweetie Belle?" The other two agreed to this like it was a new idea.
They arrived at Rarity's parents' home. Applejack tried to open the door, but the knob didn't turn, "do ya by chance know where a spare key is Rarity?"
Rarity walked up to the door and shoved Applejack aside, "we don't need a key, this is an all-unicorn home." As she said that, she was using her magic to unlock the door, "locks are different magic frequencies, a simple key wouldn't work." They heard a click, then opened the door.
The residence was way too quiet. Rarity suggested, "maybe she's asleep."
Rainbow Dash replied, "asleep? A Cutie Mark Crusader doesn't go to sleep at this time, maybe she's hiding because she thinks we're burglars. Why don't you two convince her to come out, she really trusts the both of you."
They both nodded. Rarity started, "Sweetie Belle, it's me! You can come out now!"
Applejack rolled her eyes at that, "Sweetie, it's Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash! We won't hurt ya! Nopony is forcin' us to say this!" She didn't show any signs of presence, "Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are missin'! Maybe ya know somethin' about it?!"
While they tried to coax her out of wherever she's hiding, Rainbow found a note, she silently read over it before signaling her friends of it. When she finally finished, "uh guys, Sweetie Belle isn't here." They both went to her, "read."
Dear Parents,
If you are reading this, it means my friends and I are lost somewhere in Equestria, please help. We don't know where we are or what to do.
Please help us,
Sweetie Belle
They both read over it again before Applejack shouted, "'somewhere in Equestria?' What the hell are we supposed to do with that?!!
"I saw them two days ago," Rarity stated, "I doubt they have gotten too far."
"Unless they travelled on Scootaloo's scooter," Rainbow threw in, "she goes really fast on that thing, even with extra weight."
Applejack interrupted them, "we can't stand here and chat, we gotta tell the mayor!" She took off after saying that. Rainbow Dash flew out after. Rarity followed them.
Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow arrived at town hall. They opened the door. A desk pony greeted them, "what's your business?"
Applejack simply said, "we need to see the mayor."
"Well obviously, but why do you wish to see her?"
Rainbow Dash explained, "we need to file a missing foals report."
The desk pony opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the mayor, "send them in." She pointed in the direction the mayor's office was in.
They walked in, "is there something I can you help you with, ladies?" The mayor put down her paperwork.
Rarity started, "there are four fillies we would like to report as missing."
Mayor Mare picked her pencil up, "can I get their names?"
"Sweetie Belle."
Applejack butt in, "Apple Bloom."
Rainbow Dash managed to get her voice in, "Scootaloo and Dinky Doo."
When the mayor finished writing, she whistled. An assistant came in like magic, "I need you to get these to the press right away." She looked back at the worried mares, "it's getting dark out, we'll meet here tomorrow morning, these fillies happen to be well liked, I'm sure there'll be a roundup to help search for them. Dismiss!"
It took all the power in Applejack to not oppose Mayor Mare's decision, "yes, ma'am." The three mares walked out. Once they were a good distance from town hall, Applejack threw her hat down, "tomorrow?! We're tryin' to find 'em now! She ain't bein' a big help!"
Rarity hesitantly said, "now I hate to say this, but she's right darling. It's dark out. They probably found a place to sleep in for the night."
"All the more reason to look for them!"
Rainbow stepped up, "I don't think it'll help searching for them while we're experiencing fatigue."
Applejack picked her hat up, "Ah can't believe this, you two would rather sit at home with yer hooves off the ground while our kin are still out there then be with them!" She marched home.
Rainbow faced Rarity, "so, mind if I crash at your place?"
"What for?"
"With you, I know I'll get up on time for our meeting, even if you wake me three hours in advance," she answered while smirking
"That's fine, I was going back anyway."
"Alright, I'll just follow you then."
Rainbow Dash sat in the boutique, waiting for Rarity to call her up. When she heard her shout her name, she got up and went upstairs.
She walked into Rarity's room, she was already in bed, "so, I guess I'm bunking with you tonight, huh?"
"Yeah. Sleeping in Sweetie Belle's room would be inappropriate given our current situation."
Rainbow nodded her head as she carefully climbed into bed, she knew making a slight mess would upset her. "Still awake?" Rarity gave a nod. "You ever notice how Sweetie Belle likes Scootaloo, like I mean she really likes her."
"I was surprised when she revealed to the family how she feels about fillies and colts."
"Yeah... good night Rarity."
"I really like this version of you better, good night."
Rainbow Dash felt about Rarity like how Sweetie Belle felt about Scootaloo; madly in love, she knew Rarity didn't feel, the same way though. She closed her eyes, hoping everything would turn out okay by tomorrow.
Rainbow Dash woke up to the smell of cooking. She slowly got up, some strands of her mane still sticking to the pillow. She walked out the wide open door.
Rainbow walked into the kitchen, obviously the source of the aroma. She saw Rarity at her stove. She tried to say good morning to the unicorn, but all she let out was a pained groan. Rarity turned around, "oh, good morning, Rainbow. I didn't see you walk in," she said, while levitating plates of food to the table Rainbow, at the same time, sat at.
On the plates were eggs with a parsley on top on one, haycon strips on another, and toast with melted butter on the final. "Gee, I'm grateful of you doing this, but a Toastie Pop would've been just as fine."
"Nonsense, I always do this for my guests," she thought about Sweetie Belle's overly common sleepovers, "the ones I expect anyway," she chuckled, trying to make it seem like it was nothing more than a joke, but Dash knew exactly where she came from, "any who, finish up quickly, and fix up your... entire self, because we have to meet the mayor."
"Shouldn't we see if AJ is still home or not first?" She picked up a fork and ate her eggs.
"She's a farm pony, she wakes up before the roosters start crowing."
She picked up a haycon strip, "okay, but what if she's in bed still. Nightmares keeping her from getting up." She started on her haycon.
"Don't be silly, Rainbow, ponies wake up from nightmares if they're scared enough."
"I just think I should go to the farm to check on her, I don't want to do this without her."
"Okay fine! You go to the farm, and I'll go to city hall, just clean yourself up before you go." Rarity walked out the door. Rainbow Dash devoured the toast and went out the door. She stretched out her wings and flew to Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack grabbed an apple and marched out the front door. She was met by Rainbow Dash, "what are ya doin' here? Yer supposed ta be at city hall!"
"I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't be late."
"And this is you talkin' 'bout someone else bein' late?!"
"I'm sorry I offended you," Rainbow said apologetically, "I meant because you're the workhorse here. Why don't we get going? You look like you were heading out already."
"We? No thanks, you were already supposed ta be there," Applejack said with agitation in her voice, as she walked right past Dash.
Rainbow nearly lost her patience when she said, "hold up, why aren't you there then? Since it's so bad that I'm not there, even though I can fly faster than a pony can tell you're lying." Applejack kept on walking, "fine, be that way!" She extended her wings and took off.
Rainbow flew to the Doo residence. She saw the front door was open. Who the hay would just walk into a house, was what she thought. She slowly entered the house and heard a mare shouting something. She would have been on the offensive, but this mare sounded distressed.
Dash followed the voice until she found the pony shouting. She was a unicorn who had a pink coat, and a violet mane, with a lavender streak running down her mane and tail, "DINKY!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, "where..." She broke into tears, "where are-har you?!" Her tears could have choked her if they were any stronger.
Dash walked slowly to her, the floor under her creaked. The distraught unicorn's head shot up instantly, "who the hell are you?!!"
"Seriously, your mom never mentioned Rainbow Dash, the one and only?"
"Oh yeah, I remember you," she couldn't keep back a smile, "you're the pony who tried to open the peanut butter jar," she started giggling.
"And you lead the [boring] animal division every Winter Wrap Up," she shot back.
"Hold on, wait, you mentioned my mother," Rainbow slowly nodded her head, ready for any question, "how did you know her?"
"We were good friends, it's probably better she never brought me up in front of you. Parents say I'm not the best influence around their foals."
"Do you know where Dinky is? I looked everywhere."
"I've got some notion, come with me." Rainbow started for the door, Amethyst followed.
Rarity arrived at city hall. She saw the mayor talking with a pegasus stallion, he was accompanied by a gray, pegasus colt. She went up to them and asked, "what in Equestria is going on here? We had an appointment mayor."
"Oh, why he's apart of it. He arrived less than a minute before you did."
"Thunderlane?!!" Rainbow Dash trotted into the scene with Amethyst, "what are you doing here?"
"I heard about the missing fillies, and I wanna help. Plus, Rumble has the hots for one of them." He elbowed him. Rumble blushed and punched him, "ah, hey, that actually hurt," he rubbed the spot he was punched in.
"Well, the more the merrier, right Rarity?" She looked around, as if there was a crowd. She looked and saw Applejack and Twilight, "what took you so long, hayseed? And Twilight, what are you doing here?"
"Well, Applejack came over and asked me to come to this meeting-"
"Do you even know why we're here? I don't want to waste anymore time than I already have to look for the fillies."
"That's why I'm here," she stated matter-of-factually, "Applejack told me how Apple Bloom and them are missing, and I thought I could help. Since my leadership has been important on countless adventures, I figured I could take over search teams."
Rarity cut in before Rainbow said anything else, "that's really great, we'll do whatever you say."
"I'll take over, Mayor." She turned to the small group of ponies, "Rarity, Applejack! I need you to round up ponies to expand the search party, and also, if they're stuck in a hole or some tiny place, then you both can get them out." Applejack nearly objected, but Rarity yanked her tail. They both agreed on where to go shortly after. Twilight continued, "Dash, Thunderlane. Get as much pegasi as you can meet back here in one hour, got it?!"
They both nodded their heads. Rumble was about to take off, "whoa there little one!" Thunderlane laughed as he put a hoof on him, "you stay here with the princess." He and Rainbow flew in opposite directions.
Twilight started thinking about what she would say to the ponies that show up when she felt something poke her leg. She looked down to see Rumble looking up at her with a worried look on his face, "what's wrong?"
"What if we don't find them? I never told her how I feel."
"It's okay. We'll find them, and when we do, I'll make sure you're the first pony she sees." She gave him her best smile, though, she wasn't too sure about what she was doing. She never dealt with missing ponies before, yet she continued smiling. He gave a small one back.
