Whatever Happened to Pinkie?

Rainbow's house always is something to behold, a majestic palace in the clouds. You'd think she is a princess or something, but that's always Dash for you. That's why I was so disturbed when I saw her the other day. She's always been about the bluster. She would have to be going through something pretty awful and intense to drop the act. I know just the sort of awful she's dealing with. I just hope she's here. Shy and I fly upwards and knock on her door. We don't hear anything.

"Gee," She says. "I hope Rainbow is okay."

Me too. At first, it seems like an odd choice to take Fluttershy with me on this, but it may work out well. She's very gentle, and if Rainbow is depressed or something, Fluttershy will be there for her. I hope I made the right choice.

"We need to get in," Fluttershy says.

"The door's locked, Fluttershy. What are we supposed to do?"

"Do what Pinkie does." She smiles and walks through the cloud palace. Yup. She's the right choice alright.

Rainbow's house is trashed, and not like the occasional messy, lazy athlete trashed. Trophies and posters are laying all over the floor. A gold medal she won is smashed and broken on the floor. Even Tank's bed is overturned. Her bedroom door is shut. We knock.

"Go away Pinkie! Leave me alone! You win, do you hear me?"

She yells it at the top of her lungs. Shy and I exchange puzzled looks. I can hear Dash softly sobbing.

"Please...please leave me alone. I...can't bear this anymore. Why Pinkie, why are you doing this?"

"Dash...it's us. It's Twilight, and Fluttershy."

"Oh, like I believe that. Nice try, Pinkie, or whatever it is you are. Please. You got what you want. Leave me alone."

Shy motions for us to go through the wall. We walk through. Dash screams and starts throwing things at us.

"No! Go away!" Trophies, a lamp. It doesn't matter. She throws it all at us.

"Dash," she says. "It's us. It's really us, okay?"

Dash stares at us for a while. "Twilight? Fluttershy? It's really you? Really?"

"Yes." I nod.

Fluttershy smiles. "Really."

Her reaction is one of laughter, of disbelief, like the whole world has come back to her. She shakes her head in shock. "You guys, you're here? You came here for me?"

"Of course we did. Storms are brewing all across Equestria!"

Dash blushes. "Oh, sorry about that."

"What have you been doing in here? Why is your room destroyed?"

"Oh, well Twilight, I uh I was trying to do a little reorganizing. Yup. Can't organize unless you disorganize first. That's what I always say."

"Funny," Fluttershy says. "That's what Discord always says when I try to organize the house."

"Well, yes. Well, anyway, I guess you best be on, sorry about the weather, but I'll get it done. Why don't you-"

"Dash. She knows about your dream."

"W-Wh-What?" Her eyes are wide. "But Twilight! You promised! You said I could trust you! How could you?"

" I had too, rainbow."

"N-no you didn't!"

"Yes, I did."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I-"

"Girls!" Fluttershy's stern tone surprises us both. Note to self: Stop underestimating Fluttershy. She clears her throat and continues.

"Now Twilight didn't give any details on your dream, Dash. All she really told us was that they were similar to hers."

"Wait. What? Twilight... Is this true?"

She looks confused...hurt. I look away.

"I'm sorry, Dash. Of all ponies, I should have told you."

Her head tilts, she looks straight down.

"I confided in you. You know I don't ever confide in anypony, Twilight. I was afraid to do so, because I thought you would think I'm a freak. And here you are, having the same thing, and you don't say a thing."

"I wanted to, Dash. I so wanted to."

"Then why didn't you, hunh? I could have really used that. It would have been so nice to know that even though I'm having these awful dreams, one of my best friends is too. We could have helped each other get through this. Aren't you supposed to be the princess of friendship? Isn't that what friendship is all about?"

"Dash, please." My head aches and so does my heart. I don't get what is with me lately. Normally, I feel so composed, yet lately it's like all I want to do is cry. I failed her. I look her straight in the eye. "Please forgive me."

She huffs. "Just tell me one thing. Why? Why couldn't you tell me?"

I swallow hard. "Same reason you didn't want to tell me. I was afraid of what you'd think. I was afraid you'd tell others and everypony would think I was crazy again."

"Why would I think that? I just told you my dream."

"I don't know why. I was just scared. I was dumb and I'm sorry."

"Naw. I can't blame you for that. That's how I felt. Wait, what do you mean by again?"

Fluttershy intervenes. "Um, if I may intervene, I think that's something we need to explain later. You see Dash, it's not just you and Twilight who are going through these troubles. All of Ponyville could be in danger!"

Dash raises her eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

I snap back to reality. "Dash, Fluttershy is right. We'll be happy to explain, but first we need to know what happened to you, and what you meant when you thought we were Pinkie and trying to make us go away."

Her face sobers instantly. "I'm...sorry Twilight, but this time I really don't want to talk about it."

Fluttershy puts her hoof on Dash's back. "Dash. Please understand. A lot of awful things have been happening to ponies, and if we don't find out why, they're going to keep happening. Please. We really, really need your help."

Dash looks away. "Why don't you ask your good buddy Discord if you're so desperate?"

I scratch my chin. "You know, I don't know why I didn't think of that before! That's a great idea!"

"Great. You can leave me alone."

"We can't."

Rainbow turns her head. "Oh yes, you can. And you will."

"No!" Fluttershy says, "I mean, we can't ask Discord."

Fluttershy is motionless. "What do you mean we can't, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy shakes a little. "Well...it's because...Discord has gone missing."

"What?"

Dash looks at Fluttershy with a sudden interest. "What do you mean Discord is missing? How do you lose a god of chaos?"

"Well, I guess I didn't really realize he was missing until all of this started happening. We were scheduled to meet for our weekly Thursday tea, and he just never showed up. Usually, he visits me once a day, but I haven't seen him in a couple of days now."

"Why didn't you bring it up to us at the meeting?"

"Well," She says, "I didn't think he really was missing. You know how he is, liking to be unpredictable and all. With everything else going on, I didn't even think about it. I just figured he was off doing one of his little pranks."

I begin to feel antsy, like we can't waste anymore time here. We have to let the others know so we can figure out what it means. "Fluttershy, we have to get back to the others and find out what they've learned before anypony else goes missing."

"Too late." The voice sounds sickly and heavy, and it's coming from Dash. Her eyes look distant, like she's trying to remember something she really doesn't want to remember.

"Please Dash, Tell us what's going on."

"Fine." She takes a deep breath. Her body is frozen. "Shortly after I told you about the dream, I went home. I didn't feel like doing my usual routine, you know? I was tired from last night, so I went home and laid down to get a little rest. Then I heard that laugh again. Pinkie's giggle. I open my eyes, only this time, I'm not dreaming. She's standing right there next to my bed with that awful smile, and she's twitching all over like a...like a moth or something. I swear on Celestia's flank, Twilight, Pinkie was standing right where you are now. She walks up to me within just a few feet, and I can hear her giggle, but it's in my head, Twilight, like it's her laughter but I hear it in my mind. And then she stares right through me, and she says something. S-s-she..."

Dash is visibly shaking, trying to get the words out. She swallows, breathes, then looks back at me. "...She says that Scootaloo is going with her, that they're both going to go away for a while. Then she starts laughing again, her face with that smile, and then...Scootaloo walks in too, same smile, same twitching, same dead stare. They freeze like that for a little bit and then they're gone."

"Oh my," Fluttershy says, eyes wide. "What did you do?"

"Well, first thing I did was fly over to where Scoots lives. She's kinda, you know, on her own and everything, so I went to look for her at her foster home. They told me that she left there yesterday and hasn't come back since," Dash sniffs. "I looked all over Ponyville, all over Cloudsdale. I asked Sweetie Bell if she knew anything, and Applebloom I couldn't really find. I think she was busy doing something with Applejack. I searched all over the area, and I just...I just couldn't find her. It's like she just disappeared. Just like...Pinkie."

"Oh Dash..." I don't know what to say.

"After that I went back home and tried to sleep, but I couldn't knowing what happened to Scootaloo. I guess I started to lose it a little. I started seeing Pinkie's face everywhere I went. I threw stuff at her, but it'd go right through her. She'd just keep coming back, giggling and telling me to smile."

Fluttershy looks at Dash with concern. "Why didn't you tell the police?"

"Are you kidding? And make me look like the prime suspect? No way! Besides, I thought I could find her...but...I haven't."

"Well, now we know she's missing, and we can help you find her."

Dash's eyes bore into me. "Please, Twilight. We can't let her be like Pinkie. We have to find her. We can't let Scootaloo turn into one of those...things."

Fluttershy and I look at each other, then back to Dash. "Well..." I begin. "We kind of...already found Pinkie."

"What?"

"She came back last night, and I swear Dash, it was the Pinkie. The only unusual thing is that she was insisting she never disappeared. She said last night was the same night she had recurring dreams for years."

Dash stares at me with a blank expression on her face.

"Dash. She thought we were playing a trick on her."

"What? How?" Dash starts pacing back and forth. "How is she alive? How? If she's alive, then what is that thing that's following me?" How?"

Fluttershy haunches her shoulders as if to hide from Dash.

"I don't know, Dash. I...don't know. It's following me too." Dash looks over at me and sighs. "Look," I say. "We need to find Scootaloo."

Dash scoffs. "Assuming she hasn't already turned into one of those...things."

"No. There has to be a logical reason for all of this happening. There has to be."

"Like what, Twilight? How could you possibly explain this away with logic? It's always making sense with you. What if this is just one of those things that don't make sense, Twilight? Did you ever think of that?"

I look at my own hooves and sigh. "Yes. Yes I have, Dash. One thing is for sure. We have to find her. We have to try...It can't happen. Not again. We have to do everything we can."

Dash looks confused. Fluttershy looks into my eyes, knowing exactly who I'm thinking of. "Twilight..." she says. She says nothing else.

Dash, Fluttershy, and I travel back to Ponyville. We find the Cutie Mark Crusaders at their clubhouse. Apple Bloom is there, though strangely quiet. Sweetie Bell is her usual self, but Scootaloo is nowhere to be found.

"Hey girls, have either of you seen Scootaloo lately?" Sweetie Belle looks up to me with a large crease across her face.

"What do you mean? I thought she was hanging out with Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash shakes her head.

"Well, she always comes over here in the afternoons. This is the second day in a row she hasn't shown. We just figured she was hanging out with Dash."

Apple Bloom looks me straight in the eye. "Hey now, this...this doesn't have anything to do with the monster that killed Winona, right?"

"Wait," Dash looks straight to me. "Winona's dead. What?"

"Well, yes." I look to her sheepishly. "There's a lot that's happened, Dash."

"I see. I'm sorry I got angry before, Twilight. You guys clearly had your hooves full."

"It's okay. Applebloom, I'm sure it's unrelated. We're just trying to find her."

"It ain't like her, disappearin' like that, Twilight. I'm scared for her."

I'm scared too. I can't begin to tell the filly how scared I am. I look her in the eye and try my best to project confidence.

"We'll find her."

We start to look elsewhere when I hear Applebloom again from behind me. Her voice sounds shaky and sick. "Twilight?"

I turn around. "Yes, Applebloom?"

"No matter what you do, don't give up on her, okay? You have to promise me. Tell me you won't give up until you find her."

I never give up. I never gave up, not on Misty, not on Pinkie, and I won't give up on Scootaloo. My thoughts are interrupted when Dash steps in.

"You can count on that, kiddo. We'll find her, alright, if we have to search the ends of Equestria. We promise. Right, Twilight?"

Applebloom looks up to us, worry streaked across her face. I look down, nod confidently, and smile. She smiles back. We will find her. There is no other option.

We decide to put out a public alert with Mayor Mare. It's unnerving, because we don't want to panic anypony, but we need to find Scootaloo, and fast. Dash, Fluttershy, and I fly to city hall. We knock at the door to her office.

"Hunh, Wha?"

"Mayor Mare? It's me, Twilight."

"Oh, Twilight, come in!"

The mayor's office has papers scattered about her desk, including one still partially stuck to her face. She catches it and pulls it off quickly.

"I apologize, Twilight, for the state of my office. Things have been weird in Ponyville lately, so I'm backlogged in paperwork. I haven't slept much lately, so things are getting...a little behind." She sighs.

"Strange?" I look around at the office. Her calendar is tilted, a full inbox. "What sort of things?"

"Well," She straightens out her vest and glasses. "People are seeing things, hallucinations, having weird nightmares. It's pretty bizarre. I sent out work orders to check if there's a gas leak. Nothing's turned up. I even sent out for these four individuals who say they're experts in these situations, but they just spouted some nonsense about ectoplasm and left. No help at all," She sighs again, he whole body slumping over. "Anyway, what can I do for you?"

Dash and I look at each other and back over to Mayor Mare. "I'd like to file a missing filly report."

"What? A missing filly? How awful! Who is it?"

"Scootaloo." Dash says.

"Oh no, not her." The mayor looks over to Dash. "I know you two are very close. We'll get our best ponies on it, right away. When did she disappear?"

"Yesterday was the last time anypony saw her. Her friends haven't seen her, nor has Dash, and the foster home she lives in hasn't seen her either."

"That's...just terrible. We'll get the word out immediately. This other stuff can wait," Mayor Mare pushes a pile of papers off her desk and begins writing everything. "Please, tell me everything."

Winded, I open the door to my treehouse. Fluttershy and Dash have left to search elsewhere in Ponyville. I stand in the doorway a few moments, then shout up to Spike as soon as I can speak.

"Spike! Take a letter!"

"Wha? Twilight? What's going on?"

"I need to send this off as soon as possible, Spike. You ready?"

"Yes, yes...hold on," The baby dragon runs and grabs his quill and paper. "Ok."

"Dear Princess Celestia. I'm writing this to put out a public alert for a missing filly. Scootaloo has gone missing since this morning, and despite the best efforts of many ponies here in Ponyville, and our own Mayor Mare, nopony can seem to find her."

Spike looks up in shock. "What?"

"Not now, Spike! I need you to write. Please sent out a public alert as soon as possible. With all the other weird things going on here, I'm very concerned for her. Please also note that Discord has gone missing as well. If you have any information, please let us know. Has Princess Luna improved at all? We are of course still concerned for her as well. Any information you have at all would be extraordinarily useful. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle."

The dragon finishes his scrawling.

"Alright, send it."

The usual green flame engulfs the letter, and I can only hope to wonder if it will do any good. I'm not going to let Scootaloo disappear too, not like Misty. When the last of the message disappears to smoke, I snap back into reality.

"Twilight, what's going on?"

Spike looks at me with worry streaked across his face. My shoulders heave.

"I'm sorry Spike. I promise I'll explain the first chance I get when I get home. Right now, I need to spend all of time looking for Scootaloo."

"I'll help you look!"

"No. I need you to stay here in case Scootaloo comes here, and to also wait for Celestia's letter."

Spike slumps over. "I never get to take part in any of your adventures."

"Spike, this isn't an adventure. Scootaloo could be in real danger. She's gone missing and nopony knows where. This isn't about adventure. This is about making sure she's okay."

"I'm sorry, Twilight."

"Don't worry about it. Look, right now I really need to look for her. When I get home, I'll talk with you about it then."

"Ok. Please, Twilight. Let me know when you find her."

"Ok."

I run out the door, forgetting to even shut it. Spike takes care of it for me. He really is a good assistant. I'll have to thank him when I get back for putting up with my curt attitude. Right now, I have to find Scootaloo. I can only wonder what Dash is going through. She was like a mother or a big sister to that filly. I can't let Dash down. This time, I don't care what anypony says. I'm not going to stop. I'm not resting until I find her, period. No matter what.