Harmony Divided

"Rainbow, please, we have been looking all night, I don't think we will find her." Twilight says, sitting on the grass. Rainbow continues walking.

"No, we can find her soon. Just keep going." Rainbow bucks a bush, knocking off a few branches.

"No, I'm done." Twilight flops over. "No one has seen Applejack all day, looking for her is pointless. I think calling it quits after looking for twelve hours is warranted."

"Fine, do what you want, but I refuse to give up. We need answers and Applejack is the only pony we can trust. She'd never lie." Twilight sighs. As much as she would hate to admit it, Rainbow is right. She gets back up and walks north. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"To her barn." Rainbow double backs at the bush then runs to catch up with her.

"We've already checked there, what else is there to do at the barn?"

"Question the others." They get to the door and knock. Applebloom opens it.

"Howdy Twilight! Hey Rainbow Dash! How..." She stops after seeing the mis-colored Rainbow. "Are you ok Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm fine kid, may we come in?" Applebloom opens it fully and walks to the side. The two mares walk in and start looking inside of hay stacks and barrels.

"What are you two doing? Did you loose something?" Applebloom asks, wanting to help.

Twilight walks up to her. "Have you seen your sister Applejack lately? We need to ask her some questions."

"Why? Did she do somethin' wrong?"

"Actually the opposite, she can help us with an issue we have."

"Oh! Oh! I can help!" Applebloom yells, making Twilight jump.

"No, sorry, you can't." Applebloom frowns. "But what would help is if you told us where she went."

"And that would help you? So that means I'd still be helping?"

"Exactly." Applebloom smiles hugely.

"Ok, wait here." Applebloom runs out the barn.

"Well while you handled that, I found this." Rainbow tosses a bucket to Twilight. It falls over and coal spreads around the bucket. "Ring any bells?"

"But, but it's Applejack. She would never do that. Right?"

"Twilight, in times like these, everyone is a suspect. Everyone." Twilight stares at the black dust surrounding the bucket. Rainbow's words echoed in her mind, "In times like these, everyone is a suspect. Everyone." Does that mean even Rainbow is a suspect? What about herself? Will others look at her as a suspect of murder?

"The Everfree!" Applebloom yells, running into the barn. She trips on the bucket and rolls, getting covered with black dust. "Oops." Twilight smirks.

"Thank you Applebloom." She stands and salutes. Twilight salutes back, calls over Rainbow Dash and heads out. They get to the edge of the Everfree when they hear a scream. "What was-" a tree lands in between hem. Rainbow goes to fly but Twilight uses magic to stop her. "We need to see if we can wait this one out." Another scream comes from the forest. Twilight lets go and they dart in and find a Hydra chasing something, knocking over trees and heading towards them.

Rainbow flies into the air without hesitation and grabs the Hydra's attention. Twilight runs in and sees Applejack running. "Applejack! Stop!" She bumps into her side, making her loose her balance. Applejack falls but hits a slope with a rock at the end, coming to a slow stop. Twilight scrapes out and hits into the side of a boulder, knocking her unconscious. Rainbow leads the hydra away.

"Twi'? Twi' where are you?" Twilight slowly sits up, her head ringing. "Twilight! Are you ok sugarcube?"

"I'm fine. Do you mind telling me what in the world you were in the Everfree Forest?" Applejack freezes up.

"I, I uh, I needed to go see Zecora! Yeah, and she needed some supplies so I got them for her and I gave them to her." Twilight scowls.

"You're a bad liar." Applejack flinches.

"I ain't lying, I'd never-"

"How are you connected to Sky's murder?" Twilight asks furiously.

"I ain't connected what so ever! I'd never harm another pony, ever! Besides, Flutters was forced to do it, she had no choice! It was either Sky or her, and even though she wanted herself, Sky was next in line to die and that saved Fluttershy, so don't go dragging me into this!" Twilight feels her jaw drop by itself.

"Fluttershy? She did, what?"

"Oh, you didn't, know that, she... huh." Applejack blankly stares at Twilight before bolting the other way. Twilight shakes her head then runs after her.

"Wait! Come back here!" Applejack turns a corner but is knocked over by a branch that flew inwards. Rainbow walks from behind a tree. "Good job Dash. Now as for you Applejack, what did you mean by Fluttershy doing something?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all! I lied!"

"And why would you lie?"

"I didn't!"

"You just said you did."

"I-I don't, we didn't, she never, get away from me!" She kicks up and knocks Rainbow over, then bolts past them. Twilight goes to run but is stopped by Rainbow Dash.

"Twilight, I think we need to go see Fluttershy instead." Twilight looks at Rainbow then back to Applejack.

"Fine, good idea. But may we please get some sleep first?"