The Vanishing of Twilight Sparkle

It was quite late the next day when the four friends met up (Fluttershy had gone around to ask the denizens of the night if they had seen anything), and the sun was already low in the sky. Sugarcube Corner was shut, so they decided to go to Applejack’s instead: the barn had plenty of room, the hay would make for comfortable seating, and most important, they would have privacy.

The five had already decided to keep what they found a secret from everypony else, since the things written in the diary had turned pretty disturbing. They would have got in contact with Princess Celestia or Princess Luna if Spike was still with them, but he was still in Canterlot on Royal Business. Unfortunately, Twilight hadn’t mentioned when he’d be back. And sure, Rainbow could have flew there, maybe not in ‘ten seconds flat’ like she had claimed, but it would have been pretty fast.

However, Rainbow Dash was exhausted. All of the flying in the Everfree Forest had worn her out, and she was flopped on a bale of hay snoring. Even Applejack, who had more stamina after working all her life on the farm, was leaning back, hat over her face, her chest slowly rising and falling. Pinkie Pie and Rarity, who had the less arduous job of questioning everypony to see if they can get any information on Twilight’s whereabouts, even if it was before the fire: every little bit of information might help. They were discussing what they had found out, Rarity doing a double take when she saw Pinkie had pulled out a deerstalker hat, and was absent-mindedly blowing on a pipe that blew bubbles while she was listening to Rarity.

It had been about an hour, maybe two since they got back to the barn, and there was still no sign of Fluttershy. Rarity and Pinkie started to worry a bit: they both knew how easily the timid Pegasi got scared.

A loud yawn and the sound of rustling hay drew their attention. Rainbow Dash was rising, eyes still half closed, lazily flapped her wings and lifting herself off the bale of hay. She landed to the side of Pinkie and looked around.

“Still no Fluttershy?” she asked, worry in her voice. Two shakes of the head answered her. She started trotting over to the door.

“Where you going Dashie?” asked Pinkie. Rarity already knew.

“I’m going to look for Fluttershy. She’s terrified of the dark, and she’s still out there. After everything that’s happened to Twi-“. She broke off, looking away, and opened the door.

“But, she could be anywhere. How’re you going to find her?” asked Rarity.

Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings, looking as though Rarity was a bit dull for asking.

“But-“. Rarity didn’t have a chance to finish. Rainbow had already taken off.

“Ya’ll should know how protective she is of Fluttershy” said a voice. Applejack used a hoof to push her hat up and looked at them both.

“I know that, but still, after everything that’s happened, I’d rather not split up” said Rarity. Applejack nodded a few times, a strange expression on her face. Rarity looked questioningly.

“Ya got some hay in your mane” the cowpony said, a slight smirk on her face. Rarity gave her a withering look.

“I think we got more pressing matters than looks at the moment”. Applejack went to reply, when Pinkie popped up.
“Oh, oh, oh, tell us what happened today” she said “then we’ll tell you what happened with us.”

Not a bad idea, though Rarity. They could easily fill in Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy after. She sat back down and looked at Applejack.

“Well, I’ll do my darnest to give the whole of it, but you might have to ask Dash about some stuff. She was in the sky a lot, including some places I couldn’t reach. We went into the Everfree quite early…”

Recollection: Rainbow Dash’s and Applejack’s Scouting of the Everfree Forest

Well, like ah just said, it was quite early in the mornin’ when we set off. It was quite cold out, so me and Rainbow walked, at least until she could get them feathers of hers warmed up. She said she’d be up in the air most of th’time, just in case we missed summin’ important.

Anyway, we walked into the Everfree. Ah don’t mind telling ya, despite it bein’ mornin’ an’ all, the dark in the forest gave me the shivers. The fog didn’ help too much either. As the sun climbed a bit higher, the wind blew and started making shadows, makin’ sure me and Dash kept our peepers open. Like ah said. Creepy.

Ah reckon about half an’ hour into the forest, Dash said she was ready to do her thing, and she took off. Of course, we were far enough in that the trees meant, as well as the sun bein’ blocked, Dash couldn’t fly as high as I reckon she hoped. Still, she got a respectable height an’ all, and she could see quite far ahead. The fog was gettin’ a tad thick, making it difficult to see too far ahead. So much so, I could just about see Dash, even with her mane being bright an’ all. Seems though workin’ with all them clouds didn’ affect Dash in the slightest.

She started to veer of the beaten track, an ah followed, slowin’ down a bit. Last thing ah want was to break a leg in that place. Anyway, after about five minutes Dash landed and we were on the edge of a cliff. The cliff was a bit weird though, because it had a slope that didn’ look natural. Trees were growing out of th’side of it, and a little way down everything was just fog. Dash was squintin’ so I took that as she couldn’ see either. Well, Dash being Dash, she took off and flew straight down, slower than she’d normally go. A few moments later and she was back up. She told me that the slope only went a little further, and that it had broke away, leavin’ no way a Earth pony like me could get down without breaking summin. We decided to leave that, maybe come back another day an’ have a look when that darn fog clears.

We set of again, deeper than ah reckon we’d been before. Aside from more an’ more flickerin’ shadows (did ah mention how darn creepy they were), most of the journey was quiet, ah’ll tell ya.

Oh yeah, we found a cave. We went in, an’ is was pretty dark, but we could still see. Strange tha’. After a while, we could see clear as daylight. Guess our peepers got used to th’lack of light. The cave wasn’ all that interestin. It had a river runnin’ through it, and what looked like a stone table with a load of moss growin’ over it.

Well, thinkin’ about it, that was th’only interestin’ things we seen out them woods. Like ah said, you’ll all have to ask Dash when she comes back. Up in th’sky an all, she migh’ve nothiced summin’ I didn’, wth all the fog an’ all.

Author’s Notes

Phew. That was difficult. Mostly due to trying to get AJ’s accent into writing.

The next few chapters are going to be recollections of what the other five have found in their investigations. Credit and thanks to Krushnazag for the idea.

Well, that is if Fluttershy and RD come back…