Could things get even more frustrating?

The distinct scraping of gears turning in a constant motion rang through the air as Rarity felt her heart pounding rapidly. Glancing in front of her, her sapphire eyes gazed at the two other ponies in her company and their casual approach to what should’ve been considered disgusting and horrifying. They seemed to be holding a separate conversation without her, as if she was sitting in judgement.

…Well, she was disgusting enough to turn her darling Opal into a petticoat of all things.

Honestly, that noise was starting to give her a headache. It was bad enough she had to be carried all the way up wherever Rainbow Dash had taken them all to, but now they were going through metal doors with pegasi on late shifts speaking weather jargon. Ever since she was tricked into having her secret exposed, they hadn’t even waited until the next day before they brought her to…well, to what looked like a metal door that required a card in order to get in. What were they doing in the Cloudsdale Weather Factory, anyway? Or was this even the right building?

Rainbow Dash held a grin as she pulled out a smoothly polished key card from her black flexible suit. “…Watch this, Rarity. It’s gonna be awesome.” She assured the pristine unicorn as she held the card between her feathers and slid it through a slot, a slight humming filling the air and ringing through their ears. As the unicorn cocked her head to the side in confusion, a green light lit up just above with a small high-pitched chime, the doors proceeding to pull apart in a smooth motion.

Rarity let out a gasp as she started to take in the sights before her – the hallway just ahead was lit by the strange glow of blue and green liquids, some red going through what looked like several different pipes? And yet it was easy to see how they traveled, the colors slushing with each corner they ran through. “…W-what…just what is all of this…?” She breathed out, the two ponies in her company already starting to cross into the hallway in front. “Different colored liquids, filtered from each other?”

Pinkamina beamed as she followed beside the prismatic pegasus. “...Just watch!” She sang in a giddy tone as she turned her head to look behind her. “It’s gonna be great!”

The rainbow-maned pony chuckled. “Not to toot my own horn, but…yeah, it’s pretty impressive.” She teased, a sign of pride in her face and tone. “You’ll just have to see.”

“…Quite.” The pristine unicorn followed the two, her eyes always watching and attentive as they started to enter what looked like more tunnels of colorful liquid and metal corridors. It almost seemed endless, and all the time the sound of gears groaning and something slicing filled the air – just what is that? It sounds so fierce, so brutal...

Was she even going to come out of this place alive?

Wait, why would she even think of such a thing? Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are two of her very best friends! And yet…the glint of both of their eyes started to seem dangerous to her. As if she unwillingly called upon Ponydora’s Box…

As they stopped short just outside of a large double door made of metal, Rainbow Dash turned around to face the group. “So, the moment of truth, or whatever you wanna call it.” She shrugged. “Either way, behind this door…is my little secret. The reason yours doesn’t faze us at all. So…before I open the door, you’ve gotta give me some form of commitment, because trust me…” A chuckle filled the air. “I’m pretty particular about what goes on behind these doors.”

The pink earth pony giggled. “….Oooh, spooky! Laying it hard, huh?”

The fashionista frowned in confusion, and perhaps quite a bit of caution. Yes, caution was most certainly the right word. “…Commitment…how exactly do you want me to…commit to your secret, before you’d even dare to show it to me?” It was strange how she needed to avoid stepping on hooves around her friends…

The pegasus shrugged again. “Well, for starters, whatever you see behind these doors…you don’t even mutter or whisper or even think it to any creature living or dead besides to those already involved and sworn to secrecy.” Her rose eyes narrowed dangerously. “If you violate this…well…you’ll kinda wish you hadn’t.”

Pinkamina grinned. “…So, do you swear never to tell a soul? It’s a doozie!”

With a gulp, Rarity evaluated the pros and cons. The con was the fact that she already knew something was different about her friends, and she had already seen this much – she practically didn’t have much of a choice at this point. Another con was that they already knew about her, and could abuse this fact in any way they wanted. They knew she was a murderer.

So, where exactly was there a pro in this situation? Perhaps a chance of understanding of each other’s sins, and maybe a sign of truce of some kind…? At this point, it wasn’t clear if she would even survive the night, and what foul deeds she had already done apparently paled in comparison to whatever went on behind those doors.

She sighed with a shake of her head. “…At this point, I really have no choice. I’ve already seen this much, and you’ve shown me where your secret is located, though I haven’t for the life of me figured out where in the clouds it is compared to Ponyville in terms of distance, darling. I accept – I will speak none of what I see behind these doors to any creature, living or dead, except to those who already have sworn and are currently involved.”

The prismatic pegasus grinned. “…I’ll hold you to that for the rest of your life, you know.” Lifting both of her hooves in the air, she beamed with a flap of her wings. “Well, welcome aboard! We need another set of hooves here!”

The party pony flipped. “Yippee, we get to play with Rarity! Come on, come on! Don’t take all night about it!” Her grin widened.

Rarity blinked as Rainbow Dash smirked at the two before her. “…True, true.” The rainbow-maned pegasus rose a hoof and placed it against the doors.

Pause for dramatic effect…

“…Rarity…” She breathed out, before putting force into her push, the doors parting and allowing light to pour through as the group was exposed to the large expanse of space inside. As the pristine unicorn’s eyes widened as she started to take in a large mass of machine with flowing tubes of color, and seven different conveyer belts, she gaped.

“…Welcome to my family’s work – The Rainbow Factory.”

Sapphire eyes glanced from one side of the room to the other as the trio started to walk forwards, the feeling of cold harsh metal against her hooves. Really, how was all of this even supported? …By a large mass of cloud? “…Goodness…this machine looks like it could eat me up, if it was currently activated. Whatever do you use such a thing for, darling?”

Rainbow Dash led the three closer to the conveyer belts as the metal doors shut behind them. “...Well, Rarity…do you know where rainbows come from?” The atmosphere seemed to suddenly darken around the fashionista, and she let out an inaudible gulp. Glancing at Pinkie Pie, the party pony had a sense of knowing in her eyes.

“…While rainbows are truly lovely…I never did question their origins. I’m afraid I don’t know.” She spoke, her body shifting from side to side. “…Do you know where they come from?” Should she even be asking?

Pinkamina grinned as she gestured a hoof towards the sky-blue pegasus.

She understood the cue. “…You see, Rarity...rainbows come from a substance known as spectra. It’s pretty well known in this very building, but it makes sense why the name wouldn’t ring a bell for you. Spectra, since our ancestors, has always been handled by the pegasi.”

The pristine unicorn raised a brow. “…Spectra makes the rainbows? Well then, whatever makes the spectra, darling?”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “…Good question. Where exactly does spectra come from?” She rose into the air in a small hover with a few flaps of her wings. “It’s not something you find in sugar and spice…and you can’t find it on any mountain, either. If anything, spectra’s available almost anywhere, but the freshest batch comes from the youth.”

What? The…youth? Why did it feel like her friend was speaking in riddles? “...What do you mean that, darling? Where does spectra come from? Answer me!”

The sky-blue pegasus landed back on the ground. “…Alright. If you want the direct approach, I’ll give you the direct approach. Spectra is laced in the life-blood of ponies. It’s strongest in pegasi.”

“…The…life-blood of…ponies? The…the youth, you said. You’re making rainbows out of the youthful pegasi?” The fashionista felt her blood grow cold. “…You’ve turned mass murder into a production line…” However could she grasp it? Rainbow Dash, the most loyal pegasus she met was a murderer of the youth.

The prismatic pegasus sighed. “…Don’t get me wrong – the concept existed way before I was even born. I just redesigned things when it was my turn to inherit the factory. Equestria can’t function without rainbows. I’m providing a service to Equestria through my work.”

Justified mass murder…it was sickening, and yet fascinating at the same time. That strange sense of sadism seemed to overtake her once more as she stared at her two dearest friends. “…And how exactly does Pinkie Pie of all ponies fit into this equation?” With how sweet she always acted, it seemed like Pinkie Pie would never hurt a soul.

…But it was always an act, wasn’t it? Everypony had something to hide.

The pink earth pony giggled. “…Oh, me? Well, it’s a funny story. Before I was recruited by Dr. Dashie here, I was running a business of my own in the basement of Sugarcube Corner, drawing numbers for each pony, and having a personal party with them!”

Huh? “Oh, that doesn’t sound so bad, darling.” The fashionista smiled.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “…Except that the personal parties always ended up with them being cut up, cooked up, and shared with everypony who wants to buy a new flavor of cupcake.” Her eyes narrowed into a deadpan expression as Rarity dropped her jaw. “…Yeah, surprised me at first, too. The only reason I found out was her drawing my number.”

“And that’s how our partnership was born!” Pinkamina chirped before lifting a hoof near her muzzle. “Seriously, if you wanna see how it all went down, just click on Rainbow Cupcakes Factory in the ‘this is a sequel to’ button! It’s a doozie!” The pink party pony winked, causing the other two to stare at her with blank expressions.

…Because Pinkamina was acting really strange at that moment.

“…However…did you manage to survive then, darling?” Rarity spoke up after a period of awkward silence. The prismatic pegasus let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

“…Well, it’s like she said. I recruited her to help out in my factory in exchange for support and security. When she was doing all that in her basement, things were so…” She fought a shudder. “…Messy. Yours was pretty messy, too, but at least it was better organized.”

The pristine unicorn couldn’t believe her eyes. “…Rainbow Dash, are you of all ponies making comments about organization of all things? Of things being orderly and CLEAN?”

“Hey, when it comes to my factory – sanitation is a must. You need to make sure all materials are cleaned properly and put away in their proper places. This way things stay easier to find, and easier to hide. I haven’t been caught yet and I don’t plan to be at any time in the future!” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “…And you guys won’t get caught either. Because that would jeopardize ME.”

The fashionista nodded. “…Understood.” But what was left? “You said before that you had a proposition for me. What exactly does this entail?”

The sky-blue pegasus gave a smile. “Well, let’s look at our options. From what we could see in your basement, you kept fashionable things from the rich ponies, like their coats. Since we target young pegasi, I can only offer you a chance to pillage their feathers before they get drained and baked into cupcakes. Do you have an issue with this?”

“…Wait, darling. You love your wings so much – however could you bear me taking feathers from the youth?” Didn’t Rainbow Dash care if they were devastated?

The rainbow-maned pony frowned a bit. “…What you seem to have too much of at this point is compassion. Open compassion, anyway, and it makes you easier to read. The reason I have no issue with letting the spectra supply lose their feathers is because we use a coming of age flight test. Those who succeed get to live on, and find their destiny. But, those who fail…lose their identity as an equine. They become failures, and failures don’t need their feathers because they’re going to die anyway.”

The pristine unicorn let out a heavy sigh. “…I understand, darling. Very well, then…I shall collect feathers and coats before they are…drained and baked. Goodness, this is a twisted operation, isn’t it?”

Pinkamina blinked. “…Yeah, what of it? Obviously we should work together to protect our secrets, so Princess Celestia and Twilight won’t get wind of anything. This also decreases the number of victims being reported, so the investigation should also die down soon enough. Either way, it solves the problem.”

Rarity pondered the thought. “…Well, it just so happens that feathers ARE in style this season…” She mused, her lips curling into a pleased smile. Once again she felt that sense of pleasure fill her very essence, till it once more grew into a cold chill. “…However, if ever I am to work with you two, I have some conditions of my own you need to understand.” Sapphire eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare as the other two ponies gave her attention. “…No matter what happens from here…Sweetie Belle is never to be harmed. No matter what she may find. Is that clear? I can accept the sins of participating in the mass killing of fillies and colts, but my SISTER remains untouched.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes for a bit before facing her unicorn friend. “…Alright. If she ends up finding anything, which I doubt she will, I’ll let you decide what happens to her. Just…as long as she doesn’t report to Celestia. Otherwise, we may have to keep her in a closed space.”

…Keeping her darling Sweetie Belle locked up? …A prisoner of her sister’s and her friends’ crimes? It sounded like such a horrid concept, but Rainbow Dash was so focused on the security of her factory, it was a blessing that they’d be willing to do this much for her and Sweetie Belle. “…Alright. I accept your conditions.” She said with a quick nod.

The two murderers stood before her with smirks on their faces, the rainbow-maned pegasus holding out a hoof. “…Welcome to the team, Rarity.”

The fashionista gave an un-ladylike smirk back as she took the hoof. “…It’s a pleasure, darlings.”

Pinkamina beamed as she joined the two. “…Now we can all have fun hiding things from Twilight and the Princess together! Murderous trio!”

“…Perhaps a more creative name, darling. I mean, really!”

“…Eh, I try.”

With Rarity on their team, the Superior Supervisor took the time to think of what was left. With Rarity, the fancy ponies weren’t being targeted anymore, but…this only left the other group of common ponies – ponies she’d see around Ponyville on a daily basis.

…Who was the other culprit? And what was their motive?

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Green eyes fluttered open as Applejack let out a raspy groan – her throat felt parched. Anyways…where the heck was she, the lights…the lights were so bright…the orange earth pony shifted her body a bit, before a sharp pain forced her to stop with a breathy gasp, her muscles starting to tense. “…Wha…where am ah…?” She muttered.

“…You shouldn’t push yourself.” A feminine voice rang through the orange pony’s ears before her eyes glanced in the voice’s direction just at the side of the bed. “...Are you okay?” The lavender unicorn beside the bed spoke, the tone of her voice filled with concern.

Applejack gulped, a lump forming in her throat. “…T-Twilight…hey there…” She greeted her friend with a weak grin – her darn leg was burning up a storm or something-

Wait. Her leg. The Everfree. That dark figure with the large flat blade….

The orange earth pony frowned. “…That dark figure got away again.” Right, she was following through with investigating the darn thing, and she managed to catch it in the act, but it fought hard… “…You…you brought me here, right?”

Twilight nodded, her eyes growing softer. “…I informed Spike already that I’m watching over you. Of course, visiting hours don’t start yet until later this morning, but they allowed me to stay the night – they figured you’d want a familiar friendly face the first thing you woke up.”

“…Mmgh…that was…mighty kind of them to do that for us.” Applejack chuckled softly. “…Still…this darn situation’s seriously starting to get out of hoof...we still don’t know a darn thing, other than that dark figure…” She sank her head into the pillows, wincing silently as the pain shot up from her hind leg. “…It sure was up to no good.”

The lavender unicorn let out a sigh as she felt her eyes start to water. “…Why is this happening? Ponyville is a wonderful place, with so many wonderful ponies, and…all of our friends are here and they love us. How could ponies start disappearing and…end up in such a state like the one we saw last night? One of my friends…you ended up getting hurt because of all of this…” She choked a sob.

“Shh…it’s alright, Twilight. Ah ain’t dead or anything like that.” Applejack attempted to soothe her studious friend. “Just…things ain’t right in Ponyville right now. Sometimes Equestria…gets filled with some really twisted ponies.” She breathed out. “…That’s when we really gotta hang on to the good times, ya know? It can be like that again – we just gotta stick together as friends and family.”

Twilight nodded slowly with a sniffle before getting out another sigh. “…Y-you’re right. Thank you, Applejack…” She bit her lip as the two fell to silence, the only sounds coming through the hospital equipment. “…Still…you promised me that you’d tell me why you knew about my research. I don’t believe you to be a horrible pony…but I’m…I’m also tired of all these mysteries. Can you help me?”

The orange earth pony breathed out a sigh. “…Mah family…we’re a community, pretty set in our ways. We work hard from dawn until dusk, and we’ve got a lot of give. But…we ain’t just farmers…we’re…uh…how do ah say this…” She closed her eyes for a bit, running her tongue along the edges of her lips. “…We’re a family of secret agents, loyal to Princess Celestia. We’ve been for generations deep.”

Wait, what? Twilight’s eyes widened to pinpricks. “Wait…secret agents? You…report to Princess Celestia?”

“…It’s mah job to report the truth – no matter how dirty or harsh it gets. Ah was actually researching the exact same case you were, and Princess Celestia informed me of your actions and all. Ah didn’t mean to seem like a bad pony – Ah made a mistake of even referring to it.” Her green eyes grew downcast. “…We each have a codename we go by when we send her messages – the Apple Family is one of the most established groups in Equestria, and we’ve always kept in touch for family reunions and to collect information. Ah ain’t supposed to report to anypony mah codename…but you’ve more than earned it, Twi.”

The lavender unicorn gaped. “…W-Wow…I can actually understand the benefits of using your family for that purpose. Your family is spread all over Equestria, is often in touch, and you practically hold the market for where gossip can be gathered while providing food for the public. It’s…it’s the perfect cover.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “So…what is your codename?”

Applejack took in a breath and let it out in a drawn out sigh. “…It’s Red. Mah codename is Red. Ah’ve been reporting to the Princess through bottled dragon fire…although Ah haven’t had much to say lately. Ah was hoping Ah’d find out more last night…but in the end Ah ended up being bedridden.” She lowered her head in shame. “…Ah’m mighty sorry you had to see me like that, Twilight.”

Twilight shook her head. “…No, Applejack. I only wish I could’ve gotten there sooner. The last thing I want is for my friends to get hurt. Last night was one of the most frightening moments in my life. Next time, we should probably be more honest with each other. All these secrets are causing confusion, when we should be working together to find the killer.” Purple eyes narrowed. “…It’s for the best.”

The orange earth pony slowly nodded as the two fell into a solemn silence. “…Alright. No more secrets. From now on, we should team up. Why should we keep on continuing two separate investigations when we’ve got the same goal ‘n all?”

The lavender unicorn felt herself grow stronger. She wasn’t alone in this. “…Since you’re currently in the hospital, I’ll be your eyes and ears. If you’ve got any kind of information…anything out of the ordinary…” She bit her lip.

“…Let you know about it, right?” Applejack gave a knowing wink. “Ah get it, sugarcube.” She closed her eyes for a bit, before her smile turned into a frown. “…Ah wouldn’t really call it suspicious or anything, but Ah haven’t seen Fluttershy for a long time now. She may hole up with them critters every now and then, but…it wouldn’t hurt for you to talk to her. Ah’ve been worried since she lives nearby that darn Everfree Forest.”

Twilight blinked. Come to think of it, she didn’t see Fluttershy at Diamond Tiara’s Birthday Party, either. “…Alright. I’ll go talk to Fluttershy. Hopefully she’s alright.” The thought that another one of her friends could be hurt was unbearable…but she had to stay strong. Panicking at this point wouldn’t solve anything. “In the meantime, you should rest and take it easy, alright? It probably won’t be long before Pinkie Pie shows up when she hears the news.”

The earth pony let out a weak chuckle. “…Ah’ll look forward to it, then. Has RD heard anything yet?”

The lavender unicorn shrugged. “…I haven’t left the hospital yet this morning, but I’m sure you’ll also be hearing from her soon enough. I’ll go ahead and head over to Fluttershy’s now.” She nodded her head before getting up to head for the door. “…Be careful, okay?”

Applejack frowned. “…Ah ain’t one to take it easy…but Ah’ll do what Ah can to recover as soon as possible. Don’t leave me in the dark ‘bout this, alright?”

Twilight just gave another nod before closing the door behind her, leaving the orange earth pony in the hospital patient room by herself. As she was surrounded by the silent corridor and Celestia’s rising sun peering through the window, she let out a deep sigh. Who would’ve thought that Applejack was a secret agent? That all of the Apple Family were Princess Celestia’s allies? Granted it made perfect sense, but…she just couldn’t believe it. Did her other friends have something to hide? Should she try and interrogate Fluttershy next?!

She rapidly shook her head. “No, no, no!” She whispered to herself. Just because Applejack turned out to be more, it didn’t give her the right to start spying on her other friends. Although, Pinkie Sense was wholly justified, it was out of the ordinary. Just like Fluttershy’s absence…

…Right. She had to visit Fluttershy. Make sure she was alright. Without another word, Twilight started in a brisk trot down the hallway towards the hospital main entrance. As she passed through the sliding doors, she glanced over the horizon, where the Everfree Forest was located. To think…those horrible events happened just nearby her friend’s cottage – she must be so frightened! As she started to gallop in growing concern, she completely passed by the prismatic yawning figure as she rushed through the Ponyville Market.

She needed to hurry!

By the time Rainbow Dash was able to get some proper sleep after the midnight meeting, it was past 3 in the morning. It was awesome how they were able to recruit Rarity onto their team, but…getting back to her cloud house so late wasn’t cool. She was thankful for the fact that she had an afternoon shift later that day, so she could easily slip in some more Zs. Being Supervisor really was a lot of work. As she yawned, her rose eyes caught what looked like Twilight…and she looked like she was in a hurry with how fast she was galloping. “…Mmm?” She frowned, her curiosity keeping her interested.

Of course, this wasn’t getting any more sleep…but she’d probably miss something important if she ignored Twilight’s activities. After all, she was the center of the investigation. If she managed to find something they didn’t…that wasn’t good. Without a word, the rainbow-maned pegasus sank flat into her cloud as she pushed it gently to follow her friend’s path, her eyes narrowed and attentive like a hawk.

Where was she going…?

Twilight continued at full speed down the road that was leading towards the Everfree Forest, where Fluttershy’s house was nearby. Come to think of it, Fluttershy wasn’t at the party. Where the hay was she? She probably had animals to take care of…but it wasn’t like her to ignore one of Pinkie Pie’s parties unless something bad happened! And she didn’t need to sneak to check on her filly-hood friend!

Throwing the cloud to the side, Twilight looked up as she suddenly saw her cyan-blue pegasus friend soar past her with additional powered flaps from her wings, putting her in front. “…Rainbow Dash! Did you come to check on Fluttershy, too?” Her voice carried through the air, causing the other’s ear to twitch. However, answering Twilight’s question wasn’t important right now. She increased her speed, the sight of the cottage getting closer and closer.

“…Rainbow Dash, wait up! We’ll go together!” The lavender unicorn panted as she struggled to keep up with her pegasus friend. Why wasn’t she talking to her? Was she that concerned? Maybe something bad DID happen to Fluttershy…

…Pieces of a pony’s body spread across the grass…

…The blood spilled from Applejack…

Twilight rapidly shook the thoughts from her head. The last thing she wanted was for one of her friends to get hurt like Applejack did! Not again! As the two reached the door of Fluttershy’s cottage, Rainbow Dash slammed into the door, bursting it open and causing the hinges on the door to break. As Twilight dropped her jaw, the whole thing toppled over in front of them.

The inside of the cottage looked exactly the same, and nothing looked neglected, but the animals around suddenly started hiding in their dens and little holes they called houses at the rude presence of the door falling over. Rainbow Dash glanced around at the mess she made. “…Oops…” She cringed. “…My bad…”

“…Um…?” A soft voice filled the air as the two ponies looked up to see the buttermilk-yellow pegasus, her mane soft and pink as it…touched her shoulders? The prismatic pegasus blinked as she shook her head for a bit. “…H-Hey, Shy! S-sorry for…uh, you know….breaking down your door and all. I haven’t seen you in a while; we were starting to get worried. We didn’t see you at the party Pinkie hosted. You alright?”
Twilight nodded. “…Everypony’s been worried about you because we haven’t seen you outside for a while now. If there’s anything you need…”

Fluttershy sat in silence before slowly shaking her head. “Oh, um…I’m sorry I haven’t been out lately, just…my animals have been getting so sick lately, and I just needed to take care of them, so…A-and I can fix the door, it’s no problem…” She walked over to pick up the door with her hooves as she proceeded to try and fix it. “It’d probably be easier if I had some tools to work with…” She mumbled to herself.

The lavender unicorn smiled as she walked over to the door. “…I can help you with my magic, if that would get things done faster. Once again, I’m so sorry for the sudden intrusion.” She gave a glare back at Rainbow Dash, hinting that it was actually her problem.

Rainbow Dash sighed and flew up to hold the door in place against the door frame for her filly-hood friend. “…So, Fluttershy…what’s up with the mane cut? You haven’t cut your mane since ever.”

The timid pegasus blinked before looking at her mane. “Oh, um…I supposed it was…time for an image change. I’ve been staying with the same mane-style for years and…I guess it’s a way to try and be…more assertive? I’m not sure.” She shrugged slowly. “…Rarity liked it. I met her for our Tuesday spa day.” She said with a soft smile.

Twilight blinked. “…So somepony HAS seen you this week.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness…With what’s been going on lately…I was scared you might’ve gone missing.”

The prismatic pegasus tilted her head to the side. Rarity had seen Fluttershy, and it never came up between them during their midnight meeting. Thinking about it, why the hay would it? Still, something seemed different about her friend. What was it…?

…Her eyes. They didn’t have that sense of sweet innocence. Something happened to Fluttershy without any of them knowing. She knew those eyes. “...Hey, Fluttershy. Mind if I ask you a question later?” Rainbow Dash gave a sheepish grin. “…It’s…kind of personal…”

The lavender unicorn looked towards her. “…If you’re having any kind of problem, Rainbow Dash, you could always let me know. We’ll all support you.” She gave a comforting grin.

The rainbow-maned pegasus shook her head. “…Nah, it’d be…kinda hard for non-pegasi ponies to understand, you know? Personal stuff.” The last thing she needed was for Twilight to catch on that something strange was going on. It’d ultimately lead to her factory being exposed! She kept a poker face as her friend gave a sigh.

“…Alright. I get it. Anyways, I actually have some important business to get to, but…I’m not sure if you girls heard yet or not, but there was another incident regarding missing ponies last night. Applejack ended getting hurt with a leg injury and is in the Ponyville Hospital.” She frowned, taking in her friends’ shocked expressions.

“WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew wide as her wings flared out. “…What happened? Did she get attacked?! Is she okay?!” Why didn’t I hear anything about this till now?! “Did she see who the culprit was?!”

Fluttershy’s lips trembled. “…Oh, no…is…is she alright!? I hope she’ll be okay…”

Twilight shook her head, her bangs swishing. “…She only saw a silhouette. The culprit has a weapon, so it makes things even more dangerous…I was afraid you’d be hurt Fluttershy, since it happened right on the edge of the Everfree…Anyways, Applejack’s doing alright now. She’ll need to stay in bed a little, but you guys could go visit her anytime. She’s probably bored right now.” She let out a chuckle before turning away from the two, heading back to Ponyville. “…I’ll see you two later! No matter what, keep an eye out for each other, and stay safe!” She warned as she slowly became smaller, moving farther away.

Rainbow gulped. “Sheesh, the culprit was right by your house?! That’s crazy, Shy! Maybe you wanna try staying somewhere else for the time being? Twi said they even had a weapon.” She frowned as she faced her yellow-coated friend. “…Are you sure you’re okay?” She needed to know. What changed her fillyhood friend?

The timid pegasus turned her friend, refusing to meet her friend in the eye as her cropped mane swished. “…I think I’ll be okay. Besides, I can’t leave the animals all alone if a…maniac is on the loose…” She lowered her head, glancing back at her friend from the corner of her eye.
She was just concerned for her…but she couldn’t tell her. It hurt…but she just couldn’t…

“…Something’s changed about you, Fluttershy.” Teal eyes blinked as Fluttershy glanced back towards her friend, a shocked expression on her face. “…W-What…? Why would you assume that? I mean, I guess I’ve become more…assertive as of late, but…”

Rainbow Dash’s deep sigh filled the air, rendering everything else around them to silence. “…I can see it in your eyes, Shy. You’re burdened by something…you don’t have that sweet innocence you used to have.”

Rose eyes hardened as they pierced deep, making the timid pegasus’ lips tremble.

“…Something bad happened…didn’t it?”

Author's Note

Well, it's been a while. I graduated, and I'm going to Driving School now. So...yay me. ^^

As for the story, now you all know who Red is. To me the idea was pretty cool. So, what all does Fluttershy have to say? You'll find out next chapter!

Please rate and comment as you'd like, and tell me your inputs. I gladly accept criticism.