Finding Twilight

Eclipse galloped as fast as she could. She had to get back to the castle. "God damit!" She said, "why didn't I ever learn the stupid teleporting thing!"

it took her only five minutes of galloping to reach the castle, by which time she was so tired she thought she would pass-out. She stumbled threw the front door, not bothering to knock. "Spike!" Eclipse shouted, "Spike! Get down here Spike!"

"Eclipse is that you?" Eclipse heard Spikes voice Call from some other part of the castle, "We're in the thrown room."

Eclipse raced through the castle, until she burst through the thrown room doors. Inside, all standing around the map were Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and princess Celestia.

"Princess?" Eclipse said, confused, "What are you doing here?"

But Spike didn't let her answer before he said, "Eclipse, did you find Twilight?" Spike sounded anxious.

"Yeah, but Spike, She was ponynapped!" Eclipse answered

All the ponies looked frightened, Except the princess. She just looked intently at Eclipse.

"What's going on?" Eclipse asked Spike, Spike had a terrified look on his face, but didn't answer.

"Spike!" Eclipse nearly shouted at him. But he just looked blankly at her.

"Spike said somepony was here," Applejack cut in, "He woke us up, screaming that a ball of smoke had talked to him, he said it told him to tell it where Twilight was,"

"And you told it!" Eclipse shouted angrily at Spike,

"No Honey, the smoke did some kind of, magic on him. "Applejack continued, "he had no choice."

Eclipse started pacing around the map,

"Eclipse, what do you know?" Rainbow Dash asked accusingly, she was hovering over top of the map, looking at Eclipse.

It took a few seconds for Eclipse to answer, but she said, "I was walking towards the spot where Twilight liked me and, and I saw this ball of smoke, it was just hovering near Twilight. Twilight spoke to it, she said 'you?! how can it be you?!' And then it laughed, then they disappeared."

All the ponies got anxious.

"Girls," the princess said, finally speaking, "You need to calm down, we can find Twilight..."

"Yes, we need to think clearly," Rarity cut off the princess, she was comforting Fluttershy, who was crying into her shoulder.

Pinkie Pie just stood there, her hair slightly deflated, she clearly had no idea what to do.

"We need to find her" Eclipse said sternly to the princess, Eclipse was a little nervous at being in the same room as Celestia. But her fear for Twilight gave her the courage to talk to her.

"We will, er what's your name?" Celestia asked

"Eclipse," Eclipse answered flatly

"Ok Eclipse, we can search for her..."

"How the hay, are we gonna do that?!" Rainbow Dash asked Celestia "Are we just gonna go from city to city looking for her?"

Princess Celestia was looking tired of getting cut off, but answered, "Well..."

"You can't be serious!" Eclipse cut Celestia off, "Why can't we get other ponies? Just magic talk to them or something, and tell them what we need?"

"Because I don't want other ponies knowing about this," Celestia said looking at all of them sternly, "We..."

"But why..."

"Let me finish Eclipse!" Celestia gave Eclipse a glare and continued, "We can't have other ponies knowing that an Alicorn princess was ponynapped. There would be panic, whoever it is that ponynapped Twilight will probably just ask for a ransom and then let her go. Until then, we need to be looking for her,"

"So what, are we just going to catch the next train to fillydelphia?" Eclipse took a step closer to Celestia, "Walking through the streets screaming 'Twilight, come here Twilight'."

The other ponies looked shocked at Eclipse's disrespect towards the princess. Eclipse tried to stare down the princess, but quickly gave up. Celestia was much bigger than Eclipse, that long horn, and those scary eyes made Eclipse want to curl up at Celestia's hooves and beg for forgiveness.

Celestia answered in an demanding tone, "No, your going to walk."

Eclipse's mouth fell open. "Walk?! Why the hell would we walk!"

"Well you don't have too, you Eclipse, can stay here if you want to. But I'm sure these five," Celestia said, gesturing a hoof towards Twilight's friends. "Will do whatever it takes to get Twilight back, even if they have to walk, right?" her voice had some pride in it towards the five.

"Hells yeah!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Well o'cours'," Applejack said.

"Whatever it takes to get our Twilight back," Rarity said.

"Mhmm," Fluttershy said through her crying.

"Yes! Let's go find Twilight!" Pinkie Pie said, apparently snapping out of her paralysis.

There eyes rested on Eclipse,"Twilight's the one who gave me friendship, it's the least I can do,"

"Perfect, but why must we walk?" Rarity asked Celestia.

"to draw less attention," Celestia answered, "The ponynapper must be watching the trains, in case we try and find them"

"So when do we go?" Rainbow asked nopony in particular.

"Well, when you all get packed, meat back here, it's gonna be a long walk to fillydelphia," Celestia answered.

"We're actually going to fillydelphia?" Eclipse asked.

"It's as good a place as any," Celestia answered. She then looked at them all, her face getting serious, she said, "Listen to me, you ponies can't tell anypony about what you're about to do,"

"Then what am I supposed to tell Big Mac, and Applebloom?" Applejack asked.

"Tell them you are going to Canterlot, tell them I need you for something,"

Applejack looked hesitant, "Lie? Can't I just tell them the truth? They won't tell anypony else,"

"No Applejack, nopony can no about this,"

Applejack looked like she wanted to say more, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Now if that's all, everypony go get your things, then you can go."

Barely thirty minutes later, all the ponies were back in the thrown room. Each of them having various bags strung over their backs.

"Let's do this thing," said Spike, strutting into the room with a little backpack on.

"I don't think so Spike, you have to stay here," Celestia told him.

Spike got a look of determination on his face and said, "With all do respect princess, Twilight is practically my sister, you can't stop me from to finding her."

"Oh yes I can, Spike, your just a baby dragon..."

"But I can do this,"

"I need you here at the castle, in case she comes back," Celestia gave him a stern look that could have made a raging monitor apologize.

Spikes face fell, he dropped his backpack on the ground and angerelly said, "Fine, fine I'll stay," he walked slowly out of the room,

Celestia sighed and said, "Ok, are you all ready to go?" They all nodded.

Eclipse looked around at the ponies she was about to spend weeks walking beside. They were all so determined to find Twilight, that Eclipse knew they would do anything to get her back.

"Ok everpony, its time to go get are friend back!" Eclipse said.

Eclipse turned around and headed for the door, followed closely by the other five. They got to the front door and walked outside. They then headed west, they soon came to a river with a bridge. Pinkie Pie was the only pony who was talking, she just kept going on and on, to whoever would listen. It wasn't until after they crossed the bridge, and were in a forest, that anypony else said anything.

"So, who do you guys think ponynapped Twilight?"

"Rainbow Dash," Rarity said scoldingly.

"What? There's nothing else to talk about," at that, Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes at Rainbow.

"you don't have to be so blunt,"

Rainbow rolled her eyes and said, "So who do you think it is?"

"Shhh," Eclipse said, putting a hoof to her mouth, "I heard something," Eclipse looked around, in the woods to her left, she saw something that chilled her to the bone.

"What are you talking abo..." Rainbow Dash started. But was quickly stopped by Eclipse's frantic waving.

Eclipse pointed in the woods to their left. Rainbow Dash looked and saw a pair of eyes, they were big round brown eyes, looking right at her.

The next second, there was screaming all around them, four ponies lept from the woods to their left, and four to the right. Two of them jumped Rarity and started punching and pounding on her. Two others did the same to Fluttershy. Two came at Applejack and Pinkie Pie. but a nice kick from Applejack sent them stagering. The last two came at Eclipse, they had come out of now where, and completely cought her off guard. One tackled her to the ground and held her there, the other started kicking her. They kicked over and over and over, relentlessly pounding her.

WOOSH! Rainbow dove straight at them, holding her hooves out in front of her. They fell off of Eclipse and to the ground. They quickly got to their hooves and ran off. Eclipse got up, rubbing her side where the ponies had hit her. Eclipse saw that Applejack had taken care of the ones on Rarity and Fluttershy. They were now running off into the forest.

Applejack and Pinkie were helping Fluttershy up, moving slowly as not to hurt her. Fluttershy's wing was bent at a painful looking angle. A small squeak escaped Fluttershy's mouth when she saw her wing. Rainbow Dash and walked over to help Rarity. Rarity had a few marks on her, but was mostly okay.

Applejack sat Fluttershy down and walked over to Rainbow Dash and Eclipse. "What in the hay was that?!"

She said, barely containing her anger.

"How the hell should I know?" Rainbow retorted, "All I know is that eight ponies came out of nowhere, jumped Rarity and Fluttershy and almost got us too!"

"Girls!" Eclipse said over top of them, "Whoever ponynapped Twilight, must have been after us too."

"Why didn't they do get us when they got Twilight?" Rainbow asked Eclipse.

"I don't know, but that has to be it."

"They could have just been trying to mug us." Applejack put in.

"Muggers don't usually start punching whoever they mug out of nowhere. And why wouldn't they have weapons?" Eclipse answered.

"Um, if you girls are finished talking, I'm kind of in a lot of pain here!" Said Rarity with sarcastically.

"Oh, sorry," Applejack said as she walked over to help Rarity.

Eclipse walked over to where Fluttershy and Pinke were, Rainbow Dash close behind her. Fluttershy was busy explaining what had happened to a few bunnies.

Pinkie Pie started talking, she was talking so fast Eclipse could barely understand what she was talking about.

"Um Pinkie?" Eclipse asked.

"Yeah?"

"I think I got it from here, Applejack needs help with Rarity."

"Alrighty the," Pinkie said as she bounced off.

"Oh," Fluttershy said, seeing Eclipse and Rainbow, "Run along now little guys," she said to the bunnies, who then proceeded to hop away in to the forest.

Rainbow gave Fluttershy a judgmental look. Eclipse walked up to Fluttershy and asked, "So how's your wing feel?" She tried to keep her voice as soft and soothing as possible.

Fluttershy looked at Eclipse apologeticly and said in a quiet voice, "It hurts when i move it,"

"What was that look for?" Eclipse matched Fluttershy's tenderness.

"Well, Eclipse, I treated you really badly, for a really long time. I should've been nicer to you."

Her voice was the softest thing Eclipse had ever heard. "Oh Fluttershy, you barely looked at me all those years, I don't blame you. It took the princess of friendship that long to be my friend. Let me help you fix your

wing, and we can just call it even, ok?"

Fluttershy gave a week smile, "Ok,"

"So where does it hurt?" Eclipse asked, her voice returning to normal. Fluttershy's wing was twisted so the fethers were pointed forward instead of backwards.

"Everywhere," Fluttershy replied,

"Oh I've done that to my wings plenty of times," Rainbow Dash said, "You just gotta turn it back into place,"

Eclipse winced at the thought, and looked at Fluttershy hesitantly. "Are you up for that?"

Fluttershy looked terrified,

"Fluttershy, if you ever want to fly again, you gotta do it." Rainbow said flatly.

Eclipse didn't give her the chance to answer, she knew that if it was up to Fluttershy, they would be here all day. Eclipse knew nothing about pegasus anatomy, but none the less, she grabbed the bone in her magic and twisted. Fluttershy's scream was louder than Eclipse ever thought possible.

After several minutes of constant yelling, they finally got Fluttershy to be quiet.

"Well, at least it looks better," Rainbow said with a chuckle. But the glare Fluttershy gave her wiped the smile right off her face.

"Are you ready to keep walking?" Eclipse asked Fluttershy softly,

"Yes, I think so, thank you Eclipse," Fluttershy responded with a smile.

"Alrighty then, let's get moving.," Applejack said.

They spent the day talking about what had happened and their theories on Twilight's ponynapping. When they got to the edge of the forest, they stopped for lunch. It wasn't until after a few hours after the sun went down, that they stopped for the day. They were in the middle of a valley. Each pony brought a sleeping bag and a pillow. Rainbow Dash went to go get some logs for a fire, the others stayed to set up the sleeping bags.

Eclipse was getting really excited, 'my first sleep over!' She thought. Eclipse's mind was like a fillies when she was with her friends. Tho Eclipse was really worried about Twilight, she tried to tell herself it would be ok.

After Rainbow got back with the logs, they started a fire and they all quickly fell asleep. Eclipse's plans of telling ghost stories, and roasting marshmallows didn't last long when the warmth of the fire, comfort of her sleeping bag, and shine of the stars got to her. She fell asleep soon after her head hit the pillow.