Hope,Determination and Kindness

A few days ago~

The sun rose on Sweet Apple Acres, the orchards ripe trees casting a shadow on the dirt below. The farms resident cockerel did his thing, causing all the ponies who slumbered there to be awoken at the crack of dawn.

Applejack climbed out of bed, all 4 hooves landing on the cold, wooden floor. She had so much to do and she had to babysit... the CMC!
(Dun dun dun!) However she hoped that the fact they now had the cutie marks would stop them being so reckless and that would let her do her chores in peace.

Her sister along with the other two had never really made much sense in her mind, always getting into trouble over silly things. Her dream when she was younger was to keep that mark of her flank for as long as she could cause well... Her parents could have still come back to see it...

So many years had already passed and yet she still hadn't given up hope. She still hoped that their was a way, any way for them to still live. To still come back. That her father was still looking for her mother and just hadn't found her yet... There bodies had never been found.

A creak of a floorboard pulled her back into reality and she put on her treasured cowboy hat, following her brother downstairs and outside. An hour or maybe to passed as she got herself engulfed in her work. All through this time a voice was nagging her at the back of her mind.

You've missed something! You know it! Check the barn for them! They're your responsibility!

Herscooter!

She felt the colour drain from her face. When she had left the house she had walked past were Scootaloo would leave her beloved scooter. The scooter however had not been there and, she hated herself for this thought, unless hopefully it had just been stolen then the CMC were no longer on her farm.

Heart bounding,she ran towards the red barn. It felt forever when she was running but as she stood before it's large door she wished it had taken longer. With all her will she pushed the door open, hoping for the best. It wasn't enough.

"Girls!? GIRLS!!!" But her shouts echoed back at her in the empty barn. The girls were gone.

A loud, urgent rapping awoke her. She jumped, being pulled out of her state of bliss and confusion as she awoke. Rarity arched her back, several joints clicking back into place. She had been so busy with her newest line that she had fallen asleep at her desk. The urgent rapping that had awoken her continued and she had no choice but to get up and answer it.

"Pinkie, darling I told you I can't make the party tonigh-"

"Rarity! Nows not the time!" It wasn't Pinkie at her door but what she found was no better. An agitated Rainbow Dash was at her doorstep. "C'mon! You have to come to the castle!"

"Rainbow Dash! I haven't simply the time to come, tell Twilight I am very busy."

"This is about Sweetie Belle!" Rarity faltered. Her sister? That was the last thing she had suspected. What had the little troublemaker done now?

"I- Tell- See you there." And Rarity shut the door.

"What do you mean they were just gone?! Where?! They can't have gotten far! Heck, why would they want to?

"I'm tellin' ya what I know! I'm worried too and you standin' there and shouting at me won't do a darn thing!"

"Applejack has tried her best to explain the situation Rainbow, you need to calm down and breathe."

"Fluttershy is right! Dashie and you arguing won't solve anything!"

The throne room was a mess, opinion on opinion being shouted or said on top of each other. Twilight ruffled her wings with indignation. The CMC going missing had caused a giant uproar all throughout the town, search parties having already set out to try and find them. A headache started to form in her head and she was going to shout for quiet when something beat her to it.

The doors swung open and Big Macintosh stormed in. In his he held a single piece of paper the he dropped onto the table in the centre.

"Ah found this."

Twilight levitated the paper and started to read it aloud to all of her curious and worried friends.

To anyone that is concerned,
Me, Scoots and Bloom were looking for some fun and so we decided to climb the closest mountain to here near the Everfee Forest.
We were hoping on making it back before 7 but if we don't, you shouldn't worry. We'll be back.
Sweetie Belle

4/6 ponies sighed in relief as Twilight finished reading.

"There we are darlings, what was the fuss about?" Rarity smiled in relief, getting up and practically leaving.

"AJ? You alright there?"

Twilight was frozen in shock. She had been tutored by Celestia and practically grown on stories of people disappearing on the mountain.

"If the girls have gone where I think they have then... They aren't coming back."