Eyes Wide Closed

Roseluck was a pony of extremes - everypony in Ponyville knew that. Fear seemed to rule her, along with her friends Lily Valley and Daisy. Despite this, nopony would ever call her anything but predictable. Everypony knew how she would react to any given situation; horror.

But when Applejack asked around, it seemed like something had changed. Nopony had seen any of the flower-trio for days now.

"Another dead end." Applejack sighed, returning to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were looking similarly dejected.

"Don't use that word. Do you think Roseluck was taken?" Rarity asked, looking from one friend to another.

"That doesn't explain why nopony's seen Daisy or Lily neither. I think somethin' strange is goin' on here." Applejack responded, looking around critically. "When we went to their houses, nopony answered the door. I think it's time we go in and see what we can find."

"Woah, are you seriously suggesting we break into somepony's home, Applejack?" Rainbow suddenly animated, smirking. "Because I totally agree. It's the fastest way to get information, and we can apologize to the flower-ponies later. Lets start with Roseluck's place."

"One moment, you two." Rarity huffed, frowning. "I am as worried about the Crusaders as either of you, but this might be going a little far..."

"Rarity, we're out of options here. Nopony's seen Roseluck and she's the last clue we have. We have to find her." Rainbow landed, her face close to Rarity's. "Either you're with us, or you can trot home and we'll find Sweetie Belle."

Rarity stared at Rainbow, shivering slightly, then nodded. "Fine. I won't like it, but I'll play along. I might have a few skills we can put to use." She looked away from Rainbow, motioning with her head. "Roseluck's home is that way. Lets hurry, before I change my mind."

Rainbow and Applejack watched, awed, as Rarity picked the lock to Roseluck's home.

When they had arrived, finding the door locked had been a big surprise. However, as Rarity had said, she had skills that were proving very useful.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Rarity said, after pushing the door open. "It just takes a delicate touch, a keen eye for detail and a little bit of skill, that's all."

"It's not the fact that you can do it, it's that you did it at all." Rainbow blinked, giving her head a hard shake to clear it. "Alright, lets get this party started. I say we split up."

"Alright. Dash, you take the upstairs. Rarity, you get this floor and I'll check the basement." Applejack trotted inside ahead of the others, looking around.

Come to think of it, they'd never seen the inside of Roseluck's home. As far as any of the three knew, only the flower-trio had ever come in here. Applejack stared down the door into the dank cellar, heaving a sigh. She wasn't comfortable, rummaging through a ponies house while they weren't here, but she was getting desperate.

Finding the light switch, Applejack illuminated the stairs. However, she hadn't taken even one step before she heard Rainbow Dash shout.

"Everypony, get up here!"

Applejack flicked the light off, trotting from the door, but leaving it open. She was going to search down there, even if Rainbow had found something worthwhile. Once she was a few steps away, she looked back. Had she just heard something? She stood still, listening in the silence of the empty house. There is was again; a sound like squeaking wood, coming from the basement door. Sweat started to bead on Applejack's head. Somepony was in the basement, walking up the stairs. She stared, the door blocking her view of the doorframe. After a moment, she heard the sound of a hoof clack on the floor.

A face leaned around the door; it was wearing a bleached white mask, the eyes crossed off with frantic scribbles of black and twin tears of red depicted rolling down the face. The mouth was a manic grin, twisted by a level of derangement Applejack had only seen in the mentally unstable.

She turned, bolting. Fear had gripped her and there was no stopping it. Why was that pony in Roseluck's house? Why was she in her basement? What the hay was going on?

Darting around a corner, Applejack slammed into Rarity, the two toppling backwards onto the floor.

"Applejack, what are you doing, charging around this house like it's one of your rodeos?" The Unicorn demanded, pushing herself up.

"Rarity, there's somepony in the house with us! They were in the basement, wearin' this creepy lookin' mask!" Applejack spouted, eyes wide with terror.

Rarity looked the way Applejack had come and trotted over, peering around the corner. "Well, whoever it was, they didn't follow you. Did you see anything else about them?"

"Yeah." Applejack shivered all over, recalling that masked face. "Their mane was a kinda yellowish color, though the lightin' was a little weird. I uh... I ran before I saw anythin' else."

Rarity looked back to Applejack and smiled. "Don't be embarrassed, darling. I think you did the right thing, running. I would've done the same, if I saw some strange pony climb out of a basement. I was just on my way to go and check on Rainbow. You heard her, yes?"

Applejack nodded. "Yeah... If I hadn't, I would'a gone into the basement..." Realizing how close she'd come to an even worse situation gave Applejack another boost of fear and adrenaline.

"Well, good thing you didn't..." Rarity leaned back around the corner. "Maybe Rainbow found something we can use to find the girls."

The two hurried up the steps, Applejack occasionally shooting looks over her shoulder. She felt like she was being watched now, like that mask was following her, watching her with those crossed out eyes.

Rainbow was standing outside of one of the rooms, the door wide open. She looked worried, but that had been her default expression for days now, so it was hard to tell if it was a new or old concern.

"What did you find, RD?" Applejack asked, trotting over to her friend.

"This." Rainbow motioned into the room. "Whatever it is..." Applejack blinked and looked into the room.

The windows were closed tight, letting only thin streams of light into the room. All over the room, every wall, the floor and the ceiling, were covered with strange drawings, notes scribbled in a manic, crazed hoof, spouting messages that made less than no sense. Applejack gaped, trotting into the room, looking at all the drawings and scribbled words.

"What... I don't..." She had no idea what to say. This gave her more questions than it did answers. Picking up one of the pages, Applejack examined it more closely.

It depicted a forest, a pony standing among the trees. All around were words, like "It's here" and "Tried to run." The picture wasn't finished though; the pony had no face. Applejack lowered that one, picking up another drawing. This one bore the same faceless pony, staring back at Applejack with an eyeless stare. Across it's face were the words "It's coming for us. It wants us back."

"Roseluck was nuts..." Rainbow's voice drew Applejack from the picture. The Pegasus was hovering off the ground, studying some pictures on the ceiling. "I mean, why doesn't this pony have a face? That's just weird."

Applejack looked back down at the drawing, staring at the unknown figure on the page. She picked up another, staring at it calmly. "Seems to me like we got a clue, girls."

Rainbow and Rarity moved to Applejack's side, reading the drawing. All at once, the three shared a moment of fear.

The drawing was of the Cutie Mark Crusaders walking into a forest. Scribbled into the white spaces were a flurry of words; "Their fault." "Westward." "It will find them." "It will take them."

"Westward? No wonder we didn't find them... The Everfree goes south." Rarity muttered, shaking her head.

"Way to state the obvious. Come on, we need to get looking over that way." Rainbow quickly put in, looking anxious to get going. The messages had all three of them spooked, but Rainbow looked the most concerned now.

"Now, don't go runnin' off like a foal, Rainbow. We need to find Roseluck and find out what's goin' on here." Applejack lowered the picture down, looking up to her flying friend. "I bet she knows somethin'."

"Yeah, well-"

A creak echoed through the room, cutting Rainbow Dash's reply short.

Three heads snapped to the door, still wide open. The sound had come from the hallway, just outside the door. Rarity cleared her throat quietly. "Applejack, darling... I think your friend might have found us."

"Friend? What are you two talking about?" Rainbow asked in a whisper, trying to put on a brave face.

Another creak silenced any more conversation. The three stood in absolute silence, staring at the door.

"H-Hello? Is anypony there?" The three friends relaxed, instantly recognizing the voice of Daisy. The pony walked into the door frame, freezing when she saw everpony in the room. "W-what are you all doing in here?"

Rarity stepped forward, smiling as kindly as she could. "We're very sorry, Daisy, but we heard that Roseluck was the last pony to see the Crusaders and we wanted to-"

"Get out." While Rarity had been talking, Daisy's eyes had focused on the drawing in Applejack's hoof. She looked up to the three ponies, who were all shocked by her sudden words. "I said get out. Now." She stepped aside, pointing down the hall with a hoof. "And don't tell anypony about this room. Understand?"

"Look Daisy, we aren't leaving until you give us something to help us find the girls!" Rainbow darted in front of the flower pony, staring at her sternly. Daisy met her stare, not withering. It was so unlike her that Rainbow was a surprised enough that she backed off herself.

"Get. Out." Daisy emphasized the words with a fresh point of her hoof. "And, if you've got any sense, you'll keep your mouths shut about this. Some things are best left forgotten."

The three ponies started down the hall, stopping to look over their shoulder at Daisy again. The mare was just staring into the room now, looking as if nothing else existed. They met nopony else until they were back out on the streets of Ponyville.

"Forget about it? Yeah right!" Rainbow threw her hooves up in frustration. "We didn't learn anything!"

"No, we know the girls are goin' west. They ain't in the Everfree like we thought. That's somethin'."

"Should we tell Twilight about this?" Rarity asked, frowning. "I know what Daisy said, but... If this has something to do with the disappearances, it could help Twilight find the other missing ponies." She looked over to her friends, looking conflicted. "What should we do?"

Applejack walked in silence, trying to keep a level head. Something was wrong with Daisy; she wasn't telling them everything, obviously. And that masked figure kept creeping into her mind. Applejack was missing something, something important, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. She ground her teeth, wishing she was as smart as Twilight. "I think it'd be a good idea to tell her. I ain't gonna be responsible for anythin' bad happenin' to another pony, even by keepin' information to myself."

"What do you think she meant about forgetting?" Rainbow asked, looking over to Applejack.

"I don't know, RD... But I'm aimin' to find out."