During the War: A Secret Mission

The rest of the meeting seemed a blur. AppleJack. Gone? This was her constant thought. She remained in a daze until the door opened and Twilight heard Merrifeather's voice

“ ...those capabilities. I would think the best place for an installation like that on the southern coast would be the near CherryGlen. The rock formations there would give excellent protection as well as camouflage” The meeting that was happening had long since ended and there were only Merrifeather and the pony she was speaking too remaining. She turned away from the aged grey colt besides her “Twilight you're back” she said before resuming speaking “Thank you for the consideration, Sir Wingston”

Merri went briskly to Twilight. Merri's eyes widened and concern took her face. “Are you all right?” she asked “You look terrible”

Twilight forcefully shook her head to regain all her capacities. “I'm fine, just some bad news, I can't talk about it.” Twilight gazed about randomly “How long was I in there?”

“Two hours or so” Merri answered as Celestia went and stood besides her ”I made myself useful though. What are we doing now, Twilight?”

“We need to get the best ponies I know together to...”

“Ahem.” Celestia said “Merrifeather, I have asked a great deal of Twilight today. Would you be so kind as to go and find her a taxi?”

“Oh, yes Your Highness” Merri replied and trotted off

Celestia waited until Merri was safely away before she began again ”Twilight, Merrifeather is a good friend I can see but we can not endanger her if she knew what was happening.” Celestia paused as she saw Twilight's physical response to these words, Twilight tensed as her face became shallow and sullen, she had understood and the Princess knew there was nothing else to say on the subject.

“Twilight? If your plan is to get them all together again, Who will you find first?”

“Well, The easiest to find would be Rainbow Dash. She is the Head Wonderbolt so you will know where she is and Rainbow might even know where some of the others are.”

“Twilight. Rainbow Dash quit the Wonderbolts some time ago.”

In the parked taxi the rays of morning began to settle on Twilight's head resting in her hooves against the window. Her thoughts were uncontrollable and went where they pleased regardless of her efforts to guide them. Applejack dead, Rainbow quitting her dream, and her friends nowhere to be found.

“Where too?”

Twilight thought and said ”Wherever you can find somepony you are looking for.”

“Well lady, I am not sure I could do all that. What you need is one of them Private Eyes, I'll take you to the best one I know” the driver said and chuckled ”You know, usually I take ponies when they don't want to be found, not the other way round.”

The car stopped close to a dilapidated brick tenement house or that was the closest description Twilight and Merri could decide on. One of the brass mailboxes read Daring Detectives and on the third floor the found it. A half glass and half wood door with black lettering outlined in gold, as they entered a shout rang out at them “You! What are you doing here!?”