The PAYN

A dome. All the way around Ponyville. It encased the village along with a span of land all the way down to Sweet Apple Acres. The center appeared to be just over the Everfree Forest, though nopony thought to investigate for themselves. Then there was the fact that it was completely invisible until you got right up in front of it.

Of course, this is something that the children may have come to understand and accept, had not one of their ranks simply blipped from existence.

"Where is Dinky?"

"Where did the dome come from?"

"Where are our parents?"

The schoolhouse was now packed. What was meant for a score of ponies at a time was absolutely filled, with foals spilling out the front door. They shouted and pounded their hooves, demanding answers from the guardian that wasn't there.

"Everypony, shut up!" Scootaloo shouted over the mob. The terrified clamor quelled into a soft muttering. All eyes, all fearful eyes, were on Scootaloo. "Okay. Uh... first thing's first: this looks pretty bad."

"No duh!" A boy snarked.

"But we just have to keep calm. Everypony who went missing is going to realize what happened, and they're gonna bust us out."

"How do you know that?" Another child asked.

"Because, I just do," Scootaloo affirmed. "Don't forget: the Elements of Harmony, the Princess of Friendship, and the freaking God of Chaos were all in Ponyville when this happened. They know where we are."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle smiled proudly at Scootaloo's lead. The children seemed slightly assured, now.

"That doesn't explain what happened to Dinky Doo." Silver Spoon pointed out. At this, worried expressions returned to many faces.

"That..." Scootaloo sighed, rubbing her temple. "I don't know. She poofed about an hour after everypony else did. Maybe that has some significance."

"It was her Birthday..." Sweetie Belle murmured morosely.

Scootaloo tapped a hoof on Miss Cheerilee's desk. "Look, I'm scared for Dinky, just like all of you. But we can't worry about her right now. We have to assume she's with everypony that poofed; in that case, she's safe. We need to focus on whether or not more ponies are going to poof. Until that happens, just... go home."

"And do what?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Whatever you want to do."

A few boys exchanged looks, then bumped hooves. One young filly blubbered out. "B-but, my mommy and daddy are gone."

"I know. We'll just have to make do without them."

~~~

"That was a nice job up there, Scoots!" Apple Bloom grinned.

"Yeah, you're a natural leader!" Sweetie Belle agreed.

Scootaloo smiled gratefully. "Thanks guys. Honestly, I think I was ready to run with those guys right off a cliff, I'm so scared!"

The girls laughed at this, perhaps a little too much. As they shared a giggle, a pink Pegasus filly drifted slowly down to meet them.

"Hey. I followed the wall as far as I could, like you asked me. Both ends meet on the other side of the Everfree Forest."

"Did you go through it?" Scootaloo asked. She shook her head, her face reddening in embarrassment. "It's okay. Thank you, Strawberry."

The filly nodded in acknowledgement, then softly flattered back towards Ponyville.

"So, what next, Crusaders?" Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo sighed.

"I guess find out what happened. And why kids are the only ones here. Do either of you know how to conduct an investigation?"

Apple Bloom thought quietly. "Huh... well, let's think about this for a minute. Big dome, wide open land, nopony but kids... What if this is a scientific experiment?"

"What?" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo echoed each other.

"An experiment. Maybe, some big fancy stallion decided he wanted to know how kids would survive on their own. Take the adults out of a suitable town, and bam! Perfect population sample."

"... I think you spent way too much time with Zecora." Scootaloo shook her head. "Rainbow Dash would never allow that."

"Well, I'm just spitballin' here." Apple Bloom huffed.

"It's a good theory, Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle patted her back.

Apple Bloom smiled at this, but she jumped when a loud crash filled the air.

"Geez, what in the hay?"

The Crusaders galloped over to investigate yet again a mysterious sound. The crash, they discovered, came from a building in inner Ponyville. A trio of colts were standing outside, laughing in glee as they hurled loose trash at it while another looked on in despair.

"Hey!" Scootaloo whipped one of the boys around to face her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Whatever I want to." He smirked. Scootaloo gaped in disbelief. The fourth colt, an orange Earth Pony, ducked as a discarded bottle was thrown through the window, shattering it further.

"Please, don't vandalize the dance studio!" He pleaded.

"Or what?" A Unicorn colt sneered. "Are you gonna tell on us?"

"Or I'm gonna bash your face in!" Apple Bloom steamed. She charged to do just that, but Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had the foresight to wrap their hooves around her midsection. The boys backed away, but weren't quite shaken.

"Oh yeah, hayseed? You're not my mom."

"Dang straight! So I don't have to feel bad about beating your rump red!" The colt gave an amused glance at his backside. "...Redder."

"Whatever," He nodded at his cohorts. "Come on, guys." With that, they bolted, turning a corner and disappearing Celestia-knows-where.

"Yeah, you better run!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

Apple Bloom shrugged free from her friends' hold, then trotted over to the pouting colt. "You okay, Double T?"

Tender Taps nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Apple Bloom sat down next to him. "You don't look it."

Tender Taps sighed. "I don't know. I just... I don't know why those guys did this."

"They're jerks," Apple Bloom said simply. "They think they can take advantage of this for as long as they can and not face the music." She scoffed.

"...Yeah."

Apple Bloom scratched her mane awkwardly. "So, you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," Tender Taps smiled at last. "Thanks. I... I think I should clean this up. You can go back to what you were doing with your friends."

"Okay," Apple Bloom rose to her hooves. "I'll see you later?"

Tender Taps nodded. "Yeah. Definitely."

Apple Bloom waved, then turned around. She came to a stop when she found her friends giving her the googly eyes.

"You two are just so cute!" Sweetie Belle whispered.

Apple Bloom felt the blood rushing to her face. "Yeah, yeah."

"You know, speaking of taking advantage of the situation," Scootaloo wiggled her eyebrows. "There's nopony really stopping you from, say, going on a date with Tender Taps."

"Oh for-- shut up."

~~~

Tender Taps carefully picked up the broken bottle with his teeth. He groaned in exasperation when it began to drip.

Wine. Just my luck.

He tossed the bottle into the trash can, then made his way to the closet where the broom was stored. He retrieved it, then turned back to the shattered glass spilled across the floor. Suddenly, he felt his hoof slide out from underneath him.

Tender Taps yelped as he slipped into the air. He realized with terror that he was directly over the spread of shards. He screamed as he came down with a thud. He shook, hooves masking his face. Curiously, he felt nothing.

Slowly, he rolled up and peeked at his coat. Not a scratch. He should be shredded! Tender Taps scuttled to his hooves, panting. What had saved him? He had fallen on a floor littered with sharp bits of glass, and he felt like he had just flopped on a bouncy castle.

Tender Taps raised a hoof. He stared at it in close consideration. His eyes then landed on a particularly nasty shard. It was long, jagged, and screamed for Celestia's sake, don't step on me!

Tender Taps stared at it for a long time. Then he shut his eyes. With a yell, he brought his hoof down. It made a cracking sound when it hit. After a period of silence, he cracked one eye open to look.

His hoof was still intact, not the remotest sign of a paper cut. The glass, however, was reduced to powder underneath.

"...Interesting."