Freedom is a Rarity

Rainbow yawned as she pulled the van into a motel parking lot,"Well, I say we're hot on his trail, but the sun is going down, I think we should stop here for the night."

"What?! It's barely sundown! We can still get a couple more hours of driving in!" Applejack pleaded, making the others groan.

"AJ, we are getting close to her, I can feel it, but we have to have enough energy to actually do anything!" Sunset exclaimed, and Applejack sighed.

"Alright..."

The girls had all piled into one hotel room. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash took one bed, Twilight and Sunset took the other, and AJ and Pinkie shared the couch-bed. Everyone had quickly passed out, except for Pinkie, who was currently going through a sugar rush from eating sugar cookies she had stored in her hair, and AJ, who was too scared to do anything,"You should stop worrying so much Jackie, it's all gonna be fine! Oh! I found another cookie!" Pinkie exclaimed as she pulled her tenth sugar cookie from her hair.

"Pinkie shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" Rainbow groaned from her place on the bed next to Fluttershy, who snickered at her girlfriend's complaints.

"I guess..." AJ sighed as she laid her head on her pillow and stared at the ceiling until Pinkie rambling put her to sleep.

The next morning, AJ had everyone out of bed at six am sharp, and after breakfast, they were all in the car and on the road,"I really hope we find her soon..." Twilight muttered to Sunset, who nodded sleepily.

"Hey isn't that the same car Cherrilee described!?" Pinkie exclaimed, pointing to a blue Toyota.

"It is! Follow that car Rainbow Dash!" Applejack commanded, earning a nod from her friend, who smirked as she stepped on the gas, and followed the car down the highway.

After half an hour of following the car, it finally stopped at a gas station. Rainbow pulled in as well on the opposite side of the parking lot,"Okay gang, let's go!" Rainbow said, and everyone got out of the car and snuck up to the door. Rainbow gasped,"I see him! Twi, Sunset, call the police! We can't let him leave!" Nodding, Sunset and Twilight raced back to the car to grab one of their cell phones.

"I guess some of us should stay out here to make sure he doesn't leave, and the rest go in there to watch him!" Pinkie thought out loud, and Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Duh!" She exclaimed, grabbing Fluttershy's wrist,"We will go inside, you guys stay here."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie exclaimed as both she and AJ stayed outside while the couple snuck inside to spy on Trenderhoof.

Meanwhile, Trenderhoof had known they were there and following him, and was prepared to get his next victim alone. Walking down an aisle, he stopped in front of a random shelf, which contained an assortment of snack foods. He pulled out his phone and sent out a quick text.

Distract the rainbow-girl and her girlfriend.

"What is he doing?" Rainbow asked in a whisper, looking back and forth from Fluttershy to their target.

"I don't know, but it can't be good..." Fluttershy replied, clinging to Rainbow's arm.

"Excuse me girls, but may I speak with you for a moment?" a voice from behind them said. They turned around to see Flash Sentry.

"What is it Flash? We're kinda busy!" Rainbow groaned, and while they were distracted, Trend snuck off toward the exit.

"I hope the cops get here before he tries to leave," Pinkie said as she paced in a circle near the exit, while Applejack leaned against the wall.

"And I wish you would pay attention!" Applejack replied, rolling her eyes.

"I am! I'm just not gonna stand still- hey where's Twi and Sunny? Shouldn't they be back over here by now?" Pinkie wondered.

"Well, why don't ya go find out?!" Applejack snapped, her agitation reaching its height.

"Okie dokie!" Pinkie skipped off across the parking lot to their car.

"Well, that made things much easier," Applejack gasped at the voice, and turned her head to see Trenderhood standing in front of her,"I was just gonna push a balloon past her, but you got rid of her for me,"

"Why do you care if she's-" Applejack was cut off as he grabbed her wrist and pulled him against her, then covered her mouth with his hand.

"Silly girl...it's you I've been after all along," Trenderhoof laughed and lifted the helpless teen into her arms, despite her protests, and shoved her into his car.

"God! I thought he would never leave us alone, now back to-"

"DASHIE!" Pinkie yelled as she rushed into the store, a worried Sunset and Twilight following suit.

"What?" Rainbow replied in confusion.

"Applejack! She's, she's gone! All we found was this!" Pinkie held up their friend's hat, which had been found in the parking lot.

"You don't suppose that Flash was distracting us on purpose do you?" Fluttershy asked, making Rainbow Dash groan and roll her eyes.

"Of course he was!" Growling, Rainbow raced out of the store and grabbed Flash's wrist before he could get into his car,"We need to talk Flash! Tell us where he is taking Applejack, and you won't go to jail!" Gulping, Flash bit his lip, before breaking down.

"Look, he paid me to do this, I didn't want to, but he threatened me, and all he said was he was planning on killing Rarity tomorrow morning then taking Applejack out of the country and forcing her into marrying him. He is taking her to the cabin he's been keeping Rarity in now. If you want to get there before he kills Rarity you better hurry."

Nodding, the girls thanked him for the information and took off to their car and jumping back on the highway.