Madness and Chaos

Chapter 9

To Xedillian!... right?

Night crept over the trees and giant fungi of the Shivering Isles, the sun casting the last of day's golden rays as it sunk beneath the horizon of the mystical island while Twilight and her friends marched through the colorful forest. Twilight, with a determined stare, marched ahead with Rainbow Dash trotted by her side as the rest followed behind.

"And you're sure it was in this direction?" Twilight asked, not bothering to cast a glance toward Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, absolutely sure, a city toward the east just past this forest and a few hills," Rainbow confirmed, trotting beside Twilight since her wing was still bandaged up. It was mildly irritating since she couldn't fly, but it was better than it was earlier since she had Fluttershy redress it for her. She wasn't taking any chances having Rarity wrap her wounds like she did with Applejack. "It's really the only thing I could see of note before we saw Discord heading for you."

"Good, then we're on the right track."

"Ah hate ta' be that filly, Twi," Applejack began, pulling the last of Rarity's bows from her bandages. "But are you sure that there city is Xedillian?"

"Nope."

Applejack, Rainbow Dash and everyone else just gave Twilight a look as if they didn't hear her right. They all looked amongst each-other with confused glances before looking right back at Twilight.

"Uh, beg-yer-pardon?"

"No, I have no idea if the city in the distance is Xedillian," Twilight answered bluntly, producing the same reaction from her friends again.

"Then why in Celestia's name are we going there if you don't think that it's Xedillian? Why are we wasting our time going somewhere that isn't where we're supposed to go?" Rainbow Dash asked with an incredulous tone.

"One: I didn't say it wasn't Xedillian, I said I wasn't sure if it was or wasn't," Twilight explained, stopping to face Rainbow and everyone else. "Two: Since it's a city, what do you think it'll have?"

"Um... a restaurant?" Rainbow pondered.

"An Inn?" Rarity followed. "It'd certainly be better than roughing it out in the wilderness."

"A store?" Applejack inquired, going along with everyone else.

"Ooo! Oooo! Ooooo! A parade or a big Par-Tay with cake and streamers and cheese?" Pinkie enthusiastically added whilst doing a jig.

"People?" Fluttershy added quietly as the rest watched Pinkie's antics.

"Bingo," Twilight confirmed. "Cities have people, and it is very likely if that city doesn't happen to be Xedillian, then somepony there will know what or where it is, which will save us a lot of time finding it ourselves."

The others let out a collective "ah", understanding Twilight's plan, however, Pinkie looked not quite as sure as everyone else. "Wait a minute, girls, what if that city is full of "those" things."

"What things, darling?" Rarity asked, Pinkie's sudden twist from cheer to worry also worrying her.

"You know, the big, white, growling guys with the swords that tried to kill me?!" Pinkie exploded, bouncing into the middle of the group. "What if we get there and the city is full of those meanies and they surround us and they *GRACK* us!?" she theorized as she drew a line across her neck, flopped on to her back with a daisy held to her chest. With Pinkie's grim display, the group all became worried, especially Fluttershy who dashed behind a tree to hide.

"Ah think she raises a fair point, Twi. From what you told me and Rainbow, those fellers didn't seem too keen on makin' friends, at least not in anyway tha' makes sense ta me." Applejack agreed.

"But it's the only lead we've got. What other choice do we have?" Twilight stated, her face wrought with worry and despair. "Where else could my horn be?"

"I'm sorry to say, darling, but I must agree with Applejack and Pinkie Pie," Rarity chimed in. "The risk is far too great for us to consider even going there."

"What if Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy fly above and check out the town, see if it's safe?" Twilight desperately pleaded. "Surely that would work."

"As much as I'd be on board with that plan, Twilight, I can't because my wing is still messed up," she pointed out, giving her wing a flex, eliciting a wince from the pain. "And without me up there with her, Fluttershy wouldn't even be able to lift off."

"Speakin' of, where is she?"

"The poor dear ran into the bushes after Pinkie Pie's ghastly performance," Rarity answered, casting a glance at Pinkie who gave a nervous shrug.

"Sorry, I'll go get her," Pinkie volunteered as she trotted over to the tree where Fluttershy had hid. "Come on out Fluttershy. I'm sorry I scared you. Don't worry, it's only a thought... Fluttershy?" Pinkie continued to search for Fluttershy where she thought she had fled. "Fluttershy, come on out. Now I'm getting scared. Fluttershy, Fluttershy, FLUTTERSHY!!!"

As Pinkie continued to fruitlessly search for her timid friend, the rest became incredibly worried and rushed over to look for her too. They called out to her and searched every shrub, mushroom and rock in the area but turned up nothing.

"Oh dear, where ever could she have gone?" Rarity worried, probing bushes with a stick to find her lost friend.

"She wouldn't go far, the only thing she'd be more frightened of than bein' in this here place would be bein' here alone," Applejack stated, turning over various rocks and shrubs.

"Then what could have happened to her?" Rainbow Dash asked as she tried to climb up a tree with her hooves. "Oh, poor Flutters, where are you?"

"Girls, I think I know where she went," Twilight called out. They all galloped over to Twilight, standing next to a series of tracks and drag marks in the dirt. "I think... I think something took her

"Oh dear! How did this happen. This really is the, Worst, Possible, THING!" Rarity cried out, after which she began to hyperventilate. Pinkie quickly dashed over to her side and tried to calm her down.

"Well what're we waitin' for? Lets follow these tracks and find 'er! Ain't nothin' takin' mah friends and gettin' away with it!" Applejack snorted as she galloped off after the tracks.

"Right behind you, AJ!" Rainbow Dash, cried as she follow suit.

"Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Stop!" Twilight cried after them, however before she could give chase she felt something slam into the back of her head. As she toppled to the ground, she could see the same had befallen Pinkie and Rarity, with three frog-like creatures standing next to them, all before she lost consciousness.

"Come on Rainbow, keep up! Ah know yer wings ain't workin' right but those legs should be fine!" Applejack called back, still following the track that Fluttershy and her captures.

"Hey, I'm keeping up just fine!" Rainbow Dash called back with indignation. "Just keep following those tracks, we've got to find Fluttershy! We need her!"

"Ah am, it's just getting hard. I need more light!" Applejack said, squinting her eyes trying to follow the tracks.

"Hold on, let's have Rarity shine some li...," Rainbow Dash stopped as she looked back she noticed that Rarity, nor anyone else was following them. "AJ, hold it!"

"What? What is it?"

"Where is everyone? they should be behind us."

"Ah horse-feathers, we must've been goin' too fast fer 'em and they lost us. We have to go back," Applejack stomped as she retraced her steps.

"Wait! What about Fluttershy? What if we lose her?"

"Ah know but what if we lose Twi and the others too? Look, we can't get too separated. We need to go back and get to the others first and make sure we stick together. Maybe Twilight and Rarity can put together a spell to find Fluttershy and we'll be able to find her, lickity-split," Applejack stated, giving Rainbow the straightest face she could to mask her mounting worry and fear.

"Yeah, but...," Rainbow began, her eyes tearing up. "What if we don't find Fluttershy in time?"

Applejack couldn't hold her poise together anymore, seeing someone as tough as Rainbow start to break down like that. "Look, sugar cube, ah know you and Fluttershy have been friends longer than any of us have, but right now our other friends need us too. We need to stick together and hold it together, for them, for Fluttershy and for us. Got it?"

"Yeah... *sniff*, I got it," Rainbow looked to Applejack and then back to where they came. "Come on, lets find the others before night time comes," Rainbow said, but as she turned to look at Applejack she saw something behind her ready to strike. "AJ! Look out!" She cried too late as the creature brought its weapon down upon the farm pony's head, knocking her out cold.

As Rainbow Dash was about to jump and pummel the the creature that had clocked her friend, she too felt something bash against the back of her skull, everything going black.

Twilight began to regain consciousness, her head feeling like it did when Derpy dropped all of that furniture on her while she was spying in Pinkie. As she opened her eyes, the world coming into focus again, she saw that she laying upon the ground in a dimly lit room.

"Wha? What... what happened, where...," Twilight murmured as she tried to remember what happened before she awoke. She quickly regained focus as she looked around and saw all her friends, including Fluttershy, where all asleep around her. As relief began to rise in her chest, a feeling of dread began to smother it. Once she finally regained all of her sense, she realized she and all of her friends where locked away in cages. Not only that but where she was now was completely different from where she was before.

Panic began to over take over as she looked frantically around the room. She saw a table with various items upon it, some looking to be knives and other nefarious objects that could bring about great pain. She was now hyperventilating, she retreated to the back corner of her cage and curled up, silently muttering to herself, her rambling turning to sobs.