Return of the Lord

"Twilight, I'm back! ...Twilight...?"

Spike's voice echoed around the empty library, but no reply came. He looked around the ground floor, the kitchen, the main drawing room, yet he could find no sign of Twilight anywhere. Worried, he climbed the stairs as fast as he could, but this was rather difficult considering his short legs. He clambered over the top step, and took a moment to regain his breath.

"Twilight? Twilight are you there?"

Spike called out again but once more nopony replied to him. Hurriedly, he ran up to the door to his and Twilight's bedroom, but the room was empty. Spike began to grow scared, for Twilight had said she wasn't going anywhere today, so she of course should have been in when he returned from his day helping Rarity, but looking around the truth was proved to be otherwise.

Maybe Twilight's friends know where she is?

With no better ideas occurring to him on how to best find his friend, Spike rushed to the door of the library and opened it, preparing to venture out, but once he reached the door he could she it was already getting very dark out.

"Twilight's a capable pony... I'm sure she can look after herself! ...Can't she?"

Spike was still worried, unconvinced by his words, but he knew searching for Twilight in this darkness was pointless. Besides, he was exhausted. Despite his anxiety, Spike closed the door and turned around, slowly walking back across the room and climbing the stairs to the bedroom. Although nervous fear gnawed at the edge of his senses, he climbed into his basket, and within moments, sleep had grasped him.

"But she might be in danger! And if we rescue her I could throw a "Happy being rescued" party!"

Pinkie's voice rang out across the Library's floor, for it was far louder than the voices of the four other ponies and the baby dragon which now stood around her.

"Calm down sugarcube, Ah was jus' sayin' we don't know where in tarnation Twilight has got to! We can't all search together, we would never cover enough ground!"

At Applejack's words, Pinkie appeared to enter deep thought, holding her chin, smoking her pipe and gently stroking a beard. However confused, the others just simply sat in silence, a little shocked and incredibly worried about their friend's sudden disappearance.

"But why would she leave? She promised to have a tea party with me and my critters today..."

Fluttershy was staring at her hooves, slowly staring her tea as she tried to explain her friend's abandoning of her tiny tea party.

"Don't worry sugarcube, Ah'm sure she had a good reason to leave, she wouldn't jus' leave you like that."

Whist Applejack was comforting Fluttershy, Spike finally decided to speak up, and for the first time since he had told them of Twilight's disappearance in the morning, after getting up early and gathering up all of Twilight's friends.

"I think the search party is a great idea, I mean she can't have gone far, right?"

Everypony nodded in slow agreement, for if one thought was shared it was the idea of action, they could not just leave their friend.

"Oh! Oh! I know!" Everyone turned to Pinkie, confused at her sudden outburst, and with everyone's attention she continued, "Why don't we all split up and search? I mean if we each do something different to help, Twilight will be found in no time!"

A wave of approval swept the room, and everypony rose to their feet in order to help their friend.

"I'll fly over Ponyville a couple times and the surrounding area, see if I can see anything," with those words, Rainbow Dash took off through a window into the sky.

"And I'll go up search ma' orchards and the area 'round Sweet Apple Acres," said Applejack, picking up her hat and moving towards the door.

"I'll go check the Everfree Forest,"

"And I'll get Sweetiebelle to help me make some posters to put up around town!"

Fluttershy and Rarity finished their tea and followed Applejack out the door, leaving Spike and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie got up and made to leave too, but Spike quickly called out to her.

"Pinkie, do you think we will find Twilight?"

"Of course we will silly! She'll be back in no time!" Pinkie's reply, however cheerful, only managed to cheer up Spike slightly, and as the pink mare left Spike felt himself feeling hollow and unconvinced.

"Oh Pinkie, I hope she does, I hope she does."

Fluttershy stared down the path leading into the Everfree forest, and instantly she felt indescribable terror, and the urge to flee back to her cottage. She had been in the forest a few times before to help her animal friends, but now that she was having to go in there alone, and possibly far into its unwelcoming branches, suddenly made her realise just how frightening the forest was.

The darkness seemed almost like a seething mass of fear itself, radiating out of the trees and emitting a palpable sense of unease. The trees themselves even looked terrifying, their branches stretching out over the path like the crooked claws of some unnamed monstrosity, preying on whatever unfortunate animal may dare to cross under it's canopy, a canopy of rotten foliage that was so thick not even Celestia's sun could pierce it's malevolent depths.

Yes, Fluttershy thought, it was very scary indeed.

At that moment, however, she remembered why she was having to venture into the forest, and that reason was that a good friend of hers could be lost and all alone in that same darkness she was afraid to enter now. Twilight needed her help, and Fluttershy knew she could not just leave her to her fate.

"Okay Twilight, I'm going to come rescue you... I mean, if that's okay with you... Eep!" Fluttershy recoiled in terror as she thought she saw a Timberwolf leap out of the bushes towards her, but she soon realised it was only a rabbit.

"Okay, second time lucky!" And with that, Fluttershy shut her eyes and charged into the forest. She could feel the harsh gravel of the path beneath her, so she continued galloping through the forest, her head towards the ground, until she had made in a sufficient distance that she would not bolt straight back out again from fear.

At last she made it into a clearing, and looking around, saw a multitude of paths throughout the trees. She had no idea which one Twilight could be down, and she now had no idea of the one she had just came out of, for she had had her eyes shut.

"Oh Twilight, where are you?" Although she only said this quietly, it was loud enough, and suddenly a fearsome roar sounded from behind her. Not wanting to waste any more time, and blind with fear, she chose a random path and bolted down it at full gallop.

Fluttershy kept running and refused to stop, even though her hooves were beginning to become sore. Suddenly she saw a few rays of sunlight peeking through some of the foliage ahead, so she galloped toward it...

...and emerged outside the forest where she had entered just a few minutes before.

Fluttershy sighed, but she was too scared to re-enter the forest, so she trotted over to her house and called for her critters.

One by one, several different kinds of animals appeared, from squirrels to rabbits to birds and indeed even mice, a vast multitude whom had burrows from across the forest, both near, and far.

"Now, um, hello critters, I was just wondering whether any of you had seen Twilight Sparkle anywhere recently?" Fluttershy asked this in a kind voice, but the animals just looked at each other, and then sadly shook their heads.

"Oh, well, um, ok... Well could you please look out for her?" Fluttershy asked hopefully, and to her enjoyment and delight, the animals all nodded and agreed with her request. Soon after, they scampered into the forest leaving Fluttershy alone once more.

Fluttershy was about to turn and enter her cottage, when a thought occurred to her regarding some earlier suspicions.

I wonder where Midnight Feather is? He sure did seem suspicious. I'll go ask Applejack.

And so Fluttershy decided to make her way to Sweet Apple Acres, although she had also decided that she would go via Ponyville first to see if the others had made any progress with the search.

Applejack emerged from the thick grove of apple trees, a worried look plastered upon her face. Her eyes were fixed upon the floor, and she stamped a hoof in frustration. Looking up, and casting her gaze down the path towards Ponyville, she caught sight of a yellow pegasus with pink hair gently trotting down the dirt path towards her orchard.

I wonder if Fluttershy has managed to have any luck searching for Twilight yet?

With that thought, Applejack's spirits were raised slightly, so she cantered up the path to meet her.

"Oh, hi Applejack," Fluttershy spoke as she saw Applejack approaching, although she seemed a little startled as if she had been deep in thought, "Have you had any luck finding Twilight?"

"Um, no, ah guess you haven't either then?" Asked Applejack, already becoming a little depressed at the oncoming news.

"No, I haven't, although I went into Ponyville just now and it looks like Pinkie has talked to Mayor Mare and organised search parties and coordinated the whole town, so hopefully she should be found soon." Fluttershy offered a reassuring smile, but it did little to cheer up Applejack. They started walking back towards the orchard.

"Have you seen Midnight Feather around anywhere?" Applejack was a little taken aback by Fluttershy's question, not really expecting it at all.

"Um, no don't think ah have, ah'll tell you if ah do see him though."

"I would say I have, but it is not often one is found to be caught up in self admiration."

The new voice came seemingly from nowhere, and both Applejack and Fluttershy leaped off the ground in shock. When they had landed back on the path again, they were holding on to each other with their forehooves, shaking slightly.

Looking around, however, they saw a large white pegasus standing to the left of the path by the treeline, eyebrow raised in slight confusion.

"O-o-oh, Midnight F-Feather, we d-didn't hear you there," Fluttershy stammered, a little frightened by the Pegasus's seemingly instant appearance out of nowhere, for he had indeed not made a sound.

"Um, say, you haven't seen Twilight anywhere today, have you?" Applejack asked the pegasus as she detached herself from her yellow companion.

"I can't say I have. Why, did you wish to speak with her?" Midnight Feather queried, keeping a deadpan expression and a flat tone.

"Um, no she's gone missing. Could you maybe keep an eye out for her?"

"Most Certainly." With that, he turned and slowly made his way to Sweet Apple Acres, leaving the two friends behind.

Fluttershy seemed to be a little troubled, but shrugging it off she turned to Applejack, "I've got an idea," she began to ask, "why don't head on into town and see if Pinkie needs any help?"

Confident that Twilight was nowhere to be found on her farm, Applejack simply nodded, and so they began their journey back to the library.

The sun was low in the sky by the time Applejack and Fluttershy made it back to the library, and was already beginning to slowly drop below the horizon. Waiting inside the library, however, was a rather unexpected surprise.

Applejack slowly moved up to the door and pushed it open with her hoof, but as she walked inside she saw nothing other than both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, standing in the crowded library and talking to the remainder of the friends, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

Applejack and Fluttershy made their way inside the library, although Fluttershy looked a little intimidated, especially by Luna.

"Applejack, Fluttershy, please come in and sit with us," said Princess Celestia calmly, and Applejack and Fluttershy dipped their heads in respect, Applejack taking off her hat.

"WE ARE MOST PLEASED BY YOUR PRESENCE" Luna's voice shook the very foundations of the library, and Fluttershy collapsed in fright. Celestia gave her sister a sharp glance, and Luna smiled apologetically.

"WE MEAN... UM, I mean that I am very glad that you are now all here." Luna said this, and it was a fair few thousand decibels quieter this time.

The orange earth pony and the yellow pegasus then joined their other friends at the table, and the meeting began.

"So Pinkie Pie, tell me why you requested that we come meet you this night," Celestia asked, puzzled as to the urgent letter that she had received earlier in the day, "and where is Twilight Sparkle?"

Pinkie shuffled uncomfortably on her hooves, but spoke up anyway, "Well you see princess, Twilight is kinda," she hesitated for a slight moment, "gone."

"WHAT?" Luna bolted upright, her voice shattering the few windows in the library and blasting the five ponies back against the furthest wall, "EXPLAIN THYSELF!"

Celestia merely sat in potent silence, and once the ponies had managed to recover a small fraction of their former, now seemingly glorious, hearing, she spoke up softly, "What do you mean, "Gone?""

Pinkie adjusted her ears with her hooves, before continuing. "Well you see," she began, "Spike came back to the library last night and she had just gone missing. She had left, and nopony has seen her since!"

Celestia Seemed to wipe her eyes a little, before straightening her face and standing back upright. Luna's original anger seemed to have dissipated, and now she turned to her sister, eager for her next words.

"I see," the white alicorn began, the emotion easily discernible in her voice, "I trust you have already began searching for her here, and will continue to do so with the upmost of your ability. Me and Luna shall travel back to Canterlot, for there are important matters for us to attend to, but do not fear, I will work through both the night and the day until I find of a way with which we can find Twilight."

The five ponies each said their farewells, and the two sisters exited the library before taking wing back to the palace. The friends looked at each other and sighed, and collectively they must have all been thinking the very same thought.

Where are you Twilight?