Author's Note

This take's place at the same time and a bit after "Filling A-gap-i(n) The story"

Meanwhile at the Castle of friendship

"Oh, for the love of Celestia, are they still going at it in there?!" Rarity said, the echo’s of the bed creaking getting louder.

Pinkie Pie, perks ups and speaks, "Yeah, they're still going at it! And from the sound of it, they're having sooo much fun! I wonder what they’re doing in there?"

Rarity groans at pinkie, "Pinkie, please, I don't want to think about it right now. I'm still worried about my sister outside, and those two aren't helping matters."

But pinkie pie continued, "Aww, come on! It’s not all bad, Rarity! At least Rainbow Dash and Applejack are really happy right now. They're probably having the best time of their lives in there! And when they leave, they’ll be all happy and relaxed and giddy!"

At this point, it would be better out there then in here rarity thinks to herself, "You know what, I think I need to get some fresh air. Being in this room, listening to what’s going on in there, is starting to get unbearable."

Pinkie Jumps up, "Oh, can I come with?! I'm bored out of my mind just sitting here!"

Rarity hesitates at first, but soon agrees to it, “Alright, Pinkie, you can come, but remember, we're trying to avoid any encounters with that Alicorn. And I'm not sure what seeing a bunch of ponies all loved up on each other will do to you.”

Pinkie chuckles "Don’t worry, Rarity! I’ll be fine! And if this Alicorn happens to hit me with one of their arrows, then I’ll be more than happy to start lovin’ on everypony I see!"

Rarity shakes her head. "That's exactly what I'm worried about… but just stay close to me, alright?"

Pinkie Pie skips around Rarity faster than a beam of light, "You got it, Rarity! Don’t worry, I’ll stick by you like glue! This'll be soooooo much fun!"

As Rarity and Pinkie step outside, they are immediately met with the sight of several ponies around them, openly showing off their affections for each other. Couples holding hooves, cuddling, and kissing each other, not a care in the world.

Rarity’s eyes widen, appalled by this "By Celestia... I knew it was bad, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad... this is just... I don’t even know what to say. I just hope Sweetie belle isn't caught up in this!"

Pinkie, on the other hoof, was very amused and excited by all the couples, looking like she's practically about to explode. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, this is soooooo AWESOME!!! Look at all these lovey-dovey ponies! It's like a big, massive love festival out here!"

Rarity glances at pinkie, "Don’t get too carried away, Pinkie. We’re here to avoid any romantic shenanigans, remember? And we need to be on the lookout for my sister."

"Are you kidding me?” Pinkie replied, “This is awesome!!! Just look at how happy and in love they are! They're like the ultimate example of true love and passion! I want what they have!"

At that moment, an arrow was heading towards Pinkie.

"Pinkie! Look out!" Rarity yells as she grabs Pinkie and pulls her out of the way, just in time to avoid being hit by the arrow.

"Whoa! What the-where did that come from?! And how did you see it before I did?" Pinkie asked.

Rarity sighed, "I saw it just in time and reacted. But that doesn't matter now, we need to get out of here before that Alicorn shoots another one of their arrows!"

Disappointed, Pinkie looks down, "Aw man... I didn't get hit. I was totally hoping the arrow would hit me so I could start lovin' on everypony I see!"

Rarity rolled her eyes, "Pinkie, you do realize that being hit by one of those arrows is not a good thing, right? Those things are dangerous. You could lose control of yourself and start acting in ways you normally wouldn't. You could lose your free will and become nothing more than a mindless puppet to the Alicorn's spell."

Pinkie, unfazed, continues. “I know, I know, but it still sounds like sooooo much fun! Imagine all the cuddling and kissing you could do if you were hit by one of those arrows!”

"Think about how happy your life will become once you get hit and live with your soulmate!" Agapi Interrupts.

Pinkie’s eyes light up, "Ooh, that does sound pretty amazing. Being hit by one of those arrows would be pretty great if it meant living happily ever after with my true love!"

Rarity rolled her eyes and yelled out, "Pinkie, you’re being ridiculous. You can’t just go around getting yourself hit by love arrows in the hopes of finding your true love. It’s dangerous, and it’s not guaranteed to work out the way you think it will. You need to snap out of it!"

Agapi reinforced pinkie pie, “Oh, don't worry, these arrows are 200% guaranteed to make you happy with your soulmate!!! all you need to do is be shot, and let my arrow home in on your soulmate!”

Pinkie steps closer to Agapi, "Yes, please! Hit me with one of your arrows! I want to find my true love and be happy forever!"

"Alright!" Agapi said aiming their bow.

Pinkie stands up straight waiting to be hit, Rarity attempts to stop her "Pinkie, no! This is insane! You don't know what you're doing!"

However, she was too late as Agapi lets go of the arrow, shooting it, the arrow shoots through the air and connects with Pinkie, hitting her directly. Agapi Shoots another arrow that flies off.

"Pinkie, what have you done...!" Rarity Yelled out.

A few moments pass, and suddenly, starts walking in a straight line.

"No, no, no... no no no no no. This can't be happening..." Rarity panicked.

Agapi is slightly confused by pinkie, "Odd, that doesn't usually happen."

Rarity turns to Agapi, "What do you mean, it 'doesn't usually happen'?! What have you done to Pinkie?! She’s like a mindless drone now!"

"Well hay, maybe her exactment went 1 over 255 and looped back to 0?" Agapi joked.

Rarity Snaped at Agapi "What...? That doesn’t even make any sense! What do you mean, her excitement went over 255 and looped back to zero??"

Agapi sighs, attempts to explain, "Y-You see, it's a joke, spells that can effect objects can only have 255 objects effected or else it will just effect 0 objects"

"Oh... I see. Well, regardless, you need to undo whatever you did to Pinkie! Bring her back to normal!" Rarity angerly said to Agapi.

Agapi reinsures rarity, "Oh don't worry, she'll be back to normal when she 'reenacts the birds and the bees' "

Rarity realizes "What...! Wait, you mean, you're telling me that Pinkie will act completely normal once... once... she... and..." her face goes as red as a ruby with embarrassment.

Agapi smiled to himself, "Another pony happy with my job!"

Rarity angerly looks at Agapi “I... I... I can’t believe this... Pinkie is... and somepony... and they’re- did you... did you just say ‘job’?”

Agapi smiled, "Yes, I am the Alicorn of love after all! everypony deserves love!"

Rarity was slightly concerned, "So... so, you’re saying that you... went around Ponyville, shooting arrows at as many ponies as you can, just so they can find their true love and be happy... just because ‘everypony deserves love’?"

Agapi smiled wider, "Yes, after all there's no pony that dose my job better!"

Rarity tries to process this, "This... this is unbelievable... you honestly believe that you’re doing a good thing, don’t you?"

Agapi tilts their head, "I am, Everypony deserves love!"

Rarity gets upset with Agapi, "But... love isn't something that can be force! You can't just shoot ponies with your love arrows and assume that everything will suddenly be rainbows and sunshine! Love is supposed to be a natural thing that ponies discover on their own, when they find their soul mate! You can't just shove it down ponies’ throats! That’s not how love works!”

However, Agapi heard nothing Rarity had said, "Nopony dose a better job than me."

Rarity groans, "Oh, you’re impossible! You just don’t get it, do you? This 'Job' of yours is insane, and it's causing nothing but chaos and... and... and... lust!"

Agape talks to rarity in a childish voice, "awww what's wrong, mad you don't have a soulmate?"

Rarity is caught off guard, then angerly yells at Agapi, "How... How dare you assume that I don't have a soul mate! I... I’ll have you know that I am capable of finding love all on my own, without being shot by any of your stupid love arrows!"

"Oh, you can still find true love, you just don't have a soulmate" Agapi says, looking back at rarity.

Rarity frowns at Agapi’s response, "And what’s that supposed to mean? What’s the difference between having a ‘true love’ and having a ‘soulmate’? They’re the same thing, aren’t they?"

Agapi replies, "They are close and commonly mixed up, your true love is somepony you fall in love with who will make you happy in life, your soulmate is somepony your destined to fall for and have a happy life with."

Rarity tries to process what Agapi said, "I see... so what you’re saying is, ponies can have a ‘true love’ without being destined to have a ‘soulmate’?"

"Yep!" replied Agapi, nodding their head.

Rarity sighs as she thinks about the Alicorn’s response, she wonders if she actually has a ‘soulmate’ “And... and how do you know if you have a ‘soulmate’ or not? Do some ponies not have them at all?"

Rarity’s heart sinks. The thought that she might not have a ‘soulmate’ is somewhat disheartening. "I... I see... so there’s no guarantee that every pony has a ‘soulmate’?"

Rarity’s mind fills with hundreds of questions, "So... what... what happens if pony without a ‘soulmate’ still tried to find their ‘true love’? Would they... would they just fail? Would they never have a chance of finding love?"

Agapi looks up into the air, "Some might find love, others might not."

Rarity starts feeling a mixture of sadness and resignation. "And... how do you know all this? How do you know which ponies have a ‘soulmate’ and which don’t? And... and how can you tell which ponies are destined to find true love and which ones aren’t?"

"Simple," -Agapi looks at their bow- "My bow shows me who has a soulmate and who doesn’t."

arity looks at Agapi’s bow with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. "Really? That... that bow is able to show you who has a ‘soulmate’ and who doesn’t? How is that even possible...?"

"I don't know, I wasn't the one who made it..." Agapi said, sliding their hoofs across the bow.

Rarity is intrigued and confused by agapi’s response, "Wait... so someone else made the bow? Do you know who? Do you know why? And... and how does it know who has a ‘soulmate’ and who doesn’t? Is it magic or-"

Agapi cuts her off, "Thats a story for another day, maybe you should go back to wherever you boarded yourself up, I'm pretty sure a filly was waiting for you there" Agapi turns away and flies off.

Rarity watches as Agapi flew away, still puzzled, she sighed and moved on, "I... I guess it doesn't matter... the important thing right now is to make sure Sweetie Belle is alright." She said before walking back to the Castle of friendship.

Rarity sighs in relief as she sees Sweetie Belle through the window. She was afraid of what she would find, but it looked like her sister was okay. She approaches the door and gently knocks. Fluttershy opening the door.

"Rarity! You're back! Are you okay? I was so worried about you." Fluttershy concernedly asked.

Rarity reinsured Fluttershy, "I'm fine, really. Just a bit shaken up, that's all. How's Sweetie Belle? Is she alright?"

Fluttershy nods, "Yes, she's okay. She's just in the other room, she's a bit... out of it, though."

Rarity became concerned, "What do you mean, ‘out of it’? What’s happened to her? Is she hurt? Is she sick?"

Fluttershy shock her head, “No, she's not hurt or sick. It's just that... something happened while you were gone. I’ll show you.”

Fluttershy leads Rarity into the next room, where Sweetie Belle is sitting in a chair, looking completely spaced out. She’s staring at nothing in particular, her eyes wide and her face expressionless. Applejack and Rainbow dash were also nearby after having finished their 'privet time'.

Rarity’s heart sinks as she sees her sister in this state. She immediately rushes over to her side. "Sweetie... Sweetie Belle? Can you hear me? Are you all right? Sweetie...?"

Sweetie Belle however didn’t respond to Rarity’s words. She just continued staring straight ahead, her eyes vacant and unfocused. Rarity can’t help but feel a pang of worry as she sees her sister like this. She turns to look at Fluttershy. "What... what happened to her? Why is she like this?"

Fluttershy sighs, “While you were out, Sweetie belle kinda walked in on Applejack and Rainbow dash...”

Rarity’s eyes widen, “Wait, what...? Sweetie Belle walked in on them... while they were...? Oh, gracious, no wonder she’s spacing out like this..."

Rainbow Dash guilty stepped forward, "Yeah, we uh... kind of… forgot to lock the door. We didn’t realize that anypony would be coming in…"

Applejack also steps forwards, “Yeah, we were just kind of caught up in the moment... and next thing we knew, Sweetie Belle was there...”

Rarity groans at the two of them, “Oh, for the love of- really? You two were caught up in the moment, and you forgot to lock the door? And now poor Sweetie Belle had to see you two going at it with each other? No wonder she’s sitting there all spaced out!”

Fluttershy tries to stop a fight between the three, "I know it was an accident, and that you weren’t trying to expose Sweetie Belle to something like that. But the fact is, she did see it, and it clearly had a big effect on her."

Rarity takes deep breaths trying to cool herself down, this fails, “I know it was an accident, but that doesn’t change the fact that Sweetie Belle is now traumatized. Look at her! She’s practically catatonic!”

Applejack spoke up, "I... I'm really sorry, Rarity. We didn't mean to cause any harm, we just... got carried away. We never intended for Sweetie Belle to see us like that.”

Rarity sighs, “I know you didn’t mean it, but that doesn’t change the fact that my sister is now traumatized. I just… I can’t even imagine what she’s going through right now. Seeing something like... like that when you’re so young can have a profound effect on a pony...”

Fluttershy steps forward, trying to comfort Rarity, "I know it’s hard to see her like this, Rarity. But I think that given time, Sweetie Belle will recover. It just might take a little while for her to process what she saw."

Rarity nods, "I know... I know it’ll take time for her to recover. But I just... I hate seeing her like this. And I can’t help but feel angry at Applejack and Rainbow for not being more careful."

"I know we screwed up, Rarity.” Replied Applejack, “And I’m really sorry. We should’ve locked the door, or at least kept an eye on our surroundings. It was a stupid mistake, and I’m sorry that it had such a big effect on Sweetie Belle."

Rarity tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down, "I know you’re sorry, Applejack. I’m just... I’m just worried about Sweetie Belle. I don’t know how long it’ll take for her to recover from this. She’s just so young, and I don’t want her to carry this with her for the rest of her life..."

Twilight walked in, having overheard some of the conversation after returning, "What happened? What traumatized Sweetie Belle?"

Rarity turned to Twilight, "Twilight, thank goodness you're here. I was hoping you would have some insight into what's going on with Sweetie Belle. As for what happened... well, it seems that Applejack and Rainbow Dash forgot to lock the door while they were... having their ‘alone time’ together. And unfortunately, Sweetie Belle walked in on them.”

Twilight eyes widen in shock, "Oh, my goodness... that’s awful. Poor Sweetie Belle... I can only imagine how shaken up she is right now."

Rarity Nods, "Exactly. She's sitting over there, completely zoned out. It's like she's in her own world. I've never seen her like this before... and it's all Applejack and Rainbow Dash's fault!"

Applejack tries to speak up in their defence. “Hey, it was an accident, darlin’. We didn’t mean for Sweetie Belle to walk in on us.”

Twilight frowned, "Rarity, I know you're upset, but it was an accident. Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't intend for Sweetie Belle to see them in that state. I think we should be more concerned about how to help Sweetie Belle recover from this traumatic experience."

Rarity sighed, "You’re right, Twilight. I know it was an accident, and that Applejack and Rainbow didn’t mean for this to happen. But I can’t help feeling frustrated. Poor Sweetie Belle saw something no pony as young as her should see. And it’s not going to be easy for her to recover from this..."

Twilight knew that as much as she wanted to help Sweetie Belle, there was something far more important at stake. Agapi was still out there, shooting ponies with their love arrows. "I know we’re all worried about Sweetie Belle, and I want to help her too. But right now, we need to focus on stopping Agapi before they can do any more damage."

Rarity was shocked, "Wait, what...? You want to focus on stopping Agapi? But what about Sweetie Belle? We can’t just leave her like this. She needs our help and attention right now!"

Twilight tried to defend her statement, "No, no, I understand that, Rarity. But Agapi is causing more harm than just what Sweetie Belle experienced. They’ve already shot Rainbow Dash and Applejack with their arrows, and who knows what else they might do if we don’t stop them. We need to make sure that no one else gets hurt, and the only way to do that is to deal with Agapi first."

Rarity became conflicted, "I understand what you’re saying, Twilight. But what about Sweetie Belle? We need to make sure she’ll be okay before we go off battling some powerful Alicorn. After all, she’s my little sister, and I can’t just abandon her when she needs me most."

Twilight knew how worried Rarity was and tried to balance both of the concerns Rarity might have, "Of course, Rarity. I know how much you care about Sweetie Belle, and I don’t want to abandon her either. But we also need to prioritize the safety of all ponies in Ponyville. We can’t let Agapi continue shooting ponies with their love arrows."

Rarity sighs, knowing Twilight is right, "Very well. I suppose you’re right. We should focus on stopping Agapi first. But what do you suggest we do about Sweetie Belle?"

"For now, we should make sure she’s in a safe and comfortable environment." -Twilight turns to Fluttershy- "Fluttershy, do you think you can keep an eye on her in your cottage? She needs some time to process what she saw, and being around you might help her feel calmer."

Fluttershy Nods, "Yes, of course. I'll take good care of her. My cottage should be a safe and comfortable place for her to recover."

Twilight was relieved, "Thank you, Fluttershy. I know you’ll do an excellent job of taking care of her. And as soon as we’ve dealt with Agapi, we can focus on helping Sweetie Belle recover from this."

Fluttershy nods again, "I’ll make sure she’s well cared for. You can count on me."

Twilight gratefully smiled, "Thank you, Fluttershy. We should head off now and start devising a plan to stop Agapi. We can’t allow them to keep shooting ponies with their arrows."

Rarity nods, "Yes, you're right. We need to stop Agapi before they can do any more damage. But what's the plan? We don't know anything about them or where they could be hiding. Do you have any ideas, Twilight?"

Twilight ponders, "Well, I don’t know much about Agapi either. They’re incredibly unpredictable and fast. But I think the best course of action would be to find a way to slow them down and corner them. That way, we can either take away their weapon or stop them from shooting any more ponies."

Applejack chimes in, "Maybe we can use some kind of trap? Something to catch Agapi off guard and immobilize them long enough to get the bow away from them?"

Twilight pondered, "That’s not a bad idea, Applejack. If we can use some form of a trap, we might be able to catch them off guard. We just need to come up with something that can hold them still long enough for us to take their bow." Suddenly, a realization hit Twilight. "Actually... I might have an idea… Are you all ready to hear my idea? It might be a little bit crazy, but I think it could work…"

The other’s look at Twilight, Applejack tuning in, “Of course! We’re all ears, Twilight. Let’s hear this crazy plan of yours.”

Twilight took a deep breath, "Alright then. Are you all ready for this? My plan… is to disguise myself as Sombra."

The others are taken a back, fluttershy being the first to ask a question, “Disguise yourself as… Sombra? But… how would that help us catch Agapi?”

Twilight, understanding the other’s confusion, explained, "Allow me to explain. I’ve been thinking about Agapi’s obsession with 'finding Sombra’s soul mate'. When I was talking to Celestia and Luna, they mentioned that Agapi became even more obsessive and desperate to find someone compatible with Sombra… I thought, if I could disguise myself as him, I could use their obsession to our advantage and lead them into a trap."

Rainbow Dash questions Twilight, "So… you want to use yourself as bait to get Agapi to fall into a trap? I mean… it’s a crazy plan, but it might just work. But how exactly are you gonna disguise yourself as Sombra?"

Twilight explained more of the plan, "I’ll be using illusions and magic to disguise myself as Sombra. With my experience, I should be able to create a convincing disguise that’ll fool Agapi into thinking I’m him. But I’ll need your help with the trap part of the plan…"

Rarity chimes in, "Well, I suppose your disguise makes sense… If you can pull it off convincingly, that is. But how exactly are we supposed to help you with the trap part of the plan? What did you have in mind?"

Twilight smirks, "I’ve had some ideas for traps. I was thinking of setting up an illusion to make it seem like I’m alone and unguarded. Then, when Agapi takes the bait and goes for me, that’s when you all will strike and spring the trap. You’ll be able to surround them and take their bow away from them."

Applejack grins, "I like it! Using your disguise as bait to lure in Agapi, and then we'll spring the trap and take their damn bow away. Count me in!"

Rainbow dash Pumps her hoof, "Hell, yeah! I’m in too. It’s a crazy plan, but it just might work. And even if Agapi doesn’t fall for it, at least we’ll look badass while doing it."

Rarity sighs, "I have to admit, it’s quite the audacious plan… but it’s also the best plan we’ve got right now. And if it can bring an end to Agapi’s rampage, then I’m willing to join in on it as well."

At that moment, Twilight realized pinkie wasn't there. "Wait a minute… where’s Pinkie Pie?"

Rarity hoofpalms, "Goodness, I forgot to tell you all… Pinkie Pie’s also been affected by Agapi’s arrows, just like Applejack and Rainbow Dash…"

Twilight was shocked, "What?! Pinkie Pie was shot too? And you didn’t tell us until now?"

Rarity continues, "I’m sorry! I meant to tell you all, I really did… but I’ve just been so worried about Sweetie Belle, I forgot to mention it… Sorry…"

Twilight sighed, "It’s alright, Rarity. I understand why you forgot. But this changes things... We need to find Pinkie and make sure she’s okay, too. Do you have any idea where she is?"

Rarity shook her head, "No, I’m not sure where she is… she kind of just ran off after Agapi shot her."

Twilight nodded, "Alright, we don’t know where Pinkie is at the moment, but we have to assume she’s out there somewhere. We’ll have to keep an eye out for her and make sure she’s safe. In the meantime, let’s stick with the plan for now. I’ll focus on my disguise while you all start setting up the trap and preparing for an ambush."

Applejack nods, "Sounds like a plan. We’ll start setting up the trap and prep for when you lure those damn arrow-shooters into it. And we’ll keep an eye out for Pinkie while we’re at it."

Gratefully, Twilight nodded, "Thank you, all of you. I’ll do my best to create the most convincing disguise I can, and you focus on setting up the trap and keeping an eye out for Pinkie Pie. With any luck, we’ll be able to catch Agapi off-guard and bring an end to this madness."

They all nod, rainbow dash speaking up, "We’re counting on you, Twilight! Make sure that disguise is as convincing as can be!"

Twilight smiled, "Don’t worry, I won’t let you down. I’ll make sure that this disguise is so convincing that Agapi won’t even know what hit her. And when the time is right, I’ll lure them right into your trap. Alright then. Let’s get to work. You all start setting up the trap, and I’ll get started on my disguise. We’ll meet back up once we’re done and ready." Twilight turned and made her way into her library to start work on her disguise.

The others nod, each of them heading off to complete their respective tasks. Applejack and Rainbow Dash go off to look for a good location to set up the trap while Rarity starts gathering any additional supplies they may need. Fluttershy stays behind to keep watch on Sweetie Belle and make sure she doesn’t leave the cottage.