Family Ties.

Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and several other residents of Ponyville stood around the remains of what used to be the sweet apple barn. In the dim light of the early dawn, nopony could think of any explanation as to how the barn had been destroyed and how all the pieces had been flung as far as the town hall. Everypony had been woken up by a tremendous boom in the middle of the night, and now they all curiously gazed into the circle of dirt where Big Mac, Cheri lee, Lyra, Bon Bon, and several other ponies, who volunteered to search the area for the missing party-goers, gather to reveal what they found. They all stood with grim expressions that told everypony there that they had found nothing.

"Well at least we know they are still alive right? Without any….well….evidence to the contrary." Cheri lee said hopefully.

"Eyup." Big Mac sighed, trying to be hopeful.

"Of course there alive! Apple Jack wouldn't let anything bad happen to the others!" Apple bloom called out, sleepy and concerned; it was obvious she only sort-of believed what she was saying herself.

"Excuse me, Big Mac?" Mr. Cake said as he approached the small circle," I'm afraid we have one more pony to add to the missing list. A newcomer, all the other where actually here for Pinky's welcome party for her, a young maroon pegasus, with pink streaks in her man and tail. Her name was Skywander."

Big Mac lowered his head and sighed. "Well, we can't do much until the suns fully up. I say we all go home and get some sleep, we will search more latter on." Nopony argued, when Big Mac used full sentences you knew it was true. So everypony went home, silently hoping and wishing that everypony was alright.

________________________________________

"I'm just saying, there might be a reason she ran off. Wave was always the most clear-headed out of the family"

"We are not a family, and if Father Black heard you talking like this he would put you in the frost chamber!"

"Calm yerself down Lassie! What Matt is sayin' is true. And fa' peat's sake lay off on the family thing, Mr. Black encourages it."

"Please don't call me Lassie, my name is Reader! FA PEAT'S SAKE!"

"Now that was, by far, the worst impression of mah accent I have ever heard. Hahaha, Lassie."

"I hate you."

"Ahhh, brother Strong Hoof! sister is being mean again! *snicker*"

"Don't ya worry brother Matt, *snicker* I'll keep 'er away from ya."

"Would the three of you stop it, you'll wake the prisoners."

"C'mon now they're out cold. T'aint no way they'll be up for at least another day."

"Yes Void, you must remain calm. Why don't you and Mass Matter fly on ahead and look for a safe place to rest."

"We better do it Void, she only uses my full name when she is angry, we better go before she blasts us with her magic"

"I just might if you don't shake a leg and get moving."

"Yipes! Imma goin'!"

Sky Wander opened her eyes, and immediately regretted it. The bright sunlight hit her full on. She snapped her eyes shut and simultaneously flicked her head to the side, another mistake. She smacked her face on the hard, stone ground. She winced silently, carefully moved her head the other way, and peaked open one eye. She saw the other six ponies laying on the floor of the cave, with their legs tied up in knots. She opened both eyes and saw that she too was tied up, but kept separate from the others. She did not see the two lizards from the party. She rolled over to get a look behind her, and came face to face with a earth pony.

"Glad tah see ya' up Lassie! It's been a wee bit since you 'nd I played checkers together" The young stallion said, before he dropped his voice to a whisper, "but I don't think Reader will let us right now, she's in one of her moods."

"Strong Arrrrm!" A pony yelled from behind the earth pony.

"See? Yes Reader?"

"Is she up yet, we gave her the medicine almost two hours ago."

"Aye, she's up"

"Well then let's see what she has to say for herself!" Just then a puff of light popped right next to the earth pony, leaving a pale blue unicorn with a minty blue mane and tail that had one white stripe going down the middle of both. "So then Wave dear, why did you run off?"

"My name isn't Wave." Sky spit back.

"Oh right, It's Sly Waddles or something like that, how do I keep forgetting. Clear headed my hoof."

"At least I am trying to find my real family. Not just letting myself be used as a tool for a mad horse." Sky yelled back, holding back tears.

"Why, Wave lassie, that hurts… we were like brother and sister."

"What is it with you all and this whole family thing?"

"Just because you don't care about anypony but yourself, doesn’t mean the rest of us don't have a heart! And I'm sorry Strong Hoof I did not mean to hurt you."

"Oh shut up! You are all so…so… sappy! Now tell me, why did you run away!"

"Because I want to know what happened to my real life, before I was a lab rat. Where I came from, who my friends and family where! What they are doing now, what I used to be! I want to know….know who….she is."

"The filly in your dreams? Didn't Dr. Hindsight give you something for that?"

"She was not just a dream pony! She is real! She is buried in my memory, why would I dream of such a sad sight."

"Because you are always a dreamer, getting lost in day-dreams! Waking up in the middle of the night screaming from a nightmare! It was always your biggest flaw, it kept interrupting interrogations. You where always the thorn in my flank! Getting in the way! Stopping me because I was being "to harsh"! How pathetic you are has always disgusted me!"

"And yet, I got better results then you. That's what really annoyed you! You where always trying to be perfect for Father Black, but you where then and you still are now an, what did Father call it? An inferior specimen!" As sky shouted out the last words; a small knife flicked out of one of her shoes, cutting the ropes that held her. She pushed herself up in the air, catching the air in her wings, she bolted down at the unicorn. Sky was about to slam into the shocked unicorn, when a strong force suddenly pulled her to the side and slammed her into the wall of the cave and held her there. Sky struggled against the invisible force that held her, but with one of her wing pinned beneath her, any attempt to move sent stabs of pain running through her spine. Sky cried out in pain, and felt herself blacking out, her wing felt like it was on fire. Finally she lost conciseness, the unicorn nodded at the earth pony and he lowered his hoof which let sky come crashing down to the floor.

"Good job Strong Hoof. We will have to see about disabling her utility hooves."