The Master Plan

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was having problems of her own.

"Where'd I leave that book?" she cried frantically as she rushed back and forth across her library.

"Calm down," Spike encouraged. "I'm sure it's around here somewhere."

"I cannot calm down!!!! I have to memorize that book in three days!!! How am I going to - Oh, there it is." Twilight picked it up off her desk where it had been all along.

Spike burst out laughing. "It was there ALL ALONG!!! How could you have missed it?" He rolled around on the floor, clutching his sides.

Twilight glared at him an turned back to her desk. Suddenly, Spike burped up a letter, nearly frying Owlicious with hot green fire in the process.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "It's from Princess Celestia!"

Twilight picked the letter up off the ground and began to read it aloud:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I just wanted to write a quick letter to you about some recent events in Equestria you may not have heard about. Lately, there have been several disappearances of ponies in both Canterlot and Cloudsdale. They usually disappear during the night and we fear there may be ponynappers on our hooves. I don't mean to frighten you, I just wanted to warn you to take extra precautions in Ponyville both night and day. My royal guard will hopefully be able to sort this out.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

"Wierd," commented Spike. "Ponynappers? That's, like, the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"It's quite unsettling," said Twilight. "I should probably tell the others about this. Oh, hey, Pinkie's picnic is today! I can tell them then!"

"When is it?" asked Spike.

"It's at....." Twilight trailed off as she examined her clock. "Now!  Aagh! Quick, Spike, we're gonna be late!" She and Spike hurried out the door, heading for the park.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

"Hey! Look everypony! Twilight's here!" cried Pinkie Pie happily as Twilight Sparkle and Spike arrived at the picnic, exhausted from practically sprinting all the way there.

"Sorry I'm late, girls," Twilight huffed breathlessly, plopping down on the picnic blanket between Rarity and Fluttershy.

"No problem! Except Rainbow Dash ate all the muffins already," Pinkie said.

"I don't really mind," replied Twilight. "Anyway, I got an important letter from Princess Celestia today." She pulled it out of her bag.

"Uh, it's ok Twilight, this picnic is supposed to be fun, not a boring storytime," said Rainbow Dash as Twilight unfolded the letter.

"This one's really important, just listen," Twilight told her. Rainbow rolled her eyes. Just as Twilight was about to start reading, Rarity let out a scream that startled her so much she dropped the letter.

"What is it? Is everything ok?" Twilight asked.

"NO! It's NOT ok! Look!" Rarity held out part of the sundress she was wearing for them to examine.

"Um, what's wrong with your dress?" Fluttershy asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"What do you mean? Can't you see that horrible grass stain?!" Rarity cried.

"You mean that teensy meensy eensy weensy green spot?" Pinkie asked.

"TEENSY?" Rarity was outraged. "It's simply ENOURMOUS!" Of all the horrible things that could happen this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"

Rainbow facehoofed. "Quit being such a drama queen, Rarity!"

"Um, guys? Important letter from the Princess, remember?" Twilight reminded them as Rainbow and Rarity began to argue loudly.

"Hey, where's Apple Jack?" Spike changed the subject yet again from Twilight's letter.

"Oh, she had some last minute plans!" Pinkie yelled over the sound of Rainbow and Rarity's debate.

"GIRLS!" Twlight shouted. Immediately, everypony was silent.

"Finally," she breathed. She smacked the letter down on the picnic blanket and began to read. When she finished, she looked up at their concerned faces (Well, all except Pinkie, who was gobbling down a sugar cookie.)

Everypony was silent for another minute, taking it all in. Then -

"Ponynappings?! In Cloudsdale?!" Rainbow exploded. "This is insane!" she jumped to her hooves angrily.

"It is serious," agreed Twilight.

Pinkie suddenly stopped happily chewing her sugar cookie. "Serious?" she said, almost as if seriousness was an alien thing to her.

"What should we do?" asked Fluttershy. "I don't want the ponynappers to come to Ponyville and harm my critters!"

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do!" declared Rainbow Dash before anypony could say anything. "I'm going to Cloudsdale to help out! No pony messes with us pegasi!"

Maybe Rainbow has a good point, thought Twilight. Maybe I should do the same. Her brother, her sister-in-law, and all the friends she had had growing up were there, after all.

"I think I should go to Canterlot too," she told the others. "You know - since Shining Armor's there, I want to make sure he's all right and everything.

"We'll stay here and PARTYYYYYY!!!" exclaimed Pinkie. "Um, I mean, protect Ponyville!"

"I'd rather not tussle with any so-called ponynappers," said Rarity, "But I simply must take care of Sweetie Belle."

"So it's settled," Rainbow declared. "Twilight will go to Canterlot, I'll go to Cloudsdale, and the rest of you will stay here.

Sounds good to me!" She spread her wings, and with a flash of a spectrum of colors, took off into the bright blue midday sky.

"Well, she's anxious," Twilight observed as Rainbow became no more than a speck in the distance.

"She is the element of Loyalty, after all," Rarity said. "She'd obviously want to protect her hometown."

"True," said Twilight.  "Anyhow, Spike - gather my things. We're catching the first train to Canterlot."