What the hell is she up to?
Twilight sat on the outskirts of town, eyeing Rainbow’s home in the sky. Normally, Twilight wouldn’t be mildly concerned about her friends’ personal lives, but Rainbow had been acting abnormally lately. She has been sneaking out after dark all this week, and last night’s flight from Pinkie’s party not only hurt Pinkie’s feelings, but didn’t entirely make sense.
Twilight’s gaze continued to be fixed on Rainbow’s castle in the clouds. None of this adds up, she continued to analyze the problem in her head. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, ditches her friends in the middle of a party for no good reason. She didn’t even say she was leaving! Twilight squinted her eyes, making sure nothing but the front door of Rainbow Dash’s home was in sight. I don’t know what you’re up to, Rainbow Dash, but I’m sure I’m going to find out.
In a moment’s notice, Rainbow opened up her front door. She casually stretched and yawned, unaware of her spyer. However, one quick look down at the world below made Rainbow Dash jump in fright. “T-Twilight!” she screamed, holding a quickly paced hover over her doormat. “What are you doing here, and why are you staring like that?”
“Oh, I was just waiting for you to get up!” Twilight replied cheerfully, returning her thought heavy face to something more nonchalant. “I was just really curious about something, and it kept me up all night.”
Rainbow bit her lower lip out of fear, “Uh, what do you want to know?”
“Well, I was just remembering last night’s party, and your sudden disappearance.” Twilight took easy notice that Rainbow gulped at the mention of the party. She held back a confident smile to continue, “Pinkie was really sad and assumed you left because you didn’t like her parties. She didn’t quite go Pinkamena, but it was pretty close. I was just wondering why you had to go, and why you didn’t alert any of us before leaving.”
Rainbow clacked her hooves together, searching her brain for any possible solution to the problem. “I, uh, well…” Rainbow stammered. Twilight let her confidence shine through, figuring Rainbow would crack. “I’m a bit embarrassed to say it out loud. You understand, right?”
“Oh, come on Rainbow!” Twilight said forcefully, becoming irritated from being withheld from the truth. “We’re just friends here, and no one is around. You can tell me!”
Once again, Rainbow bit down on her lower lip. Beads of nervous sweat dripped down her face. “Well, you see… I just got the new Daring Do book!”
Twilight’s smile quickly reverted to a frown. “But that book came out last week.”
“I wasn’t able to go to the release party, so I had to wait and order it through the mail.”
Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed. “But standard shipping is only three days!” Twilight was practically screaming now. She knew Rainbow wasn’t telling the truth.
“Derpy was in charge of the shipping. You know how that pony is!” Rainbow Dash chuckled out a nervous laugh trying to hide her lies.
Twilight blew out a puff of steam. This was not the answer she wanted. Rainbow tried to distract Twilight by being the alicorn’s mirror. “Woah, Twilight! You’re face is turning real red! Want me to bring in some clouds or something?”
Twilight grinded her teeth, audible even through sealed lips. “No, I’m just peachy,” she replied.
Rainbow used this break from the interrogation to create an escape. “Well, it was nice talking to you this morning, but I promised Scoots that I would take her out for ice cream today. If I want to fit in a flying lesson, I need to get to her house A.S.A.P. Catcha later!” With a wave of her hoof, Rainbow was off in a flash, even leaving behind two feathers.
Twilight watched as they fell, but something was definitely wrong. The young analyst approached the feathers, examining them carefully. The mere sight of both made Twilight cringe. One cyan feather, and one white feather.
Twilight looked in the direction where Rainbow fled and yelled at her silhouette. “You can run for now, but no one get’s past Twilight Sparkle. Not Discord, not Sombra, not even Chrysalis. This is a war you will not win!”
“Who you talkin’ to?” a cheerful voice called out. Twilight turned, a light blush of embarrassment seeping through her thick purple coat. Pinkie was bouncing towards her friend on her tail as if it were a pogo stick. “I thought you told me that imaginary friends were a thing of the past, and everypony our age should have gotten rid of them by now.”
Twilight sheepishly smiled and explained her situation. “Oh, I was actually just talking to Rainbow Dash.”
Pinkie stopped bouncing right in front of Twilight, invading her personal space. “But she isn’t even here! Is that magic giving you hallucinations? I know this cupcake aroma is…”
“She just left actually, just when I was really starting to get stomping mad at her for not answering me truthfully.” Twilight’s attention diverted back to where Rainbow had fled. “I’m telling you Pinkie, something is up with Rainbow Dash, and we need to find it out pronto.”
“WHAT?!?” Pinkie exclaimed. Twilight turned around in confusion to find Pinkie staring off into space. “Twilight is not getting power hungry, Charlotte! What’re you talking about?”
Pinkie turned back to her friend and said gleefully, “Sorry about that! Charlotte can get really skeptical sometimes!” Twilight looked around Pinkie to find any remnants of her friend, but came to the quick realization that Pinkie must have had a hallucination. “I’m totally on board! So, what’re we going to do?”
Twilight leaned in close to Pinkie and whispered so no other pony could hear, despite the fact they were alone on the outskirts. “Gather the rest of our friends. We’re going to do a stakeout tonight, and put a stop to Rainbow’s secrecy. Kind of like a group intervention, but more stealthy.”
Pinkie stomped around giddily, a smile growing from ear to ear. “Oooh! I’m so excited! Rainbow won’t even see it coming! It will be like the ultimate prank! I think I even have my Fluttershy costume laying around somewhere.”
“No need for costumes,” Twilight said. “We need to make sure Rainbow understands the seriousness of the matter, and how she shouldn’t hide things from her friends. Just make sure all our friends are here at sundown tonight.”
Pinkie nodded slowly, but then turned her head and began arguing with an inanimate being. “No, Charlotte, her recent promotion is not getting to her head. No, I don’t think this is a violation of Rainbow’s rights. Friends aren’t supposed to hide secrets from each other, and this is clearly something we need to act on. Oh yea? Well at least my bipolar state has a trigger!”
Twilight rolled her eyes and dismissed herself from the discussion. She followed the streets taking her back to the library, where she would prepare for the long day ahead of her.
You can’t hide from us anymore, Rainbow Dash. Secrets are sins. May Celestia be my witness, I will make sure you be honest with your friends, no matter the consequences.