"...I used to bring them along with all my other clothes to be washed, but I stopped doing that after something happened last summer." You say to Notaulix.

"What happened, Anon? What could have made you stop?" Notaulix asks with newfound interest.

"Well... It's a bit of a lengthy story. Do you really want to hear it?" You question Notaulix.

"Yes Anon, I enjoy listening to your experiences!" Notaulix responds.

You can't help but let out a chuckle before you continue.

"Alright then, if you say so. Let's see, where to begin..." You say as you play through what transpired in your mind, looking for the ideal place to start.

While you do so, Notaulix turns his body to face you and give you his full attention, seemingly eager to hear what you have to say.

"...it started out as any other trip into Ponyville to have my stuff washed, really. I took the clothes basket, dumped it into my backpack, and then I was out on the road to Ponyville." You continue as you begin to recount your tale.

It was an absolutely beautiful day to be outside and running errands, with Celestia's sun shining high and bright in the clear blue skies above, casting its warmth onto you down below.
Yes, it was indeed an idyllic summer day in Equestria, one that was plenty warm, but not too hot.
All things considered, it was the perfect kind of weather for you to be wearing the comfortable pair of shorts and sleeveless shirt that Rarity had generously made for you.

You had hinted at desiring such things in the past, but the unicorn fashionista had chosen to surprise you with them as a gift, during Pinkie Pie's "Equestria's Super Duper Special Human Friend Anniversary Party".
That party, which Pinkie somehow involved the whole town in, was celebrating the one year anniversary of the day that you had suddenly arrived in Equestria, which was just almost three weeks ago now.
While the amount of attention focused on you that day was unexpected, it really made you feel like you had drawn closer to the townsponies.

Ever since then, you were no longer treated with fear and suspicion, but instead being truly accepted as a resident of Ponyville; one who had the trust and respect of others.
Because of that, many ponies had begun to open up to you after that party, eager to ask you a plethora of questions about humans, where you came from, yourself, and your budding efforts to explore the Everfree Forest.
In truth, the sudden surge in in popularity was overwhelming to you. In the days and weeks since then, however, you've quickly found yourself growing more fond of the ponies and the new social aspect to your life that you sorely lacked.

Even so, whenever you're on this old dirt road into town, you take the time to mentally prepare yourself to have an answer for any question, no matter how strange some of them may be.
You wonder just how many more times this month you could possibly be asked about your clothes, and why you constantly wear such things. You're certain that all of Ponyville has asked you at least once by now.
Ponies are a naturally curious race, to say the least. Though, you can't blame them, especially since you know that you are exceptionally strange and unusual to them.

Which is really saying a lot, considering this entire world is filled with strange and unusual things, that are usually brimming with magic in one way or another to boot.

Still, you can at least understand where most of the ponies questions are coming from.
Here in Equestrian society, clothing is most frequently reserved for special events, with frequent wearing of it being synonymous with the nobility of Canterlot.
As a matter of fact, one of the most common questions you were asked early on was if you were a noble from your land, perhaps a prince or even a king, considering all the clothes that you constantly wore.
You denied any claims of nobility, of course; an answer that always seemed to bring relief to those who asked.

Recently, the new trend to develop among the curious ponies was to inquire not just about your clothes, but what was underneath them.
A reasonable curiosity, considering that you recently started to wear clothing more appropriate for the summer heat, which revealed more of your body than your long pants and sleeved shirts did.
Unsurprisingly, to a pony, there are no issues with removing all articles of clothing on a whim. You've had to face the challenges in explaining why that is an issue for you, much to your embarrassment.
Regardless, the curiosity persists, and is one thing in particular that you prepare for as you approach the outskirts of the friendly town of Ponyville.

Looking out over the town, you begin to take in the usual sights and sounds of colorful ponies walking around the town, pegasi flying around in the sky, and their lively voices all filling the air.
You can see a portion of the marketplace, already packed with vendors, full of fresh summer fruits and vegetables at the peak of their season, bringing thoughts of what you would like for dinner to mind.
Browsing the market will have to wait until later though. Today is laundry day, and that means a visit to Ponyville's resident cleaning mare: Bubble Shine

Ever since Rarity recommended her services, you've quickly come to depend on the friendly mare, who has already saved you hours upon hours of washing your clothing by hand.
And beyond the time savings, Bubble Shine just simply manages to get your clothes cleaner and better smelling than you ever could; an added bonus indeed.
Although you were hesitant at first to let someone handle your more personal articles of clothing, namely your underwear, Bubble Shine proved to be very professional regarding the matter, setting your mind at ease.

Walking through Ponyville, you return the occasional wave or greeting from a passerby on your way to the cleaning mare's residence, which happens to nearly be on the other side of town.
Ponyville is still a relatively small town though, so you find yourself approaching the door to Bubble Shine's home in a matter of minutes.
Walking up to the door, you reach out and give it a few firm knocks before waiting for a response.
After receiving no such response, you knock on the door once more, only to receive no answer once more.

Knowing the likely possibility that the mare may be doing something else at the moment, you decide to quickly check one other place where you know she may be at, before giving up and checking back later.
You proceed to walk around the outside of Bubble Shine's home, soon arriving out back where a small grassy area surrounded by a simple wooden fence is found.

Stepping past the corner of the home and looking in to the fenced area, you see the familiar sight of several lines tightly tied between poles.
Attached to the lines are many curtains, made of fine white lace, which blow gracefully in the summer breeze. There among the curtains, you happen to spot Bubble Shine.
Not having noticed you yet, you stand and watch the mare as she moves along a line, using her magic to hang up more freshly washed curtains from a nearby basket, which she secures with wooden pins from a cloth sack held in her mouth.
Soon enough, Bubble Shine does happen to notice you from the corner of her vision, eliciting a muffled cry of surprise through the bag of clothespins held by her mouth.

Quickly, the mare sets the bag down and trots over to you with a happy expression on her face.

"Mr. Anonymous, I didn't see you! How long have you been standing there? I do hope that I haven't been ignoring you for very long..." Bubble Shine asks as she looks up at you with an apologetic expression from the other side of the fence.

"Not at all, I just got here only a moment ago." You reassure the mare. "I tried knocking at the front door, so I figured you might be back out here." You then explain.

"Ah, I see. Are you here to have your clothing washed? It's about that time, if I recall." Bubble Shine asks you, now looking somewhat relieved.

"That's right, I have a pretty full load for you today; if you aren't too busy, of course." You answer.

"I see. Please, feel free to let yourself inside, the door is unlocked. You can find yourself a suitable basket to place everything you want washed into while I finish up out here." Bubble Shine says to you.

"Great! I'll go ahead and do that then, thank you." You say in response.

"You're most welcome, Mr. Anonymous. I'll be with you in a moment!" Bubble Shine says as she turns around to resume her work.

With that, you do just as the mare instructed and return to the front of her home, where you find the front door to indeed be unlocked.
Opening the door and stepping inside, you inhale deeply in order to take in the plethora of pleasing aromas that fill the mares home.
It doesn't take long for you to find a large basket to dump all the clothes from your backpack into. Within a few minutes, you hear the sound of hoofsteps on the wooden floor.
Turning to look in the direction of the sound, you watch as Bubble Shine emerges from the back of her home, along with the basket she was using, now empty, held within the azure glow of her magic.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" She announces as he trots up to you before setting her basket down on the floor.

"No worries, I'm not in any rush today." You reassure the mare.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now then, let's see what we have here today..." Bubble Shine says as she briefly inspects the pile of clothing you deposited.

While the unicorn mare does so, you grab hold of your bit bag and open it up, in preparation to make your payment.

"Is there a particular scent that you would like this time?" Bubble Shine asks you.

"The usual is fine." You respond.

"A creature of habit, aren't you?" Bubble Shine says with a giggle. "Well then! This'll be eight bits today, please." She then continues.

"I guess so." You say with a smile as you pluck out the appropriate number of golden coins before handing them over.

"Thank you." She says as her magic envelops the bits, which then levitate beside Bubble Shine as she takes them to be deposited somewhere behind the main counter.

"Will you be picking these up later today, Mr. Anonymous? I believe these will be dry and ready in around four to five hours." Bubble Shine asks.

"If that isn't too much of a rush for you, that would be great." You respond.

"A rush? Nonsense! Most of the time involved is simply waiting for things to dry, after all. Why, as a matter of fact, once I get your clothes hung up to dry, I plan to go out and enjoy the beautiful day around Ponyville." She says to you in turn.

"That's a good plan." You agree. "We'll probably run into each other later, since I've made my own plans to do things around town today." You add.

"Wonderful." Bubble Shine giggles. "Don't let me keep you any longer then, Mr. Anonymous. Besides, I should get started on this right away." She says as she levitates the basket of clothes into the air with her magic.

"Alrighty then, I'll leave you to it. Thanks again, Bubble Shine." You say to the mare with a friendly wave before making your way back over to the front door.

"Bye! Thank you for your business!" Bubble Shine says, waving her own forehoof in return.

With that, you depart from her residence back out onto the streets of Ponyville, where the hot summer air carrying the scents of the season greets you.
From that point, the majority of your afternoon is spent going from one place to the next, crossing things off your list of goals for the day as you do so.
You return to the marketplace, check in with one of your now-regular buyers of goods from the Everfree, and stop somewhere to enjoy a nice salad for lunch, among other things.

Sure enough, you ended up conversing with a few ponies along the way. Some had questions to ask, though only one of them asked anything about your clothing this time, much to your surprise.
In the end, you accomplished everything that you had set out to do for that day. After making a brief stop back at home to empty your backpack of your purchases at the market, you made your way back to Bubble Shine's for your clothes.
And there they were. Clean, dry, and emanating the fresh, light pine scent that you had quickly grown to enjoy. After a moment of gathering it all into your backpack, you soon found yourself back on the road home.

Once back home, with nothing better to do, you immediately went to work in your room, sorting and folding your clothes before putting them away.
However, as you neared the end of the folding pile, something strange became apparent...

You're missing something.

You know for sure that among everything else, you had six pairs of underwear to be washed. Yet, here in front of you are only five.
Feeling confused, you take a quick look at the floor around you, in case it happened to fall down during the sorting. When that reveals nothing, you turn to looking through your backpack once more.
Despite your thorough searching efforts, you cannot find the missing pair of underwear, puzzling you.

After pondering the issue for a moment, the simple conclusion that you reach is that it must have gotten left behind by accident, one way or another.
A minor inconvenience, if you could even call it that. Regardless, you have no desire to make another trip to Ponyville today, as the day will be drawing to a close soon.
it's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow, after all.

From that point, you move forward with the remainder of your day. You put your neatly folded clothes away, make something for dinner, then relaxing by spending some time in your journal and other books before getting a good nights sleep.

The following morning began as any other. You got up, had a light breakfast, and quickly got yourself ready to go outside and take advantage of another perfect summer day.
Opting to leave the backpack behind as it served no real purpose for today, you went out into the cool morning air and made your return to Ponyville.
Once back in town, you quickly made your way to Bubble Shine's front door, which you promptly knocked on.
It didn't take long for the door the open, revealing the mare herself who now bore a surprised expression upon realizing who was at her door.

"Mr... Anonymous? What a surprise! Please, come in." Bubble Shine greets you, stepping aside as she does so before gesturing you inside with a forehoof.

"Good morning Bubble Shine. Thank you." You greet her in return before stepping inside.

As soon as you enter the mares home, you scan the surroundings of the room, hoping to see your missing pair of underwear waiting for you.
Noticing your behavior, Bubble Shine walks up to you after closing the door.

"Is something wrong? It's unusual for you to be back so soon." Bubble Shine asks you.

Failing to spot your missing undergarment in plain sight, you turn your attention to the friendly mare awaiting your answer.

"Well, it's just... When I got back home and started folding my clothes, I happened to notice that I'm missing a pair of underwear." You explain.
"I figured it must have just accidentally gotten left behind here. Have you seen it?" You then ask her.

"Missing?" Bubble Shine repeats, confusion clearly in her voice and expression. "That's strange, I... I don't recall forgetting anything." She continues.

"So you haven't seen it around, then." You say, now feeling slightly confused yourself.

"I'm afraid not... I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Anonymous." Bubble Shine apologizes as her ears droop slightly to the side.

"Hey now, there's no need to apologize for anything, it could have somehow fallen out of my backpack on the way home yesterday. I just thought I'd check here first." You reassure her.

Upon saying that, a silence falls between you as Bubble Shine brings a forehoof to her chin, clearly thinking deeply on the matter.

"Hmmm... If it may be around here, then why don't we take a moment and look together? Two pairs of eyes are better than one, after all." She suggests with a smile.

"Sure, let's do that." You agree.

What follows is a diligent search, starting first in the room you are in, then moving to the room towards the back of the house where all the washing and cleaning takes place.
You look high and low, under baskets and tables, between washtubs, even under the rug. But despite your combined efforts, there is nothing to be found.

"With all due respect..." Bubble Shine begins as she turns her attention to you. "...I don't believe that what you're looking for is here, sadly. We should have found it by now; there's no other place it would be if it was here." She continues.

"I guess it's looking to be that way, isn't it?" You say with a bit of a sigh, pausing your search effort.

If it isn't here, and it's not at my house, then where could it be? You think to yourself.
You begin to think of everywhere in Ponyville that you could have somehow lost it at yesterday. Before you get too deep into such thoughts though, one more nearby location pops into your mind.

"What about outside? Where you hang everything up to dry?" You ask.

Your question gives the mare pause, prompting her to look at you with an expression laced with doubt.

"I highly doubt that I would have left something out, but... There's no harm in taking a quick look. Let's go see." Bubble Shine says as she leads you out the back door.

Following the mare outside, you find yourself standing in the enclosed space of green grass and clotheslines, surrounded by a wooden fence; the very one you were on the other side of yesterday.
Giving the space a cursory glance, you see nothing besides the grass. clotheslines and fence.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, the focus in your mind begins to shift. You realize that at this point, wherever the missing underwear is, it almost certainly isn't here.

You try and recall the route that you took after leaving this place yesterday, thinking of all the possible places it could have somehow fallen from your backpack.
And yet... A lingering thought gnaws at the back of your mind: How could it? Your backpack seals fairly well; it just seems so unlikely to you that this could happen.
You don't have long to ponder such things, however, as the sound of a loud gasp brings you back to reality.

Turning around, you see Bubble Shine standing by a small, now-open gate that you hadn't noticed before. Additionally, something small is being held by her telekinesis, though you cannot tell what from the distance you are at.

"What is it? Did you find something?" You ask while approaching her.

"No- I mean yes, but!" She begins to say, pausing briefly to collect herself. "Yes, I found one of my clothespins, but it was out here!" She continues.

Sure enough, when you look at the small object held within her magical aura, you find it to be none other than a simple clothespin.

"That's, uh. That's great?" You say in a somewhat halfhearted manner, unsure of what the big deal is.

"You don't understand! When I walked over here, I noticed that the gate was unlocked!" Bubble Shine says, now turning around to face you.

Looking more closely at the gate, you find it to be the sort that is secured with a simple latch, the kind that you lift to allow the gate to swing open.

"Is that a bad thing?" You ask.

"Well, no. It's just that- ...I almost never open this gate." Bubble Shine explains, looking somewhat perplexed.

"So... What are you trying to say?" You inquire.

"I-" The mare immediately pauses, before continuing several seconds later. "I don't know, Mr. Anonymous." She admits, turning her gaze downward to the ground.

You can tell that something is on her mind, but you can't think of a good way to press the matter further without being overly pushy.
Instead, you opt to step around Bubble Shine, moving past her and beyond the gate. Once outside, you look around only to see green grass, other nearby homes, and a patch of small trees and shrubbery a short distance away.

Coming to the conclusion that your missing underwear isn't going to be found here, your thoughts shift once more to all the other places it could have gone.
Could it have been the marketplace? By the train station? On the road by the flower shop? Has someone already found it, and possibly dropped it off at your home, maybe in the mailbox? Such thoughts go through your mind.
Wherever it may be, you put a hold on further thought of the subject, as you notice Bubble Shine approaching from the corner of your eye.

"Sadly, it looks like it isn't here." Bubble Shine says to you with an apologetic expression. "Might I suggest searching out the other places where you may have misplaced it?" She suggests.

"Yeah, that's the best I can do at this point." You agree.

"Mhm." She nods in agreement. "Well then! I certainly wouldn't mind helping you further, but; please excuse my rudeness; there are things that need my attention more this morning, unfortunately." The mare admits.
"...Plus, there's somepony I would like to go and speak with." Bubble Shine quickly adds.

"Oh, you're not being rude at all!" You say, waving a hand dismissively. "I've already taken up enough of your time today. Thank you for letting me take a look around here first." You thank her.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I do hope you find your missing garment... I'll see you around, Mr. Anonymous!" Bubble Shine says.

"You too!" You say in return before departing.

Following your visit at Bubble Shine's you begin retracing your steps from yesterday, going from one place to another in pursuit of your missing underwear.
One by one, you go to the marketplace, the train station, the road by the flower shop and everything in between.
When that fails to produce any results, you resort to simply meandering around town, in hope of the off chance that you happen to stumble upon it, or perhaps a pony that found it first.
But after about an hour of doing that, both your frustration and bewilderment grow to the point that you make the decision to return home and take a break.

Upon arriving back at home, you eagerly check your mailbox, only to discover that much like everywhere else you've searched today, there is nothing to be found.
Finally, on the inside of your home, you give every room one more thorough search. And it's at that point which you admit defeat.
You have absolutely no idea where your missing pair of underwear has gone.
Having reached that conclusion, you decide that it's time to get yourself a glass of something to drink, recline on the sofa, and take a moment to rest both your weary mind and feet.

Some time later, around mid-day, you return to Ponyville to pick out something good to eat for dinner. However, it doesn't take you long to notice that things are amiss.
You first noticed it as soon as you approached the outskirts of town, but everywhere you go, you see ponies going from one place to the next in groups of two or three.
On the ground, they stop to look in bushes, under doormats and flowerpots and everything in between. In the sky, you can see pegasi combing through trees and examining the rooftops.
Before you think to ask about what's going on, you suddenly hear the unmistakable voices of three young fillies behind you.

"Look girls! It's Anon!" You hear Scootaloo say.

"Anooon!" Apple Bloom calls out to you.

Turning around, you find Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo all bounding towards you, full of their youthful energy as usual.
Upon reaching you, the little trio run circles around you, laughing and giggling and carrying on until you kneel down, lowering yourself to their level.

"How're the Crusaders doing today? And, uh... Do you know what's going on around here?" You ask them.

"Of course we know! We're having fun!" Sweetie Belle answers.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo agrees with enthusiasm.

"Yep, and don't you worry about nothin' Anon! We'll find it in no time, because we're the..." Apple Bloom begins to say, before pausing to glance at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle with a big smile.
"...CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CLOTHING DETECTIVES!! Yaaaaaay!!!" They triumphantly yell in unison before galloping away as fast as their little hooves can take them.

Meanwhile, time feels like it momentarily slows to a crawl as your mind processes what you just heard.

Swiftly rising to your feet, you take off in search of the nearest pony to speak with. Within moments, you find your pony; an earth pony stallion that you recall seeing around town, though not one that you had spoken with before.
Speaking with the stallion, whose name you learned to be Acre Plough, your greatest fear is realized when he explains to you what's happening: At least half of Ponyville is looking for your missing underwear.
Horrified and embarrassed to the core, you inquire further, and learn that Twilight Sparkle was responsible for rallying everypony together for the impromptu search.
When you ask where you might find Twilight, Acre Plough informs you that the last he knew, Twilight was working in none other than the area behind Bubble Shine's home.

Taking this information in, the puzzle pieces begin to fit together in your mind...

You remember Bubble Shine said that she wanted to go speak with someone. Was that someone Twilight? If so, why? What could have possibly been on Bubble Shine's mind that she felt the need to reach out to Twilight?
You ask yourself such questions in your mind, though you know there's no answer to be found there.
Focusing your attention back on the stallion, you thank him for the information, followed immediately by making a beeline for Bubble Shine's home in pursuit of answers.

It doesn't take long for you to arrive at your destination, where you find nobody to be in or around the fenced in area where things are hung out to dry.
Looking around, you happen to spot a familiar mare moving about in the nearby trees and bushes. After taking in a deep breath and exhaling loudly, you collect your thoughts and approach Twilight to confront her on the matter.
As you draw near, you see a pair of light purple ears perk up and swivel in your direction, closely followed by Twilight lifting her head up from behind a bush and catching sight of you.

"There you are, Anon! We need to talk." Twilight cheerfully says.

"Yeah, we do." You respond with irritation laced in your voice.

"Is... something wrong?" Twilight questions, noting your tone and unhappy expression.

"Of course something's wrong! Half of Ponyville is out looking for my missing pair of underwear! What's going on here, Twilight? Is it true that you organized this?" You ask in response.

"Why yes, I did. Let me explain to you, Anon! I wanted to speak with you about this earlier, but I wasn't able to quickly find you in time." She says.

"Okay, well I'm here now. What is it?" You ask her after a brief pause goes by.

"Well, um... Come closer first, please. We need to be quiet." She responds in a hushed tone while gesturing you closer with one of her forehooves.

Furrowing your brows in confusion, you draw closer and kneel down, bringing you roughly to eye level with the purple unicorn.
You stare at Twilight in a moment of silence, watching closely as she looks around while her ears swivel from one position to the next, clearly listening for anyone or anything that may be nearby.
When she determines that the two of you are alone, you listen carefully as Twilight inches closer and begins to whisper.

"Anon, I didn't tell everypony this, but if my findings are any evidence, then your underwear hasn't gone missing; it's been stolen. That's why I'm preparing-" Is all she manages to say before her words hit you like a ton of bricks.

"Stolen?! What do you mean stmmphmmm!" You begin to cry out in response, only to be met with the tingling sensation of your jaw being magically held shut, accompanied by the glow of Twilight's horn.

"Shhh! Anon, quiet! This is serious!" She hisses at you before releasing her magic.

"Sorry..." You apologize in a quiet voice. "...but seriously, you need to tell me what's going on around here. Did Bubble Shine start this? And what makes you think my underwear was stolen?" You then ask.

"Mhm, Bubble Shine told me about your visit morning. She had her suspicions and wanted to see if I knew any magic that could help find some sort of clue." Twilight begins to explain.

"We spent a few more minutes looking around her home, just to be sure, but it wasn't until we tried searching over here that we found it..." She continues.

"What was it?" You interject.

"Another of Bubble Shine's clothespins, laying on the ground next to a fresh trail of hoofprints in the soft dirt, moving away from her home." She answers you.
"Not just any hoofprints, either! Whoever it was, they were certainly rushing through here at a gallop." Twilight adds.

You can't help but remain quiet as you ponder the things you just heard. The more you think about it, the more plausible it sounds that something more is at work here than simply a misplaced pair of underwear, as absurd as it sounds.
Breathing in deeply, you let out a loud sigh and take a moment to rub your forehead. Afterwards, you return your focus to Twilight.

"Alright, so let's say someone actually stole a pair of my underwear. What's happening now? Why did you involve half the town to look for something lost when you think it was stolen?" You question her.

"Because I don't want to be right... It's awful to think of somepony stealing from another, let alone stealing something so personal and important to you." Twilight answers.
"I really hope somepony finds it today. But if they don't, I think I'm going to write a letter to Princess Celestia for advice. She would know what to do." Twilight adds.

"I see... Still, I wish you would have spoken with me before you got everyone involved. This is really embarrassing for me." You say.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry Anon. Please don't be angry." Twilight says as her ears droop.
"It's just... I... I didn't want to waste any time if there really is a thief. Everything I've read in my books about thieves say that it's easier to catch them the sooner you act." She explains.

An awkward moment passes as you simply stare at each other, until Twilight looks away from you, scuffing one of her forehooves back and forth on the ground as she does so.
Now that you know the situation though, while the embarrassment lingers, you can't find it within yourself to be upset with Twilight. You know that she's doing her best in her own way to help you, and you appreciate that.

"I'm not angry with you or anyone, Twilight. Now that I know why it happened, I really appreciate all that you're doing for me on such a short notice." You say, making her ears perk back up in an instant.

"Really?" She questions you with hopeful eyes.

"Really. Just... Please talk to me first before doing something like this again, okay? Unless it's an emergency or something, of course." You respond.

"Okay, I will." Twilight agrees with a warm smile.

"So with that out of the way, what are you doing here now? And what about Bubble Shine?" You inquire.

"Well, I'm searching the area to see if I could find any bits of fur, or maybe a strand of hair from a mane or tail. I asked Bubble Shine to do the same thing up ahead in the direction the hoofprints went." She explains.
"Oh! And don't worry! Bubble Shine promised me that she wouldn't tell anypony else our suspicion." She quickly adds.

"Makes sense. That could help you identify who did it, wouldn't it?" You comment.

"Yes, that's right." Twilight agrees while nodding her head.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" You ask.

"Hmmmm... You can always look around your own home again if you haven't already. That's a place only you can really look through." Twilight suggests.

"I can do that." You agree, even though you know that you've looked through every nook and cranny already. The fact of the matter is, you simply can't think of anything else to do.
More than that, you'd also like some time just to be alone and to process what's going on.

"Great! We have a plan then. How about I stop by later today to tell you about anything we find?" Twilight says.

"Sure, that sounds fine." You agree.

"Okay. I'll see you later then, Anon." Twilight concludes, giving you a friendly smile before turning around and resuming her work.

As for yourself, you rise up and start to slowly meander your way back towards Ponyville. Going nowhere in particular, you begin to think...

You still can hardly believe that this is even happening right now. A potential theft alone is disturbing enough, but why would they go through the trouble to steal a pair of your underwear of all things?
One of the pleasant things that you quickly learned about this land, is how exceptionally rare crime is; a far cry from your old home.
Where you came from, a petty theft like this would be regarded as a minor annoyance at worst, but such things are a big deal here in Equestria when they happen.
Thinking about things from that angle, you can understand Twilight's reaction, as overzealous as it may have been. For all you know, it could easily have been years since something like this last happened.

At least it was clean underwear they stole, you think to yourself.

Moving through Ponyville, you feel a newfound sense of appreciation for all the ponies running around and participating in the search.
Many of them don't even really know you, yet here they are, taking time out of their day to lend a helping hoof.
The thought of that brings a smile to your face. You hope that you can do something helpful for all of them in return someday.
Suddenly, a different thought shoots through your mind, one that makes you stop dead in your tracks.

Thinking back to your conversation with Twilight mere moments ago, something she said had completely gone over your head.
You were too distracted with the absurdity of the situation to really comprehend it at the time. Twilight said she was going to contact Princess Celestia if nothing turns up today.
It doesn't take you more than a few seconds to understand what a terrible idea that is!
Spinning around in place, you quickly take off running back the direction you came, in hopes that Twilight hasn't moved far.
Thankfully, as you approach the small stand of trees and shrubbery behind Bubble Shine's house, you find the purple unicorn to still be there.
Noticing you running towards her, Twilight quickly moves out into the open to meet you halfway.

"Anon? Did somepony find something?" She asks you with anticipation in her eyes.

"No, it's just-!" You stammer as you kneel down in front of her, taking a moment to catch your breath as you do so.
"I appreciate everything you're doing for me, Twilight, but please, don't send a letter to the Princess about this. I really don't want that." You request, returning to a hushed voice for the sake of privacy.

"B-But...! But why? Princess Celestia would surely know how to track down a thief! Don't you want them to be caught?" Twilight protests.

"Of course I'd want a thief to be caught! But you need to consider a few things, Twilight." You begin.
"First off, we don't know for sure if this was a theft or not. Don't get me wrong, the evidence is compelling, and I'm inclined to believe it, but there's always other possible answers" You say.
"Second, I just really don't want more people getting involved. This is already embarrassing enough; I can't imagine what it would be like if word got out and the whole country knew." You explain to her.
"And finally, it's just a single pair of underwear, I can always get more; it's really not that important. Can't we just let this one go?" You continue
"So please, don't reach out to the Princess. It's not worth it. If something like this happens again, then requesting help might be the option to take." You conclude.

"Anon..." She whines while scrunching her nose up at you, clearly unhappy.

"Please, Twilight?" You plead.

You watch as the nose scrunch Twilight was holding intensifies, with neither of you saying more for several seconds.
Eventually though, the purple mare relents, relaxing her expression which then turns into a gentle smile.

"Alright Anon, if that's what you really want, then... I won't write to the Princess, I promise; no, I pinkie promise. I don't want you to be unhappy or mad at me." Twilight says.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Twilight recites while performing the appropriate gestures.

As she finishes, you could have sworn that you noticed a blur of pink off in the corner of your vision. Though when you glanced in that direction, nothing was to be seen...

"Thank you, I really, really appreciate you understanding." You say to her.

Twilight's smile grows as she nods in approval. However, her expression soon changes to one of uncertainty as she raises a forehoof to her chin in thought.

"We have a teeny, tiny problem to handle now." Twilight admits.

"Like what?" You ask.

"What am I supposed to say now? All the volunteer searchers are going to meet tomorrow morning, and everypony is going to be really disappointed if the search is called off if nothing was found." She explains.

"Hmm..." You hum as you consider her predicament. "...tell you what, how about you and Bubble Shine continue your work here, and I'll head back home and check around the house one more time." You suggest.
"During that time, I'll try and think of some solutions. You can stop by later today and we can discuss it more. How does that sound?" You add.

"I like that plan! We'll do that." Twilight agrees.

And sure enough, the two of you did indeed come up with a plan...

The following morning in Ponyville was much like any other. Celestia's sun was high in the sky, birds were singing, and a pleasant breeze was blowing across the land.
Except on this day, a large crowd of ponies of all sorts were gathered around the town hall, eager to receive new direction in an effort to lend a helping hoof to their resident human.
They murmured and whispered to one another, mingling about as they awaited the arrival of Twilight Sparkle.
Suddenly, the approaching sound of someone yelling could be heard, prompting all who had gathered to turn and see what the commotion was all about.
And there you were, running towards the crowd with Twilight Sparkle by your side, with one arm raised above your head.

"Hey! Everyone, look!" You yell out while proudly waving a pair of your underwear back and forth.

"We did it everypony! Anon's missing underwear was found!" Twilight excitedly announces as you draw close to the crowd.

And with that, the crowd immediately erupts into a roar of applause and cheers, accompanied by the stomping of hooves against the ground.
This great rejoicing carries on for minutes, with all the ponies congratulating one another on their hard work, along with many coming up to ask the important question of where the underwear had gone missing.
Things begin to inevitably quiet down, and soon enough all the ponies begin to disperse, heading off in all directions to resume their regular day-to-day routine.

Before too long, all that were left standing around were yourself, Twilight, and a few other ponies who were talking with each other.
Looking down at Twilight, she gives you a knowing wink, which you return before the two of you depart, eager to leave this crazy incident behind.

And just like that, It was another beautiful, peaceful day in Ponyville.

"...and that's why I don't take my underwear to Bubble Shine anymore. Now you know... You don't need to be repeating this story though, alright?" You conclude as you flash a grin towards a particularly amused Notaulix.

Your changeling friend found the entire incident fascinating, but he outright broke out in laughter when you explained how you and Twilight tricked everyone by waving around one of your other pairs of underwear.

"How strange! Has anything else been stolen from you since that happened, Anon?" Notaulix asks you.

"Nope. Nothing like that has ever happened since then, thankfully." You respond.

"I'm glad. It's very strange and funny to me, but it doesn't change how stealing is very bad." He says in response.
"Do you still believe that your underwear was stolen, Anon?" Notaulix then asks you, causing you to pause your work for a moment.

"To be honest? I'm not really sure... I guess when it comes down to it, I don't want to believe that some pony had the desire to go through the effort and risk just to steal my underwear of all things. That's just plain weird." You answer him.
"It's much better just to imagine that a bird or something grabbed hold and flew off with it or something." You conclude.

"Yes, I agree. Thank you for telling me this story, Anon. I enjoyed it." Notaulix says.

"You're welcome." You say as you resume what you were doing.

The crackling of the fireplace is all you hear as you finish placing the last few clothespins. Meanwhile, Notaulix happily sits next you, soaking in the warmth from the fire as he watches you.
With the last pin in place, you take a few steps back to admire your handiwork: A row of freshly washed underwear strung up along the fireplace mantle to dry.

"Well, that's that. How about some lunch now?" You suggest.

"Oh, yes please! May we please have some toast and jam, Anon? I would love more toast and jam!" Notaulix asks, looking up at you expectantly as he quickly rises onto all four hooves.

You chuckle at your eager companions behavior. He certainly seems to love sweet things.

"Of course we can. Come on, you can help me." You say as you begin walking over to the kitchen.

"Thank you, Anon!" Notaulix says, his voice full of gratitude and happiness, along with wings that softly buzz in anticipation as he closely follows behind.