Thunderlane was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace. He pursed his lips and thought about what had happened at Sugar Cube Corner a few hours before, tapping his forehead with a hoof. "C'mon, think." he muttered. "Could I have just walked out and forgot?" He listened to the logs crackle in the grate, the warm glow of the flames almost too hot to bear. He felt sweat trickle down his brow. A clock on the mantelpiece chimed three o'clock, breaking his concentration. He gasped, hot air filling his lungs. How long had he sat there?
"Hey, Thunderlane!" he heard a voice call from upstairs. Little hoofsteps clopped down the wooden steps, turning in to a harsh clatter of keratin on earthen tiles. "I'm hungry!" His brother, Rumble, stood in the doorway to the living room. "Can we go out and get lunch?" The light grey colt trapped across the floor to sit next to him.
"I dunno, little buddy. Don't we have stuff in the kitchen?" Thunderlane replied, stretching out his aching muscles. He felt his joints pop.
"Nah, it's all just bread and hay." Rumble rolled his eyes.
"Well, bread and hay are food."
"Aw, c'mon!" Rumble complained. "I had bread and hay for lunch yesterday. It's so boring." He had a point. The older brother tapped a hoof on the rug. "Please? It's the weekend."
"That's your excuse for everything!" Thunderlane jibed. Rumble scowled. "Okay, okay; we'll go out for a late lunch."
"All right!" Rumble yelled, jumping up on the spot, his tiny wings flapping hard, keeping him suspended in the air.
"Get your scarf, cuz we don't want you catching the sniffles."
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The two pegasi swooped down in to the centre of Ponyville, enjoying the sight of the snow-dusted town. Ponies were out and about, enjoying the nice weather, despite the cold. Colts and fillies held snowball fights in the side streets, some sledding on a nearby hillside.
"So where are we going?" Rumble asked, flying close to his brother.
"I dunno. How about you pick?"
"Hay Burger?" Thunderlane laughed out loud.
"I thought you didn't want bread and hay?"
"That's different; it tastes good!"
"Whatever lil' brother. Let's go." Thunderlane broke away, gliding down towards the main square. Rumble followed shortly behind him, keeping his eye out for the distinct blue and yellow branding. They landed in the street, just a few hundred yards shy of Sugar Cube Corner. Thunderlane stuck the landing perfectly, even on the icy cobblestones. Rumble had less luck, skittering over the frozen road surface and stumbling to a halt, face down. "Careful!"
"I got it!" Rumble pulled himself up, glaring at everypony nearby, challenging them to crack a smile. "I'm fine." he grumbled, trotting back to his brother's side. "Stupid snow."
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"Well girls, I think we can safely say this was a success!" Twilight gleamed, levitating two full wicker baskets of dark red and purple fruits. "I had no idea there would be this many berries in the woods."
"Whooee! You said it, Twilight!" Applejack agreed as she brushed her fringe from her eyes. "I ain't never seen anythin' like it."
"It really was an amazing find." Fluttershy piped up. When her friends weren't looking, she would pick a few blackberries out of the basket at AJ's side.
"You got any idea what yer gonna do with 'em, Pinkie?" AJ asked.
"Hmm, you can't go wrong with a shortcrust pastry tart, or a jelly donut!" Pinkie trotted ahead of them, a much more genuine smile now on her lips. "I might whip up some berry frosting! They'll make it really really purple."
"I remember Granny showing us how you use sloes to make a mighty fine cordial. Of course, that was with the uh... leftovers from the sloe gin." AJ chuckled. "She used to make it plenty often. She can barely look at 'em nowadays."
"I bet you can do all sorts of super fun stuff with it! I wonder if Gummy will like them." Pinkie hummed to herself, prancing effortlessly down the icy sidewalk. "Twilight, do alligators eat berries?"
"Uh, I don't think so." Twilight replied. "But I don't think it will hurt them."
"Well, I'm sure Gummy will like them either way. That boy really likes to bite-" Pinkie stopped dead. Applejack ran in to the back of her.
"Hey, watch out!" AJ spluttered, steadying herself and trying not to slip on the ice. Pinkie was staring. Across the road, they all spotted Thunderlane and Rumble heading towards the Hay Burger. "Pinkie, what's wrong?" AJ asked. Pinkie kept staring. The dark grey pegasus slowed down, turning to check on his brother. Rumble skidded and scampered on the spot, but soon found his way forward again. Turning to continue, he locked eyes with Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie?" Twilight tried, waving a hoof in front of her face. "Is something wrong?" Pinkie didn't reply, a scowl forming. "Pinkie Pie?"
Thunderlane was making his way over. Pinkie was tense. "Hey!" he addressed them all, trying his best to be friendly. "How are you doing?"
"Hello Thunderlane. We're doing very well, thank you for asking." Fluttershy replied, oblivious to Pinkie's slight shaking. "And yourself?"
"I'm good, thank you. Was just out to get a late lunch with Rumble." The colt tapped his hoof impatiently behind his brother. "It looks like you've been out foraging; looks like quite a haul!"
"Yeah, we had some excellent luck with the blackberries, especially." Twilight joined in, lowering the two baskets she held with her magic. Thunderlane whistled in appreciation.
"I didn't even know there'd be any left at this time of year. I'd love to see what I could whip up with them; maybe some kind of coulis or purée." He looked to Pinkie, hoping to stir some polite conversation on a culinary common ground. She just stared. Twilight picked up the lead.
"Right well, uh, I hope you have a good day. We'll be heading to Sugar Cube Corner to-" She was cut off by the sound of galloping. Pinkie had taken flight. "Pinkie!" Twilight dropped the fruit and turned to run after her with Applejack in pursuit. Fluttershy, now nervous, took off and hovered.
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry, Thunderlane. I don't know what's gotten in to her." She flew after her friends, stopping quickly to wish the stallion a pleasant afternoon, before disappearing down the street. A few of her yellow feathers drifted on the breeze.
"I don't understand. What did I do wrong?" He thought about it; first their strange interaction back at Sugar Cube Corner, now this. "Is Pinkie being extra weird lately, or do I just never notice?"
Rumble, unfazed by the sudden turn of events, prodded Thunderlane in the flank. "C'mon, let's get lunch! I'm starving."
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"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight called out, heading to the edge of town. The darkness of the Everfree Forest loomed in front. Wherever Pinkie had vanished to, surely she wouldn't have thought to venture so far in to the wilderness. Right?
"Pinkie!" Applejack hollered, the force of her shout straining her voice. "Shoot, girl, where are ya?" She took a few steady breaths to calm her nerves before yelling up to Fluttershy overhead. "Ya see her yet?" The pegasus shielded her eyes from the Sun, squinting into the dense foliage. After a few tense moments, she looked down, shaking her head.
"She definitely came this way. She can't have gone too far." Twilight reassured her friends. "We'll just have to spread out." She tilted her head back. "Fluttershy! Go and find Rainbow Dash and Rarity, we've got to head in to the forest!"
Fluttershy darted off towards the town, fearful tears welling up in her eyes. This time of year, the timberwolves were out in full force; Pinkie didn't stand a chance.