The effect continued into the next day, much to Trixie’s chagrin. While the day before the town had been abuzz, now it was practically humming with energy. Ponies were laughing and prancing more vigorously than they did even near royally-mandated holidays, all of them seeming energetic- -but at the same time, oddly distant. As if their minds were on something else. They performed their tasks and jobs with greater vigor and inspiration, but at the same time with greater distance.
Trixie’s morning smoothie was a brand new flavor- -something that never happened- -but the bananas in it had not been peeled, and the whole thing had barely even been mixed. When she stopped at the café for breakfast, they had new hay burritos en masse- -but somepony had mistakenly used straw instead of hay, and Trixie spent most of her breakfast time trying to cough it out. Ponies repaving parts of the road had done so far faster than had been planned- -but in the process failed to grade the road, and very nearly sealed Scootaloo in asphalt. Scootaloo, who should have been in school but was sneaking out to see the hole- -and Scootaloo, who as one of the first to have seen it, who was already beginning to manifest the more sinister symptoms of prolonged exposure.
To Trixie, it was all more than annoying- -but as the Greatest and most Powerful pony ever to walk the face of Equestria, she had grown accustomed to tolerating annoyance. Still, she was beginning to feel strange. Strange in a way she did not understand consciously.
The summer day was not as warm as it had been. The morning was cold, and the leaves would change soon. They would burn in colors brighter than they ever had, and then they would die and fall.
There was work to be done. The coolness of the morning made Trixie shiver and wonder what the weather would bring, but there was no sense in complaining. The weather ponies never listened to her suggestions anyway. She had not gotten to her posters the day before, and she was behind on her practice. Additionally, she now darkly acknowledged that there was a chance she might need to write Starlight out of the act entirely. That is, if she insisted on going to raging parties and seeing holes instead of helping like she promised.
Little happened out of the ordinary until late in the day when Starlight approached Trixie from the main street. Trixie, of course, pretended that she was not even there.
“Hey,” said Starlight.
“What is that? Is that the sound of wind? Or maybe hot air?”
“Trixie, come on. I said I’m sorry.”
“No. No you didn’t. You were a jerk, Starlight. And believe me, I know how being a jerk feels.”
“Trixie.” Starlight’s tone was serious. “I can’t find Maud.”
Trixie paused from putting up her poster. “Maud?”
“She was at the party last night, but…”
“You know how Maud is,” said Trixie, quickly. “She’s sensitive. She’s probably back at her cave.”
“I already checked. She wasn’t there. I don’t think she ever went home.”
“Well, then, she’s probably at your stupid hole- -”
“The hole is not stupid!” cried Starlight, loud enough to cause Trixie to jump. Trixie looked at her, eyes wide in confusion. Starlight was breathing hard, harder than she should have been. Her pupils were strangely narrow, but they began to widen, if only slightly.
“Sorry,” said Starlight, running her hoof over her face. “I didn’t mean to yell. I didn’t sleep much.”
“To busy partying?”
“No, I went to bed early. But I was…thinking.”
“About what?”
Starlight did not answer. She just shook her head. “I already checked the hole. As soon as I woke up. She wasn’t there, but…” She trailed off.
“What?”
“There were ponies there. Two of those little girls. Some others. They were just…standing there. Staring down it. Not even moving.”
Trixie shivered. “It must be some hole.”
“It is,” said Starlight. She sounded terrified. “They…they didn’t look good. Especially the girls. I…I don’t think they went home. I think they were just there. The whole night.”
“In the EverFree? Even I wouldn’t try that, and I’ve dragged a cart through some hairy bush.”
“I know. I think…I think something’s wrong.”
It seemed like it took a great deal of effort for her to say it, and when she looked up Trixie gasped. Starlight looked tremendously old.
“What should we do?”
“I don’t know,” said Starlight. “I just don’t know.”