//------------------------------// // 4 // Story: The Truth // by Jet Cannon //------------------------------// Few ponies lacked the sense to go outside on that awful night. From a window alcove in the town’s library, Twilight Sparkle duly noted a blonde-maned, grey-bodied Pegasus mare flying around in an even more haphazard fashion than was considered “normal” for her, and prayed that young Dinky’s mother would remain safe. “I’m sure your weekly order of muffins from Sugarcube Corner could probably wait until tomorrow, Ditzy, or whatever has you out at this time of night,” she sighed quietly. “Is Derpy out in that?” Spike asked incredulously from the floor below, looking up as he dusted some shelves. “Unfortunately Ditzy Doo is out in the rain, yes,” Twilight reminded him with a slight scowl, before relenting with another sigh. “She’ll probably be ok, though. I mean, one time I saw her get hit by lightning more times in a minute than is scientifically probable over the average pony’s lifetime! And she just got up, shook her head, giggled, and carried on as if nothing had happened!” “Some ponies are just weird,” Spike muttered to himself, getting back to his dusting. “Now Spike,” Twilight began, about to give a lecture on how Ditzy was, despite appearances, a very nice mare once you got to know her, but a loud knocking on the front door stopped her. “Somepony else is crazy enough to be outside in that rain?” Spike exclaimed as Twilight shut her book and trotted down the stairs to open the door. “Well, I’m sure whoever they are has a very good reason to be doing so.” She wasn’t wrong. As soon as the door was open, in bounded Applejack, her normally tied back mane loose and half plastered across her face by the rain, drenched to the skin and with a wild terror in her eyes that sent a shiver through Twilight before the Unicorn even heard the reason for her friend’s visit. Applejack stood just inside the door for a moment, catching her breath as Twilight gaped. “Applejack! My gosh, you’re soaked through! And you don’t have your hat?! What’s going on?” “Never mind mah darn hat! It’s Apple Bloom, Twilight! She’s ran away, and we don’t know where she’s gone!” Applejack grabbed Twilight’s front hoof in both of her own as she pleaded with her friend, despair creeping its way into her voice: “Please, Twilight! You have to help us find her!” “Oh! O-of course I will! But what happened, why did she run away? Do you know where she’s gone?” “No, Ah don’t know where she’s gone! If Ah knew that, I wouldn’t be here!” the orange Earth pony snapped in frustration, but the anger in her eyes quickly faded and she lifted a hoof to her forehead as she looked at the floor. “Ah’m sorry Twilight, Ah’m just so darn scared that somethin’s gonna happen to her…” The adrenaline from her gallop to the library had begun to wear off, and Applejack had begun to shake violently. It was hard to tell if it was nerves, or cold, or both, but Twilight knew that her friend wouldn’t be able to stay on her hooves for much longer if she didn’t help. After a moment’s hesitation, and deciding to risk protests of time-wasting, Twilight walked up to Applejack and gently wrapped her forelegs around her friend’s neck. Applejack was gratefully pulled into Twilight’s hug, and she quietly cried into her friend’s shoulder for a short while, before she sniffed and stood up straight again. The worry had not left her eyes, but something of the strong Earth pony’s familiar determination had returned. “Thanks Twilight, Ah needed that.” “Don’t mention it.” The Unicorn gave her friend a small smile, before she began darting around the library building, grabbing things here-and-there and giving instructions to Spike. “Ok, Spike, whilst I get ready I want you to write out a few quick notes to the other girls. Tell them to meet us in the town square as soon as they can!” “Should I tell them what’s going on?” he asked, grabbing a quill and parchment and hastily scrawling out a basic message. Twilight paused to consider for a second, then shook her head and continued rooting around for equipment. “No, maybe not. If Rarity accidentally lets slip to Sweetie Belle, or if Rainbow Dash is around Scootaloo, then they’ll probably want to come too, and that would only complicate things. Do say it’s urgent, though.” Soon afterwards Twilight stood ready, saddlebags filled with all manner of outdoor survival equipment from a compass to sturdy climbing rope. “Um, Twi, not meanin’ to sound ungrateful or anythin’, and Ah’m sure some o’that there stuff might come in handy, somehow…” Applejack said uncertainly, eyeing an ice-pick sticking out from under a flap, “but why do you have all that stuff anyways?” “I was reading a book about outdoor survival, and it recommended putting together a basic kit with the essentials so that you could be ready in an instant for all manner of situations!” Twilight explained happily, before looking in the direction of her bathroom and extending a magical aura. Applejack could only stare in bemusement. “That’s the last one!” Spike announced, his final note disappearing into magical green flames as he spoke. “Ok Applejack, who else is out looking for Apple Bloom?” “It’s just me’n Big Macintosh. Granny Smith stayed behind in case Apple Bloom came back, and she wouldn’t have really been much help out here Ah guess.” “Probably best to send Macintosh a note as well, Spike. That way we can all meet up and organise ourselves.” “On it!” “Now can we go, Twilight? Ah’ve been here longer’n Ah meant to be as it is!” “Hold on, AJ, we need to get you dried up a bit first!” “Wha−? Hold on a minute!” Applejack’s protests were muffled into silence as Twilight quickly levitated a large towel from the bathroom and began to dry her off unceremoniously. “If you go back out there like that you’re going to collapse from the cold!” Her work done, Twilight presented the disgruntled Earth pony a rain coat, she herself slipping into a cagoule. Applejack grudgingly accepted the covering, and the two ran into the night. Spike looked out into the darkness as the two mares quickly disappeared from view, and shivered. As if on cue a flash of lightning lit the sky, followed a second later by an explosion of thunder from overhead. Wondering how he came to be clinging to a table leg, the baby dragon quickly let go and went to close the door. “I sure hope they’re gonna be alright.” His plea was answered only by the sound of the rain, beating ever more furiously into the ground. He shivered again, and hurriedly closed the door.