“I forgot to ask her name,” the mulberry mare sighed. “Well, it is too late, I should be going.”
She left the room. In a corridor, she noticed a drawing on a wall. It depicted a bright spinning top on a dark background.
“Has it always been here?” She asked. “I will think about it later, I better be going.”
Downstairs there were no ponies, the confectionery mare had gone somewhere. The street was also empty of living things.
“No more distractions, I should go this way” she said. “I’d better talk with myself if there are no ponies around.”
She trotted for a minute or two, looking around. “Still no ponies.” She felt confused. “I wonder how they feel right now. Are they in danger? I should probably go a little faster, in case they need my help sooner rather than later.”
She reached the outskirts of the town. The area had far fewer buildings. She went to a road which wound around small hills and patches of thin coppice. Soon she reached an isolated cottage with a big front yard. There were a multitude of animal burrows and birdhouses around the cottage. She circled the building, but didn’t notice anyone.
“I hope she’s here.” The mare said to herself.
She went to the front door and knocked. Soon the door opened. “Hello, how can I help—“ A yellow mare with a long pink mane appeared in the doorway. “Oh, it’s you. Please come in.”
“Hello, I’m glad you’re home,” the mulberry mare said, going inside.
The yellow mare headed for a table and motioned her friend to sit next to her on the floor. They both settled on the pillows and kept silent for several seconds.
“Something strange is happening, and I need your help.”
“Of course, but what exactly?”
The mulberry mare told her about disappearances around the market and in shops. She also explained how she met another friend who was invisible to others.
“What do you think, can the spirit of chaos be responsible? You know him better than me.”
“Well, um. I don’t think so. He has been very nice recently.”
“I see. Thank you. Have you noticed anything unusual today?”
“It is hard to say, I’ve been inside all morning.”
“Can we go out so you can check? I don’t know your yard as well as you, and we may notice something that can help us figure out this situation.”
“Yes, perhaps it is time to go out.” The yellow mare nodded and went to the door. They went out and the mulberry mare went around the building once more. A number of cabins for animals stood on the yard, there were also feeders and water troughs near them.
“I remember you had more cabins,” the mulberry mare said. “And you had some animals around, do you know—”
“Where they are? I’m not sure, for some reason they decided to go elsewhere.”
“But you are so good with them, aren’t you—”
“Sad about that? Not really, because they will come back, eventually.”
“I see,” the mulberry mare said. “Please come to the library as soon as you can. I will go to gather the others.”
“Sure. See you soon.”
The mulberry mare turned and walked away. She didn’t head back to the town, instead she went aside. When she made about thirty steps from her friend she turned back to check.
The yellow mare sat near a small rock and arranged several fruits next to it. Then she petted the rock, and moved the fruits closer to it.
The mulberry mare shook her head. She turned from the yard and continued her trip.
“I feel that I’m missing something important about all this,” she said.