//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Where Have You Gone? // Story: Don't Look Back // by JerryTheHouseGhost //------------------------------// 1 Where Have You Gone? Twilight Sparkle was up before most ponies this day. She had to get up early to help Rarity set up decorations around Ponyville for Hearth's Warming Eve. Though the holiday itself was't for another few weeks, the citizens of Ponyville always enjoyed having the festive mood start early in the month. Twilight was told to meet Rarity at her house to start the decorating. Rarity had made most of these herself, before Twilight had come to live in Ponyville. As Twilight opened the door of her house, freezing-cold air began to blow in. The weather was definitely approving of the decorations being put up. Twilight had thought that she wasn't going to have to wear her warm winter clothes today, but she had been proven wrong by the sight of her breath instantly after the door was opened. After clothing herself with the proper attire, Twilight attempted to leave her house again, this time with more success. She made her way to Rarity's house. She was excited that Rarity had asked her to help out with the decorations for two reasons. One, because she had never put up Hearth's Warming Eve decorations since she was a filly, and two, because she thought she could get a friendship report out of it. Twilight arrived at Carousel Boutique. After a few knocks on the door, she heard Rarity's voice call "come in!" Twilight opened up the door and walked through the threshold. She had almost forgotten what proper warmth was until she closed the door behind her. She removed her winter clothes and set them down by the door; she didn't want to get too hot. Rarity was working hard on something. "Twilight, would you be a dear and lift this up while I wrap some fabric around it?" asked Rarity. "Of course!" Twilight used her magic to levitate whatever it was Rarity was working on. Rarity began to wrap a light-blue fabric around it. After Rarity ran out of the fabric, she began to wrap a thin gold ribbon around it. Once she reached the other side, she cut the ribbon with scissors and glued it down. "Oh, I just can't wait to see the look on Pinkie Pie's face when she sees this new decoration!" Rarity said excitedly. Pinkie Pie had always loved every one of the decorations Rarity made. "I couldn't stand to see how downtrodden she looked yesterday." "Yeah, I wonder what was wrong," said Twilight. She looked at the 'decoration' with a confused look on her face. "What is it?" "Oh, sorry," said Rarity. She used her magic to stand it upright. It was a lamp post made to look like a blue and gold candy cane. "Couldn't you have put this stuff on a lamp post we already had?" asked Twilight. "Now, Twilight, that would be too easy. Do you remember who you're talking to? I never take the easy way out when it comes to my work!" "So, how many decorations are there to be set up?" asked Twilight. Before Rarity could take a breath to begin her answer, Rainbow Dash came through the door. "Hey, have any of you seen Pinkie Pie? I was supposed to met her at Sugarcube Corner to help her bake cupcakes, but she wasn't there. I've searched almost everywhere for her!" "Sorry, Dash; I haven't seen her since yesterday," responded Twilight. "Nor have I," said Rarity. "Have you checked her room in Sugarcube Corner? Maybe she hasn't woken up yet?" "I doubt it, but I'll check anyway," said Rainbow Dash. She left Rarity's house, letting in a quick gust of cold air. Twilight shivered. "Strange; Pinkie Pie is never too hard to find," said Twilight. "I wonder if this has something to do with why she was acting so strange yesterday." "That's quite a possibility, Twilight. She didn't even show up for lunch yesterday; she always shows up for lunch," said Rarity. "I forgot to tell you that when I asked her what was wrong, she insisted that it was nothing and ended up just walking away. That is definitely not something she'd do, not even if she wanted to." "I'm sure she's feeling better today, or at least starting to," said Rarity. "Remember the last time we saw her like that? It didn't even last the whole day." "Yeah, I guess you're right," said Twilight. She was still worried for Pinkie Pie, though. She had a reason to feel down last time, and her friends were able to easily get her spirits back up. This time, however, was different; nopony knew what was wrong. Twilight was about to continue examining the candy cane lamp post when Rainbow Dash burst through the door. "Rainbow Dash? What are you-" Twilight saw that she had tears in her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, whats wrong!" Rainbow Dash dropped a piece of paper on the floor and flew out the door. Rarity ran over and closed the door, then trotted next to Twilight to look at the piece of paper. Twilight picked it up with her magic and turned it over to see what was on it. There was a note. Dear Friends, I am sorry to say that, by the time you are reading this, I have already left Ponyville and will not return. I need to keep you all safe, and the only way to do that was to get myself as far away as possible from everypony. Please do not come searching for me. I kindly ask Fluttershy to watch over Gummy now. I must say sorry again, and I will miss all of you. Goodbye, Pinkie Pie Twilight and Rarity couldn't keep the tears from coming out of their eyes. Twilight dropped the note from Pinkie Pie onto the ground. Twilight and Rarity hugged each other, still crying. Once Twilight was able to speak, she said, "Fluttershy and Applejack have to know." The two unicorn ponies put on their warm clothes and left for Fluttershy's cottage with the note. They told anypony they saw along the way of what has happened, and each one got teary-eyed and didn't know what to say. They couldn't believe that Pinkie Pie had just gotten up and left. One of the only sources of fun had just vanished. It was almost as if a magician had secretly performed a disappearing act with the happiness in Ponyville, but had forgotten to make it reappear. Twilight and Rarity got to the walkway that led to Fluttershy's cottage. They didn't know how they would tell Fluttershy of this bad news. As the two ponies discussed their plan of action, the front door of the cottage opened up. Out came Gummy with a little scarf and ear muffs, followed by Fluttershy with her winter clothes on. The sight of Gummy without Pinkie Pie caused Rarity to tear up and begin to cry. Twilight comforted Rarity as Fluttershy trotted over to them, with Gummy following close behind her. "What's the matter, Rarity?" Fluttershy looked very concerned. "Is something wrong with Opalescence!?" "No, it's not that," replied Twilight. "Well then... Why are you crying, Rarity?" asked Flutershy, even more concerned now. "Why do you have Gummy, Fluttershy?" asked Rarity, barely able to speak over her sniffling. "Oh, somepony was knocking on my door very early in the morning, and when I finally got to opening it up, I saw Gummy standing in front of the doorway with nopony with him. The poor little thing was freezing cold, so I took him inside to warm up." "So Pinkie Pie wasn't there?" asked Twilight. "She might have been the one who knocked on the door," began Fluttershy, "but I doubt it; she'd never leave Gummy out in the cold by himself like that." "There's something..." Twilight began to tear up. "There's something you've got to see." Twilight took the note of of her pocket and gave it to Fluttershy, who began to read it. "Oh, my..." These were the only words Fluttershy was able to speak before she began to cry. She left the note on the ground and quickly went back inside of her cottage with Gummy. Twilight looked at Rarity, and they both nodded. Twilight lifted the note up with her magic and put it back in the pocket of her winter coat. She was reluctant to go tell Applejack, because she knew that it would bring even more sadness to both her and Rarity, and now Applejack. However, it had to be done. The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was a very long one, and in this cold weather Twilight knew it wouldn't be a very happy walk. It started to snow on the way. Oh, the snow; such a happy and peaceful sight to most. It falls so softly, so slowly, making no noise at all. Pinkie Pie loved the snow. She would always lay on her back in the snow and wave her legs around to make what was called a 'snow angel.' Twilight looked up into the sky. Somewhere, right at this very moment, snow must be falling around Pinkie Pie. Sweet Apple Acres began coming into view up ahead. The snow had created a beautiful blanket of pure-white all over the ground. Twilight and Rarity couldn't help themselves; they both fell onto their backs and made snow angels. They got up and looked at their creations. There was something different about the ones Pinkie Pie always made; the ones she created always had a certain look to them, a look of pure joy and excitement. Rarity and Twilight's just looked plain. Applejack was bound to be inside of the house, cooking up some warm meal for the rest of the Apple family to have for lunch. Rarity wished they didn't have to tell Applejack about this bad news. The house looked so peaceful. The fields of snow were untouched by anypony. Twilight began to cry. Pinkie Pie would have made sure to play in every square-foot of snow. Ponyville was going to be different; it wouldn't have the splendid nature of Pinkie Pie to brighten up any down moods. Could this be a dream? A terrible dream that Twilight has yet to wake up from and give a sigh of relief? No; this was too real to be a dream. Twilight and Rarity reached the door, and Rarity knocked on it. Several seconds passed before the door was opened. Apple Bloom stood on the other side of the doorway. "Oh, hey you two!" said Apple Bloom. "Hey, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack inside?" asked Twilight. "She sure is! Come on in!" Apple Bloom was happy to see these unexpected guests. Twilight and Rarity walked inside, and Apple Bloom closed the door behind them. "Applejack's upstairs in 'er room. Do ya want me to go get 'er for ya?" "No, but thank you for offering," said Rarity. The two unicorns proceeded upstairs to Applejack's room. The door to her room was open, and they walked in and closed it. Applejack was at the window, looking out at the snow, when she saw the reflections of her two friends behind her. "If ah had known y'all were gonna be here, I'da prepared more soup for ya!" said Applejack. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary; we're not planning on staying too long," said Rarity. "Why's that?" asked Applejack, who was confused as to why her friends would walk all the way here through the freezing-cold weather and not stay for very long. "Here, this is what we came here for." Twilight took Pinkie Pie's goodbye note out of her coat pocket and gave it to Applejack. "Feel free to do whatever you want with it after you read it; we have no use of it now." "What's this-here piece o' paper?" asked Applejack. "Just read it," said Rarity, who had began to tear up once again. "What's wrong, Rarity?" asked Applejack. Twilight looked at Applejack, then motioned towards the note. Applejack looked down at the paper as Twilight and Rarity left her room. Applejack began to read the note. Twilight and Rarity walked downstairs and walked out the door. As they were walking down the path, they looked back at the house and saw Applejack in an open doorway, crying and being comforted by Apple Bloom. Twilight looked into the distance. Pinkie Pie, where have you gone?