//------------------------------// // The Pursuit Begins // Story: The Revenge of the Sombranian Cult // by The Abyss //------------------------------// “Alrigh' Big Mac, I'm gonna head into town and set up the stand!” Applejack yelled, her tail flicking behind her as she trotted towards the barn. “You gonna be able ta handle the farm on your own today?” “Eeyup,” Big Mac replied, looking at the large puddles surrounding the farm. He sighed, his shoulders slumping as he mentally prepared himself for a particularly hard day's work. He had planned to plow the southern fields for some new crops, but with the fields all muddy, he knew his work was going to be much harder. Trotting to the side of the barn, he hooked himself up to the plow and wound his way toward the distant fields. Applejack gripped the barn door's handle between her teeth, grunting as she pulled the heavy door open. She walked inside, her hooves leading her to her trusty apple cart, softly whistling a tune as she tossed a couple bins of apples into the cart. She secured herself into the cart's harness, shrugging her shoulders as she slipped the rope over her neck. "Hey sis! Whatcha ya' doin?" Apple Bloom yelled out, shattering the quiet morning like an air horn. "Oh, nuthin' much; Ah'm jus' headin' into town to sell some apples," she responded, digging her hooves into the dirt as she slowly pulled the cart out of the barn. She held her breath, hoping her sister wouldn’t ask- "Oh, that sounds like fun! Can ah come?" Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide with hope as she hopped onto her sister's back and leaned over her head, looking into her eyes with a silly grin on her face. Applejack blanched, her mind returning to the last time her sister tried to help her sell apples in town. She shuddered lightly, drawing a cocked eyebrow from the smaller pony. "Ah think ah have it this time sugar cube. Why don' ya go an see what your friends are up to? Today looks like a great chance for some crusadin'!" She said, winking at her little sister.   "That's a great idea! Thanks, sis!" Apple Bloom said, leaping off her sister’s back and vanishing down the dirt road, a miniature cloud of dust following her. “Hey, sis, don' forget your chores!” Applejack yelled after her sister, sighing as she shook her head. Her little sister was nearly out of sight, so she most likely didn’t hear her. She closed her eyes as she made her way by memory down the dirt road leading into Ponyville, enjoying the warm sun on her coat. “Hey Applejack! How's it going?” Applejack opened her eyes, grinning at the pink party pony bouncing in circles around her and her cart. “Everythin's going great, sugar cube. Where're ya headed?” She lazily followed Pinkie with her eyes, shaking her head as the pony jumped into the cart behind her. Pinkie rooted around in the bins, pulled a large red apple out of the pile and threw it into the air. “Oh, nowhere in particular!” Pinkie Pie responded, lifting her muzzle and opening her mouth just in time as the apple fell.  Her jaws slammed down on the apple, swallowing the red fruit in a single bite. “I'm just finishing some errands before I have to take care of the twins. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are going to Canterlot for a vacation, so I offered to take care of the foals for them this week!” Applejack cocked an eye at the smiling pony. “You know, if you keep eating mah apples like this, ah'm gonna have to start chargin' ya!” She chuckled as Pinkie Pie stuck out her tongue in response. Changing the subject back to the twins, she said, “Anyways, that's mighty nice of ya to do that fer them; ah'm sure those little tikes can be quite a hoof-full!” “Oh, they're not that bad once you get used to them,” she smiled as her mind went back to the first time she took care of the twins on her own. “They're actually really fun to play with! Anyways, I need to head back to the bakery now; the Cakes are leaving shortly, and I told them I'd be there now. See ya later, AJ!” “See ya, Pinkie!” Applejack waved to the pink mare, a smile on her face as she watched her friend merrily hop away. "Hmm... Ah wonder what Twilight's up to. Ah should have enough time ta stop by an' see how she's doin'." She hiked the straps up a little higher on her shoulder, pulling the cart behind her as she wound her way towards the library. As the library came into view, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, a sudden feeling of dread worming its way into her stomach. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the front door hanging from a single hinge, papers and book covers scattered around the doorway. "What the hay..." Applejack pulled her cart towards the large tree, her hooves scrambling at the clasps as she quickly unhooked the harness from around her chest. She galloped into the building, her jaw dropping as she slid to a stop, her hooves sending books and papers flying. The library was trashed; books were everywhere but the shelves they belonged on, and Twilight's bedroom door was in pieces at her hooves. “Twilight?” Applejack hesitantly called out, her voice breaking the unnatural silence in the library. “Twilight, ya in here?” She looked around the room, her eyes drawn to a large pile of books near the bottom of the stairs. She made her way through the sea of books, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of a mess of purple hair poking from between the books. She pulled books from the pile as fast as she could, tossing them aside. She shouted her friend's name as she tossed book after book aside, only stopping when Twilight was fully uncovered. She shook the mare, trying to wake her unconscious friend. When Twilight didn't respond, Applejack lightly slapped the unicorn's muzzle, making her snort lightly. “No Rainbow, I don't wanna get up yet...” Twilight mumbled as she slowly began to wake up. “Wake up, consarn it!” Applejack yelled, slapping Twilight's muzzle a little harder. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, her hooves vainly searching for the cyan pegasus. “Rainbow, where are you?” Twilight mumbled, thinking that she was in bed with her. Realizing something was amiss, she slowly sat up as she turned toward Applejack with a confused look on her face. “Are you feeling okay? You have a mighty ugly bump above your eye,” Applejack asked in concern, turning Twilight's head with her hoof. “What happened here?” “What do you mean what happened...? Nothi....” Twilight trailed off as the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. She jumped to her hooves, the room spinning as her head screamed in protest. She gingerly ran a hoof across her brow, wincing in pain as she pulled her hoof away. “What the hay happened here, Twilight?!” Applejack repeated, concern evident in her tone. Twilight shook her head, her eyes unfocused as she tried to remember something. “Hold on, AJ..." In the back of her mind, she felt that she was forgetting something important, and she suddenly gasped as she remembered that Rainbow Dash had shared her bed with her last night. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight gasped, her heart racing as she galloped past Applejack, her hooves clopping on the stairs as she galloped into her bedroom. She rushed to her bed, her heart relaxing as she spotted Rainbow happily snoring away, her hair fluttering in the small breeze that her snoring created. She hopped onto the bed beside her and ran her hoof through Rainbow's mane, her cheeks blushing as she admired the mare's adorable face. She looks so cute when she's sleeping... “Rainbow...” Twilight whispered, lightly poking Dash in the side. After the mare let out a particularly loud snore, Twilight prodded harder, raising her a little bit voice as she did. “Rainbow, wake up.” Once again, no response. Twilight smirked as she lifted a pillow, her purple glow illuminating the room as she tossed it at the sleeping pegasus. Rainbow twitched as the pillow hit her on her back, her legs slightly kicking at the air. Twilight's eye twitched as Dash snored loudly, her ear twitching in her sleep. Twilight growled, her horn flaring as she retrieved the thrown pillow, and smacked the sleeping mare right on the nose with it. Rainbow snorted as she was abruptly awoken. She yawned sleepily and asked, “Huh... wazgoinon?” She rolled over, smiling as she spotted Twilight laying next to her. “Mmm... hey Twi,” she yawned again, rubbing at her eyes with her hooves. “How'd my favorite unicorn sleep?” Twilight stared at the mare in amazement, her anger rising. “Wha... What do you remember from last night?” Rainbow sat up, her wings stretching out behind her as she cocked her head at Twilight. “I remember you snuggling up to me in the middle of the night...” Rainbow trailed off cheekily, patting herself on the back mentally for shifting the blame. Twilight blushed furiously, her cheeks glowing red as she stuttered out a response. “What! I didn't... You di... huh?” “Don't worry, Twi. I didn't mind!” she said, winking at her friend with a grin on her face. “I actually enjoyed it, you're really soft ya know...” Rainbow leapt off the bed, lazily spinning through the air before landing beside Twilight. She rubbed her muzzle against Twilight's cheek, smiling as she faced her. “Thanks for letting me stay last night. I really didn't wanna try and fight that storm again. That's not the only reason I didn't wanna go home... alone…" Twilight shifted uncomfortably, wishing her cheeks would cool down. “Do you remember anything from last night? Specifically after we went to bed?” Rainbow sat on her haunches, scratching at the back of her neck as she thought. “Not really... I remember climbing into bed with you... Wait... I remember somepony coming in... Spike woke me up screaming...” She narrowed her eyes, her eyes unfocused as she recalled the previous night’s events. “I tried to get up and stop a strange unicorn…but his horn started glowing and...that's all I remember…okay?” Rainbow said, glancing at Twilight through her mane. “Where is Spike; is he okay?”   Twilight sighed, a tear coming to her eye. “Ok, here’s what happened: three ponies came into the library after we went to sleep. They said they needed help in finding a book, so I went downstairs to try to help them... But I heard Spike screaming a couple minutes later. I ran upstairs to try to get to him, but the leader teleported downstairs... I blew the bedroom door off its hinges just in time to see his two friends escape... and before the leader managed to leave, I sealed the library off...and...and...” She trailed off as more tears ran down her cheeks, leaning into Rainbow's embrace. Applejack appeared in the doorway, a scowl on her face as she faced her two friends. “Can somepony have the decency to explain to me what in the hay is goin' on here?” Applejack froze as Twilight turned to face her, her tears glistening in the dim light. “Some ponies came into the library late last night *sniff* after we had gone... gone to...” She trailed off as sobs wracked her body, tears spilling down her cheeks. She fell to the ground as her sobs rose in intensity. Rainbow pulled Twilight to her side, her hoof running over Twilight's back. “After we had gone to bed, some strange ponies broke in and kidnapped Spike... We don't know where they went...” Applejack's eyes went wide as she glanced at Spike's empty bed, her heart lurching at the sight. ”Spike is gone... I might never see him again... “Twilight sobbed harder at the chilling thought. She covered her eyes with her hooves, speaking between sobs. “He's gone... and I have no... idea where they took him!” Rainbow laid down next to Twilight, nuzzling the mare as she laid a wing over her and pulled her closer. “We'll find Spike, and even better, we'll teach those ponies not to mess with us! I'll fly to the ends of Equestria and further if that’s what it takes to find Spike!” She glanced over at Applejack, who was still standing in shock, and beckoned at Twilight with her head. She received a confused glance from the farm pony. “Isn't that right, AJ?” “Oh, uhh, yeah!” She stepped closer, pushing her chest out as she spoke. “Dash and Ah will go through town and ask if anyone saw anything last night, and we'll go out and head them off!” She glanced down at Rainbow Dash. “I'm sure somepony saw somethin'.” Twilight didn't respond, she just sat there sobbing with her face buried in her hooves. Rainbow hugged the mare tightly, before she stood and stepped towards the door. “You hear that, Twi? AJ and I are gonna go around town and see if anypony saw the ponies that took Spike! You gonna be okay for a while?” Twilight tensed up, her eyes rising to meet AJ’s and Dash's. Her friends subconsciously took a step back from seeing the fire that suddenly sparked in her eyes. “No. I'm not going to sit here while Spike's kidnappers get away!” She stood up and marched past the two, her tail flicking as she stepped down the stairs. She glanced at the books around her, her eyes narrowing at the mess. Her horn flared as she levitated all of the books into the air, neatly stacking themselves in towering piles in the far corner of the room. She glanced over her shoulder, glaring at the two slowponies who were still standing at the top of the stairs. She tapped her hoof impatiently, and indignantly asked, “What are you two waiting for? Come on!” Rainbow shot a glance at AJ before gliding down the stairs, flapping her wings as she hovered beside the agitated mare. “AJ, you go find Pinkie and Rarity, and I'll go nab Fluttershy. We'll meet back here and start asking around!” Rainbow said, flapping her wings as she hovered in place. Just as she was about to fly out the door, she yelped in surprise as Applejack bit down on her tail, yanking the pegasus back towards the ground. Applejack spit Rainbow's tail out of her mouth, and said, “Now hang on a sec, y'all! Rarity is off in Canterlot sealin' a big deal with a fancy store, Fluttershy's takin' care of a young falcon that lost a wing, and I ran into Pinkie on the way over here; she's got her hooves full takin' care of the Cake’s twins for a week. We're pretty much on our own here.” Dash sighed, her head falling. “Ugh! Whatever, we can still do this on our own!” She indignantly said as she trotted outside, her eyes sweeping the street. Her eyes went wide as she spotted Bon Bon walking down the street, a basket of sweets balanced atop her head. She quickly flew over to her and asked, “Hey Bon Bon! How's it hanging?” Without waiting for a response, she barreled on. “Say, you didn't happen to see any strange ponies around town last night, did ya?” “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash!” Bon Bon said, a large smile on her face as she greeted the pegasus. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a focused look on her face. “Well, Lyra and I spent last night at home, so we didn't see anypony strange. Why, is everything okay?” She asked, glancing toward Twilight and Applejack, a frown on her face as she saw the sad expression on Twilight's face. Rainbow ran a hoof through her mane in exasperation. “Uhhh...yeah, everything's fine Bon Bon. Listen, I'll talk to you later, okay?” She was about to fly away when Bon Bon suddenly said, “Wait..! I talked to Berry Punch this morning, and she mentioned meeting a trio of new ponies in the bar last night..? Maybe that could help you out?” She said, glancing over at Twilight who suddenly had a hopeful expression on her face. “That helps a lot; thanks!” Rainbow said, waving to the mare as she flew back to her friends. “Bon Bon just told me that she talked to Berry Punch this morning, and she said that she might know something!” “Well then, what the hay are we waitin' for; let's go find her!” Applejack said, her muzzle breaking into a light grin. “Yeah…about that...any idea where to start?” Rainbow said, cocking an eyebrow at Twilight as she trotted past her. Twilight slowed to a stop, glancing over her shoulder at her friends. “Knowing Berry Punch, she'll most likely be at home recovering from a hangover.” Twilight turned, her hooves kicking up dirt as she galloped down the street towards Berry’s house with her friends in tow. After a brief gallop, she slowed to a stop outside the small cottage, her hooves clacking over the cobblestones leading towards the front door. She rapped against the wood three times, three sharp pops ringing throughout the small house. A moment passed in silence, broken only by Applejack's voice. “Maybe she isn' ho-” she said, trailing off as Twilight banged harder on the door, putting small hoof-shaped imprints in the wood. “Ugh... Okay, okay I'm coming; Hang on a minute...” a voice called from inside. Twilight huffed, her foot tapping the ground impatiently as she glared at the door. She was just about to yank it open when it opened, revealing a disheveled Berry Punch holding an expensive-looking bottle of liquor. “Hey Twilight.. AJ, Dash...” Berry Punch said, her words slightly slurred as she waved at the three, spilling her precious liquid onto the ground below her. “Ah shucks...oh well. What can I do for ya?” “Did you meet three new ponies last night? A pegasus, an earth pony, and a unicorn?” Twilight asked, her eyes narrowing as Berry winced at her sharp tone. “Three ponies broke into my house last night, and you might be the only one who saw anything...” She trailed off as Berry Punch raised the bottle to her lips, taking a large sip of the sloshing amber liquor. “Yea, I remember them...” she said slowly, holding the bottle toward Twilight, offering her a taste of the drink. Twilight shook her head, her eyes never leaving the tipsy mare. Berry raised an eyebrow before shrugging. “The unicorn actually gave me this bottle!” she continued, glaring at the near-empty bottle. “After I left the bar, I started to make my way home, and ran into him again... literally. He knocked me down and left me laying in a puddle of mud. Now that I think about it, he was coming from the direction of the library…” She said, scowling at the bottle as if the stallion himself sat before her. “Did you see which way he was running?” Twilight asked, holding her breath as Berry scratched her cutie mark. “Yeah, yeah... they were headin' north, past the old windmill, I believe...” She said, throwing the remaining contents of the bottle back. “I hope that you catch your burglars... If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go back to bed; I have what you might call a slight hangover...” She turned away and walked back into her house, the front door hanging wide open behind her. Twilight stared at the wasted pony in astonishment and used her magic to slowly shut the door behind Berry. She walked back to her companions on the road, shaking her head slightly. “Berry said she saw the three last night at the bar last night, and she said that she saw them head north, out past the old windmill. So, that's where we're headed!” She said, her hooves already beating at the road below her as she raced down the road that led towards the northern edge of town.