"Oh, my dear Twilight! You look absolutely frazzled! Atrocious, even! You could most definitely use a makeover darling!"
"There's no time!"
"What do you mean, there's no time? Surely there's time for fash-"
"According to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash flew into the Everfree Forest, and she wasn't in a very stable emotional state. We need to go find her!"
"Of all the things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSI-" Rarity was cut off again as Twilight's magic enveloped her.
"NO. TIME. I need you to gather up some search parties to look for her. No makeovers, no crying. We need to find her fast."
Rarity was visibly shaken when Twilight returned her to the ground, the urgency in the purple unicorn's voice finally reaching through to Rarity's mind. "O-of course Twilight! Whatever I can do to help my dear friend!"
"Good. I'm going to try and use a tracking spell to find her, but that storm and it being the Everfree forest... We'll need everypony that can to lend some eyes." And with her mission complete, Twilight teleported away once more.
****
"Zecora? Twilight? Fluttershy?" Rainbow was struck by a coughing fit, and her wound sent a blaze of agony through her flank. "Anypony? Please?"
Unfortunately for Rainbow, however, her desperate pleas were left unheard as a wall of darkness came over her once again.
****
"Twiliiight! Twilight open up!" cried Rainbow as she slammed her hoof against the library door. A bleary-eyed, still half-asleep unicorn opened the door with a purple glow.
"What's the matter Rainbow? Why, exactly, are you in such a hurry right after dawn to get into the library?"
The bright blue pegasus rubbed her forehooves together nervously. "It wasn't my idea, I swear! Pinke said we should replace some of the apples on one of AJ's trees with balloons filled with paint and-"
Eyebrow arched, an irritated tone found its way into Twilight's next statement. "So one of your silly pranks got you in trouble, did it? Took long enough..." and the purple unicorn started to close the door. Unfortunately, Rainbow had the presence (or lack) of mind to stick herself in between the magically swinging door and the doorframe. She wheezed as the heavy oak door slammed into her body.
"Pleease Twilight!"
"Ugh. Celestia knows why I go through this much trouble for my friends." said Twilight, rolling her eyes and reluctantly allowing Rainbow Dash inside.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" the pegasus exclaimed, giving the tired unicorn a fierce hug. After a brief moment, Twilight broke the hug with a slight blush on her face. She waved the vibrant prankster off and began to head back upstairs to her bed.
"Don't worry about it. You can stay here however long you need, just try not to break anything. I'm going back to sleep, because someponies wait until sensical times to get up."
****
It was raining. Not an unusual occurrence around Equestria, but for one rainbow-colored pegasus, it was special indeed. Of course, nopony knew it besides her, but it was still enough to bring a smile to her muzzle.
"Ah gotta say Rainbow, ah don't know what ah would do without your rainstorms. Those other pegasi just weren't able to get the rain as well spread across the farm as you do."
"Well, you know, I do take extra care for my friends... And I'm awesome!"
"Ah just want you to know that ah'm grateful for your efforts RD. Wouldn't want none of mah friends feeling unappreciated."
Rainbow's muzzle briefly flashed crimson. "Don't worry about it AJ! Helping you is its own reward!"
****
"Hey Twilight!"
The unicorn inside the library turned towards the open window right next to her. "Yes Rai-"
"Over here!" She twisted her head, facing the complete opposite part of the massive tree, catching sight of a vibrant, multicolor mane as it whisked through the air.
"Uhh... Rainbow?"
"Haha, over he-dang it!" Rainbow exclaimed as she saw the unamused librarian staring at her. Improvising, she quickly dashed through the window and tapped Twilight on the head. "You're it!" A fierce grin lit the muzzle of the cyan pegasus, and she flew away from the flustered unicorn.
"Really Rainbow?"
The only response was a tongue poking out from the pegasus. Of course, she forgot that it was actually a unicorn trained in magic that she was trying to keep away from.
"AGH! That's cheating!" The best young flier's limbs flailed as she struggled against Twilight's power, but the student of Princess Celestia didn't allow her quarry to escape. She trapped the pegasus in place and hit her gently on the head, before launching Rainbow out the very window she entered from.
"Hey wait what are you-AGH!"
Twilight allowed herself a small, satisfied, grin as the pegasus scrambled valiantly to stabilize herself. Closing the windows with a brief burst of magic, she turned and sat back down at her desk.
It was then that a large, obnoxious, logic-defying in length flatulent noise echoed throughout the library.
"PINKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
****
"Fluttershy!"
"EEEP!" The buttery-yellow pegasus dived underneath a weathered wooden table, quaking in fear.
"Fluttershy it's just me, Twilight!"
"Oh... Sorry Twilight, you just scared me a little bit-I thought maybe you were-you were Nightmare Moon!"
"Ugh. Fluttershy she's back to normal now, she's just Princess Luna. Anyways, I need to know if you've seen Rainbow Dash at all recently."
Fluttershy rubbed her forehooves together nervously. "Well, I mean, uhm, I saw her flying a little while ago, but, well, I was feeding the animals so I didn't really pay attention did I do something wrong? I'm really sorry..."
The purple unicorn smiled comfortingly at her friend. "Don't worry about it Fluttershy. I just have something that I need from you."
"Oh what is it? I'd love to help!"
"Do you know where Gilda is?"
Fluttershy took a few steps backwards, shrinking in to the corner of her house as though she was being attacked. "W-well, uhm, I might have, uhm, a few ideas about where she is..."
"Fluttershy listen to me. We need Gilda-Dash is having a bit of... an emotional crisis, and it would be good if we had one of her old friends around to help her once she gets back. I don't care what's been happening between you and Gilda-we just need her help right now. Please."
Fluttershy's pink mane fell over her face as she cowered from the passionate purple unicorn. "Well, uhm, we haven't really talked, I just kind of have seen her arou-"
"Fluttershy! We need to be fast! I don't need to know the specifics of what you and Gilda have or haven't been doing... I just need you to tell Gilda that Rainbow was in an... emotionally damaged? unstable? Ugh, just tell her Rainbow wasn't looking too good last time she was seen and then please go look for her-we need everypony's help right now."
"Oh yes of course, I'll go look for her right away Twilight! Oh, um, I mean I'l look for Gilda-Not that I won't look for Rainbow! It's just you asked me to find Gilda so I'll look for her first! But I don't not care about Rainbow!" The skittish pegasus was running out of breath as she tried to explain what she meant-she gave an apologetic look to Twilight, and squeaked out a barely audible "Sorry, I'll get going now" before heading for the door.
"Thanks Fluttershy. Hopefully nothing too bad's going to happen to Rainbow... I'd better get searching too, in any case." The purple unicorn followed her friend out the door, and began a long trek on foot into the Everfree forest, her eyes and ears open for any sign of the rainbow pegasus..