//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Starting Off 
// by Basmati 
//------------------------------//

"Spike!" Twilight called for the baby dragon. They had returned from their visit to Sweet Apple Acres, with a bag full of apples as thanks for their help. They had arrived at Ponyville Library to find both Sophie and Spike gone. They had checked all the rooms, but were unable to find any trace of them.
"Oh dear. Oh no," Twilight said, pacing up and down the room.
"Twilight, don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. Spike wouldn't leave Sophie alone, especially when he knows that Sophie doesn't know her way around Ponyville," Adara said, putting her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.  But this didn't calm the magical purple pony.
"Princess Celestia trusted me to look after you and your friends - it's the first day, and I've already lost one of them!" Twilight said, lying on the floor with her head in her hooves.
Twilight then started murmuring about her options. Adara stared at her on the edge of a mental breakdown, and decided since Twilight wasn't going to be doing anything, she should take it into her own hands - or hooves, as it was now.
She left the library as Twilight said, "I could send a letter to Princess Celestia -  oh, but Spike's not here. How can I send her letter without Spike?!"
Adara walked down the high street, looking around for her friend and the green dragon. She knew that Sophie would most likely be visiting her friends, as she didn't have any reason to visit anyone else in the town.
She decided to check her friends in order of Sophie's preference - first Effie at Fluttershy's, then Lacey at Sugarcube Corner, and finally Liz. 
She looked around and started walking in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage.

***
Knock knock.
Fluttershy opened the door, and saw a grey unicorn that she recognised from last night. She was one of the new ponies that Fluttershy and her friends were looking after.
"Hello Fluttershy. Is Effie here?" the unicorn asked, smiling.
"Oh. Yes," the timid yellow pegasus said, as she shuffled out of the way. Adara immediately saw the orange pegasus with the short blue mane playing with Fluttershy's pets.
"Effie!" Adara said, walking towards her friend. Effie looked up, and saw the unicorn mare walking towards her.
"Adara?" she said, standing up, and giving her a questioning look. Adara nodded, and Effie walked over to her friend and gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry - I can't remember what anyone looks like. I keep forgetting it's me when I look in the mirror," Effie explained.
Adara reassured her that it was ok, and Effie calmed down a bit.
"How are you, Effie? Are you having fun here?"
"Oh, yes. Fluttershy is so nice - today, we went around and she introduced me to all her animals. They're all so lovely."
Adara was happy - it was nice to know that her friends were happy. She now knew that Heidi, Garnet, Skylar and Effie were all happy - she just hoped that the rest were too.
"So, why are you all the way over here?" Effie asked her.
"Well, actually, I came to see if you had seen Sophie today? It's just that Twilight and I came back to the library after going out for a bit and found her gone."
Effie thought about it for a bit, then asked, "What does she look like again?"
Adara smiled and told her that Sophie now had  a blue coat, a purple mane and she was a unicorn.
"No. I don't think I have seen her. Sorry."
Adara sighed. She had hoped that Sophie had decided to visit her closest friend, and that Effie would be able to tell her where she now was. 
"Don't worry, Effie. It's not your fault. I'll just have to keep looking. I'll see you soon, right?"
Effie nodded, and waved her friend goodbye. Adara walked out of the room, bidding Fluttershy goodbye on her way, then made her way back to town.

***
Sugarcube Corner. Adara had seen it before, during episodes of My Little Pony, but never had she thought that it would be this big.
Adara snapped herself out of her daze, and walked into the bakery.
"Well, hello dearie, I haven't seen you here before," a kind voice said. Adara looked up and saw Mrs Cake smiling at her.
"I'm Adara - I'm a friend of Twilight's. I'm staying with her for a bit."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Adara. How can we help you?" Mrs Cake asked.
"Actually, I was wondering if Pinkie Pie was here."
Mrs Cake gestured to a door behind her. "She's back there. With a friend, I think."
Adara thanked her, and walked through the door. She was immediately hit with the smell of baking cake and cookies - she saw Pinkie Pie bouncing around the kitchen, singing 'Come on, everypony. Smile, smile, smile!' Behind her, she saw Lacey - a fushia coated, blue maned pony - smiling and singing along. Mr Cake stood on the other side of the room, looking like he was about to crack. "Two Pinkies..." he mumbled repeated. He saw Adara, and quickly left room, slipping 'good luck' as he walked passed her.
"Hey," Adara said, finally attracting the two earth ponies' attention.
"Adara!" Lacey yelled, jumping on her.
"Adara!" Pinkie Pie yelled, doing the same.
Adara collapsed under the weight of the two mares, and burst into laughter, which set Pinkie off, which then set Lacey off.
After a few minutes, the three of them had calmed down, and Adara was finally able to talk to her friend.
"So how are you enjoying Ponyville?"
"It's great! Pinkie Pie is sooo much fun - when I woke up, she was singing her cupcakes song - oh, and we're going to plan another party because we didn't get a have a proper one last night, with Princess Celestia explaining everything to us. Do you know when everyone is free?"
"Err...no, but I'll ask everyone when I see them." Adara was surprised for a minute - occasionally, her friend did reminder her of the pink earth pony with the curly mane, but never this much.
"Okay dokie lokie, Adara. Thanks!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping in front of her, then bouncing over to the oven. Adara watched her for a moment, then snapped back to her senses.
"Can I ask you something, Lacey?"
"Of course you can. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you had seen Sophie today - Twilight's getting a bit worried, you see. We came home from the farm, and we didn't see Spike or Sophie. She's probably fine, but Twilight is overreacting. So I thought that I should go looking for her - before Twilight gets a mental breakdown again, or gets the royal guards involved."
Lacey shook her head. "Sorry, Dara. I haven't seen Sophie today. But I'll let you know as soon as I do."
Adara baded the ponies goodbye and went to leave, but the two earth ponies refused for her to leave without tasting some of the cakes that had just been taken out of the oven. 
By the time Adara left Sugarcube Corner, she had been forced to eat five cupcakes, half a cake and eight cookies. Slowly walking out, groaning from a full stomach, she made her way to her last destination - Carousel Boutique.