The group of friends, now leaving the Carousel Boutique and heading to Sweet Apple Acres, noticed that two colts were standing next to a tree that has a camera in it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders recognize them to be Rumble and Shady Daze from school.
“How did you get a camera stuck in a tree?” Rumble questioned Shady Daze, completely confused on just how his friend got the Foal Free Press camera in a tree.
“Well it’s a combination of creativity and trying to get a photo of an eagle in the tree,” Shady Daze answered, “But that’s not important. What’s important is that that camera could fall any second, and I need you to fly up there and get it before that happens.”
“Alright, but I can’t promise it won’t fall if I touch it.”
Rumble flew up to the camera on the tree and tried to slowly pull it off the branch it was stuck to. As he began to get it all the way off, the camera snagged on the branch and slipped out of his grasp. Time seemed to slow down as the camera fell. Luckily for Shady Daze Apple Bloom dived for the camera right before it fell and caught it just in time. Shady Daze let out a deep sigh of relief, the camera for the Foal Free Press was intact.
“Thanks Apple Bloom, you saved me from getting in trouble with the Foal Free Press,” Shady thanked her, “That’s our last spare camera, if I had gotten it broken I’d lose my position as photographer for certain.”
“No problem,” AB replied, “Here’s your camera.”
Apple Bloom went up to Shady Daze to give him the camera. As she handed it off to him, their hooves touched one and other. Apple Bloom quickly recoiled from this, hoping she wasn’t blushing, or if she was that nobody could see it. She did slightly blush, but no one noticed it.
“Wow,” Rumble began, “nice save AB!”
Meanwhile, Shady Daze had just noticed that there was more than one alicorn in Ponyville. He couldn’t tell who she was, but he definitely knew that as a member of the Foal Free Press, he was going to find out.
“Hey there,” He began, “My name’s Shady Daze, What’s yours?”
“Oh um, my names Hope Shine,” Hope Shine replied
“Wow, neat name,” Shady Daze complimented, “So, where do you come from? Manehattan?”
“Um, well, I don’t really know,” Hope replied.
“What? Why don’t you?” Shady asked.
“Well that’s easy,” Twilight interrupted, “She has no memory.”
“What!?” Shady Daze and Rumble said simultaneously
“Well me Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle accidently ran into her after she came out of an ally,” Scootaloo clarified, “And found out that she lost her memory for some reason. And now we’re going to see if Apple jack may know anything that could be useful.”
The two colts just stood there, completely mystified. Shady Daze was the first to come out of the stupor, his journalist instincts kicking in.
“A case memory loss or amnesia?” Shady Daze questioned, “This would make for a great story in the Foal Free Press! Crusaders, Twilight, Spike, Hope Shine, I have decided to accompany you in the interest of a good story.”
“What?!” asked Twilight in confusion, “Why?”
“Because,” Shady started, “One, I’m certain that you could use the help. Two, this could be my chance to be a writer in the Foal Free Press! I’m helping and that’s that.”
“And I’m coming too!” Rumble interrupted.
“WHAT?!?” Twilight nearly shouted.
“Like Shady said, you could definitely use the help,” Rumble replied, “Besides, like I’m going to let you guys have all the fun.”
“I don’t see the harm in letting them come along,” Spike interjected.
“Me n-neither,” Hope Shine added.
Twilight let out a combination of a sigh of frustration and defeat. She looked at the CMC, who each in their own little way let her know that they were okay with this.
“Oh alright,” said Twilight, “I guess its fine.”
“Great,” Rumble nearly cheered.
“I smell a story in the making,” Shady Daze pronounced.
“So…” Rumble trailed off, “Where are we going again?”
“Sweet Apple Acres,” answered Sweetie Belle.
“Cool! Let’s Go!” Rumble replied.
***
The growing group of friends was now arriving at the gate of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight and Spike were very excited to introduce Hope Shine to the rest of the Apple family, seeing as how she’d already met Apple Bloom.
Just as they were coming in the front entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, they saw Rainbow Dash exiting with a mug of cider in hoof.
“Oh my gosh oh my gosh it’s RAINBOW DASH!” Scootaloo shouted excitedly when she saw her idol.
“Hi Rainbow Dash,” Twilight started, “you’re just the pony I need to see.”
“Hey Twilight, Hey Scoots, what’s up?” the rainbow pony asked.
“Okay well, it’s a long story,” said Twilight taking a deep breath, “I’ll try to give you the short one.”
“Alright, hit me.”
“So, Hope Shine here,” began Twilight, gesturing toward the filly, “Has completely lost her memory. If you could keep an ear to the ground and an eye in the sky, it would greatly help.”
Rainbow was a bit taken back by the sudden rush of information. After hearing that the filly lost her very memories Rainbow Dash looked sympathetically to the filly in question, Hope Shine.
“Shure thing kid,” Rainbow assured Hope Shine.
Rainbow Dash then gave a reassuring nod to every one there. Instantaneously she bolted up into the sky leaving a wonderful rainbow trail behind. Apparently she had decided to start her search for clues as soon as possible.
“Wow,” Scootaloo thought aloud, “Rainbow Dash is awesome!”
“Three down, two to go,” Spike cracked.
Twilight, Spike, and Hope Shine all laughed at this quirky statement of his. Once their laughing fit was finished, the trio looked back at the original destination, Sweet apple acres. They then proceeded to go to the red barn.
Already, at the barn entrance, Apple Jack was finishing up with her chores. She noticed the group coming toward her, and went off to greet them as well as see why they were here.
“Hey Twi’!” the earth pony greeted, “and others, what are yall doin’ oer here?”
“Hello Apple Jack,” Twilight replied.
“Hey big sis!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, “We’re here ta ask ya somthin.”
“Well what’cha doin’ just standing round?” AJ asked, “Ask away.”
“Well,” Twilight interjected, “today the girls ran into Hope Shine here, who has a case of memory loss. She can’t remember anything about herself aside from those words that we have assumed to be her name.”
Apple Jack was now staring at them dumbfounded.
“And we’ve been going around Ponyville asking our friends if they know anything that they think may be helpful information,” Twilight informed her friend, “So that’s what we’ve come here for, to ask you if you may know anything about Hope Shine, or if you know anything that you think could help.”
“Well,” began Apple Jack, looking over to the filly of silver coloring, “I can’t say I’ve ever met her or know anything about her, but I can give you some advice. Granny told me about when cousin Golden Delicious had some memory loss. She said that plenty of fluids and a good amount of rest did the trick.”
“I remember that story, always wondered how he lost his memory though,” Apple Bloom added.
“Thanks Apple Jack, water and sleep, got it!” remarked Twilight making a mental note.
“By the way, Hope Shine, sorry that you got a memory loss problem,” said Apple Jack.
“Oh, that’s okay, not like anything bad going to happen because if it,” Hope Shine reassured.
“Well thanks again Apple Jack, we appreciate it,” Twilight repeated.
“Sure thing Twi’!” AJ replied.
“Well,” Spike interrupted, “I guess we’re heading off to Fluttershy’s now, right?”
“Right you are Spike!” Rumble declared.
“Wow, this is getting to be a really good story,” Shady Daze said while jotting down some notes on a pad and paper.