//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Tranquil // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle was reading yet another book on her list when Pinkie Pie popped her head out of the top shelf of Twilight’s closet. “Hey, Twilight!” she called. “What's up?” Twilight, long since used to Pinkie’s strange appearances, barely looked up. “Hi, Pinkie,” she said. Pinkie extracted herself from the top shelf, turning around tail-first and backing out, and then letting herself down slowly. “You know who I haven’t seen around in a while?” “Who?” “Applejack.” “Don’t be silly, Pinkie, Applejack was… Applejack…” Twilight paused. Come to think of it, she couldn’t think of the last time she had seen Applejack around. “See? And when was the last time Rainbow Dash crashed into your windows?” Twilight thought for a moment. “I thought she was on tour?” “Nope. She’s back. The Wonderbolts are taking a month and a half break from their tour.” Twilight paused, not even flinching when it suddenly became apparent that Pinkie was laying on her table with her face an inch from Twilight’s with no regard for her personal space. “All I’m saying is that something’s wrong, Twilight. And we need to find out what!” Twilight marked her place in the book and shut it. Without looking up, she addressed something she knew was going to come. “No, Pinkie, we’re not wearing the hats this time.” “Aww…” * * * “Why did I think it was a good idea to see Rainbow first?” Twilight panted. “Because you’re not in shape enough to run allll the way to Sweet Apple Acres,” Pinkie answered. “Stop asking silly questions!” Twilight felt that it was not a silly question, and that she was indeed in relatively good shape, but had had trouble keeping up with Pinkie’s rapid and sustained sprint; which, it should be said, was a pace that was definitely not advised in the long-distance chapter of “A Runner’s Guide to All Things Running”. Then again, she was too out of breath to do much but pant and glare her protest. “Hurry up and catch your breath!” Pinkie said, completely unsympathetic to Twilight’s plight. “We’re going fishing for pegasi!” “Fishing for pega-?” But she figured out what Pinkie meant when she picked up a rock and threw it through Rainbow’s window. This, as can be imagined, got quite the reaction. “Hey!” Rainbow poked her head out of the now-shattered window, waving the rock threateningly. “Which one of you idiots is about to buy me a new window?” “Hi Rainbow!” Pinkie called cheerfully. “I’m that idiot!” Rainbow dropped the rock in surprise. “Pinkie? What are you doing throwing rocks in my house? Couldn’t you just pop out of my closet again?” Pinkie cocked her head. “How would I do that? I'm an earth pony, silly!” Rainbow cocked her head, about to start on a long list of things Pinkie shouldn't have been able to do but did anyway; but Twilight decided it was time to intervene. “We just haven’t seen you in a while, and thought we’d come say hi.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Hi,” she said, thoroughly unconvinced. “We got a little worried about you. Are you doing ok?” Twilight asked. “Yeah. I’m fine.” Pinkie tilted an ear. “I’m having trouble believing that. Do you need a party?” “No! And it has nothing to do with Applejack! Now go away!” Rainbow attempted to slam the window shut, but her hoof hit nothing but air because the glass was gone. Snarling, she tore a chunk of cloud out of the floor with her teeth and stuffed it in the window hole, effectively plugging it. “Hmm,” Twilight said, tapping her chin. “Whatever Applejack and Rainbow Dash are doing, it's definitely connected. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” “How weird it is that I've never actually thrown a welcome party for a chihuahua?” Pinkie suggested. Twilight suppressed the desire to facehoof. * * * The two arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, neither panting this time. Twilight spotted Apple Bloom, kicking a rock along the ground, and walked over to talk with her. “Apple Bloom,” she asked, “you ok?” Apple Bloom shrugged. Pinkie held out a floating balloon in a small attempt for a smile, but didn't get a reaction. Her ears fell. This was more serious than she thought if a balloon couldn't get a smile. “What's wrong?” Twilight asked. “Ah haven’t seen Applejack in a while,” Apple Bloom said. “Said she left to clear her head and she never came back.” Twilight and Pinkie looked at each other. “When was that?” “This morning. She missed lunch.” Apple Bloom frowned. “She never misses lunch. And now Ah can't find her anywhere.” To say this was a red flag to Twilight would be a massive understatement. She looked back at Pinkie. “We've got to get back to Rainbow. We've got to find Applejack.” “Wheee!” Pinkie cheered. “I love looking for Applejack!” Twilight facehoofed. “I worry about you, Pinkie. Often.” * * * When they arrived back at Rainbow’s house, Pinkie picked up another rock; but Twilight rested a hoof on hers and stopped her. “We need to talk to her in a safer, less-expensive manner.” “What do you mean?” Twilight smiled and lit her horn, preparing a teleportation spell. “We’re going to come out of her closet.” * * * Rainbow tried to ignore the muffled cries coming from her closet. 'Tried' being the operative word. However... “Ouch! Ugh! Pinkie, move your rump!” “Twilight, I'm pretty certain that's not my rump.” “Wait. What? Then what's… ow! My eye!” “Ooh, I found a tail! I think it's mine! I'm gonna pull on it.” “Pinkie-!” Rainbow had had enough, and tore open her closet door. Two ponies came tumbling out, legs and manes and clothes going everywhere. Pinkie was the first to recover. “I was wrong!” Pinkie chirped brightly around the long purple tail clamped in her mouth. “It was your tail!” “No, really?” Twilight said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Who ever would have guessed?” Rainbow cleared her throat pointedly. “So, is there a good reason you two featherbrains are in my closet?” Pinkie spat out Twilight's tail and popped up. “Yes! We have a very good reason!” she proclaimed loudly, “and I shall inform you of that reason as soon as I think of it!” Twilight might have facehoofed, were her hooves not currently tangled up in a Wonderbolts blanket. “We're here about Applejack, remember?” she prompted. Pinkie brightened. “Oh, right! Applejack!” Rainbow's face contorted into a scowl. “There is nothing going on between me and Applejack.” Twilight tried to suppress it. Really, she did. She honestly put forth an effort. She legitimately tried. She made a serious attempt. “Applejack and me,” she corrected. Rainbow growled, but took a step back as Pinkie appeared in front of her. “I don't think so,” she said. “I haven't seen her in a long, long, long time, and I haven't seen you in a long, long, long time either. It's gotta be connected!” “It's not! Just leave me alone!” Rainbow said, shoving Pinkie away. That was not the wisest decision. Pinkie ducked and grabbed her right foreleg. With a quick turn and bump of her hips, Rainbow went flying over her head and landed hard on her back, briefly stunning her. Her eyes crossed, and she shook her head to clear it. When she had, she felt Pinkie perching herself on Rainbow's chest. “I'm not leaving until you spill,” Pinkie said firmly as she crossed her forelegs. “You're both my friends, and there's something wrong with you and I won't sleep until it's resolved!” Rainbow crossed her forelegs right back and glared. Pinkie narrowed her eyes, and leaned down and plucked a feather from Rainbow's wing. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, you can't tickle a pegasus with their own fea-” But apparently you can tickle a pegasus with her own feather, and Rainbow struggled fruitlessly to free herself while laughing uncontrollably. Pinkie almost looked like a spider, moving around and holding Rainbow down no matter what she tried. “Ok, ok!” she squealed. “I- I'll talk! I'll talk!” Pinkie pulled the feather back, but didn't drop it or get off. Rainbow managed to catch her breath. “Wait. What do you mean you haven't seen Applejack?” “Apple Bloom said she left to clear her head and never came back,” Twilight said. Rainbow wilted slightly. “Oh… she would, huh…” “What?” “Nothing!” Rainbow said far too quickly. “I mean, uh… i- it's not the first time Applejack has run away from home, right?” She chuckled nervously. “Yeah; but it's the first time I wasn't called to throw her a going away forever party!” “Pinkie, you've never thrown her a going away forever party,” Twilight pointed out. Pinkie cocked her head. “I haven't?” Rainbow stopped this conversation by pushing Pinkie off as she was distracted. “Look, Applejack is missing and we need to find her. Let's go!” * * * But knowing you need to find Applejack and actually finding Applejack are two different things. They had split up ten minutes ago, but everypony they'd asked had been unable to answer and everywhere they'd looked had been distinctly Applejackless. They happened to meet up at a stall space that looked oddly empty. Twilight cringed as she realized it was where Applejack's cart usually was. “So how goes the search for you girls?” Rainbow asked. Twilight shook her head. Pinkie frowned. Rainbow groaned. “So nopony’s seen Applejack?” “Applejack?” All three spun around to see Carrot Top, listening in on their conversation. “Did you say you were looking for Applejack?” Rainbow nodded. “Why?” “I saw her at the train station earlier, when I went to see off Written Script.” She sighed wistfully, missing him already. “The train station?” Twilight asked. “What was she doing there?” Carrot Top raised an eyebrow. “Buying a ticket, of course. What else do you do at a train station?” “Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I know this one!” Pinkie raised a hoof excitedly. Carrot Top (and the rest) pointedly ignored her. “To where?” Rainbow demanded. Carrot Top rolled her eyes. “How would I know that? She said something about seeing family, that’s all I remember.” “That narrows it down,” Rainbow muttered bitterly. “She’s got family from here to Vanhoover.” Twilight was a bit more gracious. “Thank you, Golden,” she said. “We’ll find her.” Carrot Top waved goodbye as the three ran (and bounced) away. * * * The teller merely shrugged. “I’ve seen a lot of ponies today. I don’t remember where they all go.” “It is not that busy!” Rainbow protested angrily, gesturing at the nearly-empty platform. “I just want to know where Applejack went!” The teller seemed to smirk as he said, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.” Rainbow growled… and then brightened, smiling a downright devious smile. “Oh, Pinkie Pie?” Pinkie’s smiling face slowly appeared from under the counter. “Look at that pony there in the ticket booth,” Rainbow said. “He’s so stressed that he can’t remember where Applejack went.” The pony inside the booth shifted uncomfortably. He had the vague feeling that something was going to go very, very wrong, very, very quickly. Pinkie cocked her head. “He is?” “He is,” Rainbow confirmed. “And you know what unstresses ponies?” “A… party?” Pinkie guessed. “That’s right!” Rainbow said. “Poor, stressed teller, there in the little box… You’d better go in there and make sure he has a chance to relax.” Rainbow's eyes narrowed as she watched him begin to sweat. “Just you, and him, in that little box, with all the party supplies you can bring. You'll need streamers, you'll need cake, you'll need balloons, you'll need party games…” Pinkie tapped her hoof on her chin and a slow smile spread across her face; but before she could do anything, he snapped. It would be preferable to be in a broken shark cage than a tiny box with Pinkie. “No! I’m fine! I’m not stressed at all! See?” He desperately dug through the stack of papers on his desk, searching for the ticket stub. “There, see? Ticket purchased, cash, for Manehattan!” “Manehattan?” Twilight whispered. Rainbow grinned. “Thank you. And thank you too, Pinkie!” “What’d I do?” Pinkie asked, her oblivious smile still on her face.