Rarity was the first to give up. A handful of yards past the treeline, she realized the thorns were just refusing to part for her, and skidded to a halt. Fluttershy only continued until she realized Rarity was too far behind her, and Applejack too far ahead. With no one around her to give her some confidence, she remembered how terrified of the Everfree she was, and turned around, spotting Rarity on the other side of the treeline. She came to a landing, and looked over Rarity's "injuries."
Among said injuries were various scrapes and bruises from the assorted weeds that had smacked Rarity around for the twelve seconds she had ran through the Forest. Fluttershy had gotten out relatively unscathed, having flown above the bulk of the foliage. Their casualties aside, they had both given up on trying to catch Pinkie; she was just too fast for either of them.
Once Applejack had quickly slipped out of their sight, they decided there was nothing they could do to catch up. They returned to the treehouse to see if Spike knew about what was going on.
Applejack, technically, was the last to stop, but only because she didn't stop. She hadn't noticed that Fluttershy or Rarity had slowed down; all she noticed was Pinkie's tail, very slowly growing as Applejack caught up.
After running for what seemed like thirty or forty minutes, Pinkie finally broke into a clearing, Applejack right behind. This was the opportunity Applejack was hoping for. Pinkie turned back to see if she was still being followed, and was greeted by the sight of Applejack soaring through the air. She was dragged to the ground in the center of the clearing, and just like that AJ had successfully pinned her down.
There was silence between the two of them for a few seconds; Pinkie didn't try to break free, but AJ didn't dare let go. Eventually, Pinkie spoke first, as she typically does. "Hi!"
Applejack squinted. "Hi."
There was more silence.
"Well?"
Pinkie looked around. "Well what?"
Applejack sighed. "Do you mind tellin' me what's goin' on with you? Maybe while you're at it, you could tell me where'n Twi and Dash went off to? What that letter Twilight got was? Why you decided to run off to th'Everfree Forest, of all places?"
Pinkie laughed. "I can't tell you everything, silly! That would ruin the fun! Pick one of those questions, and I'll answer that one!"
Applejack gave it some thought. "Alrighty then. What was that letter Twilight just got served with?"
Pinkie shrugged. "I'unno. My turn to ask a question now!"
Applejack sighed again. "Go on, then."
Pinkie squirmed, "Can you please get off of me?" AJ eyed Pinkie down. "Are ya gonna run away?"
"Why would I run away? I'm already where I'm going."
Applejack mulled it over some more. "Alright, then. Pinkie Promise me that you ain't gonna run away from me if I let you go."
Pinkie chuckled. "Well, I would, but..." Applejack shook her head. "I knew I couldn't trust you."
"No, it's just that... I kinda need my legs free to Pinkie Promise."
Applejack eased up. Pinkie retrieved her legs, crossed her heart, hoped to fly, and stuck a metaphorical cupcake in her eye. At that, Applejack hopped off and went to retrieve her hat, which had flown off during the short struggle. Pinkie parked herself at the side of the clearing and began whistling.
Her hat recovered, Applejack returned to Pinkie, staring off into space and whistling an incomprehensible tune. She began again with the questioning. "So, why are you here? Can you at least tell me that?"
Pinkie nodded, still whistling. "Waiting." "Waiting for wh-" There was a loud crack and a flash of light, as Twilight and Rainbow Dash appeared in the clearing. Facing the opposite direction. Pinkie bolted at them and leapt at Twilight for a surprise hug. Dash turned around in time. Twilight didn't. Still exhausted from the previous night's events, Twilight's front legs gave out under Pinkie's added weight, and she landed flat on her stomach. She stood back up quick, but she clearly wasn't all there. Applejack, having processed the situation somewhat, approached the three of them. "Twilight? What in tarnation are you doing all the way out here? Did you know Pinkie would be here too?"
Twilight, serious nausea spreading across her face, opened her mouth to give a response, but failed miserably, instead dry heaving towards the ground repeatedly. Dash moved to her to see if she was okay, but was waved off violently. After several attempts, the remains of the letter she'd been served were recovered with a sickening squishy sound. With a face that suggested she would really rather not, Pinkie quickly picked up the letter and dunked it in a nearby puddle of water to clean it up. Twilight would have protested this, but she was... occupied.
No one was sure how to proceed, least of all AJ, who just kept growing additional questions that demanded to be picked. Rainbow, once she was sure Twilight wasn't going to dry heave her internal organs out, realized that Applejack had been there the whole time. She let out a very audible gasp, and shot Pinkie an accusing look. "Pinkie..."
Pinkie began explaining herself. "Wait wait wait Dashie, it was an accident, I swear! I thought I lost her back in the Forest somewhere, but she caught up with me! She tackled me, too, see?" She pointed a hoof at the indentation in the ground where Applejack had managed to trap her.
Applejack, still deciding on which question to open with, watched the two of them talk.
"Well, what did you tell her?"
"Nothing, honest! She asked the wrong question, so I couldn't answer her anyway."
Dash turned to Applejack. "Is she lying to me? Do you know anything?"
AJ burst out. "No! I ain't learned a darn thing! I don't know why you're here, you're here, she's here, or I'm here. I don't know why there was a mob gathered 'round y'all, I don't know why Pinkie ran into the Everfree Forest, I don't know a single darned thing!" Rainbow gave a small sigh of relief. "Thank Celestia for that." Pinkie, standing beside Dash, gave her a small nudge. "You know, I bet she could help us!" Applejack was beyond frustrated. She individually punctuated each word. "Help. Y'all. With. Wh-" "WHAT?!" The three of them jumped as a shriek came from Twilight, who had opened the soggy letter and was reading its contents. They walked over to see what had shocked her so much.
Of the four of them, Applejack was the only one to have ever seen a court summons in person before. She could tell immediately that it was definitely official. Her mouth, and the mouths of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, fell agape as she read the letter.
The City of Ponyville v. Twilight Sparkle
Court of Trial: Greater Ponyville Circuit Court at Town Hall
Date: 45th Octvembuary 1077
CHARGE
Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle is charged with the following offense
FIRST COUNT
STATEMENT OF OFFENSE
Immoral behavior with regards to illicit interactions with those of the same gender as the offender, contrary to section 22 of the Morality Act (Midwestern Equestrian Province) 1076
PARTICULARS OF OFFENSE
Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle, between the 32nd day of Jantober and the 40th day of Octvembuary 1077, in the Court Division of Ponyville County, engaged in illicit behavior with a pegasus of the same gender with the intention of sexual interaction between the former and latter parties, an activity expressly forbidden by the 22nd section of Title XII of the Morality Act of 1076, whose jurisdiction claims the Midwestern Equestrian Province, which includes the aforementioned Court Division of Ponyville County.
You are hereby summoned to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer on the plaintiff's attorney within 7 days of this summons, exclusive of the day of service of this summons, or within 14 days after service of this summons is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the Midwestern Equestrian Province.
In case of your failure to answer this summons, a judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint, together with the fines and costs of this action, as well as any additional repercussion this action brings.
"They... They think y'all did what?"