The boutique stood dark and quiet, with no sign of life coming from within. The golden curtains, usually open to allow the daylight in, stood closed and still, standing sentinel over the interior. Nopony had seen Rarity in days, and Sweetie Belle had been absent from school as well. Most ponies assumed it to be a sudden unexpected trip, family issues and the like, and nothing to worry themselves about.
However, Fluttershy was more prone to worry than others.
With a deep breath, she raised a hoof, knocking politely on the door. The sound echoed from within and no call of 'Come in!' came ringing from inside as it should have. After a moment's silence she knocked again, more firmly this time, just in case Rarity was upstairs or some other place where she couldn't hear the door. Again, no response was heard.
Maybe they were right, thought Fluttershy. It must have been pretty important to leave without saying anything.
She turned away, fretting over what horrible event could have come up so suddenly, when a flash of white to her left drew her eyes from the path. She looked up, watching the blur jump into the bush just outside the boutique. Watching the shrub nervously, Fluttershy crept over, her breathing speeding up as she imagined what monstrous creature she was about to uncover.
With a squeak, she parted the leaves, looking away in terror. When no claws or fang began tearing at her, she cracked open an eye, looking down into the bush. She sighed in relief, reaching in to pick up the distressed feline.
"Opalescence! You gave me quite the fright!" she cooed, cuddling the cat to her chest. When Opal let out a grumpy meow, she released the hug, holding her up in front of her.
"Oh my..." gasped Fluttershy as she saw the state of the disgruntled Opal.
The cat was filthy. Her usually-white fur was wet and dark with mud and grime. The gems in the usually-pristine collar were cracked and the whole thing hung slightly loose around her neck. In fact, the entirety of her body felt thinner than normal, as if she hadn't eaten in days.
"Oh you poor dear!" murmured Fluttershy. "Did Rarity forget about you?"
Opal gave a meow in reply.
"No, that's not right," brooded Fluttershy. "No matter how important her trip was, she'd always drop you off with me before she left. So if she didn't forget you..."
Fluttershy turned back to the store, her eyes wide in realisation.
"Then she must still be here..."
Bolts groaned as he swam back to consciousness, his head throbbing like someone had taken a jack hammer to his skull. Someone was calling his name. But who could it be? Was it Mum? Dad? Sweetie Bot? Their faces flashed over his groggy mind, lingering on Sweetie's the longest. What happened? He could remember gunshots, and a broken pipe and...
His eyes opened with a start, his retinas straining to distinguish much in the gloom. It was warm, almost too warm to be comfortable, the heavy air laced with the smell of disinfectant and something else —it was faint, but tangy, a smell he just couldn't quite place. He tugged at his hooves, straining against the thick straps that bound him to the cold metal table beneath him. It was tilted slightly backwards, pointing his muzzle slightly towards the ceiling.
When it became obvious that the straps were not going to break any time soon, he set about trying to map his surroundings. He may not have had Sweetie Bot's advanced sensors, but he could still get a feel for the room around him.
"Hello?" he called, listening to the sound his voice made.
He expected to hear his voice echoing off the wall; he did not expect a response.
"Why hello, my fine young friend!" called the cheery voice of a mare that sent chills down Bolts' spine. "How are you feeling?"
The voice had an odd crackle to it, as if it was coming from a speaker of some sorts. He didn't feel safe conversing with his captors; however, he at least needed to find out where he was.
"I'm fine," he replied cautiously, "just a bit groggy; that's all"
"Yes, that is expected. We had to sedate you to make you more... cooperative," came the voice.
Bolts shivered despite the warmth at the voice's words.
"What do you want with me? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
The voice erupted into a hoarse laugh, the noise crackling over the intercom.
"Oh no, my boy," chuckled the mare. "You've just gotten caught up in things that don't concern you. We just need to ask some questions, and you can be on your way."
"What sort of questions?" asked Bolts suspiciously.
"About your friend, the one you met on the train."
"Sweetie Bo-, you mean Sweetie Belle?" asked Bolts.
"Yes, her. Do you know why she was on that train?"
Bolts was unsure what to say. Did they not know themselves, or were they testing how much he knew? From what Sweetie had told him, she had left pretty suddenly. The chances that they knew why she was going to Manehatten were slim. However, the fact that they knew she was on the train in the first place indicated they knew something. Since the train only went to Manehatten, they knew where she was going, just not why. With his reasoning finished, Bolts answered carefully.
"She said she was going to Manehatten for the weekend."
"Did she say why?"
"Not that I can remember..."
"Nothing at all? Surely she must have said something."
"No, she was pretty quiet about the whole thing."
"That's a shame. How about her fa- excuse me a second."
The sound of hooves walking away from the microphone rang in the air and hushed conversation that was too quiet to hear. He lay there for a full minute, trying to catch what they were saying. When the voice came back, it sounded different, more like that of a filly on Hearth's Warming Eve than a professional.
"I'm sorry to say that my supervisor wants results," came the voice. "For the sake of time, we have to resort to... less pleasant means of extracting information."
"What do you mean by that?!" stammered Bolts.
"You'll see..." said the mare, her voice dipped in sadistic pleasure.
With a clunk, a section of the wall swung inwards, light pouring into the room and illuminating the grey stone walls. His breath caught in his throat as three ponies walked in, including two bulky stallions in tight fitting guards' uniforms. The other was a unicorn mare, her orange mane tied back in a bun while a lab coat covered most of her beige fur.
"Hello Bolts," said the mare brightly. "My name is Sharp Scalpel."
Her horn ignited, drawing her namesake instrument from her pocket. Bolts stared at it with undisguised terror.
With a sickening grin, she looked Bolts in the eyes. "Shall we get started?" she said.
The door of the boutique creaked as Fluttershy pushed it open, a sound Rarity would never let any door of hers make. With Opal curled up on her back, she stepped lightly into the foyer, looking around at the mannequins. As far as she could tell, all was as it should be; nothing was out of place, no sign of a break in. However, dust had begun to settle over various articles of clothing and the air smelt musty.
She closed the door behind her with a soft click and began looking around. Half-finished dresses lined the walls. In fact, it was the same set of dresses that had been there the other day. Fluttershy knew Rarity well enough to know that no dress stayed this unfinished for more than two days at a stretch. The fact that Rarity hadn't been working was concerning.
Making her way through the foyer, she opened the door to the kitchen. She reared back, disturbing Opal as she gagged on the foul odour than came from beyond the door. Unwashed dishes were piled high on the sides, numerous cartons of ice cream lay abandoned and empty. Now Fluttershy was really worried. Rarity would never let her home descend to this level of filth.
After fetching Opal some food and she was sure there was nopony on the lower level, she approached he staircase, the ornate banister snaking up to the higher floors. She had already assumed this to be where Rarity was residing. As she ascended, she could hear sniffling, the sound of somepony who had cried too much, yet still wants to go on. It was heart-wrenching, hearing her friend in such distress. As quietly as she could, she opened the door of Rarity's room, gasping at the sight before her.
Rarity lay upon her bed, her mane and tail flat and scruffy from days without grooming. Her coat was dirty, covered in ice cream stains and wet patches from the tears that were still being shed. Tissues littered the floor and bed, piling up against the walls in excessive amounts.
In all the years Fluttershy had known Rarity, and in all the years to come, she would never see her friend in such a state. This wasn't Rarity acting the drama queen —something had torn at her heart, and she didn't know how to fix it.
Fluttershy's gasp of surprise drew Rarity from her sulking as they locked gazes. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, sad and hopelessly lost. More grief had spilled from those eyes in several days than most ponies would experience in a lifetime.
"Hello.. .Fluttershy, darling," croaked Rarity, her voice strained.
Fluttershy didn't respond. Seeing her friend in such a mess almost brought her to tears. Rarity was always so prim and proper; not even Discord or the Changelings had stopped that. Instead, she walked over, jumping up next to the distressed mare. What Fluttershy had at first dismissed as more tissues were actually photos of all different shapes and sizes. Some were framed, some yellowed from years of sunlight. However, they all had one thing in common.
"Rarity," murmured Fluttershy as she placed a wing around her, "what happened?"
The unicorn looked at her, her eyes filling with more tears. "Sweetie Belle," she whispered. "She's gone."
Fluttershy's eyes widened in shock. "Gone? W-What do you mean 'gone'?"
Rarity looked back down at the photo in her hooves. "She was so confused. I never stopped to see her side of the picture. She went to Manehatten, she wanted the truth. But the train..."
Rarity wailed, the tears coming fresh and fast as her loss hit her again. All Fluttershy could do was stroke her friend's mane, trying to calm her down.
Sweetie Belle...gone? thought Fluttershy. It can't be true. She was so sweet, so full of life, it can't...
She felt her own eyes tearing up at the thought of the young filly, and soon both mares were leaning on each other for support, crying for the filly they thought would never come home.
"See?" said Scalpel to the guards as she wiped blood on her coat "So much simpler. Why we didn't start with this, I don't know."
The unicorn turned to Bolts, lifting his head with a hoof. His face was covered in numerous lacerations, some barely scratches, others still bleeding intensely. She was surprised how much pain the poor colt had tolerated before he finally gave in. Not that she cared; she had done her job. The information was hers; now all she wanted was coffee.
"Thank you very much, Bolts," she said in a sickly sweet voice. "You've been very helpful in my investigation. As a reward, I'll end you quickly when the time comes."
She flashed him an evil smile before spinning away and strolling through the door, the guards in her wake. With a slam, the door was shut, leaving Bolts once again in darkness.
He felt defeated; his body was heavy, sore from the cuts that coated his body. His grey fur was sodden with blood, coating the table in the sticky liquid.
"I'm so sorry, Sweetie Bot," he whispered. "I tried to be strong for you, to keep you safe, but they beat me. They'll find you and take you apart."
He sniffled, blinking tears from his eyes. "What use am I as a stallion if I can't protect you? You deserve better, but I can't give better."
His mind clouded over as the pain flared over his body and his head slumped forward.
"I love you Sweetie Bot. I'm so sorry," he whispered as his tears of pain were joined by tears of regret.