//------------------------------// // 6: Incident at the Donut Shop // Story: My Little Girl // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// “Did you hear that?” Lauren asked. “Hear what?” “For a moment there Spike, I thought somebody was shouting.” Spike stopped to listen, “Maybe it’s somepony nearby. Now come on, the store is over here.” The little dragon was leading Lauren though the streets of the beautiful city. Along the way, they passed by some ponies who have given them some odd looks. Some were staring even. Lauren thought that perhaps these ponies must be filthy rich by the clothes they have on. The sky was darkening and the street lamps were being lit up. There were some crowds that they had to get past though before they came to the donut shop. The sign over the shop simply read: “Donut Joe’s. Open Twenty-four hours.” Of course, Lauren wasn't exactly pleased with the line outside of the shop. It looked like they had to wait. She thought up of something to try to pass the time when an idea came to her, “You like superheroes?” she asked. “You bet I do! Which ones do you wanna know?” “You have a favorite?” “Oh… That’s a tough one. Well, I just picked up on the Power Ponies comics just recently. They’re a team of superheroes who stop the mad Mane-iac from taking over everything.” “A team of superheroes? It kinda sounds like the Justice League or something.” “Justice League huh? That sounds cool actually.” “And, out of curiosity, with the superheroes, you know, are there any good heroes that are like us kids?” “Well now that you've mentioned it… The only ones that come to mind are sidekicks.” “Why is that? Don’t they think that maybe us young kids won’t make good superheroes? It’s a little not fair isn't it?” “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right! Why can’t there be like a colt with really cool powers.” “Or girls? Why not give them some superpowers too?” “Excuse me,” their conversation was cut short by a stallion behind them. “Aren't you going to move?” They looked to find that the line has moved ahead of them by several feet. “Oh, sorry,” Lauren apologized as she and Spike moved forward. _*_ “She couldn't have gone too far,” Celestia said as she, a few of her guards and three of the elements went along with her to find the Princess’s mother. Ever since Lauren’s disappearance, the sisters sent out an emergency search party to find where she had gone. Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were following the Sun Princess through the streets. While they too were looking for Celestia’s mother, they tried to calm her down. “Princess, I understand completely you would be distressed by this,” Twilight said to her mentor as calmly as possible. “But I really think you ought to calm-” “There’s no time for that! What if something happened to her? What if she’s hurt? Or-” “No offense your highness,” Applejack interrupted. “But don’t ya think those seem a little unlikely?” “Applejack, this isn't just anypony that I and my sister are worrying over. This is our mother we’re talking about.” “We've heard you say that for the millionth time already, we get it.” Rainbow Dash flew up to Celestia. “And besides, it’s only been what? Fifteen, twenty minutes? How far could she possibly have gone to?” “Rainbow, you of all ponies should know that anything can happen in that amount of time. What if she gets foalnapped? Or killed?” “But if she’s dead, wouldn't we stop, you know, existing?” Rainbow questioned. “Point taken, I suppose there is good news in that.” “You know, what if Fluttershy was right?” Applejack asked. “If she’s really tha creator, an' if we've given her tha wrong message of what we’re like and all, what will become of us?” “Do you think we might… vanish?” Twilight asked the question that none of them wanted to ask. It’s a question that summed up all of their fears of not only what happens if they find Lauren, but what happens when she goes home. Even Twilight had to summon up some courage to even ask it. It wasn't surprising that the conversation went silent for a moment with the air suffocating them with anxiety. Then, from the corner of Celestia’s eye, in the window of a shop, she saw Lauren, eating away at a chocolate donut. _*_ “Yeah, but how old do you think our superheroes might be?” Lauren asked. “Hm… Why not around your age, or maybe a bit younger.” Spike replied after he took another bit of the donut he was eating. “Why’s that?” “I don’t know, I guess it might be better for those at our age to relate to.” “You know, you have a lot of good ideas.” “Eh, I wouldn't say that. Sometimes I would do something stupid.” “Like what?” “LAUREN!!” The two of them (along with the rest of the entire shop) jumped at the earthquake of Celestia’s voice. Then, in a calmer voice ordered everyone out of the shop, except for the girl. “I’ll have a talk with you later Spike,” she told the dragon as he made his way out the door. All that was left in the donut shop was a crossed princess and a nervous little girl. “Just where do I begin?” Celestia asked as she came closer to her very young mother. “Do you have any idea whatsoever how much you scared us both?” “But-” “I simply can’t believe you! That you just ran off without telling us?” “But you-” “You scared us, Lauren. We thought somepony took you, or, or worse.” “But I-” “I mean, what were you thinking? Coming out here without as so much as a guard at your side?” “But Spike was-” “No! This has nothing to do with him. You listen to me, you are never to go anywhere without telling us so. Do you under…” But Celestia stopped her rant as she saw, to her horror, the tears that made lines on her mother’s cheeks. “Lauren, I didn't… I-I never meant-” Lauren got up from her seat and ran for the door. “Lauren! Stop!” But she didn't listen; she flung the door open and rushed out. Celestia went to the door, hoping that she might catch her to apologize for letting her emotions get the better of her. But her mother was nowhere to be seen. “Where did she go?” She asked the elements. “I saw her. She went this way,” Rainbow Dash took to the air, going into the direction that she saw her. But at this time, the sun has gone down, Rainbow tried to follow the trail only to lose it in the shadows. “I can’t find her,” Rainbow came back to Celestia with the bad news. In Celestia’s memory, she had fought nightmares, demons, mad gods and even her vengeful sister. But now, she was feeling three feelings at once: fear, dread, and extreme regret. “Oh, mother… What have I done?”