"Don't worry fillies, he'll be taken care of." The officer pony said as he got on his radio to send nearby police to the business of the unicorn who abducted the crusaders.
"Thanks." was all Babs said as they all headed back out to the city.
"How's your hoof Sweetie Bell?" Applebloom asked when she saw Sweetie Belle still slightly limping.
"It's fine." Sweetie Belle replied with a small fake smile. The whole ordeal was more traumatizing to her than the rest of her friends. This was for more than one reason. Not only had she never been hit before but she had never known anypony so horrible. The thoughts of what could have happened. Her sister told her about some of the types of ponies there are out in the world. Sweetie Belle had always ignored her sister when she lectured her but now she had been abducted by one of them. "There are ponies completely unlike who you know here, they will do horrible things out of desperacy, especially if they need slave labor like the Diamond Dogs." Rarity had said to her.
Applebloom sighed at Sweetie Belle's oblivious lie but decided to ignore it all the same. The four friends were off on there way to the "Manehattan Times" newspaper company again.
It became very clear now that something was bothering Sweetie Belle but every time any of them would ask her about it she would just shrug them off. "Hearts strong as horses. Remember? You can't forget that." Scootaloo said to comfort her despite her acting fine. Upon the thought of the day they had sung that song together Sweetie Belles eyes light up and her thoughts of before had dispelled quickly.
"C'mon girls." Babs called. The intersection was much less busy this time as they crossed without trouble. Babs knew Sweetie Belle was hurt so she made sure she trotted slowly. As they approached the company the first thing they saw was an old earth pony headbutting a pole repeatedly. "You ok there?" Babs asked.
"I don't want your cookieshh!" he yelled.
"I think he's drunk." Applebloom whispered.
"You want some coffee buddy?" Scootaloo asked as she remembered she still had a couple of bits on her. The drunk just grabbed his ears yelling and screaming gibberish before sprinting down the street as fast as he could. "Well then." Scootaloo said watching him run into various objects as he fled.
"Let's just go before something else weird happens." Babs said. The crusaders headed through the front doors into the Manehattan Times newspaper company. Looking around this place was very different from the last place Babs took them. It was much newer as well as packed. There were so many angry ponies there they couldn't count them. One of the numerous ponies there was the governor of Manehattan himself. It became clear real quick that they weren't going to get to the front counter any time soon. Scootaloo tried to yell something to Babs but the roar of the crow was too much. The crusaders were all right next to each-other yet they still couldn't even hear their ow thoughts.
Scootaloo got her friends attention by waving her hoof in front of their faces. She then proceeded to point her hoof to a door that was propped open. They immediately followed Scootaloo and looked inside to see nothing but a bunch of ponies working on printing papers. They were all facing the wall so they didn't see as the crusaders snuck inside. Tiphoofing across the room, they opened another door that led to a stairwell. Applebloom was the first to look up and see the seemingly endless height the stairs reached. "Wow." they all said together.
"Where do you think their column writers are?" Scootaloo asked.
"I dunno but were gonna find out." Applebloom replied. She then turned to face Sweetie Belle. "You should wait here. Don't worry we'll find whoever's doin the Gabby Gums stories."
"What!?! Why?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Well, your hoof." Babs said looking down to see a dark purple spot on her foreleg just above her hoof. It was visible even through her fur.
"No way. I'm not some old pony." Sweetie Belle said as she began up the stairs. It wasn't until now she realized how much her leg did hurt. She tried to hide her limp but her friends could plainly see it.
"Stop Sweetie Belle! You're only hurtin yourself." Applebloom said firmly concerned for her friend.
"I'm fine!" Sweetie Belle yelled with a voice crack and a bit of anger.
"Hey, it's cool, we got this. It's not going to make us think any less of you. Were the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We would never judge each-other.
Sweetie Bell sat at the top of the first corner of the staircase. The rest of her friends followed and they gave her another hug. "You better be back quickly or I'm coming up." Sweetie Belle said successfully stopping herself from crying.
Without another word Babs, Scootaloo, and Applebloom began up the stairs reaching the second floor still within Sweetie Belles sight. They opened the door to see the whole floor was used as storage for boxes and thousands of newspapers. Closing the door they headed up the next flight of stairs to the third level. They opened the door to see multiple cubicles with ponies in only a couple of them. They were so spread out the Crusaders could easily navigate their way through floor. They searched for any sign of the Gabby Gums impostor but to no avail. "Uuugh, what are we gonna do? There must be a hundred floors in this place." Scootaloo whispered.
"Actually there are only thirty-two." a girls voice said from behind them. The crusaders almost jumped out of their pelts at the sudden remark. They spun around to see a young light pink pegasus with a blonde mane about their age standing behind them. She watched them intently as the crusaders exchanged looks of confusion. "Well, are you going to tell me what you're doing up here?" the girl asked.
"Uhh, he he, you see. Well, were looking for Gabby Gums." Scootaloo hesitated.
"Ha, you and everypony else in this city." she replied "My name's Swift. How about you guys?" she asked.
"I'm Babs, this is Scootaloo, and that's Applebloom." Babs said casually.
"If you don't want to have to go floor by floor I could show you where he is." swift offered.
"Wait, he?" Scootaloo asked more confused now.
"Of course." was all she said as she trotted past the crusaders motioning for them to follow. As she passed them they could see her cutie mark now. It was a newspaper with wind marks trailing behind it.
"Are you the paper girl?" Babs asked.
"I am. What about you guys?" swift asked without even slowing as she made her way up the stairs.
"My friends are from Ponyville, I live here and work on a ranch just outside of the city." Babs informed her.
Swift just said "Hmm." As she stopped on floor thirteen. "In here." she said. Swift opened the door to a hallway with multiple other doors. She closed the door behind them and headed down the many halls till she stopped at one labeled "Jake" just opposite a wall of windows to the outside. His office was at the end of the hallway where the windows curved.
Just barely seeing her friends following somepony she didn't know Sweetie Belle let her curiosity get the best of her as she began up the stairs to see what her friends were up to.
She opened the door to see a big brown earth pony about the size of Big Mac. "These fillies are here to see you." Swift said to him. Swift left the office leaving the door open.
"So you're the one doing the Gabby Gums columns? Scootaloo asked.
"I sure am." he said.
"Look, were going to need you to quit with those articles ok? Babs said.
He looked insulted at the question. "Why the hay would I do that. I'm makin more money now than I ever have before." he said.
"We know you stole the name from our school newspaper when we did embarrassing stories also. We learned our lesson though and quit with those stories. But now you're makin it look like we had someone do it here for us." Applebloom said with a stomp of her hoof.
"Why should I care?" he asked with growing anger.
"You're making us look bad!" Scootaloo said with a raised voice.
"Get out of my office!" he yelled back.
"Not until you stop with the column!" Babs said with equal anger at his uncooperative actions.
Sweetie Belle Reached the door her friends had entered. She opened the door and could immediately hear the angry voices of her friends and somepony else coming from the hallways. She knew something had gone wrong so she rushed to see what she could do to help. As she reached the hall that had the door the voices were coming from Sweetie Belle immediately noticed the view outside the windows. She then saw what she dreaded most, her sister and the rest of the mane six were entering the building. Knowing that if they were to get caught they would be in serious trouble she sprinted toward the office her friends were in.
Seeing how angry Jake was getting the crusaders began to back away starting with Applebloom.
Sweetie Belle's eyes were still glued to the window as she was trying to see her sister. She didn't see her friend backing into her path for whatever reason. She rammed directly into Applebloom making her head spin. Dread enveloped Sweetie Belle as she saw Applebloom flying into the window at the end of the hall. "Nooo!!!!!" Sweetie Belle Screamed as she jumped for Applebloom's hoof only to feel it tap hers.
Applebloom screaming as she fell, closed her eyes as she prepared for her collision with the hard concrete.
Sweetie Belle and the others could only watch in horror as Applebloom bounced off an awning and land on the hard ground with a quiet, yet sickening *slap*.