As Celestia's sun peaked over the horizon, a dull *THUD* followed by several loud shouts was heard from Pinkie and Rainbow’s tent. The verbose argument was enough to wake Twilight, who had spent the night beneath the stars. Rainbow Dash emerged from the tent in a huff closely followed by Pinkie Pie.
“I’m sooooooooo sorry Dashie” cried Pinkie ash she stopped following Rainbow and headed for the cooler.
“What the hay are ya’all makin’ such a ruckus fer this early?” aske Applejack groggily, she blinking as her eyes adjust to the new light. She noticed Twilight stretching as she got up from the side of the fire. “Twi, did ya sleep out here all night? I didn’ think mah snorin’ was that bad.”
“No, it’s nothing like that, I was just thinking and must have dozed off” she responded before turning her attention to a now pouting Rainbow Dash “What’s wrong Rainbow”
“Don’t ask me! I was asleep until, WHAM.” Rainbow put her hoof to her head and glared a Pinkie “Pinkie kicked me right in the face”
“Bad hoof, I’m sorry Dashie but I couldn’t help it” pinkie pleaded as she gave the ice to Rainbow “but when my Pinkie sense gets going, there’s no stopping it”
“Eh, it’s cool pinks. It was more the surprise that got to me than anything else” responded Rainbow as she pressed the ice to her head.
“Well now, what were ya’ll doin’ that close together last night?” Applejack asked as she smirked.
“Oh, Haha” responded Rainbow in the most monotone voice she could manage “You should quit apple bucking and do stand up.”
As the two argued, Twilight walked over towards Pinkie who had busied herself with cleaning up the party decorations from the previous night. “Good morning Pinkie, do you want some help cleaning up?”
“No thanks” chirped Pinkie as she wrapped up the large sign “I gotta do this alone so I can figure out what’s missing.”
“Huh?” sighed Twilight
“A kicky leg means somepony lost something” explained Pinkie as she swept several streamers into a garbage bag “And the harder I kick, the more important the missing thing is.”
“Well by how hard you kicked Rainbow it must be really import…” as Twilight said the last word all of the color drained from her face. She bolted back over to the fireside where she had slept shouting “Ohnoohnoohnoohnoohnoohno”
Rainbow felt herself lifted into the air as twilight checked beneath her for something “Hay, what do you think you’re…” there was a soft thud as rainbow hit the ground after being dropped. “What got into her?”
“I don’t know, all I told her was that my pinkie sense told me something was missing.” answered pinkie in an abnormally high pitched voice. She had apparently sucked all the helium from the balloons. “And she went nuts-o.”
“Twi, ya’all right?” asked Applejack as Twilight lifted every log and rock in the campsite. She walked over to her panicking friend and placed her hooves on Twilight’s shoulders “Now sugar cube, if ya lost somethin’, why don’cha just tell us what it is so we can help ya find it?”
“The Element of Magic” squeaked Twilight softly
“What did ya say?” prodded Applejack “Try again, this time without the Fluttershy impersonation”
“I lost the Element of Magic” Twilight cringed as the inaudible words left her mouth.
“Now Twilight, ah’m sure what ever whatever it is ya lost, it ain’t nearly as bad as ya think.” Applejack said reassuringly. Rainbow and Pinkie nodded to add emphasis to what was just said. “Now, one more time, with feeling.”
“I lost the Element of Magic” Twilight pressed her eyes shut. Her three friend’s jaws dropped simultaneously. Rainbow Dash was shuttering uncontrollably, and looked like she was ready to fly at any second. Pinkie was eerily still caught in an odd position, mid bounce. Applejack’s face hadn’t changed at all except for a nervous twitch in he left eye.
“You lost the Element of Magic” said Applejack. A long silence filled the campsite broken only by the wind trough nearby trees.
“You lost the WHAT!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash breaking the silence that felt as if it had lasted an eternity “WHY the BUCK would you bring THAT ALONG!”
“I gotta side with Dashie on that one. I mean, I know the filly scout motto was ‘be prepared” chirped pinkie, noticeably concerned but still energetic “but that usually meant, bring a compass and extra party supplies, not an all-powerful, god-slaying weapon”
“Well…” Twilight explained how the camping trip was a front for her to study the mountains for the Element’s origins. Pinkie and Rainbow were stunned to find out about the princess’s emotional eruption, at Twilight of all ponies.
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner” asked Rainbow Dash, no longer angry, but still concerned.
“Deniability” said Twilight eyes full of tears “I could get in serious trouble for doing this, and there was no way I could do it alone. If you guys didn’t know what was going on, if we got caught, the princess would probably let you guys off. I’d never forgive myself if I brought you girls down with me.”
“Well we can’t worry ‘bout that now” Applejack said hugging her now crying friend “What we need ta do now is track down the Element. Ideas, anypony?”
Pinkie Pie waved her hoof furiously in the air. Applejack continued “Anypony that ain’t pink?” no response “Fine, Pinkie what’s yer idea”
“It’s simple, find the Element” said pinkie confidently
“We KNOW that but HOW! Exclaimed Rainbow Dash, now flying in circles above to try to relive some of the stress.
“Well the Element is magical, like REALLY magical. One of the most powerful magics in the world.” Explained Pinkie, much to the shock of the other three mares. “Detect Magic is like, a zero level spell. So we should be able to find it no sweat.”
“Good try sugar cube, but ifi,’ it was that easy, ah’m sure Twilight would have tried it already” said Applejack as Twilight’s face turned from lavender to red. “Ya woulda tried that already, right?”
“In the panic, I sorta…forgot” Twilight grinned sheepishly “Hold on, let me try”
Twilight’s horn began to glow a faint purple as she reached out to find the missing magic. She could feel something, it felt familiar. As she focused to get a better feel another massive magical presence overwhelmed her. It was like noting she had ever felt. It was like what she thought Princess Celestia’s full power would feel like. The magic was so strong it flung her back almost ten feet. Her spell dissipated as she gasped to catch her rapidly fleeing breath.
“Twi, ya’all right?!” Applejack asked
“I’ll be okay, I found something. Something strong enough to push me back like that.” explained Twilight as she gasped for breath “It came from the other side of the mountain, near the base.”
“Do ya think it’s what we’re lookin’ for” asked Applejack concerned
“It felt familiar at first, but there’s really only one way to find out for sure.” Said Twilight, now back on her hooves “Let’s go, everypony”
It took several hours to hike to where Twilight sensed the magic. Before they knew it, they found a deep cave extending down into the depth of the ground. Twilight attempted to detect again, with similar results. Whatever was giving off that magic was in that cave.
“You guys don’t need to follow me, this could get dangerous” Twilight said as she lit her horn “I’d understand if you wanted to go back”
“No way pard’ner” said Applejack “we’re gunna stick to ya like glu, ain’t that right girls?”
“Right” Rainbow said, trying to hide her excitement “This’ll be just like a Daring Doo story”
“Right, nopony is leaving anypony when they need help.” Chimed Pinkie “that’s not what friends do”
“Thanks girls, let’s go” Twilight led them into the cave