A few days had passed and Twilight had joined the girls to Ponyville. There she stayed at Fluttershy's cottage and began helping her take care of the animals. Twilight did not exactly get along with Angel well, so Twilight decided to go help Applejack instead. Then one day of bucking apples...
“Good work Twi.” said Applejack with sweat going down her face. “That's enough for today.”
“Okay, and Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“Call me Dazzling Bubble, remember? Nopony here needs to know my real name.” said Twilight with the most serious face she could put on.
“Right...sorry...It's just-”
“I know. It's fine.”
The two then hauled the apples and went to the barn. There, Applejack gave Twilight some apple cider to drink. The two made sure that the other members of the Apple family were in the main house.
“So, um, Bubble...what do you want to do next?”
“You mean the whole Harmony and Celestia thing?” said Twilight with a grim look on her face. “I'm not sure...I keep thinking Applejack...”
“That's why you're leader after all. You do all the thinking.”
“Yeah, I know. It's just...I keep thinking about what Celestia told me...I know if I had stayed, then at some point she would've found out about me and you girls.”
“You couldn't let that happen? Couldn't she like pardon us or something?”
“You don't get it!” yelled Twilight. “Think about it for a second, Applejack! Everything would get revealed! The media would destroy your farm's business and Rarity's business!”
“Well...” said Applejack as she adjusted her hat, “I guess that's true...”
“Not only that...they would take Scootaloo away from Rainbow Dash. I can't let that happen!”
“Well...what if you just told Celestia about you and left us out of it?”
Twilight paused at Applejack's question. The thought had crossed her mind but she wasn't sure about the outcome. “Well...even if I did that Applejack...you haven't seen what I saw that night...she sent practically all her guards after me! All of them!”
“You said that she needed you for that whole prophecy mumbo jumbo didn't you? Ain't that why she sent so many guards? Cuz she believes that pile of rotten apples?”
“Well...yeah...that's definitely true...I just...” said Twilight as she slumped over. “I just...don't know what to do Applejack...”
Applejack then walked over to Twilight and hugged her. “Don't worry, we'll always be there for ya.”
Tears began to form on Twilight's eyes as she hugged Applejack back, “Thanks...”
Meanwhile in Manehattan at a certain apartment...
“What do you mean you won't help me find the Feather Blades?!” yelled Sunset Shimmer. "I just got back from Canterlot and this is the response you give me?!"
“Trixie told you already. Trixie only wants to catch the Rainbooms.”
“Oh yeah?! What about the part where the thugs that beat us up paid those thieves?! You're just gonna let that go?!”
“The thugs are beaten, aren't they Sunset?”
“Well, yes. I beat the snot out of them.”
“Then Trixie doesn't care.”
Sunset then slammed her hoof onto her own face. “Ugh! Why are you so stubborn?!”
“Trixie must be stubborn in order to catch the Rainbooms.”
“I can't believe this...” said Sunset as she began to pace the room. “Okay, fine. If you won't help me then I'll find the Feather Blades myself!”
“Good. Leave Trixie's apartment then.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. I'm not leaving. Unfortunately for you, you were also part of this incident. Therefore, I need to know all the ponies you've come in contact with since I've been here in Manehattan.”
Trixie then turned around and said, “Really? Trixie has tell you everypony she met since she met you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Muggy Snide said we were working together! That means somepony has been following one of us!”
Trixie's eyebrows went up and down at the statement. “Well, if it was up to Trixie, Trixie would investigate everypony Sunset met since Sunset came to Manehattan.”
Sunset froze for a second, trying to respond. “Um...well...”
“Trixie knows the police ponies know about my obsession with catching the Rainbooms. The police ponies barely know about you.”
“Well...if you look at it that way...” said Sunset as she slowly began to think. Then Sunset began to pace around the room, talking to herself, “Okay...need to retrace my steps...I came to Manehattan a while ago...I talked to the police and then came here...then I met Dazzling Bubble...which I never met up with again...wait...I was supposed to meet her again but I never saw her at the library again...so...could she be a Feather Blade?”
“Doesn't sound like it.”
Sunset then turned to Trixie, “Why?”
“If the pony you just said is a thief, she wouldn't sell you out because you didn't meet her.”
“Those thugs attacked us before I could meet her again. Then I left for Canterlot.”
“Exactly. If she was going to sell Sunset out, she would have done it sooner. Who else did Sunset meet?”
“Well...” said Sunset as she began scratching her head, “Let's see...I spent a few days relaxing...I went to see Lyra and Octavia...they're such nice ponies with their music...” she said as she began remembering the tunes they would play.
“That's all?”
Sunset then began to blush, “Um...yeah. I haven't interacted with many other ponies...except the earth pony that's always with them...Bon Bon...I think that was her name...”
“Sunset met them a few days later?”
“Like two or three...not much.”
“There you go.” said Trixie as she turned around and looked at her typewriter.
“Huh?”
“Trixie just told you. Those are your suspects.”
“Wait...you mean Lyra and the others?” said Sunset in a panic.
“Yes. Now let Trixie get back to work.”
“But...that can't be...” said Sunset as slumped down to the floor. “Could it be them...?”
Meanwhile at the Ponyville train station...
“Alright, we finally made it!” said the first pony, “Are you ready?”
“I am! I am!” said a second pony as she hopped up and down.
“I don't know...I know its been a while since I've been here but...” said the third pony.
The first pony then put her hoof on the pony's shoulder. “Don't worry, nopony will recognize you. Besides, won't it be great to see almost everypony again?”
“Yeah...I can't wait to tell them what happened!”