Applejack accompanied Pinkie Pie on her way to Sugarcube Corner, thinking of it as her best bet to find her sister and their friends. The place itself was an attraction for foals and from there it would be only a short distance to the town hall where the Cutie Mark Crusaders might have headed in case they followed Rainbow Dash's and Twilight's suggestion to visit Frank, which Applejack somewhat hoped they did. The idea of them getting too eager with firefighting or, Celestia forbid, actually getting fascinated with the idea of a cutie mark in starting a revolution made Applejack rather uneasy. She felt a little guilty for thinking about her little sister like that. She was well aware that Apple Bloom was quite sensible. Hadn't she been the one who had discarded all the bridle gossip about Zecora's alleged evilness at a time when pretty much everypony including herself had fallen for it? Apple Bloom was also quite independent... perhaps even a little too independent for Applejack's liking.
Part of her mind was telling her to put more confidence in Apple Bloom, but there was also that other part of her soul that almost demanded for Apple Bloom to be a little less independent. Applejack had always been rather down to earth and mature. Maybe this had made it possible for her to assume her new role after the sudden death of their parents so quickly. She had never allowed for sentiments of loss to drag her down and the work at Sweet Apple Acres had never left her any room for questions about meaning which she knew some fancy ponies would get worked up about. But part of her had assumed the role of a mother as well as that of an elder sister for Apple Bloom. She wanted for her younger sister to have as carefree a childhood as possible and she took more pride in Apple Bloom than she would ever grant herself for her own accomplishments. She knew she wasn't to get overprotective of her little sister and yet a tiny voice sometimes reminded her that if ever she should not be protective enough, she would never be able to forgive herself.
As they approached Sugar Cube Corner, Applejack found that her instinct about the possible whereabouts of Apple Bloom and her friends had been right. There they stood in front of the confectionery and were talking to Miss Cheerilee. As she noticed them, Apple Bloom immediately rushed to meet Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
"Applejack!" she said with a suppressed voice and squinting backwards. Apparently she didn't want for her voice to be overheard by Miss Cheerilee, whom Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo continued to talk to. "Something is wrong with Miss Cheerilee!"
"What is it?" Applejack asked alarmed.
"She is all... funny."
"But that's great! Funny is—", Pinkie began, but was interrupted by Apple Bloom immediately.
"Not the good kind of funny!"
Applejack walked past her sister, who turned to follow her right on her trail. Before she had even reached her, Applejack could see that Miss Cheerilee indeed didn't look good. She was somewhat pale, looked disheveled as if she had just gotten up and Applejack noticed that she was trembling slightly. Worse still, when Applejack got close she saw the unmistakable puffy eyes and blurred streaks leaving no doubt that Miss Cheerilee had been crying.
"What in tarnation...? Y'all did not mix anything funny in her drink again, did ya?" Applejack asked aghast.
"NO!"
The protest of all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders came so loud, in unison and with a tone of deep injury against such a suspicion.
"We would never...", Apple Bloom began, but her sister cut her short with an appeasing wave of her hoof. "Right, I'm very sorry, sis!"
Turned to the teacher she asked: "Cheerilee, for the love of Celestia, what happened to you, sugarcube?"
"Nothing!" Miss Cheerilee exclaimed.
"You don't look like—"
"Nothing! Nothing! I know nothing! Gone, gone, gone..."
Miss Cheerilee's eyes were unfocused at some point somewhere behind Applejack and Apple Bloom and it wasn't certain if she was even talking to them or not even really aware of their presence.
"Cheerilee, you hear me? What's wrong?"
Her eyes focused on Applejack, yet their look still remained rather dull and empty.
"Nopony is there! They are all gone! I am myself alone!"
"But Miss Cheerilee, we are here!" Sweetie Belle cried and hugged one of her forelegs. "You are not alone!"
Miss Cheerilee's look cleared a little. "Sweetie Belle?" she asked and Sweetie Belle nodded eagerly. "Where is everypony?"
"Who do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked. Even her usual carefree cheer had momentarily been brushed aside by the not good kind of funny shown by Miss Cheerilee.
"Most everypony's insides Ah think", Applejack said. "Too swelt'ring out here for them to hang out in the sun."
Applejack took off her Stetson and carefully fanned Miss Cheerilee. "Have ya been in the blazing sun too long?"
When working outside in this kind of weather Applejack's shading hat was more than a mere fashion choice.
Some moments passed before Miss Cheerilee said: "Pinkie Pie? Applejack?"
"That's right", Applejack confirmed with a nod. She looked back and lowered her head to her little sister.
"Apple Bloom, what happened? How did you find her?"
"We only met her just before you got here. She was walking between the houses looking everywhere. We wanted to ask her about if she was already done correcting all those texts she had us write earlier. But first she didn't even notice us at all and when she did she was... like this."
Apple Bloom made a helpless gesture towards Miss Cheerilee.
"Cheerilee...", Applejack looking straight into her eyes, "...do you remember school today?"
Miss Cheerilee just looked back at Applejack blankly.
"Miss Cheerilee, please...", Scootaloo said, gently tapping the foreleg of Miss Cheerille that was not embraced by Sweetie Belle and looking at her big eyed, "...don't you remember? You had us write the whole day about our homes, our family, about everything."
"But Scootaloo, I'd never let you write all day!" Miss Cheerilee said sounding quite sure about that. "I... I wasn't at school I think. What happened?" Her voice was breaking as if she was about to cry.
"Come now, sugarcube", Applejack said, patting Miss Cheerilee's shoulder. "Can you tell us what you remember?"
"I only just woke up! I never slept in like that before! I never missed school before", Miss Cheerilee wailed.
"But you were...", Apple Bloom began, but her sister hushed her with a look and a shake of her head.
"That is okay", Applejack said. "Maybe you are a bit overwrought. Maybe you also had an accident at home which you don't remember at the moment."
"But Applejack...", Pinkie Pie began. "...maybe this is... uhm..."
Pinkie remembered herself that she was not to tell anypony about what Twilight had told them. It didn't take Applejack's mouth-zipping gesture to remind her of that, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders had all noticed the gesture.
"Applejack...", Miss Cheerilee said. "...is Big McIntosh there? Is he alright? Is he gone?"
"I'm sure he is fine", Applejack responded somewhat surprised, "Ah'm just a little worried about you..."
"Where is he?" Miss Cheerilee asked, sounding so desperate that Applejack made a quick decision.
"He should be at Sweet Apple Acres now, but I can go and get him. Cheerilee, you should go home. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie will be with you. They will not leave you alone."
Neither one of the fillies nor Pinkie Pie objected.
"Everything will be fine, Cheerilee, I'll be back with Big Mac in no time." And turned to the others she said a little more quietly: "Please take good care of her. I'll hurry!"
Apple Bloom nodded.
As Pinkie Pie and the Cutie Mark Crusaders led Miss Cheerilee away towards her home, Applejack galloped for Sweet Apple Acres as fast as she could. Her mind was racing her hooves as she went. Twilight had to learn about this as soon as possible. Comparing Miss Cheerilee's condition to the description Twilight had given, Applejack had no doubt that the teacher had fallen victim to who- or whatever had attacked Mr. Rich before.
Miss Cheerilee lived in a small cottage not far away. On the way there, she broke into tears. It was rather unsettling for the Cutie Mark Crusaders who did their best to comfort her. They had no idea however what had put Miss Cheerilee into such a deplorable state. Nothing she was muttering allowed for the drawing of any conclusions. In the cottage Miss Cheerilee laid down onto a sofa. Pinkie Pie brought her something to drink and tried to cheer her up with some rather random stories while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stayed close to her which seemed to calm her down a lot more than Pinkie's antics. Before long Miss Cheerilee dozed off into a restless nap.
"Miss Cheerilee?" Apple Bloom whispered quietly a few times until she was certain that their teacher was really asleep. She then turned around and gave Pinkie Pie an almost menacing look. "Pinkie Pie! If ya know what is going on here, tell us now!" she ordered quietly, but in a tone which she knew would not have increased her chances with her elder sister. At the same time she was approaching Pinkie Pie.
"Yeah" Scootaloo agreed while approaching Pinkie Pie from another side. "What are you and Applejack hiding from us?"
Pinkie Pie was caught utterly on the wrong hoof being taken on by the fillies all of a sudden. Looking for the door she saw Sweetie Belle closing in from that direction.
Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, made a very concentrated face and repeatedly raised her head in a jerky manner.
"Pinkie Pie?" Apple Bloom asked confused.
"If you are trying to teleport yourself away, Pinkie, you're forgetting that you are not a unicorn!" Sweetie Belle reminded Pinkie Pie with her sweetest voice which at the moment didn't sound any less menacing to Pinkie than the no-nonsense tone Apple Bloom and Scootaloo struck.
"But Frankie said I could do magic!" Pinkie Pie complained haplessly.
"He did?" Apple Bloom asked sounding even more confused than she had sounded over Pinkie Pie's visible attempts at a magical getaway.
"Oh yes", Pinkie Pie said happily, hoping that she had discovered a loophole. "He even said he thinks I can do things he doesn't think even the most powerful unicorn magicians were capable of", Pinkie Pie recalled what Frank had said in the morning.
"Great...", Sweetie Belle said unimpressed, now also taking on a more direct tone, "...but so long you cannot witch yourself away it doesn't matter. We want answers!"
"Who did this to Miss Cheerilee?" Scootaloo demanded to know.
"It wasn't me!" Pinkie promised.
"Not so loud!" Apple Bloom hissed. "You don't want to wake up Miss Cheerilee. But you know who did this?"
"No, I don't!" Pinkie Pie said quietly having by now fallen back to the wall.
"But you do know something about this." Sweetie Belle said. It was not a question but a statement. "We saw the sign Applejack gave you."
Pinkie Pie nodded silently.
"What do you know?" Scootaloo insisted.
Pinkie Pie shook her head fiercely.
"Tell us!" Apple Bloom ordered.
Pinkie Pie shoved part of her mane into her mouth.
"Pinkie Pie...", Sweetie Belle said now again with a pleading tone, "...we don't know what is going on, but we care about Miss Cheerilee and also about Frank and we want to help. Can you tell us why you can't tell us?"
"I promised", wailed Pinkie Pie, now almost crying.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders exchanged a crestfallen look. They knew that if Pinkie promised anything there was no way she would deliberately break that promise.
"But if we just ask you some questions and you just nod, or shake your head, or shrug you are not really telling anything, right? Your mouth would still be zipped!" Sweetie Belle probed.
Pinkie Pie cocked her head slightly.
"Does this have anything to do with what Twilight told you in the library?" Scootaloo asked.
Pinkie Pie half shrugged but then nodded slowly.
"Does this have anything to do with Frank's arrest?" The question came from Apple Bloom.
Again there was the mixture of a shrug and a halfhearted nod.
Sweetie Belle had the impression that they had to ask more precisely to get more helpful answers.
"Is what happened to Mr. Rich similar to what happened to Miss Cheerilee?"
Pinkie Pie hesitated for a moment then she nodded.
It was a great relief for Pinkie Pie when Miss Cheerilee woke up just a little later, ending her cross-examination by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, whose whole attention now turned to caring for their teacher. Applejack returned not long after in the company of a worried looking Big McIntosh. Applejack found that getting Big Mac here had been a very good decision. Miss Cheerilee still looked very worn out, but it was unmistakable that the presence and care of him as well as the Cutie Mark Crusaders had a very soothing effect on her. Miss Cheerilee could now tell more coherently that she didn't have any memory since having gone to sleep the previous evening and was unaware of having gotten up until shortly before meeting the Cutie Mark Crusaders near Sugarcube Corner.