//------------------------------// // Chapter 32: Missing // Story: Ponyville Days // by Cirrus Sky //------------------------------// Twilight's phone had been under a small table in the hallway, very close to the door to the lounge. A frantic message to their friends confirmed that Twilight was not visiting with Rarity, Applejack or Fluttershy, neither had they seen the librarian that day. Worse still, they found her coat in the closet with her hat. “She heard us.” Twilight senior said, as she looked from where the phone had been found. “What do you mean?” Rainbow wasn't quite frantic but was getting there. “We were discussing something.” Celestia said, her voice tight. “It was regarding Twilight. Things were said. Shouted. Most probably when Twilight was in the house and we weren't aware.” “It would have -upset- Twily.” Twilight Velvet said, just edging into a panic. “She would have been upset and confused, hearing what I said.” “But all that ever does is send her to reading her books and taking notes. Crazy notes, but nothing bad. Right?” Rainbow was not feeling positive about things now. Celestia and Twilght's mother were worried. Luna gently put a hand on Rainbow's shoulder, Cadence on the other. “Not for something like this Rainbow. Um, when Twilight was less sociable and something really upset her... She'd run away from the problem. Even if most of it was in her head.” Cadence said it carefully, slowly. “Like that time you came for dinner.” “The problem is, she would run away to Tia's house.” Luna added. “But we're here in Ponyville and Tia is part of the problem now. I think. She would have heard us speaking too.” Luna looked ashamed a moment. “I know the need to run away from it all, but she's highly strung and it is late and dark and cold.” “She isn't at one of our friend's houses, or the airfield, or here. Without a coat!” Rainbow caught up with the panic that had been growing in Twilight senior. Night was already holding his wife closely as she held back sobs. “She's not at the library.” Shining announced, entering the house. “I saw Gumshoe and Copper patrolling and explained Twilight is missing. They will be getting the police response organised. “ He looked very worried too. Manfully hiding it, but still, there was that little ghost hiding in his eyes. “Police searching too?” Rainbow said, shocked. This was serious if the family thought there needed to be an official search. “I'm calling the girls. AJ and Fluttershy know the town like their own backyards. I just wish Pinkie was in town, she'd find Twilight.” Rainbow started texting, it was faster than calling everyone individually. She wandered away from the family and the noise and the panic. Unknowingly, she paused in a spot that had been occupied some time ago by the person they sought. -*- Twilight had spent a normal morning in the Library. She had shelved a few books, made a few returns and stamped a few out for patrons of the library. At midday Stacker had arrived to take over and she had returned home for a light lunch. She was looking forward to an afternoon with Captain and Dath as they discussed the old planes. Captain always had an exciting story to tell and Dath would probably have a few of his own. In all, Twilight was having a good day. The house was quiet when she returned home, though there was a murmur of conversation in the lounge. Spike had already texted to say that he was at the arcade, so it was probably her parents, Celestia and Luna. Twilight hung up her coat and began texting Rainbow to ask if she wanted a snack brought up to the airfield when there was raised voices. Then a shout broke through her inattention, a shout from her mother. Twilight dropped her phone in shock, her world had suddenly become unstable. Things were different and had always been without her knowing. So, as her mind would often conclude in moments like this, Twilight had to escape. Here was some metaphorical danger, the confusion and change were turning her thoughts around in a tizz. The house was not “safe”, not with all those who caused the confusion there. Twilight left quickly, back out the door she had just entered through and along the street, choosing to walk in the direction that would not cause her to pass in front of the house and its windows. She walked and hurried, barely acknowledging the friendly greetings of people she passed, deliberately choosing roads that were quieter. Though there was no real aim to her path. Twilight just hurried in the direction she had chosen. She had to be away from the house, from everyone and the confusing thoughts rushing around her head. She tarried a while, in the park and the meadow that slowly became forest. Her anxiety and panic brushing away hunger and thirst. Twilight knew she had been away for hours now, but any return would mean facing the shouted words. “We can't just tell Twilight she's adopted!” It was echoing over and over in her mind. It had to be a joke or a lie, hadn't it? Hadn't it? Tears gathered in her eyes. A lie from her mother. Or, not her mother, if those words were true. A lie that her da... That Night and Shining and Cadence and Luna and Celestia all knew. Had all been talking about. Shining and Cadence had to know, they were older than her enough to have known. Her family, people she loved and trusted, all complicit in this life -long deception. "Why?" Twilight whispered, stumbling a moment. Hardly noticing that she was in the forest now. "We adopted Spike. Why lie to me?" For it was certainly a lie by omission if nothing else. It wasn't a problem that the family who had raised her was not blood related. Spike wasn't and she loved him to the ends of the earth. No, it was the feeling of betrayal that they had kept this from her. Her whole life, always with this lie present. A secret from her. The day drew darker around her as Twilight sought an impossible escape. She hardly noted the growing darkness until night had dropped its veil over the forest. The dark all the deeper from the closely packed trees casting deep shadow and a still lightly leafy canopy keeping moonlight away. Twilight shivered, it was November in Ponyville and she only had her jumper. The unhappy heat her emotions had provoked was no defence against the plunging temperature. Wind whistled through the trees, Twilight's indignation was fading to a deep sadness. She couldn't face returning home yet. Nor finding one of her friends to stay with. That would entail talking and right now Twilight couldn't speak. Her head was a mess of inarticulable emotions and even friendly concern wasn't welcome. As she walked on shadows in the forest seemed to move and Twilight recalled the wolves and bears that lived there. She looked around, convinced that there was something out there. Glad that the season meant few to no snakes to make her day worse still. As she looked about her, trying not to panic, Twilight spotted a cabin, a regular and man-made line from the roof breaking into the natural curves of the trees. She made her way to the welcome building. At the very least it was four walls and a roof between herself, nature and the cold. It wasn't until Twilight was inside the little cabin that she realised she had been here before. The scattered furniture and abandoned police tape still just as they had been left when the case was ready for court. This was where she and her new found friends had rescued Luna and Celestia that night, so long ago. Twilight righted a chair and sat on it. Letting the past distract her from the distressing and confusing present. -*- The day had started so well. Twilight and Spike had arrived in the little town of Ponyville right on schedule. Her short list of tasks would be simple to complete , freeing up some time for her personal project. Despite a few of the unusual residents diverting them from directly completing their tasks, including a rather enormous meal and an unexpected makeover, everything passed according to plan. It even looked like Twilight would have some time to follow up on a lead that Celestia's sister Luna was in the area. Though her mentor never mentioned it, Twilight knew she missed her youngest sister. It would be wonderful to re-unite them. Unfortunately, Twilight ended up being waylaid by an unanticipated party, missed meeting Celestia at the airfield and discovered that Luna was indeed in the area. With a paramilitary group who had kidnapped Celestia and taken her to some unknown location. Now she was tramping through a strange forest with five locals in tow. Five surprisingly friendly locals who were a great help and deeper than Twilight had initially judged. The pink haired party host, Pinkie Pie, had cheered them through any fear and doubt that the forest had caused. It hadn't taken long for the six to realise that the kidnappers had gone to ground in the forbidding Everfree Forest. Applejack,who Twilight had known just a few hours, was so honest that Twilight had trusted her with her life when the treacherous pathway had given way. Timid Fluttershy, who Twilight had thought was possibly mute when they first met, had been a surprise indeed. With expertise and care she had helped her friends safely through a distressed nest of snakes, disturbed by the paramilitary groups run through the forest. Rarity, someone Twilight had put down as a shallow fashionista (and feeling guilty for that), proved generous to a fault. They had come across a poor camper who's camp had been trashed. She'd handed him a fair amount of cash and her torch and directed him to town for help. Finally there was the pilot. Rainbow had scouted ahead as voices and lights warned the girls that the kidnappers could be near. She returned subdued but determined. “That is a cabin.” Rainbow pointed to the lights through the trees. “There's two room, five people including Luna. Five guns too.” “How do you know all of this?” Twilight asked. “I found out.” Rainbow said. Twilight gripped her arm. “How?” Twilight asked again.” “I know, knew, on of the kidnappers okay! She wanted me to join them. Tried to convince me with all the facts.” Rainbow grimaced. “A Dash doesn't betray.” “Thank you.” Twilight said, sincere, so grateful that these virtual strangers were helping her find and hopefully rescue her mentor. They made their way to the cabin quietly. Ready to take on armed kidnappers. As Applejack and Rainbow readied to storm in Twilight realised something. These girls were friends, not strangers. 'So this is friendship?' Twilight smiled. It felt like the first time she had opened a book. “Ready? Go!” Applejack said, kicking open the door. -*- Back in the present, Twilight looked around the dark cabin. She could place the bullet hole where someone had fired off a shot when Twilight had seen through the fake “Luna”. The chair she sat on had probably been knocked to the floor as the police arrived to arrest the kidnappers. The doorway to her left led into the room Celestia and her sister were held. Thinking of the pair turned Twilight's thoughts back to the revelations that had brought her here. Her mood soured. “Why couldn't they tell me from the start?” Twilight whispered. Were her birth parents shameful? Criminals or unfit to raise a child? Had she been abandoned as unwanted and chosen like some trinket to be taken from a life of group homes and state supplied parents? Spike had known that his parents hadn't been able to look after him and that the Sparkle family were adopting him because of how much he loved them and they loved him. Twilight blinked away some tears, she was loved too. She knew she was loved, but the hurt of a lie was so great! How could she forgive people she trusted implicitly betraying her like that? “I need Rainbow.” Twilight whispered. Rainbow would help, even if all she could do was give Twilight the hug that she really needed right now. There was the crack of breaking wood out in the forest. Twilight wasn't alone. “Please be a friend.” She whispered, shrinking into the shadows.