Chapter 3: Spitfire
The Ponyville train station loomed ahead of Derpy as she flew as fast as her wings would take her. All numbers of characters were there crowding around to reach their train. Unbeknownst to her, one among the crowd was a miss Spitfire of the Wonder Bolts. She had arrived the previous day for Rainbow Dash’s birthday, but no one came to meet her. She sent a number of letters to the address that mailed her, but there was no answer. Today, she was finally going back to Canterlot. She didn’t see Derpy flying straight toward her and both pegasi were swiftly knocked to the ground.
“Sorry miss. I just don’t know what went wrong.” Derpy rubbed her head and started retrieving her fallen possessions.
“It’s nothing, really. What’s your name and why are you in such a rush?”
“I’m Derpy Hooves. I’m a mail mare but right now I have to be in Canterlot immediately. I have to...” She froze, remembering what the purple one said about telling other ponies. “You know what? I didn’t catch your name.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m Spitfire. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”
“Not ringing any bells.”
“That’s alright. I’m on my way back to Canterlot myself. Perhaps you’d like to join me? I’m afraid I don’t really know anypony around here very well.”
“Sure!” The two of them continued talking with each other as a small, white house cat surveyed the scene. The book that fell out of Derpy’s bag caught his eyes and he raced forward.
“HEY! I need that! What are you doing?” Derpy called as the cat snatched the book out of her hooves. It darted into the brush nearby the station and was entirely lost to sight.
Spitfire looked on, puzzled. “There’s something you don’t see everyday. I’m sorry about your book. Maybe we can buy you another copy when we’re in Canterlot.”
Derpy was severely worried now and somewhat frantic. “I need to get that book back! It has to be that one!”
“Calm down kid. If it means that much to you, I’ll help you look for it.”
This reassurance worked to calm Derpy down. She looked at her new friend and smiled. “I’m sorry. It’s just that that book is a big part of why I need to go to Canterlot. Without it some really bad things might happen to some ponies I know. Do you really mean that you’ll help me look for it?”
“Well yeah, but we’d better go now before that cat evades us entirely. Let’s see if we can do this before the last train to Canterlot for the day leaves.” On that note, they flew off in the direction the cat was last seen, scanning the area as they talked.
“Hey wait a minute! I do know you! You’ve been sending a lot of letters to the library over the past two days. Why is that?”
Spitfire shrugged. “I was supposed to meet a pony here named Rainbow Dash for her birthday. After arriving here, nopony ever came to pick me up. I was actually about to head back to Canterlot when you crashed into me. Is something wrong?”
At the name “Rainbow Dash,” Derpy stopped mid-flight. Her mind was bombarded by thoughts from every direction. Rainbow Dash is in that book. If she was supposed to meet Spitfire yesterday, then they’ve been in there for at least that time. Spitfire deserves to know what happened, but I promised those ponies I wouldn’t tell anypony other than the princess what happened to them, and losing their trust is the best way to lose their friendship.
A voice could be heard from a considerable distance away, followed by a loud hiss. “FOREVER!”
“That must be where the book is! I think it came from this way!” Derpy rushed off in the direction of the voice, leaving a very confused Spitfire to follow after her.
What’s with this kid?
Meanwhile, the white cat was running along a stone path leading to the Everfree Forest when a grey earth pony carrying a large case of some sort blocked his way.
“Shoo! Shoo! And get that out of your mouth. Cats should know better than wander way out here. Your owner must be worried sick.” The grey pony plucked the book wrapped in parchment out of the cat’s grip and was thanked in return with a few swipes from the cat’s paws that failed to make contact with anything. “Why... what an ill mannered brute you are.” The mare put the book into her saddle bag that wasn’t obstructed by the case and continued on her way to Ponyville, leaving the cat behind.