If seeing the image of Misty Evening before leaving Canterlot wasn’t enough of a surprise, as she approached Ponyville the skies had turned cloudy. It seemed like it was about to pour heavily. She regretted not taking an umbrella with her, but then again, she would have hardly expected such a turn on the weather, since the day had clear skies earlier. She shook her head, knowing that no matter how much she thought about it, she had no control over things like these. Letting out a soft sigh, she looked outside, wondering if her friends had already returned from their respective travels. She wasn’t sure since she had left Spike in charge of the Castle, instructing him on sending her a letter if any of her friends happened to visit her place, particularly Misty, or if anything else happened, he’d be to ask Pinkie or Fluttershy for help, in case he really needed it. Since she didn’t get any letter, she assumed that either everything had been quiet while she was out of town…or that something happened that wouldn’t let Spike report back to her.
She began fidgeting her hooves a bit, getting nervous at the thought. As the train finally arrived to Ponyville, she picked up her stuff and rushed outside. It was already pouring lightly. Trotting out of the station, Twilight decided to check Pinkie’s place first.
Trotting towards Sugarcube Corner, she could see it just as crowded as a few days ago, particularly around the board that the Cakes had set up outside the confectionery, with all the Missing ponies posters and notes. Getting closer now, she could see Pinkie coming out of the building, holding a tray with assorted pastries with her mouth, bringing them to one of the outside tables.
“Hey Pinkie, how are things around here?” Twilight asked, approaching Pinkie, stopping and taking a few deep breaths.
Pinkie placed the tray on its respective table, before turning around and looking at Twilight. “Hey Twilight!” she greeted her on her usual cheerful tone. “As you can see, we are preeetty busy as usual.”
“Did…did Spike come here, by chance?” Twilight asked Pinkie, still nervous.
Just as she asked, Spike came out of the building, holding another tray and taking it to another table. After he left it, he turned around and saw Twilight, rushing towards her.
“Twilight! Back already?” Spike said, excited at first, then turning his head down a bit. “I…know you said I had to stay at the Castle, but--”
Twilight cut him off and pulled him into a hug, feeling very relieved. “Oh Spike, I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you…” she sighed, still hugging him for a few more moments, before she stopped and pushed him away just a bit, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.
“…and I indeed told you to stay at the Castle.” She continued, with a gentle smirk on her face.
Spike chuckled a bit nervously. “Well…you see…I was still at the Castle, when Pinkie came up, asking for some help at Sugarcube Corner. I insisted that you had told me to stay in, but she ended up just pulling me here somehow…” Spike said as he fidgeted his fingers.
Twilight continued to smile as her gaze went from Spike, to Pinkie, who had returned to attending more clients. She knew Pinkie sometimes had a knack for convincing others to follow her, usually with a big smile in her face, and it was good that it was never meant in a bad way. If anything, Twilight was glad that Spike was with a friend she could trust. Letting out a gentle sigh, she looked back at Spike.
“It’s ok Spike. Guess it beats being all alone and bored at the castle.” She assured Spike, with a smile in her face, making Spike let out a relieved sigh himself. “By the way, do you know if the others are back?” She asked Spike.
“Rarity and Applejack returned already, but went to their homes first to leave their stuff and check on things.” Spike replied. “They said they’d come here as soon as they were done, it shouldn’t be too long now…”
Just as Spike finished speaking, 2 mares approached them, both carrying hats: One was wearing a western hat, the other, a larger and fancier hat, complete with a ribbon on the side.
“I told you it was about to rain heavily today, Dash has been reminding us the entire week before we left!” Applejack exclaimed, clearly annoyed at how long Rarity had taken to just choose a hat to go out.
“Well darling, with all that’s been happening recently, I simply forgot about her warnings.” Rarity replied. “At any rate, I couldn’t allow myself to go out without a proper accessory, and I had this hat saved for the perfect time, with or without rain.” She humphed, however hoping the rain wouldn’t get too bad.
Applejack couldn’t help but shake her head at Rarity, then suddenly changed to a smile as she saw Twilight already at Sugarcube Corner.
“Twilight! Gosh darnit, I’m so glad to see you.”
“I’m so happy to see you guys again!” Twilight exclaimed as she rushed to greet and hug them. “It feels like we haven’t seen each other in ages.”
“Well now, darling, it has only been a few days, really.” Rarity began, smiling at her. “Though considering how things are going at the moment, every minute together counts.” She sighed.
“But anyway! I guess we all have much to gossip about, on these interesting times.” She continued, as she walked towards one of the tables nearby. “Come on, come on.”
“That’s right, I’m sure Twilight here has a lot to comment on.” Applejack chuckled as they all sat down.
Twilight nodded as she sat along with her friends, commenting on her findings at the Royal Library, her meeting with Misty Evening, as well as Fluttershy and Discord’s discoveries on the old Library, and their encounter with the mysterious stallion who tried to attack them.
“Oh my, are those 2 alright?” Rarity asked in a worried tone.
“Don’t worry, they are fine, just a bit shaken still.” Twilight replied. “Discord did a pretty good number at scaring that stallion away.”
“Yeah, I bet he was the knight in shining armor a certain maiden needed at the moment.” Applejack pointed out, making all 3 of them chuckle. Had Discord and Fluttershy grown that close, Twilight wondered herself.
“What about you guys?” Twilight pointed at Rarity and Applejack. “I don’t think I’m the only one with things to report.”
“Indeed dear Twilight.” Rarity began. “Among other pieces of landmark ruined, the famous head statue on top of one of the tallest building has been indeed blinking in and out of existence, as well as some strange sightings from the bridge connecting to the main land.”
“Yeah, same with the clocktower in Appleloosa.” Applejack continued. “And apparently the buffalo tribes have been reporting some strange abandoned buildings suddenly appearing around their lands. I’ve asked Braeburn about them and he told me they had never been there before.”
“By the way, do you guys know when Dashie is coming back?” Pinkie asked, as she arrived with their pastries. “I’m really missing her now. Oh! We could make a little party for her when she comes back!”
“No idea Pinkie.” said Twilight. “I can only imagine the Wonderbolt’s workload must be skyrocketing right now.”
“Here’s hoping Rainbow is doing just fine.” Applejack sighed. “She’s awesome and all but even her can get too stressed sometimes.”
A heavy silence fell between them for a few moments, after which Rarity decided to break the ice.
“Well now, let’s not get too gloomy, this is Rainbow Dash we are talking about!” She exclaimed. “Whatever the dilemma, she’ll know how to overcome!”
Twilight smiled at her. “You are right, she’s the kind to come out on top no matter the difficulty.”
“Eyup.” nodded Applejack. “She’ll surely be back home before we expect it.”
With the mood revitalized, the crew spent the rest of the afternoon happily chatting away. Their friendship sure would endure through the hardiest of times, even under a rain that would keep getting heavier by the minute…
The afternoon had passed quickly, and the light rain from earlier had become a straight downpour, catching everypony by surprise as they rushed home for the day, Twilight and her friends included. Midway to her castle, they met with Fluttershy and Discord.
“Hey guys! You missed the meeting at Sugarcube Corner!” Twilight greeted the pair.
“Hi girls, we are really sorry.” Fluttershy sighed. “We have been busy taking care of the animals back at home because of the rain.”
“It took us almost all the afternoon.” Discord explained, holding a large singing umbrella. “By the time we were done, the rain had become heavier. I tried to convince Fluttershy here to stay in, but she insisted on, at least, checking on Twilight at her place.”
Fluttershy nodded. “When we arrived and saw you weren’t there, we decided to rush to Sugarcube Corner, and well….here we are.”
“Drenched and still in the middle of the rain.” Discord pointed out, giving Fluttershy a stern look, making her blush a little.
“Well, we were all heading to Twilight’s place anyway, so may as well join us.” Applejack said.
“By the way darling, are you two alright?” asked Rarity. “Twilight told us about what happened after your meeting with Princess Luna.”
“Oh, that…Don’t worry, we are fine, though I don’t know what would have been of me if Discord hadn’t been there.” Fluttershy replied, as Discord poofed a medieval-looking helmet on his head, striking a pose, making the others chuckle.
Rushing to warm and safety, they soon approached Twilight’s castle. They just couldn’t wait to settle down, maybe have a warm drink. As they got closer, though, they were able to hear a crashing sound coming from the castle, loud enough to be heard even through the heavy rain. Normally, Twilight would have walked in calmly, expecting Spike to be the cause of the noise.
But Spike was already with them.
Realizing this, she rushed into her home, followed by her friends. The place was a total mess, as if someone had been looking through their stuff. Books and other items were scattered across the floor, discarded disorderly as if none of them were what the intruder was looking for. There was still some noise inside, which suggested the intruder wasn’t gone just yet. Soon they arrived to a particular room, the source of the noise.
“Who’s in there!?” Applejack shouted as they all broke through the door, rushing in. They all had been in this room before, except for Discord himself. It was one of the several libraries that the castle contained, with numerous books lined up in the walls, as well as some tables distributed around. What made this room special, however, was a device in the middle of one of the walls, a device of Twilight’s design, that she had used to aid her friends in the Human world, and under the machinery, the Mirror that served as gateway between both worlds. The artifact was, at the moment, inactive, and the place was in almost complete disarray: More books scattered all over the floor, as if the intruder had dismissed them immediately on its way.
And right in the middle of the mess, the intruder himself.
The very same stallion that had attacked Fluttershy and Discord before.
“Why, you…” Discord growled, as he rushed claws first towards the stallion. Unfortunately, however, he managed to vanish away right before Discord could stomp on him.
“Darn it! Come back you coward!” He roared, but to no avail.
“Was that the stallion you had mentioned from before?” Pinkie asked.
“Yes, yes it was.” Fluttershy nodded. “But what was he doing here?”
“I have no idea…yet.” Twilight pondered. “But given the mess he made, my best guess is that he was looking for something in here.” she said, as she began to rearrange the books littered all about. As she and her friends were getting done, however, she came to a realization.
“Oh no. Oh no no no no no…” she whispered in a panic, quickly looking through the shelves they had just arranged, then looking at the device and the mirror.
“What is it, darling?” Rarity asked. “Did you figure out what is missing?”
“I’m afraid so…” Twilight replied. “Sunset Shimmer’s diary…It’s gone.”