Octaves - The Chronicles of

by Victoria_the_dragoness

The First Chronicle - Chapter 4

The First Chronicle

Chapter 4

It was a quarter past eleven when the pegasus departed from Bon-Bon’s house. Her hunch had paid off well, and now Dash had a lead; one she was very eager to follow.

When the chance arose and the beige pony was settled back into her home, the cerulean mare bolted and flew straight for Sugercube Corner. She hoped that the pink pony would still be inside taking stock on the baked goods and not off trotting somewhere that Dash would have no chance of finding.

The wind howled passed her as she flew at top speed towards the Cake’s shop, dodging and diving through the crowds of ponies that now wandered about the cobbled streets. She didn’t take notice of any of them; only one goal ran through her mind: finding out what Pinkie really knew about these disappearances.

She said she didn’t know about them any more than Dash did, but Bon-Bon told her that she’d invited Lyra over the day before her foalnapping. Something didn’t add up, and Rainbow Dash wanted to have another talk with Pinkie.

Dash landed at the front door of the shop in record speed and pushed it open. Ignoring the other ponies at their tables waving and greeting her, Dash trotted up to the counter where Mrs. Cake was leaning on carefully.

She waved happily at the pegasus. “Why hello there Rainbow Dash, what can I get for you today?” Mrs. Cake asked with her usual cheerful attitude.

“I’m not actually here for sweets today Mrs. Cake. I’d like to speak with Pinkie Pie, is she here?” Dash retorted, trying to look over the store owner’s shoulder.

The older mare nodded slowly, but kept the smile on her face. Dash noticed a slight drop in her cheer though. “Why yes, she is…but she’s checking inventory at the moment dear. Do you think you could come back later?”

“Unfortunately it can’t wait. I’m here on EBI business,” Dash said, holding up her badge for Mrs. Cake to see. Before the mare could reply, Dash stepped into the back of the shop and spotted Pinkie in the cellar. She trotted over to the pink mare as she counted the boxes of sweets – which Dash imagined were the orders ponies had filled out for them. “Pinkie, hi, I need to speak with you about- Whoa!”

Before the pegasus could finish her introductions, she was tackled to the floor by Pinkie. The thought crossed her mind that she should have expected this right from the beginning, but somehow Pinkie Pie always managed to surprise her.

“Rainbow Dash! You came to visit me at work. It’s been a while since that’s happened, I’m so glad,” Pinkie said as she once again hugged Dash a little too tight, but luckily the pegasus had learned to focus her breathing and put up with the strangle hold.

“Yeah, It’s good to see you too Pinkie, but this time it’s about something else.”

After a few more seconds of squeezing and squirming, Pinkie let go and allowed Dash to stand on her hooves again. “What do you mean?” Pinkie tilted her head to the side quizzically. Dash noticed a little bit of concern on the pink pony’s face, but wrote it off as her just being worried for her.

“It’s about the disappearances here in Ponyville. I’d like to ask you a few more questions about what you might know.” Dash responded, showing Pinkie her EBI badge.

Pinkie stared a little bit too close at the badge for a few moments before backing up a bit and giggling. “Wow, you really are a big time detective now; all straight and serious with the badge and suit and everything. You don’t sound like you right now.”

“Pinkie this isn’t a game. I’m not kidding around. I’d like to know more about the investigation that started a year ago. I want to know if you saw Lyra before she was taken.”

That got her attention. Just like with Bon-Bon, Pinkie didn’t say anything in reply to her question. She just stared back silently at Dash. It was different this time though. Normally, Pinkie would never be this quiet or this focused. Something Dash had said obviously made the pink pony remember that day, but she wasn’t saying what it was.

Dash wanted to know why.

Their staring contest went on for a while longer than that with Bon-Bon. Both of them seemed to be interrogating the other with their stare, trying to understand each other’s motives for what they were doing. What was Pinkie hiding? Why was she so serious all of a sudden? To be honest, Dash had noticed a change in Pinkie even before she had left for three months. Like how she’d made that list of things for the two of them to do and how she seemed so suspicious all the time. She’d just written it off as Pinkie being herself, but now it was starting to make sense. Sense of what, Dash didn’t know, but she was going to find out.

They stared for a good few minutes afterwards, but eventually Pinkie relaxed her gaze. She knew she couldn’t stay like this forever. Sooner or later Mrs. Cake would come trotting in to see what was going on. Pinkie just sighed and walked forward slowly. Dash watched her and stepped out of her way to let her pass.

“Come on,” Pinkie said in a hushed voice. Secretive. “I’ll tell you about it in my room. Ponies might hear down here.”

As she was told, Dash followed the magenta-maned mare up to the second floor of the SC. She explained to Mrs. Cake that she’d only be a few minutes with Rainbow Dash before she’d return to the cellar; to which the older mare nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Pinkie stood outside the doorway to her room and gestured for Dash to enter, closing the door behind her when she too stepped in.

Dash watched her pink friend as Pinkie faced the door. She didn’t look back at the pegasus, but her head hung low as if in thought or in guilt of something. Dash didn’t know what that something was though. She knew it had to be about the disappearances, but what could Pinkie know that Rainbow Dash didn’t? The cerulean mare didn’t attempt to figure out these questions though; she only stood in the center of the room, waiting for Pinkie to say something.

While she waited, Dash took in the pink pony’s room. She’d never seen the inside of it before, but it was very Pinkie-like. Lots of pink decorations and fluffy pillows in every direction. Her bed was huge and poofy and it faced a mirror on the other side of the room. It was quite a large mirror – set on a dresser with brushes and other such things placed on top – something Rainbow Dash hadn’t been expecting exactly. She knew Pinkie wasn’t like Rarity, being all fancy with her make-up and such, but neither was she like her or Applejack. It made sense to her after a while that the pink mare would care a little about her appearance, but it was just a bit of a shock at first.

When she was finished glancing around the room, Dash turned back to find Pinkie spinning around to face her. She still didn’t look at her, keeping her head low as she sauntered over to sit on the end of her bed.

Dash followed her carefully and eventually sat down next to Pinkie on the extremely comfy, extremely pink bed.

Before the cerulean pegasus could gather her thoughts on this situation and ask any questions, the pink pony shuffled in her seat, saying, “I remember the day, Rainbow Dash. I don’t know what to tell you though.”

“Just tell me what you saw,” Dash said, leaning over and putting a forehoof over Pinkie’s shoulder consolingly. “Did you see Lyra any time before her disappearance?”

Pinkie nodded gently, seeming to find comfort in Dash’s embrace. “I saw her the day before…I heard that she’d received a letter to perform with her lyre in a few days, so I thought I’d congratulate her.”

Dash’s ears perked up immediately. Well that fits. She really did know about her notice, but what does that mean? How would she know about it without Lyra telling her herself? Dash wanted to ask her, but thought against it for now. She waited to see if Pinkie would say anymore, but she didn’t remove her hoof from the mare.

“…In the morning I came to visit her and gave her an invitation to a party at Sugarcube Corner. I thought she’d deserved it and I hadn’t had much of a reason to throw a party that week, so I took the chance, but…” She trailed off suddenly. She leaned in closer to Dash, so that their shoulders were touching.

“…she never showed up…” Dash finished, not taking notice of Pinkie leaning on her. “How could she be foalnapped without anypony knowing for a whole day?”

Pinkie shook her head, but kept her head low. “I don’t know…”

“Pinkie, uh…” Dash looked over and quickly noticed how Pinkie leaned on her. She blushed a little, but her hoof still didn’t move from the magenta-maned pony’s shoulder. “A-are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Pinkie replied, still peacefully leaning on Dash’s shoulder for comfort. “I don’t really have any more to say then that. I waited for her to arrive for our party, but nopony showed up.”

Dash nodded uneasily. She tried to stay cool, but she couldn’t quite manage it with the pink mare leaning on her like that. She had to get out of there. Dash had got what she was looking for. Pinkie’s story was the same as Bon-Bon’s. She didn’t see Lyra either. “Okay, well, I should uh…get going then. I’ll see you around okay, Pinkie Pie?” Dash said as she pulled herself away from the pink pony, pushing Pinkie upright so she didn’t fall when she left.

“Alright Rainbow Dash…I’ll see you later…” Pinkie replied downcast.

Without looking back or giving a response, Dash opened the upstairs window and flew out. She didn’t really know why, but she just needed to leave that place. It wasn’t because she had other things to investigate or she needed fresh air; she just felt awkward with Pinkie leaning on her suddenly and without her knowing. How long had she been like that? Why did it feel so different from the other times she’d been the support for Pinkie?

Rainbow Dash didn’t really want to think about it. She coasted down to the ground and proceeded to trot along the path to Fluttershy’s house. Dash wasn’t really planning on going there; she just wanted to walk somewhere and had chosen that as her destination.

Then again, Dash thought. I haven’t really seen or talked to Fluttershy in three months…maybe I could talk to her. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see me.

With that pleasant thought in mind, Dash hurried along the road towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

*****

It was about twelve fifteen as Dash trotted along the path to her friend’s home. She was almost there, when she heard some sniffling over a hill just to the side of the timid pony’s cottage. Wondering who it could be, but guessing as to whom it probably was, Dash crept to the top of the hill and looked over. Fluttershy sat in the middle of a circle of woodland critters; they were trying to calm her down and stop her crying, with little success it seemed.

Dash ventured forward, and as her hoofsteps grew closer to the animals around Fluttershy, they looked up and saw the uniformed pegasus. Fluttershy however didn’t seem to notice Dash’s presence or that her friends were backing away for the cerulean mare to sit next to her.

For a few seconds Dash only sat there, listening to her friend cry, not knowing what to do. It was getting chilly outside by now, the snow was beginning to cover everywhere; the warmth and light of summer was long forgotten, but still Fluttershy remained.

The silence lasted until Dash cleared her throat, finally willing herself to say something to the sad pony. “Fluttershy?” She started in a whisper. The pony beside her had already noticed her clearing her throat and tried to hide her sadness from Dash, but it was already too late for that. “You okay? What’s wrong?”

Another sniffle. Fluttershy seemed to shrink into herself at the question. She moved some of the snow in front of her with a forehoof absent-mindedly, when she mumbled a response, “I…I…”

“Fluttershy…you can tell me what’s wrong. I’m your friend remember?” Dash said trying to coax the timid mare into sharing what was bothering her. The pegasus drew her wing over Fluttershy to provide her with some support.

This calmed the shy pony down a little. Fluttershy sighed and looked over at her friend with glistening eyes. “…I can’t find him anywhere. One of my chickens. He-he ran into the Everfree Forest and I can’t find him. He won’t come when I call.”

A lost chicken? In the middle of a snowstorm? Dash thought. This wasn’t good. It was beginning to snow heavily. If I don’t do something fast, the little guy might freeze. I can’t let that happen. The cerulean mare wrapped her forehoof around the yellow pegasus and looked her in the eyes, saying, “I’ll find him Fluttershy, but you’d better get you and your friends inside where it’s warm. I shouldn’t be long okay?”

“You-you’d do that Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked in surprise.

Dash got up without replying and folded her wing back to her side. She smiled at the shy pegasus as she started to walk forward in the snow. “Don’t worry Fluttershy, I’ll get your chicken back. Just get inside before you freeze.” Dash turned her head towards the wild forest as her wings flew open. With one powerful flap, she was speeding off in search of the lost animal.

Dash zoomed through the trees as the snow fell down on the area. She scanned the forest floor below, dodging and diving around the leafless trees of the Everfree. Dash didn’t see anything for quite a while and only circled the area, but then she heard a noise down on the ground.

Immediately she stopped and Dash perked her ears to hear the sound more clearly. It seemed to be coming from behind a pile of snow; fallen from a branch of a tree. Feeling that that was her only option, the pegasus descended to the snow covered floor.

“Here chicken. Come on out little guy,” Dash called as she climbed up the small white hill to peer over at whatever it was making that noise. She hoped it was the chicken, so that it would not only end her search and she would be able to be in the warmth of Fluttershy’s cottage, but that it would also prove not be a dangerous creature.

She reached the top and slid down onto the other side. The area was all silence. Dash was in a clearing; no trees or shrubs grew from where she stood and only snow was present there. She stepped further into the clearing, still calling out to the chicken to follow her back to the house when she saw a shivering pile of snow.

It clucked once as Dash drew near and, when she was a hoofstep away brushed the snow off the little guy and placed him on her back. “There. You’ve got Fluttershy worried sick you know?” Dash scolded the animal while she turned back around to leave, but something stopped her. A cold shiver went up her back, as if somepony or something was watching her. The clearing became suddenly very eerie, and the only thing Dash wanted to do was get out of there. The only problem was she couldn’t. She was stuck.

Not from being cold and especially not from fear of that something glaring at her; it was just that her legs and wings weren’t behaving themselves at the moment. With the chicken sitting comfortably on her back, Dash eventually forced herself forwards and quickly broke into a run. She trotted up the snow-covered hill and kicked off at the top, spreading her wings and zooming out of that spooky spot in the forest. She glanced back only once at the clearing before she was out of the forest and landing swiftly on Fluttershy’s doorstep.

It was six in the evening when she’d gotten out of there; the sun was already setting in the sky. Dash had never noticed how late it had been, she could have sworn it was one in the afternoon when she found Fluttershy crying. Perhaps the Everfree Forest was the cause? Time lost all meaning when inside that place, and a few minutes inside was much longer than that of anywhere else. Dash knocked on the door a few times and shortly after the timid mare answered it.

Rainbow Dash turned to the side with a grin to show that she’d recovered the missing chicken. “Oh thank goodness, you found Brock. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t find the little guy. Thank you Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy hugged the pegasus lightly and took the chicken off Dash’s back.

“Ah, it was nothin’ really. Piece o’ cake,” Dash’s stomach rumbled when she said that. She blushed and chuckled at her empty tummy calling for food. “Uh, yeah, hehe. Well I should get outa your hair. I should get back to my house too.”

Fluttershy rubbed her mane softly. “Would you like to come in for a snack?”

“Uh, well…”

“We could catch up on what the other did over the three months a-and you could get a snack before you go…oh, I mean, if you want to that is.” Fluttershy interrupted persistently.

Dash stared at the timid pegasus and saw how much she wanted to chat with her. She could never say no to Fluttershy. “Oh, alright. Chatting and eating does sound like fun, so I’ll come in for a little.”

Fluttershy smiled gladly at the cerulean mare and stepped aside wordlessly for her friend to enter.

Author's Note:

I did some editing on this chapter too. Mostly spelling errors like the last chapters, but I changed some narration to Rainbow Dash's thoughts instead. Seemed to fit better with the story.

I was in a bit of a bad mood when I posted this a while ago, so I didn't write anything here, but now that I read it over again I'm really happy with this chapter. All of the story seems to hold together plot wise so far, I just hope you all don't think it's forced or unreal or something.

Thanks for reading.