The Secrets of Equestria

by Manaphy

Sweetie Belle: Answers

A small cluster of trees with bright green leaves pierced the sky. A gentle breeze caused the bright green leaves to rustle about. Some of these leaves detached themselves from the tree and fluttered down to the earth below, landing next to colorful flowers that had poignant aromas. A small creek ran through this small garden, the water's melody somewhat soothing to the soul. Birds danced in the sky, performing a cheerful cadence with the flock.

Sweetie Belle couldn't help herself from smiling as a warm, peaceful sensation entered her heart. She had been to Fluttershy's cottage before, but no matter how many times she went there, each visit was as magical as the last.

"This is where Discord lives?" Diamond Tiara asked. Sweetie Belle turned to Diamond and Silver Spoon. The former had a slack-jawed expression and the latter was merely observing the environment with wide open eyes.

"Yep," Sweetie Belle answered. "Fluttershy was the one who redeemed Discord, so he willingly spends time in her garden nowadays."

Diamond cocked her head. "Hold on a second, but I was expecting he'd live somewhere more, well, chaotic. Also, reformed?" Diamond let out a nervous chuckle. "Ever since Discord was 'reformed', he just let those plunder vines do whatever and nearly wiped out literally everything with Tirek. Discord cannot possibly be reformed." Diamond trotted closer to Sweetie Belle until the two were inches apart. "If Discord was reformed, then I'm going to want proof."

"I've got all the proof you'd ever want, Diamond Tiara," a deep voice said from nowhere.

The air turned thin and Sweetie Belle sensed her heart racing. She swiveled her head around, as did the other four fillies, but there was nopony in sight except for them. Sweetie Belle felt her limbs tensing up as though they were being constricted by a serpent. And why did she have this uneasiness that somepony, no, someone was watching their every move.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Diamond ordered at the top of her lungs. She gritted her teeth and growled.

"Calm yourself, Diamond Tiara," the voice said. "I am the one you've been looking for."

"So you're, um, Discord?" Silver Spoon asked, her body quivering.

"Bingo."

A blinding flash of light appeared in the middle of the field. Sweetie Belle shielded her eyes, peeking towards the light one every few seconds just to make sure it was gone. Squinting, she noticed a large, slender figure with an array of body parts from different creatures standing with a goofy smirk across his cheeks. His draconic eyes had a piercing gaze that touched her soul. Time and space somehow felt distorted around Sweetie Belle just by looking at him. The temperature went from a mild warmth to a chill that made Sweetie Belle's teeth chatter in the blink of an eye.

There was Discord, and his mere presence exuded magical power beyond anything Sweetie Belle or any of her friends had witnessed.

"Sorry if I blinded you, but I do love to make a grand entrance," Discord chortled with a wide, ugly smile that revealed his sharp teeth. "However, I think I heard somepony saying that I'm not reformed." Discord rubbed his muzzle with his talon. A puzzled look formed on his face for a brief moment before his eyes widened and his face brightened up. "I got it!" He pointed up to the sky before pointing at Diamond. His body slithered towards her with glinting eyes and a malicious smirk.

Diamond stepped back, her body shivering wildly. "Um, I just had my doubts," she said. "You certainly aren't acting reformed right now, that's for sure."

Discord snapped his claws and a megaphone appeared before him. He levitated the megaphone towards Diamond and took a deep breath. "I certainly can't act fully reformed if you're giving me the benefit of the doubt!" The sound waves formed a gust of wind that blew against Diamond and the rest of the fillies. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes tight and pressed her hooves against the dirt, trying not to topple over.

The gust of wind ceased. Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and blinked a few times before looking around. Everypony was still standing up, but all of them had stupefied visages. Diamond was also quite pale, as were Silver Spoon and Scootaloo to a lesser extent. Sweetie Belle's ears twitched about and she felt an aching feeling in them and in her head.

"Now then, what brings you here?" Discord asked in a polite tone.

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, the sudden tone shift catching her off guard. "Well, we're here to ask you some questions about some artifacts and books from Equestria's past."

Discord nodded. "I'm all ears," he said, the ears on his head growing to an absurd size at the same time.

"For starters, do you know anything about a Royal Goblet?"

Discord froze in place, his form returning to normal, and his eyes widened before they focused on Sweetie Belle. "Hold on a moment, but how did you know about that?"

"So you do know about the Royal Goblet," Apple Bloom said with a gaping mouth.

"Really?" Discord quipped sarcastically. "Next you're going to tell me that the sky is blue or that Fluttershy has a pink mane."

"Very funny," Apple Bloom retorted with a scrunched face. "So then, what do you know about the Royal Goblet?"

Discord cleared his throat. "There's a bit to cover, so gather round, children. Mr. Discord will now tell you a story that should answer any questions you have."

"How long is the story?" Scootaloo asked.

"As long as it takes."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and let out a groan as she pouted. "Great, we're going to be here forever."

"Not at all." Discord shook his head. "Now stop giving me that look and listen up, because I don't want to waste any more time." With another snap of his claws, a book as thick as a large block of wood materialized in front of Discord. There was no title, just a lavender cover. Flipping through the hundreds upon hundreds of pages that produced swooshing noises, Discord stopped around halfway through the book. His face brightened up as he gazed at the group. "Here we are, the Royal Goblet."

Two miniature dolls popped out of nowhere and danced on the air. None of the dolls had any distinguishing features. They were just a pair of gray, pony-shaped dolls with no mane or tail and two black buttons for eyes. Nevertheless, their lifelike movements and gestures captivated Sweetie Belle as she stared at them with shimmering, wide-open eyes.

"Now then, our story takes place a thousand years ago," Discord lectured.

"Hold on a moment," Apple Bloom interrupted.

"A question already?"

"Yeah, but don't you think it's kind of odd that everything important from long ago was one thousand years ago?"

Discord paused for a moment, as did the dolls. He rubbed his muzzle, his face forming a quizzical expression. "You do bring up a good point." He cleared his throat and the dolls resumed dancing. "As I was saying, the origins of the Royal Goblet date back to a thousand years ago in an ancient kingdom that once existed near where Celestia's old castle is now."

"Okay, but I don't see how the dolls play into this," said Scootaloo.

"Just watch." With another snap of his claws, the dolls went from dancing gracefully to flailing about as they appeared to gallop in circles. Their speed kept increasing in small increments until they were as fast as flies. "Now then, this kingdom turned out to be quite unpredictable, with monsters coming up and causing all sorts of trouble. Manticores, hydras, dragons, you name it. If you've ever wondered why the Everfree Forest was a place to avoid, this was close to where it all started."

The dolls vanished, leaving behind not a single trace. However, another doll, this one identical to the pair before it, took their places. It hovered about with a static pose and posture, lacking any of the personality of the other dolls. Sweetie Belle felt her veins freezing as she stared at the doll. She bit her lip as she continued staring at it, but what made this doll different from the others? Was it because of who it represented?

"Anyway, living in this chaotic kingdom was a gloomy fellow named Marionette." A dark shade appeared above the doll. "Marionette was, well, not a typical pony. She was a unicorn and was a gifted magician. Her arcane ability exceeded even the most powerful unicorns and was only a smidgen behind Starswirl's magical talent in the end, but she hardly ever went outside. She was always huddled up in her little cabin working meticulously on something." The doll's forelegs moved about in a gentle fashion as a question mark floated before it. "However, nopony knew what it was that she devoted so much time to."

"So is the Royal Goblet connected to Marionette in some way?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Correct," Discord said. "We'll get to that soon, but there's a little more I should say first."

"Hold on a second, how could she be a master of magic and that talented if she didn't know about the magic of friendship?" Apple Bloom inquired. "Friendship is the strongest magic of all, right?"

"She did have a friend, and that is where things got interesting." Another doll, also identical to the ones before it, appeared in front of the five fillies. It approached the doll representing Marionette, left, and came back to it. This kept repeating on loop. "She had one friend, a pegasus stallion who went by the name of Esper. He performed all outside activities for Marionette while she remained inside and conducted her work. He brought food and other essential goods, but he also brought rare, valuable gems.

A sudden spark formed in Sweetie Belle's mind, her face brightening up. "Then that means the Royal Goblet was Marionette's creation?" she asked with a high-pitched tone. "That has to be it!"

"Very good, Sweetie Belle." Discord clapped for a few seconds as the dolls continued moving. "Now then, you might be wondering why she was making the Royal Goblet in the first place."

"Of course I am!" Diamond shouted, leaning closer to Discord with a gaze. "Why was she making it?"

"Pay close attention." The doll representing Esper continued running towards and away from the other doll a few additional times. However, after the fifth loop, the dolls froze in place. They still hovered about, but the dynamic qualities that the dolls once had vanished as though it was never there to begin with.

"So, um, now what?" Diamond asked.

"Just shush for a moment," Discord ordered with ruffled eyebrows. "Focus on the doll representing Marionette."

Seconds went by as nothing continued to happen. Sweetie Belle focused in on the doll. She squinted at it, trying to find some hidden detail that might tell her something or set it apart from the other doll. This had to be some sort of riddle, as Discord was known to be fond of such games.

The doll was as gray as ever. Not a single cut pierced its yarn body. The black buttons were just like the other dolls' buttons, somewhat lustrous to where she could see her own reflection, but nothing too outstanding. Sweetie Belle stopped squinting and raised an eyebrow. Maybe this wasn't a riddle after all, but a trick instead. She knew that Discord loved those as well, though with Apple Bloom yawning and Diamond tilting her head with a befuddled expression, perhaps others didn't quite appreciate his trickster side.

"So is this a trick or riddle?" Sweetie Belle asked, forcing her tone to be as polite as possible. "I don't—"

A turquoise aura enveloped the doll representing Marionette in the blink of an eye, causing Sweetie Belle to jump up and shiver upon landing. Her heart raced as she looked at the doll, occasionally shielding her eyes from time to time. A strange, but familiar sensation coursed through her veins as she continued gazing at the glowing doll. Sweetie Belle shuffled her hooves closer to the doll, her mind forcing her to keep her distance while her legs yearned for her to come closer. This mental tug-of-war raged inside of her, but as she froze in place, she knew that her mind was winning.

However, something about this strange feeling was familiar to Sweetie Belle, but where did she feel it before?

"Wait a second," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. Something sparked in her mind and her face brightened. She knew what this sensation was. It was just like the one from the Royal Goblet. "I get it! There's something that connects Marionette to the Royal Goblet! That has to be it!"

The doll's aura disappeared in a flash as Discord clapped for Sweetie Belle. "Very good," Discord cheered. "Now then, let me fill you in on just what that was all about." He cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles. "Now then, as Sweetie Belle correctly predicted, there is a strong connection between Marionette and the Royal Goblet. However, nopony knows what the meaning behind this is, as there are many theories floating about." Discord cracked a grin. "However, there is one theory that has more proof than any of the others."

"What theory would that be?" Scootaloo asked as she nudged closer to Discord with sparkling, wide-open eyes.

"I was just about to say that." Discord waved his paw towards Scootaloo. "Now then, calm down for a second and listen up, because I know you won't believe me at first. But you will. Oh, you definitely will." Discord slithered closer to the five. "The most supported theory is that Marionette found the secret to immortality."

Sweetie Belle's ears pointed towards Discord as what felt like a jolt of electricity coursed through her. She leaped into the air with a gaping mouth and shook her head. Looking at the four other fillies, they all had widened eyes, hung jaws, or both.

"What?" the five screamed in unison.

"How c-could a cup give somepony immortality?" Apple Bloom asked. She rubbed the top of her head for a moment before shrugging. "That can't be it."

"What proof is there?" Silver Spoon inquired with a stupefied look. "What's the logic behind it? That sounds like nonsense to me."

"Easy now," Discord replied as he hovered slightly away from the five. "Let me explain why some think this." Discord straightened out his serpentine body and snapped his talons once more. Before him, a ragged scroll covered with a thick layer of dust materialized before him. With a second snap, a duster appeared and swished away the dirt, leaving just the pale brown sheet. "Ahem. Here it is."

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, but where did you get that?" she asked.

"I have my methods," Discord answered. "Besides, do you really think that I'd start making sense?" He rolled his eyes and feigned a yawn. "That's just so boring."

Diamond turned to Silver Spoon and shrugged. "Maybe we shouldn't question these kinds of things," she said. "He is the embodiment of chaos, after all."

"Anyway, let's begin," Discord continued.

Iron Blacksmith,

I have made a discovery that is truly astonishing. Do you remember that weird pony in the black cloak that usually stayed indoors and rarely went out? The cloaked pony we saw when we were kids long ago, remember? Well, believe it or not, this pony is still alive after all these years. She was supposedly quite old when we were kids, so to see her still around is unreal. I tried to get a better glimpse of her, but all I saw were what looked like drooping, bright yellow eyes with a cold, piercing gaze that touched my soul and a highly wrinkled face. I don't know how she managed it. All she usually does is write in some journal, so it can't be that. Even weirder is that her assistant is still around, though I haven't seen his face yet. I just saw him for a split second and before I could make him out fully, but under that black cloak was definitely him. Even weirder than that is that whenever I stared at her, I felt something tingle inside of me. It wasn't anything serious, but it just felt funny. It's like when you feel nervous, but only a little different. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow.

Your friend,

Yellow Star

Discord furled the paper up and with a single clap, the letter vanished from sight and left behind no trace of its existence. "Now then, what do you think?"

"It's interesting," Silver Spoon said, placing her hoof on her muzzle and raising an eyebrow. "I mean, a pony that discovered immortality is quite the tale, but I still have my doubts."

"Silver Spoon, you've always been too logical." Discord glided behind her and patted her back with his paw. "Come now, some old unicorn being immortal isn't the strangest thing you've seen or will see."

Discord hovered towards Sweetie Belle until his eyes were almost touching her's. Stepping back and tightening her throat, Sweetie Belle's eyes shifted around a bit before gazing back at Discord, his shining eyes aflame. "You believe me, right?"

Sweetie Belle gulped, her legs frozen in place. She observed Discord's titanic head once more, feeling larger than ever before. Was he going to eat her up if she didn't comply? She noticed her heart thumping like a drum, ready to burst out of her chest and run away from the chaotic being before her. What should she say?

Sweetie Belle's lips stayed shut and she merely nodded, her vision somewhat blurred.

"I'm sorry. I didn't take you for the easily frightened type," Discord said in a gentlemanly tone. He skipped backwards in a graceful pose, hands behind his back, and landed back where he started. "I think I may have gotten carried away there." Rubbing the back of his neck, Discord formed a sheepish grin. He extended his paw towards Sweetie Belle, and a wrapped box with a golden bow appeared before her. "Maybe this might help."

"Um, thanks," Sweetie Belle muttered with a raised eyebrow. She reached over to the box and clutched it around her foreleg, the exterior feeling somewhat warm, though not too hot to where it would burn her hoof. She tilted her head, her mind picturing what might be inside. Was it a toy or a plush doll? Was it a book on how to get cutie marks? Or was it something else? She placed the box next to her on the ground before bringing her attention back to Discord.

"You're welcome," Discord replied. "Now then, I know that you probably don't believe me here, but that letter is real."

Sweetie Belle rubbed the top of her head, her fluffy mane feeling nice against her hoof, and raised an eyebrow. "Well, if we are to assume that it is real, how do you propose we find Marionette?" She placed her hoof back on the ground before shrugging. "I mean, somepony who's immortal can't be too hard to find, right?"

"I disagree," Apple Bloom confessed. "I mean, if she's as mysterious and hard to find as Discord's story showed us, then tracking her down is going to be a real chore."

"The hardest part will be finding out where she lives now," Silver Spoon added. She looked down for a brief moment and sighed. "I mean, where could she possibly be? Maybe if we had an idea about Esper's location, but he'll be hard to find as well."

Sweetie Belle shifted her attention towards Silver Spoon as a spark formed in her mind. Something about Esper made the back of her head itch as though she had an idea of where she might be. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes, shutting out the outside world as she dug deeper into her mind. Esper had something about him that sounded vaguely familiar, but what could it be?

There was the fact that he wore a black cloak, just as Marionette did. But many ponies have worn black cloaks before, and even if they found somepony wearing one, it might not be him.

Sweetie Belle groaned and shook her head. That was one possibility thrown out.

Esper was also responsible for gathering the materials that made the Royal Goblet. Gemstones, many of them rare, made up the artifact that was so important to him and Marionette. But what good would that information be in the first place? Just repeating what Discord already told her wouldn't solve anything.

Or would it?

Sweetie Belle rubbed her head and scrunched her face, steam erupting from her ears as her mind tried fitting puzzle piece after puzzle piece. There was something that was there. Her aching head kept telling her there was, so why wasn't it showing up?

"Maybe it's hopeless finding either of them," Scootaloo moaned as she looked down with a bleak expression. "Nothing will ever add up."

"Add up," Sweetie Belle repeated to herself.

There was the black cloak he wore and the Royal Goblet itself.

"That's it!" Sweetie Belle shouted with a beaming smile. She hopped and bounced around in circles, her body bright and full of energy. "I get it now!"

Apple Bloom cocked her head. "What is it, Sweetie Belle?" she asked.

"I know how we can get Esper!"

"You do?" Diamond asked; her eyes wide open. "Please stop bouncing around and let it out."

Sweetie Belle froze in place midair and landed back on all four hooves. "You know that pony who attacked Lightning Dust, right?"

The four fillies nodded together.

"That's him," Sweetie Belle continued. "And if we can lure him out with the broken part of the Royal Goblet, we can get information out of him. We just need to set up a trap somewhere around where we found Lightning Dust, and then we can catch him."

"That's amazing!" Silver Spoon said with a gaping mouth. She galloped towards Sweetie Belle and wrapped her forelegs around her. The warm embrace caused Sweetie Belle's heart to melt and her smile to widen. "Sweetie Belle, you're a genius!"

Sweetie Belle's cheeks flushed. "Aww, thanks!"

"It sounds like the five of you have this under control then," Discord said with a pleasant smirk as he twiddled his claws together. "Anything else I can help with?"

"Actually, there is," Silver Spoon replied as she let go of Sweetie Belle. She turned her attention to Discord and looked up to his face. "Do you know anything about a book called The Secrets of Equestria and a journal written by Clover the Clever that's fake?"

Discord raised an eyebrow and rubbed his muzzle, a perplexed look formed on his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, we found those in addition to the Royal Goblet, and the former book has correctly predicted so many major events to where it's rather disconcerting." Silver Spoon's eyes twinkled, though as Sweetie Belle stared at them, she couldn't help from copying Silver Spoon's expression. Something made her quiver slightly, but what it was eluded her. She took a deep breath and resumed focusing on Silver Spoon. "So then, how did these come to be in the first place?"

Discord shrugged and shook his head for a moment. "That's the first I've ever heard of them."

"What?" Scootaloo asked at the top of her lungs with a gaping mouth. She shut her mouth with her hoof and jiggled her head. "You're supposed to be all-seeing, right? How in Equestria could you not have heard of them before?"

Discord paused for a moment. He blinked at Scootaloo with a straight face. He gazed at her with widened eyes whenever he wasn't blinking. Silence filled the area, with not even a breeze coming through to rustle some leaves around and create some proof of sound's presence.

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Discord let out a cacophonous cackle, one that made Sweetie Belle's ears ache. She cringed alongside her friends as Discord's laugh continued to pollute the area. A few of the longest minutes of Sweetie Belle's life passed by, and Discord ceased laughing, much to her delight.

"Scootaloo, you're the funniest pony I've ever had the pleasure of meeting!" Discord cried with a jubilant face. "Omnipotent? Are you crazy?"

"Um, you are the embodiment of chaos," Scootaloo said as she cocked her head. "It's not that much of a stretch."

"If I was omnipotent, I wouldn't have lost to the Elements of Harmony. Twice. I wouldn't have been coerced by Tirek when he was going to stab me in the back as soon as he had enough power. Not to mention, it's not like I know what everypony is doing at this very moment. I can only focus on a few things at a time, even if chaos is my pride and joy."

Scootaloo blushed as her hooves shuffled away from Discord. She smirked sheepishly and let out a brief chuckle. "Good point."

Discord tittered once more as he glanced at Scootaloo before straightening himself out. "Where was I? That's right! I don't know anything about either book, so it looks like you're on your own here."

The five fillies sighed together with sagged shoulders.

"Well, thanks for helping us as much as you could, Discord," Apple Bloom said. "At least we've learned something."

"You're welcome, my little ponies!" Discord cheered with spread arms and a beaming grin. He twirled about in the air for a moment before freezing in place. "But before I go, I'd like to tell you one more thing."

"What is it?" Apple Bloom asked, her eyes focused on Discord.

"I think if you look back to the beginning of your tale, you might find something interesting deep down." Discord grinned, his sharp, dagger-like fangs visible. "Goodbye, everypony!"

With a snap of his claws, Discord became enveloped in a bright, white light. A flash covered the area, causing Sweetie Belle to close her eyes and wince for a moment. Upon squinting ahead, her vision somewhat blurry, she noticed that Discord had vanished. The only parting gift the embodiment of chaos left behind was a pile of colorful confetti.

Sweetie Belle swiveled her head around, but Discord was nowhere to be seen. The heaviness of the air around her lightened up as well, feeling normal for the first time since they marched towards Fluttershy's cottage. Her nostrils picked up the flowery aroma, one that characterized Fluttershy's cottage, instead of being dominated by the poignant scent of uncertainty. The garden she stood upon looked brighter than before and fuller of life, as the frogs croaked, the birds danced and chirped, and the bunnies hopped around.

It was a nice change of pace.

"So now what do we do?" Diamond inquired as she rubbed her muzzle. "Canterlot is still likely investigating the gemstone from the Royal Goblet, and who knows how long that will take."

"We could always ask Twilight Sparkle if she has The Secrets of Equestria back from Princess Celestia," Scootaloo suggested.

"What if the guards don't let us back in?" Apple Bloom asked with a taut expression. "That's a possibility."

"Well, we could always wait for a day or two before visiting Princess Twilight again," Silver Spoon said with a shrug.

"Waiting would take too long," Apple Bloom responded.

Silver Spoon glared at Apple Bloom, her urge to avoid rolling her eyes palpable. "That's kind of what waiting is."

"I still think that there is a better option out there."

Sighing, Silver Spoon gently kicked the air. "Fair enough, I'm open to new ideas if they're good."

Apple Bloom rubbed her head for a moment and hummed. Sweetie Belle's ears couldn't help but twitch at the melody Apple Bloom was making, and it made her feel all bubbly inside and caused her to smile. She was humming the song they sang at that talent show they did some time ago. Thinking about that day made her stomach tie itself into a knot, but warmed her heart at the same time. It was kind of like a love-hate relationship with that day.

Sweetie Belle looked over to where Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were. She never asked them what their act at the talent show was. It was probably a lot similar to what they did for the Equestria Games flag carrying tryouts, showy and glamorous to the point that even her older sister would shake her head and grimace. Still, it would be one way to get to know them better. They were a tad sharp, Diamond Tiara in particular, but there was something deep down inside of them that was nice. It was just bright enough for Sweetie Belle's soul to notice.

"Maybe we'll all be friends one day," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. "One day."

"What was that?" Scootaloo asked as she turned towards Sweetie Belle. "I couldn't quite understand you."

"Sorry about that," Sweetie Belle replied. "I was just thinking out loud. I still haven't figured out what to do next."

"Fair enough, but let us know if anything comes up." Scootaloo's lips curled into a warm smile. "Don't be afraid to speak up, Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom and I are your friends."

Sweetie Belle nodded, forming a grin of her own "I know," she said in a chipper tone.

"So what were you thinking about?"

Sweetie Belle rubbed her muzzle. "Hmm." A few seconds passed by, but no other words left her mouth.

Scootaloo sighed. She looked down for a brief moment before staring back into Sweetie Belle's eyes. "Did you forget already?"

Lifting her hoof up, Sweetie Belle's face brightened itself into a wide grin, complete with twinkling eyes. "I know!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "How about we go look for Rainbow Dash!"

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Diamond asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to side with Diamond here," Silver Spoon added. "I mean, it would be great if we knew where she was and knew the gemstone's location, but what if she doesn't have anything to tell us?"

"Scootaloo knows where to find her," Sweetie Belle responded.

Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck, her lips forming a sheepish smile. "Well, I do have an idea," she said with a slightly lower tone of voice than usual.

"Please tell us," Diamond said as she trotted towards Scootaloo.

"That's unusually nice of you." Scootaloo stepped back with a bemused expression. "Well, Rainbow Dash has a pattern of where she goes and what she's doing. She likes to keep to a schedule, and if you've memorized it like I have, you'll know where she might be at the moment."

"Why would anypony have to memorize another pony's schedule?" Diamond shrugged. "Sounds kind of weird if I must be honest."

Scootaloo's body tensed up. "She took me under her wing, so I'm allowed to go to her if I need her. That's why I've memorized her schedule."

Diamond's face straightened out. "Oh," she said, expressing some form of understanding. "I get it."

"Well then, let's follow Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom. "It's worth a shot."

Scootaloo hopped up and down for a moment before trotting ahead with a skip in her step. Sweetie Belle followed close behind with the other members of the group, Discord's words still fresh in her mind. Something about Marionette produced an unknown thought that made her muscles tense up. The exact details of this were still hazy, but it was there nonetheless.

"I hope this works," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. "Also, I hope we can solve this mystery."

Comments

[Thunderbolt Sentinel]

New Chapter!

[Manaphy]

5549771 Yep! I hope you enjoy it.

[Thunderbolt Sentinel]

Oh scoots you're such a creeper. Wait, did scootaloo use omnipotent?

[Manaphy]

5549862 Yeah, she did use that word. I might change it if I can think of an acceptable substitute. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Edit: I changed the word to something simpler. Thanks for catching that.

[Thunderbolt Sentinel]

5549896 Thanks I thought it sounded odd for her to use that. Other than that it was beautiful, I loved it.

[Manaphy]

5549933 You're welcome!

[NobleValor]

What good is finding Rainbow going to do? Assuming she has any pull at all in the Wonderbolts, she's still a Wonderbolt. Wouldn't she have some kind restrictions preventing her from giving out evidence or anything of that nature?