A State of Unrest

by Story blossom

Chapter 5

Uncomfortable, Painful, Awkward, any of these adjectives could be used to describe the silence that held firm in the throne room of the Canterlot castle. Or at least that is the way Sunset Shimmer would describe it to anyone who felt the need to ask.

It seemed that nopony knew how to react now that they were facing one another. A whole other flood of emotions crashed over Sunset when her past mentor spoke. Among these emotions were fear, regret, and despair that churned into a giant stew inside of her, threatening to boil over. The tears burned against her eyelids and blurred her vision.

Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat, “Good morning to you too. We tried to get here as soon as we could.”

“And I am glad you did. It’s been … quite a while since I have seen you all and this seems to be an urgent matter,” Princess Celestia replied.

“I’m afraid it is,” Twilight affirmed, “I only hope we can figure all of this out before something bad happens.”

“As do I. I’ll escort you three to my sister at once,” Celestia told them.

The royal alicorn ascended down the stairs swiftly and led them back into the corridor they arrived from. Sunset silently followed behind the group, chewing the inside of her cheek. Her eyes dared not to rise above the floor as they traced the intricate designs on the castle carpets. Sunset’s foggy mind drifted made putting her hooves in front of one another difficult.

She felt as if she were trudging through peanut butter and her vision fuzzed in and out of focus. She experienced a sharp pain at the base of her skull and everything went white.

Everypony’s attention was drawn to the crashing sound behind the rest of the group and laid eyes on Sunset Shimmer who now lie in a crumpled pile on the corridor floor. Twilight rushed by her side, followed by the others.

“Sunset!” she tried to wake her friend.

. . .

Rainbow Dash ran as fast as her legs would possibly go. Her breathing loud and rushed as she pulled her phone from her pocket once again. She pushed Sunset’s phone number into the screen again no to avail. She left what would be her third voice mail.

“Hey, I don’t know why you’re not answering but you’d better not be sleeping in! I’m on my way there right now and you better be ready by the time I get there!” she threatened.

In the back of her mind, Rainbow couldn’t help but to worry for her friend. Never before had Sunset not responded to so many calls, especially right before school.

“Even if she’s sick,” the athlete thought, “she would’ve texted or called to let one of us know.”

Her sneakered feet padded against the cracked sidewalk. Sunset’s apartment building rose into view and Rainbow dash quickened her pace even more. The ice cold air pricked in her lungs with every breath. She soon arrived at the front doors of the brick establishment and took a second to compose herself before entering.

Against her wishes, there was no Sunset Shimmer to greet her with some explanation as to why she neglected to respond to her contacts. Rainbow Dash shook her head and entered the elevator. The rainbow haired girl jammed a finger on the button that read “3” and tapped her foot impatiently. After an eternity in Rainbow’s mind passed, the elevator door dinged open and she jogged down the hallway to her friend’s apartment.

She lifted her cyan hand to the door and knocked. No response came and she tried once again to the same result. Rainbow grabbed her phone and dialed Apple Jack.

“Hello?” the country girl answered.

“Hey AJ, have you talked to Sunset at all today?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Naw can’t say I have. Why d’ya ask?”

“She hasn’t answered her phone all morning. I’m at her apartment right now but it doesn’t sound like anyone is inside. Are you with any of the other girls?”

“Yeah,” her voice trailed away from the phone for a moment, “none of them’ve heard from her either.”

“Well she’s obviously not here and not answering her phone. Where else could she be?” Rainbow grew even more worried.

“I don’t know, Sugarcube. Ya don’t think she left do you?”

“You mean crossed through the portal? I don’t think she would without at least telling us first.”

“I don’t think she would either, but you should probably head on over here without her or you’ll be late.”

Rainbow sighed, “Alright, I’m on my way there now, but I have a bad feeling about this, AJ.”

“I can’t say I feel good about it either.”

The two friends exchanged farewells and Rainbow Dash left the apartment building with a head full of concerns.

The girls spent the entire school day questioning their friend’s sudden disappearance. At their lunch table, there was nearly silence, every girl too deep in thought to hold a conversation. After the final bell rang, the group met at their usual place outside the front entrance in front of the Wondercolt statue.

“So, I’ve come to the conclusion that there has to be some connection between Sunset’s behavior recently and her disappearance,” Twilight finally broke the dead silence.

Slowly, the girls all nodded in agreement.

“But, why would she leave without telling anyone?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, and just what exactly is the connection between these two things?” Rarity added.

The girls foreheads creased out of concentration and their eyes grew steely.

“What should we do?” Pinkie Pie asked.

The usually cheerful party girl was obviously upset and worried for Sunset. This revelation only made the others all the more concerned.

“Maybe we should search her apartment. She could’ve left something there to clue us in to where she went or even why,” Rainbow Dash offered.

With no better ideas, they agreed and traveled to Sunset’s home. Once there, they searched for a way to enter the locked apartment. The six girls examined every corner of the third floor hallway to no reward.

“Now what?” Apple Jack asked.

“Now, my dear, we get the spare key from the lobby manager,” Rarity stated confidently.

“I seriously doubt they will hand the spare key to just anyone,” Twilight Sparkle informed.

“Hm, you may be right. Then we shall have to finesse the key away,” Rarity winked.

“Uh, finesse?” Apple Jack looked at her friend with a confused expression painted across her face.

Rainbow Dash smirked and clarified, “Finesse as in steal.”

“Not steal, per say. We are merely barrowing the key for the time being, and may I remind you that it is for a completely understandable reason,” Rarity clarified.

“Okay so here’s the plan, I will distract the manager while you,” Rarity pointed at Rainbow Dash, “sneak behind him and find the key.”

“U-Um I don’t know that I feel comfortable with being around this,” Fluttershy peeped up.

“That’s quite alright, Fluttershy. You, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight will stay here while we,” she gestured toward herself and the two remaining girls, “take care of this.”

“Awww,” Pinkie Pie groaned, “I wanna be a part of the action!”

“It’s probably best that you stay up here. Not to be mean, but you aren’t exactly the best at being secretive,” Twilight tried to help.

“Point taken,” the curly haired girl concluded.

“What about me?” Apple Jack asked.

“You are needed as back up. If the plan goes wrong, you can finish the job,” Rarity put simply.

“And if things get rough, you and me can take care of ‘em,” Rainbow Dash added, earning a sour look from Rarity.

They all giggled and split ways.

Arriving at the lobby, Apple Jack started to lose her nerve. This went against everything she stood for, lying was something she just could not make herself do. Her two friends tried to comfort her, repeatedly telling her that they for a perfectly good reason for going through with this plan.

“This plan to lie and steal,” she thought spitefully.

She pulled her stetson down, covering her eyes while she tried to act casual. She peeked an eye from under its brim at her friends.

Rarity was speaking to an older man in a burgundy uniform who stood behind a wooden wrap around desk. Apple Jack frowned as she watched her purple haired friend bat her eyes and flirt with the oblivious man. She shifted her focus to Rainbow Dash who vaulted across the counter behind the man silently landing on the other side. The cyan girl searched through several drawers before flashing a key and thumbs up at her.

Apple Jack shook her head and once again watched Rarity. To her surprise, Rarity looked back at her with a panicked expression. The manager was no longer occupied by her friend’s conversation.

“She must’ve ran outta stuff to say,” she guessed.

Rarity waved her hands frantically, “Do something!” she mouthed.

Apple Jack hastily eyed Rainbow Dash who now shared the same panicked expression. She still remained behind the desk frozen like a deer in headlights.

The farm girl searched her mind quickly for the right thing to do. Flustered, she did the first thing that came to mind. Waving her hands madly in the air above her head, she mouthed to Rainbow Dash

“Throw it!”

A look of recognition briefly crossed the athlete’s face before she did as told and tossed the key to her friend. Apple Jack stretched and caught it, the hard metal stinging her hands. Relief washed over her, but quickly shrank away when the lobby manager lashed out.

“What are you doing back here?” he questioned Rainbow Dash.

“Uh, I kinda dropped my hair bow behind the desk and just came in here to get it,” she swiftly formed a lie.

The coated man eyed her suspiciously and finally said, “Please do not come behind the desk ma’am. If you drop anything else let me know and I will be glad to retrieve it for you.”

He said the line as if he had rehearsed it many times before and lifted the small hatch to let her back out. Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly and quickly accepted the escape.

“Absolutely. Sorry about that,” she offered.

The man gave her an uninterested look and continued on with his business as if nothing had just occurred in the first place.

The three girls simultaneously released bated breath and joined together in the elevator. Only then did Apple Jack dangle the keys in front of Rarity who generously accepted them.

“Phew,” the fashionista said, “That could have been a nightmare!”

“Could’ve been? It was a nightmare! We’d be kicked out on the street right now if it weren’t for AJ’s quick thinking!” Rainbow Dash argued.

“Be that as it may, we still got the key, and that puts us one step closer to finding Sunset,” Rarity smiled warmly.

The two other girls agreed and calmed their nerves as the elevator arrived on the floor they sought. Pinkie Pie instantly bombarded her friends.

“How’d it go?! Did you get the key?! Did you get caught?! Are the police on their way here now?!” the party girl interrogated.

With no idea how to answer so many questions at once, the three girls stared at her with wide eyes.

“I didn’t hear a no, which is practically a yes! Don’t worry everybody, I know a guy. He’ll have us fake IDs and a ticket to a safe house in no time!” she announced as she furiously typed something on her phone.

Twilight hurriedly stopped Pinkie Pie from any further incrimination by grabbing her arms and ordering, “Slow down, Pinkie. Let them tell us what happened.”

Rarity proudly showed her friends the key and explained its miraculous retrieval. The group then laughed and backtracked to Sunset’s apartment door. Hopeful, Rarity turned the placed the key in the knob and turned it. Much to their relief, the door opened smoothly.

The six girls filed into the now unlocked apartment and observed their surroundings. It was as ordinary as any of them could have expected. Somewhat messy, it very much resembled their own rooms at their own homes.

“Nobody move,” Pinkie Pie’s voice interrupted the silence, “detective Pie is on the case.”

She seemingly pulled a detective’s cap and looking glass from thin air. Her eye bulged almost out of its socket as she ‘thoroughly’ searched the contents of the room. Fluttershy’s eyes scanned across the room once, before she pointed at the leather bound book that remained on the table where Sunset had left it hours ago.

“Um, what about this book?” she asked.

“Good eye Flutters, maybe there’s something in here that can help us,” Rainbow Dash picked the tome up and flipped through the pages.

Her magenta eyes skimmed the book’s contents and brightened when she noticed something interesting.

“Guys look!” she pointed to the letters that Sunset and Princess Twilight had conversed through recently.

“Nightmares?” Twilight Sparkle looked baffled, “Has she told any of you about this?”

Every girl shook their head solemnly.

“Why wouldn’t she tell us?” Rainbow Dash looked distraught, “It explains why she’s been so tired lately.”

“Yes, but this seems disastrous. Perhaps she didn’t want to frighten us,” Rarity suggested.

“Rarity’s right. I don’t think she’d keep somethin’ like this from us if she thought we could handle it,” Apple Jack agreed.

“I guess,” Rainbow Dash said hesitantly, “but this stuff,” she gestured toward the sentences in which Sunset explained her nightmares, “sounds dangerous. Sunset shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.”

Twilight’s eyes were focused behind her rimmed glasses. It was the same look anyone would see her making while taking a math test, completely concentrated. This book was her test and these letters were her equations and precisely as she always did in Math class, she intended on acing it.

Evenly, Twilight traced Sunset and her royal Equestrian counterpart’s conversation with a lavender finger. Her eyebrows knit together as she silently mouthed the words she read. She ignored her friends’ conversation around her, a trick she had perfected over her years at Crystal Prep. Moments passed until she finally lifted her hands from the book and faced her friends.

“Girls, something terrible is headed this way, and from what it sounds like in here,” she pointed to the book she studied diligently a few minutes ago, “it’s not like anything any of you have dealt with before. This thing that Sunset has been experiencing involves some kind of monsters that have found a way to project themselves in her dreams. Now, I can’t be sure, considering I haven’t had many chances to study Equestrian magic, but if these monsters can access Sunset’s dreams from Equestria, I’m not sure that they can’t use that power to arrive here in the flesh.”

The five girls processed what Twilight stated with a range of facial expressions varying from horrified to angry. No one moved an inch or spoke, causing an eerie silence to roll into the apartment like a thick fog. Rainbow Dash tightened her fist and was the first to break the stillness. In a few short strides, the athlete had exited Sunset’s apartment and shut its door behind her with a solid thud.

The remaining friends stood around the apartment’s living room and gave each other questioning looks. Fluttershy gathered her courage and quickly followed after the rainbow haired girl. However, she closed the door softly instead.

The pale yellow girl jogged to catch Rainbow Dash before she entered the elevator, slipping between the closing doors at the last second.

“Fluttershy, why are you following me?” Rainbow crossed her arms and didn’t look at her friend as the elevator descended toward the lobby.

The animal-loving girl ignored her friend’s tone and replied, “You shouldn’t be alone when you’re upset.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and turned to face the elevator’s only other occupant, “And why is that?”

Fluttershy took on a defiant pitch, one that she only ever showed in front of her close friends, and replied, “You and I grew up together, and all throughout those years you never let me be upset by myself. You were always there for me, and I won’t let the opportunity to pay you back slip away.”

Needless to say, this response left the athlete shocked. The only thing she could manage to do was exit into the lobby with Fluttershy not far behind her. Rainbow Dash walked through the room quickly so to not be recognized by the manager in case he had noticed the missing key.

Still as persistent as ever, Fluttershy tailed her out of the apartment building and onto the sidewalk. Upon exiting into the freezing air, Rainbow thanked her mind’s earlier premonition to wear thick attire. She tucked her cold hands into her Wondercolt sweatshirt’s front pocket and allowed her eyes to peek at her friend who shivered beside her.

“Ugh, Fluttershy, why didn’t you just stay inside? I’ll be fine, just go back with the others,” Rainbow Dash urged.

“Fine,” the timid girl said, causing Rainbow Dash to stop dead in her tracks.

She hadn’t actually expected her friend to agree, not so easily anyway, and it triggered a twinge of regret to pass through her body.

“But,” Fluttershy added, “only after you tell me why you left.”

The cyan girl thought it over for a moment, but still had no answer.

“I guess,” she struggled, “I guess I just had to get away from there. There’s too much going on right now, Sunset is missing, monsters are planning on attacking us again, and Sunset didn’t trust me or any of us enough to tell us.”

She grit her teeth, growing aggravated with having to explain her behavior.

“And running away is going to fix all of that?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash groaned and wondered why it was that Fluttershy was always harsher with her than with the other girls.

“No, but,” Rainbow didn’t know what to say.

“But, you like to run away when things aren’t going right. Rainbow, you can’t just leave us, if anything this is when we need you the most.”

Rainbow Dash grew furious, though she wouldn’t admit it, over how right Fluttershy really was, and stomped angrily down the cracked concrete. Fluttershy still followed after her.

After a few more moments of chill filled silence, Rainbow Dash asked, “I thought I told you to go back!”

The usually shy girl planted her feet solidly on the ground, face growing red, and yelled, “No! I’m not going to leave. We’re going to figure this out together Rainbow Dash. Whether you like it or not, this is what is happening, you are going back with me to join the girls, we’re all going to find somewhere warm, and figure out what to do next. Okay?!”

In all reality, Fluttershy was terrifying when she was angry, not to mention as stubborn as a mule; therefore, Rainbow Dash swallowed her pride and agreed.

“Fine,” she said begrudgingly, “we’ll go to Sugarcube Café and call the girls to meet up.”

Fluttershy wore a victorious smile and pursued her friend to the café.

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash asked the question she had previously asked herself, “How come you’re only ever frank with me?”

Her friend leaned her head back, thinking over her answer carefully before saying, “I’ve known you since I was a little girl and even back then I was never confident. You’ve always been there to help me build up my confidence whether I wanted to or not, because I needed you. This time, it’s you who needs me to be the one to make you do something you don’t want to. I said what you needed to hear to help you feel better.”

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash continued to walk to her destination. Fluttershy, having gotten everything off her chest now calmly strode beside her friend, finding it easier now to ignore the frosty weather surrounding her.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Will Rainbow Dash be beating anybody up in this story?

[Story blossom]

6980228 I make no promises. However, the possibility is quite high.