Stray

by ConfusedSpud

Chapter 2

Applejack trotted along the sidewalk, following closely behind Mittens as she lead. Twilight was, much to her chagrin, carried by the scruff of her neck once again. The region was actually starting to become quite sore, but it beat all the walking. "Here, 14107 Acorn Avenue." Mittens stopped, taking a seat next to the mailbox.

"Thank ya kindly." She said, depositing Twilight on her hooves and trotting up to the door. The house was in fair condition, but rather drab, with a gray tile ceiling and white vinyl siding it was hard to imagine Rarity being satisfied living here. Mittens had elected to stay nearby, climbing the drain pipe and siting watch on the roof. "Well, how're we getting in?"

Twilight pointed to the little doggy door cut into the wooden one. "I'll use that, then I can let you in."

"Don't bother."

"What?" The unicorn asked, turning to stare confused at her friend's statement. AJ simply nodded towards the door, ushering her in. It wasn't a tight squeeze, though the hard plastic flap proved to be quite annoying. "Rarity?!" Twilight called, "You in here?" Hooves clopped against the hard wood floor, the interior, plain at the outside, was still far more decorated.

"Just a second." The familiar sing-song voice of the unicorn lightly echoed through the foyer, making it hard to pinpoint where it was coming from exactly. Until she could see the long straight white horn and curly mane of her friend poking out through the banister, walking across the catwalk and stopping at the stairs. "Oh, Twilight! Darling I almost didn't recognize you."

"I'm glad to see you too." The white unicorn stopped in front of the lavender unicorn. She had a good bit of height on Twilight, standing a few inches shorter than Bean did.

"How have you been? You look terrible." She fretted over her appearance, relieving the mare at her familiar actions.

"It's been a stressful couple of days, but I'm doing fine." Rarity nodded. "How are you?"

"Excellent. It has been oddly quiet, but I don't find it too bad. My owner, she's a wonderful young lady, though I wish the dear would stop stressing over her work."

Twilight's brow furrowed, a worried expression on her face. "Did you say 'Owner'?"

"Why yes, is there a problem?" Rarity's hair shifted with her head, a thin purple band with an aluminum pendant hung around her neck. "Twilight, what's wrong?"

The unicorn looked down, disappointed. "I guess you won't be coming with us then."

"Sadly, no. I can't just up and leave her. You understand. . . right?" Twilight nodded. "If I may ask, did you find any of our other friends?"

"Applejack's outside."

"Applejack. . ." Rarity trailed off for a moment, before standing up and walking over to the door.

"Have you changed your mind?"

"I want to talk to her, I at least owe her as much." The door was just slightly too small for Rarity, making her exited quite undignified to watch. Once outside, she looked to her side, locating the earthpony to the left of the door. She was curled up, napping. The white unicorn cleared her throat, "Hello Applejack, it has been a while."

The mare addressed snorted, looking into the deep blue eyes of her long lost friend. "Sure has." Twilight exited the door, seeing the scene and sensing quite a bit of tension, but unsure of what to do about it. "How ya holdin' up, Rares?"

"I should ask that about you, and I thought Twilight looked awful. Ick." AJ started laughing, confusing Twilight even more than she already was. "I'm serious, you look like you've been in a fight."

"Several."

"Oh Applejack, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." AJ pushed herself up, her frame easily towered over Rarity, horn included. "If ah wanted an apology, I wouldn't have come. Ya did exactly what I wanted, that's enough for me."

"Then you understand I can't come with you." She nodded. "Then I suppose this is goodbye?"

"Like wise." Rarity wrapped her hooves around AJ's barrel, the latter wrapping one of her own before letting her go. "C'mon Twi, let's go."

"Wait, what was that about?" The unicorn was thoroughly confused. She had assumed they had all arrived here at the same time, but there was a history here she wasn't privy too.

"Couple a months ago Rarity and I woke up here, we got attacked by Humans with long poles. Ah fought 'em off and told Rarity to run, simple as." Twilight's expression shifted to one of shock, months? They'd been here for Months ahead of her? "Where's the cat gone?"

"Probably back to the alley. We should see if they've found anypony else."

"Yup." Twilight felt AJ pick her up by her neck once more. She didn't feel like fighting it, not that she could anyways, yet it still grated on her nerves. Rather, she found herself deep in thought. What if the other's hadn't appeared yet, or appeared so long ago they simply weren't around anymore? It was a frightening prospect, one she didn't raise to her friend.

Almost half an hour of walking later, they arrived back in Lord Peanut's alley. Catching the feline off guard while he was grooming himself. They watched him tumble from the clothesline, landing in a pile of trash on his back. "Have you no manners?!" He shouted, shaking his fur out.

"Sorry Peanut."

"LORD Peanut." Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, Thank you. For the information, it was really helpful."

"Know anything else?" Twilight glared at the earthpony.

Peanut jerked his head back. "I feel like my debt has been repaid. If you want to know more, you'll have to work for it."

"Why you little." The Tabby scrambled up a drainpipe and across a particularly low clothesline at Applejack's first step. "Get down here, Ah might be gentle."

"Applejack, we need him to help us."

"I am helpin'." She retorted.

"By threatening me?! My life is not a toy." The cat screamed at her. "If you want something from me, you'll have to do something for me."

"What can we do?" Applejack growled, looking down to see Twilight's soft pleading face. A few seconds later, she laid down beside the smaller pony.

"I think myself and my cohorts would enjoy a quick meal. Get us something to eat, enough for every cat, and I'll tell you where the Blue one is." Twilight nodded, turning around to lead her friend to find the cats some food.

"Any Ideas?" AJ asked, she was irritated and wasn't even bothering to hide it.

"No, but maybe we can score something from the populace."

"Twi, look at me." The unicorn did so, confused. "I'm a big pony covered in scars and a ratty fur, do ya think anyone's gonna be generous?"

"You never know."

"Hell, I might be able to make 'em give us food."

"Absolutely not." They took a turn, Twilight nimbly weaving through oncoming pedestrians. Applejack practically plowed straight through them.

"Well, was worth a shot." Twilight vanished into a pastry shop, the same from earlier. The clerk was still there, serving a few customers out of the small line that had formed. Applejack elected to wait outside and watch, to her surprise she actually got her fair share of pets.

The unicorn puttered around for a bit, trying to get the clerk's attention. Just act cute, Twilight. She thought to herself, hopping up on a chair, then its corresponding table. And then she rolled over onto her back, mimicking what she'd used to see Winona do. Much to her chagrin, no one paid any attention to her. Inaudibly grumbling, the mare leapt from the table to trot over to a human, fresh pastry in her hand and throw herself on the ground in front of her. She stopped, surprised by the action before rubbing her stomach. She did not get the pastry.

Twilight cringed internally at her own actions. Never in a millennia would she have done what she just did, and it didn't even pay off. What was she doing wrong? It worked for other animals, didn't it? Well, if they weren't going to just give her a pastry, she was just going to take one. As another human began leaving, she trotted up to the nearby windowsill and prepared to jump. The tip of her tail wagged subconsciously before the leapt, successfully nabbing the pastry and leaving the store. "How'd it go?" Applejack asked, watching twilight pull the donut that was nearly at big as her through the crack in the door.

"I never want to do that again, that was embarrassing." She replied, taking the donut far away from the shop. "Hopefully Peanut will accept it."

"Ya know, we never gave the barn cats bread of all things." She mentally kicked herself.

"Right, Carnivores. So I did all that for nothing!" They had stopped in a nearby alley, where Twilight was covering her hot face with her hooves.

"Well we could always share it."

"I guess." They decided to split it 20-80. "Where are we going to find a market that sells meat, I mean it could be anywhere." Applejack began carrying Twilight again as her hooves had begun to ache.

"Guess we should just start lookin'." Several hours later, they came to a large building comprised of three rectangular prisms. The words 'Safe-way' embossed on its front. By this point they had looked through several others, either having nothing to do with food or having them thrown out for health reasons. They approached the doors, said doors only opened when Applejack came close. The first thing to greet them were piles of produce, held in stands and displayed for the public. Entirely out of reach for Twilight, her earthpony companion was able to reach the apples easily and pull one out.

She took a bite out of it, letting the rest fall from her mouth while she chewed. "Want some?" The unicorn took her own bite, enjoying the sweetness it had.

That was before, "Hey, HEY! No!" One of the humans that worked in the establishment, a young boy, came running towards them, holding a broom in both hands. He bopped AJ on the head with it, doing nothing but annoying her. The second bop saw the broom ripped from his hand and thrown to the floor. The earthpony hadn't said anything, simply glaring daggers at him until he left.

"Ow."

"We should probably just find the meat." A grunt saw Applejack take Twilight by her scruff once again and trot around the perimeter of the store. Following the scent of iodine, she stopped in front of a display holding seafood. Cats liked fish, right? "Hey, I think there's-" AJ bucked the glass on the case, shattering it before grabbing a raw unpeeled fish and running. Leaving Twilight dumbfounded in the middle of the store.

Applejack was posted outside the front door, patiently waiting for her friend to come back out. Still sat there, she watched the unicorn be carried out of the store and dropped on the pavement. He yelled at her before ducking back inside at the sight of the orange mare standing up. "Ya alright?"

"My tailbone." She complained, rubbing her sore tail. "You know you didn't need to break it, right?"

"S'more fun that way." Twilight rolled her eyes, hopping onto her friend's back as her mouth was occupied.

Lord Peanut squeaked at the sound of wet meat hitting the pavement. "There." Applejack said. "We got ya ya damn fish. Now, where's Rainbow?" Peanut eyed her cautiously from a top the dumpster, then the fish carelessly thrown to the pavement.

"Very well, in all actuality I don't know where this 'Rainbow' is." Applejack did not take that well, she stomped up to the cat ignoring her friend's attempts to stop her. "Wait Wait Wait! But, I know that she frequents the dog park near Cyprus Street." The earthpony stopped her advance.

"Thanks." Twilight said, already turning to leave.

"You need ta work on yer wordin'." AJ followed, picking her friend up yet again to hurrying to the park. It wasn't a big place, only about 3,280 Square feet Twilight noted. The pony could tell if it help or hurt them as on one hoof, she wouldn't have to walk to far to find Rainbow. On the other, the amount of pets in the park that were well above her own height cause the panic in her chest to throb. "Welp, best see if she's here 'r not."

"I guess so." The two walked into the park, Applejack immediately going to relieve herself onto a tree. Twilight turned and locked eyes with her, felt her face heat up and look away.

AJ returned her gaze, "Twi, ya gotta learn ta not be bothered by this stuff."

"But you are peeing on a tree in public." She began walking away. "Let's just find Rainbow Dash." Applejack sighed, but followed.

"We'd find 'er faster if we split up." Twilight watched her friend veer off and leave her behind, she reached after her and opened her mouth to say something but stopped and felt to her flanks in exasperation. A dog began licking her cheek, getting a hoof on its muzzle before the mare got up. The park was packed, dogs and ponies running around playing whilst their owners watched and talked. Over head a large glass dome to prevent the flight capable pegasi from escaping. Knowing Dash, the best place to look would be the sky. If only she had her magic.

Over head, a Frisbee whooshed past her head, giving her enough warning to duck before the one chasing leapt over her. "Gotcha!" The mare chasing the Frisbee shouted, landing with a small poof next to her. "Oh hey Twilight." Twilight turned to look at the mare, Cerulean fur, prismatic mane and feathers, feathers protruding from her tail and hind hooves, red collar. . . "Twilight?!"

"Rainbow!" Twilight launched herself at the mare, making her drop the Frisbee as they tumbled to the ground. "I'm so happy we found you."

"Yeah, I'm. . . happy to see you too. . ." She sounded uncertain, the unicorn turning her brow up in confusion.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no, Everything's ok. I just. . . didn't expect to see you here, if ever. Where have you been? I looked over the entire city trying to find you and the other girls." Twilight shrugged.

"I don't know, I woke up in an alley right before a thunderstorm."

"Same here, but not the thunder storm bit." Rainbow's eyes suddenly widened and she buried her face in her wing, returning with a few brightly colored feathers and small amounts of blood. "Sorry, my feathers have just been really itchy lately. I think my flights are finally coming in."

"Wait, don't you already have them?"

"Isn't your horn supposed to be longer?"

"I know, its weird right?" Twilight touched the small stub on her forehead, feeling the velvety fluff that coated it. "I mean I can't be a foal again, that's just ridiculous."

"Well I know I am, only way I can explain these." She raised her wings, which seemed abnormally large for what she remember. Behind Twilight, the two heard a sharp whistle. "Oh, gotta go." Rainbow picked up the Frisbee and darted past her running to a young adolescent man with bright blue hair and green skin. Twilight began approaching nervously, she wanted to just take Rainbow and run but knew that wouldn't work. "Twilight, this is Cobalt, my owner."

"Oh. . . you too. . ."

"And who are you?" He asked, reaching his palm out for her to smell. She furrowed her brow, making a face and backing away a bit. "Aw, nervous?"

"A little." Rainbow broke free of his grasp, walking over to her curious.

"Are you ok?" She asked, approaching and recoiling at her smell. "Ugh, Twilight have you never taken a bath?"

"I've been on the streets, so no, I have not gotten a bath since I got here." He approached her once again, this time holding something in his hand. It smelled. . . alright, nothing she felt too crazy about. "You know, Rarity commented on the same thing."

"You found Rarity?!" Rainbow shrieked, flaring her wings out in surprise. "Where is she, is she here? Outside? Did you find anypony else?"

Twilight sat down on her flanks, Cobalt having ceased his attempts to get either of their attentions. Sitting back and letting them talk. "No, Rarity is not here. AJ is though, she's. . . somewhere looking for you." Rainbow partially deflated.

"Oh, I guess two out of five's ok. Where is she then?"

"Rarity?" Rainbow hummed in approval. "She's with her own owner. She doesn't want to come with us."

"Oh. . ." The pegasus anxiously fiddled with her itching wings. "That's. . . not great then?"

"You aren't coming with us either. Are you?" Rainbow froze, two tiny feathers and clumps of fluff poking out of her mouth.

"Well, you see. . . No, I know we had something- And we still do, we're still friends. But I can't just leave Cobalt, you understand right?" Twilight looked down, dejected.

"I understand." Rainbow watched her get up and leave, wishing to get up and follow her, but knowing there was nothing more to say. Twilight scanned the scenery, locating Applejack stood by the gate and trotting over to her. The mare was being blocked by the park's attendant, irritating the mare but with nothing to actually do about it, she just sorta stood there.

She saw Twilight approaching, moving across the gate to meet her. "So, ya found her? Where is she?"

"She's not coming." AJ nodded. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"

"We'll talk an' walk." Green eyes glared at the Attendant, sending a shiver down her spine for a moment. "Twi. . . yeah, Ah figured Rainbow an' the others weren't gonna wanna leave. Least not like that, an' I don't know if there is a way ta leave. Things around here work a might deal different than in Equestria. We got domesticated, meanin' the Humans own us now. Best you can do is hope a kind one takes ya in."

"You're ready to give up, just like that?"

"Twi, it ain't givin' up if ya never had a chance to begin with. I've been here a lot longer than you, same as Rares, Flutters, I assume Rainbow an' Pinkie too. I know enough to, with certainty, say there ain't nothin' you can do. Best accept that before something bad happens to ya." Twilight looked away from the significantly larger mare, pondering to herself for a moment.

"Wait, you meet Fluttershy?" AJ shook her head. "Way to get a mare's hopes up." Her companion grunted, looking up to the greying sky and shivering.

"Gettin' might cold, don'cha think? Might be snowin' tonight."

"I guess. . . I can't really feel it, I guess that's the benefit of all this hair." She shook herself, sending her long fur flapping all over. "Ugh. I hate all this fur."

"Yeah, kinda an eyesore." Twilight glared up at her friend. "Just tellin' the truth."

"I know, that's what irritating. It doesn't help I feel like a foal being this small." Applejack sniggered. "What, what's so funny?"

"That's cause ya are." AJ picked her up by her scruff again. "Why'd ya think I've been doin' this?"

"Because I'm short."

"That's one part of it, sure." Twilight didn't respond. "Gettin' tired?" She felt the mare nod, looking around for a suitably alley and turning into it. AJ laid down behind the dumpster, placing the lavender unicorn against her stomach and curled up. "Ight, see ya tomorrow Twi."

Twilight exhaled slowly, nodding a miniscule amount into the short orange fur. Tomorrow, surely things would go better.