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Disaster2,822 words
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Solace1,023 words
Renewal3,013 words

Investigation

Word spread quickly from the hospital; Ms. Weaving had to be informed immediately, of course, and likewise the local detachment of guards. With a young filly missing or lost and having recently been through surgery besides, news passed through town like a web of Hearth’s Warming lights firing up. When Dash found out, she was ready to burst through every door in Ponyville looking for little Scootaloo. She had slept at Twilight’s library, not wanting to be alone after the rejection she had been given. It took the best of Twilight’s reasoning to convince the brash speedster that some strong organizational skills would aid a search better than strong hind leg kicks, and Dash reluctantly agreed.

Twilight rummaged through desk and shelf, gathering up paper. “Spike, grab one of my clipboards,” she ordered. The little dragon nodded assent and took one from off a hook near the doorway. “Dash,” Twilight turned to her friend to address her. "Gather up Ponyville in the town square. Make sure the mayor is there! We'll need everypony's help if we want to move quickly." Rainbow looked grim, but the need for action spoke to her skills, and she flew out the door.

Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns were stopped, spoken to, and hustled to the town square. The Mayor, having already been informed of the situation in great detail, was headed to the speaking stage normally used for announcements. She stood to the side of the megaphone as Dash swooped down next to her. "Is Twilight assembling a plan?" she queried.

"Yeah," said Dash. "She should be here soon."

"Very well." Most of the citizens were gathered past the stage, now, murmuring and talking amongst themselves as the last bit of ponies were told about the missing filly. Someone had even told Zecora, and the striped equestrian alchemist sat with nearby ponies nervously glancing her way. Twilight, levitating some large, tubular object, had reached the edge of the crowd and was pressing through. Trailing in her wake was Spike, who carried in his arms several stacks of paper and clipboards, along with a sack brimming with pencils and other various tools. "I shall address them, then let her speak."

The Mayor thumped the end of the megaphone, which reverberated over the crowd. She cleared her throat, and the talkative ponies quieted down and looked toward the stage front. She could see Ms. Weaving from the orphanage standing in the front, a solemn expression on her face; she must have placed her son in charge of the orphanage again. Twilight climbed up the short staircase of the stage and both she and the dragon companion laid their items down.

"Citizens of Ponyville, your attention, please! Many of you have already heard the unfortunate event that occurred today, but let me explain the details. Recently, a young filly named Scootaloo was in a crash along with one of her friends. She suffered a broken wing, but an underlying examination revealed that her wing bone itself was forming improperly. Because of the serious nature of this growth, it was necessary to amputate the broken wing completely." Several of the pegasi in the crowd gasped, and most of them looked over towards Dash. "The surgery was completed without undue complication, and she was placed in one of the recovery rooms." She cleared her throat again briefly, and continued. "Very early this morning, one of the nurses conducted a routine check on the patients throughout the hospital. Scootaloo was the only patient within room 3, which has two beds, and she appeared to be sleeping normally."

"During the next check, however, she was missing. The window, which only opens from within, had been unlatched. The sheets and nearby area do not show anything that might indicate violence, and the staff assure me that nopony unauthorized entered the hospital, and I cannot imagine anypony wishing the child harm. We can only assume that Scootaloo has, for some reason, decided to leave."

"I cannot stress the important of finding the filly as soon as possible. She may be confused and disoriented; she is almost certainly under stress and in pain. She may be hiding, or trying to run away, or even hurt and unconscious somewhere. Twilight Sparkle has volunteered to coordinate our efforts to locate the girl. Please give her full cooperation and let's find our missing filly." The Mayor stepped back and nodded to Twilight.

The big tube raised in the air as Twilight aimed her magic at it and unfurled into a massive map of Ponyville and the surrounding areas. Several pens and pencils floated out of the sack that Spike had carried, hovering in front of the map.

"Okay, everypony. We're going to form several teams, and have several special purpose groups as well."

"Cloud Kicker," began Twilight. The pegasus female raised a hoof in acknowledgement. "I need you to choose ten of the fastest pegasus ponies here," Twilight turned slightly to include Dash in her sight, "But not Rainbow Dash." She looked back at Cloud Kicker. "Fan out above the open fields and hills that border the town. You shouldn't need to go more than twelve miles, given Scootaloo's condition and the amount of time she's had, but check as far as fifteen, just to be sure."

Cloud Kicker nodded, and called out. "Pegasi, over here!" The winged ponies gathered to one side, and Cloud Kicker moved amongst them, speaking quietly and tapping several of them on the shoulder with her hoof.

Twilight continued. "Applejack." Her earth pony friend shouted, "We're here, Twilight!" Twilight gave her a brief smile. "You and the rest of the Apples know your farm better than anyone else. I need you to search your farm and orchards."

"You bet, Twi!" Applejack agreed. "Eeyup!" Big Mac added. They made to leave, but Twilight interrupted. "Wait! This is very important for everyone to hear. We must keep our assignments sectioned off so that Scootaloo, if she is awake, doesn't move through one area and the next between the time that we search both. Do all the unicorns here know the warning ward?" Members of the crowd nodded. "If you haven't learned it, don't worry, I can teach you, it isn't hard. If you tune it to ponies, we can set them around our search areas in small rings - they don't have to be spheres since Scootaloo can't fly, and the ward will sound off. We can expand and contract them as need be. Make sure you only set it around an area that had been checked and is clear of ponies! We don't want false alarms. Somepony please accompany the Apples to their farm. Actually, two or three of you better go." A few of the unicorns moved to join the Apple family, and the group galloped off towards Sweet Apple Acres.

"Fluttershy."

"here..."

"Fluttershy?"

The shy pegasus spoke up, if not exactly loud. "Sorry...I'm here, Twilight!"

"Fluttershy, can you get the squirrels, rabbits, birds, and other animals to help us?"

"I...I think so, Twilight. What do you want them to do?"

"Have them search the trees, dens, nooks and crannies around town. Make sure they know to look for a small pony...and that reminds me. Everypony else, please bring your fillies, colts and foals to the town hall! We'll have several ponies watch over the group, but we have to clear the buildings so our wards will work. Fluttershy, take Spike with you. Have him send me a message if your animal friends report anything to you."

"Of course, Twilight." Fluttershy moved to the stage's staircase, and Spike, at a nudge from Twilight, hopped down and climbed atop the pegasus when she lowered her shoulders. The pair headed off to Fluttershy's cottage at the edge of town. Behind Twilight, Dash began pacing back and forth, her hooves thumping against the wooden construction.

Twilight looked at the remaining ponies, and was relieved to see a striped participant out in the crowd. "Zecora! I'm glad you're here. We need to include the Everfree Forest in our search, but I'm not sure how, given how large and dangerous it is. Do you have any ideas or advice?"

The zebra sage, a little circle opening up around her, appeared to consider the question. "A potion I know: to make the woods sing, to whisper their secrets and share everything. If Scootaloo's hoofsteps are ones they have heard, the one with this brew will soon receive word."

"It sounds perfect...can you make it?"

"If taking this path is what you desire, this potion needs gemstones of ruby and sapphire."

"Anything!" exclaimed Rarity from a few feet away. "I have lots, dear, allow me to fetch a pile and accompany you." Zecora and Rarity took off, as well.

"Okay," said Twilight, turning her attention back to the group at large. "Everypony else, I need you to divide into four groups. The pens and pencils still hovering in front of the map wavered, then drew 4 lines across it that met within the depiction of the town square. Cheerilee, you'll take the northwest group. Mayor Mare, you handle the northeast group. Berry Punch will coordinate in the southwest, aaaand... Pinkie Pie, you work with the southeast group."

"Right-o, boss mare!"

"Search the buildings in your section carefully, then place the wards when you're certain they're empty." The map curled up again and lowered to the floor. "That's all - let's do it!"

Rainbow Dash confronted Twilight as she moved away from the megaphone stand. "Twilight, what about me? Shouldn't I be with the fastest fliers, or what? You didn't give me an assignment," she accentuated the accusation with an angry hoof stamp.

"I know, Rainbow Dash. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are going to be with the other children in the town hall. Apart from them, you might be the pony that knows Scootaloo best. Think of the places she loves; ones that might be special to her or have meaning. We will be searching every spot eventually, but with your speed, you might find her at one of those places before we get to them."

Dash nodded vigorously. "That's a good idea, brainiac," she said, roughing up Twilight's mane with a hoof as the purple-haired pony stood there. "Now I remember why we keep you around!" Twilight grinned as her friend seemed to be improving in spirit.

Dash flexed her feathers and leaped to accompany their strong flapping. She soared up into the sky, finding a lonely patch of snowy white cloud, then landed on it, looking out over Ponyville. Now to think. Special places. The orphanage? No...not really a home. Ah...her crusader's clubhouse? The cloud let loose a puff as her hooves kicked against it, and she flew down, heading to the mostly-unused corner of the Apple's property.

She pushed open the clubhouse door and peered within. Although strewn with various furniture and items, including, she noted with a tug at her heartstrings, several posters of herself, there was no filly within. She checked the nearby grounds, but saw no sign of somepony recently passing by. She sat down on her haunch at the bottom of the ramp to think again.

Hospital, no...School? No...Why don't I know more about her? She snorted in frustration. What's the most special... She stopped. Visions of a river, cascading water, and trees entered. Songs, campfires, and scary stories. A worried filly, a confessing mare, a promise of sisterhood. Winsome Falls. Of course, but...it's so far. How could she have reached that in just a few hours? I'll have to check...

She flew. The landscape blurred as she sped. She did not want to cause a rainboom and disturb the other parts of the search, but not using her full potential annoyed her and she struggled to contain the pressing need to go faster, faster, faster. The open grassland below her turned to rocky, forest-covered hills. On one side, a twisted, rushing river dug a little canyon. The rainbow-and-cloud-filled Falls came into view far ahead, and Dash considered for a moment where to head. The campsites along the way, or the falls? she wondered, picturing the young filly being borne aloft in the air in a moment they had shared. She sped towards the falls.

Nothing. Nothing, as the soft mist of spraying water blew apart when the angry mare flew past, combing over the falls.

Fine, campsites then.

Nothing at the first place, where they had set up tents.

Nothing at the cave. She checked every last bit of stupid rock in the place.

She went to the spot in the river where the filly had gone over, her cries rousing the rainbow mare from sleep and leading to a nighttime rescue. The soft ground nearby where Scootaloo had opened up about her fears, where Dash had admitted to the same, and where both expressed a desire for sisterly love. Nothing. Nothing!

She stamped at rocks on the ground. She kicked with her hind legs at a nearby tree, again and again, striking the trunk and breaking bark off to fly in little chips all around. Her breath rose in her chest and she shrieked. "I don't know! I don't know where!" The words seemed to echo strangely, being sent back by the forest to crash against her ears. know where, know where, know where... the cries said.

"RAINBOW DASH." came a thunderous voice, and she paused mid-kick, wings flapping and hind hooves slowly lowering back to the ground. The voice had sounded from above, and Dash looked at the sky to see an inky, dark form approaching. Was it...

"Princess...Luna?" the mare answered, waveringly.

The darkly colored moon Princess landed her tall, lithe body in front of the stunned Dash. "YES." She still had trouble occasionally with the Royal Canterlot Voice she had been accustomed to for so long. The princess moderated her tone. "We have come to speak to thee, Rainbow Dash. We know of thy search."

"You...you do?"

"Yes. We feared the matter was not settled. Some of the blame must be laid at our hooves for what has happened."

"What do you mean?" Dash spoke with a hint of snarl.

"Most do not know, but we have the duty, as Princess of Night, to guard the dreams of our subjects, and intervene if we deem it needful. We watched the little one the nights you were here. We saw her dreams, and we saw her fears. We spoke to the child, and sought to aid her. She told thee of her fears, did she not?"

"She was afraid...to disappoint me. By being afraid. I'm a hero to her - but she wanted more than just to...to worship me. She wanted a sister...and I said yes. I didn't know until that night...how much I had wanted that, too. I've always wanted friends, and I've been good at earning them - Twilight and Pinkie and Rarity and Fluttershy and Applejack - they all mean a lot...even when we clash. I mean, I tease them, but they're... I will always be there for them. I've always wanted fans, too...to be a Wonderbolt, to win a race, to show everyone what I can do. And I've done that, too. Not just selfishly, I mean... I've tried to inspire them, make them better at what they can do. I was never more proud of Fluttershy than the day she helped with sending water to Cloudsdale. But I've never had someone like...a sister. Where I could be more than those things...be a teacher."

Luna's dark mane waved as she drew closer to Dash, who had teared up as the speech drew from a well of emotion. "Then thou has learned thy own lesson and the meaning of what thou went through here."

Dash wiped at her face. "I understand, but Scootaloo is still missing."

The Princess looked stern, for a moment reminiscent of the nightmare she had once been. "Abort thy search. We have taken the child."

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