Applebloom was in an absurd state of panic. It had been well over six hours since they had arrived and she had yet to see Twilight, or Scootaloo for that matter. Despite Sweetie Belle and company making every effort to assure her they are fine, the filly couldn't help but feel otherwise.

It had since lapsed midnight and the moon was high in the sky. The mares in the room were fast asleep, Applebloom was slouched by the door, anticipitorily keeping lookout for her praternal gaurdian to arrive.  Sweetie Belle was on the bed she shared with the occupied filly. She was awake though she didn't dare make Applebloom aware of that. Here eyes were wide open as she worried about Scootaloo. Part of her questioned why she worried so much. Applebloom never was the subject of such worry, nor was her own sister. This orange filly was for some reason at the forefront of her mind and she could not shake it.

Sweetie could see Applebloom reflected in the window. The filly blocked a slim strip of light that bled under the door into the hallway, the fillys' contours received a light blue glow from the moonlight as did her own bed courtesy of the window.  Sweetie Belle let out a heavy sigh as she hopped off the bed and made for the door slowly.

Applebloom noticed this, was startled, and nearly fell making all sorts of noise.

“Shhh!” Sweetie Belle shushed.

“Wherre are ya goin'? AH don't need to be worried 'bout anypony else!”

“I'm going to fo take a short walk.” Sweetie Belle lied.....terribly.

“A walk? At midnight? You ain't the kinda filly ta do that!”

“Yeah huh.” Sweetie Belle retorted. She trotted forward but Apple Bloom got in her way.

“No!” The filly protested, “Ya ain't goin' anywhere!”

Sweetie Belle wasn't having this crap. A minty colored aura took form around the striken farm filly who was magically suspended in the air. Sweetie Belle triumphantly trotted under Applebloom and gently let her down as she was well into the hallway.

By the time Sweetie was entering the stairwell, Apple Bloom came bounding behind her.

“Ahm commin too!”  She panted.

“I thought you didn't want me to leave.” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah don't, but ahm tired of waitin' fer Twi and Scoots ta come back!” The filly whined.

The two fillys were tired and tattered, and the blinding lights and vicious sounds of a bustling imperial city did not help their state much.

“Are your eyes watering too?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yeah! Ah can't see nothin'!” The filly complained.

They eventually had some form of sight and stuck close together as the crowds of ponies shufflinf about surprised them. Ponyville didn't have a “night-scene” as it didn't warrant one. Young mares and stallions, some sober and lovey, some drunk and ridiculous were everywhere, even some older colts and fillies were mingling about.

“My sister says that Canterlot is the place to be for clubs and 'upper-class' dating.” Sweetie Belle mentioned.

“Mah sister always told me ta stay away from the 'big pony' cider...” Apple Bloom added as she watched a plastered stallion fall off of a balcony and get in a brawl with a mare trying to help hum up.

“...ah think ah know why now.”

“Get out of my way you little cunts!”  A brash and rude stallion barked at them. Sweetie Belle at least leaped nine feet in the air. Applebloom shot a glare at the intoxicated stallion.

“Now don't you talk to me like that you son-of-a-bitch!” She regretted that utterance when a nearby assembly of ponies turned to her,

One of the mares, well beyond wasted had a sly smirk on her face.  “Oooh!” She taunted, a heavy slur intact, “Those are some big words for a little filly don't you think?”  The group laughed.

“Come one Applebloom, we don't have time for these losers.” Sweetie Belle attempted to pass the group but the wouldn't let her.

“Hey! Where do you think you foul mouth......foul mouth.....fuck....uh......WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?”  

“Away from you creeps!” Applebloom barked. Again, their attempt to circumvent the blockade was unsuccseful.

“You wanna talk to my mare like that you little hick!” A gruff stallion puffed his chest and stared down at Applebloom.  

“Ah wasn't talkin' to yer marefriend you no-good waste of air.” Applebloom spat.

“Applebloom stop!” Sweetie Belle pleaded.

“Holy shit guys!” One boistrous pony belched, “The cotton candy can talk!” Hysterical laugher ensued.

“I—I'm not--” Sweetie Belle didn't like this. They wouldn't move, she wanted to find Scootaloo, and ftankly being called 'cotton candy' wasn't something to write home about.

Applebloom was pissed. She leapt into the air and landed a nice hoof to that loud stallions face. Though, it didn't do much.

“You little FUCKER!” The stallion grabbed the filly and pinned her to the roadway wiff his powertful hooves.

“N—no! Stop! Let us go!” Applebloom cried.

“Awwww, the trash talking psycho filly is gonna cwy?” the initial mare cooed, “Too bad you little brat!” The group proceeded to spit on her spill their drinks on her, and launch various horrific insults. They closed in, further adding to the filly's panic.

Sweetie Belle was shaking as she saw this before her. She scanned around for anything she could throw at them and spotted them. A fireworks stand. She backed into an alleyway nearby and focused her magic on a few large fireworks. This would be enough to clear the street.

They lit up, fuses set by her magic and then....an unimaginably loud explosion. Doing exactly what she wanted....kind of.  While Applebloom was free from the hooligans harassing her, she now had to dodge various frightened ponies who were galloping haphazardly in a state of panic. She eventually saw where her friend was and bolted into the alley.

“What did you do?” Applebloom asked.

“Lit some fireworks.” Sweetie Belle smiled deviously.  “Are you okay?”

“No.”

Sweetie Belle pulled the filly into a hug. “Some ponies can just be real jerks sometimes.”

“No foolin'?”

The good news was that Scootaloo didn't need any medical treatment of any kind. She was simply knocked unconscious and protested a trip to the ER.  The bad news was, Spike did. He was gravely wounded, battered, and torn in various places. Twilight was a mess, cursing the day she got any of them involved in this “Fruitless pursuit of fairy-tales.”

Figuring Scootaloo didn't want to sit in a room the whole evening while they waited to be found by their concerned friends, Rainbow Dash and the filly made their way back into town, looking for any sign of the others. As they turned a corner of a rather tall building, a column of smoke could be seen from what appeared to be a recent explosion.

“I wonder what happened?” Scootaloo wondered aloud. She then got excited, “Let's go check it out!”

“I dunno kid...” Rainbow shocked even herself. It wasn't like her to have a cautious attitude. Then again, this filly had brought out several things about her she never expected to see.

“Awwww c'mon Dash! I'm bored!” The filly whined.

“Ugh, fine.” Rainbow wasn't about to put up with Scootaloo's temper, which she had learned by now could be rather vicious if provoked.  “But stick by me got it?”

Scootaloo agreed and they trotted towards the scene.  Once the pile of debris and embers were in view, Scootaloo voided her previous agreement and galloped to the remains. She then of course smacked into a passing shopper stallion who was less than happy about the reckless filly.

“Watch where you're going you little brat!” The stallion barked as he grabbed Scoots by her tail.

“Hey! Let go of me!” Scootaloo demanded as she squirmed.

Rainbow Dash zipped over to meet the two.

“I'm sorry—Sir,” She began, unsure of how to do this, “She's my filly—she's just being a little rowdy, It won't happen again.”

“Well it better not dammit!” The stallion huffed as he picked up his dropped items. “Damn fillies these days don't know respect from the mane on their head!”

“SCOOTALOO!”  Two more fillies cried joyously as they bolted from the alley they were in. Once again, knocking over the disgruntled stallion.

“Why you little fucking br--” the stallion spat,  

“Oh come now Larson, we need to get the milk home before it spoils!” An older mare hissed.

The stallion mumbled something nasty and went into the direction of some homes.

“What are you two doing out here?” Rainbow asked, still glaring at Scootaloo.

Sweetie was the first to answer. “We fought off some gangsters!” Sweetie was rather proud of herself.

“Ah wouldn't really say they was gangsters Sweetie, just some mares and stallions who woke up on the wrong side of the bed er somethin'” Applebloom was anything but pleased with the days events.

“Where's Twi?” She asked.

Applebloom was ignored.  

“Gangsters huh?” Rainbow Dash inquired, “You shouldn't be out her by yourselves—where's Rarity and Fluttershy?”

“Where's Twilight; Rainbow...Scoots?”  Applebloom asked again.

“Rarity is back at the hotel...I hope,” Sweetie began, “Fluttershy? Not sure.”  

Applebloom jumped in front of Scootaloo and Sweetie, a desperate look on her face. “Where—Is—Twilight?”

“Well let's get back to the hotel then!” Scootaloo declared, “I'm hungry.”

“Me too!” Sweetie Belle whined, “We haven't had anything since we got here!”

“AH WANNA KNOW WHERE TWI IS!” Applebloom yelled.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash started, “There's a pretty cool place on the other side of town—me and your sisters went there a few times, We can grab something there.”

“Yay!” Sweetie and Scoots answered.

“Where's Twilight?” Sweetie asked.

“Oh she's at the hospital.” Rainbow stated.

Applebloom widened her eyes in fear.  “H—Hospital?  W-why?”

“She's fine.” Rainbow said assuringly, “Spike.....is anything but.” She frowned. “We'll check on them once we get something to eat and meet the others OK?”

They ate at a small yet revered establishment. The food was plentiful, filling, and fantastic. The three fillies and Rainbow Dash then returned to the hotel where they were staying.  The foursome made their way up the stairs and down the halls leading to their room. Sweetie Belle was shaky, nervous at the least to what her sister would say; surely she was worried out of her mind.

Much to their surprise, Rarity nor Fluttershy were there. A note was sitting on a night-stand beside one of the beds; Rainbow Dash read it aloud:

“My dear sister Sweetie Belle,

I am rather disappointed in your decision to once again abandon the room and leave without permission or prompt; however, as you likely know, Spikey-Wik— Spike was horribly attacked by those subterranean ghouls. Twilight sent a nurse to fetch us and we are at the hospital as a result. Assuming you are to return to the suite prior to my return or accompaniment, I expect you to stay there until then!

If you find Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, inform them that it is past the visitor's arrival window and that Twilight would prefer we all be in the same place so she can coordinate our continuing efforts.

Do respect my word and her wishes and stay put. Next time, I will not be so eloquent and will not heed the call of urgency and be sure to let you have it you little shi- silly filly.

~ Rarity. “

Sweetie Belle breathed a sigh of relief. She was in the clear....this time.

“Well, you hear her!” Rainbow Dash laughed, “Stay put. All of you.” She cast a stern glare at Scootaloo who flinched slightly.  

“I'm gonna hit the sack so you fillies keep it down okay?” Rainbow Dash yawned as she hovered in the air and stretched her limbs. The cyan mare than plunked down on one of the beds, in the middle so as not to allow any feasible companionship.  Loud, obnoxious snoring followed suit.

The three crusaders sat in front of the center bed, backs against the headboard.

“Well great.” Scootaloo groaned. “Now what are we gonna do?”

“We could go get some snacks in the lobby.” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“We ain't doin' nothin' and ain't goin' nowhere.” Applebloom mumbled.

“That sounds like a great idea!”  Scootaloo whispered loudly clapping her hooves in excitement.

“We just ate!” Applebloom protested. She was beyond tired, sore, and the agonizing absence of Twilight only amplified her discomfort.

“I think they have free cookies at the reception desk!” Sweetie Belle was excited as well. They shot up and gleefully trotted for the door.

“Girls!” Applebloom hissed only to be ignored.

She didn't want them to leave; It would mean she would have to follow them to make sure they didn't get hurt, or she could just stay, but that could be a problem too. She could hear it now: 'You should have stopped them!' A frantic and disappointed Twilight crowed in her mind.

Sweetie was about to put hoof to doorknob when a cream colored filly slipped in front of them.

“No,” She growled.

“What's your deal?” Scootaloo asked. “If you don't want anything then just stay, we'll be right back.”

“Ah said, NO.” Applebloom barked.

An audible snort let out of a pegasus who apparently thought this was funny.  “Since when are you the boss of me?”

“When ahm tired of havin' mah friends lost, hurt, and who knows what else! Can't we just this once be good an' listen to somepony? Ah've had enough trouble for one day.”

Glowers were present on the white and orange fillies.

“Please?” Applebloom begged, eyes moistening. “Ah'm scared about Twilight, I miss her and ah wanna see her—real bad!”

Scootaloo let out a sigh, “Then stay here.” She was slow and deliberate with the next sentence as if she were coaching Applebloom on the English language:  “We, will, be, right, back.”

“No.” Applebloom growled. “Ya ain't goin' anywhere! Please!”

Scootaloo simply pushed the filly to the side and nuzzled the door open. She pushed through the small opening without a word and Sweetie Belle followed.  Applebloom shut the door and slumped down to her hanches. The only thing she could hear was the loud snoring of a cyan pegasus a few feet away, the only thing she could see were various memories with Twilight. Her friend, mentor,

Her mother.

The filly began weeping. Next Chapter: Waiting Room Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 58 Minutes