BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

A limp hoof is waving around in the direction of the alarm clock. It's tapping desperately all over the annoying device, until it gives up using a conventional method to deactivate it and yanks the cord out of the wall.

A somewhat flustered Rarity rolls over to face away from the rising sun glaring at her laziness through her window. As she does so, she sees a particularly perplexing purple pony lying next to her, still fast asleep. Suddenly she feels like Twilight never left, like they've always been together and their time apart was nothing but a dark and lonely dream.

"Pssst, Twilight, wake up." Rarity nudges her sides.

"Twipie, get up floofyfufy noofikens."

Twilight was now awake, pretending to still be asleep, using every ounce of her will to not smile. Rarity grabbed her sides again. Rarity immediately sees through this playful ruse.

"Well if you won't get up, I'll just have to... Tickle you out of bed!"

Rarity began tickling her sides with the utmost glee. Twilight, now unable to retain her facade, begins laughing hysterically, partially do to Rarity's relentless tickling, partially do to pent up longing for moments like these which she once shared with her old lover on a near daily basis.

"Well I'm glad to see you're awake now. We need to be heading out soon, so lets get ready." The two unicorns rolled out of bed, and prepared to go see their old friend Applejack, this would be the first time Twilight saw her since she first left for Canterlot. Needless to say, Twilight felt like a new pony, she was eager to see her old friend again, and make some long overdue apologies for not seeing her sooner.

Rainbow Dash nervously paced back and forth, paranoia overtaking her. She lifted her front right hoof, looking at the thin piece of metal nailed into it. The characters "S C" separated by a lightning bolt were professionally engraved into it.

"Somethin' botherin ya?" Applejack peeked into the room after hearing Rainbow's nervous trotting cease.

Rainbow Dash quickly shoved her hoof to the floor with a loud stomp.

"Yeah, no nothing at all." Rainbow put on a blatantly fake smile.

"Come now now Dash, Rarity ain't all bad, she's just, you know she's Rarity. I'm sure she'll be as happy to see you as I was." Applejack wasn't so sure of her own statements, but didn't see a reason not to try and at least be reassuring.

Applejack walked out of the room, allowing Rainbow Dash to recompose herself. Outside she saw a carriage slowly approaching in the distance. She felt a familiar sinking sensation as she prepared to swallow her pride and take a barrage of insults in front of her little sister. The carriage landed, and to Applejack's surprise Twilight Sparkle climbed out, followed by Rarity. Twilight ran up to Applejack and gave her a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for not coming to see you sooner Applejack, I've been so busy, but I know there's no excuse."

"No worries Twilight, I'm just happy as can be that yer here now." Applejack continued to hug her for a few more seconds before backing away.

"Rarity." Applejack gave her a nod of recognition.

"Applejack dear, I've been a horrible pony toward you. I just want you to know I'm truly sorry for that, and that I no longer care about anything that either of us said or did in the past. I just want us to be friends again."

Applejack, had desperately wanted to hear these words from Rarity for such a long time.

"I'd like that Rarity, I'd like that a lot." Applejack looked down at her hooves. She was taken by the forceful impact of Rarity's crushing hug, Rarity seemed to be making up for lost time, giving Applejack a hundred hugs all at once.

"I love you too Rarity." Applejack said under her breath as Rarity squeezed the remaining air out of her lungs.

Twilight watched them and felt a sensation of warmth and happiness fill her heart. The blissful expression on her faced changed into one of shock and disbelief as she saw Rainbow Dash peek out of Applejack's front window. Not completely sure she actually saw her long lost friend, she decided to go investigate.

"Would you mind if we stayed a while Applejack?" Twilight inquired.

"Of course I wouldn't mind, you're always welcome in my home, you know that."

The three ponies trotted inside, Twilight immediately began searching for Rainbow Dash. Unable to find her she asked Applejack about it.

"I thought I saw someone else in here, and I'm sure it wasn't Applebloom."

Applejack looked down for a minute.

"Yeah you probably did Twi, she's not feeling herself lately, but Rainbow Dash is here."

Both Rarity and Twilight were taken back by this fact, Rainbow Dash here is something they never expected. Applejack went into another room, then walked back in slowly with Rainbow under her arm. Rainbow Dash was looking down at her hooves, wondering what to expect from her old friends that she had left behind all these years ago. Rainbow Dash, being the most loyal of ponies, would never be able to forgive herself for leaving her friends and Ponyville behind, no matter what the reasons were.

"Rainbow, I can't believe it's really you." Twilight spoke first, her emotions now beginning to get the better of her.

Rarity spoke next, "How long have you been back?"

Rainbow Dash looked away, her now much longer mane covering half of her face.

"Um... I..." Her personality greatly resembling that of Fluttershy's.

"She showed up here yesterday, she's bunkin' down here with me for the time being." Applejack interrupted, attempting to save the nervous pegasus from her own loss of words.

Twilight walked up to the cowering pony, she rested her nose to her head. "What happened to you... Something's wrong Rainbow, you don't need to feel afraid when you're around us. No matter what happens, we're your friends."

Rarity chimed in, "She's right Rainbow Dash, we love you, nothing will change that. But please tell me, why and where in Equestria did you go?"

Rainbow Dash felt relieved when her friends didn't seem to be angry with her. She looked up and met the gazes of her friends as they closed in for a hug.

"Thanks for that guys, I really needed to hear that you weren't too mad at me for leaving."

Twilight shot her an angry glance "Oh I'm more than mad that you left us without saying a word, do you have any idea what I went through trying to find you? But more than that, I'm happy that you're okay."

Rainbow felt mixed emotions regarding Twilight's response, but everything seemed to be okay between the circle of friends.

"I'm sorry Twilight, I really am, and I know I probably can't make it up to you guys, but I'll try."

"Come here you silly little filly!" Twilight and Rarity took their turns smothering Rainbow Dash in overdue affection.

"Now tell us what happened Rainbow, I want to know your story." Twilight's curiosity was becoming more prevalent as she thought of all the possible things Rainbow could have spent the past three years doing.

They all made themselves comfortable and listened to Rainbow Dash's story. Applebloom came downstairs with her packed bags, she was happy to see Twilight and Rarity again, but sad that she'd be leaving her beloved sister again. She walked over to Rainbow Dash and made herself comfortable by her side. The sun was now directly above Applejack's home as Rainbow finished her story, leaving off at the same point as she did when telling it to Applejack. Even thought this was the second time she heard it, her story still left Applejack holding back tears. The other two mares felt the same stir of emotions as they imagined their own Dashy cold and alone all these years.

Twilight rested her head on Rainbow's mane, "We really did miss you all these years Dash, you were and always will be welcome to stay with any one of us, we felt more than enough pain when we lost Pinkie, losing you too only doubled that pain."

Rainbow let out a few tears as she tried to express how sorry she truly was for causing her friends any unintended pain.

"This is the first time the four of us have all been together like this since Celestia know's when, I think we should do something." Twilight pointed out.

"I want to stay here in Ponyville tonight, tomorrow starts the weekend anyway so I'll not have to worry about work, the research team will be fine without me for another day as well."

Rarity looked at Applebloom with a smile and agreed. "You really don't need two full days to get settled in anyway do you?"

"Well it sounds good to me." Applejack felt she should add something. Rainbow Dash looked at them with a familiar grin and nodded.

"I think that for the first time ever we should all go pay our respects to Pinkie together. All five of us that is." Twilight pointed out that even though this was more of a reunion than she could have hoped for, it was still missing a very important piece, leaving a void in their newly reformed circle.

"Does any pony even know where she is nowadays?" Applejack thought out loud.

"Well lets go looking for her, I'm sure we can turn some clues up somewhere." The five ponies all crammed into the carriage that was waiting patiently outside.

"To Ponyville please." Rarity politely demanded.

They all climbed out and split up, asking the few residents that remained if they knew anything about the whereabouts of their missing friend. No such luck. They all found themselves at the front door of Fluttershy's long since abandoned home. They rammed the locked door open, then all funneled in. It was dank and musty inside, empty animal cages and pet beds were piled up into one corner. It was dark inside, there were several layers of curtains nailed to the walls around her windows, blocking every ray of sunlight. Rainbow Dash pulled one of the curtains off the window, allowing the sun to flood into the room. Twilight heard a noise upstairs but decided to ignore it. The floor and walls around the fireplace were heavily blackened, as if a fire had gotten out of control at some point. Something felt wrong as they looked upon the tattered furniture strewn across the house.

"What could have happened here?" Twilight, asked her peers. They had no answers.

"Maybe some pony did this after she left." Rarity pointed out.

Twilight nodded and continued up the stairs to Fluttershy's old room. Horror struck the four mares as they looked upon the wreckage. Applejack decided not to enter at all and went back outside to meet Applebloom, who do her discontent had been instructed to wait by the carriage. The other three ponies walked in, stepping over ruined debris. They saw many hoof prints stamped into the walls, the oak bed frame had been bucked into several pieces. They window was broken and boarded up with a few overlapping planks. Sunlight filtered through the gaps and dimly lit the room, giving it a strikingly eerie presence. There was a strange hole above the closet doors leading up into the attic, It was pitch black and Twilight felt as if she were being drawn into the void. Then she suddenly spotted a shard of glass reflecting sunlight into her eyes. It was one of many surrounding an old picture on the floor. Twilight picked it up, she instantly recognized it, remembering her own copy sitting on her desk in her classroom. It was the six of them sharing in a group hug. Only in this picture, Pinkie Pie's face was blacked out, various stabs and other forms of punctures and scratches surrounded her face as well. Twilight's heart filled with an emotion she'd never felt before. A combination of sorrow, anger, and fear.

"Let's go guys, there's nothing to be found here." Twilight dropped the picture and led the other ponies out of the house.

"I guess it's just going to have to be the four of us this time. I'm sure we'll find Fluttershy soon enough though."

The four ponies all headed out to the old Ponyville Cemetery. Rarity signaled the carriage driver with a nod, who then lifted the carriage and flew away. They all then headed towards Pinkie, feeling happy to go spend time with her, rather than the sadness that usually follows their thoughts of the once lively, laughter filled pink pony.

The sun began to set, and the five ponies seem to have set up a camp of sorts, they had a small fire burning off in an empty space near Pinkie's grave. They all cuddled around the fire, Twilight and Rarity held each other endearingly as they watched the lit logs crack and pop in the intense heat. Rainbow Dash found herself in the comfort of Applejack's friendly embrace, as they leaned into one another enjoying the tranquilizing warmth of the dancing flames. Applebloom was laying wrapped up in a blanket, snoring quietly.

"So since we're all here, is there anything anyone wants to say? Is there any air to clear? Who know's how long it will be til we can all sit together like this again." Twilight was attempting to rouse up a conversation.

Rarity looked up at her with a smile, "I love you Twipie." Then began to give her a small barrage of smooches.

"Twipie?!" Ha!" Rainbow Dash began to hold her sides and roll around on the ground laughing, finally displaying a hint of her once famous charisma. "Wow that's a bit much don'tcha think Rarity?" Rainbow said, still giggling.

"Not in the least Rainbow Dash." Rarity then smiled and winked at Twilight again. Her affection showing more so than ever before as she met gazes with the purple unicorn. Twilight's eyes were gleaming and flickering in the fire light, as were Rarity's, which Twilight found just as captivating now as the first time she lost herself in them.

"Gag, get a room." Rainbow teased them.

Rainbow Began to fidget in her seat, feeling terrible that she hadn't told her so far more than accepting friends the whole truth about what all she had done during her time away.

"So Twilight... I was thinking... There is something I'd like to tell you guys. I didn't tell you everything I did yet, there's more. I'm not proud of it but I think you all need to know."

Applejack was a bit taken by this confession, but didn't blame Rainbow for feeling like she couldn't open up quite yet.

"Please, you know there's nothing you can tell us that would change the way we feel about you Rainbow. But we'd still like to know everything, just to satisfy our curiosity." Twilight smiled and encouraged Rainbow Dash to be open with her friends.

"Well okay then, but you guys might want to prepare yourselves for some shockers." Rainbow Dash looked back at Applebloom, making sure she was still fast asleep.

She then proceeded to tell her story, a story of a troubled mare, lost in a city of hatred and violence. Lost in despair.