“Hey, mom!” The two young foals yelled in unison at the red maned pony. “Who’s that?”Asked the young colt of the two, pointing at the guest of honor.

“This,” replied Apple Bloom “is Scootaloo. She was a friend o’ mine befer I was yer age! She wanted to meet my lil’ ponies. Scoot, this’n that looks like me, only a boy, is Apple Buck

“Buck, for a short!” said the young colt.

“Yep! N’ that’n that looks like AJ is Golden Delicious”

“Just call me Goldie, or GD” commented the filly

“Wow Apple Bloom! Nice litter ya got here!” Scootaloo redirected her attention to the foals.”So, where’s your dad?”

The young ponies could only look down and hang their heads in sadness. “He’s…he’s…” the colt studdered.

“He’s…not here.”

“Been gone fer bout a year now.”

Scootaloo gasped in fear.

“He’s in Appleoosa!”

“Layin’ railroad tracks!”

The two foals looked up then and stared Scoot right in the eyes and laughed. They laughed until their faces were blue and they gasped for air.

“Wait… HEY! NOT COOL!”

Sweetie Belle came trotting the door, raising a brow at the laughter. She had been outside still jumping with joy over the tickets and Scootaloo appearance for the first time in years. It was a dream come true. Well, one of her dreams. The other was to find a stallion to love her; just a normal, down to earth stallion, not a rich, impressive, entrepreneur. She remembered looking a Big Mac as a filly and admiring him. Thinking to herself, “I wish. I wish I was older. Just a little bit older.” Well here she was, but he had aged as well. Now there was no one. Now, she was stuck brushing off wannabe big wigs. “Dumb Rarity.” O well…she’d keep looking for someone to love, and looking past the others. She’s done it this long, why not longer. “Because I don’t have much longer, that’s why. If only…if only Big Mac…” she trailed off in thought. Then she heard the laughter. “What in Equestria is going on?” the white unicorn asked.

“Auntie Belle!” The foals yelled in unison as usual. Scootaloo noticed that they either spoke in unison or finished each other’s sentences, and hardly ever fought. The young ponies ran full speed at Sweetie Belle, as Golden Delicious got her legs, Apple Buck gripped her neck. “Auntie Belle, we missed you!” the foals stated, almost in perfect unison.

“I was just here two days ago!” I managed to force out as Buck chocked her neck to the brink of death. “I would have been here yesterday, but I had work to do!” As soon as she spoke the words she thought to herself, “Pushing annoying fancy stallions aside is hard work!”

“Auntie Belle, ya met Scootaloo?” Buck asked Sweetie, hoping the answer was yes. Wish granted.

“Oh yes dear! I was friends with Scootaloo before I was your age! I knew Scootaloo before I knew your mother.”

The young foals began jumping with joy at this thought. For some reason, they seemed extremely excited by the fact they knew a random pony. Maybe they knew of Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash’s relationship? Scootaloo was being trained by a famous Wonderbolt! Surely this was big news throughout Equestria.

“Watcha so excited fer kids?”

“Mom, ‘member that ol’ tale you used to tell us before we went ta bed? About the three ponies that wanted ta find ‘der cutie marks so ‘dey tried everthing?”

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders? Ya, I member.

“Well, what if ya three were da Cutie Mark Crusaders?” At this, the foals began jumping again, this time to extreme measures. They believed this was the coolest thought ever, and it would be so cool if their mom was one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Bloom, should we tell ‘em?” Scoot asked, this was so hilarious, she couldn’t wait to see their reactions when they realized it was true.

“Nah, let ‘em have their fun.” Apple Bloom responded. They would find out soon enough.

Then, Big Mac walked into the room.

---

Rarity had arrived at the boutique just in time. A disaster was brewing. A disaster that only happened every that only happened about every one hundred years. A disaster that Princess Celestia and Luna both couldn’t solve, only Rarity. Applejack wanted a dress.

Though the Element of Laughter was crying, the Element of Generosity had work to do. If Applejack wanted a dress, you gave it to her, then you gossiped until you found out what the dress was for. “Pinkie will be fine!” The white, purple maned unicorn thought to herself. “She has episodes like this all the time. It’ll all be over soon. I hope”

“Oh, AJ!” She complemented the orange earth pony with the beautiful blonde mane. “Green looks so good on you, darling! I would suppose it is the eyes. They complement you coat so well. It’s uncanny!

“Aw shucks Rarity, I guess I was just drawn up that way on Celestia’s sketch pad.” Applejack modestly replied. “Anyway, I would reckon the dress is pretty suiting fer me aint it?”

“It sure is! And while we’re asking about the dress, might I ask what you what this dress is for exactly?” Here it was, the moment of truth, the moment the crowd was waiting for; a crowd of one, but still a crowd.

“I just thought I’d get a dress in case I needed it later. I don’t wanna rush ya like last time.” Applejack said with a straight face. The Element of Honesty couldn’t be lying. She is the Element of HONESTY after all!

“But…surely there must be a reason, something to make you think about getting a dress.” Rarity knew there was something. Applejack may not be allowed to lie, but she could still stretch the truth. Maybe there was just simply something she was hiding.

“Umm…I don’t think so.” Rarity would have to keep digging. She needed that precious secret. She failed to beleive that there was no other reason than the one stated. That forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden known as Applejack’s mind. If Rarity did not know, it would eat away at her like a parasite. Parasite. Parasprite. Pinkie Pie. Oh no. PINKIE! Rarity had completely forgotten about Pinkie Pie’s current state of insanity. Though she never really cared for Pinkie, she still considered her one of the team, so it was only fair to treat her as such.

“AJ, I’m afraid I must go, duty calls!” She ran off, thanking Celestia she wasn't the Element of Honesty. She needed to get out of there quickly, and without anyone following her, so she needed to hide the reason that she had run out so quickly. Rarity fled, leaving Applejack standing on the small stage in the back of the boutique, wondering what just happened.

“Gee, I wonder what’s gotten into her.” Applejack mumbled to herself. Anypony else and she would have been fine with it, but Rarity? Applejack carefully took off the fragile, cumbersome dress and laid it on the table nearby. “I gotta follow ‘er.”

---

Twilight and Fluttershy arrived at the Carousel Boutique at the same time that Applejack was leaving. She had a bamboozled look on her face, most likely out of the sight of Twilight and Fluttershy’s worried one. Twilight and Fluttershy both were worried out of their mind. Sure, Pinkie had her little “episodes” as the other ponies called them, but they were usually all over by noon. If Fluttershy was right, this one had been going on for a whole day, maybe even more.

“Applejack!” The violet unicorn yelled trying to stop her before she got away. “Applejack, come back!” The earth pony was on a steady mission, and nothing could stop her. All she heard was the sound of her hooves as she ran toward Sugarcube Corner in hopes of gaining some light on the situation.

“APPLEJACK, GET OVER HERE NOW!” It worked. Applejack stopped in her tracks, looked back at the two, and trotted back towards them. She looked at Twilight as if it were her that made the command. But it was the gigantically gaped mouth of Twilight, mixed with the shy look on Fluttershy’s face, told the story. Applejack’s mouth fell into the dirt as well, as she was shocked by the suddenly serious Fluttershy. She was aware that if Fluttershy was this serious, there was trouble brewing.

“Applejack, where are you headed?” The unicorn asked, hoping it wasn’t where she thought it would be.

“Tuh Sugarcube Corner.” Twilight facehoofed. It was.

“Applejack, if you wouldn’t mind…umm…could you umm…not go to Sugarcube Corner, please? If that’s ok with you.

“Well, Fluttershy, we really need to know why she is going.”

“Rarity said somin about helping Pinkie, but she acted scarred, so I reckoned I’d follow her.”

“Ugh. Just come with us ok. Please, we may need you.” The three ponies ran off together, heading at full speed to the bakery where the pink earth pony known as Pinkie Pie was apparently having a mental breakdown of epic proportions. Once they arrived there, they found a white unicorn crying at the table.

“Rarity, what’s the matter with you? What did you do?” The violet pony asked with a serious look on her face. Did you go upstairs to Pinkie?

“Yes.” Rarity sobbed.

“And…?”

“And she was…was…”

“RARITY! SPIT IT OUT!” screamed Applejack

“And she wasn’t there!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, grateful the bakery was empty. She was joined with three large gasps as she continued her wallowing, covering the table in an ocean of tears.

“Goodness, what in Equestria is going on here?” asked the co-owner of Sugarcube Corner, Mrs. Cake. She gasped at the sight of the sobbing pony and her friends, ran back into the kitchen, and brought out a tray of cakes. Three full, completely baked, cakes.

Rarity looked up and saw the cakes through her tears. She sniffed. “Thank you Mrs.Cake.” she managed to squeeze out, her voice still shaking. Normally, she would decline the offer, as a whole cake to herself seemed ridiculous, but right now Rarity didn’t care, she was too heart-broken, and with good reason, even if it was a little over dramatic.

“Mrs. Cake, have you seen Pinkie Pie anywhere today? Fluttershy and Rarity said she seemed a little…under the weather, and now she’s gone.” Twilight investigated, hoping the answer would be yes, and have an explanation as to where she could be.

“No dear, I was going to ask you the same thing. What’s wrong with her? Maybe I could whip her up something to eat and make her feel better. Maybe some cupcakes, or a few cookies, those always do the trick! Oh, ya! I’ll make some sugar cookies and mix some sprinkles in, maybe some chocolate chips, and…”

“We’ve lost her.” Whispered Applejack to Twilight. “She’s done gone over to the cooking side now.”

“Well, I’m going to go in Pinkie’s room and see if I can make some sense of the whole situation. Fluttershy, if you don’t mind, could you keep an eye on Rarity for me? AJ, come on.” The orange earth pony and purple unicorn walked slowly and carefully up the stairs in the back of the bakery, afraid of the possible nightmares that may lie before them. “Well AJ, here we go…” Twilight shakily commented.

She slowly walked up to the door, and gently nudged open the door. The silence was haunting. Nothing could make Twilight more afraid than she was right now. What if Pinkie was insane What if nothing was wrong? What if…what if there is no Pinkie anymore? She quickly shoved these thoughts to the side. Though one continued to rattle her mind to the point of confusion. The last one. What if there was no Pinkie because…because Pinkie had finally snapped and taken her own life? As she crept slowly into the now forbidden room. The only light was the little allowed in by the small window in the back of the room, and the corners were almost completely black. The walls were plastered with pictures of Gummy, and only a few included Pinkie in them. It was cold, and Twilight was already feeling chills from the very thoughts that arrived before she opened the door, and the sight of the room mixed with the ice cold atmosphere made her actually shiver to the point she had to sit for a minute, causing AJ to place a hoof upon her shoulder for comfort. And then there she saw it, sitting in the dark corner of Pinkies room, Smarty Pants.

“What’s Smarty Pants doing here? I don’t even remember Pinkie coming over in the past week. But if Pinkie has been acting like everyone is saying, then Celestia knows what could have happened.” Twilight was worried, things just weren’t adding up. What could be going on?

“Uh…Twi? Ya might wanna see this.” Applejack slowly muttered, shaking horribly.

“Is…is that…Gummy?” It was. Under a blanket under Pinkie’s bed, was Gummy in a puddle of blood. “Did…did Pinkie do this?”

“I don’t think so, Sugarcube. No cuts or injuries, so not a stab or cut. But, I wouldn’t cancel out poison…” She looked over at Twilight with tears in her eyes.

“I guess we should…”She sniffed her nose. She began to cry as well. “take him down stairs to Nurse Redheart?” She couldn’t look at AJ, her crying eyes, mixed with the fact that she was already on the brink of sobbing on the floor, made her have to stay looking blank at the wall. Not able to acknowledge the fact that Gummy was dead, or that Applejack couldn’t answer her question. “Just…go…I’m gonna take Gummy to Nurse Redheart.

“Twi, I don’t think that’s a good idea by yourself, I mean can you” She was cut off by the currently insane sounding Twilight.

“I SAID I’D DO IT!!!! NOW GO AWAY!!!!!” She snapped, she didn’t know why, but she wanted to be alone. She staired out the window as the other three ponies walked away. Applejack trying not to slip up and say something, Rarity pleading AJ to give her information as she sobbed, and Fluttershy trying to comfort Rarity and keep her away from AJ.

Twilight could finally sob in peace. She wanted to lie on the bed, but simply judging by what was under it, she didn’t know what could be on op. Nor did she want to…she simply sat in the corner and cried more than Rarity. More than she imagined possible. More than anypony could have imagined possible.

Rainbow Dash had heard all of the yelling and crying all the way past Sweet Apple Acres. The sound was sickening, and the Element of Loyalty could do nothing but make sure that everything was ok. But, nothing was alright. A missing pony, a dead gator, and two broke down ponies. Things couldn’t be more wrong.

As she flew with all of her might to Sugarcube Corner, the source of the sorrow, she could almost cry herself. She knew she couldn’t cry for multiple reasons. First, sight. Dash needed to be able to see where she was speeding off to, and she couldn’t fly slow, who knows what could be going on. Second, assurance. Not only for herself, but for her friends. They needed to be comforted more than Dash.

She arrived at the bakery to find it empty except Mrs. Cake weeping and Mr. Cake attempting to comfort her. “Hey…umm…what’s with all the crying?” The blue pegasis pony investigated. Mr. Cake looked up slowly, and looked towards Dash. Not at her, but towards her, as if looking at something on the wall instead of Dash’s eyes or even her face at all, and weakly pointed up stairs. Dash looked down. “OK. Thanks…”

Dash slowly opened the door the exact way that Twilight Sparkle had before her. And saw Twilight in the corner.

“Twi…you ok?” She slowly tip hoofed up behind Twilight, but not too quietly, as to not disturb her. “Twi? Come on Twi talk to me! Please! Your scaring me!”

“Oh, Dashie. Dashie, Dashie, Dashie. You have no idea do you? You have no idea. No idea what’s going on. Look under the bed.” Dash did as she was commanded, and saw the corpse. With a gasp, she looked back at Twilight, hoping for an explanation. “You don’t know what’s going on…you left us all, and then left the world behind. Let me bring you up to speed, Dashie. Pinkie’s gone, something or somepony killed Gummy, My friends are breaking down. My world is falling apart in front of me. And you are loving life aren’t you? You’re famous, got yourself a protégé, and still best flier in Equestria. You leave us and look what happens. We fall apart. You see Dashie, we DON’T need your help to make a gigantic mess of everything! We are doing better than ever without you! So turn around and leave. Just go back to Scootaloo and force her to over work herself so that she does a bad job at the show. And I promise I won’t be there. I have work to do.”

“Twi…don’t do this. You’re not thinking strait. You’re…” Dash had to gain herself after Twilight’s monologue. “Come on Twi! Your scaring the hay outta me!” She looked at the twitching left ear of Twilight.

“Your scared? YOUR SCARED!?” Twilight screamed as she stood up and slowly turned around to the point that she was looking directly into Dash’s eyes. “How do you think I feel? Hmm? This time yesterday my world was perfect. Now we’ve got a crazy pony,”

“Make that two” Mumbled Rainbow Dash.

Twilight continued, not even stopping for a second. “a dead alligator, and four confused ponies!” She looked down, a slightly crooked grin cut through her face. “Dashie…”she giggled “you don’t know scared. No…you don’t. You know fame, glory, praise. We only know pain, fear, and confusion.” Her right eye and left ear twitched on an uneven pattern, her eye swelling to the point it was almost closed, shaking for a short time, and then slowly going down into its normal position. Her ear, at the same time, would flick left and right at a random pace and Twilight would like nothing happened. She was sweating profusely, and her mane couldn’t have been messier if she tried.”Now get out! Can’t you see I’m playing!?” She whipped around, smacking Rainbow Dash in the face with her tail as she did so. As she began to fall back on the floor, Dash was able to get a glimpse of what lay in front of Twilight.

Smarty Pants, soaked with tears.

Next Chapter: The Confession/The Son Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 25 Minutes