Chapter 1 - Guidelines of Friends

The day turns out pretty well. Not only do the CMC's get to help somepony, but they get along with him as well. The little colt is excited too. Visiting his family and making three new friends in one day makes it a successful one already. Curious about each other's lives; the fillies tell about their adventures as the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the colt proudly exaggerates about how his brother has saved him from several ghosts when he was a foal, and how he came up with his personal move.

'So you're from Canterlot, hm?' Sweetie Bell asks the colt. 'my sister is completely fascinated about it! How does it feel to live there?'

'Meh... In all honesty? It's boooooring. I'm the only pegasus at school! Imagine how it must feel to be surrounded by stuck-up magic-horned unicorns all day...,' he grunts irritated.

When he realizes that Sweetie Bell gives him a look, he understands that his words may be insulting to her, considering that she's a unicorn herself.

'No offense!' he quickly recovers.

Sweetie Bell feels a little awkward of asking about the 'oh-so-perfect Canterlot' and get an answer like this. "None taken," she replies.

The awkward silence that is about to drop is prevented when Applebloom speaks.

'Here in Ponyville we don't have that problem! As you can see from us: Every pony is welcome here,' Applebloom smiles.

'Really?' Dusty questions in curiosity.

She nods at him. 'Our group, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, was formed here! And as you can see: We look different than each other, but we get along like we're sisters!'

Dusty hears the name for the first time. "Cutie Mark Crusaders?" he asks confused.

'That's us!' Scootaloo smiles. 'Me, Sweetie Bell, and Applebloom made this group when we met each other. Because we haven't discovered our talents yet, we work together to find it out!'

'That's pretty neat,' he nods interested. 'And where are the other members?'

Followed with a cough of slight embarresment, Applebloom mumbles, 'Eh... We ARE the members.'

'Oh, sorry. I thought there were more,' Dusty replies.

'Nope. Everypony else has already found their Cutie Mark,' Sweetie Bell sighs. 'But you haven't, right Dusty?'

'Oh, only for now,' he shrugs. 'Like I said: I'm moving in my brother's hoofprints. I WILL become a hunter of ghosts, just like him!'

'Shouldn't you look further than one thing?' Sweetie Bell questions. 'We try different things every day. It's fun to try. Even if it turns out not to be our thing. Ghost hunting is one thing we haven't tried yet...'

'Hm. I won't say that it doesn't sounds like fun,' Dusty admits. 'Tell you what: Maybe my brother can help all four of us with trying ghost hunting once we find him!'

The girls smile. This is the exact reaction they had hoped to hear from their new friend.

'Deal!' Sweetie Bell agrees happy and reaches out her hoof to him. 'Let's shake on it!'

Dusty chuckles at the enthusiasm they show. Without hesitation, he reaches out and shakes hooves on his promise. 'Deal!'

'Ah Sweetie Bell, there you are!' a voice sounds nearby.

A white unicorn, using her magical horn to levitate a yellow parasol float over her head, walks over to them. The colors fit well in the sunny environment, while the contrast between the yellow parasol and the blue mane of the mare shows how artistic she thought about it using it today specifically. But its primary use: To protect her sensitive white skin from the merciless sunrays.

'Hello girls, how are you all doing today?' she asks the little ponies.

'Hey sis,' Sweetie Bell greets her with a smile.

'Hay Rarity,' the other two fillies greet as well.

'Are you three careful enough? The sun could easily cause a sun burn,' Rarity warns them, noticing how they ignore the sun completely because of their fun time.

Sweetie Bell shakes her head. 'Don't worry sis, we're in plenty of shade,' she assures her.

'No reasons to become worried yet?' Rarity jokes. 'Oh, by the way: I ran into Applejack just now, saying something about a lost applebarrel. Have any of you girls seen it maybe?'

The fillies remain silent, unable to tell the full truth about the barrel they "borrowed" for their applejuice business. Applebloom is more nervous than her friends though. She gasps and starts to stutter.

'A-Applejack spoke about that?' Applebloom asks.

Against all odds; Applejack has found out. The filly is in big trouble when her big sister will find her.

'Yes, she did,' Rarity nods. 'She even asked me to keep an eye out for you, Applebloom. Do you have any idea what that is all about?"

'Eh... no?' she lies. She can't tell which sweat drops on her forehead are from the heat and which are from the fear of the upcoming "Wrath of Applejack". 'No idea, Rarity.'

'Alright then. I trust you girls on your word. I will just be - ' she stops talking when she realizes that there is another pegasus with them. 'Oh, who's your new friend?' she asks them about the fourth pony that tags along with them.

'This is Dusty Gust. He's here to visit his big brother, and we're helping to find him,' Sweetie Bell proudly explains.

Rarity smiles, happy to hear of their good deed. 'Oh. That's very sweet of you, girls,' she praises them.  

'Heya, miss,' Dusty greets her.

'Hello, Dusty Gust,' Rarity friendly replies, ignoring the blunt way he greets, considering that he's still a colt. 'So you're here to visit your brother?'

'Yup!' Dusty exclaims happily, getting excited every time his brother is brought up in a conversation. 'When I heard my big brother moved here, I HAD to find him!'

'Aw, how adorable. It sounds like your brother is very special stallion. I assume that you just moved here with your parents to Ponyville as well?'

'Nope. I live with my mom and dad in Canterlot,' he corrects her.

Rarity looks a little surprised from hearing that little Dusty Gust moved all the way from Canterlot without any supervisors. The route is rather long, even for a pegasus like himself. 'You-You flew all the way from Canterlot to Ponyville? Alone?' Rarity asks worried.

'Oh no, of course not," he corrects her again.

Rarity sighs relieves, understanding that he's not on his own, 'That's good to hear,' she says.

Dusty nods. 'I can't fly yet. So I just walked on my own to here.'

Rarity is at a loss of words again. The colt doesn't seem to have a clue how reckless he is. 'B-But aren't your parents worried about you?' Rarity reminds him.

But the pegasus only shrugs. 'Oh I don't think so. Maybe just a little. Anyway, I just wanted to see my big brother. That's what I came for and that's what I'll do too,' he says.

Rarity realizes how rash the little colt must have considered his actions. His parents could be worried sick. On one hand; she thinks that she should help them. Yet on the other hand; she figures that if he is with his older brother, he should turn out ok.

Eventually Rarity nods. 'Alright, do you need any help with finding your brother?'

Rarity's little sister jumps in between them. 'Eh, we can handle it ourselves, Rarity.' Sweetie Bell interrupts them. 'After all: We're the best (and only) tourguides in Ponyville!'

'CUTIE MARK CRUSADER TOURGUIDES!' They cheer together with an ear deafening volume. Dusty's young ears remain unharmed from the young noise. But Rarity needs a moment to get the buzzing out of her ears again.

'We'll be fine, ma'am,' Dusty assures her.

The mare sighs. 'Well..., I can't argue with that, I supp- '

'Alright then, let's go!' The fillies interrupt her again.

They quickly move on to the town square of Ponyville under the burning sun, of which Rarity warned them about a moment ago. She can't help but sigh and walks away as well. But for one second, she looks back at them, hoping that this won't become one big drama.

'Well, that was my big sister,' Sweetie Bell tells Dusty, as the group walks through the many small alleys of Ponyville. 'What's your first impression?'

'I didn't stop to think about that you'd have a sister actually, Sweetie Bell,' Dusty Gust remarks. 'Do you all have one?'

'Close,' Applebloom nods. 'I got a big sister AND a big brother! They're the best a filly like me could wish for!' she speaks out cheerfully.

'My sister, Rarity, is also the best! She is always so caring for me. And I got to stay with her in Ponyville!' Sweetie Bell tells with open heart.

'Sweet!' Dusty laughs. 'Heh, I sure envy you three. If I could choose between Ponyville and Canterlot, I'd pick Ponyville in a second,' he admits.

'Really?' Applebloom asks.

Dusty Gust nods in absolute certainty. 'Though I don't see my parents move here any time...'

'Hey, that gives me an idea,' Scootaloo suddenly speaks up. 'Hey, Dusty. Your brother is staying in Ponyville for good, right?'

The colt nods, understanding from the letter he got that his brother would stay here for a long time atleast. 'Yea, he is. Why do you ask?'

Scootaloo smiles innocent. 'Sweetie Bell got to stay with her big sister. Maybe you can stay with your brother here in Ponyville too?'  

Dusty and the other fillies remain silent for a second. They even stop walking for a moment. The idea that Scootaloo has made up doesn't sound bad. Not bad at all. In fact: Dusty loves it.

'That-That would be awesome!' he admits. 'I would get to stay here with all of you, with my brother, and NOT with my classmates!'

In their moment of joy, Dusty raises his hoof in front of him towards Scootaloo. Without hesitation, she presses her own hoof against it as a sign of victory. Her plan cannot possibly backfire!

'Alright then! Let's hurry up with finding my brother then!' he proposes.

The fillies cheer together in harmony. 'AYE!'

Pumped from excitement, they rush towards the town square, the center of Ponyville. If anypony goes through Ponyville, they go through the square as well. That should include the colt's brother.

***

'So!... what are we looking for?' Sweetie Bell asks the question out of nowhere when they look around the square.

Their moment of joy ends when Dusty suddenly cuts short of answers, leaving them clueless of where to start their search properly. The girls turn their heads towards Dusty, waiting for an answer.

'Well... Since my brother is a ghost hunter... Eh, I actually have no idea where he might live in,' Dusty coughs embarrassed.

He never even thought of where to look in Ponyville in specific. He didn't even consider that Ponyville would be this big!

'Well, we're guiding you around town anyway. Maybe we'll find the right home or bump into him,' Sweetie Bell suggests. 'Let's ask around!'

They nod in agreement. The group spreads out over the square. Several ponies that pass through are confronted by atleast one of them with the question if they've seen Dusty's brother. None of them give valuable answers though. And some even react insulted, because they think the little ponies are making fun of them with their talk about a so called ghost-hunter. Some are even ignoring them completely because they don't want to stop in the near-unbearable heat. After an hour has passed, they youngster gather back at the inactive fountain.

'Nothing?' Scootaloo asks her friends.

The others look disappointed and mumble. 'Nope.'

She grunts in defeat before she faces the colt again. 'Dusty, do you REALLY have not a single clue of where we should look for him?'

'My brother has been gone from Canterlot for ages. I dunno where he's been all the time,' Dusty sighs. 'When mom and dad got a letter from him saying that he moved to Ponyville, I just had to see him again. The reason why my parents and I never got here earlier was never explained to me. So I just decided to go here myself. He MUST be here somewhere! He should be known nationally by now!'

The girls nod in understanding.

'He's best there is! He kept me safe from them when I was a foal. I've never even got to SEE a ghost in my life! He's that good!' he tells them, trying to prove them that his brother is as good as he says he is. 'He's here somewhere. I KNOW it...'

'Well..., we can always show you around in the meantime right?' Applebloom tries to cheer the mood up.

She pushes Dusty softly with her flank, hinting him to follow her. They climb on top of the dry fountain for a better view of the square. When they are positioned, Applebloom starts to explain.

'The town square is the place where every pony passes through atleast once when they come in Ponyville. It's also got many buildings and shops around,' she explains and starts pointing towards several buildings. 'That's the library, there's the Sugercube Corner, Quills & Sofas-'

Applebloom stops midway her sentence when she notices the pink pile of tiredness that lies on the ground a few meters away from them.

'Oh, and this is Pinkie Pie!' Applebloom points at the pink pony.

'Hay, Pinkie Pie!' the fillies greet her.

Pinkie groans, exhausted from hopping around in the merciless sun. 'Water...,' she coughs thirsty. The ever so cheerful pony has found her weakness: High temperatures.

The little ponies hurry and lean over her, surprised to see her worn out like this. Flat on her stomache, Pinkie Pie looks aimlessly in front of her with exhausted eyes. Her fluffy hair has lost its vitality and lies flat and lifeless from her head to the ground beside her.

'Hey Pinkie. Are you alright? You don't look so good,' Scootaloo guesses.

Dusty nods. 'Is she always like this?'

'Oh nonono. On the contrary!' Sweetie Bell corrects him. 'She's the most hilarious, energy-filled, and social pony that you could possibly find in Equestria!'

Scootaloo nods. 'If there's someone up for any party, it's her alright!'

'In fact: she's as social as to greet every new face she gets in sight...,' Applebloom speaks while she starts to fall into thought. An idea starts to process in her mind. 'Pinkie Pie might actually know where your brother is! She basically greets everypony that even sets hoof in Ponyville!'

Dusty Gust smiles when he hears of their increase in chance. If this pink mare is really as happy and friendly as the fillies say she is, then she MUST have seen his brother!

'Pinkie Pie? Have you ever noticed a ghost hunter passing through Ponyville? The best ghost hunter you could POSSIBLY notice?' Dusty asks her, trying to keep his excitement controlled.

'Water...,' is the only thing that Pinkie Pie can say in response.

The colt is left unanswered. 'Eh... water?' he questions her confused.

'The applejuice would've come in handy now...,' Scootaloo mumbles. 'No better customer than a thirsty customer.'

But Applebloom steps forth and dissagrees with her. 'C'mon, girls. Pinkie was always ready to help us out. It's a good time to do something for her now!' Applebloom tells them.

Dusty Gust shrugs when he looks around the steamy hot area. The streets are nearly glowing of heat from the sun, no store is opened today, and there isn't even water in the fountain.  'Where are we supposed to find water so quickly, Applebloom?'

'There's a heatwave! Of course there is water!' Applebloom responds to him as if he's always  this clueless . 'How about you try to move Pinkie Pie into the shadows, while I try to get some?' she suggests.

Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and Dusty Gust nod in response, stationing themselves next to Pinkie Pie.

'Wait here, Pinkie! I'll be right back!' Applebloom tells to her right before she gallops off.

'Okie....Do,' she groans sad.

Pinkie Pie is suddenly startled by the pressure she feels on her stomache when the colt and the two fillies start to push her out of the sun.

'Hold on, party pony. We think that you've had enough sun for today,' Sweetie Bell tells her.

***

'Pfff, this heat is unbearable...,' A brown stallion gasps thirsty as he walks into the square.

An hourglass covers his flank as his Cutie Mark, and a dark brown mane comes from his head and down his neck. The heat has gotten to him too, proven by the sweat that rolls over his face. He quickly pulls out a bottle of water from the bag that he carries on his side and takes a sip from it.

'Just what we need!' Applebloom tells him as she walks up to him. With a leap for the bottle, she snatches it from his hoof with her mouth.

To his utter surprise, the stallion looks down at the pony that has taken his drink. 'Eh-Hey!' he gasps.

'You'll get it back later! Thanks!' she hurries back to the others, leaving him in complete astonishment behind.

'That filly again? First she tries to force apples on me and now she robs me from my drink...,' he mumbles irritated as he moves under the shadows of the nearby buildings. 'The nerve of some youngsters...'

***

The others have succeeded in pushing Pinkie Pie into the shade of the Quill & Sofas building. Though she won't get more thirst than she already has, she won't be able to do anything cheerful until she finally get a much-needed ice cold drink.

'Pff, what is Applebloom taking so long?' Dusty sighs from the heat. 'I thought she said that water is easy to find in a heat wave.'

'Just wait some more,' Scootaloo responds. 'Applebloom will be back before you can say- '

'Hey!' Applebloom cuts Scootaloo's sentence off as she hurries to them with a bottle in her mouth. She moves in front of Pinkie Pie's face, which remains gazing towards the distance in front of her.

'Pinkie Pie look! Water!' Applebloom smiles while she shakes the bottle in front of Pinkie Pie's face.

The pink mare blinks a few times and starts to see the shining bottle in front of her. 'Water!' she gasps when she realizes that there's a drink in front of her nose.

She doesn't hesitate for a second and uses the last energy in her hooves to throw the bottle of water upside down above her head, glugging the liquid away in matter of seconds. When the bottle is relieved from its final drops, Pinkie Pie's hair jumps back into its fluffy shape and her voice is clear and happy again.  

'Ah, much better!' Pinkie Pie cheers rejuvenated. With a swift move she grabs the ponies and gives them a big hug. 'Thanks girls!'

'Excuse me?!' Dusty coughs.

'And boy!' Pinkie Pie quickly adds to her sentence.

The fillies are happy to see their pink friend back in her optimistic self again. 'You're welcome, Pinkie Pie!'

'Now that you're back alright, can you help us find my brother?' he coughs as he tries to free himself for Pinkie Pie's hug of gratefulness.

'Sure thing!' she replies and release the ponies from her iron grip. 'A ghost hunter, you said?'

Pinkie Pie rolls with her eyes to the sky while she scratches her head. 'Hm...,' she sighs deep in her thoughts. The colt and fillies silently look up at Pinkie Pie, waiting anxiously for a positive reply.

'Nnnnnnno. Can't  say that I have,' she eventually answers.

'Aw...,' Dusty Gust sighs disappointed.

'But, have you seen Gummy anywhere?' Pinkie Pie asks them in return. 'We were playing hide and seek... But he's suddenly much better at hiding than he usually is!'

The fillies shake their head. 'Sorry, Pinkie Pie. We haven't seen him today,' Sweetie Bell answers. 'But if we do see him, we'll let you know!'

Pinkie Pie smiles by their offer of help. 'Thanks again girls! And good luck with finding the big bro'!' she waves at them as they turn around to move on.

'Well, that was waste of time...,' Dusty Gust grunts. Unable to find satisfaction from the help they've given to Pinkie Pie, he remains impatient about finding his brother.

'Don't say that,' Sweetie Bell tells him. 'It only means that your brother hasn't been in the square. It only narrows the amount of places we can check, right?'

He shrugs, believing that the unicorn is being too optimistic right now. They told him a moment ago that EVERY pony that enters Ponyville comes through the town square atleast once. His brother is supposed to be living in Ponyville, yet the most social pony of all hasn't seen him.

'I don't think my brother would hang out with somepony like Pinkie Pie actually.  She may be nice, but my bro' is E.P.I.C. He would probably only get in contact with those worthy of his stature!' he concludes.

It makes the fillies get mixed feelings over whether their new friend is exagggerating, or truly has some high-ranked super hero as brother.

'I bet Rainbow Dash knows!' Scootaloo brings up. 'She's the pinnacle off 'awsome' after all! If your brother is that awesome as you say he is, Rainbow Dash MUST have caught wind of it!'

'Rainbow Dash?' Dusty questions. '...Never heard of her. Sorry.'

Scootaloo jumps to his side, throws a hoof on his back and points with her other front-hoof to the clouds.

'Rainbow colored mane, a speed faster than that of sound itself, and NEVER unable to overcome any obstacles that comes her way!' she tells with a sound of joy that is higly recognizable in Dusty's voice when he speaks of his brother. 'I can promise you: If it's awsome, she knows it!'

The colt looks doubtful at the filly. He simply shrugs and throws her hoof off of him. 'Okay? We'll try your plan. Any clue where we can find her then?'

Scootaloo's response is pointing with her hoof towards whatever is behind Dusty Gust. He looks over his shoulder and sees the fields outside Ponyville, a few clouds in the air, and a bunch of trees that mark the entrance to the forest. But nothing particulary shows where Rainbow Dash should be. Dusty turns back at Scootaloo, who is still pointing towards the area behind him. Dusty takes a second look, but can REALLY not figure out what Scootaloo is pointing at.

'...What?' he asks her confused.

'The clouds, dummy!' Scootaloo sighs. 'Rainbow Dash single-hoofly takes care of the weather of Ponyville! She removed all clouds to let the sun in past days. If those clouds are left, it means that she's working on them right now!'

***

'So, what is that she does?' Dusty Gust asks while they walk under the shadow of the remaining clouds.

'She's basically the on that keep the weather of Ponyville in check,' Sweetie Bell answers. 'It's thanks to her that we get to have this much sun the past days!'

'AND thanks to Princess Celestia, Sweetie Bell,' Applebloom adds.

The unicorn nods. 'Eh, yea. -And thanks to the princess, of course.'

'So, Rainbow Dash is a weather mare?' the colt summerizes. 'Just faster than most pegasi?'

'"Just" Faster?' Scootaloo chuckles. 'You clearly never heard of the Sonic Rainboom before, have you?'

'Sonic Rainboom?' Dusty asks.

Before Scootaloo can answer, they realize that the shadow they walked under has vanished. Surprised, they look up in the air and notices a flying pony that spins around the clouds and bucks them out of sight.

'There she is!' Applebloom cheers. 'Hey Rainbow Dash!'

The mare doesn't hear her. She proceeds to gather the clouds and buck them away, one by one.

'She can't hear us,' Dusty Gust says.

The fillies start to smile. 'Maybe not one of us. But we figured that pretty much everypony can hear us together,' Sweetie Bell snickers.

'RAINBOW DASH! OVER HERE!' they yell together.

The mare suddenly looks up, hearing the noise that fills the air. To anypony; A filly yell can pierce through the soundbarriers. She looks away from the cloud that she was pushing and looks below her.

'Hey girls!' she yells down when she notices the little dots on the ground.

With a quick swoop through the air, Rainbow Dash leaves her "cloudy" business aside and rushes down to the ground. A little anxious over the speed that the mare uses to storm towards them, the four ponies gaze at how the distance between them and Rainbow Dash is closing in. Right before she reaches the point that she can't halt enough to prevent a painful crash, Rainbow Dash stretches her wings as wide as possible to slow down rapidly to land graciously before them. When the winds from her landing vanish along with the dust, the young ponies are face-to-face with Rainbow Dash.

'How are you all doing? Enjoying the heat?' she asks them with a smile of satisfaction.

They all nod gratefully for her work. Scootaloo most of the four.

'It's awsome how fast you managed that, Rainbow Dash!' the pegasus filly praises her idol.

'Hehe well. It comes with the job, right?' Rainbow Dash snickers.

The other three ponies move closer for asking the mare their questions.

'Rainbow Dash. Would you happen to have seen Dusty Gust's bigger brother? We're looking for him in Ponyville.'

She looks at the newcomer. 'Ah sorry. I didn't see you at first. Welcome to Ponyville, Dusty Gust!'

'Hehe, thanks ma'am.' Dusty chuckles in response.

Rainbow Dash starts to laugh. 'Ma'am? Please, call me Rainbow Dash or Dash for short. Anyway, you're searching for your brother?'

Dusty Gust nods. 'Yup. My big brother moved to Ponyville a little while back! My friends said that you would probably know everypony that stand out of the crowd!  

'So, is there any specific thing about him?' Rainbow Dash asks.

'Specific? My brother is the #1 Ghosthunter of Equestria! How about THEM specifics?' he laughs proud.

When he stops his laughter, he realizes that the others remain rather silent. He admits to himself that he may went a little too far with his entheusiasm this time.

'...Anyway,' Applebloom breaks the silence. 'We all want to try to become proffesional ghost hunters! And if somepony can help us, it's Dusty's brother!

'Ghosthunting?' Rainbow Dash asks. The idea of the excistence of ghosts itself already sounds doubtful to her.

'Oh! I get it. This is one of your games, right?' she suddenly laughs. 'Sure, sure. I see ghosts all the time! They're a real problem in Ponyville.'

'Wh-What?' Dusty Gust responds surprised. Is Rainbow Dash laughing at him? Laughing at his brother?

Rainbow Dash then proceeds with raising a hoof on her forehead, saluting them like a soldier. 'I wish you all the best of luck, brave guardians!' she snicker. 'I count on you four to keep Ponyville safe from any ghastly dangers!'

Don't worry, Rainbow Dash! We will!' Scootaloo smiles.

She honestly believes that her idol is truly counting on them, unconsidering that Rainbow Dash is simply playing along with their game. But Dusty isn't as gullible as Scootaloo. He feels like he he's being mocked and treated like he's a mere child with a lot of imagination. It makes him feel a little angry.

'Aside from that...,' Dusty suddenly interupts. 'Have you seen my brother; Yes or no?'

'Sorry, kid. Can't say that I have,' she shrugs. 'I've seen many faces come into Ponyville, but none of them were "specialized" in something like this.'

'So that's it? That's all the answers I get from searching all over town? A nope?!' Dusty suddenly speaks out of tone.

The fillies realize that their friend isn't amused and quickly jump to his side to try and calm him down.

'C-Calm down, Dusty! We have far from seen every place in Ponyville!' Sweetie Bell tells the angry colt.

Applebloom nods. 'Yea! Just because Rainbow Dash hasn't seen him, doesn't mean he's not around!'

Dusty grunts angry. 'You're ab-so-lut-ly right about THAT, Applebloom!'

Rainbow Dash just believes that Dusty is angry about that he hasn't found his family relative yet, instead of understanding that she may have insulted him by making a mockery of his brother's proffesion. She expects their chat to be over and stretches her wings out to fly off again. With a little jump in the air, she starts to flap her wings to hover off the ground.

'Anyway, I gotta go now. I wanna wrap these clouds up quickly so I can get back practice on my moves! A Sonic Rainboom isn't learned in one day, you know!" Rainbow Dash rushes and turns around to fly off. But when she gets an idea, she halts for a moment and turns around to the little ponies again. "Why don't you try Fluttershy? If Dusty's brother ain't in Ponyville, he may be outside of it!"

And without even waiting for a response, Rainbow Dash quickly flashes away towards the final bits of cloud that hang above Ponyville. The little ponies are left behind on the ground, dissapointed to have been given another lead rather than a comfirmation of the ghost-hunter's presence.

'Don't worry, Dusty,' Applebloom tries to cheer the colt up. 'He has to be around here someplace.'

'Yea! let's take Rainbow Dash's advise and ask Fluttershy!' Sweetie Bell tells them.

The fillies start to move on, expecting the Dusty to follow them in a few moments. After a deep sigh, Dusty Gust continues to follow the fillies to their next destination. It's not like he's got another choice to find his family.

Scootaloo shrugs. 'Hm... It's too bad that Rainbow Dash didn't see him.'

'Yea...,' Dusty Gust grunts.

'I mean: It's Rainbow Dash! She HAD to know your brother if he's this awsome!' Scootaloo rants on.

'Yea...,' Dusty repeats, starting to get a little aggrevated by what Scootaloo might be suggesting.

'I Guess your brother isn't that awesome,' Scootaloo suddenly speaks out.

That reply was the worst reponse she could've made. She has barely finishes her sentence, or Dusty Gust already presses his nose against hers and glares with eyes of anger.

'OR... maybe your Rainbow Dash isn't at the top of the "Pinnacle of Awsome" like you claim she is! To me she seems like a simple weather control mare! Other than able to fly constantly and pluck a few clouds out of the air, she is nothing more special than you: A foal with feathers glued her back!' he tells her.

Scootaloo is getting provoked by his words. 'You take that back!' she demands and presses him back.

'Not after you take that back about my brother!'

'After you!'

'No! After YOU!'

Their childish arguing has resurfaced, resulting in pushing each other away with their heads. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell are forced to see their friends go at each other again. They only met today, but they already seem like bitter rivals rather than friends.

'Scootaloo! Dusty! Are you finished with fighting yet?' the little Earth Pony and Unicorn ask them in anger.

They manage to catch their attention this time. Scootaloo and Dusty Gust step back from each other and look surprised up at their other friends. Are they being that childish to the point that Applebloom and Sweetie Bell have to act like the grown-ups?

'Eh, Yea. We're done...,' Scootaloo answers in surprise over their sudden attitude. 'Sorry for that.'

'Yea. No problems here...,' Dusty replies.

When Applebloom and Sweetie Bell turn around and walk further outside Ponyville, Scootaloo and Dusty both whispers the end of their sentences at each other. '...For now.'

That little outburst was actually exactly what they needed to calm down. The pegasi both chuckle over their fight. To them it was more humorous than hostile.

***

Their adventure moves outside Ponyville, into the grassy hills. Even though not many ponies live here, there still are some that do. Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and Dusty Gust arrive at a house that belongs to Fluttershy and her rabbit friend, Angel.

'Hellooooo? Anypony home?' Scootaloo yells outside. The girls tried to knock on the door, but there is no response at all.

Applebloom turns to her friends. 'Where could she have gone to?' she wonders out loud.

'Probably helping critters,' Sweetie Bell shrugs. 'You know how sensitive and kind Fluttershy is.'

'Wait a minute. Isn't that her in the grass over there?' Applebloom asks when she notices a pink piece of grass sticking out from the hills. Considering grass can't get a color like pink, it HAS to be something like Fluttershy's mane!

'Hey, yea! Good eye, Applebloom!' the filly pegasus compliments.

They quickly move towards the peaceful mare. But when they realize that they're missing a part of the group, they look around and notice the colt that doesn't move further.

'Dusty? What is wrong?' Sweetie Bell asks him.

He is breathing deeply and rubs some sweatdrops from his forehead. 'Y-You go on ahead...,' he pants. 'I just need a little break.'

With a sigh of exhaustion, he drops his Cutie Mark-less flank on the ground. Clearly, Dusty's stamina isn't as great as the fillies'. Nopony can blame him, since they've been travelling all over the place today without even eating lunch.  

'What's the matter, Dusty? Afraid to meet Fluttershy?' Scootaloo teases.

'Why don't you "fly off", Scootaloo? Oh, wait! You can't!' he snaps back at her.

Applebloom and Sweetie Bell try hard to suppress a giggle over Dusty Gust's snappy comeback. Scootaloo simply grunts insulted, turning around towards Fluttershy in a way that could be translated as "whatever, dude." She knows that it was just a joke, but still has trouble to let it slide like one.

Sleeping in the soft grass with the warm sun shining on her, Fluttershy makes the best of the day by resting through it. Aiding all the critters everyday is something she loves to do. But now that every creature is resting in this heat wave, she takes their example and naps up as well. The girls don't hesitate to go to the pegasus mare and say hello to her though.

'HAY, FLUTTERSHY!' the fillies greet together.

The mare jumps awake, flustered over the noise that shatters through her dreams. 'Wh-What-Who-Where?!' she responds confused.

When she notices the three young fillies next to her, Fluttershy takes a deep breath and calms down again.

'Hello girls. Have you come to enjoy the sun too?' she smiles.

'Not right now, Fluttershy,' Sweetie Bell replies.

'We need your help!' Sweetie Bell tells her.

'We were wondering if you've seen Dusty Gust's brother,' Scootaloo asks and points towards their new friend in the distance.

Fluttershy takes a look at the colt, trying to recognize any similarities to any stallions she may have seen in Ponyville lately.

'Oh, maybe I have,' Fluttershy responds. 'How does his brother look like?'

The fillies shrug. 'Wel... I suppose he's a tall male pegasus,' Applebloom guesses.

'And strong, I bet,' Scootaloo adds.

'Oh, and most certain of all: He's a professional ghost hunter!' Sweetie Bell quickly brings up.

The mare has honestly no clue. Pegasus: ok. Male: ok. But a ghost hunter? She has never even heard of such a proffesion.

'G-Ghosts? I'm sorry, girls. I'm afraid I can't help you,' she sighs.

'Oh, ok. Thanks anyway, Fluttershy!' Applebloom thanks her happily out of kindness.

When the fillies turn around to walk back to their friend, Fluttershy drops her head back in the grass and continues with her nap undisturbed.

'Well, that didn't help much,' Scootaloo states the obvious.

Dusty shrugs and stands back up when the fillies reach him. 'No success? Fine then. We're probably just looking in the wrong place,' he concludes from their search. 'Where haven't we been yet?'

The fillies remain awkwardly silent. They have been scouting through and around the entire town today. They have no ideas anymore!

'I wouldn't know where else we can look anymore! Fluttershy's house was the last house outside Ponyville, along with Sweet Apple Acres!'

Dusty is struck by truth in a surprised way. 'We-We must've overlooked a place!' Dusty repeats in denial.

He looks around desperately to find another place. Any place that could be an option.

'Ehm, what about this road? Where does it go to?' he asks as he points his hoof towards a gloomy path that leads into a forested area right next to Ponyville.

The path is covered in weeds and the trees have grown excessively, proving that it hasn't been used truly used by somepony for a while. It's odd, considering it's very close to the main roads.

'Oh, that leads to the abandoned gallery. Nopony has been using it for ages,' Sweetie Bell shrugs.

Dusty ignores her neglection. The tiredness from the fruitless search is driving him desperate. 'Well, I'm going to check it anyway! Places are abandoned for a reason! Maybe it's where my brother is hunting for those ghastly creeps!' he grunts and moves towards the route.

'Wait! If there are ghosts, we shouldn't go after them without your brother!' Applebloom warns.

Clearly she is nervous of checking out a distant and empty building. She's not the only one. Sweetie Bell is also shaking from the mere thought. Without any nearby help or knowledge over the unknown, their courage is reduced to a minimum. Looking as frightened as they do now, they're maybe not cut out for ghost hunting after all.

Dusty becomes impatient. 'Fine then. Stay here. But I'm going over there and find my brother OR kick some haunted flanks!' he bravely speaks out at them as he starts to march towards the road.

'Hold on, pal!' Scootaloo tells him and jumps in his way. 'We can't leave Sweetie Bell and Applebloom behind!'

Dusty taps with his hoof on the ground, feeling stuck within two fires. He knows that Scootaloo is right, yet he can't accept the idea to overlook a very obvious place to look. Wanting to go on and see what there is at the gallery, but he agrees that he can't leave these two fillies behind.

'C'mon! You're not scared of a few ghosts, are you?' he tries to provoke the girls into proceeding with their quest. 'Even if my brother isn't there, he probably scared any possible ghosts off ages ago!'

His encouraging words don't work. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell still remain nervous and unmoving.

'We'll just have to go another time,' Scootaloo proposes.

Dusty turns around to her. 'I can't go another time! I must know if he's there or not!' he yells angry.

'Well, yelling isn't going to get you further!' Scootaloo yells just as hard back at him.

The colt and filly are back in argue, just like their meeting. Their two friends are looking at their pointless fight, trying to talk them out of it again. Their voices can be heard all over the place, able to make Fluttershy even turn her ears into the grass to block it out.

'Ssst!...' Scootaloo suddenly hisses to him. 'Did you hear that?' she whispers.

As they silently listen along, they start to hear movement coming from the dark road. As they start to break sweat of fear, they listen silently how the sounds are getting louder and louder. Something is heading their way!

'Wh-What is that?' Dusty whispers back.

Scootaloo shakes her head. 'I-I don't know! A ghost maybe?'

Their hearts start to pound twice as fast. They squeeze together and remain frozen by fear. Their tiny hooves are unmoving in the muddy ground and their ears try to catch any sounds that come their way. They can't help but look at the road to try and see what is coming for them. Yet, the fact that they see nothing on it is even more disturbing.

But then a shape starts to move out of the shadows: A blurry purple silhouette.

'Girls?' a voice speaks.

'EEEEEK!' the fillies yelp in panic. Out of control, they start to run around, looking for a place to hide from the monsters of another world.

Dusty Gust remains frozen to the ground, looking in amazement at the so-called ghost. 'Girls, Girls!' he yells at the panicking fillies.

Hearing Dusty's voice, they look around at him. The shape stands right in front of him! It's the shape of a pony with a horn on top of the head. A purple mane waves on her head and a pink star-shaped Cutie Mark decorates her flank. They recognize her!

'Hello girls. Sorry if I scared you,' A purple unicorn greets them. 'What are you doing over here anyway?'

'Twilight! We could ask you the same thing! We thought the Gallery was abandoned!' the fillies tell her with their still-pounding little hearts.

'Oh, eh... yes. It is abandoned,' Twilight assures them. 'I just promised to check up on it from time to time.'

'To who?' Applebloom asks.

'Ehm... That's not important right now,' she replies vaguely.

The little ponies are relieved by the ending of their adventure. They truly believed that their final seconds were counting.

Twilight looks down at the colt, who looks up at her with curious eyes. 'Who's your new friend?' she asks them.

'Eh, this is Dusty Gust. We're touring him around while looking for his brother,' Applebloom introduces him.

'Ah, well that's great,' Twilight smiles. 'Hello there. My name Is Twilight Sparkle.'

'Yow,' he responds bluntly. Unlike the fillies, he seems to be completely calm.

Twilight takes a second look at Dusty, who taps his hoof anxiously on the ground. Dusty is getting impatient of waiting.

'Have we met?' Twilight asks him with uncertainty. 'I believe that I've seen your face before.'

Dusty looks confused up at her. 'Eh? I seriously doubt that, lady. I haven't been to Ponyville before,' he assures.

'Oh, sorry then. Must be my imagination,' Twilight shrugs. 'In any case, I have to move along again. Good luck with finding his brother, girls! It's getting late already,' she tells them before walking off again to the library.

The fillies are surprised to hear that it's late. They had so much to see, that they lost track of time. The orange sky and the sinking sun proves it.

'Twilight is right, girls. It's getting late!' Scootaloo remarks.

They turn around to move quickly back to Ponyville, but suddenly realize that Dusty was supposed to stay over his brother, which they haven't found yet!

'Eh, Dusty, where are you staying for the night?' Applebloom asks out of curiosity.

Dusty wants to answer, only to realize that his plans are shambled. 'Eh... I was hoping that I would've found my brother before it would come to that!' he admits, understanding that he should've thought of a back-up plan in case finding his brother would take this long.

Applebloom has an idea. 'Well, I'm sure you can stay over at Sweet Apple Acres! Plenty of space there,' she offers.

Sweetie Bell jumps in. 'No wait, I'm sure Rarity wouldn't mind if Dusty would stay over at us!' she suggests.

'Are you kidding? Of course he's staying over at me! He still hasn't shown that jump yet!' Scootaloo urges.

The three fillies start to bicker over their new friend, all eager to give hospitality to their new intriguing friend that they decided to help today.

'A barn sounds fine,' Dusty simply admits. He doesn't even seem to realize that he wasn't truly asked where to be and that his friends are sort of fighting over him. 'Although I could sleep just fine in the open air," he adds confident.

'Eeyup!' Applebloom smiles victoriously. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo look defeated upon hearing Dusty's choice. But that will probably be forgotten again when they see him tomorrow again to be his guides or ghost hunters.

'Alright then,' Sweetie Bell agrees and accepts his decision with pride. 'We will see you two tomorrow then.'

'Yea, ok. But Dusty, don't forget that move, alright?!' Scootaloo urges before turning around.

Dusty Gust shrugs. A move that he invented himself is impossible to forget.

'Goodnight Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, Dusty,' they wish to each other, as they go their own respective way to home under the last bits of sunlight that shine from the horizon.

Dusty Gust and Applebloom move on to the large orchard. Passing along the many appletrees that grow. By the time they've reached the buildings, the sun has already sunk away and made space for the rising moon.

'Let me show you around!' Applebloom offers as they have arrived at Sweet Apple Acres.

Several barrels, filled with apples, have already been moved in and around the barn. Applejack seems to have worked her flank off as usual. Considering that they missed dinner, Applebloom grabs two apples from a barrel and offers Dusty one.

'Hungry?' Applebloom asks.

Without question, he eagerly accepts it and takes a bite, followed by the delicious taste of apple on his tongue. He never even knew that apples could taste this good when they are fresh from the tree.

'Mhm, this is good!' he remarks.

Applebloom smiles to hear it from somepony coming all the way from Canterlot. 'Eeyup. You won't find better apples than Sweet Apples.'

Dusty can't disagree, nodding at her while eating the apple. As they both eat up their apples, they move to the front door of Applebloom's house. When they arrive, she halts.

'I -eh- should probably ask Big Mac or Granny if you can stay over actually. I have a feeling that my sister, Applejack, will give me trouble rather than permission today...,' she mutters, remembering the barrel she took this afternoon which still stands at the vendor in the forest.

Dusty nods and remains outside while Applebloom sneaks through the door. He just taps his hoof, hoping to get a positive answer in a bit.

When a couple of minutes have past, Dusty hears an angry noise coming from inside. 'Applebloom, I know ye'r here somewhere! Don't take me for a foal!' he hears.

When he tries to sneak towards the door for a quick peak, he is surprised by Applebloom, who jumps outside in a hurry.

'Big Mac said it was ok! Let's go!' she hurries and pushes Dusty along with her to the other side of the building. Clearly, Applejack found out and is still mad at her. They quickly hide in an empty barrel in order to avoid Applebloom's angry sister.

When danger has passed, they have the courage to get out. 'Close one...,' the filly sighs. 'Though it's a little bit rushed, I managed to let you sleep over in the barn.'

Dusty smiles, glad to have a place to stay for the night. It may not be at the place where his brother is, but still it's very kind of somepony he just met today. 'Thanks! I 'preciate it!'

They open the large doors and walk inside. Applebloom help the colt a bit to make shape some hay into a matrass. When they're finished, Dusty feels ready to collapse and fall asleep.

'Let me just warn you: Don't walk out of the barn without me,' Applebloom suddenly tells him.'If Winona discovers total strangers on the vicinity, she doesn't take kindly to their company...'

The colt keeps it in mind. The last thing he wants is causing trouble.

'Well, goodnight Dusty! See 'ya tomorrow!' Applebloom bids farewell as she walks outside. For a filly she shows a lot of energy to be this awake still. Goes to show that Earth Ponies can take a lot more than pegasi or unicorns.

'Goodnight Applebloom,' Dusty yawns. The moment he lays his head in the spiky hay, he falls asleep.

***

Two mysterious figures approach the outer perimiter of Ponyville. Gazing from the hills under the hoods of their cloaks, they wait until the sun is completely out of sight.

The pony in brown ragged cloak sighs. 'Ponyville...'

A mare in a grey cloak moves up behind him. 'Brings any memories?' she asks.

'Memories... that's a good one,' he shrugs. 'Nevermind it. The only thing what I think about Ponyville, is that it should prepare for a "cold entrance"...'

The mare nods. 'I shall make contact tomorrow morning,' she suggests. 'What should we do with Twilight Sparkle?'

'We will keep her in the dark for the time being...,' he grunts at her. 'No doubt the townsfolk will panic soon. Our presence will be appreciate if it's known by a MINIMUM. Don't expect a "warm welcome" for any of us, understood?'

The mare nods. 'Yes...'