[A/N I'm sorry to have an author's note here, but just as fair warning. There will be editing after this when I finally get feedback from Ponychan/EqD, and there's a small chance that substantial changes will happen, but I don't think they will. But! It's been sitting here long enough on my computer. Here you go! If I can't get on EqD this time around, I think I'm going to go ahead and give up on getting this story in and write/post without watiing on them. As always, comment, comment, comment!]

Ponyville was calm when they returned, seemed a little strange to Twilight at first. As she and Fluttershy entered town, she began to see why, however: ponies were together in clumps, three or four usually, mostly in the center of town. They held their heads together, fearfully whispering. Those few who were on the roads wandering aimlessly as Twilight passed shuffled by as if they hadn’t even seen her, making no effort to avoid collision at all.

The two ponies were back at what remained of Sugarcube in a moment. At the edge of the hole, but at a respectable distance away, sat Rarity, Spike, and Cheerilee. Pinkie came to life as she caught sight of them. “Oh, Twilight, Fluttershy! Does this mean I can leave? It’s so boring here! I only have enough room to turn around if I’m really careful and there’s certainly no room to run or throw parties or lie down well.” She began jumping as she spoke, but the pink pony stumbled slightly. Twilight’s warning stuck in her throat as Pinkie righted herself and stopped her excited bouncing.

“Pinkie,” she began, “I’m going to send Fluttershy over in a few minutes. When she’s carrying you, try to be as still as possible.” That Pinkie should be still when being carried went without saying, but Twilight’s pedagogical nature was beginning to show. Nervous explanations and mini-lectures were better than nervous silence.

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie called, perhaps louder than was necessary, and carefully sat down.

Twilight turned back to Fluttershy, who was staring into the blackness before her with wide eyes, her wings clamped to her sides. “So…wide…”

Twilight sighed. “I know it is. I don’t know how to find Rainbow Dash on my own, and if the sky is how you describe it, I’m not sure it would be much safer for you to look for her.” The shy Pegasus didn’t respond right away, simply staring on into the Void.

Fluttershy had tried flying at one point, trying to see how far the damage was spread, when she’d narrowly avoided a trap in the clouds. In the sky, many of the voids attracted clouds slowly to them, and these clouds made it difficult to locate where a Void was lying in wait. Fluttershy had been about to land on the cloud in question when she saw the tell-tale blackness dimly underneath the thin veneer and pulled up.

Which meant that Rainbow was probably having to navigate between clouds herself. The summer storm two days ago had left plenty of scattered clouds. How would the reckless Pegasus know where traps were waiting for an unsuspecting pony? Fluttershy had watched, horrified, as a bird was sucked into such a cloud before she could warn it.

“Fluttershy, the pull of the voids isn’t as strong down here, on solid ground. We need your help. Pinkie needs her friend’s help.” Twilight grimaced at her obviously terrified friend. Perhaps if she wrote the Princess, asked her to send some of her royal guard out to find their fast-flying friend…

“How long? To get across, I mean,” Fluttershy suddenly asked softly.

Surprised by the question, Twilight had to think about it. As she was calculating, Rarity answered for her. “Darling, if you go fast, it shan’t be faster than three breaths’ time. Count to ten perhaps, and that’s all it will take!” Twilight was about to interject that it would no doubt take slightly longer than this, considering the seconds required to secure a good hold on Pinkie Pie, but at the new light in Fluttershy’s eyes, she let her comment die.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. I wish I knew what was going on behind those eyes. It was the same steely determination that she’d seen in action once before when Rarity and Pinkie were dangling from a rope attached to Rainbow Dash. [i[]But she’s still scared, I can tell. I can see it in her eyes and in how she stands. Her wings are still clamped to her sides like she glued them there. Twilight began second-guessing herself. Was this really the right choice? The Princess had been very clear that she must gather her friends, but she’d been so vague. I’m assuming that we’re needed urgently, and that it’s best if we are all together and in the same place as soon as physically possible. If I waited on Rainbow… Fluttershy wouldn’t be going anywhere, after all. She could write the Princess a letter asking for help and then they could wait for Rainbow to appear or not appear. Even if they waited for hours, that would still leave plenty of time to rescue Pinkie Pie from her island and collect Applejack from her farm. But what if these Voids did grow? She had no way of knowing they wouldn’t swallow up Pinkie before Rainbow Dash could arrive.

The suction of the cloud-hidden Voids bothered her. She hadn’t sensed anything like that on the ground, but her hooves were also on terra firma. Perhaps the solid ground beneath her made it easier to resist the effects and the pull was so tiny she hadn’t noticed…

So lost in thought, she didn’t hear a thing before turning to Fluttershy to ask her opinion on whether they should wait or not. Her friend was gone, and a surprised Twilight looked all around for Fluttershy. Rarity was calling to the Pegasus, who was now poised with wings open and trembling legs a bit behind Twilight. “Oh, do be careful!”

Before Twilight could say a word, Fluttershy had ten a few steps and was in the air. Her progress across the gap was good, if perhaps too fast. Twilight could detect a slight nervous, excited shiver in the flying pony’s legs. Pinkie, beyond ready to escape, sat up and eagerly waved and held two hooves up.

“Oh, oh, almost here!” she cried.

Fluttershy was above Pinkie and Twilight noticed she was holding her breath. Her heart beat furiously as if it was about to beat its way right through the walls of her chest. Time suddenly seemed strange. How long had Fluttershy been flying? It felt like forever, but she was sure it had only been a matter of seconds. As her friend hovered over Pinkie and tried to secure a good hold on her, Twilight fidgeted. Fluttershy can do this, Twilight. She’s gotten so much better at flying since you first met her! She’ll be fine. She’ll be fine and Pinkie will be fine.

Up into the air the two ponies at the center of the Void rose, and Twilight felt rooted, unable to move from her spot beside Cheerilee. “Y-You’re doing great, Fluttershy! Just a bit more!” she called.

Rarity let out a short, shrill scream as Pinkie slipped halfway over the Void, Fluttershy’s grip weakening. “I can’t… I can’t!” the Pegasus cried, panicking. Twilight’s mind raced: she couldn’t use magic this close or through the void and Fluttershy was losing her grip on their friend. How to fix this?

Fluttershy slowed, and Twilight began to shout, hoping the noise would snap her out of her panicking. “Fluttershy! Keep going!” The Pegasus obeyed, but she was losing Pinkie fast. Pinkie tried to hold on as best she could, but her efforts just caused Fluttershy to sink slightly and the two stalled over the abyss. Despite all of her frantic fluttering, Fluttershy made no forward progress at all. Cheerilee groaned and Rarity began to chatter, begging Fluttershy to try harder.

“Fluttershy, boost Pinkie towards us. You’re close enough, I promise! Pinkie, push off!”

The two ponies in question looked at each other as they slowly began to sink down and nodded. Fluttershy and Pinkie moved as one, sending the Earth Pony sailing through the air towards the green grass. She landed and laid there for a moment, breathing heavily. Fluttershy landed beside her and then their friends were there, weeping and hugging and relieved.

The pegasus looked miserable. “I’m so sorry. I thought if I moved quickly, it would be over before I got scared…” She hid behind her long mane. Pinkie was quick to hug her. “If I hadn’t moved, you might’ve been able to make it. I messed you up too, you know!”

“Besides,” Cheerilee interjected, “You were so brave! Pinkie Pie is safe and sound.”

“All’s well that ends well,” Twilight added, letting the breath she’d been holding go at last.

The ponies and Spike, who walked alongside Rarity, headed back to the library to rest and wait. As they walked, Twilight spoke to her friends to help herself think and bounce ideas off of them. “I’m in way over my head here. I’ve never read of anything remotely like this. The Princess wants me to gather the Elements of Harmony, so I assume she has a plan. But she hasn’t told me.”

“Why not ask?” Pinkie asked. While not quite sad, her voice wasn’t quite as exuberant as usual. Twilight supposed it was to be expected, with the narrowly avoided disaster and the state of her home and favorite place in the world.

“I suppose I will, Pinkie. It couldn’t hurt. I was thinking more about Rainbow Dash, and how to get her to us.” She explained quickly about the void-filled skies. “She’s not that far away from Ponyville, so her absence worries me.” No pony had an answer as they entered the library. Cheerilee stayed slightly apart, thinking. Rarity and Spike followed Twilight to her writing stand and sat behind her as she set her magic to writing a letter to the Princess. Pinkie Pie, still possessed of her boundless energy and unable to sit still, wandered around the main room.

Twilight thought through her letter, relating everything that had happened since she woke up and asking if perhaps Celestia knew how she might locate the curiously absent Rainbow Dash. When she came to asking what the Princess knew about the nature of the threat, she stopped writing and looked at the wall as she pondered how to word the next sentence.

When it was ready, she sighed and rolled the scroll up and sealed it with her magic. Spike rose and held out his hand for it. “The Princess will know what to do, won’t she, Twilight?”

“I hope so, Spike.”

Cheerilee left after a while, and Twilight watched her go with sadness. The schoolmare was still haunted by Scootaloo’s disappearance, she knew. She could see that strange, distant look in her eye, as if she was really elsewhere. A student, especially one as memorable as Scootaloo, simply gone in an instant? That would hit anypony hard.

While she’d wanted to go and find Applejack immediately, something told her that it might be wiser to wait on a reply from Princess Celestia. Twilight was determined to learn something about this mess before she left her home again. She was tired of dealing with unknown variables.

The letter itself took some time to come, but it did eventually arrive. Twilight grinned despite herself. Princess Celestia would explain everything! She was sure the letter would be informative and thorough and reassuring. No sooner had it touched the floor than her magic had scooped it up and unfurled it. Twilight read eagerly.

Twilight,

I’m glad to hear you’re safe. As the shadows grow smaller with the coming of noon, I’ve found reprieve to write you a quick response.

Rainbow Dash is safe. After some difficulty, I’ve discovered that she is with your friend Applejack. I suggest you bring them and the other farming ponies in as quickly as possible. Ponyville has been lucky so far, but as noontime becomes more distant, I have no doubt the Nightmares will be on you. Keep everyone inside and make sure people are in groups. Don’t all stay together. Spread their forces across the town, but make sure you all have ample company.
Be safe. They’re coming.

Twilight was not only confused, but even more worried than before. This letter was not at all what she’d been expecting. That her teacher had completely ignored her question about the nature and origin of the cracks in reality’s very fabric worried Twilight. Not even a, “I’m not sure yet”. Princess Celestia had completely dodged the question. That either means that she doesn’t know, or that she doesn’t want to tell me or worry me. It was, of course, possible that she’d been more concerned with her warning and simply forgotten to answer the question, but Twilight doubted that.

She quickly enlightened her friends as to the missive’s contents and levitated the scroll over to Spike, who caught it and held it firmly. “I’m going to get Applejack and Dash and be right back. Could you ponies try to tell the rest of town about this? See if you can find the mayor, because she should be able to help get people organized.”

The others agreed tacitly, and Twilight sighed. “I’ll be back. It’s going to be okay.” She left, feeling the melancholy she knew they were feeling. How in Celestia’s name were they supposed to be safe if they didn’t know what was coming? Nightmares were all that Celestia had mentioned. Nightmares of what?

Twilight made as good time as she could, galloping towards Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres. Here, as had been the case on the road towards the Evergreen forest, the Void branched out randomly as if it was searching for something. Like roots looking for water.
 

She was glad that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were safe. Though she’d never said so, she had begun to worry that perhaps Dash’s cloud house had been swallowed up as she slept. Like Scoo- She didn’t want to think about the other house that had been swallowed up. She wasn’t going to think about it.

It would be good to have Applejack back. She could handle adversity better than Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy could. Applejack’s rugged honesty and Dash’s energy and brashness would be a welcome change of pace. Anything besides the quiet gloom that had settled over the three ponies and Spike in the library would help morale immensely.

As she got closer, apple trees flanked her on either side. The outlying orchards and fields belonging to the Apple family and their fellow farmers and their tenants stretched far, all radiating out from the Apple family’s home. She picked up her pace, eager to see her friends again and know without a doubt that they were safe and sound.

There was the gate up ahead, the one she’d walked through what seemed like ages ago under happier circumstances. Twilight wanted her friends badly, suddenly feeling awfully alone. She picked up the pace, thankful that the stretch of road between her and the gate was free of the Void.

No one greeted her at the gate. She slowed and stood right inside the fence, looking around for signs of life. The house itself seemed to be in one piece, which was promising, but didn’t completely calm her. The Apple family were farmers, and so she knew that when the disaster began they would’ve been out working. Twilight trotted forwards, still looking in every direction for her friends or Applejack’s family. “Is anypony here?” she called out, hoping there was no Void between her and her quarries.

She was at the front door of the house after a moment of strange silence. Apprehensive, she knocked on the door. “Hello? Anypony?”

“Twi?”

Her heart leapt. Excitedly, she called back. “Applejack, is that you?” the voice was quiet and muffled, as if her friend was upstairs.

“No, it’s Applebloom,” called the now identified voice. She heard the filly behind the door working the locks as best she could and then the way was open to reveal Applebloom and… Scootaloo.

“…And yah say we all gotta head in tah town, then? Why, I’m not quite sure I like you’re proposition there, sugarcube,” Applejack said after taking it all in, stretching the word “proposition” farther than Twilight had thought possible.
“I know you don’t want to abandon your farm, Applejack, but the Princess was very specific that the farmers wouldn’t be safe outside of Ponyville. If it helps, you can return in the morning.” She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, “It’s not like it’s going anywhere.”

“Now, yah know I didn’t mean tah say I was gonna dig in my hooves when I ain’t got a good reason to, Twi. I just don’t like it, leavin’. It’s my home… but, we might as well get a move on if we’re gonna get there.” She turned and spoke to her sister who sat on the other side of the living room with a curiously on-looking Scootaloo and to Big Macintosh, who had just walked back in. “Y’all saddle up, get together some supplies, everythin’ y’all are gonna need for a stay with the ponyfolks in town.”

Twilight watched Applebloom take Scootaloo along with her as the fillies headed out of the room. The shock of seeing the little Pegasus alive had almost given her a heart attack. She’d almost forgotten to be happy, and… She was ashamed to admit it, but she blamed Spike for her first words on registering the filly’s identity. “Zom-pony!”

The story had come out after a little bit of prompting, the two fillies interrupting each other to tell it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had all planned to stay the night on the farm, looking for things to try in their attempts to gain their ever elusive cutie marks, but Sweetie Bell had taken sick, leaving the CMC one member short. Scootaloo… today has been a day of luck, at least as far as the people I know and love are concerned. Absent at exactly the right time and parents away visiting a sick relative in Manehatten, both exactly at the same time. She looked forward to giving Cheerilee the good news.

“Now, Twi, we ain’t gonna be but a moment. Rainbow was doin’ me a favor, flyin’ low over the far fields to get a good luck at the damage. She’ll be back any minute now and we can head out. From what ya tell me, sugar, you could use some rest. Just wait here, I’ll be back before you can blink twice!”

With that, she left Twilight sitting on the couch, sighing. Applejack was right: she was tired. She had galloped hard. It was more than just the ache in her legs that weighed on her. Ponyville, the place she called home, was wounded. The ground had been swallowed up, the buildings had been swallowed up, some of the ponies had been swallowed up. In the blink of an eye, before she had even been awake, a disaster had come for the little hamlet she loved. The summery, rustic peace of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres and the outlying country had never seemed fragile to her before now. She closed her eyes and laid on the couch, thinking, wondering. Will things ever go back to how they were?

Celestia will know what’s wrong. She can fix this, or she can show me how to, I know she can.

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