It had been a week since anypony in Ponyville had seen or heard from Rainbow Dash. By this point, everypony was starting to get really suspicious about the whole disappearance. A lot of ponies, including Stormflower, kept trying to convince themselves that maybe Rainbow Dash had gone off somewhere to visit somepony she hadn't seen in a long time. But many, including Applejack, knew that something was up. Each night Applejack would lean out her bedroom window and look out into the night sky, expecting to see the cyan pegasus racing across the sky in a shower of exotic colors. Where had Rainbow been racing off to that night? Something had been wrong. She knew it. She was running from something...or somepony.

It was the early morning on the day marking Stormflower's seventh day in Ponyville. She had agreed to meet Joan at the Hay and Stay Hotel for breakfast. She walked into the hotel and saw Joan sitting at a small table in the dining room. She grabbed an apple from a bowel provided by the hotel and sat down at the table.

"So how's the hotel?" she asked. "Is it nice?"

"Don't try to avoid talking about the subject that everypony's talking about," said Joan with a snarky grin.

"And that would be?"

"Rainbow Dash."

"I...I'm sure she's fine."

"It's been a week since anypony's seen or heard from her. Doesn't that sound a bit fishy to you?"

"Well-"

"It should. Why would somepony just up and leave town without leaving any type of note or telling anypony about it?"

"I...ugh...I don't know. This is definitely not like her."

"I think something's terribly wrong."

"Well what do you think has happened?"

"I...I have an idea but I really hope that I'm wrong."

"Tell me!"

"I don't want to worry you."

"Oh do stop bullshitting me and just spit it out! What do you think has happened to my sister?!"

"I think she's been ponynapped."

"Ponynapped?"

"Yeah. That would explain why she just suddenly disappeared into thin air."

"I highly doubt that Rainbow Dash would be dumb enough to get herself ponynapped."

"The ponynapper could have used a sedative of sorts. I know a little bit about stuff like this."

"Really? Have you had experience in ponynapping somepony?"

"No! Of course not! My father was a detective. He used to tell me all about the crimes he used to solve. Beatings, ponynappings, drug abuse, rapes, murders. He told me all about that stuff."

"My father was a detective too. He never told me much about the crimes he solved because I refused to talk about any of them."

"Why?"

"Well...when I was 14 my dad told me about a particular crime that he had to investigate into, this was at least ten years ago. I don't remember much about the details of the crime but I remember being absolutely disgusted. I remember asking him to never tell me anymore stories like that and he promised."

"Do you remember what type of crime it was?"

"I think it was...murder."

"Must have been a pretty gruesome one to get you spooked out like that."

"Yeah. Like I said, I don't remember the details but I'm glad that I don't."

The two ponies fell silent and Stormflower took another bite out of her apple.

"Have you mentioned Rainbow Dash's disappearance to your family?" Joan asked. Stormflower chuckled and shook her head.

"Of course not. I don't want to worry any of them," she replied.

"Didn't you say that your father's a detective? He could help look for her!"

"I said that he was a detective. He retired from that job around three years ago."

"Well that's a shame. But, anyway, you should at least tell them about what's happened."

"Joan, there's no evidence pointing to Rainbow Dash being ponynapped!"

"A good ponynapper knows how to clean up evidence."

"Ugh! Okay. I'll send them a letter. It's just that I don't see Rainbow Dash as somepony who could easily be ponynapped or...uh...never mind."

"What were you going to say?"

"Nothing!"

"I knew it! You are afraid! You're not only afraid of the possibility that she's been ponynapped! You're also afraid of the possibility that she's been murdered!"

"Don't say that! I know she's alive and well! I know she is!"

"Are you sure?"

"Are you wishing that something bad did happen to my little sister just so you can say that you were right?!"

"Of course not! I'm just looking at the facts and the possible scenarios."

"Hmm. Maybe you shouldn't be a teacher. Maybe you would be better off as a detective."

The orange stallion chuckles, stood up, and stretched his legs.

"Are you busy tonight?" he asked.

"Not really. I'm going to visit Twilight for a little bit later but after that I'm free," Stormflower replied.

"Then how about you go on a date with me?"

"Doesn't this count?"

"No."

"I don't get you. How can you go from talking about the possible ponynapping/murder of my sister to asking me out on a date?"

"I just think that, with everything that's going on, you need a little bit of fun."

"Okay. What time? What place?"

"Edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Seven o'clock."

"Alright then."

Joan smiled and walked out of the room. Stormflower finished eating her apple, chucked the core into a nearby wastebasket, and calmly left the hotel.

Pinkie Pie watched the Hay and Stay Hotel from a distance as Stormflower walked out. She scowled a bit at the pink pegasus and hid away in a nearby alleyway. Things were not going according to plan. Nopony ever seemed to focus on the missing ponies for too long. Stormflower didn't seem to be the problem. She looked content with coming up with a simple scenario to explain Dashie's disappearance. The problem was Joan, sadly. He was feeding thoughts to Stormflower's brain. He was making her examine this disappearance to little too closely. Too close for Pinkie's liking. Joan didn't have a number like the other ponies and creatures in Ponyville. He and Stormflower were the only ponies in the town who were somewhat safe from the possibility of Pinkie killing them. But, if time called for it, she would have to kill them. She couldn't be found out. There were too many ponies to play with. Too many cupcakes to make. Pinkie gave a dark smile and walked deeper into the alleyway.

"Yes," she breathed. "If time calls for it then Stormflower and Joan shall die."