Rainbow Dash lounged on a cloud, basking in the moon and all of its glory. She was the slightest bit happy, but a lot happier than she has been more recently. It started a month ago, when Twilight moved out of the library and into Canterlot Castle. It hadn't quite been the same in Ponyville without Twi.

Not a week after that, Pinkie became suicidal after taking a few pills too many of her blood sugar control. She was stuck in the hospital for a week after she nearly died of overdosing. Pinkie, ever since, has insisted on being called Pinkamena. She's always locked in the SCC basement, probably planning another suicide that will fail.

A day after Pinkie was hospitalized, Rarity went insane as well. She has lost all signs of sanity, and never leaves her boutique. From what Rainbow was told, Rarity now idolizes Pinkamena and calls herself 'Mommy'.

Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow have yet to crack, but Rainbow has seen a large reduce of animals under Fluttershy's care. Flutters always says the same thing, "The timberwolves must've have gotten to them...", but she doesn't say it with sincere concern. RD can tell by looking at a pony's eyes. She has seen enough of Pinkamena to know what insanity and brutality look like within just the eyes.

"What happened around here...?" Rainbow asked herself, yawning. "Maybe if Twi wouldn't have left, everything would be the same. Pinkie and Rarity wouldn't have gone insane, and Fluttershy wouldn't be acting so shady about her missing animals..." The pegasus yawned, her eyes beginning to weigh down. Before she knew it, she was asleep, away to the world of dreams...

Rainbow's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sun raising above the horizon. She tried to roll back over and get more sleep, but the glare of the sun seemed to shoot right through her eyelids. The cyan pegasus groaned and stood up weakly. "For Celestia's sake, how about 5 more minutes?" She barked.

"Rainbow...?" Came a soft voice from the sky behind her. It was Fluttershy, who held a newspaper.

"What?" Rainbow asked as the cream pegasus flew over, giving the paper to the cyan mare. "This? What is it?"

"AppleJack's gone missing..." Fluttershy spoke suddenly, like a spoiler alert giving no purpose to reading the paper, but Rainbow read the black and white text.

AppleJack, local Ponyville farmer, was reported missing last night by police. Big Macintosh, the brother of AppleJack, chose not to be interviewed. The police received a call at 1:20 A.M. from Big Macintosh, who spoke frantically to the operater. Police continue investagation on the case. If you have any evidence, please call the local P.V.P.D. station.

Rainbow Dash read the short article many times over, jaw slacked in disbelief. How could a missing report for a freaking Element of Harmony be so short?! The mare yelled in her head. She loosened her death grip on the paper and passed it back over to Fluttershy. "Do you know who did it?" Rainbow questioned, afraid of the answer she would get.

"I'd be assuming Pinkie or Rarity..." The cream pegasus shrugged lightly, landing on the cloud next to Rainbow.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Flutter? Come on!" RD yelled panickedly and grabbed Fluttershy's hoof, bursting off towards SugarCube Corner. If there would be one prime suspect... it had to be Pinkie...

"I swear Rainbow, I don't know where AppleJack is!" The flat-maned mare pleaded, but with a blank expression.

"Oh yeah? Then I guess you wouldn't mind if we check in the basement?" Rainbow pointed to a large stone door.

Pinkie gulped at the suggestion, but slowly nodded, "S-sure..."

"I think I may stay up here..." Fluttershy whispered.

"Okay, good idea." Rainbow nodded, grabbing Pinkie and running to the basement, swinging the door open. "So, are you SUUUURE you want me to search this?" Rainbow asked rhetorically. Dash let go of Pinkie and began to walk down the stairs.

THUNK! Pinkie grabbed Rainbow and threw her down the cold concrete stairs. Rainbow, not given enough time to react, tumbled down and hit the metal floor. "Pinkie, what the hay?!" Rainbow yelled, immobile from the sudden rush of pain. Pinkie immediately ran down and began to drag Rainbow into the middle of the room. Before Pinkie could stop dragging the pegasus, Rainbow blacked out.

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry and distorted. It took a minute, but she adjusted her sight and looked around. She winced at pain that still remained, most likely a concussion. The basement was still empty, everything the exact same. Just emptiness. Rainbow stood painfully, limping to the stairs and using the splintery wooden rail as support as she climbed up. When she looked around SCC, nopony was around and it was pitch black outside. She looked at the clock tower a mile or two away. 1:20 A.M... the time AJ went missing. She rushed to the windows, looking across the empty town. Humming came from the boutique nearby. Rainbow opened the window and slowly hovered above Carousel Boutique, using a cloud to hide.

A pony with a ski mask, black suit, and gray bodysuit dragged a seemingly heavy trashbag into the boutique. The shady pony looked up, somehow noticing Rainbow. The pony shot through the cloud... then Rainbow woke up...

She sat up at lightning speed, breathing heavily. She looked herself over, noticing everything was normal, and calmed down. She gulped and stood up, not hurting anymore. What a relief. Not just the pain being gone, but now Rainbow could have a possible lead on where AJ went. She sweated bullets of terror, still from the strange dream, attempting to piece together what it would mean.

The mare boomed through the glass doors of the SCC and raced toward the boutique, refusing to let herself slow down. "I've got you now..." Rainbow said, her voice crackling.