Twilight Sparkle slept soundly, her head sunken comfortably into her pillow. The dappled, early-morning sunlight shimmered through the windows and made her lavender hide glow.

Slowly, the young mare opened her eyes. She yawned and stretched. Walking over to the window, she peered outside. "What a beautiful morning," she murmured, gazing out at the quaint, calm scene, "Not even the likes of Discord could ruin this day."

Twilight turned to her companion, Spike. She was hoping that the eager baby dragon would help her make breakfast.

But she stopped as soon as she heard his snoring. "Oh, yes, Rarity," Spike murmured in his sleep, "I would like to call him 'Spike, Jr.'"

Twilight cracked a tiny smile. No matter how strange, or maybe even impossible, it seemed, the young reptile had developed a huge crush on the indigo-maned unicorn the moment he laid eyes on her. Twilight decided to let him enjoy his starry-eyed dream.

With a casual stride, Twilight made her way to the door. Using her signature magic, she opened it up and stepped outside.

Her peaceful morning was unexpectedly broken by a cry echoing towards her.

"Twilight! Twilight Sparkle!"

The purplish unicorn only had the chance to see a pale streak bolting towards her before she was knocked to the ground.

She shook her head, trying to stop the world rattling in her head, and laid eyes on the pony who tackled her. "R-Rarity?" she stuttered, stunned by the dainty mare's strength, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Twilight, it was horrible," Rarity bawled, "Absolutely horrible!"

Twilight started to rise to her hooves. "What was-?"

"I simply couldn't imagine anything so dreadful!" Rarity went on, ignoring Twilight, "You agree, don't you?"

"Uh, well, I would if you tell me what's wrong," Twilight replied bluntly.

"Of course, of course…just give me a few moments to get my composure back…" Rarity took a few deep breaths, and then continued, "Well, I woke up in my nice, warm bed as I do every day. My stomach craved breakfast, so I went towards the kitchen. I grabbed a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of tea and sat down at the table. I then remembered that I had to wake Opal up. A lady of her persona simply devours her beauty sleep, and isn't too quick to let go of it. Anyway, when I went to the pillow she sleeps on, she was gone!"

Twilight blinked. "Is that all?" she asked, chuckling slightly.

"What do you mean, 'is that all'?"

"She's a cat," the intelligent unicorn replied matter-of-factly, "I read about feline behavior in a book. It says that cats tend to roam around their territory, and don't always stay in the same place."

"But Opal never leaves the house!" Rarity insisted, her voice growing hysterical, "She can't stand to get her paws dirty. Oh, Twilight, what if I never see my beloved Opalescence again? What if it's my fault she's gone? I'll never forgive myself!"

Twilight placed her hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Rarity, pull yourself together. This isn't the end of the world."

"Yes, it is!"

"Well…well don't worry. I'll help you find her."

Rarity sniffed. "Would you really do that?" She sounded like a filly that had skinned her knee.

"Of course," Twilight replied, "Haven't you heard the saying, 'a friend in need is a friend indeed'?"

Rarity smiled. "Oh, Twilight Sparkle…you're such a dear. And I thought I represented the Element of Generosity."

"Well, I assume we should check your house first."

"But I already searched it top-to-bottom," Rarity replied, confused, "Why search again?"

Twilight winked. "You know what I always say; it never hurts to triple-check."

/)^3^(\

Twilight walked along the paths through Ponyville towards Carousel Boutique, the shop's owner matching her stride.

Once again, Twilight felt something strike her. Rarity jumped back with surprise as the purple mare fell on her face.

"Ow!"

Twilight wriggled her head so she could see who lunged at her. She glimpsed cyan wings and a multicolored mane.

"Rainbow Dash, you brute!" Rarity scolded, "Look what you've done to poor Twilight!"

The tomboyish pegasus sprung up. "Sorry, Twilight," she apologized in a rushed voice, "but I'm freaking out! I've robbed!"

"You too?" Rarity asked.

"You better believe it!" Rainbow Dash replied, "But wait…you've been robbed, too?"

"Oh, it's just terrible…" Rarity started to retain her melodramatic grief, "My beloved Opalescence has disappeared. She never leaves the house, and I'm afraid somepony might be responsible."

"'Opalescence'?" Rainbow Dash echoed, "You mean that prissy little ball of fur and claws you call a pet?"

"How dare you?" Rarity gasped, "She is not a 'prissy little ball of fur and claws'! She is a Persian of the highest pedigree, and should be referred to as such!"

"Whatever," Rainbow Dash muttered indignantly, "A cat's a cat."

"Er, Rainbow Dash," Twilight broke in, hoping to relieve her friends of the growing tension, "What happened to you?"

"I told you, I've been robbed!"

"I mean, what went missing?"

"Oh, right," Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, "Well, it all began about a year ago-"

"You're kidding me," Rarity interrupted, "Are you saying you've been robbed for a year?"

Rainbow Dash glared at Rarity. "I'm getting to today!" Looking back at Twilight, she continued, "Anyway, a year ago, I went to a Pegasus Athletics convention. There, I competed in a race. Obviously, I won. But the best part was the prize: an entire action figure set of the Wonderbolts! And they wouldn't even be put on shelves until half a year later! And not only that, but the stand you were to put them on were autographed by the Wonderbolts themselves!" Rainbow Dash's rosy eyes grew dreamy as she pictured her heroes.

"Go on," Twilight prompted.

Rainbow Dash snapped back to the present. "Oh! Y-Yeah. So, anyway, I promised to guard those figures with my life. Even to this day, I go down to check on 'em; to, you know, make sure their clean and everything."

"Well, well, well," Rarity mused, "Responsibility. Exploring new grounds, aren't we, Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus flashed a looked at Rarity, but still continued. "So, this morning, I went to check on 'em, and-"

"They were all missing?" Twilight figured.

"No, they were all there…except the Soarin' one!"

Twilight and Rarity exchanged a glance.

"How can't you realize how big this is?" Rainbow Dash demanded, reading their body language, "Do you even know who Soarin' is?"

"I'm not much of the athletic type."

"I'm pretty sure he's a highly-talented Wonderbolt…"

"That's an understatement, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash yelled, "He's the most talented Wonderbolt in the history of Equestria! Out of all the Wonderbolts, he's the most awesome! And the figure of him is gone!"

"Uh, okay…okay," Twilight tried her best to comfort the athletic pegasus, "I'll you once I help Rarity find Opal. I'll have to cast another walk-on-clouds spell, but I'll still help."

Rainbow Dash's eyes shone with gratitude. "Thanks, Twilight. So who do you think did it? Maybe it was those three featherheads that'd always pushed me around when I was a filly? Or maybe…maybe it was Gilda revenging on me after I 'betrayed' her 'friendship'? Well, whoever they are, I can't wait to get my hooves on them!"

"Violence isn't always the answer, you know," Rarity put in.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash muttered, "but still…" her body jerked with an idea. "That's it! Pinkie Pie came to my place yesterday using a bunch of balloons. She might have an idea on who stole the Soarin' figure."

Twilight nodded. "Okay, then, Rainbow. Sorry, Rarity, if we don't get to the boutique later than you hoped," she apologized to her fellow unicorn, "But we'll need all the help we can get. You know how Pinkie Pie senses things."

"Yes, yes," Rarity replied, "Pinkie can be a huge help when she need to be. I suppose we could take a detour. For Rainbow Dash's sake."

"Then, it's off to Sugarcube Corner!"

/)^3^(\

Twilight knocked on the door of Sugarcube Corner. She expected to be welcomed by a hyperactive earth pony with a magenta mane, but no one came. She knocked again. "Pinkie! Pinkie Pie!" she called.

Rainbow Dash stepped up to the door and knocked, too. "Yo, Pink! It's Rainbow Dash! You in there?"

Still no answer.

"That's it!" Rainbow Dash huffed, "The goon that stole from Rarity and me might be in there hurting Pinkie Pie! I'm going in."

"Rainbow Dash-"

The stubborn pegasus swung the door open, instantly searching for the pink pony.

"Isn't she overreacting a little?" Rarity muttered.

"Well, we might as well help her," Twilight replied.

After Twilight and Rarity calmly looking for Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash growing frantic, they reached the back door. They opened it up and were greeted by hysterical wailing.

"Why? Why? Why?"

Stepping outside, they spotted Pinkie Pie's large, inflatable swimming pool. And having what looked like an emotional breakdown was Pinkie Pie herself, floating on what looked like a combination of a rubber ducky and an inner tube.

"Uh, Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash prompted, "You okay?"

The earth pony's head instantly shot up. "Gummy?" she rasped hopefully, "Gummy, is that you? Have you come back to Mommy?" Her hair was unusually strait, and her once-vibrant coat seemed diluted.

Rainbow Dash stepped forward. "Pinkie Pie-"

"Oh, Gummy, it is you!" Pinkie Pie beamed, "Come here, you adorable little alligator! You gave Mommy such a scare."

"Pinkie Pie, it's me, Rainbow Dash!" the pegasus yelled.

"R…Rainbow Dash…?" Pinkie Pie sounded like it was first time she had heard that name.

"Yeah. Twilight and Rarity are with me."

"Twilight…Rarity…"

"Pinkie Pie, what's up?" Twilight asked, "This isn't like you."

"What's up?" the childish pony echoed, swimming to edge of the pool, "I'll tell you what's up. It's…the curse."

"Curse?" Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Yes, Dash, yes! Curse!" Pinkie Pie cried, "I was the first victim! It sneaks in like a creepy creature of the night, and snatches every last thing you've come to love."

"You mentioned Gummy earlier," Rarity pointed out, "Has he gone missing, too?"

"Yes!" Pinkie Pie wailed, "Wait! You said 'too'. Too…Too! What've you lost?"

"My precious Opal."

"My Soarin' action figure."

"Nothing really."

"I knew it! I knew the curse would strike other ponies! The curse is real, my friends. The curse is real!" Pinkie Pie started to quiver and hyperventilate. She looked like she was about to explode.

"Pinkie Pie, calm down," Twilight murmured.

"No…No! I can't, Twilight! I can't! My little alligator is out there somewhere. Lost…cold…hungry…maybe even…maybe…Gummy!"

Raimbow Dash flew over and pulled Pinkie out of the pool. "Get it together, Pink!"

"Look, Rainbow Dash and Rarity were robbed too, but that doesn't mean that they, nor you, have been cursed."

"Says you!" Pinkie Pie snapped, "You haven't been cursed yet. You wouldn't know how it feels!" Her color seemed to get a tad grayer.

"Uh, P-Pinkie Pie, darling," Rarity ran to the earth's pony's side, "Your color, it's…re-remember to laugh."

"Laugh?" Pinkie Pie sounded appalled, "My baby is gone, and you want me to laugh?" She slunk away from the group and curled up in the fetal position. She mumbled Gummy's name while stroking her tail like a safety blanket.

"Well, this is just great," Rarity groaned.

"Getting impatient, huh?" Rainbow Dash taunted, "You just want to find your oh-so-precious cat, don't you? Didn't know you were the Element of Selfishness, Rarity."

"Not that!" Rarity snapped, "I was talking about Pinkie Pie!"

"Sure you were."

"Why you little shrew!"

"Careful. You might chip a hoof."

The two ponies clashed. Dust scattered everywhere and every once and a while a head or hoof would poke out, only to be sucked back into the fight.

Twilight stood back in horror. Two of her friends were fighting, and a third was making her question that friend's sanity. "Twilight, what have you gotten yourself into?"