I swear that we'll never sleep at a cheap hotel ever again. Rainbow Dash bitterly thought to herself, stretching out her limps as she and Applejack exit out the hotel.
It was rather surreal to see Manehattan with less ponies than usual. Rainbow knows it's 6 o' clock in the morning (which is much more earlier than what she usually wakes up to, but Applejack forced her out of bed), but Manehattan always look like it should be full of ponies 24/7. Still, it's kind of refreshing to see this place like this.
"First, we'll get some breakfast, then we'll look for the friendship problem." Applejack said, looking around the area for a cafe.
"Good idea." Dash yawned, wishing this whole cutie map situation would be over already.
The two finally decided to stop at this somewhat crowded cafe for breakfast, though the farm pony was a bit disappointed in the prices.
"Five bits for a muffin." Applejack grumbled under her breathe, watching her pegasus friend eat one with blueberries.
"Hey, I bet that's a deal here." Rainbow said. "You're just angry that you only got a piece of toast with strawberry jam on it because they ran out of apple jam."
"Which was three bits."
"Lighten up! You were the one who made us go out so early."
"I'm sorry." The orange pony said as her hooves grab the edge of her hat. "It's just that this is the first time that we've to stay overnight for a friendship problem. Are we just doing something wrong?"
"What about our very first mission with the others?"
"We didn't really had a choice in that."
"Anyway, I don't think we should worry about that. Maybe the others are having a hard time on the problem too."
Applejack's green eyes darted towards the front door when she noticed a red pegasus entering the place. Rainbow noticed her too which Apple Spices shouted, "Hey! Where's my order?!"
When the angry-looking server gave the red pegasus her order of baguettes and breakfast sandwiches, Rainbow said, "What are you doing here?"
Spices's eyes widen for a moment when she noticed the two, but said, "Just getting a couple of things for my family. No big deal."
The orange mare look at the red one's teal saddlebags, seeing they were quite stuffed.
Never expect her to be the family-caring type. I kind of pictured as sort of a 'bad girl' type. Applejack thought.
"Anyway, since you're here, I just want to tell you that Music Drop and I were thinking about going on a bit of a vacation." Apple Spices said. "We were kind of inspired by you to go to Canterlot and Ponyville."
"Really?" Rainbow said, as Applejack suddenly felt the cogs in her head turning in her head, eating her toast.
"Yeah. Going to Ponyville first since it's smaller for-" The red pegasus shook her head. "Anyway, I'm going to tell my folks that we're going to be gone for a while. Hey, maybe we can see each other on the train if you already solved that important problem."
As the red pegasus left, Rainbow Dash said to the apple mare, "You were pretty quiet through that. Thought you might say something about the fact they're going to Ponyville first."
"Maybe we should go back." Applejack said.
"What?" Rainbow said, taken back by that.
"We should go back to Ponyville."
"I know what you mean, but why? Why are we suddenly giving up on this?!"
"We're not! I just have an idea. So, come on, let's go."
In the streets of Canterlot, Rarity can't help but to feel a bit guilty about what happened last night at Tea Cake's home and how she was able to get some personal information on her.
But she was willing to talk about it so I shouldn't be feeling that guilty about it. We didn't force out of her. Rarity thought to herself.
"Maybe we should go back to Ponyville." Fluttershy suddenly said to her.
"What?!" Rarity exclaimed, shocked by what the pegasus just said.
Nearby ponies glanced at them, maybe even glaring, slightly jumpy because Rarity's sudden outburst.
"I don't mean that we give up. I'm trying to say that maybe we should go back to Ponyville so we could check on the map." Fluttershy said. "I would hate to admit it, but we didn't really made any progress here."
Rarity quietly groaned at the idea, but she knows that Fluttershy is absolutely right about this. They haven't solve, or even found a friendship problem even after staying here overnight, but Rarity would hate to just go back home to tell Twilight that they couldn't do anything.
"Fluttershy, you're right." Rarity admitted. "Should we go to the train station right now?"
"Ye- Eep!" The yellow pegasus squeaked when somepony bumped into her.
"I'm so sorry." came from a very familiar voice.
"Miss Tea Cake?" Rarity quietly gasp, a little surprised that they suddenly meet the yellow unicorn again.
"Rarity, Fluttershy, it's nice to see you again." Tea Cake said, adjusting her white saddlebags with her magic.
"Um... Yeah." Fluttershy said quietly.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I must go to the train station and deliver two of White Jasmine's rare tea boxes to Ponyville. I don't understand why the costumer wants it to be delivered by hoof, but we can't really complain about that right now."
Rarity's ears perked at the familiar name. "Ponyville? You're going to Ponyville?"
"Yes, is it that odd?" Tea ask.
"No, it's just that Fluttershy and I were going back there too."
"Really? Did you find your friendship problem already?"
"...No." Fluttershy hesitated at first. "We were just going back to Ponyville to check if the map changed or something like that."
"Ah." Tea Cake look at the direction of the train station. "Well, I'm still grateful that we could talk more before we part ways."
As the three walk towards the station, Rarity smiled, but thought to herself, Is this really happening? Could she really be involved in all of this?
Back in Ponyville, throughout the search for the friendship problem, Twilight did ask Time Guard about her while Pinkie tried to introduce the new guard to everypony in town. Time was quite obedient, answering all of her questions without much hesitation.
"Did you made any friends when you lived here?"
"No."
"How about those cities you've lived in before?"
"No."
"During training?"
"No."
"How did you get your cutie mark?"
"I've saved a cat from getting hit by a runaway chariot."
"So you have a talent for guarding and protecting everypony?"
"Why else would I have joined the royal guards?"
"Good point."
This isn't going anywhere. Twilight thought, feeling a bit disappointed in herself. Ugh, how am I even sure that she has a problem? It could be all in my head!
One of the things she hates about these friendship problems, besides the unhelpful ponies, is that they tend to doubt about them. Some are rather obvious, like Twilight's and Fluttershy's first problem together, and others are rather difficult to find. Sadly, it's the latter for the six of them.
Twilight felt a pat on her back as Pinkie said, "Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure the friendship problem will ker-blam us between the eyes very soon." How the pink pony still stays positive after all of this is beyond me.
Twilight slightly smiled at the pink pony's words, but she can't help this feeling of Time Guard have to involve in this problem somehow. It's too much of coincidence that she came along on the same day they've gotten the mission from the map, but how is her new guard involved in all of this?
Since she've said that she've never really made any friends, even during her training. Twilight thought, but finally realized something. Of course! If we got Time Guard to make some friends, then we might be able to solve this friendship problem. And one of the greatest places to make friends is at a party.
"Pinkie, we've never really had a party for Time Guard, did we?" Twilight whisper to the pink pony.
The pink pony let out a loud gasp. Jumping into the air, and said, "What kind of party planner am I?! I got to go!"
With that, Pinkie Pie disappeared, leaving behind the two purple ponies.
"Should I be worry about that?" Time Guard ask.
"What? Of course not." Twilight said, waving her hoof at her. "Anyway, we should continue on that search."
The guard nodded, following behind the purple princess.