The air was still at the Apple family house. The police had arrived and were inspecting the house for whatever Buttercup had told them. Buttercup was in the living room, she was frozen, and staring off into space. She knew the chief was there, she could see him, his lips were moving and saying things that Buttercup only heard in shards. Applebloom...body...quarry...fell...drowned? All those words that the chief spoke made Buttercup freeze. Her orange hair covering her eyes slightly, she felt like screaming, like crying, but she couldn't, she just looked forward in disbelief.
"Buttercup?" Shining's voice finally reached, making her sigh as she turned to face him. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" Shining asked, Buttercup just stared back, "No." Buttercup said, trembling, "Whoever you found, is not my girl, it's not Applebloom." Shining tried to speak up over Buttercup's denial, but she continued. "No, you don't understand, I talked to her, a half hour ago." Buttercup tried to explain, Shining looked back and felt sad, she was this far gone already? Buttercup walked over to the crawlspace in the living room and moved the panel. "She was, she was here, she was talking with these." Buttercup said, holding up the Hearth's Warming lights. "Talking?" Shining repeated in a deadpan, monotone voice of disbelief. Buttercup nodded. "One blink for yes, two for no." Buttercup explained, "and, and, then I made her this, so she could talk to me." Buttercup pointed at the wall of letters and lights. "Because she was hiding, from, that...that thing." Buttercup stammered. "The Thing that came out of the wall and chased you?" Shining asked. "Yeah." Buttercup nodded. Big Mac stepped in, "Mom, come on, please." Big Mac said, not wanting his mom's delusions to continue. "You've gotta stop this." he pleaded. "No, maybe she's, it's after her!" Buttercup said as she embraced her son. "She's in danger, we have to find her!" Buttercup shouted, turning to the chief. "What exactly was this thing?" Shining asked. "It was some kind of animal, you said?" Buttercup held her hoof to her head, "No, it was, it was tall, it wasn't pony shaped, it was.." Buttercup tried to explain, but kept stammering. "It had these, long arms, it didn't have a face." Buttercup explained. Big Mac turned away and covered his mouth, he was on the verge of tears, first his sister comes up dead, now his mother is acting delusional. "It didn't have a face?" Shining said in a slight sarcastic tone before helping Buttercup over to the couch to sit her down.
"Buttercup, listen to me, After Flurryheart..." Shining started, getting a sad look from Buttercup, who remembered the tragic events of Shining's daughter's short life, "I saw her too, and I heard her." Shining explained, looking directly into Buttercup's tear filled eyes. "I didn't know what was real, then I figured out that it was in my mind, and I had to pack all that away, otherwise, I was going to fall down a hole, that I couldn't get out of." Shining explained carefully as Buttercup sniffled, listening closely. "No, you're, you're talking about grief, this is different." Buttercup said, Shining lowered his head, "I'm just saying that you-" Shining started to say, but then Buttercup spoke over him, "No, I know what you're saying Shining, I swear to you, I know what I saw." Buttercup said hoarsely. "And, I am not crazy." Buttercup finished. "I'm not saying that you're crazy." Shining explained, but Buttercup didn't believe it. "No, you are." Buttercup stammered. "And I understand, but, I need you to believe me." Buttercup pleaded, shedding more tears. Shining stared back, knowing that he needed to help her, but he could only say one thing, "Listen, I think you should go to the morgue tomorrow and see her for yourself, it'll give you the answers that you need." Shining explained. "But tonight, I want you to try to get some sleep, if you can." Shining said before slowly standing up and leaving the house. He got into his car and sighed, he felt anger, sadness, and guilt all at once, why couldn't he have saved her?
Big Mac lied awake in bed, listening to his music through his headphones. He was silently weeping. He felt so much guilt, why couldn't he have just been at the house that night, then maybe he could've helped. But now he had to live with the fact that his baby sister was dead, and never coming back. Buttercup lingered in the hallway outside her bedroom, contemplating sleep, but she knew no one would believe her, no one was going to help, so she had to take action herself. She walked outside to the shed and grabbed the woodcutting ax, she stormed back inside and went back to the living room couch and sat down, she watched the wall, waiting for that thing to come back, and this time she was going to kill it...
...
Shiny Bell and her husband Liberty Bell were watching the news on the television. The reporter was talking about the discovery of Applebloom's body in the quarry that night. The report said that the body was discovered by an Equestrian state trooper named O'Bannon. Liberty looked over at his wife, who was watching with undivided attention. "Should I go down and talk to Sweetie?" he asked. "Give her time." Shiny responded, "She'll come to us when she's ready." Shiny reached her hoof over and held her husband's, she was tearing up.
Down in the basement, Sweetie was looking through Applebloom's drawings that she gave her. Applebloom was a great artist, and she had knack for creativity, and the drawings showed. Button Mash was sitting in the fort, messing with the Supercomm again. The crackling noises and feedback whines began to get on Sweetie's nerves. She felt angry at herself and at Button, and she felt she needed to vent her anger. "Can you please stop that?" Sweetie said annoyed. Button continued messing with the radio, despite Sweetie's pleas. "Are you deaf!?" Sweetie shouted, "I though we were friends, you know? But friends tell each other the truth, and they definitely don't lie to each other, you made me think Applebloom was okay, that she was still out there, that she was alive, but she wasn't!" Sweetie ranted, "Maybe you thought you were helping, but you weren't, you hurt me you understand, what you did, sucked!" Sweetie finally shouted loudly. She had all her frustration out and looked back at the pictures. "Scootaloo was right about you." Sweetie Bell said coldly, finally agreeing with her friend's negative attitude.
Button continued messing with the radio, the crackling and feedback becoming louder and louder until a voice crackled through, one that was familiar to Sweetie Bell, the voice was singing. "We're Apples forever, Apples together..." The voice quietly sang, Sweetie looked over, her expression one of shock. That voice was Applebloom's, she was singing that song that she would sing with her family. Sweetie moved over to where Button was sitting and Button handed the radio to Sweetie, she spoke into it. "Applebloom! Is that you? It's Sweetie! Do you copy? Over." Sweetie asked, but no response came through, "Applebloom are you there?" Sweetie tried again, still getting no answer. Sweetie looked back at Button, and saw a trickle of blood oozing from his nostril. "Was that?" Sweetie asked, Button smiled back at Sweetie, "Applebloom." he said.
...
Buttercup slumbered on the couch, the ax still cradled in her hooves. She was deep asleep, until she heard a voice. "Mom." Applebloom's voice called out, Buttercup jolted up and looked up around, she looked into the kitchen, and saw nothing. She looked saw something out of the corner of her eye and looked forward, Applebloom was standing there. "Mom!" She shouted at her.
Buttercup jolted awake a second time, this time, Big Mac was in front of her. "Mom, wake up." He said, crouched down beside her. "What, what time is it?" Buttercup asked, drowsy. "It's almost 8, we have to go." Big Mac explained. "Go where?" Buttercup asked, confused. "To see Applebloom." Big Mac said seriously.
...
Shiny Bell knocked on Sweetie's door, worried that he wasn't down for breakfast. "Sweetie Bell?" she said as she opened the bedroom door. She walked in and saw that Sweetie Bell was still under her covers, she had a sad look on her face. "Hi honey, how are you feeling?" Shiny asked as she knelt down next to her daughter's bed. "I, uh, I don't think I can go to school today." Sweetie stammered. "Oh that's fine, Sweetie." Shiny said reassuringly, "I need to drop of Rarity, then I'm gonna check in on Fluttershy's parents, why don't you grab a book or something and come with me? We can stop by the video store on the way back, pick out whatever you want. Even R-rated." Shiny explained, trying to cheer her daughter up. "I think I just want to stay home today." Sweetie said, "I mean, if that's okay." Shiny Bell patted her daughter's head, "Well, are you sure you're gonna be all right here by yourself?" Shiny asked. "I think so." Sweetie replied. "Okay." Shiny said with a sigh, "But if you need anything, call Dad at work." Shiny said. "Okay." Sweetie answered softly. "Okay." Shiny said before kissing Sweetie's forehead and walking out, closing the bedroom door behind her.
Sweetie Bell immediately scrambled out of the bed and grabbed her supercomm as soon as her mother was gone. "Scootaloo, do you copy? Over." Sweetie said into it. Scootaloo was laying on her bed, she heard Sweetie calling, but she was in no mood to talk. "Come on Scoots, I know you're there!" Sweetie said again through the radio. "This urgent, I'm serious, Scootaloo?" Sweetie pleaded, still getting nothing. So she resorted to annoying her. "Scoot, Scoot, Scoot, Scoots, Scoot, Scoot." She repeated until Scootaloo finally reached over and spoke into the Supercomm. "Go away Sweetie, I'm not in the mood, all right? Over and out." Scootaloo said, she was about to turn the supercomm off, but Sweetie spoke again, "No, not out, I'm not messing around, okay? This is about Applebloom, over." Sweetie said, "What about Applebloom, you mean her funeral? Over." Scootaloo asked, "No, not her funeral, screw her funeral." Sweetie shouted. "What?" Scootaloo shouted back, confused. "Just get over her stat, and bring Dinky, over and out." Sweetie said before putting down her supercomm.
...
Shining Armor was sitting in the waiting area of the Coroner's office, he was getting impatient. "What's taking to long?" he asked the desk mare, who was a grayish earth pony with purple hair and a blue dress. Her name was Maud. "What's taking so long?" Shining asked, Maud looked up from her paperwork, she spoke in a monotone voice. "Well, everything's been a bit chaotic around here ever without Scopes." Maud said, referring to the Coroner Dr. Scopes, who was usually the one who performed the autopsies. "Without Scopes?" Shining questioned, "Where's Scopes?" "Well, I thought you knew, Those stallions from state, they, they sent scopes home last night." Maud explained. "So who did the autopsy?" Shining asked. "Somepony from state." Maud replied.
Big Mac and Buttercup were standing in front of a window into a room, where a single table with a tarp covering the shape of a filly lay. The coroner, a stallion wearing green medical wear stood next to the table. The coroner grabbed the tarp and pulled it back, revealing the pale corpse of Applebloom. Buttercup looked in shock, she was tried to convince herself that that couldn't be her daughter. Big Mac began to tremble uncontrollably at the sight of his dead sister, he gagged and turned and went back to the waiting room. Buttercup stayed and asked a question. "She's got a birthmark on her left foreleg, can you show that to me please?"
Shining Armor and Big Macintosh sat next to each other in the waiting room, glancing down at the floor. "How's your mom doing?" Shining asked. "I don't know." Big Mac responded, still recovering from the sickness he felt seeing his sister like that. "How long's this stuff been going on? With the lights and, uh, the wall?" Shining asked. Big Mac looked back down, "Since the first phone call I guess." Big Mac replied, "You know, she's had anxiety problems, in the past, but this, I don't know." Big Mac said, staring deep into the floor, trying to remember happier times. "I'm worried it could be, ugh, I don't know." Big Mac continued. "She'll be okay, we'll be okay." Big Mac said, not only trying to reassure Shining, but trying to reassure himself. "My mom, she's tough." Big Mac said, Shining smiled, "Yeah, she is." Shining said, tapping Big Mac's shoulder. Big Mac smiled back.
Suddenly the door to the operation rooms flung open and out moved Buttercup, "Ma'am!" the coroner called after her. "Ma'am I need you to sign-" The stallion tried to explain, but was cut off by Buttercup shouting back. "I don't know what you think that thing is in there, but that is not my daughter!" Buttercup shouted. Shining Armor and Big Mac stood up. "Buttercup wait a second." Shining tried to talk to her. "No!" Buttercup shouted before storming out of the office. "Mom!" Big Mac called out before running out after her.
...
At the high school, Rarity and Thunderlane were chatting in a private spot during the passing period. "So, wait a sec. I don't understand. You went back to my house?" Thunderlane asked. "To look for Fluttershy." Rarity explained. "Yeah, okay, but why didn't you just talk to me?" Thunder asked, feeling slightly betrayed. "That's crazy." he said. "I don't know, I was just...scared." Rarity stammered. "You seriously think you saw a guy in a mask just hanging out in my yard?" Thunder asked. Rarity thought back to the figure she saw in Thunder's backyard, it could've been a pony in a mask, but it was too tall for a normal pony. "I don't think it was a mask." Rarity replied, "But he had no face?" Thunder asked, becoming more confused. "I don't know!" Rarity said, looking down and feeling confused as well. "I have a terrible feeling about this." Rarity said, looking back at Thunder. Thunder then got a worried look on his face, "Oh this is bad, this is really bad." he said leaning up against the other wall across from Rarity. "What?" Rarity asked. "The cops, they're gonna want to talk to all of us now, Soarin, Rainbow, everypony who was at the party." Thunder explained. "So?" Rarity asked, "So my parents are gonna murder me!" Thunder yelled. "Are you serious right now?" Rarity asked, she couldn't believe Thunder's lack of concern for Fluttershy. "You don't understand, my dad's a grade-A asshole." Thunder explained. "Fluttershy is missing!" Rarity shouted, "And you're worried about your dad?" Rarity said, starting to feel betrayed. "Okay just, when you talk to the cops, just, don't mention the beers." Thunder said quietly, trying to calm Rarity down. "It's just gonna get us both in trouble, and Fluttershy's got nothing to do with it, okay?" Thunder said, now very close to Rarity. Rarity scoffed, "I can't believe you right now." Rarity said, shaking her head as she walked away. "Rarity!" Thunder called out, she didn't even turn around as she walked away, leaving Thunder behind. He punched the wall in frustration.
...
Over in town, Buttercup was walking down the street, next to her in a car was Big Mac, trying to get her to get in the car with him. "Mom, will you get in?" Big Mac yelled to her. "No, I, I need to think, just go one home." Buttercup replied. "Mom, will you just get in please?" Big Mac tried again. Buttercup ignored him, so he pulled the car over and got out to pursue her on hoof. "Mom!" he called to her, "Mom, stop." He said, reaching his hoof out to her when he reached her. "Just go home, Big Mac." Buttercup demanded. "No, this is not an okay time for you to shut down!" Big Mac shouted, drawing the attention of some townsponies. "Shut Down?" Buttercup yelled back, "We have to deal with this Mom, we have to deal with the Funeral!" Big Mac said, he was already starting to tremble and tear up. "The Funeral? For...for who? for that THING back there?" Buttercup shouted. Big Mac was taken aback and he needed to get things straight. "Okay, so let me get this straight, Applebloom, that's not her body, because she's in the lights right? And there's a monster in the Wall? Do you even hear yourself?" Big Mac said, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. Buttercup took in a big breath of air. "I know it sounds crazy, I sound crazy, you think I don't know that? It is crazy!" Buttercup screamed. Big Mac watched in silence as Buttercup finally snapped, "But I heard her Big Mac, She talked to me! Applebloom is...is calling to me! And she is out there, and she's alone, and she's scared, and I don't care if anypony believes me! I am not going to stop looking for her until I find her and bring her home! I am going to bring. HER, HOME!" Buttercup screamed out before turning around and walking away. Big Mac was sobbing at this point, his mother was now a lost cause. "Yeah, well, while you're talking to the lights, the rest of us will be having a funeral for Applebloom!" Big Mac yelled back at her, "I am not letting her sit in that freezer another day!" He shouted. Big Mac stumbled back a bit and acknowledged the group of ponies watching their argument. "The show's over!" Big Mac shouted to them before walking back to his car.
...
The 3 fillies gathered around Button Mash at the table in Sweetie Bell's basement. Button was once again tuning the Supercomm to show Scootaloo and Dinky that Applebloom was still alive. They heard indistinct whimpers through the radio. The fillies had looks of shock and disbelief on their faces. "We keep losing the signal, but you heard it, right?" Sweetie asked the other 2. "Yeah, I heard a baby." Scootaloo responded. "what?" Sweetie asked in disbelief. "Sweetie, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor." Scootaloo explained. "Uh, did that sound like a baby to you?" Sweetie asked rhetorically, "That was Applebloom!" Sweetie explained. "Scootaloo you don't understand, she spoke last night, word, she was singing that song she sings with her family, even Button heard her." Sweetie explained. "Oh well, if the weirdo heard her, then I guess-" Scootaloo began sarcastically, but was interrupted by Dinky, "Are you sure you're on the right channel?" Dinky asked. "I don't think it's about that." Sweetie said, "I think it's about him." Sweetie said, pointing to Button Mash. "Somehow, he's channeling her." Sweetie explained. "Like, like professor X." Dinky said, "exactly!" Sweetie replied. "Are you actually believing this crap?" Scootaloo said to Dinky. "I don't know, I mean, remember that time Applebloom fell off her bike and sprained her hoof? She sounded a lot like that" Dinky said, referring to the whimpers they heard through the radio. Scootaloo was frustrated at her friend's thickheadedness, "Did you guys not see what I saw? They pulled Applebloom's body out of the water! She's dead!" Scootaloo shouted. "Well, maybe it's her ghost, maybe she's haunting us." Dinky suggested. "It's not her ghost." Sweetie said, "So how do you know that?" Scootaloo asked. "I just do!" Sweetie snapped back, "Then what was in that water?" Scootaloo questioned. "I don't know!" Sweetie shouted back, "All I know is Applebloom is alive, Applebloom is alive!" Sweetie shouted at Scootaloo. "She's out there somewhere, all we have to do is find her." Sweetie said. The supercomm began to fade and Button struggled with it. "This isn't gonna work." Sweetie said, picking up the supercomm, "We need to get Button to a stronger radio." Sweetie suggested. "Ms. Cherilee's Heathkit ham shack." Dinky replied with a grin. "Yeah." Sweetie agreed. "The Heathkit's at school, there is no way we're gonna get the weirdo in there without anyone noticing." Scootaloo objected, "I mean, look at him." Scootaloo said. The three turned and looked at Button, he had a completely shaved head, and was wearing a navy blue long sleeved shirt with grey sweatpants.
The girls used some supplies from Rarity's room to give Button a "makeover" they got him some better clothes, some jeans, a white t-shirt and a jean jacket. They also applied some makeup to make his face look less pale and more normal, and they got him a blonde, short haired wig. They also gave him a green and yellow propeller beanie, just for flair. He stepped out from the bathroom one he was done and the three all looked astonished, he actually looked normal. "Wow, he looks-" Dinky began, "handsome." Sweetie finished. "Good." Sweetie continued. "You look pretty good." Sweetie said, slightly blushing after calling him handsome. Button walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. "Handsome." he whispered to himself, as he gazed upon this new face to him.
...
At the Ponyville laboratory, the scientists there were about to make an expedition into the gate. Behind the fleshy growth in the test chamber was a portal or gate to another place, and they needed somepony to go into it and look around. One scientist, named Shepard, was selected. He walked down to the test chamber in a thick, yellow hazmat suit. Once inside, he was hooked up to the pulley system that was drilled into the floor and activated his comms system. "Can you boys hear me in there?" Shepard asked, "Loud and clear Shepard." one of the scientists said from inside the observation room. Standing next to the scientist was Dr. Turner. "Good luck in there, son." Dr. Turner said through the comms unit. Shepard turned and walked slowly towards the gate, the pulley system making a sound as it slowly unraveled. Shepard stuck his hoof into the growth before looking back. Dr. Turner nodded, and Shepard disappeared through the growth.
...
Rarity sat in class and stared out the window, not listening to the teacher's lecture. Suddenly the classroom door opened and a school counselor entered. "Rarity Bell?" she asked, getting Rarity's attention. "If you'll come with me please?" the counselor said, waving for Rarity to follow her.
She went into the cafeteria, where deputies Powell and Callahan were waiting with her mother. They sat down and began questioning. "This argument you and Fluttershy had, what exactly was it about?" Powell asked from across the table. "It wasn't really an argument, Flutters just wanted to leave, I didn't, so, I told her to just go home." Rarity explained carefully. "Then What?" the deputy asked, "Then I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes." Rarity said, feeling the burn of her mother's gaze. "And the next day, you went back and saw a bear, you're thinking?" the deputy asked. Rarity rolled her eyes slightly, "I don't know what it was, but I think maybe it took Fluttershy." Rarity explained. "You need to check behind Thunder's house." Rarity told them, "We did, there's nothing there, there's no sign of a bear, and no car." Callahan explained. This confused Rarity, she had just seen Fluttershy's car yesterday, but it was gone? "What?" Rarity said confused. "Look, we figure that Fluttershy came back last night, and then she took off, went somewhere else." Callahan explained, "Has she ever talked to you about running off?" Powell asked. "Leaving town, maybe?" Rarity looked confused, "No, Fluttershy wouldn't do that, ever." Rarity said defensively, "She wasn't maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy, uh, Thunderlane?" Powell questioned, "What, no!" Rarity denied. "Maybe she was jealous because she saw you going up to Thunder's room?" Callahan said, making Shiny Bell glare at her daughter with a frown. "It wasn't like that." Rarity denied again, "Like what?" Callahan asked. "Thunder and me, we're just friends." Rarity replied. "We just talked." Rarity said. "Now was this before or after you changed out of your clothes?" Callahan asked, making Shiny Bell's jaw drop. Rarity looked down at the floor in defeat and shame.
...
At the police station Shining Armor was talking with Dr. Scopes about the case with Applebloom. "So, Dr. Scopes, tell be about these troopers who brought in Applebloom." Shining said to the doctor. "It was about six of 'em, I'd say." Scopes replied. "They're all staties?" Shining asked, "Yes sir, never seen that many troopers come with a body before." Scopes explained, "They told you that they were gonna take care of the autopsy, huh?" Shining asked to validate Maud's statement from earlier. "Yeah, claimed jurisdiction, kicked me out, and it all seemed a bit over the top, considering..." Scopes started before trailing off. "Considering what?" Shining asked. "Considering this was Applebloom Apple and not Princess Celestia." Scopes said. The two sighed as they looked back at the TV, the reporter was interviewing O'Bannon, the Trooper who discovered the body, Shining stood up and turned up the volume. "Thanks for stopping by Doctor." Shining said. "Sure thing." Scopes said before leaving.
...
Sweetie Bell and the others rode to school with Button and walked inside to find the AV room. "Remember, if anyone sees us, look sad." Sweetie Bell explained so the others. Then the PA system turned on and announced an assembly being held for Applebloom starting now. They made it to the AV room at last. They tried opening the door, but it was locked. "It's locked." Sweetie said, "What?" Scootaloo asked before trying it herself. "Do you think you can open it?" Dinky asked Button. "Girls" a voice said from behind them, they all turned to see Cherilee coming around the corner. "Hey." Scootaloo was the first to respond. "Assembly's about to start." Cherilee said, she had a sad look on her face. "We know, were just..." Sweetie began, "Upset." Scootaloo said, forcing a frown. "Yeah, definitely upset." Dinky stammered. "We need some alone time." Sweetie said, "to...cry." Dinky finished. "Yeah, listen, I get it, I do, I know how hard this is, but let's just be there for Applebloom, huh?" Cherilee said sympathetically to the fillies. She then reached into her pocket and tossed the keys to Sweetie Bell, who caught them with her magic. "The heathkit is all yours for the rest of the day." Cherilee said with a smile. Cherilee then noticed the blonde colt standing next to Sweetie Bell, he was not a familiar face. "I don't believe we've met. What's your name?" Cherilee asked the colt. "uh, Bu-" Button began, but Sweetie jumped in, "Bell Chime!, he's my, uh, second cousin, he's here for Applebloom's funeral." Sweetie stammered out, trying to not at all look suspicious. "Ah, well, welcome to Ponyville Middle, Bell Chime." Cherilee said with a smile. "I wish you were here under better circumstances." Cherilee said, "Thank you." Button responded. "Uh, where are you from exactly?" Cherilee asked. "Bad place-" Button was about to say, but Sweetie jumped in again, "Baltimare! I have a lot of family there, he hates it there, very rainy." Sweetie stammered out again. Scootaloo slammed her hoof into her face in embarrassment. "Shall we?" Cherilee said, pointing in the direction of the gym. "Yeah." the 3 fillies said at once, and they followed the teacher.
They all walked into the gym as the principle was addressing the students, when they entered it was like every student stared at them. "Abort." Dinky whispered before turning around to leave, but Scootaloo stopped her and turned her around, and they went to find their seats.
...
Rarity and Shiny Bell walked into the house, Shiny was furious. "You lied to a police officer!" Shiny yelled. "I didn't lie!" Rarity yelled back. "How naive do you think I am?" Shiny shouted. "You and Thunder were just talking?" Shiny continued. Rarity turned back around, and shouted, "WE SLEPT TOGETHER! Is that what you want to know? It doesn't matter!" Rarity was on the brink of tears now. "It does matter!" Shiny yelled back, "No! It is all bullshit!" Rarity swore at her mother. "It has nothing to do with Fluttershy and she's missing, and something terrible happened to her, I know it." Rarity said, the tears starting to run down her face. "I know it! And no one is listening to me!" Rarity shouted before turning to walk away. "Sweetie, Sweetie, I'm listening." Shiny said stopping her. "No, No you're not!" Rarity said breaking away and running upstairs and locking herself in her room. "Rarity! Rarity!" Her mother called, no answer.
Rarity flopped down on her bed and wept, she took out the shredded pictures from her bag and found the shred that had Fluttershy sitting on the diving board. Rarity stared at it a felt more tears. She glanced at the other shreds, then in another shred she saw a figure, it looked like the figure she saw in Thunder's backyard. She grabbed the shred and started organizing the other fragments to try to put the picture back together, like a puzzle. She then got some tape and taped the picture back together, and when she was done, she held the completed photograph closely. Crouched a few feet away from Fluttershy, and it looked like the figure she saw in Thunder's backyard the other day. Rarity then knew that that figure had something to do with Fluttershy's disappearance.
...
At the laboratory, the scientists and Dr. Turner waited for a response from Shepard, they kept checking the devices for safety. "Try him again." Dr. Turner ordered. The scientist next to him pushed the comms button, "Shepard, come in, confirm comm." The scientist said. No response. "Shepard, come in, confirm comm." The scientist repeated, Dr. Turner was about to drop his head in defeat, until an answer cam through the comms. "This is Shepard. Confirming, over." Shepard responded. "Shepard, where are you? Can you describe to us what it is you see? Over." Dr. Turner asked. "It's low visibility. I'm about one click south of the rift." Shepard said, "Everything's still here, but it's all eroded, covered in blood." Shepard said as growls could be heard from over the comms. "Shepard, do you copy?" Dr. Turner asked cautiously listening to Shepard's heavy breathing. The growling got louder, and Shepard started to panic. "There's something else, there's something else in here!" Shepard shouted over the comms. A siren started blaring. "Reel him in." Dr. Turner ordered. "Reel him back in!" He shouted again with urgency. The scientist pushed the button and the pulley began to reel Shepard back to the gate. Shepard was still panicking over the comms. "Pull me out, pull me out, pull me out!" Shepard shouted. Then the rope started going crazy and started jerking around everywhere, before falling slack. Several scientists stood there, shocked and afraid. "Shepard, come in, over." The scientist said. "Comms are down sir!" another scientist shouted. Then the pulley reeled in just a bloody harness. Dr. Turner lowered his head, another dead.
...
"Applebloom Apple's death, is an unimaginable tragedy." The principle spoke into the mic in front of all the kids in the bleachers watching. Sweetie Bell wasn't listening to the speech, she was glancing at all the other students. "Look at these fakers." She said to Scootaloo. "They probably didn't even know her name till today." Scootaloo said back. Then they heard giggling and looked over, they saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they were giggling and mocking the principles words. Sweetie Bell looked over, she was furious, Button also looked over at the two bullies. "Mouth breather." Button muttered in Sweetie Bell's ear.
The Bell rang and all the students walked down off the bleachers. Sweetie was bee lining right for Diamond Tiara. "Hey, hey, hey Tiara?" Sweetie shouted, catching the bully's attention, she and silver spoon turned around and smirked. "You, you think this is funny?" Sweetie yelled. "What'd you say Bell?" Diamond Tiara asked sarcastically. "I saw you guys laughing over there, and I think that's a real messed up thing to do." Sweetie said. Silver Spoon scoffed, "Didn't you listen to the counselor Bell? Grief Shows itself in funny ways." She said in a sarcastic tone. "Besides, what's there to be sad about anyway? Applebloom's in fairyland now, right? Prancing around with all the other little fairies, all happy and gay?" Diamond Tiara mocked before she and Silver Spoon turned to leave. Sweetie then snapped, and all her times of holding back shattered, she then ran forward and shoved Diamond Tiara, making her fall to the ground on her face, the impact could be heard all throughout the gym. Several students gasped, Scootaloo covered her gleeful smile and Dinky widened her eyes. Diamond Tiara got up and turned around, "You're dead Bell! Dead." She said before charging at Sweetie, only to suddenly stop dead in her tracks. Everyone stared, confused and stunned, until someone noticed a liquid coming down Diamond's back leg. "Look, Diamond Tiara peed herself!" One student pointed out, making everypony else started laughing. Sweetie looked confused, until she turned around and saw Button standing a few feet back with a smirk, and a trickle of blood coming from his nose, Button wiped his nose and walked away. Suddenly the principle noticed the laughter. "Hey, what's going on here?" he shouted walking towards the crowd. "Sweetie, let's go." Scootaloo said, motioning for her to join them out the other gym exit. Diamond Tiara stood there, astonished, confused, and completely embarrassed all at once. She started to cry as she limped towards the door with Silver Spoon, who gave her a confused look.
...
Big Mac looked at the casket, trying to remove the image of his sister laying in it as the funeral home manager described it to him. He was about to show him more when suddenly, Rarity walked in. "Can you just, give me a second?" Big Mac said to the funeral manager. "Of course." he replied. Big Mac then walked over to Rarity awkwardly. "Hey." he said. "Hey." Rarity responded just as awkward, "Your mom, uh, she said you'd be here." Rarity explained. "I just, can we talk for a second?" Rarity asked, gesturing to a nearby bench. Big Mac nodded and the 2 sat down on the bench and Rarity pulled out the now taped together photograph and showed it to Big Mac, who studied the picture carefully. "It looks like it could be some kind of perspective distortion, but I wasn't using a wide angle." Big Mac said, trying to find a logical explanation for the figure looming behind Fluttershy. "I don't know." he said, handing the photograph back to Rarity. "It's weird." "And you're sure you didn't see anypony else there?" Rarity asked. "No." Big Mac responded. "She was there one second, and then, um, gone." Big Mac described. "I figured she bolted." Big Mac said. "The cops think that she ran away." Rarity explained, "They don't know Fluttershy, and I went back to Thunder's, and I thought I saw something." Rarity said quietly. "Some, weird creature or animal or something." She continued. "I don't know what it was." Rarity said. She looked over at Big Mac's blank expression, and Rarity realized that she was interrupting his time of mourning to ask him these dumb questions. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come her today, I'm, I'm so sorry." Rarity stammered as she stood up. "What'd he look like?" Big Mac asked Rarity as she was walking away. Rarity turned around, "What?" she asked, "This thing you saw in the woods, what did it look like?" Big Mac asked, "I don't know." Rarity stammered, trying to remember the details. "It was almost like it, like it didn't have-" "Didn't have a face?" Big Mac finished Rarity's sentence. He was now sure that maybe Rarity's story and what his mother was ranting about was somehow connected. "How did you know that?" Rarity asked, confused.
...
In town, Shining Armor went into a small bar called the Hideaway to get a few beers, and to find someone, who he saw sitting at the bar, he trotted up and sat next to the stallion who he recognized from the reports on the news. "Aw, come on!" the stallion shouted, reacting to a game of Buckball on the television above the bar. "Another please..." Shining said as he lowered his glass, "...and another for my, uh, friend here." he motioned to the stallion. "Oh, thanks man, appreciate it." he said. "Yeah, that's all right. I'm, uh, I'm celebrating." Shining said. "My daughter, she won the spelling bee today." Shining Armor said to the stallion, chuckling. "Is that right?" the stallion asked, "yeah, that's right, odontalgia, that's a word, you know what it means?" Shining asked, taking a puff from his cigarette. The Stallion shook his head. "It's a fancy name for a toothache." Shining explained, "Yeah, she's smart, she's real smart. I don't know where she gets it from, I've been trying to figure that out for years." Shining said with a hearty chuckle. "Your daughter, she got a name?" the stallion asked. Shining looked over at the stallion, he was buff, he was an earth pony with a grey coat and white hair, he looked normal enough. "Flurryheart." Shining replied flatly. The stallion grabbed his bottle and raised it to Shining, "To Flurryheart." he said, clinking the bottle with Shining's glass. "I recognize you." Shining said, glaring at the stallion, "Are you famous or something?" Shining asked. "Uh, you might have seen me on TV, I, uh, I found that Apple girl." the stallion replied. "So you on that case, or what?" Shining asked. "I just, saw him on patrol, you know?" the stallion stammered, to Shining, he was very clearly hiding something. "Dumb luck." the stallion said, taking another sip of his drink. "So that quarry, that's uh, that's state run, where you found the girl, huh?" Shining asked. "Yeah." the stallion said, though paused slightly before saying it. "Yeah well, that's funny." Shining said with a chuckle, "'Cause I know for a fact that it's run by the Sattler company, Mr. Sattler? Decent guy, still got a couple operational quarries up in the Crystal Empire." Shining explained, watching sweat build up on the stallions head. "Is that right?" the stallion asked, "yeah." Shining responded nonchalantly. "So why are you lying to me, man?" Shining said in a serious tone. The Stallion leaned forward, "What's your problem bud?" he asked with a frown. "I don't have a problem, i'm just a concerned citizen." Shining said in the same serious tone. "Yeah? well stick your nose someplace else, the kid is dead, end of story." The stallion said threateningly, he then stood up, "Thanks for ruining the game dick." the stallion said as he threw some bits onto the counter and walked off. Shining downed the rest of his beer.
Out back behind the bar, Shining held the Stallion, named O'Bannon, against the wall and punched him a few times. "Okay, let's try this one more time, who told you to be out there?" Shining yelled in O'Bannon's face. "What were you doing out there?" Shining demanded. O'Bannon kept whimpering, Shining raised his hoof to strike again, but then O'Bannon finally spoke, "I don't know, I don't know, they just told me to call it in, and not let anybody get to close." O'Bannon sputtered out. "Get to close to what?" Shining questioned, "The Body." O'Bannon replied, he then looked over Shining's shoulder at something, when Shining looked over there was a black car parked over on the street. "Who do you work for? The NSA? Ponyville Labs? Who's that?" Shining asked, looking at the car behind him. The car's engine suddenly started, "You're gonna get us both killed." O'Bannon pleaded. Shining Armor then let the stallion go and walked towards the car, he pulled out his gun as the car drove off, then when he looked back O'Bannon was gone. Something was going on, and Shining was going to get to the bottom of it, somehow.
...
Buttercup turned on the stereo she had dragged into the living room at her house. She turned on Applebloom's favorite songs at full blast and started shouting at seemingly nothing. "Come On! Come on! "Talk to me! I know you're here!" Buttercup shouted hoping to get some sort of Answer in some sort of way.
At the school, the group finally made it into the AV room and walked over to the heathkit ham shack. Button sat down in front of it. "Now what?" Dinky asked, "He'll find her." Sweetie replied, helping turn on and tune the radio. "Right Button?" Sweetie asked looking over at him. Button then placed his hooves on the radio and shut his eyes. This made him remember when he had to do something similar back at the bad place...
flashback
He was curled in a ball on a chair in the room again, on the table was a picture of a pony he didn't recognize. Behind him, papa was pouring something. "Button Mash?" Papa said, "Are you listening?" He asked walking over to his side, "That Stallion before you, I need you to find him." Papa explained as he sat in a chair next to Button. "Hurt Him?" Button asked softly, "No,I don't want you to hurt him, I want you to listen to him." Papa explained. "Listen?" Button repeated. "I want you to listen to what he says and repeat his words back to me." Papa said. "Just like we used to with those old nursery rhymes." Papa explained. "Do you remember? he asked placing a hoof on the colt's shoulder. "Do you think you can do that for me?" Papa asked. Button nodded back, he then scooted up and placed his hooves on the picture of the stallion.
Elsewhere in the facility, a voice said begin, and the stallion from the photo began reading the words on a piece of paper in a soundproofed room. "Amulet, Frigid, Evolve, Airplane," He listed. Back in the room, Dr. Turner became impatient. "Button Mash, repeat the words." he said, just then the overhead announcement system started crackling and the man could be heard through the speaker in the room. "Apricot, Peninsula, Game, Enchantment, Mouse, Balloon." The voice said. Dr. Turner looked at the speaker and back at Button Mash, astonished.
Back in the AV room, Button was working with the radio. "He's doing it, "he's finding her." Sweetie piped up, "This is crazy." Dinky commented, "Calm down, he just closed her eyes." Scootaloo pointed out, suddenly, the light bulb above the burst and the fillies gasped. Then, through the radio, they heard the sound of something banging, rhythmically, they listened closer.
Buttercup heard the banging too, she turned off the music and walked over to the wall that the monster had emerged from the other night. The banging was muffled, but it was there. She could here whimpering on the other side, along with a voice, "Mom?" Applebloom's voice came from the wall. Buttercup gasped, "Applebloom?" she said.
At the school, the girls heard Applebloom's voice too. "Mom?" they heard. "No way." Scootaloo said, astonished by what was now occurring. "Mom." Applebloom repeated.
"Applebloom!" Buttercup shouted, she then ran out the front door and looked, but she didn't see or hear anything, so she ran back to the wall. "Applebloom!" Buttercup shouted into the wall. "Mom!" Applebloom replied from the other side. "I'm here, I'm here!" Buttercup cried as she began tearing the wallpaper away.
"Applebloom, it's us are you there?" Scootaloo shouted into the radio's microphone. "Can you hear us, we're here!" Dinky shouted. "Hello? Mom!" Applebloom said, unable to hear her friends. "Why can't she hear us?" Scootaloo asked, "I don't know." Sweetie shouted, trying to calm Scootaloo down.
Buttercup ripped the wallpaper away revealing a strange thin, translucent substance underneath, and on the other side of the substance was the outline of Applebloom, her red hair, her yellow coat, it was her. "Mom!" She said. "Oh, thank celestia, Applebloom!" Buttercup shouted placing her hooves over the shapes of her daughter's on the wall. "Baby.." Buttercup muttered quietly. Then growling was heard. "Mom, oh mom, it's coming." Applebloom said, "Tell me where you are! How do I get to you?" Buttercup cried.
Over the radio, her friends heard every word. "It's like home, but it's dark, it's so dark and empty, and it's cold! Mom?!" Applebloom shouted, she was crying out for help, and the three fillies found it hard to listen to, they were powerless to help her.
"Listen to me!" Buttercup shouted, "I swear, I'm gonna get to you, okay? but right now I need you to hide." Buttercup cried. "Mom, please." Applebloom pleaded as the purple substance began to turn back into normal wall. "No, no, listen, I will find you, but you have to run now! Run! Run!" Buttercup shouted, the Applebloom listened and ran from the purple substance as it disappeared entirely.
The Heathkit then blew a fuse and caught fire, making the fire alarm go off. Dinky thought fast and grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the flames.
Buttercup grabbed the ax and swung it as hard as she could into the wall, she kept swinging and swinging and swinging until there was a big hole in the wall that led to, the outside, her front yard. She stood back, her brain broken, unable to wrap around the experience she just had,where was Applebloom, where was she?
Button fell back in the chair, blood coming out of his nose again. "Button, are you okay?" Sweetie asked in concern. Button stared back, he was to dizzy and to weak to stand. "Can you move?" Sweetie asked. Button couldn't even talk at that point, so Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo helped him up out of the chair and dragged him out of the room. They found a book cart and put Button on top of it and rolled it down the halls looking for the exit.
...
Big Mac loaded the Photograph into the enhancement machine. He switched it on, Rarity looked at it all in awe, she had never seen something so advanced, she felt like she was watching a wizard work their magic. "And you're..?" Rarity asked, "Brightening, enlarging." Big Mac explained simply. Rarity nodded. "Did your mom say anything else, like where it might've gone to, or...?" Rarity asked, "No, just that it came out of the wall." Big Mac said as the machine dinged, meaning the photo was done enlarging. Big Mac took the blank photo and placed it into the fluid. "How long does this take?" Rarity asked, trying not to sound impatient. "Not long." Big Mac replied. Rarity felt awkward with the silence, so she tried to make small talk. "Have you been, doing this a while?" she asked, "What?" Big Mac asked, "Photography?" Rarity clarified. "Yeah, I guess i'd rather observe ponies than, you know..." Big Mac started, "Talk to them?" Rarity finished. "I know. It's weird." Big Mac said, embarrassed. "No!" Rarity said, "No, it is." Big Mac argued. "It's just, sometimes, people don't really say what their really thinking, but you capture the right moment, it says more." Big Mac explained. "What was I saying?" Rarity asked, "What?" Big Mac asked, worried. "When you took my picture." Rarity clarified, this made Big Mac look down in regret, "I shouldn't have taken that, I'm uh, I'm sorry." Big Mac stammered as he looked back up at Rarity. Rarity looked down and saw that the picture was developed, "That's it." She said, pointing to the now enlarged figure. "That's what I saw." Rarity stated, confident, Big Mac gasped, "My mom, I thought she was crazy, cause she said, that's not Applebloom's body, that she's alive." Big Mac started, "And if she's alive.." Rarity started, "Then Fluttershy." Big Mac finished. They both looked at the picture, both terrified and intrigued all at once.
...
Shining Armor pulled up at the coroner's office. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. He walked in and greeted the receptionist Maud. "Hey Maud." Shining said with a smile, "Hey, uh, you need something chief?" Maud asked in her usual monotone voice. "Oh, I forgot my hat." Shining lied, "oh." Maud simply responded, "I'll just be a minute." Shining explained as he started walking back towards the storage units. He approached the door to where Applebloom's "body" was being kept, a single brown stallion was sitting outside, reading a book. "Hey, I love that book. It's a nasty mutt." Shining said as he approached, the guard standing and blocking the door. "Hey, you can't be back here." the stallion said as he blocked Shining from entering. "Yeah, I just got off the line with O'Bannon, he said he needs to see you at the station, it's some emergency.." Shining began to explain, but the stallion interrupted, "What in tartarus are you talking about? I don't work for O'Bannon." Shining quickly tried to think of something else, "Oh did I say O'Bannon, I meant..." Shining began, but he couldn't think of any other way. "okay." Shining said before punching the guard once, knocking him against the wall, then punching him again, knocking him out cold. Shining then grabbed the keys from the guard and entered.
He stepped inside and looked around, finding a table with a tarp on it, covering a filly shape, he moved it to see the pale, dead face of Applebloom. Shining Armor stepped back for a moment, he rubbed his head with his hoof. He thought, if he was wrong, he was about to desecrate a child's corpse, but he had come to far to turn back now, he had to know the truth. So he walked back over to the corpse and uncovered the rest of it. He then took out his pocket knife, and stabbed into the center of the chest, and made a decent sized slit in Applebloom's torso, he took the knife away and reached inside to find...cotton. The body was fake, it was stuffed with cotton, SHining took a moment to look at the body, it looked so real, but now he knew, something was going on, something happened to Applebloom, the real one, and he was going to find out, and first stop, Ponyville National Laboratory.
...
Buttercup laid on the floor, tired and half asleep, until the approach of a car woke her from her dozing. She got up slowly and realized that a car was there outside. She opened the door and saw the black and yellow muscle car, the door opened, and out stepped Bright Macintosh. Buttercup had never been so happy to see her ex-husband. "Babe, sweet celestia, what in tartarus happened?" Bright asked as he walked towards the house, noticing the hole that Buttercup's ax made in the wall. Buttercup sobbed as she ran up and embraced him. At that moment, she didn't care that he left, she was just happy that he was there now. "Bright.." Buttercup sobbed into his ear as they embraced.
...
Shining pulled his car up to a chain link fence, he got out and walked over to the fence, and using a pair of large wire cutters, he began to cut into the fence. On the fence had a sign reading "Ponyville National Laboratory"...
Author's not: Chapter 4, motoring chugging along now! Next chapter might take a while, I got next semester of college starting in a few days, so it may take a while. I really want to know what people think of this, so if you are reading this, please, review, even if it's a guest review or negative. Feedback always helps, and I'm not like those people who shuns criticism. Thanks!