Citrus was not entirely sure how she had ended up spending her entire evening with two insane ponies, but she had to admit – she was having quite the gala. They reminded her of the more unique crowds she had been attracted to during her monotonous filly-hood in Manehatten – the kind of company her saddle-sore parents would despise; and that was more than enough for Citrus to extend the hoof of friendship. Anyone who her parents would dislike was clearly worth getting to know!
Of the two, Doctor Whooves was by far the most energetic and manic; as though he had eaten one too many of Pinkie's notorious super sugar cupcakes. He had been the most inquisitive of the pair as well, but he seemed to be visibly restraining himself -casting the occasional wide eyed glance at her niece Applebloom – whose miserable expression had been casting a stark compromise to the cheerfully crackling fireplace. Derpy, on the other hand (Strange name, wasn't the mail-mare called Ditzy?) was examining everything with a wide eyed beam of innocence. Everything seemed to fascinate and entertain her, from the bar room furniture to – much to his amusement- Whooves's mane, which she stroked and prodded for a while before moving on to the examination of her hooves. Citrus had been speaking at length with the two all evening – happily filling the traveller's gaps of knowledge with a glint in her eye and an anecdote on her tongue. She had only been living in Ponyville for about six months herself, but enjoyed her de-facto status as the local information pony, thanks to owning one the more popular night spots in town, Citrus was rather well known for the wealth of information she had access to.
Fruit Bowl bar had been steadily growing darker for the past hour as the sun dipped slowly out of sight. The tavern had temporally been filled with the glowing orange light of Celestia's sun – now to be replaced with delicate pinks and purples before the inevitable darkness of Luna's night took hold. With the last of Citrus's customers drunkenly stumbling towards the door. Applebloom had finally allowed herself to fall asleep under the warmth of Derpy's wing, and the doctor was now urgently questioning Citrus on what had transpired in Ponyville over the last six months.
"Tell me about Applejack." He said, slurping loudly on his third orange fruit cocktail. Citrus felt her cheerful demeanor slip, like a buffalo down a cliff, and she shot a quick glance at Applebloom's steadily breathing form. Even after all this time, any mention of her dearest cousin cut Citrus deep.
"Well, you know half of it already. Applejack left to travel up to Canterlot to meet that snob of pony Fancy Pants, but she never arrived. The guards never received her in the city so it looks like she went missing on the road - Saddle Lane maybe -It was two days before ponies started to panic – she had a pretty tight band of mares she hung around with; you know who I'm talking about? Of course you do. Anyway, Twilight Sparkle goes to Princess Celestia – She's Celestia's prize student – and asks her to help in the search. Well, Celestia was never the sort to leave a pony high and dry so she sent her personal guard out into the area around Ponyville to conduct a thorough search. Not just them though – A lot of Ponies came from town as well, Applejack was always so good to everyone…I think they wanted to return the favor. I helped myself – She was my cousin after all – but…"
"You never found her." Whooves said quietly.
"She was always so nice to me," Derpy mumbled, and the Doctor saw that there were tears in her lop sided eyes. "She gave me apples every time I delivered her mail. Even when I messed up…"
Whooves gave her a sympathetic pat on the wing, and Citrus passed her another fruit juice (This time it was a rather vibrant blue).
"That's my cousin all right," Citrus continued her expression both proud and grim. "We didn't find a trace, but the search went on and on for weeks – Months. No one lost hope until Celestia told Twilight that she had to pull the guards back to the castle."
Derpy blinked in surprise. "Celestia gave up?"
Citrus scowled, her pretty face becoming stony.
"Princess Celestia would never give up!" She retorted sharply. "But the guards were needed in Canterlot. Never really found out the reason why, but the entire castle was on high alert for weeks, – Celestia's resources were stretched thin because of it."
"And Twilight…?" Whooves wondered, fearing he already knew the answer.
"Didn't take it well. I wasn't there - but Octavia was, and she told me – Twilight exploded. She had been under a lot of pressure but…she just started screaming at Celestia, saying that the Princess was giving up, and that all the lessons she had learned meant nothing if she was just going to let Applejack go. Apparently, at one point she almost threw a spell."
"She must have been so angry to shout at the princess!" Derpy gasped. "What did Celestia do?"
"Nothing."
"…Nothing?"
"Nothing at all apparently," Citrus replied tersely. "She just stood there and let the unicorn vent. Then Twilight stormed out and… well. They haven't spoken since. Mind you, that was only the start of the trouble… Things got a little more, shall we say, uncomfortable?"
"It gets worse?" Derpy asked, disbelief spreading itself over her innocent features like an unpleasant rash.
Applebloom stirred slightly, her steady breath suddenly reinventing itself into a yawn. The three adults all stared at her for a moment in tense silence, but she simply adjusted herself slightly and continued snoring as before. Citrus watched the young filly suspiciously for a few moments, but when she saw no further movement she gave a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to her guests.
"Oh yes, it gets worse…" She whispered, leaning forward and the other ponies found themselves leaning into a small conspiratorial huddle. Whooves was hanging on her every word with a surprisingly hungry expression.
"Well you all know about the little group Twilight had right?"
Derpy and Whooves nodded. How could anyone not know about the famous six who had defeated Nightmare Moon? The Changelings? Everypony from Ponyville to Manehatten knew their names, or at least the stories.
"-Well, they haven't been seen together in weeks. Months! I mean, yeah Rainbow Dash hasn't shown her face in Ponyville since the disappearance anyway-"
"Why not?" Derpy babbled her expression quizzical. "Is she wearing a hood or something? That's not like her – She Never wears anything. I think it lets her fly faster, cos when I have my mail bag I have to fly real careful and slow so-"
"I think she means Rainbow Dash hasn't been in Ponyville since Applejack going missing Derpy," Whooves hushed to her, smiling at her babbling while Citrus gave a sly nod. "-or she could mean Rainbow Dash was wearing a hood but I don't think I've ever noticed her to be a particular fan of hat wear…"
"No idea what's going on there if I'm honest... – but it's strange you see? Those ponies were tight as a barrel, especially during the search for my cousin, but then Twilight falls out with Princess Celestia and that's it! Poof! I mean, Rarity comes to my bar a lot – I've never been a fan of those posh types but she's a real champ – and she told me she still sees Pinkie Pie down Sweet Apple Acres but that's it! And you know what that means right? Right?"
"That-the-elements-of-harmony-are-useless-because-the-holders-aren't-friends-anymore-so- everyone-is-scared-of-what-will-happen-when-bad-people-attack-Ponyville- again?" Derpy breathlessly said, throwing her hooves in the air to underline her sudden clarity.
Whooves gave the Pegasus a raised eyebrow as Citrus visibly deflated. That was the most dramatic bit!
"….Yeah." She managed, somewhat lamely.
Without warning, the front door to the bar swung open on its hinges and slammed into the wall with a great bang then caused the three ponies to jump into the air – Applebloom actually fell off her chair and landed on the floor with a squeal and a thud.
In the doorway, a very pretty white unicorn stood, looking somewhat scruffy and dejected. Her usually pristine mane was sticking out at all angels and her eyes were glinting madly.
"WHERE IS THAT FILLY?" She cried dramatically, striding into the room purposefully and glaring at Citrus with a pair of perfect sapphire blue eyes brimming with anger.
"Rarity! Are you insane? You know it's not safe to be out after dark!" The bar pony cried, looking at the disheveled unicorn with concern. "Is everything alri-"
Rarity stormed up to the earth pony, closing in on her until they were practically nose-to-nose.
"Where…" She repeated with false delicacy, and forcing Citrus back with every step forward.
"Is…"
Step.
"that…"
Step.
"Filly?"
"I'm ere' Rarity…" said a small voice behind Derpy. Rarity instantly turned her attention from Citrus and looked for the source of the voice -eyeing Derpy like a cat would eye a mouse.
"Ditzy! Doctor!" The unicorn said, suddenly clocking the two awkward looking ponies and smiling at them brightly. "So nice to see you again, how was Manehatten? I'm positively dying to hear about what fashions are-"
"Manehatten?" Derpy asked, surprised. "We haven't been to Manehatten…"
Doctor Whooves started quietly coughing, as though there was a tickle in his throat and was trying to dislodge it.
"Yer' alright Doc?" Citrus wondered, eyeing the retching pony.
"Fine!" Whooves coughed, waving off her questions like they were irksome flies.
Rarity seemed to have not noticed the Doctor's small on-going fit and was looking at Derpy with a scandalized expression. "But dearie - we had a huge party for you! You were eloping with Doctor Whooves -quite the scandal – Although I thought it was absolutely precious. Don't you remember?"
"Errrrr….."
Doctor Whooves coughed louder – the tickle seemed to have become a fur ball – and citrus was now patting him on the back. Under the coughs, he seemed to be retching the word "Time travel!" over and over again.
"Oh!" Derpy blurted, and a light bulb almost seemed to manifest itself above her head.
"Ohhhhhh!"
"Is he alright?" Rarity wondered, now that Whooves spectacular coughing fit had finally caught her attention. "You are both acting in a most bizarre fashion!"
Citrus and Rarity were now staring at the two companions, who were nodding at each other furiously as though they had both stumbled upon some great universal truth.
"Doctor!" Derpy cried happily. "We're going to have a party!"
"We've had a party to look forward to in the past!" The Doctor replied, eyes shining in excitement.
Rarity raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at Citrus – who was watching the two with wonder.
"Are they a little…..unhinged?"
Citrus simply chucked, and Rarity turned her attention back to:
"Applebloom," Rarity practically growled. "You show yourself this instant!"
The young pony dragged herself out from behind the Pegasus with visible effort, as if she was being held back by a piece of rope. She kept her eyes fixed on the bar room floor.
"Hi, Rarity…" She said in a small voice.
Rarity rushed forward, and Citrus thought for a moment that the unicorn was going to wrestle the filly to the floor. She was pleasantly surprised when Rarity simply pulled Citrus's troublesome niece into a suffocating embrace.
"Oh sweet Celestia, you foolish little thing! Don't you realize how worried I've been? What was running through my head? I thought-"
"Mmmmff!" Was Applebloom's muffled reply.
"Well that's simply not an excuse!" Rarity shot back, refusing to release the filly from her vice like hug. "I promised Granny Smith I would look after you! And then you run off during brunch? And please, please tell me, for the love that is everything fabulous…. Please tell me you didn't accost Fancy Pants in the local park…?"
"Emmmf ad' Somfin ah' oo' wi' it!" was the strangled response.
"Erm, Rarity? I think Applebloom is starting to go blue." Doctor Whooves pointed out.
"Oh my!"
Rarity released the young pony, and she immediately started coughing from the Unicorns hug.
"Horseapples!" She managed to splutter defiantly, glaring up at the adults. "Ah' know he had somin' to do with ma' Sister goin' missin! The Cutie Mark Crusaders-"
Rarity instantly hoof-palmed.
"- have been followin' him for weeks!"
"Sweetie Belle…." Rarity growled, hoof still on head.
"What did you find Applebloom?" The Doctor asked politely, eying the filly with renewed interest.
Citrus wondered why Applebloom seemed so visibly taken aback at being asked. Maybe it was because the Doctor was treating her like an adult? A rather clever move…
"Ah'… erm," She stammered.
"It's alright," Derpy said, smiling at Applebloom.
"Well, He's been actin mighty strange when he thinks' no pony's listenin' to him. Scootaloo pinkie promised that she heard him shoutin' at a tree. Real loud, like."
Citrus glanced at her fellow adults and was glad to see they were all looking as confused and as concerned as she was.
"Shouting….?" Rarity echoed. "At a tree?"
Applebloom nodded eagerly; glad to see the adults were beginning to take her seriously.
"And Zecora says she's noticed some ponies movin in an' out of Green Hill Acres durin' the night. She said it all seemed might topsy-turvy."
"Green Hill Acres?" Whooves voiced out loud. "Someone finally brought that place?"
"I heard it was haunted," Derpy shivered.
"Fancy brought it as a present to Fleur," Rarity sniffed. "He had the entire mansion and grounds renovated."
Doctor Whooves sat back on his stool, his bearing considerate.
"I think…" He said at length. "It's time I paid Fancy Pants a visit…"