FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Hello, everypony! This is Pinkie Pie! You know, the pink pony who's friends with absolutely everypony in Ponyville! Anyway, I thought I'd jot down what happened today.

It started like pretty much any other day for me. I woke up, got dressed... Oh wait, I forgot I don't wear clothes. Not unless it's for something special. In any case, today was a workday for me. So I went downstairs to the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh, good morning, Pinkie. Did you sleep well?" Mrs. Cake said to me when I went into the kitchen.

"Morning, Mrs. Cake! What do we have to do today?" I replied to my boss. Am I making these interactions sound too bland and short? Sorry! I normally don't write journals.

She smiled at me while carrying a mixing bowl to the table. "Well, we need a few dozen of those chocolate chip cupcakes baked. They've become very popular lately."

I smiled, remembering that yummy recipe James helped me come up with. Oh, right! I don't think you know who he is! James is a human. He showed up in Ponyville exactly one week ago. He's pretty shy, but really nice too. He's become one of the best friends I've ever known! Speaking of which, he should be showing up any time now. He works here three days a week.

"Oki doki loki! I'll get started right away!" I said with a hop. Mrs. Cake just smiled and went out to the storefront.

I went ahead and punched in for the day. Then my punch card punched me back. Oh, wait! That was just Gummy biting me. Good thing he has no teeth! "Silly Gummy! You don't belong in the kitchen!" I carried him back upstairs and left him on my bed. "Be a good little gator for me! I'll see you this evening!"

I went back downstairs and into the kitchen. I mixed together the eggs and sugar before adding the flour... Come to think of it, does anypony even like reading the details on how somepony bakes something? Maybe I should skip ahead.

Anyway, I popped the tray of cupcake batter into the oven and waited. But as I waited, I noticed something was wrong with the clock. James should have been in ten minutes ago. He's never been late before, so maybe this is his first time. Maybe he got caught up with doing something with Fluttershy. Oh, right. Fluttershy is one of my best friends. And just a few days ago, she and James became sweethearts! He lives with her now. But why is he this late...?

"Ooh, you naughty things." I giggled out loud. What is something lovers like to do together? I better not write it down here, just in case some fillies or colts read it.

Eventually, the egg timer went off. So I opened the oven and removed the cupcakes. Mm, that smell always gets me so hungry. But when I put them on the counter to cool, I noticed that James was now half an hour late.

"Huh... I can't imagine why James would be this late." I said to myself. Maybe he caught a cold?

As a good friend, I felt it was my duty to check on him. So I poked my head out of the kitchen. "Mrs. Cake? James is running late. I just took the cupcakes outta the oven, so may I go check on him?"

Mrs. Cake looked at a clock before looking back at me. "Oh my, he's late? Well, maybe you should go check on him, dearie. Don't be long!"

I nodded and put on my biggest smile. "Will do, Mrs. Cake! See you in a bit!" I then trotted out the back door. I guess I could've just jumped to the next panel, but I needed the exercise. Huh? You want to know how I 'jump panels'? Heehee, that's a long story. Don't worry about it!

I didn't have time to chat with anypony, so I just ran through Ponyville towards the western edge of town. Once I had cleared that, I saw Fluttershy's cottage coming up ahead. But...why was Fluttershy on the ground and... Was she crying?!

I ran over to her as fast as I could. She really was crying. I could hear her sobbing. "Fluttershy, what's wrong?!" I asked. For Fluttershy to be crying, it must be bad.

She looked up at me with her eyes full of tears. She couldn't talk, but she pointed to a scroll that was behind me. "In this?" I asked when I opened it and held it flat.

The scroll was written in James' handwriting. It read... Hang on, I can remember this... Oh right! It read, "This is for your eyes only, Fluttershy. If you are reading this, I am gone. It has come to my attention that our actions as a couple are highly illegal and even punishable with the death penalty. What is worse, Princess Celestia has been made aware of our illegal activities by a report sent from Twilight Sparkle. Please do not fault her, as I am sure even she was not aware that the law even exists. I am also certain that by the time you have started reading this, Celestia will have dispatched her guards to arrest us. If that is the case, you must gather our friends and try to convince Celestia to grant us a pardon. If she is as... No. I am very sure that she is as wise and understanding as I have heard. She will surely grant us her consent. I just know she will. However, the possibility that she will not remains. I can't take chances with this matter, Fluttershy. Not when your life is at stake. I am hiding out in the Everfree Forest. I have heard nothing but bad things about that place, so I am sure even the local law enforcement officials will not dare set foot into it. If Celestia... No. When Celestia gives us her blessings, please come find me so I know it is safe to return. It may be wise to ask Rainbow Dash to do the job due to her speed. But if, and this is a very unlikely if, if Celestia refuses to pardon us, claim innocence. If they cannot arrest both guilty parties, they will not be able to effectively try you in court. You will be safe if they cannot arrest us both. But I pray that will not be the case. I love you, Fluttershy. And I cannot bear the thought of you under a guillotine. I shall be waiting for Celestia's decision in the Everfree Forest. I am placing my faith in you and our friends. With love, James." Phew! Chalk one up to the memory banks!

Anyway, I couldn't believe what I had just read. James in the Everfree Forest?! That's suicide! I jumped in the air and gasped my hardest. "WHAAAAAT?!"

Fluttershy looked up at me with big clear tears rolling down her face, "What'll we do, Pinkie? He won't last in there... And...what if that law is real? I love him... I don't want us to be torn apart..."

She was right. Two lovers being kept apart is just plain wrong! And anything that makes Fluttershy cry is extra wrong! No way was I going to stand for that! I gave Fluttershy my biggest smile and said, "Hey, don't worry, Fluttershy! James has friends like us to help him! Let's go find Twilight and show her the message. She'll know what to do!"

I helped Fluttershy stand up. She dried her tears before nodding. "OK... She always knows what to do in times like this."

I grinned before we started to move along. "Exactly, silly filly! Let's go! The sooner we get James out of there, the better!" I then ran back towards Ponyville with the scroll in my mouth. Fluttershy followed right behind me the whole way.

We went straight to Twilight's house after that. I bonked my head against the door to get her attention. "Oooh... I hope she's home..." Fluttershy said beside me.

The door opened a second later. And sure enough, Twilight was right behind it. "Oh! Good morning, Pinkie! Morning, Fluttershy!"

I couldn't wait, so I barged right in. "Twilight! We have an emergency! A 'friend lost in the Everfree Forest' kind of emergency!"

Twilight, as usual, seemed to be totally confused by my words. "Huh? The Everfree Forest? What about it?"

Fluttershy came in and spoke before I could. "It's James, Twilight... He... He left a note behind."

I then put the scroll down before Twilight used her magic to hold it up in the air. "This scroll? Um..." After a minute, she looked past the scroll at us. And she looked really freaked out. "Are you serious?! There's a law against that?!"

Fluttershy nodded while still looking really worried. "Yes... And he took it seriously. He's somewhere out there... I don't know what to do..."

Twilight frowned while looking kind of confused. "That really doesn't sound like a law Princess Celestia or Princess Luna would ever allow to pass. No, I'm sure of it! That law is far too harsh!" She then called towards the stairs, "Spike! Please bring a scroll to me!"

A moment later, Spike came running down the stairs with a scroll in one hand and a quill in the other. "OK, I'm here! What's wrong?"

Twilight replied while turning to face him, "I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia. It's urgent."

Spike then held the quill's tip to the scroll. "OK then, shoot."

Twilight then started pacing around the room. "Dear Princess Celestia. I stumbled across something in a book that seems to be a law that punishes intimate relationships between humans and ponies with death. Why did you pass a law like this? And please respond quickly." When Spike stopped writing, Twilight nodded at him. "Please send it right now, Spike."

"You got it." Spike said before going over to a window and blowing green fire into the scroll. It was burned up into smoke and carried away on the wind. Still, how does that work exactly? If Spike were to breathe fire on me, would I get turned into smoke and taken to Princess Celestia? I need to try that sometime!

"Do you think it's a good idea to let her know about that law?" Fluttershy asked, looking very worried.

"I was careful to not mention either you or James. It was just a hypothetical question." Twilight replied while looking a bit calmer than before.

A moment later, Spike burped as a scroll came out of his mouth. "Wow! That's a new record! Not even a full minute!" He then opened the scroll and spoke, "Dear Twilight Sparkle..... I have no idea what you're talking about! Where did you find such a ridiculous law?"

Wait... Seriously?! Princess Celestia doesn't even know about the law?! I think Twilight's response summed up what we were all thinking. "Wait... WHAT?!"

Fluttershy raised her voice too. "You mean... He's out there in the Everfree Forest without any idea that the law is fake?!"

Twilight set her hoof down a bit loudly. "Well, I think we all better look into this. Let's gather up our friends. Fluttershy, you go find Rainbow Dash. I'll go round up Applejack. Pinkie, you go get Rarity. Let's all meet back here."

Fluttershy nodded with a tiny little smile on her face. "OK... Let's hurry."

I smiled too. Got to keep up the morale! "Oki doki loki! Let's go! Look after the place for us, Spike!"

Our little dragon boy then gave us a salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

We ran out the door and in different directions. I know Rarity doesn't have any big plans today, so I know she's still home. I ran along, saying hi to everypony I passed, but not having any time to chat. That would have to wait. My buddy James was in danger! And I wanted to get to the bottom of this fake law business! Private Eye Pinkie Pie was on the case!

As soon as I got to Rarity's house, I went right inside without knocking. "Rarity! Are you home?!"

I heard a clatter of stuff hitting the floor. "Pinkie Pie! You ruined my concentration! At least knock so I know you're coming in without startling me!" Rarity was looking pretty miffed with a whole bunch of sewing junk on the floor around her.

"Sorry, sorry! It's just that we've got an emergency here! James is lost in the Everfree Forest!"

Rarity gasped really loudly. "The Everfree Forest? Heavens, no! He'll never survive in such a horrid place! Why would he ever set foot in there?!"

I explained, "He found out about some law that says ponies and humans falling in love is punishable with the death penalty! And you know he and Fluttershy are sweethearts now! He went into hiding to protect her!"

Rarity shrieked, "WHAT?! The death penalty?! How dare they! Those two are a perfect couple! Of all ponies, why would our princesses even pass such an abominable law?!"

I explained some more. "They didn't! Twilight sent a message to Princess Celestia asking about it and she didn't even know it exists!"

Rarity's jaw hung open for a second before she spoke, "What...? Then... How did this happen? Is the law a fake?"

I was feeling kind of burned out by all the stress of the situation, so I sighed. "I dunno... Twilight and Fluttershy are gathering up Applejack and Rainbow Dash. I came here to get you. Let's head over to Twilight's place so we can figure this out."

Rarity nodded with a confident smile. "Yes, let's. James is a very good friend of mine and I would hate to lose him. Let's get this mess sorted out and get him back home where he belongs!" We then ran out the door, but Rarity then stopped. "Wait! One moment please."

"Huh? Oh, OK!" I replied as she went back inside. A few seconds later, she came back out and hung a sign on the door. "Out to lunch? It's too early for that!"

Rarity gave me a pretty sly smirk. "How many ponies would take a 'Gone to search for lost friend' sign particularly seriously?" We both got a good laugh out of that. It's true, after all! Friends don't get lost in Ponyville very often!

Rarity and I ran the whole way back to Twilight's house. I barged right in with her right behind me. "We're here!"

I heard Applejack reply, "Hold yer horses, girl. We're here too."

Rarity smiled when she came inside. "I do hope everypony is here now." Sure enough, Twilight and Fluttershy were there with Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"Pinkie, tell us straight! Is James really gone?!" Rainbow Dash said when she flew over to me.

"I don't wanna believe it either, but that's what it looks like!" I replied while waving my arms. But maybe now that everypony was there, we could figure out what to do. It kind of reminds me of when Applejack disappeared after going to that rodeo contest. Only she didn't try to hide in the Everfree Forest! And at least James didn't leave us guessing on why he had to leave.

Rarity then asked, "Wait. You said something about finding some sort of law in a book, right? Do you know which one?"

Twilight then spoke up with her hoof rubbing her chin. "Now that I think about it, Diamond Tiara was in here yesterday looking through a bunch of old law books. You don't suppose..."

Rarity suddenly growled, "Her?! That little imp?! She's been harassing James daily all week! What book was it?!"

Spike called out to us while pulling a book from one of the shelves. "It's right here! Equestrian Law 101."

He brought the book over to Twilight, who levitated it up to her face. I have to admit, that book looked reeeally old. "OK... Which page..." She started flipping through the pages while her eyes glanced back and forth.

Spike raised his hand while speaking up. "Oh, I think it was open to page 83 when I put it away."

Twilight smiled at her #1 helper. "Thank you, Spike. Page 83... Here we go. The act of..... Oh no..."

Her face looked like she was really disturbed by something. Fluttershy then barged in and looked at the book. "What does it say?!"

I couldn't stay quiet either. I had to know! "Well, what does the law say?! I can't take the suspense!" I felt like I was gonna burst if they didn't tell me soon!

Fluttershy soon looked our way, but... That face. I've never seen her so horrified. Those tears rolling down her face... "No... No... I can't let him..."

Applejack then tried to calm her down since she's pretty good at it. "Easy there, girl. What's wrong? What does it say?"

Fluttershy then just made a run for the door! "I can't let them get him! I won't!"

"Grab her!" Rainbow Dash yelled before she swooped right down at her. We all ponypiled onto Fluttershy to keep her from getting outside. I've never seen her that hysterical before!

"I need to find him! I... I don't want him to die!" Fluttershy kept sobbing hard while trying to wiggle out from under us. And did I ever mention how much it hurts to see Fluttershy cry?

Applejack put her head right beside Fluttershy's and tried to smile. "We know, sugarcube. That's why we're gonna get this all figured out. I'm tellin' ya the honest truth. James ain't gonna die. All right?"

Fluttershy looked so confused, kinda like she wanted to believe Applejack while still thinking that something really bad was gonna happen to James if we didn't find him soon. Twilight then smiled reassuringly, or she at least tried to. "We will, Fluttershy. He's our friend and we're going to make sure that Princess Celestia knows just how absurd this law is."

I think by then Fluttershy believed us. "OK... I just... I need to calm down..."

As we climbed off of her, Rarity smiled. "Don't worry, dear. We know you love him."

Rainbow Dash then asked while taking a really close look at the book Spike was holding, "Wait a sec. That law looks really old! You think maybe it's outdated?"

Twilight nodded right away and said, "More than likely. But how did James even learn about this law? He's never seemed like someone who has an interest in law, so I can't imagine him looking through a law book."

That sounded kinda funny. No way James would ever want to be a lawyer! "No kidding! Law is sooooo boring! He'd probably fall asleep if he even tried to read one!"

Applejack then asked, "Then how do y'all suppose he... Oh, don't tell me!"

Rainbow Dash must've been having the exact same thought since she then growled, "Yeah! I'll bet that's it! Diamond Tiara told him about it! That little witch was trying to blackmail him!"

Fluttershy sighed while she frowned. "To think she would go this low..."

However, Twilight raised her hoof at us. "Wait a minute. We can't be too sure of that. The note James left never once mentioned Diamond Tiara's name. Even though I wouldn't be surprised if she did have something to do with this, only James knows for sure."

Rainbow Dash then gave us her trademark confident smirk while flexing her wings. "If that's the case, I'll go find him. Leave it to me!"

Fluttershy nodded after glancing over at the note James left behind. "He did request that you go find him."

I then hopped forward, feeling super pumped and excited that things were getting interesting! "OK then! You go find him, Rainbow!"

Rainbow Dash then opened the front door to the library. "You got it. Wait here for me. I'll be back in ten minutes flat." And like that, she was gone.

I don't think anything interesting is gonna happen while we wait, so I'll stop writing here. When Rainbow Dash gets back, I'll let her write the rest of the journal! In any case, thanks for reading! I just hope James is going to be fine when this is all over.

---

Hey there! This is Rainbow Dash! You've probably heard of me. #1 flier in Equestria? First pegasus to ever do a Sonic Rainboom during the Best Flier Competition? The only pegasus with a rainbow-stripped mane and tail? Yeah, that's me!

Anyway, today was a mess. Turns out James disappeared from Ponyville and went into hiding in the Everfree Forest, of all places! Oh right, I guess I should tell you who James is. He's... Wait. Didn't Pinkie Pie already explain that? Let me check...

Yup! Pinkie Pie already explained it, so there's no point in me doing it too. In any case, he left behind a note saying that he wanted me to come find him since I'm the fastest flier around. Good choice!

Anyway, once I had met up with my friends, I went flying out to the Everfree Forest. This place gives me the creeps, but I guess James had the right idea in going there. Nopony in their right mind would ever set foot there.

I really reeeeeeeally didn't want to go through the forest on foot, so I flew overhead. Man, the canopy stretches for miles. Just a big sea of green.

I flew along for a little while before I found a huge gap in the canopy. A muddy swamp was below me. I think Fluttershy called it Froggy Bottom Bog. Wait... Froggy Bottom Bog?! Isn't that where a hydra lives?!

Even though that would be a good spot to find James, I was scared that the hydra might've gotten to him by then. I flew out over the middle of the swamp...er...bog and looked around. "Don't be dead, James..."

When I looked around for a minute, I saw someone waving at me next to one of them funky mangrove trees. Was that... Yeah, it was him! I swooped down and tackled him against the tree and gave him my tightest hug! "Darn it, James! I thought you were a goner! Don't ever pull something like that again!" Um... Did I tear up a bit when I found him? I hope he doesn't mention that to anypony. I've got a reputation to keep up!

Well, anyway... I felt James pat me on the back. "I'm guessing Fluttershy showed you the message. Am I right?" He said while looking down at me.

I nodded and explained what I was doing there. "Yeah. When the other girls showed me that note, I bolted over here to find you. I wasn't sure if you were gonna last long enough... Huh?" Was that...a pot lid tied to his arm? "James... Why is there a pot lid tied to your arm?"

He looked down at his arm before snickering. I guess even he thought it looked totally silly. "From what I know, Ponyville doesn't have an armory. So I had to use something makeshift as a shield. I don't know what lives out here in Everfree Forest, so I wanted to be on the safe side."

I looked at the shield and smirked. I guess I should've known better. James is smart. He would definitely plan ahead for a trip into this place. "Yeah, I guess it's better than nothing." It was then I remembered what I wanted to ask. "But anyway, what happened? Why are you even out here? Did that little brat have something to do with it?"

James replied, "Hang on... Are you suspecting Diamond Tiara?"

I groaned while throwing my hooves into the air. "Well, who else could it be?! That little witch's been a pain in the flank for you since the day you met her! And besides, that message you left behind mentioned that there's a law condemning humans and ponies falling in love! And Twilight mentioned that Diamond Tiara was in the library yesterday reading law books. When Fluttershy showed her the note, she put two and two together and thought Diamond Tiara pulled a fast one on you. But did she? I mean you're the only one who knows."

He got quiet for a moment, probably thinking back to whatever happened yesterday. "Well, all she really did was alert me to the law. I thought she was bluffing at first, but I found that law written in a book on page 83. Can't remember the title, but it's still in the library."

Page 83, huh? Looks like Spike got it right. "Uh huh... And Twilight said she wrote a note to Princess Celestia pointing out that you and Fluttershy are a couple now, right? No wonder you freaked out..."

Right after that, I smiled at James. "Ya know, it was really brave of you to hide out here in the Everfree Forest. But leave the rest to us. We'll put in a good word with Princess Celestia for you. She's not some kinda tyrant, so she'll probably make an exception for you and Fluttershy."

James gave me a look that seemed to show a lot of weight had been taken off his shoulders. "Thanks, Rainbow. You're always someone I can count on. But until I've officially been given a royal pardon, I can't go home. Please tell Fluttershy that and that I love her."

Yeah, that sounded just like him. James isn't the kind of guy who likes taking chances. But in any case, that reminded me of her. "Yeah... About her, she was really freaking out when she came into town. I've never seen her cry like that. She was really scared for you. Knowing you're OK will definitely calm her down."

James looked kinda pained from what I just told him. He let out a sigh and asked, "She was crying?"

I nodded and said, "Yeah... She was almost hysterical once all six of us had gathered at the library. Man, for her to get that worked up, she must be CRAZY for you. You're a really lucky guy, you know that?"

He let out another sigh, but also seemed to crack a smile. "Yeah... Really lucky... All I want right now is..... Wait a sec..."

Whoa, where did that shadow come from? I looked to my right and...dang. Was THAT the hydra Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy told me about?! That thing is HUGE! Probably bigger than an Ursa Minor! James looked at me and asked, "Lemme guess... That's a hydra?"

There was only one thing I could say that could do justice to the whole thing. "Eeeeeeeeeyup!" I know lots of ponies think I'm totally fearless, which I am, but that thing... Yikes.

That thing's four heads looked back and forth at James and me for a minute before all of them looked at him with creepy smirks. They were going after him! Well, no way was I gonna let some creep eat one of my best friends! "James, it's going after you! Get outta here! I'll hold it off!" I flew right up to that thing and kicked one of its heads. "C'mon, eight eyes! Wouldn't you rather have some fast food?!"

Sure enough, all four of them started snapping at me. But I just swooped between their necks and dazzled them with my Fantastic Filly Flash... OK, I'm going waaaay off topic here. I think James must've thought I was nuts since I heard him yell, "Girl, you crazy!"

I yelled back at him while staying on the move. "Get outta here, James! I'll keep this lunkhead busy until you're outta sight! And don't worry about me! No way a slowpoke like this can catch the fastest flier in Equestria!" He must've heard me since he made a break for the trees.

Once James was out of sight, I waved at the hydra. "Sorry, boys! I'd love to mess with ya more, but I gotta get back! See ya!" All four of them snapped at me one more time, but I was too fast for them anyway. I was still kinda worried about James being out there in the Everfree Forest by himself, but he was packing a pretty mean looking knife. I can't imagine him getting into a fight, but I'm pretty sure he'll be OK out there for one more night.

In any case, I hightailed it right back over to Twilight's place without stopping for anything. I was really tempted to go Sonic Rainboom on my way there, but I decided to hold off on that for another day when I had a bigger audience. In any case, I barged right into the library and shouted, "Found him!"

Pinkie Pie instantly looked my way and grinned in her usual excitement. "Ten minutes flat! Right on time! And you found him?!"

I nodded and trotted on in while strutting my stuff. "Yep! He was over at the Froggy Bottom Bog. And don't worry, Fluttershy. I made sure he got away when the hydra popped up."

Applejack asked with a freaked out expression, "Hydra?! It was there?! Are ya sure James got outta there OK?!"

"Yeah, don't worry. I kept that thing busy until he was long gone." I said while giving her a wink.

But then, Fluttershy glared at me. Was that the 'Stare' I had heard about? "If you found him, then why didn't you bring him home?!"

Man, Fluttershy has one intimidating glare. I grinned nervously while trying to calm her down. "Yeah... That... He told me he didn't want to take any chances. Until he knows for sure that Princess Celestia has pardoned you two, he's not coming home."

That look in Fluttershy's eyes quickly calmed down, but she also looked really disappointed and I don't blame her. "Oh... But...he was OK, right?"

I patted her on the shoulder. Had to try to be as friendly as possible to keep her spirits up. "Yeah, don't worry about that. He was in good shape when I found him. He'll be fine, Fluttershy. If he could survive one night out there, he can do it twice."

Fluttershy gave me a pretty worried smile, but Rarity then asked, "One moment, Rainbow Dash. Did you find out if Diamond Tiara was the one who revealed that absurd law to James?"

I frowned before I replied. I knew they were gonna be really ticked off by what I was about to say. "Yeah. She's the one who showed him."

Twilight frowned while talking really sternly, "Then we need to pay a visit to Ponyville Elementary. This is the last straw."

Applejack nodded while flexing and cracking her ankle joints. "Yeah. I've been tryin' ta tolerate her abusin' Apple Bloom, but this is goin' way too far!"

Rarity then stepped forward with her head held high. "Then let us be off! It's time to confront that wretched filly!"

Pinkie Pie then looked back at Spike and waved with that goofy grin she always shows, even in serious moments like that. "Watch the place for us, Spike! We'll be back!"

Spike nodded before giving us all a salute. "You got it! Good luck!"

We all marched right out of the library and towards the schoolhouse. And... Well, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but I was going outta my way to keep out of Fluttershy's way. That look... Man, I've never seen her look that ticked off before!

Well, we got to the schoolhouse without any trouble. We didn't talk much on the way, probably because of how mad we were. Seriously, what the hay is wrong with that kid to try to blackmail someone with a death threat?!

We all went into the lobby and waited while Twilight looked into the schoolroom. It was pretty quiet. Maybe they were taking a test? In any case, Cheerilee looked our way while Twilight motioned for her to come to us. "Cheerilee? I need to speak to you. It's urgent."

Cheerilee looked back at the students and spoke up quietly, but loud enough for all the kids to hear her. "Excuse me for a minute, class." I could see Diamond Tiara sitting at the far end at the head of the class. Man, I just wanted to fly over to her and sock her one!

"Hello, Twilight... Oh, what are all of you doing here?" Cheerilee asked once she was standing in front of us in the lobby.

"Beggin' yer pardon, Cheerilee, but we're here on important business. We've gotta see Diamond Tiara." Applejack spoke next while doing a really good job of keeping her anger under wraps.

I'm guessing Cheerilee was starting to get worried from our angry expressions. We were trying to be civil, but it wasn't easy not looking really peeved. "Did something happen? You all seem very troubled. What did she do this time?"

I finally decided to speak my piece. "She tricked James into hiding out in the Everfree Forest, that's what!"

Yeah, I can tell Cheerilee really didn't see that one coming. "Wait... The Everfree Forest?! What happened?!"

Rarity then took one step forward and asked, "You do know she has been very hostile towards James lately, do you not?"

Cheerilee nodded right away. "Yes, I heard he somehow took away her cutie mark as punishment for her actions. I did not pay any mind to it. I thought for sure it would teach her that her actions have consequences. But... Did she really?"

Pinkie Pie gave Cheerilee a big scowl. And you know Pinkie doesn't make looks like that unless it's serious. "Yeah! She found this really old outdated law in an old law book saying that romantic relationships between humans and ponies are punishable by the death penalty! She told James about it to blackmail him into giving her back her cutie mark!"

Fluttershy then spoke up with an equally serious scowl. "James is my boyfriend, Miss Cheerilee."

I think that was all we needed to say. Cheerilee stuck her head back into the classroom and spoke in a pretty loud voice. "Diamond Tiara! In the lobby! NOW!" Ooooh man, I can only imagine the look on her face.

We could hear the other students jeering at Diamond Tiara when Cheerilee looked back at us. I think I heard Scootaloo laugh, "Oooooh, sounds like Miss Cheerilee is ticked off! Whatcha do this time, Tiara?"

That rotten little filly came to the doorway with a very annoyed look on her face. "OK, I'm here... Huh?"

Cheerilee got between her and the doorway that led back into the schoolroom while the rest of us glared down at her. "Um... What're you all doing here?"

I snorted before growling at her, "Don't you dare act like you did nothing wrong, you little witch. We know what you did."

Twilight then asked, "James. Do you know where he is?"

I think Diamond Tiara knew she was in trouble when we mentioned his name. "Um... What about him? He was supposed to return my cutie mark this evening."

Applejack then bared her teeth a little while letting out a really long and menacing sigh. "Or else ya would tell Princess Celestia about 'im and Fluttershy so they would be executed? Even she don't know 'bout that law!"

Diamond Tiara looked pretty shocked by that. "What?! Then...nothing will happen?! Darn it! I'll just have to think of something else..."

That little... No remorse at all! I stomped my hoof in front of her and tried hard to not yell. "You little nitwit! Do you have any idea what you did?!"

She backed away from me when I said that. "What... What did I do?!"

"James took your threat very seriously. Instead of giving in to your demands like a coward, he chose to protect dear Fluttershy by hiding in the Everfree Forest so the proper authorities could not get any proof of the so-called crime! You just put his life in danger!" Rarity explained while giving that little punk one of the most menacing glares I had ever seen on her.

Diamond Tiara shouted right out of nowhere. Looks like her plans had gone up in smoke. "WHAT?! He wasn't supposed to do that! That idiot! He was supposed to give me my..."

Whoa... Fluttershy didn't even let her finish. She got right up in her face while looking more ticked off than I've ever seen her before... Oh, wait. There was that time at the Grand Galloping Gala. I'd say she looked just as mad back then as she did right there. "Idiot?! The only idiot around here is you! You've been nothing but a thorn in our sides and now you've sent one of our dearest friends into one of the most dangerous places in Equestria! James is my boyfriend! I love him very VERY much! And you... You are the most selfish, egotistical, cruel...EVIL! Yes, evil filly I have ever known! I swear, if he dies out there, I can't be held responsible for what I might do to you!"

Dang... I think Fluttershy may have really struck a nerve. Diamond Tiara was utterly cowering before her. Tears were rolling down her face, probably just out of fear. "Woo! You go, Fluttershy! You tell her like it is!" Pinkie Pie cheered while applauding. Fluttershy didn't really reply. She was just glaring at Diamond Tiara while breathing hard. Man, I was afraid to say anything to her at that point!

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Scootaloo peeking through the doorway. Oh man... Did she hear everything? I inched over to her and asked, "What's up, Scoot?"

She then asked with a really worried expression, "Rainbow Dash... Is he really out in the Everfree Forest?" Yeah, not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but Scootaloo and James have become really tight lately. Almost like a brother and sister, if you can believe that!

Anyway, I nodded before trying to perk her up. "Yeah, he is... But don't worry! I saw him today. He's doing fine out there. I'll even bet fifty bits that he'll be home tomorrow. Just give him a little time, OK?"

Scootaloo nodded with a little smile, but I could tell she was still worried sick. It wouldn't surprise me if she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders decided to take matters into their own hooves at some point. "OK... I'll wait for him. If you see him again, please tell James I said hi."

I nodded and rubbed Scootaloo's head. "You got it, squirt. Now, get back to your test. I know it's boring, but it's gotta be done."

That little sparkplug saluted me and said, "Yes, ma'am!" I watched as she went back to her desk. She then seemed to whisper something to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"Just stay outta trouble..." I muttered to myself. I hope I don't end up regretting telling her what I did.

Cheerilee spoke up while Fluttershy still hadn't budged from where she stood. "Miss Fluttershy, please calm down. I will make certain that Diamond Tiara is properly disciplined for this most recent grievance."

That wasn't enough for Applejack, judging by what she said next. "No can do this time, Cheerilee. This time, I'm gonna make sure her pappy knows about everythin' she's done. Not just ta James, but ta everypony she's ever crossed. She's gotten away with her nonsense for far too long, and I ain't gonna stand for it any longer."

Rarity nodded while moving up beside her. "I'll go with you, Applejack. I shall provide details since I have personally witnessed her most recent acts of violence."

Twilight then glared at Diamond Tiara, who looked way too scared to say anything with Fluttershy still up in her face. "You are in a world of trouble, young lady. I'll be sure to mention this to Princess Celestia as well."

Just before we could say anything else, Pinkie Pie pointed into the classroom. "Um... Cheerilee?" Turns out all of the students had gathered near the door and were watching the whole thing.

Cheerilee looked back at the classroom before looking back at us. "Oh dear... It seems this confrontation is creating quite a distraction. Could we wrap this up? I need to make sure my students finish their tests on time."

Twilight nodded with a stern frown still on her face. "Right, so sorry to have been a bother, Cheerilee. But please keep a close eye on Diamond Tiara. After this last stunt, I wouldn't trust her at all."

Cheerilee nodded while also looking pretty serious. "I will. And good luck on finding your friend. He really does seem like a nice person and is very good with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo." She then walked back into the classroom with Diamond Tiara, who looked like she might as well have been on death row. I almost felt sorry for her, but after this last stunt, all my sympathy was tossed out the window. "All right, class. Let's get back to the test."

We had turned to leave, but Fluttershy was still standing where she had been yelling at Diamond Tiara. "Fluttershy, let's get going." I said to her, not wanting her to be left behind. There wasn't any business in us sticking around the schoolhouse.

Fluttershy turned and followed us, but... That face. It looked so...drained. As soon as we were outside, she collapsed with a thud. "Whoa! What's wrong?!" I asked while I sat by her side. The rest of our friends gathered around too.

Big tears were rolling down Fluttershy's cheeks. "I'm sorry... I'm just so scared... I've never gone through anything like this before..."

Applejack patted her on the shoulder, but she also looked pretty worried too. "None of us have, sugarcube. We're worried sick too. And I know it's especially hard on ya because of just how much he means to you."

Rarity then helped her stand up while showing a smile. "Chin up, darling. James loves you too much to allow himself to die out there in that dreadful forest. He will survive and we will make sure he comes home safe and sound. So please, have faith in your beloved."

Fluttershy bowed her head before smiling in a sad way. Does that make any sense? Smiling while still looking sad? In any case, she spoke softly, "Thank you..."

"Come on, Fluttershy! Say that with a real smile! He's gonna be fine! And it's all because he has friends like us to help him out!" Pinkie Pie said with a big grin. Heh, she always tries to keep her chin up in situations like this. That's pretty awesome.

"I'll try... It's just..." Fluttershy muttered before stopping short.

Twilight smiled at her too before talking. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. I'll contact Princess Celestia about this matter as soon as I get back home. I'm sure she'll think of something to help."

Well, right after that, we headed back into Ponyville. Applejack and Rarity have gone to see Diamond Tiara's folks while I'm heading back to the library with Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. I think I'm done writing for now. I really hope James is gonna be OK out there for at least one more day. The guy's pretty timid and laidback, so I worry about him sometimes. Still, he's a great friend and I really do appreciate his levelheaded approach to everything. Guess that's because I totally lack it!

Anyway, I'm stopping here. I just hope whatever Twilight has in mind helps us get James home faster.

---

Howdy there, folks. This is Applejack writing today. You all probably know me as the local country girl who runs Sweet Apple Acres with one mean kick. In any case, I'm giving my two bits on this whole mess like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash did.

In any case, it looks like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie already did a nice job of explaining what's been going on today. No need to backtrack and explain everything, I reckon. Anyway, Rarity and I hurried on over to the jewelry store that Diamond Tiara's mom runs. If memory serves, I think her name's Ruby Ring.

When we were standing outside the front door, Rarity held her hoof up to stop me from just barging in. "Now, Applejack. I know this is a stressful situation, but we don't want to frighten anypony. Let's be as civilized as possible."

I really didn't care for that idea. "Ya kiddin' me? I'd say that Diamond Tiara's folks are the ones responsible for this whole mess. They've been screwin' up on raisin' her if she turned out like this!"

Rarity just shook her head at me. "Well, I certainly can't deny that they may have some fault in this. But I have met them before. They certainly do not give me the impression of being awful ponies. Just let me take the lead for now." I had nothing to say to that, so I decided to just follow her lead for the moment.

Rarity led the way into the jewelry store. Pretty nice place, to be honest. There weren't any customers in there at the moment, but there was somepony minding the cash register. "Huh? Filthy Rich? Ain't ya supposed ta be over at Barnyard Bargains right now?"

Turns out Diamond Tiara's dad was minding the store. He didn't seem all that keen for watching the place though. "Oh, hello there, Applejack. My wife had to step out for a bit, so I'm watching the store for her. Can I help you?"

I let Rarity get in the first words. "Actually, we are not here to do business, Mr. Rich. We have come here to alert you to an unfortunate incident involving your...daughter."

Filthy let out a sigh, almost as if he knew what we were getting at. "Oh boy, what happened this time? Must be pretty extreme for you to come see me directly."

I barged past Rarity and told Filthy to his face. "She blackmailed one of our friends inta hidin' in the Everfree Forest! That extreme enough for ya?!"

I normally don't raise my voice, but this warranted an exception. In any case, Filthy looked at me with a look that seemed to show real shock. "Wait... My daughter did WHAT?!"

Rarity explained before I could get anything else in. "You may have noticed that her cutie mark has been missing for a week now. That was the result of our dear friend punishing her for repeatedly tormenting Applejack's and my little sisters. She did not take kindly to that and began to attempt to do him harm every single day since then. Yesterday, she used some convincing information to try to force him into returning her cutie mark. He took the information very seriously and is now hiding in the Everfree Forest. Alone."

Man, that look on Filthy's face said it all. He looked mad, shocked, but ashamed too. I stepped forward and gave him my sternest glare. "Ya heard that right, Filthy. Our friend is out there, alone, barely armed, and with nopony ta back 'im up if he runs inta trouble. Yer daughter's been nothin' but a nuisance ta my sister, but I'm puttin' my hoof down this time! If James gets eaten by a hydra out there, I'm gonna be holdin' ya responsible! Got it?!"

He didn't say anything at first. Rarity then looked at me and spoke, "Applejack, I think you may have gone too far."

I shook my head. At that moment, I didn't give a rotten apple core on what anypony thought. "I don't care. I've been tryin' ta be patient waitin' for Diamond Tiara ta change 'er ways, and she really crossed the line with this last stunt. I ain't gonna soften the blow this time."

Finally, Filthy Rich spoke up while letting out a sigh. "No, it's all right, Miss Rarity... She's right. I've known about my daughter's problems in school for a while now and I thought I was addressing them correctly. I see now that I wasn't being strict enough."

I nodded while making sure to not let up on my criticism. "Yeah. And ya better fix that before she does somethin' even worse. If ya don't, she might end up takin' a knife to 'is throat when we bring 'im home. If he lasts long enough out there, that is..."

He winced at that line. "Good lord, I swear I won't let it come to that. Leave this whole situation to me, Applejack. And thank you for bringing this to my attention." Filthy then smiled before... Heh, I hope he doesn't read this. I know he prefers to be called Rich, but Filthy is first in his name. "In any case, would you like to pick up anything while you're here?"

I didn't have any interest in jewelry at the time, but Rarity seemed to get excited by the offer. "Ooh! Well, if you insist, I've had my eye on some..."

There she went again, what with her prissy pants obsession with fancy stuff! I groaned, "Rarity, we don't got time for that right now. Save it for later!"

Rarity chuckled nervously when I called her out on that. I thought she was finally somepony who sees the big picture by now. "Oh, right... My apologies, Mr. Rich, but we really should be rendezvousing with our friends right now."

He nodded while looking a little calmer than before. "I understand. And once again, I apologize for my daughter's behavior. I swear I won't let her repeat them."

I gave him one last frown to make sure I still had my eye on him and his kid. "Y'all better not. I'm all outta patience with that filly. And good luck with settin' her straight." We then moseyed on outta there and headed back to Twilight's place.

"Did we really have to leave so suddenly, Applejack? There were quite a few trinkets in there I wanted to inspect!" Rarity complained as we walked through town.

I rolled my eyes at her. We might get along pretty well now, but her obsession with stuff like that really grates on my nerves now and then. "Y'all know we don't have time ta indulge in that stuff, Rarity. Besides, didn't James getcha somethin' a few days back?"

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks and raised her right hoof. Had she been wearing that all day without my noticing? "Of course... How could I forget this priceless little keepsake?" It looked like a silver bracelet that had opals all over it.

"Ya wear that all the time?" I asked while looking closely at it. Now that I think about it, she wears that almost everywhere she goes. Guess she must really like it.

"Oh, yes. I wear this at all times. I woke up one morning to find it around my hoof. It turns out that James had purchased it for me without my knowing as a gift for allowing him to stay with me. Such a gentleman." Rarity said while closely inspecting the bracelet.

I chuckled a little at how she didn't stop gawking at it. "He ever ask ya out on a date?"

I can tell I ruffled Rarity's feathers with that one. At least I would've if she was a pegasus. "Oh, him?! Of course not! I mean... I could never get between him and Fluttershy. She's my best friend! But even then..." She looked at her bracelet again, "He is still very dear to me. And I want to see him brought home as soon as possible."

"In that case, enough stallin'! Let's get ta Twilight's place!" I said with a grin. Rarity followed me as I galloped through town before Twilight's house came into view.

All the girls were inside when we went in. Poor Fluttershy still looked worried out of her mind, but good old Pinkie Pie was staying by her to keep her spirits up. In any case, I asked, "Hey there, everypony. Got any news?"

Twilight gave me a smile while the girls gathered around. "I just sent a message to Princess Celestia explaining to her what we discovered as well as what has happened. I even included James and Fluttershy's names."

Rarity didn't seem to like the sound of that idea right off the bat. "Oh dear... Are you sure that was a good idea?"

I wasn't too keen on making their relationship known to the princess just yet either. Last thing we need is a bunch of royal guards showing up at Fluttershy's front door. "Do ya think we should've waited a little longer?"

Spike walked up to me and smiled. "Don't worry about it! She already said she doesn't even know about that law, so...erk..."

Spike wasn't looking too good right there, so I tried to check on him. "What's the matter, Spike? Y'all got somethin' in yer... Whoa, nelly!" I ducked just in time to avoid his fiery burp. Wouldn't be the first time, so I kinda saw it coming.

"I hope it's nothing but good news..." Fluttershy said as the flames turned into a scroll.

Spike grabbed it out of the air and started reading it to us. "Dear Twilight Sparkle... I understand the situation now and am very sorry that you happened to stumble across that law. Please believe me when I say that such prejudice will never be tolerated in Equestria. I have dispatched a platoon of royal guards to search the Everfree Forest by air. When they return, I will update you on the situation immediately. Be strong. Your friend is in good hooves now. And tell Fluttershy that she and your friend have my blessings."

Fluttershy's face brightened right as soon as she heard that last line. "You mean...she's OK with me and James being together?!"

Spike rolled up the scroll and handed it to Twilight. "Looks like it. I don't see what the big deal is anyway."

Pinkie Pie then gave Fluttershy an Ursa hug while squealing as happily as a sow in fresh mud. "You see, Fluttershy?! There's nothing wrong with you and James being sweethearts! Everything's gonna be OK!"

Fluttershy let out a big sigh before returning that hug. "Thank goodness..."

Rainbow Dash then patted her on the back. "Don't worry about anything from now on, Fluttershy. Once they find James, everything's gonna be all right."

I nodded too while letting out a huge sigh of relief. "Well, that takes a load off my chest. And those guards are pretty thorough in search and rescue, if nothin' else. They'll find 'im. I know it."

Rarity smiled while she took a seat on the floor. "Then all we can do is wait. I just hope James doesn't run into trouble before the guards can find him."

Pinkie Pie then spoke up while putting her hoof over Rarity's mouth. "Don't jinx him! What if something's listening?!"

Twilight giggled at that little quip. Some things just don't ever change. "Oh, don't worry about that, Pinkie. Jinxes are the same as curses. And as we've already established, curses aren't real."

That goofy party girl giggled, "Ooh, right. Sorry... Oh, wait! If there's nothing else for us to do, I need to get back to Sugarcube Corner! I think I left the oven on!"

I gulped at that thought. The Cakes would probably kick her out if she set the place on fire! "Whoa! Y'all better get goin' then! Tell the Cakes we said hi!"

Pinkie nodded as she ran for the door, "Will do! I'll tell them just before I bake them!"

We all just looked at her in silence before Fluttershy muttered, "Wait... You don't mean..."

Rainbow Dash groaned while holding her head in her hoof. "Not THOSE kinds of cakes, Pinkie! We meant your bosses!" We all got a good laugh out of that just before Pinkie left.

I then nodded while remembering some things I still had to do. "She's got a point there. I need ta get goin' too. Those apples ain't gonna buck themselves."

Rarity grinned while brushing her mane out of her face. "If James were here, he would likely say 'Of course they can't. They don't have legs.' Am I right?"

Fluttershy got a bit of a giggle out of that one. "Yes, he would say that..." Her smile quickly became a frown though. I could tell why.

I walked over to Fluttershy and laid my hoof on her shoulder. "He's gonna be OK, Fluttershy. How 'bout I walk ya home?"

She looked at me and gave me a smile while somehow still looking a might down. "OK... Thank you, Applejack."

A little bit later, I was on my way back to Fluttershy's cottage with Fluttershy herself by my side. She didn't talk much, but I tried to perk her up with some friendly conversation. "So...uh... Fluttershy. Does James have any pets like you do?"

Fluttershy shook her head before talking. "No... Although he did say he's had lots of pets back home. Like frogs, turtles, a snake, dogs... What else was there?"

I chuckled, never knowing James is such an animal lover. Guess I should introduce him to Winona sometime. In case you don't know, she's my herding dog. "Never knew he was that good with animals. No wonder the two of ya get along so well."

She giggled really softly. "Maybe. He's gotten along very well with all the animals I've introduced him to." I felt relieved I was able to make her smile about something. When Fluttershy's feeling down, I swear everypony feels down. Or maybe that's just me.

The two of us just chatted on and on about all sorts of stuff, but I won't bore you with the details. Probably wouldn't be too enticing anyway. You know, stuff that only sounds interesting between friends. Anyway, we finally made it to Fluttershy's cottage.

"Well, here we are, Fluttershy." I spoke up while surveying the place.

Fluttershy nodded before looking at me. "Thank you for your company, Applejack. That walk and chat did help me feel better."

I gave her a nuzzle all friendly like. "Glad it helped, but don't you fret none. James is gonna be fine now that the royal guards are searchin' for 'im."

She nodded, but also gave me a frown. "I hope so... We've been together for such a short time, but..."

I knew exactly where she was going with that. The girls and I have only known James for one week. Even so, in that short time we've all gotten pretty tight with him. He's a good guy. Even though him and I aren't the closest of buddies, he's still my friend. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a might worried about him at the time.

I patted Fluttershy on the shoulder again to try to reassure her. "Like I said, don't you fret. I'm sure he'll be OK when this is all over."

Fluttershy nodded a bit again, looking a bit more relaxed. I then smiled and said, "Now, I gotta get back to Sweet Apple Acres. Still got plenty of apples ta harvest."

Fluttershy nuzzled me goodbye right on the cheek. "OK... Take care, Applejack. And please let me know if anything happens." I nodded, said my goodbyes, and headed on my way.

Once I got back home, I gathered up a few bushels and dragged them out to the orchard and placed them under a tree that was still chock full of apples. I turned around and gave that tree a buck with both of my hind legs. Sure enough, every last apple fell out of the tree and into the bushels.

I gathered up one of the bushels onto my back and... Aw, who am I kidding? Nopony wants to read about actually harvesting apples. They only wanna eat them! I guess I'll stop writing here. Kind of hard to do that with a heavy bushel on your back anyway. In any case, thanks for reading! Now I gotta get back to work.

---

Um... Hello. My name is Fluttershy. I'm the very timid...and pretty yellow pegasus mare who lives just north of Sweet Apple Acres. At least some ponies say I'm pretty... I don't know if I'm pretty... I mean, I guess everypony is entitled to their opinion. I mean, I guess I must be pretty to have become a model for Photo Finish once. I know my boyfriend thinks I'm pretty...

Am I going off topic? I'm sorry... My boyfriend has been writing journals since he showed up in Ponyville one week ago, so I think it would be a good idea if I did it too. A lot has happened today, so it seems journal worthy too. If you want to read what happened today, you can keep reading. But you don't have to if you don't want to. I can't make you read it, but... It's OK if you don't want to read it...

I'm sorry. It's just that today has been very stressful for me. My boyfriend, James, disappeared in the night. When I woke, up, I found... Oh, wait. I think Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack already wrote journals of their own today. Maybe I should just skip ahead to parts that haven't been mentioned yet.

Applejack had walked me home from Twilight's house after we got word back from Princess Celestia. When she left, I tried to do something to take my mind off of my stress. I had already fed all the animals around my home for the morning. What else could I do?

I noticed one of my chickens wandering around by the side of my cottage. Was that Elizabeak? Oh, of course it was. She gets out more often than any of my other chickens. I walked over to her and smiled before lowering my face to her. "And where do you think you're going, young lady?"

Elizabeak looked right up at me, but then went to pecking at the ground as she walked away from me. I didn't want her to get lost with the Everfree Forest being so close by, so I did the only thing I could think of to get her back to the coop. I jumped in front of her and gave her my 'Stare'. She froze in her tracks and started to back away from me.

"Go on, Elizabeak. Time to go back to the coop." I spoke while making sure to keep my Stare going. She turned and started fluttering back to the coop while making such cute soft little clucking sounds. "Such a good chicken."

I made sure to close the pen once I got her back inside. But before I left, I noticed the empty pail next to the coop. "The eggs... I forgot to collect them this morning." Well, at least I found something to do that should keep me busy.

I hovered over to the entrance to the coop and crawled inside. It was hard for me to get in while carrying the pail in my mouth, so I hooked the pail's handle on my tail and pulled it inside after me. All of the chickens were outside, so there was no one to get in the way.

I had no trouble collecting the eggs and putting them in the pail. I guess I could go into detail on how I did it... Wait, I don't think most ponies would be interested in reading about that. I mean, I wouldn't mind writing it. It's just... Most would probably find it boring. I'm sorry.

I carried the pail of eggs into my cottage and took them to the kitchen. But once I was done there and came back into the living room, my eyes fell upon the bottom of the stairs. That... That was where I found the note James wrote...

Oh, I think I forgot to mention him. James is my boyfriend. He's a human... I did not know that humans even existed until I met him. He was so timid when we first met... So sensitive... Just like me.

He has been so sweet to me ever since we met... I liked how quickly he opened up to me when we first met. He made such a good first impression with me. He has never belittled us ponies even though he's completely different from us. Well...except for that one time at the park, but that was just a slip of the tongue. I know he didn't mean to say it like that...

He has never tried to use or take advantage of me. He is always very patient with me. Most other stallions would just push me around and make me do things for them... I love him... I love him so much. I don't care if there is a law forbidding us from being together. I love him!

I felt tears trickling down my face as I remembered him. I knew that there were royal guards trying to find him out there in the Everfree Forest. But...I couldn't stop worrying. What if they don't find him in time? What if that hydra finds him again? What if...

I collapsed from the stress I was feeling. I buried my face in my forelegs and just cried. James... I miss you... Please don't die out there...

I'm not sure how long I stayed there. I may have cried myself to sleep. I woke up when I felt someone tapping me on my leg. When I looked up, I found Angel looking at me with a very worried expression.

"Angel... I'm sorry if I worried you..." I muttered weakly. Angel has always been very supportive of me whenever I have had a bad day. In any case, he pointed at the front door. There was a knock a second later. "Who could that be?"

I hurried over to the door and opened it. And standing outside was my best friend, Rarity. I must have been asleep for a while. The sky was dark and the moon was hanging in the sky. "Oh, Rarity! What brings you out here?" I asked with a smile. I did not want her to know I had been crying.

"Oh, I came out here to let you know we finally received word from Princess Celestia! Maybe they found him!" She exclaimed with a very excited smile on her face.

Already?! I gasped, "They have?! Really?!" I felt my heart leap at those words. I was almost expecting to see him within the hour. James was coming home!

However, Rarity frowned slightly right away. "Well, I can't say for sure. Twilight sent word to us before she read the scroll. She wants us all present at her home when she reads it."

I ran out the door and down the path in front of my house. I could not wait! "Then let's go! Hurry!"

Rarity closed the door and ran after me. "Goodness, Fluttershy! I have never seen you get this worked up about anything!"

I could only reply with a smile, "My boyfriend is probably coming home tonight. I have every right to be this excited!"

We ran through Ponyville without stopping for anything. Maybe... Maybe James was already at Twilight's house by now! I must have been excited since Rarity was having a hard time catching up to me. "Darling, wait up! I'm excited that he might be all right too, but I'm... Just please wait!"

I could not bring myself to stop running. But I did at least wait for Rarity to catch up to me before going into Twilight's house. She had her head hanging low, a lot of sweat dripping off of her. Was she sprinting the whole way? "Um... Just how fast was I going?" I asked, worried that I had made Rarity mad at me.

She panted, "Oh no, of...course not... It is...perfectly understandable why...you are so...invigorated to...hurry over here..." After taking a deep breath, she then smiled at me. "But now that we're here, let's not delay."

I pushed the door open and ran inside. "James?! Honey?!" I could not help shouting.

"Whoa, easy there, Fluttershy! He's not here yet!" Rainbow Dash spoke while looking at me. All four of my friends were present, but James was nowhere to be seen...

Applejack frowned while she adjusted her hat. "Sorry, Fluttershy. I know ya had yer hopes up, but we haven't even looked at what Princess Celestia sent us yet. We were waitin' for ya and Rarity ta show up first."

I sighed while I looked at the floor. "Oh... I see. Then the message?"

Spike then held up a scroll and said, "It's right here!"

Rarity then stepped forward. She looked very determined. "Then let's not wait any longer."

Twilight smiled while looking at our cute little dragon friend and asked, "Spike, if you don't mind?"

Spike nodded and unfurled the scroll. It was pretty big too. It was probably twice Spike's height. "OK... Um... Dear Twilight, the royal guards I sent out to search the Everfree Forest were ordered to return to Canterlot as soon as the sun had set. When they returned, they provided me with the information they had amassed out there. As it turns out, they found James."

I could not contain myself at those words. I jumped and hovered for a second while squealing out my joy. "YES!!!"

"Hehehee, take it easy, Fluttershy! We haven't heard the rest yet!" Pinkie Pie said with a giggle while looking up at me.

I think I may have blushed when I landed and folded my wings. "Sorry... It's just..."

Twilight shook her head while smiling at me. "No need to apologize, Fluttershy. Spike, please continue."

Spike looked back at the scroll and continued speaking. "Unfortunately, they were not able to reach him. They stumbled across him entirely by chance as they were evacuating upon nightfall. What is more, it seems he was being pursued by...some sort of dark creatures. I had instructed the guards to not engage in combat of any sort, so they did not render assistance."

I felt my heart race. James...was in danger?! I felt weak and began to sway, but Spike then spoke, "Do not fear though. He was easily able to outrun them. What is more, I think I have a good idea of where he is at this moment. At the time they saw him, James seemed to be heading in the direction of the castle ruins where you and your friends defeated Nightmare Moon. I am certain he will be safe there for the night. If he is as smart as I suspect he is, he will remain there until tomorrow."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness... He was still in the Everfree Forest, but at least he would be safe tonight. But...wait. If the guards found him, why did they not try to bring him home? Almost as if Princess Celestia knew what I was thinking, Spike spoke aloud again. "Please understand why the guards did not evacuate James when they found him. With how deep he was in the Everfree Forest at the time, it would have been very hazardous to escort him through the forest and an airlift would have been difficult due to his size and with the canopy in the way. Especially with creatures like his pursuers lurking about."

Applejack spoke up while flexing her neck. "Well, that explains a lot."

Spike then spoke, "I think this is the last part... Twilight, I feel this situation requires my personal attention. Tomorrow morning, Luna and I will be paying a visit to Ponyville. Please do not worry. I assure you no harm will come to your friend. I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow as well as meeting your new friend. Her royal highness, Princess Celestia."

Twilight gasped in excitement. "Both of the princesses are coming tomorrow?! That's amazing! We almost never see them together!"

Pinkie Pie added, "At least now we know James is OK out there. But how will we get him home tomorrow?"

Rainbow Dash smirked while patting her hoof against her chest. "That's easy! Fluttershy and I will fly out to those ruins and tell him the good news! Right, Fluttershy?"

At any other time, I would have been terrified to go that deep into the Everfree Forest. But if we stayed above the canopy... And if it was to bring my boyfriend home... I nodded with a smile. "That sounds like a good plan."

Rarity then smiled at me . "You two take care when you head out. Stay above the treetops."

Applejack then said, "They ain't goin' yet, Rarity. And James ain't goin' anywhere 'til mornin'. So we can wait."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Yes, it would be dangerous to try to get him out of there at this hour. Although I am curious what those dark creatures were that Princess Celestia mentioned..."

After a second, a scary thought entered my mind. I gasped, "Do you think they were...Changelings?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head. "Nah! Changelings can fly! There's no way James could've outrun those!"

I smiled a bit. She was right. Changelings do have wings. "Good point."

Rarity then asked, "Well, it is starting to get rather late. What should we do now?"

Twilight looked towards a bookshelf and used her magic to bring a book to us. "Let's figure out exactly which way to go when Rainbow and Fluttershy go to get James tomorrow. We all know where the Everfree Forest is, but the castle ruins is what we need to find specifically."

She opened the book to what looked like a really old map. "Aha! Right there! The ruins are directly west. All you need to do is keep flying west and you'll find it. Also, you remember how they were in a wide-open area with no trees covering them, right? That should make them easy to spot."

Rainbow Dash nodded while showing a determined smirk. "Easy peasy! This'll be a snap!

I smiled while feeling so much more confident. "Yes, it does seem like a very simple approach. We shouldn't have any trouble at all."

Applejack then spoke while yawning. "Then it's settled. We're countin' on ya girls ta find 'im tomorrow. But anyway, it's getting' late and I need ta close up the barn before bed. Let's all see this through in the mornin', all right?"

Twilight replied while rubbing her eyes, "Sounds like a plan. See you all tomorrow, everypony. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Oki doki loki! See ya tomorrow, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie replied happily. One by one, we all headed out the door and went home.

Right now, it's very late. I'm... What is wrong with me? It is very late. Maybe around midnight by now. I am resting in bed, but I just can't sleep...

I'm looking at the other side of my bed. No one is there... It feels so lonely to be sleeping in my bed alone after sleeping with the man I love more than once. I know he is safe right now, but...

I love him so much... I want him to come home. But I'm so tired too... I think I will try taking some sleep aids.

OK, I just had some sleep aids. Maybe now I can get to sleep. But I'm still so worried. Maybe if I try thinking happy thoughts... Thoughts of James... I can almost feel him holding me... Running his fingers through my mane.

I hope this little journal thing wasn't boring to read. I mean, I think some ponies might have thought it was boring. I mean, I guess it's OK if you think it's boring. I just wanted to get my feelings down on paper. I hope I did a good job.

I'm going to sleep now. If anypony is reading this, good night. Or if it is morning, good morning. Or good afternoon? Well, in any case, thank you for reading. I just hope this whole mess works out in the end. I just want everything to go back to normal.....