"Everypony, I ask that for the duration we look into these cases, you remain calm. It's difficult for the authorities to work with so much panic. With all that said, thank you. We will now continue with the regular scheduled programming." Celestia's voice sounded from the radio, an almost static-y filter over it. A yellow hoof turns the volume knob slightly, the pony awaiting her friend's input.
After a few moments of silence, she speaks. "Pinkie, I'm scared..." her voice shakes slightly. "With all this stuff happening, things almost don't feel real anymore." She lays her head down on the pastel table, wishing the familiar atmosphere of Sugarcube Corner had some solace to give. To the mare's dismay, her fear seems to have reached a plateau, and it wouldn't be going down any time soon.
Setting a cake on the counter, a curly-haired pony responds, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy." She lifts a mint green piping bag with her teeth and adjusts its position in her mouth a few times before decorating the iced chocolate cake in front of her. On the top surface, she writes "We're doomed!" in neat calligraphy, surrounded by various shapes and squiggles that likely represent confetti. The mare chuckles sadly. "I don't blame you, though. Ever since Mr. and Mrs. Cake disappeared, it started feeling like things will never return to normal." She sprinkled some chocolate chips and cut strawberries across her dessert.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Fluttershy strains her voice, pushing past the painful lump in her throat. "I just want to be happy with my best friends and not be afraid of losing them!" In response, the pink pony slowly approaches her, placing a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. She can feel Fluttershy's breathing accelerate, and is soon able to see a small puddle of tears leaking through the crack between her friend's hooves and the table.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34vvcIdhUx
The two stay still like this for a few moments, allowing themselves to feel as the dread of the situation weighs down on them. It's really sinking in now that life won't be the same anymore. Over ten Ponyville residents vanished without a trace this past month alone, and the environmental evidence really shows. The flowers aren't blooming quite as bright anymore, the clouds linger longer in the sky on scheduled sunny days, and the streets and buildings are so ominously empty. It's as if everypony were waiting in their homes for some cosmic threat to wipe out the entirety of Equestria.
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With a jingle of the door bell, a familiar purple mare frantically enters the cake shop, satchels full of books swinging across her sides. Pinkie's eyes flick up to meet hers. The unicorn wears a sleepless, anxious expression, her mane loosely tied back in a bun and her glasses slightly crooked on the bridge of her muzzle. "Girls! It's so good to see you both safe." She exhales with relief as she trots to the table. On the way, she catches a glance of the cake on the counter, the stress of the dire situation quickly returning.
Twilight clears her throat. "I'll go ahead and cut to the chase; there is no identifiable pattern between the disappearances." Her horn glows a soft sparkling magenta, as does the notebook levitating out of her satchel. Once atop the table, it opens, the pages flipping past as the unicorn quickly scans through them. "There are currently eight reports from Cloudsdale, thirteen from Ponyville, and..." She squints her eyes. "Ah.. fourteen from Canterlot. We have yet to hear from other cities."
Twilight looks up from her collection of notes, glancing between Pinkie and Fluttershy. Guilt slowly came over her as she noticed her sweet pegasus friend so distraught, her tear-stained cheeks becoming visible as she lifted her head off the table. Pinkie wasn't looking so good either. There were subtle dark circles under her eyes, her mane was a mess, and her naturally ecstatic face was much more dimmed down than usual. "I'm... I'm so sorry, guys." She broke eye contact to look down at the table once again, this time becoming lost in her thoughts. Ponies were going missing. Did she even care? All she ever talked about was statistics, numbers, information... It's as if she couldn't see the real life devastation right in front of her.
"It's okay, Twilight." The earth pony offered her a smile, to which the unicorn responded with an uncomfortable sigh. "Thanks for checking in on us."
After a few moments of silence, Pinkie tries to lighten the mood with an offer of one of her favorite personal home remedies. "Anypony want cake?" Seeing the other two ponies' ears perk up at the mention of a sweet treat, she chuckles and retreats to her counter to cut a few slices. As she lifts the knife, Pinkie can't help but feel the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Cake weighing down on her. Before she can spend too much time thinking about it, she presses the utensil down, revealing the soft chocolate interior of the dessert she made. Now simply isn't the time - her friends need some source of comfort and happiness in these trying times.
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