Hidden in Blood

"Go now! Leave my presence!" the black alicorn snarled. She turned her back on the silver and red pony cowering before her. "Through the Mirror. NOW!" She spat. The silver pony stepped closer to the mirror set before her. "Oh, and one more thing," Nightmare Moon broke in. The silver pony stopped. "Good luck, my faithful traitor."

Rarity was in Canterlot, working to sew a dress. She had just finished, and was very pleased with the result. Rarity stepped outside of her room and was shocked to see that it was past midnight. She started to run down the halls, knowing that she had to give the dress to the pony she was working for-Rarity just couldn't remember the mare's name. She was in such of a hurry, she didn't see the glowing red eyes following her every move.

She suddenly sensed that she was being followed, and whipped back around. She let out a startled yelp. She was face-to-face with a pair of blood-red eyes. The color flashed silver, then green, then shone with a diamond blue color that was irresistible. Rarity was transfixed. She reached out with her hooves, trying to catch the beautiful color. Two blood-stained fangs, glistening in the glow, appeared where a mouth would be.

Nopony ever heard Rarity's scream as the creature leaped at her and sank its fangs deep into her neck.

The library door opened without warning. "Have y'all seen Rarity anywhere?" Applejack called from the entrance. Twilight dropped her book, startled.

"She was supposed to be back in Ponyville by noon. Why? Is she not here?" Twilight asked. Applejack came closer to Twilight.

"She hasn't shown up yet," Applejack remarked.

"What if something happened to her?!" Twilight gasped. She leaped up and started to pace around the room. Twilight was mumbling frantically under her breath about Rarity, if something had stopped her from coming back, if she should write to Princess Celestia, if they should go searching for her.

"Twilight, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Applejack soothed. Twilight kept on pacing like nothing had ever come out of Applejack's mouth. "Um...I've got to...uh...go and buck some...apple trees..now," Applejack coughed. She slowly made her way over to the door, slipped outside, and quietly shut it, leaving Twilight alone.

"What if she...if she...was killed?" Twilight whispered, her eyes growing wide. She galloped over to one of her bookshelves, frantically searching for clues. "Perplexing Pony Plagues...no...Crystal Empire History...how did that get HERE?!" Twilight exclaimed, pulling book after book out of the shelves. "Curious Canterlot Killings...that must be it!" Twilight sighed. "The only thing wrong with it is the last word...hmm..." Twilight mused.

She sat down, opened it, and started to read. "Discord-reformed. King Sombra-is he even a killer? Nightmare Moon-," Twilight stopped at this. "Nah. She's gone now," Twilight's eyes were suddenly drawn to a few words down near the bottom. "Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings?! They feed on love, not the killing of other ponies! They couldn't have killed anypony, EVER!" Twilight shouted.

"Not blood? Not...a changeling?", came a voice from the shadows around Twilight.

"Who's there?!" Twilight demanded, lighting her horn. It was as if a shadow was moving around the room, faster than Twilight could light it. Twilight's wings flared, putting her into a defensive posture.

Twilight started to blast magical energy at it, in the hope that she could catch it and find out what it was. Suddenly a blood-red light washed over her. She didn't even have time to scream before the shadow was upon her.

"Two ponies down. Six to go," the silver pony reported.

"Well done, Silverblood. You will be well rewarded," The voice came from inside Silverblood's head, a telepathic link. Silverblood's spirit rose, as a reward was nigh impossible to get from her master. "But after, and only after, the fifth and sixth are brought to me. Personally," Nightmare Moon commanded. Silverblood turned and vanished into the shadows of the night. The moon shone a blood red, like it was weeping for all the blood that was and was about to be spilled...