"Please Rarity! I went to Grandma's last time!" Sweetie Belle complained.
Rarity sighed at her younger sister's whining for the past ten minutes.
"Sweetie Belle, a lady does not whine," Rarity reminded, turning to her sister.
Sweetie Belle frowned, thinking on how to convince her sister to take her place for this visit. After a few seconds' thinking, Sweetie smiled to herself.
"You're scared of the woods, aren't you?"
Rarity failed to hide her startled face of how Sweetie Belle had figured that out so quickly, let alone determine that at all.
"Why would you think that, dear?" Rarity said sheepishly.
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
Rarity blinked. Was she scared? If she was, she was not going to let her little sister know that. Oh she'd never hear the end of it if Sweetie figured she feared the forest!
"Of course I'm not scared of the forest, darling. It's just an old forest. Nothing probably even lives in it." Rarity sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than Sweetie Belle.
"So, you'll go then. Right?" Sweetie Belle pleaded.
Rarity stared down at her sister, who's white pelt almost blended in with the stark white flooring. She managed to crack a small smile of decision. "Of course."
...
The next day, Rarity stood outside the woods wearing a red cloak; the hood down. Her eyes were wide as she tried to take the whole scene in.
It's alright Rarity, just a forest. No big deal. Your a unicorn, what's the worst that could happen? Rarity thought as she walked slowly into the forest.
The forest was not terribly dark in the day, but it must be pitch black at night from the thickness of it. The trees ranged from tall to short, thin to thick. At least there was a path that ran straight across the entire woods. Rarity had no chance of getting lost unless she went off the trail.
Rarity's eyes couldn't stay in one place as she continued to trek on. She was too worried that something might jump out at her.
Something in the forest cracked, Rarity nearly jumped out of her skin. She did not have long to calm her racing heart before a swoosh was heard.
"Huh? Uh, um, who's out there?" Rarity called weakly.
A snap of a twig made Rarity turn around to investigate. She simply stared at the ground and trees, dumbfounded.
Suddenly, Rarity saw that her light was being covered by a shadow. Startled, she spun around and gasped.
A pony, only a few inches taller than her, stood a few feet away. It was a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and magenta eyes. The mare didn't look like a threat at all.
"You look lost, pretty pony," the mare's voice sounded like a growl.
Rarity shifted uncomfortably. "No, I'm not lost at all."
The pegasus narrowed her eyes. "Then why do you walk so slow?"
The pony had been watching her? Rarity felt violated. She frowned and felt a sudden rush of courage. "How long have you been watching me walk? You have no right to cut into my business!"
The mare chuckled. "Oh don't think I'm following you, my dear. I am simply heading this way and I saw that you looked a bit...out of place."
Rarity cocked her head slightly. Out of place? "What ever do you mean darling?"
The cyan mare shook her head. "Never mind that."
Rarity did not think the mare would say anymore about this topic. Nevertheless, Rarity still felt uncomfortable being alone around some pony she'd never met. And this mare seemed a bit...odd.
"You're quite handsome," Rarity commented suddenly. Where had that come from?
"Handsome? You're eyes are large, but perhaps not as sharp as I thought," the mare snorted.
"You still have not told me your name; I'm Rarity."
"Rainbow Dash."
"Hm, that suites you well." Rarity nodded, looking Rainbow Dash up and down.
"What are you looking for?" Rainbow Dash pondered.
Rarity glanced up at the sky; there was still a few hours until the sun set. At this rate, Rarity would have to stay by her grandmother's. "I'm going to a relative's place."
"Oh. Do you mean the old unicorn who lives in a cottage not far from here?" Rainbow Dash didn't even hesitate on her sentence. She sounded casual, and she made no too exciting facial expression.
"That's...it. How do you know where it is?" Rarity demanded.
Rainbow Dash started to turn around. "I know my way around this forest. I can show you where the house is, follow me." Rainbow Dash went into a trot, satisfied to hear Rarity's hooves as well.
The pair walked for a few minutes, Rainbow Dash in the lead and Rarity dragging behind. Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder to see Rarity walking way too slow, she sighed and stopped and glanced around.
"Why did you stop?" Rarity panted slightly.
"Because, I know a shortcut," Rainbow Dash said with a fiendish smile that Rarity could not see.
"Oh a shortcut? That would be grand," Rarity said genuinely.
"Follow me," Rainbow breathed.
The leaves splintered and broke under their hooves. Both mares needed to duck their heads from some low hanging tree branches. By the time they emerged into a small clearing, Rarity was scratched up more than Rainbow Dash.
"Ick! I never liked nature all that much," Rarity complained, shaking pine needles out of her pelt. When Rarity looked up, Rainbow Dash had disappeared.
"Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash, where are you?" Rarity called out into the trees. "Where are we?"
"My home," came a low voice. "We have been walking in my home for a while now."
Rarity froze. What in the name of Celestia was that? It did not sound like any pony she'd ever heard, and Rarity had never heard of a talking animal. In fact, Rarity hadn't seen any animals during her travel in the forest. She came to the conclusion that it was Rainbow Dash, only making her voice lower than it actually was.
"Oh Rainbow Dash, you trickster. That was nice prank. Way to get my heart racing. Now, can we please get back on track?" Rarity called, her voice shaky and quiet around the edges.
"Rarity dear, you got my identity right but we can't leave now. The fun has only just started," Rainbow Dash said through the shadows.
Rarity had thought it would take some hours for it to grow dark, but the forest seemed as dark as a night in the city. Rarity took shaky breaths, trying to calm her heart rate. "Wha-what? Why can't we go?"
"Won't you join me for dinner?" The shadows moved and branches creeked.
"No! Not at this time!" Rarity shouted, on the verge of hysteria.
"I was right. Your eyes are wide, but they aren't very sharp," came a growl.
Rarity turned hastily to come face-to-face with a pair of magenta eyes. They looked darker and fiercer than before.
"It's been so nice to know you this fine evening."
The eyes moved forward, white teeth followed. Rarity let out a scream and her world turned to darkness, but not before she saw a trickle of blood pass her wide eyes.
