Disappearances

Applebloom ran forward and called out into the brush. “DIAMOND TIARA?! COME OUT!” She lifted her head and listened, the older mares and colts calling for the two missing fillies desperately. She lowered her ears when she heard her mother bawling for her missing pink filly, her father yelling for her angrily as if it was a prank she was pulling. She turned and looked at Sweetiebelle who walked up behind her and shook her head before lowering her own ears.

“It’s been three days Applebloom, and we have search for two now. Do you think they are really hurt or something?” The white filly trotted up to her yellow searching companion who shook her head and turned away.

“They may be jerks but they ain't stupid Sweetiebelle, Night Bell said there was a manticore and she did all she could but couldn’t find them after words.” She lowered her head as Sweetiebelle nudged her friends shoulder reassuringly.

“Twilight will take good care of her, let's keep looking ok?” She smiled and walked alongside her friend, calling out to their bullies in desperation to know they were at least ok.

Twilight turned and dabbed a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol against a gash on the blue pegasus’ side, the mare hadn;t said anything since search parties had left earlier that morning. She looked at Night Bell who stared steadily at the floor with over cast eyes. “It wasn’t your fault you were jumped, there hasn’t been any angry manticore in the forest since I became the embodiment of the element of magic. Nopony could have seen it coming.” The pegasus looked at Twilight only to turn her head away and say nothing, causing Twilight to sigh and wrap a bandage around the wound on her side. “Please don’t blame yourself, this is a pretty big wound so everypony knows you fought to protect the fillies and we all know they ran out of fear.”

“I should have been able to save them Twilight.” Her ears lowered against her messy pink mane, Twilight staring at the mare with sorrow filled eyes.

“We will find them, I promise.” She stood and looked around the mare’s dark home before sighing. “Try to rest, I will try to assist the others.” She turned and left the mares home, allowing the mare to sit in silence for a moment before she lifted a hoof and effortlessly fixed her mane with a smirk as she looked in a nearby mirror.

“Oh you will find them you idiot unicorn, you will find them.” She chuckled and stood, tossing her mane aside and licking her fangs free of some invisible blood. “They were warm as Celestias lingering sun on the dirt of my yard, and tasted of bitter sweet jealousy.” She laughed coldly at her reflection before picking up her sunglasses and slipping them onto her face to hide her eyes, grinning once more into the mirror. “And everypony is a fool to the core, I haven’t eaten like this in over a century. I like this backwoods town, and I wonder how long before I am found out. Till then, I shall eat like a queen.”

Applebloom nudged her way under the brush, shaking off the dirt from her coat and walking as she called. “Diamond Tiara! Silver Spoon! The manticore is gone! It’s safe to come out!” She looked around then sighed as she walked, tripping over a root and tumbling into another bush and sighing once more. “Today just ain't my day is it?” She stood and dusted off her chest before squinting, seeing the sparkle of of Diamond Tiara’s crown and growing teary eyed from happiness. “You jerk, I found you!” She ran forward and skidded to stop seeing the filly laying in the dirt. “You can come home now,” She walked up to her friend. “Everypony is looking for you, and I know I am just a blank flank but I do c-” She stopped, sniffing and growing pale. “Why do you..” She trotted forward and screamed as her body shook, everypony near by running to her and freezing at the sight of Diamond Tiara’s lifeless body lying in the grass. She was covered in dry, stale blood and her eyes permanently locked in the most frightened expression possible for a filly with her mouth wide open in a now silent scream. Applebloom turned her head away quickly as Applejack ran up to her and hid her face in her chest as she stared at the fillies body.

“Somepony go get Twi, hurry..” The orange farm pony mumbled with a soft and frightened voice as a nearby pegasus nodded and flew off quickly as Diamond Tiara’s father approached her body and silently sobbed as her mother openly grieved.

“Applejack!” Sweetiebelle stood at the edge of a sharp drop off, the grass stained of blood and the roots all tugged down to the bottom. “I found something!” The orange pony looked up, nudging Applebloom to Rainbow Dash who had accompanied them but stood frozen in shock. She ran to the filly and skidded to stop at the drop off that wasn’t far from Diamond Tiara and noted the blood.

“Y’all stay here, I will hop down and see if SilverSpoon is down at the bottom.” The unicorn nodded and watched Applejack slowly step off the edge and slide down to the bottom.

“Be careful Applejack..” She shut her eyes, feeling useless before turning and looking back in the direction of her friends and Diamond Tiara. Applejack jumped off the second drop off and landed hard on her hooves in the dark clearing at the bottom of the cliff, looking around and calling out.

“Silver Spoon! Silver Spoon! Are you down here darlin’?” She listened for a moment before walking to her right with her ears on alert, continuing to call the fillies name with no response. She stopped and stared at the ground at her hooves, having felt a small cold thud. She shut her eyes, turning her head away. “You to? Oh Celestia..” She opened her eyes once more and stared down at the lifeless body of Silver Spoon, she was just as covered in blood as Diamond Tiara had been, if not more covered. She turned away, looking up at Rarity who stood near the clearing drop off and using her horn to illuminate the ground Applejack stood on.

“Oh my..” She covered her mouth as Applejack took off her hat and held it against her chest, shaking her head before turning back to Silver Spoon once more as Rarity looked away in attempt to keep from crying out and regain her ladylike composure. “Luna, guide these fillies safely into the permanent land of dreams.” Sweetiebelle stood behind her sister, holding Applebloom with a blank face as Applebloom cried suddenly into her hooves.