A Spider's Web

Rarity wasn't pleased. She was sitting in the waiting room of the Ponyville Spa, leafing through outdated celebrity magazines while waiting for Fluttershy to arrive for their routine activity of relaxation. The unicorn huffed as she looked up at the clock above the reception desk to see that she had been waiting for an hour and a half. Fluttershy couldn't have forgotten; Rarity reminded her the previous evening while at the cottage for tea.

Having run out of magazines to entertain her, Rarity got up and left after asking the receptionist to move their appointment to later that afternoon. She decided that something had come up with Fluttershy's animals, which were keeping her late. Though she didn't like dealing with creatures who have been who-knows-where and have touched who-knows-what, Rarity knew that being a good friend meant lending a helping hand when needed. Plus, the sooner Fluttershy's animals were dealt with, the sooner she could relax at the spa.

Rarity trotted out of town towards the Everfree forest, not being afraid of approaching its looming darkness. She frequented Fluttershy's cottage, which lay on the forest's edge, enough that she had become somewhat desensitized to it. Out of the peaceful morning, a crow cawed loudly, making Rarity jump.

"Oh, shush, you." Rarity said to the bird, pouting before continuing along her way. The crow flapped away. Rarity breathed in the warm autumn day and hummed to herself. At least it was a beautiful day, and she didn't have to trek through snow or mud, or have her mane messed up by wind or rain. Maybe having to go on this walk wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Soon, the welcoming cottage was in sight. Rarity smiled. Despite her annoyance earlier, she was eager to see her friend. Her smile soon vanished as she noticed that the door to her friend's home was hanging open, and the garden, normally filled with birdsong and animals chattering to each other, was oddly silent. The crow from earlier fluttered onto a tree branch and cawed at Rarity again. Rarity shook her head, and proceeded to investigate.

"Fluttershy, dear?" She called, entering the dark house. "Are you home?"

There was no answer. Rarity shuddered, looking around. There were no animals in the cottage, a phenomenon that Rarity had never seen before. On the coffee table was a teapot and three empty teacups. The same ones they used the night before. She shook off the feeling and continued throughout the house, searching each room, calling Fluttershy's name every so often.

Opening the door to Fluttershy's bedroom, Rarity gasped and brought a hoof to her mouth. The bedroom was torn apart. The photos on Fluttershy's dresser were knocked over, as well as a tall standing mirror, leaving shattered glass on the floor. The curtains were ripped, chairs knocked over. The circle rug in the centre of the room was kicked up as if someone had tripped over it. Rarity turned and walked quickly back through the house. Back in the living room, something caught her eye. She turned on the light beside the door, and shrieked. The floor was covered in a smear of dried blood, leading from Fluttershy's bedroom to the door where Rarity stood. The blood was accompanied by scrapes in the hardwood floor, as if somepony had been dragged through it against their will.

Rarity turned and bolted towards town, not bothering to turn off the light or close the door.

"Okay Rarity," Twilight said in a calm but serious tone. "Tell us all what happened."

Rarity was still shaking, despite being given a blanket and some calming tea. Her four friends gave her encouraging nods. "O-okay." She said, gathering herself. "I was at the spa, waiting for Fluttershy. We go to the spa together often, and it's not uncommon for Fluttershy to be late, but she's never been an hour and a half late before. So I went to her cottage to see if everything was going okay, but when I got there..." She swallowed. "The door was open, and the house was entirely empty. Her bedroom was torn apart and there was dried blood everywhere!"

"Do you think one of her animals attacked her?" Rainbow Dash asked from on top of one of the library's many bookshelves.

"Come on Rainbow," Apple Jack said. "None of her animals would ever do that to her."

"We can't rule out anything until we've investigated." Twilight said. "Right now, everyone and everything is a suspect until we see the crime scene."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash said, hoping down from the shelf. "Let's go investigate! There's no time to lose!" She jumped up and rocketed towards the door, only to be stopped in her tracks by Twilight using her magic to grab Rainbow's tail, holding her back.

"Not so fast, Rainbow. Fluttershy's cottage is a possible crime scene. We have to make sure we don't disturb anything that could lead us to Fluttershy." The alicorn said sternly.

"Shouldn't we get Celestia's help?" Rarity asked, worryingly.

"Not just yet." Twilight said. "This might not be a serious case. There might have just been an accident. We should see if we can find out where Fluttershy is first, before getting the Princesses involved." The others nodded. "That being said, we should still contact the police. Pinkie Pie, you go to the police station and report the incident, and bring some ponies to meet us at the cottage. Apple Jack, you go to the hospital and see if Fluttershy is checked in there. If she hurt herself in her home she might have gone to the hospital for treatment. Meet us at the cottage as soon as you have an answer. Rainbow, you fly to the cottage and check the surrounding area for clues. Rarity and I will go to the cottage to investigate inside. We'll meet you all there."

"Okie dokie, Twilight. We're coming Fluttershy!" Pinkie shouted, running out of the library. The others followed suit in a hurried but much more quiet manner.