Where is Everypony

Reaching the clubhouse, Spike felt his hope drain away. Inside, much like the previous two places, was empty. Random stuff scattered about, but not a soul to be found. All that greeted him was silence and loneliness. He slowly looked around, spotting a pile of blankets, pillows, and snacks. New posters and ideas for cutie marks and friendship missions were all over the walls.

As he searched the area, Spike couldn't help but feel a sense of worry and unease. The CMC clubhouse was their special place, and it was highly unusual for them to just disappear. He knew the three fillies, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, would never leave their beloved clubhouse behind without a good reason. And Spike was determined to find out what had happened.

However, another similar moment to the other places with several objects missing. Everything within his sight was new, nothing old. This was especially strange for since the CMC always kept all their mementos and gifts from their previous missions. Even if it was as small as a single note... all of it was gone.

Their giant chart which contained testimonies of their previous lives without cutie marks stood in the center of the room, but all the words had been shredded off the board or outright ripped off on the corners. Walking closing revealed these damages were so plain and simplistic, yet also devastatingly powerful in destroying all evidence of the words' existence.

Spike dragged his fingers over the removed words and found no indents of any kind out of place. It was like they were shaved off with perfect precision. There was no trace or signs of the words that once stood upon it. Everything was telling him this felt like it was brand new, but Spike knew it wasn't.

This was a place that meant everything to the CMC. It was a place where they could go when things were at their lowest. When nopony was there for them, they had each other. And he was free to visit any time he wanted. They wouldn't just abandon it. So the question remained the same.

Where were the three crusaders? Where were Rarity, Twilight, and Starlight? What happened to them? Did they all choose to leave at the same exact time? Was there a reason? If so, why did they all leave the castle, the boutique, and now even the CMC clubhouse. Why was every old object and item of value taken with them, yet all the newer items still remained?

He started with the shelves, seeing that they were filled with all kinds of new junk. There were plenty of knick-knacks, pictures, and a bunch of other stuff. All of which were relatively new and didn't show any signs of aging. None of them gave him the answers he sought. It didn't take long for him to stumble across a photo album. Upon opening it, all the images were gone, nothing but blank pages.

He checked the date of the book, but it had been rubbed out. It was like something didn't want anypony to know when the pictures were taken. If this picture book was ever used at all. He put it back and went to check the drawers. All of them were empty of old stuff, but there were plenty of new things inside.

There were no answers to these questions here either. All Spike could do was look around and try to find clues. Maybe something here could possibly explain what was happening. His gaze shifted over the room, hoping to spot something, anything that could help. As his eyes drifted lower in doubt, his sight came upon the window.

Outside the Sun was already setting. How long had he been searching? It would be night soon, and the prospect of wandering around in the dark, utterly alone, scared him, even as an adult. Yawning, he walked over to the pillows and the blankets. His exhaustion was finally catching up to him. It would be wise to rest and recover here.

"Maybe this is just a nightmare I need to wake from..." he spoke out loud as he lay down, his eyes staring at the ceiling, "I'm just having a really bad dream. Tomorrow I'll wake up and everything will be okay. Everypony will be back..." With that final word, he wrapped himself up and slowly closed his eyes. His breath slowed down and his body grew more relaxed. His senses shut down, so he didn't notice the shadowy figure crawling under the treehouse. Spike drifted away into sleep's embrace, oblivious to the fact the creatures rolling around the tree like a constriction snake. Slowly it came to a stop as well, noticing night's arrival. It lay on the grass, staring at the sky with blackened lifeless eyes.

It turned its attention away from the fading light and the dragon above it. Leaning upward, its mouth popped open and its bony tongue wiggled about. Its cheeks spread open like a curtain, showing thousands of teeth. Once it's jaw was fully open, it reached inside and pulled out the chunks of meat that were once Starlight and Twilight Sparkle.

It checked the limbs over to see how much of the acid had eaten away the muscle tissue and fat. It didn't take long for it to finish its analysis. With a gulp, it swallowed the arms, legs and heads. It was a messy process, but a quick and simple one. The beast was done in seconds and returned its attention to the sky. Its stomach churned and gurgled softly and it's blackened orbs closed shut.

It fell asleep, awaiting the next morning's light. The night was just as silent as the day. Not even the crickets had escaped its slaughter. Spike's snores echoed out of the treehouse and filled the void of nothingness in the town. The moon rose high into the air, watching over the town. Its light was a gentle glow filling the land. But even after that light reached the beast, none of it could shine upon it. Its form was just as blackened during the night as it was during the day.

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