Shadows in the dark

Chapter 6

Knock knock

Mr. Rich, currently in a depressive state, sighed. He wasn't in the mood to answer the door. His daughter had been missing for almost an entire day. He was starting to get worried. He hasn't been this worried or depressed since his wife died after giving birth to their first foal. He heard a few more knocks on the hard oak doors and groaned.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." he muttered as he lazily made his way over to the front door. Opening it, he was surprised to find the postalpony standing with a pink box wrapped in red ribbons beside him.

"Special delivery for Mr. Rich." the pony said before nudging the box to the stallions hooves.

Mr. Rich examined the present curiously with a raised brow. "Who's it from?" he asked.

"It's anonymous, sir. Even I don't know." the pony said before turning around to leave.

"Hm." Mr. Rich stared at the box. It certainly wasn't his birthday, and it wasn't even close to Diamond Tiara's. Curious, he undid the red ribbon around the box and removed the lid.

...

"So you're saying he fainted?" Rainbow Dash asked slowly.

"Yeah! Right on the spot, too!" Applejack replied before taking a sip out of her drink. "Even the postalpony who delivered the package almost fainted."

Rainbow Dash shuddered. News of the package Mr. Rich received spread throughout Ponyville like wildfire. Not only that, but Silver Spoon's family also received a present containing the corpse of their daughter. There's already a rumor saying that the doctor's might have to lock Silver Spoon's mother up in an asylum because she wouldn't stop screaming. The mere thought of someone killing two fillies in such a gruesome way was enough to shake Rainbow Dash to her core.

For a pony to murder a filly was extremely taboo in all of Equestria. Often leading up to severe punishments. Just who did it was the big question right now.

"Everypony in Ponyville is on high alert now." Applejack added. "My big brother is beginning to consider waiting for Apple Bloom after school. I mean. Who the HAY would murder a pair of innocent little fillies? It just makes me sick!" the mare angrily slammed her hoof on the table.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Even though Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren't exactly the BEST fillies in Ponyville, that didn't mean I wanted them to die. Not like that." she sipped her drink quietly. Another thought suddenly came into mind and she looked over to Applejack dead straight in the eyes. "Do you think King Sombra had something to do with this?"

Applejack stayed silent for a minute as she pondered about the question. The thought of the dark king going as far as to murder two fillies seemed certainly outlandish. For Pete's sake, even Discord and Nightmare Moon wouldn't do that! Queen Chrysalis, maybe. But she would do so in order to feed her hive. And it isn't everyday she would go out and kill just two fillies. She would take the entire schoolhouse if she had too. Just how evil could King Sombra get?

"It's more than likely, Dash." Applejack replied before she drank her drink.

Rainbow Dash felt her right ear twitch and she growled softly to herself. Sombra, she would give anything to have that unicorn captured right about now. Captured or dead.

"Well. I gotta get goin', Dash. I got some work to do in the morning." Applejack said while standing up from her seat. "See ya later."

"See ya, AJ." Rainbow Dash replied. A few minutes later, she too left the bar and flew to her home in the clouds. The moonlight faintly lit up her room as she crawled into bed for the night. Yawning, she allowed the darkness of sleep to claim her.

Rainbow Dash found herself in a dark space. Not a building or pony in sight. Not even animals or plant life. Just a big, black, empty void. "Hello?" she called, "I anypony here?" The only response she got was her echo. Rainbow Dash frowned and decided to take flight. After a few minutes of flying she decided to land. Everywhere she went felt like one giant loop.

"Dashy?" a familiar voice called.

Rainbow Dash suddenly shot up in bed panting. Gripping her blanket tightly in both her hooves as she panted. She looked around and was glad to find herself in her room. But the voice... That lilting voice... Rainbow Dash felt tears start to brim her eyes and she sniffled.

Ponies often saw her as brave and fearless, but Rainbow dash didn't feel any of that; she just wanted to cry.