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// Black as Night 
// Story: As Hearts Harden 
// by Autumn_Fire 
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It had been nearly three days since Rainbow Dash had seen Twilight and she was getting extremely worried. Though she may have been mad at her for calling her dumb and everything, she was still one of her best friends and she knew that she was just in a lot of pain right now. She couldn't bare the thought of one of her best friends suffering all alone. She flew quickly to Sweet Apple Acres to see if Applejack had any idea as to the whereabouts of her friend.

When she touched down she saw that both she and Big Macintosh were busy bucking tons of apples. She quickly ran over to her.

"Hey, Applejack?" Rainbow dashed asked

She kicked down a large load of apples into a large wooden tub sitting just below the tree.

"Yeah, sugar cube?" Applejack replied, sweat dripping from every inch of her and panting like a worn out dog

"Have you seen Twilight anywhere? It's been nearly four days."

"Nah, I haven't." she said "I have been working the orchard non stop for the past few days. What's a matter? Did you all have a scuff or something?"

"Something like that. I'm over it now. I am just worried is all."

"Maybe Pinkie has some idea? She seems to know the whereabouts of everypony in Equestria."

"Alright. I will check with her next." Rainbow Dashed paused for a moment "She does have the zipper off her mouth doesn't she?"

"I believe she does."

"Did we ever find out who did that?"

"I'm 'fraid not. Once that spell wore off she wouldn't say a peep. She just said that it wasn't important. I wonder what has gotten into her?"

"Well, I'm about to find out."

Rainbow Dash made a huge bolt up to the sky, nearly knocking Apple Jack on her back, and flew straight to Sugar Cube Corner. There, she found Pinkie Pie sulking.

"Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked in surprise "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know." she said quickly "I just feel this bad energy floating around. I feel like it may be my Pinkie Sense but I have never gotten these sensations before."

Pinkies ears flopped back and forth separately from each other several and she got a long shiver running throughout her body, as if she was sitting inside a cold freezer.

"It feels almost like..." Pinkie stopped mid sentence "never mind... that couldn't be... It couldn't..."

"What couldn't Pinkie? You're starting to scare me."

"Don't worry about it. I am sure it's nothing."

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you something: Have you seen Twilight anywhere? She hasn't been around in over four days now and I am starting to get worried."

A sad look played across Pinkie's face.

"I don't know a-and... and I don't care."

Dash could see that she was try to stifle back some tears. Something was definitely wrong. 

Night came and she has asked every pony in Ponyville if they had seen her but all the results had turned up with unknowns. It was time to visit the Golden Oak Library to see if she was just laying about at her home.

She flew swiftly to Twilight's residence to find every light was off and all the blinds we shut. She reached the door and put her ear next to it. Complete silence. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. She tapped on the door with her hoof.

"Twilight? Are you home?"

There was no reply, just more silence. She tapped again, a little harder this time, and noticed the door was unlocked. Now she was worried. 

She slowly walked inside and felt a certain chill about the place. It was a very sinister cold, like fresh snow from a Windego being pressed directly against her fur. She shivered and stiffened. Through the faint moonlight she could see a large dark outline. She finally found a candle and put a flame to it. She shrieked in pure terror.