Chapter 1: Black, Red and Amber

It was getting late, a cyan Pegasus had just finished her job clearing the skies and was on her way home. But she couldn't help but feel strange. Something was bugging her and she didn't know what.

"Maybe if I get a good night sleep I'll be fine." She said to herself. "After all I do have plans with the girls' tomorrow." Rarity, who had just hit the jackpot after selling her latest line of dresses, was taking them all out for dinner. Once she got home she went straight to bed.

It was midnight and she started to dream. But it was more like a nightmare. She heard her friend's voices.

"Why couldn't ya tell us?" said Applejack

"Now Twilight is dying," said Pinkie Pie

"She said the princess is next," said Fluttershy

"I thought your Element was Loyalty." Said Rarity

"I'm not supposed to speak of them or else." Rainbow pleated "You must believe me. I want to tell you."

She then woke up from her dream sweating heavily.

"What in Equestria was that? I always tell my friends if I have a problem. I'll bring it up at dinner tomorrow." She went back to sleep.

Meanwhile in the Everfree Forest, three figures walked toward the old castle where the Elements of Harmony were found.

The first one was a black female Unicorn with a mane similar to Twilight's, but more flat. Her cutie mark was an active unicorn horn. She spoke in a cold voice:

"There it is, the castle of the sister princesses. Now all we have to do is get our hooves on the elements."

The second figure was a red male Pegasus with a fiery like mane; his wings had different color feathers on them and his cutie mark appeared to be a red spike. He spoke in a rather grouchy:

"This better be worth it, my wings are starting to ache." He was annoyed.

"Well that's why you have legs, use them!" she snapped "You do remember that you're the one who is going to be carrying them right?"

"Me?"

"Yes you, now let's go."

The third figure was a little yellow Pegasus filly with a red mane and was all messed up, and no cutie mark; she spoke in a quiet shy voice.

"But what if they…"

The unicorn cut her off. "…What if it is too heavy for him to carry? Don't worry you're going to be carrying most of them anyway."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Then what was it? It better be important."

"What if the elements are not there?"

"Little Amber, that's why mommy has a backup plan" She lied "Now get moving." She kicked Amber away, hard. She looked at the other Pegasus and made a motion to go on ahead. Once the other two were in the castle, she fell to one knee and spat out blood. She was in pain but could still move.

"I must find a unicorn." She stood up and followed the other two.

"What was taking you so long?" the red Pegasus was wondering.

"I had another one." She replied coldly, "But enough about me, where are the elements?"

"There not here," Amber said quietly.

"Then why didn't you tell us they might not be here!" the other Pegasus yelled. "If you told us that before, then we wouldn't have wasted our time. I am going to give you such a bucking."

"But daddy, I figured that there is no harm in to looking anyway." she started to tear up

"Don't give me that, young lady!" he yelled "Now turn around and let me give you you're bucking."

"Red Thorn, Stop it!" the Unicorn called. "It's not her fault, she told me, and I did consider what she said. And she is right; there is no harm in checking. I told her not to tell you until we got here."

"Fine, but what's the plan now." Red Thorn said; he still kicked Amber.

"Listen, while the elements might not be here now; if I'm lucky I can pick up some magic residue if they were used here."

"What's Magic residue?" asked Red Thorn

"It's Enchanted Mold,"

"It what is left behind if magic is used."

"Oh right,"

" I can use my magic to find it."

"And…"

"Then I can track it back to the source."

"That means..."

"We can find the elements."

"Anything else?"

"That's it."

"Good"

"So lets try to find this."

"Good,"

"If we fail I'll rip your feathers off your precious wings one by one."

"I've told you before, Hooves off the wings."

"I won't be using my hooves,"

Oh."

"Good boy, now from what I can pick up right where we are standing, it seems that they were used and me more I move toward the platform over here the magic gets greater; but the magic residue isn't fresh."

"Not fresh?" Thorn raised and eyebrow

"In other words, the elements were used here a while back." At that moment she fell to one knee again and spat blood.

"Looks like you need to charge." Red Thorn said.

"Thank you, captain obvious. But where are we going to find a unicorn?"

Red Thorn walked to a window. "I don't know, but we must if we want to find the elements. Remind me, why we going after the elements of harmony if we can't use them?"

"What, you forgetting already? True we can't use them but they are the one thing that can stop us. So it's best that we get them so they can't be used against me."

"Hay what about me?"

"And you. but the fact is I have magic so they pose a bigger threat to me. If my illness doesn't kill me first they will."

"Or maybe..." he was cut off by a sound coming from outside.

"What is that noise?" Little Amber asked.

"Silence you little brat." He said coldly. He peeked out the window. "It looks like you are in luck."

"What?" the Unicorn asked.

Outside there was two ponies camping, one white Pegasus and one pink Unicorn.

"We've got two campers. This is too good."

"Is there a Unicorn?" she asked wanting a simple answer.

"Yes."

"Good, come on. It's time to put on the "act" again." They left castle and walked out to the campers.

"Pardon me," Red Thorn said to the campers in a polite voice, "But could we join you."

"Who are you?" The other unicorn asked.

"We are just some wandering pony folk who need food." Amber's mother said "Our filly gets hungry, don't you Amber?" she kicked Amber lightly.

"Yes," Amber whimpered

"How could we pass up a hungry filly? Lucky Cloud, could you go get some of our leftovers for our friends here?"

"Be right back."

"By the way, I'm Cherry Mane. Lucky and I are from Ponyville. I can't believe that somepony would just show up, tell me are you lost?"

"My wife here gets lost vary easily." Red Thorn joked. She hit him upside the head. "What did you do that for?"

"Can it," she growled.

"You two married?" Cherry asked.

"I'm her uncle." responded Red roughly

"Oh, wheres her father?"

"It's personal." the black unicorn replied coldly.

"Wow, you know your brother is some what hot, madam. I never seen a Pegasus with multicolored wings before"

"I know, but he does lack a few things, brains being one of them."

"Hay,"

"And you want to know what else Miss. Cherry?"

"What?"

"You are a fool." Red Thorn smiled.

"I can't believe you fell for it." The Black Unicorn's words were cold enough that an Ursa Major shiver.

"Fell for it?" Cherry asked in concern, "What do you mean?"

The Black Unicorn Jumped and pined her down. "Now hold still this won't hurt a bit." she got louder.

"I got the left overs" Lucky said coming out from the tent.

"Get him Red Thorn!"

Red Thorn jumped Lucky and pinned him down. Thorn looked down at Lucky and smiled. His teeth weren't like a normal pony's; they were sharp like, fangs. He lunged down and chomped down on Lucky's neck, he screamed in pain and died. Thorn then plucked out two of his victim's feathers and began to attach them to his wings. Cherry was terrified.

"Who are you" she quivered

"Black Rose." The Unicorn stated. Black Rose's horn began to glow. "Suspendisse risus" she chanted in an old language, as she drained the magic from her victim, leaving nothing but a hollow shell. Little Amber stood in horror as she watched her parents commit these horrible crimes.

When the Black Rose was finished she turned to Amber and spoke in a cold voice.

"If you ever say anything about this to anypony, you know what will happen."

"Yes mother" she said trembling.

"Good" she said "Red Thorn, finish up,"

"Ok, but where are we going?"

"Ponyville,"

Author's Note: Suspendisse risus is Latin word for magic harvest