Chapters Chapter 1: A Most Beautiful Night
It was one of those very special midsummer nights in Ponyville. The temperature was mild, the sky was clear and the stars shone brighter than the sun at daytime.
In the sleeping city, there was one house that was dimly lit, though, with the first approach, it would not appear to be a place where somepony could live in.
It was a great tree in the middle of the little village, home of Twilight Sparkle and mostly unvisited library for everypony.
In it, she and her close friends where gathered around a little lamplight, all of them lying in sleeping bags and enjoying the gathering with food and short tales. They giggled through the night and took advantage of every second to make this special event to be remembered for ever.
Resting between Twilight Sparkle with Spike, and Rainbow Dash, was the young Pegasus Fluttershy. She was the only one to not constantly smile, worrying about the well-being of her little animal friends.
“...And then, Cheerilee said 'this isn't one of my students, this is my mother',” Rainbow Dash gaged, before bursting out laughing, causing the others, but Fluttershy, to do the same.
“Hah! Nice one, Rainbow,” Applejack complimented her, just as she realized that Fluttershy did not laugh and turned to her.
“Hey, Sugarcube. What's the matter? It's your birthday. You should be laughing more than Pinkie Pie, though I doubt that's possible,” she gave her best to comfort her, even though she fell on deaf ears.
“He, he. Applejack is right,” Pinkie Pie assisted her as joyfully as ever, before handing Fluttershy another slice of chocolate cake. “Maybe you are still hungry? My super-duper-yummy-cake will fill that hole in your stomach.”
But Fluttershy denied it and simply shook her head, gazing through a window in the direction of her home.
“No... thanks... I'm not hungry.”
“But what is it then?” Rarity asked her in bewilderment. “This just isn't right.”
“I'm just worrying about my little friends, that's all. I hope they are fine...” Fluttershy mumbled anxiously.
“But of course they are,” Twilight Sparkle consoled her. “They are smart animals, if not even a bit astute.”
“Yeah!” Spike supported her best friend, just as he approached the distressed Fluttershy and snuggled with her. “They are definitely clever. And if it makes you feel better, I'll be you angel for tonight.”
Fluttershy blushed, but unsurprisingly, she relished Spike's act of friendship and put a foreleg around him, gently stroking him and cuddling with him.
“Thanks, Spike. That is so... surprisingly sweet from you.”
He giggled, but smiled and savored it as well. “No problem, Fluttershy. You know me, always the goody two shoes.”
“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie suddenly shouted out loud. “What time is it?!”
Since she was already hyperactive and looked nervously in all directions, Applejack pressed one hoof of hers against Pinkie Pie's head and turned it in the direction of a clock.
“Here ya go, Pinkie.”
“Oh! Thanks AJ!” she gave her props, before cheering happily. “Yes, we still have 5 minutes, so it's not too late. Twilight, do you have it?”
“What shall I...” she asked confusedly, before fathoming what Pinkie Pie tried to tell her and nodding approvingly. “Yes. Fluttershy, please close your eyes.”
“B-but... then I see nothing but darkness. It is... scary...” she stuttered fearfully.
“Seriously?” Rainbow Dash questioned her irascibly, while the others starred at her in confusion.
Fluttershy smiled and chuckled joyfully. “Nope. Not seriously.”
“Did you just... play a prank on us?” Rarity asked her, before she and the others rolled on the floor laughing.
“Seems like you are now with us again, huh?” Pinkie Pie commented when they were about to calm down, to which Fluttershy nodded approvingly.
Fluttershy then closed her eyes, waiting for what is to come. It was obvious that a present was awaiting her, but to make her friends gleeful, she pretended to be completely oblivious.
“Alright. You can open your eyes,” Spike requested her, and so, she did.
As she opened her eyes, she saw something so beautiful, she could not comprehend it. Being held up in front of her was an amulet, made of pure crystal. It was in the shape of the butterfly that graced the Element of Kindness, attached to a soft, agleam tie. She was moved to tears, but was suddenly shocked when she saw who was actually lifting the amulet up.
“A-Angel? What are you doing here?” Fluttershy asked him, switching between gratification and worries.
“He was so keyed up that he wanted to give it yourself. After all, it was his idea,” Rainbow Dash explained her proudly.
“And now, you don't have to worry anymore,” Rarity stated gleefully.
“Come on!” Applejack pushed her slightly. “Put it on.”
She carefully took it into her hooves, and while she blushed and kindly smiled, she put it around her neck. The flickering light of the lamp reflected in the amulet, making it look like a dancing butterfly of fire.
“Wow...” Fluttershy astounded. “This is... beautiful.”
While everypony was glorying in the spectacle, Angel joined Spike and bedded herself next to him under Fluttershy's foreleg. As she felt that, Fluttershy turned her head to Angel, who had already closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep, and carefully, she stroke his head with her snout.
“Thank you very much, my angel,” she whispered, just as Angel felt asleep with a wide smile on her face.
Resting her head on the soft pillow of her sleeping back, she weakly gazed into the eyes of the other ponies; her very close friends.
“Thank you. This is the best birthday I ever had. Nothing could ruin it now...” Fluttershy expressed her gratitude to her friends, just as the others felt tired as well and began to fall asleep, too.
Closing her eyes, she felt the warmest feelings of all. Affection. Her friends were definitely the best friends you could wish for. Earnest, amiable and allegiant. For them, she would always be the kind pony she was, and just as she drifted off into the magical realm of dreams, the clock hit the first second of the next day.
Fluttershy startled and gasped for a breath, sweating heavily and looking around in bewilderment.
“W-what was that?” She asked herself, just as she noticed that nopony, but she and Angel were present.
Apparently torn out of her dream by a loud sound or a similar shocking thing, she realized that the darkness and sleepiness of the city was gone, and she could see a bright, flickering light form outside the window.
Though in anxiety, she swallowed her concerns down and stood up, carefully, so she would not wake up her beloved Angel. As she slowly walked to the stairs, climbed them up and went to the window next to Twilight Sparkle's main bed and Spike's sleeping berth, she got blinded by the lucent light, and only slowly, her eyes adapted to it.
When she was able to see properly again, she realized what the blazing light actually was. A conflagrant firestorm.
“What is happening over there? Hey... isn't that... Sweet Apple Acres? Oh my gosh.”
Out of nowhere, she felt the soft sensation of a paw stroking her shoulder. Though she winced at that feeling, she immediately realized that it could only be her little bunny friend, and as she turned her head towards the figure that stroke her, her guess was confirmed.
“A-Angel? Please, don't scare me in such a way,” she told him genially, but Angel barely noticed that and simply jumped onto the window edge to catch what is happening outside.
“Never fear, Angel. I'm sure everypony is alright,” Fluttershy tried her best to calm him down, even though he was not shocked that much, it being more a way to calm herself down.
“Wait!” she suddenly actualized as she hesitatingly turned around. “Where is everypony?!”
It was just now that she actually fathomed that she and Angel were all alone. She shook her head in bewilderment and gazed at the clock.
“Ten minutes past midnight. Only ten minutes elapsed after I fell asleep?” she asked Angel, to which he could only shrug taken aback.
Fluttershy leaned forward and opened the window. Quickly, a cold breeze streamed past her mane and she jittered, but was soon brought out of this feeling when she heard barely audible, panic-fueled outcries from a distant place, but likely still from inside the village. In contrast, the area around Twilight's library was completely empty of life.
“Something is definitely wrong. I hope they are all alright,” Fluttershy susurrated, having nothing but concern on her mind at the moment.
She looked down and held her amulet tight, hoping that the present of her friends would give her strength, and remembering the wonderful moments just mere minutes ago, a small smile grew on her face. But this was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a white light that dashed over the city.
“Is that... magic?” Fluttershy was astonished at the sight, and just as it faded away, she heard a loud bang, like something exploded, simultaneously to a coruscant flash of light that hurt her eyes a bit.
“No. That wasn't just magic. It was... an attack. Are the Royal Guards fighting off something? Oh I hope nopony gets hurt.”
Right on cue, the sky began to fill itself with more and more waves of these magic projectiles. They littered the sky more than the stars did, and Fluttershy's foreboding feeling of dread and tremulousness began to increase excessively.
“I can't just stand here. There must be something I can do to help. I-I must protect my little friends,” she reprehended herself, and just when she was about to turn around and leave the library, a light from behind her began to flood the entire interior of the room she was in.
Fluttershy looked up and with a shocked expression, she saw what was the cause of that bright light. One of those energy blasts was directly heading to one of the houses that surrounded Twilight's tree-library. It came closer, and closer. Seconds felt like hours, and soon, the attack would hit the house, and due to its sheer size, probably destroy it.
Like a deer when blinded by an artificial light in the night, she could do nothing but stare at it, plagued with inner disturbance. Just few blinks of an eye before colliding with the house, she snapped out of it and grabbed her little friend Angel.
“Look out!” she yelled, before she jumped, only with the power of her hind legs, away from the window. An ear-battering detonation echoed trough the entire area, and pushed by the blast wave the explosion released, they, as Fluttershy was in the middle of her jump, flew down the tree.
Fluttershy held Angel tightly to protect her, and as she landed on the wooden ground, she kept doing so, even though it meant that she could not cushion her own impact and rolled several times around her own axis, before coming to an aching halt.
The entire second floor collapsed under the high pressure, and much debris, consisting of wooden planks, ceramic and other materials, lacerated the side of the tree Fluttershy was just at, as well as parts of the ceiling.
She, groaning in pain, opened her eyes, and she saw Angel in her arms, save, pressing her head against her chest. She looked at the spot she just stood at and only saw a gaping hole that separated them from the outside. The beds, the books. All of them were torn apart and fused with the rubbish.
Fluttershy breathed in heavily, and agonizingly slow, she got on three of her four hooves, still carrying around Angel in one of them. Just as she felt save, both of them could hear a shrill noise, like a scaffold was about to break down.
From the place the wall was deteriorated, a crack arose and formed its way into Fluttershy's direction, becoming bigger and bigger with every second. She and Angel realized that the entire side of the tree must have been torn to pieces, and that the the library's structural integrity suffered from it. Maybe the entire building was about to break down.
The floor of the first level began to be ripped into two pieces, and the only way out of the building was to jump over the gap and out of it. Due to the fall, her wings hurt, temporarily rendering her flying abilities unusable. There was only one way out, and she knew that, so she brought up all the courage she had, to gallop towards the increasing gap.
At the edge of it, she jumped as far as she could. Her heart stopped for a second, and she could no think about breathing. She could only hope she would made it. Luckily, she just managed to do that.
She hung at the edge of the other side, cleaving to it and trying to pull herself up, clenching her teeth while using all her power. Angel forced herself out of the protection of Fluttershy and climbed up her foreleg to help her, taking her hoof and drawing her up. Fortunately, Fluttershy was light as a feather, and he indeed manage to lift her up a little bit.
To their calamity, the brink Fluttershy was holding on was, like the rest of the floor, covered in cracks, and not giving them enough time, it broke away from the rest of the floor, causing them to fall down to the ground floor.
Fluttershy did not hesitate and quickly pulled Angel against her chest, preparing herself for hitting the ground back first and feeling the sensation of acute pain.
And so they hit the floor, but since she was actually in motion, her impact was cushioned tremendously, making her roll backwards several times instead of perceiving severe pain.
The lamp, the sleeping begs; almost everything fell down alongside the two characters, making the last remaining floor of the tree look like a rubbish tip.
Even though she suspired and complained of her body's pain, she was surprisingly not badly injured, and Angel was completely save and blithe. Fluttershy was just happy that she could protect her very close friend and see his smile, again. Dirt in her hide would not bother here, as long as she could be sure about that her friends were save.
Just as she rolled on her back and completely opened her eyes, she startled and quickly rolled to the side. Barely tips of the finger away from her, one of the bookshelves, with the piece of wall it was build in attached to it, slammed into the ground, directly into the spot where her head just was, leaving behind only splinters and ruined paper.
Fluttershy crawled back in panic. Her veins filled with adrenaline and her heart pumping like crazy, she was overcome by utter panic. Without noticing it in her tears, she came close to the door, and without being prepared for it, she got dragged out of the building by an unbeknown arm.
Fluttershy curved on the humid, soft grass, weeping and coiling up. Just as she felt the gentle sensation of another hoof, she squalled and gazed at the figures who apparently saved her. All of her close friends. She abrasively embraced Twilight and cried in her arms, just as the other ponies joined her and embraced Fluttershy.
“Hey, Fluttershy...” she whispered as she gently stroke her back. “No more fear. Everything is okay. You and Angel are save now.”
Twilight looked around and saw the mess her library had become. Only one quarter of it was still intact, and she sighed, plagued with the feeling that she just lost her home, but only temporarily.
“Gosh. What a disaster. It'll take time, but everything is exchangeable. The only thing that matters is that you are save.”
Twilight gently stroke Fluttershy with her own wings, trying to calm her down, while Spike hugged Angel, who was also completely in shock.
But as the time went by, they recollected themselves and Fluttershy let go off Twilight.
“It was horrible. I thought we were done for. We didn't know what was happening. Everything turned upside down. We saw Applejack's home burning, we heard ponies screaming, we saw those magic attacks which by the way nearly wore us down,” she told them extremely speedy, slowly calming down.
“Where were you, anyway?” Fluttershy asked them in bewilderment.
“Sweet Apple Acres,” Spiked replied. “We saw it burning as well. Just when you and Angel fell asleep, we saw the ceiling of the barn burning. We don't know how it happened, but don't worry, everypony is save.”
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and continued to asked her friends out.
“But why then all the panic and those attacks?!” she questioned Twilight discomposedly.
“Apparently, some sort of... of calamity... broke loose. That's why the Royal Guard intervened.” she could only reply funereally.
“W-what? What... calamity?” she began to worry, but as she looked into the frowns of her friends, she did not get an answer.
“We...” Twilight Sparkled tried her best to explain her. “We don't know...”
Through the dark, narrow side streets of Ponyville, the heroes galloped keyed up to their destination. What they were leaving behind was nothing more than an empty, deadly silent place of naught Twilight's library was in, and what they were heading to began to fill this nothingness with savage terror.
“Somepony,” Twilight Sparkle did her best to explain what she could to Fluttershy. “Or better said, something, is causing all of this havoc. We saw it at Sweet Apple Acres. They are like... rifts... in time and space. Anomalies that came out of nowhere and have no apparent reason to exist!”
“Anomalies?” Fluttershy wondered in bewilderment. “Like when Discord caused chaos?”
“Oh no, Sugarcube,” Applejack had to clarify, even if she did not want to. “Discord's chaos could sometimes be funny, even though mean.”
“But this,” Rainbow Dash finished her sentence. “Is mayhem.”
“So you mean there won't be any chocolate rain?” Pinkie Pie questioned them desperately disappointed.
“Pinkie!” Rarity gave her a mouthful. “This is not the time for randomness!”
“Oops! Sorry,” Pinkie replied, and knowing that Rarity was right, she contained herself.
The outcries grew louder as they approached their inexplicit goal, and the sky, with every step they did, became redder, with the blistering heat of burning materials intensifying proportionately to it.
“The whole city is on fire!” Spike squalled with an anxious face.
“I hope nopony is hurt by all this,” Fluttershy spoke under her breath, to which the others could only nod worryingly.
“How can some space holes do this, anyway?” Rainbow Dash questioned the situation furiously.
“Don't you remember?” Twilight Sparkle reminded her of their situation. “When I tried to use my magic to undo the anomaly and end the fire, it did not work. These things oppress or, at the very least, influence magic.”
Just as she finished her sentence, they arrived at one of the main streets, where, for the first time, Fluttershy witnessed the true horror of the events by herself.
“My dear...” she could only stammerer when she saw what has become of the peaceful city she lived in two-thirds of her life.
Many buildings, though scattered, were on fire and burning down to ashes. A crowd of ponies galloped down the street in an attempt to escape from the city, but everything was just too chaotic and they hindered each other unwillingly.
“Sugarcube Corner is where they are running from. I'm worrying about the Cakes. I have to help them!” Pinkie Pie called, just before her concerns got the better of her and she made her run against the stream of ponies.
“Wait for us!” the others yelled at her, but she did not listen and simply moved along, with them quickly following and galloping to Sugarcube Corner.
As they arrived, they realized that the roof of it was on fire, and in front of the door was one of the guardians that fought against something, that looked like concentrated magic that levitated in the air.
“Oh no! The Cakes!” Pinkie Pie shouted out solicitously.
“And one of those anomalies!” Twilight pointed out just as she saw that one guardspony tried his best to destroy it.
He shot one beam of magic at it, but the only result was that it was consumed by the rift and somehow transformed. Much stronger and larger in size, it flew into the air with an incredible velocity.
Fluttershy was in shock and stood still with Angel on her back, since she recognized this as the attack that almost took her out, while the others went closer to the guardian. He immoderately recognized Princess Twilight Sparkle and bowed to her.
“Your majesty, Captain Shining Armor ordered us to deal with these things, but it won't work,” he nervously said as she approached him.
“There is no known way to destroy these things,” she explained him with a calm voice. “Tell every guardian that the orders you have are invalid. Also inform my brother about it, so he can focus on bringing all ponies to a save spot.”
“Yes my princess. Your wish is my command,” he told her respectfully, before he quickly turned around and galloped away to do as told.
Just as the ponies though they could safely rescue the Cakes, Fluttershy looked up into the sky and saw the inevitable dashing towards them.
“Heads up!” she yelled with all of her voice, which resulted in the others barely hearing it at all.
Spike turned around and walked closer to Fluttershy, worrying about what she just whispered.
“May you repeat that a bit louder?” he asked her irascibly.
She repeated herself, but again, Spike could barely understand her, because of the noisy background filled with the sounds of burned down construction and screams.
“Did you just say... Heads up?” he questioned her, just before he comprehended her words and looked up.
At first confused, his facial expression turned into utter shock and panic, and quickly, he turned to the rest and warned them.
“Heads up!” he shouted out in panic.
As the others heard him, Fluttershy grabbed Spike hastily, and soared from the ground. They screamed, and with an ear-piercing detonation, it annihilated the rooftop and made it fall apart, collapsing between the threesome of Fluttershy, and the other ponies.
Influenced by the shock wave, she lost control of her flight, making her spin around her own a axis. Angel could not grab hold any longer and Fluttershy lost grip on Spike, causing both to fall down, though it barely changed anything about their situation since she slammed into the ground, as well.
They could still hear the building came tumbling town, but Fluttershy could only scratch her head in her dizziness, barely recognizing the blurry figures sitting in front of her that were Spike and Angel.
Holding her head in the hope to make her headache stop, she turned it to the crumbling noises behind her, and as she soon as she did, her eyes opened widely and she was suddenly wide awake.
“Look out!” she clamored, before she gave a jerk and hustled both boys out of the way, slamming into the ground once again.
Just as she hit the ground, she could feel the incredibly painful sensation of an heavy object bantering on her right, splayed wing. Her head rose into the air, and only able to groan and breath in heavily, her body flagged as she begin to shed tears.
Spike and Angel scratched their heads in confusion and giddiness, but they helped each other getting on their feet and fathomed what happened to Fluttershy.
“Oh my goodness...” Spike spoke under his breath, before rushing to Fluttershy, with Angel following him.
She was just lying there, weeping, while her right wing was buried under a massive timer plank, likely a part of Sugarcube Corner.
“Don't worry, Fluttershy. We'll get this thing from you,” he assured her, before both of them took grab of the wooden plank and pushed it aside.
Spike then gave her a hand and allowed her to lean on him, since Spike realized that her wing was badly injured.
“Gosh, Fluttershy. You don't look good. Can you move your wing?” he asked her worryingly.
But it was futile. As soon as she was up on her hooves, still crying and catching her breath, she gave it a try, but only groaned in pain.
“No. I-I can't. I think my wing is broken,” she mumbled, to which Spike nodded, before turning around and facing the blockade of rubbish that lay between them and the other ponies.
“Twilight! Guys!” he shouted on top of his voice. “Is anypony there!?”
A while passed, but to their alleviation, they responded.
“Spike! Are you okay?!” Twilight yelled from the other side.
“Yes, but Fluttershy is injured!” he responded, just as Fluttershy interrupted him.
“I am very sorry to disrupt your talk, but I'm worrying about my little friend. Could you please take me to my home, Spike?”
“But of course, Fluttershy,” he assured her, before focusing back on Twilight. “Twilight! Are the Cakes okay!?”
“Yes!” Pinkie suddenly responded. “They are all fine!”
They sighed in relief, but Spike knew he had to keep an earnest tone, so he concentrated and knew what to do.
“Guys! I'm bringing Fluttershy and Angel to their home! We'll be waiting for you there after you made sure everypony is safe, alright?!”
It took the ponies a while, but they recognized his idea as intelligent and accepted.
“Alright, Spike!” Twilight approved openly. “Protect her! And don't worry Fluttershy! You are in good hands!”
“I know!” She yelled, before coughing in ache.
Spike then turned with Fluttershy based herself on him, with Angel giving his best to assist him.
“Come on, Fluttershy. We'll bring you out of here,” he assured her genially, before making the first steps towards a side street.
Though moaning at first, Fluttershy's pain diminish, and she could with normal speed, again, and as they approached the dark alleyway, she gently pushed Spike aside. Though at first, her legs gave out from under her, she steadily regained her stableness and stood still after some seconds.
“It's alright. You don't need to worry,” she reassured Spike and Angel. “I am fine.”
They first intended to convince her otherwise, but showing strength is something that was necessary in this situation, so they allowed her to do so and continued to walk the deathlike alley.
But something did feel off. It was such a contrast to the main street they just came from, where everything was alive an filled with fear and terror. Here, it was just cold silence.
Fluttershy felt queasy, but she did not let her fear overcome her, since she was protected by the strong hands of her friends. But suddenly, she stood still and stiffened abruptly.
Spike and Angel noticed that Fluttershy was not following them anymore, and so they turned around, only to be petrified. Fluttershy heard a groaning from directly behind her, and she felt the warm sensation of breaths of air on her neck, causing her to have goose bumps.
Her body was nearly completely deaf, and she was happy for it, not wanting to scream like a little filly at the moment where this thing was right behind her, possibly ready to ambush her when she move just one inch.
But knowing that standing still would not help, she, as her curiosity got the better of her, turned her head and stared directly into the snout of anguish, deadly terror and black despair.
Fluttershy, in the sensation of time not flowing around her, beheld the being as she starred into its eyes. It had the shape of a pony, but it did not look like anything that could be considered ponyly.
The hide's color lacked the luminance of normal pony hairs, looking ghoulish and bedraggled. It's mane was the same, and it just hang down her face, like it was soaked. Though the most distinct characteristic of this creature was its eyes. Its pupils and irises looked exactly like the rifts Fluttershy had seen throughout the city. The Iris glazed, looking like the night sky with tiny stars in it which lacked almost any luminosity and the pupil was just like a red orange thunderbolt following a diagonal path.
The wight clenched its unusually sharp teeth, breathing heavily and slowly, starring right back at Fluttershy. To her horror, she recognized this being as somepony she knew.
“Golden Harvest?” She whispered dolefully, unable to comprehend what happened to one of her friends.
Carefully, she rose one of her hooves and while dithering, she put it on her shoulder in an attempt to reawaken the pony inside of Golden Harvest. But as soon as she did that, the creature that was once a pony pushed her away and growled loudly in a guttural fashion, causing Fluttershy to back off. Snarling like a timberwolf, the corrupted pony prowled and licked its teeth. With nothing but the burning desire in its sparkling eyes to take Fluttershy out, it jumped at her, knocking her down. With Fluttershy lying on her back, barely able to hold the creature up from snatching at her throat, Spike and Angel did not hesitate and slammed their own bodies right into the transformed ponies side, making it fly and crash several feet away from Fluttershy.
Spiked quickly took her hoof and pulled her up. “Come on! We've got to get out of here!”
“B-but...” Fluttershy stammered disbelievingly. “That was... Golden Harvest.”
Spike gazed at the cursed pony, which slowly began to get on its hooves again, bloodthirstily starring at the threesome. “No, Fluttershy. Not anymore.”
Without allowing Fluttershy to reply, Spike and Angel dragged her away from the creature. She hardly walked on her own, as her mind was unable to fathom the cruelty fate had imposed on one of her acquaintance.
Eventually, not galloping away from the creature showed itself a fatal error, since the trio was still in the alleyway and the infested Golden Harvest quickly chased after them. Fluttershy shook her head and tried to fly into the air to protect her friends, but a gruesome pain rushed through her wings, apparently re-realizing that her wing was broken, tripping and falling to the ground.
Spike and Angel startled and once again, they intended to pull her up from the ground, but Fluttershy was just lying there in her pain and confusion. Lying on her back, she saw how her two friends took her forelegs and dragged her through the dirt track, while the corrupted beast furiously approached them.
Fluttershy starred into its eyes, like the monster's gaze would hypnotize them. What was happening? Why would such a thing happen? Questions over questions overwhelmed her mind. Though she did her best to process everything, it was too late.
The infested Golden Harvest jumped at her direction, but instead of her, it took spike and slammed him into the ground. He did everything he could to push the dark pony away, but he was just a little dragon, and his powers were limited. Angel did his best to assist him, trying to drag Golden Harvest away by pulling her tail, but his efforts were in vain, too.
“Get off me, you creep!” Spike yelled at it to no avail
Just as the corrupted Golden Harvest was about to gouge her teeth into Spike's neck, they heard a frustum, echoing sound. What was left of the former Golden Harvest stumbled, shook and eventually fainted right next to Spike. He turned his head and gazed at Fluttershy, who was standing on her hind legs, breathing heavily with a shocked expression and a trash can lid in her hands. She shed tears and weept, letting the lid loose and falling on her four hooves.
“I am sorry...” She whispered stutteringly. “I promise. When we find a cure for you... I will shepherd you until you are safe and sound.”
Spike calmed down again and stood up, gazing at Fluttershy, dolor grazing his face and Angel's. The clear night sky vanished quickly, leaving behind only dark clouds of dust an severe cold. And then, it began to rain. No intensive, but just enough to be actually noticed.
Spike and Angel approached her, gently taking one of her hooves.
“Hey.” Spike calmly reassured her. “Is Everything alright?”
“How could there be anything alright, Spike?” She spoke under her breath. “I just put Golden Harvest out of action with a dastard assault...”
Angel stroke her cheek while Spike shook his head. “That isn't her; not anymore at least. You will be able to cure her and everypony else. I swear that we will find a way.”
Fluttershy nodded slightly, but it was obvious in the whooshing gentle rainfall that her spirit was fragile and her believe in herself was broken.
Spike sighed, but then he smiled and put a claw on her chest, right above her heart. “Hey. You just saved us, you know? Twice actually. Angel maybe even three times.”
As Spiked said that, Angel nodded encouragingly and snuggled with Fluttershy. “We owe you our well-being. You put yourself at risk to save us and even got hurt. Don't think there is no kindness in you. There is more than you believe. If you don't believe yourself, then at least believe us.”
Fluttershy was visibly touched by Spike's words. Like a spark of hope suddenly guiding her path, it was him who calmed her mind.
She nodded quietly and smiled a little bit. “Oh you charmer. Thank you.”
Spike simpered and turned his back, all three of them walking out of the side street an into one of the main plazas. Like being struck by an intense explosion, the silence of the night was immediately filled with the screaming voices of terror of ponies running away, the hissing of blazes consuming the buildings and the whooshing of a few beaming projectiles flying over the city.
“Shoot! The order to stop the attempts to get rid off these anomalies hasn't reached everypony, yet. Come on! We've got the get out of the city and to your place, Fluttershy.”
She nodded in agreement and continued to follow the trotting Spike. They saw the terrified ponies around them, running and screaming in agony through the streets. Just coming by the waterspout fountain, they saw that the town hall was on fire, and parts of it were dropping off like water from the leaf of a lotus.
Angel was just about to continue to run and follow the rest of the herd galloping through the streets, but Spike grabbed his arm and threw him and Fluttershy down, before he himself took cover.
The clock tower lost its stability and quickly, it came tumbling down, flooring everypony and everything that was beneath its hart dirt. The threesome did not see anything of it while they covered, and ultimately, they did not want to see how many got injured by this or what else might have happened to them.
Besides the cracking of sparks, it once again was silent. They got up and Fluttershy bit her lips, before shaking her head.
“We've got to take the long road to get to my house.” She explained solicitously
“Don't worry.” Spike reassured her with a sedate tone in his voice. “I'll get you there. Just follow me and everything will be fine.”
Fluttershy did not want to agree. She just wanted it to be a nightmare to wake up from. She wanted nothing more in this situation than to hid herself and huddle up to herself or somepony else. But she knew it was the only way out and with a silent groan, she accepted and followed him alongside Angel.
The main street they were trudging through was barren of life. Only in the distant could they see the silhouette of ponies distancing themselves from their position. Everything seemed normal as they hurried through the path, but they could not shrug off this eerie feeling the silence that encased them caused.
The sudden noise of a cracking window next to them scared them, but as they turned at the location of its origin, they spotted a dark gray pony with a silver mane being attacked by another one of these corrupted zombies.
“Help! Help!” The Pegasus colt screamed in agony, being pushed on the ground and attempted to being pricked by the monstrosity, that looked uncannily familiar to Berry Punch, a friend to everypony, with only a light pink hide and a nauseating yellow for her hair color.
Spike and Angel swallowed in fear, but they did not hesitate any longer and tried to pull away the insane pony from the pony which outer appearance revealed it to be Thunderlane.
Both of them managed to hold her off, but not enough to get her from the young Pegasus. It was like the infested pony was completely ignoring Spike and Angel, even though it was noticing them, like ponies had a much higher priority.
“Fluttershy! Drag him off her!” Spike yelled at her with his clenched teeth, groaning in desperation as he had to use all of his power to not let go off whatever that thing in front of him was.
But she did demure. She dreaded the creatures the ponies have become. These immane, grotesque, yet pitiful beings, torn out of their sanity to do something she could not understand.
She starred at Thunderlane. If she would not react now, he might be injured. But it would put herself and maybe her friends at risk. She knew there was only one true answer fit for pony beings. With all her courage at display, she dashed towards the others and took Thunderlane's forelegs. The infected snapped at her, but Spike and Angel combined were strong enough to keep her away from Fluttershy.
Just when Thunderlane had enough space to stand up, he leaped to his hooves and stretched his hind legs tight. When the duo lost grip off the corrupted pony, she sprang and immediately, the outstretched, stalwart hooves of Thunderlane's hind legs acquainted themselves with her chin.
In a moment, the corrupted filly collapsed and fell on the ground, forthwith fainting and not a single muscle.
“That will hold her off for some time.” Thunder remarked in disgust by the afflicted mare.
“Hey!” Fluttershy shouted at him, before quickly retreating and whispering as usual. “This act of violence was completely unnecessary.
Spike and Angel rejoined the group and looked back and forth between the two ponies.
“Are you out of your mind?” The Pegasus questioned her in slight anger. “I'd rather not be a supper.”
“Aren't you better than this?” She ramshackly stood her point.
“I had no choice!” He shouted at her, before calming down again when he realized how afraid she was. “She'll wake up in some time. I bought us this time to get out of here. It was the only way.”
Fluttershy shook her head. She did not want to believe this. Violence was never the solution, only a presumptuous method to stall the problem. But was this situation an exception? After all, Thunderlane only acted out of desperation to save himself and likely her and the others, too.
“Hey...” Spike calmly intervened. “We should not discuss this here. First getting out of the city and then the discussion about what's wrong and what's right. How does this sound?”
“Settle down, pal. We are Pegasi. Let's just fly out of the city and we'll bring you to anywhere we want.” Thunderlane suggested cockily.
“I would like too, Thunderlane, but...” Fluttershy admitted precariously. “My wing is injured, if not fractured.”
“Oh, poor you.” He replied grievingly. “But don't worry. I'm sure I can carry you and the two little fellas without effort. After all, I'm training in the Wonderbolt Academy.
“I know. We were there when your group saved us.” Fluttershy responded with a smile gracing her face. “Rarity is still very thankful.”
“Oh... yeah, right.” Thunderlane answered nervously. “Well, let us get it over with.”
Just as Thunderlane was about to open his wings, Spike horned in. “Wait! Look at your wings first.”
“What? Why?” He questioned him in bewilderment, before comprehending what the young dragon meant. “Holy gosh...”
It was only now that any of the attendees noted how badly harried his wings and the side of his body was.
“Darn.” Thunderlane lamented. “That must have happened when I crashed through that window. Stupid cullet. All of that adrenaline must have made me numb to the pain. In any case, I won't fly with these babies anymore for the next time.”
“What is it with Pegasi having so much trouble staying save and sound? Rainbow Dash will flip out if something similar happens to hear.” Spike remarked sarcastically, as he was in desperation, since seemingly all opportunities to leave the town were without avail.
“Then let us canter out of Ponyville. Were already close to the bridges so it should be an easy ride.” Thunderlane animated the rest of the group.
“We have no other choice.” Spike responded. “Let's try it through sideways. It may sound harsh, but those corrupted are probably after the masses, not single ones.”
“Then it's a deal.” Fluttershy commented. “And don't worry. We'll take care of you as soon as we are out. You can't go out with these injuries.”
“Well, maybe. Without working wings, I won't be able to find my lil' brother in Cloudsdale. So yeah, I appreciate your offer. And thank you for saving me anyway.”
“Always a pleasure, but now, let us really get a move on.” Spike replied, before turning his back, leading the group through multiple dark alleys at a good pace.
There was only one corner they had to take, before they would come across one of the bridges that lead out of town. Spike walked past it with Fluttershy immediately behind him. She felt save between the two, strong men that were guarding her, and of course her own little guarding that was always right next to her. This was a sensation of security that should not last for long.
Just passing the corner, Spike duck and jumped forward. Another of these ferocious creatures assaulted them from seemingly nowhere, with its eye on Fluttershy. Yet again, Fluttershy remembered who the pony behind the outer appearance was, but she did her best to simply see it as the best it was.
She anxiously bawled as she infected mare attacked her, but the creature has not taken into account the brawny stallion that Thunderlane. Like a hero in shining armor, he jumped in front of Fluttershy and lifted the corrupted with his strong neck, literally throwing her to the side.
“Hurry!” He yelled, before galloping and dragging Fluttershy with him.
The door to a little store was in their way, but luckily, it was not closed and they quickly entered the building and blocked the entrance with what appeared to be a wagon. The store was in fact a small diner. It wasn't a familiar building, but it's mostly red furniture looked clean and agleam in the bright night. Gazing through the windows, they saw the purple bridge that lead out of the city and right to the entrance of the Everfree Forest.
They all sighed in relief and even chuckled for a few second.
“Well, were almost out of here. Then the princesses will make their plans, hay, probably even use the Elements of Harmony and POW... everything will be daily grind again.” Spike told them joyously.
Angel hopped through the dark interior of the diner, but tripped over something felted. Just as that happened to her, groaning and moaning echoed through the small restaurant. Everywhere inside, legs began to raise from the ground and grabbed the furniture in an attempt to drag the rest of the body up.
But now, they saw that the dim light hid at least half a dozen corrupted ponies, all of which wore faces Fluttershy just knew all too well.
“Oh Crud.” Spike stuttered as the masses of infested moaned like zombies in bad horror movies while they were getting up on their hooves.
“We've got to get out of here, before it is too late!” Thunderlane clamor, before he took everypony and galloped with them to the exit. Crashing through the door and being outside and still breathing, Thunderlane pressed his body against the door, as the infected ponies tried to break through without respite.
“Shoot! I can't hold them back much longer! Run away!” Thunderlane commanded them, but Spike shook his head and pressed himself against the door as well.
“No way! They will rush us back to Fluttershy's house if I am not here to buy some more time. Fluttershy, Angel! Go home. I'll come in about 5 minutes.”
“No way. I know Twilight said that you are responsible for me, but I won't let you two guys down.”
“You are not letting us down! You are doing what we want you to do.” Spike explained her energetically. “Otherwise, everything was for nothing. Go now! Find your animal friends and make sure they are save. I'll be there in just a couple of minutes. I promise that!”
Who was she to fight against Spike? He was showing so much bravery in this dire situation. He truly behaved like a man he always was. She wondered what that strength inside of him was that allowed him to show such courage. He was a valiant little guy, but he would not hesitate from fleeing when the situation becomes a loosing game. And this was surely nothing they could win. Fluttershy had faith in him, and so, she packed Angel on her back and nodded.
“I believe you. Good luck, the both of you.” She replied sternly, before turning her back and galloping over the bridge.
In the middle of it, she heard how the door collapsed and she turned around, only seeing how both Spike and Thunderlane were rushing away from the attackers with an incredible speed. Luckily, she gained no attention, and she assiduously cantered through the streets back to her home.
For a fraction of a second, it was relief that overwhelmed her with sheer pleasure. But as everything in this night, it was in vain. It was not only the city that was burning down to ashes, but parts of the Everfree as well, including her own house.
She and Angel where in shock, as they did not know about the well-being of their animal friends. Angel was scared for them and he felt the urge to do just anything. Without explaining himself, Angel jumped off her back and rushed towards the burning house, possibly in an attempt to open a door or something like this to save everypony inside.
“Angel, no! Stop! It is too dangerous!” Fluttershy outcried, but the little critter was way too focused on his goal to listen to her.
“Please... be save and save them...” She whispered as she saw him entering through an open window on the building's side.
She followed up onto the small hill, but as she approached her home, she heard a buzzing in the background. She remembered what that sound was. It was the noise these anomalies made, like what ponies would imagine a black hole or a wormhole to sound like.
She browsed around and eventually, her eyes gazed at the little lake near her house, where it was. She did not see it through all the flames that brightened up the sky, but now it was crystal clear. It was, in her shock, crystal clear that a nightguard in almost full armor was attempting to use his magic against it.
“Oh no!” She shouted, before she galloped towards the guardian.
“Stop.” She tried to explain him with her common gentle voice. “You mustn’t use your magic against it. I will create these big projectiles and...”
“Be off!” The nightguard accost her while trying to focus. “Find somewhere to hide, young mare. These anomalies are dangerous.”
“No, no. You don't understand me, it's an direct order from Twilight Sparkle that...” The attempted to convince with, but with no avail.
“I have direct orders from Shining Armor. Until I am reported otherwise by an official source, I have to fulfill my duty.” He replied with anger gracing his tone.
She could not allow him to cause any more damage. But what was she supposed to do? He did not listen to her, and he arguably had good reasons for doing so. He just kept on channeling his magic energy through his horn and transferred it to the rift in time and space with a concentrated beam.
She knew that soon, something would happen that would cause another one of these blasts to struck something down. There is only one way. A method she always despised to use. Being a showoff was not her way of living, but in this case, she had no other choice.
“I am the Element of Kindness, close friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle who bares the Element of Magic. In her name, I order you to stay down..... please....” She demanded him to so.
“The Element of Kindness?” He wondered about her words, before he turned around and looked at her.
“Oh yes. You are Fluttershy. You helped our precious princess Luna once, too. Okay. I believe.” He responded happily.
Only his face stuck out of his armor. Like most nightguards, he had a dark gray hide, but there was a unique touch of dark purple in his. His mane and tail were, in comparison, dark blue like Luna's, and his wings had a slight wider span. He must be a higher ranking nightguard or a special elite.
“Captain Penumbra to your command.” He saluted joyfully.
At first, Fluttershy smiled, but her victory should soon turn into despair. As Penumbra turned around and greeted her, the magic connection between him and the anomaly got lost. Dark sparks began to emit between them, and before they could grasp it, it was already to late.
An ear-battering, white blast struck the two down, though with his unmatched perception and agility, Penumbra was able to cover Fluttershy from the blast by protecting her with his own body.
But ultimately, there was only the white nothingness.
Fluttershy awoke in the cold grass, next to the nightguard captain who was moaning. He was bruised to say the least, but he was still capable of shakily standing on his two hooves, breathing heavily and having tears in his eyes.
Fluttershy was still deaf from the explosion, which knocked almost every sense of her out of their balance. She could only see blurry forms, and her equilibrium sense was almost not working at all, though she was steadily able to stand up.
She breathed in and out, unable to hear anything,but the beating of her heart. It needed something to truly wake her up. Another shock, like a cold shower or alike. Her desires were fulfilled, as a glare began to fill her eyes.
She starred at it, and her eyes adapted to it and with it, all her other senses. Instantly after regaining her full consciousness, she followed the path of the glare. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in an attempt to yell, but her throat was too dry. In this one second, she realized what the blinding light was. It was another one of these projectiles, but at a much larger scale.
She tried to get something out of her mouth. She tried to gallop towards it, but there was no time to do even one step. Ultimately, she could only watch it in tears.
The light disappeared for a fraction of a second, before it extended itself and consumed everything. Everything she once called her home. The grass desiccated and the earth blackened. It was just in this mere seconds the impact of the light with her house made that everything she knew, all the beauty and blithesomeness she knew in her life, was turned into tight grip of black despair and demise. She just stood there; and watched.
Again, there was nothing. But this time, it was ever-lasting. She gazed at the burning remains that was once the place she lived in. With one strike, everything she knew was gone. Things, that were irreplaceable, leaving behind only bitter memories.
Fluttershy stumbled and fell on the ground. A stream of tears flew down her cheeks and shattered on the grass. She crawled through the grass in an attempt to reach her house, but her body felt so tired and so did her spirit.
Even though she gave everything, someone grabbed and and pulled her back. She gazed at the person, which revealed itself to be Spike. He was shouting something, but she could not hear it. Her mind was empty. She screamed “No!”, constantly, broken-hearted; and fought against Spike. She had to save something, she just had to.
But then, it was not just Spike, but also everypony she considered her best friends who dragged her away from the building. She knew she was yelling at him to let her go, but she just could not hear it. She meandered and resisted, but it was futile.
As she got pulled through the grass, she saw how Penumbra starred at the flames with tears in his eyes, while Twilight Sparkle exclaimed against him.
Her body simply give in and she collapsed. She knelt there, in the arms of her friends, holding her tightly and mourning alongside her. With her tears rushing down her side, the rain intensified, nearly becoming the storm of despondency that raged inside of her.
It was in this night, the night she became an dult, that she lost almost everything that mattered to her. Her home, her life, but most of all, her family and friends. And In the end, all she had was the endless reminder that life... goes... on; without them.
