Dexter's Dark Tales

It didn’t take long for me to figure out I wasn’t the only one like this, growing up. There were others, my dad would tell me. Others like me. Others that had similar particular interests. Others that were as damaged as me. It was important that I learn how to tell them apart from normal people. Important, so that I can learn to protect both myself and ‘loved’ ones.

Now, just because we’re similar, doesn’t mean we’re friends. I tried it once. It didn’t turn out well.

In fact, some would say I protect others from people like me. I find the others like me. I find… bad people. I’ve learned to spot these people. To learn what they do. To be sure, and not make a mistake of taking an innocent’s life. That would be… against the code. Against what my father would want. My gut usually tells me if they’re bad or not, but I always must find proof to back up my gut… even though I’m usually, right. Usually.

Because, deep down, we’re monsters.

A timberwolf in pony clothing. Blending ourselves into society, waiting to strike. Waiting for the most opportune moment. Snatching up our victims to enjoy a feast that will satisfy our cravings for a while. Until our next lust for blood rises. Then we find our next victim, and strike. A never-ending cycle.

When it first began, I didn’t know what was happening. I was so young. It started with the neighbour’s dog. Always so yappy, so annoying. I couldn’t take it anymore. By the time I realized what I had done, I had killed both the dog and the kid. Their blood was on my hooves. That was the only time I have harmed a child. I’ll admit, it felt… better. It didn’t give me any feeling of happiness or a sense of triumph, but it felt as though what I had done was… right in some way.

Now, remember, it was first time. Still wet behind the ears. I didn’t know how to dispose properly. Inevitably, my dad found out. I felt ashamed, not that I had killed somebody, but that I was so sloppy about it. My dad… he understood, though. He knew I was a psychopath, but he also knew I had potential. He though that I could channel this urge to kill into a positive direction. To keep me safe, and keep me out of prison. Or worse.

Nowadays, I make sure to keep it clean. Leave no clues, no calling card, no obvious MO. I dispose of the bodies properly, except for special occasions. I like to make sure they’re guilty before I get to work preparing. There’s nothing worse than setting everything up perfect, then having to take it all down without any proof of accomplishment. Except taking it down with proof of innocence’s blood. I would never want that…

I remember when I first came to Ponyville. I came by train from Manehattan. I remember that feeling of transitioning from the wild and lively city to the sleepy little town in the country. Well, maybe not less lively, but a lot less active night life. Especially with me around.

When I first arrived at the station, the first person I met was Pinkie Pie. She knew someone new was coming to town. I don’t know how she did, but she just… knew. I had to be careful around her. Eventually I eased up when I learned what she really was. Anyway, she threw these parties for everyone that she meets. She gathers up everyone she can, and throws his huge surprise party for them. In their new home. What a pleasant house warming gift. Dozens of strangers invading your new home, invading your space, drinking, eating, dancing. There were even balloons. Who wouldn’t want that?

I put up with the drinks, the food, even the dancing. I could cover up my displeasure with simple smiles and a few steps of lame dancing here and there. But the worst part, the part I couldn’t fake not liking, no matter how I tried, was the people. So many people in my apartment. Crowding my space, all over the place. I could barely think. Even in Manehattan it wasn’t this crowded. It was like the whole town was in my apartment. Maybe they were. I had barely even settled in and they probably knew my place better than I did by this point. It took all I had not to slip one into the closet and kill him, as much as I wanted to.

After a while, I met this girl. Fluttershy her friends introduced her. She looked very shy and timid. Certainly lived up to her name. She hid behind her hair. Her long pink hair. She spoke in a quiet voice that was a little difficult to hear over the party. I cut myself some cake to look normal as the other spoke to me. I pretended to listen. In reality I was interested in Fluttershy. She seemed to be interested in me, watching me as the purple unicorn named Twilight Sparkle talked to me. Everyone else was focused on her, but Fluttershy as watching me. Why? Could she tell who I really was? Was the party putting me off my game and stressing me out so much that I was showing? Or did she see something else?

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. I could see a spark in Fluttershy’s eyes as they widened. Her chest expanded and fell faster. She gasped quietly. It almost sounded more like a squee. The corners of her mouth flinched for a fraction of a second, but long enough to tell me she as supressing a smile. I could tell she was getting excited. Something was re-kindling an old flame, but what? Was it me? Did she have the hots for me?

“Oh my god!”

“Oh crap!”

“Someone get help!”

Maybe something else about me…

I’ll admit, that Twilight Sparkle is really good at magic. Extremely good. I’ll have to call her next time I slash up myself. She fixed me right up. Left no scars, even. That’s good. Too bad about Pinkie’s cake though. Nobody wanted to eat a bloody cake, I suppose. She didn’t seem to mind, though. She said that accidents happen, and just pulled another cake from completely out of nowhere. To this day, it still perplexes me sometimes about the things that pony did.

But the real mystery lay in Fluttershy. Why did she act that way when I cut my arm? What was she getting so worked up over? Did she like to see me in pain? Or did she love the red liquid that had spilt all over? I needed to know more.

For the next few days, I spent my spare time into finding out more about Fluttershy. The bad thing about a small town is, there’s no database to crack. The good thing about a small town is, everybody knows everybody. With no computers to hack, I took to the streets, asking anypony that looked like they would know something. I started with her friends I had met at the party. I was discreetly, of course. It would seem a little suspicious for the new guy to be asking so much about one person.

For the most part, they seemed nice enough. They all seemed to know Fluttershy pretty well. Apparently she was some sort of animal caretaker. She had animals of nearly every kind. Fish, birds, rodents, cats, you name it. She cared for, fed and worked with all of them. She even got a manticore to be nice to her. She really liked animals. To her, they weren’t just pets. They were friends. Friends only she could communicate to. Friends who would listen to what she had to say and not judge her. Friends I sometimes wish I had.

Everyone I spoke to had something to say about Fluttershy. I don't know if that's bad or good. Most of them just went on about how she had helped their ill pet or generously gave someone one of her animals as a pet. Others told of how timid and shy she was. She was the quietest pony in Ponyville. Some even said she was afraid of her own shadow. I already knew that, but then there were some who told of Fluttershy's amazing power.

They told me that while she may appear scared and shy most of the time, she could also be very fierce and aggressive. They told me that she had this incredible power, "The Stare". It was a technique that she would use when she wanted total obedience over someone. She couldn't control when she used it, but it was very powerful. Apparently, if you threatened her friends, she could do some nasty damage. According to eyewitnesses, she once told off a dragon, and stared down a cockatrice. Right. In. the. Eyes.

Not bad.

It was beginning to make sense. A quiet animal lover who spends all her time in the woods, alone, violent tendencies, an untapped potential inside, just waiting to be released. All of these point to your classic psychopath. I should know. If even half the stories where true, this Fluttershy was one I'd have to watch out for.

It was probably the blood. Just by looking at fresh blood seeping from an open wound, she began to get excited and felt overwhelmed. I guess that would make sense. I like blood, too. The smell, the colour, the feel. I understand what she feels. Blood is a pretty big part of my work, both on and off duty. It can be… alluring.

If Fluttershy was like that, too, then she would need to see fresh blood spilt on a regular basis. She would need that release. If Fluttershy needed to get release, she must have shed blood herself. I had her. I felt it in my gut. Fluttershy was like me, had those urges and needed to kill. As eager as I was to prepare, I had to slow down and remember what my father had taught me. All I needed was proof. I had to make sure that I really had a killer's blood on my hooves and not an innocent's.

The only thing was: I wasn't able to find anything. Absolutely nothing came up involving recent murders or serial killings that could possibly link back to Fluttershy. Sure, there were murders and old murder cases that had gone cold, but none that would work to fit the killer as Fluttershy. If she really was a killer, she was extremely good. Maybe even as good as me.

In time like this, I need to witness the killings myself. I had to see a real victim. I had to make sure.
I made sure to keep an eye on Fluttershy. Watching where she was going, who was seeing and how she acted. For a while, nothing. Just the usual animal lover crap. Then, one day, she asked her farmer friend, Applejack, if she could come over that night. She mentioned something about 'being stressed' and 'relieving some pressure'.
Bingo. I had her.

Needless to say, I followed them to the farm. It was a nice place. Dark, creepy and spooky at night. It almost made up for the missing night life. Applejack's family ran an apple farm, "Sweet Apple Orchards". There were hundreds of apple trees, all around the place. Good place to bury a body. Out in the fields where rarely anyone looks.

I watched closely as Applejack lead the way to a large shed, out in the middle of the orchards. Far away from prying eyes. Except mine. It was close to midnight and very dark. Good time to wear clothes. Dark clothes. Applejack entered the shed. Fluttershy followed shortly after, checking to make uses they weren't followed. Luckily, she couldn't see me. I guess I'm just that good. As she closed the door I could hear it lock with a loud click. I hadn't thought to bring my lock picking tools. Too bad. Oh well, I could still view nicely from the window.

I peered inside through the dirty window and drank in the scenery. it was beautiful. It was rather dim, except for a circle of lights, all pointed directly at the centre of the room. The majority of the far side of the room was a lowered area with steps running down about six feet. A table sat in the centre. Huge heavy chains hung from the ceiling. Large chunks of bloody meat were hooked onto them. The walls were splattered with dried blood that has dripped onto the rusty floor, making them indistinguishable. An assortment of blades, cutting tools and knives littered the back walls close to where I was.

It was a butcher's paradise.

It was clear that they had been at this a long time. This was the proof I needed to begin my preparations, and put away the doubt and uncertainty that was keeping me back. I could have left then and there. In most cases that would have good enough. Quiet pony with great power and violent tendencies, sneaking out into a bloody murder shed in the middle of the night. It all worked out. But… I couldn’t leave. I had to see the victim. I had to see how she did it. How she got rid of the body. She was so clean, completely untraceable.

Applejack waited up by the observation deck while Fluttershy slowly stepped down into the middle. She approached the table. That’s when I was the victim. This must have been ‘Bill’. He was already prepared for her, tied up in such an expertise manner. There was no way he was escaping. Must have been the rodeo girl. She looks like she’d be able to tie someone like that. Years of hogtying paid off. Bill struggled to escape. He was tied tightly to the table, which was bolted to the floor. Even with all his strength he couldn’t even move.

Fluttershy looked over the victim. Her victim. Hers to do with as she pleased. Applejack wasn’t going to stop her. She was with her, behind her 100 percent. In fact, if Fluttershy didn’t need to do this, Applejack might have been the one to do it. I could see her doing it. As ‘Shy circled round her victim, I could see she was beginning to get excited again. Her blood pulsed raced in anticipation of the events to come. The blood that would she shed.

She walked over her wall of sharps objects and picked a classic: A machete. She smiled darkly. I watched as she made her way to her squealing victim. Obviously Bill didn’t want to die. But it’s the natural order of things. It had to be done.

Fluttershy smiled as she tilted her head. She faced her playmate upside down. Closer and closer she leaned in, until they were nose to nose. She stared intensely into her victim’s eyes. Bill immediately stopped struggling and looked back, completely frightened to the core. He was scared stiff. It was like she was staring into his soul. The Stare. I got to see it in action. How lucky of me.

Fluttershy eased way from her poor traumatized Bill. Time to do it. Enough foreplay, time to feed these urges and be free for a while. She raised the machete above her head. “Don’t worry. It will all be over soon.” She assured him as she brought her arms down.

For a while, Fluttershy entered a completely new mode. She was in pure ecstasy as she butchered him. She went to town on this guy. The blood turned her on excruciatingly. To her, it was like a child opening a well waited for Christmas present. Such joy, such rage, such passion, all at the same time. It was amazing.

Applejack watched on with a strong face. She had seen these kinds of things before. Many times. Yet, underneath her stone face, I could tell she was saddened. She obviously knew Bill for a number of years. For their relationship to end this way must have been… tragic. I wonder what that feels like.

By now, FlutterRage had passed. Her thirst for blood was quenched and now lay dormant. She had her fill. She was good for now. As fresh red splatters dripped down the walls, Fluttershy just stood, breathing heavily. Bill was gone. The only thing left was a pink and yellow pegasus with red all over. Applejack stepped towards the stairs. Nobody said anything for a while. Just calming themselves from what had just transpired.

“Sugah Cube?”

When Fluttershy didn’t respond, she descended the steps. She stood beside Fluttershy. She had dropped the blade sometime by the end of the massacre. In a pool of Bill’s blood, Fluttershy fell to her haunches and began to weep. She sniffled and cried. Tears flowed down and fell into the blood, mixing with the red liquid. Applejack knelt down and comforted the weeping pegasus. She held Shy close to her as she cried into her chest. Bill’s blood got onto Applejack.

“I… I’m so sorry…” Fluttershy whispered.

“Shh… It’s okay. Ah understand. Bill was old and needed tah be put down.”

“I…, *sniff*, I know…” she breathed sporadically, “I just… I don’t want to hurt anybody…"

“Ah know sugah. That’s why you come here, to relieve stress without hurting anypony. In fact, you’re helping me a lot.”

Fluttershy looked up at Applejack. “Th-thank… you, Applejack. For letting me do this… here, instead of…”

“It’s okay. I know you need to do this. I’ll always be here for ya.”

The two friends sat in the bloody mess and collected themselves. It was a strange occurrence, especially after what just happened, and the fact they were still in the aftermath of it. I’ll never understand mares.

I backed away from the scene and leaned against the shed. It was all so clear to me now. Fluttershy wasn’t a cold blooded psychopath, she was a reluctant killer. She had a blood lust that urged her to kill and spill blood. He needed to. But, deep down, Fluttershy wasn’t like that. She didn’t want to be a killer. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. She didn’t want to kill an innocent pony, or any pony for that matter. That’s why she came down to Applejack’s butcher shed. To keep it all away from anyone she might hurt. That’s why she had killed Bill the pig.

Applejack knew Fluttershy was a killer. She also knew that she didn’t what to hurt anybody. It would be bad for a lot of people. Fluttershy may have had the same urges I had, but she was innocent. She was inexperienced and messy. She would have been found out for sure. Applejack was a kind friend, who understood Fluttershy’s dilemma. But, she wasn’t good at teaching her how to cover her tracks. How to stalk her prey and clean up afterwards. She did, however, know she needed release. An escape from the immense pressure of needing to kill.

That’s why Fluttershy killed animals.

Applejack, for God knows how long, had let her slaughter animals to cover up the kills. Animals that were supposed to be killed anyway. Livestock. The blood of pigs, cows and bulls stained the walls of this shed, not ponies. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for Shy. To kill the ones you are known to love and care for. To murder those you spend so much time with and love to care for. Well, better animals that have to die, than an innocent pony, right?

The long walk back gave me time to reflect.

I nearly made a mistake that day. A grave mistake. A mistake that would cause a lot of people a lot of grief. It reminded me how sure I must be when I choose my next playmate. It keeps me reminded of how close I came to almost taking someone’s life that didn’t deserve to die. Sure, they were a killer, and wanted bloodshed, lusted after it, but it’s not want they wanted. They were strong. Strong enough to channel that destructive force into something positive. To keep themselves safe, and the ones they love safe.

I must be more careful. Not to jump to conclusions or make assumptions about people; even if I’m right about my gut, sometimes I don’t know the whole story. I need to take a look from other people’s perspective. Understand why they do what they do. Know that what they do is directed at the right demographic. Make sure I know the victim, not just the killer. I must know both side of the coin of death. If I ever forget that…

Well, now I know. Don’t judge a book by its cover. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for Fluttershy now, though. Don’t want her blood lust escalating into something more that just killing a few pigs can’t handle...

The next day, a grand barbeque was held; meat supplied by Sweet Apple Acres. There were hotdogs and beef and burgers galore. Hundreds of ponies attended. It was my apartment all over again. I didn’t think that ponies were ones to dine on such meat, but there was a cause for celebration, so it was a special occasion. At least, Pinkie made one. She called it ‘Rainbow Dash’s get out of the hospital with only minors injuries party’. That Pinkie Pie… You know, I think I may be getting better at pretending to put up with other people. If Pinkie’s gonna be hosting parties for nearly every little thing that happens, I’ll be getting a lot of chances to practice. And that’s good. Want to hone my skills of deception. Wouldn’t want a slip-up…

End.