fLuTtEr

Spike had searched the cabin, but it seemed that this past week had kept Fluttershy from helping out the animals. They had all left, leaving the place somewhat messy and abandoned.

“Damn...” He held his gut as he felt a pang of both hunger and pain. “I have to find something to eat...”

He headed outside and caught a scent right away.

Fresh blood and warm meat.

He drooled slightly as he tracked it to its source. The moment he spotted the sizable slab of raw meat hanging from a tree, he froze.

He knew this scent.

Pony blood.

Spike looked around, fear in his eyes as he searched for the one that did this. It was a twig snapping that made him spin around, coming face to face with a white coated Pegasus Pony with long, flowing white mane and tail. His eyes were an oddly familiar green.

“Hello.” The Pegasus spoke. His tone was even as he glared down at Spike.

“Um... hello? Who are you?”

“My name is Whisper Wing.” He leaned down, bringing his eyes down to Spike's level. “Who are you?”

“M-my name is Spike.”

“I know.” Whisper Wing smirked. “You do realize this place is very dangerous, especially for such a young, defenseless baby dragon.” He walked toward the chunk of meat, but not close enough to get blood on him. “Looks like somepony was just recently killed. The flesh is still warm.”

Spike could indeed smell the meat and the blood. Even though he knew it was pony flesh, the pain in his stomach was telling him to feed. Still, his mind was stronger.

“Did you kill this pony? Are you some sort of monster that looks like a Pony?”

Whisper Wing turned and approached Spike again. “What makes you think it's a monster? It could very well be a pony.”

“I saw Pinkie Pie. She was half turned into some monster.”

“She was half way turned into an Alicorn, very much like the Princesses.”

Spike shook his head. “No way. Our Princesses would never do anything like what Pinkie Pie had done. Heck, I bet whatever changed her forced her to kill those ponies in town.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. What about... Applejack?”

“I don't know. I heard she killed her own family, but she says she can't remember anything.”

“And where is she now?”

Spike shivered. “I don't know.”

“Hmm, where is Fluttershy?”

Spike paled. “Oh no... What if AJ tries to attack Fluttershy? This is horrible.”

“I don't think you have to worry about that. Fluttershy is more than capable of taking care of herself.”

Spike paused suddenly. “Hey, how do you know so much about them? Who are you really?”

Whisper Wing turned and looked back toward Ponyville. “Do you really want to know?” His voice deepened slightly.

“Um... yea, I wanna know.”

“Whisper Wing... Blackthorn. That is my name. Flutter is my mother.” He turned, his eyes red and filled with bloody murder. His mouth filled with deadly sharp teeth. His hooves scraped at the ground, leaving claw marks. “And eating you is what I intend to do next.”

Blackthorn moved faster than what the baby dragon could follow...
...

Deathspark had cast a locater spell on Spike, and was heading for his location. As she felt she was getting closer, she heard the unearthly roar and a scream. She poured on the speed, charging ahead and bursting through the bushes.

The 'thing' she saw was strangely familiar. She had read about it in one of the dark tomes. “Chimera Alicorn...” She paled. “Blackthorn, scion of Princess Luna. So, you DO exist.”

The monster turned, a small purple limb dangling loosely in his mouth. A snap and he swallowed it greedily.

“You killed my pet. I killed yours.” The monster laughed and flew off, leaving Twilight alone with Spike's remains.

Spike coughed suddenly. He was still alive.

“Spike.” She was at his side in a flash. “Hang on. I'll get you stitched up and healed.” She levitated from under her cloak a curved needle and some thick, black thread. “Black... thorn... Flutter...”

Before he could finish speaking, a hooked tail shot from the bushes, piercing into Spike's mouth and out the back of his head. A quick jerk and the body vanished into the bushes.

Deathspark leaped through and saw the horrible monster, taking Spike into his maw, then flying away.

Before they were out of sight, Twilight cast a spell, one that would let her locate Spike easily, even if he was now dead.

“Flutter... Is Fluttershy in danger? Or... That's impossible... Or is she corrupted like Pinkie Pie was? Or is she the one behind all this? That sting she received months ago... Angel's death. Could they be related?” She turned back toward the town.

Deathspark frowned. She had left Silence Grave back at the morgue. He was a faster runner, and more suited for close combat, just in case. She would have to rely on her magic to protect herself.

How she was wishing he was with her right now.

She wove spells about herself as she ran. Just in case.

Town came into view, then the market, then the Boutique.

Deathspark immediately spotted the trail of blood leading in through the busted in door.

Or was it leading out.

Deathspark rushed through the open door and saw the bloody streak leading up the stairs. She followed it to the bedroom and entered.

The scene of brutal carnage and blood was everywhere. Scattered feathers, a ripped apart yellow feathered wing, and pink hair.

Deathspark choked up for a moment. Her cold mind reeling back to a time before all this horror started.

She remembered her beloved friends. They had always been together through good times and bad. They were always there for each other. Her memories of all the friendship and love she felt was now gone.

All that remained of her friends... Applejack.

That was when Deathspark saw the farm pony's stetson laying on the floor, crushed and covered in blood.

Applejack had...

Deathspark staggered back toward the door. This was impossible. She lifted her cloak and looked. There was only one star remaining.

Applejack had murdered Fluttershy...

With a scream of rage, she charged, smashing out the bedroom window, landing on the ground and charged after the bloody marks on the ground. Her hooves thundered as she gave chase. She would find Applejack and expose her for the monster she was. Or perhaps, try to find some way to return her to normal.

Had it been her all along? Or was she simply another victim?

The Necromancer didn't care. She was PISSED.

She finally started up the road toward Sweet Apple Acres. She spotted movement ahead and doubled her speed. Her spells still in full effect.

“APPLEJACK!!!” She screamed, her voice rolling like thunder.

Ahead, the blond pony dropped her 'cargo' in a bloody heap. She turned and looked back, with hellish red glowing eyes. She grinned and threw the remains of the Pegasus onto her back before running ahead.

Even with her spells increasing her speed, she could only barely keep Applejack in view. She turned off the main road and headed down towards Fluttershy's cottage, and the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

“Get back here Applejack. You're going to answer for this.” Deathspark cast another spell, and her hooves burst into violet flames, and floated off the ground. The same flames flickered from her mouth and burned from her eyes as her speed increased slightly once again.

Applejack ran past the desolate cottage and into the darkening forest, with the hellbent Necromancer slowly closing the distance.

But shortly after Applejack entered the woods, she and her limp, lifeless cargo both vanished from view.

Deathspark had to slow down and start tracking by the blood and hoof prints on the ground.

“You cannot get away from me Applejack. I WILL find you. I WILL find out what happened here.” She called out, following the trail deeper and deeper into the wood.

For miles she followed, the blood becoming less and less, but the prints as easy to follow as ever.

Deathspark finally burst through the bushes, a small clearing atop a high cliff. At the edge of the cliff were three figures.

Applejack stood the closest, her head lowered and her scraping her hooves, ready to charge and attack. Behind her was the white monster with the white mane and tail. Gripped in his teeth by the scruff of the neck was the bloody and lifeless form of Fluttershy.

“Blackthorn... You... You made Applejack do this. Didn't you?”

The monster simply chuckled and spoke through clenched teeth. “I didn't make Applejack do anything.” He laughed as he took to the sky, his prey gripped in his teeth.

Deathspark's eyes narrowed dangerously as she turned to face Applejack. “He's controlling you Applejack. You have to fight his control.”

“He's not controlling me, bitch.” Applejack snorted. “But I'll do anything for my Master.” She charged, her hooves thundering forward.

The Necromancer Deathspark frowned and used her magic. She moved fast and attacked.

The first spell caused Applejack's front right cannon to suddenly grow spikes. They twisted and pierced out through her skin, causing the orange mare to careen out of control and crash.

Deathspark hoped that pain would break whatever control was over her friend, but Applejack rose, her eyes blood red as before.

Applejack roared, a sound unlike anything a pony could naturally make, and charged. It was like she didn't feel the pain from that injury.

The Unicorn was taken by surprise and tackled. She slammed to the ground hard, with Applejack atop her. She shielded herself with her magically strengthened forelegs from Applejack's powerful hooves.

A quick flash of her horn, and Deathspark vanished, reappearing a short distance way. Even with that spell, her forelegs were battered and bleeding. They hurt plenty, but that would be nothing compared to what was coming next.

The insane mare rushed and slammed her hooves down at Twilight's head, but the enchanted Unicorn deftly evaded.

Applejack would attack, rearing and kicking, turning and bucking with her hind hooves.

Many times did Twilight have to either raise a shield spell or block a kick with her forehooves. She was being hard pressed, and even small spells designed for causing pain or cuts were doing nothing to slow her down.

The farm pony started to add bites to her list of attacks, snapping at Twilight's face while she lashed out with kicks.

Twilight managed to finally get some distance by teleporting a short distance away.

“Applejack, stop this madness. I can kill you with a single spell, but I don't want too.”

“One of us will die here today, ya limp horned bitch. Where were ya these months when ponies were getting murdered and eaten? Where were ya when mah family was so brutally murdered? This is all YOUR fault. Ah'll kill ah or ya'll kill me.”

Applejack snorted and charged again, but the next spell took her down.

A sickening crunch, the tearing flesh. The 'spiked' leg suddenly exploded, sending shards and spikes of bones on all directions.

Deathspark used her magic to make her cloak cover her, catching the fragments of bone, protecting her from harm.

Applejack was not so lucky. Her front right cannon had been blown apart up to the knee, shards and spikes of bone piercing her legs, chest, abdomen sides and even neck. The blood crazed mare still refused to stay down, and staggered to her hooves.

“Ya'll have to kill me, Bitch. Ah won't stop till one ah us is dead.” She started her three legged charge again.

Another spell, and Applejack's left cannon was blown apart, sending Applejack to crash and tumble head over hooves.

Jumping to the side to avoid collision, Deathspark prepared another spell.

Applejack, incredulously, tried to rise again, walking on her bloody stumps, telling Deathspark she indeed was NOT feeling any pain. “I'll kill you and EAT YOUR HEART!!!”

She did not want to do this. She didn't want to kill her last friend, but if this level of pain had not snapped her out of it by now...

Dark Mistress Twilight Deathspark rose up on her hind legs, her horn blazing with power far greater than any normal Unicorn could ever hope to control.

“Applejack, I'm truly sorry. Let me take away all your pain.” She brought her hooves down, the surge of magic erupting from her horn like a cannon shot.

The blast struck Applejack in the chest, her eyes suddenly going wide. A torrent of blood poured from her mouth.

The red glow faded faded from Applejack's eyes, leaving behind her crazed and shocked look.

The body fell to the ground, dead. Her heart having been destroyed by the brutal power of the spell.

Twilight knelt next to Applejack's dead form. “I'm so sorry... All of you, I'm so sorry...”

She rose to her hooves and levitated her friend's still form. “You maybe dead, but you're still going to help me.”

She limped slowly back toward Ponyville, her forelegs bruised and bleeding.

“I'll avenge all of you.”
...
To Be Continued...
...
Author's note:
Surprise. Applejack killed Fluttershy? What the hay is going on here?
Stay tuned for the next chapter.
Editor's Note:
I apologize for it having taken this long for this chapter to be posted. I was too busy at work (my paying job) to read over and edit it as needed. I'll try to be more considerate of you, the readers and get around to my 'job' as editor more quickly.