Calming down a full grown dragon, by ponies standers at least was a very difficult thing for Twilight Sparkle to do, the consuming rage that the drake was roaring into the very house that they occupied together only made it worse.

“Spike, calm down, please. I told you, it was our fault, we were the one’s-”

“No one lays their limbs on a female, Twilight, no male should ever lay their hooves, claws or whatever they have on a female, I don’t care if he is a god, I’ll kick his-”

“No, you won’t!” She suddenly shouted in a firm tone making the reptile eye his companion angrily.

“It was our fault,” She stated in a calm but icy tone at the enraged lizard who could only curl his claws deep into his palms and glare at her.

“We had no idea what we would tigger going into such an area. We were warned, we disobeyed...the deed of what we had done are ours alone, Spike...he did not mean it, he was just frustrated. Truthfully I can’t blame him.” She sighed loudly, taking a seat at the dining room table and scratching at the bandages on her throat absentmindedly.

There was nothing but silence which resonated throughout the library before she heard Spike take a deep breath, exhale and sit down across from her.

“I care for you, you know that…” The tone in his voice gave no hint on which side of the relationship he meant; as a friend, a sibling...a lover, Twilight was unsure and honestly it drove her crazy that she could not decrypt in which matter he spoke but she supposed for the time being that they should focus on Fluttershy and her internal struggle for keeping her sanity.

“She was supposed to be destroyed you know, Twi.” Spike growled in a very dangerous whisper, making a cold shiver trail down her spine at his unknowing husky voice.

“Gods, if only his attention was directed at me.” She thought sadly before getting down from the chair as her faithful sidekick followed her with his eyes.

“Where you going?” He asked carefully, a little worried since she has been through Tartarus and back after her failed experiment.

“To the store, I owe Fluttershy a carton of cigarettes, time to keep my word.” She replied with a sigh and went to fetch her saddlebag.

“Need anything?” She questioned, looking at him while he merely shook his head.

“Nah, I’m good...thanks though. I’m going to visit Rumble and Thunderlane, they want to go to a concert and we need tickets, think I’ll grab Rainbow Dash and buy Fluttershy some as well, since I know she’s a big fan.” He answered and stretched before laying back on the chair, rubbing his eyes.

“Ok, um, who's the band going to play?” Twilight wondered making the dragon chuckle.

“Carriage On Fire.” He laughed before giving her a predatory grin causing the former unicorn to laugh with a roll of her eyes, playfully.

“You all love that rock and roll band a bit too much, I will say, I like how they have different members other than ponies though. Alright then, I’ll see you later, don’t get into trouble.” She ordered lightly. Spike could only reply that he made no promises, making her laugh all the way out the door.

********************************************************************************************************

Witty banter between the two lifelong friends was something few creatures ever achieved in their life times, despite Fluttershy having such a friend, she was not there for her at the moment, the butter furred mare herself was currently lying in her bed.

Curled up into a tight ball with her hooves covering her ears with all the strength the limbs could muster, it was futile...but for the moment it was all she was capable of doing other than screaming with all the air in her lungs...again.

Tears ran down her face in a swift manner, her tail wrapped tightly around her waist as she did everything possible to drown out the dark voice slithering in her head...she was slipping, and they both knew it.

“You’ve been abandoned, delicate little pony...forsaken even by your gods, by the one who claims to love you. Relinquish control just for an instant and I swear to you...I’ll imprison you as quickly as you done to me, it will be over...give me control...” Flutterbat’s sadistic and resentful accent growled to the grown mare making her shiver visibly.

This was not supposed to happen, this was not in any way, shape or form the life she had ever pictured for herself, not a life she wished for any soul even if she ever had the audacity to hate another creature.

It was not in her nature to want death on anyone, to speak of misfortune or spite, to not give someone a second chance...at least, that was what she once believed.

“No, no, no, no...I...I can still win. I have my friends-”

“The very souls who unintentionally aided in my freedom. You are forgotten, you are weak...you will never amount to the love and adoration that you desire, spineless foal!” Flutterbat screeched so loudly and with such force that it temporarily scared Fluttershy to death.

For five seconds, her heart stopped beating, her pupils dilated to the size of a crumb and the very second she felt air forcibly be pumped into her lungs by nature itself….she screamed with so much force that she fainted.

Awaking by icy cold water was the very last thing Fluttershy ever wished to bring her back into consciousness.

The slightly muffled voice of her mate, Discord as he tried to arouse her frightened her for a moment because she had thought she had died.

But reality came crashing back the very next instant as the Pegasus wrapped her hooves around the draconequus and wept with all the tears her body had to offer.

Quite frankly he was stunned, he had gotten up to go make them both some coffee after the fit she had last night, he was only gone for about ten minutes, what had that abomination done to his poor little angel to make her a nervous wreck?

Petting her fur and just holding her somehow made the mare calm down, for a time but he knew it would get worse...Flutterbat was getting stronger and bolder than he had thought...perhaps now was the time for drastic measures.

Whispering sweet nothings in her right ear his words allowed her to resume her natural routine of breathing, blinking and finally when she felt well enough, getting out the bed to rush to the bathroom and vomit, disgusting really but necessary in hindsight if she was to continue about the day like a normal pony...or at least a sane one.

It was time he had a little chat with the wicked soul who plagued her brain, after Fluttershy returned the two went through and together, did the tasks required to keep her animals happy and content.

When they had finished two hours later, sipping a new cup of coffee on the dining room table, Discord reached out his lion paw and calmly take her hoof in his limb as she smiled at him with delight.

He chuckled softly and kissed her cheek causing her to blush as he spoke softly, knowing he could only enter into the Shadow Forest with her permission.

“My dear I need to make sure she’s secure, you know? No loose chains, signs of rust, the like.” Discord whispered, seeing the hesitation and deep rooted fear inside her eyes.

“B...but, I can-”

“Shy, we both know you’re going through so much more than is needed. I won’t be long beautiful, I promise...please and after which, we can go to that dinner you wanted to attend tonight.” The tone in his voice, while pleasant was a bit demanding she knew with a slight frown but if she trusted anyone to defend her against her dark alter ego, it was him.

With a heavy sigh, she nodded, saying that she had to attend to some things anyway and with a kiss directly on the lips, somehow finding such courage to make a bold move, he laughed cheerfully and disappeared with a snap of his eagle talon, evaporating into her most guarded treasure.

******************************************************************************************************

While her mate vanished before her eyes, Fluttershy, now done with her chores stood up from her chair, put her empty cup in the sink, grabbed a lone cigarette and a match from the table and trotted to see the friends she had not been abandoned by.

Flutterbat was wrong and she was going to prove to her and everyone around her that she was a normal, loving pony with the same personality she was known for, that was a promise.

Saying good morning to many ponies that she walked past and with a beautiful, heartwarming day with little clouds to grace the sky was what greeted the ponies of their rural town, seeing the Marketplace getting more crowded as the day escalated.

With a gentle smile but roll of her eyes she continued to her current destination, hoping to grab a snack from Sugarcube Corner since she had forgotten to eat breakfast and with a silent gasp also remembered she had forgotten her saddlebag.

“Oh I hope the Cakes will allow me a little sample, if anything, or maybe I could just go back and get-”

Her voice was cut off however by slamming rather painfully into the door of the very bakary, rather the only one she had meant to come to.

A bit frightened that she would be chased off for having no money, she quietly entered the shop, seeing that the shop was not as busy as she had thought with a small sigh before walking towards the counter and allowing a smile to appear on her muzzle at her best friend taking charge of the register.

“Hey there, Fluttershy, how’s it going?” Pinkie Pie’s enthusiastic and very bright demeanor made the mare laugh lightly before replying that she was well, the air apparently being cleared of her own hostile stance last night and knowing just how forgiving and loving her dear friend was.

“Um, may I have a peanut butter and chocolate brownie please?” She asked politely forgetting to add that she had no bits on her in her haste to acquire the scrumptious, delectable treat that Pinkie knew she craved every week, it was like an angel had created the sweet just for her and she was it’s most popular customer.

Laughing aloud with mirth in her voice, Pinkie Pie nodded and went to go get the item her friend had requested fresh out the oven.

Fluttershy’s day was going really well, despite Discord being inside her head to take care of the...situation she was terrified to do herself.

But her peace would not last, as much as she willed against it she started to feel faint, hearing a very familiar, nefarious whisper deep inside her head, feeling her vision go blurry from the compulsion of Flutterbat’s relentless voice grating her very body to the point of exhaustion in just a few sentences.

“Your insolence is staggering, pony. The mere existence of this wing less foal is making me rattle in my shackles with ferocity, kill her now….kill her with your bare hooves and your suffering will end this moment, herbivore. Kill her!”

Spasms racked Fluttershy’s entire body, uncontrolled and unpredictable, she couldn't breathe as her chest tightened in quick, uneven breaths, sweat ran down her forehead and formed a very small puddle beneath her as she gritted her teeth as firmly as she could.

Her fangs sliding effortlessly into her outer cheeks as she tasted the copper liquid absentmindedly and spat it onto the wood without a second thought, her eyes narrowed to mere slits as her hooves pushed with enough force to make it slightly crack from the pressure.

Pinkie Pie had just come from the back room with a steaming hot brownie on a small blue glass plate she had in her left front hoof, humming a tune she heard on the radio with her eyes closed, her head bobbing to the catchy tune, oblivious to the agony her friend was experiencing in front of her before she set the plate before her, a large grinned plastered on her muzzle before she opened her eyes.

“Here you are Shy, that will be four-”

Shrieking loudly at the unusual display before her, Pinkie Pie loudly asked in a panic if Fluttershy was alright but she could not hear her, resisting the urge to do what the savage ordered of her before her right front hoof slipped and she skidded the plate away with her treat tumbling to the ground on accident.

The loud, fracture that resounded in her ears brought the twisted voice and the unbearable pain to a stand still, Fluttershy was able to restore her limbs in the span of a few seconds and, panting heavily, opened her eyes to see the damage she had unknowingly caused around her.

The perspiration she had emanated from her body now covered a quarter of the large counter, not much but still enough to worry her.

The indents from her hooves had crushed the wood forming a slightly large piece of splintered wood, blood mixed with her sweat slowly forming a disgusting looking shape, shards of glass now embedded themselves into her snack, as well as cut to her side a tiny bit, not enough to hurt though she bled a small amount all the same.

Looking into Pinkie’s face it was a mirrored reflection of her own, agitation, horror and a slight hint of fear was seen making Fluttershy shankly take a deep breath, tears in the corner of her eyes before she turned around and galloped out the now open door, almost running into Sweetie Belle while Pinkie Pie shouted at her to come back and talk to her, which the mare abruptly ignored.

She invariably ran straight into Twilight, the carton of nicotine levitated in the Alicorn’s magic was flung away during the collision as the purple mare groaned and rubbed her aching forehead, before looking at her injured friend and quickly lifting herself and Fluttershy off with ground with her magic.

“Are you alright?” She asked slowly, seeing her bleeding side and muzzle, but the Pegasus only half heard the words she was speaking, petrified that Flutterbat would damage her body again, her eyes widen to their full length and a frighten, panic look filled them, concerning Twilight greatly.

Grabbing the mare by the shoulders, Twilight slowly shook her, yelling into her ear if she was ok, the horrified expression on the mare’s face slowly disappeared before she glanced at her surroundings, again.

Snapping back into focus, Fluttershy now saw the mare that held her, Twilight having the same worried look Pinkie as she stumbled back, trying to gain her bearings once more.

“I-I’m fine...thank you...T-Twilight.” She responded slowly, as if still in shock, it did little to calm the former unicorn’s fears but for the time being she let it drop.

Twilight was honestly relieved that her friend was not angry with her anymore, at least she prayed she was not before grasping the box in her magic and slowly bringing it towards the now calm animal caretaker.

It was as though she had been given the Holy Grail itself in her hooves, cradling the rectangle in her hooves as a mother would a newborn baby, she calmed down immensely but did not move to open the box, instead looking into Twilight’s eyes and thanking her with the most sincere smile she could form.

There was an awkward pause between the two that could be sliced with a knife, forcing Twilight to clear her throat and ask the Pegasus just what had happened looking into her friend’s eyes.

“It...it was nothing Twi. Thank you again, really-”

“It was Flutterbat, wasn’t it, Shy? Please I can help you if you-”

“I’m alright, Twilight. Seriously, I just need to go home for a bit. Oh, that reminds me, I have a dinner reservation for two at that new restaurant, Hay-filet, you and um...well, Spike I suppose can go out under mine and Marvin’s, I mean Discord’s name tonight at seven. They allowed us a free meal because we saved Equestria and-”

“Wait a second, Marvin?” Twilight question with a quizzical eyebrow raised in confusion before her face flushed red at the partner of her friend’s choice seeing Fluttershy giggle.

“It was his idea, he said it would cause a lot of awkwardness if ponies saw the former king of Equestria dating an Element of Harmony, he was going to change his form to one of...well, us.” She replied with a small blush and smile before getting to her hooves with the carton wrapped securely in her tail.

“Well, I better get home. Again, thank you Twilight I needed this...more than you know.” She whispered softly and slowly trotting away before she heard her friend’s voice telling her to be careful.

As Fluttershy walked to home, Twilight turned around to see Pinkie Pie with a very worried expression on her face making the Alicorn put a hoof on her shoulder to reassure the Earth pony.

********************************************************************************************************

The second she closed the door to her cottage, she sat on the ground, dropping the carton of nicotine beside her and sighed, leaning on the wooden entrance with her head held high, exhausted.

Grabbing the lone cigarette from her right ear with her hoof, she took the match from her right ear and as she had done many times since the demon plagued her mind, struck the match, igniting the tobacco and inhaled a long drag.

Sluggishly, she got up from the floor and walked up the stairs towards her bedroom, feeling as though her body was forcing her to go to sleep before falling into her bed, she had just enough time to put the lit cigarette into the air tray beside her before her eyes closed and she was forced into a deep slumber.

Author's Note

Here you are my friends, thanks to my author brother, KorvasTerindar for editing, next chapter to be posted in a few days, give or take...enjoy.