It was dark out, the sun had long since fallen beneath the horizon and the moon's pale moonlight was covered by the dark clouds that loomed above the ground. A fog had settled on the ground, making everything seem like a dark blur in the distance. The freezing wind howled, chilling everything it touched. Bare trees sprouted from the ground so tightly together that they formed an eerie maze full of twists and turns, the woven branches blocking any moonlight that slipped through the clouds darkening the forest.
In the middle of the forest was a thin, long, grassy pathway that snaked through the forest. Eventually it came to a bridge, and just behind the bridge was a small house. It had a green roof made of grass, showing the owner cared for it very well for it to have survived the harsh cold. Windows dotted the house's walls and a large wooden door stood in the front of the house. Around the house bird feeders were hung and perched everywhere. A soft, yet mellow humming could be heard inside the house.
Fluttershy hummed as she washed the dishes. Inside, a warm fire crackled lighting and warming the room. In the middle of the room, covering the green floor was a red carpet with a dark red flower in the middle. Two staircases sat next to the front door, leading to two identical birdcages, a sparrow in the first and a red cardinal in the second.
Bang Bang Bang!
The door creaked as someone roughly pounded on the door three times. Fluttershy gave out a terrified yelp, dropping her dish on the floor. It shattered, glass shards flying everywhere. Quickly she shrunk in the corner of the room, waiting for her unexpected guest to leave. After waiting five minutes, Fluttershy shifted out of the corner and slowly crept up towards the door, hoping whoever it was that had pounded on her door had left. Slowly she walk past the fireplace and towards the door, in reality it may have only been a couple moments, but to her it felt like an eternity of terror.
Slowly Fluttershy raised her shaking hoof to the door. Getting a good grip, she turned the handle and paused. Please, whoever you are, please be gone. Then, she quickly opened the door. A bolt of lightning flashed and thunder rumbled through the night sky. She yelped, almost running away, but something caught her eye. A small, silver medallion lay on her doormat, a black string running through it, making it a necklace. On it was a skull with red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.
Fluttershy sighed. Whew, I'm glad whoever it was left. She turned around to head back inside and gave out an ear-splitting shriek. In front of her was a mass of shadow that towered above her. The only features it had were two burning red eyes and a pitch black mouth that was somehow even darker than the rest of its pitch black body. It reached out, grasping Fluttershy's face. She tried to scream, but her voice failed her, only giving out small, terrified whimpers. She felt her vision go dark as her consciousness faded, until her body fell limp.
***
Fluttershy woke up in her bed, her head pounding. Clutching her head with one hoof she looked around, her blurry surroundings slowly coming into focus. Ow, my head. What a weird nightmare I had. She looked down and her eyes flew open in shock. Her breathing became rapid and beads of sweat rolled down her face. Right across her was the skull medallion, hanging on the wall from a twisted nail that was pierced through the wall.
Quickly she ran to the medallion and then to the window. Throwing it open, a strong gust of wind blew in her face as she prepared to throw the amulet, but stopped midway. For some, inexplicable reason, she could muster the will to throw it away. She would throw out her arm, but her fingers held an iron grip on the medallion, refusing to let go. Suddenly the medallion swung around her arm, tying itself in place as a bracelet. Letting out a surprised squeal, she tried to pry it off her wrist, but it wouldn't budge. All the while a quiet whisper sounded in the back of her head. Eventually, she stopped trying, sitting down and panting. I need to visit Twilight, she'll know what to do.
Fluttershy ran out of her house and down the twisting pathway, she looked up as saw the moon directly above her staring back with its pale white rays of light. After an hour, she reached Twilight's house. Panting, she looked up at the night sky, only to find the moon hadn't budged an inch. It had already been many hours since sunset, the moon should have begun to set, however it hadn't.
Fear was beginning to set in and Fluttershy wanted the night to end. Pounding on Twilight's door she waited. The first few moments felt like hell as Fluttershy waited alone, in the dead of night, in complete silence, except for the quiet whispering that seemed to follow her, waiting for Twilight. Her spirits lifted when she heard some quiet shuffling, followed by a loud crash. The door clicked as it unlocked and Twilight came out, dressed in her pajamas. She gave out a yawn, bags under her eyes showed she had been staying up at night, probably reading.
"Good evening Fluttershy, what brings you here at this time?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight you gotta help me!" Fluttershy squealed. "I can't get this bracelet off and I can hear someone whispering to me no matter where I go. Twilight I'm scared!" Fluttershy wailed, on the verge of tears.
"Whoa slow down, one thing at a time." Twilight said, taken back by Fluttershy's sudden outburst.
Fluttershy nodded, bitting her lip. Her eyes glistened as tears began to form. She held out her hoof. "Can you take this off?" She pleaded.
"Of course." Twilight said reassuringly. Her horn glowed as she tried to take off the bracelet. Suddenly Twilight flee backwards, a sharp cracking sound resounded from her horn as she crashed into one of the bookshelves. Fluttershy gasped, running over to Twilight.
"Oh no! Twilight are you okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.
Twilight sat in a daze, behind her a bookshelf had fallen over, a few jagged shards of wood lay on the floor. Books were scattered around Twilight, a few of them on top of her.
"I- I think I'm alright." Twilight responded, clutching her head.
"Oh no..." Fluttershy moaned, "Twilight, your horn."
Twilight's horn had hit the bookshelf first, absorbing a large part of the impact. On it, a tiny hairline fracture spread across it. It gave out a few sparks, then, the magic aura surrounding it disappeared completely.
"Don't worry about it Fluttershy, it will heal quickly. It's only a small crack after all." Twilight said reassuringly, however her face showed a hint of worry. "At any rate it looks like I won't be able to use magic for a while."
"I'm so sorry Twilight, this is all my fault." Fluttershy sobbed. "I was just so worried and scared and I didn't know anybody else who could help me." Fluttershy said her voice cracking.
"It's okay Fluttershy, you didn't mean for any of it to happen." Twilight said, comforting Fluttershy. Stumbling, she caught herself on a nearby table. "Just wait here for a moment please." She said, stumbling out of the room.
Fluttershy sat down on a chair, her head spinning. To make matters worse, the whispers in her head were getting louder, as if something revoltingly evil was pounding on her head, trying to free itself. What do you want with me? Suddenly her vision went black and everything was silenced, except for the whisperings in her head. From inaudible whispers, they boomed into loud, shouts.
Kill her! Kill her, kill her, kill her!
The endless chanting rampaged through her mind. No, I could never do that!
Nobody will miss her...
I could never- would never!
She has no magic... do it and I will give you whatever your heart desires...
I want you to go away! I want the night to end! Just leave me alone!
Come on fluttershy, what's the matter? Fluttershy? Fluttershy?!
"No!" Fluttershy cried, sitting upright.
"Fluttershy, Fluttershy! What's wrong?" Twilight asked worriedly, shaking Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked around, her vision and hearing restored. She was still in Twilight's house and everything was still the same: the fallen bookshelf, the scattered books, and the shards of wood were all still there. Above her, Twilight stared at her worriedly, a small vial filled with a green liquid, glowed in her hands. She looked back; the sofa she had sat on was overturned. I must have had a nightmare and fallen out. Fluttershy sighed, relieved.
"Come on Fluttershy, I think I've found a spell to get rid of your bracelet once and for all!" Twilight declared, pulling Fluttershy to a large window.
A single beam of silver moonlight had broken through the clouds and shot through the glass, illuminating everything under it. Under its light was a wooden bookstand with an open book laying on it. Around it were several jagged shards of wood.
Walking to the bookstand with Fluttershy, Twilight kicked away the wooden shards. Then she removed the cork stopper from the vial. Turning the book pages, she read fragments of spells from different pages. When she had finished the vial's contents had turned from a bright green to a murky, green, swamp-like liquid. Twilight handed Fluttershy the vial.
"Here, drink it." Twilight said.
Fluttershy eyed the drink curiously. "Are you sure?" She asked, looking at Twilight, however Twilight just responded with an emotionless stare. Twilight always knows what she's doing. Everything will be fine. Taking the vial, she drank it quickly in one gulp.
"Thank you Twilight-" Fluttershy began, but immediately she felt herself grow dizzy. The world twisted and bent around her, the sides of her vision grew fuzzy. Again, the whispers boomed inside her head. She looked up to Twilight, but instead was greeted by the ominous shadow, which loomed above her. Fluttershy gasped, cowering back in fear. Looking around, she saw Twilight lying on the floor, unconscious.
Desperately Fluttershy looked around, until her eyes settled on a sharp, twisted shard of wood that Twilight had kicked away earlier. Mustering all her courage, Fluttershy grabbed the shard and ran to the shadow, spearing it in the chest. It screamed uncontrollably, writhing in pain. Eventually its screams turned to incomprehensible gargles as it choked in its own blood. Slowly Fluttershy's vision cleared and the spinning world came to a halt.
"Twilight I did it! I killed the monster!" Fluttershy said shakily, looking to where Twilight's body no longer lay. "Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, looking at the shadow. To her horror instead of the shadow, was Twilight's body. Thick red blood oozed from the giant hole in her chest and ran down the shard of wood, onto Fluttershy's hoof. "Oh no... no, no, no!" Fluttershy moaned, stumbling backwards. "Oh god Twilight... I'm so sorry. Please come back. Please!" Fluttershy sobbed, throwing away the shard of wood and hugging Twilight's corpse, it seemed so full of life, it was so warm.
A single tear drop rolled down from Twilight's eyes, caressing her cheeking and falling off her chin. A black claw reached out with a vial in its hand, capturing the teardrop. Fluttershy looked back to see the shadow loom over her, jeering at her as if saying: "This is your fault."
"No shut up! This is your fault not mine!" Fluttershy said, her voice cracking. Wildly, she swung at the shadow, but it disappeared.
Fluttershy looked back at Twilight's corpse; slowly it turned to stone from the hoof up, until Twilight's entire body was turned into a cold, lifeless, statue. Something in Fluttershy snapped, her mentality collapsed and her sobs slowly turned into giggles, until she was cackling madly. Walking over to a mirror Fluttershy looked at herself. Her hair was in a tangled mess and her glowing red eyes had a crazed look in them. Her pink mane had turned into a shadowy black mane that flowed behind her. Her light, yellow skin had darkened into a dark grey turning her pink butterflies into grey moths. Her shadow started to spin, until it swirled around her, causing loose sheets of papers to fly everywhere. Eventually it dissipated and her shadow on the ground had disappeared, instead it formed the shape of a horn and lay atop of Fluttershy's head.
...
I think it's time to pay my other friends a visit.
