The Shadow In The Garden

by SterlingCabin

Rating: teen
Tags: Fluttershy, Zecora, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash
Length: 5055

After cleaning her home, Fluttershy sees something odd in her garden. When she investigates further, she wishes she had stayed inside and went to bed.

After a night of partying with her friends, Fluttershy decides that a good sleep is in order. But when she spots something moving in her garden she must investigate. What she finds is beyond horror and she would soon find out that she should of stayed inside.

Published 2014-12-27 15:00:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-12-29 14:23:24 UTC

Ch. 2 The Beckoning Of The Wolf

'' Fluttershy ? ''

Fluttershy awoke to the whisper of her name. The sun eagerly shinned in her face and she put an aching hoof to her face to shield herself from the rays. She arched her back and heard it pop, it must of been a long time since she had moved. To her surprise she was not in the garden anymore, she was on her sofa. Quickly she put a hoof to her cheek and sighed when she felt nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was a dream ?

The sound of bird's chirping and water flowing was what she always awoke to, but something was off. The room seemed to be... Sharper, if one could describe it in that way. Fluttershy reluctantly put two wobbling hooves on the cold wooden floor and proceeded to the kitchen. The dishes were washed and dried,( at least half of them ) like she left them the night before.

What had happened last night ? Had she had a nightmare ? A hallucination ? Or a bad reaction to some food she ate. The answer was away from her. She opened the window and looked out into her garden, the sent of roses filled her home. She added up what she saw last night to one of her various night terrors. She even chastised herself for being so foolish, what a dumb idea.

She smiled and finally finished the dishes that she had put off the night before. Once they were done she thought that it might be best to see what her friends were up too. But when she reached for her phone a loud pop rang in her ears, and she gripped them tightly. With her ears ringing she looked around for the maker of the hideous noise.

The room was empty, except for Angle who sat on the floor, looking inquisitively at his owner. She looked back down at him, with her eyebrows raised. The little rabbit sniffed the air and hopped towards a stack of books. Each hop he took, made Fluttershy's ears cringe. It sounded like a thunder bolt was shooting off right next to her ears.

Fluttershy crawled into a ball and waited in pain for the thunder to stop. Only when Angle hopped into the back room was she revealed of the torture. She pulled herself up from the cold floor and sat there, trying to calm her nerves. Feeling a cold sweat run down her face she decided that calling her friends wasn't a good idea. Perhaps some time in the garden would do some good for her nerves.

With cotton balls in her ears and her garden set in hoof she meekly trotted outside, the sun was shinning. She stood and sighed shallowly when she remembered the night, no, the dream before. She felt her face become clammy and cold, but she ignored her feelings and started on her rose bush.

As she trimmed and adjusted the thorns and the flowers, she started to break a sweat. She reached for her towel and froze as a orange splotch gleamed in the corner of her eye. With her spine tingling she raised her head, ever so slightly. She felt her stomach churn and felt the sting of bile in her throat. Not five yards away from her sat the smashed, gutted, and misshapen husk of a pumpkin, it's seeds littered about like party favors.

Gripping her stomach, Fluttershy fell in the dirt, starring at the pumpkin. How cold it be ? So it wasn't a dream, and that thing is still lurking around. Her cheek burned with the very thought. Something was wrong in her stomach, it twisted and churned like somepony was mixing soup. She tried to crawl towards her home but hot pain shot up her hooves and she fell on her side.

She Ignored the pain and propped herself up on an nearby fence. Each step felt like hot pokers stabbing into her sides, but her adrenaline was stronger. She frantically shoved the door aside with her throbbing head and as she felt the cool air off her home flow over her, she dropped like a stone. The cool tiles of the kitchen helped with her fevered head, it was if she was set ablaze. She rubbed her pounding temples against the tiles, but now they did little to dull the pain.

The air stung her exposed eyes as she tried closed them, but they were pinned open. Her body suddenly jerked and contorted violently, and she could not stop herself, only to be horrified in the moment. She tried to call for help but when Angle neared the corner, the thundering erupted in her ears again. Now she could only feel her body lash out against herself. As her eyes drew to a close she could hear the soft inaudible whisper she had heard before, from it

. . .

'' Are you awake ? ...So lonely ''

Fluttershy awoke in a cold sweat. Her breathing was shallow, but calm. She didn't hurt anymore, what she did feel was a warm breeze and peace. Her fever was gone, and she could move her limbs, was she dreaming ? She looked around her and saw that she was in a warm ceder grove, the leaves were the colors of autumn.

She looked above and saw that the moon was high above her, it looked it it was...Thinking. She ignored it and began to lift herself up from the nest of leaves. But her hooves were wobbly and she sat back down, not defeated but just accepting. She raised a hoof over her head and waved it around slowly, making a shadow on the mossy ground in front of her. She smiled like she had no more problems and fell back in the nest and made a leaf angle with her spare hooves.

She giggled like she was a young filly and nuzzled her snout against her hoof to go back to sleep. Clearly there was no need to worry, she was finally at peace. But as she was about to drift into the land of dreams a soft whisper echoed in her mind.

'' Please...Stay...So cold. '' It beckoned.

Fluttershy playfully peeked her eye open and saw nothing but the ceder grove. She must be dreaming. Like before, she drifted back into her dreams. And again the whisper beckoned, and again Fluttershy opened her eyes, but no pony was there. She closed her eyes for the third, but as she was about to drift, the whisper beckoned.

Lazily, Fluttershy picked her head up and examined the grove. No pony was there, just a wolf starring back at her. She noticed on the third look around that a wolf stood awfully close to her. She looked into it's bright auburn eyes and put a hoof to it's head too pet it gently. As she rubbed it's ears, Fluttershy got the feeling that she knew who this is or was.

She drew back her hoof and smiled again, not a care in the world. But her smile softened and soon curled into a hideous frown. Four large holes were drilled into her lefthoof. Without a sound she looked up to the wolf, who now had blood in the corners of it's mouth. It cocked it's head sideways and peered into Fluttershy's own eyes.

Before she could scream she awoke on her sofa, again. She was drenched in sweat and could feel her heart scrap against her chest. With a confused grin of relief she realized the entire night was just a dream, one of her many night terrors. She laughed at her fears and trotted to the bathroom to get ready for the day. As she washed her face, out of the corners of her eye she could faintly see four round bite marks on her left hoof.

Ch. 3 Graceful Awakening

Ch. 3 Graceful Awakening

'' Hello...? She's gone. ''

'' Hurt, hurt everywhere. First kiss in the barn, what was his name ? Can't go back, home is gone, fire, burning, cleansing. Faces blurred, time lost, who am I ? I'll always be alone... ''

'' Air thick as lead, I can't move. They're coming for me, but I forgot my name. Mother ? No gone they took her...Father ? no gone, lost. tired, tired, sister told me it was like a dream. I can still hear her...echoing.''

Fluttershy awoke to the echo of whispers, some she knew, some she didn't. She tried to open her eyes but everything was fuzzy, like trying to see through a foggy window. Her face felt like it was glued to the cold tile of her bathroom, but was it really her bathroom ? Her body was limp and her joints stiff. How long was she out ?

The air around her was chilling, with a hint of warm roasted chestnuts. Her heart fluttered softly in her chest, she could hear it thump in her ears. She tried picking herself up, but her limbs were cold as ice. Was this a dream ? Like the others ? Or was this reality. She couldn't tell, these past 'days' seemed like one long fever dream.

With a weak back she placed herself just under the sink. The coolness of the wood did little, her coat was borderline numb. She tried rubbing her eyes to clear her vision but she when she did she let out a little gasp. The colors were... Wrong. The greens and browns of her home were replaced with blinding white and blue. As if everything was a photo-negative copy.

Her breath became shallow as her heart started to race. Her ears suddenly twitched violently as she heard the thundering of Angle's hops again. She almost felt like trying to call him, but she could barley move her head. Craning her head towards the door, she could see the clock that hung in her hallway. It was difficult, the colors blurred but she could make out... 12:23 am.

So, it was night. The cold air and sore limbs singled as much, it had been hours. Her stomach suddenly rumbled and she gnashed her teeth in pinching pain. If this wasn't a dream, she hadn't eaten in days, but simply going to the kitchen was out of the question. She tried to figure out what to do next, but the only path the found was just to lie there, and wait.

Tired, cold, and hungry were the least of her problems. Her rising fever proved much more...sicking then she had first expected. The chill was removed from her coat, but it was still freezing. As boredom and the thought of being paralyzed set in, Fluttershy softly closed her eye-lids, nightmares would be more forgiving then this.

'' AGGHHHHHHHHH ! Oh Celestia I'm on fire ! '' She screamed.

With a sudden burst of energy Fluttershy threw herself to the cold tiles, hunched over in pain. Pounding rang loud in her ears and she screamed to the high heavens. She hadn't talked for so long her voice seemed foreign, it bellowed like thunder. She coughed and heaved, it felt like her blood became acid. She raised her head and screamed a bloodcurdling shrill, like the wolf the garden.

For a moment she stopped screaming and only distressed gasps came out. She felt her organs shift, her bones snap and move about her body. She looked at her hooves and widened her eyes in horror. Her hooves were pale, bony and slender. Muscles and bones shifted up and down her limbs

She snarled and cried and begged to Celestia to stop the agony. Again out of desperation Fluttershy claws at the tiles and suddenly stopped as she starred at her hooves. For in instant the world stopped and everything was quiet. When she thought the pain was over, four slender mandibles shot out of both her front hooves. They were slimy and covered in red muck, were these figures ? Or bare bones !?! She let out a horrendous scream and fell on her side.

She looked down to her fleshy underbelly and saw her stomach shifting violently in place. Suddenly it shrunk and her rib cage shot forward. Her hooves, or her hands shook and she tried clawing at herself, trying to relief the hot pain. But only yellow and pink splotches of fur cropped up and down her body.

Fluttershy gasped, begged, cried and begged again as her hind bones shifted and broke into new and abnormal positions. She had prayed that she would black out form the pain, but her senses only became sharper with each passing moment. She pressed her sweaty head to the cold tiles for aid, but they were hot and wet from her thrashing.

Even the gnashing of teeth did little to dull the pain of her bones morphing. She stopped screaming, but only because her snout started to elongate and change. Teeth jutted out wildly from their usual places and they resembled more like yellow razors then normal teeth. She let out a sicking cough as her jaw shifted and grew in place.

The pain was too much to bare, how the shadow in the garden could even stand after it's transformation was a mystery to her. This can't be real, this isn't happening, I'M DREAMING ! She screamed at herself from inside.Then when she thought death was near, her wings stabbed into her back, snapping like a twig. Bone and feathers melded with fur and flesh, she begged for death. She let out one final screech before falling still. Her new limbs and body parts twitched about, ever so slightly.

'' Heh-heh-heh-heh...'' She cackled.

The pain was gone,but she different now, even her mind. Her cackling grew and she soon burst into a fit of deep laughter as she brought herself up to the mirror. A yellow and pink wolf with wild eyes of emerald starred back in the mirrors refection. She stood and her mouth curled into a sadistic grin, only one word remained in her mind-

Hunger.

. . .

( Knock, knock, knock... )

* sigh *

(...Knock, knock, knock.. )

'' Gha ! Shy you even in there ? '' Asked Dash.

It had been about two days since she had last seen her friend. Her training with Soarin was...longer then expected and she impatiently waited for her friend to respond to her knocks. It had been ten minutes since she had first knocked and the chill of the night air had worked threw her winter scarf.

She knew at least somepony was home because the light was on and she heard rustling in the back rooms. How long was it gonna take her to answer the door ? Just as she was about to knock for the fifth time, the door slowly creaked open. Confused, Dash was about to investigate further when she was suddenly knocked to the cold ground.

With a furrowed brow face Dash looked for whoever knocked her down. She looked behind her and froze when a giant yellow wolf looked back at her. It's pink hair fell just over it's right eye. It had an eerie tinge to it, like Dash knew her. Before she could finish her thought the wolf howled, to be honest it was more like a broken trumpet. After the thing was done it rushed off towards Ponyville, what for Dash did not know.

Ch. 4 Nipping It In The Blood

Author's Note

Hello ! I hoped you enjoyed this, I'm sorry in advance for any grammatical errors in this story. This is my first one on this site and I tried my best at it. Message me if you have any advice, and have a nice day :)

Ch. 4 Nipping It In The Blood

'' ( Pant ) T-Twilight, it's Fluttershy she's- ''

'' Yeah I know, she downtown and she's really scaring the ponies. Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity are trying to calm her down. But what I don't understand is that how she became-- well, a giant wolf. I thought it only existed in legends and stories told around campfires at night. But this ... This is real. ''

'' Well she was that bat thing for a bit, so this isn't totally crazy to grasp. But I gotta say, despite that a wolf is terrorizing the town, I find it kinda cute. But what are we gonna do now ? ''

'' Yeah just wait till she claws for face off Dash, but I have no idea. Zecora might have a clue, she's knowledgeable about these...situations. We should try find her, I'll lead the way. ''

'' Be my guest princess, lets just hurry so Flutterwolf doesn't turn her intention on any ponies. ''

Twilight and Dash made their way threw the haunting forest of the Ever Tree, a light coat of frost covered the brush. Dash swore she could see faint faces in the bark of the twisting trees. She had been here many times before, but the snow gave off a feeling of...stillness. But in the distance the bog still echoed with the sounds of alien creatures. Dash wasn't excited to revisit.

The wind howled and nipped at their coats as they continued down the path to Zecora's place. Dash trembled as she thought of the look that Fluttershy gave her at the door. It wasn't like when she was that bat thingy, she was hungry. Hopefully not for ponies...or any living creature. Despite her nerves Dash grew a smirk as she thought of Rarity trying to tame the wild Flutterwolf.

Dash stopped Twilight and listened to their surroundings, a faint howl bounced about. With her nerves shaky and her hooves clammy Dash took and a breath and quickened her pace, Twilight could barley keep up. As the air fell silent, so eased Dash's nerves, but she wasn't sure for Twilight who had a puzzled brow most of the trot.

Twilight's worries were dulled as the pair saw the tree that housed Zecora's home. Luckily for them, orange lights glowed in the windowsills Without a second thought Dash rushed threw her door with Twilight by her side.

'' Zecora ! Fluttershy's a giant wolf thing, and she's terrorizing Ponyville ! You make potions right ? so you can help us right ? '' Dashed pleaded. But Zecora simply starred in confusion.

'' Yeah so, I didn't know werewolves were a real thing. Do have anything to help us ? '' Twilight chimed in.

Zecora stood silent and studied their faces. After a few seconds of awkward silence Zecora turned to her counter and dug around in her many chests. Dash and Twilight shared a look of mutual confusion as they waited. Minutes slogged by and then with a sudden exited gasp, Zecora came back out and laid what she had found on a nearby table.

She flipped threw a thick black leather bound book and pointed to a page for Dash and Twilight to see. It was a drawing of a wolf, not unlike what Fluttershy looked like. Zecora placed her snout in her saddlepack and brought out an object wrapped in a purple cloth. It mad a loud thud as she placed it on the table.

'' Lycanthopy, that is what your friend is experiencing. It dates back to the days of ancients past, it is very rare and very dangerous. In fact the last known case was in Hollow Shades over 200 years ago. ( unwraps cloth ) Here take this, the only known cure for a werewolf is...silver, shoot this into it's heart and it shall cure it. But I warn you, if you use this on Fluttershy she will die, so don't brash, you must find the one who gave the sickness to her. Cure them, cure Fluttershy, do you understand Dash ? But for this whereabouts of the beast I do not know. ''

'' Ugh...That's a lot to digest, ( sigh ) ( frantic murmuring ) OK-OK-OK, Dash you said that Fluttershy burst threw her door right ? Could the other wolf be there ? ''Twilight asked.

'' ( playing with tranquilizer gun ) Oh-yeah, yeah it could be there. It's worth a try, but I want to try this bad boy out ! '' Dash replied.

'' ( heavy sigh ) fine then, lets go. Thanks Zecora your a life savior. '' The duo bid Zecora a fair well and was on their way to Fluttershy's home ; to find the source of the problem.

. . .

The eerie shadow of Fluttershy vacant home made Dash's coat crawl with fear, anticipation, dread. Twilight held a bright lantern in hoof, but even that did little to steel Dash's nerves. With one final deep breath Dash set a wobbling hoof in her friends home. It was cold, dark, and messy. The remains of the party they had days ago still lingered about, like forgotten relics.

Dash and Twilight jumped as they saw Angle scurry about and stop at their hooves. With his ears pinned back and a sad whimper Angle crawled on Twilight's shoulder and nuzzled his nose in her coat. Dash let out a worried laugh and made her way threw the kitchen. It was clean...for the most part but fly's hovered over unwashed dishes.

Twilight jumped to the ground and pulled Dash with her. With a shaking hoof she pointed out the window at the wolf prancing about Fluttershy's garden. It had a strange tinge of orange to it's coat and it looked distressed, almost like it was in pain. With her heart blasting in her ears Dash smiled weakly, but with a hint of determination.

The moon was high and shinning like a high beam. Dash sang words of engorgement to herself and was about to rush the wolf when Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder.

'' Be careful, I don't want a rainbow colored wolf ripping my body in half . '' Twilight joked seriously. Dash smiled and took another breath, she was ready.

'' LETS ROOOCK !!!! '' She screamed.

Rainbow rushed out the kitchen door, swinging the gun wildly. The wolf looked puzzled and simply took a step out of Dash's rampage. Dash tripped over her hooves and landed face first into the rose bush. With a angered grunt Dash pulled her head out of the thorns and looked back at the wolf. It smiled happily at her, Like she knew Dash personally.

Bedeviled Dash raised the gun, that trembled in her grasp and put it up to her eye. She could barley keep it from veering off wildly. Without thinking, she lightly pulled the trigger. One tiny vile of silver shot onto the wolves heart and it fell over. It started to change and morph, it looked like it was berthing itself ( lovely imagery ). Lopsided wings jutted out in opposite directions. she nearly vomited when they beast let out a bloodcurdling shrill.

The beast thrashed and twisted about the grass in disturbing patterns. Dash couldn't take her eyes off the, the...thing. It paws turned into hooves, bones twisted and melded into each other, and the things appearance took a more pony like direction. When it was all done it looked like a normal orange, filly. Dash frightfully hovered over it and examined it,

'' Scootaloo ? ''

Ch.1 Shadow In The Garden

The aftermath of the party was quiet, the absence of murmuring had left the room feeling... lonely. Fluttershy stood picking up the leftovers of her guests, cups, plates, streamers, Pinkie's cupcake wrappers. She stood and smiled as she recalled the night, she had so few times when she smiled alone. She even broke in semi-laughter when she saw the sleeping Angle sprawled out on her sofa.

Fluttershy wrapped him up in her hooves and sat him gently in the back room, so not to disturb him when she cleaned. She brought the dishes to the sink and started to rinse and wash them, as she did so she caught a glimpse at the moon. Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes drooped as a sudden wave of weariness washed over her.

Her dishes were done, or at least half done anyway. She turned her head back to her living room and saw her sofa, it seemed to be waiting for her. Feeling her mind slow and muddle she debated on what to do next, continue cleaning ? Half the room was done already, or jump on her sofa and fall asleep ?

The latter was all too tempting, but she didn't want to leave her home to a mess. Couldn't she allow herself just one night of a messy home? She could, and she would. Fluttershy dried her hooves and stumbled towards her now enchanting sofa. She laid her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes. The day was over.

The day was over, but it seemed the night had just began. Fluttershy awoke to a soft mummer, just barley out if earshot. It must of been Angle in his sleep, she thought to herself. She rolled over on her side and let her eyelids drop for a second time.

For the second time Fluttershy raised her head to a noise, this time being an echoing rustle, closer now. She rubbed the sleepy form her eyes and and stretched her sore limbs, it had to of been hours since she first rested. Her ears twitched in the darkness as she listened to the rustling. It was in short, but fast movements, almost like a squirrel.

She lifted herself off of her sofa and gently trotted towards her kitchen. She looked out of the window and saw that the moon was just over her home. She jerked her hooves away form the counter when a loud moan shot out, it was soon followed by gentle crying. Feeling her heart sink, she peered out from her window and into the garden. Among the vegetables and plants a slender shadow sat curled in the far right corner.

Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat when she realized that her eyes were not playing a trick on her.The shadows thin frame heaved up and down in an jerking motion. It looked unnatural. The shadow dug into her pumpkins, it's thin and slender figures pierced it's sides. It tore the pumpkin inside out, it's slimy seeds now littered her garden.

The shadow leaned further to the ground and let out a scream that made Fluttershy jump again and hide under the counter. It could of been an injured animal or something in need, she now debated on helping it. From under her counter she peeked at the shadow again, it's cries becoming louder and louder. It had raised a bony hoof or paw or limb towards the moon and bite down hard on it, making a sicking crunch

The noise of the teeth crunching bone made Fluttershy's stomach squirm. It's cries were wrong, the shrill was more of an angry snarl mixed with the sound of a dying animal. Every time it screamed shivers ran up her spine. At this rate it would wake the whole of Ponyville, she had to help it one way or another.

Fluttershy gathered what little nerves she had and ventured outside with some bandages in hoof. The wet grass clung to her hooves as she made her way threw the garden. Fluttershy was reminded of the chill when she saw the moon loom overhead, like a silent watcher. Her heart pumped and her head raced as she neared the shadow, it's features highlighted in the moonlight.

It's '' flesh '' was stretched tightly over it's sharp bones, bones that twitched and shifted in place. Fluttershy could feel a cold sweat run down the back of her neck, her hooves trembled in place as she neared. She extended some bandages towards the shadow and cringed as it turned it's head.

A long, misshapen and half developed snout with jutting teeth met Fluttershy's gaze. She gasp and fell onto the cold ground, feeling bile rise in her throat she crawled back towards her cottage.

'' N-no ! w-a-it ! '' it called, but it sounded more like a deep, inaudible gurgle.

With it's glowing eyes fixed on Fluttershy, it slowly crawled towards her. Each crunching step it took seemed to be hurting it immensely, it screams sounded like a blaring horn. She tried fumbling with the doorknob, but she was shaking to much to get a proper grasp. It now stood over her, starring into her misty eyes with it's own, uneven ones.

It's sobs had softened and it's frame became more fuller with patches of black fur covering it's torso. It hung it's head just over Fluttershy's mane and sniffed, like a dog. It's chest heaved and it's bones rattled as she could see it's stomach slowly curl in on it's self.

It shinned a two rows of yellow, jagged teeth, they shinned in the moonlight. It looked her the eyes and grinned, it wasn't in pain anymore. Now it was more like wolf then a shadow, it's fur a light orange, like tea. The thing brought four slender, wet fingers or paws to Fluttershy's temple and slowly slide them down the side of her face.

The freshly formed '' wolf '' pressed it's nails into her face, just enough to be felt. It drew back and admired it's work, then it coughed and raised it's head to the moon and howled. It sounded like a broken trumpet.

The wolf shot a toothy grin towards Fluttershy before it slipped out of her garden, now on all fours. Fluttershy slumped over and put a hoof to her face, a long cut lined her cheek. It was deep enough to leave a scar, hopefully not an permanent one.

Before she could study further a white hot pain shot up her chest and her body went numb on the spot. Her face collided with the dirt and she couldn't move, only her eyes. Despite the fear and panic she felt in that moment, her hot eyes rested. But before she fully closed them, almost out of instinct she looked towards the moon, and it starred back.