The Entity

Fluttershy stared into Twilight’s eyes. She could see the life fade from them and all she could do was scream in frustration and rage. Twilight couldn’t die because of her. She would never forgive herself. She would take her own life rather than allow herself to live after she had committed such a crime.

But though she couldn’t pull him off of Twilight, maybe she could pull Twilight away from him. Fluttershy strained with all her might to pull Twilight off of the bed. Her emotions pushed her body past its limit as she threw Twilight over her shoulder and ran. She heard Twilight draw breath, and her heart leaped in an incredibly brief moment of joy. But how long could she protect her?

Fluttershy ran into the hall, though she accidentally slammed Twilight’s head into the door frame as she passed. She called out “I’m sorry!” and continued to run.

Unfortunately, it was a lot harder to run down stairs than down a hall. Fluttershy immediately fell forward and lost her grip on Twilight. She tumbled head over heels down the stairs and landed on the floor at the bottom, her body bruised and aching from the fall. Her surge of adrenaline was spent.

Despite that, Fluttershy desperately tried to pick Twilight up again, but could barely lay a hand on her before she fell back to the floor from a punch to the chest. She tried to stand again. She would try until she collapsed from exhaustion, but suddenly she couldn't help but do so. She gagged and collapsed under her own weight as her energy drained away. She looked weakly and apologetically at Twilight.

Twilight looked back at her with an apologetic expression of her own before her horn flashed brightly and the alicorn vanished. Of course Twilight didn’t want to take her along for the ride. No doubt she wanted nothing to do with Fluttershy after this, but at least she would live.

“You think it would be hard to follow her?” the entity asked. “I can make her death much worse. How about fire? That’s supposed to be agonizing .”

“No!” cried out Fluttershy. Her voice cracked and she had to stop to gag for several long seconds before she continued, “No, please. I will do anything, please.”

The voice said nothing. Fluttershy felt colder than she had ever been before, as if her soul had simply drained away. Had the entity left to get Twilight? She couldn't bear the thought of Twilight being murdered in such a manner.

“Don’t leave!” Fluttershy begged, though she didn't cry. She had no tears left to give. “I will be your slave, you can use me in any way you want, and I will refuse any help. As long as my friends, ponies and pets, aren’t harmed, I will cooperate in any way you desire.”

No answer. Fluttershy pulled herself off the floor slowly. A surge of emotion shattered her fragile being as she screamed louder than she ever had. All her frustration and self-hate boiled out in one bellow. Had she the energy to go find a knife, she would have immediately slit her own throat, but at the moment she could only gag violently and fall back to the floor, limp.

She stared at nothing. All Fluttershy could think about was her friend. Twilight might be burning as she lay, and she could do nothing about it. She didn’t know how long she lay, probably hours.

“Hello again, cunt,” the voice rang out again. But had he returned from having killed Twilight, or had he merely been silent to torment Fluttershy into deeper obedience?

“If Twilight is dead,” Fluttershy spoke slowly, “Nothing you can do will keep me from killing myself.” It was the last thing she had to threaten him with.

“She is spared, for now,” the voice said. “As long as you have learned your place. But if she was dead, and you did kill yourself, the rest of your friends would pay the price.”

So she didn’t even have that to threaten him with anymore.

Fluttershy’s voice could not have been more hollow as she whimpered, “Sorry, I have learned my lesson.”

Silence once more. Fluttershy felt nothing. She wondered if she was even capable of real emotion. She didn’t bother to crawl to her bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep on the kitchen floor.