Fight or Flee? (Fluttershy's Final Dilemma)

**Fight or Flee? (Fluttershy’s Final Dilemma)

By: Clue Tzes

This fan-fiction is filled with sex, rape, gore, sadness and very disturbing parts. Be prepared for the worst. It will wrench your heart and mind as you read and follow Fluttershy through her days in hell. UPDATE: No more rape/sex! :D I believe…

Good luck…

And enjoy.

Chapter 3:**

Pinkie Pie

Fluttershy dashed through the cold night air, fleeing from the farmland, the barn, and the farmhouse that had once been areas of her entrapment only hours prior. The mysterious aides to her escape were nowhere in sight, possibly taking a secret path they knew was all Fluttershy could assume. As she began running down the path, she made her way in the direction of her house. That would get her in more familiar territory. From this path, she could find her normal entrance into the Everfree Forest that housed her zebra friend. The ponies helping her advised her to get to Zecora, but they’d also warned her that somepony had taken the forest; but who? She could only wonder to herself as she trotted quickly in the night, the saddle-satchel still around her comfortably.

So many thoughts ran through her head, all centering on a common theme; who all was in on this? She checked behind her, the lights of the farm now out of her sight. Fluttershy finally felt safe enough to slow to a walk as she traversed the path towards the Everfree Forest.

She welcomed the night air, relaxing with a general sigh as she walked. The past two days had been hellish to her but now she could relax, even if only momentarily. She panicked a few times when stray clouds overhead blotted out the moonlight, causing her to believe Rainbow Dash or another pegasus was following her overhead. Finally she calmed down as she was closing in on the forest’s edge, the dark and ominous tree-line glaring her down, daring her to chicken out and turn the other way. She lowered her head, avoiding its green eyes and brown complexion as she walked forward, crossing into the pitch black atmosphere of the Everfree Forest.

The branches rustled in the wind, causing Fluttershy to freeze in her tracks, biting her lip and shivering as a tear of pure terror slid down her cheek. She hated this more than the rape; at least she knew what was happening there, unlike the unforgiving darkness now threatening and surrounding her. She fell to the forest floor, snapping twigs and crushing leaves beneath her as she pulled into a fetal position. Something in the saddle-satchel jabbed into her side, making her scream out in terror; as a flock of birds, frightened by the scream, flew from the trees, she reached into the bag and, while trembling furiously, pulled out a small cylinder tube. She felt around it, finding a rubbery piece that gave way inward on the side of it. She pushed it in as far as it would go and was rewarded with a resounding click as it turned on, revealing to her that it was a flashlight.

“O-oh…” she whispered quietly, suddenly realizing why the satchel had been at Applejack’s.

They’d been planning a camping trip a few days ago, her and her 5 friends, to celebrate the 3 years that they’d known each other. It was planned for later that week, agreed upon by them all, in the middle of a field not too far from Fluttershy’s house and not too far from the forest’s edge. In preparation, Fluttershy had visited Applejack to talk over the plans and get together the equipment needed for the night away from their homes.

“So this should be good?” Fluttershy had said to Applejack as she stood in her living room a few days before it all began.

“Hmm… lemme see what ya got here,” Applejack replied, setting the saddle satchel on the ground and rifling through it. “Ya got a flashlight, a lil’ yellow canteen with your cutie mark? You’re too predictable Shy,” Applejack giggled as Flutters blushed. “Ya need these too,” she held up 2 small first aid kits, “Just in case. Also take a needle and thread, in case ya get bored. After seeing the work you did on Rarity’s dress, I think that should occupy you for a while.”

“O-ok Applejack, if you believe so,” Fluttershy replied, smiling gently at her friend.

“Well, hmm… if we’re really roughin’ it, we shouldn’t need or bring these; but just in case all else fails…” Applejack trailed off and produced a pack of matches for Fluttershy’s bag.

“I’m really glad everypony could find free time to do this AJ… thank you again,” Fluttershy said.

“Aww shucks sug’, its mah pleasure so don’t think nothin’ twice of it,” Applejack replied with a nod and a slight tip of her hat.

“Three years… it feels just like it was just yesterday that we met…”

“Well three years ain’t mighty long to some ponies; take Granny Smith for instance. She’s nearin’ a century herself… imagine a friendship lastin’ that long…” Applejack said, slightly chuckling.

Fluttershy blushed and whispered, “I hope ours lasts that long…”

Applejack hugged the yellow pegasus pony, “Well of course it will… ain’t nothing gonna break us apart!”

She had trotted out of Applejack’s house, as happy as the sun was shining that bright day, the saddle satchel forgotten in Applejack’s front room until the night before. Shaking a few tears loose from the corners of her eyes, she regained herself and got back to her hooves. Holding the flashlight in her mouth, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out the needle and thread. She tightly wrapped the thread around a slightly extended wing, intertwining the flashlight into it so it would stay in place. She set the sewing supplies back in their places and began walking, keeping the flashlight-wielding wing extended to light her way.

Fluttershy gazed up at the starry sky and kept walking in the direction of Zecora’s hut. She knew this forest well and was sure the North Star would lead her exactly where she needed to go. A strong updraft suddenly coursed through the forest, almost knocking her off her hooves; she put her head down and kept walking, the wind now angling so it was blowing against her. She peeked up quickly to make sure she was still on the right path, and that was when it happened.

The wind stopped as quickly as it came and the forest began to rumble. The trees began to quiver and shake violently, causing Fluttershy to freeze in fear as she watched their tops expand, blocking out the view of the night sky and causing all light but hers to dim instantly to pitch blackness. Fluttershy quickly glanced left and right, terrified by the sudden dissolving of the light that was her only comfort in this forest of terror. She swallowed and closed her eyes, hoping the moonlight to return to aid her, finally realizing it wouldn’t, she began to move forward inch by inch. Every step brought the crumbling of leaves and the snapping of twigs beneath her hooves, each freaking her out more than the next. Eventually Fluttershy brought herself able to begin a normal pace, still cautious, but at least faster than the slow walking that only gave her a few feet every five minutes.

She saw a faint glow, far off in the distance, and realized it was the hut she was looking for. The ominous flickering light told her it was the same candles she always saw and thought of as a safe haven in the forest that remained dark whether it was night or day. She began sprinting, closing in on them quickly but stopped dead in her tracks when the worst thing she could’ve thought of at that moment happened. The lights had suddenly gone out, but something from beyond her imagination was coming to catch her well off her guard.

A loud crack sounded from behind Fluttershy, causing her to leap into the air and grab onto the nearest tree branch for dear life. She watched as a shadow moved below her, stalking through the forest quietly and calmly; it resembled a pony, but she had no way of knowing for sure. The branch began to sink lower under Fluttershy’s weight combined with its rotting timber, forcing her to hope she’d stay up long enough for the shadow to pass. It sunk lower, a loud cracking sound emanating from it as she broke out in perspiration from the fright.

“No no no no no!” She whispered frantically as the branch snapped, sending her flying to the ground below.

Next thing she knew, she was on the ground, right where the shadow had been. As she got to her hooves, she glanced around with the flashlight and saw no sign of it anywhere. She silently thanked Luna for the shadow not looking up; for it surely would’ve spotted the light had it have done so.

“Hehe,” she suddenly heard from behind her.

The giggle was kind in its essence of feeling, but it held an ominous tone behind it. She turned around quickly, but nopony had been there, only the trees as always. Then it came again, this time closer, but still behind her, forcing her to spin once more and see nothing. Fluttershy kept looking around her, the giggling coming from everywhere now and closer with each next sound. Unable to take it anymore, she spun around and ran, ramming right into somepony. She gazed up, too frightened to speak, and shined the light in the pony’s face.

“Z-Zecora!”  Fluttershy whispered loudly, hugging onto the Zebra tightly. “Th-thank goodness it’s you… Y-you’ve gotta help me!”

Zecora merely stared back, gazing deep into Fluttershy’s eyes before her own rolled back into her head. Fluttershy watched the whites of the eyes stare deep into her own as a loud, shrill scream pierced her ears, despite Zecora’s mouth still being shut. She took a step back, keeping her eyes locked with Zecora’s hollow gaze, unable to look away. Zecora’s mouth begin inching open, the scream increasing more and more until her mouth was all the way open, forcing Fluttershy to shield her ears with her wings. Zecora’s jaw kept going until the skin began stretching, beginning to rip, until it caused the jaw to fall completely off.

Fluttershy staggered back, freaked out by the grotesque happening in front of her. The now bottom-jawless Zecora stood still, no blood dripping from the fresh wound. The muscles in Zecora’s jaw strung out, beginning to sway as she lifted her left hooves, beginning a slow walk to Fluttershy. The yellow pony staggered back, falling to her plot as Zecora came closer, backing her into a tree. As she took her next step, her legs lifted, but the hooves held to the ground and tore from her as well. Now walking on deteriorating legs, her skin began peeling away, her mane falling out strand by strand as she fell to her face right in front of Fluttershy, now nothing more than a heap of bones and hair.

Fluttershy shut her eyes tightly, frozen in place as she shivered immensely, voiding her bowels. The giggle came again from the other side of the tree and she wasted no time in running the opposite direction, the bones and hair gone from the ground they had once laid on. Dashing and dodging past each tree as she continued in the direction of the hut, she kept hearing the giggling closing in on her. She peeked back to look behind her and ran head first into a tree, knocking her onto her back and dazing her. She quickly got to her hooves and turned around to face the tree she’d rammed, it was gone. She spun around once more and saw the shadow approaching her, causing her to turn back around, only to face the tree yet again.

“B-but this wasn’t here!” she yelled, kicking the tree.

She looked back and saw the shadow closing in still, so she turned to her right and ran. The shadow was still in front of her. She turned left; the shadow was closer, then right, and then left. Everywhere she turned it was getting closer. Her next turn made the shadow come close enough for her to make out a frilly, pink mane.

“P-Pinkie!?!?!” she whispered loudly and ran to her friend.

As she closed in on her savior, she saw the blue eyes gazing happily at her, “Shy!” she heard yell to her.

Fluttershy ran up to Pinkie Pie and began panting, “I-I was so frightened… Zecora d-d-died! Then this shadow and then you… I’m so glad to see your face…” she trailed off, getting another good look at Pinkie’s eyes; they had the same infestation that Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s had held. “N-not you too…”

She spun around to run and saw Pinkie approaching her, that’s when it hit her: Pinkie was the shadow… she was the owner of this forest domain her mysterious saviors had warned her of. She stopped and looked around her entire self; Pinkie was everywhere all at once. She knelt down, cowering as she covered her head with her hooves. Waiting for her inevitable doom, she peeked up and saw just one Pinkie, gazing down at her.

“Why… why are y-you doing this to me?” she asked her tormentor.

“Why what? More like why are you on the ceiling you silly filly!” Pinkie giggled at Fluttershy’s confused look.

Fluttershy’s perspective spun around, revealing to her the forest was upside-down; then she began falling. Suddenly she landed once more on the forest floor, right in front of Zecora’s hut. She looked around and ran quickly, barreling through the door and right into the center of Ponyville. She screamed out in insanity, her mind racing and aching immensely at the unexplainable occurrences. She walked backwards, hoping to leave through the way she came, but the door was no longer there; she was trapped.

She stopped, ready to just give up, when she heard hoofsteps behind her, approaching softly. She buried her head in her hooves, crying heavily at all the emotions and confusion that had been building up within her.

“Whoever you are… m-make it quick… please…” she whispered pleadingly.

“But if I have no reason to do you any harm, why should you request such a thing?” Luna’s voice inquired from behind her.

“I’m not falling for anymore tricks, so stop lying to me,” Fluttershy whispered to her.

Luna approached slowly and lifted Fluttershy’s gaze with a hoof, “Look into my eyes, do I have their mark?”

Fluttershy gazed back and felt a warm rush of happiness flow through her; Luna wasn’t taken. She quickly hugged Luna and held on tightly, finally getting the feel of a friend once more after her recent terrors. Luna hugged back, her embrace comforting the frightened pegasus and assuring her she was not alone.

“But how did you get here?” Fluttershy asked, letting go and stepping back.

“I've watched you for some time from afar with my magic. I couldn’t risk helping you because what’s happening in Ponyville has been happening in Canterlot as well. I don’t know too much else other than that, but the worst part is that my sister has gone silent and is nowhere to be found.” Luna looked down, shutting her eyes and letting a tear fall, “I f-fear she has been taken too… But I can do nothing. A magical barrier protects my room from them and their essence while my physical form rests. My magic has allowed me to conjure myself here as well though, in this eerie world.”

“Pinkie did this… I know it…”

“I see… so using the Elements of Harmony won’t work this time… This world she created seems so real…” Luna paced around the immediate area, checking walls, plants, and lights with her magic, “It IS real… what in Equestria could have done such a magnificent creation in so little time… I fear we are dealing with much stronger magic than ever before, dear Shy. We need to work together eventually if this is to have any chance at reversing itself.”

Fluttershy nodded sternly, “I was on my way to Zecora… Some ponies freed me from… A-Applejack and Rainbow’s trap… and they told me Zecora knew what must be done.”

Luna thought for a moment, “Are you sure this lead is credible?”

“Yes. They could’ve just as easily killed me all the same… I was so v-vulnerable.”

“I see. Then consult her you must for without any aid, all could be lost in the matter of seconds. I don’t have much time left in this other world… How quickly can you get to Canterlot?”

“I’m not sure… Th-they’re everywhere… and everypony… I will try though.”

“I can’t promise safe passage, but once you get to the castle and find me, I can promise you some safety.” Luna’s form began to flicker.

“Wait! Why weren’t we taken by this… thing all the same as the others?”

“I’m unsure of that just as much as you are... but *static* worry little one… I believe it’s *static* all the right *static*… I must *static* by- *static*” Luna’s form had faded away.

Fluttershy stomped hard on the ground, angry at the princess’ inability to aid her anymore. She shook her head and tried to not get too flustered for this wasn’t the time. She looked around once more in this new realm and began walking toward the nearest building.

She quickly nudged open the door and looked around to find the area was pitch black, despite the light that should’ve pied in through the windows. She nudged around the walls and found a switch, so she flipped it. A bright light filled the room, revealing to her the interior of Sugarcube Corner. She took a step backwards as she realized this wasn’t the building she had entered. She began to walk forward, mustering what little courage she could find, and approached the counter. She peeked behind it and saw nopony at all. She sighed in relief and trotted over to a nearby chair to take a seat.

She rested in the chair, catching her breath finally as she tried to grasp her current situation, “Zecora, Canterlot, Luna, and then we end this… Come on Fluttershy… do it for your friends...” she said to herself.

The ominous giggle came from the back of the shop, causing Flutters to leap to her hooves. She glanced around and saw no sign of Pinkie anywhere, but she decided to not take any chances. She quickly trotted out the way she came and was welcomed by a ruined Ponyville now in place of the old peaceful one.

Buildings were dark and the sky was a dusty yellow, as if a large bomb had gone off in the distance. She turned to look at the building she’d came out of and was surprised to see it had collapsed into a pile of rubble. Taking a few steps toward the wreckage, she kept looking everywhere she could, just in case trouble was near. A loud bell chimed off in the distance, causing Fluttershy to leap into the air screaming.

She quickly calmed down and began making her way towards the sound, assuming whatever rang it was sane enough to be able to do so. As she walked down the ruined street, steeping over dried blood and craters in the road, she couldn’t take her eyes off the ruined environment. Her home was reduced to nothing, and the mere sight, real or not, was killing her inside.

As she closed in on the ringing bell    a new sound began reaching her ears. It sounded familiar, but new at the same time. Both sounds grew even louder as the peak of what she believed was a church slowly came into view. Fluttershy was taken aback by the mysterious building she'd never seen before off in the distance. She quickly looked around, making sure there was still nopony in the devastated city that didn’t have but about 10, at most, standing buildings, everything else being burning rubble. The bell suddenly stopped ringing, but the music stayed going.

“Is anypony out there? Help me!”

The voice had come from within the top of the church's belfry, making Fluttershy suspicious; but they needed help. She trotted quickly to the front, barely glancing at the large oak doors as she made her way inside.

Immediately wrapping her wings around herself, she made her way down the center of the aisle towards the belfry. The air was a dynamic change in comparison to the warm, damp atmosphere outside, causing her to shiver in chills and fear. About halfway through the church, she brought her gaze up from the red velvet carpet that lead to the priest pony's pulpit.

The building around her had walls of a stone-cold grey, the same as outside, and composed entirely of bricks. A large chandelier hung from above; Fluttershy flew up for a closer look. As she neared it, she silently observed its golden and red candles, about a dozen of each, along with the gilded material that made it into the shape of an upside-down fountain spray. She looked closer at the candles, eyeing the wicks they had, hoping she could light them somehow.

She quickly ruffled through her saddle-satchel and pulled out the small book of matches and lit a match. The second the flame connected with the wick, a bright ring flung around the candles, lighting each with a different color of the spectrum. She flew back in fright as the brilliant light flooded throughout the room.

She slowly descended to the ground below; the church now lit up, and put the matches back in her satchel. She took a better look around the building and held back a scream. In the pews sat the decayed remains of ponies frozen in prayer. Keeping her gaze forward, towards the pulpit to avoid seeing the skeletons, she kept walking towards the door in the back.

The music grew louder and she began to be able to make it out for what it was: her and her friends singing when they went to the Grand Galloping Gala, except the music was distorted and the voices were high pitched. She shivered, hearing the them that wasn't them singing. She began walking quicker towards the door, finally reaching it and nudging it open with her muzzle.

The belfry had a circular staircase made of the same stone bricks as the rest of the building. It led up to a dizzying height, with the golden bell at the top, along with the source of the cry for help and the music. She began to walk up the stairs, slowly moving her hooves step by step as her wings stayed wrapped around her for warmth.

About halfway up, she began thinking: What kind of pony could survive so long in such a desolate, barren world. What did they eat... or, she gulped, whom? Out of fear she unraveled her wings, immediately feeling the cold hitting her whole body, and grabbed the needle from her satchel. Holding it in her mouth, she quickly rewrapped herself and began climbing again.

About 30 steps from the top, she heard the quick shuffling of hooves over the music and then the slamming of the door. She had gotten used to the music and was starting to enjoy it now, despite its demonic essence. She quickly hit the top of the stairs, panting from the long, agonizing climb, her hooves now sore. Nearby, she found the source of the music; it was a record player with a record labeled “At the Gala G-Major”.

“Who recorded this...?” She silently asked herself.

She shook the thought away and looked up at the golden bell that had been ringing. A small rope hung from it and was lying on the ground nearby. She trotted over and examined it, finding deep bite marks and fraying; they must have been ringing it for days, she thought to herself. Finally, her gaze reached the wooden door that had been slammed; the room she assumed was where a majority of their time was spent, based on the lack of food, bedding, or any form of a restroom. She trotted up slowly and tried the handle; locked.

“Who is it!?” The sudden reply scared her, forcing her back a few steps.

“I-I'm not sure how to introduce myself... I suppose I'm F-Fluttershy...” she said back to the voice.

“You're Fluttershy? I had a name once... but time has rid me of such a trifling detail. I suppose if I were to have a name, it would be Nopony...”

“You're not nopony... everypony is somepony...”

“I'm basing it off my... ahh... what's the word...” an angry stomp was heard, “A few centuries do this to a stallion... sorry Miss Shy.”

“I-It's quite alright, I can easily see where you're coming from... not everypony has a perfect memor- did you say centuries? What happened?!?!” She quickly asked, astounded by the amount of time.

“I don't even know where to start... all I honestly remember is a loud blast, everypony running for the church to pray and then nothing...”

“Pray? But to who? Celestia and Luna? I d-didn't think anypony has done that for ages... even my friend Twilight said she read about it in a history book, and even so, it was gotten rid of well over a th-thousand years ago...”

“Aye, throughout the days we all lived and prospered in, this good-sized town didn't have it's Goddesses a train ride away... they were far from us.”

“Why?”

“I'm trapped here in her realm... She never liked me especially, but everyone else was ok. After everything went down, she made sure I was forced to stay behind in this place... Our tow-“ Nopony had stopped short, the music suddenly cutting off as Pinkie's giggle filled the air.

“Wh-what? I can't! She is an innocent mare!” Nopony was talking to somepony, and Fluttershy had a good idea who it was. “Fine... If you insist as such... you better hold to your promise this time, I've waited too long to be free from this hell!”

The lock on the door clicked, causing Fluttershy to step back in fear, the needle ready in her mouth.

“Fluttershy... I'm truly sorry... But I need this freedom, for I've waited much too long for such a sweet dream to let me escape from this eternal nightmare...”

“Sorry for what?”

The only reply she got was the opening of the wooden door. She peered in, the room only darkness, until a purple pony leapt out at her. She leapt aside in fear as she felt his hoof almost graze against her muzzle.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” Fluttershy screamed, backing away quickly.

“Escaping from here... she said if I kill you, I go free...” Nopony glared harshly at Fluttershy, his teeth now bared.

He was a purple pony, lacking in wings or horn, with wrinkled skin, aged and dried out over time. His underside clung desperately to him, his ribs easily visible through the skin. His eyes, with their brownish-blue tint, had sunken back into his head from sickness and hunger. She also made a quick note of his mane, gray and with few hairs left.

“There's got to be another way... p-please... don't make one of us do something we'll r-regret...” Fluttershy pleaded.

Nopony only growled, his eyes deadlocked with hers. She watched, looking for the darkness, but saw none. She positioned her backhooves and got ready for his next lunge. She dodged once more, letting him fly past her and into the wall.

He hit hard into it, shaking the tower some. He quickly scrambled to his feet and turned at her once more. Fluttershy, on the verge of tears, backed up a step and almost fell off the edge if the bell hadn't been there for her to back into. She braced her hooves, ready for his next attack. Nopony lunged at her once more.

Fluttershy dropped to her stomach, raising her muzzle to the air, letting the needle scrape on his underside. As the needle wounded him, smacking head first into the bell knocked him unconscious. Fluttershy quickly stood and turned, watching as his body fell limply to the ground and slinked over the edge and down to the floor far, far below. The sickening smack of his body reached her ears a few seconds later, forcing her to cringe at the realization that she'd just practically killed a pony...

She bottled up her grief, ready to let it all out at any moment, and walked over to the doorway Nopony had barged out of. Taking a match from her satchel, she lit it and trotted in slowly, the needle in her mouth while her left hoof held the match.

Inside the room she made quick work of looking around, for not much was inside, save for a window and minor bedding consisting off rags. As she looked at the worthless heaps of bones and objects around, she began trembling, the realization that she was a murderer, justified or not, ached her frail heart more and more. She kept getting worse, eventually dropping to the ground and erupting in crying.

I'm no better than he was...” she sobbed to herself. “I deserve n-nothing more th-than to rot aw-“ Her words were cut off quickly when the building she was in shook tremendously.

Fluttershy quickly leapt to her hooves and ran to the window. Outside she saw nothing but the still ruined Ponyville, now overcast in a large shadow. Suddenly, the roof creaked and crumbled as it fell through and landed nearby. Flutters snapped her tearful gaze to the newly made hole and saw a giant blue eye peering in happily.

“Found you silly! What kind of hiding place was this?” The gigantic Pinkie Pie seemed to scream at her.

Fluttershy said nothing back but instead turned and dashed towards the door, diving through it as a pink hoof crashed in from the top, destroying the entire room and everything in it. Fluttershy worked fast in her panic; not wanting to waste time on the stairs, she tossed the bell's rope over the edge and leapt to it as the bottom end unraveled to the ground far below. Clinging onto it for dear life, she slid down as quickly as possible, her hooves heating quickly from the friction.

She worked to unwrap her nearly frozen wings from her body as she went, but was unable to at the speed of her decent. A few feet from the bottom, the rope gave out from the fraying near the top and snapped, causing her to fall the rest of the way, the rope getting tangled around her hoof. As she hit the ground, she quickly noticed a pile of ash and bone, along with a few gray hairs nearby; what had happened to Nopony to cause such a quick decomposition.

She heard another loud crash above her and quickly looked up in time to see rubble and the large bell hurtling down at her from above. She quickly dove through the next door, into the church's main room. The rope trailed behind her, following quickly as it wiggled with her movements. With her few seconds she had before Pinkie's next attack, she unraveled it from her hoof, and coiled it around her neck loosely.

Fluttershy broke for the door as the hoof came smashing down once more near where she was standing. It dragged through the building, chasing her as she sprinted down the aisle towards the large oak doors. The hoof dragged on the ground, shattering and sending the wooden pews and skeletons flying everywhere as the walls and ceiling crumbled. Then the hoof hit the magically lit chandelier, sending it crashing to the ground near Fluttershy as she leapt through the small opening and outside into Ponyville.

She kept running, looking back over her shoulder to watch as the church collapsed. Then she brought her gaze up and saw the 10 story tall Pinkie Pie, glaring down at her. The darkness in her eyes was massive in correlation to her size, as was the sound of her dark laughter.

“I spy with my big eye... a frightened, fleeing, Fluttershy...” The gigantic tormentor mused at her prey.

Fluttershy turned, gazing back up at Pinkie, her wings outright and prepared for flight. She flew into the sky as Pinkie took another large step closer to her and went up to her eye.

“You listen here you maniacal, homicidal, ps-psychopathic meanie!” Fluttershy screamed, full of rage. “YOU SENT A PONY TO KILL ME! YOU'RE NO TRUE FRIEND PINKIE!”

“Aww Shy! That's not something you should say to a friend! I guess I've gotta punish you now!” She snorted, giggling uncontrollably, “And that's a promise, a Pinkie Promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, take you out and watch you DIE!” Pinkie's voice grew dark as the last few words were uttered.

Fluttershy staggered back a few feet, but regained her composure. She felt her frailness growing closer and closer to breaking with each passing moment in this hell. She had to act now so she went in for the only move in her arsenal; The Stare.

She locked her eyes on Pinkie's, gazing deeply into her soul. Her reflection gazed back, the large blue and dark eyes giving her a clear view of her scuffed and dirty yellow body. She kept staring, also making note of a few minor cuts and ruffled feathers in her wings which she'd sort out later... if there was a later.

Pinkie blinked, “Is that all Shy? Surely you could've come up with something a tad more fun! Hmm... How about a hoof bump?”

Fluttershy saw the hoof quickly coming out of the corner of her eye and dodged, barely getting clipped by it. She kept flying, towards the town center now, in the hopes she'd find an answer to how to escape or, if all else fails, kill Pinkie Pie.

She heard the monstrous steps behind her, crashing into the now even more ruined town with each move that was made. She flew as quickly as her wings would take her, the town center quickly coming into view. The gleam of the fires that ravaged the town lit up the pinnacle of Town Hall, one of few buildings in the immediate area still standing. Fluttershy turned, watching the monstrosity still coming, her mane a massive mess as usual.

Fluttershy looked back at the sharp, needle-like point of the building and got an idea. She took one end of the rope in her mouth and let the other unravel, stringing down below her. It might not be long enough, she thought, but it will have to do... she's not Pinkie... not anymore... she deserves this.

Fluttershy waited until Pinkie was close enough to begin enacting her plan. She flew down, quickly twirling the rope around a light post and tying it. Then she took her free end and flew at Pinkie as quick as she could, the rage and fear now fueling her. Pinkie eyed her curiously, surprised by Fluttershy's actions, soon losing her when she flew underneath her.

Fluttershy flew close to the underside of the monster, quickly moving to the back as she circled to the other side of the colossal tail. Pinkie looked back and turned clockwise towards Fluttershy, now facing her. Fluttershy, rope still in her mouth, flew underneath Pinkie once more, barely making it to the other side before another clockwise turn was made. Fluttershy gazed directly into Pinkie's slightly angry, yet happy eyes, her own eyes now tear-ridden and bloodshot from her rage. Pinkie took a step towards Fluttershy, and then she fell.

The rope had twisted around her hooves, causing her to trip. Her mouth went agape in horror as she plummeted forward onto the point of town hall, it piercing through the underside of her mouth and through the top of her head. Fluttershy floated there, watching the town shake from the monster's fall.

“NOOOO!” The final demonic scream shattered through the air.

Fluttershy looked down at Pinkie, her eyes shut and breathing stopped. She flew down and kicked one of the hooves.

“You big meanie! This is what you get! With Luna as my witness, I curse what friendship we had...” Fluttershy screamed, her wings flaring as tears flowed from her eyes freely.

Fluttershy flew up to the head of Pinkie and looked at the damage she'd done. Most of town hall had been crushed, but the pointed center remained intact somehow. She climbed to the top, gazing at the exposed, bloody needle. As she inched closer, the body quivered and began rising. Fluttershy held on for dear life, watching as the point was removed from Pinkie's head. She gasped out and began shivering in fear as she watched the wound seal itself up as if it had never been there.

“You've caused enough trouble for me here Flutters... so get out of my world...” She flicked her head as hard as she could, sending Fluttershy flying off into the distance.

She tried to use her wings but was being propelled too fast to be able to stop or slow herself. She watched as she hurtled towards the ground, closing her eyes as she braced herself for the impending smack. After a few moments, she opened her eyes. She was back in the forest, Zecora's hut nearby, the candle's still lit. She wasted no time looking for Pinkie and broke for the front door of the hut, hoping Zecora was inside. As she ran, she heard the giggling fade off into the distance. She quickly opened the door and ran into the hut, slamming it behind her.

Luna watched from the safety of her room in the castle. She opened her eyes, resuming control of her body and leaving the third-pony view of Fluttershy.

“She's finally learning they're not who they were... she's finally letting the friendships no longer get in the way... She has the best chance to end this...” she whispered to herself.

A knock came at the door, “Luna... are you in there?” she heard the guard ask.

“Go away... I know you're one of them and there's no way you're coming in here!” She told him coldly.

“What about me dear sister?” Celestia's voice came from the other side.

Luna trotted over and focused her magic to see through the door. She saw her sister's light-purple eyes swimming heavily with the infestation. She panicked, backing away quickly and turned towards her window. The door was blasted open behind her as she leapt out the window, flying as quickly as she could towards Ponyville. She was too nervous to look behind her to see if she was being chased.

End Chapter 3