Innocence

Pinkamena headed back downstairs to find Fluttershy sitting on the floor, wincing in pain as she tried to flap her hurt wing.

"Aw, what's the matter?" asked Pinkamena. Fluttershy let out a gasp of shock and looked over at her. "Wing hurt?"

Fluttershy slowly folded her wings, wincing in pain as she nodded.

"Suck it up." the pink mare spat, trotting past Fluttershy to the caged area.

Fluttershy watched as Pinkamena pulled the dead mare out of the chair, her corpse hitting the floor with a sickening thud. Fluttershy looked away, closing her eyes. Pinkamena grinned and dragged the dead mare in front of Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus openedd her eyes and looked down, letting out a shriek of fright.

"Take a good look, Fluttershy." she said as the yellow pegasus tried to look away. The pink mare grabbed her head and forced her to look down. "Take a good, long look." she said with a grin.

"P-Please... Stop this..."

The pink mare forced Fluttershy to look her in the eyes.

"Oh, but, my dear Fluttershy..." she said. "I have so many fun things planned for us."

"F-F-F-Fun?"

Just then Fluttershy heard the sound of muffled screaming.

"Sounds like our new friend wants to play."

"No..." whimpered Fluttershy.

"But, first..." said Pinkamena. "Lesson 1. Ignore pain."

"Wh-What?"

ATTEMPT #1

Pinkamena quickly pulled out her knife and swiped at Fluttershy's foreleg. The yellow pegasus let out a cry of pain and clutched the cut.

"I said ignore it." Pinkamena said calmly, swiping again.

This time she cut the pegasus' other foreleg, causing her to yell. Pinkamena let out an annoyed sigh.

"You're failing, Shy. Ignore it."

She slashed at Fluttershy's hind leg. The mare screamed in pain, tears streaming her face.

"Ignore it!"

Pinkamena swiped at her other hind leg. Fluttershy kept crying and screaming in pain.

"IGNORE IT!" yelled the pink mare, slashing again. "IGNORE IT! IGNORE IT! IGNORE IT!" she repeated, slashing at Fluttershy every time.

She soon stopped, Fluttershy laying in the floor covered in blood, sweat, and tears.

"Please..." she whimpered. "No more."

"You're so pathetic, Fluttershy." said Pinkamena. "You're gonna stay down here..." she said, pointing the knife at Fluttershy. "until you get this right."

"I-I will, P-Pinkie." stammered Fluttershy through tears.

"My name... is... PINKAMENA!!!" yelled the pink mare, slashing at Fluttershy's shoulder.

The yellow mare let out a cry of pain as Pinkamena stood over her, breathing heavily. She then let out a sigh and pulled her hair out of her face.

"You'll spend the night here." she said calmly. "I'll return first thing in the morning."

She hesitated before turning and heading towards the stairs.

"Wh-What about f-food?" said Fluttershy softly.

Pinkamena ignored her and disappeared upstairs. Fluttershy curled up on the floor and cried.

ATTEMPT #2

Fluttershy heard the door open and looked up. Pinkamena trotted down the stairs, carrying a pail in.her mouth. When she got to the bottom, she set the pail down.

"Morning, Shy." she said. "Sleep well?"

Fluttershy looked up at her, eyes barely open.

"Water..." she said weakly. "Please?"

Pinkamena cocked her head. "Water?"

"Yes, please..."

"I want you to beg for it."

Fluttershy let out gasp and a whimper. "P-Please... Give me water... I beg you... Please..."

Pinkamena smiled. "Good girl." she said, kicking the pail over to Fluttershy.

It tipped over, causing some to pour out, but Fluttershy quickly picked it up and began drinking. The pink mare trotted over to the pegasus and knelt down, pulling out her knife. Fluttershy stopped drinking and stared at the knife, knowing what happens next.

"Please, no..." she whimpered.

Pinkamena ran her hoof up and down Fluttershy's foreleg. The cuts were starting to heal. Fluttershy winced in pain.

"Ignore... the pain." said Pinkamena, whacking the bottom of the pail.

The remaining water splashed Fluttershy's face, drenching her hair. She shuddered at how cold it felt. And the chill in the basement didn't help.

"S-So... c-c-c-cold..."

Pinkamena wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her close, holding the tip of her knife under the pegasus' chin.

"This lesson isn't just about pain, Fluttershy. But all physical feeling. Hot. Cold. Doesn't matter. Not when you're like me."

"And w-w-why do you w-w-w-want m-m-m-me?" Fluttershy shuddered.

Pinkamena smiled. "Who would ever suspect you? Your innocence is what makes this plan work."

"And w-w-w-what if I l-l-l-lost that innocence?" asked Fluttershy. "Would it still w-w-w-work?"

"With or without your innocence, it'll work. As long as the others believe."

Pinkamena slowly dragged her knife across Fluttershy's hind leg. The pegasus let out a yelp, but managed to hold back a scream.

"Get through this and I'll give you a treat." said the pink mare, dragging her knife across Shy's leg again, a few inches below the other cut.

Fluttershy kept her lips shut tightly, her yells of pain coming out in muffled groans and whimpers. Pinkamena smiled.

"You're getting there." she said. "Just concentrate on ignoring it. It's all in your head, Shy. All the feeling of pain. That's your brain. If you concentrate hard enough, you can control it."

Fluttershy nodded as Pinkamena cut her leg again. The pegasus let out a long groan before bursting out in tears.

"I can't! I can't do it!" she sobbed.

Pinkamena put her knife away. "You will learn this, Shy. Otherwise I'd be forced to kill you."

Fluttershy let out a little gasp as Pinkamena stood up. "I'll be back later. We'll resume then."

She trotted over to the stairs and headed up. Fluttershy held her leg, wincing in pain. When she was sure Pinkamena was gone, she pulled a bone from her mane. She had ripped it from the dead mare. She trotted over to the metal cage and began rubbing the bone across it, trying to file it down into a sharp point.

ATTEMPT #3

Pinkamena threw Fluttershy into the wall. The yellow pegasus lay groaning on the floor.

"You have not yet learned, Shy. You're becoming a disappointment."

Fluttershy let out a gasp for air. "I'll try... I-I promise."

ATTEMPT #6

Pinkamena slashed at Fluttershy's foreleg. The butter pegasus did her best to hold in her screams.

Fluttershy sat near the metal cage, filing her bone down even more.

ATTEMPT #12

Pinkamena slashed at Fluttershy's shoulder. The pegasus let out a little grunt.

ATTEMPT #15

Fluttershy began filing her bone down some more.

ATTEMPT #20

Pinkamena cut Fluttershy's leg. The pegasus didn't even flinch. Pinkamena slowly pulled her knife back and smiled.

"Good girl." she said. "Now, for the final test."

"The f-final test?" asked Fluttershy.

"Yes." said Pinkamena, holding up the knife. "Are you prepared?"

"N... N-No..." whimpered Fluttershy.

"Death waits for no pony!" yelled Pinkamena, stabbing Fluttershy in the shoulder.

The yellow pegasus winced but held her ground. Pinkamena's eyes narrowed as she grinned, twisting the knife. A tear began to form in Fluttershy's eye but she managed to keep her pain at bay.

"Very good, Fluttershy." said the pink mare. She slowly pulled the knife out.

"A-Am I good?"

"No, of course not." said Pinkamena. She licked the blood from the knife. "Four more to go."

Fluttershy went wide-eyed with fright and gulped.

Pinkamena turned away from Fluttershy and stuffed the bloody knife back in her mane.

"You did good, Shy." said the pink mare, heading upstairs.

Fluttershy fell to the floor, blood smeared throughout her coat. She let out a whimper as she tried her best to ignore the pain. Once she regained some strength, she pulled out her bone knife from her mane and went back to filing it against the metal cage. She wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'll get you for this." she said to herself, holding up her bone knife.

She brought it to her foreleg and cut it, wincing. She had put on a show for Pinkamena to make her believe that pain didn't bother her. Now, she had to get used to it for real if she was gonna get her revenge.