Immortality Ultimateby Crimson_MoonChaptersNightmareSanctuaryBloodConscienceFriendship(optional chapter)AwakeningLife(optional chapter)NightmareFair Warning: blood will be mentioned graphically, as well as certain characters acting, well, out of character. You have been warned... It began like it always did, with a cold sweat and terrified whimpers from Fluttershy; it's been like this since the anniversary of the Fruit Bat Incident a few months ago. THUMP...THUMP... The dream began with those thrums of bass, coming from something organic, though she could never quite figure it out. Regardless, that corpulent noise always drew to her, or rather the body she was observing. THUMP THUMP... THUMP THUMP... After the second set, the image would focus on a hazy red outline of a pony in some obscure alleyway or out of reach area, always a different one walking to their unsuspecting demise. Once the pony apparition enters deep enough, the flapping of wings and a faint hiss would be heard, suddenly changing perspective to the pony being hunted. They'd hear a rattle of a can or a nearby alleycat screech and scurry away, making that thump-thumping louder and more frequent. Further down they went, their pace always quickening in time with the unnatural beat coaxing them along. Oh dear, it seems somepony got lost... Pity... The new voice laughed maniacally, bouncing off the walls and frightening the prey further. Suddenly, those shadows and blurs running past were larger and more frequent. The Thump-Thumping is now going off like a beat on multiple bongo drums, getting deeper and louder with every passing second. Over here, my little pony. I promise I won't bite! *chuckles* much... The voice sounded more soothing than it did, the perfect lure to a terrified victim. The frightened pony approached with caution towards the voice, albeit less fearful now. "W-who's there?!" They always called out in that satisfying coating of fear trembling their voice. It seeped through the cracks of their psyche, leaving an overwhelming stench of terror. Come closer and find out... the voice uttered out, followed by a playfully sadistic giggle. Ever more closer they inched towards the voice, following the false siren to the end. What awaited them were blood red irises sheltered in the shadows of a wall. They realized too late that they were no more prey to a predator as the eyes lunged forward, uttering a hissing screech. THUMP TH- ...the drumbeat ended. All that was left of the victim was no more than a pool of blood the size of a plate, the pale reflection of the moon glistening within. The click-clack of hooves approached the crimson puddle, revealing a cream yellow muzzle with a twisted and bloody fanged smile, those red slitted eyes staring within. She turned her head in curiosity, then smiled even wider. [ "Not long now, before your soul is mine! It lunged, then everything went dark... "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Fluttershy screamed, sending all her forest critters scurrying away. The only one that remained was Angel, snapping her out of it with a quick slap to the muzzle. "H-huh, what?!" She looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness! It was just a dream..." She stared back down to her closest animal friend, smiling gently and trying to ease his look of worry. "It's nothing to worry about, Angel Bunny. I only had a nightmare." Heh, or so you think... Shaking her head, she snapped out of it. "Well, no use moping about a n-nightmare, now is there?" She chuckled nervously. Setting the bunny down, Fluttershy began her morning routine acting as if nothing happened at all. A shower followed by a quick comb of her mane, the cream colored Pegasus headed downstairs to cook breakfast for her and her animal friends living with her in the small shack on the borders of the Everfree Forest. "Good morning my adorable animal friends!" She greeted them, setting out the respective food trays. "Well, now that my morning duties are done, what's next?" She wondered, trying to find her event calendar. Maintaining an animal shelter such as this on top of chores and activities Fluttershy had planned was putting stress on her mind, or at least that's how she explained the nightmares. let's see here, today is the 14th of Sun's Eve... The date was circled in red. "Oh, of course! I almost forgot!" She exclaimed. "Today the fruit bat sanctuary is being moved to join the new sanctuary my friends helped me build!" Her smile dimmed however. It was also the anniversary of her infamous "Incident". No matter how many ponies pressed her and her friends, they would all reply the same script: that it was an incident involving Fluttershy and nothing more. The rumors however, were that she was part of some freak magical accident and got turned into a vampire. The rumors escalated especially during Nightmare Night to the point where little fillies would dress up in a "Flutter-Bat" costume. Those weren't bad to put up with; children don't know any better. What really hurt were the eggs thrown at her home, the mares and colts her age eying her suspiciously, and the teenagers constantly trying to scare her because teens don't know how to cope with something scary other than scaring the thing that scares them, especially if it's physical and gets scared easily. Fluttershy knew that it would pass, as it did the two years previously. "Ouch!" A kick in the foreleg by an increasingly impatient and hungry bunny shook her of the exposition she was having however. "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry Angel Bunny!" She looked around "It seems I fed everyone but you! I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me?" She asked in the cutest puppy dog look imaginable. Rolling his eyes the white rabbit relented, having come face to face with the power of cuteness on that magnitude. One heaping gourmet salad bowl later, and Fluttershy was finally done. Stretching a bit, she bid her animal friends farewell, departing for the Apple Family Orchard, as well as the beginning of her blood-soaked rebirth and the unleashing of a new monster upon this world... Author's Note As stated at the top of this chapter, there will be a lot of gore, and I do mean A LOT. Like, literal pools of blood. ... ....... ............Okay I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no, I would not subject poor Fluttershy to ~~a gruesome amount of mental manipulation and torture~~ an evening filled with conquering her new fear of Apples and Apple related accessories within the first few chapters, and you're probably right, or probably wrong. To be honest, it can go both ways! Have fun reading! SanctuaryAfter a quick trot, Fluttershy finally reached the Fruit Bat Sanctuary, her friend and resident apple farmer, Applejack, already hard at work getting the apple lures ready for the move. "Hey there, Fluttershy!" She waved to the Pegasus. "You're just in time, too! These apples are just perfect for your *ahem* fanged compadres." Her scowl still gave away her disdain for the critters so close to her apples. The "leader" of the Fruit Bats returned it with a hiss and some seeds spat in the farmpony's general direction. Two years, and they still couldn't get along perfectly, it seemed. "And good riddance too." She mumbled, gazing wistfully at the apples about to go to waste for the rats with wings. "Now Applejack, we talked about this, remember?" Fluttershy said. "Yeah, I do." Applejack sighed. "It's just a darn shame that something so bright Red and sweet would go to waste like this..." ...the victim screamed as their throat was torn open, a bright red torrent of blood gushing out of every hole imaginable... She froze and her breathing went hard and ragged, reliving the nightmare once more. "There's no escaping it, you know... " the voice scraped her inner thoughts like claws to chalkboard. " *sniffs* See, right there! Ah, the smell of sweet, delicious, thick, red-" "Apple pie! Figured if we were gonna throw away most of these, might as well have made some pies instead of makin' compost! Uh, you alright shy? Kinda quiet there." Applejack exclaimed, taking another bite out of her slice of apple pie, still fresh from the oven. "H-huh? What?" "Celestia almighty, y'all are having a daze today! You hardly focused back when we were still relocatin' the Fruit Bats too!" She touched a hoof to Fluttershy's forehead, looking for a fever. "You sure you're feeling alright, Fluttershy?" W-we finished? "U-um, yeah..." An entire day's worth of work, and I can't remember...any of it? "I-its nothing to worry about, Applejack." Fluttershy gently patted her friend's forehoof. "Honest. I'm just feeling a bit...drained from all our hard work!" She chuckled nervously. Applejack didn't buy it. Of course she wouldn't she's the element of Honesty, no way in Tartarus! Applejack returned the gesture. "You rightly know better than to lie to me, Flutters." She sighed. "But I get it. Sometimes a good day of work is all you need to blow off some steam and think about things." She didn't really get it. Especially considering the obvious fact that the wallflower had no single recollection of the day's work, except greeting Applejack. Lamenting, she passed it off as simply being what her friend said, shrugging off the nagging feeling in the back of her head. They talked well until near sunset, when they decided to part ways. "Oh dear me!" Fluttershy spoke. "It's almost sunset, I need to get back to my animal friends! Oh, Angel Bunny must be so worried..." "No worries 'Shy, you go on and take care of your critters. Besides, I rightly need to hit the sack too, considerin'." With that, Fluttershy began her small trot home, hoping to catch her new Fruit Bat neighbors stopping by to say hello to all her other animal friends... Meanwhile a certain draconequus was sipping explosive tea in his own pocket dimension, when suddenly... The teacup Discord was holding in his claws began to shake violently, turning red-hot before exploding. The liquid surprisingly stayed in the cup, albeit more blackened than before. "*sips* Ah, what a wonderful black tea! You could even say it had an... Explosive flavor! BAHAHAHA!" He chortled and guffawed loudly within his humble abode. Discord's house wasn't very big, and had a much more homely look to it than you would expect from an avatar of Chaos. In fact, it looked more like Fluttershy's cottage, save for the randomness that comes with Chaos. Singing tea bags, stairs that lead nowhere, and origami cranes that actually flew were littered within the small home, making sure that every room you went to just screamed "CHAOS". All of this Chaos was just the way Discord liked it too. It made him feel at ease. *DING DONG* That is, until someone or something ruined the moment. "Ugh, I swear if this is another prank from Shmooze, I will stop giving him shiny things!" He snapped his claw, turning the door into a monster's mouth. Terrified shrieks of an unsuspecting mailpony followed. "Oh, mail's here! Go ahead, let him in!" Another snap followed. Dripping wet and shivering in both fear and hyperthermia, the pony handed Discord his mail. "Uh, h-here you go mister Discord! NOW PLEASE STOP MAKING YOUR HOUSE EATING ME!" He bawled. "I can't help when my home is feeling a bit peckish! Besides," The draconequus chuckled evilly. "You're making it a bit sick with all that urine you soaked yourself with, so it'd be best if you were just EXPELLED anyways!" *SNAP* The pony was suddenly gone. "I might still have an evil side, but not that evil...anymore!" He chided the invisible force known as META. "Although, that does bring a good thought for another prank..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Bah! This is no time for pranks, I have mail to read!" Discord always got excited on mail day in his dimension because he only ever got one letter, the only one that mattered: Fluttershy's. A letter opener flew over and managed to cut a rather nice looking croquet out of the envelope that concealed the letter. "Let's see here," he started, snapping a pair of reading glasses into existence and resting upon his muzzle. "*ahem* 'Dear Discord:' Oh I just love it when she uses my name in letter form! It's much more personal that way!" Dear Discord, How are you? As for me, I'm so excited! Today me and Applejack helped relocate our little fruit bat friends to the new sanctuary. I can't wait seeing their adorable faces stopping by for a small fruit treat! It was a wonderful time! Or at least, according to Applejack. I can't remember much of, well, anything that happened that day... I had another nightmare, the one I told you about. It began like it always did, and ended the same. The only difference, the same "difference" that they all have, was the victim. You told me not to worry, but I'm a smart mare, Discord. You know more than you're letting on, I just know it. How can I trust you when you're still keeping secrets?! Friends don't keep secrets between each other! Well, seeing as you forced my hoof, I... I won't send any more letters! I'm sorry, but you left me with no other choice! At the very bottom were a few teardrops in place of Fluttershy's signature. "T-that sneaky devil!" Discord was angry. So angry in fact, that the words he wanted to use which just so happen to rhyme with "whittle" and "Mitch", were censored with more PG content. META strikes again. He sighed. "She left me no choice. I have to tell her and once I do, I doubt she'll recover..." Author's Note Second chapter done, less serious this time. Major bombshell happening next chapter, so be prepared for exposition and (finally) gratuitous amounts of blood and severed limbs. It will be a blood bath. I'll take questions now, thank you! Random commenter in the back row: "are you gonna ship Discord and Fluttershy?" Me: why would I ship them anywhere? They're in equestria already! All jokes aside, no. Discord will be plot heavy, but there's no hot vampire-chaos god interbreeding going on. Other than that one question, ask away any and all comments/concerns you might have about Immortality Ultimate BloodIt took a while for Discord to arrive at Fluttershy's cottage skirting the Everfree. Three days in fact. In that time, however brief, the nightmares worsened. The scenes were more gruesome, severed limbs not just detached but used as a foux paintbrush to decorate the walls of that obscure location the victim's resting place became. Bloody daisies and silhouettes of bunny rabbits and other small woodland creatures were hastily scribbled with the crimson paste, showing a very demented version of a woodland "sanctuary". Her dream didn't even try to hide the fact that it was in fact Fluttershy that committed these atrocities. Instead, it seemed taunting, almost saying "i dare you to break" to the poor mare's already fragile psyche. *KNOCK KNOCK* It was already the afternoon, and the mare was still in bed, startled awake, and more importantly, away from the nightmare she was still having. Her eyes stung with every day of sunshine leaking through the cracks in her curtain. "Fluttershy! Oh, Fluttershy!" A male voice uttered, followed by another series of knocks. "Are you still in there? I brought your favorite tea!" Groaning, Fluttershy opened the curtains and screamed in pain. "THE SUN! IT BURNS!" *SNAP* The curtains were slammed shut once more, a draconequus shutting them with his claws. "Dear Fluttershy, I told you not to sleep in! Bad for the eyes you know." Discord chuckled, turning around to greet his friend. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I was worried about you after I heard some yelling. Guess it was just a overly ambitious and sleepy mare pushing her luck by sleeping in, heh heh!" Groaning, the mare in question rubbed her eyes in hopes of getting rid of some of the pain. I guess the shock of sudden light blinded me for a second... ...Or so she thought... Groaning, Fluttershy got back onto four hooves. "W-what are you doing up this early, Discord?" She asked. "Early? It's half past noon, my dear. You slept half the day away!" He put his paw onto her forehead, checking for fevers. "Are you alright, Fluttershy?" He snapped his digits, summoning a stethoscope and doctor's coat. "I hope you aren't coming down with anything severe..." "N-no, I'm fine. I'm just tired is all." "Are you sure?" Discord asked, looking concerned. "Because I could always-" he held his fingers together, ready to snap. "I SAID I'M FINE, YOU STUPID COLT!" Fluttershy gasped, covering her mouth immediately. "I-I'm sorry, Discord! I didn't mean to snap at you like that!" Where did that come from?! Oh like you don't know, hot shot! It was me. Time to be more... "Assertive", don't you think? the Voice cackled. Even he was shocked. "N-no I get it, you were... Just tired is all! Heh heh..." Discord chuckled nervously. "I'll just wait downstairs until you're all cleaned up and refreshed. "B-but Discord, I-" *SNAP* The pale yellow mare sighed. "I-I guess I'll get ready, then..." A few minutes later and Fluttershy made her way downstairs, trying to avoid eye contact with her guest. It was a habit she couldn't break, where she would just clam up after snapping at somepony, feeling guilty the entire time. "Ah, you're properly awake now!" He smiled, despite her shutting down. "The tea is piping hot, my dear!" She sat down next to the tea set, growing her cup tightly. Warily, she looked at the contents swirling inside, then back at Discord. "Don't worry my dear, it's your favorite- ginseng. Uh, minus the singing of course!" He chuckled nervously. She brought the sweet promise of caffeine to her lips, savoring the aroma before taking a small sip. "I-it's...Delicious, Discord! As always!" She didn't lie about that. Despite being an avatar of Chaos, he was quite the connoisseur when it came to tea combinations. "Tea is like Chaos, in a way." He started. "If you just take it raw, it's nothing more than hot leaf juice. However, if you make it just right..." He snapped his fingers, the kettle flying over and pouring gently into his empty cup labeled "#1 Chaos God" on the side. Sipping, he sighed. "It will taste just delicious!" A few more casual bits of conversation later got Fluttershy thinking. "You didn't come here for tea, did you?" Silence followed. "...no." "Then what?" She looked up, staring intently into those yellow, chaotic, mismatched eyes of his. "*sigh* To be honest, it's about the letter..." Oh... "I owe you an explanation, Fluttershy." He stared back. "But in order to do that, I need to do something and that requires your absolute trust. Do you trust me?" He reached his paw out, offering it to Fluttershy. Nodding, she accepted and lay her hoof in it, eliciting a gentle smile from the draconequus. "What I'm about to do is pull your consciousness out of your body and suspend it in the aether. It won't hurt, but it will feel a bit...weird. You must also stay completely quiet during this time. Knowing that, do you wish to continue?" I've never seen this side of him before. His tone, the way he's serious about this; This is his other side, the one he keeps buried. Even chaos starts out sane... She nodded. "Good. On the count of three, I will snap my fingers and pull you out." Discord looked worried all of a sudden. "Whatever happens, just know you are still in control." "One." Fluttershy slammed her eyes shut, bracing for his magic. "Two." His other claw raised, getting ready for the magic. Discord smiled, his muzzle conveying a message saying "it'll be okay." "...Three." Discord snapped his fingers and pulled Fluttershy's consciousness out at the same time, leaving behind what should have been her unconscious body. What remained instead, caused her to let out an ear shattering shriek of terror. Before her lay a different creature altogether; one very familiar and very bat-like. "Heh. Ha. HA HA HA HA HA!" It called maniacally. "Ah, free at last!" It spoke in a deep and husky voice that oozed confidence; it was completely opposite of Fluttershy's quiet and sheltered tone. Opening its eyes revealed blood red irises, its smile fanged and sadistic. Stretching, the creature spoke again. "Oh, you have no idea how long I've tried to get rid of that bitch!" Giving her new wings a test flap, she stared back at Discord, a scowl forming. "Ugh, it's you again. What, come to shackle me even more?" "Not in the slightest, Selene. I'm just stopping by and checking on you." Discord spoke, his expression neutral. "You're not trying to break free, are you?" "Selene" mocked a hurt expression. "Wha-me? I would never!" She chuckled. "Besides, I can't help if my lesser half has nightmares, can I?" *SNAP* Crimson chains and shackles marked with all manner of glyphs and wards appeared around the mare's throat, hooves, and wings. "Don't forget your place, swine!" Discord scowled at the bat pony. "I don't want to have to wage war again, and you running around unshackled will do just that." She hissed in response, eliciting a telepathic yank from Discord's paw bringing the creature closer. "Why can't I run free?! I followed your rules, left my lesser half alone! The nightmares are hers! Don't believe me?! ASK YOUR BITCH OF A PRINCESS!" That comment earned her a bone-breaking hurdle to the wall opposite where the draconequus was standing. "Ooh, hit a nerve did I?" The bat pony chuckled, spitting out blood. "Remember who's body is on r-" *SNAP* A gag appeared over "Selene's" muzzle. "Quiet, abomination!" Discord yelled. "*sighs* I know you're a part of her. There's nothing my chaos magic, or any magic for that matter, can do for you..." ...Nothing? Fluttershy spoke, giving her away to Selene that she was listening in. "Ah, I see 'Fluttershy' has a front row seat!" She grinned, exposing their fangs. "Hmm, I wonder... Spell, perhaps? It has to deal with the subconscious, so...!" Selene gasped. "Of course! Astral projection. Well, it'll be easy to snuff her out then!" She closed her eyes, concentrating, pulling her consciousness out as well. Well hello there, lesser me! It's time I- *SNAP!* Fluttershy was pulled back into her body, shaking and hyperventilating. "...I'm sorry you had to find out about Selene." Discord spoke after she calmed down. "W-who or w-what was that, that T-THING in my body?!" She yelled, tears streaming down her muzzle. "...That was you. Or, at least your vampiric nature." He said quietly and in as calm a manner as possible. V-V-VAMPIRE?! Fluttershy fainted. Author's Note Yeah, there's a lot of Out-of-Character moments in here. ~~Sorry don't hate me!~~ It was necessary to establish some major changes in character development. No worries, this is part 1 of 2 of Fluttershy's transformation into Flutterbat. I'm open to any criticisms you may/may not have about this story, so feel free to post a comment! Conscience"AHHHHHHHHGHH!" Fluttershy woke with a blood curdling scream, frantically looking around only to find the silence of her moonlit bedroom greeting her. It...It was a dream? She glanced at the vanity mirror on her dresser. The face that greeted her back was disheveled and frightened. It sent a twinge of pain to her head, flashes of the events that happened yesterday passed through her mind. They were fuzzy and incomprehensible, and trying to remember them only made the growing migraine worse. Wincing, she wrestled herself away from the sweat soaked sheets of her bed and cantered towards her reflection, doing a thorough inspection for anything out of the ordinary. No fangs, bat wings or funneled ears greeted the small mare, a welcome sign pointing towards the apparent nightmare she just experienced. Still, something didn't quite feel right to her. It was too quiet. Too tame. "Something's not right..." Fluttershy whispered. S-something's here... A clatter rang out from what sounded like the kitchen downstairs. Gulping, she took deep breaths, cautiously opening her bedroom door and creeping down the stairwell as silent as a mouse. Eyes widening in shock, the frightened mare was greeted with a grizzly scene: Blood was splattered all along the walls throughout her entire household, its crimson hue dry and flaky in some places from days of it being there. Her animal friends were ripped to shreds, entrails decorating her furniture like an ornament on a Hearth's Warming Tree. Fluttershy covered her mouth with both hooves, muffling the scream. Quickly she shut her eyes, hoping the gruesome backdrop would fade. It's not real, it's not real, IT'S NOT REAL! the poor mare chanted over and over, trying to convince herself it was just another nightmare. Trembling, she opened her eyes only to meet her regular household, no blood or mangled bodies of her animal friends in sight. In fact, they were all sleeping peacefully as usual, minus the nocturnal ones of course. More rustling was heard from the kitchen, freezing Fluttershy in her place. "H-hello? Is t-there someone in there?" She squeaked out in a frightened tone. The rustling persisted further. "P-p-please c-come out!" She begged the source of the mysterious noise. Suddenly the rustling stopped, and in the shadow of the moonlight was a silhouette of some sort of demon, frightening the mare even further. "G-GO AWAY!" The poor mare cried, provoking the shadowy demon to creep closer towards her. Trembling, she stepped backwards towards the stairs. "P-please?" It didn't listen, getting ever closer and closer until... SMACK! "Youch!" She held up her now sore hoof throbbing with pain. A plethora of angry chitters rang out from below. "A-angel?!" It seems the resident bunny was helping himself to a late night snack. "You scared me half to death!" Fluttershy berated her pet, only to receive another round of angry chitters and paws pointing to an empty bowl with Angel's name on it. "Did I forget to feed you, my little Angel bunny?" She picked up the peeved fluffy critter, petting him and cuddling him despite his struggles against the iron grip the cream yellow mare had on the bunny. "Oh I'm so sorry Angel bunny! I promise, tomorrow morning I'll make you the biggest, most special salad you can imagine!" She sauntered over to the kitchen and chopped up a nice fruit salad to give to the bunny, being careful not to wake up all her other animal friends. Smudging a dollop of whipped cream on top, Fluttershy set the bowl down and let him eat the well needed snack. Cleaning up afterwards, Fluttershy trotted back upstairs, completely forgetting about her gruesome vision. "*yawns* I guess it was just Angel Bunny helping himself to some food. I'll make him that special salad he likes tomorrow morning." She climbed back into her bed, falling asleep again and dreaming peaceful dreams... The Royal city of Canterlot, Luna's private chambers... "You see? I wasn't fibbing!" "Hmph" Luna spoke, releasing the dream spell she cast prior, silently observing Fluttershy's nightmare. "What you predicted means nothing, Draconequus." Using her magic, she pried away the curtains blocking her moon's rays, lighting up the small subchamber adjacent to her bedroom. Glaring her teal eyes towards the moon, she sighed solemnly. "No matter what was scryed from either of our minds, the fact of the matter is she isn't aware. We know all too much what that is like..." SNAP! A self-playing Fortepiano was summoned into existence and the nearby hearth set aflame. "Oh so you got a little moody for a century, give or take. Big deal!" Discord said, sipping a glass of wine dressed in what looked like a fancy robe and monacle. "Coming from the one who just 'set the mood' so to speak?" "What can I say?" He chuckled. "I have a flair for the theatrical!" The princess of the night chuckled as well. "Aye, that you do!" Her expression immediately turned firm once more. "However, we can no longer monitor this problem. 'Selene' is awakening, that much is certain. She's breaking through your shackles, Discord." "And she's doing it cleverly, the cheeky little minx! I mean, using dementia? AGAINST ME?!" He threw his mismatched arms in the air in defeat. "It's like strangling the painter with the painting! It doesn't make sense, and for once, that makes me peeved!" Luna sat down on one of the pillows strewn about in front of the hearth, contemplating. "It really isn't your fault, Discord." She spoke, prodding the fire with an iron poker held aloft by the sapphire aura of her magic. "We knew it was going to happen. That's what happens when you shackle something misunderstood..." "Yes, we both know that. Twice in my case." Discord agreed. SNAP! The Fortepiano jumped out a nearby window, and the fire keeping the hearth lit tapdanced into the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet. "Well, I think time's up according to your sister's six hundred quadrillion ton alarm clock." He pointed to the nearby sunrise through the window. "Discord?" Luna gazed at the Draconequus one last time, stopping him before he left. "If you plan to free her, please..." She stood up, walking closer. "Don't make another one of us. Save her." "...I will." Author's Note What's real and what's not? Memory is a fickle thing, and easy to manipulate even from our own minds... Here's a good demonstration: Imagine a good memory you have of kindergarten. Now, try to picture something small from it, say the teacher's desk. What color was it? Tan? Grey? Your mind will tell you one color even though it might have been the other. Both rational and irrational parts of your mind are battling it out, trying to tell you the answer. Tan and Grey. Was discord there? Was "Selene" there? Or was it simply the two sides of her mind, fighting for control? "Discord" might have been her rational side whilst "Selene" was her inhibitions and her irrational side being "reigned in" or "chained"... Or, I might just be an evil writer who wants to essentially break your mind as well as Fluttershy's. Who knows? Maybe the desk was in fact black, with a tan accent/vice versa? Friendship(optional chapter)Another kill! Hehee! the vampire thought to herself with glee, holding another limp corpse within her jaws like a wolf with freshly caught prey. It had been only a month since what is now known as "The Flutterbat Incident" and Fluttershy's alter ego, Selene, couldn't be happier. By day, the pony was still her same shy, jumping-at-shadows self, but at night? At night she became a sadistic monster with a thirst for blood. "Selene" prevented the memories from staying with the poor mare, of course. Instead, all she remembered was nightmares. Another trail of small woodland corpses deep within Whitetail Woods later, and Selene had her fill of bloodshed. "Ah, it's such a shame she created me. She could have just went with it and stop being a wimp for once!" The vampire chuckled, her voice husky and filled with confidence. "Discord be damned, at least it would help her ask out that beefy red HUNK of a farmhand!" You rang? a voice echoed within the woods *SNAP* Suddenly, glowing red shackles appeared around the mare's neck and hooves. Hissing at the echoing voice, she screamed "Show yourself, prey!" Only to receive a deep and sinister chuckle in reply. I could, but what fun is there in that? the voice chortled once more. Besides, it's much more fun watching Swine squirm at the slaughterhouse! "Slaughterhouse?" Selene gazed back down in realization, suddenly squirming violently in fear. Two eyes appeared before her, mismatched and yellow with dark red irises staring right through the bat pony as if she weren't even worth the effort. "L-let me go!" She writhed and hissed but to no avail. *SNAP* A hodgepodge of various animal parts hopped on the forest floor, connecting to each other to create a body to accompany the peepers. "Discord, at your service!" He bowed, snapping his fingers to tighten the brace around Selene's neck. "And that lovely necklace of yours is the magic of yours truly!" His face turned grim. "A reminder of your place in this world." "HA! I kill a few bunnies, and all of a sudden I have the literal avatar of Chaos on my tail?" She chuckled devilishly, giving him a defiant fanged grin. "You really need to take up a hobby if a few woodland critters turn you into the Fang Patrol!" *SNAP!* The shackles violently pulled outwards in all directions(save for the neck, which just hung loosely), breaking the shin bones from all four hooves. She screamed in utter agony, tears pouring from her muzzle. "H-how could you do this? I-I thought w-we were friends!" It said in Fluttershy's voice. Scowling, he thrust his paw outward, magically pulling the vampire closer. "YOU DARE USE FLUTTERSHY AGAINST ME? YOU SWINE!" He violently thrust her forwards in a torrent of magical energy, knocking down several spruce trees in the process. Snapping his fingers, he teleported to the barely alive rag doll sitting at his feet. In a calmer voice, he spoke again. "I'm here to offer you a deal." Selene coughed out a small puddle of blood, shakily staring at the Draconequus above her. "A-and if I refuse?" "Then that release you so pitifully spat out earlier will be given." He grinned sadistically. "By killing both you and Fluttershy..." She spat out more blood, pondering the glowing crimson shackles clasped around her hooves and neck. "...I accept your terms." Discord cackled madly. "Good! Now just stay for all except one month every year to keep both you and dear Fluttershy alive, and I'll let you live." He snapped his fingers, causing the shackles to evaporate to be instead replaced by runes on her neck and hooves as well as heal the wounds he so easily inflicted. I will get you back for this, Discord. Even if I have to break Fluttershy doing it... Author's Note Have another filler! On the house! Also, this story(spoilers beyond this point) is gonna branch out several centuries, and possibly have different Acts, with a generic recap chapter before the next part. There will be old lady Celestia/Twily, new ponies as the Elements, and a VERY different Fluttershy so be prepared! AwakeningDay approached, and Discord had a mission. Should he choose to accept it, it could pose serious harm to his dear Fluttershy. It required a plan, and that was why he had to lock himself in the broom closet at the Castle of Friendship; it's where they kept the spare magical crystal map tables. With a snap of his fingers, the small storage space became a slightly bigger Planning Room, roughly the size of a conspiracy nut's small apartment. "*scoffs* As if!" He mumbled indignantly. Blowing dust off the old map table, he snapped his fingers and it sprang to life, transforming into a more chaotic version, complete with the Draconequus' face etched into the crystalwork. "Now, time for plans!" He smiled heartily. A flash of light, and the table now projected a holographic gridline, its surface completely able to be written on. Summoning a Twicane stylus, he began drawing up a blueprint for his plan. Once done, the cane/pen nodded in approval before disappearing with a burst of fanfare and confetti. The blueprint was pretty straightforward: Discord's ~~bad~~ superb drawings depicted ~~archaic~~ accurate portrayals of himself and both Fluttershy as well as her vampiric other half, Selene. Above the magical drawings was the God META written in bold and angry letters, hoping he would take the hint. "Alright, fine! Your story, your rules." He groaned defeatedly. Moving on, he laid out the plan. *SNAP* The drawings became animated, laying out the beginnings of his plan for demonstration. "First, I go to dear Fluttershy's for teatime as usual on our Tuesdays!" Discord's drawing knocked on the faux mare's door, being invited in for teatime and snacks. "Next, I get rid of those shackles binding, ugh, the mean one..." Discord spat out in disgust, his drawing snapping its fingers behind its back. Fluttershy's drawing was replaced with the vampiric version, fangs and all. "After that, all I need to do is assert my dominance via 'animal kingdom' style by showing my strength, promoting my position as pack leader! Oh, how wonderfully CHAOTIC this will be!" He clapped his paws with glee, knowing his plan was foolproof and full of the chaos he so wonderfully craved... ...Only to be proved wrong by how strong "Selene's" willpower was compared to his own. Every bone was shattered, every tooth chipped, every organ burst; She stood unwavering, her cocky grin still oozing with hubris. "HOW-ARE-YOU-EVEN-ABLE-TO-STAND?!" Every word was followed by another violent telekinetic lunge into the nearest object. Fluttershy's cottage looked like a war-zone, every wall, ceiling and floor was painted red with her blood, all her animals scurrying away as soon as "Selene" made her debut. There were even some signs of score marks from magic blasts, presumably from Discord discharging them in self defense. "H-heh heh. You s-still don't g-get it, do you?" She gasped, those crimson irises glaring in defiance. "I am *coughs* in control now." Selene spat out a mixture of saliva and blood, her breathing becoming even more ragged. He glared back at the beast before him, wondering what to do next. She blatantly refuses to leave, and dying is out of the question, both because she's stubborn and my dear Fluttershy is still in there... the Draconequus sighed in defeat. *SNAP* In a blinding flash, Fluttershy's home was restored, and the barely functioning ragdoll of a body that Selene was inhabiting was also healed. It was at that moment, he saw a brief flash of teal take over her red eyes, if only for a moment. It brought hope that he wouldn't be creating another villain like himself and Luna. "Very well then!" Discord shrugged, going for the entrance to the cottage. She looked at herself, then all around the previously unrecognizable interior living room they had their mini-war in. "That's it?" He nodded. "No more trying to kill me?" He scoffed. "I consider it more aggressive persuasion, thank you very much!" He held the doorknob in his grasp, ready to leave. However... "I don't know if you can hear me, but please Fluttershy, know I did what I did out of kindness..." *SNAP* A flash of light enveloped everything, erasing all traces of Discord as well as Selene. All that was left was white. You are free now, no more "Sides" to choose. Use it wisely... Darkness, everywhere... There was nothing but her and the darkness. She looked around, scared and wailing like a newborn foal would. Suddenly, there was a reflective surface in the distance. She sprinted towards it, the only sign of something aside from the utter darkness surrounding her. What stood before her was a pony sized ornate mirror. It seemed familiar to her somehow, but she couldn't figure out where she saw this mirror before. Looking more closely, the mirror was an odd one to be in the darkness. It was worn and chipped in places, showing its years of use, yet the ornate gem encrusted gold frame didn't have a single blemish. Completing the oddity in the darkness was the fact that no matter how much she tried, a reflection never showed. That's when she noticed it: a round crystalline handle protruded from the mirror. Like Alice chasing the rabbit down to Wonderland, the mare turned the handle and was greeted by a blinding light, but only for a moment. Recovering from the temporary blindness, she rubbed her eyes and gazed curiously at her new surroundings, the door she entered mere seconds ago disappearing and leaving her stranded in what looked to be nothing more than a small cottage. Littered with small wooden homes for woodland creatures, It gave off a lucid aura, no doubt calming even the most savage of beasts. Before her eyes was a piping hot cup of tea sat upon a small coffee table, a sofa and chair placed on either side. Sniffing the smoke wafting from the enticing drink, she smelled a classic blend of herbal tea, tempered off with a subtle hint of apples. "Smells good, doesn't it?" A melodious and kind voice spoke right in her ear, causing the mare to duck frighteningly behind a piece of furniture. "W-WHO'S THERE!?" She peeked around the arm of the chair she was hiding behind. "Don't worry, I dont bite!" The voice chuckled sweetly, this time coming from the same chair she hid behind. Screaming, she jumped backwards into a small woodland home, thankfully not occupied. "Owwww!" She groaned. "Your tea's getting cold, you know." Looking back, she saw a Pegasus mare with teal eyes and a cream colored coat staring back, a gentle smile on her face. Timidly, the mare approached and snatched the cup quickly, sniffing it cautiously once more to try and detect any poison. Taking the risk, she drank the brew and exclaimed as her tastebuds sang in pure ecstasy. "This is really good!" She exclaimed. "I'm glad to hear it!" The mystery mare smiled back, pouring herself another cup. "Who are you?" She cautiously asked, scooting onto the couch she was now hiding behind. "I am you." "...who am I?" "Selene." Suddenly, as if waiting for an opportune moment, the mare's surroundings twisted and warped along with her being, the cream coat becoming unkempt and matted with blood in some areas. Her ears morphed into conical canals, while her teeth now sported blood-soaked fangs. Her feathered wings became leathery and bat-like, and lastly, her teal eyes turned crimson, hungry for blood. The once homely and peaceful cottage now sported a gruesome blood-tinted and wild new facade, animal remains oozing out of the little woodland homes. A bowl near the kitchen labelled "Angel Bunny" had a pool of dark red paste, no doubt blood. Cowering before Selene was a sad and pathetic excuse for a mare. "Fluttershy..." She kneeled down and petted her pink mane, soothing her. "Shh, it's alright..." She gently spoke, trying to ease her alter ego into calming a bit. It took several attempts, but Fluttershy was finally calm enough to bring her wailing to a small sniffle. Looking around still caused her to jump, but less than before. "W-what happened t-to my home?" Fluttershy squeaked out between sniffles. "Nothing," the vampire replied stoically. "Or rather, the real one that is." Suddenly, they swapped places, the scenery going back to the way it was; Fluttershy was now the calm one whilst Selene was silently crying. Fluttershy looked around some more, studying the small cottage. "What you see," she spoke, turning her focus back on the distraught vampire. "Hmm..." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, I guess you could call it your 'safe space'." "Y-you're scaring me! You're not m-making any sense!" "Oh Selene... she gently petted the vampire's matted pink mane, trying to soothe her once more. "[/color=#26a4af]D-AHA! I,Discord, thought you'd read this! It's just a placeholder for blurred words that may or may not be revealed later! Ta-taa! *SNAP*" The rest of the conversation went fuzzy, a sinister and yet melancholy laugh echoing within her cottage walls. "You are free now... the voice echoed. "No more sides to choose. Use it wisely..." Suddenly, their animal cottage started to violently rumble and shake, the walls crumbling like sand. "It looks like we don't need to fight anymore. The 'safe space' is gonna collapse soon... "B-but what does that do to you? To me? To us?!" She chuckled heartily."Who knows! Maybe nothing. she smiled, the last of the walls crumbling down. Maybe something...Wonderful happens... Maybe we become something new... Author's Note For those of you who read the optional chapter, Life, this scene may sound familiar. The optional is still, well, optional, as it gives you some context without it being necessary. However, this scene is plot-relevant so it needs to be included. Moving on, another question for you readers: Were the shackles real? Or was it another illusion? In the previous chapters, I talked about how Discord/Selene might have represented the rational/irrational sides of her mind. This one talks about the shackles "Discord" implemented. Were they on Selene? Or did the shackles just represent control? Was Selene shackled, or was it the mania of Vampirism? Did she really cause some trouble, or was the conversation Discord had with Luna about the dreams and nothing more? We all like to bury things within our minds. We "Shackle" traumatic events to make it easier to handle, and everyone does it in different ways. We have five more chapters to go before the real story begins. Stay tuned... Life(optional chapter)Ponyville, three years ago... Darkness. Pitch black surrounded every corner, consuming it in the nothingness it entailed. A scared voice echoed within the dark, calling out for help... W-where am I? -eed... W-WHO'S THERE!? -st feed... Please, I'm scared! Where are you?! Suddenly, a lone mirror appeared in the depths of blackness, far away from the voice but not far enough that it wasn't seen. It spotted the new object and began approaching. Please...scared... You're scared, too? the voice asked, still cautiously trotting towards the mirror. Maybe I can help... Can...help...maybe... the mirror was mere feet away from the voice now. What's your name. My name is Fluttershy. the voice, now known as Fluttershy's, was directly in front of the mirror now. It seemed there was a cloth covering its reflection that went unnoticed before. ...Name? My name is... Looking around, she admired the quietness of this newfound darkness. It's actually very quiet in this place. It's very serene... she smiled, grasping the cloth obscuring her reflection Fluttershy lifted the cloth away from the mirror, staring at her reflection almost slack-jawed. What stared back was not what she was expecting. Her ears were replaced with conical ones, better for hearing; Her hair was matted and unkempt, her feathered swan-like wings were replaced with leathery bat-like ones, her teeth now had fangs, but the most shocking of them all? Her kind teal eyes were replaced with predatory crimson ones. ...Se-Rene... She looked around for the source of the voice before glancing back at the mirror. She gasped in shock as her twisted reflection cocked its head in curiosity. It was no longer mimicking her; it was becoming aware... Selene? she misheard the voice say. W-what a lovely name! Fluttershy smiled nervously at "Selene". ...Lovely! The reflection bared its fangs at the mare, eliciting a terrified yelp from her. Eep! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Suddenly, the darkness was purged with a blinding light, fracturing the mirror and letting loose part of Selene... Fluttershy awoke within the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, confused as ever. "What happened?" "I'm so glad you're back, Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed. What happened? Her newborn vampiric conscience, Selene, echoed... Author's Note Useless filler content, ill probably do these between every two-parter to add some unnecessary context for flavor.
NightmareFair Warning: blood will be mentioned graphically, as well as certain characters acting, well, out of character. You have been warned... It began like it always did, with a cold sweat and terrified whimpers from Fluttershy; it's been like this since the anniversary of the Fruit Bat Incident a few months ago. THUMP...THUMP... The dream began with those thrums of bass, coming from something organic, though she could never quite figure it out. Regardless, that corpulent noise always drew to her, or rather the body she was observing. THUMP THUMP... THUMP THUMP... After the second set, the image would focus on a hazy red outline of a pony in some obscure alleyway or out of reach area, always a different one walking to their unsuspecting demise. Once the pony apparition enters deep enough, the flapping of wings and a faint hiss would be heard, suddenly changing perspective to the pony being hunted. They'd hear a rattle of a can or a nearby alleycat screech and scurry away, making that thump-thumping louder and more frequent. Further down they went, their pace always quickening in time with the unnatural beat coaxing them along. Oh dear, it seems somepony got lost... Pity... The new voice laughed maniacally, bouncing off the walls and frightening the prey further. Suddenly, those shadows and blurs running past were larger and more frequent. The Thump-Thumping is now going off like a beat on multiple bongo drums, getting deeper and louder with every passing second. Over here, my little pony. I promise I won't bite! *chuckles* much... The voice sounded more soothing than it did, the perfect lure to a terrified victim. The frightened pony approached with caution towards the voice, albeit less fearful now. "W-who's there?!" They always called out in that satisfying coating of fear trembling their voice. It seeped through the cracks of their psyche, leaving an overwhelming stench of terror. Come closer and find out... the voice uttered out, followed by a playfully sadistic giggle. Ever more closer they inched towards the voice, following the false siren to the end. What awaited them were blood red irises sheltered in the shadows of a wall. They realized too late that they were no more prey to a predator as the eyes lunged forward, uttering a hissing screech. THUMP TH- ...the drumbeat ended. All that was left of the victim was no more than a pool of blood the size of a plate, the pale reflection of the moon glistening within. The click-clack of hooves approached the crimson puddle, revealing a cream yellow muzzle with a twisted and bloody fanged smile, those red slitted eyes staring within. She turned her head in curiosity, then smiled even wider. [ "Not long now, before your soul is mine! It lunged, then everything went dark... "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Fluttershy screamed, sending all her forest critters scurrying away. The only one that remained was Angel, snapping her out of it with a quick slap to the muzzle. "H-huh, what?!" She looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness! It was just a dream..." She stared back down to her closest animal friend, smiling gently and trying to ease his look of worry. "It's nothing to worry about, Angel Bunny. I only had a nightmare." Heh, or so you think... Shaking her head, she snapped out of it. "Well, no use moping about a n-nightmare, now is there?" She chuckled nervously. Setting the bunny down, Fluttershy began her morning routine acting as if nothing happened at all. A shower followed by a quick comb of her mane, the cream colored Pegasus headed downstairs to cook breakfast for her and her animal friends living with her in the small shack on the borders of the Everfree Forest. "Good morning my adorable animal friends!" She greeted them, setting out the respective food trays. "Well, now that my morning duties are done, what's next?" She wondered, trying to find her event calendar. Maintaining an animal shelter such as this on top of chores and activities Fluttershy had planned was putting stress on her mind, or at least that's how she explained the nightmares. let's see here, today is the 14th of Sun's Eve... The date was circled in red. "Oh, of course! I almost forgot!" She exclaimed. "Today the fruit bat sanctuary is being moved to join the new sanctuary my friends helped me build!" Her smile dimmed however. It was also the anniversary of her infamous "Incident". No matter how many ponies pressed her and her friends, they would all reply the same script: that it was an incident involving Fluttershy and nothing more. The rumors however, were that she was part of some freak magical accident and got turned into a vampire. The rumors escalated especially during Nightmare Night to the point where little fillies would dress up in a "Flutter-Bat" costume. Those weren't bad to put up with; children don't know any better. What really hurt were the eggs thrown at her home, the mares and colts her age eying her suspiciously, and the teenagers constantly trying to scare her because teens don't know how to cope with something scary other than scaring the thing that scares them, especially if it's physical and gets scared easily. Fluttershy knew that it would pass, as it did the two years previously. "Ouch!" A kick in the foreleg by an increasingly impatient and hungry bunny shook her of the exposition she was having however. "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry Angel Bunny!" She looked around "It seems I fed everyone but you! I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me?" She asked in the cutest puppy dog look imaginable. Rolling his eyes the white rabbit relented, having come face to face with the power of cuteness on that magnitude. One heaping gourmet salad bowl later, and Fluttershy was finally done. Stretching a bit, she bid her animal friends farewell, departing for the Apple Family Orchard, as well as the beginning of her blood-soaked rebirth and the unleashing of a new monster upon this world... Author's Note As stated at the top of this chapter, there will be a lot of gore, and I do mean A LOT. Like, literal pools of blood. ... ....... ............Okay I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no, I would not subject poor Fluttershy to ~~a gruesome amount of mental manipulation and torture~~ an evening filled with conquering her new fear of Apples and Apple related accessories within the first few chapters, and you're probably right, or probably wrong. To be honest, it can go both ways! Have fun reading!
SanctuaryAfter a quick trot, Fluttershy finally reached the Fruit Bat Sanctuary, her friend and resident apple farmer, Applejack, already hard at work getting the apple lures ready for the move. "Hey there, Fluttershy!" She waved to the Pegasus. "You're just in time, too! These apples are just perfect for your *ahem* fanged compadres." Her scowl still gave away her disdain for the critters so close to her apples. The "leader" of the Fruit Bats returned it with a hiss and some seeds spat in the farmpony's general direction. Two years, and they still couldn't get along perfectly, it seemed. "And good riddance too." She mumbled, gazing wistfully at the apples about to go to waste for the rats with wings. "Now Applejack, we talked about this, remember?" Fluttershy said. "Yeah, I do." Applejack sighed. "It's just a darn shame that something so bright Red and sweet would go to waste like this..." ...the victim screamed as their throat was torn open, a bright red torrent of blood gushing out of every hole imaginable... She froze and her breathing went hard and ragged, reliving the nightmare once more. "There's no escaping it, you know... " the voice scraped her inner thoughts like claws to chalkboard. " *sniffs* See, right there! Ah, the smell of sweet, delicious, thick, red-" "Apple pie! Figured if we were gonna throw away most of these, might as well have made some pies instead of makin' compost! Uh, you alright shy? Kinda quiet there." Applejack exclaimed, taking another bite out of her slice of apple pie, still fresh from the oven. "H-huh? What?" "Celestia almighty, y'all are having a daze today! You hardly focused back when we were still relocatin' the Fruit Bats too!" She touched a hoof to Fluttershy's forehead, looking for a fever. "You sure you're feeling alright, Fluttershy?" W-we finished? "U-um, yeah..." An entire day's worth of work, and I can't remember...any of it? "I-its nothing to worry about, Applejack." Fluttershy gently patted her friend's forehoof. "Honest. I'm just feeling a bit...drained from all our hard work!" She chuckled nervously. Applejack didn't buy it. Of course she wouldn't she's the element of Honesty, no way in Tartarus! Applejack returned the gesture. "You rightly know better than to lie to me, Flutters." She sighed. "But I get it. Sometimes a good day of work is all you need to blow off some steam and think about things." She didn't really get it. Especially considering the obvious fact that the wallflower had no single recollection of the day's work, except greeting Applejack. Lamenting, she passed it off as simply being what her friend said, shrugging off the nagging feeling in the back of her head. They talked well until near sunset, when they decided to part ways. "Oh dear me!" Fluttershy spoke. "It's almost sunset, I need to get back to my animal friends! Oh, Angel Bunny must be so worried..." "No worries 'Shy, you go on and take care of your critters. Besides, I rightly need to hit the sack too, considerin'." With that, Fluttershy began her small trot home, hoping to catch her new Fruit Bat neighbors stopping by to say hello to all her other animal friends... Meanwhile a certain draconequus was sipping explosive tea in his own pocket dimension, when suddenly... The teacup Discord was holding in his claws began to shake violently, turning red-hot before exploding. The liquid surprisingly stayed in the cup, albeit more blackened than before. "*sips* Ah, what a wonderful black tea! You could even say it had an... Explosive flavor! BAHAHAHA!" He chortled and guffawed loudly within his humble abode. Discord's house wasn't very big, and had a much more homely look to it than you would expect from an avatar of Chaos. In fact, it looked more like Fluttershy's cottage, save for the randomness that comes with Chaos. Singing tea bags, stairs that lead nowhere, and origami cranes that actually flew were littered within the small home, making sure that every room you went to just screamed "CHAOS". All of this Chaos was just the way Discord liked it too. It made him feel at ease. *DING DONG* That is, until someone or something ruined the moment. "Ugh, I swear if this is another prank from Shmooze, I will stop giving him shiny things!" He snapped his claw, turning the door into a monster's mouth. Terrified shrieks of an unsuspecting mailpony followed. "Oh, mail's here! Go ahead, let him in!" Another snap followed. Dripping wet and shivering in both fear and hyperthermia, the pony handed Discord his mail. "Uh, h-here you go mister Discord! NOW PLEASE STOP MAKING YOUR HOUSE EATING ME!" He bawled. "I can't help when my home is feeling a bit peckish! Besides," The draconequus chuckled evilly. "You're making it a bit sick with all that urine you soaked yourself with, so it'd be best if you were just EXPELLED anyways!" *SNAP* The pony was suddenly gone. "I might still have an evil side, but not that evil...anymore!" He chided the invisible force known as META. "Although, that does bring a good thought for another prank..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Bah! This is no time for pranks, I have mail to read!" Discord always got excited on mail day in his dimension because he only ever got one letter, the only one that mattered: Fluttershy's. A letter opener flew over and managed to cut a rather nice looking croquet out of the envelope that concealed the letter. "Let's see here," he started, snapping a pair of reading glasses into existence and resting upon his muzzle. "*ahem* 'Dear Discord:' Oh I just love it when she uses my name in letter form! It's much more personal that way!" Dear Discord, How are you? As for me, I'm so excited! Today me and Applejack helped relocate our little fruit bat friends to the new sanctuary. I can't wait seeing their adorable faces stopping by for a small fruit treat! It was a wonderful time! Or at least, according to Applejack. I can't remember much of, well, anything that happened that day... I had another nightmare, the one I told you about. It began like it always did, and ended the same. The only difference, the same "difference" that they all have, was the victim. You told me not to worry, but I'm a smart mare, Discord. You know more than you're letting on, I just know it. How can I trust you when you're still keeping secrets?! Friends don't keep secrets between each other! Well, seeing as you forced my hoof, I... I won't send any more letters! I'm sorry, but you left me with no other choice! At the very bottom were a few teardrops in place of Fluttershy's signature. "T-that sneaky devil!" Discord was angry. So angry in fact, that the words he wanted to use which just so happen to rhyme with "whittle" and "Mitch", were censored with more PG content. META strikes again. He sighed. "She left me no choice. I have to tell her and once I do, I doubt she'll recover..." Author's Note Second chapter done, less serious this time. Major bombshell happening next chapter, so be prepared for exposition and (finally) gratuitous amounts of blood and severed limbs. It will be a blood bath. I'll take questions now, thank you! Random commenter in the back row: "are you gonna ship Discord and Fluttershy?" Me: why would I ship them anywhere? They're in equestria already! All jokes aside, no. Discord will be plot heavy, but there's no hot vampire-chaos god interbreeding going on. Other than that one question, ask away any and all comments/concerns you might have about Immortality Ultimate
BloodIt took a while for Discord to arrive at Fluttershy's cottage skirting the Everfree. Three days in fact. In that time, however brief, the nightmares worsened. The scenes were more gruesome, severed limbs not just detached but used as a foux paintbrush to decorate the walls of that obscure location the victim's resting place became. Bloody daisies and silhouettes of bunny rabbits and other small woodland creatures were hastily scribbled with the crimson paste, showing a very demented version of a woodland "sanctuary". Her dream didn't even try to hide the fact that it was in fact Fluttershy that committed these atrocities. Instead, it seemed taunting, almost saying "i dare you to break" to the poor mare's already fragile psyche. *KNOCK KNOCK* It was already the afternoon, and the mare was still in bed, startled awake, and more importantly, away from the nightmare she was still having. Her eyes stung with every day of sunshine leaking through the cracks in her curtain. "Fluttershy! Oh, Fluttershy!" A male voice uttered, followed by another series of knocks. "Are you still in there? I brought your favorite tea!" Groaning, Fluttershy opened the curtains and screamed in pain. "THE SUN! IT BURNS!" *SNAP* The curtains were slammed shut once more, a draconequus shutting them with his claws. "Dear Fluttershy, I told you not to sleep in! Bad for the eyes you know." Discord chuckled, turning around to greet his friend. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I was worried about you after I heard some yelling. Guess it was just a overly ambitious and sleepy mare pushing her luck by sleeping in, heh heh!" Groaning, the mare in question rubbed her eyes in hopes of getting rid of some of the pain. I guess the shock of sudden light blinded me for a second... ...Or so she thought... Groaning, Fluttershy got back onto four hooves. "W-what are you doing up this early, Discord?" She asked. "Early? It's half past noon, my dear. You slept half the day away!" He put his paw onto her forehead, checking for fevers. "Are you alright, Fluttershy?" He snapped his digits, summoning a stethoscope and doctor's coat. "I hope you aren't coming down with anything severe..." "N-no, I'm fine. I'm just tired is all." "Are you sure?" Discord asked, looking concerned. "Because I could always-" he held his fingers together, ready to snap. "I SAID I'M FINE, YOU STUPID COLT!" Fluttershy gasped, covering her mouth immediately. "I-I'm sorry, Discord! I didn't mean to snap at you like that!" Where did that come from?! Oh like you don't know, hot shot! It was me. Time to be more... "Assertive", don't you think? the Voice cackled. Even he was shocked. "N-no I get it, you were... Just tired is all! Heh heh..." Discord chuckled nervously. "I'll just wait downstairs until you're all cleaned up and refreshed. "B-but Discord, I-" *SNAP* The pale yellow mare sighed. "I-I guess I'll get ready, then..." A few minutes later and Fluttershy made her way downstairs, trying to avoid eye contact with her guest. It was a habit she couldn't break, where she would just clam up after snapping at somepony, feeling guilty the entire time. "Ah, you're properly awake now!" He smiled, despite her shutting down. "The tea is piping hot, my dear!" She sat down next to the tea set, growing her cup tightly. Warily, she looked at the contents swirling inside, then back at Discord. "Don't worry my dear, it's your favorite- ginseng. Uh, minus the singing of course!" He chuckled nervously. She brought the sweet promise of caffeine to her lips, savoring the aroma before taking a small sip. "I-it's...Delicious, Discord! As always!" She didn't lie about that. Despite being an avatar of Chaos, he was quite the connoisseur when it came to tea combinations. "Tea is like Chaos, in a way." He started. "If you just take it raw, it's nothing more than hot leaf juice. However, if you make it just right..." He snapped his fingers, the kettle flying over and pouring gently into his empty cup labeled "#1 Chaos God" on the side. Sipping, he sighed. "It will taste just delicious!" A few more casual bits of conversation later got Fluttershy thinking. "You didn't come here for tea, did you?" Silence followed. "...no." "Then what?" She looked up, staring intently into those yellow, chaotic, mismatched eyes of his. "*sigh* To be honest, it's about the letter..." Oh... "I owe you an explanation, Fluttershy." He stared back. "But in order to do that, I need to do something and that requires your absolute trust. Do you trust me?" He reached his paw out, offering it to Fluttershy. Nodding, she accepted and lay her hoof in it, eliciting a gentle smile from the draconequus. "What I'm about to do is pull your consciousness out of your body and suspend it in the aether. It won't hurt, but it will feel a bit...weird. You must also stay completely quiet during this time. Knowing that, do you wish to continue?" I've never seen this side of him before. His tone, the way he's serious about this; This is his other side, the one he keeps buried. Even chaos starts out sane... She nodded. "Good. On the count of three, I will snap my fingers and pull you out." Discord looked worried all of a sudden. "Whatever happens, just know you are still in control." "One." Fluttershy slammed her eyes shut, bracing for his magic. "Two." His other claw raised, getting ready for the magic. Discord smiled, his muzzle conveying a message saying "it'll be okay." "...Three." Discord snapped his fingers and pulled Fluttershy's consciousness out at the same time, leaving behind what should have been her unconscious body. What remained instead, caused her to let out an ear shattering shriek of terror. Before her lay a different creature altogether; one very familiar and very bat-like. "Heh. Ha. HA HA HA HA HA!" It called maniacally. "Ah, free at last!" It spoke in a deep and husky voice that oozed confidence; it was completely opposite of Fluttershy's quiet and sheltered tone. Opening its eyes revealed blood red irises, its smile fanged and sadistic. Stretching, the creature spoke again. "Oh, you have no idea how long I've tried to get rid of that bitch!" Giving her new wings a test flap, she stared back at Discord, a scowl forming. "Ugh, it's you again. What, come to shackle me even more?" "Not in the slightest, Selene. I'm just stopping by and checking on you." Discord spoke, his expression neutral. "You're not trying to break free, are you?" "Selene" mocked a hurt expression. "Wha-me? I would never!" She chuckled. "Besides, I can't help if my lesser half has nightmares, can I?" *SNAP* Crimson chains and shackles marked with all manner of glyphs and wards appeared around the mare's throat, hooves, and wings. "Don't forget your place, swine!" Discord scowled at the bat pony. "I don't want to have to wage war again, and you running around unshackled will do just that." She hissed in response, eliciting a telepathic yank from Discord's paw bringing the creature closer. "Why can't I run free?! I followed your rules, left my lesser half alone! The nightmares are hers! Don't believe me?! ASK YOUR BITCH OF A PRINCESS!" That comment earned her a bone-breaking hurdle to the wall opposite where the draconequus was standing. "Ooh, hit a nerve did I?" The bat pony chuckled, spitting out blood. "Remember who's body is on r-" *SNAP* A gag appeared over "Selene's" muzzle. "Quiet, abomination!" Discord yelled. "*sighs* I know you're a part of her. There's nothing my chaos magic, or any magic for that matter, can do for you..." ...Nothing? Fluttershy spoke, giving her away to Selene that she was listening in. "Ah, I see 'Fluttershy' has a front row seat!" She grinned, exposing their fangs. "Hmm, I wonder... Spell, perhaps? It has to deal with the subconscious, so...!" Selene gasped. "Of course! Astral projection. Well, it'll be easy to snuff her out then!" She closed her eyes, concentrating, pulling her consciousness out as well. Well hello there, lesser me! It's time I- *SNAP!* Fluttershy was pulled back into her body, shaking and hyperventilating. "...I'm sorry you had to find out about Selene." Discord spoke after she calmed down. "W-who or w-what was that, that T-THING in my body?!" She yelled, tears streaming down her muzzle. "...That was you. Or, at least your vampiric nature." He said quietly and in as calm a manner as possible. V-V-VAMPIRE?! Fluttershy fainted. Author's Note Yeah, there's a lot of Out-of-Character moments in here. ~~Sorry don't hate me!~~ It was necessary to establish some major changes in character development. No worries, this is part 1 of 2 of Fluttershy's transformation into Flutterbat. I'm open to any criticisms you may/may not have about this story, so feel free to post a comment!
Conscience"AHHHHHHHHGHH!" Fluttershy woke with a blood curdling scream, frantically looking around only to find the silence of her moonlit bedroom greeting her. It...It was a dream? She glanced at the vanity mirror on her dresser. The face that greeted her back was disheveled and frightened. It sent a twinge of pain to her head, flashes of the events that happened yesterday passed through her mind. They were fuzzy and incomprehensible, and trying to remember them only made the growing migraine worse. Wincing, she wrestled herself away from the sweat soaked sheets of her bed and cantered towards her reflection, doing a thorough inspection for anything out of the ordinary. No fangs, bat wings or funneled ears greeted the small mare, a welcome sign pointing towards the apparent nightmare she just experienced. Still, something didn't quite feel right to her. It was too quiet. Too tame. "Something's not right..." Fluttershy whispered. S-something's here... A clatter rang out from what sounded like the kitchen downstairs. Gulping, she took deep breaths, cautiously opening her bedroom door and creeping down the stairwell as silent as a mouse. Eyes widening in shock, the frightened mare was greeted with a grizzly scene: Blood was splattered all along the walls throughout her entire household, its crimson hue dry and flaky in some places from days of it being there. Her animal friends were ripped to shreds, entrails decorating her furniture like an ornament on a Hearth's Warming Tree. Fluttershy covered her mouth with both hooves, muffling the scream. Quickly she shut her eyes, hoping the gruesome backdrop would fade. It's not real, it's not real, IT'S NOT REAL! the poor mare chanted over and over, trying to convince herself it was just another nightmare. Trembling, she opened her eyes only to meet her regular household, no blood or mangled bodies of her animal friends in sight. In fact, they were all sleeping peacefully as usual, minus the nocturnal ones of course. More rustling was heard from the kitchen, freezing Fluttershy in her place. "H-hello? Is t-there someone in there?" She squeaked out in a frightened tone. The rustling persisted further. "P-p-please c-come out!" She begged the source of the mysterious noise. Suddenly the rustling stopped, and in the shadow of the moonlight was a silhouette of some sort of demon, frightening the mare even further. "G-GO AWAY!" The poor mare cried, provoking the shadowy demon to creep closer towards her. Trembling, she stepped backwards towards the stairs. "P-please?" It didn't listen, getting ever closer and closer until... SMACK! "Youch!" She held up her now sore hoof throbbing with pain. A plethora of angry chitters rang out from below. "A-angel?!" It seems the resident bunny was helping himself to a late night snack. "You scared me half to death!" Fluttershy berated her pet, only to receive another round of angry chitters and paws pointing to an empty bowl with Angel's name on it. "Did I forget to feed you, my little Angel bunny?" She picked up the peeved fluffy critter, petting him and cuddling him despite his struggles against the iron grip the cream yellow mare had on the bunny. "Oh I'm so sorry Angel bunny! I promise, tomorrow morning I'll make you the biggest, most special salad you can imagine!" She sauntered over to the kitchen and chopped up a nice fruit salad to give to the bunny, being careful not to wake up all her other animal friends. Smudging a dollop of whipped cream on top, Fluttershy set the bowl down and let him eat the well needed snack. Cleaning up afterwards, Fluttershy trotted back upstairs, completely forgetting about her gruesome vision. "*yawns* I guess it was just Angel Bunny helping himself to some food. I'll make him that special salad he likes tomorrow morning." She climbed back into her bed, falling asleep again and dreaming peaceful dreams... The Royal city of Canterlot, Luna's private chambers... "You see? I wasn't fibbing!" "Hmph" Luna spoke, releasing the dream spell she cast prior, silently observing Fluttershy's nightmare. "What you predicted means nothing, Draconequus." Using her magic, she pried away the curtains blocking her moon's rays, lighting up the small subchamber adjacent to her bedroom. Glaring her teal eyes towards the moon, she sighed solemnly. "No matter what was scryed from either of our minds, the fact of the matter is she isn't aware. We know all too much what that is like..." SNAP! A self-playing Fortepiano was summoned into existence and the nearby hearth set aflame. "Oh so you got a little moody for a century, give or take. Big deal!" Discord said, sipping a glass of wine dressed in what looked like a fancy robe and monacle. "Coming from the one who just 'set the mood' so to speak?" "What can I say?" He chuckled. "I have a flair for the theatrical!" The princess of the night chuckled as well. "Aye, that you do!" Her expression immediately turned firm once more. "However, we can no longer monitor this problem. 'Selene' is awakening, that much is certain. She's breaking through your shackles, Discord." "And she's doing it cleverly, the cheeky little minx! I mean, using dementia? AGAINST ME?!" He threw his mismatched arms in the air in defeat. "It's like strangling the painter with the painting! It doesn't make sense, and for once, that makes me peeved!" Luna sat down on one of the pillows strewn about in front of the hearth, contemplating. "It really isn't your fault, Discord." She spoke, prodding the fire with an iron poker held aloft by the sapphire aura of her magic. "We knew it was going to happen. That's what happens when you shackle something misunderstood..." "Yes, we both know that. Twice in my case." Discord agreed. SNAP! The Fortepiano jumped out a nearby window, and the fire keeping the hearth lit tapdanced into the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet. "Well, I think time's up according to your sister's six hundred quadrillion ton alarm clock." He pointed to the nearby sunrise through the window. "Discord?" Luna gazed at the Draconequus one last time, stopping him before he left. "If you plan to free her, please..." She stood up, walking closer. "Don't make another one of us. Save her." "...I will." Author's Note What's real and what's not? Memory is a fickle thing, and easy to manipulate even from our own minds... Here's a good demonstration: Imagine a good memory you have of kindergarten. Now, try to picture something small from it, say the teacher's desk. What color was it? Tan? Grey? Your mind will tell you one color even though it might have been the other. Both rational and irrational parts of your mind are battling it out, trying to tell you the answer. Tan and Grey. Was discord there? Was "Selene" there? Or was it simply the two sides of her mind, fighting for control? "Discord" might have been her rational side whilst "Selene" was her inhibitions and her irrational side being "reigned in" or "chained"... Or, I might just be an evil writer who wants to essentially break your mind as well as Fluttershy's. Who knows? Maybe the desk was in fact black, with a tan accent/vice versa?
Friendship(optional chapter)Another kill! Hehee! the vampire thought to herself with glee, holding another limp corpse within her jaws like a wolf with freshly caught prey. It had been only a month since what is now known as "The Flutterbat Incident" and Fluttershy's alter ego, Selene, couldn't be happier. By day, the pony was still her same shy, jumping-at-shadows self, but at night? At night she became a sadistic monster with a thirst for blood. "Selene" prevented the memories from staying with the poor mare, of course. Instead, all she remembered was nightmares. Another trail of small woodland corpses deep within Whitetail Woods later, and Selene had her fill of bloodshed. "Ah, it's such a shame she created me. She could have just went with it and stop being a wimp for once!" The vampire chuckled, her voice husky and filled with confidence. "Discord be damned, at least it would help her ask out that beefy red HUNK of a farmhand!" You rang? a voice echoed within the woods *SNAP* Suddenly, glowing red shackles appeared around the mare's neck and hooves. Hissing at the echoing voice, she screamed "Show yourself, prey!" Only to receive a deep and sinister chuckle in reply. I could, but what fun is there in that? the voice chortled once more. Besides, it's much more fun watching Swine squirm at the slaughterhouse! "Slaughterhouse?" Selene gazed back down in realization, suddenly squirming violently in fear. Two eyes appeared before her, mismatched and yellow with dark red irises staring right through the bat pony as if she weren't even worth the effort. "L-let me go!" She writhed and hissed but to no avail. *SNAP* A hodgepodge of various animal parts hopped on the forest floor, connecting to each other to create a body to accompany the peepers. "Discord, at your service!" He bowed, snapping his fingers to tighten the brace around Selene's neck. "And that lovely necklace of yours is the magic of yours truly!" His face turned grim. "A reminder of your place in this world." "HA! I kill a few bunnies, and all of a sudden I have the literal avatar of Chaos on my tail?" She chuckled devilishly, giving him a defiant fanged grin. "You really need to take up a hobby if a few woodland critters turn you into the Fang Patrol!" *SNAP!* The shackles violently pulled outwards in all directions(save for the neck, which just hung loosely), breaking the shin bones from all four hooves. She screamed in utter agony, tears pouring from her muzzle. "H-how could you do this? I-I thought w-we were friends!" It said in Fluttershy's voice. Scowling, he thrust his paw outward, magically pulling the vampire closer. "YOU DARE USE FLUTTERSHY AGAINST ME? YOU SWINE!" He violently thrust her forwards in a torrent of magical energy, knocking down several spruce trees in the process. Snapping his fingers, he teleported to the barely alive rag doll sitting at his feet. In a calmer voice, he spoke again. "I'm here to offer you a deal." Selene coughed out a small puddle of blood, shakily staring at the Draconequus above her. "A-and if I refuse?" "Then that release you so pitifully spat out earlier will be given." He grinned sadistically. "By killing both you and Fluttershy..." She spat out more blood, pondering the glowing crimson shackles clasped around her hooves and neck. "...I accept your terms." Discord cackled madly. "Good! Now just stay for all except one month every year to keep both you and dear Fluttershy alive, and I'll let you live." He snapped his fingers, causing the shackles to evaporate to be instead replaced by runes on her neck and hooves as well as heal the wounds he so easily inflicted. I will get you back for this, Discord. Even if I have to break Fluttershy doing it... Author's Note Have another filler! On the house! Also, this story(spoilers beyond this point) is gonna branch out several centuries, and possibly have different Acts, with a generic recap chapter before the next part. There will be old lady Celestia/Twily, new ponies as the Elements, and a VERY different Fluttershy so be prepared!
AwakeningDay approached, and Discord had a mission. Should he choose to accept it, it could pose serious harm to his dear Fluttershy. It required a plan, and that was why he had to lock himself in the broom closet at the Castle of Friendship; it's where they kept the spare magical crystal map tables. With a snap of his fingers, the small storage space became a slightly bigger Planning Room, roughly the size of a conspiracy nut's small apartment. "*scoffs* As if!" He mumbled indignantly. Blowing dust off the old map table, he snapped his fingers and it sprang to life, transforming into a more chaotic version, complete with the Draconequus' face etched into the crystalwork. "Now, time for plans!" He smiled heartily. A flash of light, and the table now projected a holographic gridline, its surface completely able to be written on. Summoning a Twicane stylus, he began drawing up a blueprint for his plan. Once done, the cane/pen nodded in approval before disappearing with a burst of fanfare and confetti. The blueprint was pretty straightforward: Discord's ~~bad~~ superb drawings depicted ~~archaic~~ accurate portrayals of himself and both Fluttershy as well as her vampiric other half, Selene. Above the magical drawings was the God META written in bold and angry letters, hoping he would take the hint. "Alright, fine! Your story, your rules." He groaned defeatedly. Moving on, he laid out the plan. *SNAP* The drawings became animated, laying out the beginnings of his plan for demonstration. "First, I go to dear Fluttershy's for teatime as usual on our Tuesdays!" Discord's drawing knocked on the faux mare's door, being invited in for teatime and snacks. "Next, I get rid of those shackles binding, ugh, the mean one..." Discord spat out in disgust, his drawing snapping its fingers behind its back. Fluttershy's drawing was replaced with the vampiric version, fangs and all. "After that, all I need to do is assert my dominance via 'animal kingdom' style by showing my strength, promoting my position as pack leader! Oh, how wonderfully CHAOTIC this will be!" He clapped his paws with glee, knowing his plan was foolproof and full of the chaos he so wonderfully craved... ...Only to be proved wrong by how strong "Selene's" willpower was compared to his own. Every bone was shattered, every tooth chipped, every organ burst; She stood unwavering, her cocky grin still oozing with hubris. "HOW-ARE-YOU-EVEN-ABLE-TO-STAND?!" Every word was followed by another violent telekinetic lunge into the nearest object. Fluttershy's cottage looked like a war-zone, every wall, ceiling and floor was painted red with her blood, all her animals scurrying away as soon as "Selene" made her debut. There were even some signs of score marks from magic blasts, presumably from Discord discharging them in self defense. "H-heh heh. You s-still don't g-get it, do you?" She gasped, those crimson irises glaring in defiance. "I am *coughs* in control now." Selene spat out a mixture of saliva and blood, her breathing becoming even more ragged. He glared back at the beast before him, wondering what to do next. She blatantly refuses to leave, and dying is out of the question, both because she's stubborn and my dear Fluttershy is still in there... the Draconequus sighed in defeat. *SNAP* In a blinding flash, Fluttershy's home was restored, and the barely functioning ragdoll of a body that Selene was inhabiting was also healed. It was at that moment, he saw a brief flash of teal take over her red eyes, if only for a moment. It brought hope that he wouldn't be creating another villain like himself and Luna. "Very well then!" Discord shrugged, going for the entrance to the cottage. She looked at herself, then all around the previously unrecognizable interior living room they had their mini-war in. "That's it?" He nodded. "No more trying to kill me?" He scoffed. "I consider it more aggressive persuasion, thank you very much!" He held the doorknob in his grasp, ready to leave. However... "I don't know if you can hear me, but please Fluttershy, know I did what I did out of kindness..." *SNAP* A flash of light enveloped everything, erasing all traces of Discord as well as Selene. All that was left was white. You are free now, no more "Sides" to choose. Use it wisely... Darkness, everywhere... There was nothing but her and the darkness. She looked around, scared and wailing like a newborn foal would. Suddenly, there was a reflective surface in the distance. She sprinted towards it, the only sign of something aside from the utter darkness surrounding her. What stood before her was a pony sized ornate mirror. It seemed familiar to her somehow, but she couldn't figure out where she saw this mirror before. Looking more closely, the mirror was an odd one to be in the darkness. It was worn and chipped in places, showing its years of use, yet the ornate gem encrusted gold frame didn't have a single blemish. Completing the oddity in the darkness was the fact that no matter how much she tried, a reflection never showed. That's when she noticed it: a round crystalline handle protruded from the mirror. Like Alice chasing the rabbit down to Wonderland, the mare turned the handle and was greeted by a blinding light, but only for a moment. Recovering from the temporary blindness, she rubbed her eyes and gazed curiously at her new surroundings, the door she entered mere seconds ago disappearing and leaving her stranded in what looked to be nothing more than a small cottage. Littered with small wooden homes for woodland creatures, It gave off a lucid aura, no doubt calming even the most savage of beasts. Before her eyes was a piping hot cup of tea sat upon a small coffee table, a sofa and chair placed on either side. Sniffing the smoke wafting from the enticing drink, she smelled a classic blend of herbal tea, tempered off with a subtle hint of apples. "Smells good, doesn't it?" A melodious and kind voice spoke right in her ear, causing the mare to duck frighteningly behind a piece of furniture. "W-WHO'S THERE!?" She peeked around the arm of the chair she was hiding behind. "Don't worry, I dont bite!" The voice chuckled sweetly, this time coming from the same chair she hid behind. Screaming, she jumped backwards into a small woodland home, thankfully not occupied. "Owwww!" She groaned. "Your tea's getting cold, you know." Looking back, she saw a Pegasus mare with teal eyes and a cream colored coat staring back, a gentle smile on her face. Timidly, the mare approached and snatched the cup quickly, sniffing it cautiously once more to try and detect any poison. Taking the risk, she drank the brew and exclaimed as her tastebuds sang in pure ecstasy. "This is really good!" She exclaimed. "I'm glad to hear it!" The mystery mare smiled back, pouring herself another cup. "Who are you?" She cautiously asked, scooting onto the couch she was now hiding behind. "I am you." "...who am I?" "Selene." Suddenly, as if waiting for an opportune moment, the mare's surroundings twisted and warped along with her being, the cream coat becoming unkempt and matted with blood in some areas. Her ears morphed into conical canals, while her teeth now sported blood-soaked fangs. Her feathered wings became leathery and bat-like, and lastly, her teal eyes turned crimson, hungry for blood. The once homely and peaceful cottage now sported a gruesome blood-tinted and wild new facade, animal remains oozing out of the little woodland homes. A bowl near the kitchen labelled "Angel Bunny" had a pool of dark red paste, no doubt blood. Cowering before Selene was a sad and pathetic excuse for a mare. "Fluttershy..." She kneeled down and petted her pink mane, soothing her. "Shh, it's alright..." She gently spoke, trying to ease her alter ego into calming a bit. It took several attempts, but Fluttershy was finally calm enough to bring her wailing to a small sniffle. Looking around still caused her to jump, but less than before. "W-what happened t-to my home?" Fluttershy squeaked out between sniffles. "Nothing," the vampire replied stoically. "Or rather, the real one that is." Suddenly, they swapped places, the scenery going back to the way it was; Fluttershy was now the calm one whilst Selene was silently crying. Fluttershy looked around some more, studying the small cottage. "What you see," she spoke, turning her focus back on the distraught vampire. "Hmm..." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, I guess you could call it your 'safe space'." "Y-you're scaring me! You're not m-making any sense!" "Oh Selene... she gently petted the vampire's matted pink mane, trying to soothe her once more. "[/color=#26a4af]D-AHA! I,Discord, thought you'd read this! It's just a placeholder for blurred words that may or may not be revealed later! Ta-taa! *SNAP*" The rest of the conversation went fuzzy, a sinister and yet melancholy laugh echoing within her cottage walls. "You are free now... the voice echoed. "No more sides to choose. Use it wisely..." Suddenly, their animal cottage started to violently rumble and shake, the walls crumbling like sand. "It looks like we don't need to fight anymore. The 'safe space' is gonna collapse soon... "B-but what does that do to you? To me? To us?!" She chuckled heartily."Who knows! Maybe nothing. she smiled, the last of the walls crumbling down. Maybe something...Wonderful happens... Maybe we become something new... Author's Note For those of you who read the optional chapter, Life, this scene may sound familiar. The optional is still, well, optional, as it gives you some context without it being necessary. However, this scene is plot-relevant so it needs to be included. Moving on, another question for you readers: Were the shackles real? Or was it another illusion? In the previous chapters, I talked about how Discord/Selene might have represented the rational/irrational sides of her mind. This one talks about the shackles "Discord" implemented. Were they on Selene? Or did the shackles just represent control? Was Selene shackled, or was it the mania of Vampirism? Did she really cause some trouble, or was the conversation Discord had with Luna about the dreams and nothing more? We all like to bury things within our minds. We "Shackle" traumatic events to make it easier to handle, and everyone does it in different ways. We have five more chapters to go before the real story begins. Stay tuned...
Life(optional chapter)Ponyville, three years ago... Darkness. Pitch black surrounded every corner, consuming it in the nothingness it entailed. A scared voice echoed within the dark, calling out for help... W-where am I? -eed... W-WHO'S THERE!? -st feed... Please, I'm scared! Where are you?! Suddenly, a lone mirror appeared in the depths of blackness, far away from the voice but not far enough that it wasn't seen. It spotted the new object and began approaching. Please...scared... You're scared, too? the voice asked, still cautiously trotting towards the mirror. Maybe I can help... Can...help...maybe... the mirror was mere feet away from the voice now. What's your name. My name is Fluttershy. the voice, now known as Fluttershy's, was directly in front of the mirror now. It seemed there was a cloth covering its reflection that went unnoticed before. ...Name? My name is... Looking around, she admired the quietness of this newfound darkness. It's actually very quiet in this place. It's very serene... she smiled, grasping the cloth obscuring her reflection Fluttershy lifted the cloth away from the mirror, staring at her reflection almost slack-jawed. What stared back was not what she was expecting. Her ears were replaced with conical ones, better for hearing; Her hair was matted and unkempt, her feathered swan-like wings were replaced with leathery bat-like ones, her teeth now had fangs, but the most shocking of them all? Her kind teal eyes were replaced with predatory crimson ones. ...Se-Rene... She looked around for the source of the voice before glancing back at the mirror. She gasped in shock as her twisted reflection cocked its head in curiosity. It was no longer mimicking her; it was becoming aware... Selene? she misheard the voice say. W-what a lovely name! Fluttershy smiled nervously at "Selene". ...Lovely! The reflection bared its fangs at the mare, eliciting a terrified yelp from her. Eep! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Suddenly, the darkness was purged with a blinding light, fracturing the mirror and letting loose part of Selene... Fluttershy awoke within the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, confused as ever. "What happened?" "I'm so glad you're back, Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed. What happened? Her newborn vampiric conscience, Selene, echoed... Author's Note Useless filler content, ill probably do these between every two-parter to add some unnecessary context for flavor.
