Lairs & Lycanthropy: Revival

(Author's note: 200 views, woo!)

Fluttershy sat quietly at the gravesite, closing her eyes and letting out a prayer to the spirits of nature to care for the dearly departed. There wasn’t much she could have done, she wasn’t strong enough to protect anyone even if she had been here. Her gaze drifted up somberly to the rest of the group, but they were busy talking. They were the strong ones, she wasn’t good for much. She had trouble even being near the town, touching the...bodies.

Her head hung in shame once more as she thought of her shortcomings. Her ears barely registered a hint of what the rest of them were discussing, probably a plan to help Celestia. It was lucky for them that they found several potions within the city, including healing potions. It was good for them, she repeated to herself, but Fluttershy couldn’t help but realize how irrelevant she was. The only thing she was any good for in their group was healing, but now she’d been replaced entirely by the contents of a few glass bottles. Her eyes flickered over the red fluid that swirled in one of the jars laid out before the group. Lips pursed into a thin line as she thought to herself: Worthless. She was truly worthless.

Somberly she lifted up a hoof and scratched absently at her neck; that itch was back! Every time she had thought it was gone it came back, almost like the memories of the last few days. No doubt it was already infected - she had probably received it a few days ago from one of the many scuffles she had been in.

Quietly she slunk to the side and raised up her neck, holding it over a puddle so she could see it. The area was red under her fur again, and this time it seemed worse. Her hoof raised up and a shining blue light lit up her fur for a moment. The redness started to push back until it finally vanished entirely. Hopefully it wouldn’t come back this time.

She made her way back towards the party but was quickly stopped by Twilight on approach. “Hey Fluttershy.” Twilight greeted “You don’t look so good, everything allright?”

Fluttershy froze for a moment. Twilight always seemed like she wanted to help, seemed like she cared. Of course she did - her friends were always nice to her, and helped shoulder the load to make up for her flaws. They were good friends, and the last thing they needed was for her to burden them with more issues. Maybe she couldn’t deal with the tiny rash, or the fact that she felt sick when dealing with bodies, but she didn’t need to weigh them down with that. “I’m fine Twilight.” She forced a smile “Just...scared.”

“It’ll be alright Fluttershy, we’ll look out for each other, okay?” A warm smile lit up Twilight’s face as she put a foreleg over her friend and gave her a light hug. “Now come on, we’re finishing up here, then going to the cave. Just hang in there a bit further, alright?” Some small comfort managed to push the fears back just a bit, whatever nightmare she had to endure, she was happy for the company.

Fluttershy’s ears picked up the chatterings of her friends even before they got to them. Their small rag-tag group turned their heads to smile at her, no doubt reassuringly. Fluttershy was starting to wish they wouldn’t do that; it was horribly unnatural, and frightfully unnerving. She knew everything wasn’t okay, she knew everyone was upset. The town was covered in bodies for Celestia’s sake! But then again maybe that’s how she helped she thought absently. Maybe everyone having to act brave for her was helping them keep it together. She couldn’t really blame them for it though, she was keeping a brave face for them too, she was just worse at it.

A final nod was given by Rainbow Dash as her sword whirled in a vicious arc before finally sliding back into its sheath. “Fluttershy, we’ve already gone over the battle plan. Just stay back and throw down some healing if someone gets hit. The rest of us will try to back up Derpy and follow her lead.” Rainbow’s reassuring nod was met by one of Fluttershy’s as a few potions were pushed over to her. Quickly The yellow mage gathered them up and slid them into her pouch. She’d be in the back anyway, she was determined to be useful, even if it was just to carry drinks for ponies that could actually do something.

For the first half of the trip Fluttershy kept her eyes down, her mind swimming with thoughts of what was and what might yet be. Their pace was slow but steady, occasionally one or two of them would hang back to help Pinkie move the wagon around obstacles. She wouldn’t tell anyone what was in it mind you, but anything somepony would complain about being hungry or thirsty she always had something for them, so they were happy for it.

After a great deal of contemplation Fluttershy’s weary eyes finally raised to Rainbow Dash and Applejack talking near the front. The two swayed from side to side easily, happily joking with each other even given the circumstances. With a curious lift of her eye, she made her way over.

As Fluttershy approached Applejack turned her attention over with a bright smile “Well hey there Sugarcube. How you holding up?”

A steady gaze danced across Applejack’s body. Her swords were tightly secured against her side, and her crossbow was nestled next to the bolts. The pony was decked out in leather armor and weapons, but still she seemed to breathe easy. A twang of jealousy sparked inside Fluttershy as her lips pursed unconsciously. “Oh, I’m fine. I was wondering if I could ask something.”

The orange and cyan mares looked at each other briefly, quickly sharing a questioning glance before returning to Fluttershy “Well of course you can ask something, go ahead.”

Her head dropped as she examined the ground in front of her once more, embarrassed by the feelings she was having. “How...how are you strong?” She looked away quickly as her face flushed, not bearing to look her friend in the eye. “How are you able to...fight? It’s so scary...and cruel.”

Orange shoulders just shrugged “We’re strong cause we’re soldiers Fluttershy.” An orange head turned to look over at Rainbow Dash as the two once more held a meaningfull glance “Different ends of a war I suppose, but soldiers all the same. It’s what we were born to do in this game. I spent my life gettin’ ready to fight the barbarians.”

Rainbow Dash took the moment to speak up “Yeah, and I spent my life learning stupid crap about the meaning of the universe and kicking butt. Then I met up with my clan and started learning to steal from those-.” Applejack’s face tightened momentarily as a word held hanging to Rainbow’s tongue by the barest of fractions. “Clansmen” She finally managed before shutting her mouth tightly. With a roll of her eyes Applejack turned her attention back to Fluttershy

“Look Fluttershy.” Applejack continued, an apologetic glance thrown her way. “We just grew up different from you that’s all. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, okay?”

A smile was forced onto Fluttershy’s maw as she thanked them, then retreated back to where she had been in line originally. Another pause was issued before she glanced back at Derpy, who was the only one behind the welcome wagon. After a moment of consideration she held back and came up beside the grey mare.

“Hey Derpy...” Fluttershy began, shaking Derpy out of what seemed like her own deep thoughts. “How did you get strong...I mean inside. You know... not muscle. How did you get so strong inside that you could....do...what you did. Did you just grow up a soldier in the game?” This time Fluttershy didn't look away, she didn't dare, she desperately needed to know how to fix herself.

Derpy’s head dropped lower as her eyes closed, her lip quivering a bit as she took in a short ragged breath. “No Fluttershy, I already had my back story planned out when I played with Dad. I just kind of picked up where the game left off. One minute I was cleaning up after dinner, and the next I was covered in blood surrounded by bodies in a dead town.” She blinked rapidly before turning her eyes away “But I remember, I remember everything that led up to it. I’d been sure I’d gone mad.”

An uncomfortable hoof pushed Fluttershy’s mane out of her eyes as she squirmed inwardly. That wasn't an answer she could use, that didn't help her become strong like the bear or the wolf. “Well then...how are you ready to...use that.” Her eyes drifted down Derpy’s flank to the long steel blade she wore.

Derpy shifted uncomfortably and her shield shifted around one side of her body to the other, blocking the sword from view. “It’s not something I’m entirely proud of Fluttershy.” She muttered, “I’m willing to do what I have to do. Evil triumphs when good mares do nothing. In the real world evil isn’t really around much, we all manage to get along. But here Celestia is being held against her will by evil, and if I don’t stop it, who will?”

Fluttershy could only manage to look down at her hooves. Derpy made it sound so simple, so clinical, just like exterminating the alpha. When put in sterile terms like that Fluttershy could understand, ponies needed to die, monsters needed to die. But...that didn't stop the nightmares. When she closed her eyes she could still see the faces of the ponies at they were ripped apart, ripped apart by an order -she- had given. Killing was simple and clinical when they were talking about it, but when they were right in front of you, looking you in the eyes... She was the one who sat around and did nothing. Evil would triumph because she was too weak to be like them, and the worst part? Everyone knew it, everyone knew how weak she was and what a burden she was being. Everyone saw her for what she was, and she was lacking.

A sigh pushed out from Derpy’s mouth, pulling Fluttershy out of the daydream stupor she found herself in. “Look Fluttershy, I know everypony knows I’m a monster. But we’re all fighting for a world where ponies can be like you. Kind, caring ponies who would be happy to get along with everyone. It might just take a monster to make that happen.” Her head raised a bit to look Fluttershy in the eyes “So try not to judge me too harsh, okay?”

A few blinks before Fluttershy tried to respond, but what was she going to say? She understood? That every waking moment she wished nothing more than to be a monster herself? To just stop caring about the screaming, killing, and dying? All she could manage was a weak smile “No one thinks you’re a monster Derpy...” She consoled.

“Yeah, they do. Rainbow even said so back in Ponyville.” Derpy pushed herself forward, outpacing Fluttershy and busying herself with helping Pinkie pull. Fluttershy followed her around the wagon and came up beside Pinkie. As Pinkie's gaze fell upon Fluttershy with a friendly smile her entire body shuddered. The other ponies had gotten harder, stronger...but Pinkie was downright insane. She wasn't just willing to kill things, it seemed like life had no value to her at all. With a whimper Fluttershy lowered her head and fell to the back of the line.

“Quiet everypony.” A swift order came out from the front. All eyes turned on Twilight as she moved, pressing her back against a nearby rock and ushering her friends over. A hasty mouth grabbed the pin holding the welcome wagon in place, freeing Pinkie so she could merge up with the group behind cover. “There’s several goblins over there guarding the cave entrance. If we wait a day I can prepare a disguise charm, maybe sneak in?”

Rarity shook her head quickly “Twilight, I’m a deal better at things like this, and going in there is suicide. If you knew the layout, numbers, and had the ability to see in the dark, maybe.” She flicked her mane out of the way curtly “Speaking the goblin language might be helpful too.”

Twilight sighed as Rarity promptly shot down her plan. Luckily Rainbow Dash was there with an alternative “Let’s just go in there and rip them to shreds. They’re not going to kill Celestia, they’ll need her as a bargaining chip to get out alive.” There was a long pause, that alternative didn’t sound appetizing. “Well,” Rainbow snorted “We can’t sneak in or communicate with them, does anyone have a better idea?” Fluttershy looked at the ground, tactician was among the long list of things she was not.

“Alright.” Derpy finally agreed, “Twilight, start hitting us with light, Rarity, pick them off from as far far back as you can with Applejack’s crossbow. If they raise any sort of alarm we rush past them and find Celestia before they have a chance to organize.” Everyone nodded silently and moved off to take better positions.

Fluttershy watched quietly from behind a bush, trembling in fear of what was going to happen next. Her eyes quietly shut as she prayed that this could just be over, then she heard a soft thunk. When she opened her eyes again one of the goblins had slumped backwards over a log and lay still - Rarity was certainly a good shot. As she watched another thunk signaled her attention. Futtershy watched as a goblin clutched furiously at the air, trying to scream before falling over.

That’s when all hell broke loose. A goblin saw his friend and screamed, a horrified, loud, scream. Before the entire yell had even left his lips Derpy burst from concealment and rushed in with an angry battle cry, quickly followed by Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Swallowing her fear Fluttershy pulled herself to her hooves and charged out behind their front line, trying to keep close.

Goblins streamed out of the cave, but it didn’t help much. As the waves of goblins hit the front lines Applejack and Rainbow Dash were held back, hacking and slashing as fast as they could. Derpy’s mystical blade shone with brilliant radiance as she spun about, slicing goblins apart before they even had a chance to hit her.

The three moved into the goblins like an unstoppable cart, running right over the screaming creatures while barely slowing down, leaving only a trail of crushed bone and shattered gore in their wake. They almost made it to the cave before something else came barreling out of it. Whatever it was was truly grotesque. It stood on two legs like a goblin, but stood several body lengths taller, a hunched mass of green muscle barreling forward. It’s massive arms held pointed claws ending in razor sharp points, and it looked to use them.

The world seemed to shake as the thing’s massive tusks parted from its upper jaw to let out a ferocious roar. Spit flying out in every direction as it rushed from the darkness, scattering the two ponies who knew to get out of it’s way and centered in on Derpy. It’s tree trunk sized arms slammed down on her, barely giving her enough time to get her shield out.

A panicked gasp was let out as Derpy’s battered form hit the ground and skid to Fluttershy’s hooves. Hastily Fluttershy stopped down and pulled the armored mare to her hooves. Instantly Fluttershy clutched onto the healing energies of Druantia and pushed, surging them into Derpy's form.

Derpy steadied herself and reset her sword and shield with a groan. Her visor quickly raised as Derpy spit a mouthful of blood to the ground, then slid it shut once more. “Fluttershy and Pinkie on me! Everypony else keep the goblins off of us!”

With a nod the group set off, Twilight and Applejack moved left, cutting enemies down and putting them to sleep as fast as they could. Rarity and Rainbow Dash charged right with Rainbow attracting all the attention. A horrific scream erupted from Rainbow's cyan maw as she carved huge swathes of tiny green bodies asunder. Rarity elegantly danced between the goblins, stabbing each of them from behind as they tried to avoid Rainbow’s massive sword.

With a hellbound roar Derpy's form launched forward straight towards the troll, and after stomaching the overwhelming fear, Fluttershy fell in line behind the mare. After several steps she hesitated and looked back, only to see Pinkie’s cowardly pink tail retreating. Fluttershy grit her teeth angrily but pressed on; even if Pinkie was about to run away and leave them here to die she wasn’t about to abandon her real friends.

The heavy steel shield and shimmering blue sword left Derpy's side as she met the beast once more, rolling sideways once as the claw glanced off the side of her shield. With a jarring start the armored figure of the mare rose from the earth with explosive force. The brilliant glowing sword bit harshly into the beast and tore cleanly through it. A gaping wound was left in the troll's abdomen, letting a pool of slick red blood slide out and coat the outside of his leg. With a wicked smile the beast looked from his wound to Derpy, swinging harshly with its claws in response. Fluttershy winced as a sickening sound signaled the entry of claw into flesh. The troll didn't even seem to acknowledge his own wound, and the yellow mare could only stare on in horror as the thing’s innards started to quickly regrow, hundreds of strands of entrails reached up and found their mark, pulling his open flesh back together.

Fluttershy watched pathetically as Derpy looked down, a claw had slipped right through two of the armored plates and sunk deeply into her flank. Blood dripped for a moment, then spurted as the claw was mercilessly torn out to the sound of Derpy's wretched screaming. Hastily Fluttershy fumbled for one of the healing potions in her pouch, but the beast reared up and punted the wounded mare ten or twenty feet away to clatter noisily to the earth.

In a blind panic Fluttershy rushed to the wounded mare’s side, opening the visor and pouring the entire contents onto Derpy’s face, trying to get as much into her mouth as she could. But it was only a few seconds before shadow fell over the mare’s body, and the young druid knew the beast stood over them.

Time seemed to slow down as Fluttershy contemplated how it was going to end for her. Pathetic and not strong enough to help her friends - not even strong enough to try! She would die cowering over the body of someone she hoped would save her, despite the gaping wound.

Slowly she turned about and looked at the rest of her friends, lost in a sea of goblin bodies that had surrounded them. Even without the troll's help, it was fairly obvious how this was going to turn out.

A steep intake of breath flooded Fluttershy’s lungs as she started to rise at figure, raising his arm to end them. Inside her something seemed to shift and twist, anger quickly flooding over despair. Her lips pulled back into an angry snarl, her teeth pushing downward into sharpened jagged points. Muscles flexed and rippled as she felt a new feeling. Her pupils shrunk down into fine points as she roared. For the first time she wanted to kill, not only want, somehow she relished the thought.

She stared at the beast, not with horror now, but with a smile. A row of sharpened teeth glistening as they begged for something to rip, to kill, to destroy. The two faced down, and even through the hopeless difference in power, they were both ready to be locked in a vicious fight tom the death. She might die, but she was going to make this bastard pay for every inch of her flesh.Then, oddly enough, it exploded.

All at once the sound of the world shattering filled the battlefield. A roar from behind the mare sent her to the ground in cover from whatever it was. For a moment the entire world was nothing but an obscenely loud noise, and then it went quiet, replaced by an unceasing high pitched tone. Fluttershy's eyes opened as she blinked a few times, finding herself on the ground, and as she looked down she could see she the beast had indeed been felled. The beast didn’t so much recoil as get blown backwards it seemed, and hard if the gaping absence of a head was to be believed. Bits of teeth and brain were showered across the entire battlefield and the fighting seemed to stop. Replaced instead was a battlefield of chaos, every goblin slowly pushing itself to its feet so it could run away faster, completely ignoring their assigned targets.

Doing her best to ignore the ringing Fluttershy put one hoof underneath her and propped herself up. For the time reality didn't seem real, and she watched with a detached gaze at Pinkie on the ground with her hooves covering her ears. The mare seemed to be rolling around on the ground and screaming, or at least it seemed like she was screaming, it was hard to tell with the sounds of the world shut off. Sitting next to the mare was the welcome wagon, and some sort of massive steel tube with smoke pouring out of it.

The world seemed to shake around the yellow mare as she sat slowly, staring at the ground in front of her, then the beast. Unbelievably the thing started to regrow again, the scraps above its neck started to weave more skin and fold together. Vertebrae started to form, tracing an outline of skull before a mailed hoof came down, shattering it once more. Derpy's helmet was off and her lips were moving, but Fluttershy wouldn't hazard a guess as to what she said. The hooves came down again and again, each time crushing a new body part, snapping new bones or crushing organs.

Finally Derpy walked away and came back with some sort of liquid, pouring it on the beast and setting it ablaze. Fluttershy's stomach finally gave way as she emptied its contents onto the ground beside her, then turned the other way. All she could manage to do was pull her hind legs in and roll over on the ground to bite her foreleg. Flat teeth, her teeth were flat, and she didn’t want to try and kill things. She’d just had a near death experience and hallucinated it. The more she thought on it the more she was certain, she’d done it to cope, that was all.

She didn’t know how long she’d been curled up on the ground with her foreleg in her mouth, weeping gently and biting her leg softly. Finally though, something touched her flank, causing her to scream and curl up more, trembling. “Shhh...it’s okay Fluttershy...” a voice said “It’s over, you’re safe now. Come on, come with me.” Pink eyes quivered as they made their journey to gaze skyward. Above her stood Rainbow Dash, who reached down again. This time Fluttershy didn’t scream, merely accepting Rainbow’s help in getting up.

The shellshocked pony stumbled forward as she was led away from the cave, finally collapsing beside the welcome wagon as Rainbow set her down. Shaken, Fluttershy turned her head to examine where she was and saw a beat up Rarity. A cut or two were still evident on her face and she seemed somewhat shaken too, laying on the ground with a blanket dropped over her. Upon seeing Fluttershy however, Rarity gave her a warm smile and nudged her with a dirty white maw.

“Of course I didn’t know she had a cannon! Why would I think to ask if somepony’s carrying a cannon around!” Rainbow Dash’s voice drew her attention. “I just assumed she had food, candy and stuff in there.” An irritated sigh left her lips as she looked over to one direction. Fluttershy followed her gaze and came to the figure of Pinkie Pie laying neatly on the ground.

“I think she’ll be fine.” Twilight’s words brought Fluttershy back to the conversation. “Her eardrums took one hell of a beating though, we should get her to somepony who knows how to deal with them. I wonder where she even managed to pick up something like that.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to answer, but stopped as Derpy came marching up. “Is everyone okay Twilight?” She questioned.

Twilight nodded quickly. “Everyone’s going to make it Derpy. Pinkie might be a bit out of it for awhile, everypony else is just shell shocked. Did you find anything?”

A nod was given as Derpy passed a piece of paper to Twilight. “Someone from the palace has been sending shipments of food to the troll. I’m pretty sure it’s to pay them off for kidnapping the princess.” a dour look was given as she crouched down in front of Fluttershy, looking her over carefully.

“S-Someone from the palace!” Twilight gasped “But who-”

Derpy quickly cut the apprentice mage off “It’s Viceroy Shadowflame.”

Twilight was quiet for a moment, blinking as she reread the paper “Why do you think...”

“I knew the pony who created this module.” Derpy explained “He was a terrible writer and wasn’t all that creative. So there’s one pony at the palace who is a red and black alicorn with a ridiculous name like Viceroy Shadowflame. Awful writers tried to make their NPC’s cool by doing cliche and ridiculous things like that.”

Slowly Twilight folded up the letter “Then we just need to go to Canterlot and find out where the cliche over the top villain is keeping Princess Celestia and free her?”

Derpy nodded this time “That’s about the size of it. At least there are no more trolls...Right?” A wary smile painted her face for a moment, before tilting her head to the side and letting her eyes roll about.