Diary of the Dead

Sunset was shocked and horrified by what Fluttershy told her. The former villain stopped to think for a minute. Throughout her life, she’d done some pretty horrible things. She’d beaten Fluttershy to the point of unconsciousness, nearly crippled an entire school, and almost ripped the lives and dreams out of those she now called her friends. But what the Shy Clan had done was unforgivable. Not only had they neglected, kidnapped, and tortured their own daughter, but they’d done so in plain sight. Fluttershy’s wounds were numerous, so it fell to reason that someone should have noticed them.

“Fluttershy…I’m so sorry,” Sunset said, grasping her friend, “I should’ve done more to protect you.”

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Fluttershy responded, “my parents, brother, and even my cousins were born evil and they’ll stay evil. It’s up to us to ensure that they pay for their crimes.”

“They will,” Sunset growled, “I’ll make sure of that.”

Fluttershy managed another smile. She was proud to have someone so confident and trustworthy as a friend. The past remained simply that: the past. They held such a bright future in friendship, and she was so thrilled that Sunset had led the rescue team. But it was obvious that only she had been captured. Fluttershy gulped nervously as she wondered if her other friends had made it out alive. She couldn’t bear the mental images of Pinkie or Applejack lying dead, riddled with bullets. Blood soaked carcasses assaulted her mind as she began to whirl back into her previous state of doubt. The hope she had when Sunset was escorted into the cell quickly vanished, and she collapsed into the other girl’s lap.

“Sh…” Sunset soothed, rubbing her hands through Fluttershy’s soft pink mop, “it’ll all be okay.”

“Our friends? Were they…killed?”

“Not to my knowledge, no,” Sunset said.

“That’s something of a relief,” Fluttershy remarked, forcing herself back up beside Sunset, “but also something of a shock. My father employs mercenaries who are the best shots in the world. I’d be very surprised if none of our friends were injured. I just hope that it wasn’t too serious…I hope…they’re alive.”

“I do, too,” Sunset said, “but, you never answered one of my earlier questions.”

“I didn’t?”

“No,” Sunset said, shaking her head, “I was wondering about your family’s endgame. Why haven’t they killed you yet? Why do they keep asking us about a portal? Do they mean…the one to Equestria?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy responded, “and that’s why they haven’t killed either of us. We know about Equestria. Hell, we were even forced to go there when our spring break cruise ship sank! My parents crave knowledge about fantastical, semi-mythical places like that. Sunset, their endgame is simple: the complete destruction of anyone they don’t believe is necessary.”

“…and in their eyes, those who weren’t born with genius IQs are at the top of that list!” Sunset finished, “that means…well…99% of the WORLD is at stake!”

“It’s worse than that,” Fluttershy said, “they even hate people who were born smart. They have this idea that the Shy Clan is entitled to the world…and they’ll do anything to get it. They’ll steal, they’ll rape, they’ll torture and kill.”

“What about those who work for them?” Sunset asked.

“They kill them as well,” Fluttershy said, “no matter how good of a job they’ve done. In the end, they all meet the same fate.”

Sunset was absolutely dumbfounded. How could people who portrayed such niceness and kindness on the outside be so satanically evil on the inside? This was a group that wanted to watch the world burn. The reasons behind their evil onslaught were distressingly petty. They simply felt superior, and that the rest of the human race didn’t matter. Every individual person on the planet was in their crosshairs and, if Fluttershy’s tone meant anything, the family was nearing zero hour. Their endgame would soon be realized…and the world would be doomed.

“Flutter, how are they gonna do this?” She asked.

“They’ve got multiple nuclear devices spread discreetly all over the globe,” Fluttershy said, before pointing to a countdown clock outside of their cell, “and when that reaches zero, they’re going to launch. This has been their plan all along, and it’s why I didn’t tell them about Equestria. If they found out, they’d attack it as well!”

“Just like I wanted…” Sunset mused, “…I wanted to rule both worlds. I wanted the power.”

“Yes, but you’re different,” Fluttershy said, “you turned to friendship. Twilight changed you. I’ve tried desperately to get my parents to switch allegiances, and I’ve been foiled every time. My mother and father hold an impenetrable steel fortress of hatred within their blistered souls, and they will not let it go. They hate everyone who doesn’t fit their level of perfection and excellence…and that includes me.”

“That means they were all acting at your funeral,” Sunset said.

“Ah, so that’s what they’ve been telling everyone,” Fluttershy said, “I can’t say I’m surprised. My cousins were probably all snickering in the rows.”

At that point, the funeral came slamming back into Sunset with the force of a freight train. Her mind did a rapid fire roll call of everyone who was there. She was surprised at just how vivid the memory was, but then remembered that she was still wearing her geode. As she looked around the crowd, she recognized that her and her friends were the only non-Shies there. Every single person was a blood relative of Fluttershy, and she kicked herself for not noticing it sooner. She recalled how some of them had snickered and guffawed in low tones behind her. She realized that all of those emanations were purposeful.

“UGH!” She exclaimed, slamming her fist into the dirt.

“What?” Fluttershy asked, surprised at the outburst.

“I should’ve done something,” Sunset said in self-hatred, tears streaming down her cheeks, “I should’ve noticed something was fucked up when there wasn’t a body and everyone there was your blood relation! No friends except us and none of your influences. There wasn’t a teacher or a confidante to be found. I should’ve fucking known!”

“Hey, hey, hey, calm down,” Fluttershy said, grabbing Sunset and pulling her in, “it isn’t your fault. They played you, and they’re very good at it. Remember, they’re geniuses.”

“…and I was outsmarted,” Sunset said, “I thought that following the diary would give me all the answers I needed. But, I was wrong. They probably planted the diary just to fuck me over.”

“No, they didn’t,” Fluttershy said, “I planted it with my own two hands.”

“Sure, sure,” Sunset said, “I would have recognized you.”

“No, you wouldn’t have,” Fluttershy said, “I was dressed in thick clothes with a pull over hoodie on. Nobody could recognize me. But I had my diary hidden, and I also had this.”

At this point, Fluttershy reached behind a certain rock and pulled out a feathery plume. Sunset was surprised to see any kind of writing implement in the cell, let alone one so ancient. Still, though, it held a mystical charm to it. There was almost an aura around it, filling it with the magic of the hands that held it. Sunset smiled as she realized just how magical those hands were. She put her own appendage on top of Fluttershy’s and felt the pen vibrate a bit.

“Whoa!” She said, “did your quill just…shake?”

“Mm-hmm,” Fluttershy responded, “meet The Magic Marker of Mareitonia. It’s an ancient Equestrian relic. When we had to go through Twilight’s castle, she gave it to me. It was meant to be a present for all of us, but they drug me here before I had the chance to share it. The plume connects magically with any book you want it to just by saying a simple little spell. There’s a blank spot in the incantation where you put the tome’s title. So, I cast it on my diary…and that’s how I’ve been able to communicate with you.”