Scarlet Desire

Chapters

0. Prologue
1. A Warm Welcome
2. Wilting Flower
3. Feeding the Hungry
4. Just One Bite

0. Prologue

~✩~ Chapter 0 ~✩~

~✩~ Prologue ~✩~

A loud rumbling woke Rarity from her sleep, forcing her to sit up and remove the frilly eye mask from her face. She was used to waking up earlier than intended mostly thanks to Pinkie Pie. She had gained a habit of glancing at the clock hanging on the wall to see if trying to return to sleep would be a worthwhile endeavor. Seven in the morning was hardly the time of day she should be rising from bed, but once that rumbling rolled through her window once more, she had a feeling she wouldn't be getting any more sleep no matter how much she wanted it.

With an exasperated sigh, she slipped from her bed and started for the window that allowed such a dreadful noise enter her home. Instead of Pinkie Pie setting up a party with a menagerie of sounds she claimed was music, what greeted her eyes sparked her curiosity: a series of heavy trucks carrying loads of building materials rolling through the largest road in town. Ponyville wasn't a stranger to construction, but whatever was being prepared had to be much larger than the simple homes it was known for.

Curiosity piqued, she stepped away from the window to start freshening herself up for the day. Now that she knew for a fact that more sleep was out of the question, might as well take a peek at the new project. It had been pretty quiet as of late, so it was something to break up the monotony, at the very least.

She stepped from her boutique with a little flip of her curled mane. It took plenty of effort to keep the tiredness from showing in her face, but a lady always had to look her best. Even if it was far too early to be awake.

By the time she had showered and groomed herself, the transport vehicles had already left and reached their destination, but she had the faint sounds of tools filling the quiet morning air to guide her. Luckily, they should be quiet enough to not bother her once she was back inside her home, but that didn't quell her curiosity.

Her trot through the town mostly gave her glimpses of curious ponies leaning from their windows to try and get a view of what was happening or hurrying along like she was. On top of one of the many hills surrounding Ponyville, a rather large construction team appeared hard at work getting the location ready for building. Judging by the size of the fenced off area, the finished product would be large enough to house at least twenty ponies. This sent an excited static through her.

“Wow! I wonder what all this is about!”

Rarity glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the familiar voice. Pinkie Pie bounced her way over with a disheveled Rainbow Dash flying along behind. The sight of her two friends put a smile on her face. “From what I can tell, they're preparing to build a rather large home, darlings. Dare I say, a mansion?”

Pinkie paused her bouncing and instead leaned forward with interest at an angle Rarity swore should have made her tumble forward onto the dirt. “Ooh! A big mansion means some super fancy ponies with lots of bits are moving in! I'd need to throw a big welcome party!”

“I wish they'd do it quieter. Some ponies are trying to sleep, you know!” snapped Rainbow Dash. “Besides, why would some fancy-schmancy richies want to move here of all places? You'd think they'd want to stick to Canterlot or something.”

Rarity scoffed, flipping a bit of her mane with a hoof. “Well, I for one would be more than happy to welcome them in. A little extra class never hurt anypony.”

Pinkie resumed her excited bouncing, forcing Rarity to step away from the cloud of dust she kicked up. “I should go tell the cakes! Maybe we can try making some nicer sweets!”

“Yeah, that's fine and all, but what about me? They're building so close to my favorite napping spot! I'm never going to get enough sleep until this thing gets finished!” complained Rainbow.

Rarity dramatically placed a hoof onto her forehead. “Oh, the horror! I guess you'll have to find a whole other place to nap, darling!”

Rainbow glared back at her. “Yeah, yeah, very funny.”

Rarity used the same hoof to cover up a little chuckle. “I suppose, all we can do for now is wait and see what comes of this. I'm sure if these ponies are open-minded enough to come here to Ponyville, they must be a delight.”

“Would be nice to have some ponies with enough money to put that Filthy Rich into his place after all the trouble he gives AJ every year for that zap apple jam,” relented Rainbow.

Rarity turned her attention back to the construction now that the beginnings of the foundation were underway. Images of a lavish Canterlot-style mansion filled her mind, maybe some drapes made by herself visible from the windows. Oh how much she would absolutely adore getting the chance to help furnish such a home. It would be another step in her career she could mark off her list. Twilight's castle was one thing, but it didn't have that same exciting ring to it when she knew it was a project for a friend.

“I suppose only time will tell just what our new neighbors have in store for us. For now, I suppose I should stop dawdling here and actually get to work for today,” stated Rarity as she turned to trot away. She couldn't help but take one more glance back at the workers before turning around a corner.

1. A Warm Welcome

~✩~ Chapter 1 ~✩~

~✩~ A Warm Welcome ~✩~

Twilight carefully adjusted the painting held in her magic grasp before letting go. She couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by the portrait of the pony standing behind her. Despite its simple appearance, something about the way its eyes stared at her made it feel like they were digging into her very being. Trying her best to ignore the feeling, she instead turned her eyes back toward the owner of the new mansion.

“Alright, what's next on the list, Miss Rose?” asked Twilight with a friendly smile.

The mare waved a hoof with a little chuckle. “Oh, no need to be so formal with me, dear. You may call me Scarlet Rose, or simply Scarlet.”

Twilight could only giggle in response. Despite the classic gothic style dress and her dark gray mane done up in a fancy style, the new addition to Ponyville certainly was friendly. “Alright, Scarlet, anything else you need me to take care of?”

Scarlet tapped a white hoof on the floor in thought. “Well, we appear to be all finished up in here. Why don't we go see how your lovely friends are doing in the sitting room?”

Twilight gave one more glance around the bedroom she and Scarlet were currently standing in, one of many in the home she still felt was far too large for a single pony to live in. Her eyes wandered back up to the painting, but pulled away again. At least it fit in with the rest of slightly off-putting decor.

She took a breath and gave Scarlet a renewed smile. “I'm sure with those two working together, they're probably almost done as well.”

“Well, you three kind young mares have been working much faster than I ever could have on my own, so that wouldn't be a surprise,” mused Scarlet who turned to lead the way back through the maze of hallways at a slow canter. “Speaking of which, I must thank you again. I didn't expect such kindness to be shown to a complete stranger like myself. It was easy to write off that pink one's gift of pie yesterday as an outlier.”

Twilight chuckled. “Well, that's kind of a Pinkie Pie thing, but Ponyville is a surprisingly welcoming place, at least when compared to places like Canterlot or Manehattan.”

Twilight kept her attention forward to memorize each turn it took to return to the stairs leading back down to the home's first floor. The home's layout when combined with the dark blacks and purples of the wallpaper made the place feel surprisingly foreboding while the curtains were closed despite the comforting nature of its owner. She tried to hide her discomfort of the dim light and remain polite, but relief came over her once they reached the stairs and the home opened up more.

Peering over the railing, she could spot Rarity and Fluttershy putting the last few adjustments on a set of dark purple curtains. “Well, looks like we were right.”

Scarlet chuckled once more upon entering the sitting room, prompting the two others to turn and look her way. Rarity stepped forward while Fluttershy remained in the air to continue the last few adjustments of the curtain rod.

“Oh, there you are, Miss Rose. We should be all finished up in here, and I must say, I absolutely love your taste in decor. I have always had a soft spot for the gothic look, but so few are able to pull it off so fabulously,” Rarity gushed while wandering the perfectly organized room, seemingly to ensure every last piece was in the proper place.

“Why thank you, dear. I must say you're pretty fabulous yourself for all of this help! It is far and beyond what I would have ever expected when I asked you to design a few things for me,” replied Scarlet in the same refined tone she had been taking the whole afternoon.

Rarity chuckled much the same as the lady of the house. “Well, I will confess we only came to install the curtains for you like you asked, but once Twilight saw how much unpacking you had left to do, she mentioned she would like to help and I just had to agree. If you wish to thank anypony here, it should be her.”

Twilight's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink at the mention of her name. “Well, I figured it would take a long time for just one pony to furnish so many rooms all by herself, and with how stressful moving can be, it would be better if it could be taken care of more efficiently.”

“Well, no matter the reason or the pony, I am very thankful,” insisted Scarlet with a nod of her head.

“Of course, of course. It seems we're all finished up with everything, but is there any last thing you might need our assistance with?” asked Rarity with a polite smile.

Scarlet remained quiet for a moment before turning her eyes to Fluttershy, who nervously shrunk away from her gaze. “There actually is one final thing I need. Could I borrow your friend for just a moment? Having somepony with wings would be very useful, and I wouldn't dare to ask a princess to squeeze into my crawl space.”

Fluttershy shrank back a little bit more, using her mane to hide her face. “Uhm, if it's not too dark, I suppose I can.”

Scarlet brightened from the response, though allowed Fluttershy to approach at a slow pace she was comfortable with. “Wonderful! It's just right this way, my dear. It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes.”

Fluttershy hesitated, but eventually began to follow behind Scarlet without any more words. Twilight watched the pair until they disappeared up the stairs, at which point she turned her head to put her eyes on Rarity. “Scarlet Rose seems friendly, but doesn't this home give you the chills?”

Rarity looked back, a light sense of confusion held in her eyes. “Whatever do you mean, darling? Sure, this home's design and style would belong more in a place like Hollow Shades or some such, but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. You of all ponies should understand that, Twilight.”

Twilight sighed, rubbing the side of her head with a hoof. “Yes, you're right. It's probably just a little exhaustion getting to me. We've been helping her put things away for five hours now, after all.”

“I am definitely feeling that as well, darling. Would you like to join me when I go to the spa after all of this is over? I'll pay for hooficures,” offered Rarity with a calm smile.

Twilight's eyes lit up a little at the offer. “That sounds wonderful.”

The duo sat in a mostly comfortable silence once their plans were finalized. After what the nearest clock said was fifteen minutes, Scarlet returned with Fluttershy in tow. Fluttershy's mane looked a little ruffled and made Twilight wonder just how tight that crawl space was.

“Alright, that should just about do it. Thank you lovely mares so much again for the assistance. I look forward to getting to know the rest of the townsponies if they're all as kind as you three,” stated Scarlet with one more polite nod of her head.

Twilight offered a smile to her once the door was opened for them. “Well, I'll make sure to put in a good word. For now, we'll be out of your mane.”

Twilight cantered back outside with Rarity close behind. She almost moved down off the front porch, but glanced back when she noticed Fluttershy still standing where she had been. “Fluttershy?”

The mention of her name made Fluttershy snap out of whatever day dream she appeared to be lost in just enough for her to follow. “Oh, sorry.”

“Alright girls, off to the spa! I think we've earned a little pampering after all of that work. I am way too sweaty to continue on with the evening!” commanded Rarity who wasted no time taking the lead back into Ponyville proper.

* * *

“Alright darling, slow steps. Let's get you into bed,” Rarity instructed while she and Twilight helped Fluttershy hobble up the stairs of her cottage.

Fluttershy allowed her head to hang a little lower than normal, needing the support of her two friends just to stay on her hooves. “I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened. I just started feeling really dizzy.”

“I should have known using the steam room after working so hard was a bad idea. It's probably dehydration. We'll get you some water once you're in bed,” offered Twilight while opening the door to Fluttershy's bedroom with her magic.

Fluttershy allowed herself to be laid down in her bed and blankets pulled over her. “Oh, I hope you're right. I want to apologize to Aloe and Lotus for scaring them like that.”

Rarity ran her hoof through Fluttershy's mane. “You already did so at least fifty times, darling. Not to mention, I doubt you're the very first pony to have fainted in the sauna, some ponies overestimate how much they can take.”

“I'm sure you'll be back to top form after a little rest. Which reminds me, I'll be right back with that water,” stated Twilight before turning and cantering out of the room. She could hear simple conversation beginning while moving through the short hallway to the stairs back down. After being in that oversized mansion all afternoon, it was nice to move around a normal home.

Once in the kitchen, she flared up her horn to start searching the cupboards for a glass. Though she had been friends with Fluttershy for a few years by that point, it just began to strike her how little she actually had been in her home for an extended period of time. On her third try, she found the correct cupboard and hovered out one of the the three glasses inside, making a mental note to possibly get Fluttershy some more sometime.

With another flick of her magic, the glass was filled in no time and she started back for the stairs. She had to pause for just a moment when an impatient looking Angel Bunny climbed up onto the nearby counter, giving his little foot a stomp.

Though she knew she couldn't communicate with animals like Fluttershy could, Angel always seemed to at least get the gist of what other ponies were saying to him. “Hey, you're probably hungry, right? I'll get you something to eat in a little bit, okay? Fluttershy's not feeling well right now and I need to get this to her.”

Predictably, Angel made no effort to respond beyond an annoyed expression before climbing back down off the counter. Twilight paid him no more mind and climbed the stairs. Once at the top, she had to stop her rounding of the corner just a hair away from crashing into Rarity.

Rarity glanced back to the open bedroom door. “Oh my, sorry darling. I was just about to come tell you that Fluttershy fell asleep during a lull in the conversation, so make sure to stay quiet.”

Twilight gave a little nod and decided to simply levitate the glass over to the bedside table rather than actually enter inside. She closed the door as quietly as she could after and turned to head back the way she came. “I'm still worried for her, but at least she's getting some rest.”

“Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. Between her work with all the animals here, everything we've done today and not to mention we did just get back from trudging through that awful desert trying to save those ponies from that Starlight Glimmer, she's probably just exhausted,” assured Rarity as she opened up Fluttershy's refrigerator with a wisp of blue magic to procure a carrot.

Twilight watched Rarity pass the carrot over to Angel who was once again on the counter to get their attention. “You're probably right. She just seemed so much like her usual self earlier that the sudden turn around surprised me.”

“She must have simply just not wanted us to worry. You know how she is.”

Twilight sighed and followed Rarity out of the cottage once everything appeared to be in order. “She doesn't want to feel like she'd be inconveniencing us, but we're her friends and want to help her if she needs it.”

Rarity gave a little nod of agreement. “Precisely, darling. What say you we come back here in a couple hours to check if she's awake again? We can pick up some sweets from Sugarcube Corner and give her a nice little surprise.”

Twilight couldn't help but crack a small smile in place of the worried frown she had been carrying. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. Besides, I was already thinking of coming back to give all of the animals their dinner so she doesn't have to. This way we can both help cheer her up and let her rest.”

“I couldn't have made a better plan myself! Though, I should probably hurry myself over to Sugarcube Corner before it closes if that setting sun is anything to go by. I'll see you back here soon!” Rarity gave Twilight a quick little hug before rushing off.

Twilight watched Rarity until she was out of sight behind the hills. She turned back to give one more look at Fluttershy's cottage before starting down the little cobblestone path herself. “Maybe I could bring a nice book over for her to read. I just wonder what kind of stories she likes.”

Her eyes traced up to the darkening sky as she trotted along, taking note of each star as they appeared the further Celestia dragged the sun down below the horizon. Maybe she should also make a detour to Sweet Apple Acres and ask Applejack if she has any advice on how to help with exhaustion.

2. Wilting Flower

~✩~ Chapter 2 ~✩~

~✩~ Wilting Flower ~✩~

Pinkie Pie bounced along the main path through Ponyville while humming a happy tune. The pink pastry box tied with a nice yellow ribbon balanced on her back somehow stayed where it was despite the not-so-careful nature of her movements. She had heard from Twilight and Rarity that Fluttershy was feeling sick, so she just had to stop by for a visit now that she was done with her work for the Cakes.

Luckily, she was able to get on the road by just after noon, plenty of time for Fluttershy to still be awake. Even if Fluttershy didn't have enough energy to party like the others said, everypony always had enough in them to be cheered up by a nice cookie or cupcake.

What if Fluttershy's asleep when I get there? Oh, it would be rude to wake her up, and that's not how you start off a funariffic visit to cheer up a sick friend! she thought to herself, she stopped her bouncing in the middle of the cobblestone path leading out of town and towards Fluttershy's cottage. A hoof came to her muzzle in a much more intense bout of ponderance that what was perhaps necessary.

Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, however, she noticed an earth pony with a white coat approaching her place on the path with a parasol held in one of her forelegs to shield herself from the summer's harsh sun. Once the older mare grew closer, she soon recognized her as the newest pony to town. This surprise encounter completely distracted her from her previous worries.

She bounded her way over to Scarlet Rose with a big smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Rose! What brings you all the way out here? Exploring the town? Taking in the sights?”

“Please, dear, Scarlet is just fine,” Scarlet replied with an amused chuckle. A frown soon replaced her smile, however. “I was paying that sweet Fluttershy a visit. Once I heard what happened yesterday, I simply had to go apologize for asking her to work so hard for me. If I knew she was so overworked, I would have insisted she go home.”

“Okay, Scarlet!” chirped Pinkie in just as cheery of a tone as ever. “and I'm sure we can get her back on her hooves in no time! I'm bringing over some treats for her right now to help cheer her up and I'm pretty sure the others said they were going to visit her, too!”

Scarlet took a few steps around the bouncing pony in front of her to continue on her way. “With such lovely friends like you all, I can trust she's in good hooves. I should be off for now, however. I'm afraid the summer heat doesn't agree with me.”

Pinkie stopped her bouncing once again just so she could wipe some sweat off her brow in an over-dramatic fashion. “Tell me about it! I like winter so much more since we get to play out in the snow all day!”

“Yes, well, I'll have to look forward to my first winter here, then,” Scarlet chuckled. “I'll be out of your hair now so you can visit sweet Fluttershy. Goodbye, dear.”

Pinkie waved an enthusiastic hoof goodbye before turning to bound down the path once again. If Fluttershy just had a visitor, then she must still be awake! At that, she picked up her pace in hopes of catching her friend before she could get the chance to fall asleep and miss the chance to be cheered up even more.

Once she arrived at her destination, Pinkie blinked. Though all of Fluttershy's animal friends were where they should be, it was much quieter than normal, but that was probably just the animals trying to be polite. She gave the door a few quick knocks and waited while her happy humming returned.

After a few moments, the door opened up for her. She blinked a few times when there wasn't any sign of Fluttershy and pushed her way inside rather than waiting to be welcomed. A little kick to one of her legs pulled her attention downward to an annoyed white rabbit looking back up at her.

“Oh, hey Angel! Thanks for letting me in!” she chirped once again, not minding the constant glare coming from Angel Bunny. As far as she could assume, he was probably just all grouchy that Fluttershy being sick meant he couldn't get all the attention he wanted.

Despite not visiting the cottage often, Pinkie knew exactly how to get to Fluttershy's room thanks to a little help from her natural intuition. She gave the door a few swift knocks before pressing her ear against it. Fluttershy was quiet on a good day, so Celestia only knew just how hard she would be able to hear at that moment.

She couldn't quite make out what was said, but a hint of Fluttershy's voice did manage to make it through the door, prompting her to speak up. “Hey, Fluttershy! It's me, Pinkie Pie! I wanted to come and say hello!”

Another quiet few words came through in response. Rather than try to continue the conversation through the door, she simply opened it to find a disheveled and barely awake Fluttershy laying in bed with her blankets pulled right up to her chin. The sight put a sliver of worry into Pinkie, but she easily kept her smile as she cantered inside in place of her usual bounces.

“So, I heard you were feeling all sick, so I made you some treats to help cheer you up! I know getting a gift always helps me feel better!” Pinkie said in her usual quickened pace while plucking the box off her back and holding it out towards the bed.

Rather than take the box, Fluttershy quietly stared at it. Her slightly dulled eyes traced along the shape of the yellow ribbon that made the whole package match her colors perfectly. A quiet lull hung in the room for a few ticks of a nearby clock before the box was instead set on the bedside table.

“Oh, right, let me open it for you,” stated Pinkie with a momentary feeling of awkward unease from the obvious mistake.

Inside the box sat a dozen cupcakes, all perfectly frosted in the colors reminiscent of the two of them and their friends. Fluttershy turned her head just enough to see the sweets in the box and Pinkie thought she could see the slightest hint of a smile come to her face even if the blanket made it hard to see.

Pinkie carefully took a cupcake with rainbow frosting from the box and held it out for Fluttershy. “Here, let's get some yummy treats in you! You need to eat to keep your strength up and get better! I colored them after all of us, so they can remind you of us even while you're all stuck in bed!”

Fluttershy stared at the cupcake for a long few seconds before welling up what had to be all of her strength just to sit up in bed, even while using the headboard to support her back. She gingerly took the cupcake with trembling hooves and took a bite, though it was more akin to a little nibble.

Pinkie watched the scene before her with the worry draining away to leave a more genuine smile. “I hope you like it. I made sure to make them angel food cake, your favorite!”

Fluttershy pulled her head away from the cupcake, a little dollop of frosting on the end of her nose. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie.” Though her voice was no louder than a whisper and shook enough to make it sound like those four simple words were as heavy as boulders, they were still able to be understood.

Pinkie's smile grew wider. “Yes! I knew Pinkie Pie's special 'pick-me-up cupcakes' would do the trick! Oop, I mean, you're welcome!”

A weak little giggle escaped Fluttershy's lips, though she didn't speak any more. Instead, she turned to keep nibbling on the treat held in her hooves.

“Hey! If you want, we can play that game you really like to help pass the time! I can move your piece for you,” offered Pinkie with a hopeful smile that only grew wider once she got a shaky nod in response.

* * *

Rainbow Dash sped through the air with a grin plastered onto her face. Nothing felt better than the wind in your mane! She didn't have time to waste on taking a simple joy ride, though. It was her turn to check up on Fluttershy that afternoon, and after what Pinkie Pie had said after her visit yesterday, things just had to start looking up. Ponies only stayed sick for a little while, anyway.

Fluttershy's cottage just came into view and coaxed Rainbow into beating her wings harder to get there quicker. Rather than use the door, she swooped right down to the window she knew belonged to Fluttershy's bedroom. She was so used to climbing through it every cider season, she had its location memorized.

Without bothering to knock, she pulled the window open and let herself inside. “Hey, Fluttershy! Wanted to come in and say hey. Maybe get you out of that bed a trot around a bit. Twilight says it's good to move around if you can.”

Rainbow paused her post-flight stretching as her eyes fell onto the bed housing her foalhood friend. Immediately standing back up straight, she rushed for the bed. Though Fluttershy's eyes eventually made their way over to look at her, the pale state of her face and the dim look in those very same eyes made Rainbow's heart sink. “Whoa, Fluttershy! You're really not looking okay. Here, let me get you some water or something!”

She didn't wait for a response before racing away through the doorway still left open from Pinkie's visit. While she was in the kitchen fumbling with a glass, she ignored the kicking of a little foot into one of her hind legs. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves as much as she could and tried again, this time successfully getting water into the glass rather than all over her forelegs.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of Angel climbing onto the counter and stomping in rapid succession in an attempt at getting her attention. The little rabbit picked up a fork that was used the night before for the dinner Applejack had volunteered to bring over and started biting at it.

Rainbow quickly turned away from Angel after turning the water off. “I'll feed you later! Fluttershy needs me a whole lot more right now!” Without looking back despite the sound of the fork colliding with the counter top, she nearly flew herself up the stairs in order to get back to Fluttershy as quickly as she could.

She gingerly slipped one forehoof under Fluttershy's back to help sit her up, the other bringing the glass of water up to her yellow muzzle. “Alright, Fluttershy, drink up. You need to stay hydrated. Once you drink all of this, I'll go get a doctor and everypony else. You'll be okay!”

Fluttershy's eyes weakly turned up to look at Rainbow's, the usual vibrant blue-green nearly faded away entirely to a sickly gray. Rainbow pulled the glass away from Fluttershy's mouth only to see it was still just as full as it had been when she first started trying to get her to drink some.

Moisture started to form in the corners of Rainbow's eyes as she tried again, her gaze never leaving Fluttershy's. “Come one, please! You, you need to – please...” She allowed her words to trail off as she pulled the glass back again.

She nearly went in for a third attempt, but she instead let the glass fall free from her hoof and shatter against the wooden floor. She stared deeper into Fluttershy's eyes, but where her friend had been making as much effort as she could to keep sight on her, those gray-green eyes remained still.

“Fluttershy? C'mon, Fluttershy, stop messing around!” Rainbow nearly ordered as tears rolled down her cheeks without any holding back. She gave Fluttershy a few nudges before carefully laying her down to check her over. “This isn't funny!”

Rainbow placed a shaking hoof to Fluttershy's neck like she had been taught in the basic first aid course given to her after finishing her Wonderbolt training. No pulse. She checked again as more of her tears fell to mix with the water spilled by her hind hooves and once again got nothing.

She stumbled backwards, left rear hoof slipping on the floor and sending her back into the wall behind her hard enough to knock the air out of her lungs. Every fiber of her being wanted to scream in that moment, but all she could do was gasp and struggle for breath while the fur of her cheeks grew matted with her tears.

“No...no, no, no. No!” she managed to stammer out while staring at the motionless figure of her oldest friend in the bed just a couple feet away. “I promised I would protect you from anything! I – the hospital! I'll get a doctor and they'll be able to save you!”

Rainbow scrambled to get back onto her hooves, slipping once more on the wet floor and receiving a cut from one of the many pieces of glass scattered about. With a successful second try and a bleeding right foreleg, she forced herself out of the window she had come in through and blasted herself through the air nearly at the speed to perform a Sonic Rainboom.

* * *

“Come on! Run faster! You said there's a chance you can still save her, right?” Rainbow Dash nearly yelled at the pair of ponies hauling a medical cart from the town's hospital. “Why does she have to live so far from town?”

The four other ponies racing behind the cart didn't utter any words while galloping. Pinkie Pie and Rarity both allowed their scared tears fall from their eyes without resistance, though the black streaks of Rarity's mascara made hers much more obvious while running, Twilight furiously flipped page after page in a book that supposedly held some form of healing magic and Applejack looked more like she was ready to fight off whatever spirit was making its way over to take Fluttershy from them.

Rainbow flew down to Pinkie, lowering her head closer to her with a mix of sorrow and rage welling up in her in that moment. “I thought you said she was doing alright!”

“Don't scream at me! She was!” Pinkie squeezed her eyes closed just to get away from the ones glaring daggers at her.

“Don't you go yelling at her now, Rainbow Dash!” barked Applejack. “I was there just last night and while she wasn't looking exactly good, she didn't look nearly that bad! No pony could have predicted something like this would happen just overnight!”

Once at Fluttershy's cottage, Rainbow sped past the medics and burst through the front door first while never once touching the ground. If it had taken longer than a moment for the two earth ponies to unbuckle themselves from the cart, she would have yelled at them further, but they were luckily in the home soon enough for her to lead them up the stairs without needing to worry about blowing out her vocal chords more than they already were.

“She's right in here! You need to hurry!” Rainbow commanded, gesturing with her forelegs.

“Oh my, hello everypony. What's going on?”

The voice hit Rainbow like a sledgehammer to the back of the head and nearly made her fall from her place near the ceiling. She hurried to look into the room along with the rest of her friends as the medics made their way inside. Fluttershy was seated on the stool in front of the little vanity in the far side of her room, hair brush still in the middle of a stroke through her mane.

“We were called here for an emergency resuscitation,” answered the male of the two medics. “Is there anypony else who lives in this home other than you, ma'am?”

Fluttershy held a hoof up to her mouth in shock. “Oh dear, no. It's just me here. Well, me and my animals and they're all perfectly fine. I've been sick for the past couple days, but I've been feeling a lot better today.”

“Well, if there isn't actually anypony here who needs our assistance, we'll show ourselves out,” stated the female medic who then turned to Rainbow with an icy glare. “Next time, don't call us unless you actually need our assistance. Expect a bill in your mail tomorrow.”

Rainbow gaped. She didn't pay attention to a word that had been said to her as she slowly lowered herself down to the floor next to Fluttershy's bed. She nearly stumbled away upon remembering the broken glass, but there wasn't a single shard to be found, the cut along her foreleg still yet to be treated the only evidence of its existence.

“What? But, I – How?” Rainbow struggled to get any words out while her brain did flips inside her skull to try and figure out just what she was seeing in front of her.

“Rainbow Dash! How could you lie about something like that? Honestly! We were scared senseless!” Rarity bore an expression angrier than Rainbow had ever seen on her, enough to make her take a few steps back.

Applejack filled the empty space next to Rarity. Though Rainbow was used to having Applejack angry with her, the feeling that came off her felt deeper than anything before. “We know you like playing pranks and practical jokes on us, Rainbow, but this is a new low! You know how much we've been fretting and fussing over Fluttershy this whole time!”

Rainbow backed up further, only stopping when her flank pressed against the bedside table and still mostly full box of cupcakes on top of it. “This wasn't a joke! I swear! I came here to check on her and she – I don't even want to think about it!”

Fluttershy shrank back against her vanity with a frown, using her mane as a shield to hide from the anger on the opposite side of the room. “Oh, please don't fight. Did I do something wrong?”

Twilight's horn flared to life with her pinkish magic corona, pulling Rarity and Applejack away from Rainbow and towards herself. “No, you didn't do anything wrong, Fluttershy, and we're glad to see that you're getting better so quickly. I'm sure all of this has just been some sort of massive misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? You heard what she was screaming at us, darling!” retorted Rarity, throwing a hoof in Rainbow's direction.

Twilight took in a deep breath while holding a hoof to her chest, dropping the hoof as she let the breath back out. “Yes, I did, and I'm going to have a talk with her about that later. Right now, can we just not rip our friend to pieces?”

Pinkie bounced her way over to the vanity to give Fluttershy a hug, though seemed to only go at half of her usual strength to be safe. “Yeah! I'm really angry at Dashie, too, but the more important thing right now is that Fluttershy is looking a lot better! Though you feel a little cold. Maybe you should be in the blankets some more?”

Applejack shot one last glare to Rainbow that made her flinch back before turning her attention away to Fluttershy instead. “You're right, both of y'all. It's good to see you getting some of your buck back in ya, Fluttershy.”

“Pinkie Pie, think you can keep Fluttershy company for today?” asked Twilight with a gentle smile. “We shouldn't crowd her while she's still not completely better.”

Pinkie gave a salute with one hoof while clinging to Fluttershy with the other. Twilight gave a nod of approval before gesturing to the other three with her head to lead the way back out. “As for the rest of us, we're going to have a little chat. We'll be at the castle if you two need anything.”

The sound of the two remaining in the room confirming they understood came just before Rarity closed the bedroom door behind their group.

Author's Note

Goodness was this chapter hard for me to get through writing.

Hope you are enjoying this new story so far! I'm excited to get to reveal more about what's happening! :twilightsmile:

3. Feeding the Hungry

~✩~ Chapter 3 ~✩~

~✩~ Feeding the Hungry ~✩~

The doors leading to the castle's map room slammed open and the trio of enraged ponies shoved Rainbow Dash inside. The doors were slammed shut with enough force to make the floor vibrate once they were all inside. A light blue magic corona engulfed Rainbow and threw her into the crystal throne with her cutie mark engraved into it.

“Ow! What the hay was that for?” Rainbow grunted while righting herself into a proper sitting position.

Rarity stomped a hoof on the castle's crystalline floor with a frustrated huff. “You know the exact reason it was for! You're just lucky I didn't make it even harder, you –“

“That's enough, Rarity,” stated Twilight sternly while throwing a wing out in front of Rarity to stop her advance toward Rainbow.

“Thank you, Twilight. At least somepony is actually –“

“You stay quiet. I'm just as angry with you as everypony else. I just don't want anypony to do anything more they will regret,” Twilight cut Rainbow off while making her way to her own throne as the others did.

Applejack unceremoniously dropped herself into her throne after Twilight and Rarity took their seats. She shot another glare towards Rainbow, the same one she had been carrying the entire trek back from Fluttershy's cottage. Though she chose not to speak right then, she made sure not to hide just how angry she was as it almost tangibly radiated off of her.

Twilight gave one more glance around the table. Rarity and Applejack still had their angry glares aimed right at Rainbow who merely stared down at the map in a manner almost akin to a foal caught doing something she wasn't supposed to by her parent. The sight put a small twinge of guilt into Twilight's heart, but she forced herself to push through it. She knew this was necessary, even if she hated getting mad at her friends.

She took in a deep breath and let it out. “Okay, so I suppose the burning question on everypony's mind right now would be –“

“Why in all of bloody Equestria would you think a prank such as that would be a good idea? Tell me what was going through your mind that requires such a powerful lapse of judgment!” Rarity all but demanded while striking the map with a hoof. “Honestly!”

Rainbow flinched at the sound of hoof against crystal in a manner more akin to Fluttershy than herself. Though the angle made her colorful mane block the majority of the top half of her face, a collection of tears in the corner of her right eye were more than enough to see her reaction. Her mouth slowly opened before shutting again without a single word or sound.

Rarity stood on her throne with both of her forehooves on the map with added frustration at being ignored. “Answer me, Rainbow Dash!”

Twilight flashed her magic corona in preparation to pull Rarity back into her seat if she was forced to. “Rarity! Calm down! We won't get anywhere by –“

“She really was dead.” Rainbow's voice was barely audible over Twilight's own, but it was enough to make her pause.

Twilight turned her attention back to Rainbow once Rarity was back in her seat. “What was that?”

“She was dead, I swear it,” repeated Rainbow, shaking as if every muscle in her entire body was clenching at once.

That prompted another strike at the table, though this one was stronger than before. Applejack was leaned forward with a hoof holding her front half up. “You can cut that out right this minute! We saw her with our own eyes! All of us did! Now how about you just come clean and admit y'all were lying already?”

In an instant, all of that fear that had been showing on Rainbow vanished to be replaced by rage. She rose from her seat and slammed both of her hooves down on the table in front of her at a force that made Twilight worry she may have left some chips behind. “I'm not lying! She was dead! Fluttershy was dead! I was holding onto her to try and help her and she died while lying against me! I haven't felt anything like that before and I don't want to ever feel it again!”

Applejack matched Rainbow's position, once again prompting Twilight to prepare for a separation. “Then explain to us just how she's up and walking and talking and being her usual self!”

The response broke whatever eggshell-thin mask Rainbow had just put on, her expression turning closer to neutral as the tears in her eyes started to roll down her cheeks in full. “I don't know. I really don't know, but I swear I'm not lying.”

“Rainbow,” Twilight started, pulling all eyes towards her rather than just those of the one she addressed. “You can't possibly believe Fluttershy was dead at any point between Applejack last seeing her and when you came to get us, can you? Somepony's heart doesn't just start beating on its own again without assistance.”

“Not to mention, she's looking much healthier today than when I stopped by last night,” stated Applejack in a calmer tone after Twilight appeared to set a level-headed approach to the conversation. “and last time I checked, dying isn't good for your health.”

Rainbow dropped, face pressed into the map while her forelegs wrapped around her head. “I know what it looks like and I'm so happy that she's somehow not dead, but I know what I saw. You just have to believe me.”

The sight of her friend looking so defeated made Twilight deflate a little. She allowed a silence to hang in the air while searching her mind for any proper way to respond. Instead, she let a sigh escape. “I don't think we're going to be able to get anywhere while all of our emotions are running so high. Rainbow, go home. I'll talk to you on my own later, alright?”

Rarity almost spoke up, but a raised hoof from Twilight made her begrudgingly close her mouth again. The three who would stay in the room all remained silent while watching Rainbow slowly pick herself up and drop to the floor. Her head hung low as she slowly walked for the door rather than fly like she usually did. The moment as one of the double doors opened and closed made the silence all that more deafening.

Twilight turned her gaze back to Rarity and Applejack once they were left alone. “As for you two, stay here. I'm not going to let you two go storming through town. I want you to stay in this castle until you cool off a little, okay?”

Once the object of her rage was no longer in her sight, Rarity began to steadily deflate with what at least appeared to be a mixture of realization and regret taking the place of her previous glare. “Understood.”

“I understand,” stated Applejack despite her anger more stubbornly sticking with her.

Twilight nodded. “Good. Though what Rainbow did was completely uncalled for and we've all been pretty tense lately, she doesn't deserve to be screamed at like that. I'm sure I'll be able to find her reasoning in time.”

* * *

Applejack grunted once the final crate was in place, tucked away in the back end of the barn for safe keeping. She took a few steps back to look over her work and nodded in approval. Zap apple jam season was always a pain, but it at least helped distract her from the memories of that meeting in the castle earlier that week.

“Alright, I think that's all of it. Thanks for the help with keeping everything organized, Twi,” Applejack said with a smile while turning her eyes to her friend seated on the floor off to the side with a clipboard and pen held in her magic.

Twilight offered a smile in return. “Of course! I know how important the zap apple harvest season is for your family. If I can play some small part to help make things run more smoothly, then I'll gladly do what I can.”

Applejack kept the smile, though it was admittedly forced to stay there. She cantered over to the barn's door and closed it tight before letting the facade fall once she was sure no pony else could see her. Trotting back over to Twilight, she sat her flank down on the ground next to her with a sigh. “Hey Twi, while you're here, can I confide something in ya?”

Twilight lowered the clipboard amid what was most likely her third re-checking of the information on it and gave a curious stare. “Of course you can. Is something bothering you?”

“Well, yeah. It's about Fluttershy,” Applejack admitted. “I'm happy she's all mostly back to normal now, but something just doesn't feel right about all this. It just feels like she's been getting better too quickly.”

Twilight blinked. “Well, spontaneous recoveries are a thing that can sometimes happen. Like the body somehow shored up all its strength at once.”

“That's just the thing, Twi. I saw her myself back before that incident with Rainbow. She could hardly even speak, let alone move.” Applejack scratched at the side of her head. “I just can't see how somepony can be all up and walking around just the day after looking like that.”

Twilight frowned, setting the clipboard on top of a nearby crate. “Are you saying you'd rather still have her bedridden?”

Applejack could feel herself freeze up at that particular question. “No, of course not! I'm just saying that it's feeling just a bit unnatural to me is all. I don't know how pegasi handle being sick and all that, but whenever I or one of my family members has been sick, it takes a while.”

“I suppose you're right,” Twilight admitted with a little sigh. “I'd be lying if I said I thought the same thing at first, but she made it all the way to sundown today with Rarity watching her with no urgent calls, so she must be alright. Let's just be thankful for that.”

Applejack shook her head, but relented. “Alright, I'll try not to get too worried about it, I guess. Maybe she was just running herself too ragged and she finally got her energy back.”

“That's the spirit!” Twilight said with a smile that got Applejack to give a more genuine one in return, even if it was small. “If you need to talk about anything, the castle's always open. Speaking of which, I should probably get heading home since it's getting pretty late and I want to stop by the boutique to ask Rarity how Fluttershy's doing since she should be back by now.”

Applejack nodded. “Thanks again, and stay safe out there. Not sure why, but something about the air at night lately has been making me a slight bit uneasy.”

Twilight chuckled and rose to her hooves. “I'll make sure I'm careful. See you around!”

Applejack gave a friendly wave as Twilight left through the door. She sighed and leaned against a crate of jam. “Maybe Twi's right and I really am fretting about nothing.”

* * *

Fluttershy waved a hoof to see Rarity off, soft smile on her face. The moment her friend was out of sight, she slammed her door closed and hurried for her kitchen. She threw open her refrigerator and grabbed as many of the vegetables inside as she could hold at once. Unable to wait long enough to even take the few steps requited to get to the table, she sat herself down in the middle of the floor to start shoveling her procured foods into her mouth. Even what would normally be saved only for her animal friends were devoured as quickly as she could.

No matter how much she desperately ate, she couldn't get the hunger to go away. Despite the wonderful dinner Rarity had made for her, the hours after it were mostly spent by her trying to ignore the feeling that she needed more. She hardly even remembered a word of their conversation as she sat there desperately forcing vegetable after vegetable into her mouth.

Not long after she began her desperate binge, she was forced onto her side from a sharp pain deep inside her belly. Her stomach had reached all it could take and she could no longer add any more in as her body screamed at her to stop. Despite the new screams, the old ones continued just as loudly. Even as she lay there in pain and stuffed like a Hearthswarming pie, she still felt hungry and it only got worse with every tick of the clock coming from her living room.

Cold tears borne from pain and frustration rolled down her cheeks. She should have told Rarity what she was feeling, but with what she had just been through before, it would only put even more stress on them. At least all of the animals were asleep so they wouldn't have to see her in such a pathetic state. She had just gotten better from one problem and now had to face an even worse one. At least when she was sick in bed, she could sleep through it. Now, she could hardly sleep at all with the constant need to eat.

“Well, if this isn't a familiar sight.”

Fluttershy's ears shot up. With how painfully full her stomach currently was, sitting up to look around proved to be its own struggle. Once she got there, however, she could only stare in confusion. Standing in the little archway leading into the kitchen from the living room stood a familiar white and gray mare.

She could only manage one word in that moment as she blinked away the tears blurring her vision. “Scarlet?”

Scarlet Rose took a few steps closer, though all Fluttershy could focus on was the look of morbid amusement that replaced the kind smile she had come to grow familiar with. “I came to see how you were faring, my dear, but I can already see that for myself.”

Fluttershy could only shrink away from Scarlet when she drew closer. Other than the clear expression, she couldn't put her hoof on what was different, but the almost grandmotherly air typically around Scarlet was completely gone. Instead, a much heavier feeling followed her.

“Up.”

Fluttershy paused. “What?”

“Get up, let's get all of that out of you so I can give you what you need.”

Before Fluttershy could react, a pair of hooves were already forcing her up off the ground with much greater strength than should have been possible for the older mare in front of her. Due to the pain deep in her belly, she couldn't find any of her own strength to fight back and she quickly found herself pinned against her counter, staring down into her kitchen sink. It only took a second for her brain to register what was about to happen, but even that single second was too late and a powerful strike came to her midsection.

Despite her body's natural reflexes to keep everything inside, all of the half-chewed vegetables and what was left of her dinner with Rarity, rushed back up to the bottom of the sink. With pained gasps and gags, she doubled over onto the ground and curled into a little ball. Even when the pain inflicted to her faded surprisingly quickly, she didn't loosen her posture.

“I apologize for that, my dear, but you can't afford to wait for the longer option,” stated Scarlet in a cold tone that felt foreign coming from the mare who had only shown Fluttershy care up to that night.

Fluttershy didn't speak in response. Instead, she merely tried to hide behind her mane and hope she wouldn't get struck again.

Scarlet sighed. “I should have come to you sooner, but I knew a pony as soft and kind as you would need more than just my words to convince you to hunt for what you need.”

Fluttershy flinched away from the words. All she could see were images in her head of herself saying the wrong thing, only to get struck by another angry hoof. She just hoped her silence would make Scarlet leave.

“Please stop hiding like that, dear. I have what you need to solve that hunger you're feeling,” Scarlet stated in a calm tone of voice that made Fluttershy's ear swivel towards the direction of the voice. “That's right, I know about that and there's only one thing that can take care of it. I can give it to you, but you need to sit up and look at me.”

Fluttershy hesitated, but the pain in her stomach, the one not caused by a hoof, forced her to comply with the promise of making it leave. With shaking limbs, she slowly uncurled herself and sat with her back against the counter for support.

Scarlet gave an approving nod. “That's a good dear.”

Before Fluttershy could ask what would solve her hunger, Scarlet reached into one of the saddlebags at her side and dropped a clear pouch in front of her filled with something red. It only took Fluttershy a moment after reading the stamp of Ponyville's hospital to realize it was an IV bag and even less time after that to figure out just what was inside of it. Once she did, she scrambled into the corner right up against the cold metal casing of her refrigerator to get as far away from the pouch of blood as possible.

“That's exactly the reaction I expected out of you. It really was for the best I waited,” stated Scarlet in the relaxed tone of a pony who hadn't just dropped a pint of blood on the floor. “It's far from fresh, but it will stop you from feeling the pain you feel.”

Fluttershy kept her eyes on the bag with wide, terrified eyes. It took all of her strength just to patch up wounds on her animal friends, but seeing that much blood just sitting in a bag on her floor overwhelmed her. The only things that kept her from fleeing the room entirely were the promise of relief for the all-invading hunger within her and a sensation of attraction towards it itching at her from the deepest reaches of her mind.

“You can either drink that, feel better and grow stronger, or you can leave it there and die again before the night is up. I'll leave the decision up to you, my dear,” said Scarlet plainly as she turned away to take her leave. “I have another I must visit now. Take care, and I hope you make the right choice.”

Fluttershy turned her eyes up and away from the pouch to watch Scarlet disappear behind the wall. Only when she heard the front door open and close did she look back at the bag filled with blood. She tried to stand up to get away from it, but the growing cramp deep inside of her forced her back down to the tile floor.

A new voice began to creep in from the back of her mind. She tried to scratch at her head to get it to stop or hold her hooves over her ears so she wouldn't have to hear it, but what started as a whisper in the wind steadily grew into a demanding yell that forced her to pin her forehead to the ground just so she wouldn't have to see that red pouch just a couple feet away from her in hopes that would somehow help.

Her hind hooves scratched at the floor below her while her forehooves gripped her head even tighter. “No! I can't do something like that! It's – I can't!”

“You must! It's for your own good. No pony will have to know.”

Fluttershy jumped and frantically looked around for the source of the voice, but she was still as alone in the room as she had been when Scarlet left her. She only continued scratching at her head after. “No! I can't! I'm not, I'm not a monster!”

“A monster? Is a snake a monster for eating a mouse to stay alive?”

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut in some vain attempt at blocking out the voice coming from within her own head. “No.”

“Then you are no monster for doing the same. You have simply become the snake. There's no reason to act like a mouse anymore.”

Fluttershy could feel the walls she had been attempting the build up start to crack and crumble around her. The voice in her head and the pain radiating from her core steadily seeping out in all directions worked in tandem to corner her. She could feel her safe bubble pop from within.

In that singular moment of weakness, the desires burning in the back of her mind raced in to take over everything inside her. She threw herself forward and pulled the blood bag into her hooves. In that moment as she rolled the bag around in her hooves, it felt as if her body was moving on its own, like she was an observer rather than the one actually performing the actions herself.

She held the pouch closer to her face, and with an instinct she didn't fully comprehend, she chose to bite it rather than using the spout at the end. A pair of sharp teeth she had sworn weren't there just moments prior pierced the thin plastic making up the blood bag and steadily took the cold liquid into her mouth. The coppery taste wasn't entirely unfamiliar to her as memories of lost teeth from her foalhood came to mind, but instead of feelings of pain and discomfort, the taste this time brought a shiver of morbid joy that ran through her entire being.

The pain and hunger that had been with her for days steadily vanished the more she drank, and once the blood bag was drained of every little drop inside of it, she lowered it back down. The feeling of her body moving on its own no longer filled her, and instead she felt just like her normal self again. Tiredness, hunger, pain, weakness, all of it gone and she finally felt like she should: completely normal.

It was only then in that moment of calm that her heart sank and a different feeling came from the pit of her stomach. She slowly looked down at the emptied blood bag in her hooves and as the realization of what she had just done crept in, she let loose a scream louder than she ever had in her life. She threw the plastic remains as far away from herself as possible and returned to the corner she had been cowering in before. Scream after scream erupted from her throat, even as once-sleeping animals rushed into the kitchen to try and calm her.

None of the little paws or wings batting at her made her flinch. At least the ones that even registered with her mind at all. Instead, the world slowly faded around her until everything turned to black and the shock to her mind caused her to fall onto the floor unconscious.

* * *

Fluttershy sat up with a heavy gasp, letting the blanket that had been on top of her fall away. A quick scan of the room revealed she was no longer in her kitchen and instead in a bedroom surrounded by walls made of a smooth blue crystals, rougher purple crystals acting as columns in the corners. In the center of the room, laying on the rug and a collection of pillows lay four of her friends, each having fallen asleep at some point during her own slumber. The fifth, Rainbow Dash, remained awake, though her eyes were currently focused on the Daring Do book she was using to keep herself awake.

“How did I...” She allowed her words to trail off, though the little bit of noise got Rainbow's attention to shoot up from the book.

Rainbow hurriedly set the book aside and stepped around their sleeping friends to get to the bed. “Oh thank Celestia you're okay. Angel hopped all the way into town and managed to catch Twilight while she was still outside and she said she found you out cold, so she brought you here to keep you close by in case we need to call the hospital again. What the hay happened?”

Fluttershy stared at Rainbow. Anything that may have been said after that went right past her as the memories of what she had done returned in full. She opened her mouth to speak, to confess to everything, but no words came out. As hard as she tried, as much as she wanted to admit to drinking that blood and tell Rainbow and the others what she did and who had made her do it, the words died in her throat with each attempt. Instead, she allowed those sad, frustrated tears fall once again.

“Whoa, hey! Don't cry! Did I do something wrong again?” Rainbow groaned, awkwardly shifting as if she didn't know what to do with herself.

Fluttershy allowed herself to fall forward where Rainbow caught her in a loose hug. She didn't answer the question and instead continued to cry into her friend's chest as nervous little strokes of a hoof ran over the back of her head.

Author's Note

Man, it hurts me so much to write scenes of Fluttershy getting hurt, but sadly she's the one who can get the biggest protective instincts out of her friends. Though maybe this time around, that might be a detriment to them. We'll have to see!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter! As a sneaky little announcement, I will be writing a much lighter and nicer fic alongside writing this one for the sake of escaping the darkness, so keep on a look out for that!

4. Just One Bite

~✩~ Chapter 4 ~✩~

~✩~ Just One Bite ~✩~

The sound of raindrops battering the rooves of Ponyville's many homes and the paving stones that make up the main walkways blocked out all sound as Fluttershy galloped through the alleyways. The sound of her hooves against the ground couldn't even reach her own ears despite their heavy impacts. Her entire body was completely soaked through, fur matted against her skin and mane messily sticking to every inch of her face and neck it could touch.

The thick cloud layer put together by the weather pegasi ensured that no moonlight made it to the ground, forcing her to stick to the homes with lights on or the main streets with lit lamps in the late time of night. Even if she now held an uncanny ability to see in the dark, she still needed more than absolutely zero light to see.

She didn't want to be out in such a storm, even if the rain hardly put a chill into her already-cold body, but that insatiable hunger had returned to her and there was only one pony who knew how to take care of it. Visiting the mansion on the hill was the last thing she wanted to do under any circumstance after what happened to her last time the owner paid her a visit, but she was once again growing desperate.

In her mad rush through the streets and over puddles of water, she felt her hooves skid on the slick stones making up the ground of the town's marketplace. Though she tried her best to stay upright, the distraction of her own thoughts gave her just enough pause to allow for a harsh fall against the side of Ponyville's landmark bakery. A sickening crack forced its way through the rain, and though she felt that intense, burning pain of a broken bone pierce her left wing, her body's usual urge to scream never came. It was almost as if the pain didn't matter to her anymore.

As she picked herself up off the ground, her injured wing simply hung awkwardly towards the ground. She attempted to look the injury over, but to her surprise, a different feeling came from the limb which suspiciously bore no bruise. As if an invisible pony had taken hold of her wing, her bones snapped themselves back into place, the wing setting itself.

Her sense of confused awe was cut short when the window just above her opened, catching her ears. She caught sight of Pinkie Pie leaning out just enough to peer outside without getting pelted by the rain in search of what had just impacted the wall. Eventually, those blue eyes turned down to look right at her.

Pinkie Pie blinked, an expression of concern crossing her face. “Fluttershy? What are you doing out there in a super big bad rainstorm like this? I know our sweets are super tasty, but they're not worth getting all wet over! Come inside before you catch a cold!”

Fluttershy folded her wing back up against her body as if it hadn't just been mangled a moment ago. Her eyes lingered on her friend. She wanted to speak, but the more she stared at Pinkie Pie, the louder that pain in the pit of her stomach grew. Any attempt to speak would be cut off by her snapping her mouth shut again.

Pinkie tilted her head. “Everything okay? Kinda hard to see in the dark, but you kind of have something going on with your face there.”

Fluttershy paused. For reasons she didn't fully understand, staring at her concerned friend made her mouth water as if she was staring at a big table of delicious food. A swallow of saliva allowed her tongue to run across something she definitely knew wasn't there just moments ago: a pair of large, sharp fangs. Without a moment's hesitation, she held a hoof over her mouth and dashed away from Sugarcube Corner in an awkward three-legged gallop.

“Hey! Wait! Where are you going?!”

The voice of Pinkie calling after her barely reached her through the cacophony of rain. Only once she was sure she wasn't being followed, she lowered her hoof back down to the ground to return to full speed. She needed to get to Scarlet's mansion as quickly as possible. She needed to understand why she had just been staring at one of her best friends like she was a tasty stew, allured by its aroma as it cooked all day.

Luckily, no other ponies seemed too keen on stopping Fluttershy as she continued her ill-advised trip through the pounding rain. Her eyes tracked the shadow of Carousel Boutique lit up only by the lights coming from inside as she passed by. Rarity's home was the best landmark on the way to Scarlet's home, though that quickly began to concern her.

She just about slipped on the steep path up the hill, but this time actually managed to catch herself. Taking a slower pace to keep safe, she soon reached the front door and raised both of her hooves to pound on it. She no longer cared about being disruptive to the pony living inside. She needed answers and she was going to get them.

When the door opened, she just about struck Scarlet in the face with her flailing hooves. Luckily for the both of them, Scarlet had much faster reflexes than for a pony of the age she appeared to be.

Fluttershy lowered herself down onto all fours. In a rare moment for her, she allowed her frustration to show on her face. “You are going to – “ Her words cut off as she ran directly into what felt like a solid brick wall, her entire face hurting for just a moment before any pain swiftly faded away just like her wing. Confusion grew inside of her as she placed her hooves against the barrier that stood between her and Scarlet. Even though everything looked just normal and she couldn't physically see the impediment, she was able to feel it right there with her own hooves. “What's this?”

Scarlet laughed, that darker demeanor sticking to her much like it did during her visit. “Oh you sweet innocent dear, you have so much to learn, still.” Scarlet's words held an air of smugness that only made Fluttershy give another pound to the invisible barrier in front of her. “I haven't invited you into my home since you turned, and vampires cannot enter private homes unless invited in at least once.”

Fluttershy allowed a growl to leave her throat, another strike to the force holding her back sending a visible ripple through it like water. “I thought you said drinking that horrible blood would make me feel better, but I'm feeling hungry again! Why did you lie?”

“Come on in, dear, let us have a talk,” replied Scarlet in a calm tone despite the mild snarl on the face of the pony before her.

The barrier vanished instantly in front of Fluttershy and sent her down to the ground for the second time that night. Luckily for her, she only fell on her belly rather than her wing. She stood once again, only to have a towel tossed over her head.

“Dry yourself off first. I don't want you dripping all over my carpet.”

Fluttershy begrudgingly pulled the towel off her head to carefully pat the water out of her fur and hair. “Why am I hungry again? Why did it feel like I wanted to eat my friend?”

Scarlet laughed into a hoof. “My, feeling pretty direct tonight are we? Where's that shy, meek, couldn't hurt a fly pony?”

“Answer me!” Fluttershy stomped her free hoof on the ground, the sound of a cracking porcelain tile ringing throughout the mansion.

Scarlet didn't bear a single hint of fear despite the anger directed right at her, almost as if she knew for a fact that Fluttershy wasn't the slightest bit of a threat to her. “Come, we'll off to the sitting room and I'll explain everything step by step so even you can understand, dear. Just remember, everything about what I'm going to tell you is a matter of your own survival.”

* * *

Rarity wore a happy, yet tired, smile as she tied the last bow on her latest creation's sleeve. It had taken much longer than expected to get the design down just right, but the final product was more than worth it. She took a couple steps back to admire the classically designed dress inspired by those worn back in the early days of the princesses' reign. In her mind, there was absolutely no doubt that it would absolutely stun her customers up in Canterlot.

A knocking sound echoed down the stairs from the boutique's living quarters and easily caught Rarity's attention. Sweetie Belle was with their parents for the time being, so she knew it couldn't be her playing. Oh goodness sake, is Opal knocking things over again? She thought to herself with a groan. Her magic may have made cleaning up after that finicky cat an easy job, but it was still an irritating one. It didn't help that it was growing close to when she should tuck into bed for the evening.

“Opal! You better not be playing with momma's things again!” she called out while climbing up the stairs.

Rarity cantered straight into her bedroom, but to her surprise, the room was not only clean but Opal was peacefully sleeping right in the middle of her bed. Her expression shifted from annoyed to confused. She was about to turn and inspect Sweetie's room for anything that might have fallen instead, but a sudden chilled wind across her side made her pause. The window facing out away from the majority of Ponyville was pulled open. Even if she had sworn she closed it the moment she heard about the plans for the storm, she simply lit up her horn with her light blue magic corona and closed it tight.

Once she no longer had the sound of rain, wind and a slight bit of thunder filling her ears, she heard a new knocking. This one was coming from the front door of her shop down below and she found herself quickly growing exasperated. “For the love of – I'm still cross with you, Rainbow Dash! If you're trying to scare me during another heavy storm like you did three months ago, I'll just warn you now that I'm not in the mood!”

Her trip back down the stairs was accompanied by many irritated mumbles about her prank-loving friend. The knocking didn't cease this time and continued right up until she took hold of the door's handle with her magic. Half expecting to see nothing as she opened it up, she instead gasped in shock at the image of a soaking wet Fluttershy standing drearily on her doorstep.

Fluttershy's mane stuck completely to any and every inch of her body it touched, most of her face hidden entirely from view save for her muzzle and one down turned eye. Her wings hung from her sides as if she had just flown for miles and her matted coat made her look even skinnier than normal. Amid the storm raging around her, Fluttershy opened her mouth slowly to speak. “Can I come in?”

“What? Get in here this instant! Get out of that rain!” Rarity sputtered, just about ready to drag Fluttershy in herself. She could only watch with worry as Fluttershy scooted past her, leaving a trail of water behind that mostly came from her extra long tail.

Rarity didn't wait even a second after the door was closed to race back up to the second floor to gather towels. She swiftly wrapped Fluttershy up and used her magic to pat her down all over to get some semblance of her friend's normal self back. She left one last dry one wrapped around Fluttershy for warmth while setting the rest aside for later.

“Uhm, thanks,” said Fluttershy in an even shakier voice than she usually carried.

Rarity sighed and circled around Fluttershy, putting the top of her head to her friend's rump to forcefully guide her up the stairs to the warmer living space. “Come on, let's get you warmed up. You're absolutely freezing, darling.”

Fluttershy moved at the pace set by Rarity without a fight. “Sorry if I'm being a bother. I just really need somepony to talk to right now, and all the others are asleep.”

Rarity stopped pushing once the two of them were in her bedroom where she swiftly magicked over a spare blanket to wrap around Fluttershy. “It's no bother at all if you genuinely need my support. It must be pretty serious to come all this way through such conditions.”

Fluttershy looked away and down at the floor. “It is something really important.”

The hesitation in Fluttershy's voice caught Rarity's notice, but she decided not to mention it. Instead, she gripped a hair drier in her magic and pulled it over to her. “Well, I'm all ears, darling. You can tell me absolutely anything.”

“Can you look into my eyes?”

The question caught Rarity by surprise. “Well, of course I can. Is there something wrong – “ She cut herself off immediately upon seeing the sight before her. Fluttershy's beautiful seafoam colored eyes had been replaced by darkened spheres, the whites now a dreadfully pitch black with the rings of color almost appearing to glow.

Rarity slowly backed away from Fluttershy in a moment of fear she never knew her friend could give. She could only watch as Fluttershy rose from the blanket, having to pause for a moment when her rump met the wall behind her. “Fluttershy? It's a little early to be practicing for Nightmare Night.”

“Look her in the eyes and she won't be able to tell anypony. It'll be okay. She won't go away forever, she'll just become like me,” Fluttershy muttered to herself while approaching. Despite the shaky tone in which she spoke, she kept her eyes locked right onto Rarity's who felt a strange difficulty in looking away.

Rarity brought a hoof in front of herself out of some protective instinct as her heart began to race. “Tell anypony what? Is there something you've told me you don't want others knowing? You can just tell me that. This is very unnecessary.”

No answer came to Rarity's questions. Instead, Fluttershy lunged directly at her at a speed she would expect from Rainbow Dash in full flight rather than a grounded pony. Due to that moment of surprise, she found herself pinned against the wall with her forelegs held down with a surprising amount of strength.

“You're, you're not Fluttershy are you? You must be a changeling or something!” Rarity's eyes turned from scared to angry at the thought. Her horn once again lit up with her magic and enveloped Fluttershy in its grasp. It took all of her strength in order to peel her attacker off of herself and hurl her against the far wall. She sadly missed the window she was aiming for, but she had opened up her route of escape nevertheless. “Too bad for you, I have experience fighting changelings!”

With a migraine setting in from the surprisingly heavy use of magic it took to lift something as heavy as a pony, she took off into a full gallop for the stairs. She caught only a glimpse of what she thought was a false Fluttershy climbing back up onto her hooves while racing out of the room.

Images of that twisted imitation of Fluttershy's face remained in the front of Rarity's mind. Visions of those terrifying eyes accompanied by a snarling mouth with fangs too long to fit inside of it when closed gave her just enough distraction to allow one of her hooves to catch and scrape against a step. With a terrified scream, she came crashing the rest of the way down the stairs and into one of her many work stations.

Be it the adrenaline coursing through her veins or the sheer stubborn will to survive, Rarity managed to pick herself up off the ground despite the pain coming from multiple locations around her body. A pair of fabric scissors knocked free from its resting place caught her eye and she scooped them up with her magic before limping for the door as quickly as she possibly could.

She threw the door open and hurried out into the storm without a care for the risks it posed. Facing a pitch black night and random bolts of lightning held much better odds than she felt she had fighting that thing all on her own. She just needed to get somewhere she could feel safe.

Rarity struggled to find any sense of bearings even with the glow coming off her horn, but she found herself thanking the princesses when streetlights greeted her upon rounding a corner. She may not have known her exact location in town, but all of the main roads led to a place she knew she could find help. It was just a matter of getting there before her pursuer she could just barely hear over the rain caught up with her.

During her sprint through the dark town, she could feel whatever injuries she had sustained during her trip down the stairs grow angrier and angrier. By the time she managed to reach Sugarcube Corner, she could only hobble at just over a normal trotting pace. Despite this, she threw herself at the door a single test of her magic told her was locked.

“Pinkie Pie! Mister and Missus Cake! Anypony! Please wake up!” Rarity pleaded in desperation while pounding at the door with both of her hooves. She turned her head to check for the one chasing after her before resuming her distressed struggle. Even as her hooves grew sore from the repeated impacts, she continued on. If she had the strength in her, she would have broken the barrier down just to get to another pony.

Exhausted, she pressed her cheek against the door and slowly slid down to the stone steps. Even as she caught sight of Fluttershy approaching her again, she couldn't bring enough strength into her muscles to so much as stand back up again. She could only stare into those dark eyes while cowering, too worn to even do so much as swing the scissors still pathetically held in her magic when a flick of a hoof across her horn made her drop them.

As she braced for the worst, Rarity felt a strong tug on her tail and couldn't fight back as she was slowly dragged away. The last thing she could see before Fluttershy dragged her around the nearest corner was Pinkie Pie opening up the door and glancing around with concern before leaning down to inspect the lost pair of fabric scissors. She desperately held out a hoof as if it would somehow let her grab her friend, but she was soon behind cover.

Mercifully, the dragging stopped soon after the two of them were completely out of sight. Despite her inability to run or fight any longer, Rarity still found herself getting held down by Fluttershy above. Even with the rain falling on her face, she could only stare straight up at perplexing mix of anger and regret on Fluttershy.

No words were exchanged, and she instead could only watch Fluttershy lower her head down towards her neck. Without warning, Rarity felt those intimidating fangs stab right through her skin as if it were tissue paper. She wanted to scream, but something made the sound die before it could even make its way to her throat. All she could do was lay there, pinned down by her friend, or a monster that looked very much like her, and stare up at the lamp post. The corners of her vision began to fade into darkness, more and more of her sight draining away from her.

She could hardly even register the fangs pulling back out, only just barely able to see the blurred image of Fluttershy above her shifting back to the visage she was much more accustomed to. Fluttershy held her hooves over her mouth in shock, a few words just barely catching her ringing ears.

“Oh no, what have I done? I'm so sorry, I was just so...” Fluttershy's words grew too hard to hear through the increasing volume of the ringing.

Rarity's vision faded entirely to black, but she could feel herself getting gently picked up. The last thing she could sense before blacking out entirely was the soft bobbing of somepony trotting while carrying her on their back.