“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?”

Fluttershy turned and smiled at her mismatched friend. Not once during the two months since Talvira’s defeat had Discord left Fluttershy’s side. Even when his powers were used to help restore corrupted ponies, he refused to abandon his first friend. This had included this important milestone in her recovery; returning home. It almost didn’t seem real it was actually happening but standing before her cottage, looking exactly as she had left it, she felt indescribable joy. Surrounding the front door were many of her animal friends, Angel sitting there with an expression of relief and jubilation that she had returned.

With a leap into her arms and a nuzzle into her collarbone, Fluttershy finally felt home.

“I’m sure, but thank you for staying with me Discord.” Still wearing a look of concern that ill-fitted his zany features, the draconequus gently took her hands in his and looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes.

“If you need help, or anything, anything at all, call me and I’ll be here.” With a nod from the yellow pony, the avatar of chaos disappeared in a flash of light. With nothing but the sound of nature surrounding her, Fluttershy turned and entered her home.

The inside hadn’t been touched since she had left, and a thin layer of dust was starting to gather. The larger animals wanted to follow inside, but Angel stopped them; his meaning clear. Fluttershy had come home to relax, and the white rabbit was determined to help her get that rest. The pegasus just stood and looked over her abode, as if it was the first time she had seen it. A tapping on her shin brought Angel back to her attention, and the rabbit guided her to the couch. She smiled and complied with her beloved pet, laying down while he hopped back into the kitchen.

As she lay there, Fluttershy looked out the window as her mind wandered. The sky was once more a bright and cheerful blue, and the silhouette of Canterlot still stood off in the distance. It almost felt as if the demonic incursion had been but a bad dream conjured up as a sick form of revenge by Nightmare Moon. But she knew better. Everypony knew better. Following the end of the challenge and the exodus of Talvira and her hordes, there was much to repair. Many to mourn. Alongside the genocide of the buffalo of Appleloosa, well over half of the male population of Equestria was culled by the monsters that had rampaged across the nation. Those stallions that remained were either children and young adults that managed to escape the chaos, or those that were brainwashed and took part in the debauchery. Many were still looked at with untrusting gazes.

Celestia, freed from her corruption and still in mourning over the loss of her sister Luna, had decided to abdicate the throne. Even if she weren’t grieving, she felt unworthy to be trusted with Equestria’s defense any longer given how easily Talvira had brushed them aside, and had decreed that Cadance, the one alicorn that hadn’t fallen to the lust, would become the sole princess of all Equestria, and this act would unify their kingdom with the Crystal Empire. The soldiers and volunteers of the Empire were spread thin as they engaged in repairs and counselling of the victims of the occupation.

As for her friends… They had taken the aftermath the hardest. Twilight Sparkle had locked herself within the castle dungeons once she was reformed. Spike and Starlight had spent days trying to talk her out of there, and she only relented when Celestia came to offer her former student a shoulder to lean on and an ear to vent to. She had since returned to her own castle, and the last time she had spoken to Spike, Fluttershy had learned Twilight was researching ways to further strengthen the wards and barriers separating Tartarus from Equestria, as well as spells tailored for combating demons. As far as the pegasus knew, she had yet to properly talk with her family, especially her mother, about what happened.

Applejack, meanwhile, had busied herself with work back on the farm. Her family had thankfully been spared any harm during the incursion, locking themselves in the cellar, and they were ensuring the farmer didn’t overwork herself. She refused to talk to them about what happened, or to anypony for that matter. This was most evident with Rainbow Dash. The speedy pegasus had offered seemingly a thousand apologies and volunteered to do any kind of work for all of her friends. Yet the earth pony farmer couldn’t bear to look the wonderbolt in the eye, nor say anything of worth. Fluttershy knew this was eating up her oldest friend. Rainbow felt she had betrayed all of her friends and all of Equestria. She just desperately wanted to make things right. It had taken Fluttershy a few tries, but eventually the message that it wasn’t Rainbow’s fault seemed to sink in, though she still tried mending the bridge with Applejack whenever she could. As for their children, Applejack had decided to take them all in, even the wolf child. Many protested this, but Fluttershy had stood up for her, saying that the wolf-Apple’s birth shouldn’t immediately label them as evil. Though reservations clearly remained, all of their friends agreed to Applejack’s decision.

Rarity was shattered. The fashionista had barricaded herself within Carousel Boutique and only allowed Sweetie Belle and Fluttershy to see her. Her transformation had affected her the most as, while as corrupted into her slime-like form, she had absorbed not only Princess Luna, but her own mother as well. This had “gifted” her with nearly a full foot of additional height; making her undoubtedly the tallest of their friends, as well as an even more pronounced bust and hip size than before. What destroyed Rarity most of all wasn’t just that she had done it, but there was no way to reverse her essentially consuming them. Not even Discord’s magic could return ponies back from the dead. Fluttershy knew words wouldn’t be enough to help heal this wound, and simply focused on being there for the unicorn. Rarity had a long road ahead of her, but Fluttershy was determined to help her every step of the way. This meant that, although she had regretted it and felt hypocritical, she accepted Rarity wanting absolutely nothing to do with the being she had given birth to. Where it had ended up was beyond Fluttershy’s knowledge, but she wasn’t about to confront Rarity on this issue. Not until she felt better, however long that took.

Of her friends, only Pinkie Pie seemed like she was unburdened by guilt, and she had constantly informed the yellow pegasus it wasn’t her fault and how proud she had been that Fluttershy had triumphed. But uncharacteristically, there was no victory party, the party pony stating it wasn’t the right time to celebrate. At times, Fluttershy also saw a tinge of fear in the pink pony’s eye anytime someone entered her vision. She hadn’t been home to the rock farm to face her family, and mother, since the end of the trial and changed the topic of conversation all too quickly whenever it was brought up. The only other change to Pinkie was her mane and tail; they lacked their usual poofiness. Perhaps it would return to normal once Pinkie had as well, though Fluttershy had no way of knowing how long that would take.

The long road to recovery finally turned Fluttershy’s mind to her own family… or what was left of it. Her father and brother Zephyr Breeze were unable to escape Talvira’s wrath, as she learned they had been slain when her mother had been taken. As for Posey Shy… Like Rarity, she was emotionally destroyed. The love of her life and her only son were dead, and she had been forced into sexually servicing and then being raped by her own daughter. The first visit Fluttershy made, the two merely embraced and cried. Hours had gone by that day yet neither wished to let go. They had met almost daily before Fluttershy had left to return home, while Posey was staying at the palace as a guest of Celestia, deciding what to do now her old life was in pieces. The thought brought tears to Fluttershy’s eyes, making her question if it was right to come home at all.

Movement at the edge of her vision brought Fluttershy back to reality, as Angel had placed a bowl full of salad before her, worry filling his little face.

“Oh, thank you, Angel.” She spoke up, her voice seeming loud in the quiet cottage as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Um… If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to have this in my room. Is, is that alright?”

The rabbit nodded, though his face remained concerned, and hopped ahead of her as she took the bowl and followed him up the stairs to her bedroom. Once there, he gave her some space, leaving Fluttershy alone in her room. After taking a moment to savor the familiar surroundings and the quiet, she sat down on her bed and took her time enjoying the vegetables her dearest animal friend had rustled up for her. Once the salad was gone, she simply lay back and closed her eyes, hoping to have a peaceful rest in her own bed.

As long as I exist, you will never know peace!

Fluttershy sat up in a flash at the whisper in her mind. Her room was now darkened, and her eyes scanned the shadows for any familiar demonic forms. Thankfully, none could be seen. Just her darkened, empty room, though a blanket had been draped over her form and the bowl had been removed. Clearly her little nap lasted longer than she thought. The echo of Talvira’s last threat before being sucked back to Tartarus still haunted her. At the thought of her ordeal, Fluttershy felt dirty, unclean, and made her way into the bathroom. She peeled away her green sweater, her white top and light green dress skirt before finally discarding her pink bra and panties. For the first time in a while, Fluttershy stood naked, and looked over her body in the mirror.

Her wings were finally free of the cuffs that had held them closed that entire week, though they still weren’t strong enough for her to fly just yet, and she needed to preen them and train them back into shape; a task Rainbow Dash had enthusiastically agreed to help with. Her breasts had remained the same size throughout, but her nipples no longer leaked dairy goodness. Her thighs had returned to the same thickness from before the trial began and, most importantly to Fluttershy, her cock and balls were completely gone, her clitoris having returned in their place and her virgin marehood no longer hidden behind the medicine ball-sized nutsack. The mare felt an immense sense of relief that all of her corruptions had vanished, like they had been nothing more than a bad dream. But she knew better. Those additions had been there, as even now her clit ached slightly from the punishment it had been put through those last two days.

As she stepped into the shower and let the water begin to wash over her, she took the moment to close her eyes and relax, finally feeling comfortable in her own skin once more. She took a sponge and carefully cleansed her body, though she made the conscious effort to leave her erogenous zones until last. Even then, she cleaned them gingerly, making incredibly quick passes over her most sensitive spots like her nipples or clitoris. This was meant to be a time for proper cleansing, unlike her visit to the spa with Midnight. Her thoughts turned to her friends once more, though now as they were on that last day. Corrupted. She shivered in place despite the warm water cascading down her form. She couldn’t bear to think of them as the same ponies that she called her dearest friends, the ones who had helped her become the mare she was today. In her mind, Twilight and Midnight Sparkle were two distinct mares, as were all the corrupted version of her friends. She wouldn’t accept anything else. She assumed it was her own method of coping with what happened.

Once out of the shower and dried off, she realized she’d forgotten to grab a fresh change of clothes before hopping in. So, it was a great relief to see her green pajamas folded neatly by the bathroom door waiting for her, as well as a fresh pair of underwear. Fluttershy supposed Angel must have heard her in the shower and prepared them. Making a mental note to give him as many cuddles as he could ever ask for another time, she quickly grabbed them and dressed herself, the long-sleeve top and pants concealing her form and warming her body.

The room dived back into darkness when she exited the bathroom, and her nerves started rising as she swiftly crossed the five or so steps to her bed and dove under the covers. Another check of her surroundings as her eyes readjusted to the dark told her she was alone, though she had only just noticed the drowsy form of Angel looking up at her from his own bed, concern again taking prominence in his eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry Angel. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Fluttershy said softly, her words sounding much louder in the dark room. Angel shook his head and hopped up to her bed, where he wormed his way under the covers and snuggled up next to her. Smiling, she embraced the rabbit tightly as she closed her eyes. As her consciousness slipped away, it was as if the stress of the events two months prior was melting away with it. All the torturous modifications made to her body, all the horrific transformations cast upon her friends and the princesses, all the pain she had endured both physically and emotionally, it all faded away. For now, at least. She was home. She was safe. She was still pure.

In her mind, she had passed the test.

Author's Note

Finally, the good ending. I know it's been a long time coming and hopefully it was worth the wait.
There are a few other alternate chapters that could still be written, as well as potential spin offs from this ending, but for now I intend to turn my focus back to Odyssey of the Heart.

I hope you've enjoyed this story, and here's hoping you'll continue to follow my works, as well as hoping for a better year for all of us than the last two put together.

Sincerely,
CorruptedKindness