The Hateful Six

Chapter 4:
Fluttershy's Got a Secret

About 20 minutes has passed since we last left our characters. Twilight volunteered to take Rainbow's dead body outside. Straws were drawn to see who'd help her. Rarity lost. Pinkie and Applejack had a vigorous debate about the legality of the self-defense murder that just transpired. Applejack, who was supremely confident of the legality of what just transpired, mostly ignored Pinkie. So really, it was just Pinkie who was arguing.

After enough seconds had passed, Pinkie left and went rummaging through Rainbow's saddlebags right after lighting some candles. Applejack had her rifle out at all times, not letting Fluttershy or Pinkie out of her sight. Fluttershy was cowering in the corner, but hasn't moved much since the murder took place.

"GASP!" Pinkie said while rummaging through Rainbow's saddlebags.

Let's go back a little.

20 minutes ago, Applejack shot Rainbow Dash before she could collide with Twilight. But about an hour before that, something equally as important happened, but not everypony saw it. While Rarity was drinking, Pinkie and Rainbow were talking about dinner, and Applejack and Twilight were chatting about their agreement.

"Ah wanted to thank ya. Promises are important…"

Somepony, poisoned the daisy pie.

"…er not bad a pony, fer a unicorn."

And the only one to see her do it… *gunfire* …was Fluttershy.

That's why this chapter is called…Fluttershy's Got a Secret.

"GASP!" Pinkie said while rummaging through Rainbow's saddlebags.

"What is it?" Applejack asked, curious as to what she found.

"Dashie was putting her pie pieces into her saddlebag! She must have not really like pie and was sparing our feelings, that's so kind." Pinkie smiled bittersweetly, seemingly not caring that she was standing in her blood.

"If ya say so."

The door opened admitting Twilight and Rarity, both covered in so much snow, it looked like their pelts were white. Applejack mused, then blinked. Rarity's coat was white. She watched them just like she watched her prisoner and that suspicious pink pony. Despite helping her, she couldn't help but not trust Twilight. Not help but not trust anypony. The two quickly shut the door and hammered in the nails and wood. That was when Fluttershy started humming, then that humming turned into soft singing. All the while, everypony seemed entranced. They hadn't heard her voice in all the time spent in this cabin.

At the Gala, in this cabin
I'm going to see them all!
All the ponies, I'll befriend them at the Gala!
All the unies, and the earthies
They will love me big and small!
We'll become good friends forever
Right here at the Gala!

There was something really haunting about the way she sung those words, like a promise she would do anything to keep. Applejack shook herself off from this shocked daze and raised her hoof, preparing to strike her, but before she could, a rumbling sensation gurgled in her stomach. Then she dropped to the floor. The sensation grew worse and worse and soon enough, it came up completely. Blood, pie, and alcohol. It came spewing out like a torrent. But Applejack was an earth pony.

She heaved herself up, trying her hardest to keep it all inside. Sometime during her heaving, her rifle was sent to the other side of the room. No matter. With her last remaining strength, she yanked down Fluttershy using the chain and threw up blood on her face. The pegasus screamed loudly before cackling loudly, a wild manic expression on her usually soft features. Applejack couldn't stand it. Pain was existence but that face took priority. Pulling her close once again, she wound up a punch that sent the pegasus back, but she couldn't get far because of the shackles. The orange earth pony growled and with determination only an Apple could have, she heaved herself to the pegasus and pounded her hooves into her face. She only got in two more blows before she collapsed onto the yellow mare, dead.

Twilight and Rarity watched this in horror and before they knew it, Pinkie was also on the floor heaving out her guts. The pink earth pony had a sickly, blood-stained grin when she pulled herself back to her hooves.

"The bitch poisoned the pie." She coughed out a laugh which lasted only a few seconds, resulting with her back on the floor, more blood spewing out. However, just like Applejack, she was an earth pony. With crazy strength, she ruffled through her mane and pulled out an impossibly huge minigun. Twilight shrieked and dove behind the bar, Fluttershy ducked behind Applejack's corpse, but Rarity wasn't fast enough.

With maniacal laughter, Pinkie let it rip. With her dying breath, she shot up the entire place. All the while, she yelled obscenities, most of them directed at Rainbow. From what Twilight could hear over the gunfire and glass shattering, Rainbow had killed the Cakes and was planning to kill them all. The hailstorm lasted for a full minute before a choked gasp signalled Pinkie's end. Twilight waited another few seconds or so before popping back up and gazed in dismay at the chaos caused.

Pinkie lay slumped over her minigun which in turn sat atop the dining table. Rarity was also shot up, laying in front of the front door, the light behind her eyes gone, her beautiful dress in shreds. Fluttershy was still alive and was pulling on Applejack's chains, her teeth bared. Around everypony, nearly every bottle on the counter was broken, most of the windows had bullet holes, the furniture was destroyed, and there was fire in the corner because of a knocked over lantern.

Twilight staggered upwards, pure confusion and rage on her face. She had no idea how she could feel these two conflicting emotions, but she did. She trotted closer, stumbling a bit on Rarity's corpse, but ultimately came close enough to see Fluttershy's marred face.

The pegasus looked up and her face split open with a grin. Her buttery yellow coat and pink mane didn't look all that yellow or pink. Just various shades of red and black. Twilight looked down at Applejack. The once proud and stubborn mare, reduced to a battered deadweight, still holding onto Fluttershy despite moving on to the next world.

Twilight sniffed and spat to the side. Her horn sparkled and the fizzed out. Twilight cursed and decided to take out her pistol with her hoof and cocked it. The barrel pointed towards Fluttershy's bloodied head and the mare merely looked on with an insane look.

“You will love me.”

Then everything went black with pain. Twilight's ears rung with the echoes of a loud bang and from a single look down, she came to the conclusion that she was shot with a shotgun. Then the screaming began.