She Talks To Angel - The Aftermathby RushingWind-01ChaptersChapter 7: The FINAL Final Battle!Prologue: Fluttershy - Evil?Chapter 1: NightmaresChapter 2: Escaping TartarusChapter 3: Alone in EquestriaChapter 4: Fallen FriendsChapter 5: Retrieving the ElementsChapter 6: To Canterlot!Chapter 8: Undoing EverythingChapter 7: The FINAL Final Battle!Fluttershy trotted through Canterlot, always on the lookout for something threatening. But strangely enough, the entire capital looked deserted. She then spotted Canterlot Castle in the distance. That's where the Evil Trio must be. Determination built up in Fluttershy's mind. She had to avenge her friends and save Equestria from Evil. "My friends won't have lost their lives in vain.", Fluttershy said to herself, "They'll pay for that...!" Arriving in front of Canterlot Castle, Fluttershy was met with a sight that she kinda expected. She saw Cozy Glow as an alicorn, a big Lord Tirek filled with magic and a Chrysalis that looked more powerful than usual. "Well, well, well... I'm impressed. You meek and shy teacher of kindness are still alive and well.", Cozy Glow mocked. Fluttershy remained firm despite Cozy Glow's comment. "I'm not afraid of you anymore, and I will not leave Equestria in your evil clutches!", she said, highly determined. "We will kill you quickly, just like we did your friends.", said Chrysalis, "You know, we were wondering where you've been. Without you, the Elements of Harmony were useless, which made it easy for us." Fluttershy became sad again when Chrysalis mentioned that her friends were dead. But then, she heard the voices of her friends. Defeat the trio and save Equestria. We all believe in you... Come on, Fluttershy! Do it for Equestria, do it for me... Do it for yourself! Fluttershy's sadness turned into rage as she unleashed a powerful scream that shook her surroundings. Even the Evil Trio got a good shake from the scream. "Impressive. You've certainly gotten stronger," said Lord Tirek, "but that won't save you from your demise. We have the power of the princesses and Discord, who we locked up in the old castle of the two sisters after we took his power and stored it along with the magic of the Alicorn princesses... in here." When they, mentioned Discord, one of Fluttershy's closest friends, Fluttershy just became angrier, and by that right more confident that she can win this final conflict. Then, Tirek showed her a big bell in turquoise, filled with lots of magic. He smiled devilishly. "Grogar's Bewitching Bell.", he said, "Us three learned about it while we were in Tartarus, and when we got our hands on it, we knew that there will be no stopping us once we drained the magic from Discord and the princesses. And now, you will see the same fate as your friends." But Tirek's words left Fluttershy remaining firm and confident. She was going to see through this. "I won't die.", she said, her voice filled with lots of confidence, "I am the last remaining Guardian of Harmony, and I will win!" "Then show us what you got!", said Cozy Glow. Fluttershy immediately took off, with Cozy Glow going after her. They flew around Canterlot quickly, and Cozy Glow tried to hit Fluttershy with magical beams. But thanks to her increased agility from the rainbow power, Fluttershy could easily dodge every single shot. Cozy Glow became mad. "Can't you stand still for one fricking second!?", she yelled. "Okay.", said Fluttershy, and just one second later, when Cozy Glow wanted to fire at her again, Fluttershy charged her and struck her with multiple blows from her hooves, combining her newfound speed with strength and techniques that would make both Applejack and Rainbow Dash proud. "Aaaah! Chrissy! Help me!", screamed Cozy Glow. Coming to Cozy Glow's help now was Chrysalis, who also tried to hit Fluttershy with devastating magic beams. But even being outnumbered, Fluttershy remained confident and fought both of them at the same time. "Even if you're two and I'm one, I have the power of harmony! And you always know how it ends - harmony always wins!", Fluttershy said, knowing that she can beat them both. "Friendship won't save you this time!", Chrysalis said, "We told you, your friends are dead!" "I don't need my friends to fight! But I know that they need me! And with the power of the six Elements of Harmony, I wield the power I need to take you on!", said Fluttershy, not impressed by Chrysalis's words. "Well, if you're so confident," said Tirek, who comes from behind, "then I hope you can handle three of us!" Now that Tirek joins the fight, Fluttershy became a little worried. Cozy Glow and Chrysalis were easy to take on, but Tirek was so much bigger than her. How would she beat him? As the battle went on, Fluttershy dealt more and more blows to Cozy Glow and Chrysalis, all while dodging the attacks of the trio. But she just couldn't figure out how to get close to Tirek and hurt him. And then, in one lapse of attention, Tirek hit Fluttershy with a powerful magic beam. And then, she took magic beams left and right from Cozy Glow and Chrysalis, and they managed to floor her. Almost completely exhausted from the never ending battle, Fluttershy layed there, in front of the Evil Trio, who were all laughing devilishly. She managed to stand up on her hooves again, but she knew that she wasn't invincible, and that she couldn't take that many hits again... "We're too powerful. Admit it, you can't beat us!", Cozy Glow mocked again. "Hahaha! You're so weak. Very weak.", said Chrysalis. "And you're supposed to be the Flame of Harmony that stops us? Give me a break!", said Tirek. All three villains were laughing Fluttershy out loud. Immediately, Fluttershy's insecurity and fear returned. Unfortunately, it was true. She wasn't as brave and confident as Rainbow Dash was, and even if she was so powerful, she just couldn't use that power that her friends gave her to its full potential. But then, she knew. While they're distracted, could she touch the bell and absorb the magic inside? She decided to play a little reverse mindgame with the Evil Trio. "Well, you're right. I am indeed weak. And I don't deserve to be the Flame of Harmony.", she said. "Haha, that's exactly what we thought. Your kindness is holding you back. You can't stand hurting someone.", said Cozy Glow. "Come on, embrace defeat already! You know you can't beat us!", Chrysalis said. This was exactly what Fluttershy intended to happen. "Okay. I'll... I'll..." The Evil Trio was eagerly waiting for Fluttershy to say that she gives up. This is just what she wanted. The villains have let their guard down, and they're no longer focused on protecting the bell. Spotting a gap going directly to the bell, she knew what to do. And then, confidence filled her mind, soul and body. "I'll destroy all of you!", she said. Not knowing what Fluttershy was talking about, they indeed were caught off guard as they noticed her going straight for the bell in a mere blink, not nearly enough time to react. And then, Fluttershy touched the bell, and absorbed all magic from it. When both the alicorn magic as well as Discord's chaos magic flowed into the pegasus, not only did a horn appear on her head, but she grew in size as well. Soon, she was even bigger than Lord Tirek. "No! Impossible!", said Tirek and tried to fire another beam on Fluttershy, but when it hit, she didn't even flinch. Instead, Fluttershy used her newly gained powers to fixate the Evil Trio with roots. And then, she pointed her horn at them and took away all their magic. And once she did, the Evil Trio could do nothing but look up to the giant, magic-imbued Fluttershy. "Hahaha... Now I have all the power, and I am above even you three!", Fluttershy screamed with a distorted sound in her voice. The Evil Trio winced back. They seemed to know what was coming. "Oh, goodness... I didn't know that she would be like that when she's angry...", said Cozy Glow. "Are we going to die now?", asked Chrysalis, scared of what might happen next. Even Lord Tirek was ready to give up. "This is the end for us...", he said. Fluttershy pointed her horn at the three villains again. The rage about the loss of her friends returned to her mind. "Now you three will pay for what you have done to my friends!", she yelled and charged a beam with a mix of alicorn and chaos magic. And then, she fired it away at the defenseless Evil Trio. Fluttershy couldn't see it, but with the powers of the alicorn princesses and Discord combined, the beam she fired disintegrated the Evil Trio, having them vanish from the world for good. Once she stopped firing the beam, the Evil Trio was gone. "Is it... over?", Fluttershy asked herself. The trio that she fought was nowhere to be seen, and when she looked around, she noticed a few ponies that came out of their hiding spots. When they all saw the alicornified Flame of Harmony, they cheered for her. Yes, it was over indeed. She managed to destroy the three most evil villains in all of Equestria, all by herself, and the only help she got was the power of the elements from her dead friends. Fluttershy giggled when the ponies cheered for her. She rarely got praised by a crowd, but now, she received the biggest praise that any pony could have gotten. She destroyed Evil and saved Equestria... A few days have passed since Fluttershy's victory over the Evil Trio. Since the Evil Trio told her about the place where Discord was held, it made it easy for her to find and rescue him. She decided to give him his chaos magic from the bell back. "Nopony should try to control the magic that you have, not even me.", she said to him. Since there were no clues about the whereabouts of princesses Celestia and Luna, Fluttershy decided to keep the alicorn magic inside her until they were found again. However, since she was an alicorn herself, everypony saw her as a princess, and with Celestia, Luna and Twilight gone, the ponies need a new ruler, and they all suggested that Fluttershy should take the role. Fluttershy was unsure what to say. The ponies entrusted her the entire kingdom, and she didn't want to disappoint them. "I'm not sure if I would be a good ruler over Equestria...", she said to the other ponies, "But if you think that I can do it and believe in me, then I have to try it!" And this earned her a lot of cheers from her new subjects. Fluttershy couldn't believe how well life has been treating her. She used to be so shy, meek and afraid, and now, she ruled over Equestria, known as the legendary hero that cleansed the world from all evil forces. The last remaining Guardian of Harmony... THE END... ...OR IS IT? Author's Note Yep, this is not the end yet. There's one more chapter remaining. The question is: What is Fluttershy going to do now that she's a princess? Prologue: Fluttershy - Evil?On a bright and sunny day, a little far from the outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy was laying under a tree and cried her heart out. She couldn't believe that this would happen to her. Just recently, her beloved Sweet Feather Sanctuary has been closed down by Dr. Fauna. And it's all just because of Zecora's plan of having Angel see what being overloaded with duties is like, and this caused him to turn the sanctuary into chaos. Once the sanctuary was closed, Fluttershy and Angel may have returned to their original bodies, but this event left a deep cut in Fluttershy's heart. Her long-life dream, crushed. Her will to live, fading. Her happiness, vanishing... Angel and some of Fluttershy's animal friends tried to solace the crying Pegasus. She looked up and said: "Oh, I appreciate you all trying to help me, but I'm afraid that it won't bring my sanctuary back, will it?" Fluttershy was deeply depressed. More so than when Twilight was depressed about her School of Friendship being closed down by Chancellor Neighsay. But that was just temporary and they managed to open the school again. But this was different - this is what Fluttershy worked long and hard for on her own, and thanks to one plan, it was ultimately crushed... She heard Dr. Fauna's words inside her head over and over again... "That's enough, Fluttershy! I'm closing this sanctuary down! I don't know what's gotten into you, but you turn this place into the chaos you were supposed to avoid, and this is no way of taking care of animals! And I thought I could trust you..." Fluttershy never meant for this to happen. She and Angel only went to Zecora for help, but now, looking back, it was a terrible idea. And this cost her the thing that she worked for on her own... She was so depressed even that she couldn't even go on as a teacher at the School of Friendship. Every time she would try to mention anything about kindness or taking care of animals, she would immediately break down into another cry fest. She didn't even bother telling Twilight or Starlight the fact that she won't be a teacher anymore, she just didn't come. Later, Fluttershy trotted through the streets of Ponyville to take care of a few things. But wherever she went, no matter what she did, she was always depressed. And even though her friends tried to help her to reason, to try to look forward without worrying about things that happened in the past, she denied it, lashing out her friends because they didn't understand what she went through to get that sanctuary. Not even the cheerful Pinkie Pie could brighten her up. The depression sat very deep in her heart. The only thing Fluttershy said to Pinkie Pie was that if her friends could somehow consult with Dr. Fauna and make her sanctuary re-open again, it would be nice. She knew that there was no talking Dr. Fauna out of that. Her verdict was final, and even if her friends tried, there was no way that they would get the Sweet Feather Sanctuary open again... Fluttershy sat on a bench, still very depressed about the loss of her Sweet Feather Sanctuary. She had tears in her eyes, and Dr. Fauna's words still lingered in her head. Lyra Heartstrings came along and sat next to her. "Hey, Fluttershy. What's wrong?", she asked. Fluttershy doesn't want to answer that question, but she kinda wanted to. "I... I lost my sanctuary...", she said. Lyra was confused. "Your what now?", she asked. "My thing that I worked long and hard for alone...", Fluttershy said. Lyra tried again. "Fluttershy, I can't understand what--" And then, Fluttershy snapped. "MY LONG-LIFE DREAM HAS BEEN CRUSHED AND NOW I'M DEPRESSED! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I'M GOING THROUGH A FLURRY OF EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW!?" Then realizing how she was talking, she immediately gasped. "Oh my... I'm... sorry...", she said apologetic. Lyra consoled her. "It's okay, Fluttershy.", she said, "Everyone snaps at some time, and everyone is depressed at some point. Heck, I remember when Pinkie Pie was so depressed that her sad appearance caused all the flowers around her to wilt." Fluttershy remembered that. The time when Pinkie Pie was playing the Vovidaphone and she and her friends made her stop playing it. Pinkie was also depressed until she played a Vovidaphone again, and it's the very same emotion that Fluttershy is going through right now, but in this case, there was just no fixing it. "I wish I could get my Sweet Feather Sanctuary back. It wasn't me who turned this place into chaos... I would never do that...", Fluttershy said, almost crying again. But Lyra came in clutch quickly. "You know, Fluttershy... When I am stressed, depressed or anything else that would get into my way, I usually paint pictures.",she explained, "It's relaxing, mind-clearing, and very rewarding. Why don't you try it?" "I don't know, Lyra... I don't think I'll be a good painter...", Fluttershy said. "Well, if you don't try it, you won't know...", Lyra said before she got up and went away. "I gotta go. See ya." Fluttershy thought long and hard about what Lyra said. "If she thinks I can paint, then I'd better give it a try..." She then went to the art store to purchase an easel, painting paper, paint brushes in different sizes and lots of beautiful colors. And then, she went home to her cottage. After tending to the animals, Fluttershy set up the easel, prepared her colors and got ready to paint. But what exactly should she paint? She was too depressed to think, and Dr. Fauna's words still repeated in her head. It was so difficult to think of anything... Then, looking to her left, she saw a bunch of blue-green flowers, and then, she had an idea - a beautiful, nightly landscape. Just very slightly, she started to smile again. And then, she began to paint... As hours of painting passed, the picture more and more took shape, and Fluttershy was getting more relaxed and happier by the minute. The picture of a nightly landscape with Canterlot in the far background looked fascinating, and seeing this beautiful picture that Fluttershy made on her own filled her with delight. She finally had something to work for again. "I'm so glad I took up painting. Lyra was right, this is so relaxing.", Fluttershy said happily. She was getting close to finishing the picture when Angel hopped up and pointed into his mouth, signalizing that he was hungry. "Oh, hello Angel.", Fluttershy said, "I'll feed you as soon as I'm done. I've put over 15 hours into this, and it's almost finished. Just a few last touches..." Fluttershy hoped that Angel would be a little more patient, as it really wouldn't take long. But when all of a sudden, a red splatter flew onto Fluttershy's picture, she gasped. "Oh my goodness!" Now Fluttershy's last pluck of sanity finally snapped. Angel not only destroyed her long-life dream, but he also destroyed that beautiful picture of hers, both of which she worked long and hard for on her own. She turned to the bunny she calls a pet. "Oh, let me guess, you think I'm going to apologize and give you your food, right?", she said in a very serious tone, "Oh no. This time, you're going to help me make another painting. And since you like red paint so much, I'll just have to use lots of red. But you know what? Looks like you used all the red. Guess we'll just have to improvise, won't we, Angel?" She grabbed that abuser bunny by the ears and lifted it up. Then, from a secret compartment of her drawer, she picked up a knife. And then, before Angel could say anything to maybe get Fluttershy to reason, the pegasus struck the blade into the bunny's chest, piercing his heart and ending his life once and for all... Then, calming down from her anger, Fluttershy realized the gravity of what she had just done. She backed away from the lifeless bunny and started to shiver. "Oh... Oh no... What have I done?", Fluttershy said before she started crying again. She couldn't believe that she out of all ponies has done that. She just mercilessly murdered her own pet bunny. And now, she screamed into the air. "AAAAAAANGEEEEEEEL!!!" She screamed so loud that nearly all of Equestria heard it. Fluttershy was worried. What could she do now? No one can find out that she was the one who killed her bunny. And so, without a parting word, not even leaving a note that said where she was going, she barricaded the door, closed the curtains, jumped out of the last remaining window and galloped straight to Tartarus. Come nightfall, Fluttershy reached the gates of Tartarus. Two big guards with spears were there. "Tell me, little pony, what is your wish?", asked the first guard. Fluttershy gulped. "I... I murdered someone...", she admitted, "Can you please lock me up? I'm too dangerous to be out there..." She almost cried again as she said those words. "As you wish, little pony.", the second guard said. The gates to Tartarus, the prison for the most demonish creatures in all of Equestria, opened, and the guards led Fluttershy to a free cell. Inside, she recognized some of the creatures. Back when she and her friends were locked up in Tartarus, she befriended a few of them. But since then, new creatures have been brought in. Fluttershy was so small and innocent-looking, and they were so big and evil... And now, she would spend a very long time locked up in the most hellish prison of Equestria... But as she and the guards passed the cells, Fluttershy noticed something about one cell... The one where Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek, the Evil Trio, were supposed to be in... They were gone... Fluttershy became anxious. If the Evil Trio has escaped Tartarus, then they must be somewhere, scheming an evil plan to take over Equestria... And if they found her friends with that evil plan in mind, she couldn't do anything to help them... Soon, the guards and Fluttershy reached an empty cell. "Good night, little pony. And it will be a few more you will spend here." Fluttershy went inside and the guards closed the door... Author's Note I decided to start the story with a prologue of what happened if things with the body swap went horribly wrong. I also took inspiration from this comic. Poor Fluttershy. She has gone through a lot of bad things recently, and now she's in Tartarus... Can she get out? To be continued... Chapter 1: NightmaresFluttershy trotted through the streets of her hometown, Ponyville. She wanted to go home to tend to her animals and get some sleep. But something was off. Very off... The skies around her were almost pitch black, and the town was abandoned. There was no light in any of the houses and nopony on the streets on the way home. Not even her friends were nearby. Just where was everyone? Fluttershy sped up into a gallop and somehow ended up in the Everfree Forest. She tried to leave again, but she couldn't find the exit. "Oh no, oh no, oh no... Where am I? Where's the exit?", Fluttershy thought, panic rapidly building up in her mind. Suddenly, she arrived at a spot in the forest that she didn't like to look at. A tombstone sat in the middle of the forest. Angel's name was engraved in it. Fluttershy knelt down to the grave. "Oh, Angel...", she said, "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to--" But before Fluttershy finished her sentence, the grave was glowing. Fluttershy backed away in fear and saw something that shocked her. Angel's ghost came out of the ground. He had a chest wound in the exact place where Fluttershy struck the knife into. He opened his eyes and looked at Fluttershy with an angry glare. "Why did you do that, Fluttershy?", asked Angel. Fluttershy was trembling heavily. "Angel... Please...", she said in fear, "You have to understand... I... I wasn't thinking..." "YOU WEREN'T THINKING, HUH?", Angel said, his voice angry and sounding demonic, "YOU COULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU KILLED ME FOR NO REASON!" Instead of giving in, Fluttershy screamed back. "No, Angel!", she said, "You caused the closure of my beloved Sweet Feather Sanctuary, you got me into a deep depression because of that, and you ruined my beautiful picture! You even made me lash out my friends because I was so depressed because of what you have done!" Angel screamed, turning more demonic by the minute. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR STUPID FRIENDS! IF THEY'RE SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN ME, THEN IT'S TIME I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT ONCE AND FOR ALL!" With these words, Angel's ghost went into Fluttershy's body, and despite her best efforts to defend herself, Angel took control of it in one fell swoop. "Now, let's end this...", Angel said and made his way to her friends. When the day dawned, Angel arrived at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie's home. Fluttershy tried to fight the devil inside her. "Please, Angel... Don't do this...", she said, "They'll have my head for sure if you do that!" "Haha, don't worry! They'll know it wasn't me!", Angel said, "It'll be you, the pegasus that turned the sanctuary into chaos!" Then, Angel burst the door open, strided straight to Pinkie Pie behind the counter and beat her to death. Angel chuckled at the sight. "Pathetic party pony.", he said. One by one, Angel mercilessly murdered all of Fluttershy's friends. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, even Starlight Glimmer and Discord weren't safe from his wrath. Last up was Rainbow Dash, who tried to talk with Fluttershy to maybe get her to stop. "Fluttershy! You gotta stop!", Rainbow Dash said, "I know how hard it is for you, but I know that deep down inside, that's not you!" "It doesn't matter. I killed every last one of my friends.", Angel said, "And now it's your turn." With these words, using telekinetic powers, Angel held Rainbow Dash in place and stabbed her in the chest with a knife, the same one that Fluttershy used to kill Angel. When Rainbow Dash fell to the ground, motionless, Angel laughed devilishly. "How does it feel to be a killer, Fluttershy?", he asked. Then, Angel's ghost left Fluttershy's body and vanished in the darkness. Fluttershy, who was now herself again, looked at Rainbow's dead body and at the knife in her hoof. "N-no... That's not me... That's not me...", she said, panicking heavily. And then, she screamed into the air again. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Fluttershy startled awake, heaving for breath, trying to get her bearings straight. She was still in Tartarus, in her little cell, her mane a mess with dark bags under her eyes. Nightmares. Again. For the tenth time in two weeks. And it was always the same one. Angel's ghost speaking to her, eventually turning into a demon, taking control of her body and slaying her friends like some sick butcher. Fluttershy put her face in her mane and cried. She never wanted any of all that to happen. She just wanted to take revenge for everything that Angel took from her ever since the body swap. Her sanctuary, her picture, and now her life in freedom. It was all gone. "I just want my life back...", she said, her voice muffled from her mane, "My sanctuary... And my friends... Just why did I do all that? All because Angel turned my sanctuary into chaos..." Looking into a mirror in her cell, Fluttershy no longer saw that cute and shy pegasus. Instead, she saw a crying weakling, all alone in Tartarus. A few nights back, she even heard rumbling and explosions, and she wondered if it was the doing of the Evil Trio that escaped without the guards noticing... Fluttershy shook of her thought, sat down on her haunches and started thinking. What could she have done to avoid all this? Maybe she could have gone with her friends to convince Dr. Fauna to reopen the Sweet Feather Sanctuary, telling her that it wasn't her who turned the place into chaos. But it would have been of no use, since she witnessed her own body do the handiwork. Other than that, her friends could have built another sanctuary for her, basically a way to start over, but it wasn't the same as the sanctuary she worked so hard for and looked after it alone, without help from anyone. And even so, if Dr. Fauna found out about her new sanctuary, she would close it down again, fearing the same thing would happen. And as for Angel... Well, she could have just put him in a timeout, but since her strings of sanity completely snapped after losing her Sweet Feather Sanctuary, she just wasn't thinking, she just wanted to make him suffer for what he did to her. There really was nothing she could have done. It's almost as if fate wanted this to happen. Fluttershy buried her face in her mane again and continued to cry. Nothing she thought about was comforting her, and the fact that she was in Tartarus without her friends by her side didn't make matters better. She blamed herself for not thinking what she was doing. All of this could have been avoided had she not gone to Zecora. She and Angel wouldn't have gotten these potions, then the swap wouldn't have happened, the sanctuary wouldn't have been closed, and Angel would be still alive... Suddenly, her thoughts were cut off when she heard a sound. A guard opened her cell door and pointed away from it. "Go on. Get out of here.", he said with a plain voice, "This place is finished..." Fluttershy didn't understand what was going on. Her sentence was nowhere close to over. Why was she just released out of the blue? "W-Why? What is going on?", Fluttershy asked the guard. "I don't know how we missed it, but the Evil Trio escaped and took over Equestria" said the guard, "and they demanded that the evil creatures are released, no clue why though." Fluttershy gasped. So it was true. The Evil Trio has escaped some time ago and now they took over Equestria. The only thing she could do at this point is to hope that her friends didn't pick a fight with them. Since she couldn't be with them, they were pretty much defenseless because she and her friends were the main key to harmony in Equestria, and every time they successfully defeated a villain, she was with them. Now that she was absent for such a long time, Equestria was always at threat of evil forces, and Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek took the chance and took over Equestria. "Oh... oh no! I have to find my friends!", Fluttershy thought, "If Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek took over Equestria, we have to find a way to defeat them!" Still in disbelief, yet determined, Fluttershy exited her cell and thought about what to do next. If she wanted to get to her friends, she first had to get out of Tartarus. And in order to get out of Tartarus, she had to get through the demons that were released on behalf of the Evil Trio. She may be able to befriend some of the new ones like the last time she was locked up in Tartarus with her friends, but she knew that there could be some that can resist her cuteness. Regardless, she needed to escape first, and then, she had to find her friends... Author's Note Fluttershy locked up in Tartarus was also an inspiration from the comic linked in the Prologue. The nightmare is an inspiration from Ranita, who also wrote an alternate ending to the same episode. Can Fluttershy escape Tartarus? We'll see soon enough... Chapter 2: Escaping TartarusFluttershy looked around. There she was, in the big and twisty maze of Tartarus. And she had no idea what to do or where to go. She then tried to remember the escape route that she and her friends had used when they were locked up themselves back in the day. It was faint, but the memory slowly returned. "Yes! I know where to go now!", Fluttershy thought. And then, she started to run. As Fluttershy ran, she got stopped in several rooms. Some of the new demons that didn't know her were always trying to harm her, but with the power to tame any animal, Fluttershy was able to calm them down and just get past them. And some of the demons that did know her, they bowed in front of her, not even bothering to attack her. Those befriended demons also helped her to get away from evil demons that were lost in translation, not listening to what Fluttershy said. And even though she never liked arguments, whether verbal or physical, she couldn't take care of either of them, because she had one goal in mind, and that was to escape. Fluttershy ran through Tartarus for what felt like an eternity. And almost every room where she stopped, she had to befriend a demon or run away from one. She even ran into the big, three-headed dog Cerberus, who, despite the order of the Evil Trio, did not give up his duty. He was still preventing the demons from escaping, but when he recognized Fluttershy, he was more than willing to let her go. Soon, Fluttershy spotted the exit, and her eyes were gleaming with hope in sight of freedom! But suddenly, one final big, fiery demon got in her way and startled Fluttershy, bringing herself to a stop. And when the fiery demon roared at the shy pegasus, she tried the one thing she always tried when a creature tried to harm her. She looked at the demon with big, cute eyes. "You seem tense. Do you want to talk about it?", she asked. The demon reacted, slightly confused at first. Then, it felt sorry for Fluttershy and started to talk to her. It sounded really sad, and while it was talking, it cried tears of hot lava. It was at this moment in which Fluttershy also felt sorry for the demon. "Aww, you were just trying to protect your pack from Princess Celestia, and she locked you up for that?", she asked. The demon cried even more. Fluttershy made sure to dodge the lava tears it spreads everywhere. Then, she comforted it by patting its back. "That's it. Let it all out.", she said to the demon, "You're not a bad demon. You just made a bad decision. You and me, we're really alike, you know?" The demon stopped crying. Fluttershy was happy and thankful that she was able to communicate with all kinds of creatures. This ability already saved her multiple times before, and now it did again. But then, she remembered her actual objective. She wanted to get out and find her friends. "Oh! Sorry, our time is up. Buh-bye!", she said to the demon in a cheerful attitude before heading towards the exit. While doing that, she could hear the demon calling Goodbye after her. Fluttershy went through the exit of the hell prison called Tartarus and was now a free pony again. She was outside, and she was still alive. Breathing in the fresh air of freedom that she hasn't breathed or smelled for weeks now, she started to feel happy again, one with nature, as it should be. Author's Note Yes! Fluttershy managed to escape! This was a short one, but I promise you, the next chapter will be longer. This one took a while since I haven't seen the episode "School Raze", so I had no idea what Tartarus was like, therefore having me make do with my imagination. Chapter 3: Alone in EquestriaFluttershy was relieved that she managed to escape from Tartarus. Now outside, she looked around - and all she saw was darkness, fire, some destroyed trees... "Oh my... What happened here?", Fluttershy thought. She has been locked up in Tartarus for a few weeks now, but never knew what happened in Equestria during that time. She only heard rumbling and saw explosions outside, and now seeing everything come together fills her with fear. "I have to find my friends! They know what to do with this situation!", Fluttershy said. She then galloped towards her hometown, Ponyville... Fluttershy soon reached Ponyville and was met with a horrible sight. The town was basically just mere ruins. Buildings were destroyed, some burning, and the once peaceful little town was deserted. In fact, the only building that looked intact was Twilight's castle. Fluttershy's eyes gleamed with hope. "Twilight must know how to deal with the situation. I have to get to the castle!", she said. But as soon as Fluttershy started to head towards the castle, she ran into problems. Ponyville wasn't as deserted as she first thought. Around the corner came some scary-looking black pony-like creatures with holes in their hooves and eyes and wings like a bug. Fluttershy knew these things. Changelings, and not just any changelings. Those are the minions of Chrysalis, the changeling queen that once held her and her friends captive in her hive. While she and her friends could escape with Thorax's help, they did have to help Starlight Glimmer to get through Chrysalis to save Twilight. But that memory was the least of her worries right now. When the changelings screamed, Fluttershy made a dash for it. She flew as fast and agile as she possibly could, looking for a place to hide. A few moments later, she managed to reach her cottage. However, the door appears to be locked. "Wh-What? Why is the door not budging?", Fluttershy thought in panic. She then remembered that she barricaded the door when she left for Tartarus. However, this meant that there was an open window she could use to enter her cottage. And lucky for her, there was an open window. Fluttershy jumped inside, shut it closed and pulled the curtains together. "Okay... I have to get to Twilight's castle, but if the changelings get me, I won't be able to help my friends anymore...", Fluttershy said, filled with fear. But now that she was home, she decided to relax a little. Everything was still the way she left it. Her furniture was still in place, the easel was still in place, and so was her picture with the big red splat that Angel made. "I wish I could have finished this picture...", Fluttershy thought. As she was going to do that, she noticed a strange stench in her nose. "Jeez, what is that smell that's--" She cut herself off and gasped when she saw the source of the stench. Just a mere leg length away from her was her pet bunny Angel, who was already rotting apart. And right next to him was that knife she used to kill him. Fluttershy picked up the knife carefully and observed it. The once fresh red blood took a dry brown color, the same color that Angel's blood had now. "Oh, Angel... I'm so sorry... I wish I could undo all this...", Fluttershy said to the rotting body. She then flew to the kitchen and cleaned the knife before going back and hiding it in the secret compartment of her drawer again. She then put on some latex hoof gloves, picked up Angel's body and threw it in the trash along with the gloves. "I hope I'll see you again someday...", Fluttershy said before she shut the trash can closed. Now that this was taken care of, Fluttershy continued to worry for her friends. They must be in Twilight's castle. But how could she possibly get there when there were changelings that could lurk around every corner of the town? It was going to be tough, but she simply had to find a way. Fluttershy removed the barricade from her door, stepped outside and considered her possibilities, when all of a sudden a changeling landed right next to her, which startled her. The changeling then changed his appearance and looked just like Fluttershy now apart from the eyes which still had a bright green. "Oh no... What do I do now?", Fluttershy thought, shying away from the changeling that looked just like her. "Well, well, well...", said the changeling, "I never thought we'd actually see you again. Our queen and her friends were wondering where you were." "What?", Fluttershy wondered. She couldn't understand what she heard. The queen and her friends wondering where she was? "Let's just say, we had a very easy time taking care of those friends of yours. They never stood a chance.", the changeling said, "And now, you'll join them too!" Fluttershy was really scared. Was this changeling really going to kill her? The changeling changed back to its normal form and yelled at her. Fluttershy could only try and hope somepony heard her. "HELP! SOMEPONY HELP ME!!!", she screamed. Just as the changeling was going to attack, a pegasus mare appeared and smacked the changeling away from Fluttershy. It then backed away and flew off. "Yeah! Go tell your friends! You don't attack helpless ponies!", she said. Fluttershy recognized that voice. It was Spitfire, the Captain of the Wonderbolts. "Spitfire! Is that you?", asked Fluttershy, happy to see one of Rainbow Dash's acquaintances. Spitfire looked at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy! Yes, it's me.", Spitfire said, "What are you doing out here? The whole city has been evacuated!" "Evacuated?" Fluttershy was shocked to hear that word. "Is it because...?" Spitfire nodded. "Yes. Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek took over Equestria. They have taken control of basically everything, from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire.", she explained, "We have evacuated Ponyville to keep the remaining residents that haven't been killed or captured yet safe." With light gleams of hope, Fluttershy asked: "And my friends? Where are they?" Her gleams of hope immediately faded when Spitfire sank her head. "I'm sorry... Rainbow Dash..." "What?" Fluttershy was eager to know what happened to her friends. "Rainbow Dash...", Spitfire began, "I saw her and the rest of her friends take on the Evil Trio. They tried to use the Elements of Harmony... But..." Fluttershy knew what was coming. "But they couldn't, because I wasn't there...", she said. "Mhm...", Spitfire said, "And what happened next was a big charge of dark magic, a devastating laser firing at the five ponies. And when the smoke was gone, all I saw was... dead bodies." "D-d-dead!?" Fluttershy couldn't believe what she heard. "My friends are dead?", she asked. "I'm afraid so.", Spitfire said, "And when the Evil Trio went away, me and some of the other Wonderbolts took their bodies and buried them deep in the Everfree Forest. And..." Fluttershy couldn't listen any longer to what Spitfire was saying. Her eyes filled with tears at these terrible news. The loss of her Sweet Feather Sanctuary was already deep in her heart, but losing her friends was far too much. She started to cry her heart out again. "NOOOO!!! It... It can't be true! My friends can't be dead! They're heroes, Guardians of Harmony, saviors of the world...!", Fluttershy cried. She couldn't bear to think about a life without her five dearest friends. Spitfire tried to comfort her. "Hey, Fluttershy. Don't cry.", she said, "I understand your pain. Sure, Rainbow Dash was one of our finest, without a doubt. But you, Rainbow, and the others... You have a deep history together. But I'm afraid that I can't do anything to bring them back. I do want you to know though that they were just as much my friends as they were yours." Fluttershy softened her crying a bit and looked up to Spitfire. "Th-thank you... Thank you for saying so...", she said. Then, Spitfire had an idea. "You know... There's this zebra in the Everfree Forest. Zecora, was it? Maybe she can find a way to bring your friends back.", she suggested. "I doubt it.", Fluttershy said, "Even if there was a way to bring back my friends, there is no way that we can beat Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek once my friends are revived. And what exacty is Zecora--" The moment Fluttershy said that name, rage built up in her heart. "Zecora..." Spitfire noticed that angry look on Fluttershy's face. "Erm, Fluttershy? Are you okay?", she asked. "I gotta go. I hope I'll see you again someday.", Fluttershy said and stormed off towards the Everfree Forest. Determined to have a serious word with that traitorous zebra, Fluttershy continued to storm through the Everfree Forest. She wasn't even afraid of anything that could jump at her at any moment. This was all about the truth. She had one goal in mind, and that was Zecora's hut. Soon, she spotted the infamous Poison Joke flowers that once turned her voice into that of a grown stallion. Zecora's hut was close by. And eventually, she spotted the obvious tree house. "You have a lot to answer for, Zecora...", Fluttershy said, her blood boiling in her veins. She then stormed towards the door. Inside, Zecora was already packing up all her things, when Fluttershy slammed the door open. "YOU!", she yelled as she bursted into Zecora's hut. Zecora was slightly startled, but then calmed down when she saw the pegasus. "Fluttershy, it's good to see you in the house of mine, but what brings you here at this dark of a time?", she asked. Fluttershy wasn't screwing around. "Quit your rhyming! How could you do this to me?", she said very angrily. "I don't really have a clue, what exactly did I do to you?", Zecora asked. Fluttershy snapped. "Thanks to YOUR potion that made me and Angel swap bodies, my Sweet Feather Sanctuary has been closed because Angel couldn't handle the tasks that I could take care of no problem, and it sent me into a deep depression, which led me into killing Angel and being locked up in Tartarus, and because I couldn't be with my friends in the fight against the Evil Trio, the world has ended, everyone is gone, AND MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD!!!" When Fluttershy was finished, Zecora gasped. She couldn't believe either what she heard from the normally shy and cute yellow pegasus. Fluttershy pushed on though. "Now what do you have to say for yourself? I said, what do you have to say for yourself?", she asked impatiently. Zecora sank her head. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy...", she said. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. A simple sorry was clearly not enough for her. Then, Zecora did something unbelieveable. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy!", she started to explain, "You have to understand, I did not intend for this to happen! These potions that you and your bunny took, they had you two swap bodies so you can spend a day in each other's body! The entire purpose was to show Angel how hard your work at the sanctuary is, and it was supposed to show you how it is when nopony but you can understand Angel! I never intended your Sweet Feather Sanctuary to close and you falling into a deep depression! Something must have gone horribly wrong!" Fluttershy didn't even notice that Zecora broke out of her usual rhyming. "Yeah, EVERYTHING went horribly wrong!", she scolded, "The entire place turned into the chaos that I could have easily avoided! And Dr. Fauna closed down the sanctuary because of that! Do you understand how much that sanctuary meant to me? I fought long and hard on my own for this, it was my long-life dream, and YOU CRUSHED IT!!! And also, why did you want to show me how it is when nopony but me can understand Angel? I can talk to all kinds of animals! I even befriended some of them in Tartarus, for Celestia's sake!" Suddenly, Zecora broke into tears and dropped to the floor. "I know...!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!", she sobbed, "I already told you, I did not intend for this to happen! It was just to have you spend a day in each other's body, but I had no idea how horrible and how easily the plan could backfire!!!" Seeing Zecora crying her heart out, Fluttershy's rage faded. "It doesn't work that way.", she then said, "Just saying sorry and crying your heart out won't reverse time. It won't bring my sanctuary back, it won't bring Angel back, and worst of all, it won't bring my friends back. It's good to see that you realize that you made a big mistake, but I wish you realized it before my Sweet Feather Sanctuary was closed..." Zecora stopped crying and looked up to the pegasus. "I'm still angry, sad and depressed, I can't deny it. But I can't bear to see one of my friends cry.", Fluttershy said. Zecora got up onto her hooves again, wiped the remaining tears out of her eyes. "You know, I can't blame you.", she said, "I know how much that sanctuary meant to you, and I also know how much Angel and your friends meant to you. I was just trying to help, but instead, I made everything worse... Can you ever forgive me?" Despite feeling a bit of sympathy for the zebra, Fluttershy remained firm. "I'm afraid not.", she said, "You destroyed my long-life dream, and I just cannot forgive such an act." Zecora looked down again. "I understand, Fluttershy.", she said, "It was your dream, and in an attempt to help, I crushed it. I'm such a terrible zebra..." "You're not terrible. You just made mistakes. And even if they have severe consequences, mistakes cannot be reversed.", Fluttershy said. "I know, and I'm still very sorry for what happened to you. I really didn't mean for that to happen, I swear.", Zecora said. "I know, I know.", Fluttershy said, "But before I go, can I ask you something?" "Anything.", said Zecora. "Spitfire told me that you can bring dead ponies back to life... right?", Fluttershy asked. "I'm no necromancer, unfortunately. And even if it was possible, your friends would merely be zombies.", Zecora answered. "Oh... okay.", said Fluttershy, "Can you at least tell me where my friends are buried? I assume you helped Spitfire to bury their bodies..." "Sure, Fluttershy. It's the least I can do since this is probably the last time we'll see each other.", Zecora said. Author's Note Well, at least Fluttershy now knows the intention behind Zecora's attempted help. But Spitfire wasn't lying about Fluttershy's friends. You'll see why in the next chapter. Chapter 4: Fallen FriendsFluttershy left Zecora's home after bidding her farewell. The zebra told her that her friends were buried deeper in the Everfree Forest. While she was thankful for the help to find the grave site, Fluttershy still didn't forgive Zecora for what she has done to help her and Angel. Regardless, Fluttershy went on her way. Now that she had a word with Zecora, she now became aware of the possible things happening in the forest. Anything could jump at her any minute, and by that right, she became scared. However, she shook her head. "Come on, Fluttershy.", she said to herself, "You've been in this forest a lot of times and you always survived. Be brave for a moment now..." The moment lasted for longer than she expected. She bravely carried on through the forest, not worrying about anything. And soon, she arrived at the spot that Zecora mentioned. Five tombstones were placed in a row. From left to right, it was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. As her glance went over the tombstones, Fluttershy's eyes filled with tears. Spitfire wasn't lying - her friends were actually killed in the final battle against the Evil Trio. "No... This can't be... That's the worst time of my life...", Fluttershy said as she started to cry, "My sanctuary is gone, I killed Angel, and now my friends are dead... I just can't continue living like this..." Fluttershy cried like she never cried before. Fate was absolutely not playing nice with the yellow pegasus. First her sanctuary, then her pet bunny, now her friends. Everything has been taken away from her in the span of a few weeks. And to make matters worse, she couldn't see herself continuing to live with these conditions... Before she jumped to any rash decisions, Fluttershy stopped crying. If she would die too, then none of the Guardians of Harmony would be alive anymore, and this would mean that Equestria would forever be ruled by Evil... "N-no... I can't give up... There's gotta be hope!", Fluttershy said, determined to find a way to save Equestria from the forces of Evil. The only question that remained was, how was she going to save Equestria all alone? Fluttershy was so small and cute, and Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek were big and mighty. Twilight never mentioned an artifact that powered up a single pony, and unfortunately, since she was alone, she couldn't use the Elements of Harmony. And not even the acquaintances of her friends could help her, as they have little to no knowledge about the Evil Trio, and they wouldn't be able to use the elements anyway. There was nothing Fluttershy could do, and this made her sad. "I just can't defeat them alone... There's no way that I can take these three on without you...", she said to the tombstones, "I just wish I could do you girls one last favor." Then, the Elements of Harmony came back to her mind. "I'm sure my friends want their elements back.", Fluttershy thought, "It's the least I can do before I leave my friends alone for good..." There was just one more problem. Where were the elements? She hasn't seen them again ever since she and her friends retrieved the elements from the Tree of Harmony before it was destroyed, and knowing that her friends tried to use the elements, there was no way that they were still in Twilight's castle. However, there was still hope... What if Spike survived the attack and secured the elements? It was a nigh impossible chance, but she had to take it. But there was another problem... If Ponyville is crawling with changelings, how was she going to get to the castle safely? "I can't do it alone... I need a little help..." Fluttershy was desperate. No plan that she thought of was a safe plan. She knew that she needed help, but without her friends and with Zecora out of the question, who would help her to retrieve the Elements of Harmony? Suddenly, someone came to her mind. "Spitfire!", Fluttershy said, "She helped Rainbow Dash before... So why wouldn't she help a friend of hers?" With hope in her heart again, Fluttershy made her way back to Ponyville to find the pony that could help her to save the world... Author's Note What do you think? Did Spike survive, or is he dead too? Keep reading to find out. Chapter 5: Retrieving the ElementsFluttershy reached the exit of the Everfree Forest and looked for the fire-haired Wonderbolt. When she couldn't see her, she tried calling her. "Spitfire? Spitfire! Where are you?" Upon calling her, Spitfire arrived in mere seconds. "I knew that I heard you call me, Fluttershy.", Spitfire said, "So, what is it?" "I need your help.", Fluttershy said, "I have to get to Twilight's castle, because I think the Elements of Harmony are there, and to honor my friends, I want to place them on their graves. The problem is that the changelings are everywhere in Ponyville, and I can't face them alone." "Of course. Me and the rest of the Wonderbolts will help you. A friend of Rainbow Dash is someone we always do a favor for.", Spitfire said, "Just wait here and take cover, I'll be right back." And then, she flew away. Fluttershy did as Spitfire told her and took cover behind a big rock. She didn't want to be spotted by any changelings if they came here. While Fluttershy did hear some passing the rock she was hiding behind, at least they didn't see her, which relieved her a lot. Soon after, Spitfire returned, with Soarin, Surprise and Misty Fly by her side. "Now, we may only be four, but we should be able to get you to the castle safely.", Spitfire said, "So what do you say? Shall we get going?" Filled with determination, Fluttershy smiled. "Let's go!", she said. And so, the five Pegasi stormed towards Ponyville. Already running into the small town, several changelings attacked them. Spitfire and the Wonderbolts made short work of them, and even Fluttershy collected her courage and helped fight them as well. Since this was about her friends, it gave her a reason to fight. She was no longer holding back like the meek and shy Pegasus she used to be. After a while, Twilight's castle was in sight. "There's the castle! We're almost there!", said Fluttershy. However, before Fluttershy and the Wonderbolts could enter the castle, a lot of changelings came from all over, and they didn't stop coming. Fluttershy helped the Wonderbolts as well as she could, but they just kept coming. "Get into the castle!", Spitfire shouted, knowing she had to protect Fluttershy from harm. "But what about you?", Fluttershy asked, unsure of what would happen to Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts. "We'll keep them busy. Just go!", Spitfire said. Fluttershy nodded. Suddenly, she saw changelings approach her quickly. And before any of them could reach her, Fluttershy went inside Twilight's castle and shut the door. Now inside the castle, Fluttershy was met with nothing but silence, probably because nopony was there. She did hope that Spike survived the battle and retrieved the elements from her dead friends. "Spike?", Fluttershy called out, just to be met with a little echo. No response. Fluttershy roamed the abandoned castle, hoping that Spike is there. When she couldn't find the little dragon, she tried again. "Spike? Can you hear me?" And again, Fluttershy was met with an echo. Soon, she found the room with the Cutie Map and the six thrones around it. Knowing that five of them will forever be empty, Fluttershy became sad again and started to cry again. "I just shouldn't have gone to Zecora... Just because I didn't want to make amends with Angel on the spot and agreed to a plan that was doomed to backfire, my friends are dead...", Fluttershy said, all while crying so many tears. But then, she heard a voice. "Fluttershy? Is that you?" Fluttershy immediately stopped crying. She recognized that voice. Looking around, she soon spotted the purple dragon. "Spike!" Fluttershy rushed over to the dragon, picked him up and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!", she said. "I... know, but... could you please let me breathe?" Fluttershy eased her grip on Spike and put him down. "Sorry, Spike. I'm just so happy to see you. I thought you were dead too..." Spike looked down. "No, not me... But I witnessed everything.", he said, "Knowing that the girls didn't have a chance, I made a run for it. The Evil Trio didn't chase me, but they made short work of the girls... I just don't know how all this came to." Fluttershy had to tell the truth. "I think this is all my fault.", she said, "Just because Angel didn't understand my dilemma and I didn't try to make amends on the spot, I agreed to Zecora's plan for me and Angel, but the plan horribly backfired, and... and... now the girls are dead! Losing my Sweet Feather Sanctuary is one thing, but losing the girls is the worst that could happen, and I would never try to harm my friends..." Spike tried to comfort Fluttershy before she started to cry tears out of pure anger. "Hey, it's okay, Fluttershy. You had no idea what would happen with that plan.", Spike said, "But why did you even agree in the first place? You could have just declined and tried to talk to Angel in private. I thought you never agreed to plans you didn't trust." "I had no choice.", Fluttershy said, "Me and Angel were arguing, and the tensions between us became stronger because he wanted my attention, but I couldn't, because I was overworked with my duties in the sanctuary. But why couldn't he understand that? Why did Zecora have to show him how overworked I was? This got my sanctuary closed because of that plan... And then... all these horrible things happened..." "There's always a choice.", Spike said, "You could have just explained to Angel in detail how difficult your job in the sanctuary was and that he just can't handle it. Like, even Twilight made a choice in a no way out situation." Fluttershy just couldn't be comforted. She was angry, sad and desperate, all at once, a flurry of emotions. "I just wish I could undo everything. To just go back in time and prevent my past self from going to Zecora and plunging the world into darkness.", she said in a mix of anger, sadness and desperation. Spike shook his head. "Yeah, you wish. I know from Twilight and Starlight that time travel is not good. Imagine the future will be even darker than this." This made Fluttershy angry. "HOW CAN IT BE WORSE THAN THIS?", she yelled, "DIDN'T I TELL YOU THAT THE GIRLS ARE DEAD AND EVIL TOOK OVER EQUESTRIA? HOW CAN A DIFFERENT FUTURE BE WORSE!?" Spike was scared. "Whoa... I've never seen you this angry before..." Fluttershy shed more tears. "I'm sorry, Spike.", she sobbed, "I just want my friends back, and I would be willing to tear the fabric of time and space apart if I could. No matter the cost, I would do anything to bring my friends back to life." "I know that.", Spike said, "But time cannot be reversed. And you can't cast time travel spells without a horn anyway." "Yes, I know, Spike...", said Fluttershy. She was well aware that she wasn't a unicorn, and therefore, this means that her friends are truly gone for good. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?", Spike asked. Fluttershy then remembered why she came here in the first place. "Spike, you don't happen to have the Elements of Harmony somewhere, do you?", Fluttershy asked, "I'm sure my friends would want them back." "I do, actually.", Spike said and brought a box over that had the element necklaces and the Crown of Magic inside. "When the Evil Trio went away, I quickly snatched the necklaces and the crown and brought them back to the castle to hide them in a safe spot that only I know. "I said it before, but I have to say it again, Spike. You are a really smart little guy.", Fluttershy said. Spike blushed at this compliment. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm that smart.", he said. He then put a saddlebag on Fluttershy's back and stashed the elements in there. "Just be careful with those. You don't want to lose them, do you?" "Don't worry, I won't.", said Fluttershy, "Thanks for the help, Spike." "Anytime, Fluttershy.", said Spike before the two told each other goodbye. With the help of the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy managed to escape from Ponyville, and together, they made a dash back to the Everfree Forest. She thanked the four Wonderbolts for helping her to retrieve the elements, and Spitfire told her that if there ever was something she needed help with, she could ask her every time. Now, Fluttershy was back in the forest, the Element of Kindness around her neck and the others safely stored in her saddlebag. Returning to the tombstones of her friends, Fluttershy looked at them again and placed the element necklaces, one by one. She started with Rainbow Dash. She put the Element of Loyalty in front of her tombstone. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow.", she said, "I wish I would have been there for you girls. No matter what happens, I would always stick to my friends in the face of danger. To you especially, Rainbow. You always protected us from any danger, no matter how big or dangerous it was... " Not noticing that the element started to glow, she put the Element of Laughter on Pinkie Pie's grave. "I'm sorry, Pinkie. You always gave us a laugh in even dark circumstances, which motivated us all.", Fluttershy said, "And I wouldn't say that I never tried to make ponies laugh myself. Being kind also comes with comforting ponies, making them happy again..." Next was the Element of Honesty, which she put on Applejack's grave. "Sorry, Applejack. I know we had our differences at times, and we argued about it sometimes, but arguments are a part of friendships.", Fluttershy said, "You argue and make amends. And honestly, I wish me and Angel made amends without all this happening..." The next element was Generosity, which Fluttershy put on Rarity's grave. "I'm sorry, Rarity. You're a really good friend, so generous that you would give away your most cherished items if somepony needs them.", Fluttershy said, "Although I also remember being generous myself one time, when I made that dress for you after you had a mental breakdown and you weren't confident about your sewing skills..." As she recalled that memory, her smile turned back to a frown as she put the last element on Twilight's grave - the Crown of Magic. "And you, Twilight...", Fluttershy said, "You would have been a great ruler over Equestria. You learned everything about friendship, became a princess, stood by our side against any dangerous villain and helped us to find a side of ours we never would have found without you... Thank you, Twilight." As Fluttershy moved back from the row of tombstones, it was in that moment where she saw the elements glowing. She then felt her own element on her necklace glowing, a magical surge going through her body, and with a little spark in her eyes, she triggered the Element of Magic, which started to glow too. "Wow! What is happening?", Fluttershy wondered. As she tried to make out what was happening, five ghosts suddenly came out of the ground, and they carried the elements on them. It wasn't just any ghosts. Those ghosts were her friends. Fluttershy's eyes widened at that sight. "Girls...", she said. "We all heard you, and we're happy that you learned about friendship just as much as we did, if not more.", Twilight said, "You are indeed worthy of becoming the Flame of Harmony, the last hope for Equestria." "Flame of Harmony?" Fluttershy couldn't believe what Twilight told her. She heard about the Flame of Harmony from foal stories and legends. "Yes.", said Twilight, "Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek are still out there, much stronger than ever, and only you are remaining to defeat them and take back Equestria." "Oh... I don't know if I can...", said Fluttershy, becoming nervous about what's going to happen. Then, Rainbow Dash started to talk. "Come on, Fluttershy! You have faced countless evil monsters with us and we always survived!", she said, "Now that you are the last one standing, it's your task to defeat that Evil Trio. Come on, Fluttershy! Do it for Equestria, do it for me... Do it for yourself!" Fluttershy remembered these words. That's what Twilight said to motivate her to fly on the tornado to get the remaining wing power. And now, her childhood friend motivated her too... This motivation from her friends made her put up a determined face. "All right, I'll do it!", she said bravely. "Then take our power.", Twilight said, "Go to Canterlot, defeat the trio and save Equestria. We all believe in you..." With these words, the ghosts discharged the necklaces and crown and gave all their power to Fluttershy, who started to transform as she was imbued with lots of harmonic magic. She transformed into the Flame of Harmony. Along with the looks she took when imbued with the magic from the Tree of Harmony, the Rainbow Power form, she was filled with so much magic that her mane and tail were filled with so much magic that they moved wavy, just like the mane and tail of Princesses Celestia and Luna. Fluttershy was stunned by the sheer looks of her new form. "Oh my... I feel like a legendary superhero...", she said with bliss. Her bliss then changed to determination when she realized that she now had a chance to take on the Evil Trio. As she felt the magic of the six elements surge through her body, Fluttershy felt that her friends stood with her, maybe not physically, but spiritually at least. "Okay... Now to get to Canterlot and put the reign of Evil to an end.", said Fluttershy, spread her wings and shot towards the exit of the Everfree Forest and into the direction of Canterlot. Author's Note Now Fluttershy has a chance. If she can't save the world now, I don't know who will... It's funny how all of this has come to, huh? All because of Zecora's stupid plan and because Fluttershy couldn't stand arguing with Angel... These things have lead to this moment... Can Fluttershy do it? Can she save the world against all odds? To be continued... Chapter 6: To Canterlot!Coming out of the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy spotted the Wonderbolts, who were still waiting for her. When they saw her powered up form, their jaws dropped. "Wow... You look incredible!", said Soarin. "Impressive, isn't it?", Fluttershy said, filled with determination, "With the power of the elements, I was able to become the Flame of Harmony. And now, I have the power to take on the Evil Trio." Surprise jumped up. "Ha! See, I knew the Flame of Harmony was real!", she said. Spitfire was concerned though. "But Fluttershy, you don't know how to use that power to its full potential. You're not Rainbow Dash, after all. And also, you don't even know where the Evil Trio is.", she said. "Twilight said that they're in Canterlot. If there's one place in Equestria from where you can extend your reign, it's gotta be Canterlot.", Fluttershy said. "Wait, Twilight said that?", asked Spitfire, not believing what she just heard. "Yes. When I put the elements on the graves, the ghosts of my friends spoke to me, and they gave me the power.", Fluttershy explained. "That's incredible! I had no idea this was even possible!", said Misty Fly, beyond belief herself. "Anyway, we have to get to Canterlot. The Evil Trio is waiting there.", Fluttershy said. "Okay, we'll help you!", Spitfire said. Together, the five pegasi flew in the direction of Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. "Say Fluttershy, what are you going to do when the Evil Trio is defeated?", Spitfire asked. "I'll see if I can find Discord, and then we have to find the princesses Celestia and Luna. Although I have no idea where either of them are.", Fluttershy said. "Maybe the Evil Trio knows where Discord and the princesses are. They are the ones that caused all this.", Spitfire said. Fluttershy's mind went over to the draconequus, one of her dearest friends ever since she was able to reform him. "I just hope he's okay, unlike my pony friends...", she said and almost started crying again before she swallowed her tears and focused on the objective at hoof. The five pegasi soon reached Canterlot. Just in front of the entrance there, they spotted more changelings. "One more hurdle before our goal.", Spitfire said. Fluttershy though brimmed with confidence. "Those poor things won't know what hit them.", she said. The five Pegasi landed in front of the swarm. And when the changelings spotted them, the fight was on. This fight was the perfect opportunity for Fluttershy to get used to her newfound powers. As she fought the changelings, she felt so much more powerful than before. She still felt sorry for the changelings she had to beat up - a typical attribute of her usual kindness - but deep in her heart, she knew that her friends trusted her, and she wanted to avenge them, no matter what. She even managed to save Spitfire after she got pinned by four changelings together. Fluttershy just smashed them away like bowling pins. "Whew! Thanks, Fluttershy!", Spitfire said. Fluttershy giggled in response before they continued to fight the swarm of changelings. After a few minutes, the swarm was taken care of. And there it was. Canterlot was just ahead of them. The place where the Evil Trio was hiding, the last hurdle to take back Equestria. The big entrance looked inviting as ever. "Well, this is it, Fluttershy.", Spitfire said, "The last trial. And it's one you have to face by yourself." Fluttershy turned to Spitfire and the Wonderbolts who helped her get here. "I really have to thank you for your help. I wouldn't have made it here without you." "It was a pleasure for us. But now it's time you get in there and beat that Evil Trio to take back Equestria. We'll stay behind and buy you some time." The Wonderbolts then bowed before Fluttershy before turning around to face the next swarm of changelings coming in. Fluttershy turned back to the entrance to Canterlot. "I think it's time you three witness my powerful side, once and for all!", Fluttershy said with determination in her mind. And then, she went into Canterlot, starting to look for the three evil villains. Author's Note Yeah, I know this was a short one, but with the train out of action and Canterlot not being that far away in general, there was not much I could write. Anyway, it's time. Flip over to the next chapter if you're ready... Chapter 8: Undoing EverythingAfter destroying Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek and becoming the new ruler of Equestria, Fluttershy returned to Ponyville, her hometown. Some ponies, who have returned after leaving town to hide from the wrath of the Evil Trio, started to rebuild the town. Now that all evil is defeated, the ponies can finally go back to a peaceful life full of harmony until the end of time. Fluttershy though was in a flurry of emotions. Even though she was happy that she was able to defeat Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek all on her own and took Equestria back, which ponies have been working on rebuilding it for a few days now, she still was sad. Her best friends were gone, and there was no way to bring them back, no matter how hard she tried. "I mean... I'm happy that I took Equestria back...", Fluttershy thought, "But I miss my friends... Why, why, just why did I go to Zecora with Angel?" Fluttershy cried her heart out again. Of course she was thankful that the Evil Trio is defeated, but the loss of her friends sits very deep, even deeper than the loss of her Sweet Feather Sanctuary. Again, she got depressed very quickly and it made her current circumstances very negative. She wished that she could turn back time and never go to Zecora. Then none of that would have happened and her sanctuary would still be open and her friends still alive. Regardless of what Spike said to her, she just wanted to try it. She knew that the future can't be worse than that, and she didn't want to be alone without her friends... "Wait... Didn't Twilight once mention something about time travel spells in the Canterlot archives?", Fluttershy thought. And since she was an alicorn now, she was now able to cast spells. It was a chance, a chance she had to take. At long last, she saw a faint light at the end of this dark tunnel... She didn't think twice, she flew to Canterlot as quickly as she could and soon reached the ruins of the castle that once was the home of the former princesses. Soon, Fluttershy found the remains of the archives, and went through all the books, scrolls and everything and soon found a scroll that held a familiar spell. One that Twilight casted a long time ago. It was the spell that allowed her to travel back in time, but it was fixed a long time ago, so now, she could go back indefinitely unless the future was somewhat changed. "I only have one shot at this. If I mess it up, the future will get even worse than this...", Fluttershy knew. And she knew all too well that Equestria, the princesses, and the life of her friends was at stake here. One mistake, and everything was gone for good. She casted the spell, charged herself up and with a pink discharge, she vanished into the past... Some time ago, in the Sweet Feather Sanctuary, Fluttershy and Angel were in the supply room of the sanctuary. Angel pointed to a container with concentrated carrot extract inside. Fluttershy was confused. "Concentrated carrot extract? That's for reviving energy-sapped herbivores. Are you feeling rundown?", she asked, worried for Angel. Angel opened his mouth and pointed inside. He wasn't feeling rundown, but he was hungry, and he would give everything to get his tongue on that taste. Fluttershy became angry though. "You just like the taste?!", she said, quite irritated, "Ugh! Angel, that extract is in short supply! What's gotten into you? Every day this week, you've been causing trouble when I have work to do!" Angel became angry as well. He had no one to talk to and the only one who listened was occupied all day. "Of course I know you can't talk to anypony else. But that's not my fault. I have responsibilities!", Fluttershy said angrily. Both Fluttershy and Angel growled at each other before both ultimately gave up. "You're right. We can't go on like this.", Fluttershy admitted, realizing that something was horribly wrong, "I guess we do need to see Zecora for help." Just as the two wanted to head to Zecora, a pink blast went off just outside the supply room and a yellow, pink-haired alicorn came sprinting through the door, making Fluttershy startle. She looked just like her. "Me as an alicorn? Is she from the future?", she thought. However, the Fluttershy from the future went straight to the point. "Fluttershy! You have to listen to me!", she said, "The fate of Equestria depends on this!" Fluttershy got scared at this sentence. "Oh no, what is it?", she asked. Future Fluttershy became serious. "Do not, I repeat, do NOT go to Zecora!", she said. "But why? We have to ask her for help.", said Fluttershy. "No! She won't help you!", said Future Fluttershy, "She'll give you a potion which has you and Angel swap bodies! And once you swapped, Angel has to take care of the sanctuary, and since he can't handle it, Dr. Fauna will close the sanctuary down, and this in turn puts you into deep depression, and eventually, into Tartarus, leading to the end of the world!" She said it as quickly and clearly as possible so Fluttershy wouldn't miss one single detail. The pegasus gasped. "H-how do you know?", she said in disbelief, "Maybe Zecora will help us and everything will work out--" "I'm coming from a few weeks into the future, and a very dark future at that.", Future Fluttershy said. "Dark like what?", asked Fluttershy. "Equestria gone, the princesses missing, and your friends DEAD." The last word made Fluttershy's blood freeze in her veins. "D-d-dead!?" Saying that word alone was terrifying for her. "Yes, dead. And you would be the only one remaining.", Future Fluttershy said. Fluttershy couldn't believe what her future self was telling her. "Is... that... true? That my friends will die if I drank that potion?", she asked. "That's right.", Future Fluttershy responded. "But why would Zecora do that to me? Why would she want to close down my sanctuary that I worked so hard for to get it going?", Fluttershy asked. Future Fluttershy just pointed at Angel. "Ask your bunny.", she said. Fluttershy looked at Angel. "Angel, I don't know what to say, but if what my future self said is true, then I think we should have a word in private.", she suggested. Angel crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Future Fluttershy took notice. "I forgot to mention...", Future Fluttershy began again, "If you drink the potion, Angel will die as well." Fluttershy gasped again. "What? Why?", she asked, in more shock than before. "Because you're the one killing him," Future Fluttershy said, "and this in turn gets you to Tartarus because you can't handle killing an innocent creature." Fluttershy was scared beyond belief. And since Angel could understand everything that Fluttershy tells him, he understood Future Fluttershy too. He clutched at his owner's hind hoof. Future Fluttershy turned around, still looking at the two. "Just try to make amends on the spot, and once you did, this future will be erased. I'll leave you two alone for a moment.", she said. Before Future Fluttershy left the supply room, Fluttershy wanted to know something. "Wait! How did you become an alicorn? Do I actually get a horn in that future?", she asked in curiosity. "Yes.", Future Fluttershy said, "By touching Grogar's Bewitching Bell, a powerful artifact that can store alicorn and chaos magic. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Fluttershy's future self went out of the supply room and left the two alone. Once Angel let go of Fluttershy, the pegasus started talking. "Angel...", she started, "I hate to say it, but after what my future self told me, I have no choice but to believe her. We can't go to Zecora. And I'm sorry if I didn't have the time or attention for you recently, but I'm really overworked with my duties as a teacher for the School of Friendship as well as leading the sanctuary here. And you saw how turbulent things can go, and how much I have on my list. I don't get much downtime from that. Imagine you were in my hooves. Like she said, there's no way you can handle it all. It's a lot to do, and you would be overwhelmed in a minute, and this would cause the sanctuary to close, and all these... horrible things to happen..." Angel's eyes filled with tears. Now finally understanding Fluttershy's dilemma, he actually realized what kind of an abuser he was all this time. He clutched onto Fluttershy again and shed tears. "I'm so, so sorry, Fluttershy...", Angel squeaked, "I was a terrible bunny, and I made so many bad decisions. I don't deserve someone as cute and caring as you... You cared for me, did what you have to do, and all I did was command you around like I'm an overlord... I'm so awful..." Fluttershy comforted her pet bunny by patting his back softly. "There, there, Angel.", she said, "You're not a bad bunny. Everypony makes mistakes, and very few have the courage to admit them. I appreciate your apology, Angel." Angel let go of Fluttershy and looked deep into her cute, light blue eyes. "What do you say? Friendship?" Fluttershy held out her right hoof. Angel gladly took it, and then, they fell into a hug, with Fluttershy giggling a little. "Now come on, Angel. I know how I can get you the attention you want." From outside, Fluttershy heard what her past self said, and when she heard her giggle, she knew. "Yay! It worked!", she said to herself. And then, she started to glow, and looking down on herself, she disappeared into the air, leaving only a swarm of glowing, pink butterflies that her past self saw once she and Angel exited the supply room. "Thank you, my future self... Thank you for everything.", said Past Fluttershy. Back in the present, Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was no longer in the Canterlot archives. Instead, she was out on the streets of Ponyville. And it looked like a clear and sunny day. She looked around. Equestria was not destroyed, and when she tried to recall her memory, she remembered her and her friends, as well as every befriended creature in Equestria defeating Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek and Celestia and Luna entombing them into stone for eternity. "It... worked! I did it... I saved the world!" Fluttershy couldn't believe that this worked. She was no longer the depressed princess of Equestria who missed her dearest friends... No, she was the real Fluttershy, cute, shy, happy and no longer alone. And when she saw her friends who were meeting themselves in front of Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy galloped to her friends and fell into a deep hug with one of them, and it was Rainbow Dash. "Whoa! Fluttershy, what's gotten into you?", asked Rainbow Dash, certainly confused about the sudden hug. "Oh, Rainbow... I'm so glad you're all okay... I had a terrible nightmare, about my Sweet Feather Sanctuary being closed, me killing Angel, Equestria being destroyed, you girls being dead, and me having to fight Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek alone... It was so horrible...", Fluttershy explained, crying while she said it. Rainbow consoled her pegasus friend. "Hey, Fluttershy. It's okay. It was just a dream. You're here, we're here, it's all good. Right, girls?" The rest of the Mane 6 agreed and nodded. Fluttershy was so happy. A few weeks ago, she lost her Sweet Feather Sanctuary, her friends and the entire world, and now, she managed to set history right and saved Equestria and her friends. After spending the rest of the day with the Mane 6 as well as checking on her Sweet Feather Sanctuary, she went home... After returning home to her cottage come nightfall, Fluttershy yawned. She has gone through an awful lot these past few days. But she managed to set everything right. She saved her sanctuary, she saved Angel, she saved the world and her friends. And now, she deserved a good night of sleep. She turned to Angel, who is fast asleep in his bed. "Oh, Angel.", she whispered, "You're just the best bunny that a pony can have, even if we have an argument sometimes... Good night, little one..." And then, Fluttershy climbed into her bed, turned off the lights, and drifted off to sleep, dreaming a dream that she always wanted to dream about. Flying high in the sky, going faster and faster, eventually breaking the sound barrier and unleashing a yellow and pink burst of color in the sky... An Angelic Flutterboom... THE END Author's Note You might notice that this chapter was written before the others. That's because I wanted to create a start and an end before working on the content in between. Thank you for staying until the end, and I hope you liked the alternate timeline to the worst episode of MLP: FiM (in my opinion at least).
Chapter 7: The FINAL Final Battle!Fluttershy trotted through Canterlot, always on the lookout for something threatening. But strangely enough, the entire capital looked deserted. She then spotted Canterlot Castle in the distance. That's where the Evil Trio must be. Determination built up in Fluttershy's mind. She had to avenge her friends and save Equestria from Evil. "My friends won't have lost their lives in vain.", Fluttershy said to herself, "They'll pay for that...!" Arriving in front of Canterlot Castle, Fluttershy was met with a sight that she kinda expected. She saw Cozy Glow as an alicorn, a big Lord Tirek filled with magic and a Chrysalis that looked more powerful than usual. "Well, well, well... I'm impressed. You meek and shy teacher of kindness are still alive and well.", Cozy Glow mocked. Fluttershy remained firm despite Cozy Glow's comment. "I'm not afraid of you anymore, and I will not leave Equestria in your evil clutches!", she said, highly determined. "We will kill you quickly, just like we did your friends.", said Chrysalis, "You know, we were wondering where you've been. Without you, the Elements of Harmony were useless, which made it easy for us." Fluttershy became sad again when Chrysalis mentioned that her friends were dead. But then, she heard the voices of her friends. Defeat the trio and save Equestria. We all believe in you... Come on, Fluttershy! Do it for Equestria, do it for me... Do it for yourself! Fluttershy's sadness turned into rage as she unleashed a powerful scream that shook her surroundings. Even the Evil Trio got a good shake from the scream. "Impressive. You've certainly gotten stronger," said Lord Tirek, "but that won't save you from your demise. We have the power of the princesses and Discord, who we locked up in the old castle of the two sisters after we took his power and stored it along with the magic of the Alicorn princesses... in here." When they, mentioned Discord, one of Fluttershy's closest friends, Fluttershy just became angrier, and by that right more confident that she can win this final conflict. Then, Tirek showed her a big bell in turquoise, filled with lots of magic. He smiled devilishly. "Grogar's Bewitching Bell.", he said, "Us three learned about it while we were in Tartarus, and when we got our hands on it, we knew that there will be no stopping us once we drained the magic from Discord and the princesses. And now, you will see the same fate as your friends." But Tirek's words left Fluttershy remaining firm and confident. She was going to see through this. "I won't die.", she said, her voice filled with lots of confidence, "I am the last remaining Guardian of Harmony, and I will win!" "Then show us what you got!", said Cozy Glow. Fluttershy immediately took off, with Cozy Glow going after her. They flew around Canterlot quickly, and Cozy Glow tried to hit Fluttershy with magical beams. But thanks to her increased agility from the rainbow power, Fluttershy could easily dodge every single shot. Cozy Glow became mad. "Can't you stand still for one fricking second!?", she yelled. "Okay.", said Fluttershy, and just one second later, when Cozy Glow wanted to fire at her again, Fluttershy charged her and struck her with multiple blows from her hooves, combining her newfound speed with strength and techniques that would make both Applejack and Rainbow Dash proud. "Aaaah! Chrissy! Help me!", screamed Cozy Glow. Coming to Cozy Glow's help now was Chrysalis, who also tried to hit Fluttershy with devastating magic beams. But even being outnumbered, Fluttershy remained confident and fought both of them at the same time. "Even if you're two and I'm one, I have the power of harmony! And you always know how it ends - harmony always wins!", Fluttershy said, knowing that she can beat them both. "Friendship won't save you this time!", Chrysalis said, "We told you, your friends are dead!" "I don't need my friends to fight! But I know that they need me! And with the power of the six Elements of Harmony, I wield the power I need to take you on!", said Fluttershy, not impressed by Chrysalis's words. "Well, if you're so confident," said Tirek, who comes from behind, "then I hope you can handle three of us!" Now that Tirek joins the fight, Fluttershy became a little worried. Cozy Glow and Chrysalis were easy to take on, but Tirek was so much bigger than her. How would she beat him? As the battle went on, Fluttershy dealt more and more blows to Cozy Glow and Chrysalis, all while dodging the attacks of the trio. But she just couldn't figure out how to get close to Tirek and hurt him. And then, in one lapse of attention, Tirek hit Fluttershy with a powerful magic beam. And then, she took magic beams left and right from Cozy Glow and Chrysalis, and they managed to floor her. Almost completely exhausted from the never ending battle, Fluttershy layed there, in front of the Evil Trio, who were all laughing devilishly. She managed to stand up on her hooves again, but she knew that she wasn't invincible, and that she couldn't take that many hits again... "We're too powerful. Admit it, you can't beat us!", Cozy Glow mocked again. "Hahaha! You're so weak. Very weak.", said Chrysalis. "And you're supposed to be the Flame of Harmony that stops us? Give me a break!", said Tirek. All three villains were laughing Fluttershy out loud. Immediately, Fluttershy's insecurity and fear returned. Unfortunately, it was true. She wasn't as brave and confident as Rainbow Dash was, and even if she was so powerful, she just couldn't use that power that her friends gave her to its full potential. But then, she knew. While they're distracted, could she touch the bell and absorb the magic inside? She decided to play a little reverse mindgame with the Evil Trio. "Well, you're right. I am indeed weak. And I don't deserve to be the Flame of Harmony.", she said. "Haha, that's exactly what we thought. Your kindness is holding you back. You can't stand hurting someone.", said Cozy Glow. "Come on, embrace defeat already! You know you can't beat us!", Chrysalis said. This was exactly what Fluttershy intended to happen. "Okay. I'll... I'll..." The Evil Trio was eagerly waiting for Fluttershy to say that she gives up. This is just what she wanted. The villains have let their guard down, and they're no longer focused on protecting the bell. Spotting a gap going directly to the bell, she knew what to do. And then, confidence filled her mind, soul and body. "I'll destroy all of you!", she said. Not knowing what Fluttershy was talking about, they indeed were caught off guard as they noticed her going straight for the bell in a mere blink, not nearly enough time to react. And then, Fluttershy touched the bell, and absorbed all magic from it. When both the alicorn magic as well as Discord's chaos magic flowed into the pegasus, not only did a horn appear on her head, but she grew in size as well. Soon, she was even bigger than Lord Tirek. "No! Impossible!", said Tirek and tried to fire another beam on Fluttershy, but when it hit, she didn't even flinch. Instead, Fluttershy used her newly gained powers to fixate the Evil Trio with roots. And then, she pointed her horn at them and took away all their magic. And once she did, the Evil Trio could do nothing but look up to the giant, magic-imbued Fluttershy. "Hahaha... Now I have all the power, and I am above even you three!", Fluttershy screamed with a distorted sound in her voice. The Evil Trio winced back. They seemed to know what was coming. "Oh, goodness... I didn't know that she would be like that when she's angry...", said Cozy Glow. "Are we going to die now?", asked Chrysalis, scared of what might happen next. Even Lord Tirek was ready to give up. "This is the end for us...", he said. Fluttershy pointed her horn at the three villains again. The rage about the loss of her friends returned to her mind. "Now you three will pay for what you have done to my friends!", she yelled and charged a beam with a mix of alicorn and chaos magic. And then, she fired it away at the defenseless Evil Trio. Fluttershy couldn't see it, but with the powers of the alicorn princesses and Discord combined, the beam she fired disintegrated the Evil Trio, having them vanish from the world for good. Once she stopped firing the beam, the Evil Trio was gone. "Is it... over?", Fluttershy asked herself. The trio that she fought was nowhere to be seen, and when she looked around, she noticed a few ponies that came out of their hiding spots. When they all saw the alicornified Flame of Harmony, they cheered for her. Yes, it was over indeed. She managed to destroy the three most evil villains in all of Equestria, all by herself, and the only help she got was the power of the elements from her dead friends. Fluttershy giggled when the ponies cheered for her. She rarely got praised by a crowd, but now, she received the biggest praise that any pony could have gotten. She destroyed Evil and saved Equestria... A few days have passed since Fluttershy's victory over the Evil Trio. Since the Evil Trio told her about the place where Discord was held, it made it easy for her to find and rescue him. She decided to give him his chaos magic from the bell back. "Nopony should try to control the magic that you have, not even me.", she said to him. Since there were no clues about the whereabouts of princesses Celestia and Luna, Fluttershy decided to keep the alicorn magic inside her until they were found again. However, since she was an alicorn herself, everypony saw her as a princess, and with Celestia, Luna and Twilight gone, the ponies need a new ruler, and they all suggested that Fluttershy should take the role. Fluttershy was unsure what to say. The ponies entrusted her the entire kingdom, and she didn't want to disappoint them. "I'm not sure if I would be a good ruler over Equestria...", she said to the other ponies, "But if you think that I can do it and believe in me, then I have to try it!" And this earned her a lot of cheers from her new subjects. Fluttershy couldn't believe how well life has been treating her. She used to be so shy, meek and afraid, and now, she ruled over Equestria, known as the legendary hero that cleansed the world from all evil forces. The last remaining Guardian of Harmony... THE END... ...OR IS IT? Author's Note Yep, this is not the end yet. There's one more chapter remaining. The question is: What is Fluttershy going to do now that she's a princess?
Prologue: Fluttershy - Evil?On a bright and sunny day, a little far from the outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy was laying under a tree and cried her heart out. She couldn't believe that this would happen to her. Just recently, her beloved Sweet Feather Sanctuary has been closed down by Dr. Fauna. And it's all just because of Zecora's plan of having Angel see what being overloaded with duties is like, and this caused him to turn the sanctuary into chaos. Once the sanctuary was closed, Fluttershy and Angel may have returned to their original bodies, but this event left a deep cut in Fluttershy's heart. Her long-life dream, crushed. Her will to live, fading. Her happiness, vanishing... Angel and some of Fluttershy's animal friends tried to solace the crying Pegasus. She looked up and said: "Oh, I appreciate you all trying to help me, but I'm afraid that it won't bring my sanctuary back, will it?" Fluttershy was deeply depressed. More so than when Twilight was depressed about her School of Friendship being closed down by Chancellor Neighsay. But that was just temporary and they managed to open the school again. But this was different - this is what Fluttershy worked long and hard for on her own, and thanks to one plan, it was ultimately crushed... She heard Dr. Fauna's words inside her head over and over again... "That's enough, Fluttershy! I'm closing this sanctuary down! I don't know what's gotten into you, but you turn this place into the chaos you were supposed to avoid, and this is no way of taking care of animals! And I thought I could trust you..." Fluttershy never meant for this to happen. She and Angel only went to Zecora for help, but now, looking back, it was a terrible idea. And this cost her the thing that she worked for on her own... She was so depressed even that she couldn't even go on as a teacher at the School of Friendship. Every time she would try to mention anything about kindness or taking care of animals, she would immediately break down into another cry fest. She didn't even bother telling Twilight or Starlight the fact that she won't be a teacher anymore, she just didn't come. Later, Fluttershy trotted through the streets of Ponyville to take care of a few things. But wherever she went, no matter what she did, she was always depressed. And even though her friends tried to help her to reason, to try to look forward without worrying about things that happened in the past, she denied it, lashing out her friends because they didn't understand what she went through to get that sanctuary. Not even the cheerful Pinkie Pie could brighten her up. The depression sat very deep in her heart. The only thing Fluttershy said to Pinkie Pie was that if her friends could somehow consult with Dr. Fauna and make her sanctuary re-open again, it would be nice. She knew that there was no talking Dr. Fauna out of that. Her verdict was final, and even if her friends tried, there was no way that they would get the Sweet Feather Sanctuary open again... Fluttershy sat on a bench, still very depressed about the loss of her Sweet Feather Sanctuary. She had tears in her eyes, and Dr. Fauna's words still lingered in her head. Lyra Heartstrings came along and sat next to her. "Hey, Fluttershy. What's wrong?", she asked. Fluttershy doesn't want to answer that question, but she kinda wanted to. "I... I lost my sanctuary...", she said. Lyra was confused. "Your what now?", she asked. "My thing that I worked long and hard for alone...", Fluttershy said. Lyra tried again. "Fluttershy, I can't understand what--" And then, Fluttershy snapped. "MY LONG-LIFE DREAM HAS BEEN CRUSHED AND NOW I'M DEPRESSED! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I'M GOING THROUGH A FLURRY OF EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW!?" Then realizing how she was talking, she immediately gasped. "Oh my... I'm... sorry...", she said apologetic. Lyra consoled her. "It's okay, Fluttershy.", she said, "Everyone snaps at some time, and everyone is depressed at some point. Heck, I remember when Pinkie Pie was so depressed that her sad appearance caused all the flowers around her to wilt." Fluttershy remembered that. The time when Pinkie Pie was playing the Vovidaphone and she and her friends made her stop playing it. Pinkie was also depressed until she played a Vovidaphone again, and it's the very same emotion that Fluttershy is going through right now, but in this case, there was just no fixing it. "I wish I could get my Sweet Feather Sanctuary back. It wasn't me who turned this place into chaos... I would never do that...", Fluttershy said, almost crying again. But Lyra came in clutch quickly. "You know, Fluttershy... When I am stressed, depressed or anything else that would get into my way, I usually paint pictures.",she explained, "It's relaxing, mind-clearing, and very rewarding. Why don't you try it?" "I don't know, Lyra... I don't think I'll be a good painter...", Fluttershy said. "Well, if you don't try it, you won't know...", Lyra said before she got up and went away. "I gotta go. See ya." Fluttershy thought long and hard about what Lyra said. "If she thinks I can paint, then I'd better give it a try..." She then went to the art store to purchase an easel, painting paper, paint brushes in different sizes and lots of beautiful colors. And then, she went home to her cottage. After tending to the animals, Fluttershy set up the easel, prepared her colors and got ready to paint. But what exactly should she paint? She was too depressed to think, and Dr. Fauna's words still repeated in her head. It was so difficult to think of anything... Then, looking to her left, she saw a bunch of blue-green flowers, and then, she had an idea - a beautiful, nightly landscape. Just very slightly, she started to smile again. And then, she began to paint... As hours of painting passed, the picture more and more took shape, and Fluttershy was getting more relaxed and happier by the minute. The picture of a nightly landscape with Canterlot in the far background looked fascinating, and seeing this beautiful picture that Fluttershy made on her own filled her with delight. She finally had something to work for again. "I'm so glad I took up painting. Lyra was right, this is so relaxing.", Fluttershy said happily. She was getting close to finishing the picture when Angel hopped up and pointed into his mouth, signalizing that he was hungry. "Oh, hello Angel.", Fluttershy said, "I'll feed you as soon as I'm done. I've put over 15 hours into this, and it's almost finished. Just a few last touches..." Fluttershy hoped that Angel would be a little more patient, as it really wouldn't take long. But when all of a sudden, a red splatter flew onto Fluttershy's picture, she gasped. "Oh my goodness!" Now Fluttershy's last pluck of sanity finally snapped. Angel not only destroyed her long-life dream, but he also destroyed that beautiful picture of hers, both of which she worked long and hard for on her own. She turned to the bunny she calls a pet. "Oh, let me guess, you think I'm going to apologize and give you your food, right?", she said in a very serious tone, "Oh no. This time, you're going to help me make another painting. And since you like red paint so much, I'll just have to use lots of red. But you know what? Looks like you used all the red. Guess we'll just have to improvise, won't we, Angel?" She grabbed that abuser bunny by the ears and lifted it up. Then, from a secret compartment of her drawer, she picked up a knife. And then, before Angel could say anything to maybe get Fluttershy to reason, the pegasus struck the blade into the bunny's chest, piercing his heart and ending his life once and for all... Then, calming down from her anger, Fluttershy realized the gravity of what she had just done. She backed away from the lifeless bunny and started to shiver. "Oh... Oh no... What have I done?", Fluttershy said before she started crying again. She couldn't believe that she out of all ponies has done that. She just mercilessly murdered her own pet bunny. And now, she screamed into the air. "AAAAAAANGEEEEEEEL!!!" She screamed so loud that nearly all of Equestria heard it. Fluttershy was worried. What could she do now? No one can find out that she was the one who killed her bunny. And so, without a parting word, not even leaving a note that said where she was going, she barricaded the door, closed the curtains, jumped out of the last remaining window and galloped straight to Tartarus. Come nightfall, Fluttershy reached the gates of Tartarus. Two big guards with spears were there. "Tell me, little pony, what is your wish?", asked the first guard. Fluttershy gulped. "I... I murdered someone...", she admitted, "Can you please lock me up? I'm too dangerous to be out there..." She almost cried again as she said those words. "As you wish, little pony.", the second guard said. The gates to Tartarus, the prison for the most demonish creatures in all of Equestria, opened, and the guards led Fluttershy to a free cell. Inside, she recognized some of the creatures. Back when she and her friends were locked up in Tartarus, she befriended a few of them. But since then, new creatures have been brought in. Fluttershy was so small and innocent-looking, and they were so big and evil... And now, she would spend a very long time locked up in the most hellish prison of Equestria... But as she and the guards passed the cells, Fluttershy noticed something about one cell... The one where Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek, the Evil Trio, were supposed to be in... They were gone... Fluttershy became anxious. If the Evil Trio has escaped Tartarus, then they must be somewhere, scheming an evil plan to take over Equestria... And if they found her friends with that evil plan in mind, she couldn't do anything to help them... Soon, the guards and Fluttershy reached an empty cell. "Good night, little pony. And it will be a few more you will spend here." Fluttershy went inside and the guards closed the door... Author's Note I decided to start the story with a prologue of what happened if things with the body swap went horribly wrong. I also took inspiration from this comic. Poor Fluttershy. She has gone through a lot of bad things recently, and now she's in Tartarus... Can she get out? To be continued...
Chapter 1: NightmaresFluttershy trotted through the streets of her hometown, Ponyville. She wanted to go home to tend to her animals and get some sleep. But something was off. Very off... The skies around her were almost pitch black, and the town was abandoned. There was no light in any of the houses and nopony on the streets on the way home. Not even her friends were nearby. Just where was everyone? Fluttershy sped up into a gallop and somehow ended up in the Everfree Forest. She tried to leave again, but she couldn't find the exit. "Oh no, oh no, oh no... Where am I? Where's the exit?", Fluttershy thought, panic rapidly building up in her mind. Suddenly, she arrived at a spot in the forest that she didn't like to look at. A tombstone sat in the middle of the forest. Angel's name was engraved in it. Fluttershy knelt down to the grave. "Oh, Angel...", she said, "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to--" But before Fluttershy finished her sentence, the grave was glowing. Fluttershy backed away in fear and saw something that shocked her. Angel's ghost came out of the ground. He had a chest wound in the exact place where Fluttershy struck the knife into. He opened his eyes and looked at Fluttershy with an angry glare. "Why did you do that, Fluttershy?", asked Angel. Fluttershy was trembling heavily. "Angel... Please...", she said in fear, "You have to understand... I... I wasn't thinking..." "YOU WEREN'T THINKING, HUH?", Angel said, his voice angry and sounding demonic, "YOU COULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU KILLED ME FOR NO REASON!" Instead of giving in, Fluttershy screamed back. "No, Angel!", she said, "You caused the closure of my beloved Sweet Feather Sanctuary, you got me into a deep depression because of that, and you ruined my beautiful picture! You even made me lash out my friends because I was so depressed because of what you have done!" Angel screamed, turning more demonic by the minute. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR STUPID FRIENDS! IF THEY'RE SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN ME, THEN IT'S TIME I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT ONCE AND FOR ALL!" With these words, Angel's ghost went into Fluttershy's body, and despite her best efforts to defend herself, Angel took control of it in one fell swoop. "Now, let's end this...", Angel said and made his way to her friends. When the day dawned, Angel arrived at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie's home. Fluttershy tried to fight the devil inside her. "Please, Angel... Don't do this...", she said, "They'll have my head for sure if you do that!" "Haha, don't worry! They'll know it wasn't me!", Angel said, "It'll be you, the pegasus that turned the sanctuary into chaos!" Then, Angel burst the door open, strided straight to Pinkie Pie behind the counter and beat her to death. Angel chuckled at the sight. "Pathetic party pony.", he said. One by one, Angel mercilessly murdered all of Fluttershy's friends. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, even Starlight Glimmer and Discord weren't safe from his wrath. Last up was Rainbow Dash, who tried to talk with Fluttershy to maybe get her to stop. "Fluttershy! You gotta stop!", Rainbow Dash said, "I know how hard it is for you, but I know that deep down inside, that's not you!" "It doesn't matter. I killed every last one of my friends.", Angel said, "And now it's your turn." With these words, using telekinetic powers, Angel held Rainbow Dash in place and stabbed her in the chest with a knife, the same one that Fluttershy used to kill Angel. When Rainbow Dash fell to the ground, motionless, Angel laughed devilishly. "How does it feel to be a killer, Fluttershy?", he asked. Then, Angel's ghost left Fluttershy's body and vanished in the darkness. Fluttershy, who was now herself again, looked at Rainbow's dead body and at the knife in her hoof. "N-no... That's not me... That's not me...", she said, panicking heavily. And then, she screamed into the air again. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Fluttershy startled awake, heaving for breath, trying to get her bearings straight. She was still in Tartarus, in her little cell, her mane a mess with dark bags under her eyes. Nightmares. Again. For the tenth time in two weeks. And it was always the same one. Angel's ghost speaking to her, eventually turning into a demon, taking control of her body and slaying her friends like some sick butcher. Fluttershy put her face in her mane and cried. She never wanted any of all that to happen. She just wanted to take revenge for everything that Angel took from her ever since the body swap. Her sanctuary, her picture, and now her life in freedom. It was all gone. "I just want my life back...", she said, her voice muffled from her mane, "My sanctuary... And my friends... Just why did I do all that? All because Angel turned my sanctuary into chaos..." Looking into a mirror in her cell, Fluttershy no longer saw that cute and shy pegasus. Instead, she saw a crying weakling, all alone in Tartarus. A few nights back, she even heard rumbling and explosions, and she wondered if it was the doing of the Evil Trio that escaped without the guards noticing... Fluttershy shook of her thought, sat down on her haunches and started thinking. What could she have done to avoid all this? Maybe she could have gone with her friends to convince Dr. Fauna to reopen the Sweet Feather Sanctuary, telling her that it wasn't her who turned the place into chaos. But it would have been of no use, since she witnessed her own body do the handiwork. Other than that, her friends could have built another sanctuary for her, basically a way to start over, but it wasn't the same as the sanctuary she worked so hard for and looked after it alone, without help from anyone. And even so, if Dr. Fauna found out about her new sanctuary, she would close it down again, fearing the same thing would happen. And as for Angel... Well, she could have just put him in a timeout, but since her strings of sanity completely snapped after losing her Sweet Feather Sanctuary, she just wasn't thinking, she just wanted to make him suffer for what he did to her. There really was nothing she could have done. It's almost as if fate wanted this to happen. Fluttershy buried her face in her mane again and continued to cry. Nothing she thought about was comforting her, and the fact that she was in Tartarus without her friends by her side didn't make matters better. She blamed herself for not thinking what she was doing. All of this could have been avoided had she not gone to Zecora. She and Angel wouldn't have gotten these potions, then the swap wouldn't have happened, the sanctuary wouldn't have been closed, and Angel would be still alive... Suddenly, her thoughts were cut off when she heard a sound. A guard opened her cell door and pointed away from it. "Go on. Get out of here.", he said with a plain voice, "This place is finished..." Fluttershy didn't understand what was going on. Her sentence was nowhere close to over. Why was she just released out of the blue? "W-Why? What is going on?", Fluttershy asked the guard. "I don't know how we missed it, but the Evil Trio escaped and took over Equestria" said the guard, "and they demanded that the evil creatures are released, no clue why though." Fluttershy gasped. So it was true. The Evil Trio has escaped some time ago and now they took over Equestria. The only thing she could do at this point is to hope that her friends didn't pick a fight with them. Since she couldn't be with them, they were pretty much defenseless because she and her friends were the main key to harmony in Equestria, and every time they successfully defeated a villain, she was with them. Now that she was absent for such a long time, Equestria was always at threat of evil forces, and Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek took the chance and took over Equestria. "Oh... oh no! I have to find my friends!", Fluttershy thought, "If Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek took over Equestria, we have to find a way to defeat them!" Still in disbelief, yet determined, Fluttershy exited her cell and thought about what to do next. If she wanted to get to her friends, she first had to get out of Tartarus. And in order to get out of Tartarus, she had to get through the demons that were released on behalf of the Evil Trio. She may be able to befriend some of the new ones like the last time she was locked up in Tartarus with her friends, but she knew that there could be some that can resist her cuteness. Regardless, she needed to escape first, and then, she had to find her friends... Author's Note Fluttershy locked up in Tartarus was also an inspiration from the comic linked in the Prologue. The nightmare is an inspiration from Ranita, who also wrote an alternate ending to the same episode. Can Fluttershy escape Tartarus? We'll see soon enough...
Chapter 2: Escaping TartarusFluttershy looked around. There she was, in the big and twisty maze of Tartarus. And she had no idea what to do or where to go. She then tried to remember the escape route that she and her friends had used when they were locked up themselves back in the day. It was faint, but the memory slowly returned. "Yes! I know where to go now!", Fluttershy thought. And then, she started to run. As Fluttershy ran, she got stopped in several rooms. Some of the new demons that didn't know her were always trying to harm her, but with the power to tame any animal, Fluttershy was able to calm them down and just get past them. And some of the demons that did know her, they bowed in front of her, not even bothering to attack her. Those befriended demons also helped her to get away from evil demons that were lost in translation, not listening to what Fluttershy said. And even though she never liked arguments, whether verbal or physical, she couldn't take care of either of them, because she had one goal in mind, and that was to escape. Fluttershy ran through Tartarus for what felt like an eternity. And almost every room where she stopped, she had to befriend a demon or run away from one. She even ran into the big, three-headed dog Cerberus, who, despite the order of the Evil Trio, did not give up his duty. He was still preventing the demons from escaping, but when he recognized Fluttershy, he was more than willing to let her go. Soon, Fluttershy spotted the exit, and her eyes were gleaming with hope in sight of freedom! But suddenly, one final big, fiery demon got in her way and startled Fluttershy, bringing herself to a stop. And when the fiery demon roared at the shy pegasus, she tried the one thing she always tried when a creature tried to harm her. She looked at the demon with big, cute eyes. "You seem tense. Do you want to talk about it?", she asked. The demon reacted, slightly confused at first. Then, it felt sorry for Fluttershy and started to talk to her. It sounded really sad, and while it was talking, it cried tears of hot lava. It was at this moment in which Fluttershy also felt sorry for the demon. "Aww, you were just trying to protect your pack from Princess Celestia, and she locked you up for that?", she asked. The demon cried even more. Fluttershy made sure to dodge the lava tears it spreads everywhere. Then, she comforted it by patting its back. "That's it. Let it all out.", she said to the demon, "You're not a bad demon. You just made a bad decision. You and me, we're really alike, you know?" The demon stopped crying. Fluttershy was happy and thankful that she was able to communicate with all kinds of creatures. This ability already saved her multiple times before, and now it did again. But then, she remembered her actual objective. She wanted to get out and find her friends. "Oh! Sorry, our time is up. Buh-bye!", she said to the demon in a cheerful attitude before heading towards the exit. While doing that, she could hear the demon calling Goodbye after her. Fluttershy went through the exit of the hell prison called Tartarus and was now a free pony again. She was outside, and she was still alive. Breathing in the fresh air of freedom that she hasn't breathed or smelled for weeks now, she started to feel happy again, one with nature, as it should be. Author's Note Yes! Fluttershy managed to escape! This was a short one, but I promise you, the next chapter will be longer. This one took a while since I haven't seen the episode "School Raze", so I had no idea what Tartarus was like, therefore having me make do with my imagination.
Chapter 3: Alone in EquestriaFluttershy was relieved that she managed to escape from Tartarus. Now outside, she looked around - and all she saw was darkness, fire, some destroyed trees... "Oh my... What happened here?", Fluttershy thought. She has been locked up in Tartarus for a few weeks now, but never knew what happened in Equestria during that time. She only heard rumbling and saw explosions outside, and now seeing everything come together fills her with fear. "I have to find my friends! They know what to do with this situation!", Fluttershy said. She then galloped towards her hometown, Ponyville... Fluttershy soon reached Ponyville and was met with a horrible sight. The town was basically just mere ruins. Buildings were destroyed, some burning, and the once peaceful little town was deserted. In fact, the only building that looked intact was Twilight's castle. Fluttershy's eyes gleamed with hope. "Twilight must know how to deal with the situation. I have to get to the castle!", she said. But as soon as Fluttershy started to head towards the castle, she ran into problems. Ponyville wasn't as deserted as she first thought. Around the corner came some scary-looking black pony-like creatures with holes in their hooves and eyes and wings like a bug. Fluttershy knew these things. Changelings, and not just any changelings. Those are the minions of Chrysalis, the changeling queen that once held her and her friends captive in her hive. While she and her friends could escape with Thorax's help, they did have to help Starlight Glimmer to get through Chrysalis to save Twilight. But that memory was the least of her worries right now. When the changelings screamed, Fluttershy made a dash for it. She flew as fast and agile as she possibly could, looking for a place to hide. A few moments later, she managed to reach her cottage. However, the door appears to be locked. "Wh-What? Why is the door not budging?", Fluttershy thought in panic. She then remembered that she barricaded the door when she left for Tartarus. However, this meant that there was an open window she could use to enter her cottage. And lucky for her, there was an open window. Fluttershy jumped inside, shut it closed and pulled the curtains together. "Okay... I have to get to Twilight's castle, but if the changelings get me, I won't be able to help my friends anymore...", Fluttershy said, filled with fear. But now that she was home, she decided to relax a little. Everything was still the way she left it. Her furniture was still in place, the easel was still in place, and so was her picture with the big red splat that Angel made. "I wish I could have finished this picture...", Fluttershy thought. As she was going to do that, she noticed a strange stench in her nose. "Jeez, what is that smell that's--" She cut herself off and gasped when she saw the source of the stench. Just a mere leg length away from her was her pet bunny Angel, who was already rotting apart. And right next to him was that knife she used to kill him. Fluttershy picked up the knife carefully and observed it. The once fresh red blood took a dry brown color, the same color that Angel's blood had now. "Oh, Angel... I'm so sorry... I wish I could undo all this...", Fluttershy said to the rotting body. She then flew to the kitchen and cleaned the knife before going back and hiding it in the secret compartment of her drawer again. She then put on some latex hoof gloves, picked up Angel's body and threw it in the trash along with the gloves. "I hope I'll see you again someday...", Fluttershy said before she shut the trash can closed. Now that this was taken care of, Fluttershy continued to worry for her friends. They must be in Twilight's castle. But how could she possibly get there when there were changelings that could lurk around every corner of the town? It was going to be tough, but she simply had to find a way. Fluttershy removed the barricade from her door, stepped outside and considered her possibilities, when all of a sudden a changeling landed right next to her, which startled her. The changeling then changed his appearance and looked just like Fluttershy now apart from the eyes which still had a bright green. "Oh no... What do I do now?", Fluttershy thought, shying away from the changeling that looked just like her. "Well, well, well...", said the changeling, "I never thought we'd actually see you again. Our queen and her friends were wondering where you were." "What?", Fluttershy wondered. She couldn't understand what she heard. The queen and her friends wondering where she was? "Let's just say, we had a very easy time taking care of those friends of yours. They never stood a chance.", the changeling said, "And now, you'll join them too!" Fluttershy was really scared. Was this changeling really going to kill her? The changeling changed back to its normal form and yelled at her. Fluttershy could only try and hope somepony heard her. "HELP! SOMEPONY HELP ME!!!", she screamed. Just as the changeling was going to attack, a pegasus mare appeared and smacked the changeling away from Fluttershy. It then backed away and flew off. "Yeah! Go tell your friends! You don't attack helpless ponies!", she said. Fluttershy recognized that voice. It was Spitfire, the Captain of the Wonderbolts. "Spitfire! Is that you?", asked Fluttershy, happy to see one of Rainbow Dash's acquaintances. Spitfire looked at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy! Yes, it's me.", Spitfire said, "What are you doing out here? The whole city has been evacuated!" "Evacuated?" Fluttershy was shocked to hear that word. "Is it because...?" Spitfire nodded. "Yes. Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek took over Equestria. They have taken control of basically everything, from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire.", she explained, "We have evacuated Ponyville to keep the remaining residents that haven't been killed or captured yet safe." With light gleams of hope, Fluttershy asked: "And my friends? Where are they?" Her gleams of hope immediately faded when Spitfire sank her head. "I'm sorry... Rainbow Dash..." "What?" Fluttershy was eager to know what happened to her friends. "Rainbow Dash...", Spitfire began, "I saw her and the rest of her friends take on the Evil Trio. They tried to use the Elements of Harmony... But..." Fluttershy knew what was coming. "But they couldn't, because I wasn't there...", she said. "Mhm...", Spitfire said, "And what happened next was a big charge of dark magic, a devastating laser firing at the five ponies. And when the smoke was gone, all I saw was... dead bodies." "D-d-dead!?" Fluttershy couldn't believe what she heard. "My friends are dead?", she asked. "I'm afraid so.", Spitfire said, "And when the Evil Trio went away, me and some of the other Wonderbolts took their bodies and buried them deep in the Everfree Forest. And..." Fluttershy couldn't listen any longer to what Spitfire was saying. Her eyes filled with tears at these terrible news. The loss of her Sweet Feather Sanctuary was already deep in her heart, but losing her friends was far too much. She started to cry her heart out again. "NOOOO!!! It... It can't be true! My friends can't be dead! They're heroes, Guardians of Harmony, saviors of the world...!", Fluttershy cried. She couldn't bear to think about a life without her five dearest friends. Spitfire tried to comfort her. "Hey, Fluttershy. Don't cry.", she said, "I understand your pain. Sure, Rainbow Dash was one of our finest, without a doubt. But you, Rainbow, and the others... You have a deep history together. But I'm afraid that I can't do anything to bring them back. I do want you to know though that they were just as much my friends as they were yours." Fluttershy softened her crying a bit and looked up to Spitfire. "Th-thank you... Thank you for saying so...", she said. Then, Spitfire had an idea. "You know... There's this zebra in the Everfree Forest. Zecora, was it? Maybe she can find a way to bring your friends back.", she suggested. "I doubt it.", Fluttershy said, "Even if there was a way to bring back my friends, there is no way that we can beat Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek once my friends are revived. And what exacty is Zecora--" The moment Fluttershy said that name, rage built up in her heart. "Zecora..." Spitfire noticed that angry look on Fluttershy's face. "Erm, Fluttershy? Are you okay?", she asked. "I gotta go. I hope I'll see you again someday.", Fluttershy said and stormed off towards the Everfree Forest. Determined to have a serious word with that traitorous zebra, Fluttershy continued to storm through the Everfree Forest. She wasn't even afraid of anything that could jump at her at any moment. This was all about the truth. She had one goal in mind, and that was Zecora's hut. Soon, she spotted the infamous Poison Joke flowers that once turned her voice into that of a grown stallion. Zecora's hut was close by. And eventually, she spotted the obvious tree house. "You have a lot to answer for, Zecora...", Fluttershy said, her blood boiling in her veins. She then stormed towards the door. Inside, Zecora was already packing up all her things, when Fluttershy slammed the door open. "YOU!", she yelled as she bursted into Zecora's hut. Zecora was slightly startled, but then calmed down when she saw the pegasus. "Fluttershy, it's good to see you in the house of mine, but what brings you here at this dark of a time?", she asked. Fluttershy wasn't screwing around. "Quit your rhyming! How could you do this to me?", she said very angrily. "I don't really have a clue, what exactly did I do to you?", Zecora asked. Fluttershy snapped. "Thanks to YOUR potion that made me and Angel swap bodies, my Sweet Feather Sanctuary has been closed because Angel couldn't handle the tasks that I could take care of no problem, and it sent me into a deep depression, which led me into killing Angel and being locked up in Tartarus, and because I couldn't be with my friends in the fight against the Evil Trio, the world has ended, everyone is gone, AND MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD!!!" When Fluttershy was finished, Zecora gasped. She couldn't believe either what she heard from the normally shy and cute yellow pegasus. Fluttershy pushed on though. "Now what do you have to say for yourself? I said, what do you have to say for yourself?", she asked impatiently. Zecora sank her head. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy...", she said. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. A simple sorry was clearly not enough for her. Then, Zecora did something unbelieveable. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy!", she started to explain, "You have to understand, I did not intend for this to happen! These potions that you and your bunny took, they had you two swap bodies so you can spend a day in each other's body! The entire purpose was to show Angel how hard your work at the sanctuary is, and it was supposed to show you how it is when nopony but you can understand Angel! I never intended your Sweet Feather Sanctuary to close and you falling into a deep depression! Something must have gone horribly wrong!" Fluttershy didn't even notice that Zecora broke out of her usual rhyming. "Yeah, EVERYTHING went horribly wrong!", she scolded, "The entire place turned into the chaos that I could have easily avoided! And Dr. Fauna closed down the sanctuary because of that! Do you understand how much that sanctuary meant to me? I fought long and hard on my own for this, it was my long-life dream, and YOU CRUSHED IT!!! And also, why did you want to show me how it is when nopony but me can understand Angel? I can talk to all kinds of animals! I even befriended some of them in Tartarus, for Celestia's sake!" Suddenly, Zecora broke into tears and dropped to the floor. "I know...!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!", she sobbed, "I already told you, I did not intend for this to happen! It was just to have you spend a day in each other's body, but I had no idea how horrible and how easily the plan could backfire!!!" Seeing Zecora crying her heart out, Fluttershy's rage faded. "It doesn't work that way.", she then said, "Just saying sorry and crying your heart out won't reverse time. It won't bring my sanctuary back, it won't bring Angel back, and worst of all, it won't bring my friends back. It's good to see that you realize that you made a big mistake, but I wish you realized it before my Sweet Feather Sanctuary was closed..." Zecora stopped crying and looked up to the pegasus. "I'm still angry, sad and depressed, I can't deny it. But I can't bear to see one of my friends cry.", Fluttershy said. Zecora got up onto her hooves again, wiped the remaining tears out of her eyes. "You know, I can't blame you.", she said, "I know how much that sanctuary meant to you, and I also know how much Angel and your friends meant to you. I was just trying to help, but instead, I made everything worse... Can you ever forgive me?" Despite feeling a bit of sympathy for the zebra, Fluttershy remained firm. "I'm afraid not.", she said, "You destroyed my long-life dream, and I just cannot forgive such an act." Zecora looked down again. "I understand, Fluttershy.", she said, "It was your dream, and in an attempt to help, I crushed it. I'm such a terrible zebra..." "You're not terrible. You just made mistakes. And even if they have severe consequences, mistakes cannot be reversed.", Fluttershy said. "I know, and I'm still very sorry for what happened to you. I really didn't mean for that to happen, I swear.", Zecora said. "I know, I know.", Fluttershy said, "But before I go, can I ask you something?" "Anything.", said Zecora. "Spitfire told me that you can bring dead ponies back to life... right?", Fluttershy asked. "I'm no necromancer, unfortunately. And even if it was possible, your friends would merely be zombies.", Zecora answered. "Oh... okay.", said Fluttershy, "Can you at least tell me where my friends are buried? I assume you helped Spitfire to bury their bodies..." "Sure, Fluttershy. It's the least I can do since this is probably the last time we'll see each other.", Zecora said. Author's Note Well, at least Fluttershy now knows the intention behind Zecora's attempted help. But Spitfire wasn't lying about Fluttershy's friends. You'll see why in the next chapter.
Chapter 4: Fallen FriendsFluttershy left Zecora's home after bidding her farewell. The zebra told her that her friends were buried deeper in the Everfree Forest. While she was thankful for the help to find the grave site, Fluttershy still didn't forgive Zecora for what she has done to help her and Angel. Regardless, Fluttershy went on her way. Now that she had a word with Zecora, she now became aware of the possible things happening in the forest. Anything could jump at her any minute, and by that right, she became scared. However, she shook her head. "Come on, Fluttershy.", she said to herself, "You've been in this forest a lot of times and you always survived. Be brave for a moment now..." The moment lasted for longer than she expected. She bravely carried on through the forest, not worrying about anything. And soon, she arrived at the spot that Zecora mentioned. Five tombstones were placed in a row. From left to right, it was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. As her glance went over the tombstones, Fluttershy's eyes filled with tears. Spitfire wasn't lying - her friends were actually killed in the final battle against the Evil Trio. "No... This can't be... That's the worst time of my life...", Fluttershy said as she started to cry, "My sanctuary is gone, I killed Angel, and now my friends are dead... I just can't continue living like this..." Fluttershy cried like she never cried before. Fate was absolutely not playing nice with the yellow pegasus. First her sanctuary, then her pet bunny, now her friends. Everything has been taken away from her in the span of a few weeks. And to make matters worse, she couldn't see herself continuing to live with these conditions... Before she jumped to any rash decisions, Fluttershy stopped crying. If she would die too, then none of the Guardians of Harmony would be alive anymore, and this would mean that Equestria would forever be ruled by Evil... "N-no... I can't give up... There's gotta be hope!", Fluttershy said, determined to find a way to save Equestria from the forces of Evil. The only question that remained was, how was she going to save Equestria all alone? Fluttershy was so small and cute, and Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek were big and mighty. Twilight never mentioned an artifact that powered up a single pony, and unfortunately, since she was alone, she couldn't use the Elements of Harmony. And not even the acquaintances of her friends could help her, as they have little to no knowledge about the Evil Trio, and they wouldn't be able to use the elements anyway. There was nothing Fluttershy could do, and this made her sad. "I just can't defeat them alone... There's no way that I can take these three on without you...", she said to the tombstones, "I just wish I could do you girls one last favor." Then, the Elements of Harmony came back to her mind. "I'm sure my friends want their elements back.", Fluttershy thought, "It's the least I can do before I leave my friends alone for good..." There was just one more problem. Where were the elements? She hasn't seen them again ever since she and her friends retrieved the elements from the Tree of Harmony before it was destroyed, and knowing that her friends tried to use the elements, there was no way that they were still in Twilight's castle. However, there was still hope... What if Spike survived the attack and secured the elements? It was a nigh impossible chance, but she had to take it. But there was another problem... If Ponyville is crawling with changelings, how was she going to get to the castle safely? "I can't do it alone... I need a little help..." Fluttershy was desperate. No plan that she thought of was a safe plan. She knew that she needed help, but without her friends and with Zecora out of the question, who would help her to retrieve the Elements of Harmony? Suddenly, someone came to her mind. "Spitfire!", Fluttershy said, "She helped Rainbow Dash before... So why wouldn't she help a friend of hers?" With hope in her heart again, Fluttershy made her way back to Ponyville to find the pony that could help her to save the world... Author's Note What do you think? Did Spike survive, or is he dead too? Keep reading to find out.
Chapter 5: Retrieving the ElementsFluttershy reached the exit of the Everfree Forest and looked for the fire-haired Wonderbolt. When she couldn't see her, she tried calling her. "Spitfire? Spitfire! Where are you?" Upon calling her, Spitfire arrived in mere seconds. "I knew that I heard you call me, Fluttershy.", Spitfire said, "So, what is it?" "I need your help.", Fluttershy said, "I have to get to Twilight's castle, because I think the Elements of Harmony are there, and to honor my friends, I want to place them on their graves. The problem is that the changelings are everywhere in Ponyville, and I can't face them alone." "Of course. Me and the rest of the Wonderbolts will help you. A friend of Rainbow Dash is someone we always do a favor for.", Spitfire said, "Just wait here and take cover, I'll be right back." And then, she flew away. Fluttershy did as Spitfire told her and took cover behind a big rock. She didn't want to be spotted by any changelings if they came here. While Fluttershy did hear some passing the rock she was hiding behind, at least they didn't see her, which relieved her a lot. Soon after, Spitfire returned, with Soarin, Surprise and Misty Fly by her side. "Now, we may only be four, but we should be able to get you to the castle safely.", Spitfire said, "So what do you say? Shall we get going?" Filled with determination, Fluttershy smiled. "Let's go!", she said. And so, the five Pegasi stormed towards Ponyville. Already running into the small town, several changelings attacked them. Spitfire and the Wonderbolts made short work of them, and even Fluttershy collected her courage and helped fight them as well. Since this was about her friends, it gave her a reason to fight. She was no longer holding back like the meek and shy Pegasus she used to be. After a while, Twilight's castle was in sight. "There's the castle! We're almost there!", said Fluttershy. However, before Fluttershy and the Wonderbolts could enter the castle, a lot of changelings came from all over, and they didn't stop coming. Fluttershy helped the Wonderbolts as well as she could, but they just kept coming. "Get into the castle!", Spitfire shouted, knowing she had to protect Fluttershy from harm. "But what about you?", Fluttershy asked, unsure of what would happen to Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts. "We'll keep them busy. Just go!", Spitfire said. Fluttershy nodded. Suddenly, she saw changelings approach her quickly. And before any of them could reach her, Fluttershy went inside Twilight's castle and shut the door. Now inside the castle, Fluttershy was met with nothing but silence, probably because nopony was there. She did hope that Spike survived the battle and retrieved the elements from her dead friends. "Spike?", Fluttershy called out, just to be met with a little echo. No response. Fluttershy roamed the abandoned castle, hoping that Spike is there. When she couldn't find the little dragon, she tried again. "Spike? Can you hear me?" And again, Fluttershy was met with an echo. Soon, she found the room with the Cutie Map and the six thrones around it. Knowing that five of them will forever be empty, Fluttershy became sad again and started to cry again. "I just shouldn't have gone to Zecora... Just because I didn't want to make amends with Angel on the spot and agreed to a plan that was doomed to backfire, my friends are dead...", Fluttershy said, all while crying so many tears. But then, she heard a voice. "Fluttershy? Is that you?" Fluttershy immediately stopped crying. She recognized that voice. Looking around, she soon spotted the purple dragon. "Spike!" Fluttershy rushed over to the dragon, picked him up and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!", she said. "I... know, but... could you please let me breathe?" Fluttershy eased her grip on Spike and put him down. "Sorry, Spike. I'm just so happy to see you. I thought you were dead too..." Spike looked down. "No, not me... But I witnessed everything.", he said, "Knowing that the girls didn't have a chance, I made a run for it. The Evil Trio didn't chase me, but they made short work of the girls... I just don't know how all this came to." Fluttershy had to tell the truth. "I think this is all my fault.", she said, "Just because Angel didn't understand my dilemma and I didn't try to make amends on the spot, I agreed to Zecora's plan for me and Angel, but the plan horribly backfired, and... and... now the girls are dead! Losing my Sweet Feather Sanctuary is one thing, but losing the girls is the worst that could happen, and I would never try to harm my friends..." Spike tried to comfort Fluttershy before she started to cry tears out of pure anger. "Hey, it's okay, Fluttershy. You had no idea what would happen with that plan.", Spike said, "But why did you even agree in the first place? You could have just declined and tried to talk to Angel in private. I thought you never agreed to plans you didn't trust." "I had no choice.", Fluttershy said, "Me and Angel were arguing, and the tensions between us became stronger because he wanted my attention, but I couldn't, because I was overworked with my duties in the sanctuary. But why couldn't he understand that? Why did Zecora have to show him how overworked I was? This got my sanctuary closed because of that plan... And then... all these horrible things happened..." "There's always a choice.", Spike said, "You could have just explained to Angel in detail how difficult your job in the sanctuary was and that he just can't handle it. Like, even Twilight made a choice in a no way out situation." Fluttershy just couldn't be comforted. She was angry, sad and desperate, all at once, a flurry of emotions. "I just wish I could undo everything. To just go back in time and prevent my past self from going to Zecora and plunging the world into darkness.", she said in a mix of anger, sadness and desperation. Spike shook his head. "Yeah, you wish. I know from Twilight and Starlight that time travel is not good. Imagine the future will be even darker than this." This made Fluttershy angry. "HOW CAN IT BE WORSE THAN THIS?", she yelled, "DIDN'T I TELL YOU THAT THE GIRLS ARE DEAD AND EVIL TOOK OVER EQUESTRIA? HOW CAN A DIFFERENT FUTURE BE WORSE!?" Spike was scared. "Whoa... I've never seen you this angry before..." Fluttershy shed more tears. "I'm sorry, Spike.", she sobbed, "I just want my friends back, and I would be willing to tear the fabric of time and space apart if I could. No matter the cost, I would do anything to bring my friends back to life." "I know that.", Spike said, "But time cannot be reversed. And you can't cast time travel spells without a horn anyway." "Yes, I know, Spike...", said Fluttershy. She was well aware that she wasn't a unicorn, and therefore, this means that her friends are truly gone for good. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?", Spike asked. Fluttershy then remembered why she came here in the first place. "Spike, you don't happen to have the Elements of Harmony somewhere, do you?", Fluttershy asked, "I'm sure my friends would want them back." "I do, actually.", Spike said and brought a box over that had the element necklaces and the Crown of Magic inside. "When the Evil Trio went away, I quickly snatched the necklaces and the crown and brought them back to the castle to hide them in a safe spot that only I know. "I said it before, but I have to say it again, Spike. You are a really smart little guy.", Fluttershy said. Spike blushed at this compliment. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm that smart.", he said. He then put a saddlebag on Fluttershy's back and stashed the elements in there. "Just be careful with those. You don't want to lose them, do you?" "Don't worry, I won't.", said Fluttershy, "Thanks for the help, Spike." "Anytime, Fluttershy.", said Spike before the two told each other goodbye. With the help of the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy managed to escape from Ponyville, and together, they made a dash back to the Everfree Forest. She thanked the four Wonderbolts for helping her to retrieve the elements, and Spitfire told her that if there ever was something she needed help with, she could ask her every time. Now, Fluttershy was back in the forest, the Element of Kindness around her neck and the others safely stored in her saddlebag. Returning to the tombstones of her friends, Fluttershy looked at them again and placed the element necklaces, one by one. She started with Rainbow Dash. She put the Element of Loyalty in front of her tombstone. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow.", she said, "I wish I would have been there for you girls. No matter what happens, I would always stick to my friends in the face of danger. To you especially, Rainbow. You always protected us from any danger, no matter how big or dangerous it was... " Not noticing that the element started to glow, she put the Element of Laughter on Pinkie Pie's grave. "I'm sorry, Pinkie. You always gave us a laugh in even dark circumstances, which motivated us all.", Fluttershy said, "And I wouldn't say that I never tried to make ponies laugh myself. Being kind also comes with comforting ponies, making them happy again..." Next was the Element of Honesty, which she put on Applejack's grave. "Sorry, Applejack. I know we had our differences at times, and we argued about it sometimes, but arguments are a part of friendships.", Fluttershy said, "You argue and make amends. And honestly, I wish me and Angel made amends without all this happening..." The next element was Generosity, which Fluttershy put on Rarity's grave. "I'm sorry, Rarity. You're a really good friend, so generous that you would give away your most cherished items if somepony needs them.", Fluttershy said, "Although I also remember being generous myself one time, when I made that dress for you after you had a mental breakdown and you weren't confident about your sewing skills..." As she recalled that memory, her smile turned back to a frown as she put the last element on Twilight's grave - the Crown of Magic. "And you, Twilight...", Fluttershy said, "You would have been a great ruler over Equestria. You learned everything about friendship, became a princess, stood by our side against any dangerous villain and helped us to find a side of ours we never would have found without you... Thank you, Twilight." As Fluttershy moved back from the row of tombstones, it was in that moment where she saw the elements glowing. She then felt her own element on her necklace glowing, a magical surge going through her body, and with a little spark in her eyes, she triggered the Element of Magic, which started to glow too. "Wow! What is happening?", Fluttershy wondered. As she tried to make out what was happening, five ghosts suddenly came out of the ground, and they carried the elements on them. It wasn't just any ghosts. Those ghosts were her friends. Fluttershy's eyes widened at that sight. "Girls...", she said. "We all heard you, and we're happy that you learned about friendship just as much as we did, if not more.", Twilight said, "You are indeed worthy of becoming the Flame of Harmony, the last hope for Equestria." "Flame of Harmony?" Fluttershy couldn't believe what Twilight told her. She heard about the Flame of Harmony from foal stories and legends. "Yes.", said Twilight, "Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek are still out there, much stronger than ever, and only you are remaining to defeat them and take back Equestria." "Oh... I don't know if I can...", said Fluttershy, becoming nervous about what's going to happen. Then, Rainbow Dash started to talk. "Come on, Fluttershy! You have faced countless evil monsters with us and we always survived!", she said, "Now that you are the last one standing, it's your task to defeat that Evil Trio. Come on, Fluttershy! Do it for Equestria, do it for me... Do it for yourself!" Fluttershy remembered these words. That's what Twilight said to motivate her to fly on the tornado to get the remaining wing power. And now, her childhood friend motivated her too... This motivation from her friends made her put up a determined face. "All right, I'll do it!", she said bravely. "Then take our power.", Twilight said, "Go to Canterlot, defeat the trio and save Equestria. We all believe in you..." With these words, the ghosts discharged the necklaces and crown and gave all their power to Fluttershy, who started to transform as she was imbued with lots of harmonic magic. She transformed into the Flame of Harmony. Along with the looks she took when imbued with the magic from the Tree of Harmony, the Rainbow Power form, she was filled with so much magic that her mane and tail were filled with so much magic that they moved wavy, just like the mane and tail of Princesses Celestia and Luna. Fluttershy was stunned by the sheer looks of her new form. "Oh my... I feel like a legendary superhero...", she said with bliss. Her bliss then changed to determination when she realized that she now had a chance to take on the Evil Trio. As she felt the magic of the six elements surge through her body, Fluttershy felt that her friends stood with her, maybe not physically, but spiritually at least. "Okay... Now to get to Canterlot and put the reign of Evil to an end.", said Fluttershy, spread her wings and shot towards the exit of the Everfree Forest and into the direction of Canterlot. Author's Note Now Fluttershy has a chance. If she can't save the world now, I don't know who will... It's funny how all of this has come to, huh? All because of Zecora's stupid plan and because Fluttershy couldn't stand arguing with Angel... These things have lead to this moment... Can Fluttershy do it? Can she save the world against all odds? To be continued...
Chapter 6: To Canterlot!Coming out of the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy spotted the Wonderbolts, who were still waiting for her. When they saw her powered up form, their jaws dropped. "Wow... You look incredible!", said Soarin. "Impressive, isn't it?", Fluttershy said, filled with determination, "With the power of the elements, I was able to become the Flame of Harmony. And now, I have the power to take on the Evil Trio." Surprise jumped up. "Ha! See, I knew the Flame of Harmony was real!", she said. Spitfire was concerned though. "But Fluttershy, you don't know how to use that power to its full potential. You're not Rainbow Dash, after all. And also, you don't even know where the Evil Trio is.", she said. "Twilight said that they're in Canterlot. If there's one place in Equestria from where you can extend your reign, it's gotta be Canterlot.", Fluttershy said. "Wait, Twilight said that?", asked Spitfire, not believing what she just heard. "Yes. When I put the elements on the graves, the ghosts of my friends spoke to me, and they gave me the power.", Fluttershy explained. "That's incredible! I had no idea this was even possible!", said Misty Fly, beyond belief herself. "Anyway, we have to get to Canterlot. The Evil Trio is waiting there.", Fluttershy said. "Okay, we'll help you!", Spitfire said. Together, the five pegasi flew in the direction of Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. "Say Fluttershy, what are you going to do when the Evil Trio is defeated?", Spitfire asked. "I'll see if I can find Discord, and then we have to find the princesses Celestia and Luna. Although I have no idea where either of them are.", Fluttershy said. "Maybe the Evil Trio knows where Discord and the princesses are. They are the ones that caused all this.", Spitfire said. Fluttershy's mind went over to the draconequus, one of her dearest friends ever since she was able to reform him. "I just hope he's okay, unlike my pony friends...", she said and almost started crying again before she swallowed her tears and focused on the objective at hoof. The five pegasi soon reached Canterlot. Just in front of the entrance there, they spotted more changelings. "One more hurdle before our goal.", Spitfire said. Fluttershy though brimmed with confidence. "Those poor things won't know what hit them.", she said. The five Pegasi landed in front of the swarm. And when the changelings spotted them, the fight was on. This fight was the perfect opportunity for Fluttershy to get used to her newfound powers. As she fought the changelings, she felt so much more powerful than before. She still felt sorry for the changelings she had to beat up - a typical attribute of her usual kindness - but deep in her heart, she knew that her friends trusted her, and she wanted to avenge them, no matter what. She even managed to save Spitfire after she got pinned by four changelings together. Fluttershy just smashed them away like bowling pins. "Whew! Thanks, Fluttershy!", Spitfire said. Fluttershy giggled in response before they continued to fight the swarm of changelings. After a few minutes, the swarm was taken care of. And there it was. Canterlot was just ahead of them. The place where the Evil Trio was hiding, the last hurdle to take back Equestria. The big entrance looked inviting as ever. "Well, this is it, Fluttershy.", Spitfire said, "The last trial. And it's one you have to face by yourself." Fluttershy turned to Spitfire and the Wonderbolts who helped her get here. "I really have to thank you for your help. I wouldn't have made it here without you." "It was a pleasure for us. But now it's time you get in there and beat that Evil Trio to take back Equestria. We'll stay behind and buy you some time." The Wonderbolts then bowed before Fluttershy before turning around to face the next swarm of changelings coming in. Fluttershy turned back to the entrance to Canterlot. "I think it's time you three witness my powerful side, once and for all!", Fluttershy said with determination in her mind. And then, she went into Canterlot, starting to look for the three evil villains. Author's Note Yeah, I know this was a short one, but with the train out of action and Canterlot not being that far away in general, there was not much I could write. Anyway, it's time. Flip over to the next chapter if you're ready...
Chapter 8: Undoing EverythingAfter destroying Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek and becoming the new ruler of Equestria, Fluttershy returned to Ponyville, her hometown. Some ponies, who have returned after leaving town to hide from the wrath of the Evil Trio, started to rebuild the town. Now that all evil is defeated, the ponies can finally go back to a peaceful life full of harmony until the end of time. Fluttershy though was in a flurry of emotions. Even though she was happy that she was able to defeat Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek all on her own and took Equestria back, which ponies have been working on rebuilding it for a few days now, she still was sad. Her best friends were gone, and there was no way to bring them back, no matter how hard she tried. "I mean... I'm happy that I took Equestria back...", Fluttershy thought, "But I miss my friends... Why, why, just why did I go to Zecora with Angel?" Fluttershy cried her heart out again. Of course she was thankful that the Evil Trio is defeated, but the loss of her friends sits very deep, even deeper than the loss of her Sweet Feather Sanctuary. Again, she got depressed very quickly and it made her current circumstances very negative. She wished that she could turn back time and never go to Zecora. Then none of that would have happened and her sanctuary would still be open and her friends still alive. Regardless of what Spike said to her, she just wanted to try it. She knew that the future can't be worse than that, and she didn't want to be alone without her friends... "Wait... Didn't Twilight once mention something about time travel spells in the Canterlot archives?", Fluttershy thought. And since she was an alicorn now, she was now able to cast spells. It was a chance, a chance she had to take. At long last, she saw a faint light at the end of this dark tunnel... She didn't think twice, she flew to Canterlot as quickly as she could and soon reached the ruins of the castle that once was the home of the former princesses. Soon, Fluttershy found the remains of the archives, and went through all the books, scrolls and everything and soon found a scroll that held a familiar spell. One that Twilight casted a long time ago. It was the spell that allowed her to travel back in time, but it was fixed a long time ago, so now, she could go back indefinitely unless the future was somewhat changed. "I only have one shot at this. If I mess it up, the future will get even worse than this...", Fluttershy knew. And she knew all too well that Equestria, the princesses, and the life of her friends was at stake here. One mistake, and everything was gone for good. She casted the spell, charged herself up and with a pink discharge, she vanished into the past... Some time ago, in the Sweet Feather Sanctuary, Fluttershy and Angel were in the supply room of the sanctuary. Angel pointed to a container with concentrated carrot extract inside. Fluttershy was confused. "Concentrated carrot extract? That's for reviving energy-sapped herbivores. Are you feeling rundown?", she asked, worried for Angel. Angel opened his mouth and pointed inside. He wasn't feeling rundown, but he was hungry, and he would give everything to get his tongue on that taste. Fluttershy became angry though. "You just like the taste?!", she said, quite irritated, "Ugh! Angel, that extract is in short supply! What's gotten into you? Every day this week, you've been causing trouble when I have work to do!" Angel became angry as well. He had no one to talk to and the only one who listened was occupied all day. "Of course I know you can't talk to anypony else. But that's not my fault. I have responsibilities!", Fluttershy said angrily. Both Fluttershy and Angel growled at each other before both ultimately gave up. "You're right. We can't go on like this.", Fluttershy admitted, realizing that something was horribly wrong, "I guess we do need to see Zecora for help." Just as the two wanted to head to Zecora, a pink blast went off just outside the supply room and a yellow, pink-haired alicorn came sprinting through the door, making Fluttershy startle. She looked just like her. "Me as an alicorn? Is she from the future?", she thought. However, the Fluttershy from the future went straight to the point. "Fluttershy! You have to listen to me!", she said, "The fate of Equestria depends on this!" Fluttershy got scared at this sentence. "Oh no, what is it?", she asked. Future Fluttershy became serious. "Do not, I repeat, do NOT go to Zecora!", she said. "But why? We have to ask her for help.", said Fluttershy. "No! She won't help you!", said Future Fluttershy, "She'll give you a potion which has you and Angel swap bodies! And once you swapped, Angel has to take care of the sanctuary, and since he can't handle it, Dr. Fauna will close the sanctuary down, and this in turn puts you into deep depression, and eventually, into Tartarus, leading to the end of the world!" She said it as quickly and clearly as possible so Fluttershy wouldn't miss one single detail. The pegasus gasped. "H-how do you know?", she said in disbelief, "Maybe Zecora will help us and everything will work out--" "I'm coming from a few weeks into the future, and a very dark future at that.", Future Fluttershy said. "Dark like what?", asked Fluttershy. "Equestria gone, the princesses missing, and your friends DEAD." The last word made Fluttershy's blood freeze in her veins. "D-d-dead!?" Saying that word alone was terrifying for her. "Yes, dead. And you would be the only one remaining.", Future Fluttershy said. Fluttershy couldn't believe what her future self was telling her. "Is... that... true? That my friends will die if I drank that potion?", she asked. "That's right.", Future Fluttershy responded. "But why would Zecora do that to me? Why would she want to close down my sanctuary that I worked so hard for to get it going?", Fluttershy asked. Future Fluttershy just pointed at Angel. "Ask your bunny.", she said. Fluttershy looked at Angel. "Angel, I don't know what to say, but if what my future self said is true, then I think we should have a word in private.", she suggested. Angel crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Future Fluttershy took notice. "I forgot to mention...", Future Fluttershy began again, "If you drink the potion, Angel will die as well." Fluttershy gasped again. "What? Why?", she asked, in more shock than before. "Because you're the one killing him," Future Fluttershy said, "and this in turn gets you to Tartarus because you can't handle killing an innocent creature." Fluttershy was scared beyond belief. And since Angel could understand everything that Fluttershy tells him, he understood Future Fluttershy too. He clutched at his owner's hind hoof. Future Fluttershy turned around, still looking at the two. "Just try to make amends on the spot, and once you did, this future will be erased. I'll leave you two alone for a moment.", she said. Before Future Fluttershy left the supply room, Fluttershy wanted to know something. "Wait! How did you become an alicorn? Do I actually get a horn in that future?", she asked in curiosity. "Yes.", Future Fluttershy said, "By touching Grogar's Bewitching Bell, a powerful artifact that can store alicorn and chaos magic. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Fluttershy's future self went out of the supply room and left the two alone. Once Angel let go of Fluttershy, the pegasus started talking. "Angel...", she started, "I hate to say it, but after what my future self told me, I have no choice but to believe her. We can't go to Zecora. And I'm sorry if I didn't have the time or attention for you recently, but I'm really overworked with my duties as a teacher for the School of Friendship as well as leading the sanctuary here. And you saw how turbulent things can go, and how much I have on my list. I don't get much downtime from that. Imagine you were in my hooves. Like she said, there's no way you can handle it all. It's a lot to do, and you would be overwhelmed in a minute, and this would cause the sanctuary to close, and all these... horrible things to happen..." Angel's eyes filled with tears. Now finally understanding Fluttershy's dilemma, he actually realized what kind of an abuser he was all this time. He clutched onto Fluttershy again and shed tears. "I'm so, so sorry, Fluttershy...", Angel squeaked, "I was a terrible bunny, and I made so many bad decisions. I don't deserve someone as cute and caring as you... You cared for me, did what you have to do, and all I did was command you around like I'm an overlord... I'm so awful..." Fluttershy comforted her pet bunny by patting his back softly. "There, there, Angel.", she said, "You're not a bad bunny. Everypony makes mistakes, and very few have the courage to admit them. I appreciate your apology, Angel." Angel let go of Fluttershy and looked deep into her cute, light blue eyes. "What do you say? Friendship?" Fluttershy held out her right hoof. Angel gladly took it, and then, they fell into a hug, with Fluttershy giggling a little. "Now come on, Angel. I know how I can get you the attention you want." From outside, Fluttershy heard what her past self said, and when she heard her giggle, she knew. "Yay! It worked!", she said to herself. And then, she started to glow, and looking down on herself, she disappeared into the air, leaving only a swarm of glowing, pink butterflies that her past self saw once she and Angel exited the supply room. "Thank you, my future self... Thank you for everything.", said Past Fluttershy. Back in the present, Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was no longer in the Canterlot archives. Instead, she was out on the streets of Ponyville. And it looked like a clear and sunny day. She looked around. Equestria was not destroyed, and when she tried to recall her memory, she remembered her and her friends, as well as every befriended creature in Equestria defeating Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek and Celestia and Luna entombing them into stone for eternity. "It... worked! I did it... I saved the world!" Fluttershy couldn't believe that this worked. She was no longer the depressed princess of Equestria who missed her dearest friends... No, she was the real Fluttershy, cute, shy, happy and no longer alone. And when she saw her friends who were meeting themselves in front of Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy galloped to her friends and fell into a deep hug with one of them, and it was Rainbow Dash. "Whoa! Fluttershy, what's gotten into you?", asked Rainbow Dash, certainly confused about the sudden hug. "Oh, Rainbow... I'm so glad you're all okay... I had a terrible nightmare, about my Sweet Feather Sanctuary being closed, me killing Angel, Equestria being destroyed, you girls being dead, and me having to fight Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek alone... It was so horrible...", Fluttershy explained, crying while she said it. Rainbow consoled her pegasus friend. "Hey, Fluttershy. It's okay. It was just a dream. You're here, we're here, it's all good. Right, girls?" The rest of the Mane 6 agreed and nodded. Fluttershy was so happy. A few weeks ago, she lost her Sweet Feather Sanctuary, her friends and the entire world, and now, she managed to set history right and saved Equestria and her friends. After spending the rest of the day with the Mane 6 as well as checking on her Sweet Feather Sanctuary, she went home... After returning home to her cottage come nightfall, Fluttershy yawned. She has gone through an awful lot these past few days. But she managed to set everything right. She saved her sanctuary, she saved Angel, she saved the world and her friends. And now, she deserved a good night of sleep. She turned to Angel, who is fast asleep in his bed. "Oh, Angel.", she whispered, "You're just the best bunny that a pony can have, even if we have an argument sometimes... Good night, little one..." And then, Fluttershy climbed into her bed, turned off the lights, and drifted off to sleep, dreaming a dream that she always wanted to dream about. Flying high in the sky, going faster and faster, eventually breaking the sound barrier and unleashing a yellow and pink burst of color in the sky... An Angelic Flutterboom... THE END Author's Note You might notice that this chapter was written before the others. That's because I wanted to create a start and an end before working on the content in between. Thank you for staying until the end, and I hope you liked the alternate timeline to the worst episode of MLP: FiM (in my opinion at least).
