Happy New Years everyone! I hope you like your present. I know I do :3 A bit of a warning though. I may have accidently kinda sorta maybe might’ve completely screwed with the order of the episodes. So if that pops out at any point. Well… it’s there.
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The enormous creature before her roared, her white face-feathers puffing out, making her seem bigger and more intimidating. Fluttershy felt her courage, already almost non-existent, give way completely. She turned around and began running as fast as she could, flapping her wings to help her along.
As Fluttershy ran, sobs wracked her form. As she cried, she spoke aloud, trying to make sense of what had happened. “I w-was… just t-trying to… help the ducklings.” She could feel her nose beginning to run. It trickled down to her mouth, a warm trail of wetness. She ignored this and ran on, trying to get back to the quiet safety of her home.
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The yellow pegasus sat in her home. She had closed herself into a closet and covered herself with the extra blankets held within. Why does everypony always have to yell? She thought to herself, warm tears cascading down her face. Why can’t I ever stand up to anypony? A sudden knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
“S-should I go see?” she asked herself, “what if it’s just someone else to come and be mean?”
“Oh Fluuuuttershyyyyyyy!” Pinkie’s voice carried well through the small cabin. “I know you’re in there!” She heard Pinkie gasp. “Are we playing hide and seek? I love hide and seek! Okay, I’m it. One… Two… Threefourfivesixseveneightnineten! Ready or not, here I come!”
Hoofsteps sounded outside Fluttershy’s quiet refuge. They crossed the house, occasionally seeming to come from the ceiling or walls- sometimes both. After a second, the steps stopped and the house was silent once more. Fluttershy thought that that meant Pinkie had left; she hoped that it meant Pinkie had left. A gust of wind blew on her ear and she spun her head frantically.
“Hi Fluttershy!” the pink mare said, now nose to nose with her yellow friend. “I thought I’d find you in here.” Fluttershy missed this, she was too busy- first squealing, and then fainting.
A cold shock flooded Fluttershy’s mind. She jerked to awareness to find Pinkie standing over her, a bucket of ice-cream held in each hoof. One of them was empty and the smell of mint chocolate chip filled Fluttershy’s nose. Pinkie held out the other container and flipped it upside down, shaking it violently. Just before the cylinder of frozen dairy goodness fell on her, the shy mare spoke up. “Pinkie, stop! I’m awake!”
“I know, silly,” said Pinkie, still shaking the ice-cream, “but how often do you get to dump ice-cream on ponies?” Before Fluttershy could answer, a massive block of strawberry swirl covered her face.
Fluttershy jumped up and wiped the freezing dessert off of her face. “S-s-so c-c-c-cold,” she said, blowing warm air onto her hooves. As she stood shivering, Pinkie produced an invitation.
“So, now that we’re done playing hide and seek, can you come to this party later?”
Fluttershy looked at the invitation. It was decorated with the usual Pinkie Pie flair, but the details were what Fluttershy really found disturbing. She couldn’t help but squeal slightly as she saw who the party was for.
“A-are you sure that you want to give her a party Pinkie? I mean, um, parties are nice and everything but-”
“Don’t you worry your cute little head about that, Fluttershy.” Pinkie patted Fluttershy on the head, “Auntie Pinkie Pie knows exactly what she’s doing.” The pink mare bounced away, smiling.
“I’m a year older than you,” Fluttershy huffed angrily under her breath.
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The party was even big by normal Pinkie Pie standards- as normal as that could be considered at least. Balloons and ribbons decorated every surface and there were tables piled high with snacks. It looked as though all of Ponyville had showed up and they all brought a gift for the guest of honor.
Fluttershy walked around nervously, unsure of what she should do. She was worried that her friends might actually turn out to like the terrifying griffon, or worse- Gilda could roar again. She didn’t think her heart could take that again.
“Hey Fluttershy,” Twilight said as she saw her shy friend. “What do you think about Gilda?”
Fluttershy’s heart dropped. She was terrified that her friends would actually like Gilda and would invite her stay in Ponyville for forever. She didn’t think she could handle that. As she began to reply, the doors flew open and Gilda walked in, looking as smug as she had earlier that day. “I’ll talk to you later,” Fluttershy said before rushing away to be alone. As she left the party, all she heard were sounds of laughter and of Gilda being loud. These were loud enough to carry all the way back to her home.
How can they stand that mean griffon? She thought to herself as she lay hidden beneath her bed. A horrifying thought struck her. What if they’re actually meanies too? A voice deep within Fluttershy’s head seemed to agree with that. “Yes,” it said, “they’re all the same. They just pretend to be nice so you’ll keep doing things for them. Remember all of the things they do to you? Everything they put you through. They don’t like you, they only use you!”
Fluttershy could scarcely believe that she was even capable of thinking like that. “No!” she argued back, “They’re not like that at all! They’re always so nice and friendly. And they don’t make me do things too often. Besides, it’s nice that someone cares enough about me to want me to do things.”
The nagging voice refused to be silent. It continued pressuring her, speaking of past wrongs done to her that she had let slide, or even accepted. How she acted like a doormat. Each accusation stung the kindly mare as though she had been the one hurting people. She found herself sinking farther and farther into her sorrow before she finally drifted off to sleep. Her head cushioned by the carpet which had swelled up slightly, warmed by her tears.
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“Hey Fluttershy, you home?” Rainbow Dash’s rough voice could be heard ringing loudly through the yellow pegasi’s modest home. Fluttershy sat up and sighed. ‘Another night in the sad corner, I see,’ she thought to herself. She had started silently referring to the corner of the room as such after repeated incidents such as the one she’d had the night before. By now, the name seemed to fit.
A shadow flitted across the floor- Fluttershy, looking up, saw Rainbow Dash trying to peer through the windows. She stood up and walked over to the door, carefully wiping her face off as she went; she liked the fact that her friends worried about her when she got upset, but she didn’t want to give them too many chances to do so.
“I don’t think this is a very good idea,” another voice said from behind the door as Fluttershy moved to open it.
“I don’t see what the big problem is. They’re just little cookies,” Rainbow Dash could be heard answering. “She shouldn’t have any problems with them.”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s just- oh hey, Fluttershy.” Twilight blushed as the door creaked open enough for Fluttershy to look out. “Funny story, we were just talking about you actually.”
“Hey Twilight, hey Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy mumbled, opening the door. “How are you two?”
Rainbow Dash flew in quickly, a strange box held between her hooves. Twilight moved at a much more leisurely pace, seeming to study Fluttershy’s face as she went. “Are you alright, Fluttershy? I didn’t see you at the party last night after I asked you about Gilda.”
Rainbow Dash stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Yeah, what’s up with that ‘Shy? Somepony told me they saw you leaving really fast.”
“Oh, it was nothing, really. Can I get you two anything?” Fluttershy was eager to get off the topic in case they really did turn out to like the rude griffon. Twilight seemed to notice, but didn’t say anything. Rainbow Dash, already back in the kitchen, didn’t seem to care.
Fluttershy and Twilight walked into the kitchen and saw that Rainbow had taken out a covered platter. Sitting on the table next to it was a small, striped box with pictures of happy animals on it.
“So ‘Shy,” Rainbow said, “I’ve got a surprise for you. C’mere.”
“Rainbow Da-”
“No Twilight, it’ll be fine. She’ll love them. Go read a book or something.”
Fluttershy was nervous, but she shrugged this off as being normal and walked over. She could smell something, almost like a cookie. ‘Vanilla,’ she thought as she placed the scent. “What are they?”
“Animal cra-” Rainbow Dash began as she pulled the lid off of the platter with a flourish.
“WHAT?!?” Fluttershy rocketed towards Rainbow Dash, slamming her into the wall. Several crackers fell to the floor as she shot past, shattering when they hit. “WHAT DID YOU SAY THOSE WERE?!?!”
“They’re animal crackers,” Rainbow Dash gasped.
“YOU MADE DEFENSELESS LITTLE ANIMALS INTO CRACKERS?!?!?”
“N-no of course not!” Dash wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened. “P-Pinkie made ‘em.”
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, releasing the pegasus. “Oh she did, did she?” As the previously shy mare stalked towards the door, Rainbow Dash spoke up again.
“’Shy! They’re just cookies.” She was sore from where Fluttershy had held her. “They’re just cookies, shaped like animals.”
Fluttershy calmed visibly. “Oh.” She turned around, looking slightly confused.
“What’s gotten into you?” Twilight asked, finally speaking up. “I can understand you leaving the party early- that’s not unusual for you. Attacking your friends over a cookie is though.”
Fluttershy gasped and looked down at her hooves. “I- I… I’m so sorry! I didn’t- I don’t know what came over me!” She started crying, avoiding Dash’s eye. Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her face slightly strained.
“No, it’s my fault. I knew they would make you freak. It’s not your fault ‘Shy.”
“No! It was all my fault! You brought cookies and I slammed you into a wall!” Fluttershy wasn’t sure what she should do. She closed her eyes and flew out of the room as fast as she could.
“’Shy! Come back!” The cyan mare leapt into the air, but Twilight stopped her with a hoof.
“Let her go. You being there won’t help her feelings any.” Twilight sighed, looking at the plate of smiling, animal-shaped treats. “What’s gotten into her?”
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Fluttershy tore out of her house and continued down the road, not watching or caring where she was going. She heard Rainbow Dash yelling after her, but didn’t slow down. Her wings burned with the unusual level of use they were getting, but she pressed on, forcing them to move the air, keeping her speeding along the path. Finally, she could go no more and let herself drop.
Fluttershy fell quickly, dropping through the few feet of air between her and the ground in less than a second. She slid along the ground. Small rocks and other debris tore at her, but she didn’t care. Dust plumed around her and she slowed to a stop.
The yellow pegasus lay in the dirt, her eyes filling with tears. She had attacked her best and oldest friend over the shape of some cookies. She was alone. She didn’t move, not even to get the rocks out from under her stomach. She deserved this- attacking a friend for no reason.
The wind blew and she heard a light rustling noise. It sounded almost like when you flipped through a book quickly. Confused, Fluttershy looked up and saw a book, inches from her nose.
“What’s this?” she asked herself. She looked around- she was the only one who lived this far out from the town; no one would have come here at all, let alone with a book. She looked at the cover/ It was a dark brown color, textured. She wasn’t sure what it could be. The pages didn’t seem like paper either. They were stiffer, a light tan color, and were thicker than paper she’d seen. There was no decoration on the cover, but inside, the book was filled with an odd script- almost like someone had merely doodled, but it was clearly words- it was too orderly and repetitive to be anything else.
Fluttershy picked up the book, wondering how it could have gotten there. As she picked it up, a shiver ran through her body. She looked around, but nothing was there and it was a fairly warm day. Already back to her scared self, she hurried home. The voice from the back of her head was speaking again, but she was too focused to pay it any mind.
Fluttershy debated just going home; she didn’t want to face Twilight or Dash after what she’d done. But the book… it was strange. It compelled her to go home, making her all the more anxious to find out what it was and how it had ended up in the middle of a lonely road.
She decided to bring it to Twilight- if anything, she could try and apologize for her behavior. She started back down the road, amazed how far she’d gotten so quickly. As she neared her house, she saw movement. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were just now leaving. She held back, still wary of approaching them. Fluttershy waited until they were out of sight before continuing to her house.
She walked inside and breathed deeply- the vanilla was still there. She sighed; she should probably avoid the kitchen then.
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Fluttershy awoke and climbed out of bed, the events of the previous day already hidden away by her subconscious. She went about taking care of her animals- feeding and brushing the little ones, letting the others know it was time to wake up. She was happy again- already having forgotten why she was sad.
The yellow mare went into her kitchen for breakfast, now that her other work was out of the way. She could smell vanilla and remembered what she’d done the day before. The plate of cookies was still on the table and she knew she would have to make it up to her friends.
Sighing, Fluttershy picked up one of the animal crackers and bit into it. It actually tasted very good. The good tastes only served to upset her further- Rainbow Dash had brought her a tasty treat, so Fluttershy hit her. She wished she could take it back, but now she could do the next best thing- apologize.
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As Fluttershy neared the library, she ran things over in her head. ‘Oh, hey Twilight. I just wanted to say how sorry I was about yesterday.’ She shook her head, that wouldn’t do at all. ‘Hey Twilight, sometimes love hurts.’ No, that was for date night… She sighed, this wouldn’t be easy.
Fluttershy lifted a hoof to knock on the door of the tree-house when it opened.
“Oh, hey Fluttershy.” Twilight looked a little startled, but smiled quickly.
“Hi, Twilight. I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I really don’t know why I did that.”
“It’s okay,” Rainbow Dash said, just above the two mares. “I forgive ya ‘Shy. I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone if you could help it.
Fluttershy squealed and Twilight looked around. “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash. What do you have there?”
The cyan mare held her bag a little tighter, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Oh, nothing. Just a little snack.”
“Rainbow Dash.” Twilight frowned at her friend. “Do you really not remember the cookies?” Fluttershy whimpered quietly as she remembered what she’d done to her friend earlier.
“This is different Twi- these are just gummies!” She held the bag out to the mare, now hiding behind her pink mane. “Here ‘Shy, just try one.” When Fluttershy made no move towards the bag she added, “please?”
Fluttershy sighed and grabbed the bag. She opened it up to reveal a mass of brightly coloured blobs. These smelled even better than the crackers had and her stomach rumbled at the sight. She pulled out a red one and stuck it in her mouth, chewing it slowly. The taste of artificial strawberries covered her tongue and she smiled. They tasted amazing.
“Yeah, gotta love gummy bears, huh?” Rainbow Dash had made sure she was out of reach of the pegasus before she spoke.
Fluttershy froze, another gummy, green this time, near her mouth. She looked closely and saw it was molded into a tiny bear. She stared at it, horrified by the idea of what she’d been doing.
Rainbow Dash burst out laughing at the sight of her friend’s face. Twilight scowled and put a leg over her friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay Fluttershy; it’s just a fruity snack. It’s not really an animal.”
“Well, mostly,” Twilight added quietly.
“M-mostly?”
“They’re gummies,” Twilight said, realizing what that meant. “They’re made with gelatin… they have ground up… RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight’s mane seemed almost to burst into flame. “WHY WOULD YOU EVEN MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LET ALONE GIVE IT TO FLUTTERSHY?!?”
“Something like what?” Rainbow Dash realized this wasn’t something to laugh about any more. “What does gelatin have to do with anything?” Her face paled. “I didn’t make these. I got them from somebody.”
“Gelatin is made of ground up bones.”
Dash looked at the bag. Fluttershy had dropped it on the floor and ran off before Twilight had finished talking. “Bones? WHY DOES IT TASTE SO GOOD THEN?” She rubbed frantically at her tongue trying to get rid of the rich, fruity taste. “WHY DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW THESE THINGS TWILIGHT!?!”
“I DON’T KNOW! I JUST READ A LOT!” Neither mare was sure why they were yelling.
Fluttershy fed the library as she’d fled her cottage the day. She’d not only attacked a friend today, but she’d eating something’s bones and… and she’d liked it. The voice in her mind was now fully awake, feeding off of her inner turmoil. You know. Those crackers were good, and the gummies were even better. Just think of how good the real thing must taste.
“Stop it! Stop talking to me!” Fluttershy was speeding through the town as she yelled, drawing stares from the townsponies. No one was even by her, yet she was yelling for someone to leave her alone- crazy mare.
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Fluttershy hurried back to her cottage, trying to outrun the voice that spoke to her, but without success- you can’t run from your own mind. She slammed the door, knocking over the small table she kept near it. The furniture hit her legs and tripped her. Once more, she landed on the ground, her nose inches from the strange book.
It had fallen open and the symbols on the page were slowly reforming, changing themselves into letters she recognized. There seemed to be a picture too, but Fluttershy couldn’t quite make out what it was. “The I-Iron Maiden?” Fluttershy read off the top of the page. She continued reading as the letters reformed.
“Wh-what is this?” the yellow pegasus screamed as she kicked the book away. It spoke of a massive contraption used to torture and kills other living things. She looked at the book where it now lay. She was disgusted by what she’d found within; it was an evil, horrible thing… but then… why did she want to keep reading so badly?
