"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight screamed as she slammed her book shut. The pink pony continued bouncing around aimlessly, crashing into the shelves of the library. "Why can't you ever just stay still for one minute?!"
The pink pony tilted her head, feeling confused. "Oh Twilight, what's the point of staying still! You've gotta live life to the fullest!" She squeaked gleefully.
Twilight turned towards her and glared. "I'm trying to study, so you can either be quiet, or go find some other pony to bother!"
Pinkie Pie froze in place, "I'm… bothering you?" She asked softly.
"Yes!" Twilight shouted. "Just leave me alone!"
"I'm sorry, Twilight…" Pinkie said sadly, as she trotted towards the door. "You're still coming to the party next week, right?" She asked hopefully.
Twilight groaned, "I don't know! I've got a lot of catching up to do. I have to keep up with my studies. I don't have time for all these nonsensical parties!"
"Oh… okay!" Pinkie Pie said, trying to keep her sights on the positive. "Well, see you later!" She trotted through the door and closed it. She soon decided that not every pony could be busy; surely one of them was in a playful mood. As she ventured onward down the road, away from the library, she soon came across Rarity.
"Hey, Rarity," Pinkie said, waving a hoof energetically. "What'cha doing?"
"Not now, Pinkie Pie," Rarity said sternly, dismissing the pony with the swish of a hoof. "Can't you see I have better things to do then partake in shenanigans with you?"
"Oh, my bad!" Pinkie said, and began galloping away. As she proceeded, she soon started to notice the streets emptying as she approached. Within seconds of her arrival the street was deserted, as well as the surrounding ones. She carried on, thinking of it as only a mere coincidence. The wooden doors of Sugarcube Corner slammed shut as she came closer.
"Uh, Mr. and Mrs. Cake?" Pinkie Pie called out, knocking loudly on the door. Waiting briefly, she received no answer. "Mr. and Mrs Cake, are you home?" She called out again, wriggling the doorknob. The door pried itself open from the other side as her hoof came in contact with it.
Mrs. Cake leaned out the door, a strand of nervous sweat running down her forehead. "Oh, sorry Pinkie, we're uh… closed."
Pinkie Pie peeked through the cracks of the door to see Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy sitting at a table eating and chatting away happily. "No you're not!" Pinkie Pie said sounding a little less than cheerful.
"Yes… yes we are..." Mrs. Cake said unconvincingly.
With that, Pinkie Pie lost her patience and burst herself through the doorway and joined her friends at the table. "Hey guys, whatcha doing?"
Soon the happy laughter ceased, and the three ponies were quiet. Finally, Rainbow Dash let out a groan, "Well we were having fun, till you showed up."
Pinkie Pie blinked. "Now you're having super-tons of fun?" She asked happily.
Rainbow Dash dropped her head onto the wooden table loudly and let out another grumble of irritation. "No," She said angrily, "Now we're just annoyed."
"What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked obliviously. "What happened?"
Both Fluttershy and Applejack turned their heads shamefully towards the corner as Rainbow Dash let out a loud sigh. "Look, Pinkie Pie…" Rainbow Dash said clearly. "Don't you ever think it's strange that every pony is always busy when you show up?"
Pinkie Pie placed a hoof on her chin, "Well yeah, that's because they are busy!"
Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yes. Yes they are busy," She said. "Busy being busy so they don't have to talk to you."
"What…?"
"No pony wants you around, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash said, her voice growing louder. "So why don't you just leave every pony alone?!"
"I don't understand…" Pinkie Pie said sadly, her hair starting to deflate.
Rainbow Dash slammed her face into the table a second time. Peeling herself from her seat, she grabbed Pinkie Pie by the shoulder and dragged her towards the door of Sugarcube Corner. "No pony wants you here, so just get out!" She screamed. With a powerful shove out the door, Pinkie Pie found herself colliding heavily into one of the candy cane striped poles
Pinkie Pie opened her eyes and wiped away the single drop of sweat trickling down her forehead. "Whew!" She sighed, "What a crazy dream." She said happily, hopping off her bed. "Guess I shouldn't have so much chocolate milk before I go to bed." She said aloud to herself.
A dark laughter came from the corner of her bedroom. "Hello, Pinkamina." Shadow Scorn said mischievously.
Pinkie Pie bounced up excitedly and rushed towards the black unicorn. "Well hi there!" She screeched cheerfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You already know my name, so what's yours?" She asked, grabbing hold of one of the frigid black hooves. "Oooh, you're really cold. Why don't I go make you some tea?"
Shadow Scorn stared blankly at the pony that rummaged energetically around the room. She attempted repeatedly to get a word in, but the pink pony quickly interrupted her with rants about parties or pastries. "Oh the hay with this!" She groaned. She would have much preferred to toy with her prey's emotions, but she found herself not even able to finish a sentence in this pony's presence.
A bolt of red light flashed through the room and Pinkie Pie let out a muffled yelp of pain as her legs froze in place. Her knees soon crumbled from the weight of her body, dropping her down to the ground. She squirmed her neck around frantically; trying to investigate what had just happened. Seconds after the painful sensations started, there was a second feeling. It was the feeling of something cold, piercing into her stomach. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Her mind, unable to tolerate it, pushed the pink pony back into sleep.
---------------
With a heavy sigh, Fluttershy trotted across the dimly lit hallway, her hooves clambering loudly on the linoleum tiled floors as she walked. She eyed inside the other rooms she passed as she walked towards her destination. Her hooves began to feel like lead, and her body and mind did all it could to slow her further as she continued to approach. Every time she visited, the weight of the world seemed to crash down on her. Finally, she reached the end of the hallway and nudged open the mahogany door and ventured inside.
"Hello dad," She said in a hushed tone of voice as she forced herself closer to the bed. "Are you feeling any better?"
The blanketed Pegasus grunted irritably but said nothing.
"Dad," Fluttershy whispered, running her hoof against the blanket, revealing the elderly pony's frail and ragged body. "Talk to me, please…"
"There isn't anything to say!" He snapped back.
The timid pony flinched at the sudden aggressiveness. Taking a few steps back, "Is there anything I can do to help you feel more comfortable?" she asked.
Her father took in a wheezing breath, "You can get your flank out of my room, that's what." He said harshly.
Fluttershy frowned; she never understood why she visited. They were always the same, she'd try to start a conversation, or ask him if she can do anything for him, but the result was always the same. On a good day, he would completely ignore her. However, on the average day such as this one, he would no doubt find any way possible to make the visit as hard on her as possible.
Taking a seat in the cold wooden chair, Fluttershy scanned at the clock overhead the pony's bed. Though she didn't enjoy her visits with her father, she was determined to at least once stay for the entirety of an hour. Every previous visit, the grouchy pony had managed to frighten her off within the first half-hour. She knew why he resented her so much; after all, she had been the pony who placed him in this place that he commonly referred to as a prison.
Fluttershy did love her father, and she couldn't blame him for despising her. In the days prior to his being sent here, he had started to grow more and more unpredictable. Soon it became too much for her to bear. With much debate on the matter, she finally did what she thought was best and had sent him to Ponyville's Old Ponies Home. Ever since then, her father refused to carry out even the slightest verbal communication, unless it was to try and make her feel guilty.
"Dad..." Fluttershy whispered, "I… I love you."
"Shut up!" Her father hissed back.
The response stung at her. Though in the passing months she had grown less and less fond of her father, she still loved for him. A single tear began to work its way out of her eye, which she quickly blinked away. "Dad," She said, trying to steady her breathing. "I'm sorry…"
"I guess that just makes everything alright then?" Her father said angrily, "You throw me in this hole, and you are sorry. That's great, Fluttershy, thanks."
"Dad…" Fluttershy whimpered, "Please, I didn't know what else to do."
"Why do you even come here?" He screeched, "Neither of us wants to be here, or see each other. So why do you even bother?"
"Because," Fluttershy spoke even more quietly than before. "I love you, and I want to make sure you're alright."
"If you loved me, why did you put me in this place?" He spat.
"You were out of control. You need constant care now. I couldn't keep my eyes on you all the time." Fluttershy hopped off the chair and trotted back towards the bed. "I just wanted what was best for you. I know you can't see it now, but this is where you should be."
The old pony shifted onto his side and tugged the blanket back over his face. "I'd rather be dead, than rotting away in this place any longer."
Fluttershy leaned over and draped her hooves onto her father, "Don't say that."
The pony grunted and shook the intruder off of him. He no longer wanted to be disturbed, and he was willing to say whatever he felt necessary to achieve this. "You're mother was so disappointed in you." He said suddenly.
Fluttershy froze in place, "W-what?"
"You heard me," Her father said quickly, "She thought you were such an embarrassment to her. How could she explain to the whole of Equestria, that her own daughter was not only a weak flier, but she was also afraid of heights..."
Fluttershy sniffled as the tears began to emerge from her eyes again, "That's not true… Mom loved me."
The elder pony let out a forced chuckle, his lungs rattling as he did so. "No pony loved you. Your mom was ashamed of you, how could she love you?" Pulling his blanket away from his face, he turned to the yellow Pegasus that was now on the verge of tears. "And after everything you've done to me, I sure as hay don't love you either."
"Dad…"
"Get out!" The older Pegasus shouted.
"But, dad…"
"OUT, NOW!" He repeated. He reached over to a silver tray and tossed at the cowering pony. As the metal clattered towards the floor, she turned to the door and ran. The floor was slick from water, and in her speed, she lost her hoofing and slipped. Her head crashed down towards the hard tiled floor, with a dull and loud crack.
Gasping loudly, a cold sweat pooled around Fluttershy as she shifted out of her sleep. Her eyes slowly peeled themselves open. The cottage was still dark, and seemingly more cold than normal. Her slow, heavy breaths formed small clouds of mist as they escaped her nostrils. Tightening the thin blanket around herself, she stepped off the bed. As she turned the knob on the stove, and placed a kettle of water on the burner, small shivering fur caught her eyes. She headed towards the corner, where the fluffy white critter lay on his plush red pillow. As she moved closer, the shivering ceased, as well as any other noticeable movement.
A jolt of fear and pain shot through her heart and she leapt towards the creature and cradled him in her forelegs. As she held him, she saw no puffs of breath hovering in the nearby air, and his fur only seemed to be growing colder. His body was limp and heavy, and his eyes refused to open. A trickle of tears rolled down Fluttershy's cheek and splashed onto the soft cloudy fur.
"Please," Fluttershy whispered, "Don't leave me…" She pleaded, shaking the tiny body she held tightly. The rabbit continued to lie lifelessly in her arms. "Angel, please… I love you so much. Don't go…" Her friend remained still, not responding to her cries.
She didn't understand. Angel had been absolutely fine before she had gone to sleep. There hadn't been any indications that he was sick in anyway. The cold temperature of the cottage wouldn't have even caused her pet even the slightest discomfort. Within a few short hours, there had been absolutely no warning, and now her oldest and dearest friend was gone.
The tears that streamed from Fluttershy's eyes soon began to intensify as she stared heartbroken at her lost friend. Her quiet whimpers erupted into muffled sobs as she buried her face into the unmoving animal. "Angel…" She whimpered, pulling herself off the ground, still clinging onto her pet.
Stepping outside, into the cold slushy dirt, Fluttershy walked towards the bank of the stream, beneath the bridge. With much reluctance, she set down Angel on a nearby bed of flowers and started to scrape slowly at the sandy surface. Her legs trembled violently, making it difficult for her to properly dig the hole. Every few seconds she would glance briefly towards the flowers, then return her sight to the bank.
Though she struggled to admit it to herself, the hole was finished. She had to stop herself from continuing the dig, as she was trying to deny herself the truth. Her friend was gone, and never coming back. She knew she could plunge herself deeper into the earth and try to distract herself from what she had lost, but no good could come of it. With much dismay, she pried herself away from the small chasm and lifted the fluffy critter off the flowers.
Placing her companion gently in the crater and stared. She still couldn't believe he was gone. With a sad sigh she ran her hoof softly against the rabbit, feeling his soft fur one last time. Leaning down, she placed a kiss on his forehead then quickly pulled herself away as another wave of tears spilled over. Scraping over the loose soil she covered the hole with a single smooth wave of dirt.
The job was finished now. The last interaction she would have with her dearly departed. Now that it was over, she wished it weren't. Now all she wanted was something to take her mind off of the event, even for the briefest of moments. Dropping her head onto the sand, she let out unrestrained wails as she mourned her friend.
"Angel, I'll never forget you…" Fluttershy whimpered in between sobs.
Unaware of the approaching soft patters, Fluttershy continued to lie in place. Soon a heavy black shadow was looming over her, but she still took no notice to the intruder. The pony cleared her throat, "Pleasant dreams?" Shadow Scorn said snidely.
The crying Pegasus, startled, leaped up but was met with a heavy hoof that swatted her back down.
"Please, don't get up on my account," Shadow Scorn said. "I'll only be a moment." The black unicorn trotted closer to the petrified Pegasus. "Since my other subjects have somehow managed to elude me... for the time being. I've decided you will be sufficient to serve my purpose."
"W-w-what d-do you w-want?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"Oh, nothing much," Shadow Scorn put out a twisted smile as she spoke. "I just want you to say hello to your friends for me."
Fluttershy shivered with fright and nodded slowly in agreement. "O-okay…"
"Perfect!" Shadow Scorn's smile broadened. A bright flash of crimson light shot out, blinding Fluttershy. Soon after, all she could feel was pain. The pain was an agonizingly intense burning that seared through her chest. She could scarcely breathe, her limbs flopped down uselessly. She tried to cry out in pain, but her throat felt tight, and no sounds escaped. Something was tied around one of her wings and she felt herself being lifted. As she was pulled away from the sands her mind soon began to blur into blackness.