//------------------------------//
// Waking Up 
// Story: Black and White and Pink All Over 
// by baronessbyron 
//------------------------------//

	When Fluttershy opened her eyes, she saw the colors she knew and loved so well, lavender and deep blue, white and royal purple, vermillion and yellow, and cyan, surrounded by an array of color. These colors, and the faces she knew she would see when her vision cleared, were all she needed to see to know that everything would be alright. She blinked a few times, and sure enough, there were her friends, standing around her, expressions ranging from relieved smiles to concerned pouts.
"Is everypony alright?"	Her friends chuckled and smiled at her complete lack of concern for herself.
"I dunno, sugarcube, you're the one in the hospital bed. You tell us!" Applejack's tone was joking, but there was a serious undertone of concern.
"I...I'm fine. I'm just glad you all are alright! when I saw the monster that Pinkie Pie had brought into Twilight's library..."
Fluttershy looked around, and it dawned on her that one dichotomy of colors was missing from the group: pink and cerise.
"Where's...where's Pinkie pie?" Fluttershy looked around at the her friends.
One by one each smile faded
"Fluttershy, darling," Rarity was the first to answer, choosing her pained words carefully, "Pinkie Pie hasn't been stepping out much out lately. She has holed herself up in the attic of Sugarcube Corner, and nothing anypony says can convince her to come down."
Fluttershy looked to the others, pleading an explanation. Why was Pinkie, the most sociable pony anypony knew, sequestering herself up in a musty attic? It was Rainbow Dash who spoke up next.
"Fluttershy, you know how seriously Pinkie took the business of making friends. When you and the stallion she brought home got in such a--heated argument," using the words "Fluttershy" and "fight" in the same sentence seemed strange and foreign, "he left for good. Pinkie has never lost a friend before, we think the grief of it was just too much for her."
Fluttershy remembered the fight that had led up to her waking in this bed.
"But...but I don't understand...that thing couldn't have possibly been Pinkie's friend. It's not even a stallion! That was Slendermane!" Fluttershy felt panic rising in her throat at the very idea of this monster that only legends whispered of.
Twilight spoke up next.
"We know what Slendermane is. I did some research after the whole ordeal. According to my findings, Slendermane is a legendary monster, who is said to feed off the fear and terror in ponies' souls."
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief.
"So you DO understand. You girls understand why I had to do what I did."
The others looked around at one another, trying to figure out what to say next. It was Applejack who finally spoke up.
"Well, iffin' we're bein' honest, I didn't rightly see a problem with him."
Fluttershy could do nothing but gape, jaw hanging slack.
"If there's anypony who's got a darn good gut instinct when it comes to character, it's Pinkie Pie. Sure, he was different, but if he really wanted to hurt any of us, I reckon he could have done it without needin' to set foot in the door."
The others nodded their assent.
"But--but you saw it take me out with it's...things!" Fluttershy countered, still not fully willing to use the word "he".
More concerned glances. This time it was a good thirty seconds before anypony answered her. when the response came, it was a surprise to everypony from Rarity's refined lips.
"What we saw, Fluttershy, was Slendermane defending himself against you. In retrospect, he may have used too much force, but that does not nullify the fact that you threw the first blow!"
The others slowly nodded, Rarity had said what they'd all been thinking since the conversation started. The onus for this ordeal rested not on Pinkie's rouge withers, not even on Slendermane's tentacled back, but squarely on Fluttershy's butter shade shoulders.
Fluttershy scanned the faces of her friends. Rarity had set her jaw hard, determined not to take back what she had said. Applejack looked apologetic, but resolute. Twilight, who had trouble with conflict, had set her eyes firmly to the ground. Finally, Rainbow Dash simply looked a bit nonplussed at the fact that rarity had spoken so bruskly, but seemed in agreement with the sentiment.
"All of you feel this way?
"Yeah, pretty Much," shrugged Rainbow Dash.
"And Pinkie is hiding at home, in pain, because of something I caused?"
Rarity nodded. "Pinkie is a sweet, innocent pony, and she is reeling in what I believe to be the throes of first love. PAIN," Rarity's face morphed from hard to bittersweet, "is not nearly a word strong enough."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but not even she would dare to question Rarity on this matter. The realm of love, lust, angst, and melancholy, where the other five were babes in the woods, was Rarity's domain.
"This is all my fault."
"It's not all your--" Twilight started, but she was silenced by a reproachful glance from Rarity.
"Then I suppose it's up to me to fix this, isn't it?"
"Looks to be the size of it, Buttercup," answered Applejack.
Fluttershy steeled herself for the commitment she was about to make.
"Well, then it's settled. Tomorrow, I start off into the woods, to find Slendermane!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~