The King of Lies

by Jade Ring

Fluttershy

The pain in her neck faded at the same time as the field of light around her did. She whimpered and tried to hide but could find nothing solid to hide behind. With no other option, she stuck out her chin and made herself ready to see whatever it was she was going to see.

The light vanished...

...revealing Sweet Apple Acres on a glorious summer morning. She was standing in the south field being warmed by the sun over her head. She sniffed the air curiously and found it exactly as she had expected to; warm and full of the smell of apples.

She smiled. Was this her vision?

“Indeed, Fluttershy. You are looking at your test right now.”

She shuddered as Belial faded into existence beside her. “I don't understand. This is my home. What am I supposed to be seeing here?”

“Wait.”

As though in response to his voice, a child's cry came from the fields to her left. Her mothering instincts kicked in as she recognized Scarlet's voice... but she relaxed again when she realized it was a cry of joy, not of fear.

Scarlet Apple came bounding over the high grass, Winona's puppy Judd nipping at her hooves as they played.

Fluttershy smiled at her daughter... but something was different. “She's... older.” Fluttershy whispered. “And so is Judd. What is this?”

“As I said, a vision of your future.” Belial chuckled. “Or perhaps it's a lie. That's for you to decide, isn't it?”

Fluttershy watched as her dark red daughter, who appeared to be seven or eight, continued to play with the dog. The pegasus found herself near tears as she saw how graceful the filly was. “She's growing beautifully.”

“Yes.” Belial had to agree. “I'm sure her father thinks so too.”

As if summoned by the King of Lies, Macintosh Apple's voice rang out from the barn. “Ya'll be careful now, Scarlet. Don't get all dirty now. Ma's gonna have dinner ready soon.” He emerged pulling a whole tree by his collar.

It had been years since they'd met, and his muscles and the casual way he used his strength still made her swoon. “Big Bunny...” she cooed lovingly.

Belial made a disgusted sound.

Something caught Fluttershy's eye. Something about Macintosh's face. “What is...”

“You can have a closer look, you know. This is only a vision, after all. They can't see or hear you.”

Fluttershy spread her wings and floated over until she was next to the straining stallion. She gasped when she saw his face. “His eye...” She whispered. “What happened to his eye?”

Macintosh's right eye was gone, replaced by a leather eye-patch.

“Minor war wound.” Belial replied matter-of-factly as he reappeared by her side. “Eaten by Changelings. Or was it Diamond Dogs?”

Fluttershy reached out a hoof towards her husband's face.

A voice called from the distant farm-house. “Mac! Scarlet! Supper's ready!”

That was not her voice.

She spun and focused her eyes on the farm-house's open door. The mare she saw there made her heart grow cold. “Cheerilee?” She spun towards Belial. “Why is Cheerilee there?”

Belial's smirk tasted delicious on his lips. “Isn't it obvious?”

Fluttershy turned and watched as Scarlet, her baby girl, ran up the steps and hugged Ponyville Elementary's teacher as tight as she could. “I'm starvin,' Ma.”

“...Ma?”

Fluttershy slumped to the ground as Macintosh detached his harness and joined his wife and child on the porch. She felt her heart break as her Big Bunny kissed Cheerilee with the same gentle passion he kissed her with. “H... how?”

“You lost the baby.”

Fluttershy raised her head slowly and tried to talk, but found her tongue was not willing to move.

“Yes, I know you're pregnant. And that's what happens; you lose the foal. Not only that, but the damage to your system is so great that you can never have children ever again.” The thought made Belial smile. “Macintosh always wanted a big family. He's told you that since day one. When his wife was unable to continue... he simply found another.”

Fluttershy looked and saw three little foals crawling around the kissing couple's hooves.

“As for you, you couldn't handle losing Macintosh like that. And you've always had a problem with rage, haven't you?” He waved his hoof before him and a shadowy image of Scarlet appeared.

Now that she was up close, Flutershy could see the burns on the filly's face. She put her hooves to her mouth and gasped in horror.

“You did this when you tried to burn the house down. Macintosh was able to save you both, but he had you commited lickety split.” He tapped his hoof and the image vanished. “It took years of therapy, but Scarlet eventually forgot all about you. After all... she has a new mommy. One who won't try to burn her alive.”

Fluttershy collapsed entirely and began to weep.

“Now now, dear. Save your tears. The game has only just begun after all. So tell me; is this a vision of things yet to be... or am I simply lying through my teeth?”

Fluttershy reigned in her sobs, wiped the tears from her face, and looked at Belial defiantly. “Lie.” She whispered.

“What was that?”

“A lie.”

“I'm sorry, I'm a trifle deaf in this ear...”

“It's a LIE!” She almost screamed. In response, the vision surrounding them faded into nothingness, leaving them alone in the dark.

Belial's hooves became vicious claws and he offered her a polite clap. “A mother always can tell if a child is lying. Well done.”

“Is... is it over?” She asked, praying desperately that it was.

His hooves returned and he leaned in close, so close that she could feel an impossible cold heat radiating from him. “For you; yes. For them... this is only the beginning.”

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

...Not to put down all of that editing, but I thought Fluttershy was still pregnant with Scarlet at this point? And what's that about Belial being a "child" lying... no matter. Short, sad and sweet all at once.

[Dawn Flower]

Good chapter, if a little short. I'm interested to see how it continues.

While I was reading this, I made Belial sound like Bhunivelze.

[vinyldash23]

satan? izzat you?