Collision Code

by SSJRandomMaster

Act 3 Chapter 17

Act III: Collision of Wills
Chapter 17: Forced Open
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Everything in Ponyville seemed to change after that. The streets suddenly became empty. Now that everyone knew the truth, they were more afraid than ever. Doors were locked, windows were boarded, and businesses closed. Nopony wanted to be the next victim. Now locked in their own homes, guards standing outside their doors, I realized something.

Even though they were the victims, even though they did nothing wrong... it was like suddenly, they were the prisoners.

That night I had a guard watching over my home, but still I couldn’t sleep. But that wasn’t because I was afraid for myself, but for everypony else. I spent most of the night awake, waiting for something to happen…

And it did.
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Fluttershy rose from her bed the moment she saw the light of the day shining over the horizon. Even she wasn’t exempt from the curfew. That didn’t change the fact that she wanted desperately to go back to Ponyville, to see for herself if the guards had kept everypony safe. As far as she knew, the night had been silent, not even a peep heard from the guard standing outside. Deep inside, this gave her some hope; whoever did this probably couldn’t sneak around with so many guards around.

Fixing herself up quickly, Fluttershy scurried down the stairs, walking past a still sleeping Spike on her sofa. She opened the door intent on flying towards town, but the moment she did, she was blocked by a shadow in front of her, one that was moving towards her. Fluttershy let out a small cry as it struck her and she fell to the ground. For a moment, she was panicked, enough to wake up Spike.

“W-what… what’s happening?” he asked, trying to gather himself from being woken up so abruptly. Fluttershy, in the meantime, was struggling on the floor, thinking she was being attacked. However, she soon noticed that there was no opposition. Finally calming down, she looked to see who was on top of her; with a gasp of shock, she’d realized it was the guard. But he wasn’t asleep, he was unconscious, and from the looks of it, brutally beaten.

Fluttershy’s fear turned to worry as she pushed the guard over, immediately moving to check his vitals. His neck still gave off a noticeable pulse.

“He’s still breathing,” she noted as well, letting out a sigh of relief. However, this relief was short-lived as the realization washed over her. This guard, bruised and bleeding…he didn’t just happen to fall through her open door in that condition, he had to have been propped up against it.

Suddenly, the guard’s body jolted and he let out a gasp, looking around frantically.

“R-relax, you’re safe!” said Fluttershy as she tried to keep him still. The guards took several deep breaths before calming down. As soon as he was, Fluttershy asked him the one question that mattered, “What happened?”

The guard couldn’t answer her. Not for lack of trying, but each time he tried to form a word all that came out was an incoherent rasp.

His throat is… thought Fluttershy as she checked the guard’s neck to confirm her suspicions, Collapsed…

That explained why the night was so quiet. It wasn’t that he didn’t make a sound, it was that he couldn’t make a sound. But right now, “hows” didn’t matter. She needed to do something about the guard’s condition.

“Spike, quickly, go get my first aid—“

The window behind her suddenly shattered, causing her to duck her head and cover the guard, shards flying around her, waiting until she was sure that it was done. When everything went silent once more, Fluttershy raised her head again and looked back. Her front window was now destroyed, but that wasn’t where her focus was. Her focus was on the object that was on the floor not too far from it.

From the faint light through her window, she could see it was a brick, and something was tied to it. Fluttershy’s heart raced just looking at it, her hand trembling as she went to pick it up. She unraveled the twine around the brick, freeing the papers wrapped around it. She held them in her hands for only a few seconds before her pupils shrank in horror.

There were a total of five pieces of paper, but four of them turned out to be pictures. Three of them were each of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the final picture was of the Cake twins, all taken from their rooms as they slept. Tears welled up in Fluttershy’s eyes as she stared down at the pictures.

They were going to be the next victims.
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Several guards converged on Fluttershy’s cottage, the injured one having long since moved to get medical attention. Of the guards stationed outside the victims’ homes, two had been incapacitated in a similar fashion. The other two guards stood in the cottage, their heads bowed in defeat. It wasn’t just the fact that the homes they were tasked to protect had been infiltrated without their knowledge that hit at their spirits. It was the fact that while two of their own had been attacked, they themselves were left untouched.

“Dammit!” yelled one of the guards as he rammed his fist into the wall, “Our first night on patrol…our very first attempt to bring some safety to this town and we weren’t able to protect anyone!” Again, he hit the wall. This time, everyone heard a small crack, and it wasn’t from the wood. While he vented, another guard was staring at the items on the table. The brick, and what was tied around it: four photos.

“Is this all that was tied to it?” the guards asked Fluttershy. She looked down at the table, again looking at the images on the photos.

“Yes…” she said, turning her gaze away. The guards let out a small sigh. All that they had was proof that the children had been taken. But there were no leads as to where that could have been. The last victim was returned within twenty four hours of her initial foalnapping. If that was the killer’s M.O. then they knew they didn’t have much time.

“Chances are, they won’t try for another victim while the foals are in their possession,” he said, rising from his seat, “I’m putting out an order to every guard in Ponyville for a mass search. We’ll turn over every single stone until we find them!”

With no more than a nod, the other guards in Fluttershy’s home began to make their way out the door. Before the last of them could walk out, he paused and turned to Fluttershy.

“You know the area better than any of us,” he said, “Is there anywhere you can think of that they might be?”

Fluttershy remained silent for a bit, thinking of a place, “There’s a cave not too far from here, up in the mountains. A while back, a dragon made its home there, but moved away soon after. Far as I know, nopony ever goes up there because of the climb.”

The guard nodded at the information and thanked her before marching the rest of the way out the door. Now all that were left were Fluttershy and Spike, left behind while the guards did what they could to find the missing ponies.

“What do we do now?” Spike asked. Fluttershy didn’t say a word, simply gazing outside her home as she watched the guards walk away. When they were out of sight, Fluttershy finally moved, making her way upstairs.

“Fluttershy?” Spike called out to her, but Fluttershy didn’t seem to hear him. Curious, Spike followed her to her room. Once inside, he watched her dig into her closet, pulling out a small chest made of familiar-looking crystal.

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing to it. Fluttershy turned to Spike as though she’d just remembered he was there. However, that lasted only a moment, as she looked back to it.

“Back when we defeated Sombra, we were given gifts by some of the Crystal Ponies,” she placed the box down and undid the lock, opening it to reveal what was inside, “This is what I was given…”

The tone of her voice, coupled with what she took out of the box, sent a small shiver down Spike’s spine. Inside of the chest was a blade made of jade, a sheath made of the same material as the chest beside it. Fluttershy stared at the blade for a small while. Not once since getting it had she viewed it as anything but decoration…until today. Pulling both items out of the box and sheathing the dagger, she put the weapon in her pocket.

“W-what are you gonna do with that?” he asked, his worry finally hitting its peak. Fluttershy let out a sigh and turned to Spike, staring to him with furrowed brows. She took a step closer to him and kneeled in front of him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, Fluttershy pulled Spike in for a hug.

“Stay safe, Spike,” she said, only serving to scare Spike even more.

“What do you mean??” he asked, “What are you going to do!?”

Fluttershy didn’t say anything else. Without a word, she made her way out of her home and took to the sky. As she flew, she pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket…the note that she didn’t tell the guards about.

Come to the highest peak of the Ghastly Gorge, and come alone. If you tell anyone where you are going or bring anyone with you, then their blood will be on your hands.

The note was clear. It no longer mattered how scared she was, or how useless she felt. She wasn’t going to allow them to die, even if it meant she would have to fight alone.
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“Ghastly Gorge…”

Fluttershy had visited this area on several occasions in the past, and though it had several dangerous creatures in its depths, Fluttershy was never afraid of it. This time was different, however. Now her visit came with a risk. Somewhere in this large trench, the Cake twins and the Crusaders were being held captive. And at that moment, whether or not they’d be returning with her depended on what happened next. But first, she knew she had to find them.

Taking to the skies once more, Fluttershy began to scan the area, searching for what might be the highest point in the gorge. There were several points that rose above it, each rising higher than the last. As the time passed she wondered how long it would take. The gorge stretched on for miles, and she wasn’t sure how long the foalnapper would wait.

“Fl……shy!”

Fluttershy paused for a moment, her ears flicking up at the sound. She began to look around, convinced she just heard it.

“Fluttershy!” Again, but much louder. At first it sounded like an echo, but she quickly realized the shout was clear. It couldn’t have been too far from where she was. She continued to look around frantically, trying to pinpoint the source as it continued to call for her. After a few tense seconds, she finally found it.

High above her, extending from the side of the stone wall was a large branch with a rope tied around it. At the end of the rope was a net; a net which held the kidnapped foals. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were all calling to her for help. They also held Pound and Pumpkin in their arms, trying in vain to calm them.

“I’m coming!” Fluttershy called out, racing towards the net. However, as she drew near, fully intent on freeing them just as soon as she could, Fluttershy was off-guard.

“Look out!” One of them called out, too late to warn her. Fluttershy didn’t get a chance to react as something crashed into her from behind, getting a firm grip on her long mane. Before she knew it, she was rammed into the near wall.

Fluttershy screamed in pain as her head bounced on the hard surface. It didn’t end there as she was forced back down, watching as she continued to fall, dazed from the first hit. Finally, she slammed into something else, her face buried into what felt like a mix of straw and tree bark. She tried to lift her head, but the force pushing down on her proved stronger.

“Pathetic…” This new voice was feminine, deep, dominating and scorn-filled, “I was hoping to have my chance against the blue one. She might have put up a decent challenge.”

Fluttershy felt the force reverse, her head now being forced upwards so she could see who had attacked her. A small trail of blood leaked down her forehead due to the impacts.

“Instead, I’m stuck with this!” Again, she felt a pull on her, one strong enough to pull her to her feet. Finally, Fluttershy could face her attacker.

Her attacker was a foot taller than her. The exposed parts of her skin were pale white, the rest of her body covered in matted green feathers. She had wings, but her wings and arms were one and the same. In the back of Fluttershy’s mind, a memory began to come forth.

A Harpy… she thought, going over what she knew. Harpies weren’t native to Equestria. Their homeland was almost on the other side of the world. Though they weren’t as strong as Griffons, Harpies, she knew, were one of the most vicious predators to take to the skies. It didn’t take long for the dots to connect.

“You…” Fluttershy said, “You killed that foal…”

As soon as she did, the harpy gave a sickening, prideful smile.

“That’s right. And soon…” One of her hands went up to point towards the net, “They will be next.”

It hadn’t even been two minutes since Fluttershy first encountered the harpy, and already she was at a disadvantage. With only two hard blows, Fluttershy had been rendered immobile, her head still throbbing with pain. Furthermore, the harpy had a firm grip of her mane. Try as she might, Fluttershy couldn’t break free.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to experience this,” the harpy sneered, satisfaction in her features, “The total look of hopelessness in my prey’s eyes. And right now, I have plenty to choose from.”

“No, please!” said Fluttershy, “They have nothing to do with this! Just let them go, it’s me you want!”

Again, Fluttershy felt her mane being tugged on, letting out a yelp of pain as she was nearly pulled from the ground.

“You of all ponies have no right to be making any demands!” the harpy hissed, “And what I want is irrelevant…” With her other hand, the harpy placed a talon against Fluttershy’s throat, just enough for her to feel the sharp tip.

“I could end you here and now…snuff out your light and leave your remains to the vultures,” To make her point, the harpy slowly moved her talon across Fluttershy’s neck, sending chills down her spine, “But that’s not what I was ordered to do…”

Fluttershy was already feeling her nerves leaving her; at that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to talk. The threat of the talon “slipping” kept her mouth shut.

“I’m here because of your cowardice; because you thought that you could simply leave before the game was done.”

Fluttershy let out a small gasp, staring back at the harpy with a look of disbelief.

“What I was ordered to do is to ensure that you suffer… for all that has happened up until this point was because of the choice you made. That foal’s blood, as well as all of my other victims, will now fall on your hands. And I will enjoy making you watch every second of it until the moment when you finally break. Only then can I end it all, and when the time comes, I will return what remains to your friends.”

The harpy’s voice never once lost the cruel, heartless tone. Every single word dripped with bloodlust. But she didn’t know that most of her words had gone unheard. From the moment Fluttershy had heard what had brought all this pain to Ponyville, she had been lost in her head.

It was my fault all this time… all because I was too scared to fight…

Slowly, Fluttershy began to reach into her pocket. The harpy didn’t even notice.

Too weak to be of any help to anypony… always hiding behind something…

Fluttershy recovered her hidden weapon; the jade blade. Fluttershy finally snapped out of her mind, unsheathing the blade from her pocket, she swung the razor-sharp blade through the air.

She moved just fast enough for the harpy to be unable to respond. Meeting no resistance, Fluttershy sliced off a large portion of her mane. Finally free, Fluttershy fell to the ground, but it wasn’t for long as she stared up at the harpy. She needed an opening, just long enough to make her move, and she had a good idea on how.

In that moment, that door in her head creaked open just a bit. Her eyes now filled with the strong ferocity of her Stare. The harpy looked at her, a look of surprise in her eyes. Fluttershy had thought it worked; her Stare hadn’t failed her before (except on Discord). Seeing her moment, Fluttershy lunged forward, hoping to disable her opponent. But before she could get in range, the harpy smirked, and something happened.

In that moment, a wave of fear hit Fluttershy dead-on. Not only did she stop dead in her tracks, but she fell back to the ground. She couldn’t explain what happened. It wasn’t just that her Stare had failed her on a much more dangerous adversary, but it was as if it had been thrown right back tenfold.

In her past, Fluttershy had experienced many different levels of fear. Up until that point, she thought that dragons were her worst fear. But that was trumped in that instant; the very moment she was hit by the harpy’s gaze, her whole body simply froze. Even now that the wave of fear had stopped, she could still feel it in her bones, in her very soul. Now, all she could do was sit there, her body paralyzed as the harpy stepped closer.

“Well now, that was a surprise,” she said, kneeling down, “To think that someone like you could manage such a gaze.”

Her hand shot forward, wrapping around Fluttershy’s neck and forcing her on her back.

“But I have witnessed things that would shatter your fragile mind, both here on the outside, and in that infernal hell-hole. It will take a lot more than a simple glare to win this game.”

Slowly, the harpy raised her hand, “To survive, you need not only the will to fight… you need the strength to do what others will not! That is the key to survival!”

The hand came down, the talons plunging into Fluttershy’s shoulder. The sudden jolt of pain snapped Fluttershy back into reality. Fluttershy screamed in pain as she grabbed on to the harpy’s wrist with both hands, trying to yank it out. She didn’t have the strength, however, and instead the claws only dug in deeper.

“And those who lack it…can do nothing more than struggle as their end draws near,” Finally, she removed her claws from Fluttershy’s shoulder, her claws and palm dripping with her blood. Moving her hand to it, she placed a single talon in her mouth, savoring the flavor, “Oh…you are delectable, much better than my last meal…”

Fluttershy let out a small gasp, her pupils growing wide as the statement washed over her.

“The foal…you…”

The harpy gave a wicked laugh in response, her fangs shown to be stained red as she did so.

“No sense of time…no need for sleep, not even a sense of hunger…I felt nothing while I was imprisoned. Yet still, I craved for one thing and one thing alone, the satisfaction of the hunt…the kill! Even after finally seeing the light of day once again, I had to restrain my bloodlust until the day I was finally let loose. Finally, I was free to sedate my hunger!”

The harpy finally released her hold on Fluttershy, taking a few steps away from her with her back turned.

“Oh, but in my haste to once again taste flesh, I found that I was out of practice. I usually take my time with meals…play with them…tenderized…and seasoned,” she turned back to Fluttershy, her brows furrowed with a frown on her face, “To my displeasure, she came out tasting horrible. Sadly, I had little option. I had to send her back.”

She let out a small, disappointed sigh, before quickly sneering once more.

“But worry not… because I will have plenty of time to hone my skills,” her gaze shifted back to her captured prey. Fluttershy sat quietly, sitting up right as she placed a hand over her injured shoulder. Her eyes opened wide as her head was tilted towards the ground, but while she appeared to be awake, her eyes were void of any signs of consciousness, as though her mind was in a different world.
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For a second time, Fluttershy found herself staring at it, at the broken-down reflection of her home. She stood at the other side of the bridge that connected to it, staring with a solid expression to the dilapidated cottage. As she took her first step forward, she once again heard the shriek, but she did not flinch this time. She simply continued to walk forward, locking her eyes onto the reinforced door put there by Discord. In her hand was the very key that could unlock it, and free the beast within.

Only when she was a step away did Fluttershy finally stop. She gazed at the keyhole, then down to the key in her grasp. She could hear the pounding from the inside. Her other self wanted to be let out, and Fluttershy was going to grant her wish. But first…

“I need you to listen to me,” the beating stopped, everything going silent, “For years I kept you locked away, afraid that you might hurt somepony or worse. But I’ve come to realize there are some who kindness can’t reach.”

“So I need to fight your battles again, is that it?” For the first time, her other self spoke. While her voice was identical at the core, everything else was different. The voice was full of anger, and full of strength. Strength that Fluttershy needed now more than ever.

“We may have different minds, but we share the same battle. This is our fight, no matter how you want to look at it,” she said, “But if you’re going to fight, then you have to fight on my terms.”

There was no response for a time, but Fluttershy was patient.

“Fine…” her other self said.

Satisfied, Fluttershy inserted the key into its slot, and turned it. As soon as she did, there was a light that shone from around it. The sound of locks coming undone echoed. When the light faded, the door began to creak open, revealing something inside. From the shadows, she stepped out. Outwardly, she was a spitting image of Fluttershy, right down to the clothes that she wore. Aside from the clothes on her other self being slightly ripped in places, there were two differences that really set them apart. Her other self had a single black streak in her mane, and a totally dominant look in her eyes.

“So, is this how it’s going to be now? I stay locked away until you need me, then put me back in my cage?” she asked, her brow furrowing as she spoke. Fluttershy stared back at her other self for a moment. Then, she looked to the key on the door.

The very next thing her other self knew, Fluttershy broke the key. Now holding the broken piece, she looked back to her.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore, and I won’t keep you locked away. From now on, this is your home just as much as it is mine,” Fluttershy then smiled and extended a friendly hand.

“So let’s fight together.”
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With her gaze locked on to her catch, the harpy’s mind flooded with what she might do with them, never once paying attention or noticing what was happening behind her.

Her face hidden by the darkness, her head bowed, Fluttershy began to rise again.

“Your name…” Fluttershy said, getting the harpy’s attention, “You have one, right?”

“So you can still stand, can you?” the harpy asked, but Fluttershy was adamant about getting an answer.

“I want your name,” her voice was more commanding this time, and the harpy didn’t like it.

“I see you still haven’t learned your place,” the harpy observed, “Maybe I need to teach it aga—“

In that moment, Fluttershy lifted her head, allowing the light to reveal the rest of her face, once more using her Stare. This time, it gave off an even greater intensity than usual. The harpy paused for a second as the feathers on the back of her neck stood up, her instincts telling her that there was danger. The harpy lowered her stance and extended her claws as her eyes went slit.

“You may call me Silver Talon, and I take it back,” One last time, the harpy grinned, but this time, it was filled with the joy of battle, “You might have some fight in you after all.”

Author's Note:

And here we are and stuff. Now I guess next we'll see how "Fluttercruel" fights.