Attack on Two Fronts

by Shy-Brony

One Last Saturday

Sunlight streamed through Fluttershy's bedroom window, waking the yellow pegasus. Opening her eyes, she pushed herself out of the small igloo she had slept in, made of her numerous blankets and quilts. The instant she was out of bed, a herd of smaller creatures burst out from under the covers and ran to the living room for breakfast. Once the room was quiet, Angel climbed out of Fluttershy's mane and ran downstairs. Smiling after him, she hurried into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she trotted downstairs to see Angel tapping his foot impatiently, an empty bowl sitting beside him. His "roommates", despite sitting rather quietly, were clearly eager for breakfast, gazing up at Fluttershy with pleading eyes. Almost completely by muscle memory, she flew over to the kitchen, grabbed a sack of pet feed, and began emptying it into the many waiting bowls scattered around the room.

Again she flew to the kitchen, and then once more. In what felt like no time at all, nearly all of the food had been completely depleted. She stretched, and returned to the kitchen one last time to make her own meal. It was nothing fancy, just a salad topped with buttercups, an old favorite. Her breakfast made, she went back to the living room to eat and oversee her friends' antics.

As she ate, she thought about what she would do today. It was Saturday, which meant most of her friends would be on their day off. At the same time though, it meant that many of them would still be asleep. Even she wasn't immune to the weekends' effects; a glance at the clock told her it was nearly ten o' clock, far later than usual. She looked down at a family of squirrels, who were hastily stuffing their faces. To be honest, her friends being busy was for the best; she had to help most of these animals gather food for winter. Getting them fattened up was her number one priority; it was either that or let them wreak havoc on Ponyville's crops.

With that in mind, she finished her meal and gathered the emptied bowls. Noticing her empty cupboards, she resolved to refill her stock while she was out. With that in mind, she put on her saddlebags and headed for the door. Angel stopped her, silently demanding to know where she was going.

"Aw, I'm sorry, sweetie. I need to go get some more food. You understand, right?" Whether or not he did, he ran around her, tugging on her tail. "Oh, did you want to come with me?" He frantically shook his head, pulling even harder. "Is there something bad outside?"

He nodded, twisting his ears into the shape of a horn. He hunched over and snarled, mimicking some sort of monster. He even threw in an evil laugh to complete the look.

"An evil... unicorn?" She giggled and rubbed his head. "Angel, you know there's nopony like that in Ponyville. Now, I really need to get going. Did you want me to get you anything while I'm gone?"

He sighed in defeat, knowing that this was her way of saying "I'm going, whether you like it or not." On top of that, it was way too early to consider arguing any more. Instead, he hopped outside, hoping to get some exercise in while he had some free time.

"Alright then! Behave, everyone!" With a short wave, she left, shutting the door.

First things first, she'd have to designate the various hiding spots/nests for most of the animals, else they would end up fighting for territory again. On that note, she needed to visit the queen bee that lived in Twilight's tree and make sure she didn't choose to sleep above Twilight's bed again. The library couldn't afford to have Twilight panic like that again.

---

In no time at all, she was hovering next to the beehive, trying to convince the horde of bees to let her speak to the queen.

"Please, just this once, could I speak to her directly?" Fluttershy pleaded to the swarm before her.

A chorus of buzzing was her response.

"I know she's exhausted, but did she tell you what happened last year? Twilight said she would have your hive removed if that happened again."

More buzzing, and the swarm took the shape of an angry face.

"Yes, but she lives here too. You should be more considerate of your neighbors." They seemed unconvinced. She tapped her chin. "What if I found her a nice, warm tree at Sweet Apple Acres? One on a hill that overlooks town? If you'd let me, I could move the hive over there. You get a wonderful new home, and Twilight can sleep at night. Everyone wins!"

They were silent, and retreated into the hive. Moments later, they returned, the swarm taking the shape of a check-mark.

She grinned. "Wonderful! Get back inside and hold on tight, okay?" Once they were all inside, she gave the hive a sharp tug, easily ripping it off of the tree. Holding the sticky mass close, she flew off, shaking with anxiety. She had some explaining to do.

---

As always the Apple family was hard at work. Macintosh was out showing Applebloom the proper plowing technique while Granny Smith was in town running errands. That left Applejack to take care of the baking for now. As Fluttershy had arrived in the middle of her chore, the barn was flooded with the wondrous scent of apple tarts, fritters and pies.

"You wanna what!?" Applejack asked, turning away from the oven. "Fluttershy, I know you're tryin' to help, but you really have to see me or Big Mac first. Or Granny Smith, on one of her better days."

Fluttershy blushed and pawed at the ground. Sensing her discomfort, the beehive shook menacingly. Laying a hoof on the hive to calm them, she said, "I know, and I'm so sorry Applejack, but you know how beneficial bees are for the orchard, and I remember you saying that Honeycomb was inflating his prices again..."

Applejack frowned at the mention of the stingy stallion. "Tell me about it. Just because the workers are getting ready to die out doesn't mean you gotta jack up the prices! We only needed a few of 'em anyway; just enough to help pollinate the eastern fields."

Before she could finish her rant, the oven dinged, and she quickly removed the newest batch of pastries, setting them down on the counter. With their release came a fresh wave of that intoxicating aroma, instantly calming them both.

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Well, I can give you this hive for free, if you like. It would be easy to move them in, and I'm certain Twilight would appreciate it."

"I understand. ." She pointed to the fields. "Just tell Big Mac where you need to go. I'm sure he can take a break long enough to point you in the right direction. I would do it myself, but" --she nodded at large buckets of apples and dough that dotted the barn-- "I'm kinda busy here. By the way, since you came all the way out here, you want something to eat? You must be tired, lugging that thing halfway across town."

"Oh, no thanks, I just ate a little while ago. Bye!" With a short wave, she left.

---

After an agonizing trip through the expansive orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy finally found the large stallion watching Applebloom try to pull much smaller version of the plow --appropriately dubbed the "Training Plow"-- through a small, crudely defined patch of field. He stood beside her, offering pointers as he saw fit.

"Don't exhaust yourself now! Make each step count; when you're not pullin', you're restin'! Use that to get ready for the next tug!"

The filly grunted in agreement, pausing briefly to breathe. In that moment, she glanced over at her brother, spotting Fluttershy just a few yards away. Taking the opportunity for a much-needed break, she waved and called out, "Howdy, Fluttershy!"

At the mention of company, Big Mac's famous shyness kicked in, and he stiffly turned to meet the mare, nodding in greeting. She offered a small wave in return. With the greetings out of the way, neither knew how to continue, and their mutual shyness forced an awkward silence to develop.

Applebloom, wanting to break the tension already, wriggled out of her harness. "So whatcha need? And... what's with he beehive?"

Fluttershy blinked, remembering her mission. "Um, Big Mac, Applejack says you know where I can find a good tree for the queen bee. All she needs is somewhere that's warm and out of the way. Can you help me find a tree like that? I-if you don't mind?"

"Eeyup." He turned and nudged his sister, giving her the okay to leave. With a stretch and a teasing grin, she trotted off, likely in search of the other crusaders. Once she was out of sight, he tapped one of the few clean patches on Fluttershy's fur. He walked toward the western field, gesturing for her to follow.

The walk was silent, which was to be expected, considering. Trying to ignore how uncomfortable she was, Fluttershy occupied herself with eavesdropping on the multitude of conversations going on inside the hive. It sounded like they were reenacting Hamlet in their spare time. There was a tiny crash, and a slew of swears streamed from the hive. Embarrassed, she quickly removed her ear. Maybe she could find time to help them in Spring. Pinkie would certainly love to help with the acting, Rarity with the costumes--

Big Mac cleared his throat, getting her attention. He pointed to a large tree just a few feet away, one that had just begun to shed its leaves, which sat in small clumps around the base. The swarm buzzed in appreciation, flying out of the hive to dance about the trunk and branches. After burying the hive and queen under a suitable pile of leaves, Fluttershy stood by Big Mac to watch.

After a moment, she turned to him, a grateful smile on her face. "Thanks again, Big Macintosh. This really means a lot to them."

"Eeyup." He nodded, idly chewing on a blade of grass. Again, silence filled the air.

Slowly, it dawned on Fluttershy: she was still covered in honey! Mortified, she jumped into the air, stammering a barely audible apology before rushing home. The stallion stared after her for a moment, confused, before trotting off to find Applebloom.

---

The second she opened her door, Angel sprung forward, happily wrapping his arms around his owner's neck, ignoring the sticky goo covering her. She giggled at the rare display.

"See, Angel? I told you I would be fine." She walked upstairs and into the bathroom. She turned on the bathtub faucet, waiting for the water to heat up. "Now, sweetie, I don't mind if you stay, but" --she tried to pry the bunny from her neck-- "you don't want to get all wet, do you?" Reluctantly, he released his arms, yet he still dangled there, glued to his owner. She giggled again. "I guess you've got no choice. Sorry."

Reaching under the sink, she retrieved an expensive-looking bottle of shampoo; a gift from Rarity, of course. Placing them on the rim of the tub, she turned off the faucet and climbed in, being careful not to dunk Angel. Once she was settled, she got to work cleaning herself.

In no time, Angel was detached, and he hopped up to the tub's rim, content to watch. All too quickly, she was clean. Still, she chose to rest there a little longer, savoring the warm water. She sighed, silently wishing that fall and winter would hurry up and pass. Spring and summer never seemed to last for very long, but then, nothing she truly enjoyed seemed to. At the same time, she reasoned, that makes it more important to cherish the time you have now, right?

Just then, she could hear the animals outside go ballistic, shrieking and chirping in a cacophonous chorus. Angel leaped from his perch and dashed downstairs, eager to see what the problem was. Over the noise, she could just barely make out the sound of rapid, aggravated knocks against her door. She leaped out of the tub, threw on her bathrobe and scrambled for the door. Before she could even reach the bathroom door, the knocking stopped. At the same time, the noise came to and abrupt end, and she heard the distinctive ping of a unicorn teleporting, and hooves marching across the living room floor.

"Twilight...?" she said, hoping more than anything that her friend had simply stopped by for a visit. Of course, Twilight had never caused such a racket before. She fluttered towards the door, her apprehension growing. Swallowing her fear, she opened the door just enough to peek outside. Even that was just a bit too loud, as the intruder quickly vanished in a flash of light. She waited a minute or two, and if she listened carefully, she could make out the sounds of the animals sniffing around the door. Sighing in relief, she finally emerged, galloping down the stairs.

Sitting on the coffee table were five large pieces of glass, each crudely cut to resemble her cutie mark. As she got closer, they glowed a faint pink. Angel handed her a hastily written note.

Fluttershy,

You weren't home, so I let myself in. Here are the heaters you requested. For the maximum effect, I suggest they be placed above your front door, bedroom door, back door, and windows, if possible. Once they're in place, tap at least one of them to activate it. The rest will follow.

Cavalier

She grinned, scooping up the trinkets and placing around the house as directed. Strangely, they stuck with no trouble, despite the lack of adhesive. "Maybe he dipped them in honey, too?" she joked. With an awkward chuckle, she continued placing the trinkets around the house. She stuck the final one on the door frame of her bedroom door, giving it a light tap.

The effects were immediate, the glow changing from pink to a hellish red, and it shattered, wrapping the door in flames. Fluttershy shrieked in panic, taking to the air. Her room, in mere seconds, had been almost completely consumed by the fire. Even her windows were quickly welded shut, filling the air with smoke. Gagging, she fell, turning herself slightly to land on the bed, the one thing that had yet to burn. The fire came to life, gathering at the center of the room. The mass rose, not unlike a cobra, and shot forward. She rolled onto the floor, the snake consuming the headboard and collapsing on impact. It quickly revived itself, even bigger than before, and searched the room frantically.

She used what little time she had to sprint to the corner closest to the door. Fortunately, when the fire had morphed into that... thing, they had receded from the doorway. Slowly, she tried crawling to safety, freezing every few seconds to risk a look at the demon destroying her home. By then, it had moved its search to the bathroom, having coated the rest of the bedroom in flames. Just as she reached the frame, it spotted her. Flaring up in anger, it roared, forcing her to bolt through the door, hastily shutting it behind her. In a futile effort to restrain the beast, she removed her damp robe and stuffed it under the door. She backed into the hallway, peeking over the balcony for a good look at the rest of the house.

What she saw broke her heart.

Everything was engulfed, the doors and walls forming a barrier around the house, blocking each possible exit. Four identical serpents slithered around the living room, spitting fireballs at anything that moved. Already, a sizable pile of charred corpses filled the center of the room, and when another creature was hit, it was quickly tossed onto the pile. Every so often, one of them would pluck a corpse from the pile, swallowing it to fuel their flame. The sight made her want to vomit, to scream, cry, anything, but she knew it would do no good. She needed to escape and find help. First things first, she needed a distraction.

That distraction came in the form of the second floor collapsing onto the first, bringing the first snake with it. The commotion attracted the others, and they dove into the wreckage, tearing at any flammable items. Before the destruction could reach her, she leaped over the edge, gliding over the hellish bonfire and landing near the blazing door. She steeled herself, facing down the burning portal. If she was quick about it, she could dash through the fire and land in the moat. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, crushing any doubts that still lingered. Confidence flowing through her, she allowed herself a victorious grin and one last look at her would-be assassins.

All at once, the confidence drained from her body, replaced with all-consuming fear, the same fear a mother feels when her child is in danger.

Angel, perhaps the only survivor of the massacre, had his leg pinned beneath scorched debris. Behind him, the five beasts reared up, prepared to incinerate the rodent.

"NO!!" The world seemed to move in slow motion, Fluttershy moving faster than she ever had before. Everything besides her dear friend, her child, meant nothing, reduced to a bright blur in her panic. In an instant she was at his side, easily kicking aside the debris with an unnatural strength. She picked him up, holding him close. He winced at the painful sensation of fur against his charred skin. Regardless, he smiled, glad that she was okay. That smile quickly twisted into a look of horror, as he saw the blazing hydra bearing down on them. She turned just in time to see five heads of flame strike all at once, reducing her to little more than a pitch black skeleton. Their mission nearly complete, the serpents split, circling the house and exploding into a roaring fire that swallowed the small cottage and anything still inside.

---

"Hey. You can open your eyes now. It's over." A deep, wispy voice called out.

Slowly, Fluttershy opened her eyes, coming face to face with a pair of sunken red ones. She screamed and tried to jump back. Rather, she drifted backwards, much like a free balloon. Looking down, she could see that they were several feet above her the remains of her home, ten feet at least. However, despite the altitude, her wings remained at her sides, motionless. Thoroughly confused, she looked down at her hooves, finding them nearly see-through. She spun in place realizing that her whole body had become ethereal, just like a--

"You're a ghost. A spirit." Now that she was further away, she could get a good look at her guest. He was a pitch black alicorn stallion, with a large scythe strapped to his back. Like Fluttershy, he hovered a few feet off of the ground; unlike her, he used his pair of tattered wings to fly.

"W-what!?" She stammered. She shook her head, and her mind began to work again. She pieced together her situation. The fire, being see-through, floating without using her wings... It clicked, and she sunk a little bit, curling up into a ball. "Y-you're... the grim reaper?"

"I prefer Death. Like I said, you're a spirit. You're dead. See?" He pointed to her burning skeleton. "That's you. Or, at least it was." When she opened her mouth, he forced his hoof into her mouth. "Let me finish! King Sombra planned your murder. He's alive, and he's been wandering around Ponyville, playing nice with you and your friends under the guise of a stallion named Cavalier. Once he hears that you're dead, he plans to kill the other bearers in a similar fashion. I've been sent to take you to the afterlife, which will not involve my scythe. All you need to do is follow me." He removed his hoof. "Any other questions?"

"Hmm... what about my friends? Is there anything I can do to save them?"

"As you are now, no."

She panicked, rising into the air. "So they're just going to die!?"

He sighed, and his horn glowed, summoning a number of thick dossiers. He halfheartedly flipped through them. "Let's see... it seems like everyone's going to die at this rate. The bearers, the princesses, Sombra, hell, most of Equestria, the way this is planned out."

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap sounded below them, followed by the roar of heavy rain. Looking down, they could see Rainbow Dash, moving faster than Fluttershy had ever seen, gathering storm clouds from wherever she could find them. Spike simply rushed inside, searching for any sign of the timid mare. Outside, Twilight and Rarity were using their magic to lift grand bubbles of water from Fluttershy's moat to further douse the flames. In no time, the fire was extinguished, and the Apple family went about removing the larger pieces of debris. In minutes, the rest of the townsponies entered the scene, armed with carpentry equipment. The second her path was clear, Pinkie rushed inside, desperately searching for their friend.

When Fluttershy was found, the bearers as a whole seemed to deflate, and a hushed silence fell over them. Rarity and Pinkie burst into tears immediately. Rainbow Dash, stunned at first, took to the skies in anger, flying as high as she could endure. Twilight couldn't stand to see her friend in such a state and turned away, silent tears streaming down her face; Spike quickly moved to comfort her, yet couldn't help sobbing into her coat. Applejack, trying to remain strong, merely covered her face with her hat, only to break down when Big Macintosh hugged her tight.

Fluttershy tried to go comfort her friends, only to be held back in Death's magical grip.

"You've stuck around long enough," he said, drawing her in. "Time to go."

She struggled, trying to fly away. It was no use, and she instead pressed her face against Death's, using the Stare at full strength. "I'm not going anywhere," she demanded, "and I'm going to save my friends, whether you like it or not!"

He looked unimpressed. "You must be desperate, trying that on me. Besides, it doesn't matter what I want. There are rules for this sort of thing, and without a body, you have no reason to be here. Unless you can think of something?" He smirked. "And no, wanting them to survive isn't a reason. It has to be something only you can do."

"Fine." She backed off, crossing her legs over her chest. "But I'm waiting until I think of something. Deal?"

"Deal. But I would hurry."

---

February 17, 698

My mother... the queen... died in battle today. Now it's up to me to finish this, but how? I can't stop this, not on my own, not as I am...

Sombra