//------------------------------//
// IV 
// Story: The Crow: Red Sins 
// by 2wingo 
//------------------------------//

Something was wrong with the animals. 

A new crow had shown up this morning, nibbling at the corn and seeds she left out for the birds. It hadn't spoken or acted hostile in any way, but the other animals refused to go near it. When Fluttershy questioned them, none of the other birds could give a definite answer, merely claiming that something about this crow felt wrong. 

"Shame on all of you," said Fluttershy, "He may be strange, but that's no reason to reject him without getting to know him first!"

The new crow flew down and stood on the grass in front of the animals, causing them to shrink back. It turned its head toward Fluttershy, cawed loudly, and then flew away. 

"Now look at what you've done," she said. "He did absolutely nothing wrong and you treated him like leper! I hope you're all very proud of yourselves."

Fluttershy sighed. This had been a particularly trying day. Her pigeons had all gotten some kind of flu, the stray cats she'd found the other day wouldn't stop fighting each other, this business with the crow, and Angel Bunny had gone off into the fields in a huff when she refused to give him extra carrots. It was almost eight o'clock and he still wasn't back yet. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Angel?" she called. "Is that you?"

Whoever it was knocked again. Fluttershy got up from her cozy spot by the fire and stood by the door. She couldn't see anypony from her living room windows, and it didn't sound like the thumping Angel Bunny made with his hind-leg when he wanted in. 

"Little pig, little pig," called a raspy voice. "Let me come in."

Fluttershy's guts turned to ice. She quickly engaged the deadbolt and flew upstairs to hide beneath her bed. Maybe it, whatever it was, would give up and leave if it thought she wasn't home. 

"Not by the hair on your chinny chin chin?"

It spoke louder this time, its tone bitingly sardonic. Fluttershy prayed to Faust that somepony, anypony, would come to her cottage right now and save her.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN!"

There was a grunt of effort, followed by a creaking noise, and her front door was ripped off its hinges. Fluttershy heard the thud of its boots as it walked around her living room.

"Oh Where, oh where has my little dog gone?" the creature sang to itself. It had gone into the kitchen and she could hear it poking around her icebox.

"Oh where, oh where can she be? With her ears so short and her tail so long . . ." 

Fluttershy's heart beat faster as she heard it coming up the stairs.

"Oh where, oh where is she?" 

It said the last line between bites. Fluttershy supposed it was eating one of the four-dozen pimento cheese sandwiches left over from Pinkie Pie's last party.

It stopped at the foot of her bed. Fluttershy held her breath and remained still as a rock, hoping against hope that it wouldn't find her. Then, to her relief, it turned and descended the stairs. She let out a great sigh as she heard its boots walking off of her front porch. She waited several more minutes, straining her ears to catch the slightest sound, but could hear nothing. Finally, Fluttershy crawled out from under the bed and quietly made her way toward the stairs. She'd check quickly to see how much damage had been done, then fly to Ponyville and stay with Twilight until the creature could be dealt with. 

She had almost made it out the door when something grabbed her from behind. Fluttershy tried to scream, but a strong arm locked itself around her throat while a hand placed itself flat against her forehead.

"Silly me," growled the creature. "I almost left without giving you your hostess present."