//------------------------------//
// Ashes to Ashes 
// Story: Fluttershy and the Misplaced Manticore 
// by CapNTilfy 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy opened her eyes to find herself at the entrance to Canterlot High. She had remembered that Rarity told her about some new trend that was kicking into high gear, but she didn't say what it was. She eagerly entered the school, excited to learn more about the next big thing. She opened the door excitedly, and entered. Her excitement changed to horror, however, when she noticed what the new trend was.

Fluttershy almost immediately recognized the pendants her fellow students were wearing. She gasped, then ran in search of her friends. Hopefully she could find them by nightfall, which was when the pendants were expected to go off. That's odd, she thought. I don't remember Canterlot High not having a swimming pool in the multi-purpose room. She shook her head, then pressed on. She heard Sunset Shimmer in the midst of a battle as she passed the kendo club room. She turned back, then looked inside.

Sunset and Sandalwood were engaged in combat, with Angel Bunny as the referee. They were both armed with cardboard cutouts of bats and wearing balloons. "Match point," Angel Bunny called out. Sunset and Sandalwood bowed respectfully, then assumed fighting stances. Fluttershy dared not interrupt their battle, as it was a sacred rite of passage. She silently cheered for both of them.

Sunset swung at Sandalwood, who did a backflip, then ricocheted off the walls and threw a boomerang at his opponent. Sunset closed her eyes and focused, then clapped her hands, catching the projectile. She threw it back at Sandalwood, and it hit, causing him to explode like a miniature firework. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped. "Oh...oh, my. Poor Sandalwood," she said sadly.

Sunset smiled, triumphant, then walked over to Fluttershy and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He knew what he got himself into," she said. "There's no need to mourn. What's done is done." She grinned, then lightly punched her on the arm. "So what's up," she asked. Fluttershy frantically explained the danger of the pendants to Sunset, and her eyes widened. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?!"

Fluttershy flinched. "I...I didn't want to interrupt your soccer match." Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes as she folded her arms. "Like you said, 'what's done is done'. Let's find the others," she said. Sunset nodded, and the two ran out of the room. 

Now outside, Fluttershy and Sunset began jogging on treadmills as the wind blew in their hair. "What'cha doin," asked a familiar high-pitched voice. Fluttershy looked to see Pinkie Pie with a rose in her mouth. She winked.

Fluttershy sighed wearily. "Pinkie, how many times do I have to tell you," she asked. "I just want to be friends!"

Pinkie frowned. "Aww, but I've never had sex with a skillet before."

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. "A skill-goddammit, Pinkie," she said as she slapped her hand against her forehead. "It's not 'skillet', Pinkie," she said in frustration as she removed her hand. "It's 'pan'. 'Pansexual'." Pinkie shrugged and made a non-committal grunt.

"Not that this conversation hasn't been scintillating," Sunset said, "but we've got a problem on our hands!" She then went on to explain to Pinkie the danger everyone was in in the only way she knew Pinkie would understand in one go: a musical number so elaborate that the author couldn't be bothered to spend a paragraph describing it.

Once the song was over, Pinkie had began to tear up. She walked over to Sunset, then got on one knee. "Sunset Shimmer," she said. "Will you marry me?" Sunset shrugged and made a non-committal grunt. Pinkie squealed with delight. "I'll get the reverend," she said in a singsong voice, then ran off.

Fluttershy stood still in disbelief. "What just happened," she asked in a tone that a child would use when asking where babies come from. Sunset shrugged and made a non-committal grunt.

"What in tarnation is goin' on," Applejack asked as Pinkie dragged her by the hair like a caveman with its mate. "One minute ah'm doin' somethin' apple-related, and the next thing ah know, ah'm bein' dragged by the hair like a caveman with its mate!" Applejack blinked and cupped her chin in thought as she furrowed her brow. "Now how in the hay do ah know that?"

"Applejack is the reverend," Fluttershy asked incredulously.

"Of course not, silly," Pinkie said. "She was closer to us than Rainbow Dash, Twilight or Rarity. I didn't have enough dream fuel for all of us," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. Fluttershy sighed and rolled her eyes again, then yelped as someone bumped into her. Sonata Dusk walked past her, then stopped right next to Pinkie.

"You were amazing in bed last night," Sonata said to Pinkie breathily. "I want you. Right here, right now," she said, her eyes half-lidded. Pinkie embraced her and kissed her deeply. Fluttershy blinked, then Rainbow Dash appeared in Sonata's place.

Rainbow broke the kiss. "Damn, Pinkie," she said, impressed. "You ever think about becoming friends with benefits?"

"Maybe later," Pinkie said with a smile. "Right now, here's what's going down." She explained everything in horse noises, which moved Sunset Shimmer to tears. Sunset broke down and held onto Fluttershy as though her life depended on it. Rainbow frowned for a moment, then took out a blank sign and painted on it. Once finished, she lifted it above her head. The sign read "Understood, Pinkamena-senpai!"

"Great," Fluttershy said. "Now all we need to do is find Rarity and Twilight."

Pinkie took a deep breath, then shouted. "Pi is exactly three!" She grinned and made a squeaking noise, then held up three fingers. She mouthed the numbers as she lowered them. Once she finished, Twilight was seen running towards them.

Once she reached the group, Twilight stopped, panting heavily as she shook with fury. "Which one of you said it," she asked in a low and menacing voice. Everyone else pointed to Pinkie. Twilight turned around, seething with rage. "If I ever, ever hear such blasphemy from you again, I'm going to use your stuffed alligator as a subject in my next science experiment," she said, her death glare boring into Pinkie's soul. "Am I clear?" Pinkie smiled and nodded. "Great," Twilight said, acting like her normal self in an instant. "So why did you all summon me with such heresy?" Rarity showed up, panicking and flailing her arms. She warned her friends of the true danger of the new trend that swept Canterlot High, saving time and making things easier for the author who swears he's not phoning it in, honest!

"We know," said everyone but Twilight, who frowned.

"Why was I the last to know," Twilight asked in surprise.

"Because the sun's setting, that's why," Pinkie answered. Her pendant glowed. "Ooh, am I evolving?" She was engulfed in a pillar of fire, then became ash.

"That's the last time I wear something around my neck besides my geode," Rarity said before she shared Pinkie's fate.

"Dammit, I'm getting so sick and tired of being bathed in a column of magic," Sunset complained, then bathed in a column of magic for the last time.

Applejack shrugged and made a non-committal noise, then burned to ash.

"'Pie is exactly three,'" Twilight muttered under her breath. "Of all the things to hear before I die, why the fu-" She was cut off by an easily offended pillar of fire, then turned to ash.

Rainbow Dash smiled. "You know, Fluttershy, I've been meaning to say that you have a killer rack," she exclaimed, not looking her in the eyes. She was engulfed in fire and became ash.

Fluttershy blushed furiously as she looked down at her chest to see a pendant around her neck. She gulped, then looked up to see six cloaked and hooded figures. Before she could do anything else, her pendant glowed, and she was struck with searing pain.

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Fluttershy screamed, startling Harry awake. The bear hugged her, causing her to calm down. She took a deep breath, then sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness...it was just a dream." Suddenly, the events of the previous night caught up to her. She began to choke up, then sniffled. Harry gave her another hug, and she broke. She heard her phone buzz, but ignored it. She needed to let it all out first. Her phone buzzed several more times as she cried, and she calmed down. "I wonder what all the texting is all about," she said. She took her phone and pulled up her messages.

Hey girls, I'm back! - Sunset Shimmer

Sunset...I need to talk to you. - Rainbow Dash

Sunset, I need to talk to you and the girls about something. - Sent by Rarity

I just had the roughest night ever. I could really use a big group hug. - Pinkie Pie

Guys, I just had the day from hell. Spending time with you all is just what I need. - Twilight Sparkle

Fluttershy took a deep breath and tried to keep herself composed as she sent a message.

I was powerless to save someone last night. Can you girls help me honor their memory? - Fluttershy

Fluttershy sniffled despite her best efforts, and Harry put a paw on her shoulder, assuring her that things would be okay. "Thank you," she said to Harry. Her phone buzzed once again, and she checked the new message. Her eyes widened and tears fell from her eyes. "Oh, no," she whispered as she felt a chill run through her body.


End of Book Six of "Not Just Any Other Old Day".