//------------------------------// // 5.) A Case of the Crazies // Story: Multiverse // by Patience //------------------------------// A subtle breeze walked with Twilight as she meandered down the path towards Fluttershy's home. She paid little heed to her exact footing, she was more interested in the maelstrom of thoughts that whirled through her mind. What would have normally been a 10 to 20 minute walk had already past the half hour mark, Twilight's thoughts had yet abated. "Twiiilight... Why are you walking soo slow?" An impatient groan came from Spike, who was walking diligently beside her. "Sorry Spike, I'm just." She paused, and then deliberately, "Thinking." "Do you ever not think?" He grinned at her. "Uhh." Suddenly Twilight found herself thinking about times she had not been thinking, within moments her hands were at her throbbing temples, massaging away. Spike watched her utilize her new appendages. "So. How you liking hands?" Twilight stopped to consider his question, eyeing him and her new hands. "They're ok. I guess." They continued on their way. "You guess?" "Well, see, my mind keeps telling me how useful they are and will be, and subconsciously I know how to use them. But." "They just aren't the same, right?" "Yeah. It's kind of surreal. Like as if I'm not looking through my own eyes, when I look down I'm not seeing myself anymore. But then again I can move them, use them, they bend to my will. So they must be me, they're my hands." Spike didn't know what to say. All in all the entire experience had hardly affected him. Besides being a few more inches off the ground he had barely changed. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but words would not come to him. He looked up, and to his relief, saw Fluttershy's cottage only a short distance away. The air around the cottage was still. The typical bird and small animal sounds were absent. An eerie feeling crept it's way into Twilight and Spike, they both shivered a bit. Twilight walked up the small staircase and stood in front of Fluttershy's door. She exchanged glances with Spike, and then raised her hand and knocked. Knock. Knock. Knock Nothing. Knock. Knock. Knock. Again nothing. "Fluttershy? It's me and Spike." A whimper made its way under the door. "We're going to come in, ok?" A small scuffle. Twilight grasped the door knob and turned it. The door creaked slightly as it opened. Twilight and Spike made their way through the small house. It was devoid of the usual critters. In fact the emptiness of the abode made it feel almost inhospitable. "Love me, love me, love me." A scratchy whisper rasped from the bedroom. Twilight and Spike exchanged glances once more, they both swallowed hard and drew a breath as they approached the room. "Eh heh heh he. Ha heh he." The manic laughter made their blood run cold. They stopped in their tracks. "T-t-twi-li-light? Who's laughing like that?" Spike had made his way behind his mentor, he peeked his head out around her, eyeing the now accursed door. "I- I don't kn-know." Twilight turned her attention back to the door and called out. "Hello? Is, uh, is any-p-pony th-there?" She placed one hand on the knob, tensions were high. She turned it and pushed the door in, she remained out of sight, and slowly poked her head around the corner to see who was in Fluttershy's room. "You can not have her!" Twilight let out a small 'eep' and sunk down to the floor, her hands were shaking. Spike cautioned a look. Fluttershy was laid out across her bed, her mane had fallen in front of her fierce, narrowed, eyes. She was strewn across a motionless cerulean Pegasus. Her wings spread and lain across the body, covetously. She hunched low and let loose an animal like growl. "Rainbow?!" Spike ran into the room, Fluttershy jumped from her bed and bat at the dragon with her wings. "No she's mine!" "Fluttershy! Rainbow Dash is your friend and another pony! You can't just 'have' her!" Fluttershy was not fazed, nor amused. "Get away from her!" "Fluttershy! What is the matter with you!" Twilight had found her courage. "They all went away! And then she came. And she thought she could just leave. Eh heh heh he. No, no. No. No. she's never going to leave me." Fluttershy ranted on. She wrapped her arms around into a self hug. She teetered back and forth, a manic gleam in her eyes. "Is Rainbow ok?" Twilight motioned for Spike to check. He took a single step and Fluttershy was on him. "NO. NO. NO. NO. NO." Fluttershy screamed, and leapt from the bed. Rainbow Dash head lolled and she moaned. "Oww my head!" Rainbow Dash sat up suddenly. She swooned and her eyes blew open wide and she collapsed back onto the bed. "What's happening?!" "Oh no! Don't move if you're hurt Rainbow!" A concerned Twilight told her friend. "F-Fluttershy? What are you doing hanging over me like that for?" Rainbow nudged her friend away. That motion swung the poor girl from manic to depressed in a single heartbeat. Fluttershy was now sobbing away. Her despondence left everyone staring. "Uh, what did I do?" Rainbow looked to Twilight and Spike for guidance. "Fluttershy? Don't cry? Hey." Rainbow sat up and pulled her friend into a hug. "What the hay is going on?" Rainbow looked to Twilight for an answer. "I don't know. Obviously the change is the base reason for how she's acting." Twilight began to to analyze the situation. "They all ran away." Came a soft whisper, everyone stopped to listen to the quiet yellow Pegasus. "They're all scared of me. It's like the Grand Galloping Gala all over again." Twilight cringed, remembering that night, and Fluttershy's particular experience was not pleasant. It was now apparent. "Ohh, your animal friends must have gotten scared and confused about your new body." Fluttershy just nodded. "Man you need a psychiatrist." Rainbow blurted out. Spike and Twilight pulled air and threw a glance at Rainbow, who realized what she said. Before she could apologize, a soft giggle pervaded the air. Fluttershy climbed off her bed and they all made their way outside. No one quite sure where they were going, or even what was going on. "So how did you end up in all of this?" Spike addressed Rainbow. "Uhh, ha funny story. You know. I was, uh, worried! Yeah, worried about Fluttershy and I went to check on her." Rainbow stumbled through an obvious lie. Spike smirked at her. "You freaked out and crashed didn't you?" Rainbow stopped in her tracks. "Nothing gets past you, huh?" Spike just smiled and continued forward, taking his place next to Twilight. Everyone took a breather. Rainbow and Twilight themselves seated on Fluttershy's porch steps, Fluttershy decided to lean across the railing in a lethargic manner. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash listened intently to everything Twilight had to say about what was going on which is, admittedly, not much. They were surprised to hear about Pinkie's contribution but everyone decided it might work. A silence settled over everyone. "So, how what do you two think about your new bodies?" Twilight broke the silence. "It's totally awesome!" Rainbow rang out. "At first it was freaky, but I can still fly." She took to the sky for emphasis. She did a few loop-de-loops and settled into a hover in front of Twilight. "I really don't see any reason to get upset, and it's not like I'm the only one affected." "That's good, so far I haven't seen any negative effects come from this transformation. What about you Fluttershy? What do you think?" "I think it's... ok." Fluttershy said "I just hope my animal friends stop being scared of me." "I'm sure they will." Twilight said, and as if to prove her right a small bird flitted from a nearby tree branch to the railing on the porch. It hopped about, twittering as it went. Fluttershy looked , for what must of been the first time, nervous about the animal's reaction to her. Even Rainbow Dash knew to be still. Her friend's sanity hinged on this bird's acceptance of Fluttershy. Fluttershy extended her hand, the bird watched her, chirping at her hand as it approached. It gave a few small hops and proceeded to climb onto Fluttershy's outstretched fingers. Fluttershy released her collected breath that she had been withholding for some time now. Fluttershy stroked the bird with her free hand, a bright smile that brought warmth to her friends, all of them, for little heads began to pop out of small nooks and crannies, all watching intently. More animals had appeared and were encroaching the house. Soon she was covered. "Yes, yes it's me." She reassured the animals as the began to flock around her. Both Rainbow was in the air, but Twilight and Spike found it necessary to get off the porch in order to avoid the flood. Fluttershy was completely covered and giggling madly as her friends came to apologize and reacquaint themselves. Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Twilight all exchanged a rolling of their eyes as Fluttershy returned to her 'thing'. "Oh my, we missed breakfast everyone, you all must be so hungry." Suddenly she darted off leaving her three fully sentient friends to their own devices. "So... Looks like Fluttershy is going to be ok." Twilight said, perplexed with how quickly everything had gone down. "Of course she will be!" Rainbow landed, now that the area was clear of small and easily trampled critters. "So have you seen everyone else yet?" "Nope, I still need to check in on-" "Rarity! Twilight we need to go now!" Spike interjected. Twilight smiled at Spike's enthusiasm "Well I guess we're heading that way now. No telling how she's taking it." "She's probably on a dress making frenzy." Rainbow snickered. "Or shes scared and confused and needs someone to save her!" Twilight regarded Spike with raised eyebrows. "Looks like we have the perfect gentledrake for the job." Rainbow nudged Twilight to get her attention, giving her a knowing smile. Spike's cheeks flushed at her comment and together they hurried along.