//------------------------------// // Aftershock (only 500 words) // Story: The 550 Word Challenge of GWFan // by GWFan //------------------------------// Prompt: In the middle of the night, something crash lands in Fluttershy’s backyard Aftershock By: GWFan (The Softcore Brony) Fluttershy startled awake to the sound of a loud crash outside. Her first instinct was to hide under her bed, but the thought of the critters outside gave her enough courage to merely shiver in bed with the blankets pulled over her muzzle. What could the crashing sound have been? She remembered hearing a terrifying story from Rainbow Dash about horrible creatures from outer space that latched onto ponies while they slept and sucked the nutrients out of their victims in order to take their shape. Fluttershy had had trouble sleeping for quite some time before she finally realized that it was just a story. But now, it all seemed too real. As Fluttershy thought about all this, Angel bounded into her room and hopped up and down in front of her, pointing out the window. “There’s something outside, isn’t there…” Fluttershy said softly, hugging the covers tighter. Angel nodded and pointed outside more forcefully. “And you want me to go look?” Angel waved his paw as if to say he wanted her to follow him. “O-o-o-o-okay… we’ll go together.” After about two minutes of not going anywhere, Angel finally dragged Fluttershy down to the backdoor where they stared out into the moonlit night. That’s when they saw it. Something was sticking out of the ground. Whatever it was, it had destroyed the chicken coop. “Angel, wait,” Fluttershy pleaded as Angel hopped out to inspect it. “It could be a monster…” As Fluttershy followed, she fond herself frozen in fear at the sight. Sitting on the ground was something that looked like the back end of a pony. “The body snatcher!” Fluttershy cowered and covered her eyes. She jumped when something touched her. “No! I don’t want to be body snatched!” Angel crossed his arms and glared at her before pointing at one of the twitching back legs on the pony behind. Looking at it more carefully, the tail looked familiar. Fluttershy inched forward and realized that it was not a pony’s rump sitting on the ground but rather the only visible part of somepony who was struck in the ground. Feeling more curious than cautious, Fluttershy put all her strength into pulling on the tail until something popped and she collapsed with a full body pony above ground again. When the dust settled, Fluttershy saw exactly who it was in the moonlight. “Twilight?” “Fluttershy?” Twilight responded with eyes that looked derpyer than Derpy’s. “Is Spike around?” Fluttershy looked. “No.” “Can you take a letter for me?” “I guess.” “Okay.” Twilight’s head wobbled back and forth as she dictated. “Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that I should never try to read while flying. You’re friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” “Is that all?” Twilight nodded “Good. Just stop dancing in place, okay?” “I’m not…” Before she could finish, Twilight fell back into the hole she had made with a thud. Her back leg continued to twitch though she made no other sound. Fluttershy sighed and smiled. “Let’s get her inside, Angel.” The End