Fluttershy's eyes opened slowly to reveal... nothing; the darkness was absolute. She couldn't even see the ground beneath her hooves.
"Hello...?" she called out hesitantly. The words echoed eerily around her. "Is anypony there?"
"Thisss ssurprissess me," came a voice from the black void, causing the pegasus to shriek and flinch backwards. "You have ssomehow... made it to thisss placce... Well, let uss sssee what makesss you tick." Something pressed into Fluttershy's mind, and she felt it rummage through her thoughts.
"W-wait! Don't do that! Those are—"
Suddenly, she stood in Twilight's library, as if she had been there the entire time. Although there wasn't anypony else in the room with her, a series of loud, repetitive grunts informed the mare that she wasn't alone.
"Twilight..." came a breathy voice that Fluttershy just barely recognized as Luna's.
"Oh, Luna..." responded a pony that could only be the youngest alicorn.
The words seemed to come from the library's bedroom, and judging from the nature of the atmosphere, the yellow mare didn't even want to go look. However, curiousity got the better of her, and she found her legs slowly taking her up the stairs.
I... I hope this isn't what I think it is....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, that was unexpected." Discord had regained enough strength to stand and approach the fallen Luna.
"You didn't even know that it would do that?!" a red-faced Twilight Sparkle shouted. "Why would you let Fluttershy go if you were unaware of the properties of your own weapon?!"
"Actually, I was talking about her getting in a good hit in the first place," the dragonequis said. "I mean, c'mon, did any of you really see that coming?"
"Discord..." Celestia said, a warning clear in her voice. "What happened to Fluttershy?"
He shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. I thought that the specter would be forced out, but I guess she was forced in."
"So... now what?" asked Cadance.
"I suppose now she's going to have some sort of inner struggle, or whatever you kids like to do these days," Discord said. "Ah, but she'll be fine. I have full confidence in her." He pulled out a magazine and began to casually flip through its pages.
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After minutes of creeping progress, Fluttershy finally reached the library's bedroom door and peeked in, only to have her heart break at the sight within. Twilight and Luna both lay in the bed, together...doing... The pegasus lurched away, closing the door quickly while trying her best to not cry. Why did it have to be Luna? she wondered. Out of all the ponies Twilight could have chosen, it had to be the one that I....
Suddenly, she realized the improbability of the scenario.
No, that can't be real, the mare thought slowly. I'm sure that she and Twilight are just friends. And anyway, Luna was just possessed! She wouldn't do something like this so soon after—
"Your outer weaknesss hidesss your true... well, nevermind. Time for a change of ssscenery."
Fluttershy blinked in shock when the entire library melted and became indistinguishable before reforming into another familiar setting—her cottage's sitting room. She turned to take in her new surroundings, but was interrupted when a familiar dark-blue pony shoved her roughly.
"Luna?" she asked. "What's going—"
"Do not speak with me, worm." The harsh words instantly set the yellow mare rocking backwards. "Filth like you should just curl up in a corner and die."
"Why—why would you say that?" Fluttershy said; tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto the floor. Calm down; this is just like before. She can't be—
"You disgust me. Pitiful little bug, thinking that you can win the love of a goddess."
"I-I-I'm sorry, it's not s-something I c-can help—"
"Disappear and leave me be. I never want to see you again." Luna stalked outside and flew away.
This is terrible... Fluttershy cried in her head, trying to get a grip on her emotions. I... this can't be real, I know this isn't real, but still... The mare's mind flew back and recalled all of the time the two ponies had spent together, and the pitiable expression on her face vanished. "No, Luna wouldn't believe things like that! Even to an enemy, she would never say anything so cruel. It's a lie!" The last sentence rang out with her full volume behind it.
"Fine! If you cannot be broken with illussionsss, then how about fear?!" The room faded away and, once more, the pegasus stood in complete darkness, gazing into the black void; this time, however, a macabre face stared back. Its green eyes danced in deeply-sunken sockets. "BEHOLD YOUR DOOM!"
"I'm—I'm not scared of you anymore," she said softly.
"...What did you ssay?"
"I said that I'm not scared of you anymore!"
The specter screamed its fury. "I COULD RIP YOU APART IN AN INSssTANT!"
"I've... I've been thinking, and I don't think you're strong enough to do that. It's true that using Luna's power, you can do just about anything, but the real 'you' is just a tiny little parasite."
"You impudent—"
"You're weak in real life, just like I am. I think I can understand you... just a little."
"Sspare your sssympathy and prepare to die!" A pair of hands appeared, each bearing wicked claws.
"Fine, if you're going to do it, then just get it over with!" Fluttershy said. Her anger, normally extremely slow to rise, began to spill over. "What are you waiting for? I'm right here!" For a second, she thought that her opponent was going to tear her to pieces, so terrible was the wrath displayed in its eyes. However, her misgivings vanished as another few moments passed and it made no moves to attack. When nothing happened, she released the breath that she had been holding. "Now, I just have to find Luna."
"That'ss not ssomething I'll jussst let you do," the specter argued.
"Hush, you. Now that I know your secret, nothing you say can change my mind. Luuunaaa!" The alicorn's name bounced off of walls that Fluttershy couldn't see.
"Quit that!"
"It's time to wake up, sleepyhead!" The pegasus felt something stir in the depths of the void.
"I ssaid stop!"
"Come back to us! We want to see you again!" Once again, an invisible presence shifted, as if agitated.
"Wait, pleasse, don't do this!!"
"Your friends are waiting for you, Luna. We miss you." The stirring became more pronounced, and something woke up. "I miss you."
...Fluttershy? A bright light filled the void, blinding Fluttershy, before she fell unconscious once more.
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Twilight was just beginning to grow bored from waiting when a trickle of darkness streamed out of Luna's ear. "Princess Celestia!" she shouted, reaching out and snagging the escaping creature in a magical sphere before it could get further away. The specter beat itself against the inside of the prison, but it was finally captured.
"Oo, nice catch!" Cadence said.
Celestia examined the trapped creature closely. "I think we'll decide its fate at a later time. For now, we should take care of our brave pegasus friend..."
"But Fluttershy's still gon—Fluttershy!" The yellow mare had appeared, lying on the ground next to Luna. Everypony present clustered around her, wanting to see if she was alright. However, the group scattered when the prone alicorn jumped to her hooves and grabbed her savior by the shoulders.
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Fluttershy's mind swam through a sea of darkness as it struggled to reach the surface. Something's... moving? She heard muffled noises that grew progressively louder, until she recognized them as voices.
"Are you alright?!"
Are they talking to me? she wondered.
"Just give her a little shake, I guess." The confused pegasus suddenly felt a lurching sensation as somepony wrenched her back and forth. Her eyes shot open, and she immediately identified the culprit as Luna.
"St-o-o-o-p," the pegasus said in a wavering voice. "I'm awake!"
"I see... My apologies." The alicorn averted her eyes and lightly blushed.
"The keyword was 'little'," said Discord.
It took a moment, but Fluttershy's memories soon came rushing back and she remembered all that had happened. There, sitting in front of her, was Luna, white-eyed Luna, her Luna. In an instant, the alicorn found herself bowled over by a hug that could have doubled as a flying-tackle.
"You're okay!" the choked-up yellow mare managed to say, crying into the other pony's neck. "You're really, really okay!"
"Yes, Fluttershy, I am. It is all thanks to you." Everypony else (and Discord) gave her a sour look. "A-and all of you, as well," she amended hastily.
By this time, Fluttershy had saturated her friend's coat with tears. The princess wrapped her legs around the little pony and pulled her close.
"I-I'm s-s-sorry," the pegasus said, looking up and seeing that Luna's face bore tear-streaks as well. "Yo-you're cr-cry-crying, because of m-me..."
"Do not say that. I am *hic* not crying." Luna pushed Fluttershy's head back down. "*sniff* I never cry."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ow!"
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Aw, does wittle Wuna's boo-boo hurt?"
"Discord..."
Now that Luna was safe, nothing further compelled Celestia, Cadance, or Shining Armor to remain in Ponyville. The two princesses departed almost immediately for their respective cities, Cadance accompanied by her complaining husband.
"Please, let me walk! I don't wanna ride the train agaaaaain!" he cried while the pink mare dragged him away.
Rarity and Applejack also took their leaves in order to see to their respective jobs. They congratulated Luna on her freedom before heading back to the town proper.
So it was that Luna, Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Discord congregated outside of the timid pegasus's house while she pressed a bag of ice against the dark princess's cooking-implement-related injury.
"I know that Cadance is responsible for these bruises," Luna said, pointing to the spot on her ribs where her niece had pummeled her with a hammer, "but which one of my fellow princesses inflicted this wound upon me?" She gestured at the welt on the side of her head.
Discord pushed Fluttershy forward, who nearly fell over in an effort to apologize. "Actually, it was this little fireball, here. Whacked you right on the noggin with a frying pan. I'm so jealous..."
"I cannot complain about it..." Luna gave the panicking mare a smile. "To have raised such a lump on my royal cranium, you must have quite the powerful swing. Do you take part in that one athletic activity which I have seen ponies play?"
"Huh?"
"The one on the diamond-shaped field."
Pinkie raised her hoof. "Oh, oh! You mean baseball!"
"Hah, she's totally right! Fluttershy, you should find a team to play for!" Rainbow said with a snicker. "I know you still want to get to second base!" She and the pink pony fell over laughing.
"No—but—you—I—" Fluttershy's face glowed from the resulting blush, and Luna didn't help matters when she loudly proclaimed her intention to assist the pegasus in "reaching this so-called 'second base'".
"She's so ignorant, it's almost not totally hilarious..." Discord muttered. Then, to Luna, he said, "I'm bored to tears being around all of you, so I'm going to bail before I have to lobotomize myself. I just need to say something, first." He coughed into his hand. "Luna, you are one of the stuffiest, dryest, grumpiest, least-interesting ponies that I have ever met, and yes, that even includes you, Sparkle."
"Hey!" the purple mare protested.
"However..." The dragonequis paused and sighed. "Being around you is just a teensy, tiny bit less awful than that thing that was renting out the chunk of solid bone you call a head."
"Is that... a compliment?!" Luna asked incredulously.
"No! It's not! I still think you're the worst! Whatever, I'm out of here." He disappeared in a cloud of eerie, laughing butterflies.
"That was surprisingly nice of him..." she mused. "I shall never let him forget this! Ha, you have erred this time, Discord, you miscreant!"
Suddenly, the princess felt something small and furry land on her back. "Luna, look!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Someone's come to play with you!" Craning her neck, Luna's blood chilled when she saw that the thing on her back was a squirrel... and she knew which one, in particular. The demon critter's head slowly rotated in place until it rested at a very unnatural one-eighty degree angle, blazing-red eyes staring deep into her soul.
"Fear will stalk you for the remainder of your miserable existence," Phineas informed the alicorn.
"Away, darkspawn!" Luna cried, the force of her voice lifting the squirrel into the air. It landed gracefully on all fours.
"In your final days, I will whisper terrible nothings in your decaying ears until you beg for death."
"See how much they like each other?" Fluttershy said with a huge smile on her face.
"Yeah, he's a cutie!" Pinkie contributed.
The dark alicorn looked at all of them, aghast. "It is literally impossible that thou cannot hear this... this... demon's words!"
Twilight trotted over and nuzzled the little squirrel lovingly. "Luna, are you alright?" she asked. "Fluttershy did hit you pretty hard, after all."
"Yeah, everypony knows that squirrels can't talk," Rainbow said.
"The words of portent are for you and you alone. When you finally feel safe, the shadows will consume you. They are always watching."
"This is not over, squirrel," Luna promised, turning and stomping away indignantly.