The aftermath of the party was quiet, the absence of murmuring had left the room feeling... lonely. Fluttershy stood picking up the leftovers of her guests, cups, plates, streamers, Pinkie's cupcake wrappers. She stood and smiled as she recalled the night, she had so few times when she smiled alone. She even broke in semi-laughter when she saw the sleeping Angle sprawled out on her sofa.
Fluttershy wrapped him up in her hooves and sat him gently in the back room, so not to disturb him when she cleaned. She brought the dishes to the sink and started to rinse and wash them, as she did so she caught a glimpse at the moon. Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes drooped as a sudden wave of weariness washed over her.
Her dishes were done, or at least half done anyway. She turned her head back to her living room and saw her sofa, it seemed to be waiting for her. Feeling her mind slow and muddle she debated on what to do next, continue cleaning ? Half the room was done already, or jump on her sofa and fall asleep ?
The latter was all too tempting, but she didn't want to leave her home to a mess. Couldn't she allow herself just one night of a messy home? She could, and she would. Fluttershy dried her hooves and stumbled towards her now enchanting sofa. She laid her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes. The day was over.
The day was over, but it seemed the night had just began. Fluttershy awoke to a soft mummer, just barley out if earshot. It must of been Angle in his sleep, she thought to herself. She rolled over on her side and let her eyelids drop for a second time.
For the second time Fluttershy raised her head to a noise, this time being an echoing rustle, closer now. She rubbed the sleepy form her eyes and and stretched her sore limbs, it had to of been hours since she first rested. Her ears twitched in the darkness as she listened to the rustling. It was in short, but fast movements, almost like a squirrel.
She lifted herself off of her sofa and gently trotted towards her kitchen. She looked out of the window and saw that the moon was just over her home. She jerked her hooves away form the counter when a loud moan shot out, it was soon followed by gentle crying. Feeling her heart sink, she peered out from her window and into the garden. Among the vegetables and plants a slender shadow sat curled in the far right corner.
Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat when she realized that her eyes were not playing a trick on her.The shadows thin frame heaved up and down in an jerking motion. It looked unnatural. The shadow dug into her pumpkins, it's thin and slender figures pierced it's sides. It tore the pumpkin inside out, it's slimy seeds now littered her garden.
The shadow leaned further to the ground and let out a scream that made Fluttershy jump again and hide under the counter. It could of been an injured animal or something in need, she now debated on helping it. From under her counter she peeked at the shadow again, it's cries becoming louder and louder. It had raised a bony hoof or paw or limb towards the moon and bite down hard on it, making a sicking crunch
The noise of the teeth crunching bone made Fluttershy's stomach squirm. It's cries were wrong, the shrill was more of an angry snarl mixed with the sound of a dying animal. Every time it screamed shivers ran up her spine. At this rate it would wake the whole of Ponyville, she had to help it one way or another.
Fluttershy gathered what little nerves she had and ventured outside with some bandages in hoof. The wet grass clung to her hooves as she made her way threw the garden. Fluttershy was reminded of the chill when she saw the moon loom overhead, like a silent watcher. Her heart pumped and her head raced as she neared the shadow, it's features highlighted in the moonlight.
It's '' flesh '' was stretched tightly over it's sharp bones, bones that twitched and shifted in place. Fluttershy could feel a cold sweat run down the back of her neck, her hooves trembled in place as she neared. She extended some bandages towards the shadow and cringed as it turned it's head.
A long, misshapen and half developed snout with jutting teeth met Fluttershy's gaze. She gasp and fell onto the cold ground, feeling bile rise in her throat she crawled back towards her cottage.
'' N-no ! w-a-it ! '' it called, but it sounded more like a deep, inaudible gurgle.
With it's glowing eyes fixed on Fluttershy, it slowly crawled towards her. Each crunching step it took seemed to be hurting it immensely, it screams sounded like a blaring horn. She tried fumbling with the doorknob, but she was shaking to much to get a proper grasp. It now stood over her, starring into her misty eyes with it's own, uneven ones.
It's sobs had softened and it's frame became more fuller with patches of black fur covering it's torso. It hung it's head just over Fluttershy's mane and sniffed, like a dog. It's chest heaved and it's bones rattled as she could see it's stomach slowly curl in on it's self.
It shinned a two rows of yellow, jagged teeth, they shinned in the moonlight. It looked her the eyes and grinned, it wasn't in pain anymore. Now it was more like wolf then a shadow, it's fur a light orange, like tea. The thing brought four slender, wet fingers or paws to Fluttershy's temple and slowly slide them down the side of her face.
The freshly formed '' wolf '' pressed it's nails into her face, just enough to be felt. It drew back and admired it's work, then it coughed and raised it's head to the moon and howled. It sounded like a broken trumpet.
The wolf shot a toothy grin towards Fluttershy before it slipped out of her garden, now on all fours. Fluttershy slumped over and put a hoof to her face, a long cut lined her cheek. It was deep enough to leave a scar, hopefully not an permanent one.
Before she could study further a white hot pain shot up her chest and her body went numb on the spot. Her face collided with the dirt and she couldn't move, only her eyes. Despite the fear and panic she felt in that moment, her hot eyes rested. But before she fully closed them, almost out of instinct she looked towards the moon, and it starred back.