Corruption

by Cosmonaut

A Beautiful Nightmare

Fluttershy bowed her head, frightened, unable to move. She could have fled, yet both wings had instinctively snapped to her sides, each shaking leg felt like heavy blocks of woods. She hid her face behind her hair, knowing perfectly well the only thing it would hide was her line of sight. Yet within the hollow emptiness of the broken castle crumbling near the Everfree forest she could do nothing but listen to the eerie voice booming around her.

“There is nothing to fear here Fluttershy, nothing to flee from,” the disembodied voice rumbled, bouncing off ancient stone walls. “You will not be hurt. Not a single delicate yellow feather, not one strand of pink hair.”

“Please,” squeaked Fluttershy, her eyes shut tight. “Please let me go.”

“Nothing binds you here, but your own fear, my dear,” whispered the voice extremely close to her left ear; Fluttershy shrank away to no avail. “It’s a terrible thing to let run your life. Fear will root you in one spot. Fear will slow your life down, hinder your...freedoms.”

“Stop-stop talking to me, please, I’m so scared I-I, I just-” the thin yellow hairs of her coat went on edge, an unseen force brushing her long pink hair gently, removing it from her face.

“Would you like it, to never feel such needless fear ever again?” suggested the voice.

That particular question, that one question so far, piqued a flicker of interest from the unassuming yellow Pegasus. Cautiously, she opened one eye. “What, what do you mean?”

“A life, full of constant confidence,” whispered the voice seductively, gently brushing against her ears. “Where you will find power, strength, and bravery in yourself. Tell me, tell yourself, wouldn’t you enjoy that feeling?”

Fluttershy cast her eyes to the stone floor of the castle. She couldn’t list the times in her life she’d felt bad for herself, lack of confidence ruining situations that could have been mended had she the nerve. To stand up for her friends. For herself.

“Everypony would look up to you. Everyone would appreciate your presence, your actions, your decisions, your voice.”

The gentle, smooth strokes of that unknown presence continued pushing against her hair, her ear, calming her as she thought.

“Everypony would love you.”

Relaxing a little, and turning the idea over in her mind she ruffled her wing feathers.

“That…um, doesn’t sound so bad I guess,” she finally replied aloud, for the first time since she wandered in here after that frightened black jackrabbit she smiled. “Alright, okay, so how do I make this work?”

The invisible force removed itself from her hair, Fluttershy felt the magical presence surrounding her, followed by an immediate pushing sensation on her forehead.

“All you have to do is open up Fluttershy-” it said louder now, a harder edge to the disembodied voice. Fluttershy gasped, blue magical mist appearing in front of her, a magical probe prodding at her forehead, the pressing sensation amplifying strongly now.

“-AND LET ME IN!”

Screaming loudly Fluttershy fell forwards to the floor, the magical energies funneling through her skull, burying itself within her mind. It didn’t hurt at all, but she could feel new strange sensations worming through her, invading every aspect of her body as the endearing spirit, so full of promises and suggestions, snaked through her entire body and settled itself inside. Fluttershy kicked and writhed helplessly as the large blue shimmering cloud that was just hovering before her eyes channeled itself through her body until with the space in front of her was completely void of blue light.

She waited on the floor for what seemed like hours, eyes shut as her body pulsed and shook, parts of her stretching and expanding, growing, lengthening to encompass the new guest she had so readily invited inside. It finally stopped, prompting her to open her eyes.

“Oh-oh my! What? What am I?” she exclaimed looking down at her forelegs. On instinct she took to the air, nearly crashing into the ceiling with just two flaps as she inspected her longer, stronger feathery black wings. Mind racing, she circled the large empty room for a mirror, and finding one landed to examine her body.

Her lips trembled at the pony that stared back at her in the mirror. The pony was tall, impressive, jet black and sleek looking. A long spiraled horn was growing out of her forehead, now relatively short pink hair brushed aside as it extended above her eyebrows. Her cutie mark remained, scarily out of place compared to her new, dark form. What shook her the most was the eyes that stared back, once beautiful, turquoise shaded pupils now a paler, thinner set of slits. Like some sort of lizard.

Fluttershy stepped backwards, turning away from the image.

Like some sort of monster.

Do you like what you see?

“YOU?!” she yelped, turning her head around frantically “What have you done to me?”

Do not bother looking, I am here, with you now. You let me in. Such a kind thing you are you know that?

“Change me back! I don’t like this! I look like-I don’t even look like a pony anymore!” she shrieked anyway, spinning in frantic nervous circles. Frantic, she slammed her hooves into the stone floor.

“I don’t look like Fluttershy…”

We are something more now Fluttershy. Do you feel anything? Deep inside?

“I feel…” she closed her eyes again, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. There was something, something new. She could feel some sort of intense buzzing running under her coat, tingling at her forehead. Flexing her long black wings, a shudder flew down her back. There was something running through her veins, like she’d been struck with electricity, but instead of searing pain the energy flowing through felt different. It didn’t hurt. It felt as she could fly for miles, or run a marathon.

“I feel…nice,” she finally said, opening her eyes back up.

I promised you that nothing would hurt

“No, it didn’t hurt, it doesn’t.”

You screamed

“I always scream when I’m afraid.”

Are you afraid now?

Fluttershy turned towards the small archway she had squeezed through when she entered this castle. By her will alone the archway cracked, then blasted itself apart allowing fresh moonlight to embrace her dark form. She trotted outside, taking a deep breath and walking through the Everfree Forest with her head held high.

“Never again,” she whispered to herself. Fluttershy spread her now impressive wings and took off into the inky black sky.

Good

Comments

[n]

Can I have my gummy x madame le flour in this one?

[SethTheWizard]

I came, I read, and then I came.

[The Fiery Joker]

Ummm...a little rushed, and not sure where this plot is going.

I'd recommend an actual prologue, as there was very little buildup to the actual transformation.

[clubbzz]

You definatly have me looking forward to part two.

[abandoned2123]

Ooh, this is an awesome concept. Surprised I haven't seen it yet, really. However, you did rush it a little bit. Even so, pretty good work.

[Saki]

Nice, but do a flashback or something for setup. Otherwise, good work.

[Favo]

469812
fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/056/d/2/profile_picture_by_peternopedotaviplz-d4qw1fs.png

Nope!

[TundraStanza]

It gave me shivers,... I found it disturbing,... and it is in the "Dark" category.
...
It's perfect.

[horsez219]

MOAR!

I mean that is... if you don't mind...

[IraqLobstah]

A cute nightmare?

static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Not+sure+if+gusta+template.+Not+mine.+Sorry+if+this_4278de_3232692.jpg

[Stonershy]

COSMOOOOO

I like this. Where are you planning on taking it, I wonder~

[Cosmonaut]

470021
Oh man I don't even. This was possibly the shortest thing I've ever written as a quickfic idea I had when I saw this picture. That you guys actually dig it is unreal, especially since I have no real intent to continue it.
I mean, it's not difficult TO keep going but....eh. IDK :V

[HIDEMYPAST]

Yes.

I have been searching high and low for a good corruption fic - and you have perfect timing. Thumbs up, and a fave!

[Inspirational]

470191
Do it! Do now! You FOOL! DO IT NOW!

[OddOneOut]

i am not Fluttershy! I am NIGHTMARE SHY!!! and you're going to LOVE ME!! ... i mean... if you dont mind, that is...

[Thespurgin]

I am going to read this, and if I think it is good, I am going to ask for more of these for the other mane 6... maybe as a Character Study of what would happen if they transformed and their reactions to it??

[Acceleron]

I enjoyed it. Your choice if you want to continue it, I would keep reading if you did.

[heste]

You know what I need? I need a sequel... that's what I need.

[WonderDash]

What was the point of that?

[Stonershy]

470191
EHHHHHH

shrug

[Craterfist]

Mmmm..... Short, but it has potential. Yo 470191, please add more to this fanfic! I would really like to see this continued!

[Thespurgin]

This is interesting... IDK if Nightmare-Fluttershy (Nightmareshy? Nightheart? Trueheart? hmm.....) is a good thing or a bad thing... is it that NNM simply wants to have a body to call home, or is it something more nefarious? Most interesting...

Yeah I'd definitely invoke a call for the sequel here... either another chapter for this to settle the question of what Nightheart truly will do and become... or other takes on what might happen if Dash, Twi, Pinkie, and the others transformed... or both!

The real question is... can NNM overwrite the personalities of those that embody an element of harmony or not? Discord can do it... but he's different from NNM, and of course NNM got blasted by the elements. That might have effected her/it's abilities and personality. So many questions to ponder so little time...

[EpicGuy]

If you were to make a sequel, it would make me a very happy EpicGuy.

I'm interested to see what the rest of the Mane 6- or even Celestia- might have to say about her appearence.

[Ty The Draco]

This is a good story. You should do something like this for the other 5.

[PaulRap Raptor]

It is a good story. I would like to see more of it.

[kingtiger666]

I'm going to cause eternal night... That is, if you don't mind...

[Saki]

Wut? It's complete?

[digiz]

Impressive! I hope that someday you write more of this dark fluttershy, it really holds great promise.

[The Fruity Cousin]

This is a really good read. A sequel, perhaps?

[Phaoray]

Short but it has more than enough in it to make me wish for this story to continue.

[Sylevette Hooves]

This story could really be something... Felt more like an intro than a short story. Keep this up. I know you didn't have intentions on continuing it, but this was an excellent piece which could (with work) become a great story.

[AdamGrayson]

I feel like this is unfinished, but that's probably just because it could lead into so many different situations. I think this calls for a follow-up.

[Treble_Sketch]

This story could really go somewhere...

[Cerulean Voice]

This didn't accomplish much, tbh. It felt more like an entry into the Writeoff Association minific contest than anything.

[Random Order]

cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/58333754.jpg

[Twilight Best Pony]

This could have been an entire story.....

[Magos Xenos Disathairne]

Can we please have another chapter in which Twilight panics, while Fluttershy goes about being herself, but confident?

[FairyFun]

CAN I PLEASE MAKE A SEQUEL???

[Lunas_Sloot]

Very nice. Short, but the kind of thing that could inspire many people to make their own sequels. *hint hint*