Collision Code

by SSJRandomMaster

Act 3 Chapter 18

Act III: Collision of Wills
Chapter 18: Flight of Brutality
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Though Fluttershy had finally released her other self, she was still at a disadvantage. Her body had already been damaged while her opponent hadn’t been scratched at all. Even though she was injured, even though she was bleeding, she found herself calm. Right now, she was concerned with the children hanging not too far away, and her opponent before her. Silver Talon was staring back, her stance lowered, prepared to lunge at any given moment. The talons on her feet scraped at the wooden surface of the nest as both stood silent, staring each other down.

Neither blinked, simply waiting for the other to make a move. Talon moved first, charging at Fluttershy, using her wings to propel herself faster. When close enough, she lifted her left talon up, aiming high and extending it out. Though the attack was swift, Fluttershy was able to react just in time to avoid the attack, rolling a safe distance away.

Talon wasn’t about to let her get away, however. Using her one foot on the ground, she turned her body around, lunging once more. Fluttershy had yet to get up from the ground; seeing her chance, Talon dove towards her. Before she could attack, Fluttershy’s body turned at a great speed. In that moment, Talon felt a pain surge on the side of her forehead, a flash of white temporarily blinding her.

She rolled on the nest for several feet, almost falling off the edge, but she managed to grab on just in time. Shaking her head, she placed a hand on the part of her head that throbbed painfully. With a scowl on her face, she looked back to Fluttershy. She was standing once again, looking down at her. In one hand was a large piece of wood that came from the nest. One end of it was broken, letting Talon know exactly what had struck her.

“Are cheap attacks all you’re capable of?” she said, rubbing her forehead. Fluttershy tossed the stick away, extending her hand and beckoning Talon to come closer with her fingers.

“Come find out,” she said, a small smirk appearing on her face. Talon began to grind her fangs in response to Fluttershy’s sudden ego boost.

“Why you little…!”

She’s mad… said a meek voice in Fluttershy’s head, but that only increased the smirk on her face.

Good, The crueler personality said back.

Talon charged once more, running at Fluttershy this time. Fluttershy put up her guard, prepared for Talon’s attack. As she grew closer, Talon suddenly made a sharp turn. In an instant, she had vanished from Fluttershy’s sight. The next instant, Fluttershy felt a sharp pain in her back. She grunted in response, but didn’t lose her composure. She turned quickly to see Talon’s claws soaked in blood from the new wound, prepared to go for another.

Flapping her wings, Fluttershy was able to fly backwards just fast enough to avoid another cut. The fabric of her shirt wasn’t so lucky. As she landed, she found Talon was on top of her once again, thrusting both hands at her.

With no time to avoid them, Fluttershy had only one option. Before Talon’s attack could make contact, Fluttershy grabbed Talon by the wrists, stopping her attack. Talon was far from done, however. She continued to push her weight, causing Fluttershy to slide back.

“I will admit,” Talon said, “You are filled with surprises today. But no matter how many you throw at me, there is still something you lack.”

Once more, Talon pressed down with her strength, forcing Fluttershy down to a knee.

“Expertise, my dear; that is where the gap between us truly lies,” she continued, pressing down a bit more, “I have honed mine through hundreds of prey, growing more and more skillful with each. But you, even with your newfound bravado, are not a fighter. So tell me, what could someone such as you possibly have any expertise in?”

Fluttershy didn’t respond at first, bowing her head as she let out a breath. She then looked back up at Talon with unshaken eyes and said:

“Biology,” Fluttershy abruptly let go of Talon’s wrists, the sudden vanishing of the counter weight causing her to fall forward. As she did so, Fluttershy came up, lunging her head forward as hard as possible, colliding with Talon. As her head-butt collided, there was a splash of blood. It wasn’t her own.

Talon staggered back as Fluttershy finally made some distance between them. The first thing she noticed as the blood flowing down her face. Checking it, she found that the cut was just above her forehead, the same spot where Fluttershy had hit her mark with the nest part. She tried to wipe away the blood, but no matter how much she tried to get it off, it just kept flowing.

“It’s no use,” said Fluttershy, “Unless you properly treat that wound, the bleeding won’t stop any time soon.”

Talon growled at Fluttershy, instantly noticing that her vision had been impaired due to the flow.

It’ll throw off her depth perceptions, but she’s still dangerous, thought the meek side. The aggressive side agreed completely, but knew she had to remain calm. They were still at a disadvantage in terms of damage. And as Talon said, Fluttershy’s body was not built for a deathmatch, let alone a battle. But still, she had something that would help even out the ground: Fluttershy’s vast knowledge of nearly every creature around the world...and her newfound willingness to use it to her advantage.

This time, it was Fluttershy who charged, using her wings to add to her speed. Talon was fully prepared, sure that her combat experience would make short work her the moment she got close. In an instant, Fluttershy vanished from Talon’s sight. Caught off guard, she stepped back, looking around in an attempt to find her. All she managed to find, however, was a sharp and painful jolt of pain run through her from behind.

Quickly, she turned around, swiping her claws through air as Fluttershy avoided another claw strike by hopping back. Talon tried to step forward to pursue, only to find herself limping as the pain continued to pile on.

“W-what was that?” she stuttered.

“That…was one of your kidneys,” Fluttershy said, “I don’t know how many you’ve torn open to sate your appetite, but I do know that no matter how many times you’ve seen the inside of someone, you’ll never know how the body works like I do.”

Talon didn’t appreciate the mocking undertone in Fluttershy’s voice. She dug her talons into the ground and pushed herself forward as hard as she could, propelling herself above Fluttershy. Talon brought down her legs and swiped at her. Though Fluttershy avoided this strike as well, only losing a bit more of her mane, she also played into Talon’s claws. Talon continued to drop, opening her mouth wide and biting down on Fluttershy’s shoulder hard.

Her razor sharp teeth cut into Fluttershy with little effort causing her to yelp slightly in pain. She intended to pull back and take a chunk of flesh with her, but she didn’t get the chance. Her head was locked in place; Fluttershy had wrapped both arms around it as hard as she could. Using Talon’s body for support, Fluttershy brought her knee up with as much force as she could muster. The strike not only sent another jolt of pain through Talon, but also succeeded in opening her mouth as the wind had been knocked out of her.

“And that…was your liver,” said Fluttershy as Talon buckled. Fluttershy wasn’t done, once again striking Talon in the same spot with a knee. With her hands around her stomach, Talon took a few steps back before falling to her knees. As she sat there, gasping for air, her mind couldn’t comprehend it.

I-I’m losing… to her…?! Talon looked up at Fluttershy, not much better off than she was. Her top was covered in her own blood, her legs shaking. She could hardly stand on her own two feet, and yet she still managed to do this to her, a seasoned killer; someone who was deemed too dangerous to live among others.

Unacceptable! Talon’s eyes burned read as her anger peaked. One last time, she charged, ramming into Fluttershy and pushing both of them over the edge of the nest.

The two began to fall, quickly picking up speed as they fell deeper into the ravine. Fluttershy struggled to get free from Talon’s hold, but she refused to let go. In fact, each time she tried to get free, the hold seemed to get painfully tighter.

“You’re going nowhere!” screamed Talon as she dug her claws into Fluttershy to better her hold, “You think you can humiliate me and get away with it!? Well, think again! I’m dragging us both down to hell!”

She’s insane! was the response of the meek Fluttershy.

I noticed! the aggressive side shouted back, bringing down her elbow on Talon’s back. Each time, the harpy twitched, but she refused to let go. Time was quickly starting to run out. If she didn’t think of something quick, she’d hit the ground, being used as the cushion to break Talon’s fall. It’d all be over if she couldn’t pop out of this hold. Pop…

Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide as an idea flashed into her mind. With little time left, she had to move quickly. Fluttershy used all of her might to push one arm between the two of them, slipping it under Talon’s arm. It was hard, and the movement caused Talon to further cut into her body. Right now, though, she could handle the pain. With her other, free arm, Fluttershy placed her hand on Talon’s shoulder and twisted her own body in preparation.

“If you think you have the strength to pry my arm, then forget it!” Talon shouted, “There’s nothing you can—“

Talon stopped, a sound echoing right next to her ear, sounding just like a pop. In that moment, everything seemed to slow down. The first thing she noticed was her arm moving without her input, releasing its grip on Fluttershy. The next was a yellow elbow which struck her in the side of her head. The force of the strike not only caused her to fully release her grip, but also turned her over mid-fall.

Now, she could see Fluttershy above her, opening her wings to slow her fall. Next, she saw her own arm, dangling in the wind. She tried to move it, but nothing happened, as though her arm was no longer her arm. Only then did she figure it all out.

So that was your goal… Talon thought to herself. What she thought was an attempt to force her arm off turned out to be much cleverer. Fluttershy’s real goal had been to dislocate her shoulder, rendering her arm useless… and she succeeded. One last time, Talon smirked. She’d thought this would be an easy battle, that she would have wasted her time. Yet now she found herself literally being looked down on by the one mare she underestimated. It was her loss, and she accepted it, right up to the point where she made impact with the ground.

Fluttershy’s aggressive side wasn’t soft by any means, but even she found it better to turn away when Talon hit the ground. She let out a sigh as the echo of the collision with solid earth echoed in the ravine. After a few seconds, she opened them again, seeing Talon motionless on the ground.

Is she…?

She ignored the question, slowly descending so that she could find out for herself. When she landed, the sight wasn’t pretty. Though there was no signs of blood, Talon’s body hadn’t moved.

“Even with everything you’ve done,” Fluttershy said, “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

She bowed her head for a moment, preparing herself to save the foals. Before she could, she heard a cough. She looked down and saw it. Talon was moving, but not much.

“D-don’t need your…s-sympathy,” she stuttered, having a hard time talking due to the newly broken bones. Despite this, she was still smirking, “Looks like it’s over. Y-you beat me. Pity, I was looking f-forward to wrecking more lives…”

“You should consider yourself lucky you survived,” said Fluttershy, only to be met with Talon’s laughter.

“Yes, lucky, I g-get to live to see myself…get put back in Tartarus, if a certain s-someone doesn’t decide she’s done with me, that is…”

Fluttershy tilted her head, kneeling down beside Talon.

“You mean the one behind all this, don’t you?” she asked, “Who is she?”

Talon looked towards Fluttershy in silence for a moment. She had been beaten and broken in battle, and now the victory wanted to know just who was pulling the strings. The silence stretched on for several seconds longer, and then her smirk widened even more.

“Maybe… I can cause at least one more p-pony some grief.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Talon felt a pressure in her chest, as if something was constricting her heart.

“I’d rethink what you’re about to do if I were you! I might yet let you live!” The voice of her boss lit up in her head, but she didn’t care at this point. She wanted to go out on her own terms, and this was her chance.

“Her name is…!” There was a burst, her chest seemingly expanding as her back arched. Blood ran down the sides of her mouth as she gasped for air.

Her final, dying breath was with one final word: “N…Nor…ma…”
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I stood there for a long time, just staring at her dead boy. A part of me just couldn’t believe what had happened. After so many days of fear and regret hanging over my head, I couldn’t believe it was over. And I just couldn’t believe that I had won.
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The fight was finally over, and Fluttershy could feel herself relax for the first time in days. Once again, she found herself in the world within her mind. She wanted to speak with her other side once more. The two stood in the meadow of flowers, staring into the distance in a comfortable silence.

“So, what happens now?” her aggressive side asked.

“Don’t you remember what I said?” asked Fluttershy, “This is your home just as much as it is mine. You’re a part of me, even if I didn’t want to accept it before,” She turned to her other side and put a hand on her shoulder, “I’m not locking you away anymore.”

Her other side’s eyes opened slightly in surprise, glassing over slightly. For a moment, she turned her head away. Fluttershy swore she heard a sniffle.

“I guess you do have a soft side,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“S-shut up, I just have something in my eye,” her other side responded, but this only caused Fluttershy to giggle, “A-anyway, we still have to bring those foals back. Our body’s pretty beat up right now, but I think I can manage the fly back.”

“No, you’ve done a lot already,” said Fluttershy, “Let me take care of the rest.”

Her other side looked to her before a moment before nodding, “So what should I do now?”

Fluttershy turned for a moment and looked up at the sky.

“It’s a beautiful day,” she said, looking back, “Why don’t you enjoy it?”

With that, she faded away, leaving her other side alone. She stood there for a moment, taking in what she’d just been told.

“Enjoy the day, huh?” she chuckled. Slowly, she sat down on the meadow, laying down on the ground. She could feel the warmth of the ground. She could smell the flowers all around her. She had been out before, for sure, but never once had she experienced freedom like this.

“I could get used to this.”
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There is an old saying that has been proven time and again, from crisis to crisis: “Misery loves company.” Inside of Sugar Cube Corner gathered the parents and guardians of the missing foals. They had all found one another during the search, joining their efforts in hopes they might find the young ones. But as the hours passed, as they searched through each and every dark corner Ponyville had to offer, their hopes slowly crumbled away.

But as the search stretched on beyond the borders of Ponyville, as it drew closer to what most knew were dangerous territories, they found that they were not allowed to continue further. By this point, the guards took over the search, and they were left to wait. Even as they sat together, even as they tried to find comfort in one another, they could not easy the anxiety that consumed them.

“What if they can’t find them in time?!” asked Cup Cake, her hands on her head, a frantic look on her face. She had heard what had happened to the other mother’s foal. She wondered if that was something she’d have to witness as well—would she have to bury her children? The mere thought nearly caused her to have a breakdown, one not even her husband could help deter.

Granny Smith was in no better condition. She had already suffered a loss in the family in her past. She wasn’t sure if her old heart could take the strain if it happened one more time. Everyone sat in silence, powerless to do much of anything but wait. They prayed the worse would not come, but were unable to shake the feeling that it might.

Seconds turned to minutes, then those turned to hours, with no results. Nothing happened, not even a knock on the door. The silence began to grow maddening, enough so that they wished for a sound, anything, and they got it. Outside, they began to hear something, several voices, all of which were yelling.

“Miss, wait, you have to be treated!”

Big Mac was the first to act at the sound, slowly rising from his seat. The others watched as he walked up to the window, searching for the cause of the commotion. In the distance, he saw something, something slowly making its way towards the shop. He wasn’t sure what it was at first, but when he did, his response was one sharp gasp.

The others watched as he ran out the door without saying a single word, quickly following after him, wondering just what he saw. Once they all were outside, they could finally see what he had seen, and it was enough to bring tears to their eyes—tears of joy, that is. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were slowly walking towards them, accompanied by a wounded Fluttershy carrying the twins.

Everyone ran towards them, not only embracing the returned foals, but checking on who had saved them. Fluttershy had been able to return to Ponyville in her condition, but it took whatever stamina she had left in her. She collapsed the moment everyone was reunited. She could hear the guards converging around them, many calling for medical help—“Celestia knows she needs it.”
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I think I passed out sometime after that. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital already patched up. I spent a few hours there and filled the guards in on what had happened. At the time, there was nothing more I would have wanted than to just let my wounds heal, but I had to convince the doctors to let me go.

Even though I’d saved the foals, even though Silver Talon was no longer a threat, there was still one more thing I had to do…

Author's Note:

And there we go. Again. Not much to say about this. Next chapter will be the last of this arc, and with that we move into the next. As always, feedback is appreciated.