Lightening Fluttershy's Dark Sky

by Misty Shadow

The Light of Two Shadows

So...You are reading this.

From where we last left off, the second orb was taken, Rarity was stolen and possessed by King Sombra as a car, Fluttershy was kidnapped, and Luna was pottymouthed. Damn, what a mess.

“Crud, what a shitty mess.” Luna watched a bit of her language. “I’m so ticked off that I want to take a piss in King Sombra’s apple juice! I have to find some way to stop him or Rarity and Fluttershy are damned to be doomed! But how?”

Luna looked around the meter zone and was hit with an idea by all the cars…

Meanwhile, King Sombra was driving the Rarity truck too fast, speeding at 225 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, running every red light and stop sign, destroying public property, causing accidents, causing the police cars and helicopters that tried to chase him down to have accidents, and occasionally picking up hitchhikers (who were all either Cadance or Shining Armor clones made from human beings)...whom he made regret getting in the car with him…

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” said a Shining Armor hitchhiker, getting off the truck with all the other hitchhikers at a pit stop. “This isn’t our kind of ride. It’s bumpy, noisy, disturbing the peace, and that childmolester* you have tied up in the back creeps us out.”
*Author’s Note= Yeah...Fluttershy is still in her “detective outfit”

“You mean Fluttershy?” Sombra gave a wink to her. “Don’t worry, I know what to do with her. I’m going to Princess Shining Armor’s castle to turn her in, good sir.”

“Well golly almighty,” said one of the oblivious Cadance hitchhikers, “that is completely stupid. Shining Armor’s not a cop, Cadance is! ...Or the other way ‘round, I can’t really tell.”

“Whatever, I do what I want!” Sombra sassed. “I hope I never again see your front!”

As Sombra sped away in the truck, he hit a pothole in the road, causing the truck to swerve out of control. After that quirky anecdote, he regained control of the vehicle and kept driving until he saw a strangely upright and intact Monster energy drink can in the middle of the road. He cautiously tried to turn more to the right to avoid it, but in his recklessness, accidentally flipped the truck over and sent it spinning upside-down into a nearby ditch. Fluttershy was banged all over the place as she was flung all around, and the orb shattered the rear windshield, flying out into the field unscathed. Sombra, being slightly scourged by a piece of glass that flew from the broken windshield and cut his right cheek, was infuriated.

“That stupid Monster destroyed my truck!” Sombra shouted demonically as he got out of the damaged vehicle and slammed the door behind him. “I’ll dig that can a grave filled with muck!”

Sombra used his magic to grab the can and dig a small hole in the dirt below him at the same time. He unzipped his shadow body pants, held the can up to his freeman, and promptly filled it with lemonade that he drank yesterday. He also took off his shadow footwear and squeezed a shadow sock like a lemon to get fresh water into the can. Last of all, he poured his blood and tears into his attempt to get the can a glass of his special somepony’s favorite brand of warm milk. He shook the can up, getting a bit of the contents inside on his face in the process, and looked like he was about to drink from it before he abruptly dropped it in the hole he dug.

“Oops, I dropped it in nature’s toilet.” Sombra humored. “It’s a good thing that the soil will COIL IT!”

With that, Sombra put his hoof down into the hole and crushed the can. He buried it along with the muck, and cleaned up the mess on his face by licking it with triumph.

“Ha ha,” he laughed. “That was just too eas-”

“FREEZE!” someone shouted from behind, putting a gun to Sombra’s head. “DON’T MOVE!”

“How did you…?” Sombra asked, knowing it was the end of the line.

“Heh heh…” Luna began her line with a chuckle. “You fell right into my trap. I made myself a Monster motorcycle from downgrade fusing car parts and Monster energy drinks (my favorite!) I got from a convenience store. I got here long before you did and decided to set a trap by making one of the cans I didn’t use a force field that would react to Rarity’s essence. And for the coup de grace, I waited for you to get distracted so I could grab the orb and rescue Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy was standing next to Luna with the duck tape still on her mouth (Luna left it on for everyone’s sake). She appeared to be trying to tell Luna something that was muffled as she desperately tried taking the duck tape off…

“So you put one of your friends in jeopardy to save the other.” Sombra said gleefully. “Ha ha, that is…”

“Oh brother,” Luna replied, “shut up. To tell you the truth, Rarity specifically told me that if I ever had to decide to either save her or save Fluttershy to save Fluttershy. I’m just doing what I’ve been told to do.”

“Your voice and rebellious attitude remind me of someone…” Sombra’s memory was slightly triggered by the tone of the one who had him at gunpoint. “That’s it, you’re...Lu...lu...you...uh…”

“Luna…” Luna told him in frustration. “I’m the one who got you into that jar and helped you fully become Fluttershy’s body, mind, and soul, remember? Why did you betray me? Why are you taking over Sky and kidnapping the fake Fluttershy?”

“Betrayal? Kidnapping?” Sombra sneered. “Quit your yapping. I’m just here to accomplish my mission and get back the ring. Also, I didn’t even fully become any of those things.”

“What...are you...talking about?” Luna asked as her confidence began turning into confusion.

“Before Fluttershy completed her transformation...” Sombra replied. “She and I were attacked by a mysterious ninja who didn’t approve of our reformation...”

“Ninja…no, it can’t be...” Luna gulped. “How could she…”

“Now you’re speaking my language.” Sombra felt the rhythm, enjoying this conversation more now. “I’m also going to tell you that this is far from the end of your anguish. Though Fluttershy’s body and mind are now mine as well, she has yet to become my soul. Where her soul has gone, I don’t know the story in full.”

“So the soul in your body is your own…” Luna immediately went to the conclusion. “And you kidnapped the fake Fluttershy in hopes that she had Fluttershy’s spirit…”

“Right and wrong,” responded Sombra, “you understand the lyrics, but not the beat of the song. I am myself, mostly acting on my own accord. However, I am to kidnap Fluttershy and Sky under the order of my lord, Discord. They are to be brought to Canterlot castle for a duel.

“And what’s the point of this duel?” Luna questioned further. “To see who would win in a fight, a humanized Fluttershy, or a Fluttershyzed human?”

“I believe YOU’VE told me enough…” Sombra worded some of that correctly. “Or to be more specific, you’ve told HER enough…”

And with that, Sombra changed back into Fluttershy! Also, since Sombra and Fluttershy are one in the same, Fluttershy overheard the entire conversation Sombra and Luna had!

“Luna…” Fluttershy said with her eyes watering. “Is all that...TRUE? My dream was...REAL? You tried to turn me into....SOMBRA?!”

“Well yeah, sorry about that,” apologized Luna sincerely. “What’s concerning me right now though is that if you’re the real Fluttershy, and this is the fake Fluttershy, then where’s...”

The fake Fluttershy finally tore the duck tape off the other Fluttershy’s mouth, and he said some dialogue revealing him to be...Sky!

“Yeah, I was trying to tell you that he turned me back into part of my true form, Fluttershy*.” Sky explained the reveal.
*See the ending of Transcending Fluttershy’s Dark Sky for details
“...Okay, now even I’m having a hard time understanding-GAK!” Luna tried to express her opinion, but was punched in the stomach by the crying real Fluttershy. After a dramatic pause, Luna clutched her stomach in pain as Fluttershy turned back into Sombra.

“Understanding pain?” Sombra laughed as he seized the dark-blue orb that Luna hid in her uniform. “I don’t care if I gain some flack from your fans for that, it’s all in vain!”

“This self-aware dialogue is confusing…” Sky commented as he put his hoof-thumb up to his lips. “Why is it not becoming less confusing even though I’m aware?”

Sky was given plenty of time to think that one over as Sombra engulfed him in shadow and disappeared.

“Shoot...” Luna gave the appropriate curse in reaction to her shortcomings. “He must have teleported to that castle he was talking about. I had a feeling he was only playing Big Rigs with Rarity to get back at her for stealing the ring…which means...”

Just as Luna suspected, the shadow that once surrounded Rarity disappeared, and she turned back into a normal robot alicorn.

“Having god powers, she’s probably already recovered from that crash she had as a truck and should regain consciousness soon.” Luna thought to herself. “Should I stay here and interrogate her about what the heck she’s been doing behind my back with Fluttershy, or should I go to Discord’s castle and ask him what the hell this duel is about?”

Meanwhile, at Canterlot castle…

Two guards who were identical in appearance to Discord were standing watch outside a door to the throne room. Inside the throne room, there was Fluttershy-esque decor galore. Pink and yellow-painted walls, windows depicting Fluttershy’s deeds, a pink, yellow, and of course red carpet, and a butterfly-shaped throne decorated with pink topaz and an insignia of a wingless butterfly piercing a heart sown onto the throne’s seat with Fluttershy-brand string. We couldn’t see that last part though because Discord’s butt was in the way.

“Gah, I can’t get this taste of soda off my tongue…” Discord bemoaned, sitting on his throne and gagging on a lollipop he wasn’t enjoying very much. “I hope Sombra gets back here soon…”

Soon, Sombra, with the Fluttershy form of Sky on his shoulders, materialized before him on the carpet.

“I have returned, Lord Master,” Sombra greeted as he bowed his head. “I have brought what you have requested of me to bring, and only wish I could’ve made it back here faster.”

“That’s fine, but would you please stop speaking in rhyme?” Discord requested as his head slanted to the right a bit. “You don’t have to treat everything you say like a rime. Also, you know you need to be Fluttershy for the upcoming fight, you can not be Sombra at this time.”

“Alright then,” said Sombra as he transformed into Fluttershy. “I know when-”

Sombra was interrupted when he allowed Fluttershy’s mind to take control.

“So what’s going on here?” Fluttershy asked. “Am I going to have to...fight Sky?”

“Yes,” replied Discord, “in a battle of wits...in a gamble.”

“We’re going to gamble...with our intelligence?” Fluttershy said in puzzlement. “Are we going to become stupid if we lose?”

“What a terrible fate that would be.” Sky lamented. “I hope we’re not going to be forced to play the lottery. All those losing tickets…”

“Not that kind of gambling…” Discord put his claw and paw on his face. “I mean a gamble that would require you to make a smart, educated guess in an exchange of sake cups.”

Discord did his magic and made a tray with two Fluttershy-sized sake cups on it appear on the floor. Both of them looked like Fluttershy in sake cup form and were filled with apple juice.

“Now time to explain the rules…” Discord prepared to elaborate. “One of these sake cups is filled with ordinary apple juice. The other is filled with apple juice mixed with a large amount of cough syrup and taurine. If you take it, I think you already know what will happen... Choose wisely, for only the winner shall take over my place as the ruler of Canterlot castle. Now then, who wants to be the one to choose?”

“I don’t,” said Sky, “terrible things tend to happen when I make decisions on what I should drink.”

“Then I guess I’ll make the call…” Fluttershy announced as she walked up to the Fluttershy cup on the left. “I choose this one…”

“Thanks,” said Sky, feeling very relieved as he went up to the right Fluttershy cup. “I have nothing to fear now…”

“Of course you have nothing to fear…” Discord thought. “You’re too stupid to realize that the outcome of this game is predetermined. I already told Fluttershy which one would be the correct one in my own way while she was still Sombra. There’s no way I can lose…”

The two dipped their jaws inside the oversized cups and drank from them. When they were done drinking, Sky was fine, but Fluttershy clutched her throat and began to gag.

“Woah Fluttershy,” said Sky with concern as he walked over to Fluttershy. “Are you okay?”

“Bleh!” Fluttershy yelled. “It tastes like urine!”

“Ha ha ha ha!” Discord laughed. “Fluttershy guessed right! Congrats Fluttershy, you’re the win-”

But in mid-sentence, he was paused by Sky beginning to gag as well. His entire body got all shadow-like as he started transforming into King Sombra. And wouldn’t you know, the same thing started happening to Fluttershy as well!

“Wait...HUH?!” Discord let his ham out like a spearman shaking his treasure carelessly. “Why are you becoming Sombra? I put a drug in the right drink that would vitalize your body and mind, keeping Sombra suppressed! And that kid didn’t even consume the drug! I can not have Sombra lead this castle! If he can not be likened to my image, he must DIE!”

Just then, a smoke bomb was thrown in front of Discord’s throne, surrounding him with gas that was bad for his eyes. He couldn’t even see Rarity teleport in front of him, dressed as a ninja again. She took a scroll for reality bending spells out of her black ninja suit.

“Sorry, my fair fake Fluttershy,” said Rarity as she prepared her spell, “but I can’t have you going and making either of my two favorite idiots smart. I need the real Fluttershy to be Sombra for a large while longer. Reality Swap!”

With that, the fake Discord turned back into the fake Fluttershy from the real beginning of this story!

“Rarity, you fool…” the fraudulent Fluttershy haughtily derided the purple-haired ninja and her prose as she vanished along with the smoke. “I’m sure you know that I’m not just any fake Fluttershy...I AM…”

Robot Alicorn Fluttershy. That’s how her sentence was finished as she transformed into her robot alicorn self, fully equipped with warm and toasty robot armor, lasers, and living Fluttershy plushies on the robot armor.

“Brace yourselves…” Robot Alicorn Fluttershy said as she flew up to the air, embracing her chest. “The Tale of Two Sombras is OVER!!!”

R.A. Fluttershy opened her chest, and all the Fluttershy plushies went down to the two Sombras like guided missiles and exploded. The two Sombras avoided the explosion by teleporting behind R.A.F., and began chanting a poem…

The Tale of Two Sombras

The Tale of Two Sombras, we like that name
The Tale of Two Fluttershys, we’re no longer the same
The Tale of Two Mauds, she’s a bit too bland
The Tale of Two Discords, his room is Fluttershy-brand
The identity of Sombra, we shall not give up
The identity of Fluttershy, we shall surrender
The identity of Discord, you failed to live up
The identity of Maud, we will no longer offend her

While the poem was going on, R.A.F. was trying to shoot the Sombras with her Fluttershy Thompson gun and her alicorn lasers, but the Sombras had turned themselves into shadow and were not affected. And after their poem was finished, they merged together to form...a shadow paladin in shining armor mounting a celestial horse and holding a shadow spear and shield from the heavens.

“BY THE WAY, THE REASON WE ALWAYS RHYME AS SOMBRA...” the Sombra knight announced as he leaped in the air and began spinning. “...HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ZECORA!”

With that, the Sombra knight came down onto R.A.F., destroying her completely by causing her to explode into Fluttershy shaped crystals. The crystals fell onto the ground and broke into shards as the shadow paladin descended to the floor and turned back into Sky and Fluttershy.

“We did it…” Fluttershy said as she glanced at the scene. “We do have great power within us after all, just like Rarity and Luna…”

“I guess I suppose so…” Sky added as he glanced at Fluttershy. “Hey, you’re no longer in Sombra form.”

“Hey, you’re right.” Fluttershy replied as she looked at herself and Sky. “And you’re not in Sombra or Fluttershy form anymore. Did those drinks only have a temporary effect? Speaking of which, I’m not really sure how that worked…again.”

“Speaking of another which,” Sky changed the subject, “where did Rarity go? We couldn’t have gotten out of that mess if she hadn’t done whatever she did. We need to thank her.”

Before Fluttershy could agree to that, the Discord guards from earlier came in.

“Congratulations on your victory…” they sickly said sweetly.

“Hold on, who are you guys?” Fluttershy politely set the guards up for a proper greeting.

"We're magic clones of the Lord of Masters, Discord," they introduced, "sent to this world to spy on the fake Fluttershy Discord snuffed out. Discord learned that he wasn't the real Fluttershy after she didn't remember him, yet remembered Chrysalis and what Fluttershy had seen after her murder. BMS clones either remember all of the experiences of the original, or none of them."

"But if Discord knew that that Fluttershy was a fraud, why did he give him control of this castle?" Fluttershy asked.

"He pretended to give the fake Fluttershy control of this castle and authority over his most trusted subordinate,” they replied, “Sombra, under the guise of making him the guardian of this region's orb. The fake Fluttershy became suspicious that he was just being used though, and devised a plan to escape being hunted down by the IDPD and remove Discord's best lackey at the same time. We figured out his scheme to suppress Fluttershy's Sombra powers ahead of time however, and took immediate countermeasures."

“We’re magic clones of the Lord of Masters, Discord,” they introduced, “sent to this world to spy on the fake Fluttershy Discord snuffed out. You see, Discord pretended to give the fake Fluttershy control of this castle and authority over his most trusted subordinate, Sombra, under the guise of making him the guardian of this region’s orb. The fake Fluttershy became suspicious that he was just being used though, and devised a plan to escape being hunted down by the IDPD and remove Discord’s best lackey at the same time. We figured out his scheme to suppress Fluttershy’s Sombra powers ahead of time however, and took immediate countermeasures.”

“So Sombra was being deceived the entire time by that stupid offer…” Fluttershy realized, knowing Sombra’s thoughts and feeling foolish. “And I actually drank that Rockstar knock-off thinking it would make me powerful like Rarity and Luna…”

“So you switched the apple juices out for Sombra energy drinks,” Sky assumed correctly. “Thank you, that was really nice. But why did Discord send the impersonator here? If he realized he was a spy, why didn’t he just take care of him right then and there? Why go through all this trouble of making him an orb-carrier?”

“Heh heh…” the Discord guards replied. “We’re not going to tell you everything. What would be the fun in that? Besides, don’t you have other matters to attend to? Don’t you feel something is missing? Don’t you feel that as heroes, you deserve...a reward for your efforts?”

“Oh, that’s right, the orb.” Sky recalled. “Where is it? It wasn’t showing up on Luna’s map earlier either, did that fake Fluttershy do something to it?”

“Close…” the Discord guards said with a chuckle. “Master Discord did something to it. Why don’t you see for yourselves?”

The Discord guards levitated the only Fluttershy crystal shard that didn’t break and returned it to its original form...a glowing blue and yellow sphere encased in a tightly sealed jar.

“That’s right,” said the Discord guards as they held the jar, “I’m afraid you’re not going to get a clue from this orb just yet. Our Master Discord put a lock on this orb just in case it fell into the wrong hands or hooves. Specifically, Celestia’s. You’ll have to ask him to unlock it.”

“Wait…Celestia’s?” Sky asked. “Aren’t we gathering the orbs for Celestia so that we find out who murdered Chrysalis?”

“You truly are as oblivious as they come…” the Discord guards delivered. “Did it ever once cross your mind that Celestia has an ulterior motive? Or is even who she claims to be? Surely Fluttershy can help you see the truth...”

Sky turned to Fluttershy and noticed that she had a grim look on her face.

“Sky…” Fluttershy said as she lowered her head. “Now that I know that that dream I had was real...I’m starting to put two and two together. I think I know now the real reason we were sent here. And I also think I know now...who killed Chrysalis…”

Sky gulped in response, and hoped she didn’t…

“Well, here you go,” said the Discord guards casually as they handed over the jarred orb to Fluttershy and Sky. “As clones of the Master, our knowledge is linked. He should arrive here shortly...farewell.”

The Discord guards then vanished with a puff of smoke, and sure enough, Discord showed up in the castle walking tall.

“Oh my,” Discord swore by himself in such excitement, “you actually did it. You guys actually collected all of the orbs from this world!”

“All of them?” Fluttershy pondered. “But even counting the one I swiped from Luna, we should only have two.”

“Oh, don’t be so self-centered,” Discord gawked as he circled around Fluttershy. “I met Rarity and Luna in the portal room on my way here. They teleported back to return the orb they got from Maud Pie. There’s no more need for us to linger here. HI-HO!”

With a flick of his fingers, Discord teleported himself and the duo back to the portal room, where Rarity and a peculiar-looking Luna were waiting.

“Now then…” Discord said as Sky and Fluttershy gave him the jar-encased orb. “Since I don’t need this lock anymore, why don’t we end this part of our journey on a mysterious note?”

Discord held the jar with his paw, and shaping his claw into something that resembled a key, shattered the jar with a magic locksmith technique that almost looked like a punch. After that, Robot Alicorn Fluttershy’s spirit emerged from the orb.

“Thank you, Sky and Fluttershy,” said R.A.F. in a tranquil tone. “You saved-”

“I said a mysterious note!” Discord yelled as he pushed R.A.F.’s spirit back into the orb. “Not a satisfying note!”

Sorry…here’s the clue…

Yearning to reverse your fortune, you find a false hint.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Enigmatic Words From the Cloud Dragon of the Mist

Congrats reader, you know now what happened to Fluttershy on her adventure in the World of Creation. But what fate befell the Dark Sky members on their journey to the World of Evolution? Do you already know? If not, you may wish to know, for who knows what lies beyond those stygian clouds…