Ch.4 Hunter and Prey
The streets were as silent as a tomb, the haunting red tint of the full moon dominating the sky adding to the city's grim atmosphere. In the shadows of the buildings, Rarity skulked, eyes and ears on full alert as she tried to navigate the vaguely familiar streets.
It took a week, but eventually, Rarity was able to prove herself strong enough to search for her friends. Of course, this didn't mean that Rarity could be reckless. She could only keep Arachne manifested for so long and a week's worth of fencing training didn't make her a swords master. She could handle a handful of Jurors if it really came down to it, but even one body more than that could spell her end. As such, her mission was the embodiment of simplicity; find a friend and make it back to the hotel.
"Easier said than done," she muttered, dashing into another nearby alley.
The city was huge, at least twice the size of Canterlot City and equally elaborate. While the tall silver skyscrapers and business buildings provided plenty of dark places to hide, it also made navigating it rather difficult. One saving grace was that the Shadows seemed to prefer staying out in the open, the few giggling packs of Jurors she encountered standing mindlessly in the middle of large streets and intersections staring blankly up at the moon. There were a few occasions that she needed to be clever, throwing a rock or empty can into an empty alley in order to get past a pack, but thankfully, these moments were few and far between.
Finding a rare moment of peace, she moved as deeply into the darkness of her alley as she could and took off her backpack. After a moment of fishing around inside, she pulled out a bottle of water, carefully taking note of her surroundings as she slaked her thirst.
"Are you sure she's nearby, Arachne?" she asked, caping her drink.
"Yes," a voice echoed from inside her mind. "I sense a human's presence not too far from here. I can sense the bond you share with this person. it is clearly one of your friends."
"Or Sunset," she frowned.
"...Or Sunset," Arachne conceded.
She took one last swig of water before she dropped the bottle into her bag, slid it back into place, and headed to the mouth of the alley.
"Which way," she whispered, looking from side to side.
"Right," she stated.
Rarity wasted no time, darting as quickly as she dared to the next alley in that general direction. Little by little, she continued down the street, every nerve on high alert for even the slightest hint of danger. As she moved, her hand never once let go of her rapier's handle, her hand twitching with the need to draw every second she was out in the open. When she made it to the last alley at the end of the street, she let out a relieved sigh and looked out into the next pair of streets she had to traverse.
"Which way?" she whispered.
"Left," Arachne stated.
Nodding, Rarity dashed into the nearest leftward alley.
"Mistress, may I ask a question?"
"You may," Rarity nodded, giving her surroundings a quick scan.
"Why do you care so much about Sunset? Is she not your enemy?"
"Those were two questions," she frowned. "You should know why I care. You are me, no?"
"And that is exactly why I ask," the Persona pressed. "Whenever I wander through your thoughts, they always come out so clear, but when they involve Sunset...."
Rarity let out a sigh, scurrying into another alley just as a mob of Jurors ran into view.
"I honestly don't know how I feel about her," she whispered, watching the Shadows wander about. "I want to believe the whole incident was a misunderstanding, but just the possibility that Sunset was responsible makes my blood boil. I want to hate her, but I just can't let her go. It's....It's complicated."
"I see," Arachne sighed. "At least now I know why I can't make up my mind about her. Thank you for helping me understand these feelings."
"No problem, darling," she smiled. "Now, how close are we to our target?"
"Just a few more blocks," Arachne stated. "At this rate, it should take us about an hour to reach her."
***
A one hour trek turned into a three hour one, Arachne's calculations having failed to take into account the higher density of Shadows in the area. Rarity had lost count of the number of times her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, a pack of Jurors seemingly popping into existence each time she looked around a corner. Fortunately, the creatures were just as stupid as ever, regardless of their steadily growing numbers. A few thrown stones or empty cans and the teen was able to slowly navigate around the bloodthirsty roadblocks.
Now she stood in the shadows of a tall silver factory, a massive wear house made of the same material standing across the street from her. According to her Persona, one of her friends was hiding deep within its confines. She wanted to run in to help her cowering friend, but the scene on display all across the road made her pause. Littered all across the road between her hiding place and the wear house where dozens of bodies. All of them were Jurors, each mutilated in one way or another. Some were decapitated or had their heads spilt open like hideous grinning melons, while others had multiple jagged gashes carved into their chests. Rarity held back her bile when she spotted a Juror that had been cut in half, a sight that confirmed that the creatures did indeed have organs. Trails of black blood stained the ground all the way from the wear house's front door all the way towards the bodies, as if they had been dragged out of there and dumped out into the street to rot.
Swallowing back her fear, she stepped out of the alley into the desecrated street, careful to not step on the bodies or the pools of black blood that surrounded them. Weapon and key drawn, she slowly closed in on the door, cold dread running down her spine as she crossed the blood-drenched threshold. When she entered the main room, she quickly discovered that the carnage from before was just a preview of the horrors to come.
Blood covered the walls and floor, some dry and the rest forming into large puddles of fresh ichor. Most of it was gathered around the factory's equipment, most of which were saws and drills that were apparently in perfect working condition. Clean as well, a perfect five foot circle of blood-free space surrounding the tools as if their owner wished to thank them for their "services". The sight put yet another chill down Rarity's spine, her grip on her weapons tightening as she crept further into the building.
Soon, Rarity made it past the ghoulish sight to a metal door set into the back of the room. She quickly pulled it open and just barely managed to stop herself from slamming it behind her. She pressed her back to it, panicked gasps rattling past her lips as she tried to make sense of what she saw.
Could this be the work of one of her friends? No. None of them were capable of such brutality.....right?
Gulping back her fear, she quickly scanned through her surroundings. What appeared to be a decapitated living room greeted her, a rotted couch and termite-eaten table the only furnishings it had to offer. Across from her was another metal door, its green paint as chipped and mold-stained as its knob. On the wall to its left stood another door, this one blue, yet just as corroded as its neighbor. The light clattering of silver wear and a vaguely familiar female humming could be heard from behind the green door.
Body wound tight, she cautiously approached the door, weapon and key ready to spring into action in a moment's notice. With a light push of her shoe, she eased the door open and peeked inside. A withered, yet still functional kitchen greeted her, the room built in a manner similar to the ones used in mid-tier restaurants. Humming in the dim lighting of the room, chopping away at something on the counter with her back to her, was a young teen girl with long ratty pink hair. She wore a pink pair of pajamas covered with little white bunnies, her top covered with long claw-like gashes all across the back, the openings revealing red marks across butter-yellow skin.
Fluttershy!
The sight brought a relieved smile to Rarity's face as she eased the door a little further open. A smile that dropped a second later when a creak from the door alerted her friend to her presence. Fluttershy quickly turned around, her teal eyes wide and void of emotion as she reeled her arm back, ready to throw a thick meat cleaver at her. Rarity instantly jumped back, her heart hammering in her chest as she pointed her rapier at the now closed door. Terrified gasps rattled out of her, her blood now ice as her heart hammered it through her veins.
That wasn't her friend.
Slowly, the pattering of bare feet could be heard on the other side of the door. Rarity aimed her weapon where she knew her target's heart would be, the handle of her blade rattling in her shaky grip. Slowly, the door opened to reveal a confused Fluttershy, cleaver still gripped firmly in her hand. The girl tilted her head, eyes clouded as she stared at her friend, seemingly oblivious to the sword aimed at her chest. Rarity's fear spiked when she got a better look at the girl, the whole front of her pajamas shown to be covered with dried black blood.
"Rarity? Is that your?" Fluttershy asked, her voice dreamy as she stared hollowly at her.
"Y-Yes, dear," she gulped, forcing a nervous smile onto her face. "It's me."
A small smile formed on Fluttershy's face, the hollow feel it gave putting a chill down Rarity's spine.
"Look Angel, It's Rarity," she giggled, staring down at her cleaver. "I bet she's hungry. Let's make her some dinner too."
Before Rarity could respond, Fluttershy staggered back into the kitchen, her footsteps fading away as the door slowly closed itself.
***
I have clearly lost my mind
That was what repeatedly echoed in Rarity's mind as she sat at Fluttershy's rickety kitchen table. A simple bowl of soup sat before her, chunks of recklessly chopped veggies and meat floating in a thick creamy broth. A large pot of the stew sat in the middle of he table while Fluttershy sat across from her. Said girl ravenously tore into her food, her spoon practically shoveling it into her mouth like a desperate beast. Sitting on the table to her left was her meat cleaver. The weapon cleamed to a near mirror's shine and was just as sharp as Rarity's rapier. Rarity eyed the improvised weapon wearily, taking measured bites of her food as she studied her friend.
It was clear that her time spent wandering The Abyss had left a negative impact on her, the sweet girl she new now a stiff, poorly held together, shell of the person she used to be. One that had developed a very unhealthy connection to her tool of choice.
As if to prove her point on the matter, Fluttershy looked up from her bowl and gave the piece of cutlery a loving smile.
"It's nice to have friends over for dinner, right Angel?" she asked, stroking the flat of the cleaver's blade.
"Yes, quite right , darling," she nervously giggled. "It seems you have managed to...settle in quite nicely."
"Mm-hm," she nodded. "After I killed all of the monsters, it was really easy to move in here."
"I...see," Rarity gulped. "I assume that you didn't need to do that often, correct?"
"At least once a night," she giggled. "The monsters get really active when the moon sets. When they come in, Angel and I deal with them."
"R-Really," she stammered. "How...interesting."
"Not really," Fluttershy sighed, oblivious to her friend's discomfort.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Desperate for a topic, Rarity took a swing at accomplishing her current mission. Even as far-gone as Fluttershy was, certainly, the girl would be open to the idea of moving on to someplace a bit safer than here. Taking a deep steadying breath, Rarity rolled the dice and hoped that she would roll high.
"There is a hotel not too far from here, near the heart of the city."
"Oh?" Fluttershy blinked.
"Yes," she nodded. "It's where I have been living the past couple of weeks. The Shadows can't get in and there is plenty of food and other amenities."
"Shadows?" she blinked.
"The...monsters," Rarity nervously amended.
"Oh....that sounds....nice," Fluttershy smiled, then turned her head towards her cleaver and asked, "What do you think, Angel?"
The tool remained silent, but Fluttershy nodded as if it had answered before giving Rarity her full attention.
"He said he likes it too."
"That's....great," Rarity chuckled, shivers running up and down her spine.
Before she could say anything else, a look of pure dread spread across Fluttershy's face. She stiffly turned her head towards one of the windows, every nerve seemingly flying into high alert. As if a switch had been flipped, Fluttershy gently grabbed her cleaver and rose from her seat. The hollow tone in her voice when she talked put a cold chill down Rarity's spine.
"It will be getting dark soon. You should finish your food and turn in for the night."
"I-I see," Rarity gulped. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare sleeping bag or something I could borrow, perhaps?"
It was then that the girl finally pulled her dead eyes away from the window to her friend, her face a blank robotic mask.
"No. You will sleep in my bed and I will take the couch. If any monsters come, Angel and I will deal with them."
There was no argument, doubt, or kindness in that command. Just cold, hard, facts. Seeing no way out of the situation without testing her friend's already unstable limits, Rarity nodded and went back to eating her meal. Whether she liked it or not, she was in for a very interesting evening.
***
To call what Rarity had to sleep on a bed would've been a massive overstatement. After what felt like hours, she finally managed to get comfortable on the spring-loaded mattress, her tattered blanket only barely keeping her safe from the cold. She let out a pained squeak when a spring suddenly rammed into her side, a few less than appropriate words rolling past her tongue as she tried again to find peace.
This was what Fluttershy had to sleep on all this time? she thought, letting out a bitter groan as she rolled onto her back. No wonder the poor dear lost her mind. When we get back to the hotel, I will push for her to get the softest bed Viper can spare!
She let out a dejected sigh at that, her eyes wandering towards the blue metal door to her right.
Just what kind of horrors did her friend have to endure to end up like that? Had she not awakened her Persona, would she had been reduced to such a state as well? Just imagining what Fluttershy had to have done to make it this far cut her to the bone. For such a sweet and gentle soul to be reduced to the hollowed shell she broke bread with, it was a crime of the highest order.
"Oh Fluttershy," she sighed, tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes. "Why did you have to be dragged into this mess, too?"
Left with little else to do, she tried to get comfortable again, if not for her own peace then to at least make dawn come faster. The sooner the moon rose, the sooner she could guide her friend back to shelter. Just when she was about to drift off to sleep, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air.
Rarity rolled to her feet, grabbing her weapon off of the ground as she stood. She ran towards the door, weapon drawn as she shouldered it open. She stumbled into the living room just as the room leading to the factory's main room slammed shut. Wasting no time, she threw the door open with a kick. What she saw chilled her to her bones.
Fluttershy stood over the body of a Juror, Angel's blade deep in the creature's skull. Humming a small melody to herself, she bent down and ripped the weapon free. When she straightened her posture, she swayed a little as she walked towards the nearest enemy.
"Hunter and prey. Hunter and Prey. Through Angel's blade, your blood will spray. I seek you out, and cleave your soul. Then add your body to the bowl."
Rarity tuned out her friend's rhyme, instead choosing to focus on the Jurors surrounding her. With trained precision, she ran into the fray, and ran her blade through their heads, dropping them instantly before moving on to the next target. At the same time, she desperately tried to ignore the harsh, meaty cracks as her friend slammed her cleaver into her victims' skulls. The Jurors giggling echoed through the room, their numbers seemingly endless as they stepped out of the shadows to attack. Where it not for the factory's flickering lights, the monsters could've easily overwhelmed them.
At least, that most likely would've been the case for Rarity.
Fluttershy seemed to know where the threats were hiding at all times, the girl effortlessly darting to where the creatures would've emerged from just outside the range of the lights before delivering a swift end with her weapon. The predatory efficiency of her friend's actions unnerved Rarity, but at the same time, she was glad that she didn't need to shoulder the whole fight on her own. She did flinch when she heard one of the chop saws start up, followed by the agonized wail of one of the Jurors.
For hours, the two girls fought off the Shadows, Rarity's precise strikes keeping her free of gore while Fluttershy's gruesome tactics practically bathed her in it. Each brutal execution ate at Rarity's soul, the thought that her sweet friend was the one dolling it out feeling like a knife was being plunged into her heart. She bit down the pain and focused on the task at hand. These monsters were the ones that forced Fluttershy to be this way. They were the ones that pushed such a sweet soul into such a dark place. They would pay for that hideous crime! They would Pay!
"Tear them apart, ARACHNE!!!"
As she screamed that, she pulled out her key and stabbed it into the air in front of her. A second later, Arachne appeared at her side and pointed her palm at the nearest pack of Shadows. A frigid whirlwind surrounded the monsters, freezing them solid before they shattered like glass. Aiming her Persona's might at another mob, Rarity willed another blast of frozen wind at the giggling Shadows. As she raged against the thinning wave of Shadows, Fluttershy watched her friend with empty eyes.
Slowly, that started to change.
Little by little, as if rising from the flames in her friend's heart, life started to trickle into Fluttershy's eyes. At the same time, something inside her started to shift. A spark, faint yet true, reached out from the darkness grasping her heart. Angel's blood-soaked handle slid from her hand, the cold from the ice filling the room sending a chill down her bare back. Screams of rage started to reach her, the voice tied to it filling her with a hope she thought died the day she woke up in The Abyss.
"Yes my mistress. Please come back," a soft female voice whispered, a faint hiss echoing at its end. "Your heart is far too strong to die. Please come back. Don't let the shadows take you."
With one last scream of fury, Arachne fired off a wave of frozen air, covering the ground, walls, and enemies in a deadly blast of ice. Rarity fell to her knees, her Persona fading away from lack of Spirit Power, deep pants falling out of her. Clumsily, she fished a glowing crystal vial out of her pocket, wasting no time in biting off its cork and downing its contents. As she felt her Spirit Power return, she marveled in the peaceful silence around her. A silence that was mildly disturbed by a faint series of sniffles.
That was the only warning she got before a pair of yellow arms tightly wrapped around her from the front. Her eyes flew open, shock shining in them as a mass of pink hair blocked her view. Seconds later, she felt tears soaking into her shoulder, choking sobs cutting into her heart as she wrapped her arms around the trembling girl.
"Make it stop." Fluttershy stammered. "Please make it stop. I want to go home. I want to go home!"
"I know, darling," Rarity cooed, ignoring the black blood soaking into her blouse as she softly stroked her friend's hair. "I do too."
The two stayed like that, tears shed from both of them dampening the snow below them.
"I...I don't want to disappear again," Fluttershy gasped.
"I won't let you, dear," Rarity frowned, holding her friend tighter. "As soon as the moon rises, I'll take you to the hotel and you'll never have to disappear again."
"P-Promise?" she whimpered.
"I promise," she nodded, pulling back just enough to meet her friend's eyes.
Her friend's vibrant teal eyes, glowing with life and pain.
"Now, let's get some sleep," she smiled, wiping away her friend's tears. "We'll need all the rest we can get if we plan to get back to the hotel tomorrow."
Fluttershy nodded, then sheepishly asked, "Can I...sleep with you?"
A small blush colored Rarity's cheeks at that, before she cleared her throat and with a light chuckle said, "Of course, darling."
"Thank you," she sniffled. "I...don't think I would be able to fall asleep otherwise."
"Think nothing of it dear," Rarity smiled. "I'm just glad to have you back."
"Me too, Rarity," she nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. "Me too."
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Yup definitely got some Bloodborne vibes going on here. Fortunately for the sake of her sanity, Rarity didn't cotton on to where Fluttershy was getting meat for the stewpot from...
10947577
Same. I really do want them tog et back together, but the problem is Sweetie Bell is one of the ones who help ruin things.
I for sure can see Sunset resenting the apple Clan not only what bloom did, but how Apple Jack stated they were family and up and stabs her in the back so easily.
10947799
I sot of like it but felt it was too rushed. Bim Bam Boom Fluttershy is saved, and everything hunky Dory.
There was no build up, sounds almost...Mary Sue like. SHUDDERS!!!
10947990
The next chapter should fix that. Also, Viper did say that Jurors were pretty weak.
10948026
I know talking about how Fluttershy was returned to normal.
I figured Rarity was going to have to fight Fluttershy.
Also.... I'll say it I want Rarity and Sunset back together.
It will not be easy!
Rarity has a lot to make up for and take lot of time and effort, and work.
But i root for Rarity to somehow do it.
10948030
I guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out. 
Is Fluttershy fixed? Or is it only a temporary fix?
I'd understand if Sunset "forgave" Rarity even if just for her own sake. However, for Sunset to get back together with her after what Rarity said would be...
ill-advised to say the least.
10948054
What...exactly happened to Fluttershy? Like...
...a cleaver she named Angel - oh God, what happened to the bunny? - and a cleaver she was wielding with surprising amounts of efficiency and brutality. And then...
Just...what did this amalgamation of Canterlot and Yharnam do to the poor child?
The dance of the butterfly, turned into a bat...