> Little critters > by Sealcake > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > 1 - A very special book > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy stayed in the bathroom, the tub was filled with water. She had to do this, it was the only way to make the pain stop. She climbed on the tub, a knife grabbed in one of her wings. Yes, she will end this. She took the knife with her mouth, tears making her way in her cheeks. She had left a note to her friends, but still, she felt sad about them. Fluttershy felt the warm water around her, then took a deep breath and plunged the knife in her foreleg, making a vertical cut. She bit the handle of the knife in pain and closed her eyes, then do the same to the other foreleg. She dropped the knife, and waited to die, but she felt nothing. Slowly opening her eyes, she glared at the two large cuts in her forelegs, they weren't bleeding. "What the hay?". She rubbed her left foreleg with her right hoof. "Why I am not bleeding?". She took again the knife, a sadly and furious frown marked in her face. She plunged the knife more and more deeper in her left foreleg, but the blood didn't come out. Fluttershy was crying. "Die! Die die die!", the knife touch her bone, and she let out a scream, "Agh!". She rapidly released the knife and forced it to make the way out of her foreleg. After that, she rubbed her foreleg, it was hurting like hell. She bit her right hoof desesperately, crying for the pain. "I only want to be with Angel!", she yelled, "I only want to see him again!". She used her hoofs to hide her face, crying and sobbing, the water flying everywhere for her movements. Then, she remembered something, Discord. Her breathing turned fast, she knew Discord would do everything to don't lose a friend, and she was her only friend, the only in millenias. It was obvious, Discord had made her deathless without her consent. Thinking of it, Discord had reason in his actions, he was inmortal and he didn't want to lose his dear friends, so, why Fluttershy had to support the death of her friends? Fluttershy blinked a few seconds, realizing what she had to do, making a plan. She had heard about a book, a very special book who detail exactly that the pegasus and the earth ponies can use magic, but mainly, dark magic. She didn't believe it, but if she wanted her friends to be inmortals, she would have to swallow all the lies and myths to do so. Fluttershy stood up, tacking a towel and drying her body. She needed to do this, because if she don't, her friends would die. She left the bathroom, if she would do this, she needed to saw and remember why. Fluttershy stared at the little tombstone, written roughly was the name of her best critter friend, Angel. She glared at it for minutes, the cold making her shiver and the coming rainstorm making her more sadly. Tears streaming down her face and falling to the ground. After what felt like hours, she looked to the small graveyard who occupied the cottage's courtyard. There were a few tombstones, like seven or eight, all of them small, except for one, who belong to a dog. Fluttershy sighed. She knew it. All of her friends will die. All. Of. Them. The pegasus entered her house and pick up two saddlebags, settling them in her back, and took a look to herself in her mirror, she looked awful, but she have no time to clean her, so she left the house. Letting out a small breath, Fluttershy trotted to the small town, to visit her friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. A softly hit in the door of the library, then another, and another. "Spike!", a voice yelled, "Open the door, please! I'm reading a very interesting book and I don't want to stop!". "Coming!", was the response. Spike opened the door, gasping at what he saw. There, outside, was a yellow pegasus, her eyes red by her constantly crying, her pink mane a mess and a sadly look in her face. "Hello, Spike", said the yellow pony, then took a deep breath, "Can I pass?". Spike was paralized for a few moments, this wasn't the Fluttershy he know, this was a really sadly pony who had took her place and was waiting outside to enter in the library. "SPIKE! WHO IS??", said the voice again, shocking Spike. "IT'S FLUTTERSHY!...I guess". Spike stared at the pony, huge bags were under her red eyes. "Spike...can...can I enter, please? If...if that is okay". Spike nodded and the pegasus entered the library, carrying two saddlebags in her back. For a few seconds, Spike saw two cuts in her forelegs, but said nothing. "Fluttershy!", said a happy alicorn trotting downstairs, "What a surprise to se-!", she stopped, looking at the emotionally broken pegasus. A terrible knot hit her in the stomach and no sound came out of her mouth for four tense minutes, until she managed to speak, "You...you still don't overcome it, do you?" Fluttershy stared at the floor, her eyes started to getting wet. "No" she whispered, "I...I still miss him". "I'm...I'm sorry Fluttershy...but bunnies are not ageless". "I...I knew that that would happen", said the broken pegasus, "but I wasn't prepared...I wasn't prepared to see Angel die". Fluttershy put her head in her friend's shoulder and started to cry, Twilight wrapped a warm wing around her, cuddling her kind friend. "Sshhh, Fluttershy, it's okay". "No...it's not okay...", she whispered. Fluttershy separate the hug and stared at her friend. "I...I came to buy a book", she smiled a little, but still looked broken. "Oh, no no no, you won't buy a book, for you, they are free". Fluttershy glared at her friend and, for the first moment since Angel's death, she was truly happy. "Thanks, Twilight". "Can I help you with that book?". "Oh, don't worry, Twilight, I'm sure I can find it for myself", said the yellow pegasus, walking to the bookshelves. Twilight stayed there, and when she saw that her friend has disappeared in the forest of books, she said something to Spike. "She...she is still shattered". "I know...is kinda...scary". "I'm worried Spike, I don't want her trying to...commit suicide". There was a moment of silence, until Spike broke the ice. "She is not that kind of pony, Twilight, you know", he knew he was lying, he has just seen two cuts in Fluttershy's forelegs. "Then...what kind of things...will she do?". No other word was spoken between the two, because the two of them were staring at the bookshelves, waiting patiently. Fluttershy was trotting furiously, a frown of anger was marked in her face. The book she was looking for had to be near, but she can't find it. After walking in circles, she stopped and sat in the floor, punching it with her hooves. Why? Why this kind of things had to happen to her? First, Discord made her secretly inmortal, or so she thought, because when she tried to cut her veins and die, no drop of blood went out. And, in second place, Angel's death. Thinking of it, Fluttershy felt her eyes starting to get wet and, in the verge of tears, she remembered her plan. She took a deep breath and stand up, riping the tears away. "It's have to be here". She started walking again and, suddenly, she shook a bookshelve. Rubbing her head, she was going to insult the bookshelve, but something fell to the floor with a thud, leaving dust in the air. Fluttershy closed her eyes until the dust dissipated, and then took a look to the book, smiling when she saw that that was the book she was looking for. She blew the dust cautiously, and when the title "Magic and Ponies" appeared, she stopped and sighed. "Finally", she said. She took the book and saved it in one of her saddlebags. So Twilight won't notice it. "Now I won't lost any of my friends". Walking to the main room, she remembered that if she left the house without a book, probably Twilight would notice it, so she took other book, titled "Pets: Maintenance and feeding", she knew everything on it, but it would work like a scapegoat. Twilight sighed in relief when she saw her friend exiting from the bookshelves. She and Spike hadn't moved since Fluttershy left to find that book. "There is, I said to you that I can find it for myself", said the yellow pegasus, happy. Twilight smiled, but looked a bit strange when she saw the book. "So...that's the book?". "Uhm...yes, sometimes I forgot things so I need to re-read it to remember". "Uh, that's okay...I guess". Fluttershy saved the book in her empty saddlebag. "So, the book is "Pets: Maintenance and feeding", no?", said the purple alicorn, levitating a notepad, an inkpot and a quill. "Yes". "And today is...", said Twilight, trying to remember, "Bah, nevermind, I will see later". "Thanks, Twilight", said the yellow pegasus, coming close to the exit of the library, "Goodbye". "Goodbye and see you later", that was the only thing who Twilight has time to said, because in the moment Fluttershy put a hoof out of the house, she started runnning towards her house. Twilight gave her a last look, and then turned to face Spike. "So...it's true...", she said, remembering the two cuts she had just saw. She closed the door, a worried frown in her face. "I will visit her later". "You think she will be okay?". Twilight looked at him, then looked away from her glare. "Fluttershy..." Fluttershy entered her cottage, all her precious fur was wet, so she went to the bathroom and dried her body with a towel, it was dark and was raining, but she managed to found a lamp and turn on the candle with a match. After that, she went upstairs, she left the lamp in her bed, opening the saddlebag where the book was in with her wing, she climbed on to her bed and opened the book slowly, the yellow pages looked really old and the dust flew everywhere. She made her comfortable in her bed, and took the book, laying next to the lamp. Before reading the first page, she was still confused if ponies who weren't unicorns can use magic, she has heard about the book, but never believed it was actually true. "Well, Zecora can use magic, no?". But that wasn't important, she didn't need normal magic, she needed something more powerful, not to revive her precious bunny, but to don't lost any other friend. She read the first page, the letters a little blurred by the pass of time. It's looks like a diary entry from a disappeared pony so much time ago. "As opposed to the popular though, every race of pony can use magic, not only unicorns and alicorns, but pegasus and earth ponies. Over the years, this kind of secrets were censored and the books destroyed in the sun's fire. I really hope, with all my heart, that this book will survive to the princesses' fury." Fluttershy stopped reading for a moment and took a deep breath, she really wanted to use magic to make sure that her friends won't die, but what if her friends don't want that? No, her friends wanted to be with her! To be inmortals like her! SHE WON'T LOST ANY OTHER FRIEND, NEVER!! "N...never", she said to herself. "Never", she repeated. "NEVER!!!", she yelled. Yes, her friends will be with her, they will be happy, none of her animals will die. She had seen the death of her little buny, but, in Angel's eyes, she had seen that he wanted to be alive, to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, to run and play with her. She had to do this, it was the only way to secure her happiness. She smiled and continued reading the book that will maintain her friendship. > 2 - Blurred stripes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Almost...almost there", the vase levitated for a few seconds, then fell and crashed in the floor, leaving pieces of broken glass, "Agh, I was too close this time". Fluttershy stared at the broken glass in the floor, dissapointed. It has been three days since she found the book, and yet, she hadn't mastered the spell of levitation. "If I only have the amulet". She groaned, it was really hard to do magic without being an unicorn. All this thing of feel "the magic waves in the air" or "the connection with the nature" was confusing her. Her brain feels like it was broken in million of pieces, all of them trying to do a puzzle, with an unsatisfactory result. If the simply act of levitating an object was that difficult, then, she would have to accept the imminent death of all her friends. "NO!", she yelled, remembering the tombstone of her friend. Her breathing turned fast, she remembered everything, from the small bed she had made to Angel to the last blink Angel did before the darkness took him away, away of her, away of her mommy. Fluttershy passed a hoof through her pink mane, sweating. Twilight had visited her two days ago, asking if she could go a picnic or something like that, but when she answered with a "no" and a poorly excuse, Twilight looked more worried than before. Fluttershy sighed, if she continued acting like that, everypony would know her plan. "All right, all right...", she said, "If I do enough scapegoats, nopony would ever suspect of me, Element of Kindness". She sighed again, but then, she remembered something. "How can I be so stupid?!", she roared, "If I don't have the amulet to increase my magic levels, my plan won't work and all my friends will die!". Fluttershy hid her face in her hooves, ideas buzzing in her mind, whispering things that make her shiver; in three days you didn't master a simple levitating spell, and you plain to save your friends? She fell to the floor, cuddling herself. "What...what kind of pony doesn't share a magic amulet to save other ponies?" Her mind was being filled with horrible images of imaginary ponies who don't want her saving her friends, "You, meanie pants!", she said, imitating Pinkie Pie. Her breath was fast, increasing with each image, but her mind stopped, showing not a pony, but a zebra. "You...you!". It was obvious, Zecora was a witch, or something like that. She had all kind of potions and medicines, her level of concentration was even more higher than Twilight's and probably she had the amulet, and she wasn't giving it to Fluttershy's noble purpose! Fluttershy's heartbeat turned fast. She put a hoof in her forehead, touching the sweat. Her eyes went wider, her pupils narrowed. She stood up, trembling, and took two saddlebags, settling them in her back, with the precaution of don't cover her wings, then, she went to her kitchen, still trembling, and took a large knife, saving it in one of her saddlebags. She came out of her house, and quickly, with a speed who would make Rainbow Dash envious, she flew to the Everfree. She really hoped that Zecora had gone to collect herbs. The forest was kinda scary, but Fluttershy didn't think of it and flew all the way to Zecora's house. The bottles making sounds when she stopped her flight, she had nearly crashed in the three. "Ufff", she sighed, "That was close". She took a look around, no sign of life. She entered the house, it was a mess inside. Many bottles with magic powder were spread in tables, floor, and even one was glued in the ceiling! In the center of the only room, the caldron was with some boiling liquid inside. "This will be more difficult than I had thought." Fluttershy flew softly, trying not to touch any puddle in the floor, wall or ceiling. When she had reached the shelves, and starting looking for the amulet, she heard a voice coming from the door. "If I were you I wouldn't be doing that.", said the voice. Fluttershy was paralized, frozen in the place she was flying. She turned slowly, only to see the zebra, who was disimulating her fury. Zecora closed the door behind her and stared at Fluttershy. "Kindness or not, your purpose is not good." A flame was born inside Fluttershy's heart, who was that zebra to tell her that her purposes were bad? "Who are you to say that?!", she yelled. The zebra took a step backwards, like if that reaction wasn't the one she wanted. It was at that moment when Fluttershy noticed that Zecora was wearing a cloak with a wooden necklace, with the shape of a pony lowering its head, like begging for pardon to a divinity. Fluttershy pointed at the necklace, with a furious frown in her face. "Is that what I think is it?!" Zecora opened her mouth, but before she could do so, a yellow jet attacked her. She reactioned quickly, throwing her to the left side, but her face met the floor in a very painful way. The hood of her cloak was hiding the back of her head, coming back to her senses, she got up in her four hooves, shaking her head and taking away the hood. Blood was starting to exit her nose. Zecora turned to see the pegasus, who was still in the door. Fluttershy had crashed too, the only thing who she could saw was a grey pot with blurred stripes coming near to her, putting her between the zebra and the door. Fluttershy shook her head to take away the pain and quickly waved her right fore hoof to punch Zecora in the face, but the fog in her mind had estimated wrong the distance and all what she got was Zecora easily avoiding the failed attack. The zebra only gave her a disappointed look, and lifted one side of her cloak, to reveal a saddlebag resting in her back. She opened it and took a rope with her mouth, Fluttershy only though of why she didn't use the amulet's power, probably she was way more stupid than what she looked. Wait, rope., Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Now, you're going to explain yourself why you entered a privaty proper-", her words were cut off when the base of her jaw met the rear hoof of an angry pegasus. Her head was painfully moved backwards and she was secure that the sound of bones cracking and crushing was of hers. In the second her head became to her normal position, a second attack reached it, this time her head moved to the side, impulsed by the right fore hoof in her cheek. She spat blood in the air. The contorn of the things becoming blurry. Her body met the floor again, but this time she didn't get up, coughing blood and weak, she didn't have the needed courage and strength to stand a fight. The rope had flew all the way and now were resting near her head. The worst of it, she couldn't move. A pool of blood was starting to form around her mouth and head, making the hair which wasn't protected with the hood go sticky. She started to feel asphyxiated, and opened her mouth to gasp ridiculously, forcing the air to enter her lungs, she looked more like a fish out of water than a zebra. Her legs twitched for a few seconds, after of that, she couldn't feel them, nor move them. She was totally paralyzed all the way down her fractured neck. In her sight appeared two blurry yellow hoofs, but, for some reason, they looked more grey than before. The pegasus owner of these hoofs started to mocking her. "Well, well, well. You have forced to Aunt Flutters to do this.", she said, "Are you happy now?" Zecora didn't respond. Fluttershy's smile disappeared and she put one of her hoof in Zecora's exposed cheek and started to force its way down in her flesh, Zecora's eyes went wide and her mouth opened, but no words came out. "I said," the pressure in her cheek increased, "If you are happy now!", the toe of the hoof pierced the soft flesh, making little drops of blood to come out. Fluttershy's hoof became more and more grey while it made its way under Zecora's cheek. It was not until Zecora nodded, or tried to do so, when the piercing pain stopped. "Good, Aunt Flutters wanted to know your not-forced opinion, obviously...", she reached Zecora's necklace and pulled it with her mouth, hurting Zecora's neck in the way, but not so badly, after all, the necklace had a magic lock which become weak when the owner was going to die, she dropped the necklace in her right hoof, "...to have your complete permission and approval of what I will do next". She lifted the necklace and stared at it with complete admiration. Calmly, she placed the amulet in her neck, making secure to hear the click of its magic lock. She smiled and then tilted her head to see the poor zebra resting in the wooden floor. The zebra's eyes looked at her with pure fear. Fluttershy grinned, and then her frown became one of doubt. "Hhmmm...I don't know if I just have to pick up you and add you to my collection...", her frown became more darker and her pupils narrowed, "...or punish you for what you have done.", the grin returned and Fluttershy said, "You tried to make me don't save my friends, you fought my noble purposes and you hid one of the most valuable amulets in Equestria! How insolent you are, Zecora! Obviously this insolence only have one punishment..." There was a tense silence. "To the bonfire!" If Zecora could do so, she would have gulped when the once-yellow pegasus ripped off her cloak and hood with her new powers. Then, she felt her body being lifted off of the floor and dragged roughly towards the caldron in the center of her house. Just when she thought that there was no way backwards, Fluttershy stopped midway. The zebra tried to see why, but all she could picture was Fluttershy opening her saddlebag and picking up a large knife. Zecora's mouth fell open as the floating knife came closer to her chest. The complete grey Fluttershy smiled. "Improvised scapegoat!", she yelled with enthusiasm. She plunged the knife in Zecora's flesh, making its way down and up in her chest and barrel. She digged more, using only her levitation powers to hold the knife. Doing some expert cuts, she opened Zecora's barrel, the blood starting to drop out. Even paralyzed, Zecora could swear that she felt all the pain of being cutted like that. Zecora's mind started to get buzzy and confused, all she could see was the maniatic smile of a grey pegasus holding her intestines in midair, laughing at her. But before her mind could went black, she felt the air suddenly changing into something more dense, her paralyzed nerves started to scream in pain as the hot water touched them. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but the scalding liquid entered her throat, burning her insides. The open wound of where Fluttershy has taken some of her guts started to melt, scarring a few veins and arteries, blocking the way of the blood to drop out of her body and, ironically, healing her in some depraved way. She tried to get out of that hell, but she couldn't. The yellow mix turned orange with the blood which had poured out of her before being throwed in the caldron. The orange water entered in her nose and her lungs screamed in pain, her gray fur started to burn slowly and her flesh smoked. Her eyes started to boil and, in a few minutes, she couldn't see nothing, but feel all. The piercing pain ripping the skin off of her bones, the hot water melting her guts, the lack of blood, her mind going black only to remember her, seconds after, the agonizing situation in where she was. Fluttershy smiled at the view before her. It was a little difficult to put Zecora in the caldron, but she made it, and now she would be jumping excited, but she decided to watch calmly the punishment she put to Zecora. It was really enjoyable the effects of a simple "come-to-life" spell to see the reactions of Zecora, and really effective, because she had dispersed all the blood and guts of the zebra to make the room looks like a more believable crime scene and cleaned all the things who could possibly point at her (including herself) and, after all that, the poor zebra was still twitching and trying to get out of the caldron. The pegasus casted the spell again when she noticed the zebra was fading out, only to see her twitch again in pain. The grey Fluttershy let out a soft laugh. She lifted the rope which was in the floor, thinking it may be useful for something, and saved it in her saddlebag, along with her knife. She turned around, flared her wings and left the house, leaving a poor Zecora agonizing in the caldron. Correct punishment, she thought to herself only to reasure her behavior at Zecora's house, as she flew avoiding trees. But then, she heard a high pitched hiss behind her. She stopped in midair, then turned around waiting to see a monster, her gray wings started to turn a pale yellow, showing her fear. She bit her lip, probably somepony has seen her and now she was doomed, all her plans would fall and... The high pitched voice returned, this time, saying something. "Yeesss, now Queen will asseept meee.", it was coming from a bush near to Fluttershy. The pegasus felt her heart racing, "The yellow, yesss, sshe wasss friend of the creature who defeated Queen. Queen will be happy, and sshee will assept me in Hiveee agaainn". Wait...Queen? Fluttershy cautiously flew over the bush and gasped when a black pony-like creature jumped out. She avoided it flying to the side, the creature fell to the ground, but got up quickly, showing her fangs to her and hissing. She has seen it before, it was a Changeling. She frowned as the Changeling's wings buzzed, but kept her composture. "I will kill yoouuu, and Queen wiil assept mee!", the Changeling yelled. Fluttershy pointed at him, calmly. Her hoof was turning grey, something that to the Changeling passed unnoticed. "You can transform, no?" "Yeess-", the Changeling was cut off as an invisible force lifted him in the air and throwed him in a tree. He shook his head and was ready to flew until the invisible force returned and throwed him again, smashing his head against the harsh crust of the tree. At the sixth time, Fluttershy stopped. "Good, you will be useful.", she opened her saddlebag and tossed the rope to the Changeling, wrapping it in his body. Fluttershy was grey again. The Changeling tilted his head, his mind vibrating and the words echoing in it. The gray pegasus stared at him, then hit his head with the tree. "Only to be secure", she said. Luckyly, she was close to her cottage when the Changeling tried to pathetically attack her. And now, she had a Changeling knocked out, a creature capable of perform accurate transformations with only desire it. She finished to tie up the unconscious bug pony-like and started to drag it with her new powers, towards her house. That day, all went perfectly fine. The Changeling woke up, he didn't remember what has happened. Darkness was around him. He tried to move, but a firm rope didn't let him do that. He tried to hiss, only to find adhesive tape muffling his sounds. Desesperately, the Changeling felt the presence of somepony in the room, or whatever he was, and with that presence, he started to felt hate, all towards him. The memories returned to him and his head ached. Finally, the thing which was blinding him was taken off, along with the rag in his mouth. But the fear filled him as he saw his kidnapper, the same pegasus of before, but now with a tone of grey in her fur. Taking a look to his surroundings, he supposed he was in the pegasus' room. All the curtains were closed and the light was turn off. Probably the door was closed. He was tied to a chair. "Good you're awake.", the pegasus said. "Let me get out or I will drink your blood!", he hissed. A painful sensation went over him, but he didn't see nothing making pressure in his body. "Such manners...my friend Rarity would be disappointed of you." "Don't forsse me to usse magicc." Again, the invisible force made him cringe in pain. "Oh yes?" The Changeling tried to use magic, but, in the tip of his horn, something was blocking the way. Fluttershy smiled when she saw the Changeling frowning. "So...you still don't know magic-block rings?" The Changeling's eyes went wide. Trembling, he managed to said: "What, what you will do to meeee?" "You will help me in my plans, you won't do any questions and you will obey me in every order I give you. If you refuse to help, then I will force you, but after my plan goes well, you will be free to go." The rag returned to his mouth, and the blinding cloth to his eyes. "You agree?" The Changeling nodded, and then, he felt him being lifted in the air. Fluttershy put the Changeling, with chair and all, inside a closet in her room, and then closed it with magic, preventing the enter to trespassers. She sighed and smiled, excited about what would happen next, she lifted a list which was resting in her nightstand. Her yellow tone returned to her body as she read the names in the list. One of the first was the one of her best friend, Rainbow Dash, and she had planned it in every way possible. She hasn't seen her friends all the day. But tomorrow would be great. She opened the door, waiting Angel to pop out to go to his bed, but in the moment she remembered he was dead, a sad face appeared in Fluttershy. It has been a hard day, she walked towards her bed, but before she could sleep, she put some spells in the closet, probably the rag in the Changeling's mouth would keep him shut up, but who knows what could happen? She smiled and climbed in her bed, sleeping heavily after a entire day of activities.