Fluttershy's journey to find a cure to the ailment that plagues her. An unstoppable creature of pure strength known as...The Incredible Flutterhulk
Rated T: Language, Violence, Blood
Even within the most gentle of souls, lies a savage beast. For Fluttershy, a young Pegasus, this could not be truer after an accidental dose of gamma radiation alters her body chemistry. Now when Fluttershy becomes angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage and pursued by a vindictive general. The creature has caused untold destruction in its uncontrollable wrath. Now, Fluttershy is on the run and alone. And she must remain forever alone until she can find a way to tame the raging spirit that dwells within her.
Within every pony, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury.
The sun rose brightly that very special morning. It shined over the field of dandelions, illuminating them with hues of white and gold. A young Pegasus raced through the radiant flowers. Seeds danced through the air with every step she took. She giggled as the seeds soared all around her. Closely behind, a stallion and a mare trotted together, their bodies tightly against one another. Love was in their eyes as they gaze into one another’s. A passion filled their hearts... a happiness that they felt the day they were wed. They took a glance towards the filly as she raced through the meadow. They smiled. The happiness they felt on their wedding day was nothing compared to the joy they felt at the arrival of their daughter. Their little angel.
The filly rushed towards her mother and spoke, “Mommy! Come on!”
The mare smiled as she began to playfully chase her daughter through the flowers. Laughter filled the air as the filly skipped around the fields with the earth mare closing in. The mother finally caught the little angel and hugged her so very tight. The father laughed as they roll into the ground, seeds flying all around them. The filly hugged back and sunk her head into her mother’s arms, smiling a sweet smile. The mother softly stroked the filly’s pink mane and kissed her forehead.
“I love you, my little angel,” the mother whispered in her daughter’s ear.
“I love you, too, mommy.”
The stallion appeared beside them, taking each of them in his arms. “I love you both.” He brought them closer to his body, tightly wrapping them in his bright brown wings.
“I love you, too, daddy,” the tiny filly replied.
“And I love you,” the mother said as she gazed into her husband’s eyes. The daughter looked up to see her mother and father kissing. She laughed. Not at the kiss. Not because her parents were in love. But because she was happy. She always felt like she was the luckiest pony in the world. The father gazed down upon her and as if sensing her daughter’s needs, he leaned down toward his daughter and kissed her on the forehead.
The day had ended so quickly. The sun began to set. It was time to head back to the car, but the filly was too excited to go just yet. She was so happy in that field. The flora, and of course, the fauna.
Just as they began up the steep slope that led to the road, she saw a butterfly pass her. She liked butterflies. They were her favorite animal in all of Equestria. In all the world. Her face lit up as she saw it. The way the beautiful creature seemed to perform ballet in the air as it flew. She wanted to dance with it. She was mesmerized by the beauty and elegance of the flying dancer.
The stallion smiled as his little angel ran off chasing her new friend. The mare just shook her head and giggled. Daddy pulled his wife closer to him and held her tight. She rested her head against him. They smiled as they watched their little angel enjoying the world that was so beautiful.
The husband looked to the distance to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful sunset. Its combination of reds, oranges, and purples made an image of beauty and wonder. He could only think of two things more beautiful then that. His wife and his daughter. As he began to enjoy the final moments of the day, he saw something that shattered their perfect world. A pony in a military uniform crawling through the meadow, lying low as not to be seen. But the stallion could tell the soldier was anxious. It gave away his position, which was his advantage. But where there was one... there was likely more that were hidden.
“They found us,” he whispered in fright. He urged his wife to bring their daughter to the car.
The daughter’s instincts of panic and fright took over. She was able to sense her father’s fear and followed it quickly. The mother took her by her hoof and dragged her to the car. The daughter fought her hardest to keep up. The fear and panic her mother felt influenced her, making it even harder to keep calm.
When arriving at the car door, they flung it forward as fast as they could. The daughter hopped in the backseat behind her mother. The filly looked out the window to see several ponies coming straight for them on hoof. Tears started to developed in her eyes. She would always have nightmares about them. Nightmares about them coming to take mommy and daddy away. Her mother and father would always reassure her it would never happen. Regardless, it was always her greatest fear in a long list of fears.
The father leaped into the driver’s seat and started the car in a frantic hurry. As soon as the car’s engine was running, he floored the gas pedal as fast and as hard as he could.
They lost the soldiers in the meadow in a matter of seconds. Then from behind them, just out of the wilderness to the right, appeared two large jeeps. The jeeps carried several ponies in military uniforms. They were gaining fast. The father pressed on the gas pedal even harder, hoping for more speed. He looked in the rear view mirror to see them approaching; it was only a matter of seconds before they caught them.
Just then, another jeep appeared in front of the family. The father didn’t even see it until his wife cried out to him. He looked ahead to see he was almost at the jeep. With only a split second to decide, he turned his car to the left as hard as he could, hoping to get around the jeep. The car was going too fast, it swerved out of control. It smashed the gate on the side of the road, soaring down the steep hill. It rolled down the hill, flailing around the passengers inside.
The father was thrown from the vehicle and skidded across the field. He brushed the dirt from his face. His breathing became her rapid as he turned his head behind him. His thoughts turned instantly to horror as he stared upon the accident. The car was on its top and fire was spreading fast. His only thoughts were on the safety of his wife and child.
He cried out in terror for his family, “Posey!” He rushed to the car as fast as his legs could get him there. He looked inside to see the beautiful mare that he loved with all his heart, unconscious and trapped. His heart felt as if it had just been jabbed. He needed to get her out of there. He needed to save her. His thoughts then wondered to his daughter. He looked throughout the car, but didn’t see his little angel.
“Fluttershy!” he shouted. He franticly scouted the surrounding area to see where the tiny filly had gone. He then found her heading straight for him, her eyes consumed in tears. “Honey, listen to me,” the stallion pulled a roll of papers out of his pocket and handed it to his child. “I need you to take these and I need you to run, okay?”
Fluttershy sobbed uncontrollably, “D-daddy.”
“Just go where mommy and I told you to go if we got separated. We’ll be right behind you! I promise! Go!” his voice was racing, frightened.
Fluttershy didn’t want to go, but she did what her daddy told her and ran as fast as she could, tears rushing down her face. She ran and ran, breathing heavily as she ran. She heard her father scream her mother’s name. She wanted to go back. To see her mommy and daddy. To be a family. But she kept running. Her heart raced as she plowed into the near by sea of trees. Branches scratched against her as she moved past them, but she was too frightened by the soldiers to even notice.
“Mommy and Daddy will come! They’ll come and we’ll be together! Together forever!” she kept telling herself. She ran and ran. Everything was so loud. The heavy panting mixed with her sobs, her heart beating like a bass drum, the engines in the jeeps revving as they sped towards them, her father screaming her mother’s name. All these sounds overwhelm her until a huge explosion overpowers everything.
Fluttershy gasped as she awoke from her horrifying nightmare. Her heavy breathing filled the air around her as she was once again over taken by silence. Her face felt cold. She wiped away the sweat from her forehead. Tears started to develop in her eyes until they finally rolled down her cheek. She looked towards the window, as the sun slowly rises over the mountain. She wiped away the tears from her face. “231 Days,” she thought to herself, “since the last time... she came.”
‘She’ was the pony Fluttershy feared the most. And she wanted to keep ‘her’ away as long as possible.
As for the nightmare, it had occurred for years now. If only it would stop. “Will it ever stop?” she thought to herself. She sat upon her bed, still sobbing, when she heard a knock on the door.
A much larger mare opened the door, “Shutterfly, are you alright?”
“Yes... yes, I’m fine,” Fluttershy replied, wiping a tear from her eye. Blackberry was the largest and most intimidating mare Fluttershy had ever met, but she had a heart of gold.
“Alright,” The ebony mare shrugged. “Come on, let’s get some breakfast.”
The Pabulum Circus, run by Monsieur Pabul, was one of the finest circuses in Equestria. Very few circuses competed with this one and Fluttershy counted her blessings upon stumbling to this place. Many of the ponies she met were very nice, but none where nicer than Monsieur Pabul and Blackberry. Monsieur Pabul wasn’t even a pony, but a griffin. A very nice griffin. The nicest Fluttershy ever met.
“Good morning, Shutterfly,” the trapeze sisters greeted as they passed by.
“Good morning, Quartz. Good morning, Sapphire,” Fluttershy replied. Shutterfly was the guise she was living under. She needed to keep the illusion that she was some pony else. Any time any pony would ask her about her life story, she would bore them with a story of how she ran away from home. If only that where the truth, she often thought. She hated lying to them, but it was better this way. For every pony.
“Good morning, Shutterfly,” a duo of garbage collectors smiled as their coworker trotted by.
“Good morning, Lancer. Good morning, Ace.” Fluttershy worked the grounds at the circus. While every pony else was preparing their act, Fluttershy was busy cleaning the grounds, running maintenance on the machines, and taking trashes to the dumpster. It wasn’t the job she dreamed of, but she was working. There was one thing she loved about her job, however.
Suddenly, a huge gray snake-like appendage wrapped itself around Fluttershy’s body. It lifted her off the ground and pulled her towards whatever creature controlled such a limb. Fluttershy, hovered high above the ground, was face to face with an elephant.
Fluttershy smiled as she beheld the giant, “Oh, hello Bertha.” Fluttershy hugged the elephant’s trunk. “I couldn’t come by without say good morning to you, now could I?” The elephant set Fluttershy down gently. Behind the larger elephant’s leg, a baby elephant, no bigger than Fluttershy, appeared. He let out a screech of joy and darted towards the mare.
“Good morning, Tommy,” she greeted the baby. “You are getting so big.” She hugged the baby and the baby rested his head against her.
Fluttershy couldn’t stop thinking about Tommy, the baby elephant. She was working for the circus when Bertha gave birth to the young pachiderm. It made her happy to see that young innocent life being brought into the world. It reminded her of her own family. How she felt when her mother would hold her so tight. Like she never wanted to let go. The warm touch of her mother’s hooves, the soft voice that sang her to sleep, and the endless love and affection she displayed. She missed it. She missed everything about her. Not a day went by that she didn’t think about her mother. How she would have traded everything she had to get her mother back.
“Shutterfly!” an accented voice called her back from her thoughts. Fluttershy looked towards the lion cages to see Monsieur Pabul and two other ponies near one of the cages. The lion inside seemed to be acting up. It was growling in a way that was unusual, especially for this lion. It wasn’t like him to be aggressive towards other ponies. He was usually a calm lion. Fluttershy instantly knew something was wrong, even if she didn’t know exactly what. “We need you!” Monsieur Pabul shouted.
Fluttershy rushed to the griffin’s side. “What’s wrong?”
The griffin wiped his brow, “It’s Alex. He’s been acting up all morning and we’ve got a show to do tonight.” The lion was important to the show, without him, the amazing Lion Tamer would need to be cancelled. It was one of the highlights of their shows.
The lion growled as the cage opened. He wasn’t usually this rowdy, especially to Fluttershy. Something was obviously bothering him, but Fluttershy wasn’t sure what. Regardless, she decided to be cautious.
“Easy, Alex. Easy.” She slowly approached the lion, being ready at any second the lion might jump and attack. Alex wasn’t one to attack, but with the way he had been acting today, she didn’t want to be caught off guard. She wasn’t sure what she would do if he did attack, but she didn’t want to find out. Whatever was to happen, she knew it wouldn’t be good for any pony. For Alex. For her. She finally came within striking range of the lion’s massive paws. She felt a sweat as she stared into the beast’s eyes.
“What’s wrong, Alex?”
The lion growled as it turned its massive paw to reveal a thorn.
“Oh, you poor, poor, little baby,” Fluttershy spoke in a very motherly voice. “Now this might hurt for just a second.”
She placed her teeth on the thorn and pulled it out as gently as she could. The lion growled in pain as the thorn slipped out of its paws. He was upset at the pain, but it was quickly diminished. Fluttershy spat the thorn out of her mouth. She then gently licked the place where the thorn had been, as a mother would lick her child’s injury. “There, all better.”
The lion marched itself back to the far edge of the cage and placed its head in its arms. Then, after taking a deep breath of relief, it slowly drifted into slumber. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. She liked Alex a lot. He was a good lion and one of her best friends at the circus.
She turned her gaze outside the cage towards Monsieur Pabul, who was awaiting her company with a pleased smile.
“I don’t know how you do it, Shutterfly!” Monsieur Pabul cheered. “I don’t know how you manage to get all the animals here to like you.” He smiled as he complimented the young Pegasus, who practically begged for a job. “You are better with animals than most of the animal tamers here!”
“Oh, I’m really nothing special. I just love animals,” Fluttershy humbly stated. Monsieur Pabul would always compliment his employees on their good work. He treated them better than most ponies would treat their own families. She once heard that his own family had treated him poorly, so he ran away and joined the circus. Others say, he was once on the other side of the world, but came overseas for a job. When he couldn’t hold one, he started his own circus show. Whatever the story, Fluttershy felt like she belonged with this group. She almost felt like family and Monsieur Pabul was her surrogate father.
“Shutterfly, I would really like you to think about a full time job here. No more of this under the table business.” He placed his claw on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I could make you an animal act. ‘Shutterfly and her amazing hypnotic powers over the animal kingdom’!” His voice was overdramatic and his body posed with his claw high above his head as if he was giving a performance. Fluttershy gave a smile and a slight giggle.
Hearing the Pegasus laugh made Monsieur Pabul grin, “Okay, admittedly the name needs some work, but we could work something out. What do you say?”
Fluttershy shook her head, “It’s very nice of you to offer, but I love the work I do. And I’m not very good in front of ...crowds.”
Monsieur Pabul sighed, “Well, I can’t make you do it if you don’t want to, but you know, you are always welcome here.”
“Thank you.”
Monsieur Pabul continued towards the big top to oversee the final preparations of the show. Monsieur Pabul was a very special griffin. Fluttershy had nothing when she first came to him. She begged him for work. She begged him to keep her name off record. She begged him for a place to call home. And every time, Monsieur Pabul’s kindness was only equaled by his generosity. Fluttershy thanked Celestia everyday that she had met a kind griffin such as him. Fluttershy wished she could tell Monsieur Pabul the truth, but it was too dangerous. And she didn’t want to involve him in anything that might get him or any pony else hurt.
Fluttershy made her way into the nearby town of Baltimare. It was a sprawling metropolis, filled with all sort of ponies, griffins and dogs. It wasn’t unusual for this city. However, the diversity of the city caused a lot of local violence. Police forces were often understaffed. Fluttershy, however, didn’t pay attention to those details. Her circus company was heading towards Manehattan in a few days. She only came into town to gather up supplies for her trip.
She readjusted her baseball cap for what seemed to be the millionth time this trip. Her long flowing pink mane all bundled into a clump, all contained in a hot, sweaty piece of stallion’s headwear. It bothered her to wear it, but it was necessary no pony see her face. Especially, some pony that would recognize her.
Fluttershy carried her bags tied to her back. It contained many things that she needed for the work she did. Not circus work, but more private work. She was heading back to the circus camp when a cry stopped her. A small whimper that resembled a cat’s cry was heard. On top of that, she heard several ponies laughing.
“Look at the little stray,” she heard a voice from a nearby alleyway speak.
She looked into the alleyway to see three mares tormenting a helpless little kitten. The kitten moaned again as one of the mares picked her up by her tail. The kitten flailed in panic, trying to loosen its tormentor’s hold. The mares simply laughed. The dark green one with the light green mane spoke, “Come on, little kitty. Let’s see how high you fly.” She tossed the kitten down the alleyway and near Fluttershy. The kitten started to run as fast as it could, as far away from the mares as it’s little legs could get it. This made Fluttershy upset. They shouldn’t be laughing at a poor, defenseless kitty. That’s just not nice.
The mares continued their cruel laugh when a little voice interrupted, “Um... Excuse me.” The mares turned around to see a yellow Pegasus pony with a blue baseball cap standing before them.
“You really shouldn’t pick on little animals like that,” Fluttershy spoke in what was for other ponies more of a whisper. She wasn’t comfortable talking in front of crowds and she certainly wasn’t comfortable with standing up for anything. Regardless, she decided to be brave. They shouldn’t pick on a little kitty and she was going to make them see that. Somehow.
“Oh, look girls. We’ve got a Filly Scout here!” the green mare, who seemed to be the ringleader, taunted, “Here to save all the little animals!” The other mares started to laugh as the ringleader unleashed another taunt, “Oh, I’m sooo scared.”
“I would really appreciate it if you would not pick on that little kitty again,” Fluttershy murmured. She had hoped that the mares didn’t hear over their laughter, but that was wishful thinking.
“You would really appreciate it, huh?” the ringleader asked. “Tell you what...” Ringleader grabbed Fluttershy by her hoof and pulled her into the alleyway. “You don’t like it when we pick on the little animals? How about when we pick on the big animals?” Ringleader then pushed the Pegasus pony until her flank was against the wall.
The other two mares surrounded the yellow Pegasus. Sweat started to build on Fluttershy’s face as one of the other ponies repeated what Ringleader said. She was breathing franticly and her heart must have jumped 20 beats. She knew what might happen if she lost control of her temper. She didn’t lose her temper often, but when she did... She tried not to think about it. She mustered as much courage as she could and gave a deep swallow, “Please, don’t make me assertive... I don’t like it when I’m... assertive.”
This made the other ponies laugh hysterically. The very thought of this little pony being assertive? Towards them? Ringleader finally controlled his laughter, and grabbed Fluttershy by the ties on her bag. “Look, little filly-!”
“Hey!” They all turned to the street to see a much larger mare coming down the alleyway. She was black with a short purple mane and purple tail. “You want to pick on some pony, pick on me.”
Ringleader let Fluttershy go and started to back away. “Nothing going on here,” she shrugged. She and the others walked out of the alleyway so casually, it was as if they didn’t even realize what they had just done.
Blackberry could have given chase to them, but they weren’t worth it. She turned her attention to Fluttershy, who was taking in several deep breaths. “Are you alright?” she asked.
“Yes... I’m fine,” Fluttershy replied, finally seeming to calm down. Blackberry then put her hoof around her friend. Fluttershy replied with a smile and Blackberry repaid her in kind.
“Welcome, fillies and gentlecolts, to the greatest show in Equestria!” Monsieur Pabul’s voice boomed as the speakers amplified his voice to be heard over the hundreds of cheering spectators. “Tonight, you will see feats of dexterity and strength beyond your wildest imagination!” Monsieur Pabul’s words echoed through the stadium. The ponies in the audience were growing restless every second; they were ready to be astonished. The griffin knew it too.
“Allow me to begin your wonder and amazement with Monsieur Marni and his famous lion, Alex!” The griffin’s spotlight moved towards the back of the stage, to reveal a gray pony followed by a very big lion. The crowd cheered as they stepped forward into the center of the stage.
The lion let out a mighty roar. This was a real lion and one wrong move could spell disaster. This was the pull that caught so many ponies’ attention. The pony stepped up on his hind legs, the lion mirroring his image. Using their hind legs, they began to walk towards one another until they were face-to-face with one using the other’s arms for balance. The audience was soundless as if silently praying for nothing to go wrong. A drum roll begins as the lion opens its mouth revealing its sharp fangs. Monsieur Marni placed his head in between the lion’s powerful jaws, knowing they could drop on him at any second. Several moments passed, as Monsieur Marni removed his head from the beast’s mouth. A fanfare indicates the trick is over. The crowd explodes with awe and amazement. Alex and Marni place themselves back on all fours and give a bow.
Several more minutes pass, as Alex and Marni mirror each other almost in sync. A few of the audience members claimed they were watching a performance based on the books written by Rice E. Burroughs. Monsieur Marni moved like the jungle pony, ‘Tarzan’ as he leaped and bounce around with the king of beasts at his side. With their last performance, they gracefully bow and walk off stage, the crowd continuing to cheer even after they disappear.
“That was a wonderful performance, Mr. Marni,” Fluttershy congratulated. She had been watching from back stage like she always did. She loved watching this act more than the others. It warmed her heart to see a pony care about animals as much as she did. Mr. Marni and Alex always to seemed to work so well together. Fluttershy remembered Mr. Marni telling her that it took several long months before Alex would even let him near his cage. Over time, the others would be allowed near the cage, but never near the lion himself. No pony other pony could gain his trust. At least, until Fluttershy came along. Mr. Marni complimented how short a time it took her to gain the trust of the lion. A few months, and the only other pony that was allowed near Alex was Fluttershy.
Marni smiled, “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Shutterfly, but that performance wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for you.” The lion purred as if to agree with Marni. Fluttershy giggled as the lion’s tongue tickled her cheek.
“And you were so good, Alex. You were just wonderful.” she embraced the lion’s large head in her arms, with Alex showing approval by purring.
Another hour of performing passed by, with the audience being treated to fire dancing, flying trapeze, jugglers, and even an elephant act featuring Bertha and Tommy.
After fifteen minutes of cheering, laughing, and discussing with one another, the last of the crowd was leaving. This was Fluttershy and her coworkers cue to start cleaning up after them, which took them another hour. Fluttershy didn’t mind the quite. In fact, she liked it better when there weren’t so many ponies around. She would be off doing whatever needed to be done without the worry of having an audience silently judging her every move. That was something she wasn’t jealous of.
After everything was cleaned up, the workers went to the back tent to relax and revel in another great show. Fluttershy often stood in the corner, either talking to Alex or keeping Bertha and Tommy company. The others were often drinking or smoking as they laughed and told stories to one another. Fluttershy had been offered more than once to join them, but it was often that she was listening rather than speaking. As nice as all of the ponies were, she preferred the company of animals.
Monsieur Pabul took to the air just above the circus crew and started to speak, “Congratulations everyone. You all performed wonderfully!” Monsieur Pabul always spoke like this after a performance; it was something Fluttershy had come to expect. “And I’d like to personally thank Shutterfly.” He pointed to the corner, causing everyone’s attention to be shifted to her. She started to blush as her head sunk into her shoulders. “Without her,” Monsieur Pabul continued, “we wouldn’t have had such a grand show.”
Fluttershy just smiled, but her face was still quite red. She didn’t think she deserved such praise. The group cheered and clapped for the yellow Pegasus, much to her embarrassment. The griffin then made his way down to her and put his claw on her shoulder. His smiled greeted the pony as she turned her head. “You did great today,” he praised.
“Oh, thank you, Monsieur Pabul, but I’m really nothing special.”
“What nonsense is this? Of course you’re special,” he then snapped his fingers as if he just remembered something. “Oh, a package came for you.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened at hearing this news. A wide smile began to emerge on her face. “Really?” she almost shouted, but even if she did, it wouldn’t have been louder than her casual voice. Her answer came to her in the form of a small brown box made out to ‘Shutterfly’. Fluttershy quickly swiped the box from the griffin’s claws and hugged him tightly, “Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” It was finally here. The answer to her prayers was finally here.
Fluttershy quickly rushed to her small trailer. It was a rundown trailer and it was very small. Small enough for a single pony, which was all she needed. She flung the door open with excitement and giddiness, as if she was a schoolgirl just coming home to her mother’s home baked cookies. She closed the door behind her, locking it tight. She rapidly closed all the windows and made sure all the curtains covered them. The room was cloaked in darkness with the exception of a small lamp that illuminated a tight corner of the room.
Fluttershy made sure to check the doors and windows to make sure no pony was outside and no pony was listening. As she surmised, there was no pony around. She smiled as she shut the blinds to the doorway one last time. She didn’t want any pony to see inside. It would be better and safer for everyone if she did.
Inside her trailer wasn’t much indication of a past life. She carried very few treasures. She carried an old picture of her in her younger years, featuring a handsome brown stallion, his hoof wrapped around a beautiful coral mare with long pink hair. They were all smiling. They looked happy. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world. It was her most precious treasure.
Her small shelf housed several books. Three books on Gamma Radiation, two books on the biological system of a pony, two books on basic chemistry, one on advanced chemistry, and at least six anger management books, with age-ranges from fillies and colts to full adult ponies. They were tarnished and certainly had gotten more than their share of reading. Fluttershy had found these books in various dumpsters and recycle bins. Not much reason for books any more, with the Internet, computers and all the other modern technology.
Fluttershy couldn’t count how many times she read those books. She would scan through them day after day, hoping to find an answer to her problem. So far, at least for the last several months, it had been working. Hopefully, today was the day it would all pay off.
Unless it was a book that she collected, the photo of her family, or where she slept, what she had in her trailer was usually lab equipment. She picked up a small laptop and set it on her work desk. It was an old laptop. Much older than what most ponies were using now a days. The screen was cracked and some of the letters on the keyboard were wearing out. The mouse pad had never registered very well either. But it worked, which was all Fluttershy needed.
She opened it up and started to run a chat program. The computer displayed a message signifying a connection being established. Her attention turned to the package that she received from Monsieur Pabul. The one she had been so excited to see. It had taken several weeks to receive this package, but now that it was finally here, she could hardly believe it. She quickly opened the box to see a beautiful white flower. “This is the answer to all of my problems,” she thought to herself.
The computer beeped and a second later a message appeared on screen. ‘Lil’ Angel!’ The screen name ‘Hot Rod Wheels’ appeared next to the text box. ‘Hot Rod Wheels’ was one of the only ponies Fluttershy revealed her secret too. Well, most of it. Luckily, the pony on the other side, didn’t know who she really was. She tapped on her keyboard, spelling out a sentence.
‘I found it!’ She sent her message quickly. She was eager to hear from her friend. To start her quest to end her misery she had lived with for so long. She didn’t have to wait long for a response. For as quickly as she sent her message, she received a reply.
‘Beautiful little flower, isn’t it?’ As she sat there looking at the white flower, she thought, “Yes, it is a nice flower.” It seemed sad to waste such a beautiful flower, but if it got rid of her problem forever, it would be worth it.
The computer beeped again as a new message appeared.
‘Make sure you try a high dose. Good luck, my friend.’ With that message, Fluttershy went immediately to work.
Fluttershy cut up the plant’s petals and placed them into a small mixing bowl. She felt as if she was almost cooking dinner, rather than mixing up a cure for her condition. After pouring in a small amount of chemical into the bowl, she started to crush the petals with a long spoon. As she worked, she began to recall all of her father’s teachings. Her father was the smartest pony in the world. He could figure out anything. When he talked, Fluttershy was all ears. Whether it was science or just little life lessons, her father had all the answers. Though some days, like today, she wish she were as smart as him. He could have figured it out. He could have cured her. She knew she wasn’t nearly as smart as her father. But that didn’t stop her from trying.
Fluttershy continued to mix in and remove chemicals to the batter, in a specific order. While she worked, she would constantly be looking back and forth at a series of notes she received from her mysterious friend, ‘Hot Rod Wheels’. There was no way she could have figured this out on her own. Hot Rod Wheels was able to understand her problem and offer advice on how she might cure it. What she didn’t tell him however is what happened when the gamma in her blood caused an incident. That was better left a secret. She often wondered what kind of pony Hot Rod Wheels must be like. He or she must be really nice and kind. They would have to be to offer to help a pony they never met and probably would never meet.
She continued moving the mixture from beaker to beaker through a series of complicated tubes, following her instructions perfectly. A short hour later, after performing some complex chemistry Hot Rod Wheels taught her, she held in her hoof a dark violet liquid, which was quite different from the clear liquid she started with.
“This is it,” she thought to herself as thoughts of a normal life filled her heart with joy. She took a thin needle and gently pricked her hoof. She squeaked like a tiny, hurt mouse as a small drop of blood developed. Carefully, she tapped the blood onto her microscope slide. She then dropped a sample of her concoction and placed a cover slip over both of them, being very careful not to drop it. After placing it under the microscope, she began to gaze at the developments.
She saw her red blood cells being tainted by a green spore-like substance, just as she had seen in the past. The green spores that ruined her life. She silently prayed every night that one day they would just go away. That it was all just a bad dream. Sadly, her prayers were never answered. That is when she decided to take initiative against these spores. She would find a way to cure them, to free herself from the curse within her.
A few seconds past before the green spores started to fade away, leaving the clean blood cells. Fluttershy smiled and gasped in amazement. She was finally going to rid herself of her problem. But then as quickly as her smiled appeared, it vanished. The green spores reappeared and overtook the blood cells, turning them a dark green hue and causing them to act violently. Tears developed in her eyes. Three weeks of searching for this flower only to find that, like her, it too was a failure.
Fluttershy contacted her friend, once again, to tell him or her the sad news. The computer beeped with the response, ‘How much did you use?’ Fluttershy looked at the withered flower. It had lost all its prior beauty and there was none left for any more experiments.
She tapped on her keyboard to reply, ‘All of it.’
As she sunk her head into her chest, the computer beeped again, ‘Then it’s time we meet.’
The thought had crossed her mind more than once. If she sought help from other ponies, ponies much smarter than she, she might be able to find a way to rid herself of her problem. But it was too dangerous, for her and for every pony involved. She had already committed more atrocities than she could have ever imagined. She would not commit any more.
‘No. I can’t. It’s just too dangerous.’ She hoped that Hot Rod would just give up and let her go, but Hot Rod was just so nice. This pony, whomever they were, gave up part of their day to help her find a way to deal with her ailment, even if they didn’t fully understand it.
‘And living with GAMMA poisoning is safe?’ the message read as the computer beeped once more.
“No, it isn’t safe.” She thought. “But safer for me than any pony else.”
The computer beeped once again, ‘Stop chasing flowers, Angel. Send me a blood sample.’
A blood sample? She had never thought of that before. Maybe this could work. She could send a blood sample of herself and very possibly get the help she was desperately seeking. And best of all, no pony would be in danger. The computer beeped again, waiting for Fluttershy’s reply.
‘I can’t help you unless you let me.’ Fluttershy smiled. She felt she was truly blessed to know such a nice pony. She would send the blood sample tomorrow, first thing, and soon everything would be alright.
Most of Blackberry’s morning was spent wondering around the city of Baltimare for what was going to be the last time for a long time. The circus group was readying to leave first thing the day after next and there was still one last thing her friend, Shutterfly, needed to do. She kindly escorted Shutterfly to the post office to send something of ‘great importance’ as her tiny friend called it. There was something mysterious about that shy little mare.
When Shutterfly first appeared at their circus, she was too shy to talk to any pony. She would often be off by herself in a stupid blue baseball cap doing whatever work was needed of her. She wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t interact with anyone and when any pony approached her, her body became very still. This was especially true when Blackberry was around.
Blackberry thought for a long time that she was just too snobbish to talk to anyone. In truth, however, Shutterfly was terrified of Blackberry. Not surprising. She was an unusually big mare.
It wasn’t until a month later when Shutterfly was trying to help raise the big top tent. She was struggling to place her upright pole by herself. She wasn’t very physically strong then. Blackberry noticed this and decided to help her. With her size, it was easy to force the upright into place.
Shutterfly silently thanked her for her help, but it was easily dismissed. At least until the following morning when Shutterfly decided to use some of her earnings to take Blackberry to breakfast. They began to talk and laugh. Shutterfly learned that Blackberry wasn’t as scary as most ponies might think. From that moment on, Shutterfly became more open with Blackberry. She wouldn’t reveal where she came from, but to Blackberry, it was none of her business anyway.
Blackberry departed from Shutterfly, who headed back to the circus camp. Blackberry made her way into the local gas station, working her way to the cashier. “One pack of Malboro, please.” The large pony asked. The cashier slightly nodded as he turned his back to retrieve the pony’s requested cigarettes.
“24 bits, please.” The cashier requested, as he placed the carton on the counter.
Blackberry dug through the bag at her side, pulling bit after bit, until she had found the 24. She placed them into the hoof of the cashier when something caught her eye. Behind the counter of the store was a group of wanted posters. While most of them contained ponies she had never seen before, one stuck out among all of them. A Pegasus with a light yellow body and a long flowing pink mane staring back at her with a sweet smile. If Blackberry wasn’t standing in that store, seeing it with her own two eyes, would have never dared believe it.
The cashier was a little uncomfortable at the pony’s silent and shaken manner, “Is there... something else I can help you with?”
This brought Blackberry back to reality. She stammered for words, “Um… yes.” Blackberry looked closely one more time at the photo just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. As sure as before, the same face appeared. “Could I see that wanted poster? The one with the yellow Pegasus?”
The cashier turned towards the wall and found the poster. After ripping it off the wall, he gave it to the much larger pony. Blackberry stood in silence as she examined the image and the information very closely. Everything in the description was a perfect fit to Shutterfly, even the description of her cutie mark.
“Do you know this pony?” the cashier finally mustered the courage to ask.
Blackberry quickly made her way to the door, silently answering, “Celestia, I hope not.” By the time she was far out the door, the cashier had just realized she forgot her cigarettes.
The circus was bursting with action and movement. Monsieur Pabul was determined to get everything packed and ready to move the day after next. Every pony was doing their part to help with the move, including Shutterfly, who Monsieur Pabul noticed was helping load crates onto the trucks. Those crates held everything, from pieces of their big top to things the group use for their acts. Shutterfly would often have help carrying the crates. Regardless, her tenacity was admirable.
Shutterfly had come back from town earlier, leaving Blackberry on her own in the city. Monsieur Pabul wasn’t worried about Blackberry’s safety; she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He was just happy that she was able to get along with Shutterfly. Shutterfly was just a sweetheart and Blackberry had been part of his circus group since she was young.
Just as he began to wonder about the large pony in his group, Blackberry appeared just at the entrance to the camp. “Blackberry, I’m glad you’re back. We could really-.”
“We need to talk,” Blackberry interrupted in a whisper.
Monsieur Pabul was a bit shocked at this. It wasn’t like Blackberry to interrupt as abruptly as she did. Regardless, he was very calm and patient. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?” he politely asked.
“In private,” she responded.
It wasn’t the response Pabul had hoped for. Nor was it one he expected. Still, he trusted Blackberry. Whatever they had to talk about, it must be important. He escorted the pony to his trailer, just a few meters south of their position. They entered the trailer marked ‘Ringmaster’ and shut the door behind them. They were alone. The trailer was a tight fit. It may have been the biggest of the trailers, but it was hardly roomy. With all the awards, trophies and picture frames of past circus stars, there wasn’t much room for anything else. Still, it held all that Pabul held dear to him. His fame, his success, and his family.
“What’s on your mind?” Monsieur Pabul finally asked.
Blackberry was silent for a few moments, as if she wasn’t sure what to say. Now that she was here, it seemed so hard to do. She thought she knew what was the right thing to do, but after seeing the tiny yellow Pegasus, whom she once called friend, she was having second thoughts. No, she couldn’t. It had to be done.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to be traveling with Shutterfly any more,” she admitted.
Monsieur Pabul raised his eyebrow, and almost gave a chuckle. He silenced himself. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Blackberry didn’t want Shutterfly around? That was unlike her. “What brought this on?” he finally asked.
Blackberry knew only one thing could convince him. She dug through her bag and pulled from it the wanted poster. “Have you seen this?” she asked as she held it in front of him.
Monsieur Pabul took the paper from her hooves. After revealing a pair of eyeglasses and placing them on his face, he examined the poster. His eyes widened as he read it. Blackberry knew that would take him by surprise, just as it did her.
“Where did you get this?” Monsieur Pabul asked.
“From the gas station.”
“Has any pony else seen this?”
Blackberry shook her head, “No, I came straight to you.”
The griffin just stared at the poster for the longest time. Blackberry expected this. It was quite a shock. To think that a sweet, innocent pony? A dangerous criminal? It was hard to believe, but she knew Pabul would come around.
The griffin finally exhaled a deep breath, “I don’t believe this.”
“I understand what you mean, Monsieur. I didn’t believe it myself until-“
“No, I don’t believe that Shutterfly is capable of murder,” Monsieur Pabul stated.
Blackberry’s jaw was left open. She didn’t understand what wasn’t to believe. There was a poster in front of him with a perfect description of Shutterfly. What more needed to be shown to convince him? “What?” she finally asked.
The griffin shook his head, “Shutterfly is not capable of this. It’s not in her nature.”
“We don’t know that,” Blackberry’s voice was harsh at this point. This mysterious pony arrived at their home with no identification, no previous addresses and virtually no background of any kind. And now, Blackberry knew why. She was a criminal. And what’s worse, they were harboring her. Traveling along side her from place to place, giving her free passage from law enforcement officers. The more she thought about it, the dirtier she felt.
“I know she’s the kindest, sweetest, most innocent mare I’ve ever met,” his voice stayed as understanding and as compassionate as it always had, which made Blackberry upset.
“Who is responsible for the deaths of six ponies!” she whispered in a much harsher voice then before. “How can you possibly look me in the eye and tell me that doesn’t spell, ‘disaster’?” She didn’t understand why Pabul was defending this murderer. How could anypony protect some pony that had taken so many lives?
The griffin took a deep breath and exhaled. He looked out the window to see the Pegasus in question. She was gently playing with her friend, Tommy the Elephant. She looked so full of life, so full of love. She wasn’t capable of murder. She couldn’t even harm a simple housefly. It simply wasn’t in her nature. Pabul believed that with all his heart and soul. He smiled as the two embraced. He then took a look back at the pony in front of him, waiting for his answer, “Look, Fluttershy, Shutterfly, or whatever her real name is, she is not a killer.”
The large mare shook her head and looked away. Clearly it disappointed her that he didn’t believe her.
“I’m sure she had a good reason for lying to us. Whatever that reason may be.”
Blackberry couldn’t believe a word he was saying. He was defending a killer? Why? The griffin spoke again, “She’s been with us for so long now. I know, in my heart, she’s not capable of pony slaughter. Trust me.”
Trust me? How could he even ask that? He was like a father to her. Of course she trusted him. It was Shutterfly she didn’t trust. Her eyes aimed themselves towards the floor.
“Blackberry, I know you were just trying to protect the family. But Shutterfly is a part of this family too.” He then put his claw on Blackberry’s shoulder, “And family sticks together. Whatever happens we’ll deal with it.”
Blackberry looked into his eyes. She saw that he was practically begging her not to turn Shutterfly in. She sighed a deep breath as the griffin spoke, “Trust me.”
Blackberry nodded, surrendering to her boss’s wishes. She would not turn Shutterfly in, even though she knew it was a mistake.
Pabul took the poster in his claw once more, “You are sure no pony else knows about this?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Pabul stuffed it into his jacket pocket, “Let’s keep it that way. The others aren’t as understanding as you are.”
Blackberry had to restrain herself from cringing. It wasn’t that she understood. She was simply putting her faith in her boss, the griffin who had been a father to her.
Pabul headed outside through the doorway, “Alright every pony, breaks over! Let’s get moving!” He called as the ponies rose from their flanks and began taking apart the camp to set for their journey.
Blackberry followed shortly after. She saw Shutterfly in the distance, still laughing with the elephant. Shutterfly looked back at her, a smile bright on her face, waving her hoof. Blackberry waved back, giving a smile. However, it only lasted a second. She then thought of the terrible lies that Shutterfly was hiding and her smile melted away. A pony could only wonder what dark secrets the tiny yellow Pegasus hid.
Most of the day was spent with Blackberry’s mind spinning in a whirlwind of confusion and doubt. Monsieur Pabul, the griffin she trusted more than any pony, was protecting Shutterfly, a dangerous murderer. No matter how many times she tried to wrap her head around it, she couldn’t see how it made sense.
She hadn’t spoken to Shutterfly. It made her uncomfortable enough to be in the same campsite with her. Let alone speaking with her. She was dangerous, of that Blackberry was certain. There is no way the ‘family’ could be protected as long as Shutterfly was with them. She sat in her trailer thinking about how she had befriended her and how she had accepted it full heartedly. How she thought she was snobbish. But what was mistaken for shyness was perhaps guilt?However, if she was guilty, why is she on the run? The question burned into her mind and stuck there like a fly caught in a web. She had to do something; she had to make a choice. She picked up the telephone and started to dial.
The phone rang once before a voice spoke on the phone, “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“I need to report a sighting on a killer,” Blackberry was doing the right thing. She knew she was.
A visit to Director Fury’s office wasn’t exactly the highlight of General Thunderbolt’s morning. The director of the organization of super spies called N.E.I.G.H.S and the famed general did not often see eye to eye. Their base of operations was always bustling; with more ponies coming in and out the general cared to count. It was N.E.I.G.H.S job to deal with threats normal ponies couldn’t handle and to prevent problems before they arise. But with the count of ponies with strange abilities and powers on the rise, Thunderbolt believed that more drastic measures were necessary to protect the security of this great country, Equestria. Of course, not every pony had the stones to take those drastic measures.
“General,” a light purple mare called to the pale green Pegasus as she appeared from Director Fury’s office. “Director Fury will see you now.
A slight smirk appeared on the general’s face. “How sweet. He finally took time out of his busy schedule to see me.”
Thunderbolt rose from his chair and marched into the director’s office. To his left a bookshelf stood, carrying hundreds of books, all matters of law, security and even religion. To his right, a series of pictures depicting a war hero from years ago. One image, in particular, revealed an earth pony in a strange outfit leading a charge, with several other ponies behind her. The general had heard the stories before. He knew them all too well. But his attention was hardly focused on them. He paid more attention to the pony sitting in the back-center of the room.
A white unicorn with a bright blue mane sat in his chair with only a desk and a wooden chair in between him and Thunderbolt. Director Fury’s right eye pierced at Thunderbolt with resentment, while an eye patch covered his left eye. Scars dispersing from his left eye to be seen just beyond the eye patch.
“Sit down, general,” Director Fury requested.
Thunderbolt cringed at the thought of himself being told to sit down like he was some badly behaved colt. Regardless, he sat down without saying a word.
“I’d like to talk to you about the Fluttershy situation,” the unicorn stated.
“The Fluttershy situation is under control,” Thunderbolt replied.
The unicorn raised his eyebrow. It was clear to the general, Director ‘Shining’ Fury was not convinced. “Is it?” Shining Fury’s horn then began to glow a dark blue as a folder on the desk began to float. It soared its way towards him until it was in his hooves.
Opening it, he began to read the reports out loud, “March 24th, target nearly captured. Containment unit failed. One pony dead.” He then shot the general a stern look. “Need I remind you that the containment unit was over 42 million bits to complete?”
“If I can get Fluttershy, we wouldn’t have to worry about bits,” Thunderbolt explained.
The unicorn continued to read off report after report of the general’s attempts to capture Fluttershy. With each report read back to him, the general’s temper flared. If Fury’s purpose was to tick Thunderbolt off, he was doing an excellent job.
Finally the unicorn spoke, “You’ve been chasing her for what... nearly 20 years. 11 of those years, she was alone.” The tension in the room was already high, and these two were just getting warmed up. “You want to explain why you’ve lost track of the most dangerous pony in all of Equestria?”
Thunderbolt was silent. There was nothing to say that he hadn’t already said to everyone else. ‘Fluttershy was gone’ they would tell him. ‘You’ll never find her’. Others would attempt to convince him to turn away from his mission. He wouldn’t give up his mission, not after all that mare had done to him. What her and her family had put him through. Had cost him. He would never stop hunting her. Not as long as he continued to breathe.
“A lot of ponies feel that you can’t complete this task,” the director finally stated bluntly.
Thunderbolt’s voice grew louder as he leaned forward with his elbow on the desk. “You can’t take this away from me! I’ve been chasing Fluttershy most of her life! She cost me a star!” Fluttershy’s elusiveness had cost the general much in his time spent pursuing her capture.
“Which is why we believe you are being vindictive.”
Thunderbolt couldn’t believe what he just heard. He stood up fast pushing the chair behind him. “I’m being vindictive?!” His voice now in a shout, “That filly is the most elusive and dangerous criminal this country, this world has ever seen! And who better to take her down then me?!”
“Sit down, general!”
Thunderbolt glared at the unicorn, with the unicorn replying in the same manner. Finally, the Pegasus submitted to his opposite.
“Many ponies, including myself, believe you are incapable of performing this assignment.”
“Is N.E.I.G.H.S threatening to take over this?”
Fury leaned forward. “Do your job and you won’t have to worry about that.”
There was an eerie silence that fell upon the room. Thunderbolt’s shoulders felt as if a huge weight had been placed upon them. He needed to find Fluttershy and he was running out of time.
General Thunderbolt, once a great four star general of the Equestrian Air Defense Force, loomed in his office for hours upon hours searching for any clue as to the whereabouts of one little filly. It haunted him to be avoided by such a tiny pony. No sightings; not even so much as a clue to where she was in the last seven months. Thunderbolt was going through the files of his last encounter with the yellow Pegasus when a blue unicorn rushed into his office.
“Sir, we just intercepted a police call. Some pony spotted a pony that matches Fluttershy’s description.”
The general’s ears perked up at this moment. His eyes piercing at the unicorn in front of him. “Where?”
“Just outside Baltimare, sir. In the Pabulum Circus,” the blue unicorn replied.
Fluttershy! At long last, she had finally slipped up. Thunderbolt would finally have his chance to get Fury off his flank. “I want you to call the Baltimare Police Department, tell them to stay out of this. As of right now, this is now a military operation.” He needed the police force to stay out of the way. This was his moment and he wouldn’t have it messed up by a bunch of amateurs.
General Thunderbolt stood tall as he scanned his military base. Ponies of all shapes and sizes; unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi were readying themselves for any moment when they might be called into action. A brown Pegasus, with a gray shield cutie mark, stood by him with a folder in his hooves. “I got you who I could on short notice, but their all mission prepped.” He then handed the folder to Thunderbolt. “And I pulled you an ace.”
A helicopter appeared from the sky, several meters from both of their positions. It descended onto the ground and the side door opened to reveal a gray earth pony with a serious look about him.
“Guamadillius Exracillius Maximillius the 4th,” the brown stallion introduced, as the stranger from the helicopter leapt to the ground. He was unusually short for a stallion. The general gazed upon him, surmising that most mares would be taller than him.
“Dumb name,” the general replied.
His associate gave a smirk, “Yeah, we call him ‘Guam’ for short.” The general started flipping through this ‘Guam’s’ profile. His partner spoke, “But don’t be fooled by his size, he’s a fighter.”
As the general scanned the record, he could see that he was a fighter. Enlisted in the Equestrian Military at 16, served overseas as part of the group that wiped out the Zebra fighters, a group of guerillas determined to take back their country, and trained in the Griffin Militia. “An impressive resume,” Thunderbolt thought to himself.
He then closed the folder and diverted his attention back to his partner. “I appreciate you doing this for me, major.”
“Glad I could help. Just make it good,” the major replied as he walked away.
Thunderbolt couldn’t help but cringe. Every pony knew of his record. He remembered the days when he was respected. He was a pony who got the job done, no matter the risks. Now, thanks to one little filly, many ponies were dubious. Well, not this time. This time, he’d have her.
Guamadillius, or Guam as most ponies called him, sat on the jet, eager for his orders. It had been a while since he had called to serve. His method of shoot first, questions later had always been the subject of issue. He didn’t care. He just got the job done. A mare stood over him and six other stallions describing their mission parameters to them. He hadn’t been on the plane for more than five minutes and this dark blue unicorn was already irritating him. Her high pitch voice sounded like a chipmunk. It was all he could do not to cover his ears. She began to describe the target as she passed around folders to each of the ponies, with Guam receiving his last.
“You have all been armed with tranquilizer rounds. Live fire only when necessary,” the unicorn spoke.
Guam studied the image carefully. She didn’t look like much. Hardly cause for alarm if he saw her on the street. “This little mousy pony? She’s the target?” he asked the unicorn raising his eyebrows.
A voice from the front of the aircraft replied, “That little mousy pony is a fugitive of the Equestrian Government.” The group looked to see General Thunderbolt marching towards them. “She is also implicated in the deaths of two scientist, three military officers, a Marandan state trooper and possibly two griffins from the north.” His eyes then turned to Guam. “So, don’t underestimate her because of her size.”
Guam still wasn’t buying it. A little mousy pony capable of eluding the Equestrian Government for so long? “No chance in Tartarus,” he thought. He continued to scan the folder, but nothing of interest presented itself. He placed it on the ground when he was finished. This wasn’t what he was hoping for. He was expecting something a little more exciting than a simple ‘tranq and grab’. He wanted something bigger... Much bigger.
Fluttershy sat alone in her trailer after long day of work. She spent most of it either taking apart some piece of equipment or moving boxes to the trucks.
Blackberry had been unusually distant from her. She couldn’t understand why. She and Blackberry would always talk to each other while they work. However, every time Fluttershy would try to strike up a conversation, she would always be met with a stone wall of silence. She wished to Celestia she knew what was wrong with her friend. She tried to get Blackberry to say what was wrong, but she was only met with the ‘I’m fine’ lie.
Maybe Fluttershy hurt her feelings in someway. She thought back and tried to remember what she could have done to upset her. In the end, nothing came up. Still, she felt that she should do something to help her friend. “I’ll take her to breakfast tomorrow, if she’s okay with that. And then we’ll talk about what’s bothering her. I mean, if she doesn’t mind,” she thought to herself.
Her arms felt sore. She had been moving boxes for hours. Sure, she had help most of the time, but she still wasn’t a very physically strong pony. She wanted to just place her head down on her pillow and rest for the night. She placed her head down and started to close her eyes. Her thoughts haunted by the nightmares she was sure to have. Suddenly, the phone in her trailer rang. She wondered who would call at this time of night. She pushed her sheets off her and swiped the phone off the stand. She greeted the caller with a nervous response.
“Look out the window,” the caller said. Fluttershy couldn’t mistake that voice. It was Monsieur Pabul, the griffin who had taken her in. But why would he be calling her at this time of night? The voice repeated after Fluttershy failed to give a response, “Look out the window.”
She took a look out her window. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Not that Fluttershy could see. At first she thought it was a prank, but then she saw movement in the shadows. When she focused her gaze, she saw ponies, sneaking around in the dark. The uniforms they were wearing were a mix of different shades of green, perfect for camouflage. There was no mistaking it; they were soldiers of the Equestrian Military. The ones she had been on the run from since she was little.
“They found me,” she murmured under her breath. How could they have found her after all these months? She had been so careful. She hung up the phone as gently and quietly as she could. Her heart began to race and her breathing became rapid. They were so close. So close that, it would be near impossible for her to escape. Regardless, she had to think of a way to escape and she had to do it fast.
Guam and the two other ponies positioned themselves near a small white trailer. None of the lights were on inside, indicating that the target was asleep. The plan was simple. Knock down the door and tranq the girl before she could realize what happened. “Easy mission,” Guam thought to himself.
One of the ponies activated his com-link and spoke in a whisper, “Base, this is Alpha Team. Do you copy?” A second later, a mare replied through the headpiece.
“We read you, Alpha Team. This is Base, what’s your status?”
“We are in position,” the stallion replied.
Guam was growing impatient. His trigger finger itched at its chance to open fire. He wasn’t fond of using tranquilizer darts, but if this pony is THAT important. Celestia knows why. He noticed the pony was mouthing the countdown to entry. Three... two... one.
He kicked open the door as hard as he could and quickly regained his balance. He opened fire on the bed directly in front of him with three of the darts. After the shots were fired, he removed the sheets to see his target. Sadly, there were only pillows, fluffed up to look like there was some pony there. He quickly scanned the area around him, seeing several books, lab equipment and finally a window. He took a peak out and saw a bed sheet tied to the trailer. It slithered all the way down to the ground. It was only an eight-foot drop. Maybe even ten. “She’s not here, she’s on the move,” Guam replied in his headset.
“Fan out. She couldn’t have gotten far,” Thunderbolt’s voice replied through the headset.
The group of three exited the trailer and dispersed into the campsite. Guam paid special care to every detail for any sign of where his target could be. If she was as dangerous as Thunderbolt claimed, his senses and reflexes needed to be sharp. He was still doubtful of the pony’s abilities, but he didn’t live this long by taking foolish chances. He heard the crunching of leaves to his left and quickly shined his light towards where he thought he heard the sound. What he saw was a giant, gray elephant standing in its cage. Its trunk behind its massive head. It was standing on a pile of leaves, which Guam suspected made the sound. He scoffed as he walked away. “Stupid animal.”
Bertha turned her head towards her trunk with Fluttershy wrapped within it, hiding her from her pursuers. Fluttershy gently hugged the massive creature. “Thank you.” The elephant set her down gently. Tommy cried in a faint yelp. Fluttershy hugged her favorite baby elephant tightly. “Good bye, Tommy.” She didn’t want to leave. She loved it here. All the friends she made, the family she was able to rebuild. But she couldn’t stay. It was too dangerous for all of them.
After leaving Tommy’s embrace, Fluttershy made her way to the fence, being as silent as possible. She climbed it without making so much as a sound. So far, so good. Now if she could just make it into town without being spotted, she would be able to escape.
However, just as she began her tread to the city, a voice came from behind her, “I’ve got a visual, she’s heading to Sector 452.” Her heart began to pound, and in that instant, her feet burst into a sprint. She could hear some pony yelling at her from the distance. She didn’t hear what he said. She didn’t bother looking back. All she did was run.
After a few minutes, she found herself in an alleyway. It was like a labyrinth. The perfect place to lose someone, or the perfect place to get lost in. She knew it was a risk, but if she did get lost or meet a dead end, she had one thing at least. Her wings. They weren’t very strong wings and flying, even a short distance, was difficult, but it was an advantage against earth ponies and unicorns at least.
She made her way into the labyrinth, turning left, then right, then left again. Every turn she made, she hoped she wouldn’t see the ponies that were after her. She eventually turned left again and found a solid brick wall. A dead-end. She heard voices coming from behind her. They were closing in.
It was time to head for the rooftops. She flapped her tiny wings as hard and as fast as she could. Little by little she ascended to the rooftops. She was struggling, her wings aching with pain. Flapping them became harder by the second, but she kept pushing herself. She was almost there. Tears started to develop from the pain. A second more and she would be at the rooftops. Then her wings started to cramp. They stopped flapping almost instantly. She stretched out her hoof to reach the rooftop. She gripped the ledge as tight as she could, holding on for dear life. She struggled as she pulled herself up. She tumbled to the roof taking deep slow breaths. A bullet bounces off the wall of where she had previously been was heard, causing her to give a small yelp.
She narrowly escaped the ground forces, but there was no time to rest. She got up as quickly as she could and started to run once more, knowing air forces would soon be on her.
A trio of Pegasi swarmed the sky, franticly searching for their fugitive. Alpha Team, who had remained on the fugitives tail until she took to the air, gave the last known location to them. A second later, one of the ponies saw the yellow Pegasus leaping from rooftop to rooftop. “Got her! She’s heading north in Sector 491.”
The first Pegasus swooped down following her position, with the other two not far behind. She was running fast, but they were flying much faster. It was only a matter of seconds before they would be on her. The first one pushed himself even harder. He became so close; he could almost hear her breathing. Even as she darted through a jacket hanging on a clothesline, the Pegasi knew he had her.
He flew through the same jacket, when he smashed into the wall only several feet from it. His head throbbed with unmentionable pain. His vision was blurred. The other two came from behind him and spoke to him, but his ears were ringing so loud, he could barely make out what they were saying.
He looked down to see an alleyway, where she had no doubt had taken to. One of the others spoke to his headpiece, “This is aerial units. We’ve lost the target. Last seen heading east in Sector 494.”
Fluttershy had escaped the air forces, but she was back on the ground and growing tired fast. She rushed across the street and into another alleyway. Just as she made it a few feet, she saw in front of her a very tall fence. She looked to her left to see a dumpster a few inches from the fence. She could use that as a stepstool to help her climb the fence. It wasn’t much, but she couldn’t go backwards. Not with them still chasing her. She scaled the dumpster and put her hooves on the fence. She struggled her way up, nearly losing her grip twice. After several seconds, she finally arrived at the top and attempted to climb her way down.
A booming voice then echoes in the alleyway, shocking Fluttershy into letting go of the fence. She falls onto the pavement, her body trembling in pain. She lets out a cry as she steadily picks herself up. She looked to her front left knee and saw blood rushing down it. It burned as she moved it. She took several deep breaths. She spoke out loud, reminding herself to calm down. Despite how much she wanted to just take a moment to catch her breath, she knew she would have to move fast. Hoof steps resonated all around her. She ran, despite the pain, despite the weariness. She ran out of fear, but not of them. Of herself.
Guam spotted the tiny pony jump the fence and followed her. He climbed the fence with a speed considerably higher than his target. The yellow Pegasus darted into the road as she was almost hit by an unsuspecting car. Guam could have sworn he heard that pony apologize at least six times as she continued to dart to the other side of the street. He landed on his hooves and started after her.
At first, the car in the road sped past him, preventing him from passing. Then at the first second he had, he continued towards the fugitive. A speeding car came down the road and headed towards Guam. The car stopped just short of hitting him. “Hey!” Guam shouted. He then bucked the vehicle in frustration. “Bucking idiot!”
He continued to chase after his target, completely ignoring what the other pony was shouting at him. If that idiot made him lose his target, there would be Tartarus to pay.
Fluttershy continued to run down the street, passing pony after pony as she went. She tried her best to ignore the pain, but it still flared. Burning like a lighted match pressed against her knee. She was so focused on the group behind her; she didn’t even pay attention to what was in front of her. She slammed into a group of ponies in front of her, knocking them down, her along with them.
She quickly got up when she heard one of them shout, “What in Tartarus?”
She looked up to see a pony she recognized from the other day. Ringleader and her two stooges. And she didn’t look happy. She looked down to see a coffee stain all over her coat. Of all the ponies, in all of Equestria, she had to run into the one who might be upset at her. She had to run into the meanies who picked on that little kitten. She wished that she were just hallucinating from the fall she endured a few moments before. That she was delirious. But no matter how many times she tried to will herself out of this situation, the situation stayed the same. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Fluttershy begged as she slowly backed away.
“Oh, you’re going to be sorry!” Ringleader shouted as she and the others stepped towards Fluttershy.
Fluttershy smiled nervously, sweat began to build on her face. “Did I mention I was really, really, really, really sorry?” She turned around fast, knowing they wouldn’t accept her apology, no matter how she pleaded. Ringleader grabbed her back sack, hoping to slow her down. Fluttershy quickly slipped the sack off her back and continued to run. She abandoned her bag so quickly Ringleader tumbled backwards with it.
Ringleader got up quickly after shoving the bag to the side. “Come back here, you bitch!”
Fluttershy ran down an alleyway. This wasn’t going well for her. Not only was she sought after by the Equestrian Government, now Ringleader and her gang were after her. She had to lose them quickly, before ‘she’ came.
General Thunderbolt paced impatiently for any sign of Fluttershy. The two groups had both lost sight of the target. “Any pony got eyes on target?” he asked.
Major Strawberry, the blue unicorn from the jet, spoke into the microphone, relaying the general’s request.
Guam replied, “Negative, ground units have no sign of target.”
The general shook his head in disapproval. He couldn’t lose her again, not this time.
Another voice then came over the radio, “Base, this is air unit. We have positive visual on target. Sector 489, old bottling warehouse.”
A sealed environment. The perfect place to trap some pony. There was nowhere left for Fluttershy to run. It was only a matter of moments now. Then Thunderbolt’s reputation, his name, and his title would be reinstated.
Fluttershy entered the old building hoping to lose her pursuers. She was so concentrated on flying over the tall fence; she didn’t even look to make sure they weren’t following her. Her heart was still beating like a drum, and she was short of breath. She wanted to rest. She just wanted to lie her head down and fall asleep. That’s when she heard Ringleader’s voice, “Oh, Filly Scout!”
Fluttershy’s heart beat even faster. Those big meanies followed her. She looked up to find a staircase that led to a walkway. If she could climb it quietly, she might be able to escape them. She was too tired to fly up there, and her knee made walking difficult. Still, she couldn’t stay there. She climbed the staircase as quietly as she possibly could, paying very close attention to the sounds around her. She could see an opening ahead. In a few seconds, she would be free of all of them. The Equestrian soldiers, Ringleader and her goons. All of them would be behind her.
Just as she started to rush in anticipation, she saw a pony step in front of her. “Hey, Filly Scout,” Ringleader taunted.
Fluttershy gasped as she saw the pony in front of her and stepped backwards. Two pair of arms grabbed her hind legs and pulled her to the ground. The two members of Ringleader’s gang picked up Fluttershy by her front legs and forced her back against the nearby wall. Fluttershy was so close to the exit, and yet she couldn’t be further away.
She struggled and struggled with all her might, but the ponies wouldn’t let go. Ringleader stood right in her face with a look of satisfaction.
Fluttershy took a deep swallow. “Please, just let me go. Please.”
“Oh, don’t worry, little filly,” Ringleader spoke in a mockingly mother voice. “I won’t hurt you.” She then smacked her in the face with her hoof. “Much.”
Fluttershy’s pulse started to skyrocket. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She tried to ignore the pain, but it was in vain. She needed to get away from every pony, from everyone. “Please, I’m begging you. Don’t do that again.” Tears started to develop in her eyes, not of pain, but of fear.
“Oh, did that hurt?” Ringleader mocked. She smacked her across her face again, this time harder. “How about that?”
Tears started swarming down Fluttershy’s face. She was losing control of her temper and it terrified her. She took several more deep breaths, but they weren’t helping. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. Tears continued to soak her cheeks, as she looked up at her attacker. “Please,” she weakly begged with all her heart and soul, “I don’t want to hurt any pony.”
Ringleader and the other ponies laughed. They thought her as nothing but a crybaby. “That sounds like a personal problem,” she uttered. She then socked Fluttershy in the gut. They then watched her drop like as sack of potatoes.
As she fell to the floor, she grew frightened. But just as quickly as fear appeared, a second later, it vanished, along with her world. The only thing that was left was pure rage.
Guam and the others entered the warehouse as cautiously as possible. Staying ever alert to their surroundings, searching for their target. They hear the sounds of two ponies talking, a meek little voice and another voice, a much more aggressive voice. They followed the sound of the voices, knowing that one of them could be their mare. Just as the warehouse went silent, they heard a mare’s scream.
The soldiers rallied towards the sound. As they came upon the staircase, they saw a mare they didn’t recognize soar above them and slam into the brick wall. The mare then fell uncontrollably to the ground. They looked back towards where they had seen the pony come from, but saw nothing. “What in Tartarus?” one of the ponies said.
Guam continued scanning the walkway, knowing something more was going on. The other soldiers kept at their surroundings. Suddenly, they all heard another mare scream, followed by a powerful and angry roar that shook the entire warehouse. They all stopped in their tracks, in shock at what they had just heard. What animal in Equestria could make a sound like that?
The soldiers looked up to see a unicorn running across the walkway in horror. She was just out of the shadows of the facility when a huge green hoof grabbed her by her tail. She screamed as she desperately tried to grip the walkway to keep her from the darkness, but the huge hoof wouldn’t let her go and effortlessly pulled her into the darkness. A few seconds later, the screaming stopped.
“Did every pony else see that?” one of them asked.
Guam saw it, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe it. He had seen big things in his life, but whatever that hoof was connected to must have been eight or ten feet tall. The sight that he had just beheld distracted him so much, he wasn’t even thinking about Fluttershy.
“What in Tartarus is going on down there?!” the general’s voice shouted from their com-links.
Suddenly, a tremor shook the entire warehouse. Every pony stumbled trying to regain footing. It only lasted for a split second, but it felt as if something heavy had just hit the floor. One of the soldiers looked to the darkness where he heard the sound. When he glanced towards the darkness, he saw a shape of a beast. He wasn’t sure what that animal was, but it was huge. The creature turned towards the trooper and gave a mighty howl. “Sir, we’ve got a bogey of some kind! Holy shit, that thing is huge!”
“That is the target! Use every tranq you got now!” Thunderbolt shouted over the radio.
As quick as lightning, the soldier opened fire on the giant creature. Two more troopers came from behind the first one and followed his example. Dart after dart flew to the unknown behemoth. After the salvo, the creature shrieked in anger and began its acceleration towards them. The ponies rushed backwards, astonished at how none of their tranquilizers were stuck in the creature’s body. The creature grabbed one of them with its massive hoof and tossed him to the wall.
Guam continued to the walkway to get a better vantage point. He spotted the massive creature chasing down two troopers.
“Go live! Go live!” he heard one of them shout. The tranquilizers didn’t work.
Guam quickly gripped his weapon with the real ammunition and started to unload on the creature. The two ponies below followed his example. The bullets seemed to have no effect on the creature. No matter how many rounds they fired, it didn’t even seem to slow it down. The creature replied by gripping one of the massive containers and tossing it towards its frontal opponents. Glass bottles flew from its confinement, shattering all around them as they tumbled to the ground.
Two more soldiers came from behind and open fire on the monster. The beast screeched as it rushed towards them. They scream in pain as they were sent soaring through the air by the sweeping of its mighty hooves.
Guam’s gun thundered as it fired more rounds at the creature. The animal screamed in rage as it turned its attention to the pony above it. The creature charged for Guamadillius as he darted down the walkway. Behind him, pieces of the walkway were ripped away coinciding with the beast’s movements. Guam quickly realized the creature would gain on him in a matter of seconds. Guam, now panicked, quickly scanned his surroundings, hoping for a miracle. It came in the form of another nearby walkway within jumping distance. It was a far jump, but better a long jump then being on the walkway just below the mysterious monster.
Guam stood atop the railing, balancing himself as best he could, and only a moment later, leaped as far as his legs could. He grabbed the edge of the walkway with all his might. He took several deep breaths before pulling himself back on the path. Looking back to his previous walkway, he saw the beast had torn it apart like it was made of paper. If he had been standing on that platform, who knows what he would have looked like? He watched as another group of three readied their weapons against the beast.
“Grenade!” one of them shouted, as he tossed the explosive at the creature.
The beast ran towards them with great speed, only being cut off by an explosion that engulfed the beast. After the fire blast, there was only smoke and silence. The ponies stood very still, haunted by the images and the sounds they had heard several minutes ago. Then the same mysterious roar broke the silence.
The shape of the giant creature appeared before them. Terrified, they opened fire once again. The beast, however, would not be stopped. It raised itself up on its hind legs and simply smashed it’s enormous hooves into the ground. It caused the ground to crack in a jagged path towards the soldiers in front of it. As the ground was uprooted, they were sent soaring through the air, catapulted by the tremor. They found themselves trembling at what had just happened. Not just in pain, but in fear. The creature hadn’t even slowed down since they started their attack and they were down six to none.
Guam picked himself up and opened fire once again at the creature. The creature growled in anger at its adversary, as it was battered with bullets. Once out of ammo, Guam quickly reloaded his weapon, digging a new clip from his pack. He moved as fast as he could, not wanting to let the creature have a chance to counter attack. He pointed his weapon once again at the creature, which now moved into the light.
The creature... was a pony. But it was unlike any pony Guam had ever seen before. Its emerald eyes, full of rage and anger. Its red flowing locks of hair, hanging off of each side of its head. Its teeth grinding as it growled at the much smaller pony. Guam couldn’t believe what his eyes beheld, a giant green Pegasus. The beast grabbed a forklift truck with its hooves and tossed it at the Earth Pony. Guam’s feet took over and ran as fast as he could to get out of reach of the flying object. The truck tore up the walkway behind Guam, causing it to slant. Guam wrapped his arms around the railing, stopping him from falling to the floor. When he looked towards the beast, it had ripped a hole in the wall next to it. The creature unleashed a mighty shriek before disappearing into the opening. Something that Guamadillius was all too grateful for.
Thunderbolt and Major Strawberry combed through Fluttershy’s trailer. They had hoped to find some clue as to where she might have gone. But as always, she had covered her tracks. All they found were some pieces of lab equipment, books, and a bed. She had very little else in her trailer.
The lab equipment didn’t surprise the general. Most of the sites where Fluttershy had resided were littered with the stuff. Same with the books. They may have been different books each time, but the subjects were always the same. Chemistry, biology, and anger management.
The general had other soldiers talking to the circus folk, particularly Monsieur Pabul. If any of them knew anything about Fluttershy, it would be the folks she had been traveling with for several months. Based on what Thunderbolt had been hearing, most of the circus freaks didn’t know about Fluttershy’s criminal record. Everyone except Blackberry, who was cooperative, and Monsieur Pabul, who wasn’t. Monsieur Pabul refused to reveal anything he knew about Fluttershy. The general wasn’t about to let his prey get away from him. Monsieur Pabul wasn’t the first to try to defend Fluttershy. And being a griffin, he’d be tough to break. But everyone has a breaking point.
The general had wondered how she would travel from city to city without detection and now he had his answer. She was a clever young filly. She had almost 20 years of running from the law under her hooves. That, coupled with her alias, made her deadly.
The sound of an opening door turned their attention to Guamadillius, who was carrying a brown bag.
“I found this in the street,” Guam stated as he put the bag on the table. “She had it on her when she bolted.”
Thunderbolt opened the bag, navigating through various supplies. He dug through the first aid kits, papers with all sorts of scientific formulas, cans of soup, and a couple of water bottles, hoping for anything that might point to where she was going next. Sadly, he found no such item. He tossed the bag aside, grunting in frustration. Even with the griffin, the day was still probably a total loss. Thunderbolt doubted that even he would know where Fluttershy was. However, if he did, Thunderbolt would soon find out.
Guam took a second look in the bag to see a single photograph. He picked it up and noticed that one of the ponies looked familiar. It was definitely a younger version of Fluttershy. He didn’t recognize the other brown Pegasus or the coral pink mare, but the filly’s face was unmistakable. It was the same pony he had been sent to capture just an hour ago. He thought back to that moment when he saw the yellow Pegasus dart for the city. How he thought the job would be a simple tranq and grab. Sure the filly put on quite a chase, but she was cornered like a little rabbit stuck between a rock and a ravenous wolf, just seconds from tasting its helpless prey. How it all went to Tartarus in a matter of moments. Because of that... Guam wasn’t even sure what it was. That hour seemed like it was forever ago. Guam turned towards the frustrated general.
“Is this her family?” Guam asked, referring back to the photograph. He waited for a response, but none came. “Mom and dad? Aunt and Uncle, maybe? Maybe they help her?”
The general finally took the photo from Guam’s hoof and threw it back into the bag.
“They are no longer a factor. We closed that door off to her a long time ago. She’s alone. She wants to be alone.” Thunderbolt turned his attention from Guam back to Strawberry. “I want to speak with the circus freak.”
Strawberry nodded. She then turned to the doorway of the small trailer and exited, leaving Thunderbolt and Guam alone.
“Sir.” Guam waited until the general’s eyes were fixed upon him until he continued. “I think you might want to know, whatever Fluttershy was doing. Whatever Fluttershy is guilty of. I can see why you might not have caught her.”
Guam thought back to just a half hour ago, when he came face to face with a terrifying beast. A beast with so much power. So much rage. Nothing they used could slow it down, let alone stop it. He’s seen weird stuff in his long career, but... never any thing like this. Guam wanted answers. “She wasn’t alone, sir. We had her and then-“
Guam fumbled his words trying to explain what he just saw. He wasn’t sure the general would believe it. Celestia, he wasn’t even sure he believed it. “Something hit us. Something BIG hit us.”
The general’s eyes didn’t even move. Guam figured that the general didn’t believe him. He didn’t look surprised or uneasy. There was no sign of belief.
“It could tear through a brick wall like it was made of paper! I hit the damn thing dead on! Never missed a shot!” Guam shouted in frustration. He was breathing heavily. It was the most powerful thing Guam had ever seen. He was still unsure how to explain it. Every explanation he tried to conjure seemed to make less sense the more he thought about it. It was strong. It was furious. It was unstoppable. There was no other way to describe it and yet every time Guam tried to say these words, his tongue failed him. “Didn’t even slow it down, sir.”
“Well, it’s gone now,” the general finally replied.
Guam wasn’t sure what to say. Whatever that thing was, it only appeared when they cornered Fluttershy. He thought it was possible that Fluttershy had some sort of connection to it. “Well, if Fluttershy knows what it is, I’m gonna find her. I’m gonna put my hoof on her throat and I’m gonna-!
“That was Fluttershy,” the general interrupted.
Guam wasn’t sure if he just heard what he thought he heard. “Fluttershy? That little mousy pony? Is that... thing? That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
Thunderbolt could sense Guam’s uncertainty, so he repeated his statement. The creature was Fluttershy.
“You’re gonna have to explain that statement, sir,” Guam explained.
“No, I don’t.”
Guam’s mind was warped into a frenzy of questions. What was that thing? How did Fluttershy become that thing? And more importantly, how do you kill it? Thunderbolt knew more about the creature then he was letting on. Guam would have bet his career on it.
“Probably classified,” he thought. Still, he had to know. He had to know how and why she became that behemoth. The general had all the answers. He was going to find out what was going on. He was going to get all the information on Fluttershy. It didn’t matter what it took or for how long, Guam was going to get his answers. He was going to make the general talk.
Blackberry made her way to the holding site where her father had been taken. She had demanded to speak with the pony in charge of the operation against Fluttershy, but so far they had all been denied. She wasn’t going to give up, however. Her father wasn’t at fault. Fluttershy had fooled them all. She finally spotted the green Pegasus with the yellow thunderbolt cutie mark. She had seen him before. He was the one who rallied all the ponies into the area. He was the one who started asking questions and barking orders. He would know what happened to Monsieur Pabul.
“Hey!” she called out. The general didn’t even turn her way. He just continued on his path. Blackberry hadn’t wasted her night just to be ignored. “Hey!”
She rushed to the general attempting to intercept him, but two other ponies cut her off.
“Sorry, miss. You have to stay back,” one of them warned. Blackberry wasn’t paying attention to what they had to say; all she wanted was the general.
“Hey! Where’s my father?!” Blackberry shouted to the Pegasus. This finally got the green pony’s attention.
“You’ll have to be specific. I don’t know who you’re father is,” the general replied.
“Monsieur Pabul!” she shouted as the two ponies started to drag her away from the general.
“Men, stand down,” the general ordered. The two ponies gave him a strange look.
“But sir, she-,“
“That’s an order, soldier!” the general snapped. It was clear to Blackberry that he didn’t like being ignored. The soldiers let go of her arms and backed away.
“Where is my father?” Blackberry asked again.
The general approached her. “Your father is being contained for the safety of Equestria. He will be transported to an secure army base for questioning.”
Blackberry’s anger boiled. Monsieur Pabul wasn’t the threat! Why was he the one that was locked up? “Contained for the safety of Equestria? Questioning? For what?” she asked.
“He was caught conspiring with a very dangerous criminal.”
“He was lied to. We all were.”
“But only one of you made the call,” the general stated.
Blackberry stood silent. She wasn’t sure what to say. Monsieur Pabul hadn’t made the call, she did. But why should he be punished? He didn’t know about Fluttershy. He wouldn’t have hired her if he had known, would he?
“I have to admit,” the general spoke. “When I heard about a pony making a call to capture a dangerous criminal, it warmed my heart.”
It burned Blackberry to listen to that. It warmed his heart that she had to betray her father and cause him to be arrested? What kind of pony was that?
“It fills me with joy to see Equestrian citizens serving their country.” The general slowly turned and began to walk away.
Blackberry lowered her head down in sorrow. The general’s voice then called to her again, “You should be honored. You’ve made your country proud.”
Blackberry raised her head to the general and saw that he was saluting her. His arm angled to his head to honor her as if she was some great hero. It made her sick. She had uprooted her entire family. Her father was in prison, her family was without a job, and what’s worse she was all-alone. Tears started to rush down her face as she released a deep sob. All this torment was all her doing.
She thought back to the yellow Pegasus. How she treated her with kindness and compassion. How she never did anything to hurt any pony, no matter what. How she was suppose to be the bad guy. Her thoughts then wandered to the general. The pony that had taken her father into custody, who had torn apart her home, who had separated some of her family from her. She thought he was supposed to be the good guy. Yet, he acted more like a bad guy. Compared to the general, Fluttershy staying in their camp, even with her secrets, was the lesser of two evils.
Blackberry sunk her knees with a deep sob. She had not only lost her family, her home, and her father... She had lost her best friend.
The flight back to base seemed longer than before. It was silent. Many of the ponies were probably pondering the same problem Guam was. Fluttershy. What they had seen and heard. What they had fought for their lives against. If that creature was Fluttershy, was she always that way and that’s why she’s important? Or was she made this way? Is she a lab rat gone wrong? Or is it something more? These questions coiled themselves around Guam’s brain.
During the course of the flight, he couldn’t help but glare at the general, as if he was expecting an answer for his questions. Unsurprisingly to him, he received none.
Guam intentionally waited for the general after exiting the aircraft. He was far from done with his conversation with him. The general continued down the path to his office with Guam not far behind. “Sir, I’ve been in bad situations on crap missions before.”
Thunderbolt’s thoughts then drew back to the profile reports on Guam. “Yes, it was during an expedition in the Zubian Desert.”
Guam’s mind remembered those days well. Three days and four nights trudging through the hot desert. It was suppose to be an easy job. Go in, map the area, return to base. It turned into anything but. No pony knew that within the desert there were lurking guerrillas. They got the better of him and he wouldn’t let that go. He wanted payback. He got it too.
It went against the orders of his higher ups. He lost a lot of rep and was discharged. It took him years to be able to re-enlist, but he didn’t care. He got his revenge. “If you read the report, sir, then you know I’ve seen a lot of good ponies go down because some pencil pusher didn’t let us know what we were walking into.”
Thunderbolt’s eyebrows rose. Guam wasn’t exactly one to mince words. “And?” Thunderbolt asked.
“And, I’ve done my job, sir. Move on to the next mission, but this...” Guam paused. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to see Fluttershy pay. He wanted to get back at the little mare that beat him. “No pony beats Guamadillius. No pony, nobody.”
“Sir, if you’re taking another crack at her, I want in.”
Thunderbolt took another look at Guam. Not many ponies asked to go up against Fluttershy again. Guam certainly had guts.
Guam then spoke again, “And with all due respect, you should be looking for ponies who are prepped and ready to fight. Because if that thing shows up again, you’re gonna have a lot of professional tough colts shitting themselves.”
Thunderbolt wasn’t used to being talk to this way by his inferior. However, Thunderbolt would have been lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by Guam. He certainly had the stones to say what he wanted, pursue what he wanted, and didn’t give a damn about what he had to do to get them. Thunderbolt gave a grin. Guam reminded him of himself when he was a colt. “I’ll talk with my superiors.”
Guam smiled on the inside, but kept his straight face for the general. He was going to get another chance to face Fluttershy and next time he’d be ready. Next time, he’d win.
Monsieur Pabul had sat quietly in his cell since they arrested him. It was a typical cell. A place to sit that doubled as a place to sleep. A small sink and lavatory was a few feet from his right, next to the wall. Only a few feet separated the wall to the wall opposite from it. Not even enough room to stretch his wings. And maybe that was the point.
He had been there for what seemed like hours. Hours, since he lost one of his family members. He knew exactly how Shutterfly had been discovered. He wasn’t angry with her either. Just... disappointed. He had thought that they had an understanding. “Wishful thinking,” he thought to himself.
Then he heard the sound of keys jingling. He turned himself towards the doorway to his cage and saw a green Pegasus standing at the door. His sharp eyes pierced at the griffin. The other pony with him opened the door and cleared the Pegasus’s path.
The Pegasus trotted in the door and stood over the griffin. “Monsieur Pabul,” the Pegasus spoke.
Their eyes met. “You must be the one in charge.”
“My name is General Thunderbolt and I am in charge of this operation.”
The griffin diverted his eyes away. There was nothing to be said. At least, not on his end.
The general spoke again, “My son, when he was a colt, used to love your shows.”
Pabul’s thoughts wandered to the years of his circus career. Those were the best years of his life. He had seen such talented ponies. Ponies who looked up to him like a father figure, and like any father, he would have to see his children move on. They would get better jobs, find a spouse, and raise a family. As much as it pained him to see them leave, it always brought him joy to receive letters of their lives and photos of their children and family. Things were easier with technology and computers. It was easier to see his family grow beyond what he had ever imagined.
“My son would beg me to take him to your shows. He was very happy.” The general paused, as the griffin directed his attention to him. “For me however... It was a colossal waste of my time.”
Pabul scowled at the general. Taking that insult was like a blow to his face. A blow that he could do nothing to retaliate.
“Where is Fluttershy?” the general asked.
The griffin continued his silence. He didn’t know where Fluttershy was, but as long as she was safe, he didn’t care.
“You are not in a good position, Monsieur Pabul. You left Fluttershy off your records. Kept her on employment under the table. You know that’s illegal?”
Pabul knew. He knew it the day Fluttershy came to his circus. She was just passing through when Bertha had been acting up. The elephant was upset and no pony could calm her down. It was only when a little yellow Pegasus intervened that Bertha was able to relax. It turns out Bertha was bearing a child. They would have never had realized they were adding a baby elephant to their family if Fluttershy hadn’t come along. At that moment, Pabul had to offer her a job. She was at first reluctant, of course, but he would not take no as an answer. He would do whatever it took to keep this mare in his employ. Yes, her requests were strange, but when he looked into her sad and desperate eyes. So full of loss and pain. Eyes that had been all alone, he couldn’t refuse her terms. He never once regretted it.
“You also had this in your cabinet.” Thunderbolt tossed a sheet of paper towards the griffin.
His claws failed to grab it and it fluttered to the floor. He looked down to where the paper had landed and staring back at him was the wanted poster Blackberry had brought him. But he never saw the face of a criminal. He only saw the pony that had called him ‘friend’.
“And a few minutes before my men attempted to apprehend her, she received a phone call that originated from your office.”
Pabul continued his silence. Thunderbolt, however, was growing impatient. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. “You can help yourself, Monsieur Pabul. I just need to know where Fluttershy is.”
Monsieur Pabul took another look at the general. “I don’t know what you believe Fluttershy is guilty of.” He gave a swallow. “But I know, that she is not capable of murder. Deep inside I know, that she’s not the monster you think she is.”
Thunderbolt gave a slight chuckle at the griffin’s choice of words. “You have no idea what is deep down inside of her.”
“I know that she is a kind and gentle soul. She doesn’t have it in her to kill.”
Thunderbolt raised his eyebrow. “Is that what you believe?”
The griffin raised himself to his feet, until he was standing eye to eye with the general. “I do. And I will continue to believe that, ‘til the day I die.”
There was a pause within the room. Silence reigned supreme for a second. Finally, the general replied, “I suggest you get comfortable, Monsieur Pabul. Because you will not be leaving here for a long, long time.”
The general turned back to the doorway and made his exit. The guard shut the door behind him.
Pabul silently sat back in his bed with his head in his claws. Fluttershy was safe. His family wasn’t involved with anything he had done. He looked down at the floor where the picture of the smiling figure still sat. He could hear the sound of her laughter and the gentleness of her voice. He could still see her kind smile. It almost made him smile himself. Almost. Reality set back in his mind as he heard a metallic door close. The reality that; he was a prisoner. Forever.
The waterfall thundered over the sobs of the little yellow Pegasus. Fluttershy had been crying for a long time it seemed. She rested her head into the grass and let the tears flow uncontrollably down her face. The trees casting their shadows over her as if a tribute to the dark place she now found herself in.
Little animals gathered all around her, as if they could sense her grief and sorrow. Birds, rabbits, and squirrels eased their way up to the weeping mare. Ducks swam up from the lakebed to Fluttershy’s side. It was like a scene from a storybook Fluttershy had once heard her mother read to her. She liked that book. It was about a princess who was loved by all wild life. But she was hardly a princess. She was a monster.
“How many more lives have I taken?” she asked herself. Her sobs continued, even through her thoughts. She cried almost every time she... change. Every time ‘she’ came out.
“How many more ponies had to die... because I couldn’t control her?” The thought had haunted her since the day she discovered she could become such a creature. She only discovered this strange curse a few years ago and discovered that it was triggered by anger. Since that day, she feared for the safety of everyone around her. Fluttershy was not a pony of violence and the very thought of hurting another pony, heck another creature, was unacceptable to her.
However, ‘she’ didn’t always think the same as Fluttershy. Fluttershy had no control over ‘her’ and often didn’t remember any of ‘her’ actions. News clippings were her only source of information concerning the raging beast. She remembered the first headline she ever read concerning the creature, ‘Mysterious Monster Murders Mare’.
Fluttershy remembered it all too well. She had been in the same place this mysterious monster had been, the same time, the same day. She remembered growing angry, growing outraged. This mare was mean, but even she didn’t deserve to die. Fluttershy must have cried for days. She couldn’t believe what she had done. What ‘she’ had done.
She felt a gentle tap on her hind leg. She turned her head; blades of grass stuck to her face, and saw a squirrel offering its acorns to her. She smiled at the gesture, but tears still streamed down her face. She wiped the tears from her eyes and the grass from her face. “Oh, thank you.” Fluttershy gently stroked the squirrel’s head.
“But I’m afraid a little acorn won’t help my big problem.”
The ducks quacked at the Pegasus, as if they were speaking to her. Fluttershy understood them well. She had been speaking to animals a long time, even more so when she was alone. She remembered the teachings of her father. To trust and listen to the animals around her, for they knew nature better than any pony ever did. It was strange considering her father’s line of work for him to say that. Regardless, it was something she held true to her heart. She learned a lot just from watching animals. She learned what food is edible and more importantly, where to find water.
She set her head back into the grass. “I don’t think there’s any pony that can help me. I’m a monster.”
The birds began to chirp and Fluttershy responded, “You don’t know me well enough. How can you say I’m not a monster? There’s no pony in this world who would help some pony like me.”
The birds began to chirp again. Fluttershy thought about what they told her. Was there a pony in Equestria that might be able to help her? And if so, would they be safe? Would they be protected if something bad were to happen? What she needed more than anything was a cure. A way to get rid of the beast within her. Her thoughts then wondered to her friend. The only friend she had that might be able to cure her. Hot Rod Wheels.
Fluttershy had to get back to civilization. She knew she needed to find her mysterious friend. If she found him, she might have a chance to cure herself. To rid herself of the monstrous beast that lies within her. She picked herself up off the grass. Tears were still soaking her cheeks, even as she started for the road. She had to find out where the nearest town was. A town would most likely have a school or library. And such a facility would have a computer. She needed to contact her friend. It was the only chance she had of living in peace.
“Greetings everypony, I’m Jack Maregee!” a light red news anchor with a neatly combed brown mane spoke over the television set. Cookie Crisp, a young earth mare, cringed at hearing the newscaster’s voice. He was annoying and she had better things to do than listen to him. She would have changed it, but she was under a vehicle performing repairs.
Working on this old vehicle wasn’t exactly an exciting line of work, but she wasn’t good for much else. Her cutie mark was a motorcycle with a trail of fire. She had always been a good rider, but it was hardly a job unless you were something spectacular. Something she’d never been.
She dropped out of school when she was 13. Ran away from home shortly after. Never went back. There were many times she thought she probably should have, but it never happened. She didn’t care. She couldn’t go back home even if she wanted to. Nothing there for her.
"Last night, a huge monster sighting just outside Baltimare.”
Her ears then perked themselves up. She dragged herself out from underneath the car and got to her feet. Something about the broadcast made her think of a certain pony. A certain some pony she thought had disappeared years ago.
“A mysterious creature was seen just outside the city of Baltimare. Witnesses say it was about 7 to 9 feet tall and some even say it had wings.”
She paid very close attention to the news broadcast. She placed herself in front of the small television set. It was an old box and the screen was darker from all its years of use, but it was still viable.
Sweat, still built up on her face, swam down her neck. Her brown coat and dark red hair was spotted with oil. She picked up the washcloth from the nearby table and began wiping her face.
“This creature perfectly describes the same beast that was seen more than seven months ago. We already know this creature is dangerous and that it is incredibly strong.”
The broadcast then began to show images of what kinds of damage the creature had done. Cars were torn to shreds. Walls that looked like a tank just drove through them. Entire roads that had been uplifted. It then showed a brief image of the creature. A huge green monster threw a truck as if it was a football. Gunfire and shouts of panic filled the television set, only to be overpowered by the creature’s roar unleashed from its powerful lungs.
“Flyshy.” She knew who it was. It was that yellow Pegasus pony she met years ago. The pony she had been looking for since that day. She turned towards the table and set down her washcloth. She dug through the various items on the desk until she found a brown folder. The front of the folder was blank, but inside it held mathematical equations and other scientific nonsense that was way beyond Cookie’s ability to understand. Regardless, she needed it. To repay her debt.
She then turned to her right to her motorcycle. Mounting it, she ignited the engine.
“The creature was last seen heading east. Where is it now? Are the ponies in Equestria safe? What does the military know about it? I’m Jack Maregee and I’ve got the story.”
The engine roared as she drove out of the garage and on the road. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to find her. She had to pay Fluttershy back for what she did nearly five years ago.
The next few days, Guam waited impatiently for Thunderbolt’s superiors to allow him to have access to the information concerning Fluttershy. Any amount of time he had to wait was too long. However, on the fifth day, he finally got his wish.
The general took Guam into his office, closing the door behind them. “Let me emphasize what I’m about to reveal to you is sensitive to both me and the army.”
Guam nodded and was all ears. He took a seat just across from where the general sat. He was hardly aware of his surroundings. If he were, the medals of Honor held within the small trophy box to his left would have impressed him. Thunderbolt took his job seriously, he always had. Guam, however, wasn’t even focused on the general’s past, unless, it coincided with Fluttershy’s.
“You are aware we have an Infantry Weapons Development Program.” the general took to his seat and picked up one of the folders on the desk. “Within that, there was a sub-program that focused on Bio-force enhancement.”
Guam nodded again. “Yeah, super soldier.”
Thunderbolt began flipping through the folder. “Yes. Oversimplification but yes.”
He picked a photograph from the folder and tossed it to Guam. It was a picture of a stallion. Guam recognized him. He was on Fluttershy’s family photo. A Pegasus with brown hair and a gentle smile.
“Brixy Bixby, Fluttershy’s father, was one of the scientist working on our Genetic Growth Enhancement Project. Very early phase work.”
Guam set down the photo and continued to listen to the general’s story. “He was tasked with modifying the growth rate of plants. We needed a base line to start testing on ponies. He wasn’t going to stay on the project. He didn’t have the stomach for the work we were planning and we knew that. Never told him what the project really was. He was a brilliant scientist, one of the best. But his experiments were met with ...very limited success.”
Guam leaned forward, absorbing every word. Guam had known ponies like that in his line of work. If you didn’t have the stones to get the job done, you were in the wrong world. The world didn’t favor the weak. It favored the bold. The ones who would step up and not let anything stand in their way.
The general placed the folder in front of him. Guam picked it up and began to read through it as the general continued.
“His daughter, Fluttershy, was born an abnormally small filly. Dangerously so.”
Guam’s ears perked up. He reverted his eyes from the page in front of him and aimed towards Thunderbolt.
“She became very sick. According to the medical report, her heart was abnormally small. She wasn’t receiving the amount of blood she needed. She was dying.”
Guam finally spoke, “But she survived?”
“Bixby wasn’t about to lose his daughter. The doctors couldn’t save her, so he decided to take things into his own hooves. He injected her with the growth serum out of desperation. And by some Celestia miracle, she survived.”
“And that’s where the creature comes in?”
Thunderbolt shook his head. “Not exactly.”
“Not the response I was hoping for.” Guam thought to himself. He was hoping for an explanation as to why that tiny filly would turn into a hulking beast. Regardless, he patiently waited for more of the story.
He continued to flip through the folder as Thunderbolt spoke, “Bixby’s actions weren’t authorized, of course. We only found out about it a few days later. It had leaked that we were going to take Fluttershy away for testing, because when we got to the house, Bixby, his wife, and his daughter were gone.”
“So they ran?” Guam asked.
“Chased them for nearly eight years until they asked for help from the wrong pony at the wrong time.”
Guam saw a page of a car that looked like it had been burning. He suspected it played a roll in the story, but he waited for the general to tell it.
“There was a car accident. The father was caught, the daughter escaped and the mother... wasn’t so fortunate.”
“Tragic,” Guam stated with as much sympathy as he could muster. “Not really. Just get to the good part.” Compassion wasn’t part of his job description. At least, not in his interpretation of it.
“It was only after he was caught, we found out that he had left his notes with his daughter.”
“I don’t imagine he was very cooperative,” Guam said, as he placed the folder back on the desk.
“No. We were right back where we started. Six years later, we finally found her again.”
“Faust, this is so damn tiring? When do we get to Fluttershy’s monster?” He wanted to know exactly how could that little mare transform into the massive creature he fought. And more importantly, how could he beat it?
“She had entered an unauthorized test site for a gamma pulse. She ended up saving some stupid mare and got caught in the blast herself. You could imagine our surprise when we found out she was alive.”
“But you finally had her? Then something happened, didn’t it?” Guam leaned forward once more. He knew this was when it was going to happen. He could feel it.
“Her father found out we had her. Tried to get her out. My men opened fire on him and that’s... when we first saw it. We still aren’t sure how it happened. There are theories that say the growth serum and the gamma radiation somehow affected her.”
Guam started to think about what the general had mentioned earlier. About Fluttershy’s father, Biby or whatever his name was, Guam couldn’t remember. Not that he cared. He thought about the growth serum that the father developed, the one that saved Fluttershy. “If he left, some pony else must have taken up the project.”
“You said the old man wasn’t working on weapons?”
The general shook his head.
“But you were, weren’t you? Want to try something else I’d say?” Guam asked.
The general was very quiet for a minute. Guam noticed that something was going on in that head. He wasn’t sure what, but he knew the general was up to something.
“One serum we developed was ... promising.”
“Promising, huh? That’s sounds like my ticket.” They had developed a way to make a superior pony. Guam smirked at the thought of growing into something that could best Fluttershy. “So, why’d they run?”
“Her father was a scientist. Her mother was a pacifist and a tree hugger.” The general slowly stood up. “They are not one of us.”
The general took a deep breath as his eyes aimed towards the window. Guam could feel the gears in the general’s head turning. Guam was fully aware of the general’s reputation. He also knew that the general’s current status was at risk and that he was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. Something Guam grew to admire about his commander.
The general finally spoke, “Guam, how old are you? 42?”
Guam wasn’t sure where the general was going, but he decided to answer, “39, sir.”
“Takes it’s toll, doesn’t it? Get yourself out of the trenches, for Faust sake. Should be a colonel by now.” Thunderbolt raised his eyebrow.
“No, sir. I’m a fighter. I’m not one to sit on the back lines. I’ll be a fighter as long as my body lets me.”
Guam then stood up. “But you know sir, if I had the body I had ten years ago, take what I know now, that would not be a pony I’d want to pick a fight with.”
The general turned, giving a satisfying smirk. “I think I can arrange something like that.”
Guam smiled at that thought. He was hoping that the general would say something like that. If this serum were as effective as the general hinted, he would be strong enough to face that monster again. The thought obsessed him. The thought of facing down that monster again, both terrified and thrilled him.
Bixby sat alone in a small room looking through a microscope. He had been in that room for a long time, staring at the same thing for what seemed like hours. Only taking a few seconds to write down something on a nearby scrap of paper every so often. He leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Just then he heard a soft voice, “Daddy.”
The tiny voice snapped him back to reality. He turned around to see his little filly with a smile on her face. He smiled back. “Hey, little angel. Come here. Let me see how big you are.”
Fluttershy leaped towards her father as he stood up. He swept the little filly off her feet and into the air. The child giggled as she was hoisted towards her father’s face.
“Wow, you are getting so big!” her father stated, as he gently nudged his daughter’s nose with his.
“What are you doing, daddy?” the little angel asked, noticing the microscope.
The father gave her a smile and sat back in the chair, the little angel on his lap. “Take a look,” he lifted his daughter to the microscope, holding her so she wouldn’t fall.
She looked and her eyes widened. Strange white orbs surrounded by much larger red orbs drifting in a clear solution. “Wow! What are those?!” the filly asked in awe.
“Those are called blood cells.”
“Blood cells? What are those?”
The father chuckled a bit. “Those are in your blood. They make you healthy.”
“Do you have blood cells to make you healthy?
The father couldn’t help but smile at such an innocent question. “Yes, I do. They are in you, and me, and mommy and every pony.”
“Wow. They look so big!”
“They are actually real small. Want to see?” The little filly nodded. Bixby took the slide from the microscope and showed it to the little angel.
“Hey! I can’t see the blood cells any more!”
“You can’t?” The father spoke in a politely sarcastic tone. “That’s because blood cells are so small, you can’t see them with just your eyes. You need a very special machine.” He pointed towards the microscope, introducing the little filly its name.
“What’s a micro cope?” the filly asked.
The father gave a slight chuckle at the child’s attempted pronunciation, “A microscope is-“
Just as he began to explain, a burst of gunfire shatters the image.
Fluttershy gasped as she awoke. Her heavy breathing filled the air around her, echoing throughout the cave she had fallen asleep in. She looked around to find herself still in the dark cave she had rested in. A storm had broken. Rain plummeted from the sky, soaking the land outside. Thunder must have simulated the gunfire in her dream. Within the cave, the echo of the thunder made it seem louder.
Tears started to develop in Fluttershy’s eyes. She missed her father. She missed her mother. She missed having another pony to talk to when she was sad or scared. Her father always knew what to say when she needed to know something. And her mother’s voice was always so gentle and kind. They always put her before themselves. A quality that Fluttershy had taken for granted many times. She would have given everything to take them back in her hooves. She wished with all her heart she could see them; see their smiles. But like the photo, they were gone.
Fluttershy entered the small town of Hoofington, a much smaller town than the city of Baltimare. The city was a lot cleaner and friendlier than Baltimare too, which she was grateful for. Still, she was wanted all over Equestria. She couldn’t let anyone see her who might know who she is.
After finding an old hat in the dumpster, she stuffed her hair into the hat as tight as she could. The hat would have fit if not for all her hair clumped into a ball, trapped by the rims of the headpiece. Pink hair off her left side was all that hung from her face. She would have preferred to hide this as well, but there wasn’t any more room in her hat to completely conceal her hair.
“I need to contact Hot Rod Wheels to see if he can help me. But I need a computer for that. Where in this city could I go to use a computer? I lost my old laptop back at the circus camp. Where should I go? I know, the library! “
Her parents used to take her there to read and enjoy books. Her father would introduce her to books on math, science, geography, while her mother would read her stories about princesses, knights and even terrifying dragons. She loved it when her parents would read to her. She would cling on to every word they spoke. She could never take them with her. Not with the soldiers tracking her. But she did learn a lot from those books. She knew that sometimes, libraries had computers that a pony could use. And she was in desperate need of one.
After an hour of traveling through town, she finally located the library. Fluttershy entered through the double doors to see shelf upon shelf of books. For a small town, this certainly was a big library. Not the biggest Fluttershy had ever been in, but it was still a sizable one. She looked to the desk on her left to see a young mare on the phone.
“I know, right?” The mare spoke on the phone, not even noticing the yellow Pegasus.
“Um... Excuse me,” Fluttershy politely spoke, but the mare didn’t even hear her.
“Are you kidding?! He seriously said that?! To you?!”
Fluttershy was always patient, but this was important and she didn’t have time to be patient. “Um… Excuse me? Miss?” she spoke a little louder, but the mare still didn’t seem to respond.
“Oh, no way! I’ll tell you right now, if that was my stallion I would-“
“Excuse me!” Fluttershy finally shouted. The whole library turned towards her. She started to turn red. Her head sank into her shoulders. She didn’t mean to yell, she just lost control. “So much for not arousing attention,” she thought to herself.
“Sorry, I’ve got to take care of this.” The mare told the other pony on the line. She turned herself around, glaring towards Fluttershy. “What?”
Fluttershy was a bit frightened. This pony wasn’t very nice and ‘she’ hadn’t come out in a few days. She didn’t mean to make a fuss of things. It wasn’t like her at all. But after everything that had happened to her, she really needed help and she was afraid she wouldn’t receive it if she didn’t do something. She didn’t want to cause any more trouble, but she needed a computer. “Could I use one of your computers?” her soft voice finally spoke.
“Yeah, sure,” the mare replied as she shooed the Pegasus away. She continued her conversation as normal, saying something about a very rude Pegasus. She bothered her, but Fluttershy had been the victim of rude and inconsiderate comments before. She did her best to ignore it, trying to look on the bright side.
“Well, at least I have a computer. Now I can talk to Hot Rod and hope he can help me.”
If all went well, she would contact her friend and be out of the library before something bad happened.
Fluttershy made her way to the computer and booted the chat program. As soon as it was loaded, she typed her message.
‘Hot Rod? Are you there?’
A few seconds later, a message appeared on the screen.
‘Lil’ Angel! I hadn’t heard from you for a while. I was beginning to worry.’
A second message appeared on the screen before Fluttershy could respond.
‘I have wonderful news. Preliminary tests show immense reduction in Gamma toxicity levels.’
Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she had read. If this were true, this could be everything she’d ever dreamed of. She would be finally rid of the spores that ailed her. She would be rid of the curse that burdened her. She tapped on the keyboard, spelling her next message.
‘Will it cure me?’
Fluttershy waited patiently for his response. It only took a few seconds, but those might as well been hours to Fluttershy.
‘Yes.’
Fluttershy almost leaped out of her chair with joy. It took all her restraint not to cheer as loud as she could. She could have very possibly stumbled onto the cure that had eluded her for so long. Just as she began to smile, another message appeared on the screen that wiped it away.
‘But I need more data. I need Gamma levels, blood saturation, and there is an irregularity in your cells. I need to know about the information on that as well.’
If Hot Rod would have asked her five years ago, she could have told her about her father’s notes. Everything that she had been was in those notes.
Her father had kept a very close track of her biology for years. Ever since her family was on the run, her father would run all sorts of tests on her. She didn’t realize what they were at first, but her father had injected her with a growth serum that saved her life. Her father told her that the serum was the reason they wanted Fluttershy and the reason they had to run away. In those notes was everything about the serum. The formula that created it and how it progressed within her as she aged. She had attempted to read it several times, but never understood it much.
She wished with all her heart that she knew where to start looking for her father’s notes, but she lost them all those years ago. The same day she lost her father. With a heavy heart, she sent her reply.
‘I can’t. I don’t have it anymore. I lost it.’
Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to do, what to say. She had put all of her faith into Hot Rod’s scientific mind. If he or she couldn’t help her, maybe, no pony could. As if the computer could read her mind, the message appeared.
‘Without it, I cannot help.’
And with that, images of living a life without fear disappeared before her very eyes, replacing them with tears of sorrow.
Cookie Crisp entered through the doors of the local gas station. She had stopped for a beer and something to snack on.
She had been searching through the city for a whole afternoon. It wasn’t easy. She knew that Fluttershy had a record. That ponies would be on the look out for her. She knew it would be a needle in a haystack. Regardless, she wouldn’t give up. She would find her. If the news was right and the creature did head towards Hoofington, Fluttershy was somewhere nearby.
She placed the beer that she had picked up from the cooler onto the counter.
Out of the corner of her eye, towards the ladies room, she saw a yellow Pegasus appear from the doorway. Normally, Cookie wouldn’t have given her a second look, but there was something oddly familiar about her.
The pony’s pink mane hung out of one side of her face, under a green baseball cap. She quietly minded her own business as she made her way to the exit of the store.
Cookie continued to stare as the Pegasus started to pass by. Before she left the store however, Cookie ripped the baseball cap straight off the yellow pony’s head. The pony gasped as she turned in a panicked frenzy. She began to back away slowly, breathing heavily. Cookie studied the pony’s face very carefully and noticed that this was the pony she was looking for. “I was hoping I’d find you in a place like this,” Cookie said.
The Pegasus meets eye-to-eye with the other pony. At first, she started to tremble, but when their eyes caught, she stopped quivering. Instead, she smiled. “Cookie?” Fluttershy asked.
Fluttershy then leaped onto Cookie giving her a great, big hug. Cookie was caught off guard and lost her breath for a second. “Geez, for a little pony, she can take the wind out of you.” “Yeah, great to see you, Flyshy.”
“Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you, Cookie.” Fluttershy hugged her friend even tighter.
After a long awkward pause, with Fluttershy’s hug turning into a vice grip, Cookie finally asked to be let go.
The two made their way outside and started to wander away from the gas station down towards the city. Fluttershy had been asking Cookie about her life. She was asking questions so quickly that Cookie had barely anytime to ask questions about Fluttershy about her own life.
Fluttershy had never been happier to see any pony in her life. Cookie Crisp was a pony she had saved during her travels around Equestria. She was a good pony, even if she didn’t know it herself.
“What are you doing here?” Fluttershy asked.
“Looking for you,” Cookie replied. She started to dig through her bag. “I’ve got something for you.” She revealed a folder with several pieces of paper inside. She placed it in Fluttershy’s hooves.
As Fluttershy flipped through the pages, her eyes widened with glee. “My father’s notes!” Fluttershy shouted in joy as loud as she could, which was still no more than a whisper. The only piece that remained of her father’s memory was in these notes. The chance to get her life back and she was holding them in her hooves. It was like a Faust-send. “Where did you get these?”
“Well, I got them when your old man...“
Fluttershy’s smile disappeared from her face at the mention of her father. As much as she wanted to move on, it was very hard to do.
Cookie couldn’t blame her. She had only met her father for a few minutes, but his only concern was protecting his daughter. Something, she envied of Fluttershy. Cookie changed her story, “When you saved my life, I snagged them when you-“
Fluttershy turned away with a sad frown on her face. She didn’t like being reminded of the day her father died or of the monster she became because of it. She could tell Cookie wasn’t trying to hurt her feelings, but so far, it wasn’t working.
“Anyways, you saved my life. I owed you,” Cookie finally stated.
Several seconds past. Several long seconds. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me,” Fluttershy finally replied.
“Yeah, well, forget it.” There was silence in the air. As if neither one knew what was the right thing to say next. As if they were strangers met on a normal day, desperately trying to strike up a conversation.
Cookie turned down the road back towards the gas station. “Well, see you.”
Cookie stopped in her tracks and turned towards Fluttershy. “Um... yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This pony had been searching for her for five years to give her back her father’s notes and that was it. “But I thought we were friends,” Fluttershy thought. “I need your help. I can’t do this on my own. I really thought I could, but... I just can’t be alone anymore.”
Cookie scoffed, and turned back towards the Pegasus. “Look, I can’t help you. Besides, I paid my debt. We’re even.”
This almost brought a tear to Fluttershy’s eyes. It was one thing for a stranger to be rude; it was another thing entirely for some pony you thought was your friend being terrible. But if she wanted to go, Fluttershy couldn’t stop her.
“I guess you have. It’s okay, I’ll be okay alone,” she whimpered. She tried to hold her tears back, but when they started to swarm her face, she quickly turned away. She then started to trot down the road towards the city, her head lowered to the ground.
Cookie was silent as the yellow Pegasus walked away. She finally spoke back, “Yeah, okay then. Cool. I’m glad we...” she couldn’t stop but think about what she had said. Had she paid her debt? Fluttershy said she had, but why did she feel so bad about this? “...agree on that.”
Cookie made her way back to her bike, trying not to think about Fluttershy. Cookie thought she had made up her mind, but every second her mind wondered, she thought about the yellow Pegasus. After several minutes, she arrived at her bike’s side.
“Come on. Just drive off. Flyshy’s good, right? I mean... she’s fine. She said she was.”
She mounted her bike and looked down the road. It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to reach the edge of town back towards her apartment. Once there, she would never have to worry about Fluttershy again. But, no matter how she tried, something inside her told her to go back. To help the pony who saved her life.
“I guess... She did save my flank. But I gave her back her old man’s notes. That should be enough. Shouldn’t it?”
She tried to block the image of the desperation of Fluttershy’s eyes, but it was in vain. She couldn’t stop thinking about how she had just left her there, like a puppy with an injured leg. How she had just left her to her fate.
“Damn it, just drive off! Damn you! Just go! Go!
It ate away at her until she finally gave in.
“Faust, what am I doing?” she asked herself as she headed back into town to find the yellow Pegasus.
Cookie and Fluttershy entered the small apartment of Cookie Crisp. It was a very small place. In front of the doorway, just a few feet forward, Fluttershy could see where Cookie kept her bed. To her right, was a simple dresser. The handle was broken off on one of the two drawers. She looked to her left to see her reflection in the closet door mirror. Beyond the bed was a balcony. She almost smiled. She wanted to get a great view of the city. As she looked again, she saw only the side of the building next to them. Her faced made a frown. She wouldn’t have minded see the city from above. It was probably beautiful.
Cookie threw her keys on the dresser. “Make yourself at home.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but see the dresser as Cookie’s keys jingled into it. There were several envelopes, some of which said, IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what that meant. What could they want she wondered?
She hadn’t seen mail much before. In fact, when she sent the package to Hot Rod Wheels containing her blood sample, it was Monsieur Pabul who taught her how to do it.
She missed Monsieur Pabul. She missed Blackberry. She missed all the circus folk. She wondered how they were doing. Were they okay? What about Bertha and Tommy? And Alex? She hoped they weren’t in too much trouble because of her. It pained her to think of what might have happened to them. She hoped that striking up a conversation with Cookie would help keep her mind off it.
“This is a wonderful place you have,” Fluttershy commented.
“Yeah, right. It ain’t a four star hotel, but at least it’s a place to sleep.”
“You don’t know how much this means to me, Cookie.”
Cookie plopped her self down on her bed. “Forget it.”
Fluttershy made her way to the window. She knew the view wasn’t much, but it felt nice to feel the breeze. The way it flowed against her hair, the way it brushed against her face. It was like being back in the meadows she had traveled when she was a filly. The days before all this madness began. She was brought back from her thoughts when Cookie spoke,
“So, what happened?”
Fluttershy was confused. What happened? A lot of things had happened. It was hard to know exactly what Cookie meant.
Cookie was able to pick up on her silence. “What happened when you... changed?”
Fluttershy’s heart sank. Changed? She hated that word, but was there any other way to describe what happened to her? Changed. She had changed all right. From a sweet, loving pony into a raging beast. She didn’t want to say anything at all. She just wanted to forget everything, but Cookie did offer to help her. Cookie let her into her home and gave her shelter. She deserved to know.
Fluttershy sighed, a tear nearly building up in her eye. “When I was hit by the gamma bomb, something happened.”
Cookie’s eyebrows rose. Then she turned towards the timid pony. “You mean this hadn’t happened before?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, I didn’t even know it happened until four months after.”
“So, why does that thing come out?”
Thing. It wasn’t even a pony anymore. It was just a monstrous, terrible, raging... thing. Tears started to dwell in Fluttershy’s eyes, but she held them back. She looked down towards the street below. “It only happens when I’m angry. When I lose control.”
Cookie could sense the sorrow in her words. “What in Tartarus has she been through?”
Fluttershy turned around back towards the room and slowly trotted inside.
Cookie saw Fluttershy’s eyes. They were red, probably from crying. Cookie bit her lip. She knew what she had said upset her. “Flyshy... I’m sorry,” she thought to herself. And with that, that they said nothing for the rest of the night.
The night presented a difficult time for Fluttershy to fall into sleeps deep embrace, as was the case every night. It wasn’t because the floor was uncomfortable. She had been sleeping on the ground for years. It didn’t bother her anymore. In fact, when she had a bed to sleep on, she found it... synthetic. It felt as if she wasn’t really a part of the earth anymore. She would often find herself on the floor asleep, much to her parent’s confusion.
The night was unpleasant because she hated to dream. She would often dream the same things every night. She would be a filly. A filly like any other except for two things. She would have her mommy and her daddy. She would laugh, they would laugh. She would be picking flowers with her mother or hugging her father after she had learn to make a fire all by herself. Her mother singing her sweet lullaby to help her fall asleep or her father’s voice as he spoke about the wonders of science. They were the most wonderful moments she could ever have.
And then, as if some pony had cruelly slapped her, she would wake up in pain and sadness.
Thunderbolt marched past doorway after doorway of the Las Pegasus State College. The bell just sounded over the heads of every student, signaling their day to be done. Hordes of students came from every direction passing the general. Most of them didn’t even give him a glance, but the few who did stared for a time. Most of them probably thought he was there for recruiting. He didn’t care what those kids were thinking, he was here for something much more important. Important, and only one pony had it.
He made his way to the office of Professor Steel Smolder. He stood at the doorway as the dark blue unicorn was in a discussion with a bright pink Pegasus. They were discussing something to do with math, of that Thunderbolt was sure. What it was, he couldn’t care less.
The blue unicorn finally took notice of him. A flash of resentment crossed into his eyes. He drowned it out as he smiled towards the young mare. “We’ll discuss this again another time, Miss Pepper.”
The Pegasus nodded with a smile and gathered her books. She politely made her way past the general, leaving the two alone.
The general shut the door behind him as he made his way into the room.
“Have you come to kill me, General?” the unicorn asked sarcastically. He turned his chair away from the doorway and pushed himself towards the window. He sat silently as the sun continued to beam onto his face. He had been stranded in that chair for years. It was his curse and it was all Thunderbolt’s fault. “Because that would be a blessing compared to what I’m doing now.”
“Nice to see you haven’t lost your personality,” Thunderbolt remarked.
“Cut the crap. What do you want?” Professor Smolder snapped.
The general’s eyes cut towards the professor. Smolder had always had a mouth on him, so he wasn’t surprised by his tone. Still, he would not be disrespected. “I’m here for the formula.”
Smolder raised his eyebrow. “Are you still on about that?” He turned his chair towards the general. “I thought the government had scrapped that project.”
“Your partner seemed to think it would work.”
“Let me tell you something about my partner; his serum didn’t work, it never worked, it never will work.” He emphasized his words by sharply tapping on the arm of his chair.
Thunderbolt took several steps towards the professor. “Then how come Fluttershy is still alive?”
“If you had gotten me the notes that I requested, I could have told you!” He pointed his hoof towards the general. “But because of your incompetence! Your bumbling-!”
“I’d be careful how you speak to me, doctor,” the general said with as much patience as he could muster. No pony, whoever they were, would disrespect him, especially not this failure of a scientist. “You’ve already lost so much.” He stepped towards Smolder, towering over him. “Your son, your wife, your legs.”
Smolder took a look down towards his legs. The ones cursed to be trapped in a chair. Thoughts of rage filled his mind. If he could lash out all his rage against the general he hated so much, he would have.
“Can you really afford to lose any more?”
Smolder glared at the general. A second later, Smolder made his way to a locked safe behind his desk. His horn started to glow bright blue as it magically turned the lock on the safe. The door opened to reveal a small vial with a clear liquid and a few scraps of paper. A blue aura surrounded the vial as it floated into the air. The vial finally found its way to Thunderbolt’s hooves. “Here’s your damn formula.”
The general started to make his way from the room when Dr. Smolder’s voice stopped him, “Be careful with that. I don’t need to tell you the unfortunate side effects.”
With that, the general exited the classroom, leaving the raging unicorn to his lonely thoughts.
Fluttershy wandered through the seemingly endless desert, alone and forgotten. The sun was harsh, even in the earliest hours of the day. But at the very least, it was bearable. This place wasn’t where she wanted to be, but she couldn’t stay near civilization. Not with the soldiers following her.
She felt as if she had been walking for days. Her supply of water was running low and food was scarce. Her mouth was dry and conjuring a small amount of saliva was difficult. Her stomach roared in pain, desperate for food. Even the sand across the desert floor looked delightful. She would need to find someplace to gather supplies, but that seemed an impossible feat.
The sun was slowly driving the animals into hiding and there was very little vegetation. Even with her knowledge of plants, she wasn’t sure which plants in the desert wasteland were edible for ponies. Maybe none of them were.
Fluttershy continued to walk, the sand ravaging her hooves as she trudged through it. Her hooves were aching. Walking on them hurt. Tartarus, even standing on them hurt. There were many cuts on the bottom of her hooves. Some of them still fresh with blood. The sand filling up the wounds would only cause her to brush the bottom of her hooves clean, only to be burdened with the pain moments later. It felt like an endless cycle of misery and pain. Something she couldn’t escape.
A bright light then assaulted her eyes, causing her to turn her head in a vain attempt to shield them.
“The sun?” she thought to herself. “But the sun rises in the east, doesn’t it?”
She turned her head, trying to ignore the glare in her eyes. After focusing her vision, she noticed that the bright light wasn’t the sun at all. It was a giant metallic dome. The metal reflected the light of the sun into the mare’s eyes, casting the illusion of the sun.
“What is a metal dome doing here in the middle of the desert?” she asked herself.
Fluttershy carefully studied the magnificent construct. It was very smooth in it’s design with only one visible entry point. It was a long narrow gap on the side of the dome. That gap was wide enough to see through and inside there seemed to be ponies. Fluttershy focused her gaze on the dome’s interior and saw a single pony looking out upon her. A Pegasus pony with a light green coat and short black mane looked out onto the desert.
He was a very well kept stallion, but that wasn’t why Fluttershy was eying him. There was something oddly ... familiar about him. But she couldn’t seem to recall where.
Suddenly, she heard the revving of some type of vehicle. She quickly turned around to see a pony on a motorbike. She had just taken off a steep hill into the air. Fluttershy took a step back as the bike started to come towards the ground. She was terrified of it and the pony that was riding it. Of course, she was afraid of a lot of things.
As the bike landed on the ground, it swerved out of control. The rider attempted to regain control of her ride, but was thrown aloft instead. The bike jetted off several yards before tumbling to the ground, uncontrollably.
“Damn it!” the mare shouted. She lifted herself off the ground and dust herself off.
Fluttershy was worried that she had hurt herself. “Oh my, that pony really shouldn’t be riding something so dangerous,” she thought to herself.
Fluttershy made her way to the mare with short red hair. She stepped in front of the mare’s path. “Um... excuse me. Are you okay?”
The mare turned, her eyebrow raised. “Who the Tartarus are you?”
Fluttershy’s head sunk into her shoulders and she started to quiver. “Well... I-I ... just.”
“Do you mind getting out of my way?!” the mare shouted as she rudely trotted her way past Fluttershy.
“I’m...I’m s-s-sorry,” Fluttershy finally said.
Fluttershy started to walk the other way, listening to the mare speak profanity under her breath. Just as the pair started to leave each other’s personal space, a siren started to wail all around them. They stopped dead in their tracks as the siren continued its foreboding cry. They then heard a voice calling to them from the distance.
“You need to get out of there!”
Their eyes diverted themselves to the metallic dome. The pony with the dark hair was shouting at them. He looked terrified. Frightened.
“There’s only 30 seconds before the gamma bomb explodes!”
“Bomb?!” Fluttershy began to panic. “We’re in the middle of a bomb zone?!” Fluttershy looked behind her and several hundred feet away, a large towering metallic structure stood proudly in the distance. “Was that... the bomb?!”
Like runners hearing the sound of the gunshot, the two mares burst into a frantic dash to the metallic dome.
Fluttershy was certain that metallic dome would be safe. If she was right, it was the only place she would be safe. Her hooves began to carry her the seemingly incredible distance. Pain throbbed through her legs. The burning nearly caused her to collapse, but she pushed through. She needed to get to safety.
She took a look to her left and her thoughts of self-preservation change. She saw the other mare that was in the same death trap she was in. The biker who had been so mean to her, called her a ... well, she wasn’t going to even think such a word. Still, how could she be so selfish? “How could I have only thought about myself?” Fluttershy thought. “She deserves to live as much as I do!”
As they approached the metallic dome, they noticed the narrow opening was much higher off the ground then either of them was expecting. The brown mare jumped up to the opening and caught the ledge with her hooves. She struggled to pull herself up, but couldn’t find the strength.
Fluttershy, sensing time was growing short, decided to act. She placed her front hooves onto the bottom of the mare’s hind hooves and began to push up as hard as she could. It took all of her strength to help lift the mare, but eventually she fell, headfirst, into the complex.
Now, it was her turn. Fluttershy started to flap her wings as hard as she could, attempting to bring herself to the opening. When she finally came to where the opening was, she noticed the entry point was much narrower and growing even more so. The only opening was sealing itself shut. The light green stallion urged her to hurry, but it was too late. The stallion disappeared behind the metal panel. Fluttershy slammed her hooves on the doorway, hoping it would open. However, no matter how hard she hit the metal, it wouldn’t even budge.
The yellow Pegasus then heard a huge explosion coming from behind her. She turned her head to see a green wave of light coming straight for her. Her mind raced with thoughts of avoiding such a wave, but the light was traveling so fast and with so much power, what hope did she have? She closed her eyes, her wings slowly giving out to slowly place her hooves on the ground. “I’m coming... Mommy... Daddy,” she whispered to herself only a second before the green light engulfed her. The only sound she heard after that was her own blood-curdling scream.
Fluttershy’s eyes burst open. Awoken by her own scream. She had hardly gotten a wink of sleep. As she feared, she would dream. Dreams created from her worst memories. The days she lost the ones she cared about. The events that changed her life forever. They never seemed to stop and they were getting worse every day.
She looked towards the cabinet where she had placed her father’s notes. She picked herself up and combed through them again, being very careful not to wake Cookie. Of course, she had slept through Fluttershy’s own nightmare; maybe even Bertha would have a hard time waking her up.
Fluttershy could understand some of it, but there was a majority she didn’t understand. It was biology and chemistry beyond anything Fluttershy had gotten from her books. Her father was as brilliant as she remembered. Even after five years of reading and studying for her condition, she was still nowhere in the league of her father’s intellect. Her only hope was her mysterious friend. She had to get these notes to Hot Rod, whatever it took.
Cookie groaned as she pushed herself off her bed. Fluttershy greeted her with a smile. “Good morning, Cookie.”
Cookie rubbed her eyes, still groggy. “Hey, Flyshy.” She stood up and stretched her front legs by leaning back on her hind legs. “So, what are you doing up?
Fluttershy placed the folder back on the desk. “I was just looking at my father’s work.”
Cookie opened her closet. “You make any sense out of it. All it did for me was make my brain hurt when I tried to read it.”
A small chuckle came from Fluttershy. “Some of it.”
Cookie grabbed her biker jacket from the closet and closed it behind her. “What now?”
Fluttershy thoughts revisited the night before. She had stayed up most of the night thinking about it. A pony that could help them. Somepony that would have the information she would need. She had her father’s notes on the growth serum he injected into her, but it wasn’t enough. She still needed the data on the gamma pulse. She remembered the pony she knew worked on the project. “I need you to help me find some pony. If I remember right, he used to live here. I mean, if you can.”
“Okay, why?”
“He might be able to get me what I need to cure it. To get rid of it forever.”
Cookie took a deep breath. Fluttershy was hoping that she wouldn’t storm out on her like yesterday, but she didn’t.
“This is the only way?” Cookie asked.
Fluttershy simply nodded.
“Okay, just let me shower first,” Cookie replied as she headed out of the room.
Crumble sat at his home after a long day at the school. His warm tea helped him relax after the stress of radiation testing, tapping into the hidden strengths that all ponies naturally possess, and dealing with the typically brilliant, but often distracted college student. He sat peacefully as the fireplace continued to silently warm the vicinity.
He started to close his eyes as the silent air began to consume him. A knock suddenly came at the door, driving him from his relaxation. He exhaled in frustration and slowly got up and headed for the door. The knock came again. Who ever this pony was, they were certainly impatient. “Alright, I’m coming,” he shouted.
He opened the door to see a brown mare with a short red mane, in a jet-black biker jacket. “Can I help you?
“Are you Crumble Bristle?” the mare asked.
“I am,” He replied. His eyebrow rose. He wondered what could this mare want with him. “Who are you? Do I know you?”
“Sort of. We met briefly.” She then stepped to the side to reveal a yellow Pegasus with a long pink mane.
“Crumble?” the Pegasus asked.
He took a look at the Pegasus. He was silent for a long time. He had seen this pony somewhere before, but he couldn’t remember where. He racked his brain, but couldn’t give a reason why he knew her.
The Pegasus spoke again, “When you were a little colt, there was a filly you would always play with in the park. Her mom would always be a few yards away. One time, you two played on the monkey bars. She fell off and she’s been afraid of heights ever since.”
His mind went back to that day so many years ago. He remembered the Pegasus who tried to climb the monkey bars. She was very, very shy. She said she didn’t have many friends. That didn’t stop them from playing together. The more his mind thought of this filly, the more the images of her and the mare in front of her became the same. His eyes spoke volumes of fear as he slowly realized who was at his front door.
“Fluttershy?” he gasped in panic, unsure of what was about to befall him.
Crumble was at the park, standing alone. A typical day for the young Pegasus colt. He didn’t have many friends and the friends he did have, his father would have never approved of.
“Of course,” he thought to himself. “Was there anypony the old colt would approved of? Of course not.”
All he could think of was how much he hated him. He was never there when he needed a friend or a loved one. No, it was always a stranger his father worked with or a distant relative, regardless of whether they liked him or not. The stallion was never there when he needed him.
He looked out in the park. Several of the younger fillies and colts there were playing with others their age. He turned his gaze towards the park benches. Various mares and the occasional stallion sat on the park bench, conversing with each other or reading. Parents just simply watching their children have fun. Something Crumble envied.
Play dates. He had always asked himself what those were.
“What was it like to have a play date?” he asked himself. What he wouldn’t have given to have just one.
He just stood by the swing set, no pony to talk to. No pony to play with. He let out a sigh as he sat in the empty swing seat. His head turned towards the grass below him as he lazily swung back and forth. He started to remember the days on that swing set with his mother. His mother would always push him to get him higher and higher. He wanted to get as high as the clouds. He could get himself as high as the swing would let him by himself now, but it never felt the same. Not without her.
He then heard a group of colts laughing. At first he didn’t even give it a second thought, considering his surroundings. The park was always bustling with life. But underneath the laughter, he could hear a weak weeping voice. He turned and saw a group of older colts bullying a young Pegasus mare.
She was crying. Her pink mane hid her face from everypony, but her sobs were easily heard. He had seen her around the park before. Like him, she didn’t seem to have many friends. She would always be in the corner of the sandbox, running around chasing butterflies, squirrels or rabbits, or reading a book on a nearby bench with a coral mare that Crumble assumed was her mother.
He gave a quick glance around him and found that the mother was nowhere to be found. She must have stepped away and those bastards had seen their chance to move. He had seen enough and marched his way over to the sight.
“Hey!” he shouted.
The colts turned to the source of the voice behind them. They spotted the light green colt coming towards them.
“Why don’t you pick on a pony your size?!” he threatened, his eyes piercing at them. However, hiding under that rage was a pony who was afraid. He hadn’t been in many fights before and these stallions were about his size. He hoped they would give up without a fight.
The largest of the group, a dark red colt gave Crumble a quick glance before turning back to his compatriots. The large colt started to laugh, his example slowing being followed by the others. One by one, they all drifted to another part of the park, not even giving him a second glance.
The Pegasus, her hooves still covering her eyes and curled in a ball, was sobbing uncontrollably.
Crumble set himself beside the filly. “Hey.”
She continued to sob as she turned away from him. She started to quake in what Crumble assumed was fear. No doubt she thought he was another bully.
“Hey, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you. Those jerks are gone,” he said, doing his best to reassure her.
The Pegasus slowly moved her hooves away from her eyes, revealing two big blue eyes. They were beautiful eyes, despite being red and puffy from all her crying.
“Th-th-thank you,” the Pegasus’s voice broke off through her sobs.
“It’s nothing.” He then gently put his hoof on her’s. “I’m Crumble. What’s your name?”
The little filly started to look up. She looked into his eyes and started to smile. It was a cute little smile. “I’m... I’m...” she weakly started to speak, but she couldn’t get the sentence out.
Crumble smiled back. “It’s alright. Don’t be scared.”
The filly nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy, huh?” Crumble smiled. “That’s a nice name.”
Fluttershy blushed and looked down at the ground as if she wasn’t sure what to do.
Crumble, also, found himself at a lost for words. It was all so sudden. First, standing up for a pony he hardly knew and then this... wonderful new experience, Crumble couldn’t make sense of it all. All he knew was, he liked the experience.
After a long and odd silence, Crumble asked, “Fluttershy, do you want to be friends?”
At that moment, Fluttershy looked up at him. At first, with an alarmed stare on her face, but a second later, her face began to brighten with the appearance of a smile.
“You want to be my friend?!” Fluttershy meekly cheered.
Crumble’s own smile mirrored Fluttershy’s. “Yes, I do.
Fluttershy nodded excitedly. Crumble could tell she was excited to have a new friend as he was, maybe even more so.
The days that followed their meeting, Crumble would wait at the park for the return of Fluttershy. He loved seeing her bright and smiling face everyday. And today was no different.
Crumble smiled as he spotted the yellow Pegasus, racing excitedly towards him.
“Hi, Crumble,” Fluttershy greeted.
“Hi, Fluttershy,” Crumble replied.
“So, what do you want to do today?” the filly asked excitedly.
Crumble could tell she was ready to play and he had an idea. “Why do we try climbing the monkey bars?”
Fluttershy shot him a look of confusion. “Monkey bars? What are those?”
Crumble then repaid the look of confusion Fluttershy gave him. “You’ve never seen monkey bars before?”
Fluttershy shook her head.
Crumble smiled and beckoned her to follow him. After a short trot, they found themselves next to the big slide and beside them were the monkey bars. Crumble had tried to get Fluttershy to slide down the big slide, but each time she couldn’t even make it to the top floor. She was way too scared. Crumble always found it odd. She was a Pegasus after all, she shouldn’t be afraid of heights.
Crumble was determined to cure her of this fear. “We are going to climb those,” he excitedly declared, pointing towards the metallic bars.
Fluttershy started to shake. She looked up at the monkey bars. To her, they might has well have been stars in the sky they were so far away. She gave a deep swallow and started to wobble. “W-w-we’re g-g-gonna c-c-climb those?”
Crumble’s smiled slowly faded from his face. This only made Fluttershy sink onto her knees and onto the ground. He hadn’t even noticed himself frowning. He quickly gave another smile and kneeled down to Fluttershy’s level. Her eyes then directed towards him. “Trust me, it’ll be fun,” he assured her, putting his hoof on her shoulder.
Fluttershy didn’t seem convinced, but she nodded anyway.
Crumble darted straight to the metal play set. As he approached the metal pipes, he leaped to them and wrapped his hooves around them. His grip was firm and steady. He turned himself around, repositioning his hooves until he faced Fluttershy, who was still stuck in the same spot.
“See? Just like that!” Crumble encouraged her as best he could.
The Pegasus still wasn’t convinced, but she headed for the play set anyway. She slowly trotted to the set of stairs that led just high enough for her to reach the monkey bars. She stood just under the metal pipes.
“A good reach and she could touch them,” Crumble thought to himself.
Instead, she started to shrivel to her knees.
“Come on, Fluttershy!” Crumble shouted with support. “You can do it!”
Fluttershy gave a deep swallow and whispered silently to herself, “Okay. Here I go.” She slowly reached her front hooves up. Reaching as high as she could to try and touch the metal bars. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally wrapped her hoof around the first bar. She looked up to the next bar.
“Almost there, Fluttershy!” Crumble called out once again.
It was so far away. At least to her small body. She gulped as she reached out for the next one with her other hoof. As she swung, her hind legs left the play set footing and started to dangle in the air. Crumble couldn’t believe it and it looked like neither could Fluttershy. Her eyes lit up as she looked up. There she was hanging on the monkey bars.
Fluttershy nodded, but as she did, she noticed something. She was very high off the ground. Very high. Her head started to wobble and it started look like she was getting dizzy. Her legs began to cram up towards her chest. She shook uncontrollably. Her arms gave out and gravity took over, causing her to fall.
Fluttershy fell to the hard ground below her. The instant she hit the ground, tears started rushing down her face. Her sobs filled the air around her.
“Fluttershy!” Crumble panicked as he leaped from the monkey bars and rushed to her side, fearing the worse. “Fluttershy, I’m sorry.”
A coral mare then appeared at the tiny filly’s side, shoving Crumble out of the way. “Fluttershy,” her motherly voice spoke as she gently lifted the Pegasus off the ground. “Fluttershy, it’s okay, honey.” She held her tight, giving her a gentle ‘shh’ing sound. She repeated her ‘it’s okay’ line, trying to comfort the sobbing filly.
The Pegasus cried uncontrollably into her mother’s chest.
Crumble simply took a step back, tears building in his own eyes. “What have I done?” he silently asked himself.
He took another step back as tears rushed down his face. “This is all my fault! Fluttershy got hurt because of me!” he charged himself. “If I didn’t force her to climb those damn monkey bars, this wouldn’t have happened! I’m so damn stupid!” he continued to belittle himself as he stormed out of the park, unable to bear the sight of his only friend in tears. His judgment for what he had done was so loud in his mind; he couldn’t even hear the coral mare shouting at him not to leave.
Crumble sat at the park alone the next day. He sat on his usual spot at the swing set. Tears would gradually fall down his face, and one by one, he would wipe them away.
“Damn you. Damn you to bucking Tartarus,” he continued to condemn himself. “What in Tartarus were you thinking? You knew she was terrified of heights!”
He continued to drown himself in sorrow. He started to wish he had never been born. Started to wish that Fluttershy had never met him. He didn’t even know why he was in the park today. Fluttershy probably didn’t even want to see him anyway. Not after what he did to her.
He had always wondered why he didn’t have friends, and now the universes, in a cruel, malicious way, had given him his answer.
He got off the swing set and started to slowly trot away when a meek voice stopped him.
“Crumble?”
He turned himself around and there was Fluttershy. Tears came down his face even faster, but he quickly wiped them away, hoping she wouldn’t notice.
He took a deep breath and turned away, trying to hide his face. “Hi, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “I’m really sorry about yesterday.”
These words hit Crumble like a bolt of lightning. “She’s sorry?” Crumble asked himself. “She’s sorry?! She’s the one that got hurt and she’s sorry? I should be the one apologizing.”
Fluttershy spoke again, “I’m sorry I couldn’t climb the monkey bars. I’m sorry I messed up our play date.”
Crumble turned around and kneeled down to the Pegasus. “No, Fluttershy. I’m sorry.”
Fluttershy redirected her eyes to his.
“I’m sorry I made you do something you didn’t want to do,” Crumble explained.
Fluttershy smiled.
And that smile made Crumble smile. Tears still rushed down his face, but he wiped them away too.
Fluttershy started to frown in confusion, “Why are you crying? I didn’t think colts cried. I thought only fillies cried?”
Crumble gave a chuckle. Not at Fluttershy, but at how innocent her question was. “I’m crying because I’m happy. I’m happy because I have you as a friend.”
Fluttershy’s face lit up and at that moment, she started to cry too.
Crumble came to the park one day to see Fluttershy sitting on the park bench, next to her was her mother. He noticed in her hooves was a book. While Crumble couldn’t make out the title, he could tell Fluttershy was really excited.
“I want to read this one, mommy!” Fluttershy excitedly showed her mother the storybook.
The coral mare gave shook her head and smiled, “You’ve read that book 12 times, dear.”
Fluttershy nodded. “It’s my favorite!”
The mare gave a surrendering sigh. “Alright, why don’t you read it to me?”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded. She started to open the book, but then looked to the distance. She smiled as her eyes came into contact with Crumble. She lifted her hoof in the air and waved to him.
Lotus Blossom smiled as the stallion approached them, “Hello there, Crumble.”
He then turned his gaze towards Fluttershy, “What are you doing?”
“I’m reading a story!” Fluttershy excitedly responded. Crumble could tell she was trying to be loud and excited, but she was still barely whispering.
“Fluttershy was just about to read me her favorite story.” Blossom stated. “Would you like to join us?”
Crumble gave a nervous smile. He had finally caught the title of the book as he gave it a quick glance. ‘The Princess of the Wilderness’. It was a book for younger ponies then him. Much, MUCH younger. He had never read it, but it wasn’t a book that interested him. He almost said no, but then he heard Fluttershy’s voice.
“Yeah! I can read it to you! Can I? Please?”
That begging forced him to stay. “Alright, Fluttershy. You can read it to me.” He sat himself on the bench next to Fluttershy. He gave her a smile as she started to open the book.
“Once upon a time,” Fluttershy started to read.
For a half hour or so, Crumble was treated to the story of a princess who could talk to all the animals of the forest. She was a kind and gentle princess, and took care of all the animals, keeping them safe from hunters. One day, an evil witch, hungry from the lack of animal meat, discovers the princess had been warning them of her. She came and snatched the princess, locking her in a dungeon. However, the princess’s singing voice was able to communicate with the animals of the forest.
He was treated to a stuttering duck, a wise old owl, a daring rabbit, and a wisecracking turtle. Together they rescued the princess and defeated the witch.
It was a cute story, but it was for children younger than him. He was way older than the intended audience of the book. Not to mention the completely opposite gender. However, when he saw how much Fluttershy enjoyed the story. How much she enjoyed reading it to him, he couldn’t help but enjoy it too.
“There’s only 30 seconds before the bomb explodes!”
Like runners hearing the sound of a gunshot, Fluttershy and the other mare darted for the safety of the structure. Crumble urged them to hurry.
After the first mare had been safely brought inside, he noticed the entry point was much narrower and growing even more so. The only opening was sealing itself shut.
“Oh no!” he panicked. Fluttershy was still out there and there was no way to open the doors. The dome was sealing itself tight.
The yellow Pegasus attempted to enter but before she could get a single hair through the portal, it was too late. Fluttershy disappeared behind the metal panel.
“Fluttershy!” he shouted. He had lost her. She was gone. Forever. He turned towards the earth pony that Fluttershy had sacrificed herself to save. She was shaking. Trembling at what had nearly happened.
She looked around the room as if searching for the other mare. She then turned towards Crumble. “Where’s the other mare?”
Crumble sat down speechless.
“What have I done?” he thought to himself. He looked over to the ground to see the unicorn. The unicorn who had started to countdown. Who had condemned Fluttershy to death. There he was still smirking. Still smiling.
“How could you?” Crumble whispered.
Out of all the things that came from that unicorn’s mouth, Crumble wasn’t expecting this. “The world will thank me one day.”
The bomb exploded, taking the young Pegasus with it.
Crumble couldn’t believe who was standing right in front of him. The same young mare who had been his only friend, who had somehow survived that gamma bomb all those years ago, was now standing on his front porch.
He started to back away. “What do you want? Why are you here?” his own fear getting the better of him as he tried to close the door. However, the other mare had stopped the door with her own hoof. She then forced herself into the foyer, sending Crumble a step backwards. His heart started to beat rapidly.
“It’s okay. We’re not here to hurt you,” Fluttershy tried to reassure him, holding up a hoof to calm him.
Crumble bit his lip and looked to his left to see the phone. All he needed was a second to call the police.
“Wait!” he said to himself. “Maybe she’s telling the truth. Maybe she’s not here to hurt anypony. She wouldn’t do that...right?”
He hesitated, ignoring the world around him, but another voice came to him.
“Fat chance. She’s a murder. I have to turn her in!”
His hoof reached for the phone, but another hoof intercepted him before he could reach it.
“Sorry, can’t let you call anypony,” the other mare stated, grabbing his hoof tightly.
Crumble glared at the mare. It was the same mare he had seen the day of the gamma pulse test. The one who Fluttershy had somehow saved.
“Are they working together? Does she know about Fluttershy’s condition?”
He had known about it for quite some time. All too well in fact. It was all his father could obsess over. Nothing else mattered to him, not even his own son. All that mattered was capturing Fluttershy, no matter the cost.
Crumble shook his head. “You’re a wanted criminal! How dare you come into my house and assault me like this?!”
“I’m really, really sorry about all of this, but I need your help,” Fluttershy said, her voice just as quiet and shy as he remembered.
He forcefully freed his hoof from the slightly bigger mare’s hoof. “What could I possibly have that could help you? Why do you want me?”
“Because you worked on the gamma pulse project,” Fluttershy said, her voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes focused on the Pegasus. That memory had haunted him for years. His fellow scientist’s actions caused him to lose a lot of credibility. Sure, the unicorn got the worst part of it, but it still bothered him that he was punished for somepony else’s actions.
Coupled with the fact that, he had thought that his actions had murdered a good friend, he had a lot of sleepless nights. That is, until during a conversation with his father, his father let slip that Fluttershy was alive. And she had become... some kind of monster.
“What about the gamma project?” he asked
Fluttershy was silent for a moment, as if she was gathering her courage. She was never a very brave pony. She had trouble standing up for herself, and Crumble knew that. “I need all the information you have on it,” she finally said.
His eyes widened. “Why? What could you want it for?! You want to make more monsters?!”
Fluttershy’s head sunk deep into shoulders with a weak whimper.
A voice in his mind instantly reprimanded him. “How could you be so heartless to her?! She’s your friend!”
The other mare finally spoke, “Hey! She’s asking you politely! Would you rather see her mad?!”
Crumble looked at Fluttershy with fear. “What happens if I don’t give it to her?! She’ll kill me! Just like all the other ponies she’s murdered!”
“If you think for one second that I’m going to cooperate-” Crumble started, his voice stern.
“I want to get rid of it,” Fluttershy interrupted.
The room was silent. Very silent. As if no pony knew what to say next.
Crumble lowered his head. Guilt started to rise up in his belly. He wasn’t one to act like this, especially to his friends. He took another look at Fluttershy. She was sincere in her words. He could sense it. Still, could he take that chance? A chance that he could be wrong? That Fluttershy wasn’t the same sweet pony she once was?
“Faust, I wish I knew what to do!” he thought.
His answer came to him as Fluttershy, unexpectedly broke the silence. “I might have found a way to get rid of it forever, but I need your help.”
Crumble fought with himself. “How can I trust her? For all I know, this is all an act. Could there be a cure for her? Or is this all a façade?”
He looked again into the eyes of Fluttershy. She was practically begging him with those eyes. They were so full of sadness, sorrow and loss. Not like the eyes he used to look into.
He knew her history well. Her father was dead. Her mother was dead. She was all-alone. Alone with... Celestia knows what that thing was. It broke his heart gazing into them, and eventually, his will.
“This is Fluttershy. Your best friend. Not some monster. Now be a stallion and step up,” the voice in his head said.
He took a deep breath. “If I give it to you, will you leave?”
Fluttershy’s face started to brighten with a smile. She looked as if she had just received some sort of divine blessing. “Yes. You’ll never see us again.”
He liked that smile. It was always nice to see, even after all these years, even after everything she had been through, she still had the same sweet smile.
He nodded. He moved his way to the backroom where a desktop computer sat. He passed several picture frames on the wall. Most of them depicting of a life long, long ago. A mare and a stallion holding each other close, a tiny colt soon joined them. However, there were no other pictures portraying the colt aging. After the death of his mother, the photos stopped. And with that, the young colt was soon to discover, his love for his father was an illusion.
He heard the sound of hooves steps coming behind him. The other mare followed him, much to his dismay.
“You don’t trust me?” he asked.
“Just making sure you don’t do something stupid,” the other mare sneered.
Crumble just scoffed and shook his head.
“You should be thanking me for even considering this. I’m helping a criminal. Even if it is Fluttershy,” he continued to ream himself in his head.
He placed himself directly in front of the computer screen, tapping on several of the keys. He scanned the screen, searching through folder after folder.
“Damn. What did I do with that data?” He thought as he desperately tried to remember where he had hid it. He knew he had to hide it if he was to keep it. If anypony found out he had government knowledge on his private computer. Well, he could kiss his career goodbye. He knew it wasn’t smart, but he was still desperate to find out what went wrong in the test. The gamma pulse should have killed Fluttershy and yet, she survived.
“Aha! There it is!”
He clicked on the folder with the mouse and dragged it into a drive.
After several seconds, he finally stood up and held out a flash drive in his hoof.
The mare suddenly reached out and gripped his arm hard, as if she suspected he was going to attack her. Her grasp surprised him and he turned his head sharply towards her. Her grip was tight. Who ever this mare was, she was pretty strong.
He took the drive in his other hoof and revealed it to her. “It’s a flash drive. This is all the information on the gamma pulse.”
The brown mare took the drive. She glared at him as she released him from her grasp. She then continued down the hall to Fluttershy. Crumble followed behind her.
Fluttershy shot a smile at Crumble as she took the flash drive from the other mare. “Thank you so much. For everything.”
“You’re welcome. I hope it helps.” Was all he wanted to say, but his mouth said, “Just go. Please.”
The brown mare gently urged the Pegasus out the door. After a second, she finally followed her companion. With the sound of a door click, they were gone.
“Damn it! Why was it so hard to say you’re welcome and smile?!” he yelled at himself.
Crumble breathed a deep sigh as he placed his head against the wall. He was alone once more. Fluttershy and the other mare had gotten what they came for and left. Yet there was something unsettling inside him.
“Why do I feel so guilty about what I’ve just done? Fluttershy’s the victim here, isn’t she?”
The silence gave him time to think. He didn’t like that. All he wanted was to slink back into his chair and forget everything.
“What have you done, you idiot?! You just let a murderer into your house, bully you into giving you what she wanted. Government secrets, mind you! All because of a stupid school-colt crush!”
He darted for the phone and started to dial.
A voice came over the phone, “General Thunderbolt’s office?”
He was silent for a long time. He wasn’t sure what to say. What should he say? He once more berated himself for not taking the time to think this through.
“Hello?”
The voice snapped him back into reality. “I ... need to speak with General Thunderbolt,” he stammered.
The general would take care of this situation. After all, Fluttershy was a wanted criminal. And his father was more than equipped to handle her. It was the right thing to do. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
Fervent and out of patience, Guamadillius marched into Thunderbolt’s office. He flung open the door quickly and shouted, “I’m getting tired of waiting, sir!”
The general’s eyes were instantly transmitted from the files in his hooves straight to Guam. His eyes widened, most likely surprised that any pony would burst into his office like this.
“With all due respect, sir, I’ve been waiting patiently for a chance to get back at Fluttershy.” Guam took another deep breath, trying to calm himself. “But I’m not known for my patience, sir and I’ve reached my end.”
The room was silent. The general just leaned back in his chair. He closed the files he had been reading and threw them on the desk. Guam’s eyes looked down and noticed a ‘Top Secret’ label on them. His eyes shot a confused look at the general.
“Read it,” the general finally replied.
Guam wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. “Faust! Why don’t you just give me what you promised me! Make me stronger, damn you! No more of this cat and mouse shit!”
Those were the words that hung on the tip of Guam’s tongue, but he kept them silent. Even he knew shouting in anger wouldn’t get him anywhere. Granted, he wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of the waiting game either. He sat in the chair in front of him and picked up the file, flipping through its pages.
It showed designs of a robotic pony. Each one was equipped with a wide array of weapons. From Gatling guns, to missile launchers. From flamethrowers to electrical discharging wires. They were armed to the teeth, but even more interesting, they featured a glass screen, which seemed to be a window. Inside the armored contraption, was a seat and several switches that he assumed controlled the robot. He couldn’t help but think of those fighting robots he used to watch as a colt. They certainly were ridiculous looking enough for them to be on a children’s show.
“What are these?” Guam finally asked.
“They have some sort of official name that isn’t very memorable,” Thunderbolt replied. “My men have started to name them ‘Hulk Busters’.”
Guam shot the general a look of both disbelieve and disgust.
“Hulk Busters!” Guam thought to himself. “Is this some kind of sick joke?!”
“This? This is what’s going to help me take down, Fluttershy?”
Thunderbolt was silent. He just continued to lean back in his chair.
Guam had finally had enough. He stood up and leaned over the desk, “No, sir! This is not what I had in mind! You said you could make me stronger! Better! That we could even the score! This is not what I had in mind!”
Thunderbolt stood up from his chair as well, staring straight back at Guam. “Then are you willing to sacrifice everything to get your revenge?! Are you willing to put your very life on the line to get back at this mare?!”
Guam was silent.
“What exactly is he going to put into me? Is the formula really that dangerous? I thought the general had said they had tested it. Said it was promising. This must be another one of Thunderbolt’s damn games. He must have shown me these ridiculous robotic suits as a test to see if I’m really willing to do whatever it takes to take Fluttershy down.”
Guam wasn’t about to lose his confidence. Fluttershy, a weak, little filly, had embarrassed him. Ponies, griffins, and zebras had beaten him in the past. But they all had the same end result, with Guam standing over their beaten, broken, and bloodied bodies. Fluttershy wasn’t going to be any different, no matter what kind of superpowers she had. He was ready. More than ready. He was angry.
“Sir, I will do whatever it takes to even the score.”
A smirk appeared on Thunderbolt’s face. “Then follow me.”
A medical staff was standing ready for Guam’s injection of the serum. Thunderbolt stood just outside the doorway watching as they injected Dr. Smolder’s formula into Guam’s body. The stubborn stallion inside the room grinded his teeth as the needle stuck itself into his neck. He had been briefed that this injection was only the first of many that would happen. It would be a total of four injections that Guam would have to suffer through. It didn’t seem to matter however, Guam wanted revenge and he was willing to do whatever it took to get it.
Finally, Thunderbolt would soon have his super soldier. He would soon have his warrior that would lead the charge against the Pegasus, Fluttershy. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts; he didn’t even notice Major Strawberry appearing behind him.
“Sir,” the Major called.
Thunderbolt turned around towards the azure mare.
“It’s your son, sir. He’s seen her.”
Thunderbolt’s eyes widened and a grin appeared on his face. He hadn’t thought it was possible for Fluttershy to make such a big mistake, but it seemed that Celestia had smiled on him. She, in fact, had made a very stupid mistake. His son had helped him catch Bixby’s family before. He would now help him, at long last catch their daughter.
“Get the men ready. Get the new toys up and running.”
With that, Thunderbolt turned to Guam and nodded his head. Guam’s face lit up. Not a word was exchanged, but Thunderbolt could tell, Guam was going to enjoy his rematch.
Bachmare Park was a place that played a key part of Fluttershy’s memories. In her childhood, her mother would take her to this park everyday to play. She remembered her love of playing in the sandbox with the sand tickling her hooves. She remembered seeing all the little critters that would wander into the park.
However, as wonderful as those memories where, one very important fact stood out. She was always playing by herself. Not because the other kids were mean. Well, most of them weren’t anyway. She was just a very shy pony.
One day, a group of much bigger ponies started bullying her. They made fun of her because she wasn’t a good flyer. She couldn’t help it. She had always been that way, even when she was very little. They would chant cruel things like ‘Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!’
It would always make her shrivel up and cry, and, most of the time, her mother would instantly come to her rescue. But this time was different. Her mother had stepped away for a moment, so nopony was there to save her. Everything seemed hopeless. That is, until an Pegasus pony colt, around the same age of the bullies tormenting her, stepped in and told them to knock it off. They quickly backed away.
She would often see this stallion hanging around the swing set, and a part of her wanted to go and talk to him. But, every time she tried, her own shyness got the better of her and nothing came of it. Like her, he didn’t seem have many friends. That day, he came to her side and comforted her. He was really sweet. He asked her what her name was. When she told him, she what his name was.
His name was Crumble.
She never did tell him about being on the run. She didn’t really understand it herself, but she knew her father had stressed that keeping that detail a secret was important.
But she was lonely. And here was somepony who wanted to be her friend. She was desperate to share everything. It tore her apart lying to him.
She remembered Crumble telling her about his father. She knew he was some kind of military stallion. It frightened her a bit to be so close to a pony that was supposed to be hunting her, but if Crumble’s father was anything like him, he would understand.
But it didn’t matter. She still lost her family, but she knew deep down, Crumble wasn’t to blame. He couldn’t have known.
“Flyshy?” Cookie’s voice broke Fluttershy out of her thoughts. Fluttershy’s eyes turned to her friend on her motorbike.
“I’m sorry. I was just... remembering things.” Fluttershy looked back to the park. She lowered her head as the memories replayed in her mind.
Those days seemed so long ago. Back when she didn’t have a care in the world. Before she was alone. Before ‘she’ was a part of her life. Before she lost the two ponies that she cared about more than anything.
“Really? You’ve been here before?” Cookie asked.
Fluttershy just smiled back at her friend. “Are you sure you can’t come?” she asked, secretly hoping that Cookie might be able to come along.
Her hopes were dashed, however, when Cookie shook her head. “Sorry, got things to do.” Her motorcycle gave a thunderous roar as she ignited the engine.
“Well, thank you. For everything you’ve done,” Fluttershy said, doing her best not to cry as she readjusted the pack on her back.
They had spent most of the day filling her pack with food, water, and first aid kits that she might need on her trip. Heck, Cookie had even packed in a small blanket for cold nights.
Cookie had paid for it all, but it wasn’t in Fluttershy’s nature to just take charity. She promised she would pay her back one-day. Now that she knew how to send mail, she could send money the next chance she got a job.
“Don’t worry, it’s no problem. Take care,” Cookie said as she started on her way down the road.
Fluttershy watched as her friend as the horizon kept consuming her. She watched as one of her only friends, rode off into the sunrise.
As much as she wanted Cookie to come along, even just to keep her company, Fluttershy understood exactly why she couldn’t. Cookie had a job here. A life. Something Fluttershy envied. Cookie had told her about her job as a mechanic. She complained about how she hated that job. How she hated the grease and the sweat and the long, exhausting hours.
Fluttershy understood that Cookie was unhappy with the way her life was heading, but her life was still better than the one Fluttershy was living, that was for sure.
Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. Cookie had a steady job, she didn’t have to run from place to place, and she didn’t have to constantly look over her shoulder, or worry about being shot at. And most importantly, she didn’t have to control her emotions for fear of an uncontrollable beast destroying everything around her.
Fluttershy just wished she could have stayed with Cookie and try to start a normal life here. But she couldn’t stay here. It was far too dangerous to try. She had to move on.
Fluttershy started to look back towards the park when something caught her eye. She looked towards one of the trees and refocused her vision. If she had just given it a quick glance, she would have surely missed it. Her heart sank like a stone when she figured out what she was seeing.
Within the trees, a heavily armed pony snuck about, armed to the teeth. They had found her again. And this time, they were very close. Fluttershy’s feet took over her body and she started running through the park as fast as possible.
“How could I have let them get so close?!”
Fluttershy darted through the park as fast as her legs could carry her, passing the old playground. Several ponies gave her an odd look, but she didn’t take notice them. She was too focused on escaping.
“I’ve got to get out of here, Faust get me out of here!” Fluttershy silently prayed. She hoped she could escape before they had a chance to capture her.
General Thunderbolt cursed under his breath as he saw his target pick up her speed as she galloped through the park. He had made his orders very clear. Nopony was to move in until he gave the word. It enraged him to no end to see such recklessness in his troopers. Yeah, they were eager. Maybe even frightened. But that was no excuse for an idiotic slip up like that.
“How in Tartarus did she see us?! Who bucking moved?!” the general shouted as his mobile unit moved down the street towards the park.
“Sir, we are in hot pursuit,” a voice over the radio spoke.
Major Strawberry picked up the responder and spoke into it, “What about the other one? The one on the bike?”
There was silence for a second before there was a reply. “She’s going around back to the park.”
“Damn it! She going back to help Fluttershy!” the general thought, stamping his hoof.
Thunderbolt rose to his feet abruptly, stealing the responder from Strawberry. “Get her too, dammit! She’s aiding a fugitive!”
The general then tossed the responder back onto the rack and returned to his seat releasing a heavy sigh. He put his hoof on his chin, waiting impatiently for any news relating to Fluttershy’s capture.
He looked to his son, who sat next to him.
Crumble looked back towards him with a stern look.
The general just smiled. “You did the right thing, boy.” He put his hoof onto his son’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
Crumble shook his head. He turned his head and stared off the other way. It was clear to the general his son didn’t approve of this.
“Why the buck is that brat angry at me? He’s the one who called us!”
The general, realizing he was wasting his time, turned his gaze to the chase. Fluttershy was all that mattered.
“It doesn’t matter. All I need is that filly then everything will be perfect,” Thunderbolt thought.
His son didn’t matter. His morals didn’t matter. Not even his own life mattered. Even since that filly entered his life, all that mattered was his name... and his revenge.
Fluttershy could hear the distinctive sound of mobile units closing in behind her. A heavy revving sound caused her pulse to jump. It was hard to make out how close it was with her heavy breath, her heart rate, and all her chaotic thoughts filling her ears and mind.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a motorcycle pulled in front of her. She shrieked. Fear took over her body. They were on top of her. She then took another look at who mounted the bike. A wave of relief swept over her. It was Cookie Crisp.
“Come on!” Cookie shouted.
Fluttershy heeded her friend’s words without a second thought and climbed aboard the bike, taking a seat behind her friend.
Cookie accelerated the bike as quickly as she could. It looked as if she was making a run for the woods. At least if they reached those, they could easily disappear into it.
Just then, a bombshell went off near them, sending them off course. Cookie quickly corrected herself and put them back on course.
Fluttershy cast a glance back over her shoulder to see artillery cannons mounted on assault vehicles. They looked like they were getting ready to fire again. Fluttershy felt her heart rate start to climb exponentially. She took several deep breaths, doing her best to calm herself down.
Assault vehicles barred the path of the motorcycle, preventing them from heading towards the woods. Cookie shook her head and swore.
“There must be a way out,” she thought. She looked to her right to see a small hill. The gears started turning in her head. It was a rather small hill, no doubt about it, but, with a little bit of luck, they just might be able to do what Cookie had in mind. She pulled a hard right causing the bike to turn towards the soldiers behind them.
“Wh-What are you doing?” Fluttershy stuttered, her voice laced with fear.
Cookie could barely hear her. Her voice wasn’t nearly loud enough to be heard over the roar of all the engines filling the air.
There was another loud prolonged whistle that cut through the air and was followed by another bombshell that went off nearby. Cookie and Fluttershy tucked their heads in reflexively to shield their eyes from the dust, dirt and bits of flying debris.
As the dust cloud cleared, Cookie shook her head and regained her focus. She drove pass the hill, but there wasn’t much time before the enemy was on top of them. She had only one chance to make the jump. The vehicles from the front began to close in, getting as closer and closer. She made a sharp left turn to position herself directly facing the hill. “Hang on!” Cookie shouted over her shoulder.
She felt Fluttershy’s hooves wrap even tighter around her waist. The engine roared as Cookie gave it everything the bike could take. The bike accelerated, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. Cookie could hear Fluttershy’s deep breathing. She sounded terrified. Cookie couldn’t blame her. To be perfectly honest, she was terrified too.
“Celestia, I hope this works,” she thought, biting her lip.
She kept accelerating. The bike started to soar up the hill. Cookie revved the bike even harder to compensate for the hill’s curve. Then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity of climbing, there was a sudden feeling of weightlessness, and the bike soared through the air above the vehicles below.
The weightlessness ended however, when the bike landed hard, shaking its passengers. Cookie shook her head rapidly, trying to cure her blurred vision. Once her vision cleared, however, she saw an army of vehicles turning to pursue them. That jump had bought them some time, but not a lot. Cookie once again revved her bike and turned towards the woods. The trucks were closing in however, edging closer and closer by the second.
Suddenly, another bombshell exploded in front of them, sending a rain of rock and debris falling over the two ponies. Cookie and Fluttershy’s heads ducked into their chest, but this time, Cookie didn’t see the ditch made by the explosion. The bike’s front wheel dipped into the ditch and threw the bike completely out of control, sending Fluttershy and Cookie soaring through the air like ballistic missiles.
Cookie hit the ground hard and tumbled and skidded across the ground until she stopped just short of a tree just on the outskirts of the woods.
Dazed and confused, Cookie slowly tried to drag herself to her feet. Just as she tried to move, a sharp pain shot up her hind leg. She cried out in agony.
She looked to her hind leg to see it was bent out of its normal position and she couldn’t move it. Swelling had begun to show and her hoof was twisted around. She had some other cuts and scraps on her body, but they were less important than her hoof.
Her mind then jumped to Fluttershy.
“Where’s Flyshy?”
She franticly looked around her to try to find her friend, remembering not moving her leg in the process. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that a few yards from where she laid, Fluttershy lay on the ground, whimpering.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy looked towards her friend. She was obviously badly hurt. Her leg was twisted unnaturally, most likely broken. She had several cuts around her torso, which were bleeding and a gash across her forehead that was also bleeding, quite profusely in fact.
Fluttershy knew she needed help, to do SOMETHING, but her body was in too much pain to move. She tried to move her front legs, but no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn’t move. On top of that, the rumbling roar of the oncoming military onslaught only grew louder and louder. Her only friend was completely and utterly helpless and Fluttershy could do nothing to help her.
Cookie meanwhile watched in shock as the small Pegasus pony that she had called friend began changing from her normal yellow color to a light green hue, which rapidly grew darker. The various nicks and cuts on her front legs started to close instantly. She started to grow bigger and bigger, her muscles growing larger and larger by the second. Her high pitch whimpers descended into a series of deep, almost demonic growls. And she kept growing. Her hair began to change as well, darken to a blood red hue and her coat was now dark green.
Cookie watched in horror as her once tiny friend transformed into a massive green goliath. The beast that replaced Fluttershy let out a deafening roar. The soldiers that had been pursuing them stopped in their tracks, with some of them backing away, fear on their faces.
The creature took a step towards them with a growl. There was a brief pause as the two groups regarded each other. All of a sudden, all hell broke loose. The soldiers firing everything they had at the beast. SMG, rifle, and artillery shells battered the creature’s skin. The monster gave a screech and stepped backwards, causing the shells to come very close to Cookie.
“Shit!” Cookie shouted as several shots impacted dangerously close to where she was. She tried to move, but the incredible pain in her leg reminded her that she was still immobile. She had no way to escape, and unlike her giant friend, she most certainly wasn’t bulletproof. Her thoughts all moved to the subject of her death. She was most defiantly going to die here, trapped between an army and a giant green behemoth. Perfect.
Cookie suddenly noticed she was in shadow and looked up. Above her, the beast loomed, wings spread wide, as if protecting her. Cookie’s mind was drawn a blank as to the creature’s motivations. Why was it protecting her? Did it see her as a friend?
Cookie had another thought. “Could this… monster possibly be Flyshy?” As insane as it seemed, Fluttershy and this monster were one and same.
The sound of the bombardment, however, snapped Cookie out of her mental wanderings and back into the real world. Cookie watched wide eyed as the beast took several steps towards the enemy, the shells and bullets bouncing off it like rubber balls. Cookie noticed that the creature was making her way towards the downed motorcycle. Even on the ground several yards away, Cookie could see that Fluttershy was way to big for that motorcycle now.
“What could she want with the bike?”
As if to answer her question, the giant’s hooves picked up the motorcycle and hoisted it over her head.
“No, not the bike!” Cookie shouted in vain as the beast hurled the bike towards an artillery cannon. The soldiers arming the cannon quickly leapt in all directions in a mad scramble for safety. The last pony had just jumped clear just the bike came smashing into the cannon with a force that bent it towards the ground like a pretzel, putting it out of commission for quite awhile.
Fluttershy then charged for the troops as they continued their assault. The bullets continued to bounce off her like ping pong balls, not a single round even managing to burse or even scrape her green skin. The beast slammed her body into one of the assault vehicles before it had a chance to escape. The force of the blow sent the vehicle on its side as if it were a toy, sending several ponies flying.
The creature then moved for what was left of the artillery cannon. It wrapped its massive hooves around the cannon and tore it from its hinges. She unleashed a cry of rage as the metal bolts were torn from their resting places. She threw the cannon at the side of a nearby assault vehicle, slamming into it. The force of the impact is so great; it caused the jeep to smash into the one next to it, turning both into a scrap pile.
The ponies on hoof scampered away like mice in a desperate attempt to escape the giant’s wrath. Fluttershy unleashed another deafening roar of rage.
Then out of nowhere, a missile slammed into her body, exploding on contact. The force of the blast sent the Pegasus back several feet. She glanced to the sky and descending upon her were three armored figures.
The Hulk Busters set themselves down in front of the green goliath. “This is HB 1, roll call. Please respond,” the first pony within the armored suit spoke through his headpiece.
“Roger that, HB 1. This is HB 2, here,” a voice over the headpiece spoke.
“HB 1, this is HB 3 here,” a second voice spoke.
“Alright, let’s see what these babies can do,” HB 1 replied as a message appeared on the screen projected in front of him, stating his weapons were locked onto the screeching behemoth.
A Gatling gun mounted on the pony’s shoulder unleashed round after round at the monster. The monster was slowly and steadily driven back by the rounds as they pummeled against its body. Growls and bellows of rage and pain filled the air as it’s fought to stay upright. The other two machines unleashed their firepower as well, completely surrounding the monster.
However, as if driven by a supernatural force, the beast started to slowly rise as it unleashed another growl of rage. One of the Hulk Buster robots changed tactics and launched one of its missiles towards the monster. The missile impacted in the monster’s shoulder, causing it to stumble to the ground. The beast attempted to rise to it feet once more, but was again thwarted by another missile attack. The Hulk Busters continued their seemingly endless barrage, feeling certain they had won.
Thunderbolt’s grinned with excitement as he surveyed the carnage. His Hulk Buster robots were performing even better than he had anticipated. With this much firepower, it was only a matter of time before Fluttershy was defeated and finally captured.
Crumble, however, gazed upon the battlefield and saw something else. He had been studying the beast’s behavior closely and noticed something when it first transformed.
“I know I should be cheering for those robots, but... I can’t. Why in Tartarus not?” Crumble thought to himself
He looked off into the distance and saw the mare that Fluttershy had been traveling with earlier. Ever since the crash, she had been sitting there, still and almost lifeless. At least, that’s how it looked from his distance.
“Isn’t that mare who was with Fluttershy when she came to my home? Why doesn’t she move? Is she ... dead? I... I didn’t want this.” Crumble began to panic. His breathing became heavier. He had to know, could he have doomed that pony to death because of his selfishness?
“I didn’t want anypony to get hurt. I just wanted there to be a simple arrest. To take them into custody. No harm, no foul. Not this… senseless war!”
He looked down towards one of the soldier’s surveying the battle and noticed he had a pair of binoculars. “Can I borrow those? The binoculars, I mean?” Crumble asked, motioning towards the binoculars.
The soldier turned towards him and gave him an odd look. His hooves moved to the binoculars and the stallion shoved them into Crumble’s hooves.
“Thanks.” He muttered, lifting the binoculars to his eyes.
He focused his gaze towards the mare as she continued to lie, motionless. He readjusted the focus again until he could see the mare clearly. He studied her carefully, taking into detail her injuries. There was a huge gash across her head, several cuts on her body, blood coming from her mouth and what seemed to be a broken leg, given how it was twisted.
“Holy Faust! She’s hurt! Bad!”
He didn’t even notice pulling the binoculars away from his eyes. All he knew was that that pony was in need of proper medical attention, less she loose the leg. And an Earth Pony without a leg was as good as dead. He turned towards his father, who was entranced with the sights and sounds of battle.
“Hey!” Crumble shouted.
His father didn’t budge. He continued his watch on the conflict as if he were looking at a beautiful painting.
“Hey!” Crumble shouted once again, this time louder.
“Not now, boy!” the general shot back, not even attempting to look towards Crumble.
Crumble let out a groan. He should have expected this. His father would always act like this. He was always one to put everything else aside for what he wanted. Whatever the mission was, it always took prevalence over his family. That obsessive streak had destroyed his family and along with it, any respect Crumble might have had for his father.
Well, Thunderbolt’s pride wasn’t going to cost that mare her hoof.
Crumble opened the side hatch to the vehicle and leapt into the battlefield.
The general finally turned at the hissing of the hatch opening. By the time his gaze reached it, his son was gone.
“What the buck are you doing?!” the general shouted, hoping his voice would follow his son. He poked his head from the hatch exit and spotted his son running straight into a war zone.
The Hulk Buster units continued their barrage against the giant with no signs of slowing down or letting up. A flurry of fire, bullets, explosions and screams of pain filled the air surrounding them. Everything within a hundred yards felt their power as it shook the world around them.
Fluttershy finally found her footing and started a slow and steady march towards the first Hulk Buster. She growled as the Gatling gun continued to punish her body, but she didn’t stop, her rage growing and growing. Her hooves started to move faster and faster and the slow march quickly morphed into an out of control gallop. The Hulk Buster launched its propulsion system in its hooves and took to the sky in an attempt to avoid her grasp.
It was a futile attempt. Fluttershy leapt after it using the force of her powerful legs to reach the height of her opponent. The beast slammed into the suit of armor causing its flight path to quickly fall apart, swerving wildly. The pilot attempted to regain control, but the unit became compromised as a huge green hoof smashed against the side of it. The beast began tearing out the inside mechanisms of the machine. Seeing no other choice but to abandon his suit, the pilot punched the eject switch in front of him, launching the head off the machine, followed by the seat he sat in.
With the pilot gone, the robotic pony fell to the ground with the beast still attached to it. Clouds of dust filled the air around the massive beast. Even more so as Fluttershy began smashing her hooves into the robot’s body. Pieces of metal and glass dispersed with each hit.
The second Hulk Buster unleashed a wave of fire towards the green goliath. Fluttershy turned her attention to the robot pony behind her, her rage now focused on her new opponent.
The flames danced around Fluttershy, burning her skin and causing even more pain. She unleashed a mighty bellow as her massive wings stretched out from behind her back. She flapped her wings and unleashed a powerful burst of wind that sent the Hulk Buster’s fire blast towards itself. The pilot covered his eyes to shield it from the intense light of the flame, causing him to cease his attack. When he refocused his vision, all he could see was a massive green Pegasus at his cockpit window. And she looked anything but happy.
Crumble galloped across the battlefield, doing his best to avoid the hail bullets and explosions along the way.
“What in Tartarus am I doing?!” he screamed at himself as he felt like a bullet just blazed by his ear.
There he was, rushing through a war zone to help a pony that had threatened him in his own home. He didn’t understand why he was doing it. He just knew he couldn’t stand by and watch another pony in agony. He had to do something to repay for his actions.
Sounds of the war behind him kept him moving faster. He was not eager to be in that hellhole. A place where every sound seeming like the last one you would ever hear. While you silently prayed that some higher being would watching you, even if you didn’t believe in a higher power. And Crumble wasn’t one to believe.
“What does dad see in this madness?”
He quickly put those thoughts behind him and focused on getting to the edge of the woods, where the fallen mare laid.
He continued to scamper through the plains of war, jumping left, then right, then left again. His ears were ringing of the gunshots, explosions, and Fluttershy’s screams of rage. He felt his heartbeat thundering against his chest, as if it was about to burst free. Despite being deafened and exhausted, he continued down the stretch until he finally reached the brown mare.
He quickly made his way beside her. “Are you alright?!”
The mare grunted in pain, trying her best to stay still. “Do I look alright to you?!” She moaned as she attempted to keep still and calm.
Crumble looked towards the leg and saw that instead of the brown he was expecting, every part of the skin below the break was a light blue and twisted backwards. His physician training taught him to spot that very quickly, but even without proper training, it was obvious what that was. “Oh, Faust. You’re hoof has had circulation cut off!”
“What the buck does that mean?!” the brown mare shouted. She regretted it a second later as a sharp pain shot up her leg once more. She couldn’t even talk without feeling the pain. Hell, even breathing hurt.
“It means your not getting blood to your leg. I have to realign the leg.” He placed his hooves on the mare’s broken leg, the mare grinded her teeth in agony. “Just so you know, this is going to hurt.”
With that, he twisted the leg with all his might to try and align it back into position. His ears rang with the scream of pain coming from the brown mare’s lungs that sounded as if he had just cut the leg from her body. The screaming continued for several seconds.
Crumble looked around him to see a small bag a few yards from where the injured pony lay. Crumble recognized that bag. It was the one Fluttershy carried when she came to his house. If she had planned to travel, logically she must have a first aid kit. Crumble quickly took to his feet and ran back for the bag, hoping to Celestia he was right.
He was only a few feet from the bag when a missile exploded several yards from where he was. The force of the blast caused him to be hurled on his back. His ears started to ring, painfully. His head throbbed with pain like a ton of bricks had just landed on top of him. His whole body was in agony, but he couldn’t give up.
“Celestia... just get up... Get up...”
He slowly rose to all fours. He looked down and there were several scratches across his body, he figured from the blast. Nothing serious, but that didn’t stop his ears from ringing or head from pounding. He limped his way to the bag, which survived the blast.
“Thank Celestia.”
He dug it out from where it lay and put the straps in his mouth. With as much strength as he could muster, he hobbled his way to the fallen mare. With any luck he would be able to tend to her leg. All he had to do was make it to her in one piece. She was only a few yards away, but in this war zone, it might as well have been miles. It became increasingly difficult to trot and his head was in so much pain, all he wanted to do was rest. He shook his head, attempting to refocus his efforts, and pressed forward.
Guamadillius continued to watch and wait as the beast tore through the last of the Hulk Buster robots. He wasn’t impressed with the robots at all and was thankful he wasn’t a part of them. They were big and klutzy. Of course they’d be mincemeat.
One of the robots had been airborne after Fluttershy attacked the other. The second one’s glass window had several cracks in it, one of its front limbs were missing and sparks were coming from exposed wires. Yet for all the damage, the pilot was suffering only minor burns due to the sparks within the machine. The first robot had created enough of a distraction for the pilot of the second Hulk Buster to escape though the eject seat.
However, with a new target in her sights, Fluttershy wasn’t about to back down. She roared at her aerial enemy, as her opponent unleashed more than a hundred rounds towards her. She growled as the bullets crumbled against her skin. The beast wrapped her arms around the second Hulk Buster robot and lifted it off the ground, ignoring the shots being fired at her. With a quick spin of her hind legs, she tossed the robotic pony towards her aerial combatant.
The Hulk Buster pilot quickly and harshly turned his vehicle to the right. He narrowly avoided the fifteen ton steel pony, but before he had a chance to recover, he found himself in the grasp of the giant green goliath.
The Pegasus had leapt at him after she had tossed the robot. The pilot tried to break free of the monster’s grip, but it was infinitely too strong. He and the beast fell to the ground hard, an explosion of dust marking their impact. The beast unleashed a mighty roar as her deadly hooves smashed into the metallic pony’s body. The pilot could only watch and cry out in terror as giant green blurs smashed again and again at his only protection.
Guam wasn’t sure if the pilot was dead or not. And honestly, he didn’t care. All he knew was that it was his turn to try his luck.
“I knew those damn robots weren’t going to work,” he thought to himself. “But now, it’s Guamadillus’s turn.”
He lifted his rocket launcher beside him and aimed it at the beast. The beast that had just tossed away the robotic pony like it wasn’t even a threat. The truth was... it wasn’t. Guam knew he was the only pony left that could take Fluttershy down. He pulled the trigger, unleashing his lightning fast projectile upon the unsuspecting beast.
The rocket exploded on impact with the great behemoth. When the fire and dust cleared, the creature looked upon the hill where the blast had came from, straight at Guamadillius. Just like he wanted.
“That’s right, bitch. Focus on me!” Guam shouted, smiling. He was finally going to go one on one with, and he was going to have the time of his life.
The beast gave a thunderous roar and started for him. Guam quickly gripped another rocket from his nearby bag and started to franticly slip the rocket into place. To be honest, as much as he enjoyed all this, he was still a pony, and therefore scared. He was dead scared of the eight-foot tall monstrosity heading straight for him, but he was a soldier.
“Fear is all part of the job,” he repeated to himself. And, also, he enjoyed the feeling of fear. It got his blood pumping and his senses heightened.
He had finally slipped the rocket into place when his eyes spotted the beast only a few feet from him. Guam knew he wouldn’t have time to aim his weapon. He had to get out of there as soon as possible. As the creature lifted its massive hoof, Guam readied his legs to spring to the air at the first twitch of Fluttershy’s body.
As predictable as the sunrise, Fluttershy’s hoof came straight for Guam. The earth pony, using his legs, leaped towards the left and straight out of Fluttershy’s path. While in the air, Guam quickly readied his aim and unleashed his rocket. The force of the blast had sent him soaring back several feet.
The fire blast had burned portions of his body, his face, and his front hooves. The injuries were far less extensive then they should have been. He could feel burns across his face, but he had been in fire blasts before. They were... mild compared to previous close encounters with rockets.
He briefly wondered if this sudden lack of pain was a side effect of the serum.
The ringing in his ears distracted him from his thoughts. He could barely hear himself think. But that was part of the job too. He quickly leaped to his feet, knowing the fight was far from over.
The beast came from the smoke cloud; its lungs unleashing another mighty roar. Guam reached for another rocket but only felt empty air. He was out. He glanced down into the bag and saw that all he had left in his arsenal was his empty rocket launcher and a pistol. They still had a trap set for the great beast however. A trap that was yet to be sprung. But that didn’t mean Guam wasn’t going to have his chance with the beast.
“I ain’t running! So give me everything you’ve got!” he shouted towards it, goading it on.
The creature slowly approached him, growling in rage as she inched forward. Guam took his rocket launcher in hoof and tossed it as hard as he could at the creature. The creature used its massive hooves to knock it away from her without any resistance.
Guam, using the momentum of his throw, took his opportunity to draw his pistol and spun back into the face of the beast. The beast was on her hind legs with both front hooves right above him. He had only a second to move, before the beast would smash him. He dove forward underneath the creature’s legs and behind her, just as the massive hooves slammed where he had been.
Guam quickly spun around, after gaining his footing, and unleashed a salvo of gunshots at the beast.
Fluttershy growled as the bullets belted her skin. She darted for her much smaller adversary, sweeping her hooves as she approached him. Guam dove over Fluttershy’s massive arm. Guam rolled back to his feet and fired round after round until the characteristic ‘click’ of an empty chamber greeted his ears. Guam, knowing his weapon was useless against the beast, tossed it aside and readied himself as the beast turned toward his direction once again.
“Just you and me, then.”
The beast swung her arm towards the gray earth pony. Guam quickly stepped out of the way before the hoof came crashing down. Guam lifted his front hoof and swung as hard as he could at the beast’s face. The beast flinched, but it was Guam who was feeling the most hurt. Despite how invigorated he felt, how strong he felt, it felt as if he had punched a brick wall. His hoof tingled in pain, but he shook it off.
“This is just part of the job. Fear, pain, panic.”
Everything that he was feeling was just part of his job description. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time. For him, it was like being reunited with an old friend. He felt alive, as he hadn’t for a long time. There was something exhilarating about risking his life in a battle where the odds are stacked against him. The thrill of the unknown, the unexpected, and the unanticipated.
All of these feelings he felt as his hoof struck the beast’s body. The creature swung her front hoof once more, attempting to find her target. Guam ducked under Fluttershy’s attack, and countered with another mighty blow to the beast’s face. The beast retaliated with a sweep of her front limb, this time catching Guam in its path. Guam was sent through the air like a rag doll and he crashed into the ground.
Guam slowly picked himself up. His body throbbed in pain. He felt as if he had been run over by a tank. He diverted his eyes to where the great green giant was. The beast wasn’t even tired. It looked as if it could go on forever.
“Get her into position!” the voice of the general ringed in his ear.
Guam knew that fighting Fluttershy was pointless. Even with his enhancements, he was still no match for her. His swore under his breath at the thought of running from a fight, but he knew he was in a war that he could not win.
Guam turned around towards the troops and darted his way towards them, with the beast not far behind.
General Thunderbolt had so far been impressed with Guam’s performance. He had battled Fluttershy even longer than even he anticipated. He thought for certain he would be crushed in the first minute. However, Guam proved that he was stronger, faster and more agile then any ordinary pony. Of course, that was the point of the serum. The general smiled as his soldier fought his war for him, just like a good soldier should.
“Good Guam, just keep my girl busy for me,” he thought.
Thunderbolt watched patiently as Guam led Fluttershy straight into position. Like a lamb to the slaughter, the earth pony was leading her perfectly into their trap.
“Are the secondary units ready?” Thunderbolt asked.
Major Strawberry relayed Thunderbolt’s question to one of the officers who was in charge of the second string of Hulk Buster units.
“Affirmative, Major. Operation: Flutter Fry is ready to go,” the officer replied.
The general gave a cruel smirk at his men’s diligence. It brought him joy to see such loyalty, such vigor and such diligence to the right cause.
“Ponies like that should be commended for their services. Most ponies don’t realize the risks these mares and stallions take every day. The risks we all take every day. But if the world knew of the monsters in the world, they would cower under their beds, crying for their mothers. Monsters that we are slowly losing our ability to control. That’s why you’re important, Fluttershy. You’re the way of the future.”
Major Strawberry, as if reading the general’s mind, spoke, “Then you are clear to engage.”
Peering the opening, the general could see the beast being confronted by two more Hulk Buster robots as they appeared from the sky. The creature roared at the sight of her mechanical enemies. The robots shoulder plating opened to reveal harpoon like devices pointed straight towards Fluttershy. A second later, the harpoons launched at the giant at lightning speed, wrapping around their target.
The beast roared as the harpoon’s tightened their grip upon her. Just as she began to struggle, as surge of electricity blazed through the wires and into her body. The creature screeched in pain as the voltage continued to ravage her.
“Set voltage to maximum,” Thunderbolt barked.
While the general couldn’t hear the confirmation of his orders, the fact that the beast began to scream in pain even more than previously was evidence of his troop’s compliance. He smiled grimly, as she thrashed back and forth, battling to free herself. But it was all in vain, as the wires would not come loose and the electricity made it difficult for her to gain control of her muscle movement. She started to tumble to the ground, her mighty roars dissolving into whimpers of pain.
“Finally! That bitch is finally down!”
General Thunderbolt couldn’t help himself, but a smile crossed his face once more. Fluttershy was finally going to be beaten. The amount of electricity being poured into her body was unimaginable. However, even if it weren’t enough to kill her, it would probably be enough to knock the fight out of her. In reality, that was the all general really needed. He grinned and continued to watch, as Fluttershy remained trapped like a caged animal.
The creature gave a growl of pure fury. Like any caged animal, its captivity only made it angrier. And the angrier an animal got, the more dangerous it became. She slowly placed her front hoof firmly in front of her and pushed herself off the ground, with the other legs following the first’s example. She finally stood back on all four legs, standing firm and strong. Fluttershy growled as she wrapped her hooves around one of the wires holding her.
The general could only watch dumbfounded as the beast did the impossible. They were hitting her with an unimaginable amount of power and yet, against all this, she was still standing.
The beast unleashed a powerful bellow to the sky, signifying her power. She jerked the wire as hard as she could to her left, sending the first Hulk Buster robot to smash into the other. The machines toppled to the ground, their entire left half bent and shattered beyond recognition.
Fluttershy reestablished her grip on the wire for the first robot. Using all of her might, she whirled her body around in a spinning motion, dragging the machine with her. After giving it enough momentum, she released the wires from her grip, sending the machine straight for one of the mobile units.
Thunderbolt and every pony within the vehicle panicked, ducking for cover as Fluttershy hurled the metallic pony towards his only protection. The mobile unit shook violently, as if it was having its own personal earthquake. A very powerful earthquake. The sound of two metal forces slamming into one another pierced their eardrums like a burning needle. Every pony was tossed to the floor. Computer screens fluxed and some even shut down entirely. Electrical sparks were shooting from various wires. There was the smell of burning wires and hot metal in the air.
Flutterhulk screeched to sky with ferocity as the second Hulk Buster unit was slow to rise. The robot unleashed another missile at the beast. The missile slammed into the creature’s body, causing her to be tossed backwards several feet. Fluttershy regained her footing quickly, before the second missile impacted her. She remained upright and took a glance to her left. She saw the remains of one of the other Hulk Buster units she had previously destroyed. It was one of the limbs torn from the robot’s body. She picked it up with her hooves and tossed it into her attacker’s direction. Before the metallic pony had a chance to move, the limb cut through its right legs, causing it to collapse to the ground.
She unleashed another roar up to the sky. All of her opponents had been defeated. She turned herself around and started for her downed friend. She was breathing heavily. Her body was covered in burns and scratches.
It didn’t matter however, as they healed in mere seconds.
Crumble finished wrapping the leg of the earth pony with the bandages he had found in Fluttershy’s travel bag. After firmly splinting the injury with the nearest stick he found, he cushioned the injury as much as he possibly could. As much as he tried to concentrate, however, the sound of the battle behind him was certainly distracting. There were the sounds of Tartarus breaking loose behind him. The creature’s cry of rage and pain, the sounds of gunfire and explosions, not to mention the screaming pony, whose leg he was working on. He could tell she was not one to suffer in silence. Not that he blamed her. It was painful. He just wished she wasn’t so darned loud.
There wasn’t much in the travel bag that he could have possibly used for padding, save for a small blanket. Still, he kept it tied to his back, just in case he needed it. He knew the injury wasn’t as severe as it could have been. But it was still a broken leg, and this pony needed proper medical attention.
He was about to rush back for help, to get a proper physician, when a large dark shadow came overhead. Fear suddenly took precedence. His breath stopped in its tracks as he slowly turned around. His eyes beheld the massive beast. It was larger than anypony Crumble had ever seen. It growled at him, inching forward. Crumble started to panic and began backing away from the injured pony in fright.
“No, Flyshy!” the fallen earth pony shouted. The beast stopped its tracks, turning its attention to her injured friend. “It’s okay.”
The beast didn’t move. She was still breathing heavily, however. Still growling at the Pegasus pony, as if she wasn’t sure that she could trust him.
“Is she... talking to her? To it?” Crumble’s mind raced. The fact that the beast had halted its movement was amazing. “Is she somehow able to control it?”
“Tell her its okay,” the earth mare whispered in his ear.
Crumble took a deep swallow. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. Here he was, an average stallion, face to face with the most unbelievable thing he had ever seen. Sure he had heard the stories, but he never imagined anything like this. The stories didn’t do her justice at all. He took a slow and steady step forward. “Fluttershy?” he asked.
The creature glared at him and gave a growl.
Taking a chance, he inched forward again. “It’s okay.” The creature’s shoulders, which had been tense, slowly started to sink.
“It’s alright.” He felt as if he was talking to a filly. Granted it was a very big filly, but her reactions to aggression and non-aggression was very noticeable. He continued to repeat his lines. “It’s okay. Relax. I’m a friend.”
Her bright emerald eyes eased their tension and her breathing became more controlled.
She was calming down. Crumble was astonished at this passive behavior coming from this seemingly rage driven creature. He wasn’t sure what to believe was more miraculous. The fact that Fluttershy was this unbelievable creature or that simply talking down this beast was more effective than trying to blow her up.
Guam slowly stood up as he watched the beast turn around and trot away from the war zone. It insulted him to think she could just ignore them as if they weren’t even a threat. That he wasn’t a threat. He turned to his right to see one of the Hulk Buster units still on the ground. It was heavily damaged and sparking heavily. He also spotted the pilot inside. He looked conscious, but immobile.
Guam made his way to the soldier, taking to his side. “Does this machine here still work?”
The soldier moaned in pain. That wasn’t the respond Guam had wanted. He looked down to see a piece of glass had pierced his front hoof and it was bleeding badly. Guam put his hoof on the glass and started to push it deeper into the pony’s skin, slowly. The soldier screeched in agony.
“Does this machine still work?!” Guam shouted.
“No! Just the weapons!”
Guam released his hoof from the glass and grabbed the pony by his collar. He pulled the body out with just one hoof. The pony should have taken all of his strength to move, but Guam was able to move him with relative ease. He then tossed the pony to the ground.
After slipping into the robot’s cockpit, he could see the pony was telling the truth. The robot wasn’t mobile and wouldn’t be flying anytime soon. But he wasn’t being completely honest about the weapons. The Gatling gun, flamethrower, and electric wires were all off-line. However, there were still two missiles in the reserve. Which was all Guam really wanted.
“I’ll show you that nopony beats Guamadillius, Flutterbitch!” he seethed.
With those words, he pressed the switch and unleashed two missiles traveling at high speeds towards the great behemoth.
“Guam, you idiot!” he heard the general’s cry of disapproval. By the time Guam had fired his projectiles, he saw the familiar figure of the general’s son within breathing range of the monster.
The beast turned her head to see the missiles coming for her. With great haste, she expanded her wings and wrapped them tightly around the two ponies that stood before her. A second later, the missiles found their target, consuming her in a flash of fire.
“No!” Thunderbolt shouted. Thoughts of his son’s corpse filled his mind. This beast had cost him everything, and now it had cost him his son.
Guam meanwhile, could only look upon the destruction impassively, hoping that the beast was finished. “Sorry, general. But it had to be done.”
Just as the general began to mourn, a figure began to take shape through the flames. The green giant stood tall with her wings cradling the two ponies that she protected. Neither of them was moving. They couldn’t make out any other details. They weren’t even sure if either of them was alive.
The beast raised her head until her eyes met the general. A sharp growl is heard in the silence and a second later, the figure vanished into the flames.
“Greetings, everypony. I’m Jack Maregee. Yesterday, the mysterious creature that has haunted Equestria was seen and captured on camera, for the first time in almost 2 years.”
“The creature, which many ponies are now calling ‘the hulk’, mysteriously appeared in Bachmare Park yesterday afternoon. The military attempted an apprehension of the beast, but with no avail. Despite new weapons within the military’s possession, which can only be described as ‘giant pony robots’.”
“Sources report that General Thunderbolt, a once four-star general of the Equestrian Air Defense Force, was in charge of the operation and has been leading the charge against this hulk since the first sighting. When asked how the general knew where to start looking for the mysterious hulk, he refused to comment.”
“Fillies and gentlecolts, the military is keeping secrets from Equestria’s citizens. How long have they known about this creature that they have developed robotic suits that would be used in its capture? Why does the famed general know about this creature’s whereabouts? Why did the Equestria have to find out about this creature’s existence due to the lives it’s stolen? And how has he pursued this creature for nearly three years, since its first appearance, and still has failed to capture it?”
“As for the hulk itself, the military refuses to comment on its current whereabouts. How are the ponies of this great country suppose to feel safe when a seemingly unstoppable force lurks in hiding? Are the citizens of Equestria safe? I’m Jack Maregee and I’ve got the story.”
Guam stood outside the general’s office, waiting to be briefed on the operation. He wasn’t concerned, nor was he afraid of what the general might say. The general should have kept better track of his son. It wasn’t his fault that Thunderbolt had family issues. Besides, he was getting the job done. As far as he was concerned, that’s all that was important.
The blue unicorn he hated came from the office to insist on Guam’s entry. Guam didn’t really want to enter the office. It was a waste of his precious time. He wanted to spend his time looking for Fluttershy.
“Sure when she escaped, we had no weapons and no means to track her movements, but we still should have tried,” Guam thought.
Everypony else he’d talked to was too afraid to go up against that monster again. It made Guam sick to see such gutless wimps.
Guam finally stood up and entered the office of the famed general.
The general’s eyes glared at the gray earth pony. “Shut the door.”
Guam did as he was told. He didn’t care what the general had to say. He just wanted to get it over with.
“Sit down.”
Again, Guam complied with his orders, taking the seat in front of the general. There was silence in the room as the general flipped through the folder. It was a common tactic. The silence allowed the mind to wander. To let one’s guard down. It might have worked on anypony else, but not Guam. Guam had sat through too many of these damn briefings to be fooled by such a childish ploy.
Most of the briefings consisted of the other pony ridiculing his decisions in the field.
“Sure, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes out there. Cost some ponies their lives. But they knew the risks. So do I.”
The general continued to flip through the seemingly pointless folder, ignoring Guam completely. This tactic didn’t scare Guam at all. It just annoyed him.
“Cute, general. Cute.”
The general finally closed the folder and stood up from his chair. “I want to know what in Tartarus that was?”
Another common tactic. Standing above another to show superiority. Once again, Guam recognized it immediately. Something he had come to expect. Any other pony might have been intimidated. Guam? He was just angry.
“Sir?” Guam asked. He knew exactly what the general was talking about, but he just didn’t care.
“You fired upon the beast knowing innocent civilians were in harm’s way!”
“That I did, sir.” There was no use denying it. He knew what he was doing the moment he fired the weapon.
“That civilian was my son!” the general was right in Guam’s face.
“And I regret that, sir. But-“
“But what?!”
“But he got in the way of my shot!” Guam screamed in his head. It was all he wanted to scream, but he kept his composure. He needed to. He had to. He wanted to get Fluttershy back and throwing a tantrum wasn’t going to do any good. He learned that lesson the hard way.
“But I was simply doing my job. Sacrificing everything to get my revenge. I think those were your words, sir.”
The general gave a snarl. “That did not mean blowing my son to Tartarus.”
“Well, maybe somepony should have kept a better leash on him.”
The room was dead silent. Both ponies glared at each other with hatred. Guam might have over stepped his boundaries, but he didn’t care. The boy had gotten in the way of his shot. It was his own fault if he died. Not his.
Thunderbolt finally took a deep breath. “You’re not new to this. You’ve been discharged more times then I allow. But I brought you in because of your skill. You’re lucky I haven’t court marshaled you yet.”
Guam was hardly paying attention, but he kept his eyes on the general all the same. He needed to stay on this if he wanted to keep on Fluttershy’s trail. He knew that too.
“Now, you’ve earned your skill by crossing a lot of ponies along the way. I am just going to warn you now. I am not a pony you want to cross. Do I make myself clear?”
Guam finally replied, “Perfectly, sir.”
Thunderbolt leaned on the table, closing in on Guam. “And one more thing.”
Guam’s stern eyes diverted themselves to the general.
“You better be praying that my son is alive. If he’s not, I’m going to personally make sure that everypony knows that you are responsible for his death.”
Guam turned his eyes away and started at the table. All he wanted to do was buck the general in the face and it took every ounce of restraint he had not too.
Thunderbolt slowly sunk back in his chair, taking a heavy sigh. “Dismissed, soldier.”
Guam couldn’t have gotten out of the chair faster. He stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut as he left.
Darkness. That was all that Crumble could see as he slowly focused back into reality. His body was in pain. His forehead burned. His eyes were hard to open and he felt as if he was moving on his own. Or probably more likely, something was moving him. The jerking back and forth wasn’t overbearing, but it was slightly unpleasant.
“I’m... alive...” he thought.
He tried to open his eyes once more with minimal success. He saw a figure above him. A giant green monster with red hair embracing him in its giant wing. His eyes closed once again.
“Fluttershy?” his mouth finally spoke. Even speaking was unpleasant. His mouth was dry and his tongue ached.
He finally felt the creature stop its movements. He felt himself slide down from his cushioned bed gently onto the ground. He opened his eyes and looked to his left to the see the other pony just a few feet away from him, her back resting against a tree.
Looking forward, he spotted the creature. She was breathing heavily and her movements were slow. The beast fumbled to the ground with a heavy sigh. It rested her head against the ground and slowly closed her eyes. Crumble struggled to his feet, the pain in his hooves made it difficult. He felt as if his legs had just run a marathon. Regardless, he still managed to stand himself up.
While rising to his hooves, he watched as the great giant’s body began to morph. The beast was shrinking, her coat transforming from the dark green hue to its natural bright yellow. Her mane reverted from its red back to the bright pink that was Fluttershy’s mane. Within seconds, the beast was no more and in its place, laid the yellow Pegasus he remembered from his childhood.
He scampered to her side, raising her head in his arm. “Fluttershy?” he called. At first there was no response. He was about to put his hooves on her arm to check for a pulse when she gasped. It caused him to jump, if only a little.
Fluttershy was breathing heavily as if she had been through the workout of a lifetime. In a strange sense, she had. “Where? Where are we?” she asked.
“I don’t know. You’re the one who brought us here.”
Fluttershy placed her hoof on her forehead. “I... I don’t remember anything after...” Her thoughts then raced to her fallen friend. “Cookie?! Where’s Cookie?!”
She was beginning to panic. The very thought of losing her friend caused her to hyperventilate.
He didn’t mean to yell, but he needed to keep Fluttershy from stressing. And he wasn’t lying. Cookie was okay.
Fluttershy looked behind him to see the fallen mare, braced up against the tree. Fluttershy picked herself up and rushed to Cookie’s side.
“Cookie, are you alright?”
Cookie’s eyes began to twitch, as if she could hear what Fluttershy was saying. Her voice brought her back to reality. Her eyes focused on the Pegasus. She looked happy to see a friendly face. She tried to slide up to a better position, but quickly stopped after feeling a shock of pain. She screeched in agony.
Fluttershy looked down at the pony’s leg. It had been wrapped in bandages and a firm stick, yes, but there was a great amount of swelling.
“I wrapped it as best I could,” Crumble stated.
Fluttershy glanced around her surroundings, hoping for anything that might be of aid. She turned her head to a tree, or more specifically, a type of tree she recognized. She trotted to the tree and picked leaves from the lower branches.
The other two looked at her with blank stares. They weren’t sure what the Pegasus was doing and they still weren’t sure when she arrived by the fallen mare’s side.
Fluttershy set the leaves to the side before tearing the sling off Cookie’s leg, being very careful not to move it. Then she picked the leaves she had taken from the trees and began crushing the leaves between her front hooves. The juices soaked them. “This will help with the swelling. It’s going to hurt quite a bit, but it will help sooth the pain. I’m really, really sorry.”
Cookie took a deep breath and nodded. “Just do it before I change my mind!” she screamed to herself.
Fluttershy then rubbed her hooves on the leg in a massaging motion. Cookie flinched at every second Fluttershy made contact with her leg. She kept her leg as still as she possibly could. It took all of her concentration to keep it from moving, but if it helped her leg, she would remain still.
Crumble shook his head. “This isn’t going to help her. We need to get her to a hospital.”
Fluttershy’s eyebrows rose. “No,” she snapped as she turned her head sharply toward the stallion. She then started to blush. It wasn’t like her to be so stern. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. But we can’t take her to a hospital.”
She turned towards Cookie and continued her massage. “She’s a fugitive. Like me.”
Crumble took a deep breath. “Well, what are you going to do?”
“I have to get to Las Pegasus. It’s the only chance I have at... getting rid of her.”
“How are you going to get there?” Crumble asked.
“There’s an old red jeep we could use,” Cookie said, trying to hold back the pain. “If I could get to it, I could-!” She screeched in pain as Fluttershy continued her treatment.
Fluttershy removed her hooves from Cookie’s leg and grabbed the travel bag and started to remove whatever bandages she could find. There wasn’t much left. Crumble had used most of it to create the first sling. Still, she had to treat the injury.
“You are in no condition to be moving. Let alone driving,” Fluttershy wept. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go.” Fluttershy got on her feet looking at a nearby tree and saw some of its bark was chipped off. A good pull or push would rip it right off the tree. It would make a wonderful brace for Cookie’s leg.
Crumble looked in the same direction and as if sensing Fluttershy’s thoughts, he headed for the tree. He placed his hooves on the broken piece of bark and pulled with all his might. The bark cracked as it was removed from its position. It was a much larger piece than either of them expected, but that wasn’t a problem. They would simply reduce the size of it by taking it apart.
Crumble gave Fluttershy the piece of bark. Fluttershy took it, but then hesitated for a second. “Crumble.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“We need your help. We need you to get Cookie’s car for us.”
Crumble’s eyes shot open. “What? Me? Why me?”
“Why me? I’ve already done more for those ponies than I should have.” Crumble thought to himself. “Why am I expected to do more? Why was it so important for me to be involved?”
“Because Cookie’s in no condition to move.” Fluttershy turned her glance to the ground. “And I don’t know how to drive.”
Crumble placed his hoof on his brow, rubbing his eyes in frustration.
“Great. This is just great. Fluttershy can’t drive. Cookie could drive, but is in no condition to. So it all falls on me.”
“Why can’t we just get her somewhere she can get help?” Crumble asked. “Somepony has got to understand?”
“Yeah, like the psycho chasing her?” Cookie asked.
Crumble would have retorted, but what would have been the point? He knew the truth. His father was on a mad quest to find Fluttershy and it didn’t matter who stood in the way of that. If that was ever in question, his recent actions had proven that point.
Fluttershy was right. Cookie wouldn’t last a minute under Thunderbolt’s so called ‘care’. Not in her present condition.
“How did I get myself into this mess?” He took a look into Fluttershy’s eyes. They had that lost puppy look, begging him with those sad eyes. It tore him apart to try and say no to that face. “Oh, yeah. School-colt crush.” Crumble finally gave a heavy sigh. “Alright. I’ll do what I can.”
Cookie smiled. It was the first time she smiled, since Crumble met her. It was odd to see, but a nice change from her scowling appearance. “It’s at an old auto repair shop called ‘Stan and Jack’s’, where I work.”
She moaned in pain as she spoke. Her leg still hurt. Not as much as before, but it still felt like a knife had dug into her leg. “Just outside of town. It’s a bit rundown, but it will do fine. The keys are in the cabinet on the right, in the drawer with the blue sticker.”
Crumble nodded, relaying his instruction in his head. “Alright, I’ll take care of it.” Crumble started his way down the path Fluttershy had created, when the meek little voice stopped him.
“Please, wait.” Fluttershy made her way to him with his flash drive in hoof. “I need you to take these.” She also held a folder with some papers inside.
Crumble accepted them and began to glance through them. He wasn’t sure what all of it was, but it was loaded with advanced chemistry and even biology. But that wasn’t his area of expertise. He was a physicist. He could read some of it, but most of it looked like it might as well be a foreign language.
“What is this?” Crumble finally asked.
“I need to get this to my friend. He says he needs all of this to cure me.”
Crumble raised his eyebrow. “Your friend?”
Fluttershy nodded. “I need you to send all the data to a Hot Rod Wheels on Encrypt Chat.” Fluttershy started to blush again. “Please.” She was really being forceful. She didn’t mean too. She just wanted to be cured so much.
Crumble was silent for a moment.
“A cure? So ... a normal life? Guess I can’t blame her for wanting that. If I was in her horseshoes, I would probably do the same.”
Crumble understood. He closed the folder and put his hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best.”
Crumble traveled for nearly a day and a half. On hoof, it wasn’t an easy journey. Fluttershy had packed some berries to eat for his travels.
While they were delicious, he was hoping for something more filling. Water was also scarce. He had taken a couple of water bottles with him for his journey, but he was almost out. He hadn’t thought Fluttershy had carried them too far from civilization, but he was wrong. It was a difficult journey, but he persevered.
“Celestia, how far did you take us in here, Fluttershy?”
He wasn’t even sure he was heading back into civilization. At least, not for the longest time.
He finally found himself at a highway near the edge of the woods. And where there was highway, there was usually a city nearby. Or at least, he hoped so.
He traveled down the road for what seemed like several hours before he spotted a truck on the horizon. It was coming his way and looked like a transport truck. He held his arm out, hoping for a lift. The truck past him with great speed and he began to lose hope. He continued down his path until he heard a squeaking sound. Like metal sliding against metal. He turned around and noticed that the large truck had stopped. He raced towards the parked vehicle, placing himself to the driver window.
“Hey there, li’l feller,” the large, blue stallion with a thick southern accent spoke. “Where ya’ off too?”
Crumble was still taking in deep breaths, but he still spoke through them. “I’m heading for Hoofington.”
“Well, you’re goin’ the wrong way, son. Ya’ gonna be travelin’ fer’ever, right there. At least, ferty miles ‘fer the next town.”
Crumble shook his head. “Can I get a lift?”
“Hop in. Takes us bit to ‘rrive at Hoofinton.”
Crumble took to the passenger seat of the truck, next to the stallion.
“Wha’cha doin’ all da way out ‘ere,” the truck driver asked.
“That’s... hard to explain.”
How would he explain what just happened? A monster swept him up in its giant wings and brought him in the middle of the woods. That he was on his way to Hoofington to pick up a car from a pony that threatened him in his own home. The car was to take them to Las Pegasus so they would find a scientist who might be able to cure the beast within Fluttershy.
To say it was hard to explain was an understatement.
Crumble appeared outside the town of Hoofington after the generous truck driver had dropped him off. It was an hour trip and the company went on and on about his wife nagging on him and how he should never have gotten married, but it saved him at least a day long trip. His stomach was aching for food. He longed for the berries Fluttershy gave him. They weren’t filling, but they were at least something.
After traveling through the town, he found the old auto shop Cookie mentioned. The red paint was coming off most of it and wind had torn off pieces of the roof, but it still stood.
He approached the doorway, taking a glance through the glass on the door. He saw an old red jeep. It was definitely Cookie’s vehicle. Or at least, he hoped. He didn’t see any other car’s inside, so he assumed he was right.
He opened the door, a little bell ringing as he stepped inside. He expected to see another pony at any second to greet him. A few moments past with nothing. He glanced around wondering if any pony was with him. However, he was alone in that building. It was creepy.
The building squeaked every so often, but at least this gave him a chance to use their computer. Assuming of course they had one and if they did, the computer had to be able to send the information he needed.
He made his way to the back office to see an old desktop computer. It looked about 10 years old, but it was still functional. He took a seat in front of the old computer and brought the screen up. He opened up the chat program Fluttershy mentioned from the Internet. It wasn’t long before he was contacting Hot Rod Wheels. And it wasn’t long before he received a response.
‘Lil’ Angel? I didn’t expect to hear from you. How are you?’
“How long has Fluttershy been in contact with Hot Rod Wheels? Could she know him personally? No. It’s not possible. Why would she call him Hot Rod Wheels if she knew his real name?”
He thought it might be his real name, but quickly dismissed the thought. He began to type his reply on the keyboard, quickly responding with the first thing that came to mind.
‘I’m not Lil’ Angel. I’m a friend of hers.’
Crumble sent his reply, unsure as to what to expect. While he waited for the reply, he took the opportunity to glance about his surroundings. There wasn’t much to look at though. Just a photograph of a pony with a gray mustache standing side by side with unicorn with a short gray mane, suspended on the wall.
“Jack and Stan, I’d guess?” he thought to himself. The computer beeped with Hot Rod Wheel’s reply.
‘Not Angel? Is she alright? Has something happened?’
He was afraid something like this might happen, but he wasn’t without a response. The truth was sometimes the simplest response.
‘Don’t worry, she’s fine. She just sent me to give you the information you requested. I’m sending it now.’
Crumble removed the flash drive from his sack and placed it into the USB port of the computer. He was surprised a computer this old had a USB port. It would have made this transfer of information difficult without it. But he had another problem. He still had Fluttershy’s father’s notes to send, but they were all pieces of paper. He needed a fax number and, more importantly, a fax machine.
He typed in the commands to send the information to Hot Rod Wheels. He knew it would take a few seconds to transfer the data. He took this time to survey his surroundings.
A fax machine would be somewhere in the office, no doubt near the computer. However, no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find one anywhere. Crumble was just about to give up when he looked down to the floor.
It was an old fax machine, hidden behind one of the trash bins. It hadn’t been used in a while. That fact was spoken in the dust it had collected. In fact, it wasn’t even plugged in. He kneeled down to the floor and pulled out the fax machine from its confinement.
He untwisted the wires and inserted them where they needed to be. He released a cough or two as the dust assaulted his throat. He had just finished when a response came from Hot Rod.
‘Good. But I need ALL the information. There is nothing here about the irregularity in her blood.’
“Irregularity in her blood?” Crumble then thought about the papers that Fluttershy gave him. He scanned through them once more, this time very carefully.
He noticed that there was some sort of mentioning at Fluttershy’s blood. While he didn’t understand all of it, Fluttershy’s blood, according to these notes, was unique.
Crumble sat himself back in the chair and began to type.
‘I know. Unfortunately, it’s all written on paper. Do you have a fax number I can send it too?’
Crumble leaned back in the chair. All that was left to do was wait for his response, which didn’t take too long.
‘Here’s the fax number. 316-481-1925’
Crumble placed the papers on the fax machine and pushed the send command. He allowed the fax to perform its task before closing the chat program.
He heard the sound of the bell ringing in the garage. He knew some pony was entering the building.
There was no time to unplug the fax machine to put it back. He needed a lie and he needed something quickly. Quickly, he gathered the notes in his hooves, not wanting to lose them.
He looked through the glass to see the old pony with gray mustache coming across the garage. The same pony from the picture, with some differences however. His hair was grayer and he wore tinted glasses. The stallion looked through the glass to see Crumble. “Hey, who are you?”
Crumble stammered for a lie to tell, but it quickly came to him. “I’m... a computer repair stallion.”
The stallion raised his eyebrow. “I don’t remember calling a computer repair stallion.”
Crumble started to sweat. What other lies did he have? How was he going to get himself out of this one? He then thought of the mare that told him about this place. She said she had a vehicle here and that she was employed here.
“Cookie called me here. Said she was having computer issues.” He smiled, trying to hide his nervousness.
The stallion shook his head and sighed. “That girl never tells me anything. Kids today, no respect.”
Crumble took a deep breath. “I can’t believe that worked.”
He stepped to the side and allowed the stallion to take to his office. His eyes then fixed on the red jeep that he was to get. Just beyond that, was a red cabinet. The one that Cookie described earlier.
He made his way to the cabinet and began opening the drawers, searching for the keys. He couldn’t remember which drawer it was, until he found the stickers on the front of the cabinet. Cookie had mentioned it was one with a blue sticker and just as he looked, he spotted them.
“Hey, did you hook up my fax machine?” the stallion asked as he came from his office.
Crumble’s hair on the back of his head stood up. He slowly turned around hoping for a good enough lie.
“Um... Yes,” he stammered, trying to come up with a lie. “She was trying to send a fax and couldn’t figure out how. So... it turns out it just needed to be hooked up right.”
The pony raised his eyebrow and shook his head. “That’s odd. She’s always good with that technology stuff.”
Crumble gave a nervous smile. Sure, the pony might not have bought the whole lie, but he bought enough. He hated lying to this pony. It went against everything he stood for.
“Why am I lying for a pony that I hardly know? Fluttershy isn’t that special to me, is she? Sure we played together when we were kids, but that was a long time ago. A very long time ago.”
“What are you doing in those drawers, anyway?” the old stallion asked.
The stallion’s question brought Crumble back to reality. He quickly came up with an answer. “Cookie told me to get this jeep. Told me where to find the keys.” It wasn’t lying, and yet it still felt like lying.
“Oh, so you must be Mr. Popcorn. You’re wife said you’d be coming. I didn’t know you were a computer repair stallion, too.”
“Mr. Popcorn? Who the hay is that? Is that the owner of this jeep? Did Cookie send me to steal this jeep?! Great. On top of everything else, I get to add grand theft auto to my list of crimes today,” Crumble thought to himself.
“Yes. I am.”
The stallion gave a smile. “Well, Mr. Popcorn, let me draw up the paperwork and you can be on your way.”
“Thanks.” Crumble replied. “And not a moment too soon.”
A beautiful pink mare began to hum a sweet tune as she wiped down her table from a hearty lunch. Her little angel had just had her favorite food. Apple slices and bananas. Posey had given her daughter a treat when she had finished her whole meal, a big chocolate chip cookie. The little filly leaped with joy when she saw her dessert.
Fluttershy was now in the other room, playing with her toys. It warmed Posey’s heart to see her daughter so full of joy and life. Since, not so long ago, they nearly lost her.
She had just put her last plate in the dishwasher when she saw her husband trot through the door.
“Honey, you’re home. I didn’t expect you to be home so early,” Posey greeted. She then took a look at him.
He leaned against the door, a blank stare on his face. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were red, tears were rolling to his cheeks. There were tearstains on his vest. He was very silent. It wasn’t like him at all. “Honey, are you alright?”
“Pack your things. We need to leave tonight.” Bixby headed past Posey, out of the doorway.
“Wait, what?!” the mother stepped back in shock.
The father headed towards the bedroom, his wife closely behind.
“Leave? Leave where? Why?” Posey asked.
Brixy was silent. He franticly opened the closest and searched up and down for something. He reached up and pulled down a suitcase from the highest shelf. He opened it and pushed it towards his wife. “Put some supplies in this.”
Posey shook her head. “Brixy, what is going on?”
Brixy pulled another suitcase out of the closet in a frantic rush. “I’ll explain everything later. Right now, we need to leave.” He turned around and placed the suitcase on the bed. He turned to leave the room, but the pink pony stood in his way.
“I’m not leaving anywhere until you tell me what is going on,” the pink pony snapped. She had never snapped like that before. She was always so kind and gentle. That was the pony she normally was. Not a pony who would speak with so harsh a voice.
Brixy took a deep breath and turned towards the window. “They’re coming. They’re coming to take Fluttershy away.”
Posey raised her eyebrow. “What?! Who?! Who is coming?!”
“My employers. They want Fluttershy for experimentation.”
Posey shook her head. “Why in Equestria would they want Fluttershy? What could they possibly want with our daughter?!”
Brixy’s eyes lowered to the floor. He then took a deep breath. “Because... when she was about to... die. I... injected her with the growth serum.”
Posey’s eyes widened. She was silent for what seemed like several minutes. “You what?” Posey’s voice was harsh and stern, cutting like a knife into her husband’s ears.
Brixy took another deep breath and exhaled deeply. He could understand her not believing what he had done. “I injected her with the growth serum I had been experimenting with.”
“You injected our daughter with a growth serum that was meant for plants?!”
“I modified it.”
Posey raised her voice even louder, “That doesn’t mean you can use our daughter as a living test subject!”
“I couldn’t lose her!” Brixy shouted back. There was silence. Even the air around them felt still. No pony kept track of how long the silence reigned. A minute. Two minutes. Maybe it was only 30 seconds. However long it was, it seemed a thousand times longer.
Brixy spoke again, “I couldn’t lose her. I was desperate. Desperate to save our angel.” He sat on the bed, his head resting on his hooves. Tears continued to stream down his face. “I was scared.”
Posey made her way beside him and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”
Brixy gazed into her eyes, and noticed a tear coming from her eyes as well. He gently wiped the tear away. “I’m sorry too. I just... I don’t know what to do.”
Posey kissed him once again. “We’ll figure it out. We always have and we always will.”
Brixy took Posey’s hoof in his own and kissed it gently. They embraced each other as if they never wanted to let go. Brixy exhaled deeply. “What am I going to tell Fluttershy?”
Posey glanced at her husband’s face. “You’ll find the words. You always do.”
Brixy nodded his head and slowly got off the bedside. “I’ll talk to her.”
“I’ll get everything ready.”
Brixy exited the bedroom and turned to his right to see a brown doorway blocking the path of Fluttershy’s room. It wasn’t usually closed. A crack was always left open so that the hallway light would shine in the room.
His daughter was terrified of the dark. And more often then not, she would have a nightmare or hear a scary noise during the night, which would send her rushing into her parent’s room. Posey would sing her one of her lullabies to help her sleep and she would cuddle next to her parents.
Brixy slowly opened the door to see her daughter on the floor, sobbing. Brixy took to her side and gently picked her up off the floor. “Hey, honey, what’s the matter?”
Fluttershy wept uncontrollably, but attempted to speak. Her speech was broken by her unrestrained sobs.
Brixy grabbed one of the tissues off Fluttershy’s nightstand. He then held it to his daughter’s nose. “Blow.”
Fluttershy blew her nose into the tissue. Somehow, she had made it graceful. Whenever Fluttershy sneezed, coughed, or any other action that would normally be presented as inelegant, she would somehow make it seem like a beautiful motion. She seemed to perform this task naturally. Something her father had still been unable to correctly determine.
“Are you... and mommy... mad?”
“No. No, honey. Mommy and daddy aren’t mad,” Brixy spoke in a fatherly voice, holding his daughter tight.
“Then... why are you... yelling?” Fluttershy placed her head on her father’s chest, her arms wrapped around his body. Her sobbing continued to break her speech patterns.
“Because Mommy and I ... are scared,” he finally said. He wasn’t sure how to explain the situation to his little daughter. It was too big for her to understand. Heck, he wasn’t sure he understood it all too well either. But he knew this much, if they stayed, they might never see each other again.
Fluttershy pulled away until she was face to face with her father. “You are... scared?”
Brixy wiped a tear from his daughter’s face. “Very scared. We have to go away, okay?”
“Where are we going?”
Brixy wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t have a plan. He didn’t have a direction. He didn’t have anything. All he knew was he was going to lose his daughter unless he acted.
“We have to go somewhere else, angel. But you’ll be with Mommy and Daddy all the time, okay? We won’t ever leave you.”
Fluttershy let out another whimper. “Promise?”
Bixby hugged his daughter again, tears in his own eyes. “I promise. Mommy and I will never leave -.” An explosion of fire overtakes everything.
Fluttershy gasps as she awakens from her nightmare. Her heavy breathing filled the air around her, as it did every night. Every nightmare. They seemed to be getting worse. They upset her even more now. Like this was a part of her continued punishment, to watch her parents break their promise again and again and again.
She started to think about her life on the run. She never had much in her life. Very few toys, treasures, and places to call home. But she did have her mother and father who loved her very much. Her father would often get any job he could, so long as they didn’t ask questions. Which was not very often.
Besides that, they lived off the land. Her mother would give her advice on plants that ponies should stray away from and ones that can be used for medical needs.
Fluttershy glanced over to where Cookie was resting. Her hoof was braced with the bark, which kept it from moving. The herbs she had used had helped with the swelling and the pain. The first night wasn’t pleasant for either of them. The pain kept Cookie awake the whole night and Fluttershy attempted to calm her with the soothing herb, but that had taken a lot longer then expected. Not that she could have slept that first night anyway. Or most nights for that matter.
Crumble was out there all-alone. He had no way to defend himself if anything were to happen. Something that Fluttershy held tightly to her heart. If something were to happen to him, it would be her fault. She had already committed so many crimes against pony-kind. She prayed that Crumble would be spared.
Cookie’s moan of pain brought Fluttershy back to reality. “Faust, is it morning already?”
Fluttershy rushed her way to Cookie’s side, digging up the spare leaves next to her. “How is your leg?” Fluttershy asked as she rubbed the leaves between her hooves.
Cookie was silent for a second as she looked down at her leg. She wasn’t a doctor, but she did notice the swelling was half of what it used to be. And it didn’t hurt quite as much, but she was far from walking, let alone running across the country. “Hurts like Tartarus.”
Fluttershy began to rub her hooves on the leg once more, being careful around the actual break. Cookie grunted in pain as she did for the last few days, but she was bearing it better than before.
After a few minutes, Fluttershy stopped and stood up. “The swelling in your leg should go away with a few more days of this. If that’s okay.”
“Yeah, great.” Cookie shook her head. She didn’t see much of a choice.
Fluttershy gave a smile and started to trot for the berry bush not to far from their shelter. It was a tactical place to rest. There was a stream not to far from there and food was aplenty. Best of all, the dense sea of trees made it impossible for aerial surveillance. Since, Fluttershy could never fly very well and was always terrified of heights, the dense forest is where Fluttershy would hide the most if she could help it.
But even in the greatest of forests had a dark side. Fluttershy knew that hunters and poachers would hurt her little animal friends. When they did, she would often get angry. And... well, she didn’t need to remind herself what happened when she got angry.
“So, Flyshy? How did you get so good with medicine?” Cookie asked.
“Oh, well, my mother was a nurse before we were on the run.” Fluttershy turned towards the earth pony with berries in her hooves. “I also met this really nice shaman while I was on the run.”
Fluttershy came next to her and placed the berries on the lap of the earth pony.
Cookie took one of them in her hoof and stuck it in her mouth. It wasn’t the most filling food, but it was food. “A shaman, huh?” she replied, still chewing on her meal.
Fluttershy nodded. “He was a really great pony, even if he did have a little problem.”
Cookie stuffed another berry in his mouth, crewing loudly through it. “A little problem?”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “He was ... strange. He’d wait in a forest like this one. He’d wait for... a monster.”
Cookie raised her eyebrow. Just as she was about to ask about what Fluttershy meant, they heard a rustle in the bushes.
Fluttershy leaped to her hooves and backed away slowly. Cookie lay on the ground as still as she could, preparing for anything.
She wasn’t sure what she would do, but she wouldn’t be taken without a fight.
Within a few second, a familiar pony emerged from the bushes.
“Crumble!” Fluttershy cheered as loud as she could, which was still a soft whisper.
Crumble trudged back to where the duo was. He only stopped when Fluttershy wrapped her arms around him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” the mare said.
Crumble started to go red. He didn’t expect this sort of welcome. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks.”
Fluttershy released the stallion. “Did you send the information?”
Cookie then spoke, “Did you get the jeep?”
Crumble gave a glare at Cookie. “Yeah, I got the jeep. And you could have told me it belonged to somepony else!”
Fluttershy stepped back in shock and fear.
“Why is he yelling like this? And the jeep belonged to some pony else? Why would Cookie do that?”
Cookie shook her head and scoffed. “If you hadn’t had called the cops on Flyshy, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Fluttershy started to whimper.
“If it weren’t for me, neither of them would be in this mess. If I had just let Cookie go, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“Hey, I did what I thought was right! Okay?!” Crumble shouted
The forest echoed her projected voice. It was the loudest any pony had heard Fluttershy. She hated to watch friends fight. She hated it when her parent’s fought. They didn’t fight often, but when they did it always upset her. She didn’t want any pony to fight. Ever.
Tears came rushing down her face. Fluttershy exhaled deeply. “None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for me. Which is why I’m trying to fix it. I’m really sorry I yelled. I just... I’m tired of all the fighting.”
Crumble and Cookie were silent as if what they had to say couldn’t change how they hurt their friend. Regardless, Crumble put his hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Cookie followed Crumble’s example and apologized.
Fluttershy gave a slight smile and nodded weakly.
Crumble turned towards the opening in the woods. “It’ll take us a little bit to get to the jeep. We’ll have to carry her there. The terrain makes it difficult for the jeep to get any closer.”
Fluttershy wiped a tear from her face and nodded. They both made their way to Cookie and each of them put her arm on their shoulders to support her. It was awkward, since Fluttershy was slightly shorter than Crumble, but at least, her hoof wasn’t touching the ground.
After a few minutes of trudging through the wilderness, they finally arrived at the red jeep and prepared themselves for their long journey, unaware of what awaited them.
The trip was hardly pleasurable for the trio of ponies. Cookie had it the worst. Being crammed in the backseat of the jeep was very uncomfortable and it was her leg that got the worst of it. They would need to stop every so often to stretch out Cookie’s leg or apply some more medication to it. It only made the few day trip impossibly longer. Cookie had insisted that she not be concerned with, but Fluttershy would give her those desperate eyes, begging to Cookie to allow her to be treated. With those eyes at her disposal, Fluttershy was difficult to refuse.
It wasn’t easy for any of them. Fluttershy and Crumble would need to move Cookie themselves, trying hard not to cause her irritation. Which was a task in itself. Cookie was forced to endure long hours being cramped in a small vehicle, trying desperately not to move her leg. It wasn’t the easiest thing for her, but she was constantly reminded by Fluttershy that her leg wouldn’t heal properly if irritated.
The bumping of the road was the only sound that filled the car for what seemed like hours. Everypony else was very quiet. Especially, Fluttershy. Her mind was preoccupied. She kept wandering to the day in the forest not unlike where she and Cookie had been waiting. She remembered the friend she had made. He was kind and strong, but disturbing sometimes. He was unusually quiet.
Fluttershy attempted to dismiss the thought from her mind. That was a long time ago. And she couldn’t even remember what happened. She turned her head to the back seat towards the brown pony with her leg on the seat. She was staring out the back window. Her gaze didn’t seem to be focused on anything in particular. She just seemed to be lost in thought.
Fluttershy had often wondered about her friend’s mysterious past. But every time Fluttershy would ask, she was always met with the stone wall of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’. Fluttershy would never press the matter. If Cookie didn’t want to say anything about her past, Fluttershy wouldn’t force it. Still, she would have liked to know.
“Do we need to stop?” Fluttershy asked. “Do you need to rest for a while?
Cookie turned her head and smiled. Fluttershy had been asking her nonstop to keep her strength up. She would constantly monitor her to make sure she had been eating well, kept her leg from moving, had plenty of water and rest, and stayed as comfortable as possible. Cookie wasn’t used to being waited on. At least, not like this.
“Maybe for a little while,” she finally replied.
Fluttershy gave a slight nod and turned towards Crumble.
Crumble, hearing the conversation perfectly, started to pull the car off the side of the road and into the wilderness. He navigated his way through as many trees as he could before he decided to finally stop. After finally pulling over, Fluttershy and Crumble set Cookie next to a tree to rest her leg without the bumping and shaking.
Fluttershy once again eyed the sling they had made for her from the old blanket. It was starting to wear. It wasn’t a very secure sling and it didn’t absorb a lot of the shock while they on the road.
“I’m really sorry we couldn’t build you a better sling,” Fluttershy said.
Cookie just smiled. “Forget it. You did the best you could.”
Fluttershy’s eyes lowered to the ground. Her gut started to shrink as she glanced upon her friend whom she could do almost nothing for. She could only endless rub the medicine on the leg and hope that her body would have enough strength to heal the rest.
Fluttershy dug into the pack at her side and dug out a group of leaves. Cookie started to sigh in frustration. She knew what was coming. It was time to rub more ointment on her leg to help kill the swelling.
“I’m really, really sorry, Cookie.”
Cookie simply shook her and scoffed. “It’s fine.”
Fluttershy lowered her head. She didn’t want to hurt her friend, but the swelling was almost gone. She didn’t think there was another way she could help. Apart from herbs, she had little in her possession. She once again turned to her pack and scanned it once more, silently praying for anything that could be salvaged. With every second, her heart began to sink. The pack they had brought contained only a hoof full of berries and a couple of bottles of water. Nothing that would help Cookie’s condition and certainly nothing that would make it any less bearable.
Suddenly, a shadow came across her eye. She looked up to see high tree branches to see a set of long and wide green leaves, hanging over them. They simply fluttered in the wind as if they were trying to catch their attention. Fluttershy’s mind recalled the day she was introduced to such plants as she studied their shape and size.
She picked herself up and flapped her wings to reach them. Crumble and Cookie simply watched as Fluttershy picked out several leaves from the tree before coming back to the ground.
Fluttershy set the leaves next to Cookie and took another look around her. She browsed around her surroundings for another plant she had known about. They finally came to her in a shape that mimicked a spade on a playing card. She rushed towards them and started to gather as much as she could.
She started to think back towards the leaves and everything they had represented. Her mind kept shifting through memories like a movie playing in her mind. A time when she was once again at peace in the forest. Where she had nothing but the trees and the animals to keep her company. A time of quietness and tranquility, where no pony would bother her or get her angry. But something always came and made her angry… And in turn, it would ruin everything for her.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Crumble finally asked.
Fluttershy started to blush. She had been so caught up in her memories; she had forgotten Cookie and Crumble were there with her. She had just always been alone. She didn’t think anything of it. She was alone for so many years. She would only rely on the companionship of animals to get her through most of the days. It was strange for other ponies to be traveling with her. Not bad strange, but strange nonetheless.
“Oh, it’s a remedy a very nice stallion once told me about,” Fluttershy explained. As she made her way to Cookie’s side, her mind began to wander back to that day. She had awoken in a mysterious forest after ‘she’ came out. She didn’t remember how she got there, but when she awoke, a mysterious stallion had appeared over her. He was a nice stallion. He taught her a lot about medicines and plants. He even fed her. She started to frown however, as the memories slowly faded away.
The mysterious shaman of the Everfree forest was one of the many friends Fluttershy had met on her journey. Her mind wandered to the kind griffin, Monsieur Pabul. It then painted the faces of all the ponies she had met, loved, and was forced to leave behind because of ‘her’. Every time she had thought she had found a place she could be happy, something would come into her life, forcing her to leave everything behind and start over once again. And every time, it was like starting over after her parent’s left her.
Fluttershy dug through the pack once more and pulled out a water bottle. After stuffing a couple of the odd shaped leaves into the bottle, she put it to the side. She then started to remove the sling from Cookie’s leg.
“What kind of plant is that?” Crumble asked.
Fluttershy turned and smiled. “I call them Mending Leaves.” She remembered them well. They were said to be used on warriors that had broken their arms or legs. “It’s going to help kill any infection and it will numb some of the pain.”
Fluttershy started to wrap the large leaf around Cookie’s leg. Cookie twitched and grunted as Fluttershy carefully wrapped the leaves around the tender leg. Regardless, Cookie remained very still. Fluttershy continued to wrap leaf after leaf around Cookie’s leg until it was completely concealed. After that, she rewrapped the sling around it to keep the leaves touching Cookie’s leg as much as possible. Fluttershy had hoped that the juices in the leaves would soak into Cookie’s skin and help numb the pain as well as kill infections.
She then picked up the water bottle, which was now green with the leaf juices. “I think you should drink some of this,” Fluttershy suggested. “It won’t taste very good at all, but it will help your leg heal faster and help with infections.”
Cookie gave a nervous smile as Fluttershy presented the bottle of water before her. She took the bottle from Fluttershy and brought it up to her mouth. As soon as the liquid touched her tongue, she spat it out quickly. Saliva and the concoction filled the air in front of her.
“Holy Faust!” Cookie screamed as she continued to spit out the bitter drink. “I didn’t think it was going to be that bad.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Not because she thought it was funny, but because she knew exactly how badly it tasted. She almost gagged drinking it the first time it touched her tongue.
“I know it doesn’t taste very good, but you really should try to drink it,” Fluttershy kindly insisted.
Cookie cringed at the thought of putting such a bitter taste in her mouth again. But as always, Fluttershy would look at her with those sad, begging eyes. And with that, Cookie would comply. She took another drink of her medicine, desperately controlling her gag reflex.
Fluttershy smiled as Cookie began to swallow the drink. She then picked herself up. “I’ll look for some food.” She slowly trotted towards the clearing in the trees. She didn’t notice Crumble following closely behind.
“Fluttershy,” Crumble called to her.
Fluttershy didn’t respond. As she started to trot, she started to wobble back and forth. Her eyes were struggling to stay open. She found herself rubbing them frequently.
“Fluttershy!” Crumble called to her once more, as she nearly toppled to the ground.
Fluttershy was able to catch herself at the last second before her face hit the ground, but she was struggling to get back on her feet.
Crumble came to her side and helped her to her feet. “Fluttershy, you need to rest for a while.”
Fluttershy rubbed her eyes with her hooves. “No… I’m fine,” she lied. She didn’t want to worry them. She didn’t want them to think she couldn’t take care of them. Neither Cookie nor Crumble had any experience in the woods. Neither of them had ever been camping before or survived for a period of time in the wilderness. Only Fluttershy had that experience.
It had taken her years of living off the land to pick up these skills. Most of what she learned was from her family, her parents. The rest she learned from either animals or friends she met along her journey.
“Fluttershy, you are not fine,” Crumble insisted. “You barely eat. You hardly sleep.”
Fluttershy didn’t even realize that she was exhausted. Her stomach felt it as if it was in a vice. She had been so concerned with helping Crumble and Cookie survive; she didn’t even have time to think about herself.
As for sleep, that was another thing entirely. Sure when she wasn’t trying to sleep she was helping to keep Cookie from feeling pain so that she could sleep. But when she was trying to sleep, there was always the dread of the dreams she would experience.
“I’m sorry. But…” Fluttershy started, but Crumble quickly interrupted.
“No ‘buts’. You’re exhausted,” Crumble stated. “You are going back with Cookie and you’re going to get some sleep.”
Fluttershy started to shake her head. She knew Crumble was right. Her eyes were red, puffy and incredibly difficult to keep open. She found often find herself drifting off during their long rides. She knew she needed to get some sleep, but was it right for her to think of herself when her friends needed her?
“We’ve got some of the berries from the last time we stopped,” Crumble explained as he started to lead Fluttershy back to their camp. “I want you to eat those and I want you to get some sleep.”
“But what about you? And Cookie?” Fluttershy asked.
“Cookie’s going to get some rest too.” Crumble smiled. “And I’ll be fine for a couple hours without food.”
Fluttershy was about to argue, when suddenly her mind started to play tricks on her. A vision played back in her mind as she was taken into the middle of the woods. She saw herself running faster and faster, with ponies in uniforms right behind her. Tears started to run down her face as her body ached as she moved. Suddenly, the sky began to blacken with a large shape. The shadow was growing larger. She looked up to the heavens to see a large dome descending from the heavens, straight to where she was.
With a powerful thud, the dome crashing into the ground surrounding the tiny Pegasus pony.
When Fluttershy opened her eyes, she saw nothing but blackness. Darkness engulfed her as her heart pounded against her chest violently. She franticly tapped her arms across the steel wall that was shrouded in darkness, desperate to find her way out. Her breath became rapid as she struggled to find a way out of the tiny box, but in the complete darkness, she felt powerless. She could hear the screams of ponies all around her. She started to quiver as the voice came around her. She curled up in a ball. Her eyes bursting with tears, silently pray that the ponies would leave her alone.
Then suddenly a huge green hoof smashed against the wall of the box, causing a hole where the hoof collided. A bright beam of light shined through the hole as a thunderous cry echoed in the prison.
Fluttershy left her trance, her body trembling. A cold chill slithered down her spine and her breathing became very rapid. When she came back to reality, she found herself on the ground, with Crumble attempting to wake her. He had been calling to her, but she couldn’t hear him over her vision.
“Fluttershy, are you alright?”
Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to say. Had she just seen an image of the beast? A brief glimpse into the creature’s mind? She had never had just an image before. The thought started to haunt her. However, she quickly dismissed it as an image created by her exhaustion. Her mind simply playing tricks on her. It was then she decided maybe rest was the best thing for her.
She smiled and nodded. “Maybe I will take that rest,” she meekly agreed.
Fluttershy and Crumble made their way back to the campsite where Cookie sat, her arms folded and a gloomy sneer on her face. “Where’s the food?” she asked.
Fluttershy diverted her eyes to the ground. She didn’t know what to say. Instead, she almost turned around and went to look for some berries. However, Crumble put his arm out to stop her.
He then turned towards Cookie. “Fluttershy needs to rest and so do you.”
Cookie’s expression changed from one of scorn and annoyed to concern. “Flyshy, are you okay?”
Fluttershy smiled towards her friend. “Yeah. I’m okay.” She then took a look at Crumble. “I just… need to rest for awhile, I guess.”
Fluttershy made her way to the side of nearby oak and set herself on the ground. She then took a look at Cookie once more, her eyes weary and tearful. “I’m really sorry, Cookie.”
Cookie just shook her head. “Hey, I get it. Get some rest, okay? I’ll be fine. I’m a big filly.”
Fluttershy smiled as she put her head to the ground. She counted herself lucky to have such ponies as friends. She slowly closed her eyes, but as she attempted to sleep, her mind kept wandering to her two friends whom she left into the night’s care. She struggled on the ground for several minutes, but was unable to find a way to fall into slumber.
She opened her eyes to see Crumble not a few feet from her. He was stacking firewood to build their next fire. He turned towards her and frowned. “I thought I told you to get some sleep?”
Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry… I just couldn’t sleep. I’m just worried.”
Crumble shook his head. “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. Get some sleep. I’ll take care of this.”
Fluttershy looked at the firewood the Crumble had gathered. There was plenty of firewood to burn and the quality was average. But Crumble had never been camping before. She had never seen him build a fire. It was always her that built the fire and gathered the food and found water.
“Do you know how to build a fire?” Fluttershy asked.
Crumble gave a chuckle. “I’ve watched you enough times. How hard can it be?”
Fluttershy gave a slight smile. She knew exactly how hard building a fire could be.
She started to think back on her days with her father. Her father had taught her to build a fire. Ever since she found out how, she wanted to try it herself. Her father was always hesitant, but eventually, she persuaded him. She tried, doing it exactly how her father showed her, but she couldn’t even get a single spark. It made her so frustrated. So angry. She couldn’t do it right. She remembered crying that night. Her father told her it would take practice to get it right, but she didn’t want to practice. She wanted to be able to build a fire.
Time and time again, she would try. And time and time again, she would fail. She eventually gave up. She didn’t think she could ever start a fire. Her father urged her to try again. He always believed she could do it. He always believed in her. Finally, following her father’s wishes, she tried again. And finally, she started her fire.
She remembered the joy she felt as the flames came to life before her eyes and it was her hooves that made it happen.
Fluttershy didn’t notice her smile get wider as she replayed the memories in her mind. Her mind wasn’t quieted though. She still thought she should help Crumble make the fire. But she knew, deep down, he would refuse her help. She finally surrendered her concerns and placed her head back on the ground in a desperate attempt to fall asleep.
Fluttershy awoke abruptly as an image played out in her mind. She was on the back of Cookie’s motorcycle when it was sent soaring into the air. When her mind became focused, she saw her friend lying on the ground, helpless and injured. The soldiers were rushing towards her and her body moaned in agony. Her next image jumped to Crumble and Cookie in front of her, only she was several sizes larger than either of them. They looked terrified as they began to back away in fear. A huge pair of green wings then wrapped themselves around Crumble and Cookie. The feathery wings consumed the two ponies before a wave of fire wash over her.
She felt a cold sweat crawl down her face as she attempted to control her breathing. Her mind attempted to conceive what she had just seen.
“What in Equestria was that?” Fluttershy asked herself as she reviewed the dream in her mind. Her mind tried to picture the image once more, but the memory was clouded in shadow. It was as if she was being kept from that memory.
Fluttershy gave herself several deep, slow breaths. “Relax, Fluttershy. It was just a nightmare.” She repeated her lines in combination with her breathing. “No matter how scary it was… It was just a nightmare.”
When she had finally calmed herself down, she looked around her to see Crumble’s fire still burning, but slowly dying. Crumble was stationed beside it, his quiet breathing the only noise coming from him. A snoring sound filled the air around her. She found the source in Cookie as she slept under the old oak tree she placed her.
The only other sound that filled the empty night sky was the grumbling of her stomach. She had forgotten to eat something before catching up on her sleep. But despite all the sleep she had, she still felt sluggish. Her head still felt foggy and dizzy. She shook her head in an effort to remove it.
She made her way to the travel sack and picked out the few berries inside them. After plopping a few in her mouth and carefully placing firewood to fuel Crumble’s dying fire, being very careful not to wake any pony up, she gathered the two empty water bottles, deciding it best to hunt for water as well.
The night presented many difficulties for Fluttershy however. Every sound made her jump and screech. When something brushed against her, she almost screamed. It took every ounce of courage she could muster not to turn and rush back to the fireplace. But no matter how scared she became, she took a deep breath and put one hoof in front of the other. For the sake of the ponies back at the camp.
In a half of an hour, Fluttershy had filled her pack and her belly with berries of all shapes, sizes and colors. Within a few minutes after that, she had filled their containers with water from a small stream.
Out of fear of the darkness, Fluttershy hadn’t wandered very far from the campsite, making it easy to find her way back. As she arrived, Crumble started to stir. His moan filled the air as he stretched out his legs. Slowly, his sight was pointed directly at Fluttershy.
“I thought I told you to get some rest?” Crumble moaned, rubbing his eyes.
Fluttershy turned her head away, her gaze towards the ground. “I’m sorry. I… just couldn’t sleep.”
Crumble sat himself up with a large yawn. He shook his head as his sigh died off. “I know you want to help us, but what about letting us help you?”
Fluttershy closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s really no trouble. I don’t mind helping the both of you.”
“But what about us helping you?”
Fluttershy made her way beside him and set the pack down next to him. “I’ll be okay. I’m use to ponies not helping me.” She started to frown. “I’m used to being alone.”
Crumble frowned as her words pierced his ears. “But you don’t have to be alone.”
Those words made Fluttershy smile, even a little. She thought about all the years she had been alone. All the years that she had lost those she cared for and had left her behind. She took another look at Crumble and gave a tearful smile. “Thank you.”
Crumble didn’t smile back. He just turned his attention to the fire. “I kind of am responsible for what’s happening.”
Fluttershy sat next to him allow the fire to warm her. “I know you were just doing what you thought was right.” Her mind wandered to the day she came to Crumble’s home. She had requested information on the gamma pulse project that transformed her. The day he made the call that caused her last transformation. She didn’t blame him. Fluttershy wasn’t one to hold a grudge against any pony.
Crumble gave a deep sigh. “That’s the thing. Maybe it wasn’t the right call.” The air was very still around them with the only sound breaking it being Cookie’s snoring. Crumble continued to stare at the flames as if he wasn’t certain what to say. Fluttershy started to feel overcome with awkwardness.
Finally, after a pause, Crumble spoke once more. “The pony who is chasing you… General Thunderbolt… is my father.”
Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide open, with a stunned look on her face. She turned her away from him and stared at the ground. Her mind started to spin in a whirlwind of confusion. The words Crumble spoke echoed in her mind. She hadn’t been prepared for such news.
“Your father?” she repeated, as if to make sure she heard correctly.
Crumble was lowered his head and closed his eyes. “He’s been obsessed over your capture for years.” He turned his head away from Fluttershy as if he was too ashamed to face her. “He’s the one who stole your parents from you.” His head sunk into his chest. “I’m sorry.”
Fluttershy allowed the words to sink into her mind. All that she had heard came over her like a wave hitting the shore. She placed herself beside Crumble and placed her hooves on his head. “It’s not your fault,’ she whispered in his ear as she leaned forward.
Crumble turned his head towards the smiling Fluttershy, his eyebrow raised.
“I don’t blame you for what happened,” Fluttershy stated. Crumble smiled. Silence came over them once again as they slowly stared into each other’s eyes. Fluttershy felt her face flush; her heart began to beat rapidly. Her stomach started to leap in a giddy way. She found herself at a lost for thoughts and for words as she stared into Crumble’s eyes. However, after a moment and almost at the same time, they averted their eyes away from each other. Suddenly, Fluttershy had regained all her thoughts, but her face was still red, her heart was still pumping.
Crumble turned to her with a smile. “You should really get some more rest. You hardly got any.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement and placed herself at the other end of the campsite. She placed her head gently on the ground and for the first time in a long time, she smiled as sleep gently took her in.
The drive was anything but pleasant. But of course, they couldn’t have Cookie’s leg cooped up in the jeep for long. There were frequent stops. Some stops were to reevaluate the wound, which was healing very well for the limited supplies they had. The swelling was gone and infections were dying as well. But according to Cookie, it still hurt like Tartarus.
Some stops forced them to restock on food and water from the wilderness, one of Fluttershy’s favorite pass times. It got her a chance to stretch her legs and talk to her animal friends for a little while.
And lastly, some stops for refueling the gas tank. The jeep they stole wasn’t very full to begin with and the money they had on them was limited, but what they had was enough for to make it to Las Pegasus. Or at least, that was what they hoped.
Cookie’s leg was looking stronger everyday. She still couldn’t walk on it, but the swelling was completely gone and there wasn’t nearly as much pain as before. Still, she wouldn’t completely recover for a while and with this trip, it might even be longer.
As for Fluttershy, she continued to stare out the window, gazing into the horizon. The sunset was particularly beautiful today. A painting of red, orange and purple filled the sky in its majesty.
Crumble wasn’t paying attention to such things. He was more focused on driving.
And Cookie didn’t much care.
They continued their drive until they came upon a beautiful meadow. The tall grass swayed in the gentle breeze. There were trees, but they were widely scattered. No buildings for miles. Fluttershy turned towards the driver. “Could we stop here please?”
Crumble turned to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, you just went to the bathroom,” Crumble stated.
Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. Can we just please stop here? Please?”
Cookie raised her eyebrow. “Why?”
Fluttershy turned towards Cookie, who laid flat across the back seats. “There’s something I need to do here.” She turned back to Crumble. “Please?” she pleaded meekly.
Crumble heaved a sigh and started to slow down. Fluttershy smiled towards him, who gave a look at her and smiled back. He wasn’t sure why she had insisted on stopping, but when he looked into those eyes, it didn’t seem to matter. It made her happy. She had a sweet smile. He didn’t see it often, but when he did, it somehow made him happy.
The second the car stopped, Fluttershy ejected her seatbelt and darted out of the car towards the field.
“Fluttershy!” Crumble shouted after her. He released his seatbelt and chased after her, leaving Cookie in the car alone.
“Hey!” Cookie shouted to the duo, but neither of them even turned around. “Hey!” She shouted again, but again, nothing. She scoffed as she was completely ignored. “Fine, I’ll watch the car then,” she muttered under her breath.
Fluttershy cut through the sea of grass, frantically searching around her. It was as if she was looking for something. Crumble couldn’t tell. Did she see something in the distance? Was she on the look out for the soldiers?
Crumble came to her side. “Fluttershy, what’s going on?”
Fluttershy looked down to the ground. She was silent for a minute.
Crumble found himself wondering what to say. “Is she upset? Did something she saw upset her? Made her angry? Faust, I hoped not.”
After a minute, Fluttershy looked at him and smiled.
“Could we... possibly ... stay here for a few days?” Fluttershy asked. Her face became flustered. “I mean, if you think it’s a good idea.”
Crumble wasn’t sure why Fluttershy wanted to stay here, but it seemed safe enough. Sure, it wasn’t the most well hidden areas. But at least it wasn’t near any towns or cities. And there didn’t seem to be anypony else nearby. Of course, he wasn’t the one risking his neck.
“It’s your call. If that’s what you want, we’ll stay,” Crumble explained.
Fluttershy’s nodded. “I want to stay here for a few days. It won’t take long, I promise.”
Crumble smiled. “Well, I guess we’d better go get Cookie.”
Explaining that they were making camp in the meadows to Cookie was not without its uproar. Cookie was extremely vocal about wasting their time at an old meadow. However, Fluttershy, in time, was able to persuade her too.
At first, there seemed to be no reason why Fluttershy would stay in this meadow. She would just spend her days scanning the sky as if looking for something. As if she were waiting for something to happen. Cookie and Crumble just sat next to the jeep, watching Fluttershy wait.
Their nights were very uneventful as well. They just curled up under the stars and went to sleep. Staying warm was difficult at night, but they managed. Fluttershy and Crumble gathered firewood from the few trees around them. It wasn’t a strong fire, but it was at least warm.
It had been a long few days. Food reserves were running low and so was patience. The sun was high and hot that morning and its light reflected off the dew on the long blades of grass. It looked like a thousand tiny lights shining in Cookie’s eyes. Something she found as an annoyance rather than a spectacular of nature.
“What are we doing here, Flyshy?” she finally asked.
Fluttershy was silent. She was still staring at the horizon, waiting for something to happen.
Cookie didn’t know why she was surprised. Fluttershy had been like this ever since they came to this spot. “Celestia knows why. What is going through that tiny pony’s head?”
Fluttershy gave another glance towards the distance and what she saw made her beam. “Here they come!” she cheered excitedly.
“Here who comes?” Crumble asked.
“The butterflies,” Fluttershy responded, awaiting the event she had been waiting for.
“What are we doing, Mommy?” Fluttershy asked her mother, Posey, as she was lead deep into the sea of grass.
“I want to show you something very special,” Posey replied.
Fluttershy followed her mother until they were in the middle of the meadow. Posey wrapped her arms around the tiny filly.
Fluttershy looked around frantically, but she didn’t see anything. There was nothing, but blue skies and lots of grass. Then in the distance, she saw something moving, coming towards them from the air. At first, it looked like a large patch of black dust. But as it moved closer, it became clear that that large dust cloud turned out to be made out of tiny specks at the distance.
Fluttershy turned her head into her mother’s chest in fright, closing her eyes as tight as she could. She didn’t notice her mother giggled at her innocence.
“Mommy, I’m scared,” she whimpered.
“It’s alright, honey. There’s no need to be scared,” Posey reassured, stroking Fluttershy’s mane. “Why don’t you take a look?”
Fluttershy shook her head quickly. “Uh-uh. I don’t want to. I’m scared.”
Posey smiled once again. “But if you don’t look, you’ll miss it.”
Those words sparked interest in Fluttershy. What would she miss? She was very frightened, but curiosity grew in her. She slowly opened her eyes and turned around, expecting the worse.
However, she turned to see a light show of colors. Thousand of tiny flying creatures danced all around them. The sun illuminated their wings so their patterns would reflect on the two ponies. Fluttershy sat in amazement at such beauty. She didn’t realize her frown transform into a gleeful smile. “What are those, mommy?” she finally asked.
“They’re called butterflies.”
“Butterflies?” She had never seen so many wonderful creatures before. She continued to watch as they passed by, pattern after pattern of colors and designs covering their bodies.
Suddenly, a single butterfly strayed from the group and fluttered around the young filly’s face. This dance seemed to have mesmerized her, as her eyes and face followed the graceful creature. The butterfly then gently landed itself on the tip of Fluttershy’s nose. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to do. She simply was in shock. Suddenly, the butterfly’s wings opened to reveal its beauty and design. The patterns were something out of a dream.
“Wow.” Fluttershy finally said. She heard her mother giggling as she held her tighter. The butterfly then resumed its journey, but it had left its mark. The proof was on Fluttershy’s flank in the shape of the same beautiful creatures she now loved.
“Butterflies?” Cookie’s voice broke Fluttershy out of her trance. She turned to her friend, who had a confused look on her face. “That’s what we came here for?”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “It’s the great butterfly migration,” she said meekly. She turned her head back towards the hovering creatures. “When I was a little filly, my mother took me to my first butterfly migration.”
Cookie shot Crumble a look, her eyebrows raised with her mouth hung open in confusion. Crumble just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
They then turned their attention back to Fluttershy. “At first, I was scared. But then I found out just how beautiful they are. I couldn’t stop watching them. I’d watch and watch until my eyes couldn’t stay open. My mother would always sing me songs until I fell asleep. I’ve made sure I’ve seen the great butterfly migration every year.”
Cookie shook her head. “Whatever makes you happy, Flyshy.”
Fluttershy didn’t say a word, whether she didn’t hear or didn’t care, it didn’t matter. Fluttershy continued to sit silently, watching the butterflies like the excited filly she was all those years ago.
It made Crumble happy that Fluttershy had a wonderful relationship with her parents, but at the same time, it made him angry.
“You know, Fluttershy had some great parents,” Crumble finally said.
Cookie exhaled. “I know. I met her old man. All he cared about was getting Flyshy to safety. More than... anything.”
“My father was never around growing up. Always busy with his job.”
Cookie started to laugh. Crumble shot him a dirty look.
“What’s so funny?” Crumble retorted.
Cookie shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied. Her voice sounded broken. As if she was trying to hold back the pain in her voice, but it failed her. Crumble, at first wondered if it was the leg that hurt, but as the moment pressed on, he began to question even that.
“Nothing?”
“I said nothing,” Cookie replied as she turned away from him, lying her head down.
Crumble looked towards the ground, his thoughts consumed by guilt. He wondered what he could have done to upset Cookie. He concluded that there was nothing he could do to fix it, so he moved on. Like the relationship with his father and he.
He thought about how all he wanted was his father’s love. And yet all that mattered to him was the pony just across the field from him.
“Is that what these feelings are? Petty jealousy?” Crumble asked himself. “Jealousy that she got more attention from my dad than I ever did?
As he gathered these thoughts another voice came in his head, “How can you say that?! You knew her long before you found out about that! She’s your friend!”
Crumble continued to ponder his thoughts through the day as he continued to eye the yellow pony, his emotions overwhelming him with confusion.
“Hey! Let me out of here! What the Tartarus have I done?!”
A voice kept shouting in Fluttershy’s ears. It was a gruff mare’s voice. One she had heard before.
“Tell me, why the buck am I here?”
Fluttershy eyes were difficult to open, but she finally managed to open them enough to see a brown mare with a red mane slamming her hooves into a green door.
The mare turned herself around after hearing a quiet moaned coming from behind her. “Finally awake, huh?”
Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. Her head was pounding. She felt dizzy. “Who... Who are you?” Her voice was shaky. She was quite scared of this mare, she was rather angry and vulgar. She had heard these words before, but she’d never use them herself.
“Name’s Cookie. Cookie Crisp,” the mare replied. “And you?”
Fluttershy started, but couldn’t get out more than a whisper, “I’m... Flut...” her voice trailed off before she could finish her name.
“What?” Flut? That’s a dumb name!”
“I’m... Flutter...” her voice trailed off again. She wasn’t use to talking to strangers. She did recognize her, but she couldn’t quite remember why.
“Flutter? You’ve got to speak up, I can barely understand you.”
Fluttershy tried again, but couldn’t get more than a squeak.
Cookie just shook her head, groaning in frustration. “Oh, forget it.”
Fluttershy took another look at the earth mare and started to slowly remember. She was the pony with the motorcycle. The pony whose life she save by pushing her into the shelter. She remembered hearing a huge explosion, and then nothing.
“I’m... Fluttershy.”
Cookie turned her head back to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy nodded. She couldn’t bring her eyes to Cookie’s face, not with her looking.
Cookie made her way beside Fluttershy and put her hoof on her shoulder. “Just wanted to thank you. You know for saving my flank. Thanks, Flyshy.”
“Flyshy? Is that... a nickname? I don’t think I like that name,” she thought to herself, but she was too scared to say anything. She just looked up at Cookie and smiled.
She then took a look around them. The room was a tight space. There was no furniture, no phone, and no windows. Their only source of light was a single lamp coming from the ceiling. The door was a large metallic door, heavily bolted shut.
“Where are we?” Fluttershy finally asked.
“No bucking clue.”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “I really wish she wouldn’t swear like that,” she thought but she was too shy to say anything. “I really wish she wouldn’t speak in such vulgar language.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind that she’s using foul words.” Another voice spoke. However, that wasn’t entirely true.
Cookie got up slowly and headed for the doorway. “After you saved me, they took me into this room. Locked me in here. Wouldn’t tell me what’s going on? Shortly after, you got locked in here with me.”
Fluttershy’s head wouldn’t stop spinning. Her stomach felt that she was going to hurl at any second. Maybe it was hunger, or something else.
“How long have I been out?” she thought. Her thoughts then warped into panic. She thought about the soldiers who had been chasing her all her life.
“Had they finally captured me?” she asked herself
It would certainly explain the prison like structure she now found herself in.
Fluttershy took a deep swallow and spoke, “Who brought you in here?”
“Some bucking soldiers,” Cookie replied.
Fluttershy’s head sank deep into her shoulders as Cookie continued to curse.
Cookie bucked the door with her hind legs. “And they still won’t tell me a damn thing!”
“Please, stop swearing,” she begged in her mind.
They then heard a thud in the hallway. That thud made them jump. They weren’t sure what to expect as the door handle slowly turned.
The door opened to reveal a brown Pegasus. Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her mouth turned to a smile. “Daddy!”
Fluttershy rushed to her father, passed Cookie, taking her father in her arms.
“Oh, my angel. I’m so glad you’re alright,” Brixy replied.
Fluttershy smiled as her father took her in his arms.
She then looked to the ground to see a guard on the ground, motionless.
“Daddy, did you ... hurt him?”
“I know what I did was wrong, honey. But we’ve got to get out of here now.”
Fluttershy nodded. She wasn’t angry with her father. She was just happy to see he was alive. But if her father was alive, maybe... “What about mommy?”
Her father’s smile vanished from his face and slowly his head lowered to the ground. “Your mother... she’s gone.”
Tears started to develop in Fluttershy’s eyes. She almost always knew she was gone, but for a time, she thought them both gone. Perhaps she was hoping against hope. It upset her to know she was right. Her mother was gone. Forever.
Cookie started to feel out of place, but she wanted to get out as badly as Fluttershy. She quickly injected herself in the conversation. “Look, I realize this is a bad time, but you said we need to go. Like now.”
Brixy gave a stern look at her. “Who are you?”
“Her name is Cookie, daddy,” Fluttershy said. “And she’s my friend.”
Friend? Not many ponies had ever called Cookie that before. Cookie eyebrows rose at hearing Fluttershy call her something like that.
Brixy nodded and gestured that they follow him. The two mares continued behind him as he traveled down the hall. Brixy was cautious as he moved, looking around every corner to make sure no pony saw him. He led the mares down another hallway when a loud wailing came over them. Red lights began flashing all-around them. Some pony must have seen the empty cell.
“Come on!” Brixy shouted as they darted down the hall, completely ignoring their stealth tactic.
Fluttershy struggled to keep up. She was still strangely weak. Perhaps it was because of the blast that she had mysteriously survived.
“I’m not sure how or why, but if the explosion was as dangerous as it seemed, I should be dead, shouldn’t I?” she thought.
Cookie turned back to see the Pegasus who was still slow to keep up. “Come on, Flyshy!”
Brixy headed back to his daughter’s side and helped her down the hallway. Taking a spot, they rested for a moment. Brixy knew that they didn’t have long to stay there. He made a quick glance at the armory near them. He wasn’t extremely familiar with weapons, but he knew enough.
“Daddy, what are you doing here?” Fluttershy asked.
“I heard about your capture. After they grabbed me, they stuck me in a lab and put me to work on whatever projects they wanted.”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “It must have been horrible.”
Brixy took a look at his daughter and smiled. “What matters is that you are safe.”
He dug through his bag and pulled out a brown folder. “Fluttershy, take these.”
Fluttershy raised her head weakly. “Your notes?”
“When they brought you here, they took these notes with them. I’ve taken them because they cannot fall into their hooves, you understand?”
Fluttershy nodded. “But, we’ll both protect them, daddy. Just you and me.” Fluttershy smiled as she gazed into her father’s eyes.
Brixy smiled and gently pet her face. He got up and reached for a weapon off the rack.
“Daddy?”
“Take Fluttershy out of here. I’ll be right behind you.”
Cookie nodded. “Come on, Flyshy. Let’s go!” Cookie grabbed her arm and started to pull her up, but Fluttershy fought back.
“No! Wait, daddy!”
“Just go! I promise I’ll be right behind you!” Brixy shouted as he darted back down the hallway.
This upset Fluttershy. He had said that to her when she lost them once.
“No!” Fluttershy screamed in her head. “Daddy said that same thing when I thought I lost him! Him and mommy! I won’t lose them again! I won’t be alone again!”
Cookie started to pull Fluttershy, but Fluttershy struggled harder and harder, tears bursting out of her eyes.
“Let’s go!” Cookie shouted.
Fluttershy bucked Cookie off her and started down the hall. She could hear gunshots being fired. It echoed throughout the entire facility.
“Daddy!” she shouted as she ran down the hallway, heading straight towards the sounds of gunfire.
Fluttershy turned down another hallway to see her father, his gun posed to fire down towards the soldiers.
Brixy turned his head to see his daughter just behind him. “Run!” Just as the sound left his mouth, a stream of bullets cut through his body. Blood shot from the bullet wounds onto the ground below him.
Fluttershy stood in horror, helpless to do anything, as her father was executed in front of her.
Her father fell to the ground, a river of blood gently streaming from his body. Tears rushed down Fluttershy’s face at an alarming rate. The soldiers were steadily coming towards her. Their weapons posed to strike. Suddenly, the tears stopped flowing.
Fluttershy slowly raised her head with a glare of rage, unleashing a powerful roar. A roar that shook the entire facility.
Cookie came around the corner as Fluttershy slowly began a startling transformation. She was turning into... something else. It was huge, green and angry.
“Holy Faust!” Cookie shouted.
The beast rose to its feet, staring viciously as its opponent’s slowly backed away.
“What the Tartarus is that thing?!” one of them shouted.
“Holy shit! Did you see that?!” another one said. “She... she just turned into that... that thing!”
The beast started to slowly move forward, growling at her targets.
“Shoot it!” one of them shouted as he pulled the trigger to his weapon. Round after round flew at the beast, tackling her body. The other two followed his example and fired their weapons.
The creature roared in anger as it darted forward towards her adversaries.
“They aren’t slowing her down!” one of them announced.
The trio started to run down the hall, attempting to escape the massive creature.
The beast picked up one of them and tossed him into the nearby wall. The pony tumbled to the ground without another movement.
The other two darted down the hall towards the main hall. One of them pulled out a radio transmitter and shouted into it, “We’ve got some kind of monster down here! Need backup! Need –“ his voice was interrupted by his screaming when the green beast grabbed him by his leg and put him towards it.
The monster tossed the pony down the hall and straight into a metal railing. The force of the blow bent the railing. The pony didn’t move after that.
Several ponies in the main hall screamed as they saw the broken body before them. Those sounds, however, were overpowered by a cry of anger emitted from the creature’s powerful lungs.
The ponies start to scatter in all directions as the beast burst out of the hallway and into the main hall. Several ponies raised their guns and fired a salvo of bullets towards the creature.
The beast growled as the ammunition pummeled its body. The beast looked to its left to see a large metallic container. It wrapped its hooves around it and pulled it straight from the ground. It tore out the bolts holding the container in place without any kind of struggle. It then tossed the container straight for the ponies shooting at it.
The ponies dove out of the way of the incoming projectile.
The creature roared as it rammed itself into a nearby wall, tearing right through it. As she burst through the concrete barrier, a bright light assaulted her eyes.
The creature looked up to see a large bright orb in the blue sky. She growled as she looked out to a large empty space. It was warm. The wind was barely blowing, but it was enough to pull the sand from the ground all around. The creature unleashed a powerful howl as it leaped into the air, disappearing into the light.
Fluttershy awoke abruptly. Visions of the beast’s memories began to stir in her mind. The nightmares before this had all been brief glimpses into the creature’s mind. But she had disregarded them into bad dreams. This was actually a memory. She actually saw the acts that the creature committed.
Such violence. Such destruction. It made her sick to her stomach. She tried to block out the visions, but they wouldn’t be eclipsed.
“Why am I seeing what that monster does? Why now?!”
Fluttershy looked up to see Cookie still lying on the ground. Her leg still as motionless as ever. For the most part anyway. The leg had begun to heal and she could even move with it, if only limp.
“Nightmare,” Fluttershy finally responded, rubbing her tired eyes.
“What about?” Cookie replied.
Fluttershy finally responded to Cookie’s question with a nod. “I dreamed about... how we first met.” Her eyes drifted to Crumble, who was sleeping not a few feet from where they were. The fire still burning, keeping each of them warm “The day... I turned into that monster.”
“You mean the day I met your father,” Cookie corrected. Fluttershy thought it was nice for her to think of it that way, but even seeing it in that light saddened her.
Fluttershy finally nodded.
“He was a good pony, Flyshy.”
Tears started to dwell in Fluttershy’s eyes as memories of her father started to stir.
“He only cared about you and your safety. I’m a little jealous.”
This brought Fluttershy’s ears to stand on edge. The mere thought of any pony being jealous of her was a confusing notion. What did she have for others to be jealous of?
“Jealous?” Fluttershy asked.
Cookie turned away, as if she was afraid to face her. “Flyshy...” her voice started to break. “Your dad... did he ever...” Cookie found it hard to talk, much to Fluttershy’s surprise. She always thought Cookie was a strong and stern pony who wasn’t afraid of anything. A pony who wouldn’t let any other pony push her around. Who wasn’t afraid to say what she wanted. The exact opposite of herself.
To see her in such an uncertain, uncomfortable state, frightened Fluttershy a little.
“Did your father ever... hit you?” Cookie muttered the last word, but Fluttershy caught them anyway. And what she heard made her jaw drop.
“Hit me?” The very question brought confusion to Fluttershy’s mind. The thought of her father doing her harm was impossible. “Celestia, no. My father would never hurt me.”
There an elongated silence as Fluttershy continued to ponder the question. Why would Cookie bring up such a terrible question? What does it have to do with anything? After a few long moments, Cookie finally spoke, tears welling in her eyes. “Flyshy, that’s where your dad and my dad are different.”
What Fluttershy heard broke her heart. Cookie had always been kind, even if she was a little too tough for Fluttershy’s tastes. Why, in the world of Equestria, would anypony want to hurt her? Let alone her own father?
Fluttershy started to tear up as looked upon Cookie’s sorrow and fear at the mere mention of her father. “What about your mother? Didn’t she try to protect you?” Whenever she was scared and alone, her mother was always there to comfort her. Of course, she never had to worry about her father hitting her, either. The thought alone brought a chill up Fluttershy’s spine.
Cookie took a deep breath. “She left me when I was 8 years old. Never saw her again.”
Fluttershy redirected her eyes back to her friend. This was the first time she had heard about Cookie’s past. Cookie had always been hesitant about revealing her history and Fluttershy was finally beginning to see why. Her parents were... unspeakable to her. She had never heard of such behavior from a mother and father before. Her parents were always loving, caring, compassionate ponies. Cookie’s parents sounded just awful.
“I’m so very sorry,” Fluttershy replied.
Cookie took another look at her friend. “I know you think of yourself as a monster. But those ponies... Ponies like that... they’re the real monsters.
Fluttershy stared back at the campfire, watching the flames dance as her mind picked up on Cookie’s question. “How can you say that? I’m just as bad as any of them.”
“Damn it, Flyshy!” Cookie said, tears spilling from her eyes. “You are nothing like those bastards!”
Fluttershy drew back in fear. She had always hated Cookie’s choice of words.
“You have been taking care of us longer than any pony I’ve known. You worked tirelessly to take care of me, to the point you’ve exhausted yourself! Nopony has ever done that for me! And that thing... that thing you become... saved us,” Cookie stated. “You saved us.”
There was long pause as Fluttershy’s mind tried to gather all the Cookie had said.
“And I want to say... thank you.”
Fluttershy raised her eyebrow and painted a face of confusion. She wasn’t sure what Cookie was referring to. Until, at least, she thought back to her visions. One of them found Crumble and Cookie in a wave of fire, with their only protection ‘her’ giant wings.
“When you changed, I felt like...” Cookie wasn’t sure how to explain what she saw back at the park. All she knew is that the creature, Fluttershy, wasn’t going to hurt them. It protected them, like Fluttershy would have. “... I don’t know. Like, you were still inside that thing you know. Maybe there’s still some of you inside. Maybe it’s not as horrible as you think.”
Fluttershy was very silent as she continued to stare into the fire. Could that even be in the realm of possibility? A monster, that has caused so much destruction, could be more honorable than she had thought? The thought was so far-fetched that she had never thought of it until now. Even after Cookie’s story, even after her vision, it still seemed very unlikely.
There was a long paused before Fluttershy put her head back down and tried to go to sleep.
“I’m not that monster,” she stated to herself.
They weren’t the same being. They never would be. Fluttershy wouldn’t accept it.
General Thunderbolt sat in his office. There was nothing he could do to pick up Fluttershy’s trail. No clues, no witnesses, no sightings, nothing. And what’s worse, the only prototypes of the Hulkbuster robots were in ruins. He was a laughing stock in the military. One little filly caused every problem he had. With all this humiliation, he was surprised he still had a job.
When he wasn’t thinking about Fluttershy, his thoughts wandered to his son.
“Is he alive? And if so, is he safe? Is he safe with that monstrosity hanging over his head? If Fluttershy has harmed one hair on my son, I’ll make sure she pays dearly.”
Major Strawberry, who entered the room with great haste, freed Thunderbolt from his lonely thoughts. “Sir. We have a possible lead.”
Thunderbolt’s eyes fixed themselves on the blue unicorn. “What is it?”
Major Strawberry levitated a small parchment to the general. “An old jeep, owned by a Mr. Butter Popcorn, was stolen”
The general glanced at the parchment. Indeed, Mr. Popcorn had reported a stolen vehicle. However tragic it was, he still failed to see what this had to do with Fluttershy.
The major continued as if she had sensed the general’s concern. “The owner told law enforcement that a stallion came and picked up the car under Mr. Popcorn’s name.” The major then levitate a picture of a mare. It was the mare on the motorcycle. The one with Fluttershy. “He said that Cookie told him the vehicle was ready.”
She then revealed a videotape. “We also have an image of the thief.”
Thunderbolt raised his head to the unicorn. He wasn’t sure what to expect. However, his thoughts did come to a chilling conclusion. Something he dared not think about.
The videotape revealed a light green stallion digging through one of the cabinets of the place. Thunderbolt recognized that pony instantly.
It was his son. His son, for whatever reason, was working with Fluttershy. “But why? How?”
Whatever the reason, Thunderbolt had a lead. It wasn’t a good lead, but something was better than nothing.
“Where are we on locating the jeep?” Thunderbolt asked.
“Still searching, sir.”
“I want you to get in contact with law enforcement. Tell them if they see the jeep, they are not to engage. They are to call us immediately.”
The major gave a nod and started to leave the room. The general’s voice stopped her in her tracks. “Major.”
The unicorn turned around to face the general. “Does Guam know about this?”
She shook her head. “No, sir. He doesn’t. I came straight to you.”
Thunderbolt gave a smirk. “Good. I need you to keep this on the down low. Don’t let anypony else know about this. Especially not Guam.”
The unicorn was confused by the general’s request. As if sensing her uncertainty, Thunderbolt continued.
“I don’t want Fluttershy to be tipped off that we are on to her. Let her make the first mistake. Keep it off the media and keep Guam as far from this as possible.”
“Yes, sir.” The unicorn then proceeded out of the room.
Thunderbolt gave a cruel smile. Guam was going to be out of the way, so his son was safe. And best of all, Fluttershy had slipped up. She had made her mistake and Thunderbolt guaranteed if she slipped up again, she would be his.
Fluttershy, Crumble and Cookie stood outside of the vast school that was Las Pegasus State College. Under the shade of the trees, they remained inconspicuous. At least in the sea of unsuspecting students.
“Are you sure this is where you said he’d be?” Crumble asked.
“He said if I could get to Las Pegasus, he’d help me personally,” Fluttershy explained. “But I was always scared something was going to happen, so... I didn’t.”
Cookie kept her eyes surveying the area. She leaned on the long staff that she used as a crutch. She wasn’t walking yet, more of hobbling, but at least she could move on her own. The plants Fluttershy used on her had improved her leg significantly.
She was making sure that no pony would sneak up on them. Especially not Equestria’s finest. She was also keeping an eye out for any pony that would look their way. Making sure they weren’t suspicious. So far, everything was quiet. But there was still one problem.
“How will you recognize this pony you’re supposed to find? This Hot Rod Wheels?” Cookie asked.
Fluttershy’s eyes diverted to her feet. “I don’t know. I don’t know what he looks like. Or who he really is.”
Crumble shook his head and gave a deep sigh. “But you’re sure he’s here?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“He told me to come here I ever needed help. I’m certain of it,” Fluttershy convinced herself.
Crumble and Cookie again surveyed the campus, not sure what they were supposed to be looking for.
At one moment, they spotted a blue unicorn wheeling his way out of the building in his chair. The unicorn scanned the area around him as if he was expecting some pony. When his eyes finally focused on them, he continued to stare for some time.
“That pony is staring right at us.” Cookie pointed to the blue unicorn. Fluttershy and Crumble found the pony in question.
After a few moments, his gaze was starting to make Fluttershy uncomfortable.
“Why is he just glaring at me like that?” Fluttershy thought as she silently urged Cookie and Crumble to walk slowly down the sidewalk with her.
The group slowly turned away from him and walked down the campus. The blue pony turned his chair towards them and started to make his way their direction.
Fluttershy began to panic. “Do you think they’ve found me?”
“If they’ve found me, we have to get away. Before I become... before I get upset.”
Cookie turned around and saw the old unicorn was not a few yards from them. “Hey! Why are you following us?”
“I’m not following you. I’m following her,” the unicorn spoke pointing directly at Fluttershy. He wheeled his way in front of the group.
The trio eyed him very carefully. He wasn’t a very large pony. Crumble was bigger than he was. But he might have appeared shorter because of the chair he moved in. It didn’t look much like a threat, but then again, neither did Fluttershy.
Fluttershy started to back away. “W-w-who are you?” she finally asked.
The blue unicorn gave a slight smirk. “I’m Hot Rod Wheels. And you must be Lil’ Angel?”
Crumble and Cookie both gave Fluttershy a glance. They both seemed to want an explanation, something Fluttershy couldn’t give. She was just as surprised as they did.
She finally gathered her courage and asked, “How do you know who I am?”
“Because I knew your father, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. Hot Rod Wheels knows my father?!
Fluttershy, Crumble, and Cookie had been led to the classroom of Professor Steel Smolder. The pony who had known and worked with her father intrigued Fluttershy. She didn’t know a lot about her father’s profession, but here was a chance to find out what exactly her father had been working on.
All she knew was that he was a scientist. She knew he created the growth serum that saved her when she was a child. She knew he was the smartest pony in the world. Other than that, she didn’t know whom he worked for or with. But, if this pony had been a friend to her father’s, he had to be trustworthy.
“Your father and I worked together on the growth hormone project,” Professor Smolder explained as he levitated three cups of tea to his three guests. Crumble and Fluttershy took theirs without a second thought. Cookie put her hoof up and shook her head, refusing Smolder’s charity.
Fluttershy took a sip of her light green liquid. It warmed her neck and chest as it flowed into her body. It felt good. She hadn’t had tea for a long time, but she liked it whenever she got the chance to drink it.
Her thoughts then wandered to her father. If this pony worked with him to achieve the growth hormone to save her life, then she owed this pony her life.
“When I was really little, I was really sick. My father...” she paused. She knew what she wanted to say, but it was just difficult. Speaking of her father, even praising him, was always difficult. “... saved my life. You both saved my life.”
Smolder gave a slight chuckle. “My dear, I wish I could have taken credit on that, but it was Brixy and only Brixy who saved your life.”
Crumble finally spoke, “That still doesn’t explain how you knew this was Fluttershy.”
Smolder turned to the desk and levitated a brown folder and placed it in Fluttershy’s hooves. “Her father’s notes. I recognized your father’s work. He was gathering data on the growth serum in your body. As soon as your friend sent these, I knew exactly who you were, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy was confused. Yes, her father had taken blood samples when she was little. She never understood why until she was older, only a few months before she... lost them. “But my father told me the serum was completely out of my system.”
Smolder held his hoof up. “Yes, but not the genes that it affected.”
Fluttershy turned her head to Crumble, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
Sensing their confusion, Smolder continued, “The genes that were altered to allow your heart to grow normally had been dormant since your recovery. Your father theorized they would, but without further tests he wasn’t able to confirm his theory. That is why your heart didn’t continue to grow at an expanded rate. If that had happened, you would have been dead long before now.”
Crumble then spoke, “What about the gamma? She took an intense amount of gamma radiation. How could she have survived?”
Smolder smiled. He wheeled his way to his computer and tapped on his keyboard. The screen flickered revealing several calculations. “It was all in the dormant genes within her. Her heart had been pumping irregular blood for years. That blood somehow altered her genetics. Somehow, those genes were able to absorb the massive radiation like a sponge.”
Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She looked down at her cup of tea, hoping to distract her mind. But she couldn’t forget or ignore what she had just heard. The serum had altered her genes and allowed her to absorb the radiation from the gamma pulse. That’s how she became ... her. Fluttershy gave a deep swallow, “Can you get rid of it? Can you cure me?”
Smolder made his way to Fluttershy and placed his hoof on her’s. “My dear, I can cure you.”
Fluttershy eyes lit up and her smile widened across her face. Finally, at long last her prayers would be answered. She was finally going to be rid of the monster.
Fluttershy was taken to a lab at the edge of the school. Professor Smolder insisted, due to his long hours of work there. Cookie, who hadn’t had a clue of what any pony was talking about as far as sciences go, still stuck by Fluttershy’s side. Saying she wanted to pay her debt to the end. For Fluttershy, the end couldn’t have been closer.
Fluttershy had taken to the table and laid flat on her back. Her wings stretched out over the sides of the table. It was uncomfortable. The most discomfort came in the form of the tube that centered around to a big machine and a needle that stuck in her arm. She had never liked needles, even when they were in the hooves of her father, but if she would finally be rid of the beast, a little discomfort would be bearable.
Smolder’s horn started to glow a dark blue hue as restraints wrapped themselves tightly around Fluttershy’s limbs. “These restraints will protect you from yourself if you have a violent reaction.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, they won’t.”
Smolder smiled at Fluttershy, examining her body once again. “Trust me, they’ll hold you.”
Crumble shot a look at the professor. “No, they won’t.”
Cookie, who remained next to the doorway, spoke, “No, they won’t, doc.” She would periodically scan down the hallways to see if any pony was coming by. Not that it would have done much good now, since they were so close to begin the injection.
Smolder scoffed. “You ponies are so paranoid, you’re starting to scare me.” The last restraint wrapped itself around Fluttershy. She was tied to the chair with very minimal room for movement.
Fluttershy started to take deep breaths. She was nervous, something Smolder caught on too rather quickly. He gently put his hoof on her head.
“Do not worry, my dear. You’ll experience some pain, but it will only be temporary,” Smolder explained. He then wheeled himself to the machine behind Fluttershy.
Crumble took Fluttershy’s hoof in his own. “You’re going to be okay,” he promised. He wasn’t sure why he said it. He just felt like he had to. He needed to be there for her.
Fluttershy smiled and nodded. Crumble then backed away and allowed room for Professor Smolder to appear next to her.
“Now, you said that your outburst is triggered by emotional stress.”
Fluttershy’s smile vanished, but she continued to nod.
“Perfect,” Smolder cheered as he wheeled his way to Fluttershy’s head. He then placed two electrodes on Fluttershy’s forehead. She started to breathe deeply as they stuck to her. “Now, Fluttershy, we’re going to send electricity into your body. Once the episode has reached its peak, the antidote will be introduced into your system.”
Fluttershy was hesitant. After all she had right to be, she was about to agree to allow ‘her’ to come out.
“What if the antidote doesn’t work?” Fluttershy worried. “What if I lose control? What if I... I mean, what if she ... does something horrible to every pony I cared about?”
She was about to shake her head. She then took a look at Crumble, who was only a few feet from her.
He was smiling. He had once called her monster, but now he was a friend. A very good friend. He had helped her so much to make it this far and all for the chance to rid the world of this monster. The chance for her to have a normal life.
She then took a look towards Cookie. She was also smiling. Cookie had made so many sacrifices. Without her, it would have never have been possible for Fluttershy to retrieve her father’s notes. Maybe she was doing it because of guilt. Maybe she was doing it because she really was her friend. Regardless, Fluttershy couldn’t have asked for two better friends.
They wanted to see this through to the end. Fluttershy knew it was a risk, but if they had faith that things would be okay, she knew she had to be brave too. She exhaled a deep breath and nodded her head.
Smolder gave a grin and wheeled himself to the machine. He then turned towards the tiny, trembling Pegasus, as if he was expecting her to back out. However, no such notion was given and with that, he threw the switch.
Fluttershy screeched as the electricity flowed throughout her body. Terrible, throbbing pain shook her entire body. She tried to resist the pain, but it was in vain. Her breathing became rapid and a second later her world went dark.
Smolder just watched as the pony that was once Fluttershy struggle against her restraints, like a caged animal. Her yellow coat began to darken and turn into a shade of green. She also started to grow bigger. Much bigger. “Holy Faust!” Smolder exclaimed.
The restraints finally gave in the Fluttershy’s rage, tearing at the bases. Fluttershy gave a cry of anger as she flailed wildly. Her mane finally turned a dark red hue and reached the end of her growth. Smolder sat in his chair, speechless and motionless.
Crumble turned his head towards Smolder several times, but the professor wouldn’t move. “Professor Smolder, the cure!”
“No, I want to see this,” Smolder stated excitedly.
The table started to crumble under the intense weight of Fluttershy. She growled as she slowly rose to her feet. She looked to her side to see a long tube in her arm. She snarled as her hooves reached for it.
“Fluttershy! No! It’s okay!” Crumble cried out.
Cookie hobbled his way to the Professor. “Doc, the serum, dammit!”
“Wait!” Smolder shouted. He wanted to see more. He wanted to see what this creature could do.
Cookie grabbed the unicorn by his horn and pulled him towards her. “I said now!”
Smolder glared at the unicorn and pulled himself away from her grip. He then turned towards the machine and began the sequence.
Fluttershy continued to scream in rage. Then at if she had been struck a mighty blow, her screams began to die out. She tumbled onto some of the computer equipment, pulling the needle out of her body as she fell.
Crumble slowly made his way to the creature as it slowly began to shrink. The creature’s coat began to revert back to its original yellow base. Her dark red mane returned to light pink. Her growls slowly went silent.
Crumble kneeled down to the creature’s side, which had now returned to the form of Fluttershy. He gently lifted her head off the ground. “Fluttershy?” he whispered.
There was a deafening silence about the entire room. Even the humming of the machine was completely silent. Slowly, the mare opened her eyes. She moaned as she was aided to her feet by Crumble. Fluttershy looked around the room. She was no longer in the seat, the room was damaged, but every pony was alright. “What happened?” she asked.
“It’s over,” Crumble replied.
She turned her head to see his smile. She wanted to hear him say it. Say what she had always been waiting for.
“You’re cured.”
Tears came to Fluttershy’s eyes and for once, they were tears of joy.
“Magnificent!” Smolder exclaimed. He was still in awe at Fluttershy’s transformation. He could hardly believe his eyes, much to the other’s annoyance. “I’ve heard the stories of the creature, but I never imagined. Such beauty, such power!”
Each time the professor praised the beast, Fluttershy’s gazed lowered. Cookie finally caught on to this and spoke, “Yo, doc! Mind shutting up for while?”
“You don’t have to say it like that, Cookie,” Fluttershy thought to herself, but she would have been lying if she said she didn’t agree.
Smolder glared at the limp pony. “You don’t understand?! This is exactly what I was working on all my years ago! That is exactly the result I wanted! Perhaps not exactly, there are still some concerns. However, that thing was what I had dreamed of creating.”
Crumble raised his eyebrow. “You dreamed of creating something like that?”
Fluttershy shook her head and closed her eyes. “How could anypony, let alone a good pony like Professor Smolder, want to create something like that?”
Smolder grinned. “It was always the dream of ponies to build the perfect being. It is the dream of all species. To evolve themselves beyond their limitations and become something extraordinary.”
Fluttershy smiled and shook her head. She wasn’t smiling at Smolder; she was smiling because she wasn’t extraordinary anymore. She wasn’t evolved. She wasn’t a monster. She was just... Fluttershy. Just Fluttershy. “Well, I’m happy that it’s finally over.”
Smolder took a glance at Fluttershy and smiled widely. “Or maybe, it’s just the beginning?”
Fluttershy looked back at Smolder. Her eyebrows were raised with a confused look on her face. “Beginning? Beginning of what?”
Smolder urged the others to follow him, stating something that concerned all of them.
“Like you Fluttershy,” Smolder began. “I, too, had a growth serum injected into myself.”
He led them into the next room with row after row of vials, all containing a red liquid inside them. Fluttershy couldn’t help by eye them. She felt sick to her stomach being in this room. There was certainly something strange going on, she knew this much was certain.
“Mine, however, was more for weapons development than anything. Mine was brilliant. It increased my strength, agility, speed, reflexes.” Smolder trailed off. He was silent for a moment. He lowered his head. “But there were some... complications,” Smolder finished, a sadness emanating in his voice.
“What does this have to do with, Fluttershy?” Crumble finally asked. He, like Fluttershy, had been examining the vials. He felt unsettling about this whole situation. Something in his gut told him something was wrong.
The professor turned towards the trio. “This has everything to do with Fluttershy! Everything in this room has to do with you, my dear.”
Fluttershy looked around the room. “What is Professor Smolder talking about? What does he mean? He’s not thinking about... making more? Is he?”
Fluttershy took a deep swallow as she worked up the nerve to ask her question. “What do you mean, everything in this room has to do with me?”
Smolder scoffed. “Fluttershy, my dear. Every vial within this room contains a synthesized version of your blood.”
Fluttershy eyes fired open. “A synthesized version of my blood?”
She looked around her. There must have been hundreds of vials. Her thoughts then imagined hundreds of monsters, just like her, rampaging through Equestria. An unstoppable army of killers. All because of her.
“Celestia, no! Not that! Please say this is a cruel joke! He can’t be serious!”
“With your blood and more research, we could potentially save the entire pony race from all disease, all plague,” Smolder explained.
“Wait, you want to make more of those things?!” Cookie asked.
Smolder turned towards the mare, as she made her way to him. “Equestria is in desperate need of that power. The griffins, the diamond dogs, the ahuizotli, they would all tremble before the kind of power! Just imagine the cures we could create! The lives we would save!”
“And what happens when some freak gets a hold of that power?!” Cookie shouted.
Fluttershy’s ears perked up. She hadn’t even thought about that. “What if some thug, a murderer, or a psychopath becomes what I was? What if a pony gets the power I had? What if they have no problem losing control?”
Crumble interjected himself into the conversation, “Cookie’s right, it’s too dangerous.”
“Science is always dangerous! But the future is not won by the meek!” Smolder shouted.
Despite the loud tone of the other three, Fluttershy couldn’t hear any of them. The only noise that rang in her ears, were the screams of hundreds of rampaging beast.
“Hundreds of beasts. Hundreds of monsters. All just like me. Destroying, hurting and killing. How can Professor Smolder want this?”
The creatures toppled entire cities, killed millions in their rage, and brought entire civilizations to ruin. These horrors found themselves at her hooves. All because she had failed to stop it.
“You think you can contain this?!” Crumble shouted. “My father would-!”
“I know who your father is, boy!” Smolder interrupted. “He’s the pony that ruined my work before and I won’t let his spawn take it away from me!”
This caught Crumble off-guard. He was silent and that was Smolder’s opportunity to speak to Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy, this is the future of pony-kind.” Smolder had toned his voice down to a friendly voice. He had hoped to win Fluttershy’s confidence. “This is what your father wanted for you.”
Fluttershy’s eyes turned towards the professor.
“This is what my father wanted for me?” she asked herself. “My father wanted me to... be that monster?”
“Your father had great plans for you. He knew you would someday be a boon to the world and now you can be.”
“A boon? Is that what I am? Can this thing really help every pony? Can I?”
“Fluttershy, this was your father’s dream. I beg you, make your father proud.”
Fluttershy lowered her head slowly. A single tear ran down her face. She quietly wiped it away and took a deep breath. She then turned herself towards the professor, who was smiling, waiting for Fluttershy’s response. “No,” she quietly whimpered. “I can’t.”
Smolder’s smile slowly vanished from his face. He gave the mare a confused look, as if he didn’t understand.
Fluttershy shook her head. “I can’t allow this. For my blood to be used like this.”
Smolder shook his head and leaned towards Fluttershy. “B-But you could make a difference in the world?!”
“You don’t understand how dangerous this thing is,” Fluttershy softly replied. “If I were to condone this and something were to happen. If ponies got hurt or worse...”
Her thoughts then wandered to her own sins. She couldn’t live with the blood on her own hooves. She couldn’t live with herself if another pony was affected by the same curse she went through. She couldn’t allow any pony to die because of her. She took a deep breath and continued, “I would never forgive myself.”
“The things I’ve gone through. The things I’ve been forced to do. The things I’ve lost or given up, just to keep everypony else safe. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
“We can fix this!” Smolder shouted. “Just let me have it!”
“Sorry, doc. Flyshy’s right on this,” Cookie finally said.
Fluttershy smiled at her friend. “Thank you, Cookie. So very much.”
She was glad that there was one pony that agreed with her. It made it easier to say no to Smolder. She didn’t like being assertive and Smolder had done so much for her. But what he was asking her to do was unthinkable.
“We have to destroy it. It’s the only way everypony can be safe,” Fluttershy declared.
Smolder growled under his breath and then shouted, “We have the power of the gods at our hooves!” The room was silent as all eyes went straight to Smolder. “And you would have me just... throw it away.”
Fluttershy gave a deep swallow. “I’m really sorry. But I could never live with myself if I allowed this to happen.”
Smolder’s head lowered and sighed. He then slowly raised his head and stared at the Pegasus with resentment in his eyes. “You can’t take this from me!” He then quickly wheeled himself towards Fluttershy.
Fluttershy, feeling frightened by Smolder’s change of persona, started to back away.
“I’ve worked my whole life for this!” Smolder shouted as he approached Fluttershy. “You can’t take it!” He was almost upon Fluttershy, but a hoof grabbed him from behind.
“Back off, doc!” Cookie shouted as she shoved the professor to the ground. The professor fell out of his chair and hit the ground hard.
“Fluttershy, are you alright?” Crumble rushed to the Pegasus’s side.
Fluttershy nodded in confirmation. She then took another look at Professor Smolder, who lay on the ground, crawling on the floor. His chair was only a few feet from him, lying on its side. But without the use of his hind legs, it might as well be miles. “I’m sorry, Professor Smolder.”
Smolder mumbled something under his breath; no pony could hear what it was. He then started laughing. The trio looked at each other with odd looks.
“You’re sorry?” Smolder whispered. He then unleashed another cackle in the air. “You’re sorry?!” he shouted. He crawled along the floor using his front limbs to move him.
“Sorry is what my wife said to me when she left me! Sorry is what the doctors said to me when they couldn’t save my son!” Smolder continued to crawl along the ground until he reached the far wall.
“Sorry is what Thunderbolt said to me when I lost my legs!” He then turned to face the group. “And now, you say you’re sorry, when you threaten to destroy everything I’ve worked my entire life for?!”
Fluttershy looked down at Smolder and noticed the horn atop his head. It was glowing. That meant he was using his magic for something. She panicked as she quickly glanced around the room for anything that was moving.
“Professor Smolder, what are you doing?” she panicked.
“Well, now, I’m sorry,” Smolder growled.
Fluttershy finally spotted what she was looking for. A small syringe was lifted off a nearby table and into the air. Inside the syringe was a red liquid. Fluttershy instantly knew exactly what was in the syringe. Her blood.
“He isn’t planning to inject himself with that, is he?” Fluttershy thought.
“Sorry, that you’ll all get to die here!” Smolder shouted.
Crumble leapt to his feet to stop the syringe, but as he tried to grab it, Smolder rushed it to his body. Smolder quickly dug the syringe into his arm and injected the blood into his body. Crumble rushed to Smolder, attempting to stop him, but it was too late.
The two struggle for a brief moment, Crumble trying to pull the syringe out of Smolder’s arm before the lasts drops could be injected. Smolder shoved the stallion several feet, causing him to crash into the stand. He fell to the ground in pain, vials of Fluttershy’s blood crashing around him.
“Crumble!” Fluttershy shouted in terror as she rushed to the stallion’s side. He slowly got up. He was in pain and shock. Smolder shouldn’t have been able to throw him that far. The blood must have already been affecting him. He and Fluttershy moved away from the blood samples before they could reach them.
Smolder grunted and growled as he attempted to move his hind legs. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But a few seconds later, his legs tingled. They felt life was entering them once more. He slowly rose to his feet. All four of them. For the first time in years, he was standing on all four of his legs. He smiled and even started giggling. “My legs! My legs!”
He pranced around a few steps, testing his legs. He stumbled some of his steps, nearly falling to the floor. They were hard to get use to, but they worked beautifully.
But his giggles of joy turned into sharp cries of pain, as he toppled to the floor. He shouted in agony and pain as his coat color changed from a dark blue to a sickly pale green. His teeth began to morph into large fang-like jaws, with two bottom teeth extending upwards to represent tusks. He also began to grow in size. His voice became bestial. The new creature gave a howl of pain as it completed its metamorphosis.
Fluttershy couldn’t believe what stood in front of her. It was a monster, not unlike herself. A beast of pure rage and anger. “Professor Smolder,” she said softly.
The creature turned its head and glared at Fluttershy. This monster terrified Fluttershy, but she had been told about Cookie and Crumble’s ability to just talk ‘her’ down in the past. Maybe she could do the same. “Professor, let us help you. You’re sick.”
The creature growled at Fluttershy. Fluttershy wasn’t sure if he understood him, but she still had to try. “Let us cure you.”
“Cure me!?” the beast shouted.
Fluttershy leapt back in fright. She hadn’t expected him to completely understand her, let alone speak to her.
The beast unleashed a cruel cackle. “No cure! Never cure me!” the beast growled as it used its front legs to pick up one of the desks. He then tossed it through the wall into the next room.
Fluttershy dove back in fright as the desk smashed through the wall with a loud crash.
“No cure! No pony takes this power from me!” Professor Smolder leaped through the opening, tearing most of the wall with him. He rampaged through the lab where Fluttershy’s beast was destroyed. “I’ll never be weak again!”
Smolder ripped out a large container off the ground. Fluttershy noticed that it was the same container that Smolder obtained the serum that cured her. “Please, Professor! Don’t do this!” Fluttershy pleaded.
“That’s your cure! Without it, we can’t save you! Please don’t!”
Smolder tossed the container at the nearby wall, sending it out into the streets below. As the container smashed into the ground, the sounds of metal crashing into concrete overpowered the sound of glass vials shatter upon impact.
Smolder then turned to the trio and gave a cruel smile. They were all back against the far wall of the first room. They were keeping their distance. Trembling.
“Look at you. Puny! Weak! And unable to do anything, but cower in fear,” Smolder shouted. He then turned to the opening he created. “I will ravage this world and take my place at its undisputed ruler!”
And with that, the professor leaped out into the streets. Sounds of screaming civilians, metal crashing and breaking, and a savage beast’s rage all filled the air.
However, Fluttershy couldn’t hear any of these sounds. The only sound that filled her ears repeated over and over. “What have I done?”
Major Strawberry burst into the general’s office. “General, we’ve got them.”
General Thunderbolt’s eyes went straight to Strawberry as she entered the room. He stood up waiting for her to continue.
“They made their way to Las Pegasus. The vehicle was parked about a block from the State College.”
Thunderbolt’s ears perked up instantly. He had to be sure. He had to be damned sure. “You are certain it’s them?”
Major Strawberry nodded her head. “Yes, sir. We had a positive ID on the jeep.”
“Damn it. If I’m right, she’ll be heading to one of the school labs,” Thunderbolt thought to himself.
Thunderbolt nodded. “Get our teams down there immediately. I think I know where she’s going.”
Major Strawberry nodded and turned towards the exit to the office. Just before the major left, the general heard her cell phone ring. The major closed the door as she answered her phone.
Thunderbolt headed back to his desk and began to concoct a plan to take Fluttershy before she could ... get green.
Just as he sat down, Strawberry burst in once again.
“Sir, we’ve got a problem. That ... thing is in Las Pegasus.”
Fluttershy had been staring at her hooves for what felt like hours. The truth was it had only been a couple of minutes since everything went wrong. Professor Smolder had injected himself with her blood. Her blood. To become... a monster. Just like her.
Crumble came to her side. “Fluttershy. We need to get out of here.”
“It’s all my fault,” Fluttershy whimpered.
Crumble tried to urge her to her hooves, but she wouldn’t budge. She wouldn’t even look at them. All she would do stare at her hooves.
“Come on, Flyshy. You can’t blame yourself. You’re not that thing,” Cookie explained.
Fluttershy simply shook her head, “I created it.”
Crumble spoke again, “No. No, you had nothing to do with that thing.”
“I should have never had trusted something so dangerous to anypony,” Fluttershy softly admitted.
“Fluttershy, listen to me you are not to blame for this,” Crumble tried to clarified.
Fluttershy, however, wasn’t listening. She simply shook her head. “If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened. It’s all my fault.”
She then looked up to the void in the wall. The one that Professor Smolder had vanished from. She put her hooves on the ground and lifted herself on her feet. “And I have to fix it.”
Crumble put his hooves on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “How? How are you going to fix this?”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “I hadn’t really thought about that. How do you stop an unstoppable beast?”
“Let me tell you,” Crumble continued. “Nothing. There is no cure left. There is no way you can stop him.”
Fluttershy then got an idea. The only way to stop him. The only chance to save the innocent lives he threatened.
“There’s one way.” She then gazed into Crumble’s eyes.
“The only way to stop an unstoppable beast is to be an unstoppable beast,” Fluttershy thought.
“I have to... I have to become her.”
Crumble and Cookie eyes shot open as Fluttershy uttered those words. Cookie was the first to speak, “Flyshy? You want to be that thing again?!”
Fluttershy turned her head to the mare behind her. “I don’t have a choice.”
Crumble turned her back towards him. “Fluttershy, you have a choice. This isn’t your responsibility.”
“You’re wrong,” Fluttershy uttered, her voice breaking off. “This is my responsibility... and... my choice.”
Cookie took a step forward. “Flyshy, all you’ve wanted was a cure. And now you want to be that thing again?”
Fluttershy lowered her head. “This isn’t about what I want. It’s about what I have to do,” she thought to herself.
Cookie started forward to Fluttershy. “Flyshy, are you sure you can control it?”
Fluttershy raised her head to Cookie. “For the past few weeks, I’ve... been able to feel her.”
Crumble’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean... feel her?”
Fluttershy closed her eyes as if trying to evade the truth. However, she couldn’t deny it. She and ... that thing ... they were the same. “I’ve been able to remember what she remembered,” she started. “I’ve been able to feel what she felt. See what she saw. It's haunting, but... Cookie,” she paused as her gaze came to her friend. "You were right. She and I are the same."
Fluttershy paused as she raised her head back to face Crumble. “I know what she is now. If I can... guide her, we might have a chance.”
Cookie took a deep breath. “Are you sure about this?”
“No, I’m not sure of anything,” she thought to herself. She was terrified of ‘her’. Terrified of what ‘she’ could do. Terrified of what she could become. “For all I know, I could very well lose control and become the thing I’m trying to stop.”
Fluttershy turned her head to Cookie. “If I don’t try, those ponies will die.”
Crumble shook his head and put his hooves on her’s. “Fluttershy, you realize if you do this... you can’t go back.”
A small tear from Fluttershy’s eyes ran down her face. It answered Crumble’s question for her. She knew. She understood.
“Smolder’s cure is gone. The serum, the formula, the data. All gone.”
She knew exactly was she was giving up. But to her, she didn’t see another way she could live with herself.
“Please,” Fluttershy begged. “I have to do this.”
An eerie silence fell over the group. It was haunting. Foreboding. As if they were about to open Pandora’s Box, releasing with it all the evils of the world. But just as the legend itself, one thing of good came from that box. Hope.
Crumble had retrieved the vial of Fluttershy’s blood from the shelf and brought it before her. There was no use arguing with her. She had made up her mind. She wasn’t going back.
“Are you ready?” Crumble asked putting his hoof on Fluttershy’s.
She almost nodded, but she paused. “Cookie?” she asked.
The limp mare came over to her. “What is it, Flyshy?”
Fluttershy took a deep breath. “I need you to destroy all the vials of my blood here. I can’t let this fall into the wrong hooves.”
Crumble nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”
Fluttershy smiled, but then spoke again, “I also need you to... destroy my father’s notes.”
Crumble’s eyes widened. “But... Fluttershy... Those notes might be your only chance at a cure.”
Fluttershy knew. But she also knew her father. “If my father knew how much pain and suffering his work would cause if it fell into the wrong hooves, he would have destroyed it himself.”
Crumble slowly shook his head. He couldn’t bring himself to destroy it.
Cookie put her hoof on Fluttershy and Crumble’s shoulders. “I’ll take care of it. I’ve been with those notes for five years. Least I can do.” Cookie took a look towards Crumble. “You just take care of the science-stuff.”
Crumble nodded as Cookie approached the shelves. He turned his attention back towards Fluttershy, whose arm was prepped for the injection. Crumble took a deep breath and picked up the syringe only a few inches away.
Sounds of destruction filled the air as the giant creature tore apart the city with its hooves. The creature had uplifted the road and pavement with his steps, tore apart cars with its teeth, light poles were taken from their spot on the ground and ripped apart. Bodies lay in the wake of destruction. Fires started burning from where the cars were piled. And this was only the beginning.
Cars sirens wailing, police officers firing their standard weapons, ponies screaming for their lives, and a single behemoth’s laughter filled the air with chaotic sound.
“Run, my little ponies! Run!” Professor Smolder shouted. He lifted up a car in front of him with no effort and tossed it into an oncoming police vehicle. The two slammed into each other, glass shattering, metal bending and twisting. Another group of officers opened fire on the beast. The bullets simply bounced off the creature’s impenetrable skin.
“Do you ponies not understand?!” the behemoth roared. He slammed his front hooves against the ground, uprooting the road. The force traveled down to the path of the police officers. When it reached them, it catapulted them into the air, helpless to stop their fall to the ground.
Smolder lifted up another vehicle with its front legs and tossed it into a lamppost. The lamppost toppled to the ground. Sparks flew from the wires that were ripped from the ground. When the sparks reached the gasoline trailing from the cars, they ignited. Burning towards the car’s gas tank before exploding.
“Evolution has chosen me to become the superior being! There is no creature on this world that can match my power!”
Just then, a large thud is heard from behind the professor as if something extremely heavy had just hit the ground. Following it, a large,powerful roar of rage filled the air surrounding the area.
Smolder couldn’t help but grin. He turned around to see a green Pegasus with dark red hair. There was no mistaking it. It was the same creature he had seen in the lab. It was Fluttershy.
Smolder howled in laughter. “I knew you couldn’t surrender that power so easily!”
Fluttershy replied with a threatening growl, glaring down her opposite.
“It consumes you, doesn’t it? The overwhelming power? We are the chosen you and I!”
Fluttershy started to march towards Smolder.
“Chosen to be this world’s new lords!”[/size=16] He then paused. “No, not lords. Deities!”
Fluttershy howled in anger.
“You would deny me my heritage?! So be it!” Smolder roared as Fluttershy began her charge at him.
Smolder braced himself for Fluttershy’s attack. She threw her hoof at his face, but Smolder took a step to the side. Taking advantage of Fluttershy’s defenselessness, Smolder swung his hoof at Fluttershy, connecting with her chin.
Fluttershy stumbled at such a vicious blow, but she was far from done. She turned back towards her opponent and swung another blow at the professor. This time, it made contact against the professor’s cheek.
Smolder stumbled back several feet and readied himself for another attack. He saw Fluttershy’s hoof coming straight for him again, but this time he ducked in the nick of time. He then retaliated with an uppercut. This blow sent Fluttershy back several feet, falling onto an abandoned truck.
Smolder took this opportunity to prep his next attack. He lifted a car off the ground with his hooves and tossed it towards his opponent.
Fluttershy, who spotted the aerial projectile, turned to her side, and using her mighty wings, deflected the target off course and away from her body. Fluttershy then noticed the truck behind her. She picked it up with her hooves and tossed it towards Smolder.
Smolder didn’t have the protection of wings to aid him and was forced to deflect the attack with his front hooves. It had distracted him long enough for Fluttershy to begin her charge. Smolder tried to leap away, but Fluttershy was too fast.
She rammed into him and sent him back into a nearby building, the wall crumbling as he smashed into it.
Smolder pulled himself out of the rubble and stared back at Fluttershy. He charged straight for her as Fluttershy did the same.
Fluttershy swung her hoof at Smolder’s head, but again, Smolder expected this. He moved just out of her line of fire and countered with a blow to her face.
Not a moment later, Fluttershy replied with a blow to her opponent’s face, causing him to spin uncontrollably. She then grabbed him by his tail and tossed him into another building behind her. Bricks fell all around him as his immense weight, coupled with the force of the throw, tore through the wall as if it was made of glass. His body smashed into the office desk on the other side of the wall, turning one half of it into splinters.
“I didn’t think this was possible,” he thought to himself. “Could that little mare actually be stronger than me? If this monster is stronger than me, I’ll need to fight smart.”
She behaved like an animal, but he was still intelligent. He would use his mind to outwit her.
Smolder rose to his feet as Fluttershy started for him. Fluttershy rushed towards the professor at ramming speed, which is what Smolder was waiting for.
He braced himself for an attack, lowering his head. Fluttershy continued to dart forward. The Pegasus was almost on him. That is when Smolder made his move, he dove his head towards the ground to get underneath Fluttershy’s body. Then using his powerful legs, he tossed Fluttershy into the air behind him, using her own momentum as a weapon.
Smolder looked behind him to see Fluttershy on her back. The office building behind them was in shambles. Desks were smashed up. Papers and files were fluttering everywhere. Ponies inside the office had their backs against the far wall, shaking in terror.
Fluttershy slowly got up and gave a thunderous snarl. Using her powerful legs, she leapt towards her opponent and tackled him to the ground. The ground beneath them started to crack as they slid down the road. Fluttershy attempted to slam her hoof into Smolder’s face, but Smolder stopped it with his own hoof.
Smolder then unleashed a powerful blow against Fluttershy’s cheek, causing her to tumble off him. Smolder quickly rose to his feet as his opponent readied herself for another attack.
Fluttershy stood up on her hind legs and brought both of her hooves down to the ground as hard as she could. The ground began to crack and split apart, the devastation heading straight for Smolder.
Smolder was wise to Fluttershy’s strategy. She was going to try to throw him off-balance with a little tremor. But it wouldn’t work on him. “A lesser opponent, maybe? But not me,” he thought to himself.
Smolder leaped in the air with his powerful legs before the tremor could reach him. As he came down, he angled his descent towards Fluttershy below him. He raised his hooves ready to slam them against his winged adversary.
Fluttershy saw her opponent descending from the air and readied her legs to leap towards him. She unleashed all the strength in her legs and flew towards Smolder.
The professor and Fluttershy collided in mid-air with Smolder getting the brunt of the attack. Fluttershy slammed her front hoof into Smolder’s jaw, preventing his attack. Their bodies fell uncontrollably to the ground below, leaving a crater where they landed.
When the smoke cleared, Fluttershy stood over Smolder, who was deeply imbedded in the concrete. Smolder started to struggle off his back and onto his feet when Fluttershy slammed her hind hooves into his body as she landed on top of him.
Fluttershy raised her front hooves and started to pound Smolder’s face with them, one after the other. Again and again, Fluttershy would pound with incredible force. Smolder struggled and fought with all his might, but Fluttershy’s attack seemed unstoppable.
“No! I won’t lose!” Smolder screamed to himself. “I am a god! A god! I cannot lose!”
He roared as Fluttershy continued her assault. He attempted to block her attack with his own hooves, but she was far too strong. She would simply power her way through. As she pounded him, blood started to burst from his face and streamed down to his neck. He felt one of his teeth being ripped from their roots by the sheer force alone.
He screamed, expecting another blow. But it didn’t come. He opened his eyes, and Fluttershy had stopped. Or something stopped her. Her arm was glowing a blue hue.
He realized the horn on top of his head was glowing as well.
Fluttershy struggled to move her arm, but it was in vain. It simply wouldn’t budge.
Smolder gave a cruel grin as he used his magic to encompass Fluttershy in his levitation spell. Using all his might, he then tossed Fluttershy out of the hole and onto the street.
“Fluttershy’s blood must have not only enhanced my physical strength, but also the strength, concentrative stamina, and area of effectiveness of my spells,” Smolder hypothesized to himself. It was the only explanation he had of why his magic would work against an unstoppable being. Now he had an advantage.
Smolder crawled his way out of the crater and saw Fluttershy slowly rising to her feet. She growled as she faced her opponent once more. Smolder braced himself for Fluttershy’s attack, which was a raging charge.
Smolder waited for Fluttershy to make her first attack. She performed it with a powerful swing of her foreleg towards Smolder’s body. But just before it reached him, the same blue aura wrapped itself tightly around Fluttershy’s arm, stopping it in place.
Smolder took the opportunity of Fluttershy’s disabled attack to deliver a powerful blow to Fluttershy’s jaw.
Fluttershy growled as she attempted another blow at Smolder’s jaw, but again the same aura stopped her, leaving her open for another counterattack. Smolder took advantage of it with another hit to her jaw. This caused Fluttershy to tumble backwards.
Once she regained her balance, Fluttershy gave another quick attack to Smolder. But like before, Smolder caught her attack with his magic. He used it to pick up Fluttershy’s body and toss her into one of the buildings behind her. Bricks fell to the ground alongside Fluttershy as she plowed into the wall, uncontrollably.
She was then picked up off the ground by the same magical force and slammed into the ground hard. Cracks formed in the ground around her as she was forced into the concrete, not once, but twice.
Smolder’s magic lifted her up and sent her flying into side of a nearby building, straight through the wall. Smolder could hear the sounds of Fluttershy’s growling and grunting in pain as she struggled to break free of his magical grip. Smolder knew it was futile. She would never break his grip. He then tossed her into another building on the other side of the street. He then pulled the helpless Fluttershy out of the building and slammed her into the ground once more.
Fluttershy moaned in pain as she slowly started to rise to her feet. She stumbled a couple of times, but finally able to gain her hoofing. She growled as she stared down her opponent, whose horn was glowing once again. Several dozen cars started to deviate from the ground and into the air surrounding him.
Smolder gave a cruel cackle as he tossed car after car towards Fluttershy. One by one, she would block or deflect them from her body. However, eventually, one of them tackled her hard, sending her to the ground. She quickly threw the car off her, but as soon as she was free from one car, another one would batter her. She growled and grunted in sequence with the cars that came towards her.
Smolder would hurl a vehicle. Fluttershy would toss away the two or three already on top of her only to be pummeled by another three or four. This cycle would continue until one of them gave in.
Smolder had buried Fluttershy under a dozen cars. After encompassing a nearby lamppost with his magic and tearing it from the ground, he hurled it towards the car pileup. The sparks of the wires hit the gasoline dripping from one of the vehicles. Fire shot straight into the gas tank, causing an explosion. This explosion started a chain reaction with each of the cars. One after another, the gas tanks ignited in flames.
Smolder felt as if he was watching a fireworks show. He smiled as blaze consumed the entire pile.
“Ironic,” he thought to himself. “She died the same way her mother did.”
He turned his back and started to trot away, his head held high. Suddenly, he heard the sound of rustling metal. He turned around fast to see that the metal pile was shaking. A second later, metal burst to all sides of the mound with a thunderous roar.
Fluttershy crawled out of the heap and started a charge for her opponent.
Smolder quickly braced himself and readied his horn. Fluttershy inched closer and closer, coming within striking range. Before she could unleash her attack however, Smolder once again engulfed her in his magic spell. He raised her off the ground, slowly, as if to declare his dominance over her.
He then tossed her down to the ground hard, then into a construction site nearby.
She was hurled into the large metal framing that would soon be a building. Her body tore through the metal as if it was made of paper. She banged and battered the metal frames as if she was a rag doll. She roared as the malevolent professor controls her path and she was helpless to stop it.
The constant ripping, tearing, and pounding Fluttershy’s body exerts onto the metal frames becomes too much. They begin to fall all around her, clobbering the ground below. Fluttershy is then tossed to the ground, atop the metallic beams.
Fluttershy slowly lifted herself out of her metal bed and onto her feet once more. She unleashed a mighty cry as she wrapped her hooves around a metal beam. She slowly raised the beam over her head and gives a thunderous cry. With all her might, Fluttershy tossed the metal bar straight for Smolder.
The high-speed projectile traveled along its designated path until the same blue aura slowed and stopped its acceleration. Smolder grinned as he halted Fluttershy’s latest attack.
With my magic stopping all of her attacks, there’s no way she can win!” Smolder cheered in his mind. Smolder then forced the metallic beam back towards Fluttershy with incredible force.
Fluttershy, noticing the beam, attempted to brace herself, but she wasn’t fast enough. The beam dug deep into her shoulder causing blood to burst from her new wound. Her lungs unleashed a cry of agony as the beam finally stopped its acceleration after hitting the shoulder bone. The force of the blow caused Fluttershy to soar backwards, uncontrollably, to the ground.
Fluttershy growled in pain as she wrapped her hooves around the metallic bar that had cut itself deep into her skin. Pulling with all her might, ignoring the skin and muscle that started to heal around it, she ripped the object out of her shoulder. She screeched in pain as more blood and skin was jerked out of her following the metal bar. She then tossed it to the side.
Fluttershy slowly started to rise to her feet. She struggled as her hooves kept failing to keep her upright. Blood continued to stream down her foreleg as the wound continued to heal. She finally found her hoofing and looked up to her opponent.
Smolder used his magic to once again force Fluttershy into the air. He hurled the helpless Fluttershy backwards with tremendous force. She slid down the concrete, uprooting it as she passed.
Fluttershy slowly rose to her feet once more as Smolder made his way past the construction site and back onto the street. He smiled as he stared down his opponent, who seemed to be able to little more than amuse him.
Fluttershy growled as her eyes met with his. She used her powerful legs to leap towards Smolder with a powerful cry of rage. Smolder, using his magic once more, forced Fluttershy out of the air and into the street below her. He then focused his magic to pin her down, flattening her with his unimaginable power. The concrete started to give way by the pressure it was under.
Fluttershy fought to rise to her feet, but each time she struggled, the force became even mightier. The magical vice would pin her down deeper into the pavement. The crackling sounds of the asphalt filled the air around them, only to be cut by Smolder cruel chortle.
Fluttershy, laying flat on the ground, raised her head enough to stare down the Professor, her eyes unleashing a fierce glare at her opponent. She snarled as the force continued to crush her into the street.
Fluttershy then struggled once more attempting to rise to her feet. This time, she was able to place her front right leg firmly on the ground. With great effort and growling sounds, she was able to then place her other front leg in an upright position. She pushed against the ground with her front legs as hard as she could. She began to sink further into the concrete, but she was rising upwards. As she rose, her first hind leg found its balance against the pavement. Within a few seconds more, her other hind leg. Forcing herself up with all four legs, she stood firm and strong. The magical force still pushing against her and she was still standing. She grunted as she steadily put one hoof in front of her, stepping slowly towards Smolder.
Smolder stood awestruck and dumbfounded as he continued to focus all his magical power on Fluttershy’s body. Fluttershy growled with effort as she place her next hoof in front of her. Inch by inch, step by step, Fluttershy was forcing her way to Smolder.
“She shouldn’t even be able to stand up, let alone move! That is impossible! I won’t accept this!” Smolder shouted to himself. He concentrated even harder, giving it everything he had. Fluttershy stumbled back onto her knees. Smolder was sure she was done, but he was wrong.
Fluttershy once again placed her hooves firmly against the ground and started to stand once more. She struggled as she continued to march forward, inching towards her opponent. Only a few feet stood between her and Smolder’s body.
Fluttershy pushed upward on her front legs so she was only standing on her hind legs. She growled as her hind leg took a step forward, the mystical force still pushing against her. She raised her front hooves and roared as they came down with an alarming amount of force.
Smolder quickly raised his own hooves to block Fluttershy’s attack, knowing his horn was having little effect. The combined might of his horn and his own body was enough to stop Fluttershy’s attack, but she was still coming for him.
Fluttershy roared as she forced her face towards Smolder’s. Her jaws opened wide as she directed herself to Smolder’s glowing horn.
Smolder concentrated even harder with his magical powers, hoping to drive Fluttershy away. His concentration was so fierce; he couldn’t even focus on his own physical might. Not that he thought it would have been enough to stop her. He still had to concentrate on Fluttershy’s hooves not reaching his body. Still, the Fluttershy wouldn’t stop.
Fluttershy clamped her teeth onto the glowing horn of Smolder. Once her teeth were firmly locked against the pale green horn, she started to pull with all her might. Smolder struggled to break her grip, growling and snarling in pain as she continued to tug.
She growled. He snarled. The two behemoths were locked against one another. Fluttershy entrapped by Smolder’s magic. Professor Smolder had Fluttershy’s jaws secured tightly around his horn. His only weapon against her. He attempted to use his magic to free his horn from her grasp, but it wasn’t strong enough to hold her jaw open and hold her body back.
After what seemed like infinity, Fluttershy gave a huge jerk of her head, ripping the horn straight of the professor’s head. Smolder screamed in pain as the horn left his forehead, followed by a long stream of blood.
Fluttershy tumbled backwards to the ground by the force of her mighty haul, the now darkened horn still clenched within her teeth.
Smolder also fell back to the pavement. His face was soaked in blood. He placed his hooves on his forehead, as if to prevent the flow of blood. However, it oozed onto his hooves and straight down his foreleg. He growled in agony as he fumbled to stand upright.
Fluttershy brought herself back to her feet. She spat out the blood-drenched horn from her mouth onto the ground. She then turned to her opponent, who was struggling to stay upright. Blood continued to pour out of where his horn once sat soaking itself down throughout his neck. She roared as she charged straight for him with no resistance. The mystical force that barred her path was expunged. It was just she and he.
Smolder rubbed enough of the blood away from his face to see Fluttershy coming straight for him, but was unable to counterattack. Instead, Fluttershy tackled him hard, sending them both to the ground.
Standing over her opponent, she delivered a fierce blow to his face. Smolder threw a blow of his own, but Fluttershy easily deflected this attack with her foreleg. She unleashed another vicious blow to his jaw. Smolder struggled and snarled as Fluttershy began her flurry of attacks. Fluttershy increasingly became more enraged with each assault. Her growling became more intense. Her breathing became more rapid. She just continued to power on through Smolder’s defenses until those defenses gave in. Even then, she didn’t stop. Again and again, she threw her hoof into Smolder’s bloodied, broken face.
“STOP!” a voice cried out to her. Fluttershy instantly halted her attack. She looked up to see a light green earth pony with a dark mane standing before her. She looked upon him as if he was familiar. Though she didn’t seem to know why at first.
Just beyond him was a dark brown mare with a red mane, limping as if her leg was injured. Another familiar and important figure, one that Fluttershy’s mind couldn’t conjure an explanation for, but she knew that the pony was no enemy.
“You don’t have to kill!” Crumble shouted.
Fluttershy’s rapid breathing started to slow. Her eyes less intense. The mere sight of this pony was calming her. She began to understand why. This was a friend. A friend she had met when the soldiers attacked her. A friend she had grown up with during her childhood. Images of growing up in a park with this friend at her side began to play in her mind. She was confused by these images, not knowing where they come from. Regardless, she was happy. This friend gave her that.
“You don’t HAVE to kill!” Crumble repeated.
Fluttershy looked down at her opponent. His face was drenched in blood, his eyes were closed, his jaw looked dislocated. However, despite the carnage, he was breathing.
“It’s over,” Crumble said, his heavy breathing breaking the sentence. “He’s beaten.”
The professor’s body began to shrink down. His tusk like teeth receded into normal looking teeth. His body’s coat reverted to its natural blue color. As his body shifted back into his normal size, the wounds on his face began to close. Even the gash were his horn used to be completely closed up.
The professor opened his eyes weakly. His body shook as he watched the towering figure over him. Fluttershy gave a harsh growl. She then turned around and started to trot away.
Smolder tried to rise to his legs, but they wouldn’t move. He couldn’t even make them budge no matter how hard he tried. All he could do was lie in the concrete, silently whimpering.
Fluttershy trotted down the street, fumbling her movements in exhaustion. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she tumbled to a nearby alleyway. Her shoulders and wings brushed against the brick walls on both sides, scratching them as she passed by. She finally tumbled against the right wall causing a crack in it. She slowly descended to the ground, resting her head against the pavement.
Crumble appeared behind her as the behemoth began to shrink down into the yellow Pegasus Crumble remembered. He rushed to her side, picking her up in his hooves.
Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She caught the sight of Crumble’s smile as he held her.
“Did... I...?” Fluttershy started to ask, weakly.
Crumble gave her a nod. “Yes. You did it. You stopped him.”
Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief and then wrapped her hooves around Crumble. She smiled to herself as she rested her head against his body.
“Maybe... everything will be alright now,” she thought.
Thunderbolt stood patiently in the jet several hundred yards away as his men surrounded the battlefield. He had gotten the word that Fluttershy was on her rampage, but he never expected to see two monsters. Regardless, she was defenseless, distracted, and this time, defeated.
“Sir,” a voice came over the radio speaker. “We are in position.”
The air was still for a moment. Thunderbolt gave a sinister grin. “Fire.”
At those words, he watched at two projectiles were launched down towards the city. At the moment of impact, the sight was covered in a purple cloud of smoke.
A massive cloud of smoke appeared all around Fluttershy and Crumble, engulfing them in its fog. Fluttershy gave a gasp for air, which stung at her throat. She felt as if she was going to cough her lungs through her mouth. Crumble was hacking just as relentlessly. Fluttershy’s legs took over her body, but as she tried to escape the fog, her body grew weary. She could barely move her legs out into a walk. Eventually, she tumbled to the ground.
Her eyes began to close slowly. She looked up and tried to keep them open as best she could. She saw Crumble just ahead of her, trying to navigate through the smoke. However, even he succumbed to fatigue, collapsing to the ground. Her eyes stayed open long enough to see a group of shadowy figures coming for them. As they approached them, she could see them taking the form of ponies. They were gathering all around her.
“The soldiers...” were the last words she thought before her world went dark.
The whirling of helicopter blades filled the air as it descended towards the landing site. Ponies gathered around, weapons at the ready for any sign of trouble. Guns all pointed directly at the helicopter as it slowly set itself on the ground.
The boarding ramp hissed as it opened up and slowly slid to the ground. Within the helicopter, several ponies stood around a stretcher, which held a yellow Pegasus in its wake, a breathing mask attached to her face, with a long tube slithering to a large machine.
The machine displayed several numbers and letters telling the doctor in charge of the device Fluttershy’s breathing rate and other medical terms.
A needle, contented to a long tube, was embedded deep into her foreleg and into an IV. Her eyes were closed, her voice was silent and her body was still. Save for her slight breathing and the bumps made by the stretcher trudging around, many would have question if she was even alive.
The group of ponies surrounding her was sporting heavy weaponry. To an outsider, it would have seemed strange. Fluttershy was a very petite pony. Yet, she had the security of the world’s worst killer or terrorist surrounding her. That is because, they all knew what she really was.
Several ponies in white coats all cluttered around Fluttershy. They spoke in medical terms that most ponies wouldn’t understand, constantly monitoring her vitals.
As they rolled the stretcher down the ramp, a group of soldiers joined with the already mass assembly of guards surrounding Fluttershy, escorting her to her prison.
Thunderbolt stepped out from the helicopter behind them, standing proudly. “Keep her under!” he shouted. “I don’t want her to have a second of consciousness!”
Using his wings, he gently glided down the ramp and on the ground. “And get a blood sample from her!” he called out to the group.
He smiled as Fluttershy was taken to a large platform. The platform spanned to encompass hundreds of ponies, to transfer large items or a large number of troops down to an underground bunker. Only a few miles outside of Las Pegasus and of the Molhoofend Dam, it was the closest base they could get Fluttershy to.
Thunderbolt could hardly believe his luck. He couldn’t have wished for a more perfect setting to keep Fluttershy.
Not only did it operate as a military base, but it worked as a science lab as well. Many scientific and weapons technology was developed and discovered here. And here is where Fluttershy’s genetics would be weaponized for the good of all Equestria. Here he would have the scientific research he needed and the security to keep her prisoner forever.
“No mistakes this time.”
“You son of a bitch!” a voice shouted from the aircraft.
Thunderbolt turned to see his soldiers dragging the brown mare out of the aircraft.
She rustled and tussled against them, trying to break their grip. Her front hooves were tied. She was quite the fighter, but her injured leg made it impossible to break their grip. Still, that didn’t seem to stop her. She turned directly towards him.
“You son of a bitch! Let me go!” she shouted. The soldiers still struggled against her as they slowly pulled her towards the platform. “What are you going to do with Flyshy?!” the mare shouted.
Thunderbolt simply grinned and turned away.
“Answer me, you bastard!” the mare barked.
She made some other crude remarks, but Thunderbolt was hardly paying attention. He simply gazed towards the platform as the soldiers slowly dragged the struggling earth pony and the unconscious Pegasus to the stage that would lead them deep within the earth.
After several seconds, a small fence emerged from the ground at the platform’s rim. Sound of gears turning filled the soldier’s ears as the stage slowly sank into a deep tunnel.
“A fitting end to this tale.”
As he turned his head back to the aircraft behind him, a hoof slammed into his jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground.
He looked up to see the light green stallion he called son. Crumble.
“You stupid ass-hole!” Crumble shouted.
Several soldiers came from behind Crumble and wrapped their forelegs around him. He struggled to break their grip, fighting with all his might.
Thunderbolt wiped his lip of the blood coming from his mouth and stood up. “Stand down, soldiers.”
The soldiers immediately let go of Crumble. The troops then turned away and headed back to the aircraft.
Thunderbolt stared straight into his son’s enraged eyes, wiping his lip once again. “You hit like a filly, boy.”
Crumble started to cringe at his father’s remark. “How dare you?!” he started as he pointed his hoof at Thunderbolt. “How dare you treat her like this?!”
Thunderbolt took a step towards his son. “I did what I had to do to protect Equestria.”
Crumble shook his head in frustration. “Don’t give me that! Don’t you dare give me that!” He leaned forward, his eyes fixed on his father. He pointed his hoof at Thunderbolt, emphasizing every sentence. “You did this for you! You and your reputation! That’s what this was always about! Always! Nopony else mattered but you!”
“Son-,” Thunderbolt started, as he reached to put his hoof on Crumble’s shoulder.
“Don’t give me this son, bullshit!” Crumble retorted as he swatted Thunderbolt’s foreleg away. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re not my father.”
Thunderbolt glared at his son, taking in a deep breath.
“That damn filly has gotten to you too, eh, boy?” He couldn’t believe his own son would turn on him like this. That Fluttershy had, somehow, turned his son against him. It only made him hate her even more.
“It’s only because I’m your father that you’re not in hoofcuffs too.”
Crumble shook his head and scoffed. “How about this? How about you stop doing me favors?!” His eyes pierced at the general, his hatred resonating from them. “And stay out of my life?” Crumble trotted passed his father towards the large elevator to the underground bunker.
Thunderbolt watched his son as he stormed off, passing another pony Thunderbolt didn’t want to see.
Guam stormed passed the son of the general, without even giving him a glance. His eyes were only fixed on the general.
“How dare he keep me out of this?! That bastard is gonna pay for this!”
“Sir!” Guam snapped. “What in Tartarus is going on?!”
Thunderbolt gave a cruel smirk. “That’s hardly anyway to talk to your superior, soldier.”
Guam gritted his teeth at Thunderbolt’s statement, growling under his breath.
“I’ll talk to you how I damn well please!”
“You’ve captured Fluttershy without me?!” Guam shouted. “I want to know why!”
“I don’t need to explain anything to you, soldier.”
Guam shook his head in irritation, trying to hide his rage.
“Fluttershy was mine! I was going to be the one to beat her! Me! How dare you steal that from me?!”
He knew hiding his anger was pointless. He might as well have been big and green, like Fluttershy.
“No, sir! I was told I’d have my payback! I want Fluttershy! I want her to pay!”
Thunderbolt shot Guam a stern look. “I said that I was not a pony you should cross. I’m just looking out for your best interests.”
“What the buck does that mean?!” Guam demanded, getting right into the general’s face, staring straight up at him. Guam size didn’t matter to him. He was always the little pony, but he had the heart of a lion. Guam was not one to be pushed around.
But Thunderbolt could have cared less.
Thunderbolt gave a smirk and chuckled for a moment. “Your work is done here, soldier.”
Guam took a step back and shook his head.
“Fluttershy’s been captured. You’re not needed anymore.”
Guam started to lower his gaze to the ground, scoffing at the general’s words.
”Don’t be sad, soldier. You’ve got new powers to try out,” the general said, taking a few steps towards Guam. “Go out and have fun. Live life.”
As he came to Guam’s side, he leaned to his ear. “You never know when you might not get a chance to,” he whispered.
Guam’s ears perked up as the general continued on his way. His eyes shot wide open. He sharply turned his head, expecting the general to explain his statement. Sadly, the general kept trotting away.
After several minutes of struggling and cursing, Cookie was tossed into her prison cell. The soldiers closed the door behind her. She quickly turned and slammed her front hoof against it. The loud clang echoed throughout the metallic prison she found herself in.
She took a look around. The surroundings were eerily similar to the one she was placed in the day she met Fluttershy. There were no windows, no telephone. The door was heavily bolted shut, with only a small glass window to see a small portion of the world outside.
She placed her head directly against it. “What the buck are you doing to Flyshy?!” she shouted.
She could see the soldiers standing just outside the doorway, but they didn’t even acknowledge her existence. They didn’t turn towards her. They just stood in their position.
“I said what the buck are you doing to Flyshy?!” she yelled again, this time louder. Still nothing. They didn’t even budge.
“Damn it!” she shouted to herself as she bucked the door with her good leg.
Cookie started to search around the room, going from corner to corner. Her leg ached as she trotted through every angle of the prison. It was doing much better, thanks to Fluttershy’s miracle plant, but it was still far from completely healed. At the very least, she could limp with it, which at this point, was better than nothing at all.
She glided her hooves across the wall, allowing them to slither up and down the wall as far as she could reach. She took it very slow as she moved, hoping for some way to get out.
As she slid past one half the room, her confidence faded. She took it even slower, hoping and praying for a way out. She wasn’t usually one to pray to some higher power. But it would help Fluttershy, she would.
As she finally encompassed the entirety of the room, her patience faded.
“Faust!” she cursed as she looked towards one of the corners of the room.
“I know you can hear me!” She felt like she was in some sort of asylum, shouting at the air. She knew if a facility were built to keep prisoners, they’d have some sort of camera watching all of the cells. Watching her.
“What the buck are you doing to, Flyshy?!”
There was no response, save for the echoing of her own voice. She sat herself down in defeat. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Fluttershy, who was one of her few friends. Very few friends.
She started to think about Fluttershy, who had selflessly pushed her into the metallic dome first. She wondered if she had fallen behind instead of Fluttershy, would she have made the same selfless sacrifice?
She thought that she might, but her mind wandered back to her youth. She didn’t give a damn about anypony else, but herself. That was all that mattered. The more she thought about it, the more she thought that she wouldn’t have helped Fluttershy then. If Fluttershy had fallen behind, she would have sacrificed her to save herself.
However, in a strange way, she thanked Celestia for the way things worked out. Because of Fluttershy’s and her father’s selflessness, she sought a change in her own life. She got a real job. Started to reconnect with the only other pony who cared for her. Made a life for herself. All because of Fluttershy’s one simple kind act.
It was hard not to go back to the way she was, but all she needed to do, was think of the pony who sacrificed herself to keep her alive.
On the other hoof, she cursed Celestia. Fluttershy was caught in the blast, her life ruined.
She recalled the friend who had accepted her reason to leave her behind. She had callously tossed her to the side like a used rag. She was just going to leave, not even look back. Just drive away as if Fluttershy hadn’t meant a thing to her. While she did come back eventually, it didn’t help her conscience. Fluttershy was the reason for her changing her way and she repaid her by reverting back to her selfish demeanor.
She remembered the friend who had tirelessly rubbed ointment on her leg for hours and hours. Waiting on her, delivering her food and water. Fluttershy kept her awake and alive. Her plant would keep her healthy, when it would have been easier to leave her behind, as Cookie almost did her.
Cookie often wondered if Fluttershy had ever thought about leaving her to her fate. She wondered if Fluttershy knew helping her was only going to slow her progress. She wondered what anypony else would have done. She imagined that they would have taken the easy road and left her to fend for herself. Not Fluttershy though.
Many would have questioned Fluttershy for stopping her journey to help another. But Cookie knew deep down, Fluttershy didn’t care what they thought. Fluttershy was willing to do whatever it took to help another, even if it was a complete stranger. Even if she had to sacrifice herself or her happiness. The first time they ever met proved that.
Tears started to form in Cookie’s eyes.
“Everything that Flyshy’s done for me. And there’s not a damn thing I can do to help her.”
Cookie curled herself into a ball, tears streaming down her face.
Smolder focused all his energy on the tin cup in front of him, attempting to lift it to his face. The cup sat on the table, next to the plate containing mashed potatoes.
But Smolder was hardly focused on the table, the potatoes or the plate. All that mattered was the cup.
This was his third attempt since the soldiers that captured him threw him in his cell. The chair he sat in was a rusty old chair. It squeaked every time it moved and it was unbearable to sit in. The cushion had lost most, if not all, of its padding. If Smolder were focusing on the chair, he would have shifted his body several times in a vain attempt to find a comfortable spot to sit in.
However, Smolder’s mind was still on the events before he blacked out. He was a being of unparalleled power. A beast that would usher in a new world for all pony-kind. A new god.
However, because of one little filly, he had reverted back to his puny, weak self. His legs’ strength had abandoned him once again. And worst of all, his horn had been separated from his skull.
He had heard that unicorns who had lost their horns lost their connection to their magical abilities. However, he had also heard that unicorn horns were not easily severed from their foundation.
But Fluttershy did it. She ripped the horn straight from his head. Smolder knew it was a long shot, but his magic was all he had left.
He concentrated even harder on the tin cup, causing it to slightly shake. He pushed himself harder; focusing everything he could muster on that simple cup. But not matter how hard he tried, a slight shake is all it would do.
Finally, his concentration broke. His heavy breathing echoed off the metallic walls and door. Sweat streamed down his face. He felt as if he had just conjured all of his magical abilities. He looked up and saw the cup.
It was in the same spot Smolder had placed it. It hadn’t even budged, let alone rose to the air.
Smolder gritted his teeth. He let out a cry of rage as he shoved all of the table’s contents crashing to the floor. He then slammed his hooves into the table giving off a thud that reverberated within the cell. They were followed by series of whimpering cries.
“That filly cost me everything. My power, my horn!”
He continued his moans until a voice came from outside his cell.
“Welcome to Tartarus, doctor.”
Despite the static slightly changing the voice that came over the intercom, the voice reeked of familiarity. Smolder knew instantly who in all of Equestria had that voice. He slowly turned his head to the glass opening in the window, seeing the face of the only other Pegasus who had ruined his life. General Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt smirked at him. The general’s eyes taunted him as they pierce towards him.
“You?!” Smolder cried.
Thunderbolt nodded. “This prison was made for Fluttershy. But I think you’ll find that it works on you just as well. If you even think about going green again, doctor. If you even give my ponies a reason to think you are planning to escape. If you even touch the walls or doors, that room will be devoid of oxygen so fast, you won’t even have time to hold your breath.”
Smolder gritted his teeth and turned his head back to the empty table. He stared blankly at its empty contents.
“Enjoy your stay,” Thunderbolt gave his final remarks as he trotted away from his cell window.
Smolder continued to stare that the table, mentally grinning at the similarities that he and the table now shared.
Thunderbolt made his way to the laboratory where several doctors and several military personnel crowded around Fluttershy. Two troopers at the entrance escorted the general to the seats above the lab.
Once there, Thunderbolt sat in the seat next to Major Strawberry. They both gazed straight through the glass screen that revealed the scientists and the fugitive below them.
The doctors were speaking in medical terms as they continued to monitor Fluttershy’s vitals, as they continued to monitor her, taking a sample of her blood for analysis.
The general was hardly focused on what they had to say. Only the blood sample that was taken from that lab. All he wanted was his weapon. The weapon that Fluttershy- That her father- would give him.
He thought back to when he had first revealed the project to Smolder and Bixby. They were both excited to work on the project, but only Smolder knew what the project would lead to.
Bixby, as brilliant as he was, would have never condoned pony test subjects. He wasn’t made to make the tough decisions a pony in the general’s position had to make. Ironic that the pony who didn’t want to use test subjects, use his daughter as one to save her life.
His mind jumped back to his first meeting with Bixby. He was brilliant for his theories on grasping the potential that lies within every pony. A massive amount of energy that allowed ponies, under distress, to complete magnificent tasks; like lifting a car or wrestling a polar bear.
He had made several advances in such research. Bixby was something of a pioneer in the field. While Thunderbolt didn’t understand most of Bixby’s theories, he had an interest in his scientific mind. His mind had the ability to solve any problem. Said to be one of the most brilliant minds of their time.
Thunderbolt’s mind began to wander back to his mission. Ponies were still a very weak species compared to griffins, dogs, and wolves. The threat of war was constantly looming, relationships with the dogs and griffins were already showing signs of deterioration. Tartarus, even the zebras didn’t like ponies that much.
After all, it was only a hundred years ago an alicorn tried to take over the world. While those alicorns were long since dead, Equestria’s enemies never forgot.
It was time to even the playing field by outgrowing them. By making them larger and stronger than anything else, so they could defend their great nation.
The general knew Bixby was going to help him with his goals, whether he knew it or not.
Then the day came when Bixby’s daughter was slowly dying. It was a tragedy to be sure, but Thunderbolt still had a job to do. He still had a country that was counting on him. He couldn’t stop, not even for his top scientist’s daughter.
But Fluttershy bore unexpected fruit. With the right motivation, Bixby had somehow unlocked the secrets of growth that Thunderbolt sought.
His mind returned to that day after Fluttershy’s miraculous recovery. It was hard for him to comprehend. Maybe it was a blessing from Celestia herself he remembered thinking. Maybe the doctor’s found a way to save her.
It wasn’t a few days later, he found out the truth. And with that, he ordered the apprehension of Fluttershy. It was supposed to be an easy job. Take one little filly away from her mother and father.
But somepony had slipped up. Somepony let her father know. He had always suspected Smolder, but he would constantly deny it.
Regardless, he made sure that Smolder’s life was miserable. Despite his brilliant mind, he was still a failure. Never truly able to unlock what Bixby could.
After several years, his own son found an interest in Bixby and his work. Maybe it was because of Fluttershy. Maybe the universe had a cruel sense of humor and a sick sense of irony.
He hadn’t that Fluttershy and his son played together when they was just children. However, when he did find out, he thought the universe had granted him a blessing.
He remembered his son coming home from his little play date.
It had been a long day for him and he was in no mood to talk, not even to his son. But the boy mentioned his friend’s name, Fluttershy. He could have heard wrong. It could have been a different Fluttershy. Regardless, he had to know for sure. That’s when his ears perked up and he begged his son to tell him everything.
His son had, unwittingly, led to the capture of Bixby and the death of his wife. But the filly got away.
Crumble. His son, the one who had made the call to bring her in, had suddenly changed his mind and helped this dangerous criminal avoid the Equestrian authorities. All for some stupid friendship.
His mouth turned to a smile. His son’s work was all for nothing. For below him, was the pony who had caused him so much strife. The pony that was going to build an army that would save Equestria and bring an end to their struggle for power was lying on that bed, helpless.
Guam had been listening to the constant chat of the other soldiers in the mess hall for the past hour. He was desperate to discover the circumstances of Fluttershy’s capture.
Finally, he caught wind of a conversation between three pegasi. They were speaking of another large monster that battled Fluttershy in the middle of Main Street. A monster that was almost as powerful as Fluttershy.
While the circumstances of Fluttershy’s capture interested him, this new development had his mind swirling with curiosity. A monster that was powerful enough to go hoof to hoof with Fluttershy.
He continued to listen as the group discussed the scientist that was the creature’s pony counterpart. The pony that was just recently captured.
Guam knew he had to meet this pony. He had to know exactly how he became what Fluttershy became and more importantly he had to know how to duplicate it.
He made his way to the prison cell of Professor Smolder. The two guards gave him a strange look. Guam’s reputation hadn’t been respectable since their last conflict with Fluttershy. After all, Guam had nearly killed the general’s son.
“I need to see the prisoner,” Guam stated.
The two ponies looked at each other, their eyebrows raised.
“On General Thunderbolt’s orders,” he lied. He knew it was a long shot, but if those idiots believed that he was on orders, that he was playing Thunderbolt’s game, they would give him what he wanted.
The ponies nodded to him and stepped to the side.
“Can’t believe that worked?”
He made his way past them and down a small hallway. Guam stared through the small glass window of the door. The white metallic walls surrounded a dark blue pony trapped in a rusty old chair.
The pony was just sinking in his seat, staring blankly at the table in front of him. On the floor, a plate lied shattered, its contents thrown. Mashed potatoes streaked across the ground, the fork was stationed several inches away. Guam also noticed the tin cup. It was toppled on its side as a stream of liquid slithered down towards the door.
Guam looked to the side of the door to see a red button with a speaker only a few inches above it. To be able to activate the speaker and see through the glass window, it was going to be a bit of a stretch for a pony his size. But if he gained the information he wanted, it mattered little.
He put his hoof on the red button and spoke, “You Professor Smolder?”
The pony was silent. There was stillness in the air. Guam wasn’t sure if the pony simply didn’t hear him or was simply too mad to understand him.
“Oh, please let it be the first one.”
“Are you Professor Smolder?!” he shouted.
Smolder slowly turned his head and then finally his whole body. “I am. And what of it?”
Guam took a deep breath. “You were that creature, right? The one that fought Fluttershy?”
“Did General Thunderbolt send you?” Smolder asked.
Guam shook his head. “No, I came of my own accord.”
A smirk appeared on Smolder’s face. He leaned back in his chair and gestured Guam to continue with his hoof.
Guam leaned into the glass closely. “I want to know how you did it. How did you turn into that thing?”
“I was once a brilliant scientist,” Smolder started.
“Faust, spare me the Sally-Sob story.”
Smolder continued. “I created a serum. A serum that would enhance a ponies abilities beyond the norm. They would be stronger, faster, better.”
Guam nodded. “Yeah, I know about that. But it’s not enough. I want more.”
Smolder’s eyes widened and he presented a shocked look on his face.
Guam turned his head slightly, not sure what to expect.
“Did you get injected with my serum?” Smolder leaned forward, pointing his hoof at Guam.
Guam wasn’t sure what Smolder was worried about. Regardless, he answered, “Yes. And it has made me stronger, better.”
“And the side effects?” Smolder asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Side effects? What damned side effects?”
“As far as I know, there are no side effects,” Guam started. “The general mentioned them to me but-“
“He didn’t reveal what those side effects are, did he?” Smolder interrupted.
Guam’s ears perked up. He looked down to the ground. Now that Smolder had mentioned it, no. General Thunderbolt had been completely sketchy when it came to the side effects of the serum. He remembered his conversation with the general clearly. He stated that there were side effects, but the serum itself was promising.
Smolder’s voice brought Guam back to reality. “Those side effects are what put me in this chair.”
Guam’s eyes instantly focused themselves on Smolder. He gazed at the rusty chair that Smolder sat in. Smolder claimed that it was the serum that bound his body to that furniture.
“What?!” Guam growled in a whisper.
Smolder simply nodded. “That serum, the serum that flows through your body, will slowly deteriorate within you. Not only will it take away your strength, but it will substantially weaken your body.” Smolder turned away from the door. “I got lucky when it only cost me my legs.”
Guam stood in silence. That’s why the general was acting so strange. He knew the side effects of the serum. He knew that Guam was soon going to be a crippled or worse.
“General Thunderbolt! That lying, two-faced bastard!”
His mind raced. The thought of him being a lowly, crippled, defenseless pony was unacceptable. He was a warrior. Always had been. Always would be, unless the general had his way.
“There’s got to be a cure! Something!”
Smolder simply shook his head. “There is no cure. The serum simply stops when it takes it course.”
“Then how the hell do I stop it?!” Guam shouted.
Smolder lowered his head, a sign to Guam that all hope was lost. Guam shook his head several times, cursing under his breath. He started to breath heavy sighs. His life, his career, his world was going to leave him very soon.
He looked up to see the professor, mumbling something to himself.
“Great, now the doc’s gone mad!” he shouted to himself. He cursed under his breath and looked down to the ground once more.
Just as he was about to give into despair, Smolder’s voice brought him back.
“Why do you want more?”
Guam looked up at the professor. He was grinning. It was a malicious grin. Guam knew he was concocting something, he just wasn’t sure what.
“Fluttershy.” Guam’s heavy breathing finally broke to allow him to speak. “She beat me. I’m gonna get her back. Nopony beats Guamadillius. Nopony. Nobody.”
Guam’s depression was suddenly replaced with anger. He thought about the little filly. While the general may have lied to him, it was that thing that beat him. He hated to lose, especially to an opponent who wasn’t worth his time, like Fluttershy.
Smolder turned his chair and started to wheel his way to the doorway. “You hate her, don’t you?” he asked.
Guam nodded, violently.
Smolder’s slight grin turned into a spiteful smile. “Have you tried gamma?”
Guam gave the doctor a confused look. It must have worked since Smolder continued.
“I used to work at this facility. They tried to keep me from realizing where I am, but I was here for years. I know exactly where I am. There was once a gamma pulse generator here. Lab B-4, if I remember right. It might halt the serum’s deterioration. That might be what you need. After all, that’s how Fluttershy did it.”
Guam repeated the professor’s smile and nodded. The professor nodded and turned away muttering only one more sentence, “Now kill that bitch.”
Guam rushed his way to Lab B-4, exactly where the professor said the gamma generator would be. He looked through the small glass window to see a group of scientist in the room. He also saw some military ponies guarding the room.
“Three or four, maybe,” he thought to himself. He carefully planned his tactics as he approached the door to the lab. The door slid open.
He trotted his way into the room. As he entered, a guard stepped in his path and put a hoof in his way. He was tall and sported a SMG on his back. Guam knew he could make use of that.
“Sorry, you’re not authorized to enter this-,”
His speech was interrupted when Guam grabbed his hoof and twisted it quickly. He shouted in pain as his foreleg broke by Guam’s incredible strength.
The other soldiers started to raise their weapons towards Guam direction. He knew he had to make a move fast. Guam twisted the pony’s body until his back was facing his fellow soldiers. His other hoof quickly grabbed the gun and aimed it towards his opponents.
He unleashed a salvo of gunfire at the soldiers. The scientist began to scream and panic as the bullets pierced the military officer’s bodies. Blood shot from their wounds and all across the glass window behind them, which sustained bullet wounds as well.
Another opponent was coming on his left. Guam needed to move fast to take him out. He let go of the gun and tossed his opponent into the other soldier, effortlessly.
He knew the serum was incredible. His reflexes and strength had never been so great, but it still wasn’t enough. Not against Fluttershy. But if Professor Smolder was right, it was about to be.
He quickly drew his pistol from his belt and opened fire on the last surviving soldiers.
Within a few seconds, all of his opponent’s lied dead. He turned towards the scientists who were shaking and trembling with fear.
“On your knees!” Guam shouted.
The scientists complied with their tormentor’s orders. Each of them, one by one, slowly descended to their knees. They whimpered and spoke soft prayers to Celestia about sparing them.
“Go ahead. Keep praying. I’m sure she’ll hear you,” Guam retorted in his mind.
Guam pointed the pistol at one of them, holding it steady at the stallion’s head. His head then hinted towards the machine behind the glass.
It was a half-circle platform hovering over a flat surface. On one of the halves, was a screen. The other half, where the pony would no doubt sit, faced that screen. Guam couldn’t tell if it revealed anything, but it was a screen. That was for sure.
The flat surface was resting on a stand that looked like it could elevate or rotate the table. The half-circle was connected to same stand that continued upward and arched over the table.
Guam thought it was a ridiculous looking machine, but if it helped him beat Fluttershy, he wouldn’t complain.
“Is that the gamma pulse generator?” he asked.
The scientists all mumbled and whimpered. Some of them unleashed sobs, completely unable to answer.
Guam grew annoyed. He pointed his gun at one of the stallions to his right and opened fire. The stallion dropped to the floor, lifelessly. The scientists panicked as they heard the gunshot.
“I said, is that the gamma pulse generator?!” Guam repeated his question.
“Yes!”
“Yes, it’s the gamma pulse generator!”
“Please, don’t hurt us!”
Six voices shouted in terror. Guam was growing tired of dealing with these sniveling babies. But he didn’t know how to work that machine. He needed them alive. Well... some of them. “Shut up!”
They all became silent almost instantly, save for a few whimpers.
“Show of hooves, who knows how to work that thing?”
He scanned the room, searching the ponies that were still alive. Four of them lifted their hooves. Guam gave a cruel grin.
“Four who know how to work it. But I only need one.”
He then pointed his gun at one of them and opened fire.
Before the body toppled to the ground, he quickly adjusted his aim and fired another shot at another pony, this time one of them with their hoof in the air. Another quick aim, and another quick kill. The screaming of the scientists was overpowered by the next shot, and quickly dwindling. He repeated this cycle until there were only two ponies remaining, one with their hoof up and one that didn’t.
They whimpered as their once white lab coats were now coated with the blood of their coworkers. Tears began to fall. Guam made his way to the stallion that had kept his hooves to his side. He grabbed him violently by his mane and threw him to the ground.
The stallion started up slowly, but stopped when Guam pointed his weapon at him.
Guam turned to the mare, the only other scientist left who know how to work the gamma pulse generator. “You want both to live.”
He saw her eyes divert towards her coworker. He was shaking in fear, anticipating the bullet that was going to come for his head. Her eyes then diverted back to Guam as he finished his sentence. “You’re going to do exactly as I tell you.”
Crumble wandered impatiently throughout the facility, his wind recalling his days here. He had been assigned here shortly after his graduation from Bloomsburg University.
He was one of the scientists responsible for the development of the gamma pulse project. There was another scientist who did most of the calculations, but it was Crumble that somehow got the credit.
Credit he never wanted. And that made the other scientist angry. Ever since, he had been resentful of Crumble.
Crumble had always received special treatment because of his father and he received credit for the gamma pulse generator also because of his old man.
And that scientist wasn’t the only one who hated him, almost everypony on base did. Though they would never say it, he could still tell just by how they treated him.
The gamma pulse generator test was suppose to be a simple job. And the large scale test was suppose to be even easier. Crumble had theorized that gamma radiation has some sort of effect on ponies hidden strengths. He discovered this when researching Bixby’s work and his wife’s final days.
He had been conversing with other patients who had experienced a moment when they would receive an unknown amount of strength during a time of duress.
He believed that the sunspots could be the source of gamma radiation in all cases. He believed a low level dose of gamma, emitted from the sun, would have been the reason Bixby could not save his wife.
However, his research was cut short when his father wanted to weaponize his gamma testing into a bomb. Crumble was less than thrilled about that, as was his fellow scientist. Regardless, they did as they were told.
Crumble remembered seeing Fluttershy for the first time in years. He wasn’t sure it was her, but he remembered wishing it was. How it all went so wrong so quickly?
One selfish act of sabotage cost Fluttershy everything. Maybe he was mad. Maybe he wanted to see Crumble’s name go down in flames. Crumble couldn’t make sense of it all. Crumble knew his father would make up an excuse for him. Protect and shelter him. Claim that he cared. But all he wanted was to make sure his ass was safe.
Crumble pushed his memories aside and continued to search the facility for the most heavily guarded room. No doubt that was where Fluttershy was being held. Nopony would tell him where she was and this base was vast. He shook his head as he made his way from hallway to hallway, hoping to find a trace of her.
As he passed by one of the soldiers, he overheard something on one of the transmitters.
“Lab B-4, please respond. Gamma pulse generator testing is not authorized. Shut down the gamma pulse generator.”
“Lab B-4? The gamma pulse generator?” Crumble thought to himself. “Why would they be testing that? Could they have brought it back up after I left? And why would they be testing it unauthorized?”
His thoughts were broken as a voice came over the intercom. “Attention all units. Lab B-4 has gone into unauthorized testing. All available units to Lab B-4.”
The soldiers he had passed sprung to their feet and headed down to the lab.
Crumble shook his head and wandered down the hall, completely dismissing everything concerning Lab B-4.
For several minutes, Guam had waited for his hostage in the lab to start up the gamma pulse generator, while his other hostage, just a few inches away, continued to whimper on his knees with Guam’s gun still pointed at his head.
He had sat on the table as it slowly began to rise. It rose until Guam’s face was level with the screen in front of him. The silhouette of a target came across his face that mirrored what he saw in front of him.
He turned to the mare who was frantically rushing about the lab. “How long til it’s ready?!” Guam shouted.
The mare panicked as she looked up. She stammered as she spoke. “The experiment should begin in less than a minute.”
“And nopony can interfere with it?” Guam asked.
The mare shook her head, “Not unless they have the access codes.”
Guam quickly pulled his gun away from the stallion and pointed towards the mare. He pulled the trigger before she could get out of the way. The bullet sent her tumbling to the floor as it pierced her body.
The other stallion looked up at Guam. Guam quickly aimed his weapon back at his other hostage.
The other stallion shouted, “You son of a-!”
He was quickly silenced by Guam’s weapon, as the bullet was launched into his forehead.
Guam tossed his weapon aside. He then repositioned himself in front of the screen, which had started to turn green. The machine started to turn him until his backside was facing the floor. Guam gave a cruel smirk as he stared blankly into the green light that now projected itself onto the screen. It was bright. Very bright.
But Guam couldn’t turn his head; he wanted to see it all happen.
“A few more seconds and then you’re mine, Fluttershy. You and the general!”
Guam’s body began to throb uncontrollably. His blood began to boil in his body, swirling around like all of his veins had their own personal blenders.
He cried out in pain as the light intensified, eventually engulfing the entire lab. The cry then descended into a terrible growl.
Soldiers continued to line up outside lab B-4, their weapons aimed straight at the doorway. Though the glass they could see the bodies of several ponies, lying dead on the ground.
Some pony in the lab had activated the gamma pulse generator, which was unauthorized.
“Clear!” one of the soldiers yelled. A second later, a small explosion busted the door from its hinges, sending it flying into the room. One after another, the troopers entered the room, their eyes and guns scanning the surrounding area.
There were at least ten ponies dead, all of them shot. They looked into the room with the gamma pulse generator after hearing a low growl. Their eyes widened as a massive green behemoth was staring at them from the other side of the glass. Its fangs were deadly sharp like knives and its yellow eyes pierced at them.
The creature growled as it wrapped its hooves around the gamma pulse generator. The creature grunted as it ripped the device from its foundation.
“Open fire!” one of the soldiers yelled.
With that command, they unleashed a salvo of bullets towards the creature’s body. However, the ammo couldn’t even pierce the giant’s skin. They only bounced right off.
The creature twisted its body sharply, releasing the generator as he turned. The force was enough to smash through the glass window like paper.
Some of the soldiers were able to duck under the projectile, but others were less fortunate. The massive device slammed into their bodies, dragging them off in its uncontrollable flight.
The beast crawled through the glass opening, giving a cruel snarl. The remaining soldiers fired their weapons once more. The monster turned its head at one of them and lifted its hoof. The beast brought it down with so much power that it uprooted the ground around it.
One of the other soldiers quickly got to his feet and scampered to the doorway. He tapped on the radio on his vest. “Emergency! The beast is in the base! Lab B-4! Request backup! Request –!”
He screamed as the beast grabbed him by his torso. He continued to scream until the last sound he heard was his own neck snapping.
Cookie sat in her cell, still distraught at the thought of her friend. She couldn’t do anything to help her. It ate away at her, like a swarm of leeches slowly sucking the life out of her.
Suddenly, a loud alarmed blared all around her. She leaped to her feet quickly out of shock.
“Emergency! Emergency! Enemy unit has breached base! All units report to Lab B-4! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!”
“Enemy unit? What the buck does that mean?” Cookie thought to herself. She continued to ponder as the alarm continued to blast in her ears, making it difficult to think.
“Could this have something to do with Flyshy?”
The sound of a door opening caused Cookie to abandon her thoughts and shift her attention to the doorway. Standing at the doorway was Crumble.
“What the hay is going on?” Cookie asked, limping towards the exit.
“Not sure, but we need to get Fluttershy out of here,” Crumble explained.
Cookie nodded. She limped as fast as she could behind Crumble. They navigated their way through the hallway. The sound of the alarm and the flashing red lights continued their unending pattern, something that both annoyed and terrified them.
As they turned another corner, they heard a loud, terrifying roar. At first they assumed it was Fluttershy, but as the cry continued, they realized it was much deeper than her’s was. This one was more savage.
“What was that?!” Cookie asked, trying to yell over the alarm.
Crumble was silent. His breathing picked up a couple of beats.
“Crumble?!” Cookie repeated her question.
Crumble turned his head back to her. “I have no idea.” He then continued forward. “Come on, we’ve got to find Fluttershy.”
Cookie followed him as best she could, but realized she was falling behind. She was only going to slow Crumble down.
“Just go! I’ll catch up!” she shouted.
Crumble turned his head back to her and nodded. He then rushed down the hallway as quick as a flash. Within a few seconds, he had disappeared down one of the other hallways.
Cookie took a deep breath and looked to a doorway on her left. Inside was a vast array of guns and weapons. She gave a grin as she stared at the armory.
General Thunderbolt had been hearing reports of a giant green creature storming through the base. He could hardly understand what his troops were facing. Could Smolder have broken free? Or was this something else completely?
Fluttershy lied below him, still motionless, still sedated. If she and Smolder wasn’t involved, then who or what was?
General Thunderbolt took the radio from his belt and held it to his face. “Damn it, what’s going on out there?”
A voice came from the radio, “The thing is coming this way! We can’t stop it!”
“Damn it, soldier! I need a position! Where is it?!”
As soon as the general asked his question, the two metallic doors sealing the entrance to the lab were ripped off its hinges. The doors were then sent soaring into the room as if thrown by an incredible force, one of them smashing into lab equipment and the other embedding itself into the wall.
The ponies in the room ducked and shriveled as terrible cry of rage was heard from the hallway.
A massive pale green creature stepped through the doorway. The beast had qualities of a pony’s body, but it skin was covered in snake-like scales.
The creature growled as two soldiers in the room fired their weapons at it. However, it didn’t slow it down. The monster made its way to its opponents, wrapping each of them in its hooves.
They screamed in terror as the beast gave a cruel grin. It then unleashed a low chuckle. He then tossed them violently into the wall directly to his left.
The scientists scrambled in panic as the two troopers fell to the ground, motionless.
The beast came to the side of the yellow Pegasus that lied in the bed. “I’ll deal with you in a minute,” it snarled.
The creature then looked up towards the glass window above it. Through the glass, he saw Major Strawberry, a couple of ponies he had seen, but were unimportant and his real target. General Thunderbolt.
Using its powerful legs, the creature leaped to the glass screen, digging its hooves into the wall for support. He smashed through the glass with its powerful forelegs as the ponies on the other side dove backwards.
General Thunderbolt rose to his feet and started to run for the nearest exit, following his fellow ponies’ example. However, he was stopped short when a powerful hoof wrapped around his hind leg and started to pull. The general tried to fight it, but the creature’s grip was far too powerful. It effortlessly tossed him to the lab below.
Thunderbolt hit the ground hard before he even had time to stretch his wings. His chest burned with pain as he attempted to lift himself on his feet. As he stumbled to his feet, a looming shadow stood over him.
“I should thank you, general. The serum you injected into me has been a success.”
Thunderbolt felt a cold shiver down his spine as the creature spoke. He slowly turned his head until he was staring into the face of the monster.
“Guam?” he asked.
Guam grabbed the general by his wing and forced him against the wall. The general struggled to rise to his feet, moaning in pain. The creature snagged him by his front hoof and held him helplessly in the air. The general was forced to stare into the blank yellow eyes of the creature that was formerly Guamadillius.
Crumble followed the cries of the mysterious creature, hoping that it would eventually lead to Fluttershy. He admitted to himself it wasn’t smart to follow a mysterious creature, especially when he saw the trail of destruction the creature caused. But he needed to find her, wherever she was in this Tartarus hole.
He continued to follow hallway after hallway until he found a room that the destruction had led to. He looked inside the lab where both the doors had been torn off the wall.
One of the doors lied on the ground near a series of lab equipment. The equipment was sparking and was heavily damaged, like a blade had cut through some of it. The other one was almost halfway embedded into the wall. Above him the glass screen was shattered, glass all around the floor directly below it.
To his right he saw a monstrous creature and in its hooves was his father.
“You lied to me, general,” the creature said.
The general struggled to break free, but it was in vain. The creature’s grip was impenetrable.
Crumble looked directly to the left to see Fluttershy. She simply resting in the bed, only a few feet from the chaos around her.
He snuck his way to her as the general and the beast continued their conversation.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Thunderbolt responded.
“I’ve been speaking to Professor Smolder. He told me about the unfortunate side effects.” The creature gave a low growl.
“The ones that you neglected to mention.”
Crumble made it to Fluttershy’s side without either one of them detecting him.
“So far, so good,” he thought to himself. He gently and carefully pulled the needle out of Fluttershy’s arm.
His father’s voice echoed in the room. “You made a sacrifice for your country!”
“Not that sacrifice! Never that sacrifice!”
“Dad, what kind of deal have you made?” Crumble thought to himself. He pulled the mask away from Fluttershy face and started to shake her gently.
“Fluttershy, wake up,” he whispered.
She didn’t even move. Her eyes still remained shut.
“Then what are you waiting for?” General Thunderbolt asked. “Kill me.”
The creature shook its head. “No, death’s too good for you.”
The general revealed a shock look on his face. Crumble could tell his father was frightened.
“If it hates my dad but won’t kill him, what does it want?”
“You care nothing for your own death. But I do know what you do care about.” The creature leaned in on the helpless pony that he held in his hoof. “Your reputation.”
The general fought against the beast’s grip once more, but again, he failed to break free.
“I’m going to go out there and I’m going to kill and kill and kill! And then when my bloodlust has finally been satiated, I will come for you and I will make sure everypony knows that you are responsible for those deaths!”
With every word the beast spoke, Crumble’s heart sank even lower. That thing was just like Fluttershy, except this thing was willing to kill. It wasn’t just willing. It was going to.
He turned towards Fluttershy, who was still under. “Come on, Fluttershy. Wake up,” he begged just a touch louder. He hoped that it was still quiet enough that he wasn’t heard. However, a dark shadow appeared over him.
He turned around to the massive creature. The beast tossed the aged general to the side, sending him to the ground. The creature then picked up Crumble and tossed him across the room.
Crumble tumbled across the floor, his body trembling in pain. When he tried to move, it only made the pain in his body feel worse.
The shadow appeared above him once more. When he looked up, the creature was giving a sadistic smile.
“And I’ll start with this one!”
The creature lifted itself on its hind legs, ready to crush Crumble into the cement floor.
Just before the beast could bring down its legs, a blast from a shotgun is overheard as pellets slammed into the creature’s face. The attack distracts the beast enough for Crumble to avoid the monster’s attack.
The beast turned towards the doorway to see Cookie holding a shotgun.
“Why don’t you start with me?!” Cookie shouted, aiming the gun straight at the creature. She unleashed another blast from the gun, assaulting the creature’s body.
The beast simply growled as it took one step forward towards Cookie.
Another burst of pellets emerged from the shotgun as Cookie fired her weapon once again.
The beast’s lungs gave a mighty bellow as it darted for Cookie.
“Oh, shit!” Cookie scampered as she limped down the hallway as fast as she could.
The beast followed her out into the hallway, a fierce roar coming from his lungs.
Crumble scurried to his feet and quickly his way to the still unconscious Fluttershy. He put his hooves on her shoulders and started to jerk her.
“Fluttershy, you’ve got to wake up!” Crumble panicked. “You’ve got to wake up! Cookie’s in trouble! Fluttershy!”
When Fluttershy’s eyes finally opened, instead of the bright blue they were expected to be, they were a dark shade of green.
Cookie darted down the hallway as fast as her legs could get her. She could feel the beast catching up to her quickly, even though she had gotten a brief head start.
Just then, two soldiers appeared in front of her. One of them held out their hoof and attempted to stop her.
“Hold it right there!”
Cookie shoved her way past them. “Out of my way!” She kept running down the hall, hearing a threatening roar behind her.
She turned her head behind her to see the large scaly creature coming down the hall at an incredible speed.
One of the soldiers hastily pressed the switch to his right.
“Lockdown sequence: Initiated,” a computerized mare voice spoke over the intercom. A giant metallic door started to close in front of the soldiers, barring the creature’s path.
A loud metallic thud is heard, as if the creature had struck the door.
Cookie continued to dart down the hall. “If that thing is anything like Flyshy, there’s no way that door’s going to stop it.”
The thud then turned into a metallic screech as the beast tore through the barrier with its hooves. She heard gunfire coming from behind, most likely targeting the beast.
Cookie knew that a few bullets wouldn’t stop it and it was going to keep coming. A second later, she heard the soldiers cry out in agony. She didn’t turn around to see what had happened and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. She started to pick up her pace.
Her leg started to tingle with pain. She ignored it as best she could, considering a giant monster was on her trail. However, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she wore herself out.
As she headed down the hall, a metallic door began to lower in front of her.
“Damn it!” she shouted in her head as she attempted to move even faster. She knew it would be cutting it close. She dove forward and slid under the doorway just before it closed.
She looked forward and saw that a second door, several yards away was also closing. It was very far from her position and she doubt she would make it past it before it closed. Still, she had to try. She picked herself up and ran towards her only way out as the door slowly descended.
She pushed herself even harder, but it was too late. The door had sealed itself shut tightly, only a moment before Cookie could reach it.
“Tartarus!”
Cookie frantically scanned her surroundings to find another route, but there was none. A ventilation shaft to her right, but she was way too big to fit in it.
A large banging sound resonated all around her as something huge pummeled into the door behind her, a large dent forming where the beast had hit.
She aimed her weapon straight for the doorway.
“If I’m dying here, I’m going out swinging!”
She steadied herself as the creature’s hooves started to rip through the doorway. A hole was formed as it tore through the metallic barricade, revealing the creature’s face.
Cookie cocked her weapon and opened fire once more. The pellets slammed against the metallic door and the creature’s face, but it did little to stop the it.
“Looks like your luck’s run out!”
Just as the creature started to push through the doorway, a loud thunderous roar was heard coming from behind it. Cookie recognized it instantly.
Guam turned his head towards the giant green Pegasus that stood down the hall, glaring straight at him. He grinned as their eyes met, hatred filling them.
“Finally,” Guam stated. He lost interest in the mare with the shotgun and focused on his true opponent. He started a steady march towards her.
Fluttershy started the same determined march, which is exactly what Guam wanted. He wanted this rematch with Fluttershy and this time, there was no holding back. He was going to give Fluttershy everything he had and he was going to win.
His exhilaration turned his march into a raging charge. Fluttershy followed his example and charged straight for her opponent.
Guam lowered his head as he moved and used his powerful legs to send him at an amazing speed towards Fluttershy. Using his head as a battering ram, he slammed into her, destroying her momentum and sending her soaring backwards.
Guam gave a cruel chuckle as Fluttershy skid across the floor. Guam could tell she wasn’t expecting an attack like that. It caught her off guard and stunned her, if only for a few moments. Guam took that opportunity to close in to her side.
He grabbed Fluttershy’s mane and lifted her off the ground. Using all of his might, he then threw Fluttershy into the sidewall. It crumbled as her massive body plowed straight through it.
Guam followed her through the hole that was formed and found Fluttershy struggling to her feet.
She growled as she turned her head towards him. Guam leaped toward her, his hooves ready to pounce. Fluttershy quickly rose to her feet and stepped out of her opponent’s path.
Taking advantage of Guam’s mistake, Fluttershy delivered a powerful blow the Guam’s jaw.
Guam retaliated with a swift blow of his own.
As Fluttershy recovered, she put her two front hooves together and slammed them against Guam’s body.
Guam was sent to the ground by the shock of the blow. Before he could rise to his feet, Fluttershy landed on top of him, causing the foundation to collapse below them, sending them both deeper into the prison.
As they fell, Guam gripped one of Fluttershy’s wings and smashed his hoof into her chest. Fluttershy cried out in pain as the both hit the ground.
Fluttershy struggled to her feet as Guam easily rose to his. Once Fluttershy was on her feet, Guam tackled Fluttershy hard sending them both into another room of the facility.
When they landed, Guam raised his front hooves over Fluttershy, readying his next attack. However, as he brought them down, Fluttershy quickly rolled out of the way and back onto her feet.
She bucked her opponent’s body with her hind legs, sending him to the ground.
As Guam attempted to rise to his feet, Fluttershy stood over him. She unleashed a barrage of blows against Guam. One after another faster and faster, Fluttershy’s onslaught followed with her cries of rage. Her green hooves continued to pummel her opponent.
However, Guam was able to finally block one of her attacks, catching her hoof in his. Fluttershy, using her other hoof, attempted another attack, but Guam caught this one too. Guam finally took the opportunity to counterattack by banged his forehead against Fluttershy’s.
This blow caused Fluttershy to stumble backwards, spinning her around.
“Not so tough when the odds are even, are you?”
Guam grabbed Fluttershy’s tail and pulled as hard as he could, sending her to the ground. He then spun her around gathering momentum and tossed her into the ceiling above him. She smashed through the ground above him. As she started to fall back to the floor, Guam used his powerful legs to leaped up as high as he could. He rammed into Fluttershy’s body and continued his ascension through the facility.
Guam forced Fluttershy into the main hall through the ground. As they plowed into a large elevator platform, causing it to be ripped from its foundation, Guam grabbed Fluttershy’s wings. He then tossed her into the generator several yards away.
The lights flickered and the generator sparked as Fluttershy uncontrollably crashed into it.
Military ponies and scientists started to scatter and panic as the two beast declared war on each other. Guam smiled. It felt good to wield such power. Power enough to kill Fluttershy.
Fluttershy slowly rose to her feet and gave a powerful screech at her opponent.
Guam stood up on his hind legs and growled at her. “Come on, Flutterbitch! Is that all you’ve got?!”
Fluttershy darted for Guam at full speed. She moved so quickly, Guam wasn’t able to react before Fluttershy tackled him. She started to push him towards the back wall.
Guam wrapped his hooves around Fluttershy’s body. He lifted Fluttershy into the air with her head pointed to the ground. He then tossed her as hard against the ground below him, causing the ground to crack underneath them.
Fluttershy repositioned herself so that her chest was pointed at the ground. Before she could make another move, however, Guam’s front hoof slammed into her jaw, causing her to soar backwards.
Fluttershy stumbled to her feet. She was breathing heavily. She raised her head to see her opponent still grinning with excitement. To her right, she noticed the elevator platform that had broken off from their battle. She wrapped her hooves around the metallic railing and started to spin her body.
She then released the platform towards Guam, hurling it like a discus.
The platform slammed into Guam’s body, sending him into the back wall. The wall started to crumble as his massive body smashed into it. Pieces of the wall fell on top of him, burying him within it.
Guam clawed his way out and stared down Fluttershy, snarling as he grinned his teeth.
Fluttershy leaped into the air and straight towards Guam. Guam quickly followed her and leaped to intercept her. The two goliaths rammed into each other with massive force, sending them both to the ground. They smashed into a generator below them causing it to explode.
Fire and smoke consumed the two figures. Until a second later, Guam rushed out of the smokescreen, his front hoof dragging Fluttershy across the ground. He unleashed a mighty roar as the ground became uprooted as Fluttershy’s head was forced through the concrete.
Guam then tossed Fluttershy into the air, directly in front of him and slammed his hoof into her chest with all his might.
The force caused Fluttershy to be hurled into the far wall, causing a large series of cracks as her body collided with it. She then tumbled uncontrollably to the floor.
As she struggled to rise to her feet, she looked up to see Guam coming straight for her with incredible thrust. Before she could make a move or get out of the way, Guam slammed into her body, causing them both to be hurled through the wall.
A bright light assaulted Guam’s eyes as they passed through the wall. As they hit the hard desert floor, he understood why. They had finally reached outside.
Guam gave a cruel grin as Fluttershy tumbled to the ground. She was whimpering, her large green body attempting to stand up. Before she could find her footing, Guam slammed his front hoof into the back of Fluttershy’s head, sending her face into the desert sand.
Fluttershy’s body was still and motionless as the sand blew all around her from the force of the blow.
Guam gave a victorious cry as he stood triumphantly over his opponent. His roar echoed throughout the area, repeating his victory.
He scanned towards the horizon. He remembered a dam that was nearby, not too far from the city. He gave a malicious smile.
"Now it’s the general’s turn.”
Using his powerful legs, he lifted himself into the air, straight for the dam.
Crumble made his way through the ruins of the base. The story that was told through the damage was one of anger and pain.
Walls were torn to shreds, doors were ripped out of their hinges, the floors were full of cracks, and some had even collapsed to the floor beneath it. Lights flashed on and off uncontrollably.
Crumble only imagined what kind of battle the two beasts were having. It was only moments ago that Crumble had awoken Fluttershy from her drug induced sleep. Only moments ago had she transformed into her other half in an attempt to defeat the newest monster in their lives.
As he traveled throughout the base, the bodies of ponies lied everywhere. Many of them were injured, some of them severely, others were less fortunate. Medical officers were scampering around, passing him and trying to save whom they could. He heard the panicking voices of the doctors, shouting out medical terminology. He could understand it if he was paying attention, but his thoughts weren’t on the ponies around him. His only thought was on Fluttershy.
Crumble could hear the rumbling of the two goliaths as they waged their unstoppable war. The cries of rage the beasts unleashed and the power of their attacks vibrated throughout the entire facility, shaking it like an earthquake. Crumble only imagined what kind of trauma Fluttershy had to endure battling another creature like herself.
Fluttershy, please be okay.
Crumble finally made his way to the top floor of the base. He looked beyond the staircase and saw the ruins of a great battle. Straight ahead, he saw a wall that had been completely torn open to reveal the desert outside.
He made his way to the opening to see the two behemoths. However, Fluttershy was on the ground, motionless, while the other beast was standing proudly over her, as if to declare his dominance.
Crumble’s heart sank into his stomach. If that thing was powerful enough to defeat Fluttershy, what hope did they have? The thought was so distressing, it almost caused him to fall to his knees.
The beast’s lungs then unleashed a powerful cry to the heavens. The sound resonated through the air around them. The creature then looked to the distance and started to dart forward. A second later, it used its powerful legs to lunge into the air, disappearing into the distance.
Crumble made his way to Fluttershy’s side. She wasn’t moving and he couldn’t tell if she was breathing.
Fluttershy, please don’t be dead.
He placed his hoof on her giant head, gently stroking it. All hope he had was slowly drifting away.
Fluttershy, you can’t be dead! You just can’t be! I... I won’t accept it!
Tears started to muster in his eyes as he continued to wait for a sign. Any sign would do. Anything that would tell him that Fluttershy was alive.
Without warning, her eyes slowly started to open and she gave a deep sigh. Crumble smiled as a single tear started to flow down his face.
Fluttershy, thank Celestia you’re alright.
He wiped the tear away with his hoof.
Fluttershy gave a low moan as she moved, attempting to rise to her feet. Her movements were slow and unsteady. She had clearly been in a great battle. One that had taken all of her strength with nothing to show for it but a battered body.
Crumble then heard the shouting of disorganized ponies behind him. He turned around to see a small group of soldiers pointing their weapons at Fluttershy. And standing above them all was General Thunderbolt.
“Step away from her, boy!” the general shouted.
Crumble stood his ground as his eyes met with the general’s. “Fluttershy wasn’t the one who attacked this base, old man! And you know it!”
Fluttershy started to rise to her feet, but then stumbled back to the ground. She moaned in pain as she struggled to move.
“She’s dangerous!”
Crumble grit his teeth. “What about the other one?! Is that one not dangerous?!”
The general was silent at his retort, as if he was unsure what to say.
“Damn it, it tried to kill you! It tried to kill me! How many ponies has that thing killed?! How many ponies is that thing going to kill?!”
The general lowered his head for moment but then raised his head again, facing his son.
“It leapt off in that direction!” Crumble pointed his hoof off to where the creature was seen fleeing.
He noticed the general’s eyes widening a bit, but he quickly collected his composure. Crumble couldn’t help but think about what the beast had said to the general. That thing was going to kill and then lay the bodies at the general’s hooves.
“What was that thing?!” Crumble asked.
The general turned around and started to march back to the facility. “Guam... Pull in soldiers.”
The soldiers turned their heads towards the general, their guns still focused on their target.
“Sir?” one of them asked.
“We’ve got more immediate problems right now!” Thunderbolt ordered as he turned to face them. “I want you to gather every able body and every available weapon to head straight for the Molhoofend Dam.” His soldiers followed his lead and headed straight for base, leaving the general in the desert. “We need to order an evacuation for everypony in Las Pegasus.”
Crumble’s eyebrows rose.
Las Pegasus was a huge city, filled with ponies of all sizes. Sure, there were a lot of Pegasi in the city, but for every citizen that could fly, there was a least six or seven that couldn’t. Even then, less than half of the population of Pegasi were either children or the elderly. Some couldn’t possibly get away on their own. Only a portion of the population would be safe. And even with an evacuation order, Guam had a head start and if he was large enough to take down Fluttershy, he could tear that dam apart without breaking a sweat.
“How?” Crumble asked. “We can’t evacuate the entire city!”
“You would have me do nothing?!” Thunderbolt retorted.
Crumble took a step towards his father. “By the time you get your ponies organized, that city could be underwater!”
“And what do you want me to do?!”
Crumble was hesitant for a moment. What more could the general do? There was no weapon, no power, and no force in all of Equestria, in all the world, that could stop Guam’s unstoppable rampage. None that could stop him in time.
But his hesitation disappeared with the thought of one being. One pony that could face him.
He turned his head to Fluttershy, who had just barely risen to her feet.
“Fluttershy!” he called.
Fluttershy turned her head towards Crumble. She was breathing heavily and looked as if she was worn out.
“Fluttershy, listen to me,” Crumble started. “You have to go after him.”
Fluttershy gave a deep sigh and raised her eyebrow towards him, tilting her head.
Crumble pointed his hoof to the horizon, towards the dam. “Fluttershy, if he gets to that dam, those ponies... in the city... they’ll die.” He took a step forward towards her, his eyes begging her to take this task.
Fluttershy lowered her gazed to the ground. It was as if she knew she couldn’t defeat her opponent. As if she knew she wasn’t going to win.
“Fluttershy, you have to stop him. You’re the only one who can.”
Fluttershy raised her head towards the horizon Crumble pointed towards. She took several steps forward, releasing heavy sighs as she moved. She then bent her knees and sprung into the air with a mighty leap, a cloud of dust erupting at the force of her bound. Within moments, she had disappeared into the desert.
“What are you doing?!” Crumble heard his father call out to him.
Crumble turned his head, glaring at the general. “For once in my life, cleaning up your mess.”
The Molhoofend dam was built before Guam was even born, but he knew its history. It was built as a testament of the new world that was arising. A world where magic was slowly fading, being replaced by technology.
However, his mind wasn’t on the history of the dam, magic or any of that. His mind was only on Thunderbolt. The pony who lied to him. Who tricked him into taking a serum that was going to cripple him. His thoughts were only on taking his revenge against the general.
He knew that taking the general’s life would be too easy and not very satisfying. He wanted to see the general’s name go down in flames. To see the world blame him for the atrocities HE committed.
As he approached the dam, he began to see shapes of ponies, most likely workers, around it. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike all looked up to the sky as he descended onto the platform.
His body crashed into the platform with a thunderous thud, the entire stage rumbling by such tremendous force. A smoke cloud burst from the ground, concealing Guam’s presence. Several screams of terror were heard coming from the ponies around him. This made him grin. He enjoyed hearing the terror in their voices.
A single pony braved the irrefutable terror that was in his heart. He slowly approached the crater, daring to see what had fallen from the heavens.
Guam reached his hoof towards the single pony and grabbed him by his face. The pony unleashed a scream, but it was muffled by Guam’s enormous hoof. Screams of terror filled the air all around them as the single pony was pulled into the creator. Smoke engulfed the mysterious hoof and its helpless victim. The screaming was so overpowering, Guam couldn’t even hear the cracking of the pony’s neck as he twisted the victim’s head between his hooves.
Guam rose to his feet and gave a mighty bellow.
The smoke began to clear to reveal Guam’s large monstrous figure. The ponies around him started to panic and scattered away from him.
Guam started to chuckle as they fled for their lives.
“Not gonna matter,” he thought to himself. “Most of them are going to be underwater in a minute.”
Guam directed his eyes towards a large truck to his right. It was packed with all sorts of construction beams and equipment. It was probably over 30 tons of weight. Which was nothing to Guam now.
He made his way to the vehicle’s front and wrapped its hooves around the front of the truck. The metal sides of the truck started to crunch towards each other as he tightly grabbed hold of it. He started to lift it was all his might. He then spun his body quickly and tossed the truck towards the great wall before him.
The metallic beams slid from their containment and fell to the ground below as the truck soared wildly to the dam was it was destined for. Ponies dove out of the way as the heavy beams that slammed into the ground below.
The vehicle slammed into the wall causing a fiery explosion. The remains of the truck smashed into the ground below. The wall of the dam had a large crack in it and it was growing.
Guam looked down the gorge and noticed that the mountains split in the direction of the town. The canyon walls stood high above him and that would prevent any of the water from escaping down another path. The water would pour, non-stop, to the city below them. Those ponies would drown and it would be all Thunderbolt’s fault.
Guam smiled at convenience. It was if the heavens themselves wanted him to succeed. He leaped to the side of the wall, digging his hooves in the foundation for support and slammed one of his hooves right into the wall, causing a huge rumble that shook the entire dam.
Guam gave a cruel chuckle as the walls began to crack even further. A pillar collapsed and fell to the base of the dam, breaking into several pieces as it collided with the ground.
“A little more of this and it’s bye-bye Las Pegasus!”
Just as Guam prepared his next assault against the dam, a loud, thunderous roar echoed throughout the canyon. Guam turned his gaze towards the distance to see a large being with giant wings heading straight for him. The creature, despite its large wings, was leaping towards him, as if it couldn’t fly.
Guam knew whom it was, even with the distance making her indistinguishable. He knew only one pony that could cover as much distance as he had in the short amount of time. Fluttershy.
A moment later, Fluttershy landed on the base platform of the dam. After the smoke cleared, she unleashed a powerful and threatening cry against her opponent as she stared him down.
Guam leaped down from his position on the wall, slamming into the stand below him. He gazed fiercely at his polar opposite, a cruel smile growing on his face.
“Looking for a rematch?” Guam taunted as he slowly approached Fluttershy, whose only response was a threatening growl.
“Alright then. Let’s go!” Using his mighty legs, Guam burst straight for the only pony that might stop him. But he knew in the back of his mind, Fluttershy would only die.
There was no time to move, no time to attack, no time for anything. Fluttershy was powerless to stop Guam’s body from smashing into her’s, sending them both into the river. A huge tower of water was created as the titanic bodies plunged beneath it.
Deeper and deeper they sank. Guam unleashed a powerful blow to Fluttershy’s jaw, sending her down to the bottom of the river. Despite the water slowing her descent, though not by much, the crash caused a large crater where solid land once was. Dust covered Fluttershy’s eyes, but she knew where her opponent was. She knew where to find her target.
With her powerful legs, she forced herself off the floor of the river and flew up towards Guam. She braced herself as she rammed into the beast sending them both upwards. Though the water, they flew.
Eventually, they burst from the waterway. Cries of rage and anger filled his lungs as Guam was tossed back onto the platform by Fluttershy’s attack.
Fluttershy followed shortly after, landing firmly on the ground. She growled as she stared at her opponent, who was slow to move. Fluttershy took the opportunity to begin a charging tackle against her opponent. Speed built as she aimed for her helpless target.
However, just before Fluttershy could reach him, Guam turned around quickly with his hoof connecting with Fluttershy jaw, breaking her momentum and throwing her off course. Guam had faked his weakness and Fluttershy fell for his trap too easily.
The force of the assault sent Fluttershy skidding across the floor, her body digging up the ground beneath her. Fluttershy slowly rose to her feet and looked to the sky. Guam was coming down for her.
Fluttershy quickly moved out of Guam’s path, causing the giant to slam into the concrete instead. Fluttershy raised her front hoof and smashed it into her opponent’s jaw. Guam growled in pain as her hoof made contact, but he was still undeterred.
Instead, Guam counterattacked with a blow of his own, sending Fluttershy to the ground. The ground beneath them shook violently as she was pounded into the pavement.
Fluttershy growled in anger as she quickly placed her two front hooves together, swinging them wildly at Guam. The blow caused Gaum to stumble, if only for a few moments. But those moments might have been an eternity to Fluttershy, for in those moments, she unleashed the power in her legs to tackle her opponent to the ground.
As she stood over him, she let loose a flurry of blows to her opponent’s body. Hoof after hoof flew at Guam with incredible speed and force. Fluttershy grunted with each attack she threw, the land around them slowly sinking with each blow.
Finally, Guam caught one of Fluttershy’s hooves, stopping her attack. She attacked with her other hoof, but it was also stopped by Guam. Guam leaned his head back and thrust forward with tremendous force right into Fluttershy’s skull.
Fluttershy stumbled backwards, crying out in pain. Her vision started to blur a little and it was only for a moment, but that moment was all Guam needed to rise to his feet.
Guam gave a cruel smirk at Fluttershy, almost as if he was expecting more from her.
Fluttershy growled in anger and threw another blow at the seemingly unstoppable Guam before her.
However, Guam was quickly to react and stopped her attack by grabbing her hoof with his own.
Guam then took advantage of Fluttershy’s delayed reflexes and delivered a powerful blow to her gut with his free front hoof. Fluttershy cried out in agony as blood shot from her mouth by the sheer force of the blow. As she refocused her gaze on her opponent’s face, Guam’s hoof came straight for her.
The blow sent Fluttershy straight threw a gasoline truck, which ignited in a fiery explosion as she passed through it. She flew until she slammed into the wall of the dam. The wall shook violently as her massive body collided with the great structure. Cracks formed where she had hit. She toppled to the floor below with a thud.
She struggled to her feet. Her body ached. Her breathing became more rapid and her nose was gushing blood. She growled as she once again focused her gaze on Guam. The beast was coming straight for her in a mad rampage.
Fluttershy looked to her left to see a gasoline truck, only a few feet from her. She wrapped her hooves around the front of it and started to slowly lift it. At the moment Guam came within striking range, Fluttershy swung the gasoline truck like a baseball bat, slamming into Guam’s body.
The gas tank ignited as it collided with Guam, causing a burst of flames. Guam was sent soaring to the ground, sliding across the foundation.
Fluttershy took the opportunity to strike at her stunned opponent by initiating a relentless charge. Using her powerful legs right before the last second, she hurled herself towards Guam dragging him to the ground.
As the two collided with the ground, Guam quickly grabbed hold of Fluttershy’s hooves. His movements were so fast Fluttershy didn’t have time to react. He then tossed her behind him, straight on her back. She moaned in pain as she crashed into the foundation.
Fluttershy slowly rolled back to her belly and started to rise back to her feet. It was a slow and uneasy motion. She started to wobble as she moved. She raised her head to see Guam, readying his approach.
Fluttershy quickly stood on her hind legs and gave a mighty bellow. At the same time, she spread her mighty wings out as far as she could. Guam, as if sensing Fluttershy’s next move, began an uncontrollable rush towards her.
In that instant, Fluttershy began to flap her wings with vigorous force. The gusts of wind that came from them were like the mightiest hurricane blowing straight at Guamadillius. Again and again, her wings would unleash wave after wave of powerful bursts of air. The tempest unleashed from Fluttershy slowed and eventually stopped Guam’s advancement.
Trucks and other pieces of equipment were forced against the back wall of the dam by the gale force winds. Items that were bolted down slowly began to rise from its foundation. The storm shook the entire dam with a thunderous rumble.
Guam pushed with all his might against the windstorm, but he could advance no further than a single step. He growled, as it seemed that Fluttershy had finally stopped his attack. Fluttershy continued the assault, her indomitable stamina keeping her body from wearing out from overexertion.
However, Guam was still more powerful than she was and he still wasn’t beaten. Far from it. Guam dug his hoof into the pavement below him and started to lift with all his might. Cracks in the foundation trailed far down across the floor as he continued to lift. A large land mass was forming as Guam continued to rip through the earth. And with one mighty cry, he pushed the land mass forward, its path headed towards Fluttershy.
Before Fluttershy could move or react, the piece of pavement crashed on top of her, burying her under its weight. The world around her darkened by the rumble that formed as the earth collided with her body.
She started to hear hoof steps approaching her. The crunching of stone echoed through her prison as the steps came closer and closer. Fluttershy felt the weight of her prison shift towards her as the stride ended. Guam was on top of her.
With all her might and with very little warning to her opponent, she propelled herself forward and out of the rubble. The force was so great and quick, that Guam was unable to react. Instead, he tumbled backwards.
Fluttershy took the opportunity to attack her opponent while he was dazed. She quickly grabbed, in each hoof, two boulders, formerly part of the foundation, and tossed them one after the other. The stones split apart as soon as they made contact with Guam’s body, but they did cause him to stagger, if only for a moment.
Fluttershy rallied all the strength in her legs to give Guam a devastating tackle just as he rose to his hind legs. However, before Fluttershy could drag her opponent to the ground, Guam lifted his front legs and slammed them into Fluttershy’s back. This caused Fluttershy to surrender her grip and collapse to the pavement. Guam, however, was only shoved back a few feet.
Fluttershy struggled to her feet. The moment she tried to rise to her feet, she collapsed again. Her breathing began to slow down. Her movements became slower. She started to slowly rise to her knees when a dark shadow stood over her. She continued to stare at the ground as the foreboding omen overshadowed her. She raised her head and her eyes met with Guam.
Guam’s front legs were raised, as if ready to squash her. Sure enough, Guam’s unleashed his attack and his front legs came straight for Fluttershy.
Fluttershy reacted quickly and managed to catch Guam’s attack, but she was struggling to stay upright.
She fought with all her might to divert Guam’s attack, but it was in vain. It was all she could do just to keep his hooves from reaching her body, but she knew eventually she would give out. Guam was pressing with so much force Fluttershy couldn’t hold out forever.
The ground started to crack and sink beneath her as Guam continued to push against her.
Guam delivered a violent growl. “You think you can save them?! You can’t save any pony! You’re too weak!”
Fluttershy began to think about the ponies in the city below her. The stallions, the mares, the colts, the fillies. Images of thousands of ponies and their smiling faces. She knew almost none of them. She did recognize a few. Monsieur Pabul, the griffin that took her in and became a surrogate father to her. Blackberry, her best friend at the circus. She saw Bertha and Tommy the elephants. She even saw Alex the Lion. But two, above all others, stood out.
A brown mare with a red mane. She didn’t smile much, but she still felt gentleness from her. She was strong, but also kind. She was tough, but also considerate, even if she didn’t always show it. She was the friend who would stand up for her when she couldn’t do it herself.
And then, there was the light green stallion. His smile was like a lighthouse guiding her out of her despair and sorrow. Every time she saw his face, heard his voice, felt his skin, she felt alive. A feeling she hadn’t felt since her parents were alive. She felt... loved.
But in an instant, all of it was wiped away. The ponies screamed in terror as a sea of blood roared from behind them, engulfing the strangers. Cookie and Crumble attempted to outrun it, but it eventually swallowed them too. With their last breath of air, they called out her name.
Her mind raced at the thought of losing the only two ponies she had left. Her mind filled with thoughts of sorrow. And finally rage.
“Flutterhulk not weak,” she uttered in a whisper, silently promising herself she would save them.
“Flutterhulk strong,” she growled louder than before, gathering every ounce of strength she had. Every second she thought about her dearest friends drowning in a sea of blood, it increased her rage.
“FLUTTERHULK IS STRONGEST THERE IS!”
Flutterhulk pushed with all her might against Guam. She growled in anger as her might slowly caused her to rise to her feet. Her body shook as she pushed with all her strength against Guam’s might. Despite the weariness, despite everything that had happened, despite the amount of power Guam was forcing on her, she continued to rise. Her hind hooves had finally found their grip on the earth.
She felt Guam push even harder, but that only made her made her angrier. And the madder she became, the stronger she became. Guam was forced to take a step back at Flutterhulk’s sudden increase of power. Finally, Flutterhulk was standing upright, her eyes peering straight into Guam’s.
She tilted her head back and slammed it into Guam’s skull, causing him to stumble backwards.
Flutterhulk heard her opponent growl in rage as he turned his head, but it was quickly silence by her hoof driving itself into Guam’s jaw.
The force of the blow sent Guam soaring back several yards. He smashed into the pavement, uncontrollably, sending up a thick cloud of dust.
Guam slowly rose to his feet and stared down Flutterhulk. His lungs produced a thunderous cry as he headed straight for her like a train rushing for its destination.
Flutterhulk began a charge of her own, running at full speed. As the two collided, Guam forced Flutterhulk backwards several feet. She skidded across the pavement on her back. Guam quickly took advantage of her position and with great haste, made his way on top of her.
Standing over her, he swung his hooves in a wild frenzy, slamming his hooves into her face.
Flutterhulk, after the third blow, quickly caught Guam’s attack and delivered a massive blow of her own.
Guam tumbled backwards but was quick to rise to his feet. By the time he had, Flutterhulk was also on her feet. She unleashed a powerful roar as her hoof impacted Guam’s face with thunderous force.
Guam retaliated quickly with another blow, but Flutterhulk was still standing strong. Still going. Flutterhulk unleashed another blow to Guam’s body. And then another. And then another. Hoof followed hoof in sync with her growls and grunts.
Guam was unable to stop the onslaught of blows coming towards him. He attempted to raise his hooves to block Flutterhulk’s attacks, but his movements were far too slow and getting slower. His body burned in pain as his chest, his hooves and his face were all pummeled by Flutterhulk’s massive hooves.
Flutterhulk placed her two front hooves together and smashed them against Guam with a fierce uppercut.
Guam was sent into the air and came crashing down. Guam started to move. He was attempting to stand, but as soon as he put his front hoof down, he tumbled back to the ground.
Flutterhulk unleashed a mighty roar as she gazed toward her opponent. He was struggling to even stand. He moaned in pain as his body moved in slow and exhausted motions.
“You... think you’ve... won?” Guam asked. His voice was shaky. It was as unbalanced as his stance. He put his front hoof on the ground, starting to rise up. One after another, his hooves were placed firmly on the ground.
“You ... haven’t won... anything,” Guam continued, his voice still breaking off into heaves of pain and exhaustion.
“Nopony beats Guamadillius.” Guam then smashed his hind leg into the back wall of the dam. A large crack formed around his leg as it embedded itself into the deep wall. Thunderous crackling and rumbling echoes all around them. Flutterhulk growled at her opponent, as if she knew exactly what he was going to do.
“Nopony!” Guam then freed his leg from the dam, causing the only remaining support to crumbled behind him. As the wall began to fail, water burst from the various damages from the battle. A moment later, the entire wall burst with a river of water consuming Guamadillus.
Flutterhulk used her powerful legs to leap off the platform and onto the chasm walls above her, before the water engulfed her.
Flutterhulk looked down towards the ravine. Millions of gallons of water poured out from the dam and started to rush down towards the city. It seemed like all she had done had been for nothing, but she wouldn’t give up.
Flutterhulk leaped across the top of the canyon, rushing herself to keep in front of the river.
In a matter of moments, Flutterhulk was finally able to get in front of the rushing torrent, but she knew it wouldn’t be for long.
As she placed herself firmly on the cliff, she raised her hooves and gave a powerful cry of rage. She then smashed her hooves against the ground, causing the entire side of the cliff to crack and crumble to the gorge below.
“Greetings, everypony. I’m Jack Maregee. Last night, disaster struck the city of Las Pegasus. Two titanic forces collided in a midtown brawl. The mysterious hulk as well as another creature waged their own personal war in downtown Las Pegasus. The creatures caused millions of bits in damage, leaving hundreds without power and shelter. As many as two-dozen were injured and at least six ponies, including three police officers are dead.”
“And earlier this morning, the same hulking creature battled a different creature at the Molhoofend Dam. Their battle caused the dam to rupture. At least seven ponies are unaccounted for.”
“The failure of the dam caused millions of gallons of water to be poured towards the city. Fortunately, by some Celestian miracle, a tremor caused one of the canyon walls to collapse and create a barrier, stopping the flow of water before it could reach the citizens of Las Pegasus.”
“However, the question still remains. What are these creatures and where do they come from? It was bad enough Equestria had to deal with one of these beasts, now there are three of them that are out there right now. And while sources do tell this reporter that one of them, which was once a respected scientist and teacher at Las Pegasus State College, Steel Smolder, was brought into custody, that still leaves us with two that are unaccounted for.”
“Fillies and gentlecolts, how are the citizens of Equestria supposed to feel safe when there are two of these monsters roaming our country?”
Shining ‘Fury’ Armor flipped the off switch on the television set, silencing Maregee.
“How indeed, general?” he asked the pony sitting directly across from him.
Thunderbolt had sat silently through the broadcast. Out of all the reporters in all of Equestria, Maregee was one reporter he couldn’t stand. Heck, a lot of ponies couldn’t stand him. And yet, he was still the one of the most watched newscasters around. How he managed that, Thunderbolt still hadn’t figured out.
Thunderbolt’s eyes returned to the single eye of the unicorn across from him.
Armor leaned back in his chair. “Do you want to explain what in Tartarus you think you were doing?”
“I was doing what was necessary to protect this country,” Thunderbolt replied.
Armor leaned forward in his chair. “And in doing so, you not only created two beasts just like Fluttershy, but you let one of them escape. Now there are two of those beasts out in the world, one of which has no trouble taking lives.”
Thunderbolt gritted his teeth. “I’ve made my mistakes. But everything I’ve done, I’ve done for the good of this country.”
“Let the record show that we had Fluttershy in custody. And we-.”
“And you let her slip away, like always,” Shining Armor interrupted.
Thunderbolt glared at his opposite. It was bad enough having to listen to him; it was worse knowing that he was right. He had Fluttershy. He had her in the center of his hoof. And he let her get away again.
Shining Armor leaned back. “This task is no longer your concern, general.”
Thunderbolt’s eyes shot straight open. He then stood up quickly and faced down Shining Armor.
“How dare you?! I’ve been chasing her since she was a filly!” His eyes narrowed as he stared at Armor.
“And have achieved not even the slimmest of results.”
“This is my mission!”
Shining Armor stood up, matching the general’s gaze. “Not anymore it isn’t. N.E.I.G.H.S will be handling this project from now on.”
Thunderbolt wanted to argue. Every fiber of his being said to let Armor know that he wasn’t going to step away from this. That he wasn’t going to leave this room knowing that a little filly had gotten the better of him. But he knew, for all his efforts, for all his anger, it was futile.
N.E.I.G.H.S would be handed all the information concerning Fluttershy and he would be handed some trivial job. Assuming, of course, he still had a job when this was all over.
“You’re dismissed, general,” the director finally said as he sat down in his seat.
Thunderbolt turned around and started for the door, his head pointed towards the ground. His thoughts wandered to that day. It was only a little while ago, but it seemed years ago. The day he had finally captured Fluttershy. The day he had gotten the better of her.
Then it hit him.
“Her blood! We still have a sample of her blood! If the director knew about that, I’d be back on top!”
“Director,” Thunderbolt said as he turned to face the one-eyed unicorn.
Armor shot him a gaze of discontent. It was clear that he didn’t care much of what the general was going to say.
The general opened his mouth to speak, but then hesitated.
“Wait a minute. If N.E.I.G.H.S found out about our blood sample, they’d take it away from me. I’d have lost the only thing I have on Fluttershy. Armor may have taken this project from me, but I’m still capable of making weapons for the future of Equestria.”
“Nothing,” the general finally replied. He then continued out the doorway, passing a purple unicorn on his way out.
“You wanted to see me, big brother,” Twilight Sparkle greeted the white stallion as she entered the room. Her brother, Shining Armor had called her for a special task. It wasn’t uncommon since she was N.E.I.G.H.S’ top agent.
Director Armor met her eyes and greeted her with a smile. “Yes, Twili. Sit down.”
Twilight did as she was asked without hesitation. Armor had been sketchy with details of her next assignment. It wasn’t unusual, but it still would have been nice to have information. But that was the kind of unicorn Twilight was. She prided herself on her intellect, her cunning, and her resourcefulness. But that only came from years of training, research and studying.
“What am I here for this time?” Twilight asked. “Infiltrate some C.H.A.O.S base?”
C.H.A.O.S was a group of international terrorist that existed long before the days of the Alicorn War. Their membership stretched far and wide. Their activities had been silent for the past few decades, but every so often they would make a move. And it was always bad news.
It wasn’t uncommon for Twilight to work an undercover job. She was an expert in many things, especially espionage.
Shining Armor frowned a bit. “Not exactly.” He then levitated a folder towards Twilight with his magic. Twilight’s horn started to glow a light purple aura then engulfed the folder as well. She opened it up and immediately her eyes focused on a photograph of a yellow mare with a sweet smile.
She remembered the reports on this pony. Despite everything she had read, it was still hard to believe that this was the pony that caused so much trouble. Seeing the face in the photograph made it even more unbelievable.
“Fluttershy. She’s that thing, isn’t she?”
Shining Armor nodded. “I’ve got some ponies tracking her movements, but we don’t dare approach her without starting something.”
Twilight continued to scan the folder. She was a quick reader and was eager to learn everything she could about her target. Whatever her mission involved, she wanted to be ready for it.
“So, I befriend her and trick her into coming into custody?” Twilight guessed, as she finished her first scan of the profile and started her second.
“Nothing like that,” Shining Armor replied. “I need you to get her out of the country.”
Twilight, for once since laying eyes on the profile, diverted her eyes away from it and looked straight at her brother. “Why? Why not just take her in?”
Shining Armor leaned back in his chair. “Right now, she less dangerous in the open than in a cage. But I want to be able to keep track of her.”
Twilight nodded and resumed her second scan of the profile, still listening to her brother go over mission parameters with her.
“You’ll take her across the border where my men will take over from there.”
Twilight spoke, despite her still reading, “If you have ponies tracking her, why do you need me?”
Armor gave a chuckle. “Two reasons. One; Fluttershy’s not the most trusting pony and rightfully so. I need a pony that’s got a friendly face. It will help ease the tension off her. If tensions off her, everypony is safer.”
Twilight had just finished her second read through of the profile and was heavily considering doing a third when Shining Armor stopped speaking.
“And the second?” she asked.
Shining Armor gave a deep sigh, his smile evaporating from his face. “I need a pony I know can do what it takes if this mission takes a turn for the worst.”
Somehow, Twilight knew that he wasn’t talking about the beast. While it might have been implied, she was certain her brother was talking about the general. She knew his history well. He was once a famous four star general, until the beast came into his life. Now he was just a vindictive stallion holding a grudge against another pony.
“But you told the general to stay out of it, didn’t you?” Twilight asked. “You said this was N.E.I.G.H.S’ job, right? You think he won’t stay away?”
Armor scoffed. “If I know General Thunderbolt like I do, I’m absolutely certain that he’ll do the exact opposite of what I just told him to do.”
Twilight nodded. She then placed the folder neatly on the desk and stood up. “Don’t worry, big brother. I’ll take care of this.”
“I knew you would.”
Twilight gave a respectful nod and turned towards the door. “Twili,” Shining Armor called to her.
His voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned her head towards her director.
“Fluttershy doesn’t know that N.E.I.G.H.S is following her. I want it kept that way.”
The television blared in the hospital room with Jack Maregee’s latest news report. Cookie was forced to remain in her bed until her leg was fully recovered. Which meant listening to her least favorite newscaster.
“And what’s worse, fillies and gentlecolts, is that according to eyewitnesses, the hulk is shown to be an ordinary pony. You heard it right folks, the creature that has terrorized the entire country of Equestria is actually a normal looking pony. While this does explain why the creature has moved from place to place without detection, why are we only learning about this now?”
Cookie looked out the window. She started think about what Jack had just said. She thought back to the first time she met Fluttershy. If she hadn’t seen her transform in front of her all those years ago, she wouldn’t have believed it.
“Look around you. Think about the ponies in your lives. Anyone of them could be one of these hulks. These abominations. Anypony could be a dangerous criminal running from the law. And what’s even worse is that the government refuses to comment! How are we to identify the creatures that lurk in our country when our own government keeps secrets from us?! I’m Jack Maregee and I’ve-.”
Cookie finally picked up the remote to the TV and shut it down.
“Had enough of listening to that crap.”
She rested her head back on the pillow behind her. It had been a while since she had a nice place to rest. It was warm, the bed was a little lumpy for her tastes, but it was warm.
Just as she started to relax, she started to hear the door handle to her own turn. As the door opened, Crumble stepped through.
“Hey,” Crumble greeted.
“Sup,” Cookie replied.
Crumble made his way to her side and sat in the chair beside her. “How’s the leg?”
Cookie took a look towards her leg, which was suspended in the air. “Fine. Docs say I got lucky. Most ponies would have lost the leg by now.” Her thoughts wandered to Fluttershy, the pony who had tirelessly medicated her leg. Cookie smiled. “I told them I had a good nurse.”
Crumble smiled as well, but he lowered his head to the ground. It was no mystery why. Crumble missed her. Even though he wouldn’t say it.
“Any word on Flyshy?” Cookie asked.
Crumble shook his head. “No pony’s seen her. Not since the battle with that thing.”
Cookie nodded and took a look out the window. The sun shined brightly through the windows. It was a pleasant sight. She kept thinking about Fluttershy. She risked so much to help ponies that only saw her as a monster. Only to be repaid by taking the blame with nearly destroying Las Pegasus.
She took a look back at Crumble, who was still staring at the ground. “Don’t worry, we’ll find Flyshy.” Cookie stated.
Crumble took a look at Cookie and started to smile.
“After all, she owes me a bike.”
Crumble started to chuckle. It was only for a moment, but it was more than he had done the last couple of days.
“Should have told her though,” Cookie stated, looking straight at Crumble.
Crumble looked off into the distance. He picked himself up off the chair and made his way to the window.
“She knew how you felt about her,” Crumble declared.
Cookie simply shook her head. “I was talking about you.”
Crumble jerked his head towards Cookie, his eyes wide open, and his jaw dropped. He was in shock at what Cookie had said. He started to stammer for words but he sounded like he was babbling.
“Dude, chill. It wasn’t that hard to figure out,” Cookie said, trying to contain her laughter.
Crumble looked back out the window. He took a deep breath and sighed. “What if...” he hesitated, almost as if he was afraid to ask the question. Or maybe he was afraid to hear the answer.
“What if she doesn’t feel the same?” he finally asked.
Cookie just scoffed and shook her head. “Trust me, she does.”
Crumble gave a weak smile and turned his head back towards the window. Cookie did the same.
“We’ll find you, Flyshy. I promise.”
Somehow, Cookie knew that Crumble was making the same promise.
The road was a long and lonely one, but it was the road she always traveled. For a long time, this road had been her companion. It was her path. It was the safest path for everypony else. Even herself.
Fluttershy trotted a steady pace down the side of the highway. The gentle wind blew against her allowing her mane and tail to be caught in its calm breeze.
Traffic was also calm. A car here and there, but nopony else for miles around her. She would try to get the attention of a speeding car, hoping they would allow her to hitchhike, but most ponies didn’t even look at her. Not that she minded, she was use to being alone.
“4 days since the day she... since I fought that monster.”
But she wasn’t alone. Not really. Inside her dwelled a force of unparalleled power. The last time she unleashed it she saved an entire city from drowning. That day might as well have been an eternity ago. The days passed by so slowly.
She continued down the path, cars speeding passed her every minute or two. Again, she would hold out her hoof in a vain in attempt to get some pony’s attention. And again, she would be ignored.
Fluttershy trudged down the path, looking up at the miles to next city sign. Two cities posted on it did little to interest her. They were still within the borders of the country. She needed to leave the country. She needed to find a place she could settle down for a while, until the tensions blow over.
“236 miles to Marico,” Fluttershy moaned to herself. It was going to be a long walk, but she already knew that. She didn’t need to remind herself. But when she put a number to it, it almost seemed to be further away.
Regardless, she couldn’t stay here. She needed to keep moving. She continued to hike across highway. A car came straight down the highway, passing her.
Fluttershy once again held out her hoof and this time the car did signal to the right. The driver pulled the vehicle over to the side and parked it, waiting for Fluttershy.
Fluttershy quickly sprint over to the passenger’s side of the vehicle. When she looked inside, she saw a purple unicorn mare. She had a dark purple mane with streaks of lighter purple. On her rump was the mark of a pink star-like shape, with white stars around it. Her big purple eyes met with Fluttershy’s blue ones. The mare smiled.
“Hi there,” the unicorn greeted. “Where are you headed?”
Fluttershy started to stammer, but she eventually got her words together. “Well... I’m sort of heading for Marico.”
The unicorn nodded. “Marico, huh? Well, I’d be happy to drop you off just 30 miles out. I’m heading for a family reunion in Fayetteville.” The unicorn’s horn started to glow a bright pink as the door lock was released and the door was slowly opened.
Fluttershy grabbed hold of the door handle and made her way into the passenger’s seat. “Thank you so much.” She sat in the seat and reeled the seatbelt from its resting place and buckled it into place.
“It’s no trouble, I’d love the company,” the unicorn replied.
The unicorn released the brakes and started down the road once more. There was an odd silence as the two made their way down the road.
She seemed like a nice pony, but that didn’t mean Fluttershy was ready to talk to her. She was still not good at starting a conversation. Besides, she had other things on her mind. She hadn’t seen Cookie or Crumble since it happened. She hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye or to thank them for all their help. They sacrificed so much for her. For a chance to cure her. But really it was all for nothing.
“How I wish I could just see them one more time? What I wouldn’t give?”
“So what’s your name?” the mare asked.
Fluttershy didn’t say anything. She just kept looking out the window, her mind constantly drifting to her friends she left behind. She felt as if she was abandoning them. They didn’t deserve that. They deserved better.
“I’m Cherry-filled Cheesecake.”
Fluttershy’s ears instantly perked themselves up. It wasn’t like her to poke fun at another pony’s name, but what kind of name was that? It reminded her of a famous toy doll every little filly wanted. She remembered lots of children her age would play with one. She had heard of it, but because of her living habits, she never had one. Not that her father didn’t try.
“Like the doll?” Fluttershy finally replied as the silliness of the name brought her into the conversation.
Cheesecake gave smile and chuckled. “Yep, like the doll. Hated my parents for a long time about that one.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but think about her own parents. It was hard losing them. It was even harder moving on without them. But she never forgot who they were. She never forgot who she was. She never forgot that they loved her.
Fluttershy turned her head towards Cheesecake and smiled. “I’m Flyshy.”
“Wonderful to meet you, Flyshy.”
Fluttershy nodded and turned back towards the window, looking out at the beautiful field of grain. But instead of smiling, she started to frown. She could feel ‘her’ deep inside her. She was calm for now. But somehow, Fluttershy knew it would only be a matter of time before she found in a situation where she would become upset. It would only be a matter of time before the world saw the return of the Incredible Flutterhulk.
