Author's Notes:

It is STRONGLY recommended that you read the LTE version of this chapter. Additional scenes unique to that version provided added context to the events in this chapter.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Zodiac
Birthday Horoscope (Aries): You are going to die today.

The sounds of the ocean and the smell of vanilla and salt are replaced by a red sky and that eerie, dead noise that pervades Zodiac. I snap awake and sit up. "Rarity. Rarity, wake up."

Rarity stirs and mumbles. "Again, really? Flash, you're—"

"We're in Zodiac."

Rarity shifts around and mumbles. "I'd rather not make love in that horrid place, thank you..."

"Rarity, WE ARE IN ZODIAC. Right now."

Rarity opens her eyes, blinks, and looks around. Her mouth falls open. "What...?"

In my discarded pants, my phone starts going crazy. Similarly, Rarity's phone begins vibrating mutely in her bag.

We look at each other, then dive for our phones. I find mine first and put it on speaker.

"Flash! Are you alright?" It's Twilight.

"Yeah, we're fine. What the hell happened?"

"Flash, there's Shadows everywhere! The entire beach house is surrounded!" She sounds terrified.

//I'm picking up over a hundred Shadows in the vicinity and more closing in fast,// Cadance's voice intrudes. //I'm not picking up Aries—//

It's coming...I had a feeling she'd pull something like this...

The yellow text gives me pause. "Fluttershy? Is that you?"

Yeah. Look...I don't need your help, but you'd better get back here to protect your little harem.

"You're trapped here too, you know!" Twilight says.

My fight isn't with the Shadows. It never has been.

Oh, you'd BETTER worry about the Shadows, Fluttershy. This is what you get for betraying me.

Fuck you, Sunset!

LOL...I can't wait to see the look on Celestia's face when all of you disappear without a trace...

Sayonara...

Blackness wells up out of the blood red sand around us. With a terrifying roar, a lion Shadow materializes. Then another...then another...

By the time I lose count, there are two dozen Shadows surrounding us.

Rarity screams.

"Get it together, Rarity!" I say, tapping the Black Butterfly app. The virtual black suit appears on my nude body, and the heft of the butterfly axe brings a sense of grim reality to the situation. "Gear up and get ready. We've got to fight our way back to our friends."

Rarity stares at me uncertainly. She has her phone in one hand and her wadded-up dress in the other. "But..."

"NO TIME!"

Rarity sighs and taps Black Butterfly. A similar dress to the one she just dropped forms on her body, and the silver pistol appears in her hand.

The Shadows press in around us...

"There's simply too many of them for two of us to fight," Rarity says nervously.

"We'll just have to do the best we can! OZYMANDIAS!"

The great trunkless legs of Ozymandias appear; the Shadows recoil as they're weakened.

"BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona unleashes a wave of deadly ice through the Shadows; they draw back, giving us a bit of room.

I feel an electric jolt down my spine. "Rarity...give me your hand."

"What?"

I drop my axe and hold my hand out to Rarity. She frowns, but reaches out to me...

Her eyes widen as our fingers touch. "What was—?"

I tighten my grasp on Rarity's hand. Our eyes meet, and she nods. We turn to face the advancing wall of Shadows.

"FALL OF THE MIGHTY!"

Bastet and Ozymandias appear above us. A terrible, bitter wave of dust, freezing cold and searing hot at the same time, spreads out from our Personas, battering the Shadows. The mighty dust storm persists for fifteen whole seconds, driving back the Shadows. When the wind and dust subside, all the Shadows look weak and afraid.

I pick up my axe and charge into the mass of Shadows, swinging left and right. Each hit that connects obliterates a Shadow. Rarity catches on quickly and begins firing wildly into the fray. Shadows explode into nothingness all around me as her shots connect.

In less than a minute, the entire swarm of lions is gone. Rarity staggers, clutching her head. "What did we just do?"

"Worry about it later! We need to get to the beach house before that bitch sends another welcoming committee! I don't think we can pull that one off again!"

"N-no...I don't suppose we can..."

I take hold of Rarity's hand to steady her, and we run as fast as we can up the beach.

All around us, more and more lion Shadows boil up out of the beach, but instead of attacking us, they're pacing us in two even lines. "What are they doing?" I wonder.

"I don't know," Rarity says. "But I don't think we can do that...thing again anytime soon..."

"You're right, we need...we need to conserve our strength..." My lungs are burning; Rarity's having trouble keeping up. She's wincing every other step. "Are you alright?"

"I, ahh...I'm a bit sore..." Rarity blushes. "In certain places..."

"Oh...right..." I cough. "Sorry."

"Never you mind, darling. I'll manage..."

"I wonder..." I slide the Star Arcana onto my phone. "KUMA!"

A powerful wave of dazzling healing light washes over Rarity. She blinks. "Oh. That's...certainly thinking outside the box," she says. She quickens her pace; she's no longer wincing as she runs.

The house is coming into view; there's a massive pride of Shadows swarming around it, roaring and pawing the ground. I swallow heavily. "This is gonna suck..."

A huge, glowing pink shape plows into the mass of Shadows, sending dozens of them flying. Lightning stabs down from the sky. Glowing green wind blasts rip through the Shadows like a scythe through wheat.

Our friends are gathered in front of the house, fighting for their lives...

"I hope I have enough power to affect this many Shadows," I say, sliding the Tower Arcana back onto my phone. "OZYMANDIAS!"

I feel like an icepick is digging into my skull as I exert the debilitating powers of Ozymandias on the massive pride of Shadows. I collapse to my knees, clutching my head in agony; Rarity crouches beside me, arms wrapped supportively around my shoulders.

"FLASH!"

A devastating shower of blinding lightning spreads through the entire crowd of Shadows, annihilating many of them. Twilight clears a path and runs out to me, skidding to a stop in front of me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I grunt. "Just...pushed myself...a little too hard..."

The Shadows that paced me and Rarity on the beach form a circle around us; the remaining Shadows that had surrounded the beach house join their ranks even as Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Sonata join us.

Well, well...finally, the gang's all here.

With a sound not unlike the crackling of a fire, a glowing shape emerges from the Shadows: a bizarre silhouette in the shape of Sunset Shimmer, composed entirely of flickering streams of computer code, alternating between red and gold. The Shadows all kneel to her as she approaches us. Ribbons of code trail away from her "body" like sparks from a flame.

"Sunset Shimmer," Twilight snarls, tensing her grip on her rapier.

I'm just here for Fluttershy today. Of course, you're ALL going to die here...

Fluttershy glares at her. "You don't scare me anymore, Sunset. I don't care what you do with my secrets...I don't have anything left to lose. I can ruin you just as bad as you can ruin me."

Oh, I severely doubt that. And you're wrong about one thing. You DO have something left to lose...

The flickering image of Sunset thrusts a hand through Fluttershy's head. Fluttershy screams and sinks to her knees, eyes wide and glassy.

A twisted red-and-black mess rises up out of Fluttershy's head. Her Persona, Eris, hovers above her...but she's wrong, deformed. Eris lets out a sound like the screeching of metal against metal as huge rips form all over her body, leaking great clouds of ghastly red mist and ribbons of sickly green code. The halo of computer screens circling Eris' head flickers; each screen shatters with a violent snap, fizzing into static as they fade away. Eris sags like a puppet with its strings cut, sinking back into Fluttershy's head. Fluttershy falls limply forward; Sonata catches her and holds her gently.

"What did you do to her?" Twilight asks shakily. Her face is pale.

Sunset laughs.

You dove too deep, Fluttershy. I just hacked your soul.

"You did WHAT?" Rainbow cries.

It's a shame, really...Eris MIGHT have been able to protect her from what's about to happen...but now she's helpless to avoid her own fate...

//I'm detecting Aries! It's...it's right on top of you!//

A blurry, indistinct mass of shadow falls out of the sky; its body is formless, and its head has the vague shape of a ram's horns.

And now, the fun begins...

Something appears, faintly, behind Aries, hovering in the air and pulsing like a heartbeat:

The lion Shadows all roar deafeningly, then launch themselves at Aries, dissolving into its mass. Aries grows larger and gains definition.

"Oh no..." Pinkie whimpers. "Not this again..."

//Be careful! Aries' power is increasing rapidly!//

A concussive force wave from Aries knocks us all off our feet. I look up as the Shadow's form fully solidifies...

Aries stands on two massive black cloven-hooved legs; its red-skinned torso is human and massively muscled, with two hulking arms that end in four thick, knobby fingers tipped in long ebon claws. Intricate patterns are carved deep into its flesh, meeting at the sigil of Aries in the center of its chest. Atop a corded neck, set forward from the body, is a massive, cracked white ram skull with long, curved, twisted black horns. In one hand, it holds a shape that looks like a solid, nude silhouette of Fluttershy, broken into several pieces and held together by thick red ropes of gore. In the other hand, it holds a massive, curved, serrated black knife.

I hope you all die slowly and painfully...I want to cherish each tortured scream...

The bizarre image of Sunset dissolves into ribbons of code, which fly to every corner of the sky and wink out of existence.

We pick ourselves up and stare at Aries. "Oh...crap," Rainbow mutters, gulping audibly.

"We're...we're not gonna make it out of this one, are we?" Twilight whimpers.

I square my jaw. "We're not dead yet," I say. "Pinkie, Rarity, Sonata...protect Fluttershy. Twilight, Rainbow, up front with me. Just like we practiced."

Rainbow Dash summons her Persona; we all blur and feel lighter on our feet.

Pinkie Pie summons her Persona; we all feel a rush of vigor, as though our strength has vastly increased.

Sonata summons her Persona; whatever she tries to do has no discernible effect on either us or Aries. "Sorry, guys...I...might not be very useful for this one..."

"That's quite alright, darling," Rarity says. She summons her Persona; Aries' movements slow down.

"My turn," I say. "OZYMANDIAS!"

Aries bellows as Ozymandias weakens it, then swings its knife in a wide wave. A cutting pressure tears into us; Rainbow manages to avoid being hit, while Twilight and Rarity take the worst of it. "Athena," Twilight hisses.

Athena appears and sheds healing light over all of us; the pain from Aries' attack subsides.

"NIKE!"

Rainbow's Persona appears and fires off a blast of wind; Aries grunts and takes a half-step back.

"EUPHORIA!"

Pinkie's Persona flies straight at Aries, winking playfully as she slams her butt right into its head. Aries swats her away with an aggravated grunt.

Sonata fires a crossbow bolt which pierces one of Aries' empty eye sockets; it bellows in pain. She fires another, which glances off Aries' broad chest.

"BASTET!"

Bastet's ice attack does little appreciable damage.

I swipe the Magician Arcana in. "MERLIN!"

Merlin raises his staff; a blue aura rises around me, wreathing me in heatless blue flames.

"What was that, dude?" Rainbow asks.

"Something I haven't used yet," I say. "I'm...storing up power..."

"We'll buy you some time," Twilight says...

Aries lunges forward, stabbing Twilight viciously with its knife. She screams as she collapses, curling into a ball and mewling pitifully.

"TWILIGHT!" Pinkie screams. "PERSONA!" Euphoria appears again and charges Aries, launching into a series of nosebleed-inducing spinning kicks and twirls. Aries staggers away and grunts, shaking its head like a wet dog.

"PERSONA!" Rarity cries. Bastet appears and heals Twilight; she stands up, but she still looks terribly hurt.

"I...I'm okay," Twilight says. "I...just need a sec..."

"NIKE!" Rainbow summons her Persona to perform her wind attack again.

I feel Merlin's magical power reach its peak... "PERSONA!"

With a tremendous whump, a blinding white column of pure light falls out of the sky, slamming into Aries and spreading out in a concentric wave. The fiery blue aura fades from around me.

"DUDE," Rainbow says, jaw dropping.

"You...might want to lead with that from now on, darling," Rarity says.

//That did some damage, but it wasn't enough...I think Aries is about to do something!//

As the light from Merlin's spell fades, Aries raises the effigy of Fluttershy it's holding and takes a huge, vicious bite out of it, spraying dark red blood everywhere and severing a leg, which flies through the air and lands uncomfortably close to us. A spiral shell of crimson flames wraps around Aries' body; it arches its back and throws its arms into the air, bellowing triumphantly.

"Oh, GROSS!" Pinkie complains.

"What the fuck?" Rainbow says.

//Everyone, protect yourselves!//

We all brace ourselves, watching tensely. Aries paws the ground with one massive hoof and charges, slamming into us. We're all sent flying; Pinkie, Rarity, and Sonata catch fire. Their screams are terrifying...

I change from Merlin to Kuma, and Twilight and I work quickly to heal our friends. "I don't know how much more of this I can bear," I say.

//I think that attack lowered its defenses! Everyone, do as much damage as you can!//

Once everyone's back on their feet, we all start unloading every spell and attack we can muster. Aries twitches helplessly, caught in our crossfire, and thrashes around, bellowing in pain. After a vicious thunder strike from Athena, Aries crashes to the ground; we all charge in and wail away on it with our weapons with reckless abandon.

After nearly a full minute of all-out assault, Aries roars and flails at us with its powerful hooves, sending us all flying. It stands up, shaking its head and bellowing in rage. It greedily consumes the remainder of the effigy, and the spiral shell of flames once more envelops its body.

//Look out! It's going to—//

Aries looses an earthshaking roar and charges us. It's too fast...we can't dodge...we can't even defend ourselves...

"I...will...I WILL FIGHT!"

A huge, shimmering reflective wall snaps into place between us and Aries. It slams into the barrier, ricocheting off at an angle, and screams as its own flames consume it.

We all turn to the source of the impassioned shout. Fluttershy slowly rises to her feet, her hair hanging over her face. With one hand, she pushes back her hair and looks up; there's a new fire in her eyes.

She looks around at all of us. Tears flow down her cheeks. "What...what have I done..."

"Fluttershy...?"

She sniffles, then wipes the tears from her eyes. "No...no, I...I can deal with that later. Right now, we..." She gasps in horror as she sees Aries. "Oh my..."

//I don't know what just happened, but Aries just got a LOT weaker! I think you might actually be able to win this fight now!//

"I...I want to fight...with you," Fluttershy says in a voice barely above a whisper. "I...I don't want to be alone...anymore..."

A shimmer of blue light washes over Fluttershy's body. Her phone vibrates; she pulls it out. The Persona app on her phone flashes twice, a bright, clear blue. She smiles and gently caresses the screen.

"Persona...please."

The screen of Fluttershy's phone explodes in blue polygons, and something that looks like a shrivelled, dessicated Eris emerges. It shudders and splits open, shedding a bright, serene blue light. A tiny yellow fairy that looks like Fluttershy herself, with a pretty little fairy dress and huge, golden butterfly wings, emerges from the shell of Eris. Tiny sparkling butterflies sprinkle like glitter from the fairy as she flutters around Fluttershy's head.

Fluttershy smiles and points at Aries. The fairy nods and flies high in the air, beating her wings rapidly...

A gale force wind sweeps across the beach, slamming into Aries. The Shadow braces itself against the wind, but is driven back toward the ocean.

//Everybody...NOW!//

We summon our Personas and give everything we've got left to give. Aries falls apart in great red chunks, dissolving into a bloody mist. The ram skull crashes to the beach, lets out one last rumbling groan, and explodes into motes of blackness.

The sounds and smells of the sea return. The waves roll against the shore, and the moon sheds a soft light overhead. Fluttershy looks around at all of us, laughs ruefully once, then faints dead away.

As Rainbow and Twilight check on her, Sonata looks at me—and turns beet red. She tries to say something, but can't; she frowns and looks around for anything to write with. Finding nothing, she sighs and turns away, covering her face.

Cadance raises an eyebrow. "Umm...Flash? Rarity? You might want to...head inside and get some clothes on..."

Oh my God...

I forgot that when we woke up in Zodiac, I was naked...

Our clothes are all the way out at the outcropping...

Rarity yelps and covers herself with her arms, shuffling awkwardly to the front door. Twilight looks at me, shakes her head, and picks up Fluttershy, carrying her inside. The others follow her; I trail behind them.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Early Morning

Fluttershy is upstairs asleep in her bed. Sonata is watching over her. The rest of us are exhausted, but with everything that just happened, none of us can really sleep...

We sit around the living room, nursing cups of hot tea. "Well," Rarity says, "it would seem Fluttershy has a new Persona."

"In more ways than one," Twilight says. "She...she looked...different."

"Yeah," Rainbow agrees. "I just...I hope when she wakes up, she'll...she'll talk to us and tell us stuff and...and not be such a bitch..."

"I hope so too," Cadance says. "When she wakes up, we all need to sit down and have a long talk. Fluttershy has a lot of things to explain and apologize for..." She looks around the room. "And all of us do as well."

"Yeah," I say, wringing my hands.

"What the HELL was that...that Haytrix-lookin' Sunset Shimmer shit?" Rainbow demands, throwing her hands up in the air. "What did she even DO to Fluttershy?"

"Whatever it was, it wasn't good," Twilight says. She shudders. "If...if she can do that to the rest of us..."

"If she could do that to the rest of us, she'd have done it already," Cadance says. "As far as I can tell, that whole thing had something to do with...with what happened the day we confronted Fluttershy. You know, when she summoned Eris without her phone?" She shrugs. "It's just...the data Aphrodite was feeding me makes me think it's connected somehow."

"Well...we'll find out when Fluttershy wakes up," Twilight says.

Pinkie sighs. "I wish I wasn't so tired," she says. "We were just getting to the good part..."

"The good part?" Rainbow asks.

"Gah! Pinkie!" Twilight cries, blushing.

"If there's one thing I hate, it's coitus interruptus," Cadance says, grimacing. "I didn't even get a turn..."

We all stare at her. "Uhh...what?"

"Nevermind!" Twilight says hastily. "So...Flash! How about you and Rarity, huh?"

Rarity smiles. "Well, we had a most marvelous time," she says silkily. "We were actually just about to—" she breaks off for a yawn. "—fall asleep in one another's arms on the beach when that whole Zodiac debacle broke."

"YOU were already asleep," I point out.

"Details..."

Cadance laughs. "I'm glad you two had a good time," she says. "You have no idea how lucky you are, Flash. Do you know how many guys would kill to make love to a girl like Rarity?"

"Believe me, I know," I say. "And if I didn't already have a very loving and wonderful girlfriend, I'd do my best to take Rarity off the market."

Rarity blushes. "Flatterer."

Twilight smirks at me. I cough. "Of course, I do have an amazing, beautiful, sexy girlfriend."

"Awww, shucks," Pinkie says. "I'm not all that special..."

We all laugh. Cadance shakes her head. "Well...the whole thing with Fluttershy aside, at least that's one more Shadow down. The next one is Taurus..." She turns to Twilight. "Applejack's a Taurus, right?"

Twilight sighs and nods. "Yeah. At this point, I...I don't know."

"Well..." Rainbow tilts her head. "Sunset Shithead's gone after everybody else in the dorm. Odds are she'll go after Applejack too."

"We can't assume that," Cadance says. "But...I have a feeling she will." She yawns mightily. "I think...we should all try to get some sleep. We've got a lot to talk about later on."

We all head off to our rooms. I'm so exhausted I fall asleep immediately...

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Daytime

When I wake up, it's ten in the morning. I gently nudge Twilight, who stirs beside me; I get up and head to the bathroom, taking a long, hot shower. When I'm done, I put on a pair of board shorts and a T-shirt. Twilight hugs me and kisses me, then strips down to take her own shower. I grab my phone; there's a new message notification.

New Message From: Applejack
I C every1's sleepin in 2day & you all look like hell. Went 2 movies by myself, BBL for shy's bday. Call/text b4 u start w/o me.

Her hick accent's easier to understand than her texts...sheesh. I pocket my phone and head out. As I approach the kitchen, I smell something wonderful. I look inside to find Fluttershy and Sonata working quickly and quietly. "Uhh...hi," I say.

They turn to face me. Sonata's cheeks turn pink; Fluttershy gives me a nervous smile and plays with her hair. "Oh...good morning," she says. "We're...we're making breakfast for everyone. I think I heard some of the others getting up..."

Rainbow and Pinkie walk in. "What smells so good?" Rainbow asks. "Oh, uh...hey 'Shy," she says.

Fluttershy glances at her. She looks down at her feet. "Hi, Rainbow." She picks at the hem of her shirt; Sonata lays a hand on her shoulder and smiles reassuringly at her.

"They're making us all breakfast," I say. "Twilight's in the shower right now."

"Oh, cool," Rainbow says. "What are we having?"

"Oh, we're having biscuits with honey and fried ham," Fluttershy says. "And scrambled eggs, and orange juice..."

"Sounds great," Rainbow says. "Uhh...need a hand?"

"We've got it, but...thank you," Fluttershy says. She smiles. "Just...wait in the living room, okay? We'll...we'll have everything out soon."

Rainbow, Pinkie, and I head to the living room. Twilight and Cadance join us soon. Rarity is the last to arrive. "Did you all get that text from Applejack?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say.

"Poor Applejack," Twilight says, sighing. "We...we need to do something special just for her, and soon. So she knows..."

Cadance shakes her head. "No, because then she'll feel like we're taking pity on her. What we need to do is...is just let her know we're not shutting her out on purpose."

"Even though we totally are," Rainbow mutters.

"I agree with Nurse Cadance," Fluttershy says as she and Sonata walk in, carrying a LOT of food between them. "I think...I think Applejack's feelings are hurt. In fact, I...I texted her this morning apologizing for the way I acted yesterday. I told her...I'm just dealing with a lot right now, and...and you've all been trying to help me, and that's why..." She trails off, shuffling her feet, then sits down.

Cadance smiles. "That was good thinking, Fluttershy," she says. "So...we're absolutely having a party for you later today. What do you think you'd like to do?"

"Umm, well..." Fluttershy starts spooning honey onto a biscuit. "There's...there's a very nice zoo here in Haytona...they even have a cetacean exhibit..." She looks up. "I...I'd like to go, if...if that's okay..."

"The zoo it is," Cadance says.

"I'll have to buy you a ready-made cake," Pinkie says apologetically. "We'll...have to find a nice bakery after we go to the zoo."

"Actually, I think I'd like an ice cream cake...if that's okay with everyone."

"Hell yeah it is!" Rainbow cheers. We all agree. Fluttershy smiles.

"It's nice to see you like this for a change," Twilight says.

Fluttershy ducks her head. "I...I want to try to be...nicer to everybody," she says. "Like...for real nice, instead of always thinking really awful, hateful things about you." Her eyes widen. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I mean—"

"Nobody expects you to change overnight, Fluttershy," Cadance says. "Hell, I'm still seeing that damn therapist."

"How IS that going?" Twilight asks. "I mean, I thought the therapist was supposed to cure you of being a slu—" She coughs. "A nymphomaniac."

Cadance gives her a frown. "I...deserved that," she says. "But...no. The therapy sessions aren't to 'cure' me of enjoying sex. They're...well..." She coughs. "It's all about setting boundaries for myself and understanding how my behavior affects the people I care about." She ducks her head. "That's...actually..." She takes a sip of juice. "Shiny and I have had some very long talks about...all that, and..." She looks around. "Well, let's just say that he trusts me the way you trust Flash."

Twilight blushes. "Okay. I...I wasn't sure about that, but...it's good to know." She ducks her head. "Especially after what almost happened last night..."

"But we're here to talk about FLUTTERSHY, not me," Cadance says firmly. She looks at Fluttershy. "What happened, exactly? That weird Sunset Shimmer ghost...what did she do to you, and...where'd that new Persona come from?"

"It's...hard to explain," Fluttershy says. "I don't really understand it myself. All I know is...Sunset Shimmer destroyed Eris. I...I think I went into shock. But then..." She shakes her head. "I...I realized that...I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to...to have friends. Real friends. And..." She shrugs. "I can't...have real friends if you're all dead because you tried to protect me, so..." She flails her hands. "That's where Echo came from."

"Oooh...kaaaaaay," Rainbow says.

"Fluttershy," Twilight says, "are you...are you ready to explain everything to us?"

Fluttershy looks around the table, then sighs shakily. "I...guess I do need...need to talk about it," she says. She takes a deep breath...

"Up until high school, I was homeschooled. My mom and dad sheltered me. The only friends I had were my pets and my computer. I love computers. Since I was ten, I've been learning everything I could about computers. Anything related to computers, too. I've done all sorts of things with small electronics over the years. But I never had any real friends.

"When I got old enough, Mom decided I needed to go to high school. So she enrolled me in CHS and put me in the dorm, and...I was really nervous, and shy, and scared, and...and the other kids weren't very nice to me. I've been picked on a lot. I know you all know about some of that.

"Well, I figured out how to access everyone's text logs through Canterbook. I can get past every security protocol Canterbook has, they might as well be tissue paper. There's nothing there I can't see or read. And I realized...with that kind of information, I had power over the kids that picked on me.

"So...I started using some of the stuff I found against them. And...and once I started, it started feeling really good. So I kept doing it. I...I became a bully. A really nasty online bully.

"Well, one day, I...I found something buried deep in Canterbook that didn't seem normal. It...it was Zodiac. I tried and tried to figure out what it was and what it did, but it just didn't make sense. Then I found an app that seemed to be a front end for it. I downloaded it to my phone and accessed it." Fluttershy snorts. "You can guess what happened next. I was up to my butt in Shadows.

"I was scared out of my mind. I ran and ran and I cried, but eventually they cornered me, and...and then I realized I didn't have to be scared, because I was tougher than anybody else at CHS. Because I knew things and could really hurt people if I wanted to. So...that's where Eris came from.

"Once I had Eris, I...I felt like I had this amazing power...REAL power, and a secret that made me better than everybody else. I started spending more and more time in Zodiac, figuring it out, digging deeper, learning its secrets...all while training my body and my mind." She giggles. "I turned myself into a secret ninja in there."

"So that's how you've always been able to kick our butts?" Rainbow asks.

"Mm-hmm." Fluttershy pauses for a bite of eggs, then smiles at Rainbow. "And I can still kick your butt any day of the week, Rainbow Dash." She giggles again.

Rainbow smirks. "I'll take that as a challenge."

"Of course, I...I couldn't let anybody know I was...well...strong," Fluttershy says. "I had to...I had to keep pretending to be weak, helpless, afraid of everybody...and the whole time, I was using Canterbook and Zodiac to learn more and get stronger. I..." She looks down. "I have blackmail material on every single student and teacher at CHS. I used to think that made me special, but...now I'm starting to understand it just makes me a...a bitch." She starts to sniffle.

"A-anyway...one day, Sunset Shimmer started pushing me around. I went into Zodiac and started trying to dig something up I could use against her. This was...this was a while back. I had just started learning how to use Zodiac to mess with the real world in little, subtle ways...

"And then, it happened. I went into Zodiac and ran right into Sunset Shimmer. I...I was drunk on power. I started talking trash at her, told her what I was going to do to her, summoned Eris...

"And...and then she summoned Mephistopheles and beat me to within an inch of my life." Fluttershy shudders. "After...after it was over, she dragged me out of Zodiac and...and told me..." She swallows. "She said she knew all about everything I'd been doing, all the bad things I'd done, all the dirty secrets I had on everyone..."

Fluttershy bows her head.

"She knew about...the teacher I crippled."

We all gasp. "WHAT?!" Twilight cries.

Cadance frowns. "Are you talking about Amethyst Star?"

Fluttershy nods. "I...I found out she was having an affair. And that she was using drugs. I...I got sloppy, careless. I gave myself away as the one who had been blackmailing her. She confronted me, and..." Fluttershy squeezes her eyes shut. "I beat the hell out of her. I shattered her knee and her elbow. I told her...if she ever told anybody who attacked her, I'd expose her...and...and post videos of her having sex with a married man all over Canterbook."

"Oh my god," Twilight says, eyes wide.

"What...did she do?" I ask.

Fluttershy looks up at me with clouded eyes. "She overdosed."

Shit...

"It...was bound to happen sooner or later," Fluttershy says. "She had a serious drug problem and wasn't getting help for it..." She bows her head. "If...if I'd understood her problems, I wouldn't have..." She sighs. "Anyway...Sunset Shimmer knew about...about all that..." Fluttershy squeezes her eyes shut. "She...she said if I didn't do everything she told me to forever, she'd...she'd make sure I went to prison." She starts to tremble. "I...I couldn't...deal with that, and...and her Persona really scared me. I realized...there was still a bigger bully, and I was still weak and helpless...so..." She buries her face in her hands. "I..."

Sonata moves over and hugs Fluttershy.

"I-I'm a t-terrible p-person," Fluttershy sobs.

Cadance sighs. "Fluttershy..." She shakes her head. "I can't say for sure how much of that was you, and how much of it was...was that nightmare of a Persona you had poisoning your mind, but..." She swallows. "You are sorry for the things you've done, right?"

Fluttershy sniffles and nods. "I...I hate myself," she says. "I...I've hated myself for a long time now..."

Sonata hugs her even harder.

"I won't lie," Cadance says. "Everything you've just said...it disturbs me. And...and after we've dealt with Sunset Shimmer and...and everything...you're going to have to answer for all the things you've done. You understand that, right?"

Fluttershy swallows and nods.

"But...I think Principal Celestia is compassionate enough and understanding enough that...that she'll go to bat for you if the rest of us do."

"And we will," Twilight says.

"Fluttershy," Rarity says, "is there a way to shut down Zodiac?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I don't think so," she says. "I've never been able to figure out how something like Zodiac can even exist. The best I can do is figure out how to manipulate it...to a degree..." She shrugs. "I think the only thing you can really do is what you've already been doing. Kill the Hunter Shadows. If there are no Hunters, Zodiac isn't dangerous." She frowns. "Well...it's still...connected, somehow, to the minds of everyone at CHS. But...the Hunters are what make it dangerous. No Hunters, nobody gets sucked in, nobody dies."

"And we've only got a few left to deal with," Twilight says. "Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Aquarius..."

"Umm...there's...there's one little problem with that," Fluttershy says. "I've...never actually seen Leo. I don't think it's ever even attacked anybody."

"I've never seen Leo either," Cadance says. "It's strange...it never showed up, it never hunted anyone...I honestly thought the whole thing was over with until Virgo attacked Flash..."

"So maybe somebody already killed it?" Rainbow suggests with a shrug.

"But who could kill a Hunter Shadow?" Twilight asks. "I mean, look how hard it is for US!"

"W-well...Sunset Shimmer's birthday is August 1st," Fluttershy says. "I know because I was...I was at her birthday party." She blushes. "She made me...do something really embarrassing..." She shakes her head. "A-anyway—"

"What did she make you do?" Rainbow asks, tilting her head.

"I...don't wanna talk about it," Fluttershy whispers.

"It's okay," Twilight says. "You don't have to." She frowns. "So Sunset Shimmer is a Leo, and she has a very powerful Persona..." She scratches her cheek. "Maybe her Persona was awakened like ours were, and she killed Leo herself."

"So...we just need to take out the rest of the Shadows, then kick Sunset Shimmer's butt?" Rainbow asks. "Sounds easy enough."

"It's...not that simple," Fluttershy says. "We have to find and disable her backups. We have to destroy all her blackmail evidence. And..." She shudders. "I...I'd rather not try to fight her in Zodiac again. You...you have no idea what kind of a monster her Persona is..."

"But you are going to help us hunt down the rest of the Hunter Shadows and take them out, right?" Cadance asks.

Fluttershy sniffles and nods. "Y-yes," she says. "And...and I want...I want to start over with all of you. I...I watch you all, and I..." She looks down. "I feel so jealous of how close you all are, how you're all such good friends..." She smiles. "I want friendship like that. But...I know it'll be hard to earn your trust after...after everything I've done." She looks around at us with a faint frown. "And...and I'm sorry, but...some of you haven't...really been very nice to me lately. I mean, even though I deserved some of it, I..."

We all look at each other; everyone except Sonata looks ashamed.

"I'm...sorry, Fluttershy," Rainbow says. "Really."

"Me too," I say.

The rest of us apologize to Fluttershy. She smiles softly. "Well...you can all make it up to me at the zoo. And with ice cream cake. And..." She tilts her head. "Well, we'll see from there."

With the addition of Fluttershy, our chances just improved...

More than that, we just gained a new friend.

We finish eating breakfast, then start getting ready to go to the zoo. Fluttershy texts Applejack to let her know to meet us there.

The zoo outing is enjoyable, uneventful, and a great way to unwind after everything that's happened today. Watching Fluttershy get excited over all the different animals, I can almost forget that just yesterday, she was hostile, surly, and adversarial. Today, she's just a cute, friendly girl who likes animals and gets excited about animals the rest of us don't see anything interesting about.

We spend almost three hours at the zoo. At some point, Pinkie found out where the best place to get an ice cream cake in Haytona is and pre-ordered one; by the time we get to the place, it's ready and waiting for us. We hurry back to the dorm with it; we decide to let it chill for a bit while Fluttershy opens her presents. Cadance orders pizza, and we all settle in for an evening together with friends.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Evening

Fluttershy is pleased with her presents and thanks us all. We spend the rest of the evening eating pizza and ice cream cake and watching animal movies.

"Thank you, everyone," Fluttershy says as the party is winding down. "I...I don't deserve friends like you..."

Rainbow throws an arm around her shoulders. "That's the thing about friends," she says. "They forgive."

Fluttershy flinches slightly, but then shakes herself and smiles. "Rainbow...about...what happened after the Fall Formal..."

We all tense up. "Yeah?" Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy steels herself, then sighs. "You...really were just scared I'd been raped, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was."

Fluttershy smiles and hugs Rainbow. "Thank you," she says. "For caring about me. But...next time, maybe care about me with your words, instead of..."

Rainbow laughs sheepishly and rubs the back of her head. "Yeah," she says. "I know, I'm an idiot."

Fluttershy looks at Twilight, Pinkie, and Cadance. "Oh, and...I'm sorry I called you all degenerate sluts," she says. "I—"

"We forgive you," the girls say in one single, resigned chorus.

"I think that's enough apologies for one day," Cadance says, laughing. "Come on, let's get this mess cleaned up. I don't know about you kids, but I'm beat."

We all pitch in to clean up the mess, then head off to our rooms.

Twilight and I are getting ready for bed when there's a knock on the door.

"Come in," Twilight says.

Fluttershy walks in. "There's one thing I forgot," she says.

"Oh?" Twilight asks.

Fluttershy walks over to me, sticks her hand in my shorts, and pinches my dick. Hard.

"AAHHH!" I cross my legs and cover my crotch. Oh god it hurts...

"What the—?" Twilight cries.

Fluttershy smiles. "Now we're even for you grabbing my breast," she says. She sticks her tongue out at me, then leaves.

I crumple onto the bed. It takes a while for my dick to stop hurting enough that I can sleep.

I guess she does still have a way to go...oww...