Four years, nine months after meteor...

“Today you learn to fly, students!”

A black hoof slowly dipped into the colorful stream. Images could be seen within the water, flowing onward. It reflected nothing, for there was nothing to reflect.

“Oh, you’re just so cute! My little angel… oh! I know! I’ll call you, Angel… ”

The images flowed around the hoof that invaded the stream. They would come close, yet never touch the extended limb. Red eyes watched them pass. They glowed brightly once.

“Do you know what I am, little Fluttershy? You were the one that created me, you know… when you tried to push all your hate and anger away, where did you think it went?”

The dark pony jerked her hoof out of the stream. The voices in her head were suppressed to a whisper, one she could ignore. They would never fully quiet.

Othershy followed the stream upriver with her eyes. It stretched on to infinity. She had once spent considerable time walking alongside it. Nothing ever changed. The ground under her hooves was black and stony. The sky was the same color.

“The mind is an amazing place, wouldn’t you say?”

Othershy’s eye twitched and a chain clinked, cutting off the voice. How long have I been here, she wondered. Time meant nothing in the endless void she occupied.

“A prison you could easily escap-”

The shadow pony stomped her hoof and a chain clinked again, turning the voice into a muffle. She turned and looked upon Skadi. The alicorn was standing, yet dark, glowing chains covered every inch of her. She stood completely still.

She’s back quicker, this time, thought Othershy. Skadi was constantly loosening her chains, forcing the shadow pony to keep an eye on her. She had resorted to sending the alicorn deep into the recesses of Fluttershy’s mind where little thought to her would mean little to no resistance. However, the alicorn had returned every time, chains slipping.

Othershy wasn’t really sure whether her return had been faster this time, either. It was impossible to tell.

While she was thinking, she saw the chains around Skadi’s lips slowly slip open. Even if the effort took hours, Othershy was certain Skadi would still constantly escape her chains.

The chains uncovered the alicorn’s lips, yet she did not speak. They stopped moving as well. Othershy stared daggers at the only other being occupying the area. What are you?

A grin spread on Skadi’s lips. “What,” she said slowly, “are you?”

Othershy opened her mouth to respond when a sudden light to her right drew her attention. Four bright lines slowly came into existence to form a square. Darkness within the square began to waver. A new memory was being created.

Growling low, Othershy turned and began walking upstream. She despised these new memories. They were unreal depictions of the outside world, seen through the eyes of a madpony.

“Leaving so soon?” Skadi called after her. “What if she wakes to find a harsh reality?”

Othershy stopped but kept her rump to Skadi. It’s true that she had considered the very same thought before; that Fluttershy would wake up and be cured of her madness. But every new memory was the same happy world with the same happy ponies. To Fluttershy, everything was fine.

“What if?” Skadi said again. Othershy could feel Skadi’s grin against her back. Sighing, the shadow pony turned and walked back to her previous post.

Both pegasus and alicorn watched as the memory began. It would show them everything Fluttershy saw that day. Powerful images would drip down from the floating screen into the stream below to become permanently remembered. Fluttershy’s daily routine, however, hadn’t changed in months. Not since the snow began in earnest.

The black image slowly separated horizontally…

Yawning, Fluttershy opened her eyes and peered around her room. Her gaze swept over the window for a moment. Snow fell heavily, as it had done for many weeks now. But it didn’t upset her. There was plenty of food stored up to last out the snow. In addition to that, Pinkie Pie had been visiting when they got snowed in.

Fluttershy smiled and gently moved Angel so she could crawl out of bed. The alarm clock on her dresser hadn’t gone off yet. She quietly disabled it and began to descend the stairs.

Othershy sighed and closed her eyes. Though Fluttershy believed all she saw was fine, the reality was far from it. Her bedroom had bones of many different ponies scattered around along with wire and tape and glue. The pegasus had convinced herself that no pony needed healing anymore, so she stored the extra bones in case one of them had an “accident”.

“What am I missing?” Skadi asked and jerked her head around. The chains still covered her eyes.

Othershy growled out her reply, “You can see it just fine.” Skadi continued her exaggerated movements to find the source of the sound. Her chains clinked together noisily. Sighing in annoyance, Othershy mentally removed the chains around Skadi’s eyes.

The alicorn blinked and exclaimed, “Ah! Much better!” She looked down at Othershy and gasped, “A moving shadow!”

“Just shut up and watch!” snapped Othershy.

Fluttershy made no sound as she crept on the rug. It extended from the foot of the stairs to the front door. Another rug lay just under the couch. On top of the couch was a bunched up mass under a thick blanket. A pink tail poked out one end and draped off the couch.

Once at the couch, Fluttershy brought her hooves up and gently stroked down the blanket. She spoke softly, “Time to get up, Pinkie Pie.”

The pink earth pony turned and poked her head out from under the blanket. Her sleepy eyes blinked a few times before she tried to retreat under the covers again.

Laughing, Fluttershy pulled the blanket down off Pinkie Pie’s head. “Come on, Pinkie Pie! You said you’d let me do your hair today.”

Pinkie Pie grumbled but smiled back at Fluttershy. “Fiiiiiine. Your housey, your ruleys.”

“If that was true, you would let me sleep on the couch and you could have my bed, silly filly,” Fluttershy jokingly scolded the earth pony as she untangled herself from the blanket. In her wiggling, the blanket fell from the couch to the floor-

“What in the underworld,” Othershy gasped. Pinkie Pie was normally just a skeleton stuck together any way Fluttershy could, as any pony in Ponyville was. Yet, the Pinkie Pie Othershy saw was not the one she remembered.

“By me,” Skadi said, “What did she do to her?”

Pinkie Pie’s bones were covered in what appeared to be pillows wrapped with pink cloth. Felt eyes were attached where her eye sockets were. Her cutie mark was also replaced with a felt version of her balloons. With her mouth closed a pony might have been fooled into thinking they were looking at an alive and well Pinkie Pie.

Othershy screamed in frustration. “Is that your answer?! How far will you take this charade!?” In anger, she turned and started marching away from the screen.

Skadi, however, kept her eyes glued to the screen. She called to the retreating pony, “Something is wrong.”

“No shit!” Othershy turned and yelled back. “Everything is wrong!”

Skadi continued to gaze at the screen, saying, “If you look closer, you will see.”

Gritting her teeth, Othershy stomped back to her previous position and gazed up at the moving picture. “What?” she asked angrily.

“If you haven’t noticed it yet then keep watching,” Skadi answered.

Both ponies on screen were in the kitchen now. Fluttershy enjoyed moving everypony else around. Now, trapped with Pinkie Pie, she tended to move the pink pony around the house more than normal.

“Some tea, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked sweetly as she turned on the stove. Though she already knew what Pinkie Pie would say, she still asked every day out of courtesy.

“Oh, yes, please!” Pinkie Pie said with a smile. The party pony’s smile could light up a room. Fluttershy loved staring at it-

“What is that?!” Othershy cried out and extended a hoof towards the screen. She pointed at Pinkie Pie’s teeth, but the image changed too rapidly for her to see them well. “Her teeth, too?”

“I imagine…” Skadi stopped and barked out a laugh. “I imagine, how fitting.” Othershy stared daggers at her until she continued. “I imagine she left no part of her unattended. If you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that already.”

Othershy growled at the alicorn but jerked her head back to the screen. What the hell are you doing, Fluttershy? She thought.

Pinkie Pie rocked in her chair in contained excitement. Ever since she had become a permanent guest at Fluttershy’s home, she had visibly worked to contain her normally all-over-the-place behavior. It made Fluttershy happy knowing her friend cared about her so much that she would change for her.

Still, Fluttershy was nervous. She had planned for this day for many weeks now. If it didn’t go the way she planned then she might lose a friend forever. If it went perfect…

“Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy found herself asking suddenly, “We’re best friends, right?”

Pinkie Pie gave her a questioning look. “Everypony is my best friend. Twilight and Rainbow Dash and Applejack and Rarity and Lyra and-”

“Oh, I know!” Fluttershy interrupted her friend before she named every pony in Equestria. “What I mean is…we’re very, very close friends, right?”

“Well of course we are, silly!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “We’d have to be to stay cooped up in a house all winter.” She beamed, happy with her answer.

“Well…um…do you ever…” Fluttershy stumbled on her words and fell quiet.

Pinkie Pie leaned in, asking, “Ever what?”

“Do you ever…want to be more tha-”

“Did you catch it that time?” Skadi asked loudly, cutting off the rest of Fluttershy’s words.

Othershy shook with rage and nearly screamed. Instead she turned her head slowly towards Skadi and replied, “I wasn’t focusing on it that time. I was trying to see what Fluttershy was talking about. Now be quiet so I can!” She turned her attention back to the screen quickly.

“…oh…well, Fluttershy, you know I alwa-”

“It’s very simple,” Skadi practically yelled, “Just focus on her teeth when she talks.”

“You son of a mule, shut up!” Othershy couldn’t stop herself from screaming. The chains around Skadi’s head returned and wrapped her mouth shut. They were normally just tight enough to get the job done, but Othershy’s anger caused them to tighten further. Small beads of red seeped out from between chains cutting into flesh. Her eyes, however, betrayed not the slightest hint of pain nor emotion.

But Othershy didn’t care right then. She turned her attention back to the screen.

Fluttershy hugged Pinkie Pie, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Oh, Pinkie Pie! You have no idea how happy that makes me!” she said.

Pinkie Pie had tears in her eyes too. She nuzzled Fluttershy softly and said, “I think I can relate.” They both laughed.

The screen went black. As quietly as they had appeared, its borders slowly faded. The darkness that had filled it fell into the stream without making a splash, the multicolored water simply absorbing it.

Othershy grit her teeth. Why now, she thought.

When the memories stopped flowing in suddenly it only meant one thing: Fluttershy was changing her world. She would never admit it, however, and her mind would never record the events. The pegasus was completely oblivious to her own handiwork, making up excuses for the changes offhandedly. The imagined memories would become twisted messes and fall into the stream with loud splashes.

The entire process made Othershy cringe every time she saw it. Hours upon hours of twisted memories and thoughts.

Chains clinked behind her. “May I speak now?”

“Do what you want,” Othershy growled out, “I’m leaving. I have no need to see what will happen next.”

“But you’re going to miss the best part,” said Skadi with a pout.

Othershy turned to the alicorn. “As I’ve said, I have seen this dozens of ti-” She froze as her eyes looked into Skadi’s. The facets in the alicorn’s eyes were sparkling. Something about them made Othershy want to stare into them for ever and ever.

A loud splash jolted the shadow pony. She turned to the stream expecting to see the first of many twisted memories forming, but instead was greeted with slowly appearing straight black lines.

She frowned, only one fake memory? She looked back at Skadi, but the alicorn was looking at the forming view-screen. Othershy narrowed her eyes but turned back to look at the screen as well.

An image slowly formed within the floating square. Fluttershy appeared to be at the bottom of the stairs up to her room. What struck Othershy instantly was how dark it was.

It wasn’t uncommon for Fluttershy to create entire days to hide the fact that she was manipulating the world. But there would have been many, many more twisted memories.

“Just what is going on here… ?” Othershy said aloud. Her eyes flickered suddenly. She spun towards Skadi and pointed. “You! You sped up time here!”

Skadi kept her eyes on the screen but grinned, speaking softly, “I just wanted to skip past the filler to the main event, didn’t you?”

“You have no right to control things here!” Othershy screamed. Her mind was working overtime trying to figure out just how much power Skadi had. “Cross me again and I wil-”

“DO WHAT?!” Skadi boomed. Everything that was their surroundings shook. Fluttershy dropped to the floor and cried out, forelegs coming up to cradle her head. Othershy shrank back from the alicorn with wide, terrified eyes. Skadi slowly turned her head down to look at the smaller pony before her. “You may contain me, but if you try to destroy me I will take you and this entire mind with me.” Smiling, she turned her head back to the screen and said sweetly, “Now, then, let’s watch our favorite program together.”

Shaking, Othershy slowly turned around and looked up at the screen.

Fluttershy rubbed her head. “Owie,” she said softly. A sharp pain had shot through her head for just a moment. The pain had vanished as suddenly as it came and all she could do was shrug. “Probably nothing.”

Her gaze drifted back to the stairs. Pinkie Pie had finally agreed to sleep in Fluttershy’s bed. It made Fluttershy’s stomach feel funny. That had been the end of the discussion, for now. But the pegasus wanted to check up on Pinkie Pie before heading to bed. “Just to make sure she is comfortable,” she said to herself.

Hesitantly, Fluttershy started up the stairs. There was light emitting from the second floor, so she knew Pinkie Pie was awake. “Just going to pop in for a second,” she reassured herself.

Othershy, though troubled by Skadi’s reveal, couldn’t help thinking, what is she so scared of?

Fluttershy took the last few steps at a trot so as not too look strange. “Pinkie Pie?” she called out.

“Here,” Pinkie Pie responded from the bed. The blankets were piled on and up to her neck. She looked over at Fluttershy as she approached.

“Are you warm? I could get more blankets if you want,” said Fluttershy nervously.

“You already gave me five,” Pinkie Pie giggled, “you won’t have any for yourself!”

“I… you’re right… ” squeaked the pegasus. “Well… goodnight… ” She turned and started towards the stairs.

“Fluttershy, wait!” Pinkie Pie shifted on the bed, making it squeak. Fluttershy turned back to Pinkie Pie. “You could… sleep here too, if you want… like a slumber party!”

“I don’t know, Pinkie… after what we said today… ”

“It’s ok, Fluttershy… ” Pinkie Pie lifted blankets up. Fluttershy bit her lip. She could see Pinkie Pie beneath the blankets. She could see everything.

Fluttershy slowly walked to the bed, staring into Pinkie Pie’s eyes. Her front legs came up and she crawled in. Pinkie Pie held the blankets as the pegasus scooted closer. The earth pony brought her front leg down when Fluttershy was fully in. It draped over the pegasus’s neck.

For a few seconds they just stared at one another. It became clear that neither knew where to go from there. Fluttershy started to feel nervous again. Her eyes began to tear up.

Pinkie Pie noticed right away and wrapped her friend in a hug. “It’s alright, Fluttershy,” she said softly. “We don’t have to do anything yet. Whatever you want is fine.” She softly kissed the pegasus’ cheek. “Don’t cry.”

Fluttershy moved away from Pinkie Pie slightly. The earth pony looked confused and turned her head. There Fluttershy was. Their lips met.

To Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie’s kiss tasted like-

“Candy,” Othershy said, her stomach almost betraying her. “Her teeth are candy.”

“She must have made it herself for just this moment,” Skadi commented nonchalantly.

“You knew she was doing this, didn’t you?” asked the shadow pony. But Skadi was silent.

The first kiss left them both breathless.

The second had Fluttershy pressing herself against Pinkie Pie. The pink pony returned the pressure. Fluttershy’s legs started to wrap around-

Othershy closed her eyes and turned from the scene. “She’s going to… ”

Silently, Skadi lowered her lips near Othershy’s ear. Softly, she spoke, “You let her do this. You knew it was the logical conclusion. And now you have to watch it.”

Tears streamed down Othershy’s black fur. She opened her eyes and stared at the mockery of life, of love, before her.

Her hooves on Pinkie Pie’s hips, Fluttershy pressed. Sensation rocketed through her. Pleasure unlike anything she had ever experienced. She locked her lips with Pinkie Pie’s and tasted her lover. The kiss made her more hyperactive, made every motion feel more spectacular.

Pinkie Pie looked out of breath but didn’t complain. She never said to stop or slow down. The pink pony did whatever Fluttershy wished, her love so deep for the pegasus. Any kiss was returned. Any pressure responded to.

Fluttershy had never felt so alive. She climbed atop Pinkie Pie, straddling her. Smiling down, front legs to either side of Pinkie Pie’s head, she asked softly, “Are you ready?”

Smiling back, Pinkie Pie nodded.

Fluttershy hooked her lower legs around the inside of Pinkie Pies and brought the pink pony’s up. Pinkie Pie was amazingly flexible, her lower legs bending until her hooves almost touched her head. Front legs wrapping around Pinkie Pie’s legs and body, Fluttershy peered down the length of her body to her lover’s neither region.

In her mind she imagined the thing she most wanted to do: crawl down and go at her friend like the pie her name suggested she was. But something pushed her to pursue her own pleasure first. Something inside said she deserved it for healing her friends, her town, for all those months and years. It was selfish and she knew it.

But she deserved it.

Down came her body to grind against Pinkie Pie’s. The pink pony gasped and moved without thinking. Fluttershy growled, her weight pinning Pinkie Pie down.

She was going to get what she wanted.

To Othershy, time seemed to stop. Her gray world darkened. The light from the viewer drew her shadow behind her.

And Fluttershy raped the corpse of Pinkie Pie in front of her.

The words came from the shadow pony’s lips softly, “There’s… nothing I can do anymore… ”

“You still held some small hope that she would recover,” stated Skadi. “And now you know the truth: she will never recover. She is as gone as the pony she is rutting.”

“SHUT UP!” screamed Othershy, causing Skadi to take a step away from the pony. She continued to stare at the viewer. Fluttershy was staring into Pinkie Pie’s patchwork eyes. Reality meant nothing to her anymore. “... do it… ” Othershy said quietly.

Skadi’s weary gaze turned into a smirk. “I could, if I truly wanted to. But I don’t.”

Her voice still low, Othershy replied, “You’ve seen what she is… there is no hope for her anymore… end this… ”

The alicorn stared down at the pony for a long while. Othershy sat with her head hunched, no longer able to look at the scene. Her thoughts had gone from sick to depressed to oblivion. I welcome my death, she thought, to end my suffering. To end her suffering. Just… to end.

Skadi sighed and slowly started to walk away. She called behind her, “Not yet. You still have much to do before you can die.”

Othershy raised her head slightly. “What can I do?” she asked as she turned to the alicorn.

Skadi laid down on a soft pillow and folded her legs under her. No chains covered her body. With a wave of her hoof, a chess set appeared between her and Othershy. Gesturing, she replied, “For now: you wait.”

Head hung, Othershy walked over to Skadi but stopped. Her eyes trailed back to the viewer, to Fluttershy still having her way with Pinkie Pie. Skadi sighed and got to her hooves, “We can wait somewhere away from here, if you like.”

Othershy nodded dimly and started walking away from the river. She was on a road she could not see. But it was there, she knew.

Skadi looked in the viewer a while longer. Fluttershy, muscular, hard-working, tireless Fluttershy could continue on for hours. The alicorn thought absently, she’s going to grind that pony into dust.

She closed her eyes and sighed. This wasn’t how things were supposed to turn out.

Her tail twitching in irritation, Skadi turned and started after Othershy. The pony within the pony is the only thing between Fluttershy and a quick death, she thought.

When winter ends, so will this fairytale.