FR - The Cutting Room Floor

>You always loved being with the shy yellow pegasus
>Brushing her mane
>Talking about animals.  Rather, you preferred talking about nature.
>Everything was so interlinked.
>The whole ecosystem never wastes anything, always finds a niche.
>Fluttershy also made sure that you stayed on top of the food chain the many times you went out to gather some weed.  Like today.
>Why can't there be a weed pony like your own OC, Hash Browns, you thought, dressing your wound from your recent liger encounter.
>Fluttershy hovers next to you.  "Anon, I want to know.  If it's ok with you... If you can't, I completely understand, it's just that..."
>She looks at you.  You tussle her mane, putting her at ease.
>".. I have to go and help Rainbow Dash set up an obstacle course.  It won't take that long. Promise."
Sure Flutters.  Least I could do.

>Before she leaves, she tells you to grab food from the regular fridge
>"Whatever you do though, anon.  Don't grab anything from the freezer.  It's not time for those animals to eat yet."
>You were spacing out for a bit.
>"Anon!"
Wha.  Oh.  Yeah.  Stay out of the meat freezer.  Got it.
>Angel looked at you with one eye cocked.
Fluttershy, can't you take Angel with you?
>"I'm afraid not, Anon.  Um, not unless I attach some balloons to him, so I can keep an eye on him."
I'll get the helium.
>Fluttershy then put on her best Austrian accent.
>"Anonymous, that's the joke."
>You see some of your humor rubbed off on her.  Too bad she still doesn't know how to use it.
>Regardless, a huge fuckin' grin emerged from your face.
>"I'll be back before you know it, anon."

>After Fluttershy has left, you do all the necessary chores that keep the animals from well, acting like animals
>Using up all your food energy, you seek to replenish.
>Fluttershy's fridge is filled with beans, lettuce, celery, tomatoes.
Great.  Rabbit food.
>Angel stuck out his tongue.
You always show up at the worst times, don't you?
>Ignoring the thought of rabbit stew, you swing open the cupboards.
And there's not even enough pasta to make some spaghetti.
>Idea!
>You decide to ignore Fluttershy's advice, and start rummaging through the freezer.
Meat!
>Honest to god meat!  Fish, chicken, vension, all sorts of small game here.
>Covered up by frozen mice, snake, worms.
>Yeah, all the good stuff was in the back.
>You start digging through the stock, when you notice the bottom was part way collapsed.
>Cold, wooden shards were jutting out from the hole.  A turkey leg had fallen all the way through the hole.
>Everything inside of your gut told you to walk away now.
>Still, you take out enough frozen items until you can lift the wooden base.
>Revealing a cold and dark interior.
>Flicking open the light switch below the hollow bottom, it reveals a set of stairs going down.
>Partly from curiosity, and partly from wanting some gobble gobble, you descend.

>The very first thing you see when entering the room is a comfy sofa with a huge projector
>The left side contained a mohagany work desk where a lone reel of film laid.  The editing equipment was bolted down.  The foot space of the desk had a cushoned stool with a butterfly logo stitched repeatedly on its side.
>The right side had a white doctor's bed, filled with surgical implements kept clean with no sign of blood.  There was dust on the inside of the shelves though.
>Only a few posters were hanging from the side.
>They would be a brief respite from the white walls of the romm if they weren't surgical diagrams of pony anatomy.
>A filing cabinet was tucked away in the far-left corner.
>The whole scene makes you shiver, not just from the cold.
>Your breath tries to escape in small clouds but disappates in mist.
>Angel stares at you disapprovingly.
Shit
>You quickly bolt up the ladder, holding the soft lapin in one hand.
>The other hand stings from repeatedly gripping the cold steel.
>After bribing Angel with some lettuce from the fridge, you think about your next step.
>You could go to Twilight and...
>No, she wouldn't believe you
>What if you ran away forever?
>No, You're not that much of a pussy.
>I mean, it's fucking Fluttershy.
>What is she going to do, talk to you calmly?
>Even if she does get mad, it's not like you haven't overpowered her before.
>Finally, you decide to discreetly gather evidence.
>Lifting up the plywood, and placing as best as you can the remainder of the meat,
>you close the door, and slide down the plywood.
>She won't look in the fridge.
>Worst comes to worst, you thought.  She'll think I took a snack.

>You continue browsing the items in the room.
>Starting first with the film reel.  The title on the side cover reading
"Happy Memories"
>You try to avoid touching anything unnecessary as you open the cabinet above the desk.
>It holds the standard film stuff as far as you know.
>Scissors, some blank film and reels, splicing tape in a plastic baggie.
>As well as larger film editing equipment like a film viewer.
>There was also a camera as well, old and worn out.
>You close the doors and walk towards the right side of the room.

>You sweat despite the cold, looking at the sterile equipment in the shelves beside you.
>Wondering if any doctor in their right mind would leave stuff like this out in the open.
>It was just basic surgery stuff
>A wide variety of scissors, scapels, tweezers.
>A first aid kit with stickers of butterflies was on a shelf to the side.
>Some test tubes lay on the shelves, along with testing strips, and a medical monitor was bolted next to the shelves as well.
>A little bit of everything.
>There were books too.  Books on pony anatomy, on pony infection, film, photography, animal care, animal psychology...
Human psychology?
>You file away that book's location for now.
>Taking a quick look, you notice the ceiling, also bleach white.
>It feels like it's going to burn out your eyeballs.
>You discover a handle that you can easily reach, and test it.
>Seems_legit.jpg
>It was stubborn, so you gave it a YANK!
>And out swung two bright lights at ninty degree angles
> ,an array of surgical implements on centipede-like legs ran down lower
> ,and a folding seat laid on the bottom near your hand
>You intake a quick breath before calming down.
>The whole thing sort of resembled a praying mantis.
>Though you never got the chance to get a good look at it.
>"Angel.  Have you seen anon, I can't find him?" says a familiar voice.
Fluttershy >anon whispers.
>Yanking up the structure soundlessly with a click, you bolt for two places.
>Flick off the switch
>Runnning for the sofa in the dark.
>Settling for hiding behind the footrest, you stifle your breath as much as you can.
>You shiver, not daring to take even a single look.

>Sounds of the squeak of a hinge, and the crunch of frozen goods fill your ears.
>You hear the almost silent 'flap flap' of her wings along with her bunny friend working his way down as well.
>"No, angel.  You are not to come down here."
>Angel gives a pleading squeak.
>"Climb up those stairs right now, mister."
>You hear the clang of claws against steel slowly moving upwards.
>Fluttershy sighs and takes a quick look around. "Looks like nop0ny was here.  Good."
>She heads straight for the right side of the room
>You hear the shaking of pills.
>How do those ponies deal with screw off caps anyways, you thought to yourself.
>The sound of swallowing follows.
>"If anon isn't here, then where is he?" says Fluttershy.  Her tone was that of concern as always.  "Maybe he got scared, or maybe?"
>Hearing a flapping sound approach closer and closer,
>you freeze against the footrest.
>That deathly quiet sound swooped away.  "Nope. Not here. I'll have to look outside."
>Tense muscles relaxed at the sound of wings swooping up and a light switch.
>"I hope he's ok." she says.
>The door closes shut.
>You rise from the cushoned barrier.
>Quickly, you flick the lightswitch again, looking up to see the plywood still there.
>The investigation continues.

>Checking the closed pill container, you see that it the label says
Tri Buffered Heavy Duty Asprin
>Thinking to yourself, Fuck, guess she's got it tough
>Wait, why are you sympathizing with her?
>Heading off to the file cabinet, you start leafing through folders
>Taxes, taxes, bills.
>Three colored folders then catch your eye.
>The labels say:
>Posey
>Sky Skimmer
>Fluttershy (Me!)
>God, even her headings are kawaii.
>You leaf through the first one.  Posey.
>Rummaging through the folder, you see medical reports, notes on behaviour
>It's quite detailed.  You're impressed.
>The second then.
>The second one.
>Essays of behaviour and anatomy, photographs of Sky Skimmer with her frineds.
>Detailed photos of her from all angles.
>Wat?
>Pictures of the earth pony in the morgue.
>Her pale face and lopsided tongue.  Her lifeless body, and notes in red marker taken.
>You tasted iron.
>Let's continue, you think to yourself.
>The third folder.  Maybe this will contain the key.
>Going through Fluttershy's folder, you notice a completely different pony.  Her coat is pale pink.  Her mane was was that of equal parts pink, yellow, and purple.  Even her eyes were purple.  Nothing like the other two.
>The other two looked just like Fluttershy.  Your Fluttershy.
>In the few pictures with the pink pony, you see a familiar looking camera hanging from a strap.
>Your gut starts to sink.
>More pictures of anatomy.  This time far more detailed.
>X-Rays, health reports, comprising of a full on medical record.
>Pictures of wing sizes from different animals.
>You thumbed up to the picture of an unknown pegasi.
>Then you saw the blueprints.  You note the ones filled with runes, stating flexible lenses, synapses, and humor.
This isn't funny.
>More medical records, all of them stamped with the words "DECEASED"
>All of them pegasi.
>There was noting left except for one lonely film reel.
>Your stomach rumbles.
Just one more moment.
>You read the title on the case lid
"Friendship is Magic"

>Putting the reel onto the projector and hauling down the canvas,
>you sit down on the sofa, and watch.
>Fast forwarding through the parts you knew
>But what was strange was that parts of the reel looked like it was sketched from a storyboard
>It happened during the scenes with the choir of birds.
>Various random times during the exposition and the cliff scene.
>When it happened during the Manticore scene, you realized.
>You realized that two hooves curved around your arms, pinning them to the sofa.
>"That was my favorite part." said Fluttershy, whispering in your ear.
>Her pink mane fell down across your chest.
>The gentle, yet fast 'flap flap' of her wings behind you mirrored that of your heart.
>The tips of her forehooves curved to held your arms in a full nelson.
>Her hooked grip was tight.  Like iron.
>Your eyes look for escape, but were trapped with hers.
>Staring, you can see a pattern dancing in her pupils.
>Her lips synched with her film counterpart as she caught you with her eyes.
>"Now this might hurt for just a second."

***

>She lied.
>You felt nothing at all.  No pain.  Just white all around.
>You realize the hidden instrument's purpose in curving inwards.
>Ponies from past lives being analysed.
>All of those revelations being ripped away from your gut, tore apart from your memory
>Like so much film.
>Her hooves curved away from you, dragging the pieces away.
>So cold.
>She lied.
>The truth being ripped apart and thrown away was more pain than you can bear
>Being immobile as she stamped her hooves on your body.
>Telling you that she's a survivor, that all those ponies didn't need their bodies anymore.
>Fluttershy never wasted anything.
>Your film will be blanched, used to create more memories, more lies.
>Breaking up the links in your memory, interconnecting the pieces together.
>She stared at you with those blue eyes.  So innocent.  So new.
>Taking more asprin for herself, Fluttershy then completed her task.
>The cold whiteness envelops you as you forget
>She lied.

***

>It's another sunny day in Ponyville.
>Fluttershy has a huge smile on her face.  "Hi, anon."
>You smile back.
So, are we ready for the picnic?
>Yes, I decided to make you your favorite.
>Your mouth was watering as the yellow pony fishes out a huge turkey sandwich.
>You were so hungry.
Thanks, Flutters!
Sometimes living with vegetarians can be a real pain.  I'm glad you understand though.
>"That's ok, anon.  It'll just be our little secret."
>You chomp down on that sandwich, eating every last bite.
This is the best birthday, ever!
>"I know.  It's because we're friends, right?"
>You flex your muscles, putting on your best Austrian accent
Friendship is Magic!
>"Friendship is Magic indeed." Fluttershy smiled.