Snowblind (Alternate Ending)

>Day it’s way too hot in Equestria.
>You wake up sticky and sweaty.
>The Equestrian summers are as ruthless as the Equestrian winters.
>The p0nies are used to the heat and the cold.
>They go around naked anyway.
>But for a hairless monkey like yourself, it’s a nightmare.
>Your clothes are always glued to your body by the day’s end.
>It makes work in the orchard an absolute pain.
>So that’s why when you hear the knock at your door today, you answer it with as much lethargy as your body can hold.
>The door slowly creaks open to reveal HoverTimid, looking bright and breezy as ever.
>”Good morning, Anon!”
“Uuuurgh...”
>”Glad to hear it! Here!”
>She takes some pieces of paper out of her saddlebags and holds them out to you in her mouth.
>You reach a weary hand out to take her present.
>This had better not be another “I.O.U Snuggles” slip...
>You found out last time that they had an expiration date on them.
>You squint through sleep encrusted eyes at the pieces of paper.
>”5-day ski vacation.”
“YES I AM TOTALLY THERE.”
>”Yay! Then I’ll see you at the airport.”
>Oh god what did you do.
>You were so excited at the concept of being able to escape this heat that you just agreed to a holiday with Fluttershy.
>This will not end well.

>This has gone better than you expected!
>You’re in the Alpaca Alps with the mane six.
>Finally your clothes have come in useful as you stand in the snow.
>Most of the p0nies are wearing hats and scarves, but they’re still shivering.
>Rarity is proudly displaying as many of her scarves as possible, claiming that she accessorized for an emergency such as this.
>Rainbow Dash’s teeth are chattering, but she still claims that pegasi don’t feel the cold.
>Applejack is still just wearing her Stetson, claiming that if Rainbow Dash can take it, she can too.
>Fluttershy is doing a great job in proving Dash wrong by being stuck to your leg.
>She’s like a heat-sucking leech that won’t let go of you.
>Twilight has a warmth spell going, but is looking fatigued already.
>She’s been keeping it going for the last few hours.
>You’re not sure how much longer she can last.
>And Pinkie Pie...
>Well she’s Pinkie Pie.
>Even at absolute Zero, she’ll still be vibrating with joy.
>”Come on! Come on! We’ve got skiing to do!”
>Pinkie Pie takes the lead and you march through the snow to the resort.
>You’ll be staying in some pretty swanky cabins if the brochure is to be believed.
>You make your way to the check in desk in the lovely warm reception.
>There’s a roaring fire awaiting all the guests, and the mane six look pleased to bask in its welcoming glow.
>At the check in desk you meet a new creature.
>The Alpaca Alps are so named due to their native inhabitants.
>A shaggy quadruped mans the desk.
>”Whoa, hey man... You look groovy... You here got a reservation, dude?”
>This guy sounds like he’s stoned off his gourd.
“Uh... Yeah...”
>”Gnarly...! I wish they’d told me that such a cool dude was comin’ to visit me. I woulda gotten my board out and showed you some tricks... Bummer...”
>His shaggy fur hangs in limp ringlets all over his body.
>You can’t actually see his eyes.
>You don’t think he can see yours either.
“Yeah, about that reservation...”
>”Oh yeah, radical... What name was it again?”
>Fluttershy saves you from the stoner Alpaca.
>”F-flutt*mumble*”
>”Oh yeah! Fluttermumble! You sounded totally awesome on the phone. Lemme get your key, dudette.”
>He staggers in a circle on the spot.
>By the time he completes his revolution he has a bunch of keys in his mouth.
>How did he even do that?
>Pinkie Pie pops out of his fur.
>”MAGIC!”
>Fucking magic.
>It’s always fucking p0ny magic.
>You take the keys from the Alpaca’s mouth.
>You give them a quick wipe on his fur to dry them off.
>He smiles dopily at you the entire time.
>You back away from him slowly.
>You return to the mane six and hand out the keys.
>You should have seen this coming, but...
>You’re stuck in a room with Fluttershy.
>Is it worth it?
>To get away from the sweltering heat and have an awesome ski holiday, yes.
>You can easily get her off your case with a few belly rubs.
>You made her promise that if she left you alone the entire time, you’d give her a scratch behind her ear.
>She lasted 2 hours.
>It was worth a shot.
>After unpacking you make your way out onto the piste.
>The girls are all waiting at the ski lift by the attendant.
>The attendant is another fuzzy beast.
>”Whoa! Awesome threads, dude! You’re one radical ape!”
>Oh god they’re all like this.
>The ski-surfer-dude-alpaca lets you on the lift.
>It’s a little small, and you find yourself clinging onto the hand rail for dear life.
>Rainbow Dash, who opted to fly up the mountain in order to get more ski time, taunts you from alongside the chair.
>”What’s the matter, Anon? Scared of heights?”
>You grip the lift just a little tighter.
“N-no! It’s just that the seat is a little short! It was made for p0nies, not for humans!”
>Technically you’re correct. The seat is too small.
>But you’re mainly afraid of plummeting to your death.
>So you’re lying about the whole being afraid of heights thing.
>You don’t have time to correct yourself as Rainbow Dash nudges the precariously balanced lift.
>It swings gently in the air.
>You’re a reasonable man.
>Really, you are.
>But you do the only natural thing here.
>You freak out.
“JESUS CHRIST YOU FUCKING CANDY-ASS DYKE! ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME? I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW I HAVE 300 CONFIRMED KILLS YOU BLUE FEATHERY ASSHOLE!”
>You continue to scream obscenities at Rainbow Dash while she hovers on her back, laughing and clutching her sides.
>Your verbal tongue lashing makes the other p0nies blush and cover their ears.
>Fluttershy flutters over to you.
>”Oh my, Anon... Is swearing your fetish?”
“NIGGER BITCH CUNT ASS SHIT!”
>You’re a frothing pot of vitriol at this point.
>”I... I’ll take that as a no...”
>She thankfully leaves you alone.
>Thank Celestia for small mercies.
>You get off the lift high up the mountain and immediately start chasing after Rainbow Dash.
>You’d catch her too, if she wasn’t a flying coward.
>The rest of the girls congregate together to discuss plans.
>It’s even colder up here than it was down below, and Rainbow Dash lands to shiver in the snow with the rest of the p0nies.
>”Uh, hey... Rarity... Do you think you have a spare scarf I could borrow? I mean, it’s not cold or anything...” Rainbow asks.
>”Why of course, dear! I understand better than anyp0ny the importance of looking fashionable in the snow.”
>She levitates one of her many scarves over to Dash.
>”Heh, yeah... I, uh... I always dress in style.”
>”Would anyone else like one?”
>Rarity asks this while looking smugly at a certain orange p0ny who is shivering violently.
>”GOSH DARNIT RARITY, GIMME ONE O’ THEM BEWITCHED SCARVES ‘AFORE I TURN INTO AN APPLESICKLE!”
>Rarity grins as she levitates another scarf over to Applejack.
>”See? And all you had to do was ask nicely.”
>Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie also take the scarves.
>It turns out that the scarves are enchanted.
>They’re resistant to the cold.
>It’s not perfect, but it helps a lot.
>You decide against taking one.
>You’re plenty warm enough in your ski gear.
>Now that you’re at the top of the mountain you can finally get some skiing done.
>The girls get their apparel on.
>Weirdly enough you were able to get a snowboard that had foot clips.
>The girls were able to get special p0ny gear as well.
>Rainbow Dash opted for normal skis, while Applejack took your lead and got a snowboard.
>You’re eager to see how that will work.
>Rarity and Twilight also got skis.
>Fluttershy didn’t get anything.
>Pinkie Pie found a toboggan.
>You don’t think they even stock them here.
>Aaaaaand she’s gone.
>”WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...”
>She’s out of sight in seconds.
>”Hey! No fair! You got a headstart!”
>Rainbow Dash pumps her wings and uses them to speed off after Pinkie Pie.
>”Y’all ain’t gonna get the best o’ me!”
>Applejack takes off after Dash, two of her legs secured in the hoof clips on the board, and the other two crossed behind them.
>She looks amazingly casual as she wobbles down the slope at a relaxed speed.
>You certainly weren’t expecting her to snowboard like that.
>”Um... Rarity... I have a confession...” Twilight mumbles.
>”Yes, darling?”
>”I, uh... I can’t ski.”
>”Oh my! Darling, that’s nothing to be ashamed of! We all have to start somewhere. There are trainers here dedicated to showing girls like you everything they know! And I know I wouldn’t mind teaching those handsome hunks a thing or two that I know, also...”
>Rarity licks her marshmallow lips.
>What a slut champ.
>Twilight and Rarity leave in search of a skiing instructor.
>That leaves you with Fluttershy.
>”So, Anon... What do you want to...?”
>You’ve already taken off as fast as you can down the slope.
>She’s stuck with those slow wings of hers, so hopefully if you make good time you can outrun her.
>At the very least it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
>You haven’t had the chance to go snowboarding since you were on Earth!
>You speed down the mountain, weaving and snaking.
>You even take a couple of the jumps.
>You blast past p0nies and Alpacas left and right.
>They just weren’t built for speed like two legs were.
>You have the unique advantage of using gear that was actually designed for you.
>And it shows.
>You’re not pro or anything.
>You’re just in a different league.
>You reach the bottom of the slope and start panting.
>You haven’t experienced an adrenaline rush like that in a long time.
>You unclip yourself from your board and walk over to the ski lift.
>On the way you see Pinkie, Applejack and Dash.
>Dash flies over to you.
>”WHOA! That was totally buckin’ awesome, bro! How the heck did you learn how to do that?”
“It’s all part of being human, Dash.”
>”Man, I never knew humans were so awesome!”
>It feels good to be the big ape.
>And then Fluttershy turns up.
>She’s out of breath as well.
>”A-anon... You forgot about me!”
“Uh... Yeah. About that...”
>”You ready to go again, Anon? I wanna show you some stunts!” Rainbow Dash interjects.
>You eagerly accept her offer.
>You walk over to the ski lift again, making Dash promise not to rock the gondola this time.
>While waiting for the next lift you have the displeasure of being accosted by the lift attendant again.
>”Whoa, man! I saw you shredding those slopes like they were nothing! Those tricks were totally...”
“Don’t say it.”
>”Truckin’...”
“Please stop.”
>“Tubular.”
>You swing your snowboard with all the strength you can muster at his shaggy head.
>Your rage powered blow sends him spiralling through the air.
>He lands in a heap a few feet away in the snow.
>He recovers his senses after a few seconds.
>”Whoa... Gnarly ride...”
>Rainbow Dash has to hold you back until the lift arrives.
>It thankfully doesn’t take very long, and you remove yourself from the presence of the infuriating attendant.
>You get to the top of the slope and hear a scream.
>You spare a glance at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and run over to where it originated.
>When you arrive you see a group of fillies surrounding a p0ny that appears to be in trouble.
>Rarity is standing off to the side calmly and seductively talking to one of the alpacas.
>The p0ny in trouble appears to be none other than Twilight Sparkle, protégé of Princess Celestia herself, and the sole wielder of the element of magic.
>She has her face unceremoniously planted in the snow.
>She removes her head from its freezing prison and tries to stand on shaky legs.
>Behind her, an alpaca gives her some advice.
>”Okay, dudette... Just go steady now. Feel the snow beneath your hooves, man...”
>Twilight wobbles on her skis.
>She moves one pair of legs forward.
>The other pair shift back immediately in the other direction.
>She faceplants with a scream.
>And some people say she’s a Mary Sue.
>Rainbow Dash starts laughing, and you can’t help but laugh at her expense too.
>Rarity notices and stomps over to you.
>”How dare you laugh at Twilight! She’s getting the help she needs from the instructors!”
“But she’s awful!”
>”That isn’t how you support a friend! Now go away if you have nothing good to say!”
>You leave, giggling like schoolgirls the entire way to the slopes.
>”You should have seen that time she tried to go skating! She almost ended up tying her legs in knots!”
“Oh man! I wish I could have been there to see that!”
>You mosey on over to the piste and Rainbow gets her skis on.
>”Alright, you ready? Watch this!”
>She speeds off straight at a ramp, using her wings to power her descent.
>She shoots off the ramp into the air at breakneck speed.
>In the air she twirls, somersaults and does all the normal tricks she does without skis.
>Actually, it’s kind of underwhelming.
>You’ve seen all of these already.
>She flies back over to you without landing on the slope again.
>”Did you see that? Aren’t I an awesome skier?”
“Uh... Yeah. Except you weren’t really skiing. You were flying.”
>She blushes and sputters at your accusation.
>”F-fine! I’ll show you that I can ski without my wings!”
>She lines herself up on the ramp again and sets off slowly.
>You can see her wings twitching, trying to stabilise herself.
>Without their support she’s almost as shaky as Twilight.
>She slowly slides down the slope and gets to the ramp again.
>She hardly has any speed at all.
>She must be going 4 mph if that.
>She reaches the edge of the ramp.
>Her momentum is strong enough to just carry her to the edge of it.
>She teeters on the brink.
>”W-whoa-wha-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHhhh...”
>She falls over the edge, but without her wings she just falls.
>By the time she does extend them it’s too late.
>She’s tumbling down the hill, picking up snow as she goes.
>Just like a cartoon she accumulates more and more snow until she becomes a gigantic snowball with blue legs and skis.
>You collapse, laughing, trying to stop your sides from escaping your person.
“Oh god I can’t breathe! I’m gonna die from this one!”
>Fluttershy immediately plants her lips to yours.
>Her mouth to mouth resuscitation technique apparently involves quite a lot of tongue.
>You spit and sputter and push her away.
>”O-oh, too soon? Maybe I should have waited until you were closer to death...”
“Never do that to me again.”
>Now that Fluttershy has once again ruined the moment, you get on your snowboard and prepare to set off.
>You decide to go off the beaten path though – maybe you can lose Fluttershy in the trees.
>You weave in and out at a steady pace.
>You’re not about to break your neck over this.
>All of a sudden though you hear a yelp behind you.
>You turn just in time to see a familiar yellow and pink blur hurtling towards you.
>Fluttershy collides with you at speeds you weren’t even aware she was capable of.
>You assume that she was trying to go faster, since last time you eluded her.
>Unfortunately Fluttershys aren’t made to go fast.
>You two go tumbling down the slope together.
>You don’t fall well, and as you roll over you hear a pop from your shoulder.
>You cry out in pain as you feel your shoulder dislocate from its socket.
>But you don’t stop rolling.
>Down and down you tumble until you hit a tree.
>With a resonating thud your leg takes the impact like a pro.
>By that you mean it snaps like a twig.
>You scream long and loud, voicing your pain and frustration.
>This is all Fluttershy’s fault.
>She’s messed you up badly this time.
>”Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh I’m-“
>Fluttershy’s apologies are cut off by an ominous rumbling.
>The adrenaline in your body numbs the pain enough for you to get out some coherent thoughts.
“AVALANCHE!”
>Your exclamation seems to trigger Fluttershy’s protective instincts and she launches into action.
>She spots a cave not too far from where you landed.
>She immediately starts flapping her wings with all her strength, clutching onto your jacket.
>As soon as she starts to make any progress, you scream as she moves your leg.
>She doesn’t stop though.
>She realises that if she doesn’t get you to safety, you’re going to be in a much worse state anyway.
>You wave her off with your one good arm and undo the straps that are still fastening you to your board.
>You give her your arm, and she offers a hoof.
>You grasp it tightly.
>She pulls you across the white snow, leaving a trail of red in your wake.
>You look up the mountain to see the terrifying sight of a white cloud descending upon you.
>Like an angry banshee it closes in on you, its pearlescent jaws ravenous and eager to devour you whole.
>Fluttershy strains and struggles to pull you.
>You can see the veins stand out from under her fur.
>She’s trying as hard as she can to save you.
>You’re going to make it!
>She pulls you onto the stone floor of the tiny cave just before tons of snow rush past the entrance.
>The mouth of the cave quickly fills up, and your escape is blocked.
>Fluttershy keeps pulling you, running on reserves of strength she didn’t even know she had.
>She props you up against the wall of the cave.
>She’s still in emergency mode, and her next priority is to treat your wounds.
>She removes her scarf and immediately gets to work.
>”This is going to hurt. A lot.”
>You look down at your right leg.
>Creamy bone juts out of the angry wound.
>That’s a fresh femur compound fracture, and it’s bleeding badly.
>All you can do is nod quickly at Fluttershy.
>You grit your teeth for the oncoming wave of pain.
>Fluttershy places a hind leg on your chest and faces down your body.
>She grips your knee gently but firmly.
>Balancing on one leg and using her wings for stability, she pushes on your chest and extends your leg.
>Your nerves alight with fresh pain as the bone shifts in your flesh.
>Fluttershy pulls until the bone has been returned to its original position, the pushes down on it to reset it.
>The bone is now aligned.
>She wastes no time in hopping off you and wrapping the wound with her scarf.
>Immediately you can feel its warm magic spreading through your body.
>”It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I can do. Now let me see that shoulder.”
>It’s pretty obvious which one she’s talking about.
>Your left arm hangs limply at your side, and your right arm clutches your shoulder defensively.
>She approaches it with a manner that can only be described as professional.
>She must have treated hundreds of animals with injuries.
>She knows what she is doing.
>She takes a gentle grasp of your forearm and moves it slightly.
>The force is immediately transferred to your shoulder, and the nerves there transmit the pain directly to your brain.
>You wince and grit your teeth once more.
>”It’s a dislocation. Stay still for me. This will hurt, but not as much as your leg.”
>She turns and faces away from you.
>She’s perpendicular to your body, to the left of you.
>You can see what’s going to happen next.
>You tense up as she leans on her front legs and raises her hind ones.
>With a quick, clean buck she hits your shoulder dead on.
>It pops into place neatly.
>Fluttershy turns around and walks up to you.
>She places her forehooves on your chest and looks into your eyes.
>She stares at you with a look you’ve not seen on her before.
>Gone is the usual lust that clouds her face.
>Instead all you see is worry and concern.
>It’s slightly comforting to know you’re with somep0ny who is looking out for you.
>Even if she did cause this mess.
>She holds a hoof up to your forehead and counts under her breath.
>”It looks like you’re going to be fine. The bleeding has slowed and will stop soon.”
>She walks over to the mouth of the cave and removes some of the piled snow.
>She places it on your injured leg.
>Despite the scarf’s best attempts, the snow’s soothing coolness seeps through and calms your burning flesh.
“T-thank you, Fluttershy...”
>She nods to you, then practically collapses onto you.
>You catch her, even though your recently dislocated arm protests.
>She must be dead tired after that recent display of heroics.
>You place her next to you, with her head on your lap and stroke her mane.
>You place your head back against the wall of the cave and close your eyes.
>This is not how you envisioned your holiday would go.

>A little while later you decide that you have to wake Fluttershy.
>The snow on your leg has melted, and you’re starting to regain feeling in it again.
>You need another ice pack to keep it numb.
“Fluttershy? Fluttershy... Wake up.”
>You nudge her with a gloved hand.
>She stirs, albeit very slowly.
>She must still be exhausted.
>”Hmmm...? Anon?”
>You stroke her mane.
“Yeah, I’m here. I need some more snow.”
>”O-oh! Of course! Let me just...”
>She flaps her wings and gives a little sneeze.
>Is she coming down with a cold?
>She floats over to the entrance to the cave and picks up some more snow for you.
>She packs it gently around your leg.
>”Is that better?”
“Yeah. Much. Thank you.”
>”I-it’s no problem...”
>She hides behind your mane at your praise.
>You break eye contact with her.
>Despite all the help she’s given you, she’s still your stalker/rapist.
>Things are at best awkward between you.
>You take the time to really inspect the cave that you’re in.
>A single sliver of light is your only source of illumination here.
>It filters in through a hole near the ceiling above you.
>It’s nowhere near big enough to climb out of, and even if it were, you’re in no state to move.
>The rest of the cave is bland and featureless.
>Some old bones lie in one forgotten corner of the cave.
>This probably used to be a den for some kind of bear or other beast.
>There isn’t even any moss growing on the walls.
>It’s just smooth, dry, grey rock.
>Fluttershy sneezes again.
>It’s the least offensive sneeze you’ve ever heard.
>It’s cute.
>She sniffles a little.
>Then she looks like she has something to say.
>”I... I’m sorry about all this, Anon... This is my fault...”
“Well... Yes. Yes it is your fault. But it’s ok. We’re going to get out of this just fine, I’m sure.”
>She nods slightly at your encouragement, but has a rather morose expression on her face.
“I... I accept your apology, Fluttershy.”
>She gives a little smile at this.
>”You don’t hate me?”
“Not as much as I did a minute ago, no.”
>She still maintains her tiny smile.
“And... Thank you for treating my wounds.”
>”It’s the least I could do...”
>Awkward silence wiggles its way into the cave and sits between the two of you.
>It breaks out popcorn and chortles to itself as it watches the two of you struggle to find something to say.
“So...”
>”Well...”
>Ugh. You’re never good at talking to women.
>Or mares.
>Or rapists.
“What do you think the others are doing?”
>”Oh, well... Pinkie Pie is probably having fun with the alpacas...”
“Yeah, they seem like her kind of guys.”
>”Yeah, they apparently hold great parties.”
“Oh, she’d love that then.”
>”Yeah...”
>Awkward silence waves his friend, Terrible Conversation into the cave.
>He sits down next to you and scoots in close.
>”Dude, you’re awful at this!”
<“Shut up!”
>”Anon...”
“Yes, Fluttershy?”
>”Why don’t you like me?”
>You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose.
“Why are you asking this now, Fluttershy?”
>”W-well... We might not get out of this, and...”
“We will, Fluttershy. You have to be optimistic about these things.”
>She winces and flinches at your words.
>”Y-yeah...”
>She looks more dejected than ever.
>You sigh once more.
“Okay, well let’s look at the facts shall we? You stalk me constantly.”
>”I want to get to know you better!”
“You’re hella creepy.”
>”I just want to show my love for you!”
“You smell like a zoo.”
>”I... I can’t blame you for that one.”
“And all you do is try to get my dick!”
>”But you’re r-really handsome...”
>You sigh once more, this time with frustration.
“You just don’t get it! That stuff isn’t attractive! I never asked for you to do all those things! You never even tried to act normal!”
>She sits and looks at the floor.
>She looks genuinely pensive as she mulls over your words.
>A few seconds pass and she finally decides to speak up.
>”Anon... If we m-make it out of here... C-c-could we g-g-go on a d-d-date...?”
>She’s shaking with nervousness.
“Don’t talk like that, Fluttershy. We’ll get out of here. It’s just a matter of time before our friends come looking for us.”
>”C-c-could we...?”
“... Yes.”
>”Yay.”
>You get a small smile of your own on your face.
>You just got a date with a model.

>More time passes as you wait in the cave for rescue.
>You don’t talk to Fluttershy much, and she keeps to herself.
>She seems to have taken it to heart finally that she shouldn’t be trying to sniff your crotch all the time.
>All you can do is watch the sunbeam as it makes its slow journey across the cave.
>It started in the center when you got in here.
>Now it has made its way over to the far wall.
>It’s also getting dimmer, and a little bit colder.
>It must be nearing sunset.
>Fluttershy sneezes again.
>”Anon... I don’t think the girls are going to find us...”
“Fluttershy, I told you. We’ve just got to be optimistic. We can’t dig out all that snow, but the girls will find a way.”
>”I know... But...”
>Fluttershy gets a very guilty look on her face.
“What’s wrong, Fluttershy?”
>”Well I might have... t-told Rarity... That we were going to the cabin for some private times... And that we may end up going to the hot springs...”
“YOU DID WHAT?!”
>”I t-thought that once I caught you, I c-c-c-could do someth-th-thing romant-t-tic!”
“GODDAMMIT, FLUTTERSHY!”
>The hot springs are on the other side of the mountain.
>If Rarity follows Fluttershy’s last instructions, they’ll be searching around there for hours before they decide to search the rest of the mountain.
>And even then, they’ll have no idea where you went.
>It could take them days to comb the place.
>Your rage knows no bounds.
“THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, FLUTTERSHY! IF YOU HADN’T BROUGHT US HERE, I’D BE HAPPY IN MY HOME, SIPPING ON SOME COOL CIDER INSTEAD OF BEING STUCK IN THIS STUPID CAVE WITH YOU! I HATE YOU! THANKS TO YOU I’LL NEVER SEE MY FRIENDS AGAIN! I’LL NEVER SEE APPLEJACK, OR PINKIE OR DASH OR RARITY OR TWILIGHT!”
>Your temper tantrum is over, but you don’t feel much better.
>Fluttershy simply sits away from you hanging her head in shame.
>You turn your head away from her.
>You hear her sobbing.
>You don’t do anything about it.
>The two of you sit in silence as the last of the sun’s rays fade from the cave.

>A little later, your leg starts to ache again.
>The snow has melted, despite the temperature in the cave dropping several degrees.
>That scarf of Rarity’s is really something.
>You’re determined not to ask Fluttershy for help, but you don’t really have a choice.
>You turn to face her.
>Immediately your anger is replaced with concern.
>In the thin moonlight of the cave, Fluttershy is pale.
>She shivers and sniffles constantly on the hard rock floor of the cave.
>She doesn’t look well.
“Fluttershy?”
>She doesn’t answer.
“FLUTTERSHY.”
>”...”
“FLUTTERSHY!”
>Her eyelids flutter open wearily.
>”S-so... C-c-cold...”
>Her teeth chatter as she speaks.
>Without the scarf that she gave to you, she must be freezing.
>You immediately open your jacket.
“Fluttershy! Get over here! Now!”
>In a half-dream-like state, she staggers over to you.
>As soon as she’s close enough you scoop her up and place her next to your chest.
>She’s absolutely ice cold.
>You zip up your jacket and hug her close.
>She shivers violently, even though she’s close to your warmth.
>”I’m... s-s-s-sorry...”
“It’s ok, Fluttershy. I’m ok.”
>She’s delirious.
>All that time without the scarf must have given her hypothermia.
>If only you hadn’t taken her scarf...
>Or if you had offered to share your body heat with her...
>But you were so angry!
>Dammit!
>You’re completely useless right now!
>You can’t repay Fluttershy for her kindness, even though she helped treat your wounds earlier.
>You can’t get up and dig your way out.
>You can’t get a fire going.
>You don’t even have any water on you.
>All you can do is hug her close.
>What you estimate as an hour passes.
>Fluttershy’s shivering hasn’t decreased in its intensity.
>She’s still chilled to her core. Your body heat isn’t enough.
>There’s only one thing you can do.
>Even though it hurts, you remove the blood soaked scarf from your leg.
>The pain from moving your shattered bone lances through your brain, but you carry on.
>You wrap the scarf around Fluttershy’s neck.
>It’s the least you could do.
>You stroke her mane.
>She smiles slightly in her blissful sleep.
>You hope that this works.
>You drift off to an icy sleep.

>You wake up to the sound of coughing and sneezing.
>Fluttershy is thrashing on your chest.
>”Can’t... Breathe...”
>You unzip your jacket and let her out.
>She’s still really cold.
>She gets out onto all fours and starts hacking up mucus.
“Fluttershy!”
>”I’m... okay...”
“No, you’re not! Get back in here!”
>She coughs and splutters.
>Her coughing fit passes, but her voice is now raspy.
>She stands on wobbly legs in front of you.
>”Anon... You’re an omnivore, right...?”
“Don’t you even go there, Fluttershy.”
>”I think... I think I have hypothermia...”
“Yes, but we can get through it.”
>”No... It’s in my lungs... I can feel it...”
>She coughs again, and this time it launches her into another fit that is even more violent than the last.
>”Eat me...”
“Never!”
>”We don’t know how long it’ll take, Anon... I’d rather you get out of this than us both dying...”
>Your stomach growls and rumbles at the thought of meat.
>It sickens you.
“We can both get out of this, Fluttershy, you’ll see-“
>”NO!”
>You’re taken aback by her sudden show of strength.
>”This... This is my fault... I want you to live, Anon... I don’t want you to hate me...”
>She throws the scarf at you and runs over to the other side of the cave.
>She collapses on her side when she reaches it, and you can see her chest heave up and down with her laboured breathing.
>Her tongue lolls out of her mouth, and her eyes are unfocused.
>”Anon... I... Love... You...”
>The horrible, wheezing noise of her breaths become quieter and less frequent.
>You scream at her to come back to you.
>You could fix this!
>The scarf could fix this!
>But instead you’re forced to watch as she expires before your very eyes.
>She breathes her last and then is still.
>Now you’re alone in this cave.
>You never realise how much you care for something until it’s gone.

>It isn’t until the moon is at its apex that your tears stop flowing.
>You wrap the scarf around your leg once more.
>It’s still excruciating to do so, but you don’t have a choice.
>Then, when it’s finally bandaged up, you start the slow process of moving yourself.
>Using your arms you push yourself up off the floor.
>Then you swing yourself around slightly, using the ankle of your wounded leg as the pivot point.
>It takes a long time, but eventually you turn yourself 180 degrees.
>From your new position you pull yourself over to Fluttershy.
>It’s gruelling and tiring, but you know you need to do it.
>For her.
>The moonlight shines on her soft face.
>Even though she’s passed on she looks so at peace.
>You can’t help but stroke her mane one last time.
>Your stomach growls cruelly.
>Could you really be considering eating your friend?
>Even if she was a herbivore.
>A different species.
>And it was her dying wish...
>You can’t defile her like this...
>But at the same time, your primal instincts roar at you to eat.
>To eat the meat in front of you.
>Almost unconsciously your hands reach out for her leg.
>It’s cold, but it’s still plush and pliant.
>After all that has happened today, you’re too emotionally drained to fight anymore.
>You fought Fluttershy.
>You fought the snow.
>And now you have to fight yourself.
>You don’t have any strength left.
>Your teeth sink into her tender flesh.
>Salty, coppery blood fills your mouth as you bite through her skin.
>Your teeth do what millions of years of evolution has honed them to do.
>They bite through tendon and muscle alike.
>The taste of meat spreads across your tongue, setting your taste buds alight with ecstasy.
>It tastes good.
>Fluttershy tastes good.
>You bite once more.
>You give over to your base instincts.
>You’re too far gone now.
>You munch and gnaw and tear and rip until you reach the bone.
>You gorge yourself on her sweet flesh until there is no more for you to strip.
>You consider eating more.
>You don’t think you can.
>Not because it’s immoral.
>But because you’re full.
>You look down at yourself.
>You’re coated in blood.
>Fluttershy’s blood.
>What have you become...?
>Your tears carve streams through the sanguine fluid that paints your face.
>The worst part is...
>You should feel guilty.

>You sit.
>There’s nothing else to do.
>You sit and sit.
>Gone is your only form of conversation.
>Gone is your nurse.
>Gone is your friend.
>Your leg pulses painfully.
>You got some sleep, just about.
>But then the sunlight shone on your face.
>Another day in the cave.
>You wonder how the other p0nies are doing.
>You wonder if they miss you.
>You wonder if they miss Fluttershy.
>You wonder what’s happening in Canterlot.
>Discord was sealed thanks to the combined efforts of the mane six.
>Now that one of them is dead, what does that mean?
>Does friendship extend past the grave?
>Is he free?
>You may never find out.
>And so with nothing else to speculate on, you sit.
>You sit and wait.
>The sunbeam makes its daily rounds again...
>It comes to fall on Fluttershy again, when it gets blocked by something.
>Your initial, pessimistic thought is that another avalanche has finally decided to take away your one source of fresh air and sunlight.
>But then the object moves.
>You quickly put the pieces together.
“HEY! DOWN HERE! I’M TRAPPED!”
>”Girls! We found them!”
>That’s Twilight’s voice!
>You hear the sound of many hoofsteps on snow, then the muffled chime of magic.
>A purple circle appears on the snow blocking the mouth of the cave.
>It melts to reveal a tunnel carved out by your magical friend Twilight.
“TWILIGHT! I’M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!”
>You hold up your arms for a hug.
>Twilight gallops over to you, and embraces you tightly.
>You cry into her shoulder.
“I thought I was going to die here...”
>”It’s alright, Anon. We’re here now.”
>Twilight seems unfazed by the blood that coats almost every inch of your clothing now.
>You bury yourself in her comforting mane.
>You sob unabashedly into her coat.
>”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”
>Rarity screams as she witnesses the gruesome sight next to you.
>The rest of the girls enter the cave and are in similar states of shock when they see Fluttershy’s corpse.
>”What... WHAT THE HAY HAPPENED HERE, ANON?”
“I had to... I had to...”
>You chant your mantra into Twilight’s mane.
>”Did... Did you eat her?!” Applejack accuses you.
“I had to... She told me to...”
>”That’s... How could you...?” Pinkie says in tears.
>”When we get back to Ponyville I’m calling the guard!“ Rarity shouts.
>”Girls! Anon is hurt! We need to get him to a hospital!”
>Applejack is the only one who makes a move towards you.
>”Y-yeah. Of course...”
>Twilight levitates you onto Applejack’s back.
>It’s not comfortable, but it’ll have to do.
>You can tell from the way that Applejack flinches when you touch her back that she doesn’t trust you.
>And that’s understandable.
>You get to the ski resort and receive medical attention.
>Soon your leg is in plaster, and you’re lying in a soft bed instead of a hard stone floor.
>Twilight is the only one who decided to stay with you.
>You don’t think you deserve her.
“So how did you find me?”
>”It was Rarity’s scarf. I had to scan the mountain for any signs of unicorn magic. I knew I’d find Fluttershy at least, and...”
>She can’t hold it in anymore.
>She breaks down in tears.
>”Why...? What happened in there, Anon? Why did this happen?”
>You explain as best you can what happened in the cave.
>How Fluttershy was nothing but helpful to you, and you shunned her.
>How your anger and bitterness caused her death.
>”It’s... it’s not your fault... From the sounds of it, it’s what she wanted...”
“Yeah... But it doesn’t make me feel much better.”
>The funeral was beautiful.
>Closed casket, of course.
>Turns out Discord wasn’t released.
>For a while you stayed at home, drinking and mourning.
>Your days weren’t the same without a kick start from that knock on the door.
>Rarity won’t have anything to do with you.
>Rainbow Dash only visits you out of courtesy.
>Applejack lets you work, but things just aren’t the same.
>Pinkie was surprisingly resilient about the whole thing.
>You have a feeling she was putting on a brave face for her friends.
>She organised a “Fallen Friends” party.
>You turned up, but left early.
>So you sit in your house.
>And sit.
>And sit.
>You’re not sure if you should have even bothered leaving the cave.
>” I want you to live, Anon... I don’t want you to hate me...”
>Her words echo in your head as your mind betrays you and replays that fateful scene over and over.
>And then you get a wonderful idea.
>You get up, do your morning routine.
>Shit, shower, shave.
>By hell did you need that shave.
>You get on your clothes and stride out into the bright sunshine.
>It burns you slightly, but it’s a good pain.
>It’s the pain of getting used to life.
>Life is pain in many ways.
>And you won’t let Fluttershy’s pain be in vain.
>You walk an unfamiliar path today.
>After a short walk you reach your destination.
>Fluttershy’s cottage lies abandoned.
>You open the door with the key under her mat.
>You’re greeted by the scampering of feet and the flapping of frightened wings.
>All except one mouse who crawls for his life on the carpet in the middle of the room.
>You walk over to the injured mouse.
>His hind leg is broken.
>You gently pick him up and place him on the palm of your hand.
>He shivers in fear as your gargantuan stature looms over him.
“Hey there, little guy.  Don’t be scared.”
>You use a single finger to stroke the top of his head.
>He calms down slightly.
“It’s ok. It’s ok. I’m here to help. I’m going to be your new caretaker.”
>It’s the least you could do.

END