Disclaimer: I do not own, My little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The story you are about to read is hardly true and the names have not been changed despite the fact that Fluttershy is so freakishly innocent.
Sleeping with the Ghosties
By: GWFan (The Softcore Brony)
On a day like this, anypony might busy themselves with everyday activities like shopping, gardening, or maybe even a little R&R. When the sun was shining like this, and the birds were singing their merry songs, and flowers were blooming as beautifully as they always did in spring, everypony would usually go along their merry way. This would have been a normal, beautiful day in Ponyville for anypony. Anypony except for Fluttershy, especially when a looming shadow had appeared over the yellow pegasus's head.
Fluttershy yelped and galloped off, determined to get away from the menacing thing in the air. The shadow followed her, copying her every move, around trees, through patches of flowers, and over a bridge, and still Fluttershy galloped on. It wouldn't leave her alone. It seemed determined to get her. Finally, Fluttershy hid behind a large rock, covered her eyes, and waited for the shadow to pass by. Then she felt it touch her shoulder and she screamed.
"Jeez Fluttershy. Can't I even drop in to say hello without you freaking out?" a familiar voice said.
Fluttershy ceased her screaming and looked at her would-be attacker. "Oh. Rainbow Dash, it's you."
"Yeah. Hi to you too," Rainbow Dash said a little annoyed.
"I'm sorry." Fluttershy looked at the ground. "I saw your shadow and I guess I just assumed it was something scary."
"When do you not assume something is scary?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Seriously Fluttershy, you can't go through life being scared of every little thing that pops out of the ground."
"I'm not scared of anything that pops out of the ground." Just as she finished her sentence, Fluttershy felt something touch the back of her hoof. She squealed and jumped away. She turned around only to find that a stray blade of grass had brushed against her in the light wind. She turned an embarrassed smile to Rainbow Dash who simply raised an eyebrow knowingly.
"See, this is exactly what I mean. You need to toughen up."
"But I've never lifted weights before. And they're so heavy," Fluttershy protested.
"Not like that!" Rainbow Dash said in exasperation. "I mean you need to learn how to not be so afraid. You need to learn to be brave. You need to learn… something." Rainbow would have berated her friend further except that she took notice of their shadows moving with the sun. It was getting late and she had somewhere to be. "Look, I just came to tell everypony that the pegasi are going to make a storm in a few days. Anyway, I need to get going. I sort of forgot to pick up some new parts for the cloud boilers. I'm already late as it is. See you later." With that, the cyan pegasus flew off like a rocket, leaving Fluttershy to think about what she had said.
"She's right," Fluttershy said after Rainbow Dash had gone. "But how can I learn to be brave? Where would I learn something like that? What would Twilight do?" Fluttershy thought about her book smart friend. Twilight knew all kinds of things but if she wanted to learn something new then she would probably read a book. A book. Thinking about it, that actually wasn't a bad idea. Smiling to herself, Fluttershy galloped off to the one place she knew she could find just that kind of book.
Twilight Sparkle's horn glowed like a red flare as she placed the last of the books back on the bookshelf. "See, I told you Spike. I'm perfectly capable of organizing all these books without your help." She turned around, but the baby dragon was nowhere to be seen. "Spike?" He wasn't in his basket sleeping and wasn't in the kitchen eating. He didn't seem to be anywhere. Then something dawned on her. "Spike, did you dare me to organize the library just so you could slack off?" No answer. Apparently, Spike had snuck away somewhere. "Not bad. He really got me good," Twilight grumbled to herself. She didn't know how she could be so foolish sometimes.
Abruptly, she heard a knock on the door. Sighing to herself about Spike apparently tricking her, she answered the door. Standing outside, seemingly impatiently, was Fluttershy.
"Hi Twilight," Fluttershy said rather quickly.
"Oh, hey Flutter… shy?" Fluttershy walked past Twilight without waiting to be invited in. Twilight turned around to see her searching through the bookshelves, picking up books, and tossing them behind her. Well, that wasn't like Fluttershy at all.
"Can I help you with something?" Twilight asked, feeling just a little annoyed.
"Oh, no. Thank you. I'm just browsing," Fluttershy answered, barely pausing from throwing books around.
"Clearly." The books were piling up and still Fluttershy didn't seem to have found whatever it was she was looking for. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"
Fluttershy didn't answer. Instead, she stopped with a book in her hooves. She looked rather mesmerized. Then she turned and held the book out for Twilight to see. "Um, if it isn't too much trouble, can I borrow this?"
Twilight scanned the title of the book briefly. "Ghost stories?" she read aloud. It seemed like a rather odd choice, but the jovial expression on Fluttershy's face seemed to indicate that it was exactly what she had come for. Twilight couldn't help but smile. "Of course you can. This is a library after all."
Fluttershy hugged the book and put it in a bag. "Thanks Twilight. You're the best."
"I am?" Before Twilight could say anything further, Fluttershy darted out the door. "You're welcome!" Twilight shouted out the door after her. With a satisfied smile, she turned back to the inner sanctum of the room. Her smile turned to a frown as she surveyed the pile of books Fluttershy had left there in search of her one book. Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. "You're very welcome." With that, she started organizing the books all over again.
Back at her cottage, Fluttershy beheld the book in her hooves. Ghost Stories. What better way could she get braver than by reading ghost stories? Ghost stories of course were very, very scary, so if she learned to brave their pages, she would have an idea of how to brave other scary things, like insurance salesponies.
Fluttershy sat down in her favorite reading chair with a cup of her favorite tea and opened the book to the first page. She very nearly dropped her teacup. There was a very realistic illustration of some kind of phantom on that page. Fluttershy laughed nervously, realizing how silly she was being. It was just a picture somepony had drawn after all. Ghosts weren't real.
Fluttershy turned to the next page and beheld the title of the first story in the book: The Pony Who Wasn't There. Fluttershy took a careful sip of her tea. It was a very good title. Very strong. Very scary.
"No," Fluttershy said to herself. "I'm reading this so I won't be so scared. Come on Fluttershy. It's just a story." After slowly reassuring herself, Fluttershy took another sip of tea and started reading aloud.
"A young pony walked the forest path alone. She'd been separated from her friends and lost her way. Tree branches scratched against one another like a monster cat sharpening its claws." Fluttershy jumped as the tree outside waved in the wind and scratched against the window. She breathed in once slowly. It was just a tree.
"The wind howled and the little pony could feel droplets of rain begin to splatter on her back. But looking at the sky, she saw nothing, not even the stars. The little pony was afraid, but still walked on. She had to find her way out. She had to find her way back to her friends." Fluttershy stopped when she heard a creaking noise come from somewhere. She reassured herself that it must have been her bunny, Angel, and continued reading.
"The rain grew harder and heavier. Feeling hungry and cold, the little pony took refuge under a tree. At that moment, she heard a feint sound. It sounded like some pony's hooves crunching the dead leaves of the forest floor. The little pony looked into the darkness but saw nothing. Then she heard it again, the sound of hooves walking over leaves. But this time, it sounded closer." Fluttershy gulped. She listened for a moment and almost thought she heard the sound of leaves but maybe that was just the chickens outside.
"The rain grew heavier, and again, the little pony heard the sound of hooves on leaves, slowly growing closer and closer." Fluttershy jumped out of her chair when she heard something bounce down the stairs. But it was only Angel. Fluttershy felt her heart beat as she climbed back into the chair. "I have to finish this," Fluttershy told herself. "I just have to keep reading until I'm not scared anymore." She looked carefully around the room, feeling like a presence other than Angel was looking at her. "I'll read every story in here if I have too, until I'm not scared anymore." With another nervous sip of tea, she continued the story, her eyes growing larger and larger as the unknown hoof sounds in the story grew closer and closer to the little pony.
"Come on Applejack. It won't be that bad." Twilight Sparkle tried to encourage the other pony, but Applejack wouldn't quicken her pace. Earlier that morning there had been few chores to accomplish at Sweet Apple Acres, what with the big apple bucking harvest finished the week before, so Applejack had gone to Twilight's after the purple unicorn had invited her over for a relaxing day off. However, she arrived to find that Twilight and Pinkie Pie had planned a day at the spa, of which the aforementioned ponies were slowly dragging Applejack to their intended location.
"I don't know Twi. I'm a workin' pony. I don't really have much use for gettin' all gussied up. And I don't even like it anyways. I mean really, do I look like Rarity to you?"
"Hi Rarity!" Pinkie Pie suddenly blurted.
"Oh ha, ha. Very funny Pinkie Pie." Applejack rolled her eyes but decided to make the best of the gag and started walking in an imitation of Rarity. "Oh my, I can't get any mud on me. It's filthy and dirty and un-lady like. Why, I might chip a hoof in all that dirt. Boo hoo."
Pinkie Pie giggled. "Wow. That was a great impression of Rarity. Don't you think so Rarity?"
Abruptly Applejack was aware of a new pair of eyes on her. They had already reached the entrance of the spa where a familiar white unicorn currently stood. "Oh uh… howdy Rarity." Applejack smiled as best she could at the irritated expression on Rarity's face. "You know, I was just thinking that uh… farm life really ain't for me and that um… I'd really like to try bein' a well mannered and uh… well groomed and um… very beautiful lady like you."
Applejack's face couldn't have held a larger smile. Rarity's expression didn't change so much as a twitch as she spoke harshly, "I'm going to ignore that, since I am a lady and very generous." Rarity bared her teeth as she emphasized her namesake element. Applejack somehow managed to smile even larger as sweat started to form on her face.
"So Rarity, I imagine that it must be your spa day with Fluttershy?" Twilight spoke up, trying to break the awkward moment.
Rarity gave Applejack one last glare before turning to Twilight with a more solemn expression. "About that, Fluttershy didn't show today. She never misses and she's almost never late so I was actually getting a bit worried. I even skipped the massage." She held her hoof over her forehead dramatically. Knowing her, it probably wasn't an act. "I haven't seen her in days. I was just thinking of checking to see if she's still home. Have you girls seen her lately?"
"Now that you mention it, I sure haven't," Applejack thought aloud.
"She came to visit the other day, but I haven't seen her since," Twilight confirmed.
They all turned their eyes to Pinkie who was rubbing her chin methodically. "Let's see, I saw Fluttershy last month, and I saw her a few weeks ago this month, I saw her last week… uh…" Pinkie Pie paused for a few moments before sputtering with her usual smile, "Nope! I haven't seen her since last week."
"Do you think she's all right?" Rarity worried. "You don't think she's sick or hurt or anything, do you?"
"Come on, let's high tale it over to Fluttershy's house and find out," Applejack commanded and they all took off galloping in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage.
"This is all my fault. I've been so busy at my boutique lately that I haven't paid her a visit in sooooo long," Rarity moaned, feeling guilty.
"It's no ponies' fault, Rarity," Twilight tried to comfort the other unicorn. "Besides, we don't know for certain that anything is even wrong with Fluttershy. Maybe she had to nurse a sick animal and just lost track of time."
The four ponies were nearing the cottage when Applejack posed a question. "Hey Twilight, it sounds to me like you were the last one to see her recently. Did she do or say anything strange while she was at your place?"
"Well, she showed up suddenly and started throwing books around right after I organized them. Come to think of it, she wanted to borrow one of the library books. I think it was one about ghost stories."
Applejack, who had a bit of a lead on the others, stopped suddenly and everyone crashed into her. They picked themselves up quickly as Applejack spoke up. "Wait. Ghost stories?" She turned her head around to look at Twilight questioningly. "That don't sound right. Are you sure it wasn't some other pony named Fluttershy who wanted to borrow that book?"
Before Twilight could answer, she was startled by Pinkie Pie's sudden gasp. "Another pony named Fluttershy that I don't know about? But I know everypony in Ponyville." Then as suddenly as she had started, Pinkie Pie gasped a second time. "Wait! You don't suppose…" She shifted her eyes around as if looking for an eavesdropper. Then she looked at each of her friends and said in a lowered menacing voice, "It's Fluttershy's evil twin." The announcement brought a brief silence to the group as stares of bewilderment focused on Pinkie Pie. They could have sworn that they saw lighting and heard thunder when Pinkie Pie had said it.
"Evil twin," Twilight repeated.
"Evil twin." More thunder and lighting as Pinkie nodded with a very serious look on her face.
"Uh, Pinkie Pie, I'm pretty sure it wasn't some evil twin," Twilight said with a bit of a concerned look on her face. She should have been used to Pinkie Pie's odd solutions by now, but still, everyday, like clockwork, Pinkie's personality continued to amaze Twilight Sparkle.
They had reached Fluttershy's door. Applejack reached up to knock as she said, "Seriously, I'm pretty sure there ain't no such thing as evil twins." A few moments later, the door creaked open slowly. Feeling a bit uneasy after Pinkie Pie's ridiculous statement, Applejack lowered her voice and quietly asked, "Fluttershy? Anypony in there?"
As if on command, a figure appeared in the doorway. Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity screamed. A horrible figure, wearing a white bed sheet and baring a disheveled pink mane and enormous blood red, baggy eyes, greeted them silently. It somewhat resembled Fluttershy.
"Evil twin," Pinkie Pie repeated menacingly as thunder and lighting struck somewhere behind her.
"H-h-hello?" the figure said almost inaudibly.
"F-fluttershy? Is that you?" Twilight said in almost a squeak.
"H-hi," Fluttershy said, just as inaudibly as before. Her face was very blank as if she wasn't sure what emotion she should be feeling at the moment.
"That barely above a whisper voice. Fluttershy it is you," Rarity said with a bit of relief. "Oh my, what happened to you? You look awful."
Though her expression didn't change much, Fluttershy offered a weaker reply than usual. "I haven't slept in three days."
"Well shoot. No wonder you look like the ghost of Hearth's Warming yet to come," Applejack commented, looking her square in the eyes.
Fluttershy made a tiny squeaking noise and whispered, "Ghost!" How anypony could whisper an exclamation was a great mystery, but if anypony could do it, it was Fluttershy.
"Applejack!" Rarity scolded the other pony. Then she pushed back the bed sheet that Fluttershy was using like a hood and started to straighten her mane with a hoof. "There, there, it's not so bad. All you need is a little trim, a little primp-" Rarity squealed in fright as Fluttershy's gnarled mane resisted the combing and sprang back out of place. Rarity smiled nervously. "Maybe a little conditioner…" Then she took a better look at Fluttershy's drooping, gloomy face. "Some moisturizer…." But one long look at Fluttershy's red eyes was the last that Rarity could take. "Good heavens darling, you need a makeover, and stat."
Fluttershy groaned and fell back on her haunches. "Oh my gosh. Was today our spa day? I'm sorry." The poor Pegasus looked about ready to cry.
"I don't think primping and makeup is what you really need right now. If you've been up for so long, you should really just get some sleep," Twilight suggested.
Fluttershy's eyes widened and she looked positively terrified. "Sleep? No. No, I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I want to sleep… Oh but I can't… I mean I really do want to sleep, but I can't. I'm afraid I'll have more nightmares." Fluttershy stared at the ground, embarrassed that she had developed a brand new fear.
"Nightmares? Why do you think you'll have night…?" Then Twilight remembered why Fluttershy had come to the library the other day. "Don't tell me reading all those ghost stories gave you nightmares?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I wanted to get braver and I thought reading them might help. I ended up reading the whole thing." She produced the horrifying book in question. "And now I can't sleep because I keep dreaming about ghosts and phantoms and other scary things."
"Well, having nightmares is a part of overcoming your fears. If you face them, you might get braver too," Twilight suggested.
"I sort of thought you'd say something like that," Fluttershy said with a sigh. "But even if I wanted to, I can't seem to fall asleep."
"Well then we'll just have to help ya fall asleep," Applejack decided. "We can't help ya with your nightmare problem but the sleepin' part aught to be easy, specially if you're as tired as you look."
"I don't know. I'm still too afraid to fall asleep."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh!" Pinkie Pie waved her hoof frantically in the air. "I know what to do for that. Meet me at Sugarcube Corner in one hour." With that, she galloped off.
"Right." Applejack watched her leave with concern. "Well, we should just leave her to whatever it is she's gonna do. In the meantime I know exactly how to help you fall asleep."
"What's that?" Fluttershy asked.
"Come on. Let's go back to my house." Applejack led the way with the other three ponies behind her, one of them a bit more slowly and looking rather ghastly.