"Morning Fluttershy, I just thought I'd come over. You were really scared the other day, so I came to check on you," Light Steve said as Fluttershy lets him into her cottage.

"Hey, yeah I'm okay. Thank you for coming..."

"You okay? You sound quiet- You're usually quiet, but this is too quiet, even for you. Are you sure you're doing okay?" Light Steve asked. The steve and pegasus sits next to each other on the wide seat Discord usually sits on, the one that's closest to the window at the other end of the college.

"Discord said he'd see me in a few days after trying to figure out this situation. His quietness is making me more worried for him. It isn't like him to go this long without saying anything," Fluttershy murmured, looking away from Light Steve, looking at the floor.

"I understand... especially- Especially after yesterday. Them two guards I lost, I knew them for a long time. I felt like I had let them down. So, I... I been trying to help others by doing extra shifts of duty. I feel guilty I let that happen to them."

"It wasn't your fault, Light. What happened there... not even Professor Red expected it. But without you as well as Shining... everypony would've struggled against the... d- Demons," Fluttershy reassured, looking back up to Light Steve.

"Thanks, makes me feel slightly better," Light Steve responded back whilst nodding.

"I'm also worried for Applejack. Rainbow was telling me about what happened and- It can't be her alone right- I- So much things is happening and it's overwhelming!" Fluttershy looks down and puts her forehooves over her head and screams. Light Steve shuffles up pats the yellow pegasus with his left hand.

"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. We've got multiple people and ponies working on this. This anarchy will end, I promise you."

"I- I just needed to scream, sorry..." Fluttershy apologized.

"Don't worry about it, I'd have probably would've done too," Light Steve said with a warm chuckle.

"Also, that one time you said when you performed on stage with Rarity, Big Mac and that... if that was me and I was still Shy Orange Steve, I wouldn't of even turned up. You done better there than I would've done. I was shy just like you-Maybe not as shy as you, but I overcame my shyness, and I will help you overcome yours," Light Steve said firmly, his voice sounding full of determination.

"I... I just don't know how to. I just seem to be the weakest at everything. Against everything we had to face, from Nightmare Moon long ago, to more recently the Demon Steves. I can't do anything, I just feel useless. Everybody seems they can do everything, even without me-"

"Stop it there right now! I ain't even letting you finish that!" Light Steve exclaimed. Fluttershy jumped at Light Steve's very sudden interruption.

"Where would your friends be without you, old and new? Nowhere. Would Discord of changed his ways without you? No. Plus, in everything you went up against, your friends couldn't of won without you. These are overwhelming times, but you can't let it get to you Fluttershy- That's the problem we need to work on, not letting things get to you so easily."

"Yeah, you're right... I do let things overwhelm me too easily... like I had let my bullies do to me too," Fluttershy sighed.

"It sounds like you've been struggling with these problems for a while now, huh," Light Steve stated. Fluttershy nodded.

"I got... better, I owe everything to my friends for it... but it's still difficult... I'm always scared that something bad will happen..." Fluttershy wept, looking away from Light Steve.

"You been struggling for... how long?" Light Steve is a bit shocked. He always thought Fluttershy is always a happy pegasus, and just being all-round kind. He knew Fluttershy had some issues with socializing, confidence, self-esteem, but he never knew she was and still is suffering this bad.

"It's been a life long issue, I... I got better though, thanks to my amazing friends. Before I met them, I... I could barely mention my name to somepony. I'm very fortunate to have friends like you, Rainbow and so on. Not everybody who suffers the same thing are as lucky as I am," Fluttershy replied, wiping her eyes with her forehooves.

"I think I may know where to start. Maybe speak to Derpy about it. You two have had rough beginnings. So maybe that'll help the pair of you," Light Steve suggested to Fluttershy.

"You're right, but... she won't be comfortable about talking about it. Then... what if everypony judges me? Derpy has been through worse than I have and-"

"That's what it is, fear of being judged. From what I'm gathering... you're scared to ask for help as you fear of being judged, and then you let these issues overwhelm you. This then causes more things like fear or talking and so on, because you fear of being judged. I don't mean to sound degrading when I say this, but... not much seems to of been done about this. You've got the friends to back you up, but the issue itself hasn't been fixed, if you get what I mean- Not denouncing Twilight and that, but you still have that bit of fear in you," Light Steve explained his perspective on everything Fluttershy explained to him. He speaks everything the way he perceived what he was told, and he is spot on.

"You- You underst- Understood what I- I'm finding hard- You understood?"

"Yes, because as I said many times, I was once very shy- Maybe not your levels of shy, but I get where you're coming from," Light Steve replied. He used to be like Fluttershy in a way, when he was Shy Orange Steve. Fluttershy sounds like she's been struggling for a long time, mostly on her own, and most likely longer than him at a more serious degree.

"How did y- How did you overcame it?" Fluttershy asked.

"Back when the darkness was still the biggest problem. While trying to get the crystals to create the third hero, we came up with something temporary. Some steves volunteered to lend their energy to create a crystal, the Light Crystal. I volunteered, I wanted to do something good. When the Crystal was infused with me, it made me lose most emotions. But as time went by, my emotions started coming back and I realized I have beaten my shyness," Light Steve explained. He remembers being put in that machine, and the steves that helped him be where he is now. Light Steve is determined to help Fluttershy to the best of his ability.

"You don't need to do something... heroic, to overcome it. You must do what you need to do to overcome it. I needed to do that to overcome my shyness. I can give you advice Fluttershy, but that's all I can do. You're the one who has to go and confront it yourself. You're the one who has to put in the work to do it," Light Steve added.

"Thank you, Light, it may be difficult, but I promise you I will work on it, and I will get there," Fluttershy vowed to do. Light Steve notices the increase in determination in Fluttershy's voice.

"That's more like it. Moving on, about Discord..."

"Oh- Yes Light. I am really worried for him..." Fluttershy responded, getting quieter with each word as she spoke.

"I don't mean to worry you, but... I think he somehow got infected. Y'know, by the corruption that's been going around recently," Light Steve theorized, speaking in a slow but formal tone, getting to the point. Fluttershy's eyes widen out of concern. She didn't want to believe that this might be why he has remained silent.

"No- But- He- He couldn't of-"

"Many that have been missing for a while now, and they've been found being corrupted by this- I thought it were the Demon Steves, unless this is some kind of... demon corruption. I hate to say it, but I think Discord could have got corrupted- I don't know how, but if this is the case, we should go let the others know," Said Light Steve.

"I- I agree," Fluttershy stuttered, but does fully agree with Light Steve.

"You know how powerful Discord is. If he's corrupted, this infection could go absolutely haywire-" The door burst open, making Fluttershy jump.

"Oh- I'm so sorw- Corwuption thing- Sabre- Bad things!" A grey pegasus trots to the 2 on the other side of the cottage, tripping over twice on the way.

"Derpy? What's wrong?" Light Steve asked.

"Sabre's corwupted!"

"Oh no- How about you two chat- I'll go check on it," Light Steve immediately strikes lightning and disappears.

"Um... h- Hello Derpy- Is- Is Sabre okay?"

"I'm worried and Doc isn't ther- Dinky still aslee- Doc not there- I couldn't find anywh- This came first int-"

"Derpy slow down, I can't understand what you're saying-"

"Sab- Corwupti- On be- Cwyi- Mumbli- I need Doc- I stress- Bad stuf-"

"Slow down!" Fluttershy raised her voice. Derpy stops and then sighs.

"Oh um- I- I didn't mean to raise my voice like that..." Fluttershy apologized, lowering her voice back down to her normal quiet voice.

"Why uh- Why don't you come and sit down?" Fluttershy offered, walking to the big seat to go sit on. Derpy nods and went to sit down on the seat too. Angel comes out of hiding and sat next to Derpy.

"Awww... Angel knows you're stressed too," Fluttershy stated with a faint smile. Derpy strokes the head of the white bunny with her right forehoof. For a few minutes, Derpy strokes Angel. In the meantime, Fluttershy went to go get a glass of water for the grey pegasus and puts it on the table.

"I uh- I got some water here if you need."

"Thanks," Derpy replied, who has calmed down a bit.

"When Time and Star Swel left last night, Sabre was meant to go too, but he stayed and collapsed. I twied to help but- But I couldn't... I put him in my bed and slept on my sofa... but I woke up and saw him wondering around bumping into walls. I lead him back to my room and waved at him, and he didn't rwespond. I lifted his blindfold and... his eyes were white, with some orange around them," Derpy explained in a much calmer tone, but still speaking in a fast pace put of stress.

"I- I understand. I'm also worried for somepony," Fluttershy brought up.

"Oh have you got special somepony?"

"I don't, because I'm scared if they will... hurt me- Off topic. Anyway... Discord said he'd be meet up once he figured out what's going on. It's been a few days and I haven't heard anything back from him. It isn't like him to just disappear for this long from everypony," Fluttershy explained.

"I- I'm sorwy to hear," Derpy lightly said back.

"Light Steve thought he could be infected... but I don't know. Discord won't... just let an infection make him ill easy- I'm just so stressed with everything. I feel useless, he always come to find me, but I can't come to find him," Fluttershy explained how she's feeling.

"Fluttershy... you're... not useless," Derpy said with a confused expression on her face.

"And I feel like why you been hurt is because of me-"

"You haven't done anything to me though?" Derpy is now even more confused.

"When Madness started going for you, I... I felt like it was my fault. He was focused on me before he went for you- I'm sorry you went through what you did, because of me-"

"Stop. You have done nothing wrong to me. He had hurt me, you haven't. Why are you feeling like you done something?" Derpy asked. Fluttershy looks down to the floor, where the rug is that the big seat, the smaller seat and the table in between is on.

"I- I felt super guilty, when he moved focus from me to you..." Fluttershy murmured back.

"It's okay, you don't need to. You're the kindest pony- Well... other than Doc- But Fluttershy... please know I mean it when I say this. What I went thwough, none of it is on you."


"Huh, looks like you beat me to it," Said Light Steve. Sabre is lying in Derpy's bed, and around the bed is Time Steve, Star Swirl, Twilight and even the Doctor. The bed is a double sized bed, as well as it has a turquoise blue blanket and 2 massive fluffy white pillows on the left and right side. Sabre's whole body except the head is under the blankets and is lying in the middle. They can all see the corruption coming from underneath the blindfold.

"Oh hey Light- Yeah, it isn't good. Brought Twilight along too," Time Steve responded.

"If this is the same infection that the Daleks were talking about, why did they go back in time- Unless..." The Doctor holds his sonic screwdriver in his right hand and waves it over Sabre's head. He looks and the readings and his eyes widen from concern. He doesn't like the readings he is seeing.

"Is it who I'm thinking it is?" Time Steve asked.

"Not good news, we'll put it like that. No time shenanigans have happened to bring it back. Something, or someone, has recreated it, and it definitely wasn't done on accident. This must of somehow infected some Daleks which probably provoked them into coming here, fell back in time to try and get rid of it from existing at all. If this is the case, whatever brought it back will of come back anyway, even if the Daleks were able to destroy it," The Doctor replied with a low volume in his voice, putting his sonic screwdriver away.

"Well uh... Star Swirl, everything's on you," Said Time Steve. Light Steve gathers by him, Twilight and the Doctor. Star Swirl levitates the scroll with his magic, and the 4 glow white and disappeared.


Light Steve, Time Steve, Twilight and the Doctor are inside Sabre's mindscape. They are on a disk made of blackstone, with blue fire around at the edges. They see Sabre curled up on the floor. Around him they see 5 figures, who turn around to look at them. The one everyone notices first is the abomination, the figure with Madness Steve's head and different body parts of defeated foes Sabre faced up against. To the left is Rainbow Steve and Hypno Steve, to the right is Void Steve and Shadow Sabre.

"Oh. Oh, I see," The Doctor said slowly. What he thinks it is, he is correct. Everyone else steps back, but the Doctor moves forward.

"Hello, I know your games very well. This ain't real, you don't scare me mate. I know full well who you are. Colle even brought up your name." The Doctor walks up to the abomination until his face is a foot apart from his.

"Doctor, you've committed atrocities on par with the Daleks. You burned Gallifrey along with its people, your own people!" The abomination replied back, laughing maniacally at the end.

"I saved Gallifrey by freezing the planet in time in a pocket dimension! Don't you dare bring that up to me again!" The Doctor screamed angrily, lifting his right hand and went to punch the abomination with an uppercut. His hand went straight through like thin air. The abomination remains standing there as if it wasn't punched at all. The abomination went even further at angering the Doctor with another statement.

"You would make a good Dalek."

"Leave him ALO- Alone..." Twilight's horn glowed purple as she went in to attack the abomination. But then she saw the head, which made her tremble and step backwards whilst shaking.

"And you, Twilight, letting all of these things happen. You let the demons take lives, you let Madness scar the minds of everyone you know. Celestia would be disappointed and cringing at your incompetence!" The abomination chuckled loudly.

"N- No... b- But Celestia said sh- She was p- Proud of me..." Twilight stuttered, feeling a breathless pain sensation, hurt by the statement made by the abomination.

"Don't listen to him, you're a good leader Twilight," Light Steve said back firmly.

"Ever wonder why Celestia sent you and your friends out while she stayed behind-"

"Sh- She had o- Had other things... she had different problems to solve!" Twilight interrupts the abomination as she exclaimed, water in her eyes building up.

"Twilight, he's trying to get to you," Time Steve stepped between the 2, but the abomination shoves him out the way.

"No what he says isn't true. I'm saying the hard cold facts. Celestia realized she made a grave mistake taking you in as her student. From the beginning, she had tried to send you out hoping you would die, so she could shrug your name under the carpet!" The abomination yelled with nothing but spite in it's voice. Twilight stutters and began to cry, really hurt by the words she heard. Was it true everyone around her actually hated her? The abomination is also not done talking.

"Also, after everything your friends done, what have you done in return, Twili-"

"ENOUGH!" Sabre gets up off of the floor and punches the abomination and making it disappear in one hit.

"All of you, stay away!" Sabre next hits Void Steve, Hypno Steve and Shadow Sabre, making them disappear in one hit too. He then looks at Rainbow Steve.

"You won't ever hit a friend now, would you? That'd make you an even worse friend than you already are," Rainbow Steve teasingly said at a slow pace. Sabre steps back and looks away, but then looks at him directly and steps forward.

"You're right, I wouldn't, but you're not him and you need to GO!" Sabre yelled as several strikes of lightning hits Rainbow Steve, making him disappear. The whole background began to flash white. The whole area changes, with the ground being flat and made of grass, with trees and big mushrooms surrounding everyone.

"Oh- I... what happened?" Sabre looks around at his surroundings, feeling a little bit dizzy and confused. He didn't know what happened to him.

"You got corrupted," Time Steve bluntly stated what happened to Sabre.

"Oh... that's why, that was pretty... scary, seeing Madness, Void and Shadow, Hypno going mad again and... a- And Rainbow hating me..."

"Yeah, I was at Fluttershy's and Derpy came along in an absolute state of panic- You're fine now Sabre," Light Steve reassured Sabre. The whole background flashes white again, and everything became dark.


"Huh- What's happening? No no- Wait, this is different this time- I don't understand. This can't be the darkness. It rebalanced- Dark is still around, but he's good now. It can't be him doing this, right?" Sabre thought to himself. The first thing that came to mind when he first saw the current background was back when Void Steve attacked Light Steve outside the citadel to enrage Sabre, which made him fall into the darkness. Even though Void Steve was defeated a long time ago, the effects from his actions are clearly still felt, especially the minds of Sabre and every steve.

"Where... are we?" Time Steve asked himself. He thinks he knows what is going on. He just doesn't want to believe that he is correct.

"What the- Is this... what it was like... when corrupted with the darkness?" Light Steve stutters whilst crouching, getting goosebumps from the darkness-like background. He is even scared by the background as well as Sabre. Twilight also has some goosebumps. She reformed Stygian when she met him, when he was still one with the Pony of Shadows.

"Yeah, it was but- But this is different," Sabre answered Light Steve. It made him feel slightly better, but not a whole lot better.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" The Doctor has hold of his sonic screwdriver in his right hand and is pointing it in a certain direction. There is someone else here.

"Hello you five!" A voice creepily replied in return, unsettling everyone. Even the Doctor is on edge from the voice, as if he heard the voice before. Everyone would usually step back, but they don't know where the voice came from. Everywhere around them looks the same. They could step closer to where that creepy voice came from.

"Who was that!? Who are you!?" Twilight yelled. She is the most unsettled and creeped out by the voice. She doesn't know where the voice is coming from, and whoever it is can come out of nowhere.

Then a dark blue figure with Demon Steve hair manifests infront of the 5, making them jump. It's eyes are completely white, with the same brownish orange colouring around them. It's hands are made of nothing but fire, and all over their body is covered with eyes of regular Demon Steves instead of the usual magma-like markings. The legs are made of magma, with brownish orange feet.

"I... am your worst dread..."