FimFiction Link - Short ID: 543517/scolopendromorpha
Published: Oct '23
'Scolopendromorpha' is a two-thousand and six hundred-word horror oneshot. Fluttershy hunts in the dead of the night.
This isn't a story that would shock you with its wild twists, for there are none here. From the very description and cover art it is obvious that the monster is Flutters, but what I really enjoyed is that the story plays itself entirely straight. There are no cop-outs, no "whoops it was actually a cutesy story all along" and that makes it all the better. That and how well the author uses the prose to convey just how gross of a monster Fluttershy is, while still being a thinking and caring being. From her transformation, to her 'unusual' appendages, to the means of eating, it could easily make one squeamish if they're susceptible to such stuff. There is also no ridiculous moralising about whether what she does is wrong or not: She recognises that this is her means of survival and has absolutely no qualms whether to kill or not, it's only a matter of 'who'.
Overall: 8/10 This was a refreshing read. Sure, it won't surprise you with its novelty (I was originally thinking of beginning this post as "Fluttershy is the Thing" but that would've felt a bit trite) and it's a super short story, but what it sets out to do, it does greatly, it's gross without overdoing it and turning laughable, the nice choice of words makes it eerie, and the story doesn't overstay its welcome to defeat its own atmosphere or start making holes in its own suspension of disbelief, so I can only recommend it if you like short horror fics.