🐍 Medusa

by Phantom-Dragon

Getting Settled

"Asssstonissshing!" Medusa hissed in awe, as she marveled at the splendid interior decorations of her new surrounding.

If the outside world of Piraeus's modern transformation didn't impress her enough, then the hotel both she and the Rainbooms have found themselves in has certainly taken her breath away.

In appearance, the hotel from the inside looked almost like a shining palace that she had stepped into. Most of the interior decorations looked familiar to her. They reminded her of the authentic and traditional arts of Greece in the old days. The building holds the same statues of people, animals in fine details, and large vases decorated with images of Greek Gods, Goddesses, and legendary heroes engaged in epic battles with monsters. Which, unfortunately, includes gorgons, like Medusa is.

Aside from the Greek arts of old, the curtains, the floors, the walls, especially the sofas, were all brand new and they seemed to clash with the traditional arts of Greek, yet at the same time, they also enhanced the beauty of the hotel's interior designs. The pinnacle of it all was a huge ball of crystals that shines brightly from the ceiling above Medusa and the Rainbooms.

"Yo! Medusa!" Pinkie called out, as she came running up to the disguised gorgon. "There you are! Thought we lost you there for a moment! Ready to go?"

"Go? Go where?" The gorgon asked.

"Go up, of course!" Pinkie then grabbed the gorgon by the wrist. "C'mon! Everybody's waiting at the elevator!"

Medusa raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "What'sssss an elevator?"

The gang were later crowded in a small confining elevator that is on its way up to their level. It wouldn't be so awkward, if so many people weren't staring at Medusa so much.

Through her shades, Medusa looked at a little girl who was looking at her oddly, "Greetingsss?" She greeted, while accidentally flicked her fork tongue out. "Ow!" She winced, when someone stepped on her tail.

"Terribly sorry, darling," Rarity apologized, lifting her pointy high-heel shoes off.

A man looked down and noticed the gorgon's long sharp claws, "Eesh. Someone needs a serious manicure," He mumbled.

At last, the gang have arrived at their level, where they all quickly made it to their designated rooms. Twilight, Spike, and Sunset shared the same room together. Pinkie Pie's with Rarity, Rainbow Dash's booked with Applejack, thus leaving Fluttershy with Medusa.

“Well Medusa, we’re here,” Fluttershy said, as she welcomes the gorgon into the room, who finds herself more taken in by the room’s décor, than she was back down in the lobby.

Upon walking into the room, there is a large king-sized bed, since Fluttershy was originally going to have the room all to herself. There is also a huge flat screen TV mounted on a cabinet, with a refrigerator, across the bed, a private bathroom on the right, and a large balcony that offers the guest a good view of Piraeus and the sea.

“My word!” Medusa exclaimed.’”It’ssss.....it’ssss.....marveloussssss!”

“Glad you liked it,” Fluttershy smiled, as she went over to the disguised gorgon. “Here. Let me take your coat off.”

With that, the shy girl helped Medusa out of her disguise, relieving her of the heavy coat, her scarf, and took the shades off her face, leaving Medusa back in her usual tattered toga.

"What a relief," Medusa sighed. "I thought I'd never be rid of that unbearable coat of yourssss."

"Sorry, Medusa," Fluttershy giggled. "But that was the best cover Rarity could give you to get through the city."

Rolling her eyes, but nonetheless grateful for the Rainbooms' efforts, Medusa slithered over to the balcony, only to crash herself into the thick glass pane of the door.

“What the—“ She exclaimed, knocking on the glass. “What issss thisss magic?”

Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle as she went over to help her friend open the door, “That’s just glass,” Fluttershy explained, before she turns the door knob. “There you go.”

Unsure at first, Medusa waved her claws through the opening to see there was nothing standing in her way anymore. With that, the gorgon slithered out of the room and onto the balcony, perching her arms on the railings as she observes the modern city before her.

"It's a beautiful day," Fluttershy commented, as she joins the gorgon on the balcony. "Don't you think?"

"Beautiful?" Medusa asked solemnly. "Beautiful? What issssss beauty?" She asked.

Caught off guard by the gorgon's question, Fluttershy strokes her own hair as she began, "Oh, you know. Beauty as in something that's pretty, that looks good, and pleasing to look at."

Medusa's claws clenched tightly on the rail, as she trembled, "Sssssso when you sssssay it'ssss a beautiful day, then you mean it looksssss pleasssssing to look at?"

Fluttershy nodded, before she notices the gorgon's angsty's expression, "Uh, Medusa?" She began nervously. "Are you okay?"

"Of coursssse, I am okay. How could I not be okay?" Medusa replied in a low tone that sounded unsettling. "I am here, am I? Nobody wasss turned to sssstone on the way here, and all becausssse you and your friendssss have done the world and myssssself a favor of keeping my uglinessss concccealed. So yessss, today isssss beautiful, becaussss you have hid my hideoussss appearanccce well!"

Fluttershy backed away in horror, as she watch the gorgon baring her fangs, tightening her grip on the rail, together with her snakes hissing more viciously to match her mood.

"And you're not happy about it?" Fluttershy whimpered.

"How can I be happy?" Medusa glared at the girl. "I am ssssstill a monsssster, am I? A hideousss, grotessssque, horrible monsssster who can turn others to sssstone in the blink of an eye." She hissed, moving her face inches closer to Fluttershy.

"Eek," Fluttershy was petrified, in fear. Even though Medusa's transparent third eyelids were closed across her eyes, Fluttershy was certain a part of her was frozen in place.

Looking deep into the shy girl's frightened eyes, seeing her reflection, Medusa and her snakes all became calmer as their hissing grew quiet, and they withdrew themselves away from Fluttershy, and turned their head away.

After a moment of collecting herself, Fluttershy slowly got up to her feet, and started walking back into the room.

'She is wise to run,' Medusa thought despondently. 'After the way I had almost let myself onto her like that. I am a monster. And only a fool would convince me otherwise,' Still, all the same, she couldn't stop thinking about the kindness the Rainbooms had displayed for her. 'Nevertheless, I would rather have them be alive to live their life, than to take their wills away, dooming them to live the rest of their life as stones. I cannot say that I am grateful that they would provide me some leniency.'

"Here," Medusa was startled from her self-reprimand, as she turned to the right to see Fluttershy, offering her a bowl of vegetable soup.

Medusa and her snakes both flicked their tongues to taste the food's temperature and flavor, "What issss thissss?" The gorgon hissed.

"It's my homemade vegetable soup," Fluttershy answered. "You must be hungry, so I thought you might like some lunch," The shy girl carefully sets the bowl down on a table, and offered a spoon for her. "Go on."

Medusa looked at the bowl, then back up at the shy girl, before setting her sight on the bowl with a look of complete shock. Never before has anyone ever offered her food, let alone invite her out for lunch and such. Then again, why would anyone ever want to feed her and such?

Still, not wanting to appear rude, or to turn away such kindness, especially when it was given to her so genuinely and so willingly, she picked up the spoon, dips it into the bowl to scoop up a decent amount of the vegetable content.

"Careful, it's hot," Fluttershy warned, watching as Medusa incorrectly held the spoon above her mouth, spilling the contents onto the floor, while flicking her tongue, unsuccessfully catching a single drop of the soup.

Fluttershy let out another giggle, as she chided, “No, not like that,” She chuckled, before taking the spoon back. “Here, let me help you.” Fluttershy scooped up a bit of the soup and held it up to her mouth where she blows on it, before feeding it to her gorgon friend. “There you go. What do you think?”

After swallowing the soup, Medusa smacks her lips as she tasted the flavor that lingers on her tongue, before she answered, “It isssss delicccioussss.”

With a smile, Fluttershy resumes feeding Medusa, “Here’s another one.”

As Fluttershy continues feeding Medusa, the gorgon couldn’t help but look at the shy girl with a look of bewilderment. Her quiet demeanor is a mystery, with her kindness to match. It’s not that she is ungrateful, but to Medusa, it’s all new to her. She doesn’t know how to feel about it.

“Why?” She began to ask. “Why are you ssssso nicccce to me?”

“Well, because you’re our friend.” Fluttershy answered. “And that’s what friends do for each other.”

“But you don't know me for ssssso long. You don’t even know who I wasssss. I could’ve been evil.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Fluttershy shook her head. “Everyone needs a little kindness in their life."

Medusa looked away, "Not for me, there isssssn't," She hissed. "Why would anyone ever want to be kind to a monssssster like myssssself?"

Fluttershy looked sadly at the gorgon. It was simply amazing to see Medusa, so distraught, confused, and alone with herself like that. Yet many stories about her have all described her to be a fiendish monster. And Fluttershy and the Rainbooms had actually believed in them and grew up terrified of Medusa, until now that is.

It breaks Fluttershy’s heart to see how terribly misunderstood Medusa is. Then again, it shouldn’t be the first time where Fluttershy and few other people have misjudged others, based on their differences.

“Oh you poor thing,” Fluttershy whimpered, as she walked over to pet the snakes on Medusa’s head. “I can’t imagine the horrors you had to go through, because of your....condition,” The shy girl put it gently. “It must’ve been awful.”

“Awful isssn’t even the word for....all of it,” Medusa hissed. “I can sssssstill hear the sssshrieksss of terrorsssss, the destructionsss, the livesss I had ruined becausssse I’m....I’m a monssster.”

“You’re not a monster, Medusa.”

“Do not toy with me. Of coursssse I am a monsssster. I am hideoussss, am I not?”

“Well, you are scary looking. But you’re not a monster, because you have feelings for others, and you’re just as scared as everyone else is.”

“And how exactly would you know?”

“Believe me. I know, because we know Sunset Shimmer and Twilight. And they know exactly how you feel.”

“Even sssso, how can you be sssso niccce to a creature, sssuch asss myssself?”

"Because sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.” She smiled.

“......Kindness...” Medusa repeated, unsure. It sounded new to her, but pleasing at the same time.

Looking back down at the empty bowl, Fluttershy asked, “Would you like some more soup?”

Medusa looked down at the empty bowl, then back up at the girl and hissed, “Yessss, pleassssse.”

With that, Fluttershy went back into the room to make some more.

When Fluttershy wasn’t looking, Medusa smiled in gratitude of her kindness.