Fluttershy’s heart rate skyrocketed when the Drop Pod’s flaming exhaust disappeared into the ceiling far above, eventually making its way to the surface and then the Space Rig. She was now completely and utterly alone in a deep, dark cave, surrounded by a swarm of Glyphids that could kill her at any moment.
“Stay back!” she ordered when the Bulk Detonator tried to crawl a little too close. “What would your mother think of your behavior?”
The Detonator growled but obeyed her command. It retreated to the back of the swarm, and its place was taken by a Praetorian and a dozen Grunts. The Praetorian gurgled a short-lived spray of acid that was quickly doused by her Stare. It shrank back but stayed in place, eventually lowering its chitin-covered head to the ground in submission.
“That’s right. You shouldn’t hurt anyone if you don’t have to,” Fluttershy said. She shakily held her twin pistols at the Glyphids as she frantically glanced between them.
One of the smaller Glyphids surround her, a Grunt, howled curiously and skittered closer. It shook its armored body like a wet dog and screeched quietly.
Fluttershy aimed both of her pistols at it, her eyes wide with fright. She dropped a flare to see better and saw just how many Glyphids had her surrounded. There had to be nearly a hundred of the creatures in this cave alone.
The Grunt that had approached screeched again and approached slowly. Although it was a lot closer than the others, it showed no signs of hostility. Fluttershy could now see that it had no eyes and presumably found its way through the caves by echolocation like a bat. Its razor-sharp teeth and tough exoskeleton were perfect for digging through rock, and its many legs were certainly adapted to let it crawl on nearly any surface like a spider.
She holstered her pistols and crouched low, beckoning to the Grunt out of habit. “Hello, mister. Come here. I won’t hurt you.” Her voice trembled out of fear, but she hoped she sounded kind, not hostile.
The Grunt shook its body again and crawled a little closer. It screeched a friendly-sounding tone and skittered to the left, then the right.
Fluttershy knelt and beckoned again, stil acutely aware of the other Glyphids around her. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”
After a moment of indecision, the Grunt skittered right up to her and nuzzled her leg. She scratched the underside of its chin. It shook again and screeched affectionately.
“Look at you,” she said. “You’re such an angel.”
It screeched again in reply. Although she couldn’t understand it, it sounded happy with the compliment.
The ground shuddered slightly, and she turned to see the Praetorian crawling closer. Unlike last time, however, it was submissive, and it lay down next to her with a deep gurgle.
Fluttershy hesitated. Praetorians were notoriously dangerous for getting close and then splashing you with acid. Kindness won in the end, and she scratched its chin too. It gurgled contentedly in reply.
What’s going on? The fearful part of her brain immediately asked. I don’t even have the crystal from Camp Everfree. This shouldn’t be possible.
Maybe I don’t need the crystal, another part of her brain reasoned. Look at them. They’re angels when they’re calm.
They’re dangerous. They almost killed my friends, and they almost killed me. This could be a trap.
And what if it isn’t? They’re just lovely animals, and we’re invading their planet. They live here. They’re defending their home. What if they see me as one of them?
Sensing her confliction, the Grunt nuzzled her again. Its hard chitin armor brushed her leg, sending fearful chills through her spine, but she held still. Any sudden moves could send it into a panic.
“Do you have any food?” she asked carefully. “I didn’t bring any with me.”
The Grunt almost purred and shook its body again, sending Fluttershy’s mind into a chaotic spiral of conflicting thoughts. They can purr? She honestly had no idea how to approach this information.
She was so focused on her thoughts that she almost didn’t notice the Grunt stand up and leave. A few minutes later, it returned with a purplish fungus held gingerly in its mouth. It deposited the fungus at her feet and purred again.
She picked up the fungus and examined it. It looked like a bioluminescent mushroom of some kind with a small tangle of roots at its base. She poked its head, and it opened into four petals and a single large seed in the middle. Smiling softly, she gingerly patted the Grunt just above its mouth.
“Thank you, but I don’t know if I can eat this,” she said. “I’ll try it, though.” She plucked a petal from the plant and chomped down, taking a bigger bite than she intended. It tasted bitter and felt crunchy. She quickly finished chewing and swallowed, shivering. No matter how it tasted, it was better than starving.
She looked around. All the other Glyphids aside from the Detonator had dispersed. The Praetorian that had set itself next to her growled as it approached, its hellish fire particles floating around it.
“No, no, no, that’s no way to act,” she chided the Praetorian. “If he’s friendly, let him come closer.”
Before the Detonator could get any closer, however, a loud, deep, roar, louder than anything she’d ever heard, echoed off the marshy cavern walls. The Detonator backed away instantly and skittered into the darkness, quickly followed by the Praetorian. The Grunt that had initially approached and gave her the fungus screeched in panic.
Oh, this is bad.
She stood as quickly as she could and looked for the Detonator’s trail. It wasn’t hard to find since it left floating embers wherever it went. She looked down at the Grunt and gently tugged its leg.
“Come on, follow me. I’m following the Detonator.” She ran towards the slowly cooling embers and down a path dug out by the Detonator, followed by the Grunt. She didn’t want to meet whatever made even a Bulk Detonator turn tail and run.
Behind her, the entrance to the tunnel collapsed. She was truly trapped in the darkness.