//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: A displaced graboid // by Rob_Rhapsody //------------------------------// ---The Next Day--- ---Third Person POV--- "Tunneler! I'm home!" Said Fluttershy. She began walking around, looking for her new friend. "SKREEEEEEE!" Came a sound below her. Tunneler began to come up to greet her. In a few short moments the Graboid was above ground. "SKREEEEEEEE" said Tunneler. "I missed you too, and I had a great time in Manehattan, thank you for asking" said Fluttershy. "I'll save you Fluttershy" said Rainbow Dash. She was coming at top speed. The Graboid could not respond in time. Rainbow ended up kicking Tunneler in the beak. "SKREEEEEEEEE" screeched Tunneler. He grabbed Rainbow and slammed her to the ground. One grip on the neck, one wrapped around a her right front leg, and one around the waist making her eyes bug out. "Tunneler! PUT. HER. DOWN!" said Fluttershy. Tunneler reluctantly did what he was told and let Rainbow Dash go. He then began digging back to his burrow. "What was that!?! I had him" said Rainbow Dash. "No, he had you, and you shouldn't have attacked him, Tunneler hasn't harmed anypony, and he's been very sweet" scolded Fluttershy. "You named it?" asked Rainbow in disbelief. "Tunneler is not an IT he's a he" corrected Fluttershy. "Ok then, what is HE" asked Rainbow. "Tunneler is a Graboid" said Fluttershy. "Whats a Graboid?" asked Rainbow. "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE" said Tunneler from below, startling Rainbow. "He said, that a Graboid is a Precambrian, subterranean predator, that hunts by seismic vibrations...... oh that explains how he knows when ponies come by he can hear them coming, but why didn't he hear you Rainbow" said Fluttershy. "SKREEEEEEEEE" said Tunneler. "Oh that's right Rainbow was flying so you couldn't hear her" said Fluttershy. "Uh Fluttershy Hello, he just told you he's a predator" said Rainbow drawing Fluttershy's attention. "Well he hasn't eaten anypony, he's just been eating apples" said Fluttershy. Just then Twilight arrived. "Hey Fluttershy, hi Rainbow, I've come to do more research on Tunneler" said Twilight. "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" said Tunneler from below. "He wanted me to tell you that a Graboid is a Precambrian, subterranean predator with rough leathery skin, that hunts by seismic vibrations, that grows up to 30 feet long and 6 feet across at its widest point and can weigh up to 10-20 tons, they have a trio of prehensile serpent-like tentacles with taste sensors, that are able to feel around and latch onto its prey and pull it into its mouth, which gives it the name Graboid, inedible objects can be spat out with amazing force, being propelled high into the air, if a Graboid is chasing its prey and the prey gets to an elevated point, it will continue to wait and circle, or find a way to undermine the obstruction, Graboids also have the ability to learn and adapt, and Graboids are incapable of Tunneling through rock or concrete, Graboids also have orange blood, that stems from a cardiopulmonary system, they possess an immense physical strength, allowing them to pull large objects and able to break through brick walls, in order to Tunnel through dirt they have short spikes that move in unison to allow them to move quickly through dirt, and have top speed of 15-20 mph or possibly faster depending on the soil" said Fluttershy as Twilight wrote down all that she said. "But wait, I measured him to be at least twice as big as what you said" said Twilight. "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE" said Tunneler again. Fluttershy translated. "He said he must still be growing, the largest Graboid can grow to be a colossal size" said Fluttershy. "Um exactly how big can he get?" asked Rainbow worriedly. "SKREEE" said Tunneler. "He doesn't know, maybe about 50-60 feet long?" Translated Fluttershy. "Oh, I am so going to get a Nobel prize for all this" said Twilight jotting down everything Fluttershy said. Tunneler began digging away to Sugarcube Corner to Steal a pie. "Ok Tunneler, anything else you'd like to tell Twilight?" asked Fluttershy. She waited a while. "Tunneler?" said Fluttershy, getting confused. "He must have left" said Fluttershy. "And where would he go exactly?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I don't know, sometimes he just disappears" said Fluttershy. "What could he possibly be doing?" asked Twilight. ---Sugarcube Corner--- I was right under Sugarcube Corner. I could hear Mrs. Cake leaving out a cake instead of a pie. 'Ok she is being way to obvious' I heard the sound of shifting metal. 'She put it on a bear trap didn't she' I got close and reached my tongues up by the window and took the cake. "What? How'd they?" -SNAP-"AAAAAAAAH" screamed Mrs. Cake. "Snrt snrt snrt" I chuckled. 'Serves you right' "CARROT CAKE HELP ME GET THIS THING OFF" Shouted Mrs Cake. I reached my tongues in and grabbed Mrs. Cake. She began screaming again. I began feeling around for the bear trap, when I found it I pried it off, put her down, ripped apart the bear trap, and left. I began making my way back to Fluttershy's. Only I heard something new. It sounded like......... OOOH NOOO. Princess Celestia. "Are you sure this...... Graboid as you call it is safe?" asked Celestia. 'Might as well make myself known' "Perfectly harmless" said Fluttershy. "And where is it now" said Celestia as I came out and began looming over her. She noticed Fluttershy's gaze and turned around. "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" I screeched, while flailing my tongues around and covering her with slobber. Making Celestia scream. I then jumped over her and began digging then began spinning and began coming back up fast. I jumped out of the ground, went over Fluttershy's cottage and dug back down, straight to my burrow. "WHAT WAS THAT THING!" Yelled Celestia. "That was Tunneler, that's his way of saying hello" said Fluttershy. "I've never seen anything like that" said Celestia. I began coming back up and going to my special spot next to Fluttershy's cottage. "Hey Tunneler, this is Princess Celestia, say hello" said Fluttershy. I brought out one tongue and waved. "Did you teach it that?" asked Celestia. "I haven't taught him anything, He's just very clever" said Fluttershy. "SKREEEEEEEEE" I said to Fluttershy. "Oh he wanted me to tell you that you sound nice" said Fluttershy. "That's.... nice" said Celestia. "Can it understand what we are saying?" asked Celestia. I got up and nodded my head then got back down. "Did it just nod?" asked Celestia. "Yes, you can pet him if you want" said Fluttershy. I heard Celestia gulp nervously and come closer. A few moments later I felt her hoof on my beak. I grabbed her hoof gently and moved it to my hide. She continued petting. "He is rather smart, do you know where he came from?" asked Celestia. I made a few clicking noises. "He said he just showed up in Equestria, and he's hungry, here, can you help me feed him" said Fluttershy. Celestia removed her hoof. "What does he eat?" She asked. "I give mostly give him apples but today I brought him some meat" said Fluttershy. I felt Celestia tense up. 'Wuss' I heard Fluttershy walk over and some crinkling paper. I immediately sent out my tongues and grabbed the meat and pulled it into my mouth. "Aah" said a startled Celestia. I could taste the meat, it was uncooked but somehow it tasted soo good! At some point I began purring. "Aaaw, im glad you liked it" said Fluttershy petting me. "What was that?" asked Celestia. "What?" asked Fluttershy. "What he just did with his tongues, what was that?" asked Celestia. "Thats why his kind are called Graboids, they grab their prey with their tongues, Twilight can fill you in later" said Fluttershy. "Hmmm" said Celestia.