//------------------------------// // Return to Ponyville // Story: Wolverine: The Equestrian Myth // by Axel IV //------------------------------// "Did y'all hear anything funny last night?" Applejack asked, keeping her stride with Twilight as they trotted slowly down the hall, "Sounded louder than Applebloom when Macintosh eats her last puddin' cup." "There was something odd now that I think about it... " Rarity tapped her hoof on her chin gently, "It was some sort of satisfying scream... " "I saw a few custodians rushing down the hallway to Blueblood's room. Do you think something terrible happened?" Fluttershy asked, "Oh, I hope that nopony was hurt... " "As long as it was just that idiot of a stallion!" Rainbow Dash snorted, "Next time I see him, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!" "Enough about Blueblood. " Twilight stated, looking back to face her friends, "We all need to head back to Ponyville soon... but I'm not sure what's going to happen to Logan when we do. I'm a little worried." "Why can't we take him with us?" Pinkie asked with a bright smile, "That would be SO cool! We could show him Sweet Apple Acres, Sugarcube Corner, the Library, Carousel Boutique... OH! And he could meet Lyra!" "How do you think THAT would go?" Rarity chuckled, "Remember what Celestia said about Lyra's great ancestor? He was ridiculed and practically expelled from the world of science and history for believing in humans. Ever since then, her entire family have been obsessed with finding humans. She might come on a little too strong... " "I think it would be a good thing." Twilight smiled, "Her ancestor would finally be proven right... and then maybe she'll finally receive the respect she deserves." "Yeah... but I'm pretty sure Lyra would get on Logan's nerves in ten seconds flat... " Rainbow waved her hoof, "I can't see that guy just smiling and shaking hooves with her... and I can't see her being all normal and calm either." "Let's deal with it when we finally reach that bridge." Applejack stated, "First thing is first, though. Let's say good morning to Logan." The six mares placed themselves in front of the door and watched Twilight slowly crack it open. "Logan!" Twilight exclaimed, "Good morning! Did you sleep well?" The room was dark and with no answer. She couldn't see any movement on the bed and curiously stepped into the room and glanced around. Her friends followed her soon after, treading cautiously. "Logan?" She asked, walking up to his bed, "Are you there?" She gazed upon the empty mattress and blankets, her face contorted into a puzzled expression. She noted the closed window and even bent down to search beneath the bed. "He's not in the bathroom... " Rainbow Dash shouted as she peaked into the shower curtain. Rarity's magic grasped the small handles of the closet and swung them wide. "Not here." She called. "There's no place in this room he could hide... " Applejack said, "What do you suppose is going on?" "He could either be with the princesses... or... " Twilight's eyes widened, "No! There's no way he could escape! Luna's magic barrier should be up!" The purple unicorn's horn glowed, a laser of purple light scanning the walls slowly. "Oh no, " Twilight panicked, "The barrier... it's gone!" "There's no way he could just leave!" Rainbow growled, "This room was on total lockdown!" "Now that I think about it... " Rarity blinked, "There weren't any guards posted outside... " "There aren't any pegasus guards out the window either... " Fluttershy added, "Oh no... what if he really DID escape?!" "Impossible!" Twilight yelled, "We've... We've got to go see Princess Celestia right away!" The purple unicorn pushed past her friends as she maneuvered across the room. She quickly opened the door and galloped out, her eyes blazing left and right. "No guards... " The unicorn gasped, "Where is he?!" She quickly dashed away, her five friends sprinting to keep up with her. Their hoof steps rang out loudly and they nearly ran into a few patrolling guards and nobles on the way. When they were finally closing in on the mighty throne room doors, Twilight's magic quickly erupted. The doors lit with with a purple aura and slowly began to swing open. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried, her eyes finding the form of her mentor. Celestia was sitting calmly on the throne, a cup of tea floating in front of her face as she took a sip. Her eyes warmed at the sight of her student, and a wonderful smile embraced her lips. "Good morning, Twilight." Celestia greeted, "What brings you here in such a panic?" Twilight skidded into a stop before the throne, sweat pouring down her brow as her lungs refused to suck in air. "Prin... cess... Cel... estia!.... g... onnn... " Twilight panted, her chest heaving through lack of oxygen. The unicorn took a brief moment to gather herself before standing up straight. Despite her burning muscles, she was able to keep herself composed. "Logan!" She yelled, "He's... he's gone!" The other mares had finally reached the throne room and they were visibly less tired than Twilight had been. Applejack and Rainbow leaned against Twilight to steady their tired friend. "Logan?" Celestia repeated, taking another sip of her tea. A frown had replaced her warm smile, yet she didn't hold a troubled or surprised expression. Twilight was puzzled at her reaction, but at this point she could actually breathe. "Yes!" Twilight nodded frantically, "We went to visit Logan's room and... and he was gone! Luna's barrier was missing, and there were no guards! What happened? Did he escape? Did you send him somewhere? What's going on?!" Celestia held an awkward stare with Twilight before setting down her steaming cup of tea. "Twilight... " Celestia cleared her throat, "I'm sorry... but Logan's gone." The mares stared back at her in a few moments of silence... before Pinkie broke it. "Gone? Like what kind of gone?" Pinkie asked, cocking her head, "Like bad gone, good gone, escaped gone, sent away gone, gone to the moon gone... what kind of gone?" "I'm very sorry, my little ponies... " Celestia's eyes grew sad, "But I cannot tell you. Many things have happened, and all I can say is that Logan is no longer at the castle." "What? Why?!" Applejack asked, "Where did he go?" "I cannot say." Celestia cringed, "I'm sorry." "Why? Why aren't you telling me any of this?" Twilight whimpered, a hurt feeling spreading throughout her heart, "I'm... your loyal student, aren't I? Why can't I know?" Celestia took in a deep breath and climbed to her hooves. Her mane flowed elegantly in the air as she made her way down her throne before seating herself before the elements of harmony. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and when she opened them she wore a saddened smile. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I cannot disclose any information to you because of a promise. I don't want to break a promise and become an untrustworthy pony. I hope you can understand." Celestia bent down and nuzzled Twilight's cheek. "No... " Twilight sniffled, "I... I understand... I'm sorry... " Celestia nodded and held her head back up to look at the other mares. "I'm very sorry for this..." Celestia frowned, "Truly, I am. But I cannot tell you anything... and I can't say that you'll ever see him again." "No... " Rarity blinked, "But we were just getting to know him!" "I'm sorry." Celestia said again, "I'm so sorry. In any case, preparations to return to Ponyville have been made. I know how eager you have all been to go back home." Twilight opened her mouth to say something but then quickly shut it. She looked back at her friends, her eyes watering slightly. Nodding to one another, they glanced up at the princess before bowing. "Thank you... Princess Celestia..." Twilight said, her voice shallow, "We'll... pack up our things." Celestia stood at her throne as the six mares left one by one. Her heart heavy, Celestia seated herself and sadly sipped her hot tea. "I know it's nice and everything to prepare us on our way back home, but... doesn't it seem like she really rushed us?" Twilight asked as she struggled to tug her suitcase down to the train station. Just minutes ago they said their final farewells to Princess Celestia who looked more busy than usual. "I agree... something is really strange," Rarity nodded, her many bags being tugged effortless in a cart by Applejack. "The Princess always trusts us with these sort of things. I wonder if something really big happened." "She's probably just trying to protect us... " Fluttershy added, "She cares for all her subjects." "But I'm her faithful student." Twilight spoke quietly, "She usually tells me everything... " "Ah, shoot!" Applejack replied, "C'mon, Twi! Don't worry too much about it. Ah'm sure that she has good reasons for what she does and maybe she'll tell us in time. You gotta have some faith." "Applejack's right!" Rainbow agreed, "I'm sure that you're still her favorite pony. You may not be the most amazing, awesome pony but you're definitely her favorite!" "I know, but this has to concern Logan!" Twilight worried, "Don't you care about what happened to him? What if he really DID break out? He could be out there all alone and by himself!" "I wouldn't worry about ole' Logey!" Pinkie exclaimed with a hop, "He looks like he knows how to take care of himself! He's probably off making some friends somewhere is all!" "Like that guy could make friends." Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Pinkie couldn't even get that guy to smile! And it's not like it's normal in Equestria for a bipedal human with metal claws to just walk around." "That's true... " Twilight replied, her ears folding back, "But really... what happened to Logan?" "We may never find out." Fluttershy frowned, "But maybe one day we can see him again." The six mares stopped abruptly at the train station platform, their tickets in hoof. Sighing, they each took a seat at a bench as they waited for the iron vehicle to appear down the track. "You know... " Twilight began, "Something about Logan being a human doesn't make any sense." "Why do you say that?" Rarity asked, cocking her head. "Well... I've read up on Professor Heartstrings notes." Twilight frowned, "It said nothing about sharp metal claws or his quick healing ability. But he DID say that he was the only one that had those things. Did all human have some special trait to them? The notes only mentioned hands, skin, hair, and body structure." "We should've asked him about it before today." Applejack grumbled, "Ah had questions myself." "So did I." Fluttershy nodded. "We all did." Rarity sighed, "But it's not like he would even answer us." "That's true." Rainbow Dash snorted, "Now you guys are making me want to look for him!" The mares all turned to each other, a small smile on their faces. "Well, it certainly isn't a bad idea." Rarity chuckled, "But we can't go searching for him all the time. Maybe we could put up posters and tell our friends to keep an eye out?" "Yeah!" Pinkie grinned, "I'm sure we'll find him in no time!" Twilight finally broke a smile, "Yes! Wherever he is... I'm sure that we can meet him again one day!" A crash in the dead of night caused Bon Bon's eyes to open up. With a sigh and a shake of the head, the mare slowly pushed her blankets off of her body and dropped onto her hooves. Her room was fairly large and very simplistic with a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a closet. Nothing littered the floor and everything was neatly organized. She was extremely OCD. She heard another crash coming from the room next to her and groaned. She caught a glance of her alarm clock and groaned even louder. With her coat and mane a complete mess, Bon Bon left her room and entered the hallway. She stood before the door next to hers and rapped on it gently. "Lyra... " Bon Bon growled softly, "What are you doing in there? It's almost four in the morning." She was answered by another crash, and rapped harder on the door. After a few moments, the door opened up to a mint green unicorn. Lyra was covered in what looked like splotches of mud and dirt, and her eyes were red and baggy. "Oh hey, Bon Bon!" Lyra grinned, "What's up?" "Lyra... what are you DOING in there?" Bon Bon asked. "Oh... Oh! You must have heard the crashes, eheh... " Lyra scratched the back of her head, "Well, why don't you come inside and see!" "First off... what are you covered in?" "It's just clay!" Lyra smiled, brushing a brown splotch off of her shoulder, "Now come on! Come see my masterpiece!" She opened the door wide and Bon Bon nearly fainted from shock. Lyra's room was the exact opposite from Bon Bon's. Clothes were scattered all over the floor along with rumpled up pieces of paper and other strange objects. Everything seemed to be covered in brown claw splotches, and her bed was ruffled and severely unkept. The only untouched object in her room was her golden lyre, which was hanging from the wall neatly. "Sweet Celestia... " Bon Bon smacked her hoof into her forehead, "Lyra, are you even going to CLEAN this?!" "Later! Just take a look at what I made!" Lyra announced proudly, holding up her creation in front of Bon Bon's face. It looked like a horribly crafted ball with five pillars of clay mud protruding from it. Bon Bon stared at the object silently for a few moments before groaning loudly. "Lyra... what IS that?" "It's a hand!" Lyra smiled, her white teeth shimmering, "You see?! The ball is called the palm while these five things here are called fingers! Except this one because it's called a thumb! I dreamed it up a few hours ago so I decided to see if I could make- "Humans, again?" Bon Bon frowned, "Lyra, you're my housemate and best friend but you HAVE to stop doing this." "What? Sculpting hands?" Lyra asked, lifting the grotesque object to her face. "NO! Ugh... " Bon Bon slapped her hoof against her forehead again, "Nevermind. Look, I know that you're obsessed with the whole human thing but you've GOT to let it go. I know its important to your family, but you've been destroying our house over it." "No way!" Lyra whined, "Bon Bon, I have dreams! Visions even! If only you could see them you could understand!" "Lyra!" Bon Bon sighed, "I'm sorry, but I don't have them. Last time I checked, humans have never been seen in Equestria. Lyra, you're an awesome pony and a great musician. If you would just embrace your talents and seek out your profession seriously you could get somewhere. But instead you are following your weird human dreams. Maybe its time that you let it go." Bon Bon turned around and gave her a quiet good night before shutting the door quietly behind her. "Let it go?" Lyra said quietly to herself, her eyes tearing up a little bit. She shook her head and placed her sculpture onto her desk. "I can't... " She sighed to herself, "I... I can't." She sat down on her bed, her body still covered in clumps of clay. She recalled her dreams and visions, and she could remember them all. Ponies usually forget their dreams, but Lyra remembered each and every one. She could see them, their peach skin and the manes atop their heads. She could see the fingers on their hands and the two legs they had. "My family's been laughed at for years... " She sniffled, "Whenever one of those big science people hear the name 'Heartstrings' they burst out laughing. It's why I quit college in the first place... I... I have to prove them all wrong!" Lyra wiped her eyes with her hoof. "It was my dreams and visions that got me here in the first place. I may have never met Bon Bon if it wasn't for them..." She smiled sadly, "I can't give up now." She flopped back onto her bed, closing her eyes. After a few moments of tossing and turning, she jumped back onto her feet. "Alright, can't sleep. I guess I'll take a shower..." Her eyes suddenly lit up, "Oh! And I'll go visit the one pony that actually listens to me!" she excitedly scampered into the bathroom eager to wipe off the blotches of clay and visit her friend. There was only one pony in Equestria who would be up so early. "I mean, my clay sculpture wasn't perfect, but at least it was better than the last one! I'm starting to get a bit better on the details. Getting all this clay is taking quite a chunk from my budget, though. Bon Bon keeps telling me to actually go get a real job, but if I did that I wouldn't have time for my lyre playing. I still play in the park and I make good bits there, but if I tried to go out and join a professional orchestra like Octavia it would be in a bigger city than Ponyville and I would be away from all my friends. Not to mention that I would lose a lot of time on my research. Are you still listening?" "Eeyup." Big Macintosh answered, his two powerful hooves smashing into the apple tree behind him. The apples fell into the buckets below, and the big red stallion moved toward the next row. "Thank Celestia!" Lyra smiled, "If it wasn't for you, I think I would go CRAZY with no one to talk to. About humans, I mean." Big Macintosh smiled as he set the buckets below an apple tree with his mouth. The sun was just starting to rise from the horizon, and the chilly air was beginning to warm up. "Just a question... why do you listen to me anyway?" Lyra asked, watching Big Macintosh deliver another powerful apple-buck. "Ah don't talk to ponies very often." He grunted, " 'cause of work." "Oh, I see." Lyra smiled, "So we all need ponies to talk to, right?" "Eeyup." Big Macintosh grinned, picking up a heavy bucket of apples. He moved over to a large cart and dropped it in. He made his way toward the front and clipped it onto his harness. "You don't do much talking, though!" Lyra laughed to herself, "I feel bad for having you listen to me all the time! If you want to talk about anything, just let me know!" "Eeyup." Big Macintosh answered, tugging the cart with little effort. Lyra trotted gently up beside him to stay in his pace. "Bon Bon said that I should just let the human thing go... " Lyra said softly, her eyes trailing down to the ground, "She doesn't seem to believe me. I don't think I could stop if I tried... I'm always having these dreams and visions and I don't know why. It's like something is trying to reach out to me... or somepony." Big Macintosh nodded quietly, his eyes finding Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. "But maybe she's right. What if my family is just all crazy and insane? I don't if I'll ever see a human." Lyra sighed, "Macintosh... do you think I should just give up?" Big Macintosh thought for a moment, "Ah don't know. Ah think maybe you should follow your emotions." Lyra smiled, "Follow my emotions... I like that idea." Big Macintosh smiled lightly and the two continued to walk together until they reached the big red barn outside of the Apple house. Big Macintosh unclipped the cart from his harness and made his way to the back. He began to grab the buckets of apples with his mouth and started unloading them. "Workin' hard as usual?" A familiar female accent snickered. Big Macintosh lifted his gaze, a wide smile crossing his lips. "Mornin' AJ." Macintosh greeted, his sister smiling as she approached him. They nuzzled each other softly before Applejack chuckled and punched him playfully in the leg. "Ah haven't seen you in weeks and you only have THAT to say to me?" Applejack smirked, "Geez, same old Big Mac. I would've been here sooner, but the girls decided that they wanted to stop by some fancy place yesterday." "Hey there, Applejack!" Lyra chimed, coming out from behind the cart, "I didn't know that you came back!" Applejack gave Lyra a questionable look, her face shifting into an expression of surprise. "Uh, Lyra... " Applejack blinked, "Ah didn't know you were here. Big Mac, what's she doin' here?" "Oh, I'm just talking with the big lug!" Lyra chirped, "We hang out sometimes. He's a great listener!" "Uh huh..." Applejack raised an eye, "Sorry Lyra, but ah think me an' Big Mac here got some work we gotta do. After all, ah do need to catch up on what's been goin' down at the farm since ah've been gone." "Oh, no worries!" Lyra smiled, "I don't want to take up too much of your time! Thanks for listening to me, Macintosh!" Big Mac gave her a simple nod before watching the mint-green unicorn trot off back towards Ponyville. "So... " Applejack coughed awkwardly, "How long have yah been seein' her?" Big Macintosh gave Applejack a curious glance, "Seein' her? She's just a friend." "Alrighty, just be sure to keep it that way. Don't want yah focusing on anythin' else on the farm during harvest. It's comin' up soon." Big Macintosh's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak. He hesitantly shut it and sighed. "Eeyup." Spike hummed to himself softly as he watched a pony leave the library with the latest "Daring Do" novel. Twilight sent word to him that she would be arriving sometime in the morning, and told him that she was expecting a clean house and well organized shelves. Spike was proud of himself to think that he would deliver that and much more. Without Twilight around, things had been a bit difficult at first but he also found it strangely relaxing. He was able to catch up on some of his old hobbies. The library had been cleaner than ever, and he was able to read some of the books Twilight kept insisting were too mature for him. He found that she had been right about that on some accounts. Still, he missed the purple unicorn dearly. Sniffing the air, he realized that the cookies he had been baking were nearly finished. He made his way over to the oven and opened it. The fresh smell of chocolate chip cookies invaded his nostrils and he sighed pleasantly. He placed the tray onto the table when the door opened. "I'm home!" Twilight declared happily, setting her suitcases down at the door, "Wow, Spike! The library looks amazing!" "Twilight!" Spike exclaimed, taking off his oven mitts and pink apron to affectionately wrap his little purple arms around her neck. Twilight smiled and nuzzled his cheek softly, "Missed you, my number one assistant!" She smiled. "There is not one book out of place and I made sure everything is spotless!" Spike declared proudly, "I swept, dusted, did the laundry, and even ordered a few new books that you wanted me to." "I knew that I could count on you, Spike!" Twilight patted his head with a grin, "Good work!" She made her way to the table in the center of the room and plopped her saddlebags onto it. She opened it up and magically lifted a few new books up. "Spike, could you shelf these for me?" She asked. "No problem!" Spike chirped, the books gliding over to him. He quickly gripped them out of thin air and looked at the titles with a puzzled expression. "Humans, Fact or Fiction? The Bipedal Creatures? Humans: The Equestrian Myth?" Spike gave Twilight a confused glance, "Um, what's a human?" "Why, the most interesting and fascinating creatures to ever exist! If they do exist, that is!" A voice called at the door. Spike and Twilight glanced over to see Lyra grinning widely. "Oh... Lyra!" Twilight blinked, "Um, I didn't expect to see you so soon!" "You were expecting me?" She asked, cocking her head. "Uh... " Twilight stammered, "Um, nevermind that. But I just bought some books on humans that I'm sure you will enjoy." "AWESOME!" Lyra gasped, leaping over to where the baby dragon was. Lyra immediately used her magic to lift them from Spike's claws, her eyes scanning the titles with a toothy grin. "Wow! I haven't read these before!" Lyra smiled, "What's with the sudden interest, Twilight?" "Well... I was reading a few notes by your ancestor, Professor Heartstrings, and I was a bit interested in learning about them." For an instant, Lyra's face dropped into a deeply saddened expression. "Oh... " She replied, "I see... " Her smile perked back up and she turned to Twilight, "That's so cool! Do you want to study them with me?!" Twilight watched her for a few moments, the gears in her mind twisting and turning. Her ears flicked back and forth before hesitantly smiling. "Sure, why not?" Lyra yelped in glee and did a little hop, "Oh that's so AWESOME! I can't WAIT to show you the pictures and stuff that I have! Stay right here and I'll be right back!" Lyra immediately sprinted outside, her hollers and laughs being heard in the ungodly hours of the morning. "Twilight... " Spike asked quietly, giving the purple unicorn a scared look, "What have you DONE?!" "My scouts say that this creature in particular came from The Outlands," Princess Luna began, "Reports say that this creature is similar to a dragon yet does not breathe fire or is able to take flight. It's restricted to the ground, but it still is very dangerous. Observations say that it's hide is thick, and even the most advanced unicorn magic may not even damage it. I would be very careful in- "Yeah, yeah." Logan growled, "Lesson one: You don't tell me how to fight." Luna raised an eyebrow, "I'm only giving advice." "Lesson two: I don't need advice." Logan cracked his knuckles, "Whatever this thing is, I can take it." "I guess we'll have to see." Luna smirked, "So... when are you going to jump in?" Princess Luna and Logan were standing side by side in her tower. On the ground before them lay a gleaming portal with glowing runes etched into the tile around it. The portal showed the scenery of a misty forest with tall trees and open clearings. "I never liked teleporting." Logan cringed, "And it seems like that's all you've been making me do since I got here." "So, are you scared?" Luna asked with a sly smile. "As if." Logan snorted, bending his neck. A loud crack resonated from within, and his lips curled into a relieved smile. "Oh, one last thing." Luna stated, pulling a small red box out of nowhere with her hoof, "I heard that you were wanting these. I figured it would be a treat if this was your last moment alive." Cautiously, Logan took the box from her and opened it up. "Jesus christ... " He blinked, a smile crossing his face. He reached in his hand and pulled out an authentic thick shaft of a cigar, "I didn't think you ponies had any of these." "There was only a small shop in Canterlot that carried them. Not many ponies smoke nowadays." Luna grumbled, "It doesn't smell too good and makes your teeth rot. I don't know why you like these." "Yeah, well these better not taste funny coming from ponies." He grumbled, shoving the box into his back pocket, "If they taste like peppermint I swear I'll start slaving ponies to make them for me." Looking down at the portal, Wolverine took a deep breath. He bent his legs slightly and kicked at the ground, jumping right into the glowing portal. The change was almost immediate. The chilly air suddenly grew hot, and the sent of trees filled his nostrils. The sounds of chirping birds and wind echoed in his ears, and the rush of air tackled him as he descended down from the sky. "Damnit!" He growled, his body falling straight down into the forest, "Do they expect me to fly?!" He prepared himself for impact. A cloud of dust and dirt kicked up as he landed, his knees bent as they absorbed the impact. He slowly stood up straight, hearing a few cracks climb up his spine and his knees. Sighing, he sniffed the air for his target. "Any way I can be useful?" He heard a voice call. He looked up to see the portal in the sky and saw Luna's face looking down at him. "Are you a beer?" He asked. Luna blinked and chuckled a little, "Fair enough. Good luck." Her head disappeared into the portal and he watched it close in on itself and disappear. "Alright." He said to himself, "Now to find this thing." The scents from the forest were all mixed from trees, animals, pollen, dirt... and rotting carcasses." "Smells like a good place to start looking." He grumbled to himself, breaking off into a sprint. He leaped over large roots, swung from large tree branches, and dodged vines as he charged towards his destination. The horrid smell was growing stronger and stronger. Eventually, he came to a small clearing that was littered with bodies of forest animals. He couldn't tell what animals they had been, but he was able to notice that they were rather large. He began to wonder how much more dangerous the creatures in Equestria could be. "Hm," he said to himself as he walked into the middle of the clearing, "Someone was hungry." A loud, intimidating roar shook the ground beneath Logan. Smirking, he turned around to see what monster could have possibly let out such an imposing noise. "Whoa... " he said to himself, looking up at the creature with a toothy grin, "Didn't think I would fight one of you here." The monster roared, it's size dwarfing Wolverine's. "Well, I can't say that I never thought of fighting something like you." He growled, his sharp claws emerging from his fists, "But you give me some hope. Maybe I can have some fun in this stupid world after all." Logan let out a terrifying roar and leaped high into the air, a wide smile on his face as he flew towards the horrifyingly large creature. Picture by nJoo