//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Aperture // by Godspeed //------------------------------// The first thing Godspeed felt was being torn apart at the seams. "AAAAGGG-!!!" He had only put his foot in the event horizon of the aperture but the moment he did the rest of his body was sucked in, cutting him off in mid scream. Now he could only be silent as he was ripped apart molecule by molecule and thrown at tremendous speeds towards the other end of the rift. Faster and faster he was propelled through the wormhole and after what seemed like hours he reached the other end and was finally reintegrated, only to be launched 20 feet forward from the speed of his travel. He hit the ground and skidded on his chest and then after sliding a few yards he finally came to a screeching halt. Battered and bruised it didn't take long for the darkness to set it, closing his mind to the world and welcoming him into warm blessed unconsciousness. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first thing he saw was the shadows of leaves playing across his eyelids. Godspeed slowly and painfully opened up his eyes, trying to get his bearings. As he sat up, he noticed that he was under a tree which was granting him shade and respite from the heat of the sun. Then he started grimacing from the pain coming from his torso. He wondered why his chest hurt so badly and then saw the skid marks on the ground where he had landed after his hard landing. "Ugh, remind me to never do that again." he groaned, rubbing his sore muscles. His military training took over as he started checking his gears and gun, making sure everything was in order before doing anything else. He then tentatively stood up and cracked his back then started stretching, trying to get limber. After a few minutes of stretching, he switched to some kinesthetics to fully get his blood pumping and to wash away the acid built up in his muscles. Finally loosened up, he looked around and noticed that he was in the middle of a great beautiful forest. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. He became lost in thought. Everything seemed so lush and peaceful that he started questioning if there were indeed any predators at all in such a place... A scream echoed through the forest. He turned around only to see a great monster about 200 feet away that was easily 6 stories high with three huge heads with a thicket of razor sharp teeth lining each of it's mouths snarling and growling as it was chasing something. He could barely make it out but it looked like a red and pink hair and cream colored... "PONY!?!" he nearly shouted as he stood stunned. Something seems familiar about that pony.... Then when he realized what he had recognized this pony from, the memories came back to him from when he was a boy, "Wait, whoa Whoa WHOA! AS IN 'MY LITTLE PONY'!?" He stood there dumbfounded for a moment longer, but his military training quickly kicked in when she screamed again, taking him out of his stupor. It was gaining. He shook his head, "Now I don't know what the crap is going on here but I gotta save it!.... uhh, her!" He then took his gun out and sprinted as fast as lightning on a intercept course towards the terrorized pony who was running deeper into the forest, trying desperately to get away from this nightmarish creature. She sprinted as fast as she could but in her desperation she ran from the open forest into a field of rock faces that created a sort of natural canyon. She ran until she came to the end of the canyon and her eyed widened in horror when she realized what she'd done. She was trapped. Godspeed felt something stirring deep within him as was sprinting, causing him to run twice the speed a normal man can run. Man, there must be something in the air because I feel stronger and faster than ever before! He was just entering mouth of the canyon when he heard another scream. No time for that now. "I'm coming!" he shouted. He urged himself to go even faster. Branches whipped past him as he sprinted at breakneck speed through the chasm, dodging fallen trees, rocks and other rubble from the destructive force of the beast. Godspeed soon reached the end of the canyon and saw the monster slowly advancing on the pony. He could now make out the pony in detail as she was now backed up against a giant rock face and crying pitifully on the ground as the monster got closer and closer. He also noticed she had a picture of a rose on her flank. What is it called? A sign? A mark? A cutie mark!! Man, I haven't even thought about that show in like 5 years! The monster's three heads all roared as one in triumph when they saw that their prey was trapped and started closing in for the kill. Wait, no time to think! I've got to find some way to take out or at lease distract this thing! But my tranqs won't even begin to put this thing to sleep. With eagle eyes he saw a long rod-like stick that he could use as a quarterstaff, altered course towards it, dived and rolled on top of it, snatching it up in the process. His military drill sergeant taught him well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 years ago "Okay men listen up! On today's agenda is survival combat training! Now many of you will be temped to just use your fists in this exercise but balling up your hands and flinging them randomly towards an adversary won't help you in a real engagement, especially when your fighting mountain lions in the wild!" "Now having a gun is always nice, but here in the military we don't always play nice! Here, we like to get down and dirty! The best weapon for fighting single or even multiple enemies in the wilderness is a quarterstaff. Lieutenant Forge here will demonstrate." Forge, an average height but lean built officer, walked up to a large recruit nicknamed "The Hulk" by his squadron for his massive frame and tendency to get angry and handed him a guard baton while keeping a quarterstaff for himself. "Here, take this and try to hit me." "Uh, sir?" the unsure cadet said, his face twisted in confusion. "Just do it son." "Okay then sir..." Everyone backed off and created a circle around the combatants as Hulk cracked his neck from side to side and then looked down at Forge for his consent. Forge nodded, readying his quarterstaff in front of him with both hands spread apart on the smooth piece wood. Hulk gave a battle cry and charged. To everyone around, it looked as if he would pummel the shorter man into submission in a single blow. They were wrong. Forge quickly parried the blow off to the side within a split second of it pummeling him on his shoulder and immediately reposted with three quick smacks and jabs directed at the larger man's stomach. Hulk recoiled, stunned and ashamed that he couldn't hit the man he considered inferior to him physically. "See that cadets? Despite the fact that Forge here is weaker than this large man here, no offense..." "None taken." "..he was still able to best him because of three things: he was more experienced, he was better positioned and he had a weapon capable of both deflecting incoming attacks effectively and dealing damage sharply and swiftly." "Now start practicing cadets! But instead of just GIVING you a quarterstaff, we will put all of them about 20 paces from you. And the person who gets their weapon first gets to go directly to the mess hall while the rest of you run 15 miles!" There was a murmur among the cadets as the staffs were laid out in a line a short distance away. "I'll get that first quarterstaff! You chumps will be doing push ups while I'm chowing down in the mess hall!!" someone yelled. "No, It'll be me! I'll get one of those staffs! You just wait and see!!" someone else said. Multiple threats and boasts were tossed back and forth among the line of cadets but only one person didn't take part in the rivalries. Godspeed. He was already positioned like a runner, ready to take the prize at the finish line. "What are you waiting for!?" the drill sergeant barked. "GO!!!" Godspeed launched himself forward faster than anyone else and was soon coming up to the pile of rods but when he looked back he noticed that some were now gaining. You got this. he thought to himself. He yelled and in a sudden burst of speed he dove forward and rolled over the stack of staffs, picking one up as he went. Everyone moaned as he came out of his roll and triumphantly held up the quarterstaff. "Son," the drill sergeant said walking up to Godspeed, "I think you and I are going to get along just fine. Now let me teach you the basics of fighting and I'll even show you some moves that none of these yahoos will ever know...." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Present Day Godspeed yelled a battle cry as he came out of his roll, startling the monster. As the beast slowly turned around, Godspeed repositioned himself directly behind it and firmly planted both feet in the ground. The monster turned fully around and, now seeing that the disturbance was another potential lunch, roared with all three of it's hideous heads, ready to chase down yet another easy target. But Godspeed would have none of that. He spread his hands over the staff, feeling the smoothness of the wood and getting a feel for the weapon. Smoothness: Check. He hit it against a near by rock to test the hardiness of the rod. Sturdiness: Check He weighted it in one hand and then quickly switched to double-handed, delivering a few quick jabs and parrying a few mock blows to test his form. Balance: Check Now the monster roared again and slowly started advancing, assured that he would finally get something to eat for all of his trouble. Godspeed spun the quarterstaff around his head and then brought it down into a defensive position in front of him. His heart started to run faster and faster but to Godspeed, time seemed to slow, to draw out as he took long deep breathes to ready himself for the battle ahead. And he saw everything. He saw the cream colored pony laying on the ground at the foot of the rock face crying, tears streaming down her snout and heard her pleading under her breath. "Please don't eat me! Please don't eat me!" He saw the wrecked trees slowly swaying and in all manner of disarray and decimation from the freight train of a force that recently swept through. He saw the scrape marks on the ground from massive clawed feet and the shredded pieces of rock, now turned to rubble, littering the ground around him. And then he saw it, the source of all of the pain and devastation. It was a colossal 70 feet tall with a set of maroon eyes on each of it's three heavily muscled heads with razor sharp teeth lining it's mouths. It had huge spikes going down it's necks all the way down to its tail that looked like they could saw a tree in two with a single swipe. It had claws the size of a full grown pony made to keep a grip in any kind of terrain and powerful feet to propel this monstrosity surprisingly fast for its bulk. And it was slowly advancing, barring it's teeth and getting ready to strike at any moment and consume anything that it could get a hold of. 100 feet away. 90 feet away. Godspeed laughed at his awareness of everything, every little detail, every flaw in the landscape and in the creature in front of him, happy that if these would be his final moments, that they would be spent like this. Awareness. 80 feet. He then then focused on the monster and readied his muscles for the fight ahead. 70. Godspeed smiled to himself and said, "Hello, beastie." 60. Then the creature struck. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------