//------------------------------// // He's A Monster...Right? // Story: The Strongest There Is // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// 'How goes the search?' the dark energy asked Chrysalis as she and Discord re-entered the ritual area. It had been drawing power from the dark energy around it, slowly but surely building up power. It had summoned Discord and Chrysalis back after a day, not wanting to be kept waiting. "Not well," Chrysalis said with a frown. "My studies of Canterlot show that they are far too well-prepared for another attack even though it has been nearly a year since my last one." "And they set up chaos sensors while I was away," Discord said with a sigh. "However, while I was in Ponyville the other day I found something of much greater interest than what the princesses are up to." When both of them looked at him funny (well, Chrysalis looked, the darkness just flickered), Discord smiled and held up a bottle with green liquid in it. "This is just what the doctor ordered. While in Ponyville, I watched a great two-round death match that tore apart that town and threw the whole pony community into chaos. It was lovely. Unfortunately for me, I got crushed under the giant green ogre and was sent flying. But imagine my surprise when I woke up in Twilight's tree and found this little beauty just waiting there for me." 'And what does this have to do with me?' the darkness asked him. Discord snickered and started bouncing the bottle off his elbows. "Only that with this you will have the blood of the strongest creatures in Equestria," Discord said with a chuckle. "With this in you, odds are no pony will be able to stop you." 'Then what are you waiting for? Place it on the circle." Discord walked over to the circle while whistling, opening the bottle and pouring the blood into the circle's center. The green blood vanished into mist as the circle began to glow. The dark shadow moved into the center of the circle and began to suck in the power if the titan's blood. Chrysalis and DIscord backed up as its body--that had been lost long ago--began to reform, filled with the power of the Hulk. Chyrsalis watched in amazement while Discord watched with amusement as an alicorn's body formed from the darkness, Hulk's blood flowing through her. Her blue mane grew back out and a cresent moon appeared on her flank. She opened her blue eyes and laughed out loud as she descended to the ground. "Yes! I have finally returned!" Nightmare Moon yelled out as she landed. The moment her hooves touched the ground, the ground shattered beneath her. "I see that you made a wise choice in getting the Hulk's blood. My physical powers have never been stronger! With my current powers, I could retake Canterlot with ease!" "Unless that giant green monstrosity ripped you apart like it did the serpent," Discord said with a chuckle. "Trust me, a frontal assault is the last thing you want with that beast still around." "Then what do you propose, oh 'Master of Chaos'?" Chrysalis said with a smirk. "Last time I checked, none of your plans have proven to be any good." "Simple. I've already seen that the beast has a short temper and a tendency to destroy things when he's angry. All we need to do is cause an accident and make it look like it's the Hulk's fault. The ponies will hate him and either he will be exiled or he'll smash them all. Either way it's a win-win for us." "I hate to admit it, but that is a good plan," Chrysalis said with a frown. "I would have to agree with Discord, which sickens me to say." Nightmare Moon thought about it for a minute, before nodding in agreement. "Very well, but it will have to be in the morning. Right now my powers are still weak at best, and I must go recharge in the lunar rays. Do not do anything without consulting me." She vanished in a flash, leaving the two there alone. "So, where are you heading?" Chrysalis asked Discord. "What? Do you honestly think that I would disobey...I'm going to go mess around in Celestia's dreams," he said with a shrug. "Isn't that the opposite of laying low?" "No way. I'm certain Celestia dreams of me all the time," he said with a grin. "That is disturbing," Chrysalis said with a shake of her head, flapping her wings and flying out through a window. Discord snapped his fingers and vanished in a puff a smoke. ---=-=--- Hulk climbed up the side of the mountain, heading for the cave that rested at the top of it. He had been searching all day for a place to rest since he wasn't welcome in Ponyville, and he wasn't going to rest in a place that the puny pony might find him. So this cave was his best bet. Hulk grabbed the ledge above him and pulled himself up into the cave. The cavern was filled with gold and jewlery that would drive humans crazy, but Hulk was more concerned with the dragon that had been sleeping in the center of the room. It lifted it's neck and roared at him, trying to scare him off. "Puny dragon shouldn't attack Hulk!" he roared in warning. The dragon inhaled and let loose a torrent of flames upon the Hulk, shooting a column of fire out of the cave entrance. Hulk put both hands over his face and started to march forward through the flames. Hulk leapt out of the fire and slammed his fist into the dragon's head, knocking him over. Hulk landed and grabbed the dragon by the tail, dragging him to the entrance and tossing the dragon, watching with a smirk as it landed in the forest below. Hulk walked back into the cave and smashed his foot on the ground, causing the floor to give way and for all the gold to fall into the darkness below. With all the trash out of the cave, Hulk leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes, beginning to dream. Hulk opened his eyes to find himself back on earth, in a massive building known as Stark Towers. He looked down from the balcony on which he was standing to the city below, noticing that all seemed to be oddly quiet. Hulk shook his head and walked inside, being immediately greeted by friends and comrades. Captain America walked over to him and said something about what a great help Hulk had been defeating the Kraang. While others tried to do the same, Hulk pushed past them as he looked around for someone. He marched over to the doors and ripped them off the hinges, only to find swarms of soldiers standing on the stairs inside. In front of them stood a man with a white mustache and wearing a military uniform. "Found you," he said with a grin before giving the command. The soldiers behind him began to open fire as the Hulk roared in rage. Thor was the first to respond by tackling the Hulk to the ground, trying to stop the carnage before it began. Hulk roared and threw him off before barreling into the soldiers. Tony called out to the security system and a moment later a metal-like suit slammed into the front of Hulk, knocking him back. Captain went for his shield while Thor brought his hammer down on the Hulk's head, dazing the giant. "I do not wish to do this, Hulk, but other wise you will-" Hulk reached around and grabbed Thor, tossing him through the window and down into the streets. The other two Avengers on hand tried to hold him back, but Hulk barreled through them and lept onto the stairwell, bringing it down along with the soldiers. Hulk pulled himself back up just as Tony came out in the 'Hulkbuster' armor. "I'm sorry it had to come to this Hulk," Tony said as the faceplate slammed shut. "But I'm going to bring you-" Hulk slammed into Tony and drove the both of them out through the side of the building, Hulk punching Tony on the way down until they landed in the streets. The 'Hulkbuster' stood up only to receive a right hand to the face that cracked the helmet. Thor drove his hammer into Hulk's back before he could continue pounding on Tony, and Hulk spun around to drive both fists into Thor's chest. As Thor sailed off, Hulk turned back to Tony to pound him...only to see that Princess Luna was looking at him from across the street. "GRAH!" Hulk roared as he awoke, sitting up and looking to his side while panting. Princess Luna was indeed sitting next to him with a curious expression on her face. "That was a very interesting dream," she said calmly. "After talking to Banner, I expected your dreams to be a blood bath. Yet you only attacked to defend yourself. You are supposed to be a monster and yet..." "Why puny pony in Hulk's head?" Hulk growled as he stood up and lumbered over to her. "Puny Pony shouldn't try to attack Hulk or Hulk smash!" "I was not trying to attack you; just trying to see what went on in your head besides 'smash'," she said with a smile as she stood up. "You have proven to be an interesting creature to observe so far. You seem to have a reputation as a monster of destruction, yet you only fight when attacked and just want to be alone." "All Hulk wants is to be alone! It's all Hulk wants," he growled, not liking that she could enter his mind. Whenever that happened in the past, it ended badly for everyone. Luna stood up and bowed. "As you wish. The stars know what would happen if I try to argue." She opened her wings and walked over to the ledge, looking back at the Hulk before she left. "You are a very curious creature Hulk. You say you're a monster, but unlike me, you have not tried to force your rule upon the land. You just want to be alone. But trust me when I say this, Hulk. You don't want to be alone all your life. It is a terrible fate." She flapped her wings and sailed into the sky, leaving Hulk alone just as he requested. Hulk sighed and sat back down, closing his eyes and letting the dream continue. ---=-=--- "Hiya Hulk!" Hulk growled as he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Pinkie's smiling face. Hulk figured he would have nightmares for weeks as he stood up and stretched, looking at the rising sun in the distance. He looked down at himself to also realize that he was still Hulk, which was odd because he normally turned into puny Banner whenever he slept. "How puny pony find Hulk?" he asked as he groggily walked out of the cave, Pinkie hopping along behind him. "Silly. I watched you throw that dragon into the school yesterday and knew that you were up here," she explained, informing Hulk that he had accidently tossed a fire breathing dragon into a school of fillies. "I would have bothered you last night, but Luna asked me to leave you alone. Apparently she thinks that you're more than a monster, but I'm not sure that the other ponies see it. Twilight's furious at you by the way." "Hulk no care," Hulk muttered, but Pinkie knew that there was no truth to those words. Hulk jumped down the mountain and slammed into the ground, sighing as Pinkie landed on the ground next to him and bounced like a rubber ball. "How puny pony do that?" "Do what?" she asked as she hopped in front of him with that annoying smile of hers. "By the way, since you totally trashed the school house, the school foals will be taking a tour of the Ponyville Dam today. I want you to go visit them and apologize for what you did." "No." "If you don't, I'll do this," she said before hopping up on his head and looking at him upside down. "PPPPPPLLLLLLLLEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEE!" "Okay! Hulk go apologize," Hulk growled with his hands on his ears. Pinkie smiled and hopped off his head. "Follow me! I know a shortcut!" she happily said as she hopped off. Hulk spotted the dam off in the distance and decided to get there faster. He used his powerful leg muscles to leap into the air and fly across the land, passing over the town and landing near the dam. Hulk smiled at the fact that he had beaten her, only to be disappointed to find that she was already there. Hulk heard voices and looked down from the hill on which he had landed to see the school ponies walking behind a bigger pony, looking bored out of their minds. "Hey, Hulk? What are you doing over there?" Pinkie asked, pointing towards the dam. Hulk looked over to see what looked like a purple version of himself walk over to the dam and drive his fist into it. The dam almost shattered under the force of the duplicate's punch and water started to shoot from the cracks. "AHHHH! Somepony's trying to destroy the dam! We need to get Twilight!" Pinkie yelled, sprinting off towards Ponyville. She stopped and looked back when she realized Hulk wasn't following her. "Hulk! Didn't you hear me? We need to get Twilight!" Hulk frowned as he looked at the duplicate vanish into the darkness, noticing that the dam was about to burst. The teacher noticed it as well and started to yell at the students to run, but Hulk knew that they wouldn't make it. Hulk lept into the air and landed by the ponies. "I-it's the Hulk!" one of them screamed and hid behind the teacher. Hulk's initial plan was to grab them and jump with them to safety, but then the dam decided to give out. Hulk turned to watch as an insane amount of water came cascading towards them. "What do we do, Miss Cheerilee?" one of them asked. "Gather around, foals. It'll be alright," the teacher said, gathering her students together. "It will be alright." Hulk looked at them as they gathered around, knowing that they had no chance against the flood. He would survive, he always did. But they wouldn't. Hulk let out a roar so massive that it shook the very earth. "HULK SAVE PUNY PONIES!" he roared as he slammed his fists into the ground, shattering it and causing jagged rocks to erupt from the ground. Hulk then lifted the biggest piece he could at an angle, bracing himself in preperation for the water. "IF PUNY PONIES WISH TO LIVE, GET BEHIND HULK!" The ponies looked at each other and started to back away a bit, but a certain small colt with brown spots ran up behind Hulk. "Come on everypony! Hulk will protect us!" he yelled at them. While they were hesitant at first, faced with a dam full of water the ponies ran behind him and braced themselves. Pinkie, who had still been watching from the distance, gasped as the Hulk and the class were swallowed by the water. All of the foals and their teacher had closed their eyes and braced for the end...but it never came. When they opened their eyes, they found that Hulk had used the slab of rock as a ramp for the water to go up and over. If they hadn't been so terrified, it would have been a beautiful sight, watching the water flowing around them. Hulk growled as the sheer pressure and force of the water began to drive him into the ground, yet he didn't budge an inch back. After what felt like hours, but was really only minutes, the torrent of water finally ended, letting Hulk drop the rock with a sigh. The water had gone over them and into a valley, flooding it. He looked back at the ponies who, besides being somewhat wet, were mostly unharmed. "T-thank you," the ponies' teacher said to him after checking up on all her students. "You saved us." "Hulk only saved ponies because Hulk wanted to," he grunted. The small class looked up at him with grateful smiles on their faces and gratitude in their eyes, something he wasn't used to. "Hulk still no like ponies," he grumbled. Before they could say anything or thank him, Hulk jumped into the air and landed far away. While most of the class felt relieved that Hulk had shown up, a certain pink pony was looking at him in a new light. Pinkie had always thought of the Hulk as a rage beast that did things that only benefited him. But now... Pinkie narrowed her eyes and chased after the Hulk, preparing to get some answers out of him.