//------------------------------// // Discovery // Story: Bad Memories // by brohoof22 //------------------------------// Matt woke with a start, twitching in his sleeping bag as he emerged from the nightmares. Rocky, Matt's German Shepard, took an instant interest in this, licking his master's face, glad to see that he had woken up. Matt smiled "Good morning Rocky" *BARK!* With a grunt of pain, he rose to a sitting position, still wearing his Kevlar vest and tan beret. Rocky lept outside the crudely pitched tent as his master struggled to get up. Matt was a tall, wiry man, He was about 6'1 and had a weight of about 170 lbs. His face spoke of hardship with a long scar that ran across his right ear, into halfway of his cheek. His blue eyes showing a hardened personality. He also had a scruffy chin from not being able to shave for two days. Matt, over the last 24 hours, had suffered several serious injuries, and had yet to see a doctor. In fact, he was lucky to still be alive. Corporal Matt White of Specialist Team 64 had suffered from multiple bullet wounds on the arm, gut, and the leg, by a 9mm gun. He also had a splinted, fractured leg after tripping on some stray roots. This was acquired while running for his life, away from the enemy Russians who had just attacked and destroyed Paris. Matt and his wife had been taking a vacation there, celebrating his return from his tour in Italy, only to suffer from now, distant, horrible memories. He mentally slapped himself, today, he needed help. Struggling, Matt finally got out of the crude tent, and took in his surroundings. He was in the middle of a small clearing in the forest, trees on all sides. The clearing was about 20 yards in diameter and had tall grass to the right of his tent. His tent, was bent and misshapen after the desperate, painful pitching of it. He had made a small fire ring that had since, been smoldering the last bit of fuel. Matt sighed, he had no idea where he was, no idea of the forest he was in and in no condition to find out. He whistled for Rocky, who padded up to him immediately. "Alright boy, I need you to find some food, and if you find anybody in red clothes, run." Matt said to Rocky. He not was sure he could not get all of that, but Rocky was a very smart dog. Matt, before this incident, had taken Rocky with him on multiple hunting treks with him. And the dog was great at it too, smelling a rabbit a quarter mile away. He also knew that his master was in trouble, noticing how he was barely able to walk after running from the men in red. Rocky barked and then headed into the woods in search of food. Sighing. Matt pondered what he should do for the next few hours. At first he just once again looked to his surrounding treeline, noticing something...odd. The trees around him, though he could barely see at that time, seem much...brighter then the night before. These trees seemed to thrum with life. And was that bush there before? Shrugging it off, Matt just thought his mind was playing tricks again. Suddenly, a spasm of pain racked his body, sending pain impulses from every part of his body to his brain. Sighing, Matt removed the old clothes he had been using as bandages to see the bullet wounds underneath. The 9mm wounds were still bleeding, sending a bit more blood out with every pulse of his heart. He had brought no medicine supplies, of all things, so he had to make do with the currently bloodstained clothes. He tightened up the shirt around his arm wound and repeated it for the other two bullet wounds. He then did the same with his makeshift splint. Picking up his M16 standard rifle, he slowly got to his feet with a grunt of pain, and began surveying the treeline for any signs of red uniforms. After doing this for about a half hour, Matt put down his rifle, and began practicing with his compound bow and 24 arrows. Being one of best marksman of his company, he had decided to branch out his specialties. And began using the bow in most of his hunting trips for the challenge. After drawing a target on a tree with red berry juice ( the animals had not been eating them, so he assumed they were poisonous.) and began shooting arrows at the target. after 12 shots, he went up to survey his results. He continued this a few more times, then put away his bow and sat back down in his dirt spot. He checked the time on his watch, 11:30 and then picked up his rifle, checking every little bit of the rifle and counting the extra magazines that he had scavenged. He had about 15 spare magazines, more that enough. He then heard a twig breaking. *SNAP* Matt spun around, the rifle in his grip, to where the tent was laid. The sound came from behind the tent, and Matt could not get up in time as that would take too long with his fractured leg. *SNAP SNAP* He heard two more twigs snap, this time behind him, and spun around the rifle until he was looking over the smoldering remains of his previous fire. He froze, blood pumping like ice. There, about 30 yards away from him, was a enormous beast he had never seen before. Scratch that, he had seen that before. But these were supposed to be a myth! He studied the beast with the mouth and head of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion, and it was also about 15 feet tall! The manticore staring back at him with blood red eyes, eyeing up its prey. *RAUGAHHHHHHH!* The beast roared as it began charging him. Instinctively, Matt began firing at the charging behemoth, trying to get a shot at its eye but to no avail, the damn creature seemed to just shrug off the bullets. "Shit..." He muttered The beast was upon him now, only about 10 yards away and the beast oped its huge maw, ready to swallow Matt whole. Matt began firing at the creatures mouth, which finally, must have been painful enough for the manticore to stumble back a bit. Only when Matt looked in its eye did he see pure hatred burning. "I just pissed it off, didn't I?" Matt thought. His suspicions proved right when it position itself to charge again. *BARK BARK!* Rocky came flying out of the bushes to Matt's left, and began biting the manticore's hind right leg, drawing a bit of blood. With a roar of rage, the manticore turned to its right and swiped down at Rocky, swatting him into a tree as if he were no more than a fly. It was at this moment, while it was turned, that Matt had his shot. Immediately as the beast turned, Matt began firing at its eye, getting several hits. The great monster roared in pain and than began charging at Matt once more. Instead of opening its mouth like it had done before, it reached a clawed paw out, and raked across Matt's chest, sending him sprawling into the tall grass to his right. His wounds screamed in agony and his leg had gotten too much pressure and developed in a full break. He thanked his lucky stars that his kevlar vest had taken most of the claw, but then blood started gushing out of the three new claw wounds across his chest. Trying to right himself, He looked for his rifle but was despaired to see it laying about 10 yards away. The manticore began charging again at Matt. Who, instinctively pulled his M-9 pistol from its holster ans began firing blindly in the tall grass. He heard one last, agonizing roar and heard a thud as the beast fell to the dirt, making a mound about 5 yards from where he sat. Matt fell, exhausted as the adrenaline left his system. He was already a bit weak from the blood loss earlier but now with the new, more serious wound, it was unlikely that he would survive in the next hour. His only hope was now, that someone friendly would find him and get help. Or if a Russian found him and ended his miserable life with a bullet to the brain. Rocky whimpered in pain as he crawled to where his master lay. His own left hind leg, right fore leg ans a few ribs broken as he was shot into the tree. He made the crawl to Matt, and stood guard, whatever the cost of him, he would protect his master. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Come on angel, just one more bite? Pleeeeeeease?" Fluttershy begged Angel shook his head and slapped the carrot away. He had enough food for now and wanted to take a hop around the Ever Free Forest. As he hopped off he decided to go into the clearing that no pony knew about, not even Fluttershy. He loved spending time in that place, as it was where he got to lay in the grass and soak up some sun. As angel approached the clearing, he saw a tent. Angel felt disappointed that some pony had found his special place, and decided to snoop around and watch the pony. Angel heard rustling in the tent and watched, dumbfounded, as some mysterious creature, and a large dog had crawled out of the tent. Angel had never seen either the type of dog, or the very tall creature that the dog was following. Angel tries listening in as the creature said something to the dog, and the dog ran off. Angel had heard the word 'Hunt' as was lucky that his scent was disguised from running into some berries ans splashing the juice all over his coat. When the dog left, the tall creature had spent the next hour or so doing random things. Angel had now turned around and attempted to leave without a sound, but stepped on a twig when going behind the tent. *SNAP* The creature turned, alert to Angel's location, who stood as still as possible until it looked away behind it after hearing another two snaps. It was then that the manticore had charged out, and Angel watch the whole scene unfold in front of him. When the manticore had finally died it was when Angel began hopping back to the cottage as fast as he could. Angel needed to get Fluttershy to know about this, as Angel saw that the creature was seriously hurt. Angel had made it to the cottage and hopped through the bunny-door, and found Fluttershy almost instantly. "Oh, there you are angel! Come back for more carrot?" She said the last part with a smile. Angel face-pawed, then hopped up to a table with a saddlebag full of medical supplies, and then to the door, fulling Fluttershy's mane. "Is somepony hurt Angel?" Fluttershy asked. Angel nodded and beckoned Fluttershy to follow him. Fluttershy and Angel left the house and Fluttershy began to follow angel out into the Ever Free Forest. Both of them moving at top speed. When they both entered to Ever Free, Fluttershy began to wonder. "Why would anypony go in here?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rocky continued to stare at the body of the monster, about five yards from where he sat, guarding his master. Rocky had been hunting a squirrel when he began to hear the all-too-familiar sounds of his master's sound maker being used. Rocky instantly stopped hunting, and ran as fast as he could back to his master. Approaching the camp, Rocky saw the monstrous beast preparing to charge at Matt, who was sitting on the ground with his long sound maker. Rocky did not think, all he knew was that he must protect his master. He barked, and ran up to the beast and began chomping down on its huge, right hind leg, drawing blood. The beast roared, turned to his direction, and swatted him into a nearby oak tree, instantly breaking his right fore-leg, and several ribs. Rocky could only lay down, helpless as his master began shooting at the great beast once again, getting a roar of pain in response. When the monster raked his master across the chest and sent him sprawling into the tall grass, Rocky could only let out a whimper, helpless. He heard several more bursts of sound from that direction, a roar, then felt an earth-shaking crash. Finally gathering up the strength, Rocky began limping to where his master lay, and lay down next to him, protecting him at any cost to himself. Rocky finally came to the conclusion, that the beast, was in fact, dead. He looked over to his master, the blood seeping out of his chest. His ears perked up, hearing some more twig-snapping in the direction of the camp. He tried letting out a threatening growl, but only resulted in a soft whimper. Then he heard a voice, recognizing the language his master used, he hoped that it was not yet another red-coated man. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Fluttershy saw the tent, she asked herself the same question she had thought about five minutes ago. "Why would anypony, of all things, camp in the Ever Free Forest. Angel led her up behind the tent, and Fluttershy had begun inspecting the tent, itself. The tent was lopsided and crude, as if somepony had tried setting it up in a haste, or simply could not do any more effort into pitching it. She trotted around the tent and immediately began hyper-ventilating. Not ten yards to her right, there was the body of a full grown manticore lying face-down in the tall grass. Blood was pooled around its head and into the mound of dirt it had left. It looked like it had died while charging. She heard rustling behind the tall grass, in front of the manticore. She trotted up to get a closer look, and gasped as she attempted to comprehend the scene. Lying in the grass, was two creatures. One was a very large dog, about half a foot smaller than Fluttershy, with a grey/white pattern around its body. Upon seeing Fluttershy the dog held a confused glance, and then growled at her threateningly, attempting to get up. When the dog fell back down to the ground, Fluttershy realized that it must have some broken legs, and perhaps some broken ribs. It was at this time that she saw the other creature. Lying next to the ground, unconscious, was a very tall, about as tall as Celestia if not more, bipedal, ape-like creature. Across its chest, covered mostly by a strange looking vest, were three large claw marks, each were bleeding profusely. Upon its right arm, left leg, and midsection, were some bloodstained clothes wrapped around said areas. The remains of a splint could be seen about a yard away, Fluttershy noticed that the creatures right leg appeared to be in an unnatural position. These had appeared to be older wounds than the claw marks, giving the impression that this creature had fought off, and killed, a full grown manticore while crippled. She thought "How does a creature of this size, who was already hurt quite badly, fight off a manticore? Angel's tapping on her leg snapped her out of it, this creature needed serious help and fast! She turned to Angel. Picking out a small piece of paper, Fluttershy quickly scribbled a note, folded it, and then hoofed it to Angel. "Take this to Twilight as fast as you can Angel bunny! This creature will not survive without help. Angel saluted, then hopped off in the direction that they had come from. Turning back to the injured creatures, she tried getting closer to better inspect the odd species, but the growl from the dog forced her to back off. Despite its injured state, the dog was only a little smaller than herself, much bigger than Winona. If the dog was able to take a bite, it could be crippling to herself and therefore, be unable to save the creature bleeding to death in front of her. She turned back to her medicine bag as she looked around for some kind of tranquilizer. When she found none, she left the bag and began looking for large, sweet smelling, blue-green berries, called Guam berries, that grew in the Ever Free Forest. These berries had a special property that acted like a very fast, and powerful tranquilizer. She did not use them herself, as traveling into the Ever Free was very dangerous. After foraging for a few minutes, she found three Guam berries, enough to knock out the dog for about two hours. Flying back to where the dying creature and dog lay, she tossed the three berries in front of the dog. Rocky took instant notice at the aroma and could not help but eat them, as soon as they got in reach. After about two minutes, the dog had fallen into a deep, berry induced sleep. She moved the dog away just a few feet so she could get a better look at the creature bleeding to death in front of her. She listened for breathing first, relieved to hear it still drawing breath, albeit slowly. She then fumbled for a few seconds to find the creature's heart, finding the pulse to be very faint. Despite having no reference level to its health, she could still safely assume that a faint heartbeat on any creature, is indeed, very dangerous. Fluttershy's attention was brought to the claw wound first, which was currently the most serious injury that it had. The heavy vest seemed to take a bit of the blow, but the wounds were still rather deep. Quickly picking up and opening the bottle of disinfectant with her teeth, Fluttershy poured the solution into each of the wounds, resulting in the creature twitching in pain. Biting back bile, she took out her roll of linen bandages and lifted the body off the ground slightly to wrap the bandages around its chest. After wrapping a number of times and tightening them up, she had done all she could for the injury and began inspecting the older wounds. She first unwrapped the shirt on its arm, tossing the bloody rag a few feet away, and begun to inspect the wound. It was a wound that Fluttershy had never seen before. The wound was a deep, roughly 9mm hole that had made a near perfect entry, showing no signs of turning or and other sloppy entry signs. It appeared to be no more than a day old, as the wound was still bleeding slightly. Having no idea, or the correct materials, to heal the wound, she repeated the steps that she had done to the claw marks. Disinfecting the hole and covering it with a clean bandage, wrapping it tightly. Fluttershy then repeated the steps with the two other similar injuries. Picking up a nearby piece of wood with her teeth, she positioned the timber next to the broken leg. She re-set the broken leg, with a sickening , until it had appeared straight. Then she began wrapping the piece of wood to the leg with the last of the bandage. Doing one last check up on the creature, Fluttershy then moved her attention to the dog... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Spike! Is the food done yet!?" Twilight called from the library. "Almost!" Spike replied. Sighing, Twilight Sparkle returned to the cleaning and re-organizing of her library, which was a complete mess. The day before, Scootaloo, being the kleptomaniac that she was, had "found" a note on Ms. Cheerilee's desk, noting the pop quiz she would be handing out today. Since all of the fillies (except Sweetie Bell) had not yet studied for any tests, they all came galloping through her front door, going right past Twilight and to the bookshelves. Utter chaos ensued, books flying everywhere from the history section, to the magic section as the students crammed in information. Twilight had tries to calm down the fillies, only when they left for bed hours later was there finally some peace and quiet, along with a nearly destroyed library. Sighing again as her stomach growled, Twilight levitated "A Brief History of Equestria" Back to its proper shelf. "Food is done!" Called Spike from the kitchen. Twilight made her way into the kitchen and sat on her haunches next to the table. Spike carried over her grilled cheese and dandelion sandwich, and his own sapphire sandwich with a side of ruby. Twilight levitated the sandwich to her mouth and took a bite, and hearing Spike take a huge chomp of the gemstones with a loud crunch. About to take a second bite, she saw a flash of white by her kitchen window, and saw Angel hopping up and down on her table, with a note in his mouth. "Hmm?" Twilight took another bite as she read the note, Angel tapping his foot in impatience as she read. Her jaw dropped, losing the half-chewed food as it dropped to her plate. "What is it Twilight" Asked the baby purple/green dragon. "Spike!" She cried. "Fluttershy has found a strange creature severely hurt by a manticore in the Ever Free Forest! She says that it will die if we don't get there in time!" Spike's jaw dropped as well. "Go and get Rarity and Pinkie Pie and tell them to meet at Fluttershy's cottage, I will get Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Angel" She turned to the rabbit. "I need you to wait by the cottage to lead us to where you found the creature, none of us know where it is." Angel nodded and hopped out the window. Twilight and Spike both got out the door as fast as they could. Spike running towards Sugarcube Corner, while Twilight galloped off to Sweet Apple Acres. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy began working on the injured right foreleg of the dog, strapping a piece of wood the the broken leg with a few vines as she was out of bandage. The pooch also had one or two ribs broken, but Fluttershy could not fix it as she did not have the materials, time, or the environment required. Finished with the leg, Fluttershy returned her gaze to the battered and broken creature. Its breathing still faint along with its heart, which had slowed down even more. There was not much time left, the girls needed to get here in the next few minutes or there will be no time to get it to the hospital. The creature was far too heavy for Fluttershy to carry any distance, along with the dog, moving alone was out of the question... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Alright so what you're saying is that Angel found a really weird looking creature that has been severely injured and will die if we don't get it to the hospital in time?" Repeated the cyan pegasus. "Yes" Twilight simply replied, redoubling her efforts to keep up with Angel as he led them to the site. "Is it sentient? Does it wear clothes?" Asked the ivory white unicorn Rarity. "I would think that it is for several reasons. 1. There was a dog protecting its body, 2. He was indeed, wearing clothes, including a strange, and heavy looking vest and another strange hat. and 3. It somehow fought off a manticore while injured, and somehow survived, leading me to believe that it can use magic, or had some odd invention do the deed for it." Rarity nodded, galloping alongside Twilight. Applejack moved up to her left "Do ya think its hostile?" She asked. "I don't know, but in this state, it wont be doing anything for quite a bit of time" Twilight replied. They all saw the tent ahead and all went around it, instantly seeing the huge manticore corpse to their right. "WHEEEEEEEE!" Pinkie cried as it jumped onto the body. "Whoa this thing is BOUNCY!" She said as she began jumping. "Pinkie get down from there!" Said Twilight. "Fluttershy, where are you!" She cried. "Over here" Came her soft reply, it came from the tall grass in front of the manticore. The ponies all gathered around and observed the two bodies. They all nodded to each-pony. Twilight and Rarity began levitating the strange creature as Dash sped ahead to warn the doctors of what to expect. Fluttershy picked up the dog, despite its weight and began flying home to her cottage to drop it off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt briefly opened his eyes, and saw a blur of trees as he was being moved. Matt was so exhausted he could not even move, opening his eyes had been a challenge in itself. Again Matt realized that he was being moved, quickly, by something that he could not see. His last thought before closing his eyes... What is going on?