//------------------------------// // I, Monster // Story: The Incredible Flutterhulk // by spideremblembrony //------------------------------// The trip was hardly pleasurable for the trio of ponies. Cookie had it the worst. Being crammed in the backseat of the jeep was very uncomfortable and it was her leg that got the worst of it. They would need to stop every so often to stretch out Cookie’s leg or apply some more medication to it. It only made the few day trip impossibly longer. Cookie had insisted that she not be concerned with, but Fluttershy would give her those desperate eyes, begging to Cookie to allow her to be treated. With those eyes at her disposal, Fluttershy was difficult to refuse. It wasn’t easy for any of them. Fluttershy and Crumble would need to move Cookie themselves, trying hard not to cause her irritation. Which was a task in itself. Cookie was forced to endure long hours being cramped in a small vehicle, trying desperately not to move her leg. It wasn’t the easiest thing for her, but she was constantly reminded by Fluttershy that her leg wouldn’t heal properly if irritated. The bumping of the road was the only sound that filled the car for what seemed like hours. Everypony else was very quiet. Especially, Fluttershy. Her mind was preoccupied. She kept wandering to the day in the forest not unlike where she and Cookie had been waiting. She remembered the friend she had made. He was kind and strong, but disturbing sometimes. He was unusually quiet. Fluttershy attempted to dismiss the thought from her mind. That was a long time ago. And she couldn’t even remember what happened. She turned her head to the back seat towards the brown pony with her leg on the seat. She was staring out the back window. Her gaze didn’t seem to be focused on anything in particular. She just seemed to be lost in thought. Fluttershy had often wondered about her friend’s mysterious past. But every time Fluttershy would ask, she was always met with the stone wall of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’. Fluttershy would never press the matter. If Cookie didn’t want to say anything about her past, Fluttershy wouldn’t force it. Still, she would have liked to know. “Do we need to stop?” Fluttershy asked. “Do you need to rest for a while? Cookie turned her head and smiled. Fluttershy had been asking her nonstop to keep her strength up. She would constantly monitor her to make sure she had been eating well, kept her leg from moving, had plenty of water and rest, and stayed as comfortable as possible. Cookie wasn’t used to being waited on. At least, not like this. “Maybe for a little while,” she finally replied. Fluttershy gave a slight nod and turned towards Crumble. Crumble, hearing the conversation perfectly, started to pull the car off the side of the road and into the wilderness. He navigated his way through as many trees as he could before he decided to finally stop. After finally pulling over, Fluttershy and Crumble set Cookie next to a tree to rest her leg without the bumping and shaking. Fluttershy once again eyed the sling they had made for her from the old blanket. It was starting to wear. It wasn’t a very secure sling and it didn’t absorb a lot of the shock while they on the road. “I’m really sorry we couldn’t build you a better sling,” Fluttershy said. Cookie just smiled. “Forget it. You did the best you could.” Fluttershy’s eyes lowered to the ground. Her gut started to shrink as she glanced upon her friend whom she could do almost nothing for. She could only endless rub the medicine on the leg and hope that her body would have enough strength to heal the rest. Fluttershy dug into the pack at her side and dug out a group of leaves. Cookie started to sigh in frustration. She knew what was coming. It was time to rub more ointment on her leg to help kill the swelling. “I’m really, really sorry, Cookie.” Cookie simply shook her and scoffed. “It’s fine.” Fluttershy lowered her head. She didn’t want to hurt her friend, but the swelling was almost gone. She didn’t think there was another way she could help. Apart from herbs, she had little in her possession. She once again turned to her pack and scanned it once more, silently praying for anything that could be salvaged. With every second, her heart began to sink. The pack they had brought contained only a hoof full of berries and a couple of bottles of water. Nothing that would help Cookie’s condition and certainly nothing that would make it any less bearable. Suddenly, a shadow came across her eye. She looked up to see high tree branches to see a set of long and wide green leaves, hanging over them. They simply fluttered in the wind as if they were trying to catch their attention. Fluttershy’s mind recalled the day she was introduced to such plants as she studied their shape and size. She picked herself up and flapped her wings to reach them. Crumble and Cookie simply watched as Fluttershy picked out several leaves from the tree before coming back to the ground. Fluttershy set the leaves next to Cookie and took another look around her. She browsed around her surroundings for another plant she had known about. They finally came to her in a shape that mimicked a spade on a playing card. She rushed towards them and started to gather as much as she could. She started to think back towards the leaves and everything they had represented. Her mind kept shifting through memories like a movie playing in her mind. A time when she was once again at peace in the forest. Where she had nothing but the trees and the animals to keep her company. A time of quietness and tranquility, where no pony would bother her or get her angry. But something always came and made her angry… And in turn, it would ruin everything for her. “Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Crumble finally asked. Fluttershy started to blush. She had been so caught up in her memories; she had forgotten Cookie and Crumble were there with her. She had just always been alone. She didn’t think anything of it. She was alone for so many years. She would only rely on the companionship of animals to get her through most of the days. It was strange for other ponies to be traveling with her. Not bad strange, but strange nonetheless. “Oh, it’s a remedy a very nice stallion once told me about,” Fluttershy explained. As she made her way to Cookie’s side, her mind began to wander back to that day. She had awoken in a mysterious forest after ‘she’ came out. She didn’t remember how she got there, but when she awoke, a mysterious stallion had appeared over her. He was a nice stallion. He taught her a lot about medicines and plants. He even fed her. She started to frown however, as the memories slowly faded away. The mysterious shaman of the Everfree forest was one of the many friends Fluttershy had met on her journey. Her mind wandered to the kind griffin, Monsieur Pabul. It then painted the faces of all the ponies she had met, loved, and was forced to leave behind because of ‘her’. Every time she had thought she had found a place she could be happy, something would come into her life, forcing her to leave everything behind and start over once again. And every time, it was like starting over after her parent’s left her. Fluttershy dug through the pack once more and pulled out a water bottle. After stuffing a couple of the odd shaped leaves into the bottle, she put it to the side. She then started to remove the sling from Cookie’s leg. “What kind of plant is that?” Crumble asked. Fluttershy turned and smiled. “I call them Mending Leaves.” She remembered them well. They were said to be used on warriors that had broken their arms or legs. “It’s going to help kill any infection and it will numb some of the pain.” Fluttershy started to wrap the large leaf around Cookie’s leg. Cookie twitched and grunted as Fluttershy carefully wrapped the leaves around the tender leg. Regardless, Cookie remained very still. Fluttershy continued to wrap leaf after leaf around Cookie’s leg until it was completely concealed. After that, she rewrapped the sling around it to keep the leaves touching Cookie’s leg as much as possible. Fluttershy had hoped that the juices in the leaves would soak into Cookie’s skin and help numb the pain as well as kill infections. She then picked up the water bottle, which was now green with the leaf juices. “I think you should drink some of this,” Fluttershy suggested. “It won’t taste very good at all, but it will help your leg heal faster and help with infections.” Cookie gave a nervous smile as Fluttershy presented the bottle of water before her. She took the bottle from Fluttershy and brought it up to her mouth. As soon as the liquid touched her tongue, she spat it out quickly. Saliva and the concoction filled the air in front of her. “Holy Faust!” Cookie screamed as she continued to spit out the bitter drink. “I didn’t think it was going to be that bad.” Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Not because she thought it was funny, but because she knew exactly how badly it tasted. She almost gagged drinking it the first time it touched her tongue. “I know it doesn’t taste very good, but you really should try to drink it,” Fluttershy kindly insisted. Cookie cringed at the thought of putting such a bitter taste in her mouth again. But as always, Fluttershy would look at her with those sad, begging eyes. And with that, Cookie would comply. She took another drink of her medicine, desperately controlling her gag reflex. Fluttershy smiled as Cookie began to swallow the drink. She then picked herself up. “I’ll look for some food.” She slowly trotted towards the clearing in the trees. She didn’t notice Crumble following closely behind. “Fluttershy,” Crumble called to her. Fluttershy didn’t respond. As she started to trot, she started to wobble back and forth. Her eyes were struggling to stay open. She found herself rubbing them frequently. “Fluttershy!” Crumble called to her once more, as she nearly toppled to the ground. Fluttershy was able to catch herself at the last second before her face hit the ground, but she was struggling to get back on her feet. Crumble came to her side and helped her to her feet. “Fluttershy, you need to rest for a while.” Fluttershy rubbed her eyes with her hooves. “No… I’m fine,” she lied. She didn’t want to worry them. She didn’t want them to think she couldn’t take care of them. Neither Cookie nor Crumble had any experience in the woods. Neither of them had ever been camping before or survived for a period of time in the wilderness. Only Fluttershy had that experience. It had taken her years of living off the land to pick up these skills. Most of what she learned was from her family, her parents. The rest she learned from either animals or friends she met along her journey. “Fluttershy, you are not fine,” Crumble insisted. “You barely eat. You hardly sleep.” Fluttershy didn’t even realize that she was exhausted. Her stomach felt it as if it was in a vice. She had been so concerned with helping Crumble and Cookie survive; she didn’t even have time to think about herself. As for sleep, that was another thing entirely. Sure when she wasn’t trying to sleep she was helping to keep Cookie from feeling pain so that she could sleep. But when she was trying to sleep, there was always the dread of the dreams she would experience. “I’m sorry. But…” Fluttershy started, but Crumble quickly interrupted. “No ‘buts’. You’re exhausted,” Crumble stated. “You are going back with Cookie and you’re going to get some sleep.” Fluttershy started to shake her head. She knew Crumble was right. Her eyes were red, puffy and incredibly difficult to keep open. She found often find herself drifting off during their long rides. She knew she needed to get some sleep, but was it right for her to think of herself when her friends needed her? “We’ve got some of the berries from the last time we stopped,” Crumble explained as he started to lead Fluttershy back to their camp. “I want you to eat those and I want you to get some sleep.” “But what about you? And Cookie?” Fluttershy asked. “Cookie’s going to get some rest too.” Crumble smiled. “And I’ll be fine for a couple hours without food.” Fluttershy was about to argue, when suddenly her mind started to play tricks on her. A vision played back in her mind as she was taken into the middle of the woods. She saw herself running faster and faster, with ponies in uniforms right behind her. Tears started to run down her face as her body ached as she moved. Suddenly, the sky began to blacken with a large shape. The shadow was growing larger. She looked up to the heavens to see a large dome descending from the heavens, straight to where she was. With a powerful thud, the dome crashing into the ground surrounding the tiny Pegasus pony. When Fluttershy opened her eyes, she saw nothing but blackness. Darkness engulfed her as her heart pounded against her chest violently. She franticly tapped her arms across the steel wall that was shrouded in darkness, desperate to find her way out. Her breath became rapid as she struggled to find a way out of the tiny box, but in the complete darkness, she felt powerless. She could hear the screams of ponies all around her. She started to quiver as the voice came around her. She curled up in a ball. Her eyes bursting with tears, silently pray that the ponies would leave her alone. Then suddenly a huge green hoof smashed against the wall of the box, causing a hole where the hoof collided. A bright beam of light shined through the hole as a thunderous cry echoed in the prison. Fluttershy left her trance, her body trembling. A cold chill slithered down her spine and her breathing became very rapid. When she came back to reality, she found herself on the ground, with Crumble attempting to wake her. He had been calling to her, but she couldn’t hear him over her vision. “Fluttershy, are you alright?” Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to say. Had she just seen an image of the beast? A brief glimpse into the creature’s mind? She had never had just an image before. The thought started to haunt her. However, she quickly dismissed it as an image created by her exhaustion. Her mind simply playing tricks on her. It was then she decided maybe rest was the best thing for her. She smiled and nodded. “Maybe I will take that rest,” she meekly agreed. Fluttershy and Crumble made their way back to the campsite where Cookie sat, her arms folded and a gloomy sneer on her face. “Where’s the food?” she asked. Fluttershy diverted her eyes to the ground. She didn’t know what to say. Instead, she almost turned around and went to look for some berries. However, Crumble put his arm out to stop her. He then turned towards Cookie. “Fluttershy needs to rest and so do you.” Cookie’s expression changed from one of scorn and annoyed to concern. “Flyshy, are you okay?” Fluttershy smiled towards her friend. “Yeah. I’m okay.” She then took a look at Crumble. “I just… need to rest for awhile, I guess.” Fluttershy made her way to the side of nearby oak and set herself on the ground. She then took a look at Cookie once more, her eyes weary and tearful. “I’m really sorry, Cookie.” Cookie just shook her head. “Hey, I get it. Get some rest, okay? I’ll be fine. I’m a big filly.” Fluttershy smiled as she put her head to the ground. She counted herself lucky to have such ponies as friends. She slowly closed her eyes, but as she attempted to sleep, her mind kept wandering to her two friends whom she left into the night’s care. She struggled on the ground for several minutes, but was unable to find a way to fall into slumber. She opened her eyes to see Crumble not a few feet from her. He was stacking firewood to build their next fire. He turned towards her and frowned. “I thought I told you to get some sleep?” Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry… I just couldn’t sleep. I’m just worried.” Crumble shook his head. “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. Get some sleep. I’ll take care of this.” Fluttershy looked at the firewood the Crumble had gathered. There was plenty of firewood to burn and the quality was average. But Crumble had never been camping before. She had never seen him build a fire. It was always her that built the fire and gathered the food and found water. “Do you know how to build a fire?” Fluttershy asked. Crumble gave a chuckle. “I’ve watched you enough times. How hard can it be?” Fluttershy gave a slight smile. She knew exactly how hard building a fire could be. She started to think back on her days with her father. Her father had taught her to build a fire. Ever since she found out how, she wanted to try it herself. Her father was always hesitant, but eventually, she persuaded him. She tried, doing it exactly how her father showed her, but she couldn’t even get a single spark. It made her so frustrated. So angry. She couldn’t do it right. She remembered crying that night. Her father told her it would take practice to get it right, but she didn’t want to practice. She wanted to be able to build a fire. Time and time again, she would try. And time and time again, she would fail. She eventually gave up. She didn’t think she could ever start a fire. Her father urged her to try again. He always believed she could do it. He always believed in her. Finally, following her father’s wishes, she tried again. And finally, she started her fire. She remembered the joy she felt as the flames came to life before her eyes and it was her hooves that made it happen. Fluttershy didn’t notice her smile get wider as she replayed the memories in her mind. Her mind wasn’t quieted though. She still thought she should help Crumble make the fire. But she knew, deep down, he would refuse her help. She finally surrendered her concerns and placed her head back on the ground in a desperate attempt to fall asleep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy awoke abruptly as an image played out in her mind. She was on the back of Cookie’s motorcycle when it was sent soaring into the air. When her mind became focused, she saw her friend lying on the ground, helpless and injured. The soldiers were rushing towards her and her body moaned in agony. Her next image jumped to Crumble and Cookie in front of her, only she was several sizes larger than either of them. They looked terrified as they began to back away in fear. A huge pair of green wings then wrapped themselves around Crumble and Cookie. The feathery wings consumed the two ponies before a wave of fire wash over her. She felt a cold sweat crawl down her face as she attempted to control her breathing. Her mind attempted to conceive what she had just seen. “What in Equestria was that?” Fluttershy asked herself as she reviewed the dream in her mind. Her mind tried to picture the image once more, but the memory was clouded in shadow. It was as if she was being kept from that memory. Fluttershy gave herself several deep, slow breaths. “Relax, Fluttershy. It was just a nightmare.” She repeated her lines in combination with her breathing. “No matter how scary it was… It was just a nightmare.” When she had finally calmed herself down, she looked around her to see Crumble’s fire still burning, but slowly dying. Crumble was stationed beside it, his quiet breathing the only noise coming from him. A snoring sound filled the air around her. She found the source in Cookie as she slept under the old oak tree she placed her. The only other sound that filled the empty night sky was the grumbling of her stomach. She had forgotten to eat something before catching up on her sleep. But despite all the sleep she had, she still felt sluggish. Her head still felt foggy and dizzy. She shook her head in an effort to remove it. She made her way to the travel sack and picked out the few berries inside them. After plopping a few in her mouth and carefully placing firewood to fuel Crumble’s dying fire, being very careful not to wake any pony up, she gathered the two empty water bottles, deciding it best to hunt for water as well. The night presented many difficulties for Fluttershy however. Every sound made her jump and screech. When something brushed against her, she almost screamed. It took every ounce of courage she could muster not to turn and rush back to the fireplace. But no matter how scared she became, she took a deep breath and put one hoof in front of the other. For the sake of the ponies back at the camp. In a half of an hour, Fluttershy had filled her pack and her belly with berries of all shapes, sizes and colors. Within a few minutes after that, she had filled their containers with water from a small stream. Out of fear of the darkness, Fluttershy hadn’t wandered very far from the campsite, making it easy to find her way back. As she arrived, Crumble started to stir. His moan filled the air as he stretched out his legs. Slowly, his sight was pointed directly at Fluttershy. “I thought I told you to get some rest?” Crumble moaned, rubbing his eyes. Fluttershy turned her head away, her gaze towards the ground. “I’m sorry. I… just couldn’t sleep.” Crumble sat himself up with a large yawn. He shook his head as his sigh died off. “I know you want to help us, but what about letting us help you?” Fluttershy closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s really no trouble. I don’t mind helping the both of you.” “But what about us helping you?” Fluttershy made her way beside him and set the pack down next to him. “I’ll be okay. I’m use to ponies not helping me.” She started to frown. “I’m used to being alone.” Crumble frowned as her words pierced his ears. “But you don’t have to be alone.” Those words made Fluttershy smile, even a little. She thought about all the years she had been alone. All the years that she had lost those she cared for and had left her behind. She took another look at Crumble and gave a tearful smile. “Thank you.” Crumble didn’t smile back. He just turned his attention to the fire. “I kind of am responsible for what’s happening.” Fluttershy sat next to him allow the fire to warm her. “I know you were just doing what you thought was right.” Her mind wandered to the day she came to Crumble’s home. She had requested information on the gamma pulse project that transformed her. The day he made the call that caused her last transformation. She didn’t blame him. Fluttershy wasn’t one to hold a grudge against any pony. Crumble gave a deep sigh. “That’s the thing. Maybe it wasn’t the right call.” The air was very still around them with the only sound breaking it being Cookie’s snoring. Crumble continued to stare at the flames as if he wasn’t certain what to say. Fluttershy started to feel overcome with awkwardness. Finally, after a pause, Crumble spoke once more. “The pony who is chasing you… General Thunderbolt… is my father.” Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide open, with a stunned look on her face. She turned her away from him and stared at the ground. Her mind started to spin in a whirlwind of confusion. The words Crumble spoke echoed in her mind. She hadn’t been prepared for such news. “Your father?” she repeated, as if to make sure she heard correctly. Crumble was lowered his head and closed his eyes. “He’s been obsessed over your capture for years.” He turned his head away from Fluttershy as if he was too ashamed to face her. “He’s the one who stole your parents from you.” His head sunk into his chest. “I’m sorry.” Fluttershy allowed the words to sink into her mind. All that she had heard came over her like a wave hitting the shore. She placed herself beside Crumble and placed her hooves on his head. “It’s not your fault,’ she whispered in his ear as she leaned forward. Crumble turned his head towards the smiling Fluttershy, his eyebrow raised. “I don’t blame you for what happened,” Fluttershy stated. Crumble smiled. Silence came over them once again as they slowly stared into each other’s eyes. Fluttershy felt her face flush; her heart began to beat rapidly. Her stomach started to leap in a giddy way. She found herself at a lost for thoughts and for words as she stared into Crumble’s eyes. However, after a moment and almost at the same time, they averted their eyes away from each other. Suddenly, Fluttershy had regained all her thoughts, but her face was still red, her heart was still pumping. Crumble turned to her with a smile. “You should really get some more rest. You hardly got any.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement and placed herself at the other end of the campsite. She placed her head gently on the ground and for the first time in a long time, she smiled as sleep gently took her in.