Chapter 2: At the End of the Day
Slowly reaching out to mysterious creature’s metallic and luminous helmet Fluttershy began to have doubts if this was the right way to go about this situation. But those poor innocent bunnies seemed so scared of this, I have to know what it is! She thought giving a silent sigh of reassurement. Perhaps if Fluttershy was not in such distress at the moment she would have noticed the rhythmic breathing of the creature change slightly to a controlled pattern.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity the hoof, shaking slightly, found its place under the headgear slowly lifting. After a second or so of carefully lifting, Fluttershy had seen a dirty and furless chin and mouth and she seemed to be revealing what looked like a nostril. Wait… but those poor, innocent, bunnies were terrified of this thing, but it has a nose, mouth, chin, like us, but a different shape and its not covered in fur. Oh I wonder if it can talk! Fluttershy’s nervousness was instantly perished in discovery of the strange being’s features and was now replaced with curiosity.
=*=*=
“Hmmm… what ar-” Fluttershy was cut off as one of the arms quickly swiped the hoof that was lifting the helmet off. Clayton pushed the pony backwards sending it tumbling in an attempt to gain some type of advantage in the encounter.
Carmine quickly stood up and pushed his helmet back down so that his eyesight would not be obstructed anymore. Fight or flight instincts quickly kicked in, he raised his clenched fist and searched for whoever was messing with him. C’mon, Clay, you know the basics of CQC so this should be no problem, you’re just gonna fuck up whoever was fuckin’ with you. Well, once you find them that is. He did not see anything in front of him, so naturally he gave up. He bent over to retrieve his rifle until he was met with a horrified face, well, terrified is more the word now.
“Ah! God damn thing, you scared the livin’ fuck outta me heheh,” Clay chuckled as he realized how cute and adorable the yellow thing at his feet was. Usually, the soldier was much more questioning about creatures he met, because well, things just loved to devour you on Sera, but this seemed different, besides it looked pretty adorable. Squatting down, Clay received an audible ‘peep’ out of the yellow thing as it began to hide behind its rosy mane. “Aw, look at this cutie right here, who’s a cute widdle… uh thing, you are, yes you are!” Clay was giggling, at this point, it’s been a while since he met an animal that he didn’t kill because A, they needed it for food, and B, it was trying to kill him.
Using his large, partially gloved he began petting the thing. stroking its head and scratching its ear. Man, this thing is really getting into the petting, like it’s panting and purring, but it’s not a cat or it doesn’t look like one… eh whatever it’s not like it’s trying to eat me so it’s pretty cool with me. Clay sat back down abandoning any plan of leaving, he still wanted to relax for a bit since relaxing peacefully was a rarity. Leaning his back against the tree, he picked up the thing that now grew quite a blush on its yellow furred cheek, and placed it on his lap. It froze itself in place, most definitely startled, until Clayton resumed the petting. After another minute of glorious massaging of the head, it opened its eyes and looked at Clayton.
“Um, excuse me, Mister, thank you for the massage it felt, really good, but um, uh… what are you?” The yellow coated creature spoke softly, and with uncertainty.
“Did you just talk, Thing?”
“Um… yes? I’m sorry if that bothers you…” Again it spoke, softly and little disheartened. “And my name is, uh, Fluttershy…” She introduced herself while stepping off of the bipedal and sitting on her haunches looking at the strange being.
“Fluttershy? That’s your name? Strange name, but eh, a name’s a name I guess.” Clayton said surprisingly calm for just meeting a talking animal. “Well, nice to meet ya, Fluttershy, I’m Clayton Carmine.” Sticking out his hand for a hand/hoof (?) shake.
She happily accepted his hand with the weird things that looked like claws but they were much more blunt. Noticing that this new found creature, named Clayton, have some manors eased Fluttershy’s nervousness and brought a slight grin to her face.
“So… um, what are you? If you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy asked while Clayton crossed his legs.
Slightly confused at the question Clayton answered. “I’m ya know, a human, with the hands and fingers?” He chuckled slightly, as he extended his arms waving his digits showing Fluttershy. “So, what about you I’ve never seen uh, thing, like you, talk or look like that before.” He asked intrigued.
“Um… I’m a pegasus pony,” She says, slightly extending her left wing to show the human.
Pony? Talking? Pegasus? Wings? Well that’s pretty fuckin’ neat. But yeah, this place has got to be one of those weird ass islands down south, probably uncharted too. Clayton logically came to a conclusion with himself and his current situation. ‘sides I’m too damn tired to freak out, I mean I didn’t even get a good rest, and I did survive a Raven crash, and I mean that nap was sorta interrupted by Flutter- ohh, she must’ve been messing with me, aw shit I hit her um, hoof, yeah hoof.
Manors kicking in Clayton put his attention to Fluttershy instead of his own thoughts. “Hey uh, Fluttershy,” He said getting her attention. “Um, sorry ‘bout ya know, smacking your hand, I sorta get defensive if someone’s messing with me while I sleep sorta an instinct I learned when I was a kid.” Fuckin’ Anthony, always fuckin’ with me with his fuckin’ markers and fuckin’ food coloring.
Fluttershy had almost forgotten about that due to the magnificent petting she had received by Clayton. “Oh, um, it didn’t hurt and I was just a little startled by it and uh, I don’t think I should have tried taking your helmet thing off, I’m sorry for doing that.” She apologised looking at the ground, a bit disappointed that her curiosity overcame her manners.
“Shit, I’m just glad you weren’t trying to eat my sorry ass.” he snorted trying to break the tension he built.
Fluttershy grimaced at the comment, somewhat shocked but still keeping her posture. “ Um, Mr. Clayton if you don’t mind me asking but how did you get here, um, it’s just that, well I’ve never seen a, um…”
“Human, and well I was raised in none other than Jacinto, probably way up north from here” Clayton said helping the pony find the word it was looking for.
“Yeah, that. So you didn’t come from the Everfree Forest?” Another sense of relief washed over Fluttershy as she let out a sigh.
“Uh, that place?” He turned his back and pointed at the dark forest behind him. The yellow pony nodded answering his question. “No, that place looks pretty fuckin’ cool though. Maybe I should check it out sometime,” Clayton said as his curiosity kicked in. “Actually, I came from right there,” He said pointing a finger to the middle of the meadow.
“Uh, in the middle of the meadow?” Fluttershy asked, slightly confused.
“Yep.”
“But um... how? That doesn’t really make sense?” She asked, her confusion only deepened.
After about an hour or so of explaining his situation, with the facility and that damn machine he finished explaining how he got here and only that, he hadn’t mentioned anything about the Locust or the Lambent. He even explained more about him, who he is as a soldier. You know, now that I’ve said what happened to me out loud it sounds fucking stupid… like super fucking stupid, it doesn’t even make sens-
“Um… I’m sorry, but I don’t really… well, um, understand what you said, about you getting here, I’m sorry it is just, strange…” Fluttershy said, her words getting softer as she feared she irritated Clayton with her inability to understand what he was talking about.
“Heh. you know what, Fluttershy, I don’t even know what the hell happened. I mean at the end of the day I’m just glad I’m not fighting for my life again, I mean this place seems pretty alright.” He said, Fluttershy seemed taken aback by his statement leaving an awkward silence between them. Why would he have to be fight for his life? Maybe it’s… it is dangerous! Speculations ran through the yellow pony’s mind but quickly she extinguished all fear. But that’s not right, I can’t assume that it is, it has been talking to me for quite some time without doing anything but swear… but they are the really bad ones...
“Oh my, it’s getting late… ohhh, Angel must be so worried about me!” Fluttershy said out of no where, realizing how dark the sky had become during the long discussion with the human. She quickly got up on all fours, she took a step in the direction of her little enclave and immediately stopped remembering her new found creature just sitting there against a tree.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry, I-I was just worried about my bunny Angel, it’s been a while since I’ve left my house and…” An idea popped in her head almost immediately. “Um… do you have a place to stay Mr. Carmine?”
“Heh, I’ve grown pretty attached to this tree, don’t worry I’ll be fine here, you go back home,” He insisted patting the bark of the tree.
“Oh… um, okay. If you say so, Mr. Carmine... are you sure?” Fluttershy said slightly defeated.
“I’m sure,don’t worry, really, I can take care of myself, I’m a big boy,” he snorted waving her off. “See ya, Fluttershy, it was nice meetin’ ya!”
Still slightly worried, Fluttershy smiled at the human and said her goodbyes and began her little journey back to her house.
=*=*=
After a minute the pony he had just met disappeared, leaving him and his rifle and shotgun to their thoughts. Well, she was pretty nice, a bit awkward but eh, she was actually really nice. Sighing, Clayton began to gaze at the sky, he saw bright stars materialize before his eyes. Man, the stars look really pretty tonight. Clayton has always seen stars, but for some reason this was different, definitely a new feeling, he couldn’t quite fathom it, but it was nice.
Wherever this place is, it doesn’t seem that bad, nothing’s has tried to kill- Clayton’s thoughts came to a halt as he heard snarling coming from behind him, he grabbed his rifle in haste and stumbled to his feet turning his attention to the noise that emitted from the forest. Staring at the dark, 6 pairs of green eyes began popping in from the darkness simultaneously.
Gulping, Clayton prepared himself for the worst, not worrying on what the beast or beasts are but rather how he was going to defend himself. Slowly they inched towards the human, until they’re forms’ materialized out of the darkness the forest created. First the wooden snouts emerged, then the bodies followed suit. Six wooden wolves stood in front of the Gear, snarling and ready to attack. Their height reached to about his stomach and their length seemed to reach about four feet. But the one in the middle reached probably reached his chest and was about a couple feet longer than the others.
“The fuck-” Mid sentence the one farthest on the left began running towards Clayton at full speed, it pounced on the soldier sending him on his back with a furious animal now on top of him attempting to sink its wooden teeth in Clayton. Recovering quickly the soldier extended his arm and wrapped his hand around the neck of his attacker, with a firm grip he laid his other hand on the grass and pushed himself up into a standing position. Standing with the wooden wolf, who was still attempting to gnaw at the soldier, in his right hand, Clayton loomed over the five other wolves. Two of them began to make their way over to Clayton but stopped halfway and began circling him, toying with him.
Taking one last breath Clayton tightened his grip on his right hand until it crushed the wolf’s throat leaving it lifeless and motionless. He released his clenched fist letting the husk of the wooden wolf drop to the meadow. The two circling Clayton stopped and stared at their fallen brethren, they began snarling again and decided to inch closer to Clayton who had picked up his trusty lancer. Grabbing the lever on the side of the barrel he pulled it down revving the mounted chainsaw up. Smoke emitted from the side as the sinister blades began to move, hungry for a victim.
“C’mon, fuckers, bring it!” Clayton taunted as the two sprinted towards him again, seeking revenge.
One stayed its course and was looking to pounce as the other began to flank the human. Pouncing, extending its surprisingly sharp wooden claws it was met with the blades that longed for something to sever. As the blades tore through the bark of its adversary Clayton drove the wolf onto the ground, yelling he pushed the blades into the wolf’s neck, after a few seconds of revving and bark snapping the beast had finally stopped its movements. Taking the weapon out of his defeated foe Clayton looked up in surprise as he saw all three of the remaining wooden wolves leaping towards him. Two of the creatures hit their mark sinking their into Clayton’s exposed flesh, Clayton sank to his knees as the thrashed his arms with their jaws.
“AHHHHHHH!” Clayton screamed in pain as the nerves in his body sent their signals of pain to his brain.
As the blood seeped out of the plugged holes in the COG’s skin, he looked up to see the largest wolf out of the pack, methodically step towards him, one paw in front of the other, until it was snout to face with Clayton. Raising it’s claws, ready to struck, it gave a final growl at Clayton and brought it’s sharp claws down on Clayton’s clothed stomach, creating four lacerations across the human’s abdomen. It seemed that the strike had not finished their prey.
Both of the wolves that held Clayton’s arms released their jaws and began backing up, for their Alpha was about to finish of their prey. Carmine still on his knees, groggily looked up and the claw winding up again preparing for the finishing blow. With one final push of strength Clay grabbed the Alpha’s throat just like the first wolf and stood up with a battlecry. He gripped this wolf tighter than the first, as it clawed his right arm the Cog lifted the beast up and slammed it into the dirt causing it to yelp in pain and struggle. Raising his boot, Clayton took a final look at his attacker he stomped his feet down on the creature. The sounds of branches breaking and scampering came after that. The soldier sank to his knees again, his eyesight began to blur, but he did see the other two wolves running away.
“Fuck…” he whispered as he finally collapsed, crimson soaking the earth, corpses of the wolves surrounded him.