The thump of Benkei's feet on the soft, welcoming earth beneath his feet provided the steady, firm base of thuds as Flutterhy's more gentle footsteps produced a harder, more high pitched clippity clopping sound as the two walked leisurely towards the wooden bridge. Fluttershy nervously looked up at Benkei, stealing a final glance at him, before quickly looking away, blushing slightly , and reassuring herself that it was okay to trust him. She was still shy, and rightfully wary of him, but from what she could tell, he was very gentle and kind, if not entirely harmless.
The birds, despite having glared at Benkei evilly earlier, had ceased their patronizing glares after seeing him walking besides Fluttershy. While the chorus of cheeps and chimes was significantly softer now, it was very much still there, the elegantly sounding song of the wondrous and colorful avians echoed throughout the property, carrying their soothing tune well into the forest, before dissipating. It was almost as if some of the effort that was put into the song, had been diverted to warily keeping an eye on Benkei, the beady eyes of the animals following him like those of haunted paintings.
Still, Benkei paid them no mind, instead, closing his eyes to lavish in the soothingly sweet sounds they produced. He stopped at the bridge abruptly, standing on the apex of the slightly curved wooden planks. He opened his eyes again, the sun blinding him for a moment as he looked away, and lowered himself slowly. He sat down, letting his legs dangle over the side of the bridge, less than a foot away from the slow moving stream below. Fluttershy had remained standing a few feet away from Benkei, looking at her distorted reflection in the calm water, before she heard a quick few thumps.
She craned her head back from looking at herself in the water, and saw Benkei gently patting the wood beside him, an inviting smile on his rough, yet kind face. Her expression softened, the inviting gesture easing her mind, as her muscles became less tense, her ears lowered slightly, and she sighed inwardly in relief. Maybe she could trust him.
She walked over beside Benkei, before sitting down, folding her back legs up, and letting her front legs hang over the side of the bridge comfortably. She was pressed up right beside Benkei, her butterscotch colored fur meshing with his stark white shawl, the coolness of the fabric lapping at her fur. She looked up at Benkei, still unable to fully pass judgement on him, her prying cyan eyes trying to make heads or tails of the situation.
On the one hand, he was huge easily two or three heads taller than Fluttershy when standing up, and she could tell he was built like a wall, even underneath all of his blocky, yet somehow elegant armor. She was tempted to compare him to a bear in his stature he was so large, but even then, she would be hard pressed to find a bear as imposing as him. She was still a little frightened by his enormous size, her lip quivering every now and then, and a very slight surge of panic running through her body, making her fur stand up on end. She had been around large animals before, heck, she had even told a dragon off, but there was just something about him that was ... disconcerting.
He was as big as a bear, as tall as Celestia, walked similar to how Spike did, and yet, he seemed very relaxed, almost worryingly so. At this point, Fluttershy had gathered that he was at the very least, a gentle creature by nature, having seen his tendency for politeness, and his love for critters and nature. She took solace in this fact, still trying to put together the rest of the pieces.
She went through a mental list quickly, addressing the various points that were noteworthy, most important of them being the language he had spoken earlier. Sure she had heard her fair share of weird mumbo jumbo in the past, and the incantations used for some spells were downright frightening they were so alien, but this was something different entirely. It was a full language, complete with a phrase for everything, just as Equestrian had a term for just about everything as well. She kept straining herself to find the answers, her thoughts swirling around in a confused storm of contemplation.
But she was broken from her thoughts, as she felt a large hand pat her on the back of her head, before slowly continuing down her neck, and onto her back. She was uncomfortable for a moment, but before she could move or do anything, she felt a surge of calmness wash over her. It felt almost like water, splashing against her, and all over her, the wave of stillness and serenity overpowering her, cleansing her thoughts of all her worries and all her troubles.
Benkei cracked a slight smile, as he mumbled to himself something incomprehensible. He looked down at Fluttershy as he gently continued to pet her, letting her gorgeous silky mane tickle his hard and calloused fingers.
He thought back to his own horse, his valiant steed lost in battle, the memories of the stray arrow that had felled one of his best friends in an instant. He still remembered how it all happened, the fiery death dealer flying through the air, as the sky rained fire down on him and his other warrior monks as they valiantly charged into the enemy formations. He could feel the wind in his hair, the splash of hot blood on his face, and the staining of his kimono. It all seemed so real, so vivid, like it had just happened moments ago. He would never forget her name, but he was too pained, even now to dare utter the name of a long gone friend. Even though it was in the past, Benkei could still see her eyes, her glossy, dead eyes, staring longingly into the distance, the fire scorching her once luxurious mane.
He could feel the impact as he hit the ground, taste the dirt and the blood in his mouth as he lifted himself out from underneath the corpse of his horse. Benkei silently shed a single tear, Fluttershy's soft mane letting him remember all of the people, and all of the friends he had lost in his long, tragic life.
But he couldn't help but smile as the drop of wetness slid down his cheek. Here he was, sitting beside a creature with the intelligence of a human, and the majesty of a horse, all in one truly elegant and beautifully vibrant package. Perhaps, Benkei mused, perhaps he was just dreaming of the things he had wished for. He loved animals, horses especially, and enjoyed having intelligent discussions and debates with those who were his equal academically. Maybe this was all just a vivid dream of his inner desire to bring the two very different loves together into one, harmonious marriage.
He shook his head, dismissing the thought, swiveling his head over to look at Fluttershy's entranced face, his slow and careful motions visibly easing her worries. Benkei had spent a lot of time with animals, and he had figured that despite their astounding smarts, they were still very much horses, being soothed through the same techniques as the ones he once known.
Fluttershy had begun to slowly regain her senses, the enchanting movement of Benkei's hands streaking through her mane, and caressing her neck were too much for her to handle at first, the lovingly precise motions sending her into a thoughtless peace. She was still a bit weirded out, and a little uneasy when she had come back to her right mind, as she generally wasn't petted with any regularity, but she couldn't resist just submitting and enjoying the amazing sensation.
The birds continued to cheep and chime, growing louder and putting more vigor into it with each passing minute, the sun basking them and the two very different creatures on the bridge in a warm blanket of light. The wind rustled Benkei's beard and his coarse hair slightly, as the breeze tugged on his shawl. He finally felt relaxed enough, and comfortable enough to begin thinking about some of the things that had been plaguing him since he had woken up in this strange place.
Many thoughts were released back into his head as he let himself go into a trance of thought and reflection. He was resolved to find at least one answer to any of his questions before he was finished thinking. He started with the petty stuff, like why everything looked so different, why the colors were more alive here, and why the birds had stared at him earlier, with an almost unnatural glare about them.
Benkei, try as he might was unable to come to a conclusive answer for any of these things, resolving to push them aside until he was able to communicate more deeply with the natives. Benkei got sidetracked for a moment, breaking his concentration to look back over at Fluttershy who's expression was one of utter relaxation and enjoyment, her huge, adorable eyes staring back into his own with approval.
Returning his gaze to the river, and his thoughts to his questions, Benkei tackled the big fish that had been chipping away at him for a while now. First up was how in the name of the Shogun was he still alive? Rather, how was he alive again? He combed through various pieces of text he had read throughout his time, some referencing an afterlife, some supposing reincarnation was how all living beings never truly died. Despite his position as a monk, he had always been skeptical of some of the teachings of the monasteries, specifically those that would have him believe in supernatural, or otherwise unjustifiable things, like dark magic, reincarnation, and some aspects of religion. The alternative option that had crossed his mind was that some higher power was controlling him, and his life, putting him here to do ... something. He wracked his brain, grasping at straws and always coming to inconclusive dead ends.
Eventually, Benkei simply refused to believe some higher power was behind all of this. It just didn't fit into his world view, and didn't conform to his form of logic. Then again, the situation at hand didn't really have a logic abiding answer either, so he wasn't entirely sure what to think. He sighed inwardly, frustrated with not being able to answer any of the big questions on his mind. It reminded him a great deal of a riddle one of the monks at the monastery gave him once.
What is entirely reliant on the strength within you to depend on the strength of those around you?
Benkei remembered the riddle well, even to this day, and still, he had never come up with an answer, returning day after day to the monk, giving him incorrect answer after incorrect answer, until the elderly monk passed away, the true answer still a mystery to Benkei. He mulled over the riddle, more out of defeat than anything. Still, a million answers whizzed through his head, just as they once had, and Benkei knew deep within himself that none of them were the key to solving the riddle. Perhaps, just as the riddle was never solved, and yet Benkei managed to exist in relative peace, he could accept going without answers to his predicament, at least for the time being, and still live without too much hindrance.
After dwelling on it for a moment, and then quickly thinking about the pony he was still caressing softly, he put aside his confused and inquisitive thoughts, resolving to let them remain dormant until he knew more about his situation. Finally having broken free from his meditative state, Benkei allowed himself to soak in the beauty of the scene before him.
Benkei had heard of Tsou monks before, and had met them in person on more than one occasion , their philosophy really rubbing him the wrong way. They believed that ignoring all earthly beauty was key to being a good monk, for all earthly beauty fades in time. Yet, as Benkei sat there, he couldn't help but smirk smugly, the intoxicating aroma of fragrant flowers on the wind, the sun throwing a warm blanket of light over him, and the breeze, gently lapping at his skin and tugging on his clothes. It was all so surreal, the birds' choir masterful and serene, the flowing of the stream slow and gentle, and the rustle of the grass in the wind oddly soothing.
How could beauty this magnificent be ignored, in all its glory? Benkei was bewildered by the eye poppingly vibrant colors, their bright shades and hues in stark contrast to his somber black and white outfit. Even the Tsou monks would have relinquished their old ways in sudden and euphoric realization of the beauty of the world that now lay before Benkei. Despite his admiration for the beauty of this world, and the majestic creatures that inhabited it, the contrast of colors against him further alienated him from the land he found himself in, serving only to remind him of the position he was in.
He knew he didn't belong here, wherever here was, and at first, he longed to go home to Japan, where things made sense. Yet, as Benkei sat there, running his fingers through Fluttershy's silky mane, and marveling at the wonder of the landscape set before him, a creeping feeling set in. It started as a tiny thought, a tiny doubt, telling him that no, he didn't want to go home. He didn't want to return to the same place where he had lost everything, his friends, his master, his house, and most importantly, his life. Benkei's brow furrowed as the thought slowly overtook his mind, first whispering, and then yelling at him to stay in the magical place he had ended up in. The deafening assault of one tracked thought that no one else could hear wore Benkei down over several minutes, before he blinked hard, giving into the thoughts.
As he stole one final glance at Fluttershy, he smiled, his eyes full of fiery determination. Benkei would stay, no matter what, through thick and thin, to appreciate, enjoy, and fulfill himself in this amazing place. There was nothing left for him to return to, after all, no family, no friends, no place to stay, and he was presumed to be dead too. How could he ever leave a place like this and go back to a land where he had nothing? They would call him a demon and kill him again. Besides, his master, Yoshitsune was dead, and his traitorous brother, Yoritomo would be at his throat if he found him still alive.
There was no point in returning to a land where he had overstayed his welcome. Benkei chuckled to himself for a moment, stepping back from the situation, and marveling at the absurdity of it all. He withdrew his hand from petting Fluttershy, setting it down on his lap, and thinking hard for a moment. As Fluttershy broke out of her trance, Benkei decided to try and speak with her again, while using hand motions to aid him.
" Watashitachiha mori no naka no sanpo ni ikimashou." , Benkei said in his deep, yet comforting voice. He pointed at himself with one hand, and then at Fluttershy with another, before pointing at the woods with both hands, and making two fingers on each hand into a pair of legs, as he walked them across the air.
It took Fluttershy a moment, more out of disbelief of his statement than anything, for his hand gestures made it all perfectly clear. She responded in her usual, timid tone.
"U-Uhm, Ben Khay, the Everfree is a rather ... " she paused for a moment, her voice trailing off " ... a rather dangerous place. Its not safe for ponies, really." said Fluttershy, trying to sound as polite as possible. She shook her head slightly the entire time, communicating clearly that she didn't want to go.
Even though Benkei didn't understand exactly what she was saying, he got the gist of it through her body language, especially those huge, emotive eyes that spoke to him in a whimsically adorable language of their own. Benkei thought about it for a moment, mulling over the many paths he could take here. He considered conceding to her wishes, but after a few more moments of contemplation, he decided that it would be best to take a stroll through the forest. After all, he'd be right there with her.
His mind set, Benkei lifted himself off the ground slowly so as not to frighten Fluttershy with his tremendous size. He hadn't been ignorant to the fact that every time he stood at full height, her eyes were filled with apprehension and a slight twinge of fear. So this time, he only got to his feet, in a crouching position, allowing them to be almost eye level, with Benkei still being just a bit taller.
He looked into her eyes, his inviting smile melting away some of her fears as he gestured with his head towards the forest, jerking it ever so slightly in the direction of the treeline. Fluttershy returned the stare for a few moments, before looking away. She muttered something incomprehensible to herself.
Benkei sighed inwardly. Fluttershy truly was a timid pony by all accounts. He let himself fall backwards into a sitting position, as he began to try and think of other ways they could bond. Caught in more deep thought, he didn't even notice Akeeta scurry up beside him, hopping up onto one of his tassets, and sitting there patiently. Benkei was lost in his mind, the outside world disappearing as he mulled over what to do next.
Fluttershy immediately took note of this and scooted a bit closer to Benkei, so that she was able to gently pet the small grey bunny. As the petting began, Akeeta was able to spot a white fuzzball about a dozen feet away, running straight towards her. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot on Benkei's tasset, a bit concerned that Angel would tell Fluttershy about how she had threatened him. She had half a mind to run before he reached them, but seeing as Fluttershy was taking such a liking to her at the moment, she decided to stay put, and play out the situation.
As Angel got closer and closer, Akeeta began to brace herself for whatever might come, shifting herself into a position where she would be able to hop away from him should things go south. She had never been this close to a pony for so long before in her entire life, and although she seemed nice enough, Akeeta had always been a wary bunny.
Angel stopped just behind Fluttershy, right out of her field of vision, and looked at Akeeta intensely. She looked back at him, returning the intense gaze. The wind rustled Angel's fur ever so slightly, and the way that the sunlight danced off of his stark white fur gave him an otherworldly glow that not only looked good on him, but had Akeeta gawking at him. She tore her gaze away from him, blushing hard. She knew she shouldn't have been that entranced, and she was beating herself up about it.
"He's a jerk ..." she muttered to herself, trying to convince herself that she shouldn't have looked at him the way she did. She shook her head a few times, reassuring herself that he wasn't worth her time. But there was something in his eyes that had genuinely scared her, and yet was so enticing to her all the same. Something that had made it hard for her to look away. It wasn't a glare of disgust or hate. Quite the opposite in fact. But what really scared her, is that she had found herself returning the stare with just as much vigor. She couldn't help but blush, trying to hide her face from him.
Fluttershy noticed where Akeeta had been staring, and turned her head to see what it was. Instantly, her face lit up, and in a frenzied motion of happiness, she scooped up Angel, rubbing him against her cheek, an expression of joy taking hold of her face. After another moment of the warm embrace, she set down Angel beside Akeeta, much to the grey bunny's chagrin.
Akeeta instantly scooted over to the other side of Benkei's rectangular tasset, trying to stop herself from blushing, and staring down into the river below, her distorted reflection comforting her in some strange way. Angel was about to follow her, a front paw outstretched to try and get her to stop, but after a moment, he decided it was best not to push his luck, remaining where he was on the tasset.
A million thoughts raced through Angel's head as he sat there, looking at Akeeta longingly. He had never been very good at interacting with other bunnies, and it really showed as he sat there, dumbfounded as to what was the proper approach to these sort of things. After another few seconds of thought, he began to slowly walk over to where Akeeta was sitting. But just a few steps in, a rumbling shook him off his feet, sending him tumbling backwards as Benkei stood up, unaware of the bunnies sitting on his frontal tasset.
Just as Angel was about to tumble off of the tasset onto the ground below, he stole a glance at Akeeta's face, who was also slipping off the tasset. He noticed she was still blushing, although it had died down to a much softer pink. As Angel hit the ground a few inches below, he couldn't help but smile. He stood up, brushing himself off. The fall hadn't really been painful so much as it had startled him when Benkei had started to move.
Akeeta had manged to catch herself, landing on all fours. She inched closer to the side of the bridge , sitting down on the edge, letting her feet hang over the edge, just as Benkei had. She looked over her shoulder, stealing a glance at Angel dusting himself off. She turned back to the stream below her. She felt uneasy and confused, a strange feeling welling up inside of her. She berated herself for feeling like this, and yet she completely understood why. She had been alone all her life, and now she had a chance to finally be with someone else. Her heart was leaping at the chance, but her mind restrained her, telling her otherwise. It was a strange mix of emotions for her, and it certainly wasn't lessened the more she thought about Angel, and that look in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Benkei had stood up to his full height, ready to begin his demonstration. He slowly walked past the bridge, onto the firm soil of the earth, wind blowing in his coarse black hair. He looked back at Fluttershy, nodding at her over his shoulder, and gesturing for her to follow him. At first she remained where she was, looking back and forth between her left and right with her eyes. She was thinking of whether or not she should proceed with Benkei. Making up her mind, she gently lifted Angel and Akeeta onto her back in one swift motion, putting them right by her long, flowing mane. The two bunnies clutched her mane with their tiny paws tightly, as she sauntered over to Benkei, her hesitant posture gnawing at Benkei.
He was about to begin his demonstration of his martial prowess with the katana, performing a dance of the sword before her to reassure her that he would protect her, but he couldn't bring himself to upset the pony in any way. There was just something about the butterscotch colored pony, something implacable, that made him want to do nothing to upset her.
He sighed audibly, letting his posture relax, and taking his hand away from the hilt of his sword. In hindsight, he realized that showing her just how deadly he was probably wasn't the best way to go about inspiring confidence in such a timid creature. Turning to face Fluttershy, he walked over to her, towering over her, before kneeling to bring himself face to face with her. He mulled over what to say, trying to find an activity that might bring the two of them closer together, and in turn, help him to better understand her. But he couldn't think of much, seeing as he knew very little of the land he had found himself in, added to the fact that he wouldn't know how to convey most of the more complex activities to her. Giving up , he spoke in a slow, gentle tone.
"Nani o shimasu ka?" , Benkei asked, pointing at her with one of his hands, then pointing at the ground emphatically, before shrugging his shoulders.
Fluttershy stood there for a moment, before turning her head to look at the ground, trying to decipher what he had said. It took a leap of logic, but she was a smart pony, and she understood what he had asked her, more or less.
" I uhm, I like to take care of my animals, mostly. Sometimes I even manage to get a choir going with the song birds. I-I also enjoy sewing every now and again ... " , she said, trailing off in her shy voice. At the very least, Benkei was starting to notice that she was speaking a bit louder now, more clearly, and she seemed more comfortable around him. He began to comb through each and every word she had said, but was interrupted, much to his surprise, by Fluttershy.
" But , I uhm, I'd like if we could go and see my friend Twilight right now, if you're asking what I want to do right now." , she said stamping her hoof down in the dirt softly, trying to imitate what Benkei had done when he had pointed at the ground, representing the present. " She's a very intelligent pony, and I'm sure she would know what to do. I-I'll be honest Ben Khay, I've really never seen anything quite like you, and I really don't know what to do."
Benkei resumed combing through her sentences, his eyes darting around frantically, as if they were searching the air for the answer. He couldn't be quite sure what she had said, as such a long and complex chain of words just sounded like a jumbled mess to him. As his eyes stopped, focusing on Fluttershy, he couldn't help but smile at what she did next.
She looked at him, with the same inviting smile he had been giving her, before gently jerking her head in one direction, gesturing to the dirt road that continued over a grassy hill in the distance. She looked at him reassuringly, her smile growing bigger by the second. Benkei couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, before nodding politely, and standing up. He outstretched his hand so that Fluttershy could clearly see him holding up his index finger as he spoke.
"Chottomatte.", Benkei said, before bolting off past the bridge, and stopping at the cottage's door, gently nudging it open, and slipping inside. Fluttershy turned to look on, as Benkei emerged with his naginata slung over his back by the leather strap. He quickly rejoined Fluttershy at the other side of the bridge.
Fluttershy looked up at the tall man beside her, still a bit intimidated by his sheer size, but no longer afraid of him. He gave her a warm smile, and she returned it with one of her own. Benkei brought his hand down to gently stroke her mane one last time, before nodding for her to lead the way.
Fluttershy giggled as he retracted his hand. She knew it was strange, but the way he pet her was just perfectly magical, and despite it being weird, she enjoyed it none the less. Stepping in front of Benkei, she began to walk down the dirt path that started at the end of her bridge, briefly looking back at Benkei, who followed patiently behind her, his heavy footsteps punishing the path beneath him.
Akeeta and Angel sat as far away from eachother as possible on Fluttershy's back, which was only a few inches away. They each clutched her silky mane tightly, looking away from each other as Fluttershy's trot shook them up and down slightly. Angel couldn't stop thinking about Akeeta, her image now firmly ingrained in his mind. Likewise, Akeeta couldn't shake Angel from her thoughts, especially those eyes of his. Those amazing, dreamy eyes of his.
She conked herself on the head with one of her paws, trying to straighten out her thoughts. She was starting to get angry at herself for being unable to stop thinking about him in such a way. She was supposed to hate his guts after the way he had spoken to her, but she couldn't stop thinking about him, standing there, the breeze rustling his fur perfectly, and that passionate look in his eyes. It was wrong, and yet, it was so right.
As Benkei and Fluttershy walked down the path at a comfortable pace, many thoughts plagued his mind, the gnawing questions he was harboring, creeping back into his train of thought. Concentrating his will to dispel the unanswerable questions, only a single thought remained in Benkei's mind afterwards.
Whatever may come next, there would be no turning back.