Monster

by Jabazor

Keeping Secrets

Rainbow Dash found herself flying back to her bed in her cloud home with much on her mind. She thought that her house was nice, that her bed was nice, and that her life was nice. Yet here, in her own town, was a monster who didn't deserve to be a monster, no matter how abominable he looked on the outside. But Dash's sleep was not troubled, for she knew what she was going to do.

Dash's life, as some may say, was quite luxurious. Kicking clouds for money, being the fastest flyer in the world, being able to be lazy and sleep whenever she pleased, having the best friends in the world, and getting in on a grand and, sometimes, mischievous adventures. But she didn't need a nice house and she did not need to be the fastest flyer. Certainly she needed some way of making money and a house, but her house was so grand and big and nice that it wasn't necessary for her. She could have settled for less. Much less, in fact. All she really needed was her friends and a job and a cheap, run-down house to be happy. But she had much more.

Dash started thinking to herself on her situation. Perhaps I should be content with such things. So many would wish for a life as easy as mine and I didn't even really have to work hard to get mine. Of course I had my fair amount of challenges and I did have to work to be the fastest flyer, but this did all come relatively easy.

While Dash was thinking these things, the monster found himself waking up and preparing to go down the mountain to meet Fluttershy. But he always looked up the entire time on his way down the mountain and through the woods. His focus was always on the magnificent stars; throughout the monster's life, even on the mountain, he rarely ever saw stars. The fog that covered the land like a cage always prevented him from seeing the stars. It was only on what he considered to be "a good day" (a.k.a. a day where he wasn't killing things and being disgusted and depressed by all around him) that he could see the stars from the highest point on the mountain.

In current-day Equestria, stars were free to be seen for all who had the eyes to see them. For once in his life, the monster felt small, and feeling small felt good. He knew that he was, but he didn't feel his invincibility so much. And he even started to question if living forever was so bad in a place so beautiful. As the monster pondered on this, he, of course, wondered what he would think if all went bad again, but there was no need to worry about that now. The monster was taking in easy stroll in a beautiful land, and he coudn't ask for much more than that.

In the meantime, Dash turned in her bed her thoughts and decisions. Of course, being the coolest pony in the world wasn't a very easy title to earn either, but she had already earned all she needed in life and now she had nothing left to work hard for, except for one thing: her friends. Dash's friends would always be in need of her. These needs her friend's had for her couldn't be classified as a simple task like "Pick up my laundry" or "Go shopping with me," but more like "Be there when I cry" and "Help me face the world."

Dash then went to sleep with her mind set: she would help poor Fluttershy out. Dash didn't care so much to see dead fish or get up early. Fluttershy's job of taking care of animals often had her busy throughout the day, but Dash could lounge about napping or sleeping whenever she wanted to, so it's not like she lost any sleep. And so it was that, at around 1:05 am on the next day, Dash woke up and sped to Fluttershy's house. Dash knew that Fluttershy would only sleep for about 20 more minutes, so Dash quickly grabbed all the double-baskets she could hold, which was conveniently three, and she filled them with all the fish and fruits and vegetables she could bear. Dash was much stronger than Fluttershy and she was also driven to hep and find out what this monster was.

She flew to the place that she guessed was where Fluttershy stopped to give the food off to the monster and she looked around nervously. For a few minutes, nothing happened. But suspense killed her; leaves rustled on the ground at random and by feet she could not see; wind made the forest whistle and stir and the noise made her feel hauntingly alone but watched. Nonetheless, Dash was determined to do that in which she promised she would.

Dash couldn't help but be frightened to death when the monster came out from the trees again. She didn't scream, but she stood still in awe and horror, giving the monster a petrified stare.

"I am sorry to have scared you, little one. I should not have snuck up on you like that. Please forgive me." The monster looked as if he wanted to give Rainbow Dash a hug, but he knew that reaching his paws out at her for the attempt to do so would only make her more scared.

"I...um...I'm alright, I suppose. No real harm done." Dash stared at the monster with the same petrified look as before and she still could not make herself move.

"A-...are you alright, little one?" The monster looked at her confused and worried.

"Well yes, but no at the same time. I'm sure, if we meet more, that I won't get into this state again." Dash let herself get loose again, but was obviously still scared.

"So the other little one won't come again, I suppose. That makes me sad, but at least another friendly one has come to take her place. You must be the one that flew away last time Fluttershy was here. Thank you very much for considering my plea and Fluutershy's and for selflessly taking her place."

"Weeeeeell...I didn't exactly tell Fluttershy that I would do this, and...and she may come out here again not knowing that you've had the food taken to you." Dash sat down with her hooves on her face and she let out a few groans. Dash thought that she had just made an idiot of herself.

"Don't worry, little one. I'm sure that she would not care if you took her place doing this as long as it does not force any pain upon you. She does not seem to think herself higher than any living being, yet would take all of the pain in the world just to not see it spread to others. A marvelous creature, she is. Perhaps you are as well."

Dash sat up and regained her posture.

"Well. Some would consider me a marvel. Although it's not official, most would say that I am the fastest flyer ever and that I am also the coolest pony ever." Dash put a cocky smile on her face as she brought her hoof up to her face and wagged it around a little, a gesture the monster did not understand.

The monster seemed disinterested and Dash's mood was immediately flattened, but she decided to not talk to the monster again about such things.

"Well. I guess introductions are in order," said Dash as she stuck out a hoof. "My name is Rainbow Dash, and I am at your service."

The monster smiled and laughed and stuck out his paw to meet and shake her hoof.

"I have no name and I am from times of old, but any service you offer to me, I can only hope to repay you with another service in some way."

"I'll try to bring you food, as long as Fluttershy is fine with that. You seem like a...um...being that would offer nice conversation."

"Yes. There is indeed much to talk about. I've already talked with Fluttershy on a few subjects, but my thirst for knowledge about the history and events and everything else to do with Equestria is unparalleled."

Dash had already put the baskets on the floor, but the monster never once paid attention to the food until the conversation was over. The monster took the food out of the baskets and gathered it all in his big arms. Rainbow Dash stood in awe of this, seeing as to how so many pounds were just taken and held with easy, but eventually shook herself out of it.

"Goodbye! I hope to see you again later. Perhaps under better circumstances," said the monster as he waved to Dash as she was about to take off.

Dash replied with a smile and a "Ditto."

Fluttershy had just gotten up in time to look out her bedroom window and see Dash flying with three double-baskets to her food storage. Fluttershy thought of two things at that moment. The first was that she lived in a society that didn't need locked doors and pads. This was the first time Fluttershy had ever experienced a break-in and it wasn't to steal anything, but rather bring joy to the heart of another. Second was that she worried that the monster would think of her as irrelevant now that Dash was taking the food, but she didn't really think that possible; the monster was too caring and nice to treat her as nothing now that she did not bring him food.

Fluttershy wasn't surprised that Dash was doing this, seeing as to how Dash felt loyal to all her friends and would not have them suffer when she could take the hard work for herself. But it now became apparent to Fluttershy that a plan was needed to get the monster out into the world. Whether it took days, weeks, months, or years, Fluttershy did not care. She just wanted the world to see him as he truly was.

But a thought lurked in the back of her mind: She did not know who he truly was. She knew some terrible things about him, like the fact that he had killed ponies before and that he considered himself a beast that didn't deserve or really want life. He talked about himself being a monster less and less and started to talk about life more enjoyably, but that did not mean that the thought of his own death was out of his head. Perhaps such a being was never meant to be presented to the world. The risk did seem greater than the reward, but, nonetheless, he deserved more than food brought to him at two in the morning as he waited out in the woods. He would have a good old-fashioned meal at the table one of these days. And who better to have a meal at the table with than friends?

Author's Note:

I think that I am going to re-do this chapter and put more in there. But, for now, I'd like to simply have it released, I'll fix it up, perhaps.

Comments

[3volve]

stop making this so dead all i here is suicide from the pages it saddening