Settling In

by A Wild Magikarp

Chapter 13

Author's Note:

Thanks as always to my editor, The Great Derpsby, for helping me write stories you guys can enjoy.
As always, feedback is appreciated, and the same goes for those who feel the urge to like and favorite.
Now, enjoy my last chapter for a while! Hope it is worth the wait!

The cool of the forests canopy was something that would be welcoming at any other time or place. Unfortunately, this was not the relaxing shade of Whitetail Woods Fluttershy so desperately wished she could be searching through. The gangly, moss covered branches that made up the Everfree's ceiling, rather then blocking the heat of the late-summer days sun, almost seemed to be attempting to smother her in a cold darkness. The dense undergrowth of the forest floor had quickly slowed her progress through the forest to a crawl upon entering, making the hours she had been out looking for Cluckeny seem futile. She of course could have stayed on the path, but when the tracks she had been following disappeared, she made up her mind to head the least overgrown direction and go from there.

Now, she was beginning to feel a little lost. The trees around her where unfamiliar, and even if she could work up the courage to fly, they also blocked any way out of this dreary place from above. The few rays of sunshine that reached this place came down in thin beams of light, making evident the lack of escape routs through the air. All these factors had long since done their work unsettling Fluttershy's mind, leading her to jump at every shadow, and flinch at the smallest noise. A shadow here was a stalking timberwolf. A rustle in the nearby bush, a roaming cockatrice. Shivers overtook her, as her terror made the looming forest all the more cold.

"C-Cluckeny? W-w-where are you little chicken? Please come out, i-it's dangerous to be alone here. Cluckenyyy..."

No response, except for the ambiance of the unnatural forest around her. The sway of tree moved by an uncontrolled wind produced a loud moan that froze her where she stood, fear paralyzing her aside from the tremors that still raked her body. How could she have been so foolish to believe that she could come out her by herself?

The breeze stilled, and in a moment of complete silence, a single noise sounded through the forest. Faint, but there, Fluttershy's ear raised as she heard the sound of a small cheep. Elation returned her control of her body, as her head swiveled in the direction of the noise. Fluttershy may not have known a great many things in her humble opinion, but she DID know was animal calls. Cluckeny's call did not echo as much as drift through the forest. It was faint, but for Fluttershy it was a beacon, commanding her attention and drawing her deeper into the forest.

"Cluckeny?! Where are you chicken? Its Fluttershy, I'm here to bring you back home! Come out right now little miss, your mother is worried sick! Cluckeny!"

More cheeps came from the foliage, this time much clearer, proving to Fluttershy that she was heading the right direction. Her pace quickened to a canter, as the thought of finding the lost bird temporarily made her forget where she was, and why she wanted to leave.

The forest began to brighten, as the trees began to thin out to reveal a clearing in the forest. The first thing she noticed was that not only did the clearing lack any trees, but foliage of any kind. The ground was barren, the earth looking tough and cracked from lack of water or vegetation had a grey, ashen color to it, like rock. The second was the large cave at the very center of the clearing, with a large pile of rocks blocking the majority of the entrance.

And on top of said pile of rocks sat a small, speckled chick.

"Cluckeny!" Fluttershy cried as she ran across the open space of the clearing to the cave entrance. The ground beneath her hooves felt brittle despite its hard, rocky appearance, but she took no notice, entirely took focused on the small bird casually pecking at the rock it stood upon. Scooping the chicken up in her hooves, she began to fuss over the bird, making sure she was alright. No bumps or bruises, breaks or sprains that she could find. So far as she could tell, the bird was fine, apart from the dirt and grime she had collected walking through the forest.

"Your ok! Oh thank goodness, I was so worried! And so is your mother! What are you doing out her Cluckeny?! I know that I told all of you little ones never to go in here, that's why the fence is there! Don't ever do that to us again, understand? Cluckeny? Cluckeny are you listening to me?"

Cluckeny, for her part, was busy staring in fascination, as the rocks she had just been sitting on continued to shift and move. It had been hardly noticeable at first, but at Miss Fluttershy's words, the rocks pick up speed, as they began to rise and retreat back into the cave in a long line. She had never seen rocks do that before, but she was still young, like her mother told her, and saw new things almost every day.

Fluttershy realized that she did not have any of the small fouls attention, and turned to see what was so interesting behind her. At first, nothing at all seemed out of sorts, until she recognized that the rock-wall that had stood in front of the entrance of the cave had disappeared. Her eyebrow raised, curious as to what could have happened to them, up until she heard it.

A long, deep growl emanated from the bowels of the cove, physically shaking the two occupants of the forest clearing. The sound was foreboding, as Fluttershy recognized the sound of a predator in horror. Footsteps could be heard coming from within, coming closer, closer to the light of the cave entrance. Her muscles locked, and Fluttershy could only watch as the beast made it way into vision, and eventually into the sunlight.

A head made itself visible through the darkness, its appearance somewhere between a snake and a crocodile. Its eyes where bright yellow, with slitted black pupils that quickly shrunk as they meet the piercing light of the midday sun. They stared back at Fluttershy, analyzing her; a clear sign of an intelligent hunter. The head ended with a crest of sharp spines, and was followed by a long, equally spined neck. The hide of the monster was thick and craggy with a dark grey shade, making it look like the rock that Fluttershy had likely mistaken this creature to be. As the beast continued to make itself visible, lean, powerful muscles could be seen rippling underneath its skin, namely its legs, and its claws, which where abnormally large for the size of the limbs they where attached to. In all, the creature highly resembled a dragon, where except for its lack of wings, and a much sleeker form. The tail remained in the shadows, but if the rest of the creature was any indicator of its mass, the monster was easily forty feet long head to tail, if not longer.

As it towered over her, Fluttershy could feel the urge to run rise in her. Fear of moving gave way to fear of standing still before this behemoth, and she prepared to make a mad dash to the treeline. The creature seemed to sense this, and its eyes flashed with an red tinge, before settling on a deep orange color. This was followed by the tensing of all of Fluttershy's body, as well as the bird in her hoof. She felt like a taught string, tension everywhere, but she was unable to release it. Her muscles where so tight it was almost painful. This time, not by her own fear, Fluttershy found herself truly paralyzed in the reptiles gaze.

Confident that it had its prey in its grasp, the monster seemed to smile, mouth opening to reveal rows of sharp fangs. A green fume came out of the back of the creatures throat, billowing downwards towards the ground. In this manner it snaked its head forward to come face to face with the terrified pony it had in its thrall. It stared at her for several seconds more, and she stared back, unable to do anything else, before it gave a quick breath, and the gas that had been pouring out of its mouth was thrown forward into its prey.

It had a foul odor, but she could not gag or pull away, as the effects where almost instantaneous. Where its eyes had forced Fluttershy to freeze up apparently by force of will, the green smog acted quickly to numb her body and cloud her mind. She felt her body tremble, before losing all strength and falling to the ground beneath her.

The monsters eyes dimmed back to their original yellow hue, and the urge to stare back into them dissipated. She looked down to the ground, seeing the chicken she had come to save already passed out next to her. She knew she should feel fear, terror even, that she should be looking for any way to escape, but she could already feel her eyes begging to close. Her thoughts slowed, and an almost blissful feeling came over her as she began to fall deeper into the blackness of a dreamless sleep. As she at last let her eyelids close, her last waking thoughts where of her friends, both animal and pony.

Then, she thought no more.

Comments

[Ephedianroyalty]

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[Edguy0009]

9226715
BANG! What you said shoot?