Hazel Eyes in the Moonlight

by Oddling

29 - Pleasant Conversation

With a gulp and a short, satisfied sigh, Jim finished the last of the second loin from Fluttershy’s basket. “… and that’s about how well the checkups went. Apple Bloom should be perfectly fine now. As for Scootaloo… she’s in peak physical condition, if not more so.” Jim said, finishing his recap of the morning’s events. He looked off into the distant sky, his eyes narrowing. “But I don’t think that doctor told us everything.”

Fluttershy looked to the same part of the sky. “What makes you say that? From my experiences with Dr. Thorough Good he’s been very honest and forward with what he finds,” she said and looked back to Jim.

For his part, Jim managed to hide his sneer beneath the act of pretending to lick his chops, but he thought back to after the appointment was over. “Let’s just say that the doctor and I had a brief chat in private before I left with the kids. In respect to his privacy I can’t say what was discussed, but he’s… got a few secrets. And he’s had them for some time. Still, I’ve encountered his type before; wise through experience, but very selective with what they say and to whom.”

Though barely audible, Jim heard as Fluttershy’s ears folded back. He turned his gaze back down to her. Fluttershy was looking down at the last steak and the few remaining pieces of jerky in her basket, but her focus was on something else.

“I think everypony has at least one secret. We can’t all be so open to each other when it comes to certain things. Celestia knows that I’ve had my own encounters that I’m still not very proud of,” Fluttershy admitted softly.

Jim held his gaze on Fluttershy, even as she pulled herself out of her own thoughts and looked back to him. They stared for a time, both watching quietly as if waiting for something. Before it could grow awkward, Jim sighed through his nose and looked to the still broken window where Scootaloo jumped through. “Sad but true.”

He paused for a moment then glanced back to see Fluttershy still looking at him. Jim averted his gaze from her as he thought of something. It was kind of crazy, but the more he looked back on what he had seen during his wanderings through human settlements the more acceptable it seemed. He looked back to her again.

“Well… uh…” he began, cursing himself for feeling nervous as soon as he opened his mouth. Jim sighed and slid his claws through his hair before resting his hand on the back of his neck. Fluttershy simply waited patiently, a small smile growing on her muzzle as she watched him.

“If it’s not too forward of me to offer… since you listened to me vent to you a little, I’m willing to do the same for you. You know, if you wanted to talk about anything,” Jim said, though he wasn’t very sure he was suited for such a task. Still, he felt that he should make the offer. It was only fair.

Her smile growing a bit warmer, Fluttershy brought a hoof to her chest. “That’s sweet of you to offer, Jim. But I’m not all that comfortable with sharing those kinds of things yet. We hardly know each other.”

Jim chuckled weakly, feeling a little foolish, and his ears folded back as his hand lowered to his side. “True…”

“But…” Fluttershy cut in before Jim could say anything more, “I’m more than willing to get to know you better.”

Jim’s ears perked up slowly as a pleased smile grew on him. “I’d… like that, actually. It’s been too long since I was properly acquainted with anyone.”

Fluttershy nodded. “It would be nice to get to know you more. However, I think we’ve wandered off track with what we were talking about before.”

Jim blinked at that realization. He had definitely gotten himself sidetracked in offering Fluttershy an ear.

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hoof as she giggled at him. She turned her head to look at the school, her smile fading slightly. “Scootaloo’s family has always taken good care of her. They have always been supportive of her and have never neglected her.” Her smile faded a little more. “Unfortunately… Scootaloo’s parents have had to struggle since before she was born. Her mother, Quartz Recorder, is an earth pony. She’s been one of the most skilled crystal analysts for Canterlot in the past three hundred years.”

Fluttershy’s ears slowly drooped. “But a little over a year ago, Quartz was involved in an unfortunate magical mishap. One of the crystals that her team had been given was charged with an unknown magic spell. When it reacted to her team’s head unicorn touching it with his magic the crystal released a massive amount of power. Everypony was injured from it… but Quartz was left almost completely paralyzed. It’s taken some time, but she’s finally able to walk again thanks to the help she received from the Princesses.”

Jim’s ears folded back as he took in that information. The mental picture his mind had been forming before had crumbled and been replaced with something new and unfortunate.

“Scootaloo’s father, however…” Fluttershy continued, “I think he’s suffered just as much, if not more. Fine Tune works in Canterlot as well. He works in a similar field as Quartz, only Fine Tune analyzes magic. Unlike Quartz, Fine has lived with his impairment since his early twenties. When he was apprenticing for his field of work, Fine was hurt when a noble’s zeppelin lost control. He was right under it when the zeppelin crashed.”

Fluttershy’s gaze was filled with sadness by that point. “Fine Tune lost his leg from the accident and the tip of his horn.”

Jim sat quietly as he let the tale sink in fully. His thoughts of Scootaloo’s family being abusive were gone, barely a sliver of them remaining in his mind. Yet despite the nature of what he had learned, he still could not figure something out.

“It does seem that my previous concerns regarding her parents were misplaced… but it doesn’t explain why everyone else seemed so… cautious about the topic. I would have expected more sadness in everyone else’s emotions, like how you’ve expressed; maybe even sympathy for the difficulties they’ve gone through. Instead it gave me the impression that there was violence involved… or something. Even Scootaloo seemed to tense up, as if she was afraid…”

Fluttershy sighed softly and looked toward the school. “I’m… unsure of the details, unfortunately. Everything I’ve told you so far is what I learned from others or from the few times I’ve helped Quartz. She often struggles when she goes shopping in town and I try to lend a hoof when I see her.”

Jim closed his eyes and hummed as he thought on what Fluttershy had told him. It was relieving to have his prior concerns removed regarding Scootaloo’s family, but he still had unanswered questions. Unfortunately, it seemed he would have to wait until a later time to ask further upon the subject as the clang of the bell atop the schoolhouse drew his attention. The two looked to the door of the school and within moments it opened, a steady flow of smiling fillies and colts spilling onto the yard nearby.

He quickly spotted the few troublemakers from earlier, his eyes narrowing slightly as he made a point to monitor their actions. It was doubtful they would do anything more, but it was still possible they could gain a second wind to start trouble.

“That’s odd… I don’t see the girls yet. They’re usually one of the first ones out for recess,” Fluttershy voiced quietly.

Jim glanced to her briefly. He also thought it seemed strange to not see Scootaloo and her friends yet. The little ones on the lawn didn’t seem to be acting like something was amiss so there must not have been anything unusual going on. Still, Jim was mildly curious as to why they were still inside. A few moments passed before Cheerilee stepped through the doorway. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom followed closely behind her, as well as a few others Jim recognized that had been part of the protective circle earlier.

“Well now, it would seem she has a collection of friends that want to know about what’s happened,” Jim voiced softly.

Fluttershy looked up to him. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw a kind smile grace the wolf’s features… but beneath it laid a sadness that she had never seen before. No… it was pity.

Subdued as it might have been, Jim could not completely hide the scars of his past. Memories of his life could dull with time, but the lessons he learned from them never faded from his mind. He knew too well what might happen to Scootaloo in the coming years. There would be no way around it as it was only a matter of when she experienced her darker side. It was probably quite foolish of him to do so, but a part of Jim truly wished she would never have her curse triggered. If that wish could not be granted, then he hoped that none of the ones she held dear would ever witness it.

Regardless of what happened, or when, Jim knew he would be there to guide her through the experience. He had dealt with everything alone, excluding his time with Marcus, so he knew his help would ease the difficulties later in the young pony’s life. At the very least, the friends around her outside of the school looked more genuine than anything he had witnessed back on Earth. So maybe things would be different in this world. He hoped so…

A gentle sigh escaped Jim as he rolled his body onto his hands and paws.

Fluttershy went to speak, but shied away and curled into herself a little.

Jim noticed the motion and looked to her. Their eyes met once more and he saw the curiosity, the want to know what it was he felt.

With the nature of their conversation still fresh in his mind, Jim wanted to voice an explanation to her. He knew he probably should, if only so she wouldn’t look at him so worryingly. But he had vented enough to her already and with a brief glance toward Scootaloo and the others it was clear that there wouldn’t be enough time to explain.

He sighed softly and offered the yellow mare beside him a weak smirk. “Sorry… I’m just… concerned for the wellbeing of another. It’s a little foreign to me, I guess. Maybe we can chat about it later.”

The worry steadily faded from Fluttershy’s eyes and a small, understanding smile filled her features. “I understand. It’s probably hard for you to act differently in our world.”

Jim hummed gently and looked back to Scootaloo, her face a mask of happiness while her eyes held hints of the uncertainty in her heart. An uncertainty that grew a little more as she and the others walked toward to him. It was no surprise to Jim that she was unsure. In fact, he was more surprised by how she had been handling everything thus far. She had somehow managed to keep fairly calm about her changes and even tried to see them with a more upbeat outlook.

A light chuckle slipped from Jim’s grin as he shook his head. She’s one heck of a kid. It kinda leaves me envious…

“Alright then,” Jim started as he walked toward the approaching ponies. “I’m going to help Scootaloo explain what’s happened. Are you going to join us?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I would like to. There’s still some time left before I need to go. But I don’t want to impose…”

Jim smiled at her. “Let’s ask Scoots. It’s her choice, but I don’t think she’ll mind you being there.”

With another nod and a thankful smile, Fluttershy trotted forward and stepped in line beside Jim. The two soon emerged from the tree line and into the afternoon sun.

The two groups continued toward each other, eventually meeting in the open between the trees and the school. Once they had grown close enough, Jim looked over the ponies. Despite what had happened in the classroom before it seemed that the young ones held little trepidation. If anything they seemed determined to support Scootaloo to the best of their ability. Even Cheerilee’s kind smile was overshadowed by the strong need to know what had happened to her precious student, reflected in her eyes.

Jim nodded to the teacher before he looked down to Scootaloo. She returned his gaze and swallowed, her wings shifting.

Jim offered his best reassuring smile. “Looks like it’s time, kid.”

Scootaloo looked to her hooves and nodded. “Yeah…”

With a gentle sigh, the big werewolf knelt down and placed a finger under her chin. He lifted her head to look at her eyes, stroking his thumb along her cheek. “If there’s one thing I would have done in my world, it would have been to tell you never to trust others after you became what I am.”

Jim pulled his hand away from her and gestured to the rest of the group. “But everyone here… they’re here for you. They genuinely care for you, kid. I can see it in their eyes. You can trust them. You can count on them to stay with you no matter what. But that can only happen if you let them…” He paused as he drifted into thought for a moment. “This world… your home… it’s far from what I’ve experienced. I could never trust anything - not even myself. But here… I feel that it’s worth it to try.”

Scootaloo stared at Jim, feeling the truth of his words rumble through her heart before she looked to everypony else. Her eyes flicked across the group and with each smiling face she saw her uncertainty faded. A wide smile slowly spread over her muzzle and she turned her gaze back up to Jim.

The warmth of the moment was destroyed when the light of the sun abruptly dimmed.

As the sky darkened overhead, Jim’s head snapped toward the Everfree. The fur down his neck and along his shoulders rose and his body felt as if it tingled all over.

“Scoots! You alright?”

Jim instantly looked back down. Apple Bloom was reaching a hoof to Scootaloo; the young pegasus’ body stiff and trembling as she stared into the sky above. Acting quickly, Jim moved into her line of sight. Her terrified eyes focused on his and her legs gave out beneath her.

Cries of alarm rang out, but Jim let them stay in the background as he observed Scootaloo’s movements. “Hey, what’s wrong? What are you feeling?” he asked calmly, even though he was feeling anything but inside.

Scootaloo clenched her teeth and shut her eyes as her body shuddered against her will. “I… I don’t know!” she struggled to say. “My body…” another strong shudder, “My body feels sick… it’s gross. What’s happening?”

Jim placed his hand on Scootaloo’s back and glanced up at the sky. “It’s nothing too strange… considering,” he answered vaguely.

Questioning stares fell upon Jim, but his eyes were fixed upon the sight high above the forest. Spinning slowly and in perfect synchrony, a series of massive magic circles hovered in the air. Dark cloud-like vapor poured from them, spreading far and wide over the Everfree and blocking out the sun. Jim’s eyes narrowed as he tried to make out the symbols neatly arranged within the spell, but before he could see anything remotely detailed the massive spell swiftly collapsed in on itself.

A deep boom followed the resulting explosion of black clouds as darkness spread over and beyond the limits of Ponyville. Jim instinctively moved to stand between the source of the clouds and the group of ponies beside him. He was hardly knowledgeable when it came to magic, but his body was screaming at him that danger was all around him.

Jim’s eyes swept across the sky over and over. His entire being was tense and ready for anything. His heart pounded as adrenaline rushed through his veins. Seconds passed…

Then… almost completely hidden due to its similar coloration to the clouds above… a clutch of dark orbs streaked through the air. Jim’s eyes shot wide and he spun around, grabbing every pony present in a desperate attempt to shield them. In the next moment, before the werewolf or ponies could even brace for it, an orb impacted with the ground.

Author's Note:

And here it is! A sorta-kinda-notreally-early christmas present of sorts. It's taken forever to get something I could be satisfied with finished, but hey, it's finally something resembling progress.

Comments

[Flame Heart]

You know the funny part is I just re-read your story yesterday and then all of a sudden a new chapter

[Starlight Nova]

This is a werewolf story. Therefore, the Human tag has been placed as it's kiiind of mandatory for this odd little genre.But, why can't a pony become a werewolf?

[SilverNightWolf]

9360502
Forgot that Scootaloo has the curse as well now?

[Oddling]

9370056

9360502

What I think Nova was asking was why Scootaloo stayed more pony than wolf. Yes, Scoots is now affected by Jim's curse. However, human vs pony genetics leads to differing physical attributes. Some I've already hinted to and I have a little more in store for later, but to put it simply; Jim is showing the combination of human and wolf while Scootaloo shows the pony and wolf. She has changed... just less in her appearance.

[Oddling]

9360419
lol, yeah... I finally managed to get another chapter out. Work has me busy (and more recently causing me increased levels of pain), but I'm always wanting to write more. It's just difficult keeping up the energy once I get home and holding my focus long enough before my brain demands sleep.

[Flame Heart]

9360502
cuz werewolf literally means human wolf the proper term for what you're thinking of would be an Equuswolf

[Not A Watermelon]

How long is the hiatus going to last?
Also... SCOOTAWOLF!