Monster

by BlackWing

Healing Hooves (12)

Healing Hooves (Chapter 12)

The ponies took Nightshade back to Ponyville, where there were three carriages waiting for them. One was a large royal carriage, to take the six ponies and Luna back to Canterlot, while the other two were caged prison carriages. The three flew in a tight formation, with the prison transports on the outside, and the princess's carriage in the middle. One housing Nightshade, and the other, holding a now awake Gilda. Having had her jaw mended magically and held in a brace, she could now talk, but it caused her pain. Pain she was more than willing to endure if it meant mocking her fellow prisoner.

"Ha ha, dude look at you, you got WRECKED." She mocked the still unresponsive figure. "What happened tough guy? Suddenly you're a wimp! Should have known you were a loser if you were sticking up for that lameo orange pegasus."

"Shut up Gilda, I have half a mind to go back there and break your jaw again." Said Rainbow Dash. "And what do you mean sticking up for?" Gilda didn't answer, mostly because Dash wasn't one to say she would do something, and then not do it.

"Ah don't know fer sure." Said Applejack. "But when we was bringin him here, a bunch of pony folk were askin me if my sister was okay. Said some griffin was attackin her and her friends, before it got clocked by a hooded thang. I think that might 'ave been him."

"Well, if that's the case, I think that explains what happened in the town square fairly clearly." Said Rarity. "In which case I think we may have been a little rough on the dear. He WAS only trying to help it seems." She looked at the nervous wreck of a monster, still unmoving. Fluttershy shrunk a little.

"But that still doesn't explain what he was doing in Ponyville. He tried to escape us in the forest, so he probably lived in there. Why would he come to Ponyville, and on Nightmare Night of all times?" Said Twilight. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, I guess we can ask him when he wakes up." Applejack returned. All the others looked at her with a bit of surprise.

"Somethin I said?"

"What do you mean ask him? He's a forest monster. He can't talk." Rainbow piped up.

"Sure he can. When I tried to buck him, he told me that the same trick won't work twice." She returned.

"Which makes me remember somethin. About a year ago, I got up in the middle of the night, I coulda swore there was some varmint stealin mah apples. I went to the edge of the farm, bucked the tree, and some black thing fell outta it."

Applejack thought back. "When it stood up, I went and bucked it. After that I felt a pain in my stomach, and it got up and ran off. I thought I just pulled a muscle or somethin. It went into the woods and didn't come back."

Twilight was listening intently the whole time. "Listen everypony, from what I've heard, I am fairly certain I have ascertained the nature of this creatures abilities." Everyone listened intently. "When Fluttershy saw it, it was ill, and the plants around it died. When Rainbow Dash hit it, it miraculously healed, and the wound appeared on her." Dash rubbed her still sore head.

"When Applejack kicked it, she felt the pain of the injury, while the creature recovered from it's own, at least partially." Twilight continued. "It is my hypothesis that this creature is capable of passing it's injuries onto other forms of life. While not required to do so, it prefers to return the damage to whatever inflicted it."

Luna agreed. That was her hypothesis, and it matched her sister's pupil's to a T. There was one thing missing from it, however.

"I believe it may be able to do this with exhaustion as well." Luna spoke up. "The distance from the town square to the forest edge is great, and he was running the entire time. He should have at least been winded. Either he has more stamina than a marathon runner, or he is able to absorb it from others."

"Which is how he was able to tire us out to the point that we fell asleep." Exclaimed Twilight.

"Exactly." Said Luna. " Although we don't know for sure, as Applejack said, we'll have to ask when he wakes."

"Yeah, IF he wakes up at all." Said Rainbow crudely. She never was one for sensitivity. Twilight shot her a nasty glare. "Well come on, just LOOK at him."

Fluttershy finally spoke, although it was barely enough to be heard, and had to be told to speak louder several times. "It wasn't trying to hurt us, it just made us fall asleep so it could get away." She said in a shaky tone. "Meaning that even if we hadn't caught it, we would have just woken up on our own?"

"It seems so." Said Luna.

Fluttershy looked over to the monster, and instead of feeling fear or pity, she felt something that she had not felt in a very long time. Guilt. Visibly shrinking, and letting out a soft 'eep', She looked at the poor thing, realizing the mental state it must be in. Even a couple hours after she had stopped her stare, it was still scared out of it's wits, and she caused it.

Meanwhile, being unconscious due to the mental stress of Fluttershy's stare, Nightshade found himself standing next to Lyra once again.

"Well well, you sure caused a ruckus in town. Everypony is going crazy with questions." Lyra said. "Why didn't you tell me you were here in Equestria?"

No answer. She stared at him, and realized he didn't even notice her, he was just staring off into the distance.

"Hello, anybody home?" She knocked on his head. He fell over, and just laid on the floor. "Whoa, you okay? Hey, buddy, come on, get up!" She tried desperately to get his attention.

"Eyes." She heard a soft whisper.

"What was that?" Lyra asked.

"Yellow. Blue eyes. Devil itself." The rest was inaudible.

"I don't understand." Lyra found herself watching the scene play in his head, right up to the point the Yellow pegasus began staring at him.

"Is that Fluttershy?" She asked, not expecting an answer. Then she saw it, the stare. It played over and over again inside his mind, like a broken record. Lyra had to look away.

"Hey, it's okay. Listen, I saw them taking you to a carriage, you're off to Canterlot, and they all had worried looks on their faces. They're worried about you. You need to wake up. Wake up!" She yelled. That snapped him out of it.

"L-Lyra?" He said weakly.

"Finally, you've been stuck in here for hours. I noticed them taking you in a prison carriage to Canterlot." She responded.

"Prison?" He said in the same, defeated tone.

"Yeah, but you'll be okay. They just have you in there so you won't try to escape. They all looked worried about you. You look like you got run over by a runaway cart." Lyra added. "Listen, it's morning, so I have to wake up now. You should wake up too. They're going to talk with you, and then they'll settle this whole thing."

Nightshade muttered something Lyra couldn't hear, so she leaned in closer, (apparently this still works, even in dream land) and heard him say one word.

"Thanks."

While this was going on, the mood had gotten a little lighter for everyone except the prisoners, and Fluttershy. Knowing that she had put this creature into a shock induced coma, all because it was trying to help, made her feel terrible. She began crying, and was comforted by her friends. They arrived at Canterlot, where the rest had decided to get something to eat, since they had missed breakfast. Fluttershy didn't want anything.

"Whats the matter sugarcube?" Asked Applejack.

"It's just that, I feel terrible. It wasn't trying to hurt us, it was just trying to get away. The only reason any of us got hurt was because we hurt it in the first place." She took a quick glance at the victim of her stare. "I wish there was something I could do for him."

Luna, knowing how gentle Fluttershy was, when she wasn't in a fit of rage, decided to let the element of kindness do her thing. "If you wish, you may accompany him to his cell, and keep him company while he is being held until my sister is ready for him."

"Thanks Luna." She responded. Fluttershy was a little happier after that. She had also learned that Luna does not care for formalities around friends, and so dropped the title.

While the rest of the group went off to eat, Luna went to her sister to explain what happened and what they had discovered, and Fluttershy went with the no longer quaking creature. She felt a little better, now that he was asleep and no longer crying in fear. The prison cell was not a typical cell. It had bars, as well as a magical barrier, but the floor was carpeted, it has a soft bed rather than a cot, two chairs, a table, and several windows to let light in. It was clear that this was for holding important persons, perhaps diplomats who had found themselves on the wrong side of the law, and not for punishment. Gilda was taken down to the actual dungeons.

After some time in the holding cell, he finally woke up, and on the other side of the bars, saw the very object of his terror, no longer frightening and full of fury, but with a kind, but sad, smile on her face. He backed away slowly, still very much afraid of her, and sat in the far corner of the room.

"Umm guard." She asked quietly. "Umm, do you think It would be okay if I went in with him?"

"Miss, he could be dangerous, we don't want to take any unnecessary risks." The guard told her sternly. She stood there for quite some time, before he pulled something from his cloak.

"My Ipod." Nightshade thought. After all this time, he still had it, and it was intact, headphones and all. Since it had been turned off the whole time, the batteries wouldn't have gone down at all. He pulled it out, and started listening to some music to calm his nerves.

Fluttershy noticed that he was in the corner, and had pulled his hood over his head. She asked the guard again if she could go in, explaining that he couldn't escape, and while the guards were there he wouldn't try to hurt her, and the whole point of her being there was to keep him company. Reluctantly, the guard agreed, unable to say no to the cute face she was making, and lowered the barrier. After she was inside, he raised it again, and told her to simply tap on it if she wanted out.

As Fluttershy walked over, Nightshade didn't move at all. He didn't hear the barrier go down because he was listening to the sounds of the sea, (he likes nature sounds and classical music, as well as some stuff from the 80's and 90's. He can't stand Bieber) and didn't see what was happening because he had his hood over his head, and had his eyes closed. Fluttershy walked up to him, glad that he wasn't afraid anymore, but also a little worried about it. Surely he had heard her come in, what if he was waiting for a chance to grab her?

Very cautiously, she approached him, not making a single sound. He was still sitting in the corner. When he was sitting, his head was just slightly lower than a standing ponies, and if both were sitting, they would be at about the same height. Ever so carefully, she pulled off his hood, and saw he had his eyes closed. Not wanting to disturb him, thinking he was sleeping, she backed away, and began to walk away, when he opened his eyes.

When she was staring at him, it was dark, and she couldn't see them, but this time, it was bright, and she could see them clearly. His eyes were blue, same shade as her own, but his were, deeper somehow. They were like an endless ocean. She could see that he was still a little scared, so she sat down in front of him, trying to make herself seem as unimposing as possible.

Listening to music was one of Nightshades favorite pass times, and he needed to calm his nerves before Princess Celestia saw him. If she was anything like her younger sister, it would be all he could do to maintain his composure in front of her. Allowing his thoughts to drift, he was startled when he felt his hood being pulled off. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw a pair of light blue ones looking back. He recognized them, but this time they weren't eyes full of anger and hate, but eyes full of compassion and wonder. Gazing into them, he felt completely at ease. It was hard to believe that this was the same pegasus that had put him into a state akin to shellshock hours before. She sat on the soft floor in front of him, and looked at him intently, as if she was trying to understand.

Something caught Fluttershy's eye, the creature had something in his ears, with a white string going down to something his hand. Wondering what it was, she pulled one of them out, and looked at it confused. He took whatever it was in his hand, and brought it up to her ear. At first she started to pull back, but stopped, deciding to trust him, whatever his was. She was surprised to hear the sounds of the ocean. Fluttershy had only ever been to the ocean once, but this sounded exactly the same. Looking down at his other hand, he moved the thing he was holding, a small white rectangle that glowed somehow, and she heard new sounds, this time chirping birds. They sat there for a couple minutes, listening to everything from Sounds of the Rainforest to Frank Sinatra's "Beyond the Sea." Which she particularly enjoyed. How music could come from such a small device, she'd never know.

After a time, Nightshade put the device away, and just sat in the corner, gazing at her. He wasn't afraid any longer, but he didn't say anything. Faced with someone who was as shy as herself, they sat there for about an hour without saying anything, before Fluttershy finally broke the silence.

"Umm, hi, my names Fluttershy." She said the same way she had upon first meeting Twilight. Having extremely good ears from having to pick up the slightest sounds in the forest, he heard her perfectly.

"I'm Nightshade." He said the same way.

"Umm, I know you didn't mean to hurt anypony, and you just wanted to be left alone. I'm sorry. It's just, when I saw my friends all lying there, I didn't know what happened to them, I got so scared and I...." She stopped. He ran his hand through her mane. He was surprisingly gentle, considering how he's supposed to be a dangerous monster.

"You just wanted to protect your friends." He said, relieving her of the burden of trying to explain herself. "I know what it's like. You don't have to be sorry, nobody was at fault here, it's something that just happened." Even though she had previously put him in a state of severe emotional and mental pain, for some reason, he didn't want to see her sad, and tried to relieve her guilt.

"I just, it's so hard. No matter how much I try, things like this keep happening, and no matter what I do, it just turns out all wrong." He said, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

It was true. He had tried to help Richard, and ended up being hunted for it. He had tried to save the crusaders, and ended up nearly dead from the manticore. He tried to accept Applebloom's gift, and got bucked. He saved Scootaloo from Gilda, and now he was in jail. It seems like everything he did went wrong, and someone always ended up hurt because of it, most often it was him.

Seeing he was in distress, Fluttershy wrapped her front legs around him, stretched her wings around him, and laid her head on his shoulder, so he could do the same. He just sat there, crying into her shoulder. Another hour passed, and the guard said that while this was touching and all, that visiting time was over. Fluttershy left to go meet up with her friends, and Nightshade was all alone again. That's when he heard a voice in his head.

"D'awwwwwwwwwww."

"Damnit LYRA!"

Aww, that was a touching moment, then Lyra had to go and ruin it. Apparently he had lowered his mental barrier and forgot about it, so Lyra was able to watch the whole thing. But how? Shouldn't she be awake right now? I'll explain that in the next chapter. As for when I'm writing them, writing them and then waiting to release them just seems kind of unnatural for me, so forget having the buffer zone. I'll just update whenever the heck I want.

Not giving ya one this time. Too bad.

Comments

[jmlop0]

DAMMIT LYRA!Y U RUIN TOUTCHING MOMENT?!?!

[Shpoople96]

"Damnit LYRA!"
Now post more!

[Princess Snufflebuns]

By the royal decree of the king of Tungestania, Aldenator the First,

MOAR MOAR MOAR MOARMOAR MOAR MOAR MOARMOAR MOAR MOAR MOAR
NOA!!!

[Barbecue Sauce]

[Darkness_take_you]

I do say chap..............PLEASE POST SOME MORE NOOWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..............please

[harbinger227]

nice goin man,love your stories.

[Thedever]

i like what i see

[The Lich King]

MORREMORREMORREMORREMORREMORREMORREMORREMORREMORRE

[BlackWing]

I've got a problem, one I never thought I'd have. I have too many idea's. I thought of 6 different ways I could write the next chapter, 3 of which are REALLY good, and I can't decide! Oh wait, I got it! I know a really good one! Even better than the others! I hope it turns out alright. I'm also glad to see such a good reception of my story. For being my first ever fic, it's going swimmingly.

[The Lich King]

Oh i'm using NightShade on my fanfic.Now.Care about using ME on your fanfic?
-Fire Bolt,Alicorn living outside of Equestria...And knows how it feels to be different...-

[Vinetion]

LYYYRRRRAAAAA!!!!! lyra better get smacked for this later

[EvilEnchantress]

200353 Lyra I killed her in my story character's only choice hello Vinetion

[Primordial Deomontus]

Epic ending

[1st Lieutenant Dave]

"D'awwwwwwwwwww."
"Damnit LYRA!"

Ha! That made my day

[HellBreaker]

"Well, if that's the case, I think that explains what happened in the town square fairly clearly." Said Rarity. "In which case I think we may have been a little rough on the dear. He WAS only trying to help it seems." She looked at the nervous wreck of a monster, still unmoving. Fluttershy shrunk a little.

well why are ya giving a shit now, ya fuckwads

[Autumn breeze24]

Man personally I just hate the ponies in this story.... but in the good kind of you hate a villain kind of way..... but yeah I am impressed by nightshade in how fast he forgives them ESPECIALLY Fluttershy...... I probably would either have had my character hang onto that moment and be angry OR have him never trust her and always fear her because despite how calm one acts after putting me into a state like that with a look...... I wouldn’t EVER recover..... especially in basically a 10 minute span of time.

[NmB]

You overpower the stare by 1000000 or your character really lost his balls when Applejack kick him, because how he reacted made him look like the biggest pussy ever my dude. Maybe if he froze after the stare and then someone subdue him I would believe it, but the way you put it made no sense. Also wasn’t he becoming cold because of all the shit he went through.