Fluttershy's Giant

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Part Six

DOG turned when he heard Fluttershy call his name.

"I got something for you," she said, hopping forwards with a smile on her face.

He nodded his head and placed the manticore down.

[Fixed.]

Fluttershy trotted over to the manticore and inspected him. She looked up, eyes full of fear and misunderstanding. "He's... dead," she whispered and backed away from the giant.

DOG frowned and prodded the manticore.

[Dead?] His voice resonated through the forest.

Fluttershy nodded and backed even further away.

The metal giant prodded the manticore's corpse again and picked it up. He began to shake it wildly, flinging it's decesed body all over the place.

[Wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake-]

"He's dead!" Fluttershy squealed and ran up to him, trying to get him to calm down.

DOG dropped the corpse and backed away from her, looking at his giant hands with fear and disgust."

[Monster. I... killed...]

"No! It was an accident, I'm sure," Fluttershy cried and petted his giant, metal foot.

He looked at her sadly and huddled his knees to his chest.

Fluttershy glanced around and felt a bead of sweat run down her face. "I um.... brought you some books... do you like reading?" she said quietly.

He tilted his head at her and inadvertently looked at the manticore again. He buried his face in his hands and shook violently.

"DOG?" Fluttershy asked and peered up at him.

His vision flickered and a reticule formed around the manticore.

[No.]

He shook his head and looked down at her.

"It... was an accident, wasn't it?" she asked, on the verge of tears. "Oh please say it was, oh please say it was."

He nodded.

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled up at him. "Then it's alright. Sometimes accidents happen," she assured him. Then she leant over and nuzzled the top of his foot.

He smiled and picked her up.

"Ahh!" she squealed and clutched his finger. When she realized she was safe, she stood up shakily and smiled at him. "Th-thanks, DOG, but you startled me."

[Sorry.]

She smiled and nuzzled his finger. "So do you like books?"

He nodded. [Books. Stories. Knowledge.]

"Well, if you could put me down, I'd read you some," she said with a shaky voice, still trying to smile as bravely as she could.

He nodded again and gently placed her on the ground and hunkered down.

She smoothed down her mane and picked up her saddlebag after dropping it when she saw the manticore. Speaking of which...

"We should bury the poor dear," she murmured, gazing at the lifeless form of the manticore who tried to eat her. Some level of her was glad it was dead before she was, but she was still terribly sad. It probably had a family of it's own. "You know... just to be nice."

DOG tilted his head.

"Bury. Place him in the earth. It helps them find their happy hunting ground." Fluttershy explained sadly. "Sometimes things die, and we have to bury them. Even if they tried to eat us."

The giant sat and watched as she began to dig a hole for the manticore with her bare hooves. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "You could help you know. I mean, if you wanted to."

DOG nodded and used his finger as a scoop as he improved Fluttershy's digging skills tenfold.

***

After a few words and a moment of silence, Fluttershy smiled up at DOG. "At least you're learning," she said.

DOG nodded and lay down on the ground, picking up the pegasus and putting her on his chest. In the middle of the 'O'.

"Thank you. Now this story is about a pegasus. She's called Daring Do. In this story, she's trying to find a magical stone for her sick mother. She's kind of a superhero," Fluttershy explained as she hunkered down on his chest.

He raised his head and frowned.

[Superhero?]

"Yes. She does super things because she's a hero. My friend Rainbow Dash is kind of a hero. We all are. Sort of." Fluttershy giggled.

[DOG is a superhero.]

"Yes. If you want, you can be." she giggled again.

He grinned and lay his head back down.

"Daring Do And The Moonstone..." Fluttershy read and began the story, beaming as he listened.

***

Applebloom watched Fluttershy as she trotted back into the forest with a large grin on her face and a bulging saddlebag.

"What's she up to?" the filly wondered. "An' why the heck is she goin' back in that place? Has she forgotten already?" she shook her head and shivered. The memory of those pale green lights still terrified her and she fought for control of her young bladder.

"Maybe ah should get Sweetie 'n Scootaloo and investigate." she murmured as she watched her foalsitter disappear into the dark woods. "Yeah..."

She cantered off to find the other two crusaders and (possibly) rescue their foalsitter.

***

"Fluttershy's doing what?" Sweetie Belle squeaked on the doorstep.

Applebloom sighed and straightened her bow. "Ah told you, she's going back into the Everfree. She had her bag with her and it was big. Bigger than usual. We gotta go save her!"

Sweetie scratched her head. "What do you mean save?"

"That giant thing's still in there, remember? The eyes..."

Both girls shivered in memory.

"Where's Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked.

"I think she's helping Miss Cheerilee out with something at the school," Sweetie replied.

"Alright, let's go get her and then go save Fluttershy."

"Rarity!" Sweetie shouted through the boutique.

"Hmm?" came Rarity's voice from somewhere upstairs.

"I'm going out with Applebloom and Scootaloo. I'll be back later!"

"That's nice dear. try not to get any dirt in your mane or coat. See you soon," Rarity called.

The fillies left the  store and galloped to the school, where they saw Scootaloo sitting outside on a bench.

"Oh hi girls. What's up?" the orange filly asked and hopped towards them.

"We're goin' ta look for Fluttershy. You comin'?" Applebloom asked bluntly.

Scootaloo nodded. "Sure. Where is she?"

"The Everfree," Sweetie said.

Scootaloo froze. "What? Why?" she sputtered and backed away.

Applebloom rushed to her side. "It's alright, we'll be there too. And Fluttershy'll be there, when we find her."

"Yeah, we don't have to be scared," Sweetie piped up.

Scootaloo puffed her chest out and flexed her wings. "Who said I was scared?" she said bravely.

Applebloom sighed and shook her head with a grin. "Oh, nopony. C'mon, girls."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders reached Fluttershy's cottage again and gaped at the ex-chicken coop with shock and horror. "Ah didn't realize it was so bad lookin'," Applebloom murmured.

"Bad looking? I'll say. This place was totalled last night," Scootaloo retorted as she prodded a plank of wood out the way.

"Wanna help build it?" Sweetie asked hopefully, her voice breaking with fear. "Instead of going back into the forest, we could just help build the coop again?"

Applebloom shook her head. "And let Fluttershy get eaten by that giant?"

"Oh yeah," Sweetie's tail drooped.

They crept up to the edge of the forest and shivered, cowering in fear.

"W-well? Scootal-loo first. Sh-she's the bravest," Sweetie Belle whispered.

Scootaloo gulped. "J-just like R-Rainb-bow D-Dash," she murmured and entered the forest, dragging her friends in behind her.

***

Fluttershy looked up from the book when she heard a twig snap.

"What was that?"

DOG sat up, cupping her in his hands.

"It's alright DOG, I'm fine," she said as soothingly as possible, while still trying to keep a calm head about things.

He rose to his feet and looked around.

"The tracks lead this way," a familiar voice said.

"Oh! It's the girls from before. It's definitely fine now, DOG," Fluttershy told him and breathed a sigh of relief.

DOG growled and set her down again, then went clanking off in between some dark trees. and hunkered down. And there he waited, watching the pegasus and her friends with as little noise as possible.

"Fluttershy!" Applebloom cried and jumped forwards. "We found you! Girls! She's over here!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo popped out the bushes next and rushed forwards.

"What are you three doing here?" the butter yellow pegasus asked, bewildered at the fact they'd found her and not seen DOG, and amazed they were here.

"Rescuing you of course!" Sweetie cried happily as she buried her face in Fluttershy's pink mane. "Now come on! We have to go!"

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked and pulled away from them. "I never needed rescuing."

"Ah."

"Applebloooom!" the pegasus and unicorn whined at the earth pony.

"Oops. Ah guess she didn't then," Applebloom murmured and turned red.

They glared at her and turned back to their foalsitter. "So what're you doing here in the forest, all alone then?" Scootaloo asked suspiciously.

"Oh I'm not alone, I've got DOG." Fluttershy said and instantly stuck a hoof in her mouth.

"Who's Dog?" Sweetie asked and giggled. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Fluttershy squealed and turned bright red. "No! At least I think not. He's just a friend, really. Oh I must stop talking." She quickly glanced over to where DOG was hiding and turned back, just as fast, with the small hope none of them had seen him. Applebloom had.

"It's... it's..." she mumbled.

"Now girls, it's really nothing to be scared of!" Fluttershy wailed as DOG came into full view, towering over the four ponies.

Scootaloo froze in terror as DOG stared down at them. "G-g-g-giant..." she stammered.

DOG suddenly lowered himself to their level and smiled, revealing his metal teeth.

Fluttershy fluttered in front of him and tried to calm the girls down. "Girls, he's really friendly. Honest. Please just don't-"

The fillies broke into tears and wailed in sheer terror.

"Cry," Fluttershy whispered and covered her ears. "Oh... pl...please stop," she gingerly mumbled as she felt her own tears brimming in her eyes. She glanced up at DOG imploringly and saw him reach a finger out.

The fillies shrieked and jumped back.

"No, no! He wants to meet you," Fluttershy cried and flapped over to them, landing on DOG's finger. She leant down and nuzzled it's metallic surface. "See?"

Sweetie gingerly tip-toed forwards bravely.

"That's it. He's friendly. I promise," Fluttershy assured her.

She gulped and extended a hoof, gently grazing the surface of his finger. "He's really f-friendly?" she whispered.

Fluttershy nodded and fluttered down to her side. "Yes."

DOG wiggled the end of his finger and nudged the filly.

She giggled as he tickled her. "Quit it!" she cried.

He grinned and tipped her on her back, tickling her without mercy.

"Ahahahahahahaha!" Sweetie Belle cried happily. "Girls help! He's... tickling me!" she yelled to her friends.

Scootaloo and Applebloom also crept towards the metal giant. The ''friendly'', metal giant.

"What is he?" Applebloom asked Fluttershy.

"I don't think he remembers," Fluttershy said and gazed up at DOG. "He's like a child."

Scootaloo jumped up on his finger as he leaned in closer. "He's awesome. He's our very own giant robot! We're like, the luckiest kids in Equestria!" she cried happily.

Fluttershy frowned. "Oh I don't think we should do anything with him. I was just reading him a story before," she told them.

"Really? Which story?" Applebloom asked as she petted DOG's finger.

"One of Rainbow's Daring Do books. They're really quite good," Fluttershy replied with a smile. "And he likes them very much. He likes the idea of being a superhero."

Scootaloo hopped off his finger. "Well of course they are-"

"Because Rainbow Dash likes 'em?" Applebloom chuckled.

Scootaloo scowled. "Well yeah," she muttered.

DOG blinked at them and smiled.

[Hello.]

The girls leapt back when they heard his voice and hid behind Fluttershy.

"He t-t-t-talks?" Sweetie stuttered.

Fluttershy nodded. "Oh yes. He can't quite form sentences yet, but he's getting there. Oh!" she cried and slapped her forehead. "I almost forgot, how rude of me. Girls, this is DOG. DOG, this is Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom." she smiled as she introduced them.

[Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle. Applebloom.]

The giant smiled as he said their names.

The girls nodded and smiled, albeit still quite scared of him.

"H-howdy DOG." Applebloom murmured.

"Hey, Fluttershy, don't you think Twilight should see him?" Scootaloo asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "I was first just getting to know him. I'll show Twilight soon though. Now come on, girls. The Everfree is no place for you."

"Awww," the girls grumbled as she led them away.

[Wait.]

DOG stood up and held his hand on the ground, palm up.

The girls looked at Fluttershy.

She sighed and nodded.

The crusaders giggled as they hopped onto his hand, their foalsitter in tow.

"Up we go!" Applebloom cried happily.

DOG grinned and rose his hand into the air.

"Whoa!" Sweetie cried as she stumbled.

"Careful," Fluttershy warned, and quickly grabbed her before she could fall off.

"Thanks Fluttershy."

All four of the ponies felt the wind on their faces as DOG moved through the trees. Away from Ponyville.

Fluttershy noticed this but said nothing. "Maybe he's just taking us on an adventure," she thought.

"So what does DOG eat, 'Shy?" Applebloom asked.

Fluttershy furrowed her brow. "I... don't know. Do you even eat, DOG?" He shook his head in response.

The crusaders frowned. "Well you gotta eat somethin'!" cried Applebloom. "Everypony's got ta eat."

Scootaloo coughed. "Well, Applebloom, in case you hadn't noticed, he isn't a pony. He's a giant robot."

Fluttershy smiled a little as they started to bicker. "Now girls. Please."

"Sorry Fluttershy," they responded, and hung their heads in shame.

The butter coloured pegasus remembered something. Something very important. "By the way, girls. You mustn't tell anypony about this. Not Rarity, not Rainbow Dash, not Applejack, not nopony. OK?" she asked and loomed over them.

"Sure Fluttershy," they mumbled and turned back into the wind. "Why?"

"Something bad might happen to DOG if anypony knows about him. They won't listen to him, they'll think he's a monster, like we all did, before they meet him."

Silence fell upon them as they felt the wind in their manes.

Sweetie forced some courage to come up and break the awkward tension. "It's great up here," she said joyfully. "Is this what it feels like to fly?"

Scootaloo hung her head. "I wish I could always come up here." she murmured sadly and flexed her abnormally small wings.

Fluttershy nuzzled her. "Oh it's not so bad being a weak flyer." she said soothingly. "I wasn't always a good flyer, and I'm just fine. You'll grow into it. Trust me."

"Thanks Flutters. But I wanna fly all the time!" Scootaloo whined.

Fluttershy laughed and nuzzled her again. "You will. Someday."

They shook for a second as DOG came to a halt.

"What is it DOG?"

He lowered his gaze to the ponies in his palm and narrowed his eyes.

[Fire.]

Fluttershy gasped as she noticed a forest fire up ahead.

Very faint cries of "Help! Somepony help us!" could be heard, along with the smell of smoke and wood charring.

"DOG, we have to help in anyway we can!" she said to the giant.

He nodded and covered them up as he charged into the inferno.