Fluttershy's Giant

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Part Eight

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes as she read Twilight's letter. "Monster in the woods... kidnapped Fluttershy..." she murmured and paled. "What monster dares threaten any of my subjects and friends?"

She got up from her golden throne and paced about the room. "What source of devilry is this?" she wondered. "One of Discord's vile creations? A new stage of evolution from Chrysalis? Sombre's final plan?"

The princess decided to send some soldiers down to Ponyville and make sure nopony else gets kidnapped. "Guard?" she called.

The golden clad guard bustled in. "Yes, ma'am?" he asked and saluted.

"Find me Shining Armour. Tell him to assemble the guard forces and head down to Ponyville," the princess said as calmly as possible. "Let's see how this monster fairs against Equestrian might."

The guard nodded. "At once, ma'am."

He scurried out and went to find the captain.

Celestia sat back on her throne. "I'd better send Twilight a letter regarding this... monster and her friend," she murmured and levitated a quill towards her. "Dear Twilight..."

***

"Thank you for notifying me of this incident. Do not worry, your friend will be brought home safely. You have my sincerest apologies I have not taken further action. Soldiers will be arriving shortly after this letter will be sent. Your brother will be among them. Your mentor and friend, Princess Celestia."

Twilight finished reading the letter aloud to her friends, minus Fluttershy.

"Oh it's just simply awful," Rarity murmured. "A monster would kidnap our friend - who always sees the good in ponies, or whatever it is."

"It's no pony, I can tell you that," Dash snorted and paced in the air, flying backwards and forwards over her friends' heads. "It's huge. Like, a thousand feet tall."

Applejack frowned. "Ah'm sure it's not that big, Rainbow, but you an' Twi did say it was awful big."

"And it's got these two glowing eyes," Dash continued and placed her hooves over her eyes. "It's eye alone was as big as one of us. Maybe even Big Mac!"

"Poor Fluttershy. I wonder what she'd thinking right now," Rarity sobbed, rather over-dramatically. "Oh woe is our dear friend."

"I bet that big ol' meanie took her 'cause he wants to eat her!" Pinkie Pie added to the conversation. "I bet he'll make her into cupcakes, or something, and gobble her up! I wonder what Fluttershy cupcakes would taste like..." she trailed off, lost in her own random, little world.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think he wants to eat her, Pinkie, I think he just took her.. to..." she scratched her head. "I don't know what he wants with her. But at least some soldiers are coming. And Shining Armour. That's something." She smiled bravely and stifled a sob for her friend.

Rainbow Dash slumped down and let her wings droop. "Poor Flutters... I hope she's alright."

Applejack nudged her. "She'll be fine. Say, where's Applebloom and her friends?"

***

"Wee-ee!" Fluttershy cried as DOG held her up in the sky.

The giant smiled as he bounded through the meadow. They'd cleared the forest a while ago, and were currently venturing through unknown territory. And loving the time they spent together.

"I never thought I'd be so high up again." Fluttershy said and gazed down at the distant ground, over the edge of his finger.

[Scared?]

"Yes, but I feel safe with your hand underneath me." she told him and kissed the tip of his finger. "Ooh! Let's go over there!" she cried and pointed to a large hill.

DOG nodded and turned in that direction. His giant legs carried them far in such a short time. The pegasus in his palm glanced behind her and tried to peer round his steel body at the forest far behind.

"We're so far away from home." she murmured.

[Home...]

DOG stopped and stared up at the sky.

Fluttershy yelped at the sudden stop. "DOG?"

He looked down and blinked at her, indicating he was listening.

"Do you miss your home?"

[...Yes]

"Where do you come from?"

He raised a giant arm and pointed to the sky.

She followed his gaze and his arm up to the heavens. "Is it nice?"

The giant frowned.

"Can you remember?"

He shook his head sadly and pointed to the dent in his head. Then he looked back down at her.

A few moments of silence passed as she squeezed his  finger, and he curled said finger into his palm and stroked her mane.

"You could live with me," Fluttershy murmured. Her cheeks immediately turned bright pink as she fought to hide herself from his gaze. "I mean, if you wanted to. I'm just saying, it would be nice. You're such a good friend..." she stammered and slowly turned as red as the apples of Applejack's flank.

DOG smiled and pushed some of her mane out her eyes. [Fluttershy. Friend. DOG stay with friend]

She beamed up at him and kissed his finger again. Her eyes wandered down to a cheer and a couple of chattering voices.

"Fluttershy!" the voice called out.

"Girls?" she squeaked and squinted down at them. Sure enough, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had followed them through the forest and were charging towards them through the meadow. "Didn't Twilight and Rainbow Dash take you three home?"

Applebloom nodded. "Yeah, but we escaped to come play with y'all again. Howdy DOG," she said, and beamed up at the giant.

He smiled back and lowered himself down, spreading his hand on the ground and helping the fillies onto his palm.

Scootaloo held on for dear life as they were raised up. "Wow, DOG, you sure can make us go high," she murmured as she gazed down at the ground below, and shot a hateful glare at her own wings.

Sweetie nudged Applebloom. "I think somepony's chicken," she giggled.

Scootaloo scowled. "Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!

"Am too!"

"Girls," Fluttershy said sternly and silenced them immediately. Her face softened up as she hugged them, though. "I'm glad to see you. But-"

"We're glad to see you too, 'Shy!" Sweetie beamed.

"But," Fluttershy repeated before they could interrupt again. "You really should have stayed home. What if somepony followed you? What would they think of DOG? That mare in the fire thought he was a monster..." she murmured and gazed up at him. "I don't want ponies thinking he's bad. He's not!"

DOG turned his head away. [Monster.]

"No!" Applebloom cried. "You're not a monster! Yer just a... a, um... giant," she said hopefully.

He looked down at her.

"She's right, DOG," Fluttershy told him and nuzzled his finger again. "You want to hear something my mother told me?"

DOG nodded.

"You are what you choose to be."

The girls looked at the pegasus with a strange affinity for her.

"I'm scared of a lot of things, but I choose to be brave. I chose to be brave and come see you the first time we met. Do you remember how scared I was?"

The giant nodded again.

Fluttershy continued. "And the girls, they chose to be brave."

The crusaders nodded as one. "We did..."

"And you can choose to be whoever you want." Fluttershy told the giant. "You could be a hero, and save ponies. Like you did that mare and stallion in the fire."

[Superhero.]

"Yes. A superhero. Like Daring Do. Or Rainbow Dash. Or Twilight or anypony else."

He beamed down at her and curled his finger to stroke her mane again.

She nuzzled him and kissed his giant finger once more.

The crusaders ''awwed'' quietly as they watched them.

Fluttershy blushed and rested her cheek against his metallic finger. "So what do you want to do now, girls? You really should  go back home, now though."

Applebloom shook her head. "They'll just make us sit at home with our hooves up our-"

"Applebloom!" Fluttershy cried, shocked at the almost profanity from such a young filly.

The earth pony filly turned scarlet and her bow drooped. "Uh... ah meant... head in our hooves."

The pegasus scowled at her with cheeks of the rosy pink variety. "That's because they don't want anything to happen to you."

"Ah know, ah know," Applebloom muttered. "But we are big ponies. We can take care of ourselves."

Fluttershy spread her wings and hugged the three fillies.

Scootaloo looked up at DOG as she released them. "So... can we go play?" she asked hopefully.

The foalsitter looked up at DOG and smiled. "I suppose. But be careful."

DOG smiled as he lowered his hand and the three fillies scampered off. Fluttershy glided off with grace. The giant smiled as he strode after the fillies as they charged towards the lake, and the small cluster of trees.

"He's so friendly. I hope my friends could see him now, and see he's not a monster," she thought and trotted after them.

***

"Careful, girls," Fluttershy called out as they climbed on a large rock jutting out above the lake.

They waved their hooves and clambered up.

The pegasus sighed and nestled down on the grass, gazing up at the giant as he hunkered down next to her.

"Aren't you going to play, DOG?" Fluttershy asked him.

He stared ahead with a blank expression.

"Probably just thinking," she thought and let the subject die for now.

"Hey Fluttershy, lookit this!" Scootaloo cried.

"I'm watching," she called back with a large smile.

"Stand back guys, this is for professionals only," the orange filly told her friends and grinned mischievously. She took a running jump and - "Banzai!" - leapt off the edge of the rock, diving into the lake head first.

Her purple mane plastered to her skin as she resurfaced. "C-c-c'mon in g-g-guys. The w-w-waters f-f-fine," she said through chattering teeth.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle jumped in after her and splashed in the water.

"C-C-Celestia, the water's f-f-freezing!" Sweetie Belle cried.

Fluttershy snorted in laughter and covered her face up, deeply embarrassed.

The girls splashed each other while the foalsitter and the giant watched.

"Aren't you goin' ta come in, 'Shy?" Applebloom asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I'm fine." she said and lay her head down and closed her eyes.

"A'ight. How about you, DOG?"

DOG looked down at her and blinked. Then he got up, without a word, and walked away.

"What the? What did ah say?" the earth pony murmured to her friends as she tread water.

Fluttershy started when she heard the heavy footfalls of the giant walk away from them. "DOG?"

A sudden pounding started up.

*Thud thud thud thud* "What- AHHH!" Fluttershy squealed as DOG charged overhead.

[Banzai!]

He leapt in the air, making the fillies in the water flail out the way.

"Ahhh! Swim!" Scootaloo cried as DOG began to fall.

*FWOOOOOOSH!*

The water roared out the lake, making a tidal wave rise up before Fluttershy. The butter pegasus froze in fear as she watched the water descend.

"Wooo!" Scootaloo cried like she'd been licking too much salt. "That. Was. Awesoooome!"

She held onto the treetop for dear life and laughed like a madpony with her friends.

Fluttershy twitched and shook the seaweed off her and out her mane.

"Hey, Fluttershy?" Appelbloom called down.

"Yeah?"

"You're all we-"

"Yeah?"

The filly took to laughing her head off as the foalsitter began to rinse her hair out, grumbling away to herself.

DOG sat in the middle of the lake and glanced around. Most of the water had been lifted out and splashed around the trees and countryside.

The yellow pegasus glared at him and let the smile spread across her face. She fell back, kicking and waving her legs in the air in laughter.

The fillies slid down the tree and dropped to the ground, then rushed over to their foalsitter and huddled around her.

DOG smiled and wiggled Fluttershy around with his finger.

"Ahahaha!" she cried. "Stop it!" she wailed and tried to fight him off.

The fillies joined in and began tickling her too.

***

Meanwhile, Shining Armour, his sister, and her friends watched the fillies scamper away from the trees and defend the pegasus flailing on the ground.

"She must be hurt." Rarity whispered.

Rainbow Dash snorted and spread her wings. "And they've got the crusaders," she growled and fluttered into the air. "Just say the word, and I'll go get them."

"You can't get all of 'em. Besides, ah want to get mah own sister. Rares wants to do the same for Sweetie." Applejack growled.

Rarity nodded. "Yes. Such an uncouth giant causing a ruckus in such a peaceful place."

"Why that big, fat, meanie giant," Pinkie muttered and let her mane droop. "Nopony hurts my friends."

Twilight nodded and turned to her brother. "Shiny, can we rescue them now?"

Shining Armour nodded and raised a hoof. "Get ready," he whispered to his company of soldiers. "We're going to rescue the fillies and the pegasus. Do not attack the monster until they are clear. Understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir," the soldiers responded and flexed their muscles, spread their wings and warmed up their horns.

"Twily, you and your friends get the girls clear, then we'll move in," the captain told his sister.

Twilight nodded and turned to her friends. "C'mon girls."

They bounded out the forest and charged towards the giant.

"AJ!" Applebloom cried and jumped towards her sister. "Ah'm so glad yer here, y'all can meet-"

"Get behind me, Applebloom." Applejack warned her sister and hoisted her on her back. "An' not a single word till ya'll are home, ya hear?"

"Sweetie. Here. Now," Rarity commanded her own sister.

Dash swooped downwards and scooped up Scootaloo. "Hold on, squirt."

The fillies glanced around in confusion.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie grabbed Fluttershy and helped her up. "C'mon Fluttershy! It's alright, we're here now. The monster's not gonna hurt ya anymore," Pinkie cried.

Fluttershy glanced around with wide eyes. "What- No! You don't understand! What monster?" she whispered and stared up at DOG, who looked down with worried eyes and a hurt expression.

"Now, Shining!" Twilight yelled.

Shining Armour and his soldiers leapt forwards. "Fire!" he shouted.

The unicorn archers charged their horns up and fired a series of multicoloured beams at the giant.

DOG reared back in surprise as the beams harmlessly hit him, merely darkening his steel body.

"Wait..." Fluttershy murmured as her friends carted her back towards the trees.

The fillies struggled away from their sisters and Rainbow Dash and tried to run towards DOG.

"Get back here!" AJ shouted and dove on them. "Twi! Help me!"

Twilight cast her magic around them and levitated them back to their sister's. "Stay put." she told them. The fillies watched in despair as the attack began on their friend.

"Fire!" Shining yelled again.

Another volley of beams.

The giant's eyes widened in surprise and he stretched a hand out to stop them.

The earth pony guards rose their legs and tried to buck him away.

"Pegasi!"

The skies darkened as several squadrons of pegasi guards descended, circling around the giant's head and cracking thunderclouds as they went.

DOG frowned and tried to swipe them away, knocking a few of their flanks and making them crash into the ground.

"Fall back!" the captain roared and fired a magenta ball of energy at the monster. It hit it's target square on, knocking the giant on it's back and sending him sprawling into the lake.

"Wait!" Fluttershy cried as she struggled free of Pinkie and charged through the soldiers.

DOG looked up with scared eyes and into those of his friend. [Fluttershy...]

He reached a hand out and scooped her up.

"Run!" she yelled as he covered her up.

"Stop!" Twilight bellowed to the troops. "It's got Fluttershy!"

DOG stood up to his full height and charged off towards Ponyville, leaving the confusion and horrible misunderstanding behind him, Fluttershy still crouched in his hands.