Fluttershy's Giant

-

Part Nine

Shining Armour held a hoof up and signalled for the pegasi to follow the giant. "Follow him, but don't attack. Fluttershy is still there."

The pegasi soldiers saluted and tore off through the sky at the monster and his captive.

Applebloom leapt out of her sister's grasp. "What are y'all doing?!" she yelled. "Don't cha know he's not dangerous?"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo jumped forwards too. "Yeah! He's awesome! Just leave him alone!" Sweetie shouted, furious with her elders.

Rarity used her magic to pinch Sweetie's ear.  "That is enough, Sweetie Belle, come with me. You are going straight to our parents house until this whole affair is over."

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, he's really, really cool, you would like him, Rainbow Dash!"

Dash snorted and grabbed the scruff of Scootaloo's neck. "After he kidnapped Fluttershy? Twice?"

"He never kidnapped nopony!" Applebloom cried.

"That's enough." Applejack snarled and slammed her hoof down. "You had us all worried sick, you're just lucky ah didn't tell Big Mac about this."

"I think we should have told him though. I think we should have told everypony." Twilight murmured.

"Oh Twilight, you mustn't beat yourself up for this, nopony knew that a monster was in the woods." Rarity told her as she forced Sweetie Belle onto her back.

Twilight''s ear twitched.

"Twilight, Twilight!" Shining Armour cried as he caught up to them.

"Oh, hello, Shiny. What is it?" she asked and nuzzled him.

He nuzzled back. "I just wanted to say sorry we didn't get your friend in time."

The mares sniffed and stiffened. "You did your best, Shiny. Let's just hope she's safe for now," his sister told him and rested her head on his neck.

"I mean it, Twily. I'm so sorry we couldn't help her."

Twilight's body shook as she rested against her brother.

Shining felt a wetness on his neck from where she was crying. This made him angry. Nothing makes his baby sister cry. "But I will find her. We need to get to Ponyville. Do you think you could-"

A flash of magenta light and they were in Ponyville town square, just outside Madame Mayor's office.

"Bring us here?" Shining finished. He grinned at his sister and threw a hoof around her neck, bringing her into a loving, sibling embrace.

Twilight hugged back and sniffed. "I should... write a letter to the princess..." she murmured.

"Yes, we'll help," Rarity said. "After we get these three somewhere safe."

The fillies glared at their elders. "We are safe. Just don't hurt him," Scootaloo grumbled, rubbing the back of her neck where Dash had grabbed her.

Applejack scowled and nudged Applebloom towards the farm.

Rarity did the same with Sweetie, frog-marching her to Carousel Boutique.

Rainbow Dash glared at Scootaloo and flipped her onto her back. "Tank will have to watch you while I go save Flutters." she grumbled. The orange pegasus scowled and hung her head.

"He really is awesome..." she murmured.

Twilight looked up at her brother. "Well, I'll go write to Celestia now. Pinkie, what are you going to do?"

Pinkie blinked. "Get ready for the ''We rescued Fluttershy'' party. What else?" she said, as if it were a no-brainer. Which it kind of was. It was Pinkie Pie after all.

Shining chuckled grimly. "You have some strange friends, Twily. When this is over, remind me to buy you all a drink."

His sister smiled and nodded, then she turned and headed for her tree-house. She swung the door open and stepped inside, smelling that familiar, oak smell that came with living in a tree.

"Twilight! Guess who's here?" Spike cried as she stepped inside and closed the door.

"Who?" she asked. She hadn't gone more than three hooves into her home when she spotted the wings, the horn, the beauty, grace and poise of her beloved mentor. "Princess Celestia! What a surprise."

Celestia smiled. "Yes. If only it was for a happier cause," she sighed. "I arrived shortly after Shining Armour did. How did it go? Did you save your friend?"

Twilight felt tears in her eyes again. "No," she said, simply and bluntly.

The princess spread her wings and embraced the unicorn. "Shhh. Tell me what happened."

"Shining attacked... we got the fillies... but Fluttershy..." Twilight choked a sob back. "The giant picked her up... and... ran off with her."

Celestia placed a hoof on her student's face. "Listen. I promise; nothing will happen to her. We'll get her back, Twilight."

Twilight buried her face in the long, rainbow-pastel coloured mane. "I know you will, princess. I'm just so scared for her."

"So am I, Twilight. As are all your friends. But you must stay strong. For her sake. Do not let this monster get to you. Speaking of which." Celestia pulled Twilight away from her and gazed into her purple eyes. "Tell me about it."

Her student shivered. "O-OK," she murmured and took deep breaths. "It's huge. As tall as the trees in the Everfree at least. It's eyes glow, like two burning balls of fire..." Twilight trailed off, shivering in memory of the giant's face. "It had... rows of teeth." she murmured.

Celestia nodded. "As tall as the trees, eyes like the sun, rows of... sharp?" It came out like a question. "Teeth."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. They looked like they could eat through metal."

"Alright. And it has Fluttershy."

The student confirmed again. "Yes."

The princess embraced the lavender unicorn again. "Then we shall have to find her."

***

Fluttershy could hear her heart pounding in the darkness in DOG's hands. "Why didn't they listen? Why won't they understand?" she wailed.

DOG thundered along, terrified for his little friends. The fillies were gone, but he could still save Fluttershy from whoever these mean ponies were.

The pegasus's head peeped out from his hands and glanced around. "This doesn't look like any part of the Everfree..." she whispered. "DOG?"

The giant didn't hear her, and continued to charge through the trees. And straight off the edge of the sudden cliff.

Shining halted his troops. "Whoa, there's a cliff!" he yelled.

The earth ponies and unicorns halted immediately, whereas the pegasi continued to fly straight, swooping up in an arc and gazed at the metal monster as it fell.

Fluttershy screamed as the fell. DOG clutched her to his chest and shut his eyes. Suddenly, they stopped falling, and started rising.

"You can fly?" she whispered as she opened her eyes.

DOG looked down. They were indeed flying.

"You can fly!"

The giant smiled as he rose into the air, pegasus still in his hands.

"Throw your arms in the air, like Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy cried as they rose past the cliff side.

DOG obeyed and thrust his arms in front of him as he soared through the air.

Pegasi flew past him, bucking at him and trying to wrench Fluttershy out of his fingers. He held her close to him and narrowed his eyes to small, red pinpricks.

Red filled his vision as a cross-hair appeared above the nearest pegasus.

[No... No.]

"What is it, DOG?" Fluttershy asked.

[Not monster. Hero.]

Shining nodded to his unicorns. "Fire. Aim for his back." he commanded.

The unicorns charged beams together, and fired upon the giant's back.

DOG cried out in pain and he felt the thrusters in his feet fail. He crashed to the ground in a fiery blaze. Fluttershy screamed again as they crashed into the dirt.

Then darkness.

And silence.

***

Shining coughed as the dust cloud hit him. "Is it dead?" he asked.

A couple of pegasi landed on it's back and tapped it with their hooves. "Can't tell, sir. Oh captain..." one murmured.

The captain rushed forwards. "What? What is it- oh..."

Fluttershy's unmoving body was a few feet away from the giant's hand.

"Oh I am sorry, Fluttershy..." Shining murmured and blinked back tears.

DOG stirred and opened his eyes. Right at Shining Armour. And Fluttershy.

[No!]

Shining jumped back. "It's alive!" he cried.

The unicorns lowered their horns while their captain got clear.

DOG reached a finger out and turned her body over. [No!] He repeated and buried his face in his hands.

"Now!" Shining yelled and fired his own energy beam at the giant's back.

The robot felt somethin dark stir inside him. Stricken with grief at the loss of his friend, he roared. A deep, grinding metallic sound that struck fear in the hearts of the pony attackers.

Shining baulked and his beam failed as the giant turned around.

His eyes were dark, with a red pupil. He raised his right arm and the hand changed into something much, much worse.

*Boom*

A thundering sound roared as the cannon fired.

"Retreat! Fall back! Shining bellowed as he saw the dirt fly up, and several ponies get hit by the blast radius.

The soldiers didn't need telling twice as the giant's left hand turned into something else. A light green cannon-shaped thing that fired green lightning bolts out.

DOG's head sank into his neckline, and three more weapons formed out of his back, each one spewing a laser and incinerating the trees and scorching the earth around him.

Rainbow Dash noticed all of this and swooped down to Fluttershy's side.

"Flutters! Oh Flutters... why didn't we listen?" she murmured and felt for a pulse. The giant thundered off behind her, firing everything at the retreating ponies.

Fluttershy coughed and opened her eyes. "Dash? What happened-"

Rainbow hugged her immensely. "Oh thank Celestia you're awake. I heard you cry out when he started flying. You were happy for him."

"Well... yes. He's my friend." the butter pegasus glanced around. "Where is he?"

The Columbian blue pegasus pointed behind her, at the giant robot death machine.

Fluttershy jumped up and winced at her broken leg. "Oh... my..." she whispered.

"Ouch, Flutters. We'd better get you to a hospital." Dash winced. "I'll take you, c'mon-"

"No. We have to stop... uhhh.... DOG before he hurts somepony. Or Celestia banishes him to the moon."

"Dog? That's Dog?" Dash started in surprise.

Fluttershy nodded. "He's my friend, Rainbow. I didn't tell anypony except the crusaders because... I was afraid this would happen," she murmured and limped forwards. "And it did," she snapped.

Her friend looked miserable as she scowled at her. "Listen, Fluttershy, we're sorry. We all are. But you need to get to a hospital before that gets infected."

The timid pegasus stared at her defiantly, then lowered her head. "I guess you're right. Help me get there then, then tell Celestia not to hurt him. Please."

"You got it, 'Shy. C'mon. Easy, girl."

The two friends lifted into the air, the blue supporting the yellow with her forelegs, her own wings beating powerfully. The yellow's wings feebly trying to flutter, like a butterfly in high winds as they slowly made their way to Ponyville.

***

DOG roared again as his weapons opened fire upon the ponies. Green lightning bolts and red lasers cut through the trees and smashed any and all who were caught in their path.

The soldiers scattered and fled like cockroaches under his might, hiding behind the trees and weeping like foals.

The giant's eyes narrowed as they locked onto the blue's of Shining Armour. [You hurt Fluttershy!]

Shining panicked and cast a shield around himself. "I'm sorry! We thought-"

DOG smashed down on the magenta bubble with his cannon arm, driving into the ground. The unicorn inside grunted as the pain shot through his horn.

The giant raised his cannon again and slammed down, harder than before. Shining's shield flickered momentarily as he sank to his knees. "I'm sorry..."

[You killed her!]

DOG roared in anger at the bubble and placed his foot on it, driving it further into the ground. It took all of Shining's strength, and the thought of his beautiful wife and amazing, wonderful sister to keep from passing out and letting the foot crush him. "S...sorry..."

The foot was raised and the leg was drawn back. He kicked the bubble through the trees, it's inhabitant spiralling out of control inside. The bubble landed just outside of Fluttershy's cottage.

The bubble deactivated and the captain crawled forwards. "Got to warn Celestia..." he murmured and limped off.

The giant glared after the bubble and stormed off, continuing his rampage. Ponies scattered this way and that, bit's of charred armour lay in the dirt as they'd discarded the heavy bits of protection. Not that it would do much good against the cannons.

"Run! Back to Ponyville! We've got to find the princess!" one soldier shouted in a panicked frenzy.

[Ponyville]

"No you idiot! It'll follow us!"

"Too late!"

DOG turned. Towards Ponyville.

"We can only hope to be faster than it now," the guards murmured amongst themselves as they ran for the town.

***

Shining pushed the door to the library open. "Twily... where's... Celestia?"

"I'm here, Shining Armour," Celestia said and cupped him in her wings.

"Couldn't stop it," the captain coughed as she lay him down.

Twilight hugged her big brother. "What do you mean? What's..." she stopped when he looked at her and took her hoof in his.

Celestia nuzzled him. "You tried your best. Now I shall fight for my subjects and my friends."

Shining nodded and closed his eyes.

"Shiny... Shining? Shining Armour!" Twilight yelled and shook him.

He opened one eye. "I'm not dying, Twily. I just need to rest," he chuckled, and hacked out a cough.

"Oh."

"Oh boy. He really sure knows how to pack a punch," he said on his final cough.

Celestia got up, spread her wings and walked out the door. "Now it is time to end this."

"Princess!" Rainbow Dash cried as she landed in front of the alicorn. "It's alright! He's not dangerous, he just thought Fluttershy was dead, but she's fine," she panted.

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Many ponies have been hurt today, Rainbow Dash."

"Please, princess..." Fluttershy whispered as she limped forwards. "Hurt me for not telling anypony, but please, just don't hurt him. He's my friend."

Dash stood next to her friend and helped her stay upright. "I'm with Flutters. He's not evil, he just thought Fluttershy was dead. So he flipped out and started... doing that." She gestured to the beaten down captain.

Fluttershy nodded. "Let me talk to him. Please."

Celestia sighed, unable to say no to such a timid and gentle creature such as Fluttershy. "Very well. But if you fail, I must do what is necessary." she said with a soft, yet stern voice. Like a mother scolding her foals for doing something bad.

"I... understand," the butter pegasus murmured and shivered.

DOG's roar made the princess and blue pegasus jump. A strange fog had settled upon Ponyville now, frightening most of the inhabitants out of their wits.

The giant's thunder footsteps resonated across the foggy town.

Fluttershy flapped towards them and bumped into his foot. "DOG!"

DOG looked down and locked onto her eyes with his red pinpricks. He lowered his cannon at her.

"Please, DOG, stop this. You don't want to be a monster do you? Choose to be a hero. Please. For me."

The end of the cannon glowed as the shot warmed up.

Fluttershy shut her eyes. "Choose."

DOG blinked. Choose

Memories of the fillies and his pegasus flooded back to him. They were laughing, smiling, enjoying his company. Friends. Friendship. Nature. Killing...

The cannon stopped glowing.

Fluttershy opened her eyes. "DOG?" she breathed.

DOG's cannons turned back into hands, and the laser gun-tentacle things on his back retracted. His eyes became the pale green light bulbs once more as he looked around.

[Fluttershy?]

"Yes. I'm OK." she said and approached his foot. "It's alright, you didn't hurt anypony. Too badly." she murmured.

He took a step backwards as the fog dissipated, revealing all the ponies watching him with fear. He raised his hands to his face in horror as he realized what happened.

[Fluttershy...]

The giant reached down one hand and stroked her mane with his finger.

"I know you're sorry," Fluttershy wept and hugged his finger tightly, grunting in pain as her foot hurt. "I'm sorry too."

Celestia stepped forwards with all of Fluttershy's friends. "Fluttershy..." Twilight whispered.

Fluttershy turned around, tears streaming down her face. "He's fine, he just -ahh!" she cried as he scooped her up and cradled her. She smiled up at him and patted his hand. "It's alright, DOG." she turned back to the ponies below. "He was just scared."

The princess gazed up at the giant. "What is his name?"

"DOG, your highness." Fluttershy called down as she flapped up to his shoulder and pecked his cheek.

Celestia sighed. "Many ponies were hurt today, DOG. I hope you understand this."

DOG nodded. This pony was bigger than the rest. She sounded like Fluttershy. Kind.

Shining Armour hobbled forwards and gazed up at the giant.

Their eyes locked.

[Sorry.]

"Me too." the captain said and huddled with his sister.

Celestia couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, DOG's chest opened up, revealing a glowing orb of light. His eyes widened in fear. So did the ponies'.

[Fluttershy?]

"I don't know, DOG. What's happening?"

The orb started pulsing, and a holographic image projected out.

100

99

98

97...

DOG's eyes widened even further as he realized he'd taken too much damage in the battle. His war-form must have absorbed alot, but the sudden change back to normal must have deactivated most of the fail-safes.

"DOG? What's happening?" Fluttershy whispered as she looked at the red numbers counting down.

84

83

82...

He looked down and gazed at the ponies.

"What is it?" Twilight asked as he set Fluttershy down.

She limped backwards. "I don't know."

DOG pointed to his chest, at the glowing ball of energy, then made a motion with his hands. [Boom.]

Fluttershy started and tried to fly up to him. "No! We can stop it, can't we?"

He shook his head.

55

54

53

52...

"But... but..."

She burst into tears. "So what? You're just going to... leave me?"

He reached down and stroked her mane once more. [You stay. I go. No following.]

"...I love you." Fluttershy whispered and hugged his finger to his face. He smiled and brushed her mane out her eyes.

[I love you too.]

All her friends had appeared now. The crusaders jumped with joy at seeing their friend not being sent to the moon or something.

"DOG! You're OK-" Applebloom cried and hopped forwards.

Applejack stopped her and shook her head without a word.

DOG smiled at the three fillies as they watched him. [Goodbye]

The large engines on his feet roared as he lifted up into the sky. His arms pushed out in front of him, like Rainbow Dash.

25

24

23

23...

Celestia and her little ponies watched as the giant disappeared into the sky.

15

14

13

12...

You are, who you choose to be.

DOG closed his eyes.

8

7

6

5

4

He opened them again [Superhero]

3

2

1

The ponies gasped as the sky lit up, as bright as the sun, possibly even more so as the heavens lit up in a fiery inferno. The small dot of the giant in the sky vanished against the brilliant light.

Celestia put her wing around Fluttershy, cuddling the grief stricken pony.

Fluttershy wept loudly as the light faded.

Applejack removed her hat and cuddled Applebloom, who wept just as loudly into her big sister's forelegs.

Rarity used a handkerchief to blow her and Sweetie Belle's noses and nuzzled her own sister.

Pinkie Pie's mane drooped. "No party will help this," she murmured and teared up, bawling her eyes out as she held onto Twilight.

Rainbow Dash flicked her mane out her eyes and turned away.

"Rainbow... are you crying?" Twilight sniffed as she wiped her own tears away.

"No. Got something in my..." Dash never finished. Scootaloo leapt onto her and hugged her neck, burying her face in the rainbow mane. Her hero hugged back and sobbed.

Celestia wiped a tear from her eye and gazed up at the sky. "He will be remembered," she told them. "A statue, honouring his bravery and his friendship will be erected here in Ponyville. I will let Fluttershy choose where to put it."

Fluttershy sniffed and hugged the princess. "Here," she whispered. "Right here."

"Then it will happen, my little pony," Celestia smiled and nuzzled her. "Come."

"Wait." the butter pegasus said and walked forwards.

A small, dark object was falling towards them: A screw.

Fluttershy pinked it up and cradled it. "My giant." she whispered and kissed it. "I will never forget you."

This was the final straw. All of the ponies around her burst into tears. They didn't know he would come back. But she did. She could feel it.