- >This was bad.
- >The deathclaw just stood in place, sniffing the air every so often while wringing its massive hands together.
- >It knew you were around.
- >It just didn't know where.
- >Fluttershy slowly raises her head above the edge of the window, trying to see what you're looking at.
- >"...what is that?..."
- >She speaks in the lowest of whispers.
- >Good. The louder you two were, the quicker you'd be dead.
- >You bring a finger to your lips, motioning her to return to the floor of the bus.
- >Every move you made had to be as slow and quiet as possible.
- >The beast starts to peer inside broken down cars, pawing within them for any signs of prey.
- >You look to Fluttershy.
- >Her face is scrunched up, and twitching.
- >...
- >Wait.
- >NO
- >She sneezes.
- >And then the deathclaw is right on top of you both.
- >A roar pierces your ears as the Deathclaw rushes the fan, claws outstretched and thirst for a kill.
- >You grab Fluttershy in your arms and scramble out of the bus, right as the beast slams into the rusty vehicle.
- >Fluttershy squeals in surprise.
- >Silence wasn't important anymore, survival was.
- >So you run.
- >"Anon what is that thi-"
- >Pain.
- >Dear god what was that pain?
- >You were... off the ground?
- >Oh.
- >Oh god.
- >Your body slams into the decaying wall of a rundown building, your form crumpling to the ground below.
- >Fluttershy was safe in your arms, but that wouldn't matter very soon.
- >Blood seeped from your side where the deathclaw's talons tore at you.
- >As the deathclaw stormed at you, you do all you can to roll over, covering Fluttershy with your body.
- >She's... trying to get out of your arms?
- >Why is she-
- >Suddenly she bounds out of your grasp and leaps over you.
- >NO.
- >You yell to her, trying to get her to stop.
- "No! Get away from-"
- >The deathclaw stands over Fluttershy, teeth bared and claws at the ready.
- >Fluttershy stands her ground.
- >"NO."
- >A claw is raised, ready to strike.
- >"I...said...NO."
- >You cringe, certain you were about to watch this yellow pony be torn to bits right before your eyes.
- >Instead, you watch as the deathclaw lowers its hand, and backs away from Fluttershy.
- "...what?..."
- >"No go away, big critter. Go on."
- >Her voice is as small and soft as it always was, but this thing...
- >This thing was doing what she said.
- >It was leaving.
- >And like that, it slunk away into the distance
- >You lay there, bloodied and beaten, utterly dumbstruck at what's in front of you.
- >Fluttershy turns around, tilting her head and smiling at you.
- >Once she sees the gash in your side, however, her smile gets replaced with a worried gasp.
- >"Oh my! Are you alright?"
- "What did...you do?"
- >"Oh my goodness, you're bleeding!"
- "It didn't attack you... why?"
- >"Hush now, you're hurt. Let me try to help you."
- >...
- "..okay"
- >You push yourself to your feet, your left side burning in pain.
- "Fuck!"
- >Clutching your wound, you look around you.
- "In here."
- >You limp over to the building you were thrown into and shove your way through the door.
- >It's old, dark and dusty, but it was as good a place as any to settle down into for a rest.
- >"We should find you a bed."
- "Yeah... yeah okay."
- >She smiles up at you.
- >"It's alright Anon, you'll be fine."
- >You give a laugh and wince.
- >God it hurts to laugh.
- >Pushing your self up stairs, you find a bed.
- >There were signs of skeletal remains littered in the room, and Fluttershy cringes.
- >"Oh my..."
- "Just ignore them and hand me a stimpack.
- >You sit on the bed, your side still bleeding while Fluttershy digs through your pack.
- >She trots up to you, a needle in her mouth, and hands it to you.
- "Thanks."
- >You swiftly jab it into your thigh, releasing the mix of morphine and other chemicals.
- >Your eyes grew heavy, and you found yourself collapsing on the bed.
- >Fluttershy returns to you with bandages and gauze in her mouth, and begins to patch you up.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrHQqkoA-Ko&feature=relmfu
- "Okay, answers."
- >"Um, excuse me, could you take off your shirt perhaps?"
- >You sit up and throw away the torn clothes from your back, but continue with Fluttershy.
- "What happened back there?"
- >She smiles.
- >"Well, I told that big critter to leave."
- "And it did. Why?"
- >"I told it too. Oh, and I gave it the stare."
- "The what?"
- >"The stare. I told it to leave, and sure enough it did. Works every time!"
- >She grins at you, and you could have sworn you heard a "squee" sound.
- "I just... I thought I was about to lose you."
- >You bring a hand to the top of her head, stroking it gently.
- >You wince as the chemicals from the stimpack begin taking effect, the torn skin on your side knitting itself back together.
- >That was going to leave a nasty scar.
- >"Lose me?"
- "Well, yeah. It's not too often that you survive an encounter with a deathclaw."
- >She smiles and nods to you.
- >"I suppose we're the exception."
- "Yeah... yeah I guess we are."
- >She nuzzles into your neck before starting to wrap the gauze around your waist.
- >Looking at the small yellow pegasus, you can feel your face shifting into a small grin.
- >You owed her.
- >She'd saved you life for the third time, and here she was patching you up in an old, decaying house.
- >She asked for nothing in return.
- >Had she not been with you today...
- "Thank you."
- >Her ears perk up.
- >"For what?"
- >You wrap her up in a hug.
- >You hadn't hugged something in a long time.
- "For everything."
- ~END~

