>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~