Meeting Death

Short story about Hippo by Enigma.
This involves mention of guts and the like!
“Brushing death is such a weird thing! Watching your life flash before your eyes, feeling pain you couldn’t imagine beforehand, all to end up right back in the normal routine of life!”
The forest at night was dark and rather scary. It used to send chills down Hippo’s back when he first moved into Whisper Woods. Probably because it was colder than Foxtail, though, at first…. Something made Whisper Woods seem stranger than the pamphlets made it out to be. Other dragons didn’t seem to mind. Maybe all the trees were giving him a sense that something was always watching him if he went by the woods.
The darkness of the forest made every small sound make Hippo flinch. This isn’t how dark it usually is? Is it? He always thought there would be some sliver of light pouring into the woods. The bright lights of Foxtail always kept at least some of the darkest allies looking a bit more safe. He shivered, trying not to imagine piercing eyes from a Foxtail ally somewhere in the big wide forest.
“Sure is strange how I paid no mind to the afterlife!” Hippo called out. “With how long the ambulance was able to get there, oof, anyone else would have been long… gone.” The MudWing choked on his words. He shouldn’t think about an innocent dragon getting stabbed during a relaxing afternoon out…. He already felt bad enough for his mother….
He squinted at the darkness and said, “What did Mom do?” He sighed, doubting there would be an answer. “Why doesn’t she talk to me about this…. What doesn’t she want me to know?”
His talons found them wound up in his pastel guts, winding around as a cat would play with a cat toy. He flinched when he heard an owl hooting and hurt himself, tugging on an intestine by accident and quickly untangling his talons, sitting on them when he was done.
The log he sat on made him itch but he kept himself from it in case it was poison oak or ivy or whatever plant Whisper Woods seemed to be covered in.
“What a weird name, Whisper Woods! They say in the tourist website that you’re always mumbling something in the wind, but all I hear are a load of crickets!” Hippo giggled.
He looked down, pulling his phone from his sweater pocket.
The bright light in the dark made him wince and when his eyes adjusted he read the glowing letters.
11:11, he read. His stubby, fat tail wagged a little. “Time to make a wish!” he said cheerily.
He closed his eyes and crossed his talons like a young dragonet making a birthday wish.
I wish I can find out what Mom doesn’t want me to know…. he thought, opening his eyes back to the dark, cold forest.
For a moment he half expected it to come true. He giggled, giving himself a pitying smile. “You’re not a little boy anymore, Hippo!” he echoed his mom. “You’re a nurse!” He giggled again. “Cute little wishes do keep spirits up, though….”
He pulled out his phone again. 11:12. He made a wish for the first time in ages. That made him feel rather proud.
Hippo stretched and yawned, checking the date. He gave a half smile and mumbled, “‘Least its the weekend,” before picking up his satchel and started wandering in the direction he came.
He questioned why he kept coming out into the woods. One of these days a mountain lion might mistake him for a lost picnic camper or something.
That would be really cute…. he thought, moments before he tripped and nearly face planted into the ground. He heard his stuff spill out of his bag and he tried to protect his face from the fall with his forearms.
For a moment he just lied there, surprised and shocked. It didn’t feel like he tripped on a branch. He thought he was balanced anyway.
He slowly started to stand up, brushing crunched up leaves off of him and trying to pick little bits of dirt and wood off of his guts. He frowned. That’ll take a while to get off.
He leaned down to pick up his things, only to watch his back seem to be pulled away from him. He waddled forward and tried to swipe it, only for it to retreat again.
Hippo rubbed his eyes. He must have been really tired if he was seeing things.
He decided against walking while leaning down, not wanting to step on himself, but made sure his phone was still in his pocket as he followed his bag, trying to step on it to make it stop.
“Hey!! Whoever’s doing this, its not funny, it’s dark!!!” he called out, feeling more and more worried by the moment. After a few more tugs of the bag, Hippo stomped his foot on the ground.
“I’m done! I’m not chasing it anymore,” he called out, sucking a deep breath in when he realized he was out of breath. “Oof….” I need to get back in shape….
“Oh!” an unfamiliar voice sang. “So it thinks!”
Hippo stumbled back and reached in his pocket for his phone. “Who’s there? I’ll call the police!!”
Suddenly, an angular creature appeared out of seemingly nowhere, holding the bag in its mouth.
“Boo!” it said, dropping the bag in front of Hippo. “I certainly startled it!” it said, tilting its head.
“Who are you?” Hippo repeated cautiously. Stay calm… you can do that….
“Who are you!?” it echoed, its long face opening to laugh a loud, echoey, joyous laugh.
“My name is Hippo, I’m from Foxtail, now please answer me,” he said, trying to keep his composure.
“Kindynos!” it laughed. Its body stretched out, and Hippo realized it was bowing like a playful dog. “Demon of risk, at your service!”
Hippo squinted, trying to see it better. “I’m definitely dreaming, or am I sleepwalking? If you could please direct me back home, I’d appreciate it.”
“Call me Kindy. Hippo! Don’t you remember me!” it asked, its pointed face grinning.
Hippo leaned down and picked up his bag. “Sh-should I?”
Kindy went up to Hippo and rubbed its side on his leg like a friendly cat, and he realized how small (albeit long) this creature was. “I helped make you immortal!!” It poked its nose on Hippo’s spilled guts and said, “I contributed to that goopy mess!” It lied down and started cackling, like a hyena.
Hippo stretched his sweater over this gash and said, “You made me like this…?” He trailed off, finally clicking into his head that this creature was a demon.
“Yeah!!! Doofus, isn’t that sweet a’ us?” it asked, eyes wide and grin ear to ear.
Hippo waited a moment before speaking and slowly asked, “So you listened to my mom when she prayed that I’d be safe from danger?”
“Mhmm! Now, I heard you talking to yourself like a total creeper out here, and I know what you wished for, huehue.” Hippo felt completely violated in a way, but felt too curious to get upset with this creature. “Simply enough said, I can’t tell you!” It put up three claws and said, “Demon’s honor.”
It snickered uncontrollably and laughed, “Of course, I’m lying.” It flicked its tail and made a snapping noise. Hippo wondered if it was its claws, its tail, or its mouth that made the snap, but he ducked his head to listen. “Dragon food, mortals have that, correct?”
Kindy started laughing again. “Seven whole years and I keep forgetting I made you immortal!!” It collapsed on the floor and rolled around in its own giggles.
It slid back upwards and put a claw to its face. “Im-mortal food, I guess you would have mortal food!!! I’ve always wanted to try pineapple, no no!! Pizza, I think?? Either way, I just need to have some, and when I am fed, I’ll spill the beans like your guts!!” It snapped its claws over its long face to choke even more giggles down and waited for Hippo’s response.
Hippo had to stop to register the situation. One of the demons that made him immortal tripped him, played with his bag, and now was asking for pineapple or pizza in exchange for finding out what really was the extent of his curse.
Well… we could just order pineapple pizza and find out what Mom won’t tell me…. “Stomach, you never fail me,” he mumbled to himself. “Kindy, you’re not like those legends are you? Where the demons act like sweet forest critters and tear up a nice explorer’s home?”
Kindy trembled and couldn’t contain itself. It barked a loud laugh, Hippo thought birds were startled awake. “Where’d you hear those dragoness tales? Those were totally unrelated!! Sure some demons might have done that, but I like to go straight to the point, y’know!”
Kindy reared on her hind legs and made a melodramatic snarl expression. “Roar! Hippo, take me to your house so I can tear the floorboards out and break down the drywall roar roar!! Grrrrrrr--haHAHA,” Kindy broke out into laughter, once again, dropping back on all its feet again.
“Aha…. Hippo, you’re hilarious, never change. So wanna give me that good ol’ mortal food?” it asked, wagging its tail with an excited expression.
Hippo held his breath for a few moments and exhaled. “I’ll show you something even better than pineapple or pizza, Kidney.”
“Kindy!” it corrected.
The MudWing wrinkled his nose, picking the demon up with a brief, affectionate squeeze hug and putting it on his shoulders. “What did I say?” he teased, putting his bag around his neck before looking back down for his phone. “As soon as we get you that food, you promised to tell!”
Kindy settled itself around his shoulders and put up three claws again. “Demon’s honors! And I don’t just throw around those for nothing!! I made them up a few minutes ago! And as long as you feed me that magical mortal food!”
Hippo grinned and put up three of his own talons. “Hippo’s honor, Kindy! I promise you!”
Category:Content (EnigmaTheHybrid)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Genre (Short Story)