Grunt Work

Meet Grunt

Grunt Work is a very peaceful stallion that lives on the outskirts of Ponyville. He has a brown coat and black mane. Grunt Work never really bothers himself with most of the problems found inside the city. His steady job consists most of the time of many little tasks he gets around Ponyville in which he gets paid just enough to tend for his needs. Yup! Life is good for Grunt Work, not a bother in the world. He personally prides himself of his special ability of being a handyman, and his duct-tape on fire cutie-mark really doesn’t show much of it but he doesn’t care. I guess that is one of the reasons why he is so easily ignored by ponies that do not require of his assistance, especially in the town were most of the Elements of Harmony live in. Yet Grunt Work really doesn’t care as long as he is capable of keeping his life on its regular schedule. The only problems that have ever brought despair to Grunt are usually pests that won’t keep away from his home garden, the short lived eternal night that nightmare moon brought with herself before being defeated by the elements, and the very odd occasion in which he had to fight off a stampede of unusually long legged bunnies during Discord’s through Ponyville. He counted himself lucky that his house remained on its base and didn’t decide to float up and travel the skies like others had.

Everything seems to be in order today just like any other, and like any other day it was already time for him to go and run his errands. Grunt Work walked towards Ponyville and arrived at the center of town just before merchants were ready to open their stores. He then would go to various posts or newspaper stands to see if there were any tasks available for him to do. After that he would search in the newspaper for any hiring ads. It wasn’t long before Grunt found his daily task which after completion would get him about five or ten bits depending on the poster. It wasn’t much but it provided him enough to pay taxes and keep his life going. An ad in the newspaper grabbed his attention; it was unlike most of the ones he usually did. It was about one of the Elements of Harmony’s pet called “Angel Bunny”. He apparently ran away into the Everfree forest and the owner wished for anyone to help her get him back home. Grunt work was going to take the job; sure the Everfree forest is one of the least favorable places to play hide and seek with a bunny but it’s not every day that you get to meet one of the Elements in person. It’s assumable that the stories they would have about their adventures will be very entertaining and inspiring. Of course he can’t just go and talk to her; he must first catch the lost pet. Boy was this search and rescue mission going to be difficult, especially because he wasn’t very fond of bunnies after Discord’s shenanigans took place.

Back in his home Grunt grabbed a few things he might need to get Angel into a leash or whatever it is used with bunnies. He took some carrots because bunnies like carrots right? Right? Among with other things he brought a folded cardboard box, a string, a few fruit snacks, his lunch, some water, bandages, and an explorer’s hat. He packed everything in his satchel and made a last mental inspection of his equipment just to be sure he wasn’t missing anything. He smiled to himself and headed to the forest. Once in the forest he decided to start with just the basic name calling, “ANGEL!” He shouted into the woods expecting to see some sort of reaction from the trees and grass which of course rendered useless. He kept this for hours and kept venturing deeper and deeper into the woods. By the time the sun was setting down he decided to call it a day and go back home. It was only then that he noticed that he didn’t know how to. He had gotten so entailed in finding that gosh darn rabbit that he got himself lost. Grunt had a facehoof moment due to the irony of his situation.

“A map! How could I forget one of the essential things they always advise us to take in forest trips!?” Grunt Work watched the sun completely vanish from sight as everything turned dark, “Oh well I guess it’s a good thing I’m the best at survival!” he yelled in a sarcastic tone. While he was complaining about his predicament and laughing at his own stupidity he didn’t notice that he was again wandering into a random direction. His loud rambles eventually caught the attention of a manticore that was sleeping by. The manticore stared at the rambling earth colt as he passing through the forest like an idiot with a death wish announcing all living predators that he was there, disoriented, and obviously lost.  The manticore slowly crawled near a bush and readied itself to leap unto the clueless pony. When Grunt crossed in front of the beast’s line of sight it leaped and roared in vicious way. Just as the beast flew through the air towards Grunt, the pony tripped and slammed into the ground. The manticore flew by and smashed against a tree. Grunt didn’t need to look back to notice he was in grave danger, it wasn’t until the creature roared behind him that the adrenaline and survival instinct in his body took control. He ran across the forest through many branches and bushes, he leaped and enacted moves not even he remembered being capable of doing before. I guess it takes your life to be in danger to become like Daring Do. He kept going until he heard the sound of somepony in the woods. That was enough to take away his concentration from his path and by thus tripping over a tree root and smashing against a few bushes and finally a rock that stopped his whole body. His limp body fell into some bushes and mud as he saw the manticore dash by before fainting.

The very next morning Grunt found himself just as he was left the last night, all muddy with a head concussion. It seems like the mud was able to hide his scent from any other depredators and well not moving at all obviously must’ve worked if he was still alive. He looked to his surroundings and determined the following; he was still lost, he had an enormous headache, and could be in danger. His tummy rumbled strongly enough to seem like a manticore itself.  It was just then that he remembered about the snack fruits he brought with himself, he opened his satchel and noticed the container in which he had them was broken and most had fallen out. He only had two apple slices left from the fruits that were originally there.  They weren’t much, but at least it would be something to place in his stomach while he figured out how to get back home. He took one of them out and noticed a rustle in a bush near him; he looked at the bush completely paralyzed with fear for it being the manticore ready to finish the job it had started. As soon as something came out he flinched and closed his eyes. Once he opened his eyes he stared directly at a little white and dirty bunny looking at him. “Angel?” He said in a hushed tone, this made the bunny react and nod his head toward him. “So here you are! I’ve been searching all over for you!” Grunt exclaimed in happiness knowing that at least his objective had been fulfilled.  Grunt noticed the bunny staring at the piece of fruit he held in his hoof, “I guess you’re hungry right?” Angel looked at him and nodded. Grunt offered the slice to Angel at which point practically vanished due to fast devouring of the fruit. It was obvious that this bunny hadn’t eaten in days and that it was two conceited if it couldn’t find himself food in the forest. But who’s he to judge? He was in the same predicament. Grunt took the last slice and was about to eat it himself when he looked at Angel staring at that one too, “Listen Angel, I’ve been sent to take you back home to your owner. If I give you this last slice you must promise me that you will not cause me problems until we get you home okay?” Angel stared at the apple slice and nodded. This apple slice made the same magic act the other one before it had done into Angel’s mouth. With an empty belly and Angel on top of his back, Grunt set out to find a way back home. He figured that traveling in a straight line would at least take him somewhere out of the forest and near civilization.

The sun reached its highest point in the sky and it seemed hopeless. That is until Grunt noticed that he could see past the trees which obviously meant that he and Angel were about to finally leave the forest. As they both came out of the foliage it was noticeable that they weren’t anywhere near Ponyville. It’s only thanks to a certain mountain range that Grunt recognized as where Canterlot should be that he finally got some sense of orientation. He now knew an approximate of where to head to. Grunt used the forest line to guide himself and Angel back to Ponyville. The sun was already setting when they finally reached a familiar area near Ponyville. Grunt asked Angel to guide him to where his owner lived. All that mattered now was getting Angel back home.

When they arrived Grunt knocked on the door and said, “Hello? Is Anybody Home?” He heard the door unlocking but as soon as it opened it closed. He was able to hear a small shriek from the other side of the door, which made him wonder what could’ve frightened an Element of Harmony. He hadn’t noticed that he was still covered in mud and leaves from his travesty which made him look more or like the same monster that chased after him. Grunt cleared his throat and announced, “Hi Im Grunt Work, and Ive brought Angel the bunny back from the Everfree forest to his owner.” Explaining himself seemed to have worked since the door cringed and opened a little. From his stance Grunt was able to see two big and frightened eyes staring at him from the small opening; those eyes could look into anypony and bring out their best qualities to the light.  When the eyes laid upon the rabbit in Grunt’s back it looked like the door was about to be busted open for its hinges. The mare practically shot from her cottage and into the bunny. Grunt flew a few yards back by the tackle the mare gave him when taking Angel into her hooves and squeezing him into a hug. The mare looked at Grunt before saying, “Thank you!” multiple times. Grunt looked at her and said, “It was my pleasure Miss…?” “Fluttershy” “Well Miss Fluttershy as you can see Ive done my task as your ad in the newspaper said so may I receive my payment now?” Being so direct and cold about asking his payment wasn’t probably the best course of action, but it wasn’t the first time Grunt had dealt with lost pets and met somepony trying to use flowing emotions to get out of payment. Grunt had such a horrible experience that he didn’t care about meeting any new ponies. No matter how innocent or cute they looked. The silence after his question had dragged on quite long enough, “Is something wrong Miss Fluttershy?”  Grunt asked trying to unravel the problem.

“Well Umm you see…” said Fluttershy

“Yes? What is the problem?” replied Grunt

“I kinda spent all my money in the advertisement”

“So you spent the payment money of this service by announcing the service?”

“Ummm… Yeah”

“So you mean there’s no payment?”

“I’m so so sorry! It’s just that when my little Angel ran away I panicked and didn’t know what to do”

Grunt really wanted to be mad with that pony right now. Where she anybody else his rage would’ve probably transcended Nightmare Moon’s by the power of ten. But those big beautiful eyes where now staring at him and showing every ounce of innocence and regret capable of manifesting in a single mortal. Grunt Work looked at Fluttershy and sighed, “Well then I guess I’ll head back home then.” It was then that Fluttershy spoke up and said, “Oh no I can’t leave you without a reward, please if you can I would love for you to have lunch with me tomorrow.” Grunt thought it over in his head for a while. At least he would be able to get a meal with an Element of Harmony. “Miss Fluttershy I accept your proposition.” Grunt turned around and went home where he would enjoy a hot meal, and a bath. I guess he could thank his earth pony abilities that he didn’t fainted over physical exertion. He would get a good night’s rest to for the very next day he was going to have lunch with a beautiful mare.