//------------------------------// // Pursuit // Story: The Hunting Grounds // by ShadowMere25 //------------------------------// Daddy? How many stars are there in space? I don't know sweetie...Billions, Trillions...maybe they never end...just span on forever and ever. The universe is so big that even we don't know where it ends... Wow...D-Do you think there are other planets just like ours? Of course. There are dozens planets we've discovered that can sustain life. We even have colonies on some of them. Not like that Dad, I mean like other worlds with other people. Maybe they have daughters and daddies too. Oh. Maybe. Who knows? Just like stars, there are trillions of planets and some of them might have life on them too. We'll never know until we venture even farther. Hey! Maybe when I grow up I can be a spaceman just like you! And then I can find the first es...um exta— Extraterrestrial? Yeah that! And then I can bring him or her if its a girl, back with me and teach her English, show her our house and then we can be like best friends! But what about your human friends? What if they're scared of her? Pshaw...they'll just have to deal with it or else I can call them little chickens. Buk buk bakaw! What if its not friendly? Well then I'll just have my big tough daddy teach it a lesson! Sounds like you've already got a plan. Yeah...But I've never been to space before so I don't know how its like. It's just so big...and I'm so small. Hey...tell you what, when I come back from my expedition then I'll take you out in my cruiser, just the two of us. How's that sound? ... What's wrong? Do you really have to go Daddy? ...Yes I'm afraid. I have to do my job just like your teachers do. But my teachers come home everyday. You'll be gone for months. I know sweet-pea, I wish I could stay but if Dads didn't go off to work then we wouldn't have all the things we have now, like spaceships and the big houses we live in...not even ice-cream. But you don't make spaceships or ice-cream, your a private co...caw Contractor. Yeah...that. Hey...Don't worry, I'll be back. And then we can spend time together everyday. Promise? Promise. Rain. All I was focused on at the moment really. It wasn't pouring out like a torrent or even a slight drizzle...no it was simply...rain. A few distant thunder-claps here and there. I didn't mind the rain; some people walk in it with their umbrellas and others, like myself, just got wet. I looked up at the darkened grey sky—droplets trickling down the lenses of my goggles. Rain was the only time where I could escape for a brief moment and allow my troubles to be washed away. It was also the only time the sky actually looked almost...'normal'. I would usually be greeted every morning with light pinkish or orange hue, a few grey clouds and the two moons. I didn't like it. The others had been quite fond of the sight but I only saw the truth. This wasn't home. Home had a blue sky. Home had fluffy white clouds. Home had a shining yellow sun during the day and a single beautiful moon at night. That was home. I placed my hand on my tired shoulder and sighed through the scarf covering my face. I looked down again, remembering what I had been doing out here in the first place. At my feet lay my soon-to-be dinner. It very closely resembled a small deer. It had four legs, each ending in hooves, a snout and two beady black eyes. The only discerning features was the creature's oddly shaped antlers...In the sense that there were six of them, all in places they didn't belong. There were two hook-shaped ones below the creature's neck and four on its back giving the vague impression of spikes...really ugly, stubby spikes. Also the creature's "fur" was a sickly olive green and it had several hideous darker discolored spots on it. It had some good camouflage though I had been tracking the bloody thing for a good hour and a half now. I could have almost swore the bugger looked back at me with a smug little grin and made a "beep beep" sound before it took off. I guess it was good thing I went after it and not Brody. Damn thing would've drove him insane. Since that blasted 'sun' was no longer trying to burn a hole through my eyeballs I removed my tinted black goggles and put them in my pocket. They weren't perfect when it came to UV protection but it sufficed. I set down my bow against a tree and examined the corpse. I placed a hand on the creature and muttered a 'Thank you'. The little things that 'ethical' hunters practiced always interested me. A prayer recited to show our gratitude to nature for blessing us with a meal. Even if said meal was a freak of nature in itself. An arrow had just grazed it's neck after a missed shot but another one made it's mark on the lung. I had to remind myself to take a look my equipment after I got back. I unsheathed my knife and began cutting away at the flesh along the wound and dark, almost-black blood began oozing out. I twisted the shaft on the arrow and to my satisfaction it budged, meaning the arrow wasn't lodged in bone. Just a little bit of flesh holding it in. I tugged on the arrow lightly before pulling hard. The arrow came free without too much effort; it seemed to still have a little chunk of meat on it, nothing I couldn't clean off . I was using my broad heads sparingly, they were far too valuable to waste as proven by their deadliness. These particular heads were Razor Mk. 4 XLs; four incredibly sharp carbon steel blades that could cut through flesh and light armor with ease. I cleaned the arrowhead and placed it back into the quiver hanging off my hip. I withdrew a length of reinforced black rope from my pack, tying the creature's legs together. I took the forearms and used them to throw the deer-creature onto my shoulder and with a grunt got myself back on my feet. Oh this was gonna do wonders for my back...I retrieved my bow and continued on my way back. Hopefully I won't break myself lugging this thing back to camp. Overall I was satisfied with the day's hunt, all things considered. For one I hadn't encountered any Stalkers or even those Hounds. Asides from the usual, no abnormal sounds or smells. Awareness of one's surroundings was key in this world. You have to pay attention to everything and anything lest it catch you by surprise. And when it does catch you...game over. As I trudged onwards through the forest my eyes scanned every direction for movement. The Hounds weren't too much of a hassle, I've fought them off on several occasions and the attacks were becoming increasingly rare. Like most predators they usually won't attack something that can will fight back and so run off with their metaphorical tails between their legs. The 'Stalkers' as I called them, were nasty little buggers. Think of them like these monkey-like lizard creatures with sharp claws and a grotesquely deformed beak, yes a beak. They use their dark colors to their advantage and try to ambush you from the dark when you least expect. One of the scientists that were with us bought it when one pounced at her from above. When we found her she was barely recognizable...Just a bloody mess. My last encounter was especially vicious, if it hadn't been for Brody, I would have met an untimely end. They're not all that menacing once you figure them out, after that they're just another stupid pest. You learn a lot of things when you've survived out here for as long as I have. It all comes down to simple choice you are given...are you a predator or prey? I've made my choice. My thoughts were abruptly cut off as the ground rumbled from an almost deafening explosion. "FUCK!" I dropped. My kill slid off my back and fell over beside me with a resounding splash in the mud. I frantically scurried to my feet withdrawing my pistol and snapped my sights side to side. Looking on all sides for the source—my heart thumping ferociously. Shit, shit, shit, shit, calm, calm, calm yourself man. The sudden explosion had caught me completely by surprise. Looking around back and forth through the trees, I saw nothing. No Hounds, no Stalkers, none of them either. Seeing no immediate threat I tried to recompose myself, taking deep breaths. Count to five...inhale, count to five...exhale...My mind was clear and my hands were firm. My eyes were now locked towards the plume of smoke rising from just beyond the tree line. The initial shockwave had knocked several trees on the edge of the blast over and some of them were even incinerated. The rain was quick to douse most of the flames. Thunder roared overhead as I stood there with my pistol ready to shoot anything that moved. But nothing ever did. I picked up my bow and slung it over my shoulder with the string resting diagonally across my chest. I maneuvered through the roots and trees, making my way towards the blast area at a brisk pace. I kept an eye on my surroundings to watch out for anything else that might be curious. My boots had gathered so much mud that I could significantly feel the increased weight—my pants and coat sharing the same fate. I took out my goggles and put them on again. I learned from before that the Stalkers have this nasty habit of jumping on you from the back and gouging your eyes out with their claws...not a pretty sight. This was the perfect place for an ambush and I wasn't taking any chances. As I got closer and closer to my goal, my vision was slowly getting obscured by smoke and a rather unusual odor hung in the air. I approached a large fallen tree; the source of the explosion was right behind it. Even on its side, the tree's trunk still towered two feet higher than me. The trunk's bark was coarse enough for me to grab onto easily enough. I backed up and took a running jump, kicking off the tree to propel myself higher. For a moment I almost slipped off but managed get a grip and pull myself up with a grunt. It seemed by now it was raining all the more fiercely and I only had a few hours of daylight left. This tree provided a good makeshift vantage point for me to see where the explosion had taken place. It was a mess. The ground had been completely incinerated and all that remained was a large shallow crater, still smoldering...Except the very dead center...I simply sat there in awe at the small circle of green standing out from the destruction. It was small, couldn't have been anymore than five feet in diameter. Asides from the circle there was nothing else of interest. I guess I didn't know what I expected; perhaps a small stupid and naïve side of me thought it may have been a ship, come to rescue me from this gods-forsaken world. My mind pondered at what could have possibly caused such a phenomenon. A meteor? No, I would have seen it or at the very least heard a fireball raining from the sky. The crater showed no signs of anything that might have impacted and the explosion itself was more like someone had detonated a bomb. Explosions don't just happen. Whatever caused it might still be here and if there's any chance that it's a person then I'll take it. The coast was clear so they may have left. I don't whether to be excited or wary right now. I picked myself up and hopped off the tree trunk, landing with a thud. I withdrew my pistol once more and began to examine the area—by now the smoke seemed to have dissipated. The ground crunched as I slowly walked towards the center. Upon closer examination I found that a small portion of the grass had been flattened. The shape was too vague to make any solid interpretations but it looked a little like small animal had been laying down here. I looked around for any other clues that might shed some light as to what happened and hell if I didn't just find one. I crouched down to get a closer look at some VERY peculiar looking prints. They were hoof-prints and they were leading away from the circle and into the darkness of the wood. Bingo I stood up, holstered my pistol and drew my bow. The tracks were much bigger than those of the deer creatures I would usually encounter and they looked to be like horse prints... Exploding alien horses...because why the fuck not? Maybe when I find it, I can tame it and make it my mount? That would be something. Of course I would have to make sure I'm off the horse when it does its exploding thing. Probably have to be good distance away too If I was going up against something even somewhat resembling a full sized horse than a broad head would have to do the trick. I made sure I had one nocked and ready before I went back on the move; hopefully I can catch up to it. It couldn't have gone too far. Only a few minutes in and I came across some splotches of red on the ground. Blood. It wasn't as dark as the blood I was used to. It looked rather normal and it seemed to continue along with the tracks from here on in. So its hurt...that might make it easier to take down should it turn out to be hostile. Thunder boomed once more. The rain had gotten progressively more intense; it was now a proper storm. Regardless I continued to follow the hoof prints. My thoughts loomed back to dinner and how I left it behind back there. I don't expect to be gone too long, this should take no more than ten minutes...after that its alien venison steak tonight. I just hope my curiosity doesn't bring the death of me...For all I know I could encounter a goddamn unicorn/velociraptor hybrid. The whole world seemed to spin as Fluttershy tripped and trudged through the murky forest she had found herself in. The sheer terror the yellow pegasus felt when she woke up was overwhelming. Soaking wet, lost, hungry...She pressed onwards as far as her tired legs will carry her—her wings being in no condition for flying. All she remembered was a bright, almost blinding light and then blackness...only to wake up surrounded by fire and smoke, in the center of a large crater. When the gravity of the situation caught up with her, to say that it was overwhelming would be an understatement. Her shrieks were drowned out by the sounds of thunder, rain and fire. She tried to fly away but doing so resulted in her wings getting badly scratched up from the branches and her daylights getting knocked out as she flew straight into a tree. The entire area around her had a morbid aura. Everything was just...wrong. The trees were enormous and towered much higher than any tree she had seen. The trunk, instead of having the normal oak brown she was used to, it had a dark greenish tint. The grass was normal enough however the small plants and shrubbery were all kinds of irregular shapes and sizes. She even encountered a purple flytrap-like plant with vicious serrated teeth that look like they could shred through anything. It was also four feet tall... So far she hadn't seen any animals...they were likely taking shelter from the rain. She did however see greenish yellow worms squirming in the soil, they disappeared every time she got close. She was shivering, both in fear and cold. Blood was dripping from her muzzle and leaving a trail unbeknownst of her. Her stomach growled for the third time today...she didn't dare try to eat anything, lest it be poisonous. Though her stomach disagreed, she wasn't in much of an eating mood. She wanted to just collapse and wait for this horrible nightmare to be over. Her pink mane was disheveled and dirty much like her coat. It had twigs and leaves stuck in it that she hadn't bothered to remove. There were a few cuts and bruises all over her body and seemingly every muscle of hers ached tremendously. Her eyes had already shed what tears she had to shed. She imagined that she looked terrible and wondered what Rarity would think. I think my looks are the least of my worries, she thought. She has no idea... Thoughts of her friends seemed to be the only thing driving her forward, she knew they wouldn't want her to give up...they would want her to be strong, to pull through this and come back to them. Had they noticed her disappearance yet? Perhaps she could get back before they did and avoid an awkward situation. But really she would be happy if she got back period. Instantly a sharp pain stung her left hind leg. "Ah!" She yelped. She winced and looked back at the damage...She had cut herself on a stray thorn from a nearby bush. It was bleeding but it would clot. She groaned and kept walking. She heard a soft crunch that was not from her hoof and froze—eyes widening and pupils shrinking into pinpricks. She closed her eyes and slowly turned her head back to see what it was. When she opened them there was nothing there. Phew! See? It's nothing. You're okay...you can do this... She turned her head back forward only to see what made her heart skip a beat. Lightning overhead briefly illuminated the horror that stood before her. Right there in front of her beside a large tree, towering at six feet stood a bipedal...black garbed...alien. Her lips quivered and every fiber of her being screamed for her to turn tail and run as fast as she could but she just stood there—petrified in fear. The creature had round black goggles that covered where she believed were its eyes and a dark red scarf wrapped around its face. A short patch of brown hair atop its head made up its 'mane'. It was hooded and wore a long black coat down to its knees and some grey garments over its legs. On its feet were muddy black boots. Its fore-arms however were the most strange, instead of ending with hooves or talons or claws there were five stubby appendages that had more clothing that covered all but the tips. There was a sheath on its hip that held an L-shaped object as well as a few pouches on the coat. In one of claws it held what looked like a bow with an arrow nocked on it...probably also why it had a quiver. The creature tilted its head to indicate curiosity. It took a step forward...At this point she frantically backed away, afraid of what this creature was going to do. The creature perked up and seemed to walk faster. She continued to scurry until her back was to a tree that seemed to have been planning to screw her over. The creature crouched down to eyelevel and was inches from her. She could hear its low breathing through its mask. She closed her eyes and awaited her fate... "Wow...Aren't you just the cutest little...thing?" she heard a voice and her eyes shot open. It was masculine, it was a he. Without a second though she immediately screamed at the top of her lungs and flailed her legs at the creature. She hit what felt like a jaw and what she hoped weren't the creature's...unmentionables. The creature keeled over onto its back and groaned. Without a second thought she turned her sights towards and opening in the trees and ran faster than she knew she could. Fuck. My. Life. So there I was on a nice quite hunt with nothing but my thoughts to getting kicked in the groin by a fucking pink and yellow pegasus! Hell, I half expected it to explode but judging by the way it looked I don't think it does that. I got knocked over and saw its tail zip past in my peripherals and back through the way I came. I lay there clutching my manhood before slowly getting back to my feet. Oh! Shit...I think she just killed like twenty million potential human beings...fuck...goddamn babykiller! What a girly scream...it looked pretty girly too. I stood back up and began jogging towards where I saw it zoom off to. I wasn't about to catch up to it while carrying my bow and all my other gear, plus I only had two legs and it had four. But I don't need to speed up...It'll tire out, they always do. I kept that same pace for a good span of ten minutes before I saw a familiar blot of yellow laying on the ground. That was quick, I sped up to approach it. Looks like the thing tripped on a root while runny from me. Guess mother nature isn't on your side today. I put my bow against a tree and withdrew the nine and half inch blade from the sheath on my leg. It was laying on its side and panting heavily. It was covered in mud and was...crying? Sure enough there were tears rolling down the thing's cheeks as it just lay there staring at me...It didn't look as horrified as it did earlier just exhausted. Truth be told it was pretty beat up when I found it. I crouched down once more and held the blade up to the creature's neck. Apparently it got the message because the second I did it tensed up but remained still. I pondered on what I should do with it. Should I kill it? Maybe have some pegasus to side with the venison? Should I let it go? The thing was scared shitless, should I just leave it to the Hounds? On instant the thing start flailing its legs again and struggling to get free. For a moment it knocked me over but I managed to grab it resulting in it yelping and trying to swat me away. Regaining my footing I then tackled the yellow horse thing, pinning it to the ground after a short wrestle. It had quite some fight in it I'll give it that...just wouldn't give up! It tried to get me off by punching me in the jaw and then in the...spot. Nope! I gave it a swift elbow to the muzzle and it finally laid its head back in defeat, softly coughing up some blood. Teach you to kick MY balls! But what happened next no one could have been ready for... "Pl-please...mister a-alien...don't eat me!" It choked out between coughs in a female voice. I dropped the knife and backed away slowly. I yanked off my goggles to reveal my shocked eyes and pulled the scarf down. D-did that horse just...? "Did you just...talk?" I stood there horrified. I just sat there on my ass dumbfounded as the horse tried to weakly stand up but finally gave in—falling to the ground on her chin, out cold... What. The. Actual. Fuck.