Vacant Niches

by Jongoji245

Serpent Hunt

A few days after accepting the offer, you join your band of friends in a laboratory. An honest to God laboratory in your school. Complete with beakers, chemicals, and a supercomputer. Right now, you stand behind a black screen. You see Indigo Blue's silhouette walking to the wall and turn the switch. Feeling it may be a while, you rock on your heels, humming a little tune. The machine stops and the screen pushed aside. You notice Indigo's furrowed brow while she writes her results.

“Is it bad?” You try getting a close look at the clipboard before Indigo pushes you aside. “You know, my dad used to smoke.”

Indigo walks to the other side of a blue screen, joining a male silhouette. You slowly shuffle across the medical chamber close enough that you can barely hear a whisper.

“All these tests prove negative. No special prowess or physical mutations.” You see Indigo place her hand on her head and shake it. “He might just be a regular human.”

“I see.” You see the man's shadow become larger, and retreat to your original place. The man that pulls the curtain is Cosgrove. “But even normal men can do well, magic or not.”

---

He motions you to follow him. At his side, you walk down every unlit hallway before you reach the spot: the wrestling team's practice arena. Around the stage are the ones known as The Titans. After joining them, you find that they are placed in two “legions.” On one hand, there is Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Dinky Whooves, Rumble and Indigo Blue as a band called the Crusaders.The rest are the Maximals consisted of Cosgrove, Dapplewood, Chelsey, Zipper, Diver, Tex, Snips, and Snails. Zipper, for reasons unknown, is nowhere to be seen. With you in the group, the ratio of the genders is equal. You look forward, seeing your boss lean on a corner of the arena.

“Please,” - Cosgrove raises his hand to the ring - “step up stage.”

You walk to the stage and start jumping. Losing your grip, you dig your nails into the rubber, feeling like they would tear off. Then you feel something push your derriere; that, and what little upper arm strength you have, gets you on stage.

“Now,” - You turn around, finding Cosgrove tall enough to see his head from your perspective - “ before we can get you on the field, we must test your combat skills.”

Dinky tosses you a pair of boxing gloves, a foam helmet, an armor vest, and a mouth guard.

“Uh… is this really necessary?” You ask, putting on a boxing glove.

“Yes. You’d think this will be a cakewalk?” You nod than shake your head. Cosgrove pinches his brow. “Well, you’re the first Freshman here. Dapplewood!”

You hear a thump and turn around. Dapplewood somehow hopped on the arena without any effort and shoes. While he stretches, you start feeling bad; you were pummeled by larger people, and now Cosgrove is pitting you against a boy half your size. You turn to your boss again.

“I’m not so keen on fighting your little brother.”

“Don’t worry,” - You turn around again, seeing a little of Apple Bloom’s head - “he’s as tough as a donkey.”

Dapplewood nods, blinking to reveal a pair of glowing yellow eyes. His snout stretched and horned, his cranium domed, his hands clawed, and his feet stretch, digging his toes in the foam. Rumble places a couple rubber balls on the tips of the horns while you put on the rest of the “battle armor.”

“All right,” - You bop the punching gloves together - “let’s do this.”

You and the boy, now standing up to your chin, keep eye contact while circling the arena. Dapplewood puts on the sunglasses, putting you on edge. He taps his cheek and gives you a grin.

“Okay,” - You wind up for a punch - “here comes the windup!”

You aim your blow at his cheek, missing Dapplewood by a long shot. You look down just in time to get punched in the kisser. You hold your mouth, whining when you see a tan blur hit you in the chest, sending you flying. Groaning, you lift your head and see eye to eye with Scootaloo.

“See?” - She pinches your chin and shakes you a little - “Like a donkey.”

Your furrowed face turns south as you are pulled away from the Crusader. Your opponent spins you around and jumps on you. Between the added pressure to your chest and your injured mouth, you use your gloves to block the blows of DW’s claws. You try to find an opening to return a punch, but the boy exchanged blows so fast it’s to take another blow.

“Enough!”

You uncover your eyes at the same time Dapplewood hops off your chest. His older brother stood in front of you, looking at you with an expression both smug and frustrated. You spit out the mouth guard before sitting up.

“In here, you are still alive.” He points to the wall behind you. “Out there, you’ll be dead. For the time being, Scootaloo will be your supervisor, and Dapplewood your sparring partner.”

Hearing about your sparring partner, you turn an uneasy eye at Dapplewood. His snide grin and curled fists is a telltale sign that he’s ready for round two. You rise on your feet and take off the armor.

“Kid packs a punch.” You mutter while pulling off the glove. You turn to Scootaloo approaching you.

“Little guys can beat big guys if a little smart.” She wraps her arm around you. “Just stick with me and you’ll go far.”

You and your friends turn to a slammed door, finding Zipper folding his leathery wings as he runs towards Cosgrove.

“I’vefoundatrail.”

You feel the embrace be tighter, looking up to see a determined Scootaloo.

“Ready to get your feet wet, kid?” She asks, looking down to see you grimace.

---

It isn’t long before you ride in the sidecar of Scootaloo’s motorcycle to the outskirts of the city. First time in a two, well three, wheeler, you grip the car firmly, shaking as you step out to take a breather. A few seconds of dry heaving, your stomach settles. You find a few of the others gathered around before you take out your cell phone and set it to video record.

“Hello, this is Anon.” You tilt the cell phone, seeing a three-quarter view of yourself. “Well, this is my first expedition into a creature hunt. So, let’s see… how it turns out.”

You turn the phone to your older companions, keeping your own sight on them. You see Cosgrove kneeling at a mud trail. From the looks of it, you can imagine it being left by a monstrous slug. Trying to get a better view, you do find a gray object in the green grass. Walking away, your investigation finds you a large, pebbly skin.

“Do slugs shed?” You hear a few footsteps, turning to find Chelsey and Tex about to lift the skin. They fondle it, chipping a few scales.

“She couldn’t have gone far.” You see Chelsey look to her left. Then without warning, they all begin to run, following the mud trail. You run as well; not as fast as even Dapplewood or as enduring, you pause for a moment, run, then paused once more before running again. Repeating the process gets you where your friends are. You lay down on your stomach, crawling between Apple Bloom and Chelsey; before you is a large, abandoned building. The silence is killing you as you raise a brow.

“So, what are we hunting?”

“Here's your first mission.” Cosgrove said.

“I don't like where this is going.” You begin to cower, curling a little before seeing Apple Bloom lean towards you while keeping her focus on the building.

“We need you to keep on the dodge and sidle up the loblolly in there, just hootin’ and hollerin’ and score off the Naga. We'll cut dirt and get the bulge on her.”

Her accent still unfamiliar, all you can respond is just one word.

“What?”

“We want you to get in that building and talk.” Chelsey translates, also not turning her gaze. You look at the muddy trail covering the hoof prints.

“Why?” You push with your upper arms. “Who's out there? What's out there?”

“She'll come right at you.” You turn to Cosgrove. “No matter what, don't move.”

“Don't move!?” You show your boss a puzzled look. “What if it has claws and big teeth!?” You are suddenly lifted off the ground and pulled back.

“Don't overthink it.” Tex replies before tossing you a distance away.

You lift your head, seeing the place you would imagine in a Halloween movie. You look at your friends, one of whom gives you a nod. You stand up, wipe the dirt from your shirt and begin your trek towards the building, finding a small trail of blood. A sense of fear tingling your spine, you turn around. Seeing no one this time, you gulp and enter the building.

Whatever creature dwells in this abandoned complex, you didn't care as long as you can get out alive. You follow the blood trail, moving around any loose obstacles that might give your position. Even then, your footsteps echo a little in the cavernous hall. You turn to a metallic clang, looking wildly for the being responsible. Nothing, so you take your next step, feeling something crunch. You lift your foot, finding a large pellet of bone and fur.

That isn't the only morbid thing you see; you find a fawn skin hanging from a pipe, half-eaten goats, and even a bison, a partially cut up bison. You go deeper into the building, finding more animal corpses twisted and mangled in ways you couldn't imagine. And the smell, the god awful smell that even covering your nose doesn't stop the bleeding. Now your eyes begin to water, blinding you before falling down, feeling several objects splinter.

You open your eyes and gasp. Bones as far as your eye can see. Most of them were of small mammals and reptiles, but there are some of larger animals. Above you were several human skeletons; one is covered in animal fur. You hear a soft crunch and look to your left. Nothing there, you start to shiver.

“Hello, little one.” A feminine voice echoes around you. “Are you alone? Come closer, I won’t hurt you.”

You look forward, seeing a pair of glowing eyes in the shadows beyond the bone yard.

“I’m… not…” - You gulp - “not supposed to talk to strangers.”

Strangers, indeed. The being moves towards you. Looks like a woman, sounds like a woman… Certainly smells like an unbathed woman. It’s her lower body that tells you that isn’t a woman. Her torso is supported on a long muscular tail, crushing the skeletons as she slithers around you.

“Poor, sweet, little thing.” She flicks her tongue out. “What brings you here all alone?”

“Uhm.” You try to regain your courage as you feel part of her lower body touch you leg. “Scrap. Just looking for scrap. Scrap for a school pro…”

While looking at her face to face, you feel your head pounding. A few seconds after, your vision becomes a blue, followed by a red ellipse, then a green. This blurring of colors and head pounding dulls your senses. In time, you feel floaty.

“There’s no need to fear.” The serpent lady leans forward. “I’ll keep you close. Trust in me.”

In your dulled state, you see her opening her mouth much wider than usual. You feel her breath on your skin and a few needle-like teeth brushing your hair. Suddenly, you're are sent flying, hitting your head hard. You are free from your drugged state, but now you see your vision blacken, seeing a few silhouettes attacking the serpent lady before closing your eyes.

---

You immediately open your eyes to a blinding light, shielding yourself with your hands.

“Cosgrove, he’s coming to.” The light is drawn away from you, giving you relief and revealing that it’s Indigo Blue holding a flashlight. “Follow the light.”

You turn your head right, finding that you and your friends in your little venture in a medical room. You try to get up but to no avail.

“Is this what heaven looks like?” You ask, getting your friends to look at each other.

“Uh, this is a hospital.” Sweetie Belle walks towards you. “You don't remember do you?”

You shake your head, seeing Scootaloo shuffle off the counter.

“We saved your skin from the coils of death.” Scootaloo wraps her arm around you. “That's what we do every day.”

“What happened to the snake thing?” You ask, turning to Cosgrove, who stands up and walks to you.

“I'll show you.”