Pursuit

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.

Fluttershy...

View Online

H-how could you?

It's complicated...It's not what you think.

THAN TELL ME WHAT IT IS! You were always so secretive about things and now I know why!

Listen to me! Whatever I had done it was for you! It was for all of you...I love both of you...

I don't even know who you are anymore...

Just let me explain please...you two are the most important people in my life right now...Everything I did was for our daughter. I made a few mist—

A FEW mistakes!? You abandoned your family for something you wouldn't even tell us about! Do you have ANY idea what that girl has to go through!?

...No...I don't.

...I-I'm leaving...tonight. We're moving back in with my sister...

Wait what!? No! Just listen I can fi—

No YOU listen! I have listened to your lies f-for long enough...I'm not going to let her grow up with a man like you...You can say whatever you want but I'm not hearing any of it...not anymore.

...I-I...just at least let me say goodbye...

I d-don't know you...I don't know you...

D-Daddy? Why is mommy upset?

I awoke with a sudden jolt as if someone had just poked me in the side with a cattle prod. It was hot, very hot. My surroundings were the same as they'd been since the incident. Going to sleep in my bunk, in the mangled up ship I had come to call home. I had worked up a cold sweat as I recounted the events of my nightmare...

Why...Why would I think about that now? It's been five years...

I rolled off from the bunk and wiped the sweat from my brow. I stood up and cracked my neck both ways and took a moment to stretch. A series of cracks and pops providing some much needed relief. My tiny room had looked as if a certain comic book character with adamantium claws had just gone berserk in here. The lights were mostly shattered save for one and it provided some luminescence to the otherwise pitch black chamber. There were papers and other assorted items scattered all over the floor. Mostly because I just hadn't bothered to clean up. Surprisingly after all that happened the ship still managed to stay intact although it was hardly space worthy now. The engines had shut down long ago and without any engineer to get them running again I wasn't going anywhere. I've maintained a small source of power from the solar panels that had been set up outside. A few of them were knocked over in the attack and some even broke but I still managed to squeeze a little bit of juice from what was left. I made what repairs I could but it was mostly a futile effort.

This thing was never going to fly again...I may as well refer to it as my big metal coffin...

My boots still lay where I left them, a lot muddier thanks to the night before along with my coat and scarf laying on the table above them. I put them on and slid into my coat. The cool feel of the fabric soothed my body. The scarf came last and I made my way to the door as I wrapped it around myself. This heat wasn't going to last, come tomorrow I better make sure I have enough food to last me for the week.

The sliding door didn't work and I had to do a little manual override, I made a personal note to get to work on freeing the slide mechanism when I got the time. As I let go it slowly slid back, making a low grinding noise only to stop three-quarters of the way and leaving a small gap. The hallway fared no better than my quarters, more scratch marks...most of the screens adorning the walls were shattered and only a few of the lights still flickered on. At the very center there was a large brownish stain on the walls and floor that trailed off outside. Memories of dragging that man's mangled body came back to me. I wasn't squeamish but the sight had still made me grimace. It—He didn't look as if he was ripped apart even...he looked as if something had...cut the guy in half. I don't know if these things were smart enough to create or even use bladed weapons...but we sure as hell didn't pack any swords. I shook myself off the subject. No need to overanalyze something in a futile effort. Dead is dead after all.

Most of the doors were shut and without sufficient power I had to manually pry a lot of them open.

The armory had been locked when the incident took place and was spared from the creatures' onslaught. It wasn't much however, a lot of the ammunition had been used up trying to fight them off and I was left with maybe a few hundred rounds. It looks like a lot but it runs out quick. Some of the guns were lost or damaged in the slaughter. I managed to recover a few rifles and a shotgun but I hadn't used them since. I preferred the bow for several reasons, I could recover arrows and if need be, make them out of stuff I find out there. It was silent (which was a definite plus) and deadly in the hands of a skilled archer and hadn't let me down once. Of course that didn't stop me from having my pistol handy...just in case.

I kept everything well cleaned and maintained, I couldn't afford not to. Until I get out of here this is all I have. I retrieved my bow and quiver and made for the exit.

The ship itself wasn't too big, held enough room for maybe twenty people at most. A red blinking light caught my eye from the darkness of the command room. The distress beacon was still going. I sighed and kept walking.

As I approached the rear of the ship I was greeted by a familiar perky friend. Brody was a brawny Shepard with a bite worse than his bark. The last sorry S.O.B to be caught in his path was given the full extent of his fury. When those titanium teeth are biting into your flesh, he doesn't seem like such a cute little doggy. He had tan and black fur with different colored irises...one was brown and the other was grey. He was wearing a specially designed ballistic armor vest that was stab resistant and bullet resistant. It came with a built in temperature regulator to help keep the dog comfortable as well as a few pouches for storing things like dog treats and medical equipment. At first he hated having the thing on but now he doesn't seem to mind it at all.

He happily walked over to me and I knelt down to ruffle the fur on his neck.

"Morning boy, sleep well?"

Jeez, I need to drink something, I sound like Death.

He gave a low bark that probably meant something along the lines of.

I went to bed on an empty stomach because SOMEONE lost dinner even after being gone for so long, so what the fuck do you think?

I chuckled. "...Me neither. We'll find some food today, promise. I just have to deal with our new...guest first."

He barked again. This one was probably trying to call 'bullshit'.

It probably is too. I'm still highly skeptical of our...guest so no telling how long this'll take.

The way it stared at me last night though...It was like a child that had seen a ghost...

Truth be told I've never seen that much fear in the eyes of any animal before. I stood up and continued down the hatch leading into the cargo bay—rows of unopened metal crates laying at the sides that I hadn't bothered to open. It was mostly scientific instruments, everything from a Bunsen burner to a biotic scanner. Nothing I knew how to use nor needed, I left them alone. The ones that were of use I had already wolfed out on. Food, meds, tools, the works. Although limited, my supplies would last me a few more months at least so there was no rush. I spotted the rest of my outdoor gear by the exit, my assault pack and poncho laying side by side. I only took the canteen as I was dehydrated as hell right now, that and I wouldn't be heading out to the forest just yet.

I approached to ramp control panel and pulled down the red lever. The yellow light above sparked to life as soon as I did. The floor vibrated slightly as the ramp lowered, giving a low mechanical whirring sound as it did. I was met with a cool breeze from the outside. The immensely bright light of day shone through the mild darkness and I held a hand up to my eyes. As they adjusted I immediately noticed the bright yellow blob laying by a metal post across from the ship. I had tied the thing to a pole-mounted work light to prevent it from escaping. It wasn't perfect no doubt, but the thing wasn't in any condition to lug a big heavy lamp with it should it attempt to make a run for it.

Brody had heard the door and happily retreated outside to take a dump at his usual spot and then proceed to wander around the area doing what dogs do. Our ship had touched down in a wide open field that held only a few trees here and there. It was the only clear landing zone we could find that was close to the forest. There were several metal tables and pieces of equipment scattered about my campsite. I moved what had no use for me back in the ship. I don't know if I'd ever find a use for them but who knows?

I don't know why but I felt a kind of uneasiness as I approached the alien horse thing. I ran a hand over the iron on my hip to make sure it was still there. I'm not about to take any chances no matter how harmless it looked. Looks can be deceiving as I've found out far too many times. Soft, bright yellow fur that stood out from anything else and long pink hair or would mane be the appropriate term?

I saw its body gradually rise up then down again, indicating that it was still alive. Good, I'm not going to get answers from a corpse now was I? I was surprised no Hounds or Stalkers had picked it off when I left it out here. It might have been that they were scared of the light or even wary of the thing's unusually bright colors. It had been pretty beat up before I found it which meant It might have been attacked prior to our encounter. No scratch marks or bites just small cuts and bruises, probably because of all the tripping and tumbling of yesterday. It flicked the work light off so it would stop hogging what little power I had. Everything that required power was hooked up to the ship and ran off its battery. I would make use of any power I had during the night to keep the area lit and charged the battery during the daytime. The Stalkers were nocturnal and won't go near any source of artificial light so that was another thing that made them slightly less of a threat.

I must've hit the horse thing pretty damn hard because the muzzle was still swollen where the strike connected, although it was no longer bleeding. There was a chance I may have broken something but no sense in dwelling on that. Its eyelids seemed to be tensed up. Oh right, the 'sun'. It was pretty damn bright out here. I shifted myself over so my shadow loomed over its head and as expected, the eyelids relaxed.

I honestly thought I was finally losing my mind back there when it spoke. It was so quiet and innocent sounding. What are the odds? Man's first encounter with sapient life and its in the form of a flying, talking horse. With pink hair no less. Judging by the wings I assumed it flew although I wondered why it hadn't done so when it saw me. Were they broken? They looked alright for the most part but then again I knew nothing of its physiology. For all I know it could be a vicious carnivore that shot paralyzing venom at its victims through hidden frills on its neck.

When the hell did my imagination just suddenly go apeshit?

All things considered I would say it looked about the least threatening out of anything I had encountered so far. I would even go so far as to call it cute. Well, its probably seen better days...But how in the world could this thing speak English?

That along with multitudes of other questions loomed through my mind. Enough questions, it was time for some answers.

Fluttershy wandered through the cold, soulless wasteland before her. Asides from the sound of her own beating heart there was nary a noise to be heard. She was completely surrounded by wispy white smoke that obscured her from seeing anything but yet at the same time illuminated the area. With every step the pegasus took, the ground would let off a faint glow where her hoof made contact. Above her there was nothing but grey. She could make out various shapes in the fog, including trees and what looked like water plants.

"H-Helloo?" She called out ever so softly.

Silence.

"Hello." She said again, this time louder. "Please...I-if anypony's there...Can you help me?"

Silence.

"Oh...what's the point?" She asked herself, clearly tired. "There's no one there...I'm c-completely alone." She sat down and hung her head in despair. Although she could feel nothing, an uneasy presence sent cold shiver up her spine. She heard a sound.

Soft 'thumps' in the distance getting closer...Hoofsteps? No...

Footsteps...

She immediately perked up and looked around for the source. Looking over her shoulder she could see a shadow forming within the concealing fog. As it got closer she stood up to face it. Nerve wracked, she tried to remain as calm as she could. She could see that it was seven feet tall and gave the form of a bipedal creature.

"W-Who's there...Wh-w-what a-are y-you?" She asked quietly as she backed away slowly.

No answer.

The shadow simply extended its 'forearm' as if to make some sort of gesture. It passed through the fog into her circle so that she could see what it was.

The arm gave the impression of a dragon's clawed 'hand'. Scaly and webbed, there were four individual appendages each ending with a sharp looking claw. It was also wet, as what she assumed was water dripped off from it.

But this was not caused the tormented young mare to bear a look of horror on her face once more. No...This time, it was the eyes of the creature before her that instilled such terror.

They glowed yellow with a malice she could not even imagine. Before the rest of the terrifying monster could be revealed, she saw what only be described as a torrent of water rushing towards her from behind it...

Her eyes immediately snapped open as she felt a cool liquid being poured on her face.

"No!" She cried out in terror as she flailed her legs wildly—hitting something as another voice called out,

"Woah!" There was a thud. She scrunched herself up and would not dare open her eyes. Simply lying there in what felt like grass, hoping the nightmare would be over soon. One of her legs felt the constriction of a rope connected to some kind of post. Her body ached and was very warm. Her wings hurt when she tried to move them. She seemed to be laying down on some sort of large navy blue sheet. Her muzzle still stung from when she had been hit by—

"...Goddamn it...damn pants are wet now..." The voice was faint now but deep and gruff. She opened her eyes slowly to peak at who had spoken, praying it was not what she thought it was...it was.

Right there in front of her sat the same creature she had encountered yesterday. The same one that attacked her...the same one that knocked her out cold. It was still wearing the same dark colored clothing along with the scarf but it was no longer covering its face nor was it wearing those goggles. She could now clearly see its ape-like features. It did indeed resemble some sort of primate. Two small eyes, two ears, a mouth and a tiny nose. It even had a short beard.

For a moment she half expected to see the thing from her dream.

It bore a look that mixed between that of confusion and wonder. For a moment the two just stayed absolutely still just staring at one another. The creature was the first one to break the ice.

"Uh...Hi?" It raised a 'hand' to make a gesture reminiscent of a wave.

Fluttershy inhaled deeply and her lips began to quiver...

"Oh could you please not,"

And she screamed like she had never screamed before...

"That..."

It threw its hands up in frustration and clamped its ears to protect them from the mare's high pitched shriek. It then immediately lunged at her and clamped her mouth shut with its hand, muffling her scream. It felt hard, rough and it held a faint odor. She stared terrified into the ape creature's dark green eyes as it looked back at her with a glare that could melt steel. At this point she felt as if she was going to have a heart attack.

"Listen! I'm not going to hurt you, but I'm only going to say this once...Shut. Up. If any of those other things hear your incessant screaming...we're both going to have a really bad day...". She simply stared at it, still scared out of her mind. "Do. You. Un-der. Stand?" It said once more, emphasizing each syllable with a poke to her chest.

By now Fluttershy wasn't sure of what to make of this. There weren't many other options she had.

She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. She was completely at this being's mercy.

The only choice she had was to obey and hope it wouldn't decide to kill her. She slowly nodded and the creature seemed to have been put off by her response as if it hadn't been expecting one. It opened its mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of barking.

The creature snapped its head up; she couldn't see what it was given her awkward position right now.

"Brody, stay!" It ordered and the barking stopped.

Who's Brody? She thought. Her captor brought its attention back towards her and gave her a firm glare.

"Alright, I'm going to back off now. Can I trust that you won't scream again?" It's voice was more gentle this time but still bore that concrete authority. It said that it wasn't going to hurt her.

But could she trust it?

She nodded once more. Slowly, it lifted its hand away from her muzzle and she kept her mouth shut as ordered. It backed up into a crouched position with its arms resting on its legs. She thought of making a break for it, but she wouldn't get far with the big heavy post tied to her leg.

The two continued to stare at one another. She looked at with uncertainty. It looked back with curiosity.

"Hey." It said. "You can talk...right? I heard you speak last night."

She didn't respond.

"Okaaay...Not gonna talk. Hey, so long as I have your cooperation I give you my word that I pose no threat to you." It made a rotating gesture with its 'hand'. "So work with me here."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak but was immediately stopped by a very dry sensation in her throat. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she drank anything. To say nothing of how incredibly hungry she was. The shriek-fest just now didn't help either.

"Look, I know you can talk, I haven't been on this godforsaken rock that long yet. So why don't you suck it up...and tell me what you are for starters and a name if you have one." It was getting impatient. She didn't know if she could speak with her throat like this and she feared how the creature would react should she ask for water.

I don't think I have a choice...Well, here goes.

"Um...W-wat-er?"

"What was that?"

"I ne—ed w-wat—." She repeated in-between coughs while pointing to the dark green canteen that was laying right next to it.

It picked up the canteen with its appendages and unscrewed the cap. It came off with a faint 'hiss'. Her captor held the canteen up to her muzzle and tilted it downwards as she opened her mouth. The feeling of the refreshing cold liquid running down her parched throat was very relieving. Right there she could feel a small portion of the pain being soothed off.

"Thank-you..." She said quietly as she wiped her muzzle. It looked back at her a little surprised.

"Don't...Mention it..." He replied. "Um...So, now that you've had a drink are you willing to cooperate?"

"Um...Okay...W-what did I hav—"

"You were going to tell me what you are and your name?" It was listening very intently now.

"I'm...Fluttershy..." She mumbled softly, hiding behind her mane slightly.

"Uh, gonna have to speak up there..." He said holding a hand to his ear. By now she was pretty much certain it was a he.

"It's Fluttershy" She muttered once more, this time almost completely inaudible. She retreated behind her hair even further, curling up into a ball.

"I still can't hear you."

She didn't respond but instead just make a soft, high pitched 'meep' noise. The creature raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Seriously? You're really d—'

"...oing this right now?"

Oh dear...I though I had stopped doing that. I guess its only with ponies...

It gave a low sigh and did what she could only assume was a 'face-hoof'. "If you're not going to tell me your name than at least tell me what you are. Or is that going to be 'muted' too?"

Fluttershy looked down, embarrassed. However she was quick to look up once more as she noticed a rather familiar looking tan and black critter walk up beside the alien and sat down. It was a dog...

"Oh, is he your dog?" She blurted out. The creature instantly looked back up at her, obviously not expecting the response. The dog started panting happily occasionally sniffing at her general direction. It seemed awfully well behaved. She noticed the strange garb the dog was wearing; it was black too. These aliens seemed to really like dark colored clothing.

"Oh! Uh...Brody? Um...Yeah, I guess you could say that..."

So that's who 'Brody' is...

"You like dogs? As in you know what a dog is?" It asked quizzically. What kind of question was that?

"Oh, of course. I...um...I really like animals." Now it looked even more confused.

"So...you're saying that you like those big ugly wolf things?" Fluttershy was taken aback by this. What did he mean by that? Did he mean timberwolves? Were there even timberwolves out here?

Where ever 'here' was...

"You know. The ones with viciously big teeth and claws?" She blinked. "Completely furless like a mole rat? Jet black hide? Beady little eyes? Kill you without a second thought?" He said while making gestures to help emphasize his descriptions. What in Celestia's name is he talking about? She thought. Was this thing okay? No animal in all of Equestria fits the description of whatever he was talking about. Or at least none that she know of...

"Um...I've never heard of anything like th—"

"Fine, forget it...Losing my goddamn mind here..." It said burrowing its face in its hand once more. Brody advanced towards her now—sniffing at her hooves. Then the dog laid down quietly beside her, pressing its body up against hers. The 'vest' the dog was wearing had pouches and little text in a language she'd never seen before. Must have been their own kind of typography. The vest was very well made as there was not a single flaw in how was weaved. It was rather hard too, almost as if it were some sort of armor. But, armor for a dog? Why would they need something like that for a pet? She thought about asking but decided against it. She did not even know if it was anything like the dogs here in Equestria. The creature seemed to be stressed about something, its eyes were just distraught with worry. The alien actually didn't seem as scary as she thought it was. It speaks Equestrian, and even makes familiar gestures. It was more like a pony than she had thought. If said pony was six feet tall, walked on two legs and appeared from nowhere out of the heavens along with a dog and a big metal bird looking thing.

She felt a bit more at ease as the dog cuddled up beside her. She ran her hoof through the dog's fur. It was very soft. She looked back at the creature whom had suddenly gone silent. It seemed to be lost in its own world...or perhaps her world. The realization came to her, this poor thing must have gotten lost and ended up stranded in this creepy forest just like her. At first she thought it was the Everfree that she woke up in but in fact everything here looked so...different. Even the sun looked a bit off. The trees were bigger than any others she had seen. She turned her attention back towards the troubled alien and thought to herself if she wouldn't help this lost creature than who will? With a new found confidence she

"Um...Excuse me...sir? Are you okay?" It looked back at her, eyes moist. Was it...crying? It didn't seem like it was actually tearing up but it definitely looked upset.

"What? Oh." It rubbed its eyes. "...Y-yeah I'm fine. So, you up to talking now?" Fluttershy did not know what to make of this. Just minutes before it was firm and intimidating but now it just done a complete '180' and was just simply talking.

"Y-Yes...My name is Fluttershy. I'm a pegasus." That actually seemed to have lifted a sort of weight from her chest. The creature smiled.

"Fluttershy..." It said. "That's an odd name but...a nice one nonetheless." She cracked a small smile of her own, satisfied. "See? Was that so hard?" It chuckled.

Yes.

"You said you were a pegasus huh? Well figures."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" She asked. Had it encountered other ponies before?

"I mean I thought you were a pegasus but I wanted to ask to make sure. I—uh...Haven't actually encountered a talking horse before. Or at least I'm pretty sure I was on something when I did."

"Pony...I'm actually a pony." She corrected.

"Pony. Riiight." It said with a nod. This creature seemed to have a strange mood swing problem. First serious, then annoyed, then sad? Now happy. "Anyways. Fluttershy." It pointed at her. "Are there by any chance more of you ho—er...ponies?"

"Oh of course. There's my best friends in the whole world and we all live in a town called Ponyville."

"Pony-ville? Jeez...And where exactly is this Ponyville?" He asked.

"Oh, well...where is it from here?" He nodded. "I...don't know where it is from here but—" She was cutoff by some muttering from under his breath. The creature held a hand up to his beard.

"...I swear they never picked up any signs of settlements anywhere. Was Michael drunk when he gave us that report? How the hell could they've missed it...?" It was now talking to itself...

"Um...Excuse me?" She asked nervously.

"Wha—Oh!" It exclaimed; she jumped slightly. "Sorry, I haven't had a proper conversation with anyone for...a really long time now. So I apologize if I'm a bit...off. I usually don't talk this much anyways."

How long has this thing been here?

"Oh. It's okay. I understand, it must be really difficult to be in a place that's completely alien to you. I couldn't imagine being alone through all of it." This being was more like her than he was letting on.

"Thanks for the kind words Fluttershy. I'd imagine seeing something like me out of the blue is probably pretty heavy too." She nodded. "Oh, which reminds me. I'm known as a human or homo-sapien if you want the scientific term."

"Hoo-man...That's a funny name for a species. Oh! I-I don't mean it's silly or anything, jus—" She was cut off by the creature letting out a hearty laugh and fell back on its hindquarters.

"Aah...You're really adorable when you're nervous ya know?" She blushed and hid behind her mane a little. "You remind me of her so much..." Her? Who was this 'her'?

She opened her mouth to ask but was cut off by a loud groan coming from her stomach. Her cheeks warmed up even pinker now.

Oh right. I almost forgot about that...

The 'Human' smiled. She was glad she didn't have to call it the 'creature' anymore.

"Looks like someone's hungry. I'm assuming you're a herbivore correct?" She nodded. "Alright then, let's go get something to eat and we'll get to the rest of my questions and If you have any feel free to ask them after." This was good because she had more than a few questions she wanted to ask...

"Okay, thank you." She replied.

Oh shoot! I forgot to ask him—

"Lemme get that rope off your leg and we'll go get you cleaned up." She blinked twice. Cleaned up? She completely forgot about the post tied to her leg. It was only until she looked at it did she start to feel it.

"Um...why do I need to get cleaned?" She asked hesitantly. He moved over to her and began to undo the knot on her leg. The black rope wasn't terribly constricting but it was very firm.

"No offense." He grunted. "But you look like hammered shit." At this point she was so relieved there was nopony around to see how red she was getting. The rope fell free and a slight pang of relief washed over her leg. She was in fact very filthy and if she could choose to have the luxury of a bath right now she'd take it. There was dried mud all over her and those little cuts were bound to get infected if she didn't do something about them. He backed off and stood back up with a grunt. Brody got up too and wagged his tail happily.

"Um. Why did you tie me to that thing?"

"Well for a number of reasons. One: I didn't want you running off." This made her feel uneasy. "I just wanted talk don't worry." Phew. "Two: I wasn't exactly certain you were friendly." She raised an eyebrow. Me? Unfriendly? "That and you kicked me in the dick yesterday so..."

Oh dear, so I did hit...there.

"I-I'm so—"

"There's no need for any of that it's fine...Water under the bridge alright? Just so long as it doesn't happen again..."

"Okay. Thank you." With that he began walking towards a path leading away from the area and into the thick forest with Brody following suit.

"Wait!" She called out. He looked back at her.

"What is it?" He asked.

"What's your name? I-I mean if you want to tell me, I'd appreciate it." He smirked at her. She gave a 'squee' back. He turned around and walked back towards her, Brody waited by the forest entrance. He held the warm smile as he knelt down to eyelevel.

"The name's Miles." He held out his hand. "Miles Davenport."

The Hunting Grounds

by ShadowMere25

Pursuit

Fluttershy...