> Aliens vs. Predator: Equestria > by Dracthul > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Part 1: Unleashed > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- TING! The sharp sound rang out through the tunnel, drawing everypony’s attention to the ringing sound. A brown earth pony stallion lifted his pickaxe, seeing the tip of it completely broken off by whatever he had hit. Looking back to where he was mining, he saw a weathered-looking slab of metal engraved with some form of old writing he could not read. It appeared ornate despite its worn look. “What is it?” his foreman eagerly asked after shuffling over to him through the nearby rocks. He looked down at what his worker had hit, seeing the strange piece of metal that appeared to be pony-made. “I don’t know, sir. I was minin’ away as normal when I broke my pick on this here,” the worker answered. The foreman called over one of his helpers, his eyes still locked on the metal. He turned to the bulky mare, his mind running at incredible speeds. “Tell our investor their patience has finally paid off, and arrange a meeting with the princess; we just struck gold.” “But, sir, that’s not gold.” “I know,” he calmly replied, “it’s so much better.” A large grin grew on his face. Princess Cadance was attending her normal royal duties, such as meeting with diplomats and regulating legal proceedings, when a mare she had seen around before came up to her. The princess remembered her scurrying through the castle, begging banker after banker for more money to fund their expedition. Her boss, the infamous brother of Filthy Rich, Richie Rich, had been trying to find support to launch an unorthodox search beneath the Crystal Empire. He believed that the crystalline caves had to have some form of old artifact buried within them, so he set out to find it. Unfortunately, the public thought his claims to be outlandish, so he found himself lacking in capital. Eventually, the mare had found a single investor who was interested and viewed it as a new opportunity. If he lost some money, so be it, but if he found something, he would be famous. So, after acquiring some permits, Richie Rich took his group of miners to the Crystal Empire’s caves, starting their excavation. That same mare who had been key in starting the operation stood before Princess Cadance now, a massive smile on her face. “What can I do for you, my little pony?” Cadance kindly asked. “Mr. Rich found something in the caves—something huge—and he wants to meet with you,” the mare rapped out. Cadance put a hoof to her chin as she thought of when she would be available. “I should be free next week; is that good for him?” “Sadly not. He should be arriving—” she trailed off, looking at her wristwatch, “—right now.” At that moment, the lustrous doors to the chamber opened, three ponies decked in suits trotting through them. The one in the front was a grey-colored stallion with black hair, his dark suit accenting him. He pulled off his shades as he came up to the princess. “Good day, Princess Cadance.” He grabbed a briefcase from one of his bodyguards. “A moment of your time, please?” “Sure,” she hesitantly said, “let’s go to my office.” “All right then.” Richie Rich followed the princess through the castle, his bodyguards and assistant going with him. “Here we are. If you’ll take a seat, please,” Cadance told him, waving towards the entourage of chairs in her large office. Richie Rich decided to take the chair directly in front of the princess, his assistant sitting to his right. His bodyguards stayed outside at the door, closing it for privacy. “So,” she started, “what can I do for you? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so… cheery.” She tried to flash a genuine smile. “Well, all my determination and hard work—my workers' hard work, I mean—has paid off. Today while mining, we came across an archaeological artifact that I think you will find most interesting.” He put the silver briefcase on the crystal table, clicking it open and lifting the lid. He pushed a button on the side, and a small projector rose out of the interior of the briefcase. Blue lights danced from the device, making a floating image in front of him. Cadance leaned forward, taking in the image in front of her. Outlined with the blue rays, a small square pyramid floated in the air. It had one gaping entrance that led into the structure, but she could not see what was inside. “What is it?” she asked. “This, princess, is an ancient tomb.” “A tomb?” she asked in confusion. “Yes. My experts believe it is thousands of years old. Inside of it is a single chamber that has giant statues of strange animals, but more importantly, we believe an artifact of our history is within the chamber.” “I don’t understand,” the princess started, “who made this? The pony tribes were barely stable enough to manage the creation of small towns on their own.” “I’m glad you asked that. Remember how I said it was built thousands of years ago?” he asked her. “Yes.” “I believe it was built before the three pony tribes were unified as one. This may very well be the first structure made by all three tribes together.” “That can’t be right. They hated each other, so why would they work together to make a tomb—of all things?” This story started to sound weirder and weirder to the princess, but she could not ignore something so important in understanding more of ponykind’s past. “I don’t know, but I think the answer is in that chamber. And, the tomb is in a large open area, so we can easily get to it.” He closed the briefcase, handing it off to his assistant. The mare cleared her throat. “Richie Rich Archeology is requesting a royally financed expedition into the newly discovered tomb beneath the Crystal Empire’s caves to explore said tomb in an effort to uncover archaeological artifacts.” Cadance leaned back in her chair as she pondered what to do. While the whole thing seemed a little crazy, she had to admit she wanted to know more about this “tomb.” “All right, Richie Rich,” she said while looking at him. “I’ll fund your expedition. I’ll even expedite the process so you can start the day after tomorrow.” Richie Rich smiled, finally about to make history. “On one condition.” His face fell as he focused on the princess again. “Of course, your highness.” “I will be at the front lines with you.” He let out the large breath he was holding, his smile returning. “No problem. Thank you for your time and generosity.” Richie Rich and his assistant stood up, swiftly exiting the door with one last thank you gesture. It was time to make history. “All right, everypony,” Richie Rich shouted out to his group of workers, “let’s make this quick and easy. Remember, Princess Cadance will be accompanying us on our expedition, so make sure she is taken care of.” He clapped his hooves together. “Blast away the last rock!” With a thunderous clap, an explosion blew away the thin layer of stone between the miners and the chasm. Cadance shielded her face with a wing, pebbles scattering around her. She moved it from her face and clapped her wings together, sending dust flying away from her and the group. The air cleared, light pouring into the area and revealing the glorious temple that was the tomb. Everypony looked in awe, their jaws dropping, as they saw it. Giant slabs of once shiny metal created the pyramid, weird masks jutting from its corners. There was also a strange spike extending from the top of the structure. It looked similar to a spine in the way it had bony segments shaping it. At its end was a sharp tip. Princess Cadance had never seen anything like it; its entire exterior was made of metal. While dulled, she started thinking of how much mining had gone into creating this place. “Amazing!” Richie Rich shouted. “Let’s go in.” The team gathered their equipment and started moving. The princess was at the center of the group, and they moved as one until they reached the mouth of the tomb. They were about to head in when a stallion stopped them. “Wait! There is some form of writing on the entrance.” He looked up at the large figures, trying to decipher them. “It’s older than any form of writing I’ve seen, but it has similarities to modern Equestrian. “It says something along the lines of, ‘You may enter if you…’” he trailed off. “What is it?” Cadance asked him. “I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before. It might be some kind of warning or right of passage.” “Well, I’m not too worried about a long-dead civilization’s messages,” Richie Rich announced. They carried on, heading into the depths of the tomb. Cadance felt a little uneasy because of the ominous statues of bipedal creatures wearing the same masks as the ones on the tomb’s exterior. They held spears in their “paws.” They eventually reached the single chamber, climbing down a set of stairs to reach it. There was a stone door with three handles on it, keeping them from the inside. “The door has more writing on it,” the same stallion from before said. He went over to it, feeling the edges with his hooves. “‘The prize lies here.’ That’s what it basically means.” “Huzzah!” Richie Rich shouted. “The prize is inside this room. Now, who wants to open it with me?” Princess Cadance and the worker who discovered the pyramid came forward, gripping the handles and getting ready to pull. Together they turned them, forcing the handles around and causing the door to slowly rise up and into the ceiling. They all went inside, looking around at the circular chamber. There was a hole at the center of the ceiling that went all the way to the top of the pyramid, illuminating the room a little. The floors had writing engraved over them entirely, the walls and ceiling covered as well. Richie Rich shot ahead of the group, looking down the hole in the center. He gasped as he saw a small golden box hanging by a chain that branched into four points. He pulled a small pick from his side, yanking the box up. With a clang, he easily broke the withered chain, holding the pure gold box in front of his face. He saw a hole at the top where he put his pick, wiggling it around to pry off the lid. “We’ve almost got the prize!” The translator had been looking around the room, piecing the story of the tomb together. The more he read, the more he worried about what the place actually was. “Sir,” he said, “I don’t think this is a tomb.” “What are you talking about?” Richie Rich ignorantly said. “There is no body or sarcophagus, and the writing on the walls call this something like a prison.” Richie Rich started to get the lid off, the corners starting to pop off. “The ‘prize’ isn’t a treasure as we thought. According to this, it’s a…” Richie Rich grinned as he felt the last corner of the box come unlatched. He reached to pull the lid off completely. “Stop! It’s a trap!” the translator yelled. It was no use because the lid popped off with a final pull. Thick foggy mist spewed out from the golden container, falling onto the ground. The room shook, dust falling from the ceiling. The translator rushed to the door as it started to slide down. He was not nearly fast enough because the door slammed onto the ground, sealing them in. The shaking had distracted everypony from the box Richie Rich still held in his hooves. The fog had cleared from it, and a fleshy egg that rested inside started to split at the top. He turned back to the box, seeing the grotesque egg. “What the hell?” Cadance came over, looking down at the egg, its top completely opened. Inside was a fleshy-looking mass. “What is that?” she asked in disgust and shock. “I don’t know, but it almost looks like it’s ali—” Richie Rich tried to say, seeing the tiniest of shifts in the mass, when suddenly it unrolled itself and leaped towards him. It had eight legs like a spider, but two sacs and a tail hung from its body as it shot towards his face. He tried to move out the way, but it wrapped onto his face, gripping tightly at his neck and jaw. He felt his mouth get forced open, and then something large and living was put down his throat. Cadance saw the horror unfold, and she charged her horn to try and blast the creature off of him. After a moment of precise aim, she burned it with a bolt of energy. It fell from his body, shriveling up as it turned to ash. “Is everypony okay?” she said aloud. Everypony looked over themselves, making sure they were in one piece and nodded to her. Richie Rich fell over, slamming onto the stone floor. She came over to him, checking to make sure he was okay. He was still breathing, so he had just passed out. It seemed she was now in charge. “Okay. We need to find a way out of here. At least we should be getting air from the opening in the ceiling.” “The only way out is the door we came in,” the worker who had found this place said. He was now the Chief Miner. “But we do have the picks we brought with us. If we all start chipping away the stone, we can get it thin enough for you to blast a way through.” “Sounds like a plan.” They started right away, unaware of what was going on inside of Richie Rich. The creature forced into him was already devouring his insides and growing larger by the minute. After about half an hour of chipping away at the door, everypony stopped when they heard Richie Rich take in a large gasp. He quickly tried to stand, falling back over as he did. The Chief Miner went over to him. “Are you all right, sir?” “Yeah, just give me a min—” Richie Rich responded before erupting into a scream. He felt his ribs crack as something pushed against him. The Chief Miner saw his boss’s chest moving as his skin stretched, making the worker recoil. With one last push, Richie Rich’s chest exploded open, his blood and guts flying everywhere in a brutal spray. To everypony’s horror, a snake-like creature emerged from the hole, screeching loudly. It propelled itself from his breast, flying towards the Chief Miner. The creature latched onto his stomach, chomping down on his flesh as it burrowed inside. Bloody screams echoed through the room as he thrashed around, desperately trying to throw the thing off. It continued to chew, now entering his stomach fully. Making a push through him, it came out the other side of his back, jumping onto the ground. The worker’s lifeless body fell over while his eyes rolled back. The serpent was bigger now, its tail starting to form while its body had turned black. From pony to pony it jumped, devouring everything it came in contact with as it continued to grow. Now equipped with claws, it dragged a pony to the center of the room, jumping down into the space and crunching on the poor stallion. It threw his body up, covering the hole that lit up the room. Cadance heard scuttering as the room went dark for a second. She looked left and right all around the room when the light returned, seeing nothing. She felt something drip on her nose, then another drip after that. She slowly looked up, hearing a hissing sound. “Dear Celestia,” she whispered in fear as she saw the fully formed Xenomorph above her. Its wicked teeth and slicked bony form looked alien in every way. It jumped down, opening its jaws as it prepared to bite. The translator jumped in the way of the princess, sending the creature hurdling back as he rammed into it. “Get out of here! Warn Equestria so they can kill this thing!” he shouted to her. With a tear falling from her eye, she turned towards the door and blasted it open with her horn. She opened her wings and took flight, fleeing the prison. The Xenomorph stood back up, growling at the ten ponies left in the room. They gripped their picks, ready to fight off the alien. It charged, thrashing its tail over the ground wildly. It jumped, whipping its tail through one pony’s chest before shooting its second mouth through the head of another. A pick cut through part of its side, causing it to screech in pain. Its tail whipped the attacker away, but another stabbed it in the back. Now weakened, it could not hold off the assault. The ponies stabbed and stabbed at the creature, eventually killing it. They looked down at their weapons, seeing them wither apart from the creature’s acidic blood. They looked all around the room as parts of the wall pushed outward as they became mantles. On each of the dozen parts, an egg like the one in the golden box started to open up. Ever since the expedition into the ancient tomb, the aliens had multiplied a thousandfold. Like rats, they spread, taking over the entire Crystal Empire. Princess Cadance did not have enough time to mount a defense against them, so her empire was overwhelmed. The citizens had to relocate to Equestria’s other major cities for the time being. So far, the infestation had been contained to just the empire, but they were starting to spread further. The four alicorn princesses had gathered an army to fight off the swarm while they tried to find a solution, but the aliens were merciless creatures that were breaking through due to their suicidal assaults. All eyes fell on the new princess, Twilight Sparkle, and her castle that had just recently formed in Ponyville. Everypony hoped it was not just a coincidence her castle appeared days before the invasion. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, and her five friends were gathered in the room of the castle with the Friendship Map. So far, it had done nothing but sit idly, but everypony in Equestria hoped the map held a secret to their survival against the aliens. “I still can’t believe this is happening to us,” Twilight said in dismay. “Yes,” Celestia answered coldly, “it is still a shock. One day we were all enjoying ourselves, and then they awoke.” “I cannot feel but that I am to blame for all this,” Cadance said. “I am the one who helped release them after all.” “Thou cannot blame thyself for mistakes that thou were not responsible for,” Luna told her. “It will only make you more bitter, and that is a dark path to go down.” With silence hanging in the air, they contemplated. Their thoughts were broken as a purple pulse came from the Friendship Map, the sound going through the room. They all looked at it immediately, seeing six figures appearing on the map. They were the symbols of the Elements, and they danced over the map as they started to single in on a location. Everypony cocked their head when they saw where they had stopped. The Elements hung in the ground below Canterlot castle. “That can’t be right, can it?” Applejack asked. “I doubt it was a mistake,” Twilight answered. “Whatever it is, it may be the secret to our survival.” “It’s settled then,” Luna started, “thou and thy friends shall go beneath Canterlot in search of our last hope to vanquish our foe.” “We won’t let you down princesses,” Twilight proudly said. “I trust you won’t. Best of luck, my little ponies,” Celestia finished, wishing them all good luck. They set out immediately to Canterlot in search of whatever the map wanted them to find. Little did they know, the aliens were headed to the same place in search of the same thing… > Part 2: The Hunter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “We’ve got to hold them off!” a commander shouted to his men. An alien charged at him, but the pony quickly spun his spear around, stabbing the raging alien with its sharp end and lifting the creature into the air. With a final screech, it went limp, dripping its toxic blood onto the ground. “We can’t let them get through The Boundary!” “We can’t hold ‘em for much longer,” one of his soldiers told him while trying to fend off an alien. “We need backup; we need the princesse—” the soldier was saying until he was impaled by the spear of a tail. The commander looked around, seeing the carnage that had unfolded. Countless bodies of aliens were scattered on the ground, each of them leaking acid everywhere. At least thirty ponies laid on the ground, their bodies torn apart by the things they tried to hold back. His group had dwindled to only a few ponies, but they could not afford to retreat. Should the aliens get through The Boundary, they would run rampant through Equestria, feasting on anything in their way as they reproduced even more. The Boundary was the last stand against them, but things were looking grim. Coming from the distance, waves of them charged towards the front lines, equally willing to sacrifice themselves for the end of Equestria. All they saw was prey, and they hungered. The commander charged his horn, creating a spell within his mind. Worry overtook him as he saw an alien sprinting towards him, saliva dripping from its jaws as it prepared to strike. It never could because he finished the spell, hurling a massive fireball towards it. It skidded on the ground as it tried to turn around but was quickly consumed by the flames. The fireball went past it, scorching at least five more to the bone. He was rammed on the side of his armor, shattering the piece and sending him tumbling on the ground. Swiftly getting up in a roll, he saw an alien leaping at him, claws outstretched. The commander closed his eyes as he awaited the strike, but he instead heard a whimper come from the creature. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing a pile of ash falling into the wind where the alien once was. Four hooves landed on the ground with a clanging sound, making him look to where it came from. Standing before him was Princess Celestia herself, equipped in her battle gear. A golden chestplate covered her barrel, leaving only the base of her wings exposed. Her legs were covered in similar plates while her hooves had steel horseshoes on them, thick enough to be dangerous. Her regalia was still on, but it glowed with a furious glow of white. “I hoped to never wear this again, but it seems I must,” she said aloud. Her armor and stature intimidated even the commander. She trotted forward, seeing the failing defense firsthand. He could hear her let out a sigh, one that sounded sad almost. She flapped her wings, sending her into the air with a powerful beat. Rising over the battlefield, she spoke to her ponies with a voice of authority never heard before. “Shield your eyes!” She extended her wings to their full extent as her fur ignited with a white glow, her entire body being engulfed by it. She clenched her eyes closed. The sun was behind her, and she channeled its power through every fiber of her body as she called down its glorious fury. She opened her eyes with a red light, unleashing the sun upon her enemies. The aliens looked up just in time to see the beam of fire coming towards them. Their screams rose into the air as the battlefield was consumed in scorching heat that seared the flesh from the beasts, utterly destroying them. The commander saw the scene, truly understanding the pure power the princess held. He was thankful he was on her side. The area grew silent, every last alien wiped out by Celestia. The glow around her faded as she lowered back onto the ground, landing with a gentle tap. Her face instantly fell as she saw another wave of Xenomorphs peaking the hills in the distance, all of them charging towards the ponies without hesitation. “Oh no,” she said as barely a whisper on the wind, but it spoke volumes. They all got up from the ground, getting their weapons ready and charging their spells as they saw the horde nearing. The pegasi shot into the air, holding spears out in front of them and diving towards the aliens. Fireballs flew, and cries of rage erupted as the two sides clashed. Metal cut through flesh, and talons cut through bone as blood sprayed everywhere. Celestia clapped her wings together, sending a group of aliens flying back. She shot a ball of inferno at another group, burning them alive. An alien came up behind her, but her clad hooves crushed its chest. Ponies fell as they were overwhelmed by the reckless force. As things looked near their end, a high pitch trill thundered over the land. The Xenomorphs froze as they heard the harrowing sound. They whipped around, sprinting away from the ponies and towards their mother. Twilight and her five friends went through tunnel after tunnel in search of whatever the map wanted them to find. Their spirits fell further as they exited another cave, still finding nothing. They returned to a large chamber that branched out into dozens of caverns, deciding to take a break. “This place still gives me the creeps,” Twilight said to her friends. “Yeah,” Rainbow Dash started, “being taken prisoner by a freaky bug queen can do that.” The group chuckled at that, sitting down. Their bodies ached from how long they had been walking and they had nothing to show for it. Twilight stood up, stretching her wings since they were sore from staying closed all day. She walked around a little, trying to get the stiffness out of her legs. “There’s gotta be something here that we’re missing. The map wanted us to come here; we just need to find whatever it is that it’s trying to show us,” she said. “Why can’t these things ever be easy?” Rarity rhetorically asked. “What fun would that be?” Pinkie Pie responded. Twilight let out an exaggerated sigh, going to one of the cave walls and leaning into it. Something audibly clicked as she did, making her turn around in surprise. Her friends looked as well, seeing the chunk of stone slide back further into the wall. The ground rumbled as a massive section of stone that made up a large part of the wall separated into two pieces, opening outwards like a pair of doors. The Elements stepped back as a cloud of dust floated out from the newly revealed area. The inside was dark, and the air was absolutely dry compared to the cave air. “I-I-I think w-we found it,” Fluttershy managed to stammer out. The ominous room and its entrance shook her to her core. The dust cleared, letting the group of friends look into the strange chamber. Darkness blanketed the room, making it impossible to see what was inside. A slight chill came from it, making the friends’ hair stand up. Twilight started to walk forward when Fluttershy stopped her. “D-do we have to go… in there?” “Yes,” Twilight said, “the map led us here for a reason.” Fluttershy acquiesced, understanding the truth of her friend’s words. Steeling herself, she followed Twilight with the others. They fully stepped in, the sound of a mechanical device roaring. They looked up in surprise when light appeared around them. A panel above their heads was illuminating the room, and another one lit up after it. One after another, they lit up, going in a line down what they realized to be a long hallway. The final light lit up, the room then becoming bright as the extra lights kicked in. The ponies awed what they were looking at. On both sides of the hallway, weapons of some sort were encased on the walls. Some were long and sharp like a spear, but others were blunt with a large hole at the end. At least a dozen different weapons lined the room. At the end of the hallway was a door, so they went towards it. As they reached the end of the hall, said door opened, retracting into the sides of the wall. The Elements continued into the chamber, instantly feeling the severe chill from inside. This room was made entirely of grey metal, but the large pod at the center was what drew their attention. White fog clouded the glass of the tube, constantly shifting around. As they tried to peer into the thing, they saw parts of a strange creature, but it was too hard to tell what it was. Their eyes moved to behind the pod as they saw something that made Fluttershy gag instantly. On the back wall, “trophies” were mounted everywhere. “What are those?” Rainbow Dash asked in a fearful tone. “I don’t know,” Twilight answered lifelessly. “They look like some kind of prize or trophy, maybe.” Everypony gulped at the sight. The skulls of various foreign creatures covered most of the wall, and another section had skulls that were still attached to spines decorating it. “What have we found?” Rarity thought aloud as she continued to stare at the wall. Suddenly, a pedestal rose from the metal grate floor in front of the pod. On it was a single, large metal button. Everypony realized that it likely would open up the pod of the creature that called this place its home. None of them made a move towards the button. Twilight gulped and told her friends, “We should go.” Suddenly, the sound of claws grinding sharply on stone came through the hallway and into the chamber where the six mares were. They snapped their heads in the direction of the horrendous sound. At the end of the hall, four of the creatures the friends had only heard of came skulking in towards them. “What is that?!” Rarity screamed. “I think those are the aliens we have heard of,” Twilight said with fear. The aliens snarled, dripping puddles of saliva from their jaws before breaking into a crawl on all fours. Twilight charged up a bolt of energy in her horn, weaving a blast powerful enough to almost kill a pony. “Stand back!” she shouted to her friends before letting the spell fly. To her horror, the bolt whipped one of the aliens, simply causing it to squeal and slow down slightly. “We need a plan!” “Throw them a ‘Please Don’t Hurt Us’ party?” Everypony said, “No, Pinkie,” in unison. Now was not the time for parties—not that the creature would care. “I can fly up and kick their flank,” Rainbow Dash offered. “If these things are anything like I’ve heard, they might kill you!” Twilight told her. The pegasus pointed at the center of the room. “What about this?” “Why would we wake that up?” the alicorn asked, surprised her friend wanted to do such a thing. “Whatever it is, it seems far more prepared to fight these things than we are right now. And, you said it yourself: the map led us here for a reason. “I don’t want to wake it up, but if it is going to save us, then I’m willing to do it.” Rarity cut in, saying, “I hate to say it, but I agree. We must do everything we can to save Equestria.” No pony else contested, so Twilight gave in. “I hope we’re not making a mistake.” With that, she slammed a hoof down on the button, causing it to click into place. The fog from the tube released into the air as the lights flickered for a second. The aliens were close now. They had been stalking the ponies like a predator would its prey, but they were tired of playing with their food. “Come on, come on,” Fluttershy absently said. She started to bite her hooves as the monsters got closer. The glass on the pod opened into two halves as compressed air spewed everywhere. Joints that had not been used in a long time shifted as the creature inside moved. The pedestal with the button opened up, revealing a bracer. Clicking noises echoed through the chamber, catching the attention of the aliens. They sprinted toward the ponies, quickly closing the distance left in the hallway. Two of them took the lead, the ponies staring at them in fear. Twilight put a magical shield around her and her friends as the aliens jumped, but the creatures did not jump at her. Instead, they jumped towards the center of the room. A thunderous roar erupted from the awoken creature as it wrapped its thick hands around the necks of the two aliens, catching them off guard. His grip tightened before he twisted his hands, snapping the aliens’ necks in one violent motion. He let their limp bodies fall to the floor. The two other aliens came forward after a moment of hesitation, thrashing their tails around. As one tried to strike him, he grabbed the tail and yanked it hard, causing the tail’s owner to fall onto the ground. The other alien jumped onto him, throwing them both onto the metal floor. They struggled with each other, dodging sets of jaws and punches to the face. The other Xenomorph gained its footing, approaching the downed pair. Seeing this, the freed creature gestured to the pedestal with a hand, roaring at the ponies who were watching in both terror and gratitude. Twilight shot into action, diving under one alien and spinning around to the pedestal. Held within it was a metal gauntlet. She quickly grabbed the device, tossing it through the air to their savior. He put out his hand, letting it slide over his left arm and lock into place. If he could grin, he would because two crooked, long, curved blades extended from the bracer. With an upward thrust, he stabbed the blades through the alien’s head, watching as its mouth twitched for a moment. He threw the body off of himself, jumping onto his feet and facing his last enemy. Taunting it with a snarl, he rolled out the way of a claw swipe, returning in kind to its side. Acid sprayed from the wound, burning some of the floor away. He looked at his blades, making sure they were still intact. They were. He slid on the ground, wrenching his blades through the legs of the Xenomorph, causing it to stumble. He grabbed its tail, driving it through its own head. He lifted a foot and slammed it onto part of the tail, making sure the vermin was dead. After a quick look around, he collapsed onto his knees. His body was still recovering from his supernatural sleep, and he just fought two of the most agile creatures in the universe, making his body ache. It was then that the six ponies got a good look at what they had awoken. He was a large creature, to begin with, far bulkier than even Princess Celestia, but he also stood on two legs, which made him tower over everypony. His muscular build was something to be admired. His skin was a flush brown, and pieces of dark green scale covered parts of his legs, arms, and chest. They made his skin look like that of a reptile’s. He had lengthy fingers and toes with tiny talons at their ends. His head was a spectacle in itself. Where he should have lips, there was a mandible that stretched outward, revealing the fleshy interior of his mouth. Four fangs pulled the skin out, twitching occasionally. His eye sockets were deep, making his eyes sink into his face. The top of his head went back in a flat bony plate, partially divided at its top. Dropping from the sides of these features was hair resembling dreadlocks with beads on parts of them. They were not too long, only reaching his shoulders in the back and his upper chest in the front. Wrapped around his body was a black net of some sort that hugged his features tightly. He looked at his bracer, tapping the device with his fingers as the ponies continued to watch him in a stupor from the corner of the room. A small part of the ceiling was lowered by a metallic arm, coming down to his face. Mounted on it was a mask. Made of some of the strongest metal in the universe, the mask was brown with curved plates making it fit to his face perfectly. Covering the entire surface, an array of characters was engraved into the large plate that was the top of the mask—each of them representing his skill as a hunter. The warrior lifted the mask from its place, slowly lowering it onto his face until it sealed onto him. The technology hidden within it came to life, flashing infrared light into his vision. The glass in front of his eyes lit up, becoming yellow on the outside. The ultimate hunter—the Predator—had returned to Equestria. > Part 3: Salutations > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now with his mask fully activated, a map of the area came up through the hunter’s mask, showing him how Equestria looked in the present. The city he was under had grown a lot larger and more advanced since he last walked the planet. Ponykind had taken a large part of the world as its territory, and he was at the heart of it all: the capital of Equestria, Canterlot. Images of the rulers of Equestria appeared, the four princesses who ruled the land unfamiliar to him. Over time, a constitutional bureaucracy had been adopted into pony society, doing away with the feudal and dictatorial rule they once had. He was surprised by the massive shift in Equestria and its views, but they had also become weaker, now interested in friendship and kindness instead of war and power. The lessons of the past had faded with time itself, becoming less than legend. No pony knew of the temple built to house the wicked alien creature that had caused the infestation of Equestria, and no pony knew of the Predator’s chamber beneath Canterlot. The Elements stared at him as images flashed through his mask, the images unseen to the mares. He was just standing there, unmoving beside his slow breathing that made his chest slowly puff in and out. “Um, excuse me…” Twilight said to him, unsure if he was conscious. He stayed still. “Thanks for saving us,” she pressed on, wondering if he understood her at all. He did understood their words due to the translator in his mask that knew the ponies’ language. It sounded deeper and slower through his mask, but he still knew what they were saying. The images stopped, the world around him reappearing with a flash in his mask. He turned to the six ponies now in front of him. It had been a long time since he had seen one of their colorful kind, but it seemed like only yesterday when he was watching them all bow before him. There was a series of clicking sounds before a deep voice came from his mask, saying, “Hello, ponies.” They jumped from the sound of the voice and the creature being able to talk to them in their language. “You can understand us?” Fluttershy asked, being the expert on everything animal. He nodded to her. She looked around the room for a minute, seeing the ornaments on the walls again. “W-what are those?” she asked while pointing to them. “Trophies.” That made her shudder. “Proof of the hunt.” “You hunt?” Twilight hesitantly asked, somewhat afraid to get an answer. He nodded again. “I am Yautja. Everything is a hunt for my kind.” “I’ve never heard of such a species in all my time researching mythic creatures,” she said, puzzled and with a hoof on her chin. “I’m not from this world,” he calmly responded. That made them gasp. While he did seem very foreign compared to the other creatures of Equus, they did not think him to be an alien, Twilight especially. “Who are you?” Twilight asked, posing the question she needed answered most. He took a moment to think on what to say, mulling over his multitude of options. “I am Drak’thul, the last of the Kuuntak clan,”—he slammed a fist into his chest in pride—“bearer of my house name. While I would normally withhold telling you this, you did save my life. For that, I owe you a debt.” “There’s no need to thank us, really,” Twilight said. “Besides, it was you who saved us first.” “Regardless, I am in your debt, Equestrians.” He finally took a seat, one popping up from the ground as he leaned back. It looked like it was practically floating, its metallic construction held up by one thin pole. He rested comfortably just above the ground. “Not this debt thing again,” Applejack whispered under her breath. “You don’t owe us anything,” Twilight kindly said. His face turned sour quicker than lightning. “No!” he practically shouted. “You cannot forfeit the debt! To do so is a dishonor to me and my clan.” “Oh?” she mouthed, slightly taken aback. “Yes. In my culture, honor perpetuates everything,” he explained. “Discarding a service debt is akin to saying you find the debtor a burden.” “Okay then. I un-revoke your debt to us.” He seemed to relax, now slumped back in his chair. There was a moment of awkward silence before she knew what to ask—however much she did not want to ask it. “So,” she began, “what were those things that attacked us?” He seemed to deflate upon remembering the aliens that escaped his sanctuary. “They were Xenomorphs. They are wicked yet formidable creatures that we Yautja hunt to gain our marks of honor. Without these marks, you are not considered a true warrior. My kind has gone to countless planets setting up hunting grounds where we can freely earn our marks. We also use these areas for sport, but I am beyond such pastimes. I came to this world to set up my own personal hunting ground, and I did. The temple I don’t doubt you found was built for me by your kind, back when they thought I was a god. It seems its purpose was lost over time, however. The aliens inside were left to breed, and they have started to overrun this planet, I assume. That is why you came looking for me after all, right?” “We had no idea you were down here, but we knew something important was here,” Twilight said. “You’re lucky you found me. These creatures will not go down easily, but I know them better than they know themselves. If we are to save this world, we must make a plan.” “The other princesses are in the city above us. They’ll know what to do to save Equestria,” Twilight said. “E-excuse me,” a meek voice called out. Drak’thul turned his head towards the cream-colored pegasus who had spoken. His very gaze made her shrink. “Shouldn’t w-we t-t-try to save the a-aliens?” He snarled, sounding like a beast, scaring the ponies around him. He stepped over to her in two quick bounds, towering over her small body. “No,” he stated, yellow eyes narrowed. “They do not listen to reason. They do not understand emotion. Their sole purpose is to further the hive, which means killing anything in their way and breeding to survive. If they continue to live on this planet, it will only be a matter of time before their infestation is too overwhelming to control. If we are to save this world, we must destroy them!” Fluttershy was shaking, utterly terrified of him. Her friends came over to her, looking most displeased. “You can’t just yell at our friend like that!” Twilight said, thinking herself to be intimidating. “I do as I please, Princess Twilight,” he spoke. “How do you know my name?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowing. “I have been collecting information about this world while I’ve been in my pod, so I know all your names. I know of your trinkets that helped you defeat Discord and the other villains you faced. I also know they are gone now.” “Then you should know that we can use them against you if we have to.” “True,” he mused. “But you need me. You cannot stop the aliens on your own.” “With the power of Friendship, anything is possible!” Twilight countered. “Not when it comes to the aliens. Your magic doesn’t work the same on them. Your Elements will not be able to get rid of them all at once.” He went over to a panel on the floor, pulling it off and grabbing a sphere from within. He twisted the sphere in opposite directions, opening it and taking off the lid. He then grabbed the large syringe that was inside. He extended his arm, inserting the needle into his thick skin and pushing the blue liquid in the syringe into his blood. He tossed the syringe back into the floor, putting the panel back on before standing up to his full height. “I walked this world before you were born, and I know your kind. You may have changed, but I still know you speak to logic in some way. I am not your enemy. I can help you if you want my help. Otherwise, I will leave you on your own.” “Fine,” Twilight acquiesced. “We need your help—but don’t think we won’t lock you away if you hurt us.” “I have no intention to.” He walked over to the exit. “Now, we must begin immediately. I injected myself with something to keep me going for now, but I will need food soon.” “Once we get back to Canterlot, you can get all the food you want,” Twilight said, she and her friends following him as he went down the hall. He stopped along the way, looking at some of the weapons he had on display. With the wave of his hand, a robotic arm pushed one of the weapons out of its display, presenting it to him. He picked it up, moving it around and inspecting it. He looked down the barrel of the cannon, finding everything intact. He placed the weapon on his shoulder, his shoulder plate connecting to it. The cannon spun around, calibrating itself, before pointing up at the ceiling. Drak’thul found another weapon on the wall, this one smaller than the last. He waved his hand again, the gun extending. He put it on his other shoulder, the weapon calibrating itself like the other. He then went to the other wall, glancing at the various armaments. There were disk blades, small swords, small pistols, and his favorite: the energy spear. He retrieved the spear from the wall, its length about equal to his height. On the outside, it looked like a typical iron spear with a sharpened end, but it was the technology inside that made him love the weapon so much. He spun it around in his hand before placing it on his back, magnets attaching it to part of his armor. “Grab whatever you want,” he told the ponies. “Those of you without magic will need it.” Applejack was the first to go for a weapon, seeing a strange type of pitchfork that was small enough for her to handle. She plucked it from the wall, finding it lighter than she thought it would be. Rainbow Dash flew up to grab one of the swords. Pinkie Pie grabbed what looked to be a ball, finding it just the right weight to be something she could bounce. “What does this do?” she asked while juggling it. “Don’t drop that!” Pinkie Pie stopped juggling, holding the ball tight. “That thing will harm whatever it hits while in motion.” He sighed, looking to see what weapons the ponies had. “Are you not going to grab anything?” he asked, seeing Fluttershy without a weapon. “No,” she replied. “I can’t bring myself to hurt another creature.” “If that’s what you wish,” he said, starting down the hall. He led them out the secret door they had come in through, taking them to the large chamber they were in not too long ago. He walked over to a corner in the cave, looking at the ground as he did. “If I remember correctly,” he said, slamming his foot on the rock, “then this should work.” A few seconds later, the ground rumbled, a large hexagon of rock lifting up. He backed away, watching as a metallic elevator came up from the ground. A glass door on it slid open, inviting them in. He walked inside, the control panel inside flashing. He gestured for the ponies to come in, and they did, finding the elevator something awing. He then tapped the panel, the door to the elevator closing. The sound of a machine hummed as they started to rise into the air, the cave disappearing as they passed through layers of rock. Within a minute, they reached another level of the cave. The door opened, Drak’thul exiting. The ponies came out, finding themselves just below the surface. They could see the faint light coming down the tunnel that led outside. “It’s just down there,” Twilight said, pointing at the tunnel. Drak’thul started walking, the ponies trotting with him. They went down the tunnel for what seemed like an hour, but they eventually got to the end, the sun’s light blasting them as they climbed out of the cave. They looked around, finding themselves not too far from the gates of Canterlot. Drak’thul looked at the city in amazement, finding it so different compared to the pony architecture he had seen before. He also realized the city was atop a piece of rock that jutted out from a large mountain—a mountain that he remembered. Back when he walked Equus, the mountain had not broken apart, and one of the most advanced pony cities was at its peak. It seemed that the city was no more, and was instead replaced with Canterlot. Breaking from his trance, he started trudging through the grass, headed towards Canterlot. It was not long until his helmet picked up on a distant sound. He whipped his head around, listening carefully for what it was. He stilled his body and slowed down his breathing, barely able to hear what sounded like rumbling. He focused on the noise more, finally realizing what it was. He turned to the ponies, who were wondering what was going on. “Evacuate the city. I’ll hold them off.” “What do you mean?” Twilight said. “What’s going on?” He pointed in the opposite direction of Canterlot, Twilight seeing a wave of aliens on their way. “Dear Celestia,” she whispered, seeing the entire landscape moving. She turned to her friends. “We need to leave now! We have to evacuate the city before they get here!” “I’ll go warn the princesses,” Rainbow Dash said, already shooting off into the distance. Drak’thul looked back at the approaching horde, already seeing them getting close. He reached behind his back, grabbing his spear as he steeled himself for combat. He had injected himself with a form of steroid that would give him an extra bout of strength. He hoped it would be enough to hold the aliens off long enough to get reinforcements. He got into position, his feet finding purchase in the dirt. His shoulder weapons slowly moved, aiming toward the aliens. A red light started to run along their sides, indicating how much charge they had. After a few seconds, both weapons were ready. He waited, watching the top of a large hill that stopped him from seeing most of the aliens. Once they peaked, he would start firing. The ground began to roll as the horde drew near. The wind stilled, allowing him to hear the horrid screeches of the creatures who all wanted to kill him. There were at least a thousand of them, but he still had decent odds. As long as his technology was still at full functionality after the number of years he had been asleep, then he would be able to stand a chance. The second the aliens peaked over the hill, his shoulder weapons locked on with laser points, opening fire. One shot a massive ball of energy that burst into a ball of fire as it impacted an alien, taking out at least half a dozen at once. The other shot smaller shots at quicker speeds, each energy bolt going through the head of its target. Drak’thul kept firing as he spun his spear around, the weapon coming to life. A red bar lit up, filling up as he prepared to fight the nearing aliens. He got off a few more blasts, sending the innards of his foes flying through the air. It was not long before the aliens descended upon him, the first of the wave reaching him. With one swift move, he whipped his spear through the air, the pointed end slicing the head of the closest alien clean off. He then spun his weapon, cutting deep into another. The metal was able to withstand the acid thanks to the coating it had, and it was as sharp as ever, cleaving through alien after alien. Drak’thul rolled on the ground, thrusting his spear through the torso of one of his attackers before throwing the body off. He then hit an alien behind him with the butt of his spear, dazing it. The metal shifted as another sharp tip formed where the butt was a second ago, Drak’thul stabbing it through the alien’s skull. His smaller gun was firing at whatever it could, holding off some of his opponents. The cannon was shooting at the hill, still blasting countless aliens. He kept fighting with his spear, but he was getting flanked by more aliens than before. He grabbed his spear with two hands and slammed the butt of it into the ground, a wave of energy washing over the seared grass and scattering the small horde around him into the sky. Their bodies fell upon more of their kin, giving Drak’thul time to release a few more volleys from his weapons. Even with his supernatural weapons, it did not take long for the swarm to overwhelm him, closing in from all sides. His spear was still recharging from the blast, not at full capacity. He looked around, seeing dozens of aliens all around him. With no other option, he hit his spear on the ground and pushed himself up, getting his bulk off the ground. At the same time, he fired a downward blast with his cannon, propelling himself backward far enough to gain some distance between him and the horde. Looking back at the landscape, seeing more aliens coming still, he realized he needed an advantage. Even with his technology, he would not last much longer on flat ground. Turning around, his weapons still firing, he noticed the towers of Canterlot, finding them perfect for his plan. He faced the aliens again, putting his spear on his back. He opened the panel on his wrist gauntlet, touching the screen and syncing with his shoulder cannon. With a few taps, he reconfigured it to fire much larger shots, ones powerful enough to shake the ground. The cannon powered up, Drak’thul aiming it with his gauntlet. With a tap, he fired it. Like a mortar, it hurled a titanic ball of swirling energy that impacted the ground in front of the aliens, sending dirt everywhere in a cloud of fire and electricity. Ear-piercing screeches filled the air as aliens burned, even more having been completely obliterated. The cannon recharged for a few seconds before he fired again, erasing more aliens from the land. Their advancement slowed as he continued to lay down fire upon them, but after a few more shots, the cannon shut down from overheating. With that, Drak’thul turned around and sprinted. His legs pumped as he bounded over rocks and holes alike, hoping to reach the city before the aliens caught up to him. If he were lucky, his siege would have bought him some time. He kept his eyes forward, the sound of rapidly approaching angered screeches spurring him on even more. The gates to the city drew near. Drak’thul flicked an arm to his side, blades extending from the gauntlet he wore. He glanced back, seeing the aliens almost set upon him. Reaching the walls, he sped up, pushing himself as hard as he could before leaping into the air. He drove his blades into the wall, cutting through the stone and latching onto the wall. Using his blades as leverage, he pushed himself up, retracting them before stabbing them into a higher spot on the wall. An alien leaped at him, its claws just touching his foot before it was obliterated by a small blast from his recharged cannon. He let out a snarl, ignoring the pain as he put an arm on the top of the wall, climbing over it. He started running along the wall, the aliens scaling the side of the wall as well. He reached a tower, quickly climbing it by its windows and ledges and reaching its roof. He turned around, his shoulder gun spraying the aliens with deadly energy, sending them tumbling to the ground below. His cannon was able to fire down upon the oncoming aliens, blowing them to pieces. As aliens leaped at him, he cut them apart. The tower let him funnel the aliens in, allowing him to kill them easily. He grabbed his spear again, using that to keep his distance as he slew his foes. Suddenly, his back arched, a pained roar escaping from his mouth as he was slashed across the back. Losing his footing, he slipped on the tiles of the slanted roof, causing him to fall off the edge. He flailed around in the air as he fell toward the hard, deadly ground below. He grabbed his spear with both hands, trying to aim at the side of the tower as he fell. Wrenching his spear forward, he drove it into the stone, causing his body to jolt as he caught himself. His shoulders were on fire from the pain, but he pulled himself up. He climbed onto a small ledge outside a window, pulling his spear from the side of the tower. The end was a little damaged, but it was still functional. He heard a sharp hiss, his blades already going into the head of the alien that tried to sneak up on him. It got the last laugh, however, as it started screaming, alerting the others to his presence. Drak’thul watched as the aliens swarmed him within seconds, the serpentine creatures seeming to come from every direction. He started firing as fast as he could, but there was no way to hold off so many, and he had nowhere to run. He opened the panel on his gauntlet, pressing the screen as his weapons bought him some more time. It seemed he would die to the very creatures he had saved to hunt, the irony of the situation quite apparent to him. However, that notion did not come to pass, for he saw a bright light in the sky. Looking up, he saw a ball of energy swirling with the colors of the rainbow, watching it descend. The aliens shielded their eyes from the great light, but they were soon charred to crisps as a beam of energy came from the ball, wiping out everything evil that it touched. All around him, the aliens were turned to ash as they disappeared in a flash. The beam stopped, the ball moving somewhere else before releasing another beam. Drak’thul then heard the sound of hooves, spotting the Royal Guard charging through the city. The aliens started to retreat, those too slow being blasted into oblivion. Any other stragglers were cut down by the guards. The ball flew over to Drak’thul, smaller beams reaching out and wrapping around his body. At first, he struggled against their magical grip, but after a moment, he relaxed. The energy felt warm and comforting, and he felt at ease as he was lifted from the ledge he was on and lowered to the ground. The beams left him, the ball landing on the ground in front of him. With a flash, it vanished, revealing Twilight and her five friends, their bodies glowing with magical energy. They slowly lowered to the grass beneath them, the mystical breeze blowing through their manes seeming to calm as they did. “It seems I misjudged you, ponies,” Drak’thul said in his sonorous voice. “Twice, you have saved me. My debt to you only appears to grow.” “Saving Equestria is enough to fulfill your debt,” Twilight said with a chuckle, trotting up to him. “Something easier said than done,” he replied, his tone coarse. “Well, the princesses wish to speak with you. Hopefully, they can help you stop the aliens.” With that, Drak’thul set off to Canterlot Castle. When Drak’thul entered the castle, everypony’s eyes were on him. His humongous, bulking form towered over everypony, and even his steps made the tile of the castle shake a little. Not only that, but his cannons and spear made him look menacing to the ponies. Little did they know, he would be their salvation. He made his way through the castle, Twilight, her friends, and a few guards escorting him. They eventually reached the throne room, the three other princesses waiting for him. One was an alabaster alicorn mare. She was the largest of them. A smaller, dark-coated mare was next to her with an even smaller, pink princess beside her. The three alicorns came up to him, only the largest of them not having to look up to see his mask. The white one spoke first, saying, “Twilight here tells me your name is Drak’thul.” “That is correct,” he replied in his digitized voice. “Why does your voice sound so different?” she asked, off put by his deep, slow voice. “I do not speak your language as my primary language, so my mask translates it for me.” “Interesting,” she said, putting a hoof to her chin as she thought about how complex his mask had to be to do such a thing. “Anyway, I must thank you for helping defend Canterlot from the aliens that attacked.” “It was my debt to do so. I am also the reason those vermin are even here. If I had not kept them here for me to hunt, we would not be in this predicament we are now in.” “Nonetheless,” she began, “Twilight also tells me you can help stop them.” “Correct,” he answered. “I have a plan—but if I am to do so, I will need my ship.”