Douglas awoke, something shaking him. He looked up and found Jerome, SMG up, safety off.
“We got a problem…” Jerome whispered.
Douglas looked around. It was very early, and a heavy mist surrounded them. He looked over to the pony and Anders. They were both asleep, unaware of anything. “Whats going on?” Douglas asked as he got into a crouching position.
“Something is here. There’s more than one, and they’re watching us.” Jerome said, staying quiet.
Douglas looked around into the mist. He didn’t see anything. Either way, he got his MA37 ready. He wondered if he should use his knife. He doubted whatever this was, if something was really there, had any range. It would save him some ammo…
He was cut from his thoughts as something moved on his motion tracker, to his right. He snapped and looked over. It was where Anders was sleeping. He didn’t see anything…
“Have you seen them? Any idea of what they are?” Douglas asked, keeping a close eye on his surroundings.
“Not really, but bigger than a wolf. Four legs, kinda looked like a cat.” Jerome answered.
Douglas tried to think of what it could be. Not anything practical like a lion, that would be, well, to practical. For this land, anyway. “Should we wake up Anders?” Douglas asked.
“I don’t want to if I don’t have to. She will complicate things, make too much noise. Just keep an eye on her.” Jerome said.
Something moved on his radar, behind him. Nothing was there.
“Cover me for a moment.” Douglas asked as he made his way over to were the blip on his radar was.
He passed Anders and continued on, MA37 raised. Nothing but a tree. Whatever these things were, they were taking their sweet-ass time. Beyond the tree, he could barely make out the forest line. He wouldn’t be surprised if it had something to do with it.
He turned to check on Jerome, who was still keeping an eye on him. He turned back around.
Something moved again, just ahead of him. Before he could take a step towards it, the tree line exploded, and something jumped out. Whatever it was landed on top of him. Douglas fell to the ground, surprised. On top of him was some kind of large cat. Normally, this would unaffect him. But the cat’s face peeled away from itself, revealing muscle and bone underneath.
Now, Douglas was no stranger to scary shit, but that was by far one of the creepiest things he had ever seen.
It immediately tried to bite at his head, but Douglas placed his arm between him and the cats head. It bit onto his arm and its mouth slid up and down, trying to get a grasp on the shielding. Using his free hand, Douglas whipped out his pistol and placed it next to the creatures head. A shot rang out, and blood spattered across his faceplate. He pushed off the beast and turned around, re-holstering his pistol.
Jerome also had his hands full. Three cats stood around him. He kicked one of the felines in the head. It recoiled back, and Jerome forced his knife through the top of its skull.
He heard a small yelp beside him. He turned towards were Anders and the pony were. One of the cats stood over the pony, and Anders stood there, wondering what to do. “Anders!” Douglas called out.
Anders turned towards him. He tossed his pistol towards her, which she caught. He didn’t see what happened, he turned back towards Jerome to help out. He knew Anders could handle herself.
He turned back towards Jerome to help him, and found more of the beasts had joined the attack. Two more stood in front of him, one remaining where it was as the other circled around him. Douglas snapped up with his MA37 and was about to gun it down, when its face curled back and it let out a screech.
Suddenly, his mind was full of something he had rarely truly experienced: fear. He dropped his gun and held onto his helmet, trying to block out the loud screech. His mind was filled with images of the only thing that truly scared him: The Flood. He couldn’t stop the memories of the screaming marines as the parasites burrowed into their backs, taking control of them, letting out blood-curdling inhuman roars. He had been able to survive through the real thing of course, but this was different. He just couldn’t stand it. It had to be the cat.
“GET OUT OF MY DAMN HEAD!” He yelled out.
If anything, the screech got louder, as it burrowed deeper into his mind, searching for the things he hoped would never happen. He was forced to watch his friends- no, his family-, fellow Spartans killed before him. Spartan-016, Keith, screaming in his medical bed as the augmentation that was supposed to help him bent his bones and destroyed him from the inside out. Spartan-049, Jenna, mowed down by rebels in her outdated SPI suit and bleeding to death.
He fought back, burying his thoughts back into the deep area that could drive a normal being to insanity. He reached out to his gun and snapped it to full auto. He shakily aimed up and sprayed in the general area of the noise. For a moment, the screech was replaced with a yelp. His fears retreated back into the vault that he never intended to open again. He looked back up at his opponent. It had a gash in its side were a bullet went through.
On his motion tracker, he saw the red blip that had made its way around him suddenly rush forward. Turning around, he tackled into the rushing feline as it pounced on him.
He heard a few gunshots somewhere around him, probably Anders.
He hit the ground on top of the cat and ripped out his knife. He reared back and jammed his knife into the things skull. After ripping it back out, and picked himself up and grabbed the dead cat by its legs. He twisted around and threw it at the first. It collided into the already wounded beast and tumbled to the ground. He walked over and dragged it off the ground. He held it up and smashed it down onto his knee.
There was a sickening crack as its back broke and it finally went limp. He tossed it down and looked over to Jerome. He was looking at him, three corpses around him. Douglas he then turned towards Anders, who was crouching next to the pony. It just kinda stood there, shaking uncontrollably.
“What the fuck just happened?” Douglas asked.
“We were hunted, that’s what. The better question, or questions, would be what those things were and what the hell they did to you.” Jerome finished, looking at Douglas.
Next to them, the pony spoke up. “Those were Krenshars. Big cats, they can pull back the skin on their faces to strike fear into their prey. If that doesn’t work, they let out this screech which can be directed at one being. It has the magical ability to dig out ones greatest fears and use it against them. Learned it in a book.” He explained, still shaking.
Douglas shuddered. He definitely didn’t want to meat one of those again.
The two Spartans stood in place for a moment.
“Well then, what now?” Douglas asked.
“Well, this is basically our average wake-up, isn’t it? Get up, shoot some things, and continue on with the day. So were going to do just that. Anders, is he OK to keep going?” Jerome asked and nodded towards Wind Storm.
“Well, no. This is obviously his first brush with death; he’s going to want to rest for a while. He’s experiencing something similar to the ‘thousand yard stare’, put not quite there. Obviously, violence isn’t something taken lightly around here.”
Jerome sighed. “Alright then. Douglas, get some food ready. Guess were camping for a bit longer.”
Douglas nodded and got out some supplies. The sun started to peak over the horizon and the fog started to clear. Between the dragons, diamond dogs, and the krenshars, he doubted what Anders said. To him, it looked like violence was an everyday occurrence.
***
“We will not take this lightly, last thing we need is for this to become an everyday thing. I want it gone. The hostage was the last straw!” Celestia said. It was rather early in the morning, and she had just discovered about the alien stealing one of her subjects and then throwing her guard of the very top of her mountain.
The current Royal Guard in command was standing in front of her. Luna of course sat next to her. They were in the throne room that the monster had crashed through.
“Yes princess, we understand. We will send out our most elite and then some. But you must understand that this thing is much more technically advanced! It is not as simple as containing it, especially with the hostage.” The royal guard in front of her said.
“I have thought through that, and I have devised a plan. But you and your men will have to be willing.” Celestia said.
“Oh, well of course! We would do anything needed from you.” The guard in front of him said, a bit annoyed that she would question his guard's loyalty to the Princess.
“Good. I am sending with you Luna to help were needed. Any commands by her are of course to be followed.” Celestia proposed from her throne.
Next to her Luna perked up. “What? Tia, we weren’t informed of this…”
“I will explain in a moment. Commander, get your best guards ready. And do please try to not let this leak throughout the castle?” Celestia asked.
The guard simply nodded and walked out. As the door closed, Celestia looked over to Luna.
“Now Luna, I understand that you might be confused here. I do have reasoning. This is not like back during Discord, were the Princesses sit back as there army goes forth and dies for them. We are expected to take action.” Celestia explained.
“So you send us? Tia, how are we supposed to do this? What happens if we’re killed? You saw what that thing can do!” Luna complained.
“I understand. A leader needs to take these risks. If anything, this is an opportunity. You need these skills, the ability to gain trust not through power, but by what you do. Showing ponies that you can do more than sit around all day and have a bunch of others do what you want is not how to rule a land.” Celestia told her.
Luna thought about it. She was, of course, right.
“And if I don’t recall, you did want to meet it yourself, am I not right?” Celestia asked, a smirk playing on her face.
Luna couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes, I suppose so. We will agree. I do suppose it’s for the best. But what will you do while I’m gone?”
“The same things I do every day, sit here and listen to people complain about taxes and stuff.” Celestia stated.
Luna thought that through. “Well, all you had to say was that and I would’ve gone. I should probably go check on the guards now, shouldn’t I?”
She quickly trotted out of the room, as if at any moment she could be trapped by some hour long lecture about taxes. Celestia only shook her head, the smile still on her face. She also got up and walked to the huge doors. Pushing it open slightly, she addressed one of the guards.
“Do we have anypony waiting? If so, please allow them in.” Celestia ordered.
The guard nodded and Celestia returned to her seat. She sat for what seemed like half an hour, but when she looked up at the clock, only five minutes had passed. The huge doors nudged open, and a white unicorn walked in flanked by two guards. Celestia smiled warmly down on her.
The unicorn bowed down respectively then started to speak. “Uh, hey Princess, I would like to report a missing pony.”
Celestia’s smile bent down for but a second. “Who would that be?” She asked, a bead of sweat rolling down her face.
“Well, her name is Octavia; she didn’t come home last night. I’m not really sure what happened to her. You remember her from last year’s gala, right? She played the giant guitar thing.” The unicorn that she recognized as the well known DJ-PON3 explained. Honestly, she didn’t understand what kind of stage name that was.
“Err, yes I do, we were aware of her disappearance. We have already sent some people to search for her. I’m sure she will be alright!” The princess said, a suspicious smile on her face.
“Oh, uh, OK. That’s cool. See ya around then!” With that, the unicorn trotted away.
She sighed. That was close, last thing she needed was for this whole thing to get out to the public. It was a miracle the few ponies that did see the green beast forgot about it throughout their busy day. Last thing she needed was all of Canterlot in panic. She couldn’t wait until this thing was gone and everything would be put back to normal, she really didn’t like hiding things from her subjects, but she felt this was needed.