Hiker and Giant were headed back after their raid on the Monolithians' supplies. It had gone well, for sure. Hiker was sporting a shiny new Groza, modified to fire 5.45 rounds, a rare find in the Zone, and a superb weapon despite it's ugly looks. Better than his old AK74, by a long way. The Giant on the other hand held at least one of almost every desirable gun found in the zone. An SVD, a pair of SVUs, G36Ks, VSS's, SIG 550s, even a replacement for the old MG that he lost in the battle with the controller. Two stood out though. A Bulldog 6 grenade launcher, capable of levelling small buildings, and a heavily modified FN F2000, the crown jewel of assault weapons ever seen in the Zone. He had tens of thousands of roubles of loot attached to his back. He had to borrow Hiker's Gravi just to be able to walk with it all. The pair of them could hold of a small army with them.
Still, even with the kit they carried, they were in real danger. Hauling the weapons was a slow and laborious business, attracting attention of mutants from all around. They'd had dogs, zombies and the occasional snork find them. They weren't too much of a problem in Pripyat's wide open streets. But if something worse ran into them, it would find there is such a thing as a free lunch. Two free lunches to be exact. They were hopeful though. Garry had contacted them, telling them to rendezvous at the apartment block by the Laundromat, with some cryptic message about some 'hidden threat'. They were close by now, the apartment block visible in the distance-
A blinding purple flash enveloped them, accompanied by a sharp cracking sound, and a gust of wind, blowing them back. Hiker pulled out his Groza, swinging it wildly looking for the source. As the afterimage in their retinas faded, all that was left was a huge column of purple gas, dense and still. Two figures, a man and a pony, ran out of the building, headed for the smoke.
“What the hell was that?” asked Hiker, panting and tense from the shock.
“Not natural. Nor caused by the zone.” came the giant's reply.
“How do you know that? I'm sure that's something you've not seen before.”
The bright purple clouds were barely starting to disperse, if at all. There was no sign of anything emerging.
“I don't think the Zone really does bright purple as a colour. Just my intuition.”
The smoke started to roil and shift, and in another gust, it vanished, revealing its contents.
Standing there, in the middle of the street where the gas had enveloped, was a large group of ponies. Most were white or grey, wearing what appeared to be golden medieval plate armour. In the center however, stood six others, all different. One, the largest, was white in colour, with a long translucent floating mane and tail, recognised by Hiker as their demigod Princess, accompanied by that purple student of hers, Twilight Sparkle. What a stuck-up, traitorous shit she was for leaving Applejack abandoned quickly crossed the minds of both Garry and Hiker. The others were less familiar. One was the blue pegasus with rainbow hair, his guard. One was sheer white, bearing a stylised purple mane and a look that showed her disgust for the decrepitude of the city. Another was a soft yellow, with a light pink mane. She look more frightened than a rookie being told about bloodsuckers. The oddest perhaps was bright pink all over, literally jumping around in ecstatic joy.
There was silence on the part of the humans. They stood there, in pure shock at the sight before them. No one moved, both sides just stared at each other, both sides experiencing the same mixture of fear, shock, anxiety, rage and curiosity that had come from the invasion of their homeland.
Suddenly Applejack galloped towards the other ponies, enveloped in a group hug by the multichromatic group of five, sharing their friendship once more. The white and pink ones were crying, the rainbow one was sharing a joke with Applejack, before Twilight turned to the farm-pony. The emotional reunion carried on for several minutes. Over the chatter, the words:
“Thank the Princess you've survived the clutches of those barbarian savages. Once I realised just how cruel they were I had to...”
floated into earshot of Hiker, Garry and Giant, now reunited. Above the hubbub of her ponies, the Princess stood there, looking balefully at the three humans, with a mixture of disapproval and sadness conflicting on her face. All the while, the military ponies stood to attention, guarding the others with fierce determination.
The three stalkers turned to each other.
“What the fuck was that? Seriously, Hiker, explain this. Forester left them out when he told me about the ponies.”
“Well, the big one, their Princess, is a godlike figure to them. Apparently, she is quite literally the sun incarnate. When I was stuck over there, was the one that told me I'd have to take Twilight and Applejack over here. I guess she wasn't just abandoning them to die here after all.”
“Where do the rest come into it then?” said Giant, who was taking the appearance of talking horses surprisingly well.
“Really, I have no idea. The soldiers look pretty ineffectual anyway.”
“What do we do? If they don't stop their little get together soon, all hell's gonna break loose all over us. Every single living thing within a mile is going to beeline for us here.”
“Either get the hell out, or try to talk to them. Personally, I prefer the former. I've had enough with their strange Princess and pointless pacifism, but-”
Both Garry and Hiker looked at Giant. He stood like a rock facing north, pointing to the sky.
“The Zone does not like intrusions. They must have angered it. We have to go. So do they, if they wish to live.”
Red clouds were becoming visible now, above the outline of the NPP, faintly glowing.
“Damn, where the hell do we go? The Laundromat?” asked Hiker.
“We'll have to if we want to save the ponies, though it obviously wasn't safe for the Freedomers. It's the only place nearby that'll fit everyone.”
“But do we help them? Maybe their magic can protect them?”
Hiker and Garry hurriedly debated the point, until the normally silent giant intervened. They turned to him. Overhead, the red clouds were beginning to move towards them, darkening the sky.
“Go, seek refuge in the Laundromat, or wherever you wish. I shall sort out this mess with those 'ponies'.”
Garry looked like he was about to make a point, then, stopped and motioned for him and Hiker to leave. They jogged off, disappearing through one of the large apartments in the direction of the Laundromat without a backward look.
Giant turned toward the gathering of alien creatures before him. All he knew was that they were known as ponies, and the large white one was their Princess. He dropped his copious loot inside a ruined car, and walked toward them slowly, hands in the air. As he approached, the guarding soldier-ponies stiffened. Giant chuckled to himself. None of them were even armed. What good did they think they could do against a 120 kilo man reinforced by steel and Kevlar. They barely reached his waist. As he came within a few feet, they parted, allowing him through. The Princess stood before him, looking perplexed.
“What are you, strange machine? What do you want? We mean you no harm.”
Giant laughed.
“I am no machine. I come to tell you that those red storm clouds carry extreme levels of radioactive dust. When they reach us, anyone outside or in an exposed location will be simultaneously fried and degraded at a cellular level. Any human or animal from this place will be killed in less than the time it has taken me to tell you this.”
“WHAT!” screamed both the pink and white ponies in unison, trying to hide behind the rest, all of whom looked terrified beyond belief.
“Really?” asked the Princess.
“Yes. Do some of the fancy magic the others told me you had, or follow me if you wish to live.”
The large white pony looked torn between distrust and concern, uncertain whether to trust the massive brown and grey thing covered in metal before her.
“Lead on.”
They followed him along the streets of Pripyat, in one long column, all the ponies hanging back from the massive mechanical stalker. As they walked, the light became redder and redder, occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning. Giant's Geiger counter was already showing above normal levels. As he rounded another building, the Laundromat came into view. Ahead, a stalker, in a large camouflaged suit ran to the door and sprinted in, oblivious to the unorthodox group behind him. Giant turned. The ponies were hurrying now, trotting faster and faster.
“There's the place, where the other figure just entered. There you will be safe.”
As they passed him, most muttered thanks under their breath, avoiding his gaze. He gave the area a last look over. The city looked even more sinister under the blood red light emanating from the sky. He was still a way from the building when the first ponies entered the building, a group of soldiers. As they opened the double doors, he heard shouting. He turned.
Suddenly gunfire erupted from inside, cutting down those by the door. In an instant, other soldiers threw up a magical shield, stopping the continuing hail of bullets. Magical blasts retaliated, and the armoured ponies galloped inside the building, leaving the other seven huddled by the doorway. He looked up, and the sky was darkening now. He had maybe less than 20 seconds left. He screamed at the remaining ponies,
“GET INSIDE!”
He turned to the building he was next to, running to a window, and vaulting inside. The very air was rumbling now. Pulling out his compact rifle from his side, he ran further into the building, turning into a long hallway. Heading down it as his radiation detector started to spike, he pulled himself down below the stairwell. He would certainly be fine here. Of the others, he had no idea. Did the men inside slaughter the ponies? Or visa-versa? He had no way of knowing for the next hour until the emission cleared. Would there be anything to back to?
Hiker struggled against his magical bonds. Just as a well-equipped stalker calling himself Murk had entered, and had been trying to explain to Garry what happened to him over the last few weeks, the doors were flung open, revealing the armoured ponies, intent on coming in. Seeing them, Murk had freaked out, spraying them with his F2000, killing half a dozen in less than three seconds. Before he could see what the hell was happening, magical discharges came flying into the room, taking out Murk and Garry. He bolted, running up the stairs onto the landing, as a flash of purpled exploded in front of him, expelling Twilight directly before him. Her horn had flashed, throwing him against the wall. Magical tethers suddenly wrapped themselves around his arms and legs, holding him there and gagging him. Twilight had disappeared downstairs. He was left alone.
He had been restrained for hours now. Downstairs, he heard sounds of talking, indistinct and muffled. Hopefully Garry and Murk were still alive after they got hit. He didn't fancy being at the ponies' mercy on his own.
Below him, the Elements of Harmony sat together, looking forlorn. This world was a far cry from peaceful Equestria and serene Ponyville. Twilight broke the silence first,
“Applejack, what happened to you when you were with these creatures? Did they say had planned this?”
“No, Twi, as a matter of fact, they didn't. They were just trying to look after themselves and find their missing friends in this evil place. Anyways, the one who attacked us had never seen a pony before, accordin' to Garry, and from the look on that guy's face. I'm inclined to believe him.”
“True, but surely this must have been premeditated in some way. Any sane pony doesn't just kill things at first sight. I'm highly skeptical that anything would even consider such a thing.”
“Twilight, you've seen this world with your own eyes, you've seen a few of the kind of horrors this place has, and trust me there are things much, much worse than that lone beast they killed.”
“But Applejack, they killed it! Shot it dead in cold blood!” How can you justify that?”
“From what things I've seen Twi, quite easily, so stop with your moral high-ground. These guys just do what they have to do, and that means kill any strange creatures before they horribly rip you to shreds, eat you alive or fry the brains inside your head! “
Twilight sat in silence, stunned. Fluttershy and Rarity were lost for words, unable to comprehend the dark, brutal nature of the Zone. Even Pinkie and Rainbow looked unhappy and depressed, without their usual cheer or bravado. Again, silence reigned.
It stayed that way until Princess Celestia entered.
“Princess, what's going on? Are we leaving this foul place? What are we doing with the prisoners?”
“Calm, Twilight Sparkle, I will answer your questions soon enough. We are apparently in some special land in their world called 'the Zone'. According to them this dreadful place was created when a nuclear power plant they had exploded, covering the surrounding area in radioactive fallout, to such an extent that it mutated the creatures and cause all sorts of strange phenomena. The rest of the world is apparently highly civilised, without almost all of the dangerous creatures that are found in this place. They are massively more technologically advanced than us, almost beyond the comprehension of magic. Also, this world is completely devoid of ambient and natural magic.”
“What? No magic whatsoever?”
“That is true Twilight. In this world, our magic will not replenish as it does in Equestria. Casting spells will be difficult for you and Rarity, and I assume the powers of the other types of ponies will be severely diminished. We must be careful using spells, considering that magic is our only way home.”
“How can they survive then. Things I've seen can't be done without magic.”
“They make up for it with their technology. They are maybe 100 years ahead of is with it, with a few exceptions, and maybe even 200 years ahead in scientific progress. Take for instance the little devices they all carry around with them. They use electricity conducted in special ways to perform all sorts of logical operations, and power the interactive lit-up display on them, allowing them to send data through thin air, and store information on them even when they aren't powered at all. The ones carried by these few have parts in them that store electricity, which is taken from sunlight converted into use for them by another gadget they carry. Such things are now even considered normal for them, apparently most of their people have one.
I am undecided whether to press on further into this world, and try to learn from this race, or to retreat back to Equestria, and disregard this place, and it's people, with their often violent and underhand ways, and let my little ponies find out about science and technology for themselves. I would dearly like to hear all your views on it, for you six do bear the Elements of Harmony, and your experiences learning the lessons of friendship may let you understand them better.”
“Well, as you say Princess, the humans are a violent race, naturally moreso than ponies, meaning that we would be in a dangerous position trying to negotiate with them, especially since they are divided into factions across their world, all of which have agendas and machinations, and who knows what will happen if we destabilise the balance of power.”
“That is true Twilight. I'm that treading carefully may be an understatement where they are concerned.”
“Also, Princess, if I may, these humans, after being stuck with them for a few days, it's often not the humans that create the violence, but their situation. I think that tha' poor guy who shot at us might'a just been scared, reacting on instinct, not out of spite at all. All the guys who I came across seemed decent at heart, if with their own flaws.”
The Princess looked at her, then back at Twilight.
“Is there anything else you learned from that creature's description of his world that might help?”
“Well, one thing does stand out Princess. He said that war, conflict and hardship acted as a catalyst for invention and progress. We have very little of that, thankfully, but I wonder if we can make any significant progress in that direction without urgent need to. It would certainly take a few centuries, if not longer, comparing our civilization to theirs.
On the other hand, trying to access their technology and learning properly would mean total integration, both ways. We would eventually have humans and ponies living on both worlds, no matter how much we resist, if we go down that path. Who knows what could happen if both races were linked permanently? From the evidence, it could either go brilliantly, and profit both sides, or cause unthinkable amounts of suffering. There is no way of telling which. That worries me lots.”
“So what do we do? I know this decision needs more time to think it over, and we need more conclusive information. What I propose is this: most of us return to Equestria, since this place is obviously unsafe. We'll take our three prisoners with us as well, to see of they can tell us anything else useful.
However, we will also need to gather more information on the world outside of this 'Zone'. There I am unsure what course of action we should pursue.”
Pinkie Pie nearly rocketed into the air.
“You could turn us into these human things. That would be so totally awesomeliciously amazing! Don't you agree Twilight?”
“Well, uh,”
“That, my dearest Pinkie Pie, is a possibility. We would need to return to Equestria to ensure a safe transformation, and also find a way for you to explore the wider world.”
“Princess, I think we would be discovered fairly quickly considering how little we know about human customs and lives. This place is apparently a lawless barely controlled by any of the 'countries' that the human Hiker told me about. Paradoxically, this might be the only place to be able to observe this world without being observed ourselves. As much as it might be dangerous, if we go outside this place, there'll be no turning back.”
“Hmm, what you say has merit. Excellent. We have a plan finally. We'll return to Equestria for the moment, and reconsider our position. I shall attempt to transform a few willing ponies, any of you if you wish, into these humans. From there, we'll explore this area known as the Zone, and try to learn what we can of the human race.”