//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Back to Basic // Story: Colonial Marine in Equestria // by Bastinator //------------------------------// Location- Home. Time- 0900 hours. Day 10 in Ponyville. The nightmares haven’t eased up at all. Every time I sleep I relive that night. Xenomorphs they’re called according to that research I gave Twilight. She didn’t go into specifics, but I could tell she was alarmed at her findings. There wasn’t much info on the temple itself except that it was incredibly old. I didn’t need a bunch of scientists to tell me that. Other than that the past week has been relatively calm. The hours at work have thrown my whole cycle for a loop. I’m sleeping from 0500 to now, squeezing in naps whenever I can. I wish I could sleep more, but I still have business to attend to. Well, let’s start the day Anon. No burning daylight. [End of Entry] You open your closet door, deciding what to wear. Rarity has been kind enough to stitch you all kinds of clothes. You pull out a white t-shirt and corresponding pair of jeans, looking at yourself in the mirror. If Evans could see you know he’d… You put the clothes back in the closet and grab your fatigues. They’re the only clothes you really need. You outfit yourself and move on downstairs. Can’t even dress yourself without thinking about that place. You open the door, grabbing the usual package. Inside you find some eggs and venison. Fluttershy has kept her end of the bargain well so far. You’ve helped build a new coop for her chickens and a fence around her garden. In turn, she’s supplied you with some more protein rich food. You crack open the eggs and put them over the stove. You’re thinking over easy today. Pouring yourself a glass of OJ you scarf down your breakfast. Unfortunately, you can’t share the experience with anyone. No one else eats this stuff besides you. *knock knock* “Coming!” You open the door, Applejack and Rainbow Dash there to meet you. “Hey you guys, what are you doing here?” ”We were going to join you in your run today remember?” “Damn, I’m sorry. It slipped my mind. Come in, I’ll be ready in a minute.” You shuffle them inside and close the door. You continue downing your breakfast while they wait. ”You know,” Applejack says jokingly, “That’s a real nasty habit you got there sugarcube.” You smile, finishing the rest of your eggs. “So how’s Big Mac and Applebloom doing?” >”They’re doin alright, thanks for asking.” You clean off your plate and put it back in the cabinet. ”You going to be done some time today? I hate waiting.” Fucking impatient Rainbow. She always needs to have things here and now. And you wouldn’t have her any other way. Tying up your boots and equipping your trusty sidearm, you and your friends head out the door. ”So where were you thinking about going today?” “Probably just around Ponyville a few times and maybe up to Sweet Apple Acres. Any place you want to go in particular?” ”Sounds good to me, how about you Rainbow?” A sly grin crosses her face as she glides around you and Applejack, “I was thinking something more adventurous.” “Do tell.” ”I figured we could give the Everfree Forest a run. Unless you’re too chicken.” ”Now Rainbow I don-“ “Deal.” They both look shocked at your response. “What? You want to do it, so let’s do it. Unless…” You pause for dramatic effect. “You’re too chicken.” ”Rainbow Dash isn’t afraid of anything. Let’s go!” She takes off down the road, while you and Applejack jog after her. ”This really isn’t a good idea Anon, the Everfree forest isn’t the safest place in Equestria you know.” “Don’t worry AJ, I’ll protect you from the big baddies that lurk within.” You wrap your arm around her sealing the deal. “Now how about we make Rainbow Dash eat those words of hers?” ”Righty that partner.” You both catch up to Rainbow Dash at the edge of the forest. “Not scared now are you?” you say catching your breath. ”Nope. I thought I’d give you the pleasure of taking the first step.” “I’m sure that’s it.” You take a few steps into the forest, and you immediately understand why they don’t like it. It feels- alive. Almost like it’s watching you. ”You do it Anon!” Applejack cheers at your resolve. If they weren’t her you’d have already bolted. Wouldn’t be the first time… This place is just wrong, not creepy wrong, but something shouldn’t be here wrong. *gulp* You’re the thing that shouldn’t be there. The patter of hoofsteps behind you calms you down. ”We’re right behind you.” Applejack says. “Thanks.” Walking further into the forest all pretense of your run is gone, each of you scared out of your wits. You can feel eyes staring down at you >How the hell can this place even exist? You pull out your pistol, keeping it at your side. Better safe than sorry? *crack* You take aim, the ponies standing behind you. Nothing, just some leaves from the trees. Fuck this place. Just fuck it. ”I uh- think we should, you know, head on back.” Rainbow stutters. ”I’m inclined to agree with Rainbow here.” “Yeah, that sounds li-“ A pungent odor fills your nostrils making you wheezy. ”What in the hay is that smell?” ”Let’s get out of here, now.” You don’t know if it’s the retard within, but you need to find the source of that stench. You head off the path and into the depths of the forest, the odor in wait. Every inch of your body is telling you to get out of here, but your brain says go on. Deeper you go, following your nose. You reach a large tree, the rancid fumes emanating from its being. ”Anon we need to leave.” Applejack and Rainbow are eager to leave this place. “Just- let me see.” You work your way up the decrepit piece of timber, using the vines to your advantage. The trunk twists around letting you walk freely. You pass through the tree’s tendrils, looking down at your friends. There isn’t anything here, just a bunch of vines. ”Can we go now?” “Yeah, let’s get th-*snap*” You put too much weight on a vine, snapping it and falling off the tree. Your vision is hazy; Rainbow Dash appears to be talking to you. No noise comes out. Slapping yourself a few times, you can faintly hear her voice. ”You okay Anon?” “Fan-fucking-tastic.” They help you back to your feet, finally regaining your hearing. “Thanks Dash.” ”Anytime.” Your eyes go wide looking at Dash and Applejack. You were watching both of them. They didn’t open their mouths. That wasn’t them. ”Turn around…” You sweep your gun behind you freaked the fuck out. It sounded like it came from the tree, but there’s nothing. “You guys hear that?” ”Hear what Anon?” A drip catches your eye, not a leaf, a drip. You raise your weapon, trying to find the source. The stream gets thicker the higher you go. You take a step forward, eyes ascending toward the tree tops. The source is right at the top of the forest, dangling above your head. Bound within the vines of the trees, dripping with blood, are two skin- You fight back your breakfast- skinless ponies. Your breakfast continues to rise in your chest, desperate to see the light of day. Clutching your mouth closed you turn away. ”What’s wrong?” Appljeack says trotting next to you. She freezes when her eyes befall the corpses. ”By Celestia…” You can almost hear the drips as they hit the floor. Your stomach continues to fight against you. Vomit fills your mouth and you press your hands tighter forming a dam. Rainbow Dash comes up beside you, taking a look herself. ”I-is th-that…?” ”Afraid it is, what could of monster could have done this?” They continue observing the bodies. ”It skinned them? Why would it skin them?” The dam breaks as you spray your breakfast before your traumatized friends. Multi-colored puke covers a nearby bush as you recover. You can’t stand this place. Grabbing your friends you sprint out of there as fast as you can. You don’t even give a second to look back. The two bodies are burned into your mind, each thought making you want to purge again. The forest is finally out of visual range and you begin to walk. No words are spoken on the way back to Ponyville. What words could be said, now of all times? So you all walk, silent. The three of you depart company on approach the town. Rainbow having weather duty and Applejack having apple bucking. They can drown out the memories with work, but now you. You get to sit with your thoughts until the sun sets. Twilight needs to know about this. You’re not sure why, but she does. You knock on Twilight’s door. ”One minute.” You run your hand over your face trying to appear as normal as possible. The door opens and she ushers you inside. ”Take a seat; I have such things to show you.” “Twilight.” “I’ve been going over the notes Celestia gave me…” she moves about frantically, oblivious to your attempts to speak. “Twilight.” ”Those ruins are quite fascinating, did you know-“ “Twilight!” You yell at her trying to get her to listen to you. She is bewildered at your attitude, but quiets down nonetheless. ”I- There’s something I need to ask you.” ”Well then ask.” Her voice is mixed with concern and agitation. “In those notes, does it say anything about skinning people?” ”Skinning? Not that I recall.” You sigh in relief; at least it’s not as bad as you thought. ”Why exactly?” “On my run today, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and I… We went into the Everfree forest.” You shudder as your thoughts return. “We found two ponies hanging from the tree tops, they appeared to be…” ”Skinned.” “Yeah…” Twilight takes out her notes and gives them a quick once-over. “Anything?” ”I’m afraid not.” She responds. “Damn, thanks anyways.” You’re about to leave when you remember she wanted to talk to you. “Umm, what did you want to talk to me about?” ”I finally finished it!” She cheers happy with herself. “I don’t follow.” ”You really have trouble remembering things don’t you.” If only she knew… ”Come on, I’ll show you.” She helps you to your feet dragging you downstairs to her cellar. “I’m sorry if I appear out of it. It’s just there’s too much shit going on right now.” ”Don’t worry about it; you need to just take your mind off of things.” She’s right, that entire encounter has thrown you for a loop. ”Ah here they are.” She pulls out a few objects from her chest and tosses one to you. You give it a once-over examining Twilight’s project. “Is this- my old pulse rifle?” ”I’ve made some adjustments to make them compatible with p0ny anatomy.” That’s one way of putting it, she did a damn good job. ”I fiddled slightly with the magazine location due to the size constraints of the trigger.” “Have you given this thing a test run?” ”I would have, but someone keeps the ammo locked away in their home.” “Oh… yeah.” ”Do you happen to have a spare one on you?” You feel around in your pockets. “Nope, sorry.” ”Maybe later then.” You hear the front door slams shut, Spike calling out for Twilight. ”We’ll finish this later, come on.” Putting the weapons away you both ascend the stairs into the entranceway. “Sup Spike, you doing alright?” ”Just perfect. How about you Anon, you don’t look so good?” You grin and scratch the back of you neck. “That easy to tell huh?” ”Yeah, what you need is some sleep man. That club is getting to you.” It’s nice that Spike finally warmed up to you, though he still gets antsy around Rarity. “You don’t mind if I steal Spike for a moment do you Twilight? I want to send a letter.” ”Go right ahead.” You and Spike sit down while Twilight reads in peace. “Alright. Dear Princess Celestia, I was hoping to obtain a status report on your investigation. Are there any locations in particular you have sent your guards to investigate, and if so what are said locations? I have some findings of my own, but am unsure if it pertains to said investigation. Any information you can lend will be helpful. ~Private Anonymous” ”Done and done. So what did you find?” Your grin turns sour. “I’d rather not talk about it.” ”Sure thing Anon.” *belch* “Don’t expect a reply though; the princess has been really busy lately.” You’ve got a gut feeling you know why. “Thanks anyways. I better head out, catch up on that sleep you talked about too.” You open the door, calling back to them. “Cya later Spike. Bye Twilight!” Stepping outside you drop your calm act. You can’t get those images out of your head. Their carcasses, hanging like cattle, the blood… You shake your head to clear your mind. Maybe sleep will calm you down, it couldn’t hurt. Just a nice nap to soothe your jimmies. You put one foot in front of the other on your way back home. Taking an apple out of the fridge you retire to your bedroom. Even now the sweetness is invigorating. Tossing the core in the waste bin, you plop down onto the bed. You plant your pistol on the nightstand and flip on your tracker. It’s the only way to be sure… You drift back into slumber leaving behind your woes, or so you hoped. *ba bleep* You sprint down the hallway, escaping the creatures of your past. They’re not going to get you, they won’t. Fuck this heat, it’s going to suffocate you. You check your ammo counter, 00. No breaks… You move from room to room, eyes trained for anything out of the ordinary. The smell of decaying flesh hits you like a freight train. Each step brings you closer to the source, you don’t want to see it again. You try and head back though the walls begin shifting to block your escape. You’re a prisoner of your own mind, shackled by memories past. Dropping your weapon you march forward, no sense in wasting time with it. Another chamber lies ahead masked in shadow. Drawing your knife you proceed to face your past. You’re back in the arena, the walls still coated with the black webbing. The scientist’s bodies litter the floor, their chests torn out from the inside. Your platoon is tied in the webbing captives of the Xenomorph attack. They’re alive staring down at you, pleading for you to help them. But you can’t. You know what they’ll become. *ba bleep* “Over here.” You drop your knife, the end here once again. You face the noise, embracing the inevitable. The environment seems to bend itself around your adversary. Its body cloaked masking its appearance. “Just get it over with.” It doesn’t do anything, simply watching you. “What are you waiting for? Do it!” No reaction. This is pissing you off. *ba bleep* Another wave of the horrendous stench reaches you. You peer down into the pit, searching for the source. You can see your friends, smiling up at you. Their faces alleviate your status, giving you something to look forward to. A pair of hands force you to your knees. “What the hell are you-“ Another group of cloaked figures approach your friends. “Please, no…” *shling* They don’t take their eyes off of you. Not for a second. You try and turn away from them, the hand forcing you to watch every second of it. You watch your friends as they’re torn apart, blood splattering against the walls. Their flesh is removed from their bodies, but they continue to smile at you. “You bastard! Let me go!” They string up your skinless friends, raising them to your level, still smiling. You couldn’t save them… The cloaked creature throws you against the wall, your friends hanging just behind him. You fight to hold back the tears, losing your comrades again. They open their mouths, talking to you in turn. “ “Why didn’t you help us?” “Where were you Anon?” ”How could you let this happen?” Each p0ny wanting an explanation, something you can’t give them. Your captor uncloaks, revealing a large metallic mask. “We hold…” You bolt out of bed in a cold sweat. Another fucking nightmare to add to the list. The sun is starting to set outside your window, signaling your departure. You replace your drenched fatigues with a t-shirt and jeans. The tracker is going to accompany you tonight, for old time’s sake. Locking the door, you run over to Vinyl’s nightclub. People are beginning to enter as you approach. Vinyl is going to be pissed when she finds out you’re late. You rush through the back door and change. Gotta go fast! The ponies are already having a good time when you enter the room. At least nothing started while you were changing. Vinyl walks over to you as the music continues. “Rough day?” You feel like an open book, everyp0ny knowing how you’re feeling. “You can say that, I’m sorry about my tardiness. It won’t happen again.” ”Just try not to make it a habit. We’ll talk when your shift is done, alright?” “Roger that.” Vinyl goes back to her stand, keeping the music flowing. You see Raúl passing out drinks, so you stop by and help. ”You ok Anon? It looks like you need a drink.” He places a glass in your hand and you eagerly gulp it down. “Could be better. You?” ”Same, the wife’s been acting a bit wacky though.” “Really? Do tell.” You egg him on, trying to get your mind off of things. ”She’s been hearing strange things is all, creaks on the roof, scratching at the door. Fillies these days, am I right?” “Right,” you reply unpacking the last crate, “Keep it safe okay.” ”Will do.” He gives you a brohoof and returns to his customers. You should do the same. You wonder how Applejack and her are handling things, it isn’t everyday they experience… that. Some drunks were able to get your mind off of things. Two rowdy guards, probably fresh out of academy, had taken one too many shots and thought it’d be fun to test out their new position. You proceeded to kicking them out on their asses. Duff had your back when one of them tried to cheap shot you, bucking him back to his mother. He turned out to be a real pal, drinking with you whenever Rainbow Dash didn’t show. You continue your patrol seeing both AJ and Dash in the corner of the club. Alcohol would do the trick alright. You sit down with them, joining them in their sorrow. “How you guys holding up?” ”About as good as you look sugarcube.” “That good huh,” you laugh to yourself, “I’m sorry about this morning. I shouldn’t have forced you both into that.” ”Don’t be all down on yourself, I chose to go, same with Dash.” ”Yeah, we chose.” “I could have stopped it,” you think back to your nightmare,” I could’ve…” You wince at the memories. ”Anon?” Rainbow asks, “What’s wrong, we’ve got your back.” “Dreams Dash. Terrible fucking dreams.” You sit with them the rest of the night. Nobody talking, but everyone knowing what the other was thinking. ”We’re locking up. Head on home everyp0ny.” You wave to your friends as they leave. Raúl and you brohoof as he returns to his wife and kid. Should be going on two any day now. It’s nice to see somep0ny have something to look forward to. You’re envious of him on that account. You finish changing and chat with Vinyl for a bit, offering to walk her home. She graciously accepts your offer. The moon is high in the sky, illuminating your path to Vinyl’s abode. “I always liked the night you know. You can go on undisturbed, nop0ny interrupting you. Know what I mean?” ”I do. It has a rhythm of its own, far more natural and serene than any I could play.” The two of you continue to converse all the way to her house. It’s far more modern than most of the other homes in Ponyville. ”Thanks for the escort; it’s a pleasure to know there’s still a gentleman in town.” “Well, I aim to please.” You touch the handle, a gooey substance sticking to your hand. “What the hell?” You wipe off your hand on your pants, getting the shit off of you. “Someone let out a hell of a sneeze on your handle. It’s kind of-“ No, it couldn’t be. You pull a little more of the gunk off the handle and rub it between your fingers, memorizing the texture. This- this can’t be. She said she had it under control. You draw your pistol and survey the surrounding area. ”Anon what’s wrong?” “No time,” you say flipping on your tracker, “We just need-“ *ba bleep* You aim towards the roof, a shadowy creature meeting your gaze.