//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Hive // Story: Colonial Marine in Equestria // by Bastinator //------------------------------// You pull the hood over your helmet blocking out the cold. You can make out a patrol of pegasi flying just above the storm. No one should travel alone at a time like this. Except for you of course. You trudge through the built-up snow as you exit town. It’s a long road ahead of you, but it’s a road you have to take. Here you are, leaving behind another home, this time by choice. You turn around and say goodbye to Ponyville one last time. It may be your last chance. Saluting to the town you continue down the path. You wonder what the others will think when they find out where you went. Would they understand? Would they throw a hissy fit? Would Pinkie throw a late going-away party? There are so many things that could happen. Another brush of wind returns you to the present. The forest entrance isn’t very far from here. You pull out your map and recheck your destination. If Twilight was correct in her research then the Hive should be located near the heart of the forest. You barely scratched the surface when you had that walk. And now you have to be on your guard in case any Xenos detect you. Its one hurdle after another with this shit. As you approach the forest you can feel its essence seeping through you. Dread washes over you; you swore you would never enter this place again. The trees themselves seem to reach towards you. Even so, you march into the forest. A slight rustling jerks your head to the right. Patches of ice slide off a nearby tree and sink into the snow below. “Well if it isn’t my old friend.” You can’t see him in through the blizzard, but you know he’s there. Turns out you won’t be going alone after all. You nod and continue deeper into the confines of the forest. The further you go, the less snow you encounter. The blizzard doesn’t seem to be able to penetrate that far into the forest. In fact, it seems to be getting hotter as time passes. You strip off your coat and wrap it around your arm. Rarity would be pissed if it was left lying around. A part of you would rather deal with the Xenomorphs than her. The familiar stench of decay catches you by surprise. At least you know how far you have to go. Too far… The sun appeared to be going down as far as you could tell. Night was approaching, and the xenos would be up and at it again. You decide to make camp, a consequence for leaving in the evening. Following the pungent odor you find yourself back at the morphed tree. Maybe the scent will keep them away. You don’t know, but frankly you don’t give a damn. You almost step in a dried puddle of blood and vomit. The bodies were still up there in all likelihood. At least you’d have company while you rested. You kick the stump of the tree, breaking through its hollow interior. A mess of termites and other small creatures spew out of the opening. Another few hits and you forged a man sized hole in the tree. Swatting away a few remaining insects you climb on in. It wouldn’t take much for anything to get you in here, but the tree grants you a couple seconds to react at least. The walls vibrate as your friend leaps onto the top. You pull out your shotgun and rest it in your lap. “You’ve got first watch,” you say to the creature above. You’re going to have to come up with a name for him. He’s stuck with you all this time, and tried to stick it to you as well. If not for the whole trying to kill you thing he’d be alright in your book. You’ve thought of him as your guardian angel. Maybe there’s some truth to that. You pull out a dusty pair of dog tags and run your thumb over them. Corporal Mark Evans. You rest your head against the rotted timber and close your eyes. “Goodnight Mark.” You enter the arena once more. Comrades of old and new hang from the black webbing. You run over to Duff, his lifeless body staring back at you. ”Why didn’t you save him?” another body whispers. “I tried…” ”Not hard enough marine.” A second voice joins in. ”You left him to die like a coward.” They’re trying to mess with your head, but you won’t let them this time. “Duff isn’t dead, not really. This routine is getting old…” A hiss echoes throughout the chamber before the corpses continue. ”They’re coming Anon, this is as real as it gets.” You stand up and move back to the entrance, turning your back to it. Xenomorphs of all types climb around the walls before you. ”You will fail. Just as your team did.” You laugh a bit before looking towards the mass of approaching xenos. “Maybe, but my new team hasn’t.” A hand presses onto one of your shoulders, a hoof on the other. You turn, your friends and the other survivors of Ponyville emerging from the blackness. Mark and Twilight stand at either side of you. “I won’t let them down as well.” You close your eyes and take a deep breath.“We hold.” Opening your eyes, you revel in the sounds of the forest. Every drip, crow and growl encompassing your being. You step out of your hidey-hole and check things out. There’s no sign of any xenomorph activity. If there was then you wouldn’t be standing here right now. The sun is up from what you can tell. The light barely breaches the thick foliage. You look back up to where Mark should be. It’d be rude not to say hello. You grab a few strong looking vines and ascend the tree. Upon reaching the top, you don’t see any sign of him. It’s like he just up and left you. A chill runs down your spine as you realize that he knew you were coming up. That bastard’s a shit ton smarter than you thought he was. A brief flash of yellow shines from a tree opposite to you, his eyes purposefully giving himself away. Another nod and you decide to continue your journey. The climb down was much easier than the ascent. A cloud of leaves jumps as you leap back to the ground. Pulling out your shotgun you set back down the path. The sun won’t wait for you to get started. Every inch you go deeper into the forest is another inch you have to make to get back. Something tells you this might be a one-way trip. You smack your helmet in defiance. You’re not going to die some heroic death like some stupid book. Who the hell would even write that? You forgo the coat as it was only weighing you down. You rest it neatly on a protruding branch in the path. Maybe someone else will find a use for it. You continue walking for a few hours. It feels like you’re just walking in circles. You check your map, projecting how soon you should reach the Hive. Another few hours at the most apparently. Maybe you’re on track after all. The humidity tries to choke you as you keep on the path. How anything can live in this is simply astonishing. The lush forest has slowly melded into more of a swamp, which is where Twilight thought it would be. The familiar smell of decay hits you like a truck once more. Lucky that you’re basically a bunker when it comes to that stench. Sleeping in it tends to do that. You try and stay on the dry patches of land that surround the murky water, but that only takes you so far. The fastest way to the hive is straight through the murky waters of the swamp. Who knows what type of creature lives down there? You hesitantly take a step into the swamp, your foot immediately sinking into the mud. So it’s going to be one of those days, huh? Luckily it doesn’t take long before your foot hits something solid. You place your other foot into the goo and sink till your about waist deep into the water. You tighten the straps on your weapons to prevent them from getting submerged. This might take a while. The trek into the marshes was a bit harder than you thought. Every time you’re about halfway through the water suddenly deepens, and there’s no fucking way you’re going in there. Being a coward is one thing, but that shit is simply suicidal. Twilight told you she met a bum fucking Hydra in here. You’re not seeking to make its acquaintance. You hear a loud splash and swing around to meet your guest. A torrent of electricity spasms around the intruder, revealing itself to be Mark. You quickly lower your weapon before he gets the wrong impression. You feel a bit better with him around, a teammate is always welcomed. The two of you keep roaming the swamp until you both come across a small uplifted island. It seems to bridge the two sections together without having to proceed through the deep end. You pull yourself up and reach out your hand to help up Mark. He ignores you and leaps up to the top. He may not be a team-player, but he’s got it where it counts. You take a small break and sit down on a rock. The floor is a bit too moist for your tastes. Fuck you’re sounding like Rarity again… Mark doesn’t seem to care as he plops down wherever he sees fit. You pull some rations out of your pack as a little snack. You toss a pack to Mark, who appears puzzled at the gift. “You eat it, see,” you say, scarfing down the less than satisfactory meal. “It’s nothing much, especially not better than anything Fluttershy…” Fluttershy, another friend you left behind. The more you think about them the worse you feel. You didn’t even say goodbye. A few hisses and pops snap you back to reality. Mark is doing something to his faceplate. It looks like he’s loosening it, or depressurizing the mask. One final pop and he takes off his mask, looking back to you. He isn’t going to win any fashion contests, you can say that much. His skin is red-yellow in color, and his dreadlocks are in fact hair. What truly strikes you are his four mandibles centered around his sharp fangs. His beady eyes add to his menacing appearance, but not as much as those xenomorphs. He rips open the bag and hesitantly eats the contents. A few mandibles twitch as he chews it which creeps you the fuck out. The taste doesn’t stop him from taking another bite and another… and another. It doesn’t take long for him to finish off the bag. His head shoots back up and he quickly dons his mask before standing battle ready. “The hell is wrong with you?” A vibration rocks the ground beneath you, alerting you as well. You hasten to your feet and ready your pulse rifle. Ripples flow throughout the water, clashing with each other inadvertently masking the third presence. What was once a mere vibration has cascaded into a violent tremor, shifting the very landscape. Only one creature could be massive enough to cause such a quake. A series of bubbles reach the water’s surface to signal the coming danger. The beasts of the Everfree Forest silence to watch your demise. Your eyes grow wide as four heads emerge from the depths of the lake and tower above you. “Well… fuck…” Their orange scales glisten from each presented maw. You hear a few more hisses and pops as Mark tries to recloak, but to no avail. The water seems to be interfering with his tech, damn shame. Each head licks their lips at the meal before them. Too bad you bite back. You quickly fire a grenade from your rifle which detonates on the creature’s neck. It roars in pain as you grab Mark and sprint to the exit. The ground rumbles as the Hydra begins to chase you both down. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Mark makes his way past you and gains some ground before turning back to the creature. A trio of red rays shoots from his helmet, a cannon-like structure following the beam. A sickening crack bellows from the cannon as he fires a projectile of his own against it. The Hydra releases another roar of pain followed by a loud thud. You look back at the creature when you catch up to Mark. One of its heads lay severed before it, likely a result of your combined attack. The creature itself stands stunned as the loss of a limb keeps it off balance. Before you can begin to celebrate the tendrils on the Hydra’s neck begin to quiver. Oh yeah, it’s a fucking Hydra. You don’t need to know what happens next. You pull Mark’s arm as two more heads spew forth to fill the gap. “Time to go!” You pepper it with bullets which tear holes clean through its dense scales. Mark lets another blast fly as the both of you tear out of the swamp. You spot a cave at the end of the swamp to hide in. “In there!” you yell to Mark. He simply sprints faster toward the designated spot. One of the heads lunges at you, but you narrowly dodge it, making the Hydra eat dirt. You look back to see another head on approach, this time you don’t have time to avoid it. A hand grabs you by your armor and tosses you backwards out of the way. Mark quickly helps you up and drags you back to the cave. He really does care… The two of you make it into the cave as the Hydra crashes outside. The creature roars again and stamps off in a hissy-fit. “That was too close,” you say catching your breath, “thanks by the way.” Mark merely grunts and heads off deeper into the cave. You follow him into the dark recesses of this place. The heat grows unbearable as you continue walking in these narrow halls. ‘Shrug it off Private, a little heat won’t kill you.’ You spin around trying to find the source. That was… so real… Mark senses your predicament and waits for you. “Did you hear that?” He shakes his head in denial. You wipe your head and shrug it off. This labyrinth of a cave keeps you on your toes. Something about it is off, more so than the forest you just left. A black coating sticks to the walls before you. This place couldn’t be it. Not this fast. A feeling of dread falls upon you, forcing you to halt once more. ’Can it Marine, you’re not here to feel.’ You can feel a headache coming onto you so you rest your head against the wall. This shit isn’t normal. You should be in cryosleep, heading back home. But no. You’re in an Alien hive, abandoning your friends after abandoning your squad. Mark places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. He doesn’t know what you’re going through, but he doesn’t care. He needs you at your best, Duff does as well. You’re not going to let Duff down. You can’t let him down. Shoving yourself off the wall you march down the heated corridors with newfound strength. ’Any movement Private?’ You sweep the entrance of another set of tunnels, surveying each mess of webbing with detail. “We’re all clear.” *shling* Mark goes down one tunnel and signals you to enter the other. “Done sir.” ‘That a boy, now move out!’ The memories keep bombarding you. You shake your head and take aim down the hall. The webbing gets thicker and more spread out as you descend. The journey isn’t pleasant, a few xenos tried to ambush you with the same tactics as before. “Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice…” You unload on a hiding xenomorph, its acidic blood splattering across the walls. You give a little smile, “Shame on me.” The next chamber is a bit more open, though thoroughly coated in the webbing. Mark is huddled next to the floor examining some sort of egg. He springs to attention and draws a disk when he sees you. “Whoa hold on dude…” A slight movement catches your eye on the wall behind him. You draw your pulse rifle and get ready to fire. Mark grunts and is prepared to let that thing loose. You’re just trying to help and now he’s threatening you. What an ass. You recognize the creature behind him as one of those spiders that attacked you in Ponyville. He has no chance if he’s unprepared. Mark throws the disk as you fire behind him. Your bullets decimate the tiny creature, shredding it into pieces. The weapon steers clear of you instead circling around like a boomerang. Why did he do that? You turn around, half of a Unimorph behind you, its blood pooling up on the floor. That bastard just saved your life, you bet it didn’t expect Mark to get him. You lower your weapon relieved. Mark examines your work and grunts his approval. “Thanks.” “Anytime.” He reproduces in a human tone, obviously not one of his own tongue. It must only know a few words in English, or else he might talk more. Hours pass like minutes, every movement predetermined; every nook searched and cleaned out. Mark seems intent on wiping these guys out, and you couldn’t argue with his tactics. You run out of Pulse Rifle before long, switching to your shotgun. It doesn’t take long for both of you to reach a colossal central chamber, those eggs Mark found scattered throughout. This place is definitely where those xenomorphs originate. You see corpses hanging off the walls, more victims of the xenos. Duff has to be around here somewhere. ’We got one!’ The voices ring in your ears as you work your way around. ‘We got some more over here.’ You recognize a few faces from the club, you knew them well. A certain brown pony catches your attention, a beer bottle cutie mark on his flank. You don’t waste time and quickly cut him down. He looks like shit, cuts and scrapes all across his body. “Duff. Duff do you hear me?” You put two fingers on his neck, feeling a low pulse. “Duff man, come on. Wake up!” You slap him across the face causing him to barely open his eyes. You hug the shit out of him, happy to have your bud back. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.” ”They’re dead…” He holds his shaking hoof out and points towards the others. ”Something… came out of them. These things did it.” He plays with one of the dead spiders next to him. “It’s ok Duff, you’re safe.” ”This one was mine…” He stares at the creature, not with anger but sadness. You ignore this new development and try to get him on his hooves. “Let’s get going, I’m not leaving you here.” ”You always did have my back, but I’m not leaving. I can feel it in here,” he places a hoof on his chest, “and it wants out.” “Enough of that talk, I’m not losing another friend. With any luck we’ll-“ His laughter interrupts you, “Luck has nothing to do with it, right?” “Don’t do this to me Duff. Don’t you fucking dare.” He coughs violently, “Listen Anon, it’s not your fault. *cough cough* It was my choice.” “You don’t choose to die. You’re here because of me.” ”If it wasn’t me here, then it would be you. *cough* If there’s one thing I did in my life that I didn’t fuck up, it was you.” He coughs up a little blood. “You have a future Anon, I turned mine down long ago.” He grips his chest, “One last thing, a request. End it- *cough* end the pain.” You hug him one last time. “Live on,” he says as you place your pistol on his skull. “I’m sorry.” You stand up, Mark taking place by your side. “Let’s get this over with.” You holster your pistol and move on. A hiss draws the both of you onward, back to another old acquaintance. You make your way through a valley of columns as you follow the noise. A few xenomorphs catch the corner of your eye, but they back off. At least they know who they’re fucking with now. You see your old friend, a bit bigger than you last saw him. He’s a good four times larger than you last saw him when he attacked you. He may look different, but he’s the same asshole as before. Mark seems to stare in awe at the creature as it towers over both of us. “Get a good luck Mark. It’ll be the last time you ever see it.” The xenomorph hisses loudly at the both of you, summoning several others to his side. You raise your weapon, but Mark holds it down. He pushes several buttons on the console attached to his wrist before detaching it. He makes a few gestures. Fist, open palm. Fist, open palm. “What does that even mean?” He starts counting down with his fingers and makes the same motion. “Seriously is that supposed to mean something?” His facepalm could split the world in two. ”B-o-m-b” he replies in a guttural language. “Oh… shit.”