Prologue: Error (Special Edition)

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Everything was silent, as the moon radiated its pale and gentle light upon the world below. Trails of smoke rose into the air with towering skyscrapers ascending from the ground and over the buildings. On the ground rested cars in disrepair. Glass from windows was scattered across the ground. All was in ruin as a result of some unknown force that ran rampant through these once-busy streets. A hologram emitted a static noise as the image faded on the three-dimensional screen from time to time, showing a picture of a facility with the initials “W-Y” painted on its side.

The headline below the holographic photo read “Weyland-Yutani: Building Better Worlds.” After the quote came a report stating that the company was transporting some form of cargo while keeping the public eye concealed to its origins. Rumors began to spread as people began disappearing one by one, although it was never noticeable due to the fact of the population on this planet that the article described, known as “Erebus,” was so vast.

Blood painted the streets of the city and spattered all over cars and walls of the buildings. Bodies of the deceased lay thick in the urban jungle, all hideously mangled and mauled, some with holes in their heads, necks ripped open or chests torn apart with their innards sprawled out. Flies buzzed around as they landed on each carcass, the stench of death overwhelming the air that was once filled with the echoes of people and machines.

The sound of gunfire echoed in the air as flashes of light resonated down one of the many alleyways. More gunshots went off, the light of muzzle fire flickered on and off in the darkened alleys, and the screams of unknown creatures accompanied the symphony of unsettling sounds. People wearing heavy armor and helmets ran out from the alley as they fired their weapons off into passage, quickly backing up as they hurried out into the open.

“Let’s move, let’s move!” The person that yelled backpedaled ahead everyone else, turning around and sprinting down the street with the others following close behind, a couple stragglers keeping their rear guarded while still firing at the unknown enemy.

Everyone grouped together around a man with a white labcoat, keeping the formation rigid as they turned to the left, moving down another crimson painted desolate street.

“What the fuck were those things!?” one of the male soldiers yelled, panting heavily as his eyes searched over every dark corridor they passed.

“Shut up, Ramirez!” the leading soldier yelled, looking back over to the panicking marine as they ran. “Just keep your focus on the rendezvous point and we’ll make it!” He switched his gaze back to the front before putting the rifle in his left hand, reaching up for the radio near his right ear. “Marlow, Marlow come in! Where’s that fucking dropship at!? Over!”

The radio buzzed to life a moment after the lead marine spoke. “Lieutenant Miller, this is the Marlow. The dropship you requested is currently landing over at the southeastern quadrant near the capitol building on Newt’s Avenue about one hundred meters from your position. The ship we've supplied is a carrier, plenty of room for you and the rest of the group.”

“Newt’s Avenue, confirmed, Marlow. Over and out!” Miller shut the radio off before looking over to one of the female soldiers. “O’neal! Where’s Newt’s Avenue!?”

She looked down at the scanner as the cursor above quickly moved down to the left side of the screen. “Lieutenant Miller, Newt’s Avenue is to our northwest behind that building with the name ‘Fiorina’ over there!” She pointed over to where a building stood a couple twenty meters out, a three story building with a wide frame expanding in a cramped alleyway, inches next to a few other smaller buildings.

“Alright, people! We’re almost there! Just keep on running!” Miller shouted as loud as he could, the constant firing of the rifles ringing around the buildings as the screams of the creatures kept coming from their backside.

A screech reverberated in the alleyway next to them as one of the nightmarish monsters barreled into the group. The soldiers scattered, falling to the ground while one soldier fell on top of the scientist, shielding him from any physical harm. Most of them got back up and kept running forward, while O’neal and a few got up at a slower pace. Screams of pain resonated in the air, causing her to dart her gaze to the right. One of the terrible creatures was over top of a soldier, clawing, biting and stabbing the man as he yowled in pain. The marine tried to fight back but was overwhelmed by the strength of the being above him.

“Mason, no!” she shouted. Feeling one of the other soldiers grab her and pull her away, she struggled to free herself.

“Forget him, O’neal! He’s gone! We can’t help him!” Ramirez said, pulling her away and joining back up with the others, much to her dismay. The wails of the soldier died down, drowned out by the screeching of the monsters that continued to give chase.

There was a loud roar, as the soldiers rounded the corner. Dust and wind blasted the group as the dropship’s engines ignited on, a blue light blinding the group. The ramp lowered, and the lieutenant waved to the others.

“Everybody get on the ship! We are leaving!” The group of soldiers filed in, with the scientist rushed into the ship. O’neal rushed in, the lights inside the ship flickering on. She slowly walked into the seating area, leaning against the wall before sliding down onto the floor. Breathing heavily, she slammed her fist into the ground, the image of her best friend being mauled by that monster repeating over and over in her head.

The sound of a sliding door broke her train of thought, as she looked to see the captain entering the pilot’s cabin. “Truman. Get us out of here right now.” Miller ordered, resting his arm against the wall as she heard the echoes of buttons being pressed and switches flipping on.

“O’neal!” Truman yelled, seeing him turn to face her. “I need you up here on the second seat right now.”

She didn’t move, shaking as the words went through one ear yet going out the other end. Footsteps shook her out of her paralyzed state as the lieutenant moved over top of her, grabbing her and shaking her out of her shock.

“O’neal, get up and sit your behind on that seat right now so we can leave!” Miller yelled, ceasing in his shaking as she blinked her eyes repeatedly. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and spoke again in a softer tone. “Listen, I know how you feel about Mason right now, but we need to leave. If more of those bugs surround our ship, then we’ll be in some really deep shit.”

O’neal hesitated, shaking herself before nodding. She felt his grasp leave her arms, quickly walking up to the seat on the right of Truman and sitting down. Strapping herself in, she pressed an array of buttons, the ship shaking as it slowly lifted off the ground. She looked out the window, watching the remaining fellow marines outside shoot at the horde of nightmarish creatures. They backpedaled towards the ship, watching on as she kept the ship’s ramp open.

One soldier hopped on, the creatures jumping on the remaining soldiers. Cries and wails of pain resonated outside as the others were overwhelmed. She slammed her fist on the dashboard, closing the hatch as the ship lifted higher into the air.

She looked to her left, seeing Truman press a few more buttons. Pushing the controls forward, the ship slowly sped up, wind rushing past the ship’s exterior and picking up as it flew faster. The dark and moonlit sky grew brighter, as the stars became more apparent as the ship escaped the atmosphere of the planet. In a quick flash of movement, the stars moved past them as Truman turned the hyperspace drive on.

O’neal sighed, letting the throttle down on the ship. A crash echoed behind her, hearing a body hit a wall. She unbuckled herself, looking over to her fellow pilot. “Excuse me for a moment. I need to go and see what's going on.” He nodded, stood up, and moved over to the door.

As the door opened, she saw one of the marines holding the scientist up to the wall. "Okay, Mr. Scientist, what the fuck were those things that took out everyone of my friends on that piece of shit rock? Huh!? What were those things!?" he said, forcefully slamming the scientist against the wall again.

“Chill the fuck out, Tyler,” Miller ordered, leaning back onto the wall with his arms crossed. “Shoving him into the wall looks like fun, but that won’t get him talking.”

Tyler looked back, scowling, but he nodded his head anyways. Turning to face the scientist, he frowned before throwing him onto the wall again, backing off and watching the guy fall down. Grabbing a hold of his head, the scientist rubbed his neck, coughing as he regained his breath. O’neal watched the lieutenant walk up to the man on the floor, his fists resting on his hips.

“Now… what the hell were those things? I lost ten good men out there because of those monsters, not to mention the five other squads.” He kneeled down, tilting his head as he frowned. “So how about you start talking? Or I’ll let Tyler over there have another go at yah.”

The scientist lowered his eyes, glaring as he continued rubbing his neck before answering, "Those ‘things’ you are referring to are a species of alien called Xenomorph. They are not monsters; they're creatures of high intelligence and ingenuity that require our study--"

O’neal noticed a rush of movement to her right, seeing Tyler move past Miller and grab his neck again putting him against a wall once more, knocking the breath out of the scientist this time. Miller struggling to rip Tyler away from scientist. "Not a monster? You better believe me that thing is more than a monster, it's a fucking freak of nature! Your little pet science project multiplied into basically a million of those fucking things running around, killing innocent civilians! Your company's nothing but a fucking joke!"

“Get the hell off him, Tyler!” Miller shoved back, glaring at the soldier. “Enough is enough! We’ll deal with him when we’re back at HQ, alright!?”

The marine glared at the lieutenant, panting heavily before storming off, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hallway. The lieutenant shook his head, looking over to the scientist.

“Brutes… always using for--” Miller shoved him against the wall before the scientist could go further in his speech. Hearing the man grunt, O’neal watched as her lieutenant held him against the wall.

“Listen here, you piece of shit!” He spoke in a low and menacing tone. “You should be grateful that we found your sorry ass in that bunker. Funny that you were coincidentally all alone. I know what you did. That shelter could have held hundreds of people, yet you locked them all out so you could save your own skin!” He threw him against the wall, spitting on the floor right next to him. He glanced at O’neal, murmuring as he pointed to the scientist before walking down the opposite hallway. “Take this guy to the brig.”

She walked back up to the cockpit, peeking around the corner and looking at Truman. “You going to be alright while I take this douchebag to the cell?” She asked

He turned to face her, smiling as he pressed a sequence of buttons. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep the ship flying.”

O’neal nodded, walking back into the room with the scientist brushing himself off. “These marines are so unreasonable. They can’t seem to value the monetary worth this amazing creature would have.”

Ignoring his remark, O'neal moved to his left side. “Alright, you, let’s get going.” She grabbed his left shoulder and pulled a pistol from her left side, pointing it to his back and guiding him down the hallway. He proved to show no resistance, calmly letting her escort him to the stockade room. On the way, O’neal saw a screen as she passed by showing the names of the marines heartbeats. Out of all of them, only five were alive while other ten in her squad had no pulses on the monitors.

She cursed to herself silently before moving away from the monitors. As she walked, she noticed the remaining survivors sitting against the wall, a couple with their heads down on the table as they talked to each other. A door opened as she pushed the scientist in, pressing a sequence of buttons with the door closing behind the man. He turned around, looking at her until he moved towards the bench and calmly sat down.

O’neal shook her head, walking away and putting the pistol back into its holster. Walking back to the bridge, she heard something crash in the room to her right. “Hello? Is anybody there?” Pulling her gun out again, she slowly approached the area where the noise resonated. Cautiously, she looked to the left and right, scanning the room. Nothing seemed out of place, nor did it look like anything had moved. “Hello? Whoever this is, now is not the time for games.”

She peered from behind the corner of the open door, slowly walking in and moving the gun in each direction. Inside the room were crates and other types of equipment. There were two objects on the floor to her right; she tilted her head as she wondered what they were. Looking over the crates that blocked her view, she gasped, covering her mouth before rushing over to the object. “Captain Miller!” O'neal yelled, gazing at the horrible thing attached to his face as its tail tightened around his neck. Grabbing the grotesque fleshy creature, she tried to pull it off, but the tail coiled around his neck even more, refusing to let go of its host.

Falling onto her rump after letting go of the creature, she breathed slightly, trying to figure out the best course of action. Grasping her mouth, her breath quickened in pace as panic set in. Gulping slowly, she crouched down, wrapping an arm around his shoulders before standing up and supporting him on her own. Gradually moving into the hallway, she turned to her left and began making her way down the corridor. O’neal looked up, hearing footsteps walking further up the hallway, before seeing Tyler round the corner.

She watched as his eyes narrowed, a frown forming on his face before he spoke. “What the hell happened to Lieutenant Miller?”

“Something’s attached itself to the Lieutenant. I found him lying in the storage room with this ‘thing’ wrapped around his neck,” said April. Tyler ran to her left side, aiding her with the unconscious marine as they dragged him to the medical bay. Once there, they put him on a table, Tyler moving over to an intercom on the wall. He pressed a few buttons before speaking.

“Hey Paine, get your ass up here, the Lieutenant’s got something on his face.” He released the button before moving back over to the table.

Moments passed, and then another marine’s footsteps resonated from the hall they came through. A box swung in his right hand, placing it next to Miller’s chest and opening it up. O’neal watched as he stared at the creature on his face, digging through the box of medical items before asking, “What the hell is on the Lieutenant’s face?”

“We don’t know. It was there when I found him in the storage room,” she said, looking over the unconscious lieutenant, seeing his body twitch slightly.

Paine lifted out a knife, bringing it to the spider-like creature. He slowly cut into its leg, the blood shooting out onto the knife and floor. The marine dropped his dagger, the blade sizzling as the metal was melted away. The small amount of blood that dripped to the floor ate away at the metal, making a small hole. “What kind of blood is that?” Paine murmured, moving closer to his knife and inspecting the damage.

“What the hell is this? A creature that bleeds acid? That’s some fucked-up shit right there. How are we supposed to get this damn thing off his face now?” Tyler said, throwing his arms in the air as he spoke.

“We’re not. We’ll get this thing surgically taken off when we get back to headquarters. The Marlow should be waiting for us when we get there, so it shouldn’t be long before we reach the ship,” April murmured, looking up to both of the marines.

“O’neal.” Truman’s voice sounded over the comms. “I need you up here. Something’s up on the radar.”

She sighed, turning to face Tyler. “Put Miller in a stasis pod for the time being. We’ll bring him out for surgery when we get back to the Marlow.” The marine nodded, taking the lieutenant and supporting him over his shoulder as he dragged him away. “Paine, go back to the others and tell them what’s happened. I’ll go help Truman with whatever he picked up.”

Paine nodded before rushing down the opposite hallway. She ran down the other corridor, reaching the bridge in a short time. She opened the cabin door and sat down in her seat. “What’s going on, what did you find?”

“There’s a blip on the radar over there,” Truman said, pointing to the sonar in the middle of the consoles. O’neal looked closely, seeing the blip go on and off. “I think something followed us in the jump to hyperspace.”

O’neal peered over to the right, before seeing a large object out in the distance, the sun shining behind it. “Hey Truman, I think that might be another ship.”

“Seriously? Who would be way out here?” He flipped a few switches before slightly turning the controls. “Hang on, let’s get a better look.” A loud explosion shook the ship, O’neal rocking back and forth in her seat as the blast echoed underneath the floor. “What the hell was that!?” Truman yelled, glancing back at the cabin door.

O’neal reached for a switch, flipping it before speaking. “Someone respond! What the hell happened down there!?”

One of the marines responded back; she recognized Tyler’s voice. “The fucking engine is damaged! That freak’s blood dripped onto the engine, and it’s all on fire, with part of the engine blown to bits!”

“Shit!” She slammed her fist onto the right armrest, pressing the button again. “Listen, do whatever you can to at least fix it and get back up onto the floor above. We’re already going into hyperspace. Hurry!” Buttons and switches echoed around the cabin as O’neal and Truman quickly did everything they could to prepare themselves for the worst. She reached over to the comms again and spoke once more. “All remaining marines, buckle up tight, we’re in for a bumpy ride!”. O’neal glanced over to Truman before yelling. “What do you think the odds of survival are at this point!?”

He turned to face her for a brief moment, moving his wide-eyed gaze to the stars outside the ship. “Right now… I’d give us like a thirty percent chance of making through this. The engines can’t sustain faster-than-light travel. We need to get out of hyperspace and hope there’s a planet nearby.”

She didn’t like hearing those odds; she realized that the engines could explode any second. She gulped, preparing herself for the worse as she gripped the armrests tightly.

The advanced dropship pulled out of hyperspace in an unknown region of space, and O’neal’s heart leaped within her chest with delight as she saw a planet in the distance orbiting a star; it was their only hope. The cabin shook violently as an explosion rocked the ship and sent it careened down towards the planet. The exterior of the ship heated up as it entered the atmosphere.

Parts of the ship broke off, echoing outside. In a sudden moment, she saw the sky of the world brightly lit with a forest down below. She lurched forward as the ship crashed into the ground, screaming as the windows darkened with dirt. O’neal heard a crash to her left, closing her eyes and feeling herself only tighten up even more.

All the sounds of the ship tearing apart echoed around her, filling her ears with a dreadful noise as the ship tumbled and crashed through the trees. She felt something hit her, but didn’t fully acknowledge it and brushed it off as just debris. It was a moment before everything went quiet around her. She opened her eyes and took the scenery around her slowly. Parts of the cockpit was damaged, with a large hole to her right that the sun’s natural light seeped through. Sparks of electricity shot from the console in front of her, with wires hanging around her.

She tried to move but felt something hold her back. With an uneasy glance, she gasped as the saw a metallic rod inside her chest, feeling the immense pain begin to take hold of her. O’neal grabbed the pole and tried to pull it forward, gasping at the effort while feeling her limbs go numb as she pushed with all her might. The taste of her blood welled up in her mouth, pouring onto her lips as she coughed the vile liquid up. She looked at the control panel and saw a recording device. She reached forward with a trembling hand to press it, the device turning on as she said her last words.

After giving her final report, everything slowly went dark as she lost all feeling in her body. She let out one last whimper before closing her eyes and feeling nothing as the darkness of sleep took her in its hold. Her head rested to the left side as her arms fell to both sides of her body and the warmth left her body.

Time had passed since the ship crashed, fires slowly beginning to disperse with smoke hovering over the crash site. The ship had torn through the forest with a trail of destruction that went on for a few hundred feet, leaving trees broken and the dirt upturned. Sparks lit up the inside of the ship, most of it was in disarray. Wires were torn out and in the open, parts of the interior coming off the walls with other items scattered across the ground. The stench of blood filled the air as the bodies of the travelers laid on the ground, most being ripped from their seats and thrown around the ship. Inside the cockpit, the two pilots were dead--Truman’s head had been smashed to pieces.

Down farther into the ship lay one of the only cryochambers intact. Electricity shot off from it, static noise echoing from a speaker next to it before words were spoken. “Power output at five percent. Nominal option to open the cryochamber has been overridden. Putting energy reserves into distress beacon… error, error, error, long range radio has been damaged beyond repair. Unable to authorize ability to signal for help, putting all power to maintaining the ship at its current capacity. Will power down in three… two… one…”

The chamber opened slowly, whirring as the top hatch leisurely unlocked from the chamber. Some time later, a hand grasped the side of the wall as the lieutenant opened his eyes. He looked to his side, flinching as he saw the fleshy spider laying down to his right, curled up on its back. Miller stared at it for a moment longer, cautiously turning his gaze to his surroundings. Everything was torn apart; the interior was damaged beyond repair. He coughed as he slipped out of the stasis pod, taking in his surroundings with a wary nature. “H-hello? Anybody there?” He called out, tilting his head as he looked down the hallway.

Sparks of electricity made the lieutenant flinch slightly, taking his time as he moved down the hallway. He moved a hand up to his eyes as the sun’s light blinded him, everything going dark for a brief moment as he gazed at the alien environment, finding it to be similar to the climate of Earth’s. A pain in his chest slowly rose up, but he didn’t bother paying any attention to it. He stepped out a few feet from the ship, gazing at the surroundings around him. Facing forward, he noticed a building slightly hidden behind foliage, made from what appeared to be stone. “Is that a… castle? Where the hell are we?”

He lurched forward, the sudden pain in his chest worsening. “What the… f-fuck?” Miller howled in pain as he landed on his stomach, rolling around and clenching his chest as he felt something trying to burst its way out. He got on his hands, bending backwards as something exploded from his chest. He gasped in pain, hearing the screeching of an unknown creature coming from a hole in his torso.

The last thing he saw was a creature writhing about as it slithered out of his chest. Miller fell back onto the ground dead as the bloodsoaked creature observed its new surrounding. It resembled an eyeless, flesh-colored snake with metallic teeth. It screeched into the air before it headed towards the castle, away from prying eyes as it set out to explore this new world.

Chapter I: Threat Detected (Special Edition)

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Celestia’s sun slowly began to descend from its perch in the sky, nearly touching the tips of the mountain tops. The forest’s thick canopy covered the pathway in shade, sheltering it from the sun’s warm rays and chilling the hauntingly quiet and eerie woodland. This forest had always been this way, an ominous and shadow-filled place with stories that unnerved listeners to their core.
A sudden snap of twigs echoed in the desolate forest, bushes shifting and grass drifting to the touch of a group of ponies walking through the bleak and silent woodland together.

Twilight walked with a jitter, slow and steady, but despite her nervousness, she smiled. She was excited to show off what she and her friends had accomplished so far in the reconstruction of the Royal Sister’s Castle.

She looked to the others, smiling as her gaze came across the first pony to her right, being her sister-in-law, Princess Cadance. Next to her was her husband and Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor. To the right of her brother, was Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, glancing at her younger sister and keeping their conversation going.

She smiled as she heard voices behind her, glancing back to see her friends busily talking to one another. Rainbow Dash hovered above the others while she talked to Applejack below her. Behind the other two were the last of her friends, Rarity, who walked side by side with Fluttershy. All three mares gazed around as they talked amongst one another. Further behind them were five Royal Guards, all staring stoically ahead as they moved along. It felt a little unnecessary to bring them, but she didn’t argue with the other princesses. While she would have joined her friends, she wanted to be next to Celestia, so as to be able to give her and Luna a tour of their former home.

"I'm glad you decided to come along, Your Highnesses. I think you'll find our work has really come far," Twilight said, smiling brightly up to the taller pony.

"I am excited to see what you have finished so far, Twilight. It will be nice to see our old home as it was once more," Celestia murmured, giggling before continuing. “And you must stop referring to us as ‘Your Highness.’ You share that title yourself now.” Twilight blushed, knowing Celestia was right.

"Yes, I agree with Celestia. Do tell us, all of you: how far have you come along with this project?" Luna asked.

"Well, it's come a mighty long way, but Ah assure ya that our work ain’t been wasted," Applejack said.

"Of course, Applejack, but this never would have been possible without all of your help." She looked over at each of her friends, and they beamed in return. Although Twilight knew that she could have given the tour to her fellow princesses alone, the others wanted to come and help with the tour so their friend would not be so stressed as she felt at the moment.

"Oh, it was nothing, darling. We are glad to help such a good friend," Rarity contently stated, returning her gaze to Fluttershy and speaking with her once more.

She smiled at Rarity's comment. In truth, she felt glad to have good friends such as these ponies and appreciated that they came to help after all.

The group continued to walk along until the castle came into view. Seeing its haunting structure brought back memories of that fateful night. They crossed the bridge and were upon the entrance in only a few moments, where they stood outside, looking up at the front of the castle.

As the group neared the entrance the cracked stone of the exterior walls, branches and moss grew to cover the sides and lower half; all a sign of how uncared for it was. “It is a little sad to see this castle in such disarray, when it was quite a sight before it was put into ruins,” said Celestia. She frowned, then, after a moment, so did Luna. Twilight remembered from the memory of the distant past that she had seen Luna, while under possession by Nightmare Moon, destroy this once-beautiful building.

However, it was not time to dwell on old thoughts. Twilight looked up to the archway ahead of them and ushered the others inside. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, you should be the first to observe what the girls and I have put our effort into.” She watched both sisters smile, nodding to her before walking through. She waved her sister-in-law and brother over as well, and they walked into the castle.

Her ears flicked upwards as a crumbling sound resonated from above. Looking up, she saw small little pebbles of cement and brick fall down to the ground around her. The castle wasn’t about to collapse--it must’ve been the foundation creaking or a bird that had knocked a few grains loose.

“What’s up, Twilight?” She turned her attention to Applejack as her friends walked by, with the guards not too far behind.

“Oh, nothing. Just thought I saw a bird take off is all,” she replied. She looked up again, but she saw no other movement.

Applejack chuckled a little. “Come on, we can ask Fluttershy to go birdwatchin’ later. Right now, Ah think we’ve got more important matters to attend to.”

Twilight nodded, walking next to Applejack’s right side as they entered the castle. Once inside, she spotted Celestia and Luna gazing up at the thrones that had once stood as a symbol to the united force of the Sun and Moon. She and Applejack passed by another structure, the hidden column that had held the Elements of Harmony to keep them from those who would misuse their power. At least now they were in a safer place, back in the Tree where they belonged.

“So…” Twilight began as she walked up in front of Celestia. “What do you think?”

Celestia looked down, giggling a little as she noticed the smile on Twilight’s muzzle. "I have to say, girls, you did an excellent job with the redecoration; it looks very beautiful." She smiled and began to reminisce on the past.

"I still remember this place from the time my sister and I used to live here, but I have to say you girls did a very commendable job." Luna moved to her sister’s side, adding to Celestia's compliment. Twilight’s smile brightened again, clapping her hooves together as she silently celebrated. She looked up to see the two staring at her, blushing as she chuckled a little. Celestia glanced down at Luna before murmuring, “I would like to see the rest of this place before we head home, if we can spare the time?”

“Of course, Luna.” Celestia nodded, looking over to the others. “Come along, everypony. My sister and I would like to see our rooms once more before we go back.” The group reunited and they made their way down the farthest hallway on the right. Celestia nodded to the five guards as Twilight stood next to her. “Please, if you would all maintain watch at the entrance, I would appreciate it.” The guards saluted before positioning themselves next to the broken archway.

She followed behind Celestia before they all caught up with everypony else. As she continued on forward, Cadance pulled up next to her, smiling as she said, “You girls did a great job.”

Twilight couldn’t help but blush again. “Well, we only touched up a few areas. It’s not like we remodeled the entire place overnight.”

“Even so, you girls did an amazing job with what you were able to work on. I mean, this is the first time I’ve actually ever stepped hoof into this place,” Cadance admitted, “but it looks very well done.”

The walk went on for a few moments longer until they reached Celestia and Luna’s old rooms. Twilight watched as Celestia and Luna slowly made their way in, looking over their respective bedroom that looked how it used to be when they had lived there.

Everypony stood outside the adjacent rooms, a quiet tone replacing the talkative mood as they let the two have time to not only reminisce, but to have some time to say a little hello to a place that they had not seen in centuries. After Luna was banished to the moon, Celestia had made the Governmental Palace in Canterlot her home. Without her dear little sister, the ruined castle felt more like a tomb than a home, a constant reminder of her failure to prevent Luna from being corrupted by the Nightmare Forces.

Twilight’s ears swiveled back as she heard the sound of hoofsteps echo from the hallway behind her. She turned around to see the five guards making their way towards where she and the others stood. Twilight looked back to the others, who had noticed the sentries as well. It was in Celestia’s best interest, along with her sister’s, if she let them have a bit more time alone.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked, speaking in a quiet tone as the stallion in front stopped before her and saluted.

“Your Highness. My squadmates and I have discovered something… disturbing,” the lead pony said, keeping a focused gaze on her own.

“Disturbing?” Twilight turned to see Celestia making her way to the five guards. “Disturbing how, Captain Moonflight?”
She looked back to the guards but noticed the captain look away for a moment, like he was gathering his thoughts. Moonflight faced Celestia and reported, “We have discovered the remains of a deer inside the castle.”

Her eyes widened as she heard the news; the group behind her ceased their talking as they turned to face the guards. What Twilight had heard was not only unnerving, but unexpected.

“Oh… this is very sudden,” Celestia murmured, her eyes darting across the ground. Twilight could see that she was just as distressed as she was. What type of predator had found the castle and called it home? And why hadn’t she and her friends stumbled upon it previously? Any one of them could have been its prey as well.

Twilight gulped, looking to the ground for a moment before facing Celestia again. “This has never happened when we here before,” she said, shifting in her spot as she wondered why a problem like this had to arise.

She saw Celestia raise her muzzle in the corner of her eye before she spoke. “Where are the… remains of this deer?” Celestia softly spoke, standing unnaturally still.

“It is currently located by the first hallway on the right. Echo here…” he waved to the mare standing at his left “...was the first to find it after she complained about a horrid stench filling the air by her position.”

Celestia nodded and turned to Cadance. “Cadance. I want you to lead everypony back to the area where the Elements of Harmony were once kept. Luna, Twilight and I shall investigate this matter further and find out what happened. You and Shining Armor can join back up with us after.” Twilight nodded, and Cadance and Shining Armor led the others back down to the front of the castle.

As Twilight watched her friends walk away, an empty feeling formed in her stomach. She wanted to go with them, but knew that at least Cadance and Shining Armor were with them. Still, it didn’t feel right separating from them in a moment like this. The others walked by her, shaking her out of her trance to catch up with Luna and Celestia.

The smaller group walked back into the throne room, the light from outside dimming a little. Twilight looked up to the sky through the broken ceiling towards the setting sun, the lower half slowly disappearing behind the mountains. Shadows spread up the walls of the castle as the inside area darkened, giving a more eerie feeling that drifted through the atmosphere.

“So.” Celestia murmured, her gaze focused on the captain at her right. “Could you identify what killed this deer?”

“Negative. The claw and bite marks were unfamiliar to me. It wasn’t a manticore or chimera: the scratches weren’t long enough to match claws like those predators. It looked like something smaller, yet the lacerations didn’t seem like the hunter teared the flesh of its prey. More like it punctured holes into it.” One of the other guards brought a hoof to their muzzle, almost throwing up. Whatever this deer looked like, Twilight was afraid to see what the sentries saw.

A horrid stench hit her first. She recoiled and covered her muzzle, coughing as the malodor of death surprised her. “Oh… that’s pretty bad,” Twilight murmured, her hoof muffling her voice as she spoke. As they progressed through the hallway, the guards illuminated the darkened corridor with the light of their colored auras, blue and yellow lights brightening the darkness that was further in.

“It is quite an awful smell,” Luna said, although not covering her muzzle like Twilight was. However, Twilight did notice that she and Celestia were having a hard time trying not to gag either.

“Ugh, what is that smell?” Twilight looked over her shoulder to see Cadance and Shining Armor catching up to them, their hooves over their mouths as well, Cadance speaking in a suppressed voice.

To say the least, Twilight herself had never been this close to death before in her life. The smell of decay was quite appalling, but she didn’t want to know how torn apart the deer was. The stench became worse as they progressed before turning a corner. There, she gasped in fright as the guards’ light revealed the carcass of the animal. Its muzzle was torn apart, deep scratches going across its mouth with dried blood streaked under its chin.

The chest and stomach were ripped open. Intestines lay out in front of the grotesque wound, ribs cracked into splintery points. A pool of scarlet blood stained the floor in front of it. Her body shook as she gazed over the malicious way this animal was torn apart, but what caught her eyes were the hole-like incisions on the body, like pieces of flesh were punched out.

“This is… an interesting way for a hunter to eat its prey,” Luna murmured. Twilight noticed her eyes had remained unchanged, yet she could tell by the way she slightly shook that she was keeping her fear locked away.

“But what could have caused this? Surely it was a manticore, or some other predator,” Echo spoke up, her eyes darting across the other ponies.

“That’s the thing. What type of predator leaves holes like these on the body, especially the head?” the stallion pegasus guard next to her added.

As soon as he had mentioned the deer’s head, Twilight looked and saw that there was indeed a gaping hole between the victim’s eyes, bits of brain matter spilling out onto the floor. ‘What kind of predator eats this way? It seems impossible.’

“How old do you think this carcass is?” Celestia asked. Her eyes had narrowed into slits. She appeared calm, almost too serene for her liking.

She noticed Shining move forward a little and turned to face the Celestia. “Judging by how torn apart it is and how strong the smell is, I’d guess at least a day or two old.”

“That means that whatever did this may not be around anymore,” Twilight said, exhaling in relief. She laughed a little as she hoped that was true.

“Or,” Moonflight said, “the carnivore is here, probably making a home somewhere in the castle.” He nodded to the other guards before facing the other ponies again. “Don’t worry. We’ll do a quick sweep of the area just to make sure it is truly gone.” He and the other sentries went further down the hallway, leaving Twilight and the others to watch them disappear.

As the light of the sentries’ horns soon faded away, another light illuminated the area around them. Twilight turned to see Celestia’s horn lighting up in a very light golden yellow aura, the surrounding walls brightening up as she said, “Let us meet up with the others and wait by the bridge. We should all be together, just in case we run into whatever is here.”

She looked back to where the guards had disappeared to, seeing nothing but darkness. It was disturbing to know that something was capable of ripping apart a deer in such a way. The tour was marred by such an awful discovery and she was of course disappointed, but she thought that at least Celestia and Luna got to see what they had redone. However, she felt that whatever had done this was something worse than she originally thought. Twilight walked up next to Celestia, her gaze focused on what was in front of her as the five ponies made their way back, hoping that the guards would come back unharmed.

Chapter II: Veiled Assassin (Special Edition)

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Cold air drifted through the ruins of the castle, the wind slowly gusting through the cracks and holes that the moss of the forest had not covered. The sun had stationed itself above the mountains, Celestia staring up to her orb of light. She had not lowered the sun as evening came close to ending, her thoughts focused on how the Royal Guards she had brought along were doing. It felt as if an eternity had passed, even though it had only been over a half hour as the group waited anxiously for the guards to return.

“Oh, what’s taking them so long? They should’ve have been here by now,” Rainbow Dash griped, huffing impatiently as she floated above Fluttershy and Rarity.

“I agree with Rainbow Dash. It’s getting colder and I don’t have a scarf to keep me warm.” Rarity murmured, complaining as she shivered, the bitter air breezing gently around them.

“Dash is right, they’ve been gone too long. Do you think they found whatever creature was inside the castle?” Shining Armor asked, shifting in place as he worried for his troops.

The tension in the air was unsettling, Twilight thought, as everypony worried over the five guards. The Royal Guard was diligent and they made it a point to be always on time, yet half an hour had passed and they didn’t even come out of the castle yet. The others along with herself could feel something wasn't right.

“Okay everypony. I believe it’s time we went in there and found out what’s going on.” Celestia announced to the group as she gazed over the ponies.

“Umm, are you sure we need to go back in there?” Fluttershy nervously asked, shaking a little at the prospect of going back into the darkness.

“Oh don’t worry, Fluttershy, we’ll be fine. Besides, what the worst that can happen?” Rainbow jokingly asked, chuckling as she landed next to her friend, ruffling her wings as she folded them back against her sides.

The group walked back to the castle, crossing the rickety bridge and heading through the castle’s archway. Twilight couldn’t help but look at the building around them, seeing the others do the same out of the corner of her eye. This castle, although they had been giving it a few more touches of restoration, had taken on a foreboding atmosphere with the growing darkness. She could tell it was affecting them all as they approached one of the hallways in the central area, turning her gaze to see Fluttershy stepping warily next to Rarity.

As they approached the gaping hole of darkness that led further into the building, she watched Celestia and Luna walk in, lighting their horns in a light gold yellow and a cobalt blue aura that pierced the darkness of the hallway. She observed as her sister-in-law and brother walk through without a moments hesitation, doing the same as they lit the corridor in their own light rose and light cornflower blue emanations. Despite her hope that nopony was scared, Fluttershy had stopped moving, inches away from the hallway. Twilight fixated her ears on the pegasus to only hear the mare quietly whimpering.

“Fluttershy...” Applejack murmured, moving to her friend’s right side. “Ah can assure yah that nothin’ bad’s gonna happen. We’ll all be together in this, alright?”

Fluttershy looked to Applejack, shakily nodding before walking through with the farm mare and Rarity, the elegant fashionista activating her light blue aura to shed more light. Twilight triggered her magic to awaken, a raspberry aura illuminating the walls surrounding her as she walked through with Pinkie Pie, who, oddly enough, was humming a tune with little care of the shadows surrounding them.

All shadows that previously consumed these halls were washed away in a blessing of light. The air was thick and heavy with dust as each step the ponies made released follicles of dirt into the air. Twilight coughed a couple times, hearing the others trying to quietly expel the dust from their throats with a ‘whoop’ or ‘hack’.

“Ugh… this place is so filthy. Why didn’t I remember to clear all this foul dirt out when I had the chance?” Rarity murmured before coughing, complaining as the group went on.

“Do any of you feel… odd?” Cadance asked, her gaze scanning the neverending darkness as they made their way through the hallways. Twilight had to admit that something was off. That peaceful feeling she and the others had earlier was completely gone. Now in it’s place was an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that felt like it was engulfing the group.

“Owch!” Pinkie Pie gasped, sitting on her flank as she rubbed her knees. “That wasn’t good… not at all.”

“What do yah mean, Pinkie?” Applejack inquired, turning her gaze to focus on the pink mare.

“My knees are feeling really pinchy… something scary is about to happen.” The pink mare predicted, her eyes widening as she and the others began to gaze around the darkness. Twilight recalled that Pinkie Pie had these sixth sense like reactions, anticipating that something either good or bad was going to happen. This pinchy knee, however, forecasted that something extremely frightening was about to happen.

“B-b-b-but do you know whether it’s going to affect us?” Fluttershy inquired, shaking as she hid behind Rarity.

“I… I don’t know. Usually these sensations never tell me what is actually going t-”

“Wait, everypony be quiet.” Shining ordered, interrupting Pinkie Pie as Twilight watched her brother’s ears fixate down the hallway. She followed what her brother did, seeing the others do the same as she tried to figure out what her brother had heard. At first, she heard nothing and was about to question her older sibling until something boomed in the far distance. That burst of noise was followed by two more as the rumbles reverberated around walls of the hallway surrounding them. Twilight couldn’t distinguish where it was coming from, wondering if it was below or above them. “That sounds like magic being fired. The guards must’ve found the creature.” Shining said, glancing back to the others.

The loud sounds themselves were still quite faint, Twilight noticed as they tried to pinpoint where it was coming from. A distant scream was added to the booms that continued to go on, Twilight folded her ears back as she felt beads of sweat drip down her muzzle. Something was happening, and that cry was a stallion’s. That wail was drowned out by another, much louder and terrifying screech that sent chills down her spine. Twilight felt her whole body stiffen, glancing at the others to see her friends’ eyes glazed with fear. She looked to her fellow alicorns and saw that same anxiety, yet Celestia and Luna still held calm expressions that looked to be holding back that unease.

A high pitched scream echoed after that more alarming screech, one she knew was a mare’s. The howls quickly faded away as the booms slowly began to dissipate. She heard one source of blasting noise continuing on, until they entirely faded. Dead silence. The only thing Twilight heard was the soft breathing of everypony else, including herself.

“W-what just h-happened?” Fluttershy whispered, her pupils shrinking as Twilight saw her friend shake even more.

“I do not know.” Luna spoke up, her eyes moving from each side as they scanned the darkness. “But it sounds as if the Royal Guards may require our assistance.”

“So what are we waiting for? Let’s go save them!” Rainbow declared, turning to face everypony else.

“Rainbow Dash is right. We need to see if they need any help.” Shining Armor said, looking over to Celestia and Luna.

“I agree. But we must not rush into the situation.” Celestia turned to gaze at the rainbow colored mare and captain of the guard. “We don’t know what we’re up against, and caution is something we must uphold at the moment.”

Another scream echoed in the halls, much closer than the last ones. Twilight stepped back a little as she gazed down one hallway as did everypony else. Hoofsteps resonated from the corridor, getting closer as she flared her magic, seeing Celestia along with her sister and even Cadance doing the same as they prepared to fire at whatever was coming down the hall.

A shadow appeared from the darkness, the object breaking free from the darkness before it slammed into Celestia, the taller alicorn grunting as she stepped back from the impact. The object, which Twilight now distinguishing to be a pony, fell back onto the floor. She recognized Echo, who sat on her back and groaned, rubbing her head until opening her eyes. The guard gasped, getting back up and running to Celestia, crying and hugging her right foreleg.

“Echo.” Celestia murmured, kneeling down and hugging one of her guards. Twilight's eyes glimmered as she softened her gaze, wondering what could have caused this mare so much fright. “What happened, Echo? Where are the others?” Celestia asked as she looked past the mare. “Where is Captain Moonflight?”

Twilight watched as the mare struggled to speak, her breathing quick and shaky. It was a few moments later that her mouth finally began to form words. “T-this, thing… the creature that w-we were supposed to be lo-locating. It t-turned on us.”

“What do you mean, turned on you?” Luna asked this time, her eyes softening as she kneeled next to her sister.

“It...it, it killed everypony.” Twilight could hear the others gasp as they heard that this creature had killed off about every guard they had with them. What kind of animal was capable of such a feat?

“But the guards are the best of the best… right?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising a hoof as she stood by Pinkie Pie

From all the time that Twilight had spent in Canterlot, she knew that the Guards were excellent in combat, equal to the nation of the Griffin's army. How could one creature take out four guards on its own?

“We’re supposed to have one of the best military out there, right next to Giffrance’s. How could this happen?” Shining murmured, surprised that such a creature unknown to them could do something like this.

Another terrifying roar was heard, the group looking up to the darkness. Although it sounded far off Twilight calculated it was possibly a few hundred feet away, but with the other halls intersecting this castle she didn’t know if it was in another area of the building. She couldn’t tell what kind of creature could make that sound and looked to her friends to see the terror on their faces.

“I… I need to get out of here!” Echo yelled as she quickly ran through everypony else, pushing them aside in a panicked state.

“Echo, get back here!” Shining ordered as Twilight watched him take chase after her, rushing past her before she quickly followed behind. The others ensued the mare as well, yelling for her to stop.

Echo quickly turned a corner and ran blindly through each hallway, panting hard as she desperately searched for the exit. She could hear voices calling to her from the halls behind her, but to her panicked mind, they were an incoherent babble.

While the Element Bearers and the Princesses chased after the terrified mare, something else took notice. Blinded by fear, the pony’s route to escape was leading her straight into its path. All it had to do was wait for her it come to it.

Echo rounded another corner and saw that the end of the hallway was lit by the evening sun. One more turn around a corner and she would be back in the sunlight and another step closer to being safe from the nameless horror that lurked in the darkness. Seeing the delightful sight of light made her utter a cry of both joy and urgency. If she could only reach the light, she would be safe. Tears streamed down her face as she sprinted full speed to the life giving light, her heart nearly bursting within her chest. A couple more meters and she would make it.

As Echo ran to reach the end of the hallway, a shadow dropped from a hole in the ceiling. Her eyes widening, the guardpony planted her hooves on the floor in an effort to stop herself but her momentum caused her to skid across the stone floor straight towards the figure. She came to a stop only a hoof’s distance from the creature as it raised itself up to its full height. The sunlight behind the towering figure, which Echo thought would make her safe, silhouetted the creature making it appear to be a living shadow. Echo’s mouth hung uselessly agape, too terrified to even scream. The thing before her slowly raised a hand and spreaded its clawed fingers. Echo suddenly realized what it was about to do and found her voice as the hand shot quickly at her.

Twilight and the others froze when they heard a scream that was unmistakably Echo’s. They looked to each other with dread before hurrying around the bend. When they rounded the corner, they stopped, Twilight’s pupils widening as she looked at something she never imagined seeing in her entire life. Its thin body was covered by a black exoskeleton, its ribs very apparent on its chest and claws adorned the hands and feet. It had a long tail that resembled vertebra, tipped with a sharp point at the end. Its large cranium stretched backwards for a few feet and spines protruded from its back. It was tall, taller even than Celestia, easily being eight feet in height. In its clutches, Echo hung in its grasp, the mare’s hind hooves dangling off of the ground.

The creature looked at Twilight and the others, seeing no eyes on its face. She could feel its sightless gaze upon her and she shuddered, the animal felt like it was staring right into her soul as it moved ever so slowly towards them, tube like objects slightly swaying on its back as it moved the pony around in its grasp. She then noticed that Echo was kicking and pounding her front hooves against the monster’s arms, trying to free herself. All this did was regain its attention. Deciding that the being in its clutches was no longer of importance, it snarled, lips curling back to reveal its vicious set of metallic teeth. It raised its right hand and then slammed it violently into Echo’s throat, eliciting a gasp of awful shock from the ponies watching the poor mare die a terrible death.

Echo, too paralyzed in fear had too much adrenaline to feel the pain, only feeling the sawing motions of the creature’s claws on her throat. A warm liquid trickled down her chest, splattering on her chin as well. Her forelegs became heavier as she lost more blood, feeling the cold air around her rush past her as her body lost all her warmth. It let go of her, the group of ponies watching her stumble about on her back legs. Everything was going dark, the group ahead of her blurring as she whimpered. She took a few stumbling steps towards them. Her eyes fluttered momentarily, finally closing before falling down to the ground with a loud thud.

The ponies witnessing this grisly scene were completely in shock, their mouths open as they looked at this creature and the dead mare at its feet. Fluttershy was quietly whimpering as she crouched as low as possible behind Rarity as the others stood trembling at the sight of this terrifying monster. It screamed without warning, now only six feet away from them as it stood upright on its legs.

“Everypony, get back!” Celestia announced, her horn lighting up before firing a beam of magic at the creature, the monster screeching as it was knocked back by the powerful blast. The older alicorn looked to her sister before ordering. “Get us out of here right now!”

The younger alicorn nodded as her horn’s light intensified. A blast of energy hit the wall, bits crumbling past the group as a new exit to the outside was made, light pouring through to the outside. “Everypony, let’s get out of here right now!” Celestia yelled and the ponies quickly ran out. Twilight watched the creature get up quickly, screeching before lunging at Celestia. She watched a blue light intercept the creature, knocking it back again mid-flight and skidding some distance back into the shadows, turning to see Luna with her horn lit up, moving next to her sister.

“Twilight, come on!” Shining yelled as he ran out the hole in the wall. She shook her stupor off and after Celestia went out, she followed her former teacher. The outside light blinded her for a brief moment as she hurried outside. She watched her friends quickly make their way out through the archway of the main room, watching her fellow alicorns do the same.

She jumped down, landing and tripping a little before straightening herself out, quickly picking up stride and taking off. A screech made her look back, watching the creature jump from the hole and onto the ground, chasing after her as it ran on all fours. The gap between it and her closed tremendously as it caught up with her, Twilight herself was surprised by this terrifying revelation. She shot a beam at it, the creature jumped to the side and proceeded onto the wall next to it. ‘It can run on walls!? How is that possible!?’ It looked too heavy to be crawling on the interior side of the castle. Yet here it was, proving her wrong.

Twilight felt something trip her, quickly getting back up and gazing back once more. The creature had jumped from the wall, screeching as it closed in on her position. She began to charge her horn, but felt the wind get knocked out of her as it collided with her body. Twilight gasped as she felt the impact hit her right side, sweeping her off her hooves and hitting the corner of the castle. She rubbed her head, groaning as the pain slowly subsided.

She felt her heart skip a beat as she watched it charge right at her. Thinking quickly, she fired a beam of energy, but the creature ducked under the ray of purple light, screeching as raised a clawed hand. Twilight screamed, louder than anytime before in her life as she realized that this was her final moment. Raising a hoof, she tried a vain attempt to protect herself, but knew her demise was imminent.

The creature screeched, Twilight sobbing as she waited for her death. However, there was nothing. No impact nor the painful feeling of claws running down her skin and opening her up. She hesitantly lifted her eyes open, seeing Celestia, Luna and her sister-in-law driving the creature back into the hole. Beam after beam of varying colors hitting the creature as it howled at the ponies, disappearing into the darkness moments after. Shock had taken hold of her, as her breaths came quick and uneasy.

“Twilight! Twilight!” She looked up to see Cadance running up to her. “Twilight, are you alright!?” Her sister-in-law yelled. A shaken Twilight shuddered uncontrollably, nodding shakily as tears poured down her eyes. She felt Cadance’s hooves wrap around her body. She hugged back, her uneven breathing quickly turning into a quiet cry as the feeling of her near death experience shook her to the core. “There, there… it’s okay. You’re alright now.” Cadance murmured, running a hoof through Twilight’s mane.

“Is she alright?” Celestia asked as she and her sister quickly trotted up to the two other alicorns. Twilight looking up to her former teacher and slightly nodding. She felt the older alicorn’s hooves wrap around her as well, glancing at Luna to see the same as she too felt the presence of the Princess of the Night.

Those warm presences felt comforting. She never wanted them to leave her side, fearing she would disappear the moment they let go. She had almost died, Twilight thought as this shuddering continued to overwhelm her body. That warm feeling went away, until she felt her sister-in-law help her up, her unsteady hooves trembling as they helped guide her out of the castle. The cold air felt soothing against her body as sweat dripped down, Twilight’s breathing calming down little by little. However, her traumatic experience was too much, tears unending as the close encounter was just too near for her liking. It was only a few moments before the alicorns joined back with the others, her friends quickly surrounding her as she felt their hooves, including her brother’s, wrap around her body.

“Are yah alright there, sugarcube? Yah don’t look so good.” Applejack inquired, pulling away as Twilight’s other friends did so.

“She… had too close of an encounter.” Cadance murmured, the others stepping back slightly.

“That thing almost got you? Are you okay?” Rainbow moved next to Fluttershy, her gaze softening like her friends. Twilight nodded, feeling her voice catch in her throat as she tried to speak.

“What… what was that thing?” Rarity murmured, shivering in fear as what had happened seemed not only to affect her, but everypony else.

“Why did it have to kill her like that?” Fluttershy cried, her body shaking more than ever before, the color of her fur almost pale as Twilight’s gaze moved over to her shy friend.

‘T-this is ab-absurd… w-why did that creature have to k-kill Echo like that? It’s just s-so unreal.’ Twilight thought as the sequence of Echo's throat being torn apart kept repeating in her mind, the smell of death lingering in her nostrils like an unpleasant aroma.

“Is...is everypony else ok?” Celestia asked as her eyes moved over the group.

“I think everypony else is fine.” Shining reported, his eyes glancing over to Twilight, as she looked at the ground. It felt hard to even stare at the others, although they had done nothing bad, she herself just couldn’t bring her gaze to see her friends.

“It is time for us to leave, everypony. We must return back to our homes and recuperate from this unsettling experience.” Luna announced, moving to her sister’s side.

“But what about going back to get the bodies? Those guards didn’t deserve any of that and they deserve a proper burial for their service.” Shining regarded, stomping his hoof in anger. Everypony else, as Twilight could see was upset that their fellow equines could have possibly been killed by that creature. Yet knowing that this monster was still there, she didn’t feel like setting hoof back in that place ever again.

“And what, get caught by that ‘thing’ in there? No way!” Cadance’s tone rose as she spoke, pleading with her husband to not go back. “I’m not losing you to this creature, Shining.”

“Cadance is right.” Celestia spoke up as she stared at Shining Armor. Twilight looked to her brother and back to her former teacher, seeing her eyes glimmer for a moment before the older alicorn spoke again. “We cannot go back. Not at this moment, or we all run the risk of becoming injured or worse.”

Twilight turned to face her brother, watching him simply nod as he looked away. She understood his pain, knowing that those ponies didn’t deserve to die like that. However, she did not want her friends or family to risk their lives to retrieve the bodies. That would, unfortunately, have to wait for another time.

As if on a silent command, the group of ponies made their way back to Ponyville. This evening had proven to be an eventful, if not terrifying, experience for everypony. Twilight wondered if it would even be possible to get any sleep after going through an ordeal like that. After having such a close encounter to death, she didn’t want to even imagine what images she would see in her sleep. However, this was a possibility that she would have to try and forget. Tonight was going to be stressful, for the dreams she could possibly see would only make everything worse. She hoped with all her heart that Luna would be there and that these thoughts would eventually go away and be gone for good.

Chapter III: Restless Night ~ Part I (Special Edition)

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Lamps lit the streets with their pale yellow light, the air cooling as Luna’s moon glimmered its fragile illumination down upon the earth. In the center of a small town, known to the locals as Ponyville, stood a lone oak tree amongst the thatched roofed homes. This tall oak had been converted to the town library and served as the residence of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

A flicker of light resonated from the first floor windows. Inside the main area was an open space, a round table sitting in the center of this larger room with a wooden pole supporting a timber pony head resting on top of the pillar. Sitting feet away from this countertop were bookshelves filled with a large number of these paper tomes. Orange flames glimmered against the objects as it lit up the dark library. A chair sat a comfortably warm distance away from an open chimney, wood crackling as the blistering fire shattered their structure.

A dark blue aura glimmered around a book as it floated a few inches away from a filly’s muzzle. Her moderate opal blue eyes darted across the pages, a weary smile on her lips. Her dark blue violet mane and very dark cornflower blue coat gained a brighter shade of color from the warm fire, shifting slightly as she sighed. After the bath she took a while ago, the warm water that kept her cozy had left her coat wet, the cold air wrapping around her like a tree stuck in winter.

Although she was happy to stay next to the fire and keep warm while gathering more information from this book, she realized what time it was, looking out the window to see the moon high in the night sky. She heard a hooting noise, turning to smile at a light grayish amber owl.

“I know. It’s really warm, huh Owlowiscious?” Her mother had told her that he had flown into her window one night, helping her keep things in order and alphabetize the books and everything, much to Spike’s dismay. However, he grew attached to the owl after he and Twilight had saved him from another dragon. Since then, both had become best friends.

She leaned back in her chair and looked out the window to see the moon again, remembering that it was slowly ascending up in the starry sky, knowing how late it was. Watching the moon leisurely rise towards its peak, she recalled earlier today that her mom told her she wouldn’t be getting back until two hours after dinner. Right now, it had been a half hour since she was scheduled to return.

It was a worrisome thought, but she didn’t think much about if she was hurt. Knowing her mother, she would be alright. Yet that tinge of concern still stuck with her, hoping that her mom would get home soon. It wasn’t like her to be late. Turning back to her book, she shook off the thoughts and continued reading. It wasn’t until a few moments later did she feel her gaze resting on a frame atop of the fireplace’s shelf. In the frame was a picture of herself with her brother, a small dragon and her mother’s number one assistant Spike, by her side. Behind her was her mother, Twilight Sparkle with her Aunt Cadance to her mom’s right. To the left of the two alicorns was her Uncle Shining Armor. Bright smiles were worn by her family members, including herself.

She smiled as she remembered how far she had come. It began with Twilight finding her in the Everfree Forest. At that time, she had no idea she was Nightmare Moon’s reincarnation and didn’t realize she was incomplete. Yet after regaining her full power and recovering all her memories, she had returned to this state; a filly with the same amount of power when her mother was this old thanks to Luna taking the energy away from her. Although she was still quite weak with her magic, she had gotten progressively better. Even with these hurtful recollections, she had forgiven Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the end. Even forgiving her mother and the other Element Bearers for what they did to her with the Elements of Harmony. She was even able to get her uncle to forgive her, although that had taken more time and a horrible dream from her own conscious to get Shining to absolve his uneasiness with her during Hearth’s Warming Eve. Everything seemed to have resolved itself with her family, but she wondered if the public would ever be able to exonerate her of her past actions.

Her ears flicked as she heard the door click open, turning her gaze to face the pony coming in. She smiled when she saw her mother walk through the door, closing it behind her and locking the entryway. She got up from her chair and quickly trotted over to her adoptive parent figure. She heard Owlicious hooting once more, giving his welcome before flying back upstairs as she watched him go up.

Turning back to face her mother, she smiled. “Hey Mom.” She murmured as she wrapped her fore legs around her chest. “How was the guide? Did Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enjoy the tour of what you remodeled of the Royal Sisters’ Castle?” She blinked her eyes once before taking another good look at her mom. Her eyes were a slight tinge of red, the frown on her muzzle depicted a trace of fear. “Mom… are you okay?”

The little filly watched her mom’s gaze focus on her, the frown disappearing in a smile as she spoke in an unusually quiet voice. “Oh… everything is alright, Nyx.” In truth, Twilight knew she was lying to her daughter. That creature back in The Royal Sisters’ Castle was still possibly there. The fact that it was there or coming this way as she thought didn’t sit well with her. Twilight trotted over to the middle of the room, letting go of Nyx and standing next to the round table as she looked at the windows around her. A raspberry aura encased the curtains, shutting the blinds over them.

“Did Celestia and Luna not like what you did with the castle?” Nyx inquired as she watched her mom walk up the stairs after moving the drapes across the glass. The magenta aura surrounded the fire, the flames disappearing in a flash of smoke. She tilted her head, never recalling her mother ever being this quiet before. Still tilting her head a little, she slowly followed her mother up the stairs. Opening the door to her mom’s room, she scanned the area before seeing the alicorn close the window next to her bed. “Mom… did something happen?” She flattened her ears as she watched her mom close the balcony window.

“Please, no more questions Nyx.” Twilight murmured, lowering her head to the floor as her eyes gazed at the ground.

“But mom… what ha-”

“I said, no more questions!” Twilight’s voice rose as she looked over to her daughter, her eyes glazed with annoyance and fear as she scolded her child.

Nyx shrunk to the ground as she backed away, tears brimming the edge of her eyes as she wondered what she had done wrong. Did she say something wrong? Why was her mother upset?

Twilight stepped back, blinking her eyes as she realized what she did. Moving over to her daughter, she wrapped her wings around her child and murmured. “I’m sorry, Nyx. I didn’t mean to yell at you…” The creature, plunged back into her thoughts, hearing that terrible scream again. This thing was something she didn’t want her daughter to know about, terrified that it would do something to her. Breathing in, she softened her tone. “It’s just… something I can’t tell you.”

The two alicorns ears perked up as they heard a noise, looking over to the source to see a young light mulberry drake resting in his bed, Twilight replacing that frown with a sad smile. ‘I’m glad Spike didn’t wake up.’ She thought, returning her attention to the filly. “Well, it’s time to go to bed, sweetheart.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead, running a hoof through her mane as she made her way to her own bed. Getting into the covers, she pulled the sheets over her body. Twilight wondered if she could get any sleep with the close encounter she had with that monster. ‘Just… hopefully I won’t have to see that monster ever again.’

She felt a pressure by her stomach, looking down until smiling as she saw Nyx crawl up next to her chest, nuzzling her neck as the little filly murmured. “Is… is it alright if I sleep with you?”

There was a time when she would have told Nyx to go to her own room, but after the confrontation she had, along with feeling of nearly being killed, she felt having her daughter by her side would help keep most of her nightmares away. “It’s alright, Nyx. You can sleep with me tonight.” Twilight murmured, returning the gentle nudge as she wrapped her hooves around her child. “Goodnight, Nyx.” Twilight whispered, closing her eyes as she snuggled up with her daughter.

“Goodnight, Mom.” Nyx murmured, closing her eyes as well and wrapping her hooves around her mom, snuggling up close. Hopefully, Twilight wished that this night would remain uneventful. That wish was all she could ever ask for.

~~~

As the moon’s light still gleamed from its highest point in the sky, another place echoed with the sounds of doors shutting and fences being closed. In the middle of a farm just outside of Ponyville stood a large structure. The front of the building was pentagonal in shape, with a square steeple structure atop of the large red barn, an anemometer perched at the highest point with an apple decoration as the finishing touch.

Applejack trotted along the fenceline as she kept a wary eye out, her pupils gazing across the apple trees and the fields in the distance. Reaching over to the chicken coop, she opened the door. Inside, the fowls were asleep, heads tucked away as some fidgeted a little in their sleep. Silently counting how many there were in her head, she sighed, glad that all of them were accounted for. Closing the door, she locked the entryway, double checking to make sure the door was fastened tightly before moving on.

She had already secured her farm animals inside the barn earlier, making sure that all the windows were closed and that the front door was tightly secured. The creature that she and her friends had encountered earlier unnerved her with the sheer violence it caused. Killing the poor guard right in front of her had been far more than unsettling, something she wished she never saw. ‘That poor mare. Ah’d never wish somethin’ that terrible upon another pony like that.’ It was a gruesome sight indeed. And indeed, she hoped Twilight would be better tomorrow. It was too close of a call for her friend, an experience she hoped would never happen to her.

Bringing these worries to the back of her mind, she looked around the farm, seeing that she had locked everything down. Assured that everything would be alright for the night, she whistled at the apple orchards to her right, calling, “Winona!” Applejack scanned the trees, hollering again. “Winona! Here girl!” A bark echoed from inside the orchard, a smaller four legged being running from within the trees. She smiled as she watched her moderate tangelo brown collie running up to her, yapping some more before panting as she jumped up, resting her paws on Applejack’s shoulders and licking her muzzle and barking, once more. “Good girl.” Applejack murmured, petting her back before ushering her over to the house. The canine quietly woofed and trotted off towards their home, Applejack following not far behind.

Although she was quite worried about that monster showing up, she hoped it would stay in its own little area. ‘That varmit there is somethin’ else… Ah just hope nopony else meets up with that dangerous critter.’ But she believed nothing would happen tonight. Otherwise that creature wouldn’t have run back into The Royal Sisters’ Castle after the barrage of magic it received from what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told them.

She walked up to the door, opening it and letting Winona in first before stepping through. Inside, the living room lights were on, the kitchen lit up as well. Winona quietly circled around in a bed laid on a wall of the living room floor, lying down and shutting her eyes. Closing the door behind her, she locked it, turning the porch light on and nodded to herself.

“So, lockin’ everythin’ up huh?” Applejack turned to the voice, smiling as she saw her grandmother sitting in a rocking chair next to the stairs. Her light lime green coat darkening a little in the artificial light, rocking back and forth as she spoke in a crackled tone, her light brilliant orange irises’ glimmering with a sense of weariness. “Ah’m glad yah got all our livestock nice and tightly secured, but that hasn’t been done since Ah was about yer age, and when the timberwolves were practically our next door neighbors.”

“Oh, it’s nothin’ really, Granny Smith. Just a little precaution incase fer tonight.” Applejack said, moving through the open doorway into the kitchen. Really, she was just making sure their animals were safe, something that she didn’t feel was too big of a deal.

“A little precaution, hmm?” Granny Smith rubbed her chin, leaning forward as she called into the kitchen. “Whatcha mean by that, youngin’?”

“It’s nothin’ ta worry about.” She assured, poking her head from the corner of the kitchen. That, Applejack thought, was more or less true. The castle was still quite far from their property, so really there was not a thing to worry about. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being a little nervous. Making her way back, she moved up to the door inside the room that led back outside, locking it as well. She heard a chair squeaking behind her, turning to see a brilliant amaranth red stallion sitting at the dining table, reading the local newspaper, his moderate sap green eyes darting across the pages.

“Hey, Big McIntosh?” Applejack asked, watching the stallion glance in her direction, his eyes meeting with her own, his brilliant orange mane moving a little from the swaying motion. “Is Apple Bloom upstairs?”

“Eeeyup.” He murmured, bringing his focus back to the newspaper in his hooves. Happy to hear that her sister was inside, she brushed her temple with a hoof, her bangs swaying from the motion. Moving to the back of the house, she locked another door before making her back to the living room.

“Applejack?” She turned to face her grandmother, an eyebrow was raised as she lifted her right eye a little. “You seem more worked up than a cat tryin’ ta cover his own droppins’ on a marble floor. Everythin’ alright?”

Applejack sighed once more before saying, “Yes, Ah’m fine. It’s just… well…” She began, her eyes darting across the floor. If there was ever a moment where she wished she could tell the truth, this would be it. But after what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna said, they needed to keep this information on the low for a while. “Ah can’t tell yah. Ah wish Ah could, but now is not the best of times.” Without waiting for a reply, she quickly ascended the stairs. Reaching the top, she shook her head, moving to the door that sat next to the rails of the stairs.

Opening it up, she scanned the dark room, her pupils expanding a bit as her eyes adjusted to the shadowy living space. Moving her gaze over the bed, she noticed a bulge, walking up to the side of the decently sized bed and lifting the covers a little. She smiled as she saw a pale, light grayish olive filly underneath the bed sheets, her brilliant amaranth red mane sticking up in a couple spots. “Goodnight, Apple Bloom.” Kissing her forehead, she quietly stepped out of the room and closed the door softly, the latch faintly clicking.

Seeing that everything was locked down for the night, she made her way to the far end of the hall, opening her door and closing it behind her. Unbraiding her hair, she put the braids up on a counter to her left, her eyes moving up to the mirror that was perched above the wooden structure. Looking at herself, she chuckled, moving a hoof to her bangs as she brushed them out of the way. “Ah’m overthinkin’ this. Everythin’ will be fine fer the night.” Assuring herself of this, she turned the lights off and tucked herself in bed. With yawn, she closed her eyes and let the peaceful sleep take her. There was nothing to worry about, she thought, seeing as how they handled beings like Discord and King Sombra. But in truth she hoped she was right, expecting that this critter wouldn’t put up too much of a struggle. ‘Well… let’s hope Ah’m right.’

~~~

Lights shone across the small field of flowers, the river crossing under a bridge reflected the artificial light as the water rippled down the stream. The silent flapping of wings echoed next to a building with grass growing over the top, birdhouses perched across the front of the building with windows excreting the light from inside the cozy looking cottage.

A shadow streaked across the areas the luminescence touched as Fluttershy sped back and forth from birdhouses established over the river’s bank, guiding birds that slept outside into her cottage. “Alright little ones. It’s time to go in for the night.” She murmured, smiling as she tried to keep the idea of the monster she encountered today coming over to where she lived, possibly killing all her animals and even herself, buried in the back her mind.

This fear itself was something she was hoping would never come true. Yet that lingering dread was constantly floating by her side. This felt like Nightmare Night all over again, except at least the trick-or-treaters weren’t out for her head.

Guiding the birds in, she scanned the outside for any remaining animals, nodding before walking through the archway, closing the door behind her. Locking it tight, she looked around the building, smiling as she saw birds chirping and fluttering from perch to perch. A few of the rodents scampered around, some laying on the small circular beds, ones Fluttershy made sure were comfy. A bear sat on his back, snoring loudly as her gaze moved over his sleeping form. She felt pressure on her right fore hoof, looking down to see a white rabbit standing on his hind legs, crossing his fore legs and raising an eyebrow at her as he pointed to the other animals.

“Oh, I’m sorry Angel. It’s just that… well, there’s a… uhm.” The best way to tell him, Fluttershy thought, would have to be composed and not reveal much. “It’s just that I thought it might be best if everyone else here would sleep tonight. Just this once is all.”

Angel rolled his eyes, knowing that she wasn’t telling the whole truth. However, he didn’t persist in his questioning, hopping away over to his bed. Seeing that her bunny was at least complacent with her answer, she decided it would be best to address everyone else. “Now I know you’re all wondering why I brought you all inside the cottage.” Fluttershy began, making her voice heard, even though her tone still held its softness. “But I can’t fully explain to you why at the moment, because a friend of mine told me to keep this quiet for the time being.”

One of the birds chirped, Fluttershy turning to one of her feathered friends. Hearing his question, she said, “I really am sorry. My friend told me that nopony else is allowed to know what has happened.” She did answer to the best of her ability, of course, without giving away the real problem as to why.

A beaver chittered his question, Fluttershy darting her eyes as she realized why he would ask this. “Well. For how long you’ll be in the cottage, I’d say only for today, if that is alright with everyone here.”

The animals looked to one another, nodding or shrugging before going their separate ways. Glad that the animals had calmed down, she exhaled, happy that everyone was relaxed and composed. Taking this opportunity, she went ahead and moved into the kitchen. Unfurling her wings, she flapped up into the air a little, opening covers and pulling drawers out. Food, she knew was a good substance to help any animal relax. Making various dishes ranging from simple salads to assorted nuts and acorns, she flew out into the living room, putting down bowls of food for the residents of her house, flying up to the bird houses and pouring some bird seed into feeders for them. Content with her work, she put everything she had taken out back into its rightful spot. Before heading upstairs, she turned off the lights in the main living space, finally making her way up to the second floor of her cottage.

Yawning as she landed at the top of the stairs, she giggled, realizing how tired she was. Yet, seeing that she was this sleepy, the thought of that monster resurfaced, making her wonder how much sleep she would get tonight. “O-oh. Don’t be silly, Fluttershy. You’re as safe as everyone else here.” Her reassurance fell a little flat, making her shiver a little as slowly walked over to her room with unsteady hoofsteps.

Opening the door to her right, she walked in, cracking it behind her. The window was the first thing she moved to, closing the curtains to hide her room from any unwanted attention. Feeling a little more comforted, she moved to the right of her door, turning off the lights in her room before making her way to her bed. Lifting the bed sheets at the right side of her bed, she made herself cozy, closing her eyes and trying to get some sleep.

She hastily opened her eyes as the door creaked open, squealing in fright as she pulled the sheets over muzzle as she watched a large figure come in. Fluttershy shakily sighed as she realized the gentle huffing of the darkened animal was the bear. The larger mammal plopped on the wooden ground next to her bed, moving his gaze up to her own. Smiling, she patted his head gently, murmuring, “Thank you.”

Fluttershy wondered if he had picked up on her nervous emotions, explaining the reason why he had come up here in the first place. Feeling more secure now that the bear was up here, she closed her eyes with a happier notion, the darkness of sleep quickly taking her into its grip as she lost consciousness. Yet a thought came into her mind as she fell into this state of slumber, hoping that everypony else was doing alright. She hoped they were getting a good night’s rest as well, and wished them the best of dreams.

Chapter III: Restless Night ~ Part II (Special Edition)

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Luna’s moon shone steadily as the night went on, its precious light illuminating the world still in its shimmering silver luminescence. The streets of Ponyville once had a few ponies walking these streets of the night. Now, there was barely a soul left wandering the quiet and peaceful roads. Artificial lamplights gleamed from inside the many establishments in this small town, these candles flickering off as some of the residents finally tucked themselves in for the night.

One building sat near the center of town, its structure resembling a gingerbread house-like style giving it an off putting look that would make most look twice at the bakery itself.

The windows exposed the artificial lamplight from the interior, a sweet and sugary smell emanated from the building. Inside the bakery was a set of booths on each opposite sides, a small area of tables set up next to the front windows of the structure, a few tables positioned outside next to the store as well.

Liquid mist sprayed over one of the top of the tables inside, a light brilliant amber earth pony stallion busily wiping a rag over the counter, his moderate pistachio green eyes focusing only on the surface of the dining table. A smile formed on his muzzle as he gaily looked over the sparkling surfaces. He turned to look at the end of the main room, his light brilliant orange mane moving a little as he said, “All done here sweetheart. How about you?”

His gaze turned to a very light cerulean blue earth pony mare behind the main booth at the end of the main room, another wet rag moving across the glass surface as it squeaked a little. She turned to face the stallion with her brilliant rose eyes, her light crimson mane swaying a little, the light grayish crimson red streaks on her hair brightening a under the artificial light. “About done here, dearie.” She replied, taking her hoof off and admiring her work.

A ding of a bell echoed from the kitchen, the light cerulean pony looking over to the room and seeing Pinkie Pie taking a batch of white chocolate chip cookies from the oven. The air inside the kitchen gave away nothing but a sweet scent that would make most ponies drool. “Thanks again for helping restock the supplies, Pinkie Pie. But you didn’t have to make so much.”

“Oh.” Pinkie simply murmured, a little surprised herself she had made so many. Time had lost meaning, she recalled, after coming back to Sugarcube Corner. The incident at the Royal Sisters’ Castle had been something of a doozy, a rather terrifying and horrible doozy. But she thought that baking and restocking their pastries would get her mind off of that dreadful moment. Thankfully, cooking more of their delectable treats had done the trick. “I’d thought it be better to think ahead and prepare more treats, Mrs. Cake. Just in case we ever run out while we’re open during the daytime.”

“That’s very kind of you, dearie.” Mrs. Cake smiled, moving over to one of the lower cabinets and putting her cleaning supplies away. Ever since Pinkie came back from their guide for the Princesses, she had seemed a little odd. It was a lingering thought, one she chose to ignore and not pester her hardworking friend. However, that same concern came back to mind as she asked, “So how did the tour for the princesses go?”

“Yeah.” The stallion in the main room said as he peeked his over the see-through booth. “You haven’t told us what happened or even what the princesses thought about your hard work.”

“Well, Mr. Cake. I am happy to say that they like the changes. They said it definitely felt like they were back in their old home again.” Pinkie ushered a smile of her own, setting the tray down on one of the counters with a hot pad, putting small piece of cloth down next to the metallic plate. “Although it was quite something at the end of the tour.”

“Quite something? What do you mean by that?” Mrs. Cake asked, raising an eyebrow as the way Pinkie spoke felt like something else had happened.

“That there was something pretty different about today.” Pinkie put it, tilting her head a little as she watched the confused looks Mr. and Mrs. Cake gave her.

“But what happened? Did they like the tour or did something go wrong?” Mr. Cake spoke this time, walking around the see-through booth and moving to his wife’s side.

“A little bit of both actually. Sorry though, I can’t really explain.”

“Pinkie?” Mrs. Cake murmured, moving up to Pinkie Pie and resting a hoof on her shoulder. “You know you can tell us anything, right dearie? We’ll try and help you if there’s something going on.” Although it was reassuring that her employers were being honest, Pinkie Pie knew that she couldn’t.

“I know… but I promised somepony not to speak up about it.” Without another word, she walked over to the stairs, heading up to the second floor. On her way to her room, she heard a silent whimper to her left. Looking to a door, she opened it, stepping into the room. Moving to the sound, she walked over to a crib that was stationed at the far end of the room. She came upon a light yellow foal crying in the cradle.

“Oh, did you wake up, Pumpkin Cake?” Pinkie murmured, her eyes softening as she smiled gently at the little pony. The little foal opened her brilliant azure eyes, reaching her hooves up to the mare above her. Picking her up gently, she laid Pumpkin on her back, gently and slow rocking her in her fore legs. “It’s going to be alright. Auntie Pinkie Pie is here.” Remembering a song she had learned from Fluttershy, with some minor improvements from Sweetie Belle. She realized that it was perfect for the little foal here. “Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to go to bed.”

Her tone was both gentle and soothing, the little foal in her forelegs calming down, her crying turning into little hiccups. “Drifting off to sleep. Exciting day behind you. Drifting off to sleep. Let the joy of dreamland find you.” The foal’s eyes slowly began to close, a smile on her muzzle as she was sung to sleep. “Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to go to bed.” Gently as Pinkie could, she laid the little foal back into her crib, kissing her forehead and smiling. “Don’t worry, Pumpkin Cake. You’ll be safe. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you.”

Stepping out of the room quietly, she softly pulled the door, leaving the door still open slightly before heading to her room. ‘You’ll be safe. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you.’ Those thoughts struck her, remembering the gruesome scene of Echo’s terrible demise. The Royal Guard was the one who protected them, yet she looked like she needed their protection. Shaking her head, she told herself that there really was nothing she or the others could do, even if they wanted to.

A small pressure poked her right back leg, turning to smile as she saw a small light green hatchling alligator's muzzle bumping against her leg. “Oh hey, Gummy. Did you miss me?” The little alligator simply blinked, Pinkie picking him up and putting him on her back. “That’s good to hear. I’d knew you miss me, buddy.” Walking over to her door, she pushed through it and closed it behind her. “Today was a complete doozy, Gummy. I don’t think that I’d like to head back to the Royal Sisters’ Castle anytime soon.” Putting him in his bed, the alligator simply sat down, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Turning the lights off, Pinkie moved to her bed, pulling the covers off she slid under the bed sheets and closed her eyes. Taking her own advice, she sung the same song that put Pumpkin to sleep, at least glad that her friend Fluttershy had taught her something that would help her in the long run.

~~~

In another part of the town, stood a building of the same size. However, it had a regal look, something that was a little unusual for a place such as Ponyville. The structure itself was rounded out, the colors blending well together in a way that gave it a beautiful yet welcoming feel. The artificial lighting radiated from the inside, the building still apparent with life as a shadow moved across one of the first floor windows.

A small filly sat down at the table established at the right of the main room, her cheerful laughter filling the room with joy, a book sitting down in front of her that was the main source of her giggling. Her light gray coat brightened a little under the lighting, her light grayish harlequin green eyes darting across the page slowly.

That chuckling soon ceased to exist as she sat up, looking up to the stairway leading up to the second floor. Ever since Rarity had come home, she had not said much and immediately went back up to her own room, staying there for the rest of the day. It wasn’t truly like her to just say nothing after orchestrating a guide, the filly thought as she rubbed her chin. “I hope Rarity’s okay.”

Feeling like she needed to see what was up, she got off the chair and moved up the stairway. Walking up, she made her way to the first hallway on her right after getting up the stairs. Moving around the corner, she came upon a door after a few moments. Putting an ear to the door, she heard the ruffling of fabric and hearing her sister muttering something she couldn’t hear.

Opening the door slowly, she peeked her head through the crack. Everything seemed to be in order, her older sister was busily working away on one of the few current designs, humming a tune to herself. “Rarity?” The little filly asked, Rarity turned to face her sister, a smile appearing on her muzzle as she adjusted her red working glasses with a light blue magic aura.

“Hello there, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity greeted, setting needles and fabric down on her working table as she moved to fully face her younger sister. The smile she had dissipated as she saw the worried frown on her little sibling. “Is everything alright, darling?”

“Well… you haven’t said much since you got back from the tour. What happened?” Sweetie Belle said, brushing her hoof against the floor.

Rarity looked down to the ground, averting her gaze for a brief moment before murmuring, “I wish I could truly tell you dear, but I’m afraid that somepony has asked me to not speak about what happened at the tour”

“Wait, who’s not wanting you to talk about it?” Sweetie asked, blinking her eyes as she awaited an answer.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot answer that. Now if you don’t mind, I need some time alone to concentrate.” Rarity moved over to her little sister, softening her gaze as she saw the worried expression of her younger sibling. “Don’t worry, Sweetie Belle. I can assure you that I am perfectly fine. I just… need to think about some things.” Sweetie nodded, turning around and walking over to the door, closing it behind her with a gentle click.

Sighing, Rarity turned back to her ensembles, gazing over her dresses and wondering if she should continue. Ever since getting back home, she had quite a hard time trying to get those awful images out of her head. Watching the poor Royal Guard pony Echo die in such a ghastly manner was, to say the least, a revolting experience. ‘To think… such a creature even existed in that forsaken forest.’ How this creature had stayed so well hidden in the Everfree Forest was anypony’s guess, but she wasn’t in a rush to find out where it came from.

Another thought of the incident came to mind as she recalled Twilight’s awful experience. How close she came to becoming another victim at the claws of that nightmare was something she would never have wished for her best friend to experience. ‘Poor Twilight… what a dreadful moment she had to go through. I would never wish that upon anypony else.’ To think that she was a witness to such atrocious events, it was something she would never want to see again.

She heard a ‘mewl’ to her right, turning to smile as she saw a light gray persian cat resting upon her bed, raising her head and staring at her. “Oh, it’s really nothing, Opalescence.”

Rarity watched her cat raise an eyebrow, like her cat knew that she wasn’t telling the truth. “Well… I can’t really define what has transpired today at the Royal Sisters’ Castle. Princess Celestia has asked us not to reveal anything that went on today.”

Opal raised her eyebrow again, this time, a more curious expression on her muzzle. Rarity guessed she was probably asking in her own unique way, “why?”

“Well, there was this creature… a terrifying, repulsive, despicable brute of a monster. It attacked us and… well, vanquished all of our guards.”

The look her cat gave her was some form of fear, yet Opal didn’t seem too worried. She shrugged, craning her neck and licking her fluffy tail, cleaning her fur.

Rarity smiled, feeling she was possibly overreacting to the fear. ‘I mean it’s not like the creature knows where we live, right?’ Assured by the concept, she encased the glasses in a light blue aura, setting them down on her work desk. Yawning, she slightly raised her right hoof. Turning to look at her clock, she saw the long hand pointing at the number ten, the short hand directly under the number twelve. ‘I never like to go to bed so… icky. But I’ll just have to deal with it for tonight.’

Moving to her room door, she flicked a switch, turning the lights off. She walked over to the bed, slipping under the covers gently and barely even removing the sheets from underneath the mattress. Hopefully there would be no disastrous memory of this horrid creature in her dreams and she hoped her friends would not have to go through such terrible nightmares. She would see, how long it would be before these night terrors would come.

~~~

The lunar satellite’s path was still heading straight to its highest point, the fragile rays of light reflecting off an unusual cloud formation. The surprising structure of these fluffy white mantles reflected the luminescence of the moon. A rainbow curved from atop the structure and moved to a lower cloud, another rainbow, a small liquid river surprisingly the varying colors poured down the left side of formation. It was just home, however, to Rainbow Dash as she flew up to the front door.

Opening the door, she moved through the open doorway and closed it behind her, locking it and sighing to herself. It had been something, she thought, seeing that Royal Guard die in such a terrible manner. Being apart of a reserve unit for the Wonderbolts herself, she understood the loss of a valuable soldier. Although she may have never gone into combat before, she recognized the pain of losing somepony. Even if it was a bad thought, at least none of her friends had been hurt.

Walking up the stairs that led to the second floor of her floating house, she made her way to her room. Along the way, she recalled the scene of Echo’s death. It was certainly an unpleasant front seat view, one moment in her life she wished she could unsee. She blinked once, before noticing something. A frown appeared on her muzzle, her eyes flickering once more until she said, “Wait a minute. Why am I scared?”

It was an interesting question that she realized there was only one answer to. “I’m not scared of that freak.” Unfurling her wings, she flapped them until hovering a few feet above the ground below her. “I could take that monster on and knock it out in ten seconds flat.” Assured by her own abilities, she felt confident that the next time they faced this creature, she would pound that thing back before it could hurt anypony else.

Opening her door to her room, she closed it behind her. Scanning the area, she smiled when she saw a grayish sea green tortoise laying on top of his bed, his shell consisting of other light green colored mixes. “Hey Tank.” Rainbow Dash said as she moved over to the tortoise. The shelled reptile looked up to his owner, a smile slowly forming on his muzzle as he saw Rainbow.

Moving over to her pet, she nuzzled his head, quickly looking to her windows, sighing that nopony had seen her. “Today was exhausting, Tank. Tour would’ve gone better if that creature didn’t screw everything up.” Rainbow Dash murmured, landing on the floor, she ruffled her wings, resting them against her back and moving to the bed. Laying on the fluffy and soft mattress, she exhaled once more, her forelegs and back legs spread apart as she just sat there, staring up at the ceiling.

Today could have gone better, that much was true. To think that she and her friends had never come across that creature before during their trips to the Royal Sisters’ Castle. It was weird that it had not heard Pinkie Pie playing the organ, nor did it hear them screaming as they ran blindly around the castle. And yet even still when they had not come across it while cleaning the main throne room. ‘How is something like that able to hide so well, and yet not hear us?’

It was definitely a mystery, yet at the current time, she didn’t feel all too much ready to solve it. She looked out the window to her left, seeing the moon. It must’ve been ten o’clock by how far away the moon was from its peak in height. Yawning, she closed her eyes, smacking her lips a little before getting up. Moving to the door, she flicked a switch and the light vanished, the moon’s natural light filling her room with a gentle yet eerie feeling. However, she assured herself that she was completely safe.

Her home was perched upon a cloud. A cloud that was hundreds of feet above the air. Seeing as how that creature had no wings, there was no possible way it could reach her, no matter how hard it tried. That was at least something she was glad about. ‘Stupid freak can’t reach me now.’ Moving to her bed once more, she rested down upon the comfy bed sheets, nuzzling the pillow before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter III: Restless Night ~ Part III (Special Edition)

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A cold breeze of air moved through the sky. Lights of a great city shined from the side of a mountain as the gust of wind continued to slowly make its way to the metropolis. The roar of water echoed from the highest point of the summit, its thundering cascade falling down from high above and running under the front of the drawbridge to the highest part of the city. Artificial lamp lights gleamed brightly from the castle as guards patrolled the perimeter of the royal citadel.

In one spacious, white room with yellow accents, a few guards stood at attention in their post. At the far end of the room, a throne sat with a red carpet extending out to the large golden doors, opened wide as two Royal Guard members stood at ease. On the throne itself sat Princess Celestia. A light gold aura surrounded a packet of papers as she looked through the documents.

Being able to read something was, in her mind, a happy relief. After witnessing such grotesque power from that creature in her old home, she had the memory play over and over in her thoughts. How could one creature be so violent, and possess the strength and skill to take down five highly trained members of the Royal Guard?

It was an unpleasant notion, one she was petrified of. However, she remained calm for her ponies. Seeing a princess they looked up to frightened by something that was definitely a threat would not have gone well with her subjects. And because of how dangerous this creature was, it was also in her ponies best interests that they knew not of what had taken place in her old home, knowing all too well the panic that could be stirred from such an event.

Hoofsteps echoed from the entryway, Celestia looking up to see her younger sister, Luna, walking her way. She smiled, putting the papers down and greeted, “It is good to see you, my dear sister.”

“I can say the same as well, Celestia.” Luna said, giving a smile of her own as she walked up the small steps of the throne room. “How have you been since… this evening?”

Celestia’s smile faded, a frown forming on her muzzle as she shook her head. “I’m still a little shaken up, but the shock is finally fading.” She looked to the guards, nodding to them. They saluted her before heading out through the open doors. “And you, Luna. How are you faring?”

Her younger sister sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment, opening them back up. A glimmer of fear shone in her eyes, one that was very quick however. “It is a hard thing to swallow, knowing that there is such an immensely dangerous and threatening creature roaming in our home.”

“I hope that our friends are recovering from this frightful experience as well.” Celestia looked out the window, her mind focusing on one pony in particular. Twilight Sparkle, she recalled went silent after the close encounter with that nightmarish beast. She had never known for her star pupil to become so mute, although given the circumstances things could have been much worse for her if that creature had gotten to her.

“Have you ever encountered such a thing in your thousand-year rule, Tia?” Luna murmured, moving to her sister's right side and sitting down next to the throne.

Celestia chuckled a little at the name. “It has certainly been quite sometime since I heard you speak that name, Lulu.” She smiled as she watched her younger sister roll her eyes, giggling a little afterwards. She settled down, the frown on her muzzle returning before she spoke. “But no. There has never been a creature reported during my rule.”

“Tis a shame then. I would have hoped know if there ever was such a brutal beast. Any information could help us if we are to face it again.”

Speaking of information, Celestia realized what she had said was true. There was never any accounts of a nightmarish animal such as that creature ever to be recorded in documents of the Everfree Forest. Although that woodland was known for such unusual creatures, some even rumored but never discovered, something was off with this beast. It did not feel like it was a natural predator hunting the eerie woods. This creature seemed to be more of an intruder, rather than something native from the Everfree.

“Luna?”

“Yes, Celestia?” Luna spoke, tilting her head as she looked her older sister in the eyes.

“Did you ever think that this creature couldn’t possibly be a native predator to these lands?”

Luna brought a hoof to her chin, looking down to the ground in deep thought before returning her gaze back to her elder sister. “It did cross my mind, but I would have never perceived the creature in such a way. Why do you ask?”

“Because there’s something odd about it. Like it wasn’t meant to be here in the Everfree Forest or even in this world. It seemed so… foreign.” The more Celestia thought about it, the more that feeling she had was true.

“We need to learn where this creature came from, but who could we send to discover that information? You have seen how formidable it is. What life would we have to risk?” Luna inquired, raising a hoof. What Luna said was something else she hadn’t fully considered. Who would be brave enough to unearth any evidence that it wasn’t naturally from their world? She and her sister were more than capable of doing so, but she knew all too well that their subjects needed to be looked after. She didn’t like the thought of panic ensuing if something were to happen to her or her older sister.

“I believe this job may have to call upon the Element Bearers once more.” Celestia said. She raised a hoof as Luna was about to talk, interrupting her younger sister. “I realize too what kind of danger we would be putting them in.” Seeing the creature violently rip the throat of the guard, Echo, she realized how perilous the mission would be. “But I want to have reliable ponies on the task. They have gone through the likes of Discord and many other treacherous missions. If they are able to handle what they have gone through, then they should be able to manage this undertaking.”

Luna looked away, knowing that her elder sister was right. Returning her gaze, she nodded. “However, they shall not confront this creature. If it was to ever come upon them, then they need to move away as fast as possible. Who knows what else this creature is capable of.”

Celestia dipped her head as well. Getting up from her throne room, she murmured. “Tonight is not the best. That creature has a color that hides it well within the darkness. If we tried to move on it now, it would have the advantage. Tomorrow, when the sun is up and with the light as our ally shall be when they begin.” With that plan set, she walked off the throne and waved to her sister. “Goodnight for now. I shall see you in the morning.”

Luna nodded, knowing that it was time for her night court. Although she was going to be running Equestria at this time, she felt exhausted from what she knew what was going to be a long night tending to her friends and vanquishing the nightmares they may be having. This night, Luna thought, was going to be a restless one for the Element Bearers, and even her family as well.

~~~

In another part of the castle, there was a room furnished with the standard purple and yellow colors. It looked just as well furnished with a nice king sized bed, purple drapes placed across the sides of the comfortable looking mattress. A lump was hidden underneath covers of the bed, the bulge fidgeting a little. The being underneath began to whimper, that groaning turning into a panicked pant until the pony sat up, a cold sweat dripping down her body as the mare’s light cerise pink coat matted against her body.

Princess Cadance looked around, quickly gazing over the room, scanning it once again before realizing she was safe. Her dream had been filled with the monster attacking her husband, and even killing her sister-in-law as well in a violent show of gore. Seeing such a scene of unbridled brutality was nothing more than a horrifying experience, even if it was just a dream.

“Honey?” Shining Armor asked as he sat up, looking to his wife as he noticed her chest moving erratically. He moved a hoof to her shoulder, wrapping his hooves around her as he did his best to comfort her. “Are you alright?”

Cadance looked to her husband, nodding as she said. “Yeah... I’’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You were thrashing around in your sleep there. Is it because of that monster?” He persisted, leaning on her shoulder, a frown forming on his muzzle.

“Really… I’m fine Shining.” She nuzzled his muzzle, smiling as she reassured him. “Still… I’m glad you’re here by my side.”

Shining nodded, cupping the right side of her muzzle. He gently brought his lips to her own, kissing her in a soft embrace before pulling away. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere, Cadance.”

She smiled, glad she could rely on somepony like Shining. “Thank you, sweetie.” However, she hoped that this creature would be dealt with quickly, seeing how dangerous such an animal like this was. “But please… don’t do anything stupid, alright?”

“Of course. I’ll make sure to be careful, alright?” Shining assured, nuzzling her cheek before laying back down.

"Hey... Shining?" Cadance began, looking over to her husband.

"Yeah, what is it Cadance?"

"Do you think Twilight will be alright?" Seeing her favorite sister-in-law so quiet and disturbed was something she would never have wanted to see. Cadance felt so horrible about seeing the state this thing put her in, even if she wasn't injured. "You saw how she was after that creature almost got her. She looked so unnerved."

"Yeah, I know my little Twily will be alright." Shining sat up, looking out the window that sat across at the end of their room. Knowing how close his sister was to death, it had scared him. Twilight had always looked up to him and been his closest friend. She was also very protective of him, just he was protective of his little sister. "But I promise that this will never happen again." Determination welled within his frown as he thought of the creature. It was certainly something unworldly like. A monster he never would have thought to live in the Everfree Forest. Even if it did look quite terrifying, it was something he knew that was a threat to Equestria and he wouldn't rest until it was taken care of. He was going to defend his home, as well as his wife. He would also be there for his little sister and Nyx, along with Spike. And most importantly, his father Night Light and mother Twilight Velvet were just as important.

Cadance smiled, hugging her husband. "Just... please. Be careful, okay?" She murmured, her soft and worried tone softening his eyes. He nodded, laying back down again. Following suite, she laid her head on the pillow, closing her eyes and breathing in softly. She hoped that this time, her dreams would be better. And for the sake of her friends, she wished them the best of dreams. They would need this sleep, she knew for tomorrow was uncertain in its events.

~~~

The forest was dark, the luminescence of Luna’s moon covered the treetops of the Everfree Forest. However, the world below the branches of foliage was gloomy, almost too dark for most the inhabitants to see. Thankfully though, the light of the moon was able to shed some illumination of the forest floor below.

Even as the dangers of the forest increased at night, a being in a brown cloak picked away at flowers and herbs, putting them in a light brown basket secured on her right side. A night like this was good for finding a herbs and other ingredients would aid in the creation of various potions and elixirs. She hummed a tune to herself, murmuring something that was in a different language, one being her native tongue.

However, as the night went on, something didn’t feel right. There were no chirping of the crickets, nor was there a single night animal wandering the forest. It was certainly an unusual thing, for she would see an occasional small critter wandering the forest floor. But deciding the notion wasn’t to be too concerned about, she continued on with her search.

Though the feeling was unnerving, she couldn’t help but sigh, smiling as she gazed up into the starry sky. “Nights like these are fare. Weather like this is something I find to be rare.”

A loud crack echoed from her side as she took a step, her ears perking up as she slowly scanned the foliage around in that direction. She waited for a sign of movement, something that would give the location of whatever made that noise. After waiting for a few moments, she carefully continued on. At times like these, she realized it was best to make her way back to her hut, knowing it was the safest place from predators.

Continuing on, her step was quicker, although she kept the noise of her footing to a minimum. That same snap of twigs echoed again, quickly turning around to see whatever it was. However, like before there was nothing behind her. “Whoever is out here, seems to know the skill of how to disappear.” She murmured, raising an eyebrow as she kept a constant gaze on the area in front of her.

A loud thump resonated from the right side, turning quickly to see what it was. Leaves floated up above the area where the noisy disturbance came from. With a cautious step, she made her way over to what had caused the sound. Her eyes widened a little when she stepped on something soft, retracting her hoof as the object below her let out a weak and quiet moan.

She moved her gaze to the item and let out a silent gasp. A creature of the looks of it, laid on the forest floor in front of her hooves. Dirt covered the entirety of the animal, although she was able to distinguish four body parts, appendages that seemed to resemble a minotaur. Moving a hoof to the creature, she prodded it gently with no reaction this time. “So you are not awake, yet you seemed to have given a quake.” It did sound like it was not asleep, but she wasn’t so sure.

There was a thought of leaving this being alone, but it did not appear to be in a stable condition. She sighed, knowing what had to be done. Lifting what looked like arms of the animal, she took its right arm in her mouth, pulling the creature over her back facing horizontally. She grunted as she walked, realizing that this thing was heavier than it appeared to be. “You are quite heavy, for something that I thought was empty.”

It was moments before she finally reached her hut, the glassless windows emitting a light that flickered inside of the tree. Opening her door, she walked through, moving over to the left side and putting the thing down upon a bed a few feet away from her own. Seeing that it was comfortable, she moved over to a desk, picking up a rag and walking over to the cauldron in the middle of the room. Letting it soak, she brought it out and moved over to the creature. Applying the warm rag over the part she deemed to be its head, she wiped the dirt away, surprised to see a furless muzzle before it. The only hair it had was on top of its head, however it appeared to losing a bit at the front part of its scalp.

She wiped away more of the mud, discovering clothes underneath. The upper part of its clothing was mostly composed of an ecru white, with the left side a very light green. Looking down its hands, there were a pair of gloves a similar color to the left side of its coat. The pants it wore were a dark spring green, something like sweat pants. There were also shoes, dark grayish opal blue in color. She looked at its chest again, seeing a strange badge like symbol on its left chest. Ignoring it, she went back to seeing what this creature was. However, there were no hooves like a minotaur. Just a pair of what looked to be feet unlike anything she had ever seen. “You are quite the odd creature. With very odd types of features.”

She glanced to its side, seeing a dark red mark. Nearing the spot, she sniffed the blemish, the smell of blood covering part of the clothing. It was injured, something that told her why it was lying on the ground. “You will need ointments. I hope that you are in agreement.” Moving back into the main room, she got a wooden cask, pulling down a few teal green leaves. Grabbing a wooden pestle, she mashed the leaves down to bits of smaller plant matter. Finishing with that, she pulled a small bottle from a higher shelf, pouring it into the wooden bowl. With that mixture complete, she picked up a wooden spoon to her left, stirring the liquid it for few moments before tapping the wooden object against the bowl’s edge.

Bringing the bowl over to the creature, she poured the substance into its mouth. The animal scrunched up a little, its arms fidgeting slightly at the liquid. However, she sighed, happy it did not wake up. “Rest is what you need. Something in which we agreed.” Leaving the creature to its much needed sleep, she put everything back in its place. Tonight was more interesting that ever, hoping that she would get some answers very soon.

Chapter IV: Revelations ~ Part I (Special Edition)

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Celestia’s sun poured through the window, Twilight groaning a little as she slowly woke up, rubbing her eyes as she wiped the sleep away. It had been a tedious night, constantly waking up from the night terrors that plagued her dreams. She glanced behind her shoulder, bringing a hoof to her eyes to shield the light away. Seeing the sun’s light glimmer through the glass, she closed her eyes and mumbled something to herself.

A warmth emanated in front of her, the object shifting against her chest as she turned to focus on what it was. Smiling, she looked at her daughter, nuzzling her still, sleeping form. She definitely felt like Nyx had helped her, even though she didn’t get enough sleep. Yawning quietly, she carefully slipped out from underneath the covers. Standing up, she made her way to a wardrobe a few feet from her bed, looking into a mirror perched above the wooden structure. Looking at herself, she chuckled as she eyed her hair, parts of it sticking up wildly in different places.

“This hair will probably drive me more crazy than that creature.” It was a dark joke, seeing how close she came to death yesterday, but she needed to find a way to ease the tension. Encasing a brush in a raspberry aura, she brought it to her hair and combed it out. After a few strokes, she smiled, happy with how it looked.

“Hey, Twilight.” She looked back to see who spoke, smiling when she saw Spike rubbing his eyes as he slowly woke up.

“Good morning, Spike.” Twilight greeted, putting the brush away as she turned around to face him.

He yawned again, stretching out before he spoke. “That was the best sleep I’ve had in a while.” Spike looked to her before asking. “How was the tour?”

Her eyes widening, Twilight looked away. A flash of white enveloped her mind, as the claws of death struck her once more, shivering a little but not enough to raise suspicion. ‘Just relax, Twilight. You don’t need to scare Spike or Nyx.’ She brought a hoof to her chest, breathing in and out before relaxing. “It was alright. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enjoyed what we did with the place.” ‘Before that monster came in and ruined everything.’ She bitterly thought.

“Cool. Nyx was good if you were wondering. I think she was just happy to hang out with me yesterday, so it a was cool to play-” He coughed, his muzzle scrunching up until he burped. A green burst of flame exhaled from his mouth, a letter forming from within the magic fire. After materializing, Twilight grabbed the scroll in a raspberry aura as it floated in the air before her, wondering what Princess Celestia had sent as she unfurled it.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight read aloud, quiet enough though so she didn’t wake up Nyx. “As you are aware of what has taken place yesterday, my sister and I would like to see you all in Canterlot. There must be great deliberation if we are to deal with the problem at hoof. Yours truly, Princess Celestia.”

“What’s that all about?” Spike inquired, sitting up as he looked to Twilight.

“Oh… well, um.” Twilight began, wondering how she should say this. “Princess Celestia is probably just wanting to talk with us about how much of a wonderful job we did with the Royal Sisters’ Castle yesterday.” Chuckling nervously after she spoke.

“But wait, it sounds more like-”

“Well, can’t leave the Princesses waiting so I’ll see you and Nyx later.” Twilight interrupted as she opened her door, walking down the steps in a quick manner as she trotted. Unlocking the door to the outside, she sighed. The others would be needed for this, knowing how delicate the situation was at the moment. She just hoped that Princess Celestia had a plan to deal with this terrifying threat.

~~~

The sun’s bright light lit the world below it, the rays of luminescence beaming through the large glass windows of the halls of a castle. The huge corridor was quiet, the clopping of hooves walking along a marble floor being the only noise to break the barrier of silence. Twilight strolled ahead of her friends as the Element Bearers made their way to the throne room. It was quiet between the group of friends, nopony speaking a word as they walked across the threshold.

Twilight looked around, carefully scanning the walls around her. She glanced back to her friends, watching them do the same thing. Being inside this castle felt a little strange, feeling like it was a reminder of the events of yesterday’s horrifying encounter. These walls reminded them too much of how similar the Royal Sisters’ Castle was to the palace in Canterlot. The thought made her shiver, Twilight quickening her pace a little.

‘Just relax. That thing is nowhere near Canterlot.’ She silently breathed in and out before focusing back on where she was walking.

Seeing the guards stationed by a large opening, she was a little relieved as she and the others walked up to the open doorway. Gazing into the large room, she smiled as she saw the two royal sisters with her sister-in-law, Princess Cadance, and older brother, Shining Armor. Upon entering, they trotted to where the four figures stood, stopping when they were only a few from the base of the throne dais.

“Good morning, girls. I’m glad that you all made it.” Celestia greeted, watching everypony behind Twilight bow. She chuckled silently, seeing that her former student was finally learning not to bow to somepony of her own level. “I see that you are understanding why other princesses do not bow to one another, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh… right.” Twilight rubbed the back of her head, realizing that she did not bow down to her former teacher.

“It’s good ta see you too, Princesses.” Applejack greeted as the other five mares stood back up, a smile replacing the frown.

“So why did you summon us here for anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked, flapping her wings as she flew up above everypony else.

“We have asked you all here, so that we can figure out the course of action we should take against that creature.” Luna explained to the impatient pegasus.

Twilight flinched, averting her gaze from the other princesses at the mention of that monster. She glanced over her shoulder to see the others looking in different directions, knowing all too well how uncomfortable they must have felt as well.

“I know it’s not right to ask, but um, please don’t send us back into that castle.” Fluttershy pleaded, hiding behind Pinkie Pie.

Celestia nodded, a frown replacing her smile. “I understand that yesterday’s events were far from a pleasant experience.” Twilight watched her gaze focus on where she stood, a flash bringing her back to the creature’s attempt on her life. She shuddered, brought back out of her flashback and rubbing her right foreleg. “But do not worry. I have no intention of sending you to do anything considered to be too dangerous.”

Fluttershy sighed with relief, standing up from her lowered crouch. She watched Rainbow move up ahead of her and ask “So what are we going to do?”

Luna spoke up this time. “Celestia and I have discussed the possible courses of action to take. The best idea that we were able to come up with is to discover where this creature originated from. If we are to confront this creature, we need to know as much as we can, including if it comes from the Everfree Forest or... someplace else.”

“Someplace else?” Pinkie Pie spoke up, gazing at the lunar princess. “What, you mean like a different country?”

“No.” Celestia shook her head, closing her eyes as she spoke. “My sister and I believe that this creature is not from this world.”

A silence added to the tense atmosphere as the Element Bearers stood in a frozen state with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor the same way. The possibility of this creature being an alien did strike Twilight once or twice, but she was too worried trying to calm herself down to think of such a answer to what this creature was.

“So you mean to tell us that this atrocious beast is not a run of the mill unknown creature of the Everfree, but a possible alien from another world?” Rarity’s eyes glimmered with uncertainty as she looked up to the princesses, inquiring a question that everypony was asking themselves.

“It doesn’t seem too impossible of a theory.” Twilight looked to Rarity, turning to face Celestia and Luna. “This creature certainly wasn’t like any other predator we ever came across. Even the manticores and timberwolves aren’t as ruthless as this ‘extraterrestrial’ was. And its physiology is unlike any other animal in this world.”

The two royal sisters looked at one another, nodding to each other before Celestia returned her focus to the Element Bearers. “If that is the case, then we must take extreme cautionary measures to assure that the public is unaware of this creature. It would cause mass hysteria if everypony knew that there is a being from another world on the loose.” Celestia breathed in, exhaling a moment later before continuing. “With that being said, we must also do everything in our power to get rid of this ‘alien.’ It is far too dangerous to remain unrestrained. We must subdue it or, if necessary, eliminate it.”

“But as Celestia and I have explained earlier, we must first learn more about this creature to expose any weaknesses it may have.” Luna added, looking over the Element Bearers before gazing at Shining Armor. “With such a dangerous task, we decided to ask Shining Armor to see if there was any way of containing this creature.” She nodded to the prince. “Have you decided upon a plan we could enact?”

He gestured with a dip of his head. “Yes.” He moved his gaze to the middle of the group, a light rose aura surrounded the area before a map of the Royal Sisters’ Castle projected into a three dimensional model, the whole building and parts of the surrounding area encompassed onto the replica. “As everypony here knows, the creature is currently inhabiting the castle. However, we don’t know where it is hiding because of how big this building is.”

“Question.” Rainbow Dash raised a hoof, waiting for the princesses and prince to focus on her before she spoke. “I understand we’re trying to contain this creature, but why don’t we just get rid of it now and study it when it’s dead?”

“It’s not because we believe it is easy, but we don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Shining explained, hoping Rainbow would understand better. “Fighting this creature is more dangerous when we don’t understand what this alien is capable of. For all we know, it might multiply like a hydra head if we strike it down. That is why I thought of a way of containing it.” The three dimensional image showed the castle, but then a bubble formed around its perimeter, blocking off any exit. “If we were to position a shield around the castle, we would be able to contain the creature and keep it from going anywhere else. And if we can’t find any information about it and how to deal with it, we’ll just wait it out until it starves.”

“The other thing is that we will also take shifts in making sure that the shield is actively surrounding the castle at all times.” Princess Cadance added, a smile replacing her frown as the situation became a little more hopeful.

With the idea set, this alien creature didn’t seem like it would become a major problem anymore. But there was one thing that Twilight felt was still unexplained. “Princess Celestia.” Speaking up, her former teacher turned her gaze to where she stood. “Have you figured out who will be sent to retrieve any type of evidence?”

The two sisters looked at each other, exchanging glances once more before Celestia turned to face her again. “My sister and I discussed on who would be best suited for this assignment. There were many choices, but we came to a conclusion that you and the other Element Bearers will take on the task of finding any infor-”

“Woah, wait a minute.” Shining Armor interrupted the eldest sister, the stallion raising an eyebrow at his princess. “Why are you sending my sister and her friends? They’ve been through enough already.”

“It is not because they were the only choice, Shining Armor, but that they were the most trustworthy option.” Luna tried to reassure the prince, hoping he would see reason. “Rest assured, we will send a few of our Royal Guards with them just so they do not get into any danger.”

“But they’re not ready to face this alien.” Luna’s words fell on deaf ears as Shining shook his head, worried that his sister and her friends would be hurt, or even worse. “If they go out there, what happens if they stumble upon that thing, or what if it finds them? We don’t know what would happen. And I don’t like to admit this, but the Royal Guard wasn’t even able to stand up to this creature.”

“Shining Armor.” Celestia spoke, the stallion turning to meet her gaze. The elder princess closed her eyes and breathed. “You must understand that we were not willing to make this choice. They have faced the likes of Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, and King Sombra. They are more than able.” Turning to face the six mares again, she continued. “As for the alien. If you do stumble upon it, or if it finds you… then run.”

“Run? From that thing? We can totally take it on.” Rainbow Dash assured, landing next to Fluttershy, folding her wings onto her back.

“Do not take any chances. We do not know yet what this creature is capable of. The best thing to do is to evade it and not confront it in a fight. If it was able to take out five highly trained Royal Guards, then this is a creature that is not to be trifled with.” Hardening her stare, Celestia slitted her eyes at Rainbow Dash and murmured. “Is that clear, Rainbow Dash?”

The pegasus mare crossed her forelegs, sighing before saying. “Fine.”

Celestia closed her eyes, opening them as she exhaled. “I do not need to caution that this mission is not only important to figure out what this creature is, but that you must take this as the most dangerous task you all have ever been on.” Hearing her former teacher speak about the assignment in such a way was unsettling, Twilight thought as she kept her gaze focused on the elder alicorn. “Please… be careful. All of you.”

“Don’t you worry none, Princess Celestia. We’ll make sure that we get all the info on this here varmint.” Applejack tipped her hat, guaranteeing that they wouldn’t have a problem.

Twilight nodded, turning to face her friends. “Alright girls. We all know what we need to do. Let’s go see what we can find.” With that, she led the others out of the throne room, hoping that this mission wouldn’t be their last.

Princess Celestia sighed, watching her former student and her friends leave. It was worrisome, knowing that they were going up against something so different. She silently prayed, hoping that no harm would come to them. Hoofsteps echoed to her right, glancing to see Shining Armor.

“You do know that if anypony gets hurt that-”

“Yes, Shining Armor, I know!” Celestia raised her voice, the stallion flinching from her sudden burst in volume, even astonished as she lowered her eyes, glaring at the stallion. “Do you not think that I’m just as worried about Twilight Sparkle as you are? And not just her, but her friends as well!?” She didn’t want to send them. She truly didn’t. But there was nopony else they could trust other than the Element Bearers.

“We’re just concerned.” Princess Cadance stepped in front of her husband, her eyes glittering as they softened, looking to her aunt. “Twilight Sparkle is important to him and me, and I know how much you two care about her as well. It’s something that we’re worried about, knowing that they’re risking their lives to find information about this alien.”

Celestia knew that they were right. She rubbed her temple with a hoof, sighing as she breathed in and out. “We will just have to wait and see what they come up with when they return. But when they do, we must go and secure the perimeter.” They needed to know it was in there too, but that would be the dangerous part. “If it is wandering the Everfree Forest, we must make sure to force it back into the castle. That… is all we can hope for.” With a new threat on the loose, one that was more dangerous than any before, she hoped the girls were up to the task to find any information on this being, and hopefully without the cost of any lives.

~~~

The sun had slowly risen higher into the air, its rays of light bringing more warmth to the surface of the world. The wind gently blew across the treetops of the forest as the six mares standing at the edge of the forest with six Royal Guard members behind them. The girls’ eyes glimmered as they stared at the gloomy and dark forest, the sights of overgrown foliage and vines spreading across the trees not being what truly scared them. Knowing that there was an alien wandering these woods, they couldn’t help but wonder if the creature was already watching them.

“Okay girls.” Twilight announced, turning to face her friends as they stood to her left. “Are we all ready?”

“Ready as Ah’ll ever be.” Applejack murmured, lifting a hoof off the ground and securing her stetson.

“I do despise the fact of searching the Everfree Forest with something so terrifying wandering about, but I shall not leave you girls here all alone.” Rarity smiled, turning to face the forest with a frown.

“You know me. I’m always ready for action!” Rainbow Dash flew into the air with the flap of her wings, swinging an enthusiastic hoof across the air in front of her chest.

“Let’s get this party, started!” Pinkie Pie bounced as she exclaimed, smiling like she wasn’t even worried about a thing.

“I, um, I guess so.” Fluttershy murmured as she shivered in her spot, lowering herself as she stared at the forest.

“Do not worry, ma’am.” The guard in the middle spoke up, his eyes staring ahead. “We’ll make sure to keep you all safe.” Although these guards were there to assist them, it was still unnerving knowing what happened to the other five.

“Alright. And I understand how idiotic this idea sounds, but we’ll need to split up.” Twilight suggested, watching her friends’ eyes widened, some more than the others.

“Yer right, yah do sound plum crazy right now.” Applejack said, raising an eyebrow as she stared at her friend.

“I do not mean to be rude, Twilight, but that is simply an awful proposal.” Rarity stepped back a little, bringing a hoof up in nervousness.

“Yes, I understand completely. But if this works, then we’ll be able to find any evidence suggesting this creature’s origins in a more quick and diligent manner. And besides, this creature may only be nocturnal since it has no eyes. We should be safe since it’s still morning.”

“But what about all the shade under the trees?” Fluttershy pointed out with a hoof, Twilight gazing at the shadows covering the forest floor. “If it’s nocturnal, then the shade would be a place it would hide in.”

“You're right, Fluttershy… but we don’t know if it has even moved out of the castle yet. If it hasn’t, then we should be hurrying before it finds us wandering the Everfree.”

“Then what are we all waiting for? Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as she moved toward the trees.

“Wait, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled, the pegasus mare stopping a few inches from the treeline. “Don’t rush ahead just yet. I still haven’t assorted us into teams.” She looked to everypony else, watching them reluctantly nod before returning her focus back on Rainbow Dash. “You have to promise me something.”

“Promise you what?” Rainbow asked as she floated down to the ground, folding her wings back onto her back.

“Promise me that you won’t try and fight this creature.”

“What? Why not?” The pegasus’s eyes widened, frowning as she stared at the alicorn.

“Because Princess Celestia told you not to. We can’t just pick a battle with this thing. There is still so much we do not understand about this creature. Trying to fight it would be too dangerous, not to mention a foolish idea to begin with.”

“Pfft, that thing doesn’t look that tough. Besides, it can’t fly. I don’t think it will be able to reach me no matter how hard it tried.” Rainbow Dash assured, waving off Twilight’s concern.

“For all yah know, it can shoot fireballs from its hands and bolts of lightnin’ from its rear end.” Applejack cynically muttered under her breath.

“Please, just listen. We can’t endanger the mission because of a simple skirmish. You realize what danger we would all be in if one of us got hurt, don’t you?”

Rainbow looked to the others, seeing the concern in their eyes as well. She rolled her own eyes and sighed. “Fine. I won’t try and beat up the monster.”

“Alright then.” Twilight moved in front of the others, looking over her friends. “The teams will just be split into two groups. I’ll take Pinkie Pie and Rarity.” She looked to Applejack and said. “Applejack, you’ll be in charge of group number two. Keep Fluttershy safe and Rainbow Dash from doing anything reckless.”

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, offended by Twilight’s comment.

“Yah can count on me, Twilight.” Applejack nodded, tipping her hat to her friend.

“You’ll also be assisted by three of the guards here and we’ll take the other three. And remember everypony; if any of us happen to come across its path… run and hide as fast as you can. I couldn’t bare the thought of seeing any of you hurt.” Everypony nodded, a sad frown forming on Twilight’s muzzle. She didn’t know how she could handle losing one of her friends. The memory of her encounter flashed before her eyes, shivering as she realized how bad an encounter could turn out.

With that said, she waited for Rarity and Pinkie Pie to join her, watching Applejack lead Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy down a different direction with three of the guards. Watching them disappear into the thicket, Twilight sighed to herself, hoping that everypony was ready for this task. Saying a silent prayer for her friends, she believed that they would all come out of this unscathed. That thought was all she could really fall back on.

Chapter IV: Revelations ~ Part II (Special Edition)

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A gentle wind breezed through the forest, shadows moving across the floor as branches swayed slightly in the wind. The songs of birds chirping was almost nonexistent in this haunting and unnerving place, the Everfree Forest being rightly named. Twilight scanned the foliage around her as she moved further into the wilderness of the Everfree. Glancing behind her shoulder, she smiled as she saw her friends, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, moving at the same slow pace.

Noticing movement behind the two mares, she saw the three Royal Guards that accompanied them. Even with their presence, that protective feeling didn’t encompass her thoughts at all, knowing what happened to the last five that were with them. Her ears flicked to Rarity, hearing her friend groan as she gazed at the plant life around her.

“Oh… this forest never felt peaceful in the beginning.” Rarity raised a hoof, scrunching up her muzzle as she stepped over a mud puddle. “Or clean for that matter. But with this new fiend prowling about, this place doesn’t feel secure anymore. Not that it was in the first place.”

Raising a hoof to her eyes, Twilight looked up to the sun. Noticing the change in its position, she estimated that an hour had passed. That passage of time was a little too much for her liking, especially knowing that the unknown organism was possibly wandering the forest, an encounter Twilight hoped would never come to fruition.

“Ah, cheer up, Rarity.” Pinkie Pie wrapped a hoof around the fashionista’s crest, pulling the mare closer as she optimistically said. “That big scary monster isn’t going to find us. After all, this forest is a big place and that means the chance of meeting the meany pants out here is very teeny-weeny, itty-bitty.”

“I hope you’re right, Pinkie.” Twilight glanced at her friends, her eyes glimmering with a hint of fear, one she was hoping her friends wouldn’t notice. Although knowing how worried they were, she didn’t believe that her trepidation of something happening was unnoticeable. Adding to the fact that they had not found a clue during the span of an hour, that fear of stumbling upon the creature or it ambushing them became more apparent.

Twilight sniffed the air, her pupils shrinking as she gagged at an awful smell. “Twilight, is everything alright?” Rarity inquired, watching her friend choke unexplainably. The scent wafted up through her nose, retching violently as well, bringing a hoof up to her mouth. “Oh, what is that atrocious odor?”

Gulping the bile back down, Twilight breathed in and out. The smell was definitely the same smell the carcass of the deer from yesterday gave off; the same vile stench of death. “I don’t know for sure. Possibly be a dead animal. But whatever it is, it doesn’t smell good at all.”

“I’ll say.” Pinkie spoke, a hoof muffling her voice as she held her nose.

Eyeing her friends and the guards behind them, Twilight noticed them holding their breaths as well, glad in an odd way that she wasn’t the only one noticing this awful smell. Turning to face the guards, she inquired. “Can any of you guess where it’s coming from?”

The stallion guard in the middle of the three nodded. “I got a good enough whiff to guess it’s coming from the northwest, that way.” He answered, pointing to the right side of Twilight.

Nodding her thanks, she moved turned herself around again to face the direction. “Come on everypony. Let’s follow the scent and discern its location. This could be a possible clue that we’ve been looking for.”

“Or something no longer alive that we shouldn’t investigate.” Rarity griped, hoping that this awful smell wouldn’t lead them to something dangerous.

‘Let’s just hope that isn’t the case.’ Twilight shivered, nervously hoping beyond hope that it wasn’t dead, whatever was causing that awful smell. With a silent motion, the group of six made their way to whatever was the cause of that disgusting scent. Everypony was on their guard, their eyes slowly and warily scanning the foliage around them. It was a worrying thought that they were possibly about to find yet another victim of the mysterious creature, but it had to be investigated.

Pushing the bushes aside, Twilight looked to her right and froze. The gray stone structure of the Royal Sisters’ castle greeted her sight, surprised and frightened that they wandered so close to the building. She glanced to her hooves, her eyes widened and she quickly jumped back from the edge of the fissure a few inches away from where she stood that separated them from the castle. The smell was definitely coming from somewhere nearby, but she wondered if it came from inside the structure on the other side of the ravine. She gazed back at the others, seeing the fearful glimmer in her friends’ eyes.

“We’ve wandered too close to the castle. If the smell is coming from inside, then we will just have to abandon the search and regroup with the others.”

“That is a wonderful idea. I’d rather not have to wander the dark hallways with the beast running about.” Rarity murmured, shifting a little as she warily eyed the castle.

“What is this animal you three keep talking about?” The mare guard standing to the stallion guard’s right asked, raising her eyebrow as she stared at the princess. “If you don’t mind me asking, Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight glanced over her shoulder, her eyes darting back and forth across the ground. Returning her gaze, she answered. “This creature is a… a monster of unknown origin, possibly extraterrestrial even. At least that is what the other princesses speculated after encountering it the other day.”

The three guards looked to one another. Surprised that the creature they were looking out for could be an alien. Feeling that the answer gave them enough information, the guards nodded.

Seeing them gesture their acceptance, Twilight spoke, “Alright. I suggest we walk around the castle’s boundaries while we continue to look for whatever is making that smell. Let’s just hope it doesn’t lead to the castle.” Twilight took in a breath as she thought to herself, ‘Please, don’t let it be coming from inside the castle.’ Bracing herself to press onward, she said, “Alright everypony. We need to remain quiet while we make our way to the location of that foul smell. Considering how close we are to the castle, we need to remain on alert. Any slight noise could draw that thing out, and that is the last thing we need to happen.”

Moving alongside the fissure separating the ponies from the castle, Twilight guided the group to the left, keeping to the open crevice of the earth. Looking down to the ground below, she recalled that the Tree of Harmony was located in a cave under the Royal Sisters’ Castle. In the situation they were in, she wished that the Elements of Harmony were an item they could use against the monster. However, since they were returned to the tree, that idea was immediately shot down.

Making their way along the perimeter of the fissure, the group kept a wary lookout. Twilight scanned the grassy ground before her hooves, taking careful steps as she looked for any twigs or objects that would create the slightest of sounds. Taking a quick glimpse back to the others, she noticed that everypony else was also treading lightly. With progress like this, no matter how slow they went, meant that the monster inside the castle wouldn’t hear them. ‘At least I hope so,’ Twilight thought.

As the agonizing slow pace continued on, Twilight noticed that the trees began to thin out. She sniffed the air again, shuddering as she realized how pungent it was. 'Ohh… We’re on the right trail at least.’ When she finally broke free of the trees, she moved her gaze to the right and saw that they had made their way around to the castle’s far side, looking at its backside now. Returning her stare to the front again, she gasped, her eyes widening at the sight of a large metallic structure sitting a few yards away from where she stood. The ground surrounding it had been upheaved and a line of trees had been knocked down in its wake.

Swerving her ears, she heard hoofsteps stop at her left and right, glancing to see Pinkie Pie to her right and Rarity to her left, seeing the same surprised look shimmer in their eyes. “Is… is that a spaceship?” Rarity murmured, sounding like she was out of breath.

“I’m not the only pony seeing this, right? Because I might need glasses.” Pinkie Pie tilted her head, a frown forming on her muzzle as the group of ponies stared at the alien spacecraft.

“No, Pinkie Pie. You’re not the only pony that sees it.” Emotion after emotion flooded Twilight’s thoughts. This was the find of the century! An actual spacecraft from an unknown alien race sat right in front of her. There was so much ponykind could learn from this discovery. This confirmed Princess Luna’s suspicions; the creature was indeed an alien. She shivered at the sight, but shook in excitement at this find. Shifting her wings, she ruffled them, hoping with this movement that she could contain her excitement. Without evening realizing it, she stepped forward, slowly walking closer to the ship.

“Excuse me, Your Highness.” Broken free from the ship’s luring power, she shook her head before turning to face the stallion guard. “But you mustn't venture too close to that craft there. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

“It’s alright.” Twilight assured, smiling as she gazed at the guard. “I’m not going to head directly into the ship. That would be a little too reckless of a decision.” Moving to face the ship again, an object caught her attention at the corner of her eye. Taking a moment to assess the item of interest, her eyes widened at the sight before her. “Hey… I think I’ve found something.”

“And what would that be?” Rarity inquired, moving a hoof forward as she cautiously moved forward.

“I… don’t have a clue yet.” Making sure each step was slow, she gradually moved forward. Her heart leapt when she made out it had limbs, meaning that it was an organism of some kind. She hesitated for a moment, fearing that this thing could be dangerous like the other alien they encountered, but continued to move forward when it made no sign of moving. When she stood over the figure, she gasped at the sight of dry blood crusted beneath its frame. “Everypony… it’s an extraterrestrial being… It’s dead.”

“Wait, there are more aliens?” The mare guard inquired, the others slowly surrounding the dead being.

“I believe so. But this creature appears to have a different structure than the one we encountered in the Royal Sisters’ Castle.” The ponies stood over the corpse, most of them covering their noses from the awful smell. Without out a doubt, this was the source of the odor that they had been following. As they observed the body, Twilight felt like she had deja vu. There was something uncannily familiar about this creature. Maybe it was its bipedal frame, the digits on the end of its hands, and its hairless body.

Twilight gasped, suddenly realizing what she was looking at. Slowly, she encased its body in magic, turning it around carefully. Her eyes widened when she saw the organism’s face, the aura fading away as it gently landed on the ground.

‘That’s… how is this possible?’ It was the same creature that she saw in the world located inside the mirror in the Crystal Empire; a polar opposite world filled with creatures like these. Although, this particular specimen did not share the colorful skin and hair tones of the beings in the mirror. Its hairless body was tannish brown, but the color had become pale after death. It had an armor like clothing strapped to its chest, a dark grayish green in color and surprisingly, it appeared to be a little unrefined. She looked away, gagging again as she saw a hole in its chest. Breathing in and out, she mustered the strength to face it again, frightened that it died in such a way. ‘Did… that alien kill this one?’ “This creature… these are the beings I saw when I went to retrieve my crown from Sunset Shimmer. Humans if I recall correctly.”

“So does that mean these things came from that world?” Pinkie Pie asked, turning her gaze to face her alicorn friend.

“I… I’m not sure. I don’t exactly recall their world to contain any technology this advanced.” Even though that world had electronic items far superior to their own, she didn’t believe they had any machinery this developed. She turned to face the ship, seeing how big it was. She squinted at the ship, estimating that it must have been a hundred feet long. That was definitely too big for the mirror. “Besides, the mirror is far too small to allow a ship that big to come through.” Then a thought crossed her mind. Could these beings that she visited in the world through the mirror actually exist in her own universe? The concept of this idea certainly sent chills down her body, a thought she imagined to not be totally impossible.

Bringing her gaze back to the alien below her, Twilight noticed a small metal object gleaming in the light of the sun. Encasing the metal object in a raspberry aura, she pulled it up and recognized the oval and rectangular shape. It was a dog tag, similar to the Royal Guard’s metal identity tags, same going for the Wonderbolts. Pulling it closer, she looked over the engravings.

“What does that say?” The mare guard inquired, leaning a little closer, as did everypony else.

Surprisingly, the engravings were something she could read. An odd thought, but nonetheless convenient. On the tags were a few words and identification numbers, but she read aloud what she supposed was the creature’s name. “Miller, John. First Lieutenant.”

“Poor creature.” The stallion guard murmured, gazing over the deceased lieutenant. “Seems he didn’t make it very far.”

“Looks like the poor thing died a few days ago, judging by the stench and the state of the body.” The second stallion guard mentioned, rubbing his chin with his right hoof.

“So that other alien killed this one, then?” Rarity gazed to the castle, thinking about the creature within. Seeing how ferocious it was, it wasn’t too unbelievable.

“I… believe so. But…” Twilight turned to face the ship, looking at the damaged alien vessel. “if we’re to find out what happened, then I suggest we take a look at what’s inside the spacecraft.”

“You sure that’s such a good idea? What if some of them are still alive?” The female guard inquired, moving in front of the princess.

“Yeah. What if they’re hostile?” The first stallion guard added to the concern, hoping that their princess would see reason. “After all, the dog tags do confirm it was military.”

“But think about all the information we could obtain.” Twilight, annoyed by the guards’ attempt to keep her safe and brushed past them. This was too good of a chance to find out where the remaining alien came from. “I’m not going to let this chance slip by. We need to find out what kind of knowledge and data these beings carried on their vessel.”

The others looked at the alicorn, knowing that this may be their only chance to obtain any information on what happened. “Let us just take this carefully, Twilight.” Rarity cautioned, moving up to her friend’s right side. “After all the guards are right. If any of the aliens are alive and indeed, aggressive, then we should be careful.”

“Duly noted.” Twilight murmured, walking up to a hole in the side of the ship. Looking into the interior, it was filled with a darkness, one similar to the inside of the Royal Sisters’ Castle. She breathed in and out, reassuring herself that the creature was not here. Stepping into the ship, her hoof echoed with a soft metallic ‘clang’. She flinched, hoping it wasn’t too loud. Her breathing increased as she took another step, gazing down the dark corridor of the ship.

She shivered at the cold air that filled this place, surprised it was like this when the weather outside was much warmer. Twilight lit the darkness with a raspberry light, looking down the hall. Glancing behind her, she moved a hoof to block the light of Rarity’s own light blue magic aura. “Alright, everypony. Let’s stick together, and whatever you do, just be quiet about it.” With that said, the others nodded, turning back to stare into the darkness.

Taking slow and cautious steps, she gazed at the design of the walls, intrigued and amazed by the look of this ship’s interior. It had a more industrial design to it, pipes exposed and with a light gray color to it. She flinched, gasping at the sound of electricity sparking next to her head in a flash of light. Realizing that there were live wires, she had to be cautious about where she moved her head.

Moving with a greater care to where they stepped, Twilight and the others slowly moved down the hallway. That same stench of death hit her again, gagging once more. “I… I don’t think anypony made it in here either by the smell of it.” Once they reached the end of the corridor, she gazed into a dark room. Her eyes widened at the sight of more alien bodies, moving a hoof to her mouth as she stared at the scene. Eight alien bodies were strew across the room, dry blood splattered against the walls and floor.

“Yeah… I think they’re all dead.” The mare guard murmured in a muffled voice as she held her right hoof to her mouth.

“I guess we can spread out then since there seems to be no threat on the ship.” Twilight suggested, a frown forming on her muzzle as she gazed at the bodies. It was a sad thought, knowing that she would not be able to learn what these creatures knew. Moving over to one of the dead aliens, she examined it, sympathetic as she saw that its left arm had been torn of, most likely during the crash. Encasing the body in magic, she turned it onto its back and flinched, seeing its neck had been broken and dangled in grotesque way. She could see the spine poking out of its neck, covering her muzzle as the taste of bile rose up into her mouth. ‘This is so disturbing. How awful that they had to go through such tragic deaths.’

Seeing another dog tag, she gently grabbed it with her magic, seeing the illuminated engravings and murmuring them to herself. “Tyler, Issac. Lance Corporal. United States Colonial Marines.” Another member of the same group. If anything, she guessed that the term “marine” probably meant something close to the Royal Guard, but she wasn’t truly sure. Putting the metallic tag down, she looked down another corridor. Glancing behind her, she saw that everypony else was gazing at their own finds.

Seeing how that the aliens in here were deceased, she believed that she would be fine on her own. Slowly, she walked down the next corridor, looking around as she made her way farther into the ship. This spacecraft was big, surprisingly so for just eight of these marines. She wandered further along, her eyes widening a little as she reached what appeared to be a mess hall. It sure wasn’t too big from the looks of it, but appeared to be comfortable all the same.

Twilight glanced down the hall, seeing light from the outside world illuminate an area behind the round table. Tilting her head, she walked around the table and into the hallway leading to the new room. She blinked as the natural light stung her eyes, rubbing them as they quickly adjusted. Looking to her left, she jumped, gasping at the sight of another dead marine. Covering her mouth, she breathed in and out, retching at the sight of a headless corpse. ‘This… poor alien.’ It was just another reminder for how terrible these marines had died. She noticed another dog tag on this one, picking it up and examining the engravings. ‘Truman,.... Technical Sergeant. United States Colonial Marines.’ “What the heck is the United States?” She asked out loud, tilting her head again.

So not only were they apart of the military, but these citizens of a nation called “United States” as well. Looking at the alien again, she remembered that the beings in the mirror had no wings either. Flying by a space or aircraft was possibly the only way they got around, reminding her of the Wonderbolts.

Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw another. This one looked to be intact, much more than the others, but seeing the metallic pole lodged into its chest, she knew it wasn’t alive anymore. Nearing the being, she saw something that reminded her of the friends of the other world. Remembering how each being looked, the other aliens she saw were only male. Yet this one resembled more of the female version of these creatures. Realizing what gender this one was, she felt a pit form in her stomach. To see a creature of her own gender but different race die in such a terrible way was something that hurt more than the others.

Gently, she grabbed the dog tag of this one with her hoof instead of her magic, looking at the engravings on this metallic tag. “O'neil, April. Staff Sergeant. United States Colonial Marines.” Curious, she moved a hoof to the alien’s head. Hair covered the creature’s face, and she moved it out of the way to see what she looked like. A sad frown formed on Twilight’s muzzle as she saw the color of the female’s skin was close to a pale white, her facial structure seemed to be a bit rounded out, but not in a bad way. The hair on her head was a dark auburn color, put back into a ponytail.

It was odd to feel upset for a creature she barely knew about, her face looked very refine, her eyes closed shut. The female alien appeared to be more at peace, even though there was no smile or frown on her lips. It was hard not to admit she looked pretty. “I… I know I don’t know much about your race. But… I’m sorry that you had to die this way.”

A red flash of light reflected off the dog tag, leaning in closer as she wondered what was causing this. Turning to her left, she realized it was a red flash coming from a small object lying on the female alien’s hand. Encasing the object in her magic, she brought it closer and examined the item. Analyzing the metallic object, she scanned every small indentation, wondering what the device did.

“What are you doing?” Twilight yelped, flaring her wings as she twirled around to see the mare guard in her group.

Sighing, Twilight’s eyes flashed an annoyed stare, refolding her wings onto her back again. “I’m just observing and examining this part of the ship. This part I believe to be the area where they drove the spacecraft.”

“Then what’s that in your magic there?” She pointed to the small device, Twilight returning her gaze back to the metallic object.

“I… am not sure. But I was going to bring this back to the others and see what we could decipher.”

“Alright then, let’s regroup with the others.” The guard turned around and made her way back to the exit. Twilight stepped forward, but couldn’t help to look back at the female human known as April. She decided to stash thought away in the back of her mind, knowing that she would only be able to act when she had free time. Returning her gaze to the guard, she quickly caught back up with the mare.

It was only a few moments before the two met back up with the others. All of this had been overwhelming, Twilight thought as she reunited with the others, but seeing her friends and the other guards, she announced. “I found something everypony.”

“What did you find?” The stallion guard asked, the others making their way to Twilight as she lifted the device with her magic.

“Well, I don’t exactly know myself. But it seems to be some electronic device. Whatever it does is a complete mystery to me.” Turning it around, she noticed a small little button. Using her magic, she pressed the button down, a three-dimensional text appeared next to the button, surprising her as she felt it slip from her hooves. Gripping onto the device, she felt energy course through her body. This was an exciting moment for her, but possibly not only her, but her friends and the guards as well.

Everypony looked at the text, surprised like Twilight that they could read it. “What’s an audio log?” Pinkie Pie asked, leaning closer to the device.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a free hoof, discerning the two words as she tried to see what the two terms meant when put together. “I… I think it records whatever you say into the device.”

“How though? Because if it works like the phonograph, then it must record the voices on a record, right?” The female guard inquired this time, tilting her head as she eyed the object.

“Again… I am not sure.” The text changed after Twilight spoke, again, another surprise for her as she wondered how such a device did this. Carefully scanning the text, she murmured. “One recorded transmission.” There was another text below it, with the words, “Play”. ‘Huh… so do I just press this word here?’ When she moved her hoof to the text, the words flashed brightly. Two lines appeared to the left and right of a dash in the middle, and the dash showed a number above before the time on it began winding down.

Coughing was heard from the device, and everypony leaned in closer to hear the voice that came from the object. The coughing sounded feminine, causing Twilight to think of the pilot at the front of the ship.

“My name… is A-April O’neil, S-staff Sergeant with the USCM dropship unit. Number 7210523.” More coughing erupted from the audio device, Twilight folded her ears as she heard the being choking on something. It stopped, her breaths coming in heavy gasps. “I am… or was apart of a group t-that was tasked to save a c-colony in sector 2-4TI.”

“A colony on a planet?” The mare guard looked to Twilight. “Is that a sector we have mapped on our star map?”

“I… I’m not sure.” Twilight murmured, half listening to the mare as she focused on the audio recording.

“The mission… to recover the colony of E-Erebus w-was a failure. There were… heavy casualties. We lost two e-entire squads. Only nine of us were able to make it. We encountered these… hostile organisms. There were just so many of them…”

Twilight shivered at the thought of what they encountered. But then she thought about the alien in the castle. Was that what she was referring to? If that was true, then she was frightened that there were so many more. “We were forced to r-retreat. That nuclear meltdown should have exploded by now, ending the existence of those monsters… but something was aboard the ship with us. A-an alien… almost spider-like attached itself to Lieutenant Miller’s face. We couldn’t get it off, not if we wanted to rip the skin of his face off."

“Lieutenant Miller? Wasn’t he the one we found outside?” Rarity murmured, casting a glance out of the hole in the hull to the body of said Lieutenant Miller.

“Yes, but if that happened then where is the spider?” Twilight inquired, remembering that there was no such thing on his face when they found him.

“We tried to c-cut it… but the-” More coughing erupted, violently so as she sounded like she was shifting in her seat. “I c-can’t breathe… this stupid p-pole in my chest... Just… whichever military company finds this… please… d-don’t let the company ex-experiment… anymore…” With that, the device clicked off.

Twilight stared at the device in her magic, trying to figure out what April meant. ‘What was with that warning? What company?’ It was just another mystery she did not have enough information about.

“Hey. I found another little flashy light!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pointing to a green button that continued to flare on and off. Seeing that this button did the same thing as the audio log, she wondered if this device held any information. Walking over to it, she slowly pressed the square object. A light flashed from a glass frame next to her, flinching as she and the others backed away a little. The object had another set of text, the words saying “Video Log” with the text underneath it to asking the group to press play.

Straightening herself, Twilight moved over to the panel under the screen. Looking at the buttons and devices, she wasn’t sure what any of them truly did. Hovering her right hoof over a circular figure, she pressed it and saw the screen flash again. The device reminded her of a film projector like the one Rainbow Dash borrowed to show the pegasi of Ponyville about how to bring water up to Cloudsdale or like the big ones in the movie theaters, but it was much more compact and much more advanced. It operated on electricity and didn’t use film reels.

Images appeared on the screen and one of the “humans” walked onto into view. However, this one looked different from the others on the ship. From the looks of it, Twilight established it was a male and was wearing a white lab coat with very light green decorations on the left side of its chest. The pants it wore looked like sweat pants with a dark spring green color. He held his hands behind his back, and this alien looked much older than the ones on this ship, his dark grayish brown hair appeared to be receding.

“Hello to the viewers of this video.” His voice was slightly pitched but had a deepness to it, his voice sounding similar to the ponies of Stalliongrad but the accent wasn’t too heavy. “I am one of the leading scientists in the company’s field of Biology. My name is Dr. Makoy Markovich.”

‘Leading scientist in biology? But what’s the company’s name?’ Twilight thought, wondering what knowledge they had about this field of study.

“To those of you who are currently watching this right now. I am advised to give you a warning. View at your own discretion; the content of this video can be considered graphic. But after you have seen the progress we have made here today, you will be astounded by what we have come to accomplish here at Weyland-Yutani.”

“Are you sure we should be viewing the contents of this video, Twilight?” Rarity murmured, glancing over at her friend.

“I… am not entirely sure. But this should give us a better idea on who these ‘humans’ are and what that other one is in the castle.” Twilight assured, moving her gaze to the fashionista before returning her attention to the screen.

“Now onto the subject of the video. We here at Weyland-Yutani have been working tediously for hours on end to uncover the mysteries of our latest project. An operation aimed to uncover more information of a little friend we have here at the facility on the colony known as Erebus.”

“Didn’t O’Neil warn us about this colony?” The first stallion guard mentioned, raising an eyebrow at the alien on the screen.

“Yeah… but we still don’t know why.” Twilight murmured, half paying attention to the stallion behind her.

“Currently, the origins of our friend, or friends I should say, as of now are still unknown. But thanks to events leading up to its discovery, the first ever encounter of this creature dates back to a specific date on June the third in the year twenty-one twenty-two.”

“These beings certainly use a different way of keeping track of time.” Rarity murmured, tilting her head.

“Yeah… year twenty-one twenty-two.” Twilight added, wondering how they kept a record of time.

“On that specific date. The commercial vessel, Nostromo, was sent to investigate a distress beacon. However, after June the sixth, we received no word from them. A year after, they were declared missing. And with that there was no hope to discern what they had found. But we were assured that what they came across was a creature. How Weyland-Yutani has found out about such a thing is still unclear to the rest of our staff.”

“What creature are they talking about?” The second stallion guard asked, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“Although our hopes were dashed, Weyland-Yutani sent a colonization team to the planetoid they went to known as LV- 426. After years had passed and with the terraforming process reaching its near conclusion, we received word of a port station positioned in the outer rim with word that they had discovered the black box of the Nostromo vessel. Acting quickly, the company sent a team of couriers to retrieve the recording unit. There were rumors that the creature we were after was onboard the station and so we bought it from the company known as Seegson. Again, however, we were unable to secure any conclusive evidence after the station lost its gravity lines and was sent hurtling into the gas giant it was next to.”

The alien looked down, closing his eyes as a smile formed on his lips. “But there was hope yet. It was fifty years later did a deep space salvage team discover a shuttlecraft, one that contained the last survivor of the Nostromo, Lieutenant Ripley. It was also sometime after we questioned her that the colony on LV- 426 had gone dark after a year of activity. Believing that the creatures were in fact on this moon, the company sent a team of marines from the second battalion, ninth regiment, along with the survivor to the colony known as Hadley’s Hope.”

“It sounds like they certainly had quite the trouble.” The mare guard spoke up, shaking her head at the alien. She nodded to the other guards, watching them walk out the hole in the ship. “We’ll be outside protecting the entrance. See what else you can gather from this.”

Twilight turned to face the guards, nodding before focusing on the screen again. “There was no further evidence we gained. Although we did find the military vessel, the Sulaco that Weyland-Yutani had sent to discover what happened to the colony. All we could find was the lower half of a Hyperdyne System Model 341-B Android.”

“An android? What in Celestia’s name is that?” Rarity inquired, staring at the alien as she waited for an answer.

“However, thanks to the Sulaco’s position. We descended down to the planetoid and made the discovery of a lifetime. We thought that the eggs were completely destroyed after the thermonuclear explosion. But thankfully, a few managed to survive. With our capture units ready, we encased a few of the creature’s eggs in a containment field. With careful movements we transported the eggs and brought them back to Erebus for study. Unfortunately, one scientist forgot to contain one of the eggs and had the parasite attach to his face, a being in this creature’s life cycle known as a facehugger.”

“A facehugger? That’s a silly name for a creature.” Pinkie Pie commented, giggling a bit at the odd sounding name.

“Within hours of exposure, the facehugger fell off of the scientist’s face and died. More time had passed as we awaited to see what would happen next. The man woke up sometime later, but began to have violent spasms not long after he awoke. His chest bursted open and then we finally realized what the facehugger was needed for. It was to insert the parasite and now, we have a creature of our own. Finally, after all this time.”

“Do you two feel like we should know what he’s talking about?” Twilight inquired, glancing over her shoulder at her friends. They looked to each other, nodding before turning back to face their alicorn friend. They remembered how Lieutenant Miller’s chest had a gaping hole in it and how O’Neil said a creature attached itself to his face. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

“The creature grew to full size in no time at all, going from a larva only a few feet only to standing eight feet tall in a matter of hours." Markovich smiled as he glanced over his shoulder at something, returning his focus shortly back to the camera. "And now, ladies and gentleman, is the reason for our excitement.” Markovich stepped out of the way, bringing one of his hands from his back gesturing to a dark room behind where he stood. The lights turned on, Twilight and her friends gasping at what they saw. Standing in the room was the creature they ran into inside the Royal Sisters’ Castle. It turned to face the screen, its blank gaze felt like it was looking right into her soul, and Twilight shivered as she met its eyeless stare.

“It’s the alien!” Pinkie Pie murmured a little loudly, her pupils shrinking as the three stared at the frightening creature that was separated from Dr. Markovich by a pane of reinforced glass.

“This my friends is the creature we have been seeking. The name given to the species of this fine specimen is Xenomorph XX121, or Xenomorph for short.” With a name now, Twilight mouthed the creature’s designated title. “Internecivus Raptus, its scientific name, is a creature of unparalleled perfection. It is a being that is completely pure. Free from guilt or virtue and it does not hesitate to attack any creature other than its own on sight.”

“So that’s why it attacked the guards? It only saw ponies as a threat to its own safety?” Rarity frowned as she looked at the creature. “Such despicable behavior.”

“These creatures are the most interesting of any other species we have come across. They're biological structure is easily different from any other creature home on Earth." Makoy closed his eyes, chuckling for a moment before opening his eyes again. "As for how many adult specimens we have. This is the only one Weyland-Yutani has, sadly. There was a time when we found a bio-scan of the survivor, Lieutenant Ripley, sent from the EEV of the Sulaco. We were thrilled that she managed to not only endure another encounter with these magnificent creatures, but held one of these Xenomorphs inside her. Once the scan was verified, a capture unit accompanied by the CEO of Weyland-Yutani, Bishop Weyland went to obtain the specimen. However, we lost her when she jumped into the furnace of the prison on Fiorina 161. Even though we lost something valuable in her, we still had the facehuggers and adult specimen. But for now, that is all that is needed.” Makoy frowned at the camera as he said. “To those of you watching. These videos will be separated into different sections. As of now, you have learned about the history of the creature’s discovery. But that does not mean we will not give you a taste of what it is capable of.”

Makoy looked to the Xenomorph, facing the other way as he signaled to something off the screen. “The reason for Weyland-Yutani’s acquisition of this creature is to harness its abilities as a Bio-Weapon. One that everyone would pay through the nose to obtain.”

“Bio-Weapon? What does that mean?” Pinkie Pie inquired of Markovich on the screen again, her eyes darting on the floor as she seemed to be thinking of something else. “Also, you can’t put bits in your nose. And how does somepony make bits with their nose?”

Twilight shook her head, returning her gaze to the screen. Whatever this term “Bio-Weapon” meant, it did not sound good. “As for the example. A little test to show off a sample of its capabilities.” The camera moved its view from the scientist to a room separated from the Xenomorph. Lights flickered from the ceiling as they filled the dark room with their bright luminescence, white walls intersecting and creating barriers that resembled a maze. A door opened up with a what looked like a female of Markovich’s species. The female human wore a simple white shirt that had “8B” printed on the front with matching white pants. “Subject 8-B. Please proceed into the room.” The female did as he asked, the door closing behind her. “Now… I want you to make your way through the maze. If you are able to perform this task in an orderly and quick fashion, you shall be sent home early.”

The lady nodded, holding her hands together as her eyes darted across the maze filled room. “What are you up to, Markovich?” Twilight murmured, lowering her eyes as she frowned at the scientist.

Markovich looked to the Xenomorph, pressing a button that activated a door to the room. “What is he doing?” Rarity’s eyes widened as she and the others realized what the scientist was up to. “Sweet Celestia! Is he insane!?”

“What’s going on?” The guard's hoofsteps echoed in the hall to their left, running back inside as they heard Rarity yell. “Why are you yelling?” The female guard inquired, her eyes wide as she looked between the three ponies in front of her.

“This scientist of the alien race is using that… monstrosity for a test!” Rarity shivered, pointing to the screen.

Twilight turned to face the screen, her eyes widening as she saw the creature slowly round a corner as it approached the female from behind. It slowly stood up on two legs, towering above the human a good few feet. She watched as the female human turned around, flinching as the lady screamed at the top of her lungs. The Xenomorph’s roar overpowered hers as it pushed the human to the ground.

Twilight brought a hoof to her mouth, tears running down her muzzle as she cried at the horror she saw. It ripped her stomach open, clawing and pulling her intestines and organs out, blood splattering against the surrounding walls. The female’s screams of pain and terror echoed around the room until the Xenomorph roared, overpowering the human's wails of agony. Rarity gagged as she looked away, bringing her right hoof up and covering Pinkie Pie’s eyes.

“Dr. Markovich. You are loco in the coco!” Pinkie declared, frowning at the screams she heard.

Twilight blinked her eyes, tears dripping to the ground in front of her as she watched on. The female’s screams finally died down, her body laid motionless as the Xenomorph opened its mouth, crouching lower as its head sat inches away from the human's stomach. A second mouth-like appendage shot out and took chunks of flesh, the body shaking and moving as the female’s corpse was eaten. Sympathy was all Twilight could feel for this poor female. How could Markovich subject one of his own kind to such torture?

The camera focused back on the scientist, Markovich staring at the scene before him. He turned to face the camera with a smirk. “Now you see… what happens to traitors of the colonies. And to any of those who disobey the Colonial rules, this is all I have to say; I cannot fabricate the statistics of survival. You all have my condolences.” The video cut out in a flash of light, white bar moved inside a rectangle appeared with the text above saying “Loading.”

“No!” Rarity yelled, pressing a button that stopped the process. “Please… no more. No more...” She breathed in and out, her chest expanding and contracting in an erratic motion.

The screen flashed again, a circle rotating in the center of the glass. A device lit up on the table as a gear revolved in the middle of the smaller screen. Twilight sniffled, whimpering slightly as she moved to the electronic item. The gear disappeared, more text appearing as it said “All files downloaded.” She realized that she had a way to look at the rest of the videos, but decided that one was enough for the moment.

Rubbing her eyes, she turned back and said. “Okay… I want you five to find Applejack's group. I’m going to teleport back to Canterlot and tell the princesses what we found and bring them here to contain the Xenomorph.” Her eyes scanned over the others as a sad frown formed on her features. “Please… be careful. All of you.” She closed her eyes, activating her magic and disappearing in a flash of raspberry light. The ponies left behind realized what this information held. And that information, they believed, felt like it was better left unknown.

Chapter V: Unnecessary Confrontation (Special Edition)

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“It’s so frustrating just sitting here and doing nothing.” Prince Shining Armor tapped his right hoof as he complained, fidgeting in place as he looked out the window. It had only been an hour since his sister and her friends had left for the Royal Sister’s Castle, but his anxious pace back and forth, which he would stop in place every few moments did not help relieve any stress he felt. Anything could have went wrong: from their group stumbling upon that creature, or a native Everfree Forest creature, or even worse, the creature being responsible for an injury.

“I understand how you feel, Shining.” Princess Cadance walked up to his left side, leaning against him, which she closed her eyes. “You and I both want to be there to protect Twilight. It’s hard waiting to know if they found something, hoping that none of them are hurt.”

“We all must hope for their safe return.” The two ponies turned to face Princess Celestia as she spoke, seeing her eyes glimmer with barely a hint of fear. It didn’t sound like she was too concerned, but with the knowledge they knew for how much Celestia cared for her former student, Shining and Cadance sensed that she was just as concerned for their safety as well. “In the end, that is all we can really do, even if it pains us to be doing nothing.”

Shining looked to the ground, shaking his head as he groaned. “But there must be something we can do! Isn’t there some spell to find their location, or what about an image we can summon to see what they’re doing?”

“You must be patient, Shining Armor.” Princess Luna stood up as she addressed him. “The danger they are facing is extremely great. It is rather a good thing that they are possibly taking their time, instead of rushing it and creating a drastic situation.”

“But what if they’re in danger right now? What if that creature is almost upon them as we speak? I can’t let my little sister be in that situation. We need to--”

A flash of purple light cut Shining Armor off as Twilight appeared in the middle of the throne room, quietly she groaned and rubbed her head. “Note to self. Even teleporting with alicorn magic doesn’t stop headaches from happening.”

“Twilight!” Shining Armor ran up to his little sister and wrapped his hooves around his sibling. “Are you okay? What happened, and where are the others?”

“They’re fine. Or at least Pinkie Pie and Rarity are. I don’t know about Applejack and her group. I didn’t get a chance to find them yet.”

“Find them? What are you talking about?” Cadance asked as she walked up beside Shining, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… I decided that it might be best if we were to… I don’t know. Split up?” Twilight let out a nervous chuckle as she smiled at her brother and fellow princesses.

Celestia stared at her former student, closing her eyes. “Twilight Sparkle. You do realize how dangerous an idea like that could turn out with the creature on the loose.”

“Yes, I understand, Princess Celestia. But it was a risk that led me, Pinkie, and Rarity to finding an interesting video device that has proved invaluable.” Twilight pulled away from her older brother. She walked up to the steps of the throne, a smile on her muzzle as she said, “And the assumptions you and Luna made have proven to be true. This creature is, in fact, an alien lifeform.” The room went silent. Twilight looked behind her shoulder and saw the princesses’ steady gaze burning against her.

“So our speculations were true. This creature is not a native of the Everfree Forest,” Celestia said. The answers they had been looking for were true, but that did not stem the uneasiness of what this creature could potentially do. She returned her attention to Twilight. “Was there anything else you learned about this creature?”

“Yes. The creature is definitely from the stars. That much we know.” Yet there were questions Twilight still had. “But I don’t know how it came to be, or if these aliens were naturally produced.” It was an unsettling thought; Twilight hoped that these creatures did not come from some sort of twisted phase of evolution. “But I do know this. The creature, the ‘Xenomorph,’ as it is called, was accidentally brought here by more aliens.”

“Wait. There’s more of them?” Shining Armor asked.

“No… the Xenomorph is just one of the aliens. The other foreign creatures I’m talking about are beings like the ones inside that mirror world where Sunset Shimmer is. Only this version is more technologically advanced than the ‘humans’ of that world.”

“That is rather… unsettling,” Luna murmured. “So are they friendly?”

“I… didn’t get a chance to find out. They were all dead when we found their ship.” Another bout of silence filled the air before Twilight continued. “I can say that most of them passed after the ship crashed, but I believe that the rest were most likely killed by the Xenomorph.”

“Such an unfortunate end to all of them.” Celestia closed her eyes and breathed in like she was silently praying for them before opening her eyes again. “I was going to ask about the odd item you found, but your friend’s lives are more important at the moment.”

“Of course. I was hoping to find them first before I showed you anything. This is information I wanted to relay to you before I left to find them,” Twilight said. She turned around and began walking down the red carpet.

“Hold on there, Twily,” Shining Armor called out as he trotted up to her. “You think we’re leaving you to go back alone this time? Because I’m coming along with you.”

Twilight stared at her older brother, turning her gaze to the floor. ‘I’m actually glad he’s willing to come along. Even if I was in that forest with my friends, the thought of the Xenomorph traversing through the treetops didn’t exactly make me feel comfortable.’

“We shall come along as well.” Celestia, Luna, and Cadance walked up to the two ponies. “The bigger our group, the better our chances that the creature may leave us alone.”

Twilight’s smile brightened as she looked up to her former teacher. With a nod, she walked up to the other princesses, her smile disappeared when she looked between her friends and family. “Can we please get going? My friends are still in the Everfree, and the longer they spend there, the more likely they’ll run into trouble.”

“Of course.” Celestia looked to her sister, nodding before turning to face her niece and doing the same. Three lights emanated from their horns until the group disappeared in a flash of light as they teleported to the Everfree Forest.

~~~

“Can this get any more boring?” Rainbow yawned as she walked alongside Applejack. The shadows of the forest crept around them. The sun’s rays of light barely broke through the many leaves covering the branches above them. “Seriously, how long have we been out here? We haven’t found anything to help us, and I’m still surprised that freak hasn’t shown up yet.” She let out a chuckle before saying, “Think it’s scared of us?”

“Ah highly doubt it, Rainbow Dash. It probably ain’t woken up yet.” Applejack rolled her eyes at the her friend’s cocky nature. But Rainbow did have a point. ‘We ain’t seen a lick of that monster yet, and it’s been more than an hour, that’s fer sure.’ Could it possibly be asleep? If it was, then that meant they were still in the clear.

“What if it realized the mistake it made by scaring us ponies, though? Think about it, we could totally take that thing on.”

Applejack sighed before shaking her head. “Fer the last time, Rainbow. We ain’t gonna fight that thing until we know a little more ‘bout it.” It was possibly the worst idea that Rainbow could ever think of. “And don’t try and be some hero, either. Ya saw what happen’d to the Royal Guard the last time we--”

“Girls.” Fluttershy interrupted Applejack. “Sorry, I just thought I heard a branch snap. Or something going through the bushes.”

“Yer alright there, sugarcube. No worry ‘bout bein’ cautious and all.” Applejack nodded at Fluttershy in approval.

Rainbow snorted as she stared at Applejack. “So what do we do if the freak catches us, just turn tail and run?”

“Definitely.” Applejack frowned as she saw Rainbow’s eyes widen. “Don’t tell me you were thinkin’ of fightin’ that there monster? If it does surprise us, the only thing we can do is outrun it.”

“What if it catches up to us? Do we just keep running and hope it doesn’t take one of us down?”

Applejack stopped, rubbing her eyes with a hoof as another sigh escaped her. “Look, we all just plan for that if we ever cross that bridge. But right now, we just need to keep lookin’ and--”

A roar echoed behind them. Applejack quickly turned around and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t the monster, but… a manticore. It raised its tail as it growled at the group of ponies. ‘This doesn’t look good.’

“Oh great. This stupid manticore’s roaring probably woke it up now!” Rainbow yelled as she pawed at the ground as well, flaring her wings.

“Wait, hold on, everypony.” Fluttershy stood in front of the five ponies, looking to the manticore with a smile. “Aww. Who’s a good little kitty?” She spoke in a quiet and gentle voice as she walked up to the large feline. If one thing was for certain, Applejack was glad to have Fluttershy and her ability to talk to animals. “Now it’s rude to speak with such an aggressive tone. Why don’t we lower our voices and calm down, hmm?”

The manticore lowered its ears, looking away like a foal being scolded. “There we go. Now if you would please keep your voice down, we would really appreciate it.” Fluttershy smiled softly as she reached a hoof out. The large feline looked back to her, only to hiss and slowly backed away. She flinched, taking a step back. “What’s wrong? It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” Another growl emanated from the creature. It raised a paw, aiming towards Fluttershy. The paw stopped as it stared into her eyes.

Applejack watched on as Fluttershy used The Stare. Only Fluttershy could use it, which she only did on animals that misbehaved. It raised its tail and flared its wings as it backed into the brush, slowly disappearing from sight.

Applejack continued to stare, not sure what to make of the odd behavior it displayed. “Well that was pointless.” Rainbow frowned. “What the heck was it even doing over here anyway?”

“That was odd…” Fluttershy murmured, lowering her hoof to the ground. “It sounded like it was frightened of something.”

“Frightened? We ain’t all that much of a threat to it.” Applejack drawled as she raised an eyebrow. “You sure it just didn’t spook itself?”

“I’m positive.” Fluttershy turned around and looked at Applejack. “It must have seen something to scare the poor thing. But I don’t know wh--” Her eyes widened as her mouth went agape, her lips quivered while she slowly backed away.

“H-hey, sugarcube? Is everythin’ alright?” Seeing Fluttershy’s pupils shrink, Applejack felt her fur stand on end at what could be standing behind them. She gulped and said, “There’s… somethin’ behind us, ain’t there?”

A sickening squelch echoed behind them. Fluttershy screamed at what she saw, and Applejack and the others turned around to see one of the guards being lifted up into the air. They all let out a gasp. A blade black as night had pierced through the stallion’s neck. Blood dripped down to the forest floor, a few of the drops trickling down the creature’s eyeless gaze as they saw the one thing they were hoping to avoid.

“Everypony… we need to get outtta here!” Applejack yelled. She grabbed Rainbow Dash by the tail and turning her around, then nudged Fluttershy the other way as she, her friends, and the remaining guards ran into the brush. The sounds around Applejack began to lessen until she could only hear the beating of her heart pounding away in her chest. ‘This was the exact thing I didn’t want t happen! And now that monster’s probably chasin’ us down!’ She looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she saw the creature quickly catching up to them at an incredible speed.

“Shoot! That dang creature’s catchin’ up! Everypony run faster!” Applejack looked back, her breath catching in her throat as the monster launched itself onto one of the other guards, growling and screeching while blood spattered on the surrounding foliage. Screams erupted from the stallion beneath.

“No!” Rainbow Dash yelled, turning around and running straight at the creature.

“Gosh darnit, Rainbow Dash!” Applejack quickly ran up to her side, grabbed her by the tail with her mouth and yanked her back. “We can’t do anythin’, Rainbow! Yah gotta leave him behind!”

“But--”

“Just go!” She shoved her again, and Rainbow skidded forward until she reluctantly picked up the pace again. Applejack looked back, her ears folding against the sides of her head as she saw the stallion reaching out to them, yelping and crying out in pain. She closed her eyes, forcing the tears back as she and Rainbow caught back up with the others.

The echoes of their hooves drowned out the unharmonious sounds filling the forest. Everypony kept their gazes forward as they continued to run. Applejack stared ahead, the thoughts in her mind rushing around in a panic. ‘T-this is crazy. Ah knew splittin’ up was a bad idea. Why’d we all have ta listen ta Twilight?’

Applejack began to slow down to a trot, and her friends and the remaining guard did the same. They stopped once they moved into an open area lit brightly by the sun. “Is… everypony okay?” Applejack asked as she slowly caught her breath. She received a nod from the guard and Rainbow Dash, with Fluttershy emitting a tiny squeak. “Fluttershy?”

“T-that was horrible…” Fluttershy covered her eyes with her hooves, letting out hiccups as the shock finally set in.

“There, there, sugarcube. Everythin’ is gonna be okay.” Applejack walked up to her friend and wrapped a hoof around her. “We lost that monster, so everythin’ should be fine.” As she ran a hoof through Fluttershy’s mane, she sighed. ‘Let’s just hope we did. Ah don’t know how much more Fluttershy can take… how much Ah or Rainbow can take...’

The brush they came through rustled before going quiet. Applejack looked up as she scanned the perimeter. “Everypony…” She stood up, frowning as she flattened her ears. “Ah think it caught back up.” The others stood up, looking in the direction Applejack stared in. “Come on… let’s find Twilight and the others and regroup. We’ll be saf--”

Applejack yelped as she felt herself get knocked down. Pushing herself up with unsteady hooves, she turned to see the creature on top of the other guard. The monster growled and bit down on the guard’s throat, ripping and tearing until blood spattered on the ground in front of him. The guard let out a breathless scream before shuddering on the ground, collapsing until his body soon became still. Applejack stepped back. The monster slowly turned its bloody muzzle to them, hissing while it crawled towards the three remaining mares.

Looking back, Applejack quickly backed up to her friends, standing close by them as they formed a line. “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. Whatever yah do, do not break this line. If we stay in this formation, we might get this creature ta leave us.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it will leave once we’re all dead.” Rainbow scoffed, glaring at the creature as it came closer.

Applejack stared at the ground, rubbing her head with a hoof before she turned to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy. You’re the only pony here who can make a creature freeze in its tracks with your Stare.”

“But-but-but this isn’t some normal manticore… this is a creepy and terrifying monster!”

“Ah understand.” There was a chance of the Stare working, but Applejack didn’t know for how long. “But this alien here is just another critter. If it’s an animal as well, Ah’m sure yer Stare will work the same.” To reassure her, Applejack raised a hoof to her shoulder and smiled. “You’ve been good with that trick before, so why not try it now?”

Fluttershy kept her gaze on Applejack’s, gulping before turning to face the snarling alien. “O-okay… here it goes.” She took a deep breath, opening her eyes as she gave the creature a very hard Stare.

The creature turned to face Fluttershy, screeching and growling at the sight of her cyan eyes. It brought a clawed hand to its face and backed away from the three mares. Seeing that its effects worked, Fluttershy began to walk closer to it. “You should be ashamed of yourself! Killing other innocent ponies and creatures that don’t deserve to die in such horrible ways!” Her yells seemed to drive it back even more, letting out a longer screech. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in!? What would your mother think of your violent behavior!? She would be ashamed of you!”

Applejack brightened as she watched Fluttershy work. ‘If Fluttershy keeps this up, then we’re home free.’ But at the mention of a mother, the creature stopped backing away. Its metallic-like teeth gleamed in the sunlight as slime dripped down to the ground before it, snarling at Fluttershy. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, her mouth dropping open as she saw the tail heading straight for Fluttershy. In that second, all Applejack could think of was that the Stare hadn’t worked. ‘It… wasn’t affected by it… b-but how?’

“Fluttershy, no!” Rainbow Dash jetted towards the unmoving mare and shoved her out of the way. A scream erupted from her, accompanied by a sickening crunch.

“Rainbow Dash!!” Fluttershy flew back, skidding across the ground and out of harm’s way.

‘Rainbow Dash… you idiot...’ Applejack’s eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat as she saw blood dripping down on the ground in front of her friend. The creature lifted Rainbow up, moving her closer to its muzzle, opening its mouth wide open as a second mouth showed in the darkness of its mouth. “No… no!” Applejack yelled as she ran towards the creature, bringing a foreleg up and knocking her hoof against its jaw. The alien screeched as it skidded back on its back legs. Rainbow Dash flew off the tail and landed a few feet behind Applejack.

Glancing over her shoulder, she gagged as she saw the large wound opening Rainbow Dash’s stomach area. Fluttershy ran over to their friend, but she could do nothing to help ease her friend’s pain.

That was it. Applejack turned to face the creature, now standing on its hind legs as it hissed at her. This creature had harmed too many ponies already, and Applejack was not going to let it hurt her friends anymore. “You… filthy, disgustin’ freak! Ah’m gonna make sure yah never get back up!” Applejack charged the creature, yelling at the top of her lungs. The alien roared, jumping back onto all fours as it ran at her as well.

She raised a hoof and swung at the alien, but it jumped out of the way. Applejack gasped, ducking out of the way as one of its clawed hands brushed past her stetson. She brought another hoof up, striking the creature's chest. She smiled, bringing her left hoof up to its muzzle, but felt something solid hit her right side. The world tumbled around her as she skid across the ground, yelping and grunting.

Quickly, she got back up, her eyes widening as she saw it in mid-leap and almost on top of her. Growling, she crouched, positioned her back legs towards the creature, and kicked. She felt her back hooves make contact against the jaw of the monster with a satisfying crack. The alien roared as it sailed in the air and slammed into a tree.

Applejack smiled as the creature lay still. ‘Maybe… Ah knocked it out...’ A low-sounding growl resonated from the creature. It slowly looked up and hissed at her. ‘Oh… great.’ It stood up, seemingly shaking the kick off like it was nothing. Growling again, Applejack watched as it charged her, running on its hind legs in a hasty approach. She ducked again as it swiped at her, yelping as the other claw scored the left side of her muzzle.

Jumping back, she held a hoof to her cheek, blood dripping down as she pulled her hoof away. ‘Just… ignore the pain.’ She looked up, only to see the creature screeching as it charged her again. She positioned her back legs again and kicked as it neared her, but it dodged her attack almost effortlessly. ‘It… knew what I was going to do...’

An exploding sensation of pain erupted in her stomach as she felt its claws dig into her flesh. She let out a short-lived scream and felt the world around her rush by. The air was knocked out of her as she felt her back smash into the ground, the pain increasing as the creature’s claws pushed in further.

Applejack screamed again as she felt a stinging pain in her right shoulder. Having a quick glance, she saw the tail’s blade digging into her flesh. She felt like her shoulder was about to separate from her body. Looking back up, she froze when she came face to face with the monster, its slime dripping onto her chest and face as its mouth opened. ‘Is… thi-this really it?’ The second mouth slowly came out and opened its jaws. ‘T-this… is how Ah die...’

Applejack let out another yelp as the alien was knocked off her, the tail coming out of her in a blistering sensation of pain that ran up her nerves. She grabbed her injured shoulder with her left hoof and sat up to see beams of light flashing and hitting the creature. Its cries of pain echoed in the forest as it took off, the magic energy blasts slowly beginning to thin out until all was finally quiet. She looked to see where those energy blasts came from and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Twilight and the princesses surveying the situation.

“Applejack! Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out as she rushed to give Applejack a massive hug. Applejack felt tears of joy trickle down her muzzle, but she winced as they came in contact with the claw marks on the left side of her muzzle. “Applejack… are you alright?” Looking up, she saw her friend’s own tears dripping down her face.

“Ah… Ah’m fine,” Applejack replied, grunting as she tried to get up, only to yelp in pain as she fell down.

She felt hooves push against the left side of her barrel and saw Twilight shaking her head. “No… you’re not alright.” Applejack glanced over her friend to see Princess Cadance standing over Rainbow Dash, a blue glow swirling around the stomach wound as it slowly closed. She watched as Rainbow began to slightly move, letting out quiet moans as she winced from the pain. “There is no way that you are alright.” Applejack returned her gaze to the distraught mare in front of her.

Looking away, she closed her eyes and laid back down. Hoofsteps echoed in the grass next to her, and she looked up to see Cadance standing over her. Applejack grunted as she felt the alicorn’s magic moving over her shoulder and muzzle, groaning at the pain that went up and down her nerves. “There,” Cadance said as the blue light faded away. “I… was able to heal you… unfortunately, magic healing can only do so much. You two will need to see a doctor in Canterlot immediately.”

Applejack could only nod, accepting the help she knew she needed. She felt Twilight’s hoof wrap around her neck. Looking in front of her, she could see Rarity hiding her muzzle with her hooves, and Pinkie’s hair deflating slightly at the sight of their friends. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna only stared, but the worried frowns on their muzzles belied their worry for their friends. Applejack could only let out a sigh as she was guided forward.

A shadow moved over her; Applejack looked up to see Celestia staring down at her. “Twilight, I want you and Princess Cadance to bring Applejack and Rainbow Dash to Canterlot Castle’s hospital. They need to be treated by the best doctors immediately.”

The only noise that seemed to fill the air was Fluttershy’s crying as she continued to weep for Rainbow Dash. Applejack saw that her friend was moving, but only slightly. ‘Please… let her be okay...’ In a flash of light, the forest disappeared from her sight as Twilight and Cadance teleported the two wounded mares and their friends to Canterlot, leaving Princess Celestia and Princess Luna behind.

~~~

Princess Celestia let out a sigh, shaking her head as she saw one of the three dead guards lying on the ground. Approaching the once-living pony, she closed her eyes. ‘I’m so sorry my little pony… you should not have died in such a terrible way.’

“Sister.” Princess Luna walked up to Celestia’s side. “Are we going to continue with the plan?”

Celestia opened her eyes and looked towards her little sister. “Yes. We must form a shield around our old home so that this Xenomorph cannot escape.” Celestia opened her wings and lifted off into the air. She scanned the ground below her but saw no sign of the alien moving through the forest.

“Do you think it has returned to the castle?”

“It seems that way.” They had to be sure, otherwise it would be freely roaming Equestria for who knew how long. “Let me take first watch. But we shall both stay here in case it is not inside the barrier.” Approaching the castle, Celestia slowly stopped and pointed her horn at the ancient set of ruins as she floated in mid-air. A light gold shield formed around the castle, which engulfed the perimeter and cut off all exits.

The two sisters scanned the castle grounds; they could not let one area go unchecked until they were sure it was contained. Movement caught Celestia’s eyes, and sure enough, there it was, staring at the shield that had formed around its new home. “So we did capture it.” A heavy weight lifted off her shoulders. “Alright, Luna. You may leave me to take the first watch.” Her sister nodded before flying off, teleporting in a flash of dark blue light.

Celestia ascended up to the sky with another quick flap of her wings, landing on a cloud and kneeling down on it until she felt comfortable. As she stared down at the Xenomorph, it looked up to spot her. Celestia did not blink her eyes as the creature stared back, its teeth glinting in the light. It ran at the shield and slashed at it. The bubble rippled from the attack, but it had no effect on Celestia as she continued to keep her eyes on the creature. ‘Such hatred… how could a creature be filled with so much anger?’ It stopped its assault on the shield, hissing at the bubble around it before running back into the castle.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. “For now, this creature is sealed… but I wish I could see to my ponies who were injured. I need to know for certain that they will make it.” It was the only thing Celestia could hope for. After seeing Rainbow and Applejack in such a state of injury, she could only keep her faith in the doctors at Canterlot Castle; they needed all the fortune they could get.

Chapter VI: Uncontained ~ Part I (Special Edition)

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A humming resonated from the ceiling. A light in a corner of the room flickered, unstable unlike the other light bulbs hidden behind their glass frames. A pony’s cry sounded out, like she was sobbing her eyes out. Twilight turned her attention to this fixture and steadily watched it blink on and off in a rapid fashion. Precarious. A word she felt would fit the situation they were all in at the moment. From the unending hum, Twilight returned her attention to Fluttershy, who had been in this sad and sob-like state since they had arrived in the Canterlot hospital.

“There, there, Fluttershy,” Rarity murmured as she ran a hoof through her shaking friend’s mane. “Rainbow Dash will be alright. I am sure of it.” Yet Rarity’s eyes drooped lower. She looked like she was about to tear up as well, but Fluttershy, from the sound of it, seemed to be doing all the crying for her friends..

“She’s got to be alright.” Pinkie Pie twiddled her hooves together. She rocked back and forth, her mane still in its deflated position. “And Applejack too. They can’t die...”

Twilight could only sigh. She rubbed her eyes with a hoof and took a deep breath in, and she slowly exhaled out in an effort to keep calm. The plan, the idea that she, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor had come up with, had been a success. They discovered that this being, the Xenomorph, was in fact an alien life form. And it all could have ended with no casualties or injuries. ‘But it didn’t… and it’s all my fault.’

There was nopony else to blame for this tragedy but herself. Her suggestion of splitting up had cost the lives of three ponies. And it could have increased by two if they had not saved Applejack and Rainbow Dash in time. Sure, they had revealed more information, but if Twilight had not proposed that foolish idea, then maybe her friends would not have been nearly killed, and those guards they had lost would have retained their lives.

“Twilight?” She looked up to face Rarity, who sat on the opposite side of the waiting room with Fluttershy in her hooves. “Are you alright, darling?”

She glanced away for a moment. Twilight had kept her emotions bottled up, although she could swear that there were a few times that she had come close to tearing up. Returning her gaze, she said, “I’m fine… at least, I think so.”

The waiting room door opened. A maple-brown stallion who wore a white doctor’s coat stepped out with a clipboard in his hoof. He scanned the room until his gaze rested on Twilight. “Princess Twilight? Are you here f--”

“Yes.” Twilight quickly stood up and trotted over to the stallion. “Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and I are waiting on the news about Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

“Right, yes.” The stallion cleared his throat. “My name is Dr. Needle Pin. And I was hoping to find you, Princess Twilight.” He bowed his head until he stood straight up again. “I have the information you looking for about your friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

“Yes, can you please just tell us already?” Twilight leaned close to where his own muzzle was. She frowned and tried to hurry him along. “We’ve been waiting since they were being operated on.”

“Y-yes, yes. Of course, I am sorry, Princess.” Pin bowed again and turned his attention to the clipboard. “Now, first off, Applejack is alright.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “She will make a full recovery. The four claw marks that were scored across the left side of her muzzle will heal, only barely visible once fully mended. Other than that, her stomach wound has healed, although there will still be a bit of scarring.” He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “However, I am afraid to say that her shoulder was… compromised.”

“Compromised? B-but what are you saying, Doctor? Will Applejack be unable to ever walk again?” Rarity fretted. She frowned and raised a hoof to her muzzle.

“No. She’ll be alright. What I mean to say is that she is lucky she didn’t lose it. Whatever you all encountered, it almost ripped her shoulder from its socket.” Twilight and the others stood silent. Fluttershy pressed her muzzle into Rarity’s shoulder, her loud cries muffled as Rarity brushed a hoof through her mane. “Yes… we were able to reattach the bone. However, due to the amount of damage that was caused, she cannot overexert herself. If she does, I am afraid she may break the shoulder bone herself if she doesn’t let it heal properly.”

Twilight shuddered. She frowned and felt her heart ache. ‘Never work as hard as she is used to? Then… that’s something else that is my all my fault.’

“Yes… but she is lucky for not losing her entire leg.” Doctor Needle Pin flipped a page on his clipboard. His eyes scanned over it before he returned his attention to the girls. “And as for Miss Rainbow Dash.”

“Yes, go on,” Twilight urged. She nodded and shook where she stood, waiting for the revelation.

Needle Pin looked down and gulped. “Rainbow Dash… well…” He hesitated, looking up between the clipboard and the girls.

“Please.” Fluttershy raised her muzzle from Rarity’s shoulder, trails of tears still visible upon her face. “J-just t-tell us…”

“Well… you are all very lucky, then.”

“What do you mean by that?” Rarity asked further, in hopes that he would finally stop beating around the bush.

“Rainbow Dash, as I said, is very lucky. After an examination of her internal organs, we discovered the full extent of the damage.” Pin paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “All I can say is that she is the luckiest pony alive. Whatever struck her barely missed her heart by a few inches.”

“I-is… that all?” Twilight pressed on, shaking her head and stepping forward; the doctor backed up as she closed in. “Please. Just stop stalling and tell us. How bad were her lacerations?”

Needle Pin shook a little under the princess’s intense gaze. He stood up and pushed his glasses further up his nose. “O-okay then. The damage was… incredible, to say the least. Whatever struck her… ruptured the top area of her colon, ripping the top area of her liver as well, although thankfully they were not severely damaged.” He gulped again. “But… her lungs were punctured straight through the middle.”

Fluttershy cried out once more, burying her muzzle into Rarity’s shoulder again. “Wh-what?” Twilight uttered only one syllable. The damage that was being described was much worse than severe.

“The damage done to her lungs is what put her in such a critical state. The lower part of her trachea that connected to her lungs was also damaged. Another factor that put her in such a dangerous position.” Pin sighed. “The object… whatever punctured her body almost made it to her spine. Which, unfortunately, if that were the case, she would either have instantly been killed…” He flinched as Fluttershy cried even louder. He shook even more at the sight of the other girls, as tears finally trickled down Rarity and Pinkie Pie’s muzzles. “Or… she would have been crippled for life. Unable to walk or fly ever again.”

Twilight brought a hoof to her muzzle. The dam that had held her own tears back had finally broken. ‘This… this is completely awful.’ And the full extent of this damage was all thanks to the Xenomorph. ‘No wonder those humans didn’t stand a chance… that… thing is so vicious.’

“Yes… well, luckily, Rainbow Dash will be fine. Her liver and colon have fully healed thanks to our healing magic. As well as the lower half of her trachea.” He sighed once more. “Unfortunately… her lungs are another problem. We ended up with a diagnosis. From now on, Rainbow Dash will have to use an inhaler every three to four hours.”

“But… weren’t you able to fix all the damage?” Twilight murmured. ‘Didn’t they try hard enough? Maybe they could have done something… anything…’

“I am afraid, Princess Twilight Sparkle, that we were unable to fully heal the extent of the lacerations done to her lungs. With that concluded, we know that she will be dealing with this condition from now on.”

The waiting room only echoed with Fluttershy’s crying, which drowned out Pinkie and Rarity’s sobbing. Twilight stood there, mouth agape. This information was just too overwhelming. How Rainbow Dash could survive such a fatal blow was almost pure luck. Yet at the same time, she felt relieved that her friend made it through such a horrible ordeal.

The doctor cleared his throat, turning his attention to the door behind him. “Rainbow Dash has been put on a couple heavy sedatives. She won’t be waking up until possibly the afternoon of tomorrow.” Pin returned his gaze to the girls. “But… there is a small sliver of good news in this mess. Your other friend, Applejack, is currently awake at the moment.” Twilight felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She smiled and replaced that frown, although she shook a little. “She has asked for you all to come back. So if you will all follow me, I’ll take you to her room.”

Twilight watched as her friends walked past. As she followed, her ears swiveled at the echo of hoofsteps behind her. Twilight turned around and smiled at the sight of her sister-in-law and older brother. “There you are,” Princess Cadance said when she approached Twilight, smiling as she wrapped her hooves around Twilight.

“It’s good to see you both.” Twilight pulled away, still clinging to Cadance’s shoulders. “Where were you two?”

“Cadance and I were waiting for Princess Celestia. She wanted us to let you know that she would be here soon.” Shining Armor stepped forward and hugged his little sister. “Right now, Princess Luna is taking Princess Celestia’s place. So she’ll watch over their old home for the night.”

Twilight felt a hoof move up to the right side of her muzzle, turning her gaze to her sister-in-law. “Hey… are you alright?” Cadance asked, looking over her to see Twilight’s friends heading down the hallway. “How… are Rainbow Dash and Applejack?”

“We spoke with the doctor that is overlooking their recovery,” Twilight replied. She rubbed her eyes with a hoof and wiped the tears away. “Applejack… she’ll be fine. But her shoulder was badly damaged.” She paused, watching their eyes widen. “H-he said that she can’t overwork her body at the moment because he fears that she might break her shoulder if she isn’t careful.”

Shining Armor snorted and frowned while he stomped a hoof on the floor. “I still don’t understand why she and the others stopped. They should have kept running.”

Cadance sighed when she turned to face her husband. She returned her gaze to Twilight. “And… what about Rainbow Dash?”

“Rainbow Dash was... critically injured.” Twilight shook a little. The pain that weighed down on her was almost too overwhelming. “Doctor Needle Pin said that everything else had healed, but her lungs were the most severe of her injuries. And now with this… he surmised that she’ll have to use an inhaler for every four hours.”

“This is just terrible…” Cadance looked down at the ground. She frowned and closed her eyes. “How could a creature do something so terrible to them?”

“I don’t know why it seeks to destroy…” Shining Armor raised his muzzle up, looking to the two mares in front of him. “But this further proves that the Xenomorph is dangerous. We have to get rid of it as soon as possible before it attacks again.”

“What did Princess Celestia tell you?” Twilight asked while she pulled away from Cadance.

“Celestia said that the Xenomorph has been captured.” Twilight sighed in relief. “And at the moment, she doesn’t plan to attack it. She suggested that it might be safer to wait it out and try and starve it, so if we do kill it, the Xenomorph will be easier to handle.”

“Sure waiting is fine.” Twilight looked over her sister-in-Law’s shoulder at Shining Armor. “But we don’t know how long it will take. Although it may be risky, I believe a small infa--”

"Shining. I understand how eager you are to see this creature's death, and how angry you are at the number of Royal Guard members that have fallen because of the Xenomorph." Cadance turned around and walked up to her husband. "But let's just follow Celestia's orders.”

Shining sighed and closed his eyes. “Alright. We’ll continue with Princess Celestia’s original plan.” He relented and walked up to his wife. The two hugged one another in a gentle embrace.

Cadance separated a few moments later, turning around to face Twilight. “Shall we go see Applejack?”

Twilight quickly nodded, then turned around and trotted at a quick pace. It was a minute until the three ponies stumbled upon the others; the doctor glanced over his shoulder before he slowly rotated himself. “Do not worry. We were just waiting for you, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” As she approached, his eyes widened slightly, and he bowed. “It is good to meet you, Princess Cadenza Mi Amore.”

“Please, Princess Cadance is fine.” She smiled, nodding to the doctor.

He stood up and moved over to the door, turning the knob and peeking inside the room. “Applejack,” Pin said into the room, “your friends are here.” He stepped back and ushered everypony in.

Twilight watched her friends file into the room, following behind Fluttershy and Rarity. She glanced over to the side and caught her sister-in-law’s shadow moving towards the far corner of the room, shifting her gaze to see that they stood a little farther than her friends. ‘They must be giving us some space.’ Twilight smiled and silently thanked them for that.

“I’ll leave you all to speak.” Doctor Needle Pin bowed and closed the door. The room went quiet.

Not a word was spoken within that first minute. Twilight blinked, looking over her friend. The four scratch marks that were on the left side of her muzzle were bandaged over, and the hospital gown she wore on the front of her body hid the other wound on her stomach, possibly covered with wrapping as well. Yet her gaze never wavered from her right shoulder and her foreleg firmly wrapped in a cast, resting against the right side of her chest.

Applejack gazed at her, switching from Twilight to everypony else in the room. She frowned, her chest slowly rising and falling. “H-howdy, y’all.”

“I’m so glad you’re alright!” Pinkie Pie ran up to her injured friend, hugging her and crying.

Applejack yelped, shaking as the pink mare squeezed her tight. “Ah, Pinkie! Ah’m st-still tender!”

Pinkie pulled away, smiling as she stepped away. “Sorry. I… I’m just so excited to see you.”

“We all are excited to see you still functioning, darling.” Rarity smiled as well while she took a step forward. “When we first saw you after your skirmish with that beast, I… well, we all were terribly frightened. How such a monster as this one fights is far beyond brutish. It’s an animalistic abomination.”

Applejack slowly nodded. She turned to Twilight and asked, “S-so… where d-did that critter get to?”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and turned around to hear her brother say, “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have informed Cadance and me that they were able to capture it.”

Twilight then returned her attention to her friend. “You see? The Xenomorph has been contained. There’s no need to worry about it at the moment.”

“And…” Applejack began, she turned her gaze to the side of her bed, “what about Rainbow Dash? Is she gonna be okay?” Fluttershy hid behind Rarity with a whimper escaping her. Everypony gazed around the room; an eerie silence fell after Applejack had spoken. “Wh-what’s wrong?”

“Applejack…” Twilight said while she walked up to the end of the bed. “Rainbow Dash is fine… but her lungs were… damaged.” She watched as AJ’s eyes widened, closing her own when a few tears trickled down her muzzle. “The doctors say she’ll need to use an inhaler every four hours each day.”

“W-what?” Applejack stuttered. She looked down to the sheets covering her legs.

“I-It’s all m-my fault,” Fluttershy whispered, crying while she tried to speak, only to find it difficult. “I t-thought t-t-the stare w-would work… but I l-let you and R-Rainbow Dash down.”

Applejack raised her muzzle and shook her head. “No, sugarcube. It’s all mah fault.” She frowned and gripped the side bar of her bed. “Ah was the one who suggested that yah use the Stare on that monster. It’s still just a surprise that it didn’t work.”

Twilight’s mouth slightly went agape at the information she received. ‘Fluttershy’s Stare… it didn’t work?’ She had known her friend’s ability, however unnatural at times it was, had the ability to freeze an animal in its tracks. Yet she would only use it on creatures that misbehaved. But to find out that they had attempted it on the Xenomorph, and that the conclusion that it could withstand that intense gaze... she gulped and feared what else it could resist.

“But why did you stand and fight?” She turned to see her older brother step forward. “Applejack, you know that you were ordered to run at the first sight of the Xenomorph. Why didn’t you continue to retreat?”

Applejack tilted her head at the name she heard. “A Xenomorph… is that what that freaky Alien’s called?” When she received a nod from Shining, she let out a quiet sigh. “Look, Ah knew we were supposed ta keep on goin’, but after how fast it moved and how it caught up to us faster than a jackrabbit could, Ah just didn’t know if runnin’ was an option anymore.” Applejack looked away from the stallion’s gaze. “Besides… once Rainbow Dash was pierced by its tail, Ah think Ah kinda fell into a rage there.”

Twilight stood still, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. “But… it’s not your fault you were thrown into that predicament,” she said while meeting Applejack’s eyes. “I’m the pony who decided it was best for us to split up. The tactic had worked… but when I saw how severely you and Rainbow Dash were mauled, I felt my heart sink.” She breathed in and out. “If anypony is to blame… blame--.”

“Stop!” Twilight flinched at the volume Pinkie Pie’s voice reached. She turned to her energetic and happy friend, only to see that her coat had darkened and that her mane had fallen flat from its usual puffy form. “Everypony just stop blaming each other.”

It had been some time since Twilight had seen Pinkie in this state. She looked back through her thoughts and an image appeared: the day that everypony, including herself, was going to celebrate Pinkie Pie’s birthday. However, she had thought that they were constantly avoiding her for the entire day and had come to some random conclusion that they were kicking her out of the group. Yet that had not been the case, and Twilight had explained that to her, which caused her friend’s puffy hair and brighter coat to return. “B-but… I-”

“No buts, Twilight!” Pinkie rushed up to her. Twilight flinched and took a step back when they were almost muzzle to muzzle. “It’s not fair that you all keep blaming yourselves. Sure, you made a few bad and wonky calls, but just get past that and move on from it.” She hissed the last few words through her teeth before she backed away from Twilight.

Twilight just stood there, wide-eyed and surprised that Pinkie’s normal and happy demeanor had changed so suddenly. She looked down, nodding with a sigh. Pinkie breathed in, and with an audible ‘poof’, her mane had returned to its puffy state and her coat was a tint brighter once more. “You all are not the ponies to blame. If anything, you should blame that walkie-talkie doctor on the video.”

“Walkie-talkie doctor?” Fluttershy asked, sniffling a little before she rubbed her eyes.

“Yeah!” She frowned. “He was that cuckoo doctor we saw in the that spaceship, or at least him on some screen from the past.”

“Twilight.” Twilight turned to Cadance, who met her own gaze. “Is this part of the information you were going to tell us?”

She raised a hoof, but Twilight turned around at the squeak of the door opening behind her. A smile replaced the frown at the sight of Celestia. “I am sorry I am late, everypony, but the process of switching my magic with Luna’s took a little longer than expected.” Princess Celestia walked through the door and closed it behind her. “Now then... “ She turned to Applejack, who slowly waved with a sheepish smile. “Applejack, I am glad to see that you are alright. But it was simply foolish of you to confront the Xenomorph.”

“Ah know, princess… but when Rainbow Dash’s life was on the line, Ah didn’t really think before Ah jumped in ta help mah friend out.” Applejack rubbed the back of her head, frowning while she averted her gaze from the princess’s.

“I understand.” Celestia turned her attention to Twilight. “How is she doing?”

“Applejack’s stable, but her shoulder is what was critically injured.”

Princess Celestia sighed, shaking her head while she closed her eyes. “Then this is a lesson we can all learn from this day. However, I am thankful to know that you and Rainbow Dash are still alive.” She opened her eyes again and let her mouth hang open while she shook, struggling to let the words come out. “Yet… I can’t say the same for the three royal guards killed today. Their families will grieve over this day.”

Twilight and the others turned to Applejack, whose eyes were closed. The covers shook while her hooves clenched parts of the bedding. “They never should have lost their lives… Ah couldn’t save them… Ah just was too scared ta confront that monster.”

“But you did all you could, Applejack.” Princess Cadance moved up to the left side of the bed. “You were worried about your friends, and nopony would have done any more than you.”

“Besides…” Shining Armor spoke up, breathing out as he spoke. “The Royal Guard members know that their lives are on the line. They are ready to give them up… yet it still hurts to hear that we lost good ponies in a battle.”

“So although they died, you did all you could,” Cadance reassured her, resting a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “And in the end, that’s all you can do.” She pulled Applejack closer and hugged the farm mare, the gesture returned as Applejack wrapped her hooves around the princess.

Twilight noticed Pinkie move and watched as she joined in on the hug, who was followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. She smiled, walked over next to Fluttershy, and wrapped her hooves around Applejack as well. Shining and Celestia watched the group hug, the two smiling as they watched this precious moment. It might be one of the very few they would get.

The group split up. Twilight rubbed a hoof through her eyes as she wiped the tears away. Applejack waved to everypony in the room as the group dispersed in a silent goodbye. “Twilight.” She looked to Rarity and met her gaze while they walked down the hall together “Would you care to show everypony else the footage?”

“I… I can’t.” Twilight sighed and closed her eyes.

“Why not?” Twilight turned her attention to Pinkie Pie, who walked on the opposite side of Rarity.

“Because… I don’t want to show them something that I fear may cause some sort of side effect. Who knows what type of mental break any one of them could have if they learned about what we saw on the video?”

“Well… you make a good point there, darling.” Rarity looked away, humming until she returned her attention to Twilight. “But while the footage does contain some very abhorrent and vile images, it does contain vital information that even I believe our friends should know.”

Twilight turned her gaze to the ground, looking back and forth from each opposite side of the hall until she sighed. “Maybe… tomorrow. I can try and gather everypony up to see it… or at least not Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Not yet at the moment.” The two nodded to her before Twilight focused her attention down the hall. Today had been the worst time she had ever experienced. Not even the near end of Equestria at Discord’s hooves, or hands in his case, was as terrifying as this. ‘Please… let it just be over soon…’

Chapter VI: Uncontained ~ Part II (Special Edition)

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Laughter echoed off of the walls of the buildings of Ponyville. The fragile rays of light pierced the veil of sound, the lamp poles gently buzzing. Two ponies walked under one of the poles side by side as one leaned on the other. “T-that was a funny one, Kettlepot,” a light grayish lavender mare murmured. She hiccuped afterwards, her legs wobbling while she leaned against the stallion to her side.

The stallion, Kettlepot, smiled and nuzzled the left side of the mare’s muzzle. His dark cobalt-blue mane and fur coat contrasted against her lightly-tinted purple hue. He gazed into her eyes with his own dark blue-violet eyes, pulling away from the mare. “Well, I mean, it wasn’t too bad of a trip. Then again, I’m sure that the stump I fell over was already there, Berryshine.”

“But how you explained it -hic- w-was just too -hic- funny.” Berry giggled and stood up straight. Her hooves landed in unsteady rhythms when she tried to steady herself.

He raised a hoof to her shoulder, which she returned the gesture as he helped stabilize her. “So…” Kettlepot smiled. “What do you want to do now? I can take you home and call it a night?”

Berryshine chuckled, turning her droopy-eyed gaze to the stallion. “S-sure… and *hic*, we could totally keep the night *hic* going.”

“Keep it going?” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

“Like…” She trotted up in front of him, shifting in place, lowered herself before him and giggled. “I can show you something cool…” She giggled again. “But…” She turned around and quickly took off. “You’ll have to catch me first!”

Kettlepot could only laugh at the antics Berryshine was pulling. “Alright then, I’m going to get you!” He went from a pace to a sprint, his marefriend disappearing behind a building. He reached the corner she went behind and saw the end of her tail vanish behind another. “Don’t think you can hide from me, Berryshine!” he called out, laughing all the while. He slowed down to a trot once he reached the next corner. He peeked around the building’s side to see a dark alleyway.

“It seems you’re trapped, Berry. Nowhere to hide now.” Kettlepot continued to laugh, catching his breath as he slowly trotted down the alley. “Where are you? I’m going to find you.” He stopped at a sudden noise, a small tiny gasp. Kettlepot raised an eyebrow. “Berryshine? A-are you there?” A small squeak, almost sounding like somepony was out of breath echoed behind him. He swiveled his ears, only to hear a squelching noise.

“B-Berryshine?” Kettlepot turned around and looked into the darkness. He sighed when he saw his marefriend’s face. “Oh, thank goodness. Don’t scare me like that.” He tilted his head at the sight of her pupils, shrunk to pinpricks. “Berry… are you okay?” Her face floated higher at the mention of her name. Kettlepot slowly took a step backward. “Berry… you’re freaking me out. Please tell me, what’s wrong?”

His eyes widened, and he stiffened at the sound of a growl. Yet this didn’t sound like an ordinary animal. He looked to his marefriend and noticed that her mouth was open, yet the noise didn’t come from her. “B-Berry…” Kettlepot noticed a glint of light out of the corner of his eyes. As he turned to face the light, his breathing began to shudder at what he saw. Silver-like teeth glinted in the darkness, but that was all he could see. He turned to Berry and gasped at the tail that pointed outwards from her chest. Blood dripped down onto the ground while the mare’s body continued to slightly move in sporadic fashion.

He then turned to the creature, but flinched again at the squelching sound. He felt a warmth wash over him. Kettlepot coughed at the smell and brought a hoof up to the right side of his muzzle. He lifted his right hoof in front of his gaze; his chest tightened at the sight of a crimson liquid. “B-Blood? Blood…” A hiss echoed from the creature he saw, which returned his gaze as it took a step forward. Kettlepot fell onto his back, quickly righting himself up and running away from the scene. ‘I can’t believe what I just saw!’

“Help!” he called out. “Help! Somepony help me!” There seemed to be no answer. His breathing came out in short bursts. He scanned the surrounding buildings in haste until his attention stopped at the Ponyville hospital. ‘Yes! They can help me!’ Kettlepot ran across the bridge, hurrying in his approach to the hospital. He barged through the hospital doors. “Somepony help me!”

He turned his gaze to the pony at the front desk, who stared at the stallion with wide eyes. Kettlepot hurried over to mare and leaned on the desk with his hooves. “Please, you gotta help me. My marefriend, Berryshine, she’s hurt. I need help!”

“Okay please calm down, sir.” The mare picked up the phone as she dialed a sequence of numbers. “Hello? This is the front desk speaking. Yes, I got a stallion here that needs help. This could be a possible M-165 scenario.”

“Please… please hurry,” Kettlepot pleaded, leaning over the desk.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. Our medics will be--”

The mare’s voice began to dim, and Kettlepot’s pupils shrunk when he looked at the mare. ‘C-calm down? C-calm down!?’ He began to chuckle, that chuckle slowly growing into laughter. “Calm down? My marefriend’s dead. She was killed by some… creature… I s-saw it with my own two eyes!”

The mare stared at him, her gaze never wavered once before she picked up the phone again. “Scratch that… this could be a T-66.” She nodded at the voice resonating from the phone. “Thank you.” She put it down and kept eyes on Kettlepot.

Kettlepot sighed and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he began to wonder, ‘W-what happened? Where are those ponies that are supposed to help me find Berryshine?' As the doors opened up out of the corner of his eye, he let out another sigh. “Thank you… please, I need your he--”

He felt wind rush past his fur, the cold ground behind him knocking the air from his breath as the force pushed him to the ground. “Quickly, we must sedate this stallion before something else happens.”

Kettlepot couldn’t see who had spoke. ‘No, they can’t do this to me!’ He struggled and cried out as he watched the front door of the hospital move farther away. “No! Berryshine needs me! No!” He yelled and disappeared behind the next set of the doors, his cries growing distant over time. All had been in vain, and Kettlepot felt something click in his mind. His eyes grew heavier until he fell asleep. The last thoughts he had were of his precious Berryshine, and how he would find her… no matter what.

~~~

Zecora hummed to herself, her voice muffled by the spoon in her mouth as she swirled it around her large black cauldron. The aquamarine green liquid slowly formed a whirlpool from the gentle force of the stirring. She scooped up a small bit of the mixture, sniffed it, tasted it and nodded. “The mixture is finished.” Zecora turned to the being that slept on her extra bed and sighed while she put the spoon down on a wooden desk next to the cauldron. “Yet at a moment too soon, for somepony’s rest is still has not finished since last noon.”

It had been a single day since the arrival of this new creature, one that Zecora could only speculate whether or not it was from the Everfree Forest. In her time living in this place, she had seen many interesting animals, from the predatory chimeras and timberwolves, to even a rare glance at a cockatrice. Yet this one was different from the rest, for it had no claws or sharp teeth and didn’t even look considerably dangerous at all.

‘Yet where did this creature come from? It’s as though it fell from the sky like a plum.’ There was no telling where it came from, as Zecora felt that it may have been better left unsaid. She swiveled her ears at the sound of a groan, turning to the end of her small hut to see the creature had its fingered limbs over its eyes. ‘These are like minotaur hands; if I recall, they are not dangerous at all.’

Zecora slowly approached the creature and said, “It is good to see you now awake, for you have given me quite a shake.”

The creature stood still, slowly removed its hands from its eyes and opened them. They widened at the sight of her. “I can understand your surprise, but do understand that I am here to advise.”

The being slowly stood up, though its eyes never left her for a moment. Its mouth opened, and what came out was a surprise. “A… talking zebra?”

“You know of my kind? The striped breed of equine?” Zecora took a step back, tilting her head at his question. “And your language seems to be the same as mine. A helpful technique that may help you further align.”

The being blinked once before it looked around the room. “Is this all a dream? If so…” It brought a hand to its arm and pulled back the sleeve covering it. A number was tattooed on its skin. It sighed. “Well… then this is no dream then. I am still alive.” He took another look around the room. “A bit primitive… but this accomodation will do.”

‘Primitive? My humble abode? How crude.’ It was rather a bit insensitive to call her house such a thing. ‘This… creature is rather rude.’ But she let it slide. She had saved this being’s life, after all. “You can thank me Mr…”

It returned its attention to her with a small smile. “Please… you can call me Dr. Makoy Markovich.”

“Dr. Makoy Markovich, it is a pleasure. You can spend your time here at your leisure.” Zecora nodded. She turned around, went to the cauldron and dipped the spoon in the liquid. With a careful steadiness, she walked over to the being and nodded the spoon to him.

Makoy stared down at the liquid. He took the spoon from her grip and poured it down his throat, coughing after ingesting it. “That is some very strong liquid… is this medicine?”

“Correct. A recipe that took a while to perfect.” Zecora returned the spoon to the wooden desk. “I wish to know… what bores you so?” she asked before continuing, “And… the name of your species; what is it that makes you so uneasy?”

As Makoy looked up to the stars, a frown formed on his lips. “Humans… I am a human being. Not from your world.” He took a breath in before exhaling. “And I am not bored. I am just… taking this all in slowly.”

With this new information, Zecora turned her attention to the blinking lights of the night sky as well. This seemed to be more of a situation her friends could deal with. After all, they might need to speak with this creature who claimed he was not from this world. “Tomorrow, my friends I shall gather to meet. There, you may find the answers you seek.” With that, she went over to the door and closed it tightly. While she did so, she saw how important this would be. Yet at the same time, she couldn’t shake the feeling in her gut that this being was a bad omen. Whatever storm would come, she feared it would be disastrous, whatever the consequences might be.

~~~

Crickets chirped over and over, bringing the Everfree Forest to life. It seemed to be the only noise that brought an unsettling peace to this mysterious place. A spark of electricity flashed from the large vessel’s entrance, a sign that there was still some power left, although how much was left was unknown. A spark of magenta light lit up the surrounding area, and Twilight appeared, standing a few feet away from the entrance of the ship. She scanned the area around her, glancing behind her to make sure that nopony saw her. “Okay… here we go.” She breathed in and slowly exhaled out.

She took one step forward through the entrance of the ship. Twilight glanced around in an effort to keep a good awareness of her surroundings. ‘From what I’ve gathered about the Xenomorph so far, it tends to stick to the shadows.’ Even if Princess Celestia had affirmed that it was indeed quarantined, she still felt that being careful was at least somewhat necessary.

Her hooves echoed in the room she had deemed to be a “lobby room”, someplace where these aliens seemed to gather and relax during their travels among the stars. ‘I’m still surprised that they resemble the beings where Sunset Shimmer is at. Their similarities are uncanny.’ It certainly was an eerie resemblance, one she wasn’t entirely fond of at the moment.

Twilight walked over some of the dead aliens, gagging and shaking a little while she moved through this room of death. “Ugh… s-so disgusting…” it definitely wasn’t pleasant to know how these poor aliens had died. But it was something that Twilight didn’t need to focus on too much. As she walked down the long hallway, the voice of that human reappeared in her mind. “Poor April…” The thoughts that swirled around her head, everything that related to this human, was just an unhappy feeling. She reached the front of the ship and turned to her right. She stared at the dead female alien and sighed.

“Well… at least she hasn’t been touched by the wildlife here.” Something that Twilight was surprised by; she assumed that any predator that did come in would not have reached the front of the ship. Her eyes followed the pole that stuck out from the top area of her chest. ‘Well… I, I just hope you’re alright with this, April.’ The pole was encased in her magic, lighting up the cockpit in her magenta light.

She groaned as she pulled the pole from the alien’s body. It slowly yet surely began to slide back out. Twilight stepped back when it came out and gagged again at the sound of flesh squelching against the pole. “O-oh… s-so gross…” Twilight lifted the pole onto the control panel and rested it on the top of the array of buttons. The next part, Twilight thought was going to be a little more difficult.

“Please… just let my study of magic healing have an effect.” She frowned, still not so confident in her abilities in this field of magic. Yet she had to try. Twilight slitted her eyes and focused on the hole in April’s chest. The magenta light returned while a magic field appeared over the wound. She groaned as beads of sweat slowly trickled down her muzzle. The open hole of flesh slowly began to pull together again; Twilight smiled at the sight of skin reappearing. ‘Note to self: a dead body can still be repaired after three days of passing.’ It was not such a happy thought, but it was at least a new fact she had learned.

Twilight breathed slowly. “T-there… it’s done.” The hole was gone, replaced by just pale-colored skin. Her clothing, however, was not so fortunate. It revealed the interior sides of those two odd appendages that females had on their chest. ‘I still think that they’re… well, what we mares have. But if I want to find out, then I’ll just have to examine her another time. But first…’ Another field of magic encased her whole body this time. Once the magenta light disappeared, Twilight nodded. “There… she shouldn’t decompose anymore. Now… I just need to teleport her back, find someplace to hide her in lab downstairs and everything should be fine.” The magenta light returned one last time before Twilight disappeared in a flash of light, as well as the body of April O’neal, leaving the ship to return to its quiet and peaceful silence.

Chapter VII: Broken Mentality ~ Part I (Special Edition)

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Curtains flapped slowly by a gentle wind, and their shadows moved along the wall with a gentle light, illuminating the room. A beep echoed from the infusion pump next to the bed where Rainbow Dash slept, its constant pulsing a morbid tune that filled this room with its unappealing music.

Rainbow Dash let out a tiny moan and opened her eyes, shielding her eyes from the natural light from outside. ‘Uhh… what happened?’ She raised an eyebrow at the sensation of a soft cloth-like feeling over her body. She looked down and saw bed sheets over her.

Rainbow lifted the covers up and noticed a green gown underneath that shifted slightly against her fur coat. “Umm… okay? Am I in a hospital?” She stood still for a moment and went back to the sound of her voice. ‘W-why does it sound so weak?’ She then brought a hoof to her muzzle and felt something rest against her hoof. She didn’t feel her fur, but some kind of plastic tubing around her muzzle. ‘Wh-why do I need this?’

Rainbow groaned as she tried to sit upright. She gasped at a sudden pain that rose up in her chest. “W-what’s… going on?” As she laid down on her back again, the pain slowly began to fade, though she could still feel it lingering in the depths of her nerves.

Carefully she pulled the collar up to see why her chest was in so much pain. Rainbow shook slightly at the sight of a large scar stretched across below where her heart was. “Wait… was this because of--” She flinched at the reminiscent scream she heard in her head, that horrible creature and its terrible eyeless gaze.

She shuddered at the thought; now at least she knew what was behind this pain. “I… can’t believe what it did to me.” Rainbow’s words, the ones she had uttered before about how easy it would be to beat this monster, were all a farce. It had in fact shown her up and proved her wrong; a flaw in her own train of thought she had only begun to see now, too late. “Wow… I feel like an idiot…”

The door opened, and hid underneath her covers until she sighed and saw that it was just the doctor opening the door. “Good morning, Miss Rainbow Dash.” He smiled at her. “I’m Doctor Needle Pin. I was the pony who oversaw your surgery and will be watching over your recovery.”

Rainbow nodded and looked away from the stallion. “So… how bad was it, doc? My injuries… how bad are they?”

Needle Pin sighed and adjusted the glasses on his nose. “Well… Rainbow Dash, it is not easy to say this. But you were severely damaged by whatever happened in your accident.”

She flinched at the word “severe.” “And… how severe are they?”

“Well, Rainbow Dash. We were able to fully heal your liver and colon, so you do not have to worry about them. And you don’t need to fret about your trachea either, for that has also been restored as well.” He paused in his explanation, blinking once before he continued, “However… your lungs were another case altogether.”

“M-my… lungs?” Rainbow rested a hoof gently against her chest. “What happened to them?”

“Whatever attacked you, Rainbow Dash--The rest of the staff and I still have no idea what it was--damaged your lungs, which, when you arrived, had you in a very severe condition. We were able to heal your lungs, but only to a certain extent. And due to this… we have come to a conclusion on your condition.”

“Condition?”

“Yes… due to the severity and extent of the damage. We’ll be putting you on a prescription. From the day you leave this hospital you shall take this bronchodilator for your asthma.” Needle Pin levitated a small case onto her stomach.

She opened it up and looked at the small tube. ‘W-what…?’ Her pupils shrunk as she picked it up, and each breath she took slowly devolved to erratic takes of air.

“Easy there, Rainbow Dash. It’s just like a normal inhaler if a pony has asthma. However, this does mean that you can’t survive without it.” Rainbow turned her attention back to the doctor. “But even if you gave up flying with the Wonderbolts--we found that out--you’d still have a hard time trying to breathe without the inhaler. And if you tried to workout or fly faster than what is recommended without the inhaler, you could run the risk of suffocating.”

A silence fidgeted its way in the middle of this conversation. Rainbow Dash just stared at the inhaler on her lap. ‘S-so… that’s why I’m wearing this breathing tube…’ Rainbow shivered at what she was being told.

“However, once you take this inhaler--and remember to take it for every four hours of each day--everything will be almost like normal.” Needle Pin chuckled, but another bout of quiet tension ensued. He cleared his throat. “Well… I should let you get some rest. You need all the sleep you can get to help you recover quickly.” With that, he stepped out and shut the door.

The beeping of the infusion pump regained a disturbing authority over the room once more. Rainbow Dash shook while she listened to its constant pulses. ‘I… I don’t know what to say… h-how is this…’ She hiccuped as tears slowly broke through that immense dam that held her emotions. They flowed down her muzzle like gentle streams on a spring morning day. ‘I… can’t believe this…’ She began to see how close she had been to death. And how much that gap could have closed further if her friends had not brought her back to the hospital in time.

Yet this was all too much for her to handle. Rainbow Dash, a mare known for having a steel brace on her emotions, had finally broken down. This was just too close of a call for her to handle properly. Rainbow Dash rested her head against the pillow, sniffling and quietly sobbing. The only solace she could find at the moment was to let the world disappear in the warmth of sleep. Her cries began to slowly dim, and soon she cried no more, slowly lulled into the gentle embrace of sleep that could only save ponies like her from their dire situation.

~~~

She opened one eye and saw the hospital room again. She yawned and scratched her back. ‘How long have I been asleep?’ Rainbow swiveled an ear to a faint cry in the direction of her hospital room door. “W-what’s going on?” She listened in, but no other noise resonated from the outside.

“Okay… that was wei--” The cry got louder this time, and from the sound of it much closer. She turned to look around the room, only to see it disheveled: glass scattered across the floor with the windows broken out, the walls paint peeling off the walls, the floor a dark-greenish color. This could have been the end of the world, but Rainbow Dash shuddered, having no clue to what was going on. “I-is anypony there?”

Rainbow froze at the sound of a screech, the same terrifying roar of that monster. “O-oh no…” She heard hoofsteps in the hallway, glad to hear that another pony was coming her way. “H-hey! Please I need help, I--” The roar of the creature echoed in the hall. Its heavier footsteps caught up to the pony, followed by the gut-wrenching scream of a stallion. His horrified yelling intermingled with the creature’s in a disturbing and unsettling way.

She hid underneath the covers, shaking uncontrollably at the pitiful sounds of the stallion crying for help; those cries she knew were possibly directed at her. She tried to cover her ears, but the sound of ripping flesh and bones crunching were almost deafening and overwhelmed her senses. ‘J-just stay calm… -j-just stay c-calm…’ The stallion’s voice died out, and the sound of flesh being torn from the bones quickly followed after.

Rainbow continued to shake where she sat. She pulled the covers down below her eyes, daring to take a peek and see if she was safe. She stood still at the sound of the creature’s footsteps as they got closer and closer. Quickly she pulled the covers over her again. Closer and closer they got to her door. She did her best to remain absolutely still. ‘I-if it doesn’t see me move… then I’m in the clear, right?’ The door slowly creaked open as the creature stepped into her room, its growl echoing in the room.

Quietly as she could, Rainbow breathed in and out and just sat as still as possible. The footsteps slowly moved to the right of the room, its tail crashing against parts of the glass still on the window. She let out a tiny squeak and covered her mouth, but the creature let out a hiss and its footsteps came closer to the bed. Rainbow held her breath as she felt the hot breath of the monster hit the covers above her. ‘Pl-please… just go away…’

The monster’s hot breath left the right side of her covers; the echo of its footsteps began to slowly leave the right side of her bed. Rainbow let out a silent exhale. Suddenly, it screamed again and ripped the covers over top of her away. She tried to back away, but the claws of the creature pushed her to the bed. She cried out at the sight of its eyeless face once more, opening its jaws as it roared at her again. Rainbow saw a flash of movement to her right and watched as the tail soared straight towards her. The darkness returned, and she felt nothing again. Her breath left her for what she felt was the last time, and the shadows of this dark realm overtook her once more.

~~~

“Gwaahhh!” Rainbow screamed and sat upright, panting heavily, her frantic breaths of air echoing in the air tube on her muzzle. She scanned the room and saw the room as normal as could be. ‘B-but how… it was completely in ruins only moments ago.’ She yelped and quickly laid on her back, her chest pulsing with pain. ‘D-did I get up too quickly?’ She slowly sat back up, her chest still vibrating slightly with the sensations of that terrible stinging.

“This is just the worst,” Rainbow muttered to herself. She froze as the door clicked open. She screamed again and hid underneath her covers, the visions of that dream from moments ago invading her thoughts. ‘Please don’t let me die. Please, dear goddess, don’t let me die…’

“Rainbow Dash… are you alright?” Rainbow sat still. Slowly she lifted the covers off her head and saw Dr. Needle Pin standing in the doorway. “I heard screaming, and I just came here to make sure you were okay.”

She sat there for a moment, catching her breath before she spoke. “Y-yeah… I’m fine…” He nodded, once to her and once out to the hallway, and walked off.

She raised an eyebrow at the random signal. More hoofsteps echoed in the hall, so she laid down again. ‘So… that’s why he nodded. Who’s here though?’ Rainbow smiled when she saw her friends walk through, yet they wore frowns and stared at her with slightly wide eyes. She looked from the left and saw Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight.“Umm… is everypony doing okay?”

The bed shifted slightly; Rainbow felt a warm presence on her chest. She looked down and smiled faintly at the sight of Fluttershy, who had wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow Dash. “I-I-I was so, so w-worried that you weren’t okay… that y-you were g-gone…” Fluttershy murmured quietly, her soft crying muffled by Rainbow’s shoulder.

“We were all worried.” Twilight stepped forward and walked to the end of Rainbow’s bed. “After we saw what the Xenomorph did… what it was capable of… we feared that you wouldn’t make it.”

“Xenomorph? Is that what that… freak is being called now?” Rainbow Dash shuddered slightly, still holding Fluttershy in her forelegs.

“Yes… or that is what we learned when we found an alien’s ship.” Rainbow’s eyes slightly widened at the information Twilight was telling her. “Rarity, Pinkie Pie and I found it after an hour of searching the Everfree. Unfortunately, we didn’t know what was happening over on your end…”

Rarity nodded after Twilight spoke. “Truly, if we had known, then you and Applejack would not have gotten hurt the way you did.”

Rainbow sat still and gently pushed Fluttershy off of her. “Applejack… is she alright? What happened to her?”

“Applejack will be fine,” Twilight said. “She… wasn’t as severely injured as… well... you.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Yeah… such a smart mare I am.”

“Whatever do you mean, darling?” Rarity asked while she walked to the right side of the injured pegasus.

“The only reason I’m hurt this badly is because I wanted to fight the Xenomorph… although you can imagine now how well that went.”

“But you saved my life, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy smiled, tears still welled up in her eyes. “I-If it weren’t for you… then I wouldn’t be here right now. I’d be… well, I-I would have p-passed on…” She flinched at the word “passed on.”

“She’s right, Rainbow.” Pinkie bounced to Fluttershy’s side and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. “If it weren’t for your bravery, then we could’ve lost Fluttershy. Then everypony would be sad…” She frowned, her mane deflating a little.

“The point is…” Rainbow then returned her attention to Twilight. “Even if your actions were… not as calculated as you wished them to be, you still managed to save Fluttershy, even at the peril of your own life.” Twilight walked over next to Rarity and smiled. “And we couldn’t be any happier about your survival.” Rainbow felt the warmth from Twilight, who wrapped her hooves around her neck.

She budged again as Rarity, followed by Pinkie Pie, joined in on their group hug. They stayed like that for moments, a little event that Rainbow cherished in these dark times. “Thanks, guys…” Rainbow murmured and rested her head against Fluttershy’s.

“Excuse me…” The girls looked up to see a Royal Guard pony standing at the doorway. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but there is a message from the mayor of Ponyville addressed to all of you.”

Twilight broke away from the group and walked over to the guard. She levitated the envelope in front of her, tore the seal with her magic and unfolded the letter. “Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am in dire need of you and the girl’s assistance.” She raised an eyebrow but continued on. “There has been an… ‘accident’ here in Ponyville. Something that has not happened in a very long time.”

“An accident? But what could she possibly mean?” Rarity asked Twilight as she and the other girls separated from each other.

“I… have no idea. Mayor Mare didn’t say what this is about.” Twilight looked to her friends with a frown until she returned to the letter. “Please, hurry back to Ponyville. Your faithful servant, Mayor Mare.”

“So… guess you will all be off then, huh?” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head.

“Afraid so, dear.” Rarity nodded. “But don’t worry. We’ll make visits up to Canterlot every now and then.”

“Alright then. I’ll see you all sometime later then, right?” Rainbow smiled when her friends nodded. “Okay… just be careful, alright? You already know the mistake I made…” A light flashed briefly. Rainbow looked up and her grin brightened at the sight of books floating in front of her. She grabbed them from a magenta aura and sighed at the sight of Daring Do on top of these covers. Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight who smiled back. “Thanks, Twilight.”

The four girls walked out of the room, the door closed with a quiet ‘clack’, and Rainbow was left alone. She opened up the first book, but as she focused on the story in front of her, she couldn’t help but shudder at the peril her friends would be going through. ‘I… I just hope they’ll all be alright in the end of this… and that they give that freak one for me.’

~~~

The beep of an infusion pump echoed in another room; its eerie pulse took over the room as well in a hauntingly unsettling tone. Applejack rested her head on the pillow, her eyes closed while she gently breathed in. She had her hooves crossed over her stomach, her chest slowly rising up and down. She opened her eyes and looked out the window.

The gentle morning rays of light poured through her window, and the curtains flapped in the soft breeze. She smiled, faintly so at the sight before her. ‘Feels ‘bout right. Ah… feel like I’m right at home.’ Yet this wasn’t home. Applejack knew that. This was just the hospital in Canterlot; she was far away from her farm. Sure, they made it feel welcoming, but this was no countryside like she was used to.

“Well… I, uh, guess I should be a lil’ bit happy. Even though I do enjoy my work on the farm, it can get tiresome.” She would never truly admit this to anypony, but sometimes work on the farm got a little boring. She chuckled a little. “I just hope my family ain’t missin’ me too much.” She could picture Apple Bloom fretting over where she could be. Of course Big McIntosh and Granny Smith were probably not as worried, but she knew they’d be a little concerned.

“Then again… I’m glad they ain’t found out about what’s happened. What’s happened to me.” Applejack turned her gaze to the cast that held her right foreleg. She shuddered; she could still feel where the tail had gone through her shoulder and the presence of that monster that had stood over her. Ready to kill her without any form of mercy. It had to be sheer luck that she made it out of that terrible situation with her life; it just had to be.

“It was going to kill me…” Her eyes slightly widened at the word she had used. “Kill”. That was never a normal word she would use in her vocabulary. Even her friends had barely uttered words like that. ‘Th-then… why are these words appearin’ now?’

She sat up at the sound of her door opening with a click. The doctor from earlier last night walked in with a smile. “Good morning, Applejack.”

“Hey there, doc.” Applejack greeted him with a smile. “How’s it goin’?”

“Well, everything is fine, Applejack. Just wanted to check on how you were doing.” Needle Pin flipped a piece of paper over his clipboard, looking at another one. “And you have company this morning.”

‘Company?’ She felt like she should have known who would appear, yet she wasn’t so sure about the feeling. “And who might that be?”

“They’ll be coming in shortly. And the ponies say they’re Apples from Sweet Apple Acres. They’ll be in momentarily.” He backed out of the room and closed the door.

Applejack blinked as she sat in the bed. “Well… that’s at least a good thing, right?” Of course it was, and she knew that. But she felt her stomach churn slightly, uneasy on how this would go. ‘Ah… guess I’ve just never wanted them ta see me like this. How am I goin’ to explain this to them?’ She could explain where they went and that Princess Celestia sent them on an investigation to find something that an eyewitness described. But still, even if when she was ordered to lie, could she really lie to her family?

The door opened up again with a creak. Applejack looked up only to flinch as two hooves wrapped around her waist. She smiled and ran a hoof through her little sister’s mane. Applejack lifted her sister’s chin with a hoof; her eyes met Apple Bloom’s own, filled with tears. “Hey there, Apple Bloom,” Applejack murmured softly, nuzzling her younger sister’s muzzle.

“I… I’m so glad that yer okay,” Apple Bloom replied into Applejack’s shoulder, sniffling a little.

Applejack looked up to see the door open again and the rest of her family enter. “We’re all glad that yer alright, young’un’.” Granny Smith smiled while she slowly walked into the room. Followed by her big brother, Big Macintosh, whose tear-filled eyes gave away that the stallion must have felt the same relief that Apple Bloom was showing.

She nodded, still retaining her smile. “Ah’m glad y’all came here. Although I didn’t want yah ta see me like this--injured both physically and my pride.” But even with what she said, Applejack still felt glad that she was alive.

“We’d rather have yah alive than somewhere else. Seein’ as how hurt you are,” Granny Smith said. She leisurely sat down on a chair in the corner of the room. “Last night, of all nights, we had a messenger come along from the Canterlot palace tellin’ us that our dear Applejack was injured and in need of medical treatment.” She shook slightly. “Nearly rattled the soul out of my body hearin’ such news.” Granny Smith then gestured to Macintosh and Apple Bloom. “Nopony back at the farm could get a good night’s sleep after the news. Afraid that we mighta lost ya.”

“E-eeyuup.” Big Macintosh nodded, rubbing his eyes with his right hoof to stem the tears that trickled down his muzzle.

Applejack felt tears tumble down her face. She already knew that they cared for her, but to see them at such a weak state in their own reaction towards her near death experience, she felt all the more comfortable about this process. ‘Still… Ah don’t like how that critter’s runnin’ about. Scares the livin’ daylights outta me.’ And yet, when she looked to Granny Smith, she saw a gleam of relief in her eyes. She knew that her grandmother would not show much emotion, but she knew she was worried for her all the same.

“We heard about Rainbow Dash too when they brought us the message. Before we left Ponyville, Apple Bloom visited her friend Scootaloo and told her the news. Poor dear was in such a mess when we last saw her,” Granny Smith said, turning her gaze out to the morning sun. “We never did hear what attacked yah two. But from the sound of it, it was quite a nasty mess.” She glanced to Applejack and asked, “What in tarnation happened?”

‘Oh no…’ This was the moment that Applejack had been dreading. How could she tell them without letting Princess Celestia down? She knew that they were family, and family never lied to one another. Yet they could not know what attacked her. ‘But… I’m the bearer of the Element of Honesty. How can I not lie?’ She just had to figure out a way, one that would insure that Apple Bloom, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith would never discover what she and Rainbow Dash were attacked by.

“It’s alright if yah don’t want ta talk about it, Applejack,” Granny Smith assured her with a smile. “We just hope yah would let us know so we can help yah.”

Applejack looked down and closed her eyes while she contemplated the words she should use. “Thanks… I’m glad y’all could understand.”

Granny Smith opened her eyes and let out a quiet breath. “I’m just glad yer alright, Applejack. I wouldn’t know what we’d do without yah.”

Applejack smiled at the comment. She was just glad to be alive and not killed like those poor Royal Guards. She felt a hoof tap her shoulder and looked down to Apple Bloom. “Are yah gonna be able to come back today?” Her younger sister smiled with a gleam of hope in her eyes.

Applejack shook her head. “Afraid not, Apple Bloom. The doctors here need me ta stay just one more day. They’ll release me tomorrow, if that makes yah feel any better.”

The filly nodded her head. Tears slowly trickled down her muzzle before she hugged Applejack again. “Well… best be off then.” Granny Smith got up from her chair while she spoke. “We’ll let yah get some rest.” She smiled to her granddaughter before nodding to the other two. “Come on y’all. Let’s get a move on.”

Applejack waved to her family as they walked out the door, who waved back to her until the door closed shut behind them. With a heavy sigh, Applejack rested her head against the pillow on the bed, closing her eyes and gently breathing in. ‘Maybe Princess Celestia might let me tell them about the--’ Her eyes widened, pupils shrinking. ‘Oh no… they’re heading back to Ponyville. I gotta…’ She let out a sigh, a faint smile on her lips. ‘Right… they trapped the monster. There’s no need to get yer mane in a bunch then.’ It still did not feel right to let them leave without knowing about the creature. But Applejack obeyed her princesses’ wishes, and hoped that they would find some way to get rid of that monstrous Xenomorph.

Chapter VII: Broken Mentality ~ Part II (Special Edition)

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The train’s whistle screeched in signal of its arrival. Sparks from the metal wheels lit up the underside as it came to a slow halt before stopping in Ponyville’s train station. Steam shot out from underneath the engine, and the doors opened on the right side of the car. A small group of ponies exited the train before Twilight emerged with Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy in tow. When Twilight glanced back, she looked up to Canterlot where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were currently at.

‘My friends… I hope they’ll be alright.’ At least since they were far away from Ponyville, she felt some of that weight lift off her shoulders. Turning to the town, she let out a sigh and felt that stress return to her. The danger was too close to the village, a place that already felt like home to her. She knew quite a few ponies here, as that was her duty as the Princess, even if she still had no clue what she was the “Princess” of yet. ‘I’ll have to remind myself to ask Princess Celestia or Princess Luna sometime later.’

“It certainly seems a bit calmer than I expected,” Rarity said as she and the others walked down the steps of the train station.

“Yeah! I almost certainly thought they’d have some kind of worried crowd of ponies standing at town hall.” Pinkie giggled while she bounced alongside Twilight’s left side.

“Umm… girls?” Fluttershy murmured, but nopony else seemed to notice her.

“Oh, it’s always dreadful when everypony does that. It makes the whole situation even more drastic. Although we have no idea what Mayor Mare needs; her message could have meant anything, really,” Rarity added, turning her gaze to Pinkie.

“Girls?” Fluttershy spoke a little louder. Twilight turned to her friend and watched as she pointed a hoof towards Town Hall. She moved over to her friend’s right side and looked down the direction Fluttershy was pointing towards to see a small group of ponies standing at the steps of the building with Mayor Mare addressing the ponies in front of her.

“Huh… guess it’s the usual routine,” Rarity deadpanned. The group of mares walked together side by side as they approached the crowd of ponies.

Mayor Mare’s voice slowly became discernable as the girls walked up to the side of the group of ponies and listened. “...and I know that you are all concerned about the recent incident with Berryshine and Kettlepot. As of now, Kettlepot has been put away in the Ponyville hospital until further notice.” Twilight watched as she turned to meet her gaze along with her friends, acknowledging the princess with a nod before she returned her attention to the small crowd of ponies. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to attend to another bit of business. Just be assured that everything is under control.”

Twilight walked past the group of ponies as they dispersed, hearing whispers and hushed talk. She stood in front of the steps with the other girls behind her and asked, “Mayor Mare. What was all that about? And what did your message mean?”

“Not to be rude or anything, but you did kind of leave us in the dark a little tiny bit,” Fluttershy murmured, kicking a bit of dust on the ground beneath her hooves.

Mayor Mare sighed and slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry I wasn’t very detailed in the letter, girls. But I was in sort of a rush to get a message to you all pronto.” She blinked once and scanned over Twilight and the others. “Speaking of which, you do not seem to have Applejack or Rainbow Dash with you. Do you know by any chance where they are?”

Twilight bit the inside of her lip. ‘Right… I don’t think that she or many of the residents of Ponyville know about their injuries.’ That information would have spread like wildfire if word had gotten out. Twilight let out a soft breath, slightly glad Ponyville didn’t have another mess to worry about. “They’re… doing alright. But they were both hurt while doing some farm work. We had to bring them to Canterlot’s hospital.”

The Mayor’s eyes widened slightly, and she brought a hoof to her chest. “I do hope that those two get better soon.” She brought her hoof back to the wooden floor and continued, “But at the moment, the matters are certainly pressing. We have a missing pony case in the works.” Twilight felt rigid, stuck to the ground as her wings tightened at her sides. “Nopony really knows what happened, but Berryshine has gone missing.”

“Missing?” Rarity took a step back. “So has anypony else seen her leave town? Maybe she was hiding from whoever was after her?”

“Or she disappeared. And only unicorns can do that tricky trick,” Pinkie Pie also pointed out.

“I understand the confusion. But this is no joke. We’ve found a trail of blood leading from an alleyway to nearby the Everfree Forest.”

Twilight felt like the breath had left her body. ‘Blood? She means pony blood?’

“The only other pony with her at the time was a stallion. When we questioned him earlier he gave us his name; Kettlepot. Unfortunately, all we’ve gotten from him was that she had met him in his home city of Baltimare. She had brought him over here, and they had arrived during the evening before nightfall. Some ponies have come forward and said that he was screaming something. When I asked the hospital staff, they found him with blood staining his muzzle.” Twilight watched as Mayor Mare shivered visibly. “I… hate to admit this. But I feel as if there might have been some foul play in this scenario.”

“So… you believe Kettlepot might have had something to do with Berryshine?” Rarity inquired further.

A tingling sensation crawled up Twilight’s body. She closed her eyes and shook her head. ‘But… that’s impossible. Murder has rarely ever been reported here.’ She had gone through quite a bit of public information during her new role as princess, and she had learned that murder was practically nonexistent in these times. ‘Why now… of all times?’

“Unfortunately all the evidence we have points towards him. There was no weapon found, and the trail of blood led to the edge of the Everfree Forest before it just disappeared. But with all that he’s explained, we fear he may have done something to her.”

“But… you haven’t sent ponies into the Everfree, right?” Twilight asked.

Mayor Mare shook her head. “How could I? We all know how dangerous that forest is, during both day and night. I can’t risk the lives of other ponies.” She breathed in before she continued. “However, I’m glad that you have come, Twilight Sparkle. I was hoping that with your princess authority, you might get something more from Kettlepot.”

Twilight stood up straight at the mention of the stallion’s name. “If you could, then take me to the hospital, please.” Mayor Mare nodded and quickly trotted down the few steps, then ushered the girls to follow. Twilight took the lead in front of her friends and walked along Mayor Mare’s right side, about a hoof’s distance away.

“You have no idea how glad I am you came when you did. Something like this hasn’t happened in such a long time. Most ponies have completely forgotten about such a thing as murder.”

“And what of Kettlepot? Has he told you what happened to Berryshine?”

“Well…” Mayor Mare frowned as she turned to face Twilight. “He hasn’t really been… cooperative with us. But it’s not just that. He’s in and out of a conscious state, and he has this odd mental instability about him. One moment he’s fine, and then the next he’s cackling like some lunatic.”

“So what you’re saying is that he’s lost his coco locos and needs us to find them, right?” Twilight turned to Pinkie with a raised eyebrow. Her friend tilted her head with a faint frown. “What? It’s what I would ask you guys if I lost my marbles.”

“Well, marbles aside. Did you learn anything else about this stallion, Mayor Mare?” Rarity walked up to the mayor’s left side when she asked her question.

“Nothing else.” Mayor Mare shook her head. “This stallion is just too shaken up. He barely even talked to us the last time we questioned him.”

“How do you think he’s doing now?” Fluttershy asked from the back of the group. “Because I can certainly help. That is, if you want it.”

“Of course, Fluttershy. If we want Kettlepot to talk to us, I think we’ll need all the help we can get.” Mayor Mare nodded before she turned back to Twilight. “Would you be willing to help Fluttershy talk to Kettlepot?”

Twilight nodded. “Certainly. I’d be glad to help get a few answers from this stallion.” When she turned back forward, the Ponyville hospital loomed ever closer. ‘It would definitely help get my mind off of Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s condition.’ And for her own sake, to keep the thought of the captured Xenomorph from troubling her mind as well.

Mayor Mare walked up to the hospital’s front doors and opened them. She ushered Twilight forward, who nodded her thanks and stepped through. She waited near the front entrance for her friends, watching them all respectively give their thanks to Mayor Mare before she trotted back up in front of Twilight. As they continued to follow Mayor Mare up the stairs, Twilight returned her attention to the thoughts that swam in her head.

Twilight could only imagine what might have happened to Berryshine. ‘Whatever that stallion did, I just hope Berryshine is alright.’ There were more scenarios than she could come up with. Even then, was Kettlepot to blame for her disappearance? That question circled and circled in her head like a shark around its prey, except for the fact that the thoughts floated further and further away.

Twilight sighed and left the thought alone. ‘Why can’t things be simple? We already have a killing machine trapped in the Royal Sisters’ Castle. That’s enough to worry about already.’ She shook her head and put the dreaded creature in the back of her mind.

She stepped up the last few steps and continued to follow Mayor Mare until she stopped at the third door down the right side of the hall. Two security guards stood at both sides of the door. “Here’s Kettlepot’s room. We had to move him up here for safety reasons.”

With a quick nod from Mayor Mare, one of the guards gave the same response and levitated a key from his pocket. The keys clinked together, and the door’s hinge opened with a gentle crack. Mayor Mare said, “You and Fluttershy must be careful, Twilight. We don’t know what he’s fully capable of.”

“Of course,” Twilight said. She took the first few steps into the room. She heard a whisper to her left and turned to see a stallion huddled on the left side of the room, slowly rocking back and forth as he visibly shook where he sat. She tilted her head and just sat there watching the stallion do this over and over. Leaning close to Fluttershy, she whispered, “Wow… I mean we haven’t met this stallion, but from what I’m seeing, I think this guy has lost a few of his marbles.”

“I don’t want to judge too harshly since this is the first time we’re meeting him. But… I’m afraid I agree, Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured back. Both winced slightly at the whispers coming from this stallion.

With that being said, Twilight returned her attention to the stallion. She cleared her throat and asked, “Excuse me, sir. But your name is Kettlepot, correct?” The stallion stopped his rocking motions and the whispering.

He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes wide and a frown etched onto his face. “Y-yes. My name’s K-Kettlepot.” He slowly turned himself around and tilted his head when he gazed in Twilight’s direction. “A-are you a princess?”

Twilight rubbed the back of her head with her right hoof and smiled bashfully. “Yes. But you can just call me Twilight.” She turned to Fluttershy and nodded to her before the two moved closer to the stallion. He slightly shrunk backwards, so Twilight promptly sat down a few feet from him, a silent gesture that assured him they wouldn’t get any closer. “So… I’ve heard about what happened last night.”

“O-oh… I uh… I… um, I see.” Kettlepot shivered, shifting where he sat. What she had said definitely put him more on edge than Twilight hoped it would have.

With a warm smile, she followed up by saying, “I understand that this might be a tough time for you. You see, Mayor Mare has asked me to come here and help you out as much as I can. And I was hoping to ask you about what happened last night.” She let the question sit before she continued, “We’re looking for Berryshine. And we want to make sure that she’s alright.”

His gaze never left her own. Twilight breathed in and out, concealing a shiver as she kept her attention on his. “I… I don’t know where it’s taken her.”

“What do you mean by that? If you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy asked.

“I… I don’t know. It was so dark… so very dark. I don’t even know what it was. All I could see was its face… that horrible gaze.” Kettlepot’s eyes brimmed with tears. “That eyeless gaze… so horrifying.”

‘W-what?’ Twilight froze in place. The definition he gave matched only one creature. ‘Th-that can’t be… no. Princess Celestia told us it was trapped in the Royal Sisters’ Castle. It couldn’t’ve escaped.’ There was just no possible explanation for it. No reasonable scenario on how it could have freed itself. From what it showed, it seemed to have no concept of magic and no ability to interact with it whatsoever.

“Berryshine… she was hanging in the air… like some kind of puppet. I don’t know how she could do that… but her eyes… they scared me. I feel like she was dead, but that can’t be possible… can it?” Kettlepot murmured, pressing his hooves against his cheeks.

“It’s alright,” Fluttershy said. She stood up and slowly moved closer to the stallion. “We’re here to help in any way possible. I know we’ll find Berryshine sooner or later.”

With what Kettlepot had said earlier, she did not know if it was true. ‘I… don’t know if it can be true. How can it be?’ She quickly shook her head and put the distressing thought in the back of her mind. She took a few steps up to Kettlepot as well and rested a hoof on his right shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll find Berryshine. I promise.” She watched his gaze move up to hers, and she smiled in an effort to assure him she was going to be true to her words.

But that smile slowly faded when his eyes widened at her own. She took a few steps back, but he slowly began walking towards her. Twilight couldn’t avert her gaze from his, the unnerving way he kept his gaze focused solely on her. “Umm… you can stop now.” She felt her tail brush against her legs, and a cold wall greeted her rear. She looked back before she returned to Kettlepot, watching as he came closer and closer.

Twilight pressed herself against the wall, feeling pinned like a mouse caught by a cat. He stopped inches away from where she stood, his mouth agape, before he uttered, “B-Berryshine?”

“Berryshine? I’m Twi--” Then it hit her. She looked down at her own fur. From her previous encounters with Berryshine, she noted the similarities in their color. ‘He think’s I’m her.’ A desperate idea came to mind. She turned to him and smiled nervously. “Uh… hey. How have you been, Kettlepot?” If she could play along, she could only hope he wouldn’t do anything rash.

“I can’t believe you're alive!” He jumped up and down, laughing before he reached for her. Twilight stiffened as she felt his forelegs wrap around her chest, pulling her into a hug. She, however, kept smiling. “I thought you were dead! That creature… I thought you had died…”

“Well… I’m here now, right?” Twilight answered him nervously. She breathed a sigh of relief when he let go. She looked over to Fluttershy, who was staring at her with wide eyes, obviously scared at what he might do. Twilight shook her head--she just had to keep this charade going for a little bit longer. ‘Even if I’m… well, messing with Kettlepot’s mind, I have to keep him convinced I’m Berryshine.’ However necessary this might have been, she had to admit that she did not like doing this. But he had mentioned something related to the Xenomorph. She had to know if it had somehow escaped. “By the way… what did you see last night? I couldn’t see it from where I was.”

He stood there and blinked his eyes once before continuing, “I… could hardly see it. I saw the face, but I remember something on your chest… something dark. But I don’t remember what it was. You were… hanging in the air…”

‘He could be describing the tail… but how? There’s just no way this could be true.’ It went against her belief in Princess Celestia. Her former teacher had assured her that they had captured the Xenomorph. ‘There’s just no explanation for how it could have gotten out.’ She looked back to Fluttershy, then turned back to Kettlepot. “Well… I need to get going here s--”

“No!” He slammed a hoof inches away from the side of her muzzle. Twilight stood still, not even making a single twitch. A light flashed on his horn, creating a dark blue wall of the same color around both herself and Kettlepot. “You’re not going anywhere.” That frightened and nervous glimmer in his eyes was completely gone. He began to chuckle, quietly at first, then slowly growing in volume. “Don’t worry. I know it was probably scary when you almost died, but I’ll keep you safe… I’ll bring you to your home. I’ll keep watch… I’ll keep you comfortable.”

Twilight’s pupils shrunk at what he said. The manic gaze in his eyes. The eerie chuckle he laughed. She glanced over to Fluttershy, watching her friend shake where she stood. With a slow nod, Fluttershy tiptoed past Kettlepot and towards the door. While she waited for help, Twilight looked back at Kettlepot and smiled. “I-I’m sure I’ll be fine. C-could you please let me go?”

He shook his head. The shield disappeared around the two. She raised an eyebrow at why he suddenly did that, but then she turned and saw his horn alight again. The world grew darker around Twilight, and her eyes felt heavy. She wobbled in place, groaning a little from the sudden sensation of exhaustion. ‘Wh-what… what’s happening? Why am… s-so sleepy?’ The world grew dimmer with each waking moment. She heard the door open, and then the sudden grunt of ponies. A scuffle from the sound of it. Even with the darkness surrounding her eyes, she could see outlines of one pony on the ground, his screaming reverberating in her ears like a long-distant echo.

The dark world passed by her in a quick motion. Voices swirled around her, and barely discernable. Yet Twilight could hear the voices become louder and louder. The light grew brighter as well, until the voice she heard, her friend, Rarity, was clearer. “Twilight! Come on, you have to wake up!”

Twilight gasped and looked around her. She took a couple breaths more before she finally calmed down. Looking up to her friends, she asked, “W-what happened? Everything was a blur for a moment… I thought I was going to pass out there.” She turned to Fluttershy. “What happened, Fluttershy?”

“H-he… I saw him create that shield… and when you signaled me to go get help, I did so. But when I turned around, you were lit up in his aura and suddenly falling asleep. I… I think he was trying to force you to sleep.” She sat there, disturbed by the news, her pupils shrunk to two small dots.

“Well… I think I’m done asking him questions for the day.” She stood up quickly and walked past her friends, glancing at their unnerved gazes for only a second. It was a blur after that. She walked downstairs in a horrified daze, simply keeping her eyes pointed ahead of her as she passed a few other staff members of the hospital. The front entrance was just feet away from her now.

She opened the doors and walked out into the open world. Hoofsteps echoed behind her, and a voice spoke up. “Twilight? Are you alright, darling?”

The question was rather… difficult. ‘I am alright… he didn’t hurt me physically.’ But he had come close to doing so, from the looks of it. He was going to keep her there and bring her “home”. ‘He saw me as Berryshine. That’s probably what he meant. To bring her to back to her home. But if that was the case…’ With the psychological meltdown he’d had when she tried to leave, could that have happened to her before he went running to the hospital?

“Twilight? Are you there?” Fluttershy asked. “You seemed really dazed… maybe you should just rest for a while?”

She shook her head. “I… I’m sorry I’m being quiet, girls. That was all just so fast.”

“It’s okay, darling,” Rarity said, walking up to Twilight’s right side. “That stallion seemed to have lost his mind if he was going to force you to sleep. Heaven knows what he was planning to do to you. Of course you need some time to breathe and get that awful moment out of your system.”

“But it’s not just that.” Twilight turned around and addressed her friends. “I think he was mentioning something else. Something that happened to Berryshine… but from what I’ve just experienced, I don’t know if I can trust Kettlepot’s word.” Maybe his description of an eyeless monster was nothing more than ramblings of a deranged mind. The scenario of it being the Xenomorph was just too full of holes. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would have let them know if it had escaped or not.

“Well, what about Mayor Mare?” Pinkie chirped up. “I don’t mean to change the subject, but we did leave her hanging. Not floating in the air of course, but we just left her back up there. Should we go back and tell her what happened?”

Twilight opened her mouth but stopped when she heard hoofsteps behind her. Turning around she smiled at the pony, or in this case the zebra, she saw. “Zecora!” they all said, turning to face her.

“So glad you all could be here. So that you could lend an ear. I’ve heard Mayor Mare has received your request. Thankfully you’re all here, like little eggs in their nest.” Twilight looked from Pinkie Pie to Rarity and raised an eyebrow. “If I recall correctly. How are Rainbow Dash and Applejack respectively?”

Twilight frowned and shook her head. “They’ve… had some accidents. We had to bring them to Canterlot Hospital.”

Zecora’s smile disappeared into a faint frown. She closed her eyes and nodded her head. “Certainly, a tale of woe indeed. Goods friends like you will help them when they’re in need.” She regained her smile and continued, “I’ve a problem, I’m afraid. Could you come and give me aid?”

“Sure. What do you need?”

“It’s not a matter of my own personal strife. But for a matter such as yours that may require this one’s life.” Zecora turned around and waved ushered them with a hoof. “Follow me, if you could, so we can help this creature be understood.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at Zecora’s cryptic message. Despite all the time they had spent with her, she always spoke with this sense of vagueness. Turning to her friends, she said. “Come on, girls. We can talk with Mayor Mare later. Let’s see what Zecora has to show us.” With that, she and the girls trotted up behind Zecora and slowed to a walk, following their friend as she exited Ponyville.

Moments into the walk, Twilight could see the Everfree Forest come closer, and she frowned. Even with the knowledge of the Xenomorph’s capture, this place still held an uneasy air to it. She glanced back to her friends and noticed the same thing: they were scanning the dark shadows even if it was unnecessary. Returning her attention to Zecora, she walked up to her left side and murmured, “So what is it that you have to show us?”

“There is not much I can say. So little information and yet this being takes my emotions for some sort of play.” Still Zecora continued with her vague words. Twilight turned away and frowned. ‘She’s still being so mysterious. Why? What’s so difficult for her to explain?’ Even though she wanted to learn the answer more than anything, she would just have to trust Zecora.

Once they arrived at the hut, Zecora opened the door and ushered them in. Twilight was the first to step into her friend’s hut. As she glanced back to Rarity and the others, she saw Rarity’s eyes widen. Rarity turned her head back forward just as she was about to open her mouth, but what she saw standing in the middle of Zecora’s hut was something she really hoped was an illusion. “N-no… it can’t be.”

The being turned around, eyebrows raised in a curiosity-filled expression. “So you’re the beings that this zebra has told me so much about.” And that voice! Twilight could not believe it, but it was the insane doctor from the video she, Pinkie, and Rarity had witnessed just a day ago: the human known as Dr. Makoy Markovich.

Chapter VIII: Better Left Forgotten ~ (Special Edition)

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There he stood. There he was. Twilight stood still, paralysed. All she could do was stare at the being in front of her, the alien from the videos onboard that extraterrestrial vessel. ‘M-Markovich?’ Her mouth agape. It was a shock to say the least. Twilight had thought that the image was from a time long before her own. But now that she could see this ‘doctor’ with her own eyes, Twilight could see that this ‘human’ looked about as old as he was in the ‘video’. “Y-you…” She took a moment to breath in before she continued, “how did you get here?”

Makoy raised his eyebrow. “How… do you know me?”

Twilight felt a presence to her right. She turned to see Rarity. “I beg your pardon if this sounds rude. But… when one sees you responsible for the death of your own kind, it’s rather hard to not to forget a moment like that.”

“Ah. So you have been to the ship I was ‘traveling’ in.” Makoy chuckled. “I am also surprised you got our technology to work. You aren’t exactly a first stage civilization now, are you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Professor Loopy?” said Pinkie Pie, quickly joining Twilight and Rarity. It was a rare thing indeed to see Pinkie Pie, out of all ponies, in a state of anger like this.

“Oh, don’t take it too personally.” He glanced at the walls surrounding them. “A primitive structure like this. A hut, if you will, shows your race far from being technologically advanced.”

“You’re calling us primitive beasts?” Rarity gasped. “How dare you! We are sophisticated beings, unlike yourself!”

“And we do have the capabilities to make technology. It may not be advanced as yours, Markovich. However, we pride ourselves in what we have.” Twilight flared her wings, adding to the reaction with a glare.

Markovich simply stared, folding his arms against his back. “There’s no need to get your feathers in a ruffle.” He smirked, and Rarity and Pinkie Pie glared at him in return. “And I really thought first contact with an alien race would go more smoothly.”

“It only hasn’t because of what you’ve done with the Xenomorphs,” said Twilight as she folded her wings.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “How do you know about the species XX121?”

“Please. That abomination of an ‘animal’!” Rarity faked a gagging noise before she returned her attention. “Your videos were simply horrendous! How could you do that to one of your own?”

“How? She went against the protocols that were strictly stated on our colony of the moon, Erebus. For breaking rule number two-three dash five, illegally distributing narcotic substances across the colony, the consequence is supposed to be harsh.” For a moment, he scanned their expressions. “Although you all are reacting very negatively to it. Of course it’s expected, but there’s something that you’re hiding.”

“Hiding? What could we possibly have to hide from you?” Twilight quickly saw the trap he had laid and hoped they could avoid the question.

“You saw something… didn’t you?” He took a step forward. “There’s something that happened on the ship I came in on. Those marines… brutes as they were. They were dealing with a problem that caused them to crash.” He rested his right hand under his chin, and his eyes widened. “There’s one here… that’s what you’re hiding.”

Twilight watched as he put the pieces together. He had figured it out so quickly! She could only look away, flustered yet angry that he had found out so quickly. She could hear him chuckling, to which she growled quietly. “There’s one on this planet. You know of the ferocity it holds, then. That’s the reason why you’re all so angry.”

“It’s a party pooper is what that fiend is!” Pinkie stomped a hoof on the ground.

“Well then, there’s an easy fix to your problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

Makoy smiled. “I have a remedy to the problem you are having with the Xenomorph. However, I must first speak with the leading power of your world. Unless this is an era of time I think it is, then just take me to the leaders of your country.”

Twilight’s frown deepened. “And if we don’t?”

“Then you’ll have to figure this problem out yourself. Although with how little you must know about this creature, I’m guessing you already have others you couldn’t save. If you want that number to stay as low as possible, then let me talk to your leaders, and I can propose a compromise to your situation.”

Twilight looked to the ground and considered the possible choices she had before her. Only a few seemed to speak up the most. The first option was the one he had proposed, but how could she trust him being so close to the other princesses? The other choices were to refuse but get no possible information on the Xenomorph. A rock and a hard place. Almost too fitting. She sighed and returned her gaze to her friends. “Do we have a choice?” Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy seemed to be at a loss for words. They shortly brought their gaze back to hers and hesitantly nodded.

Twilight sighed and turned her attention to Markovich. “Okay… on one condition. You tell us what you know about the Xenomorph once you’re done talking with the other princesses.”

“Princesses? Interesting leadership choice… but yes, I will keep my word.” Markovich slowly nodded.

“Okay then.” Twilight turned to her friends. “Would you wait outside with Makoy for a few moments?” They acknowledged, but Pinkie and Rarity held frowns, whereas Fluttershy seemed a little too nervous to reply. Tense as it was, Twilight couldn’t blame her. They filed out of Zecora’s open door with Markovich at the end of the line. Once they disappeared, Twilight turned to Zecora. “Thank you for keeping an eye on him. We should be able to handle him from here.”

Zecora nodded. “Do handle this situation with care. I fear that he may lead you into a snare.”

“Don’t worry. I think this human won’t be getting off that easy.” Caution was not going to wander from her mind; Twilight was sure of that. She leaned forward and hugged Zecora. “Take care, okay?” Zecora nodded, and Twilight turned towards the exit. Whatever was to happen, she felt that Princess Celestia and Luna were more than capable in handling Makoy.

~~~

Twilight opened the door to her library and scanned the lobby. She sighed, a faint smile on her lips. Spike and Nyx weren’t here, or at least they were probably upstairs. She looked over her shoulder, and her gaze hardened at the sight of Makoy. She ordered, “Alright. Go sit over there on that couch. I need to go upstairs and get a letter ready for the princess.” She watched as he obediently followed her orders and sat down.

Twilight slitted her eyes. It was surprising to see somepony… or somebody who killed fellow humans and yet followed her whim. He was up to something, Twilight was certain of that. She looked upstairs and opened up her room’s door. Inside were Spike and Nyx, who were sharing one of Spike’s Power Ponies comic books. Nyx looked up first and smiled. “Mom!”

She slightly flinched as Nyx ran to her and hugged her. Twilight returned the embrace. “Hey there, Nyx.” She looked over the filly’s right shoulder and said, “Hey, Spike? Everything okay since I’ve been gone?”

Spike lowered his comic book and nodded. “Everything’s been quiet. Heck, I’d say this is a new record for Ponyville.”

Twilight smiled and playfully shook her head. ‘If only that were true…’ But she couldn’t worry them. They were too young to deal with problems as frightening and gruesome as this one. She let go of Nyx and closed the door behind them. After that, she moved over to her desk and opened a drawer, taking out a parchment before handing it over to Spike. “Could you take a quick message for me?”

He looked back up, a hint of an annoyed expression, but he simply shrugged. “Sure.” He took the parchment, and Twilight levitated a quill over to his right hand. She cleared her throat and then spoke. “Dear Princess Celestia. While I was in Ponyville today, Zecora brought me and the girls to her hut today. We discovered that she had a being that was… unfortunately somebody we’d hoped to never meet.” She looked back to Spike, who raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s nothing, Spike. Really.” Twilight breathed in before she continued. “Due to the importance of this being, could you please send a carriage to the library as soon as possible? Your former student, yet faithful friend, Twilight Sparkle.”

She nodded to Spike, who blew out a green fire that dissolved the paper and sent it towards Canterlot Palace. “So you’re still not going to tell us what you found, huh?”

Twilight nodded. “It’s not important to you two anyway. I don’t want you guys to worry over nothing.” She smiled and said, “By the way, I need you two to stay up here a little longer.”

“Why’s that?” Nyx asked, tilting her head slightly.

“As I said earlier, it’s nothing to worry about. There’s something in the lobby that needs to be kept a secret, okay?” Twilight watched as Spike just simply shrugged before picking up his comic book. She turned to Nyx and got a more hesitant nod. She kneeled down and ran a hoof through Nyx’s mane. “Don’t worry. I’ll be alright. Just stay up here with Spike, okay?” Twilight stood up and walked through the doorway and closed it quietly once more.

She walked down the stairs and frowned when she saw Makoy standing in front of one the bookshelves. He glanced over his shoulder. “Well, it’s certainly funny how similar our languages are. No wonder communication between our races hasn’t met with difficulties.”

“I still can’t figure out if that’s a positive or a negative for us,” Twilight replied, her gaze not leaving the book in his hand.

“Why are you so adamant about trying to make it harder for the both of us? There’s much that our two species can learn from one another. Sure, you aren’t as technologically advanced as my civilization, but maybe we could help you with that?” A page from the book he held crinkled as he turned to a new one. “It’s intriguing to see the stories you have. Almost uncanny at how the similarities check out between our race’s mythology.” Twilight was silent, unsure of what she should say next. He seemed to notice this and fully turned around. “Are you still mad about what you saw on the first video?”

“How can I not be?”

Makoy only chuckled. “You must understand that the company Weyland-Yutani adheres to a strict set of rules. We have to follow the mandates set by the company.”

“But why?” Twilight shook her head. She couldn’t even imagine following a directive that forced her to hurt other ponies. “What do you gain from hurting and killing others?”

“It’s a matter of what you’re willing to sacrifice,” Makoy simply said. “You see, a scientist must not be afraid of going to the extremes to get results.”

“In some cases, that may be true. But even then, a scientist must have an ethic code while they’re working,” Twilight insisted. “There’s got to be a line that we can’t cross.”

“Oh, so you’re a scientist as well? Judging from the books and your vocabulary, I thought there was something that I recognized.” His expression seemed to brighten, if only slightly. “This may be off topic, but what are your feelings towards religion?”

Twilight faltered a little. “Well… I don’t know why it’s so important to you, but I dabble on the subject here and there.”

“Huh… I feel like I should have seen that coming.” Twilight could only frown at his comment. “Religion is a culture of death, you know? In our civilization, it has caused nothing but harm to others. For centuries, our kind had fought with one another, claiming their religion was ‘the solution’ to all problems. And if you didn’t follow them, then you were subjected to torture and even worse things until you died or converted. Fortunately, I don’t bother with such nonsense.”

“You say religion is a culture of death, yet science can be the same if you lose sight of morality,” Twilight pointed out.

“Of course science is dangerous, but in the right hands you can improve people’s lives. It’s even better than what religion has to offer.”

Twilight shook her head. “Even still, we ponies have relied on the leadership of the princesses to guide us forward. That’s why faith is so important to us. It takes both faith and science to have progress.”

“How naive. So your subjects prefer to look at you as gods?”

Another question that surprised her. She looked at the ground, faltered by another question of his. “I… we aren’t technically strong enough to be gods.”

“All the more proof that there are no true gods.” Twilight took a step back, frowning at what he said.

“You know, I’m beginning to wonder if all humans are this caustic and cruel.”

“I’d hold your tongue if I were you. You claim that my species is cruel, yet what can you say about yours? You make it sound as if you ponies have no bad history, but I believe Zecora’s books differ from your opinions.” Twilight’s frown only deepened at what he was about to say. “Zecora’s books were clear on the fact that unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies fought with one another long ago and that the details on a few known battles were particularly gruesome. If your species was really so pure at the beginning, then why were there battles for power? How can you tell yourself these lies when in reality ponies today are still bad?”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. How could she counter something that was true? Of course, ponies weren’t as bad as they were back then. But as encounters with ponies like Trixie, Suri Polomare, and even Flim & Flam had shown, ponies still had a long way to go. She flicked her ears back to her front door and saw two Royal Guards standing in the doorway. It was perfect timing. “Could you two escort this human to Princess Celestia?” The two nodded, so she ushered Makoy over to them. Like before, he didn’t hesitate and went where he was supposed to go.

The door closed as the guards left with Makoy. She let out a relieved sigh, then, hearing hoofsteps, looked up to see Nyx staring back at her. She gulped and shook a little. “Is that… thing gone?”

Twilight nodded to her adopted daughter, but frowned. “I told you to not come down here.” Nyx looked down to the ground. Twilight, however, brought a hoof to her daughter’s chin and lifted her eyes to meet her own. “I’m just glad you kept quiet.”

“What was that thing talking about? I know that some ponies aren’t good, but why was he being so mean to you?”

She glanced to the wall at her right and murmured, “Don’t worry about it so much. He was going to be mean anyway.” Twilight returned her gaze to Nyx’s and said, “I’m going to go down to the basement for a bit. Stay up here, okay?” Nyx nuzzled her right shoulder and nodded.

With that, she walked to the stairs leading down to the basement. As she descended downwards, what Makoy had said brought her back to reality. ‘Did I trick myself into believing that ponies are good? Am I really that gullible?’ It could be possible. But could she really accept that? How could she; a mare that had accomplished so much under the tutelage of Princess Celestia fall into a pit like this?

And how long had this been going on? It was a scary thought that she could convince herself of a thing like this. She shook her head. ‘I can’t let somebody like him get to me.’ She walked down the final step and scanned her basement. Her eyes rested on her saddlebag. Twilight blinked once before she moved over to it. She reached her right hoof into the pack and felt it brush past a metal object. She pulled it out and sighed at the device that held the remainder of the videos.

What other horrors awaited Twilight within this device? After the first video, she could only guess at how gruesome the rest of it was. She breathed in and summoned the courage she could. ‘I… I can handle it.’ She pressed the glowing button and watched as a graphic display showed up with the phrase ‘Video One’. Knowing that she had already watched the first one, she looked to an arrow on the right side of the three-dimensional screen.

She raised her hoof up to it, and the screen whited out for a second before showing the phrase ‘Video Two’. Twilight then brought her hoof to the words. She gasped as its screen widened against the wall, dropping it and backing away from the alien device. There were a few quiet beeps, then Makoy appeared on the screen. “Greetings again from Weyland-Yutani.” Twilight slowly stood up.

A couple steps was all it took before she sat down, frowning at the “doctor” on-screen. “Today is the day we shall show you what we have learned about the Xenomorph’s life cycle within these past couple of weeks.” He cleared his throat until images appeared on his right. “The first image you’ll see here is of a meter-tall egg.” A three-foot egg? That was big. Almost as tall as most ponies, if not a foot shorter than ponies her size. “When we first discovered these specimens on the former colony of Hadley’s Hope, we quickly contained them and brought them aboard our shuttle. Then a handful of scientists went to work. Studying. Measuring. Testing for what kind of materials this egg casing was made out of. However, we were unprepared for what was to happen next."

Twilight saw the video change from him to what appeared to be the lab he was describing. She leaned forward, watching four scientists surrounding the egg. It certainly looked off-putting, but still, Twilight was intrigued by the sight of this egg. But the egg began to move. The top of it bloomed outward like some kind of flower. She jumped back as a creature leaped out from within the egg’s slimy depths, attaching itself to the scientist’s face on the far right. It was so sudden.

“As you saw. The first stage of this creature hardly seems like a threat at all. But it can leap towards its designated target only within a fraction of a second and has the jumping capability to cover distances of over a dozen feet.” The video resumed as the scientist struggled to pull the spider-like creature off its face. Its screams muffled, Twilight covered her mouth with her right hoof. “We had this scientist moved to a containment chamber, but what came next hours later stunned us all.”

The video changed locations once again, Twilight still intently staring at the screen. Mouth slightly agape, she watched as the video fast-forwarded in time until the spider-like creature had fallen off. The human scientist got up and looked around like nothing was wrong. Twilight flinched as she heard it scream in agony, body convulsing as something looked like it tried to break its way out of the human’s chest.

Mere moments passed until she flinched again at the sight of blood spraying the walls and ceiling. There within the mess of the human’s chest was something small. Yet when she noticed its eyeless gaze, she gasped to see the same monster from before, but in a smaller, larval stage. “The first stage before this creature is called a Facehugger. As for this being, it’s the second stage before the full Xenomorph transformation. It is called a Chestburster.”

Although the names were a bit more literal than she liked, Twilight could see why they were designated as such. “As with human versions of the Xenomorph, they take on a more bipedal appearance but can still travel around on all fours with just as much ease. We’ve even clocked them at being able to travel at about sixty miles per-hour within a few short seconds. It can even crawl on any surface, so long as its feet have contact against a solid surface.” She thought back to the first day they encountered the Xenomorph. After seeing it run on the wall to her right, not to mention catching up with her with little effort, it all made sense.

“But that’s not all. After watching a human become impregnated, we decided to try the test on three different animals.” The video’s scenery changed again; Twilight’s eyes widened at what she saw. In three chambers, she saw three different animals. Two she recognized, that being a dog and a horse. The third test subject completely threw her off; she could not figure out what the one in the middle was. “These are the next three test subjects. Man’s best friend, the dog. Man’s closest relative, the chimpanzee. And finally, Man’s pack carrier, the horse.”

Twilight couldn’t bring her gaze off the horse. Sure, though ponies and horses were of different sizes, and this horse wasn’t as colorful as the inhabitants of her world, they were still nearly the same. She watched as three eggs rose from underneath the floor. All the animals looked on in curiosity, nearing the slime covered substances. The dog was the first to begin barking wildly, leaping up while standing on its hind legs. The chimpanzee screeched and yanked on the leash holding it to the pole, the ground cracking underneath where it was strung to. Yet when she heard the horse neigh in fright, it froze her to where she sat. ‘No… please, don’t do this. Don’t hurt it…’ Twilight only hoped that the camera would look away, but her plea would not be answered.

As the eggs all opened, the three animals got louder, and their movements only became more sporadic. The dog fell to the ground first, whining and yelping as the facehugger tightened its grip around its muzzle. The bar holding the chimpanzee broke, but it reacted too late. It grabbed and clawed at the facehugger on its face, but to no avail. But Twilight teared up when she turned to the horse. It was the last one as the egg sac opened. The facehugger jumped onto its muzzle, causing the horse to neigh franticly.

Twilight tried to cover her ears, but the cries of the horse seemed to echo in her mind. As she looked to the ground, tears dripped onto the wooden floor below where she sat. Shaking, she slowly looked up to the screen and saw the horse laying on its side, quiet and unmoving. It was the same with the chimpanzee and dog. “A little side note.” She watched as Makoy reappeared on the screen. “As the facehugger latches on, it knocks the victim unconscious due to the lack of air. It compensates for it and gives its host the needed air. But while it goes on, it begins to pulsate as it impregnates the host with its parasite, that being the Xenomorph.”

She could only stare at the man that was responsible for hurting these innocent creatures. She thought it’d be best to not show Fluttershy this part specifically, if she ever worked up the courage to do so. The video fast-forwarded in time again until the animals were slowly standing up. Yet as soon as they did, the dog fell back to the ground, whining in extreme pain, legs flailing. Twilight couldn’t help but imagine Winona in the dog’s place. It was only a moment later did its chest burst open. The chestburster screeched as it slithered out of its host’s body.

Then the chimpanzee began to screech, body convulsing before another chestburster emerged violently. But her gaze finally led her to the horse. She watched as it neighed, leaping up on its hind legs before falling to the ground. Twilight’s cries began to escalate in volume. Instead of a horse, she saw her friends and family in its place, each one of them screaming in agony: Shining Armor, Princess Celestia, Cadance, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy. When the alien embryo finally broke through its chest, it was Nyx whom she saw dying, causing Twilight to let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Twilight fell flat onto the ground, crying and shaking from the sight. She didn’t dare to look up at the screen anymore. “So now you see. This is how the Xenomorphs are birthed into this world. It certainly is a deadly process, but there is a beauty in it as well.” She didn’t dare to look up to Markovich. She couldn’t bring herself to. “This has been the life cycle of the Xenomorphs. I hope to see you all later.”

Her horn lit up in a magenta aura, the light encasing the power button on the alien device and turned it off before the next video could play. Twilight couldn’t handle it anymore. ‘Why… why did he do that? They couldn’t even defend themselves.’ She continued to sob. Twilight shook uncontrollably. How could she not after watching something so terrifying?

She raised her head. She bent her ears back and heard the squeak of the floorboards, but it wasn’t that which caught her attention. It was the quiet crying behind her. Twilight stood up and turned herself around, her teary gaze falling upon her daughter, Nyx, who was crying as well. “N-Nyx...” Nyx flinched and hesitantly met her gaze. “How long were you down here?” Twilight watched as the filly tried to speak, but couldn’t even utter a single word.

Twilight’s frown deepened. She was furious that Nyx had disobeyed her again, yet how could she take her anger out on her daughter? Watching the traumatic sequence of deaths was too much for somepony her age to handle. Twilight walked over to her daughter and gently wrapped her forelegs around her. “You shouldn’t have seen that… you’re too young…”

“I… I-I-I’m sorry…” Nyx shakily murmured, her cries a little louder.

Twilight only tightened her grip on Nyx. She shushed her daughter, running a hoof through her mane. “It’s okay… everything will be okay.”

“Mom… that thing… o-on the s-screen. It’s… n-not h-here… right?”

Twilight froze. How could she answer this question? If Nyx knew the truth, she’d be terrified, even more so than she already was. She looked her daughter in the eyes and murmured, “Of course not. There’s no reason to worry about it.” Twilight nuzzled her daughter and smiled. “Please don’t tell Spike about this, okay? He doesn’t need to see this either.”

Nyx slowly nodded before pressing the right side of her muzzle against Twilight’s shoulder. “O-okay…”

She looked up to the stairs as she heard footsteps. She saw Spike running down with a letter in his hand. “Twilight, you got an invitation from the princess.” He stopped at the top of the last set of stairs and stared at the two. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is everything okay?”

She rubbed her eyes quickly, ridding herself of the tears before nodding. “An invitation?” Twilight lifted the parchment towards her, the light from her horn illuminating the words.

‘Dear Twilight, Thank you for bringing this survivor to the palace in Canterlot. Although he has been rather quiet, we are certain we shall get something out of him. However, what’s been going on in Ponyville needs to be addressed. I wish to see you tonight along with my sister, Cadance, and your brother, Shining Armor. We shall discuss what the next steps should be now that the Xenomorph has been contained. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.’

Twilight blinked once and sighed. “You two will be alright if I’m gone for a bit, right?” Spike nodded while Nyx hesitantly did the same. She nuzzled her daughter and murmured. “I won’t be gone for long, okay?” Twilight let her go and walked up the stairs, letting out another sigh. She had to get prepared first before heading off. It was urgent that this information she had learned be told to the other princesses. ‘I know it will be difficult to watch their reactions, but they must know how the Xenomorph is created. It’s important… even with the terror that its birth can cause.’

~~~

With the last spray of the perfume bottle, Twilight looked at herself in the mirror. Odd to think about herself as beautiful, even though she’d never admit it. Her mane was tied into a bun with a couple strands of hair resting in front of her ears. She folded them back and continued to stare at herself from the mirror’s angle. She shook her head as a blush appeared. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Everything’s going to be fine.” Hardly did she imagine the idea of dating somepony else, since she had nopony at the moment.

But with one last look, she blinked and thought about the meeting tonight. Ears pointed up again with a frown on her muzzle. This meeting didn’t foretell anything bad necessarily. Although if she was to be honest with herself, Princess Celestia’s reasoning behind this was related to the topic of that monster. The Xenomorph, as she had most recently learned, could’ve been a creature of artificial life.

Even if it was just a guess based on the images from the video she had watched hours ago, the way it was born seemed to hint at something beyond the normal way a creature was made. ‘Then again, we have Spider Wasps that lay their eggs inside spiders. The larvae from the wasps hatch inside the arachnid and kill it.’

However, from watching this creature as long as she had, there was something that disturbed her about it. A creature such as this Xenomorph seemed impossible. It had a strength to surpass Applejack’s, and her friend was hardly a pushover. ‘Applejack can knock apples out of its tree with just one of her back legs making contact.’ The Xenomorph even showed the capability of striking with a terrifying velocity, catching Rainbow Dash with its spear-like tail. Rainbow Dash, out of all ponies, was the fastest pegasi she knew of. ‘How close Rainbow Dash had come to death… it’s so horrifying to see a creature with both strength and speed.’

So terrifying; a creature with such strength and ferocity that outmatched a Manticore’s. And a speed that even matched the cheetah’s from Zebrica. Although after what Markovich’s old video suggested, the Xenomorph could maintain this rate of speed for as long as it desired. It sent shudders down her spine. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out. ‘There’s no point in worrying now.’ Once the meeting with Celestia was at the forefront of her thoughts again, she reopened her eyes. ‘Right. There’s a meeting I have to attend.’ Whatever Celestia had to say, Twilight hoped there was a plan to get rid of the Xenomorph for good.

A knock on the door echoed from downstairs. She turned to the noise and thought it could’ve been her escort. Twilight exited her bathroom and scanned her room. She saw a blanket rising up and down, smiling to see that a familiar drake’s tail poking out from underneath. She quietly giggled at Spike, but there was one more pony she had to check on. Twilight moved over to another door and opened it to a new room.

Although it was a bit dark, she could see the bed at the far end of the room. Quietly, she made her way to the filly underneath the covers. Twilight smiled at Nyx, leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Good night, Nyx.” She turned around and headed to her front door.

Opening it up, she saw two Royal Guards. As soon as they saw her, they bowed and said, “Your Highness, are you ready to depart?”

Twilight stood still for a moment before she nodded. “Yes.” She followed the two to the carriage. One of them opened the door for her, and she hesitantly thanked him with a nod. She took a seat on the left side. It was a few moments until she felt the carriage move and the two pegasi take off. As the wind quietly howled outside the carriage, Twilight sighed. “Alright… at least I got some time to myself.”

She straightened herself and closed her eyes. ‘There’s so much going on. It’s not that I disprove of the things my friends and I have gone through. It’s just that what we’re all going through right now feels like more than we can handle. First it was the Xenomorph, and that thing is more than a hooffull to deal with. But we also have a psychotic stallion who possibly murdered Berryshine.’ Another pony committing such an act had not happened in a very long time.

However, two more factors had been added to the fray. Her eyes tightened as she thought back to the encounter with Makoy Markovich. ‘He came from the crashed alien ship. How did he survive when all the others didn’t?’ She shook her head. The question only continued to baffle her, and yet it wasn’t the only problem. ‘All that information I’ve gained. Was it really worth the things that I had to see? Was it really worth the death that was shown to me?’

She sat there in silence, the blustery wind being the only obstacle keeping her from a completely noiseless isolation. There was only so much she could do. And to top it all off, she wasn’t even a princess of anything. Sure, she had some influence since her brother was married to Princess Cadance, but even then it still didn’t amount to much. Normally, it hardly discouraged her from much.

A couple lights passed her by; Twilight looked out to see that the palace was a little closer now. She sighed quietly, the frown on her lips replaced with a smile. “There’s no need to worry yourself.” She placed her right hoof against her chest, breathing in before she exhaled, bringing her hoof in front of her as the trick she learned from Cadance worked. More lights flickered as the carriage passed the city of Canterlot below.

The carriage approached a landing deck. She hardly felt a bump as the guards finally came to a slow stop. She heard hoofsteps outside the right side of her carriage. The door opened, and one of the guards ushered her to exit. Twilight stood up and slowly made her way down the carriage’s few steps. She nodded her thanks to the two and proceeded forward.

Once she passed underneath the towering arch above her, the door to the palace opened, encased in a familiar magenta aura. Twilight smiled when she saw Shining Armor, a smile of his own as he adorned their uncle’s military uniform. “Hey, Twily!” She trotted up and hugged him. “Thanks for coming. Celestia was hoping that this short notice didn’t inconvenience you.”

Twilight shook her head. “Everything’s alright. I’m glad she sent for me.” If it was to get away from that horrible device for the time being, then by all means, it was a very well-timed escape. But the smile on her muzzle disappeared. “This is about the Xenomorph, isn’t it?”

Shining nodded. “Unfortunately.” He ushered her to walk with him. “I wish our meetings weren’t related to problems threatening Equestria. It’d be nice to hang out with my little sister.” He playfully nudged her. To which she replied with the same nudge; the two laughed moments after. It was nice, Twilight thought, that there were these small moments of joy. “So how are your friends?”

She sighed. “Applejack is doing alright. The doctor, Needle Pin, said she’s going to be released tomorrow morning.” She heard that Granny Smith was going to help her back. It returned that smile to her muzzle.

“And what about Rainbow Dash?”

That smile disappeared as soon as it came. “She’s… Needle Pin said that it’s going to take longer for her to recover. He thinks she’ll be ready after resting for a week.”

A hoof wrapped around her shoulders. Twilight turned to Shining Armor and smiled. “Hey, I may not know much about Rainbow Dash… well, besides the fact that she’s one of the fastest fliers I’ve ever seen, but she seems like a strong mare. And I don’t think she’s going to give up that easily.”

Twilight quietly chuckled. “Oh, you have no idea.” Her brother turned towards an open door, where she was greeted to a long table. She had seen the dining room before; with how big the room was, the white satin cloth over the gold colored table, it certainly screamed royalty. Celestia waved to her, adorned in a very brightly colored dress. The vibe Twilight received from it almost made her think Celestia actually was some deity.

When she turned to Luna, she received a nod from her. The attire she wore was darker with a few bright accents. It certainly brought out that night-like look.

But then she saw her sister-in-law, Cadance, waving her over, and Twilight couldn’t help but smile. Cadance, of course, was in her official Crystal Empire gown. Twilight took a seat next to her and hugged her. “Hey there, Twilight.” Cadance giggled.

“It’s nice to see you too, Cadance.” Twilight pulled away. She looked to Shining Armor, who took the right seat next to Cadance. “And how are you two doing? Have you gone back to the Crystal Empire yet?”

Shining nodded. “Yeah, but only for a little bit.”

“Besides, we still need to deal with this… thing, after all.” Twilight’s smile faded away. It was hard to even keep one, especially with such a terrifying monster out there. She felt a hoof rest on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry,” said Cadance. “I’m sure we’ll figure this out.” Twilight simply nodded.

“By the way, I noticed that the Luna and Celestia are here. So who’s providing the shield to contain the Xenomorph?” Twilight asked.

Cadance only giggled. “Don’t worry. Celestia left a timer on the shield. It shouldn’t be going out anytime soon. Luna should be able to reach it in time before it goes out.”

“Thank you all for coming.” Twilight turned to Celestia, who nodded at her. She smiled back and waited for Celestia to continue. “As everypony here knows, we have a creature to deal with. The Xenomorph, the name of which Twilight discovered, has been trapped for sometime.”

“We have not just called you three alone here because this should remain a secret,” Luna said. “The fact is, we have… ‘decided’ to speak with the being that Twilight brought here today.” Twilight froze. It didn’t take but a second to figure out whom Luna was talking about.

“What did Twilight find?” Cadance asked as she turned to her aunts.

“Twilight has found a… being.” Celestia’s frown deepened. “And although this being is not as cooperative as I’d like him to be, we thought that asking him to dinner was an appropriate idea.”

A knock on the dining room’s door echoed throughout the large room. Everypony turned to see the being in question standing at the entrance. Twilight stared at the human known as Makoy Markovich. “Greetings,” Makoy simply said, walking towards the dining table with his hands behind his back. He pulled the adjacent chair across from Celestia out, took his seat and slowly scanned over everypony.

“Now… Dr. Markovich,” Celestia began. “Would you be alright with telling us about your world? It’s simply for the process of getting a better understanding of your world’s cultures and customs.”

“Of course.” Markovich cleared his throat before he began. “Firstly, Miss Twilight Sparkle here has a slight head start on you because of the videos. But this is where I’ll fill in the blanks. We are a civilization that has recently ascended to the stars in exploration. There are a number of planets and/or moons under our colonization. The place we came from is a planet called Earth.”

“Earth?” Celestia titled her head.

“Yes. A planet that is filled with life. We’ve done our best to keep it habitable. It’s easier when more room is cleared up after you send thousands and even millions of your own kind off planet.”

“What’s the total population of your race?” Shining Armor crossed his forelegs over one another.

“About eleven point seven billion humans in total.” Twilight’s jaw dropped. Makoy scanned the ponies and chuckled. “Judging by your expressions. I can assume that the number of my kind’s population exceedingly overwhelms yours?”

Celestia simply nodded. Twilight glanced at a unicorn servant making her way towards her former mentor. She whispered something to Celestia before she nodded. She returned her attention to Makoy. “This may be off topic. But is your kind herbivores, or are you only carnivores?” She spoke the last word with a hint of concern.

“Both, actually. Omnivores, if you want the specific classification of our species’ eating habits.” Makoy chuckled afterwards. “Why? Is dinner arriving?”

“Yes. And I had a special part of my cooking staff, my charcuteries and other such meat-related cooks had some plates prepared specifically for you.” Twilight shivered at the thought of seeing any type of meat. It had been a very long time since she had heard about how Griffons prepare their meals, as well as other such carnivorous neighbors. Even in the world of her human friends, she had seen them eat meat. After seeing someone eating a hamburger and figuring out it was made from cow meat, she promptly pushed that plate away. Thank goodness that world’s Fluttershy introduced her to ‘veggie burgers,’ which reminded her of Equestria’s hayburgers.

Then the scent of food attracted her. She turned to the door and saw the first five servants with plates making their way towards the large dining table. When her plate came, she was pleased to see a salad in front of her. Twilight lifted the fork on the left side of the plate and brought a small portion of it to her mouth. She smiled at texture of it, the flavors of the asparagus, sugar snap peas, and bowtie pasta. Twilight took another bite.

However, a new pungent odor came into the air. She covered her nose as the smell of cooked meat filled the air. Twilight turned to see a griffon bringing the dish to Makoy. The human smiled and picked up a knife in his right hand and a fork in his left. She couldn’t take her eyes away from the sight; she watched as the knife cut into a part of the steak. Twilight was brought back to the video. She saw the horse die again. This cycle of violence seemed to keep going on over and over. She flinched as a hoof brushed her shoulder. “Twilight?” Cadance asked. “Are you alright?”

Twilight stared into her sister-in-law’s eyes for a few moments. She quickly nodded. “Y-yes. I’m fine.” If only that were the truth.

“This food is absolutely wonderful, Princess,” Makoy said. “My compliments to the chef.”

“So onto the topic at hoof here.” Celestia levitated her fork close to her mouth. “Where were you born on this ‘Earth?’”

Makoy swallowed another portion of his sirloin and looked up. “The country I was born in is called Russia. I was raised in a small town, Srednekolymsk.” This was new. Twilight had only heard him speak a language she understood. But the name of his hometown certainly had a different language to it. “But that part isn’t important. What is important is that I grew up there. I studied at a college in my republic, Yakutsk. I learned about the human anatomy and other such biological processes. Then a company picked me up and I’ve been working there ever since.”

“And what is the name of this company?”

The human stopped his cutting and stared down at the remaining half portion of his food. “My company’s name is Weyland-Yutani.” He turned to Celestia. “And you… are dealing with something that belongs to the company. Am I right?”

Celestia’s eyes widened. Twilight could see shocked expressions on Luna, her brother and her sister-in-law. “How do you know about that monster?” Shining asked.

“It wasn’t that difficult to understand. The ship I was on crashed for some reason. The planet we left was being overrun by the Xenomorph. As for who is to blame for that? Well, the United States Colonial Marines didn’t help the situation any further. They were the ones who brought one of those things here,” Makoy said.

Twilight furrowed her brow. There was something he wasn’t saying, a secret that she could tell he was hiding. She was going to get to the bottom of it. “So you say.” Celestia nodded. “So tell me, what exactly is this Xenomorph? We have learned that it is an extraterrestrial--”

“An extraterrestrial, yes, but it wasn’t naturally made.” Twilight frowned at Makoy’s interruption of the princess. “You see, XX121, or the Xenomorph, is a biological creation of another extraterrestrial species which we believe to be long extinct. The company has only just recently learned of this. I can tell you this much without revealing anything else: it is a creature, however hostile and devastating it may be, that holds a beauty that surpasses any of my home world’s indigenous species.”

Luna turned her gaze to Markovich. “You may find beauty in it, but we do not think the same. ‘Without revealing anything else’. What are you trying to hide?”

Makoy finished his sirloin steak and set his utensils down onto the plate. He wiped the corner of his lips with a napkin before he spoke. “You see, although we have learned that it is of an artificial origin, Weyland-Yutani has been given all rights to the Xenomorph. Therefore, because of our planet’s rules on ‘first discovery’ policy, the Xenomorph falls under Weyland-Yutani jurisdiction.”

Luna looked confounded, aghast. Twilight had never seen her so angry before. “Under Weyland-Yutani’s jurisdiction? This… beast has claimed the lives of eight ponies so far. And there could be more if we were not keeping it contained. If anything, this monster falls under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Equestria. You and your company have no power here.”

The human only stared at her. “Earth’s policy has extended towards all finds. And since I’m the first to happen upon Equestria… then technically Weyland-Yutani’s administration does have leeway here.”

“You cannot own a country that already has a ruling power!” Luna slammed a hoof on the table.

“Luna, that is enough!” Celestia lowered her eyes at her sister. Luna glared until she looked down at the table. “Dr. Markovich, I thank you for your time here. You can head back to your quarters now.” Makoy held his gaze with Celestia. He slowly stood up and took his leave, disappearing behind the dining room doors.

“Wow…” Twilight turned to Cadance. “Do you think Luna will be all right?”

Twilight then looked at Luna. The Lunar Princess obviously looked frustrated. But what Makoy had said too left a mark on her. ‘He was so smug about his claims. His company can’t own a nation. That’s completely ludicrous.’ She frowned as well, but answered, “I think she’ll be fine.” This was all just a reminder of what Twilight had seen on the videos: the hubris of Makoy. The fact that he not only tortured humans but animals as well. All of it had infuriated Twilight before. Her frown deepened as that anger came back. This night had been a long one, and this dinner even longer. The dinner had not been totally ruined, but as she looked down at her plate, still just a little bit of salad left, she pushed it away, her appetite lost. Only time would tell what else would be lost.

Chapter IX: Tragedy of Events (Special Edition)

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The door behind Shining Armor closed in a magenta aura. He scanned the room, lit by a couple bulbs. Nearby the desk was a file cabinet with a nameplate titled on the top: Baltimare. ‘The report from Mayor Mare in Ponyville said Kettlepot was from this city. So let’s see if that’s true.’ He did not doubt that Kettlepot had just killed somepony. But then again, that’s what brought up some suspicion. Ponies were certainly still capable of harming one another, but it was uncommon nowadays. He couldn’t shake off this odd feeling.

He read one name after another in the files until he stopped on one. “There you are.” Shining lifted Kettlepot’s file out of the cabinet and onto the desk. Within the file was the picture of said stallion. Then came the birth certificate establishing that he was born in Baltimare. ‘So the obvious is out of the way.’

Shining dug further in, looking through page after page. When he stopped on the criminal record page, his eyes widened. “Nothing. No previous criminal activity.” He hadn’t expected there to be one, but it only brought more concern. “This establishes that he hasn’t ever gotten into trouble before, but...” The problem now was the incident with Berryshine; what had brought Kettlepot to commit such an act? He pushed away the document and moved his gaze to the next one.

He tilted his head. ‘This is… odd.’ Shining lifted up the piece of paper. It was a medical report on Kettlepot. “No physical problems.” He then checked the mental exam. “Asperger’s Syndrome?” He had learned a bit about it before. It was a condition where somebody was of a high intelligence but also had high social anxiety issues. This new information helped, but not by much. “It’d be more convincing if it wasn’t Asperger’s.”

Nothing was adding up. Shining then returned to look at the criminal record. Absolutely nothing. ‘This stallion hasn’t done a terrible thing at all.’ If that was the case, then could he really be responsible for Berryshine’s disappearance? The topic of this evening’s dinner came back in full force. ‘But that’s impossible. The Xenomorph is trapped under--’ It may have been just a paranoid thought... maybe. He couldn’t shake off this odd sensation. It felt more like a gut feeling.

But his intuition followed this thought. “What if the Xenomorph isn’t trapped underneath the shield?” He shook, the thought chilling himself. There was so little he could go on. The idea behind it all stuck with him. ‘Maybe… there is something we should check.’ The perimeter was a start. Sure the princesses had the shield around the entire Royal Sisters’ Castle, but was there any way for it to escape? There was no harm in asking Princess Celestia and Cadance. The file and its contents lit up in a magenta aura as Shining put it all back together. However, he shut the file cabinet and kept Kettlepot’s file by his side. He turned around and walked out of the Canterlot Records office.

Shining walked down the hallway adjacent to the office and towards the dining room. Seeing nopony there, he wasted no time walking past the entrance and thought of the next place they’d be. Moving through the next hallway, he finally found himself at the entrance to Celestia’s room. Sure enough, he heard Cadance’s voice and peeked around the corner to see both princesses sitting in chairs next to one another.

He cleared his throat. Both Cadance and Celestia looked to him and smiled. “Hey, Shining.” Cadance got up and hugged him. They parted with a kiss. She looked down and saw the file next to him. “What’s that?”

“It’s a file on the stallion Kettlepot.” Celestia moved her gaze to the file and then up to his own. “Have you looked through these papers yet?”

“I was debriefed on this matter. But the Xenomorph is at the forefront of our problems.” Celestia took a sip from her tea cup. “ I understand that we shouldn’t be focusing on one issue.” She waved him to sit in the chair next to her. He looked to Cadance, who nodded. Shining walked over and sat down before he passed the files over to Princess Celestia.

As she looked the files over, Cadance leaned in close to Shining. “Who’s this Kettlepot?”

“Well… there was an incident down in Ponyville. Mayor Mare is… adamant that this stallion may have killed a resident there.” She flinched, eyes wide at the revelation.

“The mare he allegedly murdered was his marefriend too. I’m still uncertain if this is true, but Twilight agreed on this statement as well,” Celestia said. “She approached him on the topic and was almost put to sleep by Kettlepot with a sleep spell.” The princess levitated the files back to Shining in a light gold aura. “Speaking of which. What is it that you wanted to discuss with me about this case?”

“Well, after dinner, I thought looking at this case could provide some kind of help.” ‘And at least try to get my mind off the fact that we have this… human creature here.’ “But something didn’t feel right.” Shining opened the file and looked at the criminal record. “I know that a pony doesn’t have to have a history of violence in order to commit a crime such as this. But it feels like it wasn’t Kettlepot’s fault.”

Celestia tilted her head. “So who do you believe is responsible?”

Shining raised an eyebrow. “Who else other than that creature?”

“What?” Cadance leaned back. It seemed that even Cadance, his wife, didn’t believe him. “But how is that possible? My aunts have it trapped under their shield. How could it be free?”

“Cadance is right, Shining Armor.” Shining returned to Celestia, only to be met by a blank stare. “How do you believe it could be getting out?”

“I know it’s not much. But we haven’t even checked the perimeter of the shield. How far it’s spread out.” He could tell from the princess' gaze, that she didn’t look amused. “You have to trust me on this. Kettlepot could be blamed for a murder he didn’t even commit.”

Celestia continued to stare before she let out a sigh. “We could check tomorrow. I know this creature is one of the most threatening beings we’ve come across. But I won’t follow something blindly without facts.”

Shining’s brow furrowed. “Tomorrow? How many ponies could be dead by next morning if we just leave this be?”

“I understand your fear, Shining Armor. But we can’t send ponies out at night. It makes it all the more dangerous and even risks the lives of others.”

He could understand Celestia’s point, but they’d been starving it for at least a day now. Maybe it was getting weaker? They could kill it if they just approached it with caution. “We’ve had it trapped for a day. It could be weaker. Maybe we could--”

“Shining,” Cadance interrupted him. “That’s too dangerous. You heard Celestia: we can’t risk the lives of other ponies.”

“So we’re going to let others die!?” Shining’s frown deepened.

Cadance returned the scowl. “Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Stubborn? I’m trying to save innocent civilian lives here!”

“Shining Armor.” He turned to Celestia, who had finally stood up. There upon her muzzle was a frown. “You are willing to risk the lives of others so we can be rid of this threat. But we’re trying to keep that from happening.” He averted his gaze from her own. “Look at me when I speak to you.” It was like being scolded by his mother. He reluctantly looked back at her. “We have presented to you the reasons why. I understand your fear, but we can’t blindly rush into this. If you aren’t willing to hear us both, not even your wife, then I’m giving you this order. You are forbidden from leading any of the Royal Guardsmen until I say otherwise.”

“But Princess, you can’t be serio--”

“That’s an order, captain.” He flinched. She never used his military title unless she was being serious. Shining’s frown deepened into a glare. He shook his head, grumbling under his breath as he exited Celestia’s room. He paced down the left hallway and continued to grumble.

He heard hoofsteps at his right before hearing Cadance’s voice. “Shining… everything’s going to be okay.”

“Okay? Okay!?” He turned on Cadance. “What part of this is okay? I’m being treated like a child here! And you? What do you do? You take Celestia’s side!”

Cadance gasped, but she didn’t back down. She gave him her own glare. “Sides!? You’re upset because I took my aunt’s side?”

“Why else would I be upset!? I thought you had my back. But no. We’re both trying to save innocent lives, but I want to stop it before it happens, while you, Celestia, and Luna are too busy trying to play it safe! What about the ponies tonight? Do you care if this thing snatches them from their own beds!?”

“How dare you!” Cadance finally yelled back. “You think risking lives is more important than trying to protect others? Shining. We are trying to save ponies here, not get more killed in order to get rid of this creature!”

“But what if it is responsible for Berryshine’s death? How many more ponies are going to die tonight? We’re not approaching this problem like we should be doing!” Shining’s glare shot out daggers, and Cadance returned the expression. “I at least know who’d agree with me her--”

“Guys!” They both turned to Twilight, who rushed in between the two. “What are you two doing? You’re both acting like a bunch of crazy ponies.”

“Twilight would agree with me.” Twilight turned to him with a befuddled gaze. “She knows how important it is to get the job done. And that it’s better to get it over with then later.”

“Twilight doesn’t act like an idiot!” Cadance stomped her hoof. “She knows when it’s best to back off and look at the situation. She’s not reckless!”

“Would you two stop arguing!?” Twilight flared her wings and pushed Shining and Cadance further apart. “Look. I don’t know what’s gotten into you both, but I understand that we just had a very long night. What with the Xenomorph and the human, Makoy, we’re all really stressed out. Now how about we just relax and let this go, then we can figu--”

“Relax!?” Cadance began. “I don’t need to relax. Shining needs to relax! He’s getting worked up over the fact that we aren’t saving other ponies! No wonder the Royal Guard is always using action first before words!”

Shining only chuckled. “You think we’re that deliberate in our efforts to use violence?” He noticed Twilight shaking her head, but he pushed that aside. “I’d hate to call the kettle black, but you know what? You’ve been under Celestia’s wing for almost four hundred and fifty years. And she taught you the same old schtick of how to solve problems--trying to resort to peace talks. No wonder we’ve lost so many ponies now. It’s all because you three were too scared to even fight the Xenomorph.”

He didn’t stop there. “It’s also no wonder why you wouldn’t fight Chrysalis. You lost to her the first time and let her take your identity. A changeling who almost was my wife. You didn’t even fight her to save me from her mind control. You followed Celestia’s principles instead of trying to rescue me, acting like you were weak and pathetic!” She stared back, no longer filled with anger. Tears trickled down her eyes before she turned away crying.

“Shining!” Twilight yelled. “What is wrong with you? You’re acting like an unreasonable colt! You know what? I think you two need to be separated. And you, mister, need to go cool off!” Twilight backed up to Cadance, she turned her back on him as she helped her sister-in-law. He shook his head and walked away.”

He trotted off, not even taking a look back at the mess left behind. He took a right and just decided to let his hooves carry him wherever they may. But in the back of his mind, his thoughts cascaded together like a waterfall. He stopped walking for a moment. All of this was going downhill very fast. Shining rested a hoof against his forehead. What had he told them all? The shock finally settled in. ‘How could have I said all of that?’

It was too late for that. He brought his hoof back down. Finally, he knew what he was going to do. He followed a set of stairs downwards and then through another hall. He looked both ways and didn’t see any of them. ‘Why? Even my sister...’

He took the left hall and then went up a flight of stairs before he reached another staircase that led down further into the palace. He found a door and opened it. Another door lay in front until he opened it too. Multiple eyes met his own. When he had everypony’s attention, he announced, “Attention, stallions and mares!” They saluted him. “I’ve got an operation in order.”

They all stood at ease, until a stallion at the far right bench spoke. “You all right, sir? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But that’s not important. What is important is that I need help. We’re going to the Royal Sisters’ palace. I need ten Guards with me. What we’re about to do is… questionable. Your loyalty may even be called into question. But I assure you that we will be getting rid of a menace that threatens Equestria.”

“Our... loyalties?” a mare hesitantly asked.

“Yes. Those who wish to come with me can. And those who don’t can stay.” Shining Armor levitated his chestplate armor over his body and secured it around himself. He then did the same for his helmet before he spoke again. “Here’s my idea...”

~~~

The door to Twilight’s library opened. There she stood, eyes closed as she walked in. She closed her door and opened her bloodshot eyes. She felt like she had cried a little too much today. However, she blamed that on both the video she watched and, of course, her brother’s actions. What he had said to Cadance… she really couldn’t believe it. ‘I swear… the next time I see him… I’ll give him a piece of my mind.’

Twilight had always despised it when he got an idea stuck in his head. He was stubborn; that would always be true. She understood his frustration. She stomped her hoof against the wooden floor. “He didn’t have to act like a big jerk.” The last she had seen of her sister-in-law, Cadance was crying her eyes out. What Twilight had witnessed was their very first big argument. It was by chance that Celestia did not overhear the conversation. Otherwise it would’ve been a lot worse than it already was.

She looked up to her room, past all the steps. Sleep was a thing of the past at the moment. That sluggish feeling was gone. Twilight looked to the ground and sighed. ‘These last couple of days have been just a mess…’ Twilight raised her head and turned to the basement door. Her hooves seemed to move on their own as she walked over to its entrance.

Down the first couple of steps. She already had an idea of what to do to pass the time. Besides the fact that Twilight was known for staying up quite late sometimes, those moments were for purposes of study. This was no different, save for the fact that her study now consisted of watching a mad scientist kill his own kind with a creature that, as he had said, was of an artificial origin. She reached the bottom step and huffed. “Well whoever’s responsible, he said they’re likely gone.” Maybe that was a good thing. Her eyes widened slightly. ‘How am I becoming so… morbid?’

She could only blame the influence of what was transpiring around them. Speaking of morbid, she moved towards the human device and clicked the power button. The option for the first video came back up. Twilight pressed the arrow button three times before it reached the fourth video. She pressed it, and the video went to full screen. And just like the other three, Makoy appeared once more. “It’s amazing what determination can do for you. I can recall Specimen Zero being our only live Xenomorph. How far we’ve come!”

It was odd seeing Makoy in such a sentimental state. “Greetings to my faithful viewers. Today we are going to explore the depths of the Xenomorph. It’s abilities, physical traits, and a little special something else.”

“How exciting,” Twilight deadpanned. “The anticipation is just killing me.”

“As you know already, the Xenomorph’s killing capability is far beyond anything that you may have previously seen. With a tail that can pierce through steel, to claws built to tear through even the strongest metal, and even a secondary mouth that can punch holes in human skulls with minimal effort, this lovely being is a force that you wouldn’t dare cross. Nations will pay millions for an army of these perfect killing machines.” With each video he kept talking this creature up, Twilight scowled at the doctor. All of this praise was becoming a little tedious.

“There is another part of it that is dangerous, but we’ll leave that for a video on its biology. For now, we’re going to move onto its physical traits. The Xenomorph that is produced by a human is around eight feet tall when it stands up. When we applied facehuggers to creatures that are quadrupeds, like the horse and dog from earlier, they produce an Xenomorph that is seven feet tall. However, they are much faster than the bipedal form. XX121 truly is an amazing species.”

She frowned in disgust. “How can you even say that? You’ve seen what it does. Why even bother trying to show us a creature that should be completely destroyed?” Twilight knew it was fruitless to argue with a video of the past, but she couldn’t help it.

“That is what we’ve seen with the evolution of both bipeds and quadrupeds.” Makoy leaned forward and smiled. “But… the evolutionary chain of an Xenomorph doesn’t stop there.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Specimen Zero’s transformation has been rapid and is completely different from before. But another one of our specimens has also evolved. Specimen Three is now ten feet tall, the tubes on its back have now turned into spikes, the tail has grown too and is a little ragged, and its head’s dome structure has become something of a crest.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight took a step back.

“What we are about to show you is the transformation of Specimen Three. I give you the second evolutionary stage of the Xenomorph.” Lights turned on in a glass cage. Twilight brought her hooves to her mouth at the sight she saw. This evolutionary turn it had taken was even more frightening. It roared at the camera, and she covered her ears in fear?

It reached a pitch that sent shivers down her spine more so than anytime before. “This Xenomorph, a stage we have come to call the Praetorian, seems to be responsible for protecting the Matriarch. Specimen Zero has reached a stage beyond this. When we released Specimen Three into Zero’s cage, we watched as it paced around its Queen, as if daring us to come near it. The Praetorian can still reach speeds of sixty miles per hour and has been shown to still be able to climb up walls. There’s even more chitinous armor that’s been added, making it harder to kill.”

‘This man… he’s completely insane.’ What if the Xenomorph they had here had ended up in this stage? It would take even longer to kill.

“But the Praetorian is mere poultry to what we’re about to show you next.” Makoy walked off-camera before it turned to him again. The glass cage behind him was much bigger than the one with the Praetorian. “Specimen Zero has come a long way. And now she is at the peak of her evolutionary chain. A newly founded Matriarch. I give you the final transformation of the Xenomorph. The Queen.” When the lights turned on, Twilight yelped and backed away from the device. There stood something beyond the size of the Praetorian. When it roared, it sent chills running down her body.

“The Queen Xenomorph is about fifteen feet tall, but we believe it can get even bigger than that. Its crest and tail point are even more refined. No jagged edges. The true form of perfection. It has even grown two smaller arms, and its chitinous armor has grown more to a point where it seems to be able to stop even the M1A1’s explosive tip round.” Perfection? This creature. No, this monster was something that Twilight thought could only come from the deepest pit of Tartarus.

“The best part of this is that she can even produce eggs. That means even more Xenomorphs can be born from the process of more facehuggers.” How was that good? Twilight thought. Nothing about this creature was good. The Queen suddenly backed up to the back of the cage before it charged where Makoy was. The glass in front of it cracked. The scientist looked back and said, “Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go!” The glass broke, and the Queen roared. The camera fell down, but Twilight could still see. The Queen speared one of the human scientists, stomping on another before it flung the human stuck on its tail across the room. It grabbed another one, and before she knew it, its head was gone with an explosion of a mist of blood.

Blood. Blood was flying everywhere. It roared and slammed its tail against a line of cages. More Xenomorphs jumped out from them and joined in what Twilight saw as a bloodbath, her eyes wide and mouth agape. The screams of pain continued on and on. The video finally cut off. Twilight looked at the blank screen until the final video began its countdown. This was it. Twilight, for the most part, was glad that this nightmarish series of videos was almost over.

The video came on again, but this time someone different came on. It wasn’t a male, but a female this time. “H-hello? Whoever’s watching this… oh my God… wh-whoever’s watching this, please listen.” Twilight took a step closer to the device. Unlike Makoy, this human was shaking. Scared and frightened. “My name is… Abigail Markovich.” Twilight quietly gasped. The last name matched Makoy’s. It was obvious at this point that this could’ve been his daughter.

“The company… Weyland-Yutani has done so many terrible things. Human lives have been lost to create these… things. These things have overrun the facility. I… managed to barricade myself into one of the safe rooms but nobody else made it… my father’s in another one. I… these Xenomorphs have moved on from the facility. I… I watched people… o-oh God…” Twilight saw Abigail quietly cry, rubbing her eyes with her right hand. “People are dying… people on the colony are being killed or harvested for more Xenomorphs. I’ve sent word for the Colonial Marines, but… I don’t know how long it’ll be until they arrive.”

An audible sound of metal breaking echoed in the back, Abigail jumping at the sound before she turned to the screen again. “Please. Whoever is watching this. Weyland-Yutani can’t be trusted. They’ll do anything in their power to keep the Xenomorph. They want it for their bio-weapons division and are willing to go to any lengths to have it. You have to stop them. You have to kill the Xenomorphs, no matter the cost. Just please… don’t let them destroy the Earth… please…” The camera shut off as soon as she looked up.

Twilight stood there, still staring at the screen. The device turned off before she moved her gaze to the ground. She sighed and looked up the stairs. How could she go to sleep now? Although that shouldn’t have been the important point at the moment, she knew she had to do it sooner or later. Spike was asleep, and she didn’t want to wake him up in the middle of the night. ‘This information is important… but it can wait until later.’ Maybe it wasn’t the right call, but Twilight didn’t have the strength to watch the video series all over again.

As she turned around, a white blanket caught her eye. She glanced over to it and saw the hidden body. Twilight had made sure that neither Spike or Nyx came down here at all. Besides the fact that Nyx had done so recently, Twilight was glad that she had not seen the hidden corpse in the basement. ‘April…’ Now seemed like the perfect time. She moved towards the hidden body of April and uncovered her. She looked towards the light and turned it on with her magic. Twilight closed her eyes for a second. Taking a moment to calm herself, she breathed in and out. Opening her eyes, she levitated a few pieces of paper over to her right and a pen as well.

She scribbled words down until she spoke. “Autopsy of the alien being known as a human. Name is April O’Neal and has been deceased for four days now. A condition spell has been placed so her body does not decompose.” Twilight scanned April’s clothing for a brief moment. “Subject died in her ship crashing into Equestrian soil. A pole was lodged into her chest cavity. Will begin an exam of April’s anatomy.”

Twilight may have been in the human version of Equestria, but she never did get the chance to fully study the body she was given. She began by scanning over the arms. She lifted April’s left arm with her magic and brought a hoof to the skin. It was cold. The fact that she was this close to death, Twilight shivered a little. Moving her hoof she brushed it upwards until it met April’s left hand. “Skin of the female human is smooth. Could be because that most of her body is hairless.”

A thought of the human world came to mind, calling back to the touch of her own skin. It was smooth that time. In this case, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. She moved from the arm and towards the neck. She hummed quietly. “Seems a little small. Although, again I remember that a human’s neck wasn’t that large anyway.” She looked down to April’s legs and removed the clothing from them. The only thing covering her bottom area was a pair of panties.

The legs looked a little thin. It wouldn’t have been new information; she guessed she was military. She gently pressed a hoof down and felt the touch. “Legs are hairless and smooth as well.” Twilight turned to April’s chest area. There were always those weird objects on the female human's’ body. She had taken an earlier guess at what they could’ve been, but she had to make sure. Scanning over the military jacket, she saw what remained of the zipper and pulled it down.

Pulling it off, her eyes widened slightly. She saw two round mounds on her chest and quickly found her answer. “Okay, so they are what I thought they were: the mammary glands.” As she examined the chest, the scribbling of the pencil came once again. Oddly, sometimes Twilight felt it was something akin to music. More or less, busying herself with a project like this helped her out. “Further examination shows that she’s a mature female. Strange, mares only develop breasts when they pregnant or nursing, but human females seem to have them at all times.”

Twilight moved her gaze from the paper down at April’s chest. A magenta aura surrounded the two as Twilight put a little pressure against them. Gently moving them around she let them go and continued, “Ducts are there. Her papillas have come out as well.” A thought came to mind before she glanced down to her right back leg. ‘It’s not that I’m embarrassed by the prospect. It’s just that through this observation, a female human’s breast, at least as far as April’s body shows, is larger than mare’s. I could be wrong. These don't necessarily look that big.’

It was great to explore a little more, Twilight thought. At least her findings would be more accurate. “Just one last thing.” Her horn lit up again before April’s entire body lit up. When Twilight opened her eyes, she was greeted to an inside look at all the organs inside her. Jotting each organ down, she came upon the fact that both ponies and humans had similar insides. An odd and yet exciting find. “Besides the different body structure of our two species, and that these humans are omnivorous, we have similar organs.”

She released the spell, and April’s corpse returned to its pale skin. Twilight lifted the white cloth over her body but stopped just before her neck. When she saw the military dog tag again, she picked it up. A sigh escaped her. “I… I wish I could have seen what you were like when you were alive.” She quietly chuckled. “It sounds like a silly wish. But it’d be really amazing to learn more about you.”

Twilight turned the device and flipped it around. Her eyes widened slightly at an opening at the bottom of the dog tag. She applied pressure to it until it popped out. With a gentle pull she lifted it up and tilted her head. “What is this?” Twilight turned to the alien device and stared at it. The gears in her head turned at a fast rate. She hummed quietly and scanned over the device. There were openings that she had seen before.

Yet something clicked. Twilight brought the small little object in front of her again and noticed the tip of said device. “It looks like it could fit in one of those inserts.” With a couple quick steps she kneeled down to the alien video device. Scanning it over she took her time before finding one that appeared to fit inside one of the slots. Twilight pushed it in and turned on the device. The screen came up again.

A new title came up. “Flash Drive?” Twilight looked at the object in question sticking out. “Is that what it's called?” From what she had seen, these humans certainly had interesting names for these devices that were far ahead of her own time. But she couldn’t complain. She brought her hoof to the font and watched as an array of titles formed onto the holographic screen. There were three options, but Twilight saw the option to “play all” and brought her hoof to it.

The screen enlarged like before. However, the videos this time didn’t play immediately. Watching it take a while longer, she raised an eyebrow. “Did I break it?” Her answer came with the screen brightening for a moment. Her ears perked up at a familiar sound, one she heard at the lake. “Is that the sound of waves?” Then the image finally showed up.

If there was a picture to identify the expression of astonishment, then Twilight certainly fit that bill. “Is that an… ocean?” The ground was bright; the obvious answer led to it being sand.

But the ocean waves were interrupted by something far more exciting. “Where are you?” Twilight froze. It was a new voice filled with a gentleness. This whole day had taken a one-hundred eighty degree turn, from a horrific bloodbath to the kind voice she heard now. “Where’s my little girl at?” She recognized it as female. The image turned to a small girl hiding behind an umbrella.

“Mom. You know how much I don’t like being in front of a camera,” the little girl said. The frown that was so common died away. A small grin took its place upon Twilight’s muzzle.

“Oh really? What about yesterday’s performance of yours? You didn’t mind then.”

Twilight heard the little girl giggle. “That was different.”

“Don’t worry. Just come out. You’ll look fine.” The little girl finally walked out from behind the umbrella. To Twilight, she didn’t understand why this little girl was shy in her swimsuit. The age was unknown to her, but she thought that this little human was before her teenage years. “There. Was that really that hard, April?”

The name sent a shock through Twilight. “A-April…” Besides the fact that she was seeing a human child for the very first time, she was witnessing April in her childhood years. When she was in the human world, she had only seen adults and teenagers. “Wow… this is so amazing.” Focusing back on the video, April was nearing the ocean water, and her mother giggled as the little girl jumped right in. The video ended and blacked out. “W-wait… is there more?”

The screen lit up again. The background was a little more metallic this time around. It gave the idea that it was some type of barrack, but the barracks of Canterlot were a lot more regal than this. She heard footsteps echo in the room the video was in until she saw somebody sit down. Twilight took only a second to see the familiar features of April, and her jaw dropped at the sight. “April… how she looks now.”

“Is this thing on? Okay.” April sighed and smiled. “Sorry. This is the first time I’ve done one of these logs.” She cleared her throat and continued, “Log Date 4 13 2202. Things have been going well since basic training. The Marlowe takes off tomorrow, and I’m going to be on it. The only thing to report at the moment is… well, I’m really excited for this.” April giggled. “My first tour is beginning, and I have a very good feeling about it. Oh, what dad would say about this!” That smile disappeared into a frown. “If only he were still alive.”

Whatever happened to April’s father, it didn’t help Twilight at all. “Her dad’s gone? What happened to him?” It was pointless to ask, but she could hope it would be answered.

“Anywho… not to leave this video on a downer. I’m excited that tomorrow is my first day as a Colonial Marine. Well, my first real day. We’re being tasked to address the problems of a nearby colony. The mission objectives are to maintain peace and arrest those who’d cause any kind of trouble. Sounds like some cliche movie premise, but this is the real deal. It’s going to be so fun!” The video disappeared again.

Twilight waited patiently. Maybe there was another video? The image reappeared, and Twilight couldn’t keep still. Yet when she saw April, she didn’t see that smile from before. “Log Date 6 19 2210… it’s been eight years since I’ve been in active duty, and yet things have been… not going the way I thought they would. I’ve been getting along with my fellow soldiers. I’ve even made Staff Sergeant. That’s not the problem. I just… never realized how… violent colonial life was.” April sighed and rested her right elbow on the desk, moving her right hand against her cheek. “We marines are supposed to keep the peace. That what we’re doing. But the way we are doing that doesn’t feel right. I… I don’t even feel safe as a marine anymore.”

Shining Armor could vouch for April. After the day of his wedding with Cadance, Twilight had asked to talk with him alone after he’d been gone for so long. What he had told her was that military life wasn’t easy, but that he enjoyed it. Yet why wasn’t April the same?

“The way we treat others is like they’re just cattle or something. And for that… I-I’ve watched as friends died. KIlled by the people we’re supposed to be protecting. Maybe… maybe I should have stayed with my mother…” April shook her head and rested her hands on the desk. “I’ve always wanted to follow my father, but this… even if my mother was an alcoholic, at least she wasn’t abusive… surprisingly…”

Another shock went through Twilight. “She’s lost a father and her mother is… wow… she’s certainly had it rough.”

“I don’t feel clean anymore… hurting those people the way I have. I couldn’t stop it, either. They were orders and I had to follow them, but… at what cost?” She exhaled again and turned away from the camera. “I… I feel like I should leave. That I need to leave this military. When I get back to Earth, I’m resigning. I don’t know how much more I can take of this. But before that, there’s one last mission. We’ve just gotten a distress call from the colony on Erebus. That’s my group’s last mission before we head home. Something doesn’t feel right about this mission… it feels like something really bad is going to happen. Either way… I know this is my last log for the entirety of my mission.” April returned her gaze to the camera and said, “This is Staff Sergeant O’Neal. Signing off.”

Twilight looked at the video device for a moment longer before turning it off. She brought her gaze to April’s deceased body and sighed. “You were so close to returning home, too. But then you… you… died.” She whispered that last word. Slowly she walked up to the body and scanned April one more time, then lifted the white cloth over her body once more. Covering the entirety of April again, she turned away. “I… hope that even with the awful way that you died… I hope your last moments were comforting… somehow…”

It was a horrible thing to know. And to top it all off, Twilight had learned a few bits of April’s past--one that sounded unhappy--and yet she had managed to brave it all to the very end. Unfortunately, she had ended up on the colony that Makoy had come from. She didn’t blame April for landing here. She couldn’t have, yet it didn’t thrill Twilight either that this was the place they had come to. Twilight looked back at April and closed her eyes. “You deserve your rest…” April’s problems had come to an end. Now Twilight had to deal with Equestria’s problems, and whatever came her way, there would only be so much that she could handle.

~~~

The moon was slowly descending. The night would soon give way to dawn, but that did not mean that Shining Armor would stop. Metallic boots crackled in symphony as he and ten other ponies made their way through the Everfree Forest. It had taken some time since his descent from Canterlot to Ponyville. Trying to keep hidden from both civilians and other guards had made him tense.

His goal was justified. He would slay that monster. It had to be stopped before more death would come. He didn’t maintain his position as the Captain of the Royal Guard for nothing. Their creed was to protect Equestria’s citizens. Princess Celestia would understand him after this was over--if she did not discharge him once the Xenomorph was killed, that is.

Shining turned his gaze toward the night sky. Clear of any clouds except for one in the distance. He could see the faint outline of Princess Luna as she watched the castle from her perch. He knew she could not see his group of guards from this distance. That would change as they moved closer. “Captain Shining Armor, sir.” He glanced over his shoulder as one of his guards, a stallion, asked, “Are you certain of this? We are going against our Princess’s wishes. If she were to discover our disobedience, she would have our hides.”

“I understand the consequences of this.” His frown deepened when he returned his attention to the trees in front of him. “But Equestria must be protected from this menace. We have lost too many civilians. We can’t let this continue.” Princess Celestia would understand. His wife, Cadance, would understand. His little sister, Twilight, would understand. He had to keep every one of them safe. It was his duty as captain.

The moon’s lighting slowly dimmed as the darkness grew within the woods. The legends of this place were well known: tales of monsters that gobbled ponies up, creatures that froze you in place, and so many more. Now it held a monster not from this world. If it was somehow getting out and killing ponies, he would find out where. He stopped, the stallions and mares stopping behind him. “Spread out.”

“What are we looking for, sir?” A mare spoke up this time.

“You are to find an entryway. It should lead underground towards the Royal Sisters’ Castle. If you discover it, do not enter. Wait for the rest of us.” They saluted him before splitting apart. Shining took off on his own way and carefully scanned his surroundings, taking slow steps. He had to be precise. There should’ve been some marks; some clue as to where this Xenomorph could’ve been coming and going. ‘It’s an animal, right? It’ll leave tracks. It has to.’

As he searched, seconds turned into minutes. Slowly pacing through this place felt like an eternity was passing by. Why weren’t they finding anything? Was Shining Armor just paranoid? Could it really be true that Kettlepot wasn't the culprit? Part of him was certain that this stallion could not have been responsible for this mess. ‘But a pony shouldn’t have been responsible for a murder. There hasn’t been one since about a hundred years ago. Why would it start back up now?’

“Captain Shining Armor!” He turned towards the pony that whispered loudly. “I think we’ve found something.” Shining was thankful that he had kept his voice down. Even if Luna was still far away, he didn’t want to alert her to his position. He was scared of Celestia, he had to admit, but he was more afraid of Luna. Shining Armor quickly followed behind the stallion guard.

Moving past some bushes, he walked around a couple small trees before the guard stopped. “This is what I found.”

When Shining walked past the guard, he saw a hole leading into the ground. It was big enough to fit a manticore inside. He glanced at the guard and said, “Go gather the rest.” The guard nodded and hastily hurried off. As he stared into this dark pit, he thought he could see into the abyss. The creature could have been staring straight back at him and he wouldn’t have even known. ‘It’s down there somewhere. I hope it’s suffering down there. It’ll make the job easier.’

A snap of twigs. Shining quickly turned around and saw his guards at attention. “We’re here and ready, sir.”

Shining nodded and followed up. “Good. What we’ll find in here hopefully should be weakened. I’ll let you know now that this being is a creature beyond the Everfree Forest. It’s already claimed the lives of eight ponies.” He could see the shock on their faces. He huffed. “This thing needs to be taken care of now. I don’t know how strong it is in its weakened state, but I know that we can handle it. With our numbers, we’ll finally put this monster down for good.” The guards stood at attention, focused and ready to move into the darkness.

With one step, he went further into the darkness. His horn lit up in a magenta aura, bringing light into this desolate cave. Probably for the first time in a while. He saw the flashes of the other few unicorns’ magic in his group as their own light was added to his. It was oddly warm, he thought, his armor moving over his fur without irritation. He was sweating bullets as the humidity unexpectedly increased. Shining didn’t understand why but assumed there must’ve been a reason, though that wasn’t important to him at the moment.

The air behind them pushed far into the cave. Maybe this was how this creature found its way out. It was incredibly smart to find a path out of this place, learning how large this castle was supposed to be. It was a wonder that the princesses were able to maneuver through such a large building. How could a creature like this figure its way through such a complex structure? Either way, that worry would soon end here.

As the group moved further in, the air intensified. It wasn’t the darkness surrounding Shining that unnerved him. It was the feeling of something watching him and his guards. He was glad that they were quiet. Hopefully it wouldn’t find them while they were wandering around here. He’d prefer if they found it first. There was an opening that he followed before stumbling upon a chamber.

‘What is this place? I don’t remember this ever being here in the schematics.’ It was huge, about three to four stories tall with a dome shape. The group spread further out. But as he counted the ponies, his eyes widened. “There were ten of us. Where’s the other two?”

“We don’t know, sir. Azure, she was right next to me only a moment ago,” one of the guards said.

Shining sighed, shaking his head. “We should go back and find them. They could be in dang--”

A high-pitched roar echoed from the entrance they had already come through. Shining’s aura intensified as he turned to his guards. “Everypony! Form a line! We’re going to stand our ground and give this monster the justice our fallen comrades deserve!” The others roared in agreement as spears and magic stood at the ready. The ground beneath Shining slightly trembled. When this thing had run after them the first time, the ground beneath it didn’t rumble.

Moonlight filled the chamber from above the cracked ceiling and spread across the entrance. The roar came from the entrance again. Why wasn’t it coming out? The line faltered slightly. “Don’t break this line, soldiers! We stand as one!” Shining shouted the command.

The ground shook behind them. Shining felt his hooves leave the solid surface. The world tumbled until he stopped himself, standing upright with a quick move of his hooves. But when he saw the creature, his eyes widened, jaw dropping in horror. It had hooked one of his guards on its spear-like tail before throwing the guard into the wall. It stood at a greater height this time around, its formerly smooth cranium had formed a crest, and the tubes on its back now bore sharp spikes. The tail’s point was ragged and wider than before. ‘W-what…’

It dodged a spear jabbed at it, biting it and pulling the pony forward before slicing him in half with its tail. It pounced on a mare and swept aside two more guards with its tail. The mare’s head below it shook as its second mouth punctured through, blood spreading across the ground. Shining shot a beam of magic at it, but the beam didn’t do anything. It merely seemed to shrug it off as it went for another pony.

The screams of his stallions and mares were cut off quickly. He tried to keep firing at the Xenomorph, hoping one of his magic beams would finally puncture its hide. It thrust its tail through another guard before tossing the pony at Shining. He ducked underneath the body but was thrown off his hooves again. He lost his breath as his back hit the wall. Shining slid to the ground, coughing up blood. The Xenomorph stood over him, tail nearby its side and ready to pierce through him.

It growled, staring him down. He glared daggers back at it. He readied his magic again but a clawed hand covered his muzzle. It hissed as it picked him up. Air rushed past him as he was thrown to the ground headfirst. Everything went dark. Silence was all that was left.

Chapter X: The Surrounding Peril (Special Edition)

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Each moon was as beautiful as the last. A pale silvery glow that no star in the sky could compare to. A view that Kettlepot could only enjoy from the inside, eyes reflecting the white orb so far from their world. He lowered his gaze to the softly-lit town in the distance. The few buildings he could see — a freedom that was no longer his. He sighed, resting his chin on the window ledge.

Raising a hoof forward, he shivered at the cold touch of the glass. Even with the summer nights, air chilled without the sun. With a quick glance at his hoof, he thought of a familiar warmth replacing that unfriendly bitter touch. An ethereal lavender hoof met his, and he smiled at who he saw. “Berry…” She reciprocated his expression and nodded. “Oh, I wish you were here… I really do.”

Her image faded into mist as he blinked. ‘She’s not dead.’

“But you don’t know that.” He shrunk down in his seat. Twiddling his hooves like a foal caught in the act of disobedient behavior. “You and I saw what happened. There’s no way she’s alive.”

Hearing the tapping of glass, he shifted his body to the left. Met with the same muzzle he had seen every time; his own self looking back at him. ‘We don’t know that for sure.’ His expression changed not as a mirage of another being, just him mimicking this other self. ‘Yes, she was hurt but she could still be alive.’

“How?” A flip flop of expressions. Unhinging at the very spot. “She’s dead. We both saw it kill her.” The nightmare with metallic teeth flashed to life in the mirror for a brief moment. He clutched his chest, left hoof shaking. His breathing only increased in its unsteady rhythm. “That monster… there can’t… it’s not possible. She can’t be alive. There’s no way.”

‘We left in a hurry. There’s still a chance she could have escaped.’

“You can’t expect me to belie--”

‘Listen!’ Kettlepot crumbled up, eyes wide as he stared at the nothingness in front of him. Nobody else was in the room. ‘If she comes back alive and fine, she’ll wonder why you refused to pony up and save her like a real stallion would.’ Ears folded, Kettlepot hid them underneath his hooves, but the disturbing chuckle was not lessened. ‘Then again, you’re just a pathetic mess. Not grown up enough to handle any big colt problems.’

“Ju- just shut up,” he whimpered in a shaky tone, curling up tighter.

‘What? I’m just trying to get you to be a big colt is all. It’s not my fault. Being a big wimp is your forte, after all.’

“Just shut up!!” Kettlepot fell onto the floor. The chair cracked against the wooden surface, and he rolled into the wall. He blinked for a moment and stared at the mirror. Teeth clenched, his breath increased — he couldn’t stand it anymore. The other voice of self-deprecation punctured his ears; he was done listening to this mouthpiece. “Go away! I’ll prove it. I’ll find Berry. I don’t need you!”

His ears flicked, and he turned to the door. It opened, and Dr. Horse poked his head through the opening. “Is everything okay, Kettlepot?”

“Yes, yes. Of course.” He quickly stood up and brushed himself off. “I’m sorry if I made a lot of noise.”

“No worries, Kettlepot. So long as you did not hurt yourself, everything is fine.” He glanced at the chair. “We’ll make sure to replace your old one.”

“Th-thank you.” He watched as Dr. Horse brought in a wheeled table. “What are you doing?”

“Well, since you’ve been doing well, I thought I’d come in and bring you some food.” He lifted up a needle and flicked it once. “That, and I’m here to take some samples for the lab downstairs.”

‘You fool!’ the voice screamed. ‘He’s going to put you to sleep forever if you don’t stop him!’

‘Y-you don’t know that. Maybe he’s telling the tru—”

‘Listen! He’s going to put you to sleep, and then you’ll never find Berryshine ever again!’ He frowned, his fear growing out of control. ‘Don’t let him stick you with it!’ And as Doctor Horse brought the needle closer, Kettlepot yelled and shoved him away.

In his blind fear, he didn’t hear the chocked gurgle of pain. When he opened his eyes, he gasped at the sight of the needle inside the stallion. But it had been forced far too deep — blood trickled slowly out of the wound. He went to take the needle out but saw the near-lifeless eyes of the doctor.

“W-what… what did I do?”

‘You did what had to be done,’ the voice simply said. ‘Now let’s go. We need to get out of here now.’ Kettlepot stumbled backwards towards the door and opened it. Now outside the room, he could feel his magic come to him once more. He closed his eyes and teleported out of the room. He appeared outside at the front of the hospital. But he quickly ran towards a few bushes and hid inside of them.

He took a moment to catch his breath. “N-now… we find Berryshine, right? You said she’s alive?”

‘Of course she is! Why wouldn’t she be?’ Kettlepot didn’t know who else to trust but his own mind. He smiled a little and nodded. He looked to his right and left before he paced across the wooden bridge. Wherever she was, he would find her. And they’d finally be happily together again.

~~~

Twilight’s eyes opened wide, and she shot upright, hoof to her chest. She quickly scanned her room and found nothing out of the ordinary. She took a few deep breaths and sighed — the dreamworld had been unkind to her for the third time. More dreams of the Xenomorph. More dreams of the menace that plagued their living world. She closed her eyes and thought back to the once-vivid vision.

Her brow furrowed as she clenched her eyes tight and heard the faint screeches of the Xenomorph. And yet, for some odd reason, she thought she was somepony else. The horrifying moment in time seemed all too real. An omen to come, perhaps? Twilight let the thought drift to the back of the cascade of her other ruminating worries.

She looked out her window and at least had a smile, the sun greeting her to a sky bare of any clouds. Twilight slipped out of her bed and tucked the sheets back in with her magic. She approached the window and looked out, and turned when she noticed a few ponies running towards the eastern side of Ponyville. ‘What’s going on?’ She saw a few more and thought something must have been happening here in town.

But it was probably nothing she had to worry about. She walked over to Spike and nudged him a little. “Wake up, Spike.” The gentle movements made the young drake yawn, stretching his arms out.

“A few more minutes, Twilight,” he mumbled.

She giggled a little. “Come on. You’ll miss out on the ‘welcome back greeting’ for Applejack.”

He opened his eyes halfway and yawned again, scratching his back as he sat up. “Alright, alright. I’m up.” He took a moment to groggily fold his sheets. Once he finished, he looked up to Twilight. “Ready as I can be.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we get some coffee afterwards.” His eyes lit up at the mention of the delicious elixir for his groggy state.

“Sounds like a plan.” He hopped up onto her back. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go say hi to Applejack!” It would be a welcomed distraction from everything else that was going on.

Twilight quickly trotted down the stairway and out the door. It didn’t take them long before the train station was in sight. She smiled when Rarity waved at her. “Good morning, Twilight,” she greeted her as Twilight walked onto the platform. “You’re just in time. The train should be here shortly.”

She took a moment to glance at the small group. Fluttershy sat beside Pinkie Pie with their hyper pink friend smiling as she got a laugh out of the pegasus. Apple Bloom fidgeted in place alongside Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh seated next to their grandmother. They all wore a shared assembly of worried frowns.

“They’ve been like this since they got here,” Rarity murmured.

“Well, at least Applejack’s return will brighten their day.” And revive everypony else’s spirits as well.

There was a roar in the distance, a train’s horn signaling its arrival. Twilight moved towards the others, Spike hopping off and sitting right beside her. Steam poured out from underneath the locomotive as it finally came to a full stop. The doors opened and a few ponies stepped out — her anticipation only grew in wait for her friend.

The conductor was backing out as he helped a pony along. When he stepped aside, Applejack moved onto the platform. She looked up and smiled. “Hey, y’all.” Apple Bloom was the first to jump into her foreleg, Applejack smiling as she sat down. Macintosh was the next one, who pulled the two into a hug, obviously doing his best not to cry and failing in that attempt. Granny Smith was gently pulled in. Twilight couldn’t help but tear up at the reunion of a family.

Applejack’s grin grew more at the sight of her friend. “Glad to see everypony’s here.” She pulled away and Twilight glanced over at the wrap that held her right foreleg.

“How you feeling?” Twilight asked.

Applejack glanced at her foreleg and smiled. “Yeah. I can’t use my leg for a while. But it’s not so bad.” It was nice that her friend seemed to be trying to keep a positive attitude.

Her ears flicked, and Twilight turned towards the source. Her smile disappeared when she noticed the frown on the mare. “Princess Twilight.” She noticed the red cross on her hat, and the name came to mind.

“Is everything okay, Nurse Redheart?”

She shook her head. Before she spoke, Twilight looked back at the others and noticed their own concerned gazes. She smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.” As much as she wished she could stay and visit with Applejack, she figured this would require her attention.

When Twilight and Redheart walked away from the train station, out of earshot of her friends, she returned to the topic at hoof. “So what’s wrong?”

“There’s been a casualty at the hospital.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Doctor Horse… he’s dead.”

“How did it happen?”

“It… it was a needle injection. But the needle itself was forcefully shoved into his throat.”

A great bit of news to break her off from the more happy reunion with her friend, Applejack. Not only was this joyous moment ruined for her, but she also had an idea who the culprit was. “And… the pony who caused it. Was it the stallion, Kettlepot?”

Redheart nodded. “We found the doctor’s body in his room.” So now there is a homicidal maniac running around, Twilight thought, but at least he was the only one considering the Xenomorph was safely locked away in the containment spell.

Twilight let out a quiet sigh, but she gave a grateful smile. “Thank you for informing me, Nurse Redheart. I’ll make sure to contact the Royal Guards and send a group to go find him.” As the nurse turned away, she heard a set of wings to her right and looked up to the sky only for her to smile when she saw her former teacher. “Princess Celestia.” She landed a few feet from her, to which Twilight gave a relieved grin. “Thank goodness you're here. I was just told that Kettlepot escaped his confinement.”

“An unfortunate circumstance,” Celestia murmured, “but something we can deal with in the future. Right now, I need you to come with me. Cadance, Luna, and I brought the doctor to the shield. We are currently trying to get him to talk more about the Xenomorph… but have met with less success than we anticipated. We were hoping that another princess might help change his mind.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course. Anything to help.” But as she unfurled her wings, she gave one last glance over to the train station. She frowned when her friends had disappeared. With a quiet sigh, she rose into the air, following close behind Celestia towards the ruined castle. Maybe Markovich held more information than the device that she had in her hooves.

~~~

Kettlepot quickly glanced his surroundings, carefully scanning the thick brush all around him. He looked up and held a hoof to his eyes; the afternoon sun easily penetrated the canopy above him. The Everfree Forest had plenty of dangers, and he figured it couldn’t hurt to be careful, or he might stumble into something that would more than likely ruin his whole day. More specifically, ending his search for Berry Punch.

“I know nopony else will follow me here.” And who would? Not many ponies dared to even set foot into this place — a world all to itself, unrestricted, and not bound by the magic that ponies used to control the world around them. But beyond the possible terrors of this uninhospital land, he could at least subtract a worry from his list. “Now… all I have to do is wait until night comes. Maybe then I can find her.”

But the frown on his muzzle didn’t seem to line up with his hopeful thoughts. “Oh, who am I kidding. I murdered somepony. I took a life… I’m a wanted criminal.”

‘Look on the bright side,’ the voice said. ‘Now you don’t have to worry about anypony else. We can take our time now to find Berry Punch.’

Even though it wasn’t much of a brightside, the isolation Kettlepot found himself in was a nice and quiet setting, compared to his previous confined and somewhat noisy home back at the hospital. “I-I guess…” he murmured.

‘The best thing we can do now is to wait. Who knows. May—’ The voice stopped. Kettlepot’s right ear twisted, and he looked in the same direction. He crouched low as a couple of voices broke the former silence. He poked his head past a few branches and noticed a dirt road. When he glanced to his right, he slightly pulled back when he saw two fillies a ways down the road. Yet as he heard their voices, he couldn’t help but stare at the pink filly next to the silver one.

When she got closer, her body began to ripple before he thought he could see Berry Punch. “Is… th-that Berry?”

‘Yes! Yes, it’s her! Now stop hiding, and let her know you’re okay.’

As soon as she and the filly was about a yard away, he walked out of the bushes. “Berry Punch!” he yelled as he trotted up to her. “You’re alright!”

“Um…” She raised an eyebrow. “Who are you talking about?” The voice, even though it sounded younger than hers, didn’t concern him.

Did she forget who he was? “B-Berry Punch. It’s me, Kettlepot! You know, you’re coltfriend?”

“Berry Punch? That’s not my name. It’s Diamond Tiara, weirdo. I’m not your marefriend.”

His elated expression deflated, and a somber frown replaced that once happy grin. “B-but we’ve been together for almost a year. S-surely you remember me.” He reached forward and gave her a hug.

“What are you doing!?” The mare screamed, pushing him away from her. “Get off of me, you pervert!”

“I’m your coltfriend, Berry. Why don’t you remember me!” He held on tightly, digging his hooves into the ground, and refused to let go. “I’m just trying to protect you from that thing. Don’t you remember that monster from the alleyway?”

She only continued to resist him, glancing towards the filly next to them. “Silver Spoon, if you don’t mind, I’d like some help right now!”

“Let her go, you weirdo!” Silver Spoon grabbed onto his right hoof and pulled at it.

“Get away from us!” His horn lit up in a dark blue violet aura before Silver Spoon screamed. A bolt discharged into her chest and sent the filly skidding a few feet back from the two. When he felt Berry Punch pull at his hold he quickly jerked back. There was a sudden snap that almost seemed to deafen the former sounds of the chaos. He stared at Berry Punch for a moment as her neck hanged loosely against his forelegs.

“W-what did you do?” Silver Spoon murmured, her voice breaking with each word she uttered, “W-what did you do… to Diamond Tiara?”

Kettlepot looked down to the mare in his grasp. His eyes widened when he saw the pink filly from before instead of Berry Punch. Blood trickled from her mouth and dripped onto the dirt road. “Y-you… y-you, y-you freak!” Silver Spoon screamed. “You killed my best friend!” She ran back the way she came, screaming at the top of her lungs.

“B-but I… I thought she was Berry… Punch…” He held a hoof to his mouth and gagged, dropping the body as he quickly stepped back but unable to break his gaze from this horrid display. “I… I just killed a filly… I-I just killed… a filly.” Tears trickled down the sides of his muzzle; all he could do was stare at the result of his actions. “No… no… no, no, no!” he yelled and ran back into the forest.

As he delved back into the haunting scenery, his voice echoed through the trees as he pleaded for somepony’s forgiveness, begging to be told what he just did was an accident. That he didn’t just kill an innocent life again and that this was all just some sick and cruel joke.

Chapter XI: A Danger That Elevates (Special Edition)

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How things seemed to go wrong in the blink of the eye, Twilight thought, as she followed behind Celestia. Unsteady as her flying skill was, she was happy she hadn’t face planted into the ground; or at least hoped it would not happen during their short trip. She glanced to her right. “Has Markovich been cooperating with you?”

Celestia shook her head. “So far he’s been a stubborn creature to work with — might as well have wasted our time bringing him to the castle.”

Just another issue that wasn’t falling into their favor. “I wish he’d have some common sense. I can’t see why he admires that monster so much, even after everything it’s done.”

“Neither can I.” Celestia’s gaze hardened. “But we’ll get the information out of him. I know we will.” One could only hope — especially with the vice grip of this man’s quiet-lipped attitude. Twilight blinked as the light of the shield grew brighter before she glanced towards the ground. There she could see a handful of royal guards standing off to the side, with a few others situated by the yellow pulsating light of the dome.

Twilight’s ears flattened when she heard somepony yelling, and it didn’t take long to recognize the emphatic tone of Princess Luna. “Why must you be a stubborn fool?” She could see the dagger-like glare situated at Markovich. “What will it take for you to give us the information?”

“I already told you.” Markovich stood with the shield behind him, a stoic expression to his stare. A surprise, Twilight thought, to see somepony unfazed by even Luna of all ponies. “The creature is to remain unharmed. I am to be allowed access to the ship and to contact my superiors to let them know where I am. Maybe then I might divulge my secrets to you and your sister.”

Luna seemed to maintain her icy glare before she growled. “The creature is a menace. A monster that has already killed ponies. You might as well be guilty for your association with it. So unless you want us to throw you into a prison cell for the rest of your life, I advise that you assist us now or pay for the consequences.” Even with that, he seemed unfazed by the princess's threats.

“Luna.” Celestia called. The mare glanced towards the two. “How goes the talks?”

The lunar princess turned back to the human. She stared for a moment before leaving in a huff. She quickly trotted over to the two with Cadance following behind her. “This creature is disrespectful and, and, maddening!” She nearly shouted.

“He hasn’t told us anything since you’ve been gone.” Cadance chimed in. “He’s kept his mouth shut. It’s almost impossible to get him to speak about the alien without him giving his own demands.”

Celestia only gave a sigh. “We’ll figure this out. I know we will. He’ll give us what we want before the end of this day.”

Twilight peeked at the human to see him staring at the group. Her ears flicked for a moment before an idea came to mind. “Princess Celestia?” Her former teacher looked to her. “What information are you trying to obtain?”

“The Xenomorph, of course.”

She then smiled. “I think I have something that’ll work.”

Celestia’s eyes brightened. “You do?” It was then that Twilight could see clarity glaze over her expression. “I believe I remember one of the guards mentioned you found something inside the ship. If I recall, they said some word like, ‘video’, or whatever it was they said.”

Twilight fervently nodded. “Yes. I have them stored on this item called a ‘hard drive’. They have everything you’ll need to know about the Xenomorph.”

“Is that so?” Celestia stared for a moment before she glanced to the group of guards. She gestured for a few and three guards quickly trotted up to her.

“What is it, Princess?” One of the saluting guards asked.

“Take Markovich back to the carriage we came on and bring him back to Canterlot. He’s no longer required here for the time being.” They nodded before they moved over to the human.

Markovich seemed to just survey what was going on around him. He turned to the group and said, “I believe I’m done here then?”

“Yes. Twilight here has information that you’d rather withhold from us. Therefore, you’ll be taken back to Canterlot.”

He held a slight frown before a sigh followed. “Of course, Your Highness.” Twilight frowned as he spoke in an understanding tone, but the intentional placement of his words only irritated her. How he could go and disrespect those who gave him shelter, even while knowing his past deeds?

Twilight watched him being led over to the carriage. Her ears straightened and she turned around to see a couple guards coming their way. “Princess Celestia.” The two saluted before putting their hooves down. “We’ve come to tell you something.” Celestia nodded. The two then continued, “However, we found this filly here who… just went through a lot.”

They stepped aside and Twilight’s eyes widened when she saw Silver Spoon. “Silver Spoon?” She then saw the tears that streamed down the filly’s muzzle, sniffling as she tried to regain some composure. “What’s wrong?” But before she could get an answer, Silver Spoon ran to her. Twilight took a step back as she had the filly wrapping her hooves around her. Twilight’s frown softened before she returned the gesture. “It’s okay.”

At least she had practice for this kind of situation. “It’ll all be okay.” She pulled away just a little, looking Silver Spoon in the eyes. “Just take a few deep breaths.” Twilight breathed in deeply, and the filly followed her example, and she breathed out in tangent with Silver. “Now… what happened?”

Silver Spoon’s breathing quickly came again, but not as labored. “M-me and Diamond. W-we were just walking down a path. Just trying to hang out together. B-but then this stallion he… he came out of nowhere.” Twilight’s eyes widened slightly but she urged Silver to keep going, “Th-then he called Diamond a different name. B-Berry Punch…”

‘Kettlepot.’ Twilight frowned.

Silver Spoon’s lips quivered as she continued, “Then he… th-then he…” Her unsteady words only halted with another bout of crying, and she tightened her grip.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything else.” Twilight murmured, letting the filly cry into her shoulder. She felt a hoof on her shoulder and glanced to Celestia. “What should we do about him?”

Celestia looked to the ground for a moment. “We’ll have a small patrol go look for him.”

Twilight nodded before she turned back to Silver Spoon. “Do you want somepony to take you home?” Silver Spoon shakily nodded.

“Guard.” Celestia called to another pony. She saluted like the others. “Take this filly back to Ponyville. Find her parents and then come back. Then, I want you to take another small group and…” She paused for a second before she leaned in and whispered the rest of her sentence.

The guard quickly nodded. “Of course, Your Highness.” The mare then walked over to Silver Spoon, whispering a few words of comfort before gently leading her back to Ponyville.

Twilight stood up and sighed. First the Xenomorph and now a stallion who seemed to be losing his mind. Didn’t they already have enough problems? The princesses turned back to the two guards from before, and Celestia addressed them. “Now, what is the main reason you’re here?”

The guards blinked for a second, and they shared a uneasy glance with each other before the mare on the left spoke. “You see… we heard your concern where Shining Armor went earlier this morning.”

Twilight’s eyebrow rose at the mention of her older brother’s disappearance. She turned to Celestia who, while acknowledging her former student, returned her focus to the guards. “Yes, I did. And you two know where he is?”

The two nodded. “Yes.” The stallion on the right took his turn. “You see… he came into the barracks last night, and we could tell he was angry about something. The oddest thing was that he made mention about doing something that would get most of us in trouble. Of course, he also said that anypony could back out if they didn’t want in.”

“Which led the two of us to not take the risk.” The mare breathed for a moment. “We overheard him making a plan to head to the Royal Sisters’ Castle.” Twilight felt her heart skip a beat. She turned to Celestia, and while she did not outright show it, the fury in her gaze could have scared the even the most fearless dragon. “We… we didn’t know what to do at first. Before we could do anything, he left for the castle in the middle of the night.”

“I know we should’ve reported in earlier. But…” Celestia held up a hoof and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

She seemed to be in deep thought until she opened her eyes. “While I am disappointed that you simply did not wake me… I understand why you did what you did.” The two guards’ nervous demeanor softened a little, but even then, Twilight could see their hesitation. “You two are dismissed.” They quickly nodded before joining in with the other guards.

Celestia raised a hoof to her head, rubbing the right side of her temple. “One complication after another. I can’t believe he’s actually done this. What made him think any of this was a good idea?”

“Maybe he has some merit to his choice?” Luna murmured. Even as Celestia stared at her with disbelief, Luna continued, “Do not get me wrong. Shining Armor is a fool for having committed such an imprudent act. But I can see why. He wants to kill the creature and be done with it.”

“The ends don’t justify the means.” Celestia argued. “Those two said he went into the castle last night. But he hasn’t returned from this foolish venture.” Her frown deepened. “This means he’s either injured as well as those who followed him or…” She glanced to Cadance and Twilight — mouth agape as she left the sentence incomplete, before she gave a short sigh. “Now we have to allocate soldiers to go in. I hoped getting rid of this creature would not be so complicated, but now Shining Armor has made it so.”

“Then let us send in soldiers. Let us bring a regiment over and surround the perimeter so it has no way of escaping.”

“But this is exactly what I wanted to avoid, Luna.” Celestia stomped a hoof into the ground. “I wanted to avoid further loss of life. But the action Shining Armor’s taken is going to make us use other ponies lives to save his.”

Luna blinked for a moment and slowly nodded. “I understand, Celestia. I hate that this is the only sensible choice we have at our disposal. But Shining Armor has not left us with many options.”

Celestia took a few breaths before she seemed to retain her calm gaze. “I know… we don’t really have an option but to just leave him in there for the time being.” She glanced towards Twilight. “Take Cadance and I to the library.” Celestia turned back to Luna. “Go back to Canterlot and gather a couple regiments. We’ll go into the castle the first chance we get.” Luna smiled and opened her wings, Twilight covered her eyes as the winds from her takeoff billowed past the trio.

As Luna sped towards Canterlot, Celestia looked to the shield — her horn briefly lit up in a pale gold aura and the shield followed suite. “The shield should be fine for a while.” With that she returned her gaze to Twilight. “Now then. Please take us to the library.

Twilight nodded and turned towards Ponyville. But the very thought that her brother was hurt and or injured plagued her thoughts. She gulped at the thought of a more uncomfortable outcome. But she blinked the terrible thought away and put it into the recess of her mind. ‘Not now. I’ve got to focus on the here and now.’ Even still she did not feel convinced by her false attempt at a distraction. ‘Shining Armor… you idiot. I hope you’re okay…’

~~~

Loud footsteps crashed through the brush, thickets and small trees crashing to the forest floor. All minor and momentary obstacles to the Xenomorph. She had a single minded plan to populate as fast as possible; there was enough meat and flesh in that place not far from her home. She began to slow her pace and took a quiet but long breath — inhaling inwards she let out a soft hiss.

She lowered herself to all fours and slowly scanned the town through the treeline. The equines were out from their hiding places, all with their own goals for the day. Motionless, she simply took her time to survey the motions of these equines. She slowly rattled her tail — the creatures scents were different. She parted her lips; a combination of drool and slime dripped from her metallic teeth.

Were they looking for her? The tension in the air was almost overwhelming, but they did not seem to be on alert. She jerked her head a little to the right and gave a deeper hiss. A group of equines, similar to those that invaded her nest — all armed with those pointy sticks, their scent was squirming and drenched in caution. Something was wrong.

She slightly raised her head, arching her back. She had to find other equines. Slowly she trudged through the brush, keeping the treeline in sight but a good distance away from her. She was too big to hide in the town and these equines would spot her without trouble in this light. She kept watch on the patrol at the edge of the town in interest to see where they’d move their group.

They walked with a few other equines across a bridge, only then did she see a few familiar equines. The leaders of these creatures, at least she thought. But then another scent caught her attention. She crawled the opposite direction and to the left before she could hear the slow and gentle ease of moving water. She moved as far as she could without breaking from the treeline.

She slowly stood up on her back legs and could see a river. With a coarse growl, she watched them and waited for the group to look away, keeping a lookout for other wary eyes. She quickly but quietly crawled out from the treeline and slipped into the water with a gentle splash. The Xenomorph reached the bottom and felt the water pass over her spikes.

She froze when a shadow passed over the water’s edge. With a slow turn of her gaze upwards, she could see an equine looking directly at her. Had she made too much noise getting into the water? Did the equine spot her leaving the treeline? But it was just the one that peeked over the river’s edge. The equine seemed to stare and stare until it looked away and disappeared just like that, leaving her to loosen her muscles and swim downstream.

The Xenomorph stopped for a second and straightened herself in an upright position. Slowly she poked her face outwards and saw ponies far from the edge. None of these equines seemed to venture closer to the water. It was a bit of a nuisance but she dared not to rush or risk herself getting caught in such a vulnerable state. She kept her focus on the right side before gently positioning her gaze to the left.

There was a set of movements from two equines as this very light aquamarine furred equine waved to another one with a more white coat. She kept watch until the white furred equine disappeared into a building — she kept watch on the other equine who had a horn on its head, similar to the other ones, yet it had no wings. It sniffed a little and this didn’t share the anxious scent like the others.

Or at the very least, she could detect a bit of fear. But she hissed a little when she saw the equine heading near one of the bridges she passed, and, without delay, swam upstream. She positioned herself just so below the bridge and waited; grabbing a hold of the stone edge without making much noise.

She could hear hooves clacking on the stone. Without warning, she rose up above the edge and as the pony turned her way. And as it opened its mouth to scream, she grabbed hold and quickly ducked back into the water. She swam as fast as she could — paying no heed to the struggles of this equine in her grasp. Soon she could see trees above the water and saw fit to exit her hiding place.

The Xenomorph tossed the equine onto dry land and crawled up a moment later — she watched the creature go into a coughing fit, slowly approaching the equine until it turned to look at her.

The equine; its scent giving way to a female, opened her mouth again, but the Xenomorph hissed and clamped its hand over her muzzle. The mare closed her eyes shut and let out a muffled scream as the Xenomorph continued to produce its low and guttural growls. But the Xenomorph, she simply watched as the mare began to cry uncontrollably, but she did not care about her overwhelming distress.

With her hand still clenched over the mare’s mouth, she turned her around and opened her metallic jaw. With a quick thud the mare’s cries deafened, but she did not taste flesh. Her second mouth remained closed, only for it to retreat now that the mare was unconscious.

Now that she would not be hampered, she picked the mare up and pressed her against her chest. With a step forward, she hurried back towards her nest. The thicket again came alive to the sound of her crashing through the brush, remaining alert to any other noise besides her footsteps. It took her some time, but she found the entrance, the hole now a much bigger size to compensate for her new width.

She slowed her pace and walked into the tunnel. Now without prying, eyes she could be a bit more careless. The scent of flesh stirred a rumble in her gut, but not yet, those corpses could be eaten later — this equine had to be added with the others. The Xenomorph walked into a larger room and put the equine against the wall. She opened her mouth and secreted a putrid ooze: dousing it over the mare’s forelegs and back legs, and across the shoulders and the hips.

It took its time, and after a matter of minutes, the equine was secured firmly against the wall. She turned to the mare’s left and heard a few more sets of slow breathing, and softly hissed at her small collection of hosts. Even with a few equines, she still knew that more would benefit her. And more she would get if she wished to help her newfound hive thrive on this world. She turned to the smell of corpses and made her way to another room.

The ripping of flesh filled the halls of this former castle. The hive would grow. It would spread. But even she had to sustain herself. Soon she would go out again and find others. That was all she would require — and there were plenty more creatures she could use to fulfill her goal.

~~~

Hoofsteps was one of the few gentle sounds around Twilight. Alongside the breeze of the wind and a few chirping birds, there was a moment of comfort in this silence. Her heart beat a little faster as the tip tops of buildings slowly rose over the horizon. But she held back the urge to hurry forward — responsibilities came first and she couldn’t just abandon her fellow princesses. “Twilight?”

She turned to Celestia. “You’ve already used this device before. Will it reveal to us what Markovich keeps to himself?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. It’s given me valuable information about the Xenomorph. Everything you’ll need is on the device.” She winced a little at the passing memories; the horror that came from its contents. ‘I’ll warn them before they get a chance to view it.’ Something she wished somepony had done for her.

“Then let’s hurry. We need to be there when Luna returns with the garrison.” The three quickened their step and slowly trotted towards a bridge. Twilight’s ears straightened at the splash of water and turned to see nothing at the river behind them — the fact that this happened did not make any logical sense. She walked up to the river’s edge and stared at the rippling waves.

Odd and unexplainable were the words that best described this circumstance. She couldn’t find a reason to why this could’ve just happened, especially seeing that there was no cause to disturb the water. “Twilight?” She turned back to Celestia and Cadance.

“Coming.” She took a second to rejoin the others. They passed the mayor’s building and it wasn’t long before the trio found themselves at the library’s door. Twilight opened it and smiled when she saw Spike and Nyx both on the couch. “Hey you two.”

The pair smiled and it was Nyx first who got up and ran to Twilight — coming together into a loving embrace. Twilight pulled away and returned the bright expression. “How’re you doing?”

“Good. Spike and I were just reading.” Nyx beamed.

“Everything going okay out there?” Spike asked as he walked up next to the filly.

Twilight hesitated for a moment. ‘Okay’ seemed to be an ideal of peace at the amount of stress that permeated the air of Ponyville. “Everything is alright, Spike.” Celestia gently smiled as she moved next to Twilight. “Nothing to worry about.”

Twilight quietly sighed; at least Celestia was here to help her maintain this ever growing facade of tranquility. Even as much as she disliked keeping Spike and Nyx in the dark, it was for the best. They didn’t and shouldn’t have to worry over the predicaments of both a killer pony and a pony killer on the loose. “You’re here, too?” Spike seemed to finally register that Celestia stood in front of him. He looked over the pair to see Cadance behind the two. “Are you sure everything is okay?”

“Of course.” Celestia kneeled to Spike’s level. “I’m simply here to discuss a matter with Twilight.” She gave a short giggle. “It’s just a simple talk about the progress of restoration to the former castle.”

“Oh.” He simply said and gave a shrug a moment after, “Fair enough. I’ll leave you to it.” Twilight watched him go back to his spot, but when she turned to Nyx, she didn’t seem as convinced as Spike. Twilight leaned forward and nuzzled her daughter. “Don’t worry. I promise this is nothing to worry about.”

“You sure?” Twilight nodded to her. Nyx gave a small smile. “Okay.” She felt like she landed on a dense tree branch stomach first — a pain that persisted with each lie she told the pair.

‘It’s worth it… right? To keep them safe from the truth?’ She reasoned it was for their own good. It had to be this way for their own safety. So why did she have to feel bad for keep them in the dark? She shook her head — now was not the time to worry about half-baked and supposed “truths”. She turned to Celestia and Cadance. “Here. I’ll take us down to the basement.”

The two followed Twilight through the open downward stairway. It took a short second before they descended the last few steps. It didn’t take her long to spot the foreign device on a table a meter away, which she lifted up with her magic and brought it closer to her. “Here it is.”

“That is a rather interesting and odd looking object.” Celestia stated.

“This’ll have everything we need to know?” Cadance added.

“Yes…” Twilight’s gaze hardened. They’d finally get to learn the secrets of this horrid creature. But she wonder if it would cause them the same amount of distress it had done to her. She turned back to the two mares. “Listen… before you watch this. I have to tell you that what’s on this device is… very difficult to watch.”

“What do you mean, Twilight?” Celestia asked.

A description could not put into words of the horrors Twilight faced during her own exposure. “I can’t… really put to words what I’ve seen on here. It’s better if you just watch it.” The two nodded but held a more serious expression this time, Twilight figuring from her own anxious expression. She pressed a hoof to the button and the same holographic image came up, and just like before, she directed it to the ‘play all’ option.

Once the screen came to life and Markovich appeared on holographic monitor, Twilight felt her throat tighten, and she took an uneasy gulp. “If it’s okay… do you mind if I just let you two stay down here?”

The two held a concerned gaze, but the pair nodded. “Of course, Twilight.” Celestia softly murmured. Without any further delay, Twilight quickly ascended the stairway. Just before she moved through the opening, she turned to the room around her. It was covered in a magenta aura for a brief moment. ‘There. A sound proofing spell should keep Spike and Nyx from hearing any of this.’

She closed the door behind her and moved up the remaining stairs until she, again, found herself in the lobby. Twilight quickly noticed that Spike and Nyx were nowhere to be seen, and breathed a small sigh. ‘They’re probably upstairs.’ No questions about why Celestia and Cadance were here or why they were still down in the basement. Her ears straightened as a set of knocks came from the door.

Twilight trotted over and opened it, smiling when she saw Pinkie Pie and Rarity. “Hey you two.”

“Is everything okay, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

Twilight’s smile quickly faded to a frown. “At the moment they are. But Princess Celestia and Cadance are downstairs right now.” With another and shorter exhale she continued, “they’re watching the videos right now.”

The bright demeanor on Rarity, even Pinkie of all ponies, faded away. “Oh…” Pinkie murmured.

It was quiet for a moment. Rarity then broke the silence. “How do you think they’ll handle the… grotesque horror of those images?”

“Maybe they’ll do better than we did but… I don’t know.” Celestia was a kind, caring, and compassionate mare. Cadance, too, but where Cadance would have possibly reacted the same way they did, Celestia might hide her reaction to the intense gore of the videos. Maybe Twilight was simply overthinking this scenario. “All I can do now is wait for them to go through the videos.”

Pinkie and Rarity nodded. “Of course, darling.” Rarity said. “As much as I’d like to stay and chat more, I told Applejack I’d visit her later. And, well, um, break the news about Diamond Tiara.”

Twilight’s eyes dimmed — with so much going on she almost forgot about the poor filly. “So you finally heard about it?”

“Heard about it? We were there when the guards brought Filthy and Spoiled Rich’s daughter to them. It was simply devastating to see such a thing.”

“Just another problem we have to deal with.” Twilight murmured.

“Things can’t seem to be simple. These past couple of days have been bothersome to say the least.” Rarity frowned. “But… I figure with Applejack back in Ponyville, I thought I’d go and tell her what’s been happening so far.”

Twilight nodded and turned to Pinkie. “What about you, Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie’s frown faded rather quickly with a smile on her lips. “With everything right now, I’d thought I’d go and bake some delicious ‘everything will be okay-there’s a brighter future ahead’ treats. I mean… I don’t know what I’ll do for Diamond Tiara, but I know that whatever comes to mind, will help numb the pain that those two are going through right now.”

For a moment there, Twilight smiled, and giggled a little at Pinkie’s hopeful demeanor. “Of course.” With a quick hug, the three separated moments after with a wave. Twilight closed the door and felt the smile fade back into its counterpart. At least for a brief instant she felt a sense of normality. There had to be hope, right? Hope that everything would get better? ‘Of course.’ Twilight thought.

No amount of pain, no amount of worry, no amount of fear should have gotten in the way of her optimism. They’d find a way to bring Kettlepot and the Xenomorph to justice. She felt a few tears trickle down at the word. “Shining Armor… you idiot.” He was okay, she thought. Maybe he was lost inside the castle. Or maybe…

“No…” She hissed to herself. “Don’t think like that. He’ll be fine. He’s the most stupid pony on the planet, but he’ll be okay.” First the carnivorous and destructive Xenomorph, then the unhinged psycho somewhere outside of Ponyville, and now this doubt of her brother’s safety. Things seemed to keep piling up and up — her worries might as well grown to the size of a hydra and just as hard to vanquish.

It almost felt that at any moment this pain would consume her whole. She shook her head and turned to a smaller portion of the library. A distraction, she thought, that would help her. ‘Maybe there’s some books that need to be reshelved?’ She walked towards open doorway and into a smaller chamber. Twilight slowly surveyed her collection. Maybe she could reshelve the assortment of tomes, or maybe she could…

She closed her eyes — a shudder ran through her body. “E-everything will be fine.” She had been doing her best to try and focus on her surroundings. But any lapse in activity, just even a momentary snippet of passivity and she couldn’t help but wonder if Shining Armor was okay; not to mention the scenarios running wild through her thoughts.

Twilight clenched her teeth together. ‘Just… take a few deep breaths.’ With a similar motion she brought her hoof to her chest, inhaling, and exhaling as she moved her hoof outward — she repeated this step a few times. With her last exhale, she opened her eyes and felt a little calmer, a bit more composed than a few seconds ago. She looked at the row of books and blinked as she scanned over each one.

A book lit up in her magenta aura and she brought it closer. She opened it, pages crackling, and looked over the title. “Something Gained.” She murmured to herself. “Mindfulness for…” Her voice cracked as she began reading the rest of the title. Without another word, she closed the book and hastily put it back into its former slot. She took a moment more and looked out the window.

Was there some reason that particular book was there, like some kind of warning about that particular somepony? “It’ll be fine. Shining Armor is okay. He’ll be fine.” Did she really know that for sure? Even though he was still Captain of the Guard, and even though he was a prince — not to mention a rather powerful unicorn — was she really certain that he’d be fine on his own?

Her ears flicked and she turned towards the opening to the basement. Another but more important diversion. She walked closer to the sound of horseshoes clacking against wood. But when she saw the expressions of the princesses, she could see herself from yesterday’s vulnerability. Cadance’s eyes had a reddish hue to them, her muzzle stained from tear marks. Celestia did not seem any better, but even with a similar appearance she did not seem as disturbed as her sister-in-law.

It was all too easy to relate to their horrible experience. “So… did you two finish?” Celestia nodded and Cadance shakily mimicked her.

Celestia looked up to Twilight as a deep frown replaced the sorrowful expression. “Markovich… he’ll not only pay for what he has done, but I’ll make sure to lock him away for the rest of his life after we find Shining Armor and get rid of the Xenomorph.” She walked past Twilight and towards the entrance. “I’m heading back to Canterlot. Luna needs to know this information now.”

Without glancing back, she continued, “Cadance…” The princess slowly turned towards her aunt. “Go to the shield and maintain it. I’ll be back with Luna and a few regiments of guards.” She opened the door and closed it behind her. Twilight had not seen Celestia ever in such a disturbed state. She thought it was impossible to see her affected this way by some outside force.

Twilight turned to Cadance. “Are you going to be okay?” Cadance shakily shook her head.

“Twilight… when Celestia and Luna get back… we need to find Shining Armor.”

“I know…”

But Cadance quickly closed the distance between them. “I don’t mean ‘after’ if we find the other guards. I mean right as soon as we get into the castle.”

“B-but wh—”

“He’s more important than… than the other ponies. You should know that as well as I do.”

Twilight frowned. “What are you trying to insinuate? That Shining Armor isn’t important to me? Why would you ever dare say some—”

“Twilight, I’m pregnant!” As the words were uttered, her eyes widened, that pained ache returned with a sharp pang.

The world was a little uneven at first and Twilight felt her head spin and she quickly sat down on the couch. “P-pregnant…? Y-you’re… Cadance, you’re pregnant?” Fresh tears streamed down Cadance’s muzzle. Her own eyes watered a little and Twilight felt her mind ache as she processed this new information. “If you’re… if you’re… t-t-that means I’m an… aunt?”

There was a momentary and joyous smile from Cadance, but it died just as it appeared. Cadance rubbed her eyes. “Yes… I wanted to tell you. We were going to tell you in some sort of fun activity. But n-now that he’s not here… I’m worried that something’s going to happen to him.” She gave a small hiccup. “Twilight… I-I don’t want to lose him.” Without warning Twilight was pulled into a tight grip; Cadance quietly whimpered. “I d-don’t want to lose him…”

Twilight found it hard to breathe, not because of Cadance’s hug, but at the revelation of this new bit of information. She returned the gesture and shook just a little. “I-I know…” She pulled away just for a moment. “We’ll find him… he’ll be okay. I know he will…” Twilight then embraced her sister-in-law, and she tried to be strong as Cadance began to cry a little more — the weeping of a distressed wife and expectant mother.

It was almost too hard to handle, Twilight only crying a little moments later, as she too had a reason to be worried about her brother. And it too was almost too easy to empathize with Cadance, for a very similar reason that only gave rise to her more overwhelming worries. ‘Shining… y-you better be okay. Cadance needs you. I-I need you…’

Chapter XII: The Darkest Hour

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The rain kept pouring down as the grey clouds remained in the sky. Time had passed and things weren’t looking up at all. A pegasus was walking down the streets of the town. Her mood was saddened, for a certain pony had not come home last night. She had a gray coat, with blond hair, her eyes were a yellow. They were different though, for her right pupil pointed down while the left pointed up. Why didn’t he come home? Where is he?

She was worried and hoped that he was alright. This matter was important, and she hoped that she could ask the mayor to help out with her search. The pegasus couldn’t understand why her husband didn’t come home, as he was always on time. I hope nothing got to him...please let him be alright?

The Mayor was standing up over by town hall, talking to the press about the events that had been transpiring. “So is it true that somepony has been running around, causing the disappearances of others?”

“We don’t have all the facts as of this moment, but I hope that everypony can calm down and let the authorities handle all of this.” These reporters are so persistent. I would do anything to get away from them. As she continued to answer more questions, she noticed that a particular pony was standing there. What does Derpy want? She’s never come to me before. She felt like her prayers were answered and quickly announced, “I’m sorry but that’s all the time I have. If you have any other questions, I’m sure that my secretary can answer anything you have to ask.”

With that, she quickly left and nodded at Derpy to come inside. The pegasus quickly trotted after her, and soon the two were inside the confines of town hall. Mayor Mare sighed and was happy to be away from the spotlight. She looked over to Derpy and noticed that she looked miserable. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Derpy hesitated before speaking. “I...I have a problem.”

Happy that she could help somepony out, she asked, “Well, what is it? I’m sure that I can provide you with the assistance you need.”

“It’s...my husband. He hasn’t come back since last night. And I’m afraid something bad has happened to him.”

Mayor Mare was worried at this troubling news. Oh dear...another missing pony case? This was getting ridiculous as she had already heard a few others from other ponies. Bon-Bon had come in yesterday and she said that Lyra was missing, and then soon after, Pinkie Pie and Cup Cake reported that Carrot Cake was missing as well. This is not pleasant news at all. If anymore ponies disappear, then ponies will certainly begin to panic. So she approached Derpy as she had with the others. “Do not worry Derpy, we will send a search party out for them as soon as we can. Right now everypony is busy with all the mayhem that is going on.”

“It’s okay...I...I understand.”

Then the doors were flown open as ponies began to enter the building. The noise soon began to rise up as ponies shouted and voiced questions that Mayor Mare couldn’t handle all at once. She scanned the faces of the crowd and found her secretary, who gave her an apologetic yet overwhelmed shrug. “Please! Hold your questions! One at a time!”

She backed up and went onto the stage. Ponies quickly found their spots and sat down. The noise continued until Mayor Mare grabbed a microphone and said, “Please...everypony settle down. I can only take one question at at time.”

Soon the voices died down and all became quiet. “Okay...so I’ll answer the first pony who raises his or her hoof.”

She spotted the first hoof that rose up and nodded to him. He got up and asked, “Who's behind the disappearances?”

“Well, ummm…”

“Why haven't they apprehended him yet?” Another pony interrupted.

“You see…”

“What are you doing about it?” A mare asked.

“One at a time, please…”

“How long have you known about it?” A stallion impatiently demanded.

Before Mayor Mare had the chance to answer, she saw Twilight Sparkle come to her rescue, walking up to her and saying, “Listen everypony. We are trying our best here. We don’t have all the facts right now, but we are working hard and diligently.”

“Well then...who’s behind all of this then? And what has been happening around here?” Another stallion asked.

"Ah'll tell ya what happened!" Applejack burst in. Everypony turned to look at the farm pony as she walked in, the rain dripping from her hat and body, with something red on her forehooves. But what everypony else saw was that tears were streaming down her face from her eyes, and behind her was Scootaloo and Applebloom, who seemed to have tears coming down her face as well.

Everypony stood still, except for three ponies who rushed to her side, hugging her. They parted, and then Fluttershy asked, “Applejack...are you alright?”

“Yeah, why do you look so sad?” Pinkie Pie added.

“Applejack...what happened?” Twilight softly inquired.

AJ looked at her, but when she answered, her voice was filled with nothing but hatred. “Ya’ll want to know what happened!? Mah brother was murdered!”

What followed was an echo of ponies gasping in shock. Her friends stared in horror and shock. Fluttershy’s eyes began to water and she covered her mouth as she whimpered in sorrow. Pinkie Pie’s mane deflated drastically, but still retaining some of its poofiness, and Twilight was stunned, her mouth agape as her eyes began to water as well. “Wha...what do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Ah said...mah brother was...murdered. And it was because of that...that monster!”

“Wait...who are you talking about?” A pony from within the crowd piped up.

She turned towards him and replied, “He was killed, by that evil and heartless pony...Kettlepot!” AJ hissed his name with such hatred and anger.

“Wait...you mean the escape hospital patient? He’s responsible for all of this?” Another pony asked.

“Yes...he’s the one who’s been causin’ nothin' but trouble...and he’s the one who’s been takin' ponies without us knowin’, and he...he took Rarity and Sweetie Belle.”

Her friends gasped in horror, and the news that Rarity and Sweetie Belle were missing put everypony far from feeling safe anymore. But...how could Kettlepot sneak off with both Rarity and Sweetie Belle? He couldn’t do it by himself. Thoughts of the creature resurfaced again in Twilight. No...it can’t be it. It’s still locked in the castle. But the feeling that the creature was responsible seemed strong.

Filthy Rich, Diamond Tiara’s father, then spoke up. “He murdered my daughter, and you were keeping it from me! Why didn’t anypony tell me who was responsible!?”

“We didn’t want to cause a panic.” Twilight tried to reason with the grief-stricken earth pony.

“You should have warned us!”

“We didn’t know he would be so dangerous and we did announce that he escaped.”

“Why weren’t the guards doing anything about him!? Why weren’t you doing anything about it!?” Filthy shouted at the lavender princess.

“The guards were searching for him, and I…” Twilight hesitated. She wasn’t sure they were ready to hear about the Xenomorph, the crashed spaceship, or Doctor Malcovich.

“What? What were you doing then? Were you hiding away so you wouldn’t get hurt!?” He stopped before adding with anger, “And you call yourself a Princess.”

Twilight was taken aback by such an insult. Never before had she heard anypony call her out like this. She tried to form words, but nothing would come out.

“So what are we supposed to do now?” A mare from the crowd asked.

“Why, we’re going to go find that pony and give out what he deserves...justice! For all the crimes that this monster committed against us.” Filthy Rich exclaimed.

Soon, other ponies began to silently whisper the term justice. Then, they were yelling it out. Then Applejack added, “And...good old fashioned REVENGE!”

The ponies roared in agreement and followed Applejack out the building as she said, “Come on, everypony! Let’s find that demon and give him what’s comin’ to him!”. Twilight tried to call to her, but she was too far away now. The only ponies that remained were Applebloom and Scootaloo, along with Twilight, Spike, Nyx, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Mayor Mare. They sat in a stunned silence, taking in everything that had just happened.

What just happened? Twilight thought as she watched the ponies spread out into the town. She knew that she should have contained the situation, but this was far out of her hooves now. Why...why did he have to say that? This was something that Twilight had never hoped to encounter or witness. She looked at the others and noticed the same fearful expression on each one.

She felt a hoof grab hers and looked down to see her daughter. “Mom...what’s going to happen now?”

Twilight looked back up and thought about that. She knew now that she would need assistance, and fast. I have to contact Celestia...she’ll know what to do.

She looked back down to her daughter and asked, “If it’s alright with you...would you mind comforting your friends?”

Nyx looked back over to Applebloom and Scootaloo. She turned back to her mother, nodded, and got up and walked on over to the others. Twilight began to walk towards the library, but stopped as she saw Silver Spoon coming back through the door. She watched as the gray filly walked up to the others. They seemed to converse before Silver Spoon reached over and gave Applebloom a hug. Scootaloo and Nyx joined in, which gave rise to a sad smile to Twilight.

She then turned to Spike and noticed he was beside himself with grief. “Spike?”

“R-Rarity…” The dragon muttered in despair. Twilight gave him a sympathetic look and raised his head with her hoof.

“Spike, listen to me. We will find them.” She tried to reassure her faithful assistant, but her words did little to comfort him. “We need to get back to the library and write to Princess Celestia. She’ll be able to help us. Everything will be alright.”

“You promise?” He asked as he looked up at her with tear filled eyes.

“I promise, but we must hurry.”

They quickly ran off to her house and went through the door. When she got in, she walked up the steps as Spike sat down on the couch while trying to get a hold of himself. A noise emanated from somewhere within the library, giving rise to a suspicion in Twilight. That sounded like shuffling...but when has anything else ever moved around by itself? But something told her that it might’ve been Owlicious, so she ignored it and walked into her bedroom.

She closed the door and summoned her magic up to pull a piece of paper. She pulled a pen out and began writing the summary of what had occurred over the past hour. As she went to call for Spike, she saw her balcony window was open. The curtains fluttered in the breeze and Twilight gave them a curious look and tilted her head in confusion as she walked up to the opened glass doors. She didn’t recall opening them earlier and Owlicious certainly couldn’t have. As she went to close them, she whispered, “How did…”

A powerful blow struck her in the back of the head and she collapsed unconscious to her bedroom floor. A figure stood behind her, staring down at her as she lay on the floor and whispered, “I’m sorry...Berry, but I had to. Otherwise, you’ll try to leave me again.” Kettlepot leaned down and nuzzled against Twilight’s cheek, but she didn’t respond. “It’s okay now, Berry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He stuck his nose against her dark indigo mane and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. He stood back up and gazed upon the unconscious mare’s figure admiringly. He picked her up with his magic and turned her over, setting her down on her back with her stomach facing upwards, exposing everything to his gaze. “I-I love you…Berry…” He reached down and grabbed her around her waist. “I love you so much…” He raised her hindquarters off the floor and positioned himself over her. She mumbled incoherently as her legs were spread. Twilight only moved slightly but didn’t awaken from this action. “Now we can be together...Berry…”

“Twilight?” Kettlepot heard a voice coming from the doorway and snapped his head to see a small, purple dragon standing there with a wide eye expression. Spike had heard the commotion from downstairs and rushed up to see a strange pony standing over his dearest friend while she laid on the floor, out cold. “What...what are you doing?”

“Me and my Berry are going to be together forever! So go away!”

“Twilight! Get off of her you creep!” He rushed over towards him, but surprisingly, Kettlepot never saw a dragon before, so he scampered off of the unconscious mare. But stopped at the balcony window, before turning around. “No...me and my Berry are going to be together forever! And not even a dragon will separate me from her!”

Spike stood his ground, but something caught his eye behind Kettlepot. He looked for a brief moment and felt his breath catch. Fear rose up within him and he slowly backed away.

Confused, the enraged Kettlepot looked behind him slowly, but stopped when he saw the nightmare behind him. Memories from sometime ago resurfaced, and he remembered what this creature did to his love. He screamed loudly and tried to back up, but the creature grabbed him quickly and knocked him out by slamming him into the ground. It picked him back up and looked at the small creature.

Spike didn’t know what to do, as the creature loomed over him. Slime dripped from its lips as it started to approach the young dragon, but it stopped and looked looked over to the mare on the ground and realized this was an easier target. It snarled at him and moved over to the unconscious alicorn. It extended its arm and reached with its black, clawed hand to grab Twilight, lifting her up from the ground. Spike witnessed this and yelled, “Get away from her, you monster!”

Spike charged the creature. When he got close, he breathed in and exhaled fire out. It became startled and frightened as this creature spewed green flames from its mouth. Twilight was thrown onto the bed as it leapt back, shrieking in fury, and made for a quick exit out of the house.

It ran out the window, jumped from the balcony and landed back onto the ground with Kettlepot still in its grasp. As it lifted its head, it noticed there was a filly sitting on her flank, stunned by the sight. She recalled the terrible monster she had seen from the video and slowly crawled backwards. No...mom told me that...this thing...wasn’t going to get out.

The creature snarled at the small filly and saw another chance to capture another pony that would serve its sinister purpose. It slowly walked over to her and in one stride, was on top of her. It picked her up with its clawed hand and carried away the screaming filly. “Mom! Mom, help me! Mooommm!”

Spike ran out to the balcony and watched in horror as his little sister was taken away from him. “Nyyyyyxxxx!” Spike yelled, but he could do nothing but stare as the monster walked away, vanishing into the rainy night.

Spike fell down, completely exhausted and stunned by what just happened. “Nyx...I’m...sorry.” He looked back to Twilight, who was still unconscious from what Kettlepot did. Tears welled up in his eyes. How...how am I going to tell her? He realized that the alicorn’s heart would break with such sorrow if he mentioned what happened to her. But he realized that she needed to know. He quickly ran over to her and shook her. “Twilight...wake up.” But she didn’t move. The only indication that she was still alive, was the slow rising of her chest. “Twilight...get up. I need you...Nyx needs you.” No matter how hard he shook, she would not wake up.

He stopped when he realized that she wouldn’t move or respond. So he sunk down to the floor again and thought about what he should do. He looked back to Twilight and remembered that the others were still out there. Should I just leave Twilight here? He realized that she would be safer here for now. So he went to the balcony window and closed it, locking it and double checking it before heading off. He looked back to his friend and said, “Sorry Twilight, but right now I have to get the others.” He got up and quickly ran down the stairs and out into the night, trying to find his friends.

~~~

Hours had passed, and all was quiet in the labyrinth. Nothing stirred, and not a single noise was made. The creature was nowhere to be found, but another object was attached to the wall. The same thing from before happened as cracks soon appeared on the object and a large creature fell down from the wall. The ground shook as a massive behemoth landed on its powerful legs. Its body had grown and now had a build that resembled a great predatory dinosaur. Its arms were longer and stronger and a smaller extra pair grew out from its ribbed chest. Its long, segmented tail whipped behind it as it rose to its full height, barely fitting in the subterranean cavern. Its crest had extended and now ended in multiple points.

A deep, rasping noise came out of its throat as it breathed and turned to look down a tunnel to a nearby chamber. Inside it were the ponies it had gather over the past few days. Their bodies stuck to the wall, covered in a black slime that held them in place. Among them were Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Kettlepot, and her chamber, little Nyx. They were unconscious and unaware of the monster’s intentions. It was time for the Xenomorph to execute her plan.

Chapter XIII: The Brood

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Hours had passed and the light of day slowly rose up, but dark clouds still reigned over the world as the torrential rainfall continued on. In the hospital, there lay the lavender alicorn who had still not awaken. But dreams and nightmares roamed her thoughts as she began to wonder what had happened.

Darkness was all she could see, but soon light reached her eyes as a bright white light greeted her. Her vision cleared and she was looking up at lights in an unknown room. She rose up but encountered a major throbbing pain that she felt on the back of her head. Twilight groaned in pain and thought, What the heck happened? I remember being in my room and writing a letter to Princess Celestia, and then I saw the window open and…

Twilight realized that she wasn’t at the library anymore and quickly looked around. She saw the green curtains and noticed the green nightgown she had on and the first thing that came to mind was the hospital. But how did I get here? What happened? All these thoughts and questions worried her, she raised her hoof to rub her head and felt a bandage covering part of it. Anxiety began to rise and she tried to move but the pain in her head told her otherwise.

“Twilight?” She heard her name being called quietly and looked over to see that Spike was sitting on one of the chairs. He was tearing up as he saw her awaken. Twilight gave him a sad smile and Spike rushed over to her, hugging her tightly. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m sorry about everything.”

Everything? She wondered at what he meant, but before she could ask, the door to her room opened. Applejack came in first, then Fluttershy and Pinkie followed her in.

“We came as fast as we could when Spike told us about you.” Applejack told her.

“What happened anyway? I don’t remember much after I found my balcony window open.”

Spike stared at her hesitantly, not knowing where to start. What he had seen was something that he didn’t know how to comprehend. How do I even tell her what I saw?

“Spike...what’s wrong? Did you see what happened?”

Spike hesitantly nodded, but all Twilight could see was fear in his eyes. This concerned her, and didn’t make her feel safe. “I...I don’t know how to say this.”

“What happened Spike? I’m sure that I can take whatever you have to say.”

“Last night...when you were writing your letter…I heard something crash up in your room...and wondered what was going on. I just thought that you had a minor slip...and went to see if you...needed help. But when I got up there, I saw...I saw…”

“Spike...are you alright?” Applejack asked.

“Come on Spike...you can tell us. What did you see?” Fluttershy reassured him.

Spike tried to form words, but his mouth just stood agape. How do I tell them? Just...how? He then realized that there was no other easier way to say this, so he just decided that he needed to come out with it.

“I saw Kettlepot.”

“What!?” Applejack yelled. Her anger came back as she asked, “Why didn’t yah tell me? Where is he now!?”

“Applejack...be patient about this. Let Spike say what he needs to say.” Fluttershy intervened, hoping to calm the tension down.

“I...saw Kettlepot...but what I saw...I don’t know what he was doing. But I pieced together that he...came in through the balcony window...and knocked Twilight...out.” The girls gasped as Spike began to recall last nights events. “But...I...I saw him, standing over Twilight.” He paused before turning to her, seeing the expression of fear on her face.

“What do you mean...that he was standing over me?”

“He...Kettlepot...that...monster. He had you turned over on your back with your stomach facing towards the ceiling. He...he had your back legs...s-s-”

“Spike...what...did he do?”

He knew that he needed to get this out now, so he quickly said, “He had you’re legs separated and he was trying to have his way with you!”

There was a stunned silence that set in after Spike revealed what his goal was for Twilight, or for “Berry” as he had so hallucinated. Applejack stood there with an expression of worry which soon turned to anger as she silently mumbled to herself about what she would do when she found him.

Fluttershy moved her hoof over to her mouth, as tears slowly fell down her cheeks. W-why...why would he do that? She wondered, and felt so sorry for Twilight.

Pinkie Pie’s mane deflated greatly this time, almost going flat. Why would that creep do such a thing?

But the alicorn was just sitting there, tears flowing down her face freely as the news set in. She didn’t know what to say, or what to think. To hear what almost happened to her was almost too much for her to handle.

“Twilight…?” Applejack asked.

“Twilight, are you...okay?” Fluttershy inquired.

“Twilight...you aren’t broken...are you?” Pinkie Pie desperately asked.

“Twilight...I’m sorry...I’m so sorry.” Spike murmured.

“Did…” Twilight quietly and hesitantly began to say. “Did… did he…”

“N-no, he didn’t.” Spike answered. However, what did happen was even worse. “He didn’t get the chance...because the Xenomorph...is free.”

Silence was all that there was as the bad part was revealed. “F-free?” Applejack whispered. Fluttershy froze up in fear as though the creature would make an appearance as Spike revealed the terrifying news. Pinkie Pie just stared at Spike, not even able to comprehend the situation. Twilight too didn’t know how to even handle all of this, nor did she know where to even begin.

“Spike...what d-do you...mean that the X-Xenomorph is...f-free?” Twilight fearfully asked.

“I saw...the monster. I was fending you from Kettlepot...but when I looked behind him, the creature...it was standing right...there.” But the worse was yet to come. “But it...it didn’t look normal. It was bigger...bigger than the one from the film.”

No...it...how can it… Anxiety soon filled Twilight, as she realized that something terrible was about to happen.

“Kettlepot, it...it grabbed him and knocked him out. It was going for me...when it saw you.” Twilight’s breath caught in her throat as Spike continued on with the very grim details. “It went for you...and was picking you up, but before it got any further...I did what I could think at the moment and breathed fire at it which seemed to...to scare it. It dropped you onto the bed and took off with Kettlepot.”

Twilight knew what was about to happen and realized that she needed to take immediate action. If we don’t stop it...Equestria will be in grave danger. She tried to get up quickly, but the ache in her head slowed her progress. She finally was able to stand up, all the while she quickly took off the gown and was heading out the door as fast as her aching head would permit.

“Where do you think you’re goin’ in such a hurry?” Applejack asked.

Twilight turned around and said, “You heard what Spike said. It’s growing and we need to stop it now.”

“What do you mean by growing?” Fluttershy asked.

“The Xenomorph is growing and soon it will evolve into a Queen if we don’t stop it...”

“Queen? What yah mean by that?” Applejack inquired.

“As a Queen, the creature will be able to reproduce like ants and bees but in a way that it needs a host to be able to reproduce.”

“And by host, what do yah mean by that?”

“Well Applejack, when I mean by host, I mean that it needs a living creature to be able to make more of them.”

“You mean…”

“Yes. More Xenomorphs will be born, but the hosts will be killed violently and die instantaneously.”

“So, are you saying it is the reason why Rarity and Sweetie Belle are missing?” Fluttershy asked.

“And Mr. Cake as well?” Added Pinkie Pie.

“Yes.” Twilight grimly confirmed. “It’s gathering ponies to breed an army. If we don’t stop it...all of Equestria...no, the whole world will be in danger. We have to stop it before it becomes a queen and save our friends.”

“So what are we just sittin’ around fer? Let’s go and get that monster!”

Twilight was about to leave but Spike stopped her by saying, “Wait! I have to tell you something else.” She paused and looked back at Spike. He hesitated before saying, “It’s...it’s all my fault.”

What…? “Spike...what do you mean?”

“The monster jumped back down to the ground and I thought it was gone...and then I heard a filly scream.” Fear rose in Twilight as he continued on. “When I went out to see what it did...I saw...I saw…”

She quickly went over to Spike and hastily asked, “What...what happened Spike...who was it?”

Tears began to flow freely from Spike as he hesitantly answered, “It...it...it was Nyx.”

The whole room went quiet as what Spike said soon hit Twilight.

Nyx...it…

“I’m so sorry Twilight, it’s all my fault. I tried to help her, but by the time I saw her, it was already too far away to catch up to. Please...I’m so sorry.” He broke into tears and cried hard. She looked over to her friends and saw the expression in their faces.

“Ah’...ah’m so sorry Twilight.”

“Twilight...are you okay?” Fluttershy asked worryingly.

Twilight got up for a moment and took a few steps before falling down to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. Applejack and Fluttershy rushed over to her side to hopefully help comfort her. Nyx! Please...Nyx...be...alright.

Spike watched in sorrow as his mother/big sister was crying hard. I’m so sorry Twilight. I...I wasn’t strong enough.

After a few moments, something sparked within Twilight. I...I can’t be crying now. There’s still a chance to save her, and she needs me. Quickly regaining her composure, she quickly took off, leaving her friends and Spike to stare in confusion and worry. They looked to each other briefly and then ran after her. Twilight ran out the hospital and was quickly set on her path. I need to get the other princesses...then that monster is going to regret ever coming to this world!

~~~

The darkness of the creature's lair was unsettling as the humid air and smell of mold passed through the air. The rotten stench was the first thing that the white unicorn noticed about her new surroundings. Her nose scrunched up from the smell and she slowly opened her eyes, wondering where she was currently located.

When she remembered the creature, her eyes flew open and she quickly looked around. She noticed that the room was dark, faintly lit by the light that had made its way from the main room. She tried to move, but something held her in place. She looked to her limbs and noticed that she was stuck to the wall by an icky gray goo. With a disgusted cry, she struggled to free herself from the slime, but no matter how hard she pushed and pulled against the substance, it would not falter.

Okay Rarity, the situation looks dire, but let’s calm down and figure a way out of this before we get into more serious trouble. She took in her surroundings and saw other ponies attached to the walls. Mr...Carrot Cake? And Lyra… Oh poor Dr. Whooves. They were strewn against the wall like plaques in a macabre trophy room. When she looked to her right, she was horrified by the sight. Not too far from her, her sister was suspended on the wall, unconscious like the others. Sweetie Belle...oh no! She tried to reach for her sister, but to no avail as she was reminded of the substance holding her back.

She then heard a pony coughing and looked over to her left. She saw the dark blue unicorn, who she recalled had done terrible things. But before she could say anything, a small object in front of the pony opened like a flower in bloom. She heard his breath get quicker as he began to struggle in an attempt to get away from the pod. Something jumped from the pod and attached itself to him, muffling his screams, and before long he passed out as the facehugger soon went to its work. She began to panic and tried to struggle harder, but soon another moan sounded, but it was coming from the closest pony to her. Sweetie Belle...oh no! She can’t see any of this.

As Sweetie Belle woke up, Rarity could hear her begin to panic and said, “Shhh, shhh, no Sweetie Belle, don’t worry now, everything will be okay.”

“Rarity...please get me out of here. I don’t want to be here.” The frightened filly whimpered.

“Don’t worry Sweetie Belle, we’ll get out of here. Just hold on for a moment while I try to get out of this...disgusting goop.”

As she went back to writhing around in her slimy prison, she noticed that something was coming into the chamber. It was a horrible bloated tube-shaped object that was an awful shade of putrid brown. It slowly made its way towards the captive unicorn and she could see mucus dripping from an opening on the end. The smell was enough to make Rarity almost gag. The bloated object began to pulsate and bulge as something was being pushed through it. As the end of the tube opened, a round object slowly slid out of it and onto the floor.

“Rarity...what is that thing?” The frightened Sweetie Belle asked as she stared at the slime covered pod-like thing that had been placed before her older sister.

“Don’t worry Sweetie Belle, everything will be just fine.” She was fooling herself, but she had to keep Sweetie Belle calm. Okay Rarity, you better move faster or else you’re going to end up in a very bad position.

She saw the petals open and realized that she was now in serious trouble. But then she remembered that her sister was right next to her, and was going to see the whole thing. “Sweetie Belle, I would rather you not watch this right now, so I need you to close your eyes.”

“What...why?”

“Just do it! You can’t see what’s about to happen.”

Rarity knew that she wouldn’t get out of this fast enough, so she needed to get her sister to shut her eyes. She could hear Sweetie Belle crying and reassured her by saying, “Don’t worry Sweetie, sis will be fine, but I can’t have you watching this. So please, close your eyes.”

Sweetie Belle nodded and closed her eyes as tight as she could. With that out of the way, Rarity fought harder, struggling ever so more to try and break free. The object within the pod soon unwrapped itself and crawled up to the top of the pod. It resembled a bone white spider with a long tail. It bent its bony legs and Rarity knew it was about to pounce. Rarity then remembered her magic and activated her horn. A light blue aura surrounded her horn, but it was too late. The creature was already flying through the air and was heading right towards her face.

She shrieked, but it was cut short as it clamped down around her mouth, muffling the screams. She felt something press against her lips and she clenched her teeth to deny it entry. Then she felt the spider-like creature’s tail wrap around her neck and squeeze. Reflexively, she opened her mouth to gasp for air and soon realized her folly. She felt something fleshy and slimy slide over her tongue, filling her mouth with an awful taste, and go down her throat, making her gag and choke. In vain, she tried to shake the thing off her face, but then a sudden urge to sleep passed through her body. She soon found it hard to keep her eyes open and her panicked thoughts became hazy. Her eyes fluttered and rolled back into her head as she succumbed and passed out.

Sweetie Belle then quietly asked, “Rarity...are you alright?” She wanted to open her eyes and check why she stopped screaming. No...sister told me to keep my eyes closed. I can't open them. But soon curiosity overcame her fear and her sister’s order. She slowly opened one eye and then the other, but screamed when she saw something on her sister’s face. A horrible flesh colored spider was attached to the unicorns face and its tail was wrapped around her neck. Rarity’s chest rose up and down slowly as she breathed while sedated.

“Rarity! Somepony please help!”

But her screams only echoed throughout the halls and never reached anypony else. In the adjacent room where the bloated tube had originated from, the Queen, who didn’t care what was happening, ignored the cries of the pony and went back to its work as she sat in the middle of her egg chamber with her egg-sack growing out from behind her.

~~~

The sun was at its highest point in the sky as the day went on, but for a certain doctor, it was just another day, secured in his room where they kept him and watched him daily. Of course he knew that it was pointless to try and escape after he realized that these creatures could use magic, were agile and quick while some could fly, not to mention the earth ponies were very strong.

He hoped the Xenomorph was alright. After all, the ponies were very frightened of it and said that it was locked away under that barrier. Confound these imbeciles, it can always find a way out. Makoy needed to know if it was alright, or better yet he needed to get it off this planet and back to one of the other facilities.

I need to get to the ship, they still might be there. As he was about to ask the guards, he heard the sound of hoofsteps echoing throughout the hallway and a flash of colors went pass the cracked door. I wonder why they're in such a rush?

He approached the door but the guards unfurled their wings and blocked his path. One of the guards said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I see that the others are rushing around. I’m just curious as to what is unfolding.”

“Princess Twilight has found out that the Xenomorph is evolving into a Queen.”

So our friend is finally reaching the end of her life cycle. This is absolutely wonderful. The other facility may have fallen, but now he could start over once he got the Xenomorph off the planet. If I could just get the ship flyable again...wait, that thing would be trashed beyond repair. Then a memory of the emergency beacon came to his mind. All I need is to apply energy back into the ship, get it running again and get the signal sent out.

“Did the Princesses say what they shall do when they get to the Queen?” It was an obvious answer, but he had to be sure.

“Well, I know that they’ll blow it to smithereens when they find it.”

Of course...can’t say I blame them. But then again, the creature is Weyland-Yutani property. He needed to stop them from harming the Queen and remembered a few certain tools that he could use from the wreckage. “I do have to say, I had hoped it had not come to this, but the Queen...unfortunately must be dealt with.”

“Wait...what are you talking about?” Asked the guard on the right.

“The Queen will not be easy to control and I have a certain tool that could help turn the tide.” That, and if some of the items survived, they could help me take control of the situation.

“So...you’re going to help us destroy this thing? But why?” The other guard inquired.

“Because, like I said the Queen is uncontrollable now. She must be stopped or else you’re world would be in imminent danger.”

The two guards looked at him for a moment before walking away to discuss what they should do. The returned and the stallion said, “Alright you can go and get your special tool, but we’re coming with you to make sure you’re not up to something.”

“By all means.” The guards led the way with Makoy following from behind. As they walked, he planned about what he would do.

A long while ensued as the guards and Makoy walked over to the ship. As they neared it, the shield was still up, but the solar princess was not within sight. When they finally got out of the forest, the ship was there, still in pieces, but the bodies of some of the marines seemed to have been picked on by scavengers looking for an easy meal.

“Uggh, it smells so horrible here.” The mare guard complained.

Makoy ignored the comment and began checking on the bodies of each marine. Sure enough, he found what he was looking for. It was a medium sized object, a tan color on the bottom area while the rest was black. The front of it extended out for a few inches and had a stock at the back. He picked it up and examined it. It’s in good condition, thankfully. He picked up the other odd looking object and pushed it into the slot underneath the larger item. A red digital number appeared on the right side of the item, showing up as a ninety-nine.

“So...what is that thing?” Asked the stallion. Both guards were very intrigued by such a weird looking item.

“Yeah and what does it do?” The mare inquired.

Without saying anything, he points it at the two while looking down the top part of the item and pulled the trigger. There was a loud burst of noise and the two guards fell down instantly without so much as a sound or scream in pain. Makoy walked over to them and moved their bodies with his feet, seeing if they were truly dead. When they didn’t move, he then replied, “That.”

He walked over to the ship and went through the rest of the dead marines, picking up more of the magazines and picking up a number of round objects, which he then proceeded to push them through a slot under the barrel of the weapon while putting a few of them into his pocket. With all the magazines he needed, he was ready to execute his plan. Those imbeciles. They’ll regret disrupting the work of Weyland-Yutani.

Chapter XIV: The True Nightmare ~ Part I

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The light of the afternoon soon faded into evening as an uneasy tension filled the air. Twilight and the others were running towards the castle, hoping to find Celestia and inform her of what was happening.

Spike had sent Twilight’s letter to Luna and Cadence, asking for their assistance with taking care of the Xenomorph. The alicorn realized that she would need all the help she could get when taking on the creature. If it’s transformed into the Queen already, then were going to need all the pony-power we can get to take this monster out.

As they closed in on the castle, they could see the shield shining with its yellow light. They looked to the sky for Celestia to see if she was perched on one of the clouds, but instead of them finding her, they heard the flapping of wings as the white alicorn floated down to them.

“What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” Celestia asked.

“No...everything is not okay. We need to tell you something urgent.” Twilight told her.

A worried gaze came across Celestia as she listened to her report. When she heard about what had happened in Ponyville, she was shocked that Filthy Rich would go so far with his anger. When she heard about Kettlepot and what he tried to do, she felt nothing but sadness and concern for her former student. “Twilight...I’m...I’m so sorry.”

“Never mind about that...it’s over.” Twilight paused for a brief moment before continuing, “But the Xenomorph is changing and it may have already turned into the Queen.”

No...this is most unfortunate news. “What do you need of me? I shall help you in any way I can.”

“Well, I’ve had Spike send a letter to Princess Luna and Cadence. Hopefully they’ll be here soon.”

Right as Twilight said that, blue flashes of light appeared a few feet away from them, revealing Luna and Cadence. “We came as fast as we could when we got the letter.” Luna said. Along with the two princesses, they brought along a few guards.

“Good, since you’re all here, we’ll search the perimeter of the shield.”

“You said that it was getting out somehow, correct?” Luna asked.

“But how was it able to get out?” Cadence inquired.

“We don’t know. So we’re going to spread out and look for the entrance.”

Like that, the group separated and quickly went to find any sort of entrance where it could’ve gotten out. A while had passed and no one seemed to find anything. Twilight was panicking as time passed by. Where is it, where is it!? We need to find it before we’re too late.

She heard Spike call to them, and the ponies quickly ran to where they heard his call. When they gathered, they could see a gaping hole in the ground. As everypony gathered up, she turned to face them.

“Alright everypony, who’s going to go in?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll stay outside by the entrance and maintain the shield while you're inside. We can’t allow the monster to escape while you try to destroy it.” Luna stated.

“I shall join you, Twilight. I won’t have any creature hurt my former student.” Celestia announced.

“I’ll go too.”

“Are you sure Cadence?” Twilight asked her sister-in-law.

“I am. I know that I have to look after the baby but I won’t sit aside while my aunt and sister-in-law go in and risk their lives to protect Equestria.”

“Ah’m a comin’ too.” Applejack piped up.

“What about your shoulder?” Twilight inquired, looking at the bandaged wound on the orange mare.

“That monster killed mah brother. It’s goin’ to pay for what it did and a wound like this won’t stop me from helpin’ you out.”

“I’ll go too.” Everypony snapped their heads to look down at Spike in surprise. “Rarity needs to be saved and I’m going make sure that she’s okay.”

“But Spike...you’re just a baby dragon. What if you get hurt?” Fluttershy asked.

“Spike, I know you mean well, but you’re still just a child. I don’t want to risk your safety.” Twilight told him, hoping to dissuade him from following her in.

“But the Xenomorph is scared of fire. I can take care of myself.”

Twilight wanted nothing more than to keep him safe, but she realized that she wasn’t going to talk him out of this. “Alright Spike, you can come with us. But stay close to me. Got it?”

Spike nodded as he and the others walked down into the entrance. Twilight turned over to see that Pinkie and Fluttershy were stepping into the tunnel as well. “Are you sure you two are ready to do this?”

“Absolutely.” Pinkie responded.

“I will help you guys, too. I may be scared, but my friends are down there and I want to help out with this too.” Fluttershy added.

Twilight smiled at the two ponies’ courage. They disappeared into the darkness of the subterranean tunnel, leaving Twilight to look at Luna who was already flying up to the clouds and taking charge over maintaining the shield. Before she went in, Luna flew back to her and said, “You be careful now Twilight Sparkle. And...make sure to keep Celestia safe.”

“Of course Princess Luna, I’ll make sure everypony comes out alive.”

Twilight lit her horn with a magenta light and walked into the darkness. She caught up to the others and walked alongside Celestia, whose horn was glowing with yellow magic. Nopony said a single word as they went through the dark caverns of the old ruins of the castle’s underground labyrinth.

As they ventured further into the darkness, the walls and feeling of the area began to change. The air felt warmer and more humid along with the slimy and black substance that covered the walls and floor beneath their hooves. Not to mention the odor changed too as the smell of rotting flesh entered their noses, making many of the ponies gag or choke.

The uneasy tension rose as they wondered where the Xenomorph was and if it had changed into the Queen yet. Twilight worried about this, but also about Sweetie Belle, Rarity, her daughter Nyx, and not to mention the others that were taken captive down here. Please, let everypony be alright.

They ended up in a large circular room where steam seemed to be venting from the ground. But the sight that awaited them was much more discouraging. The room was littered with holes that led down different paths. Twilight looked from one tunnel to another, trying to figure out which one to take. There are...so many here.

“Okay everypony, spread out and find the missing ponies, but pair up. Don’t go alone.” Celestia ordered.

The guards spread out quickly to explore each tunnel to see if anypony was inside one of them. When Twilight and Applejack were about to walk down one tunnel until they heard one of the guards call out. They quickly ran to where the two heard the shout and found that two of the guards had found a pony already. On the wall, they found an unconscious mint green unicorn cocooned to the wall, covered in the black slime. In front of her was a foal-sized leathery pod that Twilight recognized from the films she recovered from the crashed spacecraft. She gasped at the sight of it, for she knew what it meant. However, she then noticed the egg was unopened and there wasn’t a dead facehugger anywhere to be seen. Twilight sighed in relief. It wasn’t too late. Lyra, thank goodness you’re okay.

Twilight ran up to the incapacitated Lyra and used her magic to zap the slime off of her limbs. Once all four of her limbs were freed, Lyra began to fall to the floor, Applejack caught her before she could hit the ground. She laid her gently on the floor and checked her to see if she was alright. She was still breathing and didn’t appear to have any injuries on her that Twilight could see.

“She seems alright, but we need to get her out of here.” The orange earth pony told Twilight. She then helped lift the green mare onto her back.

“Do you remember the way out?” Twilight asked Applejack.

“Yes, Twilight.”

“Good. In that case, we’ll continue to search for the others. Get her to Ponyville Hospital immediately.” Applejack nodded and then carried Lyra off towards the exit with another guard following behind. After seeing them off, Twilight turned to the guard that remained with her to see that he was walking towards the egg. Panic shot through her, for she knew what horrors was contained within. “No! Get away from…”

As she tried to warn the white unicorn soldier, the four petals atop of the egg curled back, causing the guard to jump back in surprise. There was a sickly squirming sound as something rustled within the egg. Eight bony legs started to crawl out of the egg and soon a facehugger was perched atop of the egg. Twilight recoiled in fear and back away from the creature, trying to put as much distance between her and the facehugger’s jumping range as possible.

“Look out! Get away from it!” She shouted at the stallion. Before he could heed her warning, the spider-like Xenomorph leapt into the air and was heading towards the stallion’s face. The guard’s military training kicked in and his horn glowed with magic. A bolt of energy shot forth from his horn and blasted the facehugger midair. Twilight watched as the creature’s spindly legs and tail were sent flying in different directions by the blast, but she also noticed the yellow-green liquid that spurted out from where the facehugger was struck. The facehugger’s internal fluids splashed the nearby walls and floor of the tunnel. The guard, who was only a few feet away from the creature, was sprayed in the face by its blood. There was a sizzling sound and then the guard howled in agony.

“What is it!? What’s wrong!?” Twilight urgently asked the stallion as he thrashed about in pain, covering his face with his hooves. She rushed to his side and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Then he fell to the floor and rolled onto his back as he kicked and screamed. When he moved his hooves away, Twilight screamed in awful surprise as she saw that the pony’s face was being eaten away by the facehugger’s blood. Noxious fumes rose from the dissolving flesh and she watched in horror as layer after layer of flesh melted away. She could only watch helplessly as she saw his skull being exposed and his eyes melt away into a bloody mess.

His cries of pain faded into gurgling chokes as he started to drown in his own blood. Soon, he stopped making noise and moved no more. Twilight looked down in disbelief and shock at the now faceless pony before her. She breathed in and out deeply as she tried to keep a hold of herself. She looked to where the blood had landed on the stone floor and saw that it too had been corroded by the substance. Looking between the smoldering holes on the floor and the dead pony before her, her analytical mind deduced that the Xenomorphs’ blood must have been an acid, a highly powerful acid. It’s a wonderful defense mechanism. You don’t dare kill it.

“Help! Somepony, I need help!” She called out to anypony who could hear her. Soon, guards came in and saw the mess before Twilight. “What happened to him?”

“The facehugger’s blood, it’s acidic. He got too close and when he shot it with magic. It’s blood flew out and...and hit his face.”

The guards nodded and carried the dead guard out of the tunnel. Twilight stood behind for a little while before coming out to the main area. When she got out, nothing new was reported yet. So far the other tunnels had been cleared and registered empty, meaning that there were only a few tunnels remaining.

“Twilight! Come in here and quick!” She heard Pinkie yell from one of the tunnels and headed down that one. When she finally made it into the small chamber, she saw that Pinkie Pie was furiously trying to get somepony down. She ran over to her side and saw who it was. The orange earth pony she saw before her was covered in black slime and was unconscious as well. “Twilight, we got to get Mr. Cake down now!”

“Stand back Pinkie.” The pink earth pony quickly moved out of the way and watched as Twilight activated her magic and blasted away the black slime around his hooves. He too slowly fell down, falling into the hooves of Twilight and Pinkie Pie. As the two looked over to their left, they saw an already opened egg and a dead facehugger was lying on the floor. When they looked at the wall adjacent to Carrot Cake, they both gasped as they saw a light brown stallion covered in black slime. “Doctor Whooves, we need to get him down too.”

But who was impregnated? The egg was centered between the two, and so was the dead Facehugger. Twilight looked at Doctor Whooves and then back to Carrot Cake. The sad truth was that one of them now had a Xenomorph gestating inside them, but she had no idea which one. She also didn’t know how long had it been since the facehugger did its work. She frantically stepped in place as she tried to think of a solution. She desperately wanted to save the both of them, but she was running out of time. Maybe if we rush them both to the hospital, they’ll be able to remove the embryo before it emerges. But the hospital in Ponyville isn’t equipped for a procedure. The closest hospital for that kind of surgery is in Canterlot and I’m not powerful enough to teleport that far. We need Celestia.

“Princess Celestia! We need help!”

She didn’t hear any hoofsteps until a few minutes after waiting. Celestia arrived along with a guard next to her. “Twilight, I came as fast as I could. What’s happening?”

“Doctor Whooves and Mr. Cake had the facehugger between them both and I can’t figure out which one has the Xenomorph inside them. I don’t want to guess and end up hurting the one who isn’t impregnated. I need them to be transported back t-”

They were interrupted when they heard a coughing coming from behind them. They spun around to see Doctor Whooves had begun to squirm inside his slimy restraints and his face contorted in pain. His coughing intensified and soon was moaning in agony as his chest started to bulge. The cocooned pony’s eyes snapped open and he screamed loudly as he convulsed.

“No! No!” Princess Celestia cried as she watched as one of her precious subject writhed in unspeakable pain. Doctor Whooves threw his head back in one last scream as the bulge in his chest ruptured, sending blood splattering everywhere. From within the pony’s chest emerged a flesh colored larva that resembled an eyeless snake. The chestburster shrieked as it entered the world, baring its tiny fangs at the ponies that surrounded it.

Before the infant Xenomorph could crawl out of the corpse of Derpy’s husband, a golden blast of energy obliterated the small alien creature. Its acid blood sprayed onto to floor and sizzled. Everypony was silent as the reality of what just transpired struck them. Twilight Sparkle had seen the videos on how the Xenomorphs reproduced and she had shared this information with the others, but nothing could have prepared them for what they witnessed.

Princess Celestia walked up to the corpse of Doctor Whooves and stared at the frozen look of agony on his face. The solar alicorn’s own face had been speckled with red droplets by the birth of the creature. She activated her horn, using her magic, she lowered the body from the wall. With a quiet voice, she whispered to Doctor Whooves, “I’m sorry, my little pony. I could not save you.”

“Princess…” Twilight unsurely began to speak.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight.” Her former mentor reassured her with her back towards her, but Twilight could hear the tremor in her voice. She could tell that she was crying. Inclining her head a little towards one of the guards, she said, “Please carry him outside along with Mr. Cake.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The guard picked up the body, being careful to avoid touching the gore, and hauled him away. Pinkie, whose mane had deflated, silently followed after him as she carried her employer on her back. Though she was sad for the late Doctor Whooves and the now widowed Derpy, she was relieved to be able to bring Carrot safely home to Cup Cake and the twins.

Twilight and Celestia watched as they carried the ponies away. The lavender alicorn heard her former mentor still crying. She approached her quietly and asked, “Celestia...are you alright?”

The white alicorn slowly lowered herself to the ground, crying a little louder now. “I’ve...I...I failed him. He needed me...bu-but I w-wasn’t th-there for him. It’s...it’s all m-my fault. It’s the Changeling Invasion all over again. My subjects were threatened by an unknown enemy and I was powerless to protect them.”

“Celestia, I know how you feel. I felt the same way...after Nyx and Spike found out about the creature.” When her two young charges found out about this, they were literally terrified by the sight they saw. She felt that she failed them and blamed herself for exposing them to such a nightmare. “I wanted to keep them from having to live with the knowledge of such a horrible monster, but now...now my little girl is down here somewhere. I need to find her. I need you to help me find her.” Celestia looked over to see the desperation in her dear friend’s eyes. “Please…help me.”

The white alicorn looked at her for a moment before nodding, a new determination set in her eyes. She got up and walked out with Twilight at her side. They passed through the hall and noticed that everypony was still looking through the many halls.

As Princess Celestia was about to call out, but a faint voice echoed throughout one of the tunnels. “Wait...does everypony hear that?” Cadence announced.

Everypony went quiet for a few moments. Nopony heard anything before a faint voice penetrated the silence. “Quick! Everypony go down that way!” Celestia ordered.

The hallway was quickly filled with ponies as they neared the source of the noise. Twilight was hoping that whoever was calling out was either Rarity, Sweetie Belle, or more importantly, her daughter Nyx.

When they got closer they could hear the pony yelling for help and it became clearer. When they reached the room, the noise they heard was from a certain filly hung up against the wall in a black slime.

“Sweetie Belle!” Fluttershy called out as she saw the filly struggling in her prison.

They quickly converged onto her. Twilight blasted the goo away and caught Sweetie Belle as she fell down. She cried as she was finally put down onto the ground, worrying everypony as to what she was crying about. “Sweetie Belle, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“My...my...my…” She cried into her shoulder, sobbing loudly. Fluttershy walked over to where Sweetie was and noticed another pony next to her. When she got a clear view of who it was, she screamed loudly. Celestia, Applejack and Cadence ran over to what they saw made them stare in disbelief.

“Rarity!” Applejack yelled.

Twilight quickly let Sweetie Belle go to one of the guards with Spike following behind. When she moved to what they saw, her breath caught in her throat.

“Rarity! N-no...No!” Spike screamed. Rarity’s face was covered, hidden by a facehugger that had attached itself to her.

“No...Rarity.” Twilight murmured sadly. Seeing her friend in this condition was heartbreaking. Rarity was one of her best friends and her fellow bearer of an Element of Harmony. It was only a matter of time before she met the same fate as Doctor Whooves.

“Heh...heh...heheheh…” A voice laughed from behind them.

Twilight at first felt like she should’ve recognized the voice, but couldn’t put her hoof on it. She turned around like the others and was almost surprised to see who it was. Hanging on the wall behind them was Kettlepot. At the sight of the lunatic unicorn, Twilight’s blood ran cold as she remembered what he tried to do to her. She also noticed the opened egg and dead facehugger before him.

She quickly looked up from the dead facehugger and back to Kettlepot. Though he tried to do something horrible to her and he had killed a filly, she felt twinge of pity for the doomed stallion. He had lost his love and went insane. Now, he was infected by a terrible parasite.

Kettlepot’s eyes were unfocused and he continued to laugh insanely, even as his body began to shake. His eyes rolled back slightly and foam formed at the corners of his mouth. Even as the extraterrestrial larva was violently making its way out, Kettlepot’s laughter continued, intensifying with each push. While one last maniacal cackle, Kettlepot arched his back as the Xenomorph ripped through his chest cavity and landed on the floor in a pool of blood. The chestburster squealed and slithered away.

“Stop it! It must not escape!” Twilight shouted.

The guards quickly converged upon the small creature, but it avoided and dodged all of the blades that came down upon it and the energy beams. It was closing in on a hole located on the wall but before it made it, a yellow beam of light made direct contact and blew the small Xenomorph to nothing but acidic chunks. Everypony gazed over to Celestia, seeing her breathing heavily. “No more of these nightmares will live another day.” She quietly murmured.

Twilight stared for a moment, before going back to Rarity. If somepony could bring her to Canterlot hospital quickly enough, then we could possibly save her. She looked over Celestia and said, “There’s a possibility that we could save Rarity. We just need to get her to the Canterlot hospital and quick.” Twilight quickly blasted the slimy bindings, catching Rarity as she came falling down. She laid her down, staring in horror at the disgusting entity on her face.

“Are you sure?” Piped up one of the guards. “We don’t know how long that thing has been on her. For all we know, another one of those things could come out of her at any moment. We should just put her out of her misery before she suffers.” He then raised his weapon and was about to swing it.

“No!” Twilight yelled and went to intercept him. But before she could make it, Spike pushed him and the blade missed by a few inches.

“Nopony is going to hurt her! If there’s a chance she can be saved then I’m going to make sure that she survives!” Spike proclaimed, daring anyone else to try and hurt her. Greens flames seethed out from between his clenched fangs, warning the guards to keep away. The guards took the hint and backed off.

With a sigh of relief, Twilight then looked over to Fluttershy and asked, “Fluttershy, could you take Sweetie Belle and get her out of here?”

Fluttershy nodded and picked up the traumatized filly and quickly ran through the corridor, disappearing in darkness.

Celestia then voiced, “I shall take Rarity to the Canterlot hospital and return quickly.”

With that, she lifted her upon her back and summoned her magic. Her horn glowed a golden yellow again before vanishing in a white flash of light.

“Wait, why can’t I go with Rarity?” Spike asked.

“Because I realize that we’ll need you here. You’re the only one who can breathe fire, and we’ll need all the help we can get to destroy the rest of the eggs.” Spike hesitantly faltered for a moment, before coming to term with his task and nodded. “Alright everypony, let’s venture up ahead and see if we can find anymore eggs. We need to make sure that not one of them survives.” Twilight announced.

The ponies soon went down more tunnels that littered the labyrinth. She and Cadence went down one way alone searching for anypony else that was trapped down here. They soon came upon the end of the tunnel they found. Twilight sighed, disappointed that they had come to a dead end without finding a missing pony. A sudden fit of coughing startled them both as they quickly turned around to look at who it was. What they saw, made their breath catch in their throats.

A pony was strapped to the wall in the same black slime that the others were covered in, but they could distinguish that this pony had a white coat with a mane that was a mix of blue and dark blue. The pony’s voice was male, but who it was surprised them.

“S-Shining!” Cadence cried out at the sight of her husband stuck to the wall. She and Twilight ran up to his cocooned form and hugged him to the best of their abilities. Their emotions overwhelmed them and they cried as they were reunited with him.

His eyes fluttered open as his vision focused on the two before him. “Twilight...Cadence.” He whispered weakly.

“Hold on, we’re getting you down right now.” Twilight quickly said.

“No...it’s already too late.”

“What...what do you mean?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“Shining, we’re here and we’re going to help you.” Cadence reassured.

“No...it’s already too late. You need to…”

“Shining, we’re getting you out of here, and then everything will be alright.” Twilight interrupted.

“Twiley…” Shining moaned. “I can feel it moving…”

“W-what do you mean?” Twilight asked, dreading the answer.

“No! Oh no!” Hearing Cadence’s despairing cry, Twilight looked over to see the pink alicorn standing over an empty egg. Lying beside it was a dead facehugger. Both alicorns knew what this meant, and were fearing the worse.

In an instant, both Princesses quickly shot away the black goo and caught him as he fell. They propped him up against each other and ran as fast as they could. “Don’t worry Shining, we’ll get you to the hospital and get that creature out of you.” Twilight tried to lighten things up, but the truth was quickly closing in on both alicorns.

“Twilight...Cadence...stop...I won’t m-make it.”

“Yes you will!” Cadence cried out. “Don’t believe that you won’t make it! Your not leaving me or Twilight this time!”

“Cadence...Please…” Shining Armor’s voice was strained and he began to cough. “I don’t have much time...You have to...You have to do it…”

“What are you talking about?”

“You have to kill me…” The mares couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Shining then fell off their support. They quickly moved to his sides.

“Don’t talk like that!” Cadence shouted, tears falling from her eyes. “You’re going to be fine. We’re going to get you out of here and you’re going to be fine! You’re going to a father, Shining. I need you. The baby needs you!”

Shining looked up at his wife with a look of regret and then hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry...I should have listened to Celestia.” He looked back up to Cadence, with tears of his own. “I should have never left you.”

Before he could say another word, he groaned in pain and placed a hoof to his chest. After the moment had passed, he gasped for air and panted.Twilight watched the reaction of her brother and knew that Xenomorph inside was stirring. She desperately tried to think of a solution, but she couldn’t come up with one. All she could do was watch as her brother and her sister-in-law sit on the floor of the dark catacombs beneath of the ruined castle and cry as they held each other.

Another wave of discomfort struck Shining. He gritted his teeth and then placed a hoof on Cadence’s cheek. “Cadence. You have to do it.”

“I...I can’t…” She said between sobs.

“You have to...You have to make sure it’s dead. You have to stop the Xenomorph before all of Equestria ends up like this.” Cadence only cried harder at his words. “You have to be strong, Cadence. For the Crystal Empire...and for the foal.”

Cadence looked him in the eye and nodded as she cried uncontrollably. She took a step back and charged her horn with her blue magic. She lowered her head and pointed the horn at her husband. Shining closed his eyes and braced himself.

“I...I...I can’t do it!” Cadence shouted and then she fell to floor, covering her face with her hooves as she wept.

“Cadence...Please...kill me…” Shining begged. His chest began to bulge.

“I’ll do it.” Cadence looked up to see Twilight stepping forward, her cheeks stained with tears. Just then, Spike, and the remaining guards rounded the corner to see the lavender alicorn with her horn glowing with a magenta aura. They then saw the crying Cadence, the suffering Shining Armor, the opened egg, and facehugger, and knew what was transpiring. Twilight lowered her horn and prepared a spell. Hopefully, it would be painless for him.

“Twiley…” Shining whispered, causing Twilight to look up at him, a tear fell down her eye. “I love you, L.S.B.F.F.”

“I love you, B.B.B.F.F.” She told him.

He then turned to Cadence and said, “I love you, Cadence.”

“I-I love you, Shining.” The sound of a shot of magic filled the air and Shining Armor’s body slumped against the wall. Smoke rose from a small hole that had been burned right through his chest. The bolt of concentrated magic had seared right through his heart and the alien embryo as well, the heat of the shot cauterizing the wound and preventing the alien’s blood from doing any damage.

Twilight’s body shook as she looked down at her brother’s unmoving form.

“Twilight?” Spike quietly murmured.

Both alicorns slowly hugged and cried, as they stared at the deceased form of Shining Armor. A couple of the guards slowly and sadly walked over to his body. They picked him up, avoiding the hole in his chest and carried him back to the entrance of the tunnel, leaving a few guards to quietly walk away, while a guard went up to Spike and led him away to let the two princesses be alone.

Both Twilight and Cadence continued to sob for a very long time, both wishing that this didn’t happen. My husband...he’s dead...why Shining Armor...why!?

Shining, why did you have to leave me and Cadence like that? Brother...I don’t know if we can go on without you…

After tears were shed, both princesses calmed down and regained their composure, but a new feeling soon overwhelmed them. The feeling was of hatred and a desire for revenge on the creature that committed such a horrifying act.

“Twilight...when we find that monster...I’m going to tear it to shreds!”

“When we find it...it will wish it never came to this world! That Xenomorph is going to burn in Tartarus!” The two alicorns quickly ran back down the hallway they walked through and soon emerged back into the central room. They saw that a few guards were still with them, along with others coming back from carrying back the dead. “Alright everypony, there’s just one more tunnel to go down through. If we find nest then, we’re going to destroy every single egg we find.” And hopefully Nyx is down this way.

The group quickly ran down the tunnel, the air getting warmer as they continued on. When they reached the end of the tunnel, they all gasped as they saw that there were many eggs located in this room. “Alright everypony, get to work by destroying the eggs.” Cadence ordered.

“And be careful to not awaken any of the eggs.” Twilight added. She looked over to Spike and then said, “Alright Spike, I need you to set fire to all of these eggs. Don’t get anywhere near the guards, and if you see one egg open up, get rid of it quickly.”

He nodded and went to work, inhaling and then setting fire to the first row of eggs slowly, making sure that not one of them was left unattended.

Twilight watched as beams of magic went through multiple eggs from many of the guards while a green blaze was lit, illuminating the room with a light green glow. Twilight was so busy paying attention to the work in progress that she almost didn’t hear another pony coughing before turning around to see what was causing it.

When she did, she gasped at the sight until a overwhelming sense of happiness and fear rocked her. “Nyx!” She yelled out as she ran over to where her daughter was located. The little filly soon began to cry as her mother quickly zapped the slimey bindings off her. Nyx fell down and was caught by Twilight, who cried happily along with her daughter at their reunification. “Nyx...I’m so glad...that you’re okay.” She whispered quietly.

“I knew that you would come.” Nyx softly replied.

The two ponies hugged tightly, but then Twilight felt her daughter’s body shake. She quickly looked to her to see what was wrong. “Nyx...are you alright?” She didn’t see an egg near where her daughter was, but Nyx seemed to be staring at something. When she turned around, fear quickly rose up when she saw what it was.

A large figure was hanging from the ceiling, looking almost dormant, until she heard heavy breathing. The mouth of the creature slowly slid out from its carapace and looked around. It saw her eggs being destroyed or incinerated by the small creature she saw before. When she looked down, she saw the ebony filly and the purple alicorn also from before. It quickly grew mad and roared at the ponies.

Everypony stopped what they were doing as they looked on in horror at the large Xenomorph. The creature then violently pulled against its egg sac until it was ripped from its abdomen, sending a torrent of slime flowing from the ceiling to the floor. The Queen fell down, causing the ground to shake before her. She slowly looked up at the ponies, outraged that they were destroying her future. She roared again, seeming to shake the whole room.

Twilight knew that this was going to get very bad now, but anger rose within her too. Standing up defiantly, she silently challenged the Xenomorph, ready to take on the monster that had caused so much pain.

Chapter XIV: The True Nightmare ~ Part II

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Without warning, the Queen charged the ponies, roaring in anger. Twilight and the others quickly jumped out of the way, letting the Queen rush past them. It stopped as it reached the end of its chamber before slowly turning around and growling at the ponies.

“Everypony be careful! The Queen is very dangerous!” Twilight yelled out her warning. When she saw what it did to the scientists, she was horrified by the sheer strength and ferocity the Xenomorph possessed. The Queen then slowly approached the ponies, her thunderous footsteps shaking the chamber. Some of the soldiers hesitated, seeing something this huge was far beyond nerve wracking. One soldier charged the Queen with spear in his right hoof.

“No, wait!” But the Queen was already going for him. It picked him up in its right hand lifting him up with ease until they were face to face. The stallion, petrified by the creature’s eyeless gaze, watched as it opened its mouth until his head was completely blown off by the Queen’s second mouth. It dropped the now headless pony to the ground and continued its slow march towards the group.

After watching one of their comrades go down,the remaining soldiers yelled in anger and recklessly charged the Queen. Twilight watched in horror as the guards got closer and closer until the Queen reached for the first pony. One of the guards used her magic and fired energy beams at it. Although it made contact, it looked like it did barely anything, but the Queen felt this and looked towards the nuisance. It roared at the mare and sweeped her tail along the ground until it made impact, sending the mare flying into the wall with a sickening thud and dropping to the ground motionless.

The other guards took the advantage and speared the Queen’s legs, making her roar in pain. When they pulled them out, the metal was completely gone as the acid destroyed the tips in seconds. The Xenomorph then swiped them aside, sending them flying into the walls. The remaining ones stood their ground and fired beams of magic at them. The Queen took a large step and squashed one of the soldiers beneath her massive foot. One of them tried to run back but was stopped before Twilight. She gasped as the blood of the pony splattered against her chest and face, specks of scarlet droplets slowly running down her face. The Queen’s tail had speared through his chest and was inches away from her.

The pony stared at her with such terror before being violently pulled back and thrown against the wall. He fell down, lifeless on the cold floor. The Queen looked back towards the smaller group now. Of the remaining ponies, three were alicorns and they were accompanied by a baby dragon and the last of the armed guards. It roared and charged the remaining ponies.

“Quick! We need to get out of here!” Twilight looked back into the way they came. “Into the tunnels! We’ll lose it there!”

Twilight watched as her daughter and Spike ran through the tunnels first, followed by Cadence and then the guard. She quickly ran behind him as the Queen closed in. She lunged at the alicorn, trying to clamp down with its teeth on her tail. She missed by mere inches and roared as the ponies ran off into the darkness. Twilight caught up with the others as they ran through the darkness. Twilight lit the surroundings with her violet colored light as she ran up to the front of the small group.

“Alright everypony, stick with me and we’ll get out of here quickly!” But to their horror, they heard loud footsteps not too far away. When Twilight and the others looked behind them, they noticed that the queen was running after them in another tunnel, as they could see her fast approaching in the faint light. There’s no way we’ll outrun that monster. Wait a minute… “Everypony! We need to split up!”

“What...but why!?” Cadence yelled worriedly.

“I know its a bad idea, but we can lose the Queen in the tunnels!” She looked over to the guard, “Take Spike with you!” He nodded and propped the dragon onto his back.

“Be careful Twilight!” Spike nervously replied, as he and the guard went down one tunnel.

“Cadence I want you to take Nyx and go another way!”

“But what about you!?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” I hope…

Cadence hesitated before grabbing Nyx in a blue aura and setting her on her back. “Mom! Please don’t get hurt!” Nyx screamed.

“Don’t worry sweetie, mommy will be fine.” With that, the three groups separated into each different tunnel. The Queen watched as all the ponies split up into three groups and thought of which one to go after. She quickly decided to go after the small black filly and the bright pink pony. It quickly picked up pace and gained ground quickly on the two.

Cadence heard the sound of its footsteps getting closer as the ground began to shake under her hooves. Nyx screamed, making the pink alicorn turn her head to see what was wrong. When she did, she saw that the Queen was closing in fast and was almost on top of her. The Xenomorph lunged at her, almost biting her tail as it barely escaped the teeth. Nyx screamed again as it roared at them in frustrated anger.

Twilight heard her daughter's screams and stopped dead in her tracks. Nyx...oh please be okay. Cadence you better keep yourself and her alive. She quickly took back to running and found a very dark corner, still being able to see the faint light.

Cadence and Nyx were still being chased down as the Queen kept getting close but missed each time it tried to grab the alicorns. Cadence saw that there was a turn up ahead, so she lit her horn and shot the ceiling above her. It caused a cave in and stalled the Queen as she quickly went to work at clearing the debris. With the advantage she had, Cadence turned right and ran into the other tunnel.

When the Queen finally cleared the debris away, she realized that the ponies had ran into one of the tunnels. It roared in frustration, vibrating the walls and floor. Cadence ran into a room with Nyx and went into a small corner. She hastily guided Nyx into a small hole in the wall and said, "Okay, just stay in this spot and don't move."

"No, please don't leave me."

"Its okay Nyx, I'll only be a few holes away from you. Just stay there." Cadence reassured her and hid only a few feet away from her in another larger one. After they settled, everything went quiet, nothing stirred as the two waited in silence.

Then a faint shudder and vibration in the ground indicated the worst as the Queen entered the large cave. Its heavy breathing echoed through the room, making Cadence and Nyx shiver in fear as it slowly walked near their location. Nyx whimpered without realizing it and watched as the Queen homed in on the area where she heard the sound, quickly looking at the spot where she heard it coming from.

The ground shook violently as the Queen neared the many holes inside the walls and slowly looked through each one. Nyx and Cadence watched in horror as it looked through their hiding spots, not knowing if it saw them or not. When it lifted its eyeless gaze, they thought it missed them. They let out a sigh of relief and relaxed a bit, until a giant hand reached into the hole where Nyx was! She held in a gasp of fear and cried silently as it moved around where she was hiding. Nyx scurried away as much as she could from the clawed, black hand as it scratched the insides of the small hole, missing the alicorn filly by a hair's breadth. When it removed its hand, it began to reach in the other ones, checking to see if they were in any of the others. When it moved its hand into where Cadence was hiding, she silently stiffened.

She tried to move farther back, but could only go so far. The clawed hand came closer and closer, making Cadence breathe harder as she closed her eyes and tried to not look at it. The hand was almost on her, until the Queen pulled it out quickly as it heard the faint sound of a crash in the distance. It looked down one of the tunnels and with a snarl, walked down the tunnel to discover what caused the noise.

On the other side of the area, Spike and the guard fell down after the soldier tripped on something. His armor made a loud bang as it hit the floor, echoing throughout the tunnels.

“What did you do that for?” Spike quietly asked.

“Hey, a rock tripped me. I can’t see in this dark part of the tunnel.” It was then when they looked down that they realized that it wasn’t a rock. They both looked away in disgust as they saw a dead pony body. “Okay...it wasn’t a...rock.” As they stood there, they felt a faint tremor that increased as the Queen got closer. “Quickly, get into that crevice right here Spike.” The guard whispered. Spike slowly slid in and sat down, watching the guard motion to him to stay there as he went into the opposite crevice. The ground shook as the Xenomorph came closer, until they saw the foot of the Queen slam down. It breathed heavily as it looked around for the source of the noise.

It saw the deceased body of the pony and hissed at it. Realizing that it was probably just the body, it continued down on its path. Both Spike and the guard sighed with relief as they slowly slid out from the crevices.

“Okay, let’s move slowly, so we don’t trip over anything, sound good?” Spike noted.

“Yeah...definitely.” They went the way the Queen came and ended up in a large chamber.

Looking around, they noticed there was a lot of holes etched into the cave. When they walked into view of the holes, Cadence called them over silently. The two ran over to them and helped them out of the holes. Nyx was still crying from the shock as she was helped out. The pink alicorn went over to her and said, “It’s alright Nyx. It won’t hurt you now.” She looked over to the others and said, “We need to find Twilight and get out.”

The others nodded and quickly went down the tunnel they went through. They noticed that the faint trembling noise came back, but it was farther away still. The group rounded a corner and continued in their silence. That was until they heard the footsteps get louder and the ground shake beneath them. When they stopped, all they could hear was the faint noise of the Queen’s heavy breathing. They stood silently, waiting to see if the Queen would wander away, but the footsteps got closer and closer still. The group hugged the wall as they hopped that it wouldn’t see them.

It walked into view and looked into the other tunnels, facing away from them. Before it could turn to face them, a magenta ball of light flew in front of the Xenomorph’s face. The Queen snarled and swiped at the ball of light as it quickly spun around its head and then bolted down another tunnel. The Queen roared and headed down pathway after the nuisance and left the group sighing with relief. They heard hoofsteps behind them and noticed that it was Twilight running down the hallway from where the magic light had come from. She saw them and stopped. The purple alicorn noticed that everypony was okay and smiled gratefully at Cadence. “Thanks for taking Nyx and keeping her safe.”

“No problem.”

“Okay everypony, we need to get out of here right now. I found the exit, so follow me and stay close.”

The group nodded and quickly ran after Twilight. Soon, after what seemed to last forever, they noticed light and hurried in their step. When they were finally close to the exit, a loud volley of noise sounded from behind them. When the group looked back, they saw the body of the dead guard, riddled with large holes on his body. Twilight looked down the tunnel, and gasped when she saw who it was. Spike gave the being a mean glare, while Twilight and Cadence growled at the person standing before them.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Malcovich...how dare you kill him!?” Cadence spoke, angry with what he did.

“Oh...him? Eh, you have like a hundred of those that will die for you. Poor shame about this one.”

“How can you even live with yourself?” Twilight spat with hatred at him.

“It’s simple really. All I need to do is just sell the Xenomorph as a weapon and then I’ll be fine. But that has been met with a few annoyances.”

Twilight went to light her horn, but was stopped in her tracks when Makoy pointed the metal stick at her. “I don’t think so.” She recalled this funny looking object from what the metal looking human from the films had in his hands, but never would have realized such potency it had. “Before you could ever cast a spell, I would have pulled the trigger before you could use it on me, killing you and your friends here. And don’t even think about teleporting. You wouldn’t want the young filly there to suffer a horrific fate would you?”

Twilight growled again as he threatened her daughter’s life. She walked a little bit forward to stand in front of Nyx. “Now then...as you are aware, the Queen is looking for you all. I shall hopefully assist her in this endeavor. Knowing you Twilight, I fear that you have already killed the newly hatched Xenomorphs and destroyed all the eggs. So, in other words, you shall be the new hosts for the beautiful Queen.”

“No! We won’t ever end up like that!” Twilight remarked. She then remembered his daughter. “I was hoping that you at least cared about somepony, even for your daughter.”

Makoy stood rigid, but not even his facial expression changed. “My daughter...well, she was a traitor at the very end. Calling down the Colonial Marines when she was strictly ordered to never do such a thing.” A sadistic smile appeared on his face. “I would say that she got what was coming to her.”

“How can you even say something like that!? She was your daughter!” Cadence exclaimed, furious at hearing such a response.

“Well, it’s simple really. She betrayed company orders and in turn, became nothing more than an obstacle to overcome.” The two alicorns gasped in such horror at the way he talked about his own flesh and blood. They both growled in anger and lit their horns with magic. “Didn’t I warn you?”

“Yes, but you can’t escape this time. You’re going to get what you deserve!” Twilight yelled, finally glad she could shut this terrible being up.

“Well, I’m sorry to say, but I have a little secret weapon as well.” He pumped the bottom part of the gun and fired it away from them at the wall next to them. The projectile exploded, making the rock wall burst into nothing but shrapnel. When the smoke cleared, there was a large indentation of the explosive, as the grenade left a hole in the wall. The group stared in horror at such a display of power. They turned back to him, as he had it pointed at them again. “You all will be blown up into nothing more than pieces when this explodes. I would highly suggest that you do not force me to destroy fine examples of hosts.”

The group glared at him, all awaiting a certain terrible creature to arrive sooner or later, yet they heard no footsteps or felt any vibrations. Surely the Queen would have heard all of this by now. Where is she?

Just when she was pondering that question, a loud gasp filled the air as Makoy arched his back. His shirt bulged and a wet, red stain appeared on it. Twilight and the others stepped away in fear as they watch as a black blade tear through the scientist’s torso. The doctor’s moans and cries were heard over the sounds of breaking bones and ripping flesh. Barely alive, the doctor coughed up blood as he was lifted off the ground and the Queen emerged from the darkness of a tunnel and growled at the human at the end of her tail. She brought him close to her body and gripped him with her four arms in a malevolent embrace. Malcovich managed to look over his shoulder and give one last gasping moan before the Xenomorph holding ripped him in two, sending his torso flying in one direction and his legs in another. The Queen roared in triumph as Malcovich's blood and innards splattered on the floor.

The weapon that Malcovich held in his hands flew straight towards the group, landing a couple of feet away from them. Twilight levitated it towards herself and watched as the Queen began to walk over to them. Realizing the potential of this weapon, she fired it the way Malcovich had done so and shot a grenade up towards the roof. The loud explosion echoed as rock and debris fell from above. The Queen screamed in terror and quickly charged the group. Before she got close, the rockfall collapsed on top of her. But the group didn’t have time to check the body as they had to quickly get out of the collapsing tunnel.

The rocks continued to fall, but the group finally made it out as the last of the rocks tumbled to the floor. The light of the evening blinded the group, but they had survived the horrors of the labyrinth, scratched and bruised, but were okay all the same.

~~~

A flash of golden yellow light appeared close to where Luna stood as Celestia returned from taking Rarity to Canterlot’s hospital. “Sister, how did everything go?”

“I got her there fine, but she’s in the hooves of the medical professional’s now.” Celestia turned towards the opposite direction and noticed that guards were laying the fallen down. She looked over the faces and noticed how many had died. She saw the poor and insane unicorn Kettlepot, Doctor Whooves and a guard that had his face completely disfigured. But when she looked at the fourth body, she gasped in such shock and sadness. Lying before her was Shining Armor. The disappeared stallion was dead, and from the looks of it, in a very horrible way. No...why didn’t you listen to me, Shining Armor?

A large explosion sounded in the air as Celestia and Luna gazed in the direction of the castle. They saw part of the castle collapse, slowly falling down as dust soon flew up into the air. “No!” Celestia screamed. Worried that the group had gotten hurt, or worse, the two sisters quickly ran towards the sight. When they got there, they saw the group of ponies coughing and stumbling away from the wreckage. The two alicorns raced over to the group, stopping only when they went to check up on the others.

“Are you all okay?” Celestia first asked.

“What happened, where’s the Queen?” Luna inquired next.

Twilight looked up at the two and smiled. “Oh her...she’s taking a nice dirt nap under all the rubble.” It’s over...its finally all over… Twilight looked at the weapon she still had in her magical grasp. It was a reminder of the certain person who had died so horribly. But he deserved it...everything. This will serve better purposes...hopefully.

A loud sound erupted from behind them as they watched rock and debris fly towards them. Nothing emerged from the dust at first, but then the horrible creature resurfaced, staring at the group. It roared in anger and was determined to kill them all this time. The group stared in horror as the creature they thought to have been dead began to walk towards them. But...how? She was buried under so much rubble! The weight should have crushed her. But to Twilight’s dismay, there was the Queen, slowly going into a charge at them.

“Spike!” Celestia yelled. “I need you and Nyx to get out of here right now!” Spike nodded quickly and grabbed Nyx by the hoof and lead her quickly away, leaving Cadence, Twilight, Celestia and Luna alone with the Queen.

The Queen slowed as she watched the two small creatures run away. It snarled and went to go after them, but her path was blocked when the lavender alicorn and pink alicorn ran in front of the queen, blocking her path. She growled and slowly backed up. She knew not to underestimate these ones, wary that the other two were slowly circling behind her. She looked back and saw the dark blue and white alicorn move up, glaring at her like the other two were.

Twilight was the first to fire off her magic, shooting a magenta beam at the queen. It hit hard but only did so much as the Queen stumbled back a bit before looking at the lavender pony and roaring in anger. It quickly charged and ran after the her. She took to the sky, hovering out of its range and continued to blast it. This only furthered angered the Xenomorph as she roared again. The other alicorns realized Twilight’s strategy and flew up into the air, adding their magic power to the assault on the Queen. The Queen roared into the air as the beams of magic struck its body, but only making it stumble backwards slightly. The ponies were realizing that this wasn’t doing enough.

“It’s like we're throwing rocks at it. Why isn’t our magic hurting it?” Cadence asked worriedly. Twilight noticed too that they weren’t doing as much damage as they hoped. She saw the weapon she left down at the ground and thought that the projectiles it shot out could hopefully damage it more.

“Celestia, Luna, Cadence, distract the Queen for me. I’m going to get the weapon down there. It should hopefully damage the Queen.”

“Are you sure Twilight?” Celestia wearily inquired.

“Yes, just keep her preoccupied.” With the plan set, the three alicorns continued their onslaught, leading the Queen’s attention away from where Twilight flew. She quickly landed on the ground and picked it back up with her magic. Looking through what she thought was the sight, she pulled the trigger and let it fire upon the Queen. The bullets pierced the armored hide, but not by much as the Queen roared in pain. It turned around and noticed the flash of the weapon as Twilight fired at her. She roared in anger and charged the alicorn, only to change tactics quickly and turn quickly around.

Twilight wasn’t suspecting her to react so fast, but as she tried to fly up, the Queen spun and slammed the tail into her. She screamed in pain as the force of the tail sent her flying far and soon hitting the side of the castle wall, almost smashing through it. The weapon she had used hit the wall hard and shattered into pieces as it fell to Twilight’s side.

“Twilight!” The three alicorns yelled in fear and shock. The Queen took advantage of this moment and quickly charged towards where the lavender alicorn landed. Dazed and confused, Twilight looked around slowly. She coughed as her sense slowly came back. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hoof and then looked down to see it stained with a red liquid.

Blood...that’s...that’s my b-blood. Her vision was fuzzy as she tried to focus, but the force of that hit had seriously taken its toll. She tried to get up but fell back down. When she landed on her chest and stomach, she felt an immense pain and she cried out.

The Queen was almost upon her when Celestia and Luna shot at it with more of their magic energy beams. The Queen roared in annoyance as the two ponies had flown down to the ground to make sure that the Queen would come to them. Like a moth drawn to the light, she quickly took off after them, not realizing that Cadence had flown over her as she passed by. She quickly landed next to the injured alicorn, who was crying in pain as she writhed around.

“Twilight, you’re going to be okay. I’m here.” She spoke to reassure her, but she didn’t know how serious her injuries were. She cast a detect spell and looked inside her body. She then found the problem, and it was serious.

“How...how b-bad is it?”

“You’ve...b-broken a few ribs, and there is some internal bleeding. I can hopefully fix this, but I don’t know how well.” With that, her horn glowed a blue aura as her magic went to work with healing her injured friend. Twilight felt the soothing magic slowly heal her, taking away some of the pain. The internal bleeding was halted, and her ribs had only healed to the point where they only slightly fractured, but she was still very sore and bruised.

Twilight rose up slowly, letting her body readjust to her wounds. She felt alright, but the pain was still there. “I’m...I’m okay now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah...I’m positive.” As Cadence checked Twilight over one more time, Celestia and Luna had gotten to the point where they began to throw large pieces of debris at the Queen. She roared as she dodged each projectile, only a few hitting her. The Xenomorph grabbed one of the pieces of debris and chucked it back at the two sisters. They both quickly flew out of the way and continued their assault.

Twilight watched as they continued the battle, beginning to realize that they were getting tired and exhausted while the Queen looked like she was still going at her full strength. This monster, it just won’t tire out. How can we battle such a creature when its not even breaking a sweat? What she realized then was that if they couldn’t damage her with just a single blast of magic from each of them, then maybe if they combined powers, it would finally stop the nightmare.

As she formulated the plan, the Queen went back to pick up more debris. Two large pieces were in her clawed hands while the smaller two had a smaller set. She chucked them as hard as she could, all in a quick burst. The pieces of debris flew right towards the princesses. Luna was able to dodge both debris and Celestia was able to fly out of the way of the smaller one, but flew right into the larger debris. She screamed in pain and was knocked into the ground with the debris almost smashing her legs.

“Celestia!” All three yelled. Luna watched her beloved sister go down and looked back to the nightmare. It roared in triumph, believing to have vanquished one of the ponies.

“You! How dare you hurt my sister!?” Luna yelled with such hatred. She picked up her attack and continued on an endless barrage of energy beams that hurtled towards the Queen, knocking her back quite a bit.

Twilight and Cadence quickly flew over to the where the Princess had fallen. When they got there, they gasped in horror as they thought she was badly hurt. To their surprise, Celestia slowly got back, grunting with the effort as she looked back at the Xenomorph. “Celestia are you okay?” Twilight quickly asked.

“Auntie, do you need any help? Is there anything badly injured?” Cadence worryingly questioned.

“No...I’m fine.” It seemed that she was only bruised, but there was a visible mark on her side that was a dark red. “We need to find some way to get rid of this monster!”

“I think I have an idea.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Well, we have seen that our individual blasts have barely no effect on her. We don’t know how long it would take before she would finally go down. But I think that if we combine our powers together, then that will be enough to finally put her down for good.”

Celestia nodded and moved slightly, wincing from the pain in her side but ignored it as she took flight. The two other princesses looked to each other in worry before flying after her. When Luna looked back to see that her sister was okay, she had halted her assault as she had used too much magic during her onslaught.

“Luna, Twilight has a plan to finally take down the Queen once and for all.” She quickly retold the plan to her sister and Luna nodded, a smile forming on her lips. The ponies gathered up together in a line. The Queen looked at this new development and watched them come together. She roared at them as she quickly charged them. “Everypony, this day shall be known, for the day we had taken down this nightmare that had terrified and killed so many ponies. We shall take this monster and send it to OBLIVION!”

The other Princesses yelled out in agreement as they locked horns and summoned their magic. The magic aura slowly combined colors and became a bright white. The Princesses looked on in anger and hatred at the creature who had caused so much pain and watched as it came closer and closer. Just when it looked like it would reach them, the magic of the combined powers shot out from the light and surrounded the Queen. The force of the blinding surge of magic started to push the towering Xenomorph back. The Queen dug her clawed feet into the rubble of the collapsed portion of the castle and crossed her massive arms in front of her in an attempt to shield herself from the overwhelming force. Despite the monster’s efforts to brace itself, it began to be dragged along the ground, pushed back by the massive beam of energy. As the white light surrounded the Queen, its black, chitinous exoskeleton started cracking and was breaking off piece by piece. "This is for all the ponies you have scarred and hurt!" Luna yelled in anger.

"This is for all the ponies that have suffered because of you're existence!" Cadence added with such hatred.

"This is for killing my brother you monster!" Twilight roared.

"And this, this is for everypony that you have killed! You shall exist, no more!" Celestia finally added, bellowing in anger. The Xenomorph gave one last roar of pure hatred before it was swept away in the torrent of raw magical energy. Its massive dark form dissolved in the radiant light as the energy attack blazed a long trail of destruction through the Everfree Forest. As the rising dawn dispels a waking foal’s nightmare, the light vanquished the dark creature.

The light soon faded away as the sky returned to its bright orange light, the alicorns floating in the air soon came slowly down. As they landed, they fell to the ground. All breathing hard from such power they had used. This would have been time of celebration, but in the end, victory was but bittersweet. The ponies may have claimed a victory, but the cost of the tragic events were too much to be able to celebrate a happy ending.

The Princesses reflected on what they had lost and it was a very high cost. They had lost many guards during the turn of events. There was the five that were lost during their first encounter with the beast in the castle. There was also the ten that had accompanied Shining Armor when he went after it. One had died after being hit in the face by acid. Six more had been killed when they first engaged the Queen in combat. Twilight then remembered the guard that Malcovich had killed with the strange weapon he had. Thinking about the weapon and the deranged doctor, she realized that the two guards that were assigned to watch him had probably met with a similar fate.

There were also the six civilians that had died: Doctor Whooves, Kettlepot, Berry Punch, Diamond Tiara, Big Macintosh, and the doctor from the hospital. They had also lost Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard and Prince of the Crystal Empire. Altogether, Equestria had lost thirty-two ponies due to the appearance of the Xenomorph.

The losses were nothing but devastating. The Princesses realized that a mass funeral would need to be held for all the ponies that had died during their service. This should never have happened. Nopony deserved such a fate. Celestia was distraught, Luna was on the verge of tears and Cadence and Twilight were silently sobbing. The pink alicorn remembered Twilight’s injuries and realized that she would have to take her to the hospital to get her checked out.

Twilight then recalled a certain pony that was still in danger. Rarity!

Epilogue: The Survivors

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The lights of the hospital waiting room flickered only slightly as the group awaited the news of Rarity’s outcome. Cadence insisted that Twilight get checked on due to her injuries from where the Queen had hit her with its tail. Twilight said she was fine, but the sore feeling told her otherwise. In the room, Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight, along with Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike and Nyx waited. It had been hours since they arrived and the tension slowly rose as they worried about Rarity.

“Oh...I hope she’s okay…” Pinkie Pie worriedly murmured.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. She has to be.” Twilight replied hopefully, but it had been so long since the surgery even began.

“When are you getting checked, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight Sparkle was sitting in a chair, a hard look was upon her face as she thought about the events of the past few days. Her eyes had bags underneath them from exhaustion and the mind-wrecking stress.

“I told you all that I’m fine.” Just as Cadence began to try and reason with her obviously injured sister-in-law, the doors swung open. The doctor from before walked over to them as they waited to hear what he had to say.

“How’s Rarity?” Twilight inquired.

“Well you see, when the patient was brought to us, she had…” The doctor tried to explain, but then was lifted from the floor, caught in a magenta magical grip.

“Short answer first, then details!” Twilight roared, far beyond her patience limit.

The doctor flinched as she lowered him to the ground. “O...okay…s-she’s fine!” The group sighed with relief as the good news was told. “But...there were some minor issues…”

“Go on.”

“When the patient arrived, there was...this thing...attached to her face. We didn’t know what it was or what to do with it. We tried to pull it off, but its tail and legs only clamped on tighter. We realized that we couldn’t pull it off without strangling her or tearing off her face. We did tried to carefully cut it off, but its blood...I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It was acidic, wasn’t it?” Twilight asked grimly.

“Indeed, highly acidic.” The doctor confirmed. “Luckily, it didn’t get on the patient, but the squirt of blood from the thing ate through two floors of the hospital before it stopped, damaging a lot of equipment along the way.

“After a while, the thing fell off and died. When Princess Celestia arrived with the patient, she explained that the organism was trying to implant a parasite inside of her. Using x-rays, we were able to locate the parasite inside her chest cavity. We immediately operated and were able to remove the parasite. She’ll be alright, though. With our advanced medicine and healing magic, she’ll make a full recovery and only have a faint scar.”

The tension seemed to leave the room after hearing this news, but Princess Celestia approached the doctor. “And what of the parasite?” The normally serene and relaxed look on the white alicorn’s face was absent. Instead, a hard, steely look dominated her face as she stared down at the now sweating doctor.

“Oh, we took care of it!” The doctor quickly answered, trying to put the intimidating princess’s mind at ease. Fortunately for him, Celestia relaxed and sat back down.

The good news was very welcoming to the ponies, but for a certain alicorn, this only scratched the surface of her mood. A memory appeared as the others soon got to discussing about what they should do next. The memory was vivid, every detail fresh in her mind, and it was the worst one yet. She saw Shining, lying against the wall as the Xenomorph was trying to bust its way out from within him. I love you L.S.B.F.F.

I…I love you B.B.B.F.F. The sound of her magic being fired made her flinch as she watched his body slump up against the wall, his eyes fluttering as they closed. She could still heard him breathe his last breath before finally passing away. I...I...k-killed...m-my...own b-brother. I...killed...Shining...Armor...

Cadence noticed that Twilight was acting a little unusual, and she saw the tremor in her lips. It soon traveled throughout her body. She made a quiet sound, which grew louder until it became a loud sob and she fell to the floor. She screamed loudly and everypony took notice of the saddening sight before them. Cadence quickly went to her side and asked, “Twilight, are you alright?” However, she already knew the answer. Of course she isn’t alright.

“I...I...I…” Twilight hesitated before saying, “I...k-killed...Shining Armor...I killed my brother!” She cried harder as the fact became known to everypony else. Cadence shifted closer, tears slowly welling out of her eyes.

“T-Twilight...it wasn’t your fault. He...he wanted it...it...it was already t-too late for him. I...I understand how you feel…” She remembered all too well of how he had tried to get her to kill him. The overwhelming feeling of regret and guilt soon took Cadence in its grasp as she began to cry just as hard as Twilight. Everypony else teared up as well, seeing the two distraught ponies before them was just too much. The group gathered around the two alicorns and all of them hugged each other as the events soon took a hold of them. Nothing but misery came from this creature and there victory over it was bittersweet.

~~~

It was just another day in the boring room as Rainbow Dash sat reading her book. She wondered if everypony was alright and hoped that nopony else was hurt. She noticed the door open as a nurse pulled another bed into the room. “You got a roommate, Rainbow Dash. She’ll be recovering for sometime, and both of you should hopefully be out soon.”

Rainbow Dash tried to get a look at her new roommate, but the nurses body was blocking her view and the pony in the bed was placed behind the curtain dividing the room. “I’ll also go and notify that your friends can see you.”

The nurse walked out, leaving Rainbow to wonder at who it was that she brought in. Well, at least now I’ll have company. She slowly got out of her bed, making sure to be careful not to hurt her stomach as she reached for curtains and slowly pulled them back. When she did, she almost screamed in horror as she saw that it was Rarity in the bed. “Rarity...oh...oh no…” How...how did this...happen?

Just as she went to move closer to her, she heard the door open and saw her friends walk in. The nurse gasped in annoyance and said, “Rainbow Dash. You need to stay settled in your bed or else your wound won’t heal properly.” The nurse walked quickly over to the pegasus and guided her back to her bed. She set her down and left the room as her friends gathered in the room.

“Hey there...e-every...pony…” Rainbow faltered as she saw the mess before her. Her friends looked utterly exhausted and she soon worried for their well-being. “What’s...what’s going on?” The blue pegasus was never informed about the turn of events, so she was left utterly in the dark to everything that had taken place.

“Rainbow...we...need to talk…” Twilight quietly murmured. The blue pegasus then saw the bloodshot eyes of Twilight and Cadence. Not too mention everypony else as they all looked terrible too. Twilight then recounted everything that happened to Rainbow Dash and watched as the pegasus’s reactions went from sadness to fear.

“So...the Xenomorph is finally dead, huh?”

“Yes...it’s gone forever now.” Just as Rainbow Dash was going to ask a question, they all heard a soft and quiet moan from the unconscious Rarity as she slowly woke up. Everypony ran up to the bed to see her awaken. What greeted her vision at first was a white light, before it cleared and in front of her was all of her friends staring at her with worry and happiness. She blinked for a moment in confusion.

“What...what happened?” Rarity asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She only remembered being smothered by something and then Sweetie Belle came to mind. In a sudden flash of memories, she recalled the disgusting chamber and then she saw Sweetie right next to her and then the facehugger flying right at her. When she was brought out of her memories, she was sweating profusely and panting very hard, causing a pain in her chest. She looked to her friends as they had worried expressions on her face.

“Rarity...do you remember what happened?” Twilight asked quietly.

Rarity hesitated before nodding. “W-what happened to Sweetie Belle?” Her voice still barely above a whisper. “What happened anyway? Why am I here and...why is my chest wrapped up?”

“Rarity, Sweetie Belle is okay. We took her to Ponyville Hospital just to be sure. Your parents are there with her. Princess Celestia then brought you here and we were able to get the Xenomorph out of you in time.”

Rarity stared at her friends, shock was expressed in her face, but she was glad to still be alive. Thank goodness that Sweetie Belle is okay. She then looked down to the white bandages covering her torso. The thought of having that, thing on her face and implanting an alien inside of her made her feel ill. She gingerly touched the bandages, confirming the reality of the situation to herself. The thought that the monster had made her carry its offspring inside of her was almost too much.

As the group conversed, Rainbow Dash began to think to herself. I...I couldn’t do anything. I should’ve been faster than that. If I was, then none of this would have happened. Everypony would be fine...and nopony would have suffered.

~~~

The sunny sky did not match the mood that lingered over Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and their grandmother, Granny Smith, stood in a back field of the large farm. Nopony outside the Apple family had ever been out to this part of the property, not even Applejack’s closest friends. Before the three ponies were three headstones, two of which have been worn by the ravages of time and the third was painfully new. The dirt over this grave was still freshly laid, making a mound of earth over it. A name was etched into the stone: “Big Macintosh.”

There had been a mass memorial service for the thirty-two ponies that had died, but the Apples were holding their own for the quiet farm pony. The mass burial was held at Canterlot, being led by Princesses Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence, as they voiced their sorrow and described the horrific events that had taken place. The alicorns did their best to not cry, and it was almost too much to bear for some of the audience to watch their beloved Princesses break down in tears. They named off everypony that had died, from the guards, to the citizens of Ponyville, and then Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire.

Applejack looked at her brother’s name and her green eyes burned as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She held back these tears, for Apple Bloom was doing enough crying for the both of them. Besides, she had to be strong for her baby sister. Ever since their parents had died, she and Big Macintosh had to step up and run the farm. They also had to raise their baby sister, due to the fact that their mother had died in childbirth and their father not too much earlier in an accident. Though they were her elder siblings, they might as well have been Apple Bloom’s parents. Now she had to care for the little filly in her charge without Big Macintosh.

Applebloom looked over to her big sister and worriedly asked, “W-what’s goin’ to h-happen now?”

“Well, yer goin’ to have to help more around the farm, since of what happened.” She told her, trying to remain stoic.

Applebloom teared up again and cried as she rushed over to Applejack and hugged her. The orange earth pony hugged back and said, “Don’t you worry sis, Ah’m goin’ to be there by yer side from now on. Ah promise you that.”

As the two hugged, Granny Smith slowly walked over to the two and joined in on the hug. She had felt the heartbreak as badly as AJ, but with age, she was able to hold her emotions back with more ease than the other two. As the small funeral came to a close, all three ponies joined in a sad embrace as they mourned for the loss of Big Macintosh. Things would never be the same again.

~~~

Rainbow Dash was flying in the air, practicing as she smashed the clouds and made them disappear as she went from one cloud to the next in a quick succession. On the ground, not too far away, Fluttershy was watching as her friend trained herself harder than ever. She had seen Rainbow Dash take these sessions as a joke sometimes, but something was different with her this time.

After Rainbow Dash got out of the hospital, she was determined to train to her best and not let what happened last time ever come to past again. After the clouds dispersed from her actions, she slowly floated down. Sweat was quickly falling down through her hair and down all the sides of her head. She panted hard but was not satisfied. I was quicker last time. I need to pick up the pace. Just as she was about to take off, Fluttershy rushed up to her and took her hoof in her own. Rainbow looked back, confused as to why she had stopped her. “Fluttershy, what the hay are you doing?”

“You need to take a break and rest for a bit.” The soft spoken pegasus told her in a motherly tone.

“No, I can’t rest without knowing that I did better.”

“Rainbow Dash, you have to take a break. You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep this up.”

“But I can’t, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash said as she pulled her hoof away from her friend and turned her back on her. “I have to be better. I have to be faster. If I was faster, then I would have been able to save everypony...No pony would have…” Although Fluttershy couldn’t see it, she could tell Rainbow Dash was fighting back tears. The blue pegasus quickly shook her head, trying to regain her resolve. “I have to be stronger.”

“Rainbow Dash, I understand. You’re scared. I was too…” Fluttershy began to say, but she was cut off.

“I’m not scared!” Rainbow Dash screeched as she swiftly spun around to shout in her friend’s face, causing Fluttershy to flinch. Despite the angry look on her face, she was crying as she seethed. “I’m not! I’m Rainbow Dash, the top daredevil in all of Equestria! I’m not scared!” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and dropped her head in shame. Her next words were barely audible. “I’m not scared...I’m not…”

Her words croaked out between sobs and she sat down on her haunches on the grass. Fluttershy slowly approached Rainbow Dash and sat down beside her. Using her front legs and her wings, she pulled her distressed friend into an embrace. Rainbow Dash was pressed up against Fluttershy’s chest, who rested her chin on top of her multicolored mane.

“I’m not scared...I’m not…” Rainbow Dash’s muffled voice sobbed as she leaned against her gentle friend. Fluttershy comfortingly shushed her as she stroked her mane.

“Rainbow Dash. Having no fear doesn’t make you strong.” The blue mare looked up to the tenderly smiling face of Fluttershy in confusion, tears still in her eyes. “It would be foolish to think that you don’t have fear. All living things have fear and they need it. Fear is one of the most basic survival instincts. How else are we to push ourselves beyond our limits? To fly faster? To work longer? To fight harder? Do you remember the Young Flyers Competition?” Rainbow Dash nodded in recollection. “How did you feel when you saw Rarity lose her wings and fall from the sky?”

“I...I was scared that I wasn’t going to be able to catch her in time.” Rainbow Dash confessed.

“But you did. You were able to do a Sonic Rainboom that you had trouble doing before and you saved her. Do you remember the Wonderbolts Academy and how you saved us after the tornado hit our balloon?”

“I thought I was going to lose all of you.”

"And...what about when the Xenomorph was going to strike me?"

"I...I was scared for you. I thought I wasn't going to make it to you...and s-save you..."

“But you didn’t. You were able to think fast and save us all. Don’t you see, Rainbow Dash? It’s good to have fear. Use it to push yourself, but don’t push yourself too hard.” Rainbow Dash thoughtfully looked down at the ground. Fluttershy then stood up. “Come on, Rainbow Dash. There’s going to be a baby shower for Princess Cadence and I was sent to come get you.”

“Yeah, maybe I should relax a bit before training some more.” Rainbow Dash conceded as she followed Fluttershy back to Ponyville.

~~~

"Sweetie Bell? Hello...is anypony here?" Rarity called out into the building. When her little sister didn’t answer, she figured she was at their parents’ house. It had been a while since she got out from the hospital, and she was glad to be home.

Well Rarity, Cadence's baby shower is taking place here soon, so you might as well get ready. We can't go without looking our best now can we?

She put her saddlebag down next to the door and slowly walked in. She silently walked up the stairs to her room and hesitantly opened up her door. Honestly Rarity, stop worrying so much. There is nothing in this establishment that shall do you any bodily harm.

The door slowly creaked open, her wary gaze scanning the room in case anything was out of place. Even after a few weeks had passed since the destruction of the Queen, she was still afraid that something had survived and sooner or later would wreak havoc. She turned on the lights and looked around her bedroom.

Everything is going to be fine. She kept telling herself this, but even reassurance was still not enough to calm her worrying thoughts. She cautiously looked about as she took tentative steps across the threshold. Nothing seemed too out of place and no signs of unwanted entry seemed to show.

With a sigh of relief, the white unicorn walked into her room. She first went to the blinds and opened each one with her magic, surrounding the small poles in her light blue aura. The sun greeted her as it quickly filled the room with more light. Ah, that is much better. Rarity then used her magic to flip the light switch off, turning the florescent lights off in her room and allowing the sun's rays to illuminate the room in natural light.

Okay Rarity, let's get to work. You have to look fabulous for the baby shower after all. She walked over to the large mirror in her room and levitated her materials towards herself. With her makeup case in front of her, she went to work, adding touches to her blush and eyeliner. After she was tidying up with her makeup, she then pondered about what dress she should wear. Well, you don't need to overdo it as always. Besides, this is a baby shower after all. But a certain thought reminded her of a problem.

With delicate hooves, she reached down to her chest and parted the fur away, revealing the scar of her surgery. It was faint and easily hidden by her white coat. Nopony would ever notice it, but for Rarity, it was a constant reminder of what had happened and what could've been. Without my friends’ assistance... I wouldn't...well, be even alive if they never found me. Rarity could feel her emotions welling up inside, but held them back. You don't need to go and ruin your makeup now. However, the thought remained. She knew what was the fate of those who were infected by the Xenomorphs. She could vividly recall the awful feeling of the facehugger forcing its ovipositor down her throat while clutching onto her face. They had told her that they had to remove the infant Xenomorph that was gestating within her body. Rarity shuddered from the thought. She felt violated. That...thing, I...I never want to experience anything like that ever again. The faint taste of it soon came back and Rarity gagged badly. She felt her chest convulse and the pain came back once more.

Nopony...should ever have to go through such a horrifying moment. That was just awful. She shook her head quickly and dismissed anymore thoughts of the terrifying creature and walked out her bedroom door. She then went downstairs and thought, I don’t really need to wear anything at all. I mean it’s not like the scar is visible anyway. She opened the door and locked it with her keys. Putting them in the saddlebag she took with her, she walked off to the train station and headed towards the Crystal Empire.

~~~

As the day went by, the sun was high in the sky. Twilight and her friends arrived to give Cadence a baby shower to congratulate her. As the group entered the room, they saw that the pink alicorn was sitting in a chair, waiting patiently for them to arrive. When she heard the sound of hoofsteps, she looked towards the door and smiled as she saw everypony come in. “Hey everypony. I’m glad you all could make it.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Twilight replied.

“Where’s Celestia and Luna?” As Cadence asked this, the two royal princesses flew in through the window. “Oh, there you two are.”

“Did you think we would miss our niece’s first ever baby shower?” Celestia teasingly stated.

The pink alicorn giggled slightly. Soon the party commenced, but with less enthusiasm than anticipated. Everypony was silent most of the time, having to force smiles since one pony was missing from the group. Tension was felt in the air as the party continued. The one thing that showed was that Cadence’s belly was a bit more rounded than before.

Everypony was glad, but this brought back unwanted memories. Shining...he should be here to see this… The mood dampened more as Cadence unwrapped her presents from not just her friends, but some from the citizens of the crystal empire as well. They reminded her of the life that could’ve been but was sadly taken away by the monster of nightmares. The group of ponies stared at the floor as a minute went by. Soon, the party came to a standstill as everypony stood silent.

There was a loud sound that caused everypony to jump in their seats and turn to see that Pinkie Pie had just set off the party cannon, sending multicolored confetti into the air. “Hey everypony! Its time to shake your groove thang!”

“Pinkie, what are you-” As Twilight tried to ask her pink friend, streamers shot out from the cannon again as Pinkie set it off once more.

“Come on everypony! Let’s get this party started! Pinkie Pie style!” The pink earth pony began rushing around, throwing all sorts of party favors that only seemed to confuse the others even more. Just as Applejack was going to say something to Pinkie, she rushed up to them all and said, “Come everypony! Let’s get our dance craze on!”

The group were then forced to dance as Pinkie blasted the volume on the phonograph, amplifying the sound and causing some of the ponies to cover their ears, hoping to help protect their eardrums from the deafening sound of the loud music. Soon Twilight had enough and yelled, “Pinkiiiieeeeee!”

The music stopped abruptly and Pinkie stopped in mid air before slowly coming back down to the ground. Cadence sadly smiled and approached Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie. I know that you’re trying to cheer us up...but what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get this party started, duhhh.”

“Pinkie, I don’t think this is the proper time-” Cadence started to say.

“Princess Cadence, it is the perfect time for a party.” Pinkie Pie told her, suddenly becoming serious. The others noted this sudden change in her tone and listened with curiosity and confusion. “I know what everypony is feeling right now. I feel it too; we all miss Shining Armor.” At the mention of the deceased stallion’s name, the group lowered their heads and gazed gloomily at the floor. “But we musn’t forget why we’re here today. We’re here to celebrate you and your baby.”

“But I don’t know if I’m in the mood for a party.” Cadence told her, her spirits lowering even further. “It’s just a reminder that he isn’t here. A reminder...that the foal will never know their father…” Cadence began to cry, prompting Twilight to wrap a comforting hoof around her shoulders. “I...I just don’t know how I’ll go on now without him…”

“You have to. If not for your sake, for your foal’s sake then.” Pinkie was being firm with her, but not to be mean. Rather, she was trying to keep her pressing forward and to prevent her from giving into despair. “Cadence, I’m not saying you should forget Shining Armor. I would never ask that of you. I’m asking you to be strong for your baby. I’m asking you to look forward to the future and have hope. I’m asking you…” She paused and stepped closer to the saddened expectant mother to place a friendly hoof on hers. Cadence looked up to see Pinkie’s serious look had become one of sympathy. “...to smile.”

Cadence stared at the pink mare with such kindness as more tears slowly rolled out. Everypony else soon had tears come down from hearing the very kind and heartfelt speech that Pinkie had given. The group of ponies cried for sometime before tears were finally wiped away. They silently agreed to put any negative thoughts aside and to enjoy the moment they were sharing. As the baby shower continued with a much happier tone, Twilight looked over to Spike. She noticed that he seemed to distance himself from the rest of the group, standing out over the balcony outside.

Worried for his well-being, she walked over to where he stood and saw that he seemed so detached. He didn’t seem to smile and what she also noticed was the physical changes as well. His height was increased slightly. He was a little leaner as she noticed his baby fat shrunk down a tiny fraction. His fangs were poking more out of his mouth, his claws were slightly elongated and his spines were sharper looking than usual.

“Hey Spike, why don’t you play pin the tail on the pony with Nyx and the others?” Twilight suggested hopefully, motioning over to where her daughter was playing with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.

“Sure...whatever.” Spike replied half-heartedly, slowly walking over to the group. She watched him in confusion, and was a little worried. She opened her mouth to say something to him, but he had already walked away. She followed him back into the room and saw that everypony was happier than before.

After sometime, it was evening and everypony was beginning to leave. Twilight walked up to Cadence’s side and said, “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to stay here with you for tonight.”

“Why’s that Twilight?”

“Well, it’s just... I wanted to keep you company. Since after all that happened, I wanted to help you out for the next few days.”

“You mean…”

“Yes...I was hoping that I...maybe…”

Cadence moved her hoof to Twilight’s mouth and said, “Twilight...I understand.” A few tears fell down their cheeks. “It’s alright. I think we both need this visit. You, Nyx, and Spike can stay here for a few days. You’re always welcomed here.” The two alicorns hugged each other. Tears rolling down both their cheeks as they embraced.

As night rolled around, Twilight was unpacking in her guest bedroom. Nyx was in the other room while Spike was going to share her room in his own bed. As Twilight finished unpacking, she looked towards Spike again and noticed that he still had a somber expression.

“So Spike, did you enjoy the party?” Twilight awkwardly asked, trying to break the ice.

“Yeah, I guess…” He responded in a hollow tone. Twilight watched him unpack, sluggish in his movements. She once again noticed his claws and how much sharper they appeared.

“I noticed your claws have grown.” She pointed out. He looked down at his hands, but then just shrugged and went back to unpacking. “Your spines too, they’ve gotten...well, more developed as well.” Again, Spike gave a nonchalant grunt. Seeing that the young dragon wasn’t going for the small talk, she sighed and went over to Spike. She placed a hoof on his shoulder and turned him around to face her. “Spike, we need to talk.”

“What’s there to talk about?” He asked coldly.

“Spike, I can tell there’s something wrong. Please...tell me. Talk to me.” The small dragon remained silent. Twilight then said, “It’s about me and Nyx...isn’t it?”

He nodded silently as Twilight continued to talk. “You’re disappointed in yourself that you couldn’t save us, that when Nyx was taken away, you felt like you let her down...is that why you’re so...distant?”

“I should’ve been able to save her!” Spike began, but there was no sadness in voice, only anger. “If I was quicker, if I was stronger, than she would never have been hurt.”

“But Spike, she’s fine.”

“And I also felt weak, because of that monster.”

“The Xenomorph?”

“No! That evil pony, Kettlepot!”

“Spike, Kettlepot wasn’t in his right mind. I’m sure he would never harm anypony on purpose.”

“But you didn’t see what he was about to do to you!” Spike shouted, his body trembling in rage. The mention of what Kettlepot had intended on doing to her while she was unconscious made her flinch. “I...I saw him standing over you, holding you...He was about to...to…” Spike spun around and yelled as he punched a wardrobe with fisted claw, shattering the door. Twilight jumped at his sudden violent outburst.

“Spike, calm down!” She tried to soothe the upset dragon, but he still seethed with self-loathing.

“He could’ve...and I wouldn’t been able to stop it…” He muttered, his rage simmering down to depression. He didn’t notice Twilight walking up to him. She wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him in to her chest. He tried to squirm away out of her hug, but offered little resistance once she started to soothingly shush him and nuzzle him.

“Ssshhhh...Everything will be okay, Spike. We’re all fine now.”

Spike nodded, but didn’t really believe what she said. Without another word, Twilight let him go and both beings finally went to their beds. Twilight turned off the lights and snuggled into her covers, while Spike slept in his, still thinking about what she said. He didn’t know that Twilight thought about what he had said too. She dismissed the thought and let sleep finally take her.

~~~

Twilight Sparkle screamed in agony. This was a pain unlike she had ever experienced before. Sweat profusely ran down her brow and her teeth were clenched so tight that they could probably crush diamonds. She panted rapidly and then threw back her head and screamed again.

“That’s it, Your Highness. Push!” A doctor urged her. Twilight was lying on a hospital bed, her hind legs in stirrups, and her belly was swollen. Tears of pain leaked from her eyes that were squeezed shut. It had been sometime since the incident with the Xenomorph, but the young mare’s trials were far from over. Despite what she and everypony else believed, Spike had been too late and Kettlepot did indeed have his way with her. When she discovered she was pregnant with the insane unicorn’s child, she had actually screamed, then fainted. When she recovered, she was shell shocked and was essentially mute for two weeks. Her friends were, of course, concerned for her well being and Spike blamed himself for her condition. When she finally came to terms with her situation, she decided to keep the child. Right now, she was having second thoughts.

“Breathe, Your Highness.” Nurse Redheart encouraged her. At Twilight’s side was Applejack, who was holding her hoof, and the rest of their friends were waiting in the waiting room. Though they all wanted to be in the delivery room with her, the doctors said that only one of them could be there at a time.

“Your almost there. One more push.” The doctor said to her. Twilight breathed in and out deeply and then strained as she pushed. She then arched her back and screamed as an infant Xenomorph ripped out of her chest and shrieked at the shocked doctors and nurses.

Twilight awoke with a start. She bolted right up in her bed, panting rapidly. She looked around and saw she was still in the Crystal Empire. It was the middle of the night and everything was quiet. Her hoof went to her chest; no xenomorph. She pulled back the covers of her bed and looked at her belly; no foal. Of course there was no foal. Back at the hospital after Rarity had awakened from her surgery, her friends had finally convinced her to let the doctors tend to her wounds that she had sustained during her battle with the Queen Xenomorph. While they were treating her, she had discreetly asked them to check if Kettlepot had or had not in fact had his way with her. Much to her relief, there was no evidence whatsoever that he had. Even though she knew for a fact that she wasn’t pregnant, the nightmare she just had forced her to look down at her stomach with paranoia. It took her a few moments, but her rational mind eventually conquered her irrational fears.

Looking back up, she saw Spike sleeping soundly in his bed. She got out of her own bed and went to the adjacent room. She cracked opened the door and saw that her daughter, Nyx, was also sleeping peacefully. Sighing with relief, she got back into her bed. However, she couldn’t go back to sleep. Her mind was racing. Thoughts of the Xenomorph still haunted her mind. They had saved Equestria...no, the entire world from the threat of that nightmare fiend from beyond the stars, but they had lost so much. So many lives, so many friends, her dear brother. Twilight covered her face with her hooves and silently wept into the night.

~~~

A few weeks earlier

As the doctor left Princess Twilight and the others to have their moment together after Rarity’s surgery, he realized that there was one last thing to do. He went to the room where he met the pony from earlier and had a little something along with him. When he arrived, the pony was sitting right there. “Ah...I see you got it.”

“Yeah, here’s the thing you wanted.” He passed the covered tube into the hooves of one of the gruff looking stallions next to the pony. “Now...how about my reward?”

“Of course.” He nodded to the pony on his right and the grunt passed the doctor a silver suitcase. When the doctor opened it, a yellow light appeared as he saw all the bits inside. He closed it and packed it on his side.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Dr. Caballeron.”

“The same as with you, my very wise friend.” He looked at the hidden tube and laughed. “My associate shall be very pleased with your assistance.”

With that, Caballeron walked away with his two grunts, leaving the doctor to pack the suitcase away and take it back to his home. Caballeron took off the black cloth and smiled. “Neighland will pay a fortune for you.” He said to the flesh colored larva within the tube. The creature was frozen by magic and it had a small crest growing on the back of its head.

~~~

In the vast emptiness of space, a ship flew amongst the stars. The ship’s monitors detected an explosion and altered its course to investigate. As time passed, the ship came upon the planet Erebus. They scanned the surface to see if anything was there, but radioactive energy was all they could sense. Whatever happened here, they were too late.

The ship picked up another signal and a picture soon appeared on the monitor. A ship had crashed somewhere. It picked up the ship’s trail and followed it to a distant planet. When the mysterious vessel approached the unknown planet, the monitors scanned the wreckage of the downed spacecraft. On the bridge, a hologram projector displayed an image. Four beings surrounded the hologram as they looked at the data presented. It was unmistakable; the serpents had made it to this new world they had discovered. The hunt was on.

Author's Notes:

And kablam! I see you all are very excited for our little teaser at the ending here. To put all doubts away, yes. We are making a sequel! As you can tell who we shall use next time, be prepared...the hunt has been initiated.

Now that this has been covered, I'd like to say thank you all for reading my story. I thank you all so much for sticking with me and staying till the very end. I should also thank DiabloGuapo for everything he's done. He has helped me so much and has really given me the hand I needed for getting this story finished and accomplished. So, since everypony here will probably have questions...I'll ask that you send me via PM's and I'll put them on a blog later on. Hope you all enjoyed this thrilling story that me and Diablo made and I shall see you all next time!

Till then...prepare for the battle ahead, a new player has taken his place on the battlefield, and things will definitely get...messy.

P.S. Again, thanks to everypony for you're time and I shall say thank you again. Everything you have done has been nothing but amazing. Till then, I'm XxEpsilonxX and I bid you a good morning, afternoon, evening, night or whatever and shall hopefully see you all very soon. (Oh and on another thing, if anyone could create a coverart for the next sequel...me and Diablo will give you the details, I would highly appreciate it it anypony helped out).