> Wanderings of a Nameless Man
>  by The Informant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Nameless Wanderer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Wanderings of a Nameless Man


Written By: The Informant (Myself)


Edited By: (insert editor here) (Has no editor )


Pre-Readers: (insert pre-reader) (Has no pre-reader )


(The Informant is forever alone... )



Chapter 1: The Nameless Wanderer


It's funny how your entire life can change faster than a blink of an eye, or, at least in my case, a flash. I remember little of what this world used to be, but, from what I heard, it must have been very nice compared to the world I live in now. The place was full of life and green, there were normal everyday people just trying to get by paying the bills, there were animals that weren't trying to kill you every waking hour. Hell, you could even see that sun during the day and the moon during the night. 

It must have been very nice...

...However, that was before the invaders came.

When they attacked it was swift, ruthless, and completely unexpected. They managed to kill most of our leaders and destroy all our defenses before we even knew we were under attack. We tried to fight back as best as we could, but, by that point, it was already too late. Our chain of command was completely and utterly destroyed and we had little more peashooters to fight back the invasion with. To make things even worse, they began to destroy everything with their weapons of mass destruction. Entire cities were wiped completely off the face of the earth, within seconds as their mega weapons hit. However, they didn't stop after destroying a few cities, they kept going until there wasn't a single major city on earth. 

At this point, we knew what their most forward intentions were. Their objective was to destroy all life on earth, but for what reason we did not know. There was no warning, no diplomacy, no negotiations, just the unexpected annihilation of our entire species.

However, being the stubborn as we humans are, we simply refused roll over and die off; like the aliens wanted us to. We instead took refuge in underground fallout bunkers and tried our best to make the alien's job as difficult as we possibly could. Taking as many of the invading bastards with us as we could before we bit the dust ourselves. We know it is only a matter of time before they hunt us all down, but we still continue to fight in hope for a future for the human race.

This is the world that I live in now, hiding underground in a bunker harassing the aliens as they try to snuff us out. Living life on the border between life and death, constantly at risk of dying in painful and brutal ways at any given time. A life that most couldn't bare living, and most don't. 

So one may ask, why do I continue to live? Why do I continue to fight and survive against greater odds? What do I fight for? Well, I can't exactly answer that question, because I do not know myself. I do not know why I fight while others give up, or why I continue to live while others give in to the cold and comforting embrace of death. I don't know because I cannot remember. The farthest into my past I remember was when the invasion ended. I woke up among the rubble of the ruins of a once great city. I could not remember who I was then nor before, all I knew was what had happened. All I remember was that Aliens invaded, shit got blown up, and I was a very upset and unhappy person. For whichever reason, I did not know... 

Ever since I woke up, I have always had this extremely powerful will to survive, no matter what got in my way; I was always determined to live through it. It was a strange feeling, it felt like I would breaking a promise I made long ago by simply dying without a fight, a promise that I did not ever want to break. Who I made this promise to I do not know, nor do I know if it was even a promise at all, and instead a powerful survival instinct. 

What ever it was, its influence is growing weaker and weaker as the days go by. I've noticed that more and more I am growing tired of this. More and more I just want it to end. More and more I just want to lay down and die. However, the more I want to die, the more I want to remember who I was before the invasion; not to mention what had made me become the man I am today. I want to know why I continue to fight, and what I fight for. I want to know what was so damn special for me to continue to live for.

This desire to know is what has brought me to take on this journey I take now. A journey to rediscover myself. A journey to remember who I was. A journey to discover what I fight for. I do this because I can no longer live with only a purpose I don't even know of; I cannot continue to live without knowing why. The day I know who I was and why I continue to live will be the day when this journey will be over. No earlier, no later.

My story begins with the last moments I spend in a fallout bunker I once called home. A home that I will leave behind to seek out my true home, in hope of remembering who I once was.


***


Today is the day. The day that I shall leave all I know behind to set off on a journey of self enlightenment. The day I shall set off into the wastelands once called earth to face the many horrors and dangers within. The day in which will be the first step towards remembering myself. It was an exciting day, but also, at the same time, a depressing day. The bunker is all I have known ever since waking up. This bunker was the only place I considered safe. This bunker was the only place where I had friends, and now I was leaving it all behind.

Well, not completely. I will not be traveling alone for this journey, my faithful dog, Spike, will be accompanying me on this trip. It took a lot of convincing from my friends and the bunker overseer to have me take him with me, but in the end Spike was going to whether I wanted him or not. I love that dog to death and it seems that he love me back just as much; that big bastard will follow me to hell and back and would not take no for an answer. I would never forgive myself if he got hurt or killed for my personal needs, but he was coming with me despite what I thought of it. 

Still, Spike was going to be a very powerful asset to have during this journey. He is a timber wolf and quite possibly the last of his kind. He is very big dog, standing up on his hind legs, he was just as tall as me if not as big. He is also very strong, able to knock anybody down to the ground with one pounce and keep them there; I've been the victim of many of his attacks of affection. I pity anyone who ends up being Spike's prey. Besides his size and strength he was a very well trained dog, I trained him myself, he is good at sniffing out trouble before it arrives and is a very capable hunter. With his skills, we will never go hungry and can stay out of harms way.

When I announced that I was leaving it was a pretty big shock to everyone, most didn't take it to well. All of them had lost a lot of friends; almost too many. The thought of losing another was likely unbearable to them. A lot of my friends told me that I was crazy for even thinking about it, and that I should change my decision while I still had a chance. The rest just tried to convince me that it wasn't worth it, but I had already made up my mind. I needed to do this for my sake and the sake of others. If I kept going like this, I was bounded to get myself and most likely one or more of my friends killed; I would never forgive myself for that.

So today was the day for me to leave, as exciting as it was, there was no way it could overcome the emotion of depression and dread I am feeling right now. I am scare out of my mind of the thought of having to face the friends that I will abandon within the next ten minutes. What will they think of me? Will they think poorly of me? Will they hate me for abandoning them like this? Especially during trying times like this? Or did they finally accept the fact that I had to do this? I did not know, but I was going to find out soon.

Spike had no such conflicts. He sat next to me, happily wagging his tail with excitement in his eyes as I continued to pack. I was envious of emotions he was emitting, for I wish I could feel the same about this journey, but I can't feel the same because I know what I have gotten myself into. My friends' feelings about me was going to soon be the least of my worries.

I finished packing and did a quick equipment check. I had my gas mask, because breathing in ash and toxins is not fun. I had my 44 magnum revolver, sure, it wasn't going kill aliens, but I was definitely better than nothing but a crowbar. Speaking of crowbar, that is here as well, a lot of my friends say I look like Gordon Freeman with this thing (whoever the hell that is). I had my 15 inch bowie knife, to skin anything edible that I or Spike happen to kill. I had my Backpack full food, water, and other survival supplies, it would last me about a week depending on how I rationed it. Spike and I both had our thermal suits, and heavy winter camouflage clothing, this will keep us from freezing to death while on the move or while we sleep. Finally, and most importantly, a map with my destination marked. New York City, the city I first woke up in, the only place that would have any chance of having the information I seek; if it still exists.

After checking all my equipment, I put on my bag and left the barracks. It was time, time to face my friends and say my last goodbyes, time to take my first step in this long journey, time to find my long lost self. I walk out of my room, into the hall, and start making my way toward the exit. As I walked down the hall, I noticed it was unusually empty and silent. This did not surprise me, as I knew where they were, the only place they could be, the only place that they would be. I round the next corner to face the exit, not surprised to see the entire bunker had gathered at the exit. I was sure they were probably trying one last time to change my mind.

"I've made up my mind already, I'm not going to change it." I stated with utmost certainty.

"We're not here to pester ya about it, we're just here to see ya both off. What kinda friends would we be if we let ya'll go without even saying a word?" A man with a southern accent said, a voice that can only be Fredrickson's voice, a fellow resistance fighter and the bunker Overseer.

I simply nod as I walk further down the hall towards the exit with Spike in tow. I was surprised to say the least, but I wasn't going to complain. As I passed my fellow comrades they gave me a silent nod or a short goodbye, I suppose that there was not much for them to say, although I was glad that they have finally accepted that I was leaving and didn't bother me about it. As I reached the exit Fredrick puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I know ya don't want any more fuss about convincing you to stay, but ya sure about this one?" He asked

"Yes, positive." I reply confidently.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then. But first..." He started a grabbed something off the ground next to where he was standing.

"...take this, consider it a parting gift." He finishes as he places an AK-47 with some spare clips in my hands. I stared at in in shock as realize what he had just given me.

"This... this is too much, this is your rifle I couldn't possibly..."

" Yer gonna to need it more than I will ever will my friend. Besides, you honestly think that you are going to fight off the horrible monstrosities of the wasteland with a pea shooter like that?" He joked pointing at my six shooter.

"Hey! Her name is Little Lisa and she has feelings, apologize this instant." I countered.

We all had a laugh at that, it was nice to be able to joke with my friends one last time. After Fredrick made up his painfully dramatic apology to my oversensitive and traumatized revolver, it was time to go.

"Good luck my friend, I hope you find what you are looking for." Fredrick said.

"May the same luck be with you all, kill a few of those illegal alien bastards while I'm gone, eh?" I joked.

"May that be a promise." He assured me as he turned to everyone else.

"ALIGHT, YA'LL CLEAR THE HALL NOW!!! WE'RE OPENIN' THE DOOR!"

Within seconds the entire hall was vacated, not a single soul in sight besides for me, Spike, and Fredrick. Fredrick made his way over to the door control and slipped his gas mask over his face. I slipped on my gas mask as well and threw my thermal suit hood over my head along with the heavy winter suit hood. I slung the AK-47 over my shoulder and placed the spare clips in my bag. After I was all set I gave Fredrick a nod, he nodded in response and pulled the lever. 

The screeching sound of the door opening reached my ears followed by the sound of the howling wind of the dreaded wasteland. As the door was opening ash from the world that once was began to make it's way in. The cold hit me almost instantly sending shivers through me, it didn't matter how much winter gear I had on, it was FREAKING COLD. Spike was not faring much better as he shivered as the cold wind beat against us. It took a few moments for our thermal suits to adjust appropriately and reach a decent temperature.

As soon as the door that was finally open, nothing else could be heard, nothing but the ghastly howling of the winds. At this point Spike and I began to make out way out. This was it, as soon as I make my first step out there was no turning back, once I make that first step outside my journey of self rediscovery will begin. My heartbeat grows faster as I come closer and closer to the exit, brief feelings of reluctance and uncertainty of my decision flow through me, but are quickly dismissed as I know I must do this.  I take a deep breath and hold it as I walk through the exit and into the dark gloomy world before me.

"By the way, If you ever figure out who you are and somehow get back after all of this, I suppose we can stop calling you John Doe!" Fredrick shouted after me.

I give in to a small smile under my mask before turning around and giving him a small wave, he returned one in kind. I turned back around and continued walked further into the white void before me. I kept walking until the bunker door, nor the mound it was embedded in, was no longer in sight. Over the sound of the winds I can hear the familiar screeching of the bunker door behind me, there is no turning back now.

My journey has begun.
> Chapter 2: New World 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: New World


Nothing could be seen or heard but the whistling of the wind and the ice mixed with ash over the cold and barren wasteland for miles. The landscape was completely devoid of life, not a single creature in sight. Well, that was until there was a loud *BANG* that awoke a monster from its slumber underneath the ashy snow.

It sprung up from its resting place, sending snow and ash flying everywhere. It was a cat like creature that was about 6 feet tall and 8 feet long with an extremely muscular build. It had a mangy snowy white coat, and had razor sharp teeth and claws capable of giving severe wounds to those unlucky enough to be its prey. After shaking off the excess ash and snow out of its dense and shaggy fur, it turned toward the direction in which the sound originated and began sprinting towards it in hopes of finding prey. It ran with incredible speed, almost hitting 30 mph as it traveled.

It slowed down to stop as it reached the edge of a circular canyon. Looking down, the big cat found the source of the sound, however the source confused it. It expected to find humans firing at each other or other creatures, in which it would eventually claim the dead and whoever remained as a meal, but what it did find completely baffled the creature. The sound did not originate from gunfire as it had first expected, instead it originated from an strange glowing sphere in the center of the canyon. It knew for a fact it had never seen this kind of thing before, not even the creatures from the sky had anything that did this.

Curiosity got the best of the creature and it prepared to jump down to investigate the mysterious orb up close, but never go the chance to do so when several more *BANG*s originated from the sphere. The creature jumped back and peeked over the edge, that is when it saw something that baffled it even more. From its cover, it no longer saw the glowing sphere, it was now looking at several small quadrupedal creatures of all decked out in gear that was almost similar to the humans' gear. 

The creatures appeared to have three different variants, one variant had some sort of horn on its head, another had a pair of wings, and the rest had neither. When it came to appearances, they were all unnaturally colored, and none of the creatures could possibly be bigger than a mouthful, and appeared to be a prey type of animal. Their clothing and strange weaponry indicated to the monster that these creatures were indeed intelligent.

The monster looked at them doubtfully, deciding whether or not it should attack. They looked like they would be easy pickings and a quick meal, but it has learned from its years of experience to not underestimate its prey. If their weapons were any indication, they were probably expecting threats and had taken measures to ensure their safety. So it was going to wait and watch, study their strengths and weaknesses, learn how they behave, and strike when the time was right.

The creature lays down in the snow, allowing its fur to camouflage itself as it stalked its new prey.


***


Twilight was instantly met with a wave of mixed feeling of cold, nausea, and pain as she exited the portal, the fact that she was sent through space to an unknown world, where it appeared to be winter, at a speed a little bit slower than light and landing directly on her face did not help. After a trip like that she could only say one thing.

"Ouch..." she muttered into the snow.

Removing her face from the snow she turned to look around the environment around her. It appears that she had landed in a cannon of some sort, semi-steep slopes surrounded her on all sides. It was going to be hard to scale these slopes with the equipment they had. Despite this, her face formed into a smile. This was it, an entire new world to study and explore. Her years of work had finally paid off and now she was the first pony ever to step on (and face plant on) this new world. She turned around to face the portal she emerged from and waited for the rest of the team to come through.

The first to emerge was her brother along with a few of the royal guard, they didn't have any better luck with the landing. Twilight giggled a little as her BBBFF and the rest of the guards struggled out of the snow and retrieve their crossbows that landed a few feet away.

"Looks like I arrived first, have a nice trip?" Twilight asked.

"Could have been better, Twily." Shining responded with a grunt.

"Dear Celestia!!! It's cold out here!" A unicorn mare guard named Sparks complained.

"Second this statement! It is a good thing we have these adaptive suits! Our ears would have frozen off by now!" The earth pony stallion guard named Iron Hoof agreed as he adjusted his hood around his head.

"Yeah, It appears we came through in the middle of a winter storm." A pegasus mare guard named Sky Chaser responded.

A second later another three ponies came through, the timid animal expert Fluttershy, the inter species diplomat Lyra Heartstrings, and survivalist expert Daring Doo. Daring was the only one who had a little better luck with the landing, but not by much, she at least didn't face plant. 

"That is something I do not want to experience again." Daring said holding back the urge to vomit as she got onto her hooves.

Fluttershy was not so lucky as she vomited into the snow. "Oh my..." she mutter after seeing her breakfast make an second appearance before her, already starting to freeze over.

"Yeah, that felt worse than the morning after a party..." Lyra agreed as she helped the poor yellow Pegasus up. 

"Aright, is anypony hurt?" Twilight asked the group.

Everybody shook their head in response. Besides feeling extremely nauseous, everyone in the group was okay.

"...and everypony remembers why they are here?" Twilight then asked, bringing up a holographic notepad and her "Mental evaluation" checklist. Ready to check off everypony and make sure that there was no mental side-effects from using the portal.

Daring Doo rolled her eyes but was the first to respond. "I am here to make sure we all survive until the end of the week so we can leave." Daring replied with an annoyed tone.

Twilight was slightly annoyed at the pegasus's half assed response, but checked her off the list.

Lyra Heart Strings was next. "I am here in case we find intelligent life here and initiated a first contact." Lyra stated professionally.

With a nod, Twilight then checked her off the list.

Shining was next after that. "We're here to protect the team until we return at the end of the week." Shining stated professionally.

Twilight checked him off the list.

Fluttershy was the last to respond. "I am here to assess the animal wildlife here and hopefully keep them from attacking us if they turn out to be mean. I am also here as a medic."  She replied in a low voice just loud enough for them to hear.

Twilight smiled, and checked Fluttershy off the list, happy to find that no one had suffered any sort of brain damage from the portal. Not that she believed there would be, she was sure it would be just fine. 

A few seconds later their supplies came though. The supplies included more weapons, a weeks worth of food and water, camping equipment, survival equipment, and most importantly (least for Twilight) research equipment. After being sure that everything was here Twilight grabbed her communication crystal.

"We are all set here, see you in a week." Twilight spoke into the crystal.

"We hear you, Twilight. Remember, you can use your communication crystal to come back early should you run into problems. Good luck." A voice on the other side responded.

At that exact moment the portal faltered and quickly diminished without a sound or sign that it ever existed. Twilight secured her communication crystal within her thermal saddlebags. All that remained now was the team, they were on their own. If any of them were having second thoughts, none of them showed it. Well... perhaps one was having a few second thoughts. Fluttershy was looking pleadingly at where the portal used to be in false hope that it may reappear and take her home. Twilight trotted over and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"It's okay Fluttershy, we'll be home in a week and you'll get to see your animals again then. Just try to stay brave, we may need you before the week ends." Twilight reassured, placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder for comfort.

"O-oh yes... I know..." She replied with fake confidence.

"Alright, Fluttershy, I'm going to see about getting a few surface samples, why don't you see if anypony needs any help setting up camp. I doubt that we are bound to run into anything dangerous right now." Twilight said before trotting off away to settle her own business.

Fluttershy wasn't entirely reassured by Twilight's words as she look around the rim of the bowl canyon they were in, she couldn't stop getting the strange feeling that something was watching them. She continued looking around the rim but couldn't find anything that stood out. That was when she thought she saw two red eyes staring at her from the cliff above out of a snow mound. After doing a double take she noticed that they disappeared and all that remained was the plain snow mound that didn't really stand out. Shaking her head believing that she was just being paranoid, Fluttershy went to rejoin the team.

While everyone was working on setting up camp, Twilight got busy collecting samples of the surface. She was getting frustrated however as she notices she couldn't get an actual soil sample, it was nothing but snow everywhere and it was deep, obviously more than a few feet. It would probably take excavation to reach the actual surface of the planet. However, she was able to draw some hypotheses from this observation. This density in snow indicated that snowy weather was a constant occurrence on this world, or at least in this part of the world. However, she found something strange about the snow, it was snow, but then again it wasn't. It looked like snow but it doesn't entirely feel like snow or really act like snow. It was far to... dusty... She ignored that little thought for the moment as she made her way back to camp with her samples. 

The camp was now entirely set up and ready to go by the time she got back. Everyone was now in the process of getting the equipment sorted out. Twilight made her way to the tent with all her research supplies inside. Setting up an sample analyzer she began to test the things she found. Placing a sample of snow into the analyzer, she turned it on and allowed it to perform its magic. The device hums before silencing and printing out it's data. Twilight takes a look at what the device had found and was surprised to find what this snow consisted of. It was a combination of frozen water and something else... Something her analyzer couldn't pick up. Apparently it was slightly toxic. Not toxic enough to harm anyone, but it could over a period of time. 

This brought some questions to mind. What was it? Why is it toxic? Is it like this everywhere on this planet? Something in the water maybe? And, if that is the case, what happened here?

Her focus was broken when Daring came the room. "Have you notice that something is wrong with this snow? It's like it is not snow at all, it far too powdery." She asked.

"I don't quite know... All I do know is that it's definitely toxic. It's more than likely that our wool masks won't do the trick. Tell everyone to begin using our gas masks. It's most likely not extremely harmful, but I don't want to take any chances." Twilight responded.

Daring looked a little shocked at the sudden fact that they've been breathing something potentially toxic, but nodded and put on her mask and goggles before heading out to tell the others. Twilight continued to test other samples she had grabbed while she was out, all the results were pretty much the same. She was interrupted again as the guard, Sky Chaser, barged in.

"Uh, hey, I'm sorry to be the one to say this, but the storm seems to be getting worse, we need to secure all the equipment and wait for it to blow over... that means your analyzer too. Sorry, but it looks like we might lose a day over this." She informed before flying off.

Twilight let out an annoyed huff as she magically packed her analyzer and put it back into its case. She was irritated that they were not even on this world for an hour and they were already about to lose a day over a silly storm, but protocol was protocol. There was no sense in taking risks, especially when it came to unknown factors that could apply. 

With the analyzer packed and ready to go she secured it along with the rest of the equipment in the supply tent before moving outside and to the into the living tent. Upon reaching the tent she realized that everyone was here getting their own bed preparations set up. Shining notices Twilight and trotted up to her.

"Hey, Twily, what is with this rumor I hear going around saying that the air here is toxic?" Shining asked.

Twilight face hoofed at Daring's this misinterpretation of her words. "I said that the snow is toxic, not the air! Either way it is not that big of a deal, the toxicity of it is low enough for it to not be immediately deadly or even a threat to any pony's health unless exposed to it for a long period of time. However, I still recommend wearing a gas mask when moving around outside." Twilight explained. 

"Well, that is good to know, I'll tell the others of the mistake." Shining responded as he gave Twilight a brief hug before walking off.

While Shining Armor went off to explain the snow situation to the rest of the team, Twilight took her time to settle her own bed situation. With some manipulation of her magic, she easily set up her cot in a free spot next to a window within the tent. After carefully stress testing it to make sure she had set it up correctly, she jumped up on her cot, grabbed her holographic notepad, and tried to get comfortable. It wasn't as if they were going to do anything until this storm had blown over, so she decided that she would take notes of the storm events and its effects on the environment. She figured she might as well stay productive while they waited out the coming storm.

A few minutes pass as she is taking notes on the worsening weather when she noticed a pony outside her window looking out towards the slope, as if looking for something. Looking around the entirety of the living tent, Twilight observed that everypony other than Fluttershy was currently present. This lead Twilight to conclude that Fluttershy was the pony outside her window.  With a sigh, Twilight put her note pad down in front of her, proceeded to get off her cot, and walk towards the exit of the living tent. 

Twilight knew that she needed to get Fluttershy inside before the storm got any worse, and she knew that Fluttershy wouldn't simply come in without some encouraging words. She knew, as far as Fluttershy was concerned, that she was going to be living in a single room full of complete strangers for an entire week; other than her and her brother that was. Strangers were not Fluttershy's profession and she is likely getting hesitant to come inside the tent for that same reason. As such, Twilight knew she needed to get Fluttershy before she decided to spend the night out there.

Shining Armor noticed his sister walking out of the living tent. "Hey, Twily! Where are you going? Sky Chaser tells me that this storm should be hitting any second now."

"I'm going to get Fluttershy, she is still outside. Probably in need of some encouraging words. I won't be long." Twilight explained to her brother before exiting the tent, not waiting for a response.

Her brother simply gave a nod in response before returning his attention to his previous task. Twilight grabbed her mask as well as an extra one for Fluttershy, slipping her's over her face and stepping outside. The cold immediately hit her like a train, it was now far colder than it originally was in their initial arrival; it actually took her Adaptive suit several seconds to adapt to a suitable temperature. Twilight assumed it must have been because of the storm and put down a mental note about it to record later. Moving around the corner, Twilight spotted Fluttershy and quickly trotted up to her.

"Fluttershy! What are you doing out here? Didn't you hear about-"

"Shhh." Fluttershy simply said as she continued to study the horizon of the canyon.

"Fluttershy! We need to-"

"SHHHH." Fluttershy stated with a bit more emphasis as she continued looking for something. 

"Fluttershy... What are you doing?" Twilight asked in a softer tone. 

"I think something is watching us..." Fluttershy whispered.

"Wait... What do you mean something is watching us?" Twilight questioned worriedly.

"I mean something is watching us... I saw it once before, but I thought it was me just being scared... but now I have seen it for the fifth time now... Not a coincidence..." Fluttershy stated.

Twilight took Fluttershy's words seriously as she began to look along the horizon as well. However, she obviously couldn't see whatever Fluttershy was looking for. After a minute of looking Twilight was beginning to become a bit impatient. "Fluttershy, I don't-"

"There it is..." Fluttershy said quietly as she pointed to a mound of snow on the far horizon.

Twilight blinked in confusion as all she saw was Fluttershy pointing at an inconspicuous mound of snow. "Fluttershy... that is just snow. Are you sure you are not just seeing things?" 

"That is not snow, Twilight. I think it is some sort of animal using the snow as camouflage; I have a few animals myself that like to hide using the same method. I can't tell what it is exactly though... It might be a cat..."

"A cat? You mean like Opal?" Twilight questioned.

"No, I-I think it is bigger... m-much bigger." Fluttershy began to stutter, beginning to visibly shake. Twilight took notice.

"Uh... Fluttershy? Are you okay? Your shaking..." Twilight asked concerned, turning her full attention to her friend.

"Oh. I-I'm s-sorry. I-I think it is g-getting colder." Fluttershy stuttered out. 

Twilight quickly realized what was wrong as she as well began to feel chilled to the bone as well; even through the adaptive suit she had on. "Oh, I think the storm is getting closer! We need to get inside Fluttershy! We don't want to be out here when it hits!" Twilight exclaimed as she grabbed Fluttershy and began to guide her to the living tent.

"B-but what a-about the cat?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight looked back over her shoulder to spy the mound that Fluttershy was referring to. However, when looking back, she found the mound was no longer present. Nothing could be seen besides for a now obvious approaching whiteout and a relatively flat, snowy landscape. Twilight knew she couldn't had of just imagined it, both she and Fluttershy spotted it. Now, it was gone. This lead Twilight to believe Fluttershy's suspicion just a bit more than that.

"W-We'll worry about it later. Right now, we just need to worry about not f-freezing to death." Twilight stuttered out, now starting to feel the effect of the storm as well.

With that, Twilight and Fluttershy made their way inside the tent to wait out the storm. Now both a little paranoid about what was stalking them and what its intention was.


***


Cold. It was getting colder. This was not good, I feel myself freezing to death with every step I take. An ash storm was coming, and it is going to be a bad one. If I don't find shelter soon, Spike and I are going to be frozen flesh popsicles by the end of it. Theses storms are deadly to anything living, thermal suit or not, nothing can withstand its sub zero conditions; not even the mutant animals that thrive in these frozen wastes. We need to find shelter of any kind soon, or we are both going to die.

It has been two weeks since we have left the bunker. Ever since then, we've been traveling, dealing with problems as we came across them, looting whatever building we could, scavenging what little precious supplies we could. However, that has only gotten us halfway to New York, we've completely ran out of food and water supplies, ammunition was on the low end, and now Spike and I were trapped in the middle of an ash storm.

I continued, slowly, pushing through the heavy wind and snow. Spike was not far behind me, not looking much better than I was as he slowly followed within the path I created. Both of us were shivering heavily as fatigue and tiredness crept over us, but we pushed on. Desperate to find something, ANYTHING, that could save our lives. A wrecked building about to fall down, a cave full of hungry gobbers, a fucking bandit camp for fuck sake! We were not about to be picky at this point.

However, we could find nothing; there was not a single fucking thing in site that I could consider a form of shelter. Just more frozen wasteland.

Was this it? Some sort of cruel joke of an end? Were we to die here before we could even make it to our final destination? Will I die not finding out who I was? Will Spike die a pointless death out of loyalty to me? Was this entire trip, this entire quest of enlightenment, going to be a pointless means to my end? Was all this effort and survival all for nothing?

I felt Like I was about to fall down dead there and then, but that was before I noticed that we were coming upon a canyon. Upon seeing the canyon, I felt a new found strength build up inside of me; fueled by simple hope. No, I wasn't about to give up now. There was a chance to get through this. This canyon has to have a cave of sorts somewhere, they usually do. This cave will hopefully protect us from most, if not all, harsh weather we are currently enduring.

I pushed forward at a faster pace. Spike, seemingly feeling my positive energy, picked up the pace as well. When I reached the slope of the canyon, even more of my newfound energy rejuvenated my body as I spied a small camp in the middle of the canyon. 

This was far better than what I had first imagined! I would have settled for a cave, but I found a functional camp instead! Seems to be fully equipped as well, we will most definitely be able to wait out the storm here.

"FUCK YEAH!!! We're going to make it Spike!" I hooted, throwing a single fist in the air in victory.

"WOOF!!!" My companion barked loudly in reply upon seeing what I was so excited about.

Desperation and hope took over my actions temporarily as I quickly began to make my down the slope. Spike hesitated for a moment, being the first to realize my rash mistake, but followed moments later. It was only when I was at the bottom of the slop that I realized the mistake I had made. Looking around me, I realized that I had put myself in a rather compromising position. I was now in the canyon, with no easy way up, out in the open, right dead next to a camp of potential enemies. I swore under my breath as I got down in hope that no one had spotted me as of yet; Spike joined me moments later.

"Stupid... Stupid... Stupid..." I scolded myself as I grabbed the AK-47 attached to my backpack and unzipped its protective casing. That could have ended really badly if I had simply approached and entered the camp unannounced. If there are people in there, which there most likely are, they would have shot me regardless of whether or not they were friendlies or bandits. Despite the desperation of our situation, we needed to approach this one carefully; have the upper hand before the conflict starts.

I quickly checked my weapon's functionality, test firing it without ammo and checking for any frozen parts, before I loaded it with a clip of live ammunition in and cocked the weapon. I was now ready to approach.

"Alright, I am going to approach the door and make contact. Spike, you need to flank from another side and stay out of sight. If things go south, you know what to do. Got that?" I asked Spike.

Spike replied with a quiet grunt.

"Good. Lets get this under way." I said as I got up and began approaching, keeping my focus and my gun solely on the tent and all its potential exits. Spike took off in another direction to accomplish his own objectives.

If they are friendlies, hopefully they won't mind us staying until the storm blows over. If they are bandits, they will be evicted. In either case, we are going to get inside this camp and wait out this storm. One way or another.

Hope they are friendly...
> Chapter 3: Wounded 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Wounded


I approached slowly and cautiously, keeping my weapon trained on the certain entrance I was approaching, all while I scanned side to side to make sure no one was patrolling around the camp. I spotted two windows earlier on two opposing sides of the tent, thankfully there were no windows at the two opposing entrances, allowing me to approach with relative ease. In any other situation, I would have checked the windows from afar in order to check for occupants. However, in this case, not only was I not far enough away to avoid the risk of being spotted, I also didn't have the luxury to wait and stake out the campsite. Spike and I would need to get inside soon and warm up if we ever hope to survive this storm.

It was only a few moments later I was at the zipped up entrance of the tent. Carefully, keeping myself from falling over, I leaned my head against the tent's wall and listened for any activity. It was quite quiet at first, but then I began to hear movement and voices within the tent. I listened carefully, hoping to hear something that will clue me in on what their intentions out here were.

"You mean to say that we have some sort of animal stalking us from around our camp!?" A masculine voice asked. I took note of the authoritative tone of the voice. If I have had to guess, this must have been their leader... However, that was a bit of a wild guess. 

"Yes, that is what is seems like. Both me and Fluttershy saw it." A feminine voice replied. I took note of the voice, it had an educated ring to it... I also took note of the strange name, briefly wondering what kind of mother would give anyone that sort of name; especially in this day and age... I also took note of the fact that they had apparently spotted me.

Well, shit. So it turns out not only is the camp occupied, but it also turns out that they already know I am here. How did they... oh, right... I was screaming and running towards their camp like an idiot not even a minute ago. Well, at least they assumed I was an animal and not another human, the element of surprise is still on my side... I suppose I might as well listen a little more, see what else they know before I make myself known.

"Well, that is just brilliant, we are not even here for a couple of hours and we already have predators to deal with... What did you say it was again?" Another masculine voice replied. I think I will call this one a subordinate. 

"Well... Fluttershy said that she thought it was a cat." The educated voice replied.

"Yes, a cat, a really big one." A softer, feminine voice added. I took note that this voice may belong to this 'Fluttershy'. I also took note that they were describing something very familiar... It wasn't me.

"What? Like tiger size?" A scratchy yet feminine voice asked. I'll call this one the tomboy.

"No more like manticore." 'Fluttershy' added. Though I didn't know what a 'Manticore' was, most people have different names for the mutants after all, but I assumed that meant 'something big' judging by the next response.

"That big!?" A different feminine voice exclaimed. I dubbed this one 'female subordinate'.

"Well, I didn't see it entirely myself, it just looked like a big snow mound. I only realized it wasn't when it disappeared the moment we looked away." the educated voice responded once again. I felt my eyes grow wide in fear upon hearing this. I knew exactly what this was.

Oh dear god... I felt dread fill my body to the brim upon hearing that description. There is only one type of mutant that matches that certain description! A Stalker! A cat like monster that is known for its surprising patience and intelligence. It stalks, as it name suggests, large groups and targets isolated prey with startling efficiency. They been known to pick off entire groups of scouts without them ever spotting it. Few ever survive such attacks, I remember scout teams that left our bunker in numbers of 5 to 10 people... After a stalker attack, there are usually 1 or 2 left if any at all. They were quite possibly the most dangerous predators in the frozen wastes.

I quickly assessed my situation. There is a stalker nearby... and I had just sent Spike to flank around the camp... We are both now isolated and exposed targets... Our situation went from bad to worse, If the Stalker didn't take this opportunity to strike I would be surprised. We need inside, NOW!

I try my best to quickly figure out a way to approach this as I scanned the horizon for any sign of the Stalker. I could just Introduce myself and ask for safe haven, but that could be very well a death sentence anyways. There are at least 5, if not more, in there. I haven't listened to them long enough to determine what sort of people they were. All I know so far is that they are people with funny sounding names, that wasn't enough to go on and risk a simple "hello." I can't call over Spike for that exact same reason. I simply don't know these people, I can't risk trusting them...

That leaves only one option... Something I am probably going to regret very soon...

I slowly begin to back off from the entrance, taking carefully taking approximately 10 steps back, dreading every step I took; for more reason than one. Once I reach an appropriate distance away from my target, I hesitated a for a bit. I kept picking my mind, trying to think of a way around this. However in the end, I knew there was no other way, no other way that didn't involve risk... I wasn't in the business of taking risk when it wasn't necessary.

I brought my AK-47 to bare, and prepared to fire... Prepared to light up that tent and kill whoever was unlucky enough to be inside at the time. It was going to ruin a perfectly good tent, but we will still have the other tent and these people will no longer be a problem. As for the stalker situation... I'll probably use the corpses to bait it out so we can kill it ourselves. In the end, we will be alive and with a decent amount of supplies... Probably will even last us up to New York...

I have no choice... It is a choice between our survival and their lives... I chose our survival... There is no other way... 

"I'm sorry." I mumbled quietly.

Putting my finger on the trigger, I began to pull...

"Grrrrr.... BARK BARK BARK!!!" I I heard Spike bark off in the distance, right behind the tent I was aiming at...

I felt my eyes grow wide with panic as I realized that something was wrong. Spike would never give away his position like that unless I gave the order... Not unless he was in trouble. 

The stalker was after Spike... 

Without thinking, I put my finger off the trigger as I began to quickly and noisily run around the tent. If the occupants inside didn't know I was there before, they most certainly did now. However, I didn't care. This effort was pointless without Spike, without him I was going to die anyways.

As behind the tent came into view, I spotted Spike... His ears were splayed back as he growled at a full grown stalker, the latter who had a paw up ready to strike the dog with all it had.

I made sure it never had the chance...

Once again bringing my rifle to bare, I took aim and placed my finger on the trigger.

"No you don't you sonnvabit-" I managed to get out before I fired off a volley of bullets.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

All three bullets hit its mark. One hits the shoulder of the raised paw, causing the stalker to wince and its attack to miss Spike by a couple of feet; said dog took the opportunity to back off a ways. Another ripped through the other front leg, causing to stumble a bit. The last went astray and straight through its right ear, ripping it clean off. The beast howled in pain before setting its eyes directly on me, a look of hatred splayed across its facial features.

Oh shit...

The monster let loose a loud, earsplitting, roar before beginning to run straight for me. In a panic I let loose another volley...

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

This volley wasn't particularly well aimed. One bullet missed completely, wissing past the stalker and implanting a hole into the snowy slope behind it. The other bullet grazed the stalker's left flank, not affecting its charge whatsoever. The last hit it directly in the head, however, it ricocheted off and whizzed into the stormy sky.

The last bullet managed to stagger it a tiny bit, just enough of a delay for me to roll away from the charging beast's path. I recovered from my roll and pointed to let off another volley into the monster's side, hopefully hitting the heart. 

However, it turned out the monster was more agile than I originally thought... It had already stopped its charge the moment I rolled and had prepared a paw to strike me. This paw was about to strike me now. I felt jaw tighten tighten in surprise as everything seemed to slow down, the paw that was about to crush me seemingly coming at me in slow motion.

*BANG*-

I had only time to shoot off one round before I was swatted 10 feet across the snowy canyon. I landed face first with a wet *thumph* as I hit the soft snowy ground. In the distance, I heard a pained roar and the sound of a stalker hitting the ground running. I let out a sigh of relief as I heard the beast's footsteps getting farther away, rather than closer. I must have definitely hit him where it hurt and now it is running away to lick its wounds; not willing to take the chance that I was incapacitated at risk of further injury. Well, at least that problem was solved for now...

I rolled over to face the sky. It appears that the storm was straight overhead now... Me and Spike needed to get inside now... or we will freeze to death... God I am tired...

I tried to get up, but found that my muscles were very weak and refused to respond... on top of that... I was feeling very numb... very cold...

Lifting my head up, I looked down my body, I found that I my thermal suit was ripped open... and blood steadily flowing from two deep stab wounds across my chest. The stalker seems to have hit me just right for two of its claws to sink deep into my gut. At this point, I was probably lucky that the stalker didn't simply rip me in two with one strike... Well, perhaps not that lucky, because now I was likely going to die slowly.

"...F-fuck" I stuttered out as I began to realize the severity of my wounds.

My body was in shock, severe shock at that... I can't feel anything at the moment... I can't move anything... It is a surprise that I am even awake... This coldness and numbness I am feeling is due to this shock and the fact that I am being exposed to subzero temperatures... Oh god... I am going to die here... There... There is no denying it at this point... if my already weaken body doesn't succumb due to freezing temperatures, I am definitely going to die of shock! My nerves are probably completely fried at this point... it will probably be a matter of minutes now...

"I am going to die." I simply said to myself.

I lied my head back down, there was nothing more to see... Nothing more to do... Only just time to relax and let it happen... Perhaps reflect on life... Decisions I made... Decisions I didn't make... How I got here... Why I was here... Why it no longer matters... 

Well, at least one good thing came out of this. The people in the tent are still alive... I was about to kill them after all...

I began to close my eyes and relax... to just let it happen.

However, as I was beginning to relax and accept my fate, I heard a soft wine. Opening my eyes weakly, I could see a familiar face within my line of sight. Spike was currently whining and nudging my mask with his nose, seemingly desperate to wake me up. If I couldn't hear his whines, I probably wouldn't have opened my eyes at all; I couldn't feel his physical means of getting my attention. With the little strength I had, I brought a hand up to pat Spike on the head.

"You did good Spike, but you now get into that tent. Bandits or not, I am sure they will take you in. You can't save me now. I am not going anywhere." I said softly.

Spike only seemed to whine louder at this, abandoning his attempts to get me moving and resorting to dragging my dying corpse towards what I assumed was the tent we were investigating instead.

"Spike, stop it... You are going to freeze to death out here. Just leave me... My time has come." I said as sternly as I possibly could.

Spike apparently refused to believe that, letting out a mix of a growl and whine at me as he continued to slowly pull me closer to the tent.

"Spike... Please... Just..."

I said no more after that as I simply blacked out...


***


Though the sudden confrontation outside was over within seconds, it had left everypony in the tent terrified and on edge. The moment the explosions sounded. All the civilian ponies were on the floor or otherwise breaking for some sort of cover, the guards immediately went for their weapons and joined the others as they waited for whatever was happening outside to make its way inside the tent. However, it never did as the confrontation ended a lingering 10 seconds later with one last explosion and a terrifying roar from an unknown beast.

It had been an entire minute since the confrontation, a minute that was spent in silence. No pony dared to make a sound in fear that, whatever was out there, would hear and come for them. Fluttershy was trembling under a cot with Twilight as she tried to calm her down and keep her quiet. Shining and the rest of the guard were staying attentive, searching and listening for any sort of movement or sound outside the tent. Daring was keeping her cool while lying under her own cot, but she was visibly shaken. Lyra was under her own cot, trying her best to not break down into screaming hysterics.

It was another half a minute before somepony spoke up, but in a mere whisper.

"W-what in Tartarus was that!" Lyra whispered fearfully.

"I don't know... but I think, whatever it was, it is over now." Shining responded, still not letting his guard down.

"Do you t-think we can move now?" Fluttershy whispered softly.

"I'm not sure... give it another minute." Shining responded back

"...Okay." Fluttershy responded.

Another minute passes in complete silence, nopony saying another word or making a single sound, before Shining finally decided it was safe to stand up.

"Alright everypony, I'm going to check it out. Stay down until I say-"

Shining didn't finish his sentence, he instead became silent as he heard something outside the tent... It was the sound of something being dragged. Moments later, there was a whimper. A whimper that sounded like it came from a dog.

Shining trotted over to the window nearest to the source of the sound and looked out. It was there that he spotted a very large dog, dragging a strange lifeless corpse towards the tent's entrance while whimpering helplessly. This confused Shining for a second, he was sure that the dog couldn't have been the monster that produced that loud roar that had had been heard by everypony earlier, and he assumed that the dog itself wouldn't have been able to defeat the owner of such a terrifying roar. However, then he looked more closely at the corpse that the dog was dragging with so much effort. The clothing... the gear... the mask... it was similar to theirs... This was an intelligent being! The one who gotten in a fight with that monster they heard earlier. Shining assumed it must have been killed in the fight, and that it must have been the owner of the dog considering the similar equipment it was wearing...

"Twilight, come here and look at this." Shining said simply.

Despite his direct address, his invitation to the window was accepted by nearly everypony in the room. All of them other than Fluttershy trotted over to see what Shining was seeing. They all looked with shock and awe as they watched the large whining pup dragged the strange, lifeless, corpse towards their tent.

"Okay, first off, why is there a huge Celestia Forsaken dog here? Secondly, WHAT THE HAY IS THAT!!!" Lyra exclaimed.

Nopony responded for an entire ten seconds, simply continuing to watch the dog continue the drag the corpse, before Twilight finally responded.

"Considering the equipment it is carrying, which looks similar to ours I may note, I can hypothesize that is likely what once was a intelligent lifeform... It was likely just killed in the confrontation we heard moments ago... Given the dog's equipment that it obviously couldn't have put on on its own as well its distress and obsession with this corpse, the dog must have been its pet..." Twilight concluded solemnly.

The ponies remained gravely quiet at that statement as they continued to watch the poor dog whimper as it dragged the corpse of its previous master. This continued on for a few more seconds before another pony spoke up.

"I think we should help, instead of just standing around and... you know... staring." Fluttershy said from behind the group

The group of ponies looked at Fluttershy as if she had just grown a second head, causing her to shrink back at the attention.

"You're kidding, right!? I mean you are kidding!? Look at the size of that thing! It could bite our heads off if it wanted to!"

"I agree, it doesn't look particularly safe to approach. It could be hostile towards us." Shining added.

All the other ponies seemed to agree with this... well, all except Twilight and Daring, both who seemed to be conflicted by this line of thinking.

"What are we suppose to do then? Just leave it out there to freeze to death? I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy! Plus, just look at him, I've seen more dangerous and vicious animals than this big bucket of fluff, what are you scared of!" Daring argued.

"I agree, why not help it? If not for the sake of learning more about this world we are in, then just for the sake of morality. We can't just let it freeze to death out there!" Twilight added in.

The rest of the ponies winced at both Twilight's and daring's arguments, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed by their own statements. Assuming that she had won the argument, Daring approached the door and unzipped it and stepped outside. She shivered a bit as her adaptive suit struggled to adjust to a acceptable temperature. She only peeked back in for a short moment to beckon Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Well, come on you two, I am going to need your help with this. These other pansies certainly won't." She said simply as she stepped back outside to approach the dog. Twilight and Fluttershy share a glance for a short moment before they chased after her.

"You three be careful! There is no knowing what it might do!" Shining shouted after them as the final two rushed out the door.

Twilight and Fluttershy were met with the sight of Daring keeping a small distance from the dog as she was trying to test the hostility of it. Despite how close she got, the most the dog did was give off a small growl when she got a little too close. Fluttershy and Twilight slowly and carefully made their way to the pegasus's side.

"As I said, the dog is not hostile, he would have attacked by now if he was." Daring explained to the two approaching ponies.

"He?" Twilight asked.

"It is a he, trust me, Twilight." Daring simply said.

"Okay... So, what do we do?" Twilight then asked.

"Well, he seems to want to get this body inside the tent. I don't exactly know why, but who am I to argue with a dog nearly my size? He is going in there whether we like it or not. So I say we get the body inside the tent and go from there."

"Alright... I guess I'll just-"

"Wait, don't try anything yet. He is very defensive of the corpse. We need Fluttershy to calm it down before we can help." Daring warned.

"A-alright" Fluttershy stuttered as the chill of the storm was beginning to get to her.

Fluttershy approached the dog with great care as she composed herself enough to talk the animal down. If there was any nervousness, doubt, or hesitation that filled Fluttershy, she was certainly trying her best to suppress it. 

"Um... H-hello, Mr. Doggy?" Fluttershy started off.

The dog ignored her, still continuously trying to drag the lifeless corpse despite how much weaker he was getting. Fluttershy was a bit confused by this, she had expected to receive some sort of response. However, she quickly realized her mistake as she spied the tag hanging from the dog's neck. She hadn't called him by his name! She quickly read the tag, as much as all the dog's struggling with the corpse would allow. She was a bit surprised to find his name as 'Spike', the name of the baby dragon that Twilight took care of, but decided to save the contemplation of the coincidence for a later time.

"Um, Spike? Hello?" She asked.

This got Spike's attention, he let go of the corpse for a second to stare Fluttershy in the eyes. From the Spike's eyes, she felt his pain, sorrow, sadness, distress, and fear. Fluttershy couldn't know exactly what the dog was thinking, but it was something along the lines of "Help me."

"Uh, don't worry Spike... We are here to help. Why don't you come with inside the tent where it is warm? My friends will help move your master and.... he'll join us in a moment." Fluttershy tried.

Spike looked between the tent and his master's corpse hesitantly, as if conflicted as to whether or not he should stay with his master, or go inside and get warm. However, apparently it wasn't that hard of a choice. After looking over his choices, the dog gave a defiant bark and settled with attempting to drag the corpse again. At this, Twilight and Daring let out a collective sigh.

"Well, he is definitely stubborn. I think we should just let him carry the corpse inside if that his what he wants so damn badly." Daring said irritably.

Fluttershy momentarily gave Daring a glare before turning her attention back the the poor dog. She wasn't about to give up yet. She wouldn't give up so easily on her own animals, so what would she give up on this dog now?

"Um, well Spike, will you at least let us hel- EEEEK!" Fluttershy tried to say before the dog let go again, quickly walked behind Fluttershy, began nudging her towards the corpse. Though Twilight and Daring stiffen momentarily at the dog's sudden action, they relaxed as they realized that he was just pushing Fluttershy into position to help drag. This even made Daring chuckle a bit at the distraught and surprised look on Fluttershy's face.

"Heh, I guess that is a yes. Alright, lets get them both inside." Daring replied.

With a nod, Twilight began to levitate the body with her magic. It was a bit heavier and far more straining than usual, but Twilight lifted it with relative ease. This action seemed to momentarily confuse the dog, however he didn't complain as he followed his master's floating corpse inside the tent. Daring, Twilight, and Fluttershy came in right after him. The group inside were startled by the floating corpse that was being followed closely by the huge dog they had seen outside. The guard threateningly pointing crossbows at the dog while Lyra hid behind the guards. The three mares followed close behind, zipping up the tent behind them.

Daring and Twilight noticed the sudden hostility of the guards towards the dog now inside the tent; the dog whose only interest was the corpse mysteriously floating above him. Both shot Shining and the rest of the guards a warning glare. This caused Shining and the rest of the guards to, reluctantly, lowered their weapons, but not their guard.

Twilight carefully placed the corpse on the floor of the tent, trying her best not to upset the dog further. The moment it touched the floor, the dog was immediately on top of it. Spike ignored everyone else in the room as he lied down next to it, breathing heavily and distressingly, keeping close as if to warm up the corpse through body heat alone. It was a pitiful sight to behold.

Another minute passed in silence as the entire team watched Spike rest right next to the alien corpse, all were thinking the same thing.

"So... What now?" Daring asked to nopony in particular.

"I don't know..." Fluttershy said quietly.

"Well, this is turning out to be one huge circus of a trip." Iron hoof commented.

"I second that statement." Sparks added.

The ponies continued to lie silent as they beheld the sight before them. None of them knew exactly what to do. Daring and Fluttershy were at a complete loss, neither of them knew how long the dog was going to say like that, nor what they would do with the dog when it decided to stop grieving over the loss of its master. Twilight was wondering the same, but a small part of her was also wondering what was to become of the corpse. She wanted to study both it and the dog, but didn't want to anger the distressed puppy. Shining and the guards were internally debating how they were going to handle the situation if the dog turned hostile. Lyra, on the other hoof, was starring at both the supposed corpse and the dog in very deep concentration and thought. 

The dog's complete obsession with the corpse was troubling for Lyra. Normally, though she was no expert, any other animal would have given up the moment they were sure their master was dead and went on to ensure their own survival. This dog wasn't doing that, he continuously dragged the corpse through the freezing temperatures outside despite the fact that it was risking its own life and well being doing so. He was acting as if he was trying to save the creature's life. So either the dog is in denial, or that corpse wasn't really a corpse. The implications of this shook Lyra to the very core... Enough to speak up.

"Do you think we should-" Lyra began to ask

"Lyra, if you are about to suggest that we start screwing around with a corpse that a dog, that could probably break your neck in one bite, is grieving over, then I think you are bucking nuts." Daring answered, interrupting Lyra mid sentence.

"Actually, I was about to suggest that we check if it is still alive." Lyra deadpanned with an annoyed look.

Everypony gave Lyra a strange look for what she was suggesting. To say that this obviously dead corpse could still be alive was beyond ridiculous for everypony to imagine.

"You can't be serious..." Sky Chaser replied.

"What!? What's wrong with simply checking!? For all we know it could still be alive and we are currently standing idly by as it is dying! I don't know about you, but that is a horrible start to diplomatic relations with another world! I can see it now... 'Oh, by the way, we sort of let one of your citizens bleed to death on our tent floor as we internally debated what to do with the body! Please don't hate us!' I don't know about you, but I believe that is grounds for war! Especially if this was a soldier! Do any of you know what this looks like politically!?" Lyra exclaimed a little overly dramatically.

Everypony grew silent as they looked between themselves and the seemingly lifeless body, putting together the implications of what Lyra was suggesting if she turned out to be right. It would be war, and they were not here to be a cause of a likely devastating war.

"Alright Lyra, though I actually doubt it is alive, we'll check." Twilight said as she powered up her magic. She turned to face everyone, ready to inform them of what the plan was.

"Alright everypony, I am about to do a vital signs scan. If my aura turns green, it is alive. If it turns red, it is not. Plain and simple. Fluttershy, make sure the dog doesn't panic when I do this." Twilight stated as she began to focus the her magic into the appropriate spell.

Fluttershy nodded as she slowly walked over and lied down a few feet from the dog, careful not to accidentally make any aggressive movements and appear non threatening as possible; least as non threatening as you can get when you are already half the dog's size. 

"Hey, Spike, we are going to need you to move for a second." Fluttershy said softly.

Spike merely whined in response, moving closer the the 'corpse' and refusing to move.

"I'm sorry, but we can't help your master if you are on top of him. You need to get off so that my friend can help. I promise that we won't cause any harm." Fluttershy tried to assure Spike.

Spike lingered on top of the 'corpse' for a few more moments before finally decided, reluctantly, to get off and let the ponies help. However, once he reached a lying position a few mere feet away, he kept a warning, predatory, glare upon Twilight. A glare that pretty much said: "Don't you dare try anything funny."

Twilight inwardly shivered at the Spike staring at her like she was going to be his next victim if she screwed up, but managed to cast the spell properly regardless. A white aura surrounded the 'corpse' and it began analyzing its vital signs for any signs of life. Tension grew in the room as the analyzing process went on and on. Spike kept his gaze upon Twilight. Fluttershy shuffled nervously next to Spike as she felt his aggression slowly and steadily growing higher as every second passed. Shining and the other guards kept their gaze upon the worrisome dog, fully prepared to put it down if necessary. Daring was glancing nervously around the room as it felt like it was about to explode. Lyra kept her focus on the 'corpse', a part of her hoping that this creature was still alive and another part of her terrified that it wasn't.

This tension went on for another 30 seconds for they finally received the results.

It flashed green before the spell dissipated.

The room remained in stunned silenced at what they just witnessed. They had a live intelligent life form from this alien world in the room with them, at this exact moment.

"...No Bucking Way." Daring whispered.

"Get it on a cot and somepony get a med kit! Now!" Somepony in the room said before the room fell into chaos.
> Chapter 4: Encounter of the Fifth Kind (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: Encounter of the Fifth Kind (Part 1)


Some time now has passed when the ponies first made the discovery that the 'dead' alien that they had brought into their tent was in fact alive. Upon discovery, Twilight, Fluttershy, Lyra, and, surprisingly, even Shining worked frantically to attempt to prevent the alien from dying. The large dog, Spike, was a little more than displeased when the ponies suddenly intruded upon his master's body, throwing a more than a few threatening barks and growls at them. However, he calmed down a bit when Fluttershy convinced the uptight dog that they were not trying to hurt his master.

The ponies had gotten him onto a combination of four cots and treated him for his wounds. The alien's wounds were very severe, two deep puncture wounds resided in the alien's gut region, going through a few organs; whether or not they were vital organs the ponies did not know due to their unfamiliarity to the alien's biology. Fluttershy was sure that if it had not been so cold out and his blood didn't freeze, he would have bled out very quickly; it was probably the only reason he was alive at the current moment. 

It was not an easy process for anyone, especially the main medic, Fluttershy, as the pressure of saving the very life of the alien rested upon her shaky, yet capable, hooves. The process would have been a lot faster, but Fluttershy had to be very careful about giving the alien drugs, antibiotics, or medicine of any kind. She feared that the creature may have an unexpected reaction to a foreign medicine. As such, it was very touch and go and experimental, going on for nearly three hours before Fluttershy became more comfortable and confident in her medicating. Many risks had to be taken and many close calls were had before they finally stabilized the alien. It was another hour after that they felt comfortable enough start him on stim-therapy, to ensure a faster recovery time.

Now, all, besides for the guards and Twilight, were surrounding the cot in which bared the resting alien creature. Spike, Lyra, Daring, and Fluttershy were all watching the alien very carefully as his (a gender they determined after they striped him of all his equipment for the medical purposes) chest slowly rose and fell. All were making sure he stayed stable and nothing else went wrong until he woke up. Twilight and the guards, on the other hoof, were observing the strange, yet familiar, equipment that they had stripped off the alien. 

Lyra, while observing the alien, took some time to take as many mental notes of the creature's appearance and physical features as possible. Though Lyra was not showing it externally, she was actually quite psyched about this. Other than politics, Lyra took great interest in anatomy and biology as hobbies, and she was internally squeeing at the thought of being the first pony to study this new alien species first hoof. 

She first observes the slender and muscular build of the alien's limbs and torso, taking note on how frail, yet study, his physical structure was. She then took note of the head and facial features. She almost made the mistake of comparing his looks to that of a equestrian monkey, but observed that his features were far more developed and more cute. She then noted the apparent lack of a fur or hair coat, apart from the top of his head, his face, and and far more intimate parts of his anatomy. Lyra found this lack of fur or hair curious, considering the environment it was surviving in. 

However, what she found most interesting about this alien was the fact that it was bipedal, and more pointedly, that it had hands. Hands was a favorite when it came to parts of anatomy for Lyra, she always found them fascinating and was personally very envious of the creatures who were gifted with them.  There were so many applications for hands, so many uses, that ponies might have gotten so much farther so much faster if they all had hands; least in Lyra's opinion. 

However, the hands of this alien creature was not interesting because of her obsession interest in hands. No, it was the fact that these were hands unlike anything she had seen before. The complexity of these hands were much greater than those she had seen from monkeys long hands or minotaurs stubby hands alike. They were almost perfect, not too long, not too stubby, simply a perfect median that could out perform the others by a long shot. These hands left Lyra was absolutely enthralled.

Twilight took interest in the alien's adaptive suit and gas mask, comparing it to the suits and gas masks of their own, surprisingly not finding much difference in their performance and function; they were basically the same if not in shape and size. She also took interest in a strange box like device that she couldn't figure out. It was just a plain box like device that didn't seem like it had any function at all. All it had was some sort of meter that didn't seem to move. She determined that it was obviously meant to detect something, but she wasn't sure what.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor and the guards took interest in some other round, tube like devices; particularly a large long one and a small short one. Shining couldn't quite figure out what they were at first, but figured it out quickly enough for him to prevent Sparks from blowing her own head off and putting a hole through the roof of their tent. 

He recognized the weapon from a project back in Equestria. Though 'mini-cannons' didn't look anywhere nearly as advanced as these weapons, the way they were designed were very similar to the weapons before him; give or take the length and bulkiness. The idea of the 'Mini-Cannon' project was to create a weapon, using a similar concept behind cannon design,  that shot a small projectile at hundreds of feet per second with ten times the force and lethality of their crossbows. Though it would have improved their weapon technology significantly, the project was scrapped due to 'safety concerns'. Apparently, many of the prototypes exploded upon firing and were deemed too dangerous to use in the field. 

The weapons that Shining could see before him looked to be a perfected design of the lethal weapon they were trying to create themselves. A weapon that supposedly powerful enough to scare off or even kill something of the likes of a manticore within seconds. The idea that these aliens could create incredible weapons such as this both impressed and terrified Shining armor. 

If there were ever a war between them and this alien race, he was not confident that they would be able match-up against this kind of weaponry. Though Shining was not one for going out without a fight, he was sure that they would most likely lose a war against these aliens. This, in itself, made Shining question the nature of these aliens. It made him wonder why these aliens would need such advanced weapons. Where they power hungry monsters? Or was there a even bigger threat than them that required better weaponry to fight off? Both probabilities were just as terrifying. 

The next few minutes were spent in silence as Twilight continued to study the alien equipment and Shining continued to study the weapons. Nothing could be heard other than the wind whipping around outside the tent. That was until somepony spoke up.

"Well, now what?" Daring asked to nopony in particular.

"I guess we just wait until the alien wakes up." Twilight responded in a neutral tone, her focus solely on the alien equipment before her. 

Daring rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, that much is obvious! What I am really asking is what we do when the damned thing wakes up!?"

"We'll just have to try to talk to it I suppose, perhaps even hope that it is in a good and talking mood." Lyra responded this time, though still keeping her focus on the alien; still trying to figure out the hands looking for any sign of it waking up.

Daring Facehooved. "You guys are all idiots... I don't know about you, but if I were to suddenly wake up to aliens from outer space surrounding my bed, I would be in anything but "good or talking mood," in fact, I might clock the nearest alien and go for my weapons." Daring responded, most pointedly at Shining and the other guards.

The moment Daring pointed it out, Shining did realize that they were keeping the weapons a bit too close to their owner; almost within arms reach. Though he really doubt the alien could in its condition, he could snatch the weapons at a moments notice. With that realization, Shining subtly moved the study of the alien weapons a few more feet away from the makeshift operating table.

"Well, what do you suppose we do, Ms. Daring? Restrain him? I am sure the dog will approve..."  Shining replied, remembering the dog's first reaction when they tried to save his master.

"Well the dog is going to have to suck it up, because, at the current moment, this guy is a potential danger to us all. We sure as Tartarus don't know what the buck he is nor what he is capable of! He could have superpowers for all we know! We are going to have to restrain him somehow... just keep him from moving until we explain the situation to him." Daring suggested. 

Shining, Twilight, and the guard seemed to like the idea, mumbling and nodding in agreement among themselves.  Fluttershy and Lyra were not so sure; they believed that it might cause more harm than good.

"But Daring, are you sure restraining him is the best idea? I'm pretty sure that tying him up is probably going to cause more panic. It is going to look like we are taking him prisoner." Lyra countered.

"I agree, it would be like putting an animal in a cage. It will likely just cause more hostility." Fluttershy added.

"Well what do you suggest we do then? Ask it kindly to play nice?" Daring Replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the idea.

The room continued to debate on how to handle the alien situation, none of the ponies really gaining ground with their ideas. While Daring, Shining, Twilight and the guards wanted the alien to be restrained, Fluttershy and Lyra believed that may be a bad idea; for a huge variety of reasons. As the arguing continued, Fluttershy got an idea. 

"Well... we could just blindfold it." Fluttershy suggested, just loud enough to be heard over the arguing ponies.

With that, the whole room went silent as their focus turned to Fluttershy, the latter instantly regretting the words that had left her mouth while the former awaited an explanation. Whether or not it was an explanation for how brilliant or stupid the idea was, Fluttershy did not know. Fluttershy was about to back away and go hide under a cot before somepony spoke up.

"We could what now?" Sparks asked confused, as if she had not heard what was said.

Fluttershy regained a little bit more confidence from this, making her believe that the group had simply not heard her idea and were simply asking for a reiteration. With this regained confidence, she repeated herself.

"Blindfold it, you know, put a cloth over its eyes?" Fluttershy explained.

"Yes, we know what you said Fluttershy, what I believe Sparks meant to ask is how in Tartarus do you think that will work?" Daring replied.

The confidence that Fluttershy regained almost made another hasty retreat as Fluttershy was informed that they had already heard her idea, and instead wanted her to explain herself; something that was not exactly her strong suit. Despite this, Fluttershy held strong. She knew that her idea would work, it had worked on some of her animals at home after all... 

"Well, if he can't see us, he can't panic over us. Right?" Fluttershy explained further.

Daring seemed to put some thought into this, trying to decide whether or not it was an idea worth trying. As Daring thought about it, she realized that the idea did have some merit. If they did simply blindfold it and leave it as that, it would not be able to see them and immediately panic, much unlike what would happen if they restrained it. It could work.

However, however, as Daring thought about it more, she realized there were so many ways this could backfire on them. First off, there was no way they could keep him from taking the blind fold off. Secondly, there was no way to even convince it to keep it on as he likely didn't even speak the same language they do. Finally, unrestrained, it would still be a huge threat; as they still did not know what this being was capable of. As much as Daring would prefer this idea over pissing off an alien from another planet, there was just not enough merit to this idea to justify the risks they would be taking with this. If they were going to go with this idea, Daring had to know if they could prevent the current risks.

"Alright, you got me there, it could work, but how exactly do you plan to make it keep it on?" Daring asked.

Once again, Fluttershy's confidence was fleeing from her. She believed her solution was going down the drain at this point. Due to this, she was barely able to formulate her next response.

"We... um.... ask it nicely to?" Fluttershy near mutters. She then internally cringes when she realized what had left her mouth.

Daring mentally rolled her eyes, she near expected such a response. Especially from this timid Pegasus. "Right... and you do realize that it likely doesn't speak equish?"

"Well... um..." Fluttershy muttered.

Thankfully, as Fluttershy was about to abandon ship on the idea, Twilight came to the rescue.

"Actually, I believe Fluttershy's idea has some merit. We could just blindfold it, and I could use a translation spell to convince it that the blind fold is necessary for the time being. This way, we can avoid panic all together and give us the opportunity to explain the situation without conflict on either end. We could even possibly get some information out of it." Twilight added in support of Fluttershy's idea.

Though Daring was surprised by Twilight's apparent change of heart on the alien matter, her input was not unwelcome. Daring had never considered a translation spell, and almost felt stupid for it.  Now this idea was starting to look quite a bit more appealing. If they could just convince it to keep the blindfold on, they might be able to just pull it off without any problems. Worse comes to worse, they'll just have to put it out with a stun spell. It could just work...

"Really? You can do that? Well, I would feel a whole lot better if we just tied it up, but, if you think this will work, I am willing to try it." Daring replied.

"Are we all in agreement?" Twilight asked everypony in the room.

Every pony except for Shining and the guards seemed to like the idea, as they still didn't really think that leaving the alien was a good idea.

"Are you sure that the translation spell will work Twilight? I mean, we are on a different world. Perhaps it won't work here." Shining added in.

"There is nothing to worry about, Shiny. I've been able to use magic just fine since we got here, haven't felt any sort of strain yet. I am sure we will be able to use magic just fine here." Twilight said.

"Yes what if we can't convince it to stay calm and keep the blindfold on? What if-"

"Then we put it out with a stun spell, seriously, you worry too much." Twilight gave as an amused replied.

Shinning looked as if he wanted to add more, but decided to just let his sister do her thing. If things go wrong, then they will have to do it the other way. With that Shinning finally gave a slight nod in permission.

"Fine, we will do it this way, but if anything goes wrong, we are restraining him. You got one chance.

"That is all we are asking for." Lyra replied off to the side.

With every pony in agreement, they proceeded with their plan. Fluttershy blindfolded the unconscious alien and the group patiently awaited him to awake. They didn't know how long it would be, but they didn't have anything else to do anyways until the storm cleared anyways. 

Twilight, Lyra, Daring, and everypony else, wondered about the same things. What would he be would be like? Was he some monster or warlord of these frozen lands, seeking to conquer and destroy anything that was in his way; much like the monsters and villains of their own world? Was he a peace keeper, a soldier or warrior of this world whose only goal was to protect it from those who wish to destroy it? None of the ponies really knew, and it would remain a mystery to be uncovered until the alien woke up...

"GAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

...which was to be sooner than they originally thought.


***


"GAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A shrill and ear piercing scream erupted from my mouth as I quite suddenly woke up.

Agonizing pain was coursing though my body, my entirety withering and burning as I spasm uncontrollably on a rather uncomfortable surface. Fucking hell this hurts! What the fuck was happening to me? What the fuck even happened to me!? Didn't I die? Is this hell? I don't even fucking know anymore!! AH FUCK PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!! IT HURTS SO MUCH!!!

I continued to scream my head off, begging someone, anyone to end my misery; though it probably only sounded like more garbled screaming as I could even formulate a sentence. I felt as if I was going to pass out again, but that was when I felt a stab in my side and something being injected into me. The relief was almost instant, but not entirely. My spasms continued for another few seconds before they finally seized all together. 

I let out a sigh of relief as whatever I was injected with did its work. Soon, even the aching I was feeling after the spasms stopped was gone completely. At this point, nothing else mattered as all my pain was unbelievably removed from my body. I didn't think about where I was, who I was, how I ended up here, whether or not I died, or even if Spike was okay. I simply lied there, basking in my relief. 

However, As I lied there, basking in my relief, I was suddenly brought back to reality as I heard voices all around me; either shouting or speaking in hushed voices.

"What the buck just happened!? Fluttershy!?" I heard a scratchy voice exclaimed. 

I think I remember this one... This is Tomboy right? Wait, if I am hearing Tomboy, and she is this close...

"I-I don't know. Perhaps he had a bad reaction to one of our medicines?" A soft feminine voice replied nervously. 

I remember this one too, Fluttershy right? Holy shit...

"I thought you said there shouldn't be a problem!?" Another familiar voice near shouted, the authoritative voice. 

I am in the goddamned tent! This isn't good... I still don't know these people.

"Shinning! There no need to yell at her. There was no way to know this could have happened." The educated voice replied.

I need to find my weapons, it could be possible to just hold them up, get my gear, restock, and head out...

"Yeah, lets just try to keep our heads here." A feminine voice replied. This one I didn't recognize...

No. That won't work, whatever they injected me with likely will make me a bit dopey, and I won't be able to react as quickly or even be able to stand up straight... But then again, that would have effected me mentally, right? I think I am thinking relatively straight? What fuck did they inject me with!?

"Dear Celestia, that scared the crap out of me, that thing has a set of lungs!" A masculine voice replied. I think this was subordinate...

Forget about it, I can't gun my way out as I apparently can't see. Due to the fact that I can't even feel anything at the moment, I am not sure if they have my blindfolded or even restrained... Perhaps I can talk my way out?

"Yeah, tell me about it... Say, do you think he is awake now?" Another unfamiliar feminine voice replied.

Well, looks like I am going to have to anyways. They haven't killed me yet and wasted some of their medicine on me, they must want me alive for some reason. Let's find out why... What the fuck was that shit anyways? Must have been really hard to find... How the fuck did they even save me? I was practically torn in two! There is a lot of shit that is going on that make zero sense at the moment...

"I don't know, it is hard to tell... should I get the translation spell ready?" The educated voice said.

The translation what now?

"Yeah, probably a good idea, do your thing Twilight." The authoritative voice, now known as Shinning replied; revealing the once again strange name of one of the group members.

At this point, I couldn't take it anymore, all this confusion was becoming a little bit too much. "What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked myself.

It was only a few seconds later, when I noticed how silent the room became, that I realized I had said that out loud. Real smooth, me, real smooth. Now they knew I was awake, and likely listening to them the entire time.

"Wow, Twilight, I didn't think that spell would actually work! Good job. Did you cast it on all of us or something?" The authoritative voice replied in reaction to something I apparently missed. 

"I didn't..." The educated voice, now known as Twilight, replied quietly, in a rather shocked tone.

"What?" Everyone in the room seemed to ask at once. Other than me that is, who was still confused a fuck as to what was even going on in the first place.

"I didn't cast the spell, he just talked to us in Equish." Twilight restated.

Equish? What the fuck is going on here? I decided that this was the right moment to reiterate my question, colorfully.

"Seriously, what the fuck are you people talking about? While you are at it, who the fuck are you, why the fuck can't I see? What the fuck did you inject me with? Where the fuck is my dog? And what the actual fuck do you want with me!?" I interrupted the conversation, with more than a few f-bombs

The whole room was completely silent once more, despite the fact that I couldn't feel anything at all, I could feel all their eyes upon me. It was at this point I realized that I made a potentially deadly mistake. Weirdos or not, these people had the upper hand, and I was in no position to be making any demands. What I said now could very well get me shot, that is if they really don't want me as badly as I originally thought.

As I was about to make an apology and try to speak with these... strange people... with a bit more reasonable tone, tomboy spoke up.

"No bucking way."

This is going to be a extremely confusing conversation...
> Chapter 5: Encounter of the Fifth Kind (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: Encounter of the Fifth Kind (Part 2)


Shit was just plain weird at the moment, and all of this weird bullshit was coming in and piling all over me so fast I felt that I was suffocating in it. 

I think I might have died. Though, I am not entirely sure given my current situation. The agonizing pain I felt earlier was something else, something that couldn't possibly be simulated in a dream of any kind. The pain was real, therefore what happened after that should be real as well. However, I am starting to have my doubts at this point. I am hearing some weird things coming from the mouths of my captors/saviors; things that nobody in their right mind would ever say. I am starting to have a feeling that whatever they injected me with for the pain was altering my perceptions somehow, least I could hope. I rather not be trapped in a tent with a bunch on nutcases.

However, at this point, I decided to just go with it. Sense altering drugs or not, these people are likely the ones who saved me; for whatever reason they might have. I need to figure out the reason they want me alive, now.

"Alright, alright... Can someone tell me what the hell going on? Did you people pull me out of the snow?" I asked calmly. There was no more need for yelling a shouting, as I didn't want to increase the potential tension in the room any further than I had already.

It took a moment to someone to speak up. It seemed they only just realized I asked them a question as one approached my current position to respond. I did notice an abnormality in his or her footsteps; there was a second pair that accompanied it. However, I assumed that it was just someone else following behind.

"Y-yes, yes we did. W-we found you outside after that monster attacked. Y-you were hurt bad a-and needed help!" The voice of Fluttershy responded. She sounded nervous...

Monster? They don't know was a stalker is? Well, that is pretty strange... Then again, what hasn't been today? I decided to ignore that little detail and continue my line of questioning.

"Alright, why did you pull me out? Why did you patch me up? What do you people want with me?" I questioned further, though I did notice that I was being a bit more blunt than I needed to.

"Wha- What do you mean? You were hurt! Why wouldn't we help you? Why would you expect us to let you die?" Fluttershy responded back, seemingly shocked and appalled by what I implied. Chatter and mumbling around the room indicated everyone else were wondering the same thing.

Now this I was deeply confused by. What the hell did she mean by that? Is she saying that she would have help anyone in my situation? Regardless over whether or not she knew them or not? No, she is lying, this is a trick to place me in a sense of false security. That sort of courtesy doesn't exist, not anymore. No one, and I repeat, no one does something for nothing out here. These people want something, and they are unwilling to tell me what. Usually that is a bad sign, I need to be careful. 

I decided to play along, cautiously, pretending that I am ignorant of what they are try to do.

"Heh, I don't know. There are people nowadays who would take advantage of someone in a situation such as mine. I merely assumed that you folk might be one of those kinds of people, my apologies. Thank you for saving me." I answered, with as much fake sincerity as I could manage.

"Oh, well, you're welcome. It was the least we could do, really."

I felt anger swell within me as Fluttershy told me this. All I could think was. "Bullshit, all those medical supplies you used on me must have been a bitch to come by. If you want something, why don't you just fucking tell me and stop tiptoeing you way around it you motherfuckers!" However, I kept that to myself, saving that anger to be used later. Right now, I needed to figure out what kind of situation I was in.

Before I could ask another question, however, another individual entered the conversation. Shining, I believe if my memory serves me right. (Starting to doubt that it is considering how fucked up these names are.)

"These people you talk about, ones who would take advantage, there wouldn't happen to be any around here would there?" Shining asked.

At this point, I believed I figured out what they were trying to get out of me. It was a pretty strange question to ask in the first place, considering the answer should be obvious. There were plenty of people like that out here, I am included in those numbers; simply the way of life out here. However, I then figured it had a deeper meaning. He was asking if I was with another group, another group that would be coming for me. 

There isn't of course, but I need to keep these cards close to my chest. If they knew I was alone, god knows what would happen. So I need to lead them on to think I was indeed with another group.

What better way to do that than to state it bluntly!

"If you are asking if I am with another group, you could have just asked you fucking asshole; seriously. Yes, I am with a group, least 20 people strong. Also, yes, they will be coming to look for me, and the dog. You better have not hurt that dog, that dog is our favorite dog."

This seemed to start some chatter in the room, hushed whispers and shouts shot across the room. They seemed worried about something, though I couldn't really hear what. That in turn made me worried. If they were this afraid of another group nearby, it must mean they have enemies. I could easily be that enemy to them, I might have just made a mistake...

...However, on the other hand, Spike was still alive, I can hear him barking in the background of all this; he sounds just fine. It is a good thing they did not hurt him. They would have paid dearly...

Suddenly one of the women spoke to me, it was one of the unidentified voices from before.

"Your group, how reasonable are they? On a scale of one to ten let's say." The woman asked.

I was a bit suspicious of the question, as it was another really strange question, but I replied anyways. "Speaking on the behalf of my entire group, I'd say it depends on what you are implying."

"Well, lets say that perhaps-

"LYRA!!! Shut up, we will get to that with him in a moment! Now is not a good time." I heard Shining yell at the now identified Lyra. What is with these names?

The fact that, when Lyra was about to explain what they were all skittish about, she was told to shut up did not bode well with me. If they were going to be this secretive about it, it probably didn't mean anything good about my future. It was at this point I figured it is time to get the hell out of here.

I suddenly began to notice that I was regaining feeling in my body. Whatever they gave me was wearing off. I wasn't entirely sure if this meant that horrible pain that I was feeling earlier was about to make a very sudden and unpleasant return, but I at least could make a bit more sense of my surroundings. As far as I could tell, I was still on the extremely uncomfortable bed, I was not restrained, and I was in fact not blind; they had simply blindfolded me. 

I began to think about what to do next, as my captors kept arguing among themselves about what I assumed was what to do given the new false information provided by me. I couldn't hear anything they were saying, as they were being very quiet in their discussion, but I spotted an opportunity. Since the dumb motherfuckers had not restrained me, and they seemed quite busy at the moment, I was free to move about as I pleased. All I needed to do now is remove the blindfold, find my weapons, and take control of the situation. After that, we'll negotiate.

With my plan in mind, I started subtly. Reaching to my face, I began to remove the fold from my eyes, slowly in hope that I would not attract too much attention. A few seconds later, the blindfold was off, and I was looking up at the tent roof. No one was screaming at me yet. So far so good.

I became a bit more bold as I looked down at my body, to see what my captors had done to keep me alive. I was shocked to find that my entire torso was wrapped in heavy duty, pristine, and clean bandages. I had never seen anything like this in my life! No one had medical supplies of this quality, not even the underground bunkers! These things were brand new and no where close to being homemade. Where the fuck did they get this kind of equipment?

I set my mind off that as I simply hoped that I was patched up enough to be capable of doing what I was about to do.

With that, I directed my vision to my left, where my captors were argu- WHAT THE FUCK!!!

When I turned my head to the left, I almost jumped off the table in shock. Right there, to the left of me, were my captors, arguing about something I no longer cared for. They were not who I thought they were, they were not what I thought they were; not even close. It suddenly became very clear to me why they were acting sketchy this entire time. What I saw to my left were the very beings of which our entire world feared and hated, what I saw were beings of pure evil and genocidal beliefs, what I saw to my left were the devil's servants themselves.

They were the invaders. The were aliens, ones who saw to our world's end.

I didn't even think, not for any reasonable explanation, not even for a plan. I simply reacted. The moment I saw my weapons lying right beside them, I went for them. My full intent to was kill every single one of them.

Of course, no plan ever survives contact with the enemy...


***


"LET HER GO YOU MOTHERBUCKER!!! I SWEAR TO CELESTIA, I WILL PUT YOU DOWN."

"Everypony! Let's try to calm down and talk this thoug-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU INVADING FREAKS!!! I SWEAR THAT I WILL PUT A BULLET IN HER HEAD IF YOU DON'T DROP YOUR WEAPONS RIGHT NOW!!!"

"BARK BARK BARK!!!"

"Please! Everypony calm down, we don't have to do th-"

"BITCH, I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FUCKING FOOL ME!!!"

Everything happened to fast, nopony even knew what was happening until the alien grabbed Fluttershy and placed one of his liberated weapons to her head. It was at that point the room descended into chaos once more; likely for the third time today. Shinning and the other guards were quick to grab their own weapons and aim at the offending alien. However, since the alien was using Fluttershy as a shield and hostage, it was difficult for them to get a shot off. Now, the situation has dissolved into a shouting match, one that the alien was clearly winning.

"For Celestia sake's, why wasn't anypony watching this guy!" Daring shouted. She was circling the offending creature, trying to see if she could get a good angle on the alien to disarm him. No such luck as soon the alien back himself into a corner, leaving no possible way for the ponies to counter attack. 

"Why the buck didn't we just tie him up like we originally planned!?" Iron countered. He was attempting to get a head shot on the alien, but it turned out that the alien was far smarter than that. He left little of himself to be shot at as he hid behind Fluttershy. The little Iron could aim at was far to close to Fluttershy, he wouldn't risk the shot.

"P-please s-stop! L-let me go! We're j-just trying to help!" Fluttershy sobbed uselessly as she was used a shield against her friends.

"DID I SAY YOU COULD FUCKING TALK! SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I SWEAR I WILL END HER!" The alien shouted once again, pressing the barrel of his weapon harder against Fluttershy's head, causing the yellow pegasus to squeak in fear.

"If you hurt her, you are not getting out of here alive. Surrender damn you!" Shinning commanded the alien. He, like the other guards, were having a very hard time getting a shot off at the alien. 

"LET HER GO YOU MONSTER!!!" Twilight shouted at the alien in rage as she attempted to disarm the alien with her magic. However, she came to find she was unable to. Every time he tried, her magic was stopped by some unknown force. This both infuriated and confused her, why was her magic not working against him now of all times; when her friends are in danger!

"FUCK YOU, NONE OF YOU ARE GETTING OUT OF HERE ALIVE!!! WE DON'T NEGOTIATE WITH YOU GENOCIDAL FUCKS!"

This left the ponies silent for a few moments as they briefly contemplated what they were just called, however, most shrugged it off right away as they assumed the aliens was shouting mere nonsense at them. However, Lyra caught onto what they were being called, what they were being accused of. They would never do, or have done, anything like that to her knowledge! Could it be that they were mistaken for something else? 

With this knowledge, Lyra stepped in to try to get to the bottom of this; she activated her diplomacy mode.

"Genocidal? What are you talking about!? We come in peace! We have no hostile intentions!" Lyra tried to reason.

This seemed to anger the alien even further. It was as if he resented something about that statement, and looked like he was tempted to pull the gun away from Fluttershy and attempt to shoot Lyra instead. However, thankfully for her, he decided to simply yell some more.

"BULLSHIT!!! YOU SICK FUCKS CERTAINLY DIDN'T COME IN PEACE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO COME TO OUR WORLD, SLAUGHTER OUR PEOPLE, AND BURN OUR HOMES!!!"

This time, everypony knew what he was implying, it even gave the furious Twilight pause. Were they really just accused of being mass murderers?

"What!? Dear Celestia..."  Fluttershy near yelled, she almost felt sick.

"We've never done such a thing! We just got here for Celestia's sake!" Shinning objected.

"Buck you sir! We never done anything like that in our lives! Put the bucking weapon down!" Sky Chaser yelled.

"NO, YOU DID THIS TO US!!! YOU KILLED US!!! AND NOW I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

Now, everything was reaching its breaking point. Fluttershy was a panicking, sobbing mess, Twilight looked liked she was ready to tear this alien apart with her bare hooves, Daring was about ready to jump, Shining and the guards were ready to light the alien up if and when the alien made his move, and finally, the alien looked like he was about to pull the trigger. If somepony didn't stop this now, it was going to be a blood bath. So Lyra, at the risk of being shot, spoke up once again 

"What do these aliens look like!?" Lyra practically screamed in panic as the room was about to explode.

This seemed to give the alien pause, as he briefly contemplated the question that was now ringing in his ears. His eyes seemed to widen as he seemed to make a startling discovery.

"What?" The alien near whispered.

Lyra almost let out a sigh of relief as she delayed a catastrophic, but quickly realized she need to still diffuse the bomb.

"I asked, what did these aliens look like!?" Lyra asked again.

The whole room was silent once more as the alien contemplated. He seemed to come up with another conclusion, however, this one was not one Lyra had hoped for.

"Fuck you, you are just a different variant. You are just trying to trick me..." The alien rationalized with himself.

Lyra realized that her argument was falling apart, and quickly acted to reinforce it.

"No, we are not! We are not them! If we were them, why would we try to help you? Why would we patch you up with our little medical supplies? Why would we save your life? If we were genocidal monsters, why would we help instead of leaving you to die out there!?" Lyra countered.

"You... Your... No, it can be. You are playing tricks on me! Your-" The alien tried to rationalize once again, but it was clear that his resolve was faltering. Lyra knew it was time to push again.

"No, no we are not. We are not what you think we are. Let Fluttershy go and we can talk about this."

The alien went silent as it seemed to try to rationalize something, anything, that told him is actions were correct. However, as time passed, it was clear that he could not come up with anything. 

However, much to her surprise, the alien's resolve sprung back up almost instantly. It almost seemed like it was for no apparent reason, or cause. The alien was ready to pull the trigger once again. This shocked Lyra, as she thought that she talked him down. What was happening?

"It's to late. Even if what you are saying is the truth, there is no way you are letting me leave, not after this. I can see it, I can see it in all of you! You are going to kill me the moment I give up! That is not going to happen!" The alien stated, his resolve completely regained.

"NO! That won't happen! We are willing to talk it out! Isn't that right everypony?" Lyra asked, or more like stated, to the rest of the group.

"Yes, we promise we won't kill you if you give up now. However, if your hurt Fluttershy, I cannot promise anything." Shinning Armor stated reasonably.

Everypony else remained silent, none promising the same verbally, but giving a simple nod in agreement.

The alien shook his head, and looked like he was about to laugh. "No, I don't think so. You want a deal, here is how it will work. You will drop your weapons, and put them in that corner over in the back, and return to your current positions. Once you do that, I'll let Fluttershy go, I'll reclaim my other weapons and equipment, and then we can talk."

Daring scoffed at the Alien's deal. Did he really think that they were that stupid? "What makes this any different than what you wanted us to do before?"

"Before, I was going to kill you all, take back my stuff, loot your corpses and tents for valuables, and leave your bodies for the stalker. As of now, I am willing to be reasonable." The alien bluntly stated.

Everypony in the room was shocked by the boldness of this alien, however, they could also tell the he was being completely serious. For For Shinning, it was terrifying how confident this alien was in his demands and threats. It was as if he had done this before, many times. Most terrifyingly of all, he looked like he was one to live up to his threats.  

"So, now that I have made myself perfectly clear, drop your fucking weapons."


***


It took a few moments of negotiation, however, eventually we all came to a relatively peaceful conclusion. The aliens dropped their weapons and put them in the corner like I asked them to and they returned my Equipment. In turn, I release Fluttershy. She was a huge mess by the time I finally released her, sobbing and crying in ways you cannot believe. 

Upon release, she immediately fled to hide under one of the various cots in the room. One of the other aliens, the purple one I believed was named Twilight, immediately ran to her side to comfort her; all the while giving the biggest death glare I had ever been given in my life. By god did I deserve it... Never have I felt like such a monster in my life; such a bastard... She is fragile as a child, and I feel like I might have traumatized her for life. To think it could have been all avoided. If I had just... No, now is not the time to dwell on it, focus on the now. Have to keep up my appearances, otherwise they will see weakness and exploit it. 

Regardless, after all that bullshit I put her through, I feel like I owe her an apology. I'll need to give her one before I leave.

Anyways, I got my equipment back. The thermal suit was torn open, it will be a bitch, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't fix. Everything else was in the condition I left it in, so I was pretty good to go once I got the thermal suit sown up.

While I got my shit organized and fixed, I sat next to the stockpiled weapons; keeping guard over them in case the aliens decided to try something funny. I observed the weapons whiled I worked on my suit repair, and came to notice how completely outdated their weaponry was. They were fucking crossbows and spears for fuck sakes! Not even the most desperate bandits would use this shit! Hell, it wouldn't even go through a thermal suit! These aliens, figuratively speaking, brought knifes to a gunfight.

If this is high tech weaponry where they came from, they must have had little to worry about...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tent, the aliens sat and chatted quietly among themselves. Wasn't quite sure what exactly they were  they were talking about, much like when I was on the makeshift cot, but I am dead certain it was about me. What else would there be to talk about in this situation? The snow? How and why it is so fucking freezing outside? I doubt it.

It could be they are trying to figure out a plan to surprise me and get their weapons. At this point, I feel I may as well save them the trouble and give the damned useless things back. However, I'd rather not take any more stupid risks than I have today.

Huh, is it even still today? How long was I out anyways?

"I know you are all happy chatting among yourselves and secretly plotting to overthrow me, for whatever misconceived notion you got in your minds, but I am deadly curious at the moment. How long was I out?" I asked the group of aliens.

I almost laughed as they looked at me as if I caught them in the act. I could have sworn I even heard a "How the buck did he hear us?" in there somewhere. However, I managed to keep myself together as they formulated a response.

"A little more than three hours" The green alien, the one known as Lyra, answered.

"huh... I expected it to be longer." I mused to myself. Seriously, with the shit I went through, you would expect to be knocked out for a few days at most.

The aliens went back to their plotting discussion, and I went back to sewing. Spike came and joined me, lying down right next to me and attempting to snuggle under my arm. I, in turn, paused my repairs of my suit to give spike his desperately needed attention. I suppose almost losing its master can have a stressful effect on a dog, enough to nearly kill it apparently. Spike, as far as I heard, was risking life any limb to save my life. To me, that is worth more than a few ear scratches.

Another few minutes passed in silence as I finished loving up Spike and completed my suit repair. With that, I fitted the suit back on and zipped it up. That was one thing done any over with. Hopefully the patch should hold up until New York.

Speaking of which...

I looked out the window of the tent, you could now see at least ten feet out, the storm was clearing up. Soon I could get out of this mad house full of aliens and back on the trail to New York. Sooner the better. I am sure these aliens will try to retaliate soon.

Suddenly, I heard Spike growl behind me. I let out a slight sigh as I knew why.

I turned back to the group of aliens, and came to realize that one particular alien was closer than the rest. The purple one, Twilight, was trying to sneak up on me. However, I guess she didn't take into account that the dog, despite everything they have done for him, was still on my side. I shook my head.

"Twilight, isn't it?" I asked.

"Twily! Get back here!" The white alien, Shining, commanded in a hushed tone.

Twilight, despite being told to stand down, still stood firm. Glaring up at me in defiance. She looked like she wanted blood. By the way she was side glancing at those crossbows, I could tell she wanted a lot of it. It didn't concern me, even with that freaky energy she had been using. She wouldn't have time to load it before Spike was on her.

"You hurt my friends. Why? Why did you do this!? After everything we have done for you! To save you! Why did you come around and hurt us!?" Twilight practically shouted at me.

Spike looked about ready to jump and restrain the alien, but with a sharp whistle, I commanded Spike to stand down. I looked down at the alien, her eyes stared back up at me with a fury of a star. She demanded an answer, and she was going to receive one; whether I liked it or not. So I suppose I was going to give her one.

Getting down on one knee. I got down to her level, and looked her in the eye.

"To tell you the truth, I was scared. I was scared and I reacted in order to survive." I answered simply.

Twilight gave me a even bigger glare for that answer. Apparently she didn't like it.

"What kind of answer is that! That is no excuse for your actions! There was no need to react, as there was no reason to try to survive! We were not trying to hurt you! We were trying to help you!" Twilight countered.

With that, I knew I needed to explain myself further.

"I know that now, however, not before. I didn't know who you people were, why you took me in, why I was blind, or that you were even aliens. There was plenty of reason to react, Twilight." I answered calmly once again.

"That is still no excuse! Hasn't your mother taught you that you shouldn't judge people before you know them!? Shouldn't have you waited before you judged us?!" Twilight scolded me as if I were a child.

That last one hit hard, as I really didn't know the answer to that first question. I honestly didn't know if mother taught me that, I don't remember if I even had a mother, a mother figure at least. I don't know what she taught me, if anything. I am not sure if she taught me common courtesy, manners, or least of all when to judge. The fact this bitch brought that up made me want to kill her then and there. 

However, I was better than that, I let it go. There would be plenty of time to discover who my mother was and what she taught me when I got to New York. In the mean time, I had an answer for the second question.

"Tell me Twilight, when you look outside the tent window, what do you see?" I asked, maintaining my serenity.

The purple alien seemed confused by the question, but answered anyways.

"Snow... but what does that have to do with anything?" 

I smirked as she told me this. This alien reminded me of the children I would see in underground bunkers. Ones who were completely oblivious of how much danger they were in every waking moment, of how dangerous and cruel the world really was. 

Of course she would see that, any innocent mind would. No innocent mind would look closer and see the awful truth about it. What the 'snow' really was. They need a hint, a hint that they will eventually clue in. I was more than happy to provide that hint.

"Are you sure Twilight? Is it really just snow? Are you sure there isn't anything else out there?" I asked methodically.

Twilight stared at the 'snow' outside once more, seeming to try to contemplate what I was getting at. However, by the look on her face, it was obvious she still didn't understand.

"I don't know what you are getting at." Twilight replied, turning her scrutinizing gaze back upon me.

"Well, when you do figure it out, maybe then you will understand my actions. Perhaps you won't forgive them, but you will understand." I replied simply, getting back on my feet and turning back to the window once more to observe the dying whiteout. 

Honestly, I didn't care that she didn't get it yet. She will eventually, assuming that she her group doesn't listen to my next words of advice. If and when she finds out, given her innocence, it will probably break her. Likely just like it would any of the other aliens in here. However, I guess that is just another condition of living in this world. In a way, we are all broken.

Yes, and I also know I gave her plenty of opportunity to grab a crossbow and shoot me in the back. However, between Spike, her, and our discussion, I don't think she will try it. It would be pointless action.

"I haven't heard you apologize." Twilight said behind me.

I let out a sigh as I remembered what exactly had happened not even an hour ago. An apology was the least I could do at this point.

"I am sorry I reacted..." I started

Turning my head, I looked at the alien I traumatized, still hiding pitifully under the cot. She turned up her head and looked back at me with sad eyes. If I hadn't long ago, I might have died inside from the mere sight.

"...and I am sorry Fluttershy had to be at the blunt end of my reaction." I finished.

With that I turned my gaze away and back the outside world. You could now almost see clearly out, only mere gusts of white remained. The storm was over. It was time to see what I could stock up on for supplies before head off again. I have outstayed my welcome. I turned back around to address the group of ponies.

"Now, I have a question for the rest of you. Do you still consider me a threat?" I asked the group of aliens.

The aliens didn't answer at first, almost confused by he question. However, eventually, they gave a silent shake of the head as a response. 

"Then retrieve your weapons, I have no reason to keep them from you." I replied, looking out the window once more.

The ponies seemed a little shocked by this, if silence was something to go by. I turned my head to confirm that the aliens were indeed looking at me in shock. I suppose they didn't expect that. I actually let out a small laugh at their expense.

"Well, go on, get them. Seriously, you people are acting like a bunch of hostages." I replied.

The aliens retrieved their weapons, and much to my good fortune, they decided to not start shooting at me. It seems that we had finally started to come to an agreement that we were not each other's enemy, and that we could coexist in harmony and all that bullshit; least for the time being. Now was the time to negotiate for supplies, get my shit together, wish the aliens luck in getting the fuck out, and head out for New York.

However, it turns out nothing is ever that simple. Soon, I was to find out that I was probably going to have to stick around a little longer...
> Chapter 6: Negotiations with an Alien
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6: Negotiations with an Alien


Since the ponies gotten their weapons back, things had calmed down; least relatively. The ponies still maintained their positions at one side of the tent while the the alien and Spike the timber wolf were on the other side. Distrust was mutual between the two different occupants, but they were past the point of trying to kill one another.

That small fact didn't mean much to the alien. He already was pushing the boundaries of their unstable relationship by going through the ponies' supplies. Some the ponies wanted to tell him to buck off, but none spoke up to do so.

Everypony were a bit reluctant to work with the alien. However, they also knew they were not here to cause a conflict. They were here on a scientific expedition. Whether they liked it or not, this alien was their best chance to achieve most, if not all, the goals of their expedition. So they played nice. For now at least...

While searching through the supplies, the alien stumbled upon a crate of apples. These particular apples were a gift from Applejack, something a bit more tasteful to eat than the standard MREs that they brought along. Opening the crate up, he looked down upon its contents.

The alien promptly picked up one of the apples from the crate to examine it a bit more closely. He observed it from many different angles, as if trying to figure it out. Twilight observed his reaction to the apples as... strange... It was like observing a child looking at something he didn't quite understand.

"What the hell is this thing?" The alien asked, confirming Twilight's suspicion.

The ponies themselves were a bit confused by the question. Obviously, it was an apple, everypony knew this. How is it that the alien did not? It was at this point, Twilight was trying to think up a reasonable explanation for this.

"It... is an apple." Lyra replied to the strange question.

The alien gave Lyra a deadpan look. A look you would give a pony who told you a really bad joke. After a moment, he reiterated his question.

"Alright, let me try that again. What is an apple?" The alien asked again, putting the emphasis on 'What.'

"It's... a fruit?" Lyra tried again, more confused than ever.

The alien promptly face palmed. That was the wrong answer apparently...

"English please..." The alien requested with a sigh.

Twilight was about to reply some stupid like 'don't you mean Equish?' before she caught herself. Instead she took a mental note on what they called their variation of the language. With that, she also took note that 'apple' and 'fruit' was not apart of that variation. It was rather strange considering there had to be some sort of fruit or vegetation on this world. Twilight theorized that they may have had a different word for it.

Regardless Twilight came up with a response to the alien's question that should be universal between them.

"It is a kind of food, you know, things you eat?" Twilight answered. She did it with a little more belittlement in her tone than she originally intended. However, she didn't intend to apologize.

The alien seemed to recognize the fact that his intelligence was being insulted, giving Twilight a glare.

"Well, excuse me for not knowing what alien food looks like!" The alien replied with distaste as he put the apple back in its place and set the crate to the side.

The fact that the alien found a fruit like an apple 'alien' was strange enough. However, the fact that the alien didn't even bother to refer to a kind of fruit of it's own was a bit unsettling for Twilight. Surely, there had to be a sort of fruit or vegetation, because surely there would be no life on this planet if there were no plants around. Thus, she decided to ask.

"Don't you have any kind of food that you grow? Like from a tree?" Twilight asked curiously.

The alien, much to Twilight's confusion, found this somewhat amusing. She could tell by the grin that formed on his face when she asked the question.

"Food that grows on trees you say? Heh, that would be that day..." The alien mused to himself as he continued his search through the stockpile.

The ponies were a bit put off by this musing, of course food grew on trees, what other way would it be?

"What do you mean? You are saying that food doesn't grow on trees here?" Daring asked.

"No, I'm saying nothing grows on trees. Even if food did grow on them, it wouldn't be worth a risk. Those things are dangerous, they'd kill you in seconds if you went anywhere near them... AH HA!!!" The Alien said before triumphantly cheering as he apparently found what he was looking for; an MRE.

Fluttershy was more put off by that last statement than anypony else, though they were all pretty disturbed. The thought that a simple tree could be dangerous, let alone deadly, was a new concept to the ponies. Twilight and Fluttershy briefly thought of the trees of the Everfree, the ones they ran across when they first became friends. However those things were only illusions, not actual monsters. What could trees of this world be possibly capable of to be able to kill a living being within seconds?

As the ponies were thinking about what was said, the alien was opening the MRE he found. However, as he opened it, that satisfied smile that he had quickly turned to disappointment as he reviewed the contents of the package. It consisted of hay, highly preserved flowers, and oats. The alien, not recognizing what was in front of him, let out a sigh of disappointment as he placed the MRE down back on the supply pile; giving the latter a death glare.

The fact that food didn't grow on trees and the alien's reaction to their own food, Twilight wondered what it was exactly they did eat. Obviously there had to be something. How would his species have survived this long on this planet otherwise?

"If your trees don't grow food, then what do you get your food from?" Twilight asked.

"Here and there, sometimes you will have to find canned food, sometimes you run across an abandoned underground bean farm (if you are very lucky), other times you hunt it." The alien explained on, as he started to search the supply pile again.

The ponies reaction to was said varied depending on the pony. 

Twilight, for one, was interested in the fact that he was an omnivore, as he just admitted to eating all meat, fruits, and vegetables. This fact did not really disgust her, as she had worked with meat eating species before. Rather, it brought up more questions for her to ask. If there was canned food, who canned them? How did an underground farm work? Why were they underground? Why were they supposedly rare? Why did they hunt their food? Is their culture much like the griffon's of their world, where they must hunt their prey rather than farm them? Why did he make finding food sound like such a big deal? If they were as advanced as they supposedly were, why was food a problem? These sort of questions rang in Twilight's head.

Fluttershy grew a bit more fearful of the alien given this fact. She knew it was silly, she had dealt with carnivores before on multiple occasions. However, given previous circumstances, this new light brought upon the alien made her a little more nervous.

Shining and the guards were indifferent of this revelation, since they dealt with 'meat eaters' on a daily basis. Carnivore or not, this did not change their opinion of him.

Lyra, typically, given her scientific interest in biology, took mental notes to write down later. To her, it was just another thing learned.

Daring, contrasting from most other ponies in the room, was actually disgusted by this. Given her rather unpleasant experiences with carnivores in general, she felt her hatred of them were somewhat justified. Because of this, she felt like she distrusted this alien just a tiny bit more...

The alien, completely unaware of the ponies's scrutinizing him, continued to search the supply stash. At some point, he let out a sigh as he gave up on it, seemingly finding nothing he can use. His attention turned back to the crate of apples as he looked like he was coming to some sort of difficult decision. 

Eventually, he muttered something under his breath, something that sounded like "bucket," before he turned his attention back to the ponies.

"Okay, given the fact that you practically stripped me naked when you dragged my lifeless corpse in, you know what exactly I have. Now, what do you want for half a crate of 'apples?' Guns and ammo are out of the equation." The alien asked.

The question caught all the ponies a bit by surprise. Did he just propose a trade?

The room was silent for a few awkward moments before the team diplomat spoke up.

"Give us a minute!" Lyra quickly responded before gesturing a group huddle to the rest of the ponies. 

Everypony, at the request of Lyra, group huddled together; ready to discuss the trade opportunity.

"Did I hear that correctly when he said that he was willing to trade alien technology for a half a crate of apples!?" Lyra whispered excitedly.

"I think he did... What do you think we should ask for?" Daring asked.

"I personally would have requested the small 'gun', but he already said that was off limits..." Shining whispered.

"I don't know about anything else he has, it is strangely almost the same as our tech. Though there is that box device..." Twilight added.

"What about the box device?" Lyra asked.

"I don't know what it does, I know it is suppose to detect something, but I don't have any idea what it is suppose to detect... I am not sure if it is a useless piece of junk or an extremely advance piece of technology, but it could be worth a risk." Twilight explained.

"Well, does he really have anything else?" Lyra asked.

"Aside for potentially powerful weapons, he has a traveler's pack of supplies. Nothing that interesting..." Twilight responded.

"Well, worse thing that can happen is that we lose a half a crate of apples over a complex thermometer. I say we do it." Lyra responded. 

One of the guards shook his head in disagreement.

"I think we should ask for one round of ammo from one of his guns, at least one. We could learn a lot from that sort of tech." Sparks added in.

"He said no ammo, Sparks." Shining stated, bemused.

"Yeah, I know, but he can see that we can't do much harm with a single shot and no weapon to fire it from?" Sparks added.

"That is a good point... Let's hope he doesn't take too much offense to us asking... So, we are asking for the box device and one round of ammunition. That good for everypony?" Lyra asked.

Everypony nodded in response. 

"Alright then, lets do this."

The ponies broke their group huddle and turned back the the alien. He looked rather amused waiting on them, for whatever reason...

"Alright, we'll give you the half a crate of apples for your box device and one round of ammunition." Lyra stated with confidence.

The alien looked at her like she just made a really bad joke; his amusement turned to annoyance.

"Not going to happen. I said no ammo, can you not hear?" The alien replied, staring right in her eyes with warning glare that was telling her to back down.

However, Lyra did not back down. She was used to this sort of intimidation tactic from griffons, and was still certain that she could convince him to accept the trade.

"I can hear perfectly, probably much better than you. I said that we will trade you for the box device and the ammo." Lyra continued with confidence.

The alien's stare turned darker as Lyra persisted in her offer. He put one hand on one of his holstered weapons and faced Lyra, looking down at her will ill intent plastered all over his face. Every pony in the room grew a bit worried, and the guards began prepping for a firefight.

"Kid, you are not funny. Please cut the shit and play by the rules. The 'box device' is the only thing I will trade you." The alien stated sternly.

Lyra, still convinced that this was an plain and simple intimidation tactic, persisted; despite everything telling her that this was going to end badly if he was serious.

"We are taking a huge risk with only the box device. We don't know what it does nor if we will learn anything from it. You could be ripping us off, and we have no reason to trust you at this point. At least with one round of ammo, we can be sure we will get something. Plus, there is nothing we can do with a single round of ammo without one of your fancy guns there, so what is the harm really?" Lyra countered.

Right after Lyra's final words, the room grew dead silent. To the point where nothing could be heard but the wind outside the tent. The alien remained in his stance, still staring down at Lyra with a great intensity in his eyes. All guards had a tight grip on their crossbows, ready to load them as quickly as they could and fire before the alien could make a move. Though Lyra was sure this was an attempt at intimidating her into his offer, she couldn't help but feel she might have made a deadly mistake...

However, much to the relief to everypony in the room, the alien sighed and even cracked a small smile as he seemed to realize that Lyra wasn't going to give in too easily. He dropped his intimidation act.

"I'll give you credit, kid. I really not sure what gender you are considered, but you have some metaphorical balls." The alien said, completely shattering the tension in the room; leaving Lyra blushing furiously at the strange compliment and Sky Chaser to nearly burst out laughing. 

"I-I'm a female!" Lyra clarified, still trying to get that mental image out of her head.

"Well, that is one mystery solved." The alien said simply as he went into his backpack to retrieve the requested items. This time Sparks and Iron Hoof had to choke back a laugh.

With that, Lyra was left to collect herself and the rest of the ponies to contemplate the rather odd compliment. What did it mean to 'have balls?' Twilight theorized that in this society males were, ideologically, superior to females; therefore 'having balls' meant you were braver than most. Shining was simply confused by the figure of speech, not quite sure what 'having balls' had to do with anything. Skychaser, Sparks, and Iron Hoof simply thought that it was hilarious that Lyra may have been confused for being male. Daring simply thought he was just trying to be an asshole. However, what the alien's true meaning behind the compliment remained a mystery to the ponies.

The alien pulled out the two requested items from his backpack. He held the the black box in his right hand and the ammo in his left. The round looked like it was designed for his smaller weapon. Everything seemed to be going well, the ponies were about to get more than they thought they would. However, the alien didn't hand over the items yet. He stared back at the ponies, or rather behind the ponies, looking for something. It was at this point the ponies realized that he was not done negotiating. 

After seemingly spotting something he wanted, he renegotiated his terms.

"Alright, I'll trade you the Geiger counter, that is what it is called by the way, for the half a box of your 'apples.' For the bullet, I want a crossbow and one full pack of bolts." The alien stated.

Due to the alien's severe lack of reaction, he must have knew that one particular pony would start shouting at him with outrage.

"That is absurd! One 'bullet' is not worth that much!" Shining argued, taking offence of the 'offer.'

The alien simply smirked in amusement, likely in anticipation for what he was about to say.

"Well, think of it in your terms, what will I do with a crossbow and a few bolts that I can't already do with one bullet? What is the harm really?" The alien countered, using the ponies own words against them.

Shining huffed in frustration, he was starting to hate this alien a little more.

With this, the alien chuckled, waving his hand in gesture for the pony 'to calm down.'

"Relax soldier boy, I need the crossbow to get out of the canyon; the only reason I asked for it. If you want the bullet so badly, give me the crossbow. It is a small loss considering what you can find out about making actual weapons, much better than crossbows." The alien calmly explained.

Given this reasoning, Shinning found the alien to be right in this case. There would be no point in asking for a crossbow unless he had some use other than violence intended with it; he had other weapons for that purpose. The idea that the alien wanted it for getting him out of the canyon was not so far fetched. Plus, he was correct when he said that the crossbow's value wasn't nearly worth as much as the potential value the 'bullet' held. The ponies could advance their weaponry by an entire century if they could figure out how the ammo worked and how to make weapons capable of firing them. All in all, the ponies still had the better side of the deal.

Shinning relented, giving his nod of approval

"Alright, half a crate of apples for the box device. Crossbow and bolts for the bullet. Deal?" Lyra asked.

"Deal." The Alien said simply, placing his items on the ground in front of him for the ponies to retrieve.

With the deal done, Lyra retrieved the items with her magic and Shinning went to retrieve a crossbow and a quiver of bolts from their weapon's stockpile. Meanwhile, the alien began unloading apples from the crate and into his backpack.

By the time Shining  got back with the crossbow and bolts, the alien was zipping up his backpack full of his fair share of apples. When Shining place the crossbow and bolts in front of him, the alien snatched them up. Attaching the pouch of bolts to his belt, took up his new crossbow, slung his larger weapon over his back, put on his gas mask and hood, and made his way out of the tent without saying a word. Spike closely followed behind.

"Uh... Where is he going?" Iron Hoof asked a few moments after the alien left.

The ponies, a bit confused by his rather sudden exit, followed him outside. They found him and the dog walking towards one of the cannon walls; bolt and crossbow in hand.

Following cautiously, the ponies hoped to find out what exactly he was up to. A little more than twenty feet from the nearest wall, the alien took off his backpack once more to retrieve a roll of rope. He tied this rope to the butt end of the bolt before loading the bolt into the crossbow. Cocking the weapon, he took aim upward and fired.

The Bolt flew at high speeds upwards with a trail of rope behind it. Eventually, high above the top of the wall, it lost momentum and fell downwards; striking the top of canyon slope.

"Well, at least the crossbows are build well." The alien commented.

He gave the rope an experimental pull, only to be disappointed when he ended up pulling the bolt back down the hill. With a sigh, he reloaded the crossbow and tried again.

"What are you doing?" Shinning asked the alien as he fired off the bolt once again.

The alien looked like he was about to ignore Shinning's question, as he was solely focused on his current task. However, he answered as his second bolt hit his target.

"Attempting to hit something solid. I won't be able to climb my way out of here otherwise. Why are you all so concerned?" The alien answered as he tugged on the rope again. Once again, he was left disappointed as the bolt came loose.

"Well, I guess we didn't expect you to be attempting this so soon. Are you planning on leaving?" Lyra asked.

The alien fired again, once again only answering once the bolt hit it's mark.

"I see no reason to stick around. You got what you wanted from me and I got what I wanted from you, now I say it is time to part ways." The alien replied. He still was having no luck hitting something the bolt would stick in.

The ponies were panicked by this response, especially Lyra. They had figured he would at least stick around for a day or so to rest up, enough time for them to convince him to be a diplomat for his kind and to vouch for the ponies in case they ran into anymore aliens on their mission. However, they had not expected him to be ready to leave so quickly; especially after suffering the wounds he suffered.

If experience was anything to go by, these creatures were extremely xenophobic. The chances that they would find another alien that  was as reasonable as this one was close to none. Though they have had their fair bit of conflict with him, they couldn't allow him to leave now. If they did, they would be giving up what was quite possibly their only opportunity to communicate with the dominate species of the planet. Something that was very vital to their mission. Lyra thought of something quickly.

"Uh... Are you sure that is a good idea? I mean, Fluttershy is a good medic, but she is certainly no doctor. You could still be hurt! Traveling in your condition might not be a good idea." Lyra tried.

Much to Lyra's delight, gave the alien pause as he was reloading his crossbow. He looked back at her, but she couldn't exactly tell what he thought about what she had just said due to his gas mask blocking out his facial expressions. Lyra was left to stare at the emotionless mask for a few moments, making her a bit worried that her lie wasn't bought, before the alien spoke up once again.

"I feel fine." The alien said doubtfully.

Thankfully, Lyra had expected such an answer and was quick to reply.

"Yes, that is only because of the medication we gave you. You might feel fine now, but if you cause too much damage by not allowing your  wounds to heal, you are going to regret it later." Lyra explained.

The alien seemed to considered this a moment. Lyra kept a straight face and hoped for the best. 

Lyra knew that everything that she had just told him was a lie. At the current moment, he was mostly healed and fit to travel; the stim they injected him with after the surgery made sure of that. However, as far as she knew, the alien had not checked his wounds since he woke up; he did not know his current condition. From his point of view, this would not be a risk worth taking, and would buy the team more time to talk to him; least she hoped so. 

This might have not have been the best solution to the situation, but it was better than trying to force him to stay. Who knew how that would have turned out...

The alien stared back at Lyra once again, seeming to only focus solely on her for a few moments. However, the alien turned back to his task, firing the improvised grappling hook once again.

"You're lying." The alien replied.

Lyra held her shock internally as she tried to come up with a reply while maintaining her composure. However, she was never given the chance to reply as the alien cut her off.

"If I were as badly injured as I remember, I wouldn't have made it off the bed, much less out here. Fluttershy did a damn good job in patching me up. I am still not quite sure how, but she did. You should apologize for discrediting her like that." The alien said in a scolding manner. He pulled on the rope again, still no luck.

Fluttershy, internally, felt a bit flattered by the alien's kind words, but was still a bit too scared of him to speak up and thank him.

Lyra was a bit embarrassed by the small fact that she did indeed discredited Fluttershy's medical handiwork, but also frustrated that the alien had saw through her lie so easily; he was certainly no fool. This now only left two more options. Convince the alien through honesty, or come up with something that would force him to stay.

Lyra ultimately decided that the best policy was honesty, as she didn't exactly favor their chances against him in a fight. Recently wounded or not, this alien had already proven himself to be a capable fighter; one with superior weaponry.

"We need you to stay. We need your help." Lyra stated. 

This gave the alien a bit of pause once again, but not nearly for as long as last time as he finished reloading and fired off another bolt. His lack of real surprise or care unsettled Lyra a bit.

"Hmm, a bit surprising that you would want someone like me to sick around; especially after all the havoc I have already caused. However, the fact that you need help, not so much. It is kind of obvious." The alien stated.

"Well, will you help us?" Lyra asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I will. With two words of advice."

The alien fired off his bolt once more before turning to address the whole group of ponies.

"Go home." The alien stated with great emphasis before turning back to his business,

The group of ponies looked at him with distaste, not particularly taking the alien seriously at this point. They had gone through so much effort to finally reach another world that was not only habitable, but also contained intelligent life. They were not about to be told off by some self righteous alien who was apparently too good to help them. They were not about to be swayed by a couple mere words. Twilight was the one who spoke up in argument this time.

"'Go home?' We just got here! There is still so much to explore and find out; we've hardly scratch the surface quite literally speaking! How do you expect us to go home now!? What is the sense in it!? Both of our races can benefit so much from each other! We can share information, combine ideas, create a better future! All we need is for you to help us with that! Why won't you help us!?" 

The bolt failed to stick again, tumbling down hill as the alien pulled it down. He reloaded and prepared to fire once again before he answered.

"There is no future to be made, kid. No meetings, no negotiations, no debates, no sharing. There is simply nothing. Nothing but ice, snow, and ashes... There is no government here that will negotiate with aliens, anything living an breathing here will do nothing but try to kill you. You are wasting your time." The alien explained as he fired off another shot.

"That is a lie! You didn't kill us! You tried to, but in the end you didn't! That says something doesn't it!? Doesn't prove that others will listen to us?" Twilight argued.

The alien seemed to laugh at this a little too hard, he apparently found this to be particularly amusing. He collect himself quickly though and was just as quick to answer.

"Heh, you want to test that theory, go right the fuck ahead. Even if you had my help, I'd give you three days to live, but that is not counting the time it takes to get to those 'reasonable people like me.' Keep in mind that I only let you aliens live because you are not humanity's true enemy. Others members of my kind don't particularly discriminate. If they saw you, they would jump to conclusions, just like I did." The alien said. The bolt didn't stick, and he repeated his process.

The ponies tried not to think about what the alien had implied what would happen to them if they tried peaceful talks with the governments of his world. Instead they took note that the alien seemed to firmly believe that peace talks would not work. They also took note of what he referred to his species as.  

Lyra particularly wondered why this would be. Were these aliens really that xenophobic? If so, what made them that way? Lyra remembered that the alien had called them all rather vial names when he had taken Fluttershy hostage. She also recalled him mentioning that they had "Slaughtered their people and burned their home." He was obviously talking about an alien race they are at war with, or were at war with... This made Lyra wonder what atrocities those aliens must had done...

Lyra, snapped out of it, as it wasn't exactly important right now. What was important was getting this alien to stay. However, Lyra was running out of ideas at this point...

"We cannot know unless we try, and trust me when I say we are going to try; we are not going home until we complete our mission. However, we can do what we need to do and get home a lot quicker if you would just help us. Please." Lyra Spoke up.

The alien shook his head and sighed. Once more, he fired into the air.

"You still don't get it, do you? Look around you. There is nothing here for you. Go home while you still can." The alien said simply as he watched his bolt sail over the horizon once again.

Lyra felt her ears wilt in defeat. She was out of ideas, leaving only one solution to this; and it wasn't peaceful. They needed to subdue the alien. The question was only a matter of how. Lyra needed to talk it over with the team. They could not allow that alien to-

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWCCCK!!!! HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

As that ear piecing howl came over the horizon, Lyra's only warning for the next sound was the sound of the crossbow the alien was using drop to the ground and the pair of metallic clicks as the alien readied his large weapon.
> Chapter 7: Monsters on the Horizon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7: Monsters on the Horizon


*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

The alien fired five shots from his large weapon and into the top of the canyon wall, shooting at something the ponies couldn't see. The ponies were all clutching their ears in pain as the sharp explosions from the alien's weapon threatened to rip them apart. All the while, the guards took a look at what the alien was firing at, trying to figure out what happened. However, none of them saw anything.

Soon, the alien stopped firing, leaving them in silence for a few mere moments.

"What the BUCK is- HEY!!!" Daring started to complain before was suddenly pulled to her hooves by her tail. 

Daring took notice that it was Spike pulling her off the ground, the timber wolf was quick to go around do the same with others. It became immediately apparent that staying low was not their best course of action. Especially with what the alien said next.

"ALL OF YOU, GET THE FUCK UP!!! GET AWAY FROM THE GODDAMN WALL!!!" The alien shouted at the top of his lungs.

The ponies were quick to follow the orders of the alien. They still had no clue what had just happened, but judging by the alien's tone, they could tell it was something bad.

The alien took off towards the tents at breakneck speeds, the group of ponies were quick to follow suit. However, they found it very difficult to keep up with the alien. While the ponies did their best to stumble over the snow while keeping pace, the alien gracefully ran through it with minimal effort. For a bipedal creature, he certainly was fast.

Strangely enough, Spike took off in a different direction, ignoring the group entirely as he ran along side the canyon wall and disappeared from view.

"Where's Spike going!?" Fluttershy yell, worrying for the dog.

"HE'LL BE FINE!!! KEEP MOVING!!! DON'T STOP!!!" The alien replied.

They were about half way there before the alien suddenly stopped, spun around, and took aim behind the group. The alien seemed to be looking for something following them, then he apparently spotted it.

"EVERYONE STOP!!!" The alien ordered again.

The team stopped just at his side, all questioning why they did. Least that was until they turned around to see what the alien was aiming at...

Standing about forty-five or so meters away, there was a huge monster. It was a house cat looking creature, only MUCH bigger; even bigger than the manticore they all knew very well. The monster was extremely disfigured, and not so innocent looking. Its white coat near perfectly mimic its background, the only reason they could see it at the moment was because of its glowing blood red eye. Its claws and teeth appeared to be razor sharp. The most notable features was its blown out eye coated with frozen blood, it's lack of a left ear, and the bolt with roped attached that stuck out of its left paw.

"So, that's where I hit you..." The alien muttered under his breath.

Fluttershy near fainted at the sight of it. Twilight was frozen in fear. Lyra was rendered speechless. Daring was attempting to not shudder under its gaze. Shinning was trying his best not to control a shiver going up his spine. Sky Chaser, Sparks, and Iron Hoof fought the urge to take off and get their weapons from the tent.

The alien, on the other hand, remained perfectly still; almost supernaturally so still given the situation. He showed no sign of of fear or weakness as he stood there, aiming his rifle at the beast.

"No one fucking move. If you try to run, you're good as dead. This bitch is faster than it looks." The alien informed the group, keeping the monster in his sight.

The ponies heeded the alien's warning, taking great care to not move a single muscle. Though Shinning and the guards were tempted to go for their weapons in the tent, they ultimately decided that it was not worth risking the alien's warning ringing true. The team of ponies began frantically thinking about what to do.

The monster began with ripping the bolt out of its left paw, letting it letting fall to the the ground at its feet. Then it began circling the group, though strangely doing so without exposing its sides. It's focus was dead set on the group, unblinking as it glared at its prey. All the while, the alien kept its weapon trained on it. He seemed to be getting a bit frustrated as he swore under his breath every so often. The ponies were starting to find it strange that the alien had not simply shot down the beast yet. Iron hoof decided to speak up.

"Will you just shoot the damned thing already!" Iron Hoof exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Motherfucker, I can't! My rounds won't penetrate the skull or chest plate. Shooting it now will just piss it off! Last thing I want it to do is to charge or disappear!" The alien snapped at the response.

"So, what are we going to do!?" Sky Chaser asked.

The alien gave a Dark, non humorous chuckle at this. A feeling of dread passed over the team as this happened. It became obvious that he had nothing good to say about this situation. Still one particular pony wanted to know none the less.

"What the buck are you laughing about, throw us a bone here will you? What do we need to do to get out of this!?" Daring demanded.

The alien simply sighed, looking like he was preparing to tell them some really bad news. The ponies mentally braced themselves.

"You really want to know, huh? Well, In regards for getting everyone out of here alive, we are essentially fucked. The Stalker is one of the most dangerous animals out here. Even with a squad, there is a big chance that none of us get out of this alive. Having no casualties is extremely optimistic, even in the best of situations." The alien informed.

The pony's let that statement sink in. Really sink in. There was a big chance that one of them, maybe even more, were going to die or get seriously hurt in this situation; least according to the alien. They couldn't imagine that, they didn't want to. Shinning would never forgive himself if Twilight got hurt, and the same was true when it came to Twilight with Fluttershy and Shinning. The guards also knew each other well, friends since they joined the guard. They did want anypony to get hurt, or even killed. The same applied with Lyra and Daring, even if they didn't know the rest of the team as friends or family.

The possibility was unreal to them, and admittedly, they were scared. However, they refused to believe there wasn't a way out of this without someone getting hurt. Perhaps the alien was exaggerating the situation, or something. There had to be a plan, there had to be a way...

"Surely it won't attack, there's nine of us and only one of it. We should be safe in our numbers. It might just be be trying to scare us into running." Shinning said.

The alien shook his head at this.

"Technically, you're right, it is trying to scare us into scattering, It would have an easier time that way. However, don't think for a second that it won't attack. It's a miracle it hasn't already. It must be really convinced that we'll break. It won't last long though. Soon, it'll understand that we're sticking together and charge. It will wound and kill as many of us as it can before it takes off and disappears... rinse and repeat. I'd like to think I could kill it during the charge, but you've already seen first hand how that plan ended for me the first time." The alien replied.

This sent a chill down the team's spine. If sticking together won't work, what would?

"So sticking together and waiting it out won't work, what else can we do? It's as you said, you can't shoot it from here, you can't shoot it while it charges, and separating is a death sentence. Is there really no way out of this!?" Daring asked.

"Well, not without risk and high probability of death. One of you can run, and get that stalkers attention. Once he turns to chase, it'll give me a clear shot. It's the best plan there is when it comes to hunting stalkers, but I don't see anyone of you cowards volunteering for that." The alien hissed under his breath.

None of the ponies liked that answer, and not just because he called them cowards. Since they didn't know what they were dealing with, the alien claiming that there was no way out of this without risk of casualties was quite worrying. 

Daring, on the other hoof, wasn't particularly liking the alien's defeatist attitude, his suggestion to use one of the ponies as bait, or his name calling. It made her blood boil to have this alien talk down to them and act like their lives didn't matter. She decided to emphasize this with a single statement.

"Yeah, buck you too, tail hole. Why don't you go out and get its attention yourself. Unless you're also a coward." Daring muttered back.

The alien didn't seem entirely offended by this, least not in the way Daring had expected; considering his next statement...

"First off, the term is 'Fuck you' and 'asshole.' If you are going to curse me out, do it right. Second off, I would gladly do so if I could rely on any of you to actually kill the damned thing when it went after me. However, you obviously can't do shit without weapons. So yeah, we are kind of low on options here, you fucking bitch." The alien retorted.

This made the Daring's hatred of the human boil over. Though the curse words of these two worlds were not universal, the term 'bitch' was...

"What the Buck did you just call me you pile of manure!!!???" Daring flared up.

"I think you heard me, Daring Bitch. Take your bias of me elsewhere, we don't have time for this bullshit. Right now, you all need to shut up and listen if any of you want to get out of this." The alien Snapped.

Daring looked like she wanted to say a lot more to the alien, however, she kept her mouth shut. The alien was right, there was a time and place for this, this time and place was not ideal. However, they were going to exchange words after this...

"Alright, now that you are all done bitching, let's talk about who is running." The alien said, getting straight to business.

"Running? You mean we are going with bait right off the bat!? Can't we-" Twilight began.

"No, we are not talking about this anymore. The time for making plans is gone. It's time to use a strategy that I know works. Now, who is running? Make up your mind, quickly. We've wasted enough time. The stalker is looking antsy." The alien stated sternly.

The stalker did, in fact, looked like it was going to charge soon. The minds of the eight ponies work frantically to figure out what to do. If one of them ran, there was a chance that they may not make it, especially given the odds told the the alien himself. They would be risking life and limb to distract the monster for a mere moment so the alien could kill it, but if he missed...

That was not a chance the ponies were willing to take. They were going to get everyone out of this, no matter how.

That was when it occurred to Twilight, there was in fact a way to commit a distraction without putting anypony at risk. At least a lot less risk than what the alien had suggested. There was a way to get everyone out of this.

It occurred to Twilight that they, in fact, had three pegasi on their team. 

It honestly wasn't the best idea, there was a reason she hadn't thought of it before now. The freezing temperatures and wild, powerful winds was going to make flying extremely difficult, not to mention dangerous. One wrong move and a pegasus could be grounded by the wind alone, and the freezing temperatures will keep the pegasi from staying in the sky for very long; even with the magical protection provided by the suits. However, keeping out of reach within the skies was a much safer plan than trying to outrun a fast predator by foot. Plus, Daring and Sky were strong, experienced fliers; she was sure they'd be alright.

"Daring, Sky, you two will run the distraction. Fly and stay out of reach, but try to get its attention." Twilight ordered, catching the team off guard. The alien apparently included as he almost looked over in surprise.

"Wait, Twilight, didn't you tell us during the briefing that-" Sky began to question

"Yes, I know what I said, the same thing still applies. But we have little choice right now. It's the safest option, try to fly safe and get this done as quickly as possibly." Twilight interrupted.

"Wait... fly? You can fly?" The alien suddenly questioned, as if clarifying he heard Twilight correctly.

Daring would have found this amusing if their situation wasn't so dire. However, she had no problem rubbing it in the alien's face. After all, it wasn't like the pegasi of the team were hiding their wings the entire time.

"Well, YEAH. Why do you think we have wings, feather brain!" Daring replied, fanning out her wings in emphasis.

The Alien looked like he wanted to question that fact, but seemed to decide this was not the time.

"Well, What the fuck are you waiting for! Get that thing turned in a direction where I can put it down! I'm not sure how long this bitch will keep its distance!" The alien shouted, perhaps a bit louder than what was necessary.

"Alright! Alright! Yeash... We're on it." Sky Chaser replied as she took off.

Daring didn't reply, simply giving an annoyed huff as she took off into the air.

Both Sky Chaser and Daring took off into the gloomy sky, the wind seemed to disrupt their fight a little, but they far from being forced back to the ground. With that, the two pegasi began to get into their position behind the stalker. 

Back on the ground, Fluttershy noticed a small, almost subtle change that the stalker's facial expression. It only lasted a second, but she recognized the expression. She had seen it in her most animals. It was an expression of thought. This 'stalker' was... thinking. Almost complexly... Much like her bunny Angel back home, one of the most intelligent animals she takes care of.

If this was true, then this stalker was a thinking, intelligent being; maybe even sentient. This was no dumb animal. It's actions have already proven as much. And if it was this smart, there was no way that it would fall for this trap.

... and it might just think of a way to trick the two pegasi instead. 

Fluttershy felt a small grip of worry for the two pegasi. Fluttershy wanted to warn them of the potential threat, but they were already getting too far away for them to hear her over the winds. She opted to fly after them.

As Fluttershy lifted off the ground, Twilight immediately took concern; wondering what the yellow pegasus was up to.

"Fluttershy! What are you doing!? You can't act as bait! You are not that strong of a flyer!" Twilight spoke up.

"I have to warn them." Fluttershy simply said as she took off into the sky after Daring and Sky Chaser. Leaving a rather concerned Twilight behind.

"Warn them? Warn them of what?! Fluttershy! Get back here right now! The wind is going to tear you down! Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted after Fluttershy. However, she was already out of range, and either couldn't hear her question or didn't care to come back and answer it.

Unbeknownst to the team, the alien had turned oddly silent, only keeping his focus on the Monster ahead of him; just waiting for the opportunity to fire.





Daring and Sky were making their approach. The stalker stopped tracking them with its one remaining eye after both were behind them, and set its focus back on the main concentration of the team.

Both pegasi opted to be cautious for their first approach, keeping in mind the warning set by the alien of its speed. Hovering a safe distance away, they began to think of a plan.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Daring asked.

"I have no clue. We shouldn't risk any more than we have to... I suppose we can try yelling at it, perhaps it will be dumb enough to turn its head for a second. Hopefully that will be enough time for our two legged friend to do what he does."

"Yeah, It's worth a shot I guess." Daring replied

With that Daring took a breath and yelled with max volume.

"HEY!!! FEATHERBRAIN!!! IS IT ME, OR AM I SEEING WHAT IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST PANSY ONE CAN SEE FROM UP HERE!!!???"

The stalker flicked it's ears back for a moment, but then they refocused on its prey ahead. Daring's insult had minimal effect.

Sky gave Daring a confused, unimpressed look.

"Is that the best you got?" Sky asked seriously.

"Well, Let's see you do better." Daring Challenged.

"Alright, Watch the master work..." Sky Replied with a smile.

With a breath, Sky let out her own insult.

"YO! KITTY CAT!!! YO MOMMA WAS A WHORE AND YOUR DADDA WAS A MAGICIAN!!! MAKING YOU ONE MOMENT, GONE THE NEXT!!! BOOM, MOTHERBUCKER!!! CAN'T SAY I BLAME HIM THO!!! CAUSE DAMN YOU UGLY!!!" Sky finished.

Daring gave Sky a shocked look, she had never figured any mare was capable of such a foul insult. She wasn't sure whether or not to be impressed or horrified.

"That's... Cold." Daring replied uneasily.

Sky simply returned a smile, happy to see her work had somewhat of an effect. Even if it wasn't on the cat itself... it had no effect on the monster what-so-ever. It only had the same physical reply.

"Well, there goes that idea. If that didn't get it's attention, I'm not sure what else will... Aside of getting closer that is." Sky said.

It was at this point that Daring got her own idea, one that was just stupid enough to work. She had heard the deafening sound of the alien's weapon going off, and she realized that it was almost comparable to the sound of her own whip. So much so that she believes she could fool the cat into believing that it was being fired upon from the other direction; thus turning it around. The only problem was volume, over the wind it would likely go unnoticed at her current distance. For the sound to be loud enough, she was going to have to get closer.

A lot closer.

It was risky, but it might just work. Plus, it was either this or risk getting even closer. That wasn't an option for either pegasi.

With that, Daring retrieved her whip from her bag. Preparing to put her plan into action. Sky took noticed.

"You're not actually considering getting closer, are you? Especially not close enough to use that thing!" Sky inquired.

"I'm getting closer, but not within striking distance. I just plan to use it as a noise maker, try to mimic a shot from the alien's weapon." Daring replied.

"You sure that will work? I mean, the whip is loud, but not loud enough to mimic that thing, especially over the wind." Sky replied, remembering first hoof the weapon that had almost made her deaf.

"Yeah, but it only needs to be loud enough. That's why we need to get closer." Daring explained.

"I don't think we should get any closer, the alien warned us-"

The mention of the alien, not so oddly enough, triggered anger in Daring. She had heard the warning already, and as far as she was concerned, it was over exaggerated. Yes, cats were fast, that much she already knew, but a cat this big being so fast to cover a ton of distance and catch you off guard was a ridiculous notion. Daring was sure she could pull this off, she didn't need to be told how to do it.

"Enough! We've wasted enough time debating this! We need to act soon before that thing decides to charge! What the alien said be damned!" Daring interrupted as she already started flying ahead towards the Stalker.

"Daring! Come on! There has to be a- Oh buck it, she's already going." Sky muttered to herself, flying forward to catch up with Daring.

On her way to catch up with Daring, Sky noticed that she wasn't alone. Fluttershy was frantically trying to fly her way up to her, only barely managing to keep in the air; the wind was tossing her around like a rag doll.

"What the buck is she doing up here?" Sky thought to herself.

Sky immediately redirected her efforts to help Fluttershy before she was blown to the ground. Approaching her position, Fluttershy looked like she was trying to say something, but the wind kept her voice scattered. It wasn't long before Sky made it to Fluttershy and stabilized her flight.

"Fluttershy, you need to go back to the others! No offense, but you're going-"

"Wait! You need to know! Before you try anything! The stalker is intelligent! It might be trying to lure you in!" Fluttershy frantically interrupted.

"What!? What do you mean it's-"

Sky stop herself this time as she let Fluttershy's words sink in. Sky had no clue how Fluttershy came to this conclusion, but given the fact that she was the animal expert of the team, Sky took this new information very seriously. If what Fluttershy said was true, that means the cat definitely acknowledges that they were back here trying something. That also meant Daring's plan was even worse an idea than before. 

A plan that Daring was currently putting into action at this very moment...

Looking back at her partner, Sky sees that Daring was very close to the Stalker now, a mere 20 meters away, whip in mouth.

She was too close.

Without thinking, Sky stopped supporting Fluttershy and shot straight towards Daring's position, hoping to warn and get her out of the way before something happened. Sky tried yelling, but it seemed as if Daring couldn't hear her. Just as Sky was half way there, Daring swung her whip and a loud *CRACK* filled the air.

The stalker did react, just as planned. However, the speed in which it did was completely unexpected. By the time the whip finished its lash through the air, the stalker was already turned around, it's eye fixed upon Daring, and ready to pounce. Hardly moments later, it did exactly that. It sore towards Daring, threatening to snatch her from the sky. 

Daring tried her best to get out of the way, however, she had never expected the cat to react this quickly. It was as if it knew she was there all this time, and was waiting for this moment to strike. There was no way to get out of the way in time, she was doomed.

The stalker opened up its jaws of death, moments before it was going to snap Daring in two with one bite...

Thankfully, Sky managed to tackle Daring out of the way before that happen.

With the drastic last second maneuver, Sky lost control and both she and Daring soared towards the ground. The two crashed rolling and flopping over one another until they stopped, faces filled with snow.

Daring was the first one up, shaking off the snow and trying to figured out what just happened. Looking around her, the first thing she noticed was Sky, lying face down in the snow, apparently still recovering from the midair blunder. Looking around her more, she found one thing immediately unsettling...

The Stalker was gone, she couldn't see it anywhere around her.

Unwilling to stay a sitting duck much longer, she took off to the air and rose a safe distance from the ground. From there, she surveyed the ground some more, looking for any sign of the stalker.

She couldn't find it, the thing was blending in somewhere, biding it's time. It looked like even the alien lost track of it, given that both he and the rest of the team were carefully looking around. However, the Stalker's unknown location was the least of her issues at this moment.

Out in the snow alone, she spotted a grounded Fluttershy. She was shaking like a leaf, seemingly too afraid to move. When and how Fluttershy had managed to get separated from the group Daring had no idea, but now Fluttershy was a vulnerable target. On top of that, she had noticed that Sky has still yet to move from her crash site... She should have gotten up by now.

Deciding to see what was up with Sky, Daring flew down from safety and landed next to Sky. 

"Sky! Sky! Come on, you got to get up! We can't stay here!" Daring yelled, nudging the guard Pegasus.

Despite the constant nudging, Sky wouldn't stir. Daring resorted to rolling her over instead. There was still no response, and it quickly became clear as to why. From under Sky's hood, there was a trickle of blood.

"Oh... No, don't do this to me!" Daring said as she put an ear next to the mare's mouth, hoping to hear her breathing.

Daring gave a sigh of relief as she hear the subtle sound and heat of breath beat against her ear. The mare was still alive, but was unconscious. She had must of hit her head on something hard during the crash.

Still, this left a much bigger issue. There was still a stalker out there somewhere, and now there was currently three grounded pegasi. One who was too scared to move, one that couldn't move, and one that wouldn't risk moving with somepony at risk. All of them were sitting ducks, just waiting for the stalker to attack.

Deciding that doing absolutely nothing wasn't an option here, Daring grabbed Sky and started dragging her back towards the main group.   The mare, with all her equipment attached to her, was far too heavy to fly away in these conditions. She was sure the Stalker wouldn't let  them get that far, but there was little choice in this matter. She was not about to abandon Sky, especially after she had saved Daring.

Fluttershy was unfortunately on her own here...





Fluttershy was looking frantically around her, looking for any sign of the missing stalker. Right after Sky took off to save Fluttershy wasn't able to hold her flight, and ended up falling to the snow below. Right after recovering from her fall, she found that the stalker had disappeared, both Sky and Daring were grounded, and everyone was in a panic trying to find the illusive beast.

With that, Fluttershy froze up, she wasn't sure if she should move or remain completely still. If she moved, the stalker might come for her. If she stayed still, it might leave her alone... or it could come regardless. Fluttershy had no clue what to do.

"FLUTTERSHY!!! GET YOUR ASS OFF THE GROUND NOW!!! I CAN'T COVER BOTH OF YOU GUYS AT ONCE!!! STOP BEING A SITTING TARGET!!!" Fluttershy heard the alien yell from the distance.

Turning her head, she could see the team gesturing for Fluttershy to return to the group. Meanwhile, the alien seemed to be rotating between keeping an eye her and Daring. It quickly became apparent why Fluttershy needed to get back.

"Fluttershy, please! You got to move! Make your way back to us! Quickly!" Twilight yelled, fear and worry lacing the poor mare's voice.

With this, Fluttershy got up shakily and tried to unclasp her wings. However, they refused. She was still far to shaken to fly. With that option taken away, she Instead opted to start trotting back towards the group. She hesitated as she saw the alien slap a hand on his forehead, mimicking a sort of face hoof, upon seeing what she was doing.

"Oh for fuck sake... FLUTTERSHY!!! FLY!!! I KNOW YOU CAN!!! I'VE SEEN YOU DO IT!!! YOU NEED TO GET UP IN THE AIR AND OUT OF DANGER!!!" The alien yelled.

"Don't yell at her! She's scared!" Twilight snapped at the alien in defense of Fluttershy.

"Yes, and she will be dead in a moment if she DOESN'T GET HER ASS IN THE AIR!" The alien snapped back.

The alien's warning frightened Fluttershy enough try to open her wings again, but they still refused to work; they only opened half way before they clamped shut one more.  Fluttershy whimpered in defeat.

"I-I Can't! M-my wings won't work!" Fluttershy cried.

"Son of a bitch.... Alright, everyone move forward, we are making our way to her. Keep an eye out for anything that is not us."

With that, the group started making their way, slowly yet steadily towards Fluttershy. Fluttershy in turn continued moving towards the group, hoping to speed up the process. The stalker lingered in the back of her mind, but she knew that she couldn't afford to stop now; or even think about it. If it was going to get her, it was going to. All she can hope is that the alien will help her if it tries.

Then again, he wasn't able to help Daring or Sky when the Stalker tricked them. If Sky wasn't there to push her out of the way, Daring would definitely be dead. With that amount of speed, how could the alien save her from this stalker if it didn't even have time to react to the monster's speed? The thought of this made Fluttershy shake more at the knees.

That was when she heard it. A subtle step in the snow behind her. The main group froze in place, and the alien raised its weapon. With this, Fluttershy stopped in her tracks; knowing exactly what was going on.

"Fluttershy! Don't-" Twilight Squeaked in panic, her face twisted into one of despair.

... the Stalker was right behind her.

Fluttershy turned her head around, just in time for a white and red blur to fill her vision. She felt her body being flung through the air just before landing on her back, a massive weight pinned her down. Her vision swim until she was able to make out the stalker the loomed over her in all its glory, its left paw pinning her down. Its one eye was solely focused on her, it's teeth bared as it was about to end her life.

"OH SWEET CELESTIA, NO!! PLEASE DON'T! LET HER GO!!!" Twilight began to scream. 

It took Shining and Iron Hoof to keep her from bolting to Fluttershy's rescue. There was nothing to be done, nothing that could be done. Without weapons, there was nothing they could do to prevent Fluttershy's demise by the stalker. Her life rested solely in the hands of the alien, but no pony could be sure he could even save her now. 

She could die, at any moment, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Fluttershy wanted to scream along side Twilight. She wanted to cry, beg, pray, all of the above at once... However, something ignited inside her as her life was beginning to tick away. She knew that, after it killed her, it was going to kill the rest of her friends, and maybe even the alien and Spike. This monster was going to kill them all without so much as a thought. This angered her, this upset her, and this she was not about to stand for.

She was going to give this stalker a piece of her mind, if it was the last thing she did.

Looking Directly into the Stalker's eye, she gave it the stare.

"How Dare You!" Fluttershy stated with fury.

The stalker's facial expression changed almost immediately as Fluttershy said this. It looked surprised, and a bit confused. One would assume that it wasn't expecting to have its next meal talk to it like this. This gave the entire team pause, even seem to give the alien slight pause.

Twilight on the other hoof, knew exactly what was going on. She remembered this, way back when, when she and her five friends were on a quest to save Equestria from being drowned in smoke. Fluttershy tamed a dragon merely by shaming it to into submission. Now, she was attempting to do the same with this stalker. Twilight couldn't believe it when Fluttershy pulled it off the first time, now she could only pray that she could do it again a second time. Fluttershy's life, and everyone else's depended on it.

"You heard me! HOW DARE YOU!!! You hurt my friends! Try to kill them! Try to kill me! For what exactly!? I can tell you're not starving! So it's not because your hungry! So why!? Why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you!?" Fluttershy scolded the confused stalker.

Much to everyone's surprise, the stalker broke eye contact with Fluttershy, glancing away for a mere moment with what seemed to be shame. However, it didn't last long as it glared at her again with malice intent. However, Fluttershy glared back harder.

It was working, Twilight felt her fear and worry for her friend's life slowly lift. At this point, she knew Fluttershy was going to be okay. She was going to talk this stalker down, she was going be okay...

However, Twilight noticed that something had escaped her attention. The alien was no longer with the team watching the spectacle...

"You SHOULD be ashamed of yourself you horrible cat! Hurting innocent ponies and creatures like us just because you can! What is wrong with you! Do you have no morals!" Fluttershy continued.

The stalker glanced away timidly once again, it looked like it was trying to figure out what to do; as it probably has never experienced anything like its food arguing with it before. It began to look very unsure of itself as it lifted it's left paw off Fluttershy.

Twilight looked around her, searching for the alien. She found him very quickly, moving carefully around the left side of Fluttershy and the stalker. Twilight questioned what exactly he was doing. However, it was quickly made clear when he raised his weapon and took aim at the stalker. Twilight's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but words failed to find her...

Fluttershy was quick upon her hooves and rushed up to meet the stalker face to face. It's head recoiled back as she forced her nose against its.

"Your a bad, BAD Kitty Cat! I think you should run off to think about what you have-"

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Fluttershy Never got to finish her sentence as the three distinct gunshots rang though the air. Causing the stalker to go wide eyed and run. It didn't make it far, however, as it suddenly collapsed upon it's third stride. It hit the ground hard, leaving a blood trail until it slid to a stop.

Fluttershy look towards the origin of the sound, standing there standing there to her exact left was the alien, steam emitting from his weapon. Suddenly it became clear to Fluttershy what had happened.

Ignoring the shocked and horrified look that Fluttershy was giving him, the alien approached the wounded stalker and raised his weapon to fire again.

Recovering from her initial shock, Fluttershy was quick to rush in front of the stalker, stopping the alien from delivering the final blow.

"NOOOO!!!! STOP!!!" Fluttershy Screamed at the alien.

The alien took his finger away from the weapon's trigger and pulled his weapon away, muttering a swear under his breath. It looked as it he had only barely managed to stop himself from shooting Fluttershy. Through his mask, he seemed glared down upon the new obstacle in front of him.

"What in hell do you think you are doing, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! NOW!!!" The alien sharply ordered.

"Fluttershy, don't! Just get out of the way!" Twilight yelled.

"Fluttershy! Move! What are you doing! Let him finish it!" Daring yelled from afar.

"Fluttershy, What are you doing!? Move!" Shining ordered.

"What the buck, Fluttershy!? Are you trying to get yourself killed!?" Iron Hoof yelled

"Fluttershy! It is imperative that we finish it! We need you to move aside!" Sparks added in.

"ARE YOU BUCKING NUTS!!!" Lyra practically screamed.

"*WOOF!!!* Spike happily added in behind Lyra.

"EEEEEEEEK!!! WHERE THE BUCK DID YOU EVEN COME FROM!!!" Lyra yelled at Spike. 

Despite the yelling, Fluttershy's resolve held strong. She was not going to stand idly by and allow the alien to kill the creature she had just convinced to leave them alone. It just wasn't right. The stalker was backing down, it was going to leave them all alone. Then the alien outright stabbed it in the back while it was distracted! This was out right murder! She would not allow this.

"No! What do you think YOU'RE doing!? I was convincing it to leave us alone, and you go on and hurt the poor thing!"

The alien gave out a sharp, forced, hate filled laugh at this. Obviously, he wasn't very convinced. In fact, he wasn't convinced at all.

"Poor thing!? Convince it to leave!? Don't make me fucking laugh! That piece of shit was going to kill you and the rest of your team!!! Now you're defending it!? You are defending this MONSTER!!!???" The alien yelled back.

"Everypony makes mistakes! It was learning from its, and then you go and stab it in the back! Is that the way to teach anypony to not be evil!?" Fluttershy tried again, hoping to make the alien back down.

More forced laughter was the only reaction from the alien, hatred oozed within every syllable. It physically made the team of ponies cringe, Fluttershy included. None of them could even begin to fathom how much hatred was coming from this one being. How could he have grow to hate something so much? It was becoming obvious that he cared very little for Fluttershy's words of defense; they only seemed to be egging the alien on to further rage.

"Learning from it's mistakes? To not be evil!? Holy shit, you're a fucking comedian! How long do you think it has been doing this? You think it just started? Before us, it has likely killed tens to hundreds of my kind! Given its appearance, maybe even two-hundred! Do you think it is really learning from its mistakes!? Do you really think it is losing any sleep over this!? If it survived today, it would still be doing the same thing tomorrow, regardless of that shit you just pulled! As a member of the human species, I will not allow that to happen! I will not allow it to hurt anyone else, ever again!!!" The alien stated.

Talking down the alien was hopeless at this point, the rest of the team knew this, especially given what he had just said. The alien was completely convinced that this stalker deserved to die, for crimes that he was certain it committed. Given the severity of those crime, most of the team, other than Fluttershy was convinced that the alien was in the right here. 

Twilight was somewhat conflicted on the other hoof. One part of her believed that the stalker didn't deserve to die. There had been villains of her world who had committed far worse crimes, and yet they were able to turn themselves around and be forgiven. Another part of her though, wanted the stalker dead. It had threatened the lives of her friends, her family, and her team; that was unforgivable for her. Twilight was conflicted whether to stand for the values she and her friends had stood for since they became the Elements of Friendship, or give in to her anger and stand by as the monster was executed and justice was served. 

No matter the choice, Twilight knew she wouldn't like the result. For the first time in a long time, she didn't know what to do...

"Please you to just need to-" Fluttershy begged, but the alien would not listen.

"No! I refuse to continue this bullshit! Move before I make you move!" The alien snapped

Fluttershy at this point, knew that this was a lost cause. She could see it in the alien, in his body language, even though his mask of apathy. He was filled with hatred towards the stalker. He was going to kill it regardless of what anypony else thought, and a small frail pegasus wasn't going to stand in his way.

Least that was what Fluttershy thought. 

Suddenly, there was a blur at the top of Fluttershy's vision. Something sailed over her own head and straight towards the alien himself. The alien was so preoccupied with his focus on Fluttershy, he failed to notice the thing heading straight towards him before it impacted, sending him flying a few feet backwards and making him land on his ass.

Fluttershy took a look behind her to find the stalker was back on its feet, its tail looked like it had just finished a sweeping motion. Suddenly, it became clear to Fluttershy what had just happened.

The stalker gave Fluttershy one last glance before it took off down the snowy landscape, disappearing from view.

"NO!!! NOOO!!! YOU FUCKING BITCH!!! GET BACK YOU MOTHERFUCKING SACK OF SHIT!!! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU MAN MURDERING CHILDREN SLAUGHTERING WHORE!!!" The enraged alien shouted at the direction the stalker ran in.

The alien was quick to get back on it's feet running in the same direction the Stalker had ran, following the tracks and blood trail it left. Fluttershy had to scamper out of the way before he would have shove her aside. It wasn't long before he reach the canyon wall, the same canyon wall where the stalker made its appearance. It was also where the tracks came to an irrupt end. The alien started scanning the horizon, desperately looking for any sign of the stalker.

It wasn't long before the alien started pacing along side the wall, shouting again.

"COME ON!!! COME ON!!! COME BACK AND FIGHT ME YOU COWARD!!! COME AND MEET YOUR FUCKING MAKER!!! IT'S FUCKING JUDGEMENT DAY MOTHERFUCKER!!! DON'T YOU DARE THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME!!! I WILL FUCKING FIND YOU!!! AND I WILL FUCKING END YOUR LIFE!!!" The alien yelled some more.

The team of ponies watched from a distance at the alien continued to pace and yell curses up the canyon wall. Swearing everything that he was going to hunt the stalker down, and do some indescribable things to it. At some point, the ponies thought they heard that he planned to take it's head and mount it on a wall to use as target practice.

It was a sad sight to behold.

Soon, with no sign of the stalker coming back, the alien fell to it's knees; its weapon dropping limply to ground beside it. It's head wilted in defeat. 

The team of ponies stood there stunned, unsure what to do or say. Lyra was one-hundred percent sure that the alien hated them now, and was preparing herself the nightmarish stand off to come. Shinning, Sparks, and Iron Hoof were already thinking of heading back to the tent to retrieve their weapons, certain that they were going to have to defend themselves. Daring couldn't care less about the situation, her only concern was reviving Sky. Fluttershy wondered if there was a better way to have resolved the previous situation. Twilight was otherwise distracted, contemplating what she had almost let happen.

Spike, on the other hoof, simply walked straight up to alien. Spike nudged him and broke him out of whatever trance he was in.

With a sigh the alien simply stood up, patted spike on the head, retrieved his weapon, and made his way back towards the group; Spike in tow. The group tensed up, preparing themselves for another fight. The alien had to be furious with them, especially Fluttershy. Obviously going to hurt someone, and they need to prepare to subdue him.

Soon , the alien was a mere ten meters away, and his focus was solely on Fluttershy. Said mare was shaking like a leaf, unsure of what the alien's intentions were. The rest of the team formed defensively around her, standing between her and the alien. Twilight, Shining, and Spark all prepared stun spells, ready to put the alien down if he tried anything.

The alien stopped a few meters away from the group, still looking down upon Fluttershy. The team glared at him, warning him that he was overstepping his bounds.

A tense moment later, the alien simply sighed. Holstering his rifle, he got down on a knee to the ponies' level. This made the team relax, but only slightly. They still had no clue what the alien was up to.

The alien look over Fluttershy for a brief moment seemingly looking for something. His actions confused the mare and the team momentarily, but soon became clear as he spoke up.

"You're hurt, Fluttershy. Right front leg, your suit is ruptured. Go back to the tent and patch yourself and the suit up. Soon or you will get frostbite. Use antibiotics if you have any left, stalkers tend to carry nasty diseases." The alien simply said, standing back up.

Looking down, Fluttershy realized that the alien was telling the truth. Her right leg sleeve of her suit was in fact torn open, underneath was a small, cut one which her blood was already freezing over. She didn't even feel it... It must have happened when the stalker pounced her. This also explained why she was shivering so much.

"Fluttershy! Can you walk?" A concern Twilight asked.

Y-yes I-I think I- YEEEEP!" Fluttershy started to stay, however was interrupted as she suddenly found herself upon the back of Spike. The timber wolf being very quick to sweep her up and start carrying the wounded pegasus back to the camp.

"WOOF!!" Spike barked as he carried off a very distressed Fluttershy

"I-I um.... okay..." Fluttershy submitted without much protest. 

The alien then looked back towards Daring and Sky. The guards pony was still unconscious.

"Someone help Daring get Sky revived and make sure she isn't hurt, we've got to get the camp packed up and be out of here soon. We've bought ourselves some time, but the stalker will be back. They always come back." The alien said as he made his way back to the canyon wall.

"Wait a second! Are you saying that we're coming with you!?" Lyra question, a bit surprised that the alien suddenly had a change of heart about helping them.

"Yes, now that there is a live stalker on the loose, I have to have a team to watch my back in case it decides to hunt us. There is no way Spike and I will be able to take on that stalker by ourselves. So we need you to follow us for awhile, least until we get out of this stalker's territory. We'll figure out where we go from there." The alien answered.

This was great news for the team of ponies, this meant that the alien was now willing to be their guide for the time being. All they had to do was provide it company. However, this still left a single issue.

"But we can't take the entire camp with us! It's too much equipment to move, let alone up a hill! This was suppose to be our base of operations." Twilight informed.

"Well, I'm afraid your base has been compromised. If we stay here, we're good as dead. You only have yourselves to blame for that. Take what you can carry and leave the rest. Take only what's important, we will not be coming back here once we leave.

Something good always came with a price it seemed. Leaving most of their Equipment behind was most certainly a loss, but the sacrifice was going to be worth it. They were going to receive a private tour of the world lead by one of its inhabitants. There would be plenty for them to learn from this, and was another step towards establishing relations with this world. Despite the significant loss, it was still a win.

The team watched as alien made his way back to the wall, he picked up crossbow he discarded earlier and the roped bolt that was not much farther away. Upon reaching the wall, he loaded the crossbow, aimed for the sky and fired. The roped bolt shot out to the sky and arched down over the top the the canyon. As soon as the bolt hit its mark, the alien gave the rope a test pull. Much to his delight, it held. Even when he put his entire weight on it, it held firm. It was climbable.

"YEAH!!! FUCK YOU CANYON!!! YOU CAN'T HOLD ME!!! YOU WILL NOT BE MY GRAVE!!!" The alien shouted out victoriously, one valiant fist in the air.

The alien's behavior confused the team greatly. One moment, he's a raging psychopath out for blood. The next, he's concerned for the ponies' health, even though they were the same ponies who had just went against his interests. No pony knew exactly what to make of it. However, they knew one thing for sure. They needed to be cautious. Celestia knew what this alien was capable of.

The team made their way back to camp, getting ready to tear it down and take as much of it as they could carry. Soon, they going to leave this canyon, and out into the open world.
> Chapter 8: From Ashes and Snow.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8: From Ashes and Snow.


They were finally getting out of the canyon. As exciting as this was for the scientists of the team, the circumstances could have been better. Not only did they have to move base, leaving some of their equipment behind, but they now had a tour guide they they didn't entirely trust. They were thankful for his help for sure, and he's helped out plenty otherwise, but he certainly was not to be trusted; given what had just happened.

The alien wasn't exactly what you would call 'stable.' First he's grateful for their help in saving him, the next he's trying to kill them all. One moment he's holding them hostage, then a moment later he's giving them their weapons back and proposes a trade. One moment he's a raging psychopath out for the blood of his enemies, then suddenly he's concerned for the health and well being of the ponies who openly defied his interests. Nopony knew exactly to make of him, but 'trustworthy' was not a word they would describe him to be. If anything, he was unpredictable. 

This put everypony on edge, however, it was mainly Twilight who was concerned; as she had come up with disturbing theory while they packed up.

Was the alien still trying to kill them?

The 'Stalker Incident,' as Twilight recorded in her log, was an extremely close call; nothing sort of a miracle that they all got out alive. From her observations of the Stalker encounter, Twilight was easily able to come to that conclusion. They were, in fact, very lucky to all be alive and well right now. 

However, that fact alone wasn't what spooked her. It was also the fact that she believed that their new guide knew very well what the stalker was capable of, beyond what he told them initially. She believed he knew that it was highly likely that the runners would have been killed trying to provide him an distraction. Yes, he warn that the creature was dangerous and fast, and yes he did imply it was unlikely all of them would make it out of it alive. However, the fact that he didn't bother warn the two pegasi what precautions to take ate away at Twilight. 

It was an irrational theory, and Twilight could have passed it off as something that slipped his mind under the pressure, but...

He just stood there, in silence, waiting for something he must have expected to happen. She didn't pay much mind to his sudden silence before, but now...

Could he have been doing it on purpose? Was he trying to get Daring or Sky killed? Maybe both? Was he trying to thin the herd? If so, for what reason? Did he still consider them a threat?

Perhaps Twilight was reading to far into it, scaring herself for no reason, but the possibility still terrified her. 

He did threaten Fluttershy after all... Twice as a matter of fact.

Twilight, shook that thought out of her head. Now was not the time to let personal feelings interfere with the mission. Plus, Twilight had come to believe the first situation with Fluttershy was just a misunderstanding... His apology and subtle concern for the ponies made Twilight believe as much. Even if she still didn't know why he acted like that. The second was admittedly Fluttershy's own fault. She got between the the human and his enemy, there was no excuse for that; even if Fluttershy was just standing up for what she believed. 

Twilight wanted to continue believing this human was not out to get them, as it would make it easier to work with him. Like it or not, they needed him. Otherwise, they were walking blind and with no one to vouch for them if they ran across more humans. Given the first encounter, Twilight didn't want to imagine how that would end. Without him, the only viable option was to go home empty hoofed. With everything that has happened thus far, there was no way they'd risk going any further without a guide.

However, Twilight just didn't know what to think. Tossing the theory aside, chalking it all up to coincidence, and blindly trusting him could be a mistake as well... A potentially lethal one.

She decided it was best to keep this theory to herself for now. She didn't want the rest of the team fearing like she did, it would only cause more problems. She already had a problem with Shining trying to convince her that they needed to take the alien's advice and go home. The last thing she needed was paranoia jeopardizing the mission. They've already put too much into this expedition, an insurmountable amount of time and resources to make this very mission possible. If they went home now, the risks they've taken, the time and resources they've used, all of it would have been a waste. 

She would confront the alien later, hoping to Celestia that it wasn't true. Then, she'll figure it out from there. She couldn't imagine how that conversation would go, but she knew she couldn't risk having the team jump to conclusions just yet. 

Unfortunately for Twilight, she wasn't the only one with her theory...





"I think he was doing it on purpose." Daring muttered to herself.

Daring had been thinking to herself for the past hour as she helped tear down the camp. She couldn't stop thinking about how close she had came to dying. How completely taken by surprise she was. Why was the human so vague in his warning? Had she known that it was that fast, she would have never considered her plan. Tartarus! Had she known it was that fast, that would have changed their entire approach to the situation! 

With that, Daring was able to come to that conclusion. He obviously was doing it on purpose! He was trying to get everypony killed!

Despite her volume, almost everypony heard her, but they didn't know what she was muttering to herself about. Twilight did, however, as she was just thinking about the same thing. Fearing that Daring was about to cause a panic that Twilight was hoping to avoid, she was about to drag Daring off and order her to keep quiet about it for the time being. However, the fateful question was asked by Sparks.

"What are you muttering about?" Sparks asked, a bit concerned.

"Daring, could you-" Twilight was about to ask Daring to come talk to her for a moment, before she got any ideas, but Daring was quicker to speak up.

"The stalker! He knew how dangerous it was, and he hardly gave us any warning! I think he was trying to get us killed!" Daring informed the group.

The team looked over to Daring as they paused loading up their supplies onto their sled. Some, including Lyra, and Sky looked at her like she was crazy. The rest, Shining, Ironhoof, and Sparks were not so sure. Twilight was about to speak up, to try to dissuade the conversation from getting out of hoof. 

However, it turned out that Twilight wouldn't need to. Suddenly, yet thankfully, Sky came out as the voice of reason on this subject.

"Daring? Did you hit your head harder than I did? Seriously, where the heck is this coming from? Why would he be trying to kill us? He had plenty of opportunity to do that before! It wouldn't make any sense that he was trying to kill us off with the monster. What would he gain with that?" Sky voiced.

Unfortunately, Daring didn't bend that easily.

"I dunno... Maybe for the massive amount of supplies we have. Maybe because of the fact that he has a huge rage boner for anything non human; or whatever. I don't know what his exact reasons are, but I'm almost certain that he was trying to get some of us killed! Why didn't he give us better warning of what the kitty cat was capable of!" Daring countered.

With this, Daring managed to plant the idea in the heads of the team. Shining, Sparks, and Iron began to wonder if Daring's suspicions were correct, and if the human had alternative motives in regards of taking them with him... They might have considered it more if it were not for what happened next.

Upon finishing her sentence, Daring received a fierce glare from Sky; she looked ready to give Daring a piece of her mind. Twilight, at this point, felt like intervening would be pointless. So she let it happen, getting ready to interfere in case things came to blows... It seemed everypony else had the same idea as they watched the conflict from their positions.

"Actually, I believe he did, you just refused to listen." Sky remarked bitterly.

Daring gave Sky a glare in return, her look accusing Sky of calling her a liar. She was about to retort, but Sky would not give her the chance.

"'The bitch is faster than it looks.' Recall that little warning? 'Having no casualties is extremely optimistic, even in the best of situations.' Recall that one as well? I dunno about you, but that should have been warning enough to not underestimate it's abilities. Something you clearly did when I had to pull you from the jaws of death!" Sky started sternly, practically fuming

With these words, it suddenly became apparent that Sky was feeling a little more than ticked off by Daring's stunts. First, she nearly gets them both killed with her stunt with the whip. Now, she was attempting to put the blame on the alien, which would practically shatter the unstable trust they had between him and the rest of team at the current moment. 

However, Sky was not about to have any of it. It wasn't that she trusted the human. No, not even close. It was the fact that not only was Daring compromising the mission they were on here with her personal feelings, but also the fact that she wasn't owning up to her obvious mistake; one she had yet to apologize for. This pissed Sky off something fierce.

Daring could tell by Sky's tone where this was going, and she could see how pissed Sky was getting. Daring was about to say something, anything to calm her down, but Sky wasn't no where near finished.

"I warned you that we shouldn't have gotten to close, and you said 'alien's warnings be damned!' Seriously Daring! He isn't the most trust worthy creature I've met, but I doubt he would have lied to us about how dangerous that creature was! We were all working together for Celestia sake! It was us against it, and getting us killed wouldn't have helped him! He wasn't the one trying to get us killed. If anyone, you were the one trying to get us killed." Sky stated coldly, cutting Daring off completely.

Daring was stunned into silence. She didn't know exactly how to respond to that. It wasn't entirely the fact that she knew that Sky was right, but also the fact that she remembered that she was arguing with the mare that saved her life after she did something very stupid. She realized that she was coming off as an total bitch right now. She still trusted the human as far as she could throw him, but she knew she was out of line here.

She was about to apologize, but that was when someone else made an appearance...

"What are you all bickering about this time?" Daring heard the human ask from behind her.

Daring nearly jumped out of her skin, not expecting the human to have suddenly appear behind her. 

"How in Tartarus is he so quiet!?" Daring thought to herself.

The entire group seemed surprised as well, how they had not spotted the human creeping behind her was beyond Daring. However, they reacted quite differently.

"Nothing!" They all shouted at once, completely frozen in panic.

"Real smooth... Now it's obvious it wasn't 'nothing.'" Daring thought to herself.

The human seemed observed the team with a skeptical gaze. For a moment, the ponies were afraid that the human had actually listened in on their conversation. Twilight and Lyra feared that human was now going to change his mind about taking them with him, figuring that he could no longer trust them. 

However, soon the human simply shrugged it off, turned around, and started walking away.

Mentally, the entire team released a collective sigh of relieve, and went back to packing gear.

"This sled isn't going to be able to fit a bunch of our supplies, we need to prioritize. Any ideas?" IronHoof said, changing the subject.

The entire team agreed that now was not the time for them to continue their previous conversation, not with the human roaming around close by. However, they would continue this conversation later. Regardless of whether or not Daring should have brought it up, How far they should trust the human needed to be discussed.

"Well, we definitely need my equipment. Not all of it, but most of it. I suggest we bring the material analyzer, the drill, the probe, and whatever you can of the lab; we'll leave the rest of it behind. It will be a loss of what we can discover, but we'll have to deal with it. The rest should be as much food, water, and other supplies we can carry. Try to prioritize the food and water, I'm not sure if anything here is drinkable, or eatable for that matter... Agree?" Twilight summed up.

Everypony seemed to agree with that notion. However, before they could get started, a voice from afar added one more thing.

"And a tent! We need the tent! We can't be caught without one in an ash storm!" The human yelled back as he continued to walk away.

None of the team knew exactly what an ash storm was, however, it was far from the last thing they were thinking about. If he heard them talking among themselves from way over there...

...There was no way he didn't hear them the first time around.

The ponies silently agreed among themselves that they should be more careful when talking about the human, especially when he's nearby. Celestia knows what ideas they were putting into his head...





Admittedly, I surprised myself when I told the team of aliens that they could come with me. Yes, I did need them, but I'm still not sure I would trust them to watch my back; for more reasons than one. 

So far, they've been an hindrance and a hazard. I told them that one of them had to run, and they debated it with the little time we had. Admittedly, it worked out in the end, but those who won't follow orders at a moment's notice are bound to get us all killed. It's like having a trainee around in a scout party, except ten times worse; like having an entire squad of trainees who are out for nobody but themselves. Maybe even worse than that... All I have to say is at least a trainee wouldn't allow the enemy to escape...

Another problem is that one of the aliens in particular seems to hold severe resentment towards me; I'm not talking about Twilight either. Yes, she was obviously still pissed at me for holding Fluttershy at gunpoint, but I believe she was past the point of trying to kill me by now; with their whole mission going on and all. Of whom I'm speaking is Daring Bitch. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at this point if I found a bolt in my back and she was the one who happened to be behind me holding the crossbow saying 'oops.' 

I overheard a conversation she was having with the team, something about me trying to get some of them killed; particularly her and Sky. A nice little theory, I guess, If I WAS trying to kill them. Sure as hell would have been a good way to get rid of a couple of them, but it'd be the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot. I find shooting myself in the foot to be distasteful, so I try to avoid doing it whenever possible. 

Yes, following my orders, they could have died. However it wasn't like I could change the reality of the situation, or make Daring less stupid. People die in Stalker attacks, it's usually unavoidable no matter what you do. Though admittedly, I wouldn't have lost any sleep over it. That just meant one or two less potential threats I had to deal with. 

If anyone, I would have preferred Daring bitch bit the dust. Sure one less soldier was also a benefit, but Sky had yet to actually piss me off; and I doubt she had any ill intent towards me. Not to mention that she was the first to stand up against Daring's bullshit accusation; which was a plus in my books. Daring on the other hand... her energy, her general attitude towards me, is bad news. I will need to keep a close eye on her, not to mention sleep with one eye open. Otherwise, she might just slit my throat when she gets the chance. 

If only that stalker had got her ass... Life would be so much simpler right now.

Anyways, despite all this, I can admit this ended in the best possible way for everyone involved. Whether that will turn out to be a good or bad thing is still yet to be seen... 

Firstly, No one died, which is a first for me. I still think I'm dreaming in regards of this. No team I've heard of has survived a Stalker attack unscaved, no one. I am bold enough to say we are probably the first group ever to sustain no casualties from a stalker attack. Quite the achievement I have to say. Surely a story no one will ever believe.

Secondly, The stalker is gone for now. I still don't quite know why it is gone, the whole scene with Fluttershy was nothing short of confusing as hell, but I won't complain. It did get me a good shot, even if I wasn't able to finish the job... 

Thirdly. I got a bit more food, even if I'm not sure if it is edible. These 'apples' are going to be a definite last resort. It would suck to die of food poisoning after all the shit I've been though. 

Lastly, I have a team watching my back, even if I'm not sure if I can trust them. Daring currently sits right at the top of my shit list of team members to avoid being alone in a room with. Currently don't have anyone else shitlisted, but I'm sure I'll get to it.

It's not the perfect situation for me, but I don't believe it could have gotten any better than this. Aside from a dead stalker that is...

...I still can't believe I flipped out like that. I usually don't lose it that badly; for any reason. I've had enemies get away from me before, but I guess I've never had a stalker escape me. Perhaps that's why I lost it? When it comes to encounters with them, the scout parties will usually stick around to finish the job; no matter how many casualties they took. Stalkers were simply far too dangerous to be left alive. The thought that we just let that stalker go to hunt another unsuspecting team must of seriously fucked with me... I don't know how to explain it otherwise.

I wish I could have got the fucker before it got away, but I guess it was just never meant to be. All I can hope is that stalker dies of its wounds, and never comes back to hurt anyone again... Small hopes I guess?

Anyways, Fluttershy's wound and suit rupture was taken care of. However, since Fluttershy was occupied at that current moment, they were down a medic to help Sky with her head injury. So, I ended up having to pitch in. Now, I'm definitely a bit rusty when it comes to the whole, 'Medic' deal, but I'm far from novice; I've had to patch myself up plenty of times. Plus, despite our differences in biology, wrapping a head wound is pretty straight forward. 

The team thanked me for my help, but I told them not to mention it; ever. The last thing I need is for these aliens to start getting clingy to me. I hoped to get rid of them as soon as possible. Traveling around with a group of aliens was not going to be good for my health, especially if we come across fellow humans. They'll probably just assume I'm enlightened and shoot on sight. I know I would.

Sky woke up; very curious of what happened. Since everyone else was far too busy being concerned for her health, I ended up being the one to tell her what the hell happened; minus the part where I patched her up. She was relieved to say the least that everyone made it out alive. However, I'm not sure she entirely acknowledged how close we all came to being cat chow. Personally, I'm not sure any of them do, aside from Fluttershy... 

She spent an hour in the tent crying her eyes out after she took care of her wound. The realization must had finally hit her, and she was pleading to whatever god she prayed to that she could go home. God knows why she hasn't begged her team leader yet. 

She was definitely a wreck at this point, however, it didn't seem like anyone noticed aside from myself. Aside from Twilight, of course, those two seem to be close. I left her alone, figuring that I'd be the last person she'd want to see right now. After the whole Stalker ordeal, the feeling was mutual. Spike and Twilight would keep her company anyways, didn't need to concern myself with all this emotional bullshit.

Around this time, Daring was accusing me of trying to get them killed. Thankfully, as I said before, Sky set her straight. I was thankful for that, the last thing I needed was the rest of the team plotting against me. It would have been impossible to sleep then... I swear, if I didn't need this team...

After the argument, the team of aliens finished tearing down their "base of operations" as it was apparently called, they went on to figuring out what supplies they were going to drag up the hill. I personally suggested from the beginning that they bring at least one tent, as I don't know when we'll be meeting another Ash Storm. Thankfully, they took my suggestion seriously, even if they didn't quite know why.

Other than the tent, they ended up packing the 'apples', garbage MREs, weapons and ammo, rolled up cots, some scientific equipment I couldn't put a name to, and other kind of equipment that I am not going to bother naming. We'll just call them 'general supplies.' Anyways, they ended loading all that up on themselves and a travois they had lying around. They designated Iron Hoof to be the sleigh dog. He didn't say anything, but he obviously wasn't very happy about that...

After they finished, we were very quick to finally set off. I climbed my rope out of the canyon while the aliens airlifted each other and their supplies out. They wanted to try to lift Spike out of the canyon too, but the he found his own way out very quickly. More or less, he just powered his way up the steep slope, much the the aliens' shock. I personally laughed on the inside at the confused look on their faces.

As soon as we were all at the top of the canyon, the aliens were finally able to get a good look over the world above them. I can see the confusion and awe on their faces. It was obvious they were still not sure what they were seeing. All around us there was nothing; nothing but frozen wasteland.

Nothing but ash and snow...

"How far does it go? Does the Ice ever end?" Twilight piped up. 

They still can't see it, huh? Not yet, it seems... You would think that seeing nothing but wasteland for miles on end would tip you off... Soon enough though. Soon enough they'll realize they've wasted their trip over here. This place certainly isn't the vacation destination, for any kind of party.

"No, it doesn't end for quite awhile. Hope you like 'snow', you will be seeing it a lot." I replied simply, checking my compass for North-East.

Twilight didn't say anything after that, I suppose there was nothing else to say. After all, there wasn't much around us to talk about...

Finding the direction I desired, I signaled the team to follow me. They did so reluctantly, still trying to contemplate what they were seeing around them, but soon we were all walking together at a brisk pace; heading North-East out of Stalker territory.

It was going to take awhile to reach the edge of the stalker's territory. After all, territories did extend up to 50 miles of area. Not knowing where we were in the territory, it was a safe bet to go at least that far. So I was going to have a team for at least that long. After that, though, I wasn't sure...

The plan was to get rid of them, tell them to fuck off with whatever UFO they came in, to whatever world they came from. However, Despite the shitty company thus far, traveling alone with just a dog isn't all that it has been cracked up to be. Within the period of my travels, I've had nearly twelve brushes with death; including the last few. Almost every one I've barely survived. Who knows what I might run into next? It could be something I can't take with just Spike and I...

I suppose we'll find out where we stand after we get out of here. Something tells me that they won't like this world enough to stay for long.

With that, we continue our journey North-East into the wasteland.





Soon enough, the ponies were packed and ready to go. They were leaving behind a ton of supplies, but there was no way they were going to carry them. Everypony's bags were packed as it was, and the alien was not willing to help carry any of their 'useless trinkets.' a term in which Twilight took great distaste in. She had half a mind to retort, but decided against it. Relations were unstable as they were.

In entirety, they had fourteen days of food and water: They had an overcompensated amount before, far more than they needed in case of emergency. A packed tent as per request of the human, though Twilight couldn't wrap her head around what an "Ash storm" was; it was something to ask about later. Various supplies including weapons, bolts, ropes, flashlights and such; never knew when you would need them. Twilight's lab kit, her analytic probe, and an excavation drill; Twilight was determined to get a soil sample before their week ended. Most of the food and supplies were packed on the ponies' selves, while the rest was packed on the travois.

Soon, they head out. They managed to get all the supplies they were bringing with them out of the canyon with little effort. The supplies were airlifted out via pegasi team, and those who couldn't fly were airlifted out as well; aside from the human and his dog. The human insisted that he climb his way out with the rope he spent so much time putting up. He also mentioned something about 'manhandling' him being a punishable offence. 

Spike, much to the ponies' surprise, didn't need much help at all as he basically jumped his way up the canyon wall with minimal effort. Twilight noted in her data pad that animals of this world had surprising agility...

Once everypony was out of the canyon, they began to look around. All had been curious since they got here, of what lay beyond the canyon's walls. When they discovered intelligent alien life, it only made them only more excited at the prospect of what lay beyond... Would they see a city in the distance? An outpost maybe? Some place brimming with life and strange new landscapes? 

They were excited to see to say the least, but what they did see shocked them; not in a good way either. 

Their imaginings of what they would see turned out to be a utopia compared to the disappointing reality of where they were. As it turned out, they were in fact in the middle of nowhere. All that surrounded them was a white, snowy, landscape... one that seemed to go on for miles and miles on end. No grand cities, No outposts, no unique landmarks of any kind. Just dead, frozen, and plain. 

Looking to the human, who was apparently looking at a compass trying to get a certain direction, Twilight raised the question.

"How far does it go? Does the Ice ever end?" Twilight asked.

Twilight personally couldn't tell what the alien was thinking at that exact moment, but he was obviously off put by Twilight's question; as he looked to her with a tilted head. It looked like he was questioning the question, as if the answer should have been obvious. However, soon he simply shrugged it off; eventually speaking up.

"No, it doesn't end for quite awhile. Hope you like 'snow', you will be seeing it a lot." The human said simply, returning his focus to the compass.

With this, the ponies internally groaned. They were hoping to see something, and had even gotten their hopes up when they found the human. They hoped that where he came from would at least be visible... Unfortunately, that seemed to not be the case. 

However, that did raise some questions... What was this human doing in the middle of nowhere? Where did he come from? Who is he?

What is his name?

This particular question came from Lyra. She couldn't believe she didn't realize it before, the fact that they didn't know his name yet! They never asked, and he never mentioned it. With everything that had happened, they hadn't even bothered to think to ask for it. This entire time, they had just been referring to him as 'the alien' or 'the human.' As Lyra came to think about it more, they haven't even introduced themselves!

Lyra may have been a professional diplomat, but it was clear she flunked on the social part of Extra-Equestrian relations.

However, this was a mistake that Lyra planned to rectify. Given the fact that they were likely going to be traveling for awhile, and with not much to talk about, she knew that this would be the perfect time to get to know the human better. To get an idea of who he was, where he came from, what he was doing out here, what his world was like, and most pointedly...

...what his name is.





"You know, we never did get your name." I heard a familiar voice say behind me.

The voice addressing me caught me a bit by surprise. The entire group had either been silent or talking quietly among themselves ever since we left the canyon nearly an hour ago. I had all but assumed they had any interest to speak to me. I didn't mind all that much, as I really didn't have much to say to them other than what I already told them. However, that seems to have changed.

I spared a glance at the speaker. It was the Aqua green alien I believe was named 'Lyra.' Team diplomat from what I learned. She was currently standing right behind me, a bit away from the rest of the group. It seemed like she wanted to ask me this privately, as odd as that was. I'm pretty sure she isn't keeping this information confidential...

Anyways, she was right, I had yet to give them a name. However, it was really none of her business, and I wasn't eager to give her an answer. For reasons...

I didn't exactly have a singular name, people called me by many names due to the fact that I had no real name. Most of my friends called me 'John', as in 'John Doe', a name given to unidentified corpses. The joke was that it would save them the trouble of having to name me a 'John Doe' when I finally croaked. It was a popular joke throughout the bunker when the name was first given to me. It was some kid who decided it was a bright idea to call me that... He was sort of right in a way, even if I didn't agree at the time. What was his name again? Fuck, I can't remember...

Anyways, Others called me 'The Dead Man,' though that was more of a callsign in relation to my more popular title. Then was 'Wander,' something I was called because I was a nobody looking for something. Finally, there was 'Nameless,' one of my least favorite names; for obvious reasons.

There are too many names, and none of them are really mine. It felt wrong to call myself something I'm not. I had a name, a real name, I just didn't know what it was yet. It's the reason I'm out here, so I won't have to refer to myself by a dead man's name anymore, so I can discover a purpose other than waiting to die. A life and I never knew. I left the purpose of waiting for death behind when I left the bunker. I'm not about to go back to that to that name so easily...

So, I try to dodge the question.

"I don't see why that's any of your business." I remarked, greatly emphasizing that she should fuck off with that line of questioning.

This seemed to give the alien slight pause, maybe because she was confused as to why I dodged the question. My hope that she would drop it immediately was dashed, however, as she spoke up again.

"Well, I mean, you know ours names, but we still don't know yours." Lyra tried again.

"So?" I question, expressing disinterest. 

This seemed to cause Lyra to give a glare, obviously displeased with my lack of manners or common courtesy. Maybe both, I honestly don't care.  However, she tried yet again. Goddammit...

"What are we supposed to call you by if you don't give us a name? I'm sure you wouldn't like being called 'Alien,' 'human,' 'creature,' or 'Mr. Nameless'-"

"Do not call me that." I practically snapped. Of all the names...

This seemed to shut the alien right up mid sentence, seemingly knowing that she must have hit a nerve somewhere. However, obviously against her better judgement, she kept talking.

"Sorry, but that proves my point. If you don't want us making a name for you, could you just give us something to call you by?"

It took a moment, but I sighed, allowing myself to relax. I knew she was right. The last thing I need right now is more creative names. I definitely had enough. However, the question was, which name should I give them?

Actually, it's kind of obvious, isn't it?

After a few moment, I responded hesitantly.

"Just call me John." I muttered with disdain.

I figured she was just going to roll with it. Accept that as my name and be done with it. However, she then said something that caught me a bit off guard...

"John? Hmmm.... What an odd name." Lyra commented, seemingly to take a mental note. However, I think I broke her concentration as I started laughing.

I was really caught off guard with that one, and I found it surprisingly funny for some reason... Actually, I know why! She's a fucking hypocrite! I mean seriously, her name is Lyra, by far the closest to a human name out of the team, and she's saying MY name is weird?! What the fuck man!? How does one get the name 'Lyra' and decides that something like 'John' is weird? 

Anyways, a chuckle came out, and apparently it got the attention of the rest of the aliens as they all looked over to me with a confused look. This only made me laugh even harder for some reason... Fuck, something is wrong with me! Snap out of it! It's not even that funny! I probably looking like some sort of nutcase right now!

"What is so funny?" Sky asked, looking like she missed out on a good joke.

By now, I got a hold of myself, and I could end the whole debacle right here. Just said it was nothing and move on like a true professional. However, I got a funny idea, and decided I was going to milk this a little longer. In my defense, we've been walking for nearly an hour with nothing to see but snow, ash, and more snow; plus little conversation to lighten it up. I might have been a little more than bored...

"Oh... nothing! Nothing at all! Lyra is just trying to be a good diplomat... by insulting my name moments after I give it." I lied, mock muttering under my breath. 

Instantly, shocked eyes accusingly turned to Lyra, and said alien looked like she was about to die of embarrassment. Given the alien's reactions, the thought that she might have insulted me must be catastrophic for someone in her position. I'm sure wars have been started for less, given their reaction.

Hmm... That gives me a better idea...

"I-I didn't-" Lyra started before I cut her off.

"Man... I think I'm going to have to take this to humanity's war council when we get to the great city Fuckoffpolis. I'm sure they will want to hear this. Did you know insulting anyone's name on earth is grounds for war?"

The team's eyes seems to widen at this, meanwhile Lyra looked like a dying fish out of water. Sweet fucking god, I was trying so hard not to laugh. Without my mask, I'm sure this show would be over before it started.

"B-but I- Fuckoffpolis?" Lyra asked, looking more confused than ever.

Oh god, That's too fucking good to let up now...

"MY GOD LYRA!!! That's a second offence!!! This DEMANDS Immediate action! Go back to your leaders and inform them the Humans of the great city Fuckoffpolis declare war on y-your pitiful-" I started to say with a dead serious tone before I completely lost it.

The growing look of panic was just far too much for me. I swear, it looked like they were about to scatter like a bunch of cockroaches and bury themselves into the snow. The moment I started laughing, their panic morphed into confusion, which only made me laugh even harder. Finally, I was receiving a deadpan stare from the entire team, and a furious glare from one particular alien. 

"WHAT THE BUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!" Lyra yelled.

Oh grow a fucking sense of humor you multi-colored freak.

"AHAHAHAHA!!! Who the fuck you kidding!? That was hilarious! The funniest shit I've ever seen! You should have seen the look on your faces, and seriously, Fuckoffpolis!? Did anyone of you actually believe that bullshit???!!!" I bellowed in laughter.

Seriously, this was the funniest thing I've experienced in a long time. This was ten steps up from that one time a friend and I pranked the overseer by filling his entire room with snow and built a snowman wearing a straw hat and a stick in its mouth in the middle of it all. God he was pissed, but it was so worth it!

Huh... The kid. There he is again. Jeez... What was his name?

Ryan, I think... 

Oh... Yeah, I remember. It was Ryan, wasn't it? That was such a long time ago... He's the one who gave me my first name, and a sense of humor. I never liked him, least at first. He didn't exactly make a good first impression on me when he called me out as 'John Doe' in the mess hall my first day inside. However, he did eventually grow on me. 

He got me involved in our little community, had me help him with his little 'Pranks' he'd pull every once in awhile. Some were small, some were huge, taking months of planning to pull off and always ending in hilarity. I swear, I would have never lived as long as I had without him. I'd probably could've put a bullet in my head by the end of my first month; even with my will to survive. Hell, I think a lot of us could've. However, he kept us together, had us looking forward to something everyday.

That snowman prank... That was the last one he ever did.

He died a month afterwards, at the age 25, right before his next prank. He was going to pull it off as soon as he got back from patrol, one in which he would never return from. 

He died in a stalker attack I believe... Yeah, took him and five of his squad. The two that made it back said that he drove a knife into its throat right before it ripped his blond head off. He managed to hit its neck vein, and the stalker died. Everyone else made it out alive because of him... Good kid, good fighter, funniest person I've ever met. He was the one person who taught me to not take everything so seriously, and to lighten up every once in awhile. 

Age 25... Man, he lived longer than most kids do nowadays. Most start patrols at age 16, and they are lucky if they last the year, let alone 9. Hope he's okay, wherever he is now... 

Well, that's a mood killer. Why the fuck did I have to remember that?

With that I stopped laughing, turning around again and moving forward. I ignored the looks the alien's gave me, I've had my laugh for today. Now it was time to keep moving.

Behind me, I heard them begin to idly chat among themselves, and suddenly start laughing about something.

"Fuckoffpolis... wait.... OH!!! Buckoffpolis! I can't believe I thought that was real for a moment." I heard Daring remarked. She almost smiled for a moment. However, she must have remembered that she hates me as it disappeared a second later.

"Yeah, that was intense... But I guess that was a little funny; even if I looked like an absolute dork." Lyra responded.

"Oh my gosh, you soooo did. You looked like you might have just died." Sky chimed in.

"The alien certainly has a strange sense of humor. Never seen someone threaten war as a joke before..." Shining armor commented.

A smile once again crossed my lips. I suppose my joke wasn't all bad. It managed to lighted up this dull situation at the very least.

Thanks, Ryan.

As the aliens continued their gossip, we continued our journey North-East across the frozen wastes.





The alien, now known to the team as 'John', was quite strange indeed; Sense of humor or otherwise. Never before had any of the team, especially Lyra, heard someone threaten war against them as a punchline for a joke. Normally, war was the last thing to ever be joked about. To most ponies, it was something to be taken very seriously. However, it's apparently not the same case for this human. He doesn't seem to have a care in the world if he got his nation accidentally involved in a war because of his mistake. It did bring up some more questions...

Though, to some ponies, mainly Lyra and Twilight, his outright seclusive and reserved nature confused them most of all. Aside from threatening war as a joke and asking Twilight a single question, John had yet to really interact with the team aside for telling them what to do and vaguely answering questions. All of John's response to their questions have been direct, reserved, and not much else; and that is if he answered the question at all.

Why did John make such a big deal about his name? When Twilight was listening in on Lyra's conversation with the human, she found it strange that he dodged the question about his name constantly. Was it not a custom among humans to give their names upon greeting? Was there some taboo in human interaction they hadn't known about? Are all humans like this?

Or was John just trying to hide something? Perhaps something his name represented? Who knew at this point. Names likely carried much different meaning here. 

Either way, Lyra and Twilight were both dying to know. 

Though to answer this question, they were going to have to get to know him better. They had his name now, so that was a start. Now, they have ask him more questions. Not about himself though, given his reaction to simply asking his name, it is likely he doesn't want to be asked about his personal life. So, perhaps the best way to get to know him was to get to know the world he lived in first; not exactly an issue since that is the reason why they're here. All they can hope for was that John would cooperate with them when it came to this line of inquiring. He still seems to like playing this game where he only vaguely answers these sort of questions...

Twilight and Lyra talked about it privately for awhile, trying to figure out what to ask him first. Thankfully, Lyra already knew what she was going to ask. It was something she planned on asking anyways. She did wonder what had happened to that group John mentioned when he first woke up...

No pony had forgotten about that little detail. Despite everything that happened after the fact, it was by far the first thing that was on everypony's mind. It was strange that he never the group mentioned after the fact, and the ponies began to wonder why he had decided to choose them to watch his back over a group of his own people; who were supposedly nearby.

When they first started moving, Lyra figured that they were perhaps going to regroup with the rest of their guide's group and figure things out from there. There was also the fear, with Daring's warning, that the human was leading them into a trap. However, as time passed, it became clear that he had no intention of finding this group.

Was the group made up? Are they real? If so, why is John avoiding them? What were they doing out here? Lyra hoped by answering these questions, they would gain more insight into who John is and the world he lived in.





They chatted among themselves for awhile as we walked, and another hour passed. Eventually though, Lyra apparently grew her balls back and approached me once again, though notably far less cautious than last time; I was actually able to notice her this time. Seems like they are getting comfortable with my presence. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing...

"So... John. Before that threatening war thing, I actually wanted to ask you a serious question." Lyra started.

A serious question huh? This better not be another one of those personal question...

"So ask." I replied nonchalantly.

"Well, remember when you said that you had a group that you were traveling with? At first I was thinking that we were going to regroup with them, you explain our situation, and we could be brought back to your home. However, obviously, we should have run into them by now... I mean, it has been a couple of hours... Are we planning on regrouping with them at all?" Lyra asked.

The group? What the fu- OH!!!! That! I remember that! The garbage story I told lying down on the hospital bed fearing for my life! Good times... I'm surprised they hadn't seen through that bullshit yet. They actually still believe there is a team out here? I'd fuck with them more, but I feel like I've done enough of that for one sitting...

... okay, maybe a little more. For practical reasons though. Never know when a little lie like this will come in handy.

"We are not going to be regrouping with them. Too many people, too many opinions. I'd rather keep this between us for right now, least till we get to where we are going..." I lied.

For once, it looked like she might have actually agreed with my decision here. However, there was obviously something still bothering her. I imagine I already knew what it was...

"Oh... But won't they come looking for you? I'd imagine they'd notice you were missing." She asked.

Yep, that's what I thought. Guess, I'll have to reassure her.

"Nothing to worry about. They probably believe I'm dead already. Any party scout who leaves and doesn't return within four hours of departure is assumed dead and left behind. It's been far beyond that time limit for me now. They're likely long gone." I responded.

This much was actually true, If I was with a party, they would have left me behind by now. It's nothing personal, it's just far too risky to stay in one place for too long. Alien hunting parties and stalkers, among other things, make four hours the maximum we'll ever stay in a certain area; with the exception of a fallout bunker. If you don't get back within that time, you're walking home alone. 

Again, nothing personal, it's just survival.

"That's... a bit extreme for a time frame. Why would they assume you were dead after such a short time? Why would they leave you behind?" Lyra asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"It's nothing personal, I assure you. We as a party, doing what we are doing, generally just don't want to stick around one area for very long; it tends to attract attention."

"What kind of attention?"

"The bad kind." I reply simply.

I guess my answer was enough, as she paused for a second to think about what I said. Least, that is what I assumed she was doing. However, it wasn't too long before she asked me another question.

"What exactly were you guys doing out here?" Lyra asked.

This alien certainly curious isn't she? Oh well, I suppose I'll entertain the question. It's better than having her ask questions about me personally.

"You are going to need to be a bit more specific than that. We were out here doing a lot of things."

"Well, what was your team's objective? I'm just kind of curious of your world's military presence roaming around in a place like this... I mean... You are military right?" Lyra asked.

Cute... She thinks I'm military. Though, I suppose she isn't completely wrong. We are the world's military now. Though, Militia has a better ring to it. We don't nearly have enough training to consider ourselves military soldiers or marines. Most who did have that sort of training died a long time ago... Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to tell her a reason a fake squad was doing out here. Hell, it's not really a secret what scouting parties are for. 

Here's a hint, they are not actually for scouting.

"Search and Destroy is generally our objective. We are usually out here keeping the wildlife under control. Though, our objective this time was to scout a route between our base and NYC. Lot of ground to cover I have to say."

Little did Lyra know, I was using 'wildlife' as a broad term. 'wildlife' nowadays equates to animals, aliens, and even other humans who've lost their way. Whether they'd be enlightened or just plain insane, we didn't discriminate. 

I also figured I might as well make the fake squad's objective the same as mine, just so they're close by...

"Search and Destroy? Meaning you are out here to kill... Wildlife? Is wildlife really that big of an issue here? Also, NYC?" Lyra asked.

"Only as of recently anyways, they've been a tad bit more aggressive. Feel like it might be because of a particular event that happened awhile ago. Doesn't exactly matter anymore though. What's done is done. Also, NYC stands for New York City. It's... A huge city to say the least. One of the Largest in the world. Lots of people live there. It's where we are going by the way, if you're curious." I explained.

This prospect of going to a massive human city seemed to excite Lyra, as well as the rest of the team; who seemed to have tuned into our 'private conversation.' So much so that I was soon being barraged with questions.

"This isn't another fake city, is it?" Daring immediately asked.

"What does it look like? How tall are the buildings? How many are there? What's it's level of technology? Is there a library!?" Twilight asked like a gleeful girl on her birthday.

"How many people live there exactly?" Shining asked.

"Is there, um, a national park? With animals?" Fluttershy managed to ask.

"Is there anything fun to do there? I mean, Once we make sure that no one will kill us... I could really go for a drink right now." Sky asked.

"Here, here!" Both Sparks and Iron agreed.

"Is there a chance that I can get my hooves on a biology book? Maybe an anatomy book..."

"AAAAWWWRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Spike Howled, so happy to be apart of the conversation. Once again, he scared the shit out of Lyra...

"MY BUCKING CELESTIA!!! WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT!!!???" Lyra yelled.

The only response she got was a lick on the front of her mask.

"Jesus Fucking Christ...." I muttered, wondering what the hell I just brought upon myself. 

The questions kept coming, even as I wasn't answering them. I swear to god, it was like I was in a survival class of thirteen-year-olds wondering how a bolt action rifle worked. You would not believe how excited little kids get when you try to teach them the basic use of weapons.

Soon I was reaching my limit, however, rather than shout at them, I put a hand in the air and signaled them to shut up.

Much to my surprise, it actually worked. All of them shut up immediately, to my relief. I then turn around and addressed them all.

"It's just something you are all going to have to see for yourselves. We're three days away, but we should be able to see it from a distance  soon. Trust me, it's not that hard to find..." I informed them.

The team seemed disappointed with this answer, you could tell they were dying of curiosity, but they accepted it nonetheless. I suppose they believed a view from the distance would at least answer some of their questions. Personally, I believed it was only going to bring them a lot more... Last time I saw New York, it was in ruins buried in ice and ashes. I'm not sure what has happened since then, but I can assume it hasn't gotten much better.

As we continued our journey North-East, I was asked various questions along the way. Question about what it was like living here, what New York was like, what it was doing in the middle of nowhere, how we were going to get into the city without causing a panic, and what we were going to do when we get there. These Questions I promptly ignored. There was no need to get their hopes up, I've already set them up for disappointment... One Good look at New York, and soon enough they'll learn they wasted their trip.

Maybe even sooner...





The information they've managed to obtain from John in regards to his way of life was interesting to say the least. This group that John was supposedly traveling with seemed to be a military presence whose objective was to scout a path between their base of operations and a major city known as New York City, or NYC. 

Their general behavior was a bit more interesting to hear about. According to John, most of the time they are out there 'keeping the wildlife in control.' This seemed to insinuate that wildlife was a huge issue out here, something that they needed to control in order to maintain the order of things. The severity of the situation seems to be emphasised by the fact that these roaming military groups take certain, and rather extreme, measures to ensure the safety of the group. 

The fact that they will only stick around in an area for a maximum of four hours, and will abandon scouts that are gone for more than that seems to say something about the harsh conditions these humans seem to live in. With the wildlife they've encountered so far, the team could only imagine the average life expectancy of a human in this world given what she's heard.

Of course, John also seemed to hint at that it wasn't always like this. That there was a time where Humans didn't have to struggle so much for survival. How much so was entirely unclear, John was completely vague when explaining it, but that was what the team was able to glean from it.

With this information, The team found it easy to understand why humans were so hostile. The world seemed to be literally against them, probably making it very easy for humans to assume who their enemies are. Much like their first encounter with John. Still, they seem to still be doing alright despite everything, considering they do have major cities.

And speaking of major cities, the very idea that they were about to see one in person was a very exciting notion for the team. Twilight wondered what sort of knowledge the humans held inside, and how much of it she would be allowed access to while she was there. Lyra wondered how the city was run, whether it was a militaristic society, like the griffons, or if they had a similar government to their own. (She also was hoping to nab an anatomy book while she was there.) Shining wondered how many of them there were exactly, and how many of them were soldiers. Fluttershy was curious, given all the talk of wildlife being a major issue here, if there were any more friendly, and less scary, animals here like you could find in Equestria. Sparks, Sky, and Iron simply wondered if there was a pub they'd be allowed to hit when they got there. 

Of course, all of them were excited to just see the city, all of them were curious what one on such a world would look like.

However, among all this excitement, there was still concerns about John himself, and what he has said. There was still the whole trust issue in the back of everypony's head. No pony was certain about trusting John, as he'd given no reason for them to do so thus far. The vagueness of his answers, outright avoiding questions, none of these things was helping his case. 

Shining himself was getting rather tired of it, he couldn't understand why the human would just dance around their questions and not be straight with them. He knew something they didn't, and he just wasn't telling them. Shining didn't know what game John was playing at, but he wasn't going to tolerate it much longer.

There was also the concern of what John has told them so far. If any of his words ring truth, it was obvious that this world was far more dangerous than they originally suspected. If humans were having such a problem living here with the level of tech that they have, what were their chances? The team, mainly Shining and Daring, questioned if they should stay here for much longer, let alone a day longer. Given all the factors, the odds of them staying a week without losing someone was against them.

With this Shining and Daring agreed they needed to get the team out the first chance they got. This expedition was not worth any of their lives. However, they were not about to do it when John was around. Given the trust issues, they were not sure how John would react to them trying to leave suddenly; let alone through a portal quite alien to him. They couldn't imagine it would end well. So they needed to wait for the opportunity, when John was out of the picture, to call in the emergency portal and get everyone out; before someone gets hurt.

Thankfully, that opportunity was going to come sooner than they expected. Unfortunately, not in the way they would have liked.





It has been a good seven hours now, the entire time filled with conversation and questions about New York. Personally, I was getting tired of it. Really fucking tired of it. So, when one of the aliens was starting to ask me another stupid fucking question about New York, I was about to tell them to shut the fuck up. However, a familiar sound in the distance cut us both off. It was a sound we were all familiar with by now.

*POP* *POP* *POP*

Gunfire...

With that I hit the ground, and signaled the team to do the same. I'm not sure if they understood my sign language, but they certainly got the message well enough. The entire team hit the ground, the guards of the team were looking around themselves frantically, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. They were a bit slow on the draw though, by now, I already knew where it came from. Right up the slope in front of us... I let the team know by pointing it out.

"What was-" Twilight began to ask.

"Shut up, do not talk. Signals only until I say so." I whispered sternly.

This shut Twilight right up, though she didn't look happy about it.

With that, I began to crawl my way up the slope, the team followed suit. It wasn't long before I reached the very top, the same could not be said for the team, as they lingered behind me. As soon as went to peek over the edge of the slope, I had to immediately duck my head down as more shots went off; closer than they were before...

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

I waited a few seconds, waiting to see if any more shots went off. Then I started hearing voices.

"I'm telling ya, ya dumbass, ya shooting at ghosts!" I heard one voice yell. 

"NAH!!! I know I saw something outta there!! I know there is!" I heard a shivering voice call out in response.

"Ya been eaten too much of that alien meat, haven't ya? I told ya not to touch that shit! It's haluigentwhatyacallit! Ya'll become enlightened before ya know it!" Another voice called out.

"Nah, that only happens when ya you eat those enlightened freaks... Eating alien meat just gets ya HIGH!!!!" I heard the second voice reply.

Three more shots... *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

"Dumbass! Ya'll wasten mah ammo. Cut it dafuck out and come back to the fire; befer I wasta bullet on ya!" The first voice called out once again.

"Fine!!! We'll get eaten by a stalker if it suit ya..." The second voice replied, mumbling.

Figuring that they still hadn't seen us, I decided to peek over the edge once again. Sure enough, there I saw four men down twenty feet below, about sixty feet away us, hunkering down around a small fire. 

The ruins of an old brick building was nearby, surprisingly enough, it was still standing. Looked about three stories tall, it's first floor barely made it past the snow, and looked to be completely filled to the brim. The only access to the building was via the second floor windows. One was more accessible than the others, being a mere step to get in, so it was likely the main entrance. 

It'd make good shelter for the night, and was tall enough of a vantage point to be a good lookout for stalkers... only problem was those men. I'd say it was about 10 feet to their left. 

The men's backs were to us, and they all were shivering around the fire...

Shivering... in thermal suits... around a fire... During the day...

Well, there went any possibility of them being friendly.

That settles that I guess. We can't leave them here. Even if we did leave them alone and continue on, they would find our tracks and try hunting us. Last thing we need is cannibals on our ass. We have enough problems with the stalker as it is. They are going to have to die.

I observed the building, looking for any activity inside. I didn't find anybody else, walking past windows or otherwise. If there is anyone else around, they are likely asleep inside...

I suppose there is only one way to find out.

After observing for another minute, making sure that I wasn't missing anything, I ducked back down under cover. Unholstering my AK, and unzipping it's protective casing, I tested it for malfunctions before I found a full clip and loaded it. With one pull of the bolt I was ready to go.

The team looked at me uneasily. Obviously, they still had no clue what was going on. Me loading my weapon wasn't making making them anymore at ease. So, I decided to let them in on the general idea of what was going on.

"Okay... here's the situation. Over this slope, there is a building we are going to take shelter in for tonight. Problem is, it's already occupied. Four or more of my kind are hunkered down here, and we are going to need to talk to them first. I doubt that they are going to be understanding of our... particular situation, so it is going to take a lot of talking. In the end though, I'm sure we'll come to an understanding..." I whispered.

The team listened intently, seemingly believing in every word I said. Of course, they didn't know that 'Talk' meant shoot them in the back multiple times and 'Understanding' was them dying from said shots in the back. Of course, If I told them that, I'm afraid we'd have another Fluttershy's mercy situation on our hands, one that she definitely wouldn't survive... I didn't want to have to shoot that girl.

Of course there was a couple of the team that glared at me skeptically. Namely Daring and Shining, obviously they didn't believe me. Daring didn't surprise me, she was, after all, the one who believes that I'm trying to get them all killed. She wouldn't believe a thing I said no matter how cleverly I put it. Shining though, I think he might be catching on... the fact of what I say and what I do can relate metaphorically if not in exact definition.

Well, least it won't be a complete shock to him what I do next. I only hope is at least as understanding as he is clever and won't outright panic the group about this until I do what needs to be done.

"Alright, so what do you need us to do?" Lyra whispered back, looking like she was ready to throw in her support.

I did briefly think about having them watch my back, as it is the reason I brought them along in the first place. However, then again, There was tons of problems with that. Another Fluttershy's mercy situation would be inevitable, the guards would hesitate, one of them could die and cause a bunch of drama, etc... just a bunch of headaches I didn't want to deal with. Plus, their current weaponry would be lucky to even puncture a thermal suit. They were practically useless in this situation.

"What I need you all to do to is stay here, none of you move an inch from this spot until I call you over. I have to explain the situation to them first, before they jump to conclusions and shoot you on sight. Even if things go wrong, no matter what you hear, If I do not call you over, you do not come over this slope. Is that understood?" I told them.

There was a reluctant pause among the team, they seemed a bit uncertain of this one. However, they eventually nodded in agreement.

"Alright, Spike and I are going to go negotiate. Remember, do not come over this slope until I call you." I responded, before getting up and quietly making my way over the slope. With a grunt, Spike followed suit.

While I carefully approached the campfire dead on, Spike decided to take the left flank and use the building to cover his approach. He'd likely be hiding behind the building, waiting for his opportunity to jump in. Hopefully, if everything goes right, he won't need to.

Four shots, let's go for four shots only, plus a few more for whoever is left.

Approaching the campfire gathering, I prepared to begin 'negotiations'...





"We should go, while we still can." Shining commented out loud, as he sat behind the slope with the rest of the group. He was in the process of loading his crossbow, keeping an eye where John had just left. 

John had only left a few moments ago, and Shining had been waiting till that moment to speak up. He didn't trust him, not since he pulled a weapon and held them all hostage. Sure, it was eventually chalked up to a huge misunderstanding, but something had irked Shining about John. He was a liar, a huge liar. The story about his group, why he was out here, right down to his very name. He's lied about it all, and this last moment just proved it in Shining's eyes. Between John arming himself and his carefully chosen words to the team, it was obvious that he was not going down there to negotiate.

Why he was lying was beyond Shining, obviously he had something to hide, but what was it? Who was he really? What was really he doing out here? What was his intentions for the team? Shining had no clue, but with everything that has happened since they've found him, he wasn't going to risk the safety of the entire team waiting to find out. 

As far as Shining was concerned, they should have left after the stalker attack. They stayed for the sake of his sister's expedition. However, that was not good enough anymore. No amount of knowledge would justify the loss they may sustain if they stayed any longer. They needed to leave, now.

The rest of the team looked at him curiously, not quite understanding what he was saying. The exceptions being Daring and Twilight of course. Daring and Shining had just talked about this earlier, and Twilight already had this conversation with Shining back at camp. Twilight glared at her brother, this was not the time to be doing this. Not when they've just barely gotten the chance to explore the world on a larger scale. Not to mention the first chance they've gotten to establish connections with the dominate species of the world.

"Shining... This is not the time or place to be doing this." Twilight half growled at her brother. 

Shining merely glared back, clearly not backing down. He loved his sister, and he understood what she was trying to accomplish here. However, he was not going to allow her to put herself or the rest of the team at any more risk than they already have.

"Yes it is Twilight, this is exactly the time to be doing this! This might just be our only chance to get out before someone gets seriously hurt. It is clear that we shouldn't be here. Everything we've been through thus far has told us that. I personally believe we should have left after the stalker attack. However, now it is obvious that we need to get out while we still have the chance. We can't trust this human! Not when he just lied to our faces! Not when he's been lying to our faces!" Shining half whispered in response.

At this point, everypony was worried about what Shining just insinuated. John had just left to go negotiate with the other humans. Surely that was what he was actually doing, right?

Right?

"What are you saying Shining, are you saying that he's not going over there to negotiate?" Lyra asked.

"Well? Was it not obvious? I don't care what planet you're from, but you don't load a weapon to prepare for negotiations. You load a weapon to prepare for a fight. He was preparing for a fight. Just as much as he was preparing to do god know what with us. If he can easily lie to us about this, who knows how much he's lied to us before this! We cannot tell how much he's told us is true, thus we cannot afford to trust him anymore." Shining pointed out.

Everypony took this information in, and were quick to conclude that he was right. Even Twilight was at a loss for words. The way John reacted upon seeing them, loading his weapon, there was no way he was going over there to have a peaceful chat. 

With this Sky, Sparks, and Iron loaded their own crossbows, preparing for things to go sideways. Sky in particular wasn't too sure John would outright attack them for trying to escape, but she wasn't taking any chances. Iron and Sparks on the other hoof were certain that John would flip out, and were taking no chances at all.

Fluttershy looked over to the slope, looking like she wanted to stop whatever John was doing. However, she remembered last time, that she only barely stopped him from killing the stalker. There was no way he'd allow them to get in his way this time. This time, who know what he might do if they betrayed his interests again.

Daring simply watched the edge like a hawk. This trip had been interesting to be sure, not enough material to write a book about, but she knew as well as Shining that they needed to leave. Daring was all about an adventure, but when it was practically suicidal, and other ponies lives in involved, she knew when to call it quits. 

Lyra looked mortified, the thought that John was likely going over to kill those people without even talking to them disturbed her. She questioned if circumstances had been different, had there been no stalker to begin with, would they even be alive right now? Would he have just killed them all without a second thought? Much like he was going to do to these other humans now? Lyra didn't want to believe it was true.

Twilight simply didn't want to believe it. Not because of what it meant for those humans over the slope, or because she didn't want to believe their guide was truly that much of a monster. No, because at this point, she knew that the expedition was over. There was no recovering it at this point. Everypony was afraid, and they all wanted to go home. Twilight was helpless to stop it.

"I-it could still just be a misunderstanding, we still don't know what he's actually-" Twilight started, hoping that she could somehow salvage the expedition. However, nopony was having it at this point.

"No, Twilight. We can't push this any further, we've risked enough already. We need to leave, right now. This expedition is not worth any of our li-" Shining began to say, however he was cut off as everypony heard someone scream.

"OH SHIT, WE GOT A-"

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

*BANG*

"AHHHHH!!!!"

"WAIT! PLEASE! DON-"

*BANG* *BANG*

If there was any room for arguing left, it was not completely gone. Shining was right, he was not negotiating. There was no way they could trust John anymore at this point.

"Alright, that's it, now we DEFINITELY got to go. No more arguing, activate the crystal Twilight! Call us back home." Shining shouted.

Twilight wanted to argue more. It took years of effort and risks to get this far, to finally reach another world with teleportation. However, now that didn't matter. Shining was right, this expedition was not worth any of their lives. They've risked too much already... it was time to go home.

Begrudgingly, Twilight opened her saddlebags and received the crystal. With a small charge of magic, she started broadcasting.





Taking out the first three wasn't a problem, it was actually rather simple considering their backs were to me. One bullet to each of their heads eliminated them rather quickly. The forth one reacted fast though, almost too fast. He was in cover by the time I took two shots at him; both missed. Thankfully, he was unarmed and I was able to flank him before he could get the weapon he was reaching for. One shot in the back ended his effort quickly. His thermal suit stopped the bullet though, and he flipped over, hands raised in surrender.

"WAIT! PLEASE! DON-"

Another two shots through his mask cut him off mid sentence. Two was probably waste, but when shooting through a mask, you can never be sure.

With that, the outside was clear, however, the inside was the real mystery I was concerned about. No shouts or alarms could be heard from inside the building. This could mean one of three things... One, the building was clear; highly unlikely. Two, whoever is in there is keeping quiet, hoping to catch me unawares from one of the windows; extremely likely. Three, the cannibals were not using the building at all, and likely just used it as a trap house; more likely than I would like to believe.

Trapping houses is a common tactic used by humanity in general to catch whatever and whoever is unfortunate enough to wander inside. Most trap houses are designed to kill anyone who walks inside. Usually an explosive trap of some kind, that or a incredibly elaborate trap of the worst kind that can be reset; for those who don't like to waste buildings. However, cannibal trap houses are a different kind of evil. These traps won't kill you, but they will make sure you never walk out of that house again, not without assistance at least. Assistance that cannibals will more than happily provide, given that you become their next meal.

Thankfully, I happen to know how to tell if a trap house is truly a trap house. I've worked with plenty of them in the past. Usually the first sign is a trip wire mere feet from the door, usually heavily concealed, but you will always see it if you are looking for it. In the case that there isn't, it will usually be best to check for any inconspicuous pieces of cardboard or rugs hanging around on the floor, crooked paintings or mirrors on the wall, even hanging light bulbs from the ceiling; you'd be surprised how often people actually try to pull those things to see if they actually work... If you see any of these things upon first entering a house, it's probably safe to assume the entire house is booby trapped.

With my theories in mind, I scooted my way along the building and near the front entrance (the window) I took a small peek inside, quickly ducking back into cover. It was dark, and hard to make out any real detail of what was inside. Given I wasn't being shot at yet, I decided now was probably the best time to take a flashlight and peek inside again.

I received my flashlight from my pack and tested it, it seemed to be working fine. Holding it with the end of my gun, I took another peek inside. I found nothing of note. All I could see so far was rubble and various pieces of broken frozen furniture scattered about the room. All the interior walls of this floor had been torn down or rotted away at some point it seemed. All that remained was the structural supports keeping the building standing. At the other end of the room, there was a staircase leading up to the next floor and another leading down. The stairway leading down, however, was completely blocked off by the snow burying the floor below. This left only one way to go. 

Scanning the room one more time, I found no evidence that this was a trap house. However, I still kept a watchful eye on any all potential spots for traps. You can never be too careful, and even if there are no traps on the first floor, that doesn't mean there are no traps.

I made my way up to the staircase and began to make my way up. Much to my dismay, the stairway creaked loudly as I stepped upon it. It seems that if anyone was hiding out in this building, they were going to know where I was. Deciding that trying to sneak my way in was a waste of effort at this point, I picked up my pace. I was still on the lookout for traps, but found none as I made it to the second floor.

Reaching the top, I was now staring down a hallway. The walls were crumbling, but still held firm enough to stay upright. There were various rooms to the right and left of me. Almost all the entryways were doorless, all had seemed to have fallen off their hinges long ago. That was, except for one. There was a single door still standing on the last room to the right.

The entire building was still eerily silent. The Silence was almost haunting me at this point. If there was someone here, I wish they'd just spring out already. I hate hunting through buildings like this...

I made my way down the hall, Checking rooms as a I went. I checked a room to my left. Nothing but more broken furniture and rubble... Room to my right, more broken things. To my left, even more. To my right, a room that looks like a sleeping area; filthy mattresses in a orderly fashion throughout the room. I let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that this wasn't not a trap house. They wouldn't be sleeping in here otherwise... Of course I'd check the mattresses for traps later, just to be sure, but not before I secured the house.

Room to my left, various bags of mystery items I will sort through later. Room to my right, Just another empty room. Room to my left, collapsed, filled with nothing but rubble and ash from the dull sky shining through the roof above.

Now, for the final room. The door room.

If I was certain this was a trap house, I wouldn't ever open this door. Door traps, when made by cannibals, can be very nasty. However, given everything I've seen so far, I wasn't exactly convinced this was a trap house.  I haven't spotted a single trap yet, and I'm pretty good at spotting these things... So I was going to risk this door; carefully.

After checking for any wires or triggers around the door area, I cautiously turn the handle, listening for any odd clicks. I didn't hear any, so I flung open the door from cover.

The heat from inside the room hit me like a brick, making me feel like I was entering a heated bunker. This made my thermal suit start to question its priorities. Then at that moment, I was hit by something else. Something charging around the corner, out of the room.

"RRRRAWWAWAAAH!" Something screamed at me as it tackled me with full force and sent me tumbling towards the ground. My assault rifle was thrown across the hall.

Looking up at my attacker, I find that I'm currently being pinned down by a disheveled, nude, and very pissed looking woman, a fist raised to strike me.

Very confused by the scene before me, she managed to land the first hit across my mask, knocking it clean off. She lined up a second fist to strike again, however, I managed to catch this one mid stride with my left hand. With my right, I quickly retaliated, giving the crazy woman a blow to her face; knocking her off me.

I'm very quick to get up and attempt draw my revolver. However, she was quick to recover as well, and she seemed to have receive a weapon of her own. A knife.

Namely my knife. She must of got it when she tackled me. That little bitch...

With my knife and another battlecry, she charged and took a slash at me. I dodge only barely, she nicked my overcoat, leaving a large cut in it. She went for a stab next. However, I managed to dodged this one as well, following up with an elbow to her face; knocking her on her ass. She attempted to recover, but only managed to catch my boot in her face. She went down like a sack of bricks, completely unconscious.

I stepped on her wrist, and retrieved my knife, putting it back in it's proper place. With that, I finally grab Little Lisa, cracked the hammer back, and pointed it at the unconscious woman's head, about to make sure that she didn't get up again.

However, I stopped. I stopped as I got a better look at her. More pointedly, what she was currently lacking; thermal suit. What the hell was this cannibal doing out here in the middle of nowhere in nothing but her skin? I've seen cannibals do some weird shit, but running around naked wasn't one of their hobbies... It was a little too cold to be doing that.

I looked back at the door room, and I noted that there were heat waves emitting from the room. Stepping over the unconscious woman, I stepped in front of the doorway to get a better view. Suddenly, things became very clear...

There was a small thermo heater inside, just hanging from the ceiling. The rest of the room consisted of a filthy mattress, and chains. The entirety of the room and everything in it was stained in blood, among other things. I also noted that the door could only be opened from one side.

One thing was certain, she wasn't one of them. She must have thought I was though... I could hardly blame her at this point. 

Looking back at the unconscious woman, I began to notice she was shivering. The freezing temperatures was starting to get to her. She wasn't going to last for long in these conditions.

I sigh, shaking my head. Things are just getting better and better.

I quickly came to a decision. Walking over to the girl, I picked her up and brought her back into the heated room. Laying her down on the mattress, I took one hand and locked a chain to it.

"Sorry about this, but until I can find you a thermal suit and get shit properly explained, I can't have you trying to kill me again." I told her. I know she couldn't hear me, but it felt right to say.

Leaving the room and closing the door behind me, I proceeded to retrieve my AK down the hall. I secured the roof, and it turned out there was no other cannibal in the building; it was just the four outside after all. Now, I need to call my team over, and get the drama that is about to ensue over with. 

I don't think I'll be able to get away from not explaining this one. People died, and I'm pretty sure they are going to want to know why. Thankfully though, they're in luck. The big reveal for them can be seen from the rooftop of this building. New York City, from what I can see, it hasn't changed a bit. It should answer most of their questions anyways. After that, I'm sure sure they'll want to go home. Good riddance, I guess, It will be one less thing to deal with; even if it means losing support.

Of course, this is assuming they haven't run off already. I did use a lot more ammo than I intended to...





"Equestrian Portal Control! I repeat! We've encountered some problems, and need an emergency portal opened at our current position! How copy?" Twilight repeated into the crystal, worry beginning to lace her voice.

This was her fifth attempt at this point. However, they were receiving no response from the other side. Twilight couldn't understand this, was there no pony at the Portal control? What the buck was going on!? This should be working! They've tested it at least twenty times before they came here; ensured it would work no matter the conditions! Why the actual buck wasn't it working!?

The sounds of gunfire had stopped minutes ago, leaving them in a eerie silence, putting the entire team on edge. Moments later though, they began to hear faint screaming from over the slope. At this point, everypony was beginning to panic. This needed to go faster than it was.

"Twilight, what's wrong with the crystal? Why isn't it working?" Shining asked worriedly.

"I-I don't know! They've should have responded by now, and the crystal is perfectly intact! Maybe they're not there!?" Twilight responded, not quite sure what other explanation there would be.

The entire team was both worried and enraged by this. Of all the times for this to happen, it had to be now? When their lives were in Jeopardy? Did somepony back at portal control stepped out at this vital moments? Was there something wrong with the crystal? The signal? It was outrageous and concerning, their only lifeline was not working and nopony had a clue why. 

"That's a load of manure! There is always supposed to be someone there! No matter what! I swear to Celestia, if we die because of a coffee break-" Daring began to rant.

Everypony aside for Fluttershy, Twilight, and Shining began to mutter among themselves about how such a thing could be happening now of all times. As the concern and worry continued to grow among the whisperings, Shining decided it was time step in and calm the team down.

"Everypony! Calm down! Let's not lose our heads! Panicking is the worst thing we can do right now. Twilight, just keep trying." Shining consulted the group.

Twilight nodded, and was about to try once again to reach portal control. However she was interrupted when John's voice echoed over the slope.

"Negotiations are over, you can come out now!" John shouted.

Everypony froze as they heard this. What were they going to do now? John was no longer distracted, and if they were to try to summon the portal now, Celestia knows what he might do. Given all the commotion over the hill, and the fact that he was still alive, it was easy to tell who'd win in a firefight. Shining himself was not about to challenge those odd.

"Captain, what do we do? Do we run for it?!" Sparks asked worriedly.

"No, if he planned to kill us, he'd pick us off from the distance. He's likely more than capable of pulling it off. It's not worth the risk. Let's just play along, see what happens." Shining suggested.

Everypony was surprised by this, especially Daring. Both had agreed they couldn't trust the human, yet here he was suggesting that they just 'play along.' He just killed all those humans down there, members of his own species. Who knew what John would do once everypony came down there. 

"Are you bucking nuts, we all know what the buck he just did over there! He just killed his own kind! Lied about his intentions to kill them! Are we really going to trust him after that!?" Daring argued.

Shining shook his head, realizing how he sounded at the moment. He was quick to start explaining himself.

"No, I don't trust him, but I don't see any other options. Plus, it is as he said: If he wanted to kill us he would have by now. I have no clue of what his real intention for us is, but dragging us across this world just to do what he could have done miles ago doesn't make any sense. I say we buy more time this way, figure out what's going on with the crystal, and get out of here when the opportunity arises. This is the only way."

No pony was sure about this, not even Twilight. Yes, John did say that, but it was also John that said it. Given how much he's been lying to them, he could very well be lying about that as well. However, they also knew that Shining was right. They didn't have much other choice. Running was stupid, especially when their portal key wasn't working. Fighting John was even stupider, they were certain that this point this human could kill them all blindfolded. 

That being said,  John, so far, hasn't shown any real intent to harm them, and he's been given plenty of opportunity to do so. This was not to say John wasn't planning something, but it was to say that staying with him and playing along would buy them more time. Between Fighting him, running, and staying, the team reluctantly agreed staying was the best course of action.

With everypony in agreement, Shining got up from his position and started making his way over.

"Come on, let's go before he gets suspicious." Shining said, leading the way over the slope.

With this, everypony got up and made their way over the slope. At the top, the scene before them was just as they feared. All the humans were dead, four corpses laid out around a burning fire. John was currently dragging the corpse of one of former member of his species away from the building residing to the right of the massacre. Spike seemed to be helping with another. There wasn't much left of their heads, their masks seemed to only barely hold on to what was left. None of the other corpses were in much better condition.

The sight was too much to behold for one particular pony. Fluttershy turned green, and found herself running back behind the slope, ripping her mask off, and letting loose the contents of her stomach. She hurled about three times before she crawled back, curled up into a ball, and started crying. Twilight was quick to be by her side, trying to comfort her the best she could. However, it was hardly enough. The poor pegasus continued to wail on the ground, mumbling to herself how she hated this place and how she just wanted to go home. 

Everypony else also turned a bit green at the sight, but all managed to keep a hold of themselves. Shining was disgusted, but not surprised by this outcome of events; he did see it coming after all. The guards felt along the same lines, but couldn't help but feel a little surprised and unnerved by the alien's actions. Lyra was simply horrified and couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable, like the air around her was only just barely allowing her to breath. Terror of John and what he was capable of was seeping into Lyra's mind, and she couldn't stop it. 

Daring on the other hoof was quite pissed. They've been jerked around by this monster since they've got here. With the stalker, with his avoidance of questions they had, with his keeping them in the dark about anything that was going on, and now there was this. Without even explaining, he goes and outrights murders a bunch of his own kind right in front of them. Without care, concern, or worry about how they might feel about it. At this point, Daring has had enough of it.

Now, Daring wanted answers, and she was going to get them one way or another.

With this, Daring started trotting over, her gaze fixed upon John. Soon enough she picked up her pace and was flying. Moments later, she was soaring straight towards her intended target. 

At the moment Daring took off towards John, Shining knew what her intention was. He yelled for Daring to stop, but it was far too late for that. All he and the rest of the team could do was look on in horror, hoping to Celestia that Daring stunt wasn't about to get them all killed.





So, here I was, minding my own business, dragging the mess I created out of our new front yard. Then, quiet suddenly, I see this blur fill my vision. The next thing I noticed was that my gasmask was flying off into infinity. The next, I was on my ass staring up at a very pissed alien hovering over me. Eight guesses as to who that was...

Yep, it was Daring.

So, yeah, I just got sucker punched and knocked on my ass by some wing alien that was half my size. Not my proudest moment I have to say, and I can't say that I didn't see this coming; even more to my shame. I wasn't quite sure what their reaction to me killing four people after telling them I would negotiate would be, but I did think it was going to be dramatic. Punching a heavily armed man twice your size with the ability to kill you at the pull of a trigger would count as dramatic I believe.

Especially when his oversize dog is nearby...

Daring probably would have thrown a second punch, however, Spike was quicker on the draw. In the blink of an eye, Spike was on her, his lunge snatching her straight of out the of the air and onto her back. The next thing she knew was a very pissed looking Spike looking right into her eyes. I have to say, she went from very pissed off to very concerned for her life pretty quick.

I whistled sharply. "Spike! Get off her! Now!" I ordered before Spike did anything rash. Had I not said anything, he probably would have snapped her neck. He tends to take attacks against me personally.

Spike obeyed, begrudgingly, getting off Daring and taking a position between me and her. From there, he continued to snarl at Daring as she quite carefully got up.

I got up myself, dusted myself off and retrieved my mask that landed nearby. This was the second time today my mask was knocked off by a girl. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that, but in the end, I decided that life goes on.

I looked up and spotted the rest of the team at the top of the slope, minus Twilight and Fluttershy it seemed. All who were there were staring at me in wide eyed shock and fear. At this point, I wasn't quite sure if it was because of the various bodies littering the surroundings, or because of Daring's bone headed decision to come knock me on my ass. I was going to assume it was both.

Given the look of worry on their faces, I'm going to assume that they think I'm going to shoot them now. I won't deny that the thought has crossed my mind, multiple times. Of course, I'm not one who goes around shooting people without good reason. Getting punched in the face, though it might sound like a good enough reason, was not good enough for me. However, there was one thing I needed to make very clear.

I turned back to Daring, who seemed to switch right back to pissed off mode, glaring at me with all her fury. I was unimpressed, and proceeded to glare right back.

"Now, I'm pretty sure you believe I deserved that. Hell, I just might have. So, I'll give you that one for free. However, if you try that again, I will snap your neck." I stated simply.

With this, Daring's bravery slightly faltered, and for a second I could see some fear in her expression. It was gone seconds later, but I could tell I made my point very clear.

"Glad I made that clear." I said.

With that, I turned my attention back to the body I was dragging before the whole fiasco. I was hoping to get these corpses out of the camp as quickly as I could. Despite the freezing temperatures, the smell still lingers due to the thermal suits keeping the bodies warm. Leaving them out here would only attract animals, and likely our stalker, right up to the building. Wasn't exactly something I was keen on doing. However, I am going to leave the corpses in sight of the building, just in case our stalker decides to show up and scavenge the corpses. That way there's a chance I could finish it off; assuming it is still alive.

As I picked up the corpse to continue dragging, I heard Spike start growling again. Looking over, I could see that Daring was still being held back away from me by Spike. Every step Daring tried to make around him, Spike took a step in the same direction; growling all the way. At this point, I decided it best to call off the dog completely, before Daring got hurt.

"Spike, help me clean up. She isn't going to do anything." I ordered Spike. 

Spike stared back at me, then at Daring. With one growl, he slowly moved out of the way and back to the corpse he was dragging before. 

With this, I continued to drag the corpse away. With Spike no longer stopping Daring's approach, she began to make her way over to me once again. I wasn't worried about her attempting to knock me out again, I believed I made myself very clear. It seemed that the rest of her team wasn't so sure though, as they were attempting to call her back over to them.

"Daring, get back over here! Let's not make this any worse!" Shining yelled at her.

"Daring! Are you a bucking idiot!? I wouldn't test this guy! Seriously, get the buck back here you moron!" Sky bellowed at her.

"I swear to bucking Celestia, Daring! If you get us all killed!" Lyra yelled after.

Twilight and Fluttershy seemed to make their way over the slope as this was happening. They looked completely oblivious as to what was going on, but given the fact that Daring was right next to me, they probably assumed it was nothing good.

Daring stopped a mere foot away from me, I suppose to act like she wasn't afraid of me, where she continued to glare into the side of my head. I continued to ignore her, of course. As adorable as this dick measuring contest was, I had better things to do. So, if she didn't have an actually point behind this-

"What the actual buck is your problem!?" Daring finally said.

... and there it was. She was going to start questioning my motives. I knew this was coming, but not this soon. I assumed they would be scared of me for awhile before one of them gathered enough bravery to ask. It would allowed me time to get a few thing done before I had to show them the truth. 

Was it time to send them up to the rooftop? No, not yet. Still haven't secured the entire building for traps; the mattresses were still a major concern. Sending them up there on their own accord before I was sure the building safe would be a mistake. So, for now, I was going to have to answer questions.

With a sigh, I dropped the corpse once again. Standing up to my full height and stared down at Daring. This time, she didn't falter in fear, she stayed determined and brave. As a matter of fact, she started flying to meet me face to face. I guess she really was about proving she wasn't scared of me.

The rest of the team cautiously made their way over. I came to note all their weapons were loaded, and they looked quite scared. I guess they all assumed that Daring has pissed me off beyond the point of rational thought, and I was going to kill someone. Thankfully for them I was nowhere near that point. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to know that.

"We're so sorry, we don't know what got into her! Please, don't do anything rash! Daring, back off, now." Shining ordered.

Daring didn't seem to care, as she maintained her position in front of me. Arms crossed and attempted to glare though my mask and into my eyes. 

"Buck no, we can't just let this go anymore! He needs to explain this! We can't just let him walk away from this one unquestioned! He's gotten away with jerking us around for long enough! What in Tartarus are you doing!? What are you planning!? What the actual buck was this!? Why did you kill these guys!? Why won't you tell us anything!?" Daring was practically yelling in my face.

The entire group was put into a stunned silence, absolutely horrified that Daring would be speaking to me like this. They stared worriedly at myself, the guards looked like they were preparing for a fight while everyone else looked like the were about to run. I decided now was the best time to speak up, before everything went overboard.

"I'll be honest, I'm surprised you are all so dense as to not just put it together already." I started simply.

Suddenly, they all stopped looking scared, and Daring stopped looking so pissed at me. Now, they simply looked at me with confusion, likely wondering why I was accusing them of being completely oblivious. Obviously, I was hiding the truth from them; like the scheming monster I was. How was it possible that the they were simply not seeing the truth right in front of them? Thankfully for them, I had a very simple answer for them.

"Seriously, look around you. What the fuck do you see here? Does this place look normal to you? Does it look like some place you would want to raise your kids? Start a business? Live in? Can you really not see it?! Is the 'snow' REALLY all you see here?"

The team looked around them, the bodies, the abandoned building, the endless plains of ash and snow around them. They saw everything around them, yet, it was still obvious that they could not see it. I could tell by their expressions, all they could see was the people I killed for no reason and a building that just happened to be in disrepair. This was starting to become frustrating, they can't seem to see past their own delusions of what was right and wrong; of what a world should be like. This was only confirmed by Daring's next statement.

"What are you talking about?! Seriously! You're doing it again! What is it that you are not telling us!? Why don't you just tell us!" Daring piped up.

I let out a sigh, placing my hand to the front of my mask and shaking my head in shame. These aliens really were oblivious; blissfully so.

At this point, there was only one thing left to do. Bring them up to the roof and let them see for themselves. Outright saying it won't even work at this point. If I told them outright, they likely still wouldn't believe me. These aliens are so wrapped up in their bubble of reality, it is impossible for them to comprehend the remote possibility of a world so much different than their own without first being slapped in face with it. So, instead of wasting any more of my breath explaining how dense they are, I was going to show them instead. If this doesn't pop their bubble, I'm not sure what will.

Removing my hand from my mask, I walked past them all and towards the abandoned building.

"Follow me." Was I said as I made my way to the entrance.

I didn't look back to see if they decided to follow me, but I knew they would. I assume that they were not done with me yet, and that they would just let me walk away from the conversation, assuming anything Daring said was truth. So, I made my way inside the build through the accessible window. From there, I made my way to the stairs and stopped, waiting for the team to catch up.

Looking back towards the entrance, sure enough, the team was following. Daring was the first inside, likely being at my heels the entire time. She was looking around the place, and for some reason she was beginning to look uneasy; a very distinct look of curiosity and dread. I wasn't sure if it was because of my demeanor, or if the setting was upsetting her. I could see similar faces on the rest of the aliens. At that point I assumed it was the setting of the building. They seemed to be questioning it's features, likely wondering why it looked like this. Why it looked to haunting and soulless? Why it was abandoned.

I guess now they were starting to think about my questions. What I was implying with them. This was good, it seemed that their bubble was finally bursting.

"Follow my very footsteps, and don't wander off. This entire house isn't secure, and there might be traps." I said as I began to make my way up the stairs.

Daring gave me a questioning look at the mention of traps. She began look around, seemingly looking for anything off.

"Traps? In here?" Daring asked, a bit concerned.

This concern seemed to be shared by the rest of the team, as they froze in place. I stopped for a moment and I shook my head. Do these aliens not listen...

"Just follow me and don't wander off, you'll be fine. Now come, I got something to show you." I replied as I continued my way up.

The team reluctantly continued to follow me. Up one flight of stairs and into the second floor. There, they got to see more of the ruined building. The ominous hallway with a single door at the end. I'm sure they were questioning what was behind that door, but were not brave enough to wander over to it given my warning of traps. What's behind that door will be an aspect of this world I'll explain later, but for now I needed to show them the bigger picture.

Finally we made our way up the final set of stairs, and up to the rooftop. Well... it wasn't REALLY a rooftop, just another floor of the building that got leveled some time ago. The entire roof was covered in ash and snow, containing it was what was left of the walls that used to isolate the former floor from the outside. From here, you could see from every direction. You couldn't quite see the canyon from which we came, but you could see the one thing that mattered...

On the North-East side of the building, off in the distance, you could begin to see the beginnings of New York City. Least what was left of it. From this view, you could very clearly make out how much damage was caused by the alien's bombing of the once great city.

New York was unique when it came to the type of attack and damage it sustained. Oddly enough, when the aliens attacked this city, they didn't just blow it off the face of the earth like they did every other city. No, with this city, they used one single bomb. No one knows why they only used one, but it did get the job done. The middle of the city is completely gone, and uninhabitable. If you somehow made it to the middle of New York, the amount of radiation there would kill you within the day; if not only half. Nowadays, it's possibly to get there and survive with a thermal suit, given its radiation resistant properties, but it was not healthy to stay for long. Even thermal suit will give out to the radiation eventually.  

The destruction it wreaked to everything else around it was pretty significant. All building just outside ground zero were nearly decimated. Buildings a little further than that were only barely standing. Further than that the buildings were only half standing. Further than that... you get the picture. 

The buildings at the very outskirts of the city, back when I was there were at least, by some miracle, were still standing. However, now I can see that they were beginning to decay and collapse. It's been awhile I guess... Seeing it again brings back some memories. Unfortunately not the ones I want to remember.

When I first woke up there, I was on the outskirts, and the radioactive ash was just beginning to fall. I don't know how I survived. With the amount of radiation falling on me at the time, I should have just grown sick and died on the spot. Yet... somehow, I managed to get away. I just picked a direction and started to run. In that direction, I kept running. I didn't understand what was going on, I was confused, I was scared; I hardly understood what had happened. All I knew was that if I stopped, I would die, and god forbid I would ever do that.

So, I kept running; for god knows how long. For almost a week I'm sure. I survived by scavenging houses as I went, hyjacking cars when I could find one, and continuing to move whenever I could. I knew if I stopped, the fallout would catch up to me, and I would die. Again, god forbid I ever do that...

In the end though, the fallout caught up to me. It began to grow colder, and I was getting sicker. Soon, I couldn't keep going. I was dying, and I couldn't run anymore. Knowing that I was done for, I decided that it was time find a place to curl up and die. I broke into an abandoned house, found a bed, went to sleep; knowing full well I wasn't going to wake up. Next thing I knew, I woke up in the bunker. My bunker, my new home.

I was lucky, that house I broke into was found their scavenging team not even ten minutes later. One of them was Ryan, I remember that much clearly. Another was Fredrickson, before he was the bunker overseer. The last one's name escapes me, all I remember was that he died a month afterwards from god know what. They found me, realized I was still alive, and brought me back to the bunker to revive me. Within days, I was cured from my sickness and brought back into action. I wasn't sure how they managed to do it, but they did it. However, it was not without strings attached. 

Given my memory loss, they tried to explain to me what had happened. However, at the time, not even they really knew what was going on. All they knew was that we were under attack, they didn't know by who, but they did know they had to be doing something about it. So, I was given a choice. Take up arms and joined them, or get sent back outside to fend for myself. I made the obvious choice. I don't regret it to this day.

There was so much more of us back then... and we were so optimistic and certain that we would be able to stop whatever was killing us off. My god, we had no clue...

So, here I am again, standing over 100 miles away from the once great city I ran from. However, now, instead of running away from it I'm running towards it. Running towards the one place that may hold the secrets to my past life, and the same place that just might end up being my final destination. Isn't life just complicated?

At this point, I begin to hear footsteps slowly approaching from behind me, joining me by my side. Breaking my gaze from the ruined city, I turned my attention back to the team beside me. Their reactions were pretty much as I expected. Complete. Utter. Shock. More than that really. I could see in their expression that their minds were having an extremely hard time figuring out what they were staring at, but at the same time couldn't deny what they were looking at was real. Right there before them, a great city in shambles, and they couldn't deny to themselves it was real.

The entire team was speechless, seemingly not having anything to utter, much less say. So, I spoke for them.

"So, is it really just Snow?" I asked, breaking the silence.
> Chapter 9: Monsters of a Different Kind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"What were we looking at?"

This first question was one that was asked by Twilight, remembering clearly the previous scene she and the team had witnessed on the roof; before they all came back downstairs to collect their thoughts. They were currently hanging about in the hallway of the second floor. The team were together by the stairway in stunned silence as they were contemplating what they had seen. John, meanwhile, had sat against a wall opposing the team and the stairs. Needle and thread in hand, he seemed to fixing some damage his overcoat had sustained. Least he was, up to the point where Twilight asked her question. 

She knew what they were seeing of course, it wasn't really the question in her mind. It was the city that John had spoke of, New York City. However, it wasn't this shining beacon of civilization, let alone hope. From what she could see, the city was dead; likely has been for a very long time. The real question was of what this meant... What this meant for this world.

When they first discovered this world, initially before the team was sent though, all they knew about it was that it was cold yet could support life. When they finally got though, it was as she imagined. Cold and desolate. Twilight initially had doubts that there was any chance that there could be life at all, figuring that it was simply too cold for anything to survive out here. 

Then they found John, nearly dead initially, but alive and was clearly thriving in the conditions before him. At that point, Twilight knew it was very possible that they've ran across something big. An entire civilization that survived these frozen, desolate, conditions and became a living breathing society. What John told her and the team about his people was intriguing, and made her imaginations go wild as to what a city would be like, what sort of technology they had, and other such things. 

However, then there were the concerning things that they discovered. Things Twilight took note of, but never thought about the implications of. Not until now at least. 

As Twilight thought back to the dead city, she thought even further back to those things. Slowly, began to realize... The snow wasn't just snow, the exact thing that John has been trying to get through her skull from the beginning. To all of them, it was just snow, but John saw beyond that. He knew there was something else in it. Something Twilight knew was in it as well, though she didn't have time to identify it initially. However, now, she didn't really need to anymore. At this point, she could guess...

"BULLSHIT!!! YOU SICK FUCKS CERTAINLY DIDN'T COME IN PEACE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO COME TO OUR WORLD, SLAUGHTER OUR PEOPLE, AND BURN OUR HOMES!!!"

...Because now she knew what he meant by that.

The toxic substance was ash, mixed into water within the clouds above, coming down as snow. It covered everything around them, for as far as the eye could see. There was so much of it, all over the place... it was obvious at this point that it hadn't just come from this city...

How much of the world was like this? Was there anywhere that was untouched by this devastation? Was this entire world dead? That was the part Twilight was trying to figure out. However, Twilight didn't have the answers...

...John did though. Twilight hoped that he wasn't about to confirm what she was thinking. However, something told her that he was about to do just that.

"You were staring at New York City; what is left of it anyways... Just think of it as one huge metaphor, one that represents the current state of the world, and you'll more or less get the big picture of the perfect hellhole you just crawled into." John simply replied, going back to his sewing.

Twilight, along with the rest of the team, let this information sink in. This entire time, since they've found John, actually believed that there was something alive about this planet. That it was harsh, yet something to survive and thrive in as humanity apparently did at one time. However, now it was clear that this was not the case. They had arrived on a dead world, one that, like New York City, has been dead for awhile.

The entirety of the team was chilled by this. They really did just walk right into the middle of an apocalypse? One that expands the entire world? Clearly this was bad, but how bad was it? Questions like this raced through the team's heads. When did this happen? How long has it been like this? How many of John's kind was left? Why were they fighting among themselves in trying times like these? They had many questions of that nature. Of course, these weren't the most prudent question on everypony's mind. The real question was...

"What happened?" Lyra spoke up.

By now, the team had at least a general idea of what had happened. Clearly, humanity was attacked by some unknown force. Likely not from this world given everything John has said so far; not to mention done. However, given the grand scheme of things, they were still quite clueless. It'd be wise to hear it from someone who knows better instead of simply jumping to their own conclusions.

John let out a sigh, but this time continued to sew his damaged clothing uninterrupted as he began to speak. One would have expected John to have gone all out and told them exactly what had happened in full detail. However, that was not to be the case here, as, unfortunately, there was not much to tell. 

"Well, what can I say? I really hate to say it, but I don't know much more than you do. All I know is that, one day, something came from the sky and burned our world to the ground. There was no reason given, no attempts of communication of any sort. I mean, aside from blasting every visible city from the face of planet Earth. If you count that as communication, then clearly they were trying to tell us to 'please fuck off and die.' A lot of us listened unfortunately, starting with our leaders, and making our way down. By the end of it, the only people who didn't listen were the ones living out in the wilderness, small towns, and outskirts of our burnt cities. All of it happened within a period of a day, nearly wiped us out completely with one blow.... To this day, still, no one knows why. Only they do." John told the team. 

The team was slightly disappointed with this answer, as it didn't provide much more information than they could have already guessed. However, it did give them a bit more perspective on where they were, and what the scale of this situation was. Evidently it was quite serious. John has seemed to imply that there were not many humans left... that they were in fact fighting extinction. Not to mention they were fighting a hopeless war against a powerful foe even they know little about.

The team were horrified by this. They could only wondered who these aliens could be, and what would drive them to be such vile monsters? Of course, they couldn't ask John; as he made it very clear he has no clue. The team, at this point, could only guess why this unknown force attacked. Unfortunately, there was little to draw a conclusion from at this point. They could have attacked for many reasons, but none to justify the extermination of an entire species...

The entire hallway was silent for this moment, as the team took time to process what they were just told. 

Twilight was beginning to think about what she had dragged the team into, how much danger and trauma she has put all of them through. She should have listened to her brother the first time, and went back home at the first sign of danger. However, she didn't, despite how much she was warned by everyone; including John. She allowed her curiosity and dire for knowledge drag them all the way out here, where one or more of them could have died at any point. Now, when she knew they needed to go home, the crystal wasn't working, and she didn't have a clue why. Somehow, she couldn't help but feel that was her fault. Subtly, she began to blame herself for this. 

Lyra questioned what was was going to happen next. Now, more than ever before, there was no reason to stay here. It was as John had been telling them from the beginning, there was nothing for them here. No one negotiate with, no one to ally with, simply nothing. Lyra felt bad for these people, but knew there was nothing they could do to help them. Their technology is, or at least was, far more superior than Equestria's, and they were being exterminated by something even further developed than them. 

Clearly, the team was out of their league here, and they needed to leave as soon as they got that crystal working; whenever that would be... The only question left at that point was: What of John? Were they going to leave him here to his fate? Would they take the moral high ground and take him and Spike with them? Would John even let them leave at this point? Lyra did not know, though she wish she did.

Sky, Sparks, and Iron had seen some bucked up manure before; they were guards after all. After every screwed up thing they see, they figure it can't get much worse than that. It usually does, and they usually expect it. However, this was something else... a whole new level of bucked up manure they thought they would never reach. The very idea that an entire species and civilization like theirs could crumble within a day was a terrifying notion. If these alien could crush humanity despite their level of technology this easily, they didn't want to imagine what would happen if something like that attacked Equestria... It would be pitiful.

Shining thought along the same lines. If something like that were to attack their home, what chance would they stand? Shining could only think about how powerful human weaponry was. From the little he's seen of it, he knew it was not anything to take lightly. If these aliens were even slightly more advanced than humanity, the devastation they could cause was unimaginable; as proven from the city in the distance. The Princesses of Equestria were powerful, but where they powerful enough to suppress an enemy like this!? Shining did not know, and for that reason he was terrified of the possibility.

Daring thought back to every ruin she's ever raided, and began to think about them in a much different light. She did pay mind to their history, and how they became ruins. However, it never really had much of an impact emotionally. To her, that was in the past, and there wasn't any reason to get upset about what was lost back then. They were dead, and they didn't care anymore. 

Looking upon the ruins of New York gave her quite a different perspective. At first, she wasn't sure why, it should be just another ruin to her. She quickly realize though that this wasn't all that far into the past, and there was still people alive living within it's tragedy. Countless lives were lost in that city, recently enough that there were people still remember and care. When she thought about it that way, she realized that all ruins were like that at one time, with those who cared about its ruin up to the point they died and everyone else forgot. In it's own simple way, it was very tragic. 

Of course, this wasn't one simple ruin. No, this was an entire world in ruins. A tragedy magnified on a global scale, only remembered by any of those were left. However, in the end, they will die too, and there would be no one left to remember what this world once was. It will be just a dead, lifeless world in ruins that no one besides its destroyer will remember. One of the biggest tragedies of all. For the first time since they found him, Daring felt some pity for John. She still didn't like him, as she still believe he was a outright horrible monster. However, she could understand how this reality could turn people into monsters. No one deserves to live in a reality like this.

Fluttershy couldn't feel anything but dread. She had come to realize she was completely surrounded by death. That city outside was dead, the people outside were dead, this building was dead, everything in this very world... Fluttershy couldn't begin to comprehend how something so horrible could happen. How could something be so horrible to make this happen? What kind of monster would you have to be commit to something so atrocious? A monster of a different kind to be sure...

This whole thing made Fluttershy want to gag and throw up again. However, she wouldn't allow herself to. She knew it wouldn't change anything. They'd still be here, and she'd be more upset. She needed to keep herself together, stay strong long enough for them to get out of here. The sooner the better...

Of course, her mind also fell to John, and what was to become of him. Were they going to leave him? His kind was dying out, and he was sure to die as well if they left him here. That thought of that was terrible for Fluttershy. All she could think was about how wrong it would be to just leave him here to die.  Of course, what would happen if they took him with them? Those four outside... they were humans too, just like John, and he killed them without any sort of remorse. Why? Why would he do that? Would they want to bring someone like that back to Equestria? Fluttershy didn't know.

Of course, John did. Fluttershy may not agree with what he did in the slightest, regardless of reason, but she wanted to hear him out. She wanted some excuse to trust him, and to try to save him from this nightmarish world. She reformed Discord, even though it seemed impossible at the time. She would like to think she would do the same for anyone, regardless of how wicked they may be. Plus, she thought that maybe, if they just saved one, the risks they took coming here would have been worth it after all. So, she was going to ask...

"Those... humans out there. Why? Why did you kill them? If there are so few of you left-" Fluttershy started but she was quickly cut off as John spoke up.

"They weren't human." John interjected.

Fluttershy, as well as the rest of the team were confused by this statement. Those humans outside were not human? Then what were they? They looked the same... What was John talking about?

"E-excuse me?" Fluttershy asked, quite confused.

"They weren't human... At one point and time, they probably were, but the human part of them died a long time ago.  At some point in time, they lost the right to call themselves humans, because no sane human being would do the things they did... I'll just say, if you think I'm bad, you will be happy that you never got the chance to meet them." John explain solemnly.

The team took this into thought, and could only imagine what John had meant by that. He said that they were worse than he could be, and that was hard to imagine. At this point, Fluttershy didn't think she even wanted to know. However, she asked anyways.

"What did they do?" Fluttershy asked.

John stopped sewing at this point, seemingly paused in thought. It was only brief, however, as he continued and answered.

"I would say that you don't want to know, but I have a feeling that will not cut it anymore at this point... Alright then. You asked for it." John started.

At this point, the entire team was paying attention. They were all wondering the same thing, even if they really didn't want to know. However, in the back of all their minds, they wanted it to hear the justification for this. They wanted to believe John had a legitimate reason for for what occurred outside, and that he wasn't just some cold, heartless killer.

"We've all lost a bit of our humanity being out here. We've all done things that at one time we would have been considered nothing short of horrific... However, now that is just a condition of living here. You are bound to, more sooner than later, commit something monstrous that you will regret for the rest of your life. At that point, you have two choices... You live with your actions and move on, recognizing that you've made the right or wrong choice. Otherwise, you let them consume you, and make you no better than the monsters you fight..."  John continued.

The team, more or less, got what he was saying here. Anyone living in this world has done something wrong in the name of survival. At that point, those actions had turned them into two different things; the ones who moved on and the ones who didn't. Those who moved on end up more or less sane like John, accepting their actions for what they are and now allowing them to be anymore than that. Those who didn't... they end up like the people outside, whatever they became... 

Shining and the guards knew this much, as it reminded them of those who didn't have what it took mentally to be apart of the royal guard. Of those who had to be discharged because they couldn't handle the stress of their job. Those ponies usually ended up doing horrible, unspeakable things before or after the fact. Some ponies, as well as some humans it seemed, can't handle the pressure and can snap psychologically. 

With this, the team began to realize why John told them that they didn't want to know. The implications seemed to suggest something horrible. However, they let him continue. They felt they needed to know.

"Those 'humans' out there, those monsters, they are what we call cannibals. Before we've ever reached them, they've likely killed, and ate over twenty people. That is usually the average of any well established cannibal group. Could have been more, could have been less, who really knows. However, that hardly matters. They were not about to stop. If given the opportunity, they would have killed and ate me, and they would have done god knows what to all of you. They hate aliens as much as anyone else, and they are known to not always kill their victims immediately..." John finished, seeming to glance down the hallway as he uttered his last statement.

With this, the team was put into silence once more. These humans... or monsters as John put it... hunted down and ate their own kind!? What was wrong with them!? How could someone go that far off the edge as to murder their own kind and... eat them!? This was a bedtime horror story come true, they didn't even want to think about what John implied they would have done to them if they caught them. The thought alone that they ate their own kind was horrible enough, but to go beyond that was unthinkable. 

Even Fluttershy had a difficult time trying to justify allowing them to live... At this point, she was almost beginning to think that putting down such sick individuals was actually a mercy mission. However, she quickly shook those thoughts out of her head; berating herself for even thinking that for a second... However, she couldn't help but feel stuck on the idea that John may have been right to kill them; as horrible as it was. Fluttershy was very conflicted.

The team remained in silence as John finally finished stitching up his overcoat. With this, he got up, walked past the team and began to make his way down stairs. Sky, curious about where he was going, decided to speak up.

"Hey, where are you off to?" Sky asked.

John paused for a moment, seeming to gesture to outside.

"Outside, to clean up the mess I made. Something I was doing before I got my masked knocked off by some bitch. I can't just leave them out there, they'll attract some nasty wildlife up to our doorstep." John stated as continued his way down stairs. 

Daring seemed to growl at John's remark, but decided to let it go in order to avoid a repeat of last time.

With this, the team was left to contemplate everything they've seen, and what they've been told. At this point, it was deadly obvious that they needed to get out of here. The real question was where and when? They still didn't know how John would feel about them attempting to escape, and they still didn't know why the crystal wasn't working. How much longer would they have to travel with John on this Celestia forsaken world where everyone wants them dead? Would they ever get the crystal to work? If so, would John ever allow them to leave? They didn't know. 

What they did know was that John didn't seem to be actually planning anything against them; nor did he seem to have any intention to hurt any of them. So, as long as they complied with his demands and didn't didn't go against him anymore than they already have, they'd be buying themselves some time. So, all they needed to do was sit tight and get the crystal to work. With that, all of them would be home safe soon. 

Hopefully, anyways.





So, I came back outside to do my thing. Spike was still hard at work, and he was already pulling the third corpse over the slope. Spike stopped for a moment at the top of the slope and seemed to give me a glare, one that said 'well, where the hell were you while I was doing all the work?' before he finally pulled it over.

I chuckle, Spike can just be silly sometimes...

With a brief sigh, I walked over to the final corpse, grabbed its legs, and began to drag it up slope. As I did this, I began to think back to the  conversation with the aliens. 

Their reaction to everything was about as I expected; obviously stunned and shocked at what they were seeing. I'll be honest, though, I was kind of surprised of how quickly they got it after only just seeing it. I kinda expected to see some denial that what they were seeing was real. But no, they got straight to asking how it happened and the extent of it. They were in shock to be sure, horrified even, but not quite in denial, it made me wonder...

Anyways, it's not important. What's important is that they finally see the truth, and can stop treating me like a psychopath. I'm sure they will continue to question my actions, but not nearly to the extent of before. Now they see that here the answer to a problem isn't always so simple, and they will stop trying to get in my way...

...assuming they stay any longer that is.

Yes, I'm very well aware that they might just end up abandoning me at some point. Just call down their ufo or whatever and go back home when I turn my back. Sure, this would tick me off a little bit, considering the situation with our stalker, but I would understand. Who the hell would want to stay here on this world? Certainly nothing to accomplish here, something they should understand by now, and there's no point to risking your neck for someone you owe nothing to. 

Feeling is mutual in that regard... The only reason I brought them along was because I thought I would need them. However, at this point, I'm starting to feel that they might be more trouble than they are worth. They can hardly defend themselves, and any man, sane or insane, would shoot me on sight seeing me traveling with these aliens. I am more at risk now of dying to a random sniper than I ever was dying to this stalker. At this point, considering the number I had done on the stalker, I might actually be better off if they just cut loose and left. Maybe I shouldn't even wait for them to decide, just tell them to fuck off right now.

I guess we'll see, first things first though...

Soon enough, I was over the slope with the line of corpses laid out by Spike in sight. Said wolf was currently feasting on the exposed face of one of them.

Yes, Spike did eat humans on occasion. When he first picked up this habit, it made me, as well as everyone else, a bit uncomfortable. Jokes were cracked about how Spike would nibble the ears off of any rookie falling asleep at his post; forcing many of them to become insomniacs. However, in the end, I decided that it was perfectly fine. Spike has to eat something on the road, and I can't always feed him. So it is understandable that he will usually take what he can get. It wasn't like this corpse needed its face anymore anyhow...

I dragged my corpse up to the line of bodies and set it down. Looking up from my position, I could see a second floor window and the roof of the decaying building. They were in prime position to keep an eye on throughout. With luck, I might be able to bag that stalker after all.

Speaking of...

I took a quick scan around, looking for anything glowing red around me, making sure I was still alone. Sure enough, I saw nothing. Since Spike wasn't acting up, and was still face munching, I felt it safe to assume we were alone.

With that out of the way, I began to look over the corpses, trying to figure out which of them was the closest size to the woman inside.

Yes, I hadn't forgotten about her. It would be kinda hard not to, she did try to kill me. Since I didn't just kill her right back, she was now my responsibility, one that needed a thermal suit. Since I didn't know if her's was still intact, I figured I might as well just grab one while I'm out here; save me a trip if her suit actually was trashed.

I probably should have killed her to be honest... just not thought about it too hard and assume she was one of them. Of course, I would have found out later, but it would have already been done and easier to excuse. It certainly would have been less complicated that way. However, what I said inside holds true. If I did that, just killed her because it's easier not to think about it, I would be one step closer to being the monsters I'm currently setting out as bait. Not something I'd ever want.

So, here I was picking a body to strip of a thermal suit to bring back to the unconscious, tormented woman inside; because 'it was the right thing to do.' Yes, I know I said before that no one ever does anything for nothing out here, and this still holds true. My intentions are not entirely pure, just helping out of the good of my heart. Just like with the aliens, I do intend to get something out of this, but I'm not quite sure what yet... Potential replacement for the helpless team maybe? Perhaps she has a home to go to; someplace to restock? I don't know, but I do intend to find out.

Anyways, now, on top of a team of clueless aliens, I had to babysit a possibly psychotic woman who would more than happily loot my corpse. Life is just brilliant, isn't it?

As I finally made up my mind and started stripping a corpse of its equipment, a thought suddenly occurred to me. I realized that I had left said clueless aliens in the same building as said psychotic woman... I briefly thought about running back inside and getting them out of there before one of them wandered into the cell and got themselves killed. 

However, I shrugged it off. Not only was the woman chained, but she was also knocked out, doubt she would be doing anything. Plus, I've already told the aliens that the house might be full of traps, so I doubt they were going to be exploring. Surely, everything would be fine.

"Surely, they're not that stupid." I said to myself as I continued to strip the corpse of my choice.





"Daring, where are you going?!" Sky questioned.

Since John left, Twilight had pulled out the crystal again to see if they could now get in contact with portal control. However, just like the last time they tried, they were getting nothing. Daring, getting particularly frustrated with their only ticket home not working, decided she needed something to distract herself before she completely flipped out. She figured that she might as well explore and see if she could find one of those traps John had mentioned earlier. Spotting traps was apart of her skill set, and she was curious in regards of what one would look like here.

When Sky questioned her as began to walk down the hallway, she couldn't help in groan in frustration. She wished Sky would stop riding her flank.

"What does it look like? I'm exploring. I need to do something before I end up breaking something." Daring stated as she continued to make her way down the hallway, looking for any sign of traps.

At this point, the team's attention turn from the crystal to Daring, all were very concerned. Daring hasn't exactly been making very smart decisions as of late... Exploring a possibly booby trapped house was not redeeming her at this point.

"Daring, John said the building likely has traps, are you sure that's a good idea?" Sparks asked, very concerned for the impulsive mare.

Daring wanted to snap at the rest of the team, and tell them to leave her be in the most colorful way she knew how. However, Daring managed to stifle her irritation this time, and responded as calmly as she could managed.

"Yes, that's why I'm exploring. I know how to spot a trap, and this house needs to be secured anyways. Have faith in me, I do this all the time." Daring responded, continuing down the hallway.

The team wanted to say something more, but decided against it; turning their attention back to the crystal. If Daring needed to vent somehow, they shouldn't prevent her from doing so. Plus, they knew she was truthful, she does do this sort of thing all the time. She hopefully won't hurt herself too badly...

With this, Daring was left uninterrupted as she secured each room she passed. The first three were empty, aside for rubble. The next one looked like some sort of sleeping area, filled with filthy mattresses. after looking under all the mattresses and inspecting any oddities, she deemed the room secure. She did the same for next two rooms, one that was with an assortment of bags and one that was empty like the first three. 

In the bag room, looking through the mess, she got excited as she managed to find something that resembled one of John's weapons! This one more resembled John's smaller gun, but was a bit smaller and shaped differently. Instead of having a smooth, curved wooden handle, it had a straight metallic handle that directly protruded downward from the top part of it. Daring put this find in her saddlebags, fully intending to bring it back to Equestria. It looked like they were going to be bringing back more than a bullet after all. 

Daring searched through the rest of the bags, but found nothing else noteworthy. There was a human adaptive suit in one of the bags, but it was practically torn to shreds; useless.

After securing the empty room, Daring turned her attention towards the last accessible room; the one with the door.

Daring had some hesitation with this one. If there trap, it would likely be triggered by opening the door, or even just twisting the handle. The thought of that in itself made Daring believe that she shouldn't open the door at all, just leave it be and let John deal with it. However, Daring had never backed down from a risky move before, as her namesake suggests; she was not about to start now.

She took a cautious step towards the door, her eyes fixed upon the handle. All she needed to do was twist that handle, open the door, and quickly get out of the way. If she did that, she would very likely be able to avoid any kind of trap. That was all she needed to do...

With a countdown from three, she put her hoof on the handle and prepared to twist it.

3...

2...

1!!!

With this, Daring twisted the handle, flung the door open, and quickly backed off, expecting something to happen. 

Nothing happened. The door simply opened...

With a sigh of relief, looks like there are no traps after all... Daring peeked around the corner and into the room, wondering what could possibly be inside that would make up for the risk she just took. 

The last thing Daring remembers was someone screaming and something resembling a chain being flung at her face.





Alright, so, I got the thermal suit. Now, I just need to make it back before one of those idiots gets bored... God fucking damnit, I really shouldn't have left them in there. Christ, I swear, if something bad happens because I left them alone for more than a minute...

I was now quickly making my way down slope towards the building, my full intent to get inside, up the stairs, and get them the fuck out of the building just to be sure. It sort of hit me as I was retrieving the thermal suit equipment that they were in fact that stupid, or at least way too curious for their own good. Shouldn't have left them in there.... God fucking damnit.

As I entered the building, I suddenly began to hear the sound I've been dreading... the sound of the aliens starting to shout at someone. At this point, I think I knew who...

"HEY, NO!!! LET HER GO!!! PUT HER DOWN, RIGHT NOW!!!" I heard Iron shout first.

"John!!! JOHN!!! GET UP HERE!!! WE HAVE A SITUATION!!!" Lyra called, clearly panicking.

"Twilight, Lyra, Fluttershy! Get downstairs! Find John, get him up here! NOW!" Shining yelled after.

"Son of a FUCKING bitch!" I yelled in frustration, drawing Lisa and making my way upstairs. I didn't drop the thermal suit, I knew at this point I was going to need it one way or another.

Couldn't even leave them for one FUCKING minute without them fucking something up! What the fuck was I thinking!? Let's hope that no one just died! 

I dashed my way up stairs, narrowly dodging Twilight, Fluttershy and Lyra as they made their way downstairs. They said something to me, but I wasn't listening. My only concern was getting up there and assessing the situation. I made it to the top and pointed my weapon down the hall. 

Shining, Sky, Sparks, and Iron all had their crossbows pointed down the hall at the one target standing in the middle of it. This one particular target was, in fact, the naked woman I subdued earlier. Her left arm held a motionless Daring in front of her as a shield while her right hand held a shard of glass to her throat. 

Well, this seem awfully familiar.

Upon seeing me enter the hall, she seemed to recognize me as her face immediately contorted into a snarl and was quick to conceal as much of her head behind Daring as possible. Clever girl...

"John, this is your kind! What do we do?!" Shining asked upon realizing I was here.

I didn't answer. I simply holstered Lisa as I began to make my way down the hall, thermal suit still over my shoulder. I already knew what I needed to do, Shining and his soldiers were not going to help other than killing her if things when south. This woman isn't going to give up because we are pointing guns at her. Very likely that the last time she did that, she got captured by those freaks outside. At this point, she was not afraid of death, and she was willing to take as many lives as possible if it meant getting away from here. 

She wasn't going to be intimidated by a show of force. So we needed to show her we were not the enemy. I was hoping to do this under a more controlled circumstance, but it was too late for that now...

As I walked past Shining, he gave me a confused glare, likely wondering what the hell I was doing. He tried to get my attention a few times, but ignored him. As I said, he was not of any use here.

Within a few moments, I was mere feet away. At that point, the woman held Daring tighter and the glass firmer against her neck; making it very clear I needed to stop. There was blood on Daring's suit now, but I was uncertain whose it was. The woman's hand was bleeding from holding the glass too tightly.

I stopped in my tracks and just stood there, staring down the woman. She glared back at me fiercely from behind Daring, showing no sign of backing down.

"Easy." I said, putting up a hand, gesturing her to calm down.

This hardly worked, if anything, it almost made her apply even more pressure. Then she did a gesture herself, pointing at my guns and gesturing for me to give it to her. 

I shook my head, a bit surprised that she was so bold to demand that. Clearly, she wasn't in that sort of position. "Don't be stupid, you know I'm sure as hell not going to do that; not when you clearly intend to hurt us. Let's be reasonable." I replied calmly.

She apparently had a dislike for talking, as she instead applied more pressure to Daring's throat. This time I was sure she was cutting flesh.

"Easy! Killing her gets you nowhere here! It only gets you dead! Let's be reasonable here! We are not your enemy! Let's work this out." I warned.

Clearly, she didn't believe me on the second part. However, the first part she knew for a fact. With that, she eased off a bit, but still held firm. Good enough for the moment.

At this point, she was beginning to shiver, the cold was beginning to get to her. Her eyes were dashing between the warm room and the thermal suit on my shoulder. She inched closer to the room to sustain herself, but refused to go inside. It was clear at this point she wanted nothing to do with that room. Without this thermal suit, she was stuck there; somewhere she didn't want to be. Now was the time to try to talk to her.

"The men who did this to you, who locked you up in that room, they're dead. I killed them all, their final resting places are outside. Surely you heard the gunfire?" I asked.

Again, the woman refused to say anything. She just maintained her position in front of the door, very cautious of any sudden movement. However, I could tell she was listening. For a moment, she actually stopped glaring at me like I was threat. The glare was replaced by a look of thought, as she seemed to acknowledge what I was saying was true. She did hear gunfire, and she did hear someone die. She started to glare at me again, however, it wasn't nearly as hostile as before. It might actually look like she was willing to hear me out.

"If you were to look outside now, you will see your four tormentors lined up in the distance; if you need anymore proof. However, I need you to let the alien go. I'll trade you even, one thermal suit, for one bitchy alien. How's that sound?"

I could practically feel the glare from the aliens behind me. No, I wasn't about to stop calling Daring a bitch anytime soon. Let's be honest, she kinda is.

The woman looked tempted, however, she clearly had her reservations. There was the obvious, the fact that there are aliens in the room, and the fact I'm not killing them. From her perspective, I probably looked like an-

"Enlightened..." She mumbled.

-and she speaks.

"You're enlightened. If you are not one of the cannibals, which you are clearly not, then you'd have to be enlightened... Right? If you were really here to help me, then why are you not killing these freaks? Why are you helping them!? Clearly, you are just trying to trick me, trying to convert me into your brainwashed cult! But you don't bare the mark... it would have been on your face... when I saw it, there was no mark... You can't be enlightened without the mark... If you are not enlightened, then what are you!? Why are you helping them! CAN'T YOU SEE THEY WANT TO KILL US!?!?!?  WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE!!! HELP ME!!! DON- Don't let them kill me... THEY ARE STAND RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!! CAN'T YOU SEE THEM!!! WHY ARE YOU NOT HELPING ME!!! HELP ME!" The woman began screaming at me, getting more and more hysterical as she went on.

This was starting to get out of control. The woman was getting very hysterical, and was likely to do something stupid. I needed to calm her down, now. I quickly removed my mask and set it down besides me. I figured if she could see my face, see that I'm human just like her, she would calm down. Least, that was my hope... However, she just continued to scream incoherently. Since she was no longer responding rationally, I decided there was only one thing left to do.

Yell back.

"Hey! Look at me! Right here! Snap out of it!" I snapped at her.

With this, the woman stopped her rambling and screaming, looking to have been quite frightened at my sudden tone of voice. So frightened as a matter of fact that she accidentally dropped the glass piece she was holding against Daring's throat. She didn't even seem to notice, all she did was hug the alien front of her, keeping her up as a shield against me.

I let out a small sigh, relieved that didn't just go sideway and quite surprised that worked out the way it did. However, I wasn't done yet. She still had Daring, and the woman could still very easily snap her neck. I needed to continue cautiously, she was obviously in a fragile state of mind. On the other hand, it was something I could use to my advantage...

"Yes, I can see them. They are right behind me. However, they are not our enemy. They are not going to hurt me, they are not going to hurt you. The men that hurt you are dead, and you will never see them again. Please, we are just trying to help you. Give us back our bitchy alien, and I will trade you a thermal suit.

Understandably, she hesitated. She didn't trust me, and she had no reason to trust me. However, it was also clear at this point that she had no plan, and she knew that she couldn't fight them all; let alone one of them. Without this thermal suit, there was nowhere to go. It was a hopeless situation, and she needed hope. For hope, she would believe in anything; even me.

With that, she let Daring go, placing her on the ground and pushing her towards me. I did the same in return, placing the thermal suit and gasmask on the ground and sliding it over to her. She immediately grabbed it, straightened it out, and began the process of putting it on. In the meantime, I was quick to retrieve Daring, picking her up and bringing her back towards the guards; all who looked very relieved and concerned.

"John, is she okay?" Sky asked.

Daring was fine as far as I knew, she was still breathing. However, that was far from the first thing on my mind. At this point, all I cared about was getting the aliens out of danger. Plus, I needed to have a word with them.

"She's fine. Downstairs, now." Was all I said as I passed them and towards the stairs.

"Hey what about-" Sparks was about to ask, probably referring to the woman. However, I could care less at this point. She wasn't going to hurt anyone.

"Now." I cut off.

This seemed to stop any further argument, they opted to instead make their way downstairs with me. 

If there was any further proof needed that bringing these aliens with me was a terrible idea, it was this previous situation. They just can't fucking listen, can they? 'House is full of traps, don't go exploring.' What do they do? They go exploring. I swear, these idiots are going to get Spike and I killed. All it will take is one of them being stupid to trip an explosive trap, and blow us all sky high. If they can't listen to common sense, let alone me, then they had no place trying to support me as a team. Stalker or not, these aliens needed to go back home.

It was time to tell them what I told them in the beginning, something I shouldn't have ever changed my mind about. For them to fuck right the hell off.





Twilight, Fluttershy, and Lyra were all waiting downstairs, anxiously awaiting for the situation upstairs to be resolved. None of them knew what exactly happened. They let Daring go do her thing, figuring she would be fine considering she did this sort of thing all the time. Surely she wasn't going to get herself hurt. 

Then, all the sudden, something grabbed Daring from the end of the hallway. It looked human, but slightly different from John, and it wasn't wearing any sort of clothing. All they saw was that it had a weapon, and was clearly intending to hurt them. Shining told them to run downstairs and get John. They were going to, but apparently John had already heard the commotion was was sprinting upstairs past them. Twilight tried to tell him what was happening, but John hardly gave her the time. 

So here they were, waiting downstairs, praying to Celestia that Daring wasn't hurt and that they would resolve the situation very soon. Anxiety grew as they began to hear a mare screaming hysterically upstairs. It was obvious that it wasn't anyone from their team, considering the things she was screaming, so it was safe it was safe to assume that it was the hostage taker. At this point, it occurred to them that the thing holding Daring hostage was likely a female human. Of course, that was something they hardly cared for. They just wanted to see Daring come out of this alive.

Soon, the yelling stopped, and made Twilight, Fluttershy, and Lyra even more anxious. What happened? What Daring okay? Was she alive? The three ponies did not know. 

Least that was until they saw John making his way downstairs, Daring in his arms, and Shining, Sky, Iron and Sparks following behind. 

Of course, from here, it was hard to tell if Daring was okay. She wasn't moving, and clearly not awake. This made them all a little uneasy. Fluttershy spoke up to ask the question.

"Is she okay!? Is she alive!? Please tell us she's alive!" Fluttershy practically barraged, worried for the condition of the pegasus.

John didn't answer, not immediately anyways. He simply simply walked up to the three ponies and laid Daring down in front of them, and walked a couple of feet back.

"She's breathing, but I'd make sure." He said with a cold tone, sounding like he hardly cared if it were one way or another.

The entire team together found this a bit off putting. What in Tartarus was getting into John? However, they shrugged it off for the moment. At this point, they only cared about making sure Daring was okay. 

Fluttershy did her thing, checking her vitals, patching up any scratches or cuts she had. In the end, Fluttershy was able to determine that Daring was in fact okay, just knocked out cold. She informed the entire group of this, and they were all relieved... All except for John it seemed.

John was standing behind the team, arms crossed and glaring at them, seeming to just be waiting for them to finish up. John's mask was off at this point, so they could see his expression. It appeared that he was quite pissed off about something; most pointedly at the team of ponies. This was starting the worry the team, mainly Twilight, Lyra, and Shining. Why was he staring at them like that? Did they do something wrong? Something told them this had something to do with the situation upstairs...

Soon, Fluttershy was able to revive Daring, who looked quite confused as she woke up to the concerned eyes of her team, and the cold ones of John... The last thing she remembers was opening a door and getting hit by something. However, she was sure it wasn't a trap. She remembered checking it for a trap... So what exactly happened? Why was everyone looking at her so concerned? And why was John looking at her like she was lunch? This was confusing as Tartarus...

"My head's killing me...W-what happened?" Daring managed to get out. 

Anypony on the team would have been more than happy to answer her. However, none of them had the chance to say anything as John interrupted.

"You fucked up." John stated, clearly unsympathetic.

At this point, the entire team looked over to John, some even glaring at him. All wondered what the buck was his problem. He's been acting like an tailhole since he dragged them all down here. Apparently not even giving a single buck whether Daring was okay or not. What was wrong with him? Why was he so pissed off?

"Hey! What the buck is your problem?! You've had a piss poor attitude since you got down here. You want to fill us in?" Sky asked, getting tired of John's behavior.

John shook his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose as he seemed to sigh out of frustration.

"You know what, as a matter of fact, you all fucked up. Seriously, what was the ONE thing I said when we first step in here!? What part of 'The house is not secure, there may be full of traps, don't go exploring' did you not understand! Are you all really that stupid, or were you deliberately trying to get us all killed!?" John practically yelled. 

This took everypony a bit by surprise. This was what he was pissed off about? Especially this pissed off? At this, Daring got a bit defensive. Not only was the rest of the team not involved as he accused, but there really wasn't any danger to anyone but herself. She didn't know what happened with the door, and she was fully willing to accept that as her own mistake, but going as far as trying to get them all killed was idiotic.

"H-hey! They had nothing to do with it! It was all me! I was checking the building for traps since I heard you mention it! I figured you would have wanted it to be secure, considering we were planning on staying here for the night! No one was in danger but me, and I know what I'm doing! I've done it before, you tailhole!"

This didn't seem disway John at all. If anything it seemed to make him more angry. 

"Oh, my fucking... You don't even have a clue, do you!? I don't know where you've been clearing traps, but here one mistake could make the house explode!!! Yes, the house, and everything around it! All it would take is touching the wrong wire! Don't tell me you know what the fuck you are doing, because you clearly don't! If you had a single fucking clue, you would have left someone who knew what such a trap would look like clear the house! You idiot!!!"

This shut Daring right up, and she realize very quickly that he was right. Clearing the house by herself was stupid! She didn't even considered what traps of this world would even do; or what they even looked like! No matter how careful she was, no matter what precautions she took, one mistake could have very well killed them all! How could she have been so short sighted?! So Irresponsible... She could have gotten them all killed. 

Daring was left to contemplate this as John then turned his sights on the rest of the team.

"And all of you! You are nowhere near off the hook! You LET HER do it! Even after I warned you, none of you had the brains to stop her! My fucking Christ, can you aliens not listen!? Are you this stupid!?"

The ponies wanted to say something in their defense, but really couldn't think of anything. John was right, they should have stopped her. However, they didn't think it would be a problem... All he told them was that the house was not secure, how were they supposed to know? Of course, that was hardly an excuse. Lyra tried to formulate an argument, but it was very weak.

"B-but what about the other human! You never warned us about her! How were we supposed to know about that!?" Lyra tried.

"Mute fucking point. Not only was that none of your business, but it shouldn't have mattered. I would have handled it all, if all of you had just listened..." John trailed off, shooting Lyra down immediately.

The entire team was silent, and John seemed to have calmed down. At that point, the team hoped that was that. That John got it out of his system, they learned their lesson, and now they could move on. Unfortunately for them, John wasn't done.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have went off like that. That was completely pointless and unproductive, especially considering what I really needed to say... This isn't going to work, we're done." John said, putting on his mask, turning around, and began to make his way back upstairs.

The entire team froze at this. What did John mean by that? What was he saying? Was he....

"Hey, wait! John! What do you mean 'we're done?!' You can't just say something like that and walk away! We're very concerned here!" Lyra started shout back at him as he walked upstairs.

John stopped half way up, ducking to look down at us.

"I mean, we are done. Take whatever time you need to get your shit together and leave. I'm done baby sitting you." John replied, getting and continuing to make his way up.

For the team, Lyra particularly, this was a bit unexpected; unbelievable even. Was John abandoning them? Over this? This wasn't right, clearly John was just overreacting. Somepony needed to talk some sense into him. Lyra felt that she needed to say something, to stop this impulsive decision somehow. 

"John! Wait! Can we just-" Lyra began to say.

"Leave it, Lyra." Shining suddenly interjected.

Lyra was a bit surprised by this, shocked even that Shining was letting this go. They couldn't possibly let him just cut ties with them like this...

"But-" Lyra tried again.

"Leave it, he made up his mind." Shining finished.

At first, Lyra couldn't understand why Shining was willing to just let this go without so much as an argument. She was about to voice this, but Shining was quicker to make himself clear.

"Lyra, can't you see? He's letting us go. Once we get the crystal to work, we can leave, and he won't stop us." Shining quickly explained.

As Shining explained it, Lyra and the rest of the team realized what they were fearing about John was now apparently false. It was made clear at this point that John hardly cared if they left. They could leave; they could go home and John wouldn't stop them. This was good news, amazing news even. They could go home hassle free now!

Of course, that begged the question of the crystal. For some reason, the crystal still wasn't working, and it was clear that it wasn't simply because somepony went on a coffee break. There was clearly something wrong with the crystal here, or with portal control back in Equestria. If they couldn't figure out the problem, there was a good chance they could be stuck here for awhile longer; maybe even forever. In this worse case scenario, it's possible that John abandoning them was a death sentence.

However, the team was not about to think that way. They were going to figure out the problem, and they were going to get home. They were not going to need John's help, they were going to get home and be just fine...

...least that is what they hoped.
> Chapter 10: Dead Signal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It's been a little over three hours now. The aliens were still here, still downstairs doing whatever the hell they were doing. I paid little mind to them; they were not my problem anymore. My only concern at this point was the woman sitting down in the hallway, as far away from her previous prison as she could stand without having to be near the stairwell. I had a feeling that it had something to do with the aliens downstairs, considering that she didn't seem to bothered by my presence; in a sense anyways. She was keeping her distance from me, refusing to be in the same room. However, it was clear that I was her last priority in the distance game, as she lingered outside the doorway of the room I was in.

When I first got up here, I had fully expected her to be gone. To have risked the second story window or something. That, or to have rearmed herself and prepared for a fight. I was fully prepared for both. However, she was still there, far calmer than she was before, just sitting down in the hallway in her newly acquired thermal suit. 

Don't get me wrong, she practically threatened me with a glare that said 'don't get to close,' but it was clear that she was far from outright attacking me. All and all, she was quite calm.

I kept to her wishes, maintaining my distance and entering one of the empty rooms near her; so I wasn't blocking her escape per-say. With this, she seemed to stop giving me that look, and returned to her own thoughts. Still not quite sure what she was thinking about, or what the hell she was doing in the first place, but she's stayed like this for this entire time. I lingered around the doorway, and tried talking to her. Asked her name, where she came from, how she ended up here; questions along those lines. However, it seemed as though she had no interest in talking. So, I left her be, resolving to move over to one of the windows in my room to keep watch over the bodies in the distance. 

That is more or less how it's been this entire time. I keeping watch, the aliens doing their thing down below, and the woman sitting quietly in the hallway. 

I'll be honest, there was a certain awkwardness about this. For the first time in a long time, I've ran across a situation I had absolutely no clue how to approach. My resolve was to leave her be and assume that eventually she'll actually say something. However, as time goes by, it is more and more apparent that she planned on just remaining silent. She was very content with not saying a damn word, and that was a problem. 

My current plans for her was to figure out if she had a bunker somewhere out here, a place where I could get restocked; as I really need to. Maybe, if I could determine that I can trust her, I could even get her to travel with me for while as back up; big 'if' here. However, none of this was possible if she wasn't going to talk, and I had no clue where to start. Don't think 'hello' or 'how you doing' was going to work at this point. 

More time passes, and I start to get a little irritated. Three fucking hours and she hasn't said a damn thing. I may have saved her, but at this point if she was going to be as useless as the aliens down stairs, I was going to give her the boot as well. It was time to give an ultimatum.

"So, why are you still here?" I asked rhetorically.

Looking back at her, I could see that this had gotten her attention, but still said nothing. She just looked at me quizzically, questioning the question it seemed. I was quick to make myself clear.

"No one is keeping you here you know. You can leave, especially if you are going to act like this. I got to sleep at some point, and I'm sure as hell not going to trust you if you keep this act up. If you want to be a mute, be one somewhere else; preferably miles from here." I stated, looking back out the window at the corpses; they were all still there.

I didn't bother looking back to see her reaction, it didn't matter either way. I gave her choices, either she leaves, she stops being quiet, or I force her to leave. Either option worked for me, even if it meant I lose a potential place to restock. Still, it was a lot better than be robbed or killed in your sleep.

She remained silent for a little bit longer. However, she ended up making her choice hardly a minute later. 

"Anabel, my name's Anabel." She said quietly.

A name... Well, that was a start... Now, I guess, it was my turn to ask another question. 

"Nice to meet you, Anabel. You from around here?" I greeted and asked. Though mostly just asked. Needed to know which bunker she hailed from, it any at all.

If she is from around here, then it is likely that she's from a bunker that I've haven't heard of, a place that I might drop by if I get the chance. If not... Well, I guess this was a bust. She's not really much use to me otherwise. As much as I would entertained the thought of bringing her along with me as back up, I wasn't sure I trusted her that much. She did just go full psycho on me twice... If you count her only screaming at me the second time.

"No... I'm, uh... I'm a long ways from my bunker." She near mumbled.

Well, shit. Guess that's a bust. No resupply for me. Guess I will have to tough it out harder than I thought. I think back to the aliens, things would be a lot easier with their supplies...

No, I made the right decision. Bringing them any further than here is too much of a risk. I have enough to survive... The supplies is not worth the risk!

...Maybe I can nab a bit of their supplies before they leave though. It wasn't like they were going to need it going back to where they came from? Yeah, seems like a plan. I'll see to that once I...

My train of thought was interrupted as a sharp hunger pang hit me out of nowhere, reminding me of the fact that I have indeed gone an entire day without food. 

...once I fucking eat apparently. 

Completely forgetting that Anabel existed, I took off my bag, and began to shift though it, looking for anything edible. The first thing I came across was the 'apples' I got the aliens... I put them to the side, not willing to risk alien food unless I had absolutely nothing else. I shifted though the bag some more, trying to find anything to eat other than alien food. I was unsuccessful...

Yeah... I guess I definitely ate the last of my food supply. Now, it was down this this alien 'fruit.' Do I risk it, and possibly die of food poisoning? Should I just hold off? Maybe I'll find something tomorrow? 

Another pang...

...It's very unlikely...

Goddammit, this close to New York and now I've been presented the choice of possible quick maybe painful death or slow definitely painful death. I just can't catch a break, can I?

As I'm trying to make my food decisions, Anabel's voice interrupts my train of thought for the second time.

"I-Is that an apple!?" Anabel asked, sounding quite shocked.

I looked up at the mention of 'apple', wondering if one of the aliens had made their way upstairs and uttered the unfamiliar word. However, that was not the case. It was in fact Anabel who said 'apple.' She was staring right at them, a look of shocked recognition on her face. This completely baffled me. How did she know the name of this food when I didn't, she doesn't look like an alien to me...

"You... know what this is?" I asked, sort of dumbly, trying to figure out how in hell she knew what this was

Now it was apparently her turn to be confused, as her face contorted from shock of seeing the 'apple,' to being utterly confused by what I just said.

"You don't?" She asked skeptically. 

I thought for a moment, deciding whether or not I should admit to the fact that I never heard of an apple before... When they are apparently a thing here on earth. Interesting... Apparently apples did exist on earth, least when it was less fucked up. Just another thing I don't remember I guess...

Anyways, I decided to not answer the question, and ask one instead. Killing two birds with one stone. Didn't particularly want to admit I didn't have a clue.

"Want one?" I asked, throwing her an apple.

Yeah, I was definitely intending to use her as a guinea pig at this point. Apples may have existed on earth at one time, but apparently not anymore: considering I've never heard of them in or out of the bunker until now. These were alien apples, and I wasn't about to be the first one to try them. If this girl was going to be of any use, she might as well start by taste testing.

Yes, it's sort of fucked up, but it was either this or we both possibly starve to death. Cannibals don't exactly have sanitary snacks lying around. 

Thankfully, she didn't even hesitate, catching the apple and taking a bite out of it with a distinct *CRUNCH*. Apparently they are very crisp... Her face seemed to light up a bit as she seemed to savor the flavor of the foreign fruit. It appears that it tastes very good. 

"That.... That's the best apple I've ever had. Where did you find these? Apples are practically extinct." Anabel asked, suddenly very talkative.

I thought about the answer to that question very carefully. Something told me that telling her that those apples came from the aliens downstairs would probably set her off; probably not a great idea at this point considering how she's been so far... I decided to make something up.

"Abandoned bean farm, I found these in a random refrigerator." I lied.

If she knew I was lying, she certainly didn't show it as she practically inhaled the rest of the apple with zero hesitation. It seemed as though these apples tasted fine to her, if the look of satisfaction on her face was something to go by. I was not about to deem the apples safe yet, but it appeared as though they didn't taste off.

"Must have been an amazing refrigerator, haven't seen an apple in years..." She said, drifting back into her own thoughts.

At this point it returned to silence, and some time passes. She continued to look up at the ceiling, and I continued to watch her inconspicuously to see if the apple was having any effects on her. It didn't appear to... Unless staring randomly up at the ceiling was a side-effect.

After about five minutes passed, I decided to get her attention again, to see if the apple made her brain dead, or something...

"You alright?" I asked.

This seemed to snap her out of the trance she seemed to be in, turning her attention back to me. 

"Wuh? Oh... Sorry, I was just remembering things... The last time I had an apple... it was around when this all started. My mother gave it to me. She told me 'Remember this apple, it will be the last good thing you remember. Remember this apple when things get bad, then they'll be good again.' I... I was remembering that apple now, and feeling a little guilty for enjoying that last one so much... That was supposed to be the last one I had..." Anabel replied.

I wasn't sure how to take that one... That could have been the apple as much as her emotion trauma. It could be that the apple is a hallucinogen that is effecting her mind, or it could be the fact that she was under the loving care of cannibals for god knows how long? Impossible to which it was at this point.

Either way, it doesn't really seem to be killing her. If there were any ill effects from eating the apple, I would have seen at least a sign by now. From this, I can possibly be assured that the apple isn't going to kill me; but it might make me high.

...Another hunger pang....

Fuck it... what's the worse that can happen?

Finally deeming the apples safe for consumption, I, hesitating a little bit, picked up an apple and took a bite. 

A very odd, juicy, crisp, sweet flavor, exploded in my mouth. For a second I almost spat it out in surprise, as the flavor nearly overwhelmed me. It subsided after a second, and became very pleasant and refreshing. Chewing a couple of times then swallowing, I found myself taking another bite. These 'apples' were... pretty damn good. I can't say that I've every ate anything that was this powerful flavor-wise before.

I wasn't feeling altered however, no sort of druggy effects clouding my mind, so I guess no hallucinogens. 'Fine by me' is all I can say. 

I finished my first apple and moved onto my second. I was feeling much better now, The hunger pangs subsided, and I felt ready to take on the world. I definitely need to nab the crate of apples before the aliens leave, they won't need them. 

First things first though, had to deal with Anabel. 

I didn't think I was going to cast her to the wind just yet, she might still know something useful to me. Otherwise, maybe I just need to get a better look at her state of mind, see if she's worth keeping around. Could always use someone to watch my back.

"So, where are you from?" I asked, starting the conversation.

Let's hope she's not as crazy as our first encounter. 





By now, Twilight had ran every diagnostic she could think of in order to find any minuscule or major problem with the crystal. However, she couldn't find a single thing wrong. The crystal was in perfect health, whatever the problem was, it wasn't with the crystal. It had to be something else... but what few issues it could be left was completely out of their control. Portal control could be having issues on their end, the signal wasn't getting though for some reason... which would be impossible considering that they've tested it thousands of times in many different locations to ensure it would work... It just didn't make any sense! Why wasn't portal control responding!? Twilight was very frustrated at this point. She felt very... helpless.

The feeling was mutual with the rest of the team. Within the hours that Twilight had been at work trying to figure out the problem, the team was getting more and more anxious. The possibility of them being stuck here was becoming very real. The fact that they just lost their one way to make it out here was not helping either. If they couldn't get this portal to open before John left them behind... They didn't want to think about how long they'd last on a world like this. 

Lyra still believed that they shouldn't have let John go like that. Clearly, he wasn't thinking straight, simply acting out of anger. Justified anger, but anger none the less. As time pressed on, Lyra knew that they needed to fix things with John; soon. As much as everypony didn't want to admit it, their was a big chance that they'd be stuck here for awhile. Without John, there was a huge chance they wouldn't last that long. That being said, they needed to mend relations. The real question for Lyra was as to how. 

Shining was also beginning to realize his mistake in letting John cut them loose without so much as a fight. They crystal clearly had some issue with it, and it seemed as though his sister can't find out what was wrong with it. If Twily couldn't figure it out, then there was something severely wrong, something beyond their control. In that case, it was very possible they might be stuck out here longer than they'd like. As much as he'd hate to admit it, without John's advice, they'd wouldn't make it out here very long. For sure, they needed to mend relations, but Shining was unsure that was possible anymore... He hoped that he didn't doom his team by letting John go like that.

Sky was quietly fuming to herself. She wasn't about to admit it to anyone at this point, but she was terrified. Terrified that they were not going to get off this Celestia damned planet, terrified of what might happen if they tried to tough it out by themselves. Clearly, they were never meant to be here, if they stayed here, even for a day, something was going to crawl out of the snow and eat them, or as John said: 'god knows what else,' to them. Sky's imagination was going wild with thoughts of that last part, and she wanted no part of that. She just wanted to go home, take a shower, get laid, and forget this entire mess of a mission she volunteered for. She can't believe she let Iron drag her into this manure...

"'It will be fun!' He said... 'It's an entire new world!' He said... Of course he forgot to mention the fact that at any moment we are going to get butt raped to death and eaten by some alien tentacle monster that protrudes from the ground." Sky ranted quietly to herself.

Iron could just barely make out what Sky was saying. More or less he got that Sky was silently cursing him for asking her to come along; and something about a tentacle monster... Iron almost wanted to point out that it really didn't take much convincing to get her to come along. Tartarus, most of his squad wanted to come along, but he figured that Sky would appreciate it more. However, he decided that it wasn't exactly the best time to be counter arguing. Best to let her blow off steam now, Celestia knew they all needed to at this point. 

Sparks was more or less trying to think happy thoughts. She really needed to at this point, otherwise she'd be thinking about how completely fucked they were if this crystal didn't start working soon. However, unlike the rest of the team, she didn't believe John would be their savior in the alternative scenario. Sure's he'd help them last for awhile longer, but even he is mortal. They did find him dying outside their tent, to one Stalker that had likely claimed the lives of many other of his kind. If even John or the rest of his kind couldn't survive effectively out here, given all they know, what chance did they have?

Fluttershy was trying to remain hopeful, they were going home very soon after all. Sure, there were some problems with the crystal, but she knew Twilight; she would fix it. It was only a matter of time... How much time she wasn't sure, but she would get it, and they would all go home! Eventually...

Fluttershy's most concerned thoughts were really focused towards John, she still had that question in her head. What was to become of him? Were they going to leave him when the portal finally opened? Was he too dangerous to bring back to Equestria? Fluttershy still didn't know the answer to that particular question, but she did know that it would still be wrong to leave him; or the female human for that matter. Fluttershy had pretty much made up her mind, that she would try to convince John and the other human to come back with them, away from this horror and misery... Of course, the last question that would remain at that point would be if they even wanted to leave.

But why wouldn't they, this is a horrible place. Filled with nothing but death and hopelessness. Why would anyone want to stay in a place like this? What would possibly be left for them? Nothing, nothing at all, Fluttershy assumed. She was going to convince them, then she was going to make them better. Fluttershy swore this to herself. She was not going to allow them to be left behind.

Daring was still in contemplation over all the mistakes she's made since she's got here. The stalker, punching John, the traps... She's been making stupid decisions since she got here, and she was supposed to be the survival expert here. However, so far, she's done nothing but risk the team. What was with her? Why was she so off her game? Was it John, and how much he aggravated her? No... Was it her own arrogance? Most likely... She had been doing this for so long, she guessed that she had just assumed that she knew what she was doing. 

Back in Equestia, the sort of improvisation that she tried to apply here worked all the time. Back in Equestria, she knew her enemies, the ruins she explored, the terrain she's traveled through... She knew it all, it was predictable, she could react at a moments notice, and come out just fine! But here... Here it wasn't predictable. Here she was in unfamiliar territory, none of her usual tactics worked. It bothered her... and in her own arrogance, she's made several deadly mistakes... Mistakes that could have gotten them all killed... Daring had underestimated this world, and now it was determined to consume them.

...but she was not going to let it. Not anymore...

Daring decided that she was done underestimating this world. For now on, she was going to start treating it as the hazard that it is. She wasn't going to tread boldly, she was going to tread carefully. No more improvising on the spot when possible, never taking risks too big for a positive outcome, planning ahead whenever possible. She was not going to make anymore mistakes, may this world strike her down if she does.

Daring got up, feeling like a new mare, ready to take on the world. Of course that would have to wait, for at the moment she had one thing she had to do first... It was time to talk to John.

Daring may have hated this human's guts, and would really like to punch him again. However, she knew that they needed him if they couldn't get this crystal to work. He knew this world a flank load better than she could ever dream of. With his knowledge, they might actually be able to stand a chance. As much as she would like to continue holding a grudge, she knew it would not help her, or the team, in anyway. If biting her tongue and at least listening to any advice John had to give help them survive long enough to get back home, she would do it.

The rest of the team took notice as they saw Daring get up and move towards the stairway with a purpose. Immediately, they took concern. For all they were concerned, she was heading up there to try to kill John.

"Daring, what are you doing?" Shining asked, or more like warned as Daring reached the stairs.

"To go fix my mistake." Daring stated simply as she began her way upstairs. 

To the team, 'fixing my mistake' could have meant a lot of things, not all of them good. Considering her track record with John since they've gotten here, they weren't about to just let her go up there and handle things. That was a job for somepony for sure, but certainly not Daring.

"Daring! No offence, but you going to fix anything right now doesn't sound very appealing." Sky barked up at her.

Daring paused half way up the stairs. That last little stung a bit. It was quite apparent that the team was becoming skeptical of her abilities, becoming nearly unwilling to trust her to do anything right at this point. However, that was about to change, she was going to redeem herself by getting John back on their side. She already knew what she needed to say, she just needed to say it... Hopefully it would be enough... Hopefully she wasn't about to fail the team again.

"None taken. Please, I know I've been screwing up, but not this time. That crystal is obviously not working, and it probably won't work anytime soon. If that's the case, we are going to need John. He knows what he's doing, we don't. If he leaves us, we are going to die out here. As much worth as my profession opinion take be taken for now, that is pretty much a guarantee. I have to do this, it's my mistake to fix. Excuse me..." Daring finished before she continued her way up. 

"Yeah, somepony need to talk to him, but not you! Get back- and she's gone. What do we do?" Lyra asked, giving up ask soon as Daring disappeared upstairs.

"Well, we can't barge in now, we'll just make things worse... Let her do her thing. If worse comes to worse... well... Let's just hope she doesn't screw up again." Sky said.

Everypony seemed to agree with this as they made no move to stop Daring from doing whatever she was going to do. They hoped that she wasn't going to do anything stupid this time. Otherwise, they weren't sure they'd be able to save her this time. 





So, apparently she is from a bunker that is in fact very far away. I would know this because I've been there before. Bunker 'Foregone Hope' as its occupants called it. Something about that bunker being the place where fighters go to die... They have the highest casualty rate of any know bunker that we know of. It wasn't always like that of course, it was called 'Foregone Hope' because at one time, it was the bunker with the least casualties known to us. Slowly through time, Though, the casualties of the bunker rose and the hope of those who lived within had degraded into near nothing. So, hence the name.

The last time I was there was three years ago... I think. The population was around fifty at the time. Probably a lot lower now, that is if it even exists anymore. Of course, it could still be alive, the people who live there were stubborn as hell. Despite the punishment they went through, it remained a human safe point up to the time our scouting party visited to resupply. Don't really know what they are up to nowadays, if they are up to anything at all...

Anyways, it was very far away, least two weeks journey from my bunker, a bit over a month from here as a rough estimate. I had to question what a woman from a slowly dying bunker was doing all the way out here? Scouting parties usually don't move this far away from their bunker, not unless they were on a mission to a specific location. Also, when it came to Foregone Hope, they usually try to keep any and all fire support close by in case of an attack on the bunker itself. So, it was very strange to see someone like her out here. I ended up asking what she was doing out here, and where the rest of her team was.

The last answer really didn't surprise me, but the first answer...

"We were heading to New York, it wasn't an official mission... It was more personal. I had five people with me, close friends throwing in their support, and trying to get away from the bunker at the same time... They figured they'd be dead within a week either way, so might as well help me with my demons... Thought that would be a much more noble cause to die for... Jack, Larson, Keith, Jennifer, and Kevin. They're dead now. Kevin... just disappeared one night and we never saw him again. I have a feeling that had something to do with the stalker that killed Jack and Larson the next day. We killed it, and moved on... then we got attacked by those cannibals. Keith and Jennifer died in the fighting, then it was just me..." Anabel explained.

So yeah, second answer didn't surprise me, but good to know that she didn't have anyone looking for her. It was also a shame though, could have had more people supporting me... The first answer though, I thought was a neat coincidence. She was heading to New York too? For personal reasons? Very interesting. I wanted to ask her more, but decided I shouldn't push to far for now. If she wanted me to know what her personal reasons were, she probably would have told me. So instead I said:

"Sorry for your loss." I uttered, taking one last bite of my second apple before tossing it to the side.

Seemed like an appropriate thing to say. I didn't know them, but they were human, and they died fighting. For that, they earn a respect mutually granted to all those who die fighting. So, Jack, Larson, Keith, Jennifer, and Kevin... hope you're at peace... wherever you are...

"What about you? Where are you from? Why are you out here? And where's your team?" Anabel suddenly asked.

I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised. One way conversations seem to have a habit of becoming two way eventually. I decided to answer more or less like she did, tell the truth about the bunker I'm from, tell the truth about where I'm going, tell the truth about my non existent team, but keep my reasons to myself.

"Bunker Southern Persuasion, heading to New York as well, no team unless you count my canine companion Spike." I answered.

Fun fact, the reason behind the name was solely because our overseer was southern and owned a AK-47. Only reason, we thought it was hilarious.

Anyways, she seemed to be also surprised by the coincidence of our mutual destination. Maybe even surprised that I've made it this far on my own; relatively speaking. However, her questions didn't seem to end there. She decided that she needed to know my reason.

"Why are you going to New York?" She asked.

Unfortunately for her, that wasn't exactly something I wanted to get into. My personal baggage was just that; personal. No one really needs to know my reasons. However, I would give a hint to know what her reasons were. Clearly it was something important, almost as important as my reasons. There's nothing in New York, nothing but lost memories.  So, what could she be looking for? I made an offer.

"Personal reasons, but I'll tell you if you tell me." I offered.

She hesitated at the offer, and seemed to think about it for a second. However, she quickly shook her head, deciding to keep her secrets. Shame, I guess I'll keep mine too.

As soon as I thought a silence would wash over us once again, suddenly, I was asked one last question.

"The aliens, the ones downstairs, the passive ones...  are they real? You can see them, right? It's not just me, right?" Anabel asked.

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before I was asked this. I could lie, and just convince her that's she's just imagining things. They'd be gone soon too, so that would make it all that more convincing. However, I really don't see any point in that. First off, she would immediately know I was lying, and then she would start causing problems. Second and lastly, it's really not worth of trouble to lie about it. I might as well just tell the truth.

"Yes... Yes, they're real."

She seemed to take this in. However, this answer, unsurprisingly really didn't give her any clarity. She only seemed to become more confused, and only have more questions. I guess I will have to answer them to the best of my ability.

"W-why aren't they... Why aren't they attacking? Why aren't you attacking? You are clearly not enlightened. It... It's not making any sense."

Thankfully, I pretty much knew how to answer her question. In a short, time manageable way.

"It's... a long story. The short version is that we met, we tried to kill each other, and it didn't quite work out how I imagine... They begged me not to kill them, tried to reason with me... They and the aliens we fight, clearly they aren't the same. Wherever these aliens came from, they are clearly not from the same place our enemies came from. Their tech is far below ours, coming nowhere close to what the aliens we fight are capable of. As far as I'm concerned, they are just lost and a very long way from home. Either way, they won't be a problem much longer, they'll be going home soon. You don't need to worry about them." I explained in the best and shortest way I could.

"I... I see." Anabel responded, seeming to accept the information I've given her.

Well... now that's over with. Time to make some decisions.

Clearly she isn't all gone yet, there is still some semblance of a sane individual inside her. So, she could still be useful. How good of a fighter she is, or a survivalist for that matter, I personally haven't witnessed yet. It's one thing to see some one attack you with a knife, another to see them in action with a gun. She could be as useless as the aliens downstairs, but at least she's human; I'm willing to take a risk on her. So, if she decides she wants to, we'll travel together to New York.

I was actually about to ask the question. However, looking back at Anabel, I saw her staring, or more like glaring, at something down the hallway. I sighed, as I could pretty much guess what she was staring at, especially as I hear cautious set of four footsteps making its way down the hall. The question was now, which one was it?

"Uh... Hi? You know where John is? I need to talk to him." I hear the voice of Daring Bitch say.

Well, fuck my life.





Daring knew what she needed to say, she just needed to say it. She just needed to tell John their situation, apologize for being a massive bitch, and try to make him understand that if he leaves them here, that they were probably all going to die. She knew that John was a massive flank hat, one who didn't seem to care about them one way or another, but she also knew that he still had some semblance of a soul. If he didn't, most if not all of them would already be dead by now.

If he knew their situation, he wouldn't leave them here to die. She knew that some part of him would not allow himself to do that, especially after what he told them about people and their 'Humanity.' Something told her that John wouldn't want to become anything like those monsters outside. So, he would listen... He had to.

He had to...

Of course, first thing was first. That first thing was in the form of another human, slightly different looking from John anatomy wise, but she could tell it was human. A female human for that matter, the rest of that team had briefed her about what had happened. This was the human that held her captive. 

Daring couldn't see John anywhere in sight, and it looked like that she would have to deal with this human if she wanted to find him. Well, this was certainly awkward.

Daring took her first step forward, cautiously as she really didn't want to be seen as a threat. Her first step forward, surprisingly, despite how quiet she was being, immediately caught the attention of the female human. Now she was being glared at. Yep, definitely awkward.

Well, Daring wasn't going to get anywhere if she back off now. So, she continued her way forward, slowly; trying to avoid making sudden movements.

"Uh... Hi. You know where John is? I need to talk to him."

The female human's only response was to get up, pick up a piece of debris, and start down at Daring threateningly; causing her to stop in her tracks. Though clearly not as well armed as John, this human was pretty intimidating; probably even more so than John.

Woah! Okay! Easy... I don't want any trouble, I just want to talk to John! Could you... put down the rock please?!" Daring tried to reason, trying to avoid a fight.

The female didn't seemed deterred at all. In fact she took a step forward and looked like she was about to charge Daring; making the pegasus very nervous. Daring could put up a fight, but she didn't want to find out how good this human was with that rock.

Thankfully, for everyone involved, John came out of his hiding place and intervened. 

"Anabel, calm your shit. I just explained that they are not a threat." John practically snapped at the female human.

The female human, now known as 'Anabel,' gave John a sort of glare that said "So?" However, she did relax, if only a little bit. 

Daring was thankful for the intervention, least for a little bit. Then, she got the same look from John. Suddenly, Daring was back to being nervous. When it came to the intimidation game, John definitely won this one.

"I'll handle this, go see if you can find more of your equipment or something." John told Anabel, not taking his eyes off Daring.

Anabel hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided that Daring wasn't worth her time, merely muttering something under her breath before she walked away; disappearing into the 'bag room' as Daring remembered.

Now, it was just Daring and John alone. John looking like he was not very happy to see her. This only emphasized by his next statement.

"So, Daring Bitch, the fuck do you want?"

It took Daring a bit of willpower to bite her tongue and not lash out for John constant name calling. However, Daring was up here for a reason, and she was not intending to put herself at a disadvantage solely to satisfy her impulses.

"Alright, I know I screwed up, and I know that I've been... Not the most pleasant pony to deal with-

"That's an understatement. Also, pony? That is what you guys are called? Interesting... Not that I care." John remarked snidely.

That took a Tartarus load more willpower to not outright attack him then and there, but she did snap a little bit.

"Dammit John! This is serious! I'm trying to apologize here and... and trying to tell you that you can't leave us behind just yet." Daring got out.

John was completely unaffected by Daring's little outburst, though he did raise an eyebrow at Daring telling him that he couldn't leave them behind. Clearly because he knew this to be false. Daring was pretty infuriated by this.

"Actually... I can... and I will! Ain't that a thing? Of course I'm a bit curious at to why you think I can't leave? I believe I made myself clear that you all need to go home. Planning to stay or something? That isn't my problem." John said, blowing her off.

By Celestia, this human was intolerable! Daring was really holding back at this point. She knew that she was in no position to lash out or make any snide comments of her own. She needed him on their side, and she couldn't let the team down again. Not again...

"John, please, you don't quite understand. Right now, there's a chance that we might not be able to go home... If that's the case, and if you leave, we are not going to last out here!" Daring managed to get out.

At this point, Daring was expecting another snide remark, or something else she would definitely have to weather. However, much to her surprise, John held his tongue, and looked at her very confused. Looked like Daring was finally getting through to him. At this point, Anabel poked her head out of the bag room, seemed to be listening in on the conversation. Daring briefly wondered why that statement gained her interest, but ignored it and continued on.

"I'm sorry, what? What do you mean you can't go home?" John asked.

Daring was getting hopeful now, John was no longer insulting her. That meant he was listening. Now, it was time to explain the situation and try to get him to stay. This was going to work...

"I mean, there's a high possibility that our ticket home won't work, it hasn't been working since we got to this building. So, if you leave us, it's likely that... John?" Daring started to say, but the look developing on John's face caused her to stop in concern.

John's expression, at this point, turned very serious. He was looking like he just came to a startling realization; or like he's seen a ghost. Getting down on one knee, he looked Daring straight in the eyes, making her very uncomfortable. Why was John acting like this... Why did he look scared? Ever since she's met him, she's never seen him look scared... The same expression was also on Anabel's face, who was now standing right behind John. What was going on?

"Alright, listen carefully! You ticket home. It doesn't happen to broadcast any sort of signal, does it? Answer me, quickly."

"I- Uh... Yeah! It does, I think. Seriously, John? What's going-" Daring tried to get out but was cut off.

"How long has it been on!? Tell me, quickly! We might not have much time!" John Snapped.

"I- I don't know! I think Ever since we got here! I don't know how it works! Only that it's our only source of contact with our world! Seriously?! John?! What the buck is going on!?" Daring asked, getting very worried.

John ignored the question, getting up and walking right past Daring and towards the stairs, Anabel followed in hot pursuit; leaving Daring more worried and confused than ever. What was going on? What was making John so jumpy? Why was Anabel acting the same? What did they know that she didn't? Did they know why the crystal wasn't working? All these questions Daring couldn't answer. All she knew was that she needed to follow John and Anabel and find out what was going on.

Daring quickly followed John and Anabel down, determined to figure out what the humans were freaking out about.





Fuck me! Fuck my fucking life! Why does shit like this always happen? Can't catch a fucking break can I? Something always has to go fucking wrong! At any second, we could all be fucking dead. Why didn't I realize this sooner!? Why did it take Daring Bitch to come up and remind me that leaving them alone for five seconds is a BAD IDEA!

I should have known, I should have fucking known. They sure as hell didn't. It should have been me who fucking realized they might be using a radio of some sort to call in a ticket home. I should have gotten to the bottom of this sooner, I should have asked more questions about how they were getting home, I should have realized...

...and now it might be too late.

I was practically charging downstairs at this point, trying to see if there was a chance that we get out of this alive. That I might be able to stop the signal in time to get us out before it was too late. Stop the signal before they find us...

The team of aliens, or ponies, or whatever the fuck they are, stared up at me in surprise as I quickly made my way downstairs. Lyra started to speak up, likely going to ask me what I was doing. However, I had no time to answer questions. I had to stop the signal.

"Where is it!? Where's the radio!?" I shouted.  

The team recoiled in surprise, seeming to loose their voices in shock. I didn't have time for this.

"TICKET HOME! WHERE THE FUCK IS IT!?"

This seemed to shock them right back out of their stupor. Finally, Twilight responded, holding up some sort of strange object in the air that I assumed.

"I-it's here! W-what are you-" Twilight started to speak up, but was promptly cut off by myself.

"Turn it off." I ordered.

"W-Wha-" Twilight stammered, apparently quite confused about what was going on. Again, we didn't have time for questions. They just needed to listen and do as I say.

"I said turn it the FUCK OFF!!!" I yelled at her, unwilling to take any more sorts of delays at this crucial moment.

Twilight was hesitating again, clear panic and confusion in her eyes. 

"I- I can't! It doesn't just turn off! It's not something you can just-"

"Well, you better find a way, or I am going to put a bullet through the fucking thing! You got five seconds. Turn it off, NOW!" I yelled, drawing my pistol.

If the team wasn't in pure panic mode, they certainly were now. Twilight was practically rendered speechless, looking between me and the device helplessly, seemingly trying to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, for all of us, she opted to hiding the object behind her; simply wasting more time. The rest of the team also took the threat very seriously, standing between me and Twilight... 

"Y-you can't do that, we won't let you! That's our only way home! If you destroy it, we're stuck here!" Lyra spoke up.

"Yeah, don't you even bucking think about it!" Sky threatened.

"If you want that crystal, you are going to have to go through us!" Iron stated.

"Damn Straight..." Sparks muttered.

"John, you need to back off." Shining warned.

"Hey! John! Wait, don't do that! John!?" Daring  shouted from the stairs, making her way down. However, she was blocked by Anabel before she could get anywhere near me.

The fucking fools, if they understood what they were doing... I needed to explain it and get this over with, before it's too late... otherwise...

"You fucking idiots, did you already fucking forget where we are? We are in a fucking war zone! A place where the enemy is hunting us down constantly every day! What you have in your procession is a goddamn beacon that will lead them RIGHT to us! Why do you think it's not working? It's because they're they are jamming it, and they are tracking it's signal RIGHT TO US!!! If that beacon doesn't die, we are all going to die! Don't be stupid Twilight, turn it off or hand it over! I am not going to ask again..." I ordered one last time, pointing my pistol directly at Twilight.

Yeah, I was ready to kill at this point. It might come down to me having to kill them and survive, or let them live and get us all killed. They had better start being reasonable in three seconds.

"WOAH!! Hey! Let's calm down!? Alright!? You don't need to do that! We'll turn it off, right Twilight!?" Lyra shouted in surprise.

"W-we can't... It doesn't turn off..." Twilight said, looking down at the ground trying to think about what to do.

3... cock the hammer back.

"Don't even think about it buddy." Shining threatened, some sort of energy charging at his horn. I didn't care, he'll be the first to die.

"Wait! John, Let's talk about this! You don't want to kill anyone! We don't want to kill you! But if you try to destroy that crystal, you are giving us no choice!" Lyra tried again. I hardly heard her.

2... Finger on the trigger.

"Nuh UH!!! Put the bucking thing down! NOW!" Iron shouted, looking ready to pounce. I could take him...

"John! Please..." Fluttershy whimpered. I felt nothing.

"Dammit, John! You are giving us no choice!" Sky yelled. Neither are you...

1... Pull the-

"JOHN!" I heard Anabel yell behind me.

I hesitated as Anabel's voice took me out of my trance. I looked back to her to see the terrified look on her face looking out the windows. into the ash filled skies. I didn't even have to hear what she said next to realize what she was looking at.

"It's too late... they're here." Anabel said, slowly backing away from the window.

Not a moment later, a light from the sky started shining to shine through the windows, and an eerie silence fill the room. Nothing could be heard, not the snow raging outside, not the winds blowing through the building... Nothing. They were definitely here... and we were about to meet our maker. I sigh... Slowly, I lowered my gun, no longer seeing the point.

"John, What's that? What's going on?" Daring asked, practically petrified.

I gave a slight chuckle. All the aliens seemed to be wondering the same question. They were scared as we were for sure, but couldn't understand how completely dead we were going to be in a couple of seconds. So, I decided to give them a small hint.

"That... is our end." I responded, closing my eyes and waiting for the blast.
> Chapter 11: The Only Option
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a sharp intake of breath, I felt my body come to life.  It was like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart, an overwhelming, and unwelcome sensation that overcame me, and forced me awake. My eyes shot open wide as my head sprung up from whence I laid. In rapid motion, I looked around, confused, terrified, not knowing where I was, or what I was even doing here. 

Trying to get some barrings of where I was exactly, I quickly found that I was in a room. A dark musky room where the only light source was a beam of faded sunlight that shined through a filthy window, and a faint glow from an unidentified source. I didn't pay much mind to it, as I was still freaking out. What was this room, why was I in it!?

I looked down over my body, I found that I was wearing a pair of tattered jeans and what was left of a buttoned up shirt. That was the first thing I noticed anyways, and then quickly noticed one other odd feature; one that appeared to be stuck in my leg. A hypodermic needle? Unsure of it's purpose, I quickly removed it... It hurt a lot more that it should of. To the point of me crying out in surprise of the pain, a pain that quickly crawled from my leg and into my head. What the hell!? What is this?!

Groaning, I attempted to get up from where I was, however, with the pain still overwhelming me, I merely fell over; crying with agony. When I landed, I sensed objects all around me scatter. Flying into my vision, I could see that it was various scraps of paper. I didn't know what they said, or if they said anything at all. I was too focused on the pain. Pain that was... thankfully subsiding...

The pain eventually numbed to the point where I could consider moving again. Even so, I did so hesitantly. Slowly, I got up from the pile of paper that I landed on, the feeling of fear and confusion slowly returning. Where the hell was I? I quickly made it my mission to find out.

I started by picking up the papers I was standing on, trying to see if I could gain insight from it's contents. Unfortunately, this turned out to be fruitless, as the scribbling on the paper were illegible; didn't look like it was even English. Just... strange symbols, pictures and some sort of bare legible chicken scratch. I quickly discarded the papers, and looked for the next clue I could find. 

I quickly found it, in the form of a window with faded light shinning through. At as brisk a pace as I could manage, I walked up to it, and tried to see through the murky window. I didn't see much, just some silhouettes of some tall buildings that were nearby. It didn't help me at all... I was getting ready to break the window and try to get a better view of what was out there, but then I saw it. From the refection of the window, I found the second light source, the glowing light that was behind me. I turned to face it, and found something odd... something that contrasted heavily with the rest of the room. Something that clearly did not belong. A perfect, shiny oval, about the size of myself, laid on the other side of the room. The entire thing glowed eerily dark for the light it provided. It just sat there, pulsing with it's haunting glow.

Suddenly, I had the urge to approached it, and with little hesitation, not really knowing why I would dare, I did exactly that. Something inside me told me that I needed to approach it, to investigate it. Like it was somehow the answer to all my problems, the answer to where I was, and why I was here.

I stopped just a foot away from it, and stared straight into it. I could see my reflection on it's flawless surface. My disheveled form, a man void of hope or soul, seemed to stare back at me, beckoning me to come closer. I did... I'm still not quite sure why. I should be wary of this thing, yet I'm not. Maybe my own reflection was a source of pity?  A man who needed help, help that I could personally supply? I don't know... It's confusing, but still draws me closer.

My reflection seemed to reach it's hand out to touch mine. Again, without any hesitation of the sort, I mimicked. I needed to hold his hand, to tell him that everything was okay... that it wasn't his fault... 

...But what was his fault? Who am I talking about? Myself? What did I do wrong?

Who even am I?

At this question, as our hands were about to touch, I hesitated. What was I doing? I lowered my hand, and my reflection mimicked. He looked as confused as I was. Maybe because I stopped, maybe because I denied the comfort he beckoned me for? Perhaps, most of all, it was because he didn't understand that I couldn't help him...

T@0H@#$%I5489S M321354A54653N W^^$#%@A12#$%$%!$S A@$!#%$L@$#%$#R@!#$E@#$%A@#$@%D!@#$Y D@#$E^%^&A%#$^D

Suddenly, a sensation of panic overcame me, and I scrambled to get away from the object. I don't know what that was, but it hit me very suddenly, a loud warning that interacting with the device would be a terrible idea! A most terrible Idea!

I- I needed to get out of here! Where's the door?! I need to get out! I NEED TO GET OUT!!!

Suddenly I find myself rushing towards a door I'd hadn't seen until now. Unquestioning of how I knew where the door was, I barreled towards it and slammed into it at full force!

A cold sensation overcame me. The air chilled me to the bone, and something invaded my lungs with such toxicity that it caused me to start coughing, gasping for air. I found myself collapsed a few feet from the doorway, white clouded my vision. Struggling, I barely managed to get a hold of my hacking and get back on my feet. 

The cloud of white... or whatever that was... still lingered around me, suffocating me with it's presence. I was quick to try to get away from it, move to somewhere it was clear out. However, with a few steps forward, I felt my foot touch air as I stepped off a ledge.

With a yelp of surprise, I fell forward, falling for an unknown distance, before I fell straight on my back. Whatever I landed on was hard and rigid, and it knocked the air right out of me. Once again, I was surrounded by the white suffocating presence, and I knew if I didn't recover now, It would be my death. Instead of standing up, I rolled over and attempted to crawl away from the white cloud. I was successful in a sense, the cloud was still present, however thinner. Thin enough to the breath and see again, if only barely. I took a moment to get my barrings, taking a series of quick breaths in vain attempt to not breath the cloud in. After I felt that I wasn't about to die of suffocation, I began to look around. Though the fogginess clouding my vision was no help, I was quick to see that something wasn't right here.

It seemed that I had landed on the street. The fog was everywhere, and the substance causing it falling slowly and steadily from the sky. It was putting a thick layer of it on everything. It wasn't only the substance that caught my eye though... It was also the fact that everything around me seemed to be... destroyed. Windows shattered, cars turned over and thrown about... Buildings falling apart... No people anywhere...

What is going on? What happened here?!

I got up, quickly, taking in my environment more. All around me was destruction. A city in ruins, and no one there but me to see it. Where was everyone? What was this?

What the hell is going on?!

I turn to look down the street, to see if I could find anything or anyone of any sort... Then I saw it... Chills ran down my spine.

Before me, probably several miles off, I could see it. A cloud, bigger and thicker than anything that could be seen here. It stretched far into the sky, mushrooming as it hit it's limit. It loomed over me like some sort of harbinger ready to smite me with my upcoming fate... The blue glow within an evil eye locking on to it's prey... I took a step back... Then Another... Then I turned around and started running. Running for my life. Running from the monster that slowly but surely loomed ever closer to me, seeking to consume me.

I would not allow it! I would keep running! No matter what! This monster will not claim me today!

I checked various upright cars that I crossed, looking to see if any were operable. They either weren't operational, or the skeletal occupants of their previous owners scared me off in my panic. More and more cars I came across, the more death and misery I found. Soon, I began to realize that the skeletal corpses lined the streets as well, all in poses of agony, all running in the same direction as I! It was becoming clear what had happened to the people here. They were running from this harbinger too! They failed to escape their fate... but not me! I'm going to make it! This monster won't catch me!  

Several cars later, I came across a pickup that looked promising. I ran up to it and yanked the door opened. No previous occupants glared at me with their hollowed eyes, so I checked if there were any keys. With luck, I found they were in the ignition. I turned the key and to my glee it started up immediately. Closing the door and stepping on the gas, I sped away from my impending doom.

Looking back at the luminous monster behind me, I knew inside that this would not be the last I saw of it, but I knew that I would keep running, for as long as it takes.

For as long as it takes...





'For as long as it takes...' So much for that...

It's funny that I remember this now, on the brink of death. I didn't before, all I really remembered before was that I woke up, and I was running from the ash. That was it, that was the most I could remember before waking up in the bunker. However, this memory was much more clear... Vivid even, as if I had just experienced it. Perhaps this is my life flashing before my eyes? Isn't that what happens before... well, you know.

Not that it matters much now, but I kinda wish I would have remembered what happened before waking up; answer the everlasting question I made my way out here for. Who I was, what I was doing before the blast, such things as that. This memory... doesn't answer any of those questions, it just confuses me more. Most of it didn't even seem real. It was like a dream, but at the same time a vivid memory? What was I doing in that room? What happened to me? What was that thing in the room with me? Why was I...

...I suppose it doesn't matter now. Close you eyes, prepare to die, pray for paradise on the other side.

"John!" I heard Anabel whispered from behind me.

My eyes snapped opened as I was pulled from my trance. Turning my attention to Anabel, I noticed that she was cautiously peeking out the window. What was once fear in her eyes turned to recognition, then determination. What was she looking at to inspire such hope?

"What is it?" I asked quietly, walking towards the window she was at, curious of what she was seeing.

"It's a transport! Not a bomber! They are going to come in and handle this personally! We got a chance!" Anabel whispered excitedly.

What? Transport? Why the hell would they send a transport? They have us dead to rights, what are they stalling for? 

I peeked out the window to confirm her observation. Just like that, she was correct. Above us, hovering about one-hundred feet from our windows, was what I recognized to be an alien transport vessel. I've only seen one once before, but they were easily recognizable. If you were to imagine a shiny, metal, flying rectangle with blaring lights on all sides of it, you would be imagining the perfect description of the vehicle. Creative design? Probably not, but it doesn't take a great design to be a terror. One of these fuckers can carry forty aliens inside. 

It was quietly making it's decent to the ground and I pulled my head back to avoid getting seen. 

This confused me greatly. Nearly one-hundred percent of the time, whenever aliens would pick up on a scouting party, whether they'd be out in the open or hunkered down somewhere, they'd bomb the shit out of them until there was no one left. The aliens did not fuck around when it came to trying to put us down; always low risk with these guys. It was rare that they'd ever send troops to engage us directly. That only happened when we were dug in too deep for bombs to be effective, which certainly wasn't the case here, or there was something of value they wanted from us. Why would they-

Suddenly it hit me. I looked back at the team of scared and confused aliens, more pointedly at Twilight who still hid the reason these fuckers found us behind her back. The answer then was obvious... the crystal. The signal it's transmitting is likely alien even to them, and I'm sure they'd want to investigate it instead of blowing it sky high. So, that explains the transport.

However, despite this stroke of 'luck', this transport fared us no better. Forty aliens was FAR too much for us to take on. It's bad enough that I don't have enough ammo for this, but even worse when you consider that even alien ground troops were no joke. They would consist mostly of, if not all faceless, the main alien ground troops. 

Faceless are peculiar bunch; not to mention unsettling. They look like humans, they behave like humans when it comes to movement, and they are as skilled as any veteran we have. The one key difference is the fact they have no face. Well... at least that's what is rumored. We never really see their faces, they are always covered with masks, and their bodies always entirely disintegrate upon death. The rumor and their name supposedly comes from what you see when they do disintegrate. If you watch their face directly, supposedly you can see a glimpse of what lied under the masks. What you would supposedly see before they disintegrate was men without faces. No nose, no mouth, no eyes... just nothing. 

We don't know why or how the faceless are as they are, we think that they are simply clones, pumped out of the alien's great war machine, and designed to flush us out of whichever hole the aliens cant reach with their bombs. They were very good at it, we could only barely hold them back if they sent them in into a heavily fortified location; like a bunker for example. There would always be casualties... Safe to say, once they engaged us here, we were good as dead. Fighting this transport off was a hope in a million, with our current numbers it was outright suicide.

"Don't get your hopes up, There's going to be forty of them in there we can't fight them." I stated.

Anabel didn't seem to like this response, apparently taking restraint and reason as 'giving up' given her reply.

"Like hell we're not! What do you expect us to do, go out without a fight?" Anabel argued.

"We're not giving up yet. Yes, now there's a chance, but it won't be by fighting them." I replied.

"Then what are we doing, John? We can't run, they'll gun us down! We can't hide, they know we're here! So, what choice do we have!? Enlighten me!"

I thought about it for a moment. They were here after the signal, as it was apparently worth investigating. Given this information, they probably have no clue what it is, or what was causing it...

...That could mean that they don't know we are actually here! All they know is that something is transmitting from this position!

We can hide, they'll come, investigate, and leave. We can survive this! 

The one hiccup in the plan, though, lies in that crystal, and those too stubborn to give it up. It's just a matter of fact, we can hide all we want, but if that crystal is with us they will find us. So that left us with two options. Anabel and I go hide and leave the aliens to their fate, or we convince them to be rid of the crystal. My survival instinct was etching more towards option one... If we just both disappeared now, telling the aliens that were where going to look for a better position, they wouldn't suspect a thing. We could easily survive this and, as a bonus, we could get rid of the throne in my side...

But that wasn't right. Deep inside I knew that wasn't right. Once again, it all comes down to what kind of man that would make me. Would it make me any better than the cannibals outside in their icy graves? Better than those would leave their friends to die just to save themselves? I know that they've been an inconvenience for the most part, but they've also stuck with me this entire time, like any team would. Whatever their reasons didn't matter... Out here, they were my only allies, I wasn't going to just leave them to die. 

So, In that case, I had to at least try...

"They don't know we're here." I responded, knowing full well I was committed.

Anabel, and the team of aliens looked at me confused, very curious of what I was talking about. To them, and most apparently to Anabel, it was very clear that they knew we were here.

"I think the alien ship landing outside is contradicting your statement there, John." Anabel replied.

"Then why didn't they just blow us up, Anabel? Why waste the effort getting into a firefight with us when they could just nuke us? If they knew we were in here, in terrible cover, why not just kill us?" I replied back.

Anabel seemed to think about this for a moment, but after a few second, her face lit up with realization as she got what I was getting at.

"The signal is alien to them, they're here to investigate!" Anabel concluded, stepping away from the window, no longer willing to risk getting spotted.

"So... what does that mean? We just hide?" Twilight asked, she and the rest of the team still very confused and scared about the situation.

Anabel gave me a sort of look as Twilight asked this. It was a sort of look that seemed to be asking me something. I... think I had a good idea about what she was trying to ask me. Probably about the same thing I was thinking about earlier. 'Do we leave them out here to die?'

I realize that Anabel is still untrusting of these aliens, rightfully so given our current living situation. So, I don't blame her for that. Still, I hope she isn't going to start giving me a problem for choosing the solution that she's probably not going to like.

"Not exactly that simple, it doesn't matter where we hide if that crystal is with us. You're going to have to destroy it." I said.

As predicted, no one was a fan of this idea. Anabel for different reasons obviously, but she was going to have to suck it up. The aliens of course were quick to challenge my suggestion.

"No way in Tartarus are we doing that John!" Sky immediately spoke up keeping her stance between John and Twilight.

"That will be a no." Iron said after, staying his position as well.

"John! No! Can you please take a moment to stop being absolutely psycho! I came up to request your help, not to let you come down here and make things worse!" Daring said, finally being able to get around Anabel to take her own position between me and Twilight, probably figuring I was going to try something again.

Every one else seemed to agree to this sentiment, remaining defiant of my demands.

"John, no! We can't do that! Destroying this crystal means we lose our only way home! You honestly can't expect us to do that!" Twilight replied.

Yeah, I expected as much from them. However, I know they really don't understand the situation right now. How dead or worse they were going to be if they didn't give up the crystal. I had to make them understand, I had to at least try... For my own sake now. We were committed to plan A, no chance to go back to plan B. If they found us, they'd be finding all of us.

"I don't think you quite understand, Twilight. Those things out there, getting ready to raid this building, we cannot fight them, and they are going to kill all of you if you keep that crystal. Even if they don't kill you, they won't be keeping you alive for anything good. Trust me when I say, losing your way home is far less severe than what they things will do to you. Not the mention what they will learn from that crystal..." I informed her.

Though, they seemed very bothered by what I said at first, it seemed that I stuck them hard with my last statement. They were practically frozen as they processed what I was implying. That was good, I was getting to them.

"W-what do you mean what they will learn?" Lyra asked with a shaken voice.

I was quick to continue. We didn't have much time left, if the look on Anabel's face was anything to judge by as she kept watch on our enemy drifting from the sky. Now was the time to convince them, before the faceless came flooding in.

"I think you know... and what do you think they'll do once they do find out where your little home is? Do you think they'll show you as much mercy as they've shown us? Seriously, what do you think? Is your ticket home worth what it will cost you if you don't destroy it now." I stated

The entire team was silent at this, rendered speechless as they seemed to contemplate between possibly never seeing home again, or seeing that same home being destroyed by the same forces seeking the destruction of this world. Both choices were horrible for sure, but which one was worse to them? The entire team seemed conflicted with the answer, all unsure of what to do...

"N-no... They couldn't possibly-" Twilight began to say, but I was quick to cut her off. There was no time for them to make up their own minds; they will find us by then. I had to hasten the process.

"They could possibly, if not definitely use your device to find your home. If they can jam it, and track it to this exact location, then they can definitely find a way to trace it back to your world. If you don't destroy it now, they will not only find us, but they will find your world. Who knows where they go from there. You need to destroy that crystal, for all our sakes." I quickly responded.

If what I said had any effect on their thoughts, I couldn't tell immediately. For the most part, they still seemed very conflicted. It was understandable, if not deadly to all of us. I have to say, if the situations were swapped, if it was my world that was that I was going to lose one way or another, it wouldn't be a choice I'd make lightly, let alone in under a minute. However, it was a choice they would have to make in time, or all our lives were forfeit. 

"John! The transport has landed! Give me a gun! I'm not going to die standing around for these alien fucks to get us all killed!" Anabel demanded, getting increasingly aggravated as our time came ever closer to running out.

I ignored her, I'd give her a gun when our time was up for sure, but for now I wasn't going to risk her giving our position away when we still had a chance.

Thankfully, and in perfect timing, my patience was rewarded. Most of the team was still contemplating the choice of survival versus exile when one had finally made up her mind.

"John... You don't know what you ask of-" Shining started to argue, right before his reason for arguing made a bone chilling sound.

A sudden and loud *CRACK* broke the silence, and everyone in the room snapped towards the noise. All except me, of course... as I was watching her.

Everyone from the team looked on in shock and disbelief as Twilight held the crystal front of her, her eyes glazed over as what was once a flawless crystal floated in two in front of her; its light slowly fading away. In shock, Lyra was the first to voice her panic.

"Wha- OH, NONONONONO!!! Twilight!!! What have you done!" Lyra near shouted.

The rest of the team looked on in frozen silence, the color of their faces drained as they look upon the grim reality that they had just been forced into. A mixture of shock and resentment towards Twilight was on full display by the team. However, at the moment, Twilight didn't seem to care. Her face was simply blank of emotion, either unable or unwilling to recognize what she had done, just simply that she had to do it. 

"They... they can never be allowed to-" Twilight began to utter. 

Our time was up, the transport had to have started unloading by now. So, I was quick to cut her off. The deed was done, and we need to move, before the faceless made their way in...

"Enough! Leave the remains for them to find. We need to hide, now! Follow me!" I ordered, making my way to the exit the opposite side of the building where the transport was landing.

Anabel followed suit without question. The aliens, however, hesitated. Their gaze upon their one ticket home and the one who ripped it in half to save them all. However, it was clear that none of them really saw it that way. At the moment, I can imagine that they thought they were staring at the one who had doomed them. Maybe she did, but that didn't matter now. They'd be alive for the moment, and as a bonus their own world would be safe. I've satisfied my conscience...

...or at least only one part of it if they didn't start moving.

"Now, before they come." I warned one last time before exiting the building.

They seemed to get the message, if only barely. They lingered a while longer before they followed me out. Twilight was the last one out, her head hung low as she hurried to catch up. I waved them over, signaling them to hurry up. I didn't know how close they were to being inside the building, or securing the surroundings. We could be spotted at any moment. We REALLY needed to hurry.

They began to pick up their pace, and we all began to quickly make our way up the slope. Soon enough we reached the top and I began to make my way over...

...Only be be completely caught off guard with a barrel of a rifle in my face.

"What the FUCK!!!" I heard the owner of the gun shout at me.

I immediately raised my hands, quite shocked at the sudden contact.

After a panicked moment, I finally got a decent look at the obstacle in front of me. I was quick to realize it was another human, and he was currently pointing a rifle of some sort at my face. A bolt action 308. if I were to guess... I don't know where the fuck he came from, but I knew for a fact that this was about to get awkward. Looking around, it was clear that no one else was with him at the current moment, otherwise I'd already notice them. Was this a stray from the cannibal party? Was this someone else entirely? If so, who was he with?

Regardless, I needed to deal with this before the aliens got up the hill. Something tells me that their sudden appearance would end with a sudden bullet to my face. Unfortunately, I can't do anything when he has a gun pointed at me with his finger on the trigger.

Suddenly, though, he eased up, taking his finger off the trigger and lowered the barrel to my chest, looking at me curiously. Then, in a sudden realization, he lowered his weapon entirely.

"FUCKING HELL!!! I almost shot your ass! You the one they're after I take it? Anyone else with you?" He asked, his guard down.

"Yeah..." I answered carefully, Looking briefly behind me to make sure no one else made it over with me; more pointedly the aliens. Thankfully, Anabel and the team were frozen in place, out of sight of the armed man. They must have heard the commotion...

He seemed to notice I was a little more than tense, so he holstered his weapon on his back as what I could assume was a gesture of good faith. He must be a younger man, anyone with experience wouldn't have took his gun off me, let alone holster it. Lucky me, I ran into the rookie who is far too trusting.

"Hey! Chill, We're good people, I didn't mean to scare you. My scouting party and I just saw that transport fly over us and towards your position. It didn't attack us, so we assumed it had a different target in mind. Figured we would come over to take it out before it could complete it's mission and get back to us. We're ambushing it soon, so if you want to join in we wouldn't mind the extra guns!"

Well, he seems friendly enough, unfortunately... Sorry you were the one who ran into us buddy, can't take any chance that you or the rest of you party will be as understanding as I am with my current company.

Taking advantage of his complete lack of concern, I was quick to draw Lisa on him, barrel directly to his forehead and pulling back the hammer.

"WHOA! WHOA!! HEY!!! Hold on a second! There's no need for that! We're good people! I swear!!!" The man yelled, caught completely by surprise.

"Shut the fuck up, lay down, face forward, spread eagle!!!! NOW!!!" I shouted at the man.

"ALRIGHT!!! ALRIGHT!!! Shit! You got me! Don't shoot! FUCK!" The man said, panicking and assuming the position.

As soon as he hit the floor, I was quick to disarm him, taking his hunting rifle and holstering it on my back. Keeping my revolver at the back of the man's skull, I signaled the team and Anabel to come back from over the hill. They were quick to come over and hide behind the slope from the building. The man, who's face was thankfully  facing the opposite direction of our alien friends, was still trying to reason with me.

"Look man, you really don't want to do this. If you kill me they are going to hunt you down, and I swear you won't survive it! Please! Let's just chalk this up to a misunderstanding, Yeah!? I mean, come on man! I'm not your enem-" He tried reasoning with me.

"Shut up! The only thing I want to hear come out of your mouth next is where the rest of your team is! Are they anywhere nearby!? Answer quickly or they'll be quick to find your corpse when this bullet rips through your head!" I demanded.

"NONONONO, HEY!!! Come on! We aren't out here to hurt anyone! We're here to help you dense motherfucker!" The man said, clearly not enjoying our conversation.

"Where is the rest of your group!? I'm not going to ask you again! Where the fuck are they!?" I demanded once again, forcing the barrel harder against his head.

Suddenly, the man went silent, as if to think for a moment or to calm himself, he was practically hyperventilating at this point. He was making vain attempts to control his breathing. I was about to snap at him again, but the man spoke up before I had the chance.

"T-they're on the other side. They sent me here to snipe any faceless who fled back here. If you let me go, we can still-" The man started to say.

"Shut up, keep your face in the snow and don't move a muscle!" I ordered.

The man promptly shut his mouth, deciding that following my orders was the best course of action at this point. He was very much correct. Removing the barrel of the gun from his head, I stood back up and backed off a ways, keeping Lisa trained on him.

Taking a brief glance over to the aliens and Anabel, I noticed that pretty much all of them look scared. Anabel looked more concerned than scared, but that was besides the point. Of what they were sacred of I wasn't quite certain. Of me? Of the sudden appearance of the man? Or just this fucked up situation in general. All I knew at this point was that none of them were making any effort to do anything to prepare to get the fuck out of here. I needed to get their ass in gear and prepare to run, and none of that was possible if they stood there like statues.

"What the fuck are you all waiting for!? Run! That way! I'll catch up to you!" I shouted at them, pointing a random direction away from the current danger. 

This seemed to snap them all out of their panic, and they began to run in the direction I pointed them in. Anabel hesitated for a moment, probably not liking the idea of escaping with who she still perceived to be the enemy, but a stern glare from myself got her to move. With my allies escaping, it left me to do what I needed to do.

"Now, listen carefully, you are going to stay perfectly still. When your team finds you and asks you what happen, you're not going to say anything about this. You didn't see us, we don't exist, you don't look for us. If you value any of the lives of your team, you will make sure that you just forget about us. Leave us be, and we'll leave you be, got it?" I said to my current prisoner.

"Yeah! Yeah, man, I got you! Whatever you say!" The man agreed immediately.

Unlikely, he will probably tell the rest of this team the moment I let him go. But still, there was hoping, and not much other choice. If I killed him, they would definitely come after us; assuming they survived the encounter with the transport. If I left him here alive, there was a chance that they would decide it's not worth pursuing us. The was the little chance I was hoping for here.

Still, either way, I'd like a head start. Unfortunately for this guy, that did not involve him being conscious.

"Alright, time to go nite-nite." I said as I flipped my revolver to pistol whip him.

"Wait, wha- NO!" The man just barely shouted as I raised my revolver.

*BANG* *BANG*

Before I could complete the deed. I felt two shots nail me directly in my right side, the pain and force causing me to stumble and loose my grip on Lisa; which fell somewhere behind me. I all but barely managed to avoid falling to the ground. Looking to my left, I immediately saw the shooter responsible. Another human, with a pistol trained right on me. 

Well, guess he wasn't entirely alone.

Within the split few seconds I possibly had to live, I raced to figure out how I should react. I still had a gun, but it was on my back, and this guy had me dead to rights. If I tried anything, they would likely kill me for sure. Then again, if I just surrendered here and now, would they kill me anyways? Did they see my company? Did they already decide to kill me; for one reason or the other? Which chance do I take? Fuck me, I don't even know if I'm not already dead from the two bullets in my side, and these were just my fleeting moments. 

It seemed that no matter the choice I made, I was fucked either way. So, I decided I was simply tired of this shit. Why put in the effort for reaching my gun? Just let things work out as they will. One thing was for sure at this point, I've been had.

Clutching my wounds, I raised my free hand and began backing away, one misstep later I fell flat on my back. I didn't bother to get back up, I just sat up slightly, hand still raised in hope that my passive gesture would not reward me with a finishing bullet to the skull.

To my luck, they decided not to finished me off; yet. The man I held captive was still on the ground, seemingly frozen from shock for a few moments before the situation caught right back up with him. He quickly got up, found Lisa a few feet behind him. He proceeded to grab it and quickly approach me. I could only assume what he was going to do with it.

I closed my eyes, preparing for a sudden end by my own weapon. The last thing I could hear was the start of a gun fight before I felt Lisa connect with my skull.





"Well, that was unnecessary Daniel. I got him good, you might have fucking killed him. You sure you should of hit him so hard?" Jen said, giving Daniel a concerned look. He hit that guy with the revolver so hard that he might have gave him brain damage. 

Daniel didn't seem to care for that. All he seemed really concerned with was trying to grab his bolt action rifle off the back of the unconscious, but likely dead man. He managed to get it loose, along with another weapon. AK-47 as far as Jen could tell.

"Well that motherfucker just tried to kill me. I think we're even in that regard. Thanks by the way, for showing up a minute late! Some fucking back up you are..." Daniel replied, getting up.

Jen shook her head at Daniel's antics. This has been the fifth time in a week that she's had to save Daniel's dumb ass. First a gobber, second a mutant wolf, third a trap house, forth another trap house, and now this. She'd think that this dense motherfucker would have some better words of gratitude to say. She just might let his dumb ass die next time. If only she could...

"You know, if your mother wasn't our team leader, I'd let him shoot you." Jen replied, starting to approach Daniel.

"That's what you say every time... Here, use this, we need to start covering the back. The assault has already begun without us." Daniel said, throwing her the AK-47 and readying his own weapon.

Jen caught the weapon, holstering her own. Quickly, she checked the gun for ammo; the clip was about a fifth empty. It would do for the moment. This would be over soon enough. She quickly joined with her partner at the top of the slope, and took aim at the building, ready to kill retreating faceless. 

Gunfire continued to escalate, the soft piffs of Alien plasma and compression rifle fire being overwhelmed by the sheer punctuation of gunpowder bullets. It almost gave the illusion that humanity had the superior firepower; Jen only wished that were true. She knew on the inside that by the end of this her squad will become just that much smaller. In her mind, she wondered who would make it through this fight. How many more of her friends were going to die today, and if they would have enough numbers for the next fight. 

The answer was uncertain for sure, yet, she wasn't really scared. Most aren't, because the whole point of this fight was to give the aliens hell. It wasn't to win, because they were not going to win. Jen, and most others, have accepted that fact. If she were to die today or tomorrow didn't bother her. She was going to live life in the moment, and die knowing she didn't just lay down and accepted her fate. She was going to die fighting, and she was happy for that last bit of freedom from her inevitable fate.

A sudden explosion rang out from behind the building. Jen knew that they had just successfully destroyed the transport.  They were winning, now it was time to do their part, take out the retreating forces.

The first one made it's appearance directly from the back exit. It was a cloaking variant, it's armor was trying to camouflage to the snow as it exited. The humanoid quickly spotted them and raised it's rifle to fire with lighting quick reactions; such are the faceless. 

*BANG*

Unfortunately for it, Daniel was already on it. The round from his rifle hit center mass, penetrating the cloaker's thin armor and putting it down immediately. It didn't get the chance to fall to it's knees before it disintegrated.

As Daniel loaded another bullet into the chamber, another came storming out of the exit. This one was a soldier variant, equipped with heavy armor that was difficult to get through. Thankfully, the armor never could hold it's endurance against constant fire. So, as such, as the soldier tried to raise it's weapon...

 *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

*BANG*

Jen fired five rounds at the soldier. The first three rounds hit directly, two glanced off. This staggered the soldier, and weakened its armor significantly, allowing Daniel to pull of a kill shot, once again center mass. 

Once again, as Daniel locked another bullet in, two more faceless charged out at once. Both soldiers, and both were ready for Jen and Daniel at the top of the slope; firing at them immediately.

Both ducked to be narrowly missed by plasma fire and quickly scattered to re-position. When faceless were locked onto you, it was near impossible to continue fighting from the same cover without getting your head blown off. Faceless were deadly accurate if you gave them the chance.

Jen made her way further left while Daniel made his way right. Jen, when she felt she had gone far enough picked up some snow, made a snowball and tossed it far to her right. Her hope was that the noise from the snowball would prevent the faceless from accurately predicting her movement. As soon as the snowball hit the ground, she quickly took aim over the edge. 

Her gamble paid off the faceless trying to predict her movement was thrown off by the noise, allowing her to take aim. The faceless quickly noticed it's error and tried to quickly correct it's aim, but it was too late.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

All bullets hit its intended target. Three scoring directly center mass while the final one pierced through entirely. The last faceless noticed the fall of it's ally and was quick to aim for Jen's position.

*BANG*

Before it could fire, it was struck in the back of the neck by Daniel's bullet. It disintegrated instantly.

At that point there was a sudden silence, nothing but the wind and rustling fire from beyond the building could be heard. Jen didn't let her guard down though. For all she knew, there was one more waiting to spring out. So, she waited. 

...And waited.

...and... waited.

Soon enough, Jen heard a voice in the distance, saying the best thing she was likely to hear all day.

"All clear people! We just wiped them the fuck out!" Someone yelled.

With this Jen let out a massive sigh of relief. They had survived yet another fight. Who exactly survived this fight was another question entirely, but at the moment, all she cared about was the fact the team would live to fight another day.

"And that is what I'm FUCKING talking about! Fuck yes! WOOOOOO!" Jen heard Daniel cheering in the distance.

Shaking her head, she began to make her way back around to meet with her charge. She had to make sure he didn't accidentally shoot himself or something. Of course, there was also the matter of the stranger. She was curious if he was still alive after that club to the head. 

Soon enough, she saw Daniel in the distance. Apparently he had the same idea, as he was currently checking the man's vitals, making sure he was still breathing and such.

"So, how is he?" Jen asked curiously. 

Daniel shook his head, with a shrug. Apparently he didn't quite know.

"He's still breathing, but I don't know if that means anything... I hit him way too hard... Fuck man, why the fuck did you have to attack me. What were you so fucking afraid of... had my weapon down and everything... We could have helped you..." Daniel said with a sigh, seeming a bit down. Jen assumed he was feeling a bit guilty. 

Finally reaching him, Jen put her hand on Daniels shoulder, in a way to sort of trying to comfort him. He may be a dumb motherfucker who gratitude was practically non existent, that didn't mean she didn't care for him at least a little bit. This would be his first human kill, Jen knew that would take a toll on him no matter who it was, but she was going to at least try to make him feel better about it.

"Hey, no need to shed tears for this bastard, he got what was coming to him. Motherfucker tried to kill you, remember." Jen reminded him.

This didn't seem to make him feel any better. Daniel Just shook his head again, continuing to sigh. Apparently he didn't actually think that was the case. 

"I'm not so sure... I don't think he was going to kill me, I might have exaggerated there. I think he was just going to knock me out. The last thing he told me was to forget about him, right after he told who he was with to run. I have a feeling he was just trying to protect his group, that none of them were armed, and that he was their only protection." Daniel replied.

The fact that the stranger wasn't alone was news to Jen, it almost made her a little paranoid. Of course, Jen reassured herself if there was anyone who was going to kill them, they'd already do it. Still, Jen was skeptical of Daniels theory. Who in their right mind would travel in a group with only one guy with a gun. Didn't make much sense.

"What makes you say that?" Jen asked.

"The fact there was no one watching his back. No one left to shoot you." Daniel replied.

"Good point..." Jen replied back, seeing his point. 

Of course, in Jen's mind, that didn't rule out the theory that the rest of his group were unarmed. Maybe they just didn't like him... But Jen decided to keep this theory to herself. She know about as much about this as Daniel did. 

Given all this new information, Jen began to think. The possibility of a group out there that wasn't particularly friendly was dangerous, it was something that she was going to have to bring up to Alisa when she got the opportunity. Still, if what Daniel said is true, they might not be as dangerous as the stranger had already demonstrated himself to be. It a possibility if they could find this group, they could replenish their numbers, making it all them more likely they'll survive the next encounter.

Maybe, just maybe they'll be able to last till New York...

Still first thing was first. They needed to see if this guy could be saved, then they'll determine from there whether this group were possible recruits or something to be put down. The sooner the better, Jen didn't like the idea of sleep when there were possible enemies nearby.

"Well, if there's anyone out there, I'm sure Alisa will make it our priority to find them. For the moment, let's see if we can save this dumb bastard. Help me drag him, and we'll see if the doc is still alive." Jen suggested

Yeah... Let's do that." Daniel agreed. 

With that, Jen and Daniel grabbed an arm each and proceeded to drag him towards the rest of the group. Along the way, Jen reflected on how the day has gone so far, and how much worse it was going to get. In the end, she decided that it didn't matter, even if today was bad, tomorrow was surely going to be worse. So, all in all...

"Just another day in this shit hole." Jen said to no one in particular.