The Valhalla Cascade: The Arrival

Chapter 4Part 3I

It was early morning before finally found the spaceship. The angular craft had buried itself in a rocky outcrop most of which had been reduced to gravel by the immense impact. The group could only stand in awe as The Doctor inspected the ship, inside and out, for danger.

“You know?” Pinkie wondered out loud, “For a flying machine it’s not very….. flying looking, it’s all wedge shaped and un-aerodynamic and doesn’t even have big flappy wings! I mean there are those big tail fins at the back but…”

“Well…I dunno,” Rainbow Dash said slowly “Not being aerodynamic is probably what saved it.”

“Huh? Explain!”

“Well that trench its wake dug goes on for ages. Would’ have needed all the air resistance it could get to stop. You know…..if it is Jack’s spaceship, then he would have come a very long way to make such a sloppy landing. Crash landing…”

Dash’s profound thought brought on another bout of headaches from the Mane 6. They knew they had been here before, but they just couldn’t remember any details.

Whilst the others where puzzling over their fragmented memories, Dogfish and Derpy had approached the Doctor, who was sitting on the ground staring at the ship.

“Wassup Doc!” Dogfish said.

“Is it safe Doctor?” Derpy asked nervously tapping the ship with her frying pan.

“Well, there is no immediate threat to us. But, it is like nothing I have ever seen before. Some of the stuff in there is fairly generic but a lot of it is like……stuff from a science fiction novel, it exists real life (well in my world), but would need slightly different physics to actually work.”

Dogfish suddenly stiffened with a sharp intake of breath. “Something’s coming! Fast!”

In a second the group had assumed battle formation, weapons drawn and ready.

“Wait…no.. what! Gah! Can’t see it, Where did it go! ”

“Is it Jack?”  Pinkie growled with surprising ferocity, assembling miniature party cannon.

“Don’t think so. Feels different. Whatever it is, it’s close”

The words were barely out of Dogfishes beak when the Last Xenomorph burst from the undergrowth and threw itself at the group.

II

“Good Morning Celestia.”

“Discord, what are you doing in my bedroom?”

“There’s good news and bad news. Nice dressing-gown by the way”

“Ok (yawn) get the bad news over with first.”

“That alien you’ve got locked up in the containment room woke up for a few minutes last night.”

“Oh my! What did it do?”

“Bellowed for a bit. Then the guards activated the 2nd level containment spells. It’s now wrapped in chains and lapsed back into a coma. Still can’t work out what it looks like though. Distortion field is remaining pretty coherent.”

“What’s the good news?”

“With considerable effort from yours truly that big space-time rift is effectively closed and sealed. Let me tell you, that was a truly exhausting experience. I am knackered! I barely had enough energy this morning to materialise all that custard!!”

“What Custard?”

SPLAT

“DAMMIT DISCORD!!!!!!!!”

III

With momments to spare Derpy's pan whacked the spear-like tail away before it could impale her. Before the Xenomorph could recover The Doctor had pulled it into an improvised judo flip and thrown it bodily away from the startled group. With the element of suprise gone the Xenomorph reared up to it's full height and hissed menacingly,  snapping it's inner jaw back and forth.

Fluttershy squeaked and vanished from sight. Rairty stepped forward and shot three arrows in quick sucsession at the xenomorph, but the armoured carapce far far to tough to be penertrated. The first shot took it by suprise and jammed in a seam of the armour, but the other two glanced off harmlessly. The Xenomorph jumped at Rarity, she having shown the greatest threat.

However midair it was caught in a barrage. Pinke's mini party cannon had fired a large blob of what had appeard to me molten fuge, sugur and cake mix. Simltanously Twilight had unleashed a magical firestorm that had engulfed the Xenomorph. What ever was in the Pinkie's mixture was highly flammable and was now stuck to the screeching Xenomorph like burning tar.

The Xenomorph flailed around on the ground trying to put itself out. Twilight stopped the fire stream, Part of her felt slightly bad at killing the creature. But desperate times call for desperate messures.

The Xenomorph had finnaly managed to put it'self out. It tottered around weakly then began to feebly swipe at Applejack. Applejack too looked sadly at the Ailen. When she had was a filly a group of Xenomorph's had come out of Everfree forrest and onto the Apple Farm. She had found them all dead in an orchard, bodies twisted and wracked with pain by a white fungus called "Prometheus's Shroud". These things may have threated the world Millenia ago but now they were pathetic remanants, condemmmed by a microscopic death sentance. Applejack reared up and knocked the Ailen onto it's back before brining her front hooves down in a crushing blow to finish the Xenomorph off.

That's when things went wrong.

IV

Applejack suddenly rolled away yelling at the top of her lungs and the Xenomorph sprang to its feet and loomed over the strickened pony. When Applejack had landed her blow the force had driven Rarity's arrowhead, lodged the the Ailen's chest, though the armoured carapace and released a jet o blood onto Applejacks breastplate. The acidic blood was burind steadly though the thick metal, and Applejack was know stuggling to free herself before the acid reached her flesh. Seeing the distress the other ponies scrammbled forward.

What none of them had realised was that the Xenomorph had been only faking weakness. It may not have been a sentient life-form but it was a cunning creature nonetheless. Though turned away from the onrushing group he could sense there positions perfectly. Moving with sudden explosive speed the Alien whipped its tail out perpendicular to his aggressors. Being winged Rainbow, Derpy and Twilight where at the front of the charge and the tail whip caught them all simultaneously. They were swatted straight out the air as they were viciously clothes-lined by the sweeping attack. Twilight desperately tried to move off the ground in the heap she had landed in, but her legs wouldn’t respond and she could barely breathe.

Dogfish Rising tackled the alien and the two were barely distinguishable as they brawled in a tight battle ball, a frantic blur of claws and beaks and feathers and chitin as they convulsed like a cat chasing its own tail. Meanwhile Rarity had used her magic to rip Applejacks breast pate off in the nick off time. The earth Pony’s chest was covered in a giant blotchy burn, a fraction of a second longer and the acid would have been completely through the metal plate and burnt her in two.

Twilight, seeing danger, tried to cry out to Rarity but her windpipe was still crushed and could only rasp a small squawk.  Rarity turned just in time to see Dogfish being bodily thrown at her. The two collided with a sickening thud and were sent sprawling. The Xenomorph was about to gore the downed ponies when Pinkie Pie rocketed in out of nowhere yelling incoherently. The Xenomorph staggered back by the force of the infuriated pink pony that was battering its head with a huge variety of objects. The Xenomorphs snarled as it legs reached the edge of the deep trench and it started whipping at Pinkie with its tail.

Twilight managed to struggle to her feet. She tried to grab the Alien telekinetic-ally before it could hurt Pinkie but her head was still spinning from the massive impact and she couldn’t feel her magic. Sure enough within moments Pinkie had been sent sprawling away with lacerations covering her body.

Only Doctor Whooves was left standing. The two extraterrestrials stared each other down as the Xenomorph began to advance on its last threat, stepping along the edge of the deep trench, hissing all the while.  The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver in one hoof and let loose and ear-splitting whine. The Xenomorph immediately halted and clutched its head in pain. On the ground Dogfish yelped and pulled a wire out her sonar rig, then curled into a foetal position as the sonic assault intensified in pitch and intensity. The Xenomorph was locked in place, the sound waves bombarding its large head, paralyzed by pain.

“Elements!” The Doctor yelled over the cacophony. “ELEMENTS OF HARMONY NOW!”

Finally able to concentrate Twilight reached out with her mind to the Element concealed beneath her now dented helmet. Around the clearing her friends struggled to their feet, one by one the familiar coloured projections began to fly through the trees, even Fluttershy’s was swirling in from somewhere. It was different from previous times; the coloured band sparked and crackled like lightning, creating flair like burst whenever they touched.

“HIT IT HIT IT HIT IT!” The Doctor yelled, doubling his voice to be heard over the howling maelstrom. But something was wrong. Despite all the ponies efforts they couldn't direct the Elements to strike the Xenomorph, which had realized the terrible pain in its head wasn't going to get any worse and was now creeping towards the Doctor. Again and Again the Ponies tried to strike the Xenomorph but each time the Elements would simply whip them selves into a more even powerful frenzy. The increase in power in the atmosphere had become so great that the air pressure was now pinning everyone down, expert the Xenomorph who like some terrible force of nature had dragged it’s self to the source of the paralyzing pain and stood poised to strike a killing blow, inner mouth poised and ready.

“We’re all going to die.” Twilight thought numbly “We didn't even find Jack. And now were going to die at the wrong monster.”

Twilight closed her eyes as with a final snarl the Xenomorph lent in for the kill.

V

“Fluttershy!”

Twilight opened her eyes at the Doctors cry. Fluttershy, who had been hiding camouflaged, was now clinging to the Xenomorphs back, her mouth fastened round its inner jaw and wrenching it up and away from the Doctor. The Xenomorph bucked wildly but was unable to dislocate Fluttershy.

What’s more, the energy bands from the Elements where now rapidly closing in, whirling closer and closer to the interlocked pair. The relived Doctor turned to look back at the other Ponies just as Twilight suddenly barged past him.

“Fluttershy! Get off it! Jump! JUMP!” She yelled trying to grab the yellow Pegasus telekinetically, but couldn't penetrate the now dense weave of magical energy. Suddenly sensing through the Elements the source of Twilight's distress the other four Bearers limped forward and tried to push through the intense energy field, but in their hearts they knew it was hopeless.

The reason the Elements hadn’t been able to strike the Xenomorph was because the creature was not a natural part of their universe. The Elements were such an integral part of the fabric of their reality that it meant they simply couldn't perceive the Xenomorph, even if they could sense the immense threat and started exponentially increasing their power output. Fluttershy, the only one not now suffering from any form of head trauma and deeply connected to nature herself, had realized this and done the only thing she could do.

For one terrible, endless moment Fluttershy’s eyes slid serenely across her friends as the Xenomorph struggled to dislodge her. Then, the awesome power of the Elements of Harmony surged through Fluttershy like a lightning rod and blasted them both.

The image would haunt the nightmares of the ponies for many months afterwards. A stark black-and-white image of the two. Their skins translucent and skeletons visible. As quickly as it struck the energy had dissipated. Half blinded by the glare they could only hear the soft scuffle as the bodies tumbled from the edge and into the ravine bellow. Still half blinded Rainbow Dash raced forward, about to dive off the ledge after her friend when a clap echoed through the air.

Vision clearing, the ponies looked up one by one.  What they saw nearly broke their traumatised minds.

VI

Straddling the trench was a titanic, warped Diamond Dog, if you could call it that anymore. It was larger than a hydra and with a similar triangular wedge of a body. The arms and legs were now twisted columns of muscle, paws swallowed up but sill able to grab via the dozen ropey tendrils sprouting from its shoulders.

The tendrils silently stretched down and grabbed each of the group. They meekly let it happen, the fight drained from them all lifting them up; past its swollen head and up to its back where Jack stood clapping.

In all honesty most of the group had been expecting some kind of pony. They had trouble accepting the idea of a truly alien creature that had traveled all the way to their world to inflict some random acts of violence and other bizarre activities. Maybe some kind of cross between Discord and Sombra. But the insane appearance of the creature before them fitted the bill perfectly.

It was humanoid, around eight or nine feet tall, its limbs incredibly long and thin. It had jet black skin than somehow managed to look like cut glass. The body was round and stumpy, at odds with its beam like limbs, but covered in a network as scars and wires running just below the skin.  Its hand was similar to a human’s, but the fingers were longer and tapered down to needle like points. Even more bizarrely the legs also ended in tapered points instead of feet, Jack impossibly balanced on the tiny ends. The left hand had a mechanical mount attached to the wrist; attached parallel to each finger was a huge syringe. A twist of piping ran from where the plungers wound have been, under the skin of his arm before emerging as his shoulder and into the canisters.

The tendril holding Twilight swung her in closer till she was face to face with Jack.

His head was easily the most disturbing part about him. Over half of his head was encased in in smooth metal, ragged scar tissue round the edges showing that it was not a natural feature. The edge of the metallic portion ran diagonally across the right of his face and looked almost surgically sterile. The front of the plate was covered in camera like lenses of varying sizes that constantly shifted inwards and outwards as Jack hungrily focused on Twilight. The rest of his face was horrifically mismatched to the clean, robotic look of the right half. The skin looked like it had been held in a bonfire before being dunked in acid. His left eye was orange and severely bloodshot, the pupil reptilian. To complete the demonic picture it seemed that at some point Jack’s cheek and jaw had been sliced open and nobody had bothered to stich it up. Ragged and torn mouth extended up the side of his head in a permanent half grin, the dozens grey, translucent, needle like teeth as impossible sharp as his ‘feet’.

“So we finally meet Princes Twilight.” Jack hissed sibilantly leaning forward, mouth stretching out in an even bigger grin. Twilight stared at his insane, sadistic expression and recoiled her head. Jacks grin grew even wider, sticking his head centimeters from Twilight’s. “Oh come on where’s the defiance? The threats? I thought you guys would at least…”

Twilight suddenly rammed her head forward in a violent head-butt. The blow took Jack by surprise, but not as much as Twilight as she passed though Jacks image with a slight waver and crackle.

“Hologram.” Dogfish said weakly.

“I have to say I’m impressed. That fight with the Xenomorph was a fascinating display. One-to-one Kill/Death ratio is nearly unheard of when dealing with specimens like that, especially in a variant so highly adapted to deal with magical threats. I would have liked to have seen more action but...”

“SHUT THE HELL UP YOU GODDAMED FREAK!”

In an instant the rage and horror had returned as the entrapped ponies explosively struggled against the tendrils whilst letting loose an avalanche of verbal abuse at Jack who had begun to laugh insanely.

“Oh that is the Fight I like to see.” Jack hissed, swiping an arm. More tendrils swept forward to gag the suspended Ponies as Jack continued. “You represent some of the most dangerous individuals on this planet, weird and ridiculous as that may seem. Now you’re going to spend the foreseeable future inside this Collector’s holding pods whilst I go free my Master from Canterlot vaults.”

“Take a good look ponies.” Jack leered “I know it’s clichéd to reveal your plan to your captures enemies, but I’m really going to enjoy taking your precious Princesses to pieces.”

The hologram winked out as pods along the mutants back popped open.

VII

Moments before they reached the openings the tendrils suddenly ground to a half. The group looked around as the entire monster began to tremble. The tendrils suddenly released them but the pod lids had snapped shut. They tumbled down the sides and dropped, thankfully the ground was muddy and the landing relatively soft.

Rarity rolled over in a daze then suddenly let out a small high pitched shriek.  The others turned to see that her hooves were now stained bright right red with blood. Now on the ground the Ponies could see that the Collectors throat had been ripped open and cascade of blood was gushing forth.

A figure emerged from the fountain of blood. Totally drenched in gore and hair practically melted off Fluttershy stood looking overjoyed as the convulsing Collector’s insides continued to spill onto the ground.

“Oh my word! You all ok!” She exclaimed “I was so worried when the monster picked you up!”

“Uhhh… Sugar-cube?” Applejack said aghast at the spectacle before her, “Did…Did…how did you do ….that?”

“OH!” Fluttershy exclaimed turning back to the mess behind her. “That was Erwin.”

“Who the hay is Erwin?”

The collector finally flopped to the ground dead. A section of its skin sliced open and the Xenomorph stepped out, before calmly walking up behind Fluttershy.

There was a very long silence as everyone stared agape. Eventually Fluttershy piped up, “Err sorry but I thought …..Isn’t it obvious?”

“Well yeah.” Derpy suddenly exclaimed “The Elements of harmony turned nasty Nightmare Moon back into Luna, who’s good. And Fluttershy turned Discord from a big crazy mischievous meanie into a big crazy mischievous...err...kind of' good guy? Anyway, so put them together and they rewrote Erwin’s Genetic code making him a sentient creature that Fluttershy could then communicate with and convinced to help us! Err… Right guys?”

Much to the bemusement of Derpy, Fluttershy and Erwin, the others formed a quick huddle and after a not inconsiderable amount of discussion ended in Twilight striding (albeit with a major limp) up to Erwin, looking the Alien up and down before sighing “I guess that seems reasonable.”