Fallout: Equestria- Arcane Division

The four member team of Arcane Division drives into a small town. It was a bustle with Steel Rangers.

“It appears they are gearing up for war,” Convoy notes.

“They don’t have the mind set of those who have reserved themselves to having to kill another pony in battle,” Troja points out, “This feels like people trying to stop a natural disaster.”

“Yeah this is much worst then the mission brief said it was,” Melissa points out.

“So this was where you were heading to when you picked me up,” Max remarks.

“Arcane Division?” A Steel Ranger asks as he walks up.

“Yes,” Melissa answers.

“They said you would pull up in a red vehicle, Sioux Falls is waiting for you down in her lab for the debrief.” The Ranger told them, “She also requested us to capture a spritebot for some reason?”

“Good bring it here,” Melissa orders.

Melissa gets out of the wagon and breathes in sucking the blue energy from it. The shiny red paint job disappears. The griffon then exhales the energy into the spritebot. The machine turns blue and morphs into Convoy’s head.

“My goddess? What is it?” The Steel Ranger said in shock.

“I might need to do that with a Steel Ranger armor in the future,” Melissa tells the Ranger.

(Hopefully with no one in it,) The Ranger deadpans, “Yes sir.”

The four was led to a morgue’s building.

The first sight they saw was of ponies with their stomachs cut open. In the back of the room a pegasus was rushing from one piece of lab equipment to another.

The pegasus was granite purple with a grass green mane and wearing a cowpony hat. Two feathers were on her ear. She had a pair of waterfalls rushing over red stone as her cutie mark.

“Sioux Falls?” Melissa speaks in an ordering tone.

“Miss Featherborn you made it,” Sioux Falls remarks looking up. “I thought something happened to you.”

“Brought a sample for you,” The griffon puts a small glass flask with a little bit of blue liquid on the table. “Something we ran into on the way here. It’s living shampoo that takes over the minds of alicorns.”

“Is it connected to the Discord effect?” Sioux Falls asked as she looked at the contents inside the vile.”

“No,” Troja answers, “But we did come across the roaming anomaly called Silence. The buck behind me was exposed to it.”

“Sioux Falls,” The mare introduced herself to Max, “Former Enclave cryptobiologist.”

“Max,” The buck answers.

“His Pipbuck is like a Discord artifact,” Troja explains, “It’s from that abnormality we were tracking.

“Uhg, Don’t get me started with pipbucks,” Sioux Falls rolls her eyes.

“Beg pardon?” Melissa raises in eye brow.

“That’s what we call these creatures that showed up,” Sioux Falls explains as she leds the group to the another room.

“Sorry about the appearance. We couldn’t figure out how the creature was reproducing so as a last resort we poured acid on and in its genitals and hoped for the best.” Sioux Falls warns as she pulls back a sheet covered cage.

Before them in the cage was a hairless pony shaped creature. The thing’s eyes were seal shut with a layer if skin. Its rear end and crotch burned black leaving an open pussing wounds.

Convoy turns and leaves.

Sioux Falls gives a concerned look.

“I’ll talk to him later,” Melissa answers.

“Okay,” Sioux Falls nods her head, “First of all, this creature by its self is not dangerous. It’s herbivorous.”

The pony pulls back the creature’s lips to show its teeth.

“Like I said we had to stop the creature from breeding,” The pony continued, “It seems they have the ability to make clones of its self through its female sex organs. Its sperm is worst.” Sioux Falls picks up a jar of white goo. “When exposed to a small amount of it, it acts like Mint-als. Large exposure puts the brain in a deep euphoria state. The locals were using it as a drug. What they didn’t know is this.”

The pegasus mare smashes the jar open. What looks to be worms crawl out of the broken glass and goo.

“Okay that’s just gross,” Melissa cringes, “What am I looking at?”

“Parasite worms,” Sioux Falls answers before blow torching the creatures, “These things don’t just give birth vaginally. They can reproduce from a single sperm cell. Not only that but they are cannibalistic. In a few days that jar would have had only one very big worm. Anyone that was using this stuff as a drug would have been infecting themselves.”

“The busted stomachs we saw when we came in,” Max points out.

“Yes, another method of reproduction,” Sioux Falls nods.

“What happens to the worms who don't grow in people?” Troja asks, “Do they seek out hosts or do they just die?”

“It appears the worms want to latch onto a host but they don’t burrow in. We haven’t let them live long enough to see what happens after that. I’m hoping we get to see the full extent of how these things work when we explore the farm they first attacked.”

“I see,” Melissa turns to Troja, “Your read?”

“These things have a faint Discord signature,” The lavender pony answers.

“Very well,” Melissa nods, “Sioux Falls, When do you think we can head into the farm?”

“Soon this evening,” The pegasus answers, “I want to give you guys some rest.”

“Then we shall meet back together in four hours,” Melissa orders.

The griffon walks out of the morgue building. She stops a passing by pony. Most likely a Ranger out of armor.

“Have you seen a blue spritebot that looks like a head?”

She points at the roof of a nearby building.

“Thanks,” The griffon replied taking to the air.

She lands near the spritebot.

“Convoy!” Melissa shouts in an angry demanding tone.

The cybertronian turns to look at her.

Melissa's voice takes a kinder gentler tone. “Want to talk about it?”

“I couldn’t stay in that room knowing that a living being was put to harm like that,” Convoy answers.

Melissa sighs, “Convoy you’re a soul too good for your own good. When I found you, I sensed that good also the wariness of war torn at your heart. I’m sorry that you’re attached to me so.” Pats the spritebot on the back. “Now come on we both could use some sleep.”

Melissa and Convoy heads to the momentary barrack. One of the old inns that the Steel Ranger’s used for sleeping quarters.

Before Melissa took to bed, She sucks in all of Convoy’s energy into her leaving the spritebot an empty shell. When she laid down, the warmth of the cybertronian inside her belly overcomes her and the griffon falls into a relaxing sleep.

After a few hours, a wakeup call awakes the griffon from her slumber.

“Convoy? How do you feel about sticking with me for a hunt?” Melissa yawns.

“Sometimes I wish you were a pony,” The robot soul grumbled from within her.

Melissa rondevued with her team with a half eaten snake in her talons. By half eaten she had bit off one of its two heads.

“Don’t tell me you picked that up from the field,” Sioux Falls rolls her eyes.

“Do you really think my stomach can handle MREs made for ponies?” Melissa remarks.

“We are in a quarantine zone you know,” Sioux Falls answers.

“You know I can fly pretty far on my wings?” The griffon points out.

Sioux Falls blushed, “Well yeah my point still stands.”

Melissa breathes the spark of life into an empty Steel Ranger armor.

“Ready for battle?” The griffon asks the machine.

“I hope there is no coming battle,” Convoy replied testing his leg joints.

Steel Rangers accompanied the team on the way to the farm. They road in two vehicles one for the Arcane team and one for the Steel Rangers.

When they reached the farm there were a few pipbuck creatures standing about. Sioux Falls tells Melissa to give the okay to shoot the creatures.

Convoy gets a stern look on his face as he watched the Steel Rangers fire upon the helpless creatures.

“Are you going to be okay?” Melissa asks her robot friend.

“I get that this is a quarantine,” Convoy answers, “But seeing these ponies kill other pony like creatures gets to me.”

“Okay, all the pipbuck things are dead but my ESF still says enemies?” Max points out.

Melissa looks at the Steel Ranger captain in charge. A buck named Puzzler.

“I’m sensing the same thing on my ESF,” He answers.

“There are life forms underground,” Troja points out with her glowing horn, “They feel predatory.”

A Ranger fires at the ground. Red dots start to move toward the impact sight.

“They seem to be attracted to vibration sir,” The mare told Puzzler.

“A gunshot would attract anything’s attention,” Melissa points out as she tosses out a canteen from the vehicle she was standing in. It hits the ground with a loud “Donk”. “What did that do?”

“Nothing,” Max replied, "The creatures didn't react at all."

“See there’s more to factor then just sound,” The griffon points out.

“Maybe how hard it hits the ground factors in,” Puzzler waves off.

“Why would they be so picky to attack?” Sioux Falls adds, “There is a condition here that we haven’t met.”

“We don’t even know what we are detecting,” Puzzler snaps, “And I suspect we won’t know until we get off these blasted machines.”

“I suspect we are dealing with pipbuck worms,” Sioux Falls answers, “I think they sees us as food and that’s what's setting off the EFS.”

“Those little things? We don’t have anything to worry about,” Puzzler laughs, “Okay ponies disembark. Knuckle you stay here.

The Steel Rangers set foot on the ground. Nothing adverse happened. Melissa sighs in relief and gives the okay for her people to disembark.

Troja was the first to set hoof on ground. A worm suddenly shoots up and attached it’s self to her ankle. Two more creatures jumps out of the ground sucking on to her thigh and rump.

“Back on the vehicles!” Puzzler orders.

Melissa quickly pulls the unicorn back into the vehicle as two more worms latch onto her underbelly. The unicorn appeared to be in shock from the sudden attack.

Max and Melissa start to grab the worms.

“Do not touch them!” Sioux Falls snaps, “There like lamprey.” The pony remarks looking at the wiggling worms attached to Troja’s flesh, “Emphasis on the ‘land’ part.”

“Why did they attack her and not us?” Puzzler demands.

“ ‘Steel’ Rangers don’t have exposed flesh for one,” Sioux Falls remarks as she tries to pull one of a worms off.

Troja lets loose a squeak of pain as the worm creature was ripped from her. The wound squirts a lot of blood.

“You! Max! Cover that wound!” The pegasus orders then turns to the worm she pulled off. “I think it went after her body heat. This indeed appears to be a blood sucker.”

“Less talking and more getting them off of her!” Melissa snaps.

“We can’t rip them all off like I just did,” Sioux Falls explains, “She’ll bleed to death.”

“Allow me to fix that,” Convoy holds up his hoof. It was glowing red hot. He puts his hoof on the worm creature. It dies letting go. He then puts his hoof on the wound cauterizing it. The robot repeats the same with all the worms. Troja became unconscious from the pain. They then poured Healing Potions on all the wounds.

“Well she’s stable,” Sioux Falls remarks, “What you want to do?”

“Sure she’s stable?” Melissa asks, “Will taking her back to the base have any effect on her recovery?”

“No,” Sioux Falls answers.

“So, What are we going to do?” Puzzler asks.

The griffon gives her orders. “Max stay here and watch over Troja. Convoy you accompany the Steel Rangers on ground. Sioux Falls and I can fly so we can travel from building to building without need to touch the ground.”

“The farm house is the closest building,” Puzzler points out.

Melissa nods her head in agreement.

Her and Sioux Falls land on the house roof. They entered the second floor through a window.

They came upon a mangled body lying on the bed. At least most of it was on the bed. As Sioux Falls examines the body, Melissa checks the rest of the upper floor room.

“We found something up here!” The griffon shouts.

Puzzler and Convoy came upstairs to meet them.

“This was done by a predator feeding,” Sioux Falls points out.

“We found two more down stairs. Could those pipbuck things do this?” Puzzler asks.

“I don’t think so, Plant eaters remember,” Sioux Falls answers.

“Ponies eat meat,” Puzzler replied.

“Yeah if its cut up processed or cooked in some way,” Sioux Falls adds, “If not, then only small creatures like bugs, mice and tiny birds.”

“I get your point,” Puzzler rolls his eyes from behind his helmet.

“I take back what I said about wanting to be connected to a pony,” Convoy whispers to Melissa. “At least you don’t have a choice about eating other creatures to live.”

“Could the worms do this?” Melissa asks Sioux Falls.

“If they changed to something different,” The pegasus answers.

“Okay, Can you do a quick check of the barn out back?” Puzzler asks, “I’ll take my men to the houses next door.”

Sioux Falls and Melissa fly to the barn. Like before they entered through a window.

The top floor was used for storing hay. Not top hay, The kind of hay ponies fed to brahmin. The hay was dropped down through a hole in the floor.

Sioux Falls looks down the hole and gasped in horror. Melissa looks down to see a bunch of living brahmin covered in blood sucking worms of various sizes.

“Help us!” They cried.

“They were just left here,” Sioux Falls said in shock.

“Puzzler! You need to head to the barn now!” Melissa shouts into her communication device.

Sioux Falls aims and fires with two shots hitting a brahmin. One bullet for each head.

“Sioux? What are you doing?” Melissa snaps hitting the gun out of the way.

“These creatures are beyond saving,” Sioux Falls tells the griffon.

Melissa grudgingly takes out her pistols and fires on the brahmin as well.

Puzzler and the Steel Rangers with Convoy among them bust open the door to see the massacre. Convoy looks down at the worm covered brahmin, Looks at the bullet wounds, and then looks up at Melissa. She gives the robot a heart broken look back.

“I’m sorry,” Was all that the griffon could say.

Convoy could feel his anger building.

“These worms, they are growing legs with toes,” A Steel Ranger points out.

“What did you say?” Sioux Falls raises an eyebrow.

“Is something the matter?” Melissa asks.

“I know what this is,” Sioux Falls shouts, “These creatures are going through external fetal evolution.”

“Say what now?” Melissa gives a confused look.

“Most creatures when in a fetal state will go through stages of past evolution,” Sioux Falls explains, “Unborn chicks will develop features of a raptor before features of a chicken. Everything started out as single cells, then worms, then fish, then amphibians. There are creatures in nature that drastically change or develop after born. Ponies, horses, were once carnivores.”

“That would explain the feeding on the corpses,” Melissa remarks.

“But why haven’t we seen these meat eating incarnations?” Puzzler points out.

“Maybe they were part of the pipbucks we already killed?” Melissa suggested.

Sioux Falls shook her head. “They should have toes if they are meat eaters if I got the evolution history right.”

Suddenly worms popped up out of the ground. This took the Steel Rangers by surprise causing them to evacuate the barn. Convoy was glowing red hot. His body attracting the creatures.

“Convoy what are you doing!” Melissa shouts.

“Get out!” Convoy yells. Worms and half worms charge at the robot like moths to the flame each one cooking against his body.

Soon the robot pony destroyed most of the creatures. Enough to allow Max to set foot on the ground without getting jumped.

The Steel Rangers finished sweeping the farm taking out a few pipbucks. They never came across the meat eaters.

“Damn it,” Sioux Falls kicks the wall of a well in anger frustrated at the lack of meat eaters. “They have to be somewhere.”

“Convoy?” Melissa tries to talk to the robot pony who was moping near one of the vehicles.

He didn’t respond.

“I’m missing something,” Sioux Falls mumbles. Then she hears a sound that makes her ears twitch.

Melissa sighs and walks up to Sioux Falls. “Whats the matter Sioux?”

“Did you hear that?” The pegasus asks.

“No,” Melissa replied.

Sioux Falls looks at the setting sun then quickly looks at the well.

“Sioux?” Melissa asks concerned.

“Ever heard of aquatic equine theory?” Sioux Falls asks as she rushed for the well.

“The what?” Melissa gives a confused look.

“Some say, some features that ponies have could have had only appeared if we had ancestors that evolved to live in the water.” Sioux Falls looks down the well. “Like our short hair making us more aerodynamic for swimming and the ability to sweat for expelling excess salt.”

Glowing eyes flash back at the purple pony.

“Someone get a grenade!” Sioux Falls shouts.

The sun had set enough for the monsters to climb out of the well. Melissa shot one that lunged for Sioux Falls. Then she quickly pushed the pegasus to the ground. As the creatures started climbing out of the well, bullets flew over the heads of the ponies. Someone tossed a missile down the well causing an explosion. The well collapsed onto its self.

The pegasus and the griffon stand up.

“That shouldn’t be the last we see of them.” Sioux Falls tells the Rangers. “Aquifers could run for miles.”

“I see,” Puzzler replied, “And these things all have this Discord matter?”

“Yes,” Sioux Falls gives a confused look.

“Take it out!” Puzzler orders.

Steel Rangers pull out a device that has antennas sticking out of it.

“What is that?” Melissa demands.

“Bypass Pulse Bomb,” Puzzler answers, “A quarantine device that’s emits a strong magic pulse.”

“Programmed to only destroy stuff that has Discord matter, meaning everything that emits a Discord effect energy signature,” Melissa points out.

“Wait! I’m made of Discord matter!” Sioux Falls shouts.

“Then you better run,” Puzzler deadpan.

Sioux Falls takes up to the sky. Melissa calls Convoy back into her body and swiftly grabs Max.

“What are you doing?” Max snaps as the griffon takes him up into the air.

“I’m pretty sure that bomb will make your pipbuck explode,” Melissa answers, “I don’t think you’d survive that.”

In the distance they could hear a loud boom. A purple flash could be seen out of the corners of their eyes. Max feels his pipbuck heat up.

“Did I tell you I’m glad I’m not connected to a pony,” Convoy remarks

Sioux Falls suddenly drops from the sky and crashes to the ground.
___
“Ever get the feeling we will never change? Yes we had pulled ourselves out of the ashes, but you ever wonder if it’s just to blow ourselves to the wind again? (sobbing and crying) (sigh) I’m sorry, I’ll make sure to take my happy pills tomorrow.”