Stalker

Chapter 7

“Yeah I suppose that because Fluttershy got hurt I was angry, hell furious even. So what,” I ask. The Princesses, all three of them, had been asking me questions about what I had done and what was going through my mind. It was getting a bit tiring now and this last question seemed odd as hell.

“How close are you two,” asked Twilight… oh hell no.

“It is nothing like that. I have a hard time caring for people as is so when I am saved by a very kind individual that sticks with me but nothing like that. I am not attracted to her or whatever else,” my answer was cold though Twilight did not seem convinced and… well I cannot really tell with Celestia but I do not think she believed me entirely. Luna on the other hand seemed to believe me which I was grateful for. “Listen, I plan on getting home still.

“Well I believe that we will be off since you have answered our questions,” said Celestia.

“Did I answer them well enough,” I ask, hoping that they would not have to come back and ask me more questions.

“Yes you did,” she responded. Celestia and Twilight both got up and left without a backwards glance however Luna stayed behind giving me a look that I was not too fond of.

“Thou still not like my sister,” it was not a question.

“No, not really.”

“How are the ribs?”

“Good enough I suppose. Still hurt quite a bit if I do something strenuous. If you can call some of the things strenuous. My breathing is better but if I do anything active wise for more than ten minutes I start breathing heavy and then shortly after that I have to stop.”

“Were thou feeling this… dullness when thou killed Cide? We never asked what that meant either.” It was so long ago I am not sure if it was the same. I can remember that I was in control but it did seem like things were less vivid than the rest of my memories.

“I do not know. It seems like I have been saying that a lot lately. Cide is a part of a word, well a lot of words actually. It comes at the end. Homicide, suicide, regicide. It means kill and well Joseph “Cide” did that a lot.” She thought about my answer for a while more while I thought about when I killed him. Maybe I had gone into this killer state of mind… only to a lesser degree. She stood up from the chair and I stand with her. She gives me a small smile and then leaves. I walk over to my cabinet and pull out one of the few bottles of wine that I had in there and popped off the cork. I poured myself a glass and then another and another. Eventually I was piss ass drunk but I stayed seated at on my couch and eventually I blacked out.

What the fuck was that. Why is there yelling inside of my home only just then my bedroom door literally blew in as if someone took an explosive charge to it. I cover my face as bits of wood fly through the air. I look back at the door to see a very pissed Celestia staring at me and I actually flinch back a bit under her gaze.

“What have you done with my sister and the Elements of Harmony,” her voice was not loud but it sent chills through my body all the same.

“Wha… what the fuck are you talking about. I have been… sleeping since your sister left,” my own voice was shaky and now I was really worried because of the six guards filling the room. All of them were in front of me or to my right blocking me from the door. I look back at Celestia only this time she shouted at me and I swear to God that the ground shook beneath me.

“Do not lie to me, is that my sister’s blood upon your chest or is that another ponies on the death march you took,” what the fuck is talking about. I quickly look down at myself and my eyes go wide as I see that I am in deed covered in blood. It looked dried though. What the fuck happened. I look back at the Princess and I start shaking my head.

“I did not do anything I swear on my God that I did not. I have no idea what is happening. I got drunk on my wine and then I… passed out on my bed. I did not do anything to your sister or the Elements.” My voice was frantic and higher than it normally was. I scoot away from her a bit toward the bedside table.

“So you will sit there and tell me that it was not you who was walking around Ponyville this night and stabbing and cutting my ponies. You sit there and lie about not walking around shooting my ponies with those weapons of death,” what the fuck.

“I have not-,”

“They saw you walking around.”

“That is not pos-,” my voice came to a halt as a force seemed to wrap itself around my throat and squeeze cutting off my air source. I start chocking and clawing at my neck as if I could somehow tear away the tendrils of magic.

“Ma’am if you kill it we may never find your sister or the Elements of Harmony,” said one of the guards. Please Celestia listen to him. She did let go after another second or so of strangling me. I scoot back further until I was at the edge of my bed away from them all.

“If you did not kill them explain to me why you are covered in blood, why ponies heard your weapons, why there is blood inside your home along with one pony’s… head.” The last part came out as if she was about to start crying. I was not expecting such a ruler as her to do that but then again when was the last time something like this happened. Never probably. I shake my head as I get ready to fall backwards onto the wood floor. God do not let me break my ribs again. I fall back and while I flail around a bit I make sure that my hand grabs the handle of the drawer in the bedside table and yank the whole thing out. I had maybe a second or two to get out. My hand wrapped around the familiar grip of the revolver and at least one of the speed reloads and then I am on my feet. I do not even look at the guards or Celestia before I smash my body through the window and onto the hard ground beneath it. I was up and running toward the forest when the side of my house literally explodes outward which caused me to stumble but I keep on my feet and rushed it to the forest. It seemed that was all I did since I got here, was run and run.

Soon enough I was there but they would not let me go easily least of Celestia. I was going to need a miracle if I was going to get away. I was only in the forest for a few minutes before I had to slow to a walk because of my damaged lung. I was breathing harder than I had in years but I kept moving forward hoping to reach one of my small stowaways. I had them throughout the forest. Each had some ammo, food, and a water bottle or two. I had been stowing these small caches since I had free roam around the area and had about twenty scattered throughout the forest all within a mile of the edge of the place. It was in case I had to run away from them if they had a change of heart. Now was a good example of it. I was heading to one that had twelve rounds for my revolver. It did not have the most revolver ammo but it was the closest one to me that had any. Suddenly I was on my face and my ribs let out a small scream of protest. The pony that tackled me flipped me over and stood above me with a look of… was he scared of me. He had a sword pressed against my chest and then he called out for his fellow guards only to stop half way through the yell and look forward. His facial features morphed into something that meant bad news. I was still breathing hard but I quickly shoved him off me and rolled to the right. Then the roar of a manticore came crashing down on my ears and I looked up to see one rush the pony behind me. Once it was pass me I stood and leaned against a tree.

I aimed my .357 and waited to see if the pony would get away but it looked like that was not going to happen. The pony was on his back with the manticore above him about to strike him dead. I let off a shot and was happy to see that the bullet smashed into the things lower jaw, shattering it and guaranteeing that it would never eat again. It wiped its head back and forth a few times but then another manticore moved past me and was meet with three ponies instead of one. It must have been a family of manticores because another three moved past me chasing the ponies away. This was my chance to get away and to get my cache. It was about a ten minute walk and unfortunately that was all I could manage. I take the bullets out from the wrapped package only I make a small bundle of the remaining things and slip it through my belt-loop. I continued to move through the forest and after an hour of not meeting another life-form which at this time I thought that I would have had a very angry Princess stabbing me with her horn by now.

I continue on for a long time but I eventually stop when I reach a relatively nice hollow in a group of trees. It was only after I had laid down that it hit me. This was the same hollow that I had slept in when I first got here. I laid down all the same and before long I was out.

I wonder why Celestia has not hunted me down yet, maybe she is hoping that I will be killed by one of beasts in here. Sighing I sit up and wince at the bit of pain that pulsed from my side. I am way too young to be feeling so old. After a minute or two I stand and start walking again only not toward my destroyed home but instead further into the forest. I remember that map I had found in a back-pack when I first got here. The large red border said danger or something else like that. Fuck what was the name on the bag, I remember there being a name but… nevermind. Forget it Richard.

I start walking again and soon enough my mind begins to wonder. Four months I have been here. Two months of that time I have been laid up from injuries or I was in a dungeon. One of the Princesses knew me best yet my loyalties were with that yellow mare. Fluttershy had taken me in, cared for my ribs, slight burns which have faded, and made sure that I had food and water. Yet here I was with no idea what the fuck happened other than I was being blamed for killing ponies and for the disappearance of her sister and the Elements of Harmony. Yeah like I could pull something like that off. Then again I have not given Celestia much faith in me. I look up when I come to a small clearing and see that it is just past mid-day. I stop and take the make-shift bag out of my belt-loop and start pulling out the small amount of food and drink. The food was just some meat-sticks that I had, a small can of dried fruit, and a bottle of water. I eat all of the food and drink all the water.

I really hope that the thing I should not be going to will come up soon ‘cause it might mean food. Before continuing I take off my shirt and look at the scar along my side to see how that is doing. They cut me open to fix my ribs and lung. Four of my left ribs had been broken, two of which punctured my lung. Through the use of magic they fixed some of it but not too much, I guess they figured it would be better for my body to fix itself. I think they just did not want me to start mutating if their magic did not mix well with humans. Anyway the scar was healing up nicely though it was still fairly eye-catching. It was about five inches long but it was straight and maybe after a few years it will nothing but another white line.

I put my shirt back on and start heading farther into the forest and time seemed to slip by without a care whether or not I wanted it to because soon enough night was coming on. The darkness seemed to intensify as it got later and later. I was about to stop when suddenly I was not inside the forest any more. I was in a cave. I also felt really weak and tired. I almost fell to my knees but I managed to stay on my feet. After calming myself and pulling the revolver out my waistband I moved in and see that the floor is glossy and almost has a shiny look to it. It was also black. I wonder if it is obsidian. A few of the guys in my company had found some and thinking that it would, for some stupid-ass reason, that it would make a good dagger. They were sharp as hell and good for cutting but the thing would break in half after the second or third stab into something and if it hit anything with a solid impact it would shatter. I move father in and it was greeted by the ground erupting in front of me. I immediately fall back and push myself up against a wall.

“Stand up,” my head jerks up at hearing the deep voice. I see a man that was dressed in plain clothing standing about fifteen feet away. I press my back harder against the wall. “Stand up,” he says again. I struggle to my feet and move a few feet closer to him. If I was going to die it will be on my feet. “I won’t attack you, for I have no reason too.” He lets a small smile slip onto his face.

“Who are you,” I ask but my voice was thick with emotion.

“No one you would know obviously. No one you would recognize,” he said. His voice was soothing yet I would not let myself be calmed by it. “Though… do not take this the wrong way Richard but,” he licks his lips as if he is nervous. “Plainly put I created your race, your species… everything that you are and know. I also created everything in Equestria along with Celestia and Luna to be its protectors. I also regretfully created, what you have dubbed, the Stalkers.”

“What,” it was barely a whisper but the strange man heard it nonetheless.

“I created you, the ponies, and unfortunately the Stalkers. They have caused me quite a bit of trouble, but I pledged to my father I would not interfere with what I created. It would ruin the purpose of creating you, making you all feel dependent on me for everything. Of course my father did not listen yet he did it in a way that kept you, since you are the only ones he has showed himself too, active and advancing. There was a hiccup a few times but generally it went well,” he tried explaining yet it was… what? “I feel that I need to elaborate yes?” I nod my head.

“Trillions of years ago I was created, he isn’t my actual father but I consider him to be, and was told to create. To experiment along with my siblings and that is what I did. I created your Earth, many times over actually, and just created. I added many things, just trying to get it right and I just built upon that. Then one creation, I call them seekers, made a creation of their own. The created weak-spots. They allow them to travel through time. Only forward through time. It was a power that belonged to us creators yet here was one of my own doing it. I listened to my father and didn’t get involved with my creations, never steeping in to save them or stop them. I just let it run its course and let the generation die out then I made another one. Some generations were never touched while others, like yours was brought to heel by the Seekers, what you call Stalkers.

“I don’t think that they have much control over where they land. I am sorry for what has happened to your generation. It was by far the most successful creation and experiment only surpassed by this current generation.”

“What happened to my… my people… my world,” my voice was thick and strained and then the guys face changed from the excited look of a child to one of a soldier telling the wife her husband was dead.

“They couldn’t fight the Dark back. They died… like heroes though.”

“We all die as cowards,” then it was all fading slowly but was gaining speed and I felt myself tipping over. It suddenly got very dark.

Hours, days, weeks, months may have passed or it could only be a minute. I watch the thing that created everything I had known and then let it get torn to shreds just stand there acting like it did nothing. I so badly wanted to attack but I figured that it would be pointless, it would see me reach for the revolver so I sat there against the obsidian. I never became hungry or thirsty, it must be doing something so I was not. What it could not do was stop the anger, the hate that grew in me for it, for the Stalkers, for everything. All this pain, all the fucking death and violence my life had been was caused because of this stupid fuck refusing to help my kind because of some stupid rule, condemning them to death. I was going to get out of here and kill the Stalker, get my friend home and then find this thing again and make it pay, make it suffer, and I am going to watch its blood pool.

“Having such hos-,” he began but I quickly cut him off.

“Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth. You are going to answer my questions. What is a weak-spot, how many… generations,” I spit the word out, “have you created, where am I exactly, how did I get here, how do I get out, where did Fluttershy go, and lastly why did Celestia try to kill me?” It looked shocked but then its face turned back into that small smile. I could see that this fuck was like Twilight, liked to preach about how smart it was, and accomplished it was, and all of that other shit.

“Well a weak-spot is just where one jumps through time. Imagine that the air around you is a veil. Some parts of the veil are… thinner than other parts. The Stalkers can see this veil and can tear through it. This veil will fix itself but it is weaker and can tear much more easily and doesn’t need someone to do it. It can be torn again by natural events, or if enough trauma is inflicted, such as a nuclear bomb.

“As for the generations there have been many, thousands upon thousands. The Stalkers were my 4063, you are my 9273, and-“

“You do not own me, so do not ever say that I am yours,” the words were scathing and I could see his smile falter a little.”

“The ponies are 72094 creation. I actually got the idea from your kind. They created a show, one that you only saw a glimmer of on the one man’s machine long ago. Of course the show was much more innocent than that. It was actually shortly after creating everything that it was falling apart. So I created Celestia and Luna, giving them the same roles as the show. Of course they know of my existence I begged them to stay out of combat unless they absolutely had to do something. Their power could lay waste to everything if it got out of hand. They don’t have the correct level of control for long durations of fighting, hence the elements of harmony. They don't have to worry about using their magic when those can be used."

“Where you are at I guess has to two parts. Where is Equestria and where is this cave of obsidian. Equestria is a fresh Earth, a new one built where the old one stood. I keep the sun sustained so that it never fades. This cave… it is nowhere. It doesn’t exist. It just… goes places. My own creator made it for me and it has been my home, my workshop for the billions of years that I have been at work on my own creations.

“How you got here is simple really. When you went out that window with the Stalker you went through a weak-spot. You separated and you landed in the Everfree and the Stalker landed in the dessert far from here. She, yes the Stalker is female, made her way to Equestria, following you actually.”

“Go into more detail with… moving from… one time to another,” I cannot even believe I asked that. I was in another time, in the future for fucks sake. The thought nearly knocked me over. The past, present, and future all converged.

“Of course,” it said. It raised its hand and a soft light came from it and I noticed that an ugly yellow band was made into the floor and then a band of red appeared about three feet above that one. Lastly another one appeared, blue this time, about ten feet above the red one. In the center of each was what looked like a world, a solar system actually with a thousand stars around each. No the stars and planets grew in number with the Equestrian world having the most of both. Fifteen planets revolved around the planet in the tallest ring. I looked at the bottom one and saw a white line start creeping up to what must have been the representation of my world. It connected after a few seconds. “The line touching the planets symbolizes the Stalkers traveling through time to reach yours. See that theirs is lower than yours with Equestria up above.” The white line moved up from my world to the Equestrian one above. “That line is your journey. Does this make sense?”

“Yes.”

“Now for how you can get out of my abode is by simply pressing against a wall however I will personally take you back to Equestria. The last answer is… much more difficult to answer. I mentioned that I have siblings. Well my siblings each hold another… dimension. Somehow the Stalker opened up a tear that lead to one of my siblings dimensions.” More loops appeared all around us, one every few feet. Then two white lines shot out from the highest planet, the one where Fluttershy should be on and they touched two of the other worlds. One touched on a white world, the whole thing was white. No discernable oceans like mine had. It looked like it was a snowball. The other line went to a farther loop and touched a planet that could have been earth only the land masses were wrong. “That is where your friends… friend is. They have been split into two different groups, On one of those other dimensional planets. I like this world and hate to see it fall under another Stalker onslaught. The female gathered all of the wandering Dark that you did not end and has given them to her son to be in charge of,” it was speaking fast now, it sounded scared actually. A sudden flash covered his hand and in it was a scroll and a sword. “Celestia tried to kill you because you made a fool of yourself while intoxicated. You actually verbally lashed out at the Elements of Harmony and Princess Luna herself. This lead Celestia to believe that you had done something. That coupled with you being set-up was enough for her to attack. I don’t have time to explain more, more will be revealed at a later date but for now trust me. Give this letter to Celestia, and this sword needs to be driven into a vital spot on the Stalker. It is imbued with magic and will stop her from healing. That is why your kind fell. Stalkers heal soon after being injured, even from the most grievous of wounds and are generally resistant toward magic. This sword should be able to work on her. I am sending you to the Crystal Empire.”

It stepped forward and clasped its hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. “I am sorry for what happened and the way it did. Please don’t let it happen again Richard.” The look in its… his eyes were so full of pain that I almost crumpled underneath the weight of it. I tucked the scroll in my waist-band and took the sword and suddenly unsure where to put it. It did not matter because I was going to in a fight here in a few minutes. I could feel it.

The scenery changed I was in hall near a door. The sudden change left me feeling weak and I had to sit for a second. I looked down both hallways and was happy to see that neither way showed ponies moving toward me. Of course this was instantly wrong as I heard the clop of hooves behind me, where the doorway was. I stand and then slowly turn and I am greeted with a guard. He looked young but at the same time he had a spear pointed at my head. His eyes betrayed him though. He was scared shitless about facing me. I should have knocked him out cold but I had hesitated and he let out a piercing yell. I slapped his spear away from my head and dashed forward and slammed my foot against his head. I instantly regretted because I was not wearing boots. I had been barefoot for quite some time. I muffle a yell and then pick up the fallen spear in my free had just as a couple of guards came round the corner.

I forgot my pain and rush up the stairs with them following close behind and see a balcony leading into a large room. I think back to the couple of days I had been in the Crystal Empire and decided that I must be in the throne room I turn back around and shake the spear at the ponies. I was outnumbered but then again when have the numbers ever been in my favor. It was then that another piercing scream came to my ears causing the ponies to freeze. I look behind me and see why the creator, the inventor, the pseudo-god had placed me in the Crystal Empire. The Stalker was here along with her… son I think is what the inventor had said. With them were twenty or so snapping, slobbering walkers turning into fatties. The lead pony that had started coming after me looked over the edge with me and watched in horror as the invading disease moved toward Cadance and Shining Armor. There were quite a few guards down there as well, between them and the monsters. The son was on the far side of the room while the female would be going underneath us. I look back at the guard.

“You got a short dagger on you by chance,” I ask. He nods and quickly slips one out of its sheath and hands it to me after I drop the spear. I take it in a tight grip and then climb up onto the railing and then I waited for the Stalker to get underneath me. The drop was about twenty feet onto hard target then onto a hard floor. With around another twenty-one targets ready to fight. I turn back to the guard. “I would get ready to fight for your life in a few seconds. Things are going to get messy.” With that I drop off the railing. The fall was short but my aim was true with the sword. I drove that fucker right between the female’s shoulder blades and it went straight through to slam into the crystal floor. I rolled forward as best I can but the wind was still pushed from my lungs. It takes me half a second before my breath comes back but by then the son, whom looked like the other beast that had attacked Canterlot, to reach me only this time I was not going to get thrown into a wall again.

I grab that the short dagger that had fallen from my hand and slash out at him. He hopped back and that was all I needed. It happened fast and it was not slow like last time, the dullness came and it came hard. I did not know what this dullness was but it helped where it counted. I was on my feet and pushing an attack on him with everything I had. Soon enough blood was flying from the wounds I was inflicting and I sensed rather than heard the fatties being attacked by the guard ponies. I ducked when the fucker finally lashed out at me only my face was greeted with a knee. I, once again sensed rather than actually heard, and in this case felt, my nose break. Blood gushed out and into my mouth. I was now moving on the defensive but all the same he did not land another blow. I lashed out with my own knee which instead of moving away or simply blocking he grabbed. It was a mistake he would not see coming. I lunged forward with the dagger and caught him underneath the chin and drove the blade through the neck. I pulled the blade to the side and watched as black blood flew and spluttered out from the nearly severed head. He fell releasing my leg.

I look over at the guards and see that they had dealt with the fatties and even better yet it did not look like a single one was bit. I look back over to the Stalker and see her trying to rise up. The blade of the sword had been slammed deep into the crystal yet now it was nearly out. I pull my revolver out and take a few steps over to her. I watched as the she got her clawed filthy paws underneath herself and start moving the blade up a few centimeters. I bring the gun in front of me and let off a shot, shattering one leg. It was met with a scream that was filled with pain. It was nice hearing such an evil thing cry out like that. I walk a bit closer and notice as the darkness of my black and white sight fade for a second before returning to normal. The guards can deal with it if it is dangerous. I grab one of the bitches wing and I could feel it struggle to get free. It could not and I placed the barrel right against the joint and pulled the trigger again, the round blew bone, skin, and blood across the floor. I pulled hard on the wing and it came off. It looked back at me and I could see the eyes asking for pity, for relief from the torture.

“You want me to stop,” I ask. It was not a conscious one but it came out nice and smooth and calm. It actually nodded. “Did you stop as mothers and fathers begged you to not kill their babies. Did you stop at the screams from fathers trying to protect their families?” My voice had steadily risen and now it was at a full yell, louder than I had ever yelled before. My anger and hate was flowing forth and I got a sick kick out of watching the bitch squirm under it. I walk forward toward its face and then crouch. I reach out and touch its muzzle with my left hand. There was a hint of hope in its eyes, I was actually surprised it did not bite my hand off. Guess it was hoping that I would take pity. It was sweet to think that that it thought that I was not going to kill it. I bring the .375 up its lower jaw and pull the trigger for the third time. It was smooth and relatively unexpected. The beasts jaw came away in a shower of blood and bone, some of which splattered onto my face. It tried to scream again but the only thing that came out was a sickening gurgle. “You never gave mercy to my kind, you killed them all. I am just repaying in kind” I press the barrel between its eyes and pull the trigger three times and felt the gun buck three times. There was not much left of its head and I was okay with that.

I look over toward the thrones and see Celestia standing next to Cadance and Shining Armor. I walk over to them and see Cadance cringe and gag from the blood and bone and whatever else covering me. I face Celestia and stare into her eyes. “Sorry I was not more… diplomatic about the situation.” I give her the scroll to her which she took and read quickly before putting it down.

“It appears that we have work to do,” she says. Yeah we do have a lot of work.

Five months I had sat there in that obsidian cave going over my grief. The best that I could come up with is that the cave itself or the “Inventor” caused most bodily functions and needs to cease. I would find it and get more answers. In that time Celestia had done everything she could to get them back but failed and now after two weeks after being back and experimentation she has it down. The weak spot has a small glow to it and not something you would never notice unless you were looking for it and even then some would not see it. The Inventor said that they were split into two different groups. I had made it clear that I was going after Fluttershy’s group first though that angered Celestia and Shining Armor. It really did not faze me one way or the other. I owed Fluttershy for saving my life and I intend to repay it. I was currently in the desert with what had to be about five thousand troops around. Celestia was here and so was Shining Armor. The group that worked with me on the Everfree Forest were here as well. They would be going with me on this along with a hundred of the soldiers. They were the ones that fought with the Equis. Right now though we were waiting for the soldier that was sent through to get back and report what it was like on the other side.

It was a few minutes after he had gone through that he came back, covered in snow. “It’s cold there, really cold,” he shivering but that was alright cause now I knew what the climate was where we were going. The letter the Inventor had given me had indicated that we should be within a five mile or so radius of the ponies when we arrive. I stand and let Celestia do some magic on my clothing which would keep me warm and she did the same to the others. When she was doing that with the others I slipped on a coat and heavier boots that had better enchantments. Magic could be one useful thing. I put my back-pack on, made sure that my pistols were where they should be, and then slung my rifle over my shoulder. I look over at Short Sword and give him a small nod and watch as the five ponies file through the weak spot, then followed by a hundred more.

“Make sure you bring them all back,” Celestia said before handing me two small red orbs and a single blue one. They were the size of a marble, smooth, and gave a very slight glow. The plan was to find the first group send them through using the red orb which could open a weak spot back to Equestria, use the blue one to get me to the other group and finally use the last one to send us all home. I look at her and give a grunt and then step through the weak spot following the ponies wondering what kind of fresh hell I may be getting into now.