Tales by Balefirelight (a Fallout: Equestria Group Collab)

Monster

by Honey Mead

It would be more accurate to call a manticore a cuddly kitty than to call Canterlot a safe place. Clouds of pink mist gathered in the alleys and streets, waiting for any pony foolish enough to traverse it. Death sprites, corrupted be the same mist, traveled through the city, searching for any pony to proclaim its message of imminent mortality.

The rain did nothing to make it safer, pushing the mist down into puddles easily overlooked amid the ruins.

Sunny paid none of these dangers any mind. Her happy giggles broke the steady rhythm of rain thumping against the cobblestone before running into the gutters. Rivulets coursed down her slick, nearly hairless body, plastering the single clump of mane to her face. The golden hairs covered her left eye completely, which was fine as she couldn’t see out of it either way.

The cause of her delighted squealing was the small yellow toy boat she chased. Her mother had given it to her a few weeks ago, and this was the first time she’d been able to play with it outside. It zipped down the rain-filled gutters with Sunny skipping along behind, an off key tune on her lips.

She didn’t notice the storm drain until it was too late to act.

“Nonononono!” she shrieked, diving after her toy.

A screamed ripped from her lungs as her hoof slipped on the slick stones. She fell, crashing and sliding across the street. By the time she recovered, the boat was gone, swallowed by the darkness below.

Tears tried to pool in her eyes, only to be washed away by the rain. Her lip trembled along side her torn ears, scraped knees were nothing compared to the loss of her toy. She scrubbed at her eyes, shifting her mane and revealing the black, hollow socket.

“Helloo.”

The filly’s head snapped up, searching for the voice’s source. “Wh-who said that?”

“Down here, little filly,” the voice said, lilting oddly. A pair of yellow eyes shone from within the storm drain. The odd voice spoke up again, “Aren’t you going to say ‘hello’?”

Sunny shook her head. “N-no, mama said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“Oh? Well, my name is Iago. What’s yours?”

“I g-gotta g-go,” she said, turning.

The small yellow boat moved into the light, held between thick blue fingers. “This really is a nice boat. Don’t you want it back?”

“My boat!” Sunny crept closer, lowering her head to the storm drain.

Lighting flashed, revealing Iago’s flat face and pink nose. “You know,” he said as the distant thunder rumbled, “there are rivers and lakes aplenty down here. Down here you could play for hours and hours, even after the storm passes by.”

“Can I have my boat back, mister,” she said, and after a pause, added, “please?”

“But, of course.” Iago held the toy a little closer. “Here you are.”

Sunny scootched closer, sticking her muzzle into the drain. “I can’t reach it, mister.”

“Sure you can, just stretch a little further. You’ve almost got it.”

She pushed in further. The rusted metal grate scraped against the top of her head, tearing a flap of skin back to reveal clean, white bone beneath. Rain dribbled down her snout, washing past her eyes and obscuring her vision more than the darkness already had. Barely able to see the yellow boat before her muzzle, she bared her teeth and reached to grab it.

Two teal hands shot out, snatching the filly’s head. Black taloned fingers dug into her face, hooking behind bone and flesh, holding her jaw fast.

She fought uselessly, tears mixing with the pink rain. Her split hooves found no purchase on the slip concrete, and she quickly lost ground against the demon. Slipping further into the gutter, her withers caught on the grate, too wide for the small opening.

Undaunted, Iago pulled harder.

Sunny’s skin bunched and tore where it ran against the grate, ribs splintering and snapping as they were forced into a space half their size. A loud pop echoed down the drain, her shoulder going limp just before the skin tore free and left it behind.