Chapters The Year: 3229 during the reign of the four princesses
Location: Canterlot Castle
Twilight had just received an urgent summons back to Canterlot at the request of princess Celestia, requiring that she also bring along her friends and after becoming a princess herself, Twilight knew that an urgent summons often means trouble.
"Princess Twilight! Celestia has arranged an escort for you." A guard shouted as he opened the doors to the royal carriage being pulled by two strange bird like creatures with tentacled faces.
"What the hay are those?" Rainbow Dash asked in discuss before Fluttershy broke out in a squeal.
"OH MY GOSH!! MAMMOTH BIRDS!! These are one of the newest species I read about! ohh aren't they cute?" She began to affectionately cuddle them like a mother holding her child.
"Cute isn't quite the word I would use." Rarity turned away as both creatures began nuzzling her. An hour later, Twilight and the others burst into the room to see Celestia discussing something with a few scientist who seemed to be worried.
"Are you sure none of the reports went missing?"
"None your majesty and we've had no others since."
"Very well, Dismissed."
With a wave of her hand the scientist bowed down as they left. The expression on the princesses face turned from serious to joyful when she spotted Twilight and the others.
"Twilight! it's good to see you again." She said with a hug, greeting her former pupil.
"I came as soon as I got your message."
"With MY help of course." Spike boasted as he polished his claws. Rainbow Dash ruffled the top of his head like a big sister picking on her little brother.
The princess escorted the group to the observatory where a map of the entire holographic map of the galaxy was on display. The view was breathtaking, there every planet hung in the air like a small fruit just waiting to be grabbed.
"Amazing isn't it? This map is a gift from our space division for funding their explorer program. Without it we may never have found the planets that we now call home." Celestia was interrupted when the map suddenly began to get all wobbly.
" So pretty..." Pinkie was mesmerized by the small yellow sun that hung above the miniature version of Equestria.
"PINKIE?!!"
"Sorry!" She quickly apologized as she brought both hands to her side.
"You were saying your majesty?"
"Yes. Thanks to our explorer program, we have found numerous worlds we can colonize and study. Giving us advances in every field of science. But last night I received some disturbing news." Celestia began scrolling through the star system before coming to a stop on a remote planet, near the borders of the known galaxy.
"This is Plane Shear. It is one of colonies still in development and it is also where scientists were studying the various plant life and animals living there....but something went wrong."
Images of destroyed buildings and dead bodies began popping up on a nearby screen, showing the devastation. The ponies gasped in horror with some looking away in fright. Twilight could not believe her eyes.
"What did this?"
"We don't know but as of right now the entire colony has been placed under lockdown. I need you and your friends to help investigate the recent attacks. Now I know it sounds dangerous but you and your friends have faced such dangers before and I know you will do so again."
"So. Certainty of death, high risk of running into some horrifying beast that'll rip us limb from limb while lightyears away from home?....sounds fun!" Rainbow Dash pounded her fists in anticipation after giving Applejack a friendly nudge.
"We won't let you down Princess Celestia!" Twilight said with a confident smile before they were dismissed.
Later
The group gathered at the space port and awaited the next shuttle to Planet Shear but to their surprise the entire dock was empty save for them.
"You'd think there'd be more ponies itching for a ride in space." Applejack said as she looked around while Rarity fiddled with her makeup.
"Space travel isn't for everypony darling."
"Well it's not just that. Because of the recent events a lot of ponies have been evacuating the colony and began to spread rumors."
"Rumors?" Fluttershy looked at Twilight with curiosity.
"I looked into the report Celestia gave me and found that the survivors saw what could only be described as well...a monster." Twilight looked through the photos in the file. They images were blurred showing they had been taken in a hurry and the only thing she could make out so far was that this so called "Monster" was huge; Very huge.
BONG!
"Attention. Flight 13 for Planet Shear has arrived, all passengers please deposit all luggage onto the loading bay." A flight stewardess called over the loud speaker. The ponies handed their bags to a service droid that had been activated when the ship docked in.
"Greetings ladies. I am Bucket and I will be your escort on this voyage."
"Pleasure to meet you buckets." Twilight said with a friendly smile as they boarded the ship.
"Check it out! This ship has a flat screen TV and mini bar!" Rainbow Dash was zipping all over the place, amazed by the ships interior.
"Please help yourselves. All expenses have been paid." Buckets informed the group as he began launch procedures. Spike had attempted to help himself to a glass of wine when Twilight snatched him up with her magic, still reading the report.
"No Spike."
"Aw come on Twilight! I'm eighteen!"
"And the legal drinking age is twenty-one so. NO!" This time she was more stern with him as she plopped him down next to her seat. Rarity and Applejack sat next to each other while Fluttershy tried to calm down Rainbow Dash and Pinkie who had been channel surfing for the past five minuets.
"Rainbow Dash. Shouldn't you um...relax a bit?"
"Are you kidding?!? They have TEN! THOUSAND! CHANNELS!! " Pinkie shouted in amazement. Fluttershy backed away slowly to Rainbow Dash who was just slouching there, going from channel to channel.
"Seen it! click seen it click seen it click AH HA!!" Rainbow had stumbled upon the hoofball finals in Manehattan where her old team; The Junior Speedsters were up against the defending champs; The Manehattan Monsters, much cheering and shouting ensued as they watched the game while Rarity snuggled with Applejack at their window seat. Their hands clasped together, each one with a wedding ring.
"Shouldn't you be over there darling?"
"What? And leave my gal all by her lonesome? I don't think so and besides." Applejacks voice became suggestive as she looked the unicorn in the eye with desire.
"I know of another "contact sport" we can play once we get there." Rarity gasped as she felt a firm grip on her left butt cheek before breaking into a devilish grin.
"You bad girl!"
"Love you too Rarity."
The couple gave a rather enthusiastic smooch before noticing the seat belt sign was turned on. Though disappointed at having their moment cut short, Rarity continued to hold Applejacks hand while brushing her mane away with the other as the ship began to disembark.
"To be continued." She whispered in her wifes' ear, giving a wink.
"Preparing to enter hyperspace. All passengers please fasten your seat belts and be sure your trays are in the upright position." Buckets began to fire up the engines as everyone braced themselves. Fluttershy-being the fragile pony she is-clinged to spike like a teddy bear and began to cut off his air supply. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were laid back and relaxed, both were still focused on the game and passing each other snacks when they were suddenly flipped over as the ship took off.
"WHAT THE HAY?!?" Rainbow asked in outrage with a bowl of popcorn on top of her head.
"He did say fasten your seat belts." Twilight said smugly as she flipped through another page of the report.
"Shouldn't you put that down now Twilight? You've been reading it since before we left."
"Sorry Spike it's just I can't help but think what kind of creature could cause this level of destruction." Twilight was still going through the blurred pictures and could only make out bits and pieces of the beast.
"Fluttershy! you were at that lecture on alien creatures, do you know anything that might cause this."
"Actually I think this is the first time i've heard of this animal but from the uh gulp! pictures..." She shuddered, remembering the images she saw.
"This creature is definitely carnivorous and has a very big appetite."
"That's a bit of an understatement." Rainbow Dash said as she looked through the photos herself before giving a loud scoff.
"But whatever it is I bet I can take it-WHOA!!" A bit of turbulence struck the ship as Rainbow fell on her rump. Groaning from the bit of pain the rainbow hared mare looked out the window to see they had come to a stop in the middle of nowhere.
"Hey Bucket head! What's the big deal?" She asked while rubbing some of the pain off her backside.
"We are now orbiting Planet Shear and please. It's just 'Buckets'." The droid told her, sounding offended.
"I suggest you retake your seat miss, we'll be entering the planets atmosphere soon."
"Yeah whatever."
As Rainbow took her seat, Buckets tried to make contact with one of the planets landing platforms while Twilight briefed her friends on what they should do upon arrival.
"Okay everypony listen up. We'll need to gather as much information as we can so Spike and I will check with the officials while you guys gather information from the locals."
"Sounds like a plan!" Applejack said giving a thumbs up.
"Princess. We seem to be having some trouble."
"Trouble?" Twilight made her way to the cockpit to see Buckets fiddling with the various switches and buttons.
"I cannot establish contact with the station. It could just be interference from the planets surface."
"We better land anyway, our fuel is low."
"Very good your highness. Commencing landing procedures."
The ship was a bit shaky at first but the landing had gone smoothly. Rainbow Dash was the first to exit the ship and what she saw amazed her.
"No way...." She said in amazement seeing the landscape before her. A vast jungle stretching as far as the eye can see and a bright yellow sun hanging above, the sound of the birds and animals sounded out around the area. Rainbow Dash felt like she was in one of her Daring Do books.
"Beautiful!"
"That there's an eye opener. No doubt." Applejack whistled as she joined Rainbow on the railing.
"Oh dear." Buckets said aloud as the others turned to see what appeared to be a chewed up antennae. The droid analyzed some fluid found at the scene before quickly activating the landing bays elevator.
"I suggest we leave ladies. The creatures that did this are most likely to still be around."
"'Creatures'? as in plural?" Fluttershy asked nervously, cringing behind Rainbow Dash.
"Affirmative but don't worry. These predators are mostly active at night."
"Preadators?!?" Fluttershy shrieked as she used Rainbows wing for a shield. The blue pegasus wrestled it out of her friends grip before giving a scolding look that made Fluttershy feel embarrassed as the group followed the robot into the jungle below.
Despite the beautiful scenery they had witnessed, the ponies soon learned that the jungle was a treacherous place. Next to the unbearable humidity and mosquitoes, the path they followed buckets on was riddled with twigs and mud on every step they took. Rarity seemed to be the one affected the most.
"Ooh! This humidity is mucking up my mane! and my new boots are ruined!" The white mare complained as she looked at the mud on her boots but to Applejack this came as no surprise.
"Not to burst your bubble darlin but boots were made for this sort of thing." Applejack said casually as she trotted through the muddy soil to help her wife.
"And how come you don't complain when I muck up your mane?"
"APPLEJACK!" Rarities eyes shot daggers at the farm mare as the others giggled.
"Um Bucket? where are we going exactly?" Spike looked around, not seeing any visible path or buildings.
"There is a research facility just ahead from there we can-Warning! hostile wildlife detected! warning! hostile wildlife detected!" The droids head spun around with a red light like a police siren when one of his arms transformed into a gun.
"Weapon systems activated. Deploying UAV." Buckets head took off like a rocket after a strange energy field surrounded the group. Twilight and her friends were starting to worry.
"What's going on? Bucket?"
"Blitz leopards detected. This shield I deployed masks your presence but they can still hear you so I suggest keeping quiet." Just then one of the creatures came leaping out from the brush.
The beast walked on all fours like a dog but appeared reptilian, it had a large frill and whip like tail that seemed to give off a luminescent glow which it probably used to lure in prey before attacking with its razor sharp teeth and claws but what made this creature so dangerous was that it was with a pack as several more came leaping out from all sides.
"EE-!!" Every fiber of Fluttershy's being was telling her to scream. Thankfully Rainbow Dash and Twilight were able to shut her up before she could make the slightest peep.
"Nopony...move...a muscle!" Rainbow whispered through her teeth as the beasts drew closer. Rarity noticed a strange red dot on one of their heads when out of nowhere.
BAM!!
The first leopard was sent flying back after the first shot, then from the top of the trees a pony dressed up in what could only be described as a suit out of a sci-fi movie came swooping down with guns blazing. The entire pack darted around in all directions, dodging the gunfire.
"KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN!!" The pony shouted through his helmet as he began to pick them off one by one. Twilight and the others did as instructed while the hunter chased down some of the beasts, whoever this pony was. He was good shot as several leopards were shot down in midair and after a few intense moments the firing finally ceased.
The ponies looked up to see the smoking corpses of the leopards and the pony who had saved them. From what they could tell he was a regular earth pony dressed in a space suit with a built in jet pack. Buckets head came flying in, deactivating the cloaking shield.
"Ah greetings sir! I was just out looking for you." The robot saluted him in respect. Twilight was the first to greet this masked stranger as she offered a friendly handshake.
"Thanks for saving us, I'm-!"
"Princess Twilight Sparkle and your friends Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Spike. We've been expecting you." The stranger removed his mask so to speak with them face to face. What they saw shocked them.
"Hi there." The pony said as he placed his helmet on the side but the group could not help but stare at the three large scars that decorated his face.
"Name's Trapper; Jake Trapper. Welcome to Plane Shear."
End.
Jake was an earth pony with a camo green coat and dark brown mane and eyes. From what the others could tell he was part of planets security and an expert sharpshooter, the other thing the girls noticed was the three large scars on his face that seemed to give him an intimidating appearance.
"Hello? FWEEP!! is anypony home?" He waved a hand in front of them while they stood there like statues. Spike was the first to make the introductions, stepping in front of Twilight to give a handshake with a smile.
"Nice to meetcha Jake! I'm Spike."
"The princess said to expect you though to be honest...I think it could've gone better." Jake scratched the back of his head, seeing the devastation he caused.
"Better follow me. Don't wanna be around when more predators show up."
"Wait! there's more of these things coming?!?" Rainbow Dash asked him, being the first to snap out of her trance.
"Not exactly. Here on Shear, one thing is always trying to eat the other."
"heh heh! Snort! "Here on Shear"! That rhymes!" Pinkie giggled and to her surprise so did Jake.
"Heh, You're right it does. Move along ladies!" He shouted like a tour guide before taking point. For a while the girls said nothing and continued to look at their strange tour guide, it's true he was a pony just like them and seemed friendly but there was something about him that didn't seem right.
"So Jake. How'd you get those scars?" Spike broke the silence with a little conversation. Though his question could've been a bit more sensitive.
"SPIKE?!" Twilight scolded him with a punch to the arm.
"What?"
"It's fine princess. I got these from a Cinder Hog. Bastard nearly took my face off if Buckets here hadn't delivered that head shot."
"His helmet was in the shop that day." Bucket added as Jakes cheeks turned a light pink.
"And how long have you been here?"
"All my life. I was born in this place." The mares froze in shock.
"Whoa whoa back up! You were born on a distant planet full of hospitable alien wild life?!" Rainbow Dash asked as she zipped in front of him
"The word you're looking for is "Hostile" and yeah." Jake acted like it was no big deal, taking the lead once more.
"Dude! you're like an alien Tarzan!"
"Rainbow Dash!"
"What? he is!" Rainbow shrugged her shoulders, not seeing what the problem was.
"Ah! We're here!"
The group spotted a large structure coming into view, it appeared to be some kind of outpost. The walls were armed with gun turrets on each tower with an electrified fence and barb wire for extra measure. Using a flare gun, Jake signaled the watch tower at the front gate. A loud whistle was sounded before Jake gestured them to follow as he sheathed his guns.
"Welcome back Jake!" The look out shouted, giving a friendly salute.
"We got company! Tell the chef I want his best!"
"You got it!"
"He seemed nice." Fluttershy said as she looked around the place when she spotted a cage full of animals being loaded onto a large cargo ship.
"Um what are they doing with those animals?"
"Shipping em to a race track on the other side of the planet."
"You got races?"
"Yeah in fact the boys over there are taking bets right now." Jake pointed over to an outdoor bar packed with soldiers holding race tickets. Much shouting and cheering was heard as they walked by with a mixture of the gamblers losing and winning bets. Rainbow looked on with curiosity before feeling her tail get yanked.
"Don't even think about it Dash! last thing we need is for you to have another gambling problem." Applejack waved a finger at her as the mare rolled her eyes like a rebellious teenager.
Jake escorted them to a small cottage just on the other side of the outpost. The cottage seemed more like a mini resort with an outdoor pool and minibar and on the inside were air conditioned rooms and bathtubs that had the finest soaps and minerals available. Rarity wasted no time in helping herself to the bathtub as she zipped through the halls with clothes flying everywhere.
"Ahh...I've never felt so relaxed. Spike will you be a dear and get our bags? Applejack and I will be busy bathing."
"Wait. You want me in there?" Applejack raised an eyebrow when she noticed the devilish look on Rarities face as her horn flared up with magic.
"Don't argue missy! now IN!!" Applejack was forced into the bathroom with her clothes flying out the door as she gave a loud yelp.
Back downstairs. Twilight was fascinated by the cottages bookshelf which had been stocked with every form of literature there was, she just stood there in awe with wings fanned out and mouth drooling. Thankfully spike stopped by and handed her a napkin while carrying the luggage up to their rooms.
"This is...Amazing!"
"Glad you like it. If you need me I'll be in the guest house over there." Twilight saw what looked more like a garage than a house and was a bit concerned about Jakes living conditions.
"You....live by yourself?"
"No I have a roommate-OH! That reminds me! FWEEEP!!! DAISY!!! " The sound of panting and scampering paws came rushing into the room as a large reptilian dog charged in. Twilight and Rainbow Dash flew to safety while Pinkie and Fluttershy surrounded the strange creature.
"WHAT THE HAY IS THAT?!?!" Rainbow Dash asked, pointing a finger at it while Pinkie and Fluttershy began to pet the creature.
"Girls. Meet Daisy!"
"Aww! Hello Daisy! Who's a good doggy woggy? You are! yes you are!!" Fluttershy stroked the reptiles back as it rolled over for a tummy rub which Pinkie happily applied as one of its legs began to kick from the sensation.
"Daisy is a "Trapjaw" she's been with me since I was little, in fact she used to be my moms partner and she's one of the best trackers this side of shear."
"Tracker?" Twilight was curious after seeing Daisy. Her body was like that of a bull dogs only ten times the size. To give a demonstration, Jake brought the group outside and grabbed a piece of firewood for the grill.
"Watch this. Daisy? FETCH!!" Jake gave a strong throw that sent the log clear across the yard as Daisy took off like a shot, retrieving it in seconds. Twilight and Rainbow were amazed.
"She may look bulky but this girl could outrun even the fastest greyhound and has a nose that could put even police dogs to shame. She's my partner ain't that right girl?" The trapjaw responded with a few friendly licks to his face before settling down.
"Well. I gotta check in with the commander and let him know you girls arrived, last thing I need is a cut from my paycheck." But the moment he turned around Daisy pounced in front, whimpering with a sad face. The girls actually found this adorable.
"Aww~!"
"Hey don't be like that girl, I'll be back. Now you be good and keep our guests company alright?"
RUFF!
"Atta girl!"
Fluttershy agreed to look after Daisy for the rest of the day while the others picked out their rooms and settled down for a power nap. It was however difficult with the strange thumping noise coming from Rarity and AJ'S room.
Later That Night
Applejack and Rarity were snugged together in bed after their "Invigorating" bath. Both mares just stared into each other lovingly as the scooched closer to each other until they were nose to nose.
"Mm we should bathe together more often." Applejack suggested as she pulled Rarity to her chest, the unicorn had no objections and gave a quiet murr.
"I agree and I must say Applejack I never knew you could be so...'Forceful'!" A hint of lust could be detected in her voice when she recalled the events that transpired after she forced Applejack to join her.
"I was just takin my gals-oh what's the word? Incentive?" The farm mare scratched her head as Rarity giggled.
"You're cute when you act smart." That last remark made Applejack feel a bit offended but she knew Rarity meant it in a good way. Rarity crawled on top of Applejack for a gentle kiss before holding both her hands above her. Applejack grinned in delight, knowing what was coming next.
"I felt the earth move." She said as Rarity began kissing her neck.
"That's the desire to faint darling now stay with me." Rarity instructed as she went in for a lick.
"No Rarity I really felt a shake!" This time Applejack sounded worried. Rarity stopped her smooching to see that she was right, the furniture began shaking violently as a few vases fell to the floor.
"Hey! Rarity! AJ! Call it a night will ya?!?" Rainbow stumbled into the hall wearing her boxer shorts and sports bra but noticed that the entire house was shaking. Rarity was the first to step out of their room followed by the rest of the girls.
"EEARRTHQUAAAKE!!!" Spike shouted at the top of his lungs as he made a mad dash for the exit. The girls quickly followed, fearing the house might come down on them.
"Everypony okay?" Twilight asked as she did a head count. The princess sighed with relief before noticing something; Daisy wasn't with them!
"Fluttershy where's Daisy?"
"I don't know! When the shaking started she ran off."
ROOAAAARGGGGHHHH!!!
"Do earthquakes roar?" Pinkie asked when out of the shadows a huge hulking beast came crashing through the fence. It was like nothing they had ever seen before.
"Oh my star apples...." Applejack said in shock.
The beast was as tall as a two story house, its back and tail covered in spikes and razor sharp claws on both hands and feet but to make matters worse they saw the creature could breathe fire as it let out another roar.
"EEP!!" Fluttershy shrieked as it spotted them. Twilight was able to get a good look and soon realized that this was the creature from the photos she had seen.
"GOLIAAATH!!!!"
"Jake?"
The mares turned around as Jake came charging in once more with guns blazing. Jake darted around on his jet pack, nailing the beast from all sides but the bullets seemed to have little affect and only enraged it. The Goliath-as Jake called it-swung its claws around, trying to swat him out of the air. Soldier came rushing onto the battlefield and began to fire upon the beast as the formed a killing circle, their attack however didn't go as planned.
"AHH!! HELP ME!! HELP!! ACKK!!" One of the soldiers found himself clutched in the monsters hands as it slowly began to tear him in two.
SPLAT!!
RAAARGH!!!
Blood was everywhere as the two pieces of the corpse were thrown at the crowd. Knowing this fight would lead to a heavy loss in troops, Jake ordered the soldiers to fall back and get Twilight and her friends to safety while he engaged the beast.
"COME AND GET SOME YA LITTLE BITCH!!!" The stallion shouted as he continued the onslaught before Goliath leaped into the air, delivering an earth shaking smash that sent everypony flying in all directions. Goliath looked around for his prey when he spotted Fluttershy out cold and helpless.
"Ohh..." The mare groaned, still dizzy from the force of the impact as she was picked off the ground. The beast sniffed her at first, curious about what this strange creature was before slowly opening its jaws for a bite.
"AHHHH!!!!" Fluttershy screamed in terror as she saw the beasts gaping mouth. She was completely helpless when suddenly.
SNARL!!
"DAISY!!" Daisy had rushed in to save Fluttershy as she clamped her jaws around the monsters tail. Feeling his grip loosen Fluttershy quickly flew to safety and gathered the others while Jake and Daisy teamed up against the beast.
"That's it girl!! Keep him pinned!" Jake shouted as Daisy held her grip on the tail. Goliath began to reel back from the barrage of bullets coming at him before letting out an infuriated roar.
"Daisy! Release!!" He ordered his pet Trapjaw as she let go. The two stared down one another as Twilight and the others continued to watch.
"Alright big guy. Clack! let's dance." Jake tossed aside both pistols as he dared the beast to come closer.
"What in tarnation?!?"
"He's loco in the coco!" Pinkie began to pull on her hair, feeling completely helpless.
ROOOOAARRRRRGGHHH!!!
"COME ON!!" Moving as fast as he could, Jake lead the Goliath to the western part of the outpost but despite its massive size, the beast was able to keep good pace. Jake grinned to himself as he came to a stop at an open field near the turrets.
"That's it. A little closer...." At the very last second Jake used the last of his jet packs fuel to escape as several harpoons shot out from the shadows, pinning the beast down.
"Buckets! Commence bombardment!!" he called out over a communicator and within a matter of seconds bombs began raining down from the sky, turning the field into a smoldering pit. Twilight and her friends witnessed the whole thing.
"Sweet Celestia!" Rarity exclaimed, seeing the devastation. Jake sat on a nearby rock, completely exhausted from the battle with Daisy joining him.
"Good work girl." He said with a weak smile as she nuzzled his hand.
"That! was! SO AWESOME!!" Rainbow shouted in amazement, still bewildered by what they had just witnessed.
"He was all "RAAGH!!" and you were all "PEW! PEW! PEW!" and then when you-!"
"Okay Rainbow Dash I think we get it." Twilight cut her off before giving an embarrassed chuckle. The celebration was cut short when Goliath sprang out of the pit and crashed through the electrified fence. The last attack had wounded him greatly, his skin and been burnt and his tail had been cut off in the explosion along with most of its spikes, at first they thought he was going to attack but instead it took off into the dark of the jungle realizing it was outmatched.
"Smart move." The hunter said to himself as Daisy growled menacingly.
"Jake. What was that thing?"
"That....was Goliath."
End.
The attack from last night left the outpost in ruins, many of the soldiers had been inured but others weren't so lucky. Twilight watched in terror as families began to search for their loved ones among the dead, many were husbands and fathers, daughters and mothers, all who were now ripped away from their loved ones.
"This is horrible..." Fluttershy whispered with tears in her eyes while Applejack and Rarity comforted each other. Rainbow Dash on the other hand was furious.
"THAT'S IT!!" She shouted, heading for the exit.
"Dashie! where ya goin?"
"Jake's a hunter! He'll know where that thing is going!"
"And what will you do once he tells or even if he'll tell you?"
"Oh he'll tell me! Or I'll rip the answers right out of him!!" Without a second though, Rainbow Dash took off leaving the others worried.
"I...think I better follow." Pinkie suggested as she followed the rainbow trail that dash left.
Jake sat at his desk, polishing his guns. The events of last nights attack were still fresh in his mind and all he could see and hear was the sounds of his men screaming as the beast tore them apart but thankfully Daisy was there to snap him out of it as she slightly tugged on his pants, worried for her master.
"Sorry girl." He apologized, giving her a gentle stroke when the door slammed wide open with an angry Rainbow Dash standing at the entrance.
"Ever heard of knocking?"
"Don't get smart with me pal! You're gonna tell me everything you know about that monster from last night and you're gonna tell me NOW!!" Rainbow grabbed him by the shirt as she pinned him to the wall. Daisy didn't appreciate that.
RRRR....
"Easy girl. Now look here hot head this can go two ways. One: You can interrogate me and give my pet a reason to rip you to shreds or Two: You calm down and THEN I'll tell you everything. Your choice."
Rainbow looked into his eyes and instead of fear she saw anger, an anger that seemed to shake her to her very core. She was actually scared of him.
"Well?"
She released her grip when Pinkie Pie showed up. The pink mare was about to greet Jake when she saw the look on his face, a look that only a cold hearted killer could have.
"So you guys came here to know about the monster right?"
"yeah..." Rainbow was still a bit hesitant, even as he calmly took a seat at his desk.
"We'll wait till Twilight and the others get here."
Later
"They first appeared a couple years ago." Jake began his tale, looking to a map of Shear.
"They?" Twilight asked as Jake pulled out a photo of Goliath and two other creatures marked "Kraken" and "Wraith".
"Nopony knows where they came from. All we knew is that they were a threat and that they had to be stopped. At first we tried military but they proved too strong, in a matter of days half of the planets life had been wiped out. Desperate to save the remaining populace, the government hired the deadliest mercenaries in the whole galaxy. My mom was one of them and in no time at all we began to win, we began to take back the planet bit by bit but as the battle went on the beasts became stronger; They evolved."
"Evolve?"
"When we began to study them we discovered that the more these creatures ate the more their bodies changed, making them become stronger, faster and more deadlier than ever and to top it all off we found out the can reproduce asexually."
"A-section what now?"
"It means they can produce offspring without a mate."
"Well that's no fun." Rainbow Dash said in disapproval as Twilight gently facepalmed herself.
"They seemed endless, for each one that was killed another took its place and another and another....we soon realized it was a losing battle and evacuated the planet but at a heavy cost." Jake brought out an old picture. In it were the mercenaries he mentioned, one in particular that caught his attention; A zebra with a trapjaw by her side, it was Daisy.
"Your mom?" Fluttershy asked as he nodded yes.
"I was only six when they boarded me on the ship....that was the last time I ever saw her again. Her name was 'Maggie'." A single tear fell onto the picture when Daisy came over to comfort him. She missed Maggie too.
"But why is Shear repopulated again if these things are still around."
"Because once the colonists left the beasts turned on each other, their hunger became their undoing and over time the planet was repopulated and the remaining monsters went into hiding...until today that is." Jake then returned the photos back to the drawer before grabbing his weapons. Twilight could tell he was up to something.
"You're going after that thing aren't you?"
"That bastard took my mom from me. No way am I letting him escape!" Just when he was heading out the door, Rainbow Dash zipped in front of him as she pushed him back a ways.
"Wait! Let us help you, we saw what that thing did to those soldiers."
"You wouldn't last five seconds out there."
"Hey! My friends and I have faced: An ancient, evil king, a master of chaos, a magic addicted centaur and an army of changelings! I think we can handle one more monster." The others backed her up, giving Jake a determined look (Pinkie just smiled and waved).
"Guess I got no choice....follow me." The mares smiled at one another, following Jake to the armory where they saw a variety of weapons and armor.
"Whoowee! these are some fancy getups you got here partner." Applejack whistled, impressed by the armor. Rarity-being a fashionista-had a different opinion.
"I don't know. These suits could use a bit more flare." A flood of ideas began filling Rarity's head.
"Sorry Rarity but when it comes to armor. Function is more important than fashion." The next thing Jake heard was the mare swooning and a loud thud, when he turned around he saw Applejack fanning her with her hat.
"Did I...say something wrong?"
"She's just REALLY passionate about fashion." Twilight said, giving a nervous chuckle. Jake grabbed a few extra ammo clips and grenades before briefing his team on their mission.
"Alright here's how it's gonna go: Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike. You got the muscle so you'll be on the assault team, head to the red section over there." He pointed out a color coded rack just behind them.
"Twilight. You got the smarts and the magic so you'll be with Buckets on support. Yellow section is just over there." Twilight headed straight for the room to grab her gear.
"Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity you're on the med team so I hope you got strong stomachs."
"Yes sir! Mister Trapper Sir!" Pinkie saluted as if she were an actual soldier.
"Wait a minuet! why do I have to be on the med team?" Rarity asked in protest.
"Cause you're good with a needle and thread."
"Yes but I don't see what that has to-!! oh..." Rarity suddenly became squeamish at the thought of using her sewing techniques on an injured pony.
"Blue section is just behind you. GRAB YOUR GEAR AND MOVE OUT!! "
Three hours later
The space cruiser that brought the girls to the planet was now being used as a hunting vessel to track down the beast. Bucket and Twilight were at the controls while the others sat in the cargo hold all armored up.
"Something about me with a shotgun feels oh so right!" Applejack grinned as she cocked her weapon while Rainbow carried a standard assault rifle.
"Rainbow Dash. Come here I got something for ya." Jake called her over to a weapons crate, in it was a strange looking gun that seemed to catch her eye.
"Whoa..."
"Meet 'Zeus'." With one flick of the switch the gun began surging with electricity at the tip. Rainbow was startled at the first spark before the safety was turned on.
"This bad boy fires over thirty gigavolts of electricity and can melt even the toughest metal. Perfect for a badass such as yourself." The last remark gave Rainbow a sense of pride as she gave him a flirtatious look.
"Careful big boy. Talk like that might get you in trouble." His response to her was a wink and two clicks of the tongue. The others noticed this and gave her smug looks as their conversation continued.
"Hey uh Jake? I'm sorry about...you know; Earlier." She rubbed the back of her head, feeling a bit ashamed of how she treated him back at the outpost.
"it's fine Dash." The sound of him calling her dash made her blush which was something that didn't usually happen. Jake went to check up on Twilight and the others while Rainbow noticed the smirks Spike and Applejack were giving her.
"I saw that." Spike said still holding his smirk.
"Saw what?"
"Don't play dumb sugarcube. We saw how you were flirtin with him!"
"I-I WASN'T FLIRTING!!" She shouted as her cheeks turned a bright pink. Her friends were not convinced.
"I don't know. Spike? You think she was flirting?"
"Oh she was DEFINITELY flirting ZAP! OW!! " Spikes tail had been slightly singed when Rainbow pretended to gasp in surprise.
"Oop! guess I forgot to make sure the safety was on." She said with sarcasm as she played innocent. Twilights voice came over the loud speaker as the ship began to slow down.
"Listen up team. The creature was last seen heading west; here. The area we're exploring is thick jungle so be sure to watch each others backs and stay in communication range and if you see Goliath DO NOT engage, wait for backup." Once the briefing had been done Jake came marching into the cargo hold with Daisy as the door slowly opened.
"Daisy will take point! The moment she's got a scent, we follow her!" He shouted over the howling wind. Once they got the signal, the team jumped down into the foliage below.
Daisy was the first to land and began sniffing around while Jake gestured for the others to form a circle.
"So now what?" Pinkie Pie shouted, making the rest of the team flinch.
"SHH!! You want every predator to know we're here?!?" Jake scolded Pinkie as he whispered. She quickly gave a thumbs up and pretended to zip her mouth closed while the rest of the team looked around for any signs of Goliath.
"Buckets can you hear me?"
"Affirmative sir. According to our scans the creatures trail ended here. The radar signal was having some interference."
"Deploy sound spikes around the area. That'll let us know where he is and where he's going."
"Very good sir. Good hunting." Buckets wished them luck as the ship took off towards another part of the jungle.
AROOO!!! Daisy let out a howl before darting off into the brush. Luckily Jake had a tracking collar placed on her in case something like this ever happened.
"Daisy is on the move!!" Jake shouted as he lead the charge through the brush. Rainbow still had the use of her wings and zipped through the branches, keeping her in sight when they came to stop an a small creek where a carcass had been laying.
"Ohh! NASTY!!" The pegasus backed away in disgust from the smell as did the others. Jake however didn't seem phased by it and stuck his hand into the rotting flesh, feeling the temperature of the blood. Spike and Rainbow gagged from this while Applejack just shook her head in disappointment.
"I've seen worse on the farm."
"This kill's only a couple hours old. He must still be around here trying to recover." The hunter looked around for any other traces of the beast and spotted a large footprint on the other side of the river.
"There! Rainbow Dash, Spike. Scout ahead while I lay some traps."
"You think he'll come back for seconds?" Applejack asked as she kept a look out for any signs of movement.
"I'm thinking he'll want US for seconds."
"Well that's just peachy aint it?"
Jake began setting harpoon traps around the area along with a few mines when he received an incoming message from the ship.
"Sir?!? Sir do you read me?!?" Buckets voice came over the com link. He sounded distressed.
"I'm here Buckets. Go ahead."
"Sir we just received the readings from the sound spikes! The creature is on top of you!! GET OUT NOW!!"
"That crafty son of a bitch...." Jake said in disbelief when he felt two rocks hit his shoulder. Goliath was crouched on a nearby ledge, fully healed and preparing to pounce!
"INCOMIIING!!!" Jake open fired as the group retreated to safety but it was too late. Goliath had them where he wanted them.
ROOAAAARRRGGHHHH!!!!
End.
ROOOAARRRGGHHH!!!
"OPEN FIRE!!!" Jake shouted to the others as Goliath came crashing down before letting out a huge fire blast. The group fired from all sides with Rainbow Dash backing up Spike and Applejack while Pinkie and Rarity took shots at it from a distance. Fluttershy cringed behind a rock, covering her ears from the sound of the fighting.
"We're not makin a dent in that thing!!" Applejack said as she fired a few more rounds.
"Concentrate the fire on one spot!!" Twilight ordered as she lead the attack, though her shots could've been better.
"WHOAA!!" The first few shots whizzed over Jakes head and nearly hit Daisy until the princess was finally able to get the hang of it.
"TWILIGHT!!" Jake called out as he dodged another claw swipe.
"Your gun also acts as a laser cutter! flip the switch on the side!!"
Twilight looked around for the switch mentioned when she heard a faint rumble. Goliath was lifting a boulder the size of a small house.
"Oh my...."
"SCATTER!!!" Rainbow Dash yelled as the beast hurled the boulder with great force.
KABOOOM!!!!
Dust was flying everywhere. Pinkie and Rarity kept the guns trained on the battlefield in case the beast decided to try and ambush them as Fluttershy peeked out from her hiding spot.
"Is it over?" She asked nervously as the other two kept their focus.
"Afraid not darling. Be ready."
"ohh..." She nervously grabbed her gun, giving a small gulp.
Back down below. Rainbow Dash was high above the dust cloud, keeping an eye out for Goliath while trying to check in with the others.
"Can anypony hear me? If you're street pizza don't respond!"
"I'm good and don't you have to be on a "street" to be street pizza?" Spike was the first to answer with a sly comeback as the others began to respond.
"WHOO! well that wasn't so bad but now my hat's all dusty." Applejack shook the dirt off before looking around for the others. Spike had shielded Twilight from the impact but had taken a nasty blow to the head and was out cold, when Twilight saw the wound on his head she began to panic.
"Spike?! Spike wake up!!"
"Don't shake him Twilight!" Jake had managed to reach her on the radio but was nowhere in sight.
"Fluttershy. I need you to get down there and patch him up. Rarity and Pinkie keep an eye out, Goliath could be waiting in ambush again."
"I...I don't know if I can..." Fluttershy said in defeat, overcome by her fear.
"Please Fluttershy! Spike needs you!" Twilight pleaded when the mare finally mustered up the courage and swooped down to the battlefield below."
"Atta girl!" Rainbow cheered as she watched her friend begin working on Spikes injury.
"We'll need to split up. Applejack. You and Daisy stand guard with Twilight while Fluttershy fixes up Spike. Pinkie and Rainbow, you're with me and Rarity. Keep a sharp eye."
"Will do. Good luck my friends."
Jake scouted ahead of the others and quickly picked up Goliaths trail leading deeper into the jungle and without the rest of the team backing them up their chances of victory began to dwindle.
"Rainbow Dash. Stay low and keep out of sight."
"Roger." Even though she hated being grounded, Rainbow was a smart mare and knew that an ambush from below or above could happen at any time. Pinkie zipped from tree to tree. Sneaking around like a thief in the night, while pointing her gun left and right.
"Damn it! how can we lose something that huge?!?" Rainbow whispered impatiently while trudging through the brush in front of her.
"Stay frosty guys. He's out there I know it."
"Frosty? Like Ice cream?!?"
"Focus Pinkie this is not the time to-!! hold up...I got something. Birds." A flock of birds began flying overhead, filling the jungle with their cries.
"Okay birds. So?"
"Something scared them. Eyes open, weapons up!" Jake began sneaking around, knowing the beast was close by when he signaled Rainbow to take to the treetops while he and Pinkie took a flanking position.
"On my mark. 3...2...1!!!" Both ponies rushed in, ready for a fight. But to their surprise all they got was rock wall.
"What the?" Jake saw the tracks lead straight into rock face but as far as he could tell that's where the beast had stopped until Pinkie pointed to a trail of claw marks leading up.
"Buckets. What's the area around our location like?" Jake called in the ship, hoping to find some advantage.
"It appears to be a small ledge sir and there's a cave just above your location. It must be the creatures lair."
"Good. Rainbow Dash. Head back and tell the others to get ready, Pinkie you go with her."
"What're you gonna do?"
"Me? I'm the bait." Without a second thought, Jake shot up the cliffside and straight to the beasts lair before Pinkie and Rainbow bolted back to the others.
"Alright big boy you and me. CLICK!! CLICK!!
"Ah!!" A large skull popped right in front of him as he prepared to fire. Once he got a clear look he could see the creature was already dead and upon closer inspection he realized what he was staring at; It was another Goliath only smaller in size and less spiky.
"My god..."
"What is it sugarcube?" Applejack caught his attention over the com link.
"It's another Goliath. The big guy must've had him for lunch, probably explained why he matured so fast."
"Whaddya mean?"
"The one we're after. You don't see that kind until a few months have passed but from what I saw the big guy just grew in a matter of weeks."
Their conversation was cut short when Jake felt a shot of steam hit his body as the area behind him began to glow red.
"Ohh Frag..." He said feeling like an idiot as he turned around.
"Jake? You okay partner?"
"Can't Talk!! Gotta run!! LITERALLY!!! "
RAAARRRGGHHH!!!
Jake made a straight shot for the entrance as Goliath tailed behind him, shaking the entire cavern. Ignoring the risk of falling, the hunter leaped off the cliff and back into the jungle thinking he managed to get ahead of the beast when it came smashing down in front of him, breathing in deep.
"Oh double frag!!" Jake braced himself as Goliath unleashed his fire blast. He could feel the heat but the burning sensation wasn't there, as he looked around he could see a force field was projected around him. It was Twilight!
"RUN!!" The princess shouted before firing a huge laser that cut off Goliaths tail, infuriating the beast.
"I see you found the switch!" Jake shouted as a boulder crashed near them.
"Timing could've been better though."
"Hey! I specialize in magic not weapons!" Twilight argued, picking up the pace.
"What's your plan?"
"Lure him back to the river!"
"WHAT?!? Are you cra-!!"
"Trust me!!" Making sure he was still focused on them, Jake fired a few rounds at the monster before using his jet pack to take to the air.
Back At The River
Spike had woken up to a splitting headache when he noticed Fluttershy putting away her medical supplies. Daisy greeted him with a friendly lick as she whimpered in excitement.
"Welcome back partner!" Applejack turned around to see what all the excitement was about.
"Spikey Wikey!! OHH!!" Rarity greeted her favorite dragon with a big hug (one he seemed to enjoy).
"Uh h-hi Rarity!" He chuckled to himself, feeling the softness of her breasts pressed against him. Applejack just rolled her eyes and smirked before hearing the sound of crashing trees.
"Get ready girls! it's showtime!" Rainbow stood on the front lines as she readied her rifle while the others took different vantage points.
"AHHH!!!!" Jake and Twilight came screaming out of the bushes with Goliath closing in. The others were freaked out once they finally saw it in broad daylight.
"Man! he's even uglier up close!"
"GET READY!!" Jake shouted as he and Twilight split up when the first harpoon nailed Goliath in the ankle.
"ALRIGHT GANG!! POUR IT ON!!!" Applejack was the first to fire as Spike and the others followed her lead. The moment Goliath stepped forward the ground beneath him suddenly exploded, causing him to fall on its back when another harpoon shot him in the wrist.
"RAINBOW!! USE ZEUS!!" Jake shouted as he ducked behind a rock to reload.
"You got it! HERE COMES THE PAIN!!"
KAPOW!!!
ROOAAARRGGHH!!!
Thirty gigavolts of electricity began surging through the beasts skin as it began to fry, making it weaker with each passing second.
"We got him now!!" Applejack shouted with confidence as she closed in but failed to remember Goliath still had one free arm.
"AJ!! LOOK OUT!!" Rainbow Dash tackled her out of the way as the monsters claw came down, snatching her instead and squeezing the life out of her.
"AHH!!"
"CEASE FIRE!! YOU'LL HIT RAINBOW!!"
"What do we do?!?" Pinkie and the others were growing scared as they heard Rainbows cries of pain. Jake stood there, frozen like a statue when a memory of a similar event came rushing into his mind.
"No..."
"Jake?" Twilight heard him whisper as he gritted his teeth. Eyes burning with rage.
"NOOOO!!!!!" Without a second thought, Jake latched onto Goliaths arm and began firing nonstop until it finally broke off and released Rainbow Dash.
"DASHIE!!" Pinkie cried with joy as she helped her friend when she noticed that Jake was going berserk on the now helpless beast.
"Die!!"
Bam!
"DIE!!!!"
BAM!!
"DIIIIEEEEE!!! AHHH!!!!" He kept firing until his guns were empty then began to beat the beast senselessly even though they could tell it was already dead. Rainbow had seen enough and rushed over to calm him down, wrestling him away from the corpse.
"JAKE!!" She called out as the others began to help her.
"RRGGGHHH!!!" He fought against her, still trying to kill the beast.
"JAKE HE'S DEAD!! LOOK AT ME!!!" She pinned him to a tree as his rage began to subside. At first all he could see was red then his vision began to clear up and he could see his team looking at him. Scared and confused.
"R-Rainbow Dash?"
"It's over Jake. We got him." Rainbow could see that he had calmed down and released him. Jake walked over to see the mangled corpse of Goliath but felt nothing. No pride, no guilt, no compassion for the monster and while he stood there the girls spotted the exposed shoulder with his cutie mark. It was an exact copy of Goliaths footprint.
"Good riddance." He said in a cold voice as he contacted the ship.
"Buckets. Bring the ship down for pickup and contact the base. The threat has been neutralized."
End.
Music had been blaring all around the outpost, The entire base was celebrating Goliaths downfall. Ponies were dancing around the beasts corpse while Twilight and the others sat on the sidelines with a few drinks.
"Can't believe we did it!"
Twilight was still amazed by what they had done. She and her friends had faced many monsters before but none like Goliath, the beast truly gave them a run for their money but not all celebrated the victory. The girls had noticed Jake was nowhere to be seen and began to ask around but found nothing so far until one of the soldiers said he had been seen heading back to his house, holding what looked like a bottle of whiskey.
At Jakes Home
The hunter sat at a small table with a picture of his mother in front of him. The hunter lit a small candle before pouring himself a shot as he raised the glass for a toast.
"For you mom." a small sense of pride could be heard in his voice as he downed the whiskey but as he set the glass back on the table he felt nothing but sadness. Though it was true he had slain the Goliath it did not change the fact that he was still alone save for Daisy who had gave a sad whimper as she nudged him.
"I know girl. I should be happy but I'm not..." While Jake poured another glass the girls were outside watching and could see how miserable he really was.
"The poor dear." Rarity placed a hand over her heart as she turned to her friends.
"I guess we now know why he went crazy. He hates those creatures for taking his mother from him, more than anything." Twilight lead the others away so as not to be heard.
"I'm more curious about his cutie mark, y'all saw it right?"
"Yeah. It's the same as that monsters footprint, what's up with that?"
"Come in and I'll tell you."
AHHH!!
The mares nearly jumped out of their skins when he seemed to pop out of nowhere. Daisy was happy to see them, especially Fluttershy who knelt down to snuggle her. Twilight had decided to take the conversation into the guest house where Spike had brewed some tea while Pinkie had prepared some cupcakes.
"So. Where'd you like to start?"
"Well. Your cutie mark for starters." Twilight cut straight to the point when Jake set down his tea cup.
"You remember when I said my mom had me evacuated with the others? well it was more than that."
Twenty Years Ago
Maggie had been running through the large crowd heading to the evacuation ship with Daisy behind her. In her arms was her six year old son; Jake who had been clinging to her as he heard the screams of the frightened colonists.
"I ONLY GOT ROOM FOR TWO MORE!" A guard yelled over the roar of the turbines as the ship prepared to take off. Jake thought he and his mother were going to escape with daisy when the sound of gunfire grew nearer, The hunter only looked at her son before letting Daisy on board.
"M-mom what're you doing?!?" The young colt asked, frightened as he clinged to Daisy.
"Listen to me Jake. You be a good boy and take care of Daisy for me okay?"
"Okay but aren't you coming with us?"
"I really wish I could baby." She said with sadness in her eyes, kissing him one last time.
"I gotta go." Maggie stepped back as she gave the signal to take off.
"No!" Jake tried to jump off the ship when several colonists held him back. Daisy attempted to do the same but was ordered by Maggie to stay put.
"Get this bird in the air!!"
"I love you baby."
"NO!! NO!! MOMMY!!!" Tears flooded Jakes face as the doors shut on his mother waving goodbye to him and in no time at all the ship blasted off the planet leaving Maggie and the rest of her team to fight off the oncoming monsters.
"When I returned to Equestria, I was taken to the tribe my mother came from. They raised me, taught me their ways, how to read and write and how to hunt. It seemed I had a knack for it and one day this appeared." He pointed at his cutie mare, continuing his story.
"And so they named me: Wawindaji Ya Mapepo ; Hunter of Demons. When I was old enough I enlisted my services as a mercenary, took whatever job I could find when I was finally assigned on Shear. The rest you know is history."
They said nothing and only saw pain in his eyes followed by a deep hatred. Jake left the room without another word with Daisy following while the rest of them sat there not knowing what to say.
"That's terrible! To be separated from his mom like that and at such a young age." Fluttershy spoke up as the others followed.
"Now we know why he hates those darn things so much. I can't imagine how I'd feel if one of them monsters took my family away." Applejack fiddled with her hat for a bit as she offered her suggestion.
"Twilight. Maybe it's best we head home, this job might be too big even for us."
"I heartily agree with you my dear Applejack but what about Jake? or the other colonists? we can't just abandon them."
"Personally I say bring em on!" Rainbow clenched her fist with an eager look on her face as she hovered in the air.
"I mean come on girls! We've faced monsters like these back home!"
"But we had the Elements of Harmony to back us up Rainbow." Twilight reminded her friend as she floated back on the couch.
"Well we could suggest a full evacuation." Spike suggested, Twilight began to ponder the idea when the alarm started blaring and the soldiers began scrambling towards the barracks. Sounded like another monster attack.
"Hey! What's going on?" Rainbow flew overhead to talk to one of the soldiers.
"The supply depots been hit!!"
The girls followed the crowd to a large monitor showing the destruction. The entire building had been smashed in and the crates containing the supplies had been emptied. Jake was with the surveillance crew trying to established what happened.
"How long ago was the attack?"
"No more than an hour sir."
"Play back the security feed." Jake ordered as they began to search through the video file when a bolt of lightning blew open the steel wall which seemed strange since the attack had happened during a sunny day as the video rewinded further back he spotted something.
"THERE!!" The video feed stopped to reveal a strange tentacled faced creature standing on two legs.
"Kraken..."
End.
Twilight was in her room since the last attack. She had been studying some blood taken from Goliath along with a few other samples from the animals occupying Shear. What was supposed to take minuets soon turned to hours and hours soon turned to days and days into weeks when she finally found the clue she was looking for.
"I GOT IT!!" She shouted, raising her arms in triumph when spike came in with a breakfast tray.
"Got what Twi...." He froze up hen he saw Twilight in a t-shirt and panties.
"SPIKE?!? KNOCK FIRST!!" The princess screamed out of embarrassment, her face burned a bright pink as she covered herself with a pillow.
"SORRY!!" He apologized, slamming the door. Once she had gotten dressed, Twilight called her friends to her lab to explain what she had discovered in the samples.
"Okay so I was doing some research on Goliath once I got the samples I requested and I found something interesting."
"Okay so what'd you find?"
"Anhydrohexitol nucleic acid!" The sound of the name made her squeal in delight but the others didn't seem to understand a word of it. Realizing this she phrased it in a more simpler form.
"It's the stuff scientist use for genetic engineering, you know like cloning."
"Ohh!"
"So wait. You're saying somepony grew these things in a lab and they escaped?" Rainbow asked as Twilight began to ponder her question.
"I don't think they escaped, we would've had reports of a research lab being destroyed." The images were then shut off as the princess leaned on the console, overlooking her notes when Jake came in armed to the teeth with Daisy next to him.
"As far as we can tell no one knows where they came from but right now they're here and they're looking for a fight. Gear up ladies! we drop in 5!"
Like always the team scrambled for their gear With Jake leading the way.
Applejack had just begun fitting her armor when she noticed Rarity staring at herself in the mirror with a finger to her chin, she knew that look anywhere.
"Still thinking about new designs for the armor Rarity?"
"Well how can I not darling? Just look how tacky this is!" Rarity did a little pose to prove her point but Applejack seemed focused on other things.
"You're staring at my bum aren't you?" Rarity just stared in disappointment while Applejack continued to admire her.
"Damn straight hon!" Applejack made her point by giving her rump a firm smack that made her squeal.
"Applejack!" Rarity used both hands to cover he flank when Applejack planted a firm kiss on her lips, the unicorn mare was surprised at first but quickly lowered her guard when she felt her wife's warm embrace and decided to give her a return smack on both her cheeks.
"Mmm." Applejack allowed herself to be pinned against the lockers as they continued to smooch. Daisy; Jakes pet Trap Jaw had been sniffing around for a snack when she spotted the mares, seeing Rarity's tail swished left and right seemed to entice her and before they knew it the entire ship was filled with Rarity's cries of pain.
"AHHHH!!! GET HER OFF!! GET HER OFF!!" Rarity screamed as Applejack struggled to pull Daisy off her tail but the Trap Jaw held a tight grip.
"DAISY! RELEASE!!" At the sound of her masters voice, Daisy released Rarity's tail. Now covered in slobber.
"Hours of brushing-RUINED!!" The mare stared at her tail now frazzled and saturated in drool.
"Sorry about that." Jake apologized as Daisy drooped her head in shame, once the drama had settled the team met at the airship for a mission briefing.
"Listen up! Are target is a stage 2 Kraken which means this sucker hasn't fully matured yet but don't underestimate him! even the Juveniles are dangerous."
"What can we expect from this thing?" Spike asked after remembering what they had seen with Goliath.
"This beast is capable of firing lighting bolts from the tentacles on its back and fires these strange orbs that release a high pitched screech that'll paralyze you if you get caught in its range and finally it can send an electric current through the ground no matter what surface you stand on! So stay sharp, stick together and pray you don't get eaten."
"Yes sir!" Pinkie saluted as usual while Fluttershy cringed behind Rainbow who seemed to be looking at Jake in an strange way and like always her friends teased her about it.
"Thinking about your honeymoon?" Rarity asked, snapping her out of it.
"What?!? what're you talking about?!?"
"We saw you giving dirty looks at him."
"I was not giv-!"
"Were you imagining him in your bed? surrounded by scented candles as he beckons to you?" Rarity teased as she leaned on Rainbow, eyes fluttering while her hands were folded.
"You read too many of Twilights novels Rarity." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at her friends attempts to mock her as they headed for the ships galley for lunch. Bucket was cooking.
"Here you are ladies! steamed veggies and a caesar salad." The girls were impressed by how well the dish had been prepared and were chowing down in no time.
"Bucket I am impressed! where ever did you get the ingredients for these?" Rarity asked as she took another bite of her salad.
"From "Equestria Planet Exports" Miss Rarity. They help fund expeditions such as the one we're on."
"So um what does Daisy eat?" Fluttershy noticed Daisy was sitting by an empty food bowl, sitting in front of the kitchens oven as it dinged.
"Ah! Daisy will be having grilled Mammoth Bird Steak. It's her favorite." The droid tossed the chunks of meat into the bowl and in no time at all Daisy began ripping into the steaks.
"Jake NEVER serves her raw meats. Last time he did the poor girl ended up with a parasite."
"A parasprite? out here?"
"Para-SITE Pinkie, you know a stomach bug." Twilight corrected her friend as she took a sip of tea.
"OHH!"
The ship was quiet throughout the rest of the voyage until they had arrived at the spot where the Kraken was sighted.
"Search for a trail. Go in teams of two." Jake ordered as they fanned out, searching for signs of the creature yet all they seemed to find were rotten food rations and smashed crates everywhere until Daisy let out a howl. Applejack was first on the scene to see a huge footprint in the dirt followed by a set of others leading straight into the jungle. Jake examined the trail closely as he began to fiddle with the soil.
"These tracks are still fresh, he couldn't have gotten far." He stated as Rainbow Dash flew up to get a better view.
"Not good. Storms coming!" She shouted down to her friends as they began to hear thunder, Fluttershy found cover in the nearest crate where she was joined by Daisy who seemed to be more scared than her.
"Ohh there there Daisy." She hugged the frightened Trap Jaw with a warm smile which was repaid with a gentle lick her cheek and a friendly nuzzle.
"Well looks like we lost our tracker. One of em anyway." Jake used his jet pack to get a view of the storm. It seemed like it would at least be a few hours before it could reach them and knew that with each passing moment the Kraken would grow stronger.
"Fluttershy. You and Daisy stay here and salvage what supplies you can. Pinkie you and Spike stay with her, the rest of us will follow the trail and see if we can't find the beast."
"Aw yeah! Me and Zeus are gonna kick some serious butt!" Rainbow grinned as she charged up her gun.
"Negative Rainbow. A blast from Zeus could double Krakens power."
"Oh...so no lightning?"
"No lightning."
Though disappointed Rainbow knew Jake had better knowledge of these creatures than her. Rarity and Twilight hanged back while Jake, Applejack and Rainbow Dash took point. To break the silence Twilight decided to ask a few questions about the beast they were hunting.
"So Jake. How is the creature able to shoot lightning?"
"The tentacles on its back have muscles similar to an electric eel, one blast could turn you into barbecue."
"Mmm Mm! Nothing like some home cookin!" Applejack licked her lips, thinking about her last family reunion.
"Unless you're the one being cooked." Jake replied when he felt the first rain drop hit his vest and in just a few seconds the entire jungle became drenched.
"Damn!"
"At the rate this rain is pouring the trail will already be gone!"
Rrrr....
"What was that?" Rarity asked nervously as she looked around.
"Um Twilight?"
"Yes Jake?"
"I forgot to mention something."
"What?"
WROOORRRGGG!!!
A strange gurgle like roar was heard as the Kraken came crashing through the canopy, floating in midair.
"It can fly."
"Oh...joy." Twilight responded in an annoyed tone before opening fire.
"MAKE YOUR SHOTS COUNT!!" Jake shouted as he took careful aim before letting loose while Rainbow zoomed all around the beast and began emptying her gun non stop.
"YEAH!! IN YOUR FACE!!"
"Rainbow! Don't get to close!!" Applejack called out to her before leaping away from a lightning blast. It seemed the fight was going there way until the Kraken let out a shock wave that disoriented the group before firing three of the red orbs Jake mentioned.
"BANSHEE BOMBS!!"
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
"AHHHHH!!!!" Everyone was in pain from the sound of the horrible screeching while the Kraken made its escape having been greatly wounded in the fighting.
"Grr no ya don't!!" Jake was able to withstand the screeching long enough to destroy the bombs before using one of his harpoon traps for a makeshift gun.
POW!! SCHLIK!!
ROOOAARRRGH!!!
The Kraken howled in pain, feeling the large spear pierce its hide before darting into the brush ahead.
"GOTCHA!!" Jake yelled to the monster with a smirk when he realized something. The rope had been tangled around his ankle.
"Crap...WHAPPACK!!
"SPIKE!! JAKE!!" Twilight shouted in fear, knowing what the monster would do to them so without any hesitation the girls chased after it.
An Hour later
"uhh..." Spike awoke with a splitting migrane as he began to remember the course of events. He remembered being dragged through the jungle along with Jake then the last thing he saw was a low hanging branch coming straight to his face.
"Uhh! when we get back I'm-MMPH!!" An arm suddenly yanked Spike in as he tried to struggle loose until he had recognized the pony who grabbed him; It was Jake.
"You're awake. good." Jake whispered as he looked around the cave. The cavern appeared to be an underground lake lit with glowing mushrooms and moss and while Spike was amazed his friend seemed wary.
"Jake what's up?" Spike asked as his friend shoved him back into the shadows.
"This is bad Spike." He said with an eerie voice, as if they were about to be executed.
"We're in the Krakens lair...."
End.
Spike and Jake looked around the cavern for any signs of the Kraken while keeping to the shadows. Even with the glowing moss an shrooms decorating the cavern their field of vision was limited and to make matters worse they had lost their weapons during the chase.
"Stay low, keep out of sight." Jake whispered before crouching down as they began to sneak around the cavern for a way out yet all they seem to find were small pools and more caverns; It was like a maze.
"Hang on." Spike whispered as he tried to catch his breath, leaning against a stalagmite while Jake still kept watch for the Kraken. Both were exhausted from traversing the cavern and it seemed like they were getting nowhere until Jake noticed a faint smile form on Spikes face.
"What're you so happy about?"
"Just felt a nice breeze blow through here."
"Breeze?" Jake then took a small handful to find the source of the breeze Spike mentioned and from there he knew exactly where they should go.
"We need to move. Now!"
Meanwhile
Fluttershy had been comforting Daisy as the thunder roared above them. The frightened Trap Jaw cringed under Fluttershy's arm while the pegasus did her best to make her feel safe.
"There there Daisy, it's okay." Fluttershy said in a gentle voice as she stroked Daisy's back when she noticed Twilight and the others rushing out of the jungle and all covered in twigs and mud.
"Girls! what happened?"
"That giant squid ambushed us! that's what!" Rainbow answered in anger as she pulled a leaf out of her hair before taking a seat on an empty crate.
"We tried to follow them but the brush was too thick."
"And thanks to this rain we'll never find them now!" Applejack dusted her hat off as she sat behind Rainbow when Fluttershy noticed Twilight was holding a gauntlet.
"Twilight. Isn't that Spikes?"
"Yeah. It slipped off when I tried to grab him....I hope he and Jake are okay." The princess looked to the horizon, wondering where they could be. Curious about the object, Daisy began sniffing at the gauntlet Twilight held and that's when an idea struck her.
"That's it!!"
"What's it Twi?" Applejack asked as Daisy began sniffing the gauntlet some more.
"We can use Daisy to track them down! Fluttershy you think you can keep her calm?"
"Of course."
"Then what're we waiting for? Get sniffing!" Rainbow Dash ordered but like a Canterlot noble she stuck her nose up and turned the other way in defiance.
"Hey what gives?!?"
"You need to be less assertive." Fluttershy demonstrated as she took the glove from Twilight.
"Daisy. Smell."
The trap jaw did as ordered in a snap and took a quick whiff of the gauntlet before sniffing the air around them. Inch by inch, Daisy drew closer to the thickness of the trees when she finally let out a loud howl and darted straight ahead. Luckily Fluttershy had a spare transmitter for Daisy's collar.
Back at the Cave. Spike and Jake kept following the flow of air coming into the cavern while sticking to the shadows fearing the Kraken might still be around.
"Up ahead!" Spike whispered as he pointed to a bright light up ahead.
"I know they say NOT to go towards the light but in this case I'll make an acception." Jake cracked a small joke as the headed towards the exit when out of the wall came a strange worm like creature that nearly clamped his face off.
"BACK!!" He shouted, pushing Spike back.
"What gives?!? we're almost there!"
"Manglers."
"Manglers?" Spike asked as Jake gestured him to keep his voice down before pointing to what looked like a large worm with four rows of jagged teeth sticking out of a hole.
"Keep your voice down and walk slow."
From those orders, Spike figured out that the creatures hunted by sound and being near a cave entrance that was the perfect place to ambush prey. Step by step they snuck past the creatures while trying to make as little noise as possible with the noisy gravel and bones beneath their feet, even the slightest sound made the jaws of the creatures twitch and it was starting to make Spike a little jumpy.
"I swear: I will NEVER eat worms again for as long as I live!"
"You ate worms?"
"There was this disaster at the bakery back home. Best cupcakes I ever ate."
"You dragons have a weird appetite."
WROAAARGG!!
"Oh frag..." Jake said aloud as the Manglers retreated into their burrows. A large familiar shadow appeared at the entrance; The Kraken had returned with its latest kill and began feasting on it as it entered the cave. Spike and Jake were just a few feet away but thankfully the breeze blowing into the cave covered their scent.
"Now what?!?" Spike whispered to Jake as he tried to peek around the boulder they hid behind.
Meanwhile
Daisy had been charging straight through the foliage like a greyhound on a race track with the others following behind her. Rainbow and Twilight kept watch from above with Applejack and Rarity following Fluttershy and Pinkie.
"Atta girl!" Applejack cheered Daisy on, feeling like they were getting closer until at last they came to stop at a giant cavern riddled with bones at the entrance.
Knowing it would be dangerous, Twilight suggested that Rainbow and Applejack go in while the rest stayed behind. Rarity however was opposed to the idea for obvious reasons and insisted on going. Remembering the advice she got from Jake, Rainbow made sure her lightning gun was deactivated and stuck with her auto rifle.
"Ugh! the smell of this place is revolting!" Rarity declared as she tried to wave the stench off.
"Just pray to Celestia that isn't Jake or Spike your smelling cause from what we saw back at the entrance I'd say this thing's got a big appetite."
Rainbow said sounding a bit worried before moving a bit further ahead when they all began to hear a faint crunching sound. Not wanting to give themselves away, the girls quickly activated the night vision goggles on their scopes and began to move slowly into the cavern as the sound got louder.
"Is it me or does that thing sound bigger?" Applejack asked as they drew closer.
"Must've had a growth spurt from its last meal." Rainbow tried to sound smart as she peeked around the corner to see the beast feeding and growing at the same time.
"Oh...my...gosh..." Rainbow just stood in shock at the size of the Kraken. It had grown twice as big and its wings were now giving off this black mist followed by the visible spinal cord on its back, It was like something out of a horror movie. Her first thoughts were "get the hell out of there!" when she spotted Jake behind a boulder with Spike, just a few feet away from the beast.
"What do we do now?" Rarity whispered, feeling worried as they tried to think of a plan.
Knowing they now had some backup, Jake signaled Rainbow as he picked up a large rock.
"Spike. Get ready to run." He said to the dragon before throwing the rock down the cavern. The noise got the beasts attention as it dropped its kill to investigate the noise before the others made a run for it. It seemed like Jakes plan had worked until one of the manglers sprang back out of its hole and grabbed Spike by the leg.
"AAHHH!!!"
"SPIKE!!" Jake quickly grabbed him by both arms as the worm tried to drag him into its hole. The Kraken heard the commotion and began to quickly march back to the entrance.
"GET IT OFF ME!! GET IT OFF ME!!" The dragon shouted in pain when Applejack fired off two rounds, splitting it in half. Spikes leg had been badly injured and was in extreme pain as the others dragged him out while Rainbow and Rarity provided cover fire.
"SPIKE!!" Twilight shouted in fear when she saw the injury. The worms teeth had sunk deep and the princess knew that if he didn't get treatment fast he would suffer from infection.
"Fluttershy! You and Pinkie help Twilight! The rest of us will keep him busy!" As always, Jake took charge of the situation and coordinated the group into an all out attack against the monster. Thankfully Rainbow found his guns while Daisy was tracking them and quickly handed them over.
"Boom time!" With a quick movement of the hands Jake loaded his gun and began a nonstop barrage that seemed to enrage the Kraken even more.
ROOAAAR!!!
The beast roared in anger as it fired three banshee bombs but this time the team was ready. Rarity shot each one out of midair with expert precision while Rainbow and Applejack got up close and began shooting off its armor piece by piece. Seeing this chance to finish it off, Jake pulled out a small orb from his vest and quickly shouted for the others to get clear.
"Gotcha now squid face!!" He shouted as he threw the orb to the beast before it was blinded by a strange light that seemed to slow it down.
"Stasis grenade. Never leave home without it!"
"Nice work partner!" Applejack said with a smack to his shoulder. The victory however was short lived when the Kraken sent out a jolt that short circuited the grenade and to make matters worse the team was almost out of ammo.
"Well this just went from bad to worse."
"Any suggestions?"
"I got one: DUCK!!" An unknown voice shouted from behind when another grenade set the beast ablaze. The Kraken began staggering around, covered in flames as another mare came swooping down and firing off another shot.
"POUR IT ON!!" Rainbow shouted as the others joined in, finally finishing off the beast. When the fighting stopped, Jake inspected the beast to make sure it was dead and given the numerous holes in its body along with the severe burns it was a pretty safe bet as he turned his attention to their savior.
"Nice work. Standard military grenade launcher?"
"Latest model actually."
"Well all the same, nice work. I'm Jake by the way." Jake greeted her with a friendly handshake.
"Nice to meet ya. I'm Ember."
End.
