Thin Sheets craned his head over the loose barricade of piled rock and wood debris noticing the light that filled the bend in the tunnel just in front of his post. Completely hairless, his thin translucent skin showed how his round white eyes were held in place in the of the sockets of his muscle lined skull. Blinking did nothing to obscure his vision.

“We got ourselves some company!” He gave a loud cry in his mongrel tongue and his companion, a black mongrel pony whose skin hung loosely from his frame as if it were melting off, cried out as well. Turning with a slap as his loose skin was thrown against itself he gave the wooden screen that covered the lower half of the tunnel mouth behind them a buck.

“Quite that shouting you damn fools!” A gruff voice cut through the air. Thin Sheets fell silent for a moment his skill and muscle face failing to show his emotions He waited as a short mongrel pony with long hanging ears, large teeth that pushed back his lips and mottled skin came around the corner silhouetted by the light behind him. He was followed by a pair of mongrel mares. One was covered in chitin plates, a pair of pincer-like horns sprouted from her forehead large red domes on either side of her head functioned like eyes and her legs were insect-like the chitin of one of the back ones was fused together. The other was bloated and had a thick furless hide, a large bone plate grew around her horn and pushed down over her eyes.

“Stop! Who are you?” Thin Sheets demanded in the mongrel tongue as two more mongrel ponies pushed up the wooden screen and stepped through the tunnel mouth armed with crossbows. One’s body was completely covered in irregular, but interlocking, sheening plate-like growths making them look like a broken porcelain pony. The other was covered in wriggling worm-like growths instead of fur.

“Don’t speak to me in that gutter tongue!” The floppy-eared mongrel snapped his oversized teeth clacking. “Our birthright is the surface, as is its tongue. So, use it, or are you one of those low-born that can’t even speak it anymore?”

“I-I speak it,” Thin Sheets stammered taking a step back for every two the trio of strange mongrels made forward. His companions looked at each other uncertainly as the three moved to join them behind the barricade. “I asked who you were.”

“My name is Cranky, my companions are Bug Brains and Numb Skull,” Numb Skull’s ear twitched at her name and Bug Brain turned her head towards him but her insectoid face gave little impression of her thoughts. “We here to join you in taking the surface.”

Thin Sheets snorted and he and his companions broke out into laughter, “Do you think we’d really just take your word on that?”

Cranky gave them all a long silent stern gaze and they quickly quieted down, not daring to meet the short mongrel’s gaze. “I don’t care what you take colt, we have valuable information concerning Ponyville’s plans to help the surface dwellers. Plans I will share with someone of importance and not some cackling guards. Now if you’re done wasting my time take us to whoever’s actually in charge around here before I buck you upside your skull and pop your eyes out of that thing you call a head!”

Thin Sheets glanced over at his companions, but they just gave small uncertain shrugs. Thin Sheets let his bare eyes pass over them strangers again, they weren’t carrying any weapons as far as he could see. Not that it would matter very much if they were, after what Velvet did to their chief he doubted a trio of short, lame, or blind mongrels would be much of a threat even armed. Maybe if she didn’t like what they had brought for her Thin Sheets could watch her express her displeasure.

“Come on follow me, you three stand guard out here.” Thin Sheets turned back and started for the wooden screen the strangers following. They two mongrels that had come through it grumbled about their leisure time being interrupted, but lifted the screen and allowed Thin Sheets and the others to pass under.

The room beyond reeked of sweat and worst, a rank smell Cranky couldn’t identify filled the air mingling with the smell of the mongrels. Ten bedrolls, each piled with coarse blankets and animal furs, surrounded a fire pit filled with glowing coals. Thick tapestries hung stretched across the walls, each crudely painted with scenes of deformed ponies hunting giant vermin in caves. As the light of their horns filled the room there was a low hiss from the northern door on the opposite side of the room. Looking Cranky saw first the shining eyes, then the green form of a massive lizard crouching at the door glaring at them.

“Get back in your hole Gummy!” Thin Sheets barked at the lizard who sunk back into the room until it was out of the burning light. Thin Sheets frowned and looked back at the strangers suspiciously. “Why are you casting those damn light spells anyway.”

“Because my eyes don’t work properly! Don’t ask stupid questions just hurry up and get us to whoever’s in charge around here!” Cranky snapped.

Thin Sheets gave an annoyed groan, started for the other door and shoving it open. Stepping in his naked eyes swiveled to the southwestern part of the room where a mongrel much like Bug Brain sat on one of the canvas pillows that surrounded a block of stone that served as a table. This mongrel was blue and had extra sets of insect legs protruding from her sides. She was drinking from a clay jug held in the pink aura of her magic and glanced at Thin Sheets and the strangers. A copper bowl filled with coal hung from the ceiling over the table, filling the room with warmth and an orange glow. “Minuette, these strangers say they have information about Ponyville and want to join us.”

Minuette glanced lazily in their direction, but hardly paused her drinking to say, “So take them to Velvet, what are you telling me for? I’m not the second.”

“I just…” Thin Sheets hesitated, glancing from Minuette to the hole in the floor that led deeper into their complex and briefly back at the strangers only to see Cranky still glaring at him. “I was just reporting it to you, Captain.”

Minuette grunted non-committedly at Thin Sheets and continued her drinking. Thin Sheets ground his teeth a little and moved towards hole pointedly not looking at Minutte as he descended the rickety rope ladder that led down to the next level. Cranky hesitated at the ladder giving it an uneasy look. “Careful you don’t break your neck.” Minuette chuckled earning a glare from Cranky.

The ladder proved safe enough and they found themselves in a damp cavern that smelled of mold, water even pooled in a large round puddle on one side of the room. Here to piles of rock and wood formed two barricades manned by mongrels who made little comment as they passed through. A large cavern lay beyond that one, with a large rectangular stone block serving as a large table sat in the center of the room surrounded by pillows. Three copper bowls hung over it filling the room with light and warmth. Two mongrel guards stood on either side of the door and looked over the strangers as they passed.

Thin Sheets led them to a door on the north end of the cavern, there was another on the southern end. As they passed by the massive table Cranky and Bug Brain noticed an enormous blood stain, perhaps a week old, that darkened the stone’s surface. Though Cranky couldn’t properly see into hers Bug Brain’s eyes met his for a moment and saw the same grim expression she felt was in her own eyes in his.

Thin Sheets banged on the door with a restrained hoof and a muffled voice instantly called back through the door in a sharp impatient tone. “Come in!”

Entering they saw that a stone pedestal held a copper brazier aloft in the center of the room. Sheathed weapons and stone carvings adorned the walls. To one side, the west, an enormous pile of furs and thick quilts sat against the wall served as a bed. On the other side, behind a wooden desk sat a scowling gray unicorn mare, her cold blue eyes passed suspiciously over the newcomers and glanced over at the silent gray goat that stood to one side in front of her desk. He met her eyes but his stoic face didn’t betray any feeling about the newcomers. With a flick of her head, she cast her gray striped purple mane out of her eyes, “What do you want?”

“Lady Velvet, these strangers have come from Ponyville. They claim to wish to join our cause and have valuable information about Ponyville’s plans to aid the surface dwellers.” Thin Sheets explained stepping towards the desk but leaving more than a pony’s body length between himself and it. Bug Brains stood next to him, to his left, just a step behind, no one noticed how her eyes focused for a moment on the long thin iron lockbox that lay under the desk.

“Don’t look directly at me you freak,” Velvet snapped and Thin Sheets eyes rolled immediately to the floor. “It makes me sick!”

Cranky shut the door behind him leaving Numb Skull next to it and stepped around Bug Brains and Thin Sheets to approach the desk. “That’s right we-” The goat's irregular horns butted into Cranky’s chest and he staggered back a step and the goat gave him a warning glare. Cranky took several steps away from him until he was standing ahead of and to Thin Sheets' right. Clearing his throat Cranky straightened up and fixed his eyes on Velvet who somehow managed to look both amused and annoyed at once. “As I was saying we know of Ponyville’s plan, they intend on sending assassins to kill you and the rest of your traitorous mongrels.”

Suddenly Bug Brains pulled a sword seemingly out of her own chest, her form seemed to flicker slightly in the act. Numb Skull sat down and braced herself against the door placing a hoof on it as she started muttering in a strange tongue.

Thin Sheets eyes rolled up from the ground in time to see the sheen Bug Brain’s blade before it slipped neatly between his ribs and sank deep into his chest. Bug Brains had rarely ever had someone with so open an anatomy to stick with her blade. He gasped as the strength left his body and the sudden feeling of drowning came over him.

Cranky's comical features also blurred as his hoof blades became visible and he lunged around the desk at Velvet. He didn’t even see the deep pink glow of her magic until the sharp, hook-shaped blade of her glaive shot between the catching Cranky’s blades as she called. “No, you fool that one’s casting a spell!” The goat eyes, which had remained fixed on Cranky shot to Numb Skull pressed against the door and he recognized the nature of the arcane words she was speaking.

He started for her when suddenly a blood-soaked sword swung towards him. He caught the sword between the blades of his own hoof blade. With a jerk of his leg, he twisted his blades trying to snap the sword from Bug Brain’s grip, but she held on fiercely, her image flickering again allowing their eyes to meet for a moment. Behind her Thin Sheets' skin was losing its translucency as blood pooled between it and his insides or oozed out and ran down his chest. He continued to make choking sounds as he began to shake and slumped to the ground, weakly reaching for the wound.

“Damnit!” Velvet cursed pushing Cranky back with her glaive as she rushed around her desk and past her struggling bodyguard. The glaive obediently followed its mistress whipping around over her head as she stepped in front of Numb Skull and thrust itself down at the spellcasting pony with all the might her magic could muster. There was resounding ring as collided with a blue force field that became visible only when her glaive struck it. Velvet gave a savage whinny and her horn burst with magic as the glaive shattered the shield and shot at Numb Skulls chest only to strike another invisible barrier. This time the glaive scraped along the barrier sparking like steel on stone before stabbing into the stone floor below.

“Ossalur ne ir bensvelk thurirl!” Numb Skull finished almost smugly as she smiled in Velvet’s general direction. Nothing seemed to happen at first and the only new sensation was the sounds of the mongrel guards rushing towards the door asking what was happening. Then, they slid to a halt and the sound of long low moaning cry sounded followed swiftly by a mongrel pony’s cry being cut shot and a body crashing against the stone wall.

Cranky didn’t waste Velvet’s confusion, galloping a few steps before jumping at her and slashing at her face with his hoof blade. The gray mare dodged but wasn't quite quick enough and the hoof blade cut twin lines down the side of her neck. She let out a cry of pain grasping at the wounds as they wept a few drops of blood. Staggering a few steps back she pulled her glaive from the floor and it slashed out at the offensive Cranky her blade slamming into his shirt but not cutting the fine armor.

Bug Brain’s horn flared to life and the goat could only give a look of confusion before the contents of the copper brazier crashed into the side of his face. He gave a cry of pain and staggered a few steps back.

Numb Skull pulled out the gem Cranky had given her, but she fumbled it in her hooves and it rolled out across the floor like a marble only to be crushed under Cranky’s hoof as he staggered in pain.

“Whoever crushed the gem must give the elemental its orders,” Numb Skull cried out gasping as she realized that it could have been one of the mongrels who had crushed.

“Attack the goat!” Cranky cried stabbing at Velvet again only to be blocked by her glaive. Suddenly a donkey made entirely of the stone of the cavern floor rose behind the goat and buck his forelegs out at the goat. He narrowly jumped out of the way turning to face his new opponent only to let out a gasp as Bug Brain’s sword sunk into his back.

Velvet gave another curse and pushed Cranky away again, her glaive whipping around and stabbing at his neck. Cranky tried to dodge, but the blade slipped past his shirt and sank into his shoulder. Cranky gave a cry of pain and collapsed under the power of the blow weakly croaking out. “Attack her!”

Velvet gasped as a stony hoof slammed into her stomach, her magic failed and the glaive dropped from her magical grasp. She looked up to find Bug Brain in front of her. She gave a choked cry realizing she couldn’t stop the slash of the very bloody blade and her neck split open in a gruesome, blood drooling smile.

Author's Note

Part Two: Lair of the Vile and Vicious