Predator 3

Twilight Sparkle leaned forward against one side of the basket of the balloon and stared out and watched as the Crystal Empire slowly grew on the horizon. Applejack saw her and came over and stood beside her.

"I'm so-" Twilight Sparkle was interrupted by Applejack's hoof being held up to her face.

"This has been a mighty terrible thing, Twilight. But you're right. There's just no way we coulda' seen this comin'" Applejack hugged Twilight Sparkle tightly. "So don't blame yourself sugar cube."

"We're almost home-free." Rarity said as the towering capital of the Crystal Empire grew larger on the horizon.

"But that thing is still out there." Sunburst sighed. "And I want to help fight it. Those were my friends too."

Twilight Sparkle used her magic to remove the anti-magic cozy from Sunburst's horn and looked over to Rarity. The mares nodded to each other in confirmation.

"Here, darling." Rarity pulled an ornate and bulky bandoleer from her saddlebags and draped it around Sunbursts neck.

"Will this enhance my magic?" Sunburst asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Goodness, no, darling. But every band of misfit science fiction heroes needs exactly one character who wears an awkward looking bandoleer that serves absolutely no practical purpose." Rarity explained with a smile. Sunburst replied by hanging his head.

"Preparing for final approach!" The pilot announced as the balloon neared a landing platform on the upper mezzanine of the Crystal Palace. Over the edge the mares could see Shining Armor and Cadence awaiting with a compliment of four guards

Before any pony could react the creature uncloaked from its camouflaged state as it climbed up over the side of the balloon, extended a metallic claw from around its wrist and slashed the pilot's throat.

"No!" Applejack shouted as she pounced on top of the creature, pinning it to the floor of the balloon.

"We're going to crash!" Sunburst cried out as the others began to panic.

"Can't somepony fly this thing? Twilight I swear I've seen you flyin' one of these at least 26 times a year." Applejack complained as she struggled to hold down the tall, muscular, creature with all her might.

"Those are just promotional photo ops!" Twilight Sparkle explained as the balloon crashed into the platform and exploded, sending the occupants tumbling in all directions.

"Twily!" Shining Armor called out as he and Cadence rushed in Twilight Sparkle's direction.

Applejack and Rarity ended up beside each other. Applejack struggled back up onto her hooves but Rarity remained bloodied and motionless on the ground. "Rarity!" She yelled as she gave her a shake. Rarity was dead.

Sunburst landed off on his own, cowering in place as the uncloaked creature began to charge at him.

"No!" Shining Armor shouted and with a blast of magic a protective bubble formed around the ponies. The creature slashed at the barrier with its claws to no avail and screamed in frustration. A trail of glowing green blood droplets followed it around as it paced around and it made no effort to re-cloak.

"The crash must have damaged its invisibility spell!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.

"Where are the others?" Cadence asked with concern.

"He got them." Twilight Sparkle explained.

"Well he's not getting through here." Shining Armor said smugly.

The creature turned toward the entrance that went between the mezzanine and the throne room.

"Flurry Heart is still with the royal nannies inside!" Cadence cried out.

"Cadence. I love you." Shining Armor said with a tear as he shifted his focus. The protective bubble disappeared and a new one formed and now only encompassed the creature and himself.

"No!" Cadence screamed tearfully.

"Grab Flurry Heart and get to Canterlot. Now!" He shouted one last time before Cadence blinked away with her magic. The creature immediately turned and began advancing on Shining Armor.

"No!" Twilight Sparkle shouted as she teleported herself inside Shining Armor's bubble and fired a persistent beam of magic from her horn which slowed the towering creature's advance.

"C'mon sugar cube." Applejack pulled Sunburst to his hooves and urged him toward the doorway to the throne room. "We need to regroup!"

"Wait, I-" Sunburst protested

"C'mon!" Applejack Insisted as she tugged him across the threshold.

"Ugh!" Shining Armor called out as the creature effortlessly swiped off his horn with one of its retractable metal claws.

As the protective bubble was dispelled the four guards rushed at the creature but they were just there for visual authenticity and were quickly dispatched. Shining Armor struggled to cast a spell on the creature but his horn crackled uselessly and he collapsed in agony. Twilight Sparkle swooped by and fired a beam of magic from her horn, striking the creature in the head causing it to scream in pain as a shower of sparks flew off of its helmet.

"No!" Twilight Sparkle cried out as she watched the creature pick up Shining Armor from the ground and drive its claw into his heart. Shining Armor fell limp as his blood pooled around him. Conjuring all of her rage Twilight Sparkle fired a mighty beam of magic, striking the creature on the chest leaving behind a charred and bleeding wound as it screamed out in pain.

The creature pulled out his spear and threw it towards Twilight Sparkle. The Spear stuck deep into her chest as she slumped to the ground and began twitching. It reached up and pulled two tubes from its helmet which then uncoupled and fell from its face which was now bruised and leaking its glowing green blood. It limped over to Twilight Sparkle and looked down as she kicked her hooves and convulsed. The creature grabbed the spear and twisted it around until Twilight Sparkle lay motionless and then limped its way through the door.

"Sunburst!" A familiar voice called out as Applejack and Sunburst ran through the door. It was Starswirl standing along side Stygian. "Excellent work."

"Wait, wha?" Applejack stopped and looked across the scene as the creature came limping in.

With a blast of Starswirl's horn the creature collapsed to the ground. "I can't thank you enough for weakening him enough to do that." Starswirl said smugly.

"What's goin' on?" Applejack was puzzled as she kept looking back and forth between the stallions and the creature.

"We're part of a secret division of Canterlot's already secret and unnamed monster hunting agency." Starswirl began to explain.

"That's why I was in the valley. I was part of the early response team sent to track and capture the creature." Sunburst explained.

"Capture?" Applejack asked.

"Yes." Stygian piped in. "We needed the creature weakened so that we could cast a sleeping spell on it."

"Celestia used us!?" Applejack burst out angrily. "All my friends are dead now because of this!"

"Goodness, no. Even Celestia knows little of this matter. Your friends are but a small price to pay. Now we can study this creature and know more of it and its kind. They are a threat to Equestria. We need to study it and interrogate it so that when more of its kind come along we can protect Equestria. Countless lives will be saved." Starswirl explained.

"You knew about all of this!" Applejack growled as she paced over toward Sunburst.

"The laboratory in Sombra's lower chamber is prepared and ready to go, sir." Stygian said calmly.

"First let's tie up this loose end." Starswirl's horn began to glow with energy.

"Wait, why!" Applejack backed away as her voice quivered with fear.

"This operation is top secret. You aren't supposed to know about it. Nopony is." Starswirl lowered his head ready to fire.

"Wait!" Sunburst piped in. "I mean I think I should interrogate her first. She sent a letter to Princess Celestia on the balloon ride over and we need to know what it said."

"Very well. Meet us in the lab when she is disposed of." Starswirl huffed as he and Stygian disappeared down the spiral stairway to Sombra's lower chamber with the creature.

Sunburst stared at Applejack nervously until the others were out of earshot. "Run! Go! I'll tell them you knocked me out and escaped."

Applejack pounced at Sunburst, knocking him on his back and then kicking a front hoof at his face. "Oh I'll knock ya out alright! You knew about this. If you told us maybe our friends would still be here!" Right as she hammered out the words her and Sunburst's cutie marks began to pulsate. "Oh for cryin' out loud, not now!".

"I'll set up a remote link to the cutie map." Sunburst fired a beam of magic into the air and a translucent projection of the cutie map appeared before them. "Looks like we're already where we need to be." As he spoke and Applejack stared in his direction the air became distorted behind him and Applejack backed away nervously.

"Uh, sugar cube." Applejack pointed. Sunburst turned around and started backing away as well. This visual disturbance was larger than the creature they had faced.