"What fun is there in making sense?" - Discord

A gust of wind, a flash of light. Fluttershy was swept across the gray skies, clouds swirling around her as they seemed to attempt to guide her safely onto the ground. The poor yellow pegasus kept her eyes shut throughout the whole process, too scared to look.

A pack of scorponies, a species known for their scarceness and odd looks, watched from a distance in both curiosity and fear, for they knew not what creature could mess with the clouds in such a manner.

The scorponies had mainly kept to themselves these past few months, but now something seemed to be threatening their peace. It was then that they had decided to send one of their own to investigate and report back.

As the clouds dissipated, Fluttershy was thrown directly into the side of some poor creature, knocking it over and sending both it and Fluttershy rolling down the barren hill. They tumbled, eventually stopping at the bottom. Fluttershy quickly got up, panic quickly overtaking her. “Oh gosh! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened!”

The creature, rising up, made it apparent that it was much bigger than the worried pegasus, almost twice Fluttershy’s height. “Do not worry. It will take more than some small pony to bruise me,” it, or rather, she replied.

As Fluttershy squinted her eyes, she could make out key features that would immediately strike her as familiar. “Zecora…?”

The zebra blinked, then smiled. She then let out a hearty laugh. “Oh! That is quite the compliment. I suppose to you, I look like such a legend, but believe me, I am not Zecora.”

The first difference Fluttershy noticed were the thick, long sections of hair, which made it look almost animated, as if this zebra were from some cartoon. Another difference was in the stripe pattern on her face, stripes that made it look like she had whiskers of sorts. Fluttershy took a step back, a little intimidated by the height of this equine.

“Oh? Does my appearance frighten you?” The zebra asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m sorry. You don’t frighten me. I was just startled. I didn’t expect to end up,” she looked around, taking in the scenery of the wasteland, “here.”

“Did you expect a settlement here?” The zebra queried. She seemed intrigued by the appearance of this pegasus. Something about this avian pony was familiar to her, yet she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it.

“I didn’t expect to even be here,” replied Fluttershy. Maybe that portal had sent her to another country? She didn’t expect to see a zebra way out here. She didn’t even know where here was. “Do you know where I am?”

“Ah.~” The zebra gave the most sincere smile. “You are just outside of Manehattan. I would be careful, though. We are near scorpony territory.”

“Scorponies?” Fluttershy’s eyes looked left, then darted right. “What are those? Are they dangerous?”

“Indeed.” The zebra patted Fluttershy on the head. “Scorponies are very vicious if you get too close to them. I have heard many tales of their accomplishments out here. Some say they have even set up a trade system with other scorpony settlements. But even I am not sure they are smart enough to do so. Many myths collide with facts.”

“O-Oh…” Fluttershy shrank back, looking around. She then remembered her manners. “O-Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t introduce myself! I’m Fluttershy!”

The zebra stayed silent, looking over the pegasus as if skeptical. “Fluttershy?” She chuckled. “Well, ‘Fluttershy,” I am Zone.”

Fluttershy could hear the suspicion in Zone’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“It is nothing, Fluttershy. I am just a little wary of your claims, for from what I have been told, Fluttershy has been dead for two-hundred years.”

Hearing the very word, “dead”, was unsettling to Fluttershy. She shook her head in denial. “Oh, that’s… that’s silly. I’m not d-... dead. I’m very much alive.”

Zone kept her smile and nodded. “Then I will take your word for it. Come, follow me. We must leave before we are found by the--”

She was cut off by a barrage of small missile-like projectiles, pointed like a spear, that seemed to spread out all over the place, exploding on impact. Several struck Zone in the side as she quickly jumped in front of Fluttershy to shield her, the barrage lasting about ten seconds before the attack ended.

As the smoke cleared, it was at this time that Fluttershy noticed one final oddity that would separate this zebra from the rest. At the end of Zone’s body was a tail, but not the kind any normal equine would have. At the end was a thick reptilian tail with small frills adorning the topside, draping across the ground. It slammed into the earth several times as Zone tried to warn off the attacker.

“Zone?” Fluttershy reached out her hoof, but as she did, the zebra-dragon hybrid turned to look at her with that same sincere smile.

“It is alright, Fluttershy. It will take more than…” Zone suddenly slumped over, her strength failing her..

Fluttershy’s eyes quickly scanned over Zone’s body, seeing the very small wounds caused by the earlier attack. She then turned her eyes upwards to see their attacker.

On a small hill to the southeast, Fluttershy saw a small pony about the same small size of a foal if she had to guess, but something seemed off.. This pony was hissing and acting very aggressive.

Fluttershy slowly moved around Zone, stepping closer to the strange pony. “O-Oh, I’m sorry. Are we on your land?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “We certainly didn’t mean to intrude. Um…” She then looked back at her nearly unconscious zebra friend. “C-Could we please leave, if that’s okay with you? I really need to get my friend to a hospital.”

“Fluttershy!” Zone shouted, staggering as she slowly rose onto her hooves. “Do not be a fool! Run!”

Fluttershy, looking back at the odd pony, ran as told. She didn’t know what was happening, but if Zone was more familiar with the area than her, then she should listen.

Zone tried sprinting, but limped with nearly every step. This caught Fluttershy’s attention, making the pegasus fly back for her new friend. “Zone!”

The pony saw this and immediately booked it over to the pair. With her agility, it was fairly easy for her to catch up with the slow-moving pair. "Cloud mover!" The filly yelled out, if the shrill voice was of any indication.

Fluttershy, feeling a rare instance of bravery, spread out her wings in a defensive position over Zone. “P-Please! Don’t hurt her! She didn’t do anything wrong! I promise we’ll leave if you let us go!”

“Fluttershy,” Zone said, “do not be foolish. This is a scorpony. Look closer.”

Fluttershy, following her friend’s advice, looked at the other pony, taking notice of the long stinger ending in a set of stinging pincers. Along her back was a small amount of chitin running down her spine, still mostly hidden by the light brown coat of fur. Fluttershy stepped forward, presenting a weak smile. “O-Oh… You don’t look so bad. Maybe if you let us go, I could bring you back some food?”

"You follow," the scorpony said. When she spoke, Zone flinched, the scorpony’s tone indicating no room for argument. "Pack need cloud mover."

Fluttershy looked back at Zone, who nodded slowly and stepped forward as Fluttershy moved to follow the scorpony. Where the scorpony would lead them, Fluttershy didn’t know, but she had to at least trust in her. Zone was very wary of the creature, her dragon tail tensing in preparation for defense in case of a surprise ambush.

The scorpony took Fluttershy and Zone deeper into the wastelands, occasionally sniffing the air in order to keep on track, at least, if Fluttershy’s animal experience was anything to go by. For Zone, however, the walk only stressed out her injuries.

“So, um, do you have a doctor? I don’t suppose they could help my friend here?” Fluttershy seemed to remain hopeful while Zone simply kept walking in silence. From the zebra’s experience, foreign creatures could be both good and bad, and she wasn’t sure which of the two this scorpony was.

The scorpony seemingly ignored them and kept walking, only occasionally glancing back at them to make sure they were following. "Pack in canyon up ahead."

Zone looked back in the direction of Manehattan, the idea of being further away from it worrying her. “If this is a trap, I will not go quietly,” she stated calmly.

Fluttershy smiled nervously. “I don’t think it’s a trap. I’m sure they’re very reasonable.”

“Keep alert, Fluttershy. Not all is as it seems when you speak with strangers,” replied Zone.

"Watch step, weak ground ahead," the scorpony spoke as it cautiously avoided certain spots on the ground with caution Zone had never seen before.

Both Fluttershy and Zone took the same careful path as the scorpony, only stepping wherever she did. As Fluttershy walked carefully, she took several glances at the small creature’s anatomy. “Pardon me, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a hybrid before. Maybe kirin, but I’m not sure if those were tall tales or not.”

Zone raised a brow as she thumped her tail on the ground, reminding Fluttershy that the zebra was also part dragon. “Ahem… I’m right here.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I meant before today,” Fluttershy corrected herself.

As they made their way in between and beneath two tall cliffs, Fluttershy couldn’t help but marvel at the size. Then she was reminded that it was much like the cliffs where the portals had appeared earlier. She suddenly shivered.

"Here," the scorpony announced, and when the pair looked to where she was pointing, they could see a small group of scorponies in two distinct sizes: foal-sized and Zone-sized. Two of the taller ones seemed to be going at it, jabbing their tails at each other while a smaller scorpony watched.

Fluttershy was both amazed and concerned. She was amazed at how curious this hybrid species looked, and concerned at their aggressiveness towards each other. “Oh dear… Are they alright? They’re roughhousing.”

"Alpha this way." Once again ignoring Fluttershy's question, the scorpony slammed her tail on the ground three times as she announced her return to the pack, only wanting to draw the attention of her own kind and not some predator. "Follow."

As they walked by, Fluttershy noticed two key differences between the tall and the small: the tall were males while the small were females. She could tell not only by the frames of their bodies, but also by their behaviors. Years of being with animals had given her an expertise on the subject of anatomy.

Zone stepped ahead of Fluttershy, regardless of her own limp. Clearly, the pegasus was not from the wasteland, as she had exhibited too many innocent traits. From then on, Zone led for now, following the scorpony.

As the scorpony led them through the pack, the others growled and hissed at the pair, but never attacked. Zone ignored the hisses of disapproval while Fluttershy’s wings would twitch with every growl. Fluttershy felt intimidated by the crowd, wanting to run away, but she couldn’t. She doubted Zone could catch up to her with such a limp, and was also afraid of what else these creatures could do.

While walking, Fluttershy would observe their surroundings. The ground was completely barren of all plants. Even the grass had withered away long ago. To her, it was a nightmare. Where were all the animals? What happened to this place? There should be life here. Where are my friends?

At the end of the canyon were the two supposed leaders, one big and one small. The big one was chocolate-colored, with his tail being black, and the small one was purple all over with cyan eyes.

Zone stepped past the scorpony who had led them and looked at the bigger one in the eyes. “I am requesting that you let us go. We have done nothing wrong, and I would not like to cause trouble.”

He just let out a yawn as the small one spoke up. "Forgive my mate, but he isn't much of a talker. To be frank, I'm surprised you were able to understand the orders given by the scout."

Fluttershy, hearing the female leader speak clearly, smiled. “I was worried we wouldn’t be able to understand anypony from this place.” After Fluttershy finished speaking, Zone looked down to the pegasus and cleared her throat, then gently waved to the wound on her own leg. Fluttershy, nodding in understanding, continued, “If you could just let us go, I’d be happy to bring you back something as thanks after I help my friend with her injuries.”

"How about no? You would just run away and never come back, much like the others." Fluttershy went on to speak but was interrupted by a quick glare from the female leader. "Here is what's going on, cloud mover. You are going to help us or we will simply kill and eat you."

“A-Alright? Help you with what?” Fluttershy timidly asked. She wasn’t liking where this was going at all. She just wanted to go find her friends.

The feminine leader answered, "Hellhounds have recently moved in nearby and they have been taking our food and water. We tried getting others to help but they were too weak and died." The male leader rose his hoof and a few scorponies came forth from behind the leaders. "These fine warriors will assist you on your mission.”

Zone looked over each warrior, judging by their appearance alone. She could not see much muscle mass in the females, but did notice the bulky frame of the males. Perhaps the females were faster? Or were the females strategists? She could only hope that it would be enough to get the job done faster so she and Fluttershy could leave.

Fluttershy took notice of Zone’s psychoanalyzing. “Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked.

Zone nodded. “I am just a little concerned, but it is fine. If they have trouble, I will just have to pick up the slack.”

"You may rest for the night but you are to take off at the first sign of light," the female leader said. "Feel free to make yourselves a hole to sleep in."

“You expect us to sleep in a hole? As in, the ground?” Zone asked.

"How else will you stay warm?" The leader asked. "The nights get awfully cold."

“I suppose a hole would work, but what about a fire? I could easily start one,” countered Zone. She seemed to be very skeptical of these creatures.

"It would draw too much attention to us, striped one," countered the leader.

Zone took a deep breath, then let out a concealed sigh, not moving her lips, merely breathing out through her nose. “Alright. That will do. Lead us there. I wish to finish as soon as possible.”

"Very well, Kobra." A blue male rose his head to his leader. "Take them to a suitable spot to nest for the night.” Nodding, the male half of the supposed leadership began walking, not even looking back at the pair. "Have a pleasant rest," she said as both Fluttershy and Zone followed him.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

The following is a Class F report. All citizens may have access to this information under the agreement that their access to said information is recorded and filed away for legal purposes. Do not attempt to sell said information. Any attempt to copy to an offline terminal will be recorded and placed on a watch list.

“This is Professor Study Guide, reporting on the topic of scorponies. I’d have to say at the moment that it was an… interesting experience, to say the least. Would I do it again? No, and that should go for anyone who has ever come into contact with these creatures, as most encounters are typically unpleasant and outright ridiculous in some cases.

“Upon being given the task to study these creatures, I set out at once, getting to the surface within a few hours. This was my first time visiting the wasteland, actually. The reason I report this now instead of back then was due to the Enclave focusing their attention elsewhere and giving me a second task instead of having me report. I was much younger, more peppy, excited to be able to do my part to contribute to science. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that science requires sacrifice.

“The moment we touched down and left our vehicle, one of our own accompanying soldiers were struck by a scorpony. He later went into a fit of coughing and experienced multiple seizures. This is not always the case when encountering a scorpony. As we had found out later, the first incident was a very rare case of a severe allergic reaction. The soldier had later died that day due to his body being unfamiliar with such a toxin. Most ponies, however, survive the sting, but go through sickness for several days. After the sickness, they recover just fine.

“I have found the best way to treat the wound is with water and soap, as is the case with most toxins. Attempting to ‘suck out’ the neurotoxin is pointless and is actually a myth. You cannot really suck out the substance. In fact, it would only cause more infection due to the mouth of a regular pony being riddled with disease, even when properly cleaned.

“This is not to say ponies are filthy. It’s just that the mouth comes into contact with all sorts of bacteria on a daily basis. The bacteria does not really come from us, rather than from what we eat, but I am getting off track.

“Scorponies are usually hostile towards any foreign entity, often firing warning shots in the form of the first sting. This normally forces the trespasser to turn around and leave due to the severe pain of the toxin. When faced with creatures that refuse to leave upon warning, the scorponies will do either two things, either retreat further into their territory or fight with very specific tactics similar to what normal ponies do. One of their more famous tactics involves setting up poisonous traps, using their natural magic to imbue the ground with their neurotoxin.”

“In fact, these tactics seem very similar to some used during the war, which leads me to believe that they have either learned this from somepony within the Royal Guard long ago, are mutated from a group of soldiers, or are just naturally gifted tacticians. We may send synths later to learn more. As for now, however, we are too busy with our recent defeat at the hooves of the Death Bringer, A.K.A. Littlepip.

“Scorpony neurotoxin is extremely similar to that of the box jellyfish, which usually kills within ten minutes, yet its slightly-less-than-deadly effects on ponies is astounding. There are multiple theories on why it doesn’t kill equines, but one of the more popular is the theory that it’s not designed to kill equines. It’s only designed to kill anything with a vastly different anatomy.

“We have even tested this on several paid volunteers, and none of the pony subjects died. Sadly to say, a gryphon and his abyssinian friend were a different story. The money was sent to their respective families as compensation, along with an offer to join the community. Both offers were turned down.

“Scorponies have a unique sexual dimorphism. Males are bigger, weighing in at around fifty to a hundred pounds while females are smaller, weighing in at thirty-five to fifty pounds. However, the females are deadlier and are far more aggressive, even going so far as to attack another female for dominance.

“There can only be one scorpony at the top, and in our case, it was a female, which made sense due to their heightened aggressive behavior. When approaching, we had to avoid making eye contact or we would risk a possible attack from one of the creatures. They did not offer to help us when one of our own was clearly dying. They were only focused on their own survival.

“It had taken us a while, but we were eventually able to come to an agreement. If we provided them with food and water, we were allowed to stay and study them. It was a major success in our eyes at the moment, due to the stress of the situation at hoof.

“At the slightest sign of danger, they will immediately retaliate. This was made evident when I had asked for a blood sample. After seeing the syringe, they went into a state of unrest and promptly stung me. I barely have any recollection of the event or the following days, as I had gone into a deep sleep. According to my team, I was in a state of sickness, and that they had to pull me back to the vehicle as soon as they had everything back under control.

“Upon waking, I was given a more detailed report on the scorponies. While I had been unconscious, my team had no choice but to study via observance only. They could no longer touch a single scorpony. While we were unable to get blood samples, we were able to learn more about both their behavior and their anatomy.

“During the days I was out of commission, my team had followed the scorponies as they hunted, learning more about their strategies and methods of feeding. It is safe to say that their ways involve much more than just physical consumption.

“Scorponies often hunt in packs of five to ten. Their natural prey are changelings and minor mutants, typically surrounding them and using their stingers to kill the prey as they feed on magic. In the backs of their mouths are magical vacuums, absorbing magic whenever they need to feed.

“Overall, they are effective killing machines, and continued research on them would be wise, but costly, due to the more recent move-in of hellhounds two weeks ago. I recommend we send in an extermination team as soon as possible. Of course, not like they’ll send one with my level of authority.

“Study Guide, signing off.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Fluttershy and Zone had spent their night in a dug-out hole. While it was uncomfortable, it did still keep them somewhat warm, allowing them to survive the cold harshness of the wasteland. Upon waking, Fluttershy spread out her wings and looked over to where Zone was sleeping.

Zone stirred in her sleep, her large tail twitching as she experienced a dream. Whatever the dream was about, Fluttershy couldn’t tell. What she could understand was that it was unpleasant, as the poor zebra had a pained expression on her face.

“Zone?” Fluttershy called out, worried.

Zone whimpered, sniffled, then eventually got up, her tired eyes looking in Fluttershy’s direction. “Yes?”

“Were you having a bad dream?” Fluttershy asked.

Zone smiled tiredly at her. “Ah… Just a normal night in the wasteland. I feel as though you were born just yesterday. There is no offense, of course.”

“Oh, I don’t take any offense,” Fluttershy assured. “I was very worried. You looked like you were having the worst nightmare.”

Zone took a deep breath, then spoke. “It is nothing. I just--”

She was interrupted when a scorpony got in between them. "Move now," it ordered.

And so they went, with Fluttershy still questioning the severity of her situation.

Zone led the group with a scorpony giving her directions. While the scorpony had offered to lead, Zone had none of it. She didn’t want anything to get the better of her again, and she certainly wasn’t going to take anything from the scorponies.

Fluttershy followed quietly, feeling the tension in between the entire party. Her eyes would occasionally wander, spotting both odd and scary features of the wasteland. Never before in her entire life had she ever seen a full pony skeleton. It was a grim reminder to her that one day, after she had lived her life, she would end up looking like that.

Zone turned her head to check on Fluttershy and, noticing the pegasus’ eyes cast downwards, became concerned. “Miss Shy?”

Fluttershy snapped out of her depressing thoughts and glanced up. “Oh! I’m sorry. Are we there?”

Zone blinked, staying quiet for a few seconds before saying, “Almost. I believe you will need to stay back for this fight. I will not have you endangering yourself.”

“Can’t we just talk to them?” Fluttershy smiled hopefully, even though it was a desperate hope. She couldn’t help but feel like something bad was going to happen. She had even begun to wonder if this entire land was filled with the same mindset as the scorponies. “I’m sure if we asked them to leave, they’ll gladly comply.”

One of the male scorponies chimed in. "Say that when you meet them." He snorted afterwards. Fluttershy almost flinched. She didn’t like the tone of these characters.

Zone gave Fluttershy a soft smile. “Hm… Although I would love to ask them to leave, the scorpony is right. Hellhounds are vicious. Two-hundred years ago, they used to be diamond dogs. Even then, they were still very unreasonable. Nowadays they would simply eat you.

“That doesn’t seem very nice,” said Fluttershy.

“Nice is no longer a thing in this world. I’ve learned that the hard way. You could say kindness is dead,” clarified Zone. With Zone saying this so casually, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t even her world. It was like she had been transported onto an alien planet.

The scorponies slammed their tails on the ground, catching the others’ attention. Immediately, they started to spread out. "They’re here," The male said before he quickly joined in the `hunt’.

Zone and Fluttershy looked on ahead. A distance away, they could see a large junkpile of scrap metal and a few stray weapons laying on the ground beside it. In front of the pile was a roaring campfire, with massive hulking canines crouched around it. Their muscles were easily visible, even through what rags they wore as clothing. Bipedal and standing proudly on their hind legs, they definitely reminded Fluttershy of the diamond dogs she had encountered in the past.

Many hellhounds had scars on their bodies, with the smaller ones holding the most of the gruesome visage. The bigger ones had fewer scars, obviously from no creature ever wanting to mess with such large beasts.

To Zone, it seemed they had not noticed their new guests yet. She looked to Fluttershy and thought to herself about what the pegasus had said about politely asking, but upon looking back at the beasts, she shook her head clear of the distracting thoughts and began thinking of what fighting style would be best to take them down.

A hiss from one scorpony began the assault, the males charging from their hiding spots and the females launching their magic from the nearby hills, catching the hellhounds completely off guard. One of the smaller hellhounds went down easily, but the bigger ones simply brushed it off with either a limp or nothing at all. The bigger ones began charging while the smaller ones dove under the ground, digging at extreme speeds that would make a regular canine jealous.

Zone slammed her tail on the ground in front of Fluttershy. “Stay,” Zone instructed. She then rushed into battle, jumping into the air with grace and suddenly spinning as she fell, her heavy dragon tail crashing into a hellhound and creating a sickening crunch. Fluttershy was absolutely horrified, her eyes widening.

“What?! What are you doing?! I thought you’d just stop them, not… this!” Fluttershy ran forward before receiving a glare from her zebra friend.

“Stay!” Zone repeated.

The male scorponies clashed with the hellhounds,dodging long enough for the females to sting them and move onto the next one. Soon 5 fell to this tactic, but the ones underground sprang up, ambushing them and breaking the scorponies formation. The fighting quickly became scattered and with enough chaos to make Discord proud.

Fluttershy’s eyes welled up with hot tears, the poor pegasus not expecting this at all. “N-No… Stop!” Fluttershy cried out, but no creature listened. Zone was slamming her tail into various hellhounds while also implementing her own style of zebra martial arts, delivering blows that just couldn’t damage the hellhounds enough, and in order to make these blows, she had to take small scratches to her body herself. She could just barely keep up.

A hellhound sprang from the ground, slicing his claws through a scorpony. Another scorpony fell as a hellhound stabbed his large claws through him, leaving him a bloodied mess.

Zone would continue her strikes while something within Fluttershy stirred. This wasn’t right. This world was too violent. She couldn’t help but think back to all the times she had been in a fight alongside her friends. It was never this bad. Why was it worse here? As her tears fell, the ground soaked up the moisture. She had to do something, but what…?

Zone looked back at Fluttershy, having heard her crying. The zebra was a little concerned at her new friend’s state of mind. Perhaps after the battle, Zone would do something to remedy that. But, being distracted, Zone was suddenly struck down, a hellhound’s claws slicing into her side and leaving it bleeding heavily.

She fell onto her knees, eyes wide and body shaking. And as the hellhound, the biggest out of all of them, possibly the leader, rose its claws to deliver a final strike, Fluttershy stepped in. She couldn’t take this anymore. She stared into the hellhound’s eyes as he swung his arm down, and just before he could make contact, he stopped, his eyes having made contact with Fluttershy’s.

This feeling was unfamiliar to the hellhound, but Fluttershy was fully aware of what it was. It was The Stare. She had only needed to use it on special occasions. It was a move that had allowed her to settle most situations, almost freezing animals in their tracks and making them feel bad for their actions.

Fluttershy unleashed her anger. “What is WRONG with you?! What’s wrong with ALL of you?! How could you do this to another living creature?! Don’t you have feelings?! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, mister!”

The hellhound stared back into her eyes, and he began to whimper, taking a few steps back, with Fluttershy only getting closer. As she stepped, Zone could see something peculiar through her teary eyes. Was that… grass… growing where Fluttershy stepped? And it was green…? A few more blinks, and the grass beneath Fluttershy’s hooves was gone. Perhaps an illusion.

Fluttershy continued her onslaught of words. “You’re going to apologize to these scorponies and you’re going to take your friends elsewhere! Do I make myself clear?!”

The canine looked at his fellow hounds, and they all looked back, expecting some sort of command. He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to nod to them, and then turned around, walking away. The other hellhounds followed him, with a few taking second glances at both the scorponies and Zone. A few others would glance at Fluttershy as they walked by.

Unfortunately some of both sides didn't see Fluttershy's Stare and kept fighting, but they soon stopped when she turned her attention to them, stopping them in their tracks as if their lives would be in danger if they didn't stop fighting.

"What you do to us?" The scorpony that led them there asked.

Fluttershy sent another Stare their way, increasing the intensity. “You should stop fighting, too! No good comes from hurting each other! It only makes things worse!”

"Cloud mover?" The scorpony questioned as she shoved her way past a hellhound. "What other way is there?"

Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “There’s so many things you could be doing, like working together and thriving as a community! There’s a lot you can do when you’re working together, but if you’re just fighting all the time, it’d just lead to more harm!”

Fluttershy motioned to some of the dying individuals laying on the ground. “Is this really what you want? Is this how you want life to be, or would you rather be eating healthy and staying safe in a nice, warm shelter?”

"You not wrong, but need to defend selves," the scorpony then gestured to Zone. "What about her?"

Fluttershy quickly hurried to the injured zebra, holding her head up. “We need to get some gauze. She’s b-b-bleeding…” Fluttershy could barely utter that one word. Bleeding. It was foreign to her, and it made her feel uneasy. “Let’s get her back home.” She then turned to everyone else. “All of you, go home! Don’t come back unless you’ve learned to say sorry!”

The hellhounds, still disturbed by the Stare from earlier, didn’t hesitate. They quickly left as soon as possible, only a few looking back as they ran off. Fluttershy attempted to lift Zone, but she found it very difficult. It appeared that much of the weight was in the hybrid’s tail. “I need help!” Fluttershy cried out. A couple males ran to help her as soon as she asked. The females quickly prepared a place for the injured now that victory was theirs… kinda.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

"Trixie does not need this right now!"

Hooves pounded the ground as both Starlight and Trixie ran for cover. They had had a rough landing after being thrown through that portal, followed by an even rougher welcome.

"I didn't think they'd be so quick to attack!" Starlight shouted, a bullet wound in her side. She kept going, despite the searing pain. From her judgement, they were running through the ruins of what appeared to be Manehattan. While running for her life, she saw a sewer plate, and grabbed Trixie's leg. "This way! Under there!"

Trixie objected, looking shocked. "What?! I'm not going down there! Such filth should not touch the great and powerfu--"

Starlight wasted no time. Lifting up the sewer entrance, she pulled herself and Trixie down the small hole. Concrete walls surrounded them now, the cold emanating off of their stony surfaces. The rusted ladder bars were slick with cold water, but Starlight and Trixie held on tightly. Pulling the cover over, she prayed to Celestia that they wouldn’t look down here.

Trixie was appalled. "I can't believe you did that!” She covered her nose with a hoof while the other held onto a ladder bar. “It smells like--"

"Shh!" Starlight hushed her friend with a hoof. She pressed her ear to the bottom of the plate, the dulled sound of running hooves greeting her ears, then stopping.

"That blue one looked fun,” said one of the ponies outside. “Would’ve loved to have gotten my hooves on--”

“Shut it. I know they’re hiding around here somewhere. They couldn’t have gotten far,” said another one. “Spread out. Search every nook and cranny.”

“Yeah, yeah, but if I find one of ‘em first, I get first dibs,” said the previous pony as they seemingly walked away, their hoofsteps getting quieter. Starlight released a quiet sigh of relief and began to open up the cover, only for her to find she was suddenly falling, the noisy screech of metal assaulting her ears as the ladder bar she stood on snapped, the poor mare falling back into Trixie and sending them both plummeting.

Both mares screamed as they descended down the dark hole and landed on their rears, something very wet cushioning their fall with a *SCHLLKK*. After a few moments of staying still, Starlight lit up the area with her horn. They had landed on an old, soggy mattress. From shock, Trixie stood up, eyes wide. “EEEEEWWWWWWW!!! There’s old water in my coat!”

Starlight got up, shaking her rear until she could get all the water out of her coat, leaving just a slight stain. “You should just be glad we’re safe from those weirdos,” she said as she attempted to heal her wound with magic.

Ripping the bullet out, she winced, exhaling a short breath, then used her magic to try and slowly heal the surface of the wound. For many unicorns, healing with magic could be deadly, as they could only work with what they could see. Without any special vision to see through their skin, they could never heal the damage inside. The very least Starlight could do was to speed up the coagulation of her blood, leaving a very messy and bloody patch. No use in getting an infection down here in the sewers.

Taking a closer look at her surroundings, Starlight noticed a deep trench made from concrete to the right of the heightened cement platform she and Trixie were on, extending all the way into the darkness. Dark green sludge rushed through it with the same consistency as water. This must have been running for a long time without anypony to cut off the flow.

“I could handle the weirdos,” said Trixie, her voice barely audible over the artificial stream of waste. “What I can’t handle is this filth! Trixie is above dwelling in sewers!”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Well, I’ll just levitate you back up there,” she said as she grabbed Trixie in her magic.

As she levitated in Starlight’s magic, she began to squirm “Wait! Trixie was kidding! I was kidding!”

Starlight gave her friend a look of disbelief “What?! But you said you could handle the weirdos!”

“I don’t want them near me!” Trixie replied, her lower lip quivering. Starlight, sighing, dropped Trixie back onto the ground and started walking.

“Wait! Where are you going?!” asked Trixie, chasing after Starlight. Starlight ignored her. If Trixie didn’t want to go back up there, then Starlight would just have to find another sewer opening, and if her suspicions were correct, there wouldn’t be one too far from here.

Trixie, following Starlight, couldn’t help but take note of the details in the tunnel. The concrete walls were littered with graffiti, such as “She lied to us!” and “Down with the moon,” making her uncomfortable. Quickly noticing Starlight had gotten further ahead, Trixie sped up her pace.

“I don’t like this, Starlight,” said Trixie, wary of the darkness at both ends of the tunnel. Looking back, she could no longer see where they had entered the tunnel, making it seem like the darkness was waiting to close in and grab them if Starlight’s magical light ever went out. “I feel like there’s something in here with us.”

Hearing raspy breaths echoing from both in front and behind them, Starlight narrowed her eyes. “I think you’re right, but we’ll get out before it can get us. Let’s just hope they don’t have those weird weapons. That thing hit me before I could even react. I’m good with magic, but I’m definitely not as fast as whatever hit me."

Going further, the breathing would get louder, enough to make the puddles in their path vibrate and ripple. This didn’t deter them, however, as they needed to keep going or risk falling prey to whatever sick pony was out there. Trixie caught glimpses of what appeared to be eyes in the darkness, but whenever she’d point her gaze to where she thought she saw them, they’d be gone.

Starlight, experiencing the same thing, could feel her heart beat faster. It almost felt like it would burst from her chest. The lack of sight, stuck in an enclosed space, where a creature could easily dash in and drag her into the darkness; it would grind on anypony’s instincts. She began to walk faster, and Trixie would soon follow suit, both attempting to find some kind of escape.

“It sounds like it’s breathing in my ear!” Trixie cried out, now running side by side with Starlight. “Where is it?!” Starlight ignored her. She was too focused on running to answer. The breathing grew even louder than the sound of rushing water. Eventually, they came to a sudden stop, the light illuminating a dead end up ahead, with nothing but a flat concrete wall. The only way they could go forward was if they decided to jump into the rushing river of sludge and hitch a ride.

Seeing nowhere else to go made Starlight’s heart beat even faster and harder than before. Both mares turned around, their backs to the dead end, both horns now lit up with an intent to defend. But then…

The breathing stopped.

Fearing it was the calm before the storm, Starlight fired off a paralyzing burst of magic into the darkness. In fact, she fired repeated shots, not wanting to take any chances. “Get back! I mean it!”

Trixie would do the same, her blasts weaker, but still able to lightly stun whatever it might hit. Desperation filled both mares to keep firing, and after several minutes of going at it nonstop, they finally ceased.

“Is it gone?” Starlight asked, brightening the intensity of her light, but there was still nothing there. Then she would notice that… Trixie also wasn’t there. Panicking, she did a quick three-sixty turn, her senses shot from fear. “Trixie?!”

With the rush of the nearby running water crashing like waves, she found it hard to listen for any cries for help. She’d brighten her magic even more, but it still showed nopony up ahead. Where could Trixie have gone? Did she seriously just attempt to pull a disappearing trick just now?

Starlight was answered with a drop of liquid on her back. She froze for a bit, then slowly turned her gaze up, moving her head to get a better look at what had her friend. Hanging from the ceiling was a strange monstrosity of hairless flesh and limbs, with eyes of varying species and massive mouths all over. The limbs were long, much like a spider’s, each from a different kind of creature, and wriggled every so often without provocation. The limbs were all sprouting from one massive lump of flesh, somehow fused to the ceiling.

In one of these mouths, Trixie’s hind legs kicked and flailed, the mare being swallowed whole. Her screams grew to be more audible as she became more desperate to escape. Starlight, cranking her magic up to eleven, fired a beam at the monster, the creature absorbing the blow and, while it seemed to be fine for the moment, exploded a second later, showering Starlight in blood and sending Trixie down, the blue mare falling on top of her.

Trixie, dry heaving in disgust, slid off of Starlight. Starlight then looked Trixie over, checking for any wounds. Miraculously, there were none, giving Starlight that sense of relief she needed. Both mares looked at the mess on the ground, the red liquid pooling at their hooves as the bloody shower ended.

“What was that?!” Starlight asked, her eyes wide with shock. Trixie made another dry heave before answering.

“I--hrrrk! I don’t--hrrrk! I don’t know!” Trixie replied, shaking from the disgusting event that had just occured. “I’m going to puke!”

Starlight shook her head and grabbed Trixie’s foreleg. “We don’t have time. We need to get out of here before more show up. Who knows how many are down here?!”

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

“Mutation is a bitch, I won’t lie. What? We’re recording? Fuck. Ahem! Hello, children of Fog City! This is Professor Study Guide, your ‘Guide’ to the wasteland. Fuck, that was terrible. Who wrote this script? ...You’re kidding? The head of--... Nevermind. Look, just get my whiskey. I’m gonna need it after this.”

Take Two

“Hello, children of Fog City! I’m Professor Study Guide, and I’m your ‘Guide’ to the wasteland! The Enclave works really hard to protect us all from those savage wasteland creatures outside our temporary city walls, but sometimes it’s not enough! There may come a time when one or two of you will leave the safety of your homes on some dare, braving past our own defensive systems and somehow surviving.

“If you ever do make it outside of the city, you may be forced to use all your wits in order to stay alive. Out in the wasteland, death is fair game to the savage locals. That’s why I, Professor Study Guide, will teach you what we know about one of the lesser known creatures: amalgamates.

“Amalgamates are, well, an amalgamation, a conglomeration, a fusion. Balefire, as we know it, has unpredictable effects, and one of these effects will sometimes affect some poor creature and her unborn offspring. That’s right, her offspring. Multiples, twins or triplets, maybe even quadruplets. Sometimes, when there is enough radiation, the offspring can fuse together, creating abominations that come out as amalgamates.

“Most of the time, they are killed outright to end their suffering. These creatures will grow over time if the mother foolishly keeps them alive. Unfortunately, a mare’s instinct to keep their foal alive can become too much at times, and these creatures often end up killing their own parents.

“To avoid detection, these creatures have learned a unique ability to cling to ceilings, quickly snatching their prey from above by, relying on the surrounding sounds to mask the noise of both its mechanisms and its prey.

“Most of the time, ponies don’t notice the creature until it’s too late. In fact, should you be caught, you’d be devoured. Depending on the state of its misshapen teeth, your death could either be mercifully quick or agonizingly slow.

“Oh! Would you look at that? My time here is up! Be safe, stay within the city, and remember: The Enclave is here to protect you! ...Am I done? Are they done recording? Good. Get me my fucking whiskey. I don’t get paid enough for this indignity.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Zone awoke to the strangest sound. It was like a soft whistle was being blown, barely audible. As she got up, she noticed there was a weight on her tail. She looked to see Fluttershy, softly snoring, her snores being the very same audible whistle.

“Hm…? Miss Shy?” Zone started, but then stopped as she saw a female scorpony.

This particular scorpony had vertical black stripes going down her back, stopping at her tail. "No wake her. Cloud Mover talk with alpha dog. Now sleeping," she said as she scratched her ear with a back hoof.

Zone raised a brow. “And she succeeded in making them leave? That does not sound very realistic. Perhaps you were all hallucinating?”

She shrugs. "Those wounds seem real to me." To prove her point, she put pressure on Zone’s wound, making the zebra flinch.

Zone looked at the scorpony in the eyes. “I suppose that is a fair point. I would not be here if Miss Shy had not done something. I doubt a scorpony could do much. No offense…”

"We better than you think," said the scorpony, the annoyance clear in her voice. "Alpha want you when able."

Zone groaned a bit as she rose to her hooves. The pain was dull, but still, it remained. She didn’t doubt that it would linger for several days, maybe a couple of weeks. As she walked forward, limping, she glanced at the scorpony. “Why do you have such stripes down your back?”

"All those that battled got stripes of honor from alpha." She explained.

This intrigued Zone a bit. She had been known for fighting her fair share. “Battled? And your name would be?”

"It's Taipan, you ready to go?" She introduced and asked.

Zone, wanting to know more, pressed into the subject rather than walking. “What battles have you fought?”

"Hellhounds," was all Taipan said.

“You mean the most recent battle,” Zone attempted to figure out.

Taipan nodded. "Can you move?"

Zone lifted her front and back hooves one at a time, making sure her pain wasn’t too much to bear. Somehow, the scoponies, although their knowledge seemed to be limited, they did an incredible job at patching her up. She nodded towards Taipan, and they began walking.

As they inevitably arrived at the alpha’s abode, she seemed happy, to say the least, her tail no longer looking like it was about to strike at a moment's notice, if there was any indication. "Striped one. You are awake. Good."

“I am. I see your mood has lightened,” Zone observed. “Now that we have solved your problem, we are free to go?”

"Indeed you may, on the condition that, if you ever return, it is to be with food and water." She mused "In return, you will be granted safe passage."

“That seems reasonable,” Zone replied. She thudded her tail idly on the dry, cracked ground.

"Then you may use the rest of the day to recover from your injuries, but you are to leave by first light," the alpha then waved her hoof, dismissing Zone. Zone then walked away, heading back to where Fluttershy was sleeping with the assurance that Taipan was watching her.

"She worried about you." Taipan informed Zone as they arrived at the rather large burrow off to the side of the settlement.

“She barely knows me,” Zone responds. “I merely kept an eye on her, because I know she is definitely not from these parts.

Taipan turned her gaze to Zone for a quick moment. "Something about kindness or something." Taipan then went into the burrow, "Stay close. You get lost."

Zone shook her head in denial. “I am not kind. I am merely a temporary ally. Once she is somewhere safe, I will be on my way.”

"Never said anything about you being kind," Taipan replied as she tapped her tail on the wall to check their location. Although Zone couldn’t understand how tapping a wall could help find somepony, the scorpony seemed to be able to determine where to go using this technique. “She over here.”

“How are you able to do that?” Zone asked, very skeptical of these methods.

“Walls hollow sometimes. That mean we near room inside," Taipan explained as she demonstrated on the wall. She tapped hard in one area, where it made an audible thud. She then tapped in another area, making the same thud, but with a slight distortion.

“Ah. I can see your reasoning now.” Zone was a bit fascinated. Where she once thought these creatures as simple brutes, she now saw a more complex intelligence.

Taipan went in first to see if any young ones were in there. Only upon seeing the sleeping yellow pegasus did she motion for Zone to come in. As Zone walked in, she noticed that Fluttershy’s face showed expressions of distress. A bad dream of sorts, perhaps.

“Fluttershy?” Zone placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s side and gently shook her, stirring her from her sleep.

“Zecora?” Fluttershy said, still half asleep. Upon realizing where she was, however, she quickly corrected herself. “Oh, Zone! You’re okay!”

“I believe I have you to thank,” the zebra hybrid replied, smiling.

"So, where're we going?" Taipan asked, interrupting the two.

Zone looked to Taipan, then placed a hoof on her own chin, closing her eyes, deep in thought. “You act as though we are to take you with us. I have other plans, I must admit.”

"Oh. Pack getting too big. Some need go, start their own," Taipan explained. "I choose to go. Want pack of own.”

Fluttershy smiled, her eyes holding a sense of excitement. “Oh! Is this how you spread out? I’ve always wondered how a group could keep their population regulated,” she said with giddiness. Zone gave her a look of confusion. Fluttershy returned the gaze with a nervous smile. “I have a strange curiosity when it comes to a new species. The scorponies seem to work in packs, a lot like some animals do, and so it just makes me so eager to learn more about them.”

"We talk later. For now, we rest. Long journey ahead," Taipan informed Fluttershy.

Zone growled a bit. “I am not quite sure I wish to take orders from you. We have not even decided to bring you along.”

Fluttershy, meekly looking at Zone, replied, “I certainly wouldn’t mind. It’s just a tagalong, right? It couldn’t possibly hurt anypony.”

Zone, although respecting much of Fluttershy’s words, gave her a stern look. “Let us not forget that these ‘creatures’ pushed us into battle, where we were nearly killed. They threatened us, and now one wishes to tag along? I have no ill will toward them, but for a species that tries to be respectful, they certainly do overstep boundaries.”

Taipan shrugs. "What grudge do tomorrow or week from now? Much better to worry about important things, like food, water, protection."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “She’s right, Zone. You shouldn’t have to hold such a grudge. I’m sure they did what they had to in order to protect their own. It’s only nature.”

Zone smirks a little, chuckling to herself at naivety. “Is it not nature to also kill? Is it not nature to hoard? Nature is good in some aspects, but in many others, nature is cruel. You give this creature too much credit.”

Fluttershy stayed silent, not wanting to argue any longer. Instead, she looked to Taipan, hoping for the scorpony to say some kind of wise phrase or verbal parting.

Frowning a little, Taipan replied, "You don't give enough credit, striped one. We healed you, gave you food, water and made sure our young didn't kill you. You think you better, but you not in scoponies’ situations. You not forced to make choice."

Zone’s stripes seemed to change in color slightly, to a dark green, dimly lighting up the burrow as she attempted to calm herself. “I know what it’s like to have no choice, but I do not attempt to make it the same way for others.”

Taipan looks Zone dead in the eyes. “We just want to live. We want to be left alone. I not try to hurt you. We rushed by dangerous foes. We know it wrong, but we desperate. Not mean to hurt. We mean to live and protect offspring. I sorry. Please, understand us.”

Zone’s stripes went back to their usual light gray coloring, the zebra hit with a small amount of guilt. Surprisingly, she could sympathize with one sentence more than anything.”

We just want to live.

She went quiet, and sat down next to Fluttershy, not wanting to speak anymore. Fluttershy, a little concerned, gently patted Zone on the back.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” said Fluttershy. “Taipan will only be with us until they find a new home. Am I right?”

"Not have interest in staying longer than yesterday." Taipan confirmed.

“Alright. Fine. We’ll make a quick trip to Tenpony Tower, drop Fluttershy off, and then I’ll help Taipan find a new home. Hopefully with no problems,” stated Zone, looking to Fluttershy, who smiled in response.

Taipan gave no indication of either approval nor disapproval.

“Then it is settled,” Zone confirmed. “We shall make our way to the tower today.”

“What is this tower?” Fluttershy asked.

Zone put a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “It used to be exclusive, just for the wealthy, but ever since recent events, it’s been repurposed by a temporary union of two factions as a shelter for ponies in need, but who knows how long that peace will last in this day and age? For now, we will simply take advantage of their current situation. There is no doubt that the previous residents will want their old lives back.”

"C'mon, everypony! Smile smile smile!
Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine!"

Author's Note

Worked on this for quite a while, and now that it's out, it's time to start on chapter 4. This chapter was made possible by Viper Pit! With his permission and help in writing this, we were able to bring a few ideas over, such as the scorponies. Permission for scorpony art given by Viper Pit. Drawn by Little Tigress!