Author's Note

Happy new year everyone ♡

Stay snuggly

Something to listen to while the chapter is running:

Last time edited:
12.01.24

34. The Ishimura, save Sunset Shimmer 10/?

1. Marksaline the Necromorph Queen

The Ishimura, save Sunset Shimmer 10/?

Cadance recommend that they all return to the area where Nightmare Moon had died, since they didn't had thoroughly searched it, because they were in a hurry to get their team together again.
While the enemy entity had given them quite a metaphorical and at time very literal a run for their money and life, did they had no contact with Necromorph in the area.
It was also a very open area giving them the opportunity to split up and search the wide place, while giving one another still fire support.

Currently they had quite the abundance in ammunition, while their 'Statis Recharge Pack' supplies was to run out. So they could probably simply shot off a limb like a leg and run around to keep them occupied, since the limit of the entity was 8 Necromorph, the Fleshlings not counted.
Though they should try to count them eventually if given the chance.

On the other hoove these annoying creatures seem inconsistent in their swarm sizes, so perhaps it was a mute point.
Fluffelpuff to everyone surprise had actually counted them on occasion, when she got nothing to do but wait for the next chance to get a new 'Flesh Cookie' collecting opportunity.

Cadance still was getting used to it that Fluffelpuff could talk in the dream realm and had the voice of her Aunty Nightmare Moon, though she wondered if Marksaline and her most fluffy sister would actually have their dream voices as actual voices in the waking world, once they grew a little bit older. So far Marksaline spoke mostly selective words and didn't give mutch opportunity to hear her young voice.

The longest sentences that Marksaline had managed so far in the waking world in Cadance presents was:
"I am hungry!", "Dinner ready yet?, "Where is m♡mmy?" and "Lets bake Cookies~♡".

Fluffelpuff in contrast had never spoken a singel word to this day... yet.
Though she was constantly 'pffft' and making gestures similar to hoove sign languages so it might not count.
She wondered if she should try understand their substitute communication or wait for them to grow older and start speaking to one another just as everycreature else usually would.

When Fluffelpuff informed the herd about the Fleshling Swarm to be at least 5 seperate beings at the least and 10 at the most. In the case where they come in a huge swarm near the Kellion, when the entity was laughing in glee at them, before Sunset had annihilated them with her Flamethrower, did Fluffelpuff counted 80 individual swarming Fleshlings.

So 5-10 Fleshlings made up a counted enemy unit, rather good to know that their enemy had a solid capacity limit on its currently most annoying enemy to send out for the herds detriment.

Luna elucidate to her sister how she plan their team to work when having split up into two groups, while they indeed would have more problems keeping everyone safe that way, the entity had to either ignore one group or have the Necromorph forces split up.

Nightmare accepted her sisters logic, but disagreed in the configuration of the groups she proposed.
Luna wanted the fillys and herself in one group, probably gaining the entity main attention if not all of it, while Cadance would search and loot anything with Nightmare turning their enemies into minced meat enough to cripple, but not terminate them as a threat and there for stopping the entity to spawning new Necromorph to replace the defeated one.

Instead did Nightmare decided she would take Marksaline and Sunset on her back, while she basically run from one end to the other of the room hopefully triggering all enemies to follow her and giving everyone else time to loot all there would be for them to get.

Luna didn't like the idea, because Nightmare could not concentrate on precision shots while galloping through the area with two fillies on her back, on the other hoove did Sunset and Nightmare are the most efficient long range option and would make either a very tempting target to swarm or if ignored, give the best long range support for her group.
Begrudgingly Luna would do it like Nightmare Moon planned, but she wasn't sure why Marksaline would be with them as well.

They had to shortly split up, since the elevator wasn't comfortable to use as a herd, further would they be in a huge disadvantage if the elevator was to packed with occupants to defend from a Necromorph attack from the moment they arrived.
Luckily it seem the entity was occupied or had the decency to wait for them to arrive at the area.
Either way they looked around the area from the elevator exit point, split up as previously decided and high tailed to their respective task separately.

The entity was either unsure how to react so suddenly seeing them split up or was waiting for them to spring a prepared trap, no matter the reason, both group moved in jogging speed toward the opposing side of the huge spaced area.

Cadance with Fluffelpuff on her back and Luna keep the already broken open ventilation shafts in view as good they managed. The vents had been undamaged when the Diamond Dog survivers had been holding there ground here.
Now all the vents had been forced open already.
So the entity had either guessed their return now or this area would yet be of importance after all.

So far, nothing had triggered a attack of the Necromorph and the other group moved unimpeded as well.
Either luck was on their side for once or something big was about to be sprung upon them.

Nightmare Moon was confused about their smooth slow gallop so far, no attack was coming her or Lunas groups way... yet.
The area had been definitely been a good decision to loot with multible boxes being visible in the area. So far she had found 3 small medi gel packs and some credits got tugged towards her thanks to Marksaline telekinesis module with her attentive eyes spotting hidden loot from areas she would have not been able to reach with her hooves.
Meanwhile Sunset was keeping strictly her eyes open for any threat trying to ambush them.

Something Nightmare Moon had not considered was to look up, something Sunset motioned at with a previous word combination to warn Nightmare Moon without making someone listening to them aware of a spotted enemy.
Nightmare flinched slightly, but otherwise didn't show any indication that she had spotted the Necromorph hiding above them now.
Sunset had a good set of eyes to spot the nearby enemies laying motionless above them, avoiding detection by playing dead.

Though Nightmare guessed that 'playing dead' was a order given to keep them from giving themself away with moving around and making their usual sounds.

It was hard to tell if they would jump from above at some point or planned a ambush toward who ever would use the in area lift to reached the higher level.

Nightmare Moon deliberate in her mind to warn the others of the spotted Necromorph above them, though it might tipp of the entity, that the ambush was spotted and had lost its most effective element, surprise.

Who is to tell them how good their hearing is or they notice being already spotted by being aimed towards with their laser sight aim support... for the time being Cadance and Luna would have to stay in the dark about the enemy in the waiting, enjoying the calm just before the hailstorm.
After all, she know that Luna and Cadance would meet up with them before ever stepping a singel hoove in the lift to the higher elevated area.

Meanwhile a unsuspecting Luna keep their surroundings and Nightmares group in sight, so far smooth looting commenced on both sides, with Cadance flinching when ever her stomping on boxes seem to echo through out the area in a echoing that they could have sworn to be impossible to not hear in a wide enough area to lure Necromorph by random chance alone. Cadance was thanking her lucky stars that they got so far with no trouble in sight. She had found quite collection of small medical gel containers, something that would come in hoove once the Necromorph spring their next successful attack on the herd.

No Necromorph in earshot and nothing standed out to her yet, when she tried to spot a obvious trap or a potencial enviromental threat.
Maybe the entity wasn't expecting them to return to this area for looting?

Though that wishful thinking was interrupted, when they reached the door that had hold the spare part for the transportation system.
The door was now locked!
Very intriguing, yet if anything was calling out for a trap, ambush or distraction to play for more wasted time than it would be this.

Where would the door key be now? When she tried to open it via the door lock puzzle, did a projected message appered and ask for a key to unlock the door.
They had looted the room for the main objective and some credits, what would the room still hold of value? Perhaps Sunset or Marksaline 'Telekinesis Modul' would reveal something that was overlooked in their haste after the explosion that had killed Mercers colleges and Nightmare Moon?

Luna agreed upon asking that this was to intriguing to ignore, even if it was a trap, it would at least be worth to see what the entity was up to.
They had not mutch to judge her/his/its behavior and that would be a good chance to see what it could come up with.

Once the current accessible area was looted on this level did the herd meet up, the fillies resumed their combat formation of fluffy death.
Nightmare Moon told them not to look up and how a Necromorph ambush waited above them.
Quickly did they decided to trigger the ambush from below by shooting the Necromorph from their nearest position allowing for line of sight confirmed with their tools aiming laser sight, targeting at legs exclusively.

To their surprise did not a singel Slasher moved when their legs got shot off, that didn't make any sense since Necromorph could not die, just be immobilized. This made them very nervous because suddenly they grow uncertain what the Tarterus was going on, further did this behavior damage their confidence on having figured out the behavior pattern of the enemy.

Even Marksaline commented that it was very unusual that they ignored being attacked, something that should have woken their hunting instinct and send them into a frenzy of anticipation for a fresh meal. Just like a catbirb would enjoying its prey to fight back or flee before it is hunted down and consumed.

Very interesting to learn about was that Marksaline explained that what they see in a Necromorph Slasher walking around was mostly a meaty puppet, the Necromorph worked with parasitic bare bone constructs.
They converted most bone structures in the body to a very dense and flexible thin body within the host, the surrounding flesh and blood being after the transformation mainly used to feed the Necromorph parasite. The surrounding organic matter also was a distraction from its main structural form hidden in the center of the victims.

If one would to strip off all flesh layers surrounding the Necromorph Slasher, one would see a bone exterior that protected highly condensed worms that acted like the muscles of the body that control its movements, perhaps a better example would be the strings of a puppet for controlling its movements from walking, to stabbing or simply staying still, until it was time to strike out at the nearest victim.

Nightmare and Luna were very intrigued by the in depth explanation of the Necromorph Slasher composition.
Though most Necromorph followed this concept, it was just one of many.
The Swarm Fleshlings are meat mostly and have no bone core, it was kind of like a rolling around stomach filled with acidic fluids that helped to make a solid mass easier to consume. The liquidity as a result to the biomass being broken down for consumption or recycling for other purposes.

Cadance was surprised how mutch the filly know about them, some dread spread through her body about the next question she would ask Marksaline.

The royal sister were rather morbidly intrigued when Cadance ask if she was the same like these Necromorphs they encountered.

Marksaline give Cadance a blank stare, after a few seconds ask to not move and proceeded to step of Fluffelpuff and Sunset to walk around Cadance body.

The alicorn sisters had the impression a artist was inspecting a art piece of its design and flaws when Marksaline eyes started to glow in the darkness of the room and fixated at Cadance repeatedly circled her.
After a few minutes she returned wordless to her roosting position on Fluffelpuff rear with Sunset Shimmer under her.

With baited breath did Marksaline seem to composed her thoughts that let the often rather expression bland filly look like she was going through a storm of emotions.

Finally she informed them that Cadance was very different from the Necromorph they encountered here.
She had self awareness and higher reasoning, her body was not converted but assimilated. Mixing Necromorph potencial with that of her original structure.
There was no parasite in her to control the body like the enemy they had to fight currently, with the body being simply enhanced rather than used as raw material for construction and a food source.

If these Necromorph Slashers attacking them where tools or meaty puppets to use like weapons to hunt down prey for more biomass for the greater goal, Cadance would be a puppet master that pulled the strings, rather than being a puppet with its strings being pulled.
Marksaline herself was a puppet master maker or if she ever needed it a meat puppet maker.

But she regarded these Necromorphs send against them as wasted opportunities for creating something more valuable.
A difference between buttered slice of bread and a 5 course meal with appetizer and desserts.
One was very crude without the need of skill or any time spend for finesse, the other was genuine a masterpiece that take time, effort, skill and dedication to create.

A Slasher was like a hammer or a butter knife, Cadance was a beautifully masterpiece of bioengineering, endless potencial and versatile uses.

Comparing herself with them was a insult, they where like a cooked seed ready for a nearly worthless nutritional consumption, she was one of her m♡mmys, perfection given form.
Meaning given in a worthless universe filled with nothing of importance.
She was greater than life, she was beyond life, she was ever lasting, she was the definition of worth, worthy of attention and love.
She was her pink m♡mmy.

Fluffelpuff had tears in her eyes, her sissy was so smart and pretty in her words.
For once everyone could hear how smart her best big sissy forever was.

Everyone was stumped at Marksaline depth, for some adults never reached anything so refined in their life. Though it was somehow tangible that while it was her opinion, the words are like readed from a playbook, not her own words.
Marksaline had managed to sound very impressively, but had mostly read of a page from a book, having remembered the words and partially its meanings, but lacked some of its understanding.

Cadance moved over to Marksaline and nuzzeld her with love and gratitude, at that Marksaline smiled honestly for the time it lasted.

Though the moment was ruined when she stated that the Necromorph above them acted nothing like regular Necromorphs and are there for unpredictable, so it was dangerous being anywhere near them.

Getting eaten by them would be a waste, so they better don't let them get eaten alive by them. It would be beneath them to be used as simple biomass.

Luna and Nightmare had lost their fear about Cadance nature, even if she had lost her life and was not a pure Alicorn anymore, she was still a respectable individual, maybe slightly more dangerous than the regular Alicorn, but she was no longer in their eyes a potencial danger waiting to become a ravenous undead, only being fixated on the next victim to consume.

Giving both Alicorns hope of their sister to be who she,was before she got killed, hopefully more mature than when he decided to banishing her sister for taking away for cake dessert and attention and respect of their subjects.

After having this moment of education about their enemies composition and a heartfelt affirmation of Cadance nature, did it was high time to continue on their journey.

Sunset and the fillies would stay down, even if the enemies somehow managed to fall below, they still would be crippled in movement speed and allowed the fillies to outrun them with ease.

Luna and Cadance placed themself in the conors of the left far wall opposite to the lift entry and exit, Nightmare would go alone. While the queen of the night would loot the area, would Cadance and Luna give fire support from the lift insides.

The nerve of the adults were strained, yet they denied their uncertainty to get in the way. So when they reached their destination and Nightmare advanced, did everyone expect the Necromorph to spring into action.

Step by hoove step did Nightmare advances after scanning the area around her, but besides the obesity plaged Slashers did nothing was spotted to be a threat. Nightmare amputated one of the Slashers arms to trigger a attack, but still nothing happend.

Nightmare Moon instinct screaming that she already had been moving into a deathtrap, enough so that she returned to the lift and ask Cadance to take her place.

Cadance of course sputtered a protest before Luna argued that she still had a life to respawn.
Even with the Kellion sabotaged and unreachable by normal means granted by the dream realm rules of this construct.
Discord could give them a alternative for certain.

Cadance whimpering accepted, but when the lights of the area shut down all of the sudden, was th horrible scene perfect.
The pink Necromorph princess of snu-snu wasted easy 8 minutes before she had the courage to pass the 8 obesity plaged Slashers after poking them with her telekinesis holded nail gun, to check if they would suddenly jump into action.

Besides their bellies constantly moving did nothing indicated of them being active. The uncertainties slowly zapping Cadance confidence getting away with just walking past them.

Eventually Cadance past them with tears on her eyes, but eventually resolute to trigger the trap.
When she passed all the belly moving Slashers... did nothing happend.

That only increased the tension of all, because what could be more ideal than a single player being surrounded by a group of a Necromorph.

Luna called out to Sunset if everything was alright down on their level. Sunset confirming that nothing was coming from below, above or from the sides.
Only the creaking and growing oppression of the ambience sounds seemingly eroding their confidence through certainty.

It was so strange... they had been pounded non stop by Necromorph wave after wave, but now?
What was the entity up to? Why wasn't anything attacking them or reacting to their attacks on their bodies?
What in Tarterus was going on?

The entity was wiggling and shaking in glee, after all the aggressive tactics she had decided to play it subtile and use their dream realm settings to her advantage.
The fun she had in giving them a sense of certainty to understand the situations and tactics they would face.

Only to have their expectations be false in the end, since what she made wasn't making sense to them.
Basically because that was the intention.
It was time to become again unpredictable and let the horrific settings of this construct be experienced.
A bloodied flying fortress, filled with the dead, the undead and the uncertainty of what was to come.

Nightmare Moon & Luna are experienced warriors but had both been killed once already, Cadance was still mentally unstable and refused her Necromorph instincts to take hold, the fillies were a unknown factor, but they knew something was happening, just not what.
Uncertainty breed fear, fear was infectious, fear lead to hesitation and finally hesitation lead to mistakes.

Luna and Nightmare had lost a life, that was sufficient success for the time being.
Now it was time to demoralizing them, filling their determination filled minds with whispering of doubt.

The horror of the Ishimura was awaiting them, there are plans to be had for their guests here.
This was going to be f~u~n♡

With the keycard in hoove did Cadance returned to the cargo lift, the sisters give their unnerved niece a hug separately, since they still expected a attack out of nowhere.

They expected to shot down a Slasher or another enemy that was patrolling in the area, but nothing happend. Making everypony wonder what was going on and having a feeling of eerie foreboding that a major threat was somewhere nearby hiding.
The adults rode the lift back down to the level that was below them, upon being reunited with the fillys, did a few hugs were exchange to mend frayed nerves.

While a certain entity was watching in glee, how the herd started to fall into doubts of its coming actions, did it used the now measly crippled and almost useless bodies for a little scare, as the entity let them with assistance of gravity fall down below into the area far below them.
Making the herd anticipate a attack, just to be dissapointed again of what was to come.

As the herd continue to walk along the walkway they had passed already one, did a dull impacting sound halted their progress.
To everypony horror with exception of Marksaline and Fluffelpuff, did someone seem to bash his head from inside the closed room against the window.

With disgusted certainty did they could see that a survivor had horrific slashing and cutting wounds all over their body. It was a Zebra if they are not mistaken, though it was missing a ear and had a broken muzzle. Its neck gold rings give it away as a Zebra, no culture other than them had a 3 to 5 ringstyle gold necklace.

But as blood drenched as it was would noone be able to say if it was a stallion or a mare without checking its hindquarters.
Marksaline started to salivating at the sight unnoticed by the adults who pitying the equine for its obvious pain was driving it crazy enough to try knocking itself out by bashing its skull against the window.

When Cadance used the key to open the door, did a wet cracking and a wet splatter made it obvious that the former survivor had managed to end its struggling once and for all.

Sunset burst into tears, while Fluffelpuff was giving her sad newest playmate a hug and nuzzeld her, until she stopped crying.

Marksaline hunger was ruined when Fluffelpuff got sad because 'not dinner' was crying.
Marksaline was frustrated that the sister stealing 'no dinner', was making her sister sad and she couldn't do anything to make it stop.

Cadance keep guard over the distracted fillies while Nightmare Moon searched for anything useful in the room. Besides 500 Credits that got probably overlooked last time there wasn't anything really worth the trouble they had been through since they re-enter this area.

Discord contacted the mare of the night, the love of his previous version via RIG video call and ask for a update.
Nightmare Moon said simply that they been seeing better days and Sumset would need therapy before this night was over.
Discord said that he could fix Sunset most pressing neural problems, while most non life or physical threats would be fixed by him later.

Now he would need them to move on because they had only estimated 10 hours and 15 minutes left to fix Sunset Shimmer situation, otherwise there simply would not be anything to fix later on worth saving.
With time mercilessly moving on and not many options left but to press on and get everything done, did Cadance placed Fluffelpuff and Sunset on her back, while they moved towards the main elevator to leave the area behind.

In the waking world did Celestia in her thanks to Discord help now form fitting solar armor, started to show off parts of the crystal recording and demanded to know the identity of the Diamond Dog in Necromancer of Light ropes that violated the filly Sunset Shimmer.
Further did she show how through divination magic a undead and mutated creature decapitate the same filly shortly after.

Celestia argued that the mut probably would try cover his dirty deed up in the near future by killing the foal, something the Alicorn of the sun would not stand for.

Unfortunately did noone recognized the Diamond Dog in this crystal recording, though some suggested that if the culprit wasn't under the Canterlot Necromancer of Light members, then it would be very likely that Necropolis slowly recovering population would most likely be where this criminal was to be found.

Celestia thanked the cooperation willing interrogated prisoners and ask them for some patience, once everyone was questioned they would be shortly released after.
Though the filly in question would be to see them through a one sided mirror if anyone was recognized that helped in her mistreatment.
Though they all know Sunset Shimmer face and unfortunately what happend to her in this recording of the past and possible future, would Celestia make sure no other filly must suffer through these unequine fates.

Discord now understand the missinterpretation of the situation, but he would not mind having this mut be dragged before Celestia and be punished for his deed. Only few things raised anger and disgust in him, this dog definitely had earned his displeasure.

Maybe once Celestia had her temper cooling down over the span of a few hours, would he be able to calm her concerns.
If he could get Celestia further to seek him out for a honest hug for some coping, he wouldn't mind it.
In fact he would look forward to maybe help her to relax, a tea and cucumber sandwich with mayonnaise might be what she needs to get her mind away from less welcoming things to think about.
Though he might want to create a time displaced copy of himself to practice hugging and petting a pony, it might come in paw in a few hours after all.
Better to have it and don't be in need of it, then having a need of it, but not having it at his disposal.