The subjects looked just as amazed at the scenery as 268 and I did when we stepped through the portal together.

Even the Humans seemed intrigued about this new, strange, beautiful land.

No weapons or armor were brought through, as per the statement about metal being a risk of catastrophic proportions. Safer than sorry.

Everyone seemed disturbed about the static in the distance, off toward the tower complex. Respectively. Seeing my masters frightened by the invasive noise startled me further.

There was something off about the whole thing... and it scared me even more, not knowing what it was. At the same time, I didn't want to know...

We had been split up into four groups, each with a pegasus, unicorn, zebra, dragon, griffin, changeling, and thestral.

Oh... and uh... five Humans...

Yeah, them...

Hurrayyyy...

It was no surprise to me now, when 268 and I were put in the same group. They wanted us together. Not as partners, of course. More as... tools. Keys. In case there were anymore locks...

Still, that had potential to work in our favor as well.

One group was to head directly to the towers - a city, they called it - while another group circled around and went in from the other side, lest they not find anything unusual along the way. Whatever that meant... This whole place was unusual...

The remaining two groups were to take left or right flank of this... city... thing, then move in from there. Again, assuming they didn't find anything 'unusual.'

268 and I took the right flank, heading towards the falls.

"Go on, then..." One of the Humans started, looking around at the scenery. "Speak your mind. Anything so I don't have to focus on that damned static..."

"I don't even know what to say..." 329, a dark purple, glowing dragon just a tiny bit bulkier than the average pony stated. "I've never seen anything like this before..."

"None of us have..." 153, a unicorn with an ashen coat much like mine filled in. Our hair color was reversed, and her horn, while tall, looked scorched.

The similar look was uncanny. That gave me an idea that she very well could have come from the same pony that birthed me at some point. But I couldn't be certain.

Regardless, it didn't matter. It only meant that we were a small world with only a hoof full of the living. A dying race... A dying planet...

All thanks to the Humans...

"Master...?" A dark red, chitin plated changeling with the same shade of red as the rest of us had for eyes spoke in a timid manner. "Could we... explore...?"

"No. We have a job to do." He looked down at the young, nervous changeling in disapproval. "Be thankful I'm not lynching you for that, bug. We need all the bodies we can get, so count your fucking blessings."

The changeling looked down, quiet-like and defeated.

"I don't get it..." Vector spoke, looking around curiously at our surroundings. "We're at the planet's core... How is this anywhere near the realm of possible?"

"It's not..." Another replied.

Hold on... did I have static in my ears? Did I hear that right...? The planet's CORE!?

... I expected it to be a lot hotter and inhospitable than this!

With a brief glance at 268, and then the others, I saw they were just as confused as I. My ears hadn't played tricks on me after all.

"I have a serious foreboding about this place..." 268 muttered, looking around warily. "That horrible noise..."

As if on queue, the noise cut out abruptly.

"Hold it..." Vector snapped, still looking around; this time with greater regard to the vicinity.

One of the Humans chuckled, nudging my partner.

"Hey, 268... At least you don't gotta worry about the noise anymore." The others began to join in laughter at the stale humor.

268 glanced at me through the corner of his vision with a subtle deadpan.

"Can it." Vector snapped again, shooting the others a glare. "This isn't right..."

Even through the strange suits, I could tell a lot of the others were rolling their eyes, moments before one of them spoke for the others.

"Scared of some ancient delusions of a dead civilization..."

"Listen, asshole..." Vector shot him a look. "In case you didn't realize, we didn't wipe this civilization out. Something else did. Everything on that mural came true so far. There's something bigger at stake here. Lest you forget Exhibit A." He then proceeded to wave a hand at 268 and I. All eyes were on us...

The laughter died as he continued.

"And lest you forget, we have no weapons, no armor, and no means of communication with the other groups. Which I personally believe was fucking idiotic for you to all agree with."

The other Humans looked to one another in silence, to which Vector scoffed.

"I swear, I must be the only one with a brain here. The subjects are smarter than the lot of you put together."

Everything went quiet as the Humans regarded what Vector had said. With unpleasant recognition...

"He makes a point..." I filled in, which earned me a lot of disgruntled looks. "We shouldn't have split up. We're without defense, and we have no idea what-"

My body was thrown to the ground with an impact that stole the breath from my lungs. The side of my head grew sore with blunt trauma. I felt hot blood trickle from my hide as the other subjects flinched.

"You speak when you're fucking spoken to, cunt. Know your place. I don't recall asking your opinion."

"Enough..." Vector pushed him back, before looking down at me. He bent down and reached a hand out. "C'mon, 012..."

Slowly, in a daze, I put my hoof over his palm. His fingers wrapped around it, to which he began to lift me back up to a standing posture.

"You okay...?" He asked softly, gazing deep into my eyes.

I nodded quietly.

Some of the masters chuckled and shook their heads.

"You've grown soft on us, Vector." One of them stated, to which he regarded them again.

"She's right, you idiot. We need to find weapons. We're better off with sharp sticks and rocks at the moment."

"Maybe there's some arsenal in the buildings?" One of them pointed out.

"We'll search as we go along. Stay close, stay alert, and stay sharp." Vector gave a salute, and the others followed. "Groups of two. One subject per Human."

The Human who had struck me down grinned as he spoke with intent to harm...

Feris...

"I'll take the cunt that works her mouth too much. Remind her what it's used for..."

"Negative." Vector stepped between us. "012 and 268 will team up together. They're vital to this operation. It's important that we keep them close to each other."

"They were vital, Vector." Feris hissed. "Now they're expendable..."

"No, they aren't. You don't know for sure. They're hands off. That a fucking order."

Feris scoffed and shook his head. "Fine..."

"If you hated this plan..." Another jumped in. "... Then why didn't you speak up when it was being set up?"

"Because each and every one of you is the equivalent of a pimple in my ass cheek! You can't argue with stupid, and by the stars, you're all flat out retarded! Now quit asking questions and get to work! I'm getting a headache just looking at all of you just standing around with your mouths hanging open!"

"Yes... sir..." The crudest of the lot spoke quieter, before they began setting up their teams.

Vector turned to 268 and I and nodded. "Good luck, you two. Try and stick close, yeah?"

"Of course, master." I replied softly.

268 began walking for the city... thing. With a brief trot, I caught up, sticking by his side.

"Seems your master trusts you with me..." 268 whispered. "He's... different. Not like the others..." A smile curled on his lips, but it wasn't very noticeable.

"That he is..." I smiled wanly. I would have probably smiled more sincerely, had my head not been rattled by the clenched, angered fist of Feris. I felt a bit off... "I'm not sure he's even Human. He's so... nice to us..."

"You're lucky." He smiled back, this time a little brighter. Even then, there was a pain behind it. "My master? Feris? The one that struck you? He likes to hurt me... Gets off on it. Nearly choked me to death during, ah... oral... services..."

"Not surprised..." I sighed, taking a step closer to him. "I've had to please him a few times, so I know what he's like..."

268 nodded quietly for a moment, looking ahead as we began to enter the space between the towering structures which seemed to stretch on forever.

I felt small then...

"I like your master." 268 finally spoke again. "Vector, was it?"

"Correct."

He smiled, this time a little more with sincerity.

"Tell me a story. Bet there's some good memoires in there of you two. And if we're gonna be together, we may as well know more about each other, instead of a wall telling us we have to be."

With a brief chuckle, I nodded and began the story of the night prior to this day. The movie, the romance talk... Something I was still unfamiliar with, but liked the sound of...

As I figured, it was all alien to him as well. But regardless, he carried a fascination in the whole thing. Again, I was still new to it, so I had a hard time explaining it, and I was most likely getting it all wrong, but... that didn't matter. He liked it.

Then I proceeded to tell him about the night prior to that as an example of how he treated me.

If I could see the stars down in the planet's core at that moment, they were in 268's eyes...

By the time the stories had stopped, we had searched the bottom and second floor of one of the many towers, but came up empty hoofed.

It appeared to be a housing complex of sorts, but more... personal. Decorations littered each unit, items of personal connection to whoever lived in them back then. Nothing like the units in the towers I spent all my life in.

We continued to climb the tower, hoping to come across a weapon. Even more so, two.

"Hey, 012..." 268 started in a soft tone as we ascended the stairs to the third floor.

"Hm?" I tilted my head, smiling a little brighter now. The glow of our hair enveloped the once dark confines of the stairwell.

"Do you ever...?" He paused, and for a moment, he bit his lip as his eyes wandered into the gaze of the space between the nothing. Growing ever so distant...

He shook his head and cleared his throat, pulling himself back into focus before looking at me.

The red stripes of the pattern of his coat reflected the light of his hair - with a strain of red in a sea of black - appearing themselves to glow in their surrounding abyss. My color mirrored from his eyes as he pondered, lingering on mine. His mouth opening and closing as he fought to speak...

Sadness, joy, grief...

So many trapped emotions in his eyes...

But all while those stars burned stronger.

Just then, we entered the third floor corridor of sealed units, lighting the way with our presence.

"Do you ever... wonder about our kid...?"

My heart felt like it had stopped for a moment. Stopped as my motion did...

I looked down the stretch of corridor that fed into darkness. I soon sheltered my world in that same darkness as a defeated breath escaped my lips. Two words escaped with that breath.

"Every day..."

268's hoof ran along my back; from the middle of my spine to the back of my neck. His body lightly pressed into mine; that rich aroma of a fire hitting me.

"I just... hope they're okay..."

"It's weird..." He whispered in my ear. "I've bred so many in my time. Never once thought about the kids. Never cared. But with you... It's different... It's... like... I dunno..."

"... Like a part of you is missing..." I finished.

We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Silence swallowed us...

He opened his mouth after an unregistered time.

"Y-yeah..." He whispered as his pupils flicked across mine. "Like... a part of me is missing that I'll never get back..."

"The feeling is mutual..." I took a deep breath of the atmosphere into my form and nodded my head to the nearest door. "We should... uh... keep looking for something useful..."

He closed his mouth and turned away. "Right. R-right... You're right..."

We proceeded for the door to our left, and upon opening, we entered. He continued as we searched around.

"I shouldn't even really care. We never got to see it. We don't even know the gender. I've tried shaking the feeling, but it's just... fused to me. I've never felt like this before we had a kid together... And this is the first time in years I'm even able to talk about it..."

"I've never felt that way either..." I stated just before opening a metal footlocker. Inside was a series of apparel. Cloth fabric. Useless.

I went for the dresser as 268 searched a strange desk made up of a material I was unfamiliar with. It didn't look like metal. Or rather, any metal I've ever seen. It had a strange, abstract design to its body, which consisted of an even darker brown. Almost black, in some areas.

The dresser held the same design and material.

It was smooth like metal, but it still felt different...

I opened the top drawer and began rummaging around yet more fabric.

"There's a sense of... longing..." 268 continued. "A deep desire..."

With a wry smirk, I looked over my shoulder. "You too, huh?"

He glanced over his, and once our eyes met, he couldn't turn away. Neither could I...

His smile brightened into a near grin.

"I like you, 012... A lot. It's... deep. I can't describe it."

"Like we'd do anything for each other?" I could feel a deep shade of crimson spot my cheeks. The room was growing hotter...

He chuckled as a blush enveloped him in turn.

"You're something special, 012."

"Awww, thanks! You're retarded too!"

Just as his jaw dropped, I lapped my tongue against my nose repeatedly, going cross-eye'd.

"Hey!" He blurted in offense.

I broke into a giggle fit, looking at him again as he paused.

"You know I'm just fucking with ya. Though..." I put the tip of my forehoof to my temple, lightly dabbing at the blood rush.

Stars, the headache was getting worse...

"That strike might have actually done something to me..."

With concern in his eyes, he tilted his head.

"I know a thing or two about medicine and biology. Let me take a look... we can put these clothes to use, after all."

I pulled my hoof away and leaned my back against the dresser, sitting on my haunches.

He moved across the room with a light step and reached over my head for the shirt of a pony much smaller than I, tearing it into strips.

His scent invaded my nostrils...

Once of the best things I ever smelled in all my 203 years...

Though, that wasn't saying much. Most things in my experience were odorless.

"Okay..." He looked down at me with a caring smile. "Let me see your eyes. Check if your pupils are matched."

I smiled faintly, locking my eyes to his.

"Just don't get lost in them..." A small grin formed.

He lightly tapped my nose, refusing to turn away. "No promises."

With that, he began tying the ripped lengths of fabric to each other. "Well... consider yourself lucky. It doesn't look like you have a concussion. Though I'm sure your head feels like it..."

"Yep..." I drawled, pressing the back of my head against the dresser due to the invisible, phantom weights trying to pull it down every which direction.

"You might need stitches, but I can't do anything about that right now. However..." He paused, regarding the wound. "I can clean it so it doesn't get infected... But it might feel weird. You okay with that?"

I nodded. "Whenever you're ready."

He took a deep breath through his nostrils and leaned in. I closed my eyes as his tongue lapped gently at the opening.

A neat little trick everypony knew. We didn't eat food. Ever. Only nutrient vitamins. We didn't drink, because there was nothing to drink... well, except whatever that amber liquid was the other night. But I only found out about it because Vector let me. Through the minds and eyes of others, the idea of drinking anything was non-existent.

And with the daily showers that cleansed our forms of any dirt and grime, and with the intense body heat we carried, it burnt away any chances of infection.

No food, no drinks, no bacteria.

He pressed his lips over the wound just before licking the blood that stained my fur in the area away.

"There..." He whispered, pulling away ever so slightly.

"Thank you, 268..." I whispered as my hoof ran along his chest.

"Anything for you, 012..." He licked his lips clean, picking up the bound fabric. "Now for the dressing. On your word."

"Word."

A sharp, humored exhale escaped his nostrils as he tilted my head forward a little, closer to his chest.

"You're special, too..." I whispered as he began wrapping the fabric around my head as a means to dress the wound. "We're special..."

"Not retarded though, right?"

With a soft giggle, I replied. "I mean, probably."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Glad to see you coming out of your shell."

"Glad to see you coming out of yours."

Things grew silent as he began to tie the fabric off.

"268..." My smile faltered as my eyes stayed glued to the bright red stripes of his wondrous, black coat.

"Mm..." He mumbled.

"This might be the last time we ever get to be ourselves with each other... But... I want this to last forever..."

His body froze in place... no words...

I looked up at him curiously, speaking again. "26-mmh!"

My back was pressed firmly against the dresser. My eyes shot open wide as a hint of my blood coated the sense of taste.

His forehooves met at my upper back as my wings flared out from the surprise of his lips... his tongue... to mine...

My eyelids fluttered shut as my body sank in his firm, yet caring embrace. I pushed in deeper, tracing my tongue along his. Leaving nothing untraced. His mouth... nothing unventured...

My wings wrapped us together in a cocoon of fire; red, orange, and yellow, our world. Nothing else mattered. Just us...

They met at his back, feeling at his smooth, rich hide.

Upon him pulling back, we both gasped for air, gazing deep into each other's eyes.

"If this is the last time..." He whispered, inches apart from my muzzle. His hot breath brushed my lips as I panted needily. "Then let this day last us a lifetime... Let's make it count..."

"268..."

"012..." He chuckled under his shaky breath.

"Look at us breaking the rules..." I snickered as both our bodies trembled against each other.

"It feels... exhilarating. Terrifying, but... exhilarating." He shot me a cool look. "I blame you for this."

"As you should..." I whispered lustfully, tracing my hooves down his sides to his flank. "I'm your little trouble maker now... I must be punished..."

"Hardly little." He grinned. "Fuck, this is... scary."

"Only makes it more fun." I replied with a giggle and a boop to his nose.

With a soft laughter, he twisted me around so that his back faced the dresser, then laid me down on the floor, locking our lips and intertwining our tongues once more, subtly grinding his hips against mine with need.

I wanted it...

I needed it. I needed him...

Just one time, where we chose not to have sex to fill a breeding quota, or because it was demanded... but because we both wanted it. Because a deep, nameless desire connected us, had us long for each other. Our words, our actions, not being empty and meaningless, but full of affection and care.

How was there not a word for this...?

This was real... and it was happening...

Oh fuck, it was happening... I could feel him...

"A-ahhh!" I cried out in pleasure, arching my back as he slid past my folds and explored his treasure. "26-68! F-fuck!"

"0-012..." He panted, barely breaking the kiss.

I let out another half moan, half giggle as he grinded.

"W-we, haah... we really need... mmh... bet-better names f-for each other... ah, fuck..."

His forehoof wrapped around the back of my neck, thrusting into me deeper as he moved his head around, moaning in my ear.

"M-my... Phoenix..."

"My... nng! My Dancing F-Flame..."

Almost instantly, the pain in my head grew sharper. More violent. I winced as I cried out, and that was signal enough for him to stop.

"012..." He paused. "Phoenix... What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"N-no, just... my... head..." I put a hoof to my temple as the pain continued to grow with each passing second. Like the matter in my skull wanted to explode. My eyes felt like they were beginning to burn...

"Fuck!" I cried out.

"I-is there anything I can... wait..." He froze for a moment before getting off of me.

"Agh... what the fuck is that noise...?"

It was then that I noticed it.

As he recoiled through the squint of my eyes, holding his hooves over his ears, I registered it. I had already been hearing it... but my mind hadn't picked it up... And now it was.

There were screams in the distance.

Deformed, agonized howls. Torment. Perhaps a whole population, just... screaming in the distance...

... It took me a moment to realize they were getting louder. Getting closer... Coming near...

Some sounded strangely metallic. Nothing a living creature could ever make. The frequency was all over the place...

This was worse than Orientation...

This spoke something worse than death.

"153, GET BACK HERE!" One of the Humans yelled over the screaming. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-"

His voice got drowned out by the horrifying screams of whatever approached.

I rolled onto my hooves and rushed to the newly nicknamed Dancing Flame, grabbing his hoof and pulling him toward the exit of the unit.

He was on board with the escape instantly.

A short canter across the corridor, and we were bolting down the stairs to the ground floor.

Through the chaotic screams, I thought I heard the other subjects and Humans crying out. But it was difficult to figure out just what was happening. The voices were hardly muffled, even through the structure's confines.

Just as we left the stairwell, Flame pushed me down on my belly, before laying next to me, just below one of the many windows that lined the walls.

Beams of lights shined through the panes, reflecting off the smooth, polished walls within the building and glistening the floor and ceiling.

The migraines grew worse. MUCH worse... My eyes felt like they were going to burst...

As our masters and subjects screamed more noticeably in agony with whatever was out there, an intrusive thought slipped into my mind... One I sought hard to ignore...

Flame held me tight, and I him, wishing for the worst to be over...

"PLEASE, NOO-"

...

Silence...

As if nothing ever happened...

I could feel a malicious presence. I had felt one my whole life with the Humans and the machines that served them, but this overwhelmed that significantly...

There were many...

Right outside...

Silent...

For a moment, I thought I had gone deaf...

The lights that poured through the window began to flicker as a static roared across the atmosphere, instantly hitting Flame and I with that existential dread. Hitting us with the fear for our very lives.

Suddenly, being a sex slave didn't seem as bad as it had been, in comparison to this...

Hooves, boots, and claws began to trudge off down the wide corridor-like system, taking the hiss of static with them... The light on the wall faded just before.

Flame and I stared at one another in bewilderment. He mouthed the words, "what the fuck?"

I shook my head and mouthed in turn, "I don't know..."

I began to lift myself up gradually, peeking my head up over the window sill.

An army clumsily walked down the corridor, slouched over.

Smaller creatures, like the one on the mural outside. Some of the subjects that came in with us now in the mix...

Even some of the masters, both from our group and the others... Many were coated in blood. Old and new.

Lights seemed to beam off their faces, but with all their backs turned to us, I couldn't see what was actually happening. Only that the light was flickering with their hissing as they moved further into the city.

I noticed the griffin and dragon from our group, among many others, were among the numbers of static. Our thestral, changeling, and unicorn were nowhere to be found, however.

Flame peeked his head up, staring in wonder at the evident hostiles.

Upon them reaching an intersection farther away, Flame nudged my shoulder, whispering.

"Well, at least we know what we're up against now... You sure you still wanna live here?"

Author's Note

The scream: Found here. VOLUME WARNING.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e10yuV40ns