“I don't mean for this to sound rude, but what exactly are you?” Rarity asked.

The three avian creatures were swiftly packing up what little supplies they had pulled from their bags. While this happened, the larger hooved biped was inspecting the strange glittering piece of glass on his wrist. He tapped at the various lights while peering intently at the thing, occasionally stopping to look around or speak into his collar.

“We are tau,” the box replied.

The scientist, as Rarity came to refer to him, gestured around to the entire group.

“Servants of the greater good and bringers of civilization to this backwater planet,” he continued. “Though I assume you mean our individual species. Yes?”

“Wait, planet? You can travel amongst the stars?” Rarity asked.

That seemed to confuse the scientist, who frowned.

“Yes. Can your species not do so?” he replied as if space flight was the simplest thing imaginable.

“No. We have not left our home world,” Rarity shook her head. “But yes, I was asking about your species, though now that I was thinking about it I would also request to know your names.”

“Our guides and companions are Kroot, though their names translate rather poorly I’m afraid,” the box paused for a moment. “Though my name is Fio'La Fi'rios Arah, and my associate here is Shas'La Ka'mais Bun'ur.”

Rarity paused, trying to figure out if that was actually their names, or if the machine translating for them had broken down. The translator did seem to stutter for a moment and was interrupted by a mechanical whirring sound. Despite that, it was at least a fairly close approximation of their names, as they didn't seem quick to correct the tiny device.

“Shas la, Ka…” Rarity frowned. “That's going to take some getting used to.”

“I wouldn't worry about our names, horse thing,” declared the hooved warrior as Rarity mentally categorized him.

The Kroot seemed to find that amusing, and Rarity was about to correct his choice of words but was interrupted.

“Alright, let's get moving. Lead us to it,” stated the hooved warrior.

Rarity harumphed, the mare wanting desperately to reprimand the male for leaving her shelter in such disarray. She chose not to mention that or how they had wrecked the majority of the tools she had made. Instead, she focused on the fact that she was building bridges, ones that seemed especially worth maintaining considering they could fly the stars. With that bit of hope burning in her heart, Rarity straightened her spine and steeled her nerves.

“Of course, ruffian,” Rarity retorted.

The unicorn then trotted off down her path, keeping her nose high in the air.

Behind her, the kroot snickered their strange barking laughter. The other bipeds were either less easily amused or were restraining themselves for politeness’ sake. Either way, Rarity paid them little mind, as she was already working her way around the first bend down towards the lake.

As she moved, she thought about how she may deepen this potential friendship. She had little to offer, save for her sense of fashion which no one present seemed to value anyway. None seemed capable of magic, or perhaps even aware of the concept, as their devices were completely mundane.

Even with spellcasting currently off the table, Rarity could still detect a complete lack of thaumaturgical energy. Though this was fascinating, it was something she decided to consider in more detail at a later date. Her curiosity could wait until after they had dealt with this invasive creature and made it back to whatever town they called home.

Trotting down to the last stretch of trail, Rarity noted that two of the kroot were moving through the woods beside them. Their steps were nearly silent, their forms almost invisible amidst the slew of brightly colored foliage. Though impressive, Rarity got the impression that they could have hidden even better if they desired to.

Clearly, they were skilled hunters, unlike the two hooves bipeds, who made no attempt to obscure their presence. The warrior amongst them added to their generally noisy arrival by deploying some manner of object from his back. The mostly flat disk rose into the air above them and zipped ahead of the group, unfolding as it flew.

An antenna poked out from the top, angling itself backward while two short, armlike appendages swiveled this way and that. One had what looked like a boxy camera on it, while the other sported a miniature tube thing that the warrior had. From the way they carried such devices, Rarity assumed they were weapons of some kind, perhaps akin to the staves that old unicorns used that projected energy.

Either way, her musings were put aside as they came to the end of her path. Standing a dozen meters or so from the edge of the water, they were in clear view of the lake.

“Here we are,” Rarity offered, gesturing to the spot where she had drawn water so many times. “The exact spot that I saw the beasty less than an hour ago.”

The kroot spread out, while the hooved bipeds stood on either side of Rarity, following her pointed hoof. The pair spoke over Rarity for a moment before the scientist clicked the box and talked directly into it.

“How exactly did you come to see the creature?” asked the tiny machine.

“I went down to the water’s edge, and drew some water,” Rarity replied.

For a moment, Rarity worried that she may be forced into repeating such a motion. When that request or demand was not made and the warrior began speaking to the kroot, Rarity breathed a sigh of relief.

“So,” Rarity began, stepping a bit closer to the scientist. “How far away is your village or encampment?”

“Our temporary base camp is not far, though our more permanent settlement is on the other side of the planet,” answered the machine after translating for its owner. “There we are constructing a research station near the gue’vesa relay facility.”

For a moment it sounded like the machine had tried to say human and helper at the same time, but chose instead to say gue’vesa. The statement also earned a bit of ire from the warrior, who glared at his companion and muttered something under his breath.

“I probably should not have said that,” muttered the scientist somewhat guiltily. “Though I think the odds of you being some manner of infiltrator or violent Xeno species is unlikely.”

“I hardly have a violent bone in my body,” Rarity proclaimed.

“Well I hope that is a lie, as I think they are nearly ready to begin,” stated the scientist, who paused. “We should probably take a few steps back.”

Rarity and her companion did so, walking several paces into the tree line where they paused. Once out of the way, the hooved warrior gave a hand signal before shouldering his weapon. Two of the kroot were arrayed around the narrow opening between the rocks while their smallest companion stood atop one of the taller white stones.

The largest of the three avian creatures hefted a basketball-sized stone up onto his shoulder. He then took a step forward and shot put the thing into the lake, where it made a loud goosh noise. Heavy enough to break through the thicker, gooey top layer, it quickly disappeared beneath the liquid.

The group sat in silence, the four warriors with their tube things pressed firmly against their shoulders and aimed at the gap. They remained in that same, tense position for several minutes before one of the kroot finally relaxed. Glancing back at the hooved warrior, he seemed to ask if he should throw another, as he pointed down at a second stone.

The response started to leave the leader’s mouth when a sharp barking noise from the one atop the rocks stopped them. Immediately all eyes turned back to the water, weapons pointing to a greenish blob making its way in their direction. Again, everyone tensed back up just in time to see a large reptilian head burst free of the water.

It barely managed to break through the gooey upper level of the lake when a deafening crack nearly knocked Rarity to the ground. It was joined by several others, including the repeated thwip noise that came from the hooved warrior’s tube thing.

The effect was immediate, with the reptilian creature recoiling in surprise, wounds opening up all over its head. The kroot weapons were loud, and powerful, and tore chunks out of the crotalid’s flesh, punching deep into its body. The hooved warrior’s weapon was more elegant, firing white blur projectiles that moved nearly as fast as light. When these hit they burned like tiny suns, searing away sections of the creature and even blinding it in one eye.

Though the damage was significant, the crotalid was not defeated yet and lurched forward with a roar on its lips. Surging up the bank and onto land, it accepted the plethora of fire seemingly without complaint or notice. All while bellowing in rage, its powerful voice making Rarity’s teeth vibrate in their sockets.

Too paralyzed by fear and surprise, Rarity couldn't move, though she didn't need to. The team of mostly kroot adapted quickly, stepping back and continuing to fire at the charging creature. More hunks of brownish-green flesh were cut from the central mass, though the damage didn't seem to slow it down.

That was until the skinnier kroot leaped from his position atop the rocks, weapon raised high above his head. Like the rest of his kin, this smaller avian’s gun had a carved spike of bone attached to the end, enabling it to be used like a pick axe. Which the screaming kroot planted directly into the top of crotalid’s head, stopping it dead in its tracks.

Instantly all strength left the creature, and it slid to a stop a few feet closer to the hooved warrior. Who merely stood there, weapon trained on the crotalid until it finally came to a rest. After a moment of hesitation, he clicked something and took a step back, the tube thing resting against his shoulder.

He then shared what sounded like congratulations with the kroot, who whistled and barked atop the dead thing’s head. His fellows joined in, patting their comrade on the back, and adding their own words of praise as well. The celebration was brief, as the three avians soon spread out, and began to retrieve knives from amongst their gear.

“W-what?” Rarity stuttered. “I thought you were going to relocate it.”

The scientist seemed amused, and he paused briefly before responding. “Crotalids cannot be safely returned to their natural habitat.”

“But why?” Rarity demanded. “Surely if you can travel the stars you can bring that poor creature back to its home.”

“The crotalid is no ordinary animal,” the scientist replied. “They are able to travel great distances using some unknown phenomenon. Once they reach their destination they consume everything, and then migrate again, sometimes appearing on worlds light years away.”

“That's…” Rarity murmured.

At first, she thought it was a lie, but the scientist’s face betrayed no emotion save for a mild sense of amusement. It was the kind of joviality she had seen in Twilight when the alicorn had spoken of some obscure fact she knew. Either way, there wasn't much she could do about it at that point, so Rarity just stood there, watching as the kroot began to cut chunks off the thing.

The macabre ritual was disturbing, but not Rarity’s focus, as that was the crotalid itself. Though familiar in its overall shape, size, and generally intimidating appearance it was not identical to the last one she had seen. This one sported the same crown of spikes upon its brow, though the centermost spine was broken off near the base.

“That's weird,” Rarity murmured.

“What?” asked the scientist.

“This one is smaller, and the one I saw had all of its horns,” Rarity answered.

The scientist stiffened and began shouting to his companions in their own language. Immediately they abandoned their attempt to harvest the beast’s flesh. Grabbing their rifles, they managed to get a few steps before a second green shape burst free from the water’s edge.

Its approaching shape was nearly invisible due to the deep red, almost brown blood of its kin, the crotalid could only be seen once it emerged. The second it broke free of the goopy residue, the crotalid surged forward, a bellowing roar bursting from its lipless maw. The kroot shouted a warcry of their own but were barely audible over the large creature scrambling towards it.

Rifles cracked, and piffed, peppering the reptile’s head with a variety of projectiles. Though just as effective as tearing through flesh, the group of four was not nearly as organized the second time around. They had no time to set their footing or take proper aim before being forced to fire at the enraged beast.

In an instant, it was nearly all the way up the bank having sustained no serious injuries in the process. Bits of its teeth, went flying, and hunks of muscle were ripped free but it barely even seemed to bleed. What few vital points the monster had could not be hit, sending a sense of panic through the group.

The scientist hastily tapped at the glass panel on his wrist, causing the floating machine to descend. It unleashed its own smaller blaster but that too had little effect on the monster. Who had reached the scrawny kroot before he had a chance to slip out of reach.

A fang-filled maw lurched towards the avian creature, snapping around his leg and dragging the male to the ground. A scream of agony and panic tore from the injured kroot’s lips, spurring his allies to action. Firing until their weapons were empty, the kroot descended, using their projectile throwers like axes.

The long spikes at the end sunk deep into the creature but seemed unable to locate anything other then tough scales or large muscle. Unbothered by its foe's attacks, the crotalid threw its jaws to the left and then swung its head to the right. Releasing the kroot in mid-air, only to chomp right back down on his head, shoulder, and the majority of his upper body.

In an instant, the avian creature’s cries went silent, and a moment later the only thing left of him was a half-eaten arm. The crotalid, injured but still enraged, spun on the closest enemy, and lurched towards him with mouth open wide. With his weapon already raised, the kroot probably thought himself lucky, as this looked like a perfect opportunity.

Jamming his weapon into the creature’s mouth, the kroot warrior fired off the last two remaining shots he had. Clearly expecting to be victorious, he did not notice the jaws clamping down on his arms. Razor sharp teeth tore through flesh and bone alike, severing the kroot’s limbs and leaving him in shocked confusion.

The only other avian alien left shoulder checked his ally out of the way before the crotalid could finish him off. Rolling to the ground, the clearly most experienced hunter of the lot sprang back up and fired several shots from a handheld tube. Each projectile struck true, but did little damage, most getting stuck in the reptile’s abnormally thick hide.

The crotalid moved to pursue the sole kroot still standing, but the hooved warrior was swift to cover his ally’s flank. Pouring on white-blue projectiles he was aided by the hovering metal device and was successful in making the crotalid miss. Briefly blinded by the burning assault, the beast struck a tree instead of its target, enraged but mostly uninjured.

It wasted no time in turning on its newest attacker, surging at him with clear intent on ending his life as quickly as possible. It was obvious that he was not nearly as quick-footed or as dexterous as the kroot though. Weighed down by his armor, and weapon, the hooved warrior was surprisingly fast, but not fast enough.

A furious clicking drew Rarity’s attention down to her cowering companion who was pressing something on his wrist. Looking back, Rarity expected to find that another of her associates was either dead or dying in the jaw of the beast. That was not the case, however, as the flying metal thing had ducked low, firing off every shot it could in an effort to make itself a bigger target. The effort warped the barrel of the thing’s now red-hot weapon, but the thing made no complaints.

Sure enough, the crotalid seemed to see it as its biggest target and snapped its jaws shut on the floating device. Cut completely in half, the drone beeped once and went dull, flickering lights finally turning off. That was all the distraction the hooved warrior needed, as he moved back behind a tree and began firing from cover.

The kroot added to the volley by shooting his large club-like projectile thrower into the crotalid’s back. Far from the tight, disciplined, and well-aimed shots of before, the pair were clearly hoping that they would hit something vital on accident. It didn't seem to do much to the enraged crotalid, save confuse the creature, and leave it without a clear foe.

Spinning around, its beady red eyes latched onto Rarity, and the biped she was hiding in the bushes with. The moment it looked at them it began to use its enormous limbs to propel itself in their direction. The scientist scrambled backward, shocking Rarity out of her state of confusion and prompting the pony to run as well.

As she ran, she heard the kroot and hooved warrior try to get the crotalid’s attention, to no effect. Through one bush, and out the other side, Rarity pumped her hooves as fast as she could manage without tripping. Her companion did the same, though it was clear he did not know these woods like Rarity did.

She knew to keep your steps brief, so as to avoid the many roots of the mushroom trees. The scientist did not, and soon found himself tumbling to the spongey forest floor, wind instantly knocked out of him. Rarity stopped and was about to offer him a hoof in assistance when she realized how close the crotalid had gotten.

By the time the synapses in her brain made the connection, the bottom half of the male was in the beast’s mouth. Hefted into the air, he was quickly torn completely in half, his blood painting the trees, and Rarity a bright purple color. As she screamed, the crotalid devoured the bottom half of its meal and was about to bite down on what remained of him.

In that instant Rarity knew that if she did not do something she would be next and her scientist friend would be dead. Though most likely already mortally wounded, Rarity held out hope that he could be saved, if only she did something. The spell matrix to mana bolt leaped to mind, and in the blink of an eye, she began to cast the relatively simple spell.

Yet try as she might, her sparking horn refused to complete it, power rushing through the appendage in such quantity that she couldn't concentrate. Closer and closer the crotalid got to the dying biped lying gasping at Rarity’s hooves. Just as the creature was about to finish off the bleeding male, Rarity felt something snap, and with a scream, she finished the spell.

Putting everything she had into the bolt, she aimed her horn down at the crotalid’s face. A beam of red and black with trace flickers of blue burst forth from the mare blinding her completely. It lasted only a second, but it left Rarity completely winded, and with a pounding headache the likes of which she had never felt before.

The unicorn swayed on her hooves, eyes rolling in their sockets as she tried to locate the crotalid. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to find the creature, only a sizzling, headless corpse where the beast should be. There was yelling, and soon the kroot as well as the other bipedal creature appeared.

“Are they, are they okay?” Rarity asked, the mare straining to make her vision stop swimming.

Squinting hard, she was able to see that the armless kroot was alive, but only barely, his companion tending to his wounds. The hooved warrior glanced down at his kinsman and shook his head before standing back up and eying Rarity carefully. He then spoke something that sounded like a command while pointing his weapon in Rarity’s direction.

He repeated the barking order, but Rarity barely even heard the end of it before she toppled forward, unconscious before she even hit the ground.

Author's Note

This is part of the 12 days of christmas, head over here to keep track of all the cool stuff coming down the pipes. If you want to ensure I can afford to keep doing stuff like this, consider backing me over on Subscribestar or Patreon.