Not as hard

by FanOfSun

Chapters

Distortion.
Introductions.
Adaptation.
Fear.
Contact.

Distortion.

Author's Note

Yaaay yet another barely known universe that I'm going to write about!

...it also took me 3 months to write this for some reason...

Anyway, hope yall had great Christmas and New Year, cuz I did! >:)

Distortion.

It's been an hour or so since Luna has raised the moon. Stars on the night sky were gleaming with serenity, allowing any creature who wasn't sleeping to see themselves. And while the whole Equestria should have been quiet by now, one particular pony was not.

Twilight's curiosity was both her blessing and a curse. It has either saved the day, or got her friends and herself in trouble. However, she was never able to resist the urge to investigate. Today was not an exception.

After Twilight finished with taking notes, she once again looked at the scene before her eyes. Some of the tree crowns were severely damaged. The moon light was able to go through with ease, the soil nearby to those trees had a weirdly shaped hole, and it also looked like some sphere-like object fell down from the sky and crashed right here. Quite a big one by the way. However, the 'object' itself was not there.

Twilight examined the hole again "Interesting... There are no debris apart from the branches nearby" she looked around for the last time. Finding nothing that could explain the 'anomaly', Twilight put the notebook back in her saddlebags and frowned. Even if destruction could be explained by memorizing just WHAT kind of creatures lived in the Everfree, there was one particular detail that was worrying Twilight.

This place had distinct, yet quite disturbing aura. It was not available for an ordinary eye, obviously, but Twilight was no ordinary pony. The said aura here was... Cold. As if a sudden winter hit this particular place, without advancing further. There was also something else, but Twilight couldn't put her hoof on it. As weird as it was however, it was an Everfree. Anything could happen here, and this could be just another not discovered phenomenon.

After settling with this option, Twilight exhaled and turned around "I will have to notify Celestia about this place. Perhaps she might know something"

With that being said, she started to go back into the town. She couldn't do much without propper equipment and a group of ponies, so all Twilight could do right now, was memorize the location of this place and come back later.

And that she did. It took her quite some time, but Twilight was already approaching her tree house. Since it was quite late already, the only thing on her mind was going to sleep. After entering her house, Twilight dropped the saddlebags on the floor, and headed straight for her bedroom, yawning.

"Twilight?"

She opened her eyes and looked around. The voice belonged to Spike, who looked quite worried. He was standing below, with several books in his claws.

The small dragon dropped those, and rushed towards the unicorn "Oh thank Celestia you are safe!" Spike hugged her, after quite literally leaping onto her.

Twilight chuckled, tired "Sorry for making you worried..." she hugged her assistant back.

Spike looked up, with a frown on his face "What took you so long? You were the one who told me that the Everfree was dangerous!"

Twilight exhaled "You know me, Spike... I had to take some notes, and..." Her eyes were closing again "..and..."

Spike sighed and jumped down "Fine, you better get some of that sleep right now" he then raised his finger "But you owe me an apology tomorrow!"

Twilight giggled and trotted upstairs "Sure thing.."

After she entered her bedroom l, Spike huffed and crossed arms on his chest "I swear, sometimes she is even more reckles than Rainbow Dash!"

...

Spike raised his eyebrow in surprise "Wait, since when did I become so protective?"

Meanwhile, at the Everfree...

A lonely person was slowly walking through the forest. The attire he was wearing looked... Quite weird in terms of his surroundings. The dark, thick jacket with some rare tears, with a vest, holding an even more bizzare revolver in it, secured on the chest. The pants looked quite similar, with the only difference being the steel chain, attached to the pocket. Finally, the person's face was covered with the jacket collar, along with the sunglasses (with the red lenses instead of the black ones by the way) and... a cowboy hat. As weird as it looked though, he got used to this attire. It was warm and comfy enough for him to freely utilize his skills.

However, right now, he had two other problems.

The human looked down at his broken arm. As horrible as it sounds, but it wasn't the first time he got his hand broken... Not like it was making the pain any easier. His arm upgrades did. Thanks to the adaptive technology, the augmentation was keeping the arm in one pose, so that it wasn't wiggling. How did his arm get broken, you may ask?

Well...

The Artillerist made another direct shot, finishing off the last lunatic and looked around. He was able to eliminate all 7 Reikgon cultists in the room just in 12 seconds. Each of them with a head shot.

The Artillerist raised his revolver and looked at his right bracelet with a yellow display. He then proceeded to report "Sector 3 out of 6, cleared" after that Artillerist

Right now he and his assigned team were on the EDEN-227, dealing with the Reikgon cultists. Usually, the Agency would make a detailed and complex plan, whenever they were doing mission THAT big. However, this time, they decided to simply overrun them with force...

..and it was working.

Awkwardly enough, it seemed that the people of Reikgon were not ready for a blunt force attack. They must have been expecting infiltrations all over their place, which is must have been why they didn't even set up barriers.

Not like the Artillerist was against it. As a matter of fact, after getting the authorization to use force, he was able to do the job even more effectively.

He smirked, as he put his revolver into the vest "I'm gettin' used to this" he then picked up one of the rifles, and examined it's magazine "Welp, good to go" after inserting it back, he grasped it a bit better, since his body was a bit too small for this weapong. After successfully securing it, the Artillerist looked forward towards the next door.

Artillerist wasn't one of those people who were enjoying massacres, not at all. And yet, here he was, killing dozens of the cultists. He knew good enough, what life actually was to people, and just what he was doing while taking it away. It was a crime, a big one. However, sometimes those crimes had to be commited, so that others can be safe. Ever since his training began, he was taught that.

This was why he was mostly aiming for the head, so that the target does not suffer.

Artillerist raised his bracelet "Ready to move forward. Awaiting further commands" as much as he wanted to continue, he still had to stay cautious. After all, they were dealing with the same people that created abominations, such as Sickler and Hanger...

30 minutes later...

He was right.

The entire team forgot that the cultists were complete psychos, which lead to one of them blowing up the facility.

Obviously, the explosion must have killed him and the entire team, but at least those lunatics were done for for good.

...

However, he was pretty sure that he was still alive. Not just that, but also the biting cold was no longer present. Instead, a (kinda) rough wind was blowing right into the Agent's backhead. It was pretty strong, but, (funnily enough), he was instinctively holding the hat with his hand.

Artillerist opened his eyes, and saw something that he didn't see for a while now.

A clear blue sky.

For the first time in a few months, a genuine surprise could be seen on his face "Wh-..wha?"

And then, he noticed that he was falling down into the forest...

Artillerist winced a bit at the pain and decided to have a rest. After all, no matter how much training you went through, broken bones were not a joke. He was able to spot a good enough rock to sit on, and placed himself on top of it, carefully laying his hand onto his lap.

So, what was the second problem for him currently? Obviously, finding his comrades. As it turned out, the whole squad was here... Wherever or whatever it is.

How did he know it? Well, their talkie walkies were still intact and active, so they were going to meet somewhere together.

Speaking of the device, it started to make sounds. The Artillerist didn't even look at it, though.

"KRRR- ..an..KRR- ..spond" it wasn't hard for him to understand what had been said.

Artillerist pressed on of the buttons on the talkie walkie "The Artillerist is reporting back. Apart from my arm injury, my condition is just fine. As for your previous instructions, I wasn't having any problems with 'em" he pulled the finger away, and waited for the response.

The speaker from the talkie walkie seemed satisfied with this answer "Good. Remember to avoid hostile encounters at any cost." the voice was quite... Calming, as well as having a weird accent.

"Aye.." this time, he didn't even press anything.

Another, a bit lighter tone could be heard after that "Riskrunner and Survivalist here, reporting back. Everething is going smooth, for now..."

A voice from a far could be heard speaking. Despite the distance, though, it was still loud and clear "Anything on the fauna here, fellas?"

A new voice spoke up. It was quite powerful as well, though not as rough as the other one "Yes"

That was it. One single word, followed with a long silence. It was getting quite awkward, so one of the voices decided to break the ice.

"..so.. Mind telling us more?"

Artillerist sighed and rubbed his head. Sometimes, he hated using talkie-walkies, despite them being quite useful. All those codes and protocols were way too hard for him to memorize. And unfortunately, one of his team members was not a fan of long words and sentences (Which was both good and annoying for the Artillerist).

To put it simply, this conversation was going to take quite some time. So, not to waste any time, Artillerist decided to keep going. After all, there WAS something wrong with the fauna here, and he didn't want to find out the bad way... Especially when he was alone and vulnurable.

Introductions.

Four.

That's how many craters they have found so far.

As it turned out, there were, indeed, no records of the similar anomaly ever being witnessed by ponykind. That is exactly why Celestia sent the team of professionals to the Twilight's aid. However, the more craters they have found, the more ponies they needed to research those anomalies further. Ever since the science team has arrived in Ponyville around 2 months ago, they were able to learn a few things about those craters.

First of all, each of them shared similar properties. These areas affected by the craters, had cold and oppressive aura. Second of all, almost all living beings nearby, excluding ponies, were getting aggressive as soon as they approached the 'crash site'. Even harmless bunnies and birds were starting to attack guards and scientists, which lead to many frustrating situations. Luckily, thanks to Twilight's help, they were able to set up basic barriers, to keep those animals at bay. And finally, whatever caused those craters to appear, was a living being. It was also obvious that there were several of those things, roaming the Everfree. At first, Twilight was extremely excited and manic about finding one of those creatures.

She was, untill they have found something else.

Right after the science team discovered the third crater, they sent several guards to scout the perimeter. Usually, that was done so that the team knew the possible dangers of the place they were at. After all, they were in the Everfree, and it was not a place for jokes. But despite this, most of the times there was nothing that could be dangerous to the scientists group, except the occasional Posion Jokes. This time wasn't that much different. They guards did not meet any hostile creatures while on patrol.

Instead, they have found the mangled corpse of a Timberwolf.

To be honest, it wasn't just 'mangled'. At least half of the Timberwolf's body was covered with tiny holes, which were just enough to see right through. Not only that, but also one of it's front claws was gone completely. What was even more terrifying though, was the fact that the Timberwolf was not able to regenerate back. It looked like this corpse had been lying there for at least a month or two. It's wooden parts were still, somehow, connected with each other, and it was something Twilight had to look at in the future.

Nevertheless, this find made working in the Everfree even harder. Now, both scientists and guards were preparing for the worst, whenever they were entering the forest. And this, unfortunately, led to them being less efficient, to say it politely.

Twilight exhaled and bumped her head against the table, after she finished her tale "I don't even know what to do anymore... Unless I somehow manage to either explain what it could have possible been, or capture whatever caused this, we won't go far in our research"

Fluttershy lowered her teapot to pour some tea into Twilight's cup "Um... Were there any... Maybe... Traces around the place..?"

To be honest, she was quite terrified. To think that there was something that could do THIS to the TIMBERWOLF? Besides, the way Twilight described it... It was defenitely not an animal, as far as Fluttershy could tell. At least not the one she knows about. The only thing that was keeping the poor pegasus kind of calm, was the tea... At least that was her theory.

Twilight's horn lit up, as she looked up "That's the weirdest thing... There was absolutely nothing apart from Timberwolf's claw prints!" she then proceeded to drink some tea. After placing the cup on the table, she slightly raised her eyebrow "Well, there was, but we are yet to learn what it is..."

Fluttershy slightly tilted her head, as she placed the teapot back on the table. She was getting more confused than scared now.

Twilight's horn lit up, as she opened one of the saddlebags near to her chair "I understand that it's quite unlikely that you might know something about these things, but could you please take a look anyway?"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded "Of course Twilight, I will be glad to help you if I can"

The unicorn pulled a small napkin out of her saddlebag, clearly with something inside "Thank you, Fluttershy" she then placed the thing on the table "There were a lot of these near to the Timberwolf. They don't seem to be dangerous themselves though..."

Fluttershy slowly and carefully raised her hoof. Then, she proceeded to move it towards the napkin edge, trying to reveal the content of it safely.

'Oh sweet Celestia... What could possibly be inside..?'

Fluttreshy pulled her whole body as far as she could, while still trying to push the cloth edge upwards. The poor mare was trembling in fear.

"Th-.. There I go..!"

At last, she inhaled a lot of air, pulling every single particle of bravery into this single move and-

Twilight simply sighed, as her horn glew up "Fluttershy, you could simply ask me to unwrap it you know?"

The pegasus slightly blushed, while standing in her hind hooves in a bizzare pose "O-Oh..." she then quickly positioned herself back onto the chair and averted her gaze "U-Um... If you could..?"

Twilight smiled "Of course" she then proceeded to unwrap the napkin carefully with her magic. Some could even find the precision hypnotizing. As the final edge of the napkin was layed on the table, both ponies were able to see it's contents.

It was a small, grey cylinder, seemingly made out of metal. It had a hole on one of it's end, revealing that the object was hollow inside. It didn't look intimidating at all.

Fluttershy slightly lowered her head to better see this object "How bizzare..." she then looked up, seemingly with a guilty expression "I'm sorry Twilight, but I simply have no idea what that might be..."

Twilight sighed and shook her head "Don't worry Fluttershy, at least you tried to help" she simply raised the cup with magic one more time "I have already sent several of these to Princess Celestia. I just really hope that she has some sort of idea what could that thing be"

Fluttershy nodded and grabbed a tea pot "Well, while we are waiting, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Twilight smiled, as she pushed her empty cup forward "Of course, what is your question?"

The mares quite easily switched the topics, and started to talk about something else, completely forgetting about the mysterious metal thing. Unfortunately, Twilight got a bit too excited during her speech, and accidentally dropped it on the floor with a napkin. The latter object was enough to soften the fall of the cylinder, and it didn't make any noices.

Obviously, some of the animals got interested in the mentioned earlier object. After all, it was kinda gleaming, which basically meant that it's pretty. One of them in particular approached it with caution. It was Angel the bunny. Carefully, he leaned forward and smelled it. Instantly, Angel jerked away from it, and, while covering his nose, kicked the metal object away. He quickly jumped outside, as if trying to get some fresh air. Obviously, other animals hurried to follow after Angel. After all, even if the toughest animal in the house was not happy with the object, then others wouldn't be too.

That's what Fluttershy thought after seeing her beloved animals stay away from the object. She knew well enough, that Angel wasn't the type of bunny to run away after hearing random branch snap. Instead, he was the type who would beat the poor thing with the same stick they stepped on. Actually, there was a story-

..Point is, she was quite concerned about this reaction.

Twilight was able to notice this as well. After all, when the majority of usually calm and kind animals try to stay away from something seemingly harmless... Well, then it's not that harmless, obviously.

Both mares looked at each other. Fluttershy was the one to speak up "Uhm... Twilight, I-I think I might know why animals became so aggressive..."

Twilight used her magic to pick up the metal object "We might want to clean the forest from these..."

The Survivalist carefully added some salt into the metal kettle and closed it, standing up. The pottage was almost ready. Thanks to the last supplies he took from home, and some of the animals they caught here, the Survivalist was able to prepare not just a decent meal, but an actual dish to enjoy! To say that the man was happy, was an understatement. He stared at the campfire for a few moments and turned around to face his comrades.

Riskrunner was sitting on a rock, calibrating his huge cannon. He was holding it vertical, with the muzzle facing the sky. This man was always carrying his tools around, just in case something (mostly his weapon) needs repairs. Riskrunner himself was a strong and reliable man. The second strongest in the team. He was wearing an unzipped thick black down-jacket, with a grey sweater peeking out of it. On his legs, were dark pants with many pockets for ammunition. Finally, his hair was dark brown and extremely messy. The metal holder for his cannon was laying nearby, since it was hard to sit with this thing on.

The Riskrunner raised his head from his work and grinned "Aw I can 'lready feel the food" he removed the toothpick from his mouth "Ya know, takin' ya was probably the best d'cision we've made!"

The Survivalist put his hand behind his head, feeling flattered "For real? Heh..."

"When will the food be ready?"

Survivalist lowered his head, to see another one of his allies, The Artillerist. To say that he was the youngest out of the team simply wouldn't be enough. Not only was the youngest in the WHOLE Agency, but he was also way too small for his own age. Unless you knew just WHO he was, you wouldn't even let this little man touch the knife. The Artillerist was wearing a custom-made jacket made out of the flexible and light material, his dark pants lacked his favorite chain (he decided to get rid of it for some reason) and lastly, his goofy cowboy hat and glasses were laying in the huge tent they set up a while ago. Honestly, changing the outfit was a good thing for him. Those tears in his clothes were quite irritating for the Survivalist.

His hair was purely black, and consisted of curles. Though, the most noticeable detail about the Artillerist were his eyes. The left one was brown, but the right one was dark purple. He was supposed to wear special lense to hide it by the way.

The Survivalist pointed towards the kettle "Just in a few minutes" he then put his hand on the Artillerist's head "Don't worry little man, I made sure there is no pepper in the food this time!"

Artillerist hissed and slapped the hand away "I told you to stop calling me that!" he then turned around and was about to go into the tent but stopped mid-way "..Thanks for making sure..." and then, he quickly hid into the shelter without waiting for the cook to answer. The Survivalist simply rolled his eyes in amusement.

And then, his gaze fell on him. The Strongest Man Alive, The Machina, The Beast.

The Berserker.

Noone knew anything about him or his past. He barely ever spoke and noone spoke to him without any buisness. Despite this lack of communication, The Berserker was still able to singlehandedly complete any mission he has ever being assigned to. Cold-Blooded, Strong, Fierce, those were the words people who saw him in action used to describe this beast.

He was simply standing under one of the trees, smoking a cigarette. Tight black T-Shirt with a long light brown jacket falling to his legs, trousers with the same color and dark brown shoes, each made out of an extremely flexible material. Those were the clothes that Berserker would wear whenever he was supposed to go on a mission. The only parts of his body that were exposed, were his strong hands and his mighty looking neck. Though, both of them were far from looking normal. His 'Skin' had a grey metallic color, his arms looked like they were actually turned into weapons. However, probably the most eye-catching thing about the Berserker was his face.

To be more precise, his lack of one.

Instead, his entire head was coated with metal, save for the dark monitor that took half of the face. Survivalist has never seen it being somehow used, so he had different ideas on what it's function was. As for the mouth, it was quite simple. Just underneath the monitor, there was a zig-zag line. As you might have already guessed, it was a metal jaw. Scary, deadly, effective, that's what some people say. Though, Survivalist didn't know what they meant by the latter. Not like he was willing to find out either.

Honestly, Survivalist wasn't even sure why did Berserker need this part of the body at all. After all, the verbal communication could be easily included in the monitor, and-

"What is it?"

Survivalist nearly jumped in his placed at this voice. He didn't even need to look up to realise who was standing before him.

Still he did just that, with a forced smile on his face "Uhm... Hey there, Berserker. I was just uh... Thinking about what kind of brand you are using!"

Honestly, now Survivalist could tell just HOW big the Berserker was. He was towering above the poor newbie, as is he was about to fall onto him. Survivalist could swear that he could hear the mighty heart-beat this huge body was making. There was just a bit of cigarette smoke coming out of the Berserker's jaws. Obviously, Survivalist was nervous, to say the least.

Finally, Berserker spoke up, while holding the cigarette in his free hand "Koldera Black" he stopped to stare down at the Agent for a moment and turned around.

The Survivalist blinked two times, before acknowledging what his comrade just said "W-Wait, but aren't these too dangerous for consumption?" it was true. These cigarettes were so strong to the point, where most men would lose their consciousness after breathing in the smoke. This lead to some incidents in the past, so these have been banned from most countries on Earth.

Berserker simply shrugged, as he put the cigarette back into his mouth and walked back to the tree.

Survivalist just stared at him, dumbfounded "O-Oh..." he never actually got to talk to the Berserker before, so it was a new experience for him... Not a pleasant one.

"Don't mind his behaviour, champ"

"Huh?" As Survivalist turned around, he saw Riskrunner approach him with a grin on his face. His cannon was already on his back, and the tools seemed to be hidden in it already.

He continued on with talking, while moving his hand in a circular manner "As a matter 'f fact, try to ignore most of our actions" he stopped near to the Survivalist "I'm jus' warnin' , yer still new after all"

Survivalist chuckled "It's nothing, really. Thanks anyway" despite him being with them for almost 3 months now, Survivalist was still considered to be an inexpirienced rookie. He couldn't blame them, after all, he really was the weakest out of his team. As a matter of fact, he didn't even know how he ended up in the team consisting of one of the best men in the Agency.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by the kettle starting to vibrate "OH JEEZ!" he isntantly lowered himself and opened the lid. Luckily, the pottage didn't end up being overcooked this time. The Survivalist exhaled in relief.

The Riskrunner glanced into the kettle and licked his lips "Well now THAT looks scrumptious!"

The Artillerist poked his head out of the tent "I belive that the food is ready now?"

Survivalist raised his head and nodded "Yeah, I guess so" he then hummed "But we still need to wait for the-"

He was interrupted by the calm and soothing voice "There is no need for that"

As everyone (Including Berserker) turned their heads towards the edge of the camp, they saw a man emerging from the trees. He was wearing a dark long coat, with a white thick shirt underneath it. His simple pants were light brown, and his long boots were dark brown. His hair was the same color, along with his beard, and his eyes were covered with fully transparent glasses. However, it wasn't the appearance that made this man stand out.

For he was one of the founders of the Agency.

For he was the man who achieved impossible several times.

For he was Dr. Wolfgang Lazarus The Third, or simply Dr. Lazarus.

Oh, and he was also the leader of the current party. What a shocker.

As you've probably guessed by now, this man was one of the most important figures in the Agency. He wasn't afraid of using his actual name, since he didn't have a family. Even if he did, there was little to no information about Dr. Lazarus. The only thing that others knew about him, was that he is a genius doctor. Obviously, you'd think that others should respect and fear him, ESPECIALLY since he was supposed to be a leader, but..

Survivalist turned around, and casually raised his hand "Ah, there you are, Mr. Lazarus! How was the walk?"

The newcomer warmly smiled, as he held his wrist up "I'm glad you asked" There, attached to his hand, was a weird looking bracelet, with a tiny built-in yellow square in the middle of it.

Survivalist stared at it for a few moments "I don't seem to quite get it, sir?"

Suddenly Riskrunner, who was quietly listening, spoke up "Lemme guess, ye tried to contact the Agency and got no answer again, eh?"

Lazarus nodded and placed his hands behind his back "That is correct" he was still wearing his smile.

Artillerist seemed to snicker, as he fully emerged out of the tent "Pft, you've been doing this for what? 2 or 3 months already?" he then raised his own bracelet, and poked it "I know that you gotta follow instructions and all, but come on. You know well enough that this place is unreachable for them!"

Riskrunner shook his head, as he raised his finger "Nuh uh! R'member A-888 incident?" Artillerist wanted to say something to counter that, but couldn't come up with anything. Riskrunner seemed pleased with that reaction, and turned to face Lazarus, with a raised eyebrow "Pipsqueak has a point tho. It's been quite a while since we crashed 'ere"

As Artillerist proceeded to attack the Riskrunner by leaping at him, Lazarus approached the kettle and opened it "And that is exactly what I wanted to tell you all. You see, ever since my allies and I founded the Agency, we have established several peculiar rules for Agents" he then grabbed one of the bowls nearby and poured some porridge into it "One of them states, that after not coming in contact with the Agency for several months, the Agent is read as 'dead'. A weird rule honestly, but it was only mentioned a handful of times, since there were very few cases of Agents dissapearing without any trace"

The Survivalist glanced towards two fighting Agents, and then back at Lazarus "I see... Are you trying to say that others think that we are dead?"

Lazarus snapped his fingers "Exactly" he was trying to find something around himself.

Survivalist put a finger to his chin "That is... Conserning, to say the least" he then raised his head to face Lazarus "But what does it mean for us?"

Lazarus stopped looking around and chuckled to himself "Well, it means that they will no longer try to find us, since we are now considered dead. In other words...

..We are finally free"

These four words caught the attention of everyone in the camp. Artillerist and Riskrunner stopped fighting. Even Berserker stopped leaning against the tree, as he realized WHAT was said. The only one confused, was the Survivalist. He was glancing between everyone, as if trying to realize why everyone went quiet.

Finally, Lazarus broke the silence, as he took a spoon out of his pocket "Oh wow, didn't expect it to be here out of all places!"

Author's Note

By the way I actually found a spoon in my pocket one day for some reason

Adaptation.

It's been around 6 months since Twilight has written Celestia about the anomalies in the Everfree Forest. Obviously, everypony who was sent to the Ponyville stayed here since the start. Locals got so used to the scientists team, that they started living with the residents. Elements Bearers meanwhile, had a lot going on as well. Chrysalis, Sombra and many more weird events started to surround them.

Despite this, Twilight was still regularly checking on the research progress. Luckily, those anomalies that were making animals aggressive seemed to dissapear, which allowed scientists to expand their search further. They were able to find even more metal things laying around in the forest, as well as some extinguished fires.

..But nopony had any idea just HOW important that was up untill today.

Twilight and several scientists gathered in the Golden Oak's basement. They'd do it every time they found something curious in the forest (For example one of those metal cylinders) and since this place had all the equipment required for testing, everypony simply decided to run the experiments here, like melting the cylinders for example. Today though, was different.

Because today, they were able to collect blood samples from the new creatures in the forest.

Now, there is a good question that might rise up. How were they able to find out that there were any new creatures in the Everfree?

...

Well, if the fact that these cylinders started to appear in the forest right after the anomaly occured is not enough, then there is also the fact that this blood was quite different. Excluding Timberwolves, all of the creatures in the Everfree had some quirky things about their blood. For example, the cockatrices had a dark shade to it, the hydras' had it green etc.

However, the blood they were able to collect in the forest today looked very, VERY similar to that of a pony, with the only difference being the density. It also looked like it was spilled not so long ago, meaning that these creatures are still around. Everypony was so excited, that they didn't even bother to think how did it appear on the ground in the first place.

Anyway, back to the ponies...

Twilight carefully readjusted the vial with blood on the metal holder "And... Done!" she looked towards the other ponies in the basement "Is everypony ready?"

The pony near to a heavy looking device looked up from whatever they were doing and nodded "The Reader is calibrated and ready for use!" that thing wasn't really big, around 50 centimeter in length and 30 in height. There was something resembling a keyboard on one side of it along with a hole that looked like it was made for paper. On top if it, was a tiny spot, just enough to fit in a vile with something in it.

Another pony, who was standing near to the table filled with stationary answered "The quills, ink and paper are prepared as well"

Twilight clapped her hooves with excitement written on her face "Great!" she then looked towards the last pony in the basement.

The photographer cleaned the lenses of his camera and smirked "Alright, that seems just about right" he then looked towards Twilight "Just give me the command and I will take the picture"

Finally, after making sure that everething was in it's place, Twilight put on the protection glasses, slowly exhaled and looked towards the vial with blood "Very well. Let us begin!"

The scientist behind the 'keyboard' nodded and leaned forward so that he would be able to start tapping right away. The pony at the table prepared to take the notes.

Twilight's horn lit up, and the magical aura appeared around the metal holder that was keeping the vial in place. Carefully, she moved her head around and started to move towards the device, with the priced thing following her behind. As Twilight approached the surface of the Reader™ , she removed the vial from the holder.

"Careful now..."

Without any issues, she was able to insert the vial into the hole. As the device made a beeping noice, the pony behind it instantly began to tap on the keyboard with his hooves. The machine started to vibrate, initiating the reading process.

Meanwhile, Twilight glanced towards the photographer and nodded slightly. The pony understood the gesture, and quickly snapped a picture. Twilight went back to staring at the vial. Her tail was wagging side to side, and her thoughts were a bit away from here.

'Oh what could it be... Maybe the new animal species that appeared in the Everfree? Or maybe that is not blood at all? Oh sweet Celestia, I can't wait!'

Finally, after a few minutes of tapping and vibrating, the Reader™ settled down. In a second, it started to make buzzing noices, and piece of paper started to move out of the hole in front of the keyboard. Twilight was nearly jumping in place, as the results were slowly revealing themselves from the hole.

The second machine stopped making weird noices, Twilight snatched the paper out with her magic and started to quickly read the results to herself. The unicorn was about to explode, while holding this sacred (to her) piece of paper.

"Oh gosh finally! Let's see... Glucose, Water..."

Her expression started to feature surprise and amazement, as she was reading further into the results. It appeared that her theory was correct after all. Even though all the components in the blood were the same to those in the body of a pony, they seemed to be present in different proportions due to the density of the blood. And like was mentioned before, that was the exact reason why this fluid couldn't belong to the pony, nor any other sentient being. At least if we are talking about those that are known to ponykind.

Anyway, Twilight was reading the last components on the list already, while the pony behind the table with papers was writing it all down. Why couldn't they take a typewriter? Who knows...

"..Salt, Umbra and finally, Protein!" she had finished reading and looked towards the writer with a huge smile on her face "Did you get everething that I've just mentioned?"

The writing pony nodded, as he raised the piece of paper before him "Of course I did, Miss Sparkle. Now, shall we-"

...

The sudden silence filled the room, as everypony looked towards the piece of paper that Twilight was holding in her magical grasp. Their expressions were slowly changing from confused, to terrified. They all froze in their current poses in realization.

However, a sudden flash from the camera brought the scientists back to Equestria.

As everypony looked towards the source of the light, the photographer seemed to be content with his work, as he smirked while holding the photo in his hoof.

"I will call this one... 'Scientific Shock'!"

"CHIORT VOZMI!"

"Roman, I cannot work when you are squirming and yelling"

Riskrunner hissed, as he opened one of his eyes to look at the Lazarus "Gaah. Well it ain't dat easy sir..." he avoided looking at his shoulder, where the doctor was sewing his arm back to his body. The smell though wasn't making it easier for him to focus either.

Currently, they were sitting in their medical bay. It was built around the huge tree, using the materials they gathered around the forest (Hint: It's wood). Funnily enough, they were able to design and construct it without that many issues in a matter of 3 days. Shelves attached to the wooden trunk with medicine standing in them (Riskrunner had no idea where Lazarus got those), several different towels and 3 improvised hospitap beds. Of course, this building was lacking in comfort, but Agents weren't picky, and Lazarus was glad to be working under the roof instead of the tent. It was basically the center of their camp, since their doctor was also their leader.

Lazarus nodded slightly and got back to work "Can't argue with that" he then asked, without looking away "By the way, now that you are awake, mind telling me how did it happen in the first place?"

Riskrunner seemed to drift off for a moment, before nearly jumping in his place (He memorized that his arm wasn't sewed to his body yet) and raised his functioning arm to his face "VOT BLIN YA SOVERSHENNO ZABIL!" he then looked directly at Lazarus's head "Sir, I've met a sentient creature!"

He kinda expected doctor to stop working and look up at best... Which didn't happen. Instead, they sat in silence for about 5 minutes, while Lazarus was finishing his job. Luckily for the Riskrunner, the rest of the 'operation' went without any significant pain. At some point, Lazarus cut the string and put one of his hands onto the man's shoulder.

Riskrunner's eyes became slightly bigger, as he felt a barely noticeable vibration going through his body. He'd experienced this before, but it always felt unnatural to him.

"Ah... Sorcery"

A few more moments of silence, and Lazarus removed his limbs away from his patient. The second his hands stopped contact with the Riskrunner's body, he could feel his hand again. He tried to move it, and was able to do so... Though it required some efforts.

Riskrunner smiled to himself "Well darn it! You never fail to-"

"So, about the creature"

Riskrunner looked up from his hand. Lazarus already moved away and got into his 'I'm listening' pose. It was clear that they were stuck here for quite a while, as Lazarus was always keen on knowing every single detail.

Riskrunner simply sighed, as he accepted his fate "Well, where do I even start eh?"

"-..so dats how mah family started th' buisness many years 'go!"

Riskrunner was walking through the area assigned for him to explore. Despite them settling down on the good place (as far as he could tell), their leader still wanted to explore further. Riskrunner and everyone else were already used to following his orders without any questions, so all they had to do was simply arrange the 'Exploration Teams'. And no, they weren't brainwashed or overly-obedient.

They had all their trust in Lazarus.

". . ."

Berserker was easily able to keep up with the RIskrunner. The only issue that he had, were the occasional branches that were getting in his face... Not really, since he didn't have a face, but still. Nevertheless, Berserker was actually listening to the man.

Riskrunner stopped and turned around to face his teammate "Darn, even yer silence has pressure! Ye re'lly need t' work on tha'!"

Berserker stopped as well, and slowly lowered his head "Why"

Riskrunner chuckled and shrugged "I mean, how yer gunna make friends with dat attitude?" he then approached Berserker and hit him with his elbow "Ya gettin' it eh?"

Berserker seemed to think for a few moments "I do"

Riskrunner smiled widely and laughed "Glad t' hear dat mate!" he shook his head and sighed, while turning his head forward "Ye know, I'm actually startin' t' think that this darn forest is endless" he raised his hands in frustration "No seriously, how big is this p-"

Suddenly, Berserker lowered his body forward as if he was trying to see better. A red blinking dot appeared on his 'face-monitor' "Detecting an energy spike of unknown origin"

Riskrunner instantly turned around and quickly placed his arm on the huge cannon on his back. His voice changed from the carefree to a monotone one "Notify Lazarus about it. Ask whether we should investigate or come back"

Berserker got on his knee and nodded, while he raised his arm with a bracelet "On it" in a matter of seconds, the said message has been sent.

And so, they were now forced to stay in the same spot untill the order from their leader arrived. While Berserker was simply waiting for further commands and Riskrunner was slightly nervous. Usually, he is the one in the backlines, despite his physique. Now though, it is his turn to be a 'shield'... And luckily, Riskrunner still had plenty experience with it as well. However, he was also getting impatient, which lead to him getting gradually irritated.

'God, I SWEAR he is probably enjoying a drink right now! Is it so hard too freakin' check the darn messages?!'

Riskrunner huffed quietly and shook his head, clearing his head. He knew well enough that Lazarus would never be ignorant towards anything without a good reason. He once again looked forward and bit his cheek.

'Besides, it's not a fact that whatever is out there is dangerous. Maybe it's uh...'

While Riskrunner was thinking of anything that could generate energy in the wild, Berserker stood up "The orders are to come back immediately"

Riskrunner nodded and turned around "Aight, then let's move it!"

However, as they were about to 'move it', something caught Riskrunner's attention. He stopped in place to listen a bit more carefully, as it wasn't the usual sound of trees being destroyed by the wooden wolves, or a loud rustling coming from the animals that were trying to hide. Instead, Riskrunner was able to hear quiet buzzing noice, coming from the bushes, approximately 10 meters away from him.

'That's new...'

For a few moments, Ruskrunner was frozen in his place. Not because of being scared or attacked, but rather because of his curiosity. Something... Or someone was hiding in the bushes.

As he was about to investigate further, he felt a huge and heavy arm on his shoulder. After Riskrunner glanced back, he saw Berserker staring at him.

"Lets go"

Riskrunner rolled his eyes, as he placed an arm on his cannon "Look, let's just glance at the bushes over there" he pointed at the direction where the potential "Weird Stuff"™ could be happening. "Com' on mate, it will only take-"

"YOU WON'T CATCH ME EVEN IN YOUR DREAMS, BEASTS!"

As both of the Agents tturned to face the direction where the sound came from, they saw something both incredible and absurd. It was a weird black horse and bug hybrid... At least that's what Riskrunner thought. His eyes widened, as he realized that it was THIS creature that just talked.

"You are-"

He wasn't even able to finish, as a sudden flash, coming from the creature's head blinded Riskrunner, as he groaned and covered his face with his right hand. This flash had bright green color... Just like the eyes of that creature.

However, as fast as this creature appeared, it has managed to flee even quicker. As Riskrunner removed his hand from his view, he blinked for a few moments, before glancing at the Berserker.

"It... Talked"

Berserker didn't seem to get blinded by the flash. Rather, he let it go, as it wasn't his objective for now "Doesn't matter." he simply proceeded to walk away.

Riskrunner couldn't help but huff at that "Oh please mate! Don't act like dat ain't 'o big deal to us! Do ye underst-"

A sudden smell of blood has filled the air. Riskrunner, who was about to follow Berserker and judge him, stopped in his place. He blinked his eyes for a few seconds, before looking around.

"What in tarna-"

And then, he saw a bloody line on his jacket. It was getting bigger by seconds. Not just that, but he could also feel his hand going numb.

Instead of panicking however, Riskrunner groaned and looked at the Berserker's back with an annoyed face "Well, I'll be damned..."

And then, his arm fell off.

"So, yea. Dat's it!"

Lazarus stared at the Riskrunner for a few moments, while sipping the tea in the cup. After setting it on the table, he crossed arms on his chest and frowned weakly "First of all, I will be sure to punish you for not following orders"

Riskrunner was about to protest, as he raised his health arm "Bu-"

Lazarus merely raised his hand, which made Riskrunner shut his mouth, as he sweated a bit. After setting his arm down, he continued on "Second of all, thank you for proving my theory"

Riskrunner raised his eyebrow "Eh? The heck do ye mean doc?"

Lazarus stood up from his chair, as he also grabbed his cup "Ever since we got here, I've started to experience something similar to the Occult sorcery all around this place. I didn't give it much thought, since I thought hat this place is somewhat similar to the Eden..." He sipped a bit from his cup, as he sighed and continued on "That is, untill we met the Wolves. Clearly, they were powered by something different, something way more harmonic that Occult energy"

Riskrunner was just sitting there, clearly intrigued "So, sumthin' like magic?"

"Exactly. Now, you know that I'm not the one to jump right into the conclusion... Especially when it comes to the mystical powers" Lazarus set his cup on the table, after finishing it. He then pointed at the Riskrunner's recently sewed arm " But THIS, my rash friend, is the last piece of the evidence that I needed to prove my theory"

Riskrunner rubbed his backhead with his healthy hand and chuckled "Er... Well if ye call blastin' arms off an evidence, I might hav' sumthin' against it"

Lazarus rolled his eyes at that, as he smiled slightly "Well, in this case, your arm was just enough. Just by handling your limb, I was able to sense the energy emanating from it"

Riskrunner nodded at that, clueless "Oooh okay!.." he then stared at Lazarus for a few moments "I er... Does it me-"

"No."

"Oh..." Riskrunner slightly lowered his head "I uh, take it ye will be studyin' my body as the p'nshment?"

"Indeed"

Riskrunner sighed and stood up "Fine... Guess imma go 'n prepare for dat"

"You go and do just that"

With that, Riskrunner left the medical bay, clearly preparing to experience lots and lots of pain (They didn't manage to recreate painkillers here yet). After all, despite being their leader, Lazarus was still a curious being.

After the doctor was left alone in the room, Lazarus didn't let his slight smirk dissapear. He approached the makeshift kettle and poured some purified water into it. As he begun to make more tea for himself, Lazarus hummed, as if pondering about something. After seemingly coming to a conclusion, he looked up slightly.

"Catch it"

And suddenly the room became slightly lighter, as if something huge was standing there before. However, there were no sounds of footsteps outside.

Lazarus meanwhile, was pondering another dillema...

"Elderflower, or berry tea..."

2 minutes earlier...

After leaving the medical bay, Riskrunner groaned and looked up in the sky.

"Suka blyat vot zhe didko...nu vot tolko ne op-"

And then, he noticed a figure towering above the medical bay. Riskrunner just stared at it, as he tried not to burst out laughing. After sweating for a good minute, Riskrunner gulped and turned towards the Berserker, who was staring at the medical bay wall.

"So uh, ye enjoyin' the view eh?"

Berserker didn't answer however, as he just kept on staring. It was hard to tell whether he acknowledged Riskrunner or no, since his face was... Well, non existent apparently.

Riskrunner just decided to leave his comrade be, as he didn't know what was going through his head. After turning his back on Berserker and moving towards his tent, Riskrunner thought about that creature in the woods...

'So, there ARE some sentient things here. I really hope that we didn't leave a bad first impression... Wouldn't want to deal with that weird slicer-dicer magic again.'

A sudden gust of air from behind made Riskrunner turn around quickly.

Berserker wasn't there anymore.

Riskrunner stared at the medical bay, as he placed and arm on his forehead "Bisov sin..."

Author's Note

Honestly, Decaying Winter is fun as long as you don't play it way too much. At least this rule applies for sure when you are playing alone.

Anyway, if you are reading this, then I can say only one thing, thank you.

I dont like to be the one to complain, but due to some circumstances irl, I could write at all. Some good, some bad (mostly good tho). I can't promise much, as the situation there is still unresolved... But hey, I guess you can really on me posting twice a year, eh, EH?

Also, I think that I loved writing Riskrunner's accent too much... Well, I won't change it either way so prepare to decipher some of his gibberish.

Anyway, I hope that all of you are having a wonderful day
morning/day/evening/night.

Thanks, and till we meet again.

Fear.

Night in the Everfree is usually quiet.

Not because it's a safe or a tranquil place, no. It's the opposite. If you were to make a sound, well... Let's just say that you'd either need to be strong or fast. After all, predators like Timberwolves, Ursas and many more were inhabiting it. However, recently, something has changed...

The Wolves seemed to act more careful now, the cockatrices were constantly hiding, and even Ursas seemed to act off. Nopony knew the reason for those changes.

Nopony but Chrysalis.

Right now, the Queen was trying to stop her bleeding with magic. Due to some recent event, she had to learn how to use he rmagic to heal, and had to do so fast. Luckily, it wasn't THAT hard for Chrysalis to teach herself. After all, she IS the Queen of changelings! Obviously, learning some new magic tricks isn't a challenge for her...

..However, losing a limb is quite a challenge, even for someone on her level. Chrysalis hissed, as she winced and saw her bleeding appendage slowly growing back. This process required quite some time, magic and nutrients from her body. After all, she didn't have enough love to instantly regrow it as she usually did.

Ever since Chrysalis has stumbled upon those two weird creatures, one of them begun to pursue her. That... Thing, was absolutely relentless. It gave her very little time to recover and find nutrients to continue the run. It's been a month already, and she had learned a lot about surviving against it. Exactly. Surviving, not defeating...

No matter what Chrysalis did, no matter how much energy she used... All her magic seemed to just phase through that thing. The only way she was able to utilize her magic on that beast, was by throwing stuff at it. Luckily, Chrysalis had a good telekinetic grip, which saved her several times by now.

As for her wings... Well, she tried flying away, once she thought that she was far enough from it. Now she has to deal with her missing hoof and damaged wings. Who would have known that such a huge and heavy looking thing could jump so high... So, yeah, flying was not an option.

Finally, her magic begun to take effect. The injury begun to close, and Chrysalis could now focus on her surroundings. After all, that thing never let her take a breather before. Luckily, she is an immortal being, so she doesn't require any nutrition in order to survive... Still though, Chrysalis would give everething to have a small nap and a bit of love to recharge. But with that beast constantly around-

...

"..Where the buck is it?"

...

After standing still for a few more moments, Chrysalis made a run for it. She wouldn't dare to miss this opportunity to finally get a chance to escape this place. Chrysalis knew well where the ponies lived, and maybe, just maybe, if she TEMPORARILY surrendered to them, she would be able to get to the safety.

She would be able to get away from that thing!

And so, she ran. Even with her lost limb, she was still running faster than ever before. Chrysalis didn't care about her surroundings. Trees, leaves, grass and flowers flashed before her eyes. All that didn't matter. All Chrysalis had to do, was run forward, towards the weak light. Desperation within her body has begun to dissipate, as she was getting closer and closer to her goal. She didn't even care about the huge shadow above her-

Chrysalis' eyes widened, as she looked up "WHAT THE BU-"

A huge boulder has crashed down onto the ground, destroying nearby trees and sending dust, pebbles and wood in all directions. Luckily, Chrysalis was able to dodge that just in time, by jumping to the side. After rolling for a few seconds, she quickly recollected herself and lit up her horn.

"GET AWAY!"

She didn't even know where that thing was. In a burst of panic, Chrysalis used the remnants of her magic, grabbed everething she with her telekinetic grip and threw it in all directions around her. After that, she continued to run towards the light, adrenalin rushing through her entire body.

"I can't let it catch me. Not when I'm so close!"

Every single bit of her energy, Chrysalis put in this last push towards the town. For some reason, she felt that thing wouldn't follow her to the crowded area. Even if she was going to get captured, it was still better than staying in this accursed forest. It was still a better fate...

Her head hurt like Tartarus. Her breath was a mess. Her eyes were watery.

Chrysalis was in fear.

...

Why?

"Boris, I already told you that we need her alive. If I didnt stop you you would have left nothing but a pile of mushy substance from her"

It escaped.

"I know, I know, but worry not. She seems to be heading towards the nearby settlement... However, the locals are quite different from our subject. Perhaps, there are several tribes inhabiting this world. Most curious."

What now?

"..Aren't even goung to ask me how I know all that?"

No point.

"And that, my friend, is exactly why I simply love working with you. Well then, I highly suggest that you come back. We haven't run any diagnostics sinc eyou left. I wouldn't want to miss out in this data."

Got it.

"See you soon!"

...

Berserker stood up, with a somewhat loud metal noice, die to his 'skin' being damaged here and there. It wasn't problematic, though. Other than that, he didn't sustain any damage. As Berserker was about to get going, he froze in his place.

I wasted a lot of time.

He paused for a few seconds.

For nothing?

His monitor flickered, as his hands twitched.

All this time, all this progress... Just to let that bug escape? Is this a [GARBAGE] joke?

Slowly, Berserker's hands found their way towards his metal head. He breathed heavily, as his mind begun to boil.

This entire [FUCKING] time, that I could've spent to myself, I had to waste for nothing?! Just to hear his [PATHETIC] voice tell me to retreat?!

Finally, Berserker growled and, after winding up, slaed down onto the ground with his hands. As he slightly opened his jaws, a small amount of steam left his body. Berserker couldn't keep his composure anymore. He had to blow off some steam, or else...

Despite the order, he stood up and slowly turned towards the direction where the bug has escaped. He didn't care about the objective anymore. Berserker slowly lowered his torso to the ground, like an animal preparing to pounce, as he prepared to chase it again, this time with all of his speed.

After tensing all of his muscles, he-

"Not. A. Step. Further."

Instantly, Berserker froze in his place. The entirety of his body felt as if it became hundreds of times heavier. He couldn't move a single muscle, as the words echoed in his head, resonating with his very Soul. Slowly, Berserker got back up, as he obediently turned around and slowly begun to walk.

He was the very thing most people, and not only humans feared. Berserker was the strongest being alive, and yet, right now, he felt as if all of his strength got siphoned away from him. Only 4 times before, has he experienced this feeling. he didn't want to admit it, but...

Berserker was in fear.

Author's Note

You should watch No Guns Life!!!!!

Contact.

Twilight moved through her library like a whirlwind, still in her scientist coat. Obviously, this would lead to her house being turned into the dumpster, if it wasn't for Spike, who did his best to keep up with her. Usually, he'd stop and calm her, but this time was different. Too much has happened too quick, and Twilight was the one to take the burden.

First of all, it turned out that the creatures that appeared in the Everfree Forest had Umbra in their bodies. Not much is known about this matter, other than the fact that it's directly connected to Sombra and his dark magic. So, obviously, there is a high chance that those creatures could turn out to be one of his constructs. Every scientist and Twilight truly wanted to believe that this is just a theory...

Second this that has happened, was Chrysalis arriving at Ponyville to... Surrender. This in itself is an absolutely unexpected. However, her wounds and her story only added more questions and concerns. According to her words, she had already managed to meet those creatures, residing in the Everfree. Chrysalis agreed to share her information, only if in return, ponies agreed to give her some love to recover (No matter how weird or wholesome it may sound). Well, what she shared was quite alarming. Even though Chrysalis met only two of them, it was enough to make her resort to surrendering herself.

First of all, their appearance. They are biped creatures, mostly without fur or hair. They wear lots of clothes, as well as accessories. Chrysalis was pretty sure that those two were soldiers, as one of them seemed to carry something resembling a weapon. It was way too complicated for Chrysalis to describe, but she was sure that it wasn't some kind of a trinket.

Now, moving into the other known information, these species possess high amounts of intelligence. Not only because they are able to construct complex weapons (Once again, just a theory), but also because they are able to communicate with each other using language. Yes, an actual language. Chrysalis was clearly able to hear them talking to each other.

..now, onto the other disturbing news, apart from their species advancements in the weaponry.

At the mere thought of the second individual, Chrysalis's attitude changed during the interrogation. Still, she did manage to say that, quote:

"That thing... It's not even comparable to a minotaur, dragon or a Timberwolf"

..and THIS, was just enough for Twilight to understand just how STRONG those species can get.

So, what was she doing right now exactly? Collecting information about all biped creatures ever recorded in Equestria. Even though those were absolutely new species, there is a good chance that there could be something, ANYTHING, about those. So far, Twilight was able to find around 4 scrolls and 2 books... Not as much as she'd like to have, but better than nothing. Finally, Twilight made a sharp turn towards her basement and galloped inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

Spike meanwhile, looked around and sighed, as he realized that despite his best efforts, the library was a mess "Well... Guess that's another several hours wasted"

With that being said, the dragon begun to pick up the fallen books and papers. Afterwsrds, he'd have to deal with the dust and make some food for Twilight and scientists (they all tend to forget to eat). As he begun to carefully place the books back in place, Spike noticed a faint glint beneath the sofa.

"..Must have fallen out of Twilight's coat?"

After quickly rearranging the books and placing the documents onto the table, Spike approached the sofa and looked underneath it. Apart from quite a large amount of dust here, there also was a small flask with something inside of it. Obviously, Spike tried to reach for it and succeeded. After holding it up however, Spike shook in his place, as he realized what it was.

"O-Oh geez..."

Spike was holding the very flask Twilight was terrified about. It was a small amount of blood from one of those mysterious creatures living in the Everfree. No matter how tough Spike wanted to look for others, he couldn't look at blood without getting shivers up his spine. He averted his gaze towards the door leading into the basement, as he begun to make his way towards it.

'I should really give it back to them... I mean, they will probably freak out if they find our that it was lost, but it's way better than not telling them, right?'

Spike placed his claws on the doorknob. As he was about to turn it and walk inside however, he overheard the nervous voices of the scientists and Twilight. Spike couldn't make most of it out, but they all seemed to be in stress. Literally any disturbance could cause them to completely lose it and... Something bad might happen. Spike felt it in his gut, so he quietly closed the door and clenched the vial in his arm. He walked away from the basement, as he nervously smiled.

"I'm... Better off going out to get some snacks for myself. Yeah..."

With that, Spike was about to leave the vial on the table and leave... However, he facepalmed and instantly turned around to make his way back to the basement.

Yes, Twilight and scientists WILL freak out. Yes, they MIGHT argue with each other... But in the end, nothing bad has happened, yes? They are all grown ups after all and eventually, they will go back to working. And besides, Spike didn't want to be the culprit to whatever could happen if that vial got destroyed.

Finally, the dragon opened the door to the basement and entered it, preparing to hear lots of yells and groans.

"Alright, that should be it"

The Survivalist threw the bag over his shoulder, as he huffed quietly at it's weight. After glancing back over at it, he approached the rest of the group. It was early in the morning, and naturally people would be sleepy. Well, everyone but Lazarus and Berserker, obviously. They decided to leave so early in order to have more daytime on their hands. Everyone was already packed and ready to leave their temporary camp. The only one without a backpack was the Artillerist, due to the fact that he would have to go further ahead to scout the area... And of course because of his size.

"OK, I made sure that we are good to go! All the fire is out, chemicals are either packed or disposed of and all the food that we had is with me" He pointed towards his bag. "Anything else before we set off?"

Lazarus stared at the place they once called 'A camp'. They made sure to destroy the buildings they've made throughout their stay here. Now, the only trace of them being here were the absent patches of grass and perhaps a missing tree here or there. They've managed to do all this in a matter of 2 days, including packing up and destroying the said chemicals.

Lazarus shook his head at Survivalist's question "No, let us proceed with our trip" he turned around and begun to walk. Naturally, everyone started to follow him.

Artillerist rubbed his backhead, as he raised his eyebrow "So... When do I have to, you know, go forward to scout?" he was eager to make himself useful. After all, Artillerist didn't like being the only one without the task. It made him feel useless.

Lazarus simply shrugged "Not now for sure"

"...Riiight" Artillerist groaned and crossed arms on his chest.

As the group was walking, noone tried to stir a conversation. They were moving in complete silence, with the only exception being occasional bird singing above them or a branch snapping. One could even describe this trip as serene. Matter of fact, the entire time they've been here was relatively peaceful, compared to what they had to go through during their stay as the agents... Well, they still ARE agents. It's just that they aren't under the management command for now. And so, they've been walking like that for around 2 hours, untill Lazarus hummed and stopped moving, as he stared nowhere in particular. Everyone else did the same, except for the staring.

Artillerist approached their leader and looked around, as if trying to find the source of Lazarus's pondering "Well?"

Lazarus rubbed his beard and narrowed his eyes slightly "Yes, Alexander. Well indeed" he then pointed forward with his thumb.

Artillerist was baffled by the mention of his name and a weird statement alike "Wh-" as everyone stared forward however, their gazes were met with an actual well. It was old, with its stone walls being covered with moss and its rope being barely recognizable. Yet, it was definitely a well, which means that someone had to make it.

While Artillerist was staring at the well, Lazarus snapped with his fingers "Roman, what will you say?"

Riskrunner tapped on his cannon, as he approached the well and examined it "Mm... 'Tis thing's t' least 60 years old, doc." he then tore some moss off and made direct contact with the stone "The structure's funky... It shouldn't be possible t' stay intact. These are jus' stones put togeth'r with nothin' t' keep' 'em t'gether" he was right. These weren't even bricks or carved stones. Just some rocks placed on top of each other with seemingly nothing but magic holding the structure intact.

Lazarus approached the well, as he was still rubbing his beard "Nothing is keeping the stones together you say?" he then put his hand onto the stone.

Survivalist tilted his head "Shouldn't that mean that there is a civilization nearby? I mean, who would build a well somewhere in the middle of a forest, yes?"

Riskrunner nodded "Yes, yes! Dat means we're gettin' closer 'n closer t' the civilization!"

Artillerist snorted "Yeah, and what makes you think that they aren't hostile or at least can speak our language?"

Riskrunner glanced towards the Artillerist and snorted "Remember 'dat incident with ma hand?"

Artillerist rolled his eyes "Oh please, don't be so smug! If others are as hostile as the one you met back then, then we are in trouble!" he then poked Riskrunner in his formerly detached arm "Dunno about you, but I'm not all that happy about losing my limbs"

Riskrunner groaned and grabbed the Artillerist into a chokehold. Obviously, he was way stronger than his target, so poor gunslinger could only kick and yell at him. Survivalist was quick to come to his aid, as he tried to release the Artillerist from the grasp of a laughing Riskrunner. Obviously, the commotion was way too loud.

Meanwhile, Lazarus removed his hand from the well. His usual weak smile was replaced with a somewhat concerned face "Most curious..." he then raised his arm and stared at it for a few moments, before looking to his left. Berserker noticed this weird behavior, but as always, decided to keep to himself.

Lazarus snapped his fingers, instantly grabbing the attention of everyone around "Artillerist." the then simply pointed to his left. Riskrunner let the young man go, as he rubbed his back head. Meanwhile, Artillerist, after quickly dusting himself off, rushed in the direction pointed out for him.

Survivalist followed his comrade with his eyes for a few moments, before looking at their leader "Uhm, sir? Did you find something out?"

Lazarus rubbed his beard, as if thinking about something "..I'm not sure." he sighed, as he looked at the well again "Nonetheless, I think that I got the lead. I will explain everything on the way" and with that, he simply begun to walk where the Artillerist had left a few moments ago.

While Berserker simply followed him, the Survivalist was clearly confused. Never before had he heard that Lazarus 'isn't sure' about something. Still, just like everyone else, Survivalist begun to follow him, several questions brewing up in his head already. Those would be asked in the future, however.

As they were walking through the forest, Riskrunner was the first to speak up "So... Guess 'dat wasn't an ordinary well?" he found it harder to walk through the thickets due to him carrying his weapon around.

Lazarus nodded, as he raised his arm slightly once again "Indeed. Since you said that it wasn't held together by anything in particular, I wanted to try and figure out what could possibly keep it intact." he then clenched his hand into a fist slowly, as he turned his head to face the people following him "So, I tried to check whether it had some energy within it. As you could have guessed, I was correct." Lazarus tapped his head with his finger and hummed "But it's way different from Occult Sorcery. You could say it's more... Harmonized? I will have to look into it in the future." he then focused his gaze back on the way "For now, let us proceed with our trip"

And that they did. Each of them had something of their own on their minds. Riskrunner was thinking about their destination. Lazarus had curiosity about the newfound energy stuck in his head. Survivalist had even more questions than before. And Berserker? Well, nothing. Silence took it's place once again... That was so, untill some time later, the talkie walkies on the waists of each Agent didn't come to life. Everyone but Lazarus turned them off.

The leader took the device in his hand and placed a finger on one of the buttons "Artillerist, repeat."

Several mushed noices later, the voice of Artillerist could be made out "KRR-ation! There is- KRRR-ne!"

Lazarus hummed and pressed the button again "Artillerist, repeat everything slowly"

For a few seconds, there was no response from the scout of the team, as if he was thinking about forming a propper sentence. Then his voice, much clearer now, spoke up again "KRR-azarus was right. After I went forward I begun to notice that the area seemed to be a bit lighter. Then- KRR- ctually stumbled onto a house! A weird one but let's not talk about it. There was also a path leading somewhere, and-"

Riskrunner suddenly took out his talkie walkie and begun talking "Just tell us what you saw matey!" he sighed and put the device away, for real now.

Lazarus stared back at the Riskrunner and locked his eyes with him for a moment. The guy seemed to sweat a bit from it, as he averted his gaze. Then, the leader looked back forward and begun to talk "I suppose that you could skip the unnecessary details."

The Artillerist was quick to respond "Right uh, there is something like a small town here. There are no people walking around right now, but I'm more than sure that it's inhabited."

Riskrunner and Suevivalist widened their eyes, as they stared at each other and then directly at Lazarus. It seemed that whatever his theory was, it turned out to be correct.

Lazarus simply nodded approvingly and spoke "We are going to your location now. Start moving in our direction."

"Got it."

As the talkie walkie stopped making any noices, Lazarus hummed and stared at it for a few seconds. Then, after putting it away, he turned around to face his team "I suppose that I don't need to remind you about the need of caution?"

Everyone, even the Berserker, silently nodded. They've has several experiences with meeting the inhabitants of another planet. Some were hostile, some were neutral and very few were actually friendly. However, never before have they stumbled upon a civilization... Which was weird, now that Survivalist thought about it. How could Lazarus possibly know that this world in particular had one? They did meet that hostile one however and since it could talk, one could make assumptions...

Lazarus interrupted the flow of his thoughts, and clapped his hands together "Gentlemen, prepare yourselves!" he made that smug smile that was constantly on his face and put his arms behind his back "It is time to finally make a first contact with another civilization."

Author's Note

It took way too long for me to write it. Thank you for waiting and reading!