A tapestry of sparkling stars adorned the heavens across the night sky. Said stars resemble a myriad of glistening diamonds. Some stars shone with such clarity that they were almost tangible, while others remained hidden behind a thick veil of clouds. The moon, resplendent and silver, cast its luminous glow upon the island, as if it were a celestial spotlight.

The branches creaked in harmony amidst the gentle sway of the trees with the wind that whispers from all directions. Occasional breezes would rustle the leaves, only to subside once more. Leaving behind scattered twigs as a subtle reminder of their presence. Standing in line with a huge group of employees of different species, a dark green unicorn named Cabbage York, glanced up with nervous eyes.

Cabbage York watched the crane bring forth a large metal container as it drove forward bulldozing through the trees. An impressive-looking paddock enters into view. Shouts of orders sounded in the air as the metal container came forward.

“Everypony, heads up! Heads up! Keep it clear! Stand back!” One of the unicorn workers shouted, waving their arms for the others to move.

“Bring it forward. Come on! Slow it down!” Another worker shouted as the steel box was lowered onto the hard ground, close to the enclosure.

“Ándale! Si! Cuidado! A ver, tráiganla, tráiganla! Vamos con la segunda!” Another worker, who was a tall Minotaur with a left arm ancient shark tattoo, called out in spanish.

“Confirmada la segunda!” A third Minotaur worker responded as Cabbage watched the crew move around in their respective positions, checking the paddock gate for any sign of trouble.

“Vamanos,” another worker shouted.

A deep purr rumbled in the steel box. The sound filled the empty paddock, as everyone worked to ensure everything was in place. Finally, everything was in check.

Standing seven feet away from the paddock among all the workers stood a mare pegasus. She possessed a brown coat, complemented by dark blue eyes, and is a young, attractive mare. She has noticeably large bosoms with a long, black mane that is kept in her hat, with one lock of said mane hanging right across her face. She sports glossy nude black lipstick while donning her crimson uniform, with a matching hat. She wore gray pants and her legs were encased with black knee-length boots that were high-heeled.

No one among this line of work knew her true identity. For now, everypony refers to her by her code name: Madam Beta. Beta turned her waist to the side, staring at the three workers standing behind her.

“Alright you maggots, move in there!” Beta commanded, pointing at the paddock.

The workers shouted orders in Spanish whilst the loading team approached the cage.

“Make sure those tasers are on full charge!” Beta added, narrowing her eyes at them.

Cabbage stood alongside the loading team as they grabbed the cage together. The second his hand made contact with the bars, a high demonic shriek frightened him and the other stallions away. The cage shook violently, as if something banged it with great force.

Cabbage stood where he was and stared at the paddock with wide eyes. His heart rapidly beating out of his rib cage. His chest rose and fell with each breath. He doesn’t know what could possibly be inside the cage but it was terrifying, and he hoped to Celestia he wasn’t around if it ever found a way to escape.

“Go on. Step back in.” Beta instructed. “And push!”

The workers push the cage into the paddock entrance. An electronic beep buzzes, notifying everypony in proximity that it was interlocked. Beta nodded in approval to their work.

“Good, good.” Beta shifted her gaze to the loading team. She internally commands them to back away by jabbing her head back, thus they complied and backed away. Beta then turned to Cabbage. “. Gatekeeper, get to it!”

Cabbage turned to face her and briefly saluted.

“Y-Yes ma’am!” He complied, rolling his body around and started towards the ladder.

Cabbage began ascending up to the ladder. When he started climbing up, he felt a chill run down his spine as he heard a deep snarl from within the cage. Inside the paddock, the creature was watching. Cabbage could feel it.

Beta lifted his head up. “Rookie, raise the gate!”

Cabbage stared down at the paddock beneath his boots. He could feel his legs begin to shake uncontrollably, his trousers flapping like flags. He was frightened. He didn’t want to be here. Alone among all the workers, Cabbage knew what an attack from monsters akin to this was like. He knew what happened to some of the employees here. He had seen the mangled bodies that resulted from said attack. He could picture it in his mind. And this monster was here! Encased inside of this paddock!

Oh Celestia, Cabbage thought.

When the creature shrieked it was terrifying, a scream from some other world. A scream rose in Cabbages’ throat, a knee jerk reaction but he smothered it behind his hand. He almost screamed like a little filly. He was simultaneously embarrassed and terrified. But he knew he had to get his job done, he can’t just stand here for too long. The sooner he finishes his task, the sooner he can get out of here and hopefully not come back.

Cabbage took a deep breath, finding solace in thoughts of his wife and children. The image of his daughter's smile and the warmth of their home brought him peace. A sense of calm washed over him, as if it had been a long time since he felt at ease. The sound of his son's laughter echoed in his ears, filling him with a sense of security. The laughter of his wife, the scent of her perfume, and the joyous laughter of his children filled him with happiness.

He felt happy at that moment. Happy to go back to them once this was—

A sudden shriek pulled Cabbage out of his thoughts. The container abruptly shoved backwards causing Cabbage to lose balance and fall hard face first onto the ground. The air from his lungs was knocked out of him as his face cracked against the gravel below.

His ears rang, while pain shot through his body, causing a groan of dismay to escape his lips. He tried to pull himself up but then he felt his feet wrenched and forcefully dragged from said ground. One of the Minotaurs, code name Dex, immediately runs to Cabbage’s aid.

“Block the opening! Don't let it get out!” Dex shouted. Both Minotaur and earth-pony workers followed his order as they held their spear-like tasers and aimed towards the metal gate.

Cabbage screamed as he reached for a curved thin bar for dear life but then a sudden force pulled him violently closer into the cage. Tasers proceeded to discharge through the bars of the cage. Each shot hit the creature’s tough skin, causing sparks to fly. But to every-pony’s shock, it wasn’t affected at all. The creature shrieked horrifically, shaking those who surrounded its paddock to their very core. it was almost deafening, its shriek was so loud that it reverberated off the walls of the cage.

Dex gritted his teeth. Trying desperately with all his might to pry Cabbage free from the brute grasp of the creature’s grip, but to no avail. He briefly glanced over at Beta, internally pleading for assistance. He blinked in surprise when not only did she not come to his aid, but he saw that Beta was the only pony among the hurrying workers unaffected by the chaos. She simply stood rooted where she was with her arms folded.

The workers continued tasing the creature through the peep holes. When the tasers didn’t do much damage, some of the unicorns lit up their horns with magic and blasted the monster inside with powerful beams. But no matter how much effort they put into said bemas, it didn’t make a difference.

“Somebody help him!” One of the workers shouted, trying vainly to hold back the creature.

“Come on, boys! Work her back! Work her back!” Dex yelled to another worker who stepped forward and pressed the end of his baton against the back of the creature’s neck through the bars. The workers continued tasering the creature, which in that moment looks Dex in the eye.

Dex and the monster eyed at each other. The
creature’s reptilian eyes stared deep into Dexs—eyes that glowed a bright yellow. The creature snarled in protest, releasing some guttural growls as it did so. It refused to let its prey go. One last pull to ensure its prey won’t escape. Dex’s arms strained to keep a tight hold around Cabbage’s arm. Cabbage groans in pain as the creature slowly pulls him closer.

“D-Dex, let go!” Cabbage strained.

“No!” Dex cried.

His grip around Cabbage's arm was slipping.

“Don’t let go!” He shouted, desperation ringing loud and clear in his voice.

The earth ponies proceeded to fire magical beams through the cage. But it didn’t matter. Cabbage found himself yanked away from Robert, his eyes meeting the creature’s own.

“No!” Dex yelled as the creature opened its jaws wide, revealing a set of serrated teeth.

The creature shot forward and snatched Cabbage’s throat in its jaws. It tightened its grip, cutting off his air supply. The monster shook him violently from side-to-side, ripping the flesh from his neck apart akin to tissue. Hot blood ran down Cabbage’s torso and the creature let go of him. Cabbage fell on his back whilst screaming, and a fiery pain flared throughout his body as claws sliced across his stomach.

The creature growled indifferently while Cabbage shrieked and pounded its face with his fist. Trying to dislodge it with all his strength. But the creature wouldn’t budge, instead keeping Cabbage pinned to the ground, its weight crushing him further in its massive form.

Cabbage hands clawed at the ground as blood poured out between his fingers. As though the world was becoming distant, he can barely hear Dex shouting his name or the workers screaming and shouting at one another. In Cabbage’s last fleeting moment of consciousness he watched the creature dug its claws into his abdomen and tug out coils of intestine.

His vision blurred and dark spots danced in front of his eyes as the monster started to eat him. His own horrendous death rattle was the last thing he felt before life fled from his shell of a body.

The world became distant and fuzzy as everything was engulfed in darkness.

Leaned against the railing of the catwalk stood a black Minotaur named Djunnarak Gloryhide. He wore a long white overcoat with encased formal gloves shoved into his pockets, and black jeans. He was blind on his left eye while adorning an old scar over it. Djunnark watched both of his workers and soldiers work on the levitation steel parts of the portal. Earth ponies in uniforms were welding steel in place, shouting at each other over the din of the generators.

Djunnark smiled at the sight. He felt like the father of this monstrous machine. From a series of blueprint sketches, he had watched it evolve into the temple of advanced technology that stood before him.

Despite the catastrophic misfire that had destroyed the prototype two years ago, he was determined to witness the portal in all its operational magnificence. He believed that the portal would be the initial step towards the core of pony-kind's evolution; if only he could get it functioning again in time.

Standing on Djunnark’s left was Court, his second in command and anthropomorphic spider monkey. To Djunnark’s right was his chief scientist Morida, a tall anthropomorphic gorilla. Morida checked tallies on his clipboard and stared at the portal.

“How much longer until the portal has enough energy for a test fire?” Djunnark asked.

Morida scratched his pencil across the clipboard.

“We should have it ready in five to six days,” Morida replied. “If nothing goes wrong this time.”

Djunnark hummed with a nod. He didn’t mind waiting that long. If there was one thing he was known to all of his acquaintances, is that he’s a patient man. As long as there was no-pony to interfere with his work, he could wait.

“See to it then, Dr. Morida.” Djunnark said.

Morida nodded and walked past Djunnark and Court. Djunnark watched Morida scampered down the stairs to a console to the front of the portal. He glanced to his right and noticed Court narrowing his eyes forward into space.

“Court, whatever is the matter?” Djunnark asked, raising a brow at him. “You should be merry; we’re six days away from completing a decade-long project.”

Court briefly glanced at Djunnark before shifting his gaze forward again.

“It’s Agent Bon Bon, sir,” Court replied.” She’s sticking her nose in where they don’t belong.”

Djunnark nodded. “Ah, yes, yes. I remember her. If I recall correctly, she gave you quite a bit of trouble back at your last assignment?”

“Yes, but nothing for me to be too concerned with. At first I thought she was nothing more than an average agent, just like all the others I’ve killed with ease,” Court said, rubbing his hand over his arm-length from where the mare cut him. “But that lowly vermin proved me wrong.”

Court bawled his fist tightly.

“I was also hoping you’d allow me to go out, so I can find her and rip her apart piece by piece.” He snarled with sheer contempt.

Djunnark chuckled while shaking his head.

“That won’t be necessary, Court.” Djunnark placed his hand on Court’s shoulder. “I can’t have you off on a wild goose chase; you are just as much too valuable as Beta. Besides, I need you and Beta to man the defensive perimeter. As for Agent Bon Bon, she’s nothing more than an atom seed beneath our boots. The only ones we should be wary of are the three princesses.”

Court glanced at Djunnark with an arched brow. “Even the new princess?”

A smirk graced Djunnark’s lips.

“Well, she’s the exception; sure, she’s an alicorn now, but she’s more of a greenie while Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance are very well experienced when it comes to the art of battle,” he explained. “That naive princess of friendship has very little experience in fighting, which will give us the homing advantage for future opportunities.”

“I see…” Acknowledged Court. He turned to leave, starting towards the stairs.

“Court,” Djunnark called.

Court glanced over his shoulder. Djunnark narrowed his eyes at him with a grin.

“Head over to the laboratory. Tell the doctors to have our specimens ready when the time is ripe.”

Court nodded and walked down the stairs. Djunnark turned and held a kite-shaped piece of armor in front of his face. He hummed as he studied the object’s silhouette against the light.

The crystal empire shield insignia was stained with blood.

Author's Note

And that’s chapter 4 my little shimmerings! Now, some of you might be thinking that these chapters are a bit short. Which I’m well aware of. Doing the massive long-man chapters can be nice, but it can drain you, and I can attest to this as well. So in this case, i’m going to try for shorter chapters that go anywhere from 1-3k in words. I’ll be going now. I hope you all have a wonderful day or night wherever you are!

See you all in the next chapter, my little shimmerings!