The Extermination Design

by FrancisTheBoatGuy

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Royal Guard, Profanity, Adventure, Violence, Human, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Other
Length: 11347

A human from an Earth overrun by parasites is thrust into Equestria during an attempt to put an end to said parasites. Join Artemis as she tries to counter the infestation in a land of magical ponies and maybe get some therapy along the way!

Earth has been overrun by freakish creatures called parasites. An experiment went wrong caused an intestinal worm to rapidly evolve into the first of these parasite, and they have only multiplied since. They took over a large part of the United States, and in an attempt to eradicate them, Russia nuked that side of the US. Not only did this not get rid of the infestation, it started a full on WWIII. Most of the world's population was either killed by the war or the parasites, leaving only a few thousand remaining. The only ones left are those who learnt to survive. They call themselves... Exterminators!

An exterminator, who goes by the alias Artemis, is on an mission to end this invasion. It was discovered by her and a group of other exterminators, who call themselves the Olympians, that the parasites can't reproduce on their own, and if the heart is destroyed, they will have no way to live. Unfortunately all that have tried to destroy it have disappeared. Artemis is no exeption to this, as she is dragged into another world by the sheer power of the heart, and the parasites come with.

(I wanted to try writing a proper story for once. This is also more or less just to help me improve my writing)

(Using an AI cover until I get time to draw something myself or someone draws something for me)

Published 2024-12-04 08:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-12-30 14:24:56 UTC

Prologue: Thrust into the Unknown

My feet fly underneath me as the sounds of creatures clambering behind me grows closer. The wind whistles in my ears and causes my cloak to billow behind me. A pungent smell fills the air as I get closer to my goal. A deep, rhythmic thumping sound fills the air and my brain throbs with each beat. I can feel sharp stones being crushed by my heavy boots and the air has an indescribable thickness to it.

My pursuers won’t let up no matter how fast I run, and my heart feels as though it has the density of tungsten. I won’t be able to keep this distance much longer. Many dead trees go past in a blur during my mad dash. I grab hold of one and scramble up it as quickly as possible. Just as I get myself propped up on a branch, a pack of dark creatures shoot past. I hold my breath until I can’t hear them anymore, and then a bit after that too.

“Are you still with us Artemis!” The communication device in my ear blares, finally breaking my trance.

“Still kicking.” My voice comes out of my mouth before I can even start thinking again. “I was able to climb up a tree and they ran past.”

The voice on the other side starts recapping me on my mission but I can barely hear him over my laboured breathing and even if I could, I wouldn’t listen. The resonant beating in the distance makes my eyes sting and my body shake. After a moment, I notice that my friend has stopped speaking.

“Copy that, Hermes.” I reply, assuming he’s done.

“You don’t have to do this V; you can still turn back now.” A touch of concern now in the voice.

“It has to end… and you know giving up isn’t really my style, I am the God of the Hunt after all.”

“We can call ourselves Gods all we want, that doesn’t make us immortal.”

“I’ve got this Michael… signing out.” And with that I click my earpiece off.

I take a few more moments to catch my breath before sliding down the tree. I can see the glow of the heart from here. All sorts of weapons adorn my figure, from hunting knives to bows, from poisons to explosives. Something is bound to work.

I slip through the forest and as I get closer to the heart of the infestation. A giant bulbous growth about the size of a standard two-story house and glowing an unnatural light blue. It resides in the ruins of the hospital laboratory where it was created. An unlucky accident that involved a doctor trying to create a more effective cure to intestinal worms and accidentally mutating it into, that. I don’t really know the details; the news reports were more focused on the subsequent bombing.

The bulbous growth had latched onto its creator, killing him. A fitting death I suppose.

“The Parasitic Heart” as it was dubbed, started absorbing any animals who touched it. After absorbing the poor victim, it spat them out as horrifically disfigured creatures. They come in 26 different forms, all disturbing and deadly in their own right. Long story short, the few thousand humans remaining on this lonely planet, fight for survival every single day.

Many have tried to kill the heart, obviously those didn’t turn out so well. The corpses of those brave soldiers were never found.

I finally arrive at the ruins in which it calls home. There are dark blue vines snaking around the walls all leading towards the centre. The air felt difficult to breathe in and the halls are unnaturally dark, considering the holes in the ceiling and the fact that it was midday. It is almost as if the void is not merely the absence of light but instead some viscous liquid filling my lungs. The beating of the heart is almost unbearable this close, and agonising rhythm that brings pain with each thump. My body is on fire, and I can only drag my legs behind me now. There are no parasites this close to the epicentre of this awful reality. Small blessings and all that.

What would have been a short walk before this place was overtaken, turned into an Odyssey of its own. The corridors holding a resemblance to a Labrinth. I can see my life slowly flashing before my eyes. Doesn’t that only happen to people when they’re about to die. I’m not going to die; I refuse to die. I am so close.

The entrance to the once pristine laboratory is now the polar opposite. There is the muck of years of gathered neglect adorning the passage, as well as some goop that can’t be described with any existing words. I walk through the gates of Hell to finally appreciate the heart in all its terrible glory.

It lords over me and feels even bigger than its already enormous size. Around it is seven white cracks that glow with the same glow as the growth in the centre of the room.

“Seven. That’s the same amount of people who have tried to take this thing down. I wonder what that number means” I don’t even realise that I’m speaking aloud. My head just hurts so bad.

I remember my goal and get ready to take the final strike. I fumble around a moment to try and find an appropriate weapon. I decide on my bow an arrow, it has served me well so far. It should be the one to take this horrific beast down.

I wind up my bow, arrow stretched back as far as it will go. Just as I’m about to take my shot, my last semblance concentration wavers, the arrow falls from my grip. It lies on the floor, useless. The beating of the parasitic heart has increased in frequency, and it started glowing brighter. I try to regain my focus. Light fills my vision.

And then it all went black.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading my first chapter, it makes me very happy!

This is being written to help me improve my writing skills. Idk if I will continue the story. How about this, I'll do one of those YouTuber sub goals. If a whole 10 people like this I'll continue writing. Is that too ambitious, idk.

Any advice you have or any written mistakes you find I would like to know. Drop a comment if you do have literally anything to share.

Once again, thank you for reading! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter 1: Encounters

My eyes crack open just the slightest amount. A sliver of light pierces through, making my headache surge. After a few seconds of suffering I’m able to get my eye open and take in my surroundings. Rather than the decrepit ruins of an abandoned shelter, I am greeted with the sight of a serene forest. I stand up from my lying position to get a better look around. I’m in a clearing of a densely packed forest full of strange and unknown flora. Faintly glowing blue tendrils snake across the forest floor, trees covered in blood red leaves with bright orange flowers coming off the sides, and when I gaze deeper into the bushes, I can see a Venus flytrap with a mouth the size of a person.

“Hermes, do you copy?” I say to my communications device. Silence. “Hermes?” More Silence. “Michael?” How far away am I. I would have to be hundreds of kilometres away for my radio signal to be shot. Well, so much for getting help from base camp. I keep my earpiece in, just in case.

“Standing here is just gonna get me killed.” I say to myself. I’ve been talking to myself ever since the start of the end of the world, it has kept me sane if not making me look a bit loony.

I promptly set off in the opposite direction to where I saw the humongous flytrap and go over the basic survival checklist. “The air seems safe to breathe—at least I’m not dead yet.” They hammered the ‘rule of threes’ to us in extermination bootcamp. You never know when you might need to survive without outside support. “I’ve got food rations, but my water won’t last. And I should definitely build a shelter.”

I trot through the foliage, keeping my senses sharp for any signs of danger. The air smells fresher than anything I’ve ever smelt before; it even tastes better. There are even birds singing, a rare occurrence in the deadly landscape of Earth. The colours here seem… brighter. No that’s not right, more like there is a larger variety. Along with the usual greens, there are plenty of reds, oranges, blues, and even purples. A colour so rare in nature that royalty used to wear it to show off how rich they were. “Too bad anyone who could actually appreciate this is already dead. Must have been caused by radiation.” I don’t have a radiation suit with me so if that is the case, I’m screwed.

My ears prick. Flowing water. I speed up my pace just slightly, still trying not to make any noise louder than my own voice, but also trying to get to my bounty as soon as possible. I’m soon greeted with the relaxing sight of a pristine river. The water is so clear it feels almost unreal. I cup my hands to drink before flinching back.

“There’s no need to be an idiot; just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it is.” I state as I pull a safety straw from a pocket on the inside of my cloak. Even with the subtle hints of charcoal from the purification, it is the most delicious water I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking. I sit there for a few minutes just indulging before an unholy stench hits me. It’s unmistakeable.

I quickly scale one of the largest and sturdiest looking trees before curling up between the trunk and a large branch. I have a perfect eyeline on the floor. I hear crashing and destruction slowly making its way up to me. The ground trembles as it crashes into view, its massive form lumbering toward the river. A creature about the size of a horse but built more like an Ankylosaurus shows its ugly face. It’s covered in sharp armoured scales and between those I can see exposed, convulsing blue veins. A parasite.

“Don’t panic.” My training about how to deal with stress comes to mind. Go over what you already know. “That is parasite W, the Wrecking Ball: deaf, anosmic, and relentless. It charges at movement, flattening everything in its path. Do not engage!” I gag back the bile in my mouth, the scent overwhelming. Every time it moves, I can hear a scraping sound as its thick armour shifts.

As the creature wobbles away, flattening bushes and knocking over smaller trees. With the immediate threat gone, I finally become aware of my pounding heart. It’s as if I was just snapped out of a fever dream. I felt so safe in this serene place I almost forgot about the state of the world. Suddenly the colourful trees don’t feel so friendly, and the glowing blue plants remind me of the parasitic heart.

The bubble finally burst, and I got a whole new sense of displacement. Above the fading smell of the parasite I can smell the fetid aroma of poisonous plants and can hear every small movement in the brush. I can feel vomit rising to my throat and betrayal coursing from the once peaceful wilderness. “Never trust nature, it isn’t on your side.” The final lesson I was taught during my training.

I hang onto the tree like a lifeline. I start to feel all the walking I did to get to this river, and before that get to the heart. I need to rest, but resting without a shelter is plain stupid. I will not make any more mistakes today. I slowly make my way down the tree and look for sturdy fallen branches. Conveniently, the Wrecking Ball left plenty of sturdy branches scattered across the forest floor. Before long I had a rough shelter in my tree. I drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

I slowly wake up to a sore back, a still throbbing headache, and a rumbling stomach. I glance at the Sun, creeping its way up the sky towards its Zenith. The forest is alive with movement, bushes shift and rattle, birds make their voices known.

“Did I sleep the who night; I must have been more tired than I realised.” I yawn to myself. I take in a deep breath of the cool morning air before looking over the edge of my platform. A sudden pang of hunger hits me, and I stumble slightly over the edge, my feet just keeping me locked on. “I should keep my protein bars just in case. I’m in a forest, how hard could it be to find something edible.”

I jump from tree to tree in search of food, the most dangerous creatures stay on the ground. I’m once again taken by the diversity of this alien looking forest. Even with the looming sense of dread, it is still a sight to behold. I stay away from brightly coloured trees, if nature documentaries have taught me anything, it’s that those are poisonous. For a forest this lush, there are far too few critters lurking about. It’s as if they’re all in perpetual hiding, as if a predator would kill them if they so much as showed a whisker or feather.

“I guess that’s accurate. If I see one, it will have an arrow through its leg before it can even blink.” I manoeuvre my way through the branches for an hour before I hear a noise that isn’t non-existent birds chirping. It’s moving rather recklessly, not too concerned about the noise its making. That will be its downfall.

I position myself above the creature and draw back my bow. I can’t see much of its appearance other than the fact that is quadrupedal and is covered in brown fur.

‘TWACK’

The arrow lands cleanly in the creature’s back thigh and it stumbles forward. I’m in full hunter mode now and jump on to its back. I swear I hear a shout and a scream, but my ears are no longer listening. Raise my hand to strike and just as the motion is ready, its head turns to look at me. Fear is clear in the massive eyes that adorn its face, jaw trembling in a now silent scream. I bring hand down and the creature falls over unconscious.

“Phew, this thing is pretty strong. If it were actually competent it would have been able to throw be off. What is this any way.” I say as I step back to take a gander at my haul. It seems to be a small horse like creature with brown fur and a black mane. I would say the weirdest part of the whole thing is the huge eyes that take up its face. I don’t say that because there is something even weirder. “Is it wearing a shirt!? And is that a tattoo on its ass. God dammit, this thing must be domesticated. That’s why it was making so much sound and why it didn’t react to my attack properly. Shit!”

I start to walk in circles around my ‘catch’. I can’t just leave it here; if it doesn’t bleed out from the arrow wound it’ll get eaten by a parasite. I quickly grab a roll of gauze from my bag, pull out the arrow, and replace it with a makeshift bandage.

“I’ll cover it in mud and then put it in a tree. That should keep it safe until it wakes.” My mind works furiously to keep this thing safe. It is rare at best to be able to keep a pet in these trying times, I would hate for someone to find theirs dead. This isn’t a movie; it should get up in around 15 minutes or so. “Hopefully it can find its own way home.”

I rest the creature in the nook of a tall tree nearby. Then I run off; I still haven’t eaten.

Author's Note

I said I would be releasing the next chapter at roughly 10 likes. Then something happened, a realisation you could say. Nothing motivates me more than being pissed off. I don't mind you disliking if you, idk, tell me what you dislike. Whatever.

Anyways, I kept writing and I don't know if I like this chapter or not. I assume a lot of the hate the first chapter got was due to the fact it had a solid load of nothing to do with MLP and some of the concepts were kinda word vomit. I want to build an interesting world but it's tough. I also finally got a funny horse into the story; one chapter in and it was already long overdue.

I included some more world building in this chapter for the funsies (Parasite W, The Wreching Ball). Expect a lot of parasites, they are kinda important to the story. I know, shocker!

I set my goal too high one the last story so this time the goal is literally any activity. One more like, or add to favourite list, or add to tracking list. If I do write a next chapter it'll either take place in ponyville with that unnamed pony who got absolutely bodied, or we skip that sequence and write what happens with the MC next. I'll decide later.

If you have anything to say I want to here it, negative or not. Also please point out any of my shitty grammar.

Thanks for reading ya'll! :derpytongue2:

Chapter 2: Monster in the Forest

“Alright sir,” I sigh. This stallion had burst through the door crying incomprehensibly and we haven’t got a proper explanation why. “Can you please just tell us what happened.”

“I- I- I- Ohhhh, it was terrible.” The stallion exclaimed before going into a fit of sobs again. His black braided mane swinging around wildly and tears staining the brown fur under his eyes. I’ve had enough of this. I slap him.

“Sir.” I try to hide the exasperation in my voice. “We can’t help you if you don’t tell us what happened.”

He finally seemed to come to his senses. “Alright… Alright, so I was wondering through the Everfree trying to find a suitable camping spot for my scout fillies to get their ‘Wilderness Survival” badge.” The pony said, gesturing to his cutie mark of a campfire and tent. “When out of nowhere, I feel a stabbing on my legs and a something land on my back. I was just able to see the creature’s face before it knocked me out cold!” He waves his hooves in the air to finish his speech with emphasis.

“It is quite common to encounter creatures in the Everfree sir.” About a month ago, Princess Celestia helped a small townspony fight away an invading monster that had strayed a long way away from the Everfree forest. Ever since then, ponies have been claiming ludicrous things in the hopes that their beloved ruler will come to the rescue. Unfortunately for them, Princess Celestia is quite busy doing smaller things like, I don’t know, running the country. Now guards like me have to deal with their bizarre stories. “And how is it that you came to be completely fine afterwards?”

“Ah, well you see after I got knocked out, I woke up in a tree with a bandage on my leg.” The stallion clarified, now gesturing to one of his back legs. There is gauze wrapped around it in what looks to be a hasty fashion; a small amount of red is peaking through the white. At least he tried to make the bandage look believable even if his story wasn’t. He must have seen my eyebrows raise in suspicion because he suddenly started crying again. “Please Commander, please don’t leave Ponyville under threat from this thing!”

“I’m afraid your request for assistance from the royal guard has been deemed an insufficient threat and must be denied.”

“We found thou story to be quite intriguing.” An archaic voice booms from behind me and I quickly snap my head back around. The newly freed Princess of the Night stands tall over me, and I quickly scramble off my chair into a bow.

“Princess Lu-”

“NIGHTMARE MOON!” Horseapples. The only ponies who have seen the newly reformed princess have been guards tasked with standing outside her chambers. It was a shock to me at first, but it was pretty easy for me to except her. Apparently, that made me an odd one out.

“Be not afraid little pony. We art no longer that wretched beast and we would be honoured if thou would allow us to help thou with thy dreadful beast!”

“Really Princess Luna.” Wow, both the fear of ‘Nightmare Moon’ and the crying disappeared in less then a second. He was bowing now and practically kissing her hooves. “I would be oh so grateful for your assistance.” While the little smile on Luna’s face is adorable, I can’t let her go on a wild goose chase.

“Princess, you have to understand that this creature is not real.”

“Hast thou confirmed this with thy eyes.”

“False reports have been flooding in for a while now. Ponies just want to see their rulers and will come up with any reason for that to happen.” I quickly judged that saying they were only coming to see Celestia would be a bit too much. It physically hurt me watching the hope leave Luna’s eyes.

Her emptying eyes suddenly fill with defiance. “Well, we believe the story. And to prove thyself right…” A white glow snaked up the spiral pattern of the Lunar Princess’s horn, casting her face in an odd light and making it look slightly ominous. “A lie detector spell!”

“First, Commander, tell us something that is true.”

I guess I kind of have to play along. “My name is Commander Slicing Steele.” I state and the white light of Luna’s horn glows a brilliant lime before fading back into a white.

“And a lie.”

“I’m an Alicorn Princess.” This time the light turned a deep crimson before returning to its original white.

“Excellent!” Luna beams before nervously glancing at the pony who had been sitting silently, waiting for his chance to prove himself. “Now, Mr…”

“Quick Camp.” Luna’s horn turned green.

“Mr. Camp, would you please describe the creature you saw in the forest.”

“I only saw it for a few moments. It was downright disturbing, with long limbs and way too small eyes. That’s all I got before it hit me.” I wait for the inevitable red glow to shine of my Princess’s horn… it never comes. Instead a bright green fills the room.

Luna’s face was right up to mine now, a condescending and boastful grin adorning it. “Commander.” She said in the sassiest way possible. “Please gather a small party of guards. We will be heading to Ponyville shortly.”

With that I am shooed out of the request room while Princess Luna listens in fascination to Quick Camp’s whole story.

* * *

I trudge down the main road to the Ponyville Town Square. It’s not that I don’t believe that there is a monster, but that I don’t see the point in getting rid of it. I brought along two of the in-training guards since we’ve been so clogged with requests that they have just been lounging around. Private Cloud Beater is an upbeat personality with super-fast reflexes likely due to them being a pegasus while Private Thunder Kicker is far more reclused and also the stronger of the two. Both of them have serious potential and this will likely be their last mission as trainees.

I’ve never actually visited this little town in Canterlot’s shadow, but my brother worked here briefly. According to him, everyone is super friendly, and you can’t walk five metres without making a new friend. That doesn’t actually sound that good but whatever. At least everyone being kind should make this an easy mission.

“NIGHTMARE MOON!” Celestia damn it.

In seconds the town was going haywire, with ponies running in a blind panic, sometimes into objects or even each other. The hurt on Luna’s face is immense, her head hanging low and her hooves slightly shifting.

“I’ll… I’ll scout ahead.” She proclaims in the softest voice I’ve ever heard from her. “I’ll look for strange things in the forest from above.” And with that she takes off at breath taking speeds.

A few minutes of calming town an entire town later and we were on our way to the Everfree.

“The unusual creatures described by the locals don’t fit the description of the that Mr. Camp gave.” I said in my guardspony debrief voice. “We don’t know what we are dealing with; stay alert.”

“Wolf like monsters with bulging blue veins running loose,” Cloud Beater added. “It’s like something straight from a horror story!”

“I’ve read a lot of stories where strange creatures magically appear in this forest.” Thunder Kicker’s low voice grumbled. “It’s a really popular trope.”

By this point, we are entering the forest, and an eerie silence has fell over everything. I take a strong whiff of the air with my both my mouth and nose and smell a million different scents. Everything from wet mud to flowering plants drift around in my mind.

“Quite from now on.” I say gruffly, “Remember the plan. Stay in the tree line just next to the river and see if we can spot our alien invader taking a drink.”

Both of the trainees nodded in understanding and didn’t speak a word more. Our group walked for a couple hours in silence. Other than a brief period of hiding from a group of Timberwolves, we weren’t interrupted. Until finally, patience was rewarded.

A tall creature was doubled over the crisp Everfree river, sucking out the water through a strange straw like contraption. It wore a deep green cloak and hood that covered most it’s body. From the angle that they were at now, they couldn’t see the front side. Strangest of all, I only noticed it only when my private pointed it out. Even now I can’t smell it and the cloak makes it blend in perfectly with the lush surroundings. I fire off a Stunning Spell which hits it squarely in the back, causing it to collapse.

“That was easy.” Cloud states.

“It isn’t actually a story book monster you know.” Thunder chimes in.

“Let’s grab it’s body and tie it to a tree.” I say for really no reason. The two rookies were already three steps ahead of me. “The spell will only last a good five minutes.”

We make quick work of tying it to the sturdiest nearby tree before its eyes flutter open.

“I’ll send a message to Luna to call her over here.” I inform my cohort before grabbing a travellers quill and scroll set.

“So what is this thing anyway.” Cloud wonders aloud. “It’s kinda hideous.”

“Rude.” All of the ponies present snap their eyes towards the speaker who was not of their party. The bound biped is studying them all with interest. Its eyes soon wonder to where its confiscated bow, knives and poisons sit. “Mind untying me and giving me my stuff back.”

Everypony sits there slightly dumbfounded for a moment before Thunder Kicker speaks robotically, “That isn’t our call to make.”

“Damn.” It looks like it is about to say something else when its head snaps up in attentiveness. The ponies present start to hear it a little later. A gruff snorting backed up by the rhythmic sound of a hoof pawing the ground can be heard from the bushes just past the group. A slight blue glow illuminating the darkness.

“UNTIE ME NOW!”

Author's Note

We reached the difficult goal of one singular like. I think I've peaked. So here's the promised chapter. I feel like you can tell I'm getting more tired as it progresses. I don't do well with many speakers.

Hope you like some of the new characters, such as, the rookies. On an unrelated note, how grusome can I make a death scene in a Teen rated story. This is an actual question, like I've read the regulations but they are kinda unclear.

Also for that singular person talking about Filthy Rich. Complete accident. Sorry to disappoint but I came up with that character description in a solid 5 seconds.

I'm nearing the end of my "planned" storyline. It wasn't really planned but I didn't expect to write this much. Thank ya'll for reading and if another thing happens (Like, favourite, track, comment) I'll write the next chapter.

And one more thank you for good luck.

Chapter 3: Bloodshed

I watch the large creature dash out of the forest at a speed that would be breathtaking if it wasn’t so frightening. It collides with the largest pony, the clear leader of the group due to his taller stature and impressive armour, and he is flung into a tree further down. His body stops moving save the slow rise and fall of his chest. The pony had luckily avoided the horns.

“Parasite B, The Brute.” I whisper to myself, in a fight for composure. “It shares many similarities with a bull but is slightly larger and far more aggressive. The most fearsome part of this creature is its impossibly hard hide, which is stronger than steel.”

At that moment, the second largest pony, the one that most closely resembled the ponies I am familiar with, rushes toward the beast with a sword in its mouth. While the other two equines present have a special feature that makes them mythical, one with a horn and another with wings, this one has none to speak of. When the pony is in range it swings the sword with visible power at The Brute.

‘Cling’ The sword snaps in two with the broken part flying off in a wide arc, coming to rest mere centimetres from my legs. The blue veins visible underneath the parasites pelt glow with a sickly radiance as it prepares to counter. It brings its horns up with vile speed with the goal slicing the prey in half. Just before the warrior is struck it is pushed aside by a flying smudge of speed.

“Watch your ass Thunder!” The last armoured pony, this one adorning wings, shouts. “What in Tartarus is this thing anyway.” The one apparently nicknamed Thunder grunts in recognition and they both concentrate on their foe once more. The Brute runs in another charge but this time the soldiers are prepared. Thunder jumps out the way and the winged pony tries to follow suit but instead collapses with a groan of pain. I get a glimpse of their leg, bloodied and with a distinctly horn shaped hole.

“CLOUD!” Before Thunder can do anything else, Cloud is picked up in the parasite’s charge. The pony struggles between its horns to no avail. I turn away to try find a way out of my bindings, trying to ignore what is happening right next to me.

‘CRUNCH’ I feel my vision blur and hands clench instinctively as the all too familiar sound of shattering bones fills my ears. It is followed by a low suffering moan and a cry of anger. My blood feels colder than ice. I grit my teeth and continue to search my bindings for a weak spot when I suddenly remember something. I kick my boot on the floor and a small blade shoots out the top.

I quickly start cutting the ropes off and make the mistake of turning around. The corpse of the winged guard is crushed against a large tree, his blood smeared across the trunk. Thunder’s face is the purest depiction of rage. He swung his body around and reared his legs up in the prime position to strike the parasite who had so recently killed his friend. The legs launch out backwards and strike it with a hollow thud.

The Brute collapses onto the ground in a dazed way as the enraged guard approaches to hit it again. The restraints around my body finally snap and I start to make my way towards my equipment which lies to the side, forgotten. I gather the knives, poisons, and explosives I had intended to use against the Heart, so much for that plan. Finally I pick up my prized bow and get ready to leave this gore behind. At that moment I hear another groan of pain.

I turn to see Thunder skewered on the end of the parasites mighty horns. Two large chasms leak the pony’s blood onto the monster’s face and his eyes finally start to gloss over. He is then unceremoniously tossed to the ground. The Brute’s eyes then lock onto the now waking up pony who was knocked out the moment the creature showed up. It starts to charge.

I turn, allowing the final pony to join the fate of its brethren. “A noble death.” Images start to flash before my eyes. Of fallen comrades, screams of terror, the terrible miasma of decay, and friends who I’ll never speak to again. There is no such thing as a ‘noble death’. Time starts to slow down as I turn back around to face the wide-eyed soldier, moments from his demise. I pull out an arrow and draw my bow.

“Concentrate. If you are too hasty you will miss, and the shot will be naught.” I whisper the teachings of a long dead mentor like a mantra. I feel the tension of the string, the power of the arrow, and the ability that flows through my veins. Making a few final adjustments, I release the arrow.

‘CRACK!’ The arrow went straight through The Brute’s eye, through its skull, and out the other eye, bringing a whole new meaning to bullseye. The creature stumbles in its momentum to lay just in front of the shivering pony. Said pony looks at me and finally speaks.

“You… you k-killed it.” He speaks in a fearful stutter. “Y-you saved me, I think. Why?” His whole body is shaking, and he looks like he is about to pass out. Despite that he puts on a brave face.

“I don’t know.” I mutter honestly “I guess I just didn’t want to see another creature be killed by it when I could do something about it.” I can’t hide the shudder in my own voice.

“Another?” Realisation hits him like a truck. “No… please no.” He quickly scans his surroundings and notices his friend’s bodies, brutalised onto the lush nature. Any life left in his eyes melts away leaving only sorrow and despair. The shaking of his body slows, as if he no longer has the energy to do it.

“I’m sorry.”

There was a long pause occasionally broken by sobs before he spoke again. “Who… who are you.”

“Call me Artemis.” Another awkward pause starts to rear its ugly head, so I decide to break it. “I should probably get going back to my camp. See ya umm…”

“Slicing Steele.” I start to walk away. “Before you go, what was that thing.”

“You don’t know!?”

“Should I?” His tone is still sombre, but a small amount of interest is coming through.

“It was a parasite. Parasite B to be exact.” I feel confusion start to fill my mind. “Surely you would know what a parasite is. If they are here they will be causing problems.”

“As far as I know, this is the first interaction a pony has had with one. Are they all like this?”

“They come in many shapes and sizes. The one thing they have in common is that blue stuff… well that and being merciless killers.” I gesture to the blue, blood like substance oozing from the wounds in the dead creatures eyes.

“I have to warn the princesses about this.” He says after a moment, a steely determination in his movements. The horn on his head starts to glow a faint red before a beacon of light shoots into the sky.

“The hell was that!”

“I’m calling Princess Luna.” He states matter-of-fact-ly.

“I should be going then.” I blurt and quickly try to walk away.

“So thou art the creature that hast been rumoured!” I stop in my tracks at a booming voice.

Author's Note

I finally wrote the next chapter. Impressed, I know I'm not. Anyway my silly little story got an extra like so I kinda had to.

I feel like this chapter was awful. It was wasn't it. I've never wrote action before and on top of that I didn't write the end of this one acurate to my "plan". I'm pretty sure it's shit. Please tell me any ways I could improve my action in the future if you have the time, I really do need the help.

I hope this isn't too violent for the Teen rating. I toned it down a bit and cut a far more grusome scene so it shouldn't be. If it is too violent then just tell me and I'll bump it up to Mature.

Sorry for the long wait. On top of having a creative block, I haven't gotten good rest in a while and I've been busy. So thanks for reading. And until next time, happy fimfictioning!!

Chapter 4: Meeting Royalty

Before me stands a breathtaking creature. It is an equine like the smaller pony standing a few feat next to me but larger. Its’ head comes to around my chest height but the large horn it adorns puts it at slightly taller than me. Two massive wings are flared out at either side of its’ body, slightly fluttering from its’ recent landing. It is wearing an obsidian black crown as well as a strange neck garment of the same colour. On said neck garment is a brilliant white moon. Most impressive of all are the mane and tail, a stunning recreation of the night sky, billowing in an unseen wind. The creature’s mere presence bestows a feeling of majesty and grandeur. There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe its’ radiance, so I use only one.

“Wow.” I gasp in shocked silence. My eyes slightly glaze over, and I bend down instinctively to get a better look. The knife strapped to my belt snaps me out of my trance with a painful reminder that I don’t own a sheath.

A small smile graces the pony’s face and I swear I hear a small giggle. “Thou art most kind. We are Princess Luna!” Her voice is fairly loud but not in an angry way, more like she can’t help it. Wait Princess? Ah shit, I was gawking at a princess. I quickly push my knife out of the way and manoeuvre onto one knee, with an arm on my chest and one on my back, in a royal bow.

“My apologies, Princess.” I quickly sputter out. I wonder if there is a death penalty for insulting royalty. “I did not mean anything by it.”

“We do not believe thou did anything wrong.” She says while she casually trots towards me. “But if thou wishes to make up for thy ‘mistake’, then thee can make it up to us by telling us thy name.” Once she is right in front of me she starts to look at my clothes.

“It’s Artemis… um… Princess? What are you doing?” She starts prodding the different items attached to my belt and going through the many pouches I have on my character. It is, to say the least, uncomfortable. ‘I don’t want to anger her, but she will anger me if she breaks anything.’ I think to myself. I glance towards the other pony who is too preoccupied in wrapping up his fallen comrades. ‘Has she even seen them.’

“That is a nice name.” She says absentmindedly. “Tell me, what is this small green pineapple?” A grenade is lifted out of one of the pouches surrounded by a cyan aura. I watch in awe as it spins to show itself at every angle to Luna. I quickly snatch it out of the air and the glow disappears.

“DON’T TOUCH THAT!” I shout in alarm, but it falls on deaf ears as the princess continues her search. She starts to pull at my clothing with her… hoof… how. Doesn’t matter. I slap the hoof away with a more powerful strike than I intended. “Can you stop, seriously.”

Luna backs away and bows her head slightly. Regret plain on her features. “Ah, we are sorry. We have never seen a creature like you and…” She glances over my shoulder to see the dead parasite and ponies for the first time. “What… happened here?” The presence of the dead does not seem to concern her as much as I would expect from royalty. Why is she here in the first place. My musings are interrupted by Slicing Steele.

“That thing,” he says with audible disgust, looking at the parasite. “It came out of nowhere and knocked me out, when I woke up both my ponies were dead, and it was charging towards me.” The commander looked stricken as he recalled the events that had led to this unlikely meeting.

“And how, pray tell, did thou survive.” Luna was visibly engrossed in the brief story. Her attention was fully on Slicing Steele, and she walked around me to look at him better. This, subsequently, gave me a face-full of magic tail.

“Well just as I was about to be crushed, that.” Slicing pointed my way before looking slightly embarrassed. Whether it was because he just called me ‘that’ or because I was currently trying and failing to escape the cosmos attached to Luna’s flank I may never know. “Um… Artemis, shot it in the eye.”

The princess turned back to me, finally releasing me from my hair-filled prison. “Thy assistance is quite appreciated strange creature!”

“Don’t sweat it.” With me saying that, Luna looks towards the sky as the Sun starts to set.

“We shall gather the fallen and return to Canterlot post-haste!” As she made her rather loud remark, the cyan aura from before lifted up the now wrapped up corpses of the two recruits. “The last train leaves soon and we have a Moon to raise.”

What kind of figure of speech is raise the moon. “I’ll be going then.” I state and once again try to walk away. I am once again thwarted, my legs grappled by the cyan glow. Then sensation is indescribable, like a mix between burning and freezing but neither at the same time. I decidedly do not like it and let out an, “AH, SHIT!”

The aura dissipates and another look of guilt crosses Luna’s features. “While we flew over this forest we observed a couple other beast we hast never heard of before, lest seen!” Steely resolve in her eyes. “You would be in danger.”

“I’ve dealt with parasites before.”

“Aha! So thou knows of the mighty foes, now taking thee back hast become most paramount!”

“You said you needed to hurry;” I counter. “Equines are far faster than I could ever be.”

“Then thou must merely ride on our back!” She beamed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be like royal or something. Wouldn’t that be… insulting.”

“It is of no concern to us.” She replies. “And many stallions would dream of—”

“I’M A GIRL! For fucks sake even in pony world I can’t have short hair.” My suppressed anger bubbling to the surface for the smallest thing. The ever-increasing stress from when I first failed to destroy that stupid parasitic heart is finally making itself known. My breathing starts to grow sporadic before I suck all my emotions back in and whisper to myself. “Can’t have a panic attack now; save it for later.”

Luna is looking at me with concern, so I try to smile. I don’t think she buys it. “It was more the voice that made us think thou was a stallion.” She states in an attempt to do… something. “Please let us take you to Canterlot, we may have just me thee, but we still wish to help.” A small amount of desperation is evident in the Lunar princess’s eyes.

I sigh. A big drawn-out sigh. “Fine. But I don’t want to go somewhere super populated.” I get the feeling I’m going to regret this.”

Luna looks like she is about to object when Slicing Steele rejoins the conversation. “How about this.” He breathes in before continuing. “We take Artemis to Ponyville. Both the recruits immediate families live there as well so I can hold the funeral service there. Meanwhile, you can call Princess Celestia over to discuss this situation. There, everypony’s happy.”

“That… is reasonable.” Luna admits in a considering voice. “And the Elements will be nearby too.”

“Then it is settled, Artemis.” Slicing says in a mixture of fake happy and over-it.

“Ponyville, that’s the best you could come up with.” I sigh with a bit of acceptance. At least that place doesn’t sound too hectic.

Author's Note

I swear whenever I write I sound like I'm high on every known drug (and a few unknown ones too). Like every character randomly shifts tone and I can't fix it. I suck with dialogue.

Anyway, I drew Artemis because I was bored and I felt like it. So now you get to know what she looks like. ~~Enjoy your Imgur link cause I couldn't get the embed to work.~~ I GOT THE EMBED TO WORK!!!

Hope you are enjoying the story. Thanks for reading and happy writing!!

Chapter 5: Ponyville and the Stranger

I fluff my wings up in an attempt to boost my composure. I am trailed by the Hue-Man, who identified herself as Artemis, and guard commander Slicing Steele, who is currently levitating two of his fallen comrades. Artemis had decided to stop riding on her back just before they entered town while muttering something about it ‘feeling rude’.

I take this moment right before our rag-tag team enters Ponyville to get a proper good look at their strangest companion.

Artemis has very little hair on their body which they seem to counter by wearing an abundance of clothing. The colour of their skin is a tanned peachy colour which complements their dull chocolate hair. Said hair is spiky as well as thick and reaches about half-way down their neck. Her face is sharp and toned with a scar going over her left eye. The eyes themselves are a beautiful but very rare, deep crimson colour, that would make many ponies uncomfortable. A forest green cloak is draped over her body, the hood that would usually conceal her face resting on her shoulders. As she moves, I get glimpses of what clothing she wears under the cloak, though it is not very exciting. She wears a slightly duller green shirt and tight black pants. On her figure is a belt around her waist, and one going from her left shoulder to her right hip. On the belts are a collection of intriguing items including a large knife, a quiver, and many stuffed pouches. I briefly wonder if I will ever get to see what is in all those pouches. The attire is complete with large boots that crush everything beneath them with ease. Finally, there’s an imposing longbow slung over one shoulder, nearly as tall as the already massive creature.

I hesitate at the entrance to the town. My mood has lifted since my last visiting of Ponyville mere hours prior, and I am not ready to be shunned again. I do not judge the common ponies for fearing me, I deserve it. The only ones who don’t freak out are the guards and my sister, and the guards don’t talk to me. Artemis doesn’t know of the atrocity I’ve committed, if she did, she would act the same as everypony else.

Apparently sick of my stalling, Artemis walks ahead of me. This action is immediately followed by a:

“AHHH! It’s a monster! Run for your lives!” The whole town goes haywire with many ponies stumbling over each other in a bid for escape. I quickly gallop to try calm the fray. I’m about to use the royal Canterlot voice when I hear, “They’re with Nightmare Moon!” My words get stuck in my throat.

The guard had already slipped away to try find a quiet place to mourn. I stand next to Artemis for what could have been seconds or hours until I finally hear something other than screaming.

“Princess Luna?” A confused but curious voice asks. I look down to see Twilight Sparkle staring up at me, concern painted on her features. “Are you okay, what’s going on, what is that?”

“Ah, Miss Sparkle. We found this creature in the forest; her name is Artemis.” I state in practiced calm while Artemis lets out a little ‘W’sup.’, startling the lavender unicorn. “But some concerning news has come to light, and we must discuss it post-haste!”

Twilight looks as though she is about to ask me ‘Are you okay’ again but decides against it. “Sure Princess. Let’s go back to the library and we can talk more there.”

With that Twilight sets off back to the library. I chance a glance at Artemis to see her face looking quite neutral. However many years with my sister has trained me in the ability to see beyond a pony’s mask. Despite the look on her face, I can see a slight shake in her step and her eyes occasionally dart to scan her surroundings. Artemis is nervous.

* * *

I sit at a table in Twilight’s living room, surrounded by The Elements of Harmony and one very uncomfortable biped. Each of the Element’s had had a different reaction to Artemis’ presence when they arrived.

The first element to arrive being Pinkie Pie. She had immediately started gushing over ‘her new friend’. She was speaking so fast it was hard to catch but the words ‘party’ and ‘fun’ seemed to be common themes. Artemis had flinched every time Pinkie shot around, her strange claw like appendages brushing her knife.

The second one who had showed up was Applejack. She was shocked at the sight of the human but quickly regained her composure, muttering something about Twilight calling them on short notice. She was quite polite but seemed to grow more distant after Artemis introduced herself.

The third to arrive was Rainbow Dash who looked mighty disappointed that Applejack had gotten there before her. That was before she noticed the ‘monster’ sitting in the room and tried to fight her. Artemis had looked incredibly unimpressed by her air boxing and seemed even amused by how quickly Twilight was able to get her to realize there was no threat. Rainbow then started gushing about how ‘cool’ her bow is. (But not as cool as her of course.)

Next to join the party was Rarity. I had expected her to also think of Artemis as a monster but instead she just hyper fixated on the cloak she was wearing. Artemis’ mood lifted at that statement, and she promised to tell Rarity all about it later.

Finally there was Fluttershy. She was incredibly excited to meet a new ‘animal friend’ and flew right up to Artemis. She tried to look through her pockets just as I had done but was swatted away by a violent flinch from Artemis. Artemis then proclaimed that she ‘isn’t very fond of people being close to her’. At that statement I felt a pang of guilt.

Now we all sit in a slightly awkward silence waiting for somepony to say something. I have already sent a letter to my sister to summon her and talk about both Artemis and the newest monsters in the forest. After a few minutes of this, I speak up.

“We art clearly not getting anywhere by sitting here!” I announce boldly.

“I thought we were playing the silent game.” Pinkie chimes in.

“How about this.” Artemis starts, “I’ll ask one of you a question, and then the one I ask will ask me a question.”

After a moment everyone added there acceptance.

“Okay, when I was in town and all of the ponies were freaking out, someone mention a ‘Nightmare Moon’. What is that?” I freeze up suddenly. It took so little time for her to ask about it. Am I bound to everyone hating me; is this the punishment for my foalish actions. A few seconds pass before Twilight pipes in.

“That’s not exactly a comfor-”

“No, we can handle this.” With a heavy sigh I recount my story. From my sorrow for being shunned and my misplaced anger in the Little Ponies of Equestria and my dear sister. To my inevitable submission to the Nightmare and subsequence evil acts. All the while Artemis listens. She is quite the audience as she perks up every time I mention something magical. Finally I conclude my tale, “So we were turned back to our normal self by the Elements of Harmony and our sister accepted us back into the diarchy of Equestria. We… I understand if you hate me.”

Artemis contemplates for a fairly long period of time. Her elbows on the table while her mobile claws sit just on her lips. At one point Applejack tries to say something but a claw quickly moves just in front of her mouth, shushing her. After a hoofful of minutes trickle by, she finally speaks again.

“I’ve been trying to figure out why I would hate you, but I can’t do it.” She says simply.

“What?” I can’t think of anything else to say, and the Elements around me look shocked in turn.

A small smile flickers onto her face. “You felt rejected, you did something stupid, I’ve been there. Maybe not so extreme…”

“We hurt so many!” I whimper with tears coming to my eyes. “I’m a terrible pony and an even worse ruler.”

“I knew someone. He was shunned by his parents until he was driven mad enough to burn their house with his parents still inside. People all called him awful, and he was sent to prison for arson and murder. He’s the nicest man I’ve ever met.” A flicker of sadness crosses her smile as she recounts the story. “What he did was terrible, unforgiveable to most, but I gave him a chance and it paid off. I don’t see why I shouldn’t give you one too.”

“We… we don’t know what to say.”

“Plus!” She exclaims in a lift-the-mood kind of way. “You said you raise the Moon and protect dreams, which you have to show me later by the way. That kind of makes you a Goddess, and to shun a Goddess is a very big mistake.” Artemis gets up and makes her way next to me. “And I’ll let you in on a little secret… I think the night is way better than the day.”

“Truly?” I say in a soft voice.

“I picked the name Artemis for a reason.” She states to a crowd of confused stares. “Back where I come from, Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt and the Night.” I smile weakly but fall back into a sombre look. Artemis pipes up again. “Hey, don’t let what randoms say get you down. The only ones who can have a real opinion of you are the ones who actually know who you are.”

I take a moment to formulate a response, but my attempts fall flat. “Thanks.” Is all I manage.

Twilight looks positively giddy. “Ooh this will make an excellent friendship lesson.” She beams before bolting out of the room. Artemis takes her seat again and the questions continue, but this time they’re less heavy. Everyone at the table holding their big questions for when Celestia arrives. Artemis reverts back to looking uncomfortable and out of place and I feel my spirits lift a little. We all just sit their asking queries and telling stories until a knock comes from the library door and I feel my sisters presence just outside.

Twilight, who had finished her letter and returned to the table, gets up to open the door.

“Hello, my most faithful student.”

Author's Note

Yay! More 'The Extermination Design' writing. This chapter was more relaxing to write than a lot of the other ones which is nice. There was nothing too far out my comfort zone although that may have made me complacent.

This was suppose to come out a bit earlier but there was this little holiday you might of heard of called Kris-Mass or something. Who's Kris. Hope you enjoyed it none the less. This one got a bit heavy unexpectedly and also I don't condone arson I just enjoy giving my OCs tragic backstories. Sue me.

By the way yall almost DOUBLED THE LIKES last chapter! I guess that chapter was peak fimfiction and the best writing I've ever done. But in all seriousness thanks a lot peoples (and ponies).

Speaking of ratings, I reread my prologue cause that's where I got all my dislikes so I expected it to be shit. And... that is the best writing I've ever done, I do not know what you people are on but okay I guess.

Hope yall are enjoying the story as much as I enjoy thinking about writing and not doing it. Drop a like if you want to see a new chapter and as always, happy writing!

(YouTuber ass outro wtf)

Chapter 6: Parasites 101

“Hello, my most faithful student.”

I hear the words bounce off of the walls of the hollowed Golden Oak. My hairs raise up slightly more, the voice is kind but dripping with authority and power. A new pony walks into the living room, resembling Luna but taller, with an alabaster coat and a mane resembling an aroura. A small smile resides on her face and my sense go haywire. Her features are unmoving as she gazes towards me, making no change in expression, completely unreadable.

“You must be the Artemis my sister wrote about in the letter.” Her tone is calm and slightly soothing, like a mother offering comfort.

“And you must be Princess Celestia, I have heard much of you in quite a small amount of time.” I state trying to keep any emotion out of my voice. I fall into the same royal bow I had given Luna while in the forest.

“Please stand. There is no need for such formalities right now.” She takes a seat at Twilight’s table while I stand and reclaim my own chair. My feelings of discomfort from being inside a building increase at the introduction of this ‘Princess Celestia’. Her gaze scanning every move I make. The tension in the air is pliable; Twilight and her friends sit silent, until the tension is finally broken by Luna.

“As much as we love witnessing thy staring competition, there art highly important matters to discuss!” Her louder than normal voice making me look her way, suddenly braking me from the trance the new arrival had put me in. Luna shoots glances between me and her sister.

“Of course”, “Sure” We both respond.

“What is it you wanted to ask me about?” I add trying not to look at Celestia.

An eager look appears on Twilight, the previous awkwardness forgotten. “Oo, can you tell me why I can’t trace any magic on you, it’s uncanny.”

“Well I think the most likely reason you can’t find any magic in me, is because I don’t have any.” I state simply. Shocked silence. Twilight’s mouth is contorted into a humorous looking ‘O’, with varying other looks of confusion scattered on all the ponies faces. All except Celestia, who still has a little smile. I don’t think I like her.

“Truly?” It is Luna who speaks first.

“Is that really so weird? No one where I come from has magic, not a single creature, and it is considered folly and myth. Well, no magic that we can detect at least.”

“I think it would be best we instead start with how you got here.” Celestia asks evenly.

I pause a moment and think before saying. “I’m not entirely sure, see I was trying to destroy the Parasitic Heart-”

“What’s that!” I’m rudely interrupted by Pinkie Pie.

“And why were y’all trying to destroy it?”

“And how did thou intend on ending it?”

More and more question flood my ears. I lift one hand in the air like my primary school teachers used to do and wait for them to calm down. Finally, they stop talking. “How about… I start from the beginning.”

“A wise choice.” Celestia quips, her tone still calm. But… is that a trace of a humour I hear.

I take a chance to breathe before I begin speaking. “So, in basic terms, there was this scientist, and he wanted to create a repellent that could permanently remove the risk of intestinal worms. Apparently taking normal medication was above the man.” I muse with a sigh, “To cut a long story short, instead of creating his ‘cure’, he accidentally caused the one of the worms to rapidly evolve into a terrible creature. We call it the Parasitic Heart.”

“And that is what you were seeking to destroy?” Twilight ponders aloud. While I am briefly annoyed at the interruption, I am thankful for the chance to breathe.

“Uh, yes! So basically this Parasitic Heart started sucking in animals and humans and horribly disfiguring them into mindless murders.” My audience thoroughly captivated at this point; I continue, “The Heart infected more and more with too little being done about it, until one day, a country got sick of it. They dropped hyper-destructive weapons onto location with the most parasites.”

Gasps can be heard from my audience. “Not only did this fail to eradicate the plague of the Parasitic Heart, but it also started a war that spanned the whole world. Between the parasites and the war, almost every human was wiped off the face of the planet, save a few thousand.” My recollections of the events are partly blurry, but the story was harshly ingrained in my thick skull. “I was in the upper regions of a place called Canada on a ski trip at the time. Due to the extreme temperature and lack of civilization, I was safe from the war and the parasites. I was later found by an organization called the Olympians and, well, that is a story for another time.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes were welling with comically large tears. “That’s s-s-so sad. Are y-you okay?”

“That was ten years ago; I overcame and adapted. If I hadn’t, I would’ve died.” My tone is sombre but strong and I stare at my legs. I flinch as two hooves wrap around my body, but I can’t help but calm down a little when I look into Pinkie’s humongous orbs, tinged with sadness. “I’m fine… really.”

I quickly finish my story while absent-mindedly petting the pink ball wrapped around my waist. “To wrap up; I tried to destroy the Parasitic Heart, but instead of succeeding… I woke up here.”

“We are… sorry for making thou relive that.” Luna adds.

I put on my best smile, “You really don’t need to worry about it!” I exclaim with some false ecstasy. Celestia’s face warps from it’s usual smile to something more concerned, like she is about to question me. I don’t think I can take anything from her, so I interject first. “Surely you had more questions?” Smooth.

Luna stares me dead in the eyes for a few moments. “Fine… If thou art sure.” I intensify my smile in response. “So the creature in the forest that did… thou knowest what… to the guards, was a parasite? Tell us more about them!”

“There are 26 kinds of parasites, one for every letter of the alphabet.” I say with enthusiasm, glad for the distraction from the previous awkward conversation. “They come in various shapes and sizes, but they all have these pulsating blue veins, and they are all heartless.”

“So if we go through and kick some parasite-butt them we’re good?” This time it was Rainbow Dash to speak up.

“It’s not as easy as ‘kicking parasite-butt’,” I half-giggle while doing air quotes with my fingers. “Most have extremely thick skins and resistances to heat and poison. On top of that they have insane healing with a single weak spot we call the core. The one I got in the forest had its weak spot in between its eyes.”

“So you have to give each one special attention meaning getting rid of them all is a problem.” Celestia pipes up. “But I suspect you found a way to counter them?”

“Yes and kinda.” I pronounce, “We found that they require the Heart to reproduce so if we can destroy that…”

“You can stop the parasites!” Twilight looks giddy with the logical conclusion. Her silly demeanour making me grin.

I’m starting to feel the nerves I’ve been supressing from being around so many aliens bubbling to the surface. I stand up to clear my head and hear a little ‘eep’ from the pink creature on my lap. With a quiet muttered apology I arc my back into a huge bow and twist my neck until I there is a loud ‘POP!’

“As much I loved our little get together, I ought to get back to my treehouse.” I say drowsily, “Though I think your treehouse is a little better. Roomier you know.” My mind wanders in my sleepy haze.

“Yes, me and my sister should set up some precautions to make sure none of these alleged beasts don’t invade the town.” Celestia states, nodding to her sister. I pick up on her use of ‘alleged’, but I feel no reason to argue my case. I start towards the door when I feel a tug on the back of my cloak.

Twilight has made her eyes look even bigger than usual, “You should stay here, I would love to have you.” I can’t help but feel like she is trying to make up for making me spill my guts.

“I don’t really thi-” It’s as if her eyes get bigger with each word, “Well… I… fine!” I sigh with exasperation.

“YIPPEE” Twilight cheers, “I have so many more questions, and you still haven’t met Spike!”

“And who might Spike be?” I say following her deeper into her house as the rest of her friends filter out the front door. Little chills run through my bones every time I get too far from an escape route.

“Spike is my little baby dragon assistant, greatest one there is too.”

“I’m sure he’s lov- SPIKE’S A WHAT!”

Author's Note

Uhh this was rough. Too many characters, too much talking, AND it was an exposition chapter. Those always feel bad.

On a seperate note, I think this chapter puts me onto 10k words which is an unexpected first. Thanks for the support y'all. Speaking of support, my sister drew some fanart despite not having read the story so here it is.

The gal on the left is Artemis while the guy on the right is Hermes (Aka. Michael). Yk, Michael, everyone's favourite character... he has three lines in the prologue. Surely you didn't forget Michael.

Anyway thank you for reading hope you enjoyed.

Happy writing!! :pinkiehappy: