Fallout Equestria: Brotherhood

CHAPTER 13: MONSTERS

The air was thick and musty as Neo slowly regained consciousness. He looked up at the peeling dim ceiling, his vision slowly returning to him. He felt sore all over his body, he couldn't remember what had happened after the Predator had bit him. That and what had happened to everyone else, and how they were doing.

"I think he's waking up!" Adam said placing his hoof to his brothers head.

Neo looked up at him, the dim light glaring faintly against one side of his face. He had a warm smile looking back at him, which made the soreness in his body dull.

Allie leaned over Adam and looked at Neo kindly. "You were out for a long time, we almost thought you might not make it."

Neo coughed a bit at the heavy air in the room. "Wh-where are we?"

Allie rested a bandaged hoof on his forehead and laid him back down. "Shh, you need to rest." She cooed softly to him.

Neo didn't say anything, instead he just smiled back at her and lay his head back on a something that seemed leathery. Adam patted on his hoof and got up and moved to the other side of the room.

The room they were in was small, brown walls and a broken ceiling fan hung from above and a lamp attached to a small battery powered it. It served as the only lighting in the whole room, there was two doors, both metal and green. A cot was attached to the wall and a damaged desk was next to it. A small pile of supplies and assorted items were inside a few wooden boxes in the corner of the room which had medic supplies and food.

An odd dark pony with red stripes down his neck and body with a gas mask hanging from his neck was cleaning some sort of weapon attached to a saddle. Adam was next to him inspecting the damage done to his duster.

"Great, I've only had this thing for a few days and it's already totaled. Just look how big this hole is!"

The dark pegasus pony looked at him dully, "You get used to it."

Adam pouted at him and turned to the metal pad that lay next to him. "The good news is that my levitation saddle kept my back safe for the most part."

He picked it up and inspected it further. "But the thing is damaged, and I probably won't be able to fix it till we get back to the bunker."

Lu came up to the saddle and poked it curiously, "Oh, when we get home can I help big brother?"

Adam smiled at the yellow filly. "Sure Lu."

She giggled and went over to Neo and sat down eyeing the many blood stained bandages on his leg and body. "Hey big brother? Are you gonna be okay?"

He sat up stiffly, trying to ignore the soreness. "I think so Lu, I already feel better."

She stared at him fondly with her blue eyes. "Mhmm, and I saved you from the monsters too!"

He cocked his head to the right puzzled. "You did?"

"She knocked it back with a sledge hammer which made it let go of us." Allie said stepping in and patting Lu on the head.

"Without her we probably wouldn't have made it out of there alive."

The dark pony set the saddle down on the desk and moved over to the boxes in the corner. His gear rattled and jingled gently as he walked to the supplies. "That little one you have there is a real brave one. Not like the ones back in Equestria. No, those little foals would pick your body clean and book it with their own lives. Or at least the fillies I've seen."

Neo turned his gaze over to him as he popped open a Sparkle Cola, "And who are you anyway?"

He threw him a hard stare. "My name is Skyward Flame, and I saved your sorry ass."

Neo laughed sarcastically at him, "Heh, yeah thanks." Neo sat up straight, "So what are you doing out here, and why did you help us anyway."

He shrugged. "Cause I can, I guess."

Neo looked at him negatively, "You helped us cause you could? Is that the only reason you have?"

"I have others, but that's my own business." Adam stepped in and went over to his brother with a bottle in his mouth. "Whell it doshn't mahter, ash long ash he halped ush and ficshed ush up."

He motioned Allie to take the bottle and give it to Neo. He smacked his mouth to get rid of the dust that was on the bottle. "Hopefully with this health potion, and the other stuff we gave you you should feel as good as new in no time."

Neo chuckled. "By the way, how long have I been out?"

"Not long," Allie said, "about a few hours."

A glowing aura surrounded the bottle and moved it over to his mouth. Neo drank down the magical liquid inside and felt as the soreness slowly faded from his body. "That's not too long, I thought I had woken up three or four days later.” He chuckled.

Adam gave him a playful look. "Not this time, and let's be thankful it wasn't like one of those times."

"Yeah, and I'm already feeling better. That potion I drank really helped clear up the soreness." Neo said moving around his arms and stretching them out.

"Good," Skyward flame said, "Cause you're going to have to move out as soon as possible.”

Allie looked at him oddly. "Why, might I ask?"

He looked at her seriously, as if she had called blasphemy. "Why? Why not! Those things have a goal, and they are willing to die to complete it. Right now, your group is their goal, and they won't rest till you're, one, out of their territory, or two, dead."

Neo tried to stand up, but the weak feeling in his legs made it hard to move. "Then what do you suppose we do? Those things will know we're out there and there isn't anyway we can go that they don't know about."

He smirked at him. "That's where you're wrong. The way I came in from is totally secluded, and, best of all, those stupid metal things have no clue it exists."

Neo gave him the name pessimistic stare. "And how do we know we can trust you?"

"Because you can. Or you can stay here and wait to die. I would love to see you come up with another plan, or does rotting here sound good to you?"

Neo looked down feeling insulted. "Your little brother and I went over the plan while you were out."

Adam nodded at him. "I have the path marked on my PipBuck, and everything. The downside is it's through an old sewer system, but it takes us right outside of the town."

"Far enough away to get back to wherever you came from." He added.

Lu's face lit up with joy which caused her to jump in the air. "Yay, home! When we get back, we can play Cosmic Muffin again, and big sis can help defeat the space monkeys with us! Right big brother?" She chanted before looking towards Neo with a happy look.

He gave her an equally heartwarming smile. "Yep Lu, and those space monkeys don't stand a chance against Lu, The Monster Slayer."

She giggled and gave him a hug. "You're so silly big brother."

Neo sat up with his duster folded neatly next to him as he and Allie slowly undid the bandages on his leg. He restrained himself from itching the sticky bandages that stuck to his fur. "Almost... almost, there all done." Allie announce placing the bandages to the side.

Neo sighed with relief and itched his leg with his metal hoof. He looked over his leg, and looked for scars and other noticeable features the predator might have left while it attacked him.

"Well it looks good, at least I can still move it." He said wiggling his leg around.

Allie nodded at him. "Yep, and with your leg back to normal we can finally move out now."

She got up and went over to their bags, which were stacked up in a pile in one corner of the room. Adam was already there with his ripped and bloodstained duster on getting his stuff ready.

Neo put his duster back on, he cringed a bit at the dry blood stains that covered it, but it was the only thing he had for protection at the moment. He levitated his white bandana to his head and tied it. "At least the levitation saddle still works."

Adam rolled his eyes and looked at his own duster, "That's more then I can say about mine."

Lu looked through the rather large hole that was in the middle of it. "My big sis knows how to fix holes."

Adam smiled at her. "Once we get back I'll see if she can help me fix it up."

She giggled, and walked over to help Neo pack the rest of their things. Skyward Flame came around to one of the doors, pulling back a small latch that covered a small peephole. He looked through it and went back to the desk where his saddle with the gun attached was. He picked it up and placed it on his back letting his wings go through small slits so that he could fold them naturally.

He bit down the small bit that connected itself to the gun on his back, and with a click the gun reloaded itself. Adam watched the pegasus walked towards them from the desk, his eyes set on the saddle on his back.

"What is that exactly?" Adam asked eyeing in oddly.

Allie stepped in before he could answer. "It's a battle saddle."

"A what?" Neo asked while putting the last of his things on his back.

"A battle saddle. They're things ponies like to use for weapons, preferably heavy weapons like this. Since we don't have the benefit unicorns have we've got to use these saddles."

Adam watched him unlock the green metal door by removing a large metal plank from the center. "It's kind of like a levitation saddle, minus the levitating."

He nodded dully at him. "Eeyup, this particular model is a Gauss Rifle saddle. Found it here, and it seems to be the only gun here that can kill those bastards."

Skyward Flame put both forehooves on the door and pushed causing the old rusted door to screech and rattle as it opened slowly. Once it was open Skyward Flame looked down the dark staircase that went down into the dusty old part of the factory.

"Are there anymore of them here?" Neo asked.

He shook his head. "Kid, if there were more, trust me, they'd be gone by now. Hell I was lucky to find this one."

The rest of the group agreed with him in a faint murmur. "Now are y'all ready to move out?"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!!" Lu interjected with her hoof raised.

"Yes Lu?" Neo asked the tiny filly.

"I need to get my hammer."

He looked at her oddly. "Her... hammer?"

Adam laughed a bit and ruffled her mane. "The sledge hammer she hit the predator with, we brought it up here with us and I promised her we'd take it back with us."

"Yeah!" she said with a jump, "My epic hammer!"

Everypony but Skyward Flame laughed at her enthusiasm, "Just make it quick. We don't want to wait too long. These things will patrol this section of the factory soon."

Adam went over to the room and found the rather large hammer and tied it off to his back. "There we go Lu." He grunted with a heavy smile.

She looked worryingly at him, "Is it too heavy big brother?"

"Nope..." he coughed, "it's fine."

She giggled at him. "Okie doky loki big brother."

Skyward Flame interrupted the moment with a rude grunt. "Listen, we don't have much time so if you would, the door."

"Yeah, sorry." Adam apologized.

Together Skyward Flame lead them through an old dark section of the factory. The structure moaned and creaked as they moved down the corroded metal hallways. Their hooves tapping on the cold floor and the chilled air bristling against their coats as they followed the mysterious pegasus.

"So..." Neo asked him.

He tilted his head towards him without slowing his pace. "Yeah, and keep it down if you're gonna talk."

"Right, so what's your story? And what are you doing here?"

He didn't bother looking at him directly, and instead kept looking straight ahead. "Business." He answered dully.

"Business?"

"Yes, anymore than that and I might kill you."

Neo gulped a bit, "I see."

"What about you?" The expression on his face quickly changed to a more friendly look.

"We're trying to get that stupid transistor for somepony, then we're off to Arkcannon."

The look on his face changed at the word Arkcannon. "I see, nice town I was there a few weeks ago."

The group started to near the end of the hallway, at the end was a large hatch with the words "sewer system" in bold yellow letters above it. "Well, here it is, your only way out." He said placing a hoof on one of the large opening levers.

Neo hopped up on the other lever and helped pull it open. Neo and Skyward Flame pushed hard, they forced the old rusted seal open. Sweat built up on their brows as the hatch slowly came open. "There." He said as the hatch hissed fully open.

He stepped aside and motioned his hoof for the others to go down the hatch. "Watch your step, and keep quiet as you go down."

Neo went up to the hatch first looking down the dark moist hole. The smell of two hundred year old sewage filled the air making him sick to his stomach. He put a hoof to his nose, hoping that it would help him cope with the smell.

Just as he put his hoof on the cold iron edge when his ear twitched. He paused along with everyone else for a moment to listen. "The hell." Skyward Flame cursed quietly, lifting his saddled weapon up.

"What was that?" Adam whispered.

He lowered his weapon and turned to the group with worry in his eyes, "It might have been nothing, a radroach maybe. Just hurry up and get down."

As they turned back around they suddenly froze at the sound of a loud clank come from the end of the hallway. The loud noise was followed by a stream of sparks cutting a hole in the door at the far end of the hallway.

"Ah shit! Quickly down the hole now!" The dark pegasus barked while arming his weapon.

Neo jumped down and splashed at the bottom. He was knee high in old sewage water, and what made matters worse was it was almost completely dark in the old tunnel. Lu followed Neo as he caught her as she came down. Allie dropped her stuff down and hurried quickly down herself. Adam dropped his bags down the hole and started to make his way down.

The hole the metal beasts were carving in the door was nearly complete, a hot glowing ring was formed in the old metal door. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"No, I have my own way out. Just go and don't stop!" He yelled before spinning around and pushing Adam down the hole.

He screamed at the random act and soon found himself covered in the murky water. The pegasus jumped up to the hatch and slammed it shut, the impact caused the hatch to automatically seal itself. It hissed as the final bar sealed on top of it. He sighed, and readied his gauss rifle for the oncoming battle.

He grinned wickedly. "Two things done at once, it's my lucky day." The door the predators had made fell open, and three horrifying, metal cat like monsters came out from the newly created entrance.

The group could hear the gauss rifle’s muffled blasts as they sat there in the dark tunnel. They looked up at the hatch they had come through wondering if the strange pony who had helped them would be alright.

Neo turned towards the endless dark tunnel behind them. He turned on his PipBuck light, the sound of water gently flowing down the tunnel filled the moist air. "You heard him, we better move before those things find a way to get down here."

Adam looked at him with a grim expression. "But we never even got to thank him for the help..."

Allie patted Lu gently before she came up to Adam and looked up at him with her bright blue eyes. "Big brother, maybe we can thank him later. Maybe big sis can make him a cake later, and we can have a party too."

Despite the condition he smiled at her and turned on his PipBuck light. "Maybe Lu."

Adam went up in front of Neo and pulled up his EFS. A tiny orange marker blinked down the long endless tunnel before them. "Like brother said, we better get moving."

They all marched down the foul smelling tunnel, the darkness had a feel to it as they went along. It was as if it were alive, breathing, watching, as if it were hunting them. Allie didn't like the feeling, more so since the rumors of the monster stalking and killing ponies rattled around in her mind.

"So, Neo." She whispered.

He cocked his head back to answer her without breaking his stride. "Yeah?" He whispered back.

"I just wanted to talk seeing as we might be down here for a bit."

"Fair enough, so what's on your mind?"

She gave him a sheepish look. "Oh, um well then... So how did you get your cutie mark?"

He looked at her puzzled as he walked as if he was unsure what to say. "Well I took the CATS test just like everyone else," he paused for a moment and looked at his black compass rose cutie mark. "I finished the test and well there it was. I'm not even sure what it stands for, but it's just there and so far nopony has been able to tell what it stands for."

She nodded at him, "Do you have any clue as to what it stands for? Even a tiny hunch as to what it might be?"

"No, I've looked in every book we had about cutie marks but none of them had anything on mine." He said shaking his head doubtfully.

"Ah, by the way, what's a CATS test anyway?"

He smiled at her. "I'll tell you later, when we’re not underground and knee high in water."

She chuckled at his statement taking into account of their situation and how true it was. It was humorous in a way, and it did her well to think of it that way than think negatively about it.

"What about you?" Neo asked.

"Hmm, oh well I got my cutie mark one day when I had written a little speech for my parents. Then poof, after I was done there it was."

"So what does it mean?"

She glanced at her cutie mark, which consisted of a white dove holding ivy in its mouth with a heart behind it. "It stands for peace, and reason. In fact I'm quite the leader back home." She said in a proud manner.

"Oh?" Neo said surprised, "I didn't think you did that sort of thing."

She nodded at him, "I ran for mayor twice, the only reason I didn't get it was cause of my friends Newt and Kat. So I just help the community anyway I could, salvaging, helping travelers and fixing up the town."

He smiled at her warmly. "What about now, do you plan to go back and see your friends back in Maneton when this is all over?"

She brushed some of her brown hair to the side, "Yeah, if we make out then yeah when this is all over I'll go back to Maneton and look into going for mayor again."

She blushed faintly, feeling weak in her stomach as she thought. "D-do you think you and me could, you know, get together when this is all over?"

He thought about what that might be like, a house in a town, their mother visiting, and Adam trying to find somepony. The very thought made him feel warm and at peace inside, and if all went well and their mother came back with them that future might just be possible.

"Yeah, I would like that." he replied softly.

Suddenly he bumped into Adam who had seemed to stop. He staggered forward, trying to reclaim his balance before falling into the old murky water. "Hey what happened?" Neo asked him.

Adam looked back at the group and looked up at a hatch with a ladder connecting to it. "Is that the exit?" Allie asked looking up at the rusted cast iron hatch.

He nodded at her with a gulp. "Yep, and we have to climb a ladder again... great." he whimpered.

Neo patted him on the back with a grin on his face. "I'll go first if you want."

He nervously grinned at him, "No, no, I think I'll go in case I fall you guys can catch me."

"Adam it's like six feet up."

"It looks a lot taller than you think!"

Neo chuckled with his metal hoof around his shoulder, "If you say so. I'll wait for you to go up before I send Lu and Allie up. How’s that sound?"

Adam continued to eye the rather short ladder cautiously, "Alright, just please don't let me fall..."

Lu came up to him and hugged his leg. "A good luck hug, mommy would give me those when I tried something new or scary."

He patted her on the head softly, "Thanks Lu."

She giggled at him and stepped back. Adam let out a few calming breaths before starting up the ladder. Hoof by hoof, he slowly made his way up. Once he reached the top he used his teeth to unlatch the exit and prop it open with his head. He stuck his head out of the top and look at the world above.

All around them was rocks, rocks, and dead grass. The rocks covered most of the view, and besides the clearing the exit was in it looked safe. He quickly turned his head to the sky only to be greeted by a grey bleak sky covered in the same clouds that had blanketed it before.

He took a long breath of the dry cool air, and even though it was musty it was much more easier to breath the outside air than the air in the sewer. He climbed up out of the hole and out onto the dry clearing. "You can come up now, the coast is clear."

Neo nodded to him from inside the sewer, "Right."

He looked down at Lu who came up to him first, she had a rather confident look on her face. "You ready to go up with Adam, Lu?"

She nodded at him with a brave smile. "I'm ready big brother."

With a gentle pat on the back from Neo she was ready. She slowly ascended the ladder and back up to the outside world. Neo looked back at Allie, "You ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded at him and climbed up. It didn't take her long to reach the top, nor did it take Adam long after she got up to call for his brother to come up. Neo climbed up the first few steps of the ladder, but midway up he looked back down the dark empty tube they had come down. In his mind he thought of that odd pony they met, and he thought of what his motives were, or if he had made it out alright.

"Brother are you coming up?" Adam asked from above the exit.

He stared back into the abyss once more for a moment before answering. "Yeah, one sec."

He then turned and finished climbing up the ladder back into the outside world above. Once up he felt the cool dry breeze brush against his coat as he took a deep breath of fresh, well somewhat fresh air.

Allie and Adam closed the hatch into the sewer and turned the large seal on top to lock it. “Y'know, the air out here isn't bad once you've been down there for a bit." Neo chuckled.

Adam agreed with a nod, "Yeah, I'd much rather fight raiders then stay another ten minutes down in that place."

Allie looked up at the sky while Neo and Adam looked at their PipBucks for the bunkers location. Lu watched the small screens on their wrists and marveled at how cool they were.

"See Lu, this is a PipBuck, where we come from you get one when you're ten. When you do get one it means you're a big pony and you have to start living like one." Neo explained to her.

"Does that mean when I'm ten I get a big pony watch like you?"

Neo laughed a bit at her. "Maybe, I might get you one when you’re ten and if we visit."

"Cool!" She exclaimed with a small leap in the air. "I'll be a big pony and find lost ponies in space with my big pony watch, like Cosmic Muffin!"

Neo and Allie chuckled, then turned to Adam to see if he had found the bunker on his map yet. "There, I have it marked. Surprisingly it's not too far from here. Maybe about a mile or so... that way." He pointed out to the side indicating where it said the bunker was.

Allie looked once more to the sky, then turned back to Adam. "It's going to get dark out soon, and out here night is when the bigger critters like to come out."

"Yeah, you're probably right Allie, Lavender mentioned stuff coming out at night."

Lu pointed to the sledge hammer that Adam was carrying on his back with a courageous look in her eyes. "We don't need to be scared of them, as long as Lu is here!"

Adam picked her up and sat her on Neo's back, "Yeah they wouldn't dare mess with us as long as you're around."

Lu flexed and did several heroic poses on Neo before the group started walking back to the bunker. They were heading back, and hopefully their efforts to get the transistor was worth the pain they had to go through to get it, and maybe, just maybe, they might not eat beans when they got back.

Inside the cold metal walls of the bunker, Lavender sat at the table while a radio on a shelf played soft music. She laid her head down on the cold tabletop and worried. She worried about how they were doing, if they had made it out alright, or if Lu went with them. It all bothered her, and the more time passed it only made her lose hope more that they wouldn't come back.

The professor was in the kitchen cooking some sort of meat in a pan. It sizzled and cooked evenly as the rich smell filled the air. But Lavender didn't care, she was too sad to eat, even if it was something different.

"Ch-cheer up dear, they'll show up... I-I'm sure of it." He stuttered before returning to his cooking.

"And maybe, I'll say, maybe..." The song trailed off and was replaced with a cool smooth deep voice, "That was Maybe kido's by I don't really know at this point but oh well. And it's me! Haha! Coming at you from the Silvermane outpost, Cool Blue, given you all the news and sweet tunes your little hearts desire. Today, we got a urgent public service announcement, kidos listen some kind of things been killin those innocent traders down south of Arkcannon. So, if you're a trader, know that you and your pals could wind up as minced meat or worse. But there is still hope, I've got reports the Coalition has some guardians lookin into this thing, and to those two who are helpin out with the problem, thanks. A lot of ponies need you guys to solve this thing... And enough about depressing news let's move on to something happy to brighten up your day." A very bouncy song with drums and saxophones played loudly.

Lavender got up and turned off the radio. She sighed heavily, and returned to her chair with a sad feeling in her heart. She sat there for a moment thinking, the radio didn't help her try to forget about them, and it didn't help that this was the first time they weren't having canned beans for dinner and they'd miss it.

While her head lay on the table her left ear twitched, then again, and again. She soon heard a faint knocking coming from down the hall. Her face lit up as she dashed out the kitchen and over to the monitor room. The door clanked open and exposed the several glowing terminals on the wall. She pressed a few buttons on the large control pad and watched as one of the screens broadcasted the outside world. She gasped happily as she saw Adam, Neo, Allie, and Lu's faces on the screen.

"They made it..." She whispered, with tears building up inside her.

She bolted out of the room, leaving the small stool she was sitting on spinning behind her. She raced up the ladder and went to the door. On the small keypad she typed in the pass code for the door. The door hissed and clanked as the latches came unlocked on the heavy door.

The door slowly opened inward, and the first thing Lavender saw was Lu jump at her, "Big sis!" She cried as she flew through the air to tackle her.

She hugged Lu on top of her with small tears rolling down her eyes. Lu hugged her back, and got off of her, "Me and our big brothers fought monsters, and found a pirate pony and went into a spooky old place and-" she continued on about what they had done in the past days. Though she couldn’t hear it all due to the fact she talked at a speedy pace.

Lavender let everypony else in and shut the door behind them. "I'm so happy you made it back. I thought... never mind. Welcome back."

Adam nodded at her, "I'm sorry if we took longer then normal but we ran into... some trouble along the way."

"A little more then just trouble Adam." Neo added.

Adam rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well yeah a little more than that..."

She chuckled at him, "Well you can talk all about it over dinner. Oh, and Neo?"

Neo looked at her before he made his way down into the bunker. "Yeah Lavender?"

She smiled at him. "You'll be happy to know we're not having beans tonight."

"Yeah! Something different!" He exclaimed merrily before going down the ladder to the bunker below.

Together they all went down to the kitchen where the professor made meat steaks. The rich smoky flavor filled the room, Neo's mouth drooled as the smell of food filled his nose.

Adam and Allie came in and smelled the same thing, a rich flavor of sizzling goodness. "Wow, that smells really good." Adam commented to the professor before taking a seat at the table.

Neo sat down and watched him cook for a moment. "Yeah, I didn't know you could cook professor."

He nodded at him with a nervous, modest look. "W-why, yes. I-I've cooked f-f-for quite a while to be honest..."

Neo shrugged at him, "Never would have guessed it."

Lu sat down at the table with her bow untied in front of her. She fumbled the red ribbon around as she tried to tie the mischievous thing. "Big brother, could you help me..." She asked Neo.

"Sure Lu." Neo said with a smile.

He came over to her and showed her how to tie it on her head. He used to help tie bows similar to this with his mother when she was getting ready for an event or party.

The professor placed the now cooked meat on a plate and placed it on a counter. He opened a drawer and pulled out a razor sharp knife and started cutting up the delicious pieces of meat. He chopped them up harder and harder, "Damn it... I was so close to losing her, and those three... how did they make it out...?"

He soon felt a long sharp pain go across his left hoof. He dropped the knife and held his now bleeding hoof. "Damn it!" he swore quietly to himself.

"I'm sorry, I can't join you. Please help yourselves to the food." He levitated a serving of his own with his horn and held his bleeding hoof close to him before leaving the room.

Lavender sighed. "He never stops, always working."

"Has he always been that way?" Allie asked.

She hung her head with sorrow in her tone. "He's worked non-stop ever since my other sisters died."

Neo raised an eyebrow at her. "You had more sisters?"

She nodded grimly at him. "Four older sisters, each one of them got sick and died like my mother. I never really got to meet since I was just a foal when they were around."

Adam patted her on the back. "I'm sorry for your loss. I never knew my father if it counts."

Neo frowned at the mention of his father. "You don't want to know about him either, he's a lying bastard who didn't love mom at all. I'm glad he's gone."

"Neo, he's your father you shouldn't talk about him like- Never mind, let's just stop talking about it." Lavender interjected.

They all ate their food, which in a way cleared some of the sad feelings away. "Lavender, Where does your father get the meat?" Neo asked with some food in his mouth.

"Oh, he says he goes hunting every now and again. He brings back some wild animals and stores them downstairs."

"I see."

"When I see him again I need to give him his transistor, and then me and Adam need to look for this thing."

"Are you sure? I don't want to have you end up like the trader pony we have in the spare room."

Adam perked up a bit, "And how is she doing anyway?"

"Fine... she's still recovering but she should get better soon."

"Tomorrow, I can talk to her, and see what she knows about this monster and maybe we can finally catch it and continue looking for our mom in Arkcannon."

Lu shook her head at him. "Not before we battle the space monkeys, big brother."

They all laughed at Lu's statement, "Alright Lu, first we'll battle the space monkeys."

In a dark metal room the professor ate at his meat on the plate. He tore it madly with his teeth. He sat in a chair watching them on a monitor on a large terminal screen. "That caravan pony we have simply must go. I can't have them asking questions and snooping around. Not while I'm so close to another cycle."

He spun around and placed his hoof to his mouth and thought about what his next move would be. "My powers to drained to continue with caravans, and those damn guardian ponies didn't die like they were supposed to at the factory... but then again they brought back Lu, and I need her here... I might need to take them out the old fashioned way... Yes I'll do that, plus it will be more fun that way..." He started to chuckled to himself, as he thought of how the plan would unfold. The chuckle grew louder until it developed into a full laugh with a twitch in his eye. "And they think they can complete their plans... but, they... can't, catch, me... heh, heh...."

He calmed down for a moment and lay back in his chair, panting heavily. With a large devilish smile he said, “I think it’s about time I hurried things along. I won’t be long before I start the next cycle... not long at all...”

Foot Note: Level up

New Perk: Honest hearts: When talking to ponies telling the truth matters. When you tell the truth you gain a 20% chance in that option to convince ponies to do something or believe you.

Foot Note: Level up

Would you like to level up Adam as well?

Yes-

No

New Perk: Canter on: You can now sprint longer, and tire out less often while sprinting.

Proofread by:

Noakwolf

wayofthepen

LyonAzakura

(AN: I personally liked this and believe me when I say this, the next chapter will blow you away. I felt a few really good emotions while writing this, and to say the most I had quite a bit of fun with this chapter. Oh and for those of you who are curious the predators will come back later. So anyway, If you liked this chapter comment down below and tell me what you thought!)