The Last Crite's Intentions

The six ponies trudged through the forest with Charlie following behind clumsily calibrating his weapon while tripping over the surrounding foliage. Twilight, more than once, pondered the decision in allowing his company. He seemed more of a danger to himself and others than any ‘bounty’ he was after. Suppressing this thought, she asked her friends, “So, girls? Any ideas on how to contain the situation?” Rainbow Dash wanted to make a wind tunnel and throw them out of town. Pinkie Pie wanted to show them desserts were more appetizing than ponies. Rarity didn’t want to have anything to do with nasty biting creatures. Applejack wanted to round them up, toss them back in their ship, and get them out of town. Fluttershy wanted to talk with them. If they were not in the middle of walking, Twilight would have facehooved right then.

“Girls? I have a better idea. I just need…” She looked around the path they were on until she spotted what she needed in a nearby bush. “…One of these little guys.” The ponies stopped in their tracks to see what Twilight was grabbing from the bush with Charlie almost tripping over them. Twilight reached into the bush and pulled out a light-blue Parasprite. “The way I figure it is that we had our own infestation problem that, with some adjustments and modifications, I can make that same infestation these Crite’s problem.”

Rainbow Dash busted out laughing, “This again!? Don’t you remember the disaster this caused before?”

“Yes, I do. However, with my alicorn abilities and magical prowess I am assured a more fitting means to an end.” She raised her horn at the little Parasprite which seemed unaware of the transpiring event. Her horn glowed a slight red as she touched it. Nothing happened which led to Rainbow Dash busting out in another fit of laughter.

Rainbow Dash stopped laughing long enough to remark, “That’s some ‘assurance!’”

“Oh, but it is. What I lacked before in Ponyville was a matching template of something that could be considered appetizing. So, all I need is one of these ‘Crites’ for that other template and this Parasprite will find only ‘Crites’ appetizing than any other available food source.” Rainbow Dash stopped laughing and now had a questioning look on her face. “You see, Rainbow Dash, I just need to match the predator to the prey and soon the predator (this Parasprite) will chase its new prey.”

Charlie chimed in, “But that’s only one little harmless-looking thing. The Crites are sure to be in the hundreds by now.”

“Yes, it is only this one Parasprite right now. However, this magic is transferable to the same template (species) so any Parasprite this little one comes into contact or produces will inherit the ability until I cancel it.”

“That’s pretty neat but I prefer my gun.”

Twilight let the Parasprite go in order to transfer the magic to other Parasprites. She smiled to herself for thinking of such a brilliant plan. It was much better than sharing desserts with carnivorous aliens!

The six ponies continued their journey to the village when the last of the foliage gave way to enough clearing now allowing the ability to see the village’s state of affairs. Needless to say it was in shambles. Many ponies littered the streets being eaten away. But what caught everyone’s attention was the seven foot Crite sitting atop a pile of debris in the center of town. The glowing red eyes could be seen for miles. In combination with the black and red sky above, the sight was ominous in every way imaginable. This large Crite was pointing in varying directions much like it was giving orders. Twelve mid-sized Crites seemed to be responding to this large Crite by ordering groups of smaller Crites which one could only guess as being certain tasks or objectives.

Charlie was the first to speak, “Without me being here right now, your planet would be lost…”

“What!?” Twilight exclaimed.

“The Crites have chosen a leader who will dictate all movements of the species. Crites are much smarter than they appear to be in that they can not only fly ships but also work with any available resources such as technology, natural resources, or provided materials. Their logical thinking is beyond measure. Without a leader, an individual Crite’s logical thinking is not focused, but with a dedicated leader inevitable destruction is given intelligent direction. Before I became a bounty hunter, the only way the Crites were stopped was when two shape-shifting bounty hunters infiltrated their ranks and killed the leader. It is this leader Crite with his own ‘brain trust’ that literally had his species devour the inhabitants of several dozen planets in that solar system and a few neighboring ones causing great universal concern to Terracorp that couldn’t be ignored. This is why they were wiped out to only a dozen or so before another leader could be raised through the ranks and cause similar destruction.”

“I find that hard to believe, Charlie. But the organization and objectivity of its command from this point of view seems to support your claim. Maybe not on the scale as decimating several dozen planets but very coordinated.” Twilight stopped herself short when she saw five groups of twenty Crites in military formation wearing unicorn horns on their heads. “Am I really seeing those Crites with unicorn horns attached to their heads?” She raised her hoof in the direction of the odd looking bunch.

The six ponies murmured to each other what purpose that would serve. It mostly seemed like a sick joke unless…Twilight gasped, “They’re trying to use magic!” She then recognized that some of the little Crites speaking to these groups were holding books and reading the contents of each page rather rapidly to each unicorn-horn-wearing group.

Twilight couldn’t justify seeing this. “I simply can’t believe my eyes. It just seems so far-fetched and ridiculous.” One of these groups began to glow brightly red and shot a beam into the sky making the sky somewhat redder. “Well, we now know why the sky looks the way it does. Girls? I’ll be back in a second. I see one of these Crites sleeping right there and will use him as the other template for the Parasprite(s).” Having said this she teleported behind this one Crite sleeping in a ball. She lightly touched it with her horn glowing red then teleported back to the group. “Now, we just wait.”

They sat down and monitored the situation waiting for whatever Twilight was expecting to happen. After an hour or so, Rainbow Dash said, “Well, whatever you wanted to happen, Twilight, didn’t happen. I think we need to come up with a sounder solution than some carnivorous Parasprites.”

Twilight responded, “I suppose you’re right…hey, where’s Fluttershy?” The group looked around in search of their friend. They spotted her twenty or so feet away hunched over. “Fluttershy? What’re you doing over there?” Twilight called out to her. “Fluttershy? Fluttershy? Answer me!”

The Pegasus, looking ashamed, turned around slowly to reveal a small Crite right in front of her. The rest of the group jumped to their feet in shock. Fluttershy had a quizzical expression come across her face as the small Crite seemed to be speaking some sort of garbled language to her. “Oh, yes, these are my friends.”

“You can talk to it!?” Twilight was shocked as was everyone else. None were willing to approach the little thing though.

“Umm, yes. Isn’t he just the cutest little thing? I know they’re vicious monsters but…what’s that?” She lowered her ear to hear what it was saying. “Oh, I’m sorry for calling you a vicious monster. Okay, I’ll tell them. This little guy is apparently a scout and came to survey our presence in being here.”

“…Tell it we’re trying to learn their purpose in being here.”

“He can hear you just fine, Twilight. It is just that you don’t hear him.” The group looked around to make sure no other Crites were sneaking up on them when they noticed the leader Crite staring at them with bright red eyes from atop his heap of debris. Simultaneously, they thought, We’re dead. We’re so dead.

They looked back at Fluttershy who seemed to be intently focused on the little Crite. “Hmm, okay I think I got it. Twilight, he says their purpose is to propagate enough so as to find a planet to call their own. They have faced extinction so many times before that all they want right now is a little salvation and peace of mind. They are, by nature, carnivorous but this is their only means of survival. They’re very sorry for destroying our village and devouring our kind. However, it is needed for the journey ahead…and…what’s that? A fight? With who? Something called Terracorp? They’re coming as we speak? But you’re ready for the fight?”

Terracorp, as soon as those words were spoken, the ponies all looked at Charlie. Even the little Crite caught sight of him in this draw of attention but his little eyes widened and he spoke louder than before.

“Hmm, what? Why are you so loud now little guy? Bounty Hunter, Charlie? The one most feared by Crites? A demon among your kind?” After this was said, the little Crite said a few ‘words’ and left back to the village.
As soon as the little Crite left, Twilight exclaimed, “Fluttershy! We could of have been killed!”

“Yes, but we know their purpose in being here now.”

“I don’t believe it for one second,” Charlie said with much anger in his voice to the surprise of the whole group. “These little fucking things took everything from me. Now, they think they’re simply going to roll or fly away! I don’t think so! My whole fucking life! Everybody I ever knew is gone with my life revolving around destroying these little fucking monstrosities. You all want to hear a little story of how my friend – my best friend whom I was forced to murder – thought it most important to capture these fucking things and study them!?” Charlie turned away from the group and faced the leader Crite who was still staring in their general direction. “Ya hear what I’m saying you fucking piece of shit! I’m going to murder each and every one of you! For all of my ‘friends’ I will never see again! You hear me!? Dead!!!” Charlie rushed towards the town; gun in hand, with nothing but bloodshed on his mind.

The next few moments happened quickly. Maybe it happened too quickly for the group to comprehend the full meaning of the situation. First, the little Crite appeared next to one of the mid-sized Crites and relayed a message which in turn relayed that message to the leader. The leader Crite’s eyes widened as he watched the approaching human. Next, the clouds above shook and parted as a full sized war ship appeared in the sky left of the ponies’ position. The leader Crite saw this and immediately started giving orders out to each of his mid-sized guards. To the ponies’ right, the forest trees shook violently as hundreds of Parasprites flew towards the town possibly with ravenous hunger.

The ponies stood there witnessing the beginning of a small-scale war unable to make a sound.