- >You pull the hood over your helmet blocking out the cold.
- >You can make out a patrol of pegasi flying just above the storm.
- >No one should travel alone at a time like this.
- >Except for you of course.
- >You trudge through the built-up snow as you exit town.
- >It’s a long road ahead of you, but it’s a road you have to take.
- >Here you are, leaving behind another home, this time by choice.
- >You turn around and say goodbye to Ponyville one last time.
- >It may be your last chance.
- >Saluting to the town you continue down the path.
- >You wonder what the others will think when they find out where you went.
- >Would they understand? Would they throw a hissy fit? Would Pinkie throw a late going-away party?
- >There are so many things that could happen.
- >Another brush of wind returns you to the present.
- >The forest entrance isn’t very far from here.
- >You pull out your map and recheck your destination.
- >If Twilight was correct in her research then the Hive should be located near the heart of the forest.
- >You barely scratched the surface when you had that walk.
- >And now you have to be on your guard in case any Xenos detect you.
- >Its one hurdle after another with this shit.
- >As you approach the forest you can feel its essence seeping through you.
- >Dread washes over you; you swore you would never enter this place again.
- >The trees themselves seem to reach towards you.
- >Even so, you march into the forest.
- >A slight rustling jerks your head to the right.
- >Patches of ice slide off a nearby tree and sink into the snow below.
- “Well if it isn’t my old friend.”
- >You can’t see him in through the blizzard, but you know he’s there.
- >Turns out you won’t be going alone after all.
- >You nod and continue deeper into the confines of the forest.
- >The further you go, the less snow you encounter.
- >The blizzard doesn’t seem to be able to penetrate that far into the forest.
- >In fact, it seems to be getting hotter as time passes.
- >You strip off your coat and wrap it around your arm.
- >Rarity would be pissed if it was left lying around.
- >A part of you would rather deal with the Xenomorphs than her.
- >The familiar stench of decay catches you by surprise.
- >At least you know how far you have to go.
- >Too far…
- >The sun appeared to be going down as far as you could tell.
- >Night was approaching, and the xenos would be up and at it again.
- >You decide to make camp, a consequence for leaving in the evening.
- >Following the pungent odor you find yourself back at the morphed tree.
- >Maybe the scent will keep them away. You don’t know, but frankly you don’t give a damn.
- >You almost step in a dried puddle of blood and vomit.
- >The bodies were still up there in all likelihood.
- >At least you’d have company while you rested.
- >You kick the stump of the tree, breaking through its hollow interior.
- >A mess of termites and other small creatures spew out of the opening.
- >Another few hits and you forged a man sized hole in the tree.
- >Swatting away a few remaining insects you climb on in.
- >It wouldn’t take much for anything to get you in here, but the tree grants you a couple seconds to react at least.
- >The walls vibrate as your friend leaps onto the top.
- >You pull out your shotgun and rest it in your lap.
- “You’ve got first watch,” you say to the creature above.
- >You’re going to have to come up with a name for him.
- >He’s stuck with you all this time, and tried to stick it to you as well.
- >If not for the whole trying to kill you thing he’d be alright in your book.
- >You’ve thought of him as your guardian angel.
- >Maybe there’s some truth to that.
- >You pull out a dusty pair of dog tags and run your thumb over them. Corporal Mark Evans.
- >You rest your head against the rotted timber and close your eyes.
- “Goodnight Mark.”
- >You enter the arena once more.
- >Comrades of old and new hang from the black webbing.
- >You run over to Duff, his lifeless body staring back at you.
- >”Why didn’t you save him?” another body whispers.
- “I tried…”
- >”Not hard enough marine.” A second voice joins in.
- >”You left him to die like a coward.”
- >They’re trying to mess with your head, but you won’t let them this time.
- “Duff isn’t dead, not really. This routine is getting old…”
- >A hiss echoes throughout the chamber before the corpses continue.
- >”They’re coming Anon, this is as real as it gets.”
- >You stand up and move back to the entrance, turning your back to it.
- >Xenomorphs of all types climb around the walls before you.
- >”You will fail. Just as your team did.”
- >You laugh a bit before looking towards the mass of approaching xenos.
- “Maybe, but my new team hasn’t.”
- >A hand presses onto one of your shoulders, a hoof on the other.
- >You turn, your friends and the other survivors of Ponyville emerging from the blackness.
- >Mark and Twilight stand at either side of you.
- “I won’t let them down as well.”
- >You close your eyes and take a deep breath.
- “We hold.”
- >Opening your eyes, you revel in the sounds of the forest.
- >Every drip, crow and growl encompassing your being.
- >You step out of your hidey-hole and check things out.
- >There’s no sign of any xenomorph activity. If there was then you wouldn’t be standing here right now.
- >The sun is up from what you can tell. The light barely breaches the thick foliage.
- >You look back up to where Mark should be.
- >It’d be rude not to say hello.
- >You grab a few strong looking vines and ascend the tree.
- >Upon reaching the top, you don’t see any sign of him.
- >It’s like he just up and left you.
- >A chill runs down your spine as you realize that he knew you were coming up.
- >That bastard’s a shit ton smarter than you thought he was.
- >A brief flash of yellow shines from a tree opposite to you.
- >Another nod and you decide to continue your journey.
- >The climb down was much easier than the ascent.
- >A cloud of leaves jumps as you leap back to the ground.
- >Pulling out your shotgun you set back down the path.
- >The sun won’t wait for you to get started.
- >Every inch you go deeper into the forest is another inch you have to make to get back.
- >Something tells you this might be a one-way trip.
- >You smack your helmet in defiance.
- >You’re not going to die some heroic death like some stupid book.
- >Who the hell would even write that?
- >You forgo the coat as it was only weighing you down. You rest it neatly on a protruding branch in the path.
- >Maybe someone else will find a use for it.
- >You continue walking for a few hours. It feels like you’re just walking in circles.
- >You check your map, projecting how soon you should reach the Hive.
- >Another few hours at the most apparently.
- >Maybe you’re on track after all.
- >The humidity tries to choke you as you keep on the path.
- >How anything can live in this is simply astonishing.
- >The lush forest has slowly melded into more of a swamp, which is where Twilight thought it would be.
- >The familiar smell of decay hits you like a truck once more.
- >Lucky that you’re basically a bunker when it comes to that stench. Sleeping in it tends to do that.
- >You try and stay on the dry patches of land that surround the murky water, but that only takes you so far.
- >The fastest way to the hive is straight through the murky waters of the swamp.
- >Who knows what type of creature lives down there?
- >You hesitantly take a step into the swamp, your foot immediately sinking into the mud.
- >It’s going to be one of those days.
- >Luckily it doesn’t take long before your foot hits something solid.
- >You place your other foot into the goo and sink till your about waist deep into the water.
- >You tighten the straps on your weapons to prevent them from getting submerged.
- >This might take a while.
- >The trek into the marshes was a bit harder than you thought.
- >Every time you’re about halfway through the water suddenly deepens, and there’s no fucking way you’re going in there.
- >Being a coward is one thing, but that shit is simply suicidal.
- >Twilight told you she met a bum fucking Hydra in here. You’re not seeking to make its acquaintance.
- >You hear a loud splash and swing around to meet your guest.
- >A torrent of electricity spasms around the intruder, revealing itself to be Mark.
- >You quickly lower your weapon before he gets the wrong impression.
- >You feel a bit better with him around, a teammate is always welcomed.
- >The two of you keep roaming the swamp until you both come across a small uplifted island.
- >It seems to bridge the two sections together without having to proceed through the deep end.
- >You pull yourself up and reach out your hand to help up Mark.
- >He ignores you and leaps up to the top.
- >He may not be a team-player, but he’s got it where it counts.
- >You take a small break and sit down on a rock. The floor is a bit too moist for your tastes. Fuck you’re sounding like Rarity again…
- >Mark doesn’t seem to care as he plops down wherever he sees fit.
- >You pull some rations out of your pack as a little snack. You toss a pack to Mark, who appears puzzled at the gift.
- “You eat it, see,” you say, scarfing down the less than satisfactory meal.
- “It’s nothing much, especially not better than anything Fluttershy…”
- >Fluttershy, another friend you left behind. The more you think about them the worse you feel.
- >You didn’t even say goodbye.
- >A few hisses and pops snap you back to reality.
- >Mark is doing something to his faceplate. It looks like he’s loosening it, or depressurizing the mask.
- >One final pop and he takes off his mask, looking back to you.
- >He isn’t going to win any fashion contests, you can say that much.
- >His skin is red-yellow in color, and his dreadlocks are in fact hair.
- >What truly strikes you are his four mandibles centered around his sharp fangs.
- >His beady eyes add to his menacing appearance, but not as much as those xenomorphs.
- >He rips open the bag and hesitantly eats the contents.
- >A few mandibles twitch as he chews it which creeps you the fuck out.
- >The taste doesn’t stop him from taking another bite and another… and another.
- >It doesn’t take long for him to finish off the bag.
- >His head shoots back up and he quickly dons his mask before standing battle ready.
- “The hell is wrong with you?”
- >A vibration rocks the ground beneath you, alerting you as well.
- >You hasten to your feet and ready your pulse rifle.
- >Ripples flow throughout the water, clashing with each other inadvertently masking the third presence.
- >What was once a mere vibration has cascaded into a violent tremor, shifting the very landscape.
- >Only one creature could be massive enough to cause such a quake.
- >A series of bubbles reach the water’s surface to signal the coming danger.
- >The beasts of the Everfree Forest silence to watch your demise.
- >Your eyes grow wide as four heads emerge from the depths of the lake and tower above you.
- “Well… fuck…”
- >Their orange scales glisten from each presented maw.
- >You hear a few more hisses and pops as Mark tries to recloak, but to no avail.
- >The water seems to be interfering with his tech, damn shame.
- >Each head licks their lips at the meal before them. Too bad you bite back.
- >You quickly fire a grenade from your rifle which detonates on the creature’s neck.
- >It roars in pain as you grab Mark and sprint to the exit.
- >The ground rumbles as the Hydra begins to chase you both down.
- “Fuck fuck fuck fuck!”
- >Mark makes his way past you and gains some ground before turning back to the creature.
- >A trio of red rays shoots from his helmet, a cannon-like structure following the beam.
- >A sickening crack bellows from the cannon as he fires a projectile of his own against it.
- >The Hydra releases another roar of pain followed by a loud thud.
- >You look back at the creature when you catch up to Mark.
- >One of its heads lay severed before it, likely a result of your combined attack.
- >The creature itself stands stunned as the loss of a limb keeps it off balance.
- >Before you can begin to celebrate the tendrils on the Hydra’s neck begin to quiver.
- >Oh yeah, it’s a fucking Hydra. You don’t need to know what happens next.
- >You pull Mark’s arm as two more heads spew forth to fill the gap.
- “Time to go!”
- >You pepper it with bullets which tear holes clean through its dense scales.
- >Mark lets another blast fly as the both of you tear out of the swamp.
- >You spot a cave at the end of the swamp to hide in.
- “In there!” you yell to Mark.
- >He simply sprints faster toward the designated spot.
- >One of the heads lunges at you, but you narrowly dodge it, making the Hydra eat dirt.
- >You look back to see another head on approach, this time you don’t have time to avoid it.
- >A hand grabs you by your armor and tosses you backwards out of the way.
- >Mark quickly helps you up and drags you back to the cave.
- >He really does care…
- >The two of you make it into the cave as the Hydra crashes outside.
- >The creature roars again and stamps off in a hissy-fit.
- “That was too close,” you say catching your breath, “thanks by the way.”
- >Mark merely grunts and heads off deeper into the cave.
- >You follow him into the dark recesses of this place.
- >The heat grows unbearable as you continue walking in these narrow halls.
- >”Shrug it off Private, a little heat won’t kill you.”
- >You spin around trying to find the source.
- >That was… so real…
- >Mark senses your predicament and waits for you.
- “Did you hear that?”
- >He shakes his head in denial.
- >You wipe your head and shrug it off.
- >This labyrinth of a cave keeps you on your toes.
- >Something about it is off, more so than the forest you just left.
- >A black coating sticks to the walls before you.
- >This place couldn’t be it. Not this fast.
- >A feeling of dread falls upon you, forcing you to halt once more.
- >”Can it Marine, you’re not here to feel.”
- >You can feel a headache coming onto you so you rest your head against the wall.
- >This shit isn’t normal. You should be in cryosleep, heading back home.
- >But no. You’re in an Alien hive, abandoning your friends after abandoning your squad.
- >Mark places a reassuring hand on your shoulder.
- >He doesn’t know what you’re going through, but he doesn’t care.
- >He needs you at your best, Duff does as well.
- >You’re not going to let Duff down. You can’t let him down.
- >Shoving yourself off the wall you march down the heated corridors with newfound strength.
- >”Any movement Private?”
- >You sweep the entrance of another set of tunnels, surveying each mess of webbing with detail.
- “We’re all clear.”
- >*shling* Mark goes down one tunnel and signals you to enter the other.
- “Done sir.”
- >”That a boy, now move out!” The memories keep bombarding you.
- >You shake your head and take aim down the hall.
- >The webbing gets thicker and more spread out as you descend.
- >The journey isn’t pleasant, a few xenos tried to ambush you with the same tactics as before.
- “Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice…”
- >You unload on a hiding xenomorph, its acidic blood splattering across the walls.
- You give a little smile, “Shame on me.”
- >The next chamber is a bit more open, though thoroughly coated in the webbing.
- >Mark is huddled next to the floor examining some sort of egg.
- >He springs to attention and draws a disk when he sees you.
- “Whoa hold on dude…”
- >A slight movement catches your eye on the wall behind him.
- >You draw your pulse rifle and get ready to fire.
- >Mark grunts and is prepared to let that thing loose.
- >You’re just trying to help and now he’s threatening you. What an ass.
- >You recognize the creature behind him as one of those spiders that attacked you in Ponyville.
- >He has no chance if he’s unprepared.
- >Mark throws the disk as you fire behind him.
- >Your bullets decimate the tiny creature, shredding it into pieces.
- >The weapon steers clear of you instead circling around like a boomerang.
- >Why did he do that?
- >You turn around, half of a Unimorph behind you.
- >That bastard just saved your life, you bet it didn’t expect Mark to get him.
- >You lower your weapon relieved.
- >Mark examines your work and grunts his approval.
- “Thanks.”
- >”Anytime.”
- >It must only know a few words in English, or else he might talk more.
- >Hours pass like minutes, every movement predetermined; every nook searched and cleaned out.
- >Mark seems intent on wiping these guys out, and you couldn’t argue with his tactics.
- >You run out of Pulse Rifle before long, switching to your shotgun.
- >It doesn’t take long for both of you to reach a colossal central chamber, those eggs Mark found scattered throughout.
- >This place is definitely where those xenomorphs originate.
- >You see corpses hanging off the walls, more victims of the xenos.
- >Duff has to be around here somewhere.
- >”We got one!”
- >The voices ring in your ears as you work your way around.
- >”We got some more over here.”
- >You recognize a few faces from the club, you knew them well.
- >A certain brown pony catches your attention, a beer bottle cutie mark on his flank.
- >You don’t waste time and quickly cut him down.
- >He looks like shit, cuts and scrapes all across his body.
- “Duff. Duff do you hear me?”
- >You put two fingers on his neck, feeling a low pulse.
- “Duff man, come on. Wake up!”
- >You slap him across the face causing him to barely open his eyes.
- >You hug the shit out of him, happy to have your bud back.
- “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”
- >”They’re dead…”
- >He holds his shaking hoof out and points towards the others.
- >”Something… came out of them. These things did it.”
- >He plays with one of the dead spiders next to him.
- “It’s ok Duff, you’re safe.”
- >”This one was mine…”
- >He stares at the creature, not with anger but sadness.
- >You ignore this new development and try to get him on his hooves.
- “Let’s get going, I’m not leaving you here.”
- >”You always did have my back, but I’m not leaving. I can feel it in here,” he places a hoof on his chest, “and it wants out.”
- “Enough of that talk, I’m not losing another friend. With any luck we’ll-“
- >His laughter interrupts you, “Luck has nothing to do with it, right?”
- “Don’t do this to me Duff. Don’t you fucking dare.”
- >He coughs violently, “Listen Anon, it’s not your fault. *cough cough* It was my choice.”
- “You don’t choose to die. You’re here because of me.”
- >”If it wasn’t me here, then it would be you. *cough* If there’s one thing I did in my life that I didn’t fuck up, it was you.”
- >He coughs up a little blood. “You have a future Anon, I turned mine down long ago.”
- >He grips his chest, “One last thing, a request. End it- *cough* end the pain.”
- >You hug him one last time. “Live on,” he says as you place your pistol on his skull.
- “I’m sorry.”
- >You stand up, Mark taking place by your side.
- “Let’s get this over with.”
- >You holster your pistol and move on.
- >A hiss draws the both of you onward, back to another old acquaintance.
- >You make your way through a valley of columns as you follow the noise.
- >A few xenomorphs catch the corner of your eye, but they back off.
- >At least they know who they’re fucking with now.
- >You see your old friend, a bit bigger than you last saw him.
- >He’s a good four times larger than you last saw him when he attacked you.
- >He may look different, but he’s the same asshole as before.
- >Mark seems to stare in awe at the creature as it towers over both of us.
- “Get a good luck Mark. It’ll be the last time you ever see it.”
- >The xenomorph hisses loudly at the both of you, summoning several others to his side.
- >You raise your weapon, but Mark holds it down.
- >He pushes several buttons on the console attached to his wrist before detaching it.
- >He makes a few gestures. Fist, open palm. Fist, open palm.
- “What does that even mean?”
- >He starts counting down with his fingers and makes the same motion.
- “Seriously is that supposed to mean something?”
- >His facepalm could split the world in two.
- >”B-o-m-b” he replies in a guttural language.
- “Oh, fuck.”
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Colonial Marine in Equestria: Chapter 8 (Hive)
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