The door behind Shining Armor closed in a magenta aura. He scanned the room, lit by a couple bulbs. Nearby the desk was a file cabinet with a nameplate titled on the top: Baltimare. ‘The report from Mayor Mare in Ponyville said Kettlepot was from this city. So let’s see if that’s true.’ He did not doubt that Kettlepot had just killed somepony. But then again, that’s what brought up some suspicion. Ponies were certainly still capable of harming one another, but it was uncommon nowadays. He couldn’t shake off this odd feeling.

He read one name after another in the files until he stopped on one. “There you are.” Shining lifted Kettlepot’s file out of the cabinet and onto the desk. Within the file was the picture of said stallion. Then came the birth certificate establishing that he was born in Baltimare. ‘So the obvious is out of the way.’

Shining dug further in, looking through page after page. When he stopped on the criminal record page, his eyes widened. “Nothing. No previous criminal activity.” He hadn’t expected there to be one, but it only brought more concern. “This establishes that he hasn’t ever gotten into trouble before, but...” The problem now was the incident with Berryshine; what had brought Kettlepot to commit such an act? He pushed away the document and moved his gaze to the next one.

He tilted his head. ‘This is… odd.’ Shining lifted up the piece of paper. It was a medical report on Kettlepot. “No physical problems.” He then checked the mental exam. “Asperger’s Syndrome?” He had learned a bit about it before. It was a condition where somebody was of a high intelligence but also had high social anxiety issues. This new information helped, but not by much. “It’d be more convincing if it wasn’t Asperger’s.”

Nothing was adding up. Shining then returned to look at the criminal record. Absolutely nothing. ‘This stallion hasn’t done a terrible thing at all.’ If that was the case, then could he really be responsible for Berryshine’s disappearance? The topic of this evening’s dinner came back in full force. ‘But that’s impossible. The Xenomorph is trapped under--’ It may have been just a paranoid thought... maybe. He couldn’t shake off this odd sensation. It felt more like a gut feeling.

But his intuition followed this thought. “What if the Xenomorph isn’t trapped underneath the shield?” He shook, the thought chilling himself. There was so little he could go on. The idea behind it all stuck with him. ‘Maybe… there is something we should check.’ The perimeter was a start. Sure the princesses had the shield around the entire Royal Sisters’ Castle, but was there any way for it to escape? There was no harm in asking Princess Celestia and Cadance. The file and its contents lit up in a magenta aura as Shining put it all back together. However, he shut the file cabinet and kept Kettlepot’s file by his side. He turned around and walked out of the Canterlot Records office.

Shining walked down the hallway adjacent to the office and towards the dining room. Seeing nopony there, he wasted no time walking past the entrance and thought of the next place they’d be. Moving through the next hallway, he finally found himself at the entrance to Celestia’s room. Sure enough, he heard Cadance’s voice and peeked around the corner to see both princesses sitting in chairs next to one another.

He cleared his throat. Both Cadance and Celestia looked to him and smiled. “Hey, Shining.” Cadance got up and hugged him. They parted with a kiss. She looked down and saw the file next to him. “What’s that?”

“It’s a file on the stallion Kettlepot.” Celestia moved her gaze to the file and then up to his own. “Have you looked through these papers yet?”

“I was debriefed on this matter. But the Xenomorph is at the forefront of our problems.” Celestia took a sip from her tea cup. “ I understand that we shouldn’t be focusing on one issue.” She waved him to sit in the chair next to her. He looked to Cadance, who nodded. Shining walked over and sat down before he passed the files over to Princess Celestia.

As she looked the files over, Cadance leaned in close to Shining. “Who’s this Kettlepot?”

“Well… there was an incident down in Ponyville. Mayor Mare is… adamant that this stallion may have killed a resident there.” She flinched, eyes wide at the revelation.

“The mare he allegedly murdered was his marefriend too. I’m still uncertain if this is true, but Twilight agreed on this statement as well,” Celestia said. “She approached him on the topic and was almost put to sleep by Kettlepot with a sleep spell.” The princess levitated the files back to Shining in a light gold aura. “Speaking of which. What is it that you wanted to discuss with me about this case?”

“Well, after dinner, I thought looking at this case could provide some kind of help.” ‘And at least try to get my mind off the fact that we have this… human creature here.’ “But something didn’t feel right.” Shining opened the file and looked at the criminal record. “I know that a pony doesn’t have to have a history of violence in order to commit a crime such as this. But it feels like it wasn’t Kettlepot’s fault.”

Celestia tilted her head. “So who do you believe is responsible?”

Shining raised an eyebrow. “Who else other than that creature?”

“What?” Cadance leaned back. It seemed that even Cadance, his wife, didn’t believe him. “But how is that possible? My aunts have it trapped under their shield. How could it be free?”

“Cadance is right, Shining Armor.” Shining returned to Celestia, only to be met by a blank stare. “How do you believe it could be getting out?”

“I know it’s not much. But we haven’t even checked the perimeter of the shield. How far it’s spread out.” He could tell from the princess' gaze, that she didn’t look amused. “You have to trust me on this. Kettlepot could be blamed for a murder he didn’t even commit.”

Celestia continued to stare before she let out a sigh. “We could check tomorrow. I know this creature is one of the most threatening beings we’ve come across. But I won’t follow something blindly without facts.”

Shining’s brow furrowed. “Tomorrow? How many ponies could be dead by next morning if we just leave this be?”

“I understand your fear, Shining Armor. But we can’t send ponies out at night. It makes it all the more dangerous and even risks the lives of others.”

He could understand Celestia’s point, but they’d been starving it for at least a day now. Maybe it was getting weaker? They could kill it if they just approached it with caution. “We’ve had it trapped for a day. It could be weaker. Maybe we could--”

“Shining,” Cadance interrupted him. “That’s too dangerous. You heard Celestia: we can’t risk the lives of other ponies.”

“So we’re going to let others die!?” Shining’s frown deepened.

Cadance returned the scowl. “Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Stubborn? I’m trying to save innocent civilian lives here!”

“Shining Armor.” He turned to Celestia, who had finally stood up. There upon her muzzle was a frown. “You are willing to risk the lives of others so we can be rid of this threat. But we’re trying to keep that from happening.” He averted his gaze from her own. “Look at me when I speak to you.” It was like being scolded by his mother. He reluctantly looked back at her. “We have presented to you the reasons why. I understand your fear, but we can’t blindly rush into this. If you aren’t willing to hear us both, not even your wife, then I’m giving you this order. You are forbidden from leading any of the Royal Guardsmen until I say otherwise.”

“But Princess, you can’t be serio--”

“That’s an order, captain.” He flinched. She never used his military title unless she was being serious. Shining’s frown deepened into a glare. He shook his head, grumbling under his breath as he exited Celestia’s room. He paced down the left hallway and continued to grumble.

He heard hoofsteps at his right before hearing Cadance’s voice. “Shining… everything’s going to be okay.”

“Okay? Okay!?” He turned on Cadance. “What part of this is okay? I’m being treated like a child here! And you? What do you do? You take Celestia’s side!”

Cadance gasped, but she didn’t back down. She gave him her own glare. “Sides!? You’re upset because I took my aunt’s side?”

“Why else would I be upset!? I thought you had my back. But no. We’re both trying to save innocent lives, but I want to stop it before it happens, while you, Celestia, and Luna are too busy trying to play it safe! What about the ponies tonight? Do you care if this thing snatches them from their own beds!?”

“How dare you!” Cadance finally yelled back. “You think risking lives is more important than trying to protect others? Shining. We are trying to save ponies here, not get more killed in order to get rid of this creature!”

“But what if it is responsible for Berryshine’s death? How many more ponies are going to die tonight? We’re not approaching this problem like we should be doing!” Shining’s glare shot out daggers, and Cadance returned the expression. “I at least know who’d agree with me her--”

“Guys!” They both turned to Twilight, who rushed in between the two. “What are you two doing? You’re both acting like a bunch of crazy ponies.”

“Twilight would agree with me.” Twilight turned to him with a befuddled gaze. “She knows how important it is to get the job done. And that it’s better to get it over with then later.”

“Twilight doesn’t act like an idiot!” Cadance stomped her hoof. “She knows when it’s best to back off and look at the situation. She’s not reckless!”

“Would you two stop arguing!?” Twilight flared her wings and pushed Shining and Cadance further apart. “Look. I don’t know what’s gotten into you both, but I understand that we just had a very long night. What with the Xenomorph and the human, Makoy, we’re all really stressed out. Now how about we just relax and let this go, then we can figu--”

“Relax!?” Cadance began. “I don’t need to relax. Shining needs to relax! He’s getting worked up over the fact that we aren’t saving other ponies! No wonder the Royal Guard is always using action first before words!”

Shining only chuckled. “You think we’re that deliberate in our efforts to use violence?” He noticed Twilight shaking her head, but he pushed that aside. “I’d hate to call the kettle black, but you know what? You’ve been under Celestia’s wing for almost four hundred and fifty years. And she taught you the same old schtick of how to solve problems--trying to resort to peace talks. No wonder we’ve lost so many ponies now. It’s all because you three were too scared to even fight the Xenomorph.”

He didn’t stop there. “It’s also no wonder why you wouldn’t fight Chrysalis. You lost to her the first time and let her take your identity. A changeling who almost was my wife. You didn’t even fight her to save me from her mind control. You followed Celestia’s principles instead of trying to rescue me, acting like you were weak and pathetic!” She stared back, no longer filled with anger. Tears trickled down her eyes before she turned away crying.

“Shining!” Twilight yelled. “What is wrong with you? You’re acting like an unreasonable colt! You know what? I think you two need to be separated. And you, mister, need to go cool off!” Twilight backed up to Cadance, she turned her back on him as she helped her sister-in-law. He shook his head and walked away.”

He trotted off, not even taking a look back at the mess left behind. He took a right and just decided to let his hooves carry him wherever they may. But in the back of his mind, his thoughts cascaded together like a waterfall. He stopped walking for a moment. All of this was going downhill very fast. Shining rested a hoof against his forehead. What had he told them all? The shock finally settled in. ‘How could have I said all of that?’

It was too late for that. He brought his hoof back down. Finally, he knew what he was going to do. He followed a set of stairs downwards and then through another hall. He looked both ways and didn’t see any of them. ‘Why? Even my sister...’

He took the left hall and then went up a flight of stairs before he reached another staircase that led down further into the palace. He found a door and opened it. Another door lay in front until he opened it too. Multiple eyes met his own. When he had everypony’s attention, he announced, “Attention, stallions and mares!” They saluted him. “I’ve got an operation in order.”

They all stood at ease, until a stallion at the far right bench spoke. “You all right, sir? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But that’s not important. What is important is that I need help. We’re going to the Royal Sisters’ palace. I need ten Guards with me. What we’re about to do is… questionable. Your loyalty may even be called into question. But I assure you that we will be getting rid of a menace that threatens Equestria.”

“Our... loyalties?” a mare hesitantly asked.

“Yes. Those who wish to come with me can. And those who don’t can stay.” Shining Armor levitated his chestplate armor over his body and secured it around himself. He then did the same for his helmet before he spoke again. “Here’s my idea...”

The door to Twilight’s library opened. There she stood, eyes closed as she walked in. She closed her door and opened her bloodshot eyes. She felt like she had cried a little too much today. However, she blamed that on both the video she watched and, of course, her brother’s actions. What he had said to Cadance… she really couldn’t believe it. ‘I swear… the next time I see him… I’ll give him a piece of my mind.’

Twilight had always despised it when he got an idea stuck in his head. He was stubborn; that would always be true. She understood his frustration. She stomped her hoof against the wooden floor. “He didn’t have to act like a big jerk.” The last she had seen of her sister-in-law, Cadance was crying her eyes out. What Twilight had witnessed was their very first big argument. It was by chance that Celestia did not overhear the conversation. Otherwise it would’ve been a lot worse than it already was.

She looked up to her room, past all the steps. Sleep was a thing of the past at the moment. That sluggish feeling was gone. Twilight looked to the ground and sighed. ‘These last couple of days have been just a mess…’ Twilight raised her head and turned to the basement door. Her hooves seemed to move on their own as she walked over to its entrance.

Down the first couple of steps. She already had an idea of what to do to pass the time. Besides the fact that Twilight was known for staying up quite late sometimes, those moments were for purposes of study. This was no different, save for the fact that her study now consisted of watching a mad scientist kill his own kind with a creature that, as he had said, was of an artificial origin. She reached the bottom step and huffed. “Well whoever’s responsible, he said they’re likely gone.” Maybe that was a good thing. Her eyes widened slightly. ‘How am I becoming so… morbid?’

She could only blame the influence of what was transpiring around them. Speaking of morbid, she moved towards the human device and clicked the power button. The option for the first video came back up. Twilight pressed the arrow button three times before it reached the fourth video. She pressed it, and the video went to full screen. And just like the other three, Makoy appeared once more. “It’s amazing what determination can do for you. I can recall Specimen Zero being our only live Xenomorph. How far we’ve come!”

It was odd seeing Makoy in such a sentimental state. “Greetings to my faithful viewers. Today we are going to explore the depths of the Xenomorph. It’s abilities, physical traits, and a little special something else.”

“How exciting,” Twilight deadpanned. “The anticipation is just killing me.”

“As you know already, the Xenomorph’s killing capability is far beyond anything that you may have previously seen. With a tail that can pierce through steel, to claws built to tear through even the strongest metal, and even a secondary mouth that can punch holes in human skulls with minimal effort, this lovely being is a force that you wouldn’t dare cross. Nations will pay millions for an army of these perfect killing machines.” With each video he kept talking this creature up, Twilight scowled at the doctor. All of this praise was becoming a little tedious.

“There is another part of it that is dangerous, but we’ll leave that for a video on its biology. For now, we’re going to move onto its physical traits. The Xenomorph that is produced by a human is around eight feet tall when it stands up. When we applied facehuggers to creatures that are quadrupeds, like the horse and dog from earlier, they produce an Xenomorph that is seven feet tall. However, they are much faster than the bipedal form. XX121 truly is an amazing species.”

She frowned in disgust. “How can you even say that? You’ve seen what it does. Why even bother trying to show us a creature that should be completely destroyed?” Twilight knew it was fruitless to argue with a video of the past, but she couldn’t help it.

“That is what we’ve seen with the evolution of both bipeds and quadrupeds.” Makoy leaned forward and smiled. “But… the evolutionary chain of an Xenomorph doesn’t stop there.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Specimen Zero’s transformation has been rapid and is completely different from before. But another one of our specimens has also evolved. Specimen Three is now ten feet tall, the tubes on its back have now turned into spikes, the tail has grown too and is a little ragged, and its head’s dome structure has become something of a crest.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight took a step back.

“What we are about to show you is the transformation of Specimen Three. I give you the second evolutionary stage of the Xenomorph.” Lights turned on in a glass cage. Twilight brought her hooves to her mouth at the sight she saw. This evolutionary turn it had taken was even more frightening. It roared at the camera, and she covered her ears in fear?

It reached a pitch that sent shivers down her spine more so than anytime before. “This Xenomorph, a stage we have come to call the Praetorian, seems to be responsible for protecting the Matriarch. Specimen Zero has reached a stage beyond this. When we released Specimen Three into Zero’s cage, we watched as it paced around its Queen, as if daring us to come near it. The Praetorian can still reach speeds of sixty miles per hour and has been shown to still be able to climb up walls. There’s even more chitinous armor that’s been added, making it harder to kill.”

‘This man… he’s completely insane.’ What if the Xenomorph they had here had ended up in this stage? It would take even longer to kill.

“But the Praetorian is mere poultry to what we’re about to show you next.” Makoy walked off-camera before it turned to him again. The glass cage behind him was much bigger than the one with the Praetorian. “Specimen Zero has come a long way. And now she is at the peak of her evolutionary chain. A newly founded Matriarch. I give you the final transformation of the Xenomorph. The Queen.” When the lights turned on, Twilight yelped and backed away from the device. There stood something beyond the size of the Praetorian. When it roared, it sent chills running down her body.

“The Queen Xenomorph is about fifteen feet tall, but we believe it can get even bigger than that. Its crest and tail point are even more refined. No jagged edges. The true form of perfection. It has even grown two smaller arms, and its chitinous armor has grown more to a point where it seems to be able to stop even the M1A1’s explosive tip round.” Perfection? This creature. No, this monster was something that Twilight thought could only come from the deepest pit of Tartarus.

“The best part of this is that she can even produce eggs. That means even more Xenomorphs can be born from the process of more facehuggers.” How was that good? Twilight thought. Nothing about this creature was good. The Queen suddenly backed up to the back of the cage before it charged where Makoy was. The glass in front of it cracked. The scientist looked back and said, “Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go!” The glass broke, and the Queen roared. The camera fell down, but Twilight could still see. The Queen speared one of the human scientists, stomping on another before it flung the human stuck on its tail across the room. It grabbed another one, and before she knew it, its head was gone with an explosion of a mist of blood.

Blood. Blood was flying everywhere. It roared and slammed its tail against a line of cages. More Xenomorphs jumped out from them and joined in what Twilight saw as a bloodbath, her eyes wide and mouth agape. The screams of pain continued on and on. The video finally cut off. Twilight looked at the blank screen until the final video began its countdown. This was it. Twilight, for the most part, was glad that this nightmarish series of videos was almost over.

The video came on again, but this time someone different came on. It wasn’t a male, but a female this time. “H-hello? Whoever’s watching this… oh my God… wh-whoever’s watching this, please listen.” Twilight took a step closer to the device. Unlike Makoy, this human was shaking. Scared and frightened. “My name is… Abigail Markovich.” Twilight quietly gasped. The last name matched Makoy’s. It was obvious at this point that this could’ve been his daughter.

“The company… Weyland-Yutani has done so many terrible things. Human lives have been lost to create these… things. These things have overrun the facility. I… managed to barricade myself into one of the safe rooms but nobody else made it… my father’s in another one. I… these Xenomorphs have moved on from the facility. I… I watched people… o-oh God…” Twilight saw Abigail quietly cry, rubbing her eyes with her right hand. “People are dying… people on the colony are being killed or harvested for more Xenomorphs. I’ve sent word for the Colonial Marines, but… I don’t know how long it’ll be until they arrive.”

An audible sound of metal breaking echoed in the back, Abigail jumping at the sound before she turned to the screen again. “Please. Whoever is watching this. Weyland-Yutani can’t be trusted. They’ll do anything in their power to keep the Xenomorph. They want it for their bio-weapons division and are willing to go to any lengths to have it. You have to stop them. You have to kill the Xenomorphs, no matter the cost. Just please… don’t let them destroy the Earth… please…” The camera shut off as soon as she looked up.

Twilight stood there, still staring at the screen. The device turned off before she moved her gaze to the ground. She sighed and looked up the stairs. How could she go to sleep now? Although that shouldn’t have been the important point at the moment, she knew she had to do it sooner or later. Spike was asleep, and she didn’t want to wake him up in the middle of the night. ‘This information is important… but it can wait until later.’ Maybe it wasn’t the right call, but Twilight didn’t have the strength to watch the video series all over again.

As she turned around, a white blanket caught her eye. She glanced over to it and saw the hidden body. Twilight had made sure that neither Spike or Nyx came down here at all. Besides the fact that Nyx had done so recently, Twilight was glad that she had not seen the hidden corpse in the basement. ‘April…’ Now seemed like the perfect time. She moved towards the hidden body of April and uncovered her. She looked towards the light and turned it on with her magic. Twilight closed her eyes for a second. Taking a moment to calm herself, she breathed in and out. Opening her eyes, she levitated a few pieces of paper over to her right and a pen as well.

She scribbled words down until she spoke. “Autopsy of the alien being known as a human. Name is April O’Neal and has been deceased for four days now. A condition spell has been placed so her body does not decompose.” Twilight scanned April’s clothing for a brief moment. “Subject died in her ship crashing into Equestrian soil. A pole was lodged into her chest cavity. Will begin an exam of April’s anatomy.”

Twilight may have been in the human version of Equestria, but she never did get the chance to fully study the body she was given. She began by scanning over the arms. She lifted April’s left arm with her magic and brought a hoof to the skin. It was cold. The fact that she was this close to death, Twilight shivered a little. Moving her hoof she brushed it upwards until it met April’s left hand. “Skin of the female human is smooth. Could be because that most of her body is hairless.”

A thought of the human world came to mind, calling back to the touch of her own skin. It was smooth that time. In this case, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. She moved from the arm and towards the neck. She hummed quietly. “Seems a little small. Although, again I remember that a human’s neck wasn’t that large anyway.” She looked down to April’s legs and removed the clothing from them. The only thing covering her bottom area was a pair of panties.

The legs looked a little thin. It wouldn’t have been new information; she guessed she was military. She gently pressed a hoof down and felt the touch. “Legs are hairless and smooth as well.” Twilight turned to April’s chest area. There were always those weird objects on the female human's’ body. She had taken an earlier guess at what they could’ve been, but she had to make sure. Scanning over the military jacket, she saw what remained of the zipper and pulled it down.

Pulling it off, her eyes widened slightly. She saw two round mounds on her chest and quickly found her answer. “Okay, so they are what I thought they were: the mammary glands.” As she examined the chest, the scribbling of the pencil came once again. Oddly, sometimes Twilight felt it was something akin to music. More or less, busying herself with a project like this helped her out. “Further examination shows that she’s a mature female. Strange, mares only develop breasts when they pregnant or nursing, but human females seem to have them at all times.”

Twilight moved her gaze from the paper down at April’s chest. A magenta aura surrounded the two as Twilight put a little pressure against them. Gently moving them around she let them go and continued, “Ducts are there. Her papillas have come out as well.” A thought came to mind before she glanced down to her right back leg. ‘It’s not that I’m embarrassed by the prospect. It’s just that through this observation, a female human’s breast, at least as far as April’s body shows, is larger than mare’s. I could be wrong. These don't necessarily look that big.’

It was great to explore a little more, Twilight thought. At least her findings would be more accurate. “Just one last thing.” Her horn lit up again before April’s entire body lit up. When Twilight opened her eyes, she was greeted to an inside look at all the organs inside her. Jotting each organ down, she came upon the fact that both ponies and humans had similar insides. An odd and yet exciting find. “Besides the different body structure of our two species, and that these humans are omnivorous, we have similar organs.”

She released the spell, and April’s corpse returned to its pale skin. Twilight lifted the white cloth over her body but stopped just before her neck. When she saw the military dog tag again, she picked it up. A sigh escaped her. “I… I wish I could have seen what you were like when you were alive.” She quietly chuckled. “It sounds like a silly wish. But it’d be really amazing to learn more about you.”

Twilight turned the device and flipped it around. Her eyes widened slightly at an opening at the bottom of the dog tag. She applied pressure to it until it popped out. With a gentle pull she lifted it up and tilted her head. “What is this?” Twilight turned to the alien device and stared at it. The gears in her head turned at a fast rate. She hummed quietly and scanned over the device. There were openings that she had seen before.

Yet something clicked. Twilight brought the small little object in front of her again and noticed the tip of said device. “It looks like it could fit in one of those inserts.” With a couple quick steps she kneeled down to the alien video device. Scanning it over she took her time before finding one that appeared to fit inside one of the slots. Twilight pushed it in and turned on the device. The screen came up again.

A new title came up. “Flash Drive?” Twilight looked at the object in question sticking out. “Is that what it's called?” From what she had seen, these humans certainly had interesting names for these devices that were far ahead of her own time. But she couldn’t complain. She brought her hoof to the font and watched as an array of titles formed onto the holographic screen. There were three options, but Twilight saw the option to “play all” and brought her hoof to it.

The screen enlarged like before. However, the videos this time didn’t play immediately. Watching it take a while longer, she raised an eyebrow. “Did I break it?” Her answer came with the screen brightening for a moment. Her ears perked up at a familiar sound, one she heard at the lake. “Is that the sound of waves?” Then the image finally showed up.

If there was a picture to identify the expression of astonishment, then Twilight certainly fit that bill. “Is that an… ocean?” The ground was bright; the obvious answer led to it being sand.

But the ocean waves were interrupted by something far more exciting. “Where are you?” Twilight froze. It was a new voice filled with a gentleness. This whole day had taken a one-hundred eighty degree turn, from a horrific bloodbath to the kind voice she heard now. “Where’s my little girl at?” She recognized it as female. The image turned to a small girl hiding behind an umbrella.

“Mom. You know how much I don’t like being in front of a camera,” the little girl said. The frown that was so common died away. A small grin took its place upon Twilight’s muzzle.

“Oh really? What about yesterday’s performance of yours? You didn’t mind then.”

Twilight heard the little girl giggle. “That was different.”

“Don’t worry. Just come out. You’ll look fine.” The little girl finally walked out from behind the umbrella. To Twilight, she didn’t understand why this little girl was shy in her swimsuit. The age was unknown to her, but she thought that this little human was before her teenage years. “There. Was that really that hard, April?”

The name sent a shock through Twilight. “A-April…” Besides the fact that she was seeing a human child for the very first time, she was witnessing April in her childhood years. When she was in the human world, she had only seen adults and teenagers. “Wow… this is so amazing.” Focusing back on the video, April was nearing the ocean water, and her mother giggled as the little girl jumped right in. The video ended and blacked out. “W-wait… is there more?”

The screen lit up again. The background was a little more metallic this time around. It gave the idea that it was some type of barrack, but the barracks of Canterlot were a lot more regal than this. She heard footsteps echo in the room the video was in until she saw somebody sit down. Twilight took only a second to see the familiar features of April, and her jaw dropped at the sight. “April… how she looks now.”

“Is this thing on? Okay.” April sighed and smiled. “Sorry. This is the first time I’ve done one of these logs.” She cleared her throat and continued, “Log Date 4 13 2202. Things have been going well since basic training. The Marlowe takes off tomorrow, and I’m going to be on it. The only thing to report at the moment is… well, I’m really excited for this.” April giggled. “My first tour is beginning, and I have a very good feeling about it. Oh, what dad would say about this!” That smile disappeared into a frown. “If only he were still alive.”

Whatever happened to April’s father, it didn’t help Twilight at all. “Her dad’s gone? What happened to him?” It was pointless to ask, but she could hope it would be answered.

“Anywho… not to leave this video on a downer. I’m excited that tomorrow is my first day as a Colonial Marine. Well, my first real day. We’re being tasked to address the problems of a nearby colony. The mission objectives are to maintain peace and arrest those who’d cause any kind of trouble. Sounds like some cliche movie premise, but this is the real deal. It’s going to be so fun!” The video disappeared again.

Twilight waited patiently. Maybe there was another video? The image reappeared, and Twilight couldn’t keep still. Yet when she saw April, she didn’t see that smile from before. “Log Date 6 19 2210… it’s been eight years since I’ve been in active duty, and yet things have been… not going the way I thought they would. I’ve been getting along with my fellow soldiers. I’ve even made Staff Sergeant. That’s not the problem. I just… never realized how… violent colonial life was.” April sighed and rested her right elbow on the desk, moving her right hand against her cheek. “We marines are supposed to keep the peace. That what we’re doing. But the way we are doing that doesn’t feel right. I… I don’t even feel safe as a marine anymore.”

Shining Armor could vouch for April. After the day of his wedding with Cadance, Twilight had asked to talk with him alone after he’d been gone for so long. What he had told her was that military life wasn’t easy, but that he enjoyed it. Yet why wasn’t April the same?

“The way we treat others is like they’re just cattle or something. And for that… I-I’ve watched as friends died. KIlled by the people we’re supposed to be protecting. Maybe… maybe I should have stayed with my mother…” April shook her head and rested her hands on the desk. “I’ve always wanted to follow my father, but this… even if my mother was an alcoholic, at least she wasn’t abusive… surprisingly…”

Another shock went through Twilight. “She’s lost a father and her mother is… wow… she’s certainly had it rough.”

“I don’t feel clean anymore… hurting those people the way I have. I couldn’t stop it, either. They were orders and I had to follow them, but… at what cost?” She exhaled again and turned away from the camera. “I… I feel like I should leave. That I need to leave this military. When I get back to Earth, I’m resigning. I don’t know how much more I can take of this. But before that, there’s one last mission. We’ve just gotten a distress call from the colony on Erebus. That’s my group’s last mission before we head home. Something doesn’t feel right about this mission… it feels like something really bad is going to happen. Either way… I know this is my last log for the entirety of my mission.” April returned her gaze to the camera and said, “This is Staff Sergeant O’Neal. Signing off.”

Twilight looked at the video device for a moment longer before turning it off. She brought her gaze to April’s deceased body and sighed. “You were so close to returning home, too. But then you… you… died.” She whispered that last word. Slowly she walked up to the body and scanned April one more time, then lifted the white cloth over her body once more. Covering the entirety of April again, she turned away. “I… hope that even with the awful way that you died… I hope your last moments were comforting… somehow…”

It was a horrible thing to know. And to top it all off, Twilight had learned a few bits of April’s past--one that sounded unhappy--and yet she had managed to brave it all to the very end. Unfortunately, she had ended up on the colony that Makoy had come from. She didn’t blame April for landing here. She couldn’t have, yet it didn’t thrill Twilight either that this was the place they had come to. Twilight looked back at April and closed her eyes. “You deserve your rest…” April’s problems had come to an end. Now Twilight had to deal with Equestria’s problems, and whatever came her way, there would only be so much that she could handle.

The moon was slowly descending. The night would soon give way to dawn, but that did not mean that Shining Armor would stop. Metallic boots crackled in symphony as he and ten other ponies made their way through the Everfree Forest. It had taken some time since his descent from Canterlot to Ponyville. Trying to keep hidden from both civilians and other guards had made him tense.

His goal was justified. He would slay that monster. It had to be stopped before more death would come. He didn’t maintain his position as the Captain of the Royal Guard for nothing. Their creed was to protect Equestria’s citizens. Princess Celestia would understand him after this was over--if she did not discharge him once the Xenomorph was killed, that is.

Shining turned his gaze toward the night sky. Clear of any clouds except for one in the distance. He could see the faint outline of Princess Luna as she watched the castle from her perch. He knew she could not see his group of guards from this distance. That would change as they moved closer. “Captain Shining Armor, sir.” He glanced over his shoulder as one of his guards, a stallion, asked, “Are you certain of this? We are going against our Princess’s wishes. If she were to discover our disobedience, she would have our hides.”

“I understand the consequences of this.” His frown deepened when he returned his attention to the trees in front of him. “But Equestria must be protected from this menace. We have lost too many civilians. We can’t let this continue.” Princess Celestia would understand. His wife, Cadance, would understand. His little sister, Twilight, would understand. He had to keep every one of them safe. It was his duty as captain.

The moon’s lighting slowly dimmed as the darkness grew within the woods. The legends of this place were well known: tales of monsters that gobbled ponies up, creatures that froze you in place, and so many more. Now it held a monster not from this world. If it was somehow getting out and killing ponies, he would find out where. He stopped, the stallions and mares stopping behind him. “Spread out.”

“What are we looking for, sir?” A mare spoke up this time.

“You are to find an entryway. It should lead underground towards the Royal Sisters’ Castle. If you discover it, do not enter. Wait for the rest of us.” They saluted him before splitting apart. Shining took off on his own way and carefully scanned his surroundings, taking slow steps. He had to be precise. There should’ve been some marks; some clue as to where this Xenomorph could’ve been coming and going. ‘It’s an animal, right? It’ll leave tracks. It has to.’

As he searched, seconds turned into minutes. Slowly pacing through this place felt like an eternity was passing by. Why weren’t they finding anything? Was Shining Armor just paranoid? Could it really be true that Kettlepot wasn't the culprit? Part of him was certain that this stallion could not have been responsible for this mess. ‘But a pony shouldn’t have been responsible for a murder. There hasn’t been one since about a hundred years ago. Why would it start back up now?’

“Captain Shining Armor!” He turned towards the pony that whispered loudly. “I think we’ve found something.” Shining was thankful that he had kept his voice down. Even if Luna was still far away, he didn’t want to alert her to his position. He was scared of Celestia, he had to admit, but he was more afraid of Luna. Shining Armor quickly followed behind the stallion guard.

Moving past some bushes, he walked around a couple small trees before the guard stopped. “This is what I found.”

When Shining walked past the guard, he saw a hole leading into the ground. It was big enough to fit a manticore inside. He glanced at the guard and said, “Go gather the rest.” The guard nodded and hastily hurried off. As he stared into this dark pit, he thought he could see into the abyss. The creature could have been staring straight back at him and he wouldn’t have even known. ‘It’s down there somewhere. I hope it’s suffering down there. It’ll make the job easier.’

A snap of twigs. Shining quickly turned around and saw his guards at attention. “We’re here and ready, sir.”

Shining nodded and followed up. “Good. What we’ll find in here hopefully should be weakened. I’ll let you know now that this being is a creature beyond the Everfree Forest. It’s already claimed the lives of eight ponies.” He could see the shock on their faces. He huffed. “This thing needs to be taken care of now. I don’t know how strong it is in its weakened state, but I know that we can handle it. With our numbers, we’ll finally put this monster down for good.” The guards stood at attention, focused and ready to move into the darkness.

With one step, he went further into the darkness. His horn lit up in a magenta aura, bringing light into this desolate cave. Probably for the first time in a while. He saw the flashes of the other few unicorns’ magic in his group as their own light was added to his. It was oddly warm, he thought, his armor moving over his fur without irritation. He was sweating bullets as the humidity unexpectedly increased. Shining didn’t understand why but assumed there must’ve been a reason, though that wasn’t important to him at the moment.

The air behind them pushed far into the cave. Maybe this was how this creature found its way out. It was incredibly smart to find a path out of this place, learning how large this castle was supposed to be. It was a wonder that the princesses were able to maneuver through such a large building. How could a creature like this figure its way through such a complex structure? Either way, that worry would soon end here.

As the group moved further in, the air intensified. It wasn’t the darkness surrounding Shining that unnerved him. It was the feeling of something watching him and his guards. He was glad that they were quiet. Hopefully it wouldn’t find them while they were wandering around here. He’d prefer if they found it first. There was an opening that he followed before stumbling upon a chamber.

‘What is this place? I don’t remember this ever being here in the schematics.’ It was huge, about three to four stories tall with a dome shape. The group spread further out. But as he counted the ponies, his eyes widened. “There were ten of us. Where’s the other two?”

“We don’t know, sir. Azure, she was right next to me only a moment ago,” one of the guards said.

Shining sighed, shaking his head. “We should go back and find them. They could be in dang--”

A high-pitched roar echoed from the entrance they had already come through. Shining’s aura intensified as he turned to his guards. “Everypony! Form a line! We’re going to stand our ground and give this monster the justice our fallen comrades deserve!” The others roared in agreement as spears and magic stood at the ready. The ground beneath Shining slightly trembled. When this thing had run after them the first time, the ground beneath it didn’t rumble.

Moonlight filled the chamber from above the cracked ceiling and spread across the entrance. The roar came from the entrance again. Why wasn’t it coming out? The line faltered slightly. “Don’t break this line, soldiers! We stand as one!” Shining shouted the command.

The ground shook behind them. Shining felt his hooves leave the solid surface. The world tumbled until he stopped himself, standing upright with a quick move of his hooves. But when he saw the creature, his eyes widened, jaw dropping in horror. It had hooked one of his guards on its spear-like tail before throwing the guard into the wall. It stood at a greater height this time around, its formerly smooth cranium had formed a crest, and the tubes on its back now bore sharp spikes. The tail’s point was ragged and wider than before. ‘W-what…’

It dodged a spear jabbed at it, biting it and pulling the pony forward before slicing him in half with its tail. It pounced on a mare and swept aside two more guards with its tail. The mare’s head below it shook as its second mouth punctured through, blood spreading across the ground. Shining shot a beam of magic at it, but the beam didn’t do anything. It merely seemed to shrug it off as it went for another pony.

The screams of his stallions and mares were cut off quickly. He tried to keep firing at the Xenomorph, hoping one of his magic beams would finally puncture its hide. It thrust its tail through another guard before tossing the pony at Shining. He ducked underneath the body but was thrown off his hooves again. He lost his breath as his back hit the wall. Shining slid to the ground, coughing up blood. The Xenomorph stood over him, tail nearby its side and ready to pierce through him.

It growled, staring him down. He glared daggers back at it. He readied his magic again but a clawed hand covered his muzzle. It hissed as it picked him up. Air rushed past him as he was thrown to the ground headfirst. Everything went dark. Silence was all that was left.