Daring Do held a hoof over her pith helmet as the tram car sped through the lightly-lit tunnel. During all the time she had spent near Bishop Neighland, she never lowered her guard. She knew he was a killer. She had witnessed him order the execution of ponies and had almost been one of them herself. She turned her gaze to Princess Celestia. She could see her mouthing words towards Bishop Neighland, but there was no voice. Daring couldn’t listen to the conversation between those two anymore. To her, Bishop was evil.

His act he put on for them all wasn’t convincing her anytime soon. She looked over to Princess Twilight and Flash Sentry. Twilight had been given a pair of those weird ‘headphone’ devices. Possibly a way for Neighland to convince Twilight of his good deeds. Flash Sentry had been silenced by Bishop after the two had argued about the need for guards here on the island, one that Flash seemed to oppose. But the two seemed to be ignoring each other like they weren’t even aware the other one was there.

‘What is going on’, Daring thought. This was supposed to be a unified group. This was a mission that should have been their first priority, and yet it felt more like a family road trip. All it needed to be complete now was somepony taking pictures. ‘Way to stick to the plan, everypony. It’s not like Bishop is watching our every move.’

She lurched forward. The tram’s brakes screeched while sparks lit up the sides of the car. Accompanied by this was a small gasp she heard from Twilight, whose attention was focused on the light show outside of the tram. The high-pitched noise finally ceased, and the car came to a halt. “Mr. Neighland,” Princess Celestia said. “Is there any reason why this ‘car’ has suddenly stopped?”

Red lights flickered on above them, pushing the darkness away. “Do not worry. There was a test planned earlier today to see if our backup generators would work. Seems like it’s running smoothly at the moment.”

‘Oh really? I bet you had this all planned out.’ Maybe he was telling the truth, but Daring Do couldn’t take any chances. Not after her first encounter with this stallion.

“So what do we do? Just sit here and wait?” Twilight asked as she glanced over at Bishop.

“That’d be best for the moment.”

“Excuse me, sir.” Daring and the others turned to the pony in charge of driving the car. “Maybe we could go check just in case it isn’t a false alarm?”

“Of course.” Bishop nodded and opened the door, and the pony on the controls jumping down to his right side. “I won’t be long, everypony. Just sit tight, and I’ll be back momentarily.” After that speech, Bishop and his guard trotted into down the way their car had come.

There was something about the way Bishop had spoke. Daring knew she couldn’t trust him, and that distrust of the stallion had kept growing ever since she had arrived on this island. But why would he just leave them? If this really was just a test, then he would have known that it’d be better for them to just stay together, right? Or was there something about this that only he was aware of? She couldn’t take the chance. “Okay,” Daring Do began, “I know he told us to stay put. But there’s something he’s not telling us.”

Everypony was quiet. It seemed like they were processing what Daring Do said. “This time I must agree with Daring,” Celestia said. “There was a moment when he looked up to the ceiling--an expression I thought might’ve been worry.”

“But what’s there for Bishop to worry about?” Twilight Sparkle asked, switching her gaze from Daring to Celestia.

“Who knows.” Daring shrugged before she moved over to the seat adjacent from Celestia. She opened the door Bishop had moments ago and said, “But I’m not sticking around to find out.” After she stepped out of the tram, she glanced over her shoulder and asked, “Are you guys coming?”

Celestia turned to the others. “Somepony will have to stay here. Just in case Bishop does return.” She looked to her Royal Guards, one of whom one raised his hoof up. “Okay then. The rest of us shall move on ahead.” She opened the door to her right, stepping out while Twilight, Flash and the other two Royal Guards followed. Celestia nodded to the remaining guard before she turned to Daring and used the same gesture.

Daring nodded back and quickly turned around, leading everypony onward into the red-lit tunnel. Each step the group took echoed around them, hooves clicking against metal rails. Although there was some light, the red hue that filled her eyes made her blink constantly. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim color, yet she kept onward. If they were to get out of the tunnel, they would need to pick up the pace.

Turning back to the others she said. “We should probably pick it up a little. The more time we waste, the more likely Bishop might find out where we’ve gone.”

“Well it isn’t all that hard to figure out,” Twilight said. “There’s only two paths. The obvious choice is the way towards their medical building.”

“Of course, but Daring Do has a point,” Celestia added. “It might be best to move along a little quicker.”

Daring Do slowed down at a quiet noise farther down the tunnel. She twirled her ears forward, tips pointing upwards to the source. It was like a waterfall, the roaring getting closer with each second. Then came a voice. One pony’s panicked cries turned into two and then more and more. Shadows spread across the walls until the herd of ponies became visible. Daring stood her ground and braced herself as ponies rushed past her.

She grunted as each pony pushed against her, shoulder meeting her own and the sides of her barrel. Each contact was spiked with a small sting, her old wounds flaring up from the pressure hitting her over and over. Once the shoving stopped, Daring looked at the back of this panicked herd to see the numbers dwindling. Then one last pony came running their way. She watched him go by, only to be stopped by Princess Celestia.

When she stepped in front of him, he stopped and cowered beneath her. “Y-your Highness. Pl-please forgive us.”

“Forgive you?” Celestia asked, glancing at the others before she returned her attention to the stallion. “For what?”

“They wouldn’t stop. All those tests. The ponies we used. All of it has led up to creatures I’ve never seen. Creatures so terrifying that they paralyze you just by looking at them.” Daring approached from his right side, and could see his sides expanding and contracting quickly. Yet it seemed too quick. “I-I don’t know what Neighland was thinking. We did all we could, but there’s no way… nothing can kill those things. And now they’ve escaped!” His eyes widened before he stood up. “I need to get out of here!”

Before they could stop him, he pushed past Celestia and hightailed it towards the way they came from. Daring looked to the princess, who returned the gaze. “It seems Mr. Neighland was hiding something.”

“Obviously.” Daring frowned. “I knew that stallion could never be trusted.”

“And what that stallion said.” Daring turned to Twilight. She was low to the ground, her eyes wide while she glanced between her and Celestia. “Those creatures he mentioned. He meant the Xenomorph. Yet it sounded like there’s more than one. M-more than one...” With how low Twilight was to the ground, it almost looked like she was ready to curl up into the fetal position.

It was obvious why, Daring thought. Celestia moved next to Twilight and brought a hoof under her chin. When Twilight looked up to her former mentor, Celestia spoke in a soft tone. “Everything will be alright.”

“Alright? Alright!?” Twilight nearly screamed. “One was bad enough! One was able to kill thirty-eight ponies! But what about two?! What about three or even five Xenomorphs!?”

“Then we’ll handle it.” Flash Sentry nodded.

“Handle it!? You have no idea what these aliens are capable of, Flash!” Twilight turned and yelled at him. “The Royal Guard could barely handle just one of these creatures the last time! What makes you think anything has changed!? Nothing! Not at al--”

“Twilight Sparkle.” Daring watched as Twilight stopped her raving. Quietly whimpering, she turned to Celestia. Her former mentor took a step closer to Twilight and wrapped her right wing around the younger princess. “Please. Just calm down. If we must face these creatures again, then so be it. There is reason to be wary, yes. But you must keep a calm mind and not panic.” Celestia returned the wing to her side and continued, “Yet I can’t see much success unless we find the others.” She turned to Daring and said. “Our new plan is to regroup with everypony else. If we’re to truly find a solution to this situation, then we must find the others.”

Daring nodded and watched as Flash gave the same gesture as well. However, Twilight glanced at everypony around her before she hesitantly nodded as well. In agreement, the group trotted forward into the darkness. This new course of action was something Daring liked, a smile visible on her lips. Maybe while she was searching with the others, it wouldn’t be technically bad if she accidentally broke something.

Grass stems flattened against the ground, yet there seemed to be no physical presence. But within the light there seemed to be an outline, a silhouette of some kind of being. The invisible hunter scanned the area around him, glancing at the building of power that he and his brothers had destroyed. Out of the hunting party, he was the one most angered by the death of their brother. They thought that these equines must have been capable of presenting a challenge if they could kill one of their own. Perhaps his brothers were wrong.

The death of his brother was mere luck, and he would avenge his fallen comrade. Somehow and in someway he would. To prove this theory, he would find more ponies to kill. Taking a few more steps forward, metal clinked underneath his foot, and the young Predator looked down to see a maintenance hole. He kneeled down and picked it up with some effort before chucking it aside.

He switched the vision, adjusting the level of the infrared as he looked down into the darkness. There was a floor from what he could tell. If that was the case, then there surely would be more ponies to find. He jumped into the hole and landed on the metal platform below, a small bit of disturbed dust the only signs that the young Predator was there. The Hunter looked down both ways before turning to his right.

Quietly, he carefully positioned his footing. A small mistake, and there’d be a noise that would attract the attention of every pony on guard in his vicinity. The audio meter suddenly spiked in his mask. Distant screams echoed down the scarcely-lit tunnel. One pony came into view, then a herd followed behind in a quick fashion. Most had white coats, which the young Hunter guessed must be scientists. Only a few seemed to be guards, but they too seemed to be running with them.

He could feel their fear. They were running from something. But what it was, the Predator did not know. He hugged the wall, letting them all pass by. As soon as the herd of ponies had finally ran past him, he began his quiet trek again once more. Yet more voices could be heard, this time not ones of panic. He slowly rounded the corner and saw a group of ponies standing next to what looked like some kind of vehicle. It tuned the mask to match their frequency and language until it finally heard the words in clarity. “Our new plan is to regroup with everypony else. If we’re to truly find a solution to this situation, then we must find the others.”

The larger pony, the one almost about his size looked important. Not just from the fact of her stature, but that she was wearing what appeared to be like a set of royal attire. More so was the fact that she had her own set of wings and one horn; she must be their leader. He clicked his mandibles together in excitement. If this was the one who led, then her skull would give him and his kin honor for generations to come. But there were too many to fight at once.

He took a couple steps back and reached for a small round object on his belt. He placed it against the wall, sliding his fingers off of it until a red light appeared. He set his vision to a different sequence until he could see the object in question begin to mark the tunnel. A building soon came into view, one that wasn’t too far away. If they were heading there, then it was the best place to ambush them. He grabbed the small object and turned around, heading for the hole he came through. This hunt was becoming more interesting than previously thought. He and his brothers would gain more honor than they had ever imagined with this new addition. Yet these ponies still had to pay. He and his comrades had lost a brother. These ponies had to lose their leader. It was only right that they would pay a price for what he and his brothers had lost.

The lights buzzed continuously as they had since they arrived. How many days had it been, Zecora thought. She and a few other ponies were stuck down here, prisoners of these strange ponies for horrible experiments. Whatever they were breeding in this facility must be the same type of monster that attacked Ponyville; what she had seen had been an awful testament to that fact. Already five of those creatures have spawned from other ponies, and even a diamond dog and a buffalo.

The way they were born was a gruesome sight to witness, killing their hosts upon exiting their chests. It was a fate that Zecora did not wish upon anypony else. Unfortunately, two more ponies had come back from their testing: the pegasus stallion, Bulk Biceps, and the earth pony mare, Suri Polomare. It was only a matter of time before they shared the same fate as Flim’s now late brother, Flam. Cloudchaser had been gone for two hours, another pony that would soon give birth to these disgusting creatures. And it seemed to be inevitable that she and the others would soon follow suit as well.

Everything went dark for a brief moment, Zecora looking up at the lights. They flickered on and off. She could hear Babs Seed and Trixie whispering to one another. “Are the lights about to go out?” Babs asked Thunderlane, her gaze focused on the lights above them all.

“Great. All we need is to be trapped here in the dark,” Flim whined, a frown apparent on his muzzle.

When the lights went out as Thunderlane had predicted, Babs Seed cried when the room became dark. “It’s okay, Babs. Trixie assures you that everything’s going to be okay.”

‘If only that were true. Except our fate is soon to ensue.’ Zecora closed her eyes and sighed. A faint red hue of light hit her eyelids, causing her to open them and see the room now illuminated by red emergency lights.

“This is new,” Thunderlane said out loud. “Wait. Trixie, try using magic.”

“Why? Trixie’s magic hasn’t worked since she’s been put in this stinking hole. Why do you think it would work now?”

“Just try it. We won’t know unless you do it,” Thunderlane pleaded.

Trixie stared at him for a moment longer before she finally gave in. She looked up to her horn and went to call on it. A pale magenta aura surrounded her horn, causing Trixie to squeal in joy. “Yes! Trixie’s magic comes back to her!” She looked to the chains holding her forelegs, the locks opening with a flash of magic on both sides before she fell to the floor. She looked to Babs and let her down, the filly landing on Trixie’s back. She turned to Zecora and helped her down as well.

Zecora landed on the floor. She looked to Thunderlane and Flim, both whom fell to the floor quickly after her. “Hey, what about me?” Gilda complained. Her chains quickly separated from her wrists, and she flapped her wings until she softly landed on the ground. “Now how about we get the heck out of this stupid joint?”

“But we don’t know what’s going on outside,” Thunderlane warned them. “What if they have guards patrolling this area? We could all get caught and chained to the walls again if we’re not careful.”

“Why don’t we just take a chance? It’s not like it’d hurt to try,” Flim said, a frown on his muzzle.

Zecora opened her mouth to speak, but a faint scream in the distance cut her off. “W-what was that?” Babs Seed whispered, cowering behind Trixie.

Zecora then noticed Thunderlane inching closer to the door. She raised a hoof and said, “Wait a moment, Thunderlane. We do not know what is in their domain.” He turned back around and nodded, but he kept inching closer. When he opened the door, the screaming became clearer. But it sounded like many other ponies yelling out in pain.

The whole group flinched when another set of screaming took place. Yet these sounds were much louder, something that even Zecora didn’t recognize. “Does anypony else hear that?” Thunderlane whispered loudly. When he turned around, his eyes were wide.

A grunt echoed behind them. Zecora saw that Bulk Biceps was fidgeting in place. His chains rattled together slightly until he let out a yell. His chest bulged outward, blood spurting out from the opening wound. “This is too much! Too much!” Flim ran past her and out the door.

“Flim, wait!” Thunderlane called out, but he turned around when he heard the crunch of bones. Bulk’s chest ripped open, and with it came a small creature protruding from the red flesh. It squealed, making its presence known, then slithered out of Bulk’s open wound. It crawled past the group of ponies, both Trixie and Babs screaming in terror at the sight of the larval Xenomorph. But Zecora thought she saw something on the Xenomorph's back. But with it covered in so much blood it was hard to distinguish what it could be. Trixie pulled the filly away from the awful creature, holding her protectively.

The blood trail it left disappeared behind the door. Zecora looked back to Bulk and saw his body motionless. She turned to Suri Polomare and saw that she was still asleep. ‘But like this poor soul, she too has to pay this creature’s toll.’ It was an awful thought that this mare would be sharing Bulk’s fate sooner or later. She then looked to the chains that once held Cloudchaser. They had only recently taken the mare from Ponyville away. She could still be alive, but they couldn’t leave this place. How could they? What if there were more of those things out roaming the building? They wouldn’t stand a chance.

“We have to find help somehow,” Thunderlane said, gaining the attention of the remaining ponies and griffon. “I could go look for somepony else.”

“But you don’t have magic to defend yourself,” Trixie pointed out. Even if her magic was mostly for show, she had the best chance out of anypony there. She shook a little, taking a small breath of air before she continued, “I-if anypony should go, i-it should be me.”

“Trixie… are you really sure about this?” Thunderlane asked.

She looked to him and shook her head. “A-absolutely not. But… I have to try.”

“But you can’t go alone!” Babs Seed pleaded. “I could go with ya! We cou--”

“You? Survive out there?” Gilda laughed. “Are you serious, kid? You won’t last ten seconds out there. Even with this ‘great’ and ‘powerful’ unicorn.” She scoffed, shaking her head.

Trixie glared at the griffon. “Do you have any other plans than the one Trixie has?” Gilda didn’t answer, returning the glare. “Trixie will make sure she finds help.” She then turned to Babs Seed and lowered her tone. “Don’t worry, Babs. Trixie shall find help. She may understand that you want to help, but it’s too dangerous for a filly. She has to do this alone.” Trixie gulped before turning to the door. “Trixie just hopes she can.” Without turning back, she trotted to the doors that slid open as she walked past them. They closed again, the mare disappearing behind the metal wall.

Zecora sighed and walked back to where her chains hung limply. She kept her gaze on the metal restraints, reflecting how they were used to keep her prisoner in the accursed facility. There was only so much hope that Trixie would find help, and yet the idea of them losing her to these alien creatures was all too real. ‘Let us hope she does not perish in a place that only holds the nightmarish.’