Author's Notes:

To reiterate from what I said on the last blog post. Two things shall be noticed. One. From the first scene's perspective, you'll finally get the answer to something a few of you have been asking about.

And the second scene's thing? Oh... maybe a hint towards a future idea. That's all I have to say so I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

With another step, the Predator neared the area where his younger brother rested. He had found his dead leader and honored him. He was already aware that his younger brother was also dead; the pain had only grown more. The hunter had lost all of his team members now, a truth that hurt him so. But he would not dare show any emotion. It was not the time to mourn the loss of his two brothers. His captain had died with honor; he hoped the same for his younger brother.

He jumped from branch to branch, tree to tree in the moonlit night. The wind howled around him, trees rustling from this gusty breeze. He landed on a branch. The sensor of his young brother’s wrist-pad now echoed loudly within his helmet. He switched off the alarm and jumped off the tree, landing onto the ground with a soft thud. Standing up, he took a couple steps until he stood over what was left of his brother. His head was gone, cleanly cut off. His body had been cut into three pieces as well. But this kill was different.

An Xenomorph’s spear-tipped tail would have been ragged. These wounds were too precise, too clean. This was the work of a blade, and the only other beings here on the island were the equines. If this was so, then his fears were confirmed.

He knelt down next to his brother and clicked his mandibles together in a slow rhythm. It was sad to see that even after he had told him not to, his younger brother did not listen. Then again, he had seen how ferocious he was when they stormed the electrical compound, killing ponies without mercy. He had even killed more ponies than himself and the leader. He had let revenge misguide him, and now he had paid the price for it. The hunter would not cry, but he could avenge him.

Their gods, he hoped, would have mercy on his brother’s soul in the afterlife. But he could still honor him at least. He sat still, making not a sound. The wind picked up slightly, as if joining him in his silent prayer. The Predator reached for his brother’s wrist-pad and clicked the sequence for self-destruction. He stood up and quickly jumped up to the treeline behind his brother’s body. He waited for a moment until it let out a loud bang, a flash of blue light signaling its destruction.

His leader had a larger explosive detonation. He could only guess that the area where his body was left had been turned into one giant pile of rubble. He’d only set it off when the time was right. He stayed motionless as a loud roar came from inside the building close by. The hunter tilted his head. This was a curious noise. He had not heard any other roar like it before. Jumping over his brother’s exploded remnants, he slowly tiptoed to the outer wall. He peeked inside the room and saw a trail of blood. He took a step forward and crouched, wiping his hand across the red stain. It had slightly dried up but still seemed fresh. But that wasn’t what he was interested in. This sound he had heard had to be investigated.

Not knowing what it was, he was prepared for combat. He grabbed a small round disc and placed it against the wall. It flashed red for a brief moment until the whole building was slowly mapped out in his visor. He transferred it over to his wrist-pad, flipping it open and pressing a short sequence of buttons until the building was displayed in a three-dimensional figure from his wrist-pad. When a bar on his visor had filled up, he took off the orb and placed it back on his belt. With that done, he returned his attention to the building’s model.

He scanned through each room the scanning device had mapped out. But there was no activity at all. Not even a sign of life. When the next room came to view, he clicked his mandibles together, filled with awe yet unease. There in the much larger room was a very big creature. But it did not take the form of the Serpent Queen; it was something else, something entirely new to his eyes. It stood there in real time, shaking its head. It lifted what looked like a clawed hand and smashed it against the wall. The building shook slightly, the hunter scanning the room around it. Cracks were forming on the walls and ceiling, dust trickling down as a sign of warning. It wouldn't be long before it escaped its restraints.

The Predator took his leave, exiting the room and backing out into the open world. Whatever that being was, he was not prepared to fight something like it. He even compared it to the Queen’s size. The Queen, as his race’s culture had learned, grew in size each month. It could have only had been a week since it was fully grown. The last he had heard, the Queen was probably seventeen feet in height. But this being, if he had to guess, was maybe around three or four feet taller. A most impressive size indeed.

There was no way he was prepared to fight such a being by himself, not without knowing what it was or what it could do. But that was the least of his worries. With his other brother now dead, he was the only one left of this mission. Any thought of saving this hunt was far from achievable now. Not only that, but he could not go back to his home. It would only bring dishonor to his kin’s name. So there was only one option left.

He opened his wrist-pad and pushed another array of buttons. He looked up into the sky and watched as his ship became visible in the night sky. He knew he couldn’t go home. He had to either avenge his comrades or die in combat. He did not know which equines had killed his kin, so he would not have much success there. So he closed his eyes for a moment and prepared for the other idea. He would die as a warrior was expected to. But these ponies would not have their technology. So he manually punched in a few codes. The ship silently turned towards his left and slowly descended towards the coast.

The hunter watched as it flew towards the distance until he heard a loud crash of waves. The island slightly shook at the force. It slowly sank as seconds passed. Linked to his wrist-pad, it would self destruct once he died, keeping the ship and his races’ technology away from these equines. The Predator closed his wrist-pad and growled. He unsheathed the blades on his left gauntlet and pulled out his sword and held it in his right hand. Tonight he was going to die. But die as he would, he was going to show his ancestors and gods what it meant to die like a warrior.

Everything had turned out just as she thought. These creatures that Bishop Neighland had “bred” had finally escaped his grasp. Nenne Seion had foreseen a few outcomes, and this scenario was the most likely one. After studying the Xenomorphs for as long as she had, it was no surprise that they’d end up breaking out of their cells sooner or later. Unfortunately, she did not know what caused the power outage; a factor that had not been anticipated in the scenario.

However, her point still held strong. Nenne was right about how Bishop would have failed to handle the situation. Many ponies had died, and she already understood what he would have done: absolutely nothing. But with every possible outcome, she had thought of an escape plan. Most of the ponies would have rushed through the tram tunnel. They’d assume that the Xenomorphs were looking for a way to travel upstairs and into the open like most normal animals.

But these monsters weren’t normal animals. They hardly required sunlight. They would stay underground. It would never switch from night or day down there. Without power, it would have either been complete darkness or filled with the awful red emergency lighting. ‘I cannot understand why many of my colleagues would take their chances underground. Only a fool would do such a thing.’ And a fool she was not. A slight jingle of glass brought her attention to the saddlebag at her right, hovering in a gray-aquamarine aura. ‘I don’t care what happens to this place. We can rebuild it. And even a few more times if anything else happens. But what is inside here cannot be so easily replaced.’

In her spare time she had learned something more about these creatures’ genetics. Not only that, but there had been a breakthrough in her research. What was held safely in here would show what she had accomplished, a feat that no other pony would be able to claim. She glanced back at the Admissions building behind her. There was a loud crash of glass followed by a loud roar. She didn’t hurry or change her pace. ‘So what if the Queen is here. She’s already busy laying waste to those idiots down there.’ And just like that, she heard the many screams of ponies, many with fear or even the unsettling cries of those who were dying. ‘Let them pay for their idiocy. If they were dumb enough to think those chambers were safe, then that means less idiotic ponies in this world.’

Nenne should have felt sad, but she hardly knew any of them. And if they were stupid enough to corner themselves, why not bother wrapping themselves up in a bow? They were birthday presents ready to be unwrapped by a foal, if that bow were their organs being pulled out by merciless monsters. She shook her head and made it to the bridge separating the island from the landing platform. Nenne had looked back once but couldn’t help but take another glance. When she did, she noticed movement in the night sky above and saw an unknown object hovering in the sky. A massive and mysterious thing was all as she could describe it.

‘What on Equus is that thing?’ It hovered for a moment until it suddenly took a right turn towards the island’s right side. She felt the ground shake slightly as it crashed into the ocean. She watched it sink lower and lower until it came to a stop, a small third of it still above the water. Nenne Seion did not know what it was, but it seemed like no accident to her. It appeared that whatever was driving it was intentionally trying to submerge this odd craft. ‘Whatever it is, I’ll make sure to take a look when I return.’

The wind brushed past her mane, bringing the sounds of death with it. The sound of hoofsteps on the metal platform in front of her came to a stop as she saw two Neighland-Yupony guards. “Dr. Seion, what’s happening over there?” the first stallion guard on the right asked.

She glanced back and said, “It’s just as I predicted. That idiot couldn’t contain those Xenomorphs. And now those things are killing what’s left of the guards and staff members, if I’m assuming correctly.”

“We should try to save as many them as we can than. It’s only right if we do the--”

“You two aren’t going anywhere.” Nenne quickly spun around to face the pair. “There are no other pegasi left besides you two. I need you both to take me back to Equestria.”

“W-what? But we can’t leave. Can’t you hear what’s going on back there?” The second stallion guard on the left spoke this time. “And what about Mr. Neighland? There’s no way he’d forgive us if we jus--”

“And I don’t think he’s going to care.” Nenne’s frown deepened. “That old stallion is on a suicide mission with his so-called ‘elite guards’. He won’t leave this place until he either recaptures all the specimens or dies trying. Either way, I’m not staying here and waiting to die like them.”

“Bu--”

“Don’t you two want to live?” Nenne interrupted the second guard. They looked at each other for a moment and nodded. “Then I suggest that you follow my advice. If you two bring me back to Canterlot, then I promise that you two will live. Isn’t that reward enough?” The two pegasi guards glanced at each other again until they hesitantly nodded again. “Good. Now let’s leave this place before one of those creatures comes along.”

Nenne trotted behind the two stallions until they made it to one of the carriages, opening the door and shutting it behind her before sitting down. The braces on the pegasi clamped shut, and the wheels underneath finally began turning. With a sigh, Nenne looked out the window as the carriage moved past the Admissions building, and with a sudden shift of weight, finally into the air. Nenne had survived this night and would remain alive. She had to if she desired to see her goals fulfilled. Her light was not to be snuffed out just yet. It was only a matter of time before she knew that Bishop would finally get his due.