“Ahhh!” Applejack sprang up from underneath her bed sheets and held a hoof to her shoulder as she breathed quickly. Darting her gaze around the room, she scanned her roost for sometime until closing her eyes again, steadying her breath. She could feel the scar left behind after the Xenomorph had struck her with its spear-like tail. Shuddering at the memory, she rubbed her eyes and looked towards the window. The sun’s early morning light gave the room a much brighter feeling; Applejack shielded her eyes as she allowed them adjust to the light.

Remnants of the nightmare lingered through her thoughts. The images replayed in her head of the horrible creature’s eyeless gaze overtop her, the strength of the creature overwhelming her like it had done in so many other times in her restless dreams, and the monster’s second mouth shooting out from the darkness. At other times, she would see her younger sister, Apple Bloom, having her chest explode as one of those little monsters burst their way up. She even would see her deceased brother, Big McIntosh, in the same horrible situation. Like with every other dream, she couldn’t rush to their aid, stuck to the ground while she watched her family members being maliciously torn apart.

Slowly, Applejack rose from her bed, tidying it up before moving over to the mirror. She stared at her own reflection for some time, keeping her gaze focused on the scar on her shoulder, a constant reminder of that horrible time. She shook her head and she stared for a second longer before moving over to her door. Opening it quietly, she peeked out into the hallway. Seeing as it was safe, she walked over to the bathroom door but paused midway down the hall.

Glancing to her right, she saw the closed door of her brother’s room, which she and Apple Bloom always kept clean. She waited for a moment, half expecting the red stallion to exit through the door and bid her a good morning. Applejack sighed and continued to the bathroom.

After closing the door behind her quietly, she looked over to the window inside, not bothering to turn on the artificial lighting and instead allowed the sun to do its work. Moving the shower curtains aside, she turned the water on, letting it warm up before switching it over to the showerhead. Stepping into the tub, she stood still for a few moments, letting the warm water run over her coat, and closed her eyes for the time being.

Images popped in her head, surprisingly none involving the monster for once. It was times like these when she wished that things would remain calm and peaceful. However, she knew that since her brother was gone, the time for relaxing was over. There were too many chores to be done, and trying to finish each one was already stressful enough. While she began to lather herself with soap, her thoughts went to the day’s agenda.

‘Well… I have to tend the stand this mornin’. Apple Bloom should be able to handle things around here on the farm while Ah’m workin’ in Ponyville.’ She was surprised by how much her little sister had matured after the events that had taken place a month ago. While she was glad that she was helping around more on the farm, she also worried about whether she was being careful or not. Of course she knew that Apple Bloom wasn’t a foal anymore, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be concerned for her wellbeing. ‘Besides… she’s still just a little filly. Her safety is what’s most important ta me.’

As she rinsed her mane out, she remembered another problem involving the eldest family member. She sighed, knowing that Granny Smith was probably downstairs sitting in her chair and staring out the window. Applejack didn’t even know where to start, seeing as how her grandmother barely got off the chair or moved around anymore. ‘If she keeps this up, I don’t know how she’ll even be able ta stand up again.’

Applejack groaned, leaning against the wall and letting the warm water rush over her head. She felt so useless after the Xenomorph had injured her, seeing as how much slower her wounds had made her. ‘If only Ah was faster, then maybe mah brother wouldn’t be buried next to Ma and Pa.’

Deciding she’d spent enough time in the bathroom, she turned the shower off and stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying herself off with it. Thoughts went back to the day Pinkie Pie came to their house, saying that she was related to them due to some genealogy scroll. She chuckled as she remembered the trouble she and the others went through to get to Golden Delicious’ house. Pinkie sure had lifted her spirits up, feeling that she was part of the family even if they never found out whether she was or not.

She put her towel up, grabbing her red bands and braiding her hair as another thought came to mind. An image of Apple Bloom appeared in her mind, tears running down the little filly’s eyes as she remembered how hurt she still felt from the death of her big brother. Applejack had realized she’d gone a bit too far in that conversation, knowing all too well that she had felt different during that trip delivering those apple pies. She had never meant to hurt her sister, but she thought it was necessary to keep her safe, and she had worried over her for the entire outing.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she walked back into her room, retrieving her Stetson from off the desk before heading downstairs. As she walked into the living room, she turned to look towards the corner near the stairs and saw her grandmother sitting in that chair again with her eyes closed. Exhaling, she turned to face the older mare and said. “Granny?”

The older pony snorted, then opened her eyes in a quick flash of movement. “Huh, what? Who’s speakin’ ta me?” She watched her grandmother turn to face her, a smile forming on her muzzle. “Oh, it’s just you, Applejack. How’s yer mornin’ goin’, youngin’?”

“It’s fine and dandy, but how long were you sittin’ in that chair?” Applejack asked, watching her grandmother slowly move her gaze over to the window. She frowned, realizing that the older mare had stayed up again. “Don’t tell me you were sittin’ there all night again…”

“Ohh, it’s not like Ah got hert or anythin’. Besides, Ah just needed to rest mah eyes for a little while,” Granny Smith murmured, watching her turn back to face the younger mare. “So what’s on the agenda today? Workin’ on the farm this mornin’, or hightailin’ it down ta the market?”

“I’m headin’ down ta the market. Thought today would be a nice day ta sell some apples down in Ponyville.” She raised a hoof to her chin before looking to her grandmother. “Maybe you’d like ta join me? Yah know, help me around the stand and all?”

Granny Smith smiled, before letting it disappear and looking back out the window again. “You know how old Ah’m gettin’, Applejack… these legs weren’t quite what they were like when Ah was a young mare myself back in those days.”

“But yah need ta get out some more, Granny Smith. Ah don’t want ta see yah sittin’ there all day long--”

“Ah said no, Applejack.” Granny frowned and closed her eyes. “Besides, when mah time comes, Ah’d like ta spend it here on the farm. Let this place and you two be the last thin’ Ah see.”

Applejack fell back slightly, steadying herself before sighing. “Alright… Ah’ll leave yah to it, then.”

Her ears swiveled over to the stairs as the sound of hoofsteps echoed down to the room. A smile formed on her muzzle as she saw her younger sister stepping down, a half-frown apparent on her lips. Tilting her head, she wondered what the young filly was thinking about. Letting that thought go into the back of her mind, she continued to smile before greeting her sister. “Mornin’ there, Apple Bloom.”

The young filly turned to see her sister, a smile seemingly replacing the frown in an instant. “Hey there, Applejack. Heard yah were goin’ down ta the apple stand?”

“Yep. You sure you’ll be able ta handle all those chores?”

The younger filly replaced the smile with an annoyed frown, flattening her ears and shaking her head before muttering, “Ah’ve already told yah a hundred times, Ah can handle myself.”

Applejack’s eyes widened slightly at the tone, yet she wasn’t surprised by this new attitude. Looking over her younger sister, she realized she had forgone putting her bow on, like she had done earlier the week before. It became apparent to her that her little sister seemed to be detaching herself from her usual attire. “Yah not puttin’ the bow on again?”

“Nah… Ah don’t feel like wearin’ them anymore. Ah’ve already got too much stuff ta do on the farm without havin’ ta hassle around with mah bows now,” Apple Bloom replied. She made her way past her sister and went out the door, closing it behind her.

Applejack looked to the ground, exhaling before a frown replaced her smile. Her sister had seemed to have regained her childish innocence after the first week since the disaster. Now it seemed like she had relapsed, appearing now to barely enjoy any fun at all. As she walked out the door, those thoughts continued to pester her, feeling a resemblance of how she felt towards all these relaxing activities. In truth, she did feel like tranquil pastimes were nothing but a waste of time, seeing as how they didn’t benefit to helping her farm any bit at all. ‘But Apple Bloom doesn’t need ta see it that way. She still has so much to learn and see…’

Something felt very off with this new attitude, like Apple Bloom was maturing much too fast, but she already knew what was responsible for it. “That dang vile creature… that monster is responsible for this whole mess we’re all in now.” Any thoughts she had about the Xenomorph had always turned into anger, no matter who spoke up about it. She felt that the nightmare should all be in the past, yet it seemed to stick with her and the others even as it was gone, invading their dreams and causing them nothing but pain. “Ah don’t get why that thin’ has to always bug us in our dreams… it should stay in the past where it belongs.”

Shaking her head, she dismissed any thought about the creature before continuing on. Making her way down to Ponyville, she walked into the town, looking around at the early morning activity and watching other ponies move around while also doing their daily routines. ‘Today might be a pretty good day fer sellin’ apples after all.’ Seeing as how quite a few ponies were out and about, she hurried on over to the stall, getting it ready before patiently waiting for any customers.

As she watched ponies walk through town, time went by until the sun was almost at its highest point in the sky. It was busier than usual, although that was good news for her. She’d already had about twenty ponies buy apples from her in the past couple of hours, and now she had two or three ponies visiting her every ten minutes to half an hour. ‘Hoowee! If this keeps up, then I’ll have quite the amount of bits fer the Apples here.’

As she looked out into the crowd, she noticed that a few ponies seated on the outside of some stalls were giving her weird looks. Applejack only frowned slightly; she knew why they were staring. ‘Why does everythin’ have ta revolve around that creature now? Can’t ponies just let it go and stop actin’ like we’re some sort of bad luck charm?’ It was annoying how some ponies kept on approaching her, offering their condolences. Even worse was when some wouldn’t even come near her, seeing her as some type of omen of disaster and doom.

She scanned the area in front of her, noticing a couple of flyers on the walls of buildings and street lamps of Thunderlane. Raising an eyebrow, she went to move closer until she caught a blur of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned and saw Flitter crying into her hooves. ‘What the hay is happenin?’ Noticing another pony shifting next to her, she saw Bon-Bon and Lyra comforting Flitter. Applejack moved closer to pick up the conversation.

“Please, calm down, Flitter,” said Bon-Bon, bringing a hoof to the pegasus’s shoulder before speaking again. “Just catch your breath and start off from the beginning.”

Flitter looked up, wiping her tear-filled eyes before stuttering her words. “I… I was w-waiting for Cloudchaser to show up last n-night. She said s-she was just going out f-for a normal f-flying session at the Wonderbolts Academy and would head over to Whitetail Woods for a practice session afterwards… But after a f-few hours of waiting, she d-didn’t come back. I t-thought she was just g-going for a little longer… but I kept w-waiting for her… un-until it was the middle of the night. I d-didn’t see her in her room when I w-woke up. I f-flew over to Whitetail Woods… but th-there wasn’t any sign of h-her.” Flitter brought her hooves back up to her eyes and sobbed uncontrollably again.

Images shrouded her vision as thoughts of the Xenomorph rose back up again. ‘No… no that’s not right. It’s gone… Twilight and the other princesses killed it...’ She closed her eyes and gripped her head, hearing the screams of the nightmare in her mind. Backing up, she felt something underneath her back legs, tripping over it and falling onto her back. Rubbing the side of her muzzle, she heard hoofsteps and opened her eyes.

“Um… are you okay?” Lyra asked, extending a hoof to her. Applejack accepted the hoof and let Lyra pull her up.

“Thanks, Lyra,” she murmured. She picked her Stetson back and placed it on her head before looking back to the unicorn.

“Are you alright?” the unicorn persisted, tilting her head. “You looked like you had a headache.”

“I’m fine,” Applejack replied, dusting herself off before gazing up at Lyra. “What’s goin’ on with Flitter? She said somethin’ about her sister bein’ gone.”

“Yeah… she say’s Cloudchaser never came back last night or this morning. She’s really upset about it,” the unicorn said, before looking both ways. “But that’s not the only pony who’s disappeared.”

Her eyes widened as she stared, mouth agape as the fear of the monster’s possible return threatening to overwhelm her. “Another…”

“Yeah… Rumble’s older brother, Thunderlane. It was a few days ago since he disappeared... like he just got up and left Ponyville for good.”

Those fliers that she saw only a few moments ago finally made sense. The thought of the Xenomorph came again, as she realized this was how it all started last time. ‘No… yer just imaginin’ things. There’s absolutely no way that monster is back.’ Reassuring herself of this, she focused on the unicorn and asked, “So nopony else has seen any sign of him since a few days ago?” She received a nod, worrying her all the same. “Well… I’ll see what I can do. When’s the last time anypony saw them?”

“Rumble said Thunderlane went to relax by the lake on the afternoon he went missing. And Flitter told us her sister was heading back from the Wonderbolts Academy and stopped by Whitetail Woods.”

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Applejack nodded and turned around. “Thanks, Lyra. I’ll be sure to figure out what the hay’s goin’ on around here.”

“Of course… but after what happened last time. Do you think it could’ve been tha--”

“Don’t fret about it, Lyra. There’s no way it can still be alive.” Applejack smiled reassuringly, “just go about yer day and I’m sure everythin’ will be alright.” Walking back to the stand, she wondered what this all could have meant. ‘If in fact the Xenomorph is dead, then why are all these ponies goin’ missin’? It ain’t like them ta just wander off.' Thunderlane and Cloudchaser never really left Ponyville except for some Wonderbolts-related business. But if they were gone, where did they go?

The flapping of wings attracted her attention. She saw a pony’s shadow appear on the wall of the building next to her. Turning to see who it was, she smiled as a familiar pegasus flew up to her with a light azure shoulder strap t-shirt covering her chest. “Hey there, Rainbow Dash.” However, she noticed a frown on her muzzle, tilting her head while asking, “Is there somethin’ wrong?”

“Not much, Applejack. Except, have you seen Bulk Biceps anywhere?” Rainbow asked, raising a hoof up. “I’ve been waiting for him all day to meet me over by Ghastly Gorge. So instead of waiting for the no-show, I went to his house to see if he was busy working out. But when I got there, he wasn’t even inside,” Rainbow Dash explained, looking over by the stalls before gazing back at Applejack. “So have you seen him walking around here?”

Applejack shook her head. “No. In fact, Ah haven’t seen a lick of him at all today.”

Rainbow huffed, crossing her front legs. “Well, that’s just great. He isn’t in Ponyville either. Where is that stallion hiding?”

“That’s the thin’, Rainbow,” she said, turning to face the alleyway behind them. “I just got done talkin’ with Lyra, and she says that Thunderlane and Cloudchaser are missin’...” Rainbow’s expression changed, her eyes lowering as the stoic frown seemed to change into one of fear.

“What… like gone, gone? Or as in just not here?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow toward the farm pony.

She shook her head. “They’re gone, like they just suddenly disappeared without anypony else knowin’.” Applejack saw something flash across her friend’s face as if she was scared. She knew exactly what she was thinking about: wondering if the Xenomorph was truly back. Seeing that Rainbow saw her staring at her, she shook her head before regaining her frown. “Yah know what I’m thinkin’ about… right?”

“Yeah…” Rainbow started, looking down at the ground before continuing. “But Twilight and the other princesses wiped it off the face of Equestria. There couldn’t have been any trace left, from what Twilight told us.”

“Ah know. But Ah can’t shake off the feelin’ that the thing responsible for this is that monster.” She glared at the ground before looking up to the cyan mare. “Ah think the others should hear this too.”

Rainbow nodded, turning around as if she already knew where to go. “I’ll get Fluttershy. Then me and her will meet back up over at Twilight’s castle.”

Rainbow sped off towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Moving over to her stand, Applejack closed it before running towards her first destination. Heading into the middle of Ponyville, she spotted Sugarcube Corner and hastily went through the doors. “Pinkie Pie!?” she called out, looking around the main lobby. She walked into the room, scanning for the hyperactive mare.

“Hiyah!” A flash of pink moved in front of her vision, causing Applejack to yelp as she leapt back, falling onto the floor in a daze. Rubbing her head, she slowly opened her eyes and saw a bright and cheerful smiling pink pony standing over her, inches away from her own muzzle. “Oh my gosh! Applejack! What a surprise it is to see you!”

Getting up, Applejack picked up her Stetson and brushed it off yet again, glancing over at Pinkie Pie as she bounced up and down. “Hey there, Pinkie Pie,” she said as she put her Stetson back on her head. “Listen, I need yah ta come along with me. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will meet us over by Twilight’s castle--”

“Oh! What kind of meeting are we having this time? Because I have this great idea for, guess what, a chocolate fountain!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, waving her forelegs in the air as her bright smile beamed at Applejack.

She leaned back a little, shaking her head before speaking again. “Just follow me, Pinkie.”

“Okey dokey lokey,” Pinkie said, following Applejack out onto the streets as they raced along the sidewalks. Seeing that she had Pinkie Pie, she had to get over to Carousel Boutique, so she increased her speed and took the shortest route to the building.

It didn’t take long until she ran up to the door of the boutique, ringing the doorbell while patiently waiting for the pony inside. A moment later, the door opened with a elegant mare standing in the middle of the doorway. Rarity had a sad frown on her muzzle, but she switched it over to a smile a second after she saw her. “Ah, Applejack. How are you doing?” Rarity asked, reaching for Applejack and hugging her.

She gave the same happy embrace in return before pulling away. “Rarity, glad ta see yah too. But we’ve got a problem on our hooves.”

The unicorn brought a hoof up to her muzzle, before saying, “Oh my. It isn’t something dangerous, I hope?”

“Well…” Applejack began, looking down at the ground, before saying, “Ah’m afraid ta tell yah, but Rainbow and Fluttershy are goin’ ta meet with us at Twilight’s castle. We’ll talk more there.”

Rarity frowned and nodded. “Say no more. Let me just lock the door, and I’ll be along shortly.” Applejack nodded and left the white mare to attend to her house while quickly making her way over to Twilight’s castle. She saw Rainbow hovering by the entrance of the castle with Fluttershy on the ground, the two talking to each other.

Rainbow seemed to have heard their hoofsteps and turned to face the approaching group. “Where’s Rarity?”

“I’m here,” Rarity replied. Rainbow Dash turned to see the unicorn trotting up to the group.

Seeing that everypony was here, Applejack made her way to the castle doors and knocked on the crystal structure. A moment later, the doors opened, and Twilight looked out to the group, smiling brightly. “Hey there, everypony,” said Twilight. However, she frowned as she stared at the group and noticed their concerned expressions. “Is… everything okay?”

Watching the smile disappear, Applejack made her way over to the princess and spoke. “Twilight…” She looked back to the others, nodding to Rainbow Dash. “We need ta talk.”

“Oh… um, sure,” Twilight replied, opening the doors for the other girls to walk in. She led them to the meeting room, and everypony took their respective crystal seats. It was quiet, eerily so, as the group of ponies stared at one another.

Applejack sighed, breaking the silence. “Ah have somethin’ ta say.”

“You mean you're going to come out of the closet and say you're madly in love with Rainbow Dash!? Ohmygosh! I knew it!” Pinkie Pie said, giggling as she spoke.

“W-What, no! That’s ridiculous! I…” a flabbergasted Applejack sputtered, while everypony else’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Oh, so you’re going out with Rarity, then?” Pinkie Pie asked with a tilt to her head, causing Rarity to turn as red as a tomato.

“Consarnit, Pinkie Pie! Ah’m not into Rainbow Dash or Rarity!” Applejack roared, glaring at the pink pony before continuing. “What Ah was tryin’ ta say was that I just got done talkin’ with Lyra.” She went quiet until she saw that she had everypony’s attention. “Lyra said that there have been some ponies who’ve disappeared.”

Deathly silence wrapped the room in an unearthly stillness. Nopony spoke up as the unsettling news was finally brought to light. Applejack scanned the expressions of each mare; most of them shared the same dreaded thought she was having. “I… take it everypony knows what Ah’m talking--”

“Of course, Applejack!” Rarity yelled. The farmpony flinched as she heard Rarity practically scream at her. “We all know where this conversation is going, and I would like to keep out of it, if nopony here minds.”

“Rarity, Applejack didn’t mean anything about… ‘it’. Do you?” Twilight asked, looking over to the farm mare with a worried frown.

“I… I don’t want to believe it was the creature’s doin’... but Lyra said that Thunderlane went missing, as well as Cloudchaser.”

“They could be with each other,” Rainbow Dash said, looking at everypony else. “I mean, Bulk Biceps is gone too. I went to see if he was home, but I didn’t find him there.”

“So then who would be responsible for their disappearances?” Fluttershy quietly asked, slowly looking to the other mares.

“Maybe they just decided to go somewhere else for a while. I mean, come on, if it really was the Xenomorph, I’m pretty sure we’d all know by now,” Pinkie Pie reasoned, hoping the others would see logic in her explanation.

“Pinkie, darling, I do love you… but please refrain from using the name of that… dreadful ‘creature’,” Rarity said. She shuddered as she rested a hoof on her chest where the scar from her own encounter with the extraterrestrial laid hidden beneath her white fur, a sad frown forming on her muzzle.

Applejack shook her head before speaking up. “Ah’d like ta say that bringin’ up the monster from our past is another problem we all seem ta have. Why can’t we just ferget about that thing and move on with our lives?”

“That’s the problem in itself, Applejack,” Twilight said, turning to gaze over at her. “After the trauma the Xen… ‘creature’ caused, I believed it affected all of us psychologically. Even if it is gone… the effects from what it did stay with anypony that came into contact with it,” Twilight replied, frowning as she looked down.

Applejack looked down, her eyes darting back and forth as she tried to think of something that would help. As she looked up, she could see that everypony was on edge, knowing how badly each one was troubled by possibility of the creature’s sudden return.

A shadow moved in the corner of her eye. She looked up to see Fluttershy fidgeting around. “Um… what if Zecora knows anything about this? After all, she does live in the Everfree Forest. That’s where it hid the first time.”

“I hate ta burst yer bubble there, Fluttershy. But there’s no possible way that she is able ta keep an eye out fer every single thing in the woods,” Applejack noted.

“Wait!” Pinkie Pie spoke up, raising her right hoof into the air while supporting it with her left one to gain everypony’s attention.

Twilight sighed, shaking her head before addressing the hyperactive mare. “Yes, Pinkie Pie?”

“I just realized that Zecora didn’t show up in Ponyville today,” she announced.

“And what’s so important about her not being in Ponyville, Pinkie?” Rainbow crossed her front legs, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, she usually comes over every Wednesday to buy herbal ingredients that she can’t get anywhere else in the Everfree Forest. I know because I see her walk by the windows of Sugarcube Corner. Doesn’t that seem a little fishy to you guys?”

Everypony looked to the ground for a moment, thinking about what Pinkie Pie had said, before casting concerned looks at each other. They all knew that the pink mare was able to memorize the daily schedules of her friends, from the most important to the most unimportant tasks.

“Pinkie Pie does have a valid point,” Rarity admitted, looking over to the others. “Still… I hope that wretched creature isn’t part of this.”

“Well then,” Twilight started, gaining everypony’s attention. “I think we should start there. Come on, everypony,” she said. She stood up from her chair and nodded for the others to follow. Applejack rose up from her seat, seeing the others follow suit.

It wasn’t long until they reached one of the entryways into the Everfree Forest, everypony standing side by side in a straight line. Applejack looked down the row; each pony had a fearful frown on their face. Applejack shared their same expression, breathing in as she calmed the thoughts swirling around the Xenomorph. She believed the others were doing the exact same thing as they remembered the awful times in the spooky forest.

“D-do we really have to go in there?” Fluttershy asked, shaking as she slowly hid behind Rarity.

Rarity looked to the shivering mare behind her, returning her gaze back to the dark and dreary forest. “I don’t like it any more than you, darling, but we have to see if what we believe is true.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Rainbow said; a weak chuckle as she was the first one into the forest. Everypony else looked to one another before quickly following after her.

Echoes of the forest resonated around them as the twisted trees loomed over the group. Applejack frowned as she scanned the foliage of the forest. The images of the Xenomorph came back heavily as she remembered her extreme close encounter with death itself. It wasn’t a memory she enjoyed recalling, seeing as how the Alien had practically ripped her shoulder out of its socket, somehow without taking her entire front right leg in the process.

“Wow… it has been a while… since we’ve all been here, hasn’t it?” Applejack murmured, chuckling nervously as she looked up to the others.

“Yes… it has,” Twilight said, keeping her gaze focused on what was in front of her. Although from what Applejack could tell, she noticed that Twilight seemed to be holding something back. She looked away, thinking it was rather best to not ask her what was on her mind.

A twig cracked underneath her hoof, Applejack turning to the piece of wood below her. She then looked up and saw that the tip of a branch was broken. Although the sight was odd, she just dismissed it. It could have been a gust of wind that broke the branch in the first place.

It was only some time later that they saw Zecora’s hut stowed away in the depths of the forest. However, as the group approached the zebra’s cottage, they noticed something was off: the door was slightly ajar. Twilight cautiously approached the door. The door made a slow creak as it opened. She heard Twilight gasp, backing up and out of the hut before turning to face everypony. “Something’s wrong. You all need to come and see this.”

Rushing up beside her, everypony quickly filed in, only to see the broken windows inside her hut. Applejack scanned the room, but she saw nothing conclusive to explain what happened here. It was only until she heard Rarity gasp did she turn to see what she had found. “What did yah find?”

“There are darts lying on the floor here. But Zecora never had any darts, unless she suddenly decided to buy them for decorations,” Rarity said, picking up one of the projectiles and looking it over.

“That’s funny. I’ve never seen Zecora use these before. Unless she was planning to put somepony to sleep,” Pinkie Pie said, picking up another one before leisurely scanning it over.

“What did you just say?” Rainbow piped up, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, didn’t you guys see? There’s a label here on the dart that says, ‘Handle with caution. Powerful tranquilizers. Misuse can result in comatose state.’ Huh, what weird darts,” Pinkie said, giggling afterwards.

“Wait, if these are tranquilizer darts, then does that mean that somepony--”

A sudden gasp caught everypony’s attention, and they turned to see Twilight lifting a small object off the ground. Twilight gazed fearfully at them as she looked over the small item. “Girls… I found something.”

Everypony rushed over, crowding around the alicorn as they gazed at the object. What they noticed was that it was just a small piece of fabric with a logo stitched into the item.

“So… what’s so important about this?” Rainbow piped up, raising an eyebrow to Twilight.

“There was an article I read last night about a company that recently merged with a Neighponese company. The pony in charge said something that eerily resembled Weyland-Yutani’s catchphrase. They are even calling themselves Neighland-Yupony,” Twilight stated, keeping her gaze glued on the piece of fabric.

“So what, are you sayin’ that this company is pretty much a pony version of that Dr. Markovich’s company?” Applejack asked, looking over to Twilight.

“Not just that… they could be responsible for all the disappearances.”

The group went silent as they saw the deeper meaning to this piece of evidence. “Woah, woah, woah. If that’s who’s taking everypony, then why are they doing that in the first place?” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes darting over everypony.

“I have no idea, Rainbow, but I know it can’t be anything good,” Twilight said.

“Girls.” Rarity spoke up. “With all things considered here, I think we need to inform Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about this.”

The girls looked to one another, knowing that whatever was going on here needed to be investigated and fast. “You’re right,” Twilight said, holding the fabric to her side in a raspberry aura. “Come on, girls. We have to get to Canterlot and fast.” The others nodded, quickly exiting Zecora’s hut and hurrying over to Ponyville. It was clear that there was something nefarious going on, and Applejack realized that they would be getting answers, sooner or later.

The strength of the wind slowly picked up, the trees in the courtyard gently swaying with the breeze. The leaves shook on their branches, rattling against one another to create a soothing sound that echoed through the terrace. Leaves broke off, fluttering in the wind as they swirled in the air, falling to the ground in red, yellow and brown piles that covered the grounds. Fall was drawing ever so closely in, evident by the cold air that swept through the castle grounds.

Inside the throne room, Princess Celestia busily wrote away on the large amount of paperwork in her advisor’s bright pink aura, the quill radiating in her own light-gold yellow aura. Although she focused on the documents in front of her, lingering thoughts of the past week had all but made her anxious. It had been a week since her guards had reported back that Daring Do was not home, making her wonder what had happened to the mare she was relying on to be her best hope of catching Dr. Caballeron and apprehending the Xenomorph.

But where was the daring adventurer? Was she okay? Where did she go? Celestia had to find out if the Xenomorph had been recovered immediately, and now her worries grew more and more as time went by. All those thoughts had piled up inside her mind until she herself was almost overwhelmed by paranoia. She knew she had to be strong for her ponies and conceal her fears from worrying the rest of her subjects. Celestia did not desire to let her closest friends, the Element Bearers, to relive such a terrible nightmare. Even her niece, Princess Cadance, did not deserve to go through such a horrifying recollection, as she was already dealing with the Crystal Empire alone, not to mention a baby that was currently on the way.

It may have been worth mentioning that her niece was also struggling with a depressive state. She and her sister, Luna, had gotten a letter from her. And it was a telltale sign of what she was fearful of doing to herself. Could Cadance really go through such an awful decision? Maybe it was best to not let it get to her. After all there were still more pressing matters, but she was thankful all the same that they could come to Cadance's rescue.

‘We must find Daring Do. She’s the only pony I can rely on at this point; if we don’t find her soon, then Dr. Caballeron will take this creature to somepony that may end up using this monster for unspeakable purposes.’ Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the throne room door opening. Glancing up, she saw her sister, Princess Luna, walk through the doors. A cup floated in a dark blue aura at her side. Returning her focus back to the paperwork, she finished the last few lines before nodding to her advisor. The unicorn mare nodded her thanks, and Celestia looked up to the guards.

“You all may end your shift. I want to talk to my sister alone,” she announced. The guards saluted her before filing out through the doors in an orderly manner. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again to see her sister sitting down next to the throne, sipping away at her cup of coffee. “Good morning, sister,” she began. “Has there been any word for the whereabouts of Daring Do?”

The younger alicorn looked up to her older sister, a frown forming on her muzzle. “There has been no other reports as of late. The guards cannot find our friend, Miss Do, anywhere. They have looked from Fillydelphia to Manehattan but have come up with nothing,” Princess Luna replied, closing her eyes as she lowered the cup in her aura.

Celestia sighed, letting her eyes fall shut as the feeling of failure set in. Why did Daring Do have to leave at the most inopportune time? Something didn’t feel right about any of this at all. The sound of hoofsteps echoed in front of her, and she opened her eyes to see one of her guards hurriedly making his way towards her. He skidded to a halt, bowing quickly before reporting. “Princess Celestia, a pony wants to speak to you. She says it is the most imperative of news. She seems to have sustained quite a few injuries, but refuses to receive medical attention until she has spoken to you.”

Celestia looked over to her sister, seeing the younger alicorn turn to face her as well before both princesses turned to face the guard again. “Let this mare in. We believe it might be who we were looking for,” Celestia said. She watched the guard bow again before heading off. They waited, watching for the pony that said she desired an audience with them. Hoofsteps silently echoed in from out of the hallway that led to the throne room, both princesses watching as they shared another glance before turning their attention back to the doorway.

A pony slowly walked up to the door and made her way through the large archway. The mare’s steps were unsteady, seeming to almost be tripping over own hooves. Celestia gasped as she saw who it was; it was Daring Do. The mare that both she and her sister had been searching for was heading right towards them at a very slow, snail-like pace on precarious hooves.

Celestia stood up and made her way towards Daring Do, her sister by her side. Daring Do streched out a hoof to reach for them, her eyes fluttering shut as she descended towards the floor. She felt a breeze ruffle her fur and saw her sister catch Daring before she hit the ground. She kneeled next to her sister and felt a horrible pit form in her stomach as she gazed across Daring’s body, seeing nothing but dried and bloody cuts and bruises that ran across her fur.

Moving closer, she murmured to the injured pony, “Daring Do, what happened? Is this because of the Xenomorph?”

The mare below her looked up into her eyes, speaking in a raspy tone. “The creature… it… it-”

“It what? Did it get out? Were you able to capture it?”

“Tia, I do not think Daring is in any stable condition. We need to see to her wounds before asking her--”

“Daring, please tell us what happened,” Celestia interrupted her sister, her tone almost reaching a yell as the fears she had for the past week quickly filled her thoughts.

The adventurer coughed, blinking her eyes slowly before continuing. “Me and a… team of mercenaries. We went to find the creature… and we… and we…” Her eyes fell shut, falling limp in Luna’s hooves.

“No… no. Please, wake up,” she murmured, feeling herself stem on the near verge of tears.

She felt her sister’s hoof rest on her shoulder, before hearing her speak. “Celestia. Daring will be okay. However, her wounds need to be treated to first before we can ask her what happened.” Luna turned her sister’s muzzle to face her own gaze, reassuring her. “Daring Do will not die. She has not been through too many adventures to give up now.”

Celestia darted her gaze to the ground, recovering from the verge of tears and sighed. A frown still kept hold on her muzzle, but she nodded. She noticed a glint of light catch her eye from the unconscious mare’s side, and she looked down to see two sheathed daggers firmly set at her sides. She never heard of this mare having two weapons before. For now, she needed help, and would ask the pegasus questions later. “Bring her to the medical ward of the castle. Keep watch over her while I make sure that everything else is fine.” Her sister nodded, gently placing Daring on her back before quickly trotting through the doorway. Celestia closed her eyes and prayed that if the Xenomorph was still alive, it had not caused harm to anypony else.

“Hey! Let me out, you stupid ponies!”

Zecora blinked her eyes slowly, staring down at the floor. She floated above the ground with her bonds keeping her attached to the wall. She glanced at the chains holding her, frowning as she sluggishly pulled at them. Returning her attention to the ground, she exhaled, then moved her gaze up to the ponies and other beings that were stuck in here like she was, gazing at the griffon who continued to shout.

“Whoever you ponies are, you’re going to regret knocking me out and bringing me here!” she screeched again, chains rattling against the wall as the griffon thrashed about in her shackles.

“Calm down, you overgrown pigeon,” a light pink earth pony mare hissed, frowning as she glared at the griffon. “I believe everypony here would like some peace and quiet after an hour of hearing you scream your lungs out.”

“Why you snooty little-!”

“Both of you, be quiet!” A dark gray stallion switched his gaze from the two, and his wings flared up as he hushed the bickering griffin and pony. “Everypony hasn’t been doing well since we all woke up in this strange place. So how about we take a little breather and calm down?”

“Calm down?” The mare chuckled, shaking her head. “Unless you have some kind of plan Thunderlane, m’kay, that involves all of us getting out of here, then I don’t know how we can remain composed in a situation like this.”

“That’s your problem there, Suri.” The light flickered over a grayish lilac pegasus, her wings resting along the sides of her barrel as she gazed at the fashionista of Manehatten with light rose eyes. “You have to be positive. I’m sure somepony’s bound to find us here soon.”

“Yeah, too bad your own kind’s already found you, Cloudchaser. We’re sure to be saved now,” the griffon remarked as she gave a snide smile.

“Jeez, louse, don’t be such a sour puss, Gilda.” Babs Seed shook her head, returning her attention to the pegasus mare. “Cloudchaser’s right. All we gotta do is just wait for somepony who doesn’t work here to find us.”

“But how? Trixie does not wish to put such a damper on the suggestion, but we have no idea where this place is at.” The truth spoken in the unicorn mare’s words rang true. Zecora found it hard to accept the fact that they all could be in a location out of Equestrian land.

“Do not give up on hope, Trixie. Somepony is sure to find us. Although Iron Will doubts it just a little, there’s no reason to expect the unexpected, right?” The grayish cobalt blue minotaur said. A smile hinted with hope as he gazed at the others.

“We’re all doomed. Just say it already!” The overly toned pegasi with a white color of fur, Bulk Biceps, lowered his head and closed his eyes after hopeless banter.

As Gilda spoke up, Zecora closed her eyes, only wishing what Iron Will said was true. It felt as if it had been days since she was stuck in here, although she knew she was possibly exaggerating. Since the time she had been brought there, Zecora had watched as some of the other prisoners were taken off their chains and were carried off elsewhere. After they were gone for what she thought was two or more hours, the scientists brought them back, putting the captives back up on the wall.

She had no idea why they wanted all of these others there, including herself. What was their goal, and why did they need so many beings chained up? Whatever it was for, it did not feel like they were up to any good.

Zecora looked up as the sliding door opened up, seven scientists walking into the room. It was odd since only three scientists would usually come in. She swiveled her ears as the sound of wheels caught her attention. Behind the group was another gurney with clear canister-like objects mounted onto an apparatus. “Hey!” Gilda yelled as she pulled the chains, grunting as she tried to yank them from their anchor point. “Let me out of here, you stupid ponies! I was happier in Griffonstone than with you idiots!”

The group of masked ponies did not heed her words. Two of the scientists continued to wheel the gurney up to one of the unicorns, the stallion adorned in a white and red striped shirt with a mustache. She tilted her head, watching two of the masked ponies pull the stallion away from the wall and carry him out of the room while the other five stayed behind.

“Hey! Where are you taking my brother!?” Flim yelled, seeing Flam being lifted down onto a gurney and hauling him away from the room. However, the scientists ignored him as the sibling continued to shout at them. The five remaining scientists proceeded to take five of the clear tubes off the cart and position them over the chests of the three adult earth ponies, the diamond dog and the bison. They appeared to be made from glass, seeing as how they were see-through.They had one open end that faced the others’ chests, with the closed end pointed away from them.

“What are you guys doing? Please, let us out of here,” Cloudchaser murmured, the mare’s chains rattling a little.

“Give it a rest, m’kay, Cloudchaser? These ponies did not listen the last two times you tried to plead with them.” Suri glared at the ponies down below, her chains shaking as she pulled at them.

As they clamped the frames of the canisters to their sides, Zecora felt a familiarity with these objects. These were the ones that had previously hauled off Ol’ Salt and come back with him an hour later. He and the following four captives were brought back and chained onto the wall after a few hours had passed. Zecora also noted that all five of them were unconscious when they were brought back.

As she watched, her gaze moved up to Ol’ Salt as he began to shake. Zecora opened her mouth to say something, flinching as she heard the pony scream, his yells of pain echoing in the room. It wasn’t long until the second earth pony also howled, followed by the third. Blood poured out of their mouth, and their chests bulged outwards violently.

“What’s happening to them!?” Babs Seed cried in fright as she watched the five convulse in agony.

“T-Trixie does not know. Close your eyes, Babs Seed, and do not watch this horrid show!” Trixie responded as she too watched on in terror.

Zecora could only stare, mouth agape, as she shivered from the terror that wrapped her in its frightening embrace. Ol’ Salt’s chest burst open, and a small creature screeched as it moved into the tube. Screaming filled the chamber; both dying and living alike experienced a terror they had never witnessed before. Zecora could only keep her gaze locked on the creature that squirmed inside the containment unit, marking the inside with the blood of the stallion as it tried to writhe out of the case.

“What is that thing!?” Iron Will shouted, his eyes bulging as he froze in place, watching the creature thrash about in the container.

Zecora watched in horror, unable to pull her gaze away from the other two earth ponies thrashing in their restraints, their screams of pain reverberating around the room until their chests burst open and two more of the repulsive creatures exited the chests and moved into the blood-filled tubes. A new sound filled the room as she watched the Diamond Dog begin to whine in pain, shortly before it turned into a high-pitched yelp as another one of these parasites exited the body of its host.

“You monsters! Do something, for Celestia’s sake! They’re dying! Why aren’t you helping them?!” Thunderlane yelled as he glared at the scientists, fighting against his chains as he did all he could to escape the restraints.

Tears brimmed at the edge of Zecora’s eyelids. Even though she had no idea who any of these beings were, it still felt painful to watch them die in such a horrid way. In the corner of her eye, she saw more movement. The buffalo began shaking as well, knowing that his painful death would be next. In a short amount of time, the chestburster broke through the being’s sternum, and the fifth nightmarish creature slid out into the tube.

“T-this is so not cool… so not cool!” Bulk Biceps yelled, his overly worked muscles contracting as he fought the chains that held him to the metallic wall.

Zecora turned her gaze to the tubes, watching the hatches to each container close automatically before the remaining five scientists retrieved them and carried the tubes out of the room. They opened the door, moved out of the room, and sealed it shut behind, leaving the remaining prisoners in silence. However, the five who died were left to hang in the awful silence. The screams of the prisoners continued to echo in her mind, the gory scene running on replay as she shivered in her chains. Her mouth hung agape, but no words could truly describe what she saw. Whatever was going on here, she feared that those creatures would be used for some sinister purpose and wondered when it would be her turn to forcibly carry one of these ominous and dangerous parasites within her own chest.