Five years, eleven months after meteor...

Sunlight pierced the petrified tree’s empty limbs. The bare bark had a grayish tint to it from the scalding it had received from the meteor. Sun, rain, snow, and more rain had eroded the limbs down. It would never return to its former glory.

At the tree’s base, however, life sprouted anew. Tiny shafts of green poked out of the muddied soil; plants that had flown on the breeze to the lifeless town of Ponyville. The wind was the only sound that could be heard, gently pushing the little leafs.

Beside the tree stood a single tombstone, and lying over the stone was a yellow pony with short pink hair. A single line of blood ran from the wound in the center of her back where a bullet had penetrated her. She appeared dead, shot precisely in the heart.

But her body jerked as she sucked in a massive breath. She coughed it out. Her motions forced her off the tombstone and into the mud, covering her side. For a few moments all she did was gasp for oxygen. The wind picked up and pushed a tumbleweed into her. It bounced off her convulsing form and continued on its way.

After a few minutes she stopped gasping, her breath coming easier. She lay in the mud quietly. Her eyes slowly closed.

“Fascinating,” said a gravelly male voice.

The pony practically jumped to her hooves. She stood upright on her back legs, balancing perfectly, her front hooves raised defensively. The sticky mud she’d been lying in pressed her hair against her face. She tried to wipe it away quickly.

Standing three pony lengths away from her, upright and relaxed, stood Steel, the iron dog. His rifle was slung across his back. Extra ammo pouches hung from his belt, crystals poking from them. Long, red crystals with metal covering one end were nakedly sheathed at his hip. His eyes watched the pony with the same coldness his mother saw when she named him.

“I killed you, shot you right in the heart, and you got up as if nothing happened,” he continued, unblinking. The pony stayed silent. “We watched you fight those griffins. You have some sort of immortal power, yes?”

Pink hair blew back as the pony charged forward. Steel stepped in and to the side, his rifle coming around to slam the pony across the face. She fell hard onto her back. The dog twirled his rifle to face downward at the pony’s open eye. She froze.

“Immortal, but not very smart,” Steel chuckled. “Still, it would take too many resources to properly kill you.” He slung his rifle back over his shoulder and knelt so he was face to face with the pony. “This town is ours now. Be gone before we come back, or I’ll nail you to the entrance as an immortal warning.” The pony moved to strike him but he was faster. His fist collided with her face, knocking her out.

Steel stood and stretched. In the brush around six other iron dogs stood up. “Alright,” Steel declared, “NOW we can go home.”

After the meteor crushed pony society and relations between the two species crumbled, dog society closed its gates to the outside world. A headstrong Guard Dog took control, turning the military loose on his own people to keep them under control. Unbeknownst to him, a rebel faction had revived the ancient ways of the Iron Dogs and prepared to return the dogs to the old ways.

But unbeknownst to them all, the meteor had shook loose a long forgotten entity from her prison. A horror from the days Discord reigned rose from the belly of the mountain and threatened to consume everything in her path. With no other course left to them the Guard Dogs joined the Iron Dogs to fight back the monster, eventually killing her. The cost, however, was too much for the shattered society. It was with a cold heart that Steel took the reins from the Guard Dogs and enacted the very policies he had rebelled against.

All to save his people.

Steel’s six dog escort consisted of the last remaining original Iron Dogs. Comet, Slip, Emmy, Tooth, and Ebony walked silently behind him along the trail. The pony homes had long since vanished in their wake. Dead trees pointed dried limbs at them accusingly. Still, every so often a bird flew by, and the buzzing of a few insects could be heard as well.

“This place sucks,” remarked Slip. He picked his tooth with a red bone. “Why are we even here?”

Steel shot him a glare. The other dog snapped his mouth shut. “Don’t ask questions you know the answer to, Slipper.” Slip’s lip twitched at the mention of his hated nickname. The leader of the Iron Dogs knew he was being unnecessarily cruel. There is a time for all things. “Stay in formation. It is a long walk home.”

They spread out into a V with Steel in the middle of them, the point, Comet, leading. Slip’s absentminded complaining reminded them all why they were there: food. Dogs could only grow so much under the ground. Canterlot had been a wasteland, devoid of any farmable soil. But Ponyville was a paradise of fertile land. Fertile land and dead ponies, thought Steel.

Nightfall came quietly. The specter of Ponyville was miles behind them now. Steel stared into the fire the dogs had built for warmth. A ceiling of clouds overhead threatened rain but were, for now, content to silence. Rain will slow us down. The Iron Dog leader rubbed one end of his blood soaked bandana between two clawed digits. Would it have slowed us down back then?

Comet kicked Emmy lightly in the side to wake her. “You’re watch.”

Emmy grumbled and rolled off her pack. She noticed Steel before she moved to her post. “Can’ s’eep, bose?” she asked in her heavy accent. Growing up a stray dog meant never truly learning how to speak or act. The only thing it ever meant was knowing how to survive.

“This is enough rest for me,” Steel replied softly. “Go keep watch.”

“Is’all dead.” Emmy patted a nearby tree with a gloved paw. “Nothin’ ta wach.”

The glare Steel replied with next sent a shiver down Emmy’s spine. “That pony wasn’t dead.”

The female dog nodded again and again as she backed away into the woods. Steel sighed and resumed his stare into the fire.

Something woke him. Steel jumped to his hind paws, his pistol in his hand like magic, his eyes taking in everything. His team jumped awake from his motion. Metal barrels pointed in all directions. Dawn turned the clouds overhead shades of red. To Steel it looked as if the world was on fire.

Comet hissed, “What is it?”

“I don’t know. I… where’s Emmy?”

No one responded.

They found what was left of her at her post: a fallen tree they had used as a seat. Her blood had refused to seep into the dried wood, instead leaving a dry layer of itself where she had sat. Some of her fur and what may have been a leg or arm laid a few paws length from there.

None of them spoke. Steel himself had seen his friends ripped to pieces before. He had watched others die in equally gory fashion. The remains of the Iron Dogs beside him were the same. Inside, they felt no disgust, rage, or sadness.

“Whatever did this did it without leaving a trail,” commented in a monotone Comet. “It took her body, so it most likely ate her.”

Steel removed his bandana. The other dogs did the same. One by one they rubbed their crimson bandanas against Emmy’s blood. Ebony said something quietly while she absorbed what was left of her comrade. No one interrupted her. They’d always been close, Steel sighed to himself.

He patted her on the back when she was finished. “We’ll move faster now; reach the mountain by nightfall.” Ebony nodded, her eyes never leaving Emmy’s final resting place.

The pace Steel set was brisk. Metal jingled and echoed throughout the trees around them from their packs. Steel would have never set a pace like this before, regardless of the circumstances. They were making too much noise.

But he noticed that nothing else was. There were no birds, bugs, or any living things making sound anymore. The forest was as dead as it appeared. And that made Steel as nervous as he had ever been. It killed Emmy for food, but it didn’t leave. It’s still here.

Slip, true to his name, fell trying to make a jump over a root. He’d always been clumsy but had learned to cope with it by being able to return to his feet quickly. The rest of the team knew this and continued moving. Something got the better of Steel and he spared a glance back.

The Iron Dog Slip was halfway to his feet, and a bright red claw was slashing sideways at him from behind. Without thinking, Steel grabbed his pistol from his side holster and lifted it. But he had no time. He watched the claw enter Slip’s side like he was made of water. Its nails were so long it poked out the front of his torso as it made its way through him. The dog’s upper half fell to the left, his lower half to the right.

Steel growled a scream, his body twisting to turn and fire. His eyes tried to trace the claw back to its owner so he could have a better shot at its face. The rest of his team turned around as well, raising their guns.

The claw retracted behind a tree in an instant. Steel rushed towards it while firing. His pistol held six crystals; three of them went through the dead tree where the claw went. The Iron Dog whipped around the corner and fired straight ahead.

His shot hit another dead tree, but nothing else. His eyes told him what his brain couldn’t believe.

The creature was gone.

Something grabbed his leg. Without thinking, Steel shot downwards. The crystal ripped through Slip’s arm and severed it from his body. The dying Iron Dog stared into his leaders eyes.

Steel put his remaining bullet through Slip’s head.

They ran no more. Ebony moved Slip’s body to the side while Comet sniffed the area for any scent of the creature. Steel refilled his pistol with spare crystals from a pants pocket. He stood in the still wet pool of blood where Slip fell. His boots, new ones he had bought for the trip, soaked up the gore.

Comet jolted upright. “Got it.”

“We go when Ebony returns,” Steel said softly. Tooth, till then, was so quiet the rest of the team almost forgot he was there, played with the extra crystals he had gathered off Slip’s body. “Knock it off.”

“It’s not hungry,” Tooth snapped. “It’s hunting us because we came here. We entered its land without thinking, without knowing any better! Like pups!”

Steel punched the ranting dog in the jaw. “Shut up, Tooth! Get your shit together!”

Comet walked over to the other two, Ebony beside her. “Let’s go.”

The leader of the Iron Dogs stood over his subordinate. “Ya’ gunna fuck aroun’ more?” he yelled down, his accent slipping out.

“… I got it boss, I got it.” Tooth rubbed his jaw and stood. “We kill it and go home, yeah?”

Sighing, Steel punched Tooth lightly in the arm. “Yeah.” He turned to Comet. “Take us to it.”

What they found wasn’t the creature, but the rest of Emmy. Beside a clearing, she hung upside down from a tree, her impaled legs holding her up. The blood had been drained from her.

Comet kicked the dirt. “Fuck!” Tooth and Ebony moved closer to the body.

Steel felt a drop hit his head and looked up. The clouds had gotten thicker throughout the day. “Fuck… ” he said softly. “We can’t stay out here.”

“We corner ourselves, we’re fucked,” Comet kicked up more dirt as she stomped around. “It needed to be here… ”

“Enough, Comet… ”

The female dog huffed but stopped complaining. Steel watched her, his thoughts rushing back to when they first met.

“I don’t care what they called you in the pit you grew up in. Your name is Comet now.”

He shook his head. “We’ll head towards the caves to the southeast. If we only give it one entrance we’ll have a better chance of shooting it.” Steel adjusted his pack and turned away from Emmy. “Let’s go.”

Comet and Tooth turned to keep pace with him. Ebony stood still, her eyes locked on Emmy. “I want to stay here,” she said softly.

“Here isn’t safe,” Tooth hissed. “We can’t defend-”

“I don’t want to defend anymore. I don’t want to… ” Ebony’s words trailed off. Steel heard the tremor on her voice. He closed his eyes.

“Boss, ‘Bony an me needa talk ta’ yous when we’ ge back.”

The Iron Dog rubbed his face and sighed. It must be nice to be able to dream. “Comet. Tooth. Let’s go.” Steel turned from his comrades and started away.

The last two of his oldest companions followed.

Rain threatened the cave entrance but a slight incline kept it out. It echoed deep into the darkness as it poured down. Steel stood at the cave mouth looking out, though he couldn’t see far. Further in, Comet and Tooth sat quietly on opposite walls. There was enough room for them to stretch out but both of them were curled up. Steel couldn’t look at them.

This is what we were made for: to fight and die. We were never supposed to live this long in the first place. They should be happy they got this far.

A flash lit the darkening world a moment. Seconds later, Steel heard a boom. Anything else was drowned out by the downpour.

Ebony… I can’t even carry you with me…

Steel jolted awake. How long-

Inches from his face, obscured by the rain, was something enormous. It lunged into the cave so forcefully he was pushed to the ground. Something stepped down on his leg, crushing it. He screamed in pain even as he brought his pistol up. The rounds entered the creature from point blank range. Hot liquid splashed down onto his arm. He emptied his ammunition into the thing.

It recoiled completely out of the cave and back into the rain. Steel couldn’t see the extent of his injury in the moonless darkness. Gritting his teeth, he took out a long, red crystal from a holster and scratched it against the side of the cave. It flared to life, revealing the damage.

His leg was twisted from the knee down. Bone peeked out from his tattered clothing.

“Fuck… Comet!” Steel twisted and held the light up to see into the cave.

Tooth’s body was exactly as Steel remembered it; however he no longer had a head. Comet looked as if she had risen to right the creature but it had gotten her first. Three long, dark lines showed across her chest and stomach. She lay on her back breathing heavily.

Steel rolled to his stomach and crawled towards her. It was only a few paws length but his broken leg scraping against the ground made it feel like forever. When he was beside her he collapsed.

“… Boss… ”

“… Yeah?”

Comet coughed. It sounded wet to Steel.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

The female dog laughed. “Did you kill it?”

“I don’t know… ”

“Then what are you… still doing here?”

“… You ah bitch… don’ leave… ”

“… Sorry… ”

The leader of the Iron Dogs lay quietly, listening to Comet’s breath get shallower until it stopped.

From the pit of his stomach he felt something heavy form. He tried to fight it. Rolling, he got to a sitting position against the side of the cave. Have to fix this fucking leg and then… His eyes found Comet. She was always so…

For the first time in years, Steel wept.

The splint wouldn’t have won him any awards, but it let him hobble out of the cave. Even though it was the dead of night the rain hadn’t let up at all. His sense of direction told him where home was. His only thought now was to make it back and mobilize his people against this new threat.

He made it a few paws before stopping. Though he couldn’t see it he could feel it in front of him, blocking his path. It made no sound or motions.

“Fuck you!” Steel yelled, firing his pistol from the hip. He could sense it moving to the left and tried to follow it but his leg gave out. Mud cushioned his fall. It covered him as he rolled to evade the attack he felt coming. A loud splash where he just was told him he had dodged well. He tried to reload his pistol but the mud on his hand caused it to slip out into the dark.

Fucking mud! Fucking earth!

EARTH

One and a half days earlier…

Shy tightened her grip on Fluttershy’s front leg. The other pony let out a small whine.

“You’re hurting me… ”

“Good… Where’s Celestia?”

“No need for that,” came the haughty reply. Shy looked away from Fluttershy to watch Celestia slowly walk towards her. “Sorry I missed the ceremony,” she said, pointing a wing at the gravestone.

“Say something stupid again and I’ll kill you both.” Shy released Fluttershy with a flick of her wrist.

The yellow pony tumbled back, landing on her rump with a squeak. “Shy, you’re alive!”

“She stopped the bullet by hardening her blood and then slowed her heart rate, keep up,” explained Celestia, her look telling the world how much she despised the smaller pony. She turned her attention back to Shy. “It’s Celestia now?”

“It was always Celestia,” answered Shy, “wasn’t it?”

The larger alicorn smiled. “You shouldn’t answer a question with a question.”

“What did I say?” The clawed pony took a step towards Celestia. The alicorn took a step back. Shy smiled. “Still hurting?”

“Why did you do that, Shy? You could have been killed!” blurted out Fluttershy.

Shy glared at her lighter reflection. “So I could finally get some answers from you two. First of all-”

“Sorry,” Celestia interrupted her, “But that’s not going to happen.” Shy turned slowly to the alicorn, claws clenching and unclenching. “Hurt us all you want but we can’t tell you anything. We both agreed.”

“Mhm!” Fluttershy nodded quickly. “I’m sorry, but we can’t…”

Shy stood quietly a moment. Her eyes stared at nothing.

Fluttershy gulped. “Shy… ”

When the shadow pony looked down at Fluttershy, her eyes were completely dead. “You won’t tell me, you can’t tell me. So what good are you?” She lashed out with a claw.

Fluttershy screamed in fear and disappeared into smoke before the attack connected.

Shy’s scream held only rage.

Somewhere between Ponyville and Canterlot…

The blood that covering every inch of her felt warm even in the rain. It flowed over her fur and through her hair. It was a part of her, though it hadn’t come from her. She felt some of it was being washed away slowly.

She wanted more.

Though she couldn’t see anything she knew the diamond dog was there in front of her. The things it had shot at her from its gun had removed some of the blood. But he had plenty more inside him.

Shy slashed out at where she had last heard the dog rolling. Her blood claw connected with something hard. Dirt? She slashed again from a different direction. Something stirred underhoof and again she hit dirt. What?

A red light bloomed into life. Its sudden appearance blinded her. Something slammed into her midsection and sent her flying into a tree. The blood covering her shielded her from the damage but more of it fell away.

Illuminated by the light in his hand, the dog stood covered in mud. Shy saw mud undulating over his leg. His eyes glowed orange.

Again?!

Shy’s scream came out as a roar, the blood over her face forming an adolescent dragon’s. The dog showed no fear.

I will give you something to fear!

Her claw lashed out. A tree spun, catching her attack. Another fell atop her and forced her to the ground. She thrashed under it, ripping it apart.

When she rose to her feet again the dog was gone.

Her roar echoed through the woods.

Even with the strange power keeping his leg together and speeding him through the woods, Steel could feel the monster at his back every step. There were thoughts in his head telling him to fight and die, to rejoin his comrades. But the louder thoughts told him to run back to his people, to warn them.

The rain began to lighten as he reached the mountain. His team left a mine cart behind for him with a crystal powered motor. As soon as he got in his dirt cast fell apart. Steel gritted his teeth against the pain. “Fuck you!” he yelled as he turned on the motor.

Humming softly, the motor spun the cart’s wheels and Steel began his ascent.

Shy reached the mountain in a daze. Most of the blood covering her had melted away in the rain, leaving only patches of the stuff. Her claws remained intact, however, her rage keeping them together. In her state her thoughts came in slow, single ideas.

Dog running to the mountain.

Dog running up the mountain.

She stared up at the mountain in a vain attempt to see the dog she was chasing. What she saw, however, was smoke coming from the side. There!

Using the last of her strength, Shy climbed. Her claws dug into the rock, her front legs strained to lift her, her back hooves found the grooves her claws created. The rain continued to slowly melt her power away until the only red on her were her claws.

She lifted herself over the side of a cliff and fell onto her back. Her breathing came in quick gasps. The odd sensation of the blood washing away vanished. It’s all gone now.

But I’ll never be rid of it.

Shy stood on shaking back legs. The smoke she had seen was coming from inside the cave just ahead. “Come out… dog… ” Putting one heavy leg in front of the other, Shy approached the cave.

Steel allowed himself to drift off while the mine cart sped up towards Canterlot. There was little he felt the creature could do to him at this point that it hadn’t already, and he was more tired than he had ever felt in his life. The complete darkness inside the mountain helped him fade into sleep.

The rain woke him. He was outside again, speeding over the repaired bridge into Canterlot. His thoughts were cloudy. Too much has happened, how do I explain it all.

A soft glow appeared around the cart. Steel had a single moment to process it before he was upended out to topple into the dirt. It was a phenomenon he had seen many times when he was younger and had hoped to never see again.

Magic.

“Hey, I’ve found another one!”

Shy fell to all fours and gasped. The physical exertion mixed with lack of sleep of the past two days was taking its toll. No! her mind screamed, I won’t let him live! She forced herself back to her hind legs and continued until she breached the cave entrance.

The tunnel turned sharply ahead. She could hear a fire burning and someone moving.

Got you! Her anger spurring her on, Shy rushed around the corner.

An adolescent dragon jumped at her entrance. Confused, Shy fell to her back knees.

“You’re not… You’re… ”

The dragon’s expression went from startled to shocked.

“… Spike?”

Author's Notes:

If you find any glaring grammar errors please let me know!