Wheeltreads’ Camp:

Kipkipe -Submachine gun in hoof- gathered all the guards and troops they had in this little community to search for the little one that was kidnapped by the Enclave.

“Leave no stone unturned. We may have three former Enclave members working with us in this community, but they agree to killing this one that kidnapped the child,” she barked out.

Silver Gunner stood far away from the group looking towards Cannon Ball. “I have a fear this is not going to end well Whiskers.”

Cannon just stood there looking down at his robotic friend. “Nothing ever ends well Silver. Even something like this. It will never end well. We named this camp after Tiria then we stay so war-like.. I have to ask… Would this be what she would have wanted if she was still alive?”

The robotic pony gave a nod. “No, I think she would be frowning. Disgusted with us, probably. Star Shooter is missing and here we are... So upset over the Enclave.”

Gabby, who was sitting on a perch above them frowned to herself in thought. “Bit convenient, isn’t it? Everybody has this huge argument on not getting involved in the war with the Enclave, and then they show up on the camp’s doorstep, as it were…”

Deep Thought looked around and he yelled out. “Crow!?! Where are you?!” The teacher changeling that kept watch over the younglings flew past Gabby. “Crow!” he shouted out again, at the top of his lungs.

“...He’s gone off to do something foolish, hasn’t he?” Gabby deadpanned, as she landed beside him, a knowing look in her eyes. Despite having only been in the camp for a week, she’d already gotten a good read on Crow, and found him rather reckless and rash.

Deep Thought sighed to himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. Wasn’t the first time he’d done so when dealing with that Changeling and his particular form of idiocy. “He said that he needs to help convince Kip into getting into this war. But if I know Crow -And I do- he has gone off and he’s doing something stupid,” he whispered back to her.

“Yes, well to get you bunch off your asses and join the war effort, or at least keep an eye on Manehatten, stupid may be required…” Gabby muttered, before she took flight.

Kip yelled out again. “It’s high time for us to join this war. Keep an eye on Manehatten!” She yelled out. “But first we find the child that this Enclave soldier took from us. Don’t kill him though, I wish to speak to him myself!”

Privately, Kip suspected something was off with this whole scenario. She knew they had an old suit of Enclave armor. She knew the NCR was opposed to them just being bystanders in this whole war, and she knew Calamity was quite vocal about his displeasure for that. She knew that all of this was too convenient, too contrived. But anger? Fear? They often, quite sadly, overtook rational thought.

The problem was, of course, not all of the camp inhabitants shared the same views as her on not killing the lone soldier. Children, they were sacred to them, and they hated the Enclave just as much as anyone else in the Wastes, perhaps even moreso.

“I think it’s high time somebody does something to stop this from getting too crazy, Cannon...” Silver opened the back of his body and he lifted out his shotgun and aimed it up high into the air. Firing as many shots as he could to get all eyes trained on him.

“Now that we broke our vow of not getting into this war,” he began. “ I want you all to think about this and think about it real hard. We have an old suit of Enclave armor. Crow is missing, so is Deadshot!”

An almost skeletal figure, dressed in all black attire wandered through the crowds, and reached into his coat and pulled out four tarot cards. He then tossed those same four tarot cards from his hoof before vanishing as quickly as he came. One landed in front of Kip, the other in front of Silver. They were of the King of Wands and Knight of Wands varieties.

One, the one landing in front of Silver was upright. The other, the one that landed in front of Kip, was lying facedown. Reversed.

As for the Knight of Wands cards, an upright one landed in front of Silver while a reversed, facedown one landed in front of Kip.

“Now, hopefully, if they’re as intelligent as they think they are…” The Dealer thought to himself, tilting the brim of his hat down over his face to hide it as he vanished back into the shadows from whence he’d came. “They’ll decipher the meanings of those cards and learn. If not… Well, their loss. Try to teach, but not everyone’s willing to learn.”

Shadow the griffin rolled his eyes at this. He spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. “Of course they’re missing. Knowing that fool Crow after the Iron Wolf Project trying to kill him and then us burying him alive. I doubt his mind has been healed after all of that,” he commented. “Of course he’s going to do something crazy.”

Kip sighed to herself as she picked up the two cards, and held them in her hoof and studied them intently. “...The Hell?” she thought to herself before tossing them aside. Not like they made much sense to her anyways.

“Kip?” Silver asked as he approached her. His friend looked clearly rattled. “Something wrong?”

“No…” Kip lied. “It’s… It’s nothing.”

Silver Gunner raised an eyebrow, not believing her for a moment, but left it alone. His thoughts turned to Calamity and Crow, he knew they had the best of intentions, but the problem was they were getting the entire camp all riled up, and hungry for Enclave blood.

He then let out a soft chuckle, and then smirked. So that was their game. Deadly as it was, he had to admit Crow -After all, he doubted Calamity would have come up with this, given his moral code- had a good plan. Knocked the arrogance of this entire camp down a few pegs, stop them and their isolationism policy by showing how flawed it was. He chuckled, that magnificent bastard.

Speaking of Calamity, currently he -Clad in old and rusted Enclave armor- was running through the streets of the encampment, a tiny teal filly strapped onto his back. He sighed to himself, this went against every fiber of his being, really.

“Damnit Crow, couldn’t ya have come up with a better plan than this?” he swore silently. “Seriously, kidnapping a child in full Enclave armor, under ta noses of an entire community which hates the Enclave like a farmer hates a fox in their henhouse? ...This isn’t a plan, it’s a suicide mission!”

A hoof tapped Calamity’s head. “Almost there Deadshot,” Crow said, literally from the mouth of a babe. He was the “Child” Calamity had kidnapped. “The way out is close. Just a quick sprint ought to do it.”

“Provided, of course, they don’t have somethin’ to say about it…” Calamity deadpanned, gesturing ahead of him. Ahead, was a familiar unicorn mare, armed to the tooth.

Bulwark lifted up her combat shotgun in her magic aura, coating it golden. The scared unicorn mare fired before even speaking. “Stop!” she shouted, as the shotgun fired off a thunderous blast.

Calamity dodged to the left and pulled out a small magical energy pistol he’d found on the armor. He’d disregarded Oathsworn for the time being, given how recognizable it was. Firing off a small singular shot, he knocked the combat shotgun from Bulwark’s grasp.

Crow smirked. “Deadshot Calamity indeed.” he thought.

Bulwark snarled, and tackled Calamity to the ground as the “Child” rolled away.

Bulwark used her hooves to try to smash the armor. She didn’t care who was inside at the moment. She just wanted blood, and she wanted it now. “Get up! Fight me hoof to hoof! Or is that just beneath an Enclave soldier?” she asked tauntingly.

“Naw, Ah just don’t want to hurt a lady.” Calamity replied politely.

Now, if Bulwark was in a more rational state of mind, she might have recognized that voice. Alas, she wasn’t.

“I’m no lady…” Bulwark growled out and socked Calamity across the jaw again. ”Now surrender or I will break you open!”

“Please, Ah’ve heard better threats from Raiders…” Calamity deadpanned, catching the next punch with his own hoof.

“I bet that’s all that would take you seriously Enclave trash!” Bulwark hissed, the unicorn mare grabbing Calamity with her magic, and tossing him aside. “Why… Why doesn’t he even bother to fight back?” she asked herself.

Calamity sighed and shook his head and extended his wings as he flew forwards towards Bulwark.

“Really didn’t want to have ta do this, but you’re leaving me no choice in the matter…” he muttered to himself as he collided with the unicorn mare sending them tumbling and rolling in the dirt, dust, and sand being kicked up and tossed about by the winds.

Bulwark being the well-trained fighter she was, (Well not as good as Deadshot.) she smacked her hooves into the armor hurting herself in the process. Her forelegs started to bleed from the smacking her hooves into the armor.

Something then tackled Calamity from out of nowhere, a mostly brown feathered griffin with white head-feathers wearing the formal attire of the NCR’s President.

Calamity quickly kicked Regina off him, -Whispering an apology as he did so- and scrambled to his hooves.

“Great, just what Ah needed…” Calamity thought to himself, as he pulled out his pistol, with Regina pulling out hers and Bulwark grabbing her shotgun with the three in a classic Mexican standoff.

Nobody seemed intent on giving in, but nobody seemed intent on firing either. Everyone was just waiting for someone else to fire the first round.

Teal magic wrapped around the Enclave armor. The magic wound up slowly removing the helm from the Enclave armor and tossing it to the ground. Weapons were tossed aside as well.

“You did it Deadshot you got us to think,” Kip snarled out angrily. Now I never want to see you here again. Madam President you will get your help. But keep him far away from here!”

“Calamity…” Regina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with a claw. “Did you really have to resort to this?”

“No, he didn’t, Jabari convinced me…” Kip snarled. Then she stared at the little filly, her eyes widening in recognition as the pieces finally fell into place. There was only one resident of this entire encampment who was willing to do something this bold. “Crow!”

The little filly quickly changed “her” form to that of the changeling’s. “I’m in trouble..” He squeaked out, like a little child whose hooves had been caught in the cookie jar, as it were. If it were any other situation, it would have been almost comical.

Kip snarled, completely losing her cool and got dangerously close to Crow’s face and looked him directly in the eyes. As much as he wanted to, Crow couldn’t find it in himself to look away. “Crow, you’re banished for the time being. Go to the Hoof and prove yourself again,”

“Now hold on a minute,” Regina said, trying to play Tirek’s advocate as it were. “Isn’t this all a bit harsh? I mean, here you are, with your heads stuck up in your asses believing that the Enclave won’t come for you and that you’re safe in your little bubble, and here Calamity proved the exact opposite,” she remarked. “Now, I’m not defending his actions in the slightest, as they’re completely overboard, but it seems to me you needed a harsh wake-up call. Crow and Calamity just happened to be the ones to deliver it,”

Kip sighed, looking away a moment. Looking up towards the statue of her friend, and sighed to herself in self-disgust. She began taking several deep breaths to calm herself, knowing she was acting just like Tiria did once. “Crow,” She said softly. “Please go to the Hoof and keep us informed of what is going on. Madam President, we will protect Manehatten. And if it comes to it, we have to fight we will,”

Regina sighed, and rubbed her temples. At least some minor victory had come out of all this.

“If this was it, you could have just told us the truth here,” Kip continued. “Really, we know they will come. Why do you think we stay here?” She sighed looking away. “There is more here than a community. Wheeltreads was hiding something. His legacy, if you will. We’re guarding whatever that is.”

“Right, and he was such a respectable pony…” Crow muttered in distaste.

“If his journal is true Crow, he’s lived during the war,” Kip added. “He knows the horrors and atrocities ponies are willing to commit in the name of their countries. Besides, we’re spread far too thin as it is to wage a full-on war against the Enclave.”

“Which is why you need us,” Calamity argued. “Y’all may not like us, but you and Ah both know ya can’t hold out against the full might of both Winter Breeze and Stormy Skies if they came to call. It’s a matter of trust, ya see.”

Kip scoffed. “Yeah, and how are we supposed to trust you after this little stunt?” she asked him, in a biting tone of voice.

The sound of heavy hoofsteps came up from behind them. The sound of metal hooves against the solid pavement. “We trust because we must. Because Logic tells us to,” Silver Gunner put in. “Remember Logic is all we have when it comes to these things. So Deadshot, you will be welcomed here as much as you wish.”

“But Silver...” Kip tried to counter but Silver just stared at her with his empty emotionless orbs that barely passed as eyes.

“I have a journey to follow,” he stated in a tone that left no room for argument. “The Silver Gunner shall walk. Now if you excuse me, I must follow that path.”

Kip sighed to herself. “I have known him most of my life. Enough time to know not to argue with a robot.”

“Well, suppose it best we be moving on out of here now…” Calamity muttered. “We’ll just take Jabari and go, won’t be darkening your doorstep anytime soon, Ah promise.”

“He’s babysitting Crystal. I’ll go talk to him.” Kip replied before heading off back to her home up the ruined war-torn streets.

It wasn’t long before she found herself walking up the cobblestone path back up to the doorstep and then turning the handle.

But to her surprise, she found Jabari sitting in an armchair, rocking the young Crystal to sleep. Odd thing was about her kind, they aged much slower than normal ponies so mentally, Crystal was at the age of a little toddler at most. The lullaby, it was an old song, one that Deep Thought had taught him during one of their therapy sessions. Despite his many other flaws (Self-Perceived or otherwise) as it turned out, the zorse was a surprisingly good singer.

“I can't see where you comin' from
But I know just what you runnin' from:
And what matters ain't the “who's baddest” but
The ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, baby

“And you feel like you feelin' now
And doin' things just to please your crowd,
When I love you like the way I love you,
And I suffer, but I ain't gonna cut you 'cause

“This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero
To call “home.”

“This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero
To call “home.”..”

“Jabari.” Kip sounded out in a very gentle voice, just as Crystal’s eyes began to close and Jabari sat her down in a nearby crib. He looked up at Kip, hearing her voice.

“Yes?” He whispered, trying to keep his voice low and not disturb Crystal.

“Come outside,” Kip said softly, heading back outside of the house.

Jabari nodded, but not before giving Crystal one last look, and kissing her on the forehead whispering: “Sleep well, kid.”

Kip waited outside. She watched the sky like Tiria did on her final days.

“Something’s up, isn’t it? Heard gunfire, assume our guest was “Dealt with”?” Jabari asked, walking up behind Kip, resting his hooves on the front lawn and watching the sun set over the horizon. It was beautiful, in a way, casting a red and gold glow over the nearly deserted suburbs of Manehatten.

“Crow and Deadshot were the guests,” Kip growled out, a trace of sadness in her tone. “Pulled the entire rug right out from under us. Calamity dressed himself up in an old suit of Enclave armor, without Regina’s knowledge apparently, while Crow posed as a child. Wanted to knock some sense into us, show us that when the Enclave comes, they’ll take more than just our freedom.”

“Yeah, how’d that work out for them?” Jabari asked, having a feeling he already knew.

“Well, we will protect what we can,” Kip continued “But Crow has been banished to the Hoof till he proves we can trust him again.”

Jabari watched the skies, and swore he saw an insect-like form head west, towards the direction of Hoofington.

“Bit harsh if you ask me,” Jabari commented. “Know this may sound treasonous to the higher-ups, and you probably, but Calamity may have had a point. This isolationism, as much as I understand it, (Here, he cast a glance back towards the house) will probably get us killed one day…”

“Silver Gunner was right all along,” She said softly, but loud enough for Jabari to hear. The zorse chuckled softly to himself.

“Generally is, isn’t he?” he replied.

“Jabari,” Kip looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Please come back to us.”

“Believe me,” Jabari replied, giving her a hug before he sheathed his shocksword and placed his shotgun on his battle saddle. “As much as I hate this Celestia-forsaken place, wouldn’t want to leave you alone to die… mom.”

Kip starred at Jabari. Her eyes full of more tears. Kip hadn’t cried this much since Crossfire left with their daughter to teach her trade. ”Jabari...you’re going to make me slap you again aren't you?” She smiled weakly.

“Probably,” Jabari chuckled weakly and gave her one last hug, before he started for the station where he found Regina and Gabby talking, griffon hen to griffon hen. Calamity rested nearby, Oathsworn on his back once more.

“Ahem..” A robotic voice sounded out, and Jabari whirled around to face it. He drew his shocksword on instinct, but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the owner.

“Silver? W-What are you doing here?” Jabari stuttered out in surprise. He once wondered how a robot did stealth. The answer apparently was very carefully.

“I’m here to see you off, just before I head to The Hoof. Now i’m not going to say something. Will you listen?”

“Y-Yes.” Jabari stuttered out, and if he was stunned before, well...

“I’m proud of you. That’s it. Take care.” Silver said, before heading off in his own direction leaving Jabari speechless. For Silver to show any form of emotion towards anyone, let alone pride, well to say it was a rare thing was being generous about it.

“Proud of me… Proud of me?” Jabari repeated in his head. “Proud of me for what?”

Nearby, as Jabari walked onto the train, Regina fished out a pair of familiar weapons, two Hellhound claw knives and handed them to Gabby.

“These are…” she whispered in shock, remembering their owner from Regina’s story.

“Yeah, they’re Kage’s. I’m not a knife user by trade, prefer guns honestly, but I think it’s high time they get some use,” Regina confirmed. “Storm’s on the horizon, after all. And way I figure it, you’re going to need them. Griffon claws are sharp yes, but don’t think they’re quite sharp enough to cut through Enclave steel.”

Gabby smirked. “I’ll use them well. I’ll make your brother proud. Fast and swift, that’s how I’ll be,” she said, before the steam whistle blew. “Oh, that’s our cue!”

As she got settled in, she found Jabari looking out the window longingly.

“Something wrong?” Gabby asked in concern for the young zorse. She sighed sadly when she looked into his eyes. They’d seen far too much blood for someone his age. Kid like him, he should be out enjoying himself with his friends, making mischief and that kinda thing, not fighting a war. Just another casualty of the Zebra/Equestria war, she thought sadly to herself.

“It’s just…” Jabari said, as he leaned out the window and watched the small settlement become smaller and smaller with each passing moment, becoming just another part of Manehatten’s suburbia. “Well, leaving your home, the place you grew up in for good or for ill, for the first time, it’s… it’s just not something you can put into words, you know?”

“Yeah…” Gabby said, the now ghoulfied griffin said, giving him a small comforting nuzzle. “I’ll tell you this, leaving Griffonstone for the first time, to travel to Ponyville all those centuries ago, scary feeling. Mind you, I was excited as well as there was a whole new world in front of me, but at the same time, frightened. Didn’t know what to expect, and yet…”

“You still did it anyways…” Jabari said in realization, finishing the sentence for her.

“Yeah, treated it as an adventure,” Gabby smiled wistfully, and wiped away a tear at happy memories long since past. One unusual meeting, and three fillies who were all too willing to help a griffon in need.

“Know who you are? Know who you are?! Why, I've heard about you from everypony in Ponyville! I'm so excited to meet you, I could just explode! I'm Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby since we're friends now! Pleased to meet ya!”

“Sounds like a challenge! And who could be up to it but the world-famous Cutie Mark Crusaders? Cutie marks! It's in your name and everything, right? Right?! Right?! Now I have to deliver Gilda's letter to Rainbow Dash. I bet by the time I get back, you'll have it one hundred percent figured out! Toodles for now! Whee-hee-hee! Gonna get my cutie mark!”

“Oh! Is that all? You had me worried for a second. I-I mean, there's a first time for everything, right? And she didn't say it was impossible, right?

“Uh... I don't know. Maybe it means my purpose is, uh, helping Zecora with potions. That was the first thing I tried. I guess it just took some time to appear. But here it is!”

“Yup... That's the one. I guess the one thing I'm really not good at is faking things.”

“Gabby, finding your special purpose doesn't have to be about being good at something. It's about feeling good about something inside.”

“And it looks like your destiny is a whole lot like ours – helping others. And you don't need a symbol on your flank to know that.

“After all, you're a Crusader now. Crusaders forever?

“Crusaders forever!”

“Crusaders Forever…” Gabby repeated mournfully, as she took out a old and battered wooden shield and tightened her grip on it as if were a lifeline. Sure, most of them were dead now -All except for one- but that didn’t mean their legacy was dead as well. “Somewhere… Somewhere out there, I’ll bet someone’s carrying on that legacy…”

“Adventure… Yeah, I’ll treat it like that, and I’ll have my faith to guide me…” Jabari replied, with a soft smile.

“Faith huh?” Gabby asked -A certain set of Hellhound claw knives laying beside the shield- as the train tracks rattled beneath them. “Well, whatever floats your boat.”

As she whispered that, Jabari began to hum to himself...
“Someone who's there
Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone

“By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer
Take second best

“Put me to the test
Things on your chest
You need to confess
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver

“Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith…”

Mount Pleasant Island: Somnambula’s Light

Disturbed, that was probably the best way to describe Midnight’s emotions as he leaped down towards Iron and Riptalon and fired off shots from his Novasurge Rifle into the Skullcrawler’s hide.

Just looking into those cold, blinking pure black pupils made him want to shudder in disgust. Evil, pure evil, that was the only way to describe what filled those eyes.

“So, where’d you dig this thing up?” Midnight asked, as Riptalon refilled Lawgiver’s ammo and fired another shot into the creature’s hide.

“It… It sorta found us, actually.” Iron commented, and fired off a series of shots. A long tail whipped out in what had to be the blink of an eye and slammed into him, sending him flying into a wall.

“Iron!” Riptalon shouted, before he and Midnight leaped out of the way as the creature lunged and nearly bit them in half with it’s jaws. Problem was, in such a confined space, there wasn’t a lot of room for movement, and this thing had to take up half of the area by itself.

Riptalon leaped onto the back of the Skullcrawler, and dug his claws into its hide drawing blood. With a long, ear-splitting shriek, the Skullcrawler shook itself, flinging Riptalon off. Lurching forward, its tongue slide out of its mouth flicking at the air slowly. A sudden burst of speed and it leaped over a counter and disappeared from sight.

“O-Okay… I’m not liking this LARPing anymore!” Starglow whimpered out.

“Yeah… We sorta lied to you. This isn’t LARPing, kid much as I hate to say it,” Target said, as she pulled out a grenade and moved to fire on the Skullcrawler with her sniper rifle, only to find it had vanished. “...This, this is the real deal.”

The creature gurgling, hissing and rattling sounds filled the room, bouncing off the corners with no clue as to its whereabouts. From the left came a tap of a claw, then from the right was a flash of movement. The group stayed close together, unable to pinpoint the source of either sound or movement.

Target went for her rifle, on pure instinct and clutched it in her hooves. “Semper Invicta…” she repeated to herself, as a calming measure. The Steel Ranger mantra.

Drip. Something hit her head, followed by another, and another. Daring to glance upward, she was met with the beast’s cold dead eyes, glaring down at it. It’s head twitched to the side, its jaws slowly opening. It hung from the ceiling, poised to strike like a snake.

“Oh shit…” she muttered, as she looked upwards, and Henri pulled out her pistols and fired shot after shot into the creature’s skull.

“Starglow, that energy pistol… It’s not a toy! It’s the real thing!” Henri shouted in fear as she realized her weapons fire was doing jack-squat. Reluctantly, Starglow reached for her pistol, and fired off several orange energy bolts into the creature’s mouth as it screeched in rage, points of weakness showing up on her PipBuck.

“Er… Don’t know if this means anything, but my mini-terminal… It’s showing several spots inside the creature’s mouth that seem to be important!” Starglow whimpered.

“Good, that’s something at least…” Henri muttered, before her eyes widened. “Move it!”

The Skullcrawler leaped down towards them, and smashed right through the catwalk and sent all three tumbling down into the lab below. It lashed out with its tongue, wrapping Henri up and pulling her towards its mouth. One quick shot from End of the Line, and the creature screeched out in pain as it dropped Henri on the ground. The tongue had been cut clean through by the shot, the severed piece laying a few feet away,

“Oh… So glad you could join us…” Midnight snarked as he readied his rifle.

“Very… funny…” Henri growled, as she shook herself clean. “Ugh, probably never going to be clean again…”

“Really, that’s your biggest concern right now?” Target asked, as she reloaded her rifle. Suddenly, she was tackled to the floor by Riptalon, who shot the Novasurge rifle clean out of Midnight’s hooves with a blast from Lawgiver.

Target keenly noted that Riptalon’s eyes were now a coal black, like the creature’s. The Skullcrawler’s eyes shone with an otherworldly purple gleam and it’s movements slowed to a crawl. A low buzz filled the air, strange wrobbling lights moving around its suddenly transparent skull.

“Kill… Slaughter…” Riptalon hissed out, in a guttural, animalistic tone of voice.

“By Celestia and Luna…” Henri whispered as she regained her bearings and Midnight picked himself up off the floor. Just in time as well, as Riptalon lunged at them both with his combat knife several times. Henri blocked the blows with a knife of her own before headbutting Riptalon making him stagger back.

Suddenly, for just the briefest of moments, Riptalon’s eyes returned to their normal light grey shade.

“No… I’m not going to… I’m not going to let you win! I’m not going to just kill and slaughter on a whim!” he whispered to himself, and that struck a chord with Midnight.

“Not going to kill and slaughter on a whim… But… But that’s what he’s wanted for, killing an entire platoon of NCR soldiers! So why…?” He thought to himself, but didn’t have time to think much more on the matter as Riptalon’s eyes went pure black again and he lunged for the Midnight who took out a small kunai knife to fend off the strikes from Riptalon’s blade.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Riptalon’s knife went flying from his grip, and Iron held his rifle, barrel smoking before he lapsed back into unconsciousness.

Midnight took the chance he was given, and bucked Riptalon clean across the room. That buck seemed to snap him back to his senses briefly, and he grabbed a surgical knife from a nearby table.

Blood flew, and Henri covered Starglow’s eyes as Riptalon stabbed himself clean through the paw with a growl of: “Have some of this, you bastard… Try and control my mind!”

The Skullcrawler, as if feeling Riptalon’s pain, screeched out in anger and struck, one of it’s arms sending Riptalon clean across the room into Henri’s arms.

“Don’t worry, I got you,” she said. “Fairly stupid move of yours, you know that right?”

“Yeah…” Riptalon grimaced out in pain, blood dripping from his paw. “Going to regret that move later on… I can say that much. Probably severed a few nerves, and ripped into the muscle.”

“Can’t fight that damn thing in here, we need to lure it out into a more open space! Get it aboveground, that might work.” Target suggested, as she pointed to a door leading upstairs. “Now, let’s hoof it!”

“Saving your ass… again. Going to have to start keeping count soon...” Riptalon muttered as he used one of his free paws to grab Iron by the scruff of his neck and fly him out of the room as the others followed. The Skullcrawler screeched in rage, and smashed through a wall to burrow through the earth to follow.

Eventually, they reached a large open space, and Riptalon set Iron aside as they all took cover behind some metal crates and reloaded their weapons. The ground shock gently, a few cracks forming as the Skullcrawler tunneled under them.

“Nobody move a muscle…” Henri whispered, as Starglow shook and clung to her like a security blanket.

Like a butterfly escaping it’s cocoon, the Skullcrawler broke through the floor, debris falling off it like water. Staying low to the ground, it let out a long, rasping hiss spraying blood from its injured tongue. Its skull turned transparent again and more than a few of the group felt something unknowable and something completely vile and evil poking and prodding at their minds. Just searching for a way in.

“You’d think it’d give up by now…” Riptalon muttered, his paw feeling rather numb. “Even Yao Gauis aren’t this persistent!”

Sniffing around for the group, the Skullcrawler lurched forward, emitting a strange gagging sound. Rearing its head back, it hacked up a skull, sending the bone rolling towards Starglow.

She was just about to let out a scream of terror, when Midnight clamped a hoof over her mouth.

“On the count of three, we pour whatever bullets and ammunition we have left into that thing’s mouth. Okay?” Henri asked, and the group nodded. A profound silence filled the room, even the Skullcrawler’s claws no longer making a sound. Daring to take a look, Henri peaked out of her hiding spot, only to find herself staring into one of the monster's eyes.

It let out an unearthly howl, knocking her to the side with its head.

“Henri!” Target wanted to shout, but she knew it was futile as it would give away her location as well.

Suddenly, several loud bangs caught her attention, and a wall blew inwards as a purple form, with a long lance-like horn and two giant wings stepped inside the room, and began to charge up a spell before a blast of pure magic was fired down the creature’s throat.

“Cover your eyes!” Twilight shouted to Starglow, and she did so at once with her hooves. It was a good thing too, as what happened next, wasn’t pretty, to say the least. The Skullcrawler shrieked in pure agony, coughing up smoke. Falling onto it’s back, it clawed at it’s own belly in an effort to put out the flames which now covered it’s body in a pure blazing inferno. It ended up eviscerating itself, smoke billowing out of the new hole in its chest.

The corpse fell to the ground, completely scorched down to the bone, small embers still flickering on what was left of the creature. Target looked as if she was about to be sick, but had a mixture of relief on her face as well. Looking around the room, she noticed everyone else shared that expression.

“Finally…” she thought to herself, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“See?” Twilight asked with a smile. “Told you that you could trust me.”

Author's Notes:

Okay, huge load of people to thank for this chapter. Megaskullmon, as always for his allowance of the usage of the inhabitants of Wheeltreads' settlement. Ruinqueen, for giving me info on Tarot Cards, which I'd never really given much thought into until she used them in a scene in this spinoff's parent story with the Dealer. (Credit for him goes to Somber as always)

Now, credit to TheStrarovarian and Seriff Pilcrow for helping me figure out what would be the exact effects when Riptalon sliced into his own paw and how bad the damage would be.

And finally, to Fourshadow and Shagohad12. Fourshadow, for giving me the idea for the final confrontation with the Skullcrawler, and Shagohad for writing it out, and bringing out the terror of the creature itself in it's scenes here.

As ever, comments and thoughts are appreciated.