Chapter 17: Plasma Cutters Are Your Friend

(…………………………………………………………………………………………)

For the second time that night Isaac had found himself falling down a narrow tunnel towards an unknown destination. Ironically, that summed up the totality of his life over the past four years. Always stumbling into the unknown, cut off from the sun and isolated in constricting corridors and passageways filled with unidentifiable primordial gunk and enemies that had enigma written into their very DNA. He could only hope that, this time, there would not be a giant necromorph tentacle creature waiting to drag him down into a massive human eating maw.

The spiraling fall was no less a cramped experience. Enough to be extremely uncomfortable, but which was not life threatening. The tunnel was nearly filled to capacity with the pulsating carpet organism known as the corruption. He knew that within a few hours the way back would be completely sealed off as the corruption swelled to fill it up. The spread of the corruption would not stop there, it would not cease in its singular purpose to keep growing and growing until every tunnel and chamber was choked full to capacity.

When there was no place left for it to go it would bubble to the surface world. It would slink towards Ponyville, creep for Canterlot, drowning everything in a brown and yellow ooze. Destroying the Marker was the only way to stop it, it was but a single symptom of the alien artifact’s influence after all. It was up to him to do it, though he wondered how he could pull it off while babysitting his incompetent companions who were more child than adult.

Isaac was jostled back into the moment as the slime slide suddenly leveled off. His momentum was still carrying him forward at an alarming, but decreasing, clip. His biggest fear was the idea of becoming wedged inside the tight fit of the passageway. He wasn’t claustrophobic, not in the least, it was the idea of becoming helplessly trapped miles under the Earth which struck a primal cord of terror in him. Entombed as the biomass slowly consumed his body. That fear had but a momentary lifespan as the pressure suddenly released and Isaac barreled and spun into a large open area. An out of control metal top.

“Holy Shit! the former human cursed, a heartbeat after he had spotted a familiar looking orange mare. Applejack wore an expression of absolute bewilderment when she had noticed the blue and gray bullet speeding at her. The stetson hat she had been cleaning was knocked clear away as the two of them collided with wild force. Tumbling out out of control in a tangled mess of limbs, hair, and saddlebags. Kicking up a spray of organic chunks that trailed behind them in a cloudy mist of vomit.

Luck was strong with Rarity. She had managed to spot the incoming combined creature with time enough to allow her to jump out of the way. She was spared from the physical trauma but, upon her landing, had slipped on the muck and fell with a squish. Again, covering herself in filth and a release of green putrid air as pockets growing inside the corruption had burst.

Traveling without moving, Isaac and AJ had hazard across a web-like mess of tendrils. Their bodies had slammed into it and the strings buckled under their combined mass. The two ponies proved too much and the thin tendrils snapped like balsa wood, but it was enough to slow them to a faltering stop.

Isaac was moaning in discomfort, cast flat on his back. Placing a hoof on his temple to massage a sudden headache before he’d remembered that his head was fully encased. There were butterflies in his stomach, like a boat rocking in a perfect storm. It was a rather nauseous feeling as the world to rock to and fro from the endless spinning. Also there was a heavy pressure on his chest, limiting his breathing to short and shallow gulps of oxygen.

Worried that a rock had fallen on him, he lifted his head forward and discovered that the deadweight was none other than one apple farmer who was laid prone over him, in a rather awkward position. She was heavy, but Isaac knew from first hand experience that the farmer probably had not a single ounce of fat on her body. She was pure toned muscle, the result of a lifetime of hard work at the apple farm.

He had wrapped his his arms around AJ so not to accidentally throw her off as he worked his way up into a sitting position. The mare seemed to be unconscious, head buried in his chest. Her ponytail had come undone leaving her blond mane to fall over her neck and shoulders. It partially obstructed her face and lent her an air of feminine vulnerability, something which Isaac had never envisioned, or equated, with the stubborn female in his embrace. It seemed strangely human.

He whispered a command to his suits internal computer and activated the helmets unclamping routine. With a surge of mechanical movement, the casque suddenly split into two halves with a hiss of escaping atmosphere. The individual parts of the helmet unfolding over themselves with unerring precision before being stowed away into the specially built alcoves on the suits spinal rig and the triangular chest piece.

“Hey, you ok?” Isaac said, gently shaking the blond pony, worried that he might have accidentally injured her.

“Howdy partner,” Applejack opened her eyes and smiled up at him, all at the same time, nearly scaring the dickens out of him, “ah feel just dandy apples.”

“Well,” she put her arms over Isaac’s, staring him right in the eyes, “this ain’t quite like mud wrastling in the pig pens, but nice ta see that tha city slicker tain’t afraid to get down and dirty in tha grime and muck. Maybe we’ll go a round er two when we get back ta Sweet Apple Acres.” She gave him an encouraging wink.

‘Shit,’ Isaac internally gelded himself, ‘is she flirting with me. How can she think of that at a time like this?’ Despite such misgivings he was flattered and had felt the threat of a smile tug at his mouth. Suppression of such unwelcomed and ill timed feelings was quick and surgical. Sure, what male wouldn’t appreciate a young woman hitting on them, he coached himself. It still had not dissolved the negative connotations concerning the whole cross-species barrier and the age gap. It only made it worse.

‘Don’t think too much about it. She doesn’t know, how could she anyway.’ He wanted to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but was afraid he’d get slime all over his face. Instead opted to remove himself from the farmer and reseal his helmet in place so no one could see the awkward, and disturbed, look on his face. Isaac’s uneasy feelings were not lost on the farmer who only sniggered at him.

“Ah’m just messin’ with ya, Cutter.” The orange pony gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

“Uh huh, how can you act so casual? Look at where we are. Our lives are in danger and you act like its all one big joke.” Isaac’s face tumbled from confusion towards anger before kaleidoscoping on befuddlement, but AJ couldn’t see that through the faceplate.

“Well, panickin’ about it sure ain’t gonna help us none.” she turned deadly serious.

“Besides, ah my be a country yokel, but ah ain’t dumb. Ah know we’re in a lot of rotten compost right now. But, we all have ta stick together and if ah know Twi, she’s already halfway to them gems right now. If anypony can handle this situation its her. Everythan’ is gonna work out al’right, ya’ll see.” AJ nodded as Isaac sighed.

“That’s the problem with you optimists, so...optimistic.” Though Isaac wouldn’t admit it he was glad that one of these ponies was finally starting to understand the absolute level of fuck that they were stuck with. He’d seen how Twilight tried to deny the events that were unfolding right before her.

Then there was the forever hyperactive Pinkie Pie who was too garishly happy all the time to appreciate the serious nature of the Marker to ever be useful. Except, maybe, for that one time in the library where her hair had gone all droopy and she had hugged him. It gave him chills when he thought about it. He didn’t know what to think about Rarity so far except that she seemed too obsessed with her appearance.

Shelving such brief considerations he examined the the surrounding cavern. The light from his helmet was capable of illuminating an area only a couple of feet in any direction. What he could see was an environment that might have once been a natural, possibly artificial, cavern. What ever beauty it once held was obscured by a thick blanket of corrupting biomass. Not an inch of rock or dirt could be seen while yellow and red fluids drained from the ceiling in a festering rain. The three ponies were slowly being dressed and drowned in the stuff.

“Darlings!” A call of solicitude had echoed as Rarity approached with a slow gait. Placing each hoof carefully, one by one, in front of each other to avoid further mishaps. Applejack’s hat balancing on the middle of the fashionista’s back.

“Is every pony alright?” Rarity’s voice cracked ever so slightly.

“Everything’s still attached.” Isaac deadpanned, but in a reassuring way.

“Oh, thank Celestia.” An alleviated suspire passed as the unicorn generously returned the hat to AJ’s head, telekinetically.

“Oh dear, where are my manners?” Rarity coughed, “Mister Cutter, not that I would dare to complain about your timely arrival, but what possessed you to follow us down here?”

‘For starters I’m here to kill you if you start to act funny and turn into necromorphs,’ was Isaac’s silent answer. It was the unapologetic truth and would have boiled down the reality of the situation into one succinct response. That was not what he said, however, such a callous statement would only make his job harder in the long run. If they saw it coming then they might try and stop him.

“I decided to come and help you out,” he waved a dismissive hoof, “like Applejack said, Twilight is more than able to lead the others the rest of the way without me.”

“That is very noble of you Mister Cutter.” The fashion designer turned away in embarrassment, a light shade of pink on her cheeks. “You are indeed a true gentlecolt.” AJ rolled her eyes and mumbled.

“Ah see where this is going.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Isaac answered, though he had also overheard AJ. What was going where and what was this? If his two companions had been human than he might not have been as creeped out by the implications of what the where was going to the this and the fuck going to the that. He was confused.

“Oh, walking through all this wretched gunk is messing up my fabulous coat and mane. Could you, Mr. Cutter,” she batted her eyelashes in an overtly sexy fashion, “could you be a dear and...”

“Ow!” AJ interrupted, hissing through clenched teeth. “Fiddlesticks, ah think that tumble might have hurt one of my legs.” She demonstrated the afflicted limb by holding it close to her body, her right hind leg.

“Can you still walk?” He might have sounded concerned, but inside Isaac was ready to blow a fuse. They hadn’t even come across a single enemy and now one of them was injured and it might’ve been his fault too. Seemed like they were more of a danger to each other than the necromorphs were, or the dogs for that matter.

“Ah think so, its not serious. Ah should be right as rain in a few minutes.”

“It doesn’t look that bad to me.” The unicorn countered critically, though it was hard to tell through the layers of sludge that clung to the cowpony’s hair and hooves.

“Bad or not,” Isaac stepped in with command authority, ”we can’t waste any more time. We’ve got a job to do, injuries and concerns of cleanliness are immaterial.” He scolded the two mares. Enough was enough, he had to nip this situation in the bud before it spiraled down a losing tangent.

“If the others are captured or killed because we were too slow to catch up to them, well,” Isaac fell into a somber state, the fire in him flickered, “is that the kind of guilt you want to live with? Knowing that you were not fast enough to save anybody?” The silence from the two mares was their answer, shock turned to shame. Some seconds ticked by before it was Rarity who spoke first.

“You are, of course, right. Let us be off then. Time waits for no pony, as it were.” Isaac nodded in affirmation.

“Come on Applejack.” Isaac moved to the mare’s right, pressing up close to where suit and skin touched. Before she could raise any objections he’d taken one of her arms and draped it over his neck to give her support.

“What the hay are ya’ll doin’?” She shivered at the sudden intrusion into her personal space. That and the metal plates on the stallion’s armor were cold in the otherwise hot and humid atmosphere.

“Walking in this crap is bad enough on four legs. With that injury you’d never make it very far. You would only slow us down.” He criticized with honesty his only intention.

“Slow ya down my cutie-mark! No sir, I ain’t letting any stallion carry me. Ah can walk fine on my own.” AJ blew her cheeks in frustration and tried to dislodge herself, till she was jerked back and her face had turned to where it was mere inches from Isaac’s. She squinted under the luminous blue glow of the helmet’s lights; an expressionless face plate. She found it very intimidating and felt a bit of fear creep into her.

“Would you rather I left you behind, or sent you home?” His voice cut like steel, “If you can’t fight you’re of no help to anyone.” AJ looked ready to respond. Somehow her voice failed and she was giving a good imitation of a gasping trout.

“Fine.” She sighed, turning away with a troubled expression.

(…………………………………………………………………………………………)

The trek down the tunnels was similar to diving deeper into a bottomless ocean. The further down they went the more the pressure built, pushing down on their bodies from every angle. Every tunnel and cavern was becoming more narrow and claustrophobic than the last. The world was closing in and around them, a reality made manifest by the corruption that was continuing to grow and spread all around them. They were slowly being buried alive, an inevitable path to crush depth.

Rarity was persistent in using her magic to guide them towards the stockpile of gems at journey’s end. Multitasking a thin magical shield, like an umbrella, above them that helped protect the party from the sanguineous rain. Very little dialogue was exchanged between the trio, though most of what was said was between Rarity and Applejack. It was consistent of cliched platitudes about how everything was going to be alright and that they’d find their friends. Isaac remained isolated from such small talk, although he was occasionally on the receiving end of a question about small topics like his favorite foods or prefered fashion designs.

When their conversations had, inevitably, fallen flat the perverse darkness seemed to encroach upon them; a noose tightening around their necks. Rarity and Isaac’s pitiful lights guttered in the empty, like spent pilot lights. It was their only sanctuary, the only world they could perceive. Their heavy breaths were the only comforting sounds, interrupted by the rain and their hoofsteps.

“Did ya’ll hear that?” AJ’s voice seemed unnaturally loud as it suddenly penetrated the space around them. The shadows danced and moved as if they had a life of their own. Every pony present halted, lungs immobile, and ears upturned to listen. Right away the close vibrations of running footsteps were heard emanating from somewhere in the darkness behind them. The sound was, like the beating of drums, pounding and pounding a crescendo of doom. A choir of shrill squeals and barking that had resembled a cross between a wolf and a bird of prey. Isaac knew these sounds well, there was no mistaking the unholy creature that created such deathly tones.

“Stalkers!” Isaac quietly hissed, “we’ve got to move now! AJ are you...”

“Yeah, ah can make it on my own now.” AJ acknowledged, placing her injured leg onto the ground with no further protest.

“Keep going, you’re almost there!”

A mare’s voice echoed in their minds. For a moment they looked to each other, unsure if they had been the only ones to hear it.

“Look, darlings! A door!” Sure enough, Rarity’s declaration had yielded the reflective surface of a bulkhead reinforced with metal panels and lit by several neon lights implanted in the walls surrounding it. How they had missed such an obvious landmark up to this point was both alarming and confusing. No one had dared to comment further as the trio struggled to move as quickly as they were able to towards safety. Every survival instinct demanded that they run, but they knew that such a hasty action would only result in disaster.

Isaac had his plasma cutter drawn, the flashlight scouring the darkness behind them for signs of an ambush. But with one hoof on the weapon he was left walking with only three legs and it had turned out to be as impossible a feat as he had feared. Nearly stumbling multiple times before Applejack had snatched the weapon from him; the former human voicing no dissention. The orange mare held the device in her mouth, dancing the cutter’s luminance across the void in pursuit of the invisible necromorphs walking in the shadows.

The sounds of pursuit was terrifyingly close. Deformed pegasi bodies were seen darting from cover to cover; be it rocks, stalagmites, or large organic mounds and tendrils. Impossible to determine just how many there were. There was no rhyme or reason to the creatures’ pattern other than that they were trying to outflank and confuse the ponies.

The stalkers had once been pegasi ponies. Now they were decayed husks, mutilated beyond recognition. They had no eyes, only holes in a bloody grinning skull. Their bodies devoid of all hair, skin, and color. The bones of the muzzle and wings lengthened into unnatural, razor sharp, blades. There was no skin, no expression, life, or hope for these creatures. Their only purpose was to kill and deal out death before oblivion finally claimed them.

The bulkhead door was situated down a shallow corridor, the path leading up to it was a blackened torn up mess of charcoal and ash. Any corruption that had once been present had been burnt away. Several empty canisters of a flammable liquid, judging by the warning labels, were left discarded by the door. The entrance itself was a dead end, a metallic monstrosity, an executioner that denied them deliverance since none of them knew the password to input on the keypad. Rarity pounded her hooves against it, but there was no hollow ring, just the finality of an immovable object as she banged on the door hoping that some pony on the other side would hear their cries for help.

“The door won’t open!” Rarity wailed, desperately searching for a door handle, a knob, or something that could clear the way.

“I got it!” Isaac declared as he ripped the keypad panel off of the wall, electric sparks cascading as the electric innards were exposed.

“Give me a moment, I can hack it.” Isaac plunged his hooves into the circuits, trying his best to rewire the mechanism. A task, he felt, would’ve been far easier if he still had ten digits instead of two. Rarity, for her part, reached out with her magical telekinesis and hovered an empty container above her while AJ acted as spotter with the cutter’s flashlight.

One of the creatures suddenly felt brave, peeking its head around a rock to growl and grunt at the ponies. It shot out from hiding like a bat outta hell. With a violent gait it charged at the ponies, its intention was to ram into Applejack using the top of it’s hardened skull. There was a shrill and aggressive cry building in the air as it rapidly closed the distance. AJ was quick to highlight the monster with the cutter’s light and the creature was forcibly blown back as a large can, courtesy of Rarity’s eagle eyed throw, sailed through the air and connected with its cranium with a loud clang. Still the stalker was quick to recover from the strike and retreated back behind its brethren.

Rarity had lifted another container for a follow up attack as several more stalkers ran across the terrain, jumping and dodging to find a better angle to attack from. Isaac had disengaged his helmet, holding several wires in his mouth as he was fervently untangling several more cords in a bid to rewrite the lock mechanism. The wires sparked and fizzled in his grip. Several times he cried in pain as a wayward electric jolt cascaded up his arms causing stars to dance in his eyes.

“Watch out! They’re all around you!” The hidden mare cried.

“Ah know already!” AJ spat through the cutter.

“On the left!”

Applejack felt herself rotate against her will. The light from her weapon spotted a second stalker as it sprinted from hiding, sending up a spray of lumpy waste as it headed for them. It met the same fate as the first stalker, the strike of a hollow tank sent it reeling, but caused no noticeable damage.

“Got it!” Isaac announced triumphantly over the sound of a heavy bolt unlocking from a hidden recess. The massive doors jerked apart, a small aperture forming between the two halves.

“The locks are disengaged, but we need to force the doors open.”

“Ah got this.” AJ moved past Isaac, handing the plasma weapon back to him. She
slipped herself in between the gap and began pushing against the partitions with all her strength. As she struggled and strained against the multiple ton barrier, Isaac took up position next to the white unicorn who had readied a third canister for swift punishment.

“Hhggh!” Employing her well condition legs, reinforced from years of apple bucking, the farmer slowly and painfully fought to spread the doors open.

Isaac periodically fired his weapon at the slightest hint of movement. Each shot had momentarily dispelled the darkness with an inferno light. The red light resulted in a third stalker meeting a metal can to head destiny as Rarity’s projectile had impacted it into submission. This time Isaac followed up with his own solution in the form of a double tap from his weapon. The molten liquid impacted the necro, burning and tearing at its flesh. Both of its legs had been severed and then followed by one of its arms. It let out a cry as it was slain, a pitiful yelp that left Rarity feeling somewhat sorry for the animal; its corpse bubbling where it had been shot. Leaving the smell of scorched hide lingering.

“Come on, ya’ll. Its open.” The farmer shouted in victory. Fashionista and engineer
about-faced and ran after the apple pony. The three of them passed through the open gateway with panicked haste. Without question, Isaac and Applejack grabbed opposite ends of the bulkhead and started pushing the doors closed. Sweat was pouring down their faces like waterfalls as they struggled to cut the enemy off and seal their escape.

Halfway closed, there was a blood curdling scream as a stalker exploded into the room. It made it no further than the partition, wedging itself in the bulkhead, but not before it knocked the cutter from Isaac’s grip.

“Seal the goddamn door!” Isaac yelled, putting all his strength into the task. The invading creature’s primal instincts were in overdrive as it sensed its prey next to it. Its head was flailing, jaw biting, wanting only to sink its razor teeth into soft pony flesh and taste the wine of their bodies. It cried in maddening wail of a predator denied a meal. A sick crunching of bones and sinew was heard as the gray pegasus and orange earth pony fought to squash the necro in their vice. The creature fought on and was slowly inching its way through the barrier. It had seemed to be losing the battle until one of its wing-claws unfolded, within range of Applejack. It had not hesitated, instead going in for the kill, like a coiled cobra unfolding. Applejack was caught across the face, the spear molded claws leaving three deep cuts which started to bleed profusely.

AJ gasped in agony, but she had not stopped pushing against the door. Spitting as she tasted blood in her mouth and blinking her eyes as her face was covered in her own pulsing life force. The wet sound of falling crimson hitting pavement assaulted her ears. The stalker continued to squirm and struggle and was raising its claw for a second strike. This time it was aiming to gore AJ in the throat.

“Eat this!” Rarity screamed as she kinetically placed the plasma cutter into the monster’s mouth and promptly pulled the trigger. There was a flash of red light as the super-heated plasma effortlessly blew into the creature’s brain and split the its skull open like an overcooked egg. Viscera and gray matter spilled everywhere as the decapitated necromorph was flung backwards from the force of the blast. A few moments later Isaac and AJ succeeded in securing the bulkhead. The doors closed with a vehement slam.

Muffled pounding was heard from the other side of the door as more of the monsters tried to get in. The ponies were safe for now, the doors too thick for the necros to tear down. Isaac also knew they were not smart enough to open the door by wedging it apart, at least he hoped not. He went to attend to the girls needs and found that AJ was trying to staunch the flow of blood with a hoof and Rarity had fainted.

(…………………………………………………………………………………………)

Past the bulkhead the three ponies had found themselves inside a most unusual place. Illumination was provided by flood lights hanging from the ceiling and all of them connected via thick bundles of electrical wiring. The tunnel was heading upwards now and the ceiling and walls were still made of cut stone and dirt. The floor, however, was covered in wire mesh with handlebars and crude steps to aid in the sharp climb upwards.

There was a covert background humming coming from something that passed as an air conditioner since the atmosphere on this side was slightly chilly and the stench of necromorph corruption was absent. However, the most alarming item was a rectangular sign implanted in the rock wall. It read...

Southside External Entrance:
South Guard Post →
Barracks →
Machine Shop →
Pony Processing →

All fire team dogs are reminded
to recycle empty petroleum
containers after use. By order
of Secret Cherry and Director
Tide Mare.

All the arrows pointed up the tunnel. All of this might not have seemed unusual except for the fact that the words were printed out by a holographic projector. This stunned Isaac to his core when Rarity confirmed that there was no magical aura that was responsible for it. To the average layman this might have seemed a rather trivial concern, but holograms were a complex, space-age, technology. Nothing that he’d seen in this world suggested that they had the knowledge or means to construct such devices.

Except maybe for that book on quantum physics he’d spotted in Twilight’s library. Then it begged the question; if the ponies did have such advanced learning then why was Ponyville stuck in such a technological backwater state?

By this point the trio had moved a respectable distance from the bulkhead doors. The sounds of necro intrusion having since long faded away. Isaac had offered to move on ahead to scout the path that was present before them. The result which had left Rarity in charge of tending to Applejack.

“Its a good thing Twilight made sure ah had a first aid kit.” Applejack winced as hydrogen peroxide was applied to her wounds.

“Be still Applejack,” Rarity chided as she gently cleaned the laceration with a gauze wipe, “we have to be sure its properly cleaned and dressed to prevent infection.”

“Shoot, its just a scratch, Rares. Ah’ll be fine.”

“A scratch? Your face is...,”

“Ah’ve had worse.” AJ gave a brave smile, matched by an annoyed scowl from Rarity.

“Fine, darling. It is just a flesh wound, but if I don’t stitch it properly it’ll leave scars,” the unicorn shuttered at the thought, “and your lovely complexion will be ruined forever.”

“Ah don’t know...”

“Do not worry, dear Applejack. Not only am I a professional seamstress, but did you know I also used to work as a part-time nurse at Ponyville General?”

“Really?”

“Of course, darling. Where do you think I got the money to open up Carousel Boutique in the first place. I’ve even stitched up Sweetie Bell more than a few times after her adventures with the Cutie-mark Crusaders got a tad out of hoof.”

“Well if ya’ll are sure.” AJ was still as nervous as ever.

“Positive.” The seamstress give a confident smirk. Kinetically summoning a needle and silk thread from her bags. She threaded the needle without difficulty, but AJ watched as if the instrument of her execution was being readied in front of her.

“Now close your eyes and relax,” Rarity cooed, holding AJ in a warm and tender embrace, “I will be as gentle as a dove.”

“Uh...uh...ok, Ah t...trust ya.” The farmer stuttered. Her body was slightly quivering in fear. She didn’t like needles. She really, really, really, didn’t like needles. Her Apple family pride was all that stopped her from jumping away as she felt the sting of the needle piercing her skin. She bit her lower lip against the discomfort of the needle. Followed by the sensation of silk thread pulling against her flesh as Rarity guided the thread through the hole. Only to have the process repeated again and again and again.

“Applejack.” The fashion pony spoke softly, trying to ease her companion’s unrest.

“Yeah, Rares?”

“You lied about that leg injury, didn’t you?” It was more a statement of fact than a question. AJ reacted as if she’d been insulted, a hoof on her chest in mocking shock.

“How do’ya figure?”

“First and foremost, my dear. The Applejack I know would never have allow herself to be carried by a stallion without more of a fight. Even if it was her own brother, she’d resist. Her stubborn pride, and all that, would not permit such a slight on her character.” Rarity then began to suture up the second laceration on AJ’s head.

“Furthermore, there was her majestic job at forcing open the doorway using said lame appendage.”

“Eh-heh,” the farmer chuckled, “Ah guess there’s no point in denyin’ it. Ya got me all figured out, sugarcube, but I didn’t lie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well...my hoof was a mite tweaked, and ah might’ve exaggerated tha truth, but ah learned it from you. Alway makin’ mountains outta molehills, and bein’ a drama queen. Besides ah said I’d be right as rain quicker than two shakes of a pony’s tail and ah was.”

“Why would you do that? Why, oooohh, why condemn me to being denied my knight in shining armor. The handsome stallion who would deliver me from the life of a lowly peon forced to trek through the muck of cruel fate.” Rarity moaned and whined in her usual practiced fashion.

“Because I knew ya’ll would play tha ‘damsel in distress.’ I simply beat ya to it.” Applejack answered truthfully, but no less, Rarity shot multiple scowls of indignation towards the farmer, which AJ was able to ignore and happily gave a goofy, self-congratulatory, grin.

“You, Applejack Apple, are the most evilest pony ever.”

“Why thank ya...”

“Eeevvviiillllll...” Rarity hissed. She had a brief temptation to apply the suture needle towards a far more nefarious purpose. A quashed idea as she reminded herself that she was a consummate professional and she’d promised to be gentle.

“Shucks Rar, ya’ll a hoot an a half.”

“So you say you only did it to spite me? Are you suggesting, darling, you didn’t enjoy Cutter’s company just a teensy bit?”

“Pardon?”

“Not when he was genuinely concerned?” Rarity grinned as the shoe was now on the other hoof.

“Or when he held you in his big, strong arms?”

“Eh-heh...well what mare wouldn’t enjoy all that? Doesn’t mean ah want to roll around in tha hay with him.” AJ felt the heat of a blush caress her cheeks.

“Indeed, but your face says otherwise,” The seamstress watched as the farmer’s blush turned a slightly darker tone, “HA, see! You know I’m right.”

“Aw, come off it Rar, ah’ve known him less than a day. He’s down ta earth for a city slicker and not hard to look at, but he just ain’t my type. Ah also don’t like bein’ talked down to either.” AJ felt it was time to reclaim the offensive

“So, ya’ll weren’t jealous neither?”

“Hmph,” Rarity snorted indignantly, beginning her work on the third laceration. “I am a lady of stature, dear Applejack. As such I must always be on the lookout for a compatible stallion. I merely wish to see, experiment as Twilight would say, whether or not Mister Cutter is a gentlecolt worthy of being added to the list of potential courtships.” AJ just laughed with jollity, then shuddered as the sutures met resistance.

“Alright sugarcube, ah promise not ta get in your way.” She nudged Rarity on the shoulder, “Let me know how that works out for ya.”

“Now that would be telling and a true lady always keeps her private life a secret.” Rarity gave an all knowing look and used a pair of scissors to clip the silk threads. She finished up the suture job by magically knotting the thread off on all ends.

“There, all done.” She admired her hoof-work with critical appraise while simultaneously storing her supplies back into her saddlebags.

“Rares.” AJ turned away, looking ashamed.

“Yes, darling?” the unicorn answered, an undertone of concern.

“I just...wanted to say...thank you.”

“Whatever for, darling?”

“For saving mah life. Ah mean if you hadn’t...ah’d be dead right now.”

“You’re very welcome, after all isn’t that what friends are for?”

“No,” AJ snapped, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, “its more than that. Ya’ll had to kill that creature ta do it. If ya’ll hadn’t ah might be dead! Or maybe ah’d have had ta kill it myself, by crushin’ it!” She was shouting now, a harsh tone of misery and regret.

“That thing use’ta be a pony!”

“I know!” Rarity yelled in anger. “But I had no choice!”

“I know Twilight tried to warn us about what we should have expected.” the unicorn looked up, trying to find the night sky. “She has always been such a dear, intelligent and so talented in magic. I know she could have found a way to stop the monster without me...without me...having to end its life.” The unicorn retreated a few steps back.

“I was wrong, Applejack, I did have a choice. But when I saw that monster strike you, when I saw the blood..., I felt nothing but pure rage. I’ve never felt like that before. I wanted to protect you, like the good friend I should be. And I...I didn’t want that... ‘thing,’ simply gone. I wanted to tear it apart with my own hooves. This feeling scares me, AJ. I just hope that the poor thing was unable to remember who they were.”

“Ah’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.” AJ traced a hoof over the wire mesh. “It’s gonna get worse isn’t it?” It was almost painful for Rarity to answer.

“Yes.” she used a brush to comb her hair back into place. The simple activity helped calm her down.

“If everything we have seen so far and the thing we’ve been told from Twilight and Cutter are true...then..., yes.” The seamstress sniffed, wiping away the salt water that sought to trail down her cheeks. Suddenly the conversation was forced to run dry as the two mares heard heavy hoof falls, striking metal mesh, heading their way.

(…………………………………………………………………………………………)

Author’s Notes: Recently discovered I have a TV tropes entry for this story. Pretty cool in my opinion. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonySpace

If you didn’t notice, I took a sudden turn down a hinted shipping lane with this chapter. While I have no defined ship in mind, I felt I was hurting the characters by denying a very real, very profound, avenue of development for them. Don’t expect me to be adding a romance tag anytime soon, and you can just up and forget about the possibility of clop scenes. That isn’t what this story is about.

In my original imagining of this chapter, I had pitted our trio of heroes against a squad of Diamond Dogs. As I wrote the chapter it evolved into a chase/standoff scene with a group of stalkers. Why? Because with the corrupting biomass all around them it felt more ‘natural’ that they’d be attacked by necros. Without highlighting the presence of the corruption without a struggle it would have made the reveal of the biomass rather pointless. IMHO.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story. You never gave up on me and I won’t give up on you. I will finish this story.