Lilth had rolled over for belly rubs from the pony dubbed Maud. Tongue flopped over her own face and a thunderous uncontrollable purr leaving her at a constant rate. Her tail writhed on the ground, back feet licking lightly in the air. One thing she'd be happy about after going from human to deathclaw, is that her body is so much more efficient at food-to-energy conversion and consumption. She could eat one big meal and not need food for at least two or three weeks. An entire brahmin had done that the other day so she was fine. No embarrassing stomach rumbles for her. Her friend on the other hand...
She tilted her head to look at Maud when the pony's stomach rumbled.
"Oh. Yeah. I should eat... Thank you for helping me with processing these minerals and ores, I almost have enough to start working on the other field... Try not to poop too much in this field, it made some weird magic rocks that made the other rocks uncomfortable." Maud patted the strange lizard she'd been using and got up, carrying the tub of various dust and pebbles on her back as she walked back to the house.
Lilth blinked owlishly, the monotone of that pony's voice quite calming and pleasing. Though the mention of strange rock formations due to her waste management was something to worry about. Hopefully she doesn't irradiate the place... Though she supposed she should also worry about the rocks she made uncomfortable. She rolled over, licking her teeth.
She got up, shook herself off, and glanced towards the woods nearby, slowly walking over, claws dragging and sparking along the flat rocks and extra rocky debris she walked over and near. She got to the edge of the woods and promptly started digging a hole big enough for her to get through, practically a cave. Ramming and pressing against the sides, smoothing it out, tail patting things down, and her claws had already gone through sediment and rocks like butter but now it was like she was swiping at only barely resistant air. She created herself a pretty sizable hole in the ground, kicking or batting out any rocks big enough to maybe interest her friend, being gentle enough with those as to not dust and crush them. She covered her hands with thick sticky saliva, coating the walls with it and using the added moisture to further compact sediment and dust into solidness. She even dug out a couple extra tunnels and alcoves, one in the back leading to a larger and deeper underground chamber, the other closer to the entrance that led first to a chamber, then outside slightly deeper in the treeline, she took a bathroom break in that one for territory marking purposes. Things may have forgotten what a Deathclaw was, or not if they instinctually avoid the place, but she didn't want to take any chances and if it attracted anything other than the very sentient ponies, she's be all too willing for a snack intruding on one of her hide-y holes.
It was getting darker, and in the backroom she's created she glowed a brilliant bright blue, casting her white hide in a blue glow. She sighed, happy. No wasteland, no guns, no raiders, and hopefully no starving, though with how plentiful things are, and the fact there's forest almost everywhere she's been, she's confident in her food acquiring skills. Her scenting what felt like every living being in existence though definitely helps, if not sends a burning feeling on her tongue and an almost-headache at the memory. For now she can relax, and promptly flopped back, sprawling out. The phantom feelings of her previous massage lulling her to a good decent sleep, that and the lack of other heartbeats and scents around made her a good deal more comfortable than she'd like to admit.
The mane 6 had made it past the train tracks before settling down to camp. Pinkie and Rainbow complaining that they should keep going but everyone else's tiredness and insistence at taking a rest won the majority vote, even if Applejack didn't really participate in said vote.
She offered to take point with Rainbow dash and make sure no critters come near the camp while it's being set up by everyone else.
"I'm glad I brought along my Campers 101 book for this trip! I didn't think we'd be making a stop but my gut told me to bring it just in case!" Twilight opened up the book.
"Now, it says here that you have to start pitching a tent by- AAAH!" Twilight was spooked by the familar bang of a canon, whipping around to look at Pinkie Pie and seeing tents already set for everyone.
"Pinkie! That was-... hhhh... Thank you, Pinkie. We do really need rest I suppose. Maybe I'll read this book to everypony later!" Twilight stowed the book away, trotting to a tent with... a golden familiar cane imprinted on the front flap. She rolled her eyes, smiled, and got in, sleeping bag there already and everything. She started really feeling the ache in her hooves looking at it and flopped onto it before using her magic to squirm into it properly and was out like a light before her head even properly hit the sleeping bags cushioning. Not even the pop of party poppers and blowing of kazoos as Pinkie entered her own tent woke her up. Though it did startle Fluttershy.
Fluttershy was suspicious of Applejack, barely hearing a word from her all day, and then her being skittish. She sighed, hoping maybe it was something minor, getting into her own yellow tent and blushing at the Discord plush in said tent and grabbing it for comfort before slipping into her own sleeping bag. Sighing happily, wiggling a bit, and gently squeezing the plush with a smile, nuzzling it a bit and slowly drifting off to sleep.
Rarity had brought her own tent of course, after that one trip she had with Applejack and Rainbowdash she had kept the one she had bought and modified. Pinkie having somehow taken it and setting it up in the span of seconds very surprising but she made her appreciation very much well known to Pinkie. Trotting in after and very gracefully laying herself under the covers of her Fold-able Mobile Camping Dream Bed. She put her silk eye mask on, and was asleep relatively quickly.
Applejack did indeed take point, and trotted around the perimeter, tail whisking every which way and ears on constant rotation.
"Hey Rainbow, you ever seen the creature we're huntin'?"
"No, why? Also aren't we looking and not hunting? You know Fluttershy doesn't exactly like the whole hunting thing if a pony is doing it?"
"Well Fluttershy's sleepin' an ah do know what we're after. I don't like it. It..." Applejack shook her head.
Rainbowdash fluttered closer, concerned.
"Okay, spill the apples Applejack, what's got your tail in a knot about her?"
"It. And it killed one of the cows right in front of me. It almost was me that thing got, I could see the claws right in front of me. Buckin' it didn't do anythin' and it dug right into-... It ate her while she was still twitchin'. I don't want anypony here hurt, and I don't want to be huntin' it neither, but I also don't want everypony panicking, maybe it'd set it off or something and-... I don't want to think of what might happen."
Rainbow nearly fell out of the sky at that, wide-eyed. That was very much a cow dead, a very sentient creature, and Applejack almost didn't come home. On top of that, it's headed towards Maud's place. She really didn't wanna see Pinkie grieving, or have Fluttershy in danger, or anyone else in danger for that matter.
"I'll go fly ahead and check Maud's place and see if they're okay! I'll be back!"
Rainbowdash darted off before Applejack could reply. Determined to see if everypony was alright and not a pancake on the rocks.
Applejack looked around, and kept walking around the camp, determined to make sure everypony here was safe.
It took almost no time at all to get to the rock farm and land on the porch leading to the front door, immediately knocking on it rapidly.
"Hold your hooves for Celestia sake, I'm coming!"
A dark brown coated stallion with greying mane and mutton chops opened the door with a glare, immediately huffing.
"Yes, hello?"
"Is everyone in here safe!? There's some pony-eating monster going around and it's already gotten a cow near Applejack's farm! Also Pinkie's coming here tomorrow. But still, is everyone inside? It was headed this way." She paid the glare and tone no mind whatsoever, a bit of worry and fear bleeding into her own.
"Yes everyone's here. Thanks for the warning. Now let everypony eat and sleep." He promptly slammed the door and locked it shut, the sound of other locks being put on making Rainbow's ears twitch.
She was quick to start a very quick look around from the sky, seeing a large smoothed hole in the ground partially hidden in the woods. She also smelt something like battery acid coming from a different part of the woods and gagged and flew off back towards camp. Quickly telling a semi-tired Applejack about what she saw, smelt, and that everyone was safe.
Rainbow managed to convince Applejack to get some rest while she keeps an eye out. Though she wouldn't tell anypony she fell asleep after AJ did and woke up before everypony did as well.
They all started repacking things for the morning and eating what snack Pinkie brought along.
Lilth woke up to an only semi-familiar scent, though it was off. A growl left her throat, a small warning one that had the pony in her lair slowly making their way out. She rolled over onto her feet, lurching up into standing position and making her way out and after the slow mud-colored pony. Eyes lidded tiredly and slowly going onto all fours to very gently nudge the pony up and out of her hole in the ground. Turning back immediately once they were out and going back inside to lounge in the main chamber. She rolled over into her back, gouging the dirt with her spikes and purring.
She heard the trotting of hooves about ten seconds later and looked up at the bold brown pony stallion looking at her with a flat look. She stuck her tongue out at them before getting up, looking down at them and ever so gently picking up and walking out of the hole and to the farmhouse to put him down on the porch, pet his back, and nod at him. She got a nod back, and huffed, pleased, before moving to go back to her hole, catching the noise of locks undoing themselves before a set of hooves was trotting towards her. She paused, turned, and was met with a couple hooves petting her sparkly hide and gently trying to shove her down, which she complied with and allowed the familiar grey pony to rub all over her, a purr starting up and tongue lolling out. Ah yes, massages again. She could live with this sort of interaction much easier.
"By the way, if you can understand me, Rainbowdash, Pinkie, and her friends are coming over. They said you killed someone so they are all worried. I'd recommend hiding unless you want to be pestered."
Lilith blinked, processing, then nodding. Rolling over, and quickly going off to the woods, catching the slight widening of Maud's eyes out of the corner of her eyes. She collected branches, sticks, and an entire bush or several to slightly cover up the entrance to her abode. Surrounding the entrance in flora to let it hide the hand-made edges and hiding it be a slightly smaller looking hole. She slipped inside not too soon after, and waited.