The Chronicle of The Hunter

Chapter 3: New Beginnings

"We stopped checking for monsters under the bed when we realized they were inside of us."

- Heath Ledger as The Joker, The Dark Knight

Even though we were siblings, I was never on the friendliest of terms with Luna, especially after I started Project Archon. So when she walked into the room and saw me, going ballistic is an understatement. She was so mad, she turned herself back into Nightmare Moon and used the traditional Canterlot voice to scream, "YOU!" She then proceeded to leap forward, tackle me, and keep me pinned down onto the ground. She then barks out in the general direction of my other sister, "Celestia! Help me pin him down so we can blast him back to whence he came!"

"Enough, Luna."

What? I thought for sure Celestia would be all for sure about getting me out A-S-A-P. But no, something tells me she has bigger plans. Although Celestia and I weren't surprised by her actions, the other six ponies were confused, giving all three of us searching glances.

I then realized something. She hadn't told them, had they. "Tia?"

"Yes?"

"You haven't told them, have you?"

Based on her glances downward and shifty movement, I'd say not.

"Somepony puh-lease tell me what in the hay is goin on here!" Applejack exclaimed. The other five nodded their heads in agreement.

I realized something else. Something really, really bad was about to happen. "Celestia and Luna? Remember that thing? It's back." As everything fades to black, I see images of fires burning, ponies slain, blood trickling down their heads, and worst of all, the rainbow beam of light that got rid of my pride and joy and banished me to the hell that was the borders of Equestria. Even then, the laughing head of Discord slowly rises up from the chaos and says, "Checkmate, Sunstriker."

A crying filly in held in her mothers arms while two other ponies wait patiently nearby. Sunstriker looks up to his father and says, "Dad, why me?"

His fathers bows his head. "I never wanted to explain this to you, but you have me in a position where if I say I can't, then you'll find out on your own.

You were a, special, case. Your magic originally nearby destroyed the house on it's own, but it stopped beforehand because you had seen the pain in your mother and my faces. We were ready to die. It afflicted you with guilt and shame for the next few years. That burden is one you carry even now.

Magic comes at a terrible price. Especially in colts like you, who are very, very powerful, and untrained. It requires a sheer amount of energy that nopony has. When drained, magic uses up your thoughts and replaces them with nightmares. At that point you will go unconscious because of the searing pain going through you as your very thoughts are replaced. Like I said before, it's terrible, but hopefully you will not be that badly burdened."

The young colt nods his head and continues to watch the screaming Celestia as she is being calmed by her mother.

..............

Suddenly, Sunstriker is a colt no more. At least 10 years of age, he is clearly practicing magic with his father, and looks absolutely exhausted. He fires a concentrated burst of energy at a water bottle almost 50 yards away. The water bottle glows bright orange then shatters. Very soon after, Sunstriker screams and drops to the ground as a white hot pain sears through his head. His father shakes his head and murmurs, "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this...."

I jolt out of a bed, more shocked than anything else. I hadn't seen that memory before. The others were more commonplace, but this. This was new. I have not seen anything like it, much less remembered it. I look around, still startled and adrenaline rushing through my veins. Only Fluttershy, Applejack, and Twilight sit next to me.

I groan, rub my head with my hooves, and moan, "Where are we?"

Twilight looks up from the book she was reading. "Welcome back to the real world. I was hoping to get answers, but no, you just had to pass out and have both Princesses freak out. What is your damn problem, you stupid stallion?" With that she bursts into tears.

What? What is something I said? Fluttershy leans over and gives Twilight a nuzzle, reminding her of her place. Quickly recovering, Twilight gets up and says, "Hunter, we are in Canterlot. You are in Bridesmane Psychiatric Hospital, put under observation until your trial."

Trial. What trial? I try to walk up to Twilight and Fluttershy, but bump into something solid and invisible. Magic? No, a plexiglass shield. What for? I want answers!

Twilight notices my confusion and mentions, "We are in a PSYCHIATRIC hospital. It's to make sure the patients don't attack their visitors. And as for your trial, it's for breaking into the country you were banished from."

Oh, so now Celestia tells them. Shit.

She continues, "Celestia and Luna seem very on-edge around you. What aren't you, and them, telling us?"

Really? An interview? "I cannot and will not tell you that, Twilight Sparkle."

Applejack jumps in. "Darn tootin you will, and if you ain't gonna tell her, then Celestia only knows what ah'm gonna do to y'all"

"Um, Applejack?" This was Fluttershy. Is she scared of what happened? "Can I go? I don't like him and I'm really scared."

Applejack smiles and looks at the other pony. "Of course you can, sugarcube. Twi and I can geddit from here."

"Oh, thank you Applejack." And then she dashed out of the room. Wow, her name really says it all. FlutterSHY.

Applejack turns around and glares at me. "Ah'm not the first to say this, but what in the HAY is up with you?"

I shudder, my mind returning to what had just happened. I never wanted to see that again. "You don't want to know, and if I told, I would have to kill you."

She falters. Something tells me she wasn't expecting that. "You know," I offer, backing away from the plexiglass, "I could tell you. But I think that you'd probably be better off finding out from Celestia and Luna. They know more than me, I was never able to retain memories."

Twilight snorted, clearly mad. "That's Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. Give them some respect."

A nurse entered the room. "Twilight? Applejack? The others want to talk with you outside. Plus, visiting hours are over, so I was going to have to ask you to leave anyway."

Both mares stand up and exit without saying another word. The nurse then turns to me and says, "And you, filth," she spits out the word like it's a curse, "don't expect any special treatment because Celestia all told us who you are. And don't try any more rebellions, either. Lights out as well, because I don't trust nor like you enough to do anything stupid. Your trial is tomorrow morning, and I seriously hope that you are convicted and sent out of Equestria. Again."

So they were told. My shame is clearly visible as I hang my head and slowly go over to the bed. I never wanted to hurt anypony. I never wanted to hurt anypony. I just wanted to win. These thoughts cloud my mind as I step into bed and let the grief, pain, and suffering take over...

Discord. This creature was power enough on it's on, but now even he has his own group. The three royalty defeated all of his mutated minions (Celestia decided to call them Changelings) and now he faced them, chaos in his wake.

"Give up?" He says gleefully as all three ponies stagger up to him, completely broken. They'd seen enough war. But one of the three alicorns still stood above the two, power and thoughts rushing through his mind. He'd had enough of the smiling draconian, and it was payback time.

It was Sunstriker.

"Oh, a challenge? And for a minute there I thought you had given up." Discord, still smiling, chortles. "Well then, Rule Number 1: There are *no** rules." With that, he picks up Celestia and Luna, and slowly pulls a sharp stone out of the ground.*

"You see," He continued, stone and ponies rising to meet each other, "I'm tired of joking around. You three and your little rebellion was problem enough on it's own, while having my own people defy me. That wasn't fun. You've made me actually mad. And a mad Discord means anypony in his wake is going to DIE." The stone suddenly breaks into two pieces, which sharpen themselves against each other. They rise against the wings of the two captured alicorns and slice off one feather on each wing by slightly touching it.

"Perfect." Discord was truly smiling now, an evil grin setting across his face like nopony had seen before. The stones backed up slightly, then rushed at Celestia and Luna.

But they explode, as a brilliant red flash of light engulfs them. Discord looks down and sees Sunstriker. The one pony he should have been paying attention to, but didn't. His mistake. Sunstriker rose from the ground, eyes turning blood red, coat a black so dark it practically absorbed the air around him, mane and tail a blinding, brilliant white. His cutie mark dissipated. Little did anypony know at the time was that Sunstriker was destined to look like this in the future when his fury was at it's maximum.

Discord was actually scared. His anger melted away as Sunstriker rose, facing away from the sun, completely blotting it out. And when the moon rose 5 seconds later, he blotted that out too.

"You have made a huge mistake, Discord" Suntriker spoke as if possessed. His voice took on a deeper tone, and his horn started to gleam red, as bright red lines spiraled around his horn and settled into them. "I am nopony to be reckoned with."

With that, a blast of black magic engulfed Discord. "Black as day," The magic surrounding discord took on a white form, "White as night," and finally turned blood red "YOU WILL SUFFER, DISCORD, AS WE RELEASE OURSELVES FROM OUR PLIGHT!" And as Discord turned to stone, Celestia and Luna fell, being caught by a cushion of white magic and slowly lowered to the ground. Sunstriker slowly returned to normal, his coat blue, mane and tail alternating stars and solar imagery.

Before being completely turned, Discord said four words. "Maledictus eris in perpetuum." Green magic swirled around Sunstriker, eventually settling down to reveal a perfectly normal Sunstriker. "Have fun with your dreams, little Sunstriker." Discord laughed as maliciously as possible, then was finally and completely turned to stone.

Sunstriker collapsed on the ground, weak from his experience. "What happened?" He asked before passing out on the ground, almost dead to the world.

Celestia walked up to the stallion, smiling. "You saved us all, older brother." But still there was sadness in her voice. She knew what Discord had said, and nothing was ever going to be the same.

The daylight shone through the bars in my hospital room. I'm awake. The nurse entered the room. "Your trial starts in an hour. The Princess will be judging you in front of all of Equestria. Everypony knows who you are, Hunter. Now get out of the hospital and find your way to the castle or else we'll kick you out." She hits a button with her hoof and the plexiglass drops.

I exit the hospital to find nothing happy about this town. Everypony was looking at me with disgust and hatred. One pony threw an apple at me and smacked me in the face with it. I looked around and recieved shouts of "Stay out of our beautiful country!" and "Scum!" Fillies and colts were pulled from outside and doors by their mothers to keep the "monster" away from them.

I can only imagine what Celestia told them to scare them off. A sadness overwhelms me as I realize something. Even if I was able to come back, I wouldn't be able to walk the streets without being heckled and arrested. I am a survivalist, but even those types of ponies need some sort of company to keep them from breaking. I myself am surprised I haven't myself broken. I've been alone for almost 1,000 years, only to come back to a society that hates me.

I walk to the edge of the city, where there was a 2 mile drop to the bottom. I wanted to jump off and never use my wings. Just plummet to the bottom. Watch the ground slowly come closer only to impact with my speeding body and crush my body. Why not? My spirit was crushed anyway, I may as well. But no. There would never have been a fix. Nothing will have changed. I step away from the edge and continue walking. Soon I'm singing quietly to myself:

I walk a lonely road

The only one I have ever known

Don't know where it goes

But it's only me, and I walk alone

I walk this empty street

On the boulevard of broken dreams

Where the city sleeps

And I'm the only one, and I walk alone

I walk alone, I walk alone

I walk alone, I walk a-

Another voice joins mine. What? I look around and see...Twilight Sparkle?!?!

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

Till then I walk alone

We continue, oblivious to those around us, heads and hearts down

I'm walking down the line

That divides me somewhere in my mind

On the border line of the edge

And where I walk alone

Read between the lines

What's fucked up and everything's alright

Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive

And I walk alone

I walk alone, I walk alone

I walk alone, I walk a-

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

Till then I walk alone...

We finished our trek. I looked at Twilight. "Why?"

She smiles. "Just because we hate you doesn't mean you have to be alone, Sunstriker. As much as I dislike you, sadness and disappointment are things I can't see on anypony."

I freeze. How'd she know my real name? Suddenly, I spin around and tackle her. "Where did you learn that name?" I hiss at her, paling, while her face turns red."

"P-p-princess Celestia told me. Don't worry, I haven't told anypony. I'm not allowed to." She gives me a weak smile.

I get off of her and look around, making sure nobody heard or saw what happened. "Good. For others to know wold be a problem. We're here. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle."

"You're welcome. I would have done that for anypony. Besides, I like Green Hay. Good band. I have to meet the princess inside, and I'm late as is. See you at your trial." She teleports inside

As we stand before the castle, I wonder if Celestia will be patient with me, or let her emotions get the best of her. Well, there's only one way to find out. I slowly walk into the castle, ready for the worst.