The Chronicle of The Hunter

Chapter 6: It's Only Just Begun

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

- Apple, Inc

As I watch the campfire settle down with the daylight only just rising, I continue my thought process from all that night. What magic compels the sun and moon to rise and fall? I knew not of what spell it was, only that when necessary, I could use it. How far away is the sun and moon? Where in the stars are they? These questions have bothered me all night. I don't like not knowing. It sends fear coursing through my veins and panic through my very being.

I look over to the six sleeping mares. They're so young, but been through much. Certainly not as much as me, but a lot. After scanning over the other five ponies, I see Twilight Sparkle ready and wake. She gets up and yawns. After a few seconds, she notices me solemnly standing by the campfire and grins at me. "I thought we told you not to stay up all night."

"I'm fine. Next time you have to stay up ten nights in a row defending a cave from a dragon, in mountains above the sky, you let me know." Yes, that did happen. And it was worth every night. I got a very excellent set of dragon scales out of that Until it was accidentally destroyed. But that's alright, I can still cast magic shields. But now I'm smiling. "That was a least worth every minute." I look at the purple unicorn. She is still exhausted. I missed something, I'm sure of it. Then I think about it, going back to even pre-trial for a minute. I almost immediately notice something. "Twilight, back when I was at the library with you and Pinkie, I remember addressing the fact that you defeated Nightmare Moon. But when did Discord come back?" I knew then that I was right. Discord had been back. She grimaces, and says something to herself I can't make out. Looking up, she mutters, "It's nothing."

Now I'm concerned. "Discord is never nothing. What'd he do?"

She seems really pained, like I just hit her in the stomach. "When the Elements of Harmony got transferred between the Princess and the six of us, it broke the casing Discord was in, and he returned."

"But, no! That doesn't make sense! It wasn't the Elements that defeated Discord!" She shoots up, ramrod straight, and stares at me.

"What? But the Princess-???"

I remind her, "I didn't exist, remember?"

Red floods her face. Clearly she had forgotten. Eh, I supposed that would happen. "Oh yeah, sorry. But anyway, when he came back, it was terrible. He hypnotized everypony and made them be their complete opposites. Fluttershy was mean, Applejack kept lying, Rarity became greedy over a boulder (noticing my 'what the hay?' look she says "long story") Pinkie Pie didn't want to laugh anymore, and Rainbow Dash ditched us for Cloudsdale, which was perfectly fine at the time."

"You didn't include yourself in this. What did he do to you?" Now I'm worried. This Discord sounds different than the one I faced that millennium ago.

She's facing the ground now, and a single tear runs down her face. I walk over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Memories hurt, Twilight. I know that personally. But you need to talk, or you end up like this," I point my other hoof down at the scar through my chest, "and this," now pointing to my blank flank.

The purple mare tries to look up and talk, but sighs. "It hurts too much to talk about." The protege of my sister was cracking. I saw that. It takes extreme skill to hold this much weight on your shoulders without talking. She had friends she could talk to, but it wasn't enough. She needed someone knew, someone she could relate to, who had seen and felt these experiences in a different time. She needed me.

I gaze at her for a minute, taking in as much detail as possible, before deciding to reveal another secret. It's only fair, she's explained a little, now I have to explain some things. "Would you like to hear something else about my past?" Twilight nods, and I open and close my mouth numerous times, trying to decide how to formulate this. Finally, I settle on the following:

"Twilight, I'm not much for magic. Not at all. I can barely use normal magic. It weakens me extremely."

Startled by this revelation, she exclaims, "What? But at Canterlot? You? HUH?"

I stop for a moment. "Actually, this is something everypony needs to hear. But I'll tell you first.

When I first fought Discord back when my sisters and I were really young, I used magic in a way you aren't supposed to. It changes the magic core for the worse, shrinking it to a point where the most magic I could've used was turning a parasprite into an apple. But when I was much younger, I had found a bottle with the words, "For when you need it the most." It contained something more powerful than all the magic in Equestria combined. It contained dragonfire, a rare magic that not only repairs and fully heals the magic core, but increases its capacity to a point where the bearer can do whatever they want with magic, above that power of the sun and moon themselves."

I've lost her in a world of convoluted thought. She needs a few seconds to process this, as a revelation as large as this can be extremely stunning. "But, isn't dragonfire the stuff Princess Celestia uses to send messages?"

"Yes, but there's a difference. My sister never thought to actually consume the stuff. Oh, it hurts more than anything else, your insides get completely burned. There's a survival rate of a tenth of a percent and those who survive are usually in critical condition for a year or so, and it generally doesn't work for even those, so their mistake."

Annnnd shes gone. "Huh? But how are you fine?"

This I don't know. I never knew, just accepted and rejoiced that I got extreme magic without extreme consequence. I voice that, and Twilight nods. "So, dragonfire may not affect alicorns. That's worth studying. When I get back to the library...." all of a sudden her head drops again, "if I get back to the library. If we even get back to Equestria. None of us have any idea as to where we are." She drops to the soft sand of the beach, and begins drawing. I step into the woods behind the beach, so we aren't heard and to provoke her into following me. She takes the bait and slowly totters over.

"Would it feel better to know a little more about me, Twilight?"

Twilight looks up, joy overcoming the fear in her eyes. "Yes, it would. I've always been curious about your and the Princesses pasts. What was it like, defeating Discord? The Great War before the rise of the Solar Empire? Your family?" She's hit several sore subjects, and can see that when I wince at the last one. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

No. I need to do this. It may be the only chance I get to tell anypony the entire truth. Starting slowly so I don't loose her again, I begin reading from my memory. "Let's start with my family. I had myself, my parents, and my two sisters. I was born just before the Discord years, and Celestia and Luna were born during them. I am three years older than Celestia, and eleven years older than Luna, so I am indeed the oldest.

My mother's name was Solar Flare, my father's Lunar Eclipse. They lived until the year after my eighteenth birthday, when Discord destroyed the little shack we called a home and crushed them under the wreckage. I don't know what was the precursor to those events, my sisters and I had been out foraging for food most of that day. I could have saved them, if only I'd been a bit faster. After we found what remained of my parents in the wreckage, Discord appeared before me, mocking our every attempt to save them and attack him. It would take much longer for us to form the original Solar Empire, then called The Empire of The Solstice, in honor of my mother, about five years later. It was my sisters and I who defeated Discord, and I remember that day thoroughly. He enthralled my sisters with magic and nearly killed them. It was only through my anger that we actually would have lived. I had waited long enough for revenge on the draconequus, and there was my opportunity, combined with the fact that he was about to murder my sisters."

Deep breath. I do want to burst out into anger, unless I can channel it into going back to Prince Sunstriker. I still look like The Hunter, and right now it's too dangerous for that pegasus.

"That was also when I discovered my true form. I had been in The Hunter form as an alicorn until that day, and it's only when war cries for anger that I was able to change back and forth after that. Until I master the full power of dragonfire. Right now I'm technically still an apprentice, learning my way around the specific powers and trying not to overload my horn. How The Hunter, or me now, lost his horn is a different story. After taking that first bottle of dragonfire, I could change at will using the performance you saw at Canterlot. It takes the speed of five, um, what do you call them, Rainbooms, to work, and is permanent unless I change it back by myself, with no other magic affecting me. Once I master it, I can change back and forth at will."

I'd lost her. I'd hoped it to be otherwise, but apparently not so. "Then how can Princess Luna change back and forth from Nightmare Moon to normal her without trying?"

She makes a point, but I'm ready to answer. I've been around long enough to partially understand the magic of my sisters.

"Good question. But I am not tied to moon or sun, so I do not receive the magical benefits of either. My sisters receive a magic boost from their celestial bodies, like my dragonfire, and it is enough to be more powerful than normal me. That's why I need dragonfire to boost me, so that I can also receive magical benefits. As is, I'm still strong. If both my sisters took ill, I would be able to take over their responsibilities without trouble. Their magic benefits appear differently. Luna is transforming into Nightmare Moon, and Celestia..." I falter. What is her benefit? She lost the elements. Sending messages is normal for Canterlot royalty. "I don't know about my solar sister. She has been a mystery to me. But back to your questions, what was next?"

Quickly glancing behind her, Twilight and I notice the other ponies starting to wake up. Pinkie is already bouncing up and down at a ridiculous rate, and Rainbow Dash is stretching her legs with Applejack. Rarity is grooming her mane, and Fluttershy is still asleep, though her eyes are fluttering as she starts to awaken. The purple unicorn turns back to me.  "It can wait. I think we should head back."

"Agreed. I would also suggest we get moving soon, I would prefer to not stay in one place for more than we have to. With the magical borders of Equestria down, I don't know what could wander its way in."

We step out of the woods and head back to camp. When they see us, Rainbow Dash's eyes practically popped out of her head, before she crash lands on the ground, laughing. "Twilight! I never took you for the royalty type!"

Rarity grins slightly. "Neither did I. What have you two been doing while we weren't looking?"

Pinkie jumps in. Literally. "Do I get to plan a wedding party? It'd be awesome!"

Applejack is smiling as Fluttershy wakes up. "Hey Shy, guess what two lovebirds we caught a-heading out of the woods?"

"Oh, really Applejack? That is sooo cute, Twilight, I mean, I never expected your special somepony to be royalty! Angel would be so happy for you if he was here."

Both Twilight and I are scarlet with embarrassment. I try to redirect their thoughts. "No, no, no, nothing like that. It's something a lot different."

Poor choice of words, yet again. Now all five of the other ponies are laughing their flanks off. I don't understand mares, but whatever. "A lot different, huh? So ponies with benefits?" Rainbow Dash is trying to contain a smile, but it isn't working.

"Girls, please. You know I'm better than that." Twilight is even brighter before, if possible. With those words Pinkie Pie becomes ecstatic. "So I do get to plan a wedding party? YAY!"

Ok, enough is enough. I can take a joke, but this is getting a bit extreme "Enough! We were talking about my past." Laughing dies down immediately. "The only reason we stepped into the woods was to not disturb you all sleeping."

"Well that's mighty kind of y'all, but now Ah want ta hear about it too. Please tell us." Applejack is surprisingly interested. Why do all of these mares know nothing? Does Celestia not publish...duh. I facehoof. "Yeah, I will."

I slowly recount the past ten minutes, before ending with, "and that's where we left off. Any other questions before I get moving to try and find the way back?" All ponies shake their heads. "Good. Then I will return." And with that, I jump straight into the air and takeoff. "I'll be back later! Wait here!" I call out behind me, making sure they hear so that there's no confusion.

I love flying, without a single question in my mind. The wind in my mane, the cool clouds passing by. It's one of the most relaxing experiences a pony can have, whether stallion or mare. You're free to sway any way you want, restricted by only your imagination. I send a burst of wind in one direction, a cloud in the other. It's your own miniature world, and I love it so much. Soon, I see a spire and the outline of a town after about ten miles travel, a lazy journey of around half an hour. I can't tell if it's Equestria, but at least there's some sort of civilization. Time to turn back and alert the others.

I kick off of a cloud and speed back, seeing what levels I could reach. Doing some mental calculations, I note that my max speed is fifty wingpower, and that's flying normally. I could do this in no time by myself. Lost in translation, I'm descending at a rapid rate, more than I should be, and I'm not noticing. Pretty soon I'm only five feet above the ground. Finally, I catch myself, and looking down, I try to slow down, but it's too late. My wing catches on a tree and sends me spinning and tumbling to the ground, landing back on the beach. At least I make it back before my crash landing. Pretty soon, I'm slowing down. Sliding to a stop in front of the empty campsite, I come face to face with a saddlebag. The mark on the side of it is a pink butterfly. Fluttershy. I shoot up. The campsite is truly empty. Devoid of even ponies. Where the hay did they go?

An ear splitting screech breaks through the silence. "HUNTER! HELP US! DRAGON!"

Dragon. Of course. Why would it be anything else!

Running into dark woods is no easy task. Especially when the high chance of a dragon is evident. Screeching to a halt, I see two unicorns, two pegasi, and one Earth pony staring down a...thing. Whatever it is, it isn't a dragon. Almost half dragon, half hydra, the six-headed beast towered above us, flames belching from all mouths. And there's not one. No, not one, but two of the damn things. They travel in pairs, apparently. Shocking.

Rarity is still screaming. I hiss at her, "Rarity, there is no need for this, be silent!" She turns, sees me, and tackles me in a giant bear hug. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! We were looking for food and these beasts attacked us!" Next shocker. These things can talk. "You intruded upon our territory, ponies. We are simply defending it."

I do a head count. I see Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Only one pony missing. I face the creatures again. "Creatures of the forest, I ask you, where is the orange Earth Pony?" They do not like being called creatures, I can say that much. The smaller one shoots fire straight at me. "We are not creatures! We are dragini, the keepers of the forest."

The larger one continues for it, remarking "Your orange friend was quite brave, pegasus. She stood up to us until idiot over there decided to have a go at her. Swallowed her in one gulp." The little one nods consent. "She was tastyyyy"

No. This is not how Applejack is going to go. My eyes blare bright green as I explode. "Do you know who I am, dragini? I could kill you both with one fell swoop!"

The dragini look at each other and bust out laughing. After a couple of minutes, the bigger one looks at me and says "I like this one. We should keep him as a slave and teach him a few manners while we gobble his friends."

"Or we could smack him into the atmosphere, tenderize him a little, then continue with your idea." the younger one suggests.

"I like that even better," the giant dragini picks me up in one claw and throws me with all his might. I'm going too fast to even recognize my surroundings.

A couple minutes pass by before I start thinking. Could I, from here? Maybe? Where are my friends? Are they even still alive? They'd better be, or I'm gonna go start a war and destroy the forest. Wait. Did I just refer to those mares as friends? No way. I can't make friends. It will hurt too much to see them go. I'm not friends with them, it's decided. I'm just doing them a favor by saving their lives. Right? At this point, I'm feeling a bit light headed from the height. I can't see the ground. Or make out details. Where am I? I can see the edge of the world at this point.

Whatever. Those things aren't going to have a pony. Or any other snack. Ever. Again. And they will NOT. KILL. ME. I've slowed down enough. Time to turn around and fight these beasts. Swiveling on the air using my wings, I now face downwards, back towards the earth. Tucking my wings back in, I plummet for the surface of the world.

~~~~~

Facing down Nightmare Moon was hard. Facing Discord was hard. Facing the Changelings was difficult. But for all of those experiences, we had the Elements of Harmony on our side. I look at my friends. Are they ready to die? The giant dragini had thrown Sunstriker somewhere into the atmosphere, and the little one ate Applejack like she was an Applesnack. I sure hope she's still alive. I saw a quick swallow. Do they not chew? I hope so.

Fire swirls around our heads as the dragini's prepare to swoop in and kill us. They're creating a cloud of smoke and it becomes hard to breathe. I'm choking now, eyes watering. This hurts. Would it be quick or prolonged? The way to kill us? I don't want to die. I don't want anypony to die. Not now. Not ever. And this was certainly not the way I had expected to go. Looking at my friends, I can see the pain in their eyes. None were ready to accept the evident fate that we were going to die. Why did it have to be like this. I close my eyes and prepare for the worst. A tear runs down my cheek. My family. Shining Armor. Cadence. My parents. All will miss me. But it was a worthy cause. "Girls, before we go? One last hug?  It's a bit cheesy, I know, but if it's the last thing we ever see, I really love you guys." We crowd around each other, trying to drown the roar of the monsters and the eye-watering smoke.

And quietly, as if my last words couldn't contain anymore of my emotion and need to explode, I whisper, just loud enough for only myself to hear, "Goodbye, Sunstriker. I...I...love you..."

A single tear is left on my face, running down my cheek. It's time.

~~~~~

My want to get to the ground has never been greater. I need to save them. I will fail everypony if I don't. My sisters. The people. An entire country is in my hooves as my plummet becomes faster and faster. Come on, I need more speed! So close! The whiteness of the sound barrier is reaching me. I can feel the heat on my mane and coat. So close. Just a few more seconds...

My mane finally catches on fire. So does my coat. But as always, in the good way. My horn is growing on top of my head, pre-ringed with red spirals. The scar on my chest is slowly disappearing, and at the same pace my correct cutie mark is returning to my flank. The charcoal that is my coat is complete. Soon after, my white mane and tail are too. I close my eyes, feeling the final magic taking place. Moments later, I snap them open, now glowing red, red with the blood that will be the dragini. They will die.

A full fireball is engulfing me now, but I'm not burned. This is who I am. I am the shooting star. I. Am. The Prince of Eclipse.

~~~~~

An explosion rocks the night. Looking up, I can see light, even through all the smoke. We're safe. They didn't kill him. I face the dragini one last time. "One more thing? Never fight a prince who has the power of dragons, moon, and sun on his side."

More roaring. The larger one takes swipes at me. Jumping back, I'm now back-to-back with my friends. Move faster, Sunstriker. Please...

The fireball that is the Prince slams into the back of the younger monster, completely and instantaneously knocking the life out of the dragini. Yes! We're safe! But Applejack...hobbles out of the dust, supported by Sunstriker. She had been eaten whole, as expected. He tosses the weakened farmer at us, and turns to face the dragini. Even his stance reflects his anger. I've never seen a fury like it.

The final recognition is his voice. Not a normal voice, but a true Canterlot leader voice. Deep and authoritative, commanding and taking control of a situation. He shouts out "Creature of the forest! You have injured allies of the Solar Princess, the Lunar Princess, and myself, the Prince of the Eclipse. Do not expect forgiveness! I warned you, and you refused. What happens next is nopony's fault but YOUR OWN!"

And with that, a quadruple beam of light leaps out of Sunstriker's horn, two a pure white, and two a pitch black, striking at the center of the remaining dragini. It looks down, and his scales glow. Then explode into a mountain of dust. All that is left of it is the head, which promptly disintegrates.

Cooled down, Sunstriker looks exhausted. I hope that didn't hurt him. After all that energy he will be weakened.

~~~~~

That hurt. A lot. But saving people was worth it. After blowing up the dragini I feel exhausted and drained. That must have used up all of my energy. I need rest. I'm also hobbling, and when reaching the other mares, gasp out, "Well that was fun." and pass out, completely drained. But just before the complete darkness, Twilight gazes over me and murmurs, "But it's only just begun..."