Monster Hunter: Hunting the Hunter

Ghost awoke to the feeling of a soft warm tail lightly rubbing against his fur, it was almost ticklish and he couldn't help to crack a smile as he opened his eyes.

"I see that got you up, we really should be getting on our way now" Kalie said as she laid down in the bed next to Ghost. "I heard there's a nice paying quest to hunt a plesioth that's been giving a coastal village some trouble" she said with a smile before swishing her tail right in his face which made him cringe slightly.

Ghost smirked "are you sure you can handle your own with a plesioth?, Something that big and deadly?" he asked surprised she had accepted the quest.

Kalie left the bed and went looking around for her new set of dual swords that had thunder element imbued into the blades. "Of course I've done dangerous hunts without you, this will be a piece of cake" she said sounding full of confidence.

Ghost shrugged before leaving the bed, he needed a new weapon and to his luck he heard news of a new weapon type not too long ago after they had defeated the Jhen Morjan. Supposedly the new weapon was a combination of two weapons in one called the "switch axe".

"Kalie can we stop at a weapons shop, I think it would be in my best interest to pick up a new weapon maybe the new switch axe everypony is talking about" he asked as he put his khezu armor back on.

Kalie turned came back and watched him put his armor back on "sure, but why not another long sword that you usually get?" she asked as she was looking around the for her Hypnocatrice helm.

"Well I just feel that it would be best to change things up and try new things" he said as he strapped his long sword to his side.

"You did try new things last night" Kalie said in a playful tone before giggling.

Ghost smiled at her remark and rolled his eyes "maybe if I get this weapon then I'll try many more new things" he said taunting her.

Kalie smirked and rolled her eyes before leaving from the inn they were staying in. Ghost followed behind her and drifted off towards the nearest weapon store where he managed to pick up a Lagiacrus shock switch axe after he sold his long sword.

The duo traveled to what appeared to be a jungle area which was near the coastal village they needed to get to. The jungle was filled with larger than life bugs that buzzed around and a variety of other wildlife that seemed more keen on staying out of sight of the two ponies.

Just as the two ponies broke through the tree lining of the jungle they could hear screams off in the distance coupled by the sound of weapons being used. The two ponies burst into a swift gallop towards the growing sounds of peril. Finally they could see off in the distance not one but two plesioths in the village shooting jets of water at the huts of the townsfolk. They also saw two mare hunters who seemed to be trying to take down one of the plesioths as a team.

"Come on Raina stop playing around with it and just hit it" the yellow mare yelled at the dark brown one who appeared to be just dancing around in front of the beastly shark with legs.

"You want to take the other plesioth and then come help them when we finish?" Ghost asked looking at Kalie.

"Yeah" she said dashing out towards the second plesioth who trampling through the mass of huts.

Ghost took one more glance at the two novice hunters before dashing off in the direction of the second plesioth.

Kalie was already by the plesioth slashing away at it's ankles. Before Ghost actually made it to her she toppled the plesioth over onto its side all on her own. She quickly dashed towards the beast's head and laid down a maelstrom of quick fluid slashes on it's head quickly putting it out of its misery. Blood laid splattered on her hooves and her duel blades hovering at her sides.

"You just took down a huge plesioth just like that?" Ghost asked looking quite surprised.

"Well its all about the elements you use on the monster and which ones are most effective" she said with a sly smirk. "I would've thought you of all ponies to have know that already" she said flicking Ghost's nose with her tail before running off to where the first plesioth was.

Ghost followed close behind and saw the two ponies still trying to fight the huge beast, but they weren't working cooperatively together. He noticed the one called Raina still dancing around in front of the plesioth, but actually was drawing its attention while the other mare was shooting the plesioth with what looked to be a heavy bowgun.

"Let's go help them" Kalie said as she began to walk forward.

Ghost stopped in front of her "wait, let's see how this plays out these two probably have potential.

The plesioth was confused by the two conflicting actions and decided to jump back into the waters.

"That was mighty fine hunting for a couple of newbies" Ghost said as he slowly approached the two young mares.

"Who the hell are you?" the yellow mare asked pointing her bowgun right at Ghost.

"I know exactly who you are!" Raina said before running up to Ghost and hugging him around his neck. "You're Ghost the famous hunter who took down a Rathian as his first quest, you inspired me to become a hunter myself!" she said with a big grin on her face.

Ghost looked back at Kalie who was holding back a wave of laughter from her mouth "it seems that you got yourself a fan" she said letting a small laugh escape.

Ghost smiled weakly "well glad to know Im famous now, anyway that was good hunting, but i didn't catch both of your names"  he said backing away a small distance from Raina.

The yellow mare spoke first "my name is Lilly and that's my sister Raina, we live in this village and the plesioth's have been stealing our catches and ruining our fishing boats with their water jet blasts" she said pointing her hoof at the damage the two giant monsters made.

Ghost turned to look over at the destruction and back out at the sea where he could see the plesioth's top fin lingering around the shallows. "Well its not over it seems that one that jumped back is coming back for more" he said drawing out the heavy axe. His weapon had two modes axe mode which it's in and sword mode which has the special elemental vial that can add extra damage to the monster hit with it.

"Let me test this new weapon out, you three stay back" he said before walking cautiously over to the edge of the water.

The plesioth quickly jumped out the water and back on land. It turned around to face Ghost who had his axe drawn and ready. But before Ghost could take another step the beast let loose a piercing water jet that clipped the side of his armor utterly destroying the piece.

"Shit, if I get hit Im done for I need to be quick and get underneath it fast" he said to himself before he began charging at it.

The plesioth shot it's beam of water now in a horizontal path, but Ghost ducked to avoid the blast and slid right towards it's legs.

At this moment he switched his weapon into sword mode in mid-slash to let loose a blast of electricity that seemed to stun the creature for a moment. Ghost took this oppurtunity to charge up his weapon for a vial blast where it ejects all the vial it has into one explosion at the tip of the sword.Just as he was getting ready to let the charge loose  on the vulnerable plesioth he saw Raina dancing in front of the beast.

"What the hell is she doing? Get her out of there!" Ghost shouted. He could tell the beast was starting to recover and knew the moment it spotted Raina it would let loose its deadly blast of water.

Lilly took notice of this galloped to her sister's rescue.

The plesioth snapped out of it's vulnerable state and started charging up it's beam attack.

What happened next was something of pure horror that sent chills through Ghost's spine as he turned around.

Lilly dived and pushed her sister out of the path of the beam, but she couldn't get herself out of the way. She took the shot point blank which cut a clean hole between the mare's neck and shoulders. There was a huge gap where the blast had caught her and blood began to pour out from both her neck and her shoulder.It seeped out slowly at first before it was a gushing torrent of blood streaming from her body. She was dead, no pony could take a shot like that and live, her body stood upright for just a moment before it collapsed into a pool of her own blood. Limp and lifeless she lay.

Ghost turned back and let the explosion loose, closing his eyes the memories of his friend Raize came flooding back the hate, the sadness, the lonliness. It was his fault he wasn't quick enough back then and it happened again, he wasn't quick enough to save a life this time. The explosion toppled over the plesioth and automatically switched the weapon back into axe mode. With a heavy heart and a high raised axe he swung down on the monster finishing it off.

Kalie slowly walked over to Raina who was looking at her sister's body in disbelief.

"Is...is she dead...? Lilly? Lilly?!" was all she said before she burst into tears. "Why did I have to be a dumbass and do something so foolish and stupid to go and kill my sister, my best friend?" she said with face full of tears. Ghost and Kalie looked at her with worried faces until Ghost sighed.

He put a hoof on Raina who was crying over her dead sister's body. "I lost a friend before, it was the very first quest and I lost him to the Rathian who ended up killing him right before my eyes. Raina, all we can do now is remember Lilly for who she  was and know that she's watching over you" he said softly. He levitated the bowgun  Lilly held over to Raina "I know she would want you to keep the memory of her alive" he said before resting it on the side of the mare and strapping it on her.

Raina looked at it and wiped her tears "you're right" she said sniffling as she spoke.

Ghost sighed and looked at the mare with a slight smile "how about you join me and Kalie" he offered softly.

The mare stood up and turned around with a smile and teary eyes "thank you Ghost, thank you I would love to" she said before burying her face into his fur.

Kalie smiled warmly at the sight and joined in and hugged them both. "Let's head back to the city and get settled into and inn" she said before leading the way back through the jungle, Raina still clinging to Ghost as he walked.