WoA: War of Ailcorns

Chapter 2: The Hunter

The figure disbursed and Twilight felt like she was falling. She could hear her friends, but not what they were saying.

She spread her wings and flew toward the voices, but as she did she could feel her body fading . She saw a light and she flew into it, if only to escape the darkness that surrounded her.

She awoke in a hospital bed she was attached to several devices that where measuring her vitals devices. They all said she was dead.

As she looked around the room her heart monitor reactivated, and when she saw her friends the monitor returned to normal.

Her friends stood around her, most with tears in their eyes. For a time they where in shock until twilight asked with a grone “how long was I out.”

“Well, darling, you collapsed last night and were in critical condition until you, ehm, died.” Rarity could barely say the last word.

“I-I was dead?” Twilight asked, as shocked as the rest of the mares.

“Yup, but now your back and everything better” Pinkie Pie said, relieved and joyful.

“Thanks Pinkie.” The adorable pink mare always calmed Twilight down. “But girls – I think I know where to find this evil Starswirl was talking about.” Twilight said as she lifted herself up in the bed. “In the Everfree at midnight.”

“But Twi, where exactly in the Everfree are we meant to go?” Applejack asked as nurse Redheart entered the room.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle it would seem that you are in perfect condition except for the burns on your front right leg” she said as the six mares stared at the burns.

They were numbers, coordinates.

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The forest felt darker than usual. Even with the full moon that Luna had provided, it still seemed like the forest itself was trying to kill them.

The coordinates had led to a small clearing deep with in the forest. The moment they stepped into the clearing their skin felt cold, and even though they could all see each other, it felt lifeless.

“Well, this is the place and it might as well be midnight.” Twilight said, if only to break the haunting silence.

“And noponys here… are you sure this is the ri-“ Rainbow was cut off by a dark whisper.

“Drop your bags, if you retaliate you will not leave this forest.” The voice said as Rainbow readied her wings and took to the sky.

But as she did chains seemed to strike through the clearing and several were shot at rainbow ingulfing her in a web of chains.

A dark figure suddenly leapt up to be next to her before striking her into the medal of the net of chains, causing it to collapse and pulling trees and all but Twilight, who teleported out of the way.

The dark figure stepped into the clearing. Little could be seen of his appearance, but from what could be seen he was a stallion no older then them, and he wore a mask made from what seamed to be a piece of black glass.

“What do you want?” Twilight asked as she backed away.

“I could ask the same of you.” The stallion said in an aggressive voice as he charged at her and swung the chain at her leg. She blocked it with her magic only to be struck in the flank by the other end of the chain.

She retaliated by shooting his mask with her magic, knocking him back as his mask cracked and fell to the ground, revealing a pair of red eyes with dagger shaped pupils. Strangely, they where not filled with anger, but regret.

As he shied into the darkness he shot a bolt of lightning from his horn, setting the trees around her friends alight.

As Twilight tried to put out the fire, the stallion bolted towards her, sticking her in the back of the head. As he flapped his wings, the gust of wind crumbled the trees that imprisoned the five other mares.

As the embers danced around the stallion, they provided just enough light to see his dark purple coat, only distinguishable from black by the charring on the tips of his wings and hooves. His mane seemed to be darker then the shadow that surrounded them.

“Who are you?” Applejack asked with a cough as she tried to get to her hooves, only to be pushed into the ground.

“I am the Hunter.” he said, before he spread his wings and flew away.

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The clearing was once again silent. The hunter had covered his tracks well as with just a beat of his wings he had covered the clearing with a cloud of dust to stop the six mares from following him, not that they could.

The six mares had ben beaten, and scared the worst of all had been Rainbow Dash. Her wings had been bent into a horrible shape, and two of her four legs had ben broken. Even Twilight was unconscious and barely breathing.

Even though the other four mares could walk, they were in no condition to make the trek back to Ponyvile, let alone carry the two mares unable to stand themselves.

When all hope to escape the forest seemed lost there, prayers were answered by the last thing they would think to see this deep in the Everfree.

“Now I would think that the six mares that save Equestria all the time would put up more of a fight! Shame I had just got here when he flew away.” Discord said as he stepped into the clearing, mockingly clapping his claw to his paw.

“Discord! I’d never though we’d be glad to see you.” Applejack said as she walked over to the Hunter’s fractured mask. “Do you have any idea what that thing was?”

“Well didn’t he say he was the Hunter?” Discord said, if only for Rarity to attempt to respond with “Well yes, but-“

“Well then that’s who he is, now don’t you have more important things to do then wonder whether crazy shadow ponies are who the say they are?” Discord said as he clicked his claw and spawned an assortment of signs above the two pacified mares.

“Oh fine. Discord, could y’all help us get back to Ponyville by any chance?” Applejack asked, as if it wasn’t a question but an order.

“Oh do you really need me help, I maen it’s just right over there…” Discord said, grinning, as he moved some of the trees, revealing the top of Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Never mind, how’d ya know we were out there anyway?” Applejack said as she lifted Rainbow Dash on to her back.

“Well that true evil thing sounded a lot more interesting then any of the things Celestia wanted me to do and I wasn’t about to let you have the fight of your life with out somebody watching.” Discord said as he spawned some pictures. “And just look at your faces!”

But as the mares looked over the pictures Discord had made, they noticed something strange - they were all from the point of view of… the Hunter!