Silver Hoofs

by Krashface

Rating: mature
Tags: Alternate Universe, Sad, Dark, Adventure
Length: 1235

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-10-06 18:29:12 UTC

When darkness fall.

You know, Equestria is not a real safe place, where harmony reigns among its different inhabitants without any problems and where the threats are few and not at all harmful.

Since before its foundation, there has always been someone who has fought to defend Equestria,  to defend it from the most treacherous, dangerous and bloody creatures who creep in the shadows,  and go unnoticed and manipulate innocents. Vampires, wolfponies, changelings, witches, clans of necromancers and even groups of undead, these are those that Silver Hoofs, a large group of monster hunters, had tackles for centuries and that, in turn, welcomed as members the most deserving ( and considerable allies ) beings of the other side ( the Unnaturals ), considered by experts as to their species membership.

However, after a long time, has now created a fragile status quo between the Natural and Unnatural, and now the strength and reputation of Silver Hoofs is no longer that of a tim. By now, even the four vampiric Sanguines Houses are no more powerful as those of the past, as well as the Grand Order of the Black Bones. But, no more talk, the war for survival continues, in every city, in every cave and on each peak.

Even in the most peaceful villages of the province.

Blood night .

Ponyville.

The night had fallen, and the moon lit up the whole Sweet apple acres, while the Apple family slept soundly, watched over by the Princess of the night.

They were quiet days, if not for some parasprites here and there.

No threat by absorbing magic creatures.

Ne spirits of chaos or insectoid-pony with holed legs .

Nothing.

But that night, a noise woke the four Apples.

A shrill, high-pitched noise, followed by verses of terror by the animals of the stable.

The four ponies rushed out of their bed, and although still dazed, they all took the first things found to use as weapons.

Once they all get behind the barn, deafened by the terrified animals, Applejack turned to his family and began to explain the plan.

" Okay, it will surely been some wild animal. Big Mac, you and I will go in front of the barn, all right ? "

" Eeeh yup ." replied the big red stallion quietly.

" Granny Smith, AB, you must make sure ro make it run toward us ."

" All right, sister ." said the little Apple Bloom, a little tense.

Granny Smith nodded.

So,  the four of them put in place .

Once ready,  AJ gave the signal .

After entering from the back door, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom tried to find the thing that had frightened animals.

As they approached the various niches of the animals, they noticed that some lights had been blown up.

Perhaps the animal in question was very big, but that doesn't explain why it had broke all those lanterns.

Once both mares get close to the niche of Big Py ( the biggest pig of the barn ), they noticed that the gate was open, and the lights around here were completely gone.

And they could hear a noise, almost slimy and disgusting.

Granny Smith had took one of the lanterns close to them, so to make a bit of light.

Finally, the two mares were able to see the animal.

The scene, however, was gruesome, more than any other they had ever witnessed.

There was a...  thing that looked like a pony ( but that couldn't be, since it had a pair of enormous wings instead of the front legs ), hairless and had his back to the two mares, while he was quietly devouring wildly poor Big Py, while the blood was still gushing on the walls.

One of these gush arrived on the face of Apple Bloom, making her jump. The horrible thing stopped, lifting his head and, as it turned slowly, made a light verse, squeaky, like that of a bat.

Apple Bloom looked first the long muzzle, full of sharp and long teeth and a pair of sharp canines, and then looked into the eyes of the creature.

Those eyes.

They seemed blacks, with a white iris, and this was accentuated by the red orbs.

The two mares began to run as fast as they could, while they felt that thing chase them.

" AJ !" Shouted Apple Bloom, toward the entrance of the barn.

Applejack and Big Mac came in, ready to defend Granny Smith and  Apple Bloom.

But they saw no animal chasing the two.

" What's happening ? why you yelled ?" asked worriedly Applejack to Apple Bloom.

"T-there was one thing and... and it was... it was..." the poor filly began to sob, and then she get comforted among the hooves of her sister.

" It was big, I tell you !" said breathless and frightened Granny Smith, " It had the wings of a bat, it didn't have a coat, but in return had red eyes and sharp teeth !"

" Eeeh... what ?" asked a bit confused Big Mac.

The four stopped when they heard a cracking sound coming from above their heads.

Looking up, they saw something coming toward them .

Now, on the ground and surrounded, the four saw clearly that being with the bloody mouth, well lit by the lights at the entrance. Indeed, it seemed a pony... but those wings instead of legs... and those fangs, how could it be ? What the hell was that ?

The creature turned, with his eyes almost shut, to Granny Smith, and rushed towards the old screaming shrilly.

Suddenly and without thinking too much, Apple Bloom took one of the lanterns and, trowing herself in front of her grandmother, struck the hideous creature in the face, shattering her lantern on it, and making it catch fire.

The creature, in a panic, gave a strong blow to the two mares in front of it, causing them to fall against some barrels and then run away, shouting out in pain and taking flight.

They were safe .

Whatever that thing was, it would definitely come back, or at least It would think twice before returning .

Big Mac and Applejack went to help Apple Bloom and Granny Smith.

Apple Bloom was fine, but was shaking and crying with fear, while Granny Smith had a broken hoof.

Once at the hospital of the town, they told what had happened before to some guards, who didn't believe them, then to Twilight, who had come to see what had happened.

In short, a small crowd of ponies was formed out of the hospital, curious about what happened.

Of course, after the attack of Tirek the inhabitants of the small town were not so emotional, but something of that kind, just right there, it had never happened.

And among the crowd, a unicorn, dressed in a gray suit with a hood over his head, walked into an alley, and wrote a letter.

" Sir,

I have  information on that Strigoi that we where chasing days ago. It directed to Ponyville, to the northeast from the base, and attacked a known family of apple growers .

Fortunately, no one was bitten, but the creature ran away again.

I request the timely intervention of the group Wolf. "

Once rolled the sheet and stopped  it with a silvery ribbon, the unicorn sent it, who disappeared in thin air.