The sound of frantic knocking against a wooden door echoed through the small cottage, which was inhabited by a hapless mare. She went about her nightly chores, washing dishes as Nightmare Night came to a close and waned like the moon that cast its light over the outskirts of Ponyville. On this night, fillies and colts of all ages would go around and ask for candy from their neighbors. All in good fun of course.

However, what other surprises will the longest night hold for her?

*THUD THUD THUD*

"Who is it?" A mare's voice called from another room, the cottage in which the mare lived was small, but cozy and meant for just one or two ponies to live in. The fireplace bore embers from last night's fire and were slowly fading to ashes. All around the cottage were small decorations for the annual holiday known as Nightmare Night. A holiday which was dedicated to the fabled "Mare in the Moon".

*THUD THUD THUD*

"Urgh, I'm coming, hold on, please!" The sound of dishes being dropped into the sink echoed from the kitchen where she was washing up after she finished her final meal for the night. With no other plans, she decided she would stay in. Perhaps read a book. However, with the festivities taking place, she was more than likely going to be disturbed. A bowl of assorted candies and sweets sat on a wooden stool next to the door.

*THUD THUD THUD*

"Honestly, who is that?" She seethed as she trotted out of the kitchen, her pink apron still tied to her chest, "Urgh, little colts and fillies coming to beg for candy. Great." The room was illuminated by a magic powered lamp on the ceiling.

The beige unicorn mare's hooves scraped against the wooden floor as she went to greet her guests. Her horn ignited and the bowl of candy floated over to her side, sheathed in a green aura.

"I really hope they like what I have to give them," she put on the best smile she could muster and undid the lock on her front door. "Hello~!" she grinned brightly as she opened the door, greeting whoever was on the other side.

That is, if there was anyone to greet.

Only silence and the ambient sounds of the night greeted her in return.

She blinked her emerald eyes, "Uh, hello? Anypony there?"

Silence.

"Okay, well I guess no candy for you then~!" She turned around and swung the door shut behind her. As she set the bowl down again, knocks from the entrance sounded once more.

*THUD THUD THUD*

"Seriously?" She muttered under her breath. Letting out a snort, she dragged her hooves to the door once again, this time letting the bowl sit there on the stool.

Again she opened the door, not bothering to ask who or what was there, "Yes?"

...

...

An owl hooted in the night.

"Great," she sighed, ears flattening against her head, "More Nightmare Night pranksters. I'm on to you, ya know! It's not funny!" She snorted and slammed the door with her magic. "Stupid little colts. Think they're so damn hilarious during Nightmare Night, don't they?" Earlier in the year, she had moved into her own cottage after saving up some bits from her job as at the local jewelry shop. Though she did not get paid much, she was able to make a living.

"I swear, I need somepony in my life," she sighed heavily as she trudged back into the kitchen to finish up her dishes, "It'd at least help make nights like these more sufferable." Switching on the faucet, she continued the mundane task of washing the dishes. A minute passed until her work was interrupted once again by a series of loud knocks from the front door. This time, they seemed to be more frantic.

*THUD THUD THUD SLAM*

"What in Tartarus is doing that?" She flicked her head, blowing wavy locks of her amber mane which had fallen astray and turned towards the living room. This time, she opted to try and get some sort of response from the prankster that was being strangely persistent.

She stopped right behind the door, pressing her ear to it.

No other sound.

"I know you're out there, ya know!" she shouted, "Better quit it! Or I'll uh... I'll give you a toothbrush instead of candy! How'd you like that? Not so great, huh?"

No reply.

Her temper rose slightly, "If you knock on the door again, I'll... well... I'll do something that is equally as annoying!"

*THUD*

"Alright," she nickered, "You asked for it!" Quickly magicking the door open, she burst through out into the silent night, "Aha! I got you now, ya-" Standing on her porch triumphantly, her victory was, however, short lived. Her smirk fell along with her ears, and she hung her head close to the ground, eyes shut tight in frustration, "Okay, okay, okay, OKAY! You got me! Come on out!"

Silence answered her.

And some crickets.

"I'm serious, ya know?! Come out now!" A twig snapped, causing her ears to perk up, "Hey! Who's out there?!"

Still no answers.

Her blood began to boil. She needed answers now!

"Is that you, Argent? I swear to Celestia, if you try pulling one of your little pranks on me again!" Another snap of a twig answered her, "Alright, that is IT! I'm going out after you!" She closed the door behind her and set out into the night towards the small thicket that surrounded her house. At first, moving into the outskirts of town seemed to be a good idea, but even though she likes the quietness that isolation brings, nights like these proved to be a pain.

"Urgh, why did I move into a house surrounded by woods?" she muttered under her breath as she trotted through the trees, "Argent? Argent! Are you out here?!" Still no response, "Well if you are then you better come-"

*SNAP*

She froze in her tracks. Not wanting to take any chances, her horn illuminated the area surrounding her. She had not gone in too deep, but far enough to the point where the forest canopy blocked out the moonlight.

"Hello? Anypony there? ...Argent?" For the umpteenth time that night, still no one answered her. As she stood still, something had just occurred to her: the forest had become deathly silent, whereas, not a moment ago, she had heard the various noises from different creatures of the night. Crickets, owls, and the occasional distant howl of a timberwolf. Now, it was as if the forest itself was holding its breath. Waiting for something to happen.

It was so quiet, she could hear her herself breathing and because of such, ragged gasps of air rattle out from her throat. Her heart began pounding against her rib cage. Frantically scanning the area with her eyes and the light of her horn, the young mare quickly tried to find the source of the noise.

*SNAP*

This time she heard the noise from behind her. Her heart rate spiked dramatically and she swiftly whirled around, eyes wide and staring. The fur along her back stood on end as a chill ran up her spine.

"H-hello?" She stammered, her voice quivering.

The fear was already beginning to set in. Her whole body clenched and a bead of cold sweat ran down the side of her face. Her legs began to quiver violently; her breath became more erratic, "Please... please stop what you're doing. T-This isn't funny anymore, ya know..."

*SNAP*

"Oh sweet Celestia," she whimpered under her breath. 'What in Tartarus is happening?! C'mon, legs! Move!’ She yelled internally at herself, but nevertheless she stood still as a rock; her entire body frozen in fear.

A few moments passed. The mare perked up her ears to try and locate the source of the pony- or creature, that was stalking her.

Another moment…

And then, she heard it. The noise made her blood run cold in her veins.

It came from behind her. She was far too terrified to even dare a glance at it. At first, it sounded like the wind blowing, but there was no rustling in the trees. No sound of leaves crunching.

No.

The noise had a rhythm to it. A tempo. It would start, then stop. Start, then stop. In, and out.

In… and out.

‘Is that… breathing?’ she thought to herself, eyes wide. ‘No that has to be me. It has to be. What could it-’

Another late realization dawned on her.

She’d been holding her breath for the past quarter minute, ever since she heard the sound....

If she was not breathing, what was?

'Oh, sweet Goddesses help me get out of this,’ Gaining a fraction of her courage back, the mare slowly turned around to face the source.

Then she could see it. And her whole body froze from the sight. Her fur bristled and her ears flattened. Both her hind and fore legs locked up. She was now helpless.

In the bushes in front of her, was perhaps the most terrifying thing she has ever had the displeasure to lay her eyes on. Two glowing, sinister yellow eyes peered at her through the leaves and twigs. They had no sclerae or pupils. They were simply two glowing orbs of light.

Below the eyes was what looked like an elongated muzzle, where it bore very large and sharp fangs. From the light of her horn, she could see dark liquid dripping from its teeth. She could even hear it.

*drip*

*drip*

*drip*

‘What in Tartarus is that?!’ The mare was having a complete panic attack on the inside. Her heart rate was far beyond the normal rate, adrenaline coursed through her body, and her fight-or-flight instincts were a mess.

The mare wanted to run as fast and far away as possible; however, no matter what she did, her legs would not listen to her.

The monstrosity that hid in the bushes then brought one of its… claws out of the bushes, followed by another. Before she knew it, the beast was out in the open and less than a few feet away from her.

It had long, sharp claws that were probably bigger than her hoof. Again, she saw blood coating them. It was now apparent, that this thing was no friend to her.

It was out for her blood. It wanted her blood.

It wanted to kill her.

‘Oh my sweet goddesses, this thing is gonna kill me! What the fuck is it?!’ Her teeth were clenched so tightly to the point where her jaw ached, ‘Have to run! Before this thing kills me! Move legs, move!’

She then heard a low growling that came from deep within this… creature’s gullet. The body was nothing like she’d ever seen before. much larger than the barrel of the average pony. Its legs were far longer. The fur it had was a dark, smoky gray color and spotted with blood. It seemed to be even canine in appearance.

What was even stranger still, was that, for some reason, had tattered remains of what looked like cloth along its barrel. And even some around one of its lower hind legs.

It towered a head or two above her and looked down upon its potential meal. Ever so slowly, it crept forward with its left leg, then began reaching forward to grab her with its right claw.

Almost immediately, every instinctual fiber in her whole body, right at that very moment, screamed only one thing:

Run.

Within the blink of an eye, the mare turned hoof and bolted in the opposite direction of the beast. She screamed as she could hear the monster let out a howl that echoed through the night. With a feral snarl, the beast kicked off its hind legs dashed forward far faster than something that size should be capable of to catch her.

The mare dared not look back, the risk of being caught by this thing was far too high. She pushed past the branches that whipped her face as she ran quite literally for her life, whimpering madly as the grass beneath her hooves crunched with every step.

Her fear grew exponentially when she heard the beast’s jaws snap as it closed in on her.

‘Shit! He’s gaining on me!’ The mare was now crying as the beast chased her. Hot tears ran down the side of her cheeks, her teeth clenched as sobs and cries escaped from her lips. Never before in her life had she been more terrified. Death itself was chasing after her and all she could do was run as fast as she could in order to prolong the last few seconds of her life.

As she was running through the dark forest, her horn illuminated the way. She zipped through the trees with as much speed and grace as she could muster. More than once she nearly ran face first into a tree.

It was until a stray root from the ground decided to assist the beast in its predatory endeavors.

The mare tripped as her hoof clipped the root and she fell forwards. She rolled several times and landed on her back, pain coursing through her now battered body. Flipping over to her belly, she tried to get to her hooves, but the pain from the fall she took was far too much. Her head was swimming and her vision became blurry. She was completely unfamiliar with pain of this intensity.

Groaning, she desperately attempted to crawl away towards wherever safety may lie. Her horn light had extinguished; she was unable to do any kind of magic.

With all of her struggling, it was for naught.

She froze as she heard the grass from behind crunching. The ever familiar heavy, guttural breathing of the horrifying creature that was chasing her could be heard.

‘No no no no…’

Peering over her shoulder, she gathered up what magic she could and lit her horn. The creature could now be seen in all of its macabre glory. The bandages on its hind and forelegs were loosely wrapped and seemed to be tattered from the chase. Its jaws were open as it approached her, growling as it closed in on its prey.

Closer and closer it drew. Its soulless eyes locked on hers. No energy or willpower left, she could only watch as the beast prepared to strike.

Her whimpering ceased as she saw the beast rock backwards on its hind legs, about to pounce on her.

In one swift moment, the beast let out a snarl as it jumped into the air, its claws reaching out towards the young mare.

She let out an ear-splitting scream as the beast leapt at her. The mare awaited her final fate, waiting to feel the searing pain of its jaws sinking deep into her flesh as it tore her apart.

But for some reason, it never came.

As the beast had jumped, a loud crack echoed through the forest and inside the mare’s ears.

*CRACK*

A shrill yelp of pain came from the beast. It fell from the air as its blood spattered the ground. A gaping wound appeared on the left side of its abdomen.

It laid on the grassy surface of the forest in a whimpering heap, blood pouring from its wound and staining the ground below it.

The mare’s eyes widened in disbelief. Slowly, she rose to her shaky hooves. The beast was whining from pain, a weak snarl on its muzzle.

She approached the beast with caution, confused as to who and what did this.

“Get away from it!” A loud, masculine voice warned.

“Huh?!” she gasped, turning around sharply with an unsure expression. “Who’s there?!”

A figure appeared from behind a tree. It seemed to be a pony, dressed in a dark gray trench coat with various pockets and straps. On their back seemed to be some sort of giant cleaver-like blade with a large mouth grip. It had rather exotic design despite its savage appearance.

The blade itself was covered in blood and the outside of the blade bore teeth as if it were a saw and a cleaver in one. Approaching her from out of the shadows of the night, the pony also had a large, strange-looking machine attached to his saddle. It had a long, shiny, metallic barrel with a wooden casing, smoke rising from its bell-shaped muzzle.

A metallic wire flowed from the back of the machine was formed into what looked like a mouthpiece for him to bite down on. Just what exactly this machine is, the mare had no idea. But it indeed looked menacing.

“What are you doing out here?” The stallion asked, a cap atop his head covered his eyes, and a cloth mask concealed his muzzle, “Do you know how dangerous it is to go outside? Especially during a night like this?”

“W-What?! W-Who are you?!” She half-screamed, “What’s going on?! I’m nowhere near the Everfree Forest and this thing looks nothing like a Timberwolf!”

“It’s a Scourge beast,” He replied calmly, removing his mask as he reached his head around and bit down on the handle of the weapon. He swiftly drew the blade, flicking his head sharply to the right. The saw now turned into a giant cleaver. In one wide, vertical motion, he brought down the blade atop the beast’s head, causing it to split in half. The beast yelped briefly before falling completely silent, “Well, at leasht it waf a Schcourge beast.”

The mare felt blood and what she hoped was not bits of its brain splash onto her face.

“Ew!” She screamed, gagging as the smell of fresh blood reach her nostrils, “Why’d you do that?! That’s so- savage of you to do, ya know!” Frantically, the mare wiped away at her face.

The stallion flicked his head to the left and the blade distended back into its saw form, “In case you didn’t notice, it was trying to kill you.” He stated matter-of-factly after placing the weapon onto his back, “So I killed it, before it killed you. And again, what are you doing out here? It’s the night of the hunt. Nopony is supposed outside on a night of the hunt. You should be inside asleep or something.”

“What the, what do you mean by, night of the hunt?” She asked. “And why the Tartarus would I be sleeping knowing these things are running around!?” The mare gestured at the dead monster.

“Okay, first thing’s first, what is your name?” The cloth concealing his identity was gone and she could see his gray coat in the dim light of her horn. The absence of wings or a horn indicated he was an Earth pony.

“You tell me your name first!” She demanded, pointing an accusatory hoof at him.

“Noctus,” He nodded at her, “And you are?”

“Willow,” She replied, fixing her now messy mane, “Now, can you please tell me what is going on? Where is everypony else?”

“Everypony else is inside asleep,” He stated, trotting close towards her. “The Blood Moon has risen again and the beasts have the run of the place. Are you not aware of what happens this time of year?”

“No! I'm not!” she shouted back angrily, “Look, can you just be clear and not so cryptic?”

“Later,” Noctus sighed, pulling the mask back over his face. “For now, we need to get moving. Where there’s one beast, there’ll be more. The smell of blood attracts them. Quickly, follow me.”

He walked past Willow and gestured with his head for her to follow. With nothing better to do, she caught up with him and stayed close, “So, are you gonna tell me?” As the two of them walked, Noctus’s head seemed to be on a swivel, ears perking up here and there as if he was looking for something.

More than likely he was on his guard. Lest they fall prey to one of those monstrosities.

“Alright, but let me ask something. You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No, I was born in another city, outside of Equestria.”

“Ah, so you’re a foreigner?”

He chuckled. “I guess that’s why you don’t know.”

“Know what?”

“What happens every Nightmare Night here in Equestria,” He inhaled as he began his story. “For the past millennia, on this very night, a moon as red as blood rises. I don’t know how you missed it.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I live in a pretty dense thicket!”

“Quiet down!” He whispered sharply, “Do you want them to hear us?” Willow sealed her lips and allowed him to continue, “For unknown causes, the Blood Moon draws these beasts out from the shadows. We don’t know where they come from, but what we do know, is that when you get bitten by these beasts, you eventually turn into one yourself.”

“Speaking of which, you really should have stayed inside,” he stated, stepping by a tree, “It’s dangerous. Only Hunters are able to stand a chance against these beasts. I’m surprised you didn’t get bitten.”

Willow balked for a moment. “What does all this mean? This is so confusing!”

“What I find even more curious, is why the hell you’re still sane after being exposed to the Blood Moon,” he inquired. “Usually ponies like you go mad upon being exposed. When that happens, you slowly lose your mind. Only Hunters like me can resist that.”

“Hunters?” Willow asked, blinking owlishly as she followed him. “You keep mentioning that. What are Hunters?”

Noctus stopped and looked back at her, his mask covering his frown, “Exactly what the name says. We hunt. Simple as that. More specifically, we hunt the things that lurk within your nightmares. Like the nightmare that tried to make you it’s midnight snack.”

“But I’ve never heard of these kinds of beasts. In any history book I’ve read, there’s no mention of these anywhere.”

“Princess Celestia likes to keep this certain part of our history under wraps,” he explained as he continued his trek through the forest, with Willow following close behind, “And you may find this disturbing, but the Blood Moon doesn’t go down until we kill enough of these beasts.”

“What?!” Willow shouted quietly. “That’s insane! Do other ponies know about this?”

“Yes, they do,” he retorted, scoffing at her, “That’s why Embershade is a symbol for Nightmare Night. When you burn it, it keeps the beasts away. They can’t stand the smell of it. And other ponies make sure to stay safely inside and constantly burn Embershade. Meanwhile, us Hunters go out and kill as many of these beasts as possible. We kill enough of them, the power of the Blood Moon weakens, and Celestia can raise the sun again. To most ponies, this night is like a nightmare, and when Celestia raises the sun again, it feels like we’re waking from a bad dream.”

“That… oddly makes sense,” Willow said, her ears falling. “But why can’t Princess Celestia raise the Sun on her own?”

“Even she doesn’t know,” he replied solemnly, “On this night, she loses her connection to the Sun for reasons unknown. And with the absence of her sister Luna, she has never been able to find a viable solution to fix this problem. The only one we have is considered highly brutal and impractical, but effective.”

Willow only blinked at him, “Okay then…” She rolled her eyes, “By the way, where are you taking me?”

“You’re coming with me to the Hunter Sanctuary,” he replied, “I’m taking you to see Master Keg. If you’re wondering why, it’s because you interest me.”

Willow felt her cheeks burn, “I… interest you?”

“You’re not a normal pony,” he stated, “For others, simply being outside on this night drives them mad. You haven’t shown any symptoms of dementia or insanity, which often happen instantly upon exposure.”

“Oh,” she sighed, her ears falling.

Noctus’s ears perked. “You’re very impressionable aren’t you?” He said, glancing over his shoulder. Willow eyes widened slightly and shot him a hard glare, her cheeks red, “I’ll take that as a yes.” Noctus chuckled as he pressed onward.

The two of them continued creeping through the dark forest; Willow kept her horn lit in order to find their way. On more than one occasion, she looked up to the sky, searching for evidence of this Blood Moon that Noctus was prattling on about. Through the thick canopy, she was able to catch a few spare glimpses of light; shades of crimson could be seen through the minuscule gaps between the branches of the thick oak trees.

“Willow, we’re almost there,” Noctus called out ahead of her. Willow quickened her pace to keep up with him. Along the way, she kept an eye on the strange weapons he had with him. They were nothing she’d ever seen before in her entire life. They almost looked alien.

“Quickly, through these bushes.”

“I’m coming!” Noctus pushed past a thick group of bushes. His tail disappeared within the leaves and Willow rushed forward so she wouldn’t fall behind any further. She struggled briefly as she tried to push through the bush, her face getting smacked by branches and her left hind leg caught on a root. Finally, she was able to break free but lost her balance and fell face-first on the hard ground. “Owwww~!” she moaned aloud, rubbing her aching head with her hooves.

“Are you alright?” Noctus approached her, “Do you need me to carry you or something?”

Even through the throbbing pain, she could hear the facetiousness in his voice, “Sod off will you? That hurt, ya know.” she hissed, her nose scrunching in anger.

“‘Ya know’,” Noctus repeated, scoffing. “You’ve said that many times since I rescued you. Is that a speech habit or something?”

“No,” she replied indignantly, crossing her hooves and shooting him a look. “It just slips out whenever I get stressed or excited.”

Noctus tilted his head in confusion, “Is that so? Then your life must be truly invigorating.”

“Y-yeah, sort of,” Truthfully, it was a habit. Willow couldn’t stop herself from saying it when she spoke sometimes. Life as a jewelry shop attendant wasn’t the most exciting, “How much farther?”

“Not very,” Noctus answered, “We’re nearby already. Just stay close.” She did as she was told and stayed very close to him; walking shoulder to shoulder. The night had become far less quiet than before. She could hear the wind blowing through the leaves, and, at times, she swore it almost sounded like howling off in the distance.

She felt shivers run through her body.

“This way,” Noctus called, walking past a row of trees. Beyond that, Willow could see a dim light cutting through the darkness of the forest. She followed suit and came upon a clearing.

What she saw sitting in the middle of the clearing, shocked her to the core.

“Uh, what the hell is that?” She asked, hiding behind him as they both stopped. In front of them sat a lantern with a soft, white light glowing from within. It hung from a small pole that rose no less than a few feet from the ground.

“It’s a lantern, obviously,” he explained. “However, it’s much more than that. It’s a gateway.”

Willow stepped in front of him, staring at him surreptitiously, “Are you fucking with me right now? A gateway to what?”

“To the Sanctuary, of course.”

She arched a brow at him before she turned to inspect the mysterious-looking lantern, “Hmm, Celestia this thing looks weird,” she whispered to herself as she circled around it, carefully checking it over, “Wow, it’s pretty shiny, ya know?” She reached out to touch the lantern.

Until Noctus’ hoof stopped her from doing so.

“Don’t. Do that,” he said, pushing her hoof down, “Ever. You have no idea how to use this. Not yet, at least.”

“Not yet? What do you mean by that?” She asked, stepping backwards from him.

Instead of answering, Noctus merely shook his head and turned away from her; his weapons clanking together as he sat down on the ground in front of the lantern.

For a few moments, Willow stood there wondering what to say next. But words never came out. Walking up to his side, she sat down next to him. Drawing circles on the ground with her hoof, she looked about the dark forest, purposefully trying not to make eye contact with him.

“So…” Willow scooted closer to him, “...um, nice night, huh? Real peaceful and stuff, ya know.”

“I hardly consider a long night of bloodshed and killing to be nice or peaceful,” he grumbled, “And for the record, you’re utterly horrible at making small talk.”

Willow gasped and scowled at him, “Jeez, well tie me to a tree and rut me senseless for trying, ya know.”

“Your constant usage of ‘ya know’ is irritating, ya know- ugh,” He smacked his face with a hoof, “Look at what you’ve done. Your countryside vernacular has begun to poison my own dialect. I hope you’re happy.”

Her frown deepened, “Well that’s what you get, ya know! I have half a mind to- mmpf!” She shrieked when Noctus shoved a hoof against her mouth, muffling the sound.

“Be quiet for a moment!” He hissed at her, removing his hoof from her lips. Rising up from the ground, he pulled down his mask and sniffed at the air and his ears perked up. He stopped and listened for a few moments, his entire body stiff as a board. The sound of a twig snapping came from the left, Willow’s ears twitching from the sound.

“I knew it,” he growled, pulling his weapon off his back; he flicked his head and it extended once again. His left hind leg kicked upwards and a clicking sounds came from the machine attached to his back. The weapon on his saddle clicked several times, almost as if it was prepped for something.

From what she saw minutes ago, she figured that he readied the weapon to fire again.

“Shtay buhind me,” he warned, stepping in front of her, taking a defensive stance.

“What’s going on-” The bushes in front of them began to rustle violently. A faint growling noise could be heard. To Willow, it sounded like a rumbling stomach.

That comparison suddenly made her feel sick.

Instantaneously, without any warning, a huge black figure jumped out from the bushes, a loud snarl echoing from it.

“Rraggh!” Noctus yelled as he swiftly sidestepped the creature and swung his head in a downward swoop, catching the beast on its side. Willow quickly moved behind him, secretly amazed by his reaction speed.

However, it seemed like the damage he inflicted wasn’t enough. The beast turned around to face Noctus, its cold soulless eyes staring into his. A low growl came from its gullet as it began circling the two of them on all fours. Meanwhile, Willow was on the verge of yet another panic attack.

Even with Noctus protecting her, she still felt like she was in great danger. Cowering behind her protector, her ears were flattened against her head, her horn had been extinguished; the only source of light coming from the strange lantern. In her head, she wanted to run away into the dark forest and maybe find some way to get home before another one of those things found her.

Yes. She could run away. With Noctus distracting the beast, she could simply turn tail and run for her life back to her cottage. And when she got there, she could just barricade the door and board up her windows to keep those living nightmares out.

“Willow,” Noctus called out, breaking her out of her trance. “Don’t make any shudden movesh. If you try to run, it’ll chashe after you, no matter how much I try to dishtract it.”

Run away. Yes. That was what she wanted to do. Run away to safety and leave all this behind. Her courage was hanging on the edge. One final push would do it.

“AwooOooOOo~!” the beast howled in the night, before pouncing at Noctus.

And there was the push.

Willow let out an ear piercing shriek, quickly turning on her hind legs and making a break for it. As the beast was about to jump on Noctus, he swung his head sharply to the left, the cleaver forming back into a saw.

“Willow!” he shouted, looking back before her felt the beast claw his face. “Argh!” Noctus recoiled from the blow, preparing to counter, but the beast zipped past him.

It was apparent who its target was.

Meanwhile, Willow ran like a mad mare into the dark forest, her horn lighting the way. She whimpered violently, gasping for air as her body burned as she reached her physical limits. Looking back, she was horrified to see the beast stumbling after her through the bushes.

‘Oh fuck me!’ she screamed internally. Letting out a real scream, she resumed her frantic running.

That is, if a random tree root hadn’t decided to make another appearance.

Her world became a blur as she tumbled forward through the dirt. She felt herself come to a stop, her mind still trying to catch up with the events of the world. Her horn light was extinguished once more and complete darkness filled her vision.

Moaning in pain, she tried her best to focus and light up her horn again. “No… no no!” She tried to crawl forward on her belly, trying in vain to escape from death. The beast growled in victory, approaching her viciously. As she was about to crawl behind a tree, a sharp searing pain erupted from her left hind leg.

“AgggHHHhhhHH~!” she screamed upon realizing what was happening. The beast had bitten down hard on her leg, pulling her towards it so it could begin its grisly feast. “No! NO! NoooOoOo~!” Her survival instincts kicked in, and she attempted to kick her other hind leg in a fruitless effort to ward the creature off. “SOMEPONY! HEEELLP~!”

The beast finally released her leg from its bloody maw and used its long, sharp claws to hold her down. Willow managed to twist her body around and stared at the beast. Its face resembled that of a sneer; steam escaping from its nose with each breath.

Willow couldn’t struggle anymore. She felt her body go limp. She’d finally reached her limit. Instead of fighting, her mind realized that this was it. This was how she was going to die. With this beast’s teeth buried into her neck.

This was the end for her.

In one moment, the beast snarled before lunging forward and sinking its teeth into Willow’s neck, biting down hard. Willow gasped from the sensation of sharp teeth piercing her flesh. Her mouth opened in an inaudible scream, nothing but air escaping. She couldn’t scream. She didn’t have the energy or the willpower.

Willow felt warm liquid dripping down her shoulder as the beast began chewing the flesh on her neck. It took her a moment to realize it was her own blood. Her mind raced in panic, but her body was far too gone to react. Even with the intense pain emanating from her wounds, she couldn’t move a muscle.

However, in this moment of peril, a thought popped into her head: in a few moments, this would all be over. Eventually she’d bleed out and when that happened, the pain would go away.

Darkness began to seep in from the corners of her eye lids. All she could see was the beams of light that managed to break through the thick canopy.

“Willow!” a voice shouted, “Willow!” she heard it again. She could feel herself fading away.

‘Is this, the end? I.. never even got to… to find somepony who loved me… I… never got to have foals of my own… I… just… wasted my life didn’t I?’

“Willow!” there was the voice again.

‘I… wanted to name my first foal after my mother. If… she was a filly of course…’

“Die, you bastard!” she heard the sound of something piercing flesh and a canine-like whine. A loud crack soon followed.

‘I guess… this is how it was supposed to go… I always wondered what death was like… I wonder… will I dream?’

“Willow! Stay with me!” she could see a figure clouding her blurry vision. Very slowly, she began to lose each of her senses. She couldn’t feel anything. She couldn’t see or hear anything straight.

‘Maybe… they’ll have hayburgers in the afterlife… Mmm, heavenly hayburgers…And maybe some hot stallions…’

A faint smile appeared on her face as the world around her went dark.

“Mmm, yes…,” an old stallion’s voice croaked, “I can see… your blood. It’s weak and thin. Pale is what it is…”

“What could we possibly do to fix this, your affliction?” he continued, “Oh yes… I have the perfect solution for you.”

The sound of jars clinking echoed through the room, “You see, with blood such as yours, it’s a wonder you haven’t become horribly ill. I believe I have something that can help your condition…”

“Oh, your condition isn’t exactly incurable,” his voice scratched as he laughed, “I’m surprised you didn’t feel it sooner really. But with this, you’ll feel a lot better.”

“What is it? Oh, hehe,” he wheezed, “It’s a special mixture I came up with meself. It’ll help you feel all better. However, the process can make you feel a bit… transcendent…”

“Please don’t feel alarmed,” the sound of liquid dripping could be heard, “I assure you everything will be fine. I offered you an opportunity of a lifetime, and you made the right decision coming here. You have nothing to fear, hehe…”

The sound of a wheelchair creaking drew closer, “Now, the mixture is ready. With this, all of your problems will go away.”

“There we are,” the wheelchair scraped closer, “For the next part, I want you to relax. Think happy thoughts. Think of why you’re here, hehehe…”

The sound of something scraping across the floor echoed through the room.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” there was the shuffling of papers, “The first thing you will need, is a contract.”

“No, don’t worry,” he chuckled, “It is only for recording purposes. You’re not the only patient I’ve had.”

The sound of quill scratching parchment.

“Yes, perfect,” he cackled, “Excellent. With this out of the way, we can begin. First, I’d like for you to lie back, and relax your body.”

“Sorry? Oh, yes. I assumed you would ask that,” he said, “Do not worry. As long as you stay away from bad thoughts, this will go by swimmingly.”

The sensation of bandages being wrapped around a limb.

“It’s time to begin,” he continued, “A word of warning, there may be some… effects from this mixture. Not to worry though, it is common among most first time patients.”

“Blood ministration is a common practice here in Equestria,” he stated, “Ponies from all over come here just for blood treatment. Now, be still, this will only be a second…”

There was the sensation of warmth. Vision was clouded. Sound distorted.

“Remember this, my dear… whatever happens… whatever you may see… you may think it all to be a mere bad dream… Heh heh hehe, HAH hah HAHA, hehe HAha!”

It was dark. However, it was anything but silent. There was the subtle crackling of a fire and the soft whisper of a breeze.

There was a bedchamber. In a room with a cobblestone floor and walls, which were covered in dark blue banners with a black dotted trident symbol emblazoned on them. In the wall furthest from the bed, was a large mahogany door with iron hinges and fittings.. On the floor was a rug, colored in a midnight blue hue. There was also a balcony with silky, light blue curtains billowing in the wind.

In the room was a an oakwood table, where wooden plates and a bowl of fruit sat atop it and two chairs sitting around it. In the corners were candles standing upon iron hearths. And in the back of the room, next to the fireplace, was a queen-sized bed. It was the same color scheme as the rest of the adornments in the room, though the sheets were made of shiny silk, and the white, fluffy pillows filled the softest feathers.

Laying on the bed, wrapped in a protective cocoon of bedsheets, was Willow. The lower half of her body was covered up by the sheets; she laid on her side, forelegs tucked in close to her body. Her amber mane was slightly messy, but at the very least it was clean of blood and dirt, and her beige coat was mostly clear of blemishes.

Her neck was wrapped in bandages, though they were stained with droplets of blood. She slept soundly, her breath slow and steady.

Moments went by, until suddenly, she began to stir.

One of her eyes popped open and she sat up, albeit slowly.

“What in the…” she gasped upon gauging her surroundings, “Where… where…”. Scanning around the room, she soon realized that this was nothing like her cottage in the Ponyville thicket. Far from it in fact.

It was far too regal for her taste.

“What the Tartarus did I drink last night?” She groaned, rubbing her temples with her hooves. After moving her body around, she felt the bandages rubbing up against her coat, “What are…” Feeling around her neck, her eyes widened when she realized with they were.

‘Why the fuck am I wearing bandages?!” she screamed internally, her teeth clenching, ‘And why am I in this weird room! Did I make it with a noble or something? No, I don’t smell… hmmm, *sniff* *sniff* Well I don’t think anypony got into my naughty places…’

Frantically, she pulled away the sheets and sat up on the edge of the bed, ‘I gotta get to the bottom of this.’ Her hind legs touched the cold stone floor, and as she did so, a sharp burst of pain shot through her left back leg, “Ouch! What the fu-”

When she first awakened, she had failed to notice the bandages wrapped around her leg. “What happened last night?” she thought aloud. Tapping her hoof against the floor, she winced with each repetition, “Ah, ow. Uff, that hurts. How did I get this?”

Resisting the urge to pull back the bandages and inspect her wound, and instead, she began investigating the rest of the room. To her, nothing appeared out of the norm. It seemed to be a regular bedchamber. At least, as far as bedchambers go. She’d never been anywhere near the inner chambers of a palace, and she’d only visited the one in Canterlot as a tourist, so what exactly one was supposed to look like was beyond her.

What she did know, was that these banners looked nothing like Celestia’s colors or any faction she knew. The trident symbol puzzled her.

“Where is that from?” She wondered aloud, limping toward the banner hanging over the fireplace. Willow sat there staring at it for a while, admiring its foreign-looking design.

“This is so weird,” she muttered, shaking her head, “What happened last night?”

Thinking back, the last thing she could remember was hearing a knock on her door and then… images of a dark forest. The sound of a low, chilling growl. And… pain. Pain of incredibly sharp fangs digging into her flesh.

Willow rubbed at the bandages around her neck, wincing from the phantom pain. She couldn’t quite remember exactly what did this to her, but whatever it was, it was not pleasant. That much she could tell.

In the midst of her thought, the door to the chamber creaked open. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she whirled around to see who entered the room. The metal hinges squeaked as the door swung open and impacted the wall behind it.

The pony who stood there before her, was not one she recognized immediately, but felt that he was oddly familiar. He was ash gray with a darker gray mane and tail with white irises. He was wearing a plain white button up shirt with a brown vest.

“W-who, who are you?” Willow asked, rising up to all fours, “Listen uh, if we had sex or something last night, lemme be the first to apologize for anything stupid I may have done or said.”

The pony before her stood with his lips pursed, an eyebrow arched, “You certainly seem to have great memory,” he muttered, “I assume you’re feeling better? I expected you to still be in bed. Last time I checked, you were sleeping like a newborn foal.”

“Look, two- no three questions!” She snapped, “One, where the fuck am I? Two, how did this happen to me? And three, who the fuck are you?”

He raised both eyebrows before sighing, “You may have to sit for this,” he replied calmly. As he began walking to the table across from him, she got a good view of his cutie mark, which was the same mark as the one on the banners. Just what was that mark?

Complying with his request, she limped over to chair and sat down in front of him.

“Now, for your first question, you are currently in the Hunter Sanctuary, more specifically, my bedchamber,” he began, but noticed the look on Willow’s face, “We didn’t do anything, by the way. Secondly, you were mauled by a Scourge beast after I told you not to run away. And third, my name is Noctus. I can imagine you have some level of amnesia since you had a near-death experience. You lost a lot of blood. If I hadn’t have injected you with a blood vial, you’d probably be dead by now.”

He stopped when saw the puzzled yet horrified look on her face.

“You don’t remember any of this do you?” she shook her head slowly. “Well, either way, after Bones treated your wounds, we gave you more blood just to be on the safe side since you’re a mundane. Or at least, I think you are.”

She still stared at him with a confused expression.

Noctus exhaled, “It seems, I am going to have to refresh your memory.”

“Willow!” Noctus shouted as he watched the beast zip by him into the forest after her. The scratch on his cheek stung, however, what was more important was that he stop the beast from reaching its goal. Like a bat out of hell, he sprinted through the forest, using his natural grace to dance through the trees.

Off in the distance, he could hear Willow screaming.

“No,” he grunted, clenching his teeth as he pushed himself to run faster. I’ll never forgive myself if I let her die.

Another scream. This time, it didn’t sound far. Although Willow got a head start, he doubted she’d be able to outrun the beast. Knowing how clumsy she is, she won’t get far. With that in mind, he increased his pace.

“SOMEPONY! HEELLP~!” he heard he scream. She wasn’t too far now. In the midst of her screaming, he could hear the feral snarling of the beast after her.

“Willow!” he called out for her as he reached for his weapon. Pulling it off his back, he flicked his head and transformed his weapon into a long cleaver. He bit down hard on the handle and stepped past one final tree, where he was greeted with a grisly sight.

The beast was hunched over Willow, its claws holding down her body as it sunk its teeth deep into the supple flesh of her neck. He caught a glimpse of her face; her eyes were wide and red with tears, her mouth agape as she felt pain she’d never felt before, and the look of utter despair etched on her face.

Something within him snapped.

Noctus roared in anguish, using all of his strength to slash into the creature’s hide. The cleaver hit its target with a sickening crunch, impacting the beast’s backside. Recoiling from the impact, the beast was thrown onto its back, a whine escaping from its maw. Intent on finishing the beast, Noctus followed up by jumping into the air and plunged the sharp tip of the cleaver deep into the beast’s abdomen.

With the large weapon now protruding from its stomach, the beast was now immobilized. Noctus then bit down on the metallic mouthpiece connected to his saddle-mounted firearm and took aim at the creature’s head.

“Die, you bastard!” he growled before using his tongue to pull the trigger. A loud crack echoed through the forest. Panting, Noctus let go of the mouthpiece and took a moment to compose himself; the beast’s head was split open from the blast, the projectile having turned its brains into mush.

He wiped away a bit of blood and sweat that collected on his forehead.

“Willow!” he gasped, turning to see her now unconscious form. His heart jumped upon seeing that her eyes were glazed over, shocked to see that despite everything, there was a small smile on her face. Quickly, he sprang into action. “Don’t you die on me.”

He unstrapped the satchel from his bag and tossed onto the ground next to Willow. With not a second to waste, he carefully but swiftly opened his bag, pulling out two rolls of white bandages. Placing the two items on the ground, he then slipped a hoof into the coat pocket on his chest and pulled out a syringe-like object; a vial with reddish substance inside of it was attached to the syringe.

Noctus then leaned forward and pressed his ear against Willow’s chest, listening closely for a pulse.

…

…

…

Nothing.

“Damn!” Noctus went to work on dressing the wounds on her neck, doing his best to stem the flow of blood. First, he pulled the cap off from the syringe and plunged it into her flank. “I pray to Artemis that this works.” The red liquid inside the vial seeped into the need, and then into her body. Noctus pressed on the syringe once more to check if he injected her properly.

Once that was done, he pulled out a vial of clear liquid from his satchel. He pulled off the cap and drank it but did not swallow. Leaning over her wound, he allowed the liquid to drool out from his mouth and onto Willow’s neck.

Upon making contact with her flesh, the liquid hardened as it spread across the area. Willow’s fur was covered in dirt and blood, her once brilliant beige coat was now pale. Blood poured out of her mouth like a river.

“Come on! Stay with me!” he urged, working as fast as he could to save her life. The liquid he poured onto her neck wound was now completely solid, succeeding in plugging up the blood flow from her neck. He hoped the blood vial had been enough to save her.

Not taking any chances, the young Hunter retrieved another vial from his coat pocket and quickly jabbed her flank with it, pressing it down hard. Tossing it off to the side, he listened for her pulse again.

…

Still nothing.

Shit! I’ll have to manually pump the solution into her bloodstream! Left with no other option, Noctus placed both hooves above her heart and began pressing down hard on her chest.

He pressed his mouth against hers, blowing air into her lungs before he continued compressing her chest again. After repeating the process a few times, he stopped and placed his cheek over her mouth to see if she was breathing.

A small breeze from her mouth tickled his cheek.

“Willow!” he leaned down and checked her pulse once more.

…

Thump thump… thump thump… thump thump...

Yes! It worked! He exhaled, relieved that his effort was not completely in vain. Moments passed, and the pallor on her fur faded and the light came back to her eyes. Her chest rose and fell slightly with each breath. Now that she was no longer in danger, Noctus finished wrapping up her wounds, including the bite on her leg.

Bite.

Another realization had dawned on him. The beast had bitten her more than once. Now that she was alive, she should be turning! Rising to his hooves, he kicked a lever on his saddle and readied another round to fire.

Please let me be right He bit down on the mouthpiece, ready to fire if she showed signs of Turning. In most cases, as soon as a pony is bitten, they quickly being transforming into fledgling beasts. Her fur is still the same color. Limbs still intact. No fangs growing. By the Huntress, could it be?

Noctus released the mouthpiece and eased himself up. Kneeling down on her side, he noticed that her eyes were still open, however she was unconscious. At least she was no longer in danger of dying.

Looks like she’s all patched up. For now that is. I have to get her out of here.

He used his natural strength to pick her up onto his back, being careful not to poke her with one of his weapons.

“Ugh, you’re a lot heavier than you look,” he laughed despite himself. Quickly but carefully, he carried her over to the lamp, wary of the fact that there may be more beasts on the way. Some time passed, and he finally reached the mysterious lamp again.

With Willow still on his back, he reached for the lamp as he bowed his head and closed his eyes. Not a second later, and the lamp’s light glowed brightly, and Noctus’s body became transparent; almost as if he was disappearing.

And soon he did. His body along with Willow disappeared completely. Where they went, only he knew. The lamp died down afterwards, it’s light regressing back into a gentle glow, waiting for the next Hunter to use its gateway.

“And that’s what happened,” Noctus finished as munched away at one of the apples from the wooden bowl.

Willow only stared at him, eyes wide open and mouth agape.

“I died?! But that’s crazy!” she argued, “How could that happen? I can’t remember any of that, ya know?!” Noctus cringed. “And, and, I barely understand anything you told me!”

Despite her unrest, he smiled, “Don’t worry,” he assured, tossing the apple core off to the side. “I believe you’ll understand in time. I’m afraid you’re going to have to go with it for now. And what a way to show gratitude.”

“Oh, this is crazy!” she placed her elbows on the table. “I have to get back home! I need to go home and make sure everything’s okay!”

“You can’t,” he said sternly, crossing his hooves. “As of now, a new beast scourge has begun running rampant all across Equestria. The ponies who are unfortunate enough to get caught outside after the hunt begins usually get killed and eaten, or bitten and then subsequently turned into one of them. Those wounds there,” he gestured to her bandages, “That was the work of a beast. Consider yourself lucky. Whatever kept you from turning- I-I don’t know for sure, but I do have a sort of a hunch as to what it is.”

“And that is?” Willow asked worriedly.

“I’ll tell you later,” he replied before rising to his hooves. “Now, come with me. They’re expecting us.”

“Who?”

“Master Keg and the High Council.”

Her ears fell in confusion. “Master who and the high wha?” she tilted her head, an eyebrow arched.

“You’ll see soon enough,” he reopened the door and stood beside it. “C’mon.”

He gestured to the door and Willow rose up from her seat and limped over to the door. “Would you mind carrying me?” she asked, wiggling her injured hind leg at him.

“I had to carry your unconscious body after your near fatal mistake,” he replied haughtily as she walked past him. “Once you’ve carried me unconscious on your back, I’ll return the favor.”

“I’ll be sure to take you up on that, ya know,” she batted her eyelashes at him with a smirk.

Noctus groaned as she stepped out of the room and into the corridor, favoring her left hind leg as she walked. “Once again, with the ‘ya know'. Ugh, this is surely to be a long night.”

He closed the door shut.

End Chapter 1

Author's Note

Here's the next installment. The second official chapter is already in the works and I have the next few planned already. However, before I start writing them, I have to finish writing the next chapter for Lost in the Rhythm and this other oneshot I have in the works.

I'll make a blog about them later. For now, enjoy! :)