Night of the Hunt

by Calamity Jay

Rating: mature
Tags: Mystery, Horror, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Nightmare Moon, Thriller
Length: 58787

The blood moon approaches. In one night, nightmares become reality, and from the shadows they will emerge to prowl the night in search of blood.

For the past millennia, after Luna's banishment, at the peak of the annual Nightmare Night celebration, a strange phenomena has plagued the mystical land of Equestria. On that night, a moon as red as blood rises in the sky. When this phenomena occurs, dark beasts emerge from the shadows to prowl the night in search of blood. On that night, nightmares become reality as ponies go mad upon being exposed to the Blood Moon's crimson rays while bloodthirsty beasts hunt them down.

The task to keep the beasts at bay falls down to the Hunter Order, an ancient organization in Celestia's employ who fight to keep Equestria free from the beast scourge and the night from becoming eternal.

Meanwhile, a young mare will soon discover her identity as a Hunter, and reluctantly tries to fulfill her duties while embarking on a journey to discover the darker secrets behind the causes of the Blood Moon.

Editing done by: Camolot the Creator

Published 2017-03-20 21:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2018-02-04 17:07:31 UTC

Prologue - Eve of the Hunt

Night of the Hunt

Written by: Jay the Stormtrooper
Editors: Camolot the Creator and Mr. Derpface

"Hmm, seems to be a full moon tonight."

The rhythmic creaking of an old rocking chair echoed around the balcony, drowning out the sound of the fire in the hearth. Svelte, silk curtains billowed in the gentle breeze of the balcony door.. The sky was devoid of clouds, the moon shining in all of its glory across the cityscape of the Equestrian capital city, Canterlot. The crown jewel which rested atop an enormous mountain that overlooked the towns and villages below it. An aged Earth stallion chuckled to himself and sighed as he stared out into the night, his graying mane and beard clashing with his olive coat.

He gazed at the heavens, watching the shooting stars dash across the cosmos, smiling to himself. Chewing on a lit pipe, he took a long drag before exhaling, allowing the smoke to fume out from his mouth. "A truly wondrous night."

"Master?" An adolescent Unicorn mare appeared from the office behind him and stepped past the curtains. Her white mane was tied into a bun, and sky blue coat shimmered in the moonlight. She blinked her purple-rimmed eyes, smiling as she spotted her mentor. "Talking to yourself again, I see."

"What else is an old stallion such as myself to do when he’s alone?" He chuckled, pulling the wooden pipe from his mouth. "How are you feeling, Azy? I hope our training session today was nothing too difficult?"

"Not… extremely difficult," she huffed out a laugh. "We've certainly done other exercises that are far more strenuous than the ones we did today.”

“Indeed we have,” he chuckled. “Even so, you’re always so eager to face down any threat you come across. Which leads me to believe that I’ve taught you almost everything I know, and that you’ve grown into a capable mare.”

The young mare trotted slowly to the balcony and stood next to him. “Do you really think so, Master?” she asked. “Have I really grown that much?”

“Why yes, heh,” he took the pipe out of his mouth, smoke fuming from his mouth. “If I didn’t think so, I would not be saying so."

She giggled briefly as she sat back on her rump, tail hugging her flank. A somber expression fell upon her face as she stared up at the sky, very aware of what was coming tomorrow night.

“Master? Could I ask you something?”

"Of course, my dear apprentice," he agreed with a nonchalant wave of his hoof.

"I am a bit... nervous. Scared almost." She looked at the ground as she confessed, pawing at it slowly. "This is… the first time I’ve ever been apart of a hunt. What if I… you know.”

"My dear, you have been training since you were first Awakened," he replied firmly. "You have the Blood flowing in your veins. This is something that you were born to do and you shall do it well."

"Are you sure of that, Master?" she asked, looking up at him hopefully. He reached over and ruffled her mane with his hoof. "Hee hee, Master please, hee hee." She moved away from his hoof. He fell into a laughing fit, smoke fuming from his pipe. "You know I hate when you do that."

"Oh I know," he said, coming down from his mirth. "Ever since I took you under my metaphorical wing, you've never liked that. So young and eager to learn, you were. And, that fire has yet to fade. No matter what, in my eyes, you will always be that enthusiastic little filly I met ten years ago. Since then, you've grown into a talented young mare. Remember, I've taught you everything that I know."

He looked down at her with his gray irises, framed by a scar running down the side of his left eye. "I have the utmost faith in you, Azure, and the highest expectations as well. You have the makings of a Master in you, and one day you may just take my place."

She smiled sheepishly back up at him, a strong feeling of affection for her Master burning in her heart. All her young life, she had seen him as her father. The memories of her past had long since faded since she had been Awakened. With no other parental figure to look up to, she began to see him as such. However, she made sure to keep the boundary between master and apprentice; although in her late fillyhood, she had accidentally called him 'father,' and even 'daddy' at one point.

To which he would react by laughing and taking her to do another rigorous training exercise.

"You really think I'd be a good Master?"

"I know so, my dear," he chuckled.

The two of them turned their gazes back to the firmament, watching the moon as it slowly ascended.

"It's almost time isn't it?" Azure asked.

"What is today?" he asked, removing the pipe from his mouth.

"The eve before Nightmare Night," she replied. "Tomorrow night all of the fillies and colts will be out and about. Collecting sweets and taking part in the festivities of the annual holiday. Oh, if they only knew what happened when the night reaches its peak."

"When their holiday ends, our work begins. It is better they do not know," he grumbled as he pulled a worn hunting cap that was hanging off the edge of his chair and placed it on is head, ears poking through the holes cut into the brim. "Do me a favor. Fetch me my wheelchair, will you?" She nodded and trotted back into his study, reemerging a moment later while pushing an old wooden wheelchair with her purple magical aura.

"Shall I assist you, Master?"

"No, no, I am quite capable." He used his upper body strength to lift his rump off the rocking chair, and Azure moved the wheelchair closer for him to sit down on its worn cushioned leather seat . He shakily stood on his hind legs and used his forelegs to keep himself steady as he transferred himself to the mobile chair. With a grunt, he twisted his body around and placed his rear down onto it with a sigh, tail sticking out from the back. "There we are. Shall we get moving?"

Together, they left the balcony of their tower, which was situated in the Royal Palace overlooking the rest of the city. They reentered the building, where the fireplace cast an eerie orange glow over the room. A desk covered with books and unopened letters stood proudly on the left side of the study. At the back of the desk was a large wooden chest that held many trinkets and treasures. Several layers of shelves climbed the wall above, which held bottles of various elixirs and potions, and some vials and jars of blood and organs of different kinds. A wooden workbench riddled with tools of all kinds stood on the other side of the room.

Disassembled weapons and firearms lay strewn across it; the wall behind was adorned with weapons of peculiar design, most seeming like overly large saws and knives in nature. Nearly all were in various stages of assembly. Bookshelves overflowing with tomes lined the walls of the study, dust thickly covering them and the stacks of books that had not yet been replaced.

In the very epicenter of the room was a peculiar looking lantern hanging from a three-foot pole. The glow it gave off was ominous, yet comforting in a hypnotic way. Its white light was slightly dimmer than that of the fireplace.

Almost as if it were dormant.

"Well, Azy, will you do the honors?" he smiled, gesturing toward the dim lantern as they approached it.

"Time to get to work then, Master?" she asked with a small smile.

"Indeed it is," he nodded for her to resume. She slowly approached the lantern. When she reached it, her horn lit up and she closed her eyes. A moment later, the lantern was suddenly shining brightly in the study, casting its gray light over them and shining out the windows. Azure opened her eyes and looked back at her flank, where her half-moon Cutie Mark began to change, rippling as it transformed into a trident-like symbol, with the three forks converging on a small circle below. "Mmm, the others will arrive soon. We must be off."

"Does this mean we have to go to... the meeting place?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Yes, it is time for us to go, my dear Azy," he replied. "And there will be much to do. I fear this night will be a long one."

"Don't worry, Master," Azure giggled. "The Hunt will be over before you know it..."

"...And whatever happens, it will all seem like a mere bad dream," he continued, laughing along with her. "Now, we must be off, Azy.”

"Yes, Master." Azure leaned close to the lantern and reached out with her hoof. She closed her eyes and focused.

Suddenly, their forms began to distort. Within seconds, their bodies appeared to be ethereal, until they disappeared entirely, transmitting themselves to another unknown place. The fire inside the hearth was suddenly extinguished as the pair disappeared from the room, the mysterious lamp the remaining source of light. Silence fell across the study. The moonlight shone through the curtains as they billowed in the soft wind.

"Tomorrow, the Hunt begins. And we must be prepared for a long night."

Author's Note

Here it is, guys. I told you I'd get this out someday! Get ready to embark on another journey, folks! I assure you, this will be a good one.

Much thanks to my editors for their work, my friends on fimfic for giving me their views on the story itself, and most of all thank you guys for giving this new story a chance. The next chapter has already been posted!

Peace out and have a good week :)

Chapter 1 - Nightfall

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! :)

Chapter 2 - The Sanctuary

The hallway stretched before Willow’s eyes as she walked beside Noctus. The hallway itself, dark stone that seemed to shift at the corners of Willow's eyes, sloped up to a peak near the roof, regularly supported by carved buttresses. Iron candelabras, covered with candles of all shapes and sizes, were placed between rich, detailed tapestries, which seemed to define events of the past: here, a grey unicorn wielded hammer and tongs, forging a wicked blade. There, a yellow pegasus, feathers tipped with weapons, sent creatures scrambling. Beneath her hooves, a carpet, wine red and slightly worn by the passage of many hundreds over many years. Vaguely, she wondered if the color had been a deliberate aesthetic choice, or was selected out of practicality; she doubted that any red liquid would show up easily amongst the dyed fibers.

As the two of them traversed the hallway, she spotted several door that seemed to stem from the hallway they were in, each possibly leading to different rooms. If she were to guess this was probably the dormitory section of the castle- or, whatever this place was. Willow knew one thing: this was far different from the Royal Palace in Canterlot. She remembered the ivory-colored walls and polished stone-tile floors; the lush flower garden that lay outside the entryway. Most of all, she remembered she had the opportunity to meet Celestia in her throne room, sitting there in all her glory, with the light of the sun shining through the stained glass windows that lined the hall.

It was truly a sight for her to behold.

However, now, she was stuck in this dark and dreary place. Though she couldn’t quite place it, the atmosphere of this place reminded her of something heavy and overbearing. As if there was a constant sense of dread. Or perhaps it was of her volition. Her hooves shook with each step, her leg wound was sore and difficult to move with.

“Willow, are you alright?” Noctus asked from her side. Her eyes were fixated on the hall in front of her in a wide-eyed gaze. He tapped her on the shoulder. “I said, are you alright?”

“Huh?” She broke out of her stupor. “I-I’m sorry it’s just… this just doesn’t feel real for some reason.”

“What do you mean?” He stopped her in the middle of the hallway.

“This all feels like a dream or.. or a nightmare” she whispered to him, her eyes glued to the floor, “Everything that’s happened. The thing that attacked me, meeting you, and then taking me to this place. It just doesn’t feel right. It all happened so fast!”

Noctus bit at the inside of his lip then sighed. “Look, Willow,” he lifted her chin up with hoof and stared into her bright green eyes. “Trust me, all the answers to your questions will be provided soon enough. As I’ve said, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and continued trotting down the torch-lit hallway. Willow struggled to catch up with him, her left hind leg burning from the effort. An uneasy expression adorned her face as they exited the hallway, entering into another corridor and turned to the left.

For the first time that night, Willow was relieved to see other ponies. This passageway seemed to be a conflux for other corridors, almost as if this was sort of a central hub for the rest of the castle. In front of her, off in the distance, she saw other ponies whom she assumed to be Hunters like Noctus, dressed in a similar fashion he was. From this distance, she couldn’t figure out their features. The same wine red carpet was draped over the gray cobblestone floor, and numerous torches lined the walls, adding more light to the slightly dim area. Moonlight poured in from windows that were set in between the torch sconces, the openings just wide enough to let in a hint of the outside.

Lining the hallway on both sides were different passages, most likely leading to different sections of the building.

“What is this place?” She asked Noctus.

“This is the Main Hallway,” he answered, “From here, you have access to the rest of the Sanctuary. All you have to do is know where you’re going. Now come, we must get moving.” He took off the down the hall and Willow followed suit. As they walked, Willow’s ears perked up as she heard the sound of heavy grunts and shouts. They passed by a doorway and she caught a glimpse of what was inside.

Inside the room were two Hunters twirling and clashing with wooden weapons amongst a cavalcade of wooden dummies that lined the walls along with several other wooden contraptions Willow assumed were used for training.. One was a bright green unicorn holding a wooden broadsword in his magical grasp, and the other was a bright blue earth pony holding a thinner bokken in his mouth. She stopped for a second to observe. The two ponies almost seemed to be locked in a dance; they jumped in the air, twisting their bodies as their weapons clashed. Though the unicorn seemed to have the advantage with his magic, the earth pony was faster and was on the offensive while his opponent did his best to block his attacks.

The two combatants were so lost in their duel that they failed to notice Willow staring.

“Come,” Noctus urged. “We mustn't interrupt. It’d be rude. Come on.” She gave the two of them one last look before turning away. Willow peered through several other doorways they passed by, each room holding different things such as crates, barrels, armor racks, and other items. More than likely, they were all just supply rooms. Each doorway had a rounded arch at the top that seemed to be incredibly worn down over time. Just how old was this place?

That question would have to wait.

Suddenly, a sort of… pony, approached her.

Willow froze in her tracks before the large creature in front of her. He or whatever it was, wore a sort of black buttoned tunic and wore a black feathery coat that was split down the middle, almost as if they were wings. On its was a mask with an elongated beak, much like a bird’s, with two eyeholes. The mask was topped by a black pointed hat. The garb the creature wore completely covered its body and face, so she was not able to see if this thing was a pony or pegasus.

Or if it was equine at all.

“So,” a raspy male voice breathed from inside the mask. “What do we have here? An outsider? How peculiar.”

Willow let out a whimper as she shrunk before the thing in front of her.

“This is quite a sight,” he let out a chuckle, “You don’t see ponies like you in the Sanctuary. In fact, it’s forbidden. I’ve always wondered, what does a mundane pony’s blood taste like?”

She felt her knees were about to give out.

“Had your fun already, Crixus?” Noctus shot him a hard glare as he stepped in front of Willow, who was about to faint. “In case you didn’t know, the Council has summoned us and you are causing an interruption. It would be quite rude if you made us late.”

“Heheheh, I assume the Council has summoned you because of this one?” he glanced at Willow, his mask covering his smirk. “You best be careful, Noctus. I’m sure you know bringing in outsiders is deeply forbidden.”

“I’m well aware of that,” he muttered in reply, “However, this case is different, I assure you.”

“Oh? Then what is she? A potential mate?” the stallion teased. “Are you going to receive permission to breed with this mare? If so, then her blood must be strong, indeed. I wish I was able to sample her.”

Willow gasped and immediately hid behind Noctus.

“Alright, enough, Crixus,” he growled, “We must be on our way. Please go bother somepony who isn’t busy.”

“I suppose I shall, heheheh,” he cackled, “Make sure you keep doing your job right, Hunter. Or I’ll have to do my job, hahahah!” His raucous laughter echoed from down the hall as he trotted away.

After he left, Willow was able to regain control of her breathing.

“Wh-Who was that? What was that?” She whimpered.

“That was the pegasus known as Crixus,” he replied, “And as for what he is, he’s a Raven.”

“You mean like, he’s part bird or something?” Willow asked, but mentally slapped a hoof against her face. Of course he’s part bird you idiot! He’s a pegasus for Celestia’s sake!

“No, Ravens are Hunters who keep other Hunters like me in check by making sure we follow the Rules of the Hunt, as well as staying true to our oaths as Hunters of the Order.”

“So they’re like, a police force?”

“Precisely,” he nodded, “They make sure that us Hunters don’t become drunk from bloodthirst, and fall to the Lust.”

“What happens if you disobey the laws or… do whatever you just said?” she asked. Noctus suddenly turned away from her. “Noctus?”

“If a Hunter ever went rogue, the Ravens immediately hunt them down,” he answered. “Ponies in the Order don’t particularly like the Ravens.”

“Why is that?”

“Because of what you just saw,” he gestured for her to follow as she continued down the main hallway. “The Ravens often let their pride consume them, which is why they act as if they’re better than the rest of us.”

“That’s so horrible, ya know?” Willow gasped, staying close to Noctus. “I already kinda don’t like this place.”

“You’ll get used to it, trust me.”

They continued down the hallway, passing by several Hunters along the way; many of whom would stop to greet Noctus, but would only give Willow as suspicious glare when they finished. Eventually, she had to ask why the Council wanted to see her.

“So,” she began, glancing over at him, “Why does the Council, or whatever want to see me?”

“The Council is going hold a special session regarding your fate,” Noctus answered.

Willow’s ears fell. “What the heck does that mean?”

“Please stop with the questions,” Noctus begged irritably.

Suddenly, another pony stopped in front of them, this time a bright red unicorn stallion with a white mane and tail with streaks of crimson. He was dressed in a sort of white hooded robe, its color clashing with his red coat.

“Oh! Noctus! Hello!” he greeted brightly. “How goes it?”

“Very good, Bones,” Noctus smiled back and the two of them bumped hooves.

Well, at least not everypony here is a brooding cynic or a cocky asshole Willow giggled to herself.

“So, how is my former patient?” He turned towards with a wide grin etched on his face. “Doing well I hope? After all, you did have a severe class III laceration near your jugular vein, as well as a class II laceration with a tibial fracture on your left hind leg. Luckily Noctus here used a hardening salve to cover up the wounds before they got infected or worse, as well as properly dressing it. Sanguinaire taught you well, didn’t she?”

“That she did,” Noctus laughed. For the first time, she had seen Noctus show a different side to his seemingly stony persona. “But I believe she’s been recovering well. Right, Willow?”

“Uh,” her eyes darted between the grinning unicorn and Noctus,who bore an uncharacteristic smile. “Uh, I guess? I’m sorry, I just- I don’t really know who you are.”

“It seems introductions are in order,” the stallion chuckled, “My name is Crimson Suture. I am a Healer for the Order, but most ponies address me by the name of ‘Bones’.”

“So it’s kind of a nickname, then?” Willow asked.

“I suppose you could say that,” Bones shrugged, “Now, your wounds appeared to have healed nicely. I injected you with a couple of blood vials as to replace the blood you lost during the little… altercation you experienced in the forest near Ponyville.”

“I can hardly remember what happened,” Willow rubbed her bandaged shoulder, the feeling of those teeth sinking into her flesh made her shiver. “Somehow, I think that’s a good thing, ya know?”

“Yes indeed,” Bones’s grin shrank into a grimace for a moment before he perked himself back up. “Nevertheless, I’m glad you’re back in good health.”

Willow felt a warmth in her heart. “Thank you, for all your help,” Willow grinned sheepishly as a shade of red fell across her muzzle and she flicked her gaze to the floor.

Bones laugh, and she looked up to see him smirking at her, before he shifted his gaze to Noctus. “She really is impressionable isn’t she, Noctus?”

A small smile appeared on his face.

Willow scrunched up her nose in adorable anger; a deep red blush on her cheeks.

“It seems this is where I take my leave,” Bones chuckled. “I’ll see you soon, Noctus. We should have a drink in the dining hall before you go out on your next hunting trip.”

“Yes, we should. Goodbye, Bones,” the two of them bumped hooves and Bones made his way down the opposite end of the hall. Noctus watched his friend trot away then looked back at Willow.

She had an angry look on her face. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Something the matter?”

Willow began to growl at him. “Why you- you- you’re a big jerk, ya know!” she lifted a hoof and attempted to slug him a good one across the face.

In the blink of an eye, Noctus lifted a hoof and blocked her jab with relative ease.

Willow stared wide-eyed at Noctus' unbelievable reflexes. “How did you…?”

“Willow, please,” he scowled at her. “Can you not?”

“But, but I- how did?” she stammered. “Oh never mind.” She put her hoof back down onto the ground in defeat.

“Enough dawdling,” Noctus grunted. “We must get to the Gathering Hall. Come.”

Fortunately, their little spat did not catch the attention of passersby. Willow and Noctus resumed their journey through the Sanctuary. They turned left into a doorway that lead downwards onto a small staircase.

The room before them was slightly bigger than the hallway they had just been in beforehand. In the center of a room was a long oak-wood table that ran down the length of the chamber; draped over the table was a wine red cloth. Atop it sat several candelabras, and around the table were numerous wooden, cushioned chairs. On the far side of the room was another table, but it sat on a raised platform above the other table with a total of eight chairs sitting behind it.

To her, it almost seemed as if that table was more important than the other one.

Hanging above the longer table were three banners with the same trident symbol, but this time the banner was the same color as the table cloth. Another set of banners sat behind the smaller table, with a larger one in the middle. If she were to take a guess, she would say that this room was a gathering place for the Hunters. On the wall opposite the small table, was a set of double doors under an archway. More than likely that lead to a kitchen.

Willow spared a glance upward at the large iron chandelier, Noctus not even paying the slightest of notice to the mass of metal, and was surprised to see that it was quite detailed for a thing made of such practical and common material. Beautiful swirls and delicate whorls of the black metal spider-webbed between the main arms, the occasional candle perched on the delicate fingers that spanned the mass: even the candle holders were delicately and loving crafted in a feathered design. The effect was similar to that of a flock of white birds perched on the branches of a tree, and was quite lovely, in its own mysterious way.

“Is this the place?” She asked curiously.

“No, this is the Dining Hall,” he replied, “The Gathering Hall lies in a corridor beyond that passageway over there, on the other side of the room.”

Willow took another look at the banners hanging from the arched ceiling. “Noctus, what does that symbol mean?”

He stopped in his stride and glanced at the banner. “Ah, I haven’t explained that yet, have I?” Willow shook her head. “In short, it is the symbol of the Hunter Order. As for what it represents, well… you’ll have to learn another time. Now come on, and save your questions until later.”

They passed through the dining room and approached another doorway that lead into yet another passageway, this one more compact. In front of them stood a staircase that ran up the wall and lead to the second level of the area they were. To their left and right were hallways that lead to other parts of the castle. Noctus and Willow began climbing the staircase.

After reaching the second level, Willow and Noctus trotted through another doorway and out into another hall, this one was more cavernous than the rest. To their right was a dead end, so the two of them turned to their left and made their way down the large corridor.

Willow’s eyes scanned the area as several little trinkets and treasures caught her eyes. Gigantic tapestries lined the walls, each of them depicting a portrait of ponies, all standing in a wide variety of positions and poses. However, to her they all seemed to hold the same expression. Below the paintings were cases that held weapons that were simple in design, but as they walked further down, they became more complex and modernized.

As they stepped out into another corridor, Willow could not help but blink. The previous passages had been decorated, to be sure: elegant in their design and their assembly, their carefully constructed tapestries and candelabras. This corridor, however, was nothing short of opulent. The walls were lined with a number of decorations and displays: sets of armor, no two completely alike. Paintings, depicting scenes of incredible variety from picturesque cities to dark chambers: a few hurt to look at, the world seeming to twist around her as she did so, and her eyes avoided them. Cases, crystal clear and free of anything resembling age or neglect, lined with the softest and most luxurious velvet and holding weapons of startling array, some polished to a mirror sheen and others stained permanently from long years of use.

“Noctus, what is this place?” Willow asked stopping in her tracks on the wine red carpet that covered the floor. “There’s these huge paintings and stuff all over the place!”

Her voice echoed off the walls.

“This, is the Hall of Masters,” Noctus answered, gesturing to the area with a hoof. “These paintings are of all the different Masters of the Order that have long since passed. Come, I’ll show you an interesting one.” He walked a little ways further down the hall until he stopped in front of a painting. “Look.”

Willow stood next to him and eyed the painting. Depicted was a pony with fur as black as night, standing next to a small pedestal with an urn full of something she didn’t want to imagine the origin of. His grey eyes clashed with his dark coat, and his mane was a slightly darker shade of grey than his eyes and coat. He wore a leather trench coat, much like the one Noctus wore -perhaps a little too similar- and held what looked like a cane in his left hoof, the bottom of it resting on the floor below him. On top of his head was a top hat, ears poking through holes in the brim.

As if to complete his get up, he wore a very stern look on his face. Willow could feel his piercing gaze burning into her soul. What also creeped her out was it seemed like his eyes seemed to follow her.

“Who is this?” She asked.

“His name was Nox Luminis,” Noctus replied, wearing a somber expression yet… there was a sense of pride in his voice. “He helped settle the Order during the Great Scourge of the Second Era. After that, he was named the sixth Master of the Order, thus ushering in the beginning of the Third Era.”

“Wow that’s, uh…” Willow bit her lip, an unsure expression forming on her face. “Great? I mean, he did the thing with the the whatchamacallit, and Nox Loo-loo-men-iz…? Sounds like a great guy, ya know!” She finished on a high note and bounced on her hooves to show for it.

Noctus simply looked down at her bemusedly, his brow arched. Willow felt herself shrink under his piercing gaze.

Piercing gaze. For some reason she felt that the stallion in the painting and Noctus would have gotten along a little too well.

“Uh, what?”

“Nothing,” Noctus grunted, shaking his head.“Follow me, the Council chambers are this way.” Willow hesitated for a second, inspecting the tapestry more closely. Beneath it was a case that held the same cane from the painting. If she had to guess, she would say it was a weapon of sorts. Considering everything she’s seen, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was. On the top of the painting was a plate with engraving notched into it. She squinted her eyes to read what it’s said.

“Nocty!” She called out.

The young Hunter felt the hairs on his back stood up as the name reached his ears. He slowly back pedalled until he stood next to Willow again. He felt his eye twitch.

“Care to explain why you called me that?” He half-growled.

“C’mere!” she beckoned him with a hoof. “What does the thing at the top of the painting say?” He looked up towards the engraving for a moment.

“It says, ‘Inducet Lucem Noctis Paenitentiam’,”he recited perfectly. The language was something that Willow had never heard in her whole life.

“Uh…” she stared at him, mouth agape and ears flat. “And that means?”

“It means, ‘Bring The Dawn, Relent The Night’,” he answered. “Every Master has their last words recorded and emblazoned on their tombs and their tapestries in this hall. Nox was probably one of the most talented Hunters that ever lived.”

Willow scratched at her mane. “This all sounds interesting, but honestly, I have no idea what any of it means. And for some reason, I’ve been feeling that a lot lately, ya know!”

“You’ll learn in time, Will-”

“You keep fuckin’ saying that!” She pointed a hoof at him accusingly, frustration boiling up inside her. “You haven’t given me any of the answers I need, ya know! And what was with that language you spoke? I’ve never even heard of that! Another thing, I wanna know why- mmppff!”

Next thing she felt was Noctus’ hoof forcibly covering her mouth.

All the while he wore that familiar look of bemusement. “Honestly, would it help if I took you to a room for you to scream in? Because this is hardly the place to be doing so.”

She knocked his hoof away from her mouth, an indignant look on her face.

“Yes, yes it would actually,” she closed her eyes and turned her nose upwards.

“Right, well, perhaps later,” Noctus continued down the hall. “Come. We’re already late as it is.” Willow galloped to catch up with him. “And a fair word of warning to you, I’d advise that you keep your emotions in check when you’re speaking with the Council. I guarantee they won’t take kindly to an outburst of confusion and rage like the one you demonstrated. I promise you’ll get all the answers you seek, but you must be patient.”

Willow sighed and lowered her head. “Yeah, alright, I guess.”

At the end of the hall stood two wooden double doors, carved with scenes of figures in a variety of clothing and wielding an array of weapons battling with twisted beasts. The doors exuded authority, majesty, and a certain sense of foreboding, which was reinforced by the pair of guards that stood to either side. Willow noted, with a certain sense of apprehension, that they greatly resembled Crixus, the pony that had made such strange, veiled threats to Noctus. Their faces were masked, but Willow had the unsettling feeling that they were watching her intently, simply waiting for a chance to do… something. She shuddered slightly, and edged a little closer to Noctus, who acknowledged her movement with a flicker of his ears, but said nothing.

He, however, approached them without faltering. “The Council has summoned us. May we go in?”

“You’re late, Noctus,” the Raven on the right growled through his mask. His voice was not as creepy as Crixus’, but there was a strong sense of disapproval in his tone.

“Yes, quite late,” the Raven on the left added, however this voice was feminine, yet glided like smooth silk across satin. “The Council has been expecting you for some time. I suggest you go in posthaste.”

Without another word, Noctus nodded and walked past them, pushing past the door. Willow, of course, hesitated again, but after receiving blank yet terrifying stares from the Ravens, she quickly high-tailed it into the next room, the doors shutting closed behind her.

“You are late, Noctus.”

A shrewd-sounding voice echoed around the room as Willow entered. The chamber before her was quite a marvel. Alcoves with brightly-lit flames burning inside them lined the walls of the cavernous Gathering Hall. It had a domed ceiling with a chandelier hanging from it; its candles currently lit. In front of her sat an arched table, similar to that of a semi-circle oak table. Behind the table sat a group of ponies, whom she assumed was the High Council Noctus warned her about. In front of them were two chairs set behind a smaller wooden table. There were eight of them in total, with red and white striped banners hanging off the edge where each seat was placed.

The room itself was quadrilateral, and the wall behind the Council were three banners; each with different designs. The to the left held a coat of arms; from what she could see, it was designed with a shield crossed by a sword and a wing. In the quadrants of the shield were several designs that she couldn’t make out from this distance. The one on the right bore a similar design, a shield but with the black silhouette of what looked like a bird. She assumed it was from the Ravens. And the larger one in the center stood out. It was the same shield coat-of-arms, but with the familiar trident crossing the shield, two wings spread out on its sides, a sun and moon emblem in its center, along with two swords crossed near the bottom of the shield, with what looked like two scrolls of parchment rolled across the top and the bottom.

On the parchments were words that she could not even begin to pronounce.

“Please, sit,” one of the ponies asked. She was far too nervous to look any of them in the eyes. Their presence alone weighed down on her shoulders; a dense air about them that reeked of authority and demanded respect.

Willow carefully sat down on the cushioned wooden chair, crossing her back legs as they dangled off the edge, tail protruding out from the back. Noctus took the seat next to her. She glanced over at him to see if he had anything to say, but his eyes were focused on the Council before them. His face bore no legible expression, but she could feel that he was as nervous as she was, though he was trying to hide it.

“Now, shall we begin?” she heard a stallion’s voice speak up. Willow looked up and saw a unicorn mare stand up from her seat, while the others remain seated. She had a cobalt blue coat with a purple mane and teal-colored eyes. The mare seemed to be middle-aged, as there were visible wrinkles on her face. In fact, most of the ponies all seemed to be pretty old.

“As Head Councilmare,” she began, her voice sounding stuffy and refined, “I hereby commence the 282nd session of Council, date Year 999 Anno Celestia in the Third Era, marked as urgent session due to special circumstance.”

Off to the far right of the table was a bespectacled stone-colored unicorn stallion with a silver mane and light blue eyes, who was writing down things on a sheet of parchment. More than likely, she was making record everything that was being said.

“Now that we have begun, I would first like to introduce our... newcomer to the current Council members so that she may address them correctly,” she gave Willow a stern look. “Currently residing as the 9th Master of the Order is Master Powder Keg , seated to my right.” An olive-colored stallion with a gray mane and ash grey eyes. He chewed on a lit pipe in his mouth, smoke wafting out from the tip. On his head he wore a hunting cap. From what Willow could see, he was also sitting in a wheelchair.

“To the right of Master Keg, is the current Vice Councilor, Master Arion.”

A midnight blue stallion with a pitch black mane and maroon eyes smiled at her genially and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Seated at the far right is our current Weapon Master, Master Iron Side.”

An ebony stallion with an arctic blue mane with eyes of the same color sat there with his hooves crossed. He nodded at her and smiled.

“Next to him is our Chief Medical Officer, Mistress Sanguinaire.”

A mare with a mauve coat, wine red mane and eyes sat there with a neutral expression, offering no acknowledgment to Willow.

“And last on the right is our Quartermaster, Mistress Patience.”

A mare with a buttery-yellow coat ginger mane and brown eyes sat there with a toothpick in her mouth and her forelegs crossed, a somewhat angry scowl on her face.

“To my left, is our current Disciplinarian, Master Zeron.”

A pegasus stallion with a slate blue coat, sage mane, and golden eyes sat there with the same look as Patience had. Only this time, Willow felt legitimate fear as she looked the stallion in the eyes.

“And last, but certainly not least, is our current Historian, Master Moonlight.”

The stallion paid Willow no heed as he focused on recording what was said.

“Now that you know their names, I expect you to address them properly,” she croned. “As for me, I am Head Councilor Minela. You shall refer to me as only Head Councilmare. You are to address the others by their titles as well, however you will not speak unless spoken to. Are we clear?”

Willow nodded her head meekly.

“Speak up, filly!” she ordered.

“Y-yes!” Willow gasped out.

“Correctly!” she heard Zeron growl with a gruff voice.

“Y-yes, Head C-councilmare…” Willow’s voice failed her as she saw the looks they were giving her.

Minela frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her answer, but continued regardless.

“With that out of the way,” she looked down at the table, shuffling through papers with her magic. “Does anypony have an opening statement before I begin?”

Zeron raised hoof, his scowl wrinkling his scarred face. “With your permission, Head Councilmare, I would like to give my opinion on the matter.”

“Permission granted.” Minela nodded at him, sitting back down in her seat.

“Very well,” he rose up from his seat and cleared his throat. “Now, my fellow Masters of the Council, as the Chief Disciplinarian and Master of the Ravens Guild, I feel it necessary to express my disdain for this special session we are holding.”

His voice echoed like a thunderstorm within the Council chamber.

“As you all are aware,” he resumed, “That mare Noctus has brought before us is an outsider! Head Councilor Minela!”

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m sure you along with everypony else are aware that ponies like her do not belong here!” Zeron slammed a hoof down onto the table. Willow was sure that it caused a crack or two. “According to the laws set by Lady Artemis and the First Council, outsiders, mundane or otherwise, are forbidden from entering the halls of the Sanctuary!”

“Let me ask you, my fellow Hunters, what is there to discuss?” he asked, “Why are we holding a session regarding whether or not we should cast this mare out into the night? We are Hunters of the Order and we must obey the laws! I-”

Minela silenced him with a hoof.

“Thank you, Zeron,” she groaned, “However, there is no need for you to remind us of that particular law, I’m certain that we are all aware of it and the ramifications that follow if it is broken.”

The brash stallion opened his mouth to say something more but thought better of it. He sat back down in his seat, his hooves crossed.

“Anypony else?” Minela asked, looking at her fellow councilors. Arion cleared his throat. “Yes, Arion?”

“I believe that this session is being held under special circumstances. Why, pray tell, is that?” he asked.

“That will be addressed in a moment,” she answered briefly. “If there are no more opening statements, we shall begin the session.” Minela gathered some papers in her hooves and straightened them out. “Now, Noctus, would you care to explain your case to the Council?”

Noctus exhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he centered himself. Meanwhile, Willow was struggling to control her breathing. Every single nerve on her body was on edge.

Oh, how did I get into this mess? She thought to herself, fiddling with her hooves. I’m gonna need a drink after this is over.

Noctus arose from his seat in front of the Council. All eyes were on him.

“Councilors, I have asked you to gather tonight, because I believe I have found something that can be of help to the Order,” he glanced over his shoulder back at Willow. “Head Councilmare, I believe I have found a Hunter.”

Eight sets of eyebrows were raised at once, including Zeron’s. They all looked at each, as if waiting for someone to say something.

“Heh heh heh,” Powder Keg’s dry, wheezing chuckle reached Willow’s ears. He coughed a few times into his hoof before looking up. “Oh, you found yourself a Hunter? Tell me Noctus, how would this mare be a Hunter, if she is not in the Order?”

Noctus opened his mouth to answer, but Powder Keg cut him off by raising his hoof.

“Bear in mind, Noctus,” he warned. “I know the name and face of every single Hunter that walks these halls. Do not think to try and fool me, boy. I may be an old stallion, but not that old.”

“With all due respect, Master Keg,” he began with caution in his voice. “I do not mean to try and fool you. What I am saying, is that she is a Hunter, but she is Unawakened.”

Arion stepped in. “Oh? And do you have some sort of evidence to prove that?”

“Tread carefully, Noctus,” Sanguinaire warned. “You are making an incredibly bold statement.”

“If I were you, I could be careful with what I say.” Zeron added.

Noctus only nodded once before continuing. “Master Arion, I do have evidence to prove that this mare,” he pointed back at Willow with a hoof, “is indeed a Hunter.”

“And what would that be?” Minela asked.

“She survived a mauling by a Scourge beast,” he explained. “That wound on her neck, that’s the work of a beast.”

“Then why didn’t you put her down if she was bitten?” Zeron asked.

“Because any mundane pony that is bitten would turn within seconds! After I slayed the beast, she retained her form. Aside from that, she was able to resist the Blood Moon’s influence. If that does not prove she’s one of us, then I don’t know what would.”

“This is absurd!” Zeron exclaimed, causing everyone in the room to turn their gaze towards him. “Head Councilor Minela, why are we even still listening to this? The answer to this problem is a simple one! She is an outsider and she should be cast out into the night. Our top priority is to slay beasts and stop the Blood Moon from lasting for all eternity. Not to shelter unaware civilians like her.”

“Zeron if you please,” Sanguinaire interrupted. “Permission to speak, Head Councilmare?” She nodded her head at her. “I am aware that Noctus brought in an outsider, however, making a claim that she is a Hunter? That alone is already surprising, but I believe that it is baffling that this mare was able to resist being turned into a fledgling or simply going mad upon being exposed to the moon’s influence. Moonlight?”

“Yes?” he looked up from his notes.

“Has there ever been anything on record that refers to mundanes being able to resist the Blood Moon or the infection of a Scourge beast?” The shuffling of papers could be heard as the bespectacled unicorn shuffled through his notes.

“Erm, let’s see her- no, that’s not it, not there… not there either- ah… no,” he concluded, looking up from his scrolls of parchment. “My records are inconclusive based on the parameters of Sanguinaire’s inquiry. There has not been any record of mundanes surviving a beast attack, nor exposure to the moon.”

A moment of silence passed through the council chamber.

“So what does this mean, then?” Patience spoke up for the first time. “Our supplies are already limited, the last thing I need is to ‘ave another mouth t’feed. But, in all ‘onesty, if she is a Hunter, then I say she be tested.”

“And just how do ya s’pose we go ‘bout that there, Patty?” Iron Side chuckled. “The poor lass doesn’t seem to have a single abrasive bone in her body. Hah!”

“Look, let’s say she’s actually a Hunter,” Patience resumed, leaning against the table. “Her little flank would have our symbol on it!”

Willow felt the need to clutch at her tail protectively upon them mentioning her flank.

What does she mean by little?! I’m a mare for Celestia’s sake! My flank is just the right size! At least… I think it is… I wonder what Nocty would say if I asked him about it...

“Willow!” She was broken out of her stupor when Noctus called out for her. “Willow! Allow the Council to inspect you.”

“U-uh, c-coming!” she slowly got off her chair and carefully trotted over to Noctus’ side.

“Step forward,” Minela ordered.

Willow could feel their eyes on her. A cold shiver ran through her body.

“Turn to your left, so that I may confirm that your mark is of the Order,” A blush appeared on her muzzle as she did what she was told. Glancing back at Noctus, she noticed something about his eyes, or more specifically, where they were pointed at. His gaze shifted away from their previous focal point and he noticed Willow staring at him, before he looked away in what seemed to be embarrassment.

Was he… checking me out?

“What in the blazes…” Minela breathed out.

“I don’t believe it.” Arion added.

“That’s not right no matter how you look at it,” Iron Side chuckled.

“What- what’s wrong with my cutie mark?” Willow asked, panic edging into her voice. “Somepony tell me!”

“In all my years, I’ve never seen something like this before in my entire life,” Powder Keg marveled.

“What?! What is it?!” Willow craned her neck at an angle and tried to look at her cutie mark. What she saw next shocked her to her core.

Her cutie mark was simply distorted, as if someone tried to rub it out with a rubber eraser. It was once a light blue diamond entwined by willow leaves, but now the image was heavily blurred.

Willow felt a loud shriek coming up her throat, but with surprising resilience, she was able to stop it. She was already on the verge of tears, the very thing that made her special was now blemished. Besmirched. Almost as if a part of her died. Immediately, she felt as if the memory of the day she got her cutie mark and the celebration that followed was disappearing.

Sobs escaped from her mouth as she stared at her vanishing cutie mark. The strong urge to break down and weep loudly overtook her. Meanwhile, the Council silently debated to themselves, but she was deaf to the world.

Suddenly, her knees gave out and she sat back on her rump, eyes glued to the floor in shame.

Why… why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?

Willow felt her whole world begin to crumble.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Noctus with a somewhat soft expression on his face.

“Willow…” he whispered to her. “Come, get up. You’re making yourself look bad.” In her heart, she wanted something or someone to hold on to. She wanted someone to tell her it would be alright. She wanted her mother, or anyone that could comfort her.

But she would not receive any of that here. Her life was at stake.

“If I may interrupt our debating,” Powder Keg silenced them all with a hoof. He exhaled and placed his hooves on the table in front of him. “This is an unforeseen turn of events. Councilor Minela, what do you suggest we do?”

“As the Head Councilmare, it is my duty to interpret the rules accurately and to follow them,” she affirmed. “I suggest we do what is necessary and cast her out.”

“I second that motion,” Zeron agreed unsurprisingly.

Willow gulped.

“Now hold on there,” Iron Side urged. “If what we see is indeed true, I say we give the lass a chance.”

“I think you’ve been spending too much time in your forge, Iron Side,” Zeron retorted.

Sanguinaire let out a snort and stood from her seat. “Head Councilmare, if I may?”

“The floor falls to you, Sanguinaire.”

“Good,” she clears her throat. “Now, you all may not be aware of this, or do not wish to be, the Hunter Order is in danger. Simply speaking. Every year, more and more Hunters fall in battle or become victims of the Lust. There is a very simple explanation for that: our blood is growing thin and pale. Ever since the last Heir left the Order, we have had nopony to help generate a stronger breed of Hunters. And due to the breeding laws put into effect less than a millennia ago, our gene pool has grown stagnant. Which is why our Hunters have grown weaker, along with our powers. And this also may have been easy to miss, but every year, the night becomes longer. As our power wanes, the night lengthens.”

“She’s not wrong,” Powder Keg added. “I feel it too. The night grows longer with each passing year. Which leads me to say that if this mare is a Hunter, then perhaps we should take all the help we can get. Although, how she came into possession of Hunter’s blood is lost to me.”

“With all due respect, Master,” Minela began. “I am unconvinced by all this. If she is a Hunter, then I feel she should prove it.”

“I second that,” Patience chimed in.

“And either way, she is untrained and Unawakened. She wouldn’t last one skirmish if we allowed her to participate in the hunt.”

“Sanguinaire, is it possible to determine her legitimacy by examining her blood?” Arion asked, looking over to his colleague.

“I believe I can examine her, yes,” she nodded. “What say the Council?”

Patience, Iron Side, and Moonlight nod their heads, sans Zeron and Minela.

“Minela?” Powder Keg asks. “The Council believes she should have her blood examined. Do you agree as well?”

“Mmm,” she rubbed her chin, looking down at the table for a moment, “I do not approve of this at all, but I cannot ignore the facts. I allow the motion to be put to a vote. Those in favor of the defendant undergoing a blood examination to determine Hunter status?”

“Aye,” Arion, Sanguinaire, Iron Side Patience, and Moonlight agreed.

Zeron remained silent, scowling at the others.

“Very well then, the vote is a split decision, but the majority rules in favor of the defendant,” Minela cleared her throat, gathering up her documents with her magic. “This session will be put on hold for now, but in the meantime, Sanguinaire will perform a blood test on the defendant to determine if she is indeed a Hunter. Once we know the truth of the matter, the Council will decide what to do next.”

“Thank, you Head Councilmare.” Noctus bowed towards her.

“However, she is to be restricted to your quarters only,” she ordered. “She is still considered an outsider and therefore does not have the right to wander freely about the Sanctuary. This is a sacred place, and I will not have it desecrated by the hoofsteps of an outsider. Are we clear?”

Willow remained silent, expecting Noctus to answer.

“I’m speaking to you, filly!” she raised her voice sharply, causing Willow to jump out of her hide.

“Y-yes! Head Councilmare, sir, I mean ma’am! I mean I- mmpf!” her mouth was forcibly shut by Noctus’s hoof.

“She complies, Head Councilmare,” he added graciously.

“Very well, then,” she cleared her throat. “Anything to add Master Keg?” The old stallion shook his head. “Sanguinaire, when can the defendant go to your lab?”

“I would like some time to prepare,” she replied. “I will send for her when I am ready. However, Noctus, I would like to speak with you after this. Follow me to my lab.”

“Very well,” he nodded.

“That is all Head Councilmare, if you do not mind, I would like to take my leave immediately.”

“You may go.”

“Thank you, come, Noctus,” she ordered. The young Hunter glanced at Willow for a brief moment before following Sanguinaire to the door.

“Noctus!” She whispered sharply, but her paid her no heed.

“Outsider,” she heard Minela’s voice call out and she slowly turned around. “You will be escorted to Noctus’ chamber by the two Ravens stationed outside. And, a word of warning, do not try to make any sudden movements or an attempt to run, because I can guarantee you will not get very far. You are to stay in Noctus’ chambers and you will not make any attempt to leave his room. If you do, then we are not responsible for any harm that may befall you. Is that understood?”

“Yes… Head Councilmare…”

“Good, now leave us at once.”

Without another moment to waste, Willow turned tail and trotted quickly to the door which was now closed since Noctus had left with the other mare. Upon exiting, the two Ravens outside stood eerily in front of her.

Their mere presence made her uneasy.

“So, you’re gonna, like, take me to-”

“We heard already, outsider,” the stallion cut her off. “Follow us and don’t wander off. We have our eyes on you.”

“C’mon then, move it,” the mare nudged Willow’s rump with a gloved hoof, causing her to gasp and glare back at the masked mare. “Eyes front.” She grunted as she shoved her again.

Willow wanted to say something back, but realized how horribly wrong that could go and kept her mouth shut.

They took the same route that she took with Noctus in reverse, which meant Willow wasn’t able to see more of the castle.

Well, at least they’re not putting me in some sort of dungeon.

Although things could be worse, Willow felt as though they already were. With her cutie mark looking like a misprinted newspaper, her life being put on the line, and this adventure she’s suddenly found herself on, she felt as though life had decided to bend her over a table and call her a bitch as it went to town on her.

The journey to the room was a blur, and she found herself standing in front of his bedroom door. The stallion opened the door and Willow was roughly shoved into the room by the mare.

“Augh!” she lost her footing and face planted in front of them. She heard a faint chuckle come from one of them. Straightening herself out she turned back towards the Ravens behind her, who stared at her back behind their masks.

“We will be standing guard out here, outsider,” the stallion growled.

“Don’t even think about trying to leave,” the mare added. “And don’t try escaping through the window. The only kind of freedom you’ll be getting is freeing your soul from your body when you die from the fall, heheheh!”

With that, the two of them shut the door in her face.

Silence fell across the room. The fire crackled gently. Willow felt a wave of exhaustion hit her, and she turned towards the bed, which seemed to beckon her with its soft pillows and cool sheets. Left with nothing else to do, Willow saw fit to take a nap.

A wave of relief fell over her body as she settled into the covers. However, another sensation hit her almost immediately. She felt a large lump in her throat form, and she clenched her teeth.

Where did things go so wrong?

Soon, her sadness became too much to bear. Then, she had done something she hadn’t done in quite a while: cry.

Her eyes were clenched shut as hot tears poured out from them like a waterfall of sorrow. Silent sobs echoed through the bed chamber. Willow curled up in the fetal position; with no one else there to hold her, she wrapped her hooves around her shoulders and held herself tightly. She rocked her body back and forth as she wept and let out everything she kept bottled inside.

She laid there on the bed and sobbed for several more minutes before finally tiring herself out. Her eyes became heavy as exhaustion finally overtook her. Within moments, her breathing steadied, and fell fast asleep.

“I cannot believe you would do something like this, Noctus!”

Noctus winced as Sanguinaire thumped him on the head.

“Ow, was that really necessary?” Noctus asked as he rubbed his head. “And what is the problem?”

The two of them walked down a hallway that lead to the Medical Wing of the Sanctuary, where Sanguinaire made her lab

“What is the problem?” she repeated incredulously. “The problem is that the Order has enough issues of its own without you bringing an outsider into the mix!”

“And what would you have had me do?” Noctus asked. “I could not stand by and allow her to be killed.”

“It matters not,” Sanguinaire replied as they turned down another corridor leading to her personal lab. “Noctus, it’s one thing to save a mundane, but bringing one into the Sanctuary is a very. Serious. Offense! You could face exile, or worse!”

“I would allow myself to be exiled or executed the day I am punished for saving an innocent life,” he scoffed, “Sanguinaire, you know as well I do that the Order’s views on saving ponies are highly illogical.”

“Ugh, you have too much of your father in you,” she groaned as they came to a stop in front of her lab, “Noctus, I knew your father well. He would not want you to act out so openly this way, nor would he want to see his own son exiled from the Order or executed for treason.”

“I feel he’d be more devastated by the fact that the Order has lost all sense of morality,” he said, opening the door to her lab.

Upon entering, the metallic odor of cleaning materials pierced Noctus’s olfactories. The lab was well lit with torches along the walls, as well as candles upon the the tables and shelves. Along the walls of the rectangular room, was a table that ran along the length of the entire room. Perched on the walls were countless shelves that held various items, most of which looked grotesque.

In the center of the room was an island table, which held a disparity of medical instruments, vial racks, Bunsen burners, and several empty beakers laid out across the table. Among that were several massive books with bookmarks protruding out from the pages. On the very top above the shelves were various volumes of books that lined the walls. Next to the island table was a stool .

“That is not the point, Noctus,” she sighed, walking up to her table as she brushed a lock of her mane out of her face. “The Council does not care what you think, and will interpret the laws as they see fit. No matter what, they must be upheld, even if some of us don’t agree with it. Those laws have held the Order together for centuries.”

“Yes, but they also restrain us from doing what is right,” he argued, “I would understand if the Council was upset if I brought in a mundane, but Willow is no mundane. I can assure you that.”

Sanguinaire leaned against the table and hung her head in frustration. “Noctus,” she exhaled. “Why are you going so far to defend this mare? Have you taken a fancy to her?”

“Why would you even assume that?” he shook his head and frowned.

“Because, Noctus,” she turned back to smirk at him. “I’ve yet to see you try and mate with another Huntress, nor do I ever see you interact with mares of the Order. Did this outsider catch your interest? Or do you simply prefer stallions?”

Noctus bit his cheek in frustration. “Sanguinaire, I’m only trying to do what’s right,” he argued, “I’m certain that Willow can be of help to the Order.”

“Noctus, the poor mare is a milk sop!” she groaned, “She seemed about ready to pass out in front of the Council, what makes you think she has the courage to stand up to a beast?”

He remained silent. Sanguinaire turned away from him, sighing as she organized some things on her table.

“Go fetch her for me, Noctus,” she ordered, “The Council wants the results as soon as possible, and I am not one to be tardy. Go, now.”

He nodded in compliance before turning towards the door.

Before exiting the room, he turned around to look at her.

“Sanguinaire,” he said. “What would my father do in this situation?”

“I fear even I do not know the answer to that,” she pursed her lips, “But no matter what happens, promise me you won’t lash out at the Council. You’d be doing your father a disservice.”

Noctus gave a ghost of a smile and nodded. “I’ll try not to.”

The door closed with a soft click.

“Oh, that boy,” she sighed, slamming her head onto the table. With a sigh, she lifted her head up and pulled open a hidden drawer underneath her table, from which she pulled a small golden picture frame, tarnished with age. Within the frame was a black and white picture of a stallion standing next to a mare. The stallion’s coat was dark in the black and white coloring of the picture, and the mare’s coat was lighter.

The two of them looked happy together as they grinned ear to ear.

“Arctos…” she exhaled. “What am I going to do with him?”

End Chapter 2

Author's Note

Hey, guys! Here's the next installment for Night of the Hunt! I hope y'all enjoy it!

Thanks to my editor/co-writer for helping me with this one as well as supplying ideas I really appreciate. And a big thanks to you guys for giving this a read!

I'll be uploading another littler oneshot next after this one. Then after that... I suppose I'll be starting the next chapter for this.

Anywho, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!

Chapter 3 - Impasse

Willow awoke with a start. Groaning, she twisted her body and stretched her limbs one by one on the bed, her eyes still closed. She let out a sigh, snuggling deeper into the soft, silky sheets of the bed she laid on. Upon opening her eyes, they immediately widened to their full size. She bolted upright to a sitting position, aware of the fact that this place was not her home at all.

Oh, I guess everything that happened wasn’t a dream, she sighed and stared down at the covers. “What am I gonna do now?”

Before she could wallow in her self pity any longer, the door to the chamber was pushed open, and in walked none other than Noctus.

“Willow, are you awake?” he asked, walking towards the bed.

“Yeah, no shit,” she muttered in reply, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “What does it look like to you?”

“I mean are you fully awake?” he groaned, “Come, get up. Sanguinaire is ready to-” he stopped, examining her face. “Have you… been crying?”

Willow felt dry streaks on her muzzle as she rolled out of bed. Her cheeks felt puffy and they were more than likely red; her nose also felt like a dried up river.

“N-no!” she replied indignantly, “I… I haven’t been crying.”

“Yes, you have,” he sighed, “There’s a wash basin in the corner by the bed over there.” He pointed a hoof to the right of the bed, where there was indeed an iron wash basin sitting on top of a wooden pedestal. “Hurry along, now. Sanguinaire asked me to fetch you so she can examine your blood.”

“Fine, alright then,” she groaned as she rolled over to the opposite side of the bed, where the wash basin was.

Rising to her hooves, she stretched her limbs once more, wincing from the dull pain she felt from her left hind leg. She blearily walked over to the bowl and looked inside, as if to expect something other than water. Shrugging, Willow dipped her hooves into the bowl and wet her face. The water was surprisingly cold, but it felt heavenly against her coat.

The sensation suddenly reminded her that she needed a bath. Celestia knows how long it’s been since she’d had one.

“Hey, Nocty?” she asked, looking up from the bowl. Noctus was looking into the fireplace before the name registered in his brain. A loud, eerie creaking sound was heard as he slowly turned to face her, a terrifyingly bemused scowl on his face.

“Can you please stop calling me that?”

“Right well, do you think I can take a bath somewhere?” She asked, completely ignoring the look he was giving her. “I really do need one.”

He shook his head and sighed, realizing there was no hope left for him. “You can’t bathe yet, so I’m afraid whatever stench your body is emanating right now will have to be addressed later. Like I said, we need to get going. Sanguinaire is not one for waiting.”

“Okay, but, can I ask you something first?”

“What?”

“Why are you doing all this for me?”

Noctus stopped and thought for a second before answering. The last thing he wished for was another outburst of anger from Willow, so he would carefully choose his words.

“Because, somepony once told me that doing good can go a long way,” he began, “And that if you try hard enough, eventually other ponies will fall in with your stride, and begin to think the same way you do.”

“I know us Hunters may seem like machines to you,” he said, “But if you take away the weapons and the armor, underneath it all you find a normal being. Right now, the Hunter Order is broken. Lost. Corrupted. And I want to help build a better future. That’s something I hope you can be a part of as well, Willow.”

“I… I guess I could try to,” she tittered. “I mean, I don’t even know if the Council or whatever would even let me stay here! You saw how that old mare treated me.”

“Don’t take offense to that,” he shook his head, “She hates everypony equally. And, in all honesty, she is just doing her job. At least she’s one of the ponies on the Council I can trust.”

Willow arched an eyebrow at that. “Why couldn’t you trust the Council? Isn’t everypony here supposed to, like, respect them?”

“Yes, we are, but that doesn’t mean we have to trust them,” he continued, “Though she’s rough on the outside, I assure you, she only means the best for the Order. Although, I can’t say that for some of the others on the Council.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, don’t trust everypony you meet, Willow,” he warned, furrowing his brow at her, “It’s that sort of naivety that can get ponies killed.”

Willow gained a worried expression on her face. “So then, like, what happens now?”

“I told you already,” he began walking towards the door, “We have to leave. Come.” He nudged open the door and gestured for Willow to exit the room. She sighed, hanging her head as she walked through the door.

Upon entering the familiar hallway, she saw that the two Ravens guarding her were gone. Not wanting to ask where they had gone, she allowed Noctus to walk up beside her before continuing down the hall.

They exited the dormitory section of the castle and into the bustling main hallway. There were other Hunters walking about, chatting idly. Some were dressed in their full gear, masks pulled down below their chins, and weapons strapped to their backs. This time, however, she saw several different Hunters as well.

A burly orange earth pony stallion carried what looked like a huge hammer-like object on his back. A silver unicorn mare walking next to him carried a weapon that looked similar to the one Noctus had, though its blade was longer and looked significantly more difficult to handle. What unsettled her about them was that they were covered head to hoof in blood, yet they acted as if nothing was wrong. Neutral expressions adorned their faces as they walked silently passed Willow.

However, their outfits were slightly different from other ponies’. The garbs they wore were ash gray, as if someone had dumped a sack of ash all over them. Their hunting caps bore tufts at the edges, almost as if they were an extension of their ears.

“Noctus?”

“Yes?” Noctus turned his head towards her.

“Those ponies, they were covered in… in…”

“Blood, yes I’m aware of that,” he replied, “Nopony said hunting beasts was a clean occupation. Everypony gets their hooves dirty at some point. Even Bones killed his fair share, before he became a Healer.”

“And why were their coats all grey?” she asked, “They don’t look like other ponies here. In fact, they look tougher.”

“Grey coats you say?” he arched a brow at her, “Hmm, then those must’ve been a couple of Wolves. Probably returned from a mission.”

“What do you mean by Wolves?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“You never tell me anything!” she whined.

“That’s because you ask too many questions.”

Not much else was said between them as they walked down the main hallway towards Sanguinaire’s lab. Instead of turning into the Dining Hall like they did last time, they kept going straight. And now, Willow got to see more of what the Sanctuary had in store. They passed by several rooms which were reminiscent of lounges, since there would be groups of Hunter sitting around a table chatting idly and drinking from mugs and tankards. Snippets conversations could be heard from all around, and despite the atmosphere of the place, there were even spouts of laughter that broke out. Noctus turned to his right down another corridor; however this one was more barren, and the walls held little in the way of decoration besides the torches that kept the area alit.

There was nothing but a dead end in front, and a door that stood on the right side of the corridor. Two torches hung beside it.

“Here we are,” Noctus said as he pushed open the door.

Immediately upon entering, Willow’s nose scrunching from the pungent odor of cleaning materials and… she left the rest to imagination.

On a stool sat Sanguinaire, an open book in front of her.

“Sanguinaire,” Noctus walked up to her, “I’ve brought her, are we ready to begin?”

She sighed and closed the book. “Yes, let’s begin immediately.” Next to her was a medical tray filled with several instruments. What stood out to Willow was that there was a very big needle sitting there.

And she had the feeling her name was written on it.

Her skin crawled as she stared at it. Sanguinaire used her magic to lift the needle and examined it, making sure it was okay for use. When that was finished, she pulled out a roll of bandages and a gauze pad to cover up the punctured area. “Can you come here so we can begin, please?”

Reluctantly, Willow nodded and stepped towards the table where Sanguinaire waited with the super needle. Almost instantaneously, she could see the horrible childhood flashbacks to when she had to receive her first booster shots as a little filly.

She stopped a few feet in front of Sanguinaire. “Uh, isn’t there some other way we can do this? I mean, do we really have to use that, umm… thing?”

“Yes, we do,” she replied, clearly unamused with the current situation, “Now, if you could please step forward so that I may take a blood sample?”

“A sample?” she asked, her eyes widening. “That thing is huge, ya know! How much do you even need?”

“Enough to determine whether you’ll be allowed to stay here, now if you please,” she said forcefully, “I do not have the time nor the patience to deal with this sort of tomfoolery. Now step forward so that I do not make a mistake.”

Willow felt Noctus nudge her towards Sanguinaire and her giant needle of doom. “Look, can’t we talk about this first?”

“No, we cannot,” she replied, pulling out a large rubber band and used her magic to tighten it beneath Willow’s left foreleg. “I’m only going to draw as much blood as I need.”

“B-But, I don’t think you need a needle that big, do you?”

“Yes, in fact I do,” she replied as she grabbed a cotton ball doused with alcohol, cleaning a spot on Willow’s shoulder. “Now, do hold still. I must hit my mark.”

Sanguinaire used her magic to pick up the needle, pressing the plunger all the way in as she did so.

“W-Wait! I can’t do this!” she yelled, “I absolutely hate needles, ya know!”

Sanguinaire stopped and turned her stone cold gaze over at Noctus, her eyes showing how unamused she was at this.

“And this mare is supposed to be a Hunter?” she shook her head and placed a hoof against her forehead. “Oh by the Huntress…”

Noctus quickly sprung into action. “Willow, do you mind telling me about yourself?” he asked.

“W-What?” she stared at him incredulously. “Why do you need to know about me now?”

“Just give me details about your life,” he gestured her to continue, “I’d like to know more about you.”

“Oh, well, I guess,” she placed a hoof to her mouth, “Well, I was born in a small village outside of Equestria, and when I was about five years old, my parents thought it was a good idea to move to Ponyville since there were more job opportunities, and I- YEEEOWCH!” Willow flinched violently as a burning pain erupted from her shoulder.

“Hold her!” Sanguinaire shouted as she tried to find a major vein. Before Willow could move any further, he placed one hoof on her withers and wrapped the other around her neck.

“Do not move, please,” he muttered into her ear. Willow whimpered in pain as she felt the needle moving around underneath her skin. It was a burning pain, but not as bad as what she experienced in the forest. Her head was beneath Noctus’ chin as he held her in place.

Though she hated the feeling of being poked by a needle, there was something strange about being held like this (even if it was a headlock). She didn’t know what it was, but Noctus holding her like this was… soothing. A blush crept onto her cheeks as Noctus held her in place.

The strong urge to snuggle into the headlock nearly overtook; she did not want to know how Noctus would react trying to cuddle with him.

Willow also resisted the temptation to look at the enormous needle that was currently digging around in her skin, nor did she want to see her blood seeping into the glass tube. A few moments went by, and she felt Sanguinaire remove the needle, placing a piece of gauze over the injection site.

“Noctus, hold that down, please,” she said as she placed the tube down onto a tin tray on the table. Noctus released her from the headlock, shifting his hooves to the gauze while Sanguinaire injected the contents of the tube into an IV connected to a glass vial. After that, she discarded the syringe into a nearby metal bin marked with a piece of masking tape with the word “To Clean” on it.

“There, I have the sample,” she sighed.

“Yes, after the epic struggle,” Noctus grumbled, “How long will it take to get the results?”

“It should not take very long,” she replied as she held the vial in her magical grasp. “All I will have to do is filter the blood through a strainer, cleaning it of any impurities and then I can evaluate the density of the blood.”

“What do you mean by that?” Willow asked.

Sanguinaire cocked an eyebrow at her as she began dressing Willow’s bandage. “It appears I will have to simplify my explanation,” she muttered, finishing up her shoulder, “Hunter blood is far more dense and thick than a mundane’s blood. If the cells within your blood represent that of a Hunter’s, then a Hunter you are, though I fail to see it externally.”

This mare just insulted me, didn’t she? she scowled and then glanced at Noctus, who kept his expression neutral. “So, what happens now? Am I gonna have to play prisoner in Noctus’ bedroom again?”

“I suppose so, but the activities that take place in his bedchambers are entirely up to the both of you,” Sanguinaire said with a sign of snarkiness in her voice, and the tip of her mouth lifting in a way that, if one were feeling generous, might be described as a grin. The quip went completely over Willow’s head, but struck Noctus headon.

“Y-Yes, well I think now is a good time to leave,” Noctus said he began marching Willow over to the door, “I’ll come back soon to ask about the results, Sanguinaire.”

“Very well, Noctus,” she nodded, “I’ll see you soon.”

Noctus then opened the door and Willow passed through him. He gave Sanguinaire one last look before exiting the room.

“Can I ask you something?” Willow queried as they proceeded down the hall towards the dormitory section.

“You just did,” Noctus groaned, rolling his eyes. “But yes, ask away.”

“How come you never said anything about my cutie mark?” she arched a brow at him. “I mean, you never noticed that my butt now looks like a fucking foal’s art project?”

Noctus looked sharply uncomfortable, clearing his throat before replying. “I thought it was rude for a stallion to eye a mare’s flanks.”

“Oh, cut it with that gentlecolt bullshit,” she nudged him violently as they walked, “I know you’re not as stoney as you seem. I’m not that stupid.”

“I never accused you of such,” he retorted, “Listen, even if I did notice that your cutie mark was blemished, I wouldn’t have wanted to alarm you.”

Willow frowned at him. “You should have just told me, ya know.”

“Have you ever had to deal with yourself when you have one of your outbursts?” he asked, returning the look she gave him. Her ears fell and she looked away in shame, avoiding his gaze. A few moments of awkward silence passed between them. Noctus shifted nervously in his hooves, obviously he had crossed some sort of line as Willow looked visibly discouraged. “Forgive me for my sudden remark, Willow. Now, I must ask, are you hungry by any chance? I can imagine it’s been awhile since you’ve had a meal. And you must replace the blood that Sanguinaire extracted from you.”

Now that she thought about it, Willow realized her stomach felt emptier than normal. She’d been so distracted with everything, she hadn’t noticed her stomach voicing its disapproval from time to time.

“Y-yeah,” she nodded, “Some food would be good. It’s been too long since I’ve eaten anything.”

Noctus led her down the Main Hallway back towards where the Dining Hall was located. Upon entering the room, she could see that several other Hunters were seated in the lengthy table. In front of them were plates of what looked like… meat?

Why in the seven rings of Tartarus are they eating meat?!

“Uh, Nocty?” she nudged him with her elbow, “Can you tell me why these ponies are eating meat of all things?”

“Perhaps I should have mentioned that us Hunters consume meat,” he closed his eyes, pressing a hoof against his face, “The answer as to why is simple: proteins. We Hunters need a much higher amount of protein in our diet as compared to a mundane. It fuels our powers in combat. Raw vegetables simply do not have enough of that supplement, and instead of wasting time to come up with an elaborate solution, we thought of a simpler one.”

Willow gulped as she watched the Hunters carve up the slabs of meat in front of them.

“They do have veggies here, right?” she asked, turning slightly green as she watched a particularly vicious Hunter tear into a chunk of cooked flesh. “Please tell me I don’t have to eat this stuff.”

Noctus shook his head. “No, at least not now. For now, I’ll ask them to fix up a salad for you. Please, take a seat, I will return shortly with your food.”

“Well, where do I even sit?” she asked, flicking her head towards the table. “Am I like, even allowed to sit here?”

“Don’t bother them,” he muttered in reply as he began walking towards the kitchen. “And they won’t bother you.”

Willow bit her lip nervously. The other Hunters sitting at the table seemed to be ignoring her; that was good for the time being. She slowly walked up to one of the wooden chairs and used her magic to pull it back.

Carefully, she sat her rump down onto the cushioned chair, her tail poking out from the back. Willow fidgeted in her seat, twiddling her hooves together as she tried her best to avoid the gaze of the other Hunters. A pair of them sat down a few seats away, having an idle conversation about one thing or another. They were both Earth ponies, both of them stallions. One was teal with a green mane and the other was pure white, though there were several visible scars that spotted his neck and face.

Reluctantly, she perked up her ears to try and hear what they were saying.

“Yeah, things are getting rough around here and the Council is too blind and stupid to see it.”

“I’m thinkin’ the Order won’t last much longer with Keg at the ‘elm. Ever since the last Hunt, things have been getting worse and worse. That night lasted a good few months before we were able to get the damn moon to set.”

“Too right, mate. We lost some good boys last year, and this year is no better. Things aren’t looking good out there, mate. From what I’ve heard, we’ve already lost a few Hunters. Some have even gone rogue.”

“Have they now? Damn, and if that ain’t bad enough, we got one of our own bringin’ in an outsider. Now the Order is definitely fallin’ apart. I dunno about you, mate, but I think the Order is gonna collapse soon. And when that ‘appens, the world is right fucked. Without the Order, that moon is gonna stay up there forever.”

Willow continued to listen as they spoke, trying her best to not make it blatant that she was eavesdropping. The last thing she wanted was trouble.

“Hey,” Willow jumped out of her skin as she felt someone touch her shoulder.

“Eep!” she squeaked.

“Relax, it is just me,” she turned around and saw Noctus staring back at her, with two plates of food on his back. One was an elegantly-made salad with chopped tomatoes, onions, and olives. Her stomach growled with anticipation as Noctus slid the plate in front of her.

Then as soon as she saw the cooked and seasoned piece of beef that lay on Noctus’ plate, her stomach pulled a sharp Immelman.

“Are you really gonna eat that in front of me?” she asked as Noctus grabbed a fork and knife in the fetlocks of his fore legs.

He shot her a glare. “I’m certainly not eating on the floor, if that’s what you’re implying.” he muttered as he began cutting into his steak.

“I wasn’t implying that, ya know,” she muttered, picking up a fork with her magic, “Well, for the most part, this actually looks pretty good.”

Noctus laughed. “You think that looks good?” he snorted, “That is just some scrounged together vegetables they found. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I asked them to make a salad. I believe their words were ‘We hope that pansy out there enjoys their salad’. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they spat in it for a laugh.”

Willow eyes widened and a look of horrified shock swept across her features as she stopped chewing on the piece of lettuce and tomato in her mouth. She looked down at the salad and back at Noctus before scrambling with her hooves to find a napkin. Noctus handed her a handkerchief from a pocket on his vest, and Willow spit out a wad of half chewed salad into it.

“Blaaagghh!” Willow gagged as she used a hoof to brush off her tongue. “That’s gross, ya know! Why would they do that?”

“I said they might have,” Noctus said as he forked a piece of meat into his mouth. “It’s your fault for taking it so literally.”

Willow’s skin crawled as she felt ponies staring at her. Turning around, she saw some Hunters that were sitting at the table giving her surreptitious stares.

Laughing weakly, she gave them a sheepish smile, but they simply shook their heads and resumed eating their own food.

A few minutes went by as they ate in silence. Willow would glance back at him as she ate, giving him questioning looks, but he would shake his head and continue eating. Without warning, a loud, brash voice shouted from behind him.

“Noctus!” Willow turned around and saw what she recognized as a griffon. She’d only seen one in Ponyville once or twice, but she immediately recognized the half bird, half lion look. And from what she could tell from this griffon’s voice, it was either a male, or a female that just came from a patch of poison joke. “Noctus! How are you, my friend?”

The griffon’s coat was a light shade of maroon with dark black streaks in his feathers, while his face and underside were an alabaster white. He wore a brown leather vest and strapped to his arms were what looked like manchettes of the same material. On his waist was a belt with several pouches of Celestia-knows-what. His face bore several small scars around his beak, including a large one ran down the right side of his face. The griffon’s physique was nothing to laugh at; there was very clear muscle tone in his legs, chest, and everywhere else on his body.

He definitely looked like a killing machine.

“Erron,” Noctus turned and arose from his seat, shaking the taloned hand of the hulking griffon. “How are you? Your last hunt go well?”

“Aye, it did!” he guffawed, slapping him on the shoulder. “Me and the boys got some fine kills out there tonight. We’re going back out after we’ve rested up. Will you be joining us?”

Noctus opened his mouth to answer, but glanced back at Willow, who looked at him hopefully.

“For now, I won’t be able to,” he sighed, “I have other matters to attend to here in the Sanctuary. Rest assured, I’ll be back out there before you know it.”

“Indeed you will and- I say, my friend, who is that?” He pointed a talon over at Willow who hid behind her chair. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen her before.”

“That there is Willow,” he replied, gesturing over at her, “Come now, Willow, don’t be rude. Come say hello to my friend.” Hesitantly, Willow got up from her comfortable seat and walked over to the scary-looking griffon who, upon closer inspection, stood about a few inches taller than her.

“Willow, this is Erron Grimtalon,” he nodded towards his friend, “He is a friend of mine, and one of the best Hunters you’ll ever meet here in the Sanctuary.”

“Uh, hi there,” she sheepishly waved a hoof at him.

“How do you do?” his beak wrinkled into a smile as he reached out with a talon. Willow held out her hoof and gasped slightly as she felt his sharp claws wrap around her hoof. Not only that, but he had a stone hard grip. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Willow.”

“Um, likewise,”she giggled nervously. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed by as Willow floundered for something else to say, anything else. She was far too frightened to speak up.

“Not a mare of many words is she?” Erron laughed.

“You should see her when she’s mad,” Noctus joked, “The easy part is setting her off, the hard part is calming her down.” Willow nudged him with her elbow. He gave her a look before glancing back towards his friend.

“Are you here for a meal?” he asked, “The chefs are serving your favorite I believe.”

“Oh ho!” the large griffon guffawed, “Serving tenderloins tonight are they? I think I’ll go order up some then! Noctus, I will be seeing you!”

He looked down at Willow. “As for you, Miss Willow, I bid you farewell,” he bowed his head respectfully before walking off towards the kitchen.

“Well he seems nice,” Willow laughed nervously as they returned to their seats at the table. “A lot nicer than some ponies here, that’s for sure.”

“Yes, although he is a bit of an oddity,” he chuckled, chewing on a piece of steak, “He’s one of the few flyers in the Order that aren’t part of the Ravens, though they’ve approached him many times before. Not to mention, he’s also one of the last griffons serving.”

“Why is he one of the last?” Willow asked, nibbling on a piece of lettuce.

“After so many years, the known griffons who’ve served either die of old age, or fall in combat,” he explained, “Though, there have been griffons who became blood drunk. Which is why some Hunters in the Order have a hard time trusting Erron.”

“Why is that?” Willow asked.

“Because of what happened during the First Era,” he sighed, taking a sip of from a tankard next to him, “During that time, there were five griffon clans who made the Sanctuary their home. Erron’s clan was one of them. There were the Redbeaks, the Silverquills, the Duskwings, and the Mistfeathers. The Grimtalons were one of the strongest, next to the Redbeaks.”

“However, one year, during a Hunt, the lead harpy of the Redbeaks, Asteria Redbeak, became blood drunk and fell to the Lust,” Willow listened intently, “After that, she convinced her kin to rebel against the Order and ‘spread the gospel’ to their griffon brethren.”

“Not long after, most of the griffons serving the Order became infected by the Lust, and soon became bloodthirsty killers. The Duskwings and the Silverquills were easily coerced by Asteria and her minions, but the Grimtalons and the Mistfeathers still stood strong.”

“Soon after, a war broke out between the clans, and the Master of the Order warned other Hunters to stay out of it, though there were some who wanted to help their feathered friends. By the end of the war, the entire Mistfeather clan and most of the Grimtalons were slaughtered by Asteria, who became known as the Asteria, the Vileblood. I think if it weren’t for the help of the Ravens who helped hunt her down, the Order wouldn’t have survived that war.”

“After that, all of the Redbeaks were slowly hunted down by the Ravens. Today, nopony has seen any sign of the Redbeaks. In all honesty, it’s better that way.”

Willow sat there in silence, though somewhat riveted by Noctus’ story.

“Even today, ponies still don’t trust him,” he sighed, “They feel like he might snap anyday.”

“It must awful for him then, huh?”

“Indeed, the day he ever went rogue on us, it would be a sad day for the Order,” Noctus finished up the remaining scraps of his food. “Are you finished? We need to go ask Sanguinaire about the results.”

Willow looked down and saw that she had barely touched her plate.

“Uh, just one minute,” she laughed before she began scarfing down what was left of her salad.

“Ah~,” Willow sighed as she walked down the hallway that led to Sanguinaire’s lab. “I’ll be honest, that salad was actually pretty filling.”

Noctus nickered softly. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed your meal.”

They finally reached the lab and Noctus pushed through the door, only to see a frantic Sanguinaire standing in front of her table, flipping through books and staring through the eyepiece of a microscope. A disparity of lab equipment lay on the table, racks of test tubes and- thankfully empty- overturned beakers littering the wooden surface. Her mane looked certainly disheveled, and she mumbled under her breath nervously.

“This just doesn’t make sense!” she exclaimed, turning around to glare at Noctus and Willow, eyes wide and bloodshot. “You! How did you come across this blood?!”

“What are you talking about?” Willow’s body was then encased in a sheath of magic and was suddenly pulled forward, standing muzzle to muzzle with the other mare. “Gah! What do you want from me?!”

“The truth!” she shouted back, “Where in the blazes did you come in contact with blood like this?! Did you steal it?!”

“I have no fucking idea what you’re talking about!”

She pulled Willow closer to the point where their noses touched.

“Don’t. Lie. To me,” she growled, leaning closer with every syllable, causing Willow to shrink back.

“May I ask what is going on?” Noctus asked calmly.

Sanguinaire’s bloodshot eyes flicked over to Noctus. “This mare you’ve brought here, Noctus. Her blood… it’s… agh!” She let go of Willow and turned back towards her setup.

“This is absurd!” she shouted, slamming her hooves on the table, “I’ve never seen blood like this in years and the only pony who had blood like this was… there’s no possible way that she could be one! It’s impossible!”

“Sanguinaire!” Noctus shouted, “What are you talking about?”

“Her blood!” Sanguinaire fumed, “Her blood resembles that of a mundane’s! I wrote down the percentage of the mundanity and it reads at 72.9%. However, as I examined more of it, that percentage is slowly decreasing due to the other thirty percent of her blood, which has a density that resembles that of a Hunter’s! And that is not even the most troubling fact.”

“What else is wrong?” he asked.

“Her blood type!” Sanguinaire cried, “I searched through my records, and you will never believe who her blood is similar to! It’s an old blood sample, blood that has not been seen in these halls for decades! And it’s running through her veins, supplanting her mundane blood as we speak!”

Noctus glanced at Willow before turning back to the frantic unicorn. “Whose blood are you talking about?”

“There’s no time to explain!” she turned around and slammed all the books shut, using her magic to place them back on the bookshelves. In a particularly impressive show of telekinesis, she turned off all the equipment on her table and took off her lab coat, hanging on a rack next to the door. “Come! I must give the results to the Council immediately!”

Willow didn’t know what was going on at the moment. She and Noctus sat behind the defendant’s table, utterly baffled at the situation unfolding in front of them.

The Council had gone absolutely bonkers after hearing what Sanguinaire told them.

“That is absurd!”

“How can she be the one?!”

“There hasn’t been one of them in years!”

“She could help us! We need to give her a chance!”

“What can we do?! She’s not trained!”

“She’s too old!”

A cacophony of overlapping voices assaulted Willow’s ears. Noctus sat there with his eyes closed and forelegs crossed. To her, he seemed quite frustrated with this.

“The results do not lie! I am one-hundred percent certain that she is an-”

“ENOUGH!” a loud voice boomed in the large chamber, its echo bouncing off the walls. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked towards Powder Keg, who was still smoking from his pipe. “Ahem! Oof, dear me, it’s been awhile since I’ve had to use my outside voice,” he chuckled, “Now, if everypony here is able to stop fooling around, I would like to proceed. Head Councilor Minela?”

“Yes, master,” Minela cleared her throat, “Well, Sanguinaire? Her blood results identify her as a Hunter?”

“The part of her blood that is of Hunterhood, matches up with her genetic makeup,” she began, “However, it also resembles that of an Unawakened Hunter, the main reason she has yet to obtain her abilities. However, her Hunter blood is slowly spreading, which causes her mundane blood to fade away. I believe that within time, she will Awaken.”

“We do not have the time,” Arion interrupted, “Everypony here works, which means we cannot simply allow her to stay here while we wait for her powers to develop.”

“He’s right,” Patience agreed, “I won’t be feedin’ somepony ‘ere who doesn’t pull their own weight.”

“Indeed,” Minela nodded, “What do you suggest we do then, Sanguinaire? Is there any way to speed up the process?”

“I think there may be,” she replied, “However, it’s a method that has not been used since the beginning of the First Era. Not only that, we’d have to give her blood that matches up with her own. And there’s only one sample here that does… I believe you all know what I’m talking about.”

They all shared a grim look. A moment of silence passed.

“Then what are we waitin’ fer?” Iron Side asked abruptly. “If she is what she seems to be, then I say we go through with it.”

“I second that,” Arion nodded.

“Same here,” Patience added.

“Alright then,” Minela silenced them. “Master Keg? What is your opinion on the matter?”

He cleared his throat and took the pipe out of his mouth. “There has not been an Heir to help lead the Order since the time I first became Master. Now that we have finally discovered another, I believe that this is a blessing in disguise. With her help, we can bring the Order back to its former glory.”

“What does this all mean?!” Willow shouted suddenly. “What do you mean I’m an Heir?! What am I?!”

“Willow…” Noctus warned.

“Look, I don’t know who you think I am,” Willow began, “But this is crazy! Up until this morning, I was just a regular mare with nothing to look forward to in life! And now you just expect me to do what you all do?! How did this even happen?!”

“That is something we should be asking you,” Minela glared at her, “However, time is of the essence, and we cannot waste a single second. And if you dare speak out of turn like that again, I will personally have you thrown out of this Sanctuary. Are we clear?”

“But I-”

“Are.We. Clear?!” Minela snarled.

Willow wanted to shout back, but Noctus placed a calming hoof on her withers. She looked back and saw Noctus shake his head, which was a clear sign that she should not argue any further.

“Yes, Head Councilmare,” Willow said through gritted teeth.

“Very well then,” Minela inhaled deeply, “Masters of the Council, as you have already seen, there is evidence that this mare bears blood of a Hunter. However, her blood must undergo further ministration in order to be fully Awakened. Sanguinaire has offered to go through with the procedure. All that remains, is compliance from the defendant.”

“Outsider,” she began, “If you wish to stay here in the Sanctuary, you must surrender yourself to receive blood treatment. At the end of it, your Hunter powers will fully Awaken. However, if you are not able to handle the blood flowing through your veins, you will either die, or fall to the Lust which means that we will have to put you down. If you do not comply with this, then we would have no choice but to cast you out into the night. So, what say you?”

Willow felt her blood run cold. It was here and now that she was at an impasse. She could either be a coward and try to find her way home back to her cottage, or do something else with her life for once. Working in a jewelry shop wasn’t the most exciting occupation, and Willow had always longed for there to be some sort of adventure in her life. Her body would probably be forever altered by whatever they planned on doing to her, but would that be a bad thing? Would it be so horrible to try something new, when her whole adult life has been so dull?

It took her a moment to realize that adventure was staring her in the face. Opportunity was at hand and all she had to do was reach out and take it. There was a strong chance that whatever she was going to face in the future would probably kill her. But if she was to go out, she would want to go out fighting.

Memories of what happened in the forest flashed in her mind. She remembered how it felt to be helpless in the face of danger, the sharp fangs of death and despair digging into her soft flesh. Willow didn’t want to feel that again. She didn’t want to feel helpless. If she was to stare death in the face, she wants to be prepared to fight.

“Well, lass?” Ironside's voice rang out. “Are ya in, or are ya in?”

Given those choices, Willow only had one answer to give.

“Okay,” she sighed as she closed her eyes, and hung her head. She paused for a moment before opening her eyes and staring back at the Council, a new light of determination burning within her.

“I’ll do it.”

End Chapter 3

Chapter 4 - Born by the Blood

Willow stared up at the ceiling of the dimly-lit room she was currently occupying. Her limbs were strapped down onto the long examination table she laid on, a restrictor ring around her horn and a leather band held her head back against the table.

She was all but immobilized.

In the room stood a fully-armed Raven, their wings tipped with metal blades and a firearm strapped to their saddle. From what Willow could gather, it was a mare under the mask given their obviously feminine figure. Besides them, Sanguinaire stood at a small counter in the room, looking through vials of red liquid that Willow assumed to be blood. Each vial was labeled; however, from this angle, she was unable to make out the inscriptions.

“Ugh, is tying me down really all that necessary?” Willow groaned, fidgeting against the bonds.

“Unfortunately, yes,” the middle-aged mare let out a sigh, “If anything untowards were to occur, we would need you restrained. In the worst case scenario, we’ll have to put you down. It is for your own safety, as well as ours.”

Willow only groaned in reply as she ceased her movements. She wore a patient’s gown that went down below her hips, so that at least she could cover up herself up. Next to the table she was on, an IV rack, its sole occupant a vial of blood, fed the red substance into her left foreleg through a snaking tube, the rubber stinted by a small brass clasp.

“Alright, I believe I am finished,” Sanguinaire turned to face Willow, her horn alight and her hooves making tapping sounds as she approached, a vial in her magical grasp. “Now, the blood being fed into your bloodstream is one that matches your blood type, and this,” she gestured to the vial in her grasp, her voice carrying a clear note of awe and reverence. “This is a sample of blood that once ran through the veins of the most powerful Hunter to have ever lived. When it enters your bloodstream, it will Awaken your Hunter powers, kill you, or turn you into a beast. If worst comes to worst, I’ll simply have Luminescence here put a bullet through your head.”

Willow only gulped, that last sentence had been far too cheery for her liking.

“Are you ready to begin?” Sanguinaire asked. “Once we start, there will be no turning back. If this is a success, you will cease to be the mare you once were. You will become part of something bigger than yourself. Now again, are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Willow felt a whimper creep up her throat, but she swallowed it and nodded, a look of defiant determination on her face.

“Very well,” She turned towards the Raven, “Luminescence, are you ready?”

“Yes, Mistress,” the Raven said. Willow noted, with a slight twinge of surprise, that the dark-cloaked pony had a higher voice than she had expected.

Sanguinaire merely nodded in response, focusing her attentions on beginning the procedure.Willow blinked as the mare entered her field of vision as she laid on the table.

“A fair word of warning, this will hurt when it gets to your heart.”

Willow tried to pretend she didn’t hear that.

“Alright, I’m going to inject this blood sample into the mix,” she inserted the needle into the rubber tubing of the IV, using her magic to push the plunger. “When I release the clasp, the blood will flow into your veins. Once it reaches your heart, it will be circulated throughout the rest of your body- veins, arteries and blood vessels all. From there… well, I suppose we’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

She gave one last look at Willow, who only stared back, apprehension written all over her face..

“I’m going to need you to focus,” she stated, the clasp glowing lightly with her aura, “I’m going to release the clasp… now.” The blood within the jar and the needle seeped into the rubber tube, through the IV and into Willow’s leg.

She held her breath as she watched the red liquid flow into her body. A few seconds passed and she could feel a burning sensation travelling up her fore leg. It slowly made its way up to her shoulder and before she knew it, the sensation reached her chest.

That’s when everything went blurry.

“AAARRGHHH!” Willow screamed as a burning pain erupted in her chest. It felt as if someone was attempting to dig her heart out of her chest with a heated rusty spoon. “Arrrgghh! Naagghh! Augh!” Willow struggled in her restraints as the pain began to spread to the other parts of her body, the liquid making its way outward from the white-hot center of pain towards her extremities.

“Focus! Focus, I say!” Sanguinaire urged. “You must fight through pain!”

As the blood spread throughout her body, her whimpering moans and screams soon turned into deep guttural growling. Willow clenched her teeth hard enough that the enameled calcium cried, squeaked and groaned under the pressure, her muscles spasming and her back arched.

Eventually, mercifully, a dark haze fell over her vision, and all sound was distorted as she fell into blissfully painless unconsciousness.

“Come! Quickly, this way!”

The sound of hooves striking a cobblestone floor echoed through the night. A crimson moon hung in the sky, drenching the spires and tiled rooftops of the city in blood red light. Howls echoed among the buildings, mixing with the fog and darkness that cloaked the city of Canterlot. Blood stained the streets of the once glorious city, Beast and Hunter both, and their bodies littered the causeways, alleys and roads that cut a spiderweb between the structures. Off in the distance, there was the sound of an ongoing battle; the roar of beasts and the shouting of Hunters, their weapons ringing as they fought tooth and nail to keep the dark creatures at bay.

“What about the others!? We can’t just leave them behind!” A pony covered by a tattered cloak shouted, her feminine voice ringing out amongst the cobbled streets.

“It’s too late now!” An aged lemon-colored unicorn mare, dressed in a light gray caped trench coat, with her red mane tied into a bun. On her head rested a Hunter’s cap, an elegantly designed dual-edged sword strapped to her back, the metal flickering and flashing in the low moonlight. “The battle is merely a distraction. We have to get her out of the city!”

Off in the distance they could hear the battle intensifying, the dying screams of Hunters piercing her ears. In her heart, she did not want to leave behind her former cohorts, but there were other matters to tend to.

“She is right,” A brown earth stallion with blue eyes and copper mane agreed as they stepped into an alleyway. “We have to get away. If they find out we escaped, it’ll mean your head and ours..”

The Huntress frowned at him. “I’m aware of that, Oakleaf,” she said, “Which is why it is imperative that we leave.” She shot a glance towards the second mare. “Juniper, is she safe?”

Within the hooves of the cloaked mare was a small object, wrapped tightly in blankets.

The mare peeled back the very edge of the cloth, peeking beneath it. “Yes, she’s still asleep.”

“Now we know she takes after her mother,” Oakleaf chuckled as he went to check on the small object, “Magnolia, where to now?” He asked, casting his gaze back to the Huntress.

“Down this alleyway is an entrance to the sewers of Canterlot,” she explained, “Stay to the right and the path will lead to an aqueduct, one of the number that pour from the mountainside. There will be a carriage driven by somepony in my employ, who has orders to take you beyond the borders of Equestria. From there, however, you will be on your own.”

“The sewers?” Juniper asked, “Is it even safe down there?”

“Oh, quite definitely,” Magnolia nodded, a hint of wry smile on her muzzle, “Believe me, the beasts cannot stand the smell down there. Ah, that reminds me: you’ll be needing these.” She handed the both of them cloth masks. “They help mask the stench. If I were you, I’d do something to protect her from the fumes.”

“Don’t worry,” the cloaked mare pulled back her hood to reveal a red orange mane and a yellow coat. Her horn lit up as she looked down at the bundle of blankets and sheathed it with her yellow aura. “There, I placed her within a shield spell that’ll keep her from breathing in any fumes.”

“Good,” Magnolia nodded, “Now, quickly, we must get moving-”

“Leaving so soon, Magnolia?”

She froze and saw two Ravens along with another unicorn pony dressed in similar fashion, but his face was barren of the bird mask, which revealed his silver coat and and white mane. His eyes were milky white, a clear sign of blindness.

He let out a cruel chuckle. “You were easier to sniff out than I thought. There’s a certain smell about you. I believe it’s the stench of deceit and heresy. Traitors like you bear a scent like that.”

“I am no traitor, Ravus,” Magnolia said, her weapon encased in a sheath of magic. “I’d think you of all ponies would know that.”

“You have committed crimes against the Order, and willingly defied the Council,” he replied, “In my eyes, you are a traitor. Now, hoof over that abomination you call a foal, and we will spare your lives.”

Magnolia drew her weapon. “You so much as lay a hoof on her and I’ll gut you,” she growled, “You know as well as I do that the Order is lost. The blindness of the Council has led to our downfall. The laws needed to be changed, Ravus. Everyone in the Order knows it.”

“It matters not, Magnolia,” the silver stallion replied, pulling out a katana with a silver handle from a sheath under his feathery cloak. “You defied the orders of the Council, and allowed that mare to breed with an outsider. That is an act of heresy and treason, which is grounds for execution. However, since you are a treasured Heir of Artemis, I believe the Council will be merciful and grant you imprisonment within the Sanctuary. That is, if you come quietly.”

She growled as she used her magic to split the dual-edged sword in half, the shorter blade doubling as a knife. Magnolia held both weapons in hand, taking a defensive stance.

“I will be doing no such thing!” she shouted, “I’d rather die than surrender myself to you!”

“In all honesty, I was hoping you’d say that,” Ravus sneered, flourishing his blade. “Kill them.”

The two Ravens dashed forward, revealing their wingblades as they charged forward.

Within a blink of an eye, Magnolia twisted her body in a full circle, her blades still in her magical grasp as she did so. Upon finishing her spin, she crouched down and hung her head.

The two Ravens froze and stood still for several seconds as Magnolia stood crouched between them. Suddenly, their heads fell from their shoulders and their bodies slumped to the ground in a heap. Juniper gasped and Oakleaf flinched as their lifeless bodies fell at their hooves.

“Hmm,” Ravus’ ears twitched, “From what I gather, they either killed you quicker than I expected, or you used your blades to cut their heads off.”

“Did you not think I could beat two of your pawns?” Magnolia laughed, “That was far too easy.”

“Yes, well, now you must deal with the king!” he rushed forward and their two swords clashed, a metallic clanging sound echoed in the alleyway. “I’ve always wanted the pleasure of killing you myself!”

“Then let’s end this!” Magnolia shouted as she pushed Ravus away from their bladelock. She dashed forward, fusing the two blades back into one as she clashed with the blind Raven once again. “Juniper! Oakleaf! Go, now!”

“No!” the young mare shouted, “We’re not leaving you!”

“They’ll be more coming! Raggh!” she slashed at Ravus but he crouched and followed up with a slash of his own. Magnolia parried and attempted a swift riposte, however Ravus was quick to counter with a parry of his own, delivering a quick slash with his own sword. The blade whizzed by Magnolia’s neck, nearly decapitating her.

“You’re getting slower, Maggy,” Ravus laughed, “Come, let’s see what the Heir of Artemis can do against the Silver Blade.”

“Quiet, you!” she demanded. “Juniper, you have to leave now! Oakleaf, take her!”

“Alright,” he nodded before taking Juniper’s hoof. “Jun, we have to go. For her sake.”

The young mare shifted her eyes between Magnolia, who was currently doing her best to fight off their pursuer, and the small foal in her hooves. Finally, she gulped and nodded her head.

“C’mon let’s go!” Oak urged, pulling her along.

“I’ll be right behind you!” Magnolia assured, peering at them over her shoulder, a small smirk on her face.

“You better be!” Juniper yelled, tears falling from her eyes as she followed Oakleaf down the alleyway.

The two of them soon disappeared into the darkness of the night, hopefully following the escape route that she planned out for them.

Magnolia closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Keep my granddaughter safe, you two.

“I hope you realize once I kill you, I’ll be sending my Ravens to pursue them,” Ravus chuckled, “Also, I believe that sword of yours would be a good prize for my victory. And I think your head would be a terrific centerpiece for the foyer in the Sanctuary.”

Magnolia split her blade in two again. “Hinoken listens only to me, Ravus,” she growled, flourishing her blades. “Although, I’d like to see you try and take it.”

“Let us end this,” he snarled.

“My pleasure!”

The two Hunters paused for a moment, staring each other down. A strong breeze blew through the air, causing the stray leaves and trash that littered the streets to billow in the wind. Then, in the blink of an eye, they charged forward with killing intent. The sound of two swords clashing echoed through the night as the two of them fought.

Reality swirled and distorted like rippling water until everything slowly faded into darkness.

It was dark at first. Not even the smallest shred of light could be seen in the pitch black darkness of unconsciousness.

What happened? Where am I?

A stirring of a body. A feeling of fatigue.

What, where am I?

There was only silence. Save for the sound of steady breathing. A feeling of soft sheets covering something.

Willow stirred in her sleep, popping open an eye. She squinted upon being greeted with bright light in front of her vision. Lifting a hoof, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Upon noticing her hoof was wrapped in a bandage she gasped and immediately bolted upright.

“What the, where in the fu-”

“Willow,” said a voice next to her, “You’re awake. Finally. I thought you were never going to wake up.”

Noctus sat on the side of the bed from her, heavy bags under his eyes. Probably fromt the lack of sleep. Had he been watching over her?

“Seriously, this is the second time in a row I’ve been knocked unconscious, only to wake up in a different place,” Willow groaned, rubbing her temples, “I might as well have mastered teleportation.”

Noctus huffed out a laugh, but promptly cleared his throat. “So, from what I saw, you were thrashing around quite a bit in your sleep. Were you having a dream?”

“What?” Willow glanced back at him, an eyebrow raised. “I don’t know I… don’t remember much. All I remember is this… pain that spread through my whole body. It felt like my blood was boiling. What happened after I passed out? Is it even normal for something like that to happen?”

“In all honesty, Willow,” Noctus pursed his lips, “That procedure hasn’t been done since before the First Era. It’s a procedure performed on ponies who wish to be turned into Hunters. The way we performed it, however, was slightly different.”

“How?”

“Your blood already possesses Hunter blood, but it was dormant within you,” Noctus explained, “From what Sanguinaire believes, something must have happened to trigger the blood to Awaken. Usually, it takes years and years for a Hunter foal to Awaken their abilities. This procedure sped up the process since we obviously do not have the time to wait.”

Willow twisted her body to face him. “Then, why don’t you use it on other foals? Wouldn’t that like, make more of you?”

Noctus bit his lip. “I cannot say, Willow,” he shook his head, “Sanguinaire made me promise not to tell.”

“Tell me what?”

“I just told you I cannot say.”

“Urgh, nevermind,” Willow grunted, “What happens now?”

He seemed to hesitate at what to say next. “Well, first off, there’s something I need to show you,” he coughed nervously as he fixed his collar, “But, you have to promise me you will not have another… episode.”

“Well what is it?” Willow asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Noctus held up a mirror and she grabbed it with her magic. She levitate it towards her and peered into it.

Upon seeing what happened to her, she inhaled deeply…

And then immediately proceeded to scream.

“AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!”

“I am Gehrman, a friend to you Hunters, and-” the old man sitting in his chair stopped his spiel as he heard a scream far off in the distance.

“I say, what is that noise?”

The hooded person standing in front of him glanced over their shoulder and shrugged.

The large alicorn goddess sat upon her throne. Her fur as black as night and her ethereal smoky blue mane billowing in an invisible wind. Her throne room was as dark as her coat, and blue torches lit up the dim hall. Nightmare Moon’s eyes were closed as she rested herself.

That was, until she heard a scream coming from the outside.

Her snapped open to reveal two bloodshot orbs dripping with anger.

“WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER!” she yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice, the entire throne room shaking as rubble fell from the ceiling.

Meanwhile, the ears of every single Hunter in the Sanctuary perked their ears as an earsplitting scream echoed throughout the castle.

Willow sat there upon the bed, the mirror discarded off to the side. She held herself, rocking back and forth as she fought to keep her breathing under control.

“This is not happening, this is not happening,” she frantically repeated to herself. “First my cutie mark and now this! Oh… why does this kind of shit happen to me?” Willow whimpered as she fell back onto the pillows behind her. “I could have just stayed home. I could have just ignored the thing knocking at my door. Why, oh why did I have to open the stupid door!?”

Noctus sat in his chair, a frown on his face as he watched her have a fit. Suddenly, he clicked his tongue and shook his head before standing up and marching over to the side Willow laid on.

“Willow!” he called for her attention.

“Stupid Hunters, stupid Nightmare Night shit…” she grumbled under her breath.

He had enough of her and growled as she reached out and grabbed Willow with his hooves, turning her over to face him. Willow did not fight back as he held her face in his tight grasp. Upon his face was a stern look that bore no sign of sympathy.

“I’ve had quite enough of your little attitude,” he began, “You think just because your mane has changed color, the world has ended. Well let me tell you something: it hasn’t. You think just because your cutie mark was besmirched, everything is done for. Tell me, do you think other ponies here haven’t lost more than that?”

Willow only stared back.

“Well? Do you?!”

“Yes!” she whimpered. By Celestia, I’ve never seen him this way.

Noctus let go of her face and stepped back. “Willow, if I could be quite frank, you are going to have to simply mare up, and take things in your stride. Because I guarantee, things do not get easier from here. In fact, they get even more difficult. More difficult than you could possibly handle. I did not rescue you from the forest just so you can die again. The Council has high expectations for you. If you cannot meet them, then you are of no use to us. You’d just be another body.”

“Now listen to me,” he lifter her chin up to meet her eyes, “I told the Council you could help us. That you could help the Order get through this night. Prove. Me. Right.”

He let go of her chin. “You cannot even begin to imagine the consequences if you don’t,” he turned towards the fireplace. Noctus went to sit on a chair near the stone fireplace, staring into the crackling blaze.

Sighing, Willow reached over with her magic and held the mirror in front of her muzzle again. This time, taking a moment to go over her new features. She stared back at eyes that were not hers from the beginning. It felt like she was looking at another mare.

This new mare had eyes as red as blood and a fiery red mane. Although, there were some hints of her amber that shone out from the red hue that her mane had now taken. She ran a hoof over her new manestyle, marveling at the shiny red color.

“Noctus,” she called out, “Just, how did this happen?”

“I’m not sure and neither is Sanguinaire,” Noctus answered, “Though, I have to say, your new mane color suits your boisterous personality.” Upon finishing his sentence, he looked back at her, a small smile on his face.

Willow blushed and smiled back sheepishly. “Uh, thanks, Nocty.” Deep down, she didn’t know whether or not to be offended.

Before anything else could be said, the door opened and in walked Sanguinaire along with Minela, flanked by two Ravens.

Noctus immediately rose to his hooves and stood at attention. “Head Councilor Minela.”

“Noctus,” she nodded at him and he relaxed his body. The old mare turned her head towards Willow. “And you. How are you feeling?”

The young mare was taken aback by her sudden showing of empathy. “I’m fine, Mine- I mean Head Councilmare.”

“You may address me as Councilor Minela when we are outside the Council chamber,” she said sternly, “However, I do expect you to show the same amount of respect as you would while we are having a session of Council. Understood?”

“Yes, Councilor,” Willow nodded sharply.

“Good, now,” she glanced over to Sanguinaire, “I believe Sanguinaire will perform some tests on you to see if your powers have indeed awoken. Councilor?”

Sanguinaire stepped forward with a satchel attached to her barrel. “I’m going to perform a series of tests that we give our adolescent foals just before they’re to start their training. Although the case may differ slightly, hopefully the outcome will be the same. Are you ready to begin?”
Willow nodded.

“Very well, follow me.” she rolled out of the bed, feeling strangely invigorated. Maybe it was the amount of sleep she got?

Damn. I feel great! Why do I feel this way?

“Sit,” the mare ordered and Willow sat herself down on the chair next to the table. Sanguinaire took the seat opposite of her, while Noctus and Minela stood on either side. “What I am going to need you to do is pay close attention. This is to test your senses. We ponies have heightened senses to begin with, however, hopefully you will see what I mean.”

She used her magic to pull out a thin sewing needle. “Tell me what you hear.” She began tapping the needle on the bottom of her hoof. “Pay close attention to the needle, focus, and tell me what you hear.”

Willow focused her attention on the needle itself, furrowing her brow. Her ears seemed to twitch with every repetition. As Sanguinaire continued tapping, Willow swore she could hear something.

At first, she thought it was her breathing. However, it sounded metallic.

Is that…

She perked up her ears as the sound beat against her eardrums. It was a tiny sound, you’d almost have to have super advanced hearing to pick it up. It took her several moments to realize what she was hearing.

Can I… am I hearing the pin tapping against her hoof?

“I… can hear it!” Willow laughed, “Whoa, that’s so cool!”

“Focus,” Sanguinaire reprimanded, “You can hear it?” Willow nodded. “Good, Hunters have hearing that is far more advanced than a normal equine, griffon, or any other species that inhabit Equestria. Now for the next test.”

She pulled out three small wooden cups and what looked like a rubber ball.

“This test is almost as simple as the last one,” Sanguinaire explained as she placed the three cups in a row, holding the ball in her magic. “For this, simply follow the ball wherever it goes.”

Lifting up the center cup, she rolled the ball underneath it before setting it back down.

“Remember: follow the ball.”

Sanguinaire used her magic to begin sliding the cups in different directions. At first, Willow had a difficult time keeping up with the ball as the other mare began speeding up. However, Willow’s eyes seemed to move as fast the cups were. Their speed increased to the point where they were almost a blur. Nevertheless, Willow’s eyes were glued to the cup that hid the ball.

To her, the cups almost seemed to be moving in slow motion.

I can see…

Sanguinaire suddenly stopped twisting the cups around and laid them all in a row before her.

“Which one holds the ball?”

“That one,” she pointed to the leftmost cup. Sanguinaire lifted it up and out rolled the ball. Willow gasped and smiled.

“Very good,” Sanguinaire said with a tone that almost sounded like approval. “Hunters have the ability to ‘see’ things faster. It is a good thing to have when combatting beasts that move faster than the eye can see. You’ll soon find that your vision also affects your reflexes.”

“For the final test,” she pulled a seemingly normal cylindrical glass. “I want you, to smash this cup. Using only your hoof.”

She placed the cup onto the table and Willow wrapped her fetlock around it. Upon picking it up, she noticed the glass felt heavier than a normal one should be.

Willow glanced at the three of them, all three Hunters looking on expectantly. Gulping heavily, she furrowed her brow as she used her hoof to squeeze the glass. Much to her surprise, the glass shattered into tiny pieces without much effort.

“It seems you are indeed a Hunter,” Minela nodded at her approvingly. “I suppose the procedure was a success after all.”

“This glass is made of a denser material than any glass made by mundane hooves,” Sanguinaire explained, “It was made so that even a minotaur would have a difficult time crushing it. Hunters are several times stronger than a mundane of any species. Even dragons.”

“Whoa,” Willow said under her breath, “So, like, I have super strength now?”

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed yet, but you should be feeling different than you were before,” she continued, “The blood running in your veins has changed your body. As you begin your training, you will soon find that your new powers will be useful in combat. I can only hope that you are a fast learner.”

“Is there anything else we need to do?” Noctus asked.

“No, for now at least,” Minela shook her head, “However, I must give this fair bit of advice, outsi- Willow. Do not become comfortable with yourself just yet. The road to becoming a true Hunter is a long and arduous one, and your trials have only just begun. It will be quite some time before we accept you as a full fledged member of the Order. After you’ve… partaken in communion.”

Willow tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

“You will find out soon enough,” Minela said sternly, “Noctus, I will be going to confer with Master Keg on a certain matter. You will be coming along with me.”

“What for, may I ask?”

“It is something that must be spoken of in private,” she looked back at Willow, “And as for you, I have appointed somepony to show you the layout of the Sanctuary. A tour, if you will.”

“Who?” Willow asked.

The door to the room suddenly opened and in walked a sky blue mare with a silver mane and purple eyes. Her mane was tied up in a ponytail and she was dressed in a fashion similar to Noctus. If it were up to Willow, she’d guess that this was a sort of uniform that all Hunters wear.

“Sorry I’m late, Councilors,” she bowed her head at the two of them. “I had another matter to tend to beforehoof. Is this the new blood you spoke of?”

“Yes, she is,” Minela stepped aside to allow the mare to stand at the table. “May I introduce, Azure Skies, a fine Huntress and personal apprentice to Master Powder Keg. She is training to become the next Master of the Order. Azure, this is Willow.”

“Pleased to meet you, love,” Azure held out a hoof and Willow shook it. “I’ll be your guide as I show you around the Sanctuary. Hopefully, you’ll find it most pleasant.”

Willow suddenly felt less tense upon conversing with the charismatic mare.

“Councilor Minela? Shall we go now?” the elder mare nodded and Azure motioned for Willow to follow her. “C’mon, love! Let’s get moving!” Willow arose from her seat and followed the enthusiastic mare out of the room. As the door closed, only the three others stayed behind.

Noctus cleared his throat. “So, just what is this matter about?”

“You’ll see,” Sanguinaire assured, “Master Keg?”

A bright light appeared in the center of the room and the olive green stallion suddenly appeared out of thin air, sitting in his wheelchair with a lit pipe.

He fell into a coughing fit and removed his pipe. When he came down, he placed it back into his mouth. “Uff, I always feel nauseous after using that trick. Traversing planes isn’t as easy as it once was.”

“Master Keg-”

“Please, Sangi, call me Keg or what have you,” he chuckled, “We’re not in session. Please be informal as you wish.”

“Right,” she nodded before looking back at Noctus, “I can imagine you’re curious as to what we are going to discuss.”

“Yes I am,” he replied, “Is there something you need of me?”

“There is,” Powder Keg answered, “However, I do not know how you’ll react to something like this.”

“Indeed,” Minela agreed, “Please sit, Noctus.”

“This place is huge!” Willow marveled at the area they were currently in. “What is this place?”

Azure giggled and walked up beside her. The room they were in was large and circular with a domed ceiling. Along the walls were racks of weapons made of wood, most likely used for training. There were also several thick wooden poles with several limbs protruding out from its base. On the far side of the room was a large wooden cabinet with a padlock. More than likely it held real weapons.

“This, is the central training room,” Azure explained, “Throughout the Sanctuary, there are numerous private training rooms that Hunters can use at will. However, we mostly use this one as a classroom where we have our colts and fillies train together. This, is where you will be during your time here.”

“What do you mean?” Willow asked as she raised a brow at her.

Azure placed a hoof to her lips and giggled. “Why, your training of course!”

“Training?”

“Did they not mention to you that you’ll be starting your training soon?” Azure asked, furrowing her brow, “Strange, I’d have thought Master Keg or even Minela would have told you by now.”

Willow let out a small breath before hanging her head. “This is all so much. I don’t know how much time has even passed, but it feels like my old life was a million years ago.”

“Don’t worry, love,” Azure laughed, “How do you think I felt when all this responsibility fell on me? Ponies here expect me to be the next Master. Ten years ago I thought I was an ordinary filly, but the Hunter’s blood in my veins said otherwise.”

“How did you discover your powers?” Willow asked.

Azure pursed her lips and walked towards the center of the room. “I don’t remember much of my old life, honestly. It’s been so long. Master Keg’s been training me since before I even learned how to speak.”

“Wow,” Willow said under he breath. “And you’ve been a Hunter for how long?”

“Can I be honest with you?” Azure turned back to her, a somber expression on her face. “This year, is my first Hunt. But, I think I’m pretty damn good at killing beasts. I’ve gone out at least twice and I’ve already taken down at least twenty beasts. Most Hunters kill twice as less as that on their first Hunts.”

“That’s crazy!” Willow giggled, “You don’t look much like a killer, ya know.”

“Oh really?” Azure looked back, an eyebrow and a mischievous little smile spread across her lips. Suddenly, her horn lit up and she disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Willow then felt her front hooves come out from under her and felt a pair of hooves wrap around her neck. Her world turned upside down as she soon felt herself lying against the floor with someone’s hooves choking the life out of her. Willow tried to use her newfound strength to pull herself out, but Azure tightened her grip.

Whatever strength that Willow had, it apparently wasn’t enough. She had Willow pinned to the floor in an awkward position where Azure had her body lying on top of Willow’s barrel, her hooves wrapped around her neck.

“So! What do you think now?!” Azure giggled maniacally. “Am I a killer or what?!”

“Gah! C-Can’t… B-Breathe!” Willow gasped as she struggled to break free.

Azure only laughed louder. “Sorry? What was that? Couldn’t quite hear you!”

“You… You’re a… You’re a killer… alright?!” Willow gagged out under her iron grip.

“That’s what I thought you said!” Azure let go of Willow’s neck and allowed her to stand up. “Don’t let a pretty face fool you, Willow. That could be the death of you.”

Willow stretched out her neck and fixed up her bandages. “I don’t think those monsters out there look very pretty, ya know.”

Azure giggled and nudged her with her flank. “Oh, you get what I mean.”

“Now that that’s over, heheh,” Willow laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck. “Is there anything else you wanna show me in this place? I mean, how big is the Sanctuary anyway? And how come I’ve never seen this place before?”

Azure only laughed and shook her head. “Oh dear me, you have a lot to learn, love,” she smiled amiably, “The Sanctuary itself isn’t anywhere on the map of Equestria at all.”

“Uh, huh?” Willow narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“This place in an entirely different plane of existence,” she said, elegantly spinning her body in a full circle, “It’s something called a pocket dimension. Another dimension that’s um… not so other. A space that’s too small to be it’s very own reality and is attached to ours. To the outside world, this castle is nothing more than a husk. A shell of what once was. The only way you can access the Sanctuary is through magic lamps that we’ve planted all across Equestria and, well, only Hunters know the exact locations of each lamp. Depending on where they are deployed that is.”

Willow’s ears fell as her eyes widened. “Wow that’s uh… interesting, ya know?” she laughed nervously, “I never even knew what a pocket dimension thing was until today.”

“Hardly anypony does, love,” she turned towards Willow, a soft expression on her face, “Now, I think it’s time we leave. I have much else to show you. Go on, I’ll follow you out.”

The two of them began making their way to the door. However, Azure gasped and stopped suddenly.

“Um, hey!” she said abruptly, “What’s with your cutie mark?”

Oh not this again Willow groaned internally before rolling her eyes and sighing.

“Look, I know it looks like a messed up painting, but-”

“Nono, look at it!”

Willow craned her neck over to her flank and saw that something else took the place of Willow’s old cutie mark. Something that she had never seen before. It was a weird symbol. The symbol consisted of a straight line with two other lines that intertwined with it like a DNA strand; the shape was outlined by several dots that spotted the length of it.

“What the fu-”

“Heir…” Azure whispered to herself, “Are you..? By the Great Huntress. Willow. You’re an Heir of Artemis?”

“An Heir of wha?”

“Artemis!” she exclaimed happily, “Lady Artemis, the First Hunter! You’re a descendant! I can’t believe this! It’s been so long since another Heir has appeared!”

Willow darted forward and looked Azure in the eyes, a beseeching look on her face.

“Can you please tell me what the fuck you are talking about?!” she begged, “Please?!”

“Oh, hehe,” Azure grinned sheepishly, “It seems I have some explaining to do.”

“You cannot be serious.”

The sound of a face hitting a desk echoed throughout the small room.

“Do you think me as a pony who takes matters such as this lightly?” Powder Keg raised an eyebrow at the young Hunter, “Noctus, all of our Mentors are much too occupied training our young ones, as well as keeping up with their own Hunter duties.”

Noctus looked at the elderly stallion and shook his head. “Master, with all due respect,” he began, “How can you expect me to give up my own duties for this?”

“You are young, Noctus,” Minela interposed, “But you are nevertheless experienced. Already you have seen three Nights.”

“Not to mention you have brought in an impressive number of kills,” Keg chuckled, “However, I do think Azy will give you a run for your money. Already she has twenty kills! Hah! I daresay she’s a chip off the old block!”

“Keg, if you please,” Sanguinaire said, leaning against a hoof, “Noctus, the reason why we asked this of you is because we feel that you may be the only one she’ll trust. I don’t think any of our Mentors would have the patience to deal with a mare like her. They’d kill her before any other beast got the chance to.”

“What makes you think I have the capacity?” Noctus asked, crossing his hooves.

“We don’t,” Minela nickered, “We know you do. And if you do not, then I fear all hope is lost.”

Noctus groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a hoof. “This is just magical,” he scoffed, “You want me to teach her our ways?”

“If she is to realize her destiny as an Heir,” Keg leaned back and crossed his hooves, “Then, yes we do. Besides, I feel there is also something you can learn from her as well.”

“And that is?” Noctus asked incredulously, “What could she possibly teach me?”

“Hmph,” Powder Keg puffed out smoke from his pipe, “That is something you will find out yourself. Soon enough at least.”

“Indeed,” Minela sighed, “Noctus, henceforth, we are putting Willow under your tutelage. You will be responsible for any failures she might endure, teaching her the ways of the Order, and making her stronger for the future. Also, I need not remind you that time is of the essence, and that you must swiftly teach her everything she must know.”

“Very well, then,” Noctus conceded, “I suppose I’ll be her Mentor.”

“And be aware, that she herself must realize who she is, and what it means to be an Heir,” Minela stated, “It is something she must do on her own-”

The door to the room suddenly burst open. The four of them turned their heads to see a very angry-looking Willow, who stood her body lowered to the ground and her nostrils flaring.

“Willow wait!” Azure suddenly appeared in the doorway. She placed a hoof on her mouth when saw her standing there in front of the others.

“Alright!” she growled, “I wanna know what the hell this shit about me being an Heir really means, ya know! And I wanna know now!”

Noctus, Sanguinaire, Minela, and Powder Keg sat there with their eyes widened. None of them were quite sure how to respond.

“Hmm...” Minela’s eyes narrowed, “I suppose the term, ‘jumped the gun’, would be proper here.”

“She told her didn’t she?” Sanguinaire deadpanned.

“There is only ever one thing that Azy was never good at,” Keg grumbled, “And that was keeping her mouth shut.” He shook his head and pressed a hoof to his forehead.

Minela stood up and glanced at the others before turning to the steaming Willow.

“It seems,” she began, “We now have some explaining to do ourselves.”

End Chapter 4

Chapter 5 - An Heir's Purpose

Willow huffed and puffed as she glared at the ponies before her. Her piercing gaze could burn through lead, her body hunched over in an offensive stance.

"Willow, please," Noctus warned, "Think about what you say, else you might regret it."

"Calm down," Azure begged, "Let us explain!"

"Stay your tongue, filly!" Minela ordered, "Remember who you are speaking to. If you do not calm yourself, I'll send you somewhere where you may have all the time you need to relax."

She didn't know what to do. The information Azure just relayed to her had rocked her world. If she was supposedly an Heir, then what was her past? Who, or what, was she Heir to?

"I just wanna know who the hell I am," Willow sighed, relaxing her body, "Things have been happening so fast. All these revelations about me keep popping up like daisies. I want somepony to tell me: what am I?"

The Councilors all shared a look of trepidation, silently asking the other what course of action they should take next. Minela stood from her seat first.

"Listen, Willow, please come have a seat," she nodded to the open chair. "If you'd let us explain, you will understand everything." Reluctantly, the young mare slowly walked over to the open seat next to Noctus, Azure standing next to her Mentor as Willow took a seat on the wooden chair. "Now, whatever Azure here told you," she gestured the blue mare, who stood there at the table with a look of guilt on her face. "I'm sure it is severely abridged. We will answer some of your questions, but the rest you will have to answer for yourself."

"Well what can you tell me now?" Willow asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Firstly, how have you been feeling since the operation?" Sanguinaire interjected, "There are side effects to having dramatic blood ministration performed. There are some that are subtle, but there are some that are..." she gestured to Willow's mane, "Not so subtle. However, the blood you have inside you once belonged to a legendary Huntress. Can you tell me if there have been any other side effects?"

She bit her lip in thought. "Well," Willow began, "My cutie mark is different from before. Azure told me that the mark I have meant 'Heir' or something like that. That's how she told me about the... thing."

"Anything else you may have experienced?"

Willow had to stop and think for a few moments. A thought struck her: while she had been asleep after the blood ministration, she had seen things. At first, she did not know what they meant. She didn't know if they were dreams, but now was the perfect time to ask. "When I passed out during the operation I... saw things."

Sanguinaire stopped and spared a look at Minela and Powder Keg. "What things? What did you see?"

"I dunno," Willow shook her head, "It's a blur to me now. I can only just remember the images."

"What did you see?" Sanguinaire repeated, "Who did you see?"

"I... I saw a mare," Willow closed her eyes in an effort to remember, "I saw two mares. A stallion. And another stallion. I saw a lot of red. Darkness. There was the sound of a huge battle or something. I heard ponies speaking. They were talking about somepony or some other thing. Whatever it was, they didn't sound too happy."

The three Councilors listened intently, Powder Keg puffing away at his pipe.

"The next thing I heard, the sound of swords clashing. The sound of ponies running away from something. And then it all faded to black. I woke up right after that. I've never had dreams like that before, why now?"

Sanguinaire crossed her hooves and hummed. "In the past, there have been cases where ponies had dreams and visions after receiving blood ministration. Usually, they were of things that have already taken place. The previous medical officer theorized that Hunter blood holds more than just genetics. It holds memories. It holds the very essence of the Hunter that came before. Perhaps that is the reason why you were having those dreams; as I told you once before, the blood that runs through your veins is powerful indeed."

"Yes, it is," Powder Keg agreed, "Throughout the Order's history, Heirs have always been proven to be superior to their peers in every single way. Lady Artemis herself was a legendary Huntress, possessing unique powers and abilities she passed down to her kin. Willow, as you progress through your training, you will eventually come to discover and develop those powers."

"That is an Heir’s purpose," Minela stated, "Heirs are known to be powerful Hunters. They always have proven themselves to be so. You will have to do the same. The blood of legendary Hunters runs through your veins. However, it will be up to you whether or not you'll be strong enough to live up to your heritage."

"And if I can't?" Willow asked, "Then what?"

Minela looked away from her, eyes narrowed. "Then, you will be of no use to us," she said in a half whisper, "Though, if fate smiles upon us, you will rise to the challenge."

"What happens next then?" the young mare asked, "What's gonna happen with me?"

The Councilors shared yet another look.

"Well," Powder Keg cleared his throat, "I suppose now is a good a time as any. Your training is to begin soon. Promptly tomorrow. Noctus is to be your Mentor."

Willow raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" she gasped, "That's uh... great?"

Noctus scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, thrilling isn't it?"

"He will teach you everything, Willow," Keg continued, "He is young, but very experienced. Additionally, you will also have the pleasure of learning from my own apprentice as well." Azure stared at him wide-eyed. "She is young, but I feel this would be a good opportunity for her to learn what it would feel like to be a teacher. Of course, she will not be the one that is responsible for you. That duty falls upon Noctus."

"Oh...kay?" Willow raised a brow, "Then, my training begins tomorrow you said? Do I get my own room or something?"

"Well," Powder Keg chuckled, "Something needs to take place beforehoof. Minela?"

"Yes, Powder Keg," Minela cleared her throat, "As of today, Willow, I grant you the rank of Acolyte. It is the rank below Initiate which identifies you as a trainee. You will be given a room of your own and, of course, you will be given your regulation clothing and taught the proper manestyle for mares of the Order. Uniformity is something that keeps the Order together, something you will learn during your training."

"And what exactly will I be doing for my training?" Willow asked.

"That will be entirely up to Noctus," Powder Keg answered, puffing out some smoke. "However, I do expect that he will teach you all the proper protocols and rules of the Order."

"Additionally, you will be given free access to all of the Sanctuary except for the Archives and the Council Chambers unless summoned. Are we clear, Acolyte?" Willow felt strange being called that, but nodded nonetheless. "Very well, Councilors, I think that we should take our leave."

"Wait," Willow interrupted, "What do I do until then?"

"For now, I would like for you to visit Iron Side and get outfitted with your uniform," Minela answered, "And you should also prepare yourself for tomorrow. The path to becoming a true Hunter isn't an easy one, and I assure you that Noctus will not make things any easier on you."

She spared a glance at Noctus, who was still wearing his usual stony expression. "Thank you, Councilor."

"A steward will arrive shortly to show you your new room," Sanguinaire added, "Until then, good day."

Minela and Sanguinaire waited at the door, while Azure used her magic to push Powder Keg's wheelchair. The three of them exited and closed the door behind them, leaving the dormitory section of the Sanctuary behind and entering the main hallway.

"Do you think it was the correct decision to assign Noctus as Willow's Mentor?" Minela asked, "I know the boy has experience, but he is still learning himself. Perhaps we should have assigned one of our older Mentors- Mentor Stonecold would have been an excellent instructor for her."

Powder Keg shook his head. "No, no," he said, "This is the correct move. Noctus is young, but his youth is more often than not connected to his recklessness, not to mention his antisocial behaviors with and among the other members. I feel that this will teach him some responsibility. Perhaps, interacting with Willow might even break him out of his shell."

"Mmm," Sanguinaire hummed in agreement, "Ever since his father died, he's been... different."

"Indeed," Powder Keg added, "Arctos was a great Hunter. Though he may not show it, his father's unfortunate death shook him deeply, and his heart still suffers the aftershocks."

They continued down the main hallway, passing by several Hunters who hailed their Councilors as they walked past.

"Do you think that Willow is capable of following the path of a Hunter?" Sanguinaire asked.

"For the sake of the Order," Minela sighed, "I hope so."

"Placing the fate of the Order in the hooves of a mare we thought an outsider naught days ago," Powder Keg chuckled, "How ironic. don't you think, Azy?"

Azure giggled and shook her head. "Indeed it is, but let us hope she can help us."

"Are you serious?" Willow asked in disbelief, "I have to have my mane like this?" Noctus stood next to her with a look of silent impatience on his face. "That's so... unbecoming, ya know."

The barber in front of her known as Shears stood in front of her, holding up a sketch of the uniform haircut required for female Acolytes. Before she was to go and acquire her uniform, she was to receive the regulation haircut for Hunter mares. They were in a salon that was next to the bath house of the Sanctuary. As of now, it was mostly empty. However, the word salon was rather subjective. The walls were cobblestone, much like the rest of the castle, which only added to the dull and colorless environment. If one could use a word to describe the place, then it would not be depressing. Depressing could do it no justice.

"Sorry, my dear," Shears laughed, "Whatever manestyles you're used to on the outside, you can go ahead and forget them."

Willow was somewhat disgusted at the manestyle. The sketch displayed a mare with her mane cut above the middle of her neck, tied into a tight bun. A sketch beside it showed the right side of the mare which had a thin braid running down below the right ear.

"This is the manestyle required for Acolyte mares," Noctus stated, "That braid signifies that you've begun your journey down the path of the Hunt. The true path to becoming one with the night begins with removing who you were in the past."

She stared back at him suspiciously. "That sounds like a bunch of hooey," she scoffed, "But fine, let's just get this over with."

Shears motioned for her get on the barber chair. In front of the chair was a vanity mirror with candles sitting below it. The barber picked up a set of scissors, giving them a few test snips.

"You have quite the long mane, dear," the elderly stallion chuckled, "Although, it is a very lovely shade of red. How long has it been since your last cut?"

"I honestly have no idea," Willow replied as Shears began inspecting her long mane. "Ya know I... I can't remember. It's so weird that I can't remember. Nocty?" The young stallion visibly flinched upon hearing the name. "Why is that I'm having a hard time remembering stuff from the past?"

Upon hearing the question, Noctus exhaled deeply. "Sanguinaire once told me that the blood that runs in our veins holds special properties," he began, then shook his head "However, that will be a lesson for later. For now, let us get this out of the way. Shears, could you please move it along?"

"Right away, Noctus," the old unicorn laughed as he began snipping away at Willow's mane. Willow, for her part, sat quietly in the chair, watching sadly as each fiery red strand of hair was sheared from her mane, drifting gently to the floor. Her once voluminous and lengthy mane, which had flowed down to her shoulders like a waterfall of flame, now settled close to the nape of her neck.

Shears placed his shears down onto the table and cleared his throat. "Alright, dear, I'm going to fix up your mane now," there was a slight ringing noise as he used his magic, twisting Willow's mane several times in different directions. Pulling out a rubber band from a pocket on his belt, he held Willow's mane in a tightly wound bun that with size that was reminiscent of a rather small onion and tied it up with the black elastic band. "Now, time for the braid."

Picking out a few strands on the right side of her cranium, he gathered a lengthy bit of her hair and began skillfully weaving the strands into a tight braid. He then pulled out a sort of bead, using his magic to pull it through a small opening in the center of it. Finally, he tied the end of the braid up, preventing it from sliding out of the bead.

"There we are, all done!" Shears chirped, "As for the braid, dear, do be careful with it. You'll learn how to tie the bun eventually, but if the braid ever comes undone, just come pay me a visit, alright?"

Willow inspected her new hairdo, marveling at the sharpness of it. She looked like a new mare. The only thing that remained of her original self was her beige coat. Those fiery red gems she had for eyes stared back at her in the mirror. It felt strange to her having a pair of eyes that were not hers to begin with; it almost felt unnatural to her.

Nevertheless, the changes in her physical appearance were to be the least of her worries. Right now, she would have more pressing matters to attend to.

Rising up from the chair, she turned over to Noctus, who held an approving expression. "Very good, Acolyte," he joked, "Keep up the good work and you'll be ready to take on even the ugliest of beasties."

Willow trotted past him and swatted his side with her tail. "Very funny, wise guy," she scoffed, "What do we have to do next?"

The young Hunter turned to the elderly barber. "Thanks for the work, Shears," he nodded his head in acknowledgement. Shears laughed and bowed his head respectfully, and Willow and Noctus exited the salon and trotted out into a sort of atrium within the castle. The halls of the atrium were empty, spare a few Hunters wandering around going from one place to another. A thought hit Willow.

"Noctus, why is it that there seems to be hardly anypony here?" she asked as they began traversing a stairway that led to a different corridor. "I mean, how many Hunters are there?"

He seemed to ignore her question, keeping his gaze forward as they walked.

“Simple, they’re all out in the field,” he answered, “As for how many of us there are, well, I could tell you of the time where there were once thousands of us. A time where the Hunters were much more powerful. I feel these days, that power has begun to wane...” His voice took on a somber tone, his face locked in a grimace as he turned his head away from her.

“Noctus?” she asked, “Are you alright?” His ears twitched as he suddenly realized that he had stayed quiet for a little too long.

“Um, yes I’m fine,” he coughed and cleared his throat. She felt the need to press the subject a little more, find out what made him look so upset. However, that would come another time. Right now, they had other matters to attend to. “Here, this way.”

The two of them turned down a different corridor that led to a different section of the castle. It was an open area, almost like the atrium that they had just left, occupied by a large number of earth ponies with a smattering of unicorns. They were all standing at work benches, using an array of tools to fix up pieces of what looked like leather armor and lacing them together to form tunics.

On the other half, there were ponies tending to weapon racks that held weapons of similar fashion to what Noctus used in the forest, except there seemed to be a larger disparity of them. Large saw cleavers stood on racks, while the workers tended to them and polished or sharpened their blades. Additionally, there were other racks that held more normal-looking weapons like broadswords and spears, as well as some smaller dagger displays that sat on tables along the walls.

Further down, there more racks that displayed firearms of varying sizes, from the small pistol, to the lengthy blunderbuss, to the enormous cannon. Willow stopped to stare at the enormous weapon that sat on a table, eyes wide with surprise and curiosity.

“What in the world is this?” Willow gasped in awe.

“That’s a saddle cannon,” Noctus explained, “Only the strongest Hunters could ever wield such a weapon. One could punch a hole through even the biggest beast with that, provided they have the necessary ammunition and strength to handle the recoil. Now, come. We have to meet with Master Iron Side.”

“Hello, Noctus,” an earth pony stallion came trotting from down the hall, a neutral expression on his face.

His coat was a bright copper, and both his mane and tail were lighter brown, with dark brown
eyes. He wore a slightly different uniform, this one almost looking like some sort of utility vest. On his nose rested a pair of spectacles.

“Crosshair,” Noctus greeted, “What brings you here today?”

“One of my rifles was acting up again,” he explained, pursing his lips, “It was beyond me, so I came to Iron Side and he was going to make some adjustments to it. Said some of the parts in the action were old. Hopefully new parts will make it fire better.”

“I pray the Huntress allows it to happen,” Noctus nodded respectfully before glancing at Willow.

“Indeed,” Crosshair chortled before he glanced over to Willow. “I say, my dear girl, who are you? From what I can see, you are an Acolyte, but… you seem to be a bit older than most Acolytes of the Order.” He tilted his head in confusion.

Noctus gestured to her. “This is Willow,” he explained, “She is indeed an Acolyte; however, she is a special case. A sheep that wandered away from the herd. I’ve been tasked with training her in the ways of the Hunt.”

“Hmm,” Crosshair smirked at him, “Moving up in the world are we? You, a Mentor and after only experiencing three nights?”

The young Hunter seemed to shift uncomfortably. “Erm, no, I’m not necessarily a full-fledged Mentor,” he said nervously, “More like a Mentor out of necessity. The Council entrusted me to teach her everything she needed to know.”

“Very good, Noctus,” the Mentor smiled and nodded, “Be sure to listen to him, young Acolyte.” Willow smiled at the elder stallion. “ I’m sure he has many things to teach you. The night is long and we must be ready to bring the day. Good day to you Noctus, I must be off. A class of Acolytes is due for a session at the gun range.”

“Very well,” Noctus sighed, “I’ll be seeing you, then. Take care.” They watched him leave, then continued down the wide atrium-like sector of the castle until they reached a doorway at the end of the passage.

“What’s behind this door?” Willow asked.

“Master Iron Side’s… ‘office’,”

He pushed open the door and inside was a large room, or rather, a small facility. In front of them was Master Iron Side sitting behind what looked like a cage with a counter rising from the floor. a small slot, most likely for making trades protruded from the center of it. To their right was a sort of shooting range, probably for testing out small arms fire. Behind Iron Side was a whole cavalcade of workers; the walls were lined with what looked like giant ovens, blacksmiths pulling out red hot pieces of metal and pounded at them with heavy forging hammers to shape the unformed iron and steel into sharp blades.

The sound of hissing water, metal striking metal, and the humming of saws could he heard behind the elderly weapons master as he sat at his desk, inspecting a long hammer action rifle that most likely belonged to Crosshair.

“What’s with the cage?” Willow asked silently.

“It’s for security reasons,” Noctus replied. Iron Side, upon looking up and noticing the two, gave them an amiable smile.

“Noctus, m’lad!” he greeted in his usual chipper tone. He was dressed in what looked like Noctus’ uniform, but was colored black; over that he wore a blacksmith’s apron and a pair of goggles rested atop his head. “How are ye? Anythin’ ye need fer today?”

“Yes, indeed we do,” Noctus nodded, “Willow is in need of a proper set of clothing. Would you care to help us out?”

Iron Side casually leaned on one hoof, smirking slyly over at Willow. “Oh? Ol’ Minny’s finally given ye the rank o’ Acolyte, eh?” he laughed, scratching at the stubble on his chin. “Good t’see that. Noctus, m’lad, I also hear that you’ve been assigned to be her Mentor? Quite interestin’. I’m surprised Minny didn’t assign somepony else to teach her.”

Willow turned to Noctus with an inquisitive stare. “Councilor Minela thought it best to assign someone she trusts.”

“I trust you?” Willow scoffed.

“I pulled you from Death’s door,” he deadpanned, “I would assume you did.”

“Yeah? Doesn’t mean I have to trust you!” Willow argued indignantly.

Noctus sighed and shook his head, not wanting to continue the argument any longer. “Master, do you think you could acquire an Acolyte’s uniform for us?”

“We’ve got just the thing,” he chuckled, “Oi, you lot! I’ll be needin’ a feckin’ Acky uniferm!” he took glance at willow before cupping his hooves over his mouth, angling his neck back towards the workers. “Medium size!”

“Gotcha, boss!”

“On it!”

“We’ll geddit for ya!”

They saw a couple of the workers shifting towards the back, most likely where the uniforms were held.

“So, you just keep all the uniforms here?” Willow inquired.

“Ayep!” Iron Side laughed, “The Tailors make ’em off in another section of the castle and send ‘em over to us when they’re finished. Makes it easier that way.”

“And, how do you know they’d fit me?” she pried, “I mean, don’t I need to be measured?”

“The uniforms we make here are usually one size fits most and are adjustable anyhow,” Iron Side explained, “Although, if your uniform is too tight or too loose, just go to the Tailors and they’ll fix it up fer ya.”

One of Iron Side’s workers walked up behind him, a folded object on his back. He turned and flopped it onto the desk. “Here ya are, boss.”

“Great, now get back to work ya slobbery git,” Iron Side chuckled and the worker surprisingly laughed as well, shaking his head as he walked back to his station. Willow was slightly taken aback at the manner Iron Side spoke to his workers, but considered the fact that it’s probably the way they have their friendly banter or work with each other.

Iron Side pushed the uniform through the little slot on top of the desk he was working at. Noctus nodded at Willow to grab it so she reached out with her magic and floated it towards her face. Inspecting it closely, she noticed that it seemed to be a different color than Noctus’. The vest was almost a leathery purple color, the shirt a dark gray. She glanced from the uniform to Noctus.

“So, why is it a different color from yours?” she asked.

“That there’s an Acolyte uniform, m’lass,” Iron Side answered, “Once yer all good an’ trained up, maybe you’ll be ready to wear a different uniform someday. Anything else you’ll be needin’ Noctus?”

“No,” he shook his head, “That’s all we’ll be needing for today. Thank you, Master.”

“Not a problem, m’lad!” he waved goodbye at them as they walked out of his office. Willow placed the uniform on her back as they exited the armory section of the castle. A few turns later, they found themselves walking down the main corridor of the Sanctuary. It seemed a little more deserted this time around. More than likely the others were out hunting, eating in the dining hall, or sleeping.

They passed by the Dining Hall, seeing that it held a few occupants that were catching an early dinner.

“I assume you’ll be sleeping in your own room tonight,” Noctus said, “That is, unless you feel more comfortable sleeping on the floor of my bedchamber?”

“Why would I sleep on the floor?” Willow snorted, “You’re the gentlecolt, why don’t you sleep on the floor?”

“It is my room, why would I have to?” Noctus replied.

“Whatever, Minela already gave me my own room,” she sighed, “I gotta admit, for an ancient castle that doesn’t exist to the outside world, it’s pretty homely. But, I just can’t shake this feeling of guilt.”

“Why?” Noctus inquired.

“Well, my cottage is all alone out there in the outside world,” she began, “I wonder if it’s okay. I put in a lot of time and money to make it my home.”

He stopped her in the middle of the hallway. “Don’t worry,” he gave her a ghost of a smile, “You’ll return to it in the morning. If it ever comes.”

Harsh reality soon set in for Willow at that moment. Now that she was involved with the Hunters, she was in it for life. The thought of inevitably returning to this place every year to fight against the terrifying beasts in a never ending war unsettled her.

A chill ran up Willow’s spine as she realized exactly what she got herself into.

“Are you alright?” Noctus asked worriedly, “You’re not going to have another breakdown are you? If so, let us make haste to your dorm room.”

“R-Right,” Willow nodded and they made their towards the hall that lead to the dormitory section.

Upon reaching the long corridor, the walls lined with doors to numerous rooms. They turned right down another familiar hallway where Noctus’ room was located. Further down and the left, was Willow’s room. They stopped at the door, Noctus turning back to look at her, the same stoney expression he always wears adorned his face.

“Make sure you get some rest, Willow,” he advised, “Your training begins tomorrow and you have to learn a lifetime’s worth of material in a much shorter timespan. It won’t be easy, I assure you; in fact, it will in all likeliness be the hardest thing you will ever experience. Are you ready for that?”

Willow swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding.

“Good,” he opened the door to his and stepped inside, stopping to glance back at his new student, of sorts. “Good night, Willow. Sleep well.”

Not another word was said as he slowly closed the door on her. She stood outside in the hallway for several moments, debating whether or not to knock on the door. Deep down, she was scared to go to sleep in her own room, a sense of intense loneliness welling up inside her chest. She felt like a filly being left at school for the first time on her own. Though she was grown up, she couldn’t shake the feeling.

I didn’t ask for any of this, she sighed heavily, Yet here I am.

Her ears flattened against her head, she felt deflated as she started in the direction towards her own dorm room. After walking a fair distance, she stopped at her door, about to use her magic to grasp the handle.

“Oh, what do we have here?” A smooth-sounding voice came from her left. Ears perking up, she whirled towards the voice, curious about who it belonged to.

In front of her was a mare, or seemed like a mare at least. The leathery wings she had furled at her sides gave a clear indication that she was not a normal pegasus mare. On her ears rested large tufts of fur, underneath her top lip was a pair of sharp fangs. The mare’s coat was a light shade of gray, her curly mane and tail a bright purple, and her eyes yellow like a full moon. On her flank rested the same mark that every Hunter seemed to have.

“A mare? A mare that I’ve never seen before in this place?”

Her voice bore an audible accent, however, there was a certain pleasantness about it. It reminded Willow of a silky smooth blanket.

“W-Who are you?” Willow asked.

“Hmm,” the mare pressed a hoof against her chin, giving Willow an inspecting glare. “Oh, an Acolyte braid? A grown mare with this hairstyle?Neveroyatno.”

Willow stood there frozen, not knowing what to say next.

“Do you have a voice?” the strange mare asked, arching a brow at her. “What is your name, sweet girl?”

“W-Willow,” she stammered out.

“Willow?” the mare tilted her head curiously. “Strange, I’ve never heard of you before. I wonder where you came from, little bird.”

“I.. I’m not really from around here.”

“Hah! Anypony with eyes can see that!” she laughed, strutting towards Willow. “So, my dear little filly, how does a sweet flower like yourself end up in this cold, hard place?” She circled around the young mare, brushing her tail under her chin in a seductive manner.

“I.. I…I uh…” Willow couldn’t find the words, the mare’s libido simply overpowered her ability to think. Not that she saw mares that way, she thought quickly, it was just that she was too stunned by the current turn of events to marshal words into proper sentences. “Who are you again?”

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! My apologies,” suddenly, the mare appeared in front of Willow in a flash, seemingly out of nowhere causing her to flinch. “Mirnova, Mirnova of clan Nightshade, at your service.” The mare gave a polite curtsy.

“I’ve never seen a pony like you before,” Willow finally formed a sentence.

“I am from a clan of thestrals in the north near Stalliongrad,” she explained, giving Willow a small wink.

Well that explains the accent

“From inspecting your little flank, I saw that your mark is… peculiar.”

“Mind telling me why you’re looking at my butt?” Willow asked, snout wrinkling just so in obvious displeasure at the idea.

“Oh no, I mean no offense, konfetka,” she giggled, a confident smirk on her face, “I’m merely… inspecting the new Acolyte. Ty ponyala?”

“Uh, what?” Willow asked confusedly.

Mirnova giggled and sighed. “Bozhe moy. Going back to your mark, odnaka, it seems like something out of a story book. I remember reading it during my studies. Could it be that another Heir is walking our halls?” She placed a hoof on her lips to stifle a giggle.

Willow backed up a few steps from the intrusive mare. “Look, uh, I’m a little tired and my training with Noctus starts tomorrow so…”

Suddenly, the thestral mares slitted eyes brightened. “O moy, moy,” she giggled, “You have Noctus as your Mentor I presume? You are a very fortunate little flower.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing, milashka,” she shook her head, “It’s just, I can’t help but feel a little jealous you’ll get to spend so much time with that dashing stallion. If only I were so grossly incandescent that I could catch his eye.”

A feeling of slight fear crept up from Willow’s stomach. “Okay, well, I’m just gonna… go now.”

“Da, dorogoy,” she smirked at her, “Go ahead and get some sleep. I’m sure you’re going to need it. Dobroy nochi~.” Mirnova gave Willow one last wink before she slipped into her own room beside Willow’s.

It took Willow a moment to recover and realize that her knees were shaking.

Ugh, sweet Celestia, above!

Letting out a deep sigh, Willow used her magic to open her door and stepped into the spacious bedchamber. Upon entering, one could see that her cottage paled in comparison to these quarters. It was around the same size as Noctus’; however, it possessed obviously different adornments.

Above the fireplace hung a white banner with the same insignia that rested upon Willow’s flank. Turning to the bed, she noted that it was a large four poster with white curtains. Made up with white bedsheets and comforter. The pillows lay stacked at the head of the bed, stuffed with the fluffiest feathers. Simply looking at it made Willow want to flop down on it and sleep til the end of the world. Which, if the Hunters were to be believed, was pretty much right now.

The fireplace crackled silently in the large room, casting a dim orange glow over the space. Willow made her way to the table, which was barren of amenities like food or drink, and sat down on the wooden chair beside it, leaning forward on her fore legs. A downtrodden look made its way over her muzzle, from one end to the other.

For a while, she thought about how her life had taken such a different and dramatic turn. Whether or not it was for better or worse was up for debate. Tired of sitting on her rump, she got up and laid out her uniform across her bedspread. She took the vest and inspected its seemingly leather material, but found out that it was smooth like cotton. The shirt was no different.

Pursing her lips, she unbuttoned the loose-looking shirt and slipped one hoof in after the other. The hem of the shirt hugged her barrel and fit like a glove after she buttoned it up. Picking up the vest, she slipped it on laced up the three buttons. The uniform fit almost perfectly. It was looser in some areas, tighter in others. However, she felt she could move freely in this clothing and that was enough.

“Huh, not bad,” At the moment, she wished she had a mirror so she could check herself out. “Alright, I think it’s time for bed…”

Willow slipped off the articles of clothing and folded them back up, nice and neat, before floating them back over to the table and laying them against one of the chairs. Yawning gently, she pulled back the covers of the bed, climbing up onto the mattress and settled herself in.

She snuggled into the soft, cool sheets, sighing as the drowsiness began overtaking her. Giving one final deep yawn, she closed her eyes, allowing the soft, gentle embrace of slumber take her away.

In the dim light of the fire, a strong breeze blew in from the window, ruffling the silk curtains. The fire danced as the wind blew in, threatening to extinguish the embers. A particularly strong gust flew in and the fire suddenly went out, covering the room in a blanket of darkness.

The young mare, protected by a cocoon of bedsheets, twisted and turned in her sleep, groaning as another dream overtook her…

Heavy breathing echoed in the dark confines of the Everfree Forest. A shadowy figure limped through the darkness, stumbling over errant roots and creeping vines. She stops for a moment, taking a breath as she leans on a tree covered in rotting vines. Her trench coat is tattered and with wide tears in several places. Dark spots of blood covered her whole body, her lemon coat spotted with dark red sanguine. On her back rested her dual-bladed sword, it’s blade stained with dried blood.

“Curse these damn wounds,” she panted, clutching at a wound near her neck, just above her shoulder. “I have to make it…”

Taking a deep breath, she got off the tree she leaned on and continued forth. The night was dark and silent, the blood moon’s crimson rays fading as it slowly setted, signaling that the Longest Night was coming to a close. She spared a glance at the sky, gazing at the bright moon’s dying light.

It’s almost over. Almost. I have to reach the castle before it’s too late.

Up ahead, she could spot a clearing, the moon’s rays illuminating it.

There! Almost there!

As she limped, her ear twitched upon hearing a rustling off in the distance. Stopping in her tracks, she quickly used her magic to draw her sword and dropped into a combat stance, although her wounds hampered her movements. After listening for a few seconds, she raised her nose in the air and sniffed a few times.

Something… something’s around here.

Silence filled the area around her, except for the ambience of the strange forest that echoed in the night. Despite the fact that there probably was something following her, she couldn’t waste anymore time. She had to keep moving.

The mare continued on, making her way to the clearing. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the end, coming into a wide clearing that revealed a large structure. It seemed to be a ruined castle, but it was massive. It was the Castle of the Two Sisters, a once glorious establishment, but now reduced to a former shell of itself.The stone pillars of the entrance were crumbling, some still able to stand tall and hold the castle up though they were slowly collapsing from age. She breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes as a small smile appeared on her lips.

Finally. Thank you, Mother Artemis, for giving me strength.

Before she could take another step towards the decrepit castle, her ear twitched again as she heard something zip from out of the forest. Her Hunter reflexes kicked in as she found the strength to backflip into the air, landing on her four legs, though her wounds protested greatly. Lodged into the ground where she previously stood was a group of sharp blades, numbered about three or four. Upon noticing them, she immediately knew who her opponents were to be.

“Hmph, more of Ravus’ little birds?” she called out into the night. “Show yourselves, I know you’re there!” In the blink of an eye, a shadowy blur shot out from the forest, zipping past her. She drew her sword again, dropping to a defensive stance. Suddenly, there, in front of the main stairway to the entrance of the castle, stood a lone Raven. Lifting a gloved hoof, they ripped off their bird-like mask and tossed it to the ground.

The face of a young slate blue stallion was uncovered, golden eyes full of hate and rage as he stared at the mare before him.

“You…” he began, teeth clenched and words dripping with venom. “You. Damn. Traitor!”

“Yet another blind follower of the Order,” she rolled her eyes at him in frustration, “Zeron, please, you have to believe me. I was only doing what was right.”

“Shut your damn face, Magnolia,” Zeron growled ferociously, “You betrayed the Order when you allowed your daughter to breed with that outsider. You willingly defied the orders of the Council and went against everything we believe in!”

Magnolia shook her head in defeat, looking down at the ground with closed eyes.

“Zeron, I have already had this conversation with your Master,” she argued defiantly, “Obviously, we disagreed. We all know the Order has been slowly falling apart, and I will not stand by as it collapses around me!”

“Shut. Up!” he demanded, pushing back his feathery cloak as shiny blades the glimmered at the tips of his wings were revealed. “I will make sure you pay for killing Master Ravus!”

“He forced me to kill him,” she rebuked, “He could have simply walked away and lived, but, of course, his obstinance was his downfall, as your obstinance will be yours”

“Liar! You murdered him!” he whistled a sharp bird call, and from out of the dark forest appeared several more masked Ravens. They surrounded Magnolia on all sides, revealing their wingblades, ready to attack at any moment. “I would ask you to surrender, but I think the Council wouldn’t mind if I brought them your head.”

“Hmph, you’re not the first who has wanted my head,” she winced as she took a bad step, burning pain erupted from the wounds on her body. “And you certainly won’t be the last!”

A sly sneer replaced the look of anger on Zeron’s muzzle. “You shouldn’t even try to resist,” he chortled, “Your wounds look quite debilitating. You’re a wreck. You should surrender, and at least die honorably.”

Magnolia split her blade in two, a metallic ringing resounded as she did so. “Oh, Zeron,” she cracked a confident smirk at him. “Don’t you know? True Hunters make their own fate.” Fusing the two blades once again, she closes her eyes and held her sword in front of her, as if she was meditating. She relaxes her body, standing straight up on all fours.

Zeron develops a dumbstruck expression before snapping to his senses.

“What are you fools waiting for?!” he shouted, “Kill her!”

The four Ravens surrounding her dashed toward Magnolia as she stood still with her blade, wingblades extended as they struck with intent to kill. However, before their blows could land, a fiery explosion erupted from Magnolia’s body, her body glowing in a luminous golden light. The Ravens caught in the blast were instantly ignited by the violent combustion, screaming as they fell to the ground in a vain effort to extinguish the flames that were consuming them. Within moments they lay still, having been blackened by the golden flames.

Zeron stood there with his two remaining cohorts, eyes wide with shock and fear.

“You… what the hell are you? What power is this?!”

Magnolia’s eyes opened to reveal a pair of glowing golden orbs of flame, a smile on her face. Her blades were soon infused with the golden flame, she split them in half again and flourished them; the tips of the blades leaving glowing tracers.

”The Blood of Artemis burns brightly in my veins,” she spoke in a two-tone goddess-like voice that rang out in the dark night. The surrounding area was illuminated by her divine fire. ”You will never extinguish my flame.”

Zeron’s legs shook with fear but he nevertheless persisted. “No matter! I’ll kill you myself!”

He and the other Ravens charged forward, their blades at the ready. The rightmost Raven attempted to flank her, sliding as she moved to strike hard, but Magnolia was onto them the whole time; she whirled around with a newfound vigor and grace. Using her magic, she blocked the blow with the longer side of the blade and jabbed at the Raven with the dagger side with a fury unknown to most.

The Raven screamed as the blade pierced her armor and Magnolia sunk it deeper into their flesh, leaving them to suffer as they fumbled to dislodged the knife. Magnolia spun as she sensed another strike coming from her rear. Leaning forward onto her forelegs, she kicked her back legs high and delivered a powerful buck to her attacker, a sickening crack filling the air as the second Raven fell to the ground in a heap. Zeron attempted to strike but was foiled as Magnolia blocked the blow with relative ease.

He recoiled from the heat of her flame and she took the opportunity to whirl around to deliver a sweeping kick with her right back leg, causing his hooves to come out from underneath him. He fell to the ground with a grunt and struggled to get back on his hooves. Magnolia took the attack of opportunity to finish off the wounded Raven with a downward slash across their chest that drew blood, droplets of it watered the ground. She then reared back for a lunge, plunging the flaming blade deep into the chest cavity of the dying Raven.

”Your power was far too dull to match mine. Know that you died failing to extinguish my flame.”

A dying gasp came from the Raven as blood poured out from underneath the bird mask, just before Magnolia swiftly pulled the blade out, it’s flames searing the flesh it had just cut. The Raven’s mask fell from their face, revealing a mare with a light purple coat, blonde mane, and violet eyes.

Cloudkicker… how unfortunate.

Now that his reinforcements were gone, Zeron stood a few feet away from Magnolia, not knowing what to do next.

”Hmm, what happened to your fellow flyers, I wonder,” Magnolia mocked, twirling her twin blades. ”Last chance, Zeron: surrender, and I’ll spare your life.”

“Damn you!” he drew a long dagger with his mouth from a hidden sheath under his wing, gripping it tightly in between his teeth. The two Hunters clashed, Zeron on the offensive as he tried to go for the kill. Although, in this state, he was no match for Magnolia. She was faster, stronger, and quicker than he was. To her, this was mere child’s play. He lunged forward to stab her, but she simply sidestepped his attack, a mocking smile on her face.

”Is this all that Zeron, the apprentice of Ravus, the Silver Blade, has to offer? Oh what a shame.”

“Shut up, you conniving bitch!” he tried to slash at her once again, but she disappeared from his field of view. A stuck out hoof tripped him up and he face planted hard, blood dripping from his nose as he struggled up from the ground. Before he could get to all fours, he felt the tingly sensation of magic encasing his body as he was lifted into the air. He was turned around and the luminous eyes of Magnolia stared into his.

A strong sensation of fear boiled in his chest.

“L-Let me go!” he begged, struggling in his magical bonds. Magnolia only gave him a gentle smile that concealed a mischievous demeanor. “Let go of me, I say!”

”You poor foal,” she said in a mocking coo. ”You should have surrendered like a good boy instead of defying your Heir.”

“You’re no Heir,” he spat, “Heirs are supposed to be paragons of the Order. You are the furthest thing from it. You’re an insult to the title of Hunter. I hope the Council erases your memory from our history.”

”It’s too late for that, Zeron,” she explained, ”There are far greater things at work than you could possibly imagine. A chain of events has been set in motion, and there is little you can do to stop it. However, I promise that, in the end, the Long Night shall cease to exist.”

“You and your damn promises,” Zeron laughed and shook his head, “Try as we might, the Nights will continue to come. They always have, always will. We’re cursed with the duty to relent the Night. Thus is the life of a Hunter.”

”No truer words have been spoken.” she sighed.

A moment of silence passed, Magnolia stood there with her eyes close while Zeron floated in the air, encased in the strong grip of her magic. The flames that coated Magnolia’s body didn’t seem to be hurting her. In fact, she seemed to be the source of it. Finally, Zeron spoke up.

“If you’re going to kill me, then get it over with,” he looked away in shame, “Kill me like you did Master Ravus.” He suddenly found the tip of Magnolia’s blade pointed at his throat. He swallowed hard as she nearly cut him, razor edge against his flesh. “Well? What are you waiting for?!”

She glared at him for a few moments, a contemplative look marking her features. Deep down in her chest, she felt sorrow and pity for the poor stallion. He could not even bear to look her in the eyes as she held a blade to his throat. His eyes possessed the dim light of shame: the shame of defeat. She had killed his master and defeated him in battle. He had sworn revenge on her and failed. Though, she still felt he needed to learn a lesson.

”No,” she lowered her blade. ”The inevitable future of every Hunter is death. But your death does not come now. I’m sure Mother Artemis has other plans for you. Try not to disappoint.” Her magical grasp dissipated and Zeron fell to the ground in a heap, but not before she stripped him of his wingblades.

“You won’t even grant me the mercy of death? How evil could you possibly be?”

”There is much more for you to learn, Zeron. It would be a crime for me to keep you from such lessons.”

“As if I’d want to learn anything from you!” he shouted indignantly.

“I have nothing to teach you,” she countered, “That is for Mother Artemis to decide. You will learn in time.”

“So, you’re letting me go then?”

“Do not make me regret my decision,” she warned, “Now go. And as I told you, do not disappoint me.”

He shook himself off and snorted loudly. “As you wish, Heir of Artemis,” he spat the last few words as he spread his wings before he kicked off from the ground and took off into the night sky.

Magnolia watched him fly away before looking off to the east, the bright light of the coming dawn shining across the horizon. As the sun rose, her power had begun to set. The flames that inundated her body were extinguished, leaving her in a smokey mess. Her coat and armor were reduced to mere tatters that hung loosely from her body. During the battle, she had lost her Hunter’s cap as well and her mane flowed down her back.

“Finally… It’s over- Augh!” she groaned in pain as her body let her know that she had reached her limit. “Ungh… urgh…”

She moaned from the deep burning pain of her wounds as she trudged over to the stairs of the castles, trying in vain to carefully and slowly tread upwards. As she reached the top, her back leg tripped and she fell forwards into the grimey stone-tiled floor of the castle entrance.

“I must… keep going.”

Her weak limbs protested as she lifted herself up again, tears creeping their way out from her eyes. The pain was unimaginable. Every muscle group in her body felt like they were on fire. With every step, her legs shook. With every breath, her body quaked. She made it through the cracked and ancient iron doors of the castle, stopping to lean on one and catch her breath for a moment.

With a quick inhale, she staggered into the cavernous throne room of Celestia and Luna’s former castle. The sounds of her labored breathing and hoof beats bounced off the walls of the grand room. Banners, riddled with moth holes, lay discarded below the walls they were once proudly displayed from. Fallen pillars decorated the surrounding area and the floor coated in rubble and dust. Cobwebs formed in the upper corners of the throne room. Light from the rising sun shone through the cracks in the ceiling. Even today, the castle seemed to be crumbling around her.

“I’m almost… there- Agh!” Magnolia tripped on her fatigued hooves and fell to the ground in a bloodied heap. It was there, at that moment, she had finally reached her outer limits. She tried crawling along the ground to her reach her destination, but to no avail. Her legs would not listen to her. Deep within the confines of her chest lied a heart that was sputtering in an attempt to keep the blood flowing. Her lungs felt as if they were burned to a crisp, and her throat was dry and parched. Her vision began to fail her as the world seemed to spin and blur. “D-Dammit all to hell…”

Magnolia was on Death’s door. All that was left for him to open it to see her pitiful corpse on his porch. However, in the final moments, her ear twitched as she heard someone approaching.

“Mistress? Are you…” the familiar voice of a mare registered in her head, “Magnolia! No!”

A young mare dressed in a black hooded cloak appeared from an adjacent hallway, worry apparent on her expression. Her coat was dark orange, bright red mane and tail, and her eyes were as blue as the night sky.

“Wild… Wildfire…” Magnolia breathed out, “Is that… you?”

“Yes!” she ran over to Magnolia and crouched over her former teacher, “I’m here, Mistress.”

“Good… I’m glad you’re here.”

“I got Juniper and Oakleaf to safety, just as you asked,” she said, holding her teacher in her hooves, “After that I came her meet you but… you weren’t here. I waited for hours.”

“I know… I’m sorry, I was.. Delayed.”

“What happened to you?” she asked, “Will you be okay?”

Magnolia’s breath sputtered as she struggled to get her words out. “Wildfire... listen closely to what I am about to tell you.”

The young mare pulled back her hood and leaned closer to Magnolia. “What is it, Mistress?” Using the last bit of her strength, Magnolia used her magic to unsheathe her sword. Slowly, she floated over to Wildfire and placed it in her hooves.

“Take it.” she whispered to her, “Take it and conceal it. You know where, yes?”

“Of course,” Wildfire used her magic and strapped it to her back.

“Good, you must remember… only a true Heir can be able to find it…”

Wildfire nodded in compliance. “I know, Mistress, but… will you be alright?”

“I’m afraid… I was a fool and decided to use Daybreak… at an inopportune, yet necessary situation,” she explained, “My body… feels like it’s on fire. I can’t breathe…”

“Mistress…” Wildfire gasped, “You can’t. You can’t! I’ll administer some blood. Just hold on-”

“Ugh, no…”

“But you’ll die!” she argued.

Magnolia lifted a hoof and grasped the face of her dear student. “I’m sorry, my former apprentice, but nothing… *cough* can stop that now.” She broke into a coughing fit, blood pouring out from her mouth.

“No! Don’t talk like that!” she demanded, pulling out several blood vials and a jar of wound solvent. “Here, I’ll get you fixed up!”

“Wildfire, please…” she begged, “It is far too late… Mother beckons, and I must answer her call.”

“But… Magnolia…” she sniffled, tears forming in her eyes. “You can’t. You can’t leave me. I…”

The elder mare simply smiled and used a hoof to wipe away her charge’s tears.

“Oh, dear child,” she cooed, “I will always be with you. You know where you can find me.”

Wildfire sniffed as more tears threatened to break through. “M-Mistress…”

“Now, now… little one… *cough*,” she inhaled once more. “Don’t you know… Huntresses… don’t… shed… tears...” Right then and there, Magnolia drew her last breath, exhaling deeply as the light left her bright red eyes. Her heart ceased its rhythmic song of life, and her life force was fully extinguished.

Magnolia, Heir of Artemis, had become one with the Night.

Tears fell upon the lifeless face of Magnolia, as Wildfire grieved over her former teacher and friend. She bowed her head, pressing the tip of horn against Magnolia’s.

“O cara mater nocte,” she closed Magnolia’s eyes with a gentle hoof. “Anima in caelesti
beatitudine guide est Aeternus Somnium. Sit memoria vivet in ea ingeri Nostro refusus pectori.”

After finishing her prayer, Wildfire wiped her muzzle clean and gently placed Magnolia’s head upon the ground and stripped off her cloak, covering up her lifeless body.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said, “I promise.”

With that, she took Hinoken, the sword of Heirs, and walked slowly over to the where the thrones stood. Closing her eyes, her horn lit up and encased a section of the stairs that lead up to the two thrones and it was absorbed into the stone, revealing a secret passageway that seemed to lead to another section of the castle.

Unsheathing Hinoken, she lifted the blade close to her face. “One day, you’ll be found again by the one worthy enough to wield you O blade of fire. But for now, you will have to hide for a time.” With not another second to waste, she descended into the dark passage, the stone staircase moving back into its original spot.

Once again, reality began to distort and darkness soon overtook the light.

Willow’s nose tickled as she stirred in her deep sleep. She sleepily lifted her hoof to scratch her the tip of her nose before sinking back into the safety of the soft silk bed sheets. Groaning in her slumber, she turned over to her to her right, facing the nightstand. If one didn’t know her, they would think she wasn’t a heavy sleeper.

Suddenly and without warning, her door was kicked open and in walked Noctus with a look hard determination on his face.

“Up, Acolyte!” he ordered but received no reply. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Willow laying back on her pillow, snoring with her mouth wide open. “Dammit…”

He growled in frustration as he stamped to her bedside and puffed his chest out. “I said, up!” he yelled in her face, to no avail as Willow snoozed the morning away. She tossed to her left, snuggling with a pillow.

“That’s it,” with no other option, he had to resort to a desperate act.

He gripped the underside of the mattress with his hooves and, with a mighty hoist, he flipped the mattress up and off the box it rested upon.

“Wha- Ah!” Willow yelped as she suddenly found her world turned literally upside down. “What in the name of all the-” she fought the mighty bedsheets to the death as she struggled to find her way out of her silky prison. “Where am I?! Let me out!”

Fighting through the sheets, she was finally able to feebly crawl out from under the overturned mattress. “What the heck was that for?!” she shook herself off as she was now fully awake. “What’s your problem?!” Willow whirled around to see Noctus with an unapproving glare.

“I asked you politely to get up,” he replied, “You didn’t answer, so I decided to force the issue.”

“Well you could have at least… I dunno…”

“I do not want to hear it,” he affirmed, “Listen now, get to the bath house and wash up. Then, after that, come back and get dressed quickly. We have a long day ahead.”

“Why? What are we doing today?” Willow demanded.

“Did you forget already?” Noctus asked with frustration audible in his voice. “Your training begins today! I won’t tolerate you being so absent-minded. If you can’t even listen to the simplest instructions, how can I expect you to fight off beasts?!”

What the… Why is he being so assertive today?

“Now, listen to what I say and get moving,” he pushed past her and walked out the door. “I expect you in the Dining Hall for breakfast in fifteen minutes. Do. Not. Be late. Understood?”

“I guess…”

“Answer correctly,” he ordered.

“Yes… Mentor?”

“Very well, Acolyte,” he nodded as he turned tail and closed her door.

Drawing a heavy sigh, Willow walked over to her fallen mattress and used her magic to lift it back onto the box. Not bothering to make her now messy bed, she turned to her folder uniform and picked it up, placing the articles of clothing on her back. She then began walking to the door, about to exit her room…

That is…

Until a thought hit her.

She pushed open her door and stuck her head out into the hallway.

“Wait! Where even is the bath house?!”

End Chapter 5

Author's Note

Ey dere, you readers. Uploaded another chapter for Night of the Hunt for those of you legends that are reading it. Enjoy! It took me quite some time to finish it, so I hope you do.

Thanks to Camolot the Creator for putting in the time and effort to fix up this chapter.

Most of all, thanks to you guys for giving me the time of day. Enjoy and let us know if we missed anything. The transition from Gdoc to Fimfic can be choppy at times.

Peace out, and have a good week :)

Chapter 6 - Honing the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Just remember, when on a hunting trip, it's always better to shoot first and ask questions later. More often than not, your question will involve wondering what the thing hiding in the shadows is. The answer is simple: if it has razor sharp teeth and no regard for table manners when eating, kill it."
- Clovis the Black, 2E 459

Chapter 1, Page 97 of the Hunter's Guidebook

Day 1

The Hunter Sanctuary

Noctus stood before the door of Willow's bed chamber, an internal debate burning within him.

How in the blazes do I even go about this? he tapped his rear hoof impatiently. The other Mentors make this sort of thing look easy.

The struggling newly-appointed Mentor gritted his teeth as he thought back on the several teachers he had in his time as an Acolyte.

Perhaps, I could channel my inner Mentor Broadside? His brashness always motivates those around him...

He shook his head, realizing that was not like him at all.

What about Mentor Snowflake? She's not as loud or bossy, but she does inspire her students to work hard...

Once again, he shook his head upon realizing that Willow was not the easiest pony to deal with. He would need to be assertive with her so that she would get moving.

Yes. That's it. Assertiveness. He snorted silently as he readied himself. I hope she's ready to meet a new Noctus. I will not be taking it easy on her at all! With that resolve in mind, he turned around and bucked the door open. It impacted the wall with a loud crack and he stepped in with a mad look of determination on his muzzle.

"Up, Acolyte!”

After completing the complicated ritual that was finding the bath house, washing up, going back to her room to get dressed, and finally reaching the Dining Hall to eat breakfast, Willow already felt herself becoming rather tired. She had a difficult time finding where exactly the bath house was located and, upon locating it thanks to another Hunter mare, gave herself a well deserved bath. Although, there was no time to waste mulling things over in the bath water. She quickly washed her mane, coat, and tail and used her magic to dry it off quicker.

Now she sat in a busy Dining Hall, where other Acolytes, who were probably just reaching their adolescence, ate along with her. Noctus stood behind her, leaning against the wall as he watched her eat with a stern eye. Upon surveying the area, she could see several other Hunters dressed in the same light brown vest and white shirt that Noctus wore. More than likely, they were Mentors watching over their own students. Sitting here amongst younger ponies reminded her of her school days as a filly. Though, the books she read during class could never hope to prepare her for this.

The meal she was currently working on consisted of things she picked off from platters placed on the massive oakwood table. The smell of the food made her realize that she was hungrier than a starving farm dog. In front of her, sitting upon a golden ceramic plate, were three slices of bacon, two sausage links, three slices of ham, scrambled eggs, a couple of slices of toast, and for some reason pancakes as well.

Willow's stomach growled in appreciation as she shoveled fork after fork of the tasty morsels into her mouth. Mere minutes passed until her big plate of food was empty. Still hungry for more, she began picking at the platters once again. She felt no shame in doing this. The other Acolytes seemed to be doing the same. One thing that bothered her, however, was that she felt no objection to eating meat. Strangely, she seemed to be enjoying the taste. She dared not dwell on it too long.

Before she sat down to eat, Noctus explained to her the importance of a good breakfast. Midway through her second serving, she actually felt her stomach expand from the amount of food. Nevertheless, she was satisfied.
Now that she recalled, Noctus warned her to eat everything she put on her plate. Something about, "not a single bit of food is to be wasted". Finally, she finished her second plate and felt energized for the day ahead. Turning back to Noctus, he nodded in accordance and stepped towards her.

"Are you finished eating?" he asked.

"Uh-huh!" she smiled, patting her belly. "I sure am full. Real good food, ya know."

"You can thank Mistress Patience later," he muttered in reply, "Now come, pick up your plate and take it to the kitchen for cleaning. Meet me back out here and we will walk to the main training complex. I managed to reserve an early time slot for us. Quickly, go."

Willow nodded and scraped up whatever pieces of food were left and scarfed them down. She then magically lifted her plate , walking past several other Acolytes who finished eating and going to meet up with their Mentors. However, along the way, more than just a few of them spared curious glances at her, brows furrowed. With her augmented hearing, she could hear them snicker and gossip about how stupid she looks eating with a bunch of fillies and colts. Though some of the more rude remarks about her being an "old lady" angered her some, she did her best to ignore the snide comments and continued into the kitchen, where she saw a large trough filled with dirty dishes stacked sideways on a rack. The cooks paid her no mind as they worked at the stoves.

She then placed her dish on the rack and continued to walk out, but a harsh-sounding voice stopped her.

"Oi! You!" Willow turned to see Patience, the Quartermaster. She wore a white apron and a hairnet that kept her mane in place, which was tied up into a tight bun. On her face was her usual scowl, a toothpick still lodged in her mouth.

"Yes?" Willow asked in response.

"I 'ear ya started yer trainin’," she muttered, toying with her toothpick. "Good, that means I won't be wastin' good grub on yer arse. I got one rule: ya don't work, you don't eat at the end of the day. Simple as that. Ya hear?"

Willow said nothing as she acknowledged the older mare before exiting the kitchen. Upon entering the Dining Hall again, she noticed the room was emptier, other Acolytes walking past her into the kitchen with their plates.s The other Mentors gathered up their students and herded them out into the Main Hallway. She spotted Noctus standing near the exit and quickly followed. Trotting up next to him, he spared a glance at her before turning his gaze back down the hall.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked.

"We're starting off your training, of course."

"With what exactly?" she asked again.

"You'll see."

Willow scrunched up her nose in frustration. "You still have a knack for not answering my questions."

He turned to glare at her sharply, causing her ears to fall as she shrunk under his gaze.

"I would advise you not to invoke my ire," he warned, "or else, you might find the consequences severe."

She narrowed her eyes in confusion before shaking her head, letting out a disheartened snort. "Fine," she muttered under her breath.

They took a turn down the to the left of the weathered cobblestone hallway. There, they came across the familiar sight of the lounges, where several Mentors along with their Acolytes sat, reading books and giving them small lessons and insights. Willow recognized the area when Azure had taken her on a tour of the Sanctuary. She noticed a large set of double doors. Behind those doors was the central training complex.

As for what they were going to be doing in there, she had not a clue.

Noctus pushed the door open with his head and motioned for Willow to step in. Inside was the familiar environment of weapon racks, dummies, and other training equipment. The floor in front of them was covered by what looked like a large, rectangular training mat that spanned across a large portion of the circular room. A loud thud echoed as Noctus closed the door behind them and appeared in front of Willow, an unreadable look on his face.

"Willow," he said, garnering her attention, "before we begin, I must ask something of you. Will you listen?" She nodded once. "Good. Now, if you are to become my student, I require this of you: you are to listen to and obey everything I tell you. Without question. Understood?"

"Yes," she answered, though slightly hesitant.

"Good," Noctus nodded curtly before moving towards the mat. "Now, come and sit here. Your lesson begins now." Willow complied and moved to the spot he told her and planted herself on the mat, noticing the cushioned texture. "Sit up straight and listen closely."

Willow straightened out her posture and listened intently, ears perked up.

"Tell me something," he said as he began pacing back and forth in front of her, his tail sweeping across the mat as he made gentle, yet firm strides. "What is a Hunter?"

Without taking too much time to think, Willow chewed on her cheek briefly before coming up with an answer.

"Somepony that... hunts?"

"Yes, but that is not the exact answer I was looking for."

"I..." she looked away from him. "I don't know what to say."

"Allow me to enlighten you then. Pay close attention." Willow stared at him as he paced with curious eyes. "Upon becoming a part of the Order, Hunters swear an oath to defend Equestria from the beasts that stalk the night and prey upon the weak. We hunt the very things that haunt your dreams and kill them with extreme prejudice."

He stopped to give her a hard stare. "A Hunter is a ruthless stalker of the night, a warrior who has no fear, mercy, or weakness!" Noctus circled around behind Willow, leaning over her.

"Before you can become one of us, before you are allowed to proudly bear our mark, before you are you are to prowl the night as a Hunter of the Order," he paused for a second, "you must forget everything you know. Forget all that you were in the past. Forget everything about your past life. Once you do that, you will become a shell of your former self."

He stepped in front of her again. "And, when that day comes, you will become filled with something even greater," he said, "but before that, you must learn this first lesson: what makes a Hunter?"

She stared at him blankly, mouth ajar.

"Answer!"

"I... I don't know!" she squeaked out, "W-Weapons?"

He offered her a small smile. "Correct, however, let me ask you this: you take away a Hunter’s weapons and armor,their guns and ammunition. What have you left them with?"

"T-Their hooves?" she asked.

"Precisely," he nodded, resuming his pacing, "their hooves. Look at yours for me." She looked down at her hooves, which had become chipped and scratched from the events that took place before. "What do they look like?"

"Uh, hooves?" she arched a brow at him.

"Wrong!" he snapped, causing her to flinch, "You mustn't look at them as if they were normal hooves." He walked over to one of the wooden training dummies and used his head to push it over to the center of the mat. "Get up," he ordered as he placed the wooden dummy in front of her.

She rose to her legs and stood up straight.

"Now, what I want you to do, is buck the dummy as hard as you can."

Willow didn't say a word as she nodded. Turning around, she leaned on her fore legs before shifting her weight through her body towards her back legs. Her rear hooves impacted the chest of the dummy and sent it flying less than about a five or six feet away. She turned around to see Noctus with a frown on his face. Although, she felt quite impressed with herself.

"You see, that is what ‘hooves’ can do," he grabbed the dummy with his mouth and stood it back up. "Stand back."

Willow moved back several feet as Noctus stood next to the dummy. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath right as he took a hard step towards the dummy. With a loud yell, he jumped and sharply twisted his body, delivering a swift one-legged buck straight to the midsection of the dummy. A loud crack echoed through the room as the dummy was split in half by the sheer force of Noctus' kick, falling to the ground in a splintered heap. Willow's jaw hit the floor as Noctus landed flat on his hooves, eyes widened in shock.

He turned to her, a hard look on his muzzle. "And that, is what you can do with hooves that have been turned into weapons." He walked up to her and stared deep into her eyes. "Any fool can pick up a sword and swing it about or pick up a pistol and fire it. A weapon is only as good as the one who wields it."

"You yourself must become a weapon," he continued, stepping towards her, "before you can even think about learning how to fight with weapons, you must first learn how to fight without them. And that is where we will begin."

Day 8

The Hunter Sanctuary

"Whoaaa! Oof!" Willow's breath escaped her as she hit the ground with considerable force. She clenched her eyes shut from the sharp pain that erupted from her back. Gasping, she turned over on her side, taking in as much air as she possibly could. "Damn... dammit..."

"You're never going to get the Kitai form down quickly if you don't follow the movements," Noctus stood above her, sweat dripping from his forehead as he looked down at her. "That's what this form is all about: anticipation and reaction."

"You... could take it... a little easier on me," Willow pleaded in between coughs, rising to her hooves again. She adjusted her sweaty, white training gi.

Noctus shook his head in disapproval. "The beasts will not take it easy on you, and neither shall I," he shifted into a fighting stance. "Again! And this time, pay close attention to my movements."

For the first week, Noctus showed no mercy on Willow in her martial arts training. During that time they spent hours on end in the training complex, working on what Noctus made known as Shuryo-hei, which he said was loosely translated as "Hunter Sparring". A practice that originated from a land in the Far East. The name made little to no sense to her, but she assumed it held some sort of symbolic significance to the Order.

Willow shook herself off, loosening up her muscles as she shifted into a stance that Noctus taught her. She offset her hooves, one standing behind the other, with her head dipped close to the ground. Her young Mentor did the same, though his stance projected practiced ease and confidence, while hers was inexperienced and meek.

"Are you ready?" he asked and she nodded sharply. "Very well. Begin!" Noctus rushed forward and whirled around on his front hooves, delivering a swift roundhouse kick towards her head.

Willow’s ruby eyes narrowed in concentration, as her sharp vision picked up on his wide, yet graceful movements. Almost on instinct, she ducked her head below his kick and moved in to counter with a push of her two front hooves, just like Noctus had taught her when they were practicing movements on the first day. However, he noticed this and dipped his hips low, sweeping his legs around quickly.

Willow's front hooves missed as the front half of her body soared over Noctus' head. He spun his rear hooves around in order to sweep Willow off hers. However, her body seemed to move on its own as she jumped up into the air, just high enough to avoid Noctus' blow.

She quickly twisted her body, impacting Noctus' left shoulder with her right hind leg.

"Augh!" Noctus groaned as the impact sent him away a few feet. They disengaged and circled the training mat. As they did, Noctus noticed a different look in his opponent's eyes: they bore no fear. He suddenly felt as if he was fighting another pony entirely.

Willow's hooves crossed the other as she circled Noctus, waiting for him to make a move. In the back of her mind, she felt slightly different. She felt more confident. Her blood felt like it was boiling. Her breathing was slow and steady despite her rapid heartbeat.

"You seem to have anticipation narrowed down, however slightly," Noctus smiled coyly at her. "But I wonder, how are your reactions?" With a sharp inhale, he yelled out as he suddenly charged towards Willow, raining down blows with all four of his limbs. Though she was still a beginner, Willow did her best to dodge every single one.

He shot forward with a left jab, and it impacted the left side of her face.

"Gah!" she cried out, stunned from the blow, but she had no time to recover. He followed up with another sharp jab with his other hoof, one that Willow was able to swat away with some difficulty. He wasn't giving up though, he came at her with another sweeping blow that grazed her as she jumped over it once again. She decided to charge forward and deliver a jab aimed at Noctus' muzzle, however, he saw it coming and dodged it, disappearing from Willow's vision as he went for her midsection.

He wrapped his hooves around her barrel and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Oof!" she yelled out once again, rolling over onto her belly as more pained shot through her body. Noctus placed a hoof on her back and another just below her neck, using his superior earth pony strength to pin her down. The two of them panted heavily from the intense sparring session. Willow's cheeks flushed as she realized the position she was in.

"You know, another thing you should work on..." he took a deep breath, "Is... unpredictability. Otherwise... your opponent will know... what comes next."

"I'll... keep that in mind..." Willow's lungs burned as she struggled to catch her breath. He decided to let her go and offered a hoof to help her up. Suddenly, an unexpected idea popped into her head. With a faux grin, she grabbed Noctus' hoof with both of hers and shifted her weight violently in the opposite direction.

"Whooah!" Noctus yelled as his world turned upside down. Before he could roll over to his legs, Willow pounced on him, pinning him down to the floor by placing one hoof on his stomach and the other on his neck with great strength that even she didn't know she had.

"Looks like the tables have turned, my dear Mentor," she said in a voice that seemed two tones too far away from her own. This voice almost seemed different. As if she were another pony that oozed with confidence. Noctus stared into her fiery red eyes, which had suddenly taken on a predatory glimmer.

A large grin slithered its way across her muzzle.

"So, how was the finish, Master- ah, I mean Mentor? Are you... satisfied?" she said with a breathy tone that bordered on seductive, her muzzle inches away from his.

Despite the chill running down his spine, Noctus regained his composure.

"Willow, what are you- are you feeling alright?" he asked, struggling against this different mare's hold which, now that he noticed, was far stronger than his own.

"Of course I'm..." Willow then began to feel her heartbeat fall to a gentle rhythm. Her breathing had slowed. And then, reality came rushing back to her. The fire inside her eyes had faded, her grin disappearing quickly, and her herculean strength had gone away, just as quickly as it appeared.

She shook her head, eyes shut tight.

"Wha- what? Nocty? What happened to..." she blinked her eyes in confusion before realizing where she was standing and stepped off of Noctus, her cheeks as red as her eyes. "I... I don't... what's going on?"

"I can't be sure," he got up to his hooves, "all I can say, is that, was unexpected." He dusted off his black training gi and straightened himself out. "That's all for martial arts training today. Lesson is over." She didn't say anything back and nodded at her Mentor. The two stood a few paces away from each other and bowed politely, as was customary in Shuryo-hei.

"You are dismissed," he said quietly, almost under his breath, "go on and head back to your dormitory. You'll have the rest of the day off for yourself. Be sure to look over your study materials. You have a lecture tomorrow. Dinner will be ready in the Dining Hall shortly. And rest up. Understood?" Willow noticed that he was unable to look her in the eye.

"Yes," she replied. They gave each other one final parting bow and Willow exited the training room, leaving Noctus, who had plenty to reflect on, alone.

Hot steam billowed up from the hot rocks placed on top of a pedestal seated in the center of the sauna. The evaporated liquid floated around the bath house, dampening the coats of the few occupants. A few mares of differing solid colors stood around the female section of the bath house, the wooden boards beneath their hooves dark and damp from the hot steam. White, fluffy towels rested on their shoulders, some wrapped up in their manes. In front of the hot stones rested a large pool filled with boiling mineral water, heated to comfortable perfection.

In the pool rested Willow, her sore body relishing in the soothing warmth of the hot water. She laid her head against a towel on the edge of the pool, her fiery red mane wet from the steam. Eyes closed, she had sunk her shoulders below the pool water, allowing her body to gain some sort of relief from the strenuous exercises Noctus put her through. Dark bruises spotted her body, and were more focused along her back and shoulders. A large welt was being fostered by her left cheek, clashing with her beige coat.

Wincing, she gently caressed the purple lump. Noctus had delivered a particularly nasty strike to her face. What devastated her more is that he seem to bear no remorse for hurting her the way he did.

Then again, she thought, he does kill things for a living.

She scowled as she sunk deeper into the bath water, leaving only her nose and eyes above the surface. Dammit, this is the worst.

"Hey there, love," a bright and cheery voice greeted her from behind. Willow turned to see Powder Keg's apprentice, Azure Skies. "How's it going?" The young mare had just entered the bath house, a towel draped over her shoulder. It seemed she was intent on taking a dip after a long day.

"Fine, I guess," Willow replied, "Well, as fine as it can possibly be."

"From the looks of that big ol' shiner you have on your face," Azure placed a hand on her hoof to stifle a laugh. "Doesn't seem like Noctus is taking it easy on you, is he?" Willow opened her mouth to answer but Azure interrupted.

"Don't worry, Master Keg didn't exactly take things easy on me either when I was a filly," she smiled casually as she trotted over to the entrance of the bathing pool. "It can be hard in the beginning, it always is, but I think one of these days you'll get used to it."

Azure used her magic to toss her towel over to the edge of the pool and waded into the warm waters. Willow's ears perked up when she suddenly heard Azure utter a loud moan that almost echoed off the wooden walls of the bath house. The young mare felt her cheeks burn up as the Hunter mare sunk her head under the pool water and then rise back up, her mane now wet and stuck to her face.

"Ugh! I really needed that!" Azure chirped as she made her way over to one of the benches that sat underwater in the pool. "Just came back from a week-long hunt! Got myself a few beasties out there. Some quite nasty."

Willow felt herself become uneasy as Azure lounged closer to her than she was comfortable with. "Oh, didja really? That's, uh, really great, ya know?" she tittered nervously. The light blue mare wore a small smile, her violet eyes shimmering in the warm light cast from the lanterns that hung on the walls. Leaning an elbow on the edge of the pool, Azure sighed as she tilted her head back.

"You can't imagine how tight I am right now," she groaned, stretching her fore legs. "My whole body feels like an overstretched rubber band. I could definitely use some loosening up." The young Acolyte couldn't find words to say, only giving the other mare a shy smile and a nod. "So, what have you and Noctus been up to?"

It took her a few moments to regain control of her mouth. "Oh, uh, nothing too difficult I guess. He's just been teaching me a lot of fighting moves. He says I have to learn how to fight with my hooves first. Besides that, he's also been going over history and stuff about the Hunter Order..."

Willow prattled on about the training regimen Noctus had been putting her through, Azure listening, although she was fading in and out.

"...And like, he's been telling me all this stuff about the past and it's pretty interesting, but... I just lose track sometimes, ya know?"

"Yeah, yeah," Azure nodded, empathy evident in the young hunter's eyes. "I understand, love. It can get pretty difficult sometimes."

"Difficult doesn't even begin to describe it," Willow continued her rant, "I'm scared. All this stuff I have to look forward to. It's overwhelming."

Azure scooted closer and placed a hoof on Willow's shoulder. "Listen, Willow," she said, "I know I can't relate that well to what you're feeling." Willow frowned for a moment. “I do know you went through most of your life believing that nightmares were just that: only nightmares. Am I right?"

Willow nodded meekly.

"I thought so," Azure chuckled, leaning back onto the pool once again with a wry smile on her face. "That's the way it is for most mundanes. They see a few otherworldly beasts and suddenly nothing is the same again. It's kinda humorous, really." She laughed and placed her hooves behind her head, eyes closed as she allowed the warm bath waters to soothe her.

"How?" Willow asked incredulously. "How in the world is that funny?"

Azure peered over to the acolyte with one eye and a smirk on her muzzle. "When you've seen what I've seen, and done the things I've done, you'll understand."

She didn't answer back, but sat in the bath water silently. Willow thought hard about Azure was telling her. Though she couldn't relate very well to her situation, she at least showed some sympathy. That was something few ponies have shown her recently.

"Azure?" she asked, turning over to her peer.

"Just Azy will do," she sighed blissfully as she sank deeper into the pool.

"Okay, Azy?" she asked again.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember anything about your past life?"

Azure opened an eye and peered at Willow. "What do you mean?"

The young mare balked as she tried to find the words to say what she meant. "It's just, ever since the operation, I've been forgetting certain things. Just, small details about when I used to live in Ponyville. I'm worried I'm going to forget everything, ya know?"

The hunter mare took a few moments to answer. She stared up at the ceiling, seemingly contemplating disclosing her own internal affairs. "Well," she began, "I guess... sometimes I am a bit curious about my past life. Y’know, who I was before Master Keg took me under his wing."

"He isn't a relative?" Willow asked.

"No," Azure shook her head, "he's only been my mentor, however, I do like to see him as a father. Although, I never addressed him as such. He made sure to drive the point home that he wasn't my father."

"Why would he do that?" Willow seemed aghast that Powder Keg would do such a thing to a young filly.

Azure merely giggled at her tone. "In the Order, the bond between a Mentor and his Acolyte is a sacred one. As a Mentor, they serve as their guide into the ways of the hunt, as well as teaching them the realities of the world. In a sense, the Mentor is a parental figure, however, they are still just teachers."

"So, Noctus is my teacher, then?" Willow queried.

"Yep! And you better listen to him well!" Azure laughed before she stood up in the bath water, her coat thoroughly soaked through. "Or else you'll end up dog food!" Willow gasped silently and swallowed hard upon hearing her remark.

She then walked towards the small staircase at the edge of the pool and got out of the water. "That's all for me, love. I'll be seeing you around." The hunter mare gave Willow a tiny wink before shaking the excess water off her coat.

Willow watched Azure dry herself off, not out of interest, but curiosity. Almost immediately, her eyes were drawn to the tiny, but noticeable scars that spotted her body. They were mostly centered on her forelegs and shoulders, though there were few near her rump and on her hind legs.

Dear Celestia, just what has she been through? she thought to herself as Azure's magic encased her towel, forcing it to move around her body and further dry her coat. However, she failed to realize that she'd been staring for far too long.

"See something you like, love?" Willow nearly flew out of the bath upon hearing Azure call her out. "If you want, I could go get us a private bath," Azure gave her a playful grin and wiggled her flank teasingly at Willow.

Her muzzle suddenly heated up by a thousand degrees. “Uh, nope!” she shook her head frantically, “I’m fine!”

The hunter mare flashed another casual smirk before before laughing it off, shaking her head as she walked out of the pool room to the dressing room. It took Willow a few moments to cool herself down in the warm bath water, which seemed to be a futile effort. She finished washing her mane, coat, and tail before rinsing off as quickly as she could.

Later that night, she arrived at her dorm room and immediately undressed, placing her garments on top of the wooden table in her room, ready for the next day’s challenges. Upon laying down on her soft four-poster bed, Willow fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

“Master Arion?” a male voice called out from the door to the Vice Councilor’s study/bedroom. The dark blue unicorn sighed as he took another sip of tea, his eyes illuminated by the flames burning within his fireplace. Turning over in his seat, he saw a Raven dressed in their usual black, feathery garb.

“What is it, Rime?” he asked drearily, “New developments hopefully?”

“Nothing as of yet, sire,” the stallion underneath the mask muttered in a low, rumbly tone. “Although, the new Heir seems to be making herself comfortable around here. I’ve heard the council voted to appoint Noctus as her teacher.”

He frowned as he turned back to stare into the fire. “Yes, indeed,” he floated his teacup back onto the saucer and exhaled heavily. “This complicates things. It appears that Zeron was as true to his word as I once thought.”

“It would seem so, sire,” the Raven agreed, nodding.

“Hmm, and here I was thinking that all the Heirs were killed long ago,” he chuckled ruefully, “it seems I was mistaken.”

“Sire, if I may make a suggestion?” Arion gestured for him to continue. “If you so desire, master, I could take care of the problem. She is defenseless. Weak. Her inherent powers are absent. With one-”

The old master held out a hoof to stop him. “No, that will not be necessary,” he said, “for now, I shall allow things to unfold. She may have the blood of an Heir, however, she is untested. For all we know, she may not even be deemed worthy to partake in the communion ritual.”

“And what if she proves herself worthy, sire?” the Raven asked with trepidation barely evident in his deep voice.

Arion shook his head slightly. “It matters not,” he said, waving a hoof dismissively, “everything is slowly falling into place. When the time is right, she will not be strong enough to stop what is to come.”

The Raven stepped forward cautiously. “Do you think Powder Keg is aware?” he asked curiously.

“Powder Keg has grown old, and with old age comes blindness,” he explained, “a sort of blindness that not only affects the eyes, but the mind as well. I assure you, he is clueless. And make sure it stays that way. Anything else to report?”

The Raven shook his head slowly. “No, sire,” he replied, “nothing else of interest.”

“Very well then, Rime,” he sighed, “remember, you are my eyes and ears. Keep yourself vigilant.” The Raven nodded. “Good, you are dismissed.” Without another word, the masked pegasus turned and left the room, the wooden door closing softly. Arion turned back to the fire, lounging back into his leather, cushioned armchair and smiled to no pony in particular.

Taking out a small pocket watch, he popped it open to check the time. Chuckling, he closed it and placed the watch back into his robes. He then looked over to a picture frame. One that has been weathered with age, the gold now faded into a tinny, brownish color. The black and white picture was of a unicorn mare with a neutral expression, one that could equal Minela. He picked up the picture frame and flipped it over, unscrewing the bolts that held the back lid in place. Two pictures fell out. The other behind the picture of the unicorn mare.

His smile slowly grew into a wide, maniacal grin as he picked up the picture to gaze at it.

“My dear lady, the time is almost upon us,” he whispered to the picture as if it was real. His eyes were suddenly red, and not from the fire, but from something else entirely. The shadows of the flames danced across his face, his lips rising slightly to reveal a sharp pair of incisors.

“The night has just begun.”

Day 22

The Hunter Sanctuary

“Even in death, the blood still imbibes us. It gives us no solace. We all end up in the Dream. Wandering aimlessly as we hunt and kill to our heart’s content without care for consequences. In other words: once a Hunter, always a Hunter. Dying isn’t an excuse for retirement.”
- Jaded Sun, 3E 645

Chapter 5, Page 231 of the Hunter’s Guidebook

Willow sighed in frustration, fidgeting in the spot she laid upon on her bed, several books before her open to pages she needed to review. The bun that held her hair together had become undone slightly, locks of her mane hanging loosely down her neck.

“Let’s see, Father Holy Cross went on an expedition to find a mythic Darkbeast in the year of 189 in the First Era, a hunt that went horribly wrong according to…” she craned her neck over to a different text, which detailed the events of that fateful hunt. “‘Darkbeasts: Myths or Legend?’. Let’s see… Cross lost most of his hunting party in an effort to take down the beast, members of the hunting party were all initiates of the Healing Church, some of whom were high-ranking members of the Choir…” Willow muttered to herself as she studied like a mad mare for a test that Noctus was supposed to be giving her a few days from now. If she failed, then that meant he would make her do extra hours of physical conditioning.

Willow’s ears twitched as she heard a particularly heavy sound of hoof beats coming towards her room. The rhythm was deliberate and quick, it was one that she could recognize. She lifted her head from the pile of books she sat next to and stared at the door, waiting for him to knock.

Two subtle, yet noticeable knocks came from her door. “Willow?” Noctus’ voice called, “are you decent?”

“Yes,” Willow was slightly confused at the question. The wooden door opened and in walked Noctus dressed in his usual uniform. However, he carried what looked like a large piece of black cloth, neatly folded as it rested atop his back. “What is it, Noctus?”

He bore a solemn, nearly somber expression as he approached her bed. “There is something I must show you,” he said, “however, you will need to wear this.” Noctus reached back and bit down on the piece of cloth, letting it unfold; it rolled down to the ground and was revealed to be a sort of cloak with a hood connected by a silver brooch marked with the Order’s insignia.

“What is that for?” Willow asked, reaching out with a curious hoof to feel the thin silk cloak.

Noctus tossed it towards her and it landed softly on the bed in front of her, and she glanced between him and the cloak with a confused look. “Please, put it on and wait for me outside your room. You have five minutes.” He didn’t say another word as he quickly trotted out of the room and closed the door with a click.

Willow stared at the black cloak, thinking about what exactly this could be for. The jet black color made her feel as though this entailed something saddening or perhaps even depressing. She thought back on how she felt upon arriving here in the Sanctuary, believing her guess would not be too far off. Pushing the books towards the center of her bed, she rolled up her parchment and closed her inkwell, tossing the quill off to the side. She did not bother putting the books away on the shelf. Given the amount of time Noctus gave her, cleaning was the last thing on her mind.

Putting on her uniform and fixing up her mane took less than a couple of minutes; the cloak was tailored to her size and she splayed out the whole thing with her magic and put it on display, inspecting its finer details. To her eyes, there wasn’t anything too special about it. There could have been some sort of deeper meaning to this cloak, but she would think on that later.

“There,” she sighed, sticking her head through the collar, the hood falling down her back. Inspecting herself further with the mirror next to her bed, she saw that it covered up her shoulders completely and some of her chest and upper fore legs, but completely concealed her hind legs and cutie mark; the fibers of the edge of her tail stuck out from under the hem. With that, she made sure she did not look too hideous and turned towards the door, where she expected Noctus to be waiting. Much to her expectations, there he stood in the hallway, several other hunters walking by, all of them, including Noctus, wearing the same black cloak she was. Noctus stood with his usual neutral expression, his eyes partially concealed by the hood.

“You took longer than I asked,” he reprimanded sternly, “nevertheless, we must get going. Come. We’ll speak on the way.”

Willow nodded, and followed him out into the main hallway. Upon arriving there, she saw that the hallway itself was crowded with other hunters, all of them standing along the wall. There seemed to be a larger number of them. Perhaps some had come back from hunting?

“What’s going on?” she quietly asked Noctus as they walked up to the line, a couple of hunters in front of them glancing back and silently stepping aside, allowing the two of them to stand in line with everyone else. “Nocty?”

“This is something I need you to see,” he whispered to her, “for every young Acolyte, coming to terms with death and the inevitability of it is a difficult thing to do. Watch.” Off in the distance, Willow could hear the beating of hooves coming down the hallway; the gentle thumping of a drum echoed in her ears, a solemn, yet eerie chanting could be heard, growing louder and louder as something drew nearer. Willow grew nervous not knowing what exactly was going on. Curiosity got the better of her as she slightly poked her head out from the line to see who or what was approaching.

However, she flinched when Noctus roughly nudged her side and whispered into her ear.

“Stand up straight. You must remain silent. Show some respect.” Willow didn’t protest as she reverted to her original position, but took a light step forward, relying on her peripheral vision to see. The sounds drew closer. From here, she could make out what the chant was saying.

Finita est die, in noctis venit

The tone was unsettling and eerie, yet it possessed a haunting and beautiful sadness; the chant echoed within her mind as she pondered exactly what those words meant.

Salva animam, decidant in aeternam quietem.

Soon, she heard the heavy fall of hoofbeats come ever closer to where she stood along with the rest of the hunters that lined the hallway. Willow moved her gaze to the far right and spotted a slow moving procession. The ponies before all seemed to be bowing their head slightly as it moved forward, their mouths moving as they whispered an inaudible phrase. The procession was lead by two hunters, the pair dressed in white hooded robes, their faces covered by a cloth mask. In back of them was a fairly-sized coffin, a banner draped over the top of it; the Order’s symbol emblazoned on it. And in the back of the procession were two more white robed, masked hunters, unicorns by the look it since they carried lit torches that were encased by distinct magical auras. Bringing up the rear was the choir made up of mostly earth ponies that were singing the haunting songs.

Manet consopiri sempiterno A deep voiced part of the choir sang out, their rumbling voices reverberating through the hall.

Sed et lenire anima somnium The higher pitched section of the choir responded. In the background were backup singers who carried somber tones, both high and low octaves. The deeper chorus possessed a strong tone, almost as if they were narrating the story of how this unfortunate hunter met their end, of how their honor, strength, and valor all led to their glorious death in battle, that their end bore some modicum of purpose.

But the higher voice spoke of the tragedy. They spoke of the devastation, the heartbreak, the grief, and the sorrow felt after their passing. The chorus and the lead singers repeated the phrases several times as they inched close and closer to where Willow stood. A tear threatened to leak from one of her eyes as she listened to the hauntingly beautiful singing.

“Willow,” Noctus whispered to her softly, “when the procession passes, you will say ‘tum somnum, venandi, understand? It is a must.”

She wanted to ask what it meant, but the question died in her throat as the procession neared and Noctus, who stood next to her, bowed his head and whispered the phrase.

“T-tum somnum, venandi,,” Willow bowed her head briefly, disappointed in herself for butchering the pronunciation. However, she figured that Noctus would probably teach it to her later in their language lessons. After what felt like an eternity of standing in the hall, all the hunters that lined the walls began filing down the passage in the direction that the caravan left.

Her legs had become stiff from standing for so long, but she shook it off when Noctus ushered her along with the others. They walked for a little while, taking a few turns in the castle halls, until she saw a rather large open doorway with big iron gates, two Ravens standing guard on the sides of it and two torches hanging on the wall behind them. All the hunters began exiting through the large doorway, and as she drew nearer, she felt a cool breeze graze her coat. On the wind she could feel a sort of dampness against her hide. Upon closer inspection, she could see that it was raining. However, the rain wasn’t a downpour, but a gentle drizzle. Lighter than teardrops.

“Nocty, it’s raining,” she said to him under her breath, staring curiously up at the sky as they walked.

“I know, this rain is called Tears of the Mother,” he answered quietly, “it only ever happens during an occasion such as this.”

“How can that happen?” Willow asked in amazement.

He turned his hard gaze over to her. “Willow, this Sanctuary is much more than just a castle.”

His cryptic answer lingered in her mind as the two of them walked out of the castle and out onto what looked like a courtyard. She remembered in her lessons that this dimension in which the castle rested reflected upon their own emotions. It bewildered her to no end.

Willow’s crimson eyes widened, marveling at the pleasantness of the scene before her. The entire yard was inundated with white flowers that seemed to shimmer from the cool rain water that fell from the heavens. Up in the sky hung dark gray clouds that concealed a luminous moon; its light shining down upon them. She could see them all walking towards an area enclosed by an iron bar fence. Every one of them passed through the gate silently. Off in the distance she could still hear the choir singing.

She also relished in the feeling of the cold air. It had been some time since she’d been outside. Initially, she was perplexed to see that it was always night at the Sanctuary, and the castle itself surrounded by a forest that stretched for miles. Noctus then explained to her that it was simply an illusion, and the ones who created this dimension made everything according to design, a design with an unknown purpose lost to time.

Eventually, they arrived at a graveyard. Countless tombstones lined the path as they approached the deceased’s burial site. The hunters in attendance all began lining up in columns. No matter the occasion, Willow was amazed by the organization and uniformity of the Hunter Order. She took her place a few rows away from the front, where the choir and the procession leaders stood next to the coffin, waiting for everyone to get settled. A singular aisle was open in the middle, and Willow looked back to see several other hooded individuals approaching. The wheelchair being pushed by none other than Azure was a dead giveaway.

The Council took their spots at the front, the rain gently cascading down from the sky. Willow’s face was damp from the rain, but the cloak succeeded in keeping the rest of her coat dry. All of a sudden, the choir’s song was finished. Total silence shrouded the graveyard, only the soft pattering of the rain could be heard.

Powder Keg was wheeled to the center of the aisle, where Azure stood silently next to him, an uncharacteristically sorrowful frown adorned her expression. Her horn ignited as she closed her eyes, pointing the tip towards her master’s mouth. The elder hunter pulled back his hood to reveal his scarred face and graying, combed mane and beard.

“My fellow hunters,” he began, voice amplified just so that his voice could be heard over the rain by Azure’s spell. “We gather here on this night to commemorate the passing of one of our own.” He paused a moment to allow his words to linger. “For centuries, the Order has faced many hardships. The names of the brave, valiant, and courageous who ventured into the long dark and did not return are forever interred here in this hallowed ground. But they are more than just names on stone.”

He took a moment’s pause. “They are treasured memories. Brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice to allow Equestria to see the light of day once more.”

“On this night, ponies sleep tightly in their beds, while we stand ever vigilant. Ready, willing, and able to fight for them, and even give our lives if need be.”

Willow looked around to the others, able to catch a few glimpses of their faces; underneath the cloaks, she could see tears rolling down their cheeks. Though that could just be the rain.

“In the end, death comes for us all,” Powder Keg continued, “it is a fate that none of us can avoid. But it is what we do in our life is what matters the most. Hunter Cut Up was one of the bravest fighters that I have ever met. However, his death was not in vain. His efforts yielded to us a successful endeavor. And because of that, he will be able to join our fallen brothers and sisters in the Hunter’s Dream. Where he may hunt, fight, and feast until Mother Artemis calls him home.”

“Noctus,” Willow said quietly, “who was this pony?”

“Cut Up was part of the Wolves of Artemis,” he explained, leaning in closer to her, “I knew him. He was a good stallion and a hell of a hunter. I don’t know how he died, but what he did must have been important. Or else they would have just placed him in the Hall of the Fallen.”

“And why didn’t they?” she asked. She knew that all hunters who fell in battle were interred at the Hall of the Fallen, which was their crypt. From what Noctus told her, the crypt itself was massive. However, this graveyard. Just by standing here, she could feel this place held more than just sentimental value.

“Because,” he replied, turning his head to stare at her, “this place is where only the bravest and fiercest of hunters are buried. It is an honor and a privilege to be placed here when you die.”

She arched a brow in confusion. “What do you have to do to be buried here?”

“You will learn that soon enough, now listen,” he shushed, gesturing towards the front.

Willow nodded in understanding. Powder Keg had seemed to finish his speech as they were speaking.

“Now, we shall proceed with the burial,” he said. He paused a moment before letting out a war cry. “Et finivit venari”

“Et nunc ille requiem,” The hunters responded. With that, the other hunters dressed in white robes, which were now soaked, grabbed the banner that rested atop the coffin, and began folding it carefully into a neat rectangle. Meanwhile, the choir started up another song, this one bearing a similar tone of sorrow to the song they sang before.

“What did they all say?” Willow asked.

“‘His hunt has ended and now he will rest’,” the young hunter replied, “this phrase is said at the end of every funeral. Remember that.” She nodded. “I’d like to know something, Willow.”

“What?”

“What did you feel from seeing this?” he asked.

“I… I guess sorrow, sadness,” she answered quietly, “I didn’t really know Cut Up, but I- I just can’t help but feel… sad. This graveyard is beautiful, but it’s a different kind of beauty. I can’t explain it.”

Noctus nodded slowly, eyes locked on hers. “Remember this feeling, Willow,” he said, “it is important for you to realize this: no pony lives forever. Even the best of us.” When he said that, the ponies up front began filing towards the coffin, placing a hoof on it to pay their respects. Each column soon followed after that.

“Remember, be respectful,” Noctus whispered to her as she approached the coffin. It was a dark brown color, almost like chestnut or cedar. The cloaked pony before her had taken some time, kneeling down in front of the coffin and whispering some unknown prayer. They finished, rising up from the ground and gently placing their hoof on the coffin before proceeding. Now it was Willow’s turn.

As she approached, she could feel the eyes of the white-robed hunters watching her every move as well as those of the High Council. She felt as if they were probably scrutinizing her silently. Nevertheless, she mimed the motions of the other hunters and tapped her hoof against the coffin. For a moment she lingered, staring at the casket. It was wet from the rain and cold to the touch. Sadness crept into her breast. It swelled like a bruise. A tear escaped her as she stared at it; she could see her reflection in the shiny wood staring right back.

Finally, she left. She left and followed the line of hunters back into the Sanctuary. Very few words were exchanged between the two of them as they made their back to the dormitory section of the castle. Noctus could see it in her fiery eyes that what she saw in the graveyard had affected her in some way. Beneath this was a lesson. One that he hoped she would never forget.

That night, as she lay in bed, Willow had trouble falling asleep. She thought about what Noctus had told her. Before, the very notion of death terrified her. Of course, it was the juvenile fear of death, the fear of not achieving life goals or making dreams become reality. Now that she had already come close to death’s cold, yet comforting embrace, she didn’t feel as scared as she was before.

With her new powers, perhaps she would be able to do more. Maybe even make something of herself like she always wanted. This was her chance. The chance she’d been hoping for all her life. Those thought lingered in her mind as she closed her eyes in an effort to sleep. She slowed her breathing as she pulled the sheets tighter around her body. And soon enough, sleep finally took her. The flame from the fireplace cast a gentle orange glow over her bedchamber, crackling softly in the night as Willow dreamed.

“This was most unfortunate,” Powder Keg grumbled, brow furrowed, smoke seeping out from his lips as he spoke. “Cut Up did not need to die. He shouldn’t have died. How did it come to this?”

Arion, Minela, and Zeron stood before him, uncertain expressions on their muzzles. The leader of the Ravens leaned against the wall adjacent to the cobblestone fireplace in his study, staring into the fire as he reflected. The two other councilors were seated in chairs that rested in front of Powder Keg’s oakwood desk. His wheelchair creaked as he extinguished the flame in his pipe before setting it down on an ashtray next to him. The air in the study reeked of tobacco smoke and his desk was littered with bits of ash.

“At the very least we can say that his mission was successful,” Arion said, a rueful smile on his muzzle. “Hunting down a Cleric beast after it had claimed the lives of three others before him is quite an accomplishment.”

“Indeed it is,” Minela concurred, nodding, “this can also be considered, however, a pyrrhic victory. Cut Up’s entire hunting party was slain in the process. However, the circumstances of their deaths seem fairly curious.”

“That’s right,” Zeron chimed in, turning towards them, “when they didn’t report back, I dispatched a platoon to their last known location. They were found less than a few miles away from the scene of the battle.”

Arion scratched his chin curiously. “Hmm, most questionable, indeed,” he wondered, “were there any indications of what killed them?”

“From an examination by Bones, he told me that their wounds indicated an attack by a Greater Beast,” he explained.

The older mare scoffed and shook her head. “How does a pack of Wolves get taken down by a mere Greater Beast?” Minela asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing as she stared hard.

“And Cut Up was no amateur,” Powder Keg added, “far from it. I’ve seen the boy take down beasts of that stature for fun. Nor was he a fool. He knew how to choose his battles.”

The Vice Councilor gave his superior a shrug. “Accidents do happen, master,” he said, “perhaps he could have chosen the wrong battle this time. I’ve seen even the most cocksure of hunters fall prey to their own egos.”

“His ‘ego’ was not as big as you think, Arion,” Minela scolded harshly, “he was neither arrogant or foolish. His skills were on par with even the deadliest of hunters throughout our history.”

Powder Keg leaned back into his chair, pooling his thoughts together as the two councilors in front of him spoke.

“Yes, but we cannot leave out the possibility that his death was a tragic accident,” Arion warned.

“Precisely, it is a ‘possibility’, not a credible fact,” Minela argued, “furthermore, who or whatever killed him had the strength to face down not only Cut Up, but three of his cohorts, all of them being just as skilled as he was. If there was indeed an accident, then somepony must have been left alive. Zeron?”

The old stallion peered at her from the fireplace.

“What was found at the scene of his death?”

“Blood, for one thing,” he began, “lots of it and some of the blood on their bodies wasn’t theirs. The cadavers were riddled with claw and teeth marks. They died fighting something horrific.”

“Yes, but what exactly?” Powder Keg asked. “What could have been so deadly that it was able to kill one of our strongest hunters? Was there a carcass of their foe?”

Zeron shook his head. “No, whatever killed them got away,” he reported with a grim expression. “My Ravens scoured the surrounding area for days. Nothing found.” Minela scoffed audibly, causing the stallion to glare at her. “Something on your mind, Minela?”

“Your birds seemed to have lost their touch,” she remarked, frowning deeply, “otherwise they would have found something by now.”

He seemed to take major offense as he let out a snort and took an aggressive step towards her. “Well if it wasn’t for your incompetent Wolves, then perhaps we would not be in this situation, would we?”

“Indeed, or maybe we should allow the new Heir to go out there herself and have a look?” she chided, a half smile on her muzzle, “she would more than likely give more effort than your little chickens do.”

“Alright, listen here you-”

“Enough,” Powder Keg interrupted, holding up a hoof, “there will be no more of this. Zeron, I would like for you and your Ravens to look deeper into this and see if there is anything more you can find about this mysterious deadly beast. Understood?” The stallion nodded with pursed lips. “Good, you’re dismissed.” Zeron didn’t say a word as he exited the study.

When the door closed, Arion gave Powder Keg a questioning look.

“And what would you have us do, master?” Arion asked curiously.

“For the moment, nothing more than what you already do,” he said, “keep to your duties. Our primary objective is to get through this night. I won’t allow Cut Up’s death to be in vain.”

Arion gave his fellow hunter a smile and nodded. “Of course, master,” he said, rising up from his seat, “I will see myself out. There are some things that I must attend to. Master Keg. Minela.” He bowed his head at the both of them. His horn lit up as he was about to magic open the door.

“Oh, and Arion?” Powder Keg stopped him before he could. The Vice Councilor peered over his shoulder to the elder stallion, brow arched in curiosity.

“Keep an eye on Zeron for me, if you will,” he requested, “he has been acting strangely as of late. I’d like for you to keep tabs on his behavior for me, since you seem to get along with him the best out of all of us.”

He grinned at his superior and nodded curtly. “Of course, master,” he replied politely, “as you wish.”

With that, he resumed exiting the study and closed the door behind him with a thud. As he did so, his demeanor changed entirely. His casual grin morphed into the equivalent of a snarl as he marched down the stone corridor. As he approached a corner, he could see a shadow just on the other side.

Stopping just before the turn, he let out an exasperated sigh and hung his head, eyes closed.

“Don’t tell me,” he groaned, “you’re upset aren’t you?”

Zeron appeared in front of him, his signature scowl wrinkling his muzzle. “You’re damn right I’m upset,” he growled, “What in the blazes were you thinking?” Arion stared at him with a bored expression, however a small smile began forming on his lips.

“I only did what I thought was necessary,” he casually shrugged his shoulders, “he was getting close. Much too close for comfort. I couldn’t allow him to foil the plan. Therefore, preventive measures had to be taken.”

“Preventive measures?!” Zeron snarled as he grabbed Arion by the collar of his robes and shoved him up against the wall, forcing the latter to stand on his hind legs. Though, his expression changed little, his eyes only widening slightly.

“Cut Up is dead!” he hissed. “We’ve already raised the suspicion of not only the council, but others as well! Too many ponies have begun asking questions! How long can we keep this up?!” Zeron’s bright eyes stared into Arion’s maroon orbs, begging for some sort of answer.

“As long as you and the Ravens keep things quiet,” Arion answered casually, though he was struggling under Zeron’s stone grip. A strained grin formed on his muzzle. “We’ll be able to go through with this.”

The stallion seemed undeterred as he tightened his hold on his cohort. “And the girl! What are we going to do with her?!” Zeron asked desperately. Suddenly, a manic grin formed on Arion’s muzzle, his teeth showing.

“When the time comes, she will be dealt with,” he assured, his eyes widening as well as his grin.

“And what of Sanguinaire?!” he asked desperately, “Already she’s begun asking me questions and I can only deceive her for so long before she is able to catch on!”

Arion’s mad grin widened. “Oh, then if she gets any closer than Cut Up did, perhaps I’ll have her disposed of as well- ackch!” The unicorn stallion choked on his words as Zeron pressed a hoof against his throat, the former’s snarl deepening.

“If you touch her,” he growled, eyes widening in fury, “I’ll slit your throat!”
“O-Oh?” Arion choked out. “Making- argh, threats now… are w-we?” Zeron lessened the pressure on his throat and allowed him to speak. “I d-don’t believe you’re in any position to make threats to me Zeron. Remember this, the Ravens may follow your orders, but those orders come from me. Therefore, they follow my orders. They all swore fealty to their superiors, and in this case, I am their superior.”

The older pegasus let go of Arion and allowed him to stand on all fours.

“Remember that next time you try to threaten me,” Arion warned, the grin from before appearing for a brief moment. “Now, either you continue to follow my orders to the letter, or I can have your own birds kill everypony you ever cared about. Understood?”

Holding back a retort, Zeron had no choice but to comply. “Yes,” he answered, nodding.

“Good,” Arion chuckled as he resumed his stroll down the corridor.

“What would you have me do for now?” Zeron asked grudgingly.

“For now,” Arion let out a sinister laugh, “for now, simply keep an eye on things for me, will you?” The stallion’s laughter echoed in the stony corridor as Zeron was left standing there, a thoughtful frown on his face.

I hope we’re doing the right thing…

Day 33

The Hunter Sanctuary

“We can be dreams, but we may also become nightmares if we wish. To master the art of fear, is to master our enemy. Of course, to them, we are their neverending nightmare. I don’t know if they can feel fear, but we will teach them to.”

- Caron Grimtalon, 1E 96

Chapter 2, Page 134 of the Hunter’s Guidebook

“What we're doing today is fairly simple,” Noctus explained as they approached a dim section of the castle. “Although, it is no less challenging than any other task I've given you so far.”

Willow frowned as she let out a scoff. “Really?” she asked, “so this isn't as difficult as making me spar against three ponies while blindfolded? Or making me write a meter’s worth of parchment on the accomplishments of some obscure character from the Order's history?”

The young mentor stopped in his tracks, peering at Willow who had gained a questioning stare.

“What?” she queried. Without giving her an audible answer, Noctus felt the need to express to her how much she has changed. From the past few weeks that she has been here, slowly her attitude and even her vocabulary has begun to change. Even her disposition. Already she has begun to shed her usual meek and mostly reserved personality, though her newfound persona leaves a little more to be desired.

He had failed to notice how snappy she'd been lately, but now was the first time he truly paid attention to it.

“Nevermind, follow me,” Noctus shook as his head as they continued down a dark corridor of the castle. The torches possessed weak fires that helped little to provide light, but only enough to see clearly. They took another turn into a hallway, where at the end of it rested a door. Two small candles sat upon alcoves on either side of the arched cobblestone doorway.

“As I was saying,” he said as they stopped in front of the door, “today's lesson will be simple, but no less easy. I've trained you in strengthening the body with physical exercise and preparing your mind with rigorous study. However, your spirit remains to be tested.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, mouth hanging open slightly. “Okay, so, what will we be doing then?”

“That will be up to Mistress Elani,” Noctus replied just as he nudged open the door with his head. He gestured for her to walk in. She felt a sense of unease in the chamber she entered. It was dark, save for a small circle of what appeared to be candles in the center. However, it was the chamber’s sole occupant that caught her attention.

“What in the…” Willow gasped as she saw what looked like a striped pony, only until she realized she was looking at a zebra. Though it was the position that this mare was in that shocked her the most. The zebra, whom she assumed to be Mistress Elani, was suspended several feet in the air balancing herself on a wooden staff; she held out her other limbs for balance while one of her forelegs held on to her staff. Upon closer inspection, Willow realized that her pupils were milky white. At first glance, she appeared to be blind.

The young mare shot Noctus a peculiar look and he cleared his throat loudly.

“Mistress Elani?” he asked cautiously. The zebra mare’s ears twitched as Noctus spoke. She blinked her eyes once, causing the white hue in her pupils to disappear completely; they were replaced by two aqua blue orbs. Her mane hung down loosely as she kept herself balanced in the air by the edge of the staff.

“Hmm, Noctus, yes?” she spoke in a deep, velvety accent as she hung upside down. Her mouth curled into a casual smile. “I’ve been expecting you.”

The mare let out a throaty chuckle and slowly, yet gracefully lowered herself down to the ground; her hooves daintily touched the ground and got back on all fours. Her black and white mane was swept to the left side of her head and cascaded down over her ear. The mare radiated a feeling of empathy and gentleness. One that Willow hadn’t felt in a long time. It almost felt motherly.

Willow stood silently as the zebra mare approached them, scanning over the small details of her body. Elani was thin, yet it was vividly clear that she was in a good state of physical fitness. Her lithe form enumerated strength, guile, and flexibility. On her flank was a runic tribal marking, one that she wasn’t very familiar with.

She blinked her oceanic eyes at them curiously. “And I presume that this young one is Willow?” Elani questioned Noctus with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, indeed, mistress,” Noctus answered, nodding, “I was hoping you could assist me with a certain lesson.”

The older mare’s smile widened slightly. “Of course,” she said, “before we continue, allow me to introduce myself.” Elani turned towards Noctus and bowed, pressing a hoof across her chest. “My name is Elani. I serve as the spiritual healer for the Order.”

Willow reciprocated the same gesture, just as Noctus had taught her in their earliest lessons.

“It’s good to meet you,” she replied politely, “my name is Willow. I’m an Acolyte of the Order.”

“Indeed, that is very easy to see,” the mare giggled, “by the look of that braid, into a true hunter you will be made.” Willow, thrown off by the sudden rhyme, offered the mare a polite grin.

“So, you’re the spiritual healer for the Order?” she asked, “what does that involve?” Elani offered no answer. Instead, she walked towards the far left side of the room, where a sort of dresser with various shelves rested in wait.

Quietly, she began sifting through the drawers in search of something. “In the motherlands of Zebrica, I was the inyanga for my tribe, but in your tongue, it means herbalist, or healer,” she said, pulling out a white, marble mortar with a wooden pestle. Reaching into another drawer, she pulled out a jar of what Willow assumed to be herbs of some sort. “It is a position that is passed down through generations. My mother trained me, and hers before as well. During a hunt, I am called from the motherlands to do my sworn duty to the Order.”

Pouring out a smidge of the herbs into the mortar, she closed the glass jar and placed it into its respective shelf.

“Hunters of the Order are often subject to a certain degree of madness,” she continued her spiel as she ground up the herbal mixture, pouring water into the bowl from a nearby flask. “Centuries ago, a Huntress came to my village. And she sought out a way to help cure or stifle this madness.” She gently placed down her tools and turned around to face Willow.

“Since then, the priestesses of my tribe have been training generations of Hunters,” she went back to mixing, pulling out a vial of Goddesses know what and poured it in. Willows ears twitched when she could hear bubbling. “We train them to resist the madness that builds within as they hunt. A sort of madness that stems from bloodlust and the influence of the Blood Moon. Through herbal treatments, they learn to become one with fear and control their emotions.”

Willow remembered reading about this in her studies. Hunters can resist the Blood Moon, but they are not immune to its maddening rays of light. The beast blood that runs through their veins can hasten that process. When that happens, they become more beast than equine.

“A hunter can only withstand the madness for so long.” Elani seemed to be finished with what she was doing as she put down her tools and faced the two of them- with a bowl of steaming hot- whatever it was on her back- and began trotting over to them. “They come to me whenever they return from a hunt. My herbal remedies help them calm their nerves and maintain their mental homeostasis.”

Willow eyed the mysterious mixture before her curiously, taking a cautious step back as Elani drew close to them. “And, what is exactly is that?” Willow queried, “just what kind of lesson do you have in store for me?”

“Before I may answer that, I’ll be needing you to come here,” the zebra mare held the sizzling cup in her hoof as she motioned with her head towards the circle of candles. “Sit there, please. And relax your body.” The young Acolyte did as she was told and sat down directly in the center, where Elani stood a few inches away from her muzzle, holding the steaming mixture.

“Remember to calm yourself. Mind and body. Shut your eyes, clear your head, and hear nothing, but my voice.”

Not realizing it beforehand, Willow lowered her tense shoulders, taking a deep breath and letting it out as she closed her eyes, ears perked as she listened to Elani’s smooth voice.

“Now, breathe. Deeply.” Willow felt a gentle warmth graze against her nose, assuming that it was the mixture of herbs she had prepared for her. Its unknown purpose and function invoked worry within her mind, but decided to push it aside for now as she had done many times since she’s started her training.

Without a single utterance, Willow inhaled through her nostrils, allowing the oddly sweet-scented aroma into her lungs.

“Again,” Elani ordered, “exhale through your mouth.” Willow breathed in again, opening her mouth slightly as she allowed the air to escape past her lips. “Once more.” She repeated the process. Though, as she inhaled the herbal mix for the third time, she began to feel strange. Her head began to feel as though it was vibrating; she felt as if her body wasn’t there, but simply her spirit. As if she was disembodied and became nothing but a breath in the wind.

“Remember, listen to my voice,” Willow found it hard to focus now that she felt completely disoriented. Even with closed eyes, she began see what she perceived to be stars. The medicine mare’s voice drifted in her head like a stray cloud. Everything had become so distorted. Reality seemed to split at the seams. Rippling and churning like an ocean. A pounding beat echoed in what she felt was her chest. A heartbeat. Was she beginning to panic?

What in Celestia’s name is going on? she almost gasped when she could practically hear her thoughts as if she was talking out loud.

“Focus, young one,” Elani’s voice called out through the void Willow suddenly found herself in. “Use my voice as a focal point. Keep your thoughts under control.” Try as she might, Willow slowly began to panic.

“I can’t, s-something’s wrong…” her voice echoed, “I feel so… strange.”

“You must move past that, and focus your mind, now,” she warned, “can you do that for me?”

“I’ll try,” she replied, unsure.

“There is no ‘try’, young one,” Elani chuckled, “you will focus. Or else you shall become prey to your own madness. Calm yourself.”

“How?” Willow asked, staring at the stars in her vision.

“Only through sheer will can this be conquered,” Elani began, “or else, by your deepest fears will you be murdered.”

Willow gave no reply as she felt her disembodied form take in a breath, using Elani’s voice as the center of her attention. As she did so, she began thinking of things that could comfort her. A slice of delicious cake. Chatting with friends on a Sunday afternoon. Or even a stroll through the park during the evening time.

She suddenly felt herself become calm and collected, if only slightly. “Okay, I’m calm.”

Elani let out a faint giggle. “I feel there is hope for you, yet,” she said, but Willow couldn’t shake the feeling of an incoming rhyme. “However, fear is not an easy feeling to forget.” Her cool rhythmic manner of speaking calmed Willow down just a little more. “Time for the next phase. First, I would like for you to think of a memory.”

“What kind of memory?” she asked, fearing the answer.

“Particularly, one that incited great fear and agony,” Elani said sternly, “you may or may not remember, but simply think, and you will pull it together.”

Almost instantaneously, Willow began thinking of one memory that perfectly fit the bill. Without even thinking about it, she began thinking of all the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings that she felt on that night. She said nothing as a clear picture was painted in her head.

The forest. The Blood Moon’s rays peeking through the leaves. And especially the horrid monstrosity that stood before her in all its hideousness.

“Tell me,” Elani demanded, “What do you see?” Upon hearing those words, everything in her vision twisted and contorted, the bright beautiful stars fading from existence. Light bent all around her, until suddenly it turned dark briefly. Before she could wallow in that darkness for long, reality shifted violently, causing her to become motion sick as the new environment spawned before her.

And then, there she was. Back in the forest again. Willow felt the bumpy ground beneath her hooves and the cool air which carried a bitter scent. One that, if inhaled for too long, could make a pony sick. It was pitch black. Only the shadows of the trees stood out from the Blood Moon’s crimson light.

“I’m back here?” she asked aloud, shocked to hear her voice so vividly once again. “What’s happening? Elani?” Willow called out into the night, hoping someone would answer her. As she surveyed her surroundings, she realized that her eyesight couldn’t very well adjust to the darkness. “Noctus?!” Silence answered her, save for the idle sounds of the night.

Her horn ignited in a bright glow, illuminating the area around her. She quickly regretted her decision. Looking around once more, she realized that she indeed stood in a forest, but not the kind she remembered.

Bodies. Everywhere. Bodies of ponies, griffons, and some she could not tell from how mutilated they were. Willow gasped loudly, jumping violently as she realized that she was quite literally standing on a pile of bodies. A scream was trapped in her throat. Not a sound came out. Fear flooded her senses. Her knees were locked and she couldn’t move at all.

“Help…” Willow inhaled sharply as she heard someone cry out, however silently. A rustling in the bushes behind her followed. She whirled around quickly to see a silhouette stepping out from the thick brush. “Help me…”

“Hold on,” she said, carefully stepping over the corpses that littered the ground despite herself. “I’m coming!” Though she loathed to step on these bodies, she couldn’t help not resisting a plea for help. Eventually, she reached the wounded pony (or at least it looked like one). “It’s okay, I’m here-”

Again, she regretted her actions. This… pony- no, whatever it was, completely fell out from the bushes. Although, before she could help, it looked up at her, eye sockets completely void of anything. Pure darkness seeped out from its eyes.

“Help me, please…” it rasped out in a voice that made Willow’s hide crawl.

The scream from before erupted from the bowles of her lungs. Tripping over the bodies, she tried desperately to get away from this bloodied creature, who had suddenly began pawing at Willow in an attempt to grab her.

“Please… why…” it rasped, “why… won’t you… HELP ME~!” it screeched loudly, forcing Willow to groan loudly in pain. The piercing noise stung her ears as if it were a swarm of bees. “YOU LET US DIE!”

Willow screamed once again, this time finding purchase as she backed away.

“WHY?!” another screech came from behind her. This time, the creature took the form of a wounded pegasus, whom Willow thought was a corpse. Its body was covered in gashes. A wing hanging limply, half ripped off. “WHY DID YOU LET US DIE!?”

It cried out once more as it shambled towards her. She couldn’t scream anymore. Her lungs burned as she began hyperventilating. All around, the thick brush of the forest rattled as more and more of those things appeared; some even began rising from the ground beneath her.

“S-Stay back!” Willow warned, her head on a swivel as she tried to maintain distance from them. It was of no use. She felt a bloody hoof wrap around the back of her neck. “Get away!” she screamed, pulling out of the headlock and throwing a sharp jab at the one who tried to harm her.

However, her blow only seemed to anger the eyeless creature. It let out an ear shattering screech as it charged forth with killing intent. Thankfully, she was able to dodge and the creature went tumbling forward, smashing into another of its own.

Soon, more of them poured out from the forest. Regardless of her warnings, they advanced on her without mercy.

“Help us…”

“You let us die…”

“We’re dead thanks to you…”

“It hurts! It hurts!”

“Kill me! Please!”

So many voices pounded against her exhausted ears. On all sides they stood, slowly closing in for the kill.

“Get away from me! Please!” Willow begged, a sob escaping her. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Feel our pain…” one of them muttered.

“Yes, feel our pain…” another agreed.

“Feel our pain… feel our pain… feel our pain…” they all began chanting.

“Join our sorrow… join our sorrow… join our sorrow…”

They all began chanting as they tightened their circle on her. Willow cowered in the center, covering her head with her hooves as she began weeping loudly.

“Don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me,” she whimpered over and over. They paid no attention as multiple hooves and talons all reached out to her vulnerable body.

Then… pain. Willow screamed as she felt them begin to tear into her. She felt rough tugging at her hide before suddenly feeling it give way. She felt her mane and tail being pulled, shortly before she spotted patches of it all over the ground. Most horrifying of all, the warm feeling of her own blood was splattered on her body and her face. The stinging pain of teeth digging into every inch of her body caused her vision to turn red briefly.

Shortly after, blackness seeped in from the corners of her vision. In a way, it was relief. She didn’t have to see those creatures tear her apart anymore. It was almost over. There would be no more pain. No more suffering.

Just death. Sweet, blissful death…

“There!” Elani cheered brightly as she pulled her lips away from Willow’s. “This should bring her out of it.” The zebra mare rubbed away excess liquid away from her mouth.

Noctus blinked once, shocked at what he just saw. “Erm, why did you just…”

The mare only smirked at him before he could finish his question. “Simple, this antidote can only be applied through mouth-to-mouth contact,” she said, “this should bring her out of her stasis right… about…”

Willow, who was lying prone on the floor, suddenly started coughing and gasping for air.

“Now!” Elani said, clapping her hooves. Then as gently as she could, the mare assisted Willow in sitting up straight, the latter still coughing madly.

“What… happened to… me?” she asked between coughs.

The healer’s expression took on a grim appearance. “Your untrained mind unfortunately succumbed to fear and madness,” she said, “you were unable to fully realize that everything you saw wasn’t real.”

Willow regained control of her lungs and gave Elani a questioning look.

“So, everything I saw…” Willow looked down at her hooves, “none of it was real?”

“No,” Elani shook her head.

“But, it-”

The older mare held up a hoof to silence her. “Yes, I know it felt as though it was real,” she explained, “however, you would be surprised what the mind can conjure up when under extreme duress.”

“That mixture you inhaled,” she forced Willow to look her in the eyes, “was a test, young one. It is a concoction known as Waking Fear. It causes even the most faded of memories to become real, before twisting it into something even more terrifying.”

Willow scoffed, scowling deeply. “And how was this supposed to help me?”

At that point, Noctus stepped forth . “At any moment during a night of the hunt, Hunters can, and often will come across certain monstrosities so vicious and terrifying, that most ponies will die of sheer fright. We are not immune to fear, but we can control it.”

Elani nodded in agreement. “Indeed, and you must learn to control your fear,” she tapped Willow’s chest with a hoof. ,“if you ever wish to adapt and adhere.”

“Willow,” Noctus called and Willow turned to him. “When the day comes, you will have to go out into the night. However, before then, you must learn how to control your emotions.”

She blinked at him curiously. “Don’t tell me we’re going to have to do this again,” she groaned, ears flattening.

The young mentor grimaced and approached his young student, gently patting the top of her head. He forced a friendly little smile on his face in an effort to comfort her.

“Yes, but for now, I believe some time for recovery is in order.”

Author's Note

Alright, so, this one took me a little while to do. Mostly because it was very long. And I mean really long. It took a few months to write it, and then another month to edit it completely. I had to fix it up on my own sadly. Truthfully, I couldn't ask anyone for help. Fourteen-thousand words is too much to ask for just anyone. Although, I did reach out to an editor's group, and, of course, no one really wanted to help. I could understand that though. It's a lot to do.

So, for those of you reading this, please enjoy this next installment.

Thanks for reading,

J.

P.S. Let me know if I missed any mistakes.