VI. The White Tail

I jolted upwards, my eyelids opening spontaneously and sunlight blinded me for a moment as I adjusted to the brightness. Rubbing my eyes with one of my hooves, I chanced lifting my eyelids and found myself staring down at my reflection for the umpteenth time, except this time I had bags under my eyes and I looked groggy. The Sun’s brilliance bounced off of the water's surface, illuminating underneath and showing me all of the fish and plants that were living under the water. A fish swam upstream, battling the current and traveling downwards, leaving me behind.

The Sun reached its zenith, its warmth beaming down on Equestria and its citizens, but for some reason I felt like Princess Celestia was watching me more than anypony. Perhaps it's because of the dream we shared, but maybe it's just her be extra caring today, and I appreciate it. The events of my dream played in mind over and over again like a broken record, from Princess Celestia telling us to assassinate Supreme Overlord Nefastus, to my father's funeral, to her reminded me of my pendant. My eyes widened as I focused on that thought.

Still laying on the ground where I first fell asleep, I yanked my pendant out from under my cloak, fumbling with it in my hooves until I held it tightly within my grasp, staring at like a child would at a new toy. How could I be so stupid to forget we had these? I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I like to deceive myself into believing I have some intelligence and a healthy memory. I’m just thankful that Princess Celestia was so helpful to remind me, otherwise I would continue to worry about my other two teammates and friends… I don't know what I would do if I lost one of them.

As I held the pendant in my hooves, I took in its details. It has a golden finish, with a crescent moon engraved into the gold several times in a pattern all around the round shape. Connected to the pendant is two hatches that hold the necklace piece that allows you to wear it without it falling off. In the middle of the pendant was a solar eclipse with two unicorn horns intersecting, as well as a pair of wings behind the set of horns. All of this was slightly protruding, so you can press on it and call anypony as long as you say their full name before pressing the button. It's technology that hasn't been integrated into normal Equestrian life.

Moonlight XIII has access to all of the latest technology that our scientists can come up with at the time. Our firearms is a testament to that, as well as our pendants. Before the rifles and pistols was the crossbow, which did it job well, but the reload time was atrocious and most of the things that we hunted needed something more powerful to pierce their skin. So, came along the rifle, which is called the Musket Mark II. The original only held two shots and didn't have very good range. Sure, it could take the head off of a Gryphon from a good distance, but it needed more. So, they upgraded it and added the capacity to hold up to four bullets, as well as increasing the range and stopping power of it as well.

Then there is the pistol, which is the Flintlock Mark I. Of course, everypony upgraded to the rifle after it was distributed, but I never liked the idea of lugging around that big old thing. My pistol does its job well enough, and I’m content with it. It won't have the range of rifle, nor the power, but the recoil is better and the accuracy is almost on par with the Musket. I have heard that they are working on one that can hold up to six bullets, and is basically an overall better version of the original. They are also making an explosive monster called the Blunderbuss. I’m pretty sure that Daring would have liked it, because it sounds pretty enticing even to me. And I don't like explosives that much. Only in time, I guess.

Sighing, I slam my hoof on the button, saying Mother' name closely to it. The unicorn horns light up a cyan color, the pair of pegasi wings twist around and spin, and the lunar crescent moon fills up with this dark blue matter that makes a humming sound. I go to stand up and step away from the riverside, when one of my hooves slip and it fumbles around in my hoof before dropping into the river current, drifting down the stream. No, that's my only way of communicating with Moth and Cheesecake! I focus on the pendant and keep it in my line of sight as I begin galloping along the riverbank, trying to catch up to it and grab it. The crisp grass flattens underneath my hooves as I run frantically towards it, my eyes widened and my mind racing. My cloak flaps wildly as I slide down the riverbank as the river makes a sudden drop.

Catching myself from falling into the river at the hill, I regain my senses and start running again, my boots crushing fallen leaves as I try to retrieve my dropped pendant. Skidding to a halt at the wide turn in the river, I pick up my speed again as the pendant continues floating down the river, sometimes going under the surface until it eventually floats back up. I start panting as I spread my wings and leap to the other side of the river, using my wings to propel me across. I land softly and once again begin running as fast as I possibly can, the wind whipping my face and body as I go into overdrive, slowly but surely catching up to the pendant.

The Sun shines brightly on my face as I leave the treeline, now in a massive clearing that houses no other forest. It was a large meadow that had a large field filled with different kinds of flowers, all of them snapping under my hooves as I run up to the pendant, which got snagged on a low hanging tree branch. I quickly crouch down and extend my hoof as far as I can, my hoof grazing the soft metal touch of it as I struggle to grab it. I grunt as I lean forward, careful not to fall in myself, my hooves sinking into to the mud as I desperately attempt to grasp the pendant. The water brushes against it as the river continues to stream forwards, almost pulling it back into to the river. I throw my hoof and wrap it around the pendant, backing up when I’m sure I have it secure in my grip.

I glance to the bright orange orb in the sky as it shines down on me and the meadow I’m in. I breath heavily as I plop down on my haunches, clutching the pendant in my right hoof. Thank Celestia they are waterproof, otherwise I wouldn't have chased it all the way down here. I sigh in relief as I rest, occasionally shooting a glance to the pendant in my hooves. I look to my left and see Canterlot on the side of the tall mountain in the distance, as well as a small glimpse of the outskirts of Ponyville. I wonder how the princess is doing up there, worrying about her sister, and to an extent, us as well. We already lost one of us. I’m going to make sure we don't lose anypony else as long as I’m alive.

What happened to Starsky was a tragedy and was the first pony we've lost since the battle for Canterlot. Eclipse is still heartbroken over her, she was her best friend, and I’m sure that Forgetful and Midnight are as well. I didn't know her that well, but the few times I did talk to her, she was kind and generous. I can see why Eclipse found such a good friend in her, and if I wasn't such a bitter asshole back then, I probably could as well… I was going through a hard time back then, and sadly enough, I pushed away everypony that wanted to help me, even Eclipse. If I could, I wouldn't do that, I regret it to this day. I just wanted to deal with it on my own, but instead I decided to shoulder all of the pain and go alone.

Shaking my head to rid of the thoughts lingering in my mind, I went to slam my hoof on the pendant when I noticed a weird white mist surrounding it. I waved my hoof through the mist to dissipate it, but it just weaved around my hoof and continued to flow from the pendant. The more I stared at the pendant, the more I felt sick, like someone was twisting my guts around in my stomach. A ringing sound screeched in my ear and refused to leave, forcing me to clamp my hooves over my ears as I gritted my teeth. My vision flickered as I glanced to the treeline, my vision turning from black to white to grey to blue to red, the world around me fading in and out. And that's when I saw it, staring at me from a distance.

At the edge of the treeline was a tall white tail deer, its coat being a dark black instead of the normal brown, and white spots littered around on its body. Its eyes were large and emotionless, and they were a faint white that had white mist flowing from the both of them. It had two large, curved sharp horns protruding out of its head and ending in an ethereal mist, much like the mist flowing from its eyes. It gazed at me and the pain in my head went from bearable to pure agony, but I couldn't stray my eyes away from it. Soon, I felt myself stand up against my will and begin walking to it at a brisk pace, despite me mentally berating myself to control my body and stop. The closer I got to it, the more the world flickered and faded, the sky turning to a dull black and the vivid colors of the river, the meadow, and the trees turning to a bright white.

When I got a good distance close to it, which was about three feet away from it, it lifted its hoof and went to its side, rubbing it with its hoof. But, much to my horror, I found myself mimicking its moves and doing the exact same motions, my hoof brushing against my holster. It pressed into to its side and then slowly retracted into it was extended outwards. I slipped my pistol out of its holster and brought it to the front of me, its sleek design being burned into my mind. The deer lifted its hoof to the side of its head and pressed it against its head, and against my will, I lifted the pistol to my head and pressed the barrel to the side of my own head. My hoof shaked as I tried to defy the creature and save my life, but no, I cocked the pistol with my wing after the deer made the motion.

Time seemed to slow down as I stood there, on the outskirts of the White Tail Woods, my hooves firmly planted in the soft, bright green grass as the wind blew softly against my face, my mane whipping in the breeze. The colors of the trees flickered from brown and green to white and black, my vision faltering. I screamed mentally as my hoof convulsed with the pistol in my grip, my fetlock pressing down slowly on the trigger. The deer’s mouth curved upwards into a sadistic grin, as its prey was about to die by its hooves. Gritting my teeth, I placed all of my strength into my hoof as I willed myself to remove the gun away from my head, determined to defy the supernatural deer.

With a contorted shout escaping my mouth, I shoved the pistol away from my head as it fired, however the pistol was so close to my head that my left ear was filled with loud ringing, the sound never faltering and never fading. I pointed the pistol at the deer and fired, however the bullet whiffed past it and struck the tree behind it. I blinked and the demonic deer was replaced by a normal one, it running away from the sound of the gunshot. The world flickered back to normal, the sky going from black to the cobalt blue it was before, and the Sun went from a big gaping hole of darkness back to the massive ball of warmth. The grass faded from white to green, and the trees returned to normal as well. But, the hearing in my left ear never returned, giving me a sign I was permanently deaf in my left ear.

I rubbed my ear vigorously with my hoof, desperate for sound to fade back in and I could hear once again. However, after rubbing, slapping, and doing anything else I could to my ear, the sound never came back. I dropped to the ground in defeat, the sound of birds chirping musically in the air reverberating in my right ear, my only good ear. I holstered my pistol and stared up at the sky, my heart beating in my chest in a steady rhythm. I sat there until I noticed the Sun beginning to lean towards the opposite side of the horizon, the sky soon turning from blue to purple and orange. Soon enough, it was night and the sound of birds singing beautifully was replaced by the dull sound of crickets chirping. I glanced to the pendant, noticing that the white mist has vanished from it.

What that was, was obviously the White Tail Deer, a supernatural being that preys upon the lonely and desperate. I guess because I branched off from my team and I was struggling to retrieve my pendant that it decided to strike… It uses its power of mind control and power to force its victims to kill themselves instead of doing it itself… Usually, ponies don't survive; How I did is a mystery and miracle at the same time. What I don't get is… It's just a legend. A folk tale. A myth. So, the best explanation is that it really is real and I just encountered it and survived… But, I know what I have to do now, and I don't like it one bit… The White Tail Deer is a supernatural, and as a member of Moonlight XIII, it is my duty to hunt and exterminate any beings that intend to inflict harm on any and all ponies… Which means I have to find it somehow and kill it, someway.

I miss being a normal Royal Guard…

* * * * * *

The Moon has now reached its zenith, hanging over the world in the dark blue sky, bathing the world in moonlight. I took a glance at the white orb in the sky, and it still filled me with that same dread it has for the past week since Princess Luna disappeared. I walked slowly through the forest, my pistol in my hoof and my pendant wrapped around my neck. My hood was back over my head and I blinked, seeing a faint white light ahead. I cocked the pistol in anticipation as I approached the white light, dreading the worst. The light illuminated the small clearing I entered as I stepped towards it, leaves cracking underneath my hooves.

I've been searching for the White Tail Deer for hours now, and so far, it hasn't made its move yet. However, I think this white light may be it, even if I don't want it to be. I hate to admit it, but being by myself and seperated from my team whilst in the dark in the middle of the forest filled me with a primal fear that I can't explain. I had to stop myself several times from contacting Twilight and ordering her and everyone else to come find me, but I realized that the White Tail wouldn't show itself. And I didn't want that. So, against my better judgement, I remained alone and continued to trek through the darkness of the night in search of a powerful being that is capable of controlling me and forcing me to kill myself. Celestia, that doesn't help at all.

As I approached the white light at an agonizingly slow pace, my heart began racing as faint whispers echoed filled my only good ear, their words incomprehensible, no matter how much I tried to understand them. I reached a hoof out to touch the white light, and when it did, it vanished without a trace, leaving me alone in the clearing by myself. I scanned around as silence filled my right ear. I felt as though my heart was in my throat as I turned around, my heart beating at a rapid pace. I darted my eyes around sporadically until they landed on a peculiar sight which frightened me for some unknown reason. Lying on the ground was a pendant, like mine, and it was glowing softly, white noise emanating from it. It lit up almost like when you contact someone, except the dark blue essence was crimson red.

“Dusk… Please… Save us… Save me…” A voice that resembled Eclipse’s echoed from the pendant, the words ringing in my ear. I slid my pistol into my holster as I hesitantly picked up the pendant off of the ground and held it in my hoof, waiting for the usual hologram image to appear. “Oh Celestia… It hurts… So muuuucchhhh… Duuuuussskk… Pleeeeaaassee! Make it stoooopppp!” Fear gripped me in a tightly as her words filled the air, my eyes widening. Suddenly, the hologram finally appeared, but it was flickering and faded several times, almost as if it isn't stable. The image that was bestowed before me made me gasp and cower in fear, it wanted me to just curl up in a ball and sleep away the fear, dread, and terror that's controlling me.

Eclipse was lying on the ground limply, her right hoof gripping the pendant. Her other hoof was torn off and was on the ground next to her, the bone protruding out. Blood oozed from the stump where her hoof once was, forming in a puddle beneath her. Her eyes were barely open and blood leaked out of her eyes, nostrils, mouth, and ears as she weakly crawled forward, the lower half of her body ripped off, her guts dragging behind her as she tried to crawl away from the gruesome scene. On the ground near her dismembered legs and bottom half was her wings, which were lacking several primary feathers and secondary feathers. Instead of her usual pristine white coat, it was wholly covered in blood and burn marks. She coughed and looked to me through the pendant.

Behind her was Twilight, who was missing her head and all of her hooves, leaving a dismembered corpse. Next to the purple unicorn was Midnight, and she was missing both of her eyes, as well as her ears and teeth. There was a large, open hole in her stomach and her organs were lying on the ground next to her carcass. And finally, Forgetful was impaled to a tree by a large piece of wood, his neck slashed open and gushing blood violently. He gasped and sputtered until he fell limp, his hooves dropping to his side and his head dropping his well, breaking off from his neck with a sickening cracking sound. I looked back to Eclipse in horror who was gazing right into my eyes with pure fear written in her expression. She gripped the pendant before coughing weakly.

“I-I… D-D-Dusk… Rrraaaaaaaaaaggghhh!” A bloodcurdling scream filled my ear which made me drop the pendant in shock, watching helplessly as Eclipse was dragged off by an unknown force. Soon enough, the image dissipated and the gruesome scene was over, however the screeching did not stop; and it wasn't coming from the pendant anymore… It was emanating all around you at a deafening level. I clamped my ear shut as hard as I could as I blinked, feeling liquid cascade down my face, dripping onto the ground without a sound. I soon felt liquid leaking from nose, mouth, and ears as well, soaking my face and dampening my fur. I lifted a hoof to my nose and wiped it, immediately realizing that it's blood.

“Make it stop!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, the loud screaming never fading or ceasing, just a never ending loop of madness. I pounded my hoof against my right ear in anger and frustration, just wanting so desperately for the screeching to stop. But, it never did. I found myself curling into the fetal position, clutching my chest and squeezing my eyes shut, a fear so strong filling my body as whispers, along with the screaming, reverberating in my ear. Please, make it stop! Make it stop! Make… It… Stop… Make… It… Stop… Please… Celestia, make it stop! I hastily grabbed ahold of my pistol and slid it out of its holster, hesitantly pressing it against my head. With a shaking wing, I cocked the pistol as the screaming and whispers echoed in my ear, soon finding their way inside of my head.

I lifted my eyelids slowly, my vision obscured by four black hooves standing in front of me, menacingly. Oh Celestia, it's here to finish me off. Accepting my fate, I shakily looked upwards, directly into the eyes of the White Tail Deer, its white pupils gazing into my own. As soon as I laid my eyes on it, it all stopped, silence encompassing me and the clearing. I darted my eyes around, removing my hoof from my ear as I glanced to the pistol pressed against my head. I saw the supernatural being raise its hoof and I flinched, shutting my eyes and preparing for the worst. However, I was not struck. Instead, it knocked the pistol away from my head, it clattering to the ground a foot away from me. Confused, I looked up to the White Tail Deer, but what happened next surprised me.

Its black coat slowly changed from its dark color to a light brown, the white spots on its body disappearing from its fur. The horns on its head shifted and churned, transforming into a set of white antlers. Its menacing and fear-inducing eyes turned to bright and cheery blue pupils when it blinked, the white mist that flowed from them vanishing. And its mouth curved up into a smile, not a sadistic grin, but a genuine, heartwarming smile. It brought its hoof to my chin and lifted my head, bringing my head closer to its. It helped me to my hooves and gazed at me silently, a small smile on its muzzle. I smiled back as I swiftly pressed the barrel of the flintlock to its head and pulled the trigger, blood and brain matter splattering on the ground. Its limp body dropped to the ground, its eyes turning lifeless.

I dropped to my knees as I stared at the dead body of the White Tail Deer, a supernatural that was proven to be real, meaning it has had several victims before, maybe. The pistol landed in the grass with a thud as I sighed, silence engulfing my ear canal as I sat there in peace, relieved that I finally killed it. It won't be hurting anypony else anymore, thanks to me. But, I became alarmed when the body soon began decomposing, the skin melting away to reveal muscle. The muscles quickly dissolved to nothing, leaving nothing but the empty carcass of the White Tail Deer. I felt a sudden shift in the current of the air, as if there isn't a certain pressure anymore. I wiped the blood away from my face as best I could as I laid there, staring at the skeleton quietly.

“Oh thank Celestia, Dusk!” I whipped around and saw Eclipse, as well as Twilight, Forgetful and Midnight trotting towards me. I don't know what came over me, but I felt my eyes watering and I broke down, sobbing loudly at the sight of that white pegasus I love so much. Eclipse’s expression shifted from relief to concern when she saw me break down, suddenly picking up her speed and bolting into me. She wrapped her hooves around me and I followed suit, shoving my face into her chest as I wailed loudly. I don't know if it's from the stress, or what just transpired, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. I don't usually do this, something completely and utterly fucked up has to occur for me to break down like this. My mind raced as I muttered four words, my heart and mind sure enough that this isn't a dream. I know this isn't a dream, what just happened was too horrific and vivid to be a dream. This was real.

“I love you, Eclipse.” I whispered to her, loud enough for her to hear my confession. She gasped slightly at my words before gripping me harder, leaning down and making me the happiest stallion alive by saying five words.

“I love you, too, Dusk.”

Author's Note

There! Now, the chapter is redone!