POV Celestia

Four hours before gunshot

After Lulu and I sent our guards to Ponyville we split our paths for our own royal duties for today. I reopened the Day court for anypony that has any question or wants to announce something of theirs, but my mind was not in the right condition of making decisions for my subjects questions and announcement. Sometimes my imaginations would start to trick me to believe that the Hunter had harmed Twilight and the other. Now I hope in my mother's name that I had made the right choice for Twilight and her friends to befriend him.

The nobles living in Canterlot had came walking in demanding useless request for having the tax raise for ponies who aren't nobles and lowered for those who are nobles. Such an ignorant request for a greedy nobles will not be accepted. I denied that request for it is not acceptable for those who are not nobles. The noble that requested the change of tax was not pleased of being denied, this noble didn't show her anger she just leave without saying anything disrespectful.

The day court went by slowly as each noble that entered in asked a question, demand, or try to have my approval of their herd, such things from nobles are some of the dumbest things I had heard from many centuries ago. When a mare was about to ask something green flames appeared out of thin air then formed into a scroll. Seeing the scroll I quickly snatch the scroll in my magic and unrolled it to read.

Dear Princess Celestia

I have terrible news to say that the Hunter had arrived in Ponyville, he did not cause any harm to anypony in town when he was in the market. A mare had screamed his name that caused everypony to investigate to see if he really was there, but he was in his furred timberwolf form not in his minotaur one. He had a bone in his jaws when I first saw him. The guards had tried to command him to stand down only to receive a growl from him.

Everypony was terrified from seeing him even I didn't want to get near him. All this would have gone well if the guards didn't chase him away from Ponyville to the Everfree forest. The girls and I followed them to the Everfree to a small clearing, but when we arrived there the guards were…The guards were near death from the Hunter’s ruthless beating. I teleported the guards and my friends to Ponyville Hospital, their in the hospital being examined by doctors as I am writing this letter to you.

From your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

After reading Twilight's letter I gotten off my throne in a blink of an eye and galloped to my sister's chamber, for this horrible event. I thought Twilight and her friends would be able to befriend the Hunter, but I was wrong, wrong that they could befriend him, wrong that he wouldn't harm an innocent pony.

Galloping through the castle I arrived at my sister’s door and slammed it wide open, startling Luna. She was probably waking up from her short nap, but right now is not the time for naps and sleep.

“Luna, our guards has been beaten to near death by the Hunter, we must act quickly before he harms another!” I informed her as I galloped to the court knowing that my generals would demand to track down the Hunter and execute him for harming the Royal and Lunar guards. News about the four hospitalized guards would soon reach Canterlot with gossip about the Hunter.

Soon I made it to the courtroom and waited for the arrival of the generals and Luna, I fear that there is no convincing way to not execute the Hunter. Luna would be the first to ask my permission to hunt down the Hunter with her guards, but even my sister won't be able to track him down.

In the matter of seconds the courtroom door slammed opened with Luna galloping in with the generals stunned of her action. When Luna got close enough to me she began to asked for permission of her own mission.

“Sister, we ask permission to hunt down the Hunter for his crime of assaulting and injuring the guards we have sent to aid Twilight and her friends for-”

“I know Luna and you are allowed to hunt down Equestria’s false hero. You can take your guards to help aid you on tracking down the Hunter.” I said giving Luna permission to track down the Hunter for his crimes. Luna was taken back by surprise of the sudden permission, but shook it off her as she thanked me before readying her guards to Ponyville. I just hope that our generals would not start an argument about the injured guards at Ponyville Hospital.

She left the courtroom leaving me with the generals for a talk about the action and the punishment for the crime the Hunter had done. When the door closed my generals took their seats before speaking to the matter at hoof of this news.

POV Luna

Twenty one minutes before gunshot

We didn't expect our sister to give us permission to bring justice to the murder, he will be brought to court for his crimes. For too long the Hunter had been murdering the guilty with no mercy, for too long he had been outsmarting us for every time we came close to finding him, but today that all stops when we capture him.

Our guards had made camp by the Everfree forest for every morning they will rest as every night they will search for the false hero. We never thought of the murderer actually showing his true colors, he may had saved our subjects from harm, but he does not have the rights to take a life.

“Princess Luna, the troop are ready and is waiting for you to lead.” My Lunar lieutenant notified me of the guards, ready to be lead out in a patrol into the Everfree forest. The guards and our objective is to capture the Hunter to put an end of him being Equestria's false hero.

“Thank you, lieutenant, you can tell the guards to be ready for a patrol once we find the Hunter’s dream.” We ordered him, he saluted me before returning to his duty of preparing the troops. Finding the Hunter would be impossible for us and our guards, but every being needs sleep and when a creature sleep we can enter their dream to banish the nightmares or find where they are.

We began to walk towards our tent in a calm pace, there is no need for rush from what my sister has always says to me. Before we lifted up the cloth of the tent a loud roar sound like thunder rang causing me to look towards the Everfree forest, something had made that roar and that something may be the Hunter.

POV Cazador

Present

What is the light when there is only darkness, what is darkness when there is only light? I have asked myself this each week after I have claim a bounty, the Hunters were meant to hunt down those who harms the light...though what would have happen if the light wasn't what we think it is. This world may not be tainted by darkness, but what if that darkness was me being the only one to kill without hesitation, one that can use arcane spells, one that is a monster whenever it's a full moon?

I've been questioning myself as my meal was cooking above the campfire of the griffon, he will no longer be using the fire for his own use so his belongings now are mine. Twirling a griffon steak, with a stick stabbed through it, in my right hand for the meat to cook to a medium rare or rare steak. I'm not much of a cook since eating meat with no flavor, except for the juice inside the meat, is not a big problem to me. Wyndbain was enjoying his food of the griffon lion leg, tearing off any chunk of meat off the bone.

“Just a few more seconds before we take the griffon’s head to Griff Glade boy, just got to refuel our stomachs.” I said as the steak on the stick in my hand began to turn brown slightly meaning that the meat on the stick was close to cook. Twirling the stick again I looked back to see the severed head of the griffon was done dripping blood, the poison didn't travel through the body since I shot a bullet in his head and then severed the head to prevent the poison to spread throughout the body.

Wyndbain didn't respond to me because of his food, but soon he will be finished with his bone. As the steak began to darken a bit more I pulled the stick back and chowed down the steak to satisfy my hunger. Tomorrow at noon in the east an airship would be leaving Equestria to Griff Glade, where the man who placed the bounty of the griffon I killed.

I may not know much of lands far from Equestria, but Griff Glade would most likely to have griffons there. The airships was invented by griffons for long journey travel to another land like Equestria, even lacking with a few technology they managed invent some old day inventions. The thought of leaving Equestria for good is a plan I should have made up six months ago, if we weren't busy hunting down the guilty.

After finishing my steak with bites like a hungry wolf (no puns intended) I tossed the stick in the fire before standing up. Our time here was already a waste since we had trouble finding the griffon without any of the ponies seeing me, despite Wyndbain being seen, was time consuming.

“Okey Wyndbain, we're leaving you carry the head while I carry the camping stuff,” I began to take down the tent before packing every camping equipment to sell for some gold. Tonight is our ally for every creature that's not nocturnal would be asleep, as for the ones that are nocturnal would be a problem if they try to attack us.” East is our destination to the Shoe Horse port, at noon a airship would leave to Griffon Glade. Remember the train to Shoe Horse port is leaving around ten, if we miss this then the airship would leave without us.”

‘Don't worry Cazador, we will make it.’ Hearing that from my loyal friend I started to feel confident of our plan. After packing all the camping equipment I double check my ammunition. I pulled a case full of gold 44 bullets made by me while a small pouch inside it contains only a dozen of silver bullets. I put away the box full of 44 bullets in one of my coat inner pockets. I pulled out a pouch full of .308 bullets, I don't have that much for my bolt action rifle, but with the gold to replace the silver would help make it easier to make more. Putting away the pouch in my inner coat pocket I pulled out my last ammunition of my firearms. Ten clips of 44 assault rifle, they were the only ammo I have since creating more clips requires me to have a workbench and some tools.

‘I hope so Wyndbain, if we don't then how could we ever live in peace? With that single thought I looked up at the starry night of this world before smiling to myself. The thought of living in peace with no darkness harming the innocent and with a land of ponies full of harmony why should I try to protect the land? Picking up a bag packed with the camping equipment, I slung the bag over my right shoulder before I tied a rope around Wyndbain's waist with the head in the bag. I put out the fire by kicking some dirt at it. The fire would soon die down to burning coal before the heat dies.

“Well let this be the same day that we travel to a new land.”

Author's Note

Another chapter published and sorry for not updating this story on Saturday, I got busy with some homework and plan sequel for time of writing and art. Hope you forgive me, but this chapter will soon be edited by a friend. The edit version would be uploaded by tomorrow morning. Hope you enjoy this story.