Paleblood Ponies

Chapter 8: The Demon Deep Inside

Twilight and Fluttershy follow Jackson, hoping there isn't another creature there. Getting close to the top of the ladder, they heard the faint sound of crying.

"Who is that? It sounds like a little girl." Said Twilight.

"You're right. Her parents are probably off on the hunt, and she's been left alone. She's probably scared. It talk to her." Jackson said as he climbed up to the top. He noticed a window and knocked on it. "Hello? Anyone there?" He heard the sound of a faint gasp.

"Hello." Came the voice of a girl, obviously still very young. "If you're out tonight, then you must be a hunter."

"Yes I am. Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, my daddy went out on the hunt, but he was gone for longer than he was supposed to. My mother went out to look for him, but she forgot the music box that plays daddy's favorite song."

"If you want, I can go look for them."

"Thank you, kind hunter. My mother wears a beautiful red brooch, it's so big and shiny, you could never miss it. Here, take the music box with you and use it to calm my father if he attacks you." The young girl opened the window slightly, giving Jackson a small music box.

"I promise to be back as soon as I can."

"Thank you, good hunter." Jackson began to climb down the ladder.

"That was very kind of you." Said Fluttershy.

"Well she was a small child who was scared, I had to do something. I'm sure anyone else would have done the same." After climbing back down, they continued through the sewers, eventually coming to another ladder.

"Awwww... more climbing?" Twilight complained.

"Yep." They climbed the ladder. At the top they came to a bridge covered in dead bodies. "That's not good." Said Jackson, putting his small silver sword into the sheath, using it as a large great sword. The group made their way across the bridge, up some stairs and came upon a grave yard.

"What's that smell? Ahh. It's the sweet smell of blood. Blood from beasts that know not how they this amazing liquid inside of them." Said an older looking man, as he turned to Jackson, who noticed that the man had bandages over his eyes. "There are beasts all over the shop now. You'll be one of them soon enough." The man said, extending his ax and lunging at Jackson, who barely rolled out of the way of the attack.

"What's wrong with you?! We're both hunters, do you not see that?!" Jackson said, swinging his blade at the man.

"That doesn't matter! We'll all turn at some point or another! And I'm going to kill as many as I can before that happens!" The man kept saying, wildly swinging his ax. "Just give into the bloodlust! Once you do, nothing can hold you back!"

"You fool! A hunter hunts beasts, nothing more!" Jackson landed a few blows, causing the man to real back in pain. He started grasping his head.

"Oh lord, it's finally happening! I'm turning! Oh god, what have it become?" Said the man, as light swirled around, blasting out along with a bestial scream.

"Oh no." The Beast jumped at Jackson, slamming him into a wall. The monster didn't let up it assault. It kept smashing and tearing at Jackson with its fists. Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson noticed something. It was the body of a woman, around her neck, a red jeweled brooch. He realized who he was fighting soon after. He pulled out the music box and wound it up. As the music began to play, the blasted recoiled in pain, the sound of his favorite music flooding back memories of his wife and children. The people he loved most, the person he killed.

"Alright." Said Jackson, lifting his blade, dropping it on the beast's neck, decapitating it. He grabbed the key it dropped, walked over to the body, and pulled of the necklace. "I'm sorry, little girl... I was too late to save your mother and father." He began crying.

To Be Continued In Chapter 9: A Safe Haven