It was a beautiful evening in Equestria when the nightmare began.

Later, it would be said that it was induced by dark magic. A strange, foreign darkness unlike anything ever felt before on Equus by a majority of its population, slipped and woven into the very Magic of Harmony that knitted the world together. Insinuating itself like a serpent, it crept into the world along the very same lines that Harmony itself used to keep the world it loved so much safe. Not even Nightmare Moon radiated this kind of baleful energy, and the Princess of the Night herself was caught in its wake as the ponies lay themselves to sleep... standing witness to what would come.

It began with the Princesses. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle.

All four trembled as the dream took hold, and of those three only Luna was awake to try and combat what was happening. For all of the power in her domain, she too felt the creeping presence as the power swept over her like a tide. A prophetic rush of insight and knowledge shuddering through her as she realized that trying to face this miasma head on could cause devastation to the minds of her sleeping charges, not to mention their connection to Harmony. Her eyes and wings flared open as she did her best to mitigate the damage, the fear, the horror the nightmare was meant to cause. The tide of darkness swept over her, familiar and alien at the same moment. With the sheltering grace of her gift, she bore the brunt of the nightmare assault... the pain, the fear, the dread sweeping into her as she absorbed it, threatening to release the darkness banished by the Elements of Harmony...

...yet with strength drawn from her past, she bore it. The darkness ripping around her was drawn upon as the remnants of what she was as Nightmare Moon stood triumphantly against the presence in the invasion. She bared her teeth into the very teeth of the gale of darkness as it surrounded her as she stood in the throne room, its decorations tailored to her colors and whims as night fell and she resumed control of the kingdom. Here, in her place of power, she would keep her little ponies safe with all the fury and darkness she possessed.

Thus it is why those touched by the dream were not harmed by it, and the attempt by the figure behind it to insinuate suspicion, hatred, and fear of the one depicted was deflected and held at bay.

Thus... matters would become far different then what was planned. This was an attack, of no doubt, against the very fabric of the world. An attack meant to set into motion a series of events that would lead to the unraveling of the very force which held the world together.

As each Princess was touched by the darkness as it slid in on... it was diffused. The great web of Harmony that all four were intrinsically bound to began to vibrate, as the dream slipped from pony to pony to pony. And beyond. Zebra, Griffin, Minotaur, Dragon, and Changeling, sleeping in the night were touched... and many more.

And even as Harmony sang its strange note... the force of Discord opened his eyes in the small, if sweetly charming little house that he called home with the sweet mare he called Friend. The wake of it crept into even her sleeping form, and the nightmare took hold before her companion and friend took note... and the knowledge he possessed, and lines of Chaos he could see, he knew he could stop it. At least from her. From his Fluttershy. Discord raised a paw... only to pause. He turned his head to look in the direction of the distant castle, feeling the power awakened by the Ruler of the Night. A slow smile spread on his mismatched features... and he gently coiled around Fluttershy protectively... and watched the nightmare unravel before his eyes... holding the trembling mare as she shuddered.

Deep in the depths of the Badlands, a deposed Queen trembled as her sleeping mind was consumed by the dream.

Locked within his cell in the depths of Tartarus... an ancient centaur, whose name was synonymous in Equestria with Evil, raised his head as the strange feeling of magic swept in close... and he smiled as he watched.

All of Equus... dreamed.

It began, as Harmony does,... with a song.

"Wolves asleep amidst the trees..."

The lullaby was beautiful and haunting, and it was sung as the dream showed a distant, beautiful land underneath and unfamiliar sky and strange moon. A distant city across a vast lake was visible in the distance, the alien moon shown full upon the night... distant clouds drifting across the beautiful night sky.

A figure stepped out into the shadows. A figure unlike any most had seen before. Those who recognized her species were in no condition to share the knowledge and memory. Her hair was a vibrant red, and in the light of the moon her pale skin took on a ghostly, ethereal appearance. She wear well kept, if peasant clothes. A dress simple and yet beautiful in its simplicity. Far too long had those who knew what she was had it been since they had seen a Human. And this one was far different then the one they once knew...

...the one they had known was a beautiful blond haired youth. A girl. This was a woman in the full maturity of feminine beauty. Her hair was done up in a rather prim, conservative style, yet she was all the more beautiful because of it. Her features were alien to most, but young and sweet. A tiny, delicate nose, full, red lips and a dash of freckles across her all too pale cheeks.

"Bats all a swaying in the breeze..."

The figure, the woman, knelt to gently pick up a forgotten child's doll from the ground. Her cloak rippled gently in the evening wind, as she continued to sing a lullaby the likes of which no one in Equestria, or on Equus itself, had heard before. So haunting the melody and so sweet the song that it was guaranteed to be remembered, passed on... even more so for the events that followed...

"But one soul lies anxious, wide awake..."

Gently the woman's limb rose... its soft, delicate digits with their slight nails so different and alien to a majority of Equus' denizens... even as some remembered gentle touches and fond scratches given by hands much like those. It caressed the head of the doll as she continued to sing, the melody resonating down the same Harmonic pathways the Music came down... resonating in the hearts and souls of all who heard it.

"...Fearing all manner of ghouls, hags, and wraiths."

Those words struck a cord, as fear rippled through the sleeping denizens. Ghouls. Corpse-eaters. Rare indeed save in far distant lands. A disease of Undeath passed along to those struck down by the creatures. Hags... the racial memory of ponies was a strange and fickle thing. Yet at that single word, visions of a crone lingered in the mind, bent and wizened... as she unleashed an ancient and forgotten catastrophe. And Wraiths. Ghosts were not unknown in Equestria, and malevolent ones were known... but too lost in the mist of time and legend as Harmony blanketed the land. If not for Luna's interference, the fear would have rooted deeper... destabilizing Harmony and creating terrors in the dark. She too bore the brunt of this darkness... and smiled grimly. Was this all the darkness held?

The beautiful woman stood alone on the shore, as the world held its breath. Water lapped on the shore of the great lake.

The stillness was broken by a sudden spoken word. A voice deep, rumbling, and speaking with a soft humor that didn't hold against the situation. The voice was gruff, deep baritone, and strong... even as it promised things to the woman standing alone.

"Nice tune. Been a while since I heard it last."

The woman's face changed from the look of melancholic sweetness that it had been, becoming an icy mask for an instant. A look of exasperation was there... of 'Oh, now I have to deal with this.' It was a face that filled many dreamers with confusion, so closely were they attracted to the alien allure of the red haired siren in the night. Her features changed in a moment, a hint of sadness and determination crossing her features, and a hint of disappointment. The Dreamers of Equus would not know for a long time that it was because her gambit had failed... and her hiding place had been discovered.

Looking down at the doll for a moment, she discarded it to the frozen soil at her feet, even as she replied.

"Folk have forgotten it."

The reply was faintly sad, as if it mourning the loss of the memory of the song. A memory that now wouldn't be forgotten... never again... She raised her hand, those delicate fingers like and unlike the hands of a minotaur, as she slid it into her red hair, fingering the bun as she looked out upon the lake.

The world, the view, shifted for the dreamers then... rotating around the lone woman slowly. Slow enough as to seem natural. As if they themselves were standing and viewing the events that were about to transpire in the darkness of an alien, distant world.

The change in perspective revealed a figure some short distance behind the woman. And if not for Luna, the accompanying dread of seeing that figure might have stilled the hearts of some ancient ponies in their bed... as the presence behind this invasion tried to impose an instant fear of the tall, imposing figure. Luna bore it, eyes hard even as they radiated power.

His shoulders were broad, almost as wide as a minotaur. He was clad in garb that clearly marked him as a warrior. The minotaur would marvel at his armor, the tiny links of fitted chain, and in the morning the chain mail that would be born from this vision would be carefully constructed by skilled laborers. The rest of his uniform was clearly leather, a material not alien to Equestria, but rare indeed. For a race that interacted with sentient animals, a natural source of leather was difficult to find... yet there were those who prided themselves on leather made from beasts of dangerous caliber, non-sapient and a threat to ponykind. Warriors, guardsmen, and fashion leaders, and those who enjoyed the risqué of real leather apparel for various purposes.

His features were scarred, but such scars only seemed to accentuate his masculinity rather then mar it. Silver hair upon his head was alien to most, marking the man with age that his features belied. This was clearly a man in his prime, his chiseled features a granite complexion of stern threat. A beard on his chin and full mustache over his mouth gave him a grave countenance that made him seem almost fatherly... but also dangerous. His head turned for a moment, looking out over the beauty of the lake and environs, almost wistfully so, before he turned to face the woman alone on the shore. The grass, brown from winter frost and covered here in there in patches of thawing snow was alien as well... even as some considered how sloppy some were with their Winter Wrap-up. The thought of natural seasons and the passing of time still so alien to those in Equestria.

His eyes, hidden in the shadow of his brows, were focused on the woman, yet there was a gleam of gold within... And, around his neck was a length of silver jewelry chain, attached to a medallion... a medallion in the shape of the snarling head of a wolf. In a single word, he was threatening. And that threat was only increased by what was held in his right hand.

A naked, gleaming sword, far longer and more delicate then any forged by the Minotaur or Pony smiths. Upon its length, runes of clear arcane purpose glowed softly. A faint yellow gold gleam that clearly marked the blade as unique, and a masterwork that left many who knew the creation of such things in awe.

When he spoke next, it was almost wistful.

"Got... other things on their mind."

As he spoke, the red haired woman undid some tie in her hair... causing it to collapse around her as she turned. Those with a liking for such things found the motion alluring, as her apparent mane sung free like a mare welcoming a lover. Her features were equally coy and playful as she turned to look upon the armored man, and spoke words that left many who heard it chilled to the bone. Her gaze back to the silver haired man only exasperated this, as she looked heart-meltingly lovely in that moment... so out of tune with her words. Yet also sad, a hint of forlorn tragedy playing across her features that had many wanting to defend her from this clear ruffian and uncouth thug. Silhouetted in the moonlight, there would be paintings of her in the future in that moment. None so famous as 'A Monster In Beauty's Guise'.

"...Things like me."

The man sighed, his eyes still hidden in shadow, the cloud of his breath escaping into the cold night air. And when he spoke again, the situation had only grown more dire and confusing. None knew what to expect in that moment.

"They paid me for you," came the growling words, even as the man nodded his head toward her. Confusion turned to fear in the hearts of the watchers, and if not for Luna, the level of dread and prosecution that would have been felt by the dreamers would have left them all fearing when this man came for them. Was paid... for them.

Yet, rather then look afraid by this announcement, the woman gave a subtle laugh, her lips pulled into a mirthless smile. Shrugging out of her cloak, she left many wondering at her actions, and leaving many in fear. Was she about to offer herself to him? Youths were confused, but enraptured by the story playing out before their dreaming eyes. They had no one there to cover their eyes at the woman disrobing as she stepped to the side to properly face the one who claimed to be here for her. The Dreamers all could only watch as she unbuttoned her dress quite primly, even as she spoke.

"In times past, no amount of coin would convince a witcher to take this contract."

As she spoke, her head bowed forward, and she looked up to the man with clear threat in her posture and intent. Her beautiful features surrounded by her fall of deep red hair. Yet that was not the most disturbing thing about the moment. It was the way her voice dipped... and changed... becoming dark and predatory. A reverberation was in her words that made some think of Changelings, yet far more menacing. The vocal transformations alone had many quivering in fear at what was to come, thrashing about in their beds.

And then the vision slipped back to the man. Looking upon his features closer now, even as he spoke. But what caught the attention most of all was not his words, but rather his eyes. Golden they were, slit like those of a cat, the pupils wide in the darkness to draw in the light of the moon. This being, this man, whatever he was... was not normal. And again Luna prevented a wave of fear and dread, this time aimed at those golden eyes. If the attempt had been successful, all of Equus would have feared those eyes if they ever saw them. Luna, in the midst of her struggle, gasped... so different and so alien. This was not a normal man. He was so different then the girl from so long ago... yet strong, tall, and confident, even as she bore the weight of the assault and kept the world from fearing the man with the golden eyes.

"Times have changed."

What happened next filled many with confusion and doubt, as others felt the instinctive urge to cover their eyes yet could not. No one was disallowed to turn away as the sexual, playful undertones of the red haired woman turned intent... and she shrugged out of her dress. To a majority of Equestria, there was no such thing as a nudity taboo, yet mothers would wish to cover their foal's eyes if they could. Yet, instead of revealing herself to the interest of many a male... the woman vanished!

A hiss and rush, the woman... or perhaps creature now... seemed to transform to the wind itself and rush forward and past the tall man. Blowing right past him and slamming through a wooden gate and into an ancient and unmaintained barn. A farm of some sort, yet dilapidated and left to the elements. Many Earth Ponies felt a hint of remorse seeing a place so lovely in such a state, yet such concerns were forgotten in the face of future events.

Rather then rush blindly into the barn, the tall, armored figure stepped after it carefully. His strange eyes looking this way and that as if expecting an attack at any moment. The man's... what had she called him? Witcher. That word rang out in the collective unconsciousness of Equus. Carrying with it strange connotations and confusion. Witcher? Many had heard of Witches. But a Witcher? What in the world did that mean?

Luna, keeping the threat at bay, gritted her teeth and watched.

The Witcher walked with a careful step, clearly unwilling to just charge in after the fleeing creature as many would have done. Seasoned warriors nodded with respect in their sleep, even as they saw him as the seasoned veteran he was. You never just run into the manticore's den. This entire situation had trap written all over it, and the watchers were enthralled.

Stopping before the door, the Witcher reached down to his belt and drew up a small flask that left many wondering at its purpose. One Zebra knew a potion when she saw one. And they watched the man bite the cork out of the small bottle with a slosh of the liquid inside, and spit it out onto the soil. They witnessed the man drink like a man gritting himself for something harsh or difficult, as the more magically focused and gifted watched in awe.

The potion, moments after being downed, had an immediate effect.

The man's lips pulled back as his head snapped back. Clearly in pain, the more kindhearted wondered what he was doing to himself, the man's barred teeth revealed the pointed canines and slicing front teeth of an omnivore. More data points to be analyzed. But seeing the man's veins turn black under his skin as he clenched his body in obvious agony was a shock to all who witnessed it. The flash of his golden eyes in the dream was sharp as the clear power in the potion took effect... leaving the man at the end bent forward, gasping at the agony he just caused on himself.

What happened next was strange... because they saw a droplet of his blood, red as any ponies', fall from his nose from a burst vessel inside. They watched it fall, clearly focused on it in those moments... and it fell to the earth with not a drip, but a hiss! The more magically minded and scientifically gifted gasped in awe. Acidic blood. Had... had he drunk something to make his blood... acidic?! Why? Whatever for?! It made no sense.

Except to some... filling them with dread. If such a potion existed... it would be a weapon. A defensive measure. One usable for hunting their kind... for vampires were not unknown in Equestria, or Equus. But they were far from the blight that existed in fiction and story. And many served the Mistress of the Night in her guard and employ since her return...

They watched the Witcher gather himself, and with a look of determination and purpose, stride through the doorway to the ruined barn. His sword lead his way, as he walked like a man heading into battle, his eyes glowing as he stood silhouetted by the darkness beyond far more then they were before... perhaps a side-effect of that potion, some ponies surmised.

No words were spoken as dread and trepidation filled many a heart. Whatever was about to happen was deadly battle... whatever the red haired woman was, this man had been sent to hunt her. Why? What had she done? What was she? So many questions left answer-less in the dark... for the moment.

Again many marveled at the movement of a trained warrior as the man entered the barn, clearly expecting to be attacked at any moment. Looking about as his eyes glowed in the dim light, augmented even further to pierce the gloom. Strangely, the medallion on his chest had begun to move on its own. Not a gentle sway with his movements, but rattling and shaking like a living thing. A warning? Was it enchanted?

The man moved further into the large barn, and reached down with his free left hand... detaching a small object there that hung from his belt. It was strange, almost like another potion vial. A glass-like sphere whose insides was clearly filled with some sort of glittering silver powder. Many wondered what it was as the Witcher moved forward, stalking with the grace of a predator.

And then it happened.

The Witcher noticed movement in the rafters that took many by surprise. With a flick of his wrist and arm, the sword-wielding man hurled the object into the air where it struck one of the barn's support joists. The explosion was shocking, but small... save for the effect of sending a cloud of glittering silver shards... everywhere! A cloud of beautiful fragments and powders that left watchers stunned at both the beauty and sudden shock of it all. And the fight began.

A figure, invisible, leaped through the dispersing cloud. It was in the shape of the woman from before, her outline, but something was clearly... wrong. Despite her invisibility, the outlines were subtly different. Her face was... horrifying as the powder clung to its outline. Whatever she was, the woman by the water was only a mask. Even as a certain Princess was mentally cataloging... everything she saw, the woman-thing stood tall and hissed at the Witcher whose arm was still raised to protect himself from the explosive weapon. Such a brilliant tool for dealing with invisibility had not yet been employed, and so many designs were put into motion for magical duplicates of the effect... because there were things on Equus that liked to use invisibility and were dangerous.

With the battle's beginning came music in the minds of those bound by Harmony. A music sharp an sudden as violins resounded. From where it could not be said, but the music was soul-sharp and sweet... making perfect the battle underway. Those bound by Harmony were used to such things, for the Music often rose in the mind when strong emotions came in effect. And in battle, there was no sweater music then hearing the Music guide your hoof to your enemy.

So as the poignant strings played their melody to the battle, the Dreamers watched the Vampire and the Witcher do their very best to kill one another.

Each sweep of that beautiful sword was perfectly timed, yet the woman-thing moved in response with a level of superhuman speed, if not skill. The creature, made visible by the clinging cloud of silvery sparkles, gave hisses and snarls as she wielded deadly claws. The Witcher moved in as if he could hear the music, each step of the battle a dance. Yet it was a dance where even he... was over-matched. For all the strength and speed he clearly possessed, the creature could block his sword with one limb with a clang as if striking metal, and her claws promised to rend him apart. The supernatural agility of the way she bent back under one sweeping strike was stunning to behold, even as foals cheered and cried out for the hero to stop the monster, and as prim and proper adults wished they could cower and turn away from this gratuitous violence.

The Witcher landed a solid punch to the creature's upper chest which only barely fazed it, as the thing reached out its claw for him and he smoothly ducked to the side. Moment by moment, to the strings of the violin, the battle became more and more heated. And then the creature's invisibility was gone.

Perhaps realizing it was useless to maintain it, perhaps it was simply a short duration spell, the woman-thing lunged forward into visibility in a pose that clearly startled the Witcher as she entered inside the striking arc of his sword. She was... hideous. Far more distorted and transformed then any Changeling. For all their nature, Changelings were at least... cute in their natural forms. Or sexy to some. Or a little alien with their chitinous bodies and cheese-legs. No, this creature had a definite look of hideous horror about her. What beauty she had was simply... gone. Naked as she was, there was no attractiveness to her shape as there was before.

She was emaciated, with her bones standing out against her fur-less pale pink hide. Her soft looking digits and gentle looking hands had transformed into deadly looking claws and hard, bone-thin arms. Her feet also ended in deadly looking talons, so differently shaped then they were before, with nothing to remind it of a gryphon's talon but rather the rending claw of a monster. But worst of all was her face. Twisted, vaguely bat-like, yet more akin to a skull, it made even the bat-like thestrals shudder in horror. Her mouth, wide and open far larger then it should be capable of, was revealed to carry hideously sharp, blackened teeth made for piercing and rending flesh.

And now it was revealed why someone would pay for this woman's death. She was a monster. And this silver-haired man, this warrior... was a Hunter of Monsters.

Why were they seeing this? To what purpose? To whose? Luna's questions flooded her mind, even as she watched the hideous vampire-like horror drive her claws into man's chest, piercing through his leather and chain armor as if it was not there. Luna whimpered, thinking they were about to witness his death... yet found herself cheering along with so many others as the wounded hunter ripped the monster away from him and slammed it to the frozen ground of the barn with brutal skill.

It would have been over then, save for what happened next. The Witcher's sword snapped up and then down in a stabbing cut, he having changed it to his left-hand some time in the middle of the fight amid blows and the swift shock of conflict. The impaling strike would have pierced the creature's back and into her heart... if she had not once again dissolved into mist. Rushing away at speed, she narrowly avoided the killing blow as the Witcher clutched his wound with his right hand, clearly desperately fighting through the agony.

Spinning in place, looking for his enemy, the Witcher's sword was raised even then as he readied himself for what was clearly a life or death struggle the likes of which few ponies alive had seen or ever known. And then the abandoned wagon was thrown at him.

The creature, having rushed to the side, took the initiative to strike and hurl a ruined, broken wagon across the barn in total silence toward the panting, pained hunter. Many gasped in shock, but there were cheers in the darkness of the dreamworld as the Witcher formed his digits into a strange shape, and then magic exploded around him! Magic was not an alien things to the denizens of Equus, because it was a part of many species and each had their own native forms. Yet still the Witcher was impressive as he threw up a golden, dome-like shield around himself that caught the flying wagon and shattered it to pieces around him with a gigantic crash!

Stumbling only for an instant, moving through the pain of a wound that would have had many a pony helpless, the Witcher was still in perfect form. Flawless in his motions as the shimmering invisible shape of the Vampire-like creature rushed him. Yet it seemed she had stopped playing around. In mere moments the Witcher's left hand was caught, and the creature had disarmed him. And then her full on slap send his head reeling as her claws caught his already scarred features... adding more wounds to his collection. Gripping him then, she slammed him bodily into one of the heavy beams of the barn, before he was hurled and smashed to the ground in a daze.

And just like that... she stopped her attack. But only for a moment.

Reeling, in clear pain... yet somehow pushing through it, the man, the Hunter, slowly began to push himself to his feet. And that was when she struck.

In a moment that left many gasping, the Dreamers watched the Witcher be embraced and held from behind, his neck arched. Holding his head in one hand and his chain pauldron in the other, the creature bared his neck to her as she opened her mouth wide.

So many pleas went unheard, threats unanswered... as the beast bit down...

The agony across the Hunter's face was clear, as was the slurping sounds as the fully revealed Vampire drank. The sanguinarians reeled at the horror of it. None of them would do what the creature was doing now. By force? Such a crime was anathema to their kind though it was not in the past. For not always were the horrors of the night so chained... not till the coming of the Princess Luna. And she, knowledgeable as she was, felt tears sliding down from her eyes as she witnessed the horrors of the moment. The last human she had known was so kind, so gentle. She and her siblings had saved Dream Valley countless times, and helped raise her and her sister after their mother's passing. To see this human about to be killed filled her with sorrow... and wrath.

Who was showing them this? Who was forcing this hideous picture of violence and death upon her people? WHO?!

Yet even now, she could now stop it. It had woven itself into the very magic of Harmony that she herself was bound to as a Princess and Alicorn. If she tried to face it, the resulting events could shatter Harmony worse then anything Discord had ever done. And even Discord himself marveled at the skill of this... intrusion... even as he held Fluttershy tighter... and watched her cry in her sleep.

The Hunter gathered himself, and somehow managed to rip himself away, pushing the vampiric horror and himself apart. He stumbled, and fell... landing on the packed earth with a grunt as the hideous monster loomed over him. And, despite the horror and hideous nature of her in that moment, marked with wounds from the Witcher's sword across her middle where he had landed one good blow, and blood leaking from her hideous maw, there was a majesty to her in that moment. She was a victorious predator, looking down upon her prey in all her naked glory. Yet there was no beauty there, no attractiveness. Despite her teats being bare to the world and her nakedness standing proud, there was nothing but a monster there... not the entrancing woman she had been before. Her once pretty eyes were clouded over with a white pallor that made her look all the more hideous in that moment.

Ponies, Minotaurs, Zebra, Griffins, Changelings and more cowered in that moment as any would from any night terror. Yet some were already aware of what was about to happen... having figured out what the Hunter had done...

Hissing her threat and clearly savoring her victory, the vampire loomed in the moments before her victory. Her body glittered with the dust from the explosive weapon and the powder the Witcher had covered her with. And she began to stalk towards the fallen hunter, even as he clutched his neck in pain... ...and watched what happened to her.

A moment passed as confusion stilled the vampire. And then black lines began to crawl through, and under her skin. The blood drawn into her system by drinking from the Witcher. Blood that had been altered to an acidic poison by the potion he had drunk before he ever stepped into this arena of death that was the ruined barn.

The confusion and pain etched across the woman-thing's hideous features, even as the Witcher began to rise like a man who had not just suffered grievous wounds. The creature shuddered and twitched, clearly having trouble moving in that moment as the black poison ripped through its veins. There were cheers, there were cries, there was worry, there was a great up swell of emotion as the Witcher pulled himself to his feet. The vampire hissed in rage at what was happening to it, and with a look of a man with a job to do, the Witcher reared back his right hand, then flung it forward in another of those strange finger positions. With it came power. Raw force exploded forward in a wave of air and concussive shock, a glowing white light from the magic filling many with joy and relief as the unleashed force slammed the poisoned vampire through the air like the rag doll she had so carelessly discarded.

As she slammed amid the broken wood and remnants of a once prosperous farm, the Witcher reached down, bringing up his sword. The music keening its violins in a music that would not, could not be forgotten. Clearly in pain, the Witcher panted a moment, another plume of frigid air escaping his mouth as he readied himself for the end.

With a snarling hiss, the Vampire rushed the hunter with her claw upraised, attempting to rend him again. This time the Witcher was ready, dodging to the side and raising the beautiful sword in both hands over his head and bringing it down with the silent swiftness of an executioner. The thing's left arm was hacked cleanly from its body, leaving a stump that was stained black with the poison eating away at its body. Spinning with the follow-through, the Witcher's sword cleaved through the air and hacked deep into the torso of the hideous vampire monster. The Witcher, however, was clearly feeling his wounds, and had to stagger a moment to keep himself on his feet.

Landing in a heap in a pile of old old, rotted grain and seed, what was once a beautiful woman shrieked and howled in pain and terror as she tried desperately to get away. Whatever had been in that potion vial, however, coupled with its wounds, had clearly wounded it far more gravely then the Witcher had been by her. Scrambling on three limbs, the thing tried to escape out the door, even as behind her the Hunter sheathed his great and beautiful sword next to the second one at its side. Many were left wondering... why two? Even then, he had gripped the other thing on his back. A crossbow, small and compact, was brought forward...

...and with a poignant peel of the violin, the fleeing monster was struck in her back by a bolt sent true by the Witcher. In agony, panting in pain and shuddering with the injuries wracking her body, she still tried to crawl away... her body slowly reverting to the woman she was before the transformation. Either by lacking power to maintain the transformation, or perhaps seeking pity by taking a more comely form. None was found, however... as a second bolt flew from the darkness of the barn, and struck.

The impact was clear. If her heart was in her chest... it had been struck by a length of hard oaken wood.

Staggering, the music fading, the Witcher walked forward... wounds adorning his body and clearly barely able to stand upright. Yet with a clear intent... he reached down to his right hip, and gripped the handle of a wicked looking metal hook. For what purpose, no one on Equus could say except perhaps to finish the creature. Yet, it was clear she was done for. She had reverted to her other guise... returning to the delicate human woman she had been before... missing her left arm, and with bolts of oak sticking from her back.

All of Equus slept in silence, silently watching... as the lullaby returned... not song by her this time, but drifting ethereally on the air. There was no sound now of both wounded combatants, only the music.

"Cows turned in as daylight dies..."

They watched as, with blood dripping from his wounds and explosively coughed from his mouth, the Witcher dropped the hook onto the soil and fell to his hands and knees beside the dying vampire.

"But one soul lies anxious wide awake..."

The Dreamers watched as the woman breathed her last, life leaving her beautiful blue eyes as she stared at the fallen man at across from her.

"For the Witcher, brave and bold..."

And then it was dark.

They knew fear then. Did he die? What happened to the Hunter? Why did this happen? They watched as time seemed to speed up then, the sun rising from beyond the farm, showing views of the sunlight passing and rising with a beauty different then that of Celestia's sun... as many realized that, whatever they were seeing, it was far from Equus.

"Paid in coin of gold..."

And in a rush, they saw the Witcher in the morning light, gasping awake. Bloodied, almost confused to still be alive... before turning his head to look at the figure beside him. The figure of the monster he slew.

"He'll chop and slice you..."
"Cut and dice you..."
"Eat you up whole..."

And they bore witness to the hideous visage the woman's corpse had become. Rotting faster then anything should, a grinning skull as the sunlight ate away at its very being. Shock and horror, pity and revulsion. So many emotions played across the dreamscape. Yet while such shocks as had happened this night should have woken many from a normal nightmare... this one refused to let go. And thanks to Princess Luna, Mistress of the Night, no one had been touched by the darkness that came with this vision of another world. Even as she looked on... the lullaby's grisly lyrics meant so many ways in those moments... yet the fear sent in those moments, and shielded by her, was of full of the images of this man. This... hero of a man... killing and eating and cutting down the citizens of Equestria and beyond. The weight of it sunk into Luna as she shuddered... yet the dark pall could not get past her warding wings.

This man, this HERO, did not deserve to be treated with the fear whatever had sent this vision was trying to impart. She would stop it, not only to protect her subjects... but to protect him. Such a man fighting such a monster deserved to be protected. It was her duty, no... her HONOR to do just that. As for the dark emotions sent her way, blocked and filtered through the world of dreams as Harmony's song was perverted to disseminate this vision of another world... she was Princess Luna! She had been Nightmare Moon! She had stood between her subjects and the horrors of the dark for centuries, and she would not stop. Not now. Not if it cost her...

As if in response, the weight of the darkness forced itself down on her... and tried to crush her. She fought back with everything she was, everything she knew, every year of her thousand year imprisonment as a jealous child warped by a monster from the dark. She would not give in. She would stand strong. She would...

...the Dreamers watched the wounded Witcher abandon the body of the vampire, already rotting away in the sunlight,

They watched him approach a... a pony? Tall and gorgeous, she stood with saddle and bridle yet... she was far larger then Princess Celestia herself! Tall and beautiful brown chestnut mare. They watched him climb onto the back of the mare, climbing astride her and gently guiding her into the dawn. Many were shocked, many were appalled, and many confused. Some, however, envied. The idea of baring a rider on their backs... was a strange one... yet this pony and her rider seemed so... united.

It was a thought that wouldn't leave many minds...

They watched him ride past the cliffs, across a beautiful countryside... ravens and crows flying in a cloud above, the alien sun shining down as he rode toward a large city. Large enough to rival Canterlot, Manehattan, or any city on Equus. With a castle while, less beautiful then that of the ruling sisters, was still beautiful. They watched him ride... and the dream faded as the last line of song entered their minds.

"Eat you whole..."

Across Equestria, across Equus, people woke screaming, gasping, crying out, sobbing, or staring. None, save those more attuned to the magic of Harmony, yet knew they had not been alone in having this dream... this nightmare...

The Princesses knew.

In the vast cold north, in the domed pocket of perfection that was the Crystal Empire, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza awoke in her husband's embrace, gasping and trembling even as he woke with a start. "S-shiny!"

Shining Armor, ever battle ready, had a protective dome around them in an instant even as he rose to a battle ready crouch. Still snorting and eyes wild from what he had witnessed. "Cadance! Whats-- that... was a strange dream... what is Luna--"

He was cut off as Cadance covered his muzzle with her hoof. "Did he have golden eyes?," she asked softly, her eyes looking into his. Shining Armor went completely still, and met his wife's eyes, and nodded.

Far far away from the husband and wife couple, Princess Twilight Sparkle burst from her bed in a flash of magic, crying out in pain as she clutched her head. Her horn throbbed and her body trembled. "...That... was not a normal dream. But-- who was that?! What was that explosive? What was she?! What was in that potion?! WHAT IS GOING ON?!" The babble rose to her own version of the Royal Canterlot Voice, causing the crystal edifice of her castle to rattle in reverberation.

Spike, in his room, sat bolt upright as he stared out and spoke simple words in response.

"That. Was. AWESOME!"

High above the roused Dragon and Princess of Friendship, to the north in a beautiful glittering castle, another awoke.

Princess Celestia had known humans in her long, long life. She had also known fear, nightmare, and dread. The events of the dream filled her with trepidation, her body shaking as her horn too throbbed with a strange feedback of energies. Of all the Princesses, Celestia was the most connected to Harmony. And with its guidance, she had lead her land in the millennia since Dream Valley had been abandoned. Her last memory of a human was a beautiful blond haired girl and her siblings, she who had gifted the Harmony to the ponies of the world. She rose, body still weary and shaking, and immediately called upon her magic. Teleportation should not hurt, especially to one as gifted as she, but with the dwindling feedback in her body she gasped as she appeared in the throne room.

But the lance of pain was not the only reason for that gasp...

Princess Luna lay upon the stairs before her throne.

"LUNA!," cried Celestia as she rushed to her side. To her relief, she was still breathing... but she had... changed. Princess Luna had reverted once again. Her mane of flowing stars had settled and vanished, her galaxy of a tail had returned to simple fur. Once more, the Alicorn she was just after the Elements of Harmony had cleansed her of Nightmare Moon and much earlier when they had been girls just starting to rule... before their Alicorn natures required them to bleed off the excess magic through their manes and tails.

"Oh Luna... what is going on...," cried Celestia even as she cradled her diminished sister in her front hooves. Nuzzling her gently, trying to waken her. "Come back to me, Luna. Don't go. Not again..."

Somehow the older sister's cries reached her little sister, who opened her eyes, and smiled weakly up at her sister. "...I protected them, sister... the thing was trying to... do more... then give them the dream. It wanted them to hate the Hunter... to fear him. It wanted us to loathe him." Luna coughed once, shuddering as a spasm of pain ripped through her.

Celestia winced softly, even as she held her sister, "Oh Luna... are you alright? I could feel how wrong it was... yet still. It came at us through... Harmony. I- I don't know what this means!"

Luna, shivering and trembling, clutched at her sister, "It- it was so evil, Tia. Worse then anything I had ever known. Worse then any of them... Sombra, Chrysalis, Tirek... even the Nightmare. It... It tried to make us hate him, sister. We can't do that. Whatever happens. We'll be playing right into its hands."

Celestia, trembling with fear for the first time in a long long time, held her sister as she cried, "It'll be alright... We'll figure out what did this, Luna. We'll protect them. We'll protect them all. Whatever is coming, we'll protect them all."

Luna nodded, burying her head in her sister's mane, feedback and the darkness she had absorbed and filtered tumbling through her body, leaving her awash with pain, "T-there will be panic... when they all realize what happened... that we all shared the same dream. I-I couldn't stop it. It was like facing the Elements again. There was nothing I could do but shield them from the darkness it tried to force along with the dream."

Celestia whimpered softly, and nuzzled her sister, her wings enclosing the smaller Alicorn as she held her close, "We'll figure it out, Lulu... We'll figure it out... Just stay with me. I'm here. I'm here."

Luna, shivering once more, closed her eyes. And fell into darkness.

...and in that darkness, she could see something. A figure... A human.

Walking away slowly. Looking upon him, a feeling of dread filled her. And she could only hear him doing the strangest thing as she fell into a dreamless, empty darkness.

He was whistling.

Author's Note

Well. My first foray into the idea of writing FiM stories. The idea struck me. Geralt's story, not to mention the finale of it, was powerful, sharp, and poignant. It also left a huge gap opening for anyone to come along and continue it their own way. And an epic story involving not only him, but Yennefer too, sent to a world that is as alien to them as Equestria, sounds really exciting to me.

The question was; how and why?

The solution was pretty obvious when he presented himself for consideration.

Thus... Gaunter O'dimm steps onto the stage.

What does he want? Why is he trying to accomplish? How did he do what he did?
I hope to answer you soon.

I hope this is well received, time will tell. I've no real editor but myself at the moment, so appreciate comments, critiques, and catches on typos and errors I might have missed. Thank you.

Lets see where this goes.