In the throne room of Canterlot castle, a crowd of rough and rowdy ponies were gathered. Mares and stallions of all forms and fashions chattered or boasted to one another. However, they weren't Canterlot high-class or nobility. Instead, they were hunters of several different calibers. Big game, small game, ex-Anti Monster agents, trackers, trappers, and mercenaries. Some were so low as being poachers. Even a few griffins were in the crowd.

"Ever hunt rhino?" A red earth pony stallion asked in an Aussie-Equestrian accent to a green unicorn mare with a bow, "Truly an experience. Takes a lot to bring one down though. Luckily, I got ol' Kicker here."

He taped the sling on his shoulder which held his crossbow. The mare, however, wasn't impressed. In fact, being in the presence of a rhino poacher bothered her greatly.

"I've never hunted." She replied in an annoyed Northern Equestrian accent, "I love rhinos and think hunting them is unfair since they're endangered."

The stallion raised an eyebrow, but not because of her opinion on rhino poaching.

"You've never hunted?" He asked, looking her over, "Then why are you carryin' that bow? And wha' are you doin' in this crowd?"

"Six time Equestria Games archery gold medalist, Arrow Heart." She said proudly, "Of course, not in a row. Cloudsdale took the gold four years ago. I'm here because I was summoned by the princesses."

The stallion smiled as he took off his hat and bowed.

"Dust Roo, hunter for hire." He smiled, "One of me mates got me an invitation to this little party. But, I have no idea why, nor do I care. As long as the money's good."

"You will all be paid very well." A voice intervened, causing Dust to look.

Undetected, Celestia and Luna had taken their seats and managed to hear Dust inquiry. The crowd hushed as all eyes turned to them. Some wore concern because of their unpopular occupations, while others looked on with curiosity.

"As many of you may have guessed," Celestia began explaining, "you're all here because you are the best in your fields. The task that must be completed however is very difficult, extremely dangerous, and must be kept secret. If anyone here wishes to leave, you may do so now."

Several ponies and griffins looked around the crowd, keeping an eye open for anyone leaving. But, no one moved and remained silent.

"Very well." Celestia continued, "Your task is to hunt down and capture the rarest and strangest creature in Equestria. A creature known as a human."

The crowd murmured and chattered curiously as she unrolled an old large blue banner. On it was an image of a human male standing with his arms spread wide, his legs a shoulder width apart, and his head turned to one side. On the bottom of the banner was a white spot with five digits jutting out from it, displayed like a mark of approval. Arrow approached the banner and placed her hoof next to it. The print was bigger than her hoof, but something made her feel uneasy about it.

"How much are you paying for this?" A gruff voice asked, causing the crowd to look and see a brown griffin raising his talon.

"Depending on how you return the human to us," Luna said, stepping forward, "the payment will vary. If alive, you will receive two million bits as your reward. If dead, however, you will only receive a quarter of the bounty. Is that fair?"

A chorus of agreements and murmurs of understandings echoed through the room.

"And wha' about some of us with less than desirable hobbies?" Dust Roo asked, delicately talking about his occupation, "Not everyone 'ere has the cleanest of souls, love."

Luna rounded on him and met his eyes with annoyance. She took a quick glance at Celestia which received a nod.

"All records and inquiries about any criminal activity will be removed and pardoned." Luna stated, easing her stare, "You have our word. But, only if you are successful."

"Now you're playin' my song." Dust grinned.

Luna returned to her throne and sat next to her sister, keeping her eyes on the stallion.

"Tomorrow morning," Celestia continued, "a private train will take you to Shade Prison. From there you will have to track the human and follow where he goes. When you go to your rooms tonight, you will find a file that explains everything you will need to know. And remember, this must remain secret. Goodnight and good luck."

With that, Celestia and Luna exited the room, leaving the hunters to be escorted by the guards to the guest rooms. Arrow Heart stayed quiet as she began to think. There was something about this that didn't seem proper, but she could figure out what. But her thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind her.

"I do love a mare in uniform." Dust Roo said, talking to the unicorn mare in armour beside him, "What do you say about keeping me company tonight?"

The mare remained silent as they walked, making Arrow smirk as she imagined the mare guard's thoughts. Shortly after, they arrived at their rooms. Unfortunately for Arrow, Dust Roo was her neighbor.

"My offer still stands, sexy. And something else will too, if you agree." Dust said, giving the guard a wink and having the door slam in his face.

"Pig." The guard huffed, walking away from Dust's room and stopping at Arrow's, "I'm sorry we couldn't find a room more suitable for you Miss Heart. If you like, we could try to move you to the female guard barracks. It won't be as quiet, but at least you'll have better company."

The guard gestured toward Dust's door, which was ajar now. Clearly he had been listening. Arrow, however, only chuckled and shook her head.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine." Arrow smiled kindly, "I've met worse."

Even though the guard was on duty, she still couldn't help but chuckle herself.

"In reality," the guard said, "I should be thanking you. After all, you were the first mare in history to be accepted into the Equestria Games and won. You opened up so many doors for mares. It's because of you, many of the mares in the service wear our armour with pride. I personally have a poster of you during the hundred and fifth Games. Your second win!"

This remark caught Arrow Heart by surprise, because she never really knew the impact of her past actions. Nor did she think she still had fans.

"Oh, can I have your autograph?" She asked, visibly keeping herself from jumping around, "I collect Games cards, but I keep yours with me all the time. Do you think you could sign it?"

"Um, sure." Arrow replied hesitantly, "What's your name?"

"Star Blaze"

She removed her helmet and took out the card that had been hiding underneath. Arrow retrieved the quill she had in her room and signed under the picture.

"Oh, thanks so much, Miss Heart!" Star Blaze said excitedly, "Goodnight and the best of luck to you."

Arrow watched as she trotted away happily, still a little stunned.

"First mare to win the Games, huh?" Dust asked in a smooth voice, "I wondered why you looked familiar. But, I recognized you from the paper. Weren't you banned from the Games for unsportsponylike behaviour? Shooting someone else's arrow off course?"

Arrow turned and glared, fuming at his words. Without saying anything, she went into her room and slammed the door shut with her magic.

"It wasn't even my arrow." She said softly, feeling a tear in her eye and looking at her bow, "That arrow came out of nowhere and just happened to fly past me and collide with Fire's arrow. Why doesn't anyone believe me on that?"

She went silent as she spotted the folder that Princess Celestia had mentioned. Deciding to take her mind off her past, Arrow opened it and flipped through the pages.

"Where have I seen that symbol before?" Arrow asked herself, staring at the photographed handprint.

Author's Note

I originally was going to had a special military unit as the hunters. But, in my mind, they would've been just soldiers who just follow orders with little remorse and no restraint. So, instead, I chose hired hunters and a character that could show some compassion. Plus, to me, a human would be considered a creature in Equestria, because we're so physically different from ponies. Alien, if you prefer to call it that. So, when you think about it, this works.

Also, I was planning on have Star Blaze come back later that night and shake the bed with Dust Roo. But, the more I thought about that idea, the more it sucked. So, I left it out.

Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying this.

P.S. Aussie-Equestrian is their version of Australian, but I couldn't think of a proper ponified version, so that'll have to do. I hope I didn't offend anyone from there if you're read. If I did, sorry.