Author's Note

An attempt at trying something new. Hope you all like. I'll update it when I can.

The Dreamtime Warrior Awakens - Edited

A scream pierces the air, howls follow soon after, a city in a panic as night after night for the last week a pony would be found mangled and chewed beyond identification if not for the fact their cutie marks tend to always be left alone, hunted by something that nopony alive has ever seen, almost like a warning to the populace.

This is one such night where a one, Midnight Starfall, a lilac coloured thestral with a purple mane of teen years finds herself cornered in the end of an alley knowing in that moment she would be the next death in the city of Manehattan.

One would wonder why she didn't just fly up and out of the way but unfortunately the shredding of wings is one of the first things these unseen hunters do to flying ponies when they hunt, after all... there's no point in a hunt if the target can get away and these hunters wanted the prey the afraid until the moment of their death.

So here we find poor, Midnight, alone, afraid, and cornered with her lifeblood slowly leaking from her shredded wings knowing that this was it, she'd be done for and no one would ever be able to find out why. She stood her ground, not wanting to look away as she looked into the unnatural darkness that moved towards her, not even her thestral vision able to pierce this supernatural blackness.

Whispers filled her ears, promises of what they would do to her when they catch her, promises of unending torment until the very moment of her death. They'd rip her apart and consume her organs while she lived, they'd flay the skin from her flesh and bones, they'd suck her eyes from her skull, and violate her from openings they'd make in her flesh and as these promises of unimaginable torment continued, the poor thestral could only look on with tears pouring from her eyes, knees shaking where she stood and the unmistakable scent of urine hitting her nostrils. She would not die quickly or painlessly.

It was practically on top of her now, it taking its sweet time, to savour the fear, to drink in the terror. Barely a pony length away now, a long bony appendage would reach forth, seemingly a mixture of a dragons claw and a ponies leg, all other details were hidden in the enveloping darkness that it wore about it's body, but just as the claw could reach the young female, a presence was felt behind it, a pressure that he'd never felt before, and yet knew all too well, it was the feeling of the hunter somehow now being the prey and this terrified the creature.

It slowly turned around, the barest image of a floating skull within the miasma. He would have to deal with this new threat before returning to his meal. He knew she couldn't get away so he'd be safe to deal with her later. Finally turning around the demon of shadow was witness to a strange image, what appeared to be a minotaur, but lacking all the fur and much flatter face stood at the entrance of the alley, looking at the demon of shadow with a look for boredom, disdain even, and this infuriated the creature to no end, it would destroy this creature and make a meal of it, relishing in the waves of pain and fear it would deal upon it before it dies.

It opens its mouth for the first time since the hunt began. "Who are you that dare interrupt my hunt?" It's voice drifted across the distance to the unknown creatures ears like a dying gasp from a drowning man, almost unintelligible but seemingly forced to understand. The creature would merely shrug.

"Just out for a midnight stroll, and just so happened to come upon-" He'd pause as he'd move his head as though to look around the demon of shadow. "-you seemingly in the middle of something?" He'd point a thumb back over his shoulder. "I can come back later after you're finished if you'd like." He seemed almost bored as he talked to the creature, unafraid, unconcerned, as though what he was looking at was merely a gnat about to be squashed by his thumb. This of course infuriated the creature.

"You will be going nowhere. You have seen me, so you will have to die." It's mass seeming to grow by the second to the point of filling the alley from wall to wall, and still this being was unconcerned. This would not do, having made its mind up, the creature raises its claws towards the being and charged, the ground shaking slightly as its steps are muffled by the ever present cloying darkness.

It would not live long enough to regret it's mistake though as this yet identified being merely sighed, reached into his clothes and raised what appeared to be a small stick with a handle, said stick glowing in a glaring red light before discharging a near soundless blast that the creature barely registered before ceasing to exist. It was like the being was there one second and the next it was engulfed in a corona of red and gold and dissolved into itself, all in the time it took to blink, it just ceased to be, it was no more.

The being sighed and turned to go before he spotted what lay at the end of the alley, a young thestral, bleeding, and clearly in a bad way, she wobbled on her legs before before his eyes she fell, either from blood loss or fainting after all the trauma she had experienced in the last few minutes. He'd walk up to her, looking over the mess she made of herself, the rank smell of piss filled his nostrils but he'd not fault her for it as he effortlessly lifted the young female in his arms and walked her away from the scene of her torment.

My name is Dean Warren, I was a pretty normal bloke of average height and build though would be slightly on the softer side of average, I enjoyed playing videogames and reading all kinds of stories, sometimes wishing I was in the position of those heroines as they destroyed being's that could make ones skin crawl, of beings that would give another nightmares at merely seeing them.

I didn't know how but this was about to become my reality though in a place least expected. I was just cruising along the web when strange artefacts started appearing on the screen, I was transfixed cause despite knowing such a thing may mean the death of his computer before long what was being shown in these artefacts was weird in the extreme, the screen would warp and lines of glaring red and black would flicker across the screen, and yet in the middle of it was a face, a skull really, unaffected by the glitches and warping, a face that left me feeling it was staring through me and into my soul, a face that was alive.

A simple sentence scrolled across the bottom of the screen, a sentence that would change my life forever. It gave me a choice. Die here, or follow it to a land that would need him. I couldn't move from my seat, the skull somehow having control of my body, leaving nothing but my hand free to control the mouse on the screen. It asked for my help and two options were left on the screen. Yes, or No.

Seemingly left with no option... I clicked yes.

It was like my body was thrown into an inferno, but I was left no option to die, I watched as my room burned around me, my home soon catching alight in this conflagration that would take away any semblance of my life before, and right as the agony reached the breaking point, I blanked out. I lay in darkness for who knew how long, feeling the flames lick my charred and deformed body, and yet still alive to do something about it, and yet still I could feel my body regenerating, my nerves, and muscles returning to as they were, my vision returning last to find myself laying on my back, hair smoking, and as naked as a new born, but laying at my side was a gun.

It appeared similar in shape to a flintlock pistol, similar to what you'd imagine a pirate to carry, it's metal glowing faintly in the twilight of dawn, small images engraved in it's woodwork. An energy could be felt around it, and a single thought came to my mind without prompt. 'Take it'.

Rising on shaky legs, I took stock of my situation. I was in what appeared to be a clothing shop, convenient, but nothing seemingly designed for my frame, mannequins lined the back wall, but they weren't shaped as one would expect a human to appear, they looked like small horses, ponies even. That was a mystery to answer later as I found a small section that looked designed close enough for him to use. I'd find a set of long jeans, made of a course cotton, and a tunic made of similar fabric.

This would do. Dressing quickly, I stuff the pistol into the waistband of the jeans, not sure what to do with it, but somehow with the knowledge it was very important to keep it.
It was at this point I'd hear a scream, but instead of ignoring it or even trying to find someone to help them my body was overtaken by the need to investigate it, to discover what caused that sound.

"What the hell am I even doing with this thing! What even possessed me to even get involved with that monster." I'd almost yell at myself in my head, the small bat winged creature currently cradled in my arms, not even sure what to do with her, assuming its a her based on what he accidentally peeked at under her tail as he lifted her, I blush slightly at the accident. "I have to find someone to help me here, get her to a vet or something."

I start yelling for help, lights in the street slowly coming on as people begin to wake up, I peek some faces looking out into the street, seemingly too scared to exit their homes after dark. I can't tell what they are but if what I am holding is any indication... I don't think I am anywhere near home anymore. Finally what look like a miniature horse came out of a home, and trot towards me, their face nervous but the shouting of someone in need drove them to come and help. Reaching me they look at me with trepidation till their eyes fall upon the package I carried in my blood drenched arms.

All notions of fear ended when they saw my small package, and without a word start pulling me towards what appeared to be their home. They push me inside and towards their living room where they finally begin to speak.

"Oh dearie me. Tallow, quick! Go get some bandages from the first aid kit." She'd look at me, almost sharply. "You didn't do this to her, did you?" I of course shook my head in denial, but without much else to go on, she focused back on the mare I had since lay upon their floor, blood still slowly dripping from her torn wings. Tallow seemingly returned with a box with a large red cross on it and quickly fished out a couple rolls of gauze, dropping them by his partner, taking them up in a lime green glow, the mare was quick to begin wrapping her wings, careful not to make the wound worse till she was at least stopped from bleeding out.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and sat on the ground, head falling back and rest against their sofa.