Adopting Hellhounds

Twilight's Castle

Frightfang and the other Hounds, alongside Fluttershy and her friends were sitting in the castle library pondering over what they've been able to glean from Shuck and his comrades. From what they've been able to gather, a shadowy group of ponies have been nabbing Hellhounds out of nowhere and doing something to them that they can only guess at.

"Why would someone be snatching Hellhounds? I doubt it's for keeping them as fancy pets," Rainbow said.

"Maybe they're using them as some kind of guard dogs. They would make for good security," Applejack said.

"I think that they may be using Hounds in some kind of dogfighting ring," Starlight suggested. Fluttershy looked at Starlight with a look of shock and incredulity on her face.

"Is that... forcing dogs to fight each other?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sadly, yes. There have been several busts in the past few years of ponies using dogs as gladiators to fight each other, sometimes to the death," Starlight replied.

Fluttershy ground her teeth and seethed with more anger they have ever seen on her normally sweet face. Her eyes were practically red with anger as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"WHEN I GET MY HOOVES ON THEM, I'M GONNA--!!" Fluttershy started before Pinkie shoved a brownie in her mouth.

Now that Fluttershy was calm, Twilight turned her attention to a paper map she brought out along with various papers and laid them out on the table. Frightfang and the other Hounds were impressed by how quickly Twilight was able to gather all of this. Shuck nudged his nephew with his shoulder.

"This mortal is indeed a studious one, eh?" he asked.

"She is, almost to a fault. But she's really great at belly rubs," Frightfang replied. Shuck looked at Frightfang in confusion.

Frightfang was about to tell his uncle about his experiences when Twilight confirmed that she was ready. She pulled out a pointer and used to point to various parts of the map.

"From what I've been able to gather, there have been some reported sightings of 'ghostly dogs' in different places over the course of history and there have even been some canine-like creatures integrated into local folklore," Twilight said. "If these creatures are indeed Hellhounds, that would make sense. However, there have been sightings of animal control vans moving in and out of these specific towns over the past few years or so because of reports of strange dogs being seen in the area."

"Anything else?" Pinkie asked.

"Yeah. Apparently, there have been several ponies found dead in areas where Hellhound sightings are common," Twilight said. "The injuries are consistent with feral dog or wolf attacks, even though there are no such animals in the area."

"That has to mean that Hellhounds are running around, doesn't it?" Rainbow asked. "And those dead ponies must've done some shitty things to earn being mauled by Hellhounds, right?"

Shuck stepped forward and Fluttershy stood beside him to translate what he was saying. "Our species are representatives of death, death as the final damnation of the condemned. We do not kill those who are undeserving. We can tell through scent."

Twilight then conjured up the Map and looked at it before looking back to Shuck.

"You said that someone's been able to dognap other Hounds. What would it take to do that?" Twilight asked.

"Weapons imbued with holy power can harm and control us. Though to do so, it would be horrific torture," Shuck replied.

A furious aura filled the air in the library all of a sudden. Fluttershy was looking more furious then a whole pack of Hellhounds with mange. Even Shuck and his companions were shocked.

"So... someone is not only forcing Hounds to fight, but they're also torturing them?" she asked with an eerie calm.

"Uh, yes. Which is why we need to find them and stop them," Twilight said.

"Not just stop them, kill them. Rip them apart!" Ripper howled.

"I will tear their souls apart and feed them to the Hellbeetles!" Killclaw yelled.

Each one of the Hellhounds' eyes, fangs, and internal flames were glowing with a ferocious intensity that literally heated up the room to the point where the ponies started sweating. Growling and snarling accompanied the rising temperature in the room. Rainbow Dash took the time to ask.

"How are we gonna find these guys and save the Hounds?" Rainbow asked

"That's where we come in," Shuck replied via Fluttershy's translation. "There's a large network of Hellhounds that roam the mortal world looking for lost souls or hunting those who have earned everlasting damnation. Some of them have been saying that some Hounds have been going missing."

"We could call them together and get them to help us with our hunt," Ripper added.

"And when we find these rapscallions, we'll make sure to rescue the captive Hounds," Rarity said.

"It's a plan then. We're going to find the other Hellhounds, free them, and destroy this entire operation," Twilight said. "We'll get started tonight."

(+)

With Blight - Underground Arena

Blight was pacing around in her cell in anticipation. Her thoughts were racing faster than any Hellhound could run. She was once again in a strange place thanks to the wretches who captured her and put her there. The scents of ponies and other Hellhounds were commonplace, but there was also the scents of blood and exposed flesh in the stale air. The barking and cries of her kin were constant. Of all the thoughts in her head, most of them were on her best friend Frightfang.

"Damn it, Fright. Where are you? Are you safe, or safer than me?" Blight asked the air before settling down on the floor. "I miss you. I'd give anything to see you again."

She's been there for a little over a day and she's barely eaten or slept. The raw meat in her bowl was quickly starting to rot and stink up her cell. Blight didn't know what these ponies had in store for her, but she would be sure to fight them for herself and for her captured brethren.

The door to her cell opened and she saw armed ponies with those blessed rope poles enter. Blight stood up and snarled at them.

"Come on now, girly. You got a show to put on," one of them said.

One of the armed ponies looped the rope around her neck and the other one closed the cell door and help his companion lead Blight down a hallway of cells filled with what had to be dozens of Hellhounds. All of them eyed her as she passed them by. Some looked at her with awe, others, with pity, and others with worry. Most of these Hellhounds had battle scars and other injuries. One old-looking Hellhound looked at her and said something as she was dragged away.

"Good luck, pup," he said.

The guards kept dragging her until they arrived at a set of large metal doors with a tall cage encasing them. One of the guards opened the door to the cage and they both shoved Blight inside. She tried to attack them but the door stopped closed before she could savor the taste of their blood. Both ponies laughed at the display and smirked under their masks.

"You're a vicious one, aren't ya? I know our audience is gonna love you," one said. "I feel sorry for whoever you go up against."

"What do they mean by that?" Blight mentally asked.

The doors opened behind her and Blight was met with a cacophony of cheers and shouts and bright light. Blight walked out into a ring of raised platforms filled with ponies of various kinds. The ring she was in was surrounded by a dome blessed chains that glowed with irritating holy light. Among the ponies in the audience was one that sat in a special box that Blight recognized: the one that Neighsay called "Lord Trotsky". He sat in his box and sipped some wine while smiling. Blight tried to jump and attack him but the holy chains burnt her jaws and paws to keep her back. Trotsky laughed snobbishly while a Pegasus flew above the audience to speak into a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlestallions! Thank you for coming to our special Hound Dome Arena for the most exotic gladiatorial entertainment you'll ever see!" the announcer said. "Only the most vicious and bloodthirsty Hellhounds can be made champion!"

Blight looked around at the audience. They all dressed like they rolling around in money like a hellhog rolling around in ooze puddles in the Underworld. Blight hated the way they all smiled and cheered at her like they were her betters.

"If these damn chains weren't in the way... ," Blight thought. The announcer continued.

"In this corner is a new Hound we got from our generous benefactor! You can tell she's a strong and ferocious one, folks!" he said. "Tonight, we'll be pitting her against another newbie that already has a few fight under her collar!"

The metal doors one the other side of the arena opened and another Hellhound rushed out. She wasn't as big as Blight. In fact, she actually looked a bit younger, practically still a pup. Her right ear was missing completely with only a gnarly scar in its place. The rest of her body was covered in scarred bites and scratches and the tip of her skinny tail was torn off. The poor girl shook when she saw Blight.

"I don't wanna fight anymore! I DON'T WANNA FIGHT ANYMORE!! IT HURTS TOO MUCH!!" the poor Hound shouted. Blight was in shock to see her fellow Hellhound so broken like this. This girl had to have just barely survived all her previous fights. Those injuries looked pretty gnarly even among their kind. Blight slowly approached the poor girl.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you, little pup," Blight said softly. "What's your name?"

The other Hound backed up against the metal doors and whimpered. She locked eyes with Blight as she forced a reply.

"I'm Snaggle," she replied. "My mother brought me here for my first hunt when some mean ponies got me. They forced me to fight other Hounds bigger and meaner than me! They hurt me and hurt me and HURT ME!!"

The announcer called down from above. "It looks like the newcomer is pretty scary to the rookie! This might end in a bloodbath!"

Blight sat right down and looked at the pup. She was not about to give these monsters the satisfaction.

"It's okay, Snaggle. I'm not gonna hurt you," Blight said. "I'm Blight. I just got here."

Snaggle actually seemed to relax. She moved closer to Blight and didn't smell any hostile intent coming from her. Blight could tell this poor Hound has been through some pretty horrible things while here. Blight leaned forward and gently nuzzled a shaking Snaggle. The crowd was starting to boo and jeer. The announcer looked to his boss Trotsky and the nasty Unicorn looked down at Blight and Snaggle.

"No, no, no. This won't do," he said before lighting up his horn. "Good thing Chancellor Neighsay taught me this little spell."

The collars Blight and Snaggle wore glowed gold with holy power and shocked them both. The pain was unbearable. Blight backed off from Snaggle and tried to pry the thing off. Lord Trotsky stopped shocking them both with a smirk and the crowd started cheering again.

"It doesn't matter. They hurt us if we don't hurt each other. Either way it's endless pain!" Snaggle said. "I'm so sorry, Blight!"

Snaggle lunged at Blight and tried to wrap her jaws around her throat. Blight dodged and backed away from Snaggle. She didn't want to hurt this tortured pup.

"I'm not going to fight you, Snaggle!" Blight cried.

"Then you can die! I can't get hurt again! I JUST CAN'T!!" Snaggle shouted. She ran towards Blight with a snarl.

Blight could tell that Snaggle wasn't going to back down. She would keep coming at her until she got her jaws on her. Blight then dodged to Snaggle's left side and rammed her in the side with her head. Snaggle flew to the side and struck the other wall. Blight wouldn't give her a chance to get up. She ran over to Snaggle and battered her with her paws and bit at her struggling legs. It didn't take long for Snaggle to stop moving and give up. The defeated Hound laid there still when Blight got off her. The crowd was cheering.

"Wow! Only her first fight and this Hound's proven herself a great fighter!" the announcer said. "Let's hear it for the new dog!"

The crowd cheered and passed money around. There were clearly a lot of bets before this started. Lord Trotsky was more than pleased to see this display, the smarmy prick. Blight looked back down at Snaggle and trotted over to her.

"You okay, Snaggle?" she asked. Snaggle began to whimper.

"This isn't fair. They'll hurt me again," Snaggle replied. "The monsters torture us, you know? If we lose, they torture us to make sure we win next time. I can't go through that again! I wanna see my mama! I just wanna go home!"

An ugly idea entered Blight's mind. A horrible and disgusting idea. Either through fighting or losing, this pup's been hurt because of these monstrous mortals. Blight couldn't stand to see this poor puppy in pain. So she decided to end it. Blight made sure to speak softly.

"What if I can make sure the monsters don't hurt you anymore?" Blight asked. "Would you like that?"

"I would. I can't go through the pain again," Snaggle said teary eyed.

"Then... you need to close your eyes and lay perfectly still," Blight told her.

Snaggle did as she was told while Blight craned her head upwards. She opened her mouth as widely as she could before quickly snapping her head downwards. Blight clamped her jaws onto Snaggle's neck and held on despite Snaggle's desperate attempts to get her off. Blight closed her teary eyes and shook until she felt Snaggle's neck snap. Now Snaggle was still and lifeless. The internal glow she had faded completely. Blight's sadness mixed with her rage.

Blight locked eyes with Lord Trotsky and her green internal flame turned a furious red. These beasts wouldn't get away with this if she had anything to do with it.

(+)

With Chancellor Neighsay

Neighsay walked down the halls of his special facility flanked by two armed guards and a Unicorn scientist. The scientist had a great big smile on his face.

"Thank you for coming, sir. I've been eager to tell you about our progress here on your special project," the scientist said.

"Of course I'd come for something as special as this, Dr. Flask. You know how important this for Equestria's safety," Neighsay said.

"Obviously, sir. Anyway, let's get to brass tacks," Dr. Flask said.

They went down to one of the rooms where they performed the majority of their experiments. Other scientists were there in the room to greet them. The room was filled with dummies and tables aside from the scientists. One table held a standing collared Hellhound with a trancelike look in his eyes. Neighsay was nodding.

"I am quite impressed, doctor. This beast isn't snarling and thrashing like they usually do," Neighsay said looking over the entranced Hound. "And he's not even leashed."

"We've made a breakthrough with our tests a few days ago. Until now, we've tried conventional dog training techniques on these Hellhounds and they all failed. They're simply too strong-willed," Dr. Flask said. "But through various experiments, we've managed to find a way to control them."

Dr. Flask pulled out a whistle with a black dog's pawprint printed on it and showed it to Neighsay. The doctor smiled widely with pride as he showed it off.

"This is what gives us control over them," Dr. Flask said. "It looks like an ordinary dog whistle on the outside, but this is specially enchanted to work on Hellhounds. Allow me to demonstrate."

The doctor put the whistle in his mouth and blew it. Neighsay couldn't hear anything, but the Hound's ears twitched and his eyes turned from red to a shade of purple. Flask then spoke sternly.

"Sit!" he ordered. The Hellhound sat down on the table without hesitation.

"I must say that this is a good breakthrough, doctor," Neighsay said.

"Let me finish this demonstration, sir. We can even manage their aggression with this whistle," Flask said before turning back to the Hellhound. "Turn around!"

The Hellhound turned around and faced a griffon-shaped dummy held up by a stick. Flask blew the whistle again.

"Attack, boy!" Flask ordered.

There was no hesitation from the Hound as he lunged at the dummy and ripped it apart with the savagery of a dog with rabies. Neighsay grinned at the results.

"Doctor, you and your colleagues are going to go down in history as Equestrian heroes! These whistles will help keep our nation truly safe!" Neighsay said. "No one would dare attempt to hurt us again with our arsenal. I need you to make a lot more of these whistles, Dr. Flask."

"You got it, sir!" Flask said with a smile.

Neighsay left the room. This breakthrough was just what he needed. His plans would finally come into fruition. Equestria will finally have the safety and security it needs. And all he had to do was sacrifice an idealistic princess to do it.