The Carnival of the Damned

High above the grounds of the Carnival, Ryn soared through the shadows of the clouds to search the area below. The crowds inside the fairgrounds were thick with ponies of different sizes and colors. He circled the sky directly above them, returning time and time again to allow his eyes to comb over the faces and various attractions. Multitudes of lights and colors, sights and sounds, but still no sign of the unicorn. With a huff of frustration, the pegasus flapped his wings to gain more height. It was here that a wild howling arrested his attention and he turned his eyes to a nearby grouping of trees just beyond the back reaches of the carnival. An inky black shadow sped through the darkened landscape, clearly pursuing something just ahead of it.

"Wait a second..." A low hanging cloud obscured his view, and he circled once more to clear his field of vision. Sure enough, it was as he had feared. "R-Rose!" The large beast bore down, gaining ground quickly as it chased the frail mare into the thick line of trees. Wasting no time, Ryn shut his wings tight against his body to begin a full speed descent in the creature's direction. The ground came up quickly and he spread his wings to glide, barely grazing the tops of the trees as he continued to pursue.

"Hold on just a little longer, Rose... I'll be there soon."

....

At the sound of a wild cry from one of the beasts of the Emporium, Ancient Blood sped onward with his guards. The gates of the enclosure were open, darkness lurking just beyond the iron doors as Luferius stepped out from their shadows. He paused at the gate's opening, the prints upon the earth directing the Lord's gaze to the woods just beyond the attraction as the captain stepped forward in salute.

"No sign of anyone inside, my Lord. Only a few roses upon the earth, and an empty cage."

"Roses..." Blood addressed his guards, sniffing the air as he did so.

"Search the remainder of the grounds and place the circus troupe under arrest. If you meet with any interference, end them with all haste." His orders stated, a scarlet glow began to envelop the stallion's form. He melted into the darkness, dissipating to the shadows to travel more swiftly through the night. Luferius watched the other's departure, turning to the guards who still idled in uncertainty.

"You heard him!" He barked. "That was an order, now get to work!" Immediately the guards scurried to fulfill their duties, Luferius once more entering within the darkened emporium. He returned to the small flowers scattered and growing upon the ground, nudging a few with a hoof as his mind turned.

"Roses..." He echoed his Lord's words, remembering what had been confided to him when he had first been called to the Lord's chamber.

'"Captain, something is not right in the land of Celestia's sun. What has happened, I cannot be positive...Rose, a pony of utmost importance to my kingdom... there is something wrong." The unicorn frowned as he remembered Ryn's mentioning of the mare within the dungeon as well. The Lord's expression had changed rapidly at the mere mention of the name, a most unusual response in the eyes of the captain.

"Roses and blood, then. I wonder what sort of role this mortal mare plays here." He lowered his head to sniff the flowers, cringing at the strong scent of blood. After a few more moments of pondering, the captain shook his head and stepped out to begin a search for the gypsy ringleader.

...

The savage howling of an unknown creature only spurred Rose on as she hastily sped beyond the gates of the Creature Emporium. It was great fortune that the whole of the enclosure was situated at the far edge of the carnival grounds, a wide forest spreading just beyond it. The mare sped on, encouraged by the sight of the sheltering trees. She hoped beyond hope that this meant that the land might possibly be connected with that of the Everfree Forest, with home and safety that much closer. Rose broke through the treeline just as another fierce howl rang out close behind her. She didn't dare turn to see what had given chase, yet the overpowering scent of sulfur carried through the air to sting her nostrils and give her some indication of what may be the source. Very few creatures carried with them such a distinct and strong odor, and her mind raced as fast as her legs to run through a list of possibilities. 'Sulfur...fire and brimstone... The Underworld! The inhabitants of Hades...' Her train of thought was broken by a warm breath bearing down upon her throat. The unicorn sped up, veering quickly to the left as the unknown entity crashed down inches from her to let out a snarl of indignation. Her heart raced, legs buckling as she willed them even further, pushing her energies to their very brink. The cut on her cheek continued to sting, blood flowing down in a small trickle.

'Think, Rose...think! Preta, Ammit, dragons...no, dragons don't howl.... wolf...canine!  Cerberus, Garm...'

The black silhouette bore down, landing in front of the mare with enough force to shake the earth below her hooves. She stumbled, scrambling to back away as a massive set of claws bore down, swiping at the air before her.

"H...Hellhound!"

The pitch black fur failed to gleam even in the light of the full moon as the beast loomed tall and menacing before her. The glowing red eyes centered on her as the lips upon the muzzle of the hound pulled back to reveal rows of teeth; daggers in their own right. The throat let loose a deep rumble as she vaguely remembered a past excerpt from an old book on the subject of such creatures. She froze in the gaze of the vicious predator, a cold chill sweeping across her as the words echoed in the depths of her mind.

'Three sightings of a hellhound by a single individual will lead to an abrupt and untimely demise.'

The beast roared triumphant in it's capture, lifting it's paws high up to plunge down in a final crushing blow. Rose cringed, unable to even watch. Her legs were frozen, all but collapsing in her fright. Her energy was well spent. She could barely catch her breath at this point as her heart continued to race in her chest, near bursting with the rapidness of it's beating. She closed her eyes in preparation.

'T-This is it then...the Hanged Mare...sacrifice...letting go...surrender...'

....

"ROSE!" Two voices from opposite sides of the mare rang out at once, the scene before her slowing down in it's final moments. To the right, Ryn Kuromaru raced forward. His wings spread wide as he held his hooves out, ready to scoop the mare up to the safety of the sky and far out of the hellhound's reach. To the left was Ancient Blood, leaping out from the shadows of the overhanging trees to angle himself between the hound and his prey. Wisps of darkness trailed behind him in a cover of security as he held a hoof out to the mare.

Both stallions raced, one against the other and both against the massive beast as the claws continued to travel down, all three angled in their simultaneous efforts as momentum progressed. Only one question remained: Who would prove the quickest?

....

A dark hoof set the quill to the side, allowing the ink to dry on this particular section of text. A smirk adorned the shadowed face as the pages shut, a solitary blank parchment coming to light as more text was written.

"Now to address the readers..."

'Salutations to you all. I trust you have been following along thus far in my little story. After all, you have come this far, have you not? Therefore, this shall be left to you. You may not recognize me, so first an introduction.

I am Fayt. The writer of destinies, he who pens the past, present and future of all. I do hope you are enjoying this tale in particular. It is one of my greatest masterpieces. Still, I believe a small change needs to be made.  Fate must have a say so in all things, yet I grow weary of making all the decisions. Therefore, why not leave destiny up to you? The cards have been dealt, and two paths diverge from this encounter. Who will reach Rose first? I shall leave it to you. Will the pegasus Ryn prevail? Shall he pull the mare away from the jaws of death and the hooves of Ancient Blood? Or shall the Lord be victorious in his rescue, leaving Kuromaru to deal with the hellhound on his own? I warn you again that either choice will change the story drastically at this point, and decide the grounds for the final confrontation. Choose wisely, dear readers... choose wisely.

~ Fayt