Author's Note

With Friday's upload comes the continuation from Monday's cliffhanger as the first episode.

Season 3: Episode 19 - Hunted Part 2

Previously, an assassin had attempted to take Scootaloo's life; Apple Bloom fought off this assassin but got hurt in the process. In an outrage, Shadow Skull blamed Scootaloo for Apple Bloom's injuries, believing it was her fault word got out about a certain thing Scootaloo did. Now, the story continues...

"How dare you?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Look, I know Scootaloo has been taking after Rainbow Dash, but I highly doubt she'd let the thing she did slip all willy nilly."

"So, defending her are you?" Shadow Skull said. "Do you want to be next then?"

"Next? Next for what?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Next to be sent to the hospital. Because that's where you'll end up." Shadow Skull said.

"You don't know that." Sweetie Belle said. "And how can you say such a thing to begin with?"

"Because I can't think of a single other person who would've let something this big slip." Shadow Skull said.

"I didn't let it slip; but clearly you don't want to believe that." Scootaloo said. "I'm just going to go home; it's been a long day. Let's discuss this tomorrow." She then started to leave.

"Wait up Scootaloo..." Rumble said, going after Scootaloo.

"Fool; she won't last more than five minutes out of the safety of this hospital..." Shadow Skull said.

Scootaloo exited the hospital and Rumble was right behind her. "You don't have to follow me, you know." The filly stated.

"Maybe I don't; but I at least want to make sure you get home safe." Rumble said.

"Thanks for that, I guess." Scootaloo said. I wonder if I should consider him my special some pony... She thought to herself.

That's when all of a sudden, over a thousand assissins came out of nowhere. "...Oh come on; this is just overkill!" Rumble snapped. "When I find the one who leaked that info, I'm going to beat them up like they've never been beat up before!"

Scootaloo suddenly felt her heart flutter a little bit at that announcement. ...Perhaps Rumble wouldn't be so bad to hang out with more often... She thought to herself. And then gulped. Provided I survive this...

As one of the assassins began to make their way forward, suddenly from out of the sky, came some kind of Pegasus in a mech suit. "What the--whose this bozzo?!" The assassin exclaimed. The mech suited Pegasus suddenly stared right at the assassin who spoke. "Listen buster, your outmatched. Get out of here be--" The assassin didn't even get to finish before suddenly the mech suited Pegasus lunged forward.

Surprising the assassins gathered, this one Pegasus was very skilled with a blade, and was not missing a single beat. The assassin who had stepped forward was already on the backfoot before they could have even breathed. Before long, the Pegasus in the mech suit suddenly caused both their blades to go up high into the air. "Now that wasn't very--" The initial assassin was saying before the mech Pegasus suddenly took out a bamboo sword and then, suddenly went so fast, it was blinding. They were soon standing back in front of the initial assassin and as they sheathed the Bamboo Sword, in an instant, all the other assassins suddenly were knocked unconcious.

This made the initial assassin suddenly gulp. "Wh-who are you?!" He exclaimed, fearing for his life.

"Call me Shade." The mech suited Pegasus simply said before they grabbed the remaining Assassin; flew them up, and barely dodged the falling swords; this last point was deliberate, Scootaloo could just tell from looking.

Wh-what in the name queen Faust? Who is this guy?! Or girl...I can't tell. Scootaloo thought to herself as the one who called themself Shade landed on the ground with the assassin down on the dirt. That's when a bunch of officers and royal guards appeared as if right on cue.

"They are all yours..." Shade said, motioning to the assassins.

"This is...an interesting mech suit, if I do say so myself." Shadow Skull said.

"That...was such a display. You all should've seen it!" Rumble said.

"There will be more coming." Shade said. "But I plan on making sure Scootaloo is unharmed through the whole thing. That's why I'm here."

"What are you, my gaurdian angel?" Scootaloo asked.

"You have no idea..." Shade mumbled. "If that makes it easier for you to sleep at night, then I suppose I am the closest thing to a guardian angel."

"When I find the one who leaked the info in regards to what Scootaloo did, I'll mess their face up." Rumble said.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't already figured it out. After all, there's only one being; a hamster to be exact; who could benefit from doing that." Shade said.

"If you're talking about Spat, I would've been able to tell if he was there. I was even able to do so while I was disguised as Snoozer. So you have to be lying." Shadow Skull said.

Suddenly, a little light bulb went off in Twilight's head. "Shadow Skull, when Spat appeared at the wedding, could you actually sense him then?" The purple unicorn asked.

Shadow Skull suddenly looked concerned. "...Now that you mention it...for some reason, though I knew he was there because Hamtaro spoke up, I couldn't sense him or know he was even there until Hamtaro said something..." The black hamster said.

"...Could it be then...that his presence is being masked by the Windigos?" Twilight asked.

"...Admittedly, I hadn't considered that possibility before you asked it; but yes, given the circumstances..." Shadow Skull said. "Wait, you mean he pulled a hamster trick on me thanks to those Windigos?!" He suddenly exclaimed. "He was there; in the clubhouse; evesdropping on us when you explained the whole thing to me."

"Gah, as if Spat wasn't already a nuisance before; now we'll never be able to know where he is at any point. Because if Shadow Skull can't sense him; then Harmony can't either." Hamtaro realized.

"I'm...afraid that's an accurate statement..." Harmony said. "I really should've said that I haven't been able to sense Spat at all sooner."

"Gah; why didn't you tell me?! Oh this is bad. This is very bad..." Shadow Skull said.

The hamsters and ponies could agree on one thing: They really have not seen the last of Spat.