//------------------------------// // The Hunter's Game // Story: The Legend of the God-Hunter // by BobThePlaneswalker //------------------------------// Luna stepped into the pillar of light emanating from the wondrously decorated pedestal. Celestia supported herself with a wing draped over Luna's shoulders. The marble platform around them faded away, replaced by its crudely-shapen counterpart. They found themselves surrounded by a small army. Half of the soldiers were wearing the armor of Moon's guard, the other half, Celestia's. They were all bound and scattered amongst one another forming not a battle scene, but an audience. A sharp drawn out laugh arose from the side of the audience followed by an equally drawn out clapping of hooves. Luna turned to find Reikavra laying at the edge of the crowd with his tail wrapped around his body. “Very well, Umarak,” he said. “You actually had me doubting you for a bit there.” “You,” Luna growled. Celestia's head rose to face him. “I thought it would be you,” she rasped. Rei cocked a brow. “You thought that I would be what, Kilia?” “The one they would call next to carry out my sentence.” Rei stared at her in confusion as he processed her words. He glanced at the platform for a moment and gave her a flat stare. He pointed a hoof to the console. “Them... You think I'm with them?” He laughed and disappeared in a burst of crimson flames. He re-appeared at the forefront of the audience where Cadence and Armor sat. He wrapped his hooves around them and pulled them against his shoulders. “I'd sooner be the third wheel with these two than abide by the whims of them!” He released them and vaulted to the foot of the platform. “Running errands, for them,” he mused with a shake of the head. “No Kilia, I'm here” — he pointed a hoof at them — “because of you two.” Luna growled. “You so much as touch her and I'll-” Rei flashed before her and drove his horn into hers. “You'll what Umarak?!” Luna barred her teeth and pushed against him but her hooves slipped across the platform and she slid out from under Celestia's wing. With the sudden lack of support Celestia stumbled to her knees. “Stop!” she shouted. Rei glared into Luna's eyes, his own giving off small streams of black smog. “If you really think those little elements of yours are going to put me away then the two of you can go right ahead and let'em loose; but Big Sister, she ain't looking so hot and you, little filly, were still struggling to make your first words while I was taking down gods twice the age you are now; so I can tell you that, one way or another, you are going to sit, and you are going to listen. The only thing that you will change is your capability to do much more than that.” Celestia struggled back to her feet and came to her side. She draped a wing over Luna's shoulder and glared at Rei. “Stop. We'll listen. Just back off.” Rei glanced at Celestia for a moment and withdrew his horn. He turned away, stealing just a few more moments to glare at Luna. As he walked back he glanced back to Celestia and smirked. “What's the matter Kilia? Did little sister beat you up?” Luna's heart pounded her chest as it furiously pumped blood through her trembling body. The hair all along her back tingled. She wanted so much to just be stoic. She wasn't afraid of him! Why couldn't her body understand that? Celestia snuck her a comforting smile and laid a hoof on her shoulder. She turned a glare back to Rei who was now pacing the platform. “Little sister, despite your best efforts, is standing here, liberated by her own devices and stronger than ever.” Rei cackled. “You think I underestimated the two of you? That I didn't believe you were stronger than some little parasite from the dreamscape?” He halted and slammed his hoof into the ground. “I gave up my ticket to Elysium because I believed in you two!” He took a moment to glare at her before he scoffed and resumed pacing. “I laid low every Titan, every Immortal, every single thing that could obstruct the two of you from shaping this world. And what did you two do? You, —” he thrust a hoof at Luna, “— you threw a divine tantrum because because the mortals didn't shower you with praise for your little art projects! And you, —” he pointed to Celestia “— you stuffed her away to rot for a thousand years so you could go right on pretending that life is perfect!” He exhaled and did a lap across the platform “That you're perfect.” Celestia didn't so much as flinch, she just followed him with her eyes. “I've made some mistakes Rei, I-” Luna shot her a look. “...We've,” she corrected. “We've made some mistakes. We get it. But what is wrong with this world?” “It's soft,” Rei replied. He warped to one of her royal guards and hoisted him into the air with his aura. “They're soft.” He prodded a hoof into the guards belly. “As soft on the inside as they are on the outside as a matter of fact.” “What,” Celestia asked, “That they mustn't fear for their lives day in and day out, that is a bad thing?” “It wouldn't be, were that the reality of the world. But that is not the reality is it? It's a reality drowning in layers of sugary coating, spread by you and, regrettably, provided by me.” Luna scoffed and burst into a hearty laugh. “Oh Dragonface,” she exclaimed, “I didn't remember you being so overdramatic!” “Uh?” Rei uttered. “Gonna need you to elaborate there Umarak.” “Oh come on!” Luna remarked. “Drowning in layers of sugary coating? Drowning?! I admit, we have shielded the world from some of reality's harshness but you're blatantly overplaying it. Reality is not THAT cruel. You're being a drama queen.” Rei chuckled and nodded. “Just the naivety I would expect to spill from your lips Umarak. The two of you have managed to tame this realm's little cut of reality into something much brighter than it once was, you are not wrong about that. However, —” he plopped the guard back onto his rump and walked out of the audience “— while you two were busy squabbling and playing house with the mortals, I managed to transcend our realm. If you two saw even a fraction of the things that I've seen your brains would ooze from your pampered little ears.” He emerged from the audience and looked across the ceiling of the cavern. He activated his horn and tore down an insectoid mess of legs and pinchers which furiously thrashed at the sudden relocation. “These,” he remarked, “These blood thirsty little wretches, delivered to our realm by dear ol' Yire; they're foal's play.” He tossed the creature into the exit of the cavern and it skittered into the darkness. “Filly, I've seen war machines more numerous than Equestria's blades of grass. I've seen creatures content to munch on the flesh of their fellow inhabitants, pretending to be ignorant of the cost while deep down in the pit of their soul they know that in life, the best their dinner could hope for was death.” Rei looked at Luna with a far more somber expression. “Truth is Umarak, that the two of you have shaped this world into a living feast, blissfully ignorant of the looming threat of consumption.” Celestia stepped towards Rei. “This world is not so defenseless as you think Reikavra. In all this love there is a strength far greater than any magic or weapon. Give me time to heal. I can show it to you.” “Calm your nerves Kilia,” Rei said. “I have no plans to revoke your immortality today.” He motioned a hoof to the ceiling. A cloud of smog spread across it. Its center gave way to a spiraling tunnel which bathed the room in crimson light. From it circled down a trail of skulls, as numerous in number as they were in shape and size. “These days,” he said, “there is little room to expand my collection. In fact, there may very well be only three spots left to fill.” — He pointed to Celestia and Luna. — “One for each of you,” — he pointed to himself — “and one for me. If, in fact, the two of you are the last challenge my life has to offer, then I'd be dense to dilute it by challenging you at anything less than full strength.” Luna scowled. “You actually enjoy the act of ruthless murder?!” “Well that's just it, isn't it Umarak?” he replied. “We can only ever truly be good at the things we enjoy. If truly, 'the hunt', suffices as ruthless murder in this world than I do very much enjoy it. However there IS more to my intent to give the two of you time than that. I've lived long enough to know that my perception is far from infallible. Either I am blind or you two are delusional because I just do not see this strength that you speak of but that is not reason enough to deny you a chance to prove it to me. If this strength does exist, then the path you two would lead this world on is superior to the one I would have them walk.” He turned to Celestia and smiled. “So that's the game girls. Last one we're ever going to play.” He rose onto his hind legs and leaned backwards. The Elements of Ambition materialized from his chest and hovered above him. He dropped back onto his hooves, pointed a hoof at his elements, and smiled. “My raw, burning ambition to pursue freedom no matter how bloody the road ahead, against your unwavering resolve to pursue harmony, no matter the self-sacrifice.” He whisked the elements back into his chest. “Now, in terms of a date. There is a phenomenon, the smell of the hunt I believe it's called, that is at play here. My predatory sense has tasted prey and that taste will, I am afraid, linger. Every day it lingers will make me a little bit more... well you know.” He mimicked the motion of a ticking clock around the side of his head. “Cuckoo, I believe is the popular phrase these days. I want very much for you to be at full strength before we begin but the greater my insanity the more likely I am to disregard collateral damage during our battle. There IS a balance that must be struck. So, with the stakes understood, how long do you need to heal Kilia?” Celestia thought for a moment. “Give me a week.” Luna glanced at her, then back to Rei. “Give her two.” Rei smiled. “One week to heal from those wounds AND retake your empowered form? —” he chuckled “— You are selfless Kilia, foolishly so. Fortunate it is that you've got little sister here to bless your decisions with sensibility.” Rei looked to Luna. “When you feel that sister is ready, beckon me and we shall begin the game. If, at the end of one full phase of your moon, I have not heard from you, there will be no game. I will hunt the two of you down like I did our worthless peers who sought to take Gaea for themselves. Understood?” Luna nodded. Rei looked to Celestia. “It is silly that it should even need to be stated, but this game is for us, not for your poor little bearers. I will not take kindly to them arriving in your stead.” Celestia scoffed. “I would never.” Rei arched a brow. “Wouldn't you?” She glared at him. “We'll be there Rei.” He nodded. “Alright. With all that being said, I bid you farewell.” His horn sparked and enveloped his body in his crimson aura. “Good luck girls. I'm rooting for you. Truly.” His aura hummed, growing brighter until it erupted with a howl and left only a few disturbed particles of dust to float in its wake. Luna and Celestia stared at the spot he had vacated. “Well...” Celestia remarked. She looked to Luna and smiled. “Looks like we've got a busy couple of weeks ahead of us.”