It had been a strange couple of hours for Gehrman. He had not expected that word of his arrival had spread so quickly. Pinkie Pie had taken a liking into him, telling him she’d be throwing him a big ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party once she had made the proper arrangements—which wouldn’t take too long, according to her.
Gehrman was surprised at first, not knowing what to think of such an act of hospitality. A party, and it wasn’t even for a special event. Arriving in a town isn’t such a special or uncommon thing… well, he was the only human in Equestria, so that probably made his arrival something special.
Twilight had told him he could sleep in her bed; if he wanted to. Gehrman respectfully declined her generous offer, telling her that he’d rather fall asleep on a chair; than to take the bed of someone else. Even if it was with her permission. Besides, Gehrman had grown accustomed to sleeping in a chair. He really missed his wheelchair. It was something he made all by himself, along with the Doll and many other things. His Burial Blade was a fine example of his skills. The finest trick weapon ever to be made, as he once told a hunter who had recently entered the dream.
But soon the fun had come to an end. The five mares who had visited the library left, saying their farewells to Gehrman. He had no idea why everyone was acting so polite to him. Back in Yharnam, a simple ‘hello’ or ‘good evening’ would have been enough. But here everything just seemed a bit too friendly. Perhaps to with the Magic of Friendship, or the Elements of Harmony; which Twilight had told him about.
Six elements for six chosen ponies. What power they must hold within them. But even so, the Magic of Friendship could never outmatch a Great One, or a fully transformed beast. Only a hunter could accomplish that, by cutting them to pieces and bathing in their blood. Friendship is a powerful thing, but a weapon will hurt a bit more, than friendship.
It was now late at night, and Twilight was about to head for bed, along with Spike.
“Are you sure you’re alright, sleeping in a chair?” Twilight asked for the second time.
“Yes,” Gehrman replied, taking off his top hat and letting his shoulder length white hair roam freely. “I am used to it. Please go to bed.”
“You’re not my dad.” Twilight joked.
“But I am your elder, am I not?” Gehrman retorted, grinning slightly.
“Well… judging by how wise your words are, the way you talk, and the way your voice sounds. I’d say you are indeed my elder,” Twilight replied, showing him her grin. “But still, not my dad.”
“Goodnight, Twilight.” Gehrman smiled.
Twilight smiled back at him. Walking upstairs with Spike soon following her, she reached her bedroom door and entered her room. Gehrman could hear the door close. Sighing to himself as he took a seat on a nearby chair, Gehrman placed his top hat on the table. Folding his hands, he looked at his top hat.
“I used to wear this dusty old thing for ceremonies,” he whispered to himself. “Now it’s just a reminder of my greed. Greed that destroyed Yharnam, and perhaps, the world.”
Free from the dream, the First Hunter still worried about the future of Yharnam. The future of mankind. What would become of Yharnam, should the plague be haltered? Would everything go back the way it should? Or would the Yharnam become a distant memory of a long, forgotten land? The Healing Church—or rather its surviving members would probably leave Yharnam, if they had the chance. The Great Ones would still watch over humanity, and answer the calls of one foolish enough to make contact with them.
The time he spent in the dream made him realize a few things. Humanity wasn’t as pure as it thought it was. Greed will ultimately consume one human being. That greed will spread. It’s like a number it begins with zero. Zero will eventually become one. One will become ten. And ten will eventually become one hundred. In the past, the hunters of old tried taking it back to zero… but zero would eventually become one again. So their goal, the goal of all hunters who wanted to cleans the world of the plague of beats, was to erase zero.
But things didn’t turn out the way they should. Master Willem made contact with a Great One. the School of Mensis made contact with a Great One. and even the once proud First Hunter made contact with a Great One. all of them had different goals and ideals, but in the end they were all the same. Fools. Idiots. Greedy bastards. Wanting to accomplish their own goals, stating that it’s ‘for the human race’. The Great Ones might be sympathetic in spirit, but they too had their own goals.
The Moon Presence was a prime example of that. Gehrman could not remember what happened afterwards, when the Moon Presence answered his call for help. But if he could, he’d probably want to forget all about it, soon after. Gehrman might have been a proud hunter and a skilled warrior, but he too grew old. The Healing Church should have never given up on his Hunter’s Workshop. He had the finest materials! He created the finest weapons! He… would have become the hero that Yharnam needed. But that position was taken from him by the Healing Church workshop, and their chief hunter: Ludwig.
That damned Ludwig. He told Gehrman that he would always look up at him, since he was the reason he became a church hunter. Perhaps his memory was blurred by the moon, or it was just a sign of amnesia, but Gehrman remembered that Ludwig gave him a badge, as a token of appreciation. Gehrman did not know what happened to the badge however. He probably dropped it somewhere.
But still, was Ludwig really that bad of a man? Sure he had taken Gehrman’s position as a hunter, and he was the reason Gehrman’s workshop was put out of service. But weren’t all hunters aiming for the same goal? To cleanse the streets of Yharnam, making sure the people are safe.
A hunter is a hunter, no matter what kind of rank or status. A rank isn’t going to protect you from a beast, nor will it mean anything when you are facing the hunt. A rank is nothing more than a title.
Gehrman closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. He was a disgrace to every hunter out there. He was a disgrace for letting his family die. If anyone should have woken up here, in Equestria, it should have been the hunter who set him free from the dream. At least that hunter did the right thing. At least he fought and pressed on. At least he didn’t let his own self-pity overcome him.
“Hello, Gehrman?”
Gehrman slowly opened his eyes. Peeking his eyes and trying to get a better look through the darkness—which wasn’t really that hard.
“Spike, is that you?” Gehrman asked.
Spike nodded his head, using his fire breath to lit a candle he was holding in his right claw, he walked towards Gehrman.
“Sorry if I startled you,” Spike apologized, taking a seat beside Gehrman and turning to face him directly.
“Are you having trouble sleeping?” Gehrman asked.
Spike nodded. “I have something that has been bugging me for a little while,” Spike admitted shamefully. “I didn’t really feel like talking to somepony about it, because I knew I was going to get the same answers from them. But I figured, since you’re not a pony, I could talk to you about it.”
Gehrman raised an eyebrow at him. “Why would you want to talk about your problems, with me? I am a stranger to you. We barely know each other.” He replied in confusion.
“Well,” Spike said. “When Twilight went to bed, she kept telling me how wise some of your words were, and that you were probably very smart and knew a lot of things. So I just thought… that I could talk to you about something. Since you're so wise.” Spike trailed of.
“Tell me what’s troubling you, child.” Gehrman said, a sincere smile appearing on his face.
“I feel like I’m useless.”
Gehrman blinked in confusion.
“It’s just that,” Spike said, rubbing his head furiously. “Twilight and the others go on these crazy adventures, and take me with them. They all have their own unique abilities and powers. Pinkie is always cheerful. Twilight is super smart. Applejack is always honest and can get out of the most difficult of situations. Rainbow Dash I don’t even have to explain, she is what she says she is. And Fluttershy is—well she’s good with animals and everypony likes her because she’s so nice to everypony.”
Looking down at his claws, Spike felt his eyes watering up. “And what do I have? I don’t have any special powers. I can’t use magic. I don’t have an Element of Harmony. I have nothing. Nothing at all.”
Gehrman continued to stare at the baby dragon in front of him. What was he supposed to say? What could he say? He had no idea what kind of crazy adventures he and Twilight went on. So he decided to just listen until he came up with something good to say.
“It’s not like I don’t appreciate them taking me with them on all their adventures. I love it, actually,” Spike said as he sniffed up some snot that was dropping out of his nose. “But it’s the fact that I’m just an assistant. The only thing I really do all day is help Twilight organize books and send the occasional friendship report to Princess Celestia. It just feels like I’m being left out. I want to do something, I want to be someone.”
“You remind me of a hunter,” Gehrman spoke up in a rather soothing, but wise tone. “He failed to defeat even the smallest of beasts, because he was scared. He thought he’d never be able to press on,” Gehrman smiled as the memory passed by. “He too thought he was nothing, that he was worthless. But you know what he did?”
Spike shook his head.
“He didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care if he would live or die against the beasts. If he was going out, then by the good blood would he go out with a bang! He pressed on and he eventually killed his first beasts. Then came the second one, then the third, and eventually he accomplished the impossible.” Gehrman said, looking down at Spike. “What I am trying to tell you is that no matter how you feel, or how you feel about others and their greater accomplishments. Know that you are special in your own way. Everyone has their purpose. From what Twilight has told me is that they went to search for the Elements of Harmony. Had you gone with them that day, then maybe you would have been given an Element of Harmony.”
“I’ll never know,” Spike sighed.
“You are special in your own way, Spike. People might think you’re nothing, or you might think you’re nothing. But there is one thing, one thing that every person has inside him, that cannot be bested by any magic.”
“And what would that be?” Spike asked.
“Your heart.”
“My heart?”
“Yes,” Gehrman replied, smiling at him. “Your heart is the most powerful thing. Not only because it keeps your body running, but also because if you put your heart into something, along with your very soul, you can accomplish anything. No magic or stupid element would be able to defeat you. Not even the most powerful of beasts.” Gehrman looked up at the ceiling of the library. “Not even a Great One.”
“Really?” Spike asked, wiping his eyes.
“Yes,” Gehrman replied, smiling at the baby dragon. “With your entire life in front of you, you can accomplish anything, as long as you put--.”
“Your heart in it,” Spike finished. He looked up at Gehrman and smiled brightly. “I-I think I get it,” he said, fiddling with his claws. “Sorry for waking you up.”
“I wasn’t asleep,” Gehrman chuckled, poking Spike’s belly. “Now go to bed, it’s too late for you to be up.”
“Thanks Twilight!” Spike said, getting off the chair and running upstairs.
“Twilight?” Gehrman repeated, scratching his cheek in confusion. “But my name is Gehrman.”
Shaking his head, Gehrman leaned back into his chair. Did he feel sleepy? No. Did he need it? Yes. Was he going to sleep? Only time can tell.
“Hmm,” A dark blue Alicorn said to herself as she watched Gehrman blow a lock of hair out of his face. “Wise and caring. You would make a fine leader, Gehrman.”
And with that, Princess Luna continued her nightly routine through Ponyville. Making sure everypony had pleasant dreams.