//------------------------------// // Act I: Pick my Poison // Story: Human Nature // by Blank Page //------------------------------// I let out a surprised yelp as the projectile and I fell into the pit.  It was definitely a pony, a unicorn to be exact.  Its face seemed to be frozen in delight.  The bottom was coming up fast, and I had no time to maneuver myself.  I braced myself as best as I could, screwing my eyes shut. My back took the brunt of the impact.  It wouldn't have been nearly as bad if it wasn't for the added weight of the unicorn.  The sudden stop caused our heads to collide, sending me into a daze.  The wind was knocked out of me, and I found myself forcedly trying to breathe in air. I cracked my eye open.  A white and teal canvas covered my blurred vision.  The unicorn lifted her head up and looked at me with unfocused, golden eyes.  She had a mint green coat, and her mane was mostly a bright teal color, save for a streak of white running across the side of it.  After staring at me for a few seconds, she shrieked and scurried off of me, pummeling my torso with her hooves in the process.  I propped myself to a sitting position and watched as she tried desperately to scramble up the walls and cried out for help. "Did y'all hear that?" a young voice asked from above. "It sounds like it came from our trap!" an excited voice replied. The unicorn's ears perked up.  "Help!" she cried out.  "Down here!  Please, help me!" Three fillies poked their heads over the edge of the pit.  "I don't believe it.  Our trap worked!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "Ah, does this mean we gathered all those leaves for nothing?" a disappointed Scootaloo asked. Applebloom's eyes lit up with excitement.  "Do ya reckon this means we got our cutie marks?"  The fillies' heads disappeared for a moment, and an audible groan was made.  The trio returned over the edge, looking a little let down. "Hey!  Are you going to help me or what?" the unicorn demanded. "Lyra?  What’re you doing down there?" Applebloom asked.  "This trap was made for the monster." "I don't care!" the unicorn exclaimed, nervously trotting in place.  "Just get me out of here!" Sweetie Belle let out a nervous chuckle.  "Well, funny thing about that.  You see, we didn't really think we were going to catch a pony, so we sorta kinda didn't really make a way out."  Lyra's jaw nearly hit the ground. "But don't you worry.  We're gonna get some help," Applebloom smiled nervously. Scootaloo piped up.  "Yeah, in the meantime, you can, uh —"  She disappeared for a second.  I heard some wood snap somewhere, and Scootaloo returned with a branch in her mouth.  “Yoosh thish,” she said, muffled by the branch.  She tossed it into the pit between us. Lyra looked dumbfounded at the limb.  “A stick?  You expect me to protect myself from a monster with a stick?!” “Don’t you worry” Applebloom quickly said.  “We’re gonna find somepony to help.  Come on, girls.”  The three fillies scampered off to who-knows-where, leaving me and Lyra to ourselves.  Lyra tried to call them back, but it didn’t seem as if they heard her. She took in a deep breath as if to calm herself, and a golden aura encompassed the branch as it flew over to her.  Lyra turned to me, putting on a brave face, but the look in her eyes and the quaver of her voice betrayed her fear. “Alright, you,” she snarled, attempting to intimidate me.  “You’re just gonna stay over there until my friends arrive, got it?”  I rolled my eyes and started getting up.  Lyra began shaking and put the broken limb between us.  “I-I’m warning you.  I have a stick, and I’m not afraid to use it.”  Her eyes shrank to a pinpoint as I reached my full height, and the branch swooped over and started beating me over the head. “Hey!  What gives?” I demanded, shielding myself with my arms.  The bombardment of thin wood and leaves wasn’t hurting me in any way, but it was an annoyance nonetheless, and Lyra didn’t show any signs of stopping.  “Will you quit that?”  I grabbed floating branch and struggled with whatever was holding it in place. The branch snapped between the opposing forces, causing me to stumble back and the golden aura to disappear.  I quickly scooped up the pieces and chucked them out of the pit before the unicorn could use them.  She backed into the far corner, staring at me with a frightened expression.  Her eyes shot behind me, and her horn began to glow again.  I glanced behind me to see a golden light flickering around my hatchet. Stop her! the voice screamed. Without thinking, I lunged towards Lyra, grabbed at her horn, and pinned her head to the ground.  Her horn was hot to the touch, but I refused to let go.  Lyra shrieked and tried to pull away, but she was already backed into the corner with nowhere left to go. “I’m sorry!”she cried out.  I could feel her body shaking.  I tightened my hold on her horn and pushed it down further into the earth.  “I-I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, I swear!  J-Just don’t hurt me, please.”  Tears were rolling down her cheeks. The sight was unsettling to look at.  I saw a yellow and pink pony cowering in her place.  I shook my head to dispel the mirage, but the guilt managed to linger. My grip around her horn slackened slightly.  The burning sensation had left when Lyra began pleading.  I realized my fist was raised, prepared to deliver a blow if needed.  I slowly lowered it, keeping a wary eye trained on the mare, fully released her horn, and took a few steps back.  A dull pain grew in the back of my head. What are you doing? the voice demanded as I backed away from the mare.  It could still be a threat. A threat? I scoffed.  I focused on Lyra, who was trying to calm herself down with deep, ragged breaths.  Look at her!  What is she going to do, drown us in her tears?  I scared her half to death.  She isn't a threat to anyone.  I tore my eyes away from her, not wanting to look at the pitiful sight any longer.  This isn’t right. Is this not what we wanted? What we wanted?  I just want to survive this mad world; I want to go back home.  Hurting her isn’t going to help anything.  It’s not going to get us anywhere, and it doesn’t feel… right.  The voice fell silent for a moment, although I could tell it wasn’t exactly happy.  The back of my head felt as if it was burning, but I tried to ignore it.  I drummed my fingers against my side, waiting for a response.  “Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way,” I muttered under my breath. One problem at a time, Hunter, the voice insisted.  My gaze shifted to the top of the pit as if it was led.  It wasn’t as deep as I originally thought, but the walls were still too tall for me to jump and climb out.  I rattled my brain, trying to think up some way to escape, but nothing seemed to click. Any idea on how to get out of here? I asked, finally giving up. Give us time, the voice snapped.  Finding a way out of your mistakes isn't always an easy feat. I let out a heavy sigh and knocked on a nearby wall with the side of my fist.  I shot a glance behind me.  Lyra was still huddled in the corner.  She looked like she had calmed down considerably, although she kept giving me a weird look.  I wanted to ignore it, but her eyes kept boring into me.  It was driving me nuts. “What?” I snapped.  The pony jolted at the sudden attention. “Um… aren’t you… you’re not going to hurt me?” she asked, trying to recompose herself. I let out a half-hearted laugh and shook my head.  “Hurt you?  I think I’m in enough hot water as it is.  Why would I want to do that?”  A sharp pain spiked in the back of my head.  I pinched my brow and tried to massage my temples to soothe it away.  “I mean,” I heard myself continue, “it’s not like you completely ruined everything I had planned by tackling me into my own grave.  And for what, some big heroic sacrifice to catch the ‘Beast of the Everfree’?” “Hey, hold on,” Lyra said defensively.  “If you weren’t standing next to the pit, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” “Oh, so you’re saying it’s my fault that we’re down here?” I demanded. We were both at our feet, voices starting to raise. “I was just following you!” Lyra exclaimed.  “I wasn’t paying attention to why you were just staring at the ground!” “Well maybe you should start paying more attention,” I shot back.  “None of this would have happened if you weren’t stalking me!” Lyra jabbed a hoof in my direction accusingly.  “And if you hadn’t attacked Ponyville and started all of this, I wouldn’t have been stalking you in the first place!” My face began heating up.  “‘Attacked’, huh?  Is that what they’re calling it?  Me stumbling around, looking for shelter, and then getting run out of town by five deranged ponies?  If anything, you attacked me like I was a rabid animal!” My outburst must’ve thrown Lyra off; her face shifted from anger to confusion.  “Wait…  What?” “I was running for my life!” I continued.  “If you stupid ponies would have at least tried to show an ounce of kindness instead of attacking me, I would have reacted differently.  But no.  Because of you ponies, I’ve had to isolate myself in the middle of nowhere just to keep a safe distance from everything trying to kill me.  Because of you ponies, I’m starving myself at day and have to resort to stealing my food at night. “I mean, do you even know what it’s like?   My life was all peachy keen until a couple of weeks ago.  I never had to worry about my next meal, or how I should ration whatever scraps I managed to collect; I had a whole fridge stocked with food!  I had a stable roof over my head!  There was never a problem of rats or birds swooping by and taking off with my rations.  I never woke up and wondered if it was going to be the last morning of my life.” My vision was blurring with water.  I leaned my back against the wall for support and collapsed to a sitting position.  Lyra stood at the other end, speechless. “I was ripped away from my family and my home.”  The words were starting to catch in my throat.  “I am alone, and the whole world seems to be out to get me.  There’s no one I can lean to for support.  I’m lost and starving and scared for my life…  And I’m never going to see them again.”  My throat was getting sore.  I coughed again, only to succeed in making it worse.  I slouched forward as a pair of streams burned their way down the sides of my face.  When my throat began to clear up I continued talking. “You know, today I spent the whole morning at the park in Ponyville.  Do you know what I saw?”  The mare was silent.  I took it as my cue.  “I saw you ponies...  playing around, laughing, talking to each other.”  A small laugh found its way out, but died as quickly as it came.  “And I’ve never been more jealous.  This whole morning, I kept wondering what it would have been like if that first night just happened differently.  Maybe I could have found some help.  Maybe I wouldn’t be so alone.  Maybe I could have found my way back home.  Maybe…”  I couldn’t keep going.  I buried my head into my knees, trying desperately to hold myself together. A gentle touch patted my shoulder.  I looked up and found Lyra next to me trying to give a reassuring smile.  “Hey…  It’s going to be okay…” Surprising even myself, I reached out and pulled her into a hug.  Her body went rigid at first, but she eventually relaxed and returned the gesture.  I must have looked pitiful crying into her mane like that, but I couldn’t help it.  My body was shaking from the torrent of bottled up emotions forcing themselves out, and she gave me a few awkward pats on the back to help me let them out. It was hard to tell if she really cared or not, but even trying to act like it meant so much to me.  It had been so long since anything had been this close to me without trying to kill or capture me.  To be able to simply talk was relieving, even if it was only for a few minutes. The sound of multiple hooves hitting the ground could be heard above us after a few minutes passed.  A young voice cried out, “Come on, we left ‘em over here!”  My heart sunk as the galloping sound drew closer to us.  Lyra pulled away and made her way back to the other end of the pit, her mane still stained with a few wet streaks.  I wiped my eyes and tried to recompose myself.  This may have been the end for me, but I was bound to face it with whatever dignity I could still salvage.  The hoofbeats came to a halt above us, but I couldn’t bring myself to face them. “Pure coincidence it cannot be, for me to be led here by you three.”  The rhythmic Africanesque voice sounded all too familiar.  I looked up in surprise and sure enough found a zebra staring back down at me.  Zecora smiled as our eyes met, and I could feel my spirits begin to lift.  Maybe I wasn’t doomed after all.  She turned back to face where I assumed the three fillies were waiting.  “Thank you for bringing me here, Applebloom.  Your timing could not have been more opportune.  But now I’m afraid I must ask you to leave, if you want me to bring your friend out with ease.” “What are ya tryin’ to say?” Applebloom demanded.  She sounded slightly hurt at Zecora’s request. “What if something goes wrong and you need our help?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Yeah, what if the monster escapes?” Scootaloo chimed in.  “You’ll need us to catch it again.” “I can assure you, he will not be hard to control,” Zecora laughed.  “But right now, this isn’t the place for a trio of foals.  I appreciate your offer for a helping hoof, but there are many strange things that are still afoot.  Return to the town and wait for me there, and I will deal with the beast and the mare.” The three fillies were still reluctant, but with a little more encouragement, they eventually left us.  Zecora returned over the edge with a content smile. “Zecora?” I asked.  “Is that really you? “Yes it is, my strange friend, and it appears that you are in need of a hand.”  She laughed at her own joke and managed a small chuckle out of me. “You have no idea—” “Hold on a minute,” Lyra interjected.  I almost forgot she was there.  “You two know each other?” “Hardly; we ran into each other once before, but he ran off before I could ask much more,” Zecora answered.  “I told him nearly everything about me, yet still have no clue as to who he might be.” “Hey, if you get me out of here, I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” I promised.  “Besides, I kinda owe you for that potion.” “Wait, wait, wait,” Lyra shook her head.  “Can somepony tell me what’s going on?  Just how did you two meet?” “Look, we’ll tell you later,” I simply said.  “Let’s get out of here first.” We had a difficult time trying to find a way out.  Zecora couldn't drag me out by herself, and I was too skeptical to allow Lyra to go first.  It's not that I didn't trust Zecora, but after what happened during our last encounter, I wasn’t too sure what was going on inside her head.  There was an argument about my cynicism, and I reluctantly let Lyra out first to help me later. “Okay, give me a second,” I called as Lyra scampered over the edge.  “I have something we can use as a rope.”  I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it up to the waiting mares.  Zecora made a move to grab it, but Lyra stopped her.  The zebra stared at her in confusion, and Lyra simply motioned for her to move closer.  They started whispering to each other. A sharp pain split the back of my skull.  They’re betraying you. How did you not see this coming? My mind started racing.  No, surely not.  We had a deal.  My eyes darted across the walls of the pit, hoping to find an alternative route just in case, but had no luck.  They returned their attention to me. “Alright, beast,” Lyra started.  She poked an accusing hoof at me.  “Spill the beans.  Who are you?  Why are you here?  Is it true you eat ponies for breakfast?  What are your plans for invading Ponyville?” I stared blankly at her, trying to process all the question.  “W… what?” “I apologize for this, but it is the only way,” Zecora explained.  “I hope we can continue without much dismay.  I know you are desperate for rescue, but first we require some answers from you. “Last I saw you, you left me quite perplexed.  You were there one moment and gone the next.  Out through the door like a criminal who was caught, and when outside it was my friends you had fought.  And in your absence Twilight spun an incredible tale about your visit to Ponyville and all that entailed.  What troubles me most is when we first met, you were not the monster my friends called a threat.  All I wish is to hear your side, before who to trust I come to decide.” “My side?” I asked.  “What do you want to know?” “Everything, from when you first arrived here, to how you became the beast the ponies came to fear.” My memories drifted back to that first night.  I had tried to forget a lot of it, but some of the memories were still as sharp as if they had happened yesterday.  “Well, I didn’t necessarily stumble into town,” I started.  “I was kind of chased by this weird pack of wolves…” I carried on giving them a rough summary of my first night, starting with my family’s camping trip and ending with where Zecora first found me.  Zecora listened intently to every word I said.  Lyra, on the other hand, still appeared a little skeptical, but as my story progressed she seemed more and more unsure.  It felt good to finally talk about what had happened, to get it all off my chest.  I was very careful trying to explain holding Fluttershy hostage.  I put heavy emphasis on how I never actually intended to hurt her, that it was just a bluff to get the others away from me, but even then it still didn’t seem to settle well in their minds. “Look, I don’t know why I’m here,” I said as I started wrapping it up.  “But I never wanted any of that to happen.  I was just trying to make it out alive.”  I turned my attention to Lyra.  “I don’t have any plans for invading Ponyville.  In fact, I’m trying to get as far away from there as I can.  I just want to get back home to my family and be done with all of this.” Zecora nodded, still processing all I had said.  It looked as if she approved it, although that was probably just me being hopeful.  “And where were you that fateful night?” she turned to Lyra.  “Perhaps you can offer some more insight.” The mare gave a nervous chuckle.  “Funny thing about that,” she started.  “I was actually in Canterlot at the time.  I just returned a week ago.  Bon Bon had to fill me in on what happened, and even then, she didn’t know everything.”  She paused, lost in thought.  “Come to think of it, a lot of ponies don’t really know what happened that night.  All we know is another monster came out of the Everfree during a freak storm, and Twilight and her friends saved the town again.” “Surely you can find it in your heart to give this ‘monster’ a second start?” Zecora asked. Lyra shot a quick glance at me and looked back at Zecora’s sincere smile.  She had a torn look on her face, and she disappeared from the edge of the pit.  I started to get a little worried.  Even Zecora looked confused at first.  Lyra returned with my jacket in tow.  She dangled it over the edge of the pit. “Alright, beast,” she smiled.  “Let's get you out of there.” I grabbed hold of my jacket, and the two mares gripped the other end with their teeth and pulled.  “Let’s get one thing straight first,” I said as I strained to pull myself out of the pit.  “My name isn’t ‘the Beast’ or ‘the Monster’ or ‘the Creature’.”  My hand grabbed the top of the pit, and Lyra and Zecora helped me scamper back up.  I rolled over to a sitting position as our breathing returned to normal and held out a hand.  “Name’s Hunter.  Hunter Grey.” Lyra eyed my open palm warily, but Zecora was quick to shake it. “So, I have to ask,” I said, turning to Lyra.  “Do you guys really think I eat ponies for breakfast?” She blushed and tried to give me a smile.  “Well, about that…  Pinkie Pie kinda made a little jingle about you after everypony starting asking what happened.  I guess some of it was a little overdramatic, but it still kinda stuck.”  She scratched the back of her head innocently.  “It’s actually pretty catchy.  You should hear it sometime.” “It does sounds like the pink mare to come up with a tale and set it aflare,” Zecora laughed. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” I chuckled.  I laid back on the dirt path with my feet dangling over the pit, enjoying my renewed sense of freedom. “Wait, so does that mean you really don’t eat ponies?” Lyra asked. “What?  No!  I couldn’t eat you even if I wanted to.  Not saying that I would want to,” I explained.  “You ponies act too much like humans.  It would feel like cannibalism or something.” “Humans?”  Lyra and Zecora gave me an odd look, as if they were unsure how to respond.  “Is that like… an insult or something?” I sat back up, propping myself with my arms.  “Come again?” “You said human…”  They still had that confused look on their faces. “Yeah, you know, human,” I gestured to myself.  The gears in her head slowly turned as Lyra finally caught onto what I was implying.  It was unsettling how long it was taking them to understand.  “Wait, have you two never seen a human before?” I asked worriedly. “The species of Equestria are very diverse,” Zecora explained.  “But of your kind, I believe you are the first.” “Oh.”  A pit formed in my stomach.  I had hoped that there would have been a town or a village or a tribe at very least of other people.  I started feeling a little more alone in this world.  I tried to change the topic to help get my mind off of it.  “So, this is going to sound a little odd, but…”  My voice trailed off. “What?” Lyra asked. I struggled to find the right way to word it.  “You’re a… um… unicorn, right?” She blinked.  “Well, of course,” she replied.  She pointed a hoof to her head.  “Don’t you see the horn on my head?” “No, no, I do,” I said quickly, blushing at my own stupidity.  “It’s just I didn’t know if that was what you called yourselves.”  An awkward silence filled the air.  “And the ones with wings…  They’re called pegasi?” Zecora was trying and failing to stifle a small laugh, and Lyra gave me an odd look.  “Are you… slow in the head, or something?” she asked. “No; I just want to make sure I’m using the right terms is all,” I defended.  It was starting to feel a little hot out here.  I glanced at Zecora, who was still struggling to contain herself.  “I’m not even going to ask.  I think I already know what the answer is.” She grinned and nodded, seeming to have gained control of her giggling.  It was still burning the back of my head, though.  I wouldn’t want to offend her if I was wrong. I sighed in defeat.  “Zebra?” They both started laughing this time, and I couldn’t help but join them.  I shook my head grinning and rose to my feet.   “Well, I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one day,” I smiled, throwing my jacket back on.  “I better start heading back to my little safe haven.  With most of the town out here, it’s going to be kinda tricky.  Thank you again, so much.  You two are the best.  I’ll try to lie low for a while, not cause you ponies too much grief.”  I gave them a wave and started my way to the castle.  I would have to get off the path soon to not attract more attention to myself, but for now— “Hunter, wait!” Lyra called out.  “What if you gave us a second chance?” I stopped and looked over my shoulder in confusion.  “What?” “This is all just one big misunderstanding,” Lyra pointed out, “but nopony in town knows that.  To them, you’re just another scary monster that lives in the Everfree forest.  If we could show everypony who you really are and convince them to give you another chance, then maybe we can fix this whole ‘the monster in the forest is evil and needs to be destroyed’ business.” "It is possible that Lyra is correct," Zecora pitched in.  "If you go to the town, then the ponies' thoughts might defect. Twilight told me what happened that night, and it's no wonder the ponies are in such a fright.  The only way you can hope to make amends is to go into Ponyville and make some new friends." You’re not actually buying this drivel, are you? the voice scoffed. “I don’t know,” I answered to both. “Look, Twilight is still in Ponyville helping the Mayor coordinate everything,” Lyra explained.  “She’ll listen to us if we all three go together.  We can resolve all of this without dealing with an angry mob.” They want to bring you to Twilight?  As if you do not know how that will end. “Is something wrong, Hunter?” Lyra asked.  I noticed I was shaking slightly. “No, I’m fine,” I gave a weak chuckle to reassure myself.  It wasn’t working.  “It’s just a really big decision, is all, and I’m a little nervous…  Are you sure it would work?” “Well… no,” she admitted.  “But we’ll stand by your side until everypony believes you’re safe, I promise.” They don’t even think this is going to work, and they are the ones insisting you go.  Their lives aren’t being put on the line; yours is.  Why should you take any chances? I couldn’t think.  Lyra and Zecora seemed ready to put everything down to help me, and I had only known them for a short time.  This was the first time Lyra and I had even met, and already she trusted me.  But did I trust her? Of course not!  Did you forget she was hunting you to begin with? But Zecora—, I started. What about Zecora? The voice demanded.  If we remember correctly, you stole from her and ran away like a convict.  How could she trust you?  She’s probably working for Twilight, deceiving you to let your guard down so she can bring you to her.  You and we both remember the nightmares you’ve had of that encounter. I cringed.  I did remember those nightmares:  the darkened halls, the gore splattered on the dimly lit walls, Twilight blocking my only escape with that unnatural look in her eyes, the inhuman sounds echoing in my head.  Some bile found its way in the back of my throat. Do you really want those dreams to become a reality? I took a half-step back, shaking my head. “Hunter, are you sure everything’s okay?”  Oh, the sincerity in her voice.  Could it really be lying? Are you willing to take the chance? “No,” I mumbled, taking another step back. “What?” Lyra asked. “No,” I repeated, louder this time.  “Sorry, I just…  I can’t.”  I started retreating back into the foliage lining the path. “Hunter, come back,” Lyra pleaded.  “Everything will be fine.” Lies! the voice erupted.  A massive headache threatened to split my skull in two.  I fell to my knees and clasped my hands on each side of my head to suppress it.  You are a criminal in that accursed town!  Twilight even said so!  You retaliated against them, stolen from them, spied on them.  Why would they accept you?  You are nothing but a monster in their eyes.  You are the Beast of the Everfree! I could hear someone shouting over the ringing in my head.  A couple of pairs of hooves helped me back up to my feet.  Zecora and Lyra watched me carefully with worry evident in their eyes.  My body was trembling.  A rift tore my mind in two; one side telling me to go with them, and the other telling me to stay. “Sorry,” my quavering voice managed.  “Not today.  But… someday, maybe.  Whenever everything cools down for a bit.”  I turned and walked deeper into the forest. “Wait!” Lyra called out as she rushed up to me.  She hesitated when she had my attention.  “Just promise me something, okay?  Promise you wouldn’t hurt anypony.” I stared into her golden eyes, and knelt down in front of her.  “I’ll never try to hurt another pony.  Promise.” Her eyes brightened.  “Really?” “Cross my heart and hope to die,” I smiled weakly. Lyra gave me a bright grin before rejoining Zecora.  “Don’t worry, Hunter!  We’re going to get things straight!” “We shall go into the town and tell your tale,” Zecora added with a confident smile.  “We will not back down until we prevail!” I stood there dumbfounded as they galloped back to town.  As their footsteps echoed in the forest, I felt the corners of my lips twitch up a bit.  I shook my head in disbelief and trudged through the forest, deep in thought.  Why was I so scared to go with them?  It would have been a monumental change for me, but the thought that the outcome would be positive was preposterous considering our history.  After all, they were just two ponies against an entire town.  Well, one pony and a zebra.  There was no way they could sway all of Ponyville. Or could they?  A genuine smile broadened across my lips.  Something sparked inside my chest that I hadn't felt in an eternity.  I felt hopeful again.  This might just play out in my favor. That was a cute little lie you told that unicorn. The voice's sudden comment broke my chain of thought.  “What?” You know what we are talking about; when you said that you would never hurt another pony, it gave an unsettling chuckle.  We got a good kick out of that. “That wasn't a lie,” I protested.  “I was being serious.” Do not try to lie to us, the voice interjected.  We felt the rush you had when you struck Twilight down.  We know of your little habits; how you always bottle up your emotions.  We know how you snap when the tensions rise.  We know everything about you, Hunter.  We are you. A chill ran up my spine.  The voice had never said anything like that before.  I walked silently in case it continued, but it didn’t speak for the rest of the journey. I shook the thoughts out of my head.   My internal clock was telling me it was time to rest, and my body agreed.  My castle soon came into view, much to my pleasure.  I slowly made my way up to the throne room and surveyed its appearance, as I always did.  There was never anything  different about it than the countless other times I checked on it.  Call me paranoid. I plopped down into the cushioned chair.  My eyelids were getting heavy.  As I slouched into a more comfortable position, the voice's last comment rang through my head.  We are you. It was a bit disturbing, really.  I never put too much thought on the subject.  The voice always gave me advice, and I would usually follow it.  I had always assumed it came from me, but the way it said it just sounded so... wrong. Sleep beckoned me with open arms.  My thoughts were muddied as I ever so slowly slipped away from the castle.  I threw myself into whatever crazy dream was waiting for me and silently prayed that it would be pleasant tonight. Goodnight, Hunter. “Goodnight…”