Hunt and Toll

by I_Post_Ponies


Ch. 2: White Noise

The morning calls of a bird perched outside my window woke me up. Letting out a yawn, I slowly sat up in my bed, collecting my legs underneath me.

Still groggy, I turned my head to look at my cutie mark, the thing that marred my ash-blue coat and stood in contrast to my shallow brown mane; the thing that symbolized the start of all this trouble—my new ‘duty’ as Light called it. I hadn’t known anything about it until Light Lost had caught up with me and explained.

I’m a doorpony of death. A Shepard, as Light called us. And last night...

I grimaced at the thought. Last night didn’t matter anymore. I had to move on, and the first step was getting out of bed. I hopped off my mattress and shook my whole body, up and down, in an effort to clear the drowsiness from my system. It helped a little, though my head was still fogged with memories. I grabbed a quick glass of water and headed out the door, almost slamming it behind me. This grabbed the attention of someone else in the hallway outside of my apartment.

“Oy, waddaya know! Somepony actually lives there! I was wondering when that apartment would be taken.” The stallion walked up to me and offered his hoof. “Rough Beat’s the name. What might I call you?”

“No One,” I replied, sarcasm heavy on my voice.

He gave my shoulder a light jab with his elbow. “You’re pulling my leg, right? I can’t honestly believe somepony’s parents would name their foal No One!”

“Mine didn’t. I took the name myself.” I pushed my way past him, no interest in another drawn-out introduction.

“Alright, then, No! Welcome to Shady Glade Apartments!”

Hurrying down the stairs, I rolled my eyes.




I noticed a few clouds dotting the sky as I made my way down the street. The cobblestone felt rough on my hooves like it always did, but today I didn’t care. I brushed up against ponies now and then—easy to avoid in a small town like this—but got nothing more than a scoff for it.

Light Lost’s place wasn’t too far; he lived in a modest house just outside of West Park. It’s actually the closest point in town to the cemetery, which lies further west and a bit of a walk out of town. A little morbid for my tastes, but it did come with the job.

He was a one-story, one-bed, one-bath kind of pony. I don’t visit his place too often, now that I think about it. Any time we spend together (which has been far too much over the last month, if you ask me) involves wandering around town, looking for the next pony in need of Guidance. He’s been teaching me about my new role, too. As far as I know, there isn’t really a formal method to it other than the experienced Guardians taking newcomers under their wing—or in Light’s case, horn.

Taking in a deep breath, I knocked on Light’s door.

“Come in, Silk. It’s unlocked,” he called from inside.

Don’t think I’ll ever get used to that—Light always knows it’s me at the door without checking. Being in the same situation as me, Light and I are the only ponies in Ponyville able to remember each other for any significant amount of time. Since nopony remembers him, he’s never visited by anyone except me.

The door creaked open as I pushed it in, welcoming me to the tiny abode of my teacher. Light was currently making breakfast. His dirty yellow coat and solid blue mane were the same I remembered. I stepped inside, taking in the smell of eggs and peppers; he must be whipping up some breakfast. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but refrained from voicing my question.

“I’ve got enough for both of us.”

I was more concerned with why he chose to make breakfast in the first place. The couch pattern made a good distraction as I waited for Light to finish cooking. We didn’t talk; I didn’t know what to say, and he never brought anything up. The silence only lasted until he brought an omelette over.

“Green and red peppers with mushrooms. Hope you’re not allergic to any of it,” he stated plainly.

“No, that’s fine. I’m not really allergic to any foods.”

He nodded and replied, “Good to know,” and sat down next to me. “Seen the weather schedule for today? Sunny all day, though I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw a few clouds; those weather ponies seem to take it a bit too easy at times.” A yellow glow, much like the color of his coat, enveloped his utensils and he began to eat.

The weather? I come over after the... thing last night, and he brings up the weather?

“Yeah, I guess. Wasn’t paying attention,” I grumbled, turning my attention to the omelette in front of me. Honestly, I didn’t know whether to stare it to death or just eat it. While Shepards don’t get hungry, food can still taste good. I looked over to Light, and, seeing him partake, I leaned down and took a bite.

The taste was not something I expected. Light had put a lot more than just peppers and mushrooms in there. My expression must have given me away, as Light gave a sharp laugh.

“Didn’t expect the old stallion to know how to cook, did you?” he said with a smug look on his face. Light set his utensils down and swallowed. “So, you know anything about cooking? It can be quite useful, even in our situation.”

“No, I never had much of a—” I cut myself off. “Wait a damn second. I just got back from the worst night in my entire life you want to sit here and talk about the weather and cooking? No bloody way, Light!”

His expression remained calm. “Alright, alright. I was just waiting for you. It’s your subject to bring up.”

“You can consider it ‘brought up’.”

Light waited a moment before continuing, leaning his head on his forehooves. “Tell me what you’re thinking about it, then. Doesn’t matter where you start.”

I stood up off of the couch in a huff. “Oh, don’t give me that! You know exactly how this stuff goes, you’ve been doing it for years! You had a first time, too. You know what it’s like! I’m not going to stand here and let you talk down to me like I’m in some other world, cause you’re right here in the muck with me!” I began pacing around the couch, desperately trying to release at least some of this pent-up energy.

The house suddenly seemed much smaller.

“So you’re angry. Angry at what, exactly?” His eyes began to follow me. “Perhaps it’s me?”

“Yes? I don’t know. Why did you pick her for my first solo Guiding? Why didn’t you insist I have some speech prepared? You let me go in there with little more than a sense of duty! What kind of teacher are you?”

He leaned back in his chair. “You picked her, remember? And I cannot force you to do something you do not wish to do; I offered my advice on the speech. You disregarded it. I believe, lastly, that you will find a sense of duty can be quite powerful in the right situations and with the right pony.”

The aura of tranquility that surrounded him only served to agitate me further. My steps became heavier and the wood shuddered underneath my hooves. “This is balls! This is all completely balls! I’m an immortal damn thief of magical souls and this whole society has devolved to nothing more than bloody bucking balls!” Standing still for a moment, I pointed a hoof at Light. “And you’re just nuts. Nighttime? Seriously? You don’t even know what the Hunt looks like or when it happens, you just insist on Guiding at night because you wet yourself at the thought of death finally catching up with you! Where’s the fair play, Light? We have a time, too!”

Abruptly, Light got up, slamming his hooves on the floor as he stood upright. “That is not up for debate! We take necessary precautions because we have a duty and can not afford to be careless.”

I scoffed at him and went back to pacing. “It’s an excuse, not a precaution,” I grumbled to myself.

“I—” Light’s voice trailed off. I locked onto him with a glare, watching him again release the tension from his body. He spoke again, this time in a much more restrained tone, “I want us to be safe, and not just for our sakes.”

I said nothing in reply, but my gaze did not soften. I knew there wasn’t any good reason to be mad at Light. Annoyed, perhaps, but this fury I had acquired was not of his doing. It was the system, more than anything. Perhaps I should ask him more about that when I didn’t feel like strangling somepony.

Once the excess tension drained from my system, further pacing became pointless. I stopped and sat back down on the couch. Sick of the silence between us, I voiced the first question that came to mind.

“Why the breakfast?”

Light had since settled back in his chair, eyes closed, but opened one at hearing the question. “My teacher did the same for me the day after my first Guiding. Wasn’t omelettes, but I have no idea how to prepare a proper Witherton-style garden wrap. Besides, I figured a hot breakfast would help more.” He let the answer hang in the air for a bit. “Was I right?”

‘Right’, eh? That word works a lot different when you’re a Shepard.

“As right as you could be.” I took another bite of my omelette. It would have been a waste to let it get cold. “How long have you been doing this?”

“Was it... ten years, now? It’s all I know, anymore. I’m starting to forget what my life was like. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?”

I frowned. “Yeah. If it wasn’t for the memory thing, this gig might not be half-bad. Wish I could ask whoever started this whole thing why they did that.”

“It may have been done for the persistent effect that immortals would have on society had ponies been able to remember them. Or, as another pony called it, ripples.”

It was my second time to be surprised this morning. My eyes snapped to Light and I sat up straight. “You know why nopony can remember us? And the reason is ‘ripples’?”

He waited to finish chewing another bite of his omelette before continuing. “I can’t claim to know anything. Just some theory I heard.”

“So it’s only a theory, then?”

“Yes. Something to think about, at the very least.” He stood and picked up his empty plate and utensils. “Done with that?” he asked, gesturing to my plate. I quickly stuffed the remainder of the omelette in my mouth, smiled, and nodded to him. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed my plate with a yellow glow and took it to the kitchen.

I hesitated before asking my next question; often, Light could be... touchy on the subject. “So, um, is the Hunt related to these ripples?”

There was a fraction of a stutter in Light’s movements. He set the plates down perhaps a bit too hard. “Such a thing is possible. I don’t think about it often, and when I do, my thoughts on it take me down a different path. The Hunt, I believe, is a beast of darker origins.” A rag floated over to Light, and he began to rub the dishes in the sink.

“It’s a beast, then?” I chimed in.

“That is what I believe,” he replied curtly.

I fumbled with my hooves, thinking of what to say next. There were questions on my mind, sure, but I didn’t know where to start. The room no longer smelled of eggs and peppers, but soap and heat. I still felt cramped.

“Why do you think the Hunt cannot, er, take regular ponies? Why does it only target Shepards?”

“Silken Sound, I know nothing more on this subject than what I have heard from other ponies and my own speculation. It is something I do not try to dwell on.”

Turning to Light, I caught his eyes. My gaze spoke, ‘I need to know this.’  Light, however, met my gaze with a glare that rebuffed, ‘We’re done.’

I was rather taken aback by his reaction. The pony sitting across from me always seemed more open to talking; goddess knows he did enough of it. We’d once delved into the history of Shepards, discussed the new society I’d been ‘born’ into, and other specifics of my new duty. But now—now I sat in the room with somepony else.

And I was not convinced.

“I don’t think we’re done, yet,” I said, temper returning to my voice. “You’re talking like you have some personal experience with the Hunt—the one thing that can kill me—and you’re not letting me in on it. Do ya think, Light Lost, that maybe I care about that stuff too? Maybe I have a right to know how to keep myself alive?”

“You aren’t ready for that knowledge, colt. Even if you were, I wouldn’t tell you about my encounter. Nopony else deserves to live through it, even if only in their nightmares. And it would be in your nightmares.” His voice became as sharp as his glare.

“So you want me dead, then? You’d like me to flap around like a fish out of water until the Hunt comes and takes me?” My hooves had begun gesturing in wide arcs as my tone flared. “Cause that’s what you’re doing by keeping me in the dark!”

“That’s not—” Light sighed, “—that’s not my intention, Silk. I only wish to protect—”

I don’t need to be protected! I am a stallion, not a colt!” I screamed. “Let me choose whether to fear this or not! Let me toss and turn through sleepless nights if I wish to!” Red heat flushed to my face. “Buck you, you pretentious, self-centered prick! I don’t want to die!” Fury seethed beneath my skin, a great flame of hostility seeking release. I needed to give it release. I looked over at Light, then my hoof... and bolted out of that house like it was on fire.

Why am I running again?


Eventually, I ended up under a tree in West Park. I ran around the park for a short while before sitting down to recuperate. I also kept an eye on Light’s house; I wanted to know if he’d come out in search of me or let me stew on my own. So far, the door had remained closed.

Sweat dripped off my chin as I leaned up against the tree. My ears pounded with my pulse and my chest heaved up and down with the tempo of my breathing. I looked at the sky; it had become overcast since this morning. I suppose Light was right about the weatherponies being lazy. For a moment, perhaps, I could find peace.

That peace was shattered near-instantly.

A pony was on fire. At least, that’s how he appeared to me. I’d never seen a glow so bright. Even though I was several meters from the path he walk on, I could swear I felt heat coming off of him. I scanned the area, searching for somepony else to at least react to this bizarre spectacle, but I quickly remembered nopony else could see it.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I had no idea what to do; this was the first time I’d seen a pony require Guiding with no notice and without the advising company of Light. Instead of freezing up, though, I jumped to my feet and set after the shining earth pony.

“Hey, hey!” I called out.

He stopped, turned around, and greeted me with a smile as I strode up. His dark burnt-orange coat blended in with the surrounding glow, giving him an appearance not unlike a heath in flame. His mane and tail were short and colored a dark green, like moss in the shade. I almost expected them to burn off. A sling hung on his neck, holding a bouquet of lilacs.

The glow he emanated calmed the closer I got, but the heat did not.

“Oh, hello, there! Have we met?” he asked, far too cheery for the predicament he was in.

“No, likely not. I’m just a little lost. New to town and everything. Perhaps we’re going the same direction. Where are you headed?”

“I’m headed back to my house. Just had a wonderful jog out this way, and planned to say hi to somepony, but it seems the weatherponies have changed their minds about the weather today. I live near the library. Perhaps you know where that is?”

I saw an excuse to follow him, and took it. “The library! That’s exactly where I’m headed! Would you mind if I tagged along?”

“Not at all!” he replied with a smile. “But before we get going...” He held out a hoof. “I’m Shallow Water.”

I took his hoof and gave it a hearty shake. “Silken Sound, but everyone calls me Silk.”

We made small talk on the way back to his place, but my mind was elsewhere. How was I supposed to deal with this? This situation had jumped upon me so suddenly. Should I try to comfort him? Doesn’t seem like he needs it, though. I tried to look at it logically. A stallion with no apparent health problems, in a pretty good mood, but glowing fiercely... perhaps his death would be accidental?

I abruptly came back to the world, now paying close attention to our surroundings, looking for possible sites where a fatal accident might take place. As I searched, a curious little thought entered my mind...

I threw a foreleg in front of Shallow, stopping him.

A shocked smile appeared on his face as he turned to me. “I know, I couldn’t believe it either! I mean, a watermelon? How does that even fit?”

Shaking my head, I replied, “No, not that. I, uh, just remember I heard stories about out-of-control carriages coming down this street. Figure we should, er, be really careful!”

He shrugged. “If you say so. Didn’t you mention you were new here? The only time I remember any carriages going rogue was over a month ago when we had that Mare-Do-Well running around.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but he continued, “Have I told you about my sweetheart, yet? I’ve got all sorts of stories about her!”

My eyes continued to survey the area as I shook my head. At least one of us is going to have to pay attention.



The trek to Shallow’s house was far too tense for my liking. The constant assault on my nerves brought me back to my colthood, when I used to jump at every little thing that lived in the dark. One would think the sun would make things easier—but not today. Every time anything moved near us, I’d tense up.

“Well, look at that! They’re finally fixing up that roof!”

“What?” I asked. Shallow pointed to a roof down the street. The construction obscured most of the road. If we walked past it, we’d still have to come awfully close, and there were some rather large wood planks up there. This was exactly what I’d been looking out for.

“Say, Shallow, why don’t we take a detour? I’m really nervous around, uh, construction sites.”

He looked at me, still wearing that stupid smile he’d had on the entire trip. “Why, that’s just like my sweetheart. I mean, it’s loud noises in general, but that still reminds me of her. You ever met? Lilac Scent. Oh, that reminds me of another good story, too—”

I cut him off. “No, sorry, don’t know her. Say, we could just walk behind these stores, couldn’t we? Let’s go,” I said, practically dragging him along.

“You must be in an awful rush to get to the library! But I think we might have time for just one more story. How about it?”

Rolling my eyes, I grumbled a “yes.”

“I’m starting to like you, Silk! One time, Lilac and I had construction—not unlike this here—outside of our house for a week! She curled up next to me every day, making little peeps every time a hammer struck.” He threw his head back and laughed. “I always hugged her close and told her not to worry, but that rarely did much good.”

“Maybe,” I said half-heartedly. My focus was on the rooftop. This was his life; I needed to be careful. For whatever reason, he insisted on keeping his pace to a walk, putting a little extra bounce in each step. My attempts at hurrying him were only met with resistance.

“You should show proper respect for a story’s pacing! I’ll hurry when I’m done. Now, one day Lilac and I were trekking alongside the Everfree. Lilac was all riled up, knowing how dangerous it was. And it just so happened that, on this particular day, a very loud dragon had taken up residence in a nearby mountain! So—”

Suddenly, a great boom came from the street, followed by a loud crack just seconds later. Shallow and I ran out from behind the store we’d just passed and looked for the source of the noise. Lying on the road were two rather large planks, broken in several pieces. Splinters were strewn all across the area, and several ponies were staring at the scene like Shallow and I. After analysing the scene a moment, I gasped.

The planks had fallen right on the road were Shallow and I would have been.

As soon the shock wore off, and I was trying my hardest to suppress a grin and a giggle. I had done it! I had beaten the stupid system! Before I knew it, I was bouncing up and down, whispering “yes-yes-yes!” to myself.

“Forgive me, Mr. Sound, but that’s not exactly the reaction I’d expect,” commented Shallow, raising an eyebrow at me.

I hooked my hoof around his neck and brought him close. “We avoided it, Shallow. That would’ve been you, but not today! Ha! Oh, I cannot wait to see the look on Light’s face! I bet he’s never even tried that before!” I stepping in front of Shallow. “Feel like a hug?”

“Heh, well, I just—”

His speech was interrupted when the air was squished out of his lungs by my unexpectedly powerful bearhug. I almost felt like crying in joy. It was so hard to have a victory as a Shepard. The hug couldn’t last forever, though. I heard a choked yelp come from Shallow and I quickly released him.

Doubling over, he managed a few coughs before commenting, “You certainly don’t lack for enthusiasm!” He playfully jabbed my side, making me jump back a bit. “I owe you a big thanks.”

“No problem.” I nudged him back. “But now I’m in the mood for a story. Why don’t you finish the one you started?”

An ear-to-ear grin encompassed his face and he continued where he left off. “So, there Lilac was, nervous as a squirrel, in the middle of a dark forest, when we hear the mightiest snore I’d ever been witness to! The poor thing leapt a solid six hooves into the air and squeaked as loudly as she could—I had to try my hardest to keep from falling over in laughter!” The memories came to life; Shallow had to lean on me to keep from losing his balance as he let out a hearty laugh. All I did was stand still and smile at him, giving a chuckle every time he tried to regain his composure and failed.

The purpose of my job became abundantly clear to me in that moment. This is why life is worth saving.

His whole body was shaking with a laughter that continued for nearly a minute before he was able to stand back on his own four legs. “Ho boy,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Lilac must be quite the pony.”

“That’s, heh, that’s an understatement.” He was still having a hard time talking. “My, heh, my house is right here. If you weren’t in such a rush, I’d tell you some more, heh, stories. I haven’t had a laugh like that in a good long time.”

I looked down the street to the library and back to Shallow.

“The library can wait for a little bit. I wouldn’t mind hearing another story or two.”

At those words, Shallow brightened up even more than before. “Happy to hear.” One of his front legs gave out and he stumbled before quickly regaining his balance. “Geebus, that laugh really did take a lot out of me. Come on.” When Shallow opened the front door, a distinctive scent filled my nostrils, though I couldn’t nail down what it was.

Shallow set the bouquet he’d been carrying down on top a chest of drawers just inside the door. “I’m going to the kitchen to get some water. Thirsty?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah.”

“Great! The living room is to your right. Take a seat.” He paused to cough. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

Nodding, I moved to enter the living room, but a picture on the chest of drawers caught my eye. My curiosity piqued, I slowly approached it. It was Shallow and a purple-coated mare, both sniffing a flower, bright smiles adorning their faces. I couldn’t help but smile myself; it was exactly the relationship I imagined they had. A drop of sweat fell into my eye, causing me to blink several times as I rubbed the offended eye. The weather was quite comfortable today. Why was I so hot?

A crash shattered the silence.

I galloped over to the kitchen. Shallow was lying on the floor next to two broken glasses, panting like he’d just run twenty miles. “Shallow!” I yelled, rushing over to him.

“Watch out for that glass, Silk. Hate to see you cut yourself on my account.” He coughed. “Sorry about the mess, guess I don’t know my body any more.” The words came out with great difficulty: each breath was a heavy wheeze; each word was spoken with no force behind it. His face looked completely different, drained of the color I’d seen just moments before. “Feels like—” His face twisted and he screamed in pain, “—feels like my heart is jumping out of my chest!” My breath caught in my throat and for just a millisecond, I froze in terror.

“Stay there! I’ll get help. Just stay there!” I got up and galloped into the entryway. “Lilac!” I yelled up the stairs, “Lilac! Shallow needs help!” The house only replied with silence.

I became a madman. I searched in the house in a blur, rushing from room to room. My eyes carried the razor glare of insanity, my heart beat like a drum in prestissimo. Finding the house empty, I flung the front door open and desperately scanned the area for somepony who could help. Surprisingly, I found Light not twenty hooves from the door. It looked like he was searching for something himself.

Light!” I shouted at him. His attention immediately turned to me. “Help!”

He galloped over to me, surprise and fear on his face. “Is it the H—”

“The kitchen!” I cried, leading him to where Shallow lay. “Please, we’ve got to help him.”

Light nodded and knelt down next to Shallow, putting an ear to Shallow’s stomach and touching specific spots on his body. I sat right next to Light, not knowing what he was doing. Whether he was checking life signs or trying to resuscitate Shallow—exactly what it was didn’t matter. All I wanted was for him to help. Watching Light work, I caught myself holding my breath and slowly exhaled.

“He has to be alright. I saved him.” Tears threatened to come forth, just like a river sitting behind a dam.

Shallow spoke, but it was barely a whisper. “Do I... know either of you?”

Light froze and his graze forebodingly turned to me. We exchanged glances.

No. “No no no nonono! Don’t say that! You know me, Shallow! We were just talking about Lilac, remember?” My eyes pleaded with him as well.

Shallow’s gaze was unfocused, blank. “I can’t seem to recall...”

Almost in a daze, I grabbed him and shook, slapped him in the face, set my ear against his stomach as Light had, but Shallow did not respond, and I could hear no heartbeat, no moving lungs. I turned to Light. “I saved him. We have to help,” I pleaded.

My teacher’s face had calmed, reflecting a gentle visage—one ready to say the words I feared. He put a hoof on my back. “Then help him.”

“I can’t, not like that. Somepony is waiting for him.”

“Then let her wait no longer.”

“That makes no—”

Earlier, in the park, Shallow had mentioned someone. ‘I planned to say hi to somepony.’ Is that the one who was waiting for him? But that still doesn’t make sense. Who lives that far out west any—

A spark of dread flashed across my face. The cemetery. I dashed out of the kitchen and galloped back to the entryway, where the bouquet lay. It stared back at me with that morbidly beautiful shade of purple.

Lilacs...

The dam burst. Tears streamed down my face. Light embraced me as I sobbed; I could feel his coat dampen against my face. I’d given everything today, but the world required more than that from me.

Light and I sat wrapped in a hug for several moments before he gently broke away. A wretched frown blemished my face, and through what was left of the tears I could see him nod. I stumbled back to the kitchen then reached over to Shallow, my hoof once again hovering, unsure.

Light spoke to what was left of Shallow. “It’s a terrible pain that burdens you. Let us carry that weight.”

Closing my eyes, I touched his face, again performing the duty I was first charged with only a month ago. I could feel the soul of magic dissipate through his coat, brushing up against my hoof on its way out. I could hear it whisper in the air, speaking in a humble tone before disappearing altogether.

I hate the dark.