Blood smiled as he looked over the massive sealed door. “At last, all that power is almost mine. Just a few more moments then everything I ever wanted shall be mine.” the unicorn laughed in triumph as he poured the large vial of blood onto the pedestal that stood before the door. The blood seeped into several grooves as the gems that adorned it began to glow. With a loud groan the heavy bars that spanned across the doorway slowly pulled back and the ancient door swung open. Inside the ancient vault stood a large stone statue, Royal Blood blinked twice in confusion before walking up to it. He poked the statue with his hoof, only to have it crack then crumble to pieces.
“What is this?!” Royal Blood roared. “I was promised the power to change the world, and all I get is some useless pile of rubble?” he turned around, eyes narrowing as he scanned the ponies that had accompanied him. When they landed on Blueblood, Royal Blood pointed his hoof accusingly. “You! This is all your fault! I never should have listened to your idea about using the human’s blood you got from the hospital. Now all of the plans that the family has worked so hard for, that I have worked so hard for, are ruined and it is all your fault!”
“Father, please, I didn’t think that this would happen.” Blueblood pleaded.
“No, you didn’t.” Royal Blood shouted while giving Bloodblood a hard poke. “You never think! That has always been your problem!”
“Father, please...”
“Do not call me that, you incompetent fool! You are a disgrace to your name and you are no son of mine!”
Blueblood turned to slink away when something from inside the vault caught his eye. Looking past his still irate father, he watched as a dark shape rose from the remains of the statue. Blueblood’s eyes went wide with fear as he raised a trembling hoof, pointing at the shape. Desperately trying to speak, Blueblood’s mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out.
“What are you gawking at now, boy?” Royal Blood sneered and turned to look behind him.
A pair of burning red eyes formed in the shadow a moment before the specter shot forwards.
“Foresight! Can you hear me? Are you alright?” Lady Prestidigitation pleaded as she gently shook the unicorn stallion that way lying on the floor.
Foresight slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the mare. “My lady.” the stallion groaned, his face still pale.
“What happened?” Prestidigitation asked. “One moment we were conversing about the future of Equestria and the next you were lying on the floor, screaming.”
“I had... a vision, my lady.”
“A vision of what?” the mare asked nervously.
“Death.”
“Did you feel that?” a hooded pony asked her voice barely above a whisper.
“I did.” a second hooded pony replied.
“What do you think it was?” the first one asked.
The second pony’s eyes idly wandered around the cave as he thought the question over. “Something that should have remained buried.” he finally said after several long moments of silence.
“You mean...?”
“Yes. “
“What do we do?”
“What we must. All of our other plans will be postponed. Our intentions for the sun and the moon, for Equestria and even recovering the secrets the human took with him will be put on hold until this threat is dealt with.”
“What about the changelings? We’ve already sent a group of them into the city.”
“They are on their own; for if we do not act it will be the entire world that shall suffer.”
Luna exited the prison, to find Shrouded Armour waiting for her.
“How did you fair, Princess?” Shrouded asked. “Did you learn anything?”
“I am... unsure.” Luna replied. “It calls itself a rakshasa, and that it seems more concerned with mocking me than for its own wellbeing. Otherwise, I have failed to make any progress.”
“So we’re back to regrettable consequences?”
“It would appear that way.” Luna sighed. “Tonight the rakshasa shall find no rest, no solace, while it dreams.”
“Princess?”
“I was once called Nightmare for a reason.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? Shouldn’t I be the one to do this?” Shrouded asked, shocked at what Luna was suggesting. “That was the plan, wasn’t it?”
“Do not worry yourself, captain.” Luna said, placing a hoof on Shrouded’s shoulder. “I will not have any of my subject bear the weight of a burden that I am not willing to carry myself.”
“Princess.” Shrouded bowed, ashamed that he had gotten his princess into this situation but he was also secretly relieved that she was willing to handle the situation.
Luna started walking towards the exit. “Now, we must prepare for what...” she trailed off as she slowed to a stop. “Did you sense that, captain?”
“No, Princess, I didn’t sense anything.” Shrouded answered. “Is something wrong?”
“Perhaps. I must find my sister. You are to ensure that no being of any kind interacts with the prisoner. It is to remain in complete isolation until you hear from me personally.” she instructed, then rushed off.
It didn’t take long for Luna to find her sister, as Celestia held court every day at the same time. Luna walked pass the various nobles who had gathered in hopes that they would get a chance to petition Celestia.
“I am sorry for the interruption, sister,” Luna began as she reached the front of the line, “but something has come to my attention that I need to speak to you about.”
“Very well, sister.” Celestia nodded, then turned towards the gathered nobles. “Court will be in recess until I return.” She announced, then followed Luna into a small side room.
“Did you feel it, sister?” Luna asked once the door was secure.
“I did.” Celestia confirmed.
“What was it?”
“I am unsure.” the white alicorn confessed. “Ancient magic, from before our time; possibly from the time before Discord ruled Equestria.”
“If it is truly magic that old, how are we going to contend with it?” Luna asked. “All of the knowledge from that era is gone. Some destroyed during Discord’s reign of terror, the rest was lost during the time I was Nightmare Moon.”
“Although I am loathed to admit it, I fear that the quickest way to get the information that we need is to ask him.”
Luna’s jaw dropped hearing what her sister had just implied. “You cannot be serious! You would place the future of our kingdom, our subjects, into the claws of that monster!”
“We are dealing with very old, very dark magic. If I knew any other way I would take it.”
“Even if we were to release him, it is unlikely that he would help just because we ask it.”
“I never said that we would be the ones asking.” Celestia smirked.
“If not us, then who?”
“I will send him to Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements. With luck they will be able to convince him of the importance of the magic of friendship.”
“Are you sure about this, sister?” Luna asked. “This is Discord we are talking about.”
“Do not worry, sister.” Celestia said with a smile. “I have the perfect pony in mind.”
“Who?”
“Captain Armour!” Swiftstrike yelled as he burst into Shrouded’s office. “Captain Shrouded Armour, sir!”
The dark furred unicorn looked over the top of the large book he was skimming through. “What is it this time, private?” he sighed.
“Sir, we found... sir, are you reading?” Swiftstrike asked.
“Am I not allowed to read, private?”
“No, I mean... umm I... what are you reading, sir?”
“It’s a book on ancient races.” Shrouded explained. “Ones that predate the founding of Equestria.”
“Why?” Swiftstrike asked, then quickly added “Sir.”
“Thanks to Princess Luna we have learned what the creature calls itself.” Shrouded informed the private.
“I have been reading some of the old stories on them.”
“And?”
“And what I found is very troubling; of the hoofful of stories that I have read there is a very common theme. These rakshasas enjoy eating the flesh of other sapient races, humans especially.”
“So it attacked the Princess because it wanted to eat her? Or was it after Hunter?”
“Both, probably.”
“That is rather disturbing.”
“Indeed.” Shrouded nodded. “Wait, what did you want to tell me when you came flying through my door.”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot.” Swiftstrike said, scratching the back of his neck with a hoof. “We caught a changeling trying to infiltrate the palace. They are bringing it to the cells now.”
“I see. Please inform Princess Celestia of this development. I will make my way to the cells.”
Swiftstrike saluted and flew off. Shrouded shook his head in disbelief. Changelings? Again? He thought to himself. First magic using diamond dogs, a rakshasa, a creature that no pony has seen in over a millennium show up, then the entire Royal Bloodline family disappears, and now a changeling has been found in the palace. What is going on?
Hunter slowly made his way through the labyrinthine tunnel network with only a faintly glowing crystal as a light source. As he turned yet another corner, Hunter was growing convinced that he was now hopelessly lost. In front of the human was the same large geode that he has woken up beneath. I’ve tried always left, I’ve tried always right, and I always end up where I began. Hunter sighed, leaning back against the cave wall. Can’t go forwards, can’t go backwards, can’t go up, can’t go down. Can’t go anywhere, except around and around.
Hunter’s back slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting on the tunnel floor. He stared at the small glowing crystal for a moment, then tucked it into one of the coat pockets. Now in complete darkness, Hunter closed his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.
A moment later, Hunter found himself standing in the familiar grove of cherry trees that made up his dreamscape. He wandered through the trees for a few minutes until he arrived at the cliff edge. Making his way over to the cliff, Hunter sat down and stared out over the horizon. As the sun slowly dipped under the horizon, Hunter heard light hoofsteps enter the small clearing as they walked up beside him.
“Hello Selene.” Hunter greeted the black alicorn without turning.
“Hello Hunter.” Selene replied as she sat down next to the human. “Asleep already?” she teased. “And I was hoping that you humans could last longer.”
“Shut up.” Hunter said, laughing at the double entendre. “You’re not the one that has been walking around in circles for the last... indeterminate time period.”
“But watching you walk around in circles is exhausting.” Selene smiled and poked the human with a hoof. “Besides, it’s your own fault that you never went straight.”
“Straight, I get... wait, what?”
“That ‘hand-on-the-wall’ trick you use. It’s the same one that you used back in the palace maze, correct?”
“Yeah, what about it?” Hunter asked, giving the alicorn a confused look.
“It helps you navigate the maze by giving you a fixed point to orient yourself. However, it only works if there is only one ‘correct’ or ‘proper’ path through the maze; a fixed beginning with a fixed ending. These tunnels do not have one correct path through them, but many. The exits to the surface are nether beginning or ending, but both.”
“So, what are you trying to suggest?”
“Walk in a straight line, and turn only when you must.”
“That... might just work. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you are just a foolish mortal human, while I am a wise immortal alicorn.”
“You’re forgetting something.” Hunter said with a sly smile.
“Am I?”
“Yes. You are also my comfy pillow.” Hunter teased as he leaned on her, resting his head between her shoulder and neck.
“I am an all powerful being that controls the moon and the night sky, not your pillow.” Selene protested, but didn’t dislodge Hunter from his position.
“Pillows do not get to complain about their pillowness.”
“I AM NOT A PILLOW!” Selene shouted and jumped to her hooves, causing Hunter to fall to the ground.
“Aw, I gots a cranky pillow.” Hunter said dejectedly, rolling onto his back.
“What part of ‘not a pillow’ didn’t you understand?” Selene asked, moving so that she was standing over Hunter. “Why do you want to use me as a pillow anyway?”
Hunter looked up, into Selene’s eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know. Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time?”
“Well, you know, you were right there, all soft and fuzzy.”
“Fuzzy?”
“I’m sorry; do you prefer ‘fluffy’?” Hunter teased.
Selene didn’t reply, instead electing to stare at the human incredulously.
“Puffy?”
“Stop. Just... just stop.” Selene groaned.
“Fine, fine.” Hunter said as he stood. “If the velutinous alicorn wants me to stop, I’ll stop.”
“What are you, some kind of walking thesaurus?” Selene ribbed Hunter.
“I’ll have you know that my mother is very proud of my vocabulary.” the human retorted.
Selene opened her mouth to taunt Hunter once more when a blast of cold air rushed past them. The small grove, which normally was a warm spring evening, was now a freezing winter night. Taking a moment to collect himself, Hunter looked around at the now stripped trees.
“What the hell was that?” Hunter asked, then realized that he could see his own breath in the cold air.
“I’m not sure.” Selene answered.
“I should wake up, something is wrong.”
“Agreed.” Selene reared up, and brought her forehoovesd down on Hunter. The moment she made contact, the human woke and found himself in the dark tunnel once more.
Slowly pushing himself up to his feet, Hunter removed the small glowing gem from his pocket. He looked down each possible direction of travel attempting to determine which way he should go. “That way.” he said to himself, pointing down the tunnel to his left.
Following Selene’s advice, Hunter followed the tunnel, only turning when absolutely necessary. As he made his way further and further through the massive maze, the human felt like he was actually making progress for the first time; only to have that feeling ripped away when the ground beneath him gave out yet again.
Hunter rolled and tumbled down the newly formed incline, his recently found armour protecting him from the scrapes and impacts as he went. The direction of the incline changed suddenly changed, as Hunter found himself launched into the air. The impromptu flight was short lived, as the human collided with the far wall less than a second later. With nothing beneath him, Hunter began to fall once more. A dull thud echoed through the cavern as Hunter’s body impacted the ground from his short fall.
“Its official, this world hates me.” Hunter groaned as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Grabbing the glowing crystal, Hunter was about to stand when something reflecting the light caught his eye. Moving across the tunnel floor on his hands and knees, he found the corner of a metal box poking out of the dirt. With his curiosity overpowering his common sense, Hunter dug into the earth with his bare hands.
Several painful minutes later, Hunter had uncovered a steel footlocker. Lifting the lid, the first thing he saw was a letter sitting on top of a pile of items he never expected to see since coming to Equstria. Opening the letter, and bringing the glowing gem near, Hunter began to read.
To the Otherworld Hunter That Walks Through Me,
You are strong, you are brave, but you are without teeth, without a pack. I give you your teeth; take them and follow your nature. I give you the symbol of your pack; take it and follow your nature. Though you were not born within me, you are still my child. I bestow upon you my love and my blessing and all I ask in return is that you follow your nature. Follow your nature and hunt down that which threatens to consume all in darkness.
Ungula, The Mother Of All
Hunter stared at the note for several moments before he finally gave up on trying to figure out who this ‘Ungula’ person was. “It’s phrased as if I should know who this is.” Hunter muttered. “But I don’t remember a single being with that name.” he shook his head, folded the note and carefully placed it in one of his pockets.
With the note secured, Hunter focused on the remaining items within the footlocker. The first things he pulled out ware a military tactical vest, along with a few additional pouches. Looking over the vest, Hunter was surprised to find that it did not contain any of the symbols or patterns of his former world; instead the dark colour and silver detailing matched that of the armour he had found and currently wearing. Sliding his coat off and the vest on, he was unsurprised to find that it fit over the armour’s chest plate with no trouble. Someone’s got big plans for me. Hunter thought as he strapped on the other pouches before pulling the long coat back on. It’s a good thing or a very bad thing.
Turning his attention back to the footlocker, Hunter removed the next item; a Browning Hi-Power pistol. He checked the pistol and its clip before securing it in the cross-draw holster that was attached to his vest. The next firearm was a Colt C8 carbine, which he gave a quick look over then laid it on the ground next to him. The final weapon was a C15 Long Range Sniper Rifle. Hunter stared at the rifle in disbelief for several moments before he slung it over his back. I don’t know what’s more terrifying. Hunter thought as he loaded his various pockets and pouches with the clips and magazines that had accompanied the various guns. The idea that some...thing managed to get a hold of a rather large amount of military gear, or the notion that even in a place as peaceful as Equestria I am going to have to use them.
Hunter lifted the only remaining item out of the locker, a dark leather hair tie with simple steel rivets and lacing that ended with three small silver beads. “Someone likes black and silver.” Hunter commented, despite the fact that there was no one around to hear him. With a small shrug, Hunter pulled his long hair back and secured it in place using the tie.
Gripping the carbine, Hunter rose to his feet. He rolled his shoulders, moving his arms and torso in an attempt to familiarize himself with the weight and placement of his new weapons. He pocketed the glowing gem, flicked on the C8’s barrel mounted flashlight and started down the long dark tunnels once more.
After walking for some time, Hunter noticed that the winding tunnel began to straighten and take on a more uniformed appearance before it ended in a carved archway. Hunter paused for a moment, looking over the archway. No point in turning back now. He thought and stepped through.
As his foot touched the smooth floor, braziers along the walls ignited. The room was covered with reliefs that were carved into the wall; each one depicting scenes of carnage and destruction. In the center of one of the wall was a large and terrifyingly familiar door. “It can’t be...” Hunter muttered in astonishment. The human raced across the room, his fear driving him forwards. Arriving at the pedestal that stood in front of the doorway, Hunter felt his blood run cold as he realized the terrible truth; the massive vault doors from the vision he was shown, the ones meant to kept Chernabog’s statue sealed away forever, was open.
“Why... how did they open this?” he asked a loud.
So gripped in terror by this, Hunter didn’t hear the group of creatures that were approaching him until one of them screeched and pounced. Hunter turned just in time to see an equine body collide with his.
Pony? Was the only though Hunter had as his body struck the hard floor.
The creature opened its mouth to reveal a set of needle like fangs where its teeth should be. It bit down on the human’s shoulder but was unable to pierce his armour. With a grunt, Hunter forced the strange pony off of him, brought the C8 to bear and pulled the trigger, firing more bullets then he actually intended.
As Hunter stood, a second pony-creature raced forwards, shrieking. Before he had a chance to react, the pony-creature reared up and a lashed out at Hunter with a clawed limb. Pain shot through the side of his face as the claw tore into his skin; the force of the blow caused him to stagger back a few steps. Hunter gritted his teeth, and aimed the carbine at his latest assailant. Squeezing the trigger, Hunter found that he had more control over the weapon this time, but it still wasn’t as much as he would have liked.
Spotting two more pony-creatures moving towards him, Hunter didn’t bother to wait for them to act. He raised the Colt C8, aimed and squeezed the trigger, letting loose a hail of bullets. As the two creatures fell in a pool of their own blood, Hunter released the trigger and lowered the gun. “I really hope that’s the last of them.” he muttered.
Hunter scanned the rest of the room, looking for any more of the creatures that had attacked him. Instead of finding more ‘shriekers’ , the name Hunter a given to the pony-creatures, he found a unicorn with white fur and a blond mane at tail, trembling in the corner. Blueblood? Hunter though as he hurried over to the cowering pony.
Reaching the unicorn, Hunter let the carbine slip to the floor as he knelt down. “Blueblood, you alright? Can you hear me?” Hunter asked.
Blueblood slowly opened his eyes and saw Hunter kneeling over him. “Hunter? You’re alive?” Blueblood blurted out.
“Yeah, I’m alive.” Hunter answered. “It will take more than falling down some hole to stop me.”
“I thought... everypony thought you were dead. If I had known... maybe this would never have happened.”
“What wouldn’t have happened? What are you doing here?”
“My father was obsessed with finding some ancient power that your ancestors hid. After years of searching he finally found this place, only to realize that he didn’t have the key. Then you arrive.”
“So that’s why you were so insistent on me joining your house. Your father needed me to open the vault.”
“Yes, but before I could convince you...” Blueblood trailed off.
“The diamond dogs captured me.” Hunter concluded.
“When we heard that you had died, my father became furious. He said that I had destroyed all of the work he had put into unlocking this place. He said that if it wasn’t for my inability to get you to agree to join our house, we would be the most powerful family in all of Equestria. So to make up for my failure, I came up with a plan. I had heard that you had given Dr. Triage several blood samples to work with, and since human blood was the key to open the vault, I stole it.”
“You stole my blood? Why?”
“I have always been a bit of a screw up, and my father was always fond of reminding me. Before you arrived, I was supposed to woo Princess Cadence, which I failed to do. Then at the Great Galloping Gala, I thought that the Lady Rarity was just some commoner after my family’s wealth or title, so I did everything I could to dissuade her. Later, when I learned that she was an Element of Harmony, and a personal friend of the Princesses...
“So when I figured out how to open the vault without a living human, it was the first time in my life my father had something nice to say about me. Even then, my father could still make a compliment sound like an insult. All I wanted was for my father to be proud of me. To smile and stand tall when people said my name. I just wanted him to act like a father should, and now he never will.”
“What are you talking about, Blueblood? What happened here?”
“When we opened the vault, all we found was some ancient statue which fell to pieces the moment my father touched it. He was furious, of course, saying that if we had you and not just a couple vial of your blood we would actually have something to show for the effort. Then a dark cloud rose from what was left of the statue. It flew forwards, and engulfed my father, changing him, twisting him into something horrible. The cloud spread out, and began to change the others. Every servant, every employee that had followed us down here changed into those shrieking horrors.”
“What about you? Why didn’t it affect you?”
“The thing that had taken control of my father said it was my reward. For being the pony that freed it, I was to change last.” Bluebood grimaced as pain shot through his body. “It’s starting. Please, you have to do something. You have to help me. I don’t want to turn into one of those things.”
“I’m sorry, I-I don’t know how.”
“Kill me.”
“What?”
“Kill me.” Blueblood said adamantly. “I’d rather die now, as myself, then turn into one of those things.”
“Are... are you sure?”
Blueblood slammed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain. “Yes. Please, just do it quickly.”
“Alight, Blueblood, if that is what you really want.” Hunter relented, then drew the Beretta from its holster.
Blueblood reached out and placed a hoof on Hunter’s leg. “Just promise me that you’ll fix my mistake.”
Hunter took Blueblood’s hoof in his hand. “Don’t worry, I will make things right. I swear it.” Hunter said, aimed, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.