//------------------------------// // Monster Hunters - Wounded Soul (revised) // Story: Trials of Blood and Kindness // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Trials of Blood and Kindness - Chapter 6 Monster Hunters - Part 2 - Wounded Soul “So you are the master of this mansion?” asked a tall pegasus with chains attached to metal boots on his forelegs. His associates armed with crossbows waited for his signal. “Yes I am,” he responded with a polite bow. He continued with a forcefully calm tone, “My name is Sample Taker and I am the master of this mansion you have just raided. How can I be of service?” The attackers laughed before their leader spoke, “My name is Unbreakable Chain, and just as my name suggests, you can’t escape my grasp.” The vampony forced a chuckle. “I take it that you gentlemen are not here to seek my medical knowledge and expertise?” “Not really. To be honest, we’re here to offer our services instead,” Chain started with a smug on his face, “as a cleaning service, free of charge.” “Cleaning, you say… well, it looks to me like you are doing a terrible job.” He pointed at the stained carpet covered in fragments of shattered vase. “Oh, it’s because we are dealing with a special kind of garbage, a trash staining our mighty kingdom, trash like you.” The vampony released a deep sigh as a barrage of arrows flew in his direction. Two were deflected by a swift hoof strike while the rest pierced his body. Two struck his hind legs, one hit his torso, another was embedded in his foreleg, and a last one dug into his forehead while failing to penetrate his skull. The hunters observed the stream of blood coming from their foe's wounds with satisfaction. Their smugness didn't last long, as the dark aura started to spread around the vampony's hooves. The hunters took a few steps back, their crossbows aimed at the pool as several dark hooves emerged from it. A few of those hooves disintegrated on contact with the magically enhanced arrows, at least two managed to pull the crossbows from a pair of hunters before sinking back into the dark liquid while the rest pulled the arrows from the vampony's body. Blood that was not covering the arrows returned back to its owner and closed the wounds. “T-that’s… impossible. Unless…” said the leader as his face became pale. He pointed at his foe. “You’re a pureblood!” He grit his teeth in anger. “Shoot it, shoot it!” The hunters did as they were ordered, while the ones who lost their crossbows took out daggers from their belts and flew at their foe. The shadow hooves emerged once again, parrying the projectiles and forcing the attackers to evade. “Damn you, pureblood!” Unbreakable Chain swung his chain at the hooves emerging from the floor, the lengthy weapon quickly covering the entire floor, shattering them. Sample Taker jumped and flew upwards to avoid the attack while the sharp, enhanced silver edge of the chain struck the floor, quickly dissipating the pool of dark magic. The hunters once again focused on their foe, who flew right at them. Some shots missed while others hit their attacker, but they barely slowed him down, as he grabbed one silver arrow with his forehoof. Sample Taker ducked to avoid being kicked in the head and quickly swung the arrow at his attacker’s forelegs, striking the muscles around the elbow. The hunter dropped to the floor like a ragdoll with arrow stuck in his knee. With one opponent immobile, Sample Taker went from one to the other, taking hit after hit, while striking the most vulnerable locations on his enemies legs. A swift swing of a chain threw the vampony against the wall, where a pony shaped mark formed from the impact alongside spreading cracks. The pureblood thestral breathed heavily as he pulled arrows and daggers from his body, his wounds quickly recovering. Five hunters were lying immobile on the floor, barely containing their groans as their legs refused to work. The remaining five gathered behind their leader with crossbows trembling in their hooves. Unbreakable Chain stared back at the vampony and analyzed the situation. Think, how can I dispose of a pureblood? The silver cancels their healing abilities upon contact with their blood, so every successful strike drains some of his power, he thought before scanning the floor, where several silver arrows and daggers coated in blood captured his attention. He took a quick look at his five remaining pegasi and then back at his foe. If only we had known that purebloods lived here, we would have prepared better. Much to his surprise, the pureblood managed to relax in the middle of combat, his expression changing to a pleading smile. “You cannot win this fight. Take your fellow hunters and leave my mansion at once,” he pleaded with sorrow. The hunters looked at each other while their leader grit his teeth. “Yeah right, like we would listen to you. When I turn my back, your teeth will sink right into my neck. I won't be falling for that, monster.” The vampony shook his head in disappointment. “You came to my mansion and slaughtered my servants…” He paused as his tone sharpened. “No, they were more than servants, you murdered my friends.” He stomped against the floor, sinking his forehoof into it, shooting several small stones and torn fragments of carpet in all directions. “But revenge won’t bring them back, it will do nothing but spread suffering and create a cycle of vengeance and pain.” He wiped tears that now covered his face. “Stop this fight and break the cycle of hatred and death. If you won’t accept my mercy and leave, the blood of your followers will be on your hooves, not mine.” “Save your lies!” Unbreakable Chain performed a long range attack, but the vampony jumped to the side to avoid it. With pull of his foreleg, he swung the chain to the side and struck the agile foe. His power and regeneration seems unmatched, and he certainly knows the weak points on a pony’s body, Unbreakable Chain thought as he looked at the bleeding wounds of a nearby immobilized comrade, somewhat impressed by the perception and accuracy of his foe. His agility and fighting skills, on the other hoof, seem to be lacking, considering how many attack we managed to hit. With a smirk, Unbreakable Chain tested his theory as he signaled his pegasi to surround the target. He pulled the chain and pushed at the target once again, forcing it to dodge, “Now!” he yelled as arrows were shot from all sides. Noticing a flash in Sample Taker’s eyes and a pool of darkness forming on the floor, he flew up and spin in mid air, his chain pulled back as it struck the wall right behind the pegasus. The chain pressed against the ceiling, leaving a track on it before it was pulled down with full force, slamming the vampony right into the pool of his own creation. Dark hooves, now motionless without their master’s concentration, were taken out by arrows while Sample Taker received a few wounds as his endurance was pushed to it’s limits. The pegasi took out daggers and went for the kill at full speed. “No, don’t charge him!” Chain warned, but before he could ready his weapon for another strike, his followers were already captured by the dark hooves emerging from the floor. Sample Taker pulled an arrow from his chest and struck the legs of his immobilized foes with it, while his magic kept their leader at bay. Unbreakable Chain’s eyes opened wide as all of his pegasi were lying motionlessly on the floor. He tried to swing the chain again, but his foe reached him before his weapon made a half turn, and he got tackled towards the wall. After coughing a bit of blood from his mouth, an arrow struck his left foreleg, disabling it so he no longer could use his weapon. He still refused to show any fear and glared back at the pureblood with determination. “You may have defeated me, but after my death, others will come, and they won’t rest until your kind is eradicated!” Sample Taker ignored his words and looked into his eyes, his voice not betraying any emotions, “Where’s my daughter?” “Beats me!” Chain shouted before spitting at his foe. Sample Taker stared at the pegasus while studying his heartbeat and body language, quickly reaching a satisfying conclusion. He smiled lightly and walked towards the door. “Take your pegasi or call for medical assistance, their legs can be saved if aided in few hours.” “What?” The vampony was about to go outside, when the chain passed in front of his muzzle right towards the wall, blocking his path. “Where do you think you’re going?” “To find my daughter,” he responded firmly. *** Rainbow Dash noticed that her friend was about to foolishly run towards her dad, unintentionally blowing their cover. Not wasting a moment, she restrained Fluttershy. Upon seeing, from the corner of her eye, that enemy reinforcements had arrived, she pulled Fluttershy and pressed against the wall. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to be used as hostage or even killed. Fluttershy wrestled against her friend’s trembling legs while pressed against the wall, but stopped upon seeing the terrified expression on her friend’s face. She sensed Dash’s fear, recognizing the strong smell of sweat and her heavy breathing. Fluttershy sensed Dash’s heartbeat increasing rapidly, and could see terror in her eyes. It became obvious for the young pureblood that her friend had just witnessed carnage that no pony her age should. With a burst of strength, she broke her friend’s hold and hugged her tightly as they both cried on each other’s shoulders. *** “I don’t think so,” Chain said before pulling back his weapon with his working foreleg. Reinforcements already? I would have expected a pureblood vampony’s mansion to be a fortress filled with army of servants, not so few, he thought as several arrows flew into the room, forcing Sample Taker to jump back onto top of his bed. The fact that the rest of his squad had arrived here so fast meant that most, if not all residents of this mansion had been eliminated. Now he had a fighting chance. “I said it before and I will say it again: take your pegasi and leave or more blood will be spilled.” “Big words coming from vermin with a knife at its throat. The only blood spilled will be yours!” The vampony took a deep breath and exposed his fangs. “Funny that you say that. Just a moment before, you and your fellow hunters had my fangs on your throats, and yet they are not pierced.” With those words, he dived at the hunters. *** Sample Taker’s POV *** Sample Taker repeated the strategy from before. As the fierce battle went on, more arrows struck him and were now soaked with his blood while he pierced more legs of his foes in return. He took a few short sips from his foes before another attack forced him to retreat. The large room and hallway were filled with unconscious hunters, all struck in the same location, alive but immobile. The leader proved the hardest to deal with as his experience and solid defense kept Taker at bay. With one final push, Unbreakable Chain was slammed against a wall, his ribs cracking. With one quick swing, another silver arrow struck another one of his forelegs. The hunter looked back at Sample Taker with something he recognized: fear. He received a similar look from the two remaining hunters who kept their crossbows armed and aimed, but were too afraid to shoot. He gazed at them and pressed his hoof against Chain’s neck. “Leave us alone!" He shouted, causing both pegasi to take a step back before flying out of the room. He released his hold and let his choking foe fall to the floor. Unable to stand, Chain raised his head and asked with a tired voice, “Why… why are you letting… letting us live? Twice you spared my life.” Sample Taker smiled sadly as more tears streaked down his bloody face. “It’s not the time or place for you to die. You and your followers have the skills and experience to fight monsters and evil that could threaten Equestria. Today you killed many innocent thestrals, and it cannot be taken back.” He grit his teeth and half closed his draconic eyes, his tone suddenly cold and angered, “The part of me I’ve been resisting this whole battle wanted nothing but to shred you all to pieces, to cause to you the pain my friends were forced to endure, but what would revenge accomplish?” Sample Taker pointed his foreleg towards the lying pegasi, most of them unconscious. “They have families to be with and the defenseless to protect. All I wish is for my family to live in peace.” Suddenly his ears perked up at the noise of hoofsteps. He turned to the source that was far closer than he expected, the lack of blood greatly weakening his senses. “I will grant you everlasting peace,” the masked figure responded before charging at him. The pureblood thestral tried to dodge, but his speed was greatly reduced from the previous fight, unable to prevent his foe from placing shackles on his hooves. Before he could understand what was happening, his hind legs were shackled as well, and finally a large collar made of enhanced silver was put on his neck. “What are you doing?” The pegasus pulled the imprisoned vampony away form his brother, nearly tripping, and took off his mask, smirking. “My name is Unbreakable Shackles.” He turned to Unbreakable Chain and added, “I see you defeated my younger brother. I believe I owe you my thanks.” Sample Taker struggled against the shackles, but in his weakened stage was unable to break free. The battle was lost. “Really? It is very rare for a hunter to thank a thestral.” He chuckled to hide his fear. “You're welcome. Though I would suggest you to aid your brother and his comrades before they lose too much blood.” “Oh, I wasn’t thanking you for sparing their lives, though I am somewhat grateful for that,” shackles responded as he pressed some sort of switch on the collar. Blood splat out from vampony’s mouth as spikes shot into his neck. “Do you know how much the guild offered me for killing a pureblood? Up to ten million based on their age. You’ve made me a very rich pony.” Shackles laughed hysterically. “This is too good to be true. A mansion with barely any vamponies to defend it, two purebloods who barely know how to fight. I feel like fortune is shining on me. Bits, reputation, a promotion, this one mission is giving me everything I ever wanted!” After a few more seconds of laughter, Shackles composed himself and wiped tears of joy from his eyes. “My squad outside of this mansion is already softening up your wife as we speak, and reinforcements are on their way. All that’s left for me to do is wait until she’s tired and finish the job.” Unbreakable Chain stood up, maintaining his balance on his rear hooves while his forelegs were paralyzed and bleeding. “Brother, did you call for medical assistance? We didn’t bring enough supplies to aid everypony.” “Relax,” Chain responded. “They will arrive alongside reinforcements.” He passed his brother and entered the room, his attention focused on the paintings, specifically a damaged family portrait. The names of the ponies under the frame were damaged by an arrow, but birthdate wasn’t. “Terbat… hmn.” “L-l-l-v… d-ugh-er… al-ne…” Words barely escaped Sample Taker’s bleeding throat as he looked at the hunter with mix of anger and plead for mercy. Shackles responded with a sing-song. “Happy birthday to your daughter, happy birthday to her.” Sample Taker’s mouth was agape as he collapsed on his shackled hooves. The cheerful hunter took out his dagger and cut off a fragment of the family portrait, which contained the image of a young mare followed by a birth date, and burned it with his forehoof. He blew the hot ash from his hoof and smirked, surely turning clouds into steam wasn’t the only thing pegasus magic was good for. Unbreakable Chains next examined the birth date of the older vamponies before placing the picture into his saddlebag. “You’re over four centuries old?” He said as he trotted towards his prisoner. “Considering that your daughter has her birthday tomorrow, and since you earned me a four million bits bounty, I’m willing her go.” He looked to the side at a wall and smirked again. “She’s not worth much anyway, not worth my time.“ He took out a small blade and asked, “Any last words before I cash in your head and end your misery?” Sample Taker closed his eyes, a weak smile formed on his bleeding lips. We lived a long happy life. As long as my daughter is safe. I have no regrets. He felt his heart being pierced, its beating slowing down, and then… nothing. *** Dash’s POV *** Dash put her foreleg on her friend’s eyes and turned her own head away from what was about to come. It still didn’t stop the noise of a falling head from reaching Fluttershy’s ears. Suddenly the young pegasus felt a pain in her foreleg as two sharp teeth pierced it. Regardless, Dash steeled her nerves and didn't let Fluttershy go. “Drain me all you want, I won’t let you die!” Dash responded. She knew that her friend wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her for standing between her and her headless father, but she had to be strong for both of them. After several seconds of pain and blood draining, the fangs slowly left her foreleg, following with two licks to close the wound. Fluttershy turned her face and looked back at Rainbow with empty draconic eyes filled with tears. Despair, sadness, guilt, anger, hopelessness, so many emotions in those red eyes. Despite being nearly a century old, Fluttershy pressed herself into Dash’s chest like a scared filly and whimpered. The four hunters slowly went outside, leaving at least thirty of their unconscious comrades behind as they took only Sample Taker’s body, most likely to serve as proof for killing a pureblood. Fluttershy pushed herself from the warm embrace and turned around, sobbing. Rainbow Dash wished she could cheer her friend up, to let her cry out her sadness, but they didn’t have the luxury of time. Feeling slightly sick after looking at the blood covering the floor, she rounded Fluttershy and sat in front of her lowered head. “Listen. I don’t know how you feel. I can’t even imagine your pain, but we can’t stay here.” Not receiving any reaction, she raised Fluttershy’s head with a hoof and added, “Your veil is shattering and medics will be here to attend the wounded. We have to run or else they’ll find us.” Angel nodded and started to kick the young vampony’s leg. Fluttershy gulped and wiped her face. She had to find and warn her mother before she lost her too. Fluttershy took a quick look at the unconscious pegasi whose legs weren’t bleeding any longer but still had severe injuries. Her parent’s teachings and good nature told her to help, after all, their lives were speared by her father. Another part of her, however, whispered to her to let them rot, and wished they were conscious and in deep pain. She bit her lips and turned to Dash before nodding in agreement. Time wasn’t on their side. *** Fluttershy’s POV *** Why, why is this happening to me, to my family? We aren’t the bad thestrals they describe in novels. We aren’t power hungry monsters who enslave the free willed and turn innocent ponies into armies of slaves. We were doing our best not to abuse our power, no matter how tempting it was. So why? Fluttershy thought as she followed Dash, who looked back at her every five seconds while Angel Bunny held her tail. They were flying outside of the mansion, scanning the area for Clean Mouth’s whereabouts while Fluttershy sent leftovers of her power to keep the veil up a little longer. Why… why did they do this to us? Mom and Dad always said that monster hunters kill only evil beasts and bad thestrals, they said to be good and they won’t hurt us. “You hanging in there?” Dash asked with concern, her voice more gentle than usual. “Y-yes,” Fluttershy responded weakly as she looked back at Dash, quickly noticing ruffled wings flapping nervously, heavy breathing and bags under eyes of her friend. Even in a weakened state, she could still sense change in Dash’s heart rate, stress and fear. Who would have thought that a nearly century old, pureblood thestral would be lead and protected by a thirteen year old reckless pegasus, Fluttershy thought as she smiled weakly, her wounded heart warmed up a bit by her friend’s courage. While they both witnessed the massacre, she was used to the sight of blood and opened wounds, Dash wasn’t, yet here she was, leading the way. Dash… I underestimated you. You’re not just reckless, but also brave and strong. I am glad that you’re my friend, especially now… More tears started to slide down her face at increasing rate. When I need you the most. “Here!” Dash shouted, pointing out at the platform on the edge of a mountain that blocked the sun’s rays, slightly down from where the mansion was positioned. Fluttershy looked at it as well, but barely saw anything. I know that pegasi have great perception and can notice small details across long distances, but for them to rival my eyes… wiped away her tears and sweat from her forehead before blinking rapidly as her blurry vision slowly sharpened. I must be really weak. Both Dash and Fluttershy flew towards their target, quickly landing with a light thump. The Veil of Darkness vanished a moment later. Fluttershy ran on her shaking legs as she jumped over unconscious hunters. Unlike her Dad, who struck their legs, her mom used sleeping spells and hypnosis. A far less lethal method, but also more difficult to put in motion. Fluttershy’s ears dropped as she slowed herself, now walking with hesitation as the area was covered with arrows, daggers and blades, all covered in blood. Her mother was lying against a wall, her shoulder pierced to the stone and her eyes closed. “Mom!” Fluttershy screamed as her steps became more hesitant. “Mom…” Getting close enough, she poked her mother in the side of her belly. “Mommy, please, wake up,” she added with watery eyes. Much to Fluttershy’s relief, the tired eyes of her mother opened, and a smile quickly spread across Clean Mouth’s face. “F-Flutterb-shy, you’re okay…” she said with relief while raising her hoof to touch Fluttershy’s crying face, gently stroking her cheek while wiping the falling tears. “After… after those hunters attacked, I went to look for you, but...” She pointed at the unconscious ponies. “I was forced to fight. I tried to lure them away from the mansion. I’m glad you’re alright.” She took a deep breath and tried to remove the arrow, but didn’t have enough strength to even do that. She gave her daughter a tired smile while barely keeping her head raised. “We need to get my husband and gather all who are still alive. Can you…” Fluttershy didn’t say a word, instead she ran towards a nearby hunter and pulled him by his legs. Dash helped by grabbing his head, while her wings flapped rapidly to carry part of his weight. With his neck close enough, Clean Mouth sank her teeth into his flesh, a portion of her strength returning as she leached away his blood. “Thank you,” Clean Mouth said before pushing the arrow away. She brushed the dust from her body and approached another hunter to take a second serving of blood, while being careful to not suck too much. Fluttershy followed her example. “Mommy...” “Yes dear?” she asked while turning to her child, who rubbed her foreleg nervously while Angel Bunny jumped from Fluttershy's back and ran away. “Daddy... he... he...” More tears leaked out of Fluttershy’s eyes as she tried to say those horrible words. It was as if only now she realized that her father was dead, as if her survival instincts had suppressed her grief. She remembered every story he read to her while she was growing up, his smile and laughter, his kisses on her cheek when she felt sad. All of that was gone, and she would never again hear him say how much he loved her. Clean Mouth didn’t need to hear the rest as her pupils shrunk in realization. In an instant she hugged her daughter as both weeped together, letting nothing hold them back from mourning their loss. Even Dash couldn’t restrain herself as she wiped her own eyes, but suddenly something struck her in the neck. Clean Mouth’s ears perked upward as she released Fluttershy and flew to the bleeding pegasus. Her eyes flashed in red as she pulled the arrow, the blood quickly returning into Dash’s neck and sealing the wound. The pegasus dropped to the ground and choked uncontrollably, desperately grasping for air. A hunter landed on the cliff and approached with his weapon aimed at Rainbow Dash. “What are you doing?” Clean Mouth asked with an aggressive tone. “I can understand why you targeted us, but why her?” The hunter looked between the pegasus filly and the vampony before responding, “Your disguises don’t fool us. And even if this filly is not yet one of your kind, you purebloods would turn her sooner or later.” “How can you say that? Do you not care who you kill? Weren’t hunters supposed to hunt only the evil thestrals and monsters?” Fluttershy asked with desperation as she looked at the hunter with pleading eyes. “Why would you target us?” “Pffft…” he frowned. “All vamponies are evil, corrupted by dark magic into the servitude of a pureblood.” His voice suddenly became very loud as the hunter pointed his foreleg accusingly at Fluttershy. “You all are nothing but shells filled with dark magic, and you spread like a plague. The ponies that are turned are already dead, and we merely dispose of walking corpses.” He aimed his crossbow at Clean Mouth. “Purebloods, on the other hoof, are the source of this plague. Once they are all dead, this nightmare will be... over.” Clean Mouth deflected the arrow with swung of her forehoof. “I put to sleep many of your comrades, why do you expect to defeat me with a single crossb–” she stopped and grabbed both Dash and Fluttershy before jumping to the side. Her rear hooves slid on the rock surface as dust spread around them. “So much for a surprise attack,” said the pegasus with a large silver collar in his hooves. He looked at his fellow unconscious hunters and then back to Clean Mouth. “They are all alive, aren’t they?” After receiving a hiss in response, he laughed, his hoof on his mouth. “That’s just rich. First your husband shows mercy, and now you. Can this mission get any easier?” “Sir?” asked the hunter as he looked at his squad leader with confusion. “What’s going on?” “Tsk tsk,” Shackles responded. “Open your eyes. The owners of this mansion are two soft pureblood thestrals who rarely turned anypony into vamponies. Not only their mansion was barely defended, but they are also too innocent to kill.” “R-really…” the hunter responded before lowering his crossbow. The glare he gave the vamponies softened. Shackles shook his head. “You rookies are so blind,” he said before his voice shifted into a mocking tone. “We must kill monsters to protect our families. Vamponies are blood sucking walking corpses. Changelings are soul sucking demons that must be killed.” He massaged his forehead and added, “You guys are so pointless,” while the hunter growled in response. “Wait a moment!” Fluttershy shouted as she sidestepped and walked towards the group. She challenged the officer with aggressive stare. “If you knew we’re good thestrals, why did you murder my father?” She took a deep breath and yelled, “Why didn’t you let us live in peace?” Clean Mouth quickly approached her daughter and spread her bat-like wing protectively. Shackles rolled his eyes. “And you are just as hopeless. Lets follow the rules, lets be good vamponies and live in peace,” he sighed, “you all make me sick.” “What?” Clean Mouth asked as Shackles shoot her a glare. “You are all so naive. Your weakness is what will make me rich and seal your fate. Life is not lollipops and rainbows for either of us. Your kind cannot afford weakness, and bounty hunters cannot waste such good opportunities.” He flew into air and dove at the group. “It’s just business, no hard feelings!” Fluttershy yelped as she was pushed to the side by her mother. She quickly raised her head, only to see Clean Mouth flying into the battle. With determination on her face, Fluttershy stood to her hooves and spread her wings. Dash got in the way and warned, “Don’t do this; you can barely stand.” The young vampony hissed before looking to the side. She is right. While the Veil of Darkness helped us survive against those hunters, it drained all of my strength. I drank some of Dash’s and hunters’ blood, but it may not be enough. Fluttershy and Dash observed the fight that seemed to be a stalemate. While the elite hunter couldn’t capture his target with his shackles, Clean Mouth’s sleep spells and hypnosis didn’t seem to work. As the young pureblood looked at her own back, a realization struck her. “Angel… Where’s Angel?” *** “Stupid bunny!” yelled a monster hunter as he stared at the little creature who was sitting on his crossbow, presenting his tongue. Angel Bunny raised his paw and it started to flash red, and next delivered a punch against the weapon he stood on. Noticing that a hoof was on a collision course with his head, he jumped onto the hunter’s foreleg and ran across it before hitting his foe right beneath the eye. The hunter screamed in pain as he dropped the crossbow which melted into flames, and the fur under the pegasus’s eye caught fire. “Sir Shackles ordered us to assist him in an ambush. We shouldn’t waste our time here,” another hunter said, only to notice that his foreleg was also on fire. He started to jump while repeating “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” as his attention focused on traces of smoke on the ground. “Kill that tartarus-spawn!” *** “You cannot win. Leave while you still can!” Clean Mouth said before hissing, her right foreleg bent from exhaustion and lack of blood. “And lose an opportunity of a lifetime? I know that you can’t kill me, you don’t have what it takes to take a life. Pureblood vampony or not, you don’t have it in you,” Shackles responded while gesturing some sort of signal to his teammates. “Keep provoking me, and you may be the first. You killed my husband, don’t test my mercy!” As seconds passed, and no rain of arrows followed his gesture, he murmured to himself, “Fools. If you want something done right, you do it yourself.” The elite hunter smirked and took out a small bomb from his cloak, throwing it at the ground and creating a bright flash. Both vamponies hissed and cowered from the blinding light. Fluttershy rubbed her eyes, only to feel a foreleg grab her by her neck. If she ever regretted to be trapped in a younger body, she did now as she struggled fruitlessly against the bigger foe. She looked to the side to see Dash struggling against the other hunter. She turned to her mother who looked back at her with despair. "I have your dear daughter, while my associate has her friend,” Shackles said as he moved his collar around Fluttershy’s neck. “Will you try to save your dear Terbat and risk that this collar will pierce her neck?” He looked to the side. “Even if you will save your daughter by some miracle, my fellow hunter will kill her friend. Like it or not, in the end,” his smile grew as he added in a sinister tone, “somepony must die.” “No! Don’t do it!” Fluttershy shouted, knowing full well what was going to happen. Her mother stared at her for a what seemed like minutes. Fluttershy knew what she was going to do, but was still determined to stop her. “Please! I don’t want to be alone!” Clean Mouth lowered her head as she whispered, “Rainbow Dash... can I trust you to watch over my daughter? To be there for her her no matter what?” “Y-yeah...” “Swear it.” “I swear!” shouted Dash, leaking her own tears as she struggled against hunter’s hold. Clean Mouth sighed and looked at her dear daughter with a smile. “Flutterbat… your father and I love you. We will be watching you always, my sweet little filly.” She closed her eyes as one more regretful word left her lips, ”Goodbye.” “NOOOOOOO!” cried Fluttershy, but it was too late. Her mother gave one last smile before her head was removed from her body in one quick stroke, followed by a direct hit deep into her heart. *** Something in Fluttershy snapped. Her eyes were lifeless and her mouth closed. Just a moment ago she witnessed her mother’s death and she couldn't look away from the head rolling on the rock surface. Dash grabbed Fluttershy and flew away, the extra weight barely slowing her down. “Sir, they’re getting away,” said the remaining hunter while pointing at the sky, his wings spread as he was ready to pursue them. “Leave them,” Shackles responded as he held the vampony’s head like it was the most valuable thing in the world. “I may be greedy, but after the fortune I earned today, I see no need to kill her.” “But she is a pureblood. She may turn innocents into monsters!” “She is the innocent one, you close-minded fool. A child in a powerful, decades old body, one day before her birthday. Sparing her life is my gift to her.” “I have had enough!” The hunter yelled and stomped in anger as he turned his back to Shackles, his attention focused on the retreating targets. “First you risk your squad’s life just so you can fill your pocket, and now you’re letting a potential threat go? Unless we–grahhh.” His legs trembled as he tried desperately to catch a breath, with little success. A chill went through his bones the moment he noticed the tip of an arrow coming from his neck. Shackles tilted his head closer to his subordinate’s ear and whispered, “How pitiful that during a fight against a pureblood, one of my subordinates got caught in the crossfire and fell from the mountain.” The pegasus turned around to look at the smiling elite hunter, who just approached and pat him on the head. “She will be of use to me in the future, you won't,” Shackles added before delivering a double kick against the hunter’s belly. With the arrow stuck in his throat, he could barely take a bit of air into his lungs, much less focus on using his wings to escape his demise. Images of his life and family went through his mind; pain and feeling of betrayal were the last things he experienced before hitting the ground. “Happy birthday, Flutterbat. Happy birthday to you.” *** Angel Bunny observed the scene from the higher ground, his attention shifting between the two retreating fillies and the headless body of his mistress. With a deep sigh, he turned around towards an unconscious pegasus, who dared to chase him all the way up to the small road across the mountain. With his paw once again reaching an armor-melting temperature, he approached the hunter with a vengeful smile. His master and mistress may have been weak fools who didn’t have the courage to take a life. But he was never a fan of this rule. With a sinister smile, he placed his paw on a wing and watched the feathers slowly burst into flames. Angel wondered how to execute his revenge. Would he let the pegasus burn alive slowly, or would he keep him alive for a small round of torture? With a moment to look at the night sky, another thought crossed his mind. With his owners dead and Fluttershy being young, meak, and useless at this point, he needed to move on and find a more… worthy master to serve. “Mom, Dad, I have something important to tell you,” Rainbow Dash said, depression clear in her voice as she refused to look into her parents eyes. Her mother, a Pink maned violet pegasus with a rainbow for a cutie mark quickly approached and wiped the dirt from Dash’s face, her attention focused on the several bruises covering her daughter. “Whatever happened to you, Rainbow?” The tall pegasus with a rainbow mane pointed his hoof at their guest and said, “You must be Fluttershy, one of Dash’s school friends. My name is Rainbow Blitz, do you remember me?” After a few seconds of not receiving any reaction from the filly, he continued, “I thought my daughter was having a sleepover at your mansion tonight.” The yellow pegasus took a step back and nodded hesitantly. “Did something happen?” asked the stallion as he knelt to Fluttershy’s level, who, in turn, hid her face behind her mane. The female pegasus knelt as well and tried to push the pink mane to the side, but Fluttershy just flinched and curled a little. “Please don’t be afraid, my name is Rainbow Shine, we met a few times when you helped my daughter prepare for exam sessions. For how long you wish to stay?” Dash sighed and walked between her parents and her speechless friend. “At least until she finds a new place to live. She lost both her home and her parents.” Noticing their stares of disbelief and pity as both pegasi nearly lost their balance, supporting themselves against each other, she added, “It’s a long story.”