//------------------------------//
// In the dark of the night... 
// Story: Maudusa 
// by Verzeih Turncoat 
//------------------------------//

The light of Luna´s majestic moon barely broke through the leaves as some shadowy figures ran beneath them. The grey earthpony pushed jumped and slided through the branches in hope to shake off the pursuers. The green eyes of the pony were constantly scanning the surroundings for the enemies.

"This is not right. It can´t be"

The ghostly sheme of the hunting horse was just alongside behind some bushes. In panic were the grey hooves were pushed in the ground to turn around, but the seeker had noticed it early and had jumped at a tree to repel off of it. A huge dust cloud rised up from the point were the shadowy figure has landed, emerged in shadows and dust the figure came closer step by step.
As the mare stood before him he felt small and weak, despise the fact he was alot bigger than her. She starred at him with a gaze that he had seen by some monsters before. Deep rooted hatred and the total absence of respect for his life. These emerald green eyes barely recognized him as any living creature at all. She was fast way to fast to outrun her. To strong to fight her. And to angry to let him go.

"Nopony will take him away from me."

Slowly the grey stallion tried to back off but the mare kept him in close distance. How had it come to this? He was a professional monster hunter. He had fought Manticores, catched an Orthrus, his cages were full of creatures from the most dangerous cave in Equestria, but this request was to big for him.
The leathery wings spread from her back. He knew what lied ahead of him. When he tried to ambush the mare with the squad of the royal guard it was the same. The screams of the young stallions echoed in his mind. The picture of the crushed head will haunt him even if he is somehow able to escape her. The young stallion that had barely outgrown the colts age was the first victim of this mare. How could Celestia let him go with him? Why did he not refused to take this innocent ponies with him? He should have gone alone that way his carelessness would had not led to that many deaths.

"With Celestia as my witness. I am not going down without a fight."- The stallion screamed throwing his hooves up in the air, before his muscular body rushed towards the mare. Sixtytwo percent. Sixtytwo percent was his chance, so he had claimed if he had to go alone. Thanks to that now eight ponies were dead. He had underestimated the situation.
Glowing red eyes starred at him. He could feel his limbs getting heavier and stiff. He had not calculated the ponyfactor. Even thought Princess Celestia had specifically warned him about it. Celestia you were wrong as well.
Maudlin Latoya Pie was the monster! Not the cockatrice riding on her back. 
His hooves had already turned into solid stone and slowly the rest of his limbs will follow. If he could just knock out the mare so he could at least fullfill his task.
Grey hooves met with cold stone. Panic was all over the stallions face as his petrified foreleg was shattered into pieces. This mare that had just chopped off his limb with a singular strike had done the same with every single royal guard befor this. There was no pain, only the cold realisation that nothing could ever rescue him from his fate. The petrification had already reached his hips. No more moving. No more evading.
The mare curshed what previously his chest. His statue like body broke into chunks. He could see his lower part still standing as he was lying on the ground between it and the mare. His neck had become stiff as well a few more seconds and he was gone. His ears twitched as he looked at this beautiful and dangerous mare as she spoke the last words he would ever hear in a absolut calm voice.

"Tonight we eat pony."

Maud petted the cockatrice face as they looked into eachothers eyes. After that she smashed the fully petrified head of the stallion into bite-sized pieces.