//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Prey Always // Story: Monster Hunter: Equestria // by Bugsydor //------------------------------// \|/-Ponyville General Hospital-\|/ I was ready to check out of the hospital not long after I woke up. Thin mattress or no, it seemed that that last bit of rest was all I needed to be right as a raincloud. Or right as a thundercloud, at least; I was still kinda tired, and Doctor Honey Balm still wanted me to avoid doing anything too unboring for a day or so so I wouldn’t tear out the stitches. I ended up thanking her for taking care of me before heading off to Carrot Top’s house to pick up Dinky. I must have gotten a lot more rest than I’d planned on, because the sun was in the wrong end of the sky for it to be morning. ‘You could call me a tribalist for saying it, but earth ponies make the best doctors. I would know, too, with all the time I spend around doctors for one reason or another. There’s something about an earth pony doctor’s touch that just makes you feel better, and I consistently have a faster recovery when I’m in their care,’ I mused to myself as I left the building feeling much better than when I’d entered it. ‘You would not be wrong to say that. The nature of their magic makes them particularly good at mending things and restoring order to systems.’ I skidded to a stop, making the security guard at the door look at me funny. He went back to staring at his copy of Cosmare magazine after I shook my head and started walking again. That mental voice wasn’t mine, but I was sure I’d heard it before. ‘Shadow?!’ I did my best to think at him. ‘How in the hay am I hearing you when I’m awake?’ ‘I live in your head. It comes with the territory.’ ‘Well, I suppose that makes about as much sense as anything else.’ There was a lull for a bit while I kept walking towards the edge of town. Nopony seemed to have noticed the conversation going on inside my head, which was just as well. I wasn’t in a big hurry to add “talks to voices in her head” to the list of things everypony knows is wrong with Derpy. ‘I think joining up with Her Highness’s Hunters would be good for you.’ ‘Huh?’ I thought as a frown drifted onto my muzzle. ‘I’d have thought you’d be against that sort of thing on principle, what with how you were offering to make me into a monster and all.’ ‘Derpy, my host, you misunderstand my intentions. I did not offer you power out of some desire to “corrupt” you or some other such nonsense. I have always admired predators for their strength and cunning. A stupid or weak predator never lasts long, as you saw the other night. When I entered your mind, I saw neither stupidity nor weakness. I saw potential. While I do still feel that you would make a lovely wolf, you are still possessed of that strength I admire as a mere pony. ‘The way I see it, Bon Bon has offered you a way to move up in the world. A way to assert your strength over those who would prey upon you and yours. A way to put yourself at the top of your own food chain. Is this not what I wanted for you?’ ‘Well, when you put it that way,’ I thought, unsettled, ‘that does sound sort of like the things you seem to like.’ ‘I’ve taken a look around in here,’ he replied. ‘You cannot tell me that you wouldn’t enjoy having some more power in your life. Not to mention it would also take care of those petty “money issues” you devote so much of your energy to worrying about.’ I didn’t really have an answer to that, and Shadow didn’t seem interested in continuing our conversation further right then. \|/-Carrot Top’s House-\|/ Once Carrot Top’s place started to come into view, some spring started creeping into my step. By the time I got to her door, I was as close to bouncing as I could get without being in danger of popping my stitches. I knocked on the door and said, “Hello? Muffin delivery service? I heard there was a little muffin here who needed somepony to take her home.” I heard the sound of tiny hooves skittering across a hardwood floor. Or really, I heard the sound of Dinky Hooves skittering across a hardwood floor. As little as I liked him, Railroad Spike sure had a way with names. I stepped back from the door in time for a lavender unicorn filly with my mane and tail to leap at its handle and swing it open. “Mom! Mom! Mom!” she shouted as she bounced around me. “Are you ok? Are those stitches? How long until you can fly again? What happened? Why couldn’t I come visit you? How’d Railroad Spike hurt you? Is he back in jail? Are we going to have to move again—” I put a stop to the fountain of frantic questions the best way I knew how: by wrapping my little Dinky in both my wings and arms. “Easy there, Muffin. Mommy’s ok now, for real this time. She just needs to take it easy for a couple of days. I’ll tell you the rest once we’re out of Auntie Carrot’s mane.” As Dinky melted into my double-layered hug, one of my eyes drifted back up to the doorway to see a slightly tired Carrot Top smiling at us. She looked like she had questions, too, but didn't want to ruin the moment. “Thanks for keeping an eye on Dinky for me while I was in the hospital. It meant a lot to me to know you were looking out for her.” “It wasn’t any trouble at all,” she lied. “I’m always happy to help a friend in need, even if her daughter can be a bit of a worry wart.” She punctuated her statement by lightly nuzzling Dinky’s head. “Don’t worry about going out to the market tomorrow, either,” she said, bringing her head back up to look me in an eye. “I filled up your fridge this morning with a little help from Dinky, so you should be clear to relax and heal up for a while.” While I could have just stood there forever with Dinky in my embrace, I also really wanted to get home. I was tired, and I owed Dinky a talk. I released Dinky from my hug and said, “Well, my little muffin, it’s time for us to head home. Now what do we say to the nice pony who looked after you?” She turned to Carrot Top, beamed, and said, “Thank you, Auntie Carrot! I’m gonna head home now!” “Goodbye, Carrot,” I said as Dinky trotted out of the doorway and onto the road home. “You’re a lifesaver. Really.” “Don’t mention it. Just let me know if you need anything. “Also,” she whispered as I was about to turn and leave, “I’m here if you need to talk to somepony about what happened once Dinky’s in bed.” “Thanks. I’ll think about it,” I said back. We gave each other a brief parting nuzzle, and then I set off to catch up with Dinky. \|/-Ponyville Post Office-\|/ I crawled up onto my bed and lay down, which Dinky took as a cue to start the discussion that we’d had coming. “Mom, you came home from Canterlot all covered in blood. It was worse than any accident you’ve ever been in since I can remember,” she said, her eyes watery with concern. "This one… It wasn’t just an accident, was it." I’m proud of her for it, but sometimes I wish she wasn’t quite such an astute little filly. Ah well, I was planning on telling her anyway. “No, Dinky,” I said with a sigh, “it wasn’t.” “What did—No, how did he do that? I’d never seen wounds like those before. Is he still out there? Is he going to try to hurt us again?” She was trembling. Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria did I ever think talking to Railroad Spike was a good idea? “Yes, it was grim. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, though. He won’t hurt you, me, or anypony else evah again.” She started to relax – stopped trembling, even – but then she tensed back up. “What do you mean?” she asked, her head tilted incredulously. “Is he finally locked away for good?”. I deflated with a grimace. This was going to be a bit of a doozie to explain. “Dinky, you said you hadn’t evah seen wounds like the ones I came home with before. That’s because I’d nevah come home with bite marks.” “Bite marks?” she said, climbing up my bed to get a closer look at the stitched-shut wounds on my neck. “But ponies don’t—ponies can’t bite like that. Did he sic dogs on you or something?” No buts about it, now was the time to bite into the lemon. “You’re fright about one thing, Muffin. Ponies can’t bite like that. He didn't lick any dogs on me, though. Dogs nevah could stand him… Railroad Spike wasn’t a pony anymore when I met with him the othah night. He’d turned into a vampire…” Dinky just stared into my eyes, open-mouthed, as I told her the story of my fight with Railroad Spike. I left out the bit with the thralls and my making their ears burn. “Well,” she said after the several seconds of stunned silence after I got to the part about Railroad Spike’s rather... pancakely ending. “I guess that means we’re not going to see any extra bits from that direction.” I cringed. Very on-the-nose. She’s more with-it than I am when it comes to keeping track of some of those less wonderful parts of life, a lot of the time. “No, Muffin. Well, not from exactly that dissection.” I gaze sadly into her little eyes. “Will you be able to forgive me?” Her nose crinkled. “Forgive you? For what?” She sniffled, tears welling in her perfect, golden eyes. “He attacked you! I don’t think he ever wanted to help us. You stopped him, too. He was a bad pony, and then he turned into something worse. He was going to hurt a lot of ponies, and you stopped him. He was going to hurt me, and you stopped him!” She buried her face where my crest met my withers, careful to avoid my injuries, and cried. Her terror, her stress, her anger, and her sadness all flowed out of her, infusing my coat with tears and filly goobers. Children are wonderful. Don’t let anypony tell you otherwise. “Besides, Mommy,” she said once the tears slowed down, “I know you’ll find a way to take care of me. You always find a way.” Now seemed like a good time to shift the mood of the conversation. “Speaking of money, my little accountant,” I said as I tickled her with a wing, “I think now’s a good time to go over the different demolitions of Equestrian currency.” “Don’t you mean,” she tried to say around ticklish gigglesnorts, “denominations?” “That’s what I said. Now, what are the different bee pollenations?” Sometimes I’ll mix words up on purpose, just for her. She scrunched her face up in a scowl of appreciation before answering. “The two most common denominations are the bit and the bar. The bit is the standard unit of currency, while the onety-bit bar is used for larger purchases. There’s also the pip, onety of which add up to make one bit. They’re good for really small purchases, like buying candies from Bon Bon’s shop.” “That's very good, Dinky, but you left out one decompilation: The chip. The chip is worth onety bars, or a hundred bits. Some ponies like to use them for very large purchases, like buying a new house. Speaking of which, we might just be doing that ourselves soon.” “Whoah, we’re getting a new house? How?! Did you get promoted? Did you get, like, a bunch of promotions?” “Kinda like a promotion. I’d still be working for the government, but it’d be in a different department. If I took this new job, we’d nevah have to worry about bits again. Might have to worry about where to keep all the chips, though.” “Wow, Mom! That’s amazing! You could get a real cloud bed, we could have candy and ice cream every day, we could get the exotic fruits at the market – I’ve always wondered what a kumquat tasted like – Diamond Tiara would stop—Wait… what kind of new job would this be, if it’s not exactly the same as a promotion?” “Somepony noticed that I, uh, stopped a vampire all by myself, and now the Princesses want me to fight monsters for them.” And then my daughter’s eyes grew three sizes, rapidly filling with yet more fearful tears. “But Moooom!~ I just got you back! I almost lost you. You almost d-died from fighting one monster, and now you’re going to be fighting all the monsters?! All the bits in the world won’t buy me a new you.” ‘Well, so much for easing her into the idea,’ I thought to myself. “I know that money can't replace me, Muffin, but it won’t have to. Fighting monsters won’t evah be as bad as when I fought that blood sucker. When I fought him, all I had were my own head, wings, and hooves. If I join Her Highness’s Hunters, though, I’ll be way better off than that. Not only will I have the best fear Equestria can make, I’ll also be fighting monsters with friends. I’ll always have friends with me to watch my back and make sure I get back home to you in the same number of pieces I left in.” She didn't seem overly impressed, but she didn't say anything about it. “Dinky, do you remember how you said I stopped Railroad Spike from hurting a lot of ponies?” Dinky flinched slightly when I said that. I probably wouldn't have noticed if she weren’t still snuggling my neck. “Well, what if Mommy could save a lot more ponies from being attacked by monsters? What if I could make it so lots of little colts and fillies don’t have to worry about being attacked by monsters, because I found the monsters first? What if I could use my special talent to make the world a safer place? Wouldn't that be a good thing?” She scrunched up her muzzle in thought. “The princesses need ponies like me, Dinky.” “They might need ponies like you, Mom, but do they need you? Because I need you. I can’t settle for a substitute.” The two of us stared off into space for a quarter minute, until I remembered something. “Dinky, do ya know what the worst part of fighting that vampire was?” “The blood loss?” she replied right away. I chuckled. “That's what ya’d expect, but no. “The worst part of that fight was the fear. It was the paralyzing, unnatural fear he was flooding my mind with. Stick almost anypony in that situation, and they’d have been turned into bloodless statues. Ya know what I had that other ponies wouldn't?” I felt her shake her head. “I had you, Dinky,” I said, stroking her spine with a hoof. “Whenever I was too scared to move, all I had to do was think of you, how I had to get back home to you, how I needed to keep you safe… and I would break out of it. “The pony who wanted to recruit me for triple H, she told me that dealing with fear like that is something most ponies can't do. That’s one reason why they need me: to do things that other ponies can't.” We just lay quietly there on top of my bed for a bit, until Dinky spoke up again. “Mom, I know this is important to you, and important to the princesses, too. And the bits to take care of me have to come from someplace. And you’ll always have other ponies looking out for you, so it won't be as dangerous. But please,” she said, pulling herself up to look me in both eyes, “please promise me you'll never do something that… m-makes it so you can’t come back to me. Promise?” I looked into her beautiful, watery eyes, making an effort to focus both eyes on hers at once. “I promise, my little Muffin. I promise.” And then I wrapped my arms around her and continued to lie there as I began to drift off. “So, who was the mare from Triple H?” “It was Bon Bon, actually. Darndest thing.” I let out a yawn. “Turns out she’s been some kind of secret monster-hunting agent this whole time. I always kinda figured Lyra would be the one with the wacky background,” I said as I lazily shrugged my less painful wing. “Makes sense to me,” she said with a shrug of her own. “It explains why she wouldn't let me eat any of those ‘special’ bonbons I found, anyway.” 'That makes sense, I guess,’ I thought to myself. I let out another world-eating yawn. “Muffin, Mommy’s tired. If I crash out now, can you get yourself some dinner from the fridge?” My daughter chuckled. “Sure thing, Mom. Auntie Carrot made sure we won't starve while you're getting better.” “That was… nice of her.” My head fell to my pillow as my day decided it was done for then. “Good night, Dinky. Don't stay up too late.” She's such a good daughter. \|/-Lyra and Bon Bon’s Residence—Slightly Less Than One Week Later-\|/ “I’m in,” I said after Bon Bon opened her door. “Welcome to the team,” she said. “Orientation’s on Tuesday.”