• Published 25th Sep 2017
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An Equestrian Witcher - OblivionShadow



A witcher from the Northern Realms finds himself sitting in Equestria, turned into a pony. When the fight with the Leshen began it was business as usual, but a second attack and a sharp pain to the back find him waking up in a world he can't imagin

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58: The Next Hunt...

Oblivion tossed the hay bale up to the loft and looked back to the front of the barn as Sasa trotted in to join him. The she-cat picked up her own bucket and walked back out to drop off the pig slop for Big Mac to use. She came back in and sat down close to him.

“Okay I am starting to miss hunting monsters.” She admitted with a laugh.

Oblivion chuckled and nodded to her. “It is something I have more experience with I agree. Farm work is not something I have a great deal of knowledge about.”

“True. I keep wondering if we need to actually look into those other monsters on that list. But you asked that you be alerted to them if they came close to ponies, right?”

“Yes. I asked Luna to monitor the situation and alert me if needed.”

The feline sighed and fell to her belly. “I really don’t want to carry another bucket of…”

As he stopped as a scroll of dark blue stationery appeared in Oblivions magic. He looked at her. “Be careful what you wish for?” Sasa got to her paws and came up to him as he unrolled the scroll.

Oblivion,
One of the monsters that you had named for us has begun attacking ponies once more. We ask that you hunt it down and remove it if possible. We are not sure if you wish to meet with us now or later about going to hunt for the monster. Let us know.

Luna

Oblivion rolled up the scroll and set it aside as he considered his options. “Meeting in person might be the easiest option.” He said aloud.

“I agree. Should let Applejack or Granny know that you’re leaving for the evening.”

“Agreed.”

The black stallion left the barn and angled for the front porch where Granny Smith sat. He reached her and waited for her to take notice of him, her eyes partially closed. The black Unicorn gave a loud snort and the mare startled and looked to him.

“What ya need?” She said to him.

“I will be going to Canterlot for a meeting with Luna. I should be returning by the end of the night but I will keep you alerted for any changes.” He replied to her.

She nodded and his magic flared as he teleported away from the farm. His eyes opened and he looked up as the Canterlot gardens stretched out in front of him. He summoned Sasa and walked into the castle. He looked up as a yell caught his attention and a familiar pony trotted toward him.

“Oblivion!” Shining called out to him and hoof bumped his friend and fell in beside him. “What brings you to Canterlot?”

“Luna sent me a letter about one of the monsters on the list. I came to discuss it with her.” He replied and Sasa nuzzled the other ponies shoulder in greeting.

“I wondered why she was in a hurry earlier. That explains why she pulled Striker and Silver out of drills.” He responded with a nod.

“She is a bit ahead of herself. Depending on the monster we may not need to act that far ahead.” Oblivion said to him.

“Still. Better to have them ready instead of sitting on their hooves.” He admitted. “I have to admit the training you gave them has made them the ones to beat during sparring drills.”

“I did not do that much,” Oblivion said to him.

“For the type of training, we do you did a lot for them. Though I do have to ask. Did you tell them to fight dirty or is that they're own doing?”

Oblivion barked a laugh and looked to the Captain. “I told them that honor is what you make it. If you win the fight it doesn’t much matter how.”

Shining shook his head in defeat and laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”

Oblivion gave a silent shrug and walked ahead. “Winning a fight is a matter of skill and determination. I showed them how to fight and they now have the option to use those skills. If you know how the body reacts to certain actions then you can shorten a fight to a mere moment versus a few minutes. It’s a matter of action and how to work with that action.”

Shining sighed and led the stallion through the throne room doors where both Luna and Celestia looked up to see him walking toward them. Luna jumped off the throne and trotted to him to greet him.

“Oblivion!” She called out and hugged him as he stopped at the base of the dais. “We had hoped thou would come to join us soon.”

“Your letter made it seem as though time was of the essence. I assume I was correct?” He asked.

She nodded and rejoined her sister. “Thank you for coming to us Oblivion,” Celestia said to him.

“Which monster is it?”

“Straight to business?” She replied to him.

“I do not see any reason to delay.” He replied. His ears flicked as the sound of the doors opening caught his attention.

He looked back to see his guards coming through the doors. They wore the armor that he had altered and they trotted to him, taking their places at his back. He gave Shining a side look at the Captain hide a smile behind a hoof. Oblivion looked back to the Princesses above him and waited for them to speak.

“It is the one that you called a Wraith,” Celestia said to him and she paused as he took the weight off one rear hoof at the information. “It has been getting closer to ponies and has not retreated.”

“The Wraith is the weakest of the group of them. It can kill I agree but it is not the fastest of them either. It is easy enough to outrun.” He replied to her.

“While that may be true it is attacking ponies that get even a bit close to it. It seems to be getting closer to the village.” She went on. “Can you be rid of it swiftly?”

Oblivion nodded. “It’s not the strongest. A few goods hits from a silver blade and it will fall, that I can assure you.”

“Do thee have the time to tend to this?” Luna asked him.

“I do. Given a few days, I can have it removed.” Oblivion said to her, his voice certain.

Luna smiled widely as he spoke and she looked to her sister who smiled. “That is good to hear. Do you need some time to alert the rest of the Apple Family?”

Oblivion closed his eyes for a moment as he realized that they were going to throw a fit about his leaving again, but he nodded. “I will teleport back to them and let them know. I will return here and we can leave from here.”

Celestia nodded in agreement as the black Unicorn spun to leave and his guards began to gather their own supplies under his command and he teleported back to the farm with Sasa.

“You know they are going to freak right?” She said to him.

He sighed and nodded. “I am aware.”

“Granny is going to tan your hide.” She replied to him, a laugh in her voice.

The stallion nodded and looked to the house to see the family gathered in the kitchen. He walked into the house and sat down at his normal place. Sasa laid down under the table and waited as they finished their meal. Apple Bloom was ushered off to her room to do her homework, while he spoke to the others.

“Ya look like ya got somethin’ on yer mind.” Applejack said to him and sat down. “Ah figured sendin’ the filly to ‘er room was a good plan.”

“I do have something I need to talk to you about that’s true.” He agreed and waited as the mare sat down. “I received a letter from Luna alerting me to the presence of one of the monsters that remain from my hunting. It has begun attacking ponies and needs to be removed.”

“So ya have ta go?” Mac said to him.

“Yes. It is slowly getting closer to a nearby town and the closer it gets the more likely it is that a pony could be killed.” Oblivion nodded to the red stallion.

“But ya just got back.” Applejack said to him.

“While that’s true, I took on the contracts from Luna and Celestia and I will fulfill them,” Oblivion said to her.

“Ya need ta be here,” Granny said to him. “Yer family needs ya here.”

Oblivion looked to the elder mare and shook his head. “For what purpose? Everything that I do on a daily basis can be done by others. I was made to be a Witcher, not a farm pony.”

Granny looked at him, a stubborn expression went through her features. “Yer a farm pony now.”

“I am not made to be one. While I will do my part I was not designed to be a farmer. I was made to be a Witcher, I am designed to hunt monsters and tend to curses. I am letting you know that this is what I am doing. I am not asking for permission.” He said to her and got to his hooves. “I will keep you as informed as possible and alert you when the hunt has ended.”

His hooves carried him outside, Applejack on his heels. The mare set a hoof on his shoulder to stop him from teleporting. His orange eyes fell on her as she stood up and hugged him tightly.

“Just be careful, ya hear.” She said to him and released her grip on his neck and shoulders. “We just are scared about losin’ ya again. It took ya a long time ta come back.”

“I do not anticipate one Wraith giving me any trouble. A Leshen would be a concern but I have killed more than my fair share of Wraiths. They fall easily once you find them.” He assured her.

“Be careful.” She said to him as his horn lit up and he teleported away from her.

He opened his eyes to see the gardens once more and he summoned Sasa to his side as he went to find his team.


His eyes went out over the skies as the chariot moved toward its destination. He looked to Sasa as they moved, she laid at his side quietly, and the clouds flashed by as they began to descend. Oblivion was quiet as they landed and Sasa sat up and yawned. The Witcher jumped from the chariot and his saddlebags went to sit on his barrel. Sasa jumped out to land at his side and she stretched out and licked over a patch of her fur that was out of place. Oblivion walked forward while the guards began to unload their gear and the tents that they would use again for the duration of their stay. His eyes narrowed as a pony began to trot toward them. Sasa growled at the pony as they neared him.

A Thestral approached them and slowed at the sight of the tall stallion. Sasa stepped forward and stood a few steps ahead of him, her aqua eyes trained on the approaching pony. Oblivion looked back to Vantage and Cross.

“Vantage.” He said aloud.

“Sir?”

“Do you know this Thestral?”

Vantage came to his side and his shoulders slumped and a groan escaped him. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Oblivion spread his claws in the dirt, ready for any threat.

“It’s Sight Line.” He groaned.

“Who?”

“The Thestral I mentioned before.”

Oblivion was quiet as he thought back to the last time they had spoken and he nodded at the memory. “Will he be an issue?”

“No, sir.” Vantage replied. “I’m not sure how he’s here. His vacation was over a couple of weeks ago. How the hell did he get here before us?”

Oblivion reached out to grip Sasa’s fur when she growled louder at the pony as he stopped wisely several feet away from them. Oblivion breathed in and a sigh pulled from him as he exhaled. “Keep him back Sasa.” He said to her and the feline growled and advanced a step.

“Sir?” Vantage said to him.

“I want to know why he is here. I dislike not knowing his motives.” Oblivion said to the Thestral.

Vantage nodded to him and bowed his head at the unspoken command. He walked down to stand beside Sasa and he yelled for the other Thestral.

“Sight Line.” He said aloud.

“Vantage. I thought that was you.” The other replied.

“Why are you here? Your vacation is over.” Vantage pressed.

“I heard that you were coming here and I mentioned to the Captain that I am from this village. He said that I should be able to help and told me to hustle back home.” He explained.

I may have to have a word with Shining Armor about this.’ Oblivion thought to himself. ‘I dislike having my team undermined. His presence has already caused a delay.’

Oblivion stayed back as Vantage came back to him. “Sorry, sir. Looks like the Captain sent in for him. He’s a pain in the ass so I’m not sure how much help he will be.”

“I will speak with Shining about this. I do not appreciate surprises before I begin my own work. We will adjust to him but he will either be of no help or prove to be helpful. While I am doubtful of his usefulness I will allow him to approach.” He looked to the still growling tiger and a shrill whistle went from his lips. “Sasa. Let him near.”

The tiger came back to him and she sat down at his side. "So this is the one that they do not like the presence of?

Yes.” He said back to her as the pony came to a stop in front of him.

“You must be Oblivion Shadow.” He called out.

Vantage stiffened at his side and he walked forward. “Show the proper respect, Sight Line. You are in the presence of an Element of Harmony and one who is the same rank as the Captain himself.” Vantage snarled.

“Oh right.” The other said and waved a hoof in the air at the other Thestral. “Relax Vantage. Sorry, sir.”

Sasa growled at him and looked to Oblivion. Can I slap him into the ground?

Do not tempt me.” He replied to her. “Apology acknowledged. What is your business here?”

“I was sent to help out since this is my home town. Don’t worry with my help this mission will take no more than a couple of days…Sir.” He said to the Witcher.

Oblivion looked over his shoulder as the other guards came to stand in their place at Oblivion’s command. The four guards took their place and stood at attention, waiting for his command. Oblivion said nothing for a moment before he looked to them and spun to look at them.

“Vantage.” He said to them.

“Sir?”

“I want you to start scanning the forest with Striker. Use your vision to guide his flight and see if you can spot anything out of place. What you are looking for is this.” He said as he pulled an old drawing out of his saddlebags to show the two ponies.

“Sir!” They intoned and took to the air after scanning the drawing.

“Silver?”

“Sir?” The Pegasus came up to him and waited.

”You’re in the village with Cross. I want to know how close this Wraith has gotten. I will meet with the mayor…”

“I can take you to him.” Sight Line interrupted.

Oblivion paused and looked over his shoulder to the cocky Thestral. Sasa snarled and lunged at him, driving him back. “Keep your tongue in check,” Oblivion said to him. “Go.”

Silver and Cross loped past the stunned Thestral and ran for the village. Oblivion breathed in again and stroked Sasa’s fur as she sat at his side once more. I really want to hit him.” She growled to him.

I know. Before the evening is out I might allow it. Or at least turn away.” He replied to her.

Please do.” She quipped and stared.

Oblivion turned to the Thestral and walked past him. His claws folded back into his hoof as he walked forward. He could hear the Thestral on his heels and Sasa looked back as he stayed a few steps back. The black unicorn was quiet as he walked into the small town and began to make his way through town. He looked to the side as the Thestral trotted past him and started yelling as he vanished around a corner. Sasa looked up at him and the stallion cast a glance to her and he gave a knowing nod to her. They both knew that he had gone ahead to find the mayor of his hometown and Oblivion fought back a growl under his breath. The black Unicorn came around a corner and a pony rammed into him and he paused in place. He looked down to see the Thestral from before looking to him.

“Oops.” He said and backed up from the chest of the black stallion. “Anyway. Here is the mayor of the town, Hazel Berry.”

Oblivion looked to the Earth Pony ahead of him, the stallions grey eyes looked out from a dark brown coat of fur. Oblivion saw a cutie mark of a large nut tree on his flank but he ignored it and chose to address the pony in front of him.

“I was contracted by Celestia and Luna to rid the area of a monster that looks like this.” He said as he pulled out the picture he had drawn of the Wraith.

The mayor looked at the picture and nodded. “Yup. That’s the monster all right. Used to stay away from the village after it killed and for a while, we thought it was gone. It showed up outside one of the fields and has been flitting around that area for about a week or so.”

“Have you had any trouble with ponies getting to close to it?”

“Nah. Most keep their distance.”

“And the one that was killed?”

“Young fool that she was. Good young mare but…”

“She was a firecracker.” Sight Line broke into the conversation.

Both stallions looked to the Thestral and Oblivions orange eyes glared down and the pony went silent. “You were saying?”

“Well, she was feisty and was sure that she could drive it off for good. Didn’t even know she had gone after it till the next morning. Poor thing was curt to pieces by it. It never showed any weapons at…”

“Yeah, it did. After that it did.” They were interrupted once more and the Thestral stood up nearly in between them.

“Sasa?” Oblivion said her name aloud.

Sasa came up to him and forcibly backed him away from them. He saw the mayor flinch at the large cat but his eyes fell on the collar around her neck and he looked to the Witcher who nodded to him.

“She is my companion. Harmless unless forced to be otherwise.” He informed him.

“Ahh. Well, so long as she behaves she’s welcome here.” He said to them.

“Thank you for that. She will defend if needed but she is at my side for a reason.” Oblivion replied to him. “You were saying about it being armed?”

“Yes. It didn’t look armed at first but as he said it was after she went after it. It was a bit aggressive after that but after a couple of days, it gave up and went back to the forest. I do have to ask. How did it get here?”

Oblivion paused as he considered his reply. He cast a glance to the Thestral who looked annoyed at the large cat blocking him but he remained silent. “It was brought here by a portal that was created by another and now I am cleaning up the mess left behind.”

The Earth pony nodded in understanding. He lowered his head and Oblivion matched him. “Can ya take that one with ya when ya leave?” He said with a nod to the Thestral.

Oblivion snorted. “I have no need of him and I may send a request to have him recalled if he insists on getting in the way further. I have my team with me and they are more than enough to end the threat posed by this Wraith.”

“Wraith? And please take him with you. Nice enough unless he gets a sniff that there might be glory in the mix.”

“Oh Gods one of those?” Oblivion growled.

“Yep. Nice enough but then he gets it in his head and he turns into a glory hound.” He replied, his expression laughing. “You get paid more than me ta handle him.”

Oblivion tilted his head at him. “Not really.”

Sasa growled and he flicked an ear as the Thestral tried to go past her as Striker landed close to him.

“Sir!” He said and saluted the black Unicorn.

“Striker?”

“We saw it. Vantage is keeping it in sight.” He reported and waited as Oblivion looked past him to the forest.

“Pardon me.” He said to the mayor and took off at a fast gallop, Sasa falling in at his side. Striker fell in at his hip as the black stallion charged out of town.

Oblivion cast a look over his shoulder and he could see both Sasa and Silver in place with him, keeping in stride. His eyes went to the skies as he galloped over the grass and dirt. Vantage circled and Oblivion charged harder at the sight of the flitting Wraith. He dug deeper, his claws tearing into the grass as Striker and Sasa fell back at his unspoken command. He summoned his weapon from the band on his leg and he cast Quen as he galloped forward. He kept his armor back in case the fight ended faster than he thought it would. He slid to a stop as the Wraith flit out of sight for a moment as the stallion tapped his hoof to cast Yrden onto the ground.

Oblivion was silent as he stood in place, his body still. His weapon hovered at his shoulder and his ears flicked, listening for the monsters telltale sounds. He had fought hundreds of Wraiths if not more and he knew them well. He spun as it attacked his flank and he jumped back, drawing it further into Yrden. The black stallion cut the air and the Wraith screamed as it fell back and the black stayed still once more, his hoof tapping a new circle of Yrden over the old. Hs orange eyes looked closely around him and he slowly began to turn. The Elder Witcher’s ears flicked as the sound of wings came toward him and he looked up as the Thestral collided with him and knocked him out of the circle and they rolled over the ground. Oblivion lost grip on his blade and allowed it to drop into the grass as he rolled to his hooves. His eyes scanned the area and his ears flocked as the Thestral got to his hooves.

“Saved you just in time!” He crowed. “That thing was going for your back.”

“Silence.” Oblivion breathed as he tried to listen.

“No need to thank me. Just doing my job and helping.”

Oblivion horn lit as a ring of magic silenced the chatty Thestral and he looked around for the Wraith. “Damn. It’s gone.” He complained and released the Thestral’s mouth.

The black stallion relaxed and his magic gripped his weapon and it vanished as he sent it back to the band on his leg. Striker and Vantage joined him, Vantage glared at the other Thestral. Sasa snarled as she approached the Thestral and began to drive him back. Oblivion breathed out an angry sigh and turned to look at them.

“What in the Gods name are you doing?” He finally asked.

“What?” Sight Line replied. “I just saved you. I knew you would need my help out here. I’m not surprised you need all four of them at your back. You just stand there like you have a huge target on your back.”

Oblivion stared at him as Sasa growled and she sat down in front of him. “Striker?”

“Sir?”

“Get the others here,” Oblivion commanded, his voice firm.

“Yes, sir.” Striker took to the air and vanished over the treetops. “Now. Kindly explain why you think I need your help.”

Sight Line stepped around the growling feline and stood in front of the Black Unicorn. Sasa came to stand next to him with Vantage, who still glared hotly. “Well, you need all four of them. But anyway, I figured I would hang back just in case and sure enough you did need some help. That thing would have carved open your flank if not for me.”

“Did you not see the first part of that fight?” Vantage asked him.

“Not really. I saw you standing there in the back, not doing anything Vantage. I mean come on he clearly needs help out here.” Sight Line went on.

Vantage looked to Oblivion who said nothing as the Thestral spoke. “He doesn’t need our help unless he says otherwise. You just ruined his hunt.”

“Hunt? Hah!” He laughed at Vantages wording. “That would have been a massacre. Come on. You have to know better than that. I mean I know that we were told he can handle himself but from what I saw he was about to be killed.”

“Sir!”

“Welcome back Striker. Silver, Cross.” He addressed them and they saluted. “I was just being informed of my failure at killing the Wraith by this pony here.”

Silver looked stricken and his eyes darted from Oblivion to Sight Line and back. “Seriously?”

“Yes. It has been quite the…education.” He replied.

Cross came up to him and looked at Sight Line who looked cockily to them. “You’re kidding, right?” He said aloud.

Oblivion looked at him, hearing his voice above a certain volume surprised the Witcher and he nodded. “Not at all. Shall I tell you what happened?”

Sight line looked uncertain for a moment before he took the weight off one hind leg and waited. “Please do.”

Oblivion looked at them and began to speak. “I came where \Vantage circled having been told by Striker that the Wraith had been seen. Sasa and Striker fell back and I activated Quen…”

“Queen... what in Equestria?” Sight Line said to him.

“Quen. It’s a shield that a Witcher can create without magic and it deflects the attacks of monsters and ponies.” Oblivion explained. “I also activated Yrden. Which is used to either slow down ponies or it can force an otherwise incorporeal Wraith to become solid enough to cut with a silver blade.”

“Oh. That’s interesting. But you weren’t using it before.” Sight Line said to him.

“How are you certain? Do you even know what it looks like?” Silver asked him.

“Well, it’s a wall of magic.” He said to them.

The guards looked to him and Oblivion tapped his hoof. A ring of purple runes went over the ground, surrounding the black stallion. Sight Line looked to the ground and looked embarrassed for a moment and then back to the black pony.

“After that, I was able to draw the Wraith to the circle and while it attacked first I was able to attack and cut it as it fled the circle. Once it fled I was able to recast Yrden and allow it to cover the old version and regenerate the effect it has.” As Oblivion spoke, Sight Line began to look nervous as the black stallion’s voice remained confident and firm. “As I waited for the Wraith to return I waited in one place and was able to listen for the sound of the Wraith coming toward me. Before that happened I did hear the sound of your wings and was able to turn to stop from attacking you in its place.”

Sight Line looked uncertain as the stallion finished speaking. The guards were all staring at him, their expressions were angry and annoyed as Sight Line shuffled his hooves.

“Oops.” He replied and leaned back on his haunches. “I can still be helpful though.”

“You're just here to try to get the glory of it. Oblivion is the only one that can fight these monsters and live through it. How long have you been hunting them Oblivion?” Silver asked him.

“Long enough to have killed more than a few hundred Wraiths.” He replied as their eyes widened in shock at the numbers. “I am the eldest of the Witchers of the Wolf School. I have trained my fellow Witchers to survive attacks from monsters that you have only seen in nightmares. All you have accomplished is allowing the Wraith to live longer and therefore you have placed your fellow equines in danger due to your own arrogance and glory-seeking.” Oblivion said to him, his voice loud enough to command attention.

Sight Line looked to the ground at the black stallion's hooves and for the first time had nothing to say. Vantage looked at Oblivion who nodded s the Thestral stalked up to the other.

“Anypony gets hurt or dies and it will be your fault.” He snarled. We could have been leaving already except you decided that you know better than a pony that has already killed a monster that could have carved you and all of us into pieces with barely any fight. We were taught by him to run away and fly from it.” Vantage paused and looked over his shoulder. “Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a picture of the Leshen?” He asked.

Oblivion paused and nodded after a moment’s thought. He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a sketch pad that he had used years earlier. He scanned through it and his magic let it hover in front of the Thestral’s.

“Look at it.” Vantage snarled.

Sight Lines eyes went wide at the picture in front of his nose. He reached out and his hooves gripped the paper as Oblivion released the pad and his horn went silent. His eyes went to the black stallion who said nothing as he looked to the paper once more.

“I can still help you.” He began and gave the sketchpad to Vantage who groaned out loud. “You don’t know the area…”

“I do not need to know it,” Oblivion replied and took the sketch pad back and set it back in his saddlebags. “I was made to hunt monsters and that is what I am here to do. I do not need your aid and I will not ask for it. But…” Oblivion paused as an idea struck him. “Do you wish to audition to try to replace one of my team?”

The guards spun to him and Sasa stared at him, a surprised noise escaping her. Sight Line looked at them and nodded. “Of course. Anything they can do, I can do.” He assured the black stallion. “Anything.”

Oblivions eyes took on a mischievous glint. Sasa and the guards took notice and relaxed under his gaze. The stallion looked to the high grass fields and walked toward them. The group followed him and Sasa bumped his hip as she stayed at his side. The black Unicorn reached a slight hill in the field and stood atop it. The guards took their place at his flanks and waited as the other came up to them, his expression cocky and self-assured. Sasa sat down at his side and waited for him to speak.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long delay. So here we go with the next run. I did not have a lot of time to edit so I will edit it sometime in the next days. Thank you for your patience and I hope this one is good enough to hold off on while I work on the others. Thank you as always and Enjoy!

Okay just edited it and I am ashamed to see how many typos there were and missed pieces. ugh...All fixed!

Edit: 11/14/2019

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