The Hunter and the Hunted

by Marezinger Z

Chapter 5

The Hunter and the Hunted

Chapter 5:

Hunter ran several blocks until reaching a vacant commercial building. He headed inside and stopped to finally take a breather.

“Damn it.” He put his hands to his knees and shook his head. “Not my week.” He headed through the empty lobby and onto the stark sales floor. In the corner was a modest set up featuring a mini fridge, a hot plate sitting atop a folding table, a metal folding chair, two large duffel bags, a foot locker and a sleeping bag. Opening the fridge, he took out a bottle of water and nearly downed it a single swig. He sat in the chair and laid his head back, closing his eyes as he considered what to do.

“Hunter!” Sunset’s voice rebounded off the empty walls.

Hunter’s eyes shot open and he looked back towards the lobby to see an exhausted Sunset before him. “Seriously?” He asked himself in disbelief as he rose from the chair and breathed out a heavy sigh. “You part bloodhound or something?”

Sunset raised her palm to him. “I can see people’s memories when I touch them, I saw this place in your mind when I grabbed you.”

“Ugh… I hate magic.” He groaned. “Listen, I don’t know what you think is happening but I’m not the bad guy here.”

“I want to know what that thing is that’s running around the city and what you have to do with it.” Sunset demanded. “Are you controlling it?”

“No.” Hunter shook his head. “Look, you are your friends are way more involved in this than you should be. For your own good you need to just forget what happened tonight and leave it be.”

“Not going to happen.” Sunset refuted. “If you won’t tell me the truth then I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep my friends, my school and my home safe.” She turned her back to him. “While I’m at it, I think I’ll just drop an anonymous tip to the police about you and your little hideout here. Maybe you’ll talk to them.”

Hunter let out a silent curse. “Sunset.” As she turned back he lowered his head and slowly nodded. “Alright, you win.” He wandered over to a display platform and sat on it; patting the spot next to him.

Sunset walked over but just stood in front of him. “I’m listening.”

“I’m not involved with that creature… I’m trying to hunt it down.” He laid his palms on the platform as he leaned back to look up at her. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but your happy hamlet here happens to be an epicenter for paranormal activity.”

“Yeah, I have.”

“Well, did you think you were the only one?” He asked.

“What do you mean?”

“There are a lot of different groups that keep an eye on stuff like this, and they’ve been paying a lot more attention to this city in particular lately.” He laid a hand to his chest. “I work for the government, specifically an off the book department of national security that handles situations like this.”

“What?” Sunset lowered her guarded stance.

“No B.S. this time.” He held his hand up in promise. “I’ve been watching the activity in this city for some time now. I’ve dug up reports on some of the odd things that seem to happen around here. I also know about your little musical showdown with those three evil pole dancers.” He pointed his finger at her. “And although I don’t know exactly what you are, I know you’re not from this world. I did some digging on you and your friends after I saw you all in action and while they have legal records, social security numbers and birth certificates… you don’t.”

Sunset stood stunned at his words, a deep fear set in as she realized the scale of what she was dealing with in Hunter. “So… people know about us.” Her mind raced, thinking of all the danger her friends were in.

“Hey, don’t sizzle that bacon on your head worrying.” Hunter saw the look in her eyes. “I told you that I know about this stuff, I haven’t reported anything about you or your friends to my H.Q.”

She looked at him a bit surprised. “You… haven’t.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I know you're good people; and at the end of the day you’re all just girls trying to live your lives as normally as possible.” His eyes grew grim. “I know what would happen if my agency did find out about you… I won’t do that to you.”

Sunset finally sat beside him. “Well, thank you.”

He nodded. “That’s why I didn’t want you involved, I’m trying to protect you guys and that school.”

They sat quiet for a few moments. “So, a real life super spy huh?” Sunset asked with an amazed laugh.

“We prefer the term ‘field agent’.” He smiled. “But basically.”

“Wow.” She rested her arms on her knees and stared at the wall. “So you’re not really a student?”

“I am and I’m not.” He juggled the question in his mind. “I was recruited early, they use me to infiltrate places where standard agents can’t go… schools, youth groups, large scale gatherings. You know, because when a grown ass man spies on a group of teenage girls it’s generally considered creepy.”

Sunset actually laughed at that. “Point taken.”

“But I’m like you though, no past.” He said in a distant voice. “Technically, I don’t even exist.”

“How so?”

He paused for a moment, eventually leaning back and taking off his jacket. “Here, you said you can read memories right?” He held his bare arm out to her. “Go ahead.” Sunset hesitated at first but slowly took his arm in both hands. As her eyes lit up she saw a myriad of flashing images fly through her mind. An orphanage, men and women in suits, other children like himself, a vicious training program… she let go and took several deep breaths. “Not pretty huh?”

“I’m... I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, can’t really complain given the ways my life could have gone.” He shrugged. “They do treat me well and I’m doing my part to keep people safe so…” He left his thought hanging.

Sunset took a good look at him; his face, voice and mannerisms all so different from what she was accustom to. “It’s all an act isn’t it?” She finally asked.

“What?”

“You, at school.”

He laughed. “Well… let’s just say it’s about 60/40.”

“Why?” She questioned.

“My first few missions I made friends, got close to some people, played the part of an outstanding young citizen; but every time, once the mission was over, I disappeared.” He thought back to his earlier years in the field. “It sucked… a lot. Each time reminded me that I’m never truly a part of the places I go or a part of the lives of the people I meet. I’m just a ghost who shows up and then fades away, like I never even was.” He let out a halfhearted chuckle. “After a while, I decided that the best thing to do was to just push everyone away immediately; that way I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.” He looked to her with a regretful smile. “There are a lot of schools across the nation that hate my guts… but they’re safe, that’s what’s important.”

She smiled at him. “Guess you’re not so bad after all.”

“Don’t get carried away now.” He stood, his usual smile returning. “I don’t need you falling for me or anything.”

“Oh, you do not have to worry about that.” They looked into each other’s eyes and started to laugh.

“There he is!” The room was filled with Pinkie’s booming voice.

“What the hell?” Hunter looked over and saw the other girls in the doorway.

“Don’t worry Sunset, we’re here to help!” Twilight shouted as they began charging.

“Hold it!” Sunset jumped in front of Hunter with her arms spread, her friends screeched to a halt in confusion. “It’s okay, he’s on our side.”

“Since when?” Rainbow Dash eyed him angrily.

“Long story short…” Sunset glanced back at him and he nodded. “He’s a monster hunter for the government.”

“What!?” Pinkie asked with wide eyes. “You mean like the men in black!?”

“Well, I’m much cooler than that, but yeah.” Hunter wryly confirmed.

“And you believe him?” Rarity asked.

“I verified his story.” Sunset wiggled her fingers. “I saw everything.” She lowered her arms. “How did you find me anyway?”

“I tracked your phone.” Twilight fixed her crooked glasses. "So wait, if he work's for the government then does that mean that we're on some kind of watch list?" Panic began to fill her voice. "Like as in the FBI or the CIA... who may know something about my experiments or that time I hacked into a satellite so I could get a better look at the eclipse!?"

"You hacked into a satellite?" Hunter asked with a smile.

"No!" Twilight shook her head. "Of course not!"

"Calm down!" Sunset cried. “Hunter knows everything, about us and all the craziness that’s gone on in the city. But he hasn’t told anyone about the seven of us.”

“So, truce?” Hunter asked as he looked over the girls.

“Well alright.” Applejack looked him up and down. “But I’m keeping an eye on you.”

“Fair enough.” Hunter went to his chair and sat.

“So, you know what that creature is?” Fluttershy asked as she joined him and sat on the folding table.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s called the álííl ayą́, roughly translates into ‘magic eater’. It’s some kind of beast from native folklore that seeks out and consumes magical energy.

“I guess Twilight was right then.” Fluttershy looked back to her. “It is attacking places where Equestrian magic was used.”

“Equestrian magic?” Hunter repeated.

“Equestria is the world I’m from.” Sunset explained. “I’m actually… a pony.”

“Makes sense.” Hunter nodded.

“It does?” Sunset asked in surprise.

“Yeah, he’s taking that a lot smoother than we did.” Rainbow Dash noted.

“Hey, you think that’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard?” Hunter laughed. “This is low key compared to some of my past missions.”

“Okay then.” Twilight recaptured their attention. “But if it’s tracking Equestrian magic that doesn’t explain the magic shop.”

“Actually I think I can explain that one.” Hunter raised his hand as if in class. “I looked into that store after the attack and it had just received a collection of acquisitions by the owner. Transaction records said that some of what he got ahold of was from a foreclosed curio shop. I’m guessing something in that shipment was one of your Equestrian artifacts.”

“Great, another one.” Pinkie frowned. “How many artifacts does Equestria have anyway?”

“We’ll deal with that later.” Applejack waved off the question. “What are we supposed to do about this alley-whatever.”

“I can stop it.” Hunter assured. “But I can’t get a clear lock on its movement pattern.” He drummed his fingers on his leg. “You said all the locations are where magical events went down, right?

“Yes.” Twilight nodded.

“I'm not fully up to snuff on everything. Is there anywhere else something like that has happened in the city?”

“Equestria Land.” Rarity quickly answered. “All the business with Vignette, she was using magic all over the park.”

“The theme park, huh?” Hunter looked up at the ceiling. “Alright, I’ll set up some surveillance there and see if we can catch this thing in the act.” He laughed to himself. “Kind of nice having some help for a change.”

“Hey, it pays to have friends.” Sunset said as she proudly looked over her own.

“I guess it does.” Hunter said thoughtfully as he stood. “Well, I don’t know about you, but running around all night has got me starving. The 24 hour place around the corner is open, how about it? I’m buying.”

“Well, I am a might hungry.” Applejack admitted.

“It’s never too early for breakfast.” Pinkie eagerly agreed.

“Great.” Hunter went to Sunset and put his arm around her. “I don’t know what it is, but something about ol’ sunny side up here just puts me in the mood for breakfast.”

“You’re really not going to knock that off, are you?” She asked with a half-smile.

“What?” Fluttershy looked between the two of them.

“He’s convinced my hair looks like bacon.” Sunset said, not amused by the idea at all.

Pinkie covered her mouth and let out a long snort. “Oh my gosh, it totally does.”

“Don’t start!” Sunset warned. “You know what, for that I’m ordering extra.” She slid out from under Hunter’s arm and headed for the exit.

“I can live with that.” He chortled as he followed the girls out.

Author's Note:

álííl ayą́, is pronounced al-eel ay-ya. The words themselves are Navajo for magic and eat. I wanted to give it a unique name and tie it into possible folklore from the human world.

Comments

[twience]

haha XD love this

[redandready45]

Man, this is really, really compelling.