Hunter/Prey

by UnluckyReaver

Chapter 23

The suddenness of the throne room doors bursting open was almost enough to make Celestia’s legendary composure to falter. A murmur went through the crowd of ponies waiting to see the princess as a guard made his way towards the throne.

“I apologize for this interruption, Princess.” the guard said as he bowed before the throne. “Your sister has returned and wishes to speak with you immediately.”

Celestia took a quick glance at the line of ponies waiting to speak with her before answering. “I am glad that my sister has returned from her journey,” she said with a small smile, “but is she truly certain that she requires me at this moment?”

“I believe that she is, Princess.” the guard replied. “She was quite clear, as were Prince Blueblood and sir Hunter.”

A new wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, although it wasn’t widely spread many in attendance had heard the rumours regarding both Blueblood and Hunter. Most had initially believed that the two of them would never be found; Hunter was presumed killed during Luna’s failed rescue attempt and the Royal Bloodline family had completely disappeared.

“I can see that all of you understand the importance of this.” Celestia addressed the crowd. “This session shall recess until it's resolved. If anypony has a pressing issue, please speak to the steward to arrange a new appointment. Thank you for your understanding.”

With her piece said, Celestia stood and followed the guard out of the throne room. The princess followed her aid down through the castle until they reached the dungeon’s entrance. She glanced down at the guard, who simply pushed open the door to allow the princess to enter. The first voices that Celestia heard belonged to her sister and Shrouded Armour echo down the stone hallway. As she moved deeper into the dungeon, their voices slowly became clearer and Celestia began to understand what they were saying.

“... will not be fooled. Ensure that every member of the guard is informed of these instructions.”

“Of course, Princess. I will see to it personally.”

As the speakers came into Celestia’s view, she immediately froze; it was not the sight of Luna and Shrouded Armour placing an unconscious Chrysalis into a cell, nor was it of Hunter and the rakshasa prisoner locked in a staring match. It was the sight of her nephew; his fur matted, teeth changed into a vicious maw, it was the jagged stump that was once his horn.

“Blueblood?” Celestia questioned without actually meaning to. “What happened to you, dear nephew?”

“Aunty Celestia!” Blueblood happily called out as he made his way over to the princess. “You have no idea what I’ve had to endure the last few days!”

“I’m sure that you’ll tell me all about it.” Celestia smiled. “But first, I need to talk to my sister about our newest… guest.”

“Of course, we did manage to capture that evil Chrysalis” Blueblood boasted, his proud expression softened a moment later. “I mean, I helped… I was there… ok, it was aunty Luna and sir Hunter that did all the work.”

The human broke the staring contest with the rakshasa as his eyes twitched toward Blueblood when he heard the pony say his name. The rakshasa chucked, “Seems like you’re dinner after-” and was immediately cut off by Hunter’s fist connected with its jaw.

“Not today.” Hunter retorted, then started towards the exit. “I’ll be upstairs trying to sleep off the last week.”

Celestia watched as Hunter exited the dungeon without as much as a glance toward her. “Is he alright?” the princess asked.

“I am unsure.” Luna answered. “It seems that he has been through a great deal, and has yet to reveal the entirety of his adventure.”

“I see, you shall have to tell me all about it later.” Celestia replied before turning towards Chrysalis. “Once we ensure that she is secure.”

---

It took Hunter far longer to return to his room than he expected. It seemed that every member of the palace staff, Solar and Lunar guard wanted to speak with him. Although he understood where the ponies were coming from, Hunter secretly wished that they would leave him alone. The lack of sleep over the last week was starting to catch up with him again, and the short rest the he had gotten in the old castle had done little to help.

As he reached the halfway point to his destination, one of the Lunar guards took it upon herself to escort him back to his room. As they journeyed on, the human admired the mare’s dedication to her work, even if it was a little overbearing. Every time he paused the guard would look at him like he was about to disappear.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the mare asked yet again.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Hunter found himself saying yet again. “Please…”

“Comet Dust.” the Lunar guard that was walking with him said.

“Comet Dust, I am exhausted. I’m sure once I’ve slept I’ll be willing to tell you and the others all about it, but until then…” he trailed off as he reached the door to his room.

“I understand. Go, get some rest. I shall remain on watch here.” Comet Dust said.

“Thanks, Comet Dust.” Hunter smiled as he entered and closed the door behind him. “Now to sleep for a month.”

Making his way over to the large bed, Hunter slowly removed the armour and weapons he had found. He place the carbine, rifle and ammunition into the same secret safe that his hunting rifle was stored in. Although he knew that this was generally seen as an unsafe practice, given that his ammo box was stolen, this was the best solution he could come up with. As he placed the pistol alongside the other firearms, he quickly changed his mind. Fear of the diamond dog ambush slowly crept into his mind. He lifted the pistol back out, then closed the safe. With deliberate care, and one of the curtain tiebacks, he managed to secure the pistol holster to the ornate headboard in a position that he felt was the best balance between safety, access and secrecy.

After placing the armour into a somewhat organized pile, he hung the belt with the dagger and axe off of the bedpost. Pausing for a moment, Hunter found himself wondering if his actions were verging on the paranoid side, but quickly decided that he did not care in this instance. He closed the curtains, turned off the lights and crawled onto the welcoming bed. As he laid back, it was not long until sleep overtook him, and he found himself in the land of his dreams once more.

“Do you ever think it strange that you dream of the same place over and over?” a friendly voice called out.

As the scenery around him came into focus, Hunter found himself standing atop a cliff covered in cherry trees that were in bloom, overlooking a vast ocean, the sun slowly setting in the distance. In the center of it all Hunter found a familiar dark furred alicorn standing before him.

“Some would say that dreaming of a place like this, where you meet a beautiful mare over and over would mean something.” Selene teased the human.

“Maybe,” Hunter said with a fake smile, “but of all the things weighing on my mind, the nature of my dreams is nowhere near the most pressing.”

“Oh? I would think that most ponies who dream of a princess in such an idyllic place would place that as the most pressing of their issues.”

“Human priorities…” Hunter softly said as his smile faded. Selene continued to talk, but Hunter didn’t hear her. Instead the human moved to the edge of the cliff, lost in thought, staring out over the endless sea.

It wasn’t long before Selene noticed that Hunter’s attention had drifted onto other things. In a bid to recapture the human’s attention, she moved forwards and gently nuzzled the human’s hand. His twitched at the unexpected contact, then moved it to rest on top of the mare’s head. For a moment Selene forgot what she was going to say, allowing herself to be lost to the sensation of the human gently running his fingers over her scalp.

“Are you feeling alright?” she finally asked. “You struck that rakshasa, barely said a word to the others and have taken to hiding weapons around your bed.”

Hunter said nothing for several seconds, slowly gathering his thoughts. “I was… fearless… unbreakable…” he said in a voice just above a whisper. “Through the caves, even when the dogs had me, where danger was all around, I knew what I head to do; to press on, to endure, to outlast… now, in the safety of the castle, I am jumping at shadows. I see danger lurking in every corner, and here, in a place where I should feel safe, but I do not.”

Selene rose and wrapped her forelegs and wings around the human in a caring embrace. “Everything will be fine.” she said, gently nuzzling his cheek. “In the ruins when you were scared that you were changing, I said I would be there for you. That promise has not changed; no matter what may trouble you I will help you through it. More so, the others Luna, Celestia, Blueblood, the servants and the guards are all here to help you.”

Hunter’s arms slowly moved around the alicorn, returning Selene’s embrace. “I know…” Hunter responded softly. “I’ve just never felt this afraid before. I don’t like it, I want it to go away.”

Selene slowly let go of the human before she walked to the edge of the cliff and sat. With one of her large wings, she patted the ground next to her, inviting Hunter to sit as well. Accepting the invitation, he followed the alicorn and sat beside her.

“I was afraid once.” Selene began. “I was afraid that the ponies that I ruled over did not like me the way they liked my sister. I was afraid that they shunned my night sky, and by extension, me. I let that fear grow into anger, then that anger into hatred. I lashed out and was punished for it. I returned, filled with even more hatred and was struck down by the Elements a second time. I waited silently in the depths of Luna’s mind, until your arrival, and I saw yet another chance to unleash my hatred. Finally when we were forced to confront each other you only looked at me with kindness. You became my first real friend. Later, when you discovered what I was planning to do to your body, you could have been angry or even hated me. Instead you chose friendship a second time.”

“I know what you are capable of.” she continued. “I saw what you did to those dogs, I saw what the weapons you now carry can do to a pony. I know that fear wants to make us lash out at those around us. Try to make us hurt those around us, in an effort to reclaim ourselves from fear. I have seen you act selflessly time and again. Even when you were at the mercy of the diamond dogs, you placed the wellbeing of others before yourself. That is who you truly are, never forget that. You did endure, you were not broken, you have outlasted. It is time to let the shadows of the past go.”

“What if… what if I can’t?” Hunter asked, his shaky voice barely rising over a whisper.

“You have faced fear in the past.” Selene answered. “You were strong enough to overcome it then; you are strong enough to overcome it now.”

---

Celestia listened patiently as Blueblood told his story; how he had stolen Hunter’s blood from the hospital, how his father used it to open the ancient vault, about the monster inside, the death of his family, how the human had saved him, teleporting to the abandoned castle, and finally about both Chrysalis and Luna’s appearance.

“We then returned here to Canterlot.” Blueblood concluded.

“That is quite the tale, nephew.” Celestia said. “Although I am saddened at the loss of your family, I am relieved that you are alive. Slightly scared perhaps, but alive.”

“Judging by your story, it was quite fortunate that Hunter only broke your horn and did not end your life.” Luna added. “Although I am unsure as to why.”

“Hunter had a theory about that, actually.” Blueblood stated. “He thinks that the transformation was focused on my horn, and that losing it meant that there was no anchor point for the spell.”

“Remarkable, for a being with no magic, and a very limited exposure to it, he certainly has a strong grasp of its theory.” Celestia commented.

“Perhaps he had some aid in understanding it.” Luna suggested.

“Meaning what, dear sister?”

“Nothing that needs to be discussed at the moment. Once Hunter awakens, perhaps, but not before.”

“I understand.” Celestia nodded. “In the interim, I shall make preparations for a grand council. I shall gather the heads off all the noble families, Princess Cadence, the Element Bearers, and any ambassador willing to come to Canterlot. We must ensure that everypony understands the gravity of this situation.”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Luna asked. “When Discord escaped, or when Chrysalis attacked…”

“We took precautions for Chrysalis, which did fail, and there was no warning before Discord escaped. It may not look like it now, but we have the advantage; with Chrysalis’ failed invasion we know where the weak points in our defenses are. With Blueblood’s survival we know of the enemy, and with his presumed death our enemy does not know we know of it.”

“What about Hunter? Or myself?” Blueblood asked. “I know he’s not technically a noble, and I no longer have a family; but I, and I’m sure he, would both want to contribute in some way.”

“Of course, nephew.” Celestia smiled. “Once he awakens, tell him what we intend on doing. The two of you will be attending this council as well.”

“If that is all then, there are other things to which I must attend.” Luna stated as she rose.

“Of course, sister.” Celestia said knowingly. “Treat them gently though, it is a new experience for them both.”

Blueblood looked at one princess then the other, unsure of what either of the last two statements were about, but quickly decided that if they wanted him to know they would simply tell him. His thought then shifted back to his lost family once more, and the implication that came with it. With his father’s death it meant that he was now head of the family, but with the rest of his family also dead the entirety of the Bloodline family was also gone. The idea of trying to save every business and deal his family was in charge of before he even had a chance to mourn the loss of his family was almost overwhelming to Blueblood.

No, Blueblood told himself, I will not let myself think this way. I promised my mother I would be a beacon for ponies around me, and I will live up to that promise.

“I must be parting as well, aunty.” Blueblood said. “I have just realized the disastrously large number of things I must attend to.”

“Of course, nephew.” Celestia replied. “And should you need help, do not be afraid to ask for it.”

---

As Luna made her way up to her chamber she suddenly found that she was not walking alone. Discord slowly lowered himself out of the ceiling until he floated alongside the princess. “So princess, did you find your missing stallion?” Discord teased.

“Actually, yes Discord, I did.” Luna replied as courteously as she could.

“Really? Perhaps I should go introduce myself.” Discord smirked. “You know, to be polite and everything.”

“I would ask you to refrain. Our guest has undergone quite the ordeal and is currently resting. Perhaps when he awakens, but not before.”

“Oh, very well. I can wait until he wakes up.”

“And do not go performing any actions that will wake him early!”

“Fine, fine.” Discord said while rolling only one of his eyes. “I will wait until the little sleepyhead wakes up.”

“Thank you.” Luna briefly bowed.

“Oh! I can’t wait!” Discord happily smiled as he started to float away. “A human, here in the castle! This is going to be so very very fun!”

Luna watched as Discord left, confused at his excitement; if she recalled correctly, mentioning the human was enough to give the draconequus pause. She quickly gave up on trying to discern the his motives, knowing that such actions only lead to headaches. Shaking her head, Luna turned and entered her room. With less care than she intended, Luna removed her regalia and troted over to her large bed. She considered bathing for a moment, but the day’s events weighed heavily on her. Deciding that she could simply bathe in the morning, she crawled onto the bed and under the covers.

Taking her time, Luna traveled across the dreamscape, hopping from dream to dream. Staying for a moment or two in a peaceful one, or quickly exiting the more erotic ones, Luna was pleased that nopony was having a nightmare. Her joy faded as she realized she had overlooked one important thing; she did not come across the dreams of the two that were most likely to have nightmares. Scanning the doors that appeared before her, Luna could not find the ones belonging to neither Blueblood nor Hunter.

Blueblood… may not yet be asleep. Luna reasoned with herself. I shall keep watch, and tomorrow ask him about his night.

She walked down the illusory hallway, looking at each door in turn. Luna knew that Hunter had said he was retiring for the night, so where were his dreams? She never had this much trouble finding a dreamer before, so what did this mean? Questions began to race through the alicorn’s mind; did something happen to prevent her from entering his dreams? Was the event with the diamond dogs too taxing and was now unable to sleep? Was this the result of confronting Chrysalis or a side effect of the visions he had mentioned?

Before she was able to work herself into a complete panic a door caught her eye. Her focus violently switched from her worry to this new door. It was larger than the others, black and covered in silver spots, reminiscent of the night sky, and a gibbous moon proudly stamped upon it. “So, even you dream… sister.” Luna thought aloud. “Perhaps this shall lead to some answers.”

Pushing open the door, Luna found herself in a familiar cherry orchard. Trotting between the rows of trees it wasn’t long before she found the mare and human she was looking for. The pair were laying on large blanket, Hunter on his back, Selene next to him with her head resting on his shoulder. As Luna approached, Selene lifted her head at the sound of Luna’s approach. “Am I interrupting something?” Luna teased.

“Only the best rest I’ve had in quite some time.” Selene countered.

“Oh?”

“I had forgotten what it was like to sleep next to somepony that genuinely cares for you.”

“Sleep next to?” Luna confusedly asked. “Is this not a dream? It seems indistinguishable from one.”

“Where else could two minds truly meet but in a dream.” Selene replied. “This place functions as a dream while not actually being one. While I occupy a portion of his brain, I do not occupy his mind. And this may be the only way any of us can interpret such a unique fusion.”

“I do not recall anything like this when you and I were joined.”

“When you and I joined we were a single being, a true blending of two beings. Perhaps a better wording would be that Hunter and I share a symbiotic relationship rather than a blending of consciousnesses.”

“You were, however, able to see things he saw.”

“True, sharing senses and sharing thoughts are two different things. Just like the waves breaking on the cliff makes it wet, or the blossoms float down and sink into the water, we are independent yet connected.”

“So the appearance of this place…”

“Like the images of all dreams, is a metaphor. I am the boundless ocean; centuries of memories rolling upon itself.”

“And he is the orchard; young, but potential in full bloom.”

“And the cliff edges is where the two meet.”

“Then do you only care for him because you inhabit his body?”

“Of course not!” the volume of Selene’s outburst caused Hunter to shift slightly in his sleep.

“Then why?”

“For the same reason you care for him; he was able to look past who we once were, the mistakes we made, he treated us with understanding and compassion. How could we do anything except find ourselves falling for him?”

---

When Hunter finally woke, the sun was already high in the sky. He stayed in the bed for several moments, staring up at the ceiling not moving. With a heavy sigh the human slowly pushed himself up and out of the bed. He flinched when his bare feet touched the cold stone floor, but chose to ignore the discomfort and pressed on. Moving at a slow trudge, Hunter eventually made his way across the room and into the private bathroom.

A moment or two later Hunter found himself standing under the shower, watching the water as it pooled around his feet before swirling down the drain; the once clear water now a near black sludge. His gaze shifted from the bottom of the shower to his own skin, examining the multitude of wounds that now covered his body.

The bruises and abrasions that he had gathered stumbling through the dark caves were nothing compared to the collections of wounds given to him by the diamond dogs. The whips were bad, but the knife was probably the worst. Each cut was made with terrifying precision, each deep enough to cause immense pain but shallow enough not to cause any real damage. Then came the nightmares that the shaman forced upon him; having to watch as people he cared about die around him, or ponies he considered friends flee, thinking he was some sort of monster. The worst one involved Luna. His body involuntarily shuddered at the memory before he was able to push it away.

He knew that other would applaud him for surviving such an ordeal, others would commend him on his bravery, still others would think that he was too stubborn or foolish to just give in to their demands. Looking back, he wondered just what it was that kept him going. Was it some hidden vestige of bravery he was able to draw out, or was he really just too stubborn to give in? Before he could find the answers he needed, the sound of hooves on tile flooring and the stammering of a panicked mare brought his attention back to the present.

“I-I didn’t mean… I mean I didn’t know… I didn’t see any…” the mare blurted out while trying desperately to backpedal out of the room.

“Stargazer.” Hunter sternly called out to the panicking mare. “Stop.”

While her body froze in place, Stargazer’s eyes darted about, desperately trying for find something to look at that wasn’t a naked human. The sound of the shower being turned off drew her gaze back towards the human, who now, thankfully, had a towel wrapped around his waist. The small cloth didn’t even reach his knees, but was enough to put an end to the awkwardness between them. As she followed him back into the large bedroom, Stargazer wondered why, if he needed so little to avoid a situation like this, would he wear so much more?

“I’m sorry.” Stargazer began. “Comet Dust let me in, then you didn’t answer me when I called out, I just wanted to see if you were alright… I didn’t think that… I never intended to walk in on you like that.”

“It's fine.” Hunter said, almost a little too quickly. “The damage is done. Whatever it was that you saw, you saw, and it cannot be unseen.”

Stargazer glanced over at the human, who was now busy putting on his pants. Her eyes drifted upwards to his still bare torso. As he turned back towards the drawer, she could make out the lash marks that criss-crossed his back. She could feel the bile build in her throat, her stomach turned as images of what he must have gone through now raced through her head.

“-gazer?” Hunter’s voice snapped the mare out of her thoughts.

“Do… do they hurt?” Stargazer found herself asking before she was aware of what she said.

“Do they hurt?” Hunter repeated.

“Your scars, do they hurt?”

“No.” Hunter answered the mare without looking at her. “The scars you see do not hurt.”

Stargazer slowly moved until she stood directly in front of him. “But they do, don’t they?” she asked, gently touching one of them with her hoof. “They go deeper than just your flesh, don’t they?”

Instead of answering, Hunter’s head lowered as he turned away from the unicorn.

“You have the same look on your face as Luna did when she first returned.” Stargazer told him as she moved back in front of him. “I have seen what wounds on one’s heart can do, if you let them fester they will poison you.”

“I… I don’t…” Hunter trailed off unsure of what he was trying to say.

“Strength comes in many forms, and it is not a weakness to ask for help when you need it.” Stargazer reared up on her hind legs and wrapped her front ones around the human’s chest. “I may not have the strength, or power, or centuries of experience that the princesses have, I may be just an attendant and a unicorn, but I am here for you.”

She felt the human’s arms wrap around her as he returned the embrace. “Thank you, Stargazer, that means a lot.” Hunter said softly. “Its nice to hear what I already know.”

“What was that?”

“I was asking why you came looking for me in the first place.” Hunter replied as pulled away from Stargazer, breaking their embrace.

“Oh, Princess Luna wanted me to check up on you. She said she would have come herself but...you know…”

“I know.”

“She also wanted you to know about the meeting that she and Princess Celestia called. They want every noble family, ambassador, and v.i.p there. So, naturally, you are expected to attend.”

“Fine, when is this grand meeting supposed to happen?”

“The last of the attendees will be arriving late this afternoon, and the meeting is scheduled for tomorrow morning.”

“That soon?”

“You have been asleep for quite some time.”

“Fair enough.” Hunter smirked, which was immediately followed by his stomach growling. “Do you mind letting me finish dressing?”

“Fine, but don’t take too long, you wouldn’t want to miss lunch.” Stargazer smirked as she exited the room. As the door closed behind her she noticed a tired looking Lunar guard still standing next to the door.

“Comet Dust? What are you still doing here?” Stargazer asked. “I thought you had already finished your shift.”

“I’m not on duty right now.” Comet Dust answered. “I wanted to talk with Hunter so I waited here, I guess I didn’t realize how long it takes a human to wake up.”

“What could you possibly want to know that you would stay awake for this long?”

“I just wanted to check up on him, see how he is doing.”

“I don’t know.” Stargazer confused. “He acts like it doesn’t bother him, but it does. Maybe he’s putting on a brave face so we don’t worry about him, or maybe it's because he doesn’t want to think about it himself. Whatever his reason he tries to hide it, he is still hurt and afraid.”

“Did he mention the guard at all?”

“No, I don’t think so. Why the sudden curiosity about him? I don’t remember the guards taking much interest in him before. If they had any of the curiosity you have now, that incident in the hedge maze might have been avoided.”

“I know, it’s… it's not curiosity, it’s guilt.” Comet Dust weekly admitted, her ears drooping. “I need to know if he blames the guard for what happened… if he blames me for what happened.”

“Why would he blame you?” Stargazer moved closer to the guard. “Did you do anything to him?”

“No… nothing like that. It’s what I didn’t do. The night he was captured, I was on duty. The primary duty of the guard is to keep the ponies of Equestria safe, to keep the ponies in the castle safe. We failed to do that. I failed to do that.”

“The ponies that were rescued don’t blame the guard for being imprisoned by the Diamond Dogs.” Stargazer softly said as she placed a comforting hoof on Comet Dust’s shoulder. “The Princesses don’t blame the guards for what they did. And I am sure Hunter does not blame anypony either.”

“How can you be sure?” Comet Dust asked, raising her head head to look at Stargazer.

“The fault of wicked things should not be placed upon those unable to stop it.” a male voice said, causing the two mares to turn back towards the room. Hunter, fully dressed in his newfound armour, let the door gently close behind him. Kneeling down so that he was the same height as the two mares. “Nothing will be accomplished if I go about casting blame on ponies.” he said, gently placing a hand on one of Comet Dust’s shoulders. “The guards who failed to stop the dogs have enough guilt on them without me actively reminding them of their failure. So, no, I do not blame the guards. I place the blame on the ones that came after me with malevolent intent.”

“Thank you.” Dust said. “It doesn’t really help, but it is nice to know.”

“Sometimes that all you can ask for.” Hunter smiled as he brought himself back to his full height.

“I’ll let the others know.” Comet Dust stated, turning to leave. “Again, thank you.”

Waiting until she felt that Comet Dust was out of earshot, Stargazer looked up at the human. “You said all those things about not blaming the guard, yet you are wearing armour.” she commented.

“I did, and I am.” Hunter replied.

“Why?” Stargazer asked.

“Placing blame upon them has nothing to do with how safe I feel.” Hunter explained. “Let’s go find some food, I feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks.”

---

“So, explain this to me again.” Hunter asked Stargazer as he looked around the ballroom.

“It’s simple, the princesses thought that it would be a good idea that they host a small gathering before the meeting tomorrow.” Stargazer explained.

“This is a small gathering?” Hunter questioned, noting the few dozen ponies that filled the ballroom.

“If you think this is big, wait until you see the Gala.” Stargazer teased. “And remember, you are here to socialize, so go socialize.”

With a small forced smile Hunter wandered through the crowd of ponies. Although there were a few ponies that he recognized from his brief time traveling around Canterlot, Hunter had no idea who the majority of these ponies were. As he wandered through the crowd of ponies only a few actually spoke to him; most just held whispered conversations about him as he passed, and those that did address him directly limited themselves to a brief greeting.

“Don’t worry about them, lad.” a friendly voice called out.

“Ambassador Kruger.” Hunter said with a smile, recognizing the griffon’s voice. “I was wondering if anyone was actually going to speak with me.”

“Just ignore them, lad.” Kruger shot a group of ponies a stern glance. “These Canterlot stalions be a jealous bunch.”

“Jealous? Of me?” Hunter questioned.

“Of course, how could they not be?” Kruger smiled. “You caused a breakout from of a diamond dog prison, disappear for days with everyone thinking that you are dead, only to reappear with a missing prince and a captured changeling queen.”

“Word gets around fast.” Hunter commented. “I wasn’t aware that it was common knowledge.”

“Word does indeed, lad. As did word of a certain princess’s feelings for a certain human.”

“Pay those words no heed, ambassador. There is nothing to them.”

“And then you go and say things like that. Some might think that you are just putting on a front when you say that.”

“And what do you think?” Hunter asked.

“I think that denying something automatically is never a good thing. Especially when dealing with matters of the heart.”

“That is good advice,” a mare’s voice spoke up, “and I should know since I am the Princess of Love.”

“Eavesdropping is not very princessy, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” Hunter scolded the young alicorn.

“Now, now, no need to get snippy.” Princess Cadence countered. “If you want to woo an alicorn princess, snippiness is not the way to go.”

“And neither is subtlety,” Hunter sighed, “I have no interest in seeking a romantic relationship with anyone here, princess or otherwise. Even if I was, she is not interested in me.”

“Wait… how do you know Luna isn’t interested in you?” Cadence asked.

“The same way you find out anything, by asking.” the human retorted.

“You spoke with Luna about this already?”

“Yes, and I believe the phrase that she used to describe any chance of a romantic relationship between us was ‘impossible’.”

“Really? She said that?” Cadence asked, stunned at what Hunter had just told her. “She said ‘impossible’?”

“Surprising what you can learn when you ask the source instead of relying on hearsay.” Hunter’s voice taking on an almost scolding tone.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think…”

“I’m sure you didn’t.” Hunter interrupted her. “Look, I am just not… the star-crossed lovers thing that everyone thinks is going to happen between me and Luna is just not going to happen.”

“I’m not sure I follow you there, lad.” Kruger interjected.

“Romantic feelings don’t just appear from nowhere.” Hunter explained. “It's about shared experiences, trust and friendship growing into more, something greater. How can such a thing happen between two people that barely spend time with each other.”

“I see your point,” Cadence relented, “I guess I was just caught up in the idea of it. Two beings strangers to the world, but find in each other something they could not find in anypony else. I never really put any thought into whether or not it was real. From now on I shall endeavor to put an end to these rumors when I hear them.”

“Thank you Princess.”

“And if you ever need help winning over that special somepony, let me know.” Cadence said with a sly smile and a wink, as she wandered off into the crowd.

“...That can’t be good.” Hunter sighed.

---

Hunter watched the young buffalo as she dodged and jinked around him while describing her involvement in the battle at Appaloosa; where her tribe intended to destroy the town by stampeding through it while the pony residents fended them off with apple pies. A small smile came to Hunter’s face as he envisioned the almost cartoonish tale. “...and with the revelation that pies are tasty, the war ended with an agreement that both sides are happy with.”

“Oh?” Hunter questioned.

“Yup, they cleared a path through the orchard for our stampede, and we get pies from them as we pass through.”

“I’m glad that it ended so… equitably between you.” Hunter said, unsure of what he made of the story.

“There was something I wanted to ask you about.”

“And that would be?”

“I heard that where you’re from there are buffalo, and not just buffalo but ponies and zebras as well.”

“There are…” Hunter hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. Whatever he said would lead to more questions, questions that would eventually lead to him talking about how humans had hunted the buffalo of his world to near extinction. “...similar species on my world, yes.”

“What are they like?” the young buffalo asked.

“I too am curious about our cousins from afar.” a zebra spoke up as she approached them. ”I apologize, but I could not help but to overhear your conversation. Introductions should be first however, I am Chausiku the ears and voice for my tribe.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you Chausiku.” Hunter gave a small bow. “I am called Hunter, and I am the extent of mine.”

“A tribe of one? Some view that as a blessing, others, a curse. Which is that you see?”

“It's a blessing, obviously.” a deep male voice spoke up, as a minotaur joined the discussion. “To be responsible to only yourself and your word, that is all that matters.“

“I’m sorry, but I… I disagree, Ambassador Efstathios.” a young deer now added his thoughts to the ever growing debate. “I think that to be without family or friends is a bad thing.”

“I agree with Prince Bramble,” the buffalo nodded in agreement with the deer, “I don’t think that I would want to be without my tribe.”

“Lonely or not, it is only in yourself you can truly depend.” Efstathios countered. “To place other before yourself is to go unfilled. To be reliant on others is to diminish yourself. Strive forwards and don’t let anyone hold you back.”

“That is a very grim way to view the world, ambassador.” Chausiku observed. “How far from that line of thought is acting without compassion for others? Not very, I fear.”

“You say grim, I say pragmatic.” the minotaur countered. “Family, tribe, friends, strangers, it does not matter. Above all, recognize that you are responsible to yourself first.”

“I… I think that… that you should be responsible to others.” Bramble managed to say. “I think that you should always place others before yourself. Not for any selfish reason, but because it is the right thing to do.”

“To always put others first is to lose who you are. You must have a sense of self in order to help others. Balance between oneself and one’s tribe is what is necessary.” Chausiku added. “Our opinions are reflective of our circumstance. What do you say, Hunter, the only one here of his kind?”

“I say… I say that I am far too tired for this level of philosophical debate.” Hunter answered, seizing an opportunity to escape. “I feel that I must retire for the evening, but please, feel free to continue this discussion in my absence.”

“Please wait.” Chausiku called out. “I realize that we have strayed from our initial inquiry, and apologise for any unease we have caused you.”

“It’s fine.” Hunter sighed, turning back to face the group. “It’s just something that would not make for good conversation.”

“Oh? Now even I’m curious.” Efstathios commented.

“It’s just, there is nothing to say.” Hunter tried to explain. “Minotaurs are relegated to the subject of myth and fantasy. What we call deer, and buffalo, and zebras are nothing more than animals, lacking any form of conscious thought. They lack any form of sapience that you and I have.”

“Wait… that's it?” the young buffalo asked, rather confused at the human’s explanation.

“I said it wasn’t going to be an interesting conversation.” Hunter countered.

“I not really sure what I was expecting, but I’m fairly sure it wasn’t that.” Efstathios commented.

---

“So let me get this straight; you were sent off to a long forgotten kingdom that had mysteriously disappeared over a thousand years ago only to reappear now, where you then fought the evil dictator of the place, who was some kind of smoke unicorn, who you defeated by throwing your assistant off of a balcony, while your brother threw his wife off of another balcony, where she and Spike collided in mid air, allowing Cadence to reactivate the magic rock which drove the aforementioned smoke pony out of the kingdom and set all of the imprisoned subjects free?”

“When you put it that way it sounds kinda silly.” Twilight Sparkle groaned as she rolled her eye. “I wouldn’t go mocking other pony’s ordeals, especially after what you went through.”

“I know,” Hunter hung his head, “I guess I’m just finding it hard to deal with.”

“I understand.” Twilight placed an understanding hoof on his hand. “When my friend Rarity was held by them, they did some terrible things to her. If you like, I can introduce you to her.”

Hunter didn’t respond immediately, electing to take his time to think over his answer. “I don’t see why not.”

Half an hour and one of the strangest introductions that Hunter ever had to go through, ever, he found himself sitting in the gardens with a white unicorn with her head and forelegs in his lap. Hunter’s hand slowly ran over the mare’s fur, simply relaxing with the company of another who had endured the same as he did. The mare flinched once or twice as the human’s fingers ran over scars hidden beneath her fur but didn’t allow it to interrupt her story.

“Once I was hitched to the wagon I thought I could simply talk my way out.” Rarity explained. “I was wrong. Instead of letting me go they brought out the whips, you can imaging what happened next. Needless to say, I elected to remain silent while I tried to think up a new plan.”

“And did you come up with one?” Hunter quietly asked.

“Did I come up with what?”

“A plan, did you come up with one?”

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘plan’, more of a ‘gamble’.”

“Oh?” Hunter’s hand stopped, his attention now completely on Rarity’s story.

“Well, while I was searching for gems I discovered several small pockets of mageninite throughout the cave. Normally I would never touch the stuff, seeing how dangerous it is, but I knew it was worth the risk.”

“Wait, you defeated them with magnets?”

“No silly, mageninite, not magnetite.” Rarity tittered. “I can understand the confusion, their name are quite similar. Magnetite is an ore with some magnetic properties. Mageninite, or pyra’s scale, is a gem that has a highly unstable magical core.”

“How unstable?”

“Extremely. Sometimes it can endure the most violent of impacts, other times it will break at the slightest touch.”

“How could a gem that breaks when you touch it help?”

“Oh no, dear, pyra’s scales don’t break, they explode.” she explained with a slight wave of her hoof.

“Explode?”

“Yes, quite spectacular too. Now, where was I? Oh, yes; once I realized that there were several deposits of mageninite spread throughout the cavern, I began to mark them so that those mongrels would dig them up. Normally, I’m sure that they would be extremely careful around it, but I put the second part of my plan into action; I began to whine.”

“You...whined?”

“Quite insistently, I might add. The risk was worth it, I had distracted them enough so that they accidently broke some of the crystals, starting a chain reaction. In the ensuing mayhem, I managed to escape and reunite with my friends, who had come to save me, and the lot of us made it back to the surface.”

“That’s… quite the tale.”

“Yes it is, isn’t it?”

“I do have one question; these pyra scales, do diamond dogs usually build their dens near them?”

“I have no idea,” Rarity confessed, “I suppose it’s likely. Diamond dogs covet rare gems, and a gem that explodes if improperly handled would be the rarest of them. Why do you ask?”

“Just trying to make sense of what happened.”

---

The pleasant morning that Lady Prestidigitation was having eroded away as she listened to the various politicians, ambassadors and nobles argue. Noon came and went without any progress being made with the collected delegates too focused on themselves or needless semantics. Each representative had their own list of reasons to not work together; the zebra were pacifists with no army or soldiers, the minotaur viewed it as Equestria’s problem and did not wish to get involved, the deer focused on their own traditions placed their own people first and did not want to send their warriors away, although the griffons did offer their help the asking price was far more than anyone was willing to pay, finally many of the Equestrian nobles spoke out against the idea of seeking any outside help since they had both the princesses and the Elements of Harmony.

“Tell me something, daughter,” Prestidigitation quietly asked the blue furred unicorn that was sitting beside her, “whose voice do you not hear?”

“I can barely tell who’s yelling, let alone who’s being quiet.” the young mare countered.

“Now, now, Trixie, think about this carefully. There are two beings in the room that have yet to speak.” Prestidigitation said, trying to give her daughter a hint.

Trixie scanned each of the delegates in turn, the hint her mother gave was more than enough to get her mind racing. They have yet to speak… somepony who isn’t part of this shouting match, wait… not pony, being; at least one of them is not a pony.

The mare’s eyes came to rest on Blueblood, the normally outspoken stallion was oddly quiet, despite his disfigurement the prince still held his head proudly. No, not pride, Trixie thought. More regal than simple pride. His eyes, however, did not have the same bearing to them; they were the eyes of somepony who was afraid, haunted by some vision he could not escape from.

“One is Blueblood.” Trixie quietly told her mother.

“Good, and the other?” the older mare inquired.

Trixie returned to her search, this time focusing on their eyes. As her gaze passed the princesses and approached the griffons, she had her first good look at the human. Despite his lack of fur and strange appearance, she found that he had an oddly handsome face with the exception of his eyes; the way they move, taking in every detail, seemingly scanning everyone here for any weakness. As they came to rest on Trixie, the mare found herself frozen in place.

In the deepest part of his eye, Trixie could see a painful yet dangerous glint; one that she had never seen but recognised immediately. They were the eyes of a creature not only familiar with violence, but death. The unicorn had heard the story about his disappearance and return from her mother, but wondered what could have happened in the intervening time to give any being such a look. She had heard stories about the dangerous predators of the Everfree and how their stare could lock a pony in place. Time dragged on, the human’s stare was unrelenting, Trixie wanted nothing more in that moment than to run, to dive under the table and hide, to do anything to break the human’s gaze. In the instant she felt she could take no more, the human’s eyes shifted again, moving onto the next pony.

“Just breath, daughter,” Prestidigitation whispered, while placing a comforting hoof on Trixie’s shoulder.

“How… how long…” Trixie quietly asked.

“A second, maybe two, but no more.”

“Only a second? That doesn’t seem possible.”

The sound of somepony clearing their throat stopped Prestidigitation from replying.

“Noble delegates, we have been at this for most of the day.” Princess Celestia addressed the room. “It will soon be time for me and my sister to perform our duties in lowering the sun and raising the moon. Please enjoy your evening, and we shall reconvene tomorrow at the same time.”

As the delegates mumbled in agreement, Trixie’s attention returned to the human. The human leaned back in his chair, a pensive look spread across his face. Now that his attention wasn’t on her, the human seemed different; no longer was he the beast about to attack, but a weary stallion carrying far too much weight.

“I don’t understand. He seemed so intimidating before.” Trixie mumbled.

“A titan is always the most terrifying just before you get stepped on.” Prestidigitation observed. “You have always been quite skilled at reading another pony. It was a key part of your performance, to read somepony then turn their skill against them.”

“Then, how did… why did, does he look so different now?” Trixie asked, still studying the human.

“Have you ever seen a pony in the midst of moral revelation?” The older mare asked, then continued on before the younger pony could answer. “Do you think he will place off of his hopes in the Princesses forming a working alliance here, or has he already begun to think of contingencies, alternate and secondary plans.”

“How do you know that? He could be thinking of anything.” Trixie countered. “Maybe he just doesn't like long pointless meetings.”

“Shall we test my hypothesis then? He is now leaving,” Prestidigitation gestured towards the departing human. “If I am correct he will head towards the dungeon, if I am mistaken he will head to the dining hall.”

“Why would he head towards the dungeons?” Trixie asked.

“Have you not heard the rumors about who is currently residing in them?”

“I have. Do you really ask her for help?”

“I believe he is the type to court any danger if it means getting an advantage.”

Trixie unsure of how to respond merely nodded and watched the human depart the room.

“Should you not follow him? It will be difficult to see where he goes if you cannot see him.” Prestidigitation observed.

Trixie lowered her head, blushed in embarrassment before recomposing herself and followed the human out of the room. To Trixie, the human did not seem to be in any rush to get to his destination; instead he elected to saunter through the halls, exchanging brief greetings with any pony he passed, and occasionally slowing or pausing as he became lost in thought. Despite this, his destination was quite clear to Trixie and it wasn’t the dining hall.

---

Chrysalis sat in her cell ruminating over the rather terrible direction her life had recently taken. Twice now she had been nearly atop the world to only let her hubris get in the way. First when she nearly conquered Equestria only to be ejected by the ponies she thought powerless, then again when she had found the human only to be rendered unconscious by him. Now she was locked in the Canterlot dungeons, awaiting whatever punishment the Princesses were cooking up for her.

The sound of someone approaching broke Chrysalis from her thoughts. Looking up, she found one of her former subjects standing outside her cell. The changeling before her had an odd shadowy aura around it, and the normally vibrant eyes were clouded and dulled. Unease swept over Chrysalis as the door to her cell swung open on its own and the drone’s aura swelled, twisting into some demonic form. There was a sudden flash from its horn, and Chrysalis found herself sprawled out on the floor with a massive wound in her side.

As the drone moved forwards, its horn charging a spell with the clear intention of finishing her off, something flew in from down the hall, striking the changeling. It spun on the spot, hissed at whoever threw the object before lunging.

The sound of two beings struggling quickly filled the air, pained groans, angry hisses and snarling growls paired with the sound of chitin striking flesh. Chrysalis considered exiting her cell, fearing it would only cause her to be caught up in the struggle. With her wound it wouldn’t take much for either combatant to overpower her. No, the changeling queen told herself, I’ll simply wait here, blast the victor with as much power I can manage and escape. With her plan firmly in mind, she waited for the fight to end.

It was only a moment before whoever was fighting the changeling let out a sound, a mix between a yell and a roar, which was followed by something heavy slamming into the ground. Barely a second afterwards, the sound of something striking changeling carapace repeatedly filled the queen’s ears. The last blow was accompanied by a loud crunch, a sound that struck Chrysalis with horrifying implications.

The first was that whatever was out there had overpowered and killed the drone, second that if they could beat a drone that could wound her she stood very little chance at beating it, finally that whoever it was, was not a pony. Quickly racking her brain, desperately trying to guess what was about to enter her cell. The sound, the violence, who she had seen, led Chrysalis to one quick answer; the human. As she charged her horn, Chrysalis did not notice a dark shadow move across the dungeon and open the door to the final prisoner.

The human stepped into view and Chrysalis fired her spell. In the moment before the spell hit a form struck the human, knocking him out of the spell’s path. Chrysalis watched in horror as the human rolled to his feet, and the rakshasa prisoner, its body nearly destroyed by the spell, lay bleeding to death. Having spent nearly all of her power in that single attack, she felt her knees weaken then give out entirely when the human turned his attention on her.

Instead of hitting the floor, Chrysalis found herself held in someone’s arms. “Oh no, don’t go dying on me now.” the human’s voice came from above her. “I need you alive.”

“Weak… out of magic.” Chrysalis managed to groan. “Wound too great... need to… feed.”

There was a long silence, and Chrysalis was certain the human would never agree to feed her. When they had first met, he had called her a leech, and no being would ever save another they viewed in such a negative light. She braced herself, preparing for the human to drop her and either leave her to bleed to death in this cell, or perhaps he would show some kind of barbaric mercy and kill her; but neither of those happened. Instead the human spoke, his voice calm, almost concerned. “Ok… how do I do that?” He asked.

Chrysalis blinked twice at the human’s response, but decided not to press her luck. “You think of… somebeing you care about… have interest in,” she explained, the world around her slowly turning black, “then you… you kiss… me.”

The world faded away from Chrysalis, sending her into a black void. So this is how I die. She said to herself. Alone, Queen without a hive. Held by the mythic human, a being that could restore my throne, is not enough to save me. Nothing left but to fade into the darkness…

A sudden surge of emotion rushed through Chrysalis’ body as the changeling queen felt her strength returning. The sensation of someone’s lips on her own was the first to fill her mind. She reach up with her forelimbs and wrapped them around the human in an attempt to strengthen the kiss and drink more of his energy down. Chrysalis could feel her magic returning, the wound on her side stitched itself together. She pressed harder into the kiss, wanting more, needing more of the human’s love. Then without warning, Chrysalis felt herself being pushed back as the human broke the kiss.

“Oh my...whoever you were thinking of is lucky.” Chrysalis smiled, raising a hoof to her lip, drunk on the love she had just pulled from the human. “Very lucky indeed.”

“If you say so.” the human dismissed her comment. “Look, just disguise yourself and follow me.”

“And where is it we’re going, exactly?”

“To get your throne back.”

---

Celestia could not believe the day she was having; yesterday it all seemed so easy to her, the social gathering the night before had go so well, it had filled her with the hope that they might actually be able to move forwards with their plans. Everyone there seemed to be getting along, despite the occasional difference in philosophy. By noon all of those hopes had been shattered; the attendees who seemed so open to discussion the night before had all fallen into old habits once more. The non-ponies held the view that it was not their problem, and her own subjects seemed dismissive about the level of threat Chernabog represents.

To her surprise, Hunter, Blueblood, nor Discord spoke at all during the meeting. The chaos god had refused to show himself, something Celestia was unsure if it was a blessing or a curse. For his part, Blueblood seemed to be waiting for the correct opportunity to speak, an opportunity that never came. Finally to Celestia, Hunter barely seemed present at the meeting, as if he was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Celestia had know that Hunter’s time with the diamond dogs had left more than just physical scars, but she would have never imaged he would have changed this much; for less than an hour after the meeting disbanded for the night Celestia found herself trying to stare down the human.

When Shrouded Armour had told Celestia about a disturbance in the dungeon, she had hoped that one of the prisoners was causing a minor stir; yelling or threatening the guards. When Shrouded told her that she was needed personally, Celestia grew worried. Entering the dungeon, Celestia realized the Shrouded Armour used the word ‘disturbance’ to prevent alarm in anypony that might overhear them. The rakshasa’s body was barely recognizable due to the extensive burns that covered its body. The changeling drone was even worse, green ichor oozed from the wounds in its broken carapace. The final, and perhaps most worrying thing, the cell that held Queen Chrysalis was empty.

Remembering what Blueblood had told her about his encounter with Chrysalis, it did not take Celestia long to figure out what the changeling queen was after. Traveling at a hurried pace, the alicorn made her way through the castle and up into the guest wing. Without breaking her stride, Celestia bypassed the guard and entered the human’s room to find him talking with a pony. A golden flash filled the room as Celestia unleashed her spell, breaking the changeling’s disguise. She was about to advance on the changeling, only to come to an immediate stop when the startled human spun on the spot and pointed one of his strange weapons at her. The weapon itself was not what gave the alicorn princess pause, it was the near murderous look in the human’s eyes.

After a few tense seconds Hunter lowered the weapon, allowing Celestia to let out her breath that she was unaware she was holding. “I apologize, Hunter.” Celestia calmly began. “Knowing of Chrysalis’ passed attempt on our kingdom, and my nephew’s report of her fascination with you, I feared the worst.”

“I… understand.” Hunter replied. “Had our position been reversed, I suppose I would have acted in a similar manner.”

“I do have to ask what you are planning.”

“It is quite simple, princess. Chernabog wants her dead, so much so he would break into the palace to kill her. Therefore she is a threat to him.” Hunter explained. “A threat I plan on exploiting.”

Chrysalis, who had taken to hiding behind the human, let out a surprised gasp. “You were really planning on using me like some kind of pawn?”

“Not so fun on the receiving end, is it?” Hunter countered. “I told you before what I thought of you, the only difference between then and now is you are of some use.”

“Oh, and what use would that be?” Celestia asked.

“I must admit my own curiosity.” Chrysalis added. “You do not seem the type to save me without some ulterior motive.”

“Chernabog is probably planning on using the changelings against everyone else.” Hunter answered. “Probably something he can only do if there isn’t a current queen. If Chrysalis returns to her hive, she’d most likely be able to retake control of it.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Celestia questioned. “What is to stop her from capturing and feeding off of you?”

“Not much.” Hunter smirked. “But it was once said that the greatest victories are not about destroying your enemy, but rallying them to your cause. You did it with Discord, I’m doing it with her.”

“And you, Chrysalis, I would like to know your thoughts of this.” Celestia asked the changeling while attempting to look around the human.

“It’s strange to think, when I first saw him I knew he would be the key to getting my throne back.” Chrysalis said, as she slowly moved from behind Hunter. “I just never would have imagined it would be like this. Human… Hunter, you saved my life twice today. First when that trator tried to end my life, then again when you allowed me to feed upon you.”

“You let her feed on you?!” Celestia exclaimed. “Do you have any idea how badly that could have ended for you?”

“Really not the time.” Hunter retorted.

“He knew the risks, and he still did so willingly.” Chrysalis said. “Even if his motivations for helping me were selfish, it is not something any being has ever done for me before. If it can happen once, I need to believe it can happen again. All I ever wanted was to feed my children, and if siding with the human is the key to doing that then I will side with the human.”

“I’m not sure I follow, how exactly will helping Hunter feed your children?” Celestia asked.

“Details for later.” Hunter answered. “We must first get to the other changelings.”

“You have an idea?”

“I have a notion, it will need time to grow. In the interim, I would ask that you, Luna and Blueblood build on what we started today. Make them realize the threat Chernabog represents. Get them ready for his attack. While you are doing that, Chrysalis and I will travel to the closest hive and attempt to sway them to our cause.”

“Very well, I will do ask you ask.”

“There is one last thing I would like to do before we depart.” Chrysalis said as she turned towards Hunter. The room was suddenly engulfed in light as green flames wrapped around the Chrysalis’ body. The blaze lasted only a few quick seconds before dissipating completely. Once their eyes readjusted, neither Celestia or Hunter could believe what was before them; standing where the Queen was now stood a human woman with bright green eyes, cerulean hair and clad similarly to Hunter.

“You know what a human woman looks like?” Hunter asked, dumbfounded at the transformation.

“It wasn’t hard to work out.” Chrysalis answered. “I know the old tales, legends about your kind, some of them have fairly accurate descriptions of your species. Comparing them to you it wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

“Really?”

“That, and I scanned your mind when I transformed.”

“Chrysalis, what is the meaning of this?” Celestia demanded.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chrysalis smiled as she wrapped her arms around one of Hunter’s. “He’s my hero after all. Why shouldn’t I look like this?”

“I now regret saving you.” Hunter deadpanned.

“Oh hush,” Chrysalis teased. “We have a long way to go, and you’ll never get there with that kind of attitude.”

Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle, which only seemed to exasperate the human even more. “Are we really doing this?” Hunter asked with a slight groan.

“As fun as it is to tease the poor human, the two of you should probably depart.” Celestia said. “But understand this, while I believe that Hunter has not come to his decision quickly nor lightly, I still do not trust you. Should something happen to him before his return I shall blame you, Chrysalis.”

“I… understand.” Chrysalis responded. “We should be on our way; the closest hive is still quite a distance from here, and we cannot teleport directly into it.”

“So, we’re walking?” Hunter asked.

“I can get us close, but there will be some walking involved, yes.”

“I wish you both luck, then.” Celestia said, then focused on Hunter. “How ever this plays out, please ensure that you return.”

“Don’t worry, Princess.” Hunter smiled. “It will take more than a few bugs to end me.”

Before Celestia could say anything else, there was a green flash and both the human and Queen were gone.

“Sister? What has happened? Why are you here?” Luna asked as she entered the room.

“A great many things. Have you been told about what happened in the dungeons?” Celestia asked, to which Luna merely nodded. “It seems Hunter has take to the idea of reforming Chrysalis.”

“Foolish, but noble.” Luna said, letting a small smile creep onto her lips. “And somehow unsurprising.”

“How so?”

“Tis of little importance now. I shall merely check in on him the next time he rests. Until then, I shall retire to perform my duties as the guardian of dreams. In fact, I was thinking about taking our niece along, just for tonight.”

“Cadance may enjoy that. I doubt she’s had the chance to dreamwalk before.”

---

Cadence followed Luna through the hallway that made up the ever changing dreamscape. Stopping in front of a door with a gibbous moon on it Luna turned to her niece. “The pony you are about to meet...she is not who she first appears to be.”

“Oh?” Cadence’s intrigue was piqued. When her aunt had asked her for relationship advice for somepony, the alicorn of love naturally assumed that Luna was merely trying to deflect of of herself. Now she was standing in the middle of the dreamscape about to enter somepony’s dream.

“I must warn you, the place we are about to enter is no mere dream.” Luna explained. “Instead it is the place where the mind resides. A metaphoric representation of thought, sense and instinct. Stay close to me and do not wander, for if you do you may end up losing more than just the way back.”

As Cadance passed through the door, the first thing she was struck with was the smell of cherry blossoms.

Comments

[Mike32oz]

It's been a long time you update but it's worth the wait. Thank you

[More Dakka]

[Nonameknight]

[NotBurgerShot]

Just finished reading, waiting for more

[ynfiltra]

I WANT MOAR!!!!
dammit!