> Friendship is Hunted
>  by Newenglandee
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Huntsman from the Stars
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun shone hot and heavy…the air humid, thick with tension. Three titans standing across from each other in sweltering, blistering heat. One held aloft a mixture of spear and staff, a mighty weapon that bristled with bright blue energy that hissed in the air like a cobra rising to full height. The other two stood side by side, heads held high, panting slightly at the horned figure before them.

“I’ve never, ever had more worthy challenges.” It told them. There was not an ounce of mockery in his words. He was sincere. Truthful. Almost kindly. He sounded sad that the challenge had to end as he aimed the end of the staff at the two sisters, his piercing blue eyes gazing into theirs. “You’ve both been very, very worthy. True credits to your race.”

“We will not fall here to you.” The first intoned, her voice motherly, yet firm, and biting, the second nodding in agreement. 

“Thou shalt be defeated, here and now.” She proclaimed, her voice booming, deep and intimidating like the roar of thunder in the middle of a story night. 

Silence as the sun continued to beam down upon them, almost pushing them into the soft grass of the plains they stood upon. Enormous chunks of ground had been ripped apart by magic most powerful, or the immense energy blasts the hunter before the two sisters had sent their way. There would be a winner, one way or another. 

Unless…

“…no…more.” He finally proclaimed, placing the end of the spear on the ground, shaking his head back and forth. “No more. You are too tired. I am too tired. This has never, ever happened. Not to my father. Not to grandfather. Certainly not to me.” He admitted. “A tie is almost unheard of for my race. But…this is clearly  a tie all the same, and my race has rules to follow.”  He slammed his fist against his chest, giving them a bow of his head. “You earned my respect, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. I will remember you. And I will return within a hundred years to see if you’ve progressed. I desire closure to this fight.”

“We will be ready and waiting. The Hunting Party will not succeed here.” Celestia informed him, shaking her head back and forth as she saw him…flinch? As if offended, almost. “What?”

“There’s no “party”, Celestia. I’m not going back to my family.” 

“Why not?” Luna wished to know as he wryly smiled.

“I’m all that is left.”

“OH.” The two sisters said at once, glancing at each other as he turned around, sighing slightly, head bowed. They'd lost their own mother, after all, and they knew how it felt. It wasn't something you just "got over", not even with time. 

“You know, other rulers would have just attacked me on sight. I appreciate you let me establish the ground rules, even knowing what my species did. I assure you, I will remember your honorable behavior.”

“There are pains worse than that of the flesh. The pain of disregarding that which is closest to your soul is the worst of all.” Celestia insisted. 

“We have our integrity to think about. Even knowing what your kind did to others, we couldn’t in good conscience just attack you unprovoked. We want to be better than that.” Luna added as she and Celestia walked towards him as he headed along the plains, a gentle wind beginning to blow at last, giving them some small reprieve as the black-bodied being inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent carried on the breeze. “Where willst thou go?”

“I may not have family to go back to, but it’s been far too long. Frankly...I want to go home.”

…

…

…

… “It’ll be good to finally be home.” Fluttershy insisted cheerily to Rainbow Dash and the others, looking over a small photograph of Angel and the other animals at her little home in Ponyville, sighing wistfully as she shook her head back and forth, her pink mane flopping about. “I know Spike promised to take good care of them, but I so dearly miss the dears.” She sighed. 

“I appreciate you all coming with me to see Princess Celestia.” Princess Twilight Sparkle admitted, bowing her head at her friends as she sat in a booth of the train they were on, wings folded at her sides as her unicorn horn sparked, a book of notes flying over to her indigo form as she turned the journal to what she needed, holding it up for the others to see. The sky-colored Rainbow Dash tilted her head slightly in confusion, her long rainbow-colored hair falling a little bit over her eyes. 

“Is that a minotaur?” She asked, pointing at the figure drawn in Twilight’s journal, Fluttershy shaking her head.

“Oh no, I’d recognize a minotaur. That’s definitely not a minotaur.” She murmured.

“Yeah, don’t minotaurs…y’know…got them hooves?” Applejack asked, the green-eyed pony scratching her head, pushing the large brown Stanton hat atop her head slightly up, chewing a little on her lip. “Kinda looks like he oughta be from Tartarus. Real demon.” 

“I must say, I adore the jewelry he has around his neck, though.” Rarity spoke up, her pale skin positively glowing in the light of the train compartment thanks to an excellent new shampoo she had, resting her head on one hoof as she sat in her plushy chair. “Such a lovely necklace. Bright blue is a lovely contrast to his dark, brooding body. And it brings out the color of his eyes.”

“Good thing that Celestia and Luna remembered so much about this guy.” The cheery, upbeat Pinkie Pie added with a wave of her hoof. “They said he’s a member of “The Hunting Party”?” She asked. “Doesn’t sound like my kind of party, though.” She muttered with a pout. “My parties don’t involve shooting people with anything but t-shirt cannons!” 

“They’re supposedly…well…aliens.” Twilight admitted, the others all looking around at each other, confused at first, almost frightened. But then again, they HAD fought hydras, Ursa Minors, a demonic centaur, the personification of Disharmony itself, a corruption spirit that had once driven Luna insane with jealousy, tackled beings that could change their appearance to imitate others, been to another dimension entirely. So aliens? Not so farfetched. “The technical term is “Cosmo Sapien”. They live for the hunt. The challenge. And it’s been about one hundred years since supposedly last came. Evidently there was a kerfuffle with the Changelings.” 

“And they’re certain he’ll be a-comin’ back soon? Like, this year?” Applejack asked, peeking out the nearby window of the train, the harsh, howling winds outside a stark contrast to the soft yellows and reds within as she shuddered just from looking at the thick piles of snow being pelted down onto the plains. She really hated freak snow storms. “Daaang. We gotta get ready, then. Get the Elements.”

“Just what I was thinking.” Twilight insisted with a firm nod. “One on one, I don’t think we could take him. However, if we worked together, well, we can move mountains!” 

Or at least, that’s what she’d been ABOUT to say when a loud, horrific, crashing noise filled the air, everyone sent flying, Fluttershy tearing out the window. Jagged, icy pain digging into her skin, cackling, hissing, buzzing cries filling the air, screaming piercing through her ears as she struck the ground, bumped her head on a rock,

And remembered…

Nothing more. 




It was so cold.  It was so, so cold. Fluttershy shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself, whimpering slightly, making her way past obvious train wreckage, panting as her breath condensed before her. The wind was stabbing into her like knives all across her frail form as her pink mane fluttered back and forth and she cringed, trying to find any sign of her friends. What had happened? The train must have suddenly hit something, or…

No. Wait. She could see insectoid wings. Several all littered around along the wreckage of the train. Wings with dark black carapaces like-

Changelings. Changelings must have attacked the train. She raced over to it to find her, friends, eyes peering through the wreckage, glancing left and right. There was a foul smell that came from spilled engine oil that stabbed into her nostrils, and the booths of the train were cracked into so many pieces that she didn't even Twilight, who could put together a 500 piece puzzle in half an hour, would want to handle this. The hoofprints of Changelings were visible on the carpeted floor of the wrecked train, and Fluttershy shuddered in fear, cupping her hooves around her mouth. What about her friends? Where were they? “TWILIGHT? DASH? APPLEJACK? RARITY? PINKIE?”

Nothing. Fluttershy grit her teeth, continuing to try and move along where the train tracks were. She had to keep moving, try and follow the tracks to Ponyville, with any luck, perhaps her friends were already there! And perhaps she would get there before…

Before…

Soooo cold!

She flopped to her knees, shuddering again, wracked with agonizing pain as she tried to get up, but…she could barely move. She felt like she’d been dipped in a big block of ice, helpless to escape. Why? Why here, now? When her friends could have been in real dang-

“Are you cold?” A deep, dark, ethereal voice inquired, Fluttershy managing to raise her head to behold a titanic horned being that now stared down at her, muscular arms folded across a well-built chest, bright blue eyes blazing in the blizzard that raged around her. He knelt down slightly by her, Fluttershy slightly shivering at the sight of his rather large, sharp claws and…very, VERY sharp teeth. His body was as dark as the night sky, with what could only be described as faint, glimmering stars littered about within it, blinking slightly across his chest, his stomach, everywhere. He somehow sniffed her, despite lacking a nose, tilting his head to the side a little. 

“I, um, er-” Fluttershy squeaked out as the Cosmo Sapien chuckled a bit. 

“Obvious question. I can smell how quickly you’re turning into a pony-sicle. The less obvious questions being…“How desperate am I to escape this cold” and “Is this person trustworthy”?”  The ten-foot-tall terrifying outer alien being inquired. “I know you’re trying to get to where this railroad ends. I have enhanced senses…I can see the town off in the distance that you seek to reach. It’s still five miles away. You’d never reach their in time unless I carry you.”

“I think I-I’d…f-freeze if…if I let you puh-puh-pick me up…” Fluttershy gulped. Please don't let him be suggesting what she thought he was-

The Cosmo Sapien shook his head. “No, no. I meant I could carry you in my stomach, then regurgitate you. It’s quite warm inside and I promise no harm will befall you.” 

Fluttershy’s eyes went wider than saucers as she gaped at the suggestion, the hunter continuing. “Your fear is very understandable. Look at it this way, though. If I am honest, you’ll make it home. If I’m NOT, at least you will die warm and with company, rather than cold and alone. What do you really have to lose?” He inquired, holding out a clawed hand, Fluttershy cringing as she gulped nervously.  Trust him or freeze to death. Trust or freeze.

“I…g-guess nothing…” She managed to admit. “Al…alright I’ll…I’ll…I…I suppose I don’t…don’t have much choice…” She whimpered, closing her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to watch what was happening to her.

“Just relax. And don’t forget to take deep, deep breaths.” He tenderly intoned, carefully lifting her up, as she felt his warm breath on her face, the hunter gently inserting her head into his pulsing mouth. With a tug of her torso, he shoved it into his throat and pressed his lips on her neck, his stomach gave a gurgle as if in anticipation as he forced the pony’s shoulders inside. With Fluttershy securely in his grasp, his tongue began to travel over the pony’s chest, Fluttershy still not opening her eyes.

She was surprised, though. How EASILY he was working his jaws over her shoulders. Each new gulp sent more and more of her body into his maw, a grip from his teeth aiding him in devouring her torso. Soon he had a mouthful of Fluttershy’s hips and his claws let go of her body to let gravity do the work for him as he rubbed his slightly expanding belly, another gulp sending Fluttershy’s thighs into his mouth, his deep, low moans indicating he was clearly enjoying this.

Fluttershy felt the warm massage of his throat over her body, her head beginning to enter what was clearly his stomach, soft muscles squeezing, kneading him like bread, so squishy and pleasant. Her front legs already stuffed into the hunter’s throat, all that remained were her legs and her rear, which the hunter was now resting his claws upon. He felt her shiver in fear, and he gently rubbed her bottom, stroking it, trying to calm her before giving another deep swallow that sent her legs down, slurping up her hooves. His tongue explored the taste of her hooves, tickling them slightly as saliva washed over her soles and Fluttershy sank deeper into a deep, dark abyss  that began to engulf her. She was curled up now in a fetal position, feeling like she was in a mixture of water and jelly, and took in large, deep breaths, still terrified of opening her eyes…

But open them she did, finding herself in a strangely pillow-like place, everything cushioning her as she was massaged by the muscles of the belly. It was so odd! And why was the liquid she was breathing in helping her? How could she breathe? How-

Hands? Something was caressing her? Comforting her? She could faintly feel what felt like dozens of hands all tenderly resting on her body, trying to stroke her, tend to her, a nice, tingling warmth rising in her as she felt something even bigger rubbing her. The hunter was rubbing his stomach and she could…hear him speaking as if he was right by her side. 

“Just relax. Calm down. Deep breaths.” He insisted. “It’s slightly jarring to some, but you don’t need to be frightened. You’re feeling the many others I’ve absorbed over the years into my body. That’s how my kind eats. But I can hold people indefinitely inside my stomach, in the dark matter that is the space between spaces. I AM a living galaxy after all.” He informed her. “So take deep breaths.”

Fluttershy gulped a bit, but took in a few careful, cautious, deep breaths, now beginning to feel more comfortable than nervous as she leaned back against the soft walls around her. It was much like resting against a bean bag chair, or a plushy couch with a blanket upon it as she heard cheery voices speaking to her in her mind.

“We’re here for you.”

“It’s okay, the Huntsman won’t hurt you.”

“He’s gonna get you home.” 

“It’ll be alright, Miss Pony.”


“Y-you promise you won’t, y'know, digest me?” Fluttershy nervously asked of “The Huntsman” as she felt him chuckle. 

“I alwayskeep my word.” He insisted, Fluttershy feeling him rub his belly again. “I’ll let you out at your village when we arrive. Should only take half an hour.” 

“Did you, um, that is, see my friends? Other ponies? I’m worried they were hurt by the train attack.” Fluttershy wanted to know, tapping her hooves together as the Huntsman “hmmmed” for a moment before speaking. 

“I examined the crash before I approached you. There’s no bodies, if you’re frightened of their deaths. Most likely, they were taken by a rescue team that couldn’t find you since this place was swarming with insectoid creatures that probably scared them away.”

“They're known as changelings. They’re not exactly…nice to us ponies.” 

“Ohhh! Yes, that's there name. I wasn’t very nice to them either when they attacked me. Again. I had ended up coming to Equestria late. I had meant to come here a hundred years after my challenge against the two matriarchs of your land, but I was...seeking family. Family long gone. I ended up coming here long after your lunar princess had been banished one hundred years ago, and instead of meeting with Celestia, I encountered those "Changelings" instead.” The Huntsman admitted. “They won’t be coming back, I assure you. I reminded them why they lost against me a hundred heard ago. They're not eager for a repeat of my banquet. Now relax. Enjoy your stay for the moment.” He cooed to her, rubbing his bulging belly. “Get some rest. You’ve earned it, my little pony.” 




“We’ve got to go find her!” Twilight insisted to the rescue team, pacing back and forth, the others murmuring and whispering to each other at the train station, Twilight’s horn alit with magical energy as she curved a hoof into a fist, Mr. Patch Job of the local hospital's emergency medical response team shaking his redheaded head back and forth.

“That stretch of track where the Changelings first attacked the train is swarming with Changelings. You’re all still injured and need rest, and we need backup before we go back out in the middle of a worsening blizzard.” The good doctor insisted. “It’s a miracle the train even kept GOING for a few more miles before it finally crashed.”

“Well, we tried to keep it steady as best we could while they were trying to knock it off the track.” Applejack admitted, shaking her head back and forth, looking down at her broken leg, cringing visibly.

“They were real mean.” Pinkie growled out. “Some people need to learn how to play nice!”

“Uh…g-g-guys?” The little draconic assistant of Twilight squeaked out, eyes bugging in horror as he pointed across the train station at a figure making his way through a thick cloud of snow and biting winter wind. “I don't think that’s a pony!”

“Don’t think that’s a Changeling either.” Twilight whispered as the figure stepped out of the cloud and onto the train station terminal, patting his chest, letting out a slight burp as his belly bulged out. “Oh no! Y-you-you didn’t!”

“I’ll let her out in a moment, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.” The Huntsman admitted, holding a clawed hand up. “After all, it's swimsuit season and I want to slim down. But you and I have matters to discuss. Shall we speak in your home?”

"My home blew up." Twilight muttered.

"Oh! We have something in common. I feel like we're friends already! I'm already so close to Fluttershy-" The Huntsman cringed. "Too soon, sorry."

"NO BUCKING KIDDING!" Rainbow Dash yelled out angrily. 

“Uh…sh-should…should I write to the princesses?” Spike eeped out, Twilight nodding her head as Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly stepped forward, eyes narrowing at the alien being as they tried to ignore the pain that shot up from their broken legs, Rarity looking over at Twilight…Pinkie Pie poking the Huntsman’s stomach. 

“Pinkie!” Twilight groaned.

“Ooh, jiggly!” Pinkie giggled.

“Wakey, wakey.” The Huntsman remarked, concentrating as Fluttershy began to phase out of the stomach as if emerging from water, Pinkie Pie catching her as she fell down, the Huntsman folding his arms over his chest. “You’re back home, as I promised.”

“It’s the puppy eyes, isn’t it?” Pinkie wanted to know with a cheery smile. “They always charm everyone over. That’s why you didn’t make her into a continental breakfast!”

“Well…somewhat.” The Huntsman admitted. 

“Wait a minute.” Twilight approached him, looking him over, eyes narrowing intensely on his skin, pupils focusing in intensely. “Wait a minute.” She could see the stars that softly twinkled amongst his flesh, and though there was a faint coolness that emanated from his body, when she reached out to actually touch the skin, the coolness gave way to surprising warmth. But something was bothering her. “You're a living galaxy, so why are you not, well, TALLER?”

“My species has to limit itself in how it comes across, and it costs quite a bit of energy to walk around in this shrunken form. If I was in my just half of my resplendent glory, I would crush your planet within the palm of my hand, and I'm not interested in that. Having a handicap like this makes things more...challenging for me. More interesting. And, frankly, more fair. But as I said…we’ve much to discuss. And we shouldn’t do it here. Where do you recommend we talk? And, can it be, preferrably, somewhere I can enjoy some baked goods? I'm starving for something covered in chocolate.”

"There's no way Mr and Mrs. Cake would agree to it." Twilight said stonily. 

"I can pay double whatever she offers on her price list?"

"And?"

"I promise not to eat anyone on the way here?"

"Better,but keep going!" 

"I'll let you look at my hand under a microscope."

"Now we're talking." Twilight said, clasping her hooves together and giving a calm nod. "I'd definitely love to study you! And if you play nice, I'm sure Mrs. Cake won't mind you. You are, at the moment, just another customer."

"For NOW." Applejack mumbled softly, giving the Huntsman a "I'm going to keep my eye on you" glance as they all made their way down the streets, headed for the town's finest repository of sugary goods. Indeed, it wasn’t long before all of them were sitting in the delightful Sugarcube Corner, and The Huntsman was now hungrily devouring entire cakes in big, enormous gulps, wolfing down one after another as Pinkie sighed wistfully, resting her head on a hoof and beaming at the sight. “He’s a man after my own heart.” She whispered, Rarity feeling the Huntsman’s sides as he blushed slightly at her touch, putting the double-chocolate frosted cake he’d been about to swallow down to the side. 

“Ohhhh myyyyy. The texture of the skin is FASCINATING. It’s like warm satin.” She murmured, the unicorn’s eyes going wide in amazement. “It feels so pleasurable!” 

“Oh, that's nothing. You should feel the manes of the rulers of your land. It’s even more divine to the touch. And Celestia's smells like cherries!” The Huntsman complimented with a nod at Twilight. She was sitting to the right of him, looking at a free hand underneath, sure enough, a microscope, and she had her notebook out, scribbling down in it with her quill dipped in fresh ink. Having just finished up an entry that ended with talking about witnessing a star exploding in micro-time, she let the alien being have his hand back, now starting an entry “Interview with Cosmo Sapien: First Contact for Equestria”. 

"Wait, how do you know how her mane smells?!" Rarity wanted to know, suddenly looking suspiciously at him as he blushed. Blushed.

"Oh, um, well you see, there, ah…there was this one time when Celestia and I were stuck in a pit together and…it was a long time ago. She was very, very understanding. Also very beautiful!“ He admitted sheepishly. 

"So did you and her "do the deed", as it were?" Rarity inquired, her tone calm yet with a slightly accusing air.

“A lady wouldn't ask and a gentleman wouldn't tell.“ The Huntsman said, albeit a bit too quickly.  “At any rate, I’m certain your rulers spoke of why I came here last time?”

“Yes. For “worthy prey”?” Twilight wanted to know, the Huntsman nodding.

“They fought me to a standstill. Now many a century has passed. I seek to define a simple question: whether you are worthy as a race to learn what I have to teach…or whether you are simply food.” He informed them, swallowing up the double chocolate cake with a mighty gulp, licking his lips free of frosting as he rested his hands in his lap, blue eyes slightly twinkling. 

"Well that's not very nice!" Mrs. Cake muttered, not sure she was going to offer him another cake. Yes, money was money, but this, combined with the fact that people were massed outside the shop, faces pressed up against the windows, eyes wide with nervouesness and worry, that made her testy. 

"It's not really, no. But it’s what my species does, after all. The worthy get taught on any subject they’d like. A living galaxy has much to offer a world, no matter what the world may be.” 

“What if we just want you to leave, bucko? As in right...the buck...now?” Rainbow Dash growled a bit, folding her arms across her chest, eyes narrowing as the Huntsman smiled darkly.

“You really…don’t want to try and make me when you're clearly not prepared. I’ve had people do that. They learned the hard way that I don’t suffer fools. The Changeling queen tried a hundred years ago. I ate half her army before I decided the taste didn't suit me and I decided to try again in another century. If you’re good enough to injure me, make me bleed, genuinely hurt me in any way…I’ll speak to your scholars of ways to cross the universe. Teach your mages of spells that make reality rend itself asunder. Inform your chefs of exotic and fascinating dishes they never knew could be made. I will build for you or kill for you. Anything you wish me to do…will be done. However, if you fail…” 

He rested a clawed hand on his gut. “You will nourish me. I will eat and eat until I am full. Then I will leave and return in another hundred years to see if you’re, at last, worthy.”

Everyone else who’d been in the store and had so much as a CUPCAKE before them immediately pushed their food away. Suddenly they weren’t so hungry anymore.

“Trust me on this. We can beat you. Together.” Rainbow Dash insisted firmly, nodding at the others as they all nodded at once, Dash slamming her hooves together with a big grin. 

And then she howled. Poor Dash had forgotten she wasn’t supposed to put any kind of sudden pressure on that hoof or arm. 

“Maybe just not right now?” Fluttershy added nervously with a gulp as the Huntsman nonchalantly began to peel a candy apple with a single claw, whistling slightly as Rainbow Dash hopped around the Cake’s Store, wincing and going “Oohnch, oohnch, oohnch” again and again, Applejack helping her friend hobble towards the door. 

Yes…Spike definitely needed to write to Celestia, and fast. Something told Twilight there was no way that the Huntsman would be able to hold off the fight for the week it would take for all of them to recuperate. They needed to stall.

…Somehow. 
> Plan of Attack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warning...this chapter has not just soft vore, but open sexual content near the end involving two males, including cooking. You have  even warned. 

Celestia sat upon her throne in Equestria, brow furrowed as Luna sat nearby, holding up a hoof and murmuring soft words as a soft, bluish/green portal began to form from a set of candles that were now situated before the diarchs. The normally bright room became filled with a faintly exotic, darkening mist that rose up from the candles, transfiguring itself into a large portal, a two-way mirror that faintly shimmered before coming into more physical form. Now the two rulers of Equestria were looking at their beloved Elements of Harmony, who had set up similar candles in the enormous hall that was Twilight's new abode as Princess of Ponyville. 

A circular table ensured all were equal, each of the girls clearly visible all at once just as the two regal sisters were, Spike backing away from the candles he'd lit as he bowed his head in deference, sitting down on Twilight's lap as she placed her hooves together, Princess Celestia taking notice of something she had not expected to see...

A horde of Ponyville citizens were all gathered in the hall, many of them nervously murmuring among themselves in hushed, slightly terrified tones. All of it was perfectly understandable. They were facing a force that had expressed the very real desire to eat them whole and alive. A living galaxy from the stars above that had fought their supposedly all-powerful rulers of their home to a standstill, and had only spared Equestria further violence because he'd been off trying to find his only remaining family the first time...and then the second time had been sated by evidently devouring half of the Changeling race after Queen Chrysalis had foolishly tried to grab hold of him, thinking a living galaxy that could be milked for emotion would be a banquet.

Well, it had been a banquet. But not for her. So they were all understandably struggling not to just burst out screaming.

"We need a plan." Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "If Chrysalis could throw her entire army at him and they didn't do anything to hold him back I don't know if we could succeed if all of Ponyville or Canterlot or Cloudsdale joined together and just attacked outright."

"Any attempt such as that must be an absolute last resort." Princess Celestia insisted with a firm nod. "I want to make that clear. I don't want any of you ganging together for a desperate, futile attack on him. That sort of tactic must only be tried if nothing else succeeds." She added with a wave of a hoof. "Bluebood wanted to try it, truth be told. He came to me about this very tactic the instant he heard the Huntsman had arrived."

"He's not very smart, is he?" Twilight sighed as she shook her head back and forth. "Could you speak to him? I want him to stop sending me things, I'm NOT INTERESTED in him." 

"How shallow that he only cares for you because you're an alicorn princess." Rarity said, flicking her purple hair slightly back with a "harrumph", folding her arms over her chest. "A kiddy pool has more depth than him and infinitely more class." 

"If it should, in fact, come to a full frontal attack like that asinine aristocrat Bluebood desires, your brother is already mobilzing our army, and Princess Cadence is readying the Crystal Empire's forces." Luna spoke up with a soft bow of her head, her nightly mane flowing about her like a river as she soothingly spoke to her little ponies. "We've already explained the plan to the military forces in Cloudsdale. The Wonderbolts are go."

"Furthermore, we must ask all those with children to immediately relocate them out of Ponyville. The Appleloosa Army has begun setting up shelters to take them in, and-" Princess Celestia began before the cacophony of angry parents filled the air, Fluttershy covering her ears with her hooves as Rainbow Dash wheeled about.

"You can't be serious!"

"We won't abandon our children!"

"This is our home!"

"What if he attacks there!?"

"HEY!" Rainbow Dash roared out, slamming her hooves down onto the table, all of the screaming, protesting parents quickly rendered stupified and silent as she let out a loud "YEOOOW", her arm still not fully healed as she pointed at the two-way mirror portal on the table, shaking her head back and forth, rainbow mane flopping about. "Princess Celestia and Luna are trying to keep your kids safe. We can't have them here where WE'LL be taking on the Huntsman. We don't want him getting them involved! We've got to get them out of the city whilst everyone who can fight gets ready to take him on if we fail!"

"This is a great burden to place on all of you. We understand that." Princess Celestia murmured quietly, bowing her head as she shook it slightly back and forth. "We take no joy in asking you to send your children away. However, we cannot risk them getting injured by any battle between the Elements of Harmony and the Huntsman. Nor do we wish to risk him getting peckish and, well, perhaps deciding to begin his meal with your children. No parent should have to bury their child." She whispered softly, her voice barely audible as the parents who'd spoken up all slightly stepped back, looking nervously about at each other as an awkward silence filled the air.

For a few moments, nobody spoke. Then Twilight broke the silence, holding a hoof in the air. "What can you tell us about when you fought him a millenia ago?" She asked of the princesses, Luna and Celestia's eyes clouding slightly over with memory before Celestia smiled slightly.

"We were planning a way to contend with Discord when he appeared. He was imposing frightening, and, well, surprisingly funny." 

"He had quite an interesting sense of humor." Luna admitted. "And, as we learned, a surprising amount of honor. He laid the ground rules for us, and happily agreed that if we fell to him, he'd grant us a kindness and deal with Discord himself. He's not inconsiderate." 

"You will be able to make use of that. He was young when he met us Quite inexperienced. Hadn't fought with many on our level before!" Celestia added with a wave of her hoof and a slight, almost proud smile. "He was also very surprised by our ability to raise the sun and moon. It distracted him." 

Luna nodded over at her sister, then turned to look upon Twilight. "He wished, we believe, to wear us down, and we sought to do the same to him. We couldn't exactly harm him with outright force, he was always prepared for that. Had his stamina not been so great, we likely would have won. And had OUR stamina not been so great, he could have had us at his mercy. You must be unconventional in how you approach him."

"Think outside the box?" Twilight wanted to know, tapping the side of her head and nodding a bit. "We can do that, trust us."

"Where is he now?" Princess Celestia inquired, raising an eyebrow up as Applejack tilted her hat at the princess with a firm nod.

"He's outside, ma'am. Eatin' Zap Apples. Says he likes the tingle. Reckon EVERYONE likes the tingle they give when they get down yer throat." 

Indeed, the Huntsman was calmly peeling the skin off of a rainbow-branded Zap Apple, nonchalantly whistling a merry little tune as Applejack's big brother, Big Macintosh, sat by the cart he'd tugged along, now only half-full of Zap Apples as the Cosmo Sapien tossed the skinned apple into his maw and swallowed it in a single gulp. Applejack's baby sister Apple Bloom hid behind the thick legs of her crimson-furred brother, a splash of yellow hiding behind apple red as her deep red hair nervously bobbed a bit as she poked her head up from behind one such leg, her friends watching from behind the apple cart. Neither the deep orange/brown little foal Scootaloo nor the pale-coated Sweetie Belle felt the courage to get much closer. In fact, Scootaloo very much wanted to fly away. Problem was there was the little fact her wings were near useless and barely able to help her hover. Something about this being simply scared the living bejeebus out of them in a way nothing before had. 

"Um...M-Mister...Huntsman, sir?" Apple Bloom managed to gulp out, the Huntsman lowering the apple he'd been about to eat, staring at her with his pale, icy blue eyes, slowly blinking at her. He waited a few moments as she stammered there, unable to formulate thoughts into coherent words.

"Take your time, little one." He intoned. "I've got plenty of time."

"Y-you're...um...that is...you don't...like...eat foals, do you?" She finally asked, Big Macintosh giving the Huntsman a "You'd better not answer that the wrong way or I'll personally skin you myself like you did those apples" glare.

"I've swallowed up mountains, oceans, towns and cities. Old, young, man, woman and child." The Huntsman informed her, sitting up from the bench outside of Twilight's new castle, looking down on Apple Bloom. "BUT I prefer not to eat children." He offered. "I like children." He added, kneeling down and smiling at her with his fanged grin.

"Why do you gotta eat people? Cantcha just like have a sandwich?" Apple Bloom managed to get out, the Huntsman sighing sadly as he hung his head. 

"What flows through me, the energy I use in my powers, it's what my race called "tantric energy". It's the energy the spirit of living, sentient beings gives off. It's why my race has to feed on sentient beings. We living galaxies need it to not merely sustain our powers, but to help keep entropy at bay." The Huntsman explained to the young foal as she blinked stupidly in confusion.

"Entropy? That...is that some kinda magic?"

"Close, but not quite. Think of it like this. Your body needs energy or it begins to wear down. Mine requires even more of it than yours." The Huntsman chuckled. "You know, you remind me of my sister. She too had this immense curiosity. She was always fascinated by other beings." 

Big Mac immediately put a hoof around Apple Bloom and glared protectively at the Huntsman. "No. Touchy." He muttered darkly.

"Relax." The Huntsman said, holding a clawed hand up, looking off to the side, chuckling a bit. "I believe a much moresatisfyingmeal has presented itself to me." He remarked as loud trumpets blared in the air, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle whipping their heads behind them, seeing a large assembly of armored ponies flanking a thick-chested, golden-haired, blue eyed HUNK of a stallion who was trotting his way into town at the forefront of his men. Banners flowed to the side of him as the trumpets blared a jaunty, triumphant, militaristic tune, Sweetie Belle slapping her face and dragging it slightly down with her hoof. 

"Oh NO, not BLUEBLOOD." She moaned just as Rarity poked her head out of the palace along with the rest of the Mane Six, Twilight especially groaning in annoyance. Was he here for what she thought he was here for, because she'd been getting presents and letters from him in the mail for the past three weeks, he'd been pestering her constantly at Canterlot and now-

"Princess!" Blueblood's highfalutin, stuck-up voice proclaimed as he spread his legs slightly wide, the Huntsman nonchalantly resting his head on one hand, clearly amused by all of this. "Tis I! Here to slay this foul beast and win your hand in one swift, bold, brave motion!"

"Oh, my. Blueblood is about to be chivalrous. Well. I guess there's a first time for everything!" Rarity wryly muttered. 

"Blueblood, what the buck do you think you're doing?" Twilight Sparkle managed to growl out through gritted teeth, her brow furrowed as she threw her hooves in the air, still hanging slightly out of the enormous windows her palace, her and her friends bright splashes of color against the bluish/grey of her new home as Bluebood cleared his throat. "You have to get out of here, now!" 

"Tis I! Tis I! Your noble, regal steed! Princess! My love! At last, you shall be freed! I'm strong and brave, and to do what none will dare! To fight with speed, and massive might and soft and bouncy haaaaiiir!" Bluebood proclaimed, standing on his hindquarters, swishing his mane through the air as it flowed like a zephyr in the breeze, several of the onlookers peeking out through other windows gasping and fainting as the Huntsman rubbed his chin.

"Hmm." He remarked with interest, Big Mac giving him a look. "What? I appreciate beauty, regardless of gender."

"Blueblood, get out of here or he'll eat you alive! Literally! I don't mean that as a figure of speech!" Twilight insisted fervently as the Huntsman calmly began cracking his knuckles, Big Mac sweeping up Apple Bloom and bolting away with her, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo following after, since, of course, this next part was surely not going to be suitable for children. 

"Good shall always triumph over evil!" Blueblood proclaimed majestically, charging at the Huntsman, letting out a powerful roar as his horn glowed brightly, a bolt of lightning shooting around it as it shifted into an enormous lance that leveled itself at the Huntsman.

"I'm not evil, I'm just hungry." The Huntsman commented calmly, holding out a single palm, claws slightly curling as he caught the lance, lifting the now terrified Blueblood up into the air with his other hand, the electrical lance being absorbed into the Huntsman's palm as if sliding down into quicksand, the unicorn nobleman struggling uselessly to free himself from the horned, starry-bodied being's grip. The Huntsman licked his lips, holding up an apple from the cart. 

"I think slightly roasted, a Zap Apple here,a fine wine sauce? Yes, you'll taste positively divine!" The alien hunter informed Blueblood, who's blue eyes bulged in horror as the Huntsman shoved a zap apple into his mouth, his claws working their way over Blueblood's pale white regalia, cutting open the coat he was wearing over his entire body, taking off the faintly bluish/white undershirt and the royal blue bow tie he wore, taking the bow tie and tying it around Blueblood's mouth to keep the apple in. "Oh. Right" He took notice of the terrified, disgusted ponies watching him, slinging Blueblood over his shoulder, one arm keeping his back hooves tied together, the other holding his neck down onto his shoulder. "You don't wish to see that. My apologies, you'd, ah, had best stay away from the local diner I took notice of when I was inside your town for the next, say, half an hour? Forty minutes?" 

"S-sure." Applejack gulped out, mouth agape, not the only one struggling to find the words to describe how incredibly bucked-up this all was as the Huntsman calmly walked past Blueblood's astonished platoon of men, stopping briefly to address them.

"I don't suppose any of you would like me to let him go?"

They all immediately bolted, the horns, trumpets, banners and various drums flopping uselessly to the ground like deflated balloons, Blueblood beginning to bawl as the Huntsman slightly shrugged, continuing his way into the town as Twilight gulped nervously, slowly turning around and facing her friends and the other denizens of Ponyville.

"Umcan't we try and help him?" Fluttershy spoke up. "I meanwe can't just leave him to be eaten!"

"What can we do? Remember, if we all just charge at him outright-" Applejack mumbled, shaking her head back and forth. 

"I wanted him to learn some maner, not-I mean! I mean, what are we supposed to do? How can we fight something that can shrug off a bolt of lightning easily?" Rarity whispered out to the others, her face filled with pure fear. 

"Ithinkthe best we can do is to come up with some ideas for how to deal with the Huntsman whilst he's preoccupied" Princess Twilight Sparkle muttered nervously, Rainbow Dash looking down at her still sore arm, cringing a bit as she rubbed it. Suddenly that injury and what her friends had endured at the train crash just a day ago seemed sopettycompared to what Blueblood was going to go through. 

They needed a plan. And fast.

Meanwhile, there were even darker forces on the horizon. Or rather, on the edge of town, waiting to make a move. Yes, a sinister seductress had arisen to cast a dark shadow over Equestria gain, beginning with Ponyville. The one, the only, Queen Chrysalis, was back.

"MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Queen Chrysalis cackled as she sat atop the enormous black carapace of the Changeling Army's newest attempt to take down the Elements of Harmony, acquire a food source for her race and then march on Canterlot. It was the beetle-esque, quadruple-winged "Black Battalion Bug" that now held her and her army, and it was a true marvel of Changeling design. Crafted out of a mixture of donated Changeling shells, skin and chitin, melded together with the specialized cocooning liquid her species used to imprison prey and leech off emotions from, the Triple B was making its way towards Ponyville, several hordes of Changeling troops standing atop the flat carapace at the crest of the Triple B. "With this, I will crush Equestria beneath my hooves!"

"We're only a half a mile away from Ponyville, your majesty!" The chief scout proclaimed as his holey hooves held up a set of binoculars for his deep red eyes to peer through. The average Changeling didn't have eye shades rarer than the primary colors of the rainbow, unlike Chrysalis, who's eyes were a vibrant green and alit with delight as she eagerly licked her lips, anticipating a wonderful feast. "And it seems utterly deserted! We believe they're all inside that castle!"

"We have them cornered, then. Move the ship in closer, steady as she goes." Chrysalis insisted, turning about to address her horde, her long, slick, oily hair falling about her face as she slightly brushed a lock to the side. "Now, my Little Changelings, listen well. This will be a small test of your abilities to move in conjunction with the Black Battalion Bug. It can handle most forms of magic, rocks and tree trunks just bounce off of itit will rain down destruction as you provide ground assaults and sweep through-"

"My Liege!" The scout cried out, eyes bugging out from his binoculars. "The-there's a-a monster in the middle of the town! He's got Prince Blueblood of Canterlot slung over his shoulder! He looks like some kind of freakish minotaur but he has no hooves and his body's all made of stars! He's looking right AT us! And some of the crew members say it's that "horrific horned thing from a century ago"!"

"Hellooooo." The Huntsman mused, raising a nonexistent eyebrow up as he beheld the black blob in the sky making its way towards the town, with him moments from entering Ponyville Diner. "What's this? I recognize that scent"

"Noooonooooooooo" Queen Chrysalis gulped, quickly shoving the scout to the side and holding the binoculars up, peering through and gaping in horror as a cold, dark chill shot through her skinny frame. "It's HIM! SCUTTLE! SCUTTLE!" 

"I don''t think he has a ship to chase after us with, do you mean turn it around, the ship's not fast enough to do quick turns and revers-" The scout began to say as Chrysalis grabbed hold of him and shook him back and forth like a ragdoll.

"Scuttle the SHIP, I mean! It'll save us some time and a thousand cooked alive Changelings!" She shrieked, all of the changelings immediately ripping the ship to pieces, entire chunks being quickly ripped off. Sure enough, within a few minutes of impressive destruction, screeching, tearing and howling in fear, the entire ship promptly plummeted towards the ground with a mighty crash of thunder, the Changelings taking off in the opposite direction of the Huntsman as he tilted his head slightly to the side, slightly confused and slightly disappointed. He'd never gotten the chance to see if Chrysalis had tasted better than her soldiers. There'd been so little meat on them.

Too crunchy

"Ah, well. You'll do nicely, stallion." He informed Blueblood, entering the diner and making his way into the kitchen, setting the nobleman down on the enormous rectangular cooking table. Cosmo Sapien then carefully leaned down, fanged mouth leaning in, whispering into Blueblood's ear as the noble twitched and shivered in pure fear, his blood turned to icewater in his veins as the Huntsman spoke, his ethereal voice speaking softly, almost comfortingly. 

"I'm giving you a choice. Cooking you alive would be agonizing. I can make this painless for you in exchange for your absolute utter submission. You will not struggle. You will not resist. You won't fight back or try to break free. Submit, and your final hours will be pleasant and comforting." The Huntsman cooed, his clawed hands carefully stroking down Blueblood's back, petting him. "Such a beautiful specimen deserves to be treated gently. Will you give in utterly to me? Submit your body completely?"

Blueblood couldn't speak, the Zap Apple still in his mouth, his tears flowing freely down his cheeks as he nodded, whimpering a bit, knowing he was powerless to resist, the Huntsman tenderly patting his head. "Good." He murmured. "Don't worry. I always, always keep my word." He said, Blueblood feeling the Huntsman's claws carefully lift him up and he was turned around, the holding him tight to his chest. One hand held the stallion's head against his breast so the Stallion could faintly hear the alien hunter's heart beating, the other gently resting it upon Blueblood's rear, easing it down, Blueblood feeling something pushing against his rear

Blueblood shuddered as it slid in, and out, in and out, smooth, calm, careful. The Huntsman was being true to his word. It wasn't painful, and within a few minutes, a thick, warm warmth began to spread up through the stallion's rear, a warm haze filling his body as the Huntsman let out a soft hiss, more of the liquid filling Blueblood up as he breathed deep into the stallion's neck, his breath hot and heavy.

"My father taught me to be as merciful to my prey as possible. That doing this allows a powerful aphrodisiac to flood into their bodies. It assists with my meals. This kindness may mean little to most of my kind, but my family knew it meant everything to our prey. They deserve better! Which is what you'll receive." He informed Blueblood quietly, his seed flowing freely into Blueblood's body before, at last, he slid it out. With a slow, careful "PLOP" it removed itself from Blueblood's rear and the Huntsman could see the former noble's face was alit with ectasy, eyes half-glazed, murmuring softly in delight as the Huntsman carried him over to the table and laid him down, turning to the nearby oven. It was a good thing it was so large

"I want you to understand this. You're not dying needlessly." The Huntsman added with a soft nod of his horned head, patting Blueblood's head with his hands. "Every bit of you will be tenderly recycled, broken down into raw materials that will help the many worlds within me. You'll ensure fine harvests of crops, providing nutrients for the plants. Your genetic material will disseminate and help seed other worlds within me. Your intelligence will be added to my own. Even your spirit will join me. You'll see through my eyes, feel what I do. Take comfort in that, Blueblood." The Huntsman gently requested before he placed the nobleman inside the oven.

With a SCHOOMP, the  door closed, and Blueblood was sealed away within the intense, blazing heat that was slowly, but painlessly, cooking him alive.  He wasn't sure how, but the Huntsman had been right. He'd kept his word, the process didn't hurt a bit, his fur reddening, his awareness slowly fading into nothingness. Within a few minutes, he was now a delightfully cooked golden brown color, and it was time to give him the proper dressing. The Huntsman nonchalantly preparing his meal, carefully inserting a large carrot into Blueblood's rear, a rather impressive rump indeed, which was now well-accented with his somewhat crisped-up and still curled tail.  The black hooves of his feet were barely visible nestled beneath the two sizable globes of the propped up behind, his calves tucked neatly beneath his hams, and Blueblood's legs were nicely spread open wide to give a good look at them from multiple angles.  The large, ripe rainbow-colored apple was still held in his protruding mouth, thick, juicy flesh, perfectly marbled with a faint layer of muscles and not that much fat at all.

The Huntsman licked his lips, eager to dine, lifting the cooked stallion up, jaws opening wide as he began to swallow the former nobleman whole. It was just as delightful as he'd hoped the species was still very, VERY delicious. He'd managed to enjoy a few who'd foolishly attacked him before meeting with Celestia and Luna, and they were still creamy and juicy, these stallions. This one especially had a lovely vanilla flavor to him, more and more of his cooked body finding it's way down the Huntsman's gullet.

Eventually he sat down in the diner's main dining area, resting his claws upon his belly, a look of superiority on his face as he leisurely stroked it in a circular fashion, a nice bulge clearly visible. "Thank you." He said to his gut where Blueblood's cooked form was now digesting. "Trulythank you." The ponies here were indeed wonderful, absolutely delightful meals. He hoped they'd prove to be far better challenges than Blueblood had, thoughhe preferred to work for his supper.
> The Origin of the Hunt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle had spent the entire night with her friends and with the people of Ponyville, speaking of one thing and one thing alone: how to deal with the Cosmo Sapien that had landed in Equestria. How to contend with this hunter from beyond the stars. How to defeat the Huntsman that had fought Celestia and Luna to a standstill.

Could they, possibly, wear him out like Celestia and Luna had, given enough time? Perhaps.but doubtful. After all, the two had fought against him for days and they'd been in their prime whilst he was young and inexperienced. Now HE was in their prime. Could they ask the two matriarchs to do this on their own once more? 

POSSIBLE. With age came wisdom. They'd gained considerable experience and powers, perhaps they could last longer, wear him down.make him bleed. Yes, yes, they could possibly do it.

But then again, if they failed, all of Equestria would lose their beloved monarchs. Could the Elements of Harmony really forgive themselves if they'd told Celestia and Luna to go through with a plan that only succeeded in getting them killed? 

Then again, that was just one possibility. They had friends in so many places. Like Discord, Force of Chaos and Disharmony! Surely he could do something.couldn't he? Then again, this was a living galaxy they were fighting, whatever Discord planned to do might be moot. Could Zecora's special Zebra magics have some kind of solution? Or perhaps a trip to the Griffon Empire to the far North would yield a solution, for the Griffon race had tactics and skills quite different from ponies, even, it was rumored, a different brand of magic, just like how the minotaur race had fascinating types of alternate magic. Could an appeal to the Griffon's new empress be the solution? 

Or, perhaps, as Spike had suggested, the dragons. SOME of them weren't completely unreasonable and others, if they heard about an alien hunter from beyond the stars would JUMP at the chance to fight this fascinating new foe. Machismo pumped through dragon blood like liquid fire.

But before they tried that, Fluttershy wanted to try something. Something Twilight was fairly bucking sure would not work, but.oh well. She knocked on the door of the diner the next day, slowly opening up the door. Sure enough, the Huntsman was nonchalantly pouring himself what was unmistakably a cup of hot coffee, whistling cheerily as his horned head bounced back and forth, tapping a foot as he turned to look upon the soft face of Fluttershy.

"Miss Fluttershy. What a pleasant surprise." His ethereal, slightly echoing voice remarked as he bowed his head a bit, sipping from the mug of hot chocolate he had as he walked out from behind the diner's kitchen counter, resting his arms upon the cash register and cheerily smiling at the pink-haired pony. "However can I help you?"

Fluttershy's soft, lilting voice slowly rose out from her mouth as she cleared her throat, looking nervously at his stomach. Thankfully, there wasn't any.bulge.left over from when he'd-she shuddered, thinking about Blueblood's shocked face as he'd been snatched up so easily. "I, um, that is, I, uh-"

"Spit it out." The Huntsman remarked. 

"Please just leave!" She finally managed to get out. "Please. Don't hurt anyone else. Please just go away, far away, and don't ever come back. I knowyou need to eat...to eat people. Not just animals, but people, Big Mac, Applebloom, they told us about it, that you need that energy people give off to survive. I I get you need to gobble up-gobble up people. But, I mean!" She quivered slightly, her body shivering as he stood up, putting the mug of hot chocolate down on the pale, faded top of the cash register. "Can't you, I don't know, I mean...can't you at the very least try NOT eating people? Or only go after really bad, BAD people?"

"Do you know how long I can last without eating someone? A month at the most." The Huntsman admitted as he put a clawed hand on his chest, sighing slightly, pale blue eyes closing. "Because if I don't eat anyone after that? A living, sentient beings with tantric energy? I get more and more feral. Desperate. And then I start to starve and die and my body begins to go. If I was just an ordinary being, I'd gladly let myself perish if it meant keeping innocents safe!" He told her mournfully. "But I'm a Cosmo Sapien. I am a living galaxy. I have billions of others within me to think about. Why should they all die just because I start feeling guilty?" He asked of Fluttershy. "They shouldn't have to be sacrificed."

"But it's not right to sacrifice others either." Fluttershy mumbled, hanging her head, looking as though she wished to cry. "It's so mean!"

"Fluttershy." The Huntsman said, his tone becoming more gentle and soft as he carefully walked around the cashier stand to her, kneeling by her, tenderly lifting up her head to make her look into his eyes, cyan into icy blue. "How many terrible people do you think are in your world? Maybe one out of every hundred? One out of a thousand?" He asked her. "Terrible people are the exception, not the rule, to life. I've learned that very quickly. It isn't like there's a planet full entirely of murderers and bunny rapists." He added, glancing over her shoulder, Fluttershy's pet rabbit Angel holding up a small sign that read "I Will Bury You" in hastily scratched letters, one fist shaking furiously as he sat outside the diner on a flower box. "If I could just eat awful people, monstrous people who just like hurting others, I would! It's just...it's not easy as you might think to find prey such as that. And more often than not, they're really all cowards.not even remotely a challenge. My species LIVES for that. The challenge, the thrill, the hunt. It's practically in our blood!"

He stood up and turned away from her, covering his face with one hand, sighing. "If I'd been here just a few months ago, I would have gladly dealt with your "Tirek" problem for you, and I'd probably have been quite well fed for at least a month, but I imagine the people in your jails are just overwhelmingly the occasional thief or violent drunk. Not a challenge, not a threat, not a meal. Not even much of a snack." 

"Just because something is convenient, doesn't mean it's right!" Fluttershy muttered as she headed for the kitchen, deciding to pour herself some hot cocoa as she lifted the pot up, pouring some contents into another mug, casting a glare over at the Huntsman's direction. "You could try looking harder, and that way you wouldn't have to hurt innocent people."

"So you want me to delay my feeding for a potential meal later, rather than a certain one I could get right now?" He asked of her, raising a nonexistent eyebrow up. "I'm sorry. Honestly. But I can't wait that long." He admitted. "I'm willing to give all of you a few more days thanks to the meal I just enjoyed. But in three days, I'll choose whom I'm hunting. And if you don't succeed in harming me, making me bleed, truly hurting me, then..." He trailed off. 

Fluttershy sipped her hot cocoa, taking in a deep breath for a moment before the Huntsman headed over to a nearby table and absentmindedly twirled a single claw on the top, biting into his lip as Fluttershy got an idea. "Could you.tell me about your people? You said to us you were looking for your sister, you'd told the Princesses you were the only one left. Why is that? That is, if you don't mind me asking?" She wanted to know with a nervous gulp as the Huntsman smiled wistfully, his eyes filling with faint memory as he glanced up and out the window, speaking softly.thoughtfully.

Slowly he made his way across barren desert, wrapping his arms around his chest and shuddering as he struggled to keep his sobs contained. 

"It had been fifteen weeks. Fifteen weeks without food. Fifteen weeks since…since everything had gone straight down the tubes and my race had gone extinct."

The chill of the wind cut into him, digging its claws in deep into his skull as he moaned in a mixture of pain and despair, his parent’s final insistences ringing in his head, bouncing back and forth. He couldn’t take much more of this…


"I was so hungry.but there were no animals around to hunt. And…no people. It was a rather foolish way of living. My people were hunters through and through, Fluttershy. We’d go from planet to planet and look for challenges and food. As you know, if any of the natives managed to actually really hurt us, we’d teach them all we knew and we’d leave.

“But that couldn’t have made you that popular. I doubt you lost that often, Mr. Huntsman.”

"No, we didn’t. And eventually a great and powerful race had enough. The Seraphi came. They sealed us away on our own planet. Destroyed any ability we had to get off unless somebody on the outside took pity on us and came, but we’d made so many enemies that, well, it didn't happen."

“So what did happen?”

It had all gone downhill so fast. Food became scarce, and then nonexistent. Mothers fought with their children. Fathers squabbled with their sons. Families were torn apart over what little scraps of meat remained and…and then came the implosion of law and order on the planet. The tribal governments collapsed. His people were skilled and intelligent only in SOME areas. When it came to growing food, cultivating it, so much of the population was sadly lacking.

There had always been rumors of secret bunkers loaded up with caches of “well-won mementos”…of earned rewards after successful hunts on other planets, but there weren’t any bunkers. People had searched and searched and his mother and father had said nobody had ever found a scrap of meat. So they hunted down what few animals remained on the planet. 

And then when no animals remained?


"Some people like to make jokes on how they live off their parents. When.when I say that I'm NOT joking." 

"I’m so sorry.”

"It’s not your fault. My parents had to teach me how to cut and carve through bone and flesh. Through-through THEIR flesh. All to keep me alive. The last of the hunters. I had to live. I couldn’t let their deaths be in vain!"

“How did you survive for so long?”

"Well, it was a stroke of luck, really."

He couldn’t believe it when he finally reached the mountains…in an annoyed, angry moment he had slammed his fist in frustration against a mountainside, and it had collapsed outward, giving way to a now partially-hidden bunker. Pale blue eyes bugging out, he’d dug and dug his way through the rocky remains about him, his claws tearing the door off it’s hinges, eyes alit with joy as he looked upon the large boxes of cans inside of the room. 

Food. FOOD! Canned food, of course…canned food from another world, by the looks of it. He could barely read the language on the big metal boxes inside of the bunker, but he knew the images on the sides of the can were food. He licked his lips, his tongue tapping his fangs and grinned as he ripped the top of the nearest can open, glancing down at the contents. Fruit. Fruit! He popped the greenish/pink slices into his mouth.

Mmmmm. Juicy and sweet, he swished it about in his mouth, drinking in every drop of moisture and savoring the delightful feel of it as it went down his throat. He downed every single slice and licked the can’s insides clean as he reached for another can, ripping IT’S top open with a single claw, licking his lips again. Vegetables, evidently. Slightly tart, but filling, with a faint crunch as he hungrily chewed into them, grabbing for another can-

"It wasn't like meat, but.still very enjoyable."

"Do you have to swallow your prey whole? I know you did it to me, but it would really hurt if you had digested me." 

"Well, when we swallow prey whole, that's the proper feeding for my species. I remember the first time my father demonstrated it against, well, your kind would say it's similar to a rabbit. He had me place my head against his stomach so I could feel and hear what the "pooka" was experiencing. I was worried for it. I didn't want such a cute little thing to suffer, but it didn’t struggle or cry out. it was too tired, too worn, and it didn’t want to fight back. There was little point.”

“That sounds cruel.”

"My father talked about how his kind fed upon people as well in this manner, but they didn’t suffer when they were gently broken down within our bellies. The process is very pleasurable and comfortable. But he told me that when I had eaten my meals, when they laid within my belly's pit, I...I should speak to my prey. Comfort them."

“Why? If you’re just going to eat them-”

"Because whilst it may have meant little to us, we knew it meant everything to our prey. It would have been cruel otherwise. And I had no idea how soon I’d end up meeting someone else. Someone that wasn’t one of my own kind! Someone who forced me to do something I’d never wanted to do."

"What happened?"

"I opened up a can, thinking it was more food, and-"


 

“This is fucking SICK.” The Huntsman muttered as he looked down at what had crawled out of the can he’d dropped to the ground, eyes bugged out wide, mouth hanging open, shuddering in disgust. “What sick?! Depraved!?!”

“Hi! I’m Maddy. And you?” The tiny little humanoid WOMAN that had crawled out of the can he’d just opened remarked cheerily, smiling warmly at him with soft green eyes, some freckles on her face as she walked towards him, this odd thing barely even half a foot tall, her black locks flicking back and forth over her shoulder as she walked towards his head and looked up at him.

“Er…I’m the Huntsman now. I had to leave my old name behind since my people are all gone. No point in my real name.”

“I can’t just call ya Huntsman, can I?”

“My nickname was “Nebby”.” He muttered, his horned head looking down at this face, this earnest, honest face. “This is-I need to just-just hold on.” He said, slowly getting up and rubbing his eyes, shaking his horned head back and forth. “Let me see if I can understand this, you’re…sentient food?! Your species they stuck people in a can on your planet for others to eat?!”

“Yeah, that’s how they did things.” Maddy said with a shrug, looking up at this strange face, those pale blue eyes, a face of one with definite standards which could not be easily doubted. “We Women in a Can all share a collective consciousness. That way we know how to best appeal in taste and preparation for different classes, genders, species! Everybody shares what they remember. None of us were ever eaten by one of YOU before. You’re a very interesting looking alien!” She admitted, rubbing his black body, the tiny little dots in his form blinking a bit. “They look like stars in the night sky.”

“They actually are stars, truth be told. My species are living galaxies.” The Huntsman admitted with a nod as he carefully lowered his palm down and helped her up, looking her over. “You’re so small.” He murmured softly. “You said your name was Maddy?”

“Yes. We’re based off the personality of our originator. Being made into a template for food means you go into a lab every month and take tests, it’s good money so a lot of people are fine with being templates for “Women in a Can”.” Maddy admitted with a shrug.

“But you’re people.” The Huntsman murmured. “I can’t eat a person. If you’re capable of debating why you can’t be eaten, you shouldn't be EATEN! That’s-that’s not right!”

“We’ve had other people tell us that too.” Maddy admitted as she looked up at the Huntsman, seeing the concern on his almost ethereal face, a sad glint coming to her eyes before she sighed. “Well, uh, would you, perhaps, like to tell me a little about yourself and your kind?”

“My species, Cosmo Sapiens, are known as “The Hunting Party”.” He said, sitting down on a full, box, glancing up and out of the exit. “We were sealed off from the rest of the galaxy by beings even more powerful than us. I’m sure they-they wanted to be KIND.” He mumbled, hanging his head slightly, looking like he wanted to cry, his voice slightly breaking. “That-that they just wanted us to find a different way, to th-think about what we’d done all these years but we ate up all the animals, and then we turned on each other just to survive!”

“I’m so sorry.” Maddy admitted gently as he held her to his chest and she then comfortingly rubbed it, feeling his body. “Mmmmm. You feel soft and warm. Like…like satin that’s been left out in the summer sun.” She added with a small smile. “You’re a nice person, “Nebby”. I can tell.”

“Thank you.” He admitted with a nod. “Would you like something to eat?” He asked of her. “There’s plenty of fruit cans here.” The horned Huntsman inquired, pulling out a small can and cracking it open with a single claw. He carefully pulled out a slice of the sweet fruit he’d eaten before and gave it to her. She flopped down on his palm onto her back with a THWOOF before munching away on it, eagerly biting into it.

“Mmmmmmm. This is good.” She admitted, happily enjoying the slice of fruit as he held her in his palms.

"I don’t have anyone else here.” He admitted. “Could you, perhaps, keep me company?” He asked of her.

“I don’t have that long a shelf life.” She nervously murmured out, glancing back up at him. “I-I won’t last for more than a week.” Maddy mumbled. “The people that made me didn’t didn’t want their customers just buying one of us and getting close, never buying another. They made us to not last that long so people would keep buying. They weren’t in the business of making PETS.” Maddy finished. “I’m really sorry.”

The Huntsman looked like he wanted to cry, his eyes brimming up with the makings of tears. He couldn’t believe it, not just when he’d found someone!

“It’s alright.” Maddy whispered, resting her head against his chest. “You’re a nice person. I won't mind." 

"I can't hurt you. You're an innocent! I don't want to be like my parents. Even though they only fed when necessary, I-I don't want to take ANY lives. I don't care if I'll die." Nebby murmured to her. "I didn't ask to be born like this!"

"It won’t be so bad to be one with you." Maddy told him comfortingly.  

“I admit, my kind doesn’t just “digest” live meals. We like to, well, “absorb”.” He admitted nervously. “What we do is we will take our prey and swallow them whole, that’s what my father showed. And we’ll carefully recycle normal prey’s body to help fuel the many, many worlds within us. He said that their deaths ensured the continued survival of millions, but it still feels wrong to sacrifice innocent lives just to keep other lives alive. Why should WE get to pick and choose who lives and dies?” He asked. “That seems mean. How would some family felt if I had to tell them I needed to eat their son because I didn’t wanna die of hunger?” The Huntsman mumbled.

“And “absorbing”? How does that work?” Maddy asked.

“Well dad never really explained that. He said it was something I had to “feel”, and practice. But I never really got the chance. Haven’t found any other animals or, well, people. Not until you.” He muttered, looking down at her. “Maddy. I don’t want to hurt you.” He said, carefully lifting her up and licking her clean as carefully as he could, holding her to his chest in his palm.

“I know. I’m-I’m sorry. I really am.” Maddy whispered back. “But let’s get some sleep.” She asked. “I’m kind of tired.”

“Alright.” He told her, getting off the crate and heading to the back of the bunker, lying up against some pillows someone had brought in with a bunch of blankets, wrapping one over himself whilst she slept down on one nearby. “Sleep tight, Maddy.” He murmured softly to her. “Sweet dreams.” 




"Maddy was my first friend." The Huntsman murmured softly, putting a hand on his chest as Fluttershy looked into his eyes, and.saw tears. True tears which he wiped away on his arm. "And my-my first "true" meal. I didn't want to hurt her. To feel her shape lose form and-and to know that someone so nice and sweet had to die just so I and all within me could live. Good people like that don't deserve that, they-!" He bit into his lip. "But...but I realized I had no choice. Sometimes you don't get to choose. Sometimes you're just dealt an awful hand, and you have to play it. And keep playing, hoping that eventually you'll catch a break and do some good." 

Fluttershy then did something she didn't think she could have brought herself to do. Inching over to him and gently reaching out, putting a hand on his arm as he turned to look at her, her eyes mournful as she shook her head.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "You do seem nice. Despite all you've done and and what you have to do, you really do seem nice. I wish I could help you. I WANT there to be something I can do. Not something I HAVE to do."

He smiled appreciatively at her, giving her a nod as she left the diner, the door shutting behind her with a SWISH as Angel hopped down the road after her, Neh-Buh-Loh the Cosmo Sapien resting his hands in his lap, head bowed as he cringed, his voice quiet and contemplative.

"But what if there's nothing?..."

"He can be reached?" Twilight Sparkle murmured softly, resting her head on her hooves, brow furrowed as she and the rest of her friends sat around the circular table in the castle, brow furrowed. "He's clearly suffering from genuine survivor's guilt. Near-crippling guilt."

"So if we can't hit his head we could hit his heart?" Spike asked, scratching his head as the others all looked around at each other, Fluttershy nodding slightly. 

"Good on you for finding that out, Fluttershy! Really smart." Rainbow Dash said cheerily, patting Fluttershy on her back, cringing, her arm still not fully healed as Fluttershy nervously blushed.

"Thank you." She shyly murmured, biting her lip.

Not entirely willing to admit that.looking into his eyes, seeing his pain, seeing his suffering, seeing him bear his soul She'd realized something.

She had truly felt for him. More than just pity. More than just sympathy. Looking into the eyes of the person who was willing and able to eat her and her friends alive, she had felt something spark inside her. 

And it felt very much like love.
> The Twilight Hour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had taken many, many hours of careful consideration, many hours of sitting alone in the dark of the hall as sunlight softly filtered in through stained-glass windows, dust motes flittering about their heads, but they'd decided. They'd made their decision. The heroines of Equestria had a plan to contend with the Huntsman. They would rise to his challenge and defeat him.

"Twilight, y'all sure you wanna do this?" Applejack inquired, Twilight Sparkle making her way out of their hall, the people of Ponyville waiting outside for her decision as the Princess of Ponyville gave her dear friend a simple, firm nod. 

"She can take him ,with a little help from her friends." Rainbow Dash insisted, looking down at her still slightly-sore arms, flinching a bit as Fluttershy tenderly put a hoof upon her shoulder and gave her a comforting pat, Dash smiling in appreciation as they pushed the double-doors to Twilight's castle open, the light of the sun cascading down upon their faces as Pinkie breathed in deep, sighing wistfully.

"Good morning to you, good morning to you! We're all in our places with sunshiney faces!" She proclaimed, spreading her arms wide as the people of Ponyville all raised respective eyebrows at this. "We've got great news! Twilight's got a plan!" 

"Oh! Well, that's a relief." Mrs. Cake admitted, her husband nodding in agreement as Apple Bloom walked over to her sister, gently holding one hoof as she looked up into her eyes, worry etched into her youthful face.

"We were so worried aboutcha, sis. Y'all been inside that castle for days now, and we were worried you might not ever come out!" She whimpered, Applejack rubbing her sister's head, giving her a little smile.

"Y'all don't gotta worry no more. Twilight can handle the Huntsman. She's got a real good plan."

"Where IS the Huntsman, pray tell?" Rarity inquired, rubbing her chin as she glanced about, looking around at the faces of the Ponyville townsfolk, some of them nervously rubbing the backs of their neck before, at last, everyone slowly stepped aside and pointed in the direction of the diner. Rarity GAPED in surprise, seeing a small horde of hooded ponies were all gathered around the diner, waving their hooves in the air, chanting in ominous tones. Rarity approached the odd mob, her friends following after as Spike trotted alongside her, sniffing the air. "What is it, Spike?"

"Is that Barbeque Sauce I smell?" He muttered, one of the hooded ponies taking their hood off, their faces having tribal markings etched upon them made up of, sure enough. barbeque sauce. 

"We are your loyal servants! For you, oh Horned One! Our vile, unworthy blood for you! Drink me! Driiiiink meeeee!" The cultist proclaimed, holding his hooves up in the air, his wrists leaking blood as the Huntsman strode out of the diner, sighing a bit as he turned to look at Twilight, shrugging slightly.

"They showed up a day ago. You know you've truly made it when you have a cult worshiping you." He admitted, lifting the cultist with the slashed wrist up with a single hand. "I couldn't very well say "no"."

"Oh, I think you COULD!" Spike squeaked out, the cultists all kneeling down around the Huntsman, then raising their hooves up in the air, slowly bringing the hooves back down in continuous worship as the licked the cheek of the "offering". "How many have you eaten, I mean-wait. Wait, just gotta ask this!” The little purple dragon held up a hand, cringing a bit. "They haven't, well, offered any babies, have they? Because I've heard cultists like to do that."

"You know, I've heard a few people in this town saying I probably eat babies." The Huntsman growled a bit, glancing over in the direction of the town's residents as some of them immediately looked away, nonchalantly whistling. "I shall not name names, Big Mac. Because finger pointing, Big Mac, gets us nowhere. Don't you agree, BIG MAC!?"

“...yup." Big Mac growled out through gritted teeth, immediately putting himself between Apple Jack and Apple Bloom, eyes glaring balefully.

"I'll have you know I do not eat babies. I eat toddlers." The Huntsman remarked, everybody instantly gaping, shrieking or gasping in surprise before the Huntsman let off a toothy grin. "That was a joke." 

"I think Mrs. Cake is having a heart attack!" Sweetie Belle cried out, Mr. Cake trying to resuscitate her as the Huntsman turned to look at Twilight, raising an invisible eyebrow up, Pinkie Pie waving a Cherry pie of her own in front of Mrs.Cake's nostrils to rouse her. Where did she even get that cherry pie, you may inquire? 

Let's be honest, you're better off not knowing. 

"Have you decided who will challenge me? Who will become my prey to be hunted? Be the hope of this world?" The Huntsman asked of Twilight Sparkle. 

"True salvation lies within the pit of the Horned One's belly!" The cultist in his hand proclaimed dramatically, the Huntsman cringing.

"And can we hurry this up? He's getting "Stale"." 

"I shall be your opponent. You know, pray tell, of the abandoned castle in the Everfree forest? Former home of my mentors?" Twilight asked of the Huntsman, gesturing over in the direction of the enchanted woods with a single hoof, giving the Huntsman a firm glare. "That's where I shall be waiting for you,and I won't hold back one iota." 

"I wouldn't ask you to." The Huntsman mused, waving a hand in the air. "Now, if you'll excuse me!” He remarked, turning to the cultist in his hand. "I should get to my breakfast. It IS the most important meal of the day." The Huntsman said as he headed back inside the diner. 

Twilight Sparkle readied the cauldron, taking in a deep breath to inhale the fumes rising up from its depths, the zebra by her side giving her a thoughtful nod, her mohawked hair flopping slightly. "I've not done this before. Is it supposed to smell like, well, like death?" She asked of Zecora the Zebra, the forest-dwelling shaman giving her a nod as she took off the gold hoops from her ears, carefully opening them up, revealing what lay within their hollow interior: a sparkling, shining collection of dust that drifted down into the pot, making it puff up as Twilight rubbed her hooves together in joy. "That looks promising!" 

"This spell will help to animate the statues in this fortress keep. We have cause to celebrate, but miles to go before we sleep. Help me to add this flower's bloom to bring about the Huntsman's doom." Zecora asked of Twilight, the alicorn nodding as she trotted across the kitchen floor past cracked dark tiles and to the shelves upon the walls, opening up a jar and getting out small, shriveled little red flowers which she popped into the cauldron. 

With a crash like thunder, the cauldron shook, and then wafts of smoke rose out of the tub, swiftly moving out of the kitchen and snaking through the halls like serpents on the prowl, shooting into collections of armor, various statues and piles of rubble lying about on the floor, Twilight smiling with relief. 

"We're ready. Let "Team B" get in position." Twilight asked of Zecora, who gave her a cheery smile and bowed deeply.

"Your plan is clever, dearest friend. Soon all our fears will reach their end. I shall alert the other two of three and see if they are now ready." 

"I'd love to respond with a bit of rhyming, but you know me,such awful timing." Twilight admitted with a small giggle, Zecora smiling at this and trotting off as Twilight bolted from the kitchen to race up the nearest flight of stairs, past torn and patchworked banners to finally reach the highest ramparts of the castle. She stood atop the tallest tower, a single flag banner flying high behind her as she peered out with a set of binoculars, looking down the forest path. There he was, alright, the Huntsman and his hunting spear slinking through the forest, hiding behind a tree-

No, wait, now he was gone. Hmm. For something big and black and seemingly hard to see, he was remarkably swift and stealthy, using the cover of the trees and the shadows to hide himself from her sight. But the only way inside the castle was a large rope she'd had, of course,

Magically boobytrapped. 

As the Huntsman made his way across the bridge, Twilight focused her horn, eyes narrowing a bit as a pinkish bolt shot up from the end of the bridge on which the castle lay. The Huntsman blinked in surprise, the rope snapping as he grabbed hold of the edge as hard as he could, being slammed against the cliffside with a grunt, dragging himself up on the rope as he looked up at the castle, seeing Twilight at the tippy top.

"Very funny." He called out, turning around and walking off a few yards, Twilight suddenly realizing what he was about to do as he swiftly bolted towards the cliff, then bounded over, landing on the opposite side with a THUNKA-THUD, dusting himself off as he briefly glanced down the clifface. "Hmm. Sharp rocks at the bottom and everything. Of course, you knew that couldn't possibly have-" He began to say before taking a step forward on the path to the castle,

SHRUKKA-THROOOOOM! The ground exploded outward, nearly sending him flying right off the cliff as he reeled back, panting and heaving as Twilight calmly folded her hooves before her chest, the Huntsman sniffing the ground as the chunks of earth and road that had been sent flying all around finally flopped to the earth. "Explosives in the ground. You planted mines, did you? All along the road?" 

Twilight just calmly whistled atop the ramparts, leisurely leaning against one of the tower's rails, bobbing her head back and forth, singing an oddly, familiar song. "I used to wonder what friendship could be!"

"Ha-HA." The Huntsman grunted out, digging up the remains of the mine that had exploded and holding it in his hands, looking it over as his eyes narrowed in interest. It was a flat, circular thing, a tiny little red button in the center pressed in and heavily cracked by the explosion, much like the rest of the mine. He sniffed it, tasting it with his blue tongue before turning to look at the road. "Based on the design and the scent of the explosive, you used heat-seeking and heavy pressure timers. A mine built for someone of large size like myself!” He muttered. "I recognize this brand, Twilight Sparkle!" He yelled in her direction. "Five hundred years ago a mechanic tried the very same tack you did here. The same kind of explosive sedimentary rock!"

Twilight rubbed her chin. She HAD gotten the new element she'd used in this explosive from an asteroid that had landed several years back, part of a shower that had struck at the outskirts of town. Wasn't too hard to imagine the same material had landed on other worlds, but,to think this being's senses were so good they could distinguish like this, knowing the difference between mere rocks and high explosive? 

"Pinkie's friend Maud would probably find your abilities fascinating." She remarked atop the castle tower, the Huntsman chuckling as he began swerving around the road, making his way towards the castle. "She's all about rocks." 

"Princess Luna once buried me under a rock slide. It took me hours to dig myself out because of my gammy leg." He admitted, finally bolting for the entrance of the castle as Twilight looked down at him entering the courtyard. "It says a lot about me that I can distinguish different rock types by taste."

"You need a better hobby. I recommend reading." Twilight mused. "For example, I learned this faaascinating spell from a book in this very castle. You might have heard of it. It's known as "Animation”. Motion to the motionless?"

An enormous, bulky set of living armor barreled out of a nearby wall, the Huntsman wheeling around, ducking to avoid a sweep of its axe as its comrades all filed out, swinging swords and axes as Twilight held her hooves aloft, swinging them back and forth as if to direct them, cheerily whistling as the Huntsman struck back at the living armors. He swung his spear/staff as it slammed into armor after armor, a satisfying THRUKKA-CHACK noise ringing through the air,

Well, satisfying to Twillight. It clearly wasn't doing much. You could whack a zombie over the head. Crack its skull. The zombie wasn't going to care, and neither was this living armor. The Huntsman frowned, realizing quickly he was being overwhelmed and surrounded, ducking and swerving about to avoid strikes from the living armor. Their blades slashed through the air, narrowly cutting through his deep, dark body as his pale blue eyes glistened angrily, axes narrowly embedding in his skull as he dipped underneath to avoid potentially fatal blows. 

This would indeed be a challenge, but the Huntsman wasn't unprepared, holding his spear up he focused his energy through it, the tip end firing off a potent, sizzling blast of bright blue energy that obliterated the set of living pony armor next to him, chunks of it flying through the air, dissipating into nothingness to keep Twilight from simply reviving the armor anew as he then ducked down and swung, sweeping all of the other living armor sets around him off their feet. 

The Huntsman leapt up through the air, swiftly bounding to the top of a pile of nearby rubble, holding his staff up and blasting away at the living armor sets as Twilight quickly realized she needed a new plan of attack, slinking down into the ramparts as the Huntsman fired again and again, the Living Armor sets being dissolved with every single blast from his spear. At last he lowered it, his work finished as he turned to look in the direction of the tower Twilight had been in, sniffing at the air. "I have your scent!” He whispered, swiftly moving into the nearby door, slinking along the dark hallway as his eyes slightly glowed. His clawed raked against the cold brick walls, the air hot and thick and heavy as he licked his fanged maw. "You shan't escape me." 





Twilight barreled down the hallway, heading for the library of the castle as she heard the Huntsman's claws echoing out through the air, making a horrifying screeching noise as they grew closer, closer. But she couldn't tell which direction he was coming from,

It didn't matter. She had to stall. Twilight stood in the back of the room, glancing left and right at every entrance, her horn glowing a faint purple color as the alicorn readied herself, the Huntsman's form emerging from the west side, standing tall and proud as he held up his spear, aiming it at her. "Are you really going to try and duel me head-on like-" He asked, clearly astounded.

Twilight's horn sparked, and a burning wave of purplish flames shot forth, the Huntsman batting it to the side as it slammed into the wall, chunks flying about as she fired again, the Huntsman simply ducking to avoid the strike, then Twilight focused her horn as the long tables in the room floated up into the air and barreled right at the alien hunter. He "eeped”... ducking to avoid the first one, the second slamming him into the wall, Twilight happily grinning, until he ripped it off his body and shot at her with his staff.

Twilight rolled away, focusing her horn anew as the chairs in the room soared at him, the Huntsman folding his arms across his chest, eyes narrowed as they all sunk into his body over and over again as if being tossed into a pit of mud, Twilight Sparkle cringing. "Of course, if you know what to expect, you can prepare for it!” 

"You really can't expect to defeat me when I'm ready for-" He began to say before stepping forward.

THRAKKA-BOOOOOM! With a howl he was launched up, up through the air, his head slamming right through the ceiling, the rest of his body sticking out the bottom as he hung limp in the air like a noodle, slightly twitching for a few moments before Twilight giggled.

"You stuck a mine. In the middle. Of a library." She heard his head growl out from the floor above her, Twilight nonchalantly trotting off for the nearest exit.

"Well, you know what they say! In a head-to-head competition, the one with the most brains wins!" She proclaimed, before the ceiling shattered, chunks of it flying through the air, Twilight ducking away to avoid being struck as the Huntsman fell to the floor, then bounded at her, Twilight barely managing to roll away as she raced down the hall, the alien hunter racing after her, Twilight panting and heaving as sweat began to pop up on her brow.

Where were they? Why weren't they here by now? Surely they should have arrived at the castle-

CAUGHT ENDING

Unfortunately Twilight's thought process was interrupted as the Huntsman's claws grabbed hold of her tail, yanking her back, his other fist held high as he brought it down on her head.

A single blow and she was knocked to the ground, the Huntsman standing over her as she moaned in pain, his clawed hands turning her over on her back as he looked her over.

"You, student of Celestia, had some very clever tricks and spells. Unfortunately, despite the home-team advantage, it's just not enough." He admitted, kneeling down, pinning her to the ground. "Your mentor Celestia was quite skilled as well. I greatly admired her magical abilities." He added as he inhaled Twilight's scent. "And just like her, you too also have quite a pleasant scent."  The Huntsman admitted as he stroked her cheek, Twilight gulping a bit in fear. "It'll be an honor to take in one so talented and lovely into me. Take comfort, little one!” He cooed as he caressed her form. "You'll enjoy every moment." 

"Are-are you going to cook me like you did Blueblood?" She whimpered in fear, the Huntsman shaking his head back and forth as he reached down and wiped a tear away from her cheek. 

"No. I've a kinder fate in store for you." He intoned as he lifted her up and she looked down at what was now emerging from his crotch, between his thighs was now an enormous manhood, which he now rested her head against as an odd, musky, enticing scent began to emerge from the odd liquid faintly drooling out the tip of his cock. "Will you drink of it?" He asked of her. "I won't make you, but, you'll quite like the taste. Give it a try." 

Twilight knew what sex was, of course, knew what seed was, knew what THIS was, she should say no. Of COURSE she should say no, but,but the scent was so intoxicating,her curiosity got the best of her and she leaned in, licking the liquid and was delighted at how wonderful it tasted. It was musky, a little spicy, a play of salty and sweet dancing on her tastebuds as an afterthought, this lovely taste beginning to warm her from the insides as well, like a trickle of hot lead pouring into her and giving her fresh vitality. She began to drink of it, the Huntsman gently stroking her head. He didn't even need to demand she do anything, she was clearly loving the taste just as so many others had. Her lips gently latched onto the tip of his firm cock, her tongue trailing over the slit over and over again to coax more of the warm, revitalizing drool from within its depths.

He hissed and murred a little, the little purple alicorn's temperature starting to make her body swell with lusty heat the more she drank of his fertile fluids.  The solid length of veiny alien cock swelled a little bigger, straining against the girl's hooves and lips as she continued to nurse from it like a hungry whelp. Suddenly her muzzle slipped right into the wide cumslit, making the big horned alien groan in pleasure as a familiar gurgle from his balls reminded him about one of his many hungers.  He sighed blissfully as Twilight began easing more of her  face right inside his tip. More! She wanted to be inside. It felt so warm and inviting and comforting, this feel upon her face, her little indigo head sliding all the way inside, her horn briefly grinding against the inside of his urethral bulge in the most delightful way.  So delightfully that his member spurted wave after wave of hot precum against the intruding alicorn, lubricating her for a quicker descent, which was fine with her, her cheery murrs indicating she was enjoying it.

It wasn't often that the Huntsman managed to find a meal so willing or eager to please.  He didn't even need to flex those internal muscles to draw his prey within, simply relaxing his length and letting the little alicorn do all the work.  He groaned occasionally whenever she moved, pleasure spiking through the roof when her smooth form slithered into his dark python of man meat more and more.

He watched her form wriggling half within his enormous, hungry cock, making the Huntsman growl softly with each motion that her squirming body had to offer him.  She started to have a little trouble when her form finally pressed in all the way up to her hips and hindlegs.  The hot space of the Huntsman's urethra was definitely roomy enough to devour sizable meals whole, but it would still require her to tuck her legs in straight for them to glide downward as well.

"Would you like some help, my little pony?" The Huntsman inquired, Twilight shuddering in delight as she felt his clawed hands envelop her thighs. 

“...yes, please." She admitted. "It feels so NICE in here, I,I want to be fully inside. It's so fascinating, so HUGE. Bigger on the inside than the outside."

"I AM a living galaxy." He said, pressing her thighs inward as well with a sigh. He did feel somewhat bad watching the alicorn's lower legs slithering into his loins,  following the rest of her form that was buried deeper.  Poor thing. She'd only wanted to keep her people safe, her friends safe. Still, he'd make it up to her. He hadn't gotten to where he was by being cruel to the undeserving. 

Though that thought left his mind when he felt her head slip deeper into his groin, her horn feeling incredible against the insides of his sensitive ducts, and especially as she started to push into his big ole prostate. He let his bulging member rest on the ground between his legs as his prostate filled with her form.  Twilight was now all cozy inside the Huntsman's flesh, curling up in that larger-than-natural gland that his kind so often had considering how frequently they enjoyed THIS kind of unique meal.  The lower part of his paunch bulged into a firm rounded form, and the Huntsman rubbed over it gently, feeling her form curl up tight as could be within, perhaps she was even dozing off, it was hard to tell.

Inside, Twilight was in a pool of thick, delicious liquid that was warm to the touch, sweet and succulent, the walls soft and inviting as she nuzzled up against it, moaning happily. She just wanted to sink deeper into his blissful warmth, feeling what felt like many arms tenderly wrapping around her, comforting her form. She was becoming altered, she knew, entering the conversion process, her form was sinking into the deep pool to be broken down into seed like so many other prey, all pleasurable sacrifices for the Huntsman. Mercifully though, as he'd promised, she was enjoying it. Each stage of the process was just as unique and pleasurable as the next, and Twilight relaxed, letting herself enjoy them all.

It was deeply pleasurable for the Huntsman as well, beginning with a gentle pulsating sensation deep within his groin, as if his gland were squeezing around Twilight tightly, being sure that every soft, furry inch of her body was tucked in tightly enough.  The pulsation was met with a warming, as if his veins were gently feeding fire to the flesh surrounding her, heating her up slowly.

His member throbbed even more firmly as the pleasurable fire mounted and he could feel his prostate beginning to melt her down with the pool of seed she'd welcomed herself into, secreting the special precum and other fluids that would coax the genetics right out of her form in the form of individual sperm. So much genetic material, a worthy sacrifice not merely of youthful female potential, but MAGICAL potential as well. Billions, trillions of people in the galaxy his body was would benefit from her sacrifice as she was collected into the  hot viscous pool she'd willingly joined.  Minutes passed, and the Huntsman could feel her former body expire gently inside his prostate, her form dissolving in a liquid gurgle until she was nothing more than a huge load.

He hissed softly as he let her out of that temporary place of change and holding and down into his balls.  His other hand groped over them both in turn as they swelled with new seed, filled with potency that he'd taken from her as he looked up, Celestia and Luna approaching with a zebra by their side. Celestia could see his full sack, quickly realizing what had occurred.

“...oh, Twilight!” She murmured, covering her face with one hoof, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "I'm so sorry!” She whispered, Luna putting a comforting hoof upon her side as Zecora bowed her head in sorrow. "So, so, sorry."

"Don't cry. She didn't feel any pain." The Huntsman offered, standing up as he displayed his assets. "And I was hoping you'd appear here. I wish to offer up a counter-proposal." He admitted. "Your student lost. I would eat my fill of your race now, but out of respect for you and for her,” He added as he rubbed his sack. “...become my mate." He asked of her. "Give Twilight new life as your child and make me your king. I'll demand only an occasional sacrifice of those that break the law, and will protect your kingdom from those that would seek to harm it. I've been able to put off my desire to binge thanks to a lovely new cult that's sprung up, I can wait a few more days for you to establish a new order." 

Celestia looked down at the Huntsman's crotch, thinking of Twilight, thinking of her people. She knew they couldn't possibly beat him in a straight-on fight, and she wanted to protect her student, the child she'd never had,

"I'll be a good father to her. And you'll be a wonderful mother." The Huntsman insisted gently, approaching Celestia, caressing her cheek, looking deep and lovingly into her eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

“...yes." Celestia whispered, the Huntsman kissing her on the lips, Celestia lying on her back as Luna and Zecora stepped away. "Luna, head to Canterlot. Ready the papers. We've much to do. Zecora, let…let Twilight's friends know of her sacrifice. They deserve to understand." She murmured, feeling the Huntsman's shaft sliding down her pubic mound and rubbing against her pussy lips as it eased itself into her. 

In and out, in and out, his manhood slid into her pussy.  He didn't have to force this on her. She was spreading her legs as wide apart as she could to give the Huntsman better access.  She wanted him to mate her, thinking of Twilight, wanting to give her a new life. He began to thrust more powerfully into her, his shaft sliding in smoothly and fluidly from the earlier "action" he'd been able to enjoy, Celestia wrapping her arms around his neck as the Huntsman let out a wistful sigh.

Their forms violently quivered in delight, the Huntsman beginning to pump his potent load into Celestia's womb, his shaft sliding in as far as he could, each new burst of seed making Celestia's belly swell more and more, bigger and bigger, her womb taking it all in. Her pussy was leaking its own juices, Celestia feeling a deep sense of relief and comfort, his potent seed providing the same lovely aphrodisac feeling that Blueblood had enjoyed.   Her body was gleaming from the coat of sweat that now covered her as she lay there, heavily breathing, the Huntsman continuing to empty his payload of life into her womb, Celestia now looking freshly pregnant as she leaned back and relaxed, the Huntsman finishing as he laid down next to her, stroking her cheek.

"She'll be a wonderful daughter." The Huntsman crooned, kissing Celestia on the cheek. "I knew when I saw you how deeply I admired you. My heart was moved by your beauty. Your grace, your symmetry. Thank you for giving me this chance."

Celestia rested a hoof on her belly, feeling it jiggle slightly, looking positively bloated as she turned to look into the Huntsman's soft blue eyes. "Thank you for giving me Twilight back." She murmured, resting her head in his chest as he held her tightly, nuzzling up against her. 

Within a few days, the work was done, and the Huntsman was now part of the ruling class of Equestria. A three-strike punishment was implemented for crime, and though, for the most part, it kept everyone in line there were, still always a steady supply of sacrifices for the Huntsman to enjoy. Not merely because there were always SOME idiots that broke the law despite the consequences, but that annoying cult had actually begun to grow when Twilight had been birthed anew, now a beautiful, dazzling shade of deep indigo-blue like the sky at sunset, stars twinkling across her form. A lovely new little filly whom the cult called a savior of Equestria. She had her mother's eyes, and her father's hunger. 

Luckily though, she also had Twilight's memories and personality, and was soon back in Ponyville. It would take some, getting used to, but still, she was growing quickly to maturity like Cosmo Sapiens did, and still an alicorn princess. She would be fair in ruling over Ponyville, and in time, her friends and fellow Ponyville residents would come to accept her new diet. It helped that because she was only HALF Cosmo-Sapien that she didn't need to eat as much as her father, and only needed living beings once a year. 

"Thank you so much." Twilight Sparkle cheerily remarked, putting a hoof on her chest and beaming with faint embarrassment and happiness as the cultists bowed their heads, their new offering gleefully kneeling down before her, apple in his mouth, body covered in frosting as Pinkie Pie stepped back, bowing her head as well, her hood briefly slipping down over her ears. 

"Woops! Sorry!" She said, putting it right back up. "I remembered that you like chocolate." She said, her sacrifice nodding in agreement. "So I slathered a lot onto Gum Drop. You don't mind?"

"No, I'm flattered!" Twilight said, picking up Gum Drop the cultist, thrusting his r head up into her mouth, and slowly beginning to swallow. As she swallowed, she could feel the bulge Gum Drop was making in her throat, murring happily as her belly began to extend. More and more of the powerful muscles of her esophogus pulled the pony cultist down into her stomach and after a few minutes, she had swallowed him up to his hooves, and with one final gulp, Twilight had completely gotten him down. Inside, the cultist rubbed up against her belly walls, sighing wistfully as Pinkie Pie felt the outside, giggling a bit.

"Oooh! Jiggly!" 

"Not quite as tasty as the Ursa Minor from last year, but,I loved it, Pinkie. Thank you. Thank you all." Twilight admitted with a deep bow of her head, letting out a soft burp and heading for the Everfree. She had work to do, after all,the castle was still in shambles from the fight and if she was going to turn it into a proper museum for future generations to enjoy,

The work of a librarian, and a princess, was never done. 

 SUCCESS ENDING

"Well, you know what they say! In a head-to-head competition, the one with the most brains wins!" She proclaimed, before the ceiling shattered, chunks of it flying through the air, Twilight ducking away to avoid being struck as the Huntsman fell to the floor, then bounded at her, Twilight barely managing to roll away as she raced down the hall, the alien hunter racing after her, Twilight panting and heaving as sweat began to pop up on her brow.

Where were they? Why weren't they here by now? Surely they should have arrived at the castle,

Ah-HA. She felt the air buzz with magical power and she inwardly grinned, a second wind pulsing through her as she barreled down the hallway, the Huntsman racing after her as she turned the corner and he bolted out-

Just as two respective beams of incredible magical power slammed into him from both sides, Princess Celestia on his left, Princess Luna on his right, the Huntsman howling in agony, white and black cascading into his form as Twilight flew up onto a chandelier high above the main hall, shaking it back and forth, back and forth, Zecora giving her a nod from the nearby doorway.

With a loud KRA-KRAKKK, the chandelier came flying off as Twilight forced it down onto the Huntsman, Celestia and Luna leaping away in time as it shot through the air and into him, breaking the hallway opening apart, the floor collapsing beneath him, the alien hunter falling down, down, down with a loud, anguished cry,

With a thunderous crack, he finally hit rock bottom, Zecora watching the three alicorns slowly descend into the dark depths below, a river underneath the castle cascading soft water as the Huntsman moaned in agony, pinned beneath the wreckage of the chandelier, a stalagmite sticking just past his head,

For a brief moment, Twilight, Celestia and Luna's faces were filled with fear. Had it not worked? They'd poured everything at him in that sneak attack and had caught him off guard, was that still not-

No. Wait. He rose back up, shoving the chandelier's remains to the side, panting and heaving, flinching a bit as he turned around to look up at their faces, spitting out a crystal from his mouth and rubbing his jaw before slowly turning around, gesturing at his back.

"Ewwww." Twilight moaned, cringing as she looked at him. It was as if his back had been turned into an acupuncture patient. Pieces of crystal were sticking out of him like a pincushion, and, unmistakably, what was clearly blood was dribbling out from the wounds in his back.

"They don't make magical diamond chandeliers like those anymore." Luna admitted. "We had those fine gems crafted from freshly-landed asteroids many years ago. You remember I almost took thy head off with one?" 

"Yes, and I got to meet their cousins earlier today. The ones with explosive personalities." The Huntsman muttered as he cringed, turning back around and shrugging slightly. "I must say, that was quite a show, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria! QUITE the show. You did all that just to stall me and wear me down until they appeared?" 

"I figured a two-pronged,really three-pronged attack could work. Soften your defenses, and it would appear I was right!" Twilight admitted as she touched down by him along with Luna and Celestia, Twilight rubbing the back of her neck and nervously cringing. "Though it looks like I really did quite the number on your castle, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. I'm so, so sorry."

"They're just things. They can be replaced, Twilight." Celestia intoned softly, gently putting a hoof on Twilight's head. "But you can't. I didn't want to lose you. You're very precious to me."

"I can tell." The Huntsman admitted, getting to one knee, bowing his head. "I have lost. So I offer you my utter submission. What would you have of me? According to the rules, you're free to ask me to accomplish any task, impart any wisdom you desire. Do anyTHING. What is your will?" 

“...I'd like to know more about your species." Twilight admitted softly. "I think you could be a force for great good in this world. You just need to be focused in the right way. And maybe I could find a way to keep you from needing to y'know, actually kill people to satisfy your hunger?" 

"I've had others make the offer, Twilight." The Huntsman murmured, Twilight gently putting a hand on his shoulder as his head slowly rose up, and he saw the kindness in her eyes.

"I’m not them, and I believe you could be a wonderful ally to Equestria. You could keep it safe from great danger, maybe even be a friend. You were really, really chivalrous to us, after all." She admitted. "So? What do you say?"

“…Neh-Buh-Loh." 

"What?"	

The Cosmo Sapien smiled. "My name is Neh-Buh-Loh. Friends should know each other's names right?" 





It would take some getting used to, but, all things considered, it wasn't such a bad arrangement. 

It had taken a full year of research, testing and experiments, several of which involved Twilight trying to stick things into him. And then, of course, there'd been her needing to take a skin sample,

She should have specified WHERE before he so happily volunteered. 

Nevertheless, at long last, she'd uncovered a way for him to enjoy eating sentient beings whole without needing to absorb/digest them. He could temporarily hold them in his stomach as he was now going to do with Fluttershy, just like she'd had done to her before, and slightly leech off their tantric energy instead of simply breaking them down like before. It required him to ingest a special potion that fiddled with his body's stomach enzymes and a great deal of concentration and care, but it worked.

Now being food for the Huntsman wasn't so scary. In fact, many of the residents didn't mind spending a night, or a day, or a week, inside his stomach. Fluttershy included. He'd proven to be one of the sweetest and nicest people she'd ever met, and he  was always overjoyed when she let him indulge himself with her. 

"I love it when you and I can spend some quality time together!” The Huntsman cooed, lifting Fluttershy up off the ground at her cottage, Angel breathing a sigh of relief, the little bunny thankful it wasn't HIM getting nommed as the Huntsman totally engulfed her head with his mouth. Neh-Buh-Loh took hold of her back legs, lifting Fluttershy into the air, swallowing more and more of her with each gulp, enjoying this tasty treat.

Fluttershy sighed wistfully as she traveled down his body. It was, like before, getting darker each time he got farther down her throat, eventually reached the meaty empty-place that was his belly's pit. It was slightly difficult sometimes, trying to move her body in the right position at first so it wouldn't be uncomfortable, and normally when you have little room to spare and being forced into such a space, trying to keep a comfortable position for a few hours was taxing on the body. But she knew very well she'd be comfortable once she got settled down, and at last, the Huntsman ahd finally swallowed her whole, feeling Fluttershy slowly go down his throat and move inside his stomach, the soft walls massaging her body as he let off a soft burp and rubbed his full belly, feeling her move around inside him, resting against the walls of his stomach to get comfy.

"No matter how many times I eat you, you'll always know how to make me feel warm and full inside." He admitted to her. "Oh, I love you, Fluttershy." He cooed.

She gently embraced the inside of his belly, nuzzling up against her lover, hearing the soft beating of his heart and feeling his touch. "I love you too!” 

Truly, there was no greater way to be closer to the one you loved. Well, perhaps a few. But few quite this, INTIMATE. 

And jiggly. 

"Pinkie!"

"Hee-hee!"

"Now you STOP that!"
> Spike and Rarity: Burning Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Putting together a plan to combat the Huntsman would not be easy in the slightest. After all, a head-on attack would be disastrous. Especially for Rarity, who had volunteered herself and Spike to come up with the proper stratagem. As talented as Rarity was, Spike knew that she was not the best fighter. Not that she was above fisticuffs. She simply wasn’t quite as skilled with such things as Rainbow Dash or Applejack. 

No, her skill laid in how clever, cunning and intelligent she was, and she’d already begun formulating a scheme to contend with the Huntsman. A scheme that had begun when she’d really, truly taken a good look at how Spike had grown over the past year.

Spike was hitting draconic puberty, having grown a foot and becoming slightly more, well, developed in his features. He now looked less like a little baby and, well older! Older in the right ways. Gently handing Rarity a scroll, the light from a stained glass window illuminating the back of his crested head, the purple-haired unicorn had to admit, he looked quite distinguished, all things considered.  Growing through puberty hadn’t been easy, though. Nobody knew how to handle Spike when he went through unexpected fire-belching spells-

“ALL IS LOST! ALL IS LOST!” The long-suffering Mayor screeched out, tugging at her hair and wailing as burning green flames rising up into the early morning skies continued to torch the town hall, the local diner, three houses and the bakery as ponies scrambled left and right in a panic, struggling to pour water onto the fire. Spike nervously rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly at Twilight as Pinkie Pie played on an accordion as she sat atop a stump, Rarity hovering a large bucket of water as the Applejack family helped the fire department as best they could. 

“Pinkie!” Applejack yelled out in Pinkie’s direction as they aimed the hose at the town hall, the farmer glaring angrily in her friend’s direction for the insensitive choice of song. Specifically-

“I can’t help it! It’s a hot time in the old town tonight!” Pinkie proclaimed, sticking her tongue out and bobbing her head back and forth. 

“Ask if she knows “gagged and bound”…” Rarity muttered dryly. “Or perhaps the “Sound of Silence”?!” She hissed out as Spike cringed, the town hall’s roof collapsing inward. 

“How about this?” Pinkie inquired cheerily as he held aloft the accordion and took a deep breath in one an attached harmonica. “Ohhh when I’m gone, won’tcha bury me deep? CUZ THERE’S WOLVERINES REPORTED IN THE AREAAAA!” 

“The accordion dies tonight.” Twilight swore, holding Spike up by the tail with one end, his head by the other like a flamethrower. Ready…aim…

Things such as this was why Spike had considered and finally agreed to spend some time with the dragons. Thanfully, scary as dragons were, there were some who’d been considerate enough to help Spike get through the worst of the puberty. It had involved several lava baths, an IMMENSE amount of gem-snacking…and then several sudden growth spurts. Seeing a mountain EXPLODE as Spike emerged from it had made the denizens of Ponyville grateful he’d decided to work through his issues outside of town. Then, after rampaging around the mountain range five miles from town for about three straight hours, he’d finally begun shrinking down to a “normal” enough size, calmed and ready to return. 

And had returned looking…well…once before he’d had “puppies”. Now they were looking more like dogs. 

Rarity looked into Spike’s green eyes as he handed her the scroll and he blushed, Rarity blushing in return. It wasn’t like she’d never thought about intercourse with him. I mean, ever since he’d told her of his feelings she’d known for quite some time and had something deep in her for him. Yet now that feeling was bubbling up more and more every day. 

What could she say to him? How could she even begin-

Focus. She had to focus. She looked the scroll over, rubbing her chin. It was a historical record of what had happened a hundred years ago when the Huntsman had arrived after being delayed for personal reasons for many a century. His fruitless searches for his sister had evidently yielded zip. But when he’d come here 100 years ago he’d also not been able to find Celetia before the Changelings had found him. Along with, interestingly, a few dragons, according to the reports that Celestia’s scouts had taken down…and, supposedly, they’d given him something of a hard time before he’d finally killed them.

This gave her an idea. If just a few dragons could be so much of a nuisance, what could a large horde do? And after all, there was a city’s worth of dragons far, far up in the mountains that Spike had stayed with. If they could somehow get the draconian destroyers to do their dirty work for them…have Spike try to appeal to their pride, their sense of “I must be the apex predator” that so many had, things might work out.

Dragons were, after all, quite greedy and rather selfish beasts. They often placed incredible value on material things and on petty caprice, on winning through violence and powerful displays…though many, deep down, were also big softies, according to Spike. There were potential allies to be made. 

“We’re sure this is the best idea?” Twilight asked of Rarity as Rarity took off the small reading glasses she’d had on and put them away with a sigh.

“No, not the “best” idea, but the most unconventional I could think of which would have a chance. We need to think outside the box, be daring and bold…this definitely fits that bill, my dear.” She insisted, the unicorn putting a hoof on her chest. “Spike, do you believe you can convince dragons in the city of Hearthstone to fight the Huntsman?”

“Yeah, if I frame it right. Especially if I can find some of these poor guy’s sons and daughters.” Spike added, looking down at the scroll’s bottom and cringing. “I mean, geez. This is just basic info they stuck in, but yikes! I wouldn’t wish this on even Crackle, and he eats babies!”

“YECCH.” Rarity cringed in disgust.

“…well, actually, not entirely true. He eats toddlers.” Spike apologized. 

“It’s kinda ironic they got cooked and eaten. Y’know. Cuz they’re dragons.” Pinkie admitted.

“Yeah! I get it!” Spike moaned, gulping nervously.

“Like Blueblood!”

“PINKIE!” Rarity gasped out. 

Meanwhile, the Huntsman was sitting in the diner, sleeping off his latest meal, thinking back to when he’d first arrived. A summer wind, a soft breeze on his face, warm and comforting as he’d held her hoof, bowing his head deeply. She’d blushed at this display of chivalry, his considerate tone. He’d explained the rules, how his people operated.

She wasn’t too surprised. Evidently the great Ohr’ion of the Hunting Party had once visited the land. It was rumored he had been responsible for a great cataclysm in the north which had forced him to retreat and had turned the far northern region into a barren wasteland. Yet Celestia had been surprised at his tender attitude towards her. He’d been kindly and noble and considerate. 

And she…she was a beautiful figure. Her mane smelled like cherries, her fur soft to the touch. One time he’d separated her from Luna and had deeply inhaled the scent of her neck, nuzzling her softly, looking right into her soft blue pupils. For a few brief moments in the forest as the sun filtered sunlight softly down through the trees, there’d been no fighting, no bitter struggle. Only…a gentle, tender touch. A moment of peace. He’d felt…love for her. His heart moved by beauty and symmetry. Hers moved by the tenderness his strong, toned body held. 

A beauty he’d seen in Fluttershy as well. She’d been such a fragile, sweet-looking creature. And as she’d laid curled up in his belly, he’d been able to taste how compassionate she was. She had, after all, been stored within him. Bits and pieces of her soul had been laid bare as his form enveloped her. He found himself worried about her. Would he have to end up eating her to survive? He hoped not. He knew he had to live. Had to have others give themselves to him or to take of them to live, but…he wished there could be another way. 

But as he’d told Apple Bloom, it wasn’t like there was an entire planet full of crooks and rapists and murderers for him to gorge on. Or even an entire city.




Hearthstone wasn’t quite the hive of scum and villainy others might have thought it was…but it was in a state of clear disrepair. Buildings of deep grey and black stone that softly glittered in the sunlight, towering structures forged in burning fire with many a perch for the elder dragons to roost upon rose up into the sky, with glistening, almost crystalline pillars in half-circle designs that made up various meeting places. Dragons were speaking to each other by burning bonfires, roasting fresh meat and drinking what was clearly alcohol, getting positively hammered whilst several dragons stood over the bonfire, taller and stronger than the others, all telling stories. 

The roads were dirty and ugly, made of cracking bricks and a few roofs had collapsed inward, overgrown by plant life. On enormous walls to the west of the city of Hearthstone was carefully inscribed burning-hot letters and pictures made of what appeared to be living flame, an enormous metallic “heart” in the center of the city, comprised of what appeared to be, upon closer gaze, the tiny little vents with one large vent at the top. Upon seeing Spike and Rarity walking up the stairway that led to the front walkway into the city, one dragon immediately raced for the heart and blew inside, tufts of flames bellowing out along with deep, booming, echoing roars that shot through the city from the Hearthstone’s “horn”. 

The dragons all turned their heads, ceasing their activity as they took notice of Rarity, who was clutching a small bracelet around one leg with slight nervousness. A teleporting bracelet for a one-way, emergency trip back to Ponyville that Twilight had personally enchanted if things went very, very bad. Spike puffed up his chest, looking proud as Rarity cleared her throat. “I seek your city’s right of parlay with the Elder Council.” She proclaimed. “Spike explained to me this custom you have. Something you must honor if any visitor invokes it.” 

The dragons glanced about at each other, a few younger-looking dragons muttering in annoyance, one familiar red dragon growling a bit. “We’re really going to let this pony do it?” He asked, waving a dismissive clawed hand at Rarity. “I mean, c’mon! The rule wasn’t meant for a stupid pony. A dumb girl.”probably tangy.” He added, looking Rarity over and licking his lips. 

Spike growled a bit. Crackle. He wished he could forget him. Crackle had wanted him to smash innocent phoenix eggs. He had a horrid, sick attitude towards the young. “Let’s take position and see how many fireballs she can dodge before she goes up like a-”

“Crackle, still thy tongue!” A thunderous voice proclaimed as Spike blinked in surprise, a majestic specimen of royal, purple draconic might making his way through the crowd of dragons that were observing Spike and Rarity, standing aside to let him get to the front as he stood up on two legs, folding his arms across his chest, golden horns curved back, a crest running down from the top of his head, his deep green eyes looking Spike over. Spike nervously smiled. 

“High Elder Spyro!” He murmured. “I know you must be wondering why I’m, uh…here?”

“Would this have to do with the starry-bodied hunter that so closely resemble the figure from our most horrific story? The Horned Hunter that cooked and devoured three of the most terrifying dragons of their time whole?” Spyro inquired as he tilted his head slightly to the side. 

“Poor ol’ Grandpa never had a chance.” Crackle muttered. “Poor ol Snap Crackle got popped.” 

“Uh-well, er, I’m sure the Huntsman didn’t make them suffer.” Rarity nervously murmured as Spike looked over at the wall story that many other dragons were staring at, cringing at the…level of detail put into describing what had happened to Snap the Scourge, Devourer of a Thousand Children according to the rural the dragons had crafted. 

“Looks like he kinda did, Rarity.” Spike said with a quiet mumble as Rarity almost vomited at the sight. She didn’t think dragons had THAT much scaly skin to peel off, but apparently she’d been living a lie! Then again, “Devourer of a Thousand Children”? Spike began to wonder if cruelty to kids was just a part of the Crackle family. Like the red scales. 

“Here’s come to Ponyville and we’re meeting him not far from here. At an old, sleeping volcano.” Spike said, giving High Elder Spyro a concerned look, getting to his knees and bowing his head. “We implore you. Help us defeat him. Do this to avenge your race’s previous injustice it endured, do it to help keep Equestria safe from a great danger that will simply feed and feed upon any it sees. Do this for what the Huntsman has offered.”

“Just what does he offer?” Spyro asked. “I’m very loathe to make a deal with one that treated any of my kind the way he did.” He remarked as he paced back and forth before Spike and Rarity, glowering slightly down upon them. “Be truthful.” 

“He’s promised anything to those that injure him. Any precious items he, a living galaxy has to offer, or incredible magic, or the destruction of any enemies you have.” Rarity spoke up. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty to ask of a living galaxy.”

“Oh, quite!” Spyro admitted as he rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression coming to his scaly features as he chuckled a bit. “Especially if he’s got any lovely gems inside of him…we’re always on the lookout for more delicious gemstones. Very well, my little pony. You have our attention. What is your plan of attack for contending with this hunter?” 

Well, truth be told, it was actually supposed to be a simple, simple, plan. Distract him, get him to move towards the volcano’s closed-up top. Make sure he was in the center…and then blow the top open, sending him plummeting like a comet inside to the burning lava core deep in the volcano below. No doubt he’d survive, most likely, but…ohhh, he’d be hurt. Hurt enough to submit. 

A simple enough plan. If they could just keep him distracted, keep him steady. 

But then Crackle had wandered off and taken the rest of the distraction party with him. Now Spike and Rarity were slinking alongside natural rock outcroppings on the hill of the volcano, looking left and right as they made their way towards the forest to the east of the volcano’s peak. High Elder Spyro and the rest of the Elder Council were hiding behind a large nearby mountaintop, ready to swoop in and dive-bomb the opening of the volcano for their trap as soon as it was sprung, but they needed the signal. A burning flare fired in the air. Simple, but…the scouting party wasn’t there to give it.

Where were they, Rarity wondered to herself, she and Spike pushing some shrubbery aside as they finally reached the forest path, Spike glancing about as his eyes narrowed. “Can you smell him?”

“Trying, Rarity. Honest, I am.” He admitted. “But, um, look, if…this doesn’t end well, I just want you to know, I-” He began to say.

“I know, Spike.” Rarity said gently. “I know what you want to say. I’ve begun to feel the same for you.” She admitted, Spike blushing before he suddenly halted in place, pointing with a claw. Rarity and he hid behind a large tree, cringing a bit as Rarity beheld the Huntsman as he stood by a large bush. He was sniffing at the air, then tilting his head, hearing something off in the distance. He seemed confused. Concerned. Even-

Now a dark anger had fallen over his face. A furious, baleful look, and now Rarity could faintly hear what sounded like SCREAMING coming from the far end of-

The screams stopped, Crackle and his friends making their way alongside the forest path, Crackle’s stomach visibly larger and bulgier and squirming. His friends were worse off, covered in blood that was CLEARLY not their own, and at the sight of this horror The Huntsman’s eyes narrowed darkly as he focused in on Crackle’s stomach, folding his arms across his chest. His pale blue eyes glistened with murderous intent as he spoke softly and quietly.

“It was cruel enough doing what you did to the little ones. Eating alive their parents and forcing them watch before you swallowed them whole is simply unconscionable.” 

“You could hear all that?” Crackle inquired, looking clearly amused, the sunlight filtering down through the trees, casting an even darker shadow on the Huntsman’s already darkening face. 

“I could hear. And I can hear the children even now in your gut, screaming in terror.” The Huntsman hissed. “I make the same offer Father made your grandfather when he encountered him. Cough them up and you live.” He demanded.

“Yeah, ah, I was actually thinking of washing it down with some Huntsman blood. I just wanna splurge a bit, as is my right. Other filthy creatures have no other purpose but to be of use to our kind. It’s how it ought to be.” Crackle said. “Especially those dumb ponies. I mean, really, they’re just stupid hors-”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence. The Huntsman punched him across the face, Crackle gasping as he felt his teeth shatter like a plate of fine china that had been thrown across a room. He clutched at his mouth, a startled, stunned series of gasps choking out from his mouth as he friends gasped, taking nervous steps back as Crackle felt pure fury well up in him. With a baleful, hateful roar he launched himself at the Huntsman, claws shooting forward, the Huntsman smoothly sliding aside. 

“Oh my, you almost gave me a paper cut, fellow predator. Allow me to return. The. Favor.” 

With that, Crackle felt the Huntsman’s sharp claws press into his right chest, against a breast muscle. With a single, fluid motion he ripped it off, Crackle reeling back as the blood splattered onto the ground, Crackle screeching in agony, burning fire ripping through his body the Cosmo Sapien chewed and swallowed the sweet fatty morsel happily. Sometimes you simply had to say “Oh, to hell with the diet of “no dragons”. Even if they were waaaaaaay too high in bad cholesterol.

And then the stomach. He then raised one hand high, and the Huntsman brought it down in a swift, hard arc. He tore into the dragon’s stomach on the left side, and exited on the right, taking a handful of terrified-looking young phoenixes with him who were covered in guts and blood, panting and heaving in fear as tubes of broken intestines flopped out, broken ribs along with them as Crackle instinctively grabbed at the now darkened, blackened flesh, fighting desperately to stay away. The monstrous alien hunter had just disembowelled him and Rarity was fighting not to vomit.

Then the Huntsman spoke. His ethereal voice was without mercy. Without any trace of that softness that had been there before as he put the frightened phoenix chicks down onto the ground.

“You disgust me. Using children in such self-indulgence as this is deplorable. Sickening. But you sought to brag about your superiority. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be part of the food chain. I pity the maggots that will feast upon your flesh as you slowly rot into the dirt. For they deserve far better fare than you.” He hissed out. 

Crackle slumped to the ground, his friends whimpering in fear as the Huntsman turned to the baby chicks.

“I suggest you run.” He told them before turning to Crackle’s friends. “Though for YOU…there will be no escape.” 

Rarity couldn’t bear to watch. Spike and her held each other close, burying their faces in their chests as they struggled not to hear the screams, the terrified howls of fear that were brutally, violently cut off, the Huntsman quickly and swiftly keeping each of Crackle’s friends from escaping. The two were frozen in shock and horror, wanting to move, wanting to do something, anything! But…they were so disgusted, so horrified by the sight before them they couldn’t move. It seemed…unworldly. Impossible. This wasn’t some story told down over the years, this horror was unfolding before their eyes, and they could scarcely bear to watch…

A FINAL FLING

As they remained stunned at…what remained of the scouting party, the Huntsman tapped Rarity and Spike on the shoulder, the two turning to look up into his eyes as he quickly reached down, grabbing hold of the bracelet around Rarity’s leg as she watched it sink into the Huntsman’s palm before he held their respective shoulders.

They were trapped.

“You are mine now. I take it you planned a trap atop the volcano?”

“Y-yes.” Spike muttered.

“I would fall in when the Elder Dragons burst the top open? Plummeting into burning hot lava?”

“Yes.”

“Out of pity, I’m willing to let myself fall into their trap. But you must sacrifice yourself to me. Willingly. Right now.” He told them. “I’ll inform the Dragons they are to ask anything they would of me, but they’re not to bring any harm to the ponies of Equestria in their request. Do we have a deal?” 

Rarity nervously looked into Spike’s eyes, and he into hers. For what seemed to be an eternity they were silent, unsure of what to say. Rarity finally spoke, giving a soft, sad, nod. “We won’t fight you.” She murmured.

“Just get it over with.” Spike said. “You promise you won’t let the dragons hurt Twilight and my friends?” He nervously wanted to know.

“I promise.” The Huntsman insisted tenderly, patting the two atop their heads. “Now, it would be cruel of me to let you two be alone. I’ll take both of you into me at once. Would you like that?” He inquired with a soft smile.

“Please, stop. Don’t mock us!” Rarity said harshly, shaking her head back and forth, glaring back at him with a harsh glower, the Huntsman actually looking hurt, the alien hunter mournfully staring back at her. 

“I’m not trying to mock you. I don’t like seeing innocents suffer. I want you to be comfortable and happy in your final moments. You don’t deserve to die in pain like they did. You’ve done nothing wrong.” The Huntsman put a hand on his chest, his expression solemn and sincere. “I’m not a MONSTER.”

“But what you did…that WAS monstrous.” Spike said. “That was-it was like you wanted them to suffer even more, and-and what you need to do to survive? We heard from Apple Bloom. We know you gotta eat people. Know that you need to because you’re a living galaxy, and you don’t wanna let all those planets in you die off. But I wanna know something.” He demanded, poking the Huntsman with a claw. “If you WEREN’T one. Would you really still be doing this?!”

The Huntsman cringed, a…disgraced expression flickering across his face. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”  

He then gently knelt down, embracing the two’s cheeks with his hands. “Embrace each other.” He suggested. “If this is to be your last moments, let them be filled with nothing but love.” Spike laid atop Rarity, looking deep into her eyes as she nodded and within a moment their mouths were locked together in a fervent, seemingly endless kiss, and they embraced each other and pressed their bodies together with a firmness that matched the vigor of their love. 

“You sure you want to do this?” he asked, his breathing hard, his draconic manhood throbbing as it began to emerge, a nervous expression flickering onto his face. “I’m probably not going to be very gentle, I I’ve never done this before.”

“Sweetie.  I can handle it. Some like it hot.” she purred in his ear, licking his cheek.

Spike growled loudly, leaning in more closely. “Please, tell me you truly want me.” he said in a harsh whisper, his body trembling with his ache. “Please. I need to hear it, Rarity.”

“I want you, Spike.” Rarity panted. “I need you. Please stop teasing me.”

That was all he needed to hear. He scooted up until he was tight against her and placed the head of his swollen cock up against her small hole. Once he found his mark, he put his hands on her hips and pressed forward slowly. His hard dick went in slowly as he could, inch by inch. When he felt their pubic bones meet, he moaned low in his throat, remaining still while Rarity adjusted to his size and he kept himself from coming right then and there.

“Ohhh, SPIKE!” she moaned. “You feel so good! Mmmm.””

She rolled her hips back and forth slowly, the veins on his penis rubbing against her G spot and the head pressing up tightly against her cervix. Spike was then overcome with an urge; one he couldn’t deny. She moaned loudly, her eyes closing as her draconic lover began pounding into her relentlessly, latching onto her hips. Rarity screamed in delight, demanding more, harder and faster and, of course, he was more than happy to comply.

Indeed, Spike thrust into her hard and she couldn’t help but moan as he began to take Rarity with renewed vigor, latching onto her lips, giving her a deep, loving kiss before parting anew.

“More, harder, faster!” she whispered out, feeling like she was burning up, moving her hips up and down in time to meet his thrusts. He complied, the head of his cock slamming past her cervix and deep into her womb. She in turn came hard, her juices raining down onto their chests and faces as he continued his assault on her body. Releasing her nipple, he started licking her juices off of her face, a loud growl rumbling through his chest. This was the most erotic experience of her life and she would certainly never forget it.

“OHHH! Oh, YEAH!” Spike grunted, feeling his balls grow tight with his impending release as he continued fucking her after she’d come, her juices running down over her chest and face. He licked her sweet nectar off her neck and face, a loud, almost vicious growl rumbling in his chest as he kept pumping. “Oh, Rarity…please, more…more…” He murmured,

Rarity squealed in delight, Spike pumping even harder, his balls constricting, she knew he was close. “Yessss! SPIKE! OH, YES!”

“RARITY!” Spike roared as his cock grew thicker and he came deep inside her womb, his whole body shuddering as he pumped his cum into her as she came again. It kept going and going as Rarity clung to him, breathing heavily, running her hooves through his hair. Panting from exertion, the two flopped down, arms draped across each other, Rarity nuzzling up to him as the Huntsman chuckled a bit.

“Ohhh. Dinner and a show.” He chuckled, carefully lifting them up, mouth opening wide like a python unhinging its jaw, using his hands to guide both pairs of feet…or in Rarity’s case HOOVES…into his mouth. The two didn’t mind. They continued their soft, calm embrace the alien slowly drew them inside himself. Their ankles disappeared, then their calves, and then their knees, enjoying the pleasant warmth that seemed to be spreading up their legs. Spike and Rarity’s only real thought was to hold their lover as close as the strength of their arms would allow, to keep his attention on each other’s eyes. The strange warmth spread up to their buttocks; now they were sitting on a warm tongue, with Spike and Rarity’s legs down inside the strange, warm smoothness. 

And still the warmth spread; not only did Spike feel Rarity’s chest and abdomen against his own, but he also felt the warmth of the Huntsman’s maw spreading up his back. Soon only Rarity and Spike’s heads were outside the hunter's mouth, and they drew in for another, final kiss. Then the Huntsman’s throat muscles pulled the men the rest of the way inside, a remarkable gulp sending them down to his gut. 

The Huntsman gave a sigh of contentment, the two lovers now formed a considerable bulge in his abdomen. Whatever they’d been before, now they were just an anonymous mound in the alien's belly; the two within obscured by the hunter’s muscle, skin, and fat. Their minds were slowly being absorbed along with the rest of their body in the soft liquid within the Huntsman’s stomach, every part of their form being softly, sweetly broken down in the loving heat of his belly’s pit. They could feel the embrace of millions welcoming their spirits into the collective, feel the Huntsman’s gratitude at their sacrifice as their bodies finally gave in and became the nutrients he desired.

Between this and the earlier little indulgence, the Huntsman felt wonderfully full with the two lovers he had eaten. There was nothing there to indicate they’d been there but belly fat and he thoughtfully rubbed his stomach with a clawed hand. 

“You’ll be together forever.” He said, embracing their souls with his enormous hands, bringing them in to a sweet embrace with the rest of those that laid within him. “There’s no chance of separation within me. And you’ll never have to worry about divorce.” He added with a small chuckle. “Now, then.” 

It was time to meet with the dragon elders. He had a promise to keep. He hoped High Elder Spyro wouldn’t try to make him break his vow.

Because if they did, well…the two would have more than just words.  

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

The two were frozen in shock and horror, wanting to move, wanting to do something but…

No. No “buts”. They had to act now.

“Hey!” Spike roared out, Rarity and he stepping out from behind the tree as the Huntsman turned around to look at them. “Betcha can’t eat just one dragon!” He yelled out, holding up his chest as best he could and cheekily smirking. “You know it’s important to go green!”

“Ah, you have a wit.” The Huntsman mused, cracking his knuckles. “But I believe in speaking softly…and carrying a big stick. Let’s see how well you do against that.” He proclaimed, holding a clawed hand to his chest, his spear-staff emerging as Rarity and Spike bolted through the forest trail, the Huntsman racing after them, twirling his staff as he began to slowly catch up to them. 

Nothing quite like the feeling of the wind on your face, the Huntsman thought as they raced up the long, barren hill, Rarity and Spike shooting across the top as Spike turned around, his chest bulging as…

He belched an enormous green fireball of blazing flame at the Huntsman, who managed to dive out of the way, flopping onto his belly as Spike launched another high into the sky, he and Rarity diving across the top of the hill and beginning to roll down the other side, loud “Ouch ouch ouch ouches” filling the air as the Huntsman blinked in surprise…before sniffing the ground and tasting it with his tongue.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute! Igneous rock. The kind of rock that was best found at-

It was then that a burning, searing-hot heat combined with a flash of bright purplish light SINGED the earth about him and the ground he was upon cracked and shattered into chunks, the cool air turning into sizzling heat as the Huntsman found himself falling, plummeting like a stone down into the dark abyss, an abyss alit only by one thing…the unmistakable pool of lava far, far below.

With he fell into with a cut-off swear and a loud, liquidy PLOP, magma spewing out in a large spray as Rarity and Spike finally flopped to the ground at the bottom of the volcano, covered in bruises and cuts from rolling down the other side, heaving and groaning as they rose up, Rarity wincing.

“That was a close one. Think I broke a hoof…no, no, I’m alright.” She remarked, sighing as she dusted herself off. “But I must take a bath when this is over.” She admitted before a very, VERY loud scream filled the air, the Huntsman barreling out of the top of the volcano, covered in smoke and sizzling, howling like a madman as he flopped to the chunks of volcano top that weren’t falling down into the magma below. He began racing around in circles, howling and screeching and hissing, rubbing his sore body over and over as the smoke swelled off of him, Spike smirking a bit.

“I guess you could say we really…burned him?” He asked of Rarity. 

“I suppose he wasn’t quite…hot…on what we had planned for him.” Rarity giggled out. “But I’m sure he’ll calm down a bit later when he’s not-hee-hee- when he’s not ALL STEAMED UP!” 





Once he’d finally finished putting out the fires on his ass, the Huntsman had been quite happy to agree to Rarity and Spike’s conditions…and indeed. He had quite a few precious items to bestow upon dragonkind, and upon Ponyville. 

“You get an emerald and you get a sapphire, I am truly the talk show host of precious gems.” The Huntsman remarked as he nonchalantly kept reaching into his chest over and over, pulling out crystal after crystal, gem after gem, giving the enormous preciouses to each dragon in Hearthstone, Rarity and Spike sitting on a bench together, resting their heads upon each other. 

“Imagine, Ponyville will never have to worry about money problems ever again! And I’ll get to enjoy a gem anytime I want.” He admitted. 

“And I am going to love being able to do entire dresses in diamond. For once I won’t have to have them shipped in from Manehattan.” Rarity added with a smile. “But you know, I…there’s something I wish to tell you, Spike. Something I was thinking about asking you.” She hesitated before raising her head away from Spike. “Be right back.” Rarity asked of him, heading over to the Huntsman as he turned to look at her.

“May I help you, Rarity? Perhaps a lovely pearl necklace?”

“I’d prefer a special kind of diamond, if you get my drift?” She asked softly, the Huntsman looking over at Spike, then at her as she gave him a suggestive wink, the alien hunter nodding as he reached into his chest, a small, precious little box of black popping out as he handed it to her, Rarity pocketing it into the belt pouch she had before sauntering back over to Spike, taking in a breath. “Spike? Here’s one gem I hope you don’t ever eat.” She said, taking out the box…and opening up the top.

“Is…that what I think it is?” He asked, his green eyes slowly widening, his hands flying to his mouth as he gasped in awe.

“Mmm-hmm.” Rarity murmured, nodding as a small smile came to her soft features.

“It’s beautiful.” Spike whispered. “Rarity?”

“Yes?”

“Yes! Oh, definitely, the answer is yes!”

The Huntsman smiled as he saw them embrace, burping suddenly as Crackle’s skull promptly flew out, falling to the ground with a thunk as several dragons immediately backed away, the line deciding “Y’know, getting some gems can wait” as they all made for other parts of town, the alien hunter picking his teeth and chuckling at the sight of Spike and Rarity. “Quite a day.” He mused aloud as the two deeply embraced, exchanging a passionate kiss.

“Dinner AND a show.”
> Tastes like Apples
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack insisted her family would be able to help. The Entire Apple Clan, all working as one would be Ponyville’s salvation. It was indeed an act of providence they all would have been together that week anyhow for another family reunion. Now they had a new purpose, a greater purpose than a simple get together. Now they had the salvation of Equestria on their minds.

Well, mostly. 

“How many toes does a fish have? And how many wings on a cow?” The brownish/red-haired youg Saucy admitted, scratching her head as she sat with Apple Bloom, her mother Sparkling pulling a hoof around her shoulder, sighing a bit as she looked apologetically at the rest of the Apple Clan as they all sat about in Twilight’s castle. 

“The hall’s getting purdy darn crowded, I reckon.” Appleack admitted as she tilted her hat up and gave a firm nod before pacing back and forth in front of her enormous extended family. “So I’ll make this real brief. We got a big ol’ alien problem here. He’s real dangerous, real big, and real tough.”

“He’s a big softy deep down.” Fluttershy admitted with a nervous nod, bowing her head slightly. “I saw it. He’s a good person. He just does bad things because he’s hungry.”

“Well I’m real sorry for that, but I don’t want my family baked into a pie.” Applejack muttered, waving a hoof in the air, shaking her head back and forth. “And I think he might do that. After all, we know what he did to Blueblood!” 

“Almost all of us are all Earth ponies, though.” Braeburn admitted as he took off his enormous brown Stanton hat, placing his hat upon his chest, slightly biting into his lip. “Not real sure how we’re going to handle this guy. I mean, you don’t keep all your eggs in one basket.” 

“If we work together, we can think something up.” Applejack reasoned. “We’ve got an entire farm here we can use, buckeroos! We put our heads together, we can do this.”

“Applejack, look, I-” Twilight began to nervously mutter, slightly blushing. “I…um…that is…I know how STRONG you are, but…that is to say-”

“Twi, y’all better not be sayin’ what I reckon you’re saying. Y’all better not be implyin’ y’all think I’m a mite STUPID, now are you?” Applejack quietly inquired, a hint of annoyance and anger beginning to swell up. 

For you see, Applejack did not like being called stupid. At all. 

“It’s just, I mean, you and Rainbow Dash are more “Shoot first, ask questions later” kind of people, and I’m sure your family is very wise and intelligent, but-” Twilight began to mutter, slightly backing off from Applejack as she glowered in Twilight’s direction. “Maybe you’d better let someone else-”

“I oughta punch you in the GIZZARD for suggestin’ that!” Applejack yelled out, waving a hoof in the air. “I mean, c’mon! Y’all think I’m dumber than dirt, don’t you?!” She asked, glancing around the room at the rest of the Mane Six.

“Now, now, please, calm down!” Pinkie insisted gently, lowering Applejack’s hoof, shaking her head back and forth and giving Applejack a kindly smell. “She doesn’t mean that, right, Twilight? Let’s not go yelling things at our friends. Remember the sacred oath of Friendship!”

“The Sacred Oath of Friendship?” Young Saucy Apple inquired, looking over at Apple Bloom as Apple Bloom put a hoof over her chest, the rest of Ponyville following after in agreement as they all recited as one,

“Oh, let the fist of Friendship
Be kept for Friendship’s foes!
Ne’er let the hoof in anger land
On Friendship’s holy nose!” 

“You’re right, you’re right.” Applejack sighed, Apple Bloom smiling as she made her way to the back of the hall to open up a window and clear out the stuffy air, Applejack lowering her hoof and shaking her head back and forth. “Look, I know I ain’t always levelheaded and I ain’t the brightest bulb sometimes, but you gotta believe me. I’ve got me a good plan. I just want your trust.”

“I’ll put my trust in you, Applejack. Just remember, if things ever get bad-” Twilight began to gently remark.

“Uh, um, big sis?! We’ve got a problem!” Apple Bloom yelled out from the back of the hall as every single Apple family member instantly whipped their heads in her direction, all zooming to the window as they saw enormous, hulking forms landing down in the center of town, the Huntsman having come out to see what the fuss was about himself. “We got dragons!”

“D-Dragons?” Fluttershy gulped nervously, trying to overcome her still-considerable fear as she nervously clung to Applejack, who opened up one of the windows and peeked out.

“What in tarnation are y’all dragons doin’ here?” She asked, Spike blinking as he saw High Elder Spyro bowing his head before the Huntsman, getting on his knees. 

“We’re in the presence of noble blood! Are you not a descendent of Ohr’ion the Hunter? He who destroyed the great Behemoth of the North that freed our race from slavery?” The High Elder inquired of the Huntsman, looking up into the alien’s pale blue eyes, the Huntsman blinking a bit, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Ohr’ion was my father.” The Huntsman admitted. “Yes.” 

“Wait. Seriously?! The Huntsman’s father?” Twilight gasped out, poking her head out of another window, gaping as the dragons all bowed their heads at once, raising them back up, then lowering them anew.

“Hail Huntsman! Hail Huntsman!” 

“May we round up this town and offer them in tribute?” Crackle asked eagerly, High Elder Spyro giving him a glare before turning to the Huntsman. “We can begin cooking them immediately!”

“No, no. My father gave the Behemoth a fighting chance, and I’m going to give them one as well.” The Huntsman insisted as he held up a clawed hand. “Besides, I just ate-” He remarked, burping a bit. “Sorry. My dinner was a bit too rich.”

Rarity couldn’t resist, a snort of laugh popped out from her mouth before she clapped her hooves over it. YIKES. That had been shockingly horrible of her. She would have to make it up by adopting a puppy from the pound, perhaps, or giving to the nearest orphanage. 

“Though I would appreciate, perhaps, a little dragon meat. If any are so willing?” The Huntsman inquired. 

“I think you’d better eat me.” Crackle admitted as he held up an arm, cheerily smiling as his friends snorted.

“What, with your super-fatty legs?” His “bro” Scorcher muttered.

“Hey, I’ve still got plenty of good meat. I mean, look at this arm!” Crackle said, flexing his “boys”. 

“It’s not just the arm.” High Elder Spyro sighed, shaking his head back and forth, the purple dragon sheepishly glancing over in the direction of a female dragon who nervously smiled at them all. “It’s just, well, I’d rather eat Ember.”

“So would I.” A black dragoness admitted, nodding over at Ember as she held up a bottle of ketchup she inexplicably had.

“Ah, well, then it’s settled! Everyone’s going to eat me!” Ember remarked cheerily. “It’s a true honor, especially if you’re enjoying me, oh great Huntsman.” The pink dragoness said with a deep, dramatic bow, the Huntsman scratching his head.

“Do Dragons really cannibalize each other?” Twilight nervously inquired of Spike as he cringed.

“Well, kinda, yeah, they do that sometimes. It’s sort of a “treat” for them and usually the meals are willing, they offer themselves up to whomever can best them in comb-WAAAIT. You don’t think?” He murmured, looking over at the Huntsman as he shook his head, waving his arms in the air. 

“Oh, no, please, I can’t. I mean, you’re not kosher.”

“Kind of depends how we kill her, isn’t it?” High Elder Spyro admitted, putting on a bib.

“Can you all please not start eating each other?” Twilight pleaded desperately, shaking her head back and forth. An idea was beginning to form in her head as she looked over at Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom would very much love to hear the true story of how your father Ohr’ion defeated the Behemoth of the North that caused the great Cataclysm!” 

Apple Bloom, realizing what Twilight was driving at, eagerly hopped to the window, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Oh, yes, ma’am! I’d LOVE to hear about it! Please tell me, Mister Huntsman!”

“The true tale of our greatest enemy’s demise? This was the event that defined our race. It was seminal to our culture’s creation!” The High Elder Spyro proclaimed, eyes wide with curiosity as the dragons all crowded around, Twilight magically hovering Apple Bloom down to the ground as the Huntsman chuckled a bit.

“Yes, considering HOW my father disposed of the Behemoth, the event was VERY seme-SEMINAL.” 

As the Huntsman began to tell the tale, Twilight quickly ushered everyone back inside, closing all the windows. “I’ve bought all of you a little bit more time. Applejack, does your family have a plan?”

“A straight-on attack ain’t gonna work. But the Apple family knows some real strong recipes that’ll knock him straight off his feet.” She insisted, slamming her hoof into her “palm”, brow furrowing. “Enough to make him wish he was dead.”

“You mean you wanna poison him?” Pinkie asked, looking surprised. “That’s such a sneaky way to do it.” 

“Oh, we’ll make it clear we want him poisoned. I know his type. Reckon he’ll just chuckle, say “he can handle it”, and he’ll start downing whatever we put in front of him anyhow!” Applejack said as she waved a dismissive hoof in the air. “Zecora, Twilight? Could you chip in?”

“It’s possible we could even make him so full he can't eat anymore. He claims his hunger is so great and he can hold so much, but as any good scientist knows…you should never take all claims on face-value.” Twilight admitted. “But if it doesn’t work, what will you do?”

“If we decide not to do that, then that’s where the well comes in.” Applejack admitted with a dark undertone slowly making its way into her normally charming rustic voice. “There’s a well on the farm, Twilight. A well we sealed away long time ‘go after-” She trailed off. 

“Oh. Your parents.” Fluttershy gasped, holding her hooves over her mouth, gently going to Applejack’s side, putting a hoof on her friend’s side. “We’d heard about that.”

“The InkWell is supposed to be bottomless…a neverending tar pit that’s a freak of nature. Mom and Dad slipped into it getting me outta it…” Applejack whispered quietly. “They roped me and were pulling me up when-” She couldn’t finish, covering the top of her head with her hat, cringing. 

“We reckon it’ll definitely hold THAT big lug.” Big Mac spoke up. “Yuuup. Nobody done nobody gets outta tar when you’re in good n’ deep.” 





The Behemoth. Horned, scaled and foul, an odor like a thousand garbage cans. It draped itself over the trove of treasure it had acquired, nonchalantly picking its teeth with a large skeletal spine from one of its victims. It’s purple teeth nonchalantly licked at one enormous incisor, deep black eyes glancing over at the dragons cleaning his feet, scrubbing away at his taloned feet, his tail reaching around. The spiked tail carefully lifted an enormous emerald up, showing it off in front of the dragons as he licked it leisurely, tossing the spine-toothpick away, a small horde of dragons running away to avoid being squashed.

The Behemoth’s open castle had no roof. He didn’t need it. But he enjoyed the crystalline walls that surrounded him, the finely-carved statues made of pearl dedicated to him, all hand-carved by dragons he’d enslaved, collars wrapped around their necks as the Behemoth glanced down at a few with a particular red collar on them who were glaring up at him, washing off his left feet. “What’s with the attitude?” He inquired, his voice like squashing bugs.

“You squished my parents yesterday.” One of them balefully hissed out. “And made ME clean them up.” 

“Well, you know, all children have to bury their parents eventually. Squishing, old age, what’s the difference?” The Behemoth grunted out with a nonchalant smirk. “Now then!” He leaned back, stretching on his enormous throne, yawning a bit as he gestured down at his private parts. “Prepare my special lotion. It’s the cleaning day.” He remarked, getting off the throne and getting on his side, smirking broadly. 

The dragons had seriously regretted living up in the mountains of the North. They’d lived there because it was easy to oversee the valleys to the south and the forests to the east, to acquire prey and keep an eye out for dangerous foes. But the Behemoth was simply so strong, so powerful, and so HUGE compared to them…they might as well have been just launching burning matchsticks at the thing’s ironclad skin for all the good their burning breath did. His mottled scales themselves were so strong that their claws had shattered upon impact, and it had become clear dragonkin stood no chance…

But now something was approaching that did. It stood tall and proud, its form muscular and powerful as it held aloft an enormous bow, aiming squarely at the Behemoth, drawing the string back. It’s thick, ornate horns slightly quivered as its dark red eyes glared deeply at the Behemoth from a hill some distance away. 

“I send an arrow through the air.”

SCHWING!

“YEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWW!!!”

“It falls to Earth in his derriere.” 

The Behemoth screeched and howled, holding onto his rear, struggling to get up as Ohr’ion the Huntsman notched another arrow, this one going right through the Behemoth’s knee as it screeched. 

“Finally, beast, we can get married like we always wanted.” The hunter mused aloud, the Behemoth whipping about, glaring balefully at the starry-bodied being, the dragons in the keep all quickly moving as far away from the Behemoth as possible, heading to the BACK of the enormous keep as the starry-bodied being leapt through the air, landing in the yard and putting the bow he had with him up to his chest, the bow seeping back into his body as if sinking swiftly into quicksand. The dragons gaped in amazement at this strange, ethereal being as it cracked its knuckles, looking the winged reptilians behind the enormous, hulking monstrosity before it over.

“Who in the blazes are you?!” The Behemoth snarled. 

“You’ve enslaved them. I don’t much like seeing people forced to wear collars and dance for a master’s amusement.” He murmured. “Ohr’ion of the Hunting Party does not take kindly to slavers.”

“You may jest, but the kindest fate I will offer you is to tear those horns from off your head and gut you with them!” The Behemoth snarled, shooting towards the alien hunter, claws held high. But, frankly, the hunter was just as large as the Behemoth…and clearly faster, a single, powerful punch striking it clear in the snowzer. 

“Oo’ ‘oke mah node!” The Behemoth moaned, reeling back, covering his face with his paws as Ohr’ion snorted.

“I don’t repent a snout that’s bent, and if again I tap it, oh with a clout I’ll break that force enough to snap it!”

Apple Bloom nodded at this, looking rather intrigued, several dragons now eerily…childlike in how they were listening, lying on their bellies, head held up by one hand, another resting on their side as they looked up in awe at the alien storyteller. “Your daddy had quite some skill in rhyming.” 

“Me, I’m awful, lousy timing.” The Huntsman mused. 




The Apple family crowded around Zecora’s cauldron as she began sorting out the ingredients on a nearby table, nodding at Applejack as Granny Smith held up a small notepad, scratching off line after line. “We’ve got what we need. Reckon we’d best get started!” The old mare admitted, Big Mac holding aloft an enormous barrel with the label “Gunpowder” on it as he grinned darkly. 

“Yyyyuuup.” He chuckled out. 

With pot and pan and curse and ban,
The most terrible recipes in the land,
Foul designs for the Huntsman,
Enough to start you quaking! 

It’s time to get to cooking, friend, 
Before the day is at an end!
Begin our cooking and our baking,
Let us get to pudding making!

“Wow. Big Mac has a bit of a DARK SIDE to him, doesn’t he?” Applejack whispered to Zecora as she shrugged, pouring the gunpowder into the enormous cauldron of dark brown liquid, a terrifying black smoke rising up through the air as she began to chant, ingredient after ingredient popping in.

With honey buns and boiling oil,
A carrot and some nails-o!
A lobster’s claws, some knobs from doors,
An onion and some snails-o!

A pound of fat, a big dead rat,
A pint of kerosene! 
A box of tacks and cobbler’s wax,
Some gum and glycerine!

Gunpowder brew’s a lovely stew, 
We stir into this pottage…
And with a hint of witch’s brew’s
A high explosive sausage!

InDEED! It slowly slithered out of the cauldron, thick, dark and meaty red, faintly pulsating as Zecora held it in her hooves, laughing maniacally as Big Mac cackled in agreement, the Apple Family all joining in before Applejack finally stopped.

“Wow, we’ve ALL got a bit of a dark side, don’t we?” She admitted with a shudder. “First thing’s first when this is over, we’re all a-goin’ to the pound to adopt some puppies.”

“Agreed.” Braeburn remarked.

“I hurt small animals because I’m sick!” Young Saucy cried out. 

THE GREAT TASTE TEST

“Welly-welly-well. This is surprising.” The Huntsman admitted, rubbing his clawed hands together as Apple Bloom led him down the long dirt road to the Apple Family farm, specifically, right into the barn. His draconic “groupies” stood behind him, looking at each other in confusion at this sudden display of generosity. There were huge tables lined up with various kinds of dark meats, cakes, pies, tubs of cider, cheeses and fruits, all with carefully-laid-out napkins beneath all of them in the shape of…of course…apples. 

Applejack took off her hat, bowing deeply before the Huntsman as she gestured at the tables. “We’d like to offer this up to you. A challenge of a certain kind I reckon y’all ain’t done much of.” 

“Are you trying to placate me?” The Huntsman inquired. “The Behemoth attempted it of my father in a pathetic attempt to save himself from becoming seed. Ohr’ion didn’t take kindly to such an offer. I’m more…considerate than my father was, but as tempting as those meat dishes are, living, sentient-”

“This is only the first half. And a great deal of this here food is poisoned. We reckon at least some of these dishes can really hurt you.” Appleack admitted with a firm nod, putting her hat back on. “If they don’t, well, you get all of us. The whole Applejack clan.” She said with a calm look right into the Huntsman’s pale blue eyes, green into blue as he slowly blinked.

“You’re risking everything on the hope that one of these dishes might actually hurt me? Perhaps even kill me?” The Huntsman asked of Applejack as she nodded. “That IS intriguing. Very intriguing.” He admitted as he looked the assembled food over, going from table to table, leaning down, deeply inhaling one large flank steak dish, licking his lips. “Very well. I’ll begin.” He admitted. “Could you, however…possibly serve some non-poisoned dishes to these fine dragons here?”

“Oh, we got plenty of good eats for them.” Applejack admitted, clapping her hooves as Big Mac ushered the dragons towards the orchard, Applejack sitting in a small chair across from the Huntsman as he held up the flank steak, licking it slightly. “Doing this meant a loooot of good cows had to willingly give their lives. Many bovines died…to bring us this.” She murmured dramatically. 

“I thank you for it.” The Huntsman intoned, opening his jaws wide, tossing the flank steak straight into his gullet. Needless to say, for him this was proving to be a very enjoyable feast. The flavor was exploding in his mouth! Marinated steak, whole watermelons, freshly-baked honey buns…and all for him. It was most likely almost all poisoned but, after all, he had a strong constitution. You had to if you were a Cosmo Sapien. How embarrassing would it be to be poisoned to death by one of your own meals? It almost never happened. It would be like a dolphin drowning. You simply never heard about it. 

Not that many prey didn’t try to cheat by making him choke. They’d almost succeeded until he got serious and just, y’know, knocked them out by whacking them in the head or wrapping his tongue around their throat to choke them until they passed-

Our alien friend was near his end,
Into a trap twas sinking. 
When he took hold of the nearest dish
He began to eat like winking. 

He ate a lot, this guzzling sot,
Such appetite amazes!
Until that high explosive wrought
Within his tum a loud report-


THRAKKA-SCHOOOOOOM!

…and blew him all to blazes. 

Applejack blinked stupidly, having been blown clear through the air, gaping at what had been the barn, the Huntsman now in three separate pieces on the floor, looking at his body in shock as Apple Bloom and Big Mac and Granny Smith raced over to her, the grass now charred and burnt by the explosion. They carefully helped her up as she moaned, holding her head, her hat now on fire, making her cringe as she batted it against the grass, trying to put it out. The Huntsman was all to pieces, letting out a gasping sigh before his eyes closed, Big Mac looking at the scene before him, the…tiny chunks of innards that would need to be scraped off the wall, the blood splattered across the tables and the floor like a modern art painting…

“…yuuuup.” He sagely remarked.

For thems that try to hurt my kin,
This moral is a good ‘un.
Don’t eat a high explosive bomb
That you mistake for puddin’.


THE GREAT FEAST

Applejack couldn’t believe it.

Not a one. Not a single dish had made him sick. She gaped in surprise, the Huntsman wiping his mouth on an apple-shaped napkin, burping a bit as he covered his mouth with one clawed hand, nodding over in her direction as a bit of smoke wafted out from behind him. “Pardon.” He admitted sheepishly. “That kerosene-soaked sausage gave me gas.” 

“You really-wow! WOW. I didn’t think…gee.” She murmured. “Guess I better go with you to tell the others.” She said, head bowed as the Huntsman made his way over to her, gently lifting her head up.

“I won’t hurt your youngest.” He offered. “Tell the children of the Apple family to head back to town. Have them say their goodbyes. Then ready yourself.” He insisted. “I will meet you in your kitchen in your lovely home, Applejack.” The Cosmo Sapien informed her with a nod. “But you’ve much to tell Apple Bloom, and I won’t get in your way.” 

With that, he left her, Applejack making her way out of the barn, heading for the nearby sheepyard, Winona the Dog rolling around in the grass with Apple Bloom, Granny Smith and Big Mac standing together as they watched the sight, Granny’s eyes wise with the wisdom of the ages as she turned her head to look into Applejack’s face. 

“I know what he’s askin’.”

“He said he wouldn’t hurt Apple Bloom and the other little ‘uns.” Applejack admitted quietly. “So that’s something.” 

Apple Bloom’s head shot up, looking with horror at Applejack, tears coming to her eyes as she raced forward, Applejack kneeling down, embracing her sister deeply. “No! Nooooo! Please, I-I can’t lose you, I already lost mom and dad, I can’t lose any of you!” She begged tearfully. “Please, just tell him to go. Beg him!”

“He won’t, Apple Bloom. And I can’t. I gotta keep my word the same way he’s kept his. Because-” Applejack hesitated for a moment, biting into her lip, struggling to find the right words before her tone became soft, yet authoritative. “It doesn’t matter if you die for it. Your word, your bond, what you stand for, that means more than your own life. You can’t break your word to anyone. Not even the people you hate.”

“But-” Apple Bloom whimpered, tears brimming in her eyes as Big Mac kissed her atop the forehead, giving her a gentle smile.

“We’re always gonna be with you. Even if we aren’t there.” He admitted softly. “Cuz we’re always here.” He said, pointing a hoof at Apple Bloom’s chest, Granny Smith smiling broadly. “Aint’ that right, Granny?”

“Yuuuup.” She chuckled, nuzzling little Apple Bloom’s cheek as the family slowly broke the embrace, Applejack handing Apple Bloom her hat, putting it atop her head and bowing deeply.

“You take care of this farm, and you take care of your friends. Don’tcha ever leave ‘em behind. And don’tcha ever break your word. You stay honest. And you stay an Apple. Got it?” Applejack asked, Apple Bloom whimpering a bit…but nodding in agreement, Applejack and her family making their way towards the orchard. They had a lot to tell their extended family. 



It would take great, great concentration and care to ensure she didn’t feel any pain, the Huntsman knew this. Taking the long metal pole from the side of the table in the kitchen, the Huntsman lined it up with Applejack’s rump, carefully resting one clawed hand upon the other cheek. “Are you ready?” He gently asked.

She was to be the first. Though certainly not the last. He’d offered her what he’d offered Blueblood…a way to ensure the process wasn’t painful in the slightest. But it meant, as he’d implied, having him enter her. She hadn’t wanted that. As such, it would…be rather difficult to ensure this WASN’T painful. He’d used the herbs and spices she had in the kitchen to make a kind of smoke he’d have her inhale to knock her out for the process so she wouldn’t suffer, but there was still the matter of preparation.

“Go ahead.” Applejack said softly. She wasn’t going to run away. She always kept her word, and she’d promised to give in completely to this. She wouldn’t fight back. The Earth pony nodded back at him and the Huntsman nodded back at her, carefully touching the steely pole to her pucker, gently easing in the rounded tip at first before sliding it in further. Normally, her insides would be well-lubed to ensure the long cold shaft went in easily, but instead he did it slowly…carefully…he didn’t want her suffering.

A strange-yet-not-painful sensation worked its way up from her hips, through her belly, and up her chest. Applejack wasn’t afraid, though. She closed her eyes, the Huntsman gently going to the side of her body, moving his other hand off her rump and onto her head, caressing her soft yellow mane gently, touched by the young mare’s willing sacrifice. He didn’t dawdle anymore, resuming the pushing on the pole, moving it further through. Now the pole came up the mare’s windpipe and up through her mouth, crossing her eyes as it emerged and extending past her nose. All in all, a painless procedure, and now with her ability to speak gone, Applejack could just simply wait and see what happens next to her.

With the girl now properly spitted, the Huntsman carefully tied her hooves behind her back and her ankles to the pole, her knees bent at 90 degree angles. Lifting up the pole, the hungry starry-bodied alien brought her to the backyard, setting her on top of the firepit he’d built, quickly staring a fire without trouble. The heat began to climb higher, meeting his new meal’s underside, the Huntsman tossing the small collection of herbs into the flames as soft, willowing white smoke drifted up into Applejack’s nostrils. He then took hold of the other end of the skewer, rotating it slowly to evenly cook Applejack like a real roast. Applejack hung limp from the pole going through her lengthways, feeling the heat slowly building beneath her before the sensation that HAD been becoming hot became…fuzzier…almost warm and comforting, a deep sleep beginning to fill her mind. She only wanted to just rest…to go to sleep. She was so tired…

Taking a nearby bowl of cooking juices, the Huntsman ladles some over the Earth pony’s cooking body from time to time, making sure she didn’t dry out. The plumpness of her flesh kept her meat nice and juicy, and her skin tone was darkening ever so slightly as she cooks. Now she was very nicely browned, deliciously roasted. Her softly glistening form was beautiful to behold, like a bronzed goddess, and the Huntsman saw her open her eyes one last time, looking into his face.

“Thank you.” He said sincerely, kissing her atop her forehead, her eyes slowly closing, a final sigh coming out of her nostrils, the Huntsman’s grateful kiss the final sensation she ever felt. 

The Huntsman was soon rewarded for his patience. Within a few minutes he was slicing through Applejack’s hindquarters, cutting several slices and placing them into his mouth, putting some slices from her rump and thigh onto a plate, chewing eagerly.

“MMMM.” He murred, licking his lips. The youth and plumpness of the Earth pony made every bite simply exquisite, and he crooned in delight. "Ooh, little one, thank you.” He whispered, chewing contentedly, then picking up a drumstick and ripping the tender golden-brown flesh off of it easily. “This is a truly wonderful, wonderful meal.” 

He then turned his head to the side, looking back at the Kitchen. Big Mac and Granny Smith were still inside and, of course…he had plenty of room for them and the extended Apple Family. He had been thinking…a pie. A delicious, enormous pie. It would take quite some effort, of course, but, well, he had an enormous horde of eager dragons with him whom he wouldn’t mind sharing the pie with.

"I see you did as I asked." He said, heading over to the orchard, carrying the unconscious Big Mac and Granny Smith under his arms, all of the extended Apple Family, save for the children, of course, who’d been let go to head to Ponyville, currently fattened and with apples stuck in all their mouths, tied up and unable to get free. “Zap Apples, of course?”

“All to add that extra zing.” High Elder Spyro said with a nod of agreement. “You’re quite the cook. This is sure to be a lovely meal.” He admitted, putting a clawed hand on his chest, the dragons all bringing out the enormous top of the barn. They’d carefully taken the roof off, bending metal about it to make it into an enormous pan, all of them laying the tied-up Apple Family into the pan as the Huntsman placed Granny Smith and Big Mac together, the two still unconscious as Crackle the dragon held up an enormous vat of pie dough. 

“Who says men don’t know how to cook?” He inquired. The bottom of the improvised pie pan had been carefully lined with a thick crust. And now the dragons carefully filled the inside with butter and juice, placing a “blanket” of pie dough atop the enormous collection of ponies. It was, mercifully, a very pleasant feeling, soft and squishy against their flesh, a lovely selection of apple slices added to the pie as they were all tucked in.

“Let’s begin.” The Huntsman said, carefully lifting the pie pan up into the air, the dragons moving into position, getting in a square, others flying atop the pie pain as he placed it down across a grill they’d set up above a pit, several dragons down beneath the pit. What for? This was their “oven”. The horde of dragons began to blow flames at the pie pan that now held all of the Apple family from all sides, carefully cooking it as the Huntsman tossed more of the herbs from before into the fire, the white smoke swiftly moving into the nostrils of the tied-up Apple Family.

Big Mac momentarily struggled to awaken, but as the smoke filled his lungs, a deep and hazy feeling rose within him. He was so tired, he just…he’d get up in a second, just had to catch his breath, just…relax…sleep…

So tired. So tired. 

The pie pan was quickly bubbling and cooking, all of them Were baking up nicely, and would soon be ready to eat, the Huntsman mused, rubbing his hands together. After a few minutes of continuous and steady firebreathing, the dragons ceased as he held a hand up, the Huntsman taking off a piece of the pie that held, of course, Big Mac and Granny Smith. Both still peacefully lying together, never to awaken, smelling positively lovely.

Time for a taste test. He opened his jaws wide, licking his chops as with one big chomp, in the two went up to their chest, then another chomp sent them down, only a small bit of pie crust staying outside his maw. He chewed slowly, carefully, savoring the taste before with an enormous gulp, down his meal went. He moaned in delight, rubbing his stomach. “Ohhh…” He murmured. “Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. And most surprisingly lovely of all, they do taste just like apples.” He remarked. “Ah well. Fruits are so good for you.”

“This is a wonderful meal. We thank you for this opportunity.” The High Elder said, bowing his head as the other dragons present did so in agreement. 

“I will be your new ruler, dragons.” The Huntsman admitted. “You’re to keep any preying upon ponies to a minimum. And no children. I catch you hunting them, you’re DEAD.” He muttered darkly. “Above all, honor their sacrifice and recognize the importance of their lives. Don’t delight in their deaths.” He added. “If you enjoy the taste, understandable, but don’t mock them with it. They deserve better.” He murmured. “And most of all…”

…

…

…

…it had been about fifty years but one didn’t forget something like that.

Apple Bloom sauntered over to the edge of the farm, adjusting the cap atop her head, resting against the gate as she frowned at the Huntsman, looking him over. The soft wind blew through her fur as she slightly tilted her head, pursing her lips ever-so-slightly. “Whatcha want?” 

“It has been fifty years to the day I devoured your family. I was finally recently defeated by Pinkie’s son. He has his father’s eyes, and both parent's oddball senses of humor.” He admitted with a small chuckle. “I’m to take my leave within three days. The royal court has much they want to ask of me before I take off, but I thought it only right to come back. To see you.”

“You know I can’t ever forgive you for whatcha did.” Apple Bloom whispered, shaking her head back and forth, the Huntsman nodding.

“I don’t want you to. Expecting that would be cruel. I’m-I’m just sorry that it came to this.” He admitted. “Your sister was truly noble. She faced death without fear. I’ve come to see that even now, staring at the one who took her from you, you show that same bravery. You’ve not got an ounce of fear in your eyes…” 

The Huntsman smiled warmly. “Nor true hatred.”

“I hate whatcha did. But I don’t hate you. I know y’all can’t help it. But I can’t help hating what you did.” Apple Bloom mumbled. “…don’t ever come back here.” She added softly, turning around, heading back for the house.

“Don’t ever forget her.” The Huntsman asked, Apple Bloom stiffening for a moment. “And how much she loved you.”

“A sister never forgets.” Apple Bloom admitted quietly, the wind at her back as she slowly trotted along the soft dirt path. “Above all, family’s forever.” 

“You’ve no idea how right you are.” The Huntsman admitted with a small smile, turning to the form that was watching from afar, giving her a nod. 

Nee-Buh-Loh the Cosmo Sapien would look out for Apple Bloom. The pony would be in good hands. And of course Nee didn’t mind. What kind of sister wouldn’t do a favor for her big brother?

WHAT IN TAR-NATION!?

“You’re sure about this?”

It was probably not the smartest of ideas but it was definitely UNCONVENTIONAL. A long, fairly thin board stretching across an enormous well, a deep, foul darkness beneath their feet. The ponies of the town and the dragon horde of groupies on different sides as the Huntsman and Applejack did a few stretches, Twilight standing by her friend’s side. 

“Absolutely.” Applejack said with a firm nod. “I ain’t gonna be afraid of him, Twi. Gonna show him what I’ve got.” She muttered, getting atop the board, the Huntsman climbing atop it as well. Applejack took in a few deep, slightly nervous breaths, her body feeling cold, dark.

But she focused it. All her fear, the terror she’d once felt so long ago had taken years to swell down. It might be bubbling just under the surface, but she didn’t care. The Huntsman took priority over whatever fears she now felt. The enormous stone well wasn’t going to claim her as easily as it had claimed her parents.

The Huntsman stood upon the plank, readying his spear-staff. “I’ll go easy on you for pity’s sake.” He remarked softly, launching forward at her, Applejack leaping over him, grabbing hold of his horned head and leapfrogging over, landing on the opposite end, kicking him back, almost threatening to launch him off the plank.

He twisted his body, quicky shifting his center of mass, a leg shooting out, whacking her in the face and knocking her slightly across the plank as he spun his staff, striking it out at Applejack. She ducked and dived, avoiding his jabs before he swept it across the plank, intending to “Sweep the leg”, only for her to leap over it again and again.

“See her name is Applejack, this challenge is really whack!” Pinkie Pie sang out, clapping her hooves together. “You gotta be careful or Granny gets a heart attack!” She added, Granny Smith clutching slightly at her chest, taking in deep, nervous breaths, Big Mac and Apple Bloom gently holding onto her as best they could.

“APPLE-JACK! APPLE-JACK!” The ponies cried out, Rainbow Dash waving a small banner flag with Applejack’s face on it in the air, whooping and hollering as the dragons blasted flames into the air that spelled out “Huntsman” on it, the Huntsman bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, smirking a bit at Applejack.

“This is truly impressive!” He admitted, shooting the staff at her, Applejack leaping over it, kicking him in the face. The Huntsman was now at the edge of the plank, about to fall off, Applejack leaping at him again-

He ducked, promptly slamming his spear-staff down at her as she caught it in her hooves, smiling proudly before kicking it up, making him take a step back, Applejack popping back on her feet as she panted and heaved, wiping her brow.

“I say, I saw, that is some fine and fast fighting you do.” She admitted. “But y’all ain’t gonna beat me.” She muttered, rushing forward at the Huntsman, he in turn readying his spear/staff, charging forth at her.

And it was then that disaster struck. The plank broke, their combined weight proving too much from all the bouncing and bopping about, both plummeting down into darkness, the Huntsman and Applejack falling, falling, falling, her friends screaming in horror. Twilight’s horn sparked, trying to grab hold of Applejack-

Too late. With a horrific THRA-SPLOOSH, the two forms sank into the tar, the Huntsman and Applejack vanishing into the dark abyss below, Twilight’s lip quivering, her friends looking about at each other.

“…no.” Pinkie whispered. 

Applejack was trying hard not to scream, but everything was trying to drag her down. Crushing, pounding, buried alive in deepest, darkest black, was this how her parents had died? Crushed on all sides by the tar, struggling not to give in to utter despair even in the face of death? Was this how-

Then? Warmth. She felt herself surrounded on all sides by gentle softness, and she realized the Huntsman was embracing her…her form sinking deeper and deeper into his body. 

“I don’t want you to suffer.” She heard his voice through the muffled inky tar before she fully sank inside. Within his chest it was warm and squishy, like resting against a soft and slightly wet pile of pillows, Applejack nuzzling up against the “walls” as she could feel what felt like thousands of people beginning to enter the enormous, spacious area she was in. She could feel the Huntsman resting his hands against his chest, where she’d sank in, hear his voice within her head.

“We’re in the tar deep, Applejack.” The Huntsman admitted quietly. “It would take me several months to get out and…and I don’t know if I’d be able to climb out before my body would begin cannibalizing itself. And I know you wouldn’t last more than a few minutes out in the tar. I can theoretically hold people within me indefinitely but…after a few weeks I begin to get so hungry and-”

“Neither of us is gonna get outta this, is that what you’re saying?” Applejack wanted to know, resting her head against the “wall”, seeing faint, spectral forms sitting by her as one of them took her hoof in its hand. 

“We’re sorry.” It said, its tone feminine and gentle. “Honestly, we are. But we’ll be here for you like we were for him on the lonely nights.”

It was so dark in here, and yet she could see them clear as day. Their faces were calm and kindly, a peace upon them, and she could see the Huntsman towering above her, his mental form staring mournfully down at her.

“Perhaps it should be this way. Now I’ll never have to hurt anyone else just to keep living.” He mumbled. 

“And it’s good you’ve got company, just-just like mom and-mom and dad had each other.” Applejack whispered, the tears beginning to come to her eyes as the Huntsman knelt by her, pulling her into a deep embrace, the many forms within him joining this comforting hug. “Its-it’s an awful thing to die alone.”

“Nobody deserves to be alone.” The Huntsman said sweetly, kissing her atop the head. “We’ll be here for you. Just as your parents were for each other.” 

The darkness bound the two together, deepest black enveloping their forms. Over the days, peaceful and eternal sleep bathed over them, the two sharing another comforting embrace. The Huntsman draped his arms around her back, Applejack burying her face in his chest as he nuzzled the top of her head. It wasn’t so bad, she thought, allowing the darkness to permeate her, to fully envelop her, never-ending sleep slowly engulfing her. She’d be with her parents soon. 

Indeed. The horned form of the Huntsman finally settled down to the very bottom of the tar pit, next to the form of two Earth ponies. Curled up in a fetal position, he landed slightly atop the two corpses, all three family members now “together” in an eternal embrace as he let out a final sigh. With this, their separation had ended. Applejack had been reunited with her family in more ways than one.

Family, after all…

Was forever. 

> Pinkie Pie Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Huntsman didn’t understand why Pinkamena Pie had asked him to meet her in this dark, near-abandoned home. It had been condemned as unsafe by the mayor several weeks ago, unusable, and was to be destroyed and rebuilt. The problem was nobody wanted to go near it…it was supposedly haunted.

He could understand where they’d get that impression. Vines had crept across the walls and doors like a sickening cancer, a disgusting, malodorous stench rising into the air off the tiny little buds each vine held. What wasn’t covered in vines was cracked and rotting, moss growing on the roof above his head as he glanced around the dark, damp room, sniffing a bit, trying to smell out Pinkie’s scent.

It was rather difficult though, the despicable scent of the vines made it hard, that combined with the foul moss which had its own oppressive stench made him want to vomit. Mushrooms grew up from the floor, and as the wind blew through the smashed-open window nearby, it seemed to hiss and squeal as if it physically hurt the air to blow through. 

The Huntsman frowned a bit, hearing a faint squeak off in the next room, making his way down a slightly long hallway, cracks running through the walls as he approached the kitchen, a single candle alit, held high by Pinkie Pie as her hooded head bowed even more deeply. The deep black hooded cloak covered her form completely, save for her hooves, one holding the candle in a little plate, the other holding aloft, oddly, a piece of cake.

“Cake?” She whispered dramatically, the Huntsman blinking a bit with his pale blue eyes, reaching out only for the cake to vanish before his eyes, the Huntsman gasping as Pinkie smirked broadly beneath her hood, only her teeth faintly flashing. “Nothing but a lie. This seemingly ordered world of logic and rules is but an illusion…a mask…”

“Really?” The Huntsman inquired.

“No. But it’s more dramatic to start out a monologue like that.” Pinkie remarked with a giggle before throwing her hood back. “In truth, I’m the one wearing a mask. Urges I’ve had for so, SO long, and I had to act on them!”

“You’re not, y'know, secretly killing people and taking their tongues as a necklace or anything such as that, are you? Because truth be told…” He pointed at the gem necklace he wore around his stately frame. “These are actually entire worlds in themselves. Carbonized and crushed into precious jewels.” He admitted. 

Pinkie gaped in amazement, looking over the almost pearly gems in awe and horror as he rubbed the necklace softly. “How did…”

“I limit myself to a smaller size most often. That too also requires me to eat once a month, because it is a strain on my body. If I didn’t have to shrink myself to such a size, I’d probably only need to eat once a year, but, well…” 

“You must be huge.” Pinkie realized aloud. “What was it like, making those worlds into jewels?”

The Huntsman hesitated, or tried to, at least, but he couldn’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth. “…it was a thing of pure beauty. The process took weeks, but it was…so fascinating. Everything and everyone was slowly shifting, their forms becoming clear and bright and beautiful as the world around them shimmered like sunlight, crystalizing in my clutch. Their final sighs of death exhaled as one as they submitted to the beauty that engulfed them and became a thing of perfect and eternal stillness, it…it all looked so majestic.” The alien hunter admitted to Pinkie Pie. “Every single one.” 

“There’s a kind of beauty in it.” Pinkie remarked. “It’s really dark and kinda terrible, but…it’s still beautiful.” 

“And you have such a beauty about you?” The Huntsman inquired, raising an eyebrow up as Pinkie nodded.

“You see, I’ve been keepin’ a little secret!” 

CULT OF PERSONALITY

Pinkie tossed off the hooded cloak, ripping it from her body as the Huntsman beheld the dark tattoos of blood that she’d personally applied to herself, his eyes widening in surprise as she put the candle down onto a nearby oak table, bowing deeply before him.

“Oh, great Huntsman! I’m, like, totally your biggest fan in the whole cult?”

“I have fans?” The Huntsman muttered in confusion as Pinkie eagerly nodded, clapping her hooves together.

“Oh, yes! Ever since your daddy came here and caused the Cataclysm that shaped what the North became, Ponies heard of the power of the Hunting Party, and then when you fought Celestia and Luna to a standstill, even more of us knew about you. I had to kinda pretend I didn’t to my friends.” Pinkie cringed. “I feel guilty keeping this from them, but we of the Huntsman’s Hand so want to serve you in any way possible!” 

“How big is this cult?” The Huntsman asked, looking the tattoos over. Some were of circular shapes in a hypnotic fashion, others lines stretched and placed across each other, and even more were clearly in the shape of HIS head. Seeing he was admiring her recently-acquired tattoos, Pinkie turned around and pointed at her butt. “Look at this!” She admitted. “When I flex it, I make your face smile!” 

“That’s one of the most disgustingly creative things I’ve ever seen.” The Huntsman mumbled as Pinkie turned back to face him and blushed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck.

“We number in the thousands. We’re still only a tenth of the population, maybe? But, see…” She grinned. “I-I want you to eat me, Mr. Huntsman. It’s the highest honor any Huntsman’s Hand member can have! I want to feel everything. I want to become a part of you. Slow and agonizing, knowing every bit of me is yours!”

He blinked at this, scratching his head. Normally he’d be just fine with willing meals but she seemed to want it to be…painful?

“You’re a masochist, I take it?” He admitted as Pinkie nervously grinned again.

“I had to remove my gator’s teeth to try and fight the urges. Probably shouldn’t have done that. But I realized when I joined the Huntsman’s Hand that my fetishes aren’t anything to be ashamed of!” She proudly proclaimed. “So I’ve been coming here and, well!” She reached over to a kitchen drawer, pulling out various pliers and what appeared to be…hoof-screws to tighten and crunch bones. “Mr. Pennywinkle here and I have been getting REALLY close.” 

“Is that why people think this place is haunted? The cries of agony and pain?” 

“It helps that I wear a ball gag through it, makes it sound really weird.” Pinkie added as she put “Mr. Pennywinkle” away and pulled out another drawer, holding up a small round black ball that had “Bad Girl” written in big red letters over a skull. “So!” She tossed the ball up and down a bit before kicking it through the air, off the roof and it landed with a PLA-PLOMP back into the drawer. “Will you, sir? Will you kindly eat me?” 

“You want it to be painful. I can make it so if I concentrate on having you nourish myself, my own soul more than those within me. It requires considerable effort, but yes. I can do it.” He admitted. “You’ll become just belly fat, you realize.” 

“Ooh, I LIKE big bellies. They’re so big and squishy.” Pinkie admitted, eagerly smiling as the Huntsman chuckled a bit. She was just so eager and willing. And this was her request, so…who was he to deny a lady what she wanted? 

“Would you like me to take you in feet first or head first?” He asked of Pinkie Pie, rubbing his hands together. “For my belly hungers for the flesh of young and tasty maidens!” He chuckled, holding his clawed hands up, giving a fake little “rarrr” as he clawed at the air for her amusement. 

“By the hooves of my chinny, chinny, chin, please.” Pinkie said, lying down on the ground, wiggling her hooves in the air as the Huntsman chuckled some more, lifting her up, taking her hooves into his maw as she felt his fangs briefly pass over them, his tongue tasting the soles of her hooves.

He couldn’t believe it, she was amazing! She tasted like delicious cotton candy, so light and fluffy and sweet. He…he couldn’t resist, the delightful meal before him was so eager and so delectable he couldn’t fight his urges. A powerful swallow sent her legs down, 
The Huntsman's mouth opening even wider, and he closed it right over the pony's rear, sucking it in deep. Pinkie Pie moaned in lust as the predator took the flesh in deep, slightly chewing on her rear, making her giggle as he licked at her cheeks. He had a feeling she’d like that. He carefully lifted her higher, now Pinkie was right above her head, her whole juicy body ready for him to eat.

Of course, he indulged himself, and began to make a gut-wrenching swallow, tasting all the juicy flesh of his pony's skin in his mouth. Pinkie Pie sighed as she felt the pleasure go through her, and smiled as her body was practically bent even further as it slid slowly into The Huntsman's throat. The alien took in her upper thighs and chest, expanding his mouth even wider to take in the body of his little pony.

“So…’ood…” He whispered. 

As the words ran past her, reality struck Pinkie Pie hard, and she inwardly gulped in nervousness. It had always been a deep fantasy of hers to be consumed, yet now she was slightly frightened. She suddenly realized what The Huntsman was actually doing...he was really going to eat her alive. Part of her wanted to run, to scream in terror and plead for mercy, but unfortunately, The Huntsman had taken in too much of her body at this point, up to her neck and her lower legs, and she could hardly even move. She gulped a bit, her slightly fearful eyes giving the Huntsman an odd sense of pleasure as the Alien lubed up more of the pony's body and slurped it in.

The Huntsman didn’t even need to use his hands now, he ran his claws over his huge, bulging throat. As he began to massage gently down to where her chest was, he sighed slightly. A shame the species didn’t really have breasts at all. There was something oddly delectable about mammaries. Ah, well. He’d thought about playing with her privates but no. He was a gentleman whenever possible. 

Unfortunately for Pinkie Pie, her dream of being eaten and consumed by her “god” was turning into something of a nightmare. She knew that nothing could save her now time as her Alien friend slowly devoured her and her jaw-framed view of the world slipped into darkness. Her mind had accepted she was simply food now, but that didn’t keep her from feeling the fear that now swelled in her, and she began to struggle violently in the tight confines, which only served to delight The Huntsman more as he took in Pinkie Pie’s head, and then her frontal hooves slowly after, finally closing his mouth, and blotting out the light in Pinkie Pie's life.

The Huntsman made a humming sound combined with one final gulp, sending Pinkie Pie to his stomach for good. As his gut grew out with the squirming, writhing meal, his chest emptied and he felt the pleasure pump right through her. “Ohhh!” He moaned, lying down in a nearby chair that was still good, slightly worn out from the experience, but happy. He ran his clawed hands over the large bulge in his belly, feeling Pinkie Pie kick, move, making muffled sounds. 

“Oh, my little pony, I’m sorry.” He remarked as he began to concentrate hard, Pinkie Pie now in an enormous, soft pit. The walls were squishy and slightly wet…getting wetter, a pool beginning to rise up from the liquid beginning to be secreted by pores within the walls. The pool was rather sticky, washing over Pinkie Pie, strong muscle contractions of the stomach pulling her down, down deeper into it. It was quite warm inside the pit of his belly, and amazingly, she could breath inside the liquid…

Until she realized why. His stomach was designed to be merciful and to ensure that his prey suffered little so it made the process slow and painless. But the process was going to be sped up. The chemicals in his belly would normally have kept her alive for hours before being digested and absorbed, but he was making the process speed up, and that meant his stomach couldn’t be gentle about it. The “air” within the stomach juices was hard and slightly painful to breathe, her form beginning to tingle as an acidic quality settled over her. The stomach started to pulsate, massaging her body from all sides as it tossed her about in the pool, her skin beginning to burn now as she let out a pained scream. 

It hurt so much and yet she needed it. Needed this. She moaned in orgasmic ecstasy, reeling in the pit of his stomach, screaming in delight as the stomach’s bile filled Pinkie Pie’s mouth, burning, she was tossed about in his now tight, crushing belly.  Her every orifice was electrified with the pleasure and pain, her breathing near-nonexistent as the digestion settled in. The heat began to overwhelm her, scalding her deep to the bone. Her fur was beginning to dissolve away, leaving nothing but meat and fat as she could hear the pleasured moanings of the alien hunter that had eaten her over the horrible gurgling of digestion. At last, Pinkie Pie could struggle no more, her body blacking out as the Huntsman began to concentrate. 

There was almost nothing left from Pinkie Pie to recognize her from normal stomach contents…she was practically nothing but a nutritional soup of meat, fat and fluids. His lower sphincter of the stomach opened to allow the rich soup deeper into the Huntsman´s body and it was absorbed as it passed trough the intestines. In the end, not a single bone remained, Pinkie Pie had been utterly digested by the Huntsman. His stomach was now slightly bigger and he rubbed it softly, a look of superiority upon his face.

It had felt so RIGHT. But he immediately felt the guilt hit him. She’d suffered so much. Yes, she’d asked for it, yes, it had been her dream, yes it felt so…so natural, so normal to enjoy her struggles, like a massage from within his gut, but-

Then he felt it. His stomach jiggled and he blinked in surprise before rubbing it again. He could faintly feel a familiar presence and smiled tenderly, trailing a circle on his “belly button” region. “Can you hear me, Pinkie Pie?” He cooed.

The belly jiggled and he chuckled a bit. “You’ll keep me warm and happy for the rest of my life. You’ll always be warm and safe inside me, Pinkie Pie.” He murmured to her spiritual remains, raising himself up. “And you’ll have company soon enough. I think your friends should be one with you. It’s cruel to live alone.”  

Yes, they’d come to accept their role as food. He’d be gentler with them than he was with Pinkie Pie, but he knew in the end they’d submit and become a part of him. As he strode out of the house, he let out a soft burp, licking his lips free of the delicious taste of cotton candy. 

Perhaps the others would taste nice in a cake?

EYE OF THE TIGER

“BEHOLD!” Pinkie proclaimed, ripping her hooded cloak off, showing off odd tribal tattoos and a necklace of…teeth. Not tongues…teeth. And she’d smeared some streaks of animal blood under her eyes. “I’ve been preparing in secret for years ever since I heard about you. I didn’t like lying to my friends, acting like I’d never heard of you, but…” Pinkie Pie rubbed her hooves together. “I’ve been in training greater than any athletic center! My body’s got a physique like that of Arnold Schwarzehoofer!”

“Really?” The Huntsman wryly remarked, raising a nonexistent eyebrow up as she began to do some push-ups.

“I! am! Buff!”

“More like cotton candy fluff.”

“ROCK SOLID, BABY!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, holding her hooves high in the air and letting out a roar. “RRRAAAAAUUUGGGHH!” 

“I take it you are “throwing down the gauntlet”?” The alien hunter asked, shaking his horned head in amusement as Pinkie Pie stood up, nodding eagerly.

“Tomorrow at dawn. Bright and early. You, me, and the Everfree Forest. Maro-a-maro!” 

“I’m going to cream you. You must realize this, right?” The Huntsman exasperatedly muttered, pinching the space between his eyes and cringing. “It would be like a puppy taking on an alligator.” 

“Ooh, but I’m a-packin’ a secret you wouldn’t believe.” Pinkie said with a dark grin, wagging a hoof in the air with a slight giggle. “And no, I ain’t been dragging people into my basement to practice cutting people up. I’ve got a new ability even greater than my Pinkie Sense!”

“Pinkie, y’know what? I’ll wait until tomorrow to find out. I do like surprises, after all.” The Huntsman said with a shrug. He clearly wasn’t going to get anything definitive out of her. Pinkie Pie was such an oddball. You simply had to experience her to understand her, if at all. Just asking her what she was wouldn’t work.

But really, he thought to himself as he left the house…what could she possibly have that would match his strength? A simple, cheery, goofy little Earth pony like her? What hope did Pinkamena Pie truly have? 

THE VERY NEXT DAY!

The Everfree forest was muggy and hot that day, the beams of sunlight filtering softly through the treebranches as the Huntsman swung from branch to branch, landing on a limb and glancing about, eyes peering through the dark expanse. 

He could faintly smell her…just barely, but it was there. A scent of cotton candy on the wind, to…

The Northwest! Ah ha! His pale blue eyes narrowed in, spying a flash of pink off in the distance diving into a small patch of bushes, scuttling away as he bounded after her. He swung in gigantic leaps, eyes narrowing intensely as the swishing and swaying of the brushes faded, and he halted at another tree, the wind blowing across his dark skin. His eyes narrowed intensely as he looked around, sniffing at the air before suddenly Pinkie Pie shot up from some bushes nearby, a kick sending him flying off the tree limb.

He grabbed hold of another tree with his claws, swinging himself around as Pinkie vanished into the brush, the alien hunter glancing about.

“You’ve dug tunnels, eh?” He inquired aloud, Pinkie Pie popping up again, this time the Huntsman getting pasted in the puss with a pie as he blinked stupidly, licking the pie with his tongue as its remains slathered down his face, Pinkie giggling as she held a hoof over her painted and camouflaged face.

“I dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole. My cousin Maud was really good in teaching me about getting down and dirty!” Pinkie proclaimed before popping back into the brushes, the Huntsman wiping the pie off his face and frowning as he glanced about, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Hmm. 

There was one way to get her to come out of the tunnels. A simple but effective technique…

He carefully walked over to where she’d popped down to, brushing the shrubbery aside, finding the hole and concentrating, a spear/staff emerging from his starry-bodied chest as he held it high and slammed it down into the hole, blue, sizzling energy soaring through the tunnelway, Pinkie Pie letting out a howl as she was launched up, UP into the air, slamming into several tree branches and flopping down over a limb, moaning in pain.

“Why, if it isn’t Merry? Where’s Pippin?” The Huntsman mused as he looked over the sprawled form of the tired pony flopped over the tree limb, thick as an arm and just as hard, as evidenced by the look of pain on her face. “Ahh, I should really tell your species about Earth one of these days. Such a lovely planet, so many wonderful films. I yearn to return one day!” 

“I’m not through yet, tough guy! Pinkamena Pie’s pullin’ out all the stops!” Pinkie proclaimed, leaping off the tree branch and doing a few stretches as the Huntsman rolled his eyes and twirled his staff. 

“I shall knock you out and devour you swiftly, putting an end to this little charade.”

“Too bad, I love charades!” Pinkie proclaimed, ducking swiftly, imitating a duck and making quacking noises, bouncing about to avoid his strikes as he frowned. 

“What the?!”

“Twitcha-twitch! Twitcha-twitchy-twitch! Ooooh, my tail’s a-tinglin’!” She proclaimed, cartwheeling away from him as he brought his staff back down at her again, missing once more as her pink, poofy tail quivered. “My Pinkie Sense alerts me to when you’re gonna strike!” She admitted. “Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie, does whatever a Pinkie Pie does!” 

“I’d find this funny if I wasn’t getting aggravated…” The Huntsman muttered, slamming his fist into the ground, a small shockwave making Pinkie flop onto her back, the Huntsman diving at her, pinning her arms to the forest floor. “It is over.”

“Yep. You’ve no idea how much.” She remarked. “I told you I had a secret ability. And it’s time I actually showed you.” The pink earth pony proclaimed.

Her mouth opening wide, suddenly engulfing HIS. 

“What in the?!” He exclaimed.

Pinkie Pie wanted to make sure the Huntsman saw everything, thoroughly cramming the alien hunter’s head into her mouth right up to her shoulders. The Huntsman could scarcely believe it. He was stunned. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him, absolutely astounded...though Pinkie Pie was ecstatic.

Yes, the rich taste, the feel of thick, exotic meat on her tongue, all sent tremors of pleasure through Pinkie Pie. Her tongue lashed out, smothering the face of her meal as the Huntsman suddenly realized he had to get free…though the revelation wasn’t doing him much good. Pinkie Pie was too hungry to play around, she’d swallowed, pulling The Huntsman’s head into her tight throat. Her neck bulged out as she swallowed, pulling more of The Huntsman in with every gulp, now his arms were pinned to his sides and he couldn’t get free. 

Moving past the alien’s well-built chest, Pinkie Pie kept gulping, moving her hooves down to The Huntsman’s waist to move him further up. Breathing through her nose, Pinkie Pie moaned, sliding The Huntsman up to her stomach into her hot, wet mouth. This was definitely the best thing ever.  As she worked on swallowing the alien’s stomach she sighed in ecstasy, The Huntsman by now was shoved far down Pinkie Pie's stretched out gullet. The tight throat muscles were squeezing him so hard that he was surprised by how fast the pony was eating him. Now a tight ring of muscle was around his neck and his head was hanging in the stale air of the slightly bigger stomach.

“Now I know how my prey felt.” He mumbled inwardly. With his legs hanging out of her distended mouth, Pinkie Pie started sucking them in, her body rumbled as it stretched, holding an entire man inside it’s stretched bulk. With a wet, slurp, Pinkie Pie gobbled down The Huntsman’s feet, slurping her toes in with a pop. The whole bulk of the alien hunter filled Pinkie Pie’s stomach, stretching her belly out several feet. Grinning almost insanely, Pinkie Pie rubbed both hooves over her enormous gut. 

“Ohhhh…oh, WOW, that was so, soooo good! I knew it would work!”

“You know the act of Vore?” The Huntsman finally asked from within her stomach, scratching his head, sitting against the thick, squishy walls of Pinkie’s stomach as she giggled.

“Ooh, jiggly! Yeah, I know it.” Pinkie remarked, poking her belly. “This cult I used to belong to studied it. They were really dangerous though. And people’s pets kept disappearing. I couldn’t let them keep eatin’ them so one day-” She burped a bit, covering her mouth. “I had a BIG ol’ party and they were the main course! And dessert.” She added. “Never eaten anything big as YOU, though!”

“You realize that my body won’t be so easy to break down?” He sighed, rolling his eyes before his body began to shake and quiver, as if…wait. Was he-?

Pinkie blinked, an odd, strange, tingling sensation filling her as she felt the Huntsman begin to tightly grip her stomach. What was-

UHOH. 



“No. Way.” Rainbow Dash muttered.

Pinkie Pie was now a considerably darker shade with starry skies littering her body, her eyes now bright blue, horns sticking out of her head with a more…humanoid appearance. She sat on the ground, sighing, head hung low. “Worst part? All our lovely hair gone.” She muttered out, regretfully stroking where her hair had been with clawed hands. 

“Our?”

“Oh yes. We are one. All is connected. Joined together. Pinkamena Pie and Neh-Buh-Loh.” The hybrid sighed as it scratched its chin. “I can hear the birds in the air. The worms moving through the ground. The bugs in Big Mac’s teeth. You have GOTTA floss and stop sticking your head out of carriage windows on trips with Ms. Cheerilee.” 

Big Mac cringed. “Yuuuup.” He mumbled, Cheerilee passing him a small box of breath mints which he pocketed in his belt pouch with a nervous grin, Twilight stroking the hybrid’s furry side, Rarity looking her over with Spike and Applejack as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hovered overhead, looking at her from above.

“You’ve truly merged into one being! His DNA is clearly co-existing with yours on a level I didn’t think was…you’re an entirely new species!”

“The worst part is we don’t know what to call ourselves.” The hybrid sighed. “Neh-Buh-Pie? Pinka-Loh?” 

“You’ve got these things sticking off of you and your name is the first thing you’re worrying about?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at the things on her chest.

“They’re our breasts.” The hybrid remarked. “Please stop looking at them.” She/he added, Rainbow Dash inexplicably blushing a bit as the hybrid tilted her/his head in confusion. “Wait. Dashie, are you-?”

“Well, once at camp, yeah.” Dash muttered. 

Gilda the Griffon sat across from Rainbow Dash, blushing nervously, rubbing the back of her neck as feathers floated to the ground around them, Rainbow Dash giggling a little, her hair a skewed mess. 

“Y’know Dash, I’m glad we experimented, but, uh, let’s not do that again.” Gilda admitted sheepishly. 

“We’ll think of something.” Twilight insisted as she rubbed her forehead, biting into her lip. “But until then, how are you feeling?”

“I’m REALLY hungry.” The hybrid admitted with a smile. “In fact, I could eat a horse!”

Screams filled the air. People took off running. Doors and windows bolted shut as the Hybrid nervously laughed, a blush coming to her/his cheeks. 

“I was kidding.” 
> Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Pt.1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Griffon Empire had a very unique way of dealing with problems quite different than "Old Sunbutt's" kingdom. Mostly in the fact that their way of dealing with a problem was to SMASH INTO IT. 

So it was really no surprise that Ms. Roc's solution to the guys creeping on her as she made her way through a back alley to make a shortcut home was to smash her knee into one of their sacks, making the dark-brown-eyed and darker-brown-feathered griffon bawl in agony, reeling on the ground before she grabbed hold of his tail and slammed him into his friends, knocking them into the stony granite walls of the alleyway and tearing off as fast as she could. She would have just flown, but unfortunately, her wing was somewhat damaged, having recently been injured in an unfortunate Gladiatorial combat fight. 

All she needed was to wait for them to come around the corner, she reasoned. She'd been in fifteen matches so far, she knew her stuff. A gladiator griffon was a prize that any eager griffon, male or female, wanted as their mate. The games were the biggest draw to any dragon, Zebra, Minotaur, Pony or any other race that stopped by the capital of Clawdor. With "Clawdius Colosseum" towering into the heavens, shining silver and gold with streamline halls, swept-every-day bathrooms and a fighter's pit almost as big as Ponyville itself, everybody knew that was the place to go, and the people who fought there and won often were the people to know. 

Roc readied her fists, bound up still in fighter's tape, dark blue eyes glittering as he licked at her beak, a few slight cuts over her pale yellow feathered face. Even though her arms were thick and powerful and her hindquarters were well-developed to give kicks so hard they'd snap your spine, her being as yellow as a canary meant she stood out. People figured she was an easy target. Well, the idiots that had tried to grab her ass in the alleyway had learned the hard way that wasn't true.

They came around the alley, growling angrily, her first fist strike lashing out, half-breaking one of their beaks, the other catching the second underneath his chin. She ducked back to void the third's slashing claws, eyes narrowed as she launched herself off the ground, and Roc slammed her knee into his face. She swiftly whipped about, catching one off-guard as he tried to rush at her, now his beak really WAS broken, Roc grinning happily before the one she'd attacked from the start suddenly leapt on top of her from behind, catching her off guard and slamming his head into hers, knocking her to the ground, pinning her as his claws dug in.

"Woah, don't damage the merchandise, check her belt pouch." The first one said through his broken beak, grunting a bit as her captor took the belt pouch off her behind and looked it over. Wait, they were thieves? Okay, Roc thought. Slightly comforting to know.

"What's she got?" The one she'd uppercutted asked. 

"...five gold coins, Leonidas. Guess she didn't have that good a week?" Her captor snorted. 

"Ugh. Whaddya think, Herakles?" The third one muttered, rubbing his sore head. "Is it worth it?" 

"Hey, five gold coins is still five gold coins." Her captor remarked. "Besides. She's got more than that. Yeah, she's got a LOT." 

Roc's eyes widened. "Oh no." She whispered.

"Well, I suppose, I mean...yeah, she got a great ass!" Leonidas admitted. "Whaddya think, Orestes?"

"What? Hey, c'mon. I'm a thief, not a f--kin' rapist." Orestes said through his broken beak. "What kinda sicko do you think I am?"

"I don't like judging, but aren't you into wetworks?" The third one inquired.

"Ajax, SHUT IT." Orestes muttered quickly. "That's private, okay? Let's just take her gold and knock her out-"

"That's real considerate of you." A voice announced, Orestes suddenly flying through the air, slammed into the wall by a net that pinned him hard to the granite, straining to get free as a dark form sat atop the wall across from him, horned head looking down, a small, dark smile on her features, pink eyes aglitter. "So I'll go easy on you. You three, though? Notsomuch." The ethereal, almost otherworldly-voiced being intoned. 

"What the-" Ajax announced, suddenly being pounced on along with Leonidas, grabbed around the neck and lifted up as Roc beheld her rescuer, a decidedly feminine being with a strongly-built, yet quite lovely-looking form. Humanoid in appearance with pale, pink eyes and a set of odd jewelry around her neck and wrists, with no nostrils, no ears, just eyes and a mouth, and two horns poking out of her forehead along with the fine set of horns from the side. Roc suddenly realized who it was, her mouth slowly widening in awe at the sight of the one only whispered about in the shadows of Clawdor.

It was her. The Huntress. And she was witnessing her work. 

Roc watched in fascination as The Huntress lifted the griffons Ajax and Leonidas up to each breast, looking down gently at them. Then she pushed their heads towards her already sizable cleavage. The two Griffons were too stunned, they couldn’t struggle or flail around, but simply lay limp as their heads began to sink in, as if entering some kind of jelly. Though to them, the process, all things considered was…quite nice. Indeed, they felt smooth and cozy, and most of all, blissfully warm.

The Huntress moaned slightly, feeling a rush of pleasure go through her body as she continued to push their bodies head-first into her boobs. She continued to suck them into her neverending cleavage, now feeling their upper halves enter within her, and could feel how full they were making her breasts. She continued to pull them in deeper and deeper into the blissful warmth, soon only their legs remained, and these were soon being sucked up into the enormous cleavage, which jiggled happily from the addition of their bodies.

Within seconds both were groaning even more happily than before. Her breasts began to squeeze and pull around then, guiding their legs gently but steadily into her waiting mammaries. They were helpless, their flesh being pulled in slowly but surely. Soon only their feet remained, and The Huntress took a single claw, pushing them within her boobs. Now her inner flesh was enfolding them even more tightly as they began to pulse, caressing their forms. Her boobs were a soft and warm chamber, perfectly round and enormous. Soon their entire bodies began to be covered in an enzyme that creeped into their mouths.

Absolute bliss filled them as a sweet, tingling sensation rose between their legs and they found themselves furiously orgasming. They began to happily sink deeper into the welcoming folds of muscle around them as the undulating motions of her boobs continued to release the sweet liquid into their mouths. They felt themselves cum explosively, and as their sweet juices flowed out, it triggered a catalystic effect…now the folds of her tit caressed and rubbed them even more, draining their lives slowly but surely as their bodies began to transform into sweet milk…

The Huntress's cleavage jiggled happily as she rubbed it. Where once had been two simply rather large round bulges were now bloated boobs…but they looked beautiful and more full than ever before…and so smooth, The Huntress thought happily, stroking them before she turned to Herakles. 

“Oh s—t.” He muttered, eyes widening in horror as her clawed hands grabbed hold of him, stuffing his head into her open maw, tongue lapping at his face, silencing him as he struggled uselessly in her grip, flailing his back legs, trying to yank himself out only for her to shove his arms in as well. 

“Ah, ‘uf ‘oo ‘ould?” The Huntress asked of Roc, who nodded a bit, clearly seeing the Huntress wanted a bit of help. She stood up, dusting herself off and shoving Herakles’s behind, helping to ease the griffon’s passage down her savior’s throat. Nodding in gratitude, the Huntress then widened her maw to include his shoulders and swallowed hard ensure they were held inside. Finally, she could enjoy her meal, and started making quick successive gulps, making the male griffon’s torso disappear down her throat in seconds. Then, she felt something going on inside her stomach as it swelled, groaning a bit. Really? The stupid bird was still squirming a bit inside?

Ah well. The Cosmo Sapien female couldn't help but moan softly at the feeling as she tasted his meaty legs. She slurped them up almost like noodles and caught his feet on her tongue, no less tastier than she left them. They wriggled violently as her tongue lapped over their entirety, basking in their endless flavor before giving a final gulp, sighing in bliss. “Mmm. You're such a delicous meal, you griffons. Taste like chicken.” She admitted, glancing over at Roc and  rubbing her stomach. “Would you like to feel?” She inquired, pointing at her stomach. “No, wait. Would you, perhaps, like a drink?”

Roc blushed at this as the Huntress massaged her breast. If she was asking what she thought she was asking, then why not?

“You’d make a great child.” The Huntress cooed. “You’ve more than proven yourself capable. You just need a little bit more edge. Would you like that?”

“Absolutely. Your gift allowed my species to master the new breed of magic we so adore here in Clawdor. I was going to be up against one that used it in a week, now I’ll have a chance at last!”

“Well, since you’re so eager!” The Huntress giggled as she held Roc up to her breast and the griffon’s beak suckled on her large left nipple, being given a tasty, sweet dose of milk to drink. She was suppled for a long time, drinking all of the sweet creamy milk that the griffon from before that the beautiful Huntress had drawn into her breasts had created with his sacrifice.

Soon Roc found herself being, with her legs being engulfed by something slightly slimy and wet, and she realized she was slipping into the sex lips of The Huntress. The giant alien smiled happily as she concentrated more, and Roc felt it pull her in slowly and strongly. Soon her hips had entered The Huntress's vagina, making the beautiful being moan in pleasure. Then her paws were pinned to the side and sucked within. Soon Roc was up to her head, and The Huntress calmly placed her clawed hand upon Roc's feathery head, giving her a cute little smile before pushing it in. It slipped inside with a wet, slurping sound as Roc found herself within a tube which quickly pulled her into a warm chamber.

“You'll be home soon.” The Huntress cooed happily as she placed her claws upon her womb and stroked it. Roc almost felt the urge to struggle out of instinct, but she didn't really feel up to it…it was so warm and cozy, and she could breathe freely. It felt soft…like laying down on a big down comforter, and the idea of being in this beautiful being's womb became more and more appealing with each second. Soon an umbilical cord descended from the ceiling and with a quick bite it bit into Roc's stomach. As some sweet substance flowed into her stomach to nourish her, the tickling sensation of the cord filling her made Roc cum and the griffon let out a howl of pleasure. She erupted passionately, over and over, howling happily before at long last kneeling in a fetal position, the sweet nectar her body had expelled melting into the womb.

“Oh my.” Orestes murmured, the Huntress sighing wistfully as she dusted herself off, now looking QUITE pregnant and quite full to boot.

“You’re getting off lucky.” The Cosmo Sapien informed him quietly, leaning in close to his face, licking her lips.

“Why?”

“I’m FULL.”




“Well! Things sure have changed since I went here for the field trip at Junior Speedster Flight Camp with Gilda.” Rainbow Dash admitted, trotting along the finely-laid brick roads of the capital of the Griffon Empire, her and her friends glancing about at the fine architecture of Clawdor. Enormous pillars held up triangular roofs before gaping golden doors, statues of famous and rather pompously-decorated griffons lined up alongside high trees, and, of course, the perches. There were various perches and resting areas built into high hotel walls and by fountains, various griffons actually resting IN said fountains as little baby chicks sprewed crystal-clear water down below from their little mouths. Very tiny chicks were splashing in the fountains, learning how to swim as best they could as various vendors on the streets waved about odd dishes in the air from their stands.

“Much of it’s meat. Hmm.” Twilight murmured, Fluttershy looking somewhat uncomfortable as she rubbed the back of her neck, her and her friends continuing to make their way down main street past the vendors. “…thankfully, not pony meat at least, but I know you really, really don’t like the taste, Fluttershy, so let’s walk quickly.”

“For initiation into this little group I used to be in at the Junior Speedster Flight Camp, the camp counselor put a blindfold over my eyes and made me feel dragon brains, pony guts and swamp ooze.” Rainbow Dash said as she waved a hoof in the air, Rarity cringing.

“Oh my, what a barbaric trick. What was it really? Spaghetti?”

“No. Pony guts and dragon brains and swamp ooze. They later arrested my camp counselor and said he’d escaped from an asylum. It explained a lot about the things my counselor was okay with during camp.” Rainbow Dash admitted with a shudder.

“So we’re gonna meet Gilda? I sure hope she’s not a party pooper anymore.” Pinkie Pie cheerily wondered aloud, bouncing alongside them with a spring in her step…wearing an odd thing around her body.

“Uh, Pinkie, why are you dressed like that? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s quite fashionable and fits this fine, cultured city quite well in its STYLE.” Rarity admitted, putting a hoof on her chest before gesturing at the city around them and the other similarily-dressed griffons, Pegasi and Dragons who were seeing Pinkie in her attire.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Pinkie asked. “Its for Gilda! I’m gonna throw a TOGA PARTY.”

“TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!” Everyone in the streets nearby began to chant, Pinkie Pie shaking her hoof in the air in agreement, nodding her head as the others glanced about at each other before a loud gasp suddenly filled the air, everyone turning to see the people of Clawdor had evidently noticed something about the guest behind them that they hadn’t quite noticed at first glance. But now?

“Hey…you don’t have breasts.” One dragon asked of the Huntsman as he tilted his head to the side in confusion. He’d agreed to come with the Mane Six to Clawdor because they’d said the Griffon Empire had agreed to assist in their challenge and surely the mighty Huntsman wanted worthy opponents like the Griffons! Well now, he was confused. Why were they-

“He’s got those faintly glowing eyes too. Surely he’s of the same race !”  A dark green Pegasus pony murmured. “Perhaps kin to the Huntress herself?”

The Huntsman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is she a being with a body like the starry night sky, with pink eyes and a set of wristbands around her wrists?” He quietly asked of the small crowd beginning to gather around him, the Mane Six joining the crowd, clearly intrigued.

“Oh, yes! That’s the Huntress!” One Griffon said, gesturing at a statue atop a large bathhouse nearby of a distinctly feminine alien hunter. 

“It's Nee.” The Huntsman murmured softly, as our heroines saw tears beginning to brim in his eyes as his hands flew to cover his mouth, the tears trickling down his cheeks. “NEE.”  

“Nee?” Rainbow Dash asked, scratching her head, looking slightly confused, rainbow hair flopping a bit.

“Nee-Buh-Loh. My sister.” The Huntsman murmured. “I spent centuries looking for her. Yet she’s here, of all places? Please, tell me!” He said, grabbing hold of the green Pegasus pony that had spoken, slightly shaking him. “You’ve got to tell me where she is! How long has she been here?”

“95 years.” The Pegasus admitted with a nod, the Huntsman cringing. “Our great lord Clawdius bested her in combat after a long and mighty struggle and in return she granted several of us Griffon Empire residents unique abilities. A special kind of magic!” 

“Especially us Griffons.” A nearby griffon admitted, dark fur and grey feathers a-flutter as he held up a clawed paw and sizzling, sparkling silver energy similar to what the Huntsman’s spear/staff used began to coalesce about his paw, the Huntsman’s eyes widening.

“Tantric energy. The very thing all sentient races give off…the spiritual energy that we Cosmo Sapiens need to nourish us and which empowers us so greatly! She learned how to bestow that onto others? How?” He murmured, looking at Twilight Sparkle…

Who was already whipping out her notepad, scribbling down notes as she popped up behind, to the left, to the right, beneath the griffon as he bounced the ball of grey energy up and down in his palm, looking amused at her fascination. “It’s soooo pretty-pretty…” She whispered. “I can feel the electric charge in the air, the fluctuations of magical power from it!” 

“You don’t know how to help people do that?” Rainbow Dash asked as the Huntsman shook his head, shrugging. 

“It might be easier for the girls to learn it than the guys. As the sayin’ goes, the female of the species is more deadly than the male.” A familiar voice rang out, all of them turning to see, of all people, Gilda herself wearing a slight toga like Pinkie Pie around her upper chest, a tiara atop her head of golden leaves, paws wrapped in fighter’s tape and a slight scar running down her right cheek as she grinned in pride, waving at Rainbow Dash. “Hey, Dash.” 

“Your cheek? How’d that happen?” Dash asked, quickly bolting to Gilda’s side, the various Clawdor residents bowing their heads as Gilda blushed a bit.

“I fought with the Huntress. Defeated her too. She was quite the hellion, but all she did was make my face look cooler.” The griffon admitted as she pointed at the scar across her cheek. “Now I’m head gladiator at the colloseum of my father’s.”

“Wait. Clawdius the Great, Holy Emperor of the Griffon Empire is-” Twilight Sparkle trailed off, Pinkie Pie immediately bowing with her toga.

“Your majesty!” 

“Guess that makes us BOTH princesses, which means we got something in common, bookworm.” Gilda admitted to Twilight as she ruffled Rainbow Dash’s hair. “But me, I earned my place in the Colosseum long before I could even do THIS!” She proclaimed, getting up on her back legs, letting out a loud, proud roar as she held up her clawed paws, dark golden energy enveloping them as she sliced and slashed at the air, a faint afterimage lingering on before it dissolved away, Gilda striking a fighting pose. “I’ve got the eye of the tiger, and you’re gonna hear me ROAAAAAAAR!” 

“I admit that despite your terrible taste in music, your tiara, the robe and the fighting prowess, makes it clear you are going for the warrior princess appearance. And you pull it off well!” Rarity admitted as she waved a hoof in the air, nodding sagely. “But doooo tell us about this “Huntress”. You said she came 95 years ago and lost to your father, Emperor Clawdius? However did he succeed?”

“He actually tricked her.” Gilda said with a grin. “She thought she had him but he turned the tables and at the last minute managed to injure her in a way she didn’t think was possible.” The grin faded as she nervously cringed. “It involved bleeding down, um that is…I mean, y’know.”

All of the girls cringed, Spike scratching his head, the Huntsman blinking before his eyes gaped. “What’re they talking about?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.” Twilight said quickly as Gilda gestured for them to follow her, the crowd following after them before she tossed them a look.

“Private party only, thank you very much. We’re heading to the Colosseum because our “guest” here wants a challenge. You want in, find the sign-up booth.” She demanded of the crowd with a firm nod, the rest of the Clawdor residents making off, leaving Gilda alone with the Ponyville party and the Huntsman as he strode alongside her. “Tonight, you dine in Hell, Huntsman. The Colosseum will chew you up and spit you out.”

“I’ve heard that before, griffon.” The Huntsman spoke calmly, though he was still grinning like an idiot, eyes alit with joy as they made their way down the street towards the Colosseum, entering the enormous set of double doors and heading down the hallway, past pictures of past gladiators clad in beautiful bronze and steely armor. Many of the pictures, of course, were of Gilda. “I take it the victors of frequent victories get a new painting with each new accomplishment, griffon?”

“Yes.” Gilda said as she stopped at one such painting and gestured at it with a paw. It showed her expertly dodging a volley of arrows fired from the Huntress, body curving expertly, eyes blazing with fire as Rainbow Dash smiled, nodding in approval.

“Looking good.” She admitted, looking from the picture to Gilda as her tone got softer. “And…it’s real good to see you again, Gilda.”

Gilda was now the one who’s tone became softer, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. “Yeah, it’s…it’s good to see you again too, Dash.” She murmured, the two now stepping closer to each other. “I heard about you beating Tirek with the others, it was…really impressive.”

“Wish you coulda seen it.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Yeah?”

“…yeah.”

“…yeah?” Rainbow Dash huskily asked, leaning in closer…closer…

“Yeaaaah…” Gilda said, her beak now a few mere millimeters from Rainbow Dash’s mouth…before Gilda broke away, stepping back. “Okay, okay, can’t do it with this many people around, I give!”

“YESSS! I am the Queen of “Gay Chicken”!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, holding her hooves up in the air, shaking them back and forth as she proudly grinned in triumph, Fluttershy giggling a little at this bit of silliness as they finally made their way into the fighter’s pit of the Colosseum, the main arena. Various gladiators were all sitting around, listening intently as a female voice spoke of a dramatic tale.

“There my father was, Ohr’ion the Hunter, the Behemoth at his mercy. Begging after he’d made so many others beg before. My father leaned in close!” Nee-Buh-Loh said, leaning in closely to the nearby young Griffon below her, clawed hands held up dramatically as her eyes glittered. “And whispered in his ear-”

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you, you have something in your mouth.” Her brother announced, Nee-Buh-Loh whipping about, eyes gaping wide before bounding over to the Huntsman, happily embracing him and nuzzling up against his chest, the tears coming freely as they flowed down her cheeks now, the Huntsman rubbing her back. “Nee, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’m so glad to see you, Nebby. You’re looking good. Real good!” She whispered back. “I just wish I’d found you sooner…”

“Our typical family luck.” The Huntsman said with a slight chuckle before Rainbow Dash scratched her head.

“Nebby?”

“It’s short for “Neh-Buh-Loh”.” The Huntsman admitted. 

“As in “Nebula”? Those really pretty things in space that are like the explosions left over when a star dies?” Spike asked, scratching his head, the others looking at him, surprised he knew what that was. “What? I read a lot about the stars. Twilight’s library had a BUNCH of reaaaally pretty space picture books that Mr. Starswirl the Bearded wrote when he observed the heavens with high-powered telescope spells!”

“Close, Spike. That’s a supernova. Nebulae can be formed from that, but they’re often formed from the gases that make up the matter in the space between star systems.” Twilight admitted. “There’s all sorts of things all around us we can’t normally see. Invisible wonders small and large.” 

“It’s kinda morbid, though.” Nee admitted with a shrug. “I mean, our names are indicative of destruction and death of cosmic matter. Creepy.” 

“Didn’t really wanna think about that.” Spike decided aloud, cringing. 

“Let’s have a grand battle tomorrow at the Colosseum!” Nee cheerily asked, looking over at the group, still hugging her brother as she cheerily smiled. “Would you all like to join in or watch the fun?”  

“Me and Gilda will take you two on, it’s just we’re just waiting for some other friends of ours to arrive.” Rainbow Dash added with a small smile, Gilda tilting her head to the side in slight confusion. “They’re gonna rock your world.”

“Who might they be?” Gilda wanted to know before Rainbow Dash grinned, dusting her chest off with a hoof.

“Well, you mighta heard something else about me besides the fact I was in the Equestria Games aaaand helped beat Tirek? I mean, I don’t wanna brag, but-”

Gilda’s beak fell open as she grinned broadly. “No way! You mean? You for real, girl?!”

“I know!”

“GIRL!”

“I KNOW!”

Meanwhile, the threesome from the city in the clouds had descended down onto the hillside, fiery hair fluttering in the breeze as their leader took a step forward, glancing behind at her compatriots as she gave a firm nod.

“We made it.”

“Just in time, too. In a half an hour it would have been too dark to safely fly here.”

“So, Soarin? Fleetfoot? Rapidfire? Welcome…”

Spitfire grinned, flicking the goggles up to the top of her forehead, the light of the setting sun glistening off her teeth.

“To the Danger Zone!” 
> Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Pt. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the setting sun began to cast its final rays across the expanse of the city of Clawdor, the Colosseum was a bright and shining contrast, alit with inner fire as torches lined the main arena, flagons of alcohol and wine held high in clawed paws and hooves as cheers rose up into the starry night sky. Not a cloud above…though there WAS a haze of drunken revelry below, an almost visible mist of funk and stench from gladiators that had clearly not bathed in quite some time, who were matted with sweat, blood that didn’t belong to them, and grime. 

“To friendship! To generosity! To fifty bits per tankard!” Rarity cried out in delight, holding her own flagon high before downing the entire thing in a single, mighty gulp, the griffon gladiators surrounding her cheering as they clapped her on the back.  “After this is all over, I shall be taking a looooooong bath. But this wine is so positively divine, I feel the need to splurge.”

“It’s from the year I came.” The Huntress admitted as she nonchalantly leaned back in her seat, one of many at the long, long tables now set up in the fighter’s arena, sitting right next to her brother and, more importantly, to Gilda’s father, the mighty Clawdius himself. Yes, the mighty, regal, most Holy Emperor of the Griffon Empire had graced the Colosseum with his presence and was now shitfaced, tracing a claw around the rim of his drink, his head resting in one paw. He turned, smiling wistfully to his daughter as he gave her a big, toothy grin, amber-golden eyes glittering.

“My dear, I wonder how practical it would be to take a bath in wine. Who needs to swim in money you could swim in liquor?” He mused aloud, the thick tufts of hair atop his head bobbing slightly, his large tail swishing back and forth, holding aloft a large basket of biscuits, passing them over to Rainbow Dash. Dash happened to be sitting to the right of Gilda at the elaborately red-and-purple-decorated table they were all situated at, and she held her hooves up to accept it, nervously gulping as the tail smiled at her. 

Oh, did I forget to mention his tail was a giant snake?

“Um, er, Ms. Gilda, I didn’t wanna bring this up, but-” Fluttershy nervously began to say as she raised a hoof in the air, Gilda rolling her eyes.

“Spit it out, Mellow Yellow.” She remarked nonchalantly.

“Your father’s tail is staring at me.” She admitted, the tail snaking, quite literally, over the table and weaving slightly back and forth in front of her before lowering itself down.

“Oh, it just wants a scratch.” Gilda said with a snort, Fluttershy nervously, carefully reaching out and scratching the top of the serpentine head that was Clawdius the Great’s tail. “You’re surprised? Full-grown gryphons of greater age can grow unique tails. Some of us have burning torches that never die, others have giant snakes!” 

“Did your mother have an unusual tail?” Twilight wanted to know, clearly intrigued as the snakey tail looked over at Spike, bobbing its head up and down as Spike did the same, Fluttershy looking nervous until the Huntsman gently reached out and handed her a small basket of candied apples, the yellow Pegasus smiling in gratitude. 

“Nah, and I inherited most of my looks from her, though I got my dad’s eyes.” Gilda admitted.

“And his laugh.” Rainbow Dash added with a chuckle, putting out a single hoof onto the table, slightly turning it up so the “palm” faced up. Gilda turned to smile back at her, one claw digit reaching out, landing gently on Dash’s palm. She carefully curled a circle, tracing it slowly on Dash’s palm, then made a little “x” in the center, Dash smiling back, giving a small, barely noticeable nod…

Taking the hand, turning Gilda's own palm up, and tracing a circle and “x” of her own. 

X marks the spot, after all. 

You have my heart. 

“Ooh!” The Huntress nervously blushed. “I, uh, have to make a little…release?” She inquired of everyone, pointing down at her now slightly-bulging belly. “I think a certain someone I recently took in is ready to come out. She’s kicking.”

“Ooh! Fascinating! You’re giving birth?” Twilight inquired, immediately sitting up in her chair, eyes widening as the Huntress nodded, standing up and taking in a few deep breaths, eyes closing as her womanhood began to fully emerge, the lips parting and with a rather squelchy, wet slupring sound, a griffon began to emerge from the sex lips, flopping to the ground. Ms. Roc was slightly wet, and a bit frazzled…

But then she stood up, holding up her clawed paws, faint orange energy encapsulating them as she let out an “Oooh” of awe and wonderment. “Tantric energy.” The Huntress said proudly, patting Ms. Roc atop her head. “Yours now, sweetie. A little gift from me. Now those schmucks will think twice about trying to fool around with you in a back alley.”

“Now you’ll finally be a real challenge in the ring.” Gilda laughed, Roc holding up her burning fist and grinning darkly.

“I’ll turn you into fried chicken.” She swore.

“Ooooooooh!” All the gladiators whispered, an armored Pegasus pony gasping as his hooves flew to his mouth, a dragon clucking his tongue.

“Y’all don’t ever, ever call a griffon a chicken.” He whispered to the Mane Six as Gilda cracked her neck slightly, then cracked her knuckles.

“Tomorrow, we settle this in the ring. At 8 on the dot.”

“You can count time. Good.”

“And you can count. On me. Cuz I’ve got a spear with your ass’s name on it who’d love to get reeeaaaaal acquainted with you.” Gilda added with a growl, her and Roc now getting right into each other’s faces, beaks pressed up against each other, hissing.

“Ooh, Catfight.” Clawdius mused aloud before whistling sharply, rising to full height. “But come! Enough, enough. Save your energy, my daughter-hic!” He hiccupped slightly, waving a clawed paw in the air. “You must get your rest. Escort our esteemed to their bedrooms. Luckily for you my palace is so close by and has three bathrooms for every bedroom.” He added with a proud grin, putting a paw on his chest and beaming before hiccupping again, a bubble of alcohol floating out of his mouth and popping in midair. “With two hot spring Jacuzzis for every bedroom.” 

“Phew.” Rarity said, wiping her brow in delight as Gilda and Rainbow Dash smiled slightly in delight, walking alongside each other. Dash had a feeling she knew why Gilda’s room was probably right next to hers. 

“May I accompany you?” The Huntsman asked of Fluttershy, bowing deeply at her as she blushed a bit, nodding in agreement, hiccupping slightly herself.

“Hic-hic-hic-hic-hic! I-hic! I-think-hic-hic! Think-hic! Might need-hic! Some h-hic-help!” She admitted, the Huntsman tenderly lifting her up into his arms, carrying her bridal-style out of the arena with the others as she sleepily yawned. “Mmmm. You’re-hic-you’re so waaarm!”

The Huntsman visibly blushed at this, the Huntress giggling slightly as Fluttershy began to actually fall sleep in his arms, Nee-Buh-Loh walking alongside her brother.

“She’s adorable, isn’t she?” She asked. “You fancy her.”

“I’ve begun to feel for her, yes.” He admitted. “I take it you’ve found a kinship here, with the Griffons?”

“Oh, that’s a big Ten-Four.” A voice announced, the Huntsman turning to see four figures flying down from the rooftops, landing in front of him and his sister, Spitfire smirking a bit over at the Huntress. “We’ve been readin’ up on reports. Crime is down here in the Griffon Empire. We reckon it’s because of her diet. Bet she’s done real good work for them.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me.” The Huntress said, heading down the street for the nearby palace, held up by towering Ionic pillars and gaudy red banners flittering in the breeze atop its ramparts. Everything about Clawdius’s palace was in-your-face and show-offy, designed to be regal and noble in appearance…overly so. It was almost tacky.

“But we need to ask a favor of you if Celestia’s fears are true.” Spitfire murmured quietly. “Look. She doesn’t TRUST Clawdius. Clawdius never really got along with Equestria, unlike his wife. Now with her gone and the fact his scouts keep showing up in Equestrian territory more and more of them every year…we’re worried he might be making a power play. That with the Huntress, he’ll have an unstoppable weapon nobody can defeat. After all, you were able to fight the Princesses to a standstill.”

“Well, yes, they were both my equal. You feel my sister’s somehow better than me at fighting?” The Huntsman mused.

“No. She’s dirtier. She’s not above being cheap.” Spitfire said, Soarin pulling out small papers from his jacket, handing them to the Huntsman as he took it in one hand, careful not to drop Fluttershy. “We’ve got some spies who’ve been talking to Clawdor residents. Ever since we heard of “The Huntress” we wanted to know more about her.”

“Oh! Look at-Wow! With a melon?” The Huntsman gasped, looking the reports over. “Oh my. Hmm.” He frowned. “Am I to take it, then, that you approach me in the hopes of asking for my help if my sister is indeed a weapon for Clawdius?”

“We’re willing to give anything to protect our land.”

“You understand you’re asking me to fight my sister.” The Huntsman said, leaning in close to Spitfire’s muzzle, pale blue eyes glaring darkly into fiery red.

“Just talk to her.” Spitfire commented calmly. “You’re family. I’m sure you can make her see reason.” 

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was quite the lucky guest indeed. Her room and Gilda’s weren’t just next to each other, there was a secret passage via a sliding panel in the wall. Now she and Gilda were lying next to each other on Gilda’s plushy, soft, down-comforter-covered bed. “All hand-plucked feathers from volunteers who were honored to give their feathers for the finest blankets in the city.” Gilda said, holding the end of one of the down comforters up, Rainbow Dash snuggling her face up against it with a deep blush to her face.

“So warm and fuzzy!” She murmured before flopping back in the bed, then lifting her head up, resting it on a hoof. “It’s so good to see you again, Gilda. I’m glad we still stayed in touch even after everything that happened back in Ponyville.”

“After I heard about what happened with Discord, I got worried.” Gilda admitted nervously, rubbing the back of her neck, slightly glancing off and to the side, pretending to look at the lavish golden-rimmed crimson curtains that hung over stained-glass windows. The room had no clocks, instead, a sundial was located in front of a large yawn outside of the largest window in the room, built into the law and glittering white, much like the bed they now laid on, and much like Gilda’s fur.

Dash smiled a bit. “I was right up in his face. Wanted him to put ‘em up, put ‘em up! I was gonna kick his skinny butt.” She proclaimed, waving a hoof in the air before cringing. “Until he cheated.”

“Yeah, the Huntress did the same thing when I first faced her. She distracted me with, er, y’know. Stuff.” Gilda admitted sheepily, giving off a nervous grin. “She, uh, she smells really nice, if you get my drift.”

“So what you’re telling is you got PLUCKED?” Dash groaned. “Don’t tell me she-”

“Yeah, she…asked me to eat her out. You know how we Griffons are.” The princess of the Griffon Empire sheepishly said, putting a clawed paw on her chest, shaking her head back and forth. “When one of us asks to be eaten out, it means a complete submission. Absolute trust. It means we’re lowering our defenses absolutely! It’s the greatest thing a stud here can do for his lady, the greatest thing women can do for each other. I think a fifth of our citizens are homosexual or swing both ways.” 

“So you fell for it.” Rainbow Dash said with a sigh. “I don’t blame you. I fell for Discord’s tricks, and I knew he was the king of BS. But you know I’ll straight talk you.” She told Gilda, her tone becoming softer. Gentler. “Gilda, I’ve been thinking a lot about you since I came here, and…I want to try and give it another shot.”

“You mean…us?” Gilda asked. 

“Yeah. Us.” 

Gilda gulped inwardly. Oh my. Oh MY. This was it. This was the moment she’d been wanting for so long. “Um, Dash, I-I want to be with you, but I’ve gotten into things I don’t know you’d like. I’m worried you, y’know, might get turned off by what I AM now.”

Dash raised an eyebrow up, looking confused. “Whatcha mean?”

“Unlocking the use of “tantric energy” has a side effect.” Gilda mumbled, looking down at the fluffy blanket they now sat on. “That is…y’know, we can, um, er, let’s just say our stomach is no longer bigger than our eyes?” 

“OH. OH.” Rainbow Dash murmured, eyes bugging slightly out. “Really? Wait. You want to eat me. Not eat me out, just plain eat me?”

“We-We can delay our digestion with the gift the Huntress gives us. You’d be safe for the night, I-I promise!” Gilda said, stammering slightly, looking away in shame as she covered her head with her clawed paws. “I’d never hurt you, Dash, I-ohhhhh! I knew this was a stupid idea, I’m sorry, forget it, I-”

Dash put her hoof on Gilda’s shoulder, Gilda turning to look back at her friend, the Pegasus smiling tenderly.

“I don’t mind taking risks. You know me.” Dash said with a grin and a wink. “C’mon, Gilda. Down the hatch.” She said, flopping down on her belly, facing Gilda and giggling a bit. “Let’s give it a try!”

Sure enough, Gilda wrapped her arms around her Pegasus, as if giving her a final hug, and inserted Rainbow Dash’s head into her pulsing mouth. With a tug of the torso, she shoved it into her throat and pressed her beaky on Dash’s neck. Her stomach gave a gurgle in anticipation, and she forced Dash’s shoulders inside. With the Pegasus securely in her grasp, she let her tongue travel over Dash's almost boyish chest and gave out an echoing moan of pleasure.

How easy she worked her jaws over his shoulders. That was so strange to think about! And still, Dash did not care at all, for her, this felt like a kind of dream entirely, nothing of this seemed to be real. 

Gilda began to salivate heavily as she took a quick look at the rest of her meal. Much of the saliva dripped down the young mare’s body as she made several deep swallows. Each gulp rippled over his body as she continued to devour Rainbow Dash’s torso, aided with the grip from her powerful beak. Once she took a mouthful of Dash's hips, she let go of her body and simply rubbed her belly as it began to expand. Another gulp sent the thighs into her mouth and made Dash’s head curl forward. Gilda then lifted her head and let herself fall to the bed as she started to release her grip on Dash and let gravity do the rest. 

Dash let it all happen, she did not resist. All she could do, is somehow, was enjoy this warm massage all over her upper body, nothing else. Even as she felt his head pressing against Gilda's stomach, when he had to curl it forward, she did not even care. It felt so…nice. As Gilda made a series of quick swallows to force Dash’s knees down her throat, she enjoyed the slightly berry-vanilla flavor of her friend, moaning deeply as she tasted her friend’s wetness, briefly flicking her tongue against Dash’s clit with a faint tease before she took in Dash’s legs, then her hooves. Saliva washed over Rainbow Dash’s bottom hooves and filled Gilda the Griffon’s mouth with flavor. She proceeded to drain the saliva down by swallowing, but ended up sinking her heels into her throat. With a sigh, the griffon made a huge swallow that sent Dash’s bottom hooves down her throat. She felt as his hooves wriggled along her neck and into her chest as she made gulp after gulp before, at last, Dash finally curled up completely in her stomach.

Dash did not know what to do. Gilda had devoured her completely and she had to curl himself up in her stomach to fit inside. She had her thighs pressed against her chest as she 'sat' now in this fleshy prison. It felt strange. She wasn’t sure what to feel, what to say as Gilda nonchalantly sucked on her paw digits, getting the flavor off and letting out a bit of a burp, the stomach quivering, tickling Dash as she giggled from inside.

“Do you like it?” Gilda asked.

“Oh, YES.” Dash admitted. “It’s-hee-hee! It’s re-really nice, actually!”

Gilda sighed wistfully, leaning back in the bed, smiling broadly. “Then I’ll see you in the morning, Dash.” She murred. “Sweet dreams!”

Meanwhile, the Huntsman was knocking on his sister’s bedroom, Nee opening it up  “Nebby? What’s going on?” She wanted to know.

“Can I talk to you?”




The crowd cheered and roared, the stadium packed to the brim as flags and banners were waved about in the air, Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts standing side by side, heads held high as Gilda stood alongside them…proud to fight alongside her. Her friend. Her meal. Her lover. Her one and only. 

Though Nee had been unsure, Neh-Buh-Loh had insisted on the spot that she not interfere. That it would be challenge enough to face him alone. They didn’t need to make it harder for them. No, he wanted to fight fair. So now he stood tall, spear held high, sparkling with faint blue energy as he gripped it tightly. The Huntsman stared out over his challengers, the pulsing roar of the crowd rising into the air, all of them eager for a powerful showdown the likes of which they’d never seen before. What did the Wonderbolts and this pony from afar have to offer? What could the Huntsman do?

Twilight and the others, of course, had ringside seats and were eagerly on the edge of them, gripping the side of the ring tightly in their hooves, sweat slightly dribbling down Fluttershy’s brow. She was worried. She didn’t want Neh-Buh-Loh to hurt Rainbow Dash, she yearned to get in there and fight, but then again…Dash was tough, as were the Wonderbolts, and Gilda? Gilda was an expert gladiator. They could do this, couldn’t they? 

Couldn’t they? 

Clawdius rose up from the throned seat at the top of the arena, boxed off by a golden railing as he cleared his throat. “I expect my daughter will rise to the occasion.” He proclaimed, holding up a paw and ckenching it tightly, a wild gleam in his eye. “And make the mother that now watches down from the Heavens proud with her fight!”

“I dedicate this battle to the people of Clawdor!” Gilda roared out. “Now you get ready for the eye of the tiger, the thrill of the fight!”

“That’s more classy than “Catty Perry”.” Rainbow Dash giggled under her breath, holding a hoof over her mouth.

“Heyyyy!” Gilda whispered back. “I don’t tell anybody about your love of “Pitbull the Diamond Dog”!” She hissed, Rainbow Dash immediately blushing in deep shame. Especially since she had an LP of Pitbull’s famous “Inter-Racial Love”, a collaboration work done with the infamous stallion named Colt Brown. 

With that, the Wonderbolts nodded over at the two, Dash and Gilda splitting off as the Huntsman dove at them first, then swept his spear/staff at the Wonderbolts, who took off in different directions. The foursome went soaring high through the air, spiraling above, circling around in the sky as Gilda and Dash swept about in the sandy arena. All of them circled about the Huntsman as he spun slightly about, his electric blue eyes narrowing, licking his lips before Spitfire’s voice rang out.

“Rainbow Dash! Maneuver 21B!”

“Gotcha!” Dash cried out, sweeping across the arena, Gilda smirking as Soarin and Spitfire launched straight down as well. The Huntsman tried to leap backwards to avoid them, only for Fleetfoot to suddenly smack into his back, knocking him up into the air, Rapidfire barreling down from above and delivering, per his name, a rapid fire set of kicks. 

THUDDA-THUDDA-THUDDA, the hooves bounced off against the Huntsman’s chest, knocking him down towards the ground, Rainbow Dash and Gilda shooting up at once, fists held high the Huntsman twirling about, his spear sweeping forth, SLAMMING into them, knocking the two into the arena wall. He landed deftly upon the ground, ducking to avoid a sweeping kick from Soarin, grabbing hold of the Pegasus’s tail and twirling him through the air as Rapidfire and Fleetfoot raced at him.

“You’d no doubt like you’re comrade back. I’m not stingy…I’ll give him to you.” 

THWAPTHWAPTHWAPTHWAP! Using Soarin like a club, he battered Rapidfire and Fleetfoot, striking them into the sandy ground of the arena below as if they were mice he as trying to exterminate. Luckily a sudden headbutt from Spitfire launched him off his feet and sent him rolling across the ground, Rapidfire and Fleetfoot getting back up as Gilda launched herself out of the wall she’d collided with, clawed fist shooting forward, catching the Huntsman’s chin as he stood up, knocking him a few feet back. She delivered a series of powerful, furious punches, the Huntsman finally catching one fist, then the other, grinning in pride.

Then he remembered, his hands suddenly feeling as though they were on FIRE, that she could manipulate tantric energy because of the “gift” his sister had bestowed, and reeled back, howling, blowing on his hands. “Hothothothothot!”

“What can I say? I was always the live wire.” Gilda admitted with a grin as she raced towards him, the Huntsman ducking and dodging her strikes. “Looks like you’re unarmed!” She remarked, Rainbow Dash suddenly sweeping through the air.

“And about to feel de-feet!” She proclaimed, doing a rolling tuck that slammed into the Huntsman’s legs, knocking him onto the ground with a THRUNKA-THUD, Gilda shooting her head forward to headbutt him, only for the Huntsman to roll away. He then kicked off the ground, avoiding a swift triple-strike from the Wonderbolts, catching Spitfire as she tried to launch herself at his head, slamming her into the ground, then sweeping about. His leg caught Gilda on the side of her head, sending her flying through the air towards the crowd as everyone gasped…

Only for Dash to catch her in midair, grinning a bit as Gilda nervously smiled back at her. “That’s the second time you’ve saved my hide.”

“Good, another four times and I’ll finally catch up to your record from camp.” Dash remarked. “Spitfire! I’ve got an idea!” She called out, Spitfire and the Wonderbolts hovering to them as the Huntsman spun his spear-esque staff, bouncing back and forth on his feet, ready for their next attack. 

“Hit me.” The leader of the Wonderbolts insisted. 

CLAWDOR CONQUERED

“Manuever 3A9!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. “Follow our lead. It’s an all or nothing thing, Gilda.” She told the Griffon. 

“Simple, but effective.” Spitfire agreed, all of them but her immediately bolting up, up, into the sky as Spitfire tossed something out from her belt pocket as it shot towards the Huntsman. He immediately fired on it with the spear, blue energy sizzling out, lashing at it-

The grenade exploded, a flashbang that made him reel as the now-six combatants soared towards him all at the same time, now from different angles. All for one purpose…to hit him at different pressure points. Gilda at the legs, the Wonderbolts his sides, Dash at his head…

But then the Huntsman did something unexpected. He whirled his about him, it swept around like a tornado, cutting through the air, energy sparking off of it like a volcano spitting out bouts of magma. It slammed into all of them, too fast to block as each of them were knocked through the air or into the ground, Gilda hitting the arena floor before the Huntsman as Rainbow Dash slammed into the wall, the Wonderbolts flying into the crowd…ironically landing right on top of poor Applejack as she grunted, managing to lift them all off of her, frowning as Pinkie Pie took out a marker and began to draw an extremely inappropriate picture on Soarin’s cheek. 

The Huntsman calmly lifted Rainbow Dash out of the wall as Nee popped over the ring, sauntering towards Gilda and lifting her up.

“Well?” She asked of Neh-Buh-Loh. “Shall we?”

“What’s going on? I thought you didn’t want her interfering!” Twilight protested angrily as the Huntsman turned to her, shaking his head.

“They have lost fair and square. She’s quite unconscious, as you can tell. Unable to fight back.” The Huntsman said, holding Rainbow Dash up as his sister held aloft Gilda. “My sister and I had a chat. In time you’ll come to accept the way it has to be. But we’ll let you have a chance to run. To alert Celestia and Luna and to have them understand what will soon befall this world.”

“We’re so tired of being hunters. That way of life ruined our species and drove us to extinction. So we’ll be farmers now.” Nee admitted. “And well…we’re gonna be farming all of you. Our steady diet of your races will keep you all at nice, manageable levels, and we’ll never be without a steady supply of food as we get to work on creating real Cosmo Sapiens. It’ll take some time, but…well, if this fight was any indication, I think we can handle anything you throw at us. Especially if we work together, right brother?”

“We trusted you.” Fluttershy whispered softly, the Huntsman looking mournfully in her direction, people in the crowd suddenly really, truly realizing what was going on and bolting from the spot, exiting their seats, barreling for the exits, crying out in terror, Clawdius struggling to move, to save his daughter, but…paralyzed with fear. He knew he didn’t stand a chance. And yet?

“Don’t think too badly of me. But my desire to try and bring my species back, to…no longer have to keep bouncing around this universe and to bring stability to the billions of planets within me outweighs your species’s right to be inconvenienced. Your freedom’s a necessary sacrifice for a greater good.” He told her. “We won’t be that bad masters, really.” 

“You won’t get away with this!” Dash murmured, Gilda moaning, the two beginning to regain consciousness.

“I’m afraid we will, Rainbow Dash. And you won’t be around to see it. You fought nobly. Remember that, if nothing else.” The Huntsman added with a sympathetic tone as Dash was placed head first. His lips were oddly soft as they tenderly closed around her head. Dash wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying or begging, her head swiftly entering the Huntsman’s mouth as he swallowed again, his mouth opening slightly wider to accept her chest in, tongue slightly licking at her torso. He raised her slightly higher up, tilting his head back, the Pegasus now halfway into his maw, trying to be careful and making sure his teeth didn’t damage her. His pillow-like tongue welcomed her body deeper into his mouth, pulling her further into her final fate as Dash kicked her feet wildly, struggling to get free…but in vain. For all but her lower legs were in now. She now lay on the tongue, it was all warm and soft, and all that now remained was her hooves, twitching up and down as they too were sucked in. 

Dash lay there, in the mouth of this beast, resting on the tongue before, with a sudden jerk, she was moved from onto her face to be twisted face up, tossed slightly about the mouth as he tasted her. A few minutes later, his tongue rubbed about her chest, wrapping about her before pulling her down into the back of his mouth, the alien hunter dragging her to her new home: his stomach. It was time for her to go down his gullet, and so his throat happily opened up, Dash sliding down. Luckily because of the saliva of his tongue and all the sweat from the fight, her ride was quite lubricated and she easily slid down his throat, heading to the stomach. It was an oddly soft, pillow-esque area with a faint bit of squishy liquidness edging off from the walls, and Dash could feel what seemed like many hands gently wrapping around her, pulling her into the walls. 

“Don’t be scared. We’re here for you.”

“It’ll be alright. You won’t feel a thing, we promise.”

“You’ll like being one with him. We’ll keep you company.”

“Oh, Gilda. I’m sorry.” Dash whispered, the walls beginning to envelop her, massaging her, drawing her into an eternal, final embrace as she struggled to get free, The Huntsman looked down and seeing two bulges alternating from her stomach. She was kicking desperately.

“Shhh, shhhhh. It’s alright.” He cooed. “Nee? Let me have Gilda. Dash deserves to be with the woman she loves.”

“Of course.” Nee giggled cheerily, carrying Gilda over her shoulder, Clawdius diving at her. “Oop. One moment.” She said, tossing Gilda at the Huntsman as he caught her in his arms, pressing her up against his chest. Gilda struggled, his mouth almost slobbering over her, licking at her face.

“I apologize, but I just ADORE the taste of fowl.” He admitted, his powerful jaws working over her head, almost crushing her body as she writhed and wiggled before he decided, no, he wanted her legs first. He lifted her up, stuffing her back paws into his mouth, a quick swallow taking in her legs before he wiggled Gilda’s struggling behind into his maw. She could feel her legs being dragged down the powerful gullet, pinned and helpless, the tongue holding fast, yanking her down, down. 

His jaws took her in a bit at a time, his mouth almost kneading her, hot drool covering every inch of her body in his mouth as her feet began to reach the stomach, her chest being taken in, now her head, the alien hunter’s mouth covering her own face. He raised a single claw, pushing her forehead in and sealed her away in the darkness of his jaws, gulping her down. Gilda struggled further in desperation, trying to cling to the side of the gullet she was descending in with her clawed paws, but all in vain, it was too slippery and she slid down, down to the waiting stomach, Dash faintly visible in the stomach walls as she too was brought up against it. 

It was a mercy of a kind, being pressed up against Dash, the wall kneading and caressing the two, working over them as liquid began to pour down around them. A  morass of digestive juices, Gilda guessed, was working over her and Dash and…

It was just so, so tiring. She just…wanted to sleep. 

She felt so tired, and Dash was right here.

“Dash?” Gilda whispered, tenderly embracing her beloved, the walls of flesh closing over them one last time as they became one with the Huntsman. He nonchalantly rubbed his chest, a faint layer of muscle added to him as he smiled. It felt so very natural to do it. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he enjoyed every meal he did, and he felt glad that he’d allowed them to be together. 

“There, there.” The Huntress cooed, pinning Clawdius to the ground as he spat and snarled, clawing at her in desperation. “Your daughter didn’t feel a thing and you know it.” She insisted. “Now then!” 

She grabbed hold of Clawdius’s paws, placing them on her supple breasts and giving him a small smile. “Don’t they feel nice? Wouldn’t you like to be a part of them?”

“You bucking deceitful BITCH!” He roared out in her face, Nee-Buh-Loh keeping his hands at her mammaries as she smiled darkly.

“I’ll take that as a “yes”.” She nonchalantly remarked. Clawdius tried to pull his paws away, only to find they’d been engulfed. Her boobs pulled at the paws, now he was up to his shoulders, his face pushed up against her chest as she moaned. “You’ve got noooooooo idea how this feels, it’s simply amazing.” She told her brother with a sigh, another pull swallowing more of the griffon emperor, pulling his head inside her breasts as they picked up the pace, pulling him inside faster, within only a minute her tit was now engulfing his feet. They waved about uselessly as she giggled, then pushed them in with a single claw tip, sealing the griffon completely inside.

Clawdius should have been horrified, but…damn it, the feeling inside her breasts was positively wonderful, everything was soft, warm, he didn’t even matter that he was melting inside her breaths, joining with the milk and fat, growing them to an even larger size. He moaned in orgasmic delight, howling in joy as his body sank beneath the milky expanse about him, joining with her massive mammaries as Nee-Buh-Loh sighed again.

“Ohhhhhh. I really do love doing that.” She admitted, looking across the arena, seeing Twilight and her friends had, indeed, taken the Wonderbolts and run off. “Looks like they’re gone.”

“The citizens of Clawdor will try and run, of course. They’re all going to fly away.” The Huntsman remarked.

“Yes, well, that’s what the net traps we set up last night on the outskirts of town are for.” Nee remarked with a shrug. “I imagine at least a few dozen will have landed at the plains outside of town to catch their breath…let’s see what we caught, bring them back, hash out who’ll get who.”

“I’m surprised, though.” The Huntsman admitted, licking his lips. “Griffon doesn’t taste like chicken.”

“No?”

“It tastes like snake!” 

SISTERHOOD

“Manuever T-29!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. “Follow our lead, Gilda. We’re gonna kick up some real trouble for this guy and blow him away!” She insisted with a proud grin, Gilda quickly realizing the double meaning behind her words, nodding as they all began to circle around the Huntsman, flying faster and faster, the Huntsman’s eyes widening as he, and Twilight, realized what was happening.

“Everyone, brace yourself, cover your eyes!” She cried out, ducking and covering by her seats, Applejack helping Rarity duck down as Pinkie Pie cried out, her toga being whipped away by the sudden tornado that Gilda, Dash and the Wonderbolts were creating. 

“Nooooo! Terry!” 

The tornado spun about the Huntsman, sand whipping at his eyes and face as he ducked slightly, focusing his center of gravity to keep himself still…but their combined efforts were working. He was being lifted higher and higher into the air, rising up into the heavens as he struggled to try and break free of the whirlwind that now enveloped him. The swirling combatants were moving too fast for him to shoot at, and Nee was grinning in delight. 

“That’s my girl.” She admitted, our gladiatorial group shooting away, now flying above the Huntsman…Rainbow Dash giving him a cheeky wave as the tornado halted, and he fell down, dooowwwwwwnnnn…

And within seconds he hit the floor, his eyes still half-full of sand and-wait. Wait, what was that coming toward-

THRUKKA-SCHOOOOM! A full-on body slam from Rainbow Dash colliding with him as he let out a howl, as some blood splurted out from his mouth, splashing against the ground as he hacked and spluttered, staggering to his feet, raising a clawed hand up. “No more. No more.  I yield.” He grunted out, panting and heaving, Dash beaming with pride as Gilda and the Wonderbolts descended, Dash saluting the Pegasi with pride.

“If you weren’t here, I don’t think we could have done that. You guys rock.”

“You never know what you can do until you go as high as you can go.” Spitfire said, returning the salute with pride as Gilda put an arm around Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and nuzzling her cheek, tasting the sweet berry scent, Dash shivering with delight at her beloved's tongue touch. 

“Talk about Girl Power.” She admitted.

“I told you last night. Gilda’s definitely got everything it takes to be Clawdor’s next Empress.” Nee informed her brother as he continued coughing. “Even if she’s been kinda…reckless.”

“Wait. Don’t tell us?” Spitfire murmured. “She's been the one sending those scouts out to Equestrian territory?”

“You’ve been doing whaaaaaat?!” Clawdius inquired, eyes slightly bugging out as he sat up in his throne, Pinkie Pie’s hooves going to her mouth.

“OOOOOH! Somebody’s in troooouubblllleeee!” 

“I was just, y’know, I wasn’t gonna actually do anything, I was just testing out what it was like giving them orders.” Gilda muttered out. “Okay, there was this one spot with a waterfall I wanted us to take, but that was it, I promise!” 

“You and I need to have a talk, but…” The emperor sighed. “…frankly, I’m not surprised. You’ve got your mother’s fiery and reckless attitude as well as her looks.” He admitted with a sigh. 

Nee grinned, turning to Rainbow Dash. “Since you won, you know what that means. You get to ask anything of my brother.”

“Could I, um, actually ask something of you?” Dash inquired nervously. “See, I know Gilda can do some things I can’t, and-” She blushed, slightly glancing down and at the sandy floor beneath her hooves. “That is, could, y'know. I wanna learn how to use that tantric stuff. Can you do to me what you’ve done to Gilda?”

Nee smiled. “Sweetie, I’d LOVE to. Let’s head to the palace! This should be a private and…sensual thing.” 

…

…

…

…Rainbow Dash pushed harder, feeling the lips of Nee-Buh-Loh’s soft fragrant pussy slide up her arms. She knew that Nee-Buh-Loh’s pussy wasn’t truly a soft flesh tunnel with no end- it would only feel that way. Then again…it wasn’t like’Nee-Buh-Loh’s womb was not big enough to safely hold a truck- she WAS a living galaxy, after all. But she knew the journey would come to an end soon enough. Then again, as the Pegasus felt Nee-Buh-Loh’s clit take her arms in up to the elbow, all these thoughts were simply moot. That Nee-Buh-Loh would take a fully grown Pegasus pony up her cunt and hold her there in her uterus, was a simply amazing idea. She almost hadn’t believed it was possible had she not seen what Gilda could do.

“I know what you’re thinking,” whispered Nee-Buh-Loh as Rainbow Dash watched the Huntress’s lips gape wide as she shoved harder, her arms almost up to the shoulder inside Nee-Buh-Loh’s birth canal. The alien’s beautiful soft blue cunt gaped open almost a foot and a half wide now, moist and warm. The smell of her arousal was intoxicating, and Rainbow Dash’s own private parts were now almost wet themselves. “How can I take a full grown anything into my cunt? How?” She smiled as Rainbow Dash continued pushing, her head inside the wet pink tunnel leading deep into her body. “I get that question a lot. I guess it helps to be bigger on the inside than the outside.”

“No kidding!”  Rainbow Dash chuckled, her arms now deep inside Nee-Buh-Loh, her hooves held together and tightly clasped by the inner tunnel of Nee-Buh-Loh’s cunt. Her head was between her upper arms, and Nee-Buh-Loh’s soft inner and outer pussy lips clasped her upper body tightly just below the shoulders. She could feel the little button of Nee-Buh-Loh’s clit rubbing down her back as she slid into Nee-Buh-Loh’s pussy. Dash almost didn’t need to  push- she could feel Nee’s cunt pulling at her, sucking in her body, swallowing her. She smiled inside Nee-Buh-Loh’s cunt at the comforting thought of being swallowed by the alien hunter’s hungry cunny.

Nee-Buh-Loh was busy massaging her stretched vaginal opening, easing Rainbow Dash’s passage into her. She spent a lot of time on her clit because the whole thing felt so good, sooooo good. It wasn’t like having sex, not at all. Pulling Rainbow Dash into her body vaginally was a different kind of sexual pleasure. She gasped as Rainbow Dash’s chest eased into the moist tunnel of her birth canal. Rainbow Dash’s arms, technically, should have been stretched up past her head, and yet nothing of the sort was happening. Rainbow Dash was not easing past her bowel, was not invading her chest. Her body was not crushing any lungs or destroying any heart, she wasn’t pushing up her throat and out of her mouth in a bloody spray. Nothing of the sort! Instead, she was simply being eased gently up and through Nee-Buh-Loh’s vagina, soon to be cradled in the soft sac of her uterus. Her new home for the next few nights. Yes…next few nights. She didn’t think Dash would mind spending a little while longer than most. Not once she got used to the womb.

Watching Rainbow Dash slide into her vulva was an awe inspiring thing. Nee-Buh-Loh’s legs were lifted as if she were sitting in a chair, legs spread at a 45 degree angle, her sex hole stretched wide enough to encircle the belly of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash’s own cunt was fast approaching , and the thought of her own cunt swallowing Rainbow Dash’s cunt brought another wave of pleasure through the alien- her orgasm was close. She continued pleasing her clit, running her clawed fingers around the flesh of her sex mouth. Rhythmic muscle ripples kept Rainbow Dash sliding through her vulva, up her vagina, and closer to her cervix.

Nee-Buh-Loh knew that she would take Rainbow Dash’s frame up her wet cunt before Rainbow Dash’s hands slid through her cervix and began the trip into her womb. She wasn’t worried one bit. And if she so wanted, she could ensure her her body would be basically unchanged- her pussy lips would be red, swollen, abused, yes. Her belly might bulge a trifle, but not that much. No one would know, by looking, that Nee-Buh-Loh had swallowed a full grown mare with her cunt. Unless, of course, she wanted more bulge to show. 

As Nee-Buh-Loh’s pussy lips stretched even wider, taking Dash’s pelvis and hips into her, she began to tease and please Rainbow Dash’s cunt. It was only fair, after all. If she was going to take the pegasus’s cunt into her cunt, she might as well make it a happy cunt. And by the way  Rainbow Dash’s hips and legs began to tremble and shake as Nee-Buh-Loh played her lips, clit, and wet hole like a prized instrument, Dash’s cunt was a very happy cunt indeed.

As her red, swollen inner and outer lips began sliding down Rainbow Dash’s thighs, taking the Pegasus pony deep into her  vagina, Nee-Buh-Loh began to feel somewhat sad. Sure, swallowing anybody with her pussy was a thing wonderful in itself, but it was always sad when it had to end. Ah well. The feeling of stretched vaginal fullness would linger for a time and that was a wonderful feeling in itself. And so she watched her outer lips slide down Rainbow Dash’s feet, until just Rainbow Dash’s toes wiggled, then with a gentle SLURP and a POP, Rainbow Dash was gone. Her pony body sucked bodily up Nee-Buh-Loh’s hungry womb. The alien played with her abused sexual parts for another moment, rewarded with her fifteenth orgasm since she’d began swallowing Rainbow Dash with her clit. Then the alien lay back on the bed, very tired. Let Rainbow Dash slide up my vagina, she thought sleepily. Let my little pony pass through my cervix, and let my uterus take her in. I am happy…I am sleepy. 

She is home. And she'd soon have company. 

"I always felt she was like the sister I never had." Gilda admitted, approaching Nee as Nee cheerily leaned back against the backboard of the bed, rubbing her swollen belly. "...now she'll be more like a sister than ever before."

"Come on in, Gilda." Nee requested. "Room for one more, sweetie." 
> Killing with Kindness, Pt. 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When it came to Fluttershy, her gentle demeanor and tender nature were true credits to her species. Everyone was always amazed at how sweet she was. She was compassionate, wise, understanding, softspoken, down-to-earth. A nice girl. A wonderful specimen of pony. 

It was this sort of attitude that was going to have her take the lead in facing the Huntsman. She believed that she could reach him. Essentially talk him down. 

Naturally, her friends all thought, as nice as Fluttershy was, this was
PURE INSANITY. 

“My dear, he will literally eat you alive!” Rarity had proclaimed.

“This is a joke, right?” Pinkie inquired.

“Fluttershy, you’ll get killed!” Rainbow Dash had insisted.

“Honey, I don’t think y’all thinkin’ right.” Appleack had murmured.

“Look, please, think about this, Fluttershy.” Twilight began to say…

Fluttershy silencing them all, holding a hoof up in the air, her voice firm and authoritative. “No.” She insisted. “No means no. I know what I am doing.” She told them all with a calm nod. “You need to trust me, please.”

“It’s just…” Twilight paced back and forth in the castle in the center of Ponyville, soft light floating through the windows to cascade over their nervous forms, the ponies of the town looking amongst each other. “Fluttershy, the Huntsman might suffer from survivor’s guilt, but I honestly don’t think he can just be talked down.”

“I was able to reach Discord, Twilight.” Fluttershy spoke calmly, putting a hoof on her chest and shaking her head back and forth, pink mane flopping about. “I know it might seem a little…crazy. But even though everyone’s got a hard chocolate shell, deep down there’s always a nice, creamy center.” 

“Some people are hard inside and out.” Spike remarked, the little dragon cringing as he rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his crested head back and forth. 

“So they’re more nougat on the inside?” Pinkie mused aloud, rubbing her chin as Fluttershy giggled at this, Applejack’s face turning solemn and dark.

“Fluttershy, ponies ain’t chocolates. Y’know what a lot of ‘em are, pardon my language? Bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard fillin’.”  

Fluttershy smiled slightly, trotting over to Applejack and putting a hoof on Applejack’s chest. “I’m a-touchin’ your creamy center!” She giggled before hooving it out of the room and down the stairway, heading for Ponyville to meet the Huntsman at the diner as everyone peeked outside of the windows. They all watched her make her way down the street, heading for the diner as Twilight nervously bit her lip.

“Twilight, do you really think she’lldo it?” Spike asked of her, eyes slightly wide. 

“I…don’t know.” She admitted. “I think she can, but I don’t know if she will. It really depends on him…on how good he is deep down. I’m not taking any chances.” She said, turning around and giving everyone a nod. “We’ve got to alert the Princesses immediately. Spike, take a letter.”

Spike whipped out a pad of parchment and a quill, immediately nodding and giving a salute. “Yes, your majesty!” He proclaimed. 




The Huntsman was, oddly enough, quite receptive to the idea of a nice, calm trip out to the nearby forest that Fluttershy frequented so frequently. He enjoyed the soft feel of the wind on his face, and listening to Fluttershy’s lilting voice as he walked alongside her, using his spear/staff as a walking stick, Fluttershy having several animals sitting atop her. Mr. Bluebird on her shoulder, a squirrel on her back, a spider on her nose-

“You’re not freaked out by spiders?” The Huntsman inquired, looking slightly confused as Fluttershy carefully shook her head. 

“Oh deary, no. They’re quite harmless here. Every animal in this forest is just a real sweetheart when you get to know them.” She insisted tenderly, waving a hoof in the air as the Spider hopped off the top of her nostrils and onto a nearby web, a few deers walking along the treeline to their right. Soft sunlight filtered down through the forest canopy like a patchwork quilt as the deers bowed their heads at Fluttershy, who bowed respectfully in return. “Psst! Bow!” She whispered back, the Huntsman doing the same as the deer repeated the bow to him, trotting off down the forest trail.

“How unusual.” He murmured. “They all hold the greatest of respect for you. Pray tell, how did you manage that?”

“I’ve cared for all of them at some point or another.” Fluttershy admitted, the squirrel atop her back bounding off as Mr. Bluebird chirped in agreement, fluttering around her head as she and the Huntsman continued down the natural forest path. “Brought them soup when they were cold, took them into my home when they had nowhere else to stay, I’ve patched their wounds, sung to them, told them stories about a one-eyed pony captain of the Wonderbolts!” 

“Fascinating!” The alien hunter admitted with a nod, Fluttershy leading him to a large, open clearing, a bear setting down a picnic basket and a blanket for them to lay upon, Fluttershy appreciatively smiling at him. 

“Thank you, Yogi. You can go, now. I’ll be fine.” She crooned, the bear nodding back as he lumbered off, the Huntsman sitting himself down on the red-and-white picnic blanket, Fluttershy pulling out several jars of peanut butter, honey and jelly before pulling out several rolls of bread and some chocolate-covered peanuts in a large jar. “Do you enjoy PB&J?” 

“I’m a purist, I prefer plain peanut butter.” He admitted with a shrug, Fluttershy getting a knife out and spreading some peanut butter on a sliced roll, handing the sandwich to him before pulling out a small bottle of sparkling cider. “Oh my.”

“The finest I’ve got from home. I was saving it for a special occasion, and, well, I think this qualifies, don’t you?” Fluttershy told the Huntsman as she also pulled out a few glasses from the picnic basket. “Say when?” She remarked, pouring him a glass as he chuckled a bit. 

“Aren’t you the charmer?” He intoned, electric blue eyes looking over the glass as the contents slid smoothly out from the bottle. “Right there is fine, Fluttershy. You’re quite considerate.” 

“I wanted to talk to you.” She admitted as he swallowed the sandwich in a single bite, holding the glass up to his lips and taking careful sips. “I don’t think you’re truly a bad person at all. I know you need to eat sentient beings for the…you said “tantric energy”?”

“Yes, only sentient beings give it off, and my race needs it to sustain ourselves, to fight off entropy.” He sighed wistfully, slightly swishing the sparkling cider around in his cup. “Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I’d never been a Cosmo Sapien.”

“Could you…tell me about your species? I mean, what they were like when they weren’t hunting?” Fluttershy asked as she wrapped her front legs around her others, sitting on her butt, head tilted slightly to the side as the Huntsman sipped more sparkling cider.

“Ah, I'd love to.” He blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. “My species was very much into flute music. Wind instruments and drums. Our art was of materials compressed into precious gems and honed into things like, well, like these.” He said, pointing at the necklace he wore, fingering it with his claws. “Our technology also centered around tantric energy. It powered our homes, gave us warmth in the colder months and cold in the warmer months.” 

He held up a single digit, focusing intensely as a single particle of pale blue light focused, and he began carving and swirling the claw digit in the air, forming a small picture of Fluttershy herself, which he blew towards her. It stopped in front of her as she held her hooves up to catch it, and she felt the soft hum of the picture as she clasped it tightly. It throbbed in her grip like a little hummingbird, a gentle warmth emanating from it before the Huntsman raised his hand, the energy sweeping back over to his palm, sinking into it. 

“Wowwww!” She whispered. 

“That was one way we enjoyed ourselves when we weren’t in the thrill of the hunt. The second greatest way we had fun was a game of role-playing.” He admitted. “We called it “Hunters and Humans”.”

“Humans?” Fluttershy murmured, tilting her head slightly to the side in confusion as the Cosmo Sapien chuckled some more.

“Right, you don’t know of them, do you? My species is actually descended from the species Homo Sapiens. We’re technically in the same family tree. Our origin is that the species known as humans crossed into this dimension and in doing so, became beings of pure energy that swept through the realms, assimilating and becoming entire planets and stars, and then, in time, galaxies!” He remarked, putting a hand on his chest and beaming proudly. “Just imagine. One day ponies might become beings of pure magic. Maybe one day your ancestor will be a galaxy. It could happen. And one day you might even meet the humans of your dimension.”

“You’ve met with actual humans? Non-celestial ones?” Fluttershy asked, looking interested. “What do they look like?”

The Huntsman rubbed his chin, then snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. Remember when you were in my belly before, and you could feel the souls of those I’ve taken into me comforting you, calming you? I could show you humans I’ve taken in. It’ll take a bit more effort to get them more physically visible, and it would mean swallowing you once more, but I swear I shan’t hurt you.”

Fluttershy nodded her head. “I know you won’t hurt me.” She told him. “I know you’re a decent person.” 

He smiled sweetly at this, lifting her up and kissing her atop the forehead. “I adored how you tasted. It was like a lovely vanilla milkshake! And now I get to enjoy you again.” He informed Fluttershy, mouth opening wide, the black expanse of his maw widening, his breath warm and heavy on her face as he engulfed her head with his mouth. His jaws worked their way over her head as he swallowed, sending it down to his throat in a powerful gulp. 

Fluttershy was surprised at how strong his throat muscles were, how easily she was being sent down. With another swallow her head was now going deeper into his throat, her chest now up against his tongue as he slightly licked at it in a circle, tickling her slightly. After some gentle teasing, his light blue tongue gave her a final lick before another gulp sent her chest down to his cavenous throat, his throat muscles beginning to push her body deeper into him, massaging every bit of her form. It was…oddly pleasant, like an unusual therapy, Fluttershy thought to herself, now her private parts reaching his mouth. And, she hated to admit it, she had been somewhat aroused by his presence. She was truly becoming attracted to him, and his gentleness even in this rather dark deed was touching to her.

It was just too tempting for the Huntsman under normal circumstances NOT to do this to his prey, but he didn’t want to violate Fluttershy in any fashion, so he rubbed the space where her head was in his chest region. “Do you mind?” He asked, mouth half full of her.

“No, go ahead, I-I think I’d like it.” She admitted as the Huntsman smiled broadly at this permission, his tongue now happily licking every part of the body he was eating, tasting her delicious clit. Her pussy juices flowed freely as he explored her inner slit, carefully working through it like a snake with his tongue, Fluttershy’s deep, adoring moans indicating she was enjoying it too. She gave off a powerful orgasm, her cry filling his throat as he sighed wistfully, giving another swallow which made the pony’s lower legs into him. Now her head was reaching the stomach, his throat still pushing her inside, her hooves of her back legs the only visible part of her and after a little more licking the alien finally swallowed THEM down. Her chest, her legs, and finally her hooves joined her in his tummy, his soft stomach walls massaging her body as she felt him rub his gut from outside.

“Ohhh. So filling, so sweet. You taste divine, Fluttershy. But I have a promise to keep, so, take a look at Alice. She was the first human friend I ever really had.”

Fluttershy felt one of the soft spectral presences harden more. What had been only just-barely visible was now quite easy to see a bipedal, hairless “ape”, essentially. Hair atop their head like a “mane” on a pony, two eyes, a nose, a pair of lips, and mammaries on her chest like other mammals had. She smiled, nervously rubbing the back of her neck as a pair of clothes appeared on her, a plain shirt with jeans. 

“Sorry, forgot I was naked.” She admitted. “You picked a nice spot to talk.”

“It’s in the woods. How very droll.” Blueblood’s voice mumbled as Fluttershy “EEPED” and hopped up slightly in midair, gasping in surprise. 

“B-Blueblood?!” She exclaimed, gaping in surprise as Blueblood cringed, now visible alongside Alice. “Your spirit is in here?”

“Yes, I’m now one with the Huntsman. He knows all of my memories. My hopes, my dreams. I see through his eyes now. I feel every physical sensation he does, just like all the others do. And because he didn’t force me to be trapped to one area, I’m not stuck as just belly fat or…some other loathe place.” He cringed. “I could be on his behind! He truly he’s most merciful.” He murmured darkly. 

“I’ll take it.” The Huntsman’s voice intoned from all around Fluttershy as the walls of his belly continued to pump about her, Fluttershy sinking into the soft flesh, enjoying the pleasant rhythmic sensations. “Forced sincerity is better than none at all.” 

“The Huntsman visited my home planet as part of a “Macro” hunting party.” Alice admitted with a cringe. “They were awful people that went from planet to planet crushing everything and everyone for…well, for FUN, really. And because they were hungry.” She shuddered in horror, wrapping her arms around herself and cringing, body becoming pale. “They towered over everything like skyscrapers, as big as mountains. He found a way to destroy them all and save the survivors of my planet, all of them children. We grew up having him as a protector for a century and learning what we needed to stay strong.”

“Then why’d he eat you?” Fluttershy asked, confused. “I take it you were one of those children?”

“I wanted him to eat me.” Alice admitted. “I know it sounds weird. I know it sounds strange! But the more time I spent with him, the more I found myself comforted by his embrace. Every year I got older, I’d talk with him, watch drive-in films with him, we’d go fishing, see the sights of my world and…I realized I wanted to be with him. I was-” Alice shuddered erotically, wrapping her arms around herself. “Attracted to the idea of being inside him, as part of him. It felt so safe, so natural. I know it’s hard to explain but…I felt it was the ultimate expression of trust and love.”

“I can understand.” Fluttershy admitted gently, giving Alice a soft hug as Alice inhaled Fluttershy’s scent. 

“Mmm. Your mane smells like strawberries!” She murmured. 

“It DOES, doesn’t it?” The Huntsman admitted with clear and obvious pride in his voice. “Would you like to take a nap?” He asked of Fluttershy, who nodded and snuggled up against his stomach walls, murring in delight. 

“Yes, I’m kinda tired. I think I wanna just rest my eyelids.” She murmured out, sleep beginning to set in as the Huntsman smiled, rubbing his bulging belly from the outside, enjoying the pleasant sensation of fullness and the soft, up-and-down sensation of Fluttershy’s body breathing in her sleep. 

“Let’s leave the lady be and let her get some rest.” Alicia informed Blueblood and the other spectral souls within the Huntsman’s form, as the area became a dark, large expanse of nothingness, Fluttershy being welcomed into the embrace of the space between spaces…

The Huntsman stiffening as he suddenly felt a shift in the wind. He frowned darkly, turning his head, seeing forms shifting, moving out from the woods, out of the shadows. They stepped into the light, the Changeling army standing tall and proud and-

What was Chrysalis wearing around her neck? It looked like a red jewel in the center of an upside-down triang,e with pony wings fluttering out from the sides, an a unicorn head at the very top.  “You like? This…is the Alicorn Amulet. Oh, how I dreeeaaaamed of one day possessing something this powerful.” Chrysalis admitted with a dark grin, sneering like some sick, foul thing that the Heavens had meant to leave under a rock. “Luckily for me that foolish zebra had it in her home! We stumbled on it running away from YOU. I suppose I should thank you.” Chrysalis mused, rubbing her chin as a foul, red miasma filled the air around her and the Huntsman’s eyes narrowed. “…but it would be more fun to kill you.” 

The Huntsman ducked just in time, an enormous blast of burning, harsh red energy striking where he’d been only moments ago, the muscular hunter rolling smoothly across the soft grass of the clearing. Queen Chrysalis cackled like a hyena, head thrown back, laughing uproariously as she fired again and again. The Huntsman took off running, barreling as fast as he could, the Changelings pouring after him as Queen Chrysalis fired again in his direction, the Huntsman ducking to avoid her shot. 

“You have as awful aim as you do taste in jewelry!” He roared back, his voice carrying through the forest before he found himself quickly approaching the mountainside. Well, this was problematic. He cringed, leaping up in the air, clawed grip holding onto the side of the mountain as he climbed up as fast as he could, the hissing snarls of Changelings hot on his heels. Luckily for him, there was a cave some distance above him, and he was soon crawling inside, diving deep into its dark recesses, hiding behind a large stalagmite.

He took in a deep breath, keeping still, scrunched up so the Changelings passing by couldn’t see him as they glanced about. 

“Hmm…no, not in here.” The leader of the small group peeking inside remarked, his comrades nodding as they soared up, past the cave, the Huntsman wiping his brow, thankful the Changelings lacked in brains what they made up in numbers.

He could, probably, destroy them. But it was Chrysalis that was the problem. Her…and keeping Fluttershy safe. 

That! That would be tricky. 
> Killing with Kindness, Pt.2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Huntsman and Fluttershy sat in the cave, the Huntsman carefully blocking off the entrance with chunks of earth and rock he was using, leaving JUST enough cracks for them to breathe and him to peek through as Fluttershy knocked two rocks against each other, starting up a fire. Luckily there were quite a few roots they could use as tinder for the flames, and the two were soon sitting around Fluttershy’s accomplishment as she looked up at her alien opponent. Her alien friend.

And perhaps more than that.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you just pull out something from your body? You’re a living universe. Why not just take food or something you want from inside?”

“It has to be nonorganic, I can’t just snatch up people off the streets. And even then it takes quite a lot of effort to focus in on the one thing I need. I have to, after all, comb through entire galaxies, planets, zero in on countries. By the time it would take me to find just any old tree, hours would have passed. It helps if any follower I might have on the planets within have given me burnt offerings or the like-” The Huntsman admitted.

“You have followers? Like a cult?” Fluttershy asked as the Huntsman nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

“Er, more like a religion. They have traditions, ceremonies, a holy text, give to charities, ask people to attend their place of worship one day a week!” The Huntsman murmured, clearly uncomfortable talking about it. “The problem is they send me straaaange things. They’re very inclusive, anyone can join, but because of that there’s no standards for what works as an offering. I’ve got an entire planet now I’ve stuffed with pogs because I’ve had ten thousand children every single year burning them as an offering to me. What am I going to do with pogs? PLAY with them? Nobody likes pogs!”

“It could be worse. They could offer up something nasty.” Fluttershy reasoned.

“They did. It was called “Ms. Henson’s Surprise”. The surprise was that this was ONE Henson production I COULDN’T swallow.” The Huntsman muttered as he folded his arms over his chest, shaking his horned head back and forth. “I thought I’d be more uncomfortable being worshipped, but they see me as where all things flow from and that’s technically true, so…can I really object to something about me that’s factually accurate?”

“If it makes them happy and does good, then that’s a good thing. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you need to have them understand that no means no.” Fluttershy offered, waving a hoof in the air.

“Yes, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. My right to not be put off and weirded out shouldn’t outweigh the great good they do in my name.” The Huntsman admitted. “It isn’t like they offer up virgins. Though I’ve had other planets I’ve visited do that.” He added quietly. “Some of them even fell in love with me.”

“Speaking of, well, virgins and love, um, that is?” Fluttershy murmured. “I know we feel more like cellmates than soulmates right now, but there’s something I want to tell you.” She admitted, reaching out and taking his hands, moving over his claws as she looked deep into his eyes, blinking slowly. “I saw into your heart when we spoke and when I was with you in that deep way, when you took me into you. I know, deep down, you’re a kind person. That you don’t want to hurt anyone.”

The Huntsman shamefully glanced to the side, biting into his lip, pale blue eyes glancing back at Fluttershy. “I’ve killed many, Fluttershy. Swallowed entire worlds. Maybe, considering all the people I will continueto have to take into me, the kindest thing to do, the greatest, most compassionate thing would be to end my life.” He admitted.

“Suicide is a horrible, terrible thing.” Fluttershy insisted fervently, shaking her head back and forth, pink hair flopping about. “The ultimate act of despair. You can’t EVER give in to that sadness.” She protested, the Huntsman slowly turning to look her full in the face, her tone firm, persuasive and loving. “Every day you get to spend alive is a day for new and wonderful things to happen. And a day you can share with others.”

“That’s a very optimistic view of the world.” The Huntsman admitted. “I like it.” He added,  holding a hand to his chest, taking in a few deep breaths before letting out a belch, a few cups flying out along with a bottle, which he managed to catch. “AH! Finally, a decent offering. Haven’t had this in quite some time. Illithid Wine.”

“Wine? I’ve not really had much wine. Is it good?”

“It’s got a lovely apple-esque flavor.”

“Oooooh.” Fluttershy murmured, the Huntsman popping open the bottle and pouring her and himself some of the tasty liquid, the two clanking the cups together. “So, these “IIllithid”s? What are they like?” Fluttershy asked, the Huntsman tilting his head slightly to the side. 

“Brain-eaters. Heads like that of a squid. Body similar in structure to my own, but…lean. And very mean. Did I mention they eat brains?” He added, cringing. “They worship me quite a lot. Haven’t sacrificed anyone yet. I tried to make that rule as clear as I could through sending some of the souls within me down to the planets that tried it. What they do enjoy sending me is alcohol. They adore the stuff.” The Huntsman chuckled. “And once you taste it, you’ll see why. To you, Fluttershy.” 

He held his cup up high, Fluttershy holding hers up as well. “What’s your name? Your real name?”

“Neh-Buh-Loh.” The alien hunter admitted with a small nod as Fluttershy spelled the words out.

“Neh-Buh-Loh. I like it. It’s musical.” She murmured softly, sipping the tasty, warm, slightly fuzzy-on-her-lips wine, a pleasant feeling rising in her…

A FEW MINUTES LATER…

“ALL WE WANNA DO IS EAT YOUR BRAINS!” The two sang out together, both thoroughly sauced, waving their cups about in the air, the bottle now quite empty.

“We’re not unreasonable! I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes!” Fluttershy hiccupped out, bubbles flying out from her mouth as she giggled slightly. 

“ALL WE WANNA DO IS EAT YOUR BRAINS!”

“We’re at an impasse here! Maybe we can compromise!” Neh-Buh-Loh sang, grinning stupidly down at the Pegasus pony, rubbing the top of her head with his hand before the two finished their little ditty.

“Open up the door! WE’LL ALL COME INSIDE AND EAT YOUR BRAAAAAINS! Ha-ha-ha-ha-hahahahahaha!” They burst out into raucous laughter, sides shaking as they flopped to the ground, hooting and hollering as Fluttershy wiped a tear from her eye. 

“Ohhh, that was good.” She murmured cheerily. “That felt nice.”

“Yes, a liquid continental breakfast.” 

“Maybe the continent of Equistris!” 

“What?”

“It’s a continent that sank.” Fluttershy giggled before flopping onto his lap, her face red as he and she began to chuckle more, the two acting like little vibrating chairs as somewhere, miles away, Pinkie Pie stiffened and glanced about.

“My pinkie sense is tingling! Somebody’s stealing my bit.” She murmured. 

“We’re drunk as a skunk! ”  Fluttershy realized aloud.

“Fluttershy, I am not as think as you drunk I yam-HIC!” The Huntsman hiccupped out before flopping onto the ground, laughing a bit before taking in a few deep, long breaths. “Just gonna lie down here for a minute.” He mumbled out.

“Yeah, that…seems niiiiice.” Fluttershy murmured, snuggling up against him. “y’know…I think I might…that is.”

The two leaned in close. Closer.

“You’re, that is, I mean-”

“And you’re?” He murmured back.

Touching now. 

Deep. Very deep.

“I?”

“Yeah?”

“I…think I…?”

None of them had seen it. But as they laid in each other’s arms, the deed done, stuck in a coma from their expression of comfort and trust and love, the closed-up opening to the cave began to ever-so-slightly shake, a single eye peering in.

“Peeeeek-a-boooo.” Queen Chrysalis whispered darkly. 





The Huntsman awoke to find himself tied to a stake, surrounded on all sides by Changelings as Fluttershy was trapped in a cage nearby, guards on all sides. The Queen was grinning foully at him, looking like some sick, twisted thing that the Heavens had found under a rock and not had the courage to stuff back inside. “You have noooo idea how long I waited for this moment.” She growled out. “I remember the day you came. The day you wiped out half my forces.”

“Well if you hadn’t tried to attack me and make use of me, your species might not have suffered so.” The Huntsman remarked, trying to snap the bonds tying him to the stake before he realized they were harshly cutting into his wrists. He frowned, glancing back as best he could before glaring in the Changeling Queen’s direction, eyes like pale blue fires. The amulet. She’d magicked up magical bracelets to keep him tied down. “A plan you still mean to put in place, I take it?”

“Oh, absolutely.” The Queen cackled, throwing her head back and laughing madly. “I mean, a living galaxy? I can’t even begin to imagine how much adoration and love those within you must feel for you! How many followers do you have? Thousands? Tens of thousands?”

“192 Billion, 274 million, 529 thousand and 32. Over a hundred planets worth.” The Huntsman remarked calmly. “But that love is for me, not you. You can’t make them love you. Or did you think that somehow making me love you would transfer some hint of that power?”

“Oh, but you see, I’m going to walk among them as you.” She intoned, putting a holey hoof on her chest, showing off a toothy grin as her form began to shift and change, now she was him, a towering male figure that was rising up on her feet. She took a few nervous steps about before dusting herself off, smirking proudly at him. “You think it strange I can go two-legged? You control much like a minotaur. My race hasn’t just imitated ponies. And with this Alicorn Amulet I will be able to enter and exit you freely, coming and going as I please, taking their love for you and feeding off of your despair as a nice dessert.” The queen roared out, laughing maniacally, head thrown back as the Huntsman darkly glowered at her.

“You will die horrifically for this.” He promised coldly.

“And who’s gonna stop me? Your little pony? No, I don’t think so. This isn’t like the last time her and her friends ruined my plans. All she can do is watch and my changelings will drink in her fear and terror every waking hour of every day as I take everything precious from you.” The queen said with her stolen face before gripping his shoulders and smiling insanely. “Open up!”

With that she shoved herself headfirst into his body, practically leaping in as if she was diving into a pool, the Huntsman shuddering in disgust. It felt like he was being violated, having this THING stuck into him against his will. Disgusting. The Changelings all around him hollered and hissed in triumph, waving their spears high, others slamming their hooves on the ground in a drumming sensation of victory whilst Fluttershy glanced around. She had to get out of the cage. She needed something…

Wait. She remembered what the Huntsman had said. How he could take offerings from others, and what would bee easiest to pull out of himself. She glanced over at him through the bony, dark black cage, raising her eyebrows up.

“Have the Illithids sent up any offerings lately?” She asked innocuously, the Huntsman’s eyes widening as he realized what she meant. Ohhh, you clever girl. 

“Why, let me think about that.” Neh-Buh-Loh murmured aloud, closing his eyes, concentrating…concentrating. No, not from that planet…not that one. No, he needed something that could smash through magical bonds. Something potent and powerful and-

Wait. 

Theeeerrreee. 

His throat bulged a bit and he coughed slightly, spitting a bit before throwing his head up in the air and letting out a loud, throaty HA-HAAACK, spitting out an enormous sword. The blade shot out from his mouth, flying up…up…

And then swiftly falling back down, the Huntsman moving his hands into position as the blade slammed down, luckily, right through his bonds-

And unfortunately right through his wrists.

“Owwww! Fuck!” He roared out, his arms shooting up, grabbing the stake he’d been tied to and batting the guards around Fluttershy’s cage away, blowing away an entrance for her to escape from. He rubbed his sore and bleeding wrists, Fluttershy gently embracing his chest as best she could. 

“Let’s get out of here.”

“You’re not going anywhere!” A captain of Changeling guard roared out, the Changelings that had been momentarily stunned by the display before them now leaping at them, spears held high, fangs bared, roaring and snarling as the Huntsman glanced at Fluttershy. This…could get ugly. 

Luckily he realized there was something else he had easy access too which could keep all these Changelings at bay.

“Duck underneath me.” He insisted, whipping his head up as Fluttershy wrapped her arms around his legs, cringing as his mouth opened and out they came! Pouring out, shooting forth like a geyser, slamming into the changelings that were trying to assault him. They burst forth, piling down the changelings into the ground…Pogs! A neverending rain of pogs, pogs, poooooogs! 

An entire planet worth of pogs! 

At long last, the onslaught ended and the Pegasus slowly opened her eyes…to behold the pogs. 

“By Celestia’s mane.” Fluttershy whispered at the horrific scene. “The horror. The horror. Nobody should be exposed to that many pogs!” 

The Changelings moaned in agony, the entire immediate area buried under mountains upon mountains of pogs, struggling in desperation to crawl out, hacking and spluttering. “My eyes! My eeeeeyyyeeees!” Somebody was screeching, the Huntsman dusting himself off as he “hmmed”, looking the scene over.

“I think I might like pogs a bit more now.” He admitted.  “But I must still contend with Chrysalis. She’s inside of me, no doubt trying to soak in the love of my followers gaining even more strength.”

“I don’t suppose you could, y’know, go deep inside yourself?” Fluttershy reasoned.  “Literally?” 

“Unfortunately that would make me implode.” The Huntsman surmised as he cringed, shaking his head back and forth. “But we’re not too far from Ponyville. Your friends, they have defeated Chrysalis before, correct?” 

Fluttershy nodded. “I don’t like fighting but she’s gone too far. She has to be stopped. She’s powerful with that amulet…but we’ve got something greater than that. Something she can never have. You’re sure you can…handle what we might unleash when we go into you?” 

Neh-Buh-Loh smiled. “Fluttershy? I want you and your friends inside me.” 

The sun was high in the midday sky, casting a soft, odd, reddish tint over the town. Blue grass beneath their hooves and even deeper blue leaves on the light brown trees greeted their sight as our beloved protagonists made their way across the field towards the far-off town. It had been…unusual, to say the least, going inside the Huntsman directly through his chest. Like trying to walk into a mirror made of water. Yet through great effort they’d been directed here, to a planet that had “humans”, as the Huntsman had insisted, guided by Alice to her homeland. Her hometown, in fact.

It wasn’t too hard to figure out the place worshipped the Huntsman. When you have a big, giant statue of yourself, it becomes very easy to see the people adore you. And a giant gold statue, no less, holding aloft his spear above his head, pointing at the heavens.

Guess who was standing atop it?

“Ohhh, this is delicious.” The disguised Queen Chrysalis proclaimed, stretching her stolen arms wide, drinking in the people’s love. “Absolutely wonderful! It’s like a fine wine. I’ve never experienced this much love!”

“Woooo! I want your coooock!” Somebody in the immense crowd below screamed out, a woman hopping up and down as others held up signs that read “Welcome”, “You Can Hunt Me Anytime” and “Hallejuah”. And, inexplicably, one that said “Rack City” for some strange reason. 

“Wait until the Queen hears about this.” One of the crowd members admitted, Chrysalis almost giving away the game, about to speak up before she wisely stopped herself. She was slightly confused…why was everyone only wearing white and red in this town? No blues? A shame. Changelings loved the color blue. 

“We need more blue in this town.” She intoned, holding a hand up high, all the crowd nodding in agreement.

“Oh, absolutely! We can do that!” The apparent mayor admitted, adjusting the monocle. “We were celebrating the day the White Army finally won the great war, but now we can turn this day into an even greater celebration with you here, our Lord and Savior!” He proclaimed, holding his flabby hands high. 

“And I gotta say…wow.  You’re too sexy for a shirt.” Another human in the crowd admitted, the girls and Spike hiding in a nearby alleyway, Alice’s spectral form hovering just overhead as she poked her head out from the alley with the rest of them. 

“The Huntsman wanted to ask. Why DO none of you guys wear, y’know, clothes? Like, on a daily basis?” Alice asked of the girls as they glanced around at each other.

“Well, y’know, they’re only for those special occasions, my dear.” Rarity insisted, putting a hoof on her chest. “True beauty doesn’t have to come from fancy clothing. Such attire should amplify your natural radiance.” 

“But I’m always wearin’ this here hat. My parents gave it to me before they died in an accident with a well.” Applejack added, pointing at her hat. “Ya gotta hold onto the things that you love. Not ever really let ‘em go.”

“The Huntsman does truly love the worlds inside him. If he didn’t, he’d just let himself die. We need to keep these people safe and beat this fraud.” Alice insisted. “My home’s gotten quite better since the my patron won. I’m not letting another psychotic queen take over. Off with her head!”

“You might have a good point.” Twilight muttered. “I’ve never forgiven her for what she did to my childhood friend, my dearest Cadenza…and to my brother. And to us!” 

“Let’s make her huuuuurt.” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, and with that, they strode out of the alleyway. “Yo! Fraud!”

Everyone glanced in their direction, Fluttershy stepping forward and frowning at the imposter Huntsman. “You know, Queen Chrysalis, lying isn’t very nice. So now we’re not going to be very nice either.”

“Are? Are those ponies?” One of the humans asked.

“A baby dragon?” Another inquired, looking at Spike as he nonchalantly waved back.

“Awwwwww! They’re so cuuuuute!”

“D’awwww, lookit their little hooves, and their little snouts!”

“What lovely pastel ponies!”

“They are my enemy, my children. The Darkness hides in a shape that appeals to you so it can get close to you. Worm its way into your trust.” Queen Chrysalis said with her false face, curling her hands up and clenching them into fists. “They are your enemy as well.”

“No, she’s the enemy. She’s an imposter pretending to be the Huntsman.” Twilight Sparkle began to say. 

“Oh, please. You can’t prove anything. You’re just trying to confuse and lie to my beloved.” The “Huntsman” remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand, hopping down from the statue and walking along the red brick road, bowing his head at every human he passed. “They know I’m who I say I am. All they know is some weird talking ponies showed up and are saying crazy things.”

“If you’re really the Huntsman.” Alice proclaimed, stepping out from the alleyway, her ghostly form now more physically visible as she pointed an accusatory finger at Chrysalis. “Then you’ll know me.”

Everyone gasped. Blond hair. The blue and white attire. The eyes. Yes, yes it was her. Her! The Savior! The one that had willingly given herself to the Huntsman so long ago. The one who’d defied the Red Tyrant that had ravaged their home!  “Alice! Dear Alice! The one from the stories!” The Mayor gasped out, crossing himself in awe. 

“What’s my last name?” Alice asked of the pretender, the false queen. 

“It’s, um…?” Chrysalis paled. Oh crap. Oh crap. Everyone clearly knew who this person was, obviously she was someone of import from the gasps and murmurs that had arisen from this phantom that now stood by the ponies, arms folded across her chest. Alice raised an eyebrow up, a small smirk on her pretty little features.

“The time has come, Queen Chrysalis, to talk of many things.” Alice growled out. “just kidding. Time for talk is over. Girls? Get her!” 

“Damn you!” The Queen roared out, green fire consuming her body, her true form manifesting as all the humans bolted away, immediately hiding behind red, curvy benches, street lights, white post office boxes and doorways to butcheries, bakeries and candlestick-makeries. “Now I’ll just have to raze you and this town to the ground! Nobody will ever know!”

“Scatter! Don’t let her hit you!” Twilight yelled out, the group barreling away from the Queen as her body was enveloped in that foul miasma of red sickly light, blasting away at them as she cackled insanely. The beams of burning red shot past their bodies, Rainbow Dash swooping up into the air as Fluttershy quickly hid behind a bench, sitting next to a young boy with a lovely red t-shirt. She held up a hoof and he took it in his hands, shaking it.

“Fluttershy.” She said.

“Abe. It’s short for “Absalom”.”

“Aww, that’s a lovely name!” Fluttershy remarked as Rainbow Dash kicked Chrysalis in the face with her hooves, barreling down on her.

“Death from above!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, flying off as Chrysalis staggered about, then fired at the bench Fluttershy and Absalom were hiding behind. Fluttershy “eeped” the bench went soaring up through the air and slamming into Rainbow Dash, knocking her through the air and into a roof.

“My cabbages!” The grocery store owner screamed out, Spike turning to Alice as he and she and the mayor hid in an alleyway nearby.

“You humans got anything that burns really quick?”

“Gasoline. It’s a fuel. It lights up like tinder.” The mayor admitted. “Why?”

“If we could lure here into a puddle of that.” Alice mused aloud. “Mayor, I can’t really hold onto anything physical. I’m just a spirit now. But can you and the townsfolk get gas together with Spike? I’ll let the girls know of our plan. It’s time we burnt this witch!” She said, racing off to find Fluttershy first. 

Rarity concentrated, her horn glowing as she let loose a burst of light, popping out in front of Chrysalis, who glowered under the glare. She grunted a bit, rushing forward, slamming into Rarity as her horn glistened and she began to rise up into the air, now flying fully. “HAHAHAHAHA! Let’s see you try to stop me now!” She roared out, red tendrils rising from her body like sickening hands seeking to ensnare anyone that came near.

“How disgusting.” Rarity muttered, panting slightly as the Queen opened her mouth, horrific blackish/red energy coalescing around it before Twilight shot forward, grabbing Rarity and rolling out of the way, Alice going to her side as Twilight hovered in the air on her wings as her horn glistened brightly. 

“I’m an alicorn now! A princess! And I’m going to stop you!” She proclaimed, a burst of purplish/white light twisting out from her horn, forming a powerful beam of magical might. Chrysalis opened her maw again, her own beam striking into it, the two trying to force the other back as Alice spoke in hushed tones to Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash by the nearby bakery. But even with Twilight’s new power, the queen had been drinking in enormous amounts of love, and was now heavily amplified by the Alicorn Amulet. Her eyes glowed like foul, reddish coals in the dark of night, her beam of power beginning to overpower Twilight’s!

And then THRAKKA-THROOOM! With a crash like lightning, Twilight was sent spiraling into a light pole, the queen smirking darkly as she advanced, the red tendrils lashing down into the ground, holding up a chunk to crush Twilight’s head in.

Luckily she didn’t get a chance to use it, Applejack kicked a mailbox at her as it bounced off her head, making her reel and she whipped her head about, tossing the chunk of road at the pony. Applejack shattered it with a high kick, only for the tendrils to keep tossing pieces of road at her, Applejack struggling in vain to dodge them all, only to be battered and beaten as Chrysalis cackled like a mad hyena. “I could do this all day! In fact, I think I will!”

“That’s enough of that!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, Chrysalis whipping her head around to see Pinkie Pie was now standing atop a roof, a sawn-thrown-the-pillars sign advertising an internet service at the ready that was large, heavy, and ready to drop. 

“What the buck?!” Chrysalis muttered as the sign plummeted down towards her.

  “Yahoooooo-oooooooooo!”  

SHAKKA-THOOOM! It crashed into her, Pinkie Pie holding up a horn and blowing through it in triumph. “Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked old-”

The sign was blown into pieces, Chrysalis standing atop the tatters as Pinkie Pie “eeped”, dropping the horn on the rooftop and gaping in surprise as Chrysalis’s tone became demonic and foul. “All of you will die a horrible, painful death as I skin you alive and suck the marrow from-”

BOP. A single whack to her rear made her turn around and she saw Fluttershy standing there, hoof held up. 

“No. Touchy.” The Pegasus growled, bobbing Chrysalis in the face before racing off down an alleyway. The mere idea that this pathetic pony had the audacity to whack her on the butt and then right in the face with her own hooves…the sheer gall made Chrysalis fume. That and the fact she was dear to the Huntsman. Ohhh yes. She’d die first. The queen of the Changelings barreled after her, fuming, smoke almost billowing out of her nostrils, the Alicorn Amulet working overtime as she bolted down the alleyway.

What was that smell? Ugh, was there some kind of leaking of vinegar or something from the nearby restaurant? What was that stench? Was she?

She glanced about. She was now at the end of the alleyway, in an open cul-de-sac, an enormous pool of something odd around her. Why did it smell so foul and-

She then saw him standing there by the sidewalk with the girls all quickly taking up circular positions around her, the townsfolk standing by Alice, holding aloft recently-emptied jugs and cartons of some odd thing. Spike slowly opened his mouth, green flame building as Fluttershy glared darkly at the Queen. 

“You hurt. My friends.” She whispered. “Nobody. Hurts. My friends.”  

And with that, Spike’s flaming breath shot forward, spreading through the spilled out gas as it enveloped Chrysalis and she shrieked and howled, screaming like a banshee. She wailed in agony, her body feeling as though it was on fire, flopping about like a fish out of water, the girls all cringing. Actually SEEING what was happening was…they’d known it was gonna be bad, but not this bad…

“we need to end this.” Twilight said, hovering out the Elements of Harmony as they wrapped around their necks, their heads, glistening in the sunlight, becoming alit with power. “One…two…THREE!”

At once they activated the Elements, rainbow beams of light cascading forth, slamming into the spasming Chrysalis as the Alicorn Amulet found it too much to bear, and it shattered into pieces, the flames dissipating as Chrysalis flopped to the ground, her body ravaged, her spirit broken…helpless. Utterly helpless.

And they knew it would be time for judgment. 

THE QUEEN IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

“Words can’t express how much trouble you’re in, Chrysalis.” Pinkie Pie proclaimed as they stood before the tied-up Chrysalis in Ponyville, its citizens standing by Princess Celestia and Luna, the royal sisters solemn and firm in their gaze. “so I will attempt to express it through INTEPRETIVE DANCE!” She added, doing a few pirouettes on the spot, leaping about before finally halting in place at seeing her friends shake their heads back and forth. “Okay. Maybe later.”

“You’ve committed unforgivable crimes against my little ponies. My kingdom. My beloved student. You attempted to murder innocents and claim entire worlds. You stole that which didn’t belong to you and have shown no regret nor remorse for what you’ve done.” Princess Celestia intoned, reading off the charges from a scroll that Spike held up as Fluttershy stood near the Huntsman, the alien hunter glaring down at Chrysalis from her side. “have you anything to say in your defense?”

“I did what I did for my people.”

“You could have just buckin’ asked.” Applejack snapped. “If y’all really wanted to help yer kind so badly, ya shoulda just asked the Princesses for help with your race and they woulda tried to work something out. You went straight fer the kidnappin’ and the brainwashin’ and killin’ and enslavin’ ya lying sack of bull-”

“Shhhhhh.” Twilight hushed her, turning to the Huntsman. “Neh-Buh-Loh, son of Ohr’ion the Hunter. Last of the Cosmo Sapiens, you’ve been given the right to pass judgment on her. What is her sentence?”

“I think she looks good enough to eat.” He growled darkly, lifting her up into the air by the neck, eyes turning narrow and cold. Holding her high, he opened his mouth in a gape and shoved her down, engulfing much of the Changeling Queen's butt. She gasped, immediately squirming to break free. But in her tied sluggish state, all she achieved was making it more enjoyable for her destroyer. He shoved her down, clawed hands atop her head and deeper she went, his tongue feeling over his lower regions, licking at it briefly before giving another shove. Now Chrysalis’s legs were pushed up against her body, her behind sliding down the Huntsman’s throat. As he kept licking at her, she let out a moan, trying not to become aroused, but…her genitals were beginning to become wet. It was oddly erotic, and she simply couldn’t resist. The Changeling Queen felt a bit of subtle precum come forth at first, then pressure rose below. She grimaced inwardly, knowing she was giving into pleasure like this. Being prey! Being humiliated! 

But her body gave in, regardless. With a cry, her pussy juices shot out, drenching her underside and leaking out of the alien hunter's mouth. A good lubricant…and rather tasty. It would help wash her down. Changelings often tasted quite bitter, but she had a bit more meat to her, more substance. A dark, exotic taste that brought forth lovely rumblings from his gut. Chrysalis now essentially gave up, giving fewer struggles, letting the Huntsman easily down her rear side as he now began working on the toughest part, her furry belly. Good thing it was so well lubed, her juices allow the Huntsman to practically slide the queen in. He passed her midsection and stood tall, arching his head back. The majority of Chrysalis’s weight was inside him now, and he didn’t even have to push anymore. She fell down her throat up until her front legs, which he guided calmly in, Chrysalis’s rear beginning begun to enter his stomach. The Huntsman placed a hand on his slightly bulging belly, rubbing it as it expands to its newest meal.

The townsfolk watched, taking this in, the captured Changeling troops also tied up and subdued as Luna gave them a glance. They all had to watch this. They had to understand this was serious, this was the fair punishment for one who’d done so much cruelty and evil. They couldn’t just pretend it wasn’t happening or put it out of their minds. It would take some time to try and find a way for the Changelings to co-exist with Equestria but with Chrysalis gone, perhaps some real good could be done. There was always hope.

But there’d be none for Queen Chrysalis.

Another gulp, and all that was left were two hooves and her head. A whimper sounded from the queen as the Huntsman swallows again, her chin entering her mouth. Her horn was next, and the alien grabbed it, gently pushing it in as Chrysalis took a final look at the outside world before-GULP. Her face now deep in his throat, her hooves sliding in due to gravity as the esophagus did the last bit of work for the Huntsman. With a hand on his neck, he followed the queen’s descent to her paunch, feeling her flow down his chest to its final destination. He rubbed his enormous belly, feeling every curve of her form, claws stroking over it as his stomach massaged his meal. In a final act, he belched, releasing whatever air supply Chrysalis had, intending to knock her out.

“Filling.” He admitted, turning to the Princesses and giving a nod. “She got the fate she deserved.” He intoned before turning to the Changelings. “And now I’ll be your leader.”

Fluttershy blinked in surprise. “Wait, what?”

“I took their queen from them. They need guidance. Someone who understands the needs of a more predatorial species.” He informed her and the ponies present, walking in front of the Changelings. “I will teach you what I know. I will be your monarch. I’ll make sure your race is kept safe from harm and not exploited or slaughtered for what you did in the past. But you will have to learn to be kinder to your prey. More understanding. More empathetic.” 

He turned back to the Princesses. “I’ll make sure they don’t go attacking innocent cities and towns. Is that acceptable?”

“I believe you would be a suitable ruler.” Princess Celestia admitted with a firm nod. “if any of you Changelings object, I suggest you do so now.”

“What would be the point? We can’t beat him.” One of the Changelings muttered. “And he can’t possibly be as demanding as the queen was. She did kinda throw things at our heads when she got mad.”

“If it means people will stop bringing in our skins as proof of a bounty, fine by me.” Another added as the Huntsman turned to Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy.” He murmured. “I-that is, er, I want you to know that-”

“I’ll wait for you.” She admitted. “Wait until they’ve, well, cleaned up a bit. I don’t mind.” 

He smiled at this, turning away, undoing the bonds to Changeling after Changeling as he and they began to make their way down the road… glancing momentarily back. Their eyes met again…

“I’m trusting in you. For its sake.”

Fluttershy smiled slightly. She knew what he meant.

SEVERAL YEARS LATER!

“Why are we out here? I thought you said the Changelings have a bad reputation.”

“You don’t have to be scared.” Fluttershy said, letting the tyke ride atop her back, a soft wind blowing through the little one’s mane as he nervously clutched around her neck. “It’s been five years, they’ve gotten much nicer.”

“How come?” He wanted to know, pale blue eyes blinking in confusion as he joined the rest of the delegation meeting with the Changelings and their new monarch, Twilight standing tall and proud as she caught side of the figure leading the large black horde towards Ponyville. They carried enormous, light blue banners that fluttered back and forth in the wind with armor of pale silver that shone brightly, a fine match for the soft blue of their leader’s eyes as he halted in place…and beheld the dark-furred little one atop Fluttershy’s back.

He smiled.

“Come on, Junior. I want you to say hi to your daddy.” Fluttershy intoned. 

ROYAL TREATMENT

Twilight hushed Applejack, turning to the Huntsman. “Neh-Buh-Loh, son of Ohr’ion the Hunter. Last of the Cosmo Sapiens, you’ve been given the right to pass judgment on her. What is her sentence?”

The Huntsman thoughtfully rubbed his chin, looking the queen over before giving a firm nod. “I think you might be able to be of some use.” He muttered. “I intend to dispose of her in a very unfamily-friendly way. Those who have children present should take the little ones out of here.” He suggested, the little dibbuns of the town being led off as the Queen’s eyes widened, realizing what he was intending to do.

“Oh no-no-no-”

“Oh, I’m afraid so.” He remarked quietly, his manhood emerging as he stroked it and pushed her muzzle up against the emerging, pulsing cockflesh. She could feel a faint suction, his manhood pulling her inwards and with tiny slurping “pop” her head squeezed into the tight and slick passage, a muffled squeak escaping her at the feeling. The Huntsman’s thick, potent limb now bulged at the tip where her head was forced into the slick tight tube. More of Chrysalis body was sinking in, the tip of his cock now grossly distended as she was forcefully fed into it by his clawed hands. The cum slit to widen further, it's tightly stretched lips beginning to nibble at her shoulders.  “I can see how you fill me, Chrysalis. Ohhhh. It feels so, so good. You have no idea how wonderful it feels, I need you in there.” 

Her head and neck were now completely engulfed in deep black flesh, slick from his pre, basking in the heat as he pulsed around her...and he wanted more. Much more. The sensation was gripping her shoulders, increasing warmth overwhelming her, sinking in deeper. Now Chrysalis’s upper body was  beginning to go inside his manhood. His member was almost grossly distended with her head and shoulders now, her body's outline shown on the underside against the thick cum tube into which she was now being wormed into. Indeed, her upper body was now sliding smoothly in, her chest began to slide past his penis’s lips, sinking further into the slick hot confines of his member, which telegraphs his every shudder and her every gentle movement forward, right across her body. The Huntsman smiled in delight…he was eating her with his cock, swallowing her whole as the barbs along its length splay outward with the bulging form inside it.

Soon she was emptying out from his cock to his balls, her back legs sliding in along with her belly, the Huntsman shuddering in delight. He let out an erotic, aroused moan, more of her form entering his manhood. He gripped her behind, giving a firm push, sending her fully inside as she began to sink down, down into a deep pool…her final resting place. Now she would become his seed, being sent into the churning pool of cum with a splash, sniffing the odd substance as it tickled her skin. “Wh-what-what’s this?”  The liquid was quite warm and tasted very good, the walls pulsating around her, forcing her to sink deeper into the pool as she realized just what it was.

“It’s a kinder fate than what you deserve, to an extent.” The Huntsman admitted as her body began to heat up slowly, an erotic sensation rising in her as she began to painlessly melt away into the pool, every bit of her body beginning to be converted into potent seed. She erupted again and again, letting out a passionate moan before sinking beneath the waves of seed, joining with it completely as his sack bulged with her sacrifice. Where once had been bulges were now two perfect spheres which he rubbed happily, showing off wonderful assets as Fluttershy approached, stroking them in awe.  “Fluttershy? I would like to love you properly.” He admitted. “Would you become my wife? Help me lead the Changelings into a better tomorrow.”

She smiled. “You know, that doesn’t sound so bad at all. They need help.”

“And you’ve got lots of love to give. And I’ve much to give to you.” He added with a small chuckle, lifting her up into his arms.

“Get them to the church on time!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed dramatically, pointing upward.

“Church? My dear Pinkamena Pie, as ruler of Equestria and its head of state, I can do the ceremony right here.” Celestia said with a small twinkle in her eye.   “And I see no reason these two should not be married. If anybody has an objection, speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

“Wait!” Twilight spoke up. “Pinkie, a photo first of the soon-to-be-newlyweds with her best friends?” She asked of Pinkie Pie, who smiled and pulled out a camera.

“Everybody say “Cheese Sandwich”!”

SEVERAL YEARS LATER…

“Wow. Dad had a really goofy smile back then.” Christabella remarked,  the long-haired pony remarking as she sat on the couch, Fluttershy putting one arm around her and the other hoof holding up the photo album as Neh-Buh-Loh sat with little Junior just to her right, pointing with a claw.

“And there’s Aunty Twilight. She became a most wise and just ruler indeed. It’s good that the Princesses established that someone didn’t have to marry just to become queen. After all, a prince doesn’t need to marry to become king.” Neh-Buh-Loh remarked. “And Spike. I really should find out how Spike is doing.”

“I’ve heard he’s working quite closely with the dragons.” Fluttershy admitted. “I’m still kinda nervous around them, though. Never quite got over my fear.” She admitted as they turned the photo album over. 

“Why are you at a cave?” Junior asked as he looked at his mother, “Chrissy” glancing up at her dad. 

Fluttershy blushed, the Huntsman clearing his throat. “Well, uh, you see, um…we spent a night in a cave hiding from someone very awful. Fluttershy gave me her warmth, her caring.” The Cosmo Sapien murmured softly, his tone becoming thoughtful and contemplative. “I was nervous…even slightly afraid of what I could do, and…a little of myself. Now when I’m with her, I think of that night, and I feel the courage she gave me. She helped me to grow that day.” He whispered, caressing her mane, smiling softly at her. “It’s funny what a little Kindness does.”  

It wasn’t a perfect life. There was still his NEEDS to deal with. And the Changelings sometimes slipped up. Sometimes were caught taking advantage of ponies and other races. And sometimes the kids could wear on them.

But it didn’t have to be perfect. It just had to be theirs.

It was a good life.

And wasn’t that what anybody really wanted, in the end? A good life? And Neh-Buh-Loh had that now, thanks to her. And she had one too, thanks to him. 

And they couldn’t wait to see what else the future might hold.
> Royal Treatment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia sat down in her private room, eyes closed in thought as the flames within the nearby fireplace made shadows dance exotically on the walls beyond her. She was deep in an almost meditative state, nothing but her thoughts of the past filling her. Guards outside her door were well aware nobody was to come in but Luna herself, yet even Luna wasn’t entirely up to poking her head inside…she too was lost in thought in her own room, sitting on her bed, head bowed. A soft lamp flickered by her bedside, the ceiling above her hoof-painted when she was young to reflect the night sky, all of it painstakingly recreated with glow-in-the-dark paint and a near-perfect memory of the night when Luna was a little filly. 

As the two sat in their rooms, eyes closed in thought, another being also sat in place, eyes closed in thought. The Huntsman was leaning back in the diner he’d shacked up in at Ponyville, pale blue eyes shut as he softly murmured, thinking back to the day he’d first come to Equestria, and to when he’d met with Celestia and Luna. Ironically, all three were now sharing the same experience, all thinking back to that day that had quickly become the longest days of their lives for what would be years to come. The Huntsman had, admittedly, not gotten off on the right foot…

Mostly because he’d just been so hungry and, well, the stallions he’d encountered were right there, and had immediately judged him a threat.

Truth be told, he kinda HAD been. So perhaps “judge a book by its cover” didn’t apply. After all, the inside of the front cover of a book really did tell you quite a bit about what the story would entail. And it hadn’t helped that he’d landed in a burning, fiery blaze of bluish/white light on the outskirts of Canterlot, interrupting a noble’s lovely dinner party…

CENTURIES AGO

“So tell me more about this new  idea you have.” The white-furred, yellow-locked unicorn inquired, adjusting the golden glasses atop her face as her friends stood nearby, speaking to Starswirl the Bearded as the cheerily smiled. His lovely locks of hair were quite well-combed, his face alit with energy and vibrant life as he bowed, taking off his deep, royal blue hat from his head.

“I call it “String Theory”.” He explained, his unicorn horn alighting with magic as a soft, greenish/black glow rose off from his dark form and the light transfigured into a singular orb. “Behold. Our world of Equus and the Supercontinent of Equestria.” He remarked, waving a hoof before the orb as it swirled about before the collected crowd of Chatty Avoidance’s guests, the female unicorn turning to her boyfriend Reality Check, a quite well-armored, powerhouse who was the head of the royal guards. Currently on break for the day to be with his wife, RC seemed fascinated by Starswirl’s conjuration.

“What’s this String Theory entail?” He asked, adjusting his deep grey helmet as Chatty rubbed his shoulders with one hoof, ruffling his dark cape. He was a favorite of Luna,  who’d personally crafted the armor for him herself and enchanted it, and he was always eager to serve on her for that favor alone. 

“Picture this. There’s multiple Equestrias existing at the same time…but on different planes of existence. Like…a mirror. It’s reflecting whatever is looking into it, showing Equestria, but, at the same time, it isn’t. It’s a reflection, similar, yet different. Flipped.”

“So what evidence have you of this claim?” Chatty asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’ve begun visiting them, Chatty.” Starswirl proclaimed, putting a hoof on his chest and smiling broadly. “And they’re amazing. I’ve met these very, very lovely people in a place called “Scotland” who seem to adore unicorns. They’re rather…unusual in appearance, but I think you’d find them fascinating.” 

“I don’t know. I don’t much trust outlanders.” Chatty remarked with a wave of her hoof…before suddenly people began shrieking. Something was barreling down towards them from above, everyone quickly racing away from the sizzling blue ball of flame as it slammed into the ground with the force of an earthquake. People were sent flying left and right if they weren’t securely holding onto something to keep them tethered, the enormous, bluish/white blaze hissing as everyone not thrown about slowly approached it.

“A meteor?” Starswirl the Bearded intoned, eyes widening in surprise as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin before holding a hoof up. “Step back, everyone be cautious.” He proclaimed before the “meteor” suddenly rose up, no longer smoking, a dark black bipedal figure with stars that seemed to be embedded in its form, like the night sky brought to life. It gazed upon them, eyes a piercing pale blue as it dusted itself off with clawed hands, looking over at the nearest pony, Reality Check.

“You. Tell me. What planet is this?”

“What the Tartarus are you?!” Reality Check growled out. “A minotaur?! A…a DEMON?!”

“It looks like a demon.” Chatty whispered in terror, flinching as she began to inch away, several other stallions and colts stepping forward, growling darkly.

“Leave immediately. You’re trespassing on private property and scaring my wife.”

“I’m far bigger and stronger than you. It’s not smart for you to just throw threats at me. ” The alien being said with a slight, annoyed growl. “So step aside, horse. Or I chew you up and spit you out. Then chew you up again and swallow you!”

That was what ticked RealityCheck off. He immediately leapt up in the air, spinning, his leg catching the horned being on the face, knocking him back as several stallions, seeing this “demon” clearly was far more mortal and less terrifying than they’d thought, immediately jumped on him. They began pounding away at the demonic being, slamming their hooves down, kicking, punching, in some cases biting.

“OW! You! You little! Grah! If you’re gonna start biting me, I’ll start biting back!” The Huntsman roared out, grabbing hold of one of the male ponies through the flurry of strikes assaulting him, promptly stuffing the surprised Earth pony right into his mouth.

Chatty shrieked. Starswirl gaped. RealityCheck and the other male ponies immediately backed off, horrified, scarcely able to believe their eyes, it was as if this was some kind of nightmare. Their comrade was being hungrily gulped down, this alien being’s cheeks stuffed full of juicy, evidently lovely meat as its happy murrs gave away its enjoyment. It took hold of their friend’s rear with its clawed hands and stuffed the rest of him into its fanged maw, blue tongue licking its lips as it rubbed its now-bigger belly. Worse still, their friend’s imprints could be clearly seen as he struggled to get free, his face visibly pressed against this alien hunter’s stomach as the being let out a slight sigh.

“Y’know, people say “I’m hungry enough to eat a horse” like it’s a badthing, they don’t know what they’re missing!”

Needless to say, Chatty screeched at this display. “You murderer!”  She roared out, pointing in his direction. 

“I’m not a murderer. I am the Huntsman. And I’m just hungry.” He remarked, turning around to face her as Reality Check leapt through the air and held his hooves up, protecting his wife, the Huntsman turning briefly to Starswirl. “If you want to prevent any more deaths you feel are unnecessary, then I suggest you let your leaders of this place know I wish to see them immediately. I don’t know how much longer I can resist not wolfing down these delicious-tasting specimens.” 

“Are you…human?” The wizard asked of the Huntsman, eyes narrowing intensely, Chatty’s eyes widening at the mention of that word. Something about it made her inwardly vomit in disgust…

“I am Cosmo Sapien, not Homo Sapien. I am a living galaxy. And I hunger.” The being intoned. “So. Take me to your leader.” 

Needless to say, Celestia and Luna were NOT that okay with him just eating their little ponies. Even after he’d explained himself. 

“Spit him out.” Celestia had demanded, looking the well-built alien being over, staring deep into his surprisingly deep, lovely blue eyes. 

“I can’t do that. I won his life fair and square. He attacked me, and his fate is in my hands.” The Huntsman insisted as he stood in their palace, shaking his head back and forth as he looked Celestia over. She nodded over at Starswirl, who went back to taking notes on the Huntsman. He’d been quite eager to answer any questions she’d had…mostly she and Luna knew of the great Cataclysmic event in the North that had freed the dragons from enslavement, of the starry-bodied great hunter “Ohr’ion”.  “But if you defeat me fair and square, cause me to truly suffer, to bleed, to hurt, he’ll be the last of your race I’ll ever eat provided no others foolishly attack me. On this you have my word.” He proclaimed, holding a clawed hand to his chest and bowing before rising back up, looking Celestia over and-

Hmm. He blinked, really seeming to look at her. “Y’know, your-your mane is very lovely.” He admitted, Celestia visibly blushing at this. 

“Oh. Um. Well! ” Celestia bit her lip slightly before waving a hoof in the air. “Listen. You cannot just go around eating sentient beings. Its wrong.”

“My race needs it to survive. It’s like asking you to stop breathing. Can you do that?” He said with an air of slight annoyance before sighing, holding his hand to his face. “I’m sorry, I-I’ve had so many people tell me that, I-I shouldn’t be mad, they’re very right, but…my situation forces me to take lives into me. It’s a burden I have to bear for the sake of many others, even if there are times when I wish I could just put it down. Walk away.” 

Celestia and Luna glanced at each other. In all truthfulness, there had been some occasions they’d felt the same. Sometimes it was all too much: guarding the border, managing taxes, keeping civil unrest from becoming an issue, caring for the people, curing failing crops, stopping the occasional dragon raid, there were days when it felt like they just wished to give the responsibility to someone else. Yet they stayed with it because they truly loved Equestria and felt their unique powers allowed them to do more than anyone else could. They weren’t perfect, of course, but nopony was perfect. 

“And other days you wish you could do more?” Celestia finally spoke up. “Perhaps find some way to ensure you wouldn’t have to end lives in the name of keeping your own?” She asked.

“Yes.” The Huntsman admitted quietly, biting into his lip. “But though I’m knowledgeable, I’m not exactly “smart”. I’ve been to many planets so far and yet to find any magic or craft of science that could take the burden from me. I mean, I can’t even-” He trailed off. “Tell me. Have you ever wanted to bring back someone from the dead.”

“My mother.” Celestia immediately said with a nod as she turned to Luna. “Luna researched such a spell for a long, long time.”

“I was up all night, every night, constantly. Pouring through every single tome we had in our castle.” She admitted, pacing back and forth, her tone becoming contemplative, pensive and sorrowful. “We would have given everything to have mother back, and yet?” Princess Luna sighed, halting in place. “We had to accept the fact we couldn’t. For all our power, there’s just some things that even we can’t do.” 

The Huntsman inwardly flinched. He knew that kind of heartbreak all too well. After all his parents were dead as well.

“We’ll give you a place for you to reside whilst my sister and I prepare for your challenge. Can you wait three days?” Celestia inquired calmly.

“Oh, quite.” The Huntsman said with a nod. “And I must say, I’ve really enjoyed our conversation. I do hope I won’t end up eating you.” The alien added with a kindly smile. 

“What part of “leave me alone” did you and your friends not comprehend?” The Huntsman grunted as he looked out the window of the hotel he was now in at Reality Check and his fellow guards, his pale blue eyes glaring darkly. The guards all readied their enchanted spears and swords, Reality Check holding aloft a particularly deadly-looking stave that was burning with dark fire as he spun it in one hoof. 

“You’re going to pay for what you did to Uberforth.” Reality Check snarled as the Huntsman frowned a bit, shaking his head.

“Your friend is digested and gone. His every being gently disseminated within the many worlds within me, helping to sustain and nurture new life. I was tender in how I broke him down. You should be grateful I am a kindly killer that doesn’t make my prey suffer if I can help it.”

“Oh, I feel so grateful to you, the disgusting demonic alien freak.” Chatty Avoidance snarled out, peeking out from behind a light post on the street. The Huntsman saw the other tenants of the hotel, what few had remained within after he’d been shacked up and enjoyed a whole floor to himself, were barreling out to escape the ensuring fight. “Get him, honey! Show that Sapien sack of shit who’s boss!”

“Such language.” The Huntsman remarked. “Quite a mouth she’s got on her…” And then he grinned darkly. “Would you like to see mine?!”

"Mister Huntsman?"

The Huntsman’s eyes snapped open as the door to the diner slowly open, Apple Bloom stepping inside as he smiled warmly at the youngling. “Aww, hello, little Apple Bloom. How are you?”

“Um, Princess Celestia and Luna are coming here to town, they’ll, uh, they’ll be here in a few.” She admitted. “The others are all camped outside, keeping an eye on you. I was the only one brave enough to step inside after, well, what you’ve done to Mr. Blueblood.”

“And if y’all so much as LOOK at her wrong, Big Mac’s gonna hafta skin yeh.” Big Mac growled darkly as he poked his head in, eyes glaring balefully. 

“You cannot seriously scare me-” The Huntsman began to say as Big Mac opened the door wide, stopping in place as he was now faced by a darkly-glowering Big Mac, Pinkie Pie, A donkey, a grey-furred Pegasus with an odd-looking expression on her face that looked like she was cross-eyed, and Granny Smith.

Koyanisquanti…
Koyanisquanti…

“Oh, come on! Guys, we practiced this all night! But me and Big Mac, we’re the only ones giving the Evil Eye here!” Pinkie complained, slapping her forehead. “And Cranky?”

“What?” The donkey mumbled, head nervously hanging low.

“You’re giving sad eye!”

“It’s all I’ve got!” He groaned.

Pinkie Pie grabbed him by the shoudlers, getting right in his face, eyes bugged out wide as she whispered intensely. “I DON’T BELIEVE THAT. Now dig deep in your gut! And one! TWO!”

Now all of them whipped their heads in the direction of the Huntsman, eyes narrowed, jaws taut and baleful, a deep, glaring glower on their features. 

Koyanisquanti…
Koyanisquanti…

“AAAAAND break! Nice! VERY nice!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, clapping her hooves together as the Princesses’s chariots landed in the center of town. “And especially from you, Derpy!”

“I just thought about that thing called “Hasbro” you brought up and it made me REALLY MAD.” Derpy admitted, as, many miles away in his home, Discord perked up, smiling broadly.

“Something WONDERFUL just happened.” He remarked to himself whilst the Huntsman stood up, walking past them and bowing before the Princesses. 

“Ladies.” He said with a calm smile. “I take it we will begin our epic duel on the outskirts of town, away from any possible civilian casualties?”

“And to ensure no others are hurt, we’re ordering an evacuation of Ponyville. Our troops are already on their way.” Luna added with a calm nod before turning to the citizenry and giving them all a deep bow of her head. “Now I know my “children of the night” may appear frightening, but they’re very, very charming, tender people from the Chiropterra mountain range.”

“You mean those batponies?” Rainbow Dash asked, Luna visibly flinching.

“Ms. Dash, please. They don’t like being called that, they feel it marginalizes them.”

“Huh?” Dash tilted her head to the side in confusion as Twilight patted her on the shoulder.

“It means that they just want to be thought of as normal ponies, not some subgroup or anything. They’d rather be thought of as Luna’s royal guard, not some frightening creatures of the night, you understand? Much like you’d rather be known as “Rainbow Dash” and not just “a Pegasus”?”

“Oh, I can understand that.” Dash admitted as Luna and Celestia turned back to the Huntsman as he pulled out his spear from his chest and gave a nod of his head.

“It’s unfortunate that it has come to this, I-I was very fond of you both. Especially you, Celestia.” He added in his ethereal voice, his face sad as he sighed, looking away from them before turning and heading out of Ponyville, the two Princesses turning to see their many, many troops landing down in the streets.

“Begin the evacuation. Girls? We’ll need the Elements of Harmony somewhere safe in the event my sister and I fall. We’ll explain what you’re to do.” Celestia said softly as soon as she was sure the Huntsman was far out of range. 





It had been a harrowing several days of struggle against the Huntsman, and now he and she were circling each other in the jungle, panting and heaving ever-so-slightly, not wanting to let the other know that they were weak.

“Your sister’s not-not around to protect you or aid you. You’re at something of a weakness.” The alien hunter admitted as he cracked his knuckles, Celestia nonchalantly cracking her neck back and forth.

“Do not assume I need my sister to defend myself. That’s a fallacious idea.”

“Well I’m sure you’re two great tastes that taste better together.” The Huntsman chuckled as he licked his lips. “I’ll make sure when I enjoy you both, you’ll depart from the world in each other’s arms. It’s a cruel thing to die alone.” He added, diving forward at her as she dove at him, her body enveloped in pearly white light, her alicorn horn shining. They collided hard, the Huntsman trying to force her back, she trying to knock him down…

Both unaware the ground they were on was an old native trap that had been covered up by the ravages of time. But now that it had two rather large beings tussing about on it…

They went plummeting down, down, through dark, dusty, musky dankness, spiraling about, arms flailing. They struck the walls, bouncing about, grunting as sharp pain dug into them before, at last, they collided with each other, landing in a pit, Celestia moaning in agony as she rose up, turning…seeing the Huntsman was relatively unharmed save for some bruises. But Celestia?

Damn it. Her wings. Her wings were-she couldn’t feel her right wing. She flinched, looking it over as the Huntsman looked at her, then at the entrance above. He seemed to hesitate before stepping forward suddenly and looking over her wing.

“Broken, I take it?” He quietly asked, Celestia hearing…genuine concern in his voice. “Look, this is not a fair fight. I’ll help you get out of the pit and let you heal your wound so we can have a real, proper ending.” He offered. “But it will take some time for me to search within my body for an offering of medicinal value.”

“Offering?” The princess inquired, the Huntsman sitting down next to her as she plopped down, the alien reaching into his chest.

“I have, well, religions built up around me by worlds who have discovered that I’m responsible for their creation. So they send me offerings, from alcohol to books to gold and precious things.” He remarked. “I feel guilty refusing them. After all, is it wrong to think of yourself as powerful when you can move mountains? It’s not hubris to say I’m their almighty creator, its fact.”

“I feel the same, truth be told. My sister and I have near-godly power. And that’s not boasting, its just a simple statement of truth. Power that comes from years of experience combined with natural talent we developed. And with that came the wisdom of how to use it.”

“I would say you’ve done well!” The Huntsman complimented with a smile. “Your culture doesn’t have poverty or plagues so you’ve clearly not got a rigid class system nor are lacking in medical advantages. You don’t have to endure invasions on a regular basis, your borders are surprisingly open and your people very tolerant. Your roads and buildings are well-kept, meaning your system of ruling isn’t incompetent and you don’t choose foolish people to administer your will, and your people positively adore you. There were little dolls of you I could buy in the hotel’s gift shop.” He remarked with a nervous blush. “And, uh, a few kazoos. Don’t tell anyone, but I like kazoos.” 

“I know we’re not as technologically advanced, but my sister and I have spent our time trying to make sure our people have the free time to sit, think and enjoy life. The greatest advancements in history come when people don’t have to worry about being assaulted and in fear for their life. When ponies can sit and think and be at peace, they look inward, they get thoughtful and invent and create amazing things.” Celestia admitted. “Why, I’m eager to have Starswirl show off his new dimensional magic he’s spoken of.”

“Ahhh, you’ve developed “String Theory”? My people have known about other dimensions for eons.” The Cosmo Sapien admitted as he kept rummaging through his chest, pulling out a bottle of alcohol. “Hmm. Firewhiskey. Do you drink?”

“No. But if they have a spot of tea?”

“Actually I think I might have some around, just one minute!” The Huntsman remarked, biting his lip as Celestia began to giggle.

“You, my friend, give new meaning to the phrase “I looked deep inside myself”!” She said, bursting out into laughter, wiping a tear from her eye as he smiled back at her, Celestia breathing a sigh of relief as he finally pulled out a small vial of faintly crystalline liquid.

“Ahhh, here we go. Everium. It rejuvenates the body and heals wounds on a macro time scale. Also gives you a buzz.” He admitted, Celestia tilting her head in confusion as he held the vial up, popping the top off with a single claw. 

“As in it’s a drug-drug?” She inquired. 

“Yes. So be forewarned, you will feel drowsy and odd.” He admitted, Celestia drinking the silvery contents down as it tingled in her throat, a strange, pulsating feeling rising in her as she giggled, feeling warm and fuzzy all over. 

“Oooh, that’s niiiiiice.” She admitted with a hiccup, covering her mouth with a hoof and giggling as he sat next to her, Celestia leaning her head on his shoulder, the Huntsman smelling her mane with a deep inhalation from his invisible nostrils.

“Mmmmmmmmmmm. It smells like cherries.” He murmured, Celestia giggling a bit. 

“Yeah, I use a special kind of conditioner to get it fluffy, but it just naturally smells so nice. My mom’s hair always smelled like flowers, you know.” She murmured, her eyes fluttering slightly, slumber beginning to overtake her. “She always would like to stick dandelions in her mane, it made her smell like a garden. She was something special…”

“Yeah mom’s are great.” The Huntsman remarked. “My mom liked necklaces. She was real big on necklaces.” 

“So was mine, truth be told.” The princess admitted, as she waved a hoof in the air. “Really into gold. It brought out the light in her eyes. This is actually hers.” She added, pointing at the wide golden chest armor and the golden tiara with a sigh, her tone becoming thoughtful. “She gave it to me when I was old enough to become Princess. She was the first queen of Equestria.”

“Queen?”

“The title of Queen is applied posthumously. The term “Princess” shows we still are learning from our subjects and only when we’ve done all we can do we feel we’ve earned the title of “Queen”. It can’t just be about being in charge.” The Princess admitted as they lay in the pit, a crow cawing in the air above, Celestia letting out a yawn. “Oooh. I feel tired.”

“You can get some rest. I’ll keep watch until your wing is healed and we may leave.” The Huntsman offered, Celestia nodding as she began to drift off into sleep, the Huntsman caressing her neck as she slumbered…

…

…

…

…her grace and purity had touched him. He couldn’t bring himself to claim her then. Not merely out of a sense that he needed to defeat her fairly, when she was giving it her all and not injured so basely, but because the Huntsman’s heart had been moved by beauty. The Cosmo Sapien could not bring himself to kill her in that pit. Her radiance had touched him. 

And now, in a way, she was guilt made flesh as he stared across the plain at her and Luna, holding tightly onto his spear/staff, his face solemn and pensive. Not every opponent he’d faced had been as merciful as him. They’d…taken advantage of his nobility and it was hard to continue to hold onto one’s morals when it seemed like you were playing a game where nobody cared for the rules. A dirty, ugly part of him was mocking him inwardly. He’d been too weak to kill her. He’d melted inside for a pretty girl. 

“I can’t go easy on you.” He remarked.

“And we cannot go easy on you. I’m grateful for the kindness you showed my sister that day.” Luna said apologetically, giving him a bow. “But thou shall fall today. We drove you to a standstill before. We defeated Discord. We shall stop you.”

“Well? You can try.” The Huntsman said, leaping forward. Princess Celestia leapt into action as well, Luna spreading her legs forth, golden, gleaming armor surrounding her as Celestia’s horn seemed to grow in immense size, shoving the Huntsman back. He went flying across the plains, skidding alongside it before twisting his body and firing his spear, a blusih/white blaze shooting at Celestia, knocking her away as Luna suddenly slammed her hoof into the ground.

A dark blue shockwave of magical energy sparked from the hoof, a crevasse rising up from it as it tore across the ground and hit the Cosmo Sapien hard, sending him even further back across the plains as he coughed and spluttered, Luna rising into the air. She murmured softly, dark black runs circling around her frame as the skies above began to darken and become cloudy, foul lightning sparkling down at the Huntsman as he rolled out of the way, panting slightly before leaping up, smacking one of the lightning bolts back.

“Clever!” He proclaimed, catching another lightning bolt in his staff, holding it high before swinging it through the air, the bolt whizzing towards Luna as she dove away to avoid being struck. Celestia, meanwhile, was now barreling past her sister at incredible speed and slammed into the Huntsman, knocking him through the air, kicking and punching at him before finally holding both hooves up, slamming him into the ground.

He grunted, pulling himself out of the crater he was now embedded in, grabbing hold of chunks of earth and throwing them in her direction as she swiftly served and dove out of the way, the Huntsman ducking to avoid her sweeping strike. He twisted his body, his spear butt glowing brightly as he fired off another burst of tantric energy.

Celestia was struck, sent spiraling away through the air as the Huntsman leapt up through the air, holding the spear up high, slamming it down into her frame, up and down, up and down before Luna slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. He grunted slightly, rising up before Luna’s kick launched him several yards away, Celestia rising up as she and Luna clasped their hooves together. With one blazing white, the other black, potent magical energy coalesced around their forms as they rose in the air, Luna and Celestia’s eyes glowing powerfully as they shot towards him, the Huntsman putting his spear back inside his chest, holding his clawed hands up to try and halt the assault. He cringed, their powerful aura sizzling away at him as he cringed, struggling to shove them back, panting and heaving.

“You’re v-very strong!” He murmured out, eyes widening in surprise before their aura overwhelmed him, and he was knocked up into the clouds, tossed about like a ragdoll, howling in pain as Celestia and Luna descended down to the ground, flopping to the grass, panting and heaving as sweat dribbled down their brow.

“Phew that-that was just-oh my!” Celestia murmured quietly, Luna wiping her brow as the Huntsman landed a quarter of a mile away with a loud THARUDDA-THROOOM, smoke rising up from his form as he grunted in agony, struggling to get up, clenching his fists as bluish energy twisted around them. “Oh no. Ohhhh no.”

“Oh yes.” The Huntsman proclaimed, racing forward at them, bounding towards the two, burning blue fists held high. He flung his fist at Luna’s armored form as she ducked to the side…but it still caught her on the shoulder, making her scream, one wing’s feathers spraying out, a horrific crack filling the air. The alien wheeled about, his foot striking Celestia in the face, sending her spiraling across the plains with loud, thudding BANGS as the Huntsman slammed his fist into the ground. A shockwave rippled across the grass, Celestia rolling out of the way just in time, panting and heaving as the Huntsman rose up, dusting himself off as Luna tried to get up.

He wheeled about, turning to face her as Celestia realized he was going to finish off her sister first. She raced forward to stop him, the Huntsman reaching for Luna…

And then he whipped about, his elbow slamming into Celestia’s muzzle, knocking her back as he shook his head back and forth, walking towards her, clawed hands held up. “I knew you’d do that, Celestia. You’d never, ever want to leave your sister unguarded after everything that happened with her before. You’re desperately seeking to make up the time you lost with her.” He admitted, reaching down and lifting her up by her chest, sighing. “…what you did is what any sister would do. It’s what I would have done for my sister.” He added, tossing her at Luna as they collapsed in a heap, trying to rise up as the Huntsman sighed, turning around to face them as he pulled out his spear again, aiming the end at them as it hissed with powerful blue light. “I’ll knock you out now…this way you won’t suffer as you become one with me.” 

He held the spear high, gritting his teeth…

REGICIDE

It wasn’t easy doing it, he thought inwardly, cringing as he brought the spear down, Celestia and Luna rising too late as the strike knocked them out with a potent blast of tantric energy, their forms crashing down hard to the grass. He truly hated having to end the lives of such…beautiful creations. Especially Celestia. 

Oh, Celestia.

He mournfully looked down at her, stroking the side of her unconscious form, sighing quietly as he hung his head. If only there truly was some other way to continue existing, but…the needs of the body had to be met.

“I’m sorry.” He admitted. “I’ll miss you dearly. And I promise, you won’t be apart. Now you’ll get to be together forever.” 

With that, he thrust her regal head into his open jaws. He was careful not to nick her flesh with his sharp fangs teeth…he wanted this to be painless for her. She deserved that much, at least, her form sinking into his maw up to her shoulders in a swift instant, her head filling the gaping hole of his throat. Within mere seconds the entirety of her upper body was coated in warm, sticky saliva as his tongue snaked out, tasting her as the muscles of his throat clamped down around her head. Through her near-total unconsciousness, Celestia could almost faintly feel the flesh walls pulling her with force, but her decent was prevented by his clawed grip on her waist. 

"Mmmmmm," he moaned as his tongue flicked this way and that across her chest, enjoying the delicious, creamy, smoothy texture of her body. She simply tasted positively divine, like a cheery pie mixed with a fine steak. Allowing her form to slip slightly, the alien hunter’s tongue roamed lower, slobbering some saliva over Celestia’s stomach and even splashing her hips and thighs. She was still thankfully unable to really understand what was happening, still almost totally unconscious.  She didn’t deserve to feel any fear. He’d be tender about all this.

Soon her slow decent allowed his tongue to slip between her legs and it carefully around her golden haired mound instantly, tasting it slightly, giving it a soft lick. She moaned softly in her haze of sleep, his tongue carefully tasting her with almost impossible control as the tight almost blistering hot insides of his throat rhythmically clamped down around her. It seemed like she was squishing into every crevice of the Huntsman’s body, the movement downward making it impossible for her to resist. Her hooves were pressed to the side, her wings trapped, his tongue now easing her down further into his gullet. 

Slowly, her hips slid into his throat, and with a succulent slurp, his tongue pulled away from her pussy. Celestia was limp and weak, and her still mostly-unconscious form offered no resistance as The Huntsman gulped her long slender legs down. His tongue continued to slip around them, tasting her further she was finally slurped up. Now the Princess was soon slipping through a tight ring, then into far more open chamber, faintly wet and squishy, the Huntsman rubbing his bulging gut, cooing tenderly. 

“Sweet thing. Dearest Celestia. Thank you.” He cooed. “Truly, thank you for this.” He offered, turning around to Luna. Now it was her turn. He tenderly lifted her up, opening mouth wide and shoving her head into his gaping maw, closing it around her. He ran his tongue over her flesh, quite pleasantly surprised at its exotic, sweet flavor, murring in delight as her pulled her head into his throat. With another swallow, he’d brought her chest into his mouth, the rippling effect giving an almost massaging feel around her head and neck as Luna moaned, beginning to wake up. She could feel the slimy walls all around her, engulfing her head and taking in all of her delicious flavor. His tongue ran along her chests before swallowing once more, bringing her head farther down its throat and her stomach into its mouth. The alien hunter ran its tongue over her stomach, causing her legs to kick wildly as she screamed and laughed at the ticklish sensation. 

“Oh dear, she’s awake.” The Huntsman inwardly sighed. The air inside his mouth was making it somewhat harder for the princess to breathe, Luna’s starry night mane hair was completely soaked and draped across her face as she was pulled farther into it's throat. She felt the alien swallow again, bring her waist to its mouth as her face encountered a tight open…the entrance to his belly. And After a few more licks and sucks, the Huntsman swallowed again, pressing her into the opening and forcing her through into the open area where Celestia still lay unconscious. Only her legs lay ahead, which he greedily sucked up, despite her attempts at kicking. It ran its tongue all over her creamy calves, getting all the taste off them, before swallowing, and greatly enjoying the feel of her smooth skin in his mouth and throat. So good, he thought to himself as her knees entered its mouth, which were treated with the same tasting, before being swallowed as well. 

As the Huntsman swallowed more and more of her legs, she was forced into its stomach, curling up into a fetal position. She struggled to break free, but it was in vain, she knew she couldn’t get out. There’d be no escape…it was just her and her sister and she was too weak and worn out to use any kind of magic as she felt her ankles being tickled by the tongue. The Huntsman swallowed again, enveloping the last bit of her. It lapped at her her hooves once again, enjoying this one last taste. The Huntsman its tongue carefully across her hoove, curving around the heels, and wrapping around the arches. With a final lick of her soles, he swallowed, feeling her hooves cause his throat to slightly bulge out before he sighed, Luna settling nicely in his belly.

“Damn you.” She murmured, the juices in the stomach’s pool surrounding her and Celestia, the soft fleshy walls pulsating at her,seeming to expand. It wanted to engulf them both within its encompassing grip, a haze filling her head as Celestia murmured, slowly looking up.

“We’ve lost, haven’t we?” She asked quietly. “It’s up to Twilight and the others now.”

“I’m so sorry, Tia. I failed.” Luna whispered, Celestia gently taking her sister in her hooves and nuzzling her, shaking her own head.

“No. No, we did all we could. I could never blame you.”

The Huntsman sighed softly, rubbing his stomach, caressing his bulging gut as he began to softly coo. “Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.” He sang out, singing softly to the princesses in his belly. He didn’t want them to be so frightened. He truly did feel for them, he was just, as he’d said, hungry. And this was simply the way his species worked. They’d failed in their challenge, and their lives were forfeit. That didn’t mean he had to be a monster about this.

As he continued to sing he felt their struggles ceasing, sleep overtaking them as his stomach began to tenderly break them down, one soft, comforting pulsation of massaging pleasure at a time, he smiled warmly, his belly now slightly bigger, but just a little. He wouldn’t hold onto their souls, unlike most of the other’s he’d taken into him. “I hope you get to see her again.” He whispered to the unconscious Celestia. “Your mother would be so proud of you. You’ve done so much for your species. Don’t ever let anybody else tell you otherwise. And I promise. I’ll always remember you.” He added quietly, eyes closing as he gave a soft nod…before he felt a powerful, pulsating heat rising up from behind him, turning around, seeing the Mane Six were now floating in the air, jewelery upon their forms.

“Girls, you know what to do.” Twilight said firmly. “Celestia and Luna’s final orders to us, their last will and testament were very clear.”

“I wish I could have helped you.” Fluttershy spoke quietly, head bowed deeply as she clasped her hooves together along with the others, a rainbow light shining off their bodies, glimmering like a blazing star. The Huntsman cringed, reeling back from the pure magical force that was battering him from such a display before, bowing his head, clawed hands clasped before him in a position of repose before, within a few seconds…

THA-BOOOM! A sound like thunder and a pulsating beam of a thousand different colors slammed into the alien hunter’s frame and turned him into stone on the spot, now a mighty statue. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie landed back on the plains, dusting themselves off as Twilight approached the statue, looking at the Huntsman’s stomach, which was slightly bigger.

“…I’ll have to help pick up the slack.” She murmured. “We all will now that they’re gone. We’ve got to make them proud.”





Celestia and Luna’s spirits gently descended down onto the open ramparts of Princess Twilight’s new castle as she ushed the tour group away, guards bidding her a firm nod as she walked by. The courtyard was filled with statues of her, her friends, dearest Cadence, Princess Luna and Celestia…

And, of course, the Huntsman. Head bowed, face solemn and sad, hands clasped before him as if accepting a punishment, Twilight halting the group.

“This was one of the biggest threats Equestria faced. One that…took the lives of my mentor and her sister, a dear friend to us all. They gave me and the girls time enough to find the Elements and weakened him enough to catch him off-guard. Though in the end.” Twilight hesitated. “I think he wanted this. Now he’ll never harm anybody ever again.” 

“Why’d he hurt the Princesses?” One of the little tykes asked, the young filly raising a hoof in the air as Princess Twilight brushed some of her hair out of her face and chewed her lip.

“Sometimes people simply can’t help being who they are. They’re predisposed to act a certain way and their environment encourages it. And when you get to be like that, there’s very little that can change you.” She finally admitted. “His entire race’s culture was built up around preying on others. The fact he didn’t end up a complete monster is a miracle in itself. He at least tried to be fair. But we’ve other things to speak of, children. Come…let me show you the library.” Twilight added cheerily as she led the tykes off towards the door to her castle, the guards swiftly following after, Celestia and Luna stepping forward. Their invisible forms turned, calmly blinking at the being hidden by an invisibility spell which gently stroked the statue’s form.

“I come all this way and only find cold stone.” Nee-Buh-Loh, sister of Neh-Buh-Loh the Huntsman murmured, head bowed. “Please forgive me. I wish I could have been here sooner. I finally found a way to stave the hunger off and I can’t even tell you now.”

“Luna?” Celestia said softly, a tiny smile spreading across her features. “I think tonight Twilight deserves to have a verrrry interesting dream. Think you’ve still got it, even after 30 years of no practice?”

“Do not insult me.” Luna said with a smile. “It will be done. To forgive is divine. You taught me that.”

“We’d better hurry, though. Mother’s waiting for us.” Celestia admitted. “Can’t spend all day here. So much to do in the Great Beyond.” 

“I’m just glad she was there waiting.”

“Of course she’d be. Moms are great.” 

“Yes…yes they are.” 

SALVE REGINA

He held the spear/staff up, ready to bring it down…

Hesitating. Cringing. 

And Luna and Celestia rose up as one, thrusting their heads forward, stabbing their horns right into his stomach. He let out a gurgling, gulply gasp, hitting the ground on his knees, clutching at his wound as Luna and Celestia rose up, the Mane Six’s voices wafting over the air.

“Is everything alright?” Twilight called out, her and her friends surrounding the Huntsman, seeing blood pouring down out from his clawed hands as he smiled softly.

“You got me.” He admitted to the two princesses, giving them a bow. “ I I think I’m actually very badly injured.” The alien hunter added, eyes fluttering slightly. “I think I might actually be dying!” He whispered, flopping to the side, Fluttershy kneeling down by him.

“Oh no! Celestia, can you heal him?” She asked of the Princess as the Solar Regent knelt down, looking the wound over, biting her lip before concentrating, an odd waft of white magic settling over his stomach.

“I’m-I’m sure it will work, but…his body seems to naturally resist magic and energy. It may be reluctant to accept this healing spell, the wound should be closing instantly.” She admitted, the wound barely looking any better, the Huntsman’s breath ragged, panting heavily.

“Maybe this is better.” He murmured. “Maybe eventually I’d hurt more people than I’d save. Every person I eat could be someone who could have saved whole worlds, cured diseases unheard of. Why should they perish just so others can live, so that I may live?” He sighed. “Maybe it’s better I die.” 

“In life, there is hope.” Celestia insisted, putting a hoof on her chest, bowing her head. “Your curse has invoked my pity since the day I met you.” 

“I too was cruelly saddled with urges I found I couldn’t control.” Luna added with a bow of her head. “Possessed by a monstrous being of corruption that made those urges drag me into insanity, I couldn’t help myself. It’s a slippery slope. It just gets harder and harder to resist the worst parts of you.”

“Now I feel kinda bad for him.” Rainbow Dash admitted nervously. “We should get him to town and let him rest up.”

“I’ll help you carry him.” Fluttershy said, the two of them lifting the Huntsman up onto their backs, flying towards Ponyville as he panted and heaved, struggling to stay conscious as a dark coldness spread from his body. So cold, so…

Maybe he’d just take a nap…

Because he was so…so tired…




“Is this the only way?” Twilight asked, looking down at the statue in the crystal bed, the Huntsman’s slumbering form lying there under the glass. 

“Until we figure out a way to truly treat somebody of his ilk, this crystal coffin will keep him in peaceful slumber and stasis. Unharmed and untouched.” Princess Celestia proclaimed, holding a hoof over the crystal coffin as she bowed her head, Luna standing across from Twilight in the Ponyville castle courtyard as she nodded at Fluttershy.

“It’s very kind of you to want to build a garden around here.”

“He’ll be surrounded by the best flowers I can get.” Fluttershy promised, putting a hoof on her chest as she looked at Celestia, who gave her a nod as the princess stared back down at the sleeping Cosmo Sapien. “I want to make sure he’s surrounded by beauty.”

“He doesn’t look quite so scary now.” Pinkie Pie admitted. “Kinda cute, actually, with those twinkle-twinkle-little-stars in his body. But I got one question for when we need to wake him up.”

“What’s that?” Celestia inquired.

“Who’s going to kiss him to wake him up?” 

“Oh, Discord, obviously.” Celestia said with a small, chuckling smile.

Discord sat up in his house, eyes widening as he crumpled up the teacup in his hands. “Something TERRIBLE just happened.” He muttered darkly. 
> The Winter of their Discord-Tent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This is probably not a good idea.” 

Everyone glanced about the circular table in Twilight’s castle, hooves in their laps as they nervously looked about. They’d thought about it, thought about it, and thought about it. And the solution that kept on popping up in the back of their head was the same, again and again.

Calling upon the spirit of chaos and disharmony, the being known as “Discord”, for help. 

“He’s almost as alien as the alien threat we now face is!” Twilight admitted as she waved a hoof in the air. “He’s unpredictable and we can use that. Unpredictability is a great tool we desperately need.”

“Besides, he’s nice now.” Fluttershy added cheerily, everyone giving her a slightly worn look as she nervously smiled. “Nice-ER now. He wouldn’t want to see Equestria destroyed now, he just likes to really fool around with it and play games.” 

“His “games” are sick sometimes. We ain’t forgotten what happened when…sigh.” Applejack muttered. “Then again, this Huntsman’s pretty twisted too. I guess we could try fighting fire with fire.”

“Fighting fire with fire just means more fire!” Rarity proclaimed. “I don’t think he’d turn on us, but I’m afraid he may make things even worse.” She remarked as she waved a hoof in the air, sighing as she held her head in her hooves. “He does have a tendency to do that, you remember. Even when he’s supposedly “helping”.” 

“Ohhh, you’re all just being party poopers.” Pinkie Pie said, blowing a raspberry, waving a dismissive hoof in the air. “We should give him a chance! He’s our friend, and he’s got a great sense of humor. I’m sure he’s got some creative ideas to deal with the Huntsman.” 

“Yes, I’m sure he does. Perhaps we should ask him.”

“Well, I dunno.” Rainbow Dash murmured. “What do you think, Disc-” She began to say, turning her head, suddenly realizing, along with everyone else in the room, that Discord had poofed himself to the table without anybody even noticing. “Woah!”

“One for me.” Discord said, taking a few photographs of her expression in that one shocked moment before passing out a copy on the spot to the gang. “And one for all of you! I know you’ve all got photo albums. This’ll look great next to the one of you in that pale blue party hat with the green kazoo and face paint, Pinkie.” He admitted to her.

“How does he know the contents of your photo album?” Twilight asked of Pinkie Pie as Discord turned around, two eyeballs popping out. 

“I see everything. I’ve got eyes in the back of my head. And my hands!” He added, holding up a paw and showing off another eyeball before turning around and then snorting, two eyeballs appearing in his nostrils. “And my nose!” 

“EW-EW-EW-EW-EW for the love of all that is sacred, put your eyeballs back!” Rarity screeched, reeling back from him as Discord sighed and deeply inhaled, his eyeballs returning to their normal sockets as he rested on the air, floating about around them as the ponies of Ponyville murmured amongst each other. 

“I understand you’ve a mean, nasty-wasty alien you want help with.” Discord inquired, bobbing his head back and forth. “And he’s hungry enough to eat a horse. Literally.” He sighed suddenly, sitting down on his rear in the center of the table, snapping his claws as a dictionary appeared. “Do you know we no longer have a proper definition of the word “literally”? They’ve recently included a definition to mean what most people say when they use the word “literally”, by which I mean not literally at all. So we literally do not have a word that means “literally” anymore. Ohhh, the loss of culture. You kids today.”

“Uh, look, as saddened as I am by the butchering of the Equine language, we’ve got a real issue on our hooves.” Twilight insisted, shaking her head back and forth. “Can you actually help us with the Huntsman?” 

“Boys and girls, I can do more than that.” Discord proclaimed, putting a taloned hand on his chest and beaming proudly, the draconequus’s whiskers wiggling as his yellow eyes gleamed mischievously. “Besides your elements, I can grant boons to all of you which I know you’ll find immensely useful!” 

He bounced over to Rainbow Dash and then promptly squeezed her nose. “Honk.” He proclaimed.

And with a crash of thunder and a cloud of dust, Rainbow Dash was now looking down at her slightly glowing piercing blue hooves, her eyes having an unusual twinkle to them as she gasped in surprise. “What the? What did you do to me?”

“The Huntsman wields “Tantric Energy”, correct?” Discord chuckled. “I got in touch with another you and put her into YOU!” He proclaimed, patting her atop the head. “Now you have the same gift of tantric energy manipulation he does, and all the perks too. But why stop there? It’s a two-for-one deal! Sh-sh-sh-sh-Shazam!” He proclaimed, waving his arms in the air before thrusting them at Pinkie Pie. With a spray of confetti and party streamers, she was suddenly surrounded in a cloud of pinkish/white dust, and emerged from it considerably different! 

Indeed, she was now the color of the beautiful night sky, stars twinkling about her fur, her eyes a pale shade of blue as she rubbed herself, “oohing” and “aahing”. “Wow. We feel great! Wait. WE?” She murmured, tilting her head slightly to the side. “Oh! Oh my, I’ve got the Huntsman inside me! Kinda thought it’d be the other way around.” 

“Now you are the you from yet another alternate reality my dear, where you and he merged together!” Discord said, striking a bodybuilder pose alongside Pinkie Pie as the two flexed their respective muscles. “With your new strength and might, he surely won’t stand a stance!”

“Does everyone have some kind of alternate version of themselves with superpowers?” Twilight asked as Discord wafted over to Fluttershy, giving her a cheery smile as he held up an enormous, gift-wrapped bow the color of the starry, starry night.

“Oh, no. Fluttershy has them!” He proclaimed, two young ponies with starry bodies popping out of the box, spreading their arms wide, beaming happily. “Ta-daaa!”

“Heya, Mom!” The young girl proclaimed

“Wow, you looked so pretty when you were young! Your hair is, like, glowing!” The young boy admitted as they hopped out of the present and trotted around their mother, Fluttershy blushing at the implications.

“Oh, my! Well! This is just such-I mean, my goodness!” Fluttershy murmured, holding her head in one hoof, blinking in astonishment as her children stood by her, cheerily smiling at the gang as they waved their hooves at the others.

“With your powers combined, you’ll be captain of the planet’s defense!” Discord wisecracked. “Now all we need is somebody who has the power of “Heart”.” He added, gesturing over at Spike, who gave Discord a look that seemed to ask if the spirit of chaos was making fun of him. “Ah, I can’t very well leave you out of this!”

“I doubt I’ve got any powers you could give me. Even my comic book counterpart didn’t have any.” Spike sighed quietly, scratching his head. 

“Luckily, that’s where I come in, dear boy! I know someone who can get you flying high, now.” Discord remarked, snapping his fingers as a portal shimmered and sizzled into being, Discord whistling sharply as a yellow-horned, purple dragon with deep indigo eyes and a majestic body peeked inside, glancing about. “High Elder Spyro, 	I hate to interrupt your alone time with your dear little firefly friend, but Sparx’s stand-up routine is simply going to have to wait.”

“Its alright. He’s been off his game lately, his voice sounds all strange.” High Elder Spyro admitted as he turned, blinking in surprise at the sight of Spike. “Ah, I remember seeing you hanging out with that idiotic Crackle. You’re little Spike. My grandson!”

Spike gaped in surprise. “G-G-Grandson?” He quietly asked, eyes slowly turning wide as saucers as Spyro smiled, stepping out of the portal and standing tall above everyone else on legs thick as tree trunks, spikes running down his mighty tail, wings folded to his sides so that he wouldn’t accidentally hit anybody with them. 

“One of many, in fact. As chief of the dragons I get to enjoy multiple wives. I’d been wondering where you were…so your egg ended up with one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony? A lucky place. You could have been sold to changelings, they would have had you scrambled for breakfast.” High Elder Spyro remarked. 

“So you allow your grandchildren’s eggs to go to ponies? Why?” Twilight wanted to know as Spyro smiled.

“A show of good faith on our part that the central government of my people don’t want to harm yours. Celestia in turn helps me with the occasional favor and Luna helps my people have nice dreams. Did you know that eating amethysts makes you sleepwalk?” High Elder Spyro remarked.

TWO YEARS AGO

“Bunnies…bunnies everywhere.” Havok the Dragon muttered, walking along the edge of the volcano, eyes closed in slumber as he shook his head back and forth, the smoke of the volcano rising high into the night sky before he moaned, flopping down, down, dooooown into the magma below. 

“Oh crap, we’ve lost another village elder!” Cynder screeched out, her taloned hand grasping at the air Havok had been just seconds before, her husband holding her back as Spyro groaned, shaking his head back and forth.

“That’s it. I’m banning amethysts. I don’t know why, but I’ve got to find out why they keep making us sleepwalk. Put our top scientists on it, Sparx.” He inquired of a tiny, fluttering firefly, who thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

“I would think you’d ask why are they always dreaming about bunnies.”

“It’s a sordid story, Sparx. Before your time.” Spyro murmured, clutching himself and shuddering. “At nights, I can sometimes smell the bodies in the streets.”

PRESENT

“What in all blazes was that?!” Rarity remarked, all of them glancing about at each other as Pinkie Pie nonchalantly munched on some popcorn she’d somehow gotten ahold of, Spike inching away from Angel the bunny as he nonchalantly whistled and slowly made for the door. 

“I can see as Gods do, my dear. But you’ve got a long day ahead of all of you! So no doubt you’ll want to get used to your new powers and your new, ah, additions to the club?” He cheerily remarked, giving all of them a bow before vanishing an instant later. “Ta-ta!” 

“The Elements of Harmony, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie having new powers, and Fluttershy has two children with Huntsman blood in them.” Twilight murmured as she put her hooves together, thoughtfully looking the scene over. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

“Looks like Discord did us a real favor, I reckon.” Applejack remarked as she took off her hat. “I takes my hat off to ‘em. I’m beginnin’ to think we might really gotta chance.”

Quite some time later,  and not too far away, the starry-bodied being that was the Huntsman sat down on the roof of the diner, resting his head as he stared up at the skies above. His bright blue eyes watched the soft twinkling of the stars, biting into his lip before he felt his voice beginning to crack.

“I never thought I would see you again.”

“It’s a big universe.” 

“Yes, it is.” Neh-Buh-Loh quietly sighed as he hung his horned head. “I searched for centuries to find out. Planet after planet. Galay after galaxy and it always seemed like every time I got close to you, you were long gone.” He murmured softly. 

“I can understand.” She quietly remarked, turning onto her side, head rested on her palm as a smile spread across her features. “Hey. Remember when we were kids and we’d take turns naming the stars our parents taught us? And then we’d go back home to mom and dad and we’d see how many of them we got right?”

“Yes.” The Huntsman admitted, a chuckle rising up from his throat. “You always got more than I did right. But you never got the Hunter right.”

“Kinda ironic, I know.”  his sister Nee-Buh-Loh sighed. “I could never get the ones in that constellation right. She admitted as she waved a braceleted hand in the air, gesturing at the stars. “There’s new ones up there tonight. What do you think their names are?”

“I’m guessing they have to do with horses.” The Huntsman remarked, the two of them laughing as they sat up, cozying up next to each other as he put an arm around his sister’s shoulder and she rested his head on his. “I’m just really, really grateful to have my sister back.”

“I’m glad to have my big brother back.” The Huntress admitted too, her voice quiet and contemplative as she closed her eyes, and the two simply let the chirping of crickets and the soft night wind bring them into dreamland. 

Elsewhere, Rainbow Dash was nervously fooling around with a few apples in Applejack’s barn, attempting to concentrate and blow one of them up with a burst of tantric energy from her hooves. The magical power coalesced around her form, shooting up her arm and whizzing through the air towards one such apple, but time and time again the blast just-kept-missing. The darn tantric energy continued curving to the right.

Pinkie, on the other hand, was playing patty-cake with young Junior, the pale-blue-eyed little Halfling cheerily bouncing hoof off of hoof with her whilst Fluttershy and Christabella sat together, little “Chrissy” pouring her mother some tea she’d pulled from her chest.

“You can just do that kind of thing?”

“Oh, yes.” Chrissy remarked. “It’s like I’ve got infinite pockets! In fact, I’ve got pockets in my pockets!” She added, pulling out a pair of shorts and holding them over her rear. “Mom, be honest. Does this make my butt look fat?”

“I’m sorry, I-I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but…it’s a little jarring to me to hear you call me “mother”.” Fluttershy admitted quietly. Yet even so, there was a sweet warmth in Chrissy’s eyes, the flow of her mane, the big smile she had was so much like her own. And, amazingly, butterflies and moths were fluttering around her, resting on her body like a bird rested within the mouth of a hippo to help clean its teeth out. “So, you’re what was left of Chrysalis after the Huntsman changed her?”

“Yes, he took pity on her, on me, I guess, and made me his child.” Chrissy admitted as her mother sipped from her cup of tea, Rainbow Dash letting out a “Oh, BUCK” in the background as another thrown blast struck a barrel instead of the apple she wanted, Applejack cringing a bit.

“Don’t mean to criticize, but I’m a-runnin’ outta barrels and kinda runnin’ out of barn.”

“You need to think of the energy as an extension of yourself.” Chrissy spoke up, turning her head to glance back at Rainbow Dash. “Think of it as part of you. Picture yourself, like a little tiny you, shooting out and whackin’ into that apple.”

“Just right into the apple?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking down at one of her glowing hooves, taking in a deep breath.

“Do that, and it’ll go from apple to applesauce.” Chrissy promised, Rainbow Dash holding her hooves up in the air, spreading her wings wide and letting out a loud, powerful breath as a pulsating blue blast of tantric energy shot forth like a bullet, slamming into one of the apples. With a mighty crash of thunder and a very loud KER-SPLORCH, the apple exploded on the spot, making it rain apple cider as Pinkie Pie and Junior held up mugs respectively, Chrissy reaching into her body once again to pull out a cup for her “mother” to enjoy some. 

“Not what people usually mean when they say to “make it rain”, but I’ll take it!” Discord remarked, cheerily appearing by Rainbow Dash’s side as he sipped on his appletini and grinned cheekily at all of them. “The Huntsman and his sister are just so adorable when they’re asleep. I almost felt bad about drawing private parts on their faces. Then the ink kept sinking into their cheek and I just gave up about five tries in.” He sighed, slurping up the glass of his appletini as if it was a milkshake, sighing as he shrugged. 

“I’m surprised they didn’t wake up despite you drawing on their faces five times.” Twilight remarked before blinking a bit. “Wait, did you say “His sister”?”

“Oh, yes! She’s been at the Griffon Kingdom for quite some time! They’re lovely people, really. Fascinating culture. Just slightly vilified when it comes to their eating habits. So I suppose the two have something in common!” Discord added with a small chuckle. 

“I don’t believe Griffons ever ate a planet.” Rarity remarked.

“As far as you know. Ohhhh, the things I could tell you about the multiverse. Why, I’ve even been to a dimension filled entirely with shrimp!” Discord remarked. “But there was this annoying beetle-esque tentacled demon thing named Illyria already there so it wasn’t quite as fun. She kept eating all the shrimp. And me.” He added, the gang noticing he was suddenly wearing a shirt which read “BuffyxAngel” on the front. He lifted it up, showing off visible bite marks which pulsed for a few minutes before vanishing anew. “Ever seen a shrimp’s eyes, chief? Kinda like doooooll’s eyes.” He added with a faint accent and a chuckle. 

“I’m glad to see you’re helping us.” Fluttershy insisted as Discord nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “And did you have something to do with the Huntsman finding his sister again?”

“Well, I…I kind of had a lot to make up for.” He quietly muttered, an odd guilt ringing about in his tone that somehow made Fluttershy worry.

“It’s nice he found his sister again. Dad really missed her. She’s all he has left of his family.” Junior admitted, the Halfling pony and Pinkie Pie now looking over a photo album he’d pulled out from his body, Junior showing off several pictures of a much younger-looking Huntsman and his sister, the two of them by a campfire with their parents. It would have been very sweet to see the four of them together, illuminated by the flames in the background, big smiles on all their faces if not for the fact you could clearly see they were all looking extremely gaunt and barely had any meat on their bones. 

“Why are they so thin there?” Pinkie Pie asked before stiffening. “Ohhh. We remember. Our combined soul now understands! That was when the starving time was happening on their planet and everybody had begun eating each other to stay alive. Y’know, Cosmo Sapien doesn’t taste like chicken.”

“Pinkie Pie, why do you know what chicken tastes like?” Twilight wanted to know as Pinkie Pie shrugged slightly, Twilight and the others deciding they’d rather not know, hoping it was just a part of the shared soul Pinkie now had. “At any rate, I’m feeling good about our chances tomorrow. I think we can do this.”

THE NEXT DAY

“We are so bucked.” 

Standing by the Huntsman on the plains outside Ponyville was a sight they hadn’t expected. They’d been prepared for his sister, the jewelry-wearing, more slender yet mighty Huntress who stood by his side with almost cute pink eyes. She waved cheerily at the group, giving them a slightly sheepish, almost apologetic smile, two little adorable horns poking up from atop her forehead as she stood by her big brother. It was kind of a cute scene.

Or at least it would have been, had our heroines not seen the other figures standing by them, tall, proud and very, very pissed. 

Queen Chrysalis’s green, slimy mane had an odd, energetic shine to it as she “harrumphed” and snorted, glancing over at the armored, cape-wearing unicorn by her side. The black-maned, green-eyed, red-pupiled King Sombra, the Shadowlord, seemed to be in full power and he looked amused at the assembled young lasses and lads before him. His gauntleted hooves jingled a bit as he tried to suppress his laughter, looking all of them over.

“I believe, perhaps, we should request a box of thin mints?” He inquired of the armored alicorn of darkest night, her deep blue mane flowing freely, eyes a piercing blue. Night Mare Moon stood in her full dark attire, grinning her fanged grin, her slender legs keeping her mighty form high as he sneered at Twilight.

“Miss me, my little foals?” She remarked, putting an armored hoof on her chest and giving them a big, leering smirk. “We have soooo much to talk about! Like how you killed me. Mostly how you killed me. I’m very angry about that.” 

“I cannot believe it myself, sometimes. Defeated by pastel ponies that could double in a gay pride parade.” A dark, gravely voice coldly remarked, throwing off the dark brown hood he wore, exposing his horned, reddish head and his thick, grey beard. Tirek’s eyes were a foul black with eerie golden-yellow pupils, and he folded his arms across his currently well-built chest, his tail nonchalantly swishing back and forth with obvious amusement at the scene before him.

“Oh, seriously?! You’re not just mean, you’re a homophobe too!?!” Pinkie Pie growled out. 

“Well now, that language is just uncalled for.” Rarity said with a dark glare at Tirek. “How uncouth. You keep very, very questionable company, Huntsman.”

The Huntsman actually looked hurt about this as he bit his lip and glanced to the side. “It isn’t personal.” He murmured. “But who am I to turn down those that wish to make this an even more amazing challenge, especially with the understanding that should they lose, I’ll consume them, but if they win, I will grant them anything they’d like that’s within my power? They couldn’t resist.”

“Let’s get these creeps.” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. “I’m about to turn you Cosmo Sapiens from “endangered” to extinct!” 

“Sweetie, we’re the species that endangers you.” The Huntress said with a bit of a smirk. “And this prehistoric bitch is gonna show you how we do things downtown.” She added, an enormous bow and arrow set emerging from her chest, the group scattering as an enormous flurry of arrows shot through the air, intending to skewer them as Discord stood nearby, dressed in cheerleader attire and commanding an array of Discord clones.

“Go ahead! Make them quake! Stick the Elements in that snake! Goooo Ponies!” He proclaimed, spinning through the air as his clones launched him up again and again, spelling out the letters to “Ponies” with each toss whilst Junior and Chrissy ran alongside their mother, Fluttershy’s element of Harmony bouncing about on her body as The Huntsman raced alongside her, looking down at the kids.

“Are those-?”

“Yes. They are.” She admitted, the Huntsman looking guilty as they came to a halt, with him holding up his spear and flinching.

“You wouldn’t hit a kid, would you dad?” Junior nervously asked, he and Chrissy immediately putting on some positively adorable little dresses and suits as their eyes went was big and wide as saucers with expressions that would give Bambi himself a run for his money. 

“Well, I really shouldn’t.” He admitted, lowering the spear.

“That’s what I was counting on!” Chrissy remarked, headbutting her dad squarely in the crotch. 

“Ooooooh! He ain’t havin’ any kiddies in this timeline!” Discord remarked from the sideline, the Huntsman clutching his “Crown Jewels” and moaning in agony as Fluttershy put a hoof over her mouth.

“Oh dear. Please forgive me, I know they hit you very hard!”

“When people say kids will break your balls, they’re not supposed to mean it so literally.” The Huntsman managed to grunt out as he struggled to get to his feet.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were standing together, Rainbow Dash looking over the Huntress as she readied some more arrows. “Pinkie, you gotta plan?”

“Oh, you know it.” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, giving Rainbow Dash a big grin. “We’ve been thinking about it long and hard, and we’ve got a great idea!” 

“I’ll stall her. You get started on it.” Rainbow Dash whispered to her friend, barreling forward, her body glowing with tantric energy as the Huntress blinked in surprise. She reeled back again and again, Dash swinging her hooves through the air, the Huntress trying to block the sudden, surprisingly swift flurry of attacks. “You’re not touching my friends!”

“Wow, you learned how to manipulate tantric energy? Such raw spiritual power, such magical intensity! Too bad I’ve gotta kill you.” The Huntress admitted with a sigh as she suddenly headbutted Rainbow Dash back, putting up her own dukes as she put the bow and arrow away, the two circling each other as now it was Dash who was under assault from a flurry of punches. “But I’ve got to end the catfight jokes before they start.”

“You had dived into my lair, and you had endured quite a scare. But will you share in my nightmare shall be my only question?” King Sombra whispered to Spike and Twilight as Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis chased after Rarity and Applejack respectfully, the two elements of Harmony expertly diving and dodging the blasts of dark magic being thrown at them. The monstrous king slammed his hoof down into the ground as a chasm opened up, hellfire spitting out from within as Spike and Twilight rolled away, Spike growling as his claws dug into the grass.

“Oh, you like to play with fire, do you?!” He snarled, belching a greenish fireball at King Sombra, who batted it aside only for Twilight’s potent lightning spell to slam into him and send him spiraling through the air. He re-righted himself, landing on the ground, twitching slightly from the electrical stimuli as his eyes brightly glowed, Twilight staring into his eyes-

Before suddenly finding herself in a large, blood-and-rust-covered room, enormous beetles sitting in chairs around her, one of them dressed in a psychologist’s suit whilst holding a clipboard and leering darkly at her as ugly slime dripped from its mandibles. “Hewwo, Twilight. Welcome to dah black bug room! Everybody’s got a black bug room! Dis is yours!” 

“Behold, dear readers, the very nature of war! For it is not merely a struggle against one’s enemies, but a struggle against one’s very being!” Discord proclaimed, speaking, somehow, to people who weren’t even there as Rarity, currently pinned to the ground by Night Mare Moon, struggling to get the being off of her.

“You had made a fine host before, and I’m sure you’ll make a great one again. I mean, just look at our hair.” She darkly chuckled, turning into “Nightmare Rarity”, long, flowing purple locks bouncing about as she poofed them a bit. “However do we get it to shine so amazingly? We were made for each other.” 

“I apologize for doing the only unrefined thing I will ever do in my entire life.” Rarity proclaimed, promptly biting Night Mare Moon on the leg, making the entity howl and reel back, Rarity’s knee then coming up into her face, sending her flying back as Chrysalis and Applejack tried to forces the other down, Chrysalis mockingly using Appleack’s visage. Wait. Which one was which? 

“Hmm.” Tirek murmured, looking left, then looking right. “Which one, which one.” 

“I hate how he’s looking at us like we’re a buffet table and he’s trying to choose the special or his usual favorite.” The first Applejack muttered.

“Yeah, don’t tell me. Men like him are disgusting.” The second Applejack agreed. 

“I’m going to stomp your head in! Hold still!” King Sombra roared out, his hooves coming down on Spike again and again as the little dragon kept rolling away,  Twilight sitting on her butt to the right, muttering to herself.

“Spike, Spike we should talk, the bugs, the bugs all say-”

“Snap out of it!” Spike yelled. “I’m getting killed over here by tall, dark and spooky!”

“You haven’t seen Tall Dark and Spooky.” King Sombra growled, his body beginning to shift and change, now forming into a towering mass of black smoke that was rising high above Spike.

“Look out!” A cheery voice remarked, Rainbow Dash going flying through the air, slamming hard into the Applejacks, one of them popping back into Chrysalis’s form as Tirek smirked darkly, grinning at the real one and lifting her up by the neck, slamming her into the ground again and again.

“Oh come now, what happened to all that spirit? Is this the best you can do?” He asked with a sneer before Applejack struck him in the face, making him drop her and take a few stunned steps back before she swept her leg, knocking him onto his back as Chrysalis rose back up, fuming as she glared at Rainbow Dash, Rarity racing over to Pinkie Pie.

“I could use some assistance!” She remarked before realizing Pinkie Pie now looked quite different, actually. She appeared to be dressed in blue and gold and white attire, her hair tied into pigtails as ribbons that held them together cascaded through the air, the Huntress gaping at the sight.

Then Pinkie Pie spun about on the ground, right on top of her head, legs held out. The Butterfly Kick spun her around and around like a record baby, right round, right round, right into the Huntress, kicking her in the face again and again and again as Chrysalis and Rarity gaped at the sight, the Huntsman finally rising to his feet to look at the scene before him as well.

“Oh my.” He murmured. 

“Discord, I don’t mind you being so passionate about this, but-” Fluttershy remarked as Discord finished up his cheer, the Huntsman turning in his direction as well, both he and Fluttershy saying the same thing.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you actually going to help?”

The two then blinked, Fluttershy finally being the first to respond, an ugly thought rising in her head as she looked from the other villains to Discord, her eyes narrowing. “Discord? Did. You. Bring. Them. Here?!” She said, her voice soft but with an edge. 

“I couldn’t help it. The idea of all of you fighting the worst threats Equestria ever had all at once?” Discord remarked with a shrug of his shoulders, Rarity tugging on Chrysalis’s mane as loud, cat-esque shrieking filled the air, Pinkie Pie and the Huntress deciding to just enjoy the sight as the Huntress shared some popcorn with the transformed, soul-sharing Element of Laughter. “It was just too cool to pass up, dear Fluttershy!” He proclaimed, spreading his arms wide.

“I’m going to punch your face with my face!” Applejack snarled at Tirek, headbutting him only to reel back, howling as she held her face. “OWWW! What the heck do y’all eat for breakfast!? Bricks?!?” 

“Five dozen eggs and I’m roughly the side of a barn.” Tirek proclaimed, holding up a clawed fist and slamming it into the ground as a pulsating reddish/black shockwave of energy rippled up from it. It surged forth, slamming hard into Applejack and sending her spiraling backwards through the air as Spike launched himself at Twilight, shaking her over and over as King Sombra advanced.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” He yelled out. “I could really use your help!” 

“You brought back our worst enemies because you thought it would be fun?!” Fluttershy groaned, tugging her face down before Discord was promptly kicked right in the balls by the Huntsman this time, making him reel back, groaning in agony as the Cosmo Sapien “harrumphed”.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Fluttershy remarked, Junior biting into Chrysalis’s leg, making her bounce about in agony whilst Rarity’s horn sparked and Chrysalis’s own hair began to tie her up, little Christabella tugging on the shadowy form of King Sombra, trying to tug him away from Twilight and Spike, Twilight slowly recovering her senses.

“Sometimes “Bad Discord, bad” isn’t sufficient.” The Huntsman remarked before Fluttershy walked over to Discord and knelt by him, whispering in his ear. “Are you trying to apologize for me? Look, Fluttershy, don’t-”

“Actually, I wanted to ask him a favor in exchange for me forgiving him.” Fluttershy admitted, suddenly picking Discord up by the leg and flying right up into the air. “I am so, so very sorry for this!” She added, the Huntsman gaping stupidly for a minute before realizing what she was about to-

WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACK! She began hammering the Huntsman over the head again and again, pounding him into the ground like a nail through a block of wood, using Discord like a gigantic hammer. The Huntsman groaned, stars swirling around his head as Discord spat out a tooth, licking the empty space where it had been with his tongue before cringing.

“Ohhh, now I have to go see the Dentist. And Dr. Sweet Tooth is insane!” The Spirit of Chaos muttered. 

“I’m siiiiingin’ in the raiiiin! What a gooooreist feeling!” King Sombra laughed, his cloudy form sporting spiked tentacles, slashing and slicing at Twilight, Spike and Chrissy as they bolted away from him, Rarity now leaping on the back of Tirek, covering his eyes as he angrily growled and tried to rip her off. Luckily, Junior had grabbed hold of his butt and bit hard into it, making him howl as Applejack held her back hooves up, Rainbow Dash resting on them as they prepared themselves, Night Mare Moon staring in surprise at the two.

“You cannot be serious.” She remarked, Applejack kicking Rainbow Dash through the air like a football, Dash surrounding herself in potent tantric energy. She shot towards Night Mare Moon like a fired cannonball, enveloped in a light bluish/red blaze, eyes faintly aglow as Night Mare Moon raced towards her, her form surrounded in a dark miasma of black magic.

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was playing a game with the Huntress, and had just put down her latest assault. She’d been missing a bit more than her opponent, unfortunately. And unlike her-

“B-12.” The Huntress remarked, Nee giggling a bit as Pinkie Pie folded her arms across her chest and sighed, hanging her head. 

“A hit! And my favorite vitamin I might add!” She admitted before putting down a small red piece on her display screen. “A-1!”

“Oh! You sank my battleship!” Nee-Buh-Loh proclaimed, whacking the sides of her cheek in surprise as Pinkie Pie threw her arms up in the air. 

“Woohoo! I am the smart! I am the smart! I am the smart!” 

“Once I’ve killed you three, I will mount your heads atop my castle ramparts so that I will always remember the time we shared together.” King Sombra cheerily remarked, Twilight stepping forward, her eyes faintly glowing as the Element of Harmony on her chest sparked bravely.

“I’ve gotten far stronger than I was when I met you, Sombra. And you! Don’t! Scare me!” She roared out, purplish/black energy swirling about her like a maelstrom as she rose higher and higher into the air, thrusting her hooves forward as he launched himself at her, Sombra’s smile beginning to fade when he realized she was beginning to overpower him. And then his smile turned into a scream when Junior held Spike up like a bazooka, the little dragon letting out a furious, potent roar, as a wave of green flame slammed into Sombra like he’d been shoved into a furnace. King Sombra screamed and screamed, his body turning back to normal as he struggled to put out the flames all over his body.

Meanwhile, Tirek had slammed Rarity and Chrissy’s heads together and had tossed their unconscious bodies to the side, walking towards Pinkie Pie as she faced him down, the Huntress wisely standing far, far away from the two before Discord suddenly rose up from between them, now dressed in samurai attire, holding a katana high. “No. I finish this. You betrayed me and you hurt my friends, and I owe you a beating.” Discord remarked darkly, spinning the katana blade on one claw digit before pointing it at Tirek, who cracked his knuckles and spread his arms wide, two swords of magical energy forming on the spot in his grip.

“Stop pretending you’re the good guy. You were happy to bring us here in the name of an interesting fight. You only care about your own self-interest.” Tirek said with a cold smirk. “You just like pretending you’re so much better than that when you’re as horrible as we are.”

Their blades clashed, Tirek trying to shove Discord down, Discord trying to force Tirek back, two bearded badasses locked in deadly combat, the others gathering around.

“Can we take the shot?” Rainbow Dash asked. 

“I don’t think we can attack using the Elements of Harmony without hitting Discord!” Twilight admitted. 

“This is between us!” Discord insisted. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do!”

“Oh, you mean like turning people’s brains into jello? Mind-raping little girls? Shutting down entire power grids in cities and transforming oceans into molasses for fun?” Tirek sneered darkly, Discord’s face beginning to turn pale with a mixture of horror and fury. “I’ve read the old tales of what happened when you reigned. Do you know how many people died because of your “fun”? 10,192 from the “cute, fuzzy creatures” you made into killing machines because you thought it’d be funny to give squirrels sabretooth fangs. 200,931 dead when you made the mountain ranges to the west into chocolate. They all melted, caused a flood, and drowned entire towns! And then, of course, when you returned and bounced about Ponyville, the entire hospital staff here became babies. Would you like to know how many died because their doctors weren’t tending to them? How many children died? One minute they’re being operated on, the next, their chest cavities are open and the doctor is bawling about his diaper!” 

Everyone was quiet, their faces showing taut lines, Fluttershy looking horrified as Discord became more and more pale, and was quivering, as if about to fall apart. His body felt like it was on fire as he gripped the katana tightly.

“If you really wanted to do the noble thing, you’d lay down and die, and bring reeeeaaal harmony to this pretty little world.” Tirek hissed, Discord gritting his teeth, almost on his knees.

“Not! My! Style!” Discord managed to get out before he suddenly leapt high, high above Tirek, mouth opening up as an enormous stream of confetti piled right out of his mouth and on top of Tirek, burying him in the confetti. Tirek’s furious face popped out of the pile and Discord, swinging his fist around and around like a little tornado, popped the ugly monster right in his puss with a potent punch, a satisfying ring of a boxing bell letting him know the big guy was out. “But that? Is my style!” 

“You are quite impressive.” The Huntsman admitted, pulling himself out from the ground, bleeding atop the head where Fluttershy had used Discord on him. “And you’ve beaten me and my sister. I’ve got to say, it was quite enjoyable to actually witness others fighting for once, rather than engage in a fight myself. You caught me quite off-guard.” 

“Using me as a hammer was brilliant! And creepy. Maybe I’m a bad influence on you.” Discord admitted to Fluttershy as she nervously blushed. 

“Definitely.” Applejack intoned.

“We will bury you!” Chrysalis growled out, still tied-up but now in a pile with Tirek, Sombra and Night Mare Moon as the Huntress stood by them, cheerily smiling at our heroines and heroes. 

“You’ve all done so well. You’re real credits to your species.” She admitted. “And since you beat us, a deal is a deal. Whatever you want, you’ll get from us. But first we should deal with these punks.” She remarked, jabbing her thumb down at the assembled villains.

“And make things right by returning you two back to normal and you two back to your rightful homes.” Discord remarked, poofing himself between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and then between Junior and Chrissy, giving the two noogies atop the head. 

“You may with to leave whilst we show these four their fate.” The Huntsman added as he nodded in the direction of the downed villains. “We warned them that if they lost, their lives were forfeit.”

“Yes, ah, this next bit ain’t for kiddies.” Discord remarked, quickly ushering everyone away as the Huntress and the Huntsman turned on the four incapacitated forms beneath them, the two licking their lips.

“Well?” The Huntsman asked. “Ladies first. And I mean that both ways.” He remarked, Nee-Buh-Loh going towards Chrysalis, lifting her up into the air and giving the Changeling Queen a big, dark grin.

“Y’know, your race prides itself on changing their appearance. Now you’ll get to change mine.” She commented with a slight giggle.  "What are you doing!?" Queen Chrysalis exclaimed, her voice muffled by Nee-Buh-Loh's considerable bosom as she was shoved head-first into the Huntress’s chest.

Nee shrugged. "Something my mother showed me how to do quite some time ago. See, all I do is just push you down, concentrate a bit and-" Queen Chrysalis's head popped into a space she realized must be the inside of Nee-Buh-Loh’s breasts. The warm confines of the jugs were dripping with milk, and almost comfortable, actually, even though Chrysalis was well aware of the fact she was being shoved! Into someone else’s breasts!  

"Are you bucking crazy!?" Hollered Queen Chrysalis. She started flailing her arms around as Nee-Buh-Loh pushed her father in. Nee-Buh-Loh stopped which caused Queen Chrysalis to stop too as she felt a soft tingly sensation around her chest. Nee-Buh-Loh was massaging her, cooing tenderly. Pleasure and disgust mingled in Queen Chrysalis's mind as the massage commenced. Orgasmic spasms ran through the Changeling’s body, and she shook and squirmed.  She didn’t like feeling so violated.

Outside, Nee-Buh-Loh was getting more pleasure out of it than Queen Chrysalis. Her chest engorged by it's flailing prey, she massaged one of her nipples with one hand and Queen Chrysalis's rear in the other.  “See now, this ain’t so bad. I’m really gentle about this. Far too nice a fate than you deserve, everything considered. At least I’m honest about what I am and what I do. I don’t stab people in the back by pretending to be something I’m not just to get close to them. I’d rather have someone look me in the eye and tell me they’ll fuck me than smile and say they won’t right before they stab me in the back.” 

Chrysalis snarled at her from inside the breasts, the Cosmo Sapien frowning a bit, Night Mare Moon trapped in the Huntsman’s grip as she struggled to get away.

“I suppose playtime's over." Nee-Buh-Loh said abruptly as she grabbed Queen Chrysalis again, hoisted more of her body up, and continued stuffing the changeling down her hungry cleavage. Nee-Buh-Loh’s breasts slowly slurped up Queen Chrysalis's chest, struggling to get her in. But soon it was inside alright, the Changeling Queen’s entire chest and head pushed farther into the interior of Nee-Buh-Loh's bosom, which churned around, pushing it's prisoner to and fro. 

“You’re insane! Completely insane!” 

"Mmm, no matter how many times I do this, it always feels great!" Nee-Buh-Loh moaned. 

“Don’t do this! Please!”	

“Don’t. Please. Stop. Bet you heard THAT a lot, huh!?” Nee snarled. “Now you’re helpless and you have the girl balls to beg? Shut up and take it like a wo-man!” The Cosmo Sapien snapped. The queen’s torso was almost completely inside Nee-Buh-Loh now, and soon all that was left of the queen were a butt and a pair of legs, the rest now contributing to a pair of massive mammaries. Proud of her achievement, she grinned devilishly, squeezing Chrysalis’s behind.

"Oh, look at this cute little ass." She teased.

“Sister, come now.” Neh-Buh-Loh remarked. “I think you’ve “played with your food” quite enough.” 

“You’re right. I might as well finish her off." The Huntress admitted, finishing pushing Queen Chrysalis into her ever-growing boobs, the queen now being massaged on all sides in the milk-filled, dark expanse that was here breasts, Nee sighing blissfully as the Huntsman looked down at Night-Mare Moon, now stripped of her armor, trying even now to get free.

“I’m going to give you a gentle end. Take comfort in that, if nothing else.” He insisted to her.

“Don’t you condescend me you-” She began to snarl before the Huntsman thrust her head down, something rising up. And with a careful, tiny little “pop”, his cock  had very gingerly engulfed the villainess's head.

"Ohhhh, yessss!" The Huntsman growled aloud, as his entire body shook from the pleasure. This was what he'd been waiting for. No small fry. A real meal for his loins. True satisfaction. Gritting his teeth - he had to hold out until the monstrous mare was entirely in his balls - he shoved slightly further, squeezing in the shoulders as he did so. As they slipped in, he began humping into the air in time with his pulling, sending Night Mare Moon through his slit with a push, then back, then a push, then back. Each motion sent the Huntsman through reels of pleasure - but even that was just preparation for the best part.

“Almost there!” The alien hunter roared in pleasure, as his entire body tensed in pleasure of what would have been an orgasm had he not had a very large evil alicorn been blocking his shaft. The moment Night Mare Moon’s head reached the cum in his balls, she’d realized her struggles were futile. It was almost a shame, her struggling had a massaging effect on his manhood, but all good things have to come to an end. 

Neh-Buh-Loh remained put for a moment, just relishing the surge of emotions. The evil villainess was in his shaft up to her chest buckle and was helpless to do anything. His cock was hungry and it was going to eat, slurping her up of is own accord. It worked its way up, taking in her torso fully, then her legs, and then she was fully curled up inside his sack.

“Dinner and a show.” Nee-Buh-Loh giggled, turning to Sombra and Tirek, rubbing her chin as the two villains struggled to get up, their bodies worn out and just about helpless from the fight. “I’ll take the unicorn, you get the centaur.”

The Huntsman cracked his knuckles. “I’m afraid that you aren’t getting off easy.” He remarked darkly to Tirek whilst Nee dragged Sombra away.

“Gah! Wait! No! You can’t! Stop!”

“I’m going to make sure you ain’t hurting anybody else ever. again.” The Huntress remarked with an air of faint menace. 

“And what do you intend to do with me?” Tirek muttered darkly. “Where’s your sense of honor? Killing an opponent you know who cannot fight back?”

“You’re trying to weasel out of the fact you lost to the others and know you don’t stand a chance. My powers don’t come from magic, they’re natural biological functions on a level you can’t understand. Much like how you don’t really understand honor. Or compassion. Or even friendship.” The Huntsman added with a small smile. “And you know, one day they might even forgive you for what you did. But me?”

The Huntsman raised a clawed hand up and it sliced downward, Tirek howling in agony as one of his horns went flying off, blood splurting forth from where it had been moments before, the alien hunter’s eyes cold and pitiless.

“I don’t like cowards who take power from others. Like my sister, I’m honest about what I am and I hate what I do. You, though?” A  smile without humor spread across his features as his other hand shot forward, snapping Tirek’s other horn off as the centaur screeched. “A little something to remember me by before you meet your face.” He proclaimed, holding the terrified Tirek up into the air before thrusting him into his chest. “It takes incredible effort to send something down to a specific planet, but luckily the souls within me had a fine idea of where to put you!” 

Tirek struggled to get free, howling and screeching, his many legs flailing as he kept spiraling down, down through the infinite darkness, tugged along by thousands of invisible hands, furious growls and snarls echoing in his ears. He was going to be punished for his lifetime of cruelty by the one place he’d never be able to escape. And since the Huntsman had already “just ate”, he didn’t need to claim Tirek’s body. It would take quite some effort to not consume the stranded Tirek whenever he got hungry again, but the Huntsman was determined to keep the monstrous sorcerer trapped inside him for the rest of his miserable life. Not that he’d let Tirek knew that.

“You should consider yourself lucky I decided not to just absorb and digest you.” The Huntsman’s voice echoed above the chorus of the others as Tirek moaned, rubbing his head in agony as he tried to stand up in the grassy plains he’d landed on. “I could do it at any time, “outlander”. But instead I’ll leech off your magical power and spiritual energy every day to satiate me whilst I keep you alive and helpless in your new home!”

“I’ll find some way out of here.” Tirek swore, trying to form a small fireball in his clawed hand, growling angrily as he rose up, glancing around the oddly pastel land, a sickening smell of strawberry drifting through the air. “Where is “here” anyhow?!” 

“Hiya!” A cheery voice remarked, Tirek turning around to see a bear with a big red heart on its chest grinning up at him, surrounded on all sides by similar bears in odd colors, all of them cheerily waving at him. “I’m Love-A-Lot Bear! This is True Heart Bear, and that’s-”

Tirek’s mouth hung open so wide you could have shoved a watermelon into it.

“Oh you sonofa-” 

Meanwhile, Nee had returned and was cheerily smirking, turning around for her brother to take a good look. “Notice anything different about me? I’ll give you a hint. It ain’t a haircut.”

“Is it me or is your rear considerably-oh!” Neh-Buh-Loh blinked in surprise. “You did that? I didn’t think you’d ever do that. I mean, that’s an exceptionally unpleasant way to take in our prey.”

“For them. Not for me.” Nee remarked. “Though his horn would be a problem, but I did it!” She proclaimed, rubbing one of her butt cheeks and smirking a bit as it quivered slightly. 

Indeed, she had. Resting her body on the ground, lifting her legs up to show off her anal slit, she’d pushed Sombra’s muzzle into it with one of her clawed hands, the other resting on her stomach. With a happy moan and a soft sucking sound, his head had gotten pulled inside the massive hunter’s butt. He gasped in shock, immediately feeling the powerful muscles of her ass working around his head. It was very tight and hot in there, and rather unpleasantly so, like being stuffed in a tight furnace of flesh as his shoulders were sucked in, now they too were working past her tight hole.

The Huntress rose up, panting happily as she shoved her plaything deeper inside her rear end, his chest already gone and she was now nearing the stomach. She could hardly wait for the moment where her toy would be locked inside her intestines. The tunnel sucked him in deeper still, starting to pull in Sombra’s hips next as they slipped inside, then the legs began to slowly enter. 

“Ohhh my. You’ve no idea how this feels.” Nee-Buh-Loh remarked, Sombra screaming at the top of his lungs inside of her rear, more and more of him being drawn in by the second, more of the intestinal walls working him into her. The hot, muscular insides were hungrily devouring the unicorn sorcerer inch by inch, getting him closer and closer to his final resting place. With a deep, exotic moan, his hooves now vanished inside her rear, and all that remained was a very lovely booty that was visibly bigger, the Huntress rubbing it proudly.

“Just finish him off.” The Huntsman remarked. 

“Did you finish your own meal off?” She asked of him as he sighed, shrugging.

“Good point. But I want him to understand he deserves his fate by having him suffer longer.”

“Same with me.” She reasoned, folding her arms over his chest. “He treated people like crap his entire life. Now he gets to know what it feels like for once. He shouldn’t get to complain.”

“We should return to Ponyville. No doubt our little friends wish to make their requests of us.” The Huntsman admitted, Discord suddenly appearing right next to them, with everyone else by his side. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie appeared to be normal again, and Fluttershy’s possible children were no longer there, but despite everything being settled, they seemed…nervous about something. “What is it?”

“Well, we got to thinking. We’ll never have to worry about those big jerks ever again because of you.” Rainbow Dash admitted.

“You’re both incredibly strong, and have a surprising amount of, well, chivalry.” Rarity admitted.

“And if it wasn’t for the fact you kinda eat people, we’d love for you to stay.” Applejack admitted. “We feel bad for you, but we’re still really scared of whatcha can do. So we don’t know what to ask of you.”

“So we asked Discord if maybe he could help, but he said he tried when you two were asleep. And he drew penises on your face.” Pinkie Pie added, the two Cosmo Sapiens whipping their head in his direction, growling a bit.

“Hey, you kept absorbing the ink, so it’s all good!” He insisted.

“But though he may not be able to do anything on his own, much like perhaps I couldn’t help you on my own, we’d like to ask this. Would you, uh.” Twilight nervously bit her lip and glanced to the side. “We think there’s so much good you could do for Equestria if you stayed. Would you do that? Stay here? Make this your new home? At least for a little while whilst we work on making sure you don’t need to keep eating people?” 

The Huntsman glanced over at his sister as she gave him a small smile, and he turned to look at Fluttershy. “Well, I…there’s some very lovely reasons to stay.” He admitted as she blushed, seeing him smile warmly at her. “I’d be willing to try to put my trust in all of you. But I should warn you, others did try before. They couldn’t find one even after several years of searching. And I was practically starving through it all.” He added with a nervous rubbing of the back of his neck.

“Being friends means taking a risk with your heart. It means trust.” Fluttershy admitted quietly. “And I’d like to start from the beginning. I’m Fluttershy.” She said with a smile, extending a hoof as the Huntsman got to one knee, and took it in a gigantic hand.

“Neh-Buh-Loh.” He remarked. “A pleasure to meet you.”





Discord, was at the far end of Ponyville, atop Twilight’s castle as he helped her set up a telescope, smiling broadly as he peeked in through the other end. “There’s Sirius, right on schedule. There’s Betelgeuse, right on schedule! And finally.” 

He grinned broadly, pulling the telescope down to peer across Ponyville and towards a particular hill quite some distance from the town. “There’s Fluttershy and her new beau at Make-Out Point, right on schedule.”

“Whaaaaaat?!” Twilight exclaimed. 

“I’d suggest giving me a Zoom lens, but we both had a big lunch today and I don’t want to upset you.” Discord laughed before Twilight whacked him over the head with a copy of the astrology book “Seeing Stars”, irony immediately making him drop to the ramparts of the castle. 

Meanwhile, the starry night skies twinkled high above Ponyville as Neh-Buh-Loh and Fluttershy laid on the hill above the town, a single tree providing some shade for the two as they sat together, the Huntsman pointing at one star after another.

“And that one, what’s that?”

“That’s the constellation Equestris, named after the ancient city that sank into the ocean.” The yellow-furred pony informed him. “See, there’s the tower, there’s the steeple, there’s the little buildings all about it, and there are all the people!” She added, gesturing at the constellation high above their heads and slightly to the right, the alien nodding as he “saw” what she saw.

“I see, I see. And that one over there, it sort of resembles a dragon with that little red planet off in the distance.”

“Ooh, you guessed right! We call that one “Spyrokan and the Angels”. Its an old dragon legend that’s been passed to ponykind as well. It tells of a nice dragon who had two wonderful friends that helped him do nice deeds for other people. See, they’re there in his palm and he’s holding them tight to his chest to protect them.” Fluttershy explained as she waved her hoof to outline the constellation properly, the Huntsman taking notice of a particularly nice-looking star twinkling brightly just to the right of the moon as it hung softly in the night sky.

“And what constellation does that little blue one belong to?”

“Oh, that’s Blue Breezy. The Breezies are cute little fairy creatures, and the Blue Breezy is a magical one that turned a toy pony into a real one!” Fluttershy admitted as she tapped her hooves together, the Huntsman putting an arm around her shoulder and smiling down at her. “He went from being a plushy to an alicorn! The first first male alicorn ever.”

“I can’t wait to play “guess the constellation” with Nee tomorrow night. I’m going to blow her away.” The Huntsman bragged slightly before he slightly hesitated and then spoke, his tone becoming softer and quieter. “You know, Fluttershy, I have a good feeling about this. I’m…I’m really happy I stayed.” 

Fluttershy smiled, resting her head against the side of his body, nuzzling up against the soft black satin of his skin.

And she whispered “Me too.”