A new threat makes itself known in Manehattan, and the princesses realize it far too late. Now, they must seek help from someone who knows how to slay monsters.
Red has spent a long life hunting the monsters that threaten her world, creatures that are thought to be naught but legends. They have been considered fairy tales by the general population for hundreds of years. But then, so has she. Now, when another world faces the same beasts that she worked so hard to drive to extinction, she must leave the world she saved, and do it again.
"Sister, what do you make of these reports of disappearing citizens coming in from Manehattan?" A regal voice asked from the other side of the breakfast table.
"Ah, those," Came the equally regal reply. "I'm not quite sure what to make of them. They seem to hold a pattern, but I haven't heard of anything like this before. But I suppose you have a plan, Celestia. You always have a plan."
"Well, I did." The princess looked up at her sister from her morning meal before continuing carefully, "But I'm not too sure anymore. I was going to have Twilight and her friends investigate, but I'm afraid this might be too dangerous."
Luna took a long look at her sister over her own breakfast with a quizzical glare. "Too dangerous? Since when has anything been too dangerous for them? They have defeated the greatest threats in our long history, threats that gave ourselves incredible challenge thousands of years ago. What could be too dangerous?"
"It's just..." Celestia cast her gaze down to her barely touched food. "I'm scared, Luna. During your time away, there were many threats I myself had to face, and I have seen this before."
"You have?" The moon princess stared at her sister, waiting for her to continue.
"Yes. About three centuries ago, there was a strange light coming from the top of this very mountain. I flew up to investigate, but the light was gone before I got there. To this day, I have not discovered the cause nor the purpose of it, but what I did find was a monster. This creature was twice the size of you or I, and it was covered in hair. It had pale yellow eyes, and huge fangs. It was vaguely wolf-shaped, but the scariest part of the beast was it's voice."
"You mean to say it spoke?" Luna asked incredulously.
"Yes, sister. For it spoke with a voice I shall never forget. It was deep, as one would expect from something so large, but it was also intelligent. It was the voice of a creature who was old and wise. Sly, cunning, and malicious. More so were the words that came from it's mouth." Celestia looked back to her beloved sister before shuddering, averting her gaze to a nearby wall. "He said that he was the first of many, and that we would find no safety in the light of the full moon, for that was when they would strike."
"What did you do with it then? Surely you did not let a terrifying beast such as that roam free?"
"As I said, he was sly, and cunning. He must have had much more experience than either of us. In the span of a heartbeat, he had leapt at me. I couldn't react, and just the thought of such a large creature moving so fast paralyzed me. By the time I realized what was happening, he was gone."
"I see," Said Luna. "But as horrifying as that thing was, you said that you've seen these kinds of disappearances before. Is it the one responsible? How did you stop it?"
"He wasn't lying. He didn't need to. Within a year, he had a small army of wolf beasts, and attacked Canterlot. It was only the discovery of their greatest weakness that led to their defeat."
"What weakness?"
"Silver." The princess of the sun met her sister's eyes with her own, "But even then, some escaped. I personally saw to the execution of the great leader, but even facing death, the beast seemed amused. He laughed, and said that he would not be so easily defeated. That mere metal could not stop him from praying upon our people, and that one day his pack would return, stronger than ever."
"And the missing wolves are the ones responsible for the missing ponies?"
"I'm afraid so. Which can only mean that they plan a large scale attack, and soon. We must prepare."
"How can we prepare against this, sister?" Princess Luna looked at her sister with concern. "Do you think they have found a way to overcome their weakness to silver?"
"I do not know. What I do know, however, is that we must seek help. We know next to nothing about these creatures or how they operate. But there may be someone who does."
"Who? Who could have learned more about these creatures than you? How are they still alive?"
"Before he died, the beast spoke one final insult. 'You ponies are easy prey. Much easier than the prey from my world."
"It came from another world!? How is this possible?" Luna looked amazed and cynical at the same time. "You said he was cunning. How do we know that he wasn't trying to trick you?"
"How is your scrying, Luna?"
-Berlin, August 20th, 1961-
A woman was running through the streets of Germany as fast as her legs would take her. It was just past midnight, and the city she found herself in was lit by a full moon, though the stars were mostly obscured by the industrious smog that layered the sky. She watched carefully for the holes in the pockmarked road, not daring to risk tripping. The shadows playfully flickered out of the alleyways, almost looking as though they wanted to take her away. She was running out of breath, and her legs burned, but she found herself in a game of cat and mouse, only she was between both hypothetical animals, and the mouse had claws and fangs and an insatiable bloodlust. Today was not going well.
Her name was Red, and not only was she running from the law, but she was also hunting a werewolf. It was her job to make each and every one her prey, after all. After what they did to her family, they were her sworn enemies, and she would slay werewolves forever, if necessary.
Ducking around a corner, she tried to lose her pursuers without losing the trail the clumsy beast had left behind. Seriously, it wasn't her fault she had to be on this side of that stupid wall that had been making her life hell. Although she had it easy by comparison. There had been riots all week, families who wanted nothing more than to see each other. And she could jump it without being caught. Usually.
Red continued running down the alley, heading north when she reached another street. She needed to get away, and she needed to do it quick. Looking to her right, she saw yet another wall of buildings. Rolling her eyes, she adjusted her course until she was sprinting alongside of it. 'Back in my day, there weren't nearly this many buildings. Why are there so many people?' She thought in irritation.
When she got close enough, she leapt up and grabbed hold of a sign, making this particular building as being a flower shop. 'How quaint.' Thought Red as she swung up, letting go at the top of her swing, letting her momentum carry her into the air, before spinning around and grabbing onto an exposed pipe, climbing up as fast as she could.
As she rolled onto the roof, lying still, she could hear the German military running out of the alley she had exited moments ago, only a couple blocks away. She waited a few minutes for them to split up looking for her, before getting up silently and continuing her mad dash north.
The rooftops provided her with a better view of the city, one she couldn't stop to appreciate. Even if she could, she was too jaded from her long life of killing monsters straight from legend to enjoy it.
Stopping suddenly, the woman peered slowly over the edge of the shop she was on. Her senses were telling her she was close. As she searched the alley, she could hear the faint breathing of a large animal just blow her. With her above average ability to see in the dark, she was able to make out the still form of the werewolf crouched behind some wooden crates, waiting for her, no doubt. If she could feel it, it could feel her. He seemed a bit confused on the direction though.
Pulling a long silver dagger from the hidden sheathe in her boot, she crept to the edge of the roof, crouching like a cat, waiting to pounce. She took a deep breath, then sprang down head first, arms outstretched, grabbing the wolf's neck with her empty hand, driving her dagger into the base of his skull, killing him without a sound.
As she stood back up, she wiped her dagger on the beasts receding hair, replacing it in it's proper place, watching as the creature she had just slain slowly turned back into a man in his mid-twenties.
Smiling to herself, she walked back out onto the street, pausing to look at a large window. Inside were all kinds of clothing, but she was making sure her black clothing was blood free. Satisfied with her appearance, she straitened her red riding hood before making her way back to the wall that was between her and her hotel room.
As she slipped back in through her window, Red finally relaxed. After such a long night, she would be surprised if she slept for less than a week. It was six in the morning, and she could already hear some of the more early risers walking around the hotel she was staying in.
After she washed her knife in the bathroom sink, she carefully stowed it and her crossbow under her bed, placing her quiver in the closet.
She then placed her beloved cap on the rack near her door, and shed her clothes, pulling something more comfortable from her suitcase. Then, after a nice, hot shower, she finally put on a large t-shirt and allowed herself to fall asleep.
As she slept, Red found herself in a rather strange dream. For one, she knew she was sleeping, and for two, there was a strange blue creature standing before her. Who was talking. Wait, what was se saying?
"Entschuldigung? Was war das?" Red asked the creature, who looked at her oddly.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" It asked her in English. Oops.
"Oh, you don't speak German? My apologies. Tell me, who and what are you, and where am I?"
"Well, my name is Luna, and I am a pony." She replied.
"Uh-huh," Said Red. "And where am I?"
"You are in an artificial dreamscape that I created for communication purposes."
"Sure. Forgive me for being a bit skeptical, but I am finding this a bit difficult to swallow. Why do you have the wings of a pegasus, and the horn of a unicorn? Even in my time, I knew of no creature such as you."
"I am an alicorn, a princess of my people. How do you know of ponies? After my scrying, I found no evidence of our existence on your world," Luna replied.
"That is because they died out many years ago, and have faded into legend. Sad, but the world has moved on. Speaking of, where are you? I mean, if this is a dream, you must be somewhere else. Unless you are in my room."
"That is a good question," The princess said with mirth in her eyes. "I am in another plane of existence. A parallel world, if you like."
"So you are a traveller!" Red's face lit up in excitement. "Someone who walks between worlds, and carries stories from far away places!"
"Um, I'm not sure I know what you mean," Luna said nervously, not wanting to disappoint this girl.
"Oh," Said Red, her face falling. "Never mind then. Tell me, why are you here?"
"Another good question," Luna said, a serious look on her face this time. "I have come to request aid. I saw you take down that beast a few hours ago, and I need to know everything about them."
"You mean the werewolf?" Red asked.
"Werewolf? Is that what they are called?"
"Yes, they are werewolves, hunters of the night. They appear as normal people during the day, and walk around, and even have normal lives in some cases. However, once a full moon rises, they turn into a terrifying beast that preys on people, devouring some whole, turning others into werewolves like themselves."
"Is there a cure?" Luna asked, suddenly more worried than she already was.
"Of sorts," Red replied. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because three centuries ago, one of these... werewolves... entered our world. Since then, they have infested our land, and preyed upon our little ponies, going unseen and unnoticed until recently." Luna looked at Red with pleading eyes. "Anything you could tell us would be helpful."
Red looked at the pony curiously. "That is certainly a problem. How many do you have? What is your population, by your estimation? Do you live in large cities?"
"We do not know how many are out there. Hundreds at the very least. And our population is small, compared to your world. No more than twelve million, and that is a generous estimate. And we do have a few cities, but for the most part, our ponies live in small towns scattered across the country." Luna turned to look behind her. "I do not have much more time here."
"In that case, know this. It is best to just put them down. Do not try to save them. Their weakness is silver, just touching it causes their flesh to burn." Red looked at the princess closely. "Can you do that? Kill them, I mean?"
Luna looked Red in the eye before replying carefully. "For our ponies, yes. But tell me, if they are such fearsome hunters, how are there so few in your world? Through my scrying, I could only find one werewolf, and you killed it."
"Only one?" Red asked, amazed. "Are you sure?"
"Very sure. You killed the last werewolf on your planet."
Red looked down at her bare feet, realizing she was only wearing the t-shirt she was sleeping in. The last werewolf? How could that be? She had hunted them for so long... she never thought she would actually get all of them. Her family could finally rest in peace.
Looking back to the pony, Red came to a sickening conclusion. Her family had not been avenged. Somehow, the monsters had found their way to another world. Luna's world. And she wouldn't rest until they were eradicated.
"Princess Luna," Red said after careful consideration. "I believe I can help you. The wolves are all dead in my world, right? I am the only one who even knew of their existence. I killed them. I killed them all. And I will not rest until the bastards have all been put down." She looked at the pony before her with a fire in her eyes. "I will gladly continue to do so. Can you take me with you?"
Luna looked at Red in surprise. "Are you sure? Don't you have family and friends who will miss you? And there are so many, how can you do it all yourself? It would take decades!"
Red woke up reluctantly, yawning and stretching. She was not a morning person. If it weren't for the fact that she had to be ready to travel to another world in three days, she would have slept until tomorrow. She was used to packing up and leaving quickly, but this was on a different level entirely.
Changing into a set of her normal clothes, a black skirt and a red shirt covered by a black jacket, she slipped her dagger into her boot and walked out the door. She had work to do.
Red stopped at several shops along the way, picking up things that she might need, such as needles and thread. Do ponies wear clothes? Better safe than sorry.
Another thing she had to pick up was a gun, no matter how much she loved her crossbow. This was going to have to wait until night, with the whole rioting thing happening. This whole war business was getting on her nerves. Why were people fighting each other when there were much more serious threats out there? It made no sense to her.
One problem she was going to run into was while stealing from the military would be easy enough, Red didn't think they carried silver bullets. It would be silly, impractical, and a blatant waste. She was confident the ponies could make her more silver bolts if needed, creating munitions might be a bit too much to ask for.
She wasn't worried about taking goods to trade for room and board. She was going to be defending their nation from monsters, she was reasonably sure she could ask for those. Not from the general population, mind. Luna had been clear on that, only she and her sister would be aware of her existence. This didn't bother her, she didn't talk much anyways.
Lastly, she wanted to pick up a few small game traps. Again, not certain, but ponies were herbivores usually. They might come in handy.
After picking up a whetstone that caught her eye, Red went back to her room, trying to avoid the more dangerous parts of town.
She had finished packing her clothes and extra equipment, and had now spent the last two days waiting outside a Soviet military camp, watching closely. She had been taking note of everything about the patrols and layout of the camp itself. Luckily, it seemed like they weren't worried about cat burglars.
After slipping through a few shadows and hopping a fence, Red made her way over to the quartermaster's tent. Compared to sneaking up on werewolves, this was child's play.
After looking over the selection carefully, Red almost squeed over and old Baretta 1935. While not a very high-powered handgun, she was a sucker for the classics. However, she only found one box of .380 ACP, and the only magazine for it was in the gun. That might be a problem.
Satisfied with her selection, Red slipped out of the camp just as easily as she got in.
On her way back, she was wondering how she was going to get silver bullets, when a black cat with a white tail stopped in the middle of the street almost too far away to see at this time of night. Red started getting concerned, but as she got closer, that familiar feeling returned, alerting her to the presence of a supernatural creature. With the only logical conclusion being the animal in front of her wasn't a cat, she tried speaking to it when she got closer.
"Hello there. It would appear you noticed me before I noticed you. Do you have a name?" Red knelt down when she was about ten feet away, trying to get closer to it's eye level.
The cat just tilted it's head, and meowed at her, blinking it's yellow eyes.
"Ok. Well, if you want to come with me, I am going back to my hotel room." Standing up again, Red kept walking, looking back occasionally to see the cat following her. How strange.
When she got back to her room, the cat followed her in, immediately claiming a pillow on her bed. Whatever the cat was, it only seemed to want some company. Maybe Luna could bring it too? What would she do with a cat? It certainly couldn't come with her when she searched for werewolves, it was making her senses go haywire.
Stowing her newly acquired handgun and accompanying ammo in her suitcase, she realized making new rounds would be taking up a lot of her free time. 'Good thing I read all those books on metallurgy. Knew those would come in handy.'
Looking at the clock, Red saw she only had an our before she left this world for a very long time. Maybe she would come back and see if that whole television thing took off. Personally, she thought it would be just a passing fad. Who would spend all their time in front of a stupid screen?
Other thoughts aside, Red reflected on what she was doing. It scared her. Things she didn't know scared her, and another world? Terrifying. Laying down next to the cat, and earning a light protest followed by gentle snoring, Red wondered if she would ever reunite with her acquaintances. She didn't have any friends, but her business often led to meeting people from the same cut as herself. She had a few people she would miss, certainly. It was difficult to find anyone who had lived as long as her, and not many of those few really appreciated what she did. The only one who even tried to help her was Gretel, and after her brother died, she was so overcome with grief...
Sighing, Red wondered whatever had possessed he two people that came closest to 'friends' to hunt witches. Realizing she was one to talk, she looked back at the clock, seeing she was still ten minutes away from the prearranged meeting. 'Ah well, close enough.'
She reached down and grabbed her suitcase, pulling it up to rest next to her. Grabbing her crossbow and quiver from the stand next to her bed, Red curled up, cradling her favorite weapon, pulling her hood over her eyes, and drifted off to sleep,
Meanwhile, in Canterlot, two sisters were in an argument.
"I still don't think this is a good idea, Luna. You are bringing a dangerous creature to this world, who has proven to be a much greater threat than anything we have now, and let her run around killing our subjects!"
"Celestia, she is a free thinking individual, and is quite reasonable. She will only kill ponies who have been infected and turned into monsters. From what she said, anyone could be a werewolf! Just walking around in broad daylight! She can find them and eliminate them before they get a chance to hurt any more ponies."
"I know, sister, but why did you lie to her? That is what I'm worried about."
"She will never know. We need her, and I did what I had to."
"She'll be angry."
"I said she'll never know! Now if you'll excuse me, I should be meeting her soon. You'll like her, she's very... calculating."
With a victorious grin, a princess walked out of the throne room, hoping her sister wouldn't be too angry with her.
In the nearby town of Ponyville, at an unspecified date, three young fillies were on their way to a boutique. It was getting late, and Rarity would be upset if they didn't get home by sundown. It had been a tiring day of crusading, and all of them were very tired.
"Geez Applebloom, what has gotten into you? You were complaining all day about being tired, and now you can't control your energy enough to wait for us!"
"I don't know what it is Scootaloo, I can't wait to get to Sweetie's place. We should try for our stargazer cutie marks again tonight!"
Sweetie looked over to the young farm pony. "We've done that twice. Besides, it's cloudy. Besides besides, I'm tired. So is Scoots. Maybe another night."
"Don't call me Scoots!" Came an indignant shout from next to Sweetie.
"But the moon is full tonight! Doesn't that sound cool?"
"Bloom, that happens all the time. Like, at least three times a month. Right, Sweetie?"
"Something like that." Sweetie yawned, not wanting to argue with her friend right now.
"Fine. I'll do it myself. I just want to see the moon, then I'll come to bed.
"Uh-huh. Sure. Like that time you came back when you were done seeing Ponyville at night? Or that time you just wanted to catch a firefly? Whatever, I'm tired. If you want to sneak into the Everfree again, go ahead. Just don't get caught please." Scootaloo yawned for the third time since she started her rant, and got a tired grunt from Sweetie.
"Fine. You guys are boring at night, you know that? I'll be a good filly this time."
"Thank you. Now let's go get some sleep." Sweetie almost nodded off as she reached for the door, only just noticing they were had arrived.
In another part of town, Fluttershy was on her way home from visiting her friend Twilight. As much as she loved that mare, when she started talking, she never stopped. It was only after she realized that Fluttershy was standing at the door when she stopped, then apologized for keeping her for so long.
Fluttershy didn't mind though. She just hoped that Angel had taken proper care of the other animals while she was away.
At this rate, she wouldn't be home 'till almost midnight. If she flew home, she could be there sooner, but as she watched the moon rise over the tree line, Fluttershy couldn't help but gasp at the beauty that Luna had crafted tonight. Perhaps a stroll through the warm evening air would be nice.
Red awoke in a bed that was significantly more comfortable than the one she had fell asleep in. She also didn't remember purple sheets. All of this meant that Luna hadn't been lying to her, and she was actually in the land of magical talking ponies. She stood up and stretched, taking stock of the items she had brought with her. Actually, where did they go? A quick look around the room told her that her hosts were wealthy, with the fancy bed and the expensive looking mahogany furniture. It also appeared to be a guest room, if the lack of personality was anything to go by.
Drawing aside the curtains of the windows across the room from her bed, was that silk? Wow, those were some expensive curtains. Getting back on track, she took in the view of a city that was just waking up. The sun was rising, and the multicolored inhabitants were beginning their daily business. Taking a closer look at the city itself, Red marveled at the vibrant whites present in every structure. Berlin was always gray and depressing, and the american cities she had been in recently were gray and shiny. She hadn't seen a city this grand since she was young, and even then, nothing compared to the clean marble that this entire capital was carved from.
"Enjoying the view?" Red jumped in surprise and spun around to meet the newcomer, hands reaching for the dagger that wasn't there.
"Did I startle you? My apologies," said Princess Luna. "I came to inform you that my sister and I wish to speak with you over breakfast, which will be served in an hour. How are you feeling?"
Noticing the caring tone on that last sentence, Red relaxed. "I'm fine, thank you. I just need some time to adjust. I appreciate your concern though," she said with a smile.
"It isn't a problem. Well then, I will leave you in the care of Express Service. He will help you find your way through the castle when you are ready."
"Thank you," Red replied with a quick bow.
After Luna had left, Red changed into something more suited for a formal conversation, after finding her suitcases in the rather large wardrobe in the corner, which was also mahogany. A quick search revealed that her weapons were under her bed, and that the cat was nowhere to be seen, even after calling for it. That was disappointing.
"Maybe it wandered off somewhere. I sure hope so," Red sighed. That was the first friend she'd made in a long time.
Express turned out to be a rather uninteresting conversation partner, and only answered questions with the fewest words possible and leaving no room for small talk. Oh well, hopefully the princesses weren't too preoccupied.
Three turns later, and she was walking up to a door that was quietly opened by a pair of guards in golden armor. A good show of power never hurt anyone.
"Ah, Red, glad you could join us! Come, take a seat," ushered Princess Luna. "This is Celestia, Princess of he Sun," she gestured to her right, where an even bigger alicorn sat. This one, like the city, and most of the palace, for that matter, was white. Like her sister, her mane flowed on an unfelt wind, but was the color of a rainbow. Staring at it for prolonged periods of time might cause seizures. At least, that was the impression Red got from it.
"Good morning, Miss Red. I trust you slept well?" Celestia asked after setting down her cup of tea.
"Very," Red confirmed. Then with a sweet smile, she continued, "So, I heard you were looking to hire a monster hunter?"
"As it stands, yes," Celestia said with a frown. "I never condone the killing of others, no matter their crimes. I despise it, in fact. However, I simply have no other course of action available to me at this time. I understand why you must deal with them in the way you do, but I do not like it."
"Your opinion has been noted, and stored for future reference. Now, before we start talking business, I am going to need some preliminary information."
"We will assist you in any way we can," said Princess Celestia.
"Ok then," Red continued, "how big is your overall population, and what kind of density are we looking at? How many werewolves do you estimate are living amongst them?"
"There are just over twelve million ponies living in Equestria, and most live in major cities, of which we have Canterlot, where we are now, Manehattan, Baltimare, and Fillydelphia to the east, and Las Pegasus and Cloudsdale to the west. There are also a few dozen smaller towns scattered across our country. As to the second question, in short, we have no idea. We were hoping you could give us an estimate after you did some scouting."
"Alright, moving on," she continued, "provisions. I am going to need many things. Food and lodging, ammunition, transportation, those kinds of things. Another thing that needs to be addressed is how I'm going to go to all these places and not cause a panic. From what I've seen, I'm a monster straight out of a fairy tale around here," she said with a grin, the irony not going unnoticed.
"We will discuss that, but first, your waiter is here with your breakfast. I'm sure you're hungry, so we can speak when you're finished."
After a light salad and herbal bread with jade tea, followed by a delicious pastry, the conversation picked up where it had left off.
"We will send you an address for each city you visit. The doors shall be left unlocked, and their will be no occupants. You may use these houses for the duration of your stay. As to how we will keep in touch, we will give you a royal seal." Celestia said.
"Will this allow me to use the mail service?" asked Red.
"No, the item we intend to give you will allow us to send letters back and forth instantly with magic."
"I see. It has been such a long time since I've seen real magic."
"Well, one in every three citizens can use it, so you best prepare yourself. As for food, each house will be fully stocked prior to your arrival, and for the longer stays, we will have food delivered discreetly." Celestia continued. "When it comes to our transportation, you will be given a private train car, where you will not be disturbed. They will be guarded, and the guards are not to let anypony in, nor discuss it's occupants. We also ask that you act with the utmost discretion. We will try to keep your existence a secret for as long as possible. Try not to be discovered, although we do have a plan for when it happens."
"That sounds like a plan. Now I must ask, can you make more of these?" Red produced one of the bullets she had brought with her, as well as one of her silver-tipped crossbow bolt.
Upon inspection, Celestia replied, "Yes, we can make these arrows. But what is this other thing?"
"That is a bullet," Red explained. "I will need the bullet itself to be silver. As for how it works, the 'bullet' is crimped into the brass casing, sealing the propellent inside. In this case, it's gun powder. At the bottom of the whole thing is the primer. When the round is placed into my gun, and I pull the trigger, a pin strikes the primer, igniting a spark, lighting the propellent, and firing the bullet at extremely high speeds."
"I see. I will look into it, but it may take a while." Celestia seemed a bit overwhelmed. Oh well, no gun for a while. She could live with it.
"Last question, when do I start?"
"The train that will be taking you to Ponyville leaves tonight."
"Ponyville?" Red asked. "Why wouldn't I start here?
"Because after fought back the werewolf army many years ago, we had the walls of Canterlot lined with silver. There is no way one could enter, let alone live in this city." Luna explained.
"Clever. So why Ponyville?"
"A few reasons. First, it's the closest settlement, making it the first stop on the most efficient route through our country, as well as the most likely staging grounds for an attack against the capital. Second, it is where the Elements of Harmony, our greatest weapon, lives."
"Lives? Your greatest weapon is a person?" Red asked indignantly.
"There are six of them, but yes, they wield the Elements themselves, which are magical artifacts capable of cleansing corruption and sealing disharmony. They are our nations greatest defense against those that wish it harm. However, they are not assassins, nor would I ever ask them to be." Celestia finished.
"Alright, I think I got it," Red said, placated. "Guess I should pack then."
"Aren't you-" Luna started.
"I was joking." Red interrupted, grinning at her new employers.
"One more thing we need to share with you is the topic of apprentices." Celestia said before Red could stand up.
"Apprentices? Why would I need an apprentice, not to mention more than one?" Red was not only confused, but a bit insulted.
"There may come an opportunity when one of our ponies wishes to join your crusade against the terrors in the night," Luna said. "If this happens, and you deem them capable, we ask that you train them. You may wish to set up criteria beforehand, but we would be willing to pay you extra if you do this. Equestria doesn't have a way to deal with threats within our borders quietly and with lethal force. Should a new threat arise after you leave, we would like to have a small force to rely upon should the need present itself."
After contemplating it for a while, Red nodded. "I see where you're coming from. Very well, should I have the opportunity, I will train a select few apprentices in my craft. I must warn you, there will not be many. My criteria will be strict, and in order for anyone to have the spirit required to fight against the shadows, there can only be one way to acquire it."
"We understand, think it over. Now, your train does not leave until tonight, but in the meantime, we will grant you access to the royal library. You may wish to familiarize yourself with our geography and culture. Everypony in the castle has been sworn to secrecy, and notified of your presence, so you are free to do as you wish until tonight. When it is time to leave, Luna will give you the seal and teleport you and your things directly into the train, and will answer any other questions you may have before then."
"Thank you, Your Highnesses. I shall not disappoint you." Red said, standing and giving a bow. "I look forward to working with you."
After the sun had set, Red made her way back to her room, content that she had learned everything she needed and feeling a bit excited to get back to protecting others from the monsters in the night, the fact that they were ponies made little difference to her.
When she was done checking her luggage, and had herself strapped up with all of her 'equipment,' she sat patiently for a short time before she heard a knock on her door. Verbally granting access to the pony on the other side, Luna stepped in.
"Well, Red, this is it. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Glad to hear it. Tomorrow night is a full moon, and we ask that you save as many ponies as you can before they go on a rampage."
"I shall do my best."
"That's all I can ask. Now, before we go, I must give you this." Luna presented Red with a small ring, with a strange gem set in the middle of it. It appeared to be half diamond, and half sapphire, if such a thing was possible. It wasn't an even split, as the clashing colors appeared to war for dominance, the distinguishing line being wavy. The symbol of the royal pony sisters was engraved into the top of the gem. It was a beautiful piece.
"Thank you Princess. It is very beautiful." Red was astonished at the craftsmanship that went into such a piece of jewelry.
"While you wear it, we can send letters directly to you, and any letter you seal with it will be sent directly to us." Luna said proudly. "It is a design we came up with recently, it is a work of modern thaumaturgy!"
"Well, I guess I'll see you when I've completed my task, Princess. I'm ready to go."
"Very well, good luck, Red." At this, Luna smiled, and lit her horn, but just as she was about to cast the spell, a loud noise interrupted her.
Looking, down, there was a very indignant looking cat glaring at the moon princess. Turning away, it walked over to Red and hopped up onto her suitcase.
"I think it wishes to accompany you." Luna giggled.
"Yes, I think it does. Where did you go? I was about to leave with out you!" Red said.
At this, the cat meowed in an irritated fashion. It was just a cat.
"Ok then. Goodbye, Red."
"See you later, Princess."
"Please, call me Luna." And like that, she was gone.
"Hey, are you excited for the sleepover tomorrow night? We are finally going to get some real crusading done!" Sweetie asked Apple Bloom, who was just standing from her desk, grabbing her saddle pack.
"Of course! I can't wait!" her friend replied with just as much enthusiasm.
"Ok, I'll see you gals at twelve then!"
"Bye Sweetie, see you tomorrow!"
Fluttershy looked all over her house for some coffee beans. Why was she always out of coffee beans? Angel was being rather insistent today about having some in his salad. Why did he want coffee beans in his salad? It would be rude to ask, after all, everyone was entitled to their own preferences.
"Tell you what Angel, there isn't anypony in Ponyville who sells coffee beans, but when I go shopping tomorrow, I'll stop by Twilight's house and borrow some of hers if she has any, I know she gets it shipped in from Canterlot, ok? Can you wait until then?"
Angel bunny huffed in annoyance and hopped away. That was as close to a yes as Fluttershy was likely to get from him. Oh well. She flew over to her to-do list and added 'Visit Twilight tomorrow evening.' Yes, that would do nicely.
Red looked at the train just up the hill from her. Luna's spell had put her past the station, just out of sight of he town. No reason to chance getting spotted. She lifted up her luggage, checked on the cat, and made her way up the hill.
It was easy to spot the car they picked for her, it was the decorative one near the back, and it had a balcony around it, on which guards were stationed, keeping a vigilant lookout. Assuming there were just as many on the other side as there were on this one, she had about six guards to watch over her passage to the nearby town of Ponyville. More than enough.
One of them noticed her approach, but remained silent as she climbed up the ladder, and made her way through the door, holding it open for the small cat to follow her. Sitting down on a cushioned bench, she took stock of the small room. She had been on plant of trains, but this was by far the most pleasant and clean experience she had the luxury of having. Every seat had plush purple cushions, the paneling was expensive, and there was a fully stocked bar. Hey, if there was alcohol here, she wasn't going to complain. Alas, it would have to wait, she had much to do in the next seventy-two hours, and she had to keep her wits about her if she was going to accomplish as much as she needed to.
Red looked over to the cat. "Do you have a name?"
The cat meowed at her, inclining it's head to the side.
"Is that a no? Do you want me to give you a name?"
The cat squinted at her, shaking it's head.
"No? But what should I call you? You need a name."
The cat shook it's head, and turned around, walking away indifferently.
"What about your gender? Are you a boy or a girl cat?" Red inquired, confused at the cat's behavior.
At this the cat hissed angrily, continuing to walk away. Red peered down, trying to get an angle to check herself.
The cat turned around and saw what Red was doing, and hissed louder.
"Okay, sorry! I was just-"
The cat hissed again.
"Fine. I will just continue to call you cat."
The cat walked away, meowing to itself.
And so, Red was left alone to ponder the cat's strange aversion to titles. Realizing what she was doing, Red turned her thoughts to important matters. No getting distracted. She looked down at the slip of paper with the address of her safe house written on it. from what the princesses told her, it would be just outside of town, like all of the houses she would be using for the foreseeable future. She went down the mental list of things she would need to do before tomorrow night. There were posts to establish, routes to plan, caches to set up. She had no idea what she would be facing in this town. It wasn't large by any stretch of the imagination, but that would mean either there were only a couple wolves, or the town could be nearly populated by them entirely. Red was not looking forward to this.
Before she knew it, the train was slowing down. Preparing to leave, she gathered up her things, before looking at the bar. She couldn't drink right now, but the thought that there was so much alcohol just siting there, free, for her to take...
Yeah, she took a bottle. Or two. No one could prove anything.
After the train stopped, Red walked over to the window and watched the few passengers depart the train. as they slowly walked out of sight, one of the guards knocked on her door. Taking that as her cue to leave, she opened the door, nodded her head to the guards, and let off the train, immediately taking to the shadows.
After about twenty minutes of brisk walking, she arrived at her safe house. It was small, quiet, and out of the way. Exactly what it should be. Thankfully, it was still dark out when she finished putting her things away, and the cat seemed content to just lounge on the sofa in the living room. Doing a bit of calculating in her head lead her to the conclusion that it was just after four in the morning. She still had a couple hours before ponies started waking up and preparing for the day, and she had no time to waste. Taking out a map of the town from one of her bags, she walked back into town.
She climbed the tallest building in this half of the town, Carousal Boutique. According to one of the many pieces of paper the princesses had sent with her, one of the elements lived here. It was a perfect place to start tomorrow night's "cleansing." From here, she would be able to locate most werewolves that went on the prowl tomorrow, and be able to deal with them quickly. Setting one of her packs of silver bolts in a cranny at the top of the building, she studied her map while having the real town in front of her to compare and help her commit it to memory.
After she felt she would be able to navigate the town without difficulty, Red put the map away, and sat down, closing her eyes. Projecting her thoughts out, she tried to get a feel for how many creatures were in this town. After half an hour of concentration, she finally called it quits, not finding a single one. In fact, thinking back on it, she hadn't sensed any supernatural presences outside of her cat since her arrival. That is not something that could be dismissed.
Even if there were no werewolves in Canterlot, what about vampires? Witches? Or the whole slew of other monsters, malicious or otherwise, that populated any city? And if there were none, and only werewolves had found there way to this world, then where were they? Was the princess lying to her? That didn't seem likely. Thinking about it a while longer, her perch wasn't the most central location, maybe they were on the other side of town? Werewolves didn't congregate though. Maybe there were only one or two? Or none in this town at all?
Did the elements have something to do with it? Red realized she would get no answers tonight, so she packed up her things and made her way back to her house. If she couldn't pick up any traces of the supernatural from there, there was no point setting up anything further. There were simply not enough targets to warrant it. Even though she wouldn't be able to locate a werewolf until they transformed, she should have... no. Enough of this. Red decided to just count her blessings and move on.
After sleeping through the morning, Red dressed in her combat attire once again. The black leather clothing sliding on with ease born of practice, the red hood and crimson cloak sliding into place as though they were always meant to. She wouldn't gear up yet, sunset was still hours away, and she was hungry.
Rummaging through the kitchen, Red found plenty of vegetables, a variety of fruit, a few grains, prepared and not. "Ponies, right."
She found no proteins, but she did find a note asking about her dietary habits. Writing on the attached piece of blank paper with the nearby provided quill, she thought about it for a minute before answering honestly. Not like she could care them any more, honestly. Setting the paper where she found it, assuming the guard who put it there would come back for it, she selected a few apples and several heads of broccoli, along with a muffin. Not that it mattered much.
Contemplating the recent note situation and how she had papers with all the information she needed while she ate, Red came to a startling conclusion. The princesses had incredible foresight. Convenient.
There is a pony who lives in town that would tell you that time flows differently than you think. That sometimes, people experience things at a different rate, or in a slightly different order. There is another pony in town who would tell you that narrative causality in certain published literatures is very important, and foreshadowing with "flash forwards" to an unspecified time and location could lead to a better storytelling experience. But what does that matter?
A fog lifted away from the clock, and time flowed correctly once more.
Applebloom was feeling great, she was just finishing up a long day of crusading wither her best friends, and yet, even though they were on their way to Rarity's place, she felt no more tired than when she started. The same could not be said for her friends though. They were worn out, and the long walk across town was leaving them exhausted, with Sweetie not being used to walking long distances, and Scootaloo not being able to use her scooter. Which was broken. For the third time. This month.
But a promise was a promise, and Applebloom decided that she was going to remain indoors tonight, her mild insomnia worried her friends, especially when she went wandering around outside on her own while everypony was asleep. That was fine though, she had a few books she wanted read anyway. She was tired of not being able to keep up with Sweetie's train of thought, and wanted to pick up a book or two in her free time. When her friends heard of this, they gave her looks that told her that wandering around town was more normal than her reading for fun. Well, she would show them that she was definitely NOT stupid.
"So Sweetie, do you think I should read Agriculture 101 first, or start with Apples to Apples?"
Sweetie Belle's sigh could be heard as their voices faded into the distance.
"... and because of the strikes from the Zebra farmers to the south, coffee has become increasingly..."
When Red awoke later that day, it was mid-evening, but somehow, it felt as though it had been much longer. Strange.
She spent the next few hours running checks on all of her equipment, making sure everything was in top shape. Satisfied, she sat crosslegged in the center of the living room, meditating, preparing herself for the coming evening. She allowed her mind to carry beyond the walls of the house, hoping to glean information on her enemies. However, just like early that morning, she felt nothing. Other than Cat, that is.
Speaking of the feline, it hopped onto her lap, breaking her trance. "Can I help you?" Red asked as she looked down at the critter.
The only response was more meowing.
"Right. You hungry?"
Cat purred this time.
"Let me get you some food then." With that, Red stood and made her way to the kitchen. She quickly realized that there was no pet food stocked in this house. With a mental sigh, she walked over to the list that was still on her counter and added "cat food" to the already long list. She then took a look around to see if there was anything that would suffice for now, but there was no meat products anywhere, as she had noted when she arrived. Grabbing a handful of berries, she walked back to the cat, and made the offer, to which she received more mewling.
"Figures," Red complained, promptly eating the berries. "Guess I'll go find some pet food then, but where could I go without being seen?" Suddenly, Red was struck with inspiration. She went back to the paperwork on the dining table, and found the information on the Elements of Harmony. Scanning the page until she found the entry on Fluttershy, she saw that she lived next to the Everfree Forest. Outside of town, and nearby. The best part is, she took care of all kinds of animals year 'round.
"Perfect!" she said in triumph. "I'll be back soon," Red told the cat before donning her black clothing and red riding hood. Leaving out he back door, she glanced around, making sure no one was around, before deftly making her way towards the forest.
Red peered through a back window, looking to see if Fluttershy was home. She quickly spotted the yellow pony talking to... a rabbit? Whatever. Guess she would have to wait until she left. As she was wondering how often the little vet actually left her cottage, Fluttershy walked out her front door, making her way towards Ponyville.
Huh. Convenient. Red slowly opened the window, and climbed in stealthily, making use of her years of breaking and entering. For a good cause, of course.
As she was rummaging through a cabinet, the little white rabbit from earlier tapped on her shin. Looking down from her work, Red got a curious look on her face. "Um, yes?" She asked uncertainly.
The rabbit made angry motions with its arms, gesturing towards the door.
"You're angry I didn't use the front door?" asked Red.
The little rabbit nodded.
"Well, I apologize. I promise I'll use it next time, ok?"
The rabbit nodded again and hopped off.
This place keeps getting weirder. After a few more minutes of searching, she found a bag of cat food, then, remembering the oddly intelligent bunny, walked out the front door.
A few hours later, Red had fed her cat, and was now sharpening her dagger. It was getting close to nine in the afternoon, and for the first time in many years, Red felt restless. She was in a new land, with new places and new people, but she was fighting the same enemy, and that's all that mattered. As the sun set, Red preformed her usual checks and double checks. She had her dagger in her boot, her crossbow and quiver over her shoulders, her cape and hood, and her new gun in her belt. She wished she had grabbed a holster.
All set, she made her way into the night.
There are some things out there that we are not meant to know. Sometimes, mystery should just be appreciated as it is, rather than investigated. At least, that's what Fluttershy thought as she tried to tell Twilight that she needed to go home. While she walked back to her home in the dark of the night, she reflected on everything she had learned that day. "Those poor farmers, I wonder if anyone is going to be able to help them?" She asked out loud into the pleasant night air. Not waiting for the fountain she was passing to giver her an answer, she continued on, wondering if Rarity was still awake. She always loved to see Fluttershy, and even though it was late, maybe she would enjoy a quick cup of tea.
The full moon was just rising above the tree line as she approached, but she could hear a low growling inside.
Is that someone snoring? It doesn't sound healthy... thought Fluttershy as she raised a hoof to knock.
Then the door burst outward, knocking the pegasus back and onto the ground. A lumbering beast came walking through the door. As Fluttershy struggled to get up, she saw, to her horror, that the beast was carrying Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
Fluttershy tried to scream, but lost her voice as she just stood there. The monster tossed Scootaloo roughly against the ground, then started walking towards Fluttershy, raising Sweetie to its face. It opened its mouth, and bit viciously into the filly's neck.
Now Fluttershy couldn't stop screaming. She cried out in terror as the head of her friend's sister rolled away. Then it dropped her body, and leapt at the cowering pegasus.
Fluttershy closed her eyes, and felt two large fangs sink into her neck. Crying out in pain, shy waited for her end. When she felt the beast let go of her, she looked up to see a small, metal shaft sticking out of its head. Then, it fell to the ground. Fluttershy couldn't take any more, and fell into unconsciousness.
Red stood over the corpse of a young filly with a yellow coat and a red mane, with a small bow in her hair. I should have been faster.
Unfortunately, the Bearer of Kindness had been bitten by the werewolf. Normally, she would just put down the victims of a wolf, but this would be a problem. Well, I have a few months before she requires the cure, but I'm not sure the rulers of ANY country will be able to find what she needs. She would write a letter to Celestia about it, but she didn't want to put down someone so important to the defense of a nation quite yet. As she turned to leave, she heard a cough from behind her. Having almost forgot about the other victim, Red turned to see the little orange pegasus struggling to stand, looking at the scene in front of her with a look of confusion on her face.
"What... what was that?" She asked to herself. "Bloom was yelling, and then, I saw... Applebloom!" She yelled before running towards the front of Carousel Boutique. Seeing her dead friends, and the figure dressed in red standing near them, her face changed to one of righteous anger, as she attempted to tackle Red to the ground.
"What did you do to them? What did you do!?" She screamed, determined to beat the answer out of her.
"Whoa, slow down there." Red said as calmly as possible, and caught the little filly, holding her down. "I saved her from a life of torment and guilt," She replied quietly, answering her question.
Scootaloo fought against her captor for a while, struggling to get out of her grip, before shivering, turning into a sobbing mess. "What h-happened? Why d-did s-s-she..." She trailed off, continuing to cry on the ground.
Seeing the fight leave the filly, Red let go, but crouched down as far as she could. "The girl you knew was gone long before I got here. I'm sorry." She hardly ever had to comfort the loved ones of those she killed. They were usually all dead by the time she did the deed. But then, werewolves were a relatively new threat to this world.
Red wasn't good at social interactions, as she had spent the majority of her life avoiding contact with people when possible and buying her supplies quickly when it wasn't. With this in mind, she turned to leave, knowing whoever found her next could help her more than she could. Hopefully, they would dismiss anything she said about Red herself. It wouldn't do to have her cover blown on her first night.
However, after she took no more than four steps, a small voice called out behind her between sobs. "Where are you going?"
"Your friend was hardly the only one." Red replied cryptically, hoping to keep her from remembering too many details.
"Take me with you."
Red halted in shock. She turned and walked back to the child still laying on the ground. Kneeling down once more, she looked directly into her eyes. "No, go back to your parents, and get some counseling. Live a good life. It's what your friends would want."
Scootaloo's eyes filled with sadness, before giving way to hate. "I never had parents. All I ever had was my friends. They were my whole world. Please, I cannot stay here knowing that the monsters that killed my only family are still out there."
Red's eyes hardened. She almost left, but then the princess' words came back to her. She turned to the filly again. "You will die if you come with me. I will not be able to protect you."
Her gaze never wavered. "I don't care."
Red stood up. "Then follow me, we have a lot of work to do."
The thing that you need to fight against the monsters of the night? The thing you must have in order to always win, and to never succumb to despair, or corruption? Hate.
