> Adopting Hellhounds
>  by Lord Shadow Eclipse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Underworld

It was a dark and gloomy day in the Underworld. But every day was dark and gloomy in the Underworld. The black clouds always covered the sky, blocking a red sun. The ground always looked charred and black. The trees and other plants were dark, twisted, and thorny. The air permanently smelled like rot and blood. Water in the Underworld was more akin to stagnant slime. The Underworld was home to many of its own dark and dangerous lifeforms, but the ones who took the role of dominant species were the Hellhounds.

Hellhounds played an important role in not only the Underworld's ecosystem, but an important role in the world of the ponies. Every now and then, Hellhounds would be sent to the mortal world to hunt for the souls of sinners. Those who committed horrible acts or lived their lives in perpetual sin were hunted relentlessly by Hellhounds. Their souls would be dragged to the Underworld, where they're hunted by Hellhounds and the other fell beasts of the Underworld.

Hellhounds came in a variety of different forms, with some looking more terrifying than others. They all had canine forms, dark coloration, and glowing red eyes. They either lived and hunted alone or in packs. Despite their nature, they are capable of forming loving relationships.

One example of a loving relationship was that of a bright young Hellhound pup, his siblings, and other pups from other litters. This pup was named Frightfang.

Frightfang was playfighting with the other pups like he did every other day. Usually, he won most mock-battles he fought. But there was only one pup he seemed to consistently lose to: a female by the name of Blight. She was currently pinning Frightfang to the ground.

"Ha-ha! Looks like you lose again, Fright!" Blight declared with friendly bravado.

"Huh. Sure. You won this time, but I swear, I'll defeat you one of these days!" Frightfang declared with his muzzle muffled by the ground.

"Really? I've beaten you time and time again. You'll never beat me!" Blight declared.

Blight let Frightfang stand up on his own four paws. He stretched his back and popped a few vertebrae. He looked at Blight with a confident smirk.

"How about this, if I beat you when we're adults, you have to admit that I'm the best fighter in the Underworld!" he exclaimed.

"Heh. I'll do you one better, if you manage to miraculously defeat me when we're adults, I'll be your mate," Blight said.

"Sure, it doesn't matter to me. All that matters now is that I have to train," Frightfang said.

A howl came from a short distance away. The two pups looked over to see Blight's mother howling for her. Blight smiled at Frightfang.

"Gotta go back home. See ya later, Fright!" Blight called.

"Bye, Blight!" Frightfang called out.

Frightfang spent the rest of the day playing with his brothers and sisters. He would be the most famous Hellhound in the Underworld.





The Next Dark Day in the Underworld

Frightfang woke up to his mother, Pestilla, shaking him with her nose. She looked at him with kind red eyes.

"Dear, wake up. We have a bizarre presence in the Underworld," she said.

That made Frightfang wake right up. There usually wasn't a bizarre presence in the Underworld unless a mortal was somehow able to enter the Underworld from the mortal world. And the last time that happened was well over two thousand years ago. And that was only a one-time occurrence.

"Where are these mortals, mom? What are we going to do?" Frightfang asked.

"We'll found out once we make it to the Lord Hound's mountain," she replied.

"I'm getting to meet the Lord Hound?" Frightfang asked.

"Indeed. Now, come with me. We mustn't keep the Lord Hound waiting," Pestilla replied.

The Lord Hound was the quintessential leader of all Hellhounds. He is very old, very wise, and very powerful. It has been said that he has a deep connection to the Underworld. If there were mortals in the Underworld, the Lord Hound would know about it. Getting an audience with him is quite a high honor.

Frightfang got up and followed his mother to the mountain the Lord Hound called home. The mountain was made of black stone and the summit was in the shape of a Hellhound's head. 

Once they exited their den, Pestilla and Frightfang began to run at full speed towards the mountain. Hellhounds can run at speeds that far surpass any creature in both the mortal world and the Underworld. Where it would take most creatures a few days to travel from Frightfang's den it took them only a few hours.

Pretty soon, the pair arrived at the Lord Hound's mountain. It was just like how Pestilla had described it to him and his siblings. But it was somehow more imposing than she had described.

There were no trees or vegetation at all. It was simply a tall mass of dark rock. But the summit was in the shape of a Hellhound's head, just like the stories said.

They both walked up the mountain's slopes in tandem with a few other Hellhounds that made it to the mountain as well.

It was quite a nice sight, seeing others of their own kind all gathered in one spot. There were quite a few of the more terrifying Hellhounds that usually hunted mortals in the mortal world. They joined the others and made their smooth trek up the mountain.

The Hellhounds saw the Lord Hound's den come up over a short barrier of stone spikes. The den itself was simply a dark void amongst the already-dark stone of the mountain. The bones of various Underworld creatures littered the ground around the den's entrance.

"Welcome to my den! Thank you for gathering at my call," a deep resonating voice called out from the den.

The assembled Hellhounds all bowed in respect for the Lord Hound as he began to emerge from the den. He was far bigger than any other Hellhound in existence. He had eyes that were simple orbs of red light, with no eyelids to be seen. His face was a bare skull with bleached bone and teeth. The rest of his body was covered in fur so dark, it could absorb all light. Despite his age, the Lord Hound had the body of a male in his prime. The Lord Hound was indeed a frightening, yet regal sight to behold. He stood before the gathered Hellhounds with his ears perked and his head held high.

"I assume you've all felt the same presence I did?" the Lord Hound asked.

"We have, Your Imminence," one female replied. "Are there mortals in the Underworld?"

"Indeed, there are," the Lord Hound replied back.

"If there are, what do you wish for us to do about them?" Pestilla asked.

The Lord Hound turned to Pestilla and saw that Frightfang was there with her. In some weird way, it looked like he was smiling at Frightfang. Despite his immense power, the Lord Hound was said to have a soft spot for pups.

"I see that you've brought your son. It would serve as a good educational experience for the lad. You will lead the others to the place where the mortals entered our realm," the Lord Hound said.

Frightfang raised one of his paws. "My lord, if there are mortals in the Underworld, why don't we just destroy them?"

"That is a very good question. We can't simply kill them. Not only can mortals not die in the Underworld, but they're not souls filled with evil," the Lord Hound replied. "We simply must chase them away from the Underworld."

"Where are they, my lord?" a random male asked.

"They are near the River Styx just south of the mountain. Head there and chase them back to the mortal world!" the Lord Hound commanded.

The gathered Hellhounds took off down the southern part of the mountain and made their way to the River Styx. The river provided the Underworld with all the water they needed to survive. With their speed, the pack, including Frightfang, made it to the river in an hour.





At the River Styx

The pack the Lord Hound had sent to the river finally arrived. Upon arrival, the pack spread out to catch the scent of the mortal intruders. Frightfang stuck close to his mother just in case these mortals put up a fight.

"Mom, why would mortals seek to come to the Underworld in the first place?" Frightfang asked.

"That's an interesting question, son. Maybe the mortals are curious and want to learn about our realm. Maybe they wish to find a way to make sure our kind never make journeys to the mortal world and take the souls of sinners," she replied.

"But if the innocent are doing this, why would they attempt to seal off the Underworld if they themselves have nothing to worry about?"

"Perhaps it's the fear of the dark and unknown. Fear can make the mortals do stupid and often humorous things".

Frightfang gave a small chuckle. "Mortals must be really stupid, huh, mom?"

"Agreed, son. Now, we must get back to the task at paw," Pestilla replied.

Frightfang and Pestilla put their noses to the ground and started sniffing. Pestilla once told Frightfang that mortals smelled really sweet, a sign of their life and vitality. But for now, all Frightfang could smell was the permanent smell of rot and blood.

The subtle scent of sugar shot through Frightfang's nose. It was such a stark contrast to the usual smells of the Underworld that it startled Frightfang. Pestilla noticed her son's reaction and ran to him.

"Did you find the scent, dear?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah! My nose is telling me that the scent is coming from our side of the river, too!" Frightfang replied.

"Which direction are the mortals at?" 

"Coming from the west!"

"Then let's go!"

Frightfang and Pestilla took of in the western direction of the scent. The river ran through the middle of a tall hill. The two crested the hill and stopped once they reached the top of the hill and saw what the Lord Hound had sent them after.

It looked like there were only two mortals. These two were pretty colorful in contrast to the gloomy colors of their current environment. One of them was a light purple color and sported a pair of feathery wings and a horn. The other one was a light pink, had a horn, and had a streak of minty green running through her light purple hair. They seemed to be speaking to each other about something. They seemed fascinated with the different plants they found by the river. One of them was levitating small glass vials with magic and took a certain amount of water from the river and bits of the soil and plants.

"What are they doing, mom?" Frightfang asked.

"I don't know. But we need to get them to leave. We should do a mock-attack," Pestilla said.

They intended to scare off these mortals back to their own world. Pretending to attack them would certainly do the trick. Both of them took off running down the hill and let out a cacophony of barks and snarls at the two mortals. 

The two mortals looked at the two Hellhounds charging towards them and their faces switched from curiosity to horror. They scrambled to activate their magic. Finally, they were able to actually create a portal to the mortal world before Frightfang's very eyes. They stepped through the portal and out of sight of the approaching Hellhounds.

Pestilla managed to slow to a stop, but Frightfang made the mistake of placing his paw onto a large patch of mud. The slippery mud sent him flying toward the portal the mortals used.

"Frightfang!!" Pestilla cried in anguish.

"Mom!!" Frightfang called out.

The portal closed before Pestilla could get to her son. In a flash of magic light, the portal closed and Frightfang was gone.





The Mortal World- Ponyville

Frightfang landed in what felt like a pile of grass. He opened his eyes and saw that he was inside some kind of structure made of wood. It was obviously built by mortals, and resembled mortal structures described by his mother. There were long rafters, a tall ceiling, and hay all over the dirt floor.

He stood up and examined the rest of his surroundings. Their was a sweet smell in the air. It wasn't the smell of mortals, but it was a sweet smell nonetheless. There were large amounts of hay tied up in a rectangular shape.  There was a window that gave Frightfang a view of the sky. A bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds was clearly visible through the open window. 

"I... I'm in the mortal world!" he cried out.

The doors opened and the sound of hooves clopping against the dirt-and-hay floor. A female pony walked into the structure with a basket full of weird red and green fruit. She was orange in color with what looked like images of three red fruit coating her flanks. She had a golden mane and tail and wore something on her head. Her bright green eyes locked onto his own red glowing ones.

Crap. She might get scared and try to attack me. I should try to show myself as an alpha, Frightfang thought.

Frightfang lowered his ears, pulled back his lips, lowered his head, and slowly walked towards the mortal creature with loud growls. However, instead of scaring off the pony like he wanted, she started throwing the red fruit and trying to kick him.

"I don't know what you are, but you're not going to eat my family's crop, ya mangy varmint!" the orange pony cried.

Frightfang had to admit that he was having a pretty hard time dodging the pony's onslaught of fruit and kicks. He had to get past her to get out of here. Maybe she didn't know that he was a Hellhound. 

I hope she's a sinner. I'll really enjoy eating her for all eternity! he thought in anger.

At some point, the orange pony ran out of apples to throw. Seeing the opening, Frightfang lunged over her completely and ran out of the building at full speed. 

Everywhere he looked, there seemed to be nothing but rows and rows of the trees growing red and green fruit. It seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Up ahead of him, a white barrier of some kind was in his sight.

Frightfang jumped over the barrier and instinctively ran down a dirt path and didn't stop.

Frightfang soon found himself near a large collection of mortal buildings with ponies milling about. He remembered his mom calling these things "towns". As he tried to stop, a pony suddenly appeared in his line of sight. Frightfang tried to stop, but he ended up colliding with the pony and spun with her on the ground until they stopped with him looking down at her.

It was female from what he could smell. She had a bright pink mane, creamy yellow fur, a pair of feathery wings, and was looking at him with teal green eyes. Frightfang started to relax from looking into her eyes. He felt like he was... safe around her, somehow. It was like his mom was looking back at him. An ear-piercing scream broke his trance. 

"Help! A monster is attacking Fluttershy!" a mare screamed.

More screams and running ponies filled Frightfang's vision. Some were trying to simply get away from him. Others were looking for anything they could use as a weapon. Out of the chaotic stampede of mortals came a coordinated and armed mob ready to attack him. One stallion threw a rock that hit Frightfang in the right foreleg, earning a sharp whimper.

That was Frightfang's cue to leave. He got off the mare he was on top of and ran off in the opposite direction of the mob, which was the interior of the town. The further into the town he went, the more scared or angry ponies he saw. There were some flying ponies throwing stuff at him from the safety of the sky. Others were trying to throw or drop stuff on him through the windows.

Damn these tight corners! I can't go full speed in this damn place!, he thought in fury.

He ran to what he assumed was the center of the town, where a fountain and a tall important-looking building made of crystal stood as beacons. Frightfang got on top of the fountain and snarled and snapped at the approaching mob.

"Looking to cause trouble in our town?!" a snarky and raspy voice called.

Frightfang looked up to see a light blue flying pony with a rainbow-colored mane and tail smirking at him with gave him a magenta glare. She landed on the ground and took a stance of defiance and confidence. There was something about her that Frightfang found awfully familiar. 

It's like this pony is like this world's version of Blight!, he thought.

Out of the mob, a few other females broke from the main mob and stood before Frightfang. Each one of them was holding the same stance as the rainbow-maned one.

One he recognized as the orange fruit-grower who tried to hurt him when he first arrived in the mortal world. The other he didn't recognize at all. One was bright pink with a fluffy darker pink mane and tail. Another was an elegant pure white horned pony with curly dark purple coloration on her mane and tail. They were all glaring at Frightfang.

Well, there's no way they're taking me down without a fight!, Frightfang thought with defiance.

As soon as the ponies got ready to attack, the doors to the big crystal building opened up to reveal a sight that Frightfang never expected to see. It was the two mortals that had trespassed into the Underworld! The two of them didn't seem to notice Frightfang's presence yet.

"What's going on here?!" the horned and winged one asked.

"This vile beast tried to eat Fluttershy!" the rainbow-maned one asked.

The two finally looked at Frightfang and their eyes went as wide as a Hellsnake's mouth. They started to whisper to each other in a way that Frightfang couldn't understand. After some more whispering, the two turned to him and started to charge their horns with magic.

But before they could do anything, a soft yet authoritative voice spoke up.

"Everyone please stop!!" the voice cried from above Frightfang.

He looked up to see the flying pony he had crashed into earlier. She was facing the crowd and had her hooves held out to her sides as if to stop the mob. She landed gently next to him and gave him a kind smile.

"This poor creature has done nothing wrong! All he did was crash into me!" she cried out to the mob.

"Fluttershy! This varmint snuck into my barn and tried to eat my apples!" the orange one shouted.

"What did you do in response, Applejack?" Fluttershy asked.

"I threw apples at him, and he ran off," she replied.

"Were any apples missing?" Fluttershy asked.

"No. I chased him off before he could eat any", Applejack replied.

"So you scared him into running off and in his confused state, he ran into me?" Fluttershy asked.

The stupid fruit-lover lowered her ears. "Oh... I feel mighty foolish now."

"Even when he crashed into me, he didn't do anything bad to me," Fluttershy said.

The others were looking at Frightfang with softening faces and lowered weapons. Frightfang looked at Fluttershy with nothing but thanks in his eyes. The very pink one spoke up.

"So what species is he Fluttershy? I've seen all kinds of dogs before, but I've never seen one like him before!" she asked.

"I'm afraid I've never seen a creature like this before. Not even a magical one like him," Fluttershy replied.

"This creature is called a 'Hellhound'. A creature from a place even worse than Tartarus. Hellhounds are creatures from the Underworld," the horned and winged pony explained. 

That response made the mob, save for Fluttershy back off a few steps. They were now only looking at Frightfang with nothing but pure terror.

"How did a Hellhound get out of the Underworld?" the white horned pony asked.

"Girls, I may know how a Hellhound managed to get to the mortal world," the horned-winged one replied. "But first, everyone must go home!"

At that, the mob dispersed and went back to wherever they lived. Once they were gone, only the small bunch of mares were left with Frightfang. The one with the horn and wings gave them a serious look.

"Girls come inside. I'll explain everything," she said. "Oh, and Fluttershy? Bring in the Hellhound."

The others followed their apparent leader into the crystal building giving Frightfang a wide berth. Fluttershy looked at Frightfang with those big kind eyes of hers. 

"Come on, dear. It's okay. You'll be safe as long as you're with me," she assured him.

Those few words immediately calmed Frightfang's nerves. He made his way off the fountain and stuck close to Fluttershy's side. She seemed to sense his unease and draped her wing over him. Her feathers were so soft and warm and smelled like a mother. They made a steady pace up the stairs to the big crystal building.

I hope I can find a way back home, he thought to himself.

But after finishing his thought, he looked up at the kind face of Fluttershy. 

But, I wouldn't mind staying with her until I do, he thought with a mental smile.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Castle of Friendship

Frightfang followed Fluttershy through the doors of the giant crystal structure with a feeling of calm from being comforting by Fluttershy. The inside was really impressive. The entire building seemed to be carved out of one single giant crystal. Long hallways lined with doors jutted off on different directions like a creature's arteries. Twilight led the ponies and Hellhound to a chamber with a flat, smooth table surrounded by chairs all made of crystal.

These creatures actually inhabit this giant crystal? They're so weird, Frightfang thought.  

Once Twilight gathered the others into the room, she shut the door with magic and started to address the fact that a Hellhound puppy is in the mortal world.

"So, Twilight, just to reiterate, why is a Hellhound in our world?" the white one asked.

"Me and Starlight were actually in the Underworld," Twilight replied indicating the other mortal Frightfang saw in the Underworld.

"Why were you there?" the pink one asked.

"And how did you get there?" the rainbow one asked in addition.

"Remember when me and Twilight went on that trip to Klugetown? Well, we found a vendor there selling a book about the Underworld. One of those chapters described how to go to the Underworld through a conjured portal," Starlight replied.

"As to why we were there, I found a chapter describing the unique ecosystem the Underworld had. I was curious and excited at the idea of studying the native life in the Underworld. So far, all I was able to find out is that their is dark magic imbued in all its native life and that Hellhounds are the dominant species there," Twilight said.

The other ponies looked at Frightfang, who held his head high with pride that his species were the masters of the realm of misery. 

"Well, how did a Hellhound get into our world?" the white asked yet again.

"I guess this one must've followed us through the portal we made to escape the Underworld," Starlight replied.

"Why would you need to escape?" the orange one asked.

That question caused Frightfang to snarl and make his eyes, teeth, and the cuff of red fur on the back of his neck to glow at Twilight and Starlight. The other ponies, save for Fluttershy, backed off from Frightfang's obvious display of aggression.

"We needed to escape because we were being chased by a pair of Hellhounds," Twilight replied not taking her eyes off of the still-growling Frightfang.

"Why do you think they chased you?" Pinkie asked while keeping her eyes locked on Frightfang.

"Maybe we were trespassing on their territory or they were hungry," Starlight replied.

Fluttershy, seeing Frightfang's display of aggression, started to use her wing to gently stroke his side. The softness of her feathers and the tenderness of her act made Frightfang calmer. Frightfang, in a moment of calmness, rested his head against Fluttershy's shoulder. She smelled almost like his mother.

"Well, this one looks like a pup. Maybe he has a family waiting for him back in the Underworld," the white one said.

The mention of his family made Frightfang's ears perk up. He began to whine and whimper that the thought of his mom and siblings looking for him. But those thoughts were replaced by hope when he remembered that Hellhounds can freely travel to and from the mortal world. Surely they'd come looking for him.

"Well, can't you just return him to the Underworld?" the rainbow one asked.

"That's the problematic part, Rainbow Dash. The portal can only be used once a year to enter and exit the Underworld. We'll have to wait a whole year to return him," Starlight replied.

"Wouldn't his family come looking for him?" Fluttershy asked.

"They could. But Hellhounds can't track each other as easily in the mortal world, according to the book," Twilight replied.

"Why is it so hard for them?" Pinkie asked.

"Our world is charged with positive energy while the Underworld is charged with negative energy. Finding the scent of a Hellhound's negative energy in a world full of positive energy is like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Starlight replied.

Frightfang lowered his ears upon hearing that. Even if his mother came to the mortal world to find him, it could take her a long time to find him. Fluttershy started stroking him again and even nuzzled his head. Frightfang leaned his head towards Fluttershy's touch.

"Well, until we find another solution, Fluttershy's going to watch over the Hellhound," Twilight declared.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah. He seems to like you. And you're good with all sorts of critters," Applejack said.

"Then it's settled! Until we can reopen a portal to the Underworld or the pup's family comes looking for him, Fluttershy will look after him!" Twilight exclaimed with a flare of her wings.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy's Cottage

Frightfang was led to a small and cozy-looking home on the outskirts of the town. There was a small stream in front of the house with a small bridge for crossing it and a scattering of animal dens throughout the home's perimeter. Frightfang lifted his head to the air and sniffed.

The entire place smelled like mortal animals. They all smelled sweet, like other mortal creatures. As soon as they approached, all of the various birds and animals ran away in fear. It only made sense, given that mortal animals are very sensitive to the dark energy of the Underworld. Even a huge bear ran away in terror.

Fluttershy seemed to understand their fear. After all, a creature as naturally as dark as a Hellhound would send even a Hydra running fear, according to Twilight's book.

Twilight had Fluttershy take the book with her so that she could find a way to properly care for Frightfang until he could be returned to the Underworld.

Fluttershy opened the door and welcomed Frightfang inside. Once inside, Frightfang's stomach started to growl like a terrifying beast. He looked at Fluttershy with pleading eyes.

"Oh, you must be quite hungry. I'll see what the book says about a Hellhound's typical diet," Fluttershy said.

I kind of want to see her react to what exactly Hellhounds eat, Frightfang thought.

As Fluttershy flipped through the book, a small white rabbit with a sour look on his face hopped into the room. This rabbit was interesting to Frightfang since he was actively approaching him instead of running in fear. He stopped in front Frightfang's snout and glared up at him.

"And just who the hell are you supposed to be?" the rabbit asked rudely.

"My name is Frightfang. Who are you, a glorified white rat?" he replied with equal rudeness.

The white rabbit turned red with anger. "I'm a rabbit, and my name is Angel!!"

Frightfang raised an eyebrow. "You? An angel? Ha! If you're an angel, then I'm a tarantula".

The rabbit tried to punch him, but his soft paws did nothing to him. Frightfang simply pushed him away with his paw. Another rumble from his stomach made Frightfang glare at Angel with glowing eyes and slobbering fangs.

The rabbit's bravado went away in an instant. He suddenly turned into a regular rabbit and ran away at full speed. Frightfang looked back at Fluttershy just in time to see her finally find the part of the book that describes the usual diet of Hellhounds.

"Let's see. 'The typical diet that Hellhounds adhere to is... the souls of those condemned to the Underworld for eternity. Once the souls of sinners are torn apart and eaten, the soul respawns in a random spot in the Underworld just to be hunted and eaten again'," Fluttershy read with a pale face.

She looked at Frightfang with a worried look on her face. 

"Well, we don't have any of those around here. I wonder if the books states anything else that Hellhounds eat," Fluttershy said looking back in the book.

After a few minutes, Fluttershy's face and demeanor seemed to relax. A sigh of relief escaped her lips and a small smile appeared.

"The book also says that Hellhounds are carnivores who enjoy eating various kinds of meat. I think I have some leftover meat from feeding the carnivores," Fluttershy said.

Fluttershy walked into a room in the far corner of the cottage and returned with a plate filled with various bits of raw red meat. She set it on the ground in front of Frightfang and gave him a large bowl full of water.

Frightfang sniffed at the meat and took a smile bite. It was wonderful! Not as good as the meat of the different murderers and fornicators he usually ate, but it was really good, nonetheless. He scarfed down the entire plate of meat in a matter of minutes and drank almost half the bowl of water. Fluttershy giggled.

"I'm glad to see that you enjoyed that," Fluttershy said. "We'll have to find you a place to sleep for the night." 

Fluttershy walked up a set of stairs and tried to look around for anything she could give him as a bed. She looked in every nook and cranny, but found nothing. Soon enough, both she and Frightfang let out yawns.

"Well, you can sleep in my bed tonight if you want," Fluttershy said as she climbed into bed.

Frightfang jumped up onto the bed, circled around for a bit, and finally settled down on the bed. He used his teeth to pull some of the blankets on top of himself. After he got himself settled, Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around him in a cuddling position. Using his internal flame, Frightfang raised his body temperature to keep both himself and Fluttershy warm.

"Oh, Hellhounds are warmer than I thought," Fluttershy said.

Frightfang rested his head near Fluttershy's and started to lick her forehead. Fluttershy didn't seem to mind the act of affection, as she simply fell asleep instead of trying to stop him.

Frightfang looked out the window at the cloudless night sky lit up by the stars and the full moon. It was a peaceful departure from what nights in the Underworld were like. In the Underworld, there were no stars, just a moon that gave off dim red light.

I hope my family's doing okay. I wonder what Blight's doing right now? Probably fighting some other Hound, Frightfang thought to himself.

He swore that he'd find a way back home, no matter how long it takes.





The Underworld

A male Hellhound pup was sent flying through the air to crash into a blackened tree. He landed on his back with a thudding sound. An angry-looking Blight stared after him with all the telltale body language of aggression in their species.

Ever since Frightfang was sent to the mortal world, Blight had not taken the news well. They've been friends and sparring partners for as long as she could remember. And now that her best friend was gone, she always felt angry and depressed.

Even fighting and hunting weren't fun anymore if she couldn't do those things with the only true friend she ever had. She was quite powerful for a pup of her age, and that meant that not many other pups would even want to approach her, much less challenge her. The only one who stuck by her, despite being weaker than her, was Frightfang. 

Frightfang, where are you?, Blight thought to herself.

Blight turned around, formed a green fireball in her mouth, and fired it at a small tree to destroy it. She thought that training and fighting would distract her from becoming too distracted on Frightfang's absence. However, there was a silver lining to all of this.

Since she and Frightfang were almost adults, they would be able to produce the necessary magic needed to travel to and from the mortal world. For now, it seemed that the best thing she can do is wait.

"I'll see you again, Frightfang. I hope you're doing okay," Blight whispered to herself.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Mortal World

A stallion was playing blues in a small bar and club near Buckland Bog. He was nailing his performance on the guitar, judging from the crowd's positive reaction.

There was one particular mare in the crowd who was looking at the stallion with lust and sparkles in her eyes. Thankfully, she didn't have a boyfriend. At least, none the guitar player could see.

After tuning up his guitar, the stallion gets ready to play another song. He leans towards the microphone and speaks in a smooth voice.

"This is a new song I wrote last night. I hope y'all enjoy it," he says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FF1FlBNQ2Q

The stallion completed the performance without a hitch. The crowd erupts in applause for the stallions hypnotic performance.

But as the stallion was getting a standing ovation, he couldn't help but notice the sound of a wolf or dog howling in the distance outside the club. He tries to focus on thanking the audience, but the howling seems to become louder and louder.

Eventually, the howling shifts to the sounds of loud sniffing and growling that seem to come from outside the club's doors. He looked and saw that the crowd didn't seem to notice the canine sounds at all, as if they couldn't hear the sounds at all.

A feeling of fear began to rise in the stallion's chest. His heart rate sped up and his blood seemed to run cold. As he looked around nervously, he swore he see large shadows darting in front of the windows.

The feeling of fear was getting worse and worse with each sound he heard. He didn't even notice the crowd looking at him with varying looks of concern. The strongest reaction came from the mare who was gazing at him earlier.

Holding himself together for as much as he could, he held the microphone up to his mouth and spoke quickly.

"Th-th-thank y'all for coming to hear my performance tonight, folks! I just now realized that I have somewhere to be," he said before hurrying off the stage.

He left his guitar on the stage and hurried through the crowd to get out the back door of the club. Some of the crowd tried to ask him what was wrong, but he simply ignored them all. All he knew was that he had to get out of there. He had to get away from whatever it was he heard and saw.

The stallion ran outside the door and made his way through a path that cut through the surrounding swamp. The swamp was strangely quiet tonight. No crickets or bullfrogs to be heard. None of the usually comforting sounds of the swamp could be heard. The wind around him was picking up, blowing dead leaves and the smell of brimstone the stallion's way. Clouds covered the moon, cutting off any light he could use to see where he was going

As he made his way down the path, the sounds of dogs howling, growling, and barking were not too far behind him. Spooked out of his mind, the stallion made started sprinting down the path away from the sounds. 

Just as he took off running, the canine sounds started chasing him, as if he was getting chased by dogs. All he could hear was the barking overwhelming the sound of his hooves hitting the ground. He looked behind him to see something really terrifying.

The plants and brush beside either side of the path were moving as if something big was moving in the brush. And they were catching up to him. Dim red light seemed to come from whatever were chasing him. 

He pushed himself to run until his chest started to burn. His pursuers didn't sound like they were getting tired at all. He had to hide! He had to get away from these beasts chasing him!

It seemed like Goddess was on his side, as he saw an abandoned ranger's outpost posted in a tree. There even seemed to be a rope ladder. He ran to the rope ladder and started climbing it. He pushed open the door at the top and climbed in. He looked down to see... nothing. There was nothing down there.

He went to one corner of the ranger's outpost, sat down, and struggled to catch his breath. He tried to think about what had just happened. Was he chased by some ghost dogs or something? If he was, why were they chasing him?

The stallion then remembered old stories his grandmother used to tell him. She used to tell him that if he did something bad and didn't repent, the Hellhounds would come after him and drag him to the Underworld to suffer for eternity. As he grew up, he started to not believe in his grandmother's stories. But if tonight was anything to go by, he fully believed he was just chased by Hellhounds. 

But that was the thing: the stallion couldn't think of anything bad he did that he didn't repent. However, there was one event that stuck out that may explain why the Hellhounds may be after him.

A year ago, his brother started dating the most beautiful mare in town. But the thing was that he himself had a crush on the mare, too. In his jealousy, he gave his brother a poisoned drink. He died, and the mare ran to him for comfort. He didn't feel any sense of guilt for what he did. Until now, that is.

"Oh Goddess! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for what I did!" he cried to the heavens.

But all he got what the sound of claws scrambling up the support beams of the outpost at tremendous speed. He hid in the corner and prayed the Hellhounds wouldn't find him.

In the darkness outside the windows, he saw the silhouette of a canid creature stalking around the outpost's exterior sniffing for him. It was large and muscular from what he could tell. This Hellhound looked like it was built for both speed and power. The creature was all black, save for the two large red glowing eyes that scanned the room like searchlights. The creature snarled. Its teeth were glowing the same shade of red as its eyes. Soon it was joined by two other smaller Hounds.

The biggest of the Hounds started scratching at the windows while the other two were trying to break down both the windows and the outer door into the interior of the outpost. The barking and snarling combined with cracking glass and splintering wood made the stallion cower and scream, inadvertently alerting the Hellhounds to his presence. They tried to break in with even more ferocity, now. There was nothing for him to do and nowhere for him to hide.

The glass shattered with a loud ear-splitting sound. The three Hounds had entered the outpost and advanced towards the cowering stallion. The biggest Hound came up to him and bared it glowing teeth.

With no hesitation, all three of the Hellhounds pounced on the stallion. He screamed in agony and the beasts' claws and fangs tore into him. One of the Hounds clamped down on his right thigh, severing his femoral artery. The other Hound held his left foreleg and tried pulling and shaking it. The biggest one clamped down on the stallion's neck and started to shake and claw at the stallion's chest. He was dead in a matter of minutes. 

The job completed and the sinner sent to the Underworld, the three Hellhounds started lounging around while eating the body of the mortal they had killed. One of them, a female, started laughing hysterically. 

"Did you hear him before we came in?! He was all like, 'Goddess forgive me'! What a riot!" she cried over her laughter.

"We all heard, Killclaw. It wasn't that funny. I've heard mortals say that for the past three thousand years," one of the other males said.

"But it still gets me every time, Ripper," Killclaw said. "What about you, Shuck?"

Shuck, the bigger of the three, let out a sigh. "Honestly, I like it better when sinners try to put up more of a fight before we maul them to death. But chasing them is still fun, too."

"Excuse me, my dear friends," a familiar voice greeted from within their minds.

Each of them recognized that voice as the Lord Hound's voice. He was speaking to them through the Pack-Mind, which is a telepathic link all Hellhounds share. They were all happy to be hearing his voice.

"Well hullabaloo-and-howdy-doo, my lord. What can we help you with, tonight?" Shuck asked.

"It's a troubling matter concerning your eldest nephew, Frightfang," the Lord Hound replied.

That response made Shuck instantly fear for his nephew's life. He loved Frightfang dearly. He played with him, told him stories, and even trained him when he wasn't hunting sinners.

"What is it?! What happened?! Is my nephew okay?!" he thought frantically.

"He's fine. He's just with you in the mortal world. I need you to find him and return him to the Underworld," the Lord Hound replied. 

"Do you know where he is?" Shuck asked.

That may be a difficult question for even the Lord Hound to answer. Hellhound pups weren't linked to the Pack-Mind as their minds and bodies haven't matured enough, yet. The Lord Hound could get a few images, but nothing more than that.

"All I was able to see was that he was living in a mortal town. You may have to search diligently for the lost pup," the Lord Hound replied.

And with that, the three Hellhounds were looking down at the now skeletal remains of the sinner they had eaten. Shuck stepped out before them and took a commanding stance, causing the other two to stand at attention.

"Listen up! My oldest nephew is lost somewhere in the mortal world! We are going to go out there, find him, and return him home! Understood?!" he demanded.

"Yes sir, Shuck!" the two Hounds replied in unison.

"Alright, let's start hunting!" Shuck cried before they left the outpost.

Don't worry, Frightfang. I'll help you, little guy, he thought with determination.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Fluttershy's Cottage

Frightfang woke up with a yawn and a stretch. He had a pretty good amount of sleep. He looked out the window to see the same bright blue sky he saw when he first arrived in the mortal world. He looked over to see Fluttershy.

Only, Fluttershy wasn't there. She wasn't in bed at all. Frightfang tried to look around the room and couldn't find her in the closet, the hamper, or under the bed. He started to sniff the bed until he caught her scent.

He followed the scent out of the door and down the stairs to see Fluttershy eating breakfast in the kitchen. She looked at him with a kind smile.

"Oh, good morning, sweetie! Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Frightfang nodded his head in response. It was nice being wrapped in a loved one's embrace while one slept. It reminded him of being back with his mother.

"By the way, do you have a name? I can communicate with animals, so you can talk to me if you want," Fluttershy said.

Frightfang didn't know that any mortal would be capable of communicating with his species. Maybe that was something only she could do. Either way, it would be nice to actually be able to talk to her.

"My name is Frightfang, son of Eclipse and Pestilla!" he greeted. 

"Nice to meet you, Frightfang. You already know my name. I'd like to help you become accustomed to living here until we can get you back home," Fluttershy replied.

"I'm not so sure about that. The mortals of this town don't seem to like me if yesterday was anything to go by," Frightfang replied.

"I don't plan to take you out of your comfort zone. I just want to properly introduce you to my other animals and friends. I promise you'll love them as much as I love you," Fluttershy assured.

"You... love me? But we only just met yesterday," Frightfang said.

"That's okay. You're still just a pup. I'm just trying to love and care for you until you return home," Fluttershy said.

"Well, in that case... I love you, too," Frightfang said. "You saved me from the mob, you took me in, and you gave me a place to sleep. You're really nice for a mortal".

Fluttershy smiled and continued eating her breakfast in silence. As she ate, Frightfang couldn't help but stare at her food. The smell was intoxicating. The smell was making his mouth water. He wanted food. He put his front paws of Fluttershy's thigh and stuck his head under her foreleg while looking at her with wide eyes. Fluttershy giggled.

"Aaaww! Does someone want food?" she asked in a higher-pitched voice.

"Yes, please," Frightfang replied.

"Okay. Just let me finish up and I'll get you something to eat," Fluttershy said.

Frightfang got down and made his way to the living room where he hopped up on the couch to wait for Fluttershy to give him food. He hoped he would get more of the meat she gave him yesterday. That stuff was delicious.

Soon enough, Fluttershy came into the living room with a plate of raw meat in her mouth. Frightfang began eating as soon as she set the plate down. As soon as he was done, he drank a nice bowl of water. After he finished eating, Fluttershy came up to him.

"I talked with Twilight a little while ago and she's agreed to have all of our closest friends and their pets attend a picnic in Applejack's orchard," Fluttershy said.

The mention of Applejack made Frightfang's ears perk up. "You mean that fruit-grower that tried to pelt me with fruit and kick me the moment she saw me?"

Fluttershy blushed. "Well... yeah. But she's sorry and wants to get to know you."

Frightfang did not like the idea of seeing the vile fruit-grower again. But if Fluttershy vouches for her, that should be good enough. Fluttershy seemed to be a good judge of character.

Both of them left the cottage to see Fluttershy's friends and their pets. Frightfang wasn't sure what a pet was, but it sounded fascinating.





In Applejack's Orchard

Fluttershy and Frightfang walked through the apple orchard looking for where Twilight and the others had set up their picnic. As they walked, Frightfang placed his paw on one of the apple trees.

Within a matter of seconds, the tree and its fruit shriveled up and died. Only a dark and rotten desiccated trunk stood in its place. Both of them looked at the tree with shocked expressions.

"Well, the book did say that Hellhounds were able to kill plants through touch. Maybe we should avoid touching more trees," Fluttershy said.

"Okay," Frightfang said.

Maybe I should kill some more of these trees. It would serve as a good lesson to the mortal fruit-lover, he thought with a mischievous smile.

Frightfang did not want to see the vile fruit-grower or the one with the rainbow mane. They caused the most headaches for him as far as he was concerned. However, there was something about the rainbow one that reminded him of Blight. Maybe he could learn to get along with her better than the fruit-grower.

Frightfang and Fluttershy rounded a corner in the path and came upon the chosen site for the picnic. Frightfang saw the familiar group of ponies and a random assortment of other animals gathered on a large blanket with large baskets full of what he could smell as food.

The animals that the ponies had brought to this picnic was a mortal dog, a cat, an owl, a derpy-looking alligator, and a flying tortoise. The fact that flying tortoises existed in the mortal world amazed Frightfang.

"I don't know about this, Fluttershy. I don't think these mortal animals will like Hellhounds," Frightfang said to her.

"Don't worry, they'll like you and you'll like them once they get to know you," Fluttershy responded.

The two approached the picnic spot and greeted to gathering of ponies and animals. Twilight waved to them both with a happy smile on her face.

"Hey, Fluttershy! How are you settling in with the pup?" she asked.

"He's been settling in just fine, Twilight. Also, his name is Frightfang," Fluttershy replied.

"His name is Frightfang? That actually sounds badass!" the rainbow one exclaimed.

I officially like the rainbow one, now, Frightfang thought.

"Did you give him the name, darling?" the white one asked. "If you did, that's quite a creative name."

"Actually, he told me that that was his name," Fluttershy replied.

"You can talk with him?" the farmer asked.

"Yes. This is Frightfang the Hellhound," Fluttershy introduced before pointing to each of her friends. "This is Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack".

Frightfang gave Applejack a glowing glare. He took a defensive posture and gave low growls. Applejack looked quite nervous.

"I don't think he forgives me for throwin' apples at him," Applejack noted.

Fluttershy gently nudged Frightfang's side with a wing. "Now, Frightfang. That's in the past."

"I'm sorry, little guy," Applejack said.

"I... I guess I'll forgive you. But if you throw one more apple at me, I will eat all four of your legs," Frightfang replied.

"What did he say, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked.

"He, uh... he forgives you. Anyway, let's eat," Fluttershy said.

The group all dug into the food they had brought. The ponies enjoyed their specific food while the animals and Frightfang enjoyed theirs.

After they were done, the pony friends were all talking about familiar things. Rainbow Dash was talking about something called a "Sonic Rainboom", whatever that is. Frightfang was lounging next to one of the trees by himself until the dog walked up to him with hesitation.

The mere presence of Hellhounds was known for scaring mortal animals, so Frightfang could understand the dog's hesitation. Once the dog came up to him, she was obviously in a submissive posture.

"H-howdy there. M-my name's Winona. I hear your name's Frightfang," she said in a sweet and smooth voice.

Frightfang decided to put her at ease by nudging her cheek with his nose. "My name is Frightfang, yes. Who's your companion?"

"I'm with Applejack," she replied.

"That's... nice," he said with a forced smile.

Winona gave an understanding nod. "I know she can sometimes come off as... difficult. But she's a good pony."

"Hard to say after how our first meeting went," Frightfang said.

"I remember how she reacted after she saw you. She came bursting into the house shouting and screaming and looking for a weapon. She ended up slipping on a rolling pin she knocked to the floor!" she said with a barking laughter.

Frightfang started laughing along with her. "I wish I was there to see that! That must've been hilarious!"

While the two canines were laughing, a white posh-looking cat came walking up to them both. She put a paw to her mouth and cleared her throat dramatically.

"Ahem. Excuse me, Winona, darling, but would you mind introducing me to the newest animal companion amongst us?" she asked with a cultured voice and tone.

"Sorry," Winona said before turning to Frightfang. "This little lady is with Rarity. Frightfang, meet Opalescence."

"You can just call me Opal," she said with a polite bow. "It's a tremendous pleasure to meet you, dear canine."

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Frightfang, son of Eclipse and Pestilla. I'm a Hellhound from the Underworld," Frightfang replied.

"Tell me, dear Frightfang, are there cats in the Underworld?" Opal asked.

"I've never seen any there," Frightfang replied.

"How are... you... adjusting to... living with... Fluttershy?" a voice asked slowly.

"Who said that?" Frightfang asked.

"That's just Rainbow's pet tortoise, Tank," Opal said pointing up with her nose.

Frightfang looked above them all and saw that the voice came from the flying tortoise. He smiled slowly at Frightfang. He was happy to see that the other animals were more at ease around him, now. 

"I like living with Flutteshy so far. She smells similar to my mother," Frightfang replied.

"Your mother? Is your mother nice?" Opal asked.

"My mother is great. She looks after me and my siblings. She's the one who inspired me to become stronger," Frightfang replied.

"Do you... have any... friends?" Tank asked.

"Well, I do have one: a female by the name of Blight," Frightfang replied.

Opal raised an eyebrow and gave a sly smile. "Oh? Is she your girlfriend?"

Frightfang's eyes and red streaks started to glow a shade of pink. "N-n-no! She's not! We're just friends and sparring partners!"

The other animals smiled and looked at each other with sly eyes. 

"C-can we please talk about something else?!" Frightfang asked loudly.

All of the other animals broke out in laughter while Frightfang hid his eyes under his paws.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a Manehattan Penthouse

A cloaked figure was walking to look out over the city. It was quite a beautiful sight at night, the streets and buildings lit up so bright that they could be seen from the tallest tower of the Canterlot Palace.

The bustling city of Manehattan also had a surprising dark side. There were lots of ponies in this city that commit pretty bad crimes worthy of being sent to the Underworld. Chief among those crimes are murder and assault. There were also the drug lords who peddle powerful narcotics to the poor under-class of the city. These crimes attracted the attention of Hellhounds.

"Lovely night, don't you think?" a cultured voice asked from behind the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure looked behind him to see none other than Prince Blueblood walking towards him. The Prince stood to the figure's right and gazed out into the city.

"I'd say the city does look beautiful from this height. It helps to cover up the fact that there's hordes of criminals in this city," the cloaked figure  replied.

He removed his hood to reveal himself as none other than Chancellor Neighsay. He looked at Prince Blueblood with a neutral expression.

"How are things in Canterlot, old friend?" the Chancellor asked.

Prince Blueblood's normally pleasant face suddenly turned into a scowl. That was an expression that only Neighsay had ever seen him make before.

"Things have just been insufferable, Neighsay. That mare that Aunt Celestia left in charge has been making things... difficult to say the least. I've been trying to say that as the Solar Princess's nephew, I should have a say in the political affairs she's engaged in. But she keeps overruling even the most banal suggestions I make! That mare is simply intolerable!" he replied.

Neighsay looked personally unbothered by the Prince's rambling. He learned that letting him rant in one go will make him shut up later. The only reason he put up with this was because the two of them had a special agreement. After the Prince finally finished with his rambling, Neighsay returned to looking out the window towards the city. They had important business to discuss. 

"Now then, back to business. How are things on your end, Blueblood?" Neighsay asked.

"So far, things are progressing slowly, but increasing. I have a feeling that at least three quarters of the royal court will be by my side within two months. That should be more than enough," Blueblood replied.

"You know, I never asked, but how exactly are you able to gain the support of the majority of the court?" Neighsay asked.

"It's those special dogs you provide for them. I must say, they are quite useful for various tasks. And profitable, too," Blueblood replied.

"They're called 'Hellhounds'. And you must tell them to take proper care of the Hounds they receive. Lord Trotsky sent me a heavily injured Hound to heal after one of its prize-fights. Do you or any of the other nobles have any idea how much it costs or how hard it is to heal Hellhounds?!" Neighsay replied, getting angrier with each word.

"Okay, okay! No need to get angry. I'll inform Lord Trotsky about his lackluster care for the Hounds. Anyway, how are things with you? Any problems?" Blueblood replied.

Chancellor Neighsay reached into his cloak and removed a rolled up newspaper. He set it on a small table he levitated between Blueblood and himself. Blueblood picked up the newspaper and began to read it. As he read, his face contorted into one of anger.

"What the hell is this I am reading?!" he shouted.

"Apparently, the Princess has not only discovered a Hellhound in the mortal world, but she has allowed one of her sycophantic friends to adopt it," Neighsay replied calmly.

"If the Princess and the Elements are focused on this Hound, it could draw some unwanted attention to our operation should they start looking more into Hellhound sightings. If they get involved, everything we've worked for will be for nothing," Neighsay said.

"What do we do?" Blueblood asked.

"Not me. You," Neighsay replied. "I have to send a shipment of Hounds to our customers in Las Pegasus. I suggest that you use your influence in the court to keep the Elements from digging."

Blueblood gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Just make sure everything goes smoothly on your end".

"You supply the money, I supply the Hounds. That's how everything works. Until you usurp Twilight, that is," Neighsay assured.

And with that, the Prince left Neighsay to continue staring out the window. He'd have to send his hunters out to look for Hellhounds tonight. He pulled out a small walkie-talkie from his cloak and clicked it on.

"Send out the hunters. We're looking for more Hellhounds tonight, lads," he spoke into the walkie-talkie.

"Yes sir. We're geared up and ready," a voice crackled. 

Neighsay smiled upon hearing the enthusiasm in the voices of the hunters in his employ. He would make sure to keep enough Hellhounds to protect Equestria by any means necessary. Any means.





City of Manehattan- Southern Borough

A small portal opened up in an abandoned factory near the warehouse district of the mortal city. A set of paws and a muzzle poked out from the portal, as if the creature trying to come through was having trouble fitting through the portal. Soon enough, a canine body slipped through the portal and onto a collection of old torn-up mattresses on the floor.

It was Blight. She actually managed to open a portal to the mortal world despite still being a pup. She didn't specify a location to travel to. All she needed to do was simply open a portal. She shook herself from the exertion and sneezed out a muzzle full of dust. She looked around her and saw that she was indeed in the mortal world.

"Oh, hell yeah! I made it to the mortal world!!" she shouted in excitement.

She look out a window to see the brightly-lit nighttime city beyond. There were a few mortals out and about, but there weren't enough to cause a full panic if they saw her. Right now, she needed to find a way to find Frightfang.

"Okay, how do I find him? Obviously, scent isn't an option. Maybe I could go from town to town and try to catch his scent after looking for it," she reasoned.

Blight was around Frightfang long enough to remember his scent. If she went to a mortal town and found it, she should be able to find him quickly. She jumped out of a broken window and landed on a dumpster in the alley. She put her snout to the air and the ground to try to find Frightfang's scent but found nothing. 

"Maybe if I search the city thoroughly, I should be able to find him quickly enough," Blight said.

She made her way out of the alley and looked to make sure no mortals in the immediate vicinity. She saw some bizarre vehicle making its way down the street towards her location. She went back into the alley and waited for the vehicle to pass. Instead of passing her, it stopped just outside the entrance to the alley. Three mortals wearing masks and some form of armor stepped outside of the vehicles and made their way towards her.

They were carrying poles that had a wire noose sticking out of the top. They were glaring at her through the lenses of their masks and walked towards her with malevolent intent in their strides. Blight backed away from them and gave them a threatening growl and took a threatening posture.

Why are they approaching me? They should be running away from me, she thought.

"You're coming with us, doggie. We don't want to hurt you. The boss prefers that you be unharmed," one of the masked mortals said to her.

There was no way in Heaven, the mortal world, or the Underworld she was going with them. She didn't waste any time before she lunged at the closest mortal and tried to dig her fangs into his neck.

The flesh of his throat tore away easily. For all their armor, the neck was exposed and vulnerable. The mortal underneath her writhed on the ground before finally going still in a pool of his own blood. Blight felt a thick wire wrap around her neck and tighten.

Blight tried to thrash and bite at her attackers, but the wire and pole wouldn't allow her to move beyond the pole's length. From behind her, a small sharp pain stabbed into her right leg. She looked behind her to see one of the surviving mortals with some kind of needle in its hoof.

Blight's vision started to swim and her legs started to become wobbly. No matter how much she tried to continue fighting, she felt herself becoming weaker and weaker. Finally, she collapsed onto the ground.

Before she lost consciousness, she saw the mortals dragging her towards their vehicle.

Damn... it... all, she thought in anger.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville

Frightfang had been adjusting well to life in Ponyville after a few days. The other animals around Ponyville seemed to like him. The ponies of the town took a bit longer to warm up to Frightfang, but they trusted Fluttershy well enough to handle a Hellhound. Both of them were walking to Twilight's castle per Twilight's request. They walked through the doors to see a smiling Twilight.

"Ah! Flutteshy! Frightfang! I'm so glad you both excepted my invitation!" she said excitedly.

The smiling Alicorn welcomed both Pegasus and Hellhound into the castle with an all-too-happy smile on her face. Frightfang felt a small shiver run down his spine. That smile could could scare away a Hellsnake. Frightfang and Fluttershy followed Twilight down the halls of the castle towards the library. 

"It was nice of you to invite us here, Twilight," Fluttershy said. "Though, you didn't say why exactly you wanted both of us here".

"Oh. I wanted to examine Frightfang," Twilight said. "I want to learn more about Hellhound biology. I could do a research paper or an entire article on Underworld lifeforms".

Fluttershy held a raised eyebrow at her. "Let me guess, you invited me here to calm him down in case your tests scare him, didn't you?".

Twilight's cheeks flushed red. "Eeh... Maybe".

Fluttershy turned to Frightfang. She had a soothing maternal look on her face and kindness in her eyes. Those eyes put him at ease immediately.

"Frightfang, Twilight wants to simply look you over to see how your species survives. I promise it won't hurt," Fluttershy assured him.

Frightfang was thankful to have Fluttershy with him. It would make this mortal's tests at least a bit more bearable. He just hoped Twilight's tests weren't painful. Twilight conjured a short examination table and directed Frightfang to jump up on tp of it. Frightfang did so with little effort.

Twilight pulled out a tray of different instruments for her examination. Thankfully, these instruments weren't sharp at all. Frightfang stood motionless as Twilight pulled out what she called a "stethoscope" and applied it to his chest. The blasted thing was so cold, Frightfang let out a yelp of surprise. Twilight instantly retracted her hoof.

"I'm sorry! I forgot to warm it!" Twilight cried out.

The Princess rubbed the end of the stethoscope against her chest and applied it to Frightfang's chest, warmer this time. She listened carefully for his heartbeat and smiled upon finding it. Twilight pulled out a pen and notebook and began writing down notes.

Next, Twilight pulled out a measuring tape and measured Frightfang's length from muzzle to tail. Twilight then consulted the Underworld book for reference about the usual size of Hellhounds. Twilight then turned to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, do you know how big Hellhounds can get?" she asked.

"No, I only read the part about what they eat so I could feed Frightfang," Fluttershy said.

"Apparently, Hellhounds vary in size. Some are around the size of pit-bulls or German shepherds and others can be the size of a horse," Twilight informed her. "The Lord Hound is supposed to be the biggest of them all".

"Who's the Lord Hound?" Fluttershy asked.

Frightfang was the one to answer. "The Lord Hound is the progenitor of our species. He's as old as the Underworld itself. He is very old and very wise. His connection to the Underworld is unrivaled".

Twilight asked Fluttershy what Frightfang had said, who relayed everything that the young Hellhound had said. Twilight thn got an idea.

"Fluttershy, I think I'm going to switch to asking Frightfang questions about the Underworld and Hellhounds. Would you mind translating what he says?" she asked of her friend.

"Of course, Twilight," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight pulled out a chair and her pen and notebook and sat across from Frightfang. She certainly looked eager to get started.

"Now Frightfang, do your species hunt alone or in packs?" Twilight asked.

Frightfang thought for a good bit about that. "From what I've seen, it depends on the Hound you're talking to. Some like to hunt alone, but most like to hunt in packs. My Uncle Shuck likes to hunt with two other Hounds named Killclaw and Ripper".

Twilight wrote down Fluttershy's translated response before turning back to Frightfang. "Can you tell us about your Uncle Shuck?"

Frightfang beamed at the opportunity to talk about his uncle. He stood up and wagged his tail and held his head up with pride.

"He's one of the best Sin Hunters among them. He's never let a sinner escape him! He's so cool!" he replied with excitement.

"I see. Now, what are Sin Hunters?".

"They're the Hounds the Lord Hound sends to the mortal world to hunt down sinners and send their souls to the Underworld".

"Why do Hellhounds hunt down sinners?".

"From what my mother told me, we do so because they provide food for us and the other creatures of the Underworld and because they have to be punished". 

"Do you miss your mom?"

Frightfang lowered his head and flattened his ears against his head. "I do. I miss my siblings and friends, too. I really miss my friend Blight".

"Who's Blight?" Fluttershy asked.

"A female I often played with back home," Frightfang said in response.

That response had both Fluttershy and Twilight looking at each other with mischievous smiles on their faces. Twilight leaned forward with half-lidded eyes.

"Is she a female you like?" she asked him.

Once again, Frightfang's eyes and chest-glow changed from red to pink. "S-shut up! I told you, she's just a female friend I spar and play with! I don't like her like that!"

"Are you sure, Frightfang? Because you're looking like a real 'blush-puppy'," Fluttershy said with a giggle.

Both ponies started laughing while Frightfang hid his face underneath his paws.





With Blight

Blight slowly woke up in a strange place. There was a strange artificial light bringing her back to consciousness. She blinked herself awake to find herself in a place she definitely didn't recognize.

She was in a small stone room with a barred door in front of her. But there was something weird about the bars keeping her contained. They looked like they had a golden light radiating from them. Blight tried to remember what happened.

"Okay, I came to the mortal world, tried to fight off some bitch-ass mortals, and then... ," Blight recalled until she got to the last detail.

She lowered her head and growled in anger. "They captured me! And now they've got me locked away in here! When I get out of here, I'm going to kill them! Slowly!"

Blight charged towards the bars of her cell, only to be blasted towards the back of the wall with great force. Blight shook her head in pain and looked towards the bars. She tried to chew on the bars, but that ended with her being blasted to the wall again.

"Yeah, it's best that you don't do that, puppy," a strange voice said from across the bars.

Blight looked outside the bars and found the source of the voice. In another cell across from hers was another Hellhound, a smaller and younger male. Despite his apparent age, the Hound had a good bit of muscle on him. He looked like he had been here for longer than her. The strange pup spoke to her again.

"Those bars are enchanted with heavenly magic. To us, those bars are impenetrable," the pup replied.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"The mortals keeping us here call it 'The Kennel'," the pup replied. 

"Why are they doing this to us?" she asked next.

"I've heard stories from some of the other Hellhounds they bring in. They all say that the mortals that've got them were using them for guarding things or for fighting other Hellhounds," the pup said.

That made the fur and internal fire flare up. "These filthy creatures are using us as pets and sport fighters?!"

"Yep. It's only a matter of time before they take you for what they call 'Domestication'," the pup said.

"What's that?" Blight asked.

The pup leaned his head to the side to show something to Blight. She looked as closely as she could to see something wrapped around the pup's neck. It was a brown leather strap giving off the same golden light as the bars.

"What is that thing?" Blight asked.

"It's a collar they use to make us calm and obedient," the pup replied. "But the mental conditioning they use and putting on the collars is very painful".

"They're going to do that to me?" Blight asked.

"Sooner or later. But looking at you, I'm guessing that they're very eager to Domesticate you," the pup said.

Speaking of the devil, the sound of a distant door opening alerted Blight to the sound of hooves clopping against the stone floor of her prison. Soon enough, a trio of three mortal stallions appeared before her. They all smiled at her insipidly. One of them she recognized as the leader of the mortals that first captured her. The one in the middle was a middle-aged stallion with a slicked-back black mane and beard wearing a red cape. The other one was a stallion wearing a white bird-shaped mask.

Blight lunged forward in a vain attempt to attack and shred the stallions keeping her imprisoned, only for the magic bars to do their intended purpose. The three ponies smiled with amazement. The one in the middle laughed heartily.

"This one's a monster! I'm sure Lord Trotsky would love this one!" he said before turning to the masked one. "Prep this Hound for Domestication, doctor!"

"Sure thing, boss!" the masked stallion said.

The masked stallion pulled out a long pole with a wire loop giving off golden light. The other two stallions left the masked one to do his work. Blight could tell the masked stallion was smiling behind his bird mask.

"Hey, little pup. You and I are going to be spending a great deal of time together. I can't wait to get started," the masked stallion said.

I have to get out of here! I have to find Frightfang! I'll fight everything these mortals throw at me!, she thought defiantly.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Blight

Blight was backed against the farthest wall of her holding cell. The masked pony and a few cronies were facing her wearing some kind of protective armor and wielding the weird rope poles with the glowing rope. They approached with a great deal of care. They were right to fear Hellhounds like her, but Blight would teach them to fear her specifically.

As they got closer, Blight snarled and snapped her jaws at the approaching ponies. Her green inner flame changed to bright red and filled the cell with a dangerous red light. To of the ponies conjured up clear-colored shields and took a protective stance. The one in the middle held the rope pole.

"Look here, pup, you're coming with us whether you want to or not," the middle one said with a dangerous tone.

Then come at me, wretches! Blight shouted in her mind.

She lunged at the armored ones and went straight for the one in the middle. The ones with the shields pressed into her sides with their shields to limit her movements. The one with the pole stood back and struggled to wrap the rope around Blight's neck. But she was thrashing too much for the pony to wrap the rope around her neck.

"Hold her still, dammit!" the rope wielder shouted in frustration.

"We're trying, but she's thrashing too much!" one of the shield users replied.

The rope pole user tried to poke her head with the pole, which got her annoyed enough to try to glare at him. This gave the pony enough time to finally loop Blight's head with the rope. 

Blight could feel the rope tighten around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She tried to luge towards the pony holding the rope, but all she managed to do was push him back a few steps. But the pony was able to adjust his grip to where he had a good grip on the pole. 

He tried to pull Blight from the cell, but she was resisting with all her might. Despite her struggles, the smooth floor made her slip easily. The pony was able to pull her out of the cell and down the halls of the facility to a certain location. 

Along the way, Blight noticed other Hellhounds there. But these Hellhounds weren't as active or as vibrant as the ones she knew. They all looked sad and depressed. There were some who appeared injured. Some had bald spots and some had scars that never healed. There were even some with missing limbs. One Hound was actually chewing on one if his legs! All of these Hounds had the glowing collars the young pup had.

The ponies and Hellhound rounded a corner and Blight saw a large metal door with a sign fixed above it.

"Domestication Room"

The ponies opened the door with a loud and painful creaking sound and showed a large dark room. The smell of blood, sweat, and urine hit Blight like a tidal wave, making her almost gag. The pony with the rope spoke to someone in the darkness. 

"Hey, doc! We brought the new arrival for you!" he said.

The lights turned on to reveal a large white room with a long table with chains and shackles fixed to each end. Dog muzzles of various sizes hung on hooks lining the walls behind the table. There was a smaller table to the side that held several instruments, all of which appeared sharp. The masked doctor that came to see her on the first night was there. Blight growled upon seeing him. She could tell he was smiling underneath the mask.

"Oh hello! I'm so glad you're here!" he said to her, earning him a snarl from Blight.

The doctor then turned to the armored mortals. "Just chain her to the table and leave".

The ponies actually physically picked up Blight and chained her to the table and left. The doctor slipped a muzzle over her jaws when she wasn't looking. She tried to shake off the chains and muzzle, but they all had the same heavenly light that lined a lot of the ponies' equipment.

Now that Blight was all alone in the room with the doctor, she couldn't help but feel a small shiver of fear run down her back. She tried to free herself with all her might, despite her knowing that escape was virtually impossible. The doctor grabbed a syringe off the table next to her and waved it in front of her face to taut her.

"This is holy water, pup. It'll just make your legs feel shaky," the doctor said.

Despite Blight's struggles, the doctor was able to inject the holy water into her bloodstream. What followed next was absolute searing burning pain sweeping through Blight's entire body in waves. It was like her whole body was being burned from the inside. Blight's muscles spasmed with pain, sending her crashing onto the cold table.

Foam starting coming forth from Blight's mouth as her whole body seized. Her mind starting to grow blank from shock. A good five minutes passed and she finally stopped seizing, but the pain remained. With her blurry vision, Blight saw a bowl with fresh red meat in it. The doctor placed the bowl on the desk on the other side of the room.

"Now, let's see if we can give you an attitude adjustment, pup," the doctor said. "Now then. Sit".

Blight rose to her feet and growled through her muzzle. The doctor shook his head and reached for a short leather rod laced with heavenly light. The next thing Blight knew, the doctor brought the rod down across her back. Because of the heavenly light, each strike burned into Blight's fur and flesh. Once the doctor was done and Blight's back was bleeding, the doctor gave another command.

"Sit!"

Blight got back up on shaky legs and glared at the doctor with a snarl. The doctor shook his head and brought out a blessed whip from the looks of it. It had nine tails and ended with metal beads.

"It looks like we'll have to keep hacking away at that defiance of yours if your going to be sold," the doctor said before he started whipping Blight.

As she was being whipped with the wretched whip, Blight grit her fangs. She would get out and get revenge on these horrible mortals. She would find Frightfang and bring him home. He would endure this torture for her pride and for her friend.

I... won't give up. I... will find you... my friend, she vowed in her mind.
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Blight

Blight was in unimaginable pain. The torture she was being subjected to had left her laying on her side panting heavily. It's been an entire day and night since she was first brought into the wretched room. Blight herself was in a horrible state.

There were several blessed nails driven through her back and legs. They weren't supposed to kill her, obviously. The nails were to cause her pain to beat her into submission. She hadn't eaten anything the entire time, so her stomach was in the painful throes of hunger. Countless bleeding wounds from the blessed whip crisscrossed her back and sides. Her once soft and glossy short black fur was now matted and stocky with blood and sweat. Blight panted through the muzzle drawing in short and painful pants. But her spirit did not break. Despite her pain, she did derive satisfaction from seeing the mortal doctor getting angry from her refusal to submit. He paced back and forth on the verge of tearing his own mane out.

"Damn you, mutt! I swear you're the most obstinate Hound I've ever worked with!" he shouted through his mask.

Blight gave him another defiant snarl. That only seemed to set the doctor off even more. He grabbed the blessed whip for another round of beatings when the door to the room swung open to reveal the apparent leader of the mortals with two bodyguards. He didn't seem happy with what was happening.

"Doctor, what have you done to her?!" he shouted.

"Well, sir, I've tried everything I know to make the beast submit, but she will not yield no matter I do!" the doctor yelled.

The bearded pony regarded Blight with great scrutiny. She glared at him and bared her fangs at him. The bearded one looked impressed with her grit, based on his smile. He then turned to the doctor.

"If she won't behave like the others, we can use the Holy Collars to at least make sure she doesn't attack us. Hopefully Lord Trotsky will be able to use a strong Hound like her in the ring," he said.

"And if she doesn't comply even then?" the doctor asked.

"Then you can try to continue Domestication procedures until she finally breaks," his boss replied. "Bring one of the Holy Collars."

Two henchmen brought one of the glowing Collars Blight saw on her way here. The bearded one looped the Collar around a struggling Blight's neck and fastened it tight. The light from the Collar sent burning pain shooting through Blight's entire body, earning a cacophony of whimpers and cries. Once the pain subsided, Blight laid down panting. The bearded pony smiled.

"Clean her up and deliver her to Trotsky. I'm sure this pup will be worth every bit," the bearded one ordered.

"As you wish, Chancellor Neighsay," the doctor said.

Blight made sure to pay attention to that name. She growled at him through her muzzle.

Chancellor Neighsay. I'll never forget your name or your scent. When I get out of this, you'll be the first mortal I kill, Blight swore.

If there's one thing Hellhounds never break, it's a vow to kill those who've wronged them. And Blight was going to make good on her promise one day.





With Frightfang and the Ponies

Frightfang was going with Fluttershy to what she called a "vet". He wasn't sure what a vet was, but it sounded interesting. He hoped this "vet" was as nice as Fluttershy. 

The entered the building and waited for Fluttershy's "vet" friend. There were other ponies and their animal companions waiting too. Some of the animals looked healthier than others. They had the scent of illness and injury from them.

"Uh, Fluttershy, why are all these sick animals here?" Frightfang asked.

"They're here to get treatment for their ailments," Fluttershy replied.

"But I feel fine, so why are we here?"

"We're just here to make sure you stay healthy until we get you home," Fluttershy replied. "Don't you worry. Doctor Fauna is a great vet."

After what felt like hours of waiting, a pony wearing a white coat walked out of the back room and looked at a list of names on a clipboard.

"Fluttershy and... 'Frightfang'!" she called.

The duo got up and walked towards the good doctor. Fauna was incredibly shocked to see Frightfang, but that was to be expected. Then she plastered a huge smile on her face.

"Hey there, Fluttershy! Who's this little guy?" she asked.

"This is Frightfang, a Hellhound," Fluttershy replied.

"A Hellhound?! I've never seen a Hellhound before, let alone treat one!" Fauna said.

"Really? The whole town's been talking about him ever since he first showed up," Fluttershy said.

"I've been so busy with my patients that I haven't been paying attention to the local gossip," Fauna said. "Anyway, let's get this little guy checked out."

Fauna led Fluttershy and Frightfang down the hall and to one the rooms prepared to welcome them. In the middle of the room was an examination table and there was a desk and shelves full of equipment and instruments. Fauna patted on the table with a hoof.

"Come on up here, Frightfang!" she said sweetly.

Frightfang hopped up on the table and simply stood there. There was something about the doctor that Frightfang found calming. He felt safe and at ease around her. Fauna brought out a little glass instrument and touched it to his skin. The top of it read numbers until Fauna's eyes grew wide.

"This is incredible!" Fauna said. "His temperature is over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit!"

"Actually, I think that may actually be normal for his species," Fluttershy said. "Though, when he slept in bed with me, he didn't feel that hot".

"Our species are capable of controlling our own body temperatures at will," Frightfang said.

Fluttershy translated what he said to Dr. Fauna, who was excited to hear such information. Next, Fauna brought out a stethoscope and put it to Frightfang's chest. It felt really cold until his high body temp warmed it right up.

"His heart beat sounds pretty normal to an average canine," Fauna noted. "Next, we should get him some vaccines and then I'll get him some standard anti-worm medication for dogs".

"What's a 'vaccine'? Is it tasty?" Frightfang asked.

"No, it's a way for her to make sure you stay nice and healthy," Fluttershy replied.

Fauna returned to the room with a few small vials and needle-like devices. The sight of the needles made Frightfang's heartrate climb dramatically. Fluttershy stroked his head to comfort him.

"It's okay. It's okay," Fluttershy cooed. "It's just a few pricks and you'll be good to go".

Frightfang tried to calm down. He'd gotten roughed up sparring with Blight before, but somehow the sight of the needles still sent a shiver down his spine. Fauna set down her supplies and picked up one of the needles.

"Okay, first up is a standard rabies vaccine," Fauna said.

Finding a good spot, Fauna stuck Frightfang with the vaccine. Frightfang managed to suck it up until the doctor pulled out the needle. Next were vaccines for things she called "canine parvovirus" and "canine distemper". Once she was done with all the vaccines, Frightfang collapsed to the table. Fauna handed Fluttershy the pills.

"Just put his pills in peanut butter and he should be good to go," Fauna said.

"Thank you, Doctor Fauna," Fluttershy said.

"And I hope to see this darling Hound again," Fauna said, petting Frightfang.

"And I hope to never see another needle for as long as I live," Frightfang said.

Before they left, Fauna reached into a jar of dog treats and gave one to Frightfang. After sniffing it to make sure it was safe to eat, he eagerly ate the treat and left with Fluttershy. He was more than happy to not have to deal with needles anymore. In fact, the needles made him want to return home even more.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Shuck, Ripper, and Killclaw

The trio of Sin Hunters have spent weeks searching the mortal lands for Frightfang. They scoured every single village, town, city, and even lone homesteads for the pup. They weren't able to find sight nor scent of him. The mortal world's positive energy muddling their senses certainly complicated things further.

Their search brought them to a mortal town called "Appaloosa". The town was decently sized and was surrounded by trees full of fruit of varying shades of red, green, and even gold. Why they favored such fruit was beyond them, but they couldn't focus on fruit. Shuck and his comrades stuck to the outside of town in order to keep the mortals from panicking.

Each of the trio was sniffing for any sign of Frightfang. They couldn't find him, but they did detect the distinct scent of another Hellhound. It was faint, but recognizable.

"You smell that?" Ripper asked.

"Yeah, must be another Sin Hunter assigned to hunt this region," Killclaw replied.

"Maybe they've seen my nephew," Shuck said.

Shuck threw back his head and howled. Unless they wanted to frighten Sinners, mortals weren't able to hear the distinct howls of a Hellhound. It sounded canine, but it also had the ability to cause immense terror in any mortals who heard it as well as sounding like it echoed in an unnatural way. Shuck and the others waited for a reply.

A reply howl sounded in the distance a few seconds later. It had to be the Sin Hunter for this region. The trio took off in the direction of the howl.

They got to a tall hill overlooking the orchard. When they arrived, they were greeted by a Hound that Shuck recognized.

"Deadeye, you sack of bones! How are ya, ya old dog?" Shuck asked.

The Hellhound in question, Deadeye, was an unsightly creature to behold. He looked as if nothing but dark bare skin covered his clearly visible bones. His eyes had no eyelids and looked like giant pearls gleaming in the moonlight. His lipless mouth showed yellowed fangs with drool dripping from his jaws. He was clearly happy to see some old friends judging from the wagging of his tail.

"Good to see you, you old fleabag!" Deadeye said with a raspy high-pitched voice. "What brings you here?"

"My nephew Frightfang is here in the mortal world," Shuck replied.

"Really? Is this his first hunt for Sinners?" Deadeye asked.

"No. The Lord Hound told us that the poor thing was accidentally sent here and is now living among mortals," Killclaw replied. 

"That sounds depressing," Deadeye said flatly. "But that aside, he may be in great danger."

"Why do you say that?" Ripper asked.

"I was assigned to this region along with another Hound, but then she up and disappeared one night," Deadeye replied. "I found her scent near the town and signs of a struggle, but not her. I fear there's something out there attacking us."

"What do you think happened?" Ripper asked.

"Given the large amount of mortal scents I found, I think there's a group of mortals out there kidnapping our kind for malevolent purposes," Deadeye replied.

"What would they be taking us for?" Shuck asked.

"And how would they be able to take us so easily?" Killclaw asked.

"All I know is that they're out there hunting for us," Deadeye said. "I fear for not only your safety, but dear Frightfang's as well."

Shuck's fur bristled upwards from his back and neck. He pulled his lips back in a snarl and his eyes gave off an intense glow in anger.

"If those mortals do anything to hurt my little nephew, I'll make 'em beg for death!" he growled.

"Good. I hope you'll find him," Deadeye said.

"I hope you stay safe out here, old friend," Shuck said, nuzzling his friend.

Shuck and his comrades took off running away from the town. They'll head east to search more mortal towns. It would only be a matter of time before they found Frightfang. They hoped he would be alright until they got there.





With Frightfang

Frightfang was having a nice time walking through the streets of Ponyville. Fluttershy was walking alongside him to show him around the town. But he began to notice that some of the mortals he saw wouldn't look at him. It seemed that some of the townsfolk were afraid of him. Made sense since his species evolved to look menacing.

The pair approached a flower shop run by three particular mares. These mares took one look at Frightfang, gasped, and fainted. Fluttershy rolled her eyes and approached the prone mares.

"Hello, Daisy. Can you get me a few potted flowers?" Fluttershy asked.

The aforementioned Daisy jumped up with a big grin on her face.

"Of course I can, Fluttershy!" she said. "What are these roses for?"

"I'm using them to feed my beehives. A bigger flower field means a healthier hive," Fluttershy replied.

Frightfang tilted his head in confusion. The mortals were very weird with what they liked. Why did they love flowers so much? Was it their colors? They didn't look that impressive to Frightfang. 

"Fluttershy, why do your kind like flowers so much? Is it their color or something?" Frightfang asked.

"Well, that and the fact that they smell nice. Smell them and see," Fluttershy said.

The young Hellhound craned his head downward to sniff some of the flowers. They did indeed smell good, a combination of sweet and fresh. As soon as he exhaled, though, the flowers all withered and died in a matter of seconds. The flower mares all stared in shock as their entire stock died. Fluttershy draped a wind over Frightfang's back and began to gently push him backwards.

"Uh... I think I'll try looking for flowers elsewhere," Fluttershy said nervously with a smile.

Frightfang lowered his head and his ears in shame. He killed these mares' flowers. It was accident, but he still killed their flowers. He didn't know his breath could kill flowers. Once they were far away from the shop, Fluttershy petted Frighfang with her wing.

"It's okay, Frightfang," Fluttershy cooed. "You didn't mean to do that."

"Still, I feel pretty bad for doing that," Frightfang said, his ears still flat against his head.

"Why don't we go over to Sweet Apple Acres?" Fluttershy suggested. "You and Winona seemed to get along when you two met."

It took a while for Frightfang to reply. "Okay. I guess we can go there."


...


On the Way to Sweet Apple Acres

As the two made their way through the town and to the countryside on their way to Sweet Apple Acres, a puff of smokes and sparks exploded in mid-air. The smoke dissipated to reveal a bizarre creature Frightfang had never seen before.

This creature was long and serpentine in appearance as well as looking like a mishmash of various animals. His head was like that of a horse with a deer antler and an ibex horn. It had a lion paw, an eagle leg, a lizard leg, a goat leg, a snake tail, and the wings of a bird and a bat. His eyes held a look of derangement. Frightfang didn't like this creature for some reason. He smiled at Fluttershy in a familiar way.

"Fluttershy! How are you today?" the creature asked. "I was wondering, what flavor of tea will we be having at our next hangout day? Should we have chai or Darjeeling if we want to go exotic?"

"I think any tea you chose will be fine, Discord. Would you like to join me and Frightfang today? We're heading to Sweet Apple Acres," Fluttershy replied and invited.

The creature Fluttershy called "Discord" looked down and seemd to acknowledge Frightfang for the first time. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the young Hellhound. He put himself between Fluttershy and Frightfang and conjured up a suit of plate armor and a sword. He pointed the weapon directly at Frightfang, who growled in response to the blatant threat.

"Fluttershy, stay behind me! There's a Hellhound next to you!" Discord said mindlessly swinging the sword.

"Discord! He's not a threat! He's my new friend!" Fluttershy pleaded. Discord stopped and looked back at Fluttershy in shock.

"I'm sorry, but I could've sworn you just said that this hellish beast was your new friend!" Discord said in disbelief.

"That's because he is, Discord," Fluttershy said. "This is my new Hellhound friend Frightfang. Frightfang, this is my other friend Discord, the spirit of chaos."

That explains why Frightfang had such a bad feeling about this creature. He had heard his parents and the other adult Hounds talk about beings like this Discord fellow. They hated them due to the sheer amount of power they possessed. Even the Lord Hound himself says he thinks spirit beings could potentially interfere with the natural flow of life and death. The Lord Hound has even expressed curiosity in taking their souls. And if the Lord Hound hated spirits, all Hellhounds hated them too.

And this Discord gave the impression of having extraordinary power, and it was really pissing him off! Frightfang took a step towards the spirit and chaos and growled even louder. His eyes, red neck scruff, and heart gave off a threatening red glow and his jaws leaked drool. Curiously, Discord's face twisted into one of fear as he backed away from Frightfang.

"What's wrong, Spirit of Chaos? Afraid of a little Hound?" Frightfang asked menacingly.

"I won't let you hurt Fluttershy!" Discord shouted in fearful defiance.

"You won't let me? Then why is your sword shaking?" Frightfang replied mockingly.

Fluttershy got between them to stop a potential fight from breaking out.

"Boys!! Stop!!" Fluttershy shouted, startling Discord and Frightfang.

They two stared at Fluttershy until she managed to regain her composure. Once she caught her breath, she turned to Discord.

"Discord, Frightfang came to our world by accident. We simply have to wait until Twilight will be able to re-open a portal to the Underworld and we can send him back to his family. But for now, he's staying with me and I want you both to get along," Fluttershy said.

Both Frightfang and Discord looked at each other and both silently agreed to not fight each other. Fluttershy smiled in relief.

"Now Discord, we'll have our regular tea time later. Right now, though, I'm going to spend time with Frightfang," Fluttershy said.

"... Okay, Fluttershy. I'll try to be more pleasant when we meet next," Discord said before turning a wary eye to Frightfang. "I trust you'll protect Fluttershy?"

"If I can strike fear into your heart, I can keep Fluttershy safe, Spirit?" Frightfang replied.

"Very well. Then I guess I'll prepare for our next tea time then," Discord said before poofing away.

Once Discord was gone, Fluttershy turned to Frightfang with a warm smile.

"I'm sorry for Discord's um, 'hostile' introduction," Fluttershy said. "He really is quite kind once you get to know him."

"For a spirit, he's a bit protective of you," Frightfang said. "Perhaps I'll take your word for it."

"Why did you act so aggressive towards him?" Fluttershy asked.

"Because he's a spirit, something that all Hellhounds hate," Frightfang replied. "They act like they have the power to tamper with the flow of life and death. That kind of power infuriates us."

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin in thought.

"Are you saying your species is bound by the laws of life and death?" Fluttershy asked.

"We act as the reapers of damned souls, the punishment for lifelong sin, and the enforcers of Death Itself," Frightfang replied. "If there exists a being that can manipulate reality, and thus interfere with our work, we take extreme issue with that. Perhaps Discord's soul will be reaped one day."

"Discord can die?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

"I don't know. None of our kind have reaped a spirit's soul," Frightfang said. "But the Lord Hound has expressed interest in spirit souls."

"So, it's like a 'cat-and-dog' thing you have with spirits?"

"Yep. But the fact that he fears me brings me some satisfaction."

Fluttershy seemed to want to change the subject, so she started to talk about something else.

"How about we go to Sweet Apple Acres, now?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Okay. I want to play with Winona again!" Frightfang replied with a playful hop.

The two then went off to Sweet Apple Acres as planned. But in the distance, Discord was watching them. He watched his best friend leave with the Hellhound. The presence of the Hound set something off in the Lord of Chaos. When he was facing Frightfang, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. He didn't like it, at all.

"Is this what fear feels like?" Discord asked himself. "That's the first time I've felt fear ever."

Beyond that, Discord found it very concerning that a Hellhound was living with Fluttershy. He avoided any and all contact with the creatures before, but he knew Hellhounds didn't appear in the mortal world without reason. 

"I'll have have to keep on eye on them until the Hound finally returns to the Underworld," Discord said.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Blight

Sleep did not come easily for Blight. She had been shoved into a cramped metal box and taken onto some bizarre transportation machine heading who-knows-where. She had no food or water in her little box. But at least she could keep track of the time. 

Blight had been in that box for a good three days. She could make out the sunlight coming and going from the little slits in her box.

The Collar around her neck sent a constant stream of pain shooting throughout her body. She tried to block out the pain, but it seemed to grow more and more impossible to ignore. Sleep may been difficult, too, but it was her only relief from the pain.

Blight knew the evil mortals were taking her somewhere. She didn't know where specifically, but she knew it wasn't anywhere good. She may as well try to get some more sleep before she arrives.

It took a while with all of the bumps the vehicle made on the road, but sleep eventually came for Blight.


...


She opened her eyes and found herself in the Underworld again. There was the familiar twisted trees and dark waters she grew up with. Blight was walking through a grove of trees when she heard a familiar voice calling to her.

"Blight! Over here!" Frightfang called.

She looked over to the top of a hill to see none other than her friend Frightfang standing there. Blight's heart started racing with joy at seeing her old friend. She ran to the top of the hill and tackled Frightfang to the ground and nuzzled his neck.

"Fright! I'm so happy to see you again!" Blight said with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Blight," Frightfang said. "I really missed you."

"Are you okay? How did you get back to the Underworld?" Blight asked.

"I managed to follow another Hound through a portal here," Frightfang said. "Where were you? I've been looking all over for you."

"I was kidnapped by a group of mortals, evil ones," Blight said. "Wait, we have to tell the Lord Hound that there are mortals taking our kind and enslaving them."

"What?!" Frightfang shouted.

"Yeah! Those wretched things have been taking and torturing our kind and using us!" Blight shouted in reply. "I was taken by them!"

Tears of pain and fury poured from Blight's eyes and she pulled back her lips in a furious snarl. She dug her claws into the ground.

"I was tortured by them, too!" Blight cried. "They tortured me for an entire night! They tried to force me into submission!"

Frightfang nuzzled his closest friend. "Blight, I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Blight cried into Frightfang's shoulder. Frightfang did his best to comfort his friend. It felt good to Blight to get all these things off her chest to someone that's been with her forever.

"I wanted to find you!" Blight cried. "You were the reason I was able to fight through the pain! I wanted to see you again!"

"You will see me again, Blight. But right now, I need you to wake up," Frightfang said.

"... What do you mean?" Blight asked suspiciously.

"I just need you to wake up," Frightfang replied.


...


Blight opened her eyes to see a night sky through the slits of her confined box. The wagon she was on had stopped moving when she woke up. Blight stomped her paws on the floor of the box in anger.

She was still in the box. She was still in the grasp of the wicked ponies. And the burning Collar around her neck still sent pulses of pain throughout her body. 

Blight could feel the box being lifted out of the wagon and it was being carried somewhere. Through the slits, all she could see were the heads of hooded ponies. She got the feeling that they were walking though somewhere underground.

The sounds of barking and the scent of Hellhounds and aggression pierced the air as Blight was hauled through a heavy-sounding door.

The next thing Blight could hear was the sound of the outside of her box scraping against something on the outside. Next, she heard what sounded like a door opening followed by the door to her box rising.

Beyond the box was a large holding pen similar to the one she was in when the ponies first captured her. It wasn't desirable, but it was better than being in a cramped little box. Blight eagerly shot forward into the pen and stretched her legs. The door closed behind her and she was left alone in the pen.

"So, you the new Hound here?" a voice asked across the hall from another pen.

Blight looked outside the cell and saw another Collared Hellhound, one that she had never seen before. This particular Hound had a lighter shade of black than most other Hellhounds and had blue eyes and a blue chest flame. His body was covered in horrific scars from the claws and teeth of other Hellhounds. He regarded Blight with a nonchalant expression.

"You look awfully young to be traveling to the mortal world, pup," the older male said.

"I came here to find my best friend. Who are you?" Blight replied.

"Name's Plaguepaw. I was a Sin Hunter hunting in the north until these bastards got me," Plaguepaw replied. "Gotta say, it disgusts me that they've gotten a pup to participate in the ring."

"What 'ring'?" Blight asked.

"Apparently, the pony you've been given to has a thing for making us Hellhounds fight each other," Plaguepaw said.

"That-that's horrible!" Blight shouts. "I'm not going to fight my own kind for the enjoyment of pansy mortals!"

"If you refuse to fight, they'll torture you," Plaguepaw said. "I've seen it happen before."

"I don't care! They've tortured me for an entire night and I haven't broken!" Blight shouted.

That actually got Plaguepaw to change his expression. A look of shock changed into one of respect. 

"You actually took an entire night being tortured?" Plaguepaw asked. "That's really impressive."

"It was a waste of time!" Blight said. "I should be out there looking for my friend!"

"What's your friend's name?"

"Frightfang. We've been together since we were born. He's the greatest Hound I know."

Plaguepaw looked at Blight with a coy expression.

"Do you have a crush on him?" he asked.

"... N-no, I don't have a crush on him!!" she shouted with a pink flame.

Plaguepaw gave long belly-laugh at Blight's expense. Blight just glared at the elder Hound in defiance.

"Sh-shut up!!" Blight shouted.

The sound of a door opening put their conversation to an end. The sound of three ponies approaching made Blight's fur stand on edge. Soon enough, three ponies stopped directly in front of the pen holding Blight. Two of them looked like the same guard ponies she saw back at the original facility. The one in the middle was a stallion that looked important.

This Unicorn stallion was brown with a white mane and tail and dressed in a fancy-looking gray coat. His wrists were clapped in golden wrist gauntlets. He looked at Blight with bright green eyes.

"Oh-ho-ho! I like the look of this one!" the fancy pony said excitedly.

One of the guard ponies handed the fancy one a slim metal stick with two prongs on the tip. The fancy stallion pushed a button on it and a yellow energy sparked between the two prongs. The stallion then stuck the stick into the pen and poked Blight in the side with the stick.

A burning shock surged through Blight's body. Her muscles and legs locked and nearly sent her sprawling to the ground, but she managed to stay upright. Blight then shot forward in a furious attempt to tear out the throat of the grinning Unicorn. He was lucky he was outside of the blessed bars or else Blight would make him beg for death. He just laughed at Blight in a mocking manner.

"She's quite a fighter, Lord Trotsky," one of his henchmen said.

"I agree, she's a monster! She'll be sure to draw a lot of customers!" Lord Trotsky said with hope. "She'll be a great prize fighter."

Blight glared at Lord Trotsky and his sycophants with great hatred. She refused to be these ponies' little toy, no matter what. She would escape and find Frightfang. She will escape from here, she will find Frightfang, and they will make it home. After she kills these sinners, of course.