BaronEngel
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I'm hunting
🕑 Added 2019-10-17 18:59:54 +0000 UTCAfter her impromptu meeting with Applebloom in the Dream Realm, Glazed Donuts Princess Luna finished her shift in my Equestria dreamscape. Once again she transferred authority to her sister then she retired and descended into her own resting sleep. Opening her dream eyes she found herself in her own dream fabric; however the scene before was one she'd never encountered before.
Before her was a hazy, rolling, desolate grey wasteland. The ground was covered with a thick layer of either gray dust or ash. Scattered across the landscape were the brittle, broken remnants of tree trunks and stumps. The air was bone dry and the sky above was covered with an solid layer of reddish mammatus looking clouds that churned and roiled as if some titanic being was trying to breakthrough them. Adding to that impression was a steady, unbroken growl that hung in the air like continuous thunder.
The Defender of Dreams slowly began walking across the bleak landscape. In spite of her careful steps her hooves began kicking up clouds of the fine particulate material littering the ground. It made her nose itch and she could've avoided it by simply flying. However every time Luna gazed up at the angry sky she was struck by an overwhelming desire to stay as far away from those angry clouds as she could. She felt like some angry beast might lunge out of them and attack her.
The Prussian Blue alicorn had been traveling for an indeterminate amount of time when over the constant background noise from above she started to hear a distant wailing chorus of voices. The voices grew in volume and soon she observed a growing cloud of dust approaching her. As the swirling cloud drew closer she began to observe shapes moving in the clouds. Pony-like shapes.
For an instant she considered taking to the air to avoid possible attack, but soon she realized the approaching figures were not yelling battle cries. They were cries of fear and panic.
When they got within a hundred feet of her she could finally see the approaching figures clearly. They were ponies, about 40 of them. They were the most retched, haggard, terrified things she'd ever set her eyes upon. They looked like walking skeletons made up of skin, bones, and sheer terror. Their coats were filthy and many had great bald spots in them. Their manes and tails, if they had any, were mangy, tangled, knotted messes. They frantically looked back with bloodshot eyes filled with fear.
Oblivious of her they streamed past. Even her cries for them to stop fell on deaf ears. She thought of pursuing them as they galloped away, but her attention was drawn to a sound coming from the same direction the ponies had. It was an evil, booming howl that carried on the wind that was beginning to pick up. The alicorn stayed where she was. A few minutes later single, larger being could be seen approaching through the clouds of dust and ash that now filled the air.
At first Luna thought this new figure was much closer; however as the seconds passed she realized it was a much larger and it had a very strange silhouette to it. Also it had a very unusual, loping stride to it. As more of its shape came into view she began to discern specific features to it.
The creature was a large as the elephants that lived in the kingdoms of zebras. The next thing that caught Luna's attention was that it only had 3 legs which accounted for its very unusual stride. Although it still could keep up a very respectable pace. The princess could see what appeared to be multiple elephant trunks hanging from its face. However as it drew closer she realized they were four, vast tentacle-like appendages. It had a thick, wrinkled, hide of a gray similar to the dusty landscape. When it got within a 100ft or less the final details came into view.
First the creature had no visible eyes or ears. Second the creature had some strange riding harness lashed to its head. Third there was a pony riding the beast. A saddle of dark leather let the pony ride in a somewhat prone position. The creature had two prominent nostril which had thick rings of steel piercing them. Attached to these rings were reins of stout leather that pony used to guide the creature. When the creature got within 50ft Luna was able to finally identify the rider.
It was Applebloom.
Filly had her signature red bow in her mane. However the rest of her outfit was alien. A tall, stout collar black leather and metal plates encircled her neck. Tall boots of matching, rugged black leather sheathed her front and back legs. Her back legs also had thick chaps of padded leather that cushioned her back legs that she was resting in the saddle.
In her right front hoof was a lance with a shaft of at least 15ft. The shaft was slim and obviously light in nature, but stiff and rugged enough for the task given to it. The head of the lance was made of some black metal. It had a coarse, brutal quality to it, but looked quite sharp and capable of doing its job.
Luna was sure that this wasn't really Applebloom, but instead this was a product of her subconscious. Just as earlier versions that had appeared in her dreams. Although the Defender of Dreams had never imagined her student in such a manner. The filly's eyes were cold and cruel. Coming to a stop about 20ft away the filly glared silently down at the princess from her lofty perch. After an uncomfortably long period of time Luna spoke.
"Greetings."
The filly continued to stare at the princess.
"What are you doing Little Bloom?" Asked the alicorn. Her gaze never left the filly's.
"I'm a hunting!" Said the filly finally said in a gruff voice.
"What are you hunting?"
The filly raised her lance. Attached to its shaft was a large, crudely made pennant of some tan material with some symbol painted on it. Luna had noticed it earlier but hadn't gotten a clear look at it. Now up close she knew what it was. It was the flayed skin of a pony. It frantically flapped in the growing wind as if it was still a pony trying to escape from the filly. Crudely painted on the hide was a black, spiky aperture surrounded with various symbols.
The filly looked at the pennant and then back at Luna. She smirked.
"Whatever I want!" Suddenly the filly thrusted the lance point at the princess.
Luna's eyes snapped open. She was lying in her bed. The room was dark except for a single, lit oil lamp sitting on her vanity. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her it was 11am. For several seconds the mare just laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Finally she spoke out to the empty room.
"Well that was disturbing."
To be continued.
Comments
WILLIAM C JOHNSON
The dream realm is getting rough. What do we call her anyway???? Dark Bloom? Nega-AB???? 'Axe
McClaw
Luna's subconscious suspect something...
Vet
An alter ego encounter of the dangerous kind.
Dorian Inman
That, dear princess, is an understatement...
