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Princess Celestia sat down in her private room, eyes closed in thought as the flames within the nearby fireplace made shadows dance exotically on the walls beyond her. She was deep in an almost meditative state, nothing but her thoughts of the past filling her. Guards outside her door were well aware nobody was to come in but Luna herself, yet even Luna wasn't entirely up to poking her head inside...she too was lost in thought in her own room, sitting on her bed, head bowed. A soft lamp flickered by her bedside, the ceiling above her hoof-painted when she was young to reflect the night sky, all of it painstakingly recreated with glow-in-the-dark paint and a near-perfect memory of the night when Luna was a little filly.

As the two sat in their rooms, eyes closed in thought, another being also sat in place, eyes closed in thought. The Huntsman was leaning back in the diner he'd shacked up in at Ponyville, pale blue eyes shut as he softly murmured, thinking back to the day he'd first come to Equestria, and to when he'd met with Celestia and Luna. Ironically, all three were now sharing the same experience, all thinking back to that day that had quickly become the longest days of their lives for what would be years to come. The Huntsman had, admittedly, not gotten off on the right foot...

Mostly because he'd just been so hungry and, well, the stallions he'd encountered were right there, and had immediately judged him a threat.

Truth be told, he really had been. So perhaps "judge a book by its cover" didn't apply. After all, the inside of the front cover of a book really did tell you quite a bit about what the story would entail. And it hadn't helped that he'd landed in a burning, fiery blaze of bluish/white light on the outskirts of Canterlot, interrupting a noble's lovely dinner party...

CENTURIES AGO

"So tell me more about this new idea you have." The white-furred, yellow-locked unicorn inquired, adjusting the golden glasses atop her face as her friends stood nearby, speaking to Starswirl the Bearded as the cheerily smiled. His lovely locks of hair were quite well-combed, his face alit with energy and vibrant life as he bowed, taking off his deep, royal blue hat from his head.

"I call it "String Theory"." He explained, his unicorn horn alighting with magic as a soft, greenish/black glow rose off from his dark form and the light transfigured into a singular orb. "Behold. Our world of Equus and the Supercontinent of Equestria." He remarked, waving a hoof before the orb as it swirled about before the collected crowd of Chatty Avoidance's guests, the female unicorn turning to her boyfriend Reality Check, a quite well-armored, powerhouse who was the head of the royal guards. Currently on break for the day to be with his wife, RC seemed fascinated by Starswirl's conjuration.

"What's this String Theory entail?" He asked, adjusting his deep grey helmet as Chatty rubbed his shoulders with one hoof, ruffling his dark cape. He was a favorite of Luna, who'd personally crafted the armor for him herself and enchanted it, and he was always eager to serve on her for that favor alone.

"Picture this. There's multiple Equestrias existing at the same time...but on different planes of existence. Like...a mirror. It's reflecting whatever is looking into it, showing Equestria, but, at the same time, it isn't. It's a reflection, similar, yet different. Flipped."

"So what evidence have you of this claim?" Chatty asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've begun visiting them, Chatty." Starswirl proclaimed, putting a hoof on his chest and smiling broadly. "And they're amazing. I've met these very, very lovely people in a place called "Scotland" who seem to adore unicorns. They're rather...unusual in appearance, but I think you'd find them fascinating."

"I don't know. I don't much trust outlanders." Chatty remarked with a wave of her hoof...before suddenly people began shrieking. Something was barreling down towards them from above, everyone quickly racing away from the sizzling blue ball of flame as it slammed into the ground with the force of an earthquake. People were sent flying left and right if they weren't securely holding onto something to keep them tethered, the enormous, bluish/white blaze hissing as everyone not thrown about slowly approached it.

"A meteor?" Starswirl the Bearded intoned, eyes widening in surprise as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin before holding a hoof up. "Step back, everyone be cautious." He proclaimed before the "meteor" suddenly rose up, no longer smoking, a dark black bipedal figure with stars that seemed to be embedded in its form, like the night sky brought to life. It gazed upon them, eyes a piercing pale blue as it dusted itself off with clawed hands, looking over at the nearest pony, Reality Check.

" You. Tell me. What planet is this?"

"What the Tartarus are you?!" Reality Check growled out. "A minotaur?! A...a DEMON?!"

"It looks like a demon." Chatty whispered in terror, flinching as she began to inch away, several other stallions and colts stepping forward, growling darkly.

"Leave immediately. You're trespassing on private property and scaring my wife."

"I'm far bigger and stronger than you. It's not smart for you to just throw threats at me. " The alien being said with a slight, annoyed growl. "So step aside, horse. Or I chew you up and spit you out. Then chew you up again and swallow you!"

That was what ticked RealityCheck off. He immediately leapt up in the air, spinning, his leg catching the horned being on the face, knocking him back as several stallions, seeing this "demon" clearly was far more mortal and less terrifying than they'd thought, immediately jumped on him. They began pounding away at the demonic being, slamming their hooves down, kicking, punching, in some cases biting.

"OW! You! You little! Grah! If you're going to start biting me, I'll start biting back!" The Huntsman roared out, grabbing hold of one of the male ponies through the flurry of strikes assaulting him, promptly stuffing the surprised Earth pony right into his mouth.

Chatty shrieked. Starswirl gaped. RealityCheck and the other male ponies immediately backed off, horrified, scarcely able to believe their eyes, it was as if this was some kind of nightmare. Their comrade was being hungrily gulped down, this alien being's cheeks stuffed full of juicy, evidently lovely meat as its happy murrs gave away its enjoyment. It took hold of their friend's rear with its clawed hands and stuffed the rest of him into its fanged maw, blue tongue licking its lips as it rubbed its now-bigger belly. Worse still, their friend's imprints could be clearly seen as he struggled to get free, his face visibly pressed against this alien hunter's stomach as the being let out a slight sigh.

"Y'know, people say "I'm hungry enough to eat a horse" like it's a bad thing, they don't know what they're missing!"

Needless to say, Chatty screeched at this display. "You murderer!" She roared out, pointing in his direction.

"I'm not a murderer. I am the Huntsman. And I'm just hungry." He remarked, turning around to face her as Reality Check leapt through the air and held his hooves up, protecting his wife, the Huntsman turning briefly to Starswirl. "If you want to prevent any more deaths you feel are unnecessary, then I suggest you let your leaders of this place know I wish to see them immediately. I don't know how much longer I can resist not wolfing down these delicious-tasting specimens."

"Are you...human?" The wizard asked of the Huntsman, eyes narrowing intensely, Chatty's eyes widening at the mention of that word. Something about it made her inwardly vomit in disgust, though she wasn't completely sure why.

"I am Cosmo Sapien, not Homo Sapien. I am a living galaxy. And I hunger." The being intoned. "So. Take me to your leader."

Needless to say, Celestia and Luna were not that okay with him just eating their little ponies. Even after he'd explained himself.

"Spit him out." Celestia had demanded, looking the well-built alien being over, staring deep into his surprisingly deep, lovely blue eyes.

"I can't do that. I won his life fair and square. He attacked me, and his fate is in my hands." The Huntsman insisted as he stood in their palace, shaking his head back and forth as he looked Celestia over. She nodded over at Starswirl, who went back to taking notes on the Huntsman. He'd been quite eager to answer any questions she'd had...mostly she and Luna knew of the great Cataclysmic event in the North that had freed the dragons from enslavement, of the starry-bodied great hunter "Ohr'ion". "But if you defeat me fair and square, cause me to truly suffer, to bleed, to hurt, he'll be the last of your race I'll ever eat provided no others foolishly attack me. On this you have my word." He proclaimed, holding a clawed hand to his chest and bowing before rising back up, looking Celestia over and-

Hmm. He blinked, really seeming to look at her. "Y'know, your-your mane is very lovely." He admitted, Celestia visibly blushing at this.

"Oh. Um. Well! " Celestia bit her lip slightly before waving a hoof in the air. "Listen. You cannot just go around eating sentient beings. It is clearly wrong."

"My race needs it to survive. It's like asking you to stop breathing. Can you do that?" He said with an air of slight annoyance before sighing, holding his hand to his face. "I'm sorry, I-I've had so many people tell me that, I-I shouldn't be mad, they're very right, but my situation forces me to take lives into me. It's a burden I have to bear for the sake of many others, even if there are times when I wish I could just put it down. Walk away."

Celestia and Luna glanced at each other. In all truthfulness, there had been some occasions they'd felt the same. Sometimes it was all too much: guarding the border, managing taxes, keeping civil unrest from becoming an issue, caring for the people, curing failing crops, stopping the occasional dragon raid, there were days when it felt like they just wished to give the responsibility to someone else. Yet they stayed with it because they truly loved Equestria and felt their unique powers allowed them to do more than anyone else could. They weren't perfect, of course, but nopony was perfect.

"And other days you wish you could do more?" Celestia finally spoke up. "Perhaps find some way to ensure you wouldn't have to end lives in the name of keeping your own?" She asked.

"Yes." The Huntsman admitted quietly, biting into his lip. "But though I'm knowledgeable, I'm not exactly "smart". I've been to many planets so far and yet to find any magic or craft of science that could take the burden from me. I mean, I can't even-" He trailed off. "Tell me. Have you ever wanted to bring back someone from the dead?"

"My mother." Celestia immediately said with a nod as she turned to Luna. "Luna researched such a spell for a long, long time."

"I was up all night, every night, constantly. Pouring through every single tome we had in our castle." She admitted, pacing back and forth, her tone becoming contemplative, pensive and sorrowful. "We would have given everything to have mother back, and yet?" Princess Luna sighed, halting in place. "We had to accept the fact we couldn't. For all our power, there's just some things that even we can't do."

The Huntsman inwardly flinched. He knew that kind of heartbreak all too well. After all his parents were dead as well.

"We'll give you a place for you to reside whilst my sister and I prepare for your challenge. Can you wait three days?" Celestia inquired calmly.

"Oh, quite." The Huntsman said with a nod. "And I must say, I've really enjoyed our conversation. I do hope I won't end up eating you." The alien added with a kindly smile.

Unfortunately, the rest of Canterlot wasn't quite as tolerant as the two Diarchs.

"What part of "leave me alone" did you and your friends not comprehend?" The Huntsman grunted as he looked out the window of the hotel he was now in at Reality Check and his fellow guards, his pale blue eyes glaring darkly. The guards all readied their enchanted spears and swords, Reality Check holding aloft a particularly deadly-looking stave that was burning with dark fire as he spun it in one hoof.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Uberforth." Reality Check snarled as the Huntsman frowned a bit, shaking his head.

"Your friend is digested and gone. His every being gently disseminated within the many worlds within me, helping to sustain and nurture new life. I was tender in how I broke him down. You should be grateful I am a kindly killer that doesn't make my prey suffer if I can help it."

"Oh, I feel so grateful to you, the disgusting demonic alien freak." Chatty Avoidance snarled out, peeking out from behind a light post on the street. The Huntsman saw the other tenants of the hotel, what few had remained within after he'd been shacked up and enjoyed a whole floor to himself, were barreling out to escape the ensuring fight. "Get him, honey! Show that Sapien sack of shit who's boss!"

"Such language." The Huntsman remarked. "Quite a mouth she's got on her..." And then he grinned darkly. "Would you like to see mine?!"

"Mister Huntsman?"

The Huntsman's eyes snapped open as the door to the diner slowly open, Apple Bloom stepping inside as he smiled warmly at the youngling. "Aww, hello, little Apple Bloom. How are you?"

"Um, Princess Celestia and Luna are coming here to town, they'll, uh, they'll be here in a few." She admitted. "The others are all camped outside, keeping an eye on you. I was the only one brave enough to step inside after, well, what you've done to Mr. Blueblood."

"And if y'all so much as look at mah lil' sister wrong, Big Mac's gonna hafta skin yeh." Big Mac growled darkly as he poked his head in, eyes glaring balefully.

"You cannot seriously scare me-" The Huntsman began to say as Big Mac opened the door wide, stopping in place as he was now faced by a darkly-glowering Big Mac, Pinkie Pie, A donkey, a grey-furred Pegasus with an odd-looking expression on her face that looked like she was cross-eyed, and Granny Smith.

Koyanisquanti... Koyanisquanti...

"Oh, come on! Guys, we practiced this all night! But me and Big Mac, we're the only ones giving the Evil Eye here!" Pinkie complained, slapping her forehead. "And Cranky?"

"What?" The donkey mumbled, head nervously hanging low.

"You're giving sad eye!"

"It's all I've got!" He groaned.

Pinkie Pie grabbed him by the shoudlers, getting right in his face, eyes bugged out wide as she whispered intensely. "I don't believe that! Now dig deep in your gut! And one! Two!"

Now all of them whipped their heads in the direction of the Huntsman, eyes narrowed, jaws taut and baleful, a deep, glaring glower on their features.

Koyanisquanti... Koyanisquanti...

"Aaaaaaand break! Nice! Very nice!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed, clapping her hooves together as the Princesses's chariots landed in the center of town. "And especially from you, Derpy!"

"I just thought about that thing called "Hasbro" you brought up and it made me really mad." Derpy admitted, as, many miles away in his home, Discord perked up, smiling broadly.

"Something *WONDERFUL * just happened." He remarked to himself whilst the Huntsman stood up, walking past them and bowing before the Princesses.

"Ladies." He said with a calm smile. "I take it we will begin our epic duel on the outskirts of town, away from any possible civilian casualties?"

"And to ensure no others are hurt, we're ordering an evacuation of Ponyville. Our troops are already on their way." Luna added with a calm nod before turning to the citizenry and giving them all a deep bow of her head. "Now I know my "children of the night" may appear frightening, but they're very, very charming, tender people from the Chiropterra mountain range."

"You mean those batponies?" Rainbow Dash asked, Luna visibly flinching.

"Ms. Dash, please. They don't like being called that, they feel it marginalizes them."

"Huh?" Dash tilted her head to the side in confusion as Twilight patted her on the shoulder.

"It means that they just want to be thought of as normal ponies, not some subgroup or anything. They'd rather be thought of as Luna's royal guard, not some frightening creatures of the night, you understand? Much like you'd rather be known as "Rainbow Dash" and not just "a Pegasus"?"

"Oh, I can understand that." Dash admitted as Luna and Celestia turned back to the Huntsman as he pulled out his spear from his chest and gave a nod of his head.

"It's unfortunate that it has come to this, I-I was very fond of you both. Especially you, Celestia." He added in his ethereal voice, his face sad as he sighed, looking away from them before turning and heading out of Ponyville, the two Princesses turning to see their many, many troops landing down in the streets.

"Begin the evacuation. Girls? We'll need the Elements of Harmony somewhere safe in the event my sister and I fall. We'll explain what you're to do." Celestia said softly as soon as she was sure the Huntsman was far out of range.

---

It had been a harrowing several days of struggle against the Huntsman, and now he and she were circling each other in the jungle, panting and heaving ever-so-slightly, not wanting to let the other know that they were weak.

"Your sister's not-not around to protect you or aid you. You're at something of a weakness." The alien hunter admitted as he cracked his knuckles, Celestia nonchalantly cracking her neck back and forth.

"Do not assume I need my sister to defend myself. That's a fallacious idea."

"Well I'm sure you're two great tastes that taste better together." The Huntsman chuckled as he licked his lips. "I'll make sure when I enjoy you both, you'll depart from the world in each other's arms. It's a cruel thing to die alone." He added, diving forward at her as she dove at him, her body enveloped in pearly white light, her alicorn horn shining. They collided hard, the Huntsman trying to force her back, she trying to knock him down...

Both unaware the ground they were on was an old native trap that had been covered up by the ravages of time. But now that it had two rather large beings tussing about on it. That was a problem.

They went plummeting down, down, through dark, dusty, musky dankness, spiraling about, arms flailing. They struck the walls, bouncing about, grunting as sharp pain dug into them before, at last, they collided with each other, landing in a pit, Celestia moaning in agony as she rose up, turning...seeing the Huntsman was relatively unharmed save for some bruises. But Celestia?

Damn it. Her wings. Her wings were-she couldn't feel her right wing. She flinched, looking it over as the Huntsman looked at her, then at the entrance above. He seemed to hesitate before stepping forward suddenly and looking over her wing.

"Broken, I take it?" He quietly asked, Celestia hearing...genuine concern in his voice. "Look, this is not a fair fight. I'll help you get out of the pit and let you heal your wound so we can have a real, proper ending." He offered. "But it will take some time for me to search within my body for an offering of medicinal value."

"Offering?" The princess inquired, the Huntsman sitting down next to her as she plopped down, the alien reaching into his chest.

"I have, well, religions built up around me by worlds who have discovered that I'm responsible for their creation. So they send me offerings, from alcohol to books to gold and precious things." He remarked. "I feel guilty refusing them. After all, is it wrong to think of yourself as powerful when you can move mountains? It's not hubris to say I'm their almighty creator, its fact."

"I feel the same, truth be told. My sister and I have near-godly power. And that's not boasting, its just a simple statement of truth. Power that comes from years of experience combined with natural talent we developed. And with that came the wisdom of how to use it."

"I would say you've done well!" The Huntsman complimented with a smile. "Your culture doesn't have poverty or plagues so you've clearly not got a rigid class system nor are lacking in medical advantages. You don't have to endure invasions on a regular basis, your borders are surprisingly open and your people very tolerant. Your roads and buildings are well-kept, meaning your system of ruling isn't incompetent and you don't choose foolish people to administer your will, and your people positively adore you. There were little dolls of you I could buy in the hotel's gift shop." He remarked with a nervous blush. "And, uh, a few kazoos. Don't tell anyone, but I like kazoos."

"I know we're not as technologically advanced, but my sister and I have spent our time trying to make sure our people have the free time to sit, think and enjoy life. The greatest advancements in history come when people don't have to worry about being assaulted and in fear for their life. When ponies can sit and think and be at peace, they look inward, they get thoughtful and invent and create amazing things." Celestia admitted. "Why, I'm eager to have Starswirl show off his new dimensional magic he's spoken of."

"Ahhh, you've developed "String Theory"? My people have known about other dimensions for eons." The Cosmo Sapien admitted as he kept rummaging through his chest, pulling out a bottle of alcohol. "Hmm. Firewhiskey. Do you drink?"

"No. But if they have a spot of tea?"

"Actually I think I might have some around, just one minute!" The Huntsman remarked, biting his lip as Celestia began to giggle.

"You, my friend, give new meaning to the phrase "I looked deep inside myself"!" She said, bursting out into laughter, wiping a tear from her eye as he smiled back at her, Celestia breathing a sigh of relief as he finally pulled out a small vial of faintly crystalline liquid.

"Ahhh, here we go. Everium. It rejuvenates the body and heals wounds on a macro time scale. Also gives you a buzz." He admitted, Celestia tilting her head in confusion as he held the vial up, popping the top off with a single claw.

"As in it's a drug-drug?" She inquired.

"Yes. So be forewarned, you will feel drowsy and odd." He admitted, Celestia drinking the silvery contents down as it tingled in her throat, a strange, pulsating feeling rising in her as she giggled, feeling warm and fuzzy all over.

"Oooh, that's niiiiiice." She admitted with a hiccup, covering her mouth with a hoof and giggling as he sat next to her, Celestia leaning her head on his shoulder, the Huntsman smelling her mane with a deep inhalation from his invisible nostrils.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm. It smells like cherries." He murmured, Celestia giggling a bit.

"Yeah, I use a special kind of conditioner to get it fluffy, but it just naturally smells so nice. My mom's hair always smelled like flowers, you know." She murmured, her eyes fluttering slightly, slumber beginning to overtake her. "She always would like to stick dandelions in her mane, it made her smell like a garden. She was something special..."

"Yeah mom's are great." The Huntsman remarked. "My mom liked necklaces. She was real big on necklaces."

"So was mine, truth be told." The princess admitted, as she waved a hoof in the air. "Really into gold. It brought out the light in her eyes. This is actually hers." She added, pointing at the wide golden chest armor and the golden tiara with a sigh, her tone becoming thoughtful. "She gave it to me when I was old enough to become Princess. She was the first queen of Equestria."

"Queen?"

"The title of Queen is applied posthumously. The term "Princess" shows we still are learning from our subjects and only when we've done all we can do we feel we've earned the title of "Queen". It can't just be about being in charge." The Princess admitted as they lay in the pit, a crow cawing in the air above, Celestia letting out a yawn. "Oooh. I feel tired."

"You can get some rest. I'll keep watch until your wing is healed and we may leave." The Huntsman offered, Celestia nodding as she began to drift off into sleep, the Huntsman caressing her neck as she slumbered...

...

...

...

...her grace and purity had touched him. He couldn't bring himself to claim her then. Not merely out of a sense that he needed to defeat her fairly, when she was giving it her all and not injured so basely, but because the Huntsman's heart had been moved by beauty. The Cosmo Sapien could not bring himself to kill her in that pit. Her radiance had touched him.

And now, in a way, she was guilt made flesh as he stared across the plain at her and Luna, holding tightly onto his spear/staff, his face solemn and pensive. Not every opponent he'd faced had been as merciful as him. They'd...taken advantage of his nobility and it was hard to continue to hold onto one's morals when it seemed like you were playing a game where nobody cared for the rules. A dirty, ugly part of him was mocking him inwardly. He'd been too weak to kill her. He'd melted inside for a pretty girl.

"I can't go easy on you." He remarked.

"And we cannot go easy on you. I'm grateful for the kindness you showed my sister that day." Luna said apologetically, giving him a bow. "But thou shall fall today. We drove you to a standstill before. We defeated Discord. We shall stop you."

"Well? You can try." The Huntsman said, leaping forward. Princess Celestia leapt into action as well, Luna spreading her legs forth, golden, gleaming armor surrounding her as Celestia's horn seemed to grow in immense size, shoving the Huntsman back. He went flying across the plains, skidding alongside it before twisting his body and firing his spear, a blusih/white blaze shooting at Celestia, knocking her away as Luna suddenly slammed her hoof into the ground.

A dark blue shockwave of magical energy sparked from the hoof, a crevasse rising up from it as it tore across the ground and hit the Cosmo Sapien hard, sending him even further back across the plains as he coughed and spluttered, Luna rising into the air. She murmured softly, dark black runs circling around her frame as the skies above began to darken and become cloudy, foul lightning sparkling down at the Huntsman as he rolled out of the way, panting slightly before leaping up, smacking one of the lightning bolts back.

"Clever!" He proclaimed, catching another lightning bolt in his staff, holding it high before swinging it through the air, the bolt whizzing towards Luna as she dove away to avoid being struck. Celestia, meanwhile, was now barreling past her sister at incredible speed and slammed into the Huntsman, knocking him through the air, kicking and punching at him before finally holding both hooves up, slamming him into the ground.

He grunted, pulling himself out of the crater he was now embedded in, grabbing hold of chunks of earth and throwing them in her direction as she swiftly served and dove out of the way, the Huntsman ducking to avoid her sweeping strike. He twisted his body, his spear butt glowing brightly as he fired off another burst of tantric energy.

Celestia was struck, sent spiraling away through the air as the Huntsman leapt up through the air, holding the spear up high, slamming it down into her frame, up and down, up and down before Luna slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. He grunted slightly, rising up before Luna's kick launched him several yards away, Celestia rising up as she and Luna clasped their hooves together. With one blazing white, the other black, potent magical energy coalesced around their forms as they rose in the air, Luna and Celestia's eyes glowing powerfully as they shot towards him, the Huntsman putting his spear back inside his chest, holding his clawed hands up to try and halt the assault. He cringed, their powerful aura sizzling away at him as he cringed, struggling to shove them back, panting and heaving.

"You're v-very strong!" He murmured out, eyes widening in surprise before their aura overwhelmed him, and he was knocked up into the clouds, tossed about like a ragdoll, howling in pain as Celestia and Luna descended down to the ground, flopping to the grass, panting and heaving as sweat dribbled down their brow.

"Phew that-that was just-oh my!" Celestia murmured quietly, Luna wiping her brow as the Huntsman landed a quarter of a mile away with a loud THARUDDA-THROOOM, smoke rising up from his form as he grunted in agony, struggling to get up, clenching his fists as bluish energy twisted around them. "Oh no. Ohhhh no."

"Oh yes." The Huntsman proclaimed, racing forward at them, bounding towards the two, burning blue fists held high. He flung his fist at Luna's armored form as she ducked to the side...but it still caught her on the shoulder, making her scream, one wing's feathers spraying out, a horrific crack filling the air. The alien wheeled about, his foot striking Celestia in the face, sending her spiraling across the plains with loud, thudding BANGS as the Huntsman slammed his fist into the ground. A shockwave rippled across the grass, Celestia rolling out of the way just in time, panting and heaving as the Huntsman rose up, dusting himself off as Luna tried to get up.

He wheeled about, turning to face her as Celestia realized he was going to finish off her sister first. She raced forward to stop him, the Huntsman reaching for Luna...

And then he whipped about, his elbow slamming into Celestia's muzzle, knocking her back as he shook his head back and forth, walking towards her, clawed hands held up. "I knew you'd do that, Celestia. You'd never, ever want to leave your sister unguarded after everything that happened with her before. You're desperately seeking to make up the time you lost with her." He admitted, reaching down and lifting her up by her chest, sighing. "What you did is what any sister would do. It's what I would have done for my own sister." He added, tossing her at Luna as they collapsed in a heap, trying to rise up as the Huntsman sighed, turning around to face them as he pulled out his spear again, aiming the end at them as it hissed with powerful blue light. "I'll knock you out now...this way you won't suffer as you become one with me."

He held the spear high, gritting his teeth...

REGICIDE

It wasn't easy doing it, he thought inwardly, cringing as he brought the spear down, Celestia and Luna rising too late as the strike knocked them out with a potent blast of tantric energy, their forms crashing down hard to the grass. He truly hated having to end the lives of such...beautiful creations. Especially Celestia.

Oh, Celestia.

He mournfully looked down at her, stroking the side of her unconscious form, sighing quietly as he hung his head. If only there truly was some other way to continue existing, but...the needs of the body had to be met.

"I'm sorry." He admitted. "I'll miss you dearly. And I promise, you won't be apart. Now you'll get to be together forever."

With that, he thrust her regal head into his open jaws. He was careful not to nick her flesh with his sharp fangs teeth...he wanted this to be painless for her. She deserved that much, at least, her form sinking into his maw up to her shoulders in a swift instant, her head filling the gaping hole of his throat. Within mere seconds the entirety of her upper body was coated in warm, sticky saliva as his tongue snaked out, tasting her as the muscles of his throat clamped down around her head. Through her near-total unconsciousness, Celestia could almost faintly feel the flesh walls pulling her with force, but her decent was prevented by his clawed grip on her waist.

"Mmmmmm," he moaned as his tongue flicked this way and that across her chest, enjoying the delicious, creamy, smoothy texture of her body. She simply tasted positively divine, like a cheery pie mixed with a fine steak. Allowing her form to slip slightly, the alien hunter's tongue roamed lower, slobbering some saliva over Celestia's stomach and even splashing her hips and thighs. She was still thankfully unable to really understand what was happening, still almost totally unconscious. She didn't deserve to feel any fear. He'd be tender about all this.

Soon her slow decent allowed his tongue to slip between her legs and it carefully around her golden haired mound instantly, tasting it slightly, giving it a soft lick. She moaned softly in her haze of sleep, his tongue carefully tasting her with almost impossible control as the tight almost blistering hot insides of his throat rhythmically clamped down around her. It seemed like she was squishing into every crevice of the Huntsman's body, the movement downward making it impossible for her to resist. Her hooves were pressed to the side, her wings trapped, his tongue now easing her down further into his gullet.

Slowly, her hips slid into his throat, and with a succulent slurp, his tongue pulled away from her pussy. Celestia was limp and weak, and her still mostly-unconscious form offered no resistance as The Huntsman gulped her long slender legs down. His tongue continued to slip around them, tasting her further she was finally slurped up. Now the Princess was soon slipping through a tight ring, then into far more open chamber, faintly wet and squishy, the Huntsman rubbing his bulging gut, cooing tenderly.

"Sweet thing. Dearest Celestia. Thank you." He cooed. "Truly, thank you for this." He offered, turning around to Luna. Now it was her turn. He tenderly lifted her up, opening mouth wide and shoving her head into his gaping maw, closing it around her. He ran his tongue over her flesh, quite pleasantly surprised at its exotic, sweet flavor, murring in delight as her pulled her head into his throat. With another swallow, he'd brought her chest into his mouth, the rippling effect giving an almost massaging feel around her head and neck as Luna moaned, beginning to wake up. She could feel the slimy walls all around her, engulfing her head and taking in all of her delicious flavor. His tongue ran along her chests before swallowing once more, bringing her head farther down its throat and her stomach into its mouth. The alien hunter ran its tongue over her stomach, causing her legs to kick wildly as she screamed and laughed at the ticklish sensation.

"Oh dear, she's awake." The Huntsman inwardly sighed. The air inside his mouth was making it somewhat harder for the princess to breathe, Luna's starry night mane hair was completely soaked and draped across her face as she was pulled farther into its throat. She felt the alien swallow again, bring her waist to its mouth as her face encountered a tight open...the entrance to his belly. And After a few more licks and sucks, the Huntsman swallowed again, pressing her into the opening and forcing her through into the open area where Celestia still lay unconscious. Only her legs lay ahead, which he greedily sucked up, despite her attempts at kicking. It ran its tongue all over her creamy calves, getting all the taste off them, before swallowing, and greatly enjoying the feel of her smooth skin in his mouth and throat. So good, he thought to himself as her knees entered its mouth, which were treated with the same tasting, before being swallowed as well.

As the Huntsman swallowed more and more of her legs, she was forced into its stomach, curling up into a fetal position. She struggled to break free, but it was in vain, she knew she couldn't get out. There'd be no escape now. It was just her and her sister and she was too weak and worn out to use any kind of magic as she felt her ankles being tickled by the tongue. The Huntsman swallowed again, enveloping the last bit of her. It lapped at her her hooves once again, enjoying this one last taste. The Huntsman its tongue carefully across her hoove, curving around the heels, and wrapping around the arches. With a final lick of her soles, he swallowed, feeling her hooves cause his throat to slightly bulge out before he sighed, Luna settling nicely in his belly.

"Damn you." She murmured, the juices in the stomach's pool surrounding her and Celestia, the soft fleshy walls pulsating at her, seeming to expand. It wanted to engulf them both within its encompassing grip, a haze filling her head as Celestia murmured, slowly looking up.

"We've lost, haven't we?" She asked quietly. "It's up to Twilight and the others now."

"I'm so sorry, Tia. I failed." Luna whispered, Celestia gently taking her sister in her hooves and nuzzling her, shaking her own head.

"No. No, we did all we could. I could never blame you."

The Huntsman sighed softly, rubbing his stomach, caressing his bulging gut as he began to softly coo. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word." He sang out, singing softly to the princesses in his belly. He didn't want them to be so frightened. He truly did feel for them, he was just, as he'd said, hungry. And this was simply the way his species worked. They'd failed in their challenge, and their lives were forfeit. That didn't mean he had to be a monster about this.

As he continued to sing he felt their struggles ceasing, sleep overtaking them as his stomach began to tenderly break them down, one soft, comforting pulsation of massaging pleasure at a time, he smiled warmly, his belly now slightly bigger, but just a little. He wouldn't hold onto their souls, unlike most of the other's he'd taken into him. "I hope you get to see her again." He whispered to the unconscious Celestia. "Your mother would be so proud of you. You've done so much for your species. Don't ever let anybody else tell you otherwise. And I promise. I'll always remember you." He added quietly, eyes closing as he gave a soft nod...before he felt a powerful, pulsating heat rising up from behind him, turning around, seeing the Mane Six were now floating in the air, jewelery upon their forms.

"Girls, you know what to do." Twilight said firmly. "Celestia and Luna's final orders to us, their last will and testament were very clear."

"I wish I could have helped you." Fluttershy spoke quietly, head bowed deeply as she clasped her hooves together along with the others, a rainbow light shining off their bodies, glimmering like a blazing star. The Huntsman cringed, reeling back from the pure magical force that was battering him from such a display before, bowing his head, clawed hands clasped before him in a position of repose before, within a few seconds...

THA-BOOOM! A sound like thunder and a pulsating beam of a thousand different colors slammed into the alien hunter's frame and turned him into stone on the spot, now a mighty statue. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie landed back on the plains, dusting themselves off as Twilight approached the statue, looking at the Huntsman's stomach, which was slightly bigger.

"...I'll have to help pick up the slack." She murmured. "We all will now that they're gone. We've got to make them proud."

---

Celestia and Luna's spirits gently descended down onto the open ramparts of Princess Twilight's new castle as she ushed the tour group away, guards bidding her a firm nod as she walked by. The courtyard was filled with statues of her, her friends, dearest Cadence, Princess Luna and Celestia...

And, of course, the Huntsman. Head bowed, face solemn and sad, hands clasped before him as if accepting a punishment, Twilight halting the group.

"This was one of the biggest threats Equestria faced. One that...took the lives of my mentor and her sister, a dear friend to us all. They gave me and the girls time enough to find the Elements and weakened him enough to catch him off-guard. Though in the end." Twilight hesitated. "I think he wanted this. Now he'll never harm anybody ever again."

"Why'd he hurt the Princesses?" One of the little tykes asked, the young filly raising a hoof in the air as Princess Twilight brushed some of her hair out of her face and chewed her lip.

"Sometimes people simply can't help being who they are. They're predisposed to act a certain way and their environment encourages it. And when you get to be like that, there's very little that can change you." She finally admitted. "His entire race's culture was built up around preying on others. The fact he didn't end up a complete monster is a miracle in itself. He at least tried to be fair. But we've other things to speak of, children. Come...let me show you the library." Twilight added cheerily as she led the tykes off towards the door to her castle, the guards swiftly following after, Celestia and Luna stepping forward. Their invisible forms turned, calmly blinking at the being hidden by an invisibility spell which gently stroked the statue's form.

"I come all this way and only find cold stone." Nee-Buh-Loh, sister of Neh-Buh-Loh the Huntsman murmured, head bowed. "Please forgive me. I wish I could have been here sooner. I finally found a way to stave the hunger off and I can't even tell you now."

"Luna?" Celestia said softly, a tiny smile spreading across her features. "I think tonight Twilight deserves to have a verrrry interesting dream. Think you've still got it, even after 30 years of no practice?"

"Do not insult me." Luna said with a smile. "It will be done. To forgive is divine. You taught me that."

"We'd better hurry, though. Mother's waiting for us." Celestia admitted. "Can't spend all day here. So much to do in the Great Beyond."

"I'm just glad she was there waiting."

"Of course she'd be. Moms are great."

"Yes...yes they are."

SALVE REGINA

He held the spear/staff up, ready to bring it down...

Hesitating. Cringing.

And Luna and Celestia rose up as one, thrusting their heads forward, stabbing their horns right into his stomach. He let out a gurgling, gulply gasp, hitting the ground on his knees, clutching at his wound as Luna and Celestia rose up, the Mane Six's voices wafting over the air.

"Is everything alright?" Twilight called out, her and her friends surrounding the Huntsman, seeing blood pouring down out from his clawed hands as he smiled softly.

"You got me." He admitted to the two princesses, giving them a bow. " I I think I'm actually very badly injured." The alien hunter added, eyes fluttering slightly. "I think I might actually be dying!" He whispered, flopping to the side, Fluttershy kneeling down by him.

"Oh no! Celestia, can you heal him?" She asked of the Princess as the Solar Regent knelt down, looking the wound over, biting her lip before concentrating, an odd waft of white magic settling over his stomach.

"I'm-I'm sure it will work, but...his body seems to naturally resist magic and energy. It may be reluctant to accept this healing spell, the wound should be closing instantly." She admitted, the wound barely looking any better, the Huntsman's breath ragged, panting heavily.

"Maybe this is better." He murmured. "Maybe eventually I'd hurt more people than I'd save. Every person I eat could be someone who could have saved whole worlds, cured diseases unheard of. Why should they perish just so others can live, so that I may live?" He sighed. "Maybe it's better I die."

"In life, there is hope." Celestia insisted, putting a hoof on her chest, bowing her head. "Your curse has invoked my pity since the day I met you."

"I too was cruelly saddled with urges I found I couldn't control." Luna added with a bow of her head. "Possessed by a monstrous being of corruption that made those urges drag me into insanity, I couldn't help myself. It's a slippery slope. It just gets harder and harder to resist the worst parts of you."

"Now I feel kinda bad for him." Rainbow Dash admitted nervously. "We should get him to town and let him rest up."

"I'll help you carry him." Fluttershy said, the two of them lifting the Huntsman up onto their backs, flying towards Ponyville as he panted and heaved, struggling to stay conscious as a dark coldness spread from his body. So cold, so...

Maybe he'd just take a nap...

Because he was so...so tired...

---

"Is this the only way?" Twilight asked, looking down at the statue in the crystal bed, the Huntsman's slumbering form lying there under the glass.

"Until we figure out a way to truly treat somebody of his ilk, this crystal coffin will keep him in peaceful slumber and stasis. Unharmed and untouched." Princess Celestia proclaimed, holding a hoof over the crystal coffin as she bowed her head, Luna standing across from Twilight in the Ponyville castle courtyard as she nodded at Fluttershy.

"It's very kind of you to want to build a garden around here."

"He'll be surrounded by the best flowers I can get." Fluttershy promised, putting a hoof on her chest as she looked at Celestia, who gave her a nod as the princess stared back down at the sleeping Cosmo Sapien. "I want to make sure he's surrounded by beauty."

"He doesn't look quite so scary now." Pinkie Pie admitted. "Kinda cute, actually, with those twinkle-twinkle-little-stars in his body. But I got one question for when we need to wake him up."

"What's that?" Celestia inquired.

"Who's going to kiss him to wake him up?"

"Oh, Discord, obviously." Celestia said with a small, chuckling smile.

Discord sat up in his house, eyes widening as he crumpled up the teacup in his hands. "Something *TERRIBLE * just happened." He muttered darkly.