Chapter 3: Hunting Grounds

A grey unicorn galloped through the streets of Stalliongrad as a bell in the distance chimed midnight. Sweat was visible in the gleam of the street lights as he ran, looking over his shoulder every few seconds, panic visible in his eyes. He wore a black blazer that was flapping around as he ran, and an equally black tie whipping behind him as he gasped. He took turn after turn, running as hard as he could as his hooves echoed off the buildings and the cobblestone street below his hooves.

He needed to get away, needed to find a place to hide and be protected from, from... he didn’t even know what it was! It came out of nowhere and just started to kill everypony within reach of those snake-like chains! The only reason he was alive was pure luck. If he just got back to the mansion he could tell his boss, and they could prepare for him. No one messed with the lead family of Stalliongrad.

Before the unicorn could take another step, a loud roar overtook the entire street, drowning out all other sounds in the vancity. He came to a sudden stop, his eyes wide in terror as he looked around, trying to find the source of the horrible noise. As he looked behind him, his blood turned to ice; standing a few feet away from him was a motorcycle, the blood-red light at the front focused right at him. With a shriek, he galloped away from it, only to run head first into something and fell to the ground hard.

Groaning, the terrified unicorn sat up, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. As he started to push himself up, a dark grey hoof slammed down on his shoulder, pinning him the ground. The unicorn could only look in horror at the hoof, for there was no flesh of fur attached to it, just cracked, grey bone. Slowly, he started to look up the hoof to see a black leather jacket. Wearing that jacket was a pony with a flaming skull for head.

“Oh Lu-Luna ha-have mercy o-on me,” the unicorn stuttered, looking up at the flaming skull. The Rider just looked back down at him, cocking his head a little, as the orange flames continued to burn around him.

“Where is your boss?” The Rider hissed, bending over the Unicorn, the chains wrapped around his chest rattling. The Unicorn could feel the heat of the flames burning his skin as he looked up at the Rider. Fear overtook him, making it impossible to talk.

“Tell me, or I will kill you,” the Rider growled, leaning even closer so the Unicorn was forced to look into the empty eye sockets. The Unicorn just kept shaking in fear as he looked at the Rider. He had already seen him rip apart ponies with those chains as if they were made of paper.

“A-at Ken-Kentucky Ma-Manor, right up th-the street from her-here, up that hill. It’s th-the large mansion wit-with the lights on. Pl-please do-don’t ki-kill me,” the Unicorn begged as the Rider rose a little. He looked back down the street, and up the winding pathway to the mansion. The Rider gave a low whistle, and the Night Rod drove up next to him, once more wrapped in chains and looking like it had been burned.

“You tell the truth, good.” The Rider said, still looking towards the mansion. The Unicorn gave out a sigh of relief, that was cut off all too soon when the Rider pushed his hoof down on the pony’s throat. “Now, look into my eyes,” the Rider commanded, and like all his other victims, the Unicorn had no other choice but to obey.

As the Unicorn’s eyes went white, the Rider dropped him on the street like a sack of garbage. He stomped over to the Night Rod and revved the engine. Fire erupted from the exhaust as the motorcycle accelerated forward, burning wheels squealing in the night as they left a trail of fire behind the Rider. His next meal was in reach, and the night was still young.

--

Cheers erupted from the large crowd gathered around a massive rectangular table as an elderly tan Unicorn was wheeled into the spacious dining hall by a nurse. The Unicorn had a oxygen mask around his muzzle, and an IV drip hanging from the wheelchair attached to his foreleg. A blanket had been placed over his lower body, tucked into the sides of the chair to keep the elderly pony warm. He also seemed to be wearing a red satin robe while every other pony in the room was dressed in suits. The nurse pushed him to the head of the table, and left the room when he raised his hoof to dismiss her.

He then extended both of his hooves out and the two ponies closest to him: a dark tan Pegasus with a purple mane on his right, and a light tan Unicorn with the same purple mane as him on his left, took his hooves and kissed them. The elderly pony nodded to both of them, allowing them to sit down, every other pony following suit. The ponies that stood around the lower level of the dining hall, however, remained standing. They wore suits, but were armed with swords, crossbows, and knives. On the second level, there were more ponies, along with griffins and minotaurs. Like the guards in the lower level, they were armed and wearing suits.

“How blessed I feel to have all of you around me on my ninetieth birthday,” the elderly pony said, taking off his oxygen mask and speaking in a wheezing voice. “For the last seventy years I have led the Don Family, and in those seventy years, I have made the Don Family the number one family in Stalliongrad!” Capone shouted as he slammed his hoof on the table. He broke into a coughing fit and began to reach for his mask. The two ponies closest to him got up to help, but he waved them off, as he turned the knob on the oxygen tank next to him to allow the pure oxygen to flow through. After a few minutes of deep gasping, he turned the oxygen off and removed the mask again.

“As you all know, after tonight I am retiring as the head of the family and my two sons will be taking over,” he said, looking at the two ponies next to him. “Now, as you all also know, the Don family has a bloody history when it comes to the succession of leadership. Why, I even killed my own brother to become the head of this family,” Capone laughed, along with some of the older ponies in the group. “But my sons here,” he said, extending both his hooves to gesture to each one of his sons. “They are something special. Never have I seen two brothers so close before and have such an understanding of one another that they knew before tonight who would be taking over. Just look at where they are sitting, I didn’t tell them a thing,” Each pony in the room looked up and started to murmur to one another. The pony on the right was to be the next leader of the family, while the one on Capone’s left would be his lead enforcer.

“Red Rose here,” Capon said, pointing to the Pegasus on his right, “might be the younger of the two, but never have I come across a smarter pony. From the moment I introduced him to the family business, he has been nothing more than an absolute genius!” he said, a note of pride in his voice. “Be it money, a hit, finding a snitch, or just simply playing chess against this old bag of bones, he has always proven he was the smartest pony in the room. This is why I am proud to call him the new head of the Don Family.” As Capone said this, each one of the ponies in the room broke out in applause cheering for the new head of the family. None of them were as loud as the pony across the table from him. Red Rose raised his hoof, and like magic, the entire room stopped applauding and went back to silence.

“And here, my other son, Sharp Edge, will be his lead enforcer,” Capone laughed, as he patted the hoof of his eldest son. “Never have I seen a more intimidating Unicorn in all my life. Not even in my prime was I as intimidating than this bastard,” Capone said, laughing again as he did. “Look at him! He has all the magical skills of a Unicorn and built like an Earth Pony. Never will you come across a pony like this again in all your lives, or as loyal. During that whole Royal Wedding nonsense, my sons were in Canterlot taking care of some...business…when all hell broke lose. Was Sharp Edge here a coward like all them other ponies? No! He fought his way through and protected his little brother. Even after all their guards were killed, he kept fighting,” he said, once more with that noticeable pride in his voice.

The two brothers nodded to one another as the crowd erupted into cheers once more. Capone just looked around the room with a satisfied grin on his face as his sons basked in the glory. After tonight, he could die in peace, knowing that he was leaving his family into the right hooves.

“Alright, shut up now and let’s enjoy my birthday!” Capon shouted. At that, ponies in tuxedos entered the room pulling carts loaded with plates ready to be served to the the family. Soon the hall erupted in chatter, as glasses clinked against one another and laughing could be heard. Capon looked across the table, smiling as he saw all his family that was with him, except for one.
“Rose, Edge, where is your no good cousin Gold Digger?” Capon asked, as a mare with a blonde coat and red mane placed a salad in front of Capon, and began to feed the elderly Unicorn.

“Don’t know, Father,” Edge said, looking down at the empty spot.

“Probably with some dame again,” Rose said with a laugh, taking a sip of the wine in front of him. “You know how he gets when he's out drinking—a damn loud mouth, he is,” Rose groaned.

“Well, as my last order to the two of you as head of the family is teach that colt some manners tomorrow. I don’t care how, just do it,” Capone ordered, opening his mouth so the mare next to him could place more salad in his mouth.

“Consider it done, Father,” Edge said loudly, picking up his knife with his magic and twirled it a bit. Rose chuckled slightly as Capone once again smiled at this two sons.

Before anything else could be said however, the deafening roar of an engine ripped through the dining hall, making everything on the table shake as if a herd of rampaging buffalo was running by the mansion. All of the security drew their weapons as they looked around, and Capone slammed his hooves on the table.

“What the hell is that?! I sure as hell didn’t invite no damn Diamond Dogs to my birthday! Somepony get out there and kill them!” Capone shouted, as he broke into another fit of coughing. His two sons came to his aid as some of the ponies in the room started to head towards the door to find the noise, but before they could, the sound cut out almost instantly, as if feeling the presence of danger.

Every guest and guard of the dinner looked around the room. Even the ponies that were to go out and find the noise stopped where they were and looked. All they could hear was the silence of the room, and the deep gasping breaths of Capone as he breathed in the pure oxygen.

“Well?!” Rose shouted, looking at the guards at the door. “Go out there and find out what the—” The engine roared back to life, as the sound of glass shattering came from overhead.

Everypony in the room looked up at once to watch a motorcycle with flaming wheels come crashing through the window and landing right on the table. The engine was still going as the pony on top of it sat there perfectly still, his skull engulfed in orange flames and chains wrapped around his forelegs and upper torso. The Rider didn’t make a sound as he looked straight ahead at Capone. Nopony dared move as they looked at the strange creature that was now sitting on the table with a motorcycle that seemed to be on fire. Then, very slowly, the Rider raised it’s right foreleg and pointed his hoof at Capone.

“Guilty,”

“Kill the mother fucker right now!” Capone, Rose, and Edge all shouted at the same time. At once, a wave of arrows came screaming from the guards on both levels. All of the guests jumped from their chairs as more of the security forces entered the room and joined in firing arrows at the flaming freak. Those with magical abilities, like Sharp Edge and his father, started to send blasts of magic from their horns all aimed for the Rider, as other security forces started to throw knives at him.

Throughout it all, the Rider just sat there, taking in the punishment. Arrows pierced his leatherjacket and sank into his chest. Blasts of magic sent pieces of bone flying into the air as knives embedded themselves in the bones. All the while, the Rider just kept his hoof pointed at Capone, never looking away, even when an arrow entered his eye socket. The flames around the Rider’s skull did begin to die down, turning from orange to blue till the fire disappeared altogether. The hail of fire went on for a few more seconds before everypony stopped and looked at the Rider, who was completely motionless but with his hoof still pointed at Capone.

“I want to know who sent this!” Rose shouted, as he pointed at the Rider. “And when we find out, I want everypony they are related to, friends with, hoofbumpped with dead! I want them-”

“That wasn’t very nice.”

Everypony turned slowly towards the Rider who was shaking his head and rolling his shoulders. “Now I have to be not very nice back.” Flames once more danced across the Rider’s body, replacing any bones that were destroyed and carrying the knives and arrows that were embedded in parts of his body under his jacket. With what looked like a grin, the Rider gave out a demonic roar, and the flames around his skull reignited. Arrows and knives lanced out from under his jacket.

The arrows that the Rider shot back looked like bars of charred iron, and the knives became more serrated and curved. After his roar, the Rider laughed with sadistic glee as the arrows and knives found their marks across the room. He wasn't aiming them, but with the amount of arrows and blades that had struck him, he didn't need to. The security he hit burst into flames, screaming and writhing in pain as they toppled over the sides of the balconies they were standing on, or simply fell over dead.

The Rider got off his bike and started to walk across the table towards Capone, his hooves leaving black searing marks as he did so. Before he could reach Capone however, a large, cool-grey Minotaur jumped down from one of the balconies and landed atop the table, a large battle axe in hand. Issuing a bellowing war cry, he charged at the Rider, the axe raised and ready to cut the him in half. The Rider just watched at the Minotaur got closer and closer till he was just a few inches away and brought his axe down upon the Rider.

“Naught, naught” The Rider laughed and simply raised his right foreleg. The chains around his arm tightened, and when the battle axe smashed into his arm, the only effect was a shower of sparks and another evil grin from the Rider. The Minotaur just looked down at the Rider in a mixture of confusion and fear, as he tried to push the axe down upon the Rider, but the Rider’s foreleg stayed perfectly still, like a surgeon.

The Rider then took in a deep breath that sounded more like a loud hiss before leaning forward, his mouth open. A wave of orange fire came billowing out, like a dragon breathing fire, consuming the Minotaur. The Rider did not stop there; he turned to the right, flames still spewing from his mouth, several more guard’s screaming in agony as hellfire consumed them. The heat was intense, so much so that the walls behind the Rider’s victims caught ablaze as well. Each victim crumbled to the floor in charred remains, all except a single light blue Earth Pony with a yellow mane. The suit he had been wearing was burned to ash, but he was unharmed.

Seeing this, the Rider walked across the table leaving more singe marks as he did, till he was right in front of the pony. A chain emerged from the Rider’s back and grabbed the pony by the throat and dragged him into the air. The blue pony was shaking in fear as he looked at the Rider, whose head was cocked in confusion as he looked at the pony.

“Look into my eyes,” The Rider said, and like the Unicorn he had used it on only a short time ago, the pony was forced to look into the Rider’s eyes. This time, the pony did not hear the screams and feel the agony of their victims or their victim’s families. Instead, he and the Rider both heard the laughing of children, the images of a beautiful mare being presented with a earring, the pony receiving his badge, and the sounds and images of a happy family. This was a pure soul. The Rider broke the stare with the pony and nodded to him.

“Innocent.” The Rider declared, and turning towards his motorcycle, gave a low whistle. The Night Rod’s engine revved as it started to move in reverse till it fell off the long table, then turning towards the closest wall parked right in front of it. Without warning, chains shot out of the motorcycle, much like its master, and smashed through the wall with ease. Then, with another loud revving of the engine, the Night Rod backed up and pulled down a large chunk of the wall. Turning back to the pony, who was staring in sheer horror of what the bike just did, the Rider gave out a low hiss. “Run.” he commanded, before turning back to the other guests.

Getting on his hind legs, the Rider let some of the chains around his forelegs fall to the ground, gathering at his hooves. This seemed to remind those who were still in the room that they were in danger, and the barrage of arrows and magic started once more. The Rider payed no attention to this as he took the chain in his right hoof and whipped it at the closest pony to him. The chain found it’s mark perfectly and wrapped around the pony’s body, binding him like a hellish anaconda. The chain flared bright orange, and the pony gave out a brief cry of anguish before being engulfed in flames.

Soon, the Rider was whipping the two chains around the room, cackling with sadistic glee as the chains wrapped around anything they could and setting it ablaze. The pony that was spared the Rider’s flames just watched, stricken at what was going on, gripped by morbid fascination as the pony with the flaming skull killed each one of the guests of the dinner and the security hired to protect them. The pony was going to take a step forward when a chain, not ablaze like the rest, cut in front of him blocking his path.

Looking over, the pony saw it was from the motorcycle that was still pointed at the exit it had made, the red light on it blinking as if to single to him. Giving one last look at the Rider, the pony galloped out of the hole made for him, and away from the mansion all together.

The Rider gave a final whip of his chain and burned the last remaining Griffin to nothing but a charred corpse, the helpless guard turned to ash the minute it hit the ground. Leaving the dining hall empty except for Capone, his two sons, and the Rider.

“Wh-who the fuck are you!?” Sharp Edge demanded, getting on top of the table, his horn glowing with power. Before he could fully get up on the table however, a chain sprouted from the Rider’s back and wrapped around his neck, pulling him into the air. Red Rose started to spread his wings to help his brother, but a chain wrapped around his neck as well and suspended him right next to his flailing brother.

“I am the Spirit of Vengeance,” the Rider said in his low hissing voice, lowering himself back to all four hooves and started to walk towards the three ponies. “I seek out souls tainted with the blood of the innocent, to avenge the lost souls, and to consume the dark souls of those who spilt the blood." The Rider was getting closer; Capone was looking up at his two sons, who were desperately trying to get out of the Rider’s hold. “I am the Ghost Rider, and your three souls are drenched in the blood of the innocent,” Ghost Rider growled as he stood above Capone, his empty eyes looking down at the head of the Don Family. He lowered Rose from the air till he was only a few inches from the Rider’s face.

“Look into my eyes,” The Rider whispered, and in that instant Red Rose’s eyes stared right into the Rider’s. Capone could only watch in horror as the empty eye sockets of the Rider flared with red light, and flames started to shoot out from them. Rose stared unblinking into the flaming eyes, as he gave out little cries, like a foal having a nightmare. Suddenly, a purple, vapor-like substance leaked out of Rose’s eyes and went into the Rider’s. For several seconds the vapor poured into the Rider’s eyes till finally Rose’s body went limp, the chain around his neck loosening and slithering back into the Rider’s back.

“What did you do to my son?!” Capone screamed, as he looked down at his son’s body. His eyes were pure white, and all he seemed to do was breathe and blink.

The Rider did not answer him. He lowered Sharp Edge closer to him till he was face to face with him. Edge, however, did not give up. Glaring defiantly at the thin that just killed his brother, he sent a blast of magic into the Rider’s face.

“You think you can fuck with my family?!” Edge shouted, as he sent burst after burst of magic into the Rider’s face. “You are wrong! You are so fucking wro-ARGH!” Capone looked up to see that another chain had slid out of the Rider’s back and had wrapped itself around Edge’s horn before snapping it off. Edge shouted in pain as a thick stream of blood spurted out of the horn.

“Look into my eyes,” the Rider commanded, and like his brother, Sharp Edge stared into the Rider’s eyes, his cries of rage stopping instantly. Capone could only watch as his other son was subjected to whatever the Rider was doing to him. Then, like before, a thin vapor of purple came out of the pony’s eyes and into the Rider's. The Rider dropped the last son like a pile of garbage before looking down at Capone, who had tears of anger rolling down his face.

“That is only a small taste of what I will do to you,” The Rider said, as his chains started to slither off the table and wrapping themselves around Capone’s wheelchair. “I have had much to eat tonight, but your soul is much darker than your sons. I could smell the evil when I entered this town,” the Rider chuckled as the chains started to move across Capone’s body. “Now, look into my ey-” The Rider suddenly stopped talking. His mouth was still wide open as if he was going to continue, but something caught his attention, even the chains around Capone slackened.

The Rider turned around a few times, as if he was searching for something, till he stopped and looked out a window to the south. “A dark soul,” the Rider murmured, looking out the window. “A very, very dark soul,” he took a step towards the window, nearly taking a step too far and falling off the table. “A Demon’s soul.” The Rider looked over at Capone before walking briskly back towards him.

“We must make this quick,” he said, his voice sounding excited and full of some unknown energy. Then without another word. the Rider’s eyes started to blaze again, staring right down at Capone to as the vapor of purple appeared again for the Rider to consume.
Dropping the elderly pony like the bag of bones he was, he turned to the motorcycle and gave a high pitched whistle. The Night Rod zoomed up to him and the Rider jumped on, revving the engine loudly as he pulled the handlebars back, performing a wheelie as he circled around the table and shot for the opening he made for the innocent pony.

“Not much time! Not much time! Must make it there by morning or the soul will not be mine!” The Rider shouted, as he gave the engine a final rev. The flames around the wheels grew brighter and more intense as orange flames burst out of the exhausts, much brighter than before. The Night Rod was flying down the hill, leaving a much larger trail of fire behind it than before, till it finally, with one hard pull from the Rider, became airborne. It shot into the sky like a red comet, heading south and leaving a trail of fire behind it in the sky.

Author's Notes:

Special thanks go to Jake The Army Guy for the last minute edits to make this chapter even more brutal! I hope you will all enjoy, and look out for the next chapter...special guest appearance in that.

As always, thanks to jzellmer for the edits and KarmaDash for the idea throwing!

By the way, I love reviews! So please do review!