From the border between the Apple Loosan Grasslands and the Hayseed Swamp, a humble little city rested with several large walls recently built to keep any monsters from the Badlands out... though the conditions of the lower halves of the huge walls made it clear that whatever was beyond there was way out of their control, and if it were attacked much more, the wall wouldn't even be there in the following week. With that knowledge, the military forces stationed around the huge walls were afraid of going anywhere near it, despite the claims of how safe they may be.

Hesitantly, a large squad of one hundred guards were hired to keep a close eye on the other side at all times... but they didn't let anyone out there, unless given permission from the princesses themselves. One time, they tried sending ten guards to keep watch from outside... their screams still filled those that were inside with nightmares. The following morning, nothing was there that remained... no corpses, no armor, nothing. As for whether they were chased out, or eaten whole, nobody cared to try and find out.

About a week ago, they sent three ponies out with plentiful supplies of rations and medicine, but even then, they were told to write down their last rites, since it was clear that they wouldn't last that long out there, anyways. Most of the guards would consider them lucky if they lasted an hour out there, since two of them weren't even fully trained in combat. One of them, however, was the Captain of the Royal Guard in Canterlot, so they still felt that at least they had a slight chance out there... but even the mighty will fall one day... and Princess Luna was a prime example of that one thousand years ago.

Lyra and Neko walked in the front of the line of travelers/hunters, while Shining Armor and Bon Bon walked in the back. Justin, however, was roaming around the area collecting green herbs and blue mushrooms. He knew that he would probably need to find some honey as well, but Snakebees were hard to find around here, so he had to make do with what he had. Perhaps he could find someone willing to help him grow the Snakebee Larvae that were in his pouch... which he had in containers, of course.

While his armor might've been intimidating enough before, he had a huge backpack strapped on him, which rose up several meters above his head and lowered to the bottoms of his thighs. The pack itself, from the looks of it, must've contained several chests where he kept most of his stuff. As such, just the sight of him carrying that large of a pack, and still be able to move freely and unhindered would, without a doubt, turn several heads his way... and make the owners of said heads step as far away from him as possible.

Lyra looked back and forth from Justin to Neko, before finally deciding to break the hour-long silence. "So... what's with the backpack?"

Neko looked up at her, then followed her gaze to Justin, who stood up after collecting the last of the patch of blue mushrooms, and placing it in his mushroom pouch. "According to Princess Celestia, we are needed to stay here for at least a year, or until the creature in her nightmares is vanquished."

Lyra nodded her head then looked forward again. "Have you seen it, before?"

Neko continued walking, but this time, he was silent for a moment. "Um... yes. Yes, we have."

"Did... did you manage to slay it?"

Neko heard Justin sigh behind him, which led to him sighing in response. "If we did, then we wouldn't be coming here in the first place."

Justin nodded his head in agreement to Neko, who continued. "If it weren't for the fact that the Dragonship we used broke down after hunting a Jhen Mohran, we probably would've stopped it, and avoided this mess."

Lyra looked at Justin and noticed that he was no longer looking at the ground, but rather, directly forward, and across the long dirt road that they were walking on. "Sorry... I don't want to offend anyone. Perhaps we should change the subject."

Neko shook his head and smiled at her. "Nya! It's quite alright! Besides, it's been a year since it happened, so it's not like the wounds are fresh!"

Shining's eyes widened. "Wait... it's been a year?!"

Neko looked back at him and nodded his head. "Well, it's been a year since it destroyed Loc Lac last time! This isn't anything new, however, so it's not like we're completely hopeless! I'd say Loc Lac should be about done with its rebuilding and recovery in, say, another month, perhaps?"

Lyra whistled at that statement. "Wow! Humans and Wyvernians sure do work fast!"

Neko chuckled before turning back to her. "Indeed! And while we felynes prefer working the farms, at least we're capable of helping out whenever needed, eh?"

Lyra nodded her head. "Good point." Then she looked up at Justin. "So, by the way... how did you and Justin first meet?"

"Would you like the long story, or the short one?"

"Either one you want. I'm in no rush!"

Neko nodded his head and cleared his throat. "Well, you might not believe this, but I wasn't always a Hunter Companion... or a 'Palico', as most hunters would call it! Beforehand, I was nothing more than a fisherman!"

"Really?!" Lyra asked with widened eyes. "But... you're... um, please don't take offense to this, but... don't cats hate water?"

Neko shrugged his shoulders before replying, "Eh, that's just stereotypical. Some of us hate getting our fur wet, while others quite enjoy it! And I'm sure the same thing can be said about cats, even!"

Bon Bon nodded her head and turned to Lyra. "It's true. I even heard that Roseluck's cat doesn't mind getting wet. She even has to get onto her when she gets in the hanging flowers' wells to drink... and when she falls in it, she just casually floats back to the side, and pulls herself out... then gets back to drinking, even though she's soaked to the core."

Neko chuckled before shaking his head. "Ah, if only I could see that! I'd pay top zenny, then!"

Shining looked at him and asked, "Top what?"

Neko looked back at him confusedly. "Zenny! You know... little golden coins?"

Lyra chuckled before turning towards Shining Armor. "Don't forget, Shiny! Not everyone calls the little golden coins 'bits', y'know!"

Shining's cheeks turned slightly pink out of embarrassment. Looking away from her, he retorted, "Eh, I knew that! Just... testing your knowledge, that's all!"

Lyra rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Right! And I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard!"

Shining's face reddened even more at that statement. "No you aren't! I am!"

Everyone then started to laugh at the angry stallion. "Lighten up, Shiny! You need to take Pinkie Pie's advice, and just smile!"

Neko nodded his head and replied, "I may not know this 'Pinkie Pie' person, but I'd agree with her on that one! Smiling is a good way to ease regrets and troubles... though to be honest, I'd also throw in some Dragon Ale to go with that!"

Justin chuckled before shaking his head.

"Oh, can it, Mr. 'Alcohol Tolerance'! Just because you were able to put a bar out of business by drinking their entire stock, and walking out sober, doesn't make you some sort of god!"

Justin shrugged his shoulders and turned to his right, where he could see Lyra staring ahead with a wide smile on her face. When he followed her gaze, he questioningly grunted, "Huh?" when he saw a huge iron wall that towered over the tallest of trees straight ahead blocking the path. On the bottom of the wall, several burns and claw marks were clearly visible, even from their distance from the wall... which happened to be quite far.

Bon Bon walked in front of him and smiled widely. "Sweet Celestia! We... we actually made it!"

Neko tilted his head in confusion before following her gaze as well. When he saw the giant walls, he lightly chuckled before nodding his head. "Ah, so we did! That's a relief! My paws are killing me, and I'd more than enjoy a nice jug of bourbon to get rid of this ache in my tail, as well!"

Shining Armor quickly looked down, only to realize that his left hoof was on top of Neko's tail. With an embarrassed look on his face, he quickly lifted his hoof up and placed it back down where Neko's tail wasn't at risk for being stepped on. Then he smiled at the gates ahead. "Looks like we don't have to travel that far anymore! Who knows? Maybe they'll even celebrate for us being the first ponies to actually return from there!"

The other ponies of the group nodded their heads while Justin and Neko shrugged their shoulders and continued onwards.

The distant sound of something clicking caused Neko to gasp and jump in front of the group. "Wait! Something isn't right here!"

The group stopped and Shining's ears perked up at the realization. "You're right. Normally, this place would be noisy... you don't think a monster might've gotten inside, do you?" He turned to Lyra and Bon Bon, who each had worried looks on their faces.

Neko shrugged his shoulders before turning to Justin. "You know what to do, big guy."

Justin nodded his head before stepping forward. He continuously turned his head left and right just in case anything out of the ordinary were to show up. Seeing nothing, he decided to continue towards the walls of the city.

"S-sir! There's something on its way here!" a panic-stricken guard said to a knight.

The knight, who was drinking a cup of coffee, spat the contents back into his cup and dropped it. Then he turned towards the guard and replied, "Battle stations, everypony!"

Justin casually walked towards the front gates when the sound of metal sliding on another piece of metal screeched. He looked towards the source and found, what appeared to be, a huge array of cannons pointed directly at him.

He sighed before quickly drawing his sword and holding it directly in front of his body to prepare for impact.

Shining tilted his head in confusion as he saw Justin just standing there with his sword in front of him. "Is he... trying to defend himself from something?"

Neko nodded his head and replied, "Indeed... it would seem that your guards are about to strike at him."

Shining smirked before shaking his head. "Oh, please! These are the most highly trained ponies in all of Equestria! There's no way they would fire out on a whim!"

As if on cue, a loud explosion caught everyone's attention. They turned towards where Justin was... only to find a crater in his place. The ponies' eyes opened widely and their jaws dropped at the sight... but their heads turned up, towards what they assumed to be the source of a loud whistling noise.

Falling from a high velocity was none other than Justin himself with his arms and legs flailing at the size of the fall.

Neko gasped before jumping backwards with his paws outstretched. "Don't worry, pal! I'll catch ya!" About two meters behind him, however, Justin landed face-first into the dirt.

Lyra gasped and rushed up to him with a horrified expression on her face. "SWEET CELESTIA! JUSTIN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

Justin popped his head out of the dirt and stood up before smirking and looking at her. Then he nodded his head before turning to Neko.

Neko crossed his arms with an amused grin on his face and asked, "So... they fire at you on a whim?"

Justin shrugged his shoulders before nodding his head. This made Neko lightly chuckle before turning towards Shining.

"Looks like 'the most highly trained ponies in all of Equestria' went a little trigger-happy on our hunter friend over here." Then he rubbed his chin in thought before looking at Justin again. "So, what do you think, Justin? Are their defenses good enough for a real monster, or not?"

Justin hummed for a moment before shaking his head left and right. "Very well, then... looks like we'll have to make some suggestions to the princesses once we arrive in Canterlot."

During Justin's and Neko's conversation, Lyra and Bon Bon stood in the background with relieved expressions on their faces at the Monster Hunter's safety. Shining, however, had a glare on his face as he looked towards the city gates. "Damn it! If we can't get through, then how are we going to make it to Canterlot?!"

Neko shrugged his shoulders before suggesting, "Um... we break through these walls?"

Shining's glare quickly focused on Neko. "No way! Out of the question! If we were to break through the walls, then that would leave this place vulnerable for monsters to get in!"

Again Neko shrugged his shoulders. "So we keep the monsters at bay while you get the wall taken care of! Simple!"

Shining groaned before turning around. "Forget it... we'll have to find another way across."

Lyra sighed before grabbing him by his left wrist. "You know he's right, Shiny... there aren't any other gates, anyways! If anything, this could be a chance for us to up our defenses while we're here!"

Neko nodded his head and hopped in front of Shining. "Of course, I meant no disrespect! It's just that you're lucky no monsters were able to see or hear anyone on the other side! If they were to catch a glimpse, I'd say even a simple little jaggi could find its way past your walls... maybe even through them, if your walls were made using the same materials that your armor was made out of!"

Bon Bon raised a confused eyebrow. "Wait... but what about the urgency of going to Canterlot, though? Won't adding more supports to this wall kinda-sorta cause a delay?"

Neko turned to her and smiled. "Indeed it may be so, but like I said before! Being a Monster Hunter means more than simply hunting monsters! It's about helping those who have monster-related problems! I can see you guys need more than just a little help... so, we can afford a few extra nights building up this wall." He shrugged and turned towards Lyra. "Heck, I bet we might even have a chance at hunting some monsters to get you three geared up properly!"

Bon Bon and Shining scratched the backs of their necks in deep thought. Sure enough, after hearing about the powers that these monsters had, second thoughts were starting to build up in their minds about the whole monster hunting idea. Lyra, on the other hand, smiled and nodded her head eagerly, which made Neko chuckle. "Trust me, Mistress Heartstrings! If you truly do wish to become a Monster Hunter, you will surely be rewarded greatly for your efforts... and not just in money, either! And I can guarantee that after your first successful hunt, you will start to feel a sense of accomplishment that you wouldn't be able to feel anywhere else!"

She nodded her head again before replying, "Sounds like something to look into! Of course... I'd have to see the lifestyle of a Monster Hunter a little more, first."

Neko nodded his head and replied, "Understandable! Remember, though! Not all Monster Hunters fight with swords and hammers! Other times, Monster Hunters would fight from a distance, using bows, light bowguns, medium bowguns, and even heavy bowguns!"

Lyra tilted her head at the last three items. "Um... what are bowguns?"

Neko cleared his throat before describing the different ones to her. For a split-second, she almost felt like the two of them were in a classroom with Neko standing on top of a desk with a meter-long ruler in his paws, with the ruler tapping on a chalkboard made out of some kind of ancient-looking khaki-colored stone, or perhaps a tribal kind of concrete.

---

Neko's Newbie Monster Hunter Guide 101

---

"Well, to start it all off, a bow would be the best weapon to use mid-range, as they rely on manual muscle power, and what-not! Bowguns, on the other hand, are special automated bows that fire bolts from metallic tubes that are imbued with monster parts to add their elements to the Gunner's shots! The powers from the monster parts, of course, allow the users to remain at an even further distance for their safety!

"The light ones are, as their names imply, lightweight, and are easier to carry, but they pack less of a punch than the medium ones or the heavy ones!

"The medium ones would be a balance between the two.

"The heavy ones, however, are almost as heavy as a greatsword, so you can guarantee that they would be a challenge for ponies to use."

When Neko finished with his description, Lyra blinked a few times and found herself back into reality. She rubbed her chin in thought before smiling and nodding her head. "Thank you for the information, Neko! I... think I may actually try using a bow, first! If I choose to become a Monster Hunter, that is."

Neko nodded his head approvingly. "A wise choice, so long as you know how to dodge effectively!" Justin leaned down and gently patted her on the back, making her slightly blush when she looked up at him. Despite his face being covered by a helmet, she could've sworn she could feel him smiling at her. Neko appeared to notice, also. "And you can count on Justin that you'll be protected, too! After all, it's his job as a Blademaster to protect the Gunners and keep the monsters focused on himself, since the armor that the Gunners use are more lightweight, and as such, flimsier when it comes to defense... physical defense, that is."

Bon Bon scratched the back of her head before asking, "So... if we were to become Monster Hunters, what would someone with a keen eye for detail be best suited for?"

Neko turned towards her and tilted his head in confusion. "Um... eye for detail?"

Lyra cleared her throat and leaned towards Neko to whisper. "She makes candy for a living... and some of the best in Equestria, might I add."

Neko smiled and nodded his head in approval. "Ah, well I've heard of some bakers ending up as the best Bowgunners, then! Perhaps you should try with a light bowgun!"

Shining cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. When they looked at him, his arms were crossed, and an impatient expression adorned his face. "Hate to ruin the mood, but... shouldn't we be thinking about how to get into the town without destroying the walls?"

Neko sighed before shrugging his shoulders. "I kinda figured we already had that one figured out!"

Shining groaned before throwing his arms up in the air. "You know what? Fine, then! If you can at least figure out a way to get past the cannonballs, then by all means! Tear through the gates!"

Neko grinned menacingly before snapping his left claws. Justin nodded his head and gripped onto the handle of his sword. Then, without even giving a fair warning, he made a mad dash out of the shadows of the trees, all while Lyra and Bon Bon stared in amazement at the Monster Hunter. Shining, on the other hand, gasped before reaching his right hand out and shouting, "W-WAIT! I WAS JUST BLUFFING!"

The guards all gasped at the sight of the figure rushing towards the gates at an alarming rate. They turned towards the knight and stuttered, "S-SIR! THAT THING IS HEADED OUR WAY AGAIN! S-SHOULD WE PREPARE THE CANNONS AGAIN?!"

The knight gasped before pushing the nearest guard out of the way and stating, "Let me see, damn it!" As soon as he saw the figure headed their way, however, he frowned, turned towards the guard that he pushed, and slapped the back of his head angrily. "You fool! That's not a monster! It's just a person wearing armor!" He then turned towards another guard who saluted him upon meeting his gaze. "You, there! Let him in at once!"

The guard saluted him again and shouted, "YES, SIR!" before turning around and dashing towards the lever that was used to open the gate.

As soon as Justin was close enough to the gate, he drew his sword and sliced a large portion of the gate all the way down to the ground like butter... and mere seconds afterwards, the gates slowly began to open up.

The ponies that were in the center of the road stared in mixed expressions of awe, fear, and confusion, as a large chunk of the lower portion of one of the gates was split in a triangular shape, with the outer half of a massive sword plummeted into the ground. The gates opened shortly afterwards, while the behemoth that towered over the ponies by at least half their size stood there with his expression hidden by his helmet.

The guards from inside the walls quickly rushed out of the doorways with spears held high, and pointed towards the "monster".

"HALT! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT! ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU IN THE CANTERLOT THRONE ROOM!" one of the guards shouted at the top of his lungs, though his expression appeared to reveal, like everypony else, that he was frightened at the creature before him.

Justin stood there confusedly before turning towards the rest of the group. As he did, the guards' eyes followed him, only to widen when they saw the same ponies that left for The Badlands earlier that week. They also noticed Neko amongst the group, but thought nothing of him, as their eyes were focused on the enraged Unicorn stallion that was giving them all the "Death Glare".

"C-Captain?! You're alive?!"

Shining stepped in-between Justin and the guards before growling, "You fools! Do you all realize that you just endangered, not only myself or our Monster Hunter here, but also a pair of innocent mares?! IMAGINE IF ANY OF US WERE THERE WITH HIM WHEN THOSE CANNONS WERE FIRED!"

While Shining shouted at the guards, Lyra and Bon Bon looked worriedly at him before turning to Justin, who simply stood there rubbing the back of his head, clearly feeling a little uneasy about the situation.

Neko, however, glared at him and jumped in-between the guards and their captain. "Hey, now! They were just doing their jobs! And besides, I'm certain they would've held their fire should they have seen you and the other ponies!" He turned around and looked at the guards, who all were staring at him in disbelief. "Am I right?"

The guards took a few moments to process what was going on. Then, from out of nowhere, a guard in the background asked, "Is that a talking cat?!"

Neko's ears twitched at that remark. He crossed his forepaws, closed his eyes, and angrily furrowed his brows while forcing a fang-filled smile on his lips. Then he shrugged his shoulders, looked at Shining, and commented, "Never mind. Shiny, please teach these idiots a lesson before I get Justin to."

Shining deadpanned at Neko before retorting, "I planned to anyways..." he looked at the guards again and shouted, "TO THE BARRACKS, ON THE DOUBLE!" The guards saluted and, in the blink of an eye, dashed towards a distant fenced-in building... save for one. Shining looked at the knight who stood there, but also noticed that he was dressed differently than the rest. Instead of white armor with golden trimmings, this one wore golden armor with white trimmings.

"Is there a problem, Knight?" Shining asked before walking towards the knight who stood there with a serious expression on his face.

The knight turned towards Shining and replied, "I am the Five-Star General of the Celestial Elite Guards, General Golden Wing. I am on a separate branch from the ones that are under your command, Captain. My orders can only come from Princess Celestia herself, only. No exceptions, unless I were personally informed by her, otherwise." Then he leaned forward and squinted his eyes at Shining before countering, "Is that a problem, Captain?"

Any and all frustrations that Shining held were instantly wiped out from this unexpected visitor. This was no mere rookie, but one of the highest in rank; a personal escort of Princess Celestia, and one of her first to turn to at a time of war.

Shining gulped before backing up to the group once again. Then he shook his head left and right, but couldn't say anything.

Golden then looked up at Justin and glared even more. "I do not know who you are, nor do I know what you are. Regardless, though, we have our own laws here, and you have already broken two. Vandalism, and Endangerment of Pony Lives. You five will come with me to the dungeons, or I will be left with no choice but to use force."

"WHAT?!" the ponies all asked in unison.

Shining stepped forward again before adding, "You can't do that! We were-"

Golden glared daggers at him before retorting, "I already did. Now, come quietly! This is your last warning!"

Everyone went silent. Then Neko shrugged his shoulders before hopping onto Justin's shoulders and saying, "Very well, then. We mean you no trouble, so lead on."

With worried and saddened expressions on their faces, the group followed Golden up to the dungeons on the other side of the town.

"YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE, PAL!" Shining shouted as he gripped onto the metal bars. He growled and let go after noticing tht the jailer wasn't even paying attention to him.

Lyra and Bon Bon were too busy looking at the Monster Hunter, who was casually lying down on the bed near the wall with the barred window. This was the first time that they saw him out of his armor, and just the sight of his muscles sent shivers down their spines.

He was wearing dark blue shorts similar to boxers, and a dark blue sleeveless shirt that simply covered his chest, while keeping his stomach exposed. The way how the patterns on the undergarments looked made him give a slight "tribal" vibe to those who were looking. His muscles, though, were very well toned, and his stomach held a six-pack. Even his legs were well-toned.

An hour before they were sent into the cell, even Shining Armor caught a glimpse of his muscles for the first time. Needless to say, he was beyond jealous. Perhaps his reaction to seeing the hunter out of his armor was the only source of entertainment that the mares were going to have for a while.

Neko, rather than lie down or sit down, stood in the darkest corner of the cell with his back leaned on the wall. His forepaws were crossed, and his eyes were closed. He was lost in thought.

"Well... looks like we won't have a chance to go to Canterlot until Princess Celestia herself gets here to straighten things out." Shining groaned before walking to his own bed and sitting on it. "Could this day get any worse?!"

Neko's left ear twitched and his eyes opened widely. His jaw dropped, his head turned to the left, and he gasped, before rushing towards the window and leaping up, grabbing the handlebars once they were within his reach. Then he looked towards the distant forest before growling.

Lyra, Bon Bon, and Justin all walked up to him while Shining merely turned to face him. "What is it?" Lyra asked with a slight hint of worry in her voice.

Neko turned towards them before replying, "Trouble, I'm afraid... I can sense a monster headed this way!"

Shining gasped before rushing up to the window and looking through it. Sure enough, there were multiple guards rushing towards the gates while the traveling merchants and the few civilians that stayed there prior to the invasions began running away from the broken gates.

"A m-m-monster?! W-what kind of monster is it?!" Lyra shrieked before backing away from the window.

Neko leaped from the window and placed his ears on the ground. Justin knelt to the ground and felt the floor with his hands. The two of them felt a very feint vibration, but it was clear enough to the two of them just what it was. They looked at each other and nodded their heads before turning towards the curious ponies.

"It's one of the monsters that are used to test the potential of all of the new Monster Hunters... a Rathian."

Outside the city walls a huge line of soldiers stood with their tower shields in front to form a simple barrier. Their spears were all pointed towards the entrance while the echoes of a distant roar sounded through the air. In front of the guards was none other than General Golden Wing with his longsword and kiteshield drawn.

He looked at the solders before turning back to the gate. "SOLDERS! WE ARE ABOUT TO FACE A THREAT UNLIKE ANY WE'VE SEEN BEFORE... BUT I KNOW WE CAN HANDLE THIS! TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO SHOW THIS THREAT THAT WE ARE MORE THAN JUST SOLDIERS! WE ARE PRINCESS CELESTIA'S HAND-PICKED ELITES CHOSEN TO KEEP THE THREAT OUT OF THESE SACRED LANDS!" The soldiers, despite the fear showing on their faces, nodded their heads and eyed the gate warily. "I AM SURE THAT SOME OF US MAY FALL TODAY... BUT WITH ENOUGH STRATEGY, WE SHALL OVERCOME THIS THREAT WITH MINIMUM CASUALTIES!"

Shining glared at the soldiers that were, without a doubt, about to walk themselves into their own graves. He firmly gripped the iron bars and gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Those idiots are going to get themselves KILLED!" He punched the wall and hissed in slight pain as his right knuckles started to bleed from the impact. Regardless, though, he was mostly breathing heavily out of frustration, with his teeth firmly clenched together.

Lyra and Bon Bon covered their mouths out of fear before turning towards Justin and Neko. "P-please tell us he's wrong! There's... there's nothing too dangerous about this Rathian... is there?"

Neko sighed before shaking his head. "To a Monster Hunter, no... at least, not this one... but there's a reason why our people call them the Queens of the Land. If you aren't a Monster Hunter... then you better run while you can... even if the odds of your survival would be zeroed out."

Shining's pupils shrunk into pinpricks at that comment. Then he turned towards the jailor... only to find that he wasn't there. When he heard the back door slam shut, it was clear what just happened... the jailor ran away... with the keys, no less! Apparently, everyone else heard it, too, because Bon Bon let out a loud groan.

"Oh, fantastic! It looks like the jailor bailed out on us already!" she complained before walking up to the bars that separated their cell from the room and gripping onto them. Then she started shaking them two at a time to find any loose ones.

Shining sighed before falling onto his bed and gripping his forehead with both hands frustratedly. "Great... so we're stuck in here until that 'Rathian' thing shows up and eats us all!"

The sound of another roar broke their conversation short... but this time, the roar was closer.

The soldiers ducked beneath their raised shields and braced themselves for battle. Golden growled before backing up behind the center of the shield wall, though his weapon was still drawn, and his shield was raised. Archers with metal-embroidered wooden bows aimed several arrows at the gate, and multiple unicorn guards had their horns glowing brightly, with battle staffs in their hands to enhance their spells' accuracy.

Due to the magic barrier around the city that kept them hidden from anything beyond the walls, they couldn't see anything, despite being able to hear everything. There was a loud quake, followed by the sound of a large creature growling in slight pain. Then, from the cracked lower half of the gate, a large portion of dust blew through it, with a loud quake following it. Through the dust, the soldiers could see the shadow of a figure that towered over the gate by at least twice its size.

Golden tightened his grip on his sword and shield once the shadow got even darker. Then, from the shadow, he could see a glowing red eye looking directly at him. The pupil dilated in a cat-like fashion before lifting out of sight.

The guards heard the sound of wings flapping, but stood their ground. The sound started to get even more distant, though, which made some of the guards drop their defenses a little. One of them even asked, "Is... is it running away?"

Golden turned to the guards at the left and right and ordered, "Left and Right! Space yourselves slowly! Then, if it shows up again, flank-" Before he could finish his sentence, the monster roared again, and caused all heads to turn to the gate.

In the blink of an eye, the green-scaled Wyvern rammed its claws into the gate, sending both of the large iron doors flying into the city, and even crushing several of the guards who were unfortunate enough to be in their paths. When the Rathian landed, the gust of wind from its weight blew several more guards back, and caused them to tumble on the ground... one of which was Golden Wing, himself.

He quickly regained his footing, pointed his sword at the Rathian, and shouted, "ATTACK!" The guards let out a battle cry as they ran to the Rathian with their spears in front of them. Due to the thickness of the Rathian's scales, though, all of their weapons just bounced off without even denting the Rathian's flesh below its belly.

The Rathian retaliated by stretching its wings out, which sent even more guards flying away. Then it bent its tail towards its right wing and spun it through the guards that were too close to it. Several of those guards' wounds turned a sickening purple color, and their mouths started to foam up.

From inside the jail cell, Shining gasped at the sight before him. The Rathian was definitely not what he expected it to be... it was far worse.

"Damn it! They're dying out there! We... we have to do something!" He turned to Neko before asking, "Neko, can you and Justin deal with this thing, while I take Lyra and Bon Bon out of the city?"

Neko nodded his head and replied, "Good idea. We'll just have to figure out where they took our equipment first, though."

Shining hummed before looking out the window again. "If I remember correctly, I think they were taking your equipment to the Barracks to go through it... but I doubt if they would've taken anything, considering where most of the stuff came from."

Neko nodded his head and turned to Justin. "Very well, then! Justin... please do the honors!"

"WAIT!" a feminine voice called out. Neko, Justin, Bon Bon, and Shining turned towards Lyra, who had a nervous, yet determined expression on her face.

Shining walked closer to her and asked, "Lyra? What's wrong?"

Lyra took a deep breath before replying, "I... I want to help! Justin, Neko, do you both have anything that I could use to help you both with this thing? A spare bow, perhaps? M-maybe some basic equipment?"

Neko and Justin rubbed their chins in thought, but while they were doing so, Shining glared at her and shook his head. "Out of the question, Lyra! You'll get yourself killed if you fight that thing! I will not stand by and let-" His words were instantly cut off once she slapped him across the face. That action caused Bon Bon and Shining to stare at her in shock, while Shining pressed his hand on his red cheek. Justin and Neko, however, were so lost in thought that they didn't even notice... or if they did, they didn't seem to react to it.

Lyra's glare intensified as she stared Shining Armor down with tears forming in her eyes. "Now look here, Shiny! I did not intend on you coming here with us in the first place! In fact, if you weren't married to one of my best friends who, might I add, personally hand-picked me to be one of her bridesmaids, I would've done that ages ago! All I've been hearing from you were nothing but complaints, arguments, and stubborn pride! It took all of my willpower to avoid doing something worse to you, so consider the slap a blessing! Now, you will either stop with this nonsense and actually help us, or you can just take the next train back to The Frozen North, and explain to your wife why you weren't able to protect her friend, or the kingdom that her sister-in-law, and your sister, happens to live in!"

Shining and Bon Bon just stood there dumbfounded and at a loss for words. None of them could believe that Lyra of all people just retaliated like that. Shining couldn't believe that one (somewhat) ordinary mare actually did something bolder than any of his soldiers would ever thinkof doing. Bon Bon couldn't believe that her best friend actually stood up to someone like that, when usually it was her who stood up for her friends.

Neko, having come up with a decision, looked at Justin for approval. Justin nodded his head with a smile before they both turned towards the tree ponies in the room, oblivious to the events that just took place. "Well, I did bring my portable forge with me, so I don't see anything wrong with forging something out of the materials that we have... but are you sure you're up for this?"

Lyra nodded her head and walked past Shining and Bon Bon without even looking at them. "I'm positive! I don't want to sit idly by and watch Equestria burn! Just as long as you've got my back!"

Neko chuckled and nodded his head. "Very well, then! You can come, and we'll cover you." He turned towards Justin and pointed at the wall. "Justin... do the honors, please!"

Justin nodded his head, turned to the wall, backed up a few steps, then charged at the wall, while Bon Bon tilted her head in confusion. "Um... that wall's made of stone!"

As soon as she finished her sentence, Justin dashed through the wall and left a huge open chunk for everyone to step out of. Lyra grinned mischievously at her friend before asking, "Uh-huh... and he's a Monster Hunter! You got a point?"

Bon Bon couldn't help but smirk at her friend's remark. Then she turned to Shining, who was still just staring at Lyra blankly as she followed Neko and Justin out of the jail cell. Bon Bon then tried to put on a serious frown as she walked up to Shining... and slapped him on the other cheek.

He rubbed his other red cheek and stared wide-eyed at Bon Bon, while she raised her right pointing finger at him, poked him in the chest, and inched closer to his face with a disgusted look on her face. "You... you made Lyra cry! Shame on you!" Then she turned towards the hole in the wall and ran to the others. "Hey, guys! Wait up! I want to help, too!"

Shining just stood there with his hand on his cheek. He stared at the opening in disbelief. "W-what... what just happened?" He then sighed before sitting on his bed again, rubbing his forehead in thought. "Oh, what would Twily do if she were in this situation?"

After a long moment, he heard the Rathian roar in the background. Then he groaned and stood back up. "Ugh... I know I'm going to be chewed out for this one." Without another moment to spare, he made a mad dash through the hole in the wall.

Golden wheezed heavily as the wind was knocked out of his system by the Rathian's left wing. Regardless, though, he stood up and ran around the Rathian in hopes of sneaking up on it while it was distracted with the other guards.

Eventually, most of the guards were knocked away and/or killed, until only five remained; three spear users and two mages. Golden Wing was almost completely behind the beast to try striking at its tail. He removed his helmet and wiped the blood from his brow before increasing his speed.

The Rathian, however, noticed him moving towards it and lowered its left wing on the ground. When Golden was close enough, it used its wing to propel him into the air while also disarming him of his sword and shield. Then it opened its mouth to eat him while he yelled out of sheer terror.

One of the spear users noticed right away and leaped onto the Rathian's back with the handle of his spear pointed outwards. Then he knocked Golden out of the Rathian's path while the Rathian growled, flailed its wing to get the guard off of its back, and swallowed him whole once he started to fly up.

Golden landed with a tumbling thud before weakly looking ahead at the monster before him. The Rathian roared and dislodged something from its throat. When Golden noticed what it was, he crawled backwards in sheer terror... it was the skull of the guard that just saved his life. Somehow, his flesh was completely peeled from his bones instantly upon entering the beast's throat.

The Rathian turned towards the remaining four guards who stood in a close formation within a shield bubble. The Rathian raised its right talon and stomped on top of the bubble, which caused the unicorns inside it to scream in agony as the sheer power of the monster hitting their spell damaged their brains. Their noses and mouths dripped with blood, and the shield bubble weakened. One last stomp, and the shields broke completely. The guards screamed for a split second before being flattened by the Rathian's claw.

The Rathian removed its claw from the corpses before lowering its head and eating them whole. Then its predatory eyes focused on Golden Wing, who frantically tried to back up. The Rathian, however, let out a loud roar, which sent Golden flying back a couple more spaces. Then his eyes widened as he saw fire starting to form inside the Rathian's mouth. It raised it head up to inhale oxygen, then quickly lowered its head while facing Golden. Then, at an alarming speed, a huge fireball flew towards him. When it landed, a huge dust pile filled the area where he lied.

As soon as the dust cleared, Golden opened his eyes, only to find a unicorn stallion wearing "strange white and blue armor", who was carrying a "similar colored lance and shield". The size of the lance appeared to be too big for the stallion, yet he held it without even the slightest signs of strain.

When the dust cleared, Golden's eyes widened in shock at who it was that just saved his life... it was none other than Shining Armor, himself.

Shining glared at the Rathian before pointing the lance at it. "Hey, Rathian!" His glare intensified and he angled the lance towards the Rathian's chest. "You picked the wrong kingdom, you Royal Bitch!" he spat before dashing towards the Rathian while letting out a battle cry. The Rathian, in turn, started dashing towards him.

From the Rathian's right side, a Flash Bomb went off, and caused it to stop abruptly and roar out of mild pain. Then the tip of the lance found its way onto the Rathian's chest and pierced it enough for the Rathian to topple over. Shining then proceeded to stab at the wound while it tried to regain its footing. When it did, it roared loud enough to knock Shining back a couple steps. Then it tried to take off, but was knocked to the ground level again by a swarm of arrows that pierced into its wings. When Shining turned towards the source of the arrows, he smiled when he saw Lyra wearing "lightweight green armor", and holding a "foldable bow made of bone and metal" in her hands, aimed at the Rathian. She ran to where she could get a clear shot at the Rathian's chest and began firing multiple shots at a time while Shining resumed stabbing at the Rathian with his lance.

Finally, once the Rathian was up again, it used its wing to push Shining back before turning towards Lyra. Lyra then noticed it inhaling for another breath of fire and quickly rolled to her left. When the fireball blasted, it missed her by a meter and flew right past her.

Golden flinched as the fireball missed him by a foot and flew into a large rock, which was then shattered upon the impact. He gasped at the realization of how strong this thing truly was, and then grew curious on how Shining was able to block a shot like that. His attention was drawn back to the battle.

Lyra began circling the Rathian while continuously firing her bow at it. She then noticed the Rathian's tail turning, which was a sign it was about to spin... but then she noticed that she was cornered by a building behind her, and would more than likely take a hit. Therefore, she crouched slightly in hopes that she would at least be able to roll beneath the tail.

When the tail was on a collision course for her, she braced herself, only for a decent-sized dart to fly past her and land onto the Rathian's tail. Upon impact, the dart burst through the Rathian's tail, and split into a swarm of blades that managed to cut its tail clean off. The tail flew past Lyra and stuck into the wall of the house behind her while the Rathian roared in pain and stepped away from the house while staring at its tail in shock.

Lyra used this free moment to run away from the corner she was in, turn her head towards the source of the dart, then smile and wave at the one who kept her from becoming victim of the Rathian's poisonous tail.

From on top of a flat-roofed house, Bon Bon gave Lyra a thumbs-up while reloading her "Hunter's Rifle". She was wearing a "purple and metal set of lightweight armor". She slung her rifle over her back and jumped from the roof before landing with a roll. Slightly surprised at how she was able to even land a fall like that, she grinned before drawing her rifle again and firing at the Rathian from a safe distance.

The Rathian continuously tried to strike at the three ponies, but they were far more coordinated than the others, and their lack of size made it even more difficult for it to strike at them. Finally, seeing that it wouldn't be able to win on the ground, the Rathian let out a loud roar which filled the entire town and caused the ponies to cover their ears. Then it spread its wings and took off into the air while Lyra and Bon Bon continued trying to fire at it. Unfortunately, though, while they were able to land a few hits, the Rathian was showing no signs of weakness from their shots. Then it flew in a circle around the town with its eyes dead-set on Lyra and Shining Armor. Bon Bon joined her friends and readied her rifle while Lyra drew more arrows in anticipation at the Rathian's upcoming sweep. Shining raised his shield and his lance to keep the mares behind him safe.

Finally, once the Rathian found a clear path, it charged towards the three ponies at an alarming speed. Bon Bon and Lyra fired their shots, but found them to be ineffective. They all braced for impact, almost completely oblivious to the sound of loud footsteps behind them, or the felyne that popped out of the dirt behind them with his hind paws crouched, and his forepaws pressed together in a "lifting" manner.

Lyra, however, caught the sounds and turned, only to gasp when she saw Justin rushing towards them head-on. Then, once he stepped on Neko's forepaws, she started to wonder about the felyne's strength, as she saw Neko toss Justin over their heads, and towards the Rathian.

In midair, Justin drew both of his knives from the back of his belt and pierced them through the Rathian's back before pulling backwards on them. The results caused the Rathian to roar loudly while flying up slightly enough to where the only thing that hit the group was nothing more than the wind from the Rathian's wings... though that was still strong enough to send them flying back a little. Neko, however, had his paws firmly planted into the ground, so he wasn't blown back as much. Shining, due to the weight of his armor, didn't fly back, either. The group of "future hunters" just stared in awe as the Rathian took flight with the Monster Hunter clinging onto its back and hacking away with his Carving Knife.

Lyra appeared to be the one who was most fascinated by it, though.

From the distance, the citizens also stared in wonder and amazement at the individual who was boldly taking on the monster head-to-head.

Finally, once the Rathian was too wounded to fly any more, it tumbled to the ground and started spinning rapidly. Regardless, though, Justin still held his grip and continued to stab away at the Rathian's back.

Then Justin noticed a crack on the Rathian's forehead. He had a plan that could end this quickly. He decided to take the bold move and pull his knives from the Rathian's back. The Rathian used that moment to its advantage and flung him into the air, while he firmly gripped onto the handle of his greatsword. Then, while he fell down, the Rathian raised its head up and opened its mouth to eat the Monster Hunter, only for his sword to clash onto its forehead and bring its head down with it.

As soon as he landed, the sword pierced through the Rathian's skull and planted it into the dirt. Its body started convulsing rapidly and its wings flapped wildly for several seconds. Then its eyes stopped glowing, its wings fell limp, and its body collapsed onto the floor, motionless.

Neko, Lyra, Bon Bon, and Shining Armor ran up to the fallen Rathian, only to stop when they saw Justin holding onto the sword that was still attached to the Rathian's skull. When he pulled his sword out of it, he slammed the tip of the blade on the ground a couple times to get the blood off, before pressing the button on the blade that made it fold slightly. Then he sheathed it on his back again and waved at the ponies who helped him hunt this thing.

The group walked closer, but were still focused on the Rathian. Finally, Shining was the first to speak.

"I don't believe it..."

Lyra finished his sentence for him. "We... we actually did it?!"

Neko chuckled and hopped up onto Justin's shoulders. "Okay, I would like to make one thing clear, before we all get ahead of ourselves!"

The group looked up at him, only to find that he had a huge grin on his face. "You three did exceptionally well for your first hunt... and lucky for you, I happen to also be a 'Trainee Guild Representative'... and I'd like to say you three have more than enough potential!" He pointed at the Rathian's corpse and continued, "What you three have just done was a small taste of the excitement that you will be facing, and the rewards that you have earned are mere fractions of what you could earn!" Then he hopped onto the ground and held his right forepaw out. "So, I would like to ask you this..." he leaned closer to them and asked, "would you three like to become official Monster Hunters? Admission is free, and the tasks you are offered can be delayed or passed to someone else, should it be too difficult for you to handle!"

Lyra, Bon Bon, and Shining stared at him with wide eyes. Sure enough, their heart rates were still full of adrenaline... but neither of them could deny that it did feel rather good. Lyra, of course, was the first one to reply. Her response was to lift Neko into the air and give him a bear-hug, which made him let out a cat-like meow out of surprise. "YES-YES-YES-YES-YES-YES-YES!" she shouted while spinning the felyne in the air. When she released him, his fur was ruffled up, and he was staring blankly at her in a trance.

Then he shook the dizziness out of his brain and looked at Shining and Bon Bon. "Well... that was a first... regardless, though, what say you two? Um... please no hugging, though."

Bon Bon giggled before kneeling to his level while stretching her right hand out. "Neko... you've got yourself a deal!" She shook his paw before turning to Shining, who had a blank expression on his face.

Then he sighed before rubbing the bridge between his eyes. "Well... I was assigned to keep these two safe, so it looks like I'm in, as well." He weakly smiled before reaching his right hand out for Neko. Then, once they shook hands/paws, they were interrupted from the sound of hoof steps headed their way. When they turned around, they noticed Golden Wing headed towards them with an infuriated glare on his face.

A pair of surviving guards with bent spears and battered armor followed him with their spears held towards the hunters. "YOU FIVE! I HAVE HALF A MIND TO STRIKE YOU ALL DOWN WHERE YOU STAND! DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!"

The Monster Hunters tilted their heads in confusion... except for Shining. They both glared at each other while Shining stepped forward. "What we have done is we saved your sorry hide!"

Golden growled before retorting, "IF YOU HAVEN'T BROKEN THAT GATE, THEN THAT DAMN THING WOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN INSIDE!"

Shining leaned closer to the enraged General and growled back. "AND IF YOUR DAMN GUARDS DIDN'T FIRE AT US, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO EVEN DO THAT!"

Golden gasped before raising his bent sword in the air. "HOW DARE YOU?! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH?!"

Shining gripped the tip of the sword and bent it backwards, which caught Golden's attention. Then Golden looked at Shining with bewilderment before Shining countered his question. "And have you not even realized who you're dealing with?!"

Golden growled before retorting, "I told you I DO NOT CARE! My orders were to-"

"Keep this town safe? Wait for the Monster Hunters to get here?" Shining finished for him.

Golden's eyes slightly widened at that last comment. "How do you know about that?!"

Shining sighed and planted his face in his right palm before deadpanning at Golden. Then he threw his hands into the air and shouted, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?! YOU SEE A DEAD MONSTER BEHIND US, AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT?! WHO THE BUCK DO YOU THINK WE ARE?! WE ARE THOSE MONSTER HUNTERS, YOU DIMWIT!"

For the first time since they've been there, Golden's eyes shrunk into pinpricks towards Shining Armor. He shakily raised his hand and pointed at them. "W-wait... YOU'RE the Monster Hunters?!"

Shining growled, "That's right... and now, I have half a mind to report your foolish actions to Princess Celestia the second we see her!"

Golden backed up a couple steps with a worried expression on his face. Shining, however, closed the space quickly, while the guards beside Golden backed away after dropping their spears. "Now, if I were you, I would start writing letters to the families of the soldiers that died while under your command! Then, I would start looking for a new job, because quite frankly, this one isn't going to last that long," he leaned up to Golden's face and venomously asked, "is that understood?!"

Golden weakly nodded his head and gulped before replying, "Y-yes, sir!"

Shining backed up again before concluding, "THEN WHAT THE TARTARUS ARE YOU WAITING FOR, AN INVITATION?! GET THE BUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT, YOU FILTHY MAGGOT!" He slammed the lower half of his shield onto the ground, which left a small crater where it landed. The impact caused the guards and the general to run away with their tails tucked between their legs.

Shining breathed heavily for a few moments until Bon Bon walked up to him with a small grin on her face. "So... how did that feel, exactly?"

Shining took another deep breath before turning towards his friends. "Surprisingly... pretty good, actually."

Neko clapped his paws together before nodding his head. "Well, now that that's out of the way, why don't we get your first few lessons out of the way? These will be quite essential to your careers as Monster Hunters!"

The ponies turned to him and eyed him curiously. "Um... sure! So, what lesson is this one going to be?"

Neko turned to Justin, who nodded his head and drew one of his knives from the back of his belt. He then handed it to Lyra, who eyed it and Justin curiously while he led her towards the Rathian's corpse. Then she and the other newbies stared at Neko in disbelief after he gave them the answer to what they were going to learn.

"How to carve a monster!"

Shining's and Bon Bon's jaws dropped at that statement. Their faces began to turn green, as the realization hit them... apparently, Monster Hunters had to carve most of the resources from the monsters that they hunted. They turned to Neko, and said the same thing at the same time.

"WHAT?!"

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Notes:

At long last, the update has arrived!

This time, I've decided to add an "Ending Theme"! If you middle-click the words "TO BE CONTINUED", or hold CTRL and left-click it, you'll open a new tab that will open a YouTube page, and take you to the song.

I'm sure if you've been a Brony for a while, you'll already know what that song is! Why did I choose it, though? If you've been a fan of Monster Hunter, you'll also recognize the music in the background, as well! Here's the song that I used for this story's ending theme! (Note that I did not make this, nor am I the poster of the video!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJnWo5Jx7W8

Now, beneath the squeaking and the "YEAH!"s, you'll hear a flute-like song in the background. Listen to this theme song, and you might be in for an unexpected surprise! (Again, I didn't make, nor post this!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvy8tzBLk48

On another note, some might've found this chapter to be a little on the "Dark" side. I'd like to go on ahead and say that these kinds of situations will be rare, and the tone of the story will actually be a little on the brighter side, with the "Dark" tag being there mostly for the use of "Carving" and "Death" to the monsters.

UPDATE: 3/25/2015 A cool cat/possible fellow Monster Hunter named "Joseph7" made a comment that pointed us to yet another video, revealing the origin of that song... which would also happen to be the song itself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlrIeX-mHk8

Props to you, my friend, for pointing that out!