**Author's Note** Violence warning with mild gore within this chapter. No spoilers, just wanted to prepare you all for it.

The Heart of Pleasure
By Haunter Rayne
Ch 70 – Wild Thing Round Up

A herd of scaled creatures stood together atop a scorched mountain rock ledge. Thick gray hides covered all of their bodies except for a speckling of bright red spots upon their shovel like horns. They batted their pronged tails against the ground as they growled to one another peacefully. All was quiet in the remote mountain region of the Dragon Lands as the small heard of Slingtails went about their business in the early morning light.

That was until one of the older beasts stepped up to the ledge of the cliff to investigate some rocks falling down below. It lifted a boulder in it’s pronged tail and raised it up high as it peered down to the distant ground below. However that was when a fiery light rose up from just below the ledge causing the rhino like being to fall limply to the ground.

First one and then the entire heard dropped like flies as the radiant light drifted between them. Then just as quickly they all stood up with their strength returned. However that was when something new appeared. It was an Umbran incarnation of a Slingtail that stepped out made of black stone and shadow. Following this another creature just as dark stalked it’s way out from the shadows. The stranger to the Dragon Lands climbed right into the pronged tail of the shadow creature. Then a dark mass went hurling through the air traveling well over the cliffs and launching straight down to the serpent infested waters below.

https://youtu.be/5JZ9djZa180

“Let the bodies hit the floor,” Rayne landed with a splash.
"Let the bodies hit the floor,” Quickly swimming up he saw eyes all around him.
"Let the bodies hit the floor,” Licking his lips the panther waited as shadows filled the water.
"Let the bodies hit the floor!” Just then a massive fanged Sea Wyrm erupted to devour him but was caught off guard as an Umbran Hydra sprang up to intercept it.

“Beaten why for...” Rayne leapt from the backs of creature to creature as the long necks of eight Sea Wyrms and three Hydra’s twisted together.
“Can't take much more!” He roared as the water was suddenly electrocuted while all of the beasts where now jumbled together.

“Here we go, here we go, here we go!” Rayne sang excitedly as he leapt right toward one of the Wyrm’s open mouths.

“One, nothing wrong with me!” It chomped down around him before falling limp in exhaustion.
“Two, nothing wrong with me!”” Another chomped as Rayne leapt from the mouth of the first.
“Three, nothing wrong with me!” A third bit around the jumping cat before glowing with a fiery light.
“Four, nothing wrong with me!” Rayne sang out as now three Hyrdras were replaced with four Umbran Wyrms to subdue the others.

“One, something's got to give.” The Wyrms tied themselves into a knot.
"Two, something's got to give.” The four remaining wild Wyrms had their heads forcibly bent down.
"Three, something's got to give now!” Then one by one Rayne drained their magic before returning it and teleporting away.

“Let the bodies hit the floor,” Rayne appeared blasting an explosion into the Bugbears nest.
“Let the bodies hit the floor,” He watched as the creatures rose up into an angry swarm.
"Let the bodies hit the floor!” Then the panther charged forward as vines of obsidian started to spring up ensnaring the creatures down to the ground.

“Let the bodies hit the floor,” Rayne avoided taking the magic of more than one at a time.
“Let the bodies hit the floor,” Hyrdra’s sprang up to help shield Rayne when became overwhelmed.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” Within an hour he had overcome their numbers but returned their magic before teleporting again.

“Push me again...” Rayne sang as he now stood in a snowy tundra with a blizzard whipping about over the panther’s head.
“This is the end...” There before him a massive pony eating yeti stood before a cave near the outskirts of Yakyakistan.

“Here we go, here we go, here we go!” He sang as the two of them charged into one another, twisting and snarling with fang and claw at each other’s throats.

“One, nothing wrong with me.” Shoulders smashed into the snow.
“Two, nothing wrong with me.” Claws raked down backs.
“Three, nothing wrong with me.” The shadow of the Aramaspi appeared below Rayne.
“Four, nothing wrong with me!” Then the yeti found itself held by the throat unable to break the panther’s grasp.

“One, something's got to give,” Rayne’s jaws opened.
“Two, something's got to give,” The Yeti fell to the snow drained of essence.
“Three, something's got to give now!” Then the panther vanished after returning the yeti's magic.

“Let the bodies hit the floor.” The panther appeared at Ghastly Gorge.
“Let the bodies hit the floor.” Rayne summoned a line of Slingtails at its edge.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” A series of Obsidianwolves then climbed into the tails.

“Let the bodies hit the floor.” The wolves were launched into the air.
“Let the bodies hit the floor.” A series of Quarry Eels snapped out to eat them.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” Then an Umbran Wyrm snatched up from below to pull them out and have their magic drained.

“Skin against skin, blood and bone.” Rayne sang while standing in the Badlands at the edge of Equestria.
“You're all by yourself but you're not alone.” A giant Talzlwurm stood menacingly above him.
“You wanted in now you're here.” Slowly he broke out into a run toward the monster.
“Driven by hate consumed by fear.” And it hissed in surprise as an army of thirty eight different shadow creatures appeared to dog pile upon it.

“Let the bodies hit the floor.” Hydras were smashed and reformed.
“Let the bodies hit the floor.” Wyrms and Eels bit and twisted.
“Let the bodies hit the floor.” Blasts of magic exploded across the desert wasteland.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” And as one Talzlwurm fell, another soon arrived.

Now Rayne stood on the precipice of danger as a foreboding cave stood filled with darkness before him. Rayne sighed as he hesitated for the first time in his hunt. But then steeling his courage the panther charged head first into ’The Scariest Cave in Equestria.’

“One, nothing wrong with me.” He ducked his head as the dreaded Bat-Colt swooped at him.
“Two, nothing wrong with me.” He dodged as he was charged by the mighty Multi-Bear.
“Three, nothing wrong with me.” Then he had to dissipate to save himself from the Abominable Bumblebeast.
“Four, nothing wrong with me.” Then Rayne retreated in fright from something resembling a ball of tentacles with teeth in the middle and very bad breath.

“One, something's got to give!” He launched a Bugbear after the Bat-Colt.
“Two, something's got to give.” A duo of Chimera and Manticore clashed with the Multi-Bear.
“Three, something's got to give now!” He roared as a large Yeti charged at the Bumblebeast.

“Let the bodies hit the floor!” Then Rayne quickly dispersed into shadow.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” From the start of the cave a gigantic figure came barreling through.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” An Obsidian-Talzlwurm tunneled forward open mouthed.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” Tentacles reached out from it’s ‘Graboid’ like tongues.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” The Talzlwurm rocketed down like a freight train through the cave.
“Let the bodies hit the floor!” All were ensnared by either it’s vines or it’s wide petal like teeth.

“Raaaaawwwww!” Rayne materialized atop the head of the beast.

“Raaaaawwwww!” He roared out again as he drained the magic of the Bat-Colt and the Multi-bear.

“Raaaaawwwww!” Again he roared as his fiery magic sucked the essence of the Bumblebeast.

“Raaaaawwwww!” One last time he roared as he stolen the magic from the plant like tentacle creature that still frightened him.

- -

It was a rather quiet walk through the Everfree Forest that late afternoon. All except for the mare who ridiculed Rayne as they walked together. “Insane I say. My boyfriend has completely lost his mind!” Zecora scolded. “I try to help to keep him safe… but this fool takes no warning of mine!”

Rayne’s ears bent backwards at that. “Zecora, my darling, my enchantress… Please don’t say such things. It really hurts my feelings.” He told her as he tried and failed to appease her. But she just lifted her head and turned away from him as they walked together. “Okay so I admit… Am I completely and blatantly disregarding the warning you are giving me about doing this? Well yessssss, I am. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about your thoughts and opinions on things!”

“Humph! And you think THAT is supposed to make me feel better?!” Zecora stopped abruptly while scowling at him and Rayne stood there waiting for her rhyme until he realized one wasn’t coming and she was actually waiting for an answer from him.

“Oh wow, she really is mad then.” Rayne thought to himself as he cleared his throat and then leaned forward taking the zebra by her hooves. “Zecora, listen to me. Nothing is going to happen to me! I promise! This is just the next step in my plan! I need this thing's power and I’ve been all over this forest. I’m never going to find it without you.”

“But why Rayne?! Why this? You have so much power already! What makes this creature so important to not miss?” She pleaded with him and Rayne twitched as his Chimera shadow thought it spotted something moving oddly in the trees. But for now he ignored it, feeling that Zecora was more important than anything at this moment.

With a heavy sigh he kissed her cheek and told her, “I told you about the limitation that Tirek’s power has. He could only steal the magic from living beings. With this hunt I plan to remove that restriction so that I will be able to steal the power even from physical objects. But I won’t be able to do that if I can’t find it. And you are the only one I trust to ask for help on this. I need you Zecora. Please help me.” He asked her before stepping forward resting the bridge of his snout against hers.

As much as she wanted to resist her resolve melted at that gesture leading her to kiss him softly. Then to his surprise she slapped him rather hard across his face but then she kissed him lightly again. “Never again! Promise that this will be the last time you hunt something so dangerous after I lead you to it’s den!”

Rayne held her hooves again as he told her, “After this you’ll never have to.” She sighed but did not feel relieved. “I mean, I kinda already took down a swarm of Talzlwurms and those were a lot more dangerous than this so-”

But then Zecora rose her hoof threatening to slap him once more. “PROMISE ME!”

“I promise! I promise! I do.” He told her quickly but as much as he wanted to he couldn’t leave it at that. “Listen to me. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. Remember, I’m gathering these powers to one day fight off future villains. Who knows what I might have to face one day. And you know that I hunt about once a week just to get a meal out of it. But I promise you, this will be the last time that I ask you for help with anything as dangerous as this.”

She frowned as if him asking her for help wasn’t the point but she nodded before pushing him aside and continuing on. “Then let us go and the path to you I shall show.”

- -

It was a long trek through the woods but soon the two ponies were standing at the mouth of a deep stone cave. Before stepping forward Rayne turned to the zebra wanting to reassure his girlfriend once more. “Don’t worry. It should be sleeping. I’ll be right in and right out.” He told her but her gaze dropped down to the ground. “Listen, the alternative here is a go after a friend or I go after a student at the School of Friendship. And NEITHER option are something that I would be willing to do. Inside lies a full grown adult and everything that I need to make this work. Just trust me. I’ll be back in a moment.”

“You’ll be back burnt and black.” She scolded with a pout but then the two gave a soft smile toward each other from her teasing him. With a kiss Rayne pulled back and shifted into a panther.

Suddenly his ears picked up and his sharp feline eyes scanned the treeline around them. Something indeed had moved after he transformed. It was as if the trees themselves shook in surprise to him shapeshifting. “You stay safe too.” He told her as Zecora looked on in surprise as four Obsidianwolves appeared around her and then disappeared down into her shadow instead of Rayne’s. The black cat stepped backwards into the cave while watching the trees carefully. But he saw nothing else amiss so he then turned around to face the task at hand.

Once inside there was a loud raspy sound that echoed off the stone walls. The black cat listened sharply, understanding how one could have easily misconstrued the sound for a breeze through the cave if a trespasser did not know what to listen for. After not too long a brilliant shimmering could be seen reflecting upon the cave walls as a massive pile of gold, jewels, and odd trinkets could be seen laying upon the cave floor. “Hmph. This is what my own pile of bits and jewels are starting to look like down in Maud’s cave.” Rayne snickered to himself.

After silencing a snicker from himself Rayne turned his back to the treasure hoard as that was not what he had come for. Laying just behind a sharp turn in the cave that was where the black cat found his prize. Large sharp fangs snored out from the sleeping denizen of the cave. Claws the size of the panther’s head lay resting upon the stone floor. Thick green scales covered the creature while giant powerful wings were wrapped around like a blanket as the dragon slept.

“Okay… now just stay asleep...” Rayne thought to himself as he crept up quietly. The cave was filled with light as a thick fiery substance flowed out from the dragon and into the panther’s mouth. The great winged beast seemed to frown in it’s sleep but after a moment the dragon fell limp as if slipping into a coma. “Heh, well… that worked.” He said as he left the dragon’s hoard untouched while pulling out an emerald of his own he had brought with him for a test bite. Then after returned the essence back to the dragon, Rayne stood relieved as it began to breath normally just as it had been before. "Time to leave."

Outside Zecora trotted in place feeling antsy as she waited. She didn’t understand her boyfriend's sudden peculiar behavior but as she looked out to the treeline she failed to notice anything being out of place. Then her heart jumped to her throat as she heard a soft whistle and saw her large feline lover proudly stalking his way back out of the cave. “Like taking candy from a foal. It went without a hitch. You see, I told you that everything would be-”

But just then they were both surprised as a Timberwolf suddenly leapt out from a far off gathering of bushes. “HOOWWWLLLLL!” It cried out at the night and the panther now stood protectively in front of the zebra trying to mask her figure with his larger body.

“Is that really just a lone Timberwolf?” Rayne whispered to Zecora in confusion as she peeked out from below his underbelly. “You don’t normally see just one by itself. Hmm, just let it pass. I’ve gotten what I came for. And I’ve taken the magic of plenty of others. No sense in getting greedy now.” Rayne told her as she nodded and prepared to follow her boyfriend to sneak passed. But that is when they were both surprised as the Timberwolf looked their way and made an angry dash to charge at them both.

“Heh, well I wanted to avoid it but I’m not going to just stand here and let one of these things threaten you either.” The black cat said as the four shadow hounds from earlier rose up around Zecora protectively while the black cat jumped forward. With a magical blast the Timberwolf was scattered to pieces. Then as it slowly reformed itself it looked up to see the were-panther standing above it before a fiery light made it fall back apart. “Well, I guess that’s that then.” He said as he outstretched his hoof to recreate his thirty ninth Umbran creature.

Turning back to Zecora with a smile he said, “So, I’m really looking forward to showing you what I wanted this power for. There was a little something I picked up awhile back but I couldn't really do what I wanted with it. Not until now that is. You’re really going to love this. I’m so excited to show- URK-UGGLK!!!” Rayne choked out as blood splattered across the forest floor.

“RAAAAAAYYNNNE!!!” Zecora screamed in disbelief at seeing a thick tree branch somehow swooping down from the canopy above and piercing directly through the panther’s side.

“Wha- UUGGKK!!!” Rayne’s bulging eyes looked out in question as blood erupted from his mouth and his fangs gnashed together in pain. Looking up into the canopy above them he saw that now the trees twisted with the spiked vines that grew naturally throughout the forest. “But how did...” Abandoning the attempt to talk Rayne blasted the tree limb in his side to free himself and then leapt away just in time as another pair of branches struck down aimed right where his head and his heart had been.

“RRAYNEE! MY RAYNNNNE!” Zecora yelled as her thoughts of her boyfriend being an impervious titan were destroyed as she watched him bleeding heavily across the dirt floor. Instantly she tried to bolt forward to help him but the hounds held her tight as the panther growled.

“I’ll be fine...” He told her softly to which she shook her head. Then in an instant there was a spark of magic and all was bright around her. No longer was she surrounded by looming trees and the darkness of the forest. Instead there were clean streets and smiling faces as the ponies of Ponyville walked around merely.

“No, no, no, No, No, NO, NOOOO!!!” The Zebra wailed in frustration while beating upon the pavement. In an instant both Maud and Starlight who had been walking together recognized Zecora and rushed to her aid. But they were stunned to fine her face slathered in tears as she screamed in heartache while pointing in the direction of the forest. “RRAAAAAYNNNEEE!!! NOOOOO!!!”

Both of their hearts dropped like a rock hearing her yell their boyfriend’s name in such a way. Then looking to the treeline they saw something spectacular and horrifying as off in the far distance trees were shifting and moving as if they were alive. Distant booming and crashing could be heard as several towns ponies looked toward the forest in concern.

“Maud, you stay here with Zecora. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m going to go get Twilight!” Starlight said while trying to think quickly. Before the earth pony could utter a word she saw the unicorn teleport away. Knowing that she would never be able to race through the forest on her own Maud just knelt down to hold the sobbing zebra while trying to get her to explain what had happened.

Meanwhile in the Castle of Friendship there was no time for explanations as Twilight and Spike looked up to see Starlight pop into the room, grab them both, then teleport them back out into the courtyard. “”Hey! Starlight! What’s the big id-” The princess yelled until her jaw dropped when her pupil grabbed her by the face and turn it to look at the forest.

Ponies in town screamed as branches came to life and plunged their way through the streets. Vines wrapped around sign posts and dark tree limbs climbed over roof tops. And even more noticeably all hell seemed to be breaking loose off in the distance as trees were seen bending up into the air before slamming back down again violently.

“Oh no! OH NO! NOT AGAIN!” Twilight yelled out as she looked down to her dragon friend. “SPIKE!” Twilight urged as she teleported a quill and parchment out to where they stood. “Princess!… Ponyville!… The Forest!… HELP!!!” Then Twilight rolled it up and gave it to Spike to burn off toward Celestia. Just then the three of them had to dodge as a thorny branch lurched straight in their direction.

“Twilight I need your help to-” Starlight began but was quickly cut off.

“OH NO! THE SCHOOL!” Twilight screamed and used her magic to blast a particularly thick branch to pieces. “Starlight, help me!”

“But, Twilight I need your help to-”

“STARLIGHT! THE STUDENTS ARE IN THERE! THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING! WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROTECTING THEM?!” To that Starlight felt like her heart broke as she looked to the commotion deeper in the woods and then turned her back to it to help blast the trees back away from the town.

- Back in the Everfree Forest -

Rayne leapt and crashed to the ground as nine different trees pummeled into the soil after him one after another after another. Looking up he winced with his with his vision going blurry as he had one tree branch stuck in his shoulder, several lacerations across his arms and back, while still having a massive hole bleeding through his ribs. “Heh… seems like my shadow creatures don’t help here. They just keep getting cut to ribbons by the trees.” He mumbled to himself as he considered destroying the forest but suspected that would also cause worse problems.

“Noooo!” He growled in frustration as vines wrapped around his ankles to prevent him from jumping again as six more trees hurled their pointed branches toward him. The black cat dispersed into shadow to free himself and avoid the attack. But each time he materialized more of the forest growth was there to assault him. “Alright, you wanna fight me?! Let’s do this then-” But that was when a side swinging branch that he didn’t see caught him right across the face sending him spinning to the ground.

Time seemed to slow as the panther dizzily stumbled on the ground. He looked up feeling disoriented now as he was vaguely aware that the light over head had gone dark. Unbeknownst to the black cat several trees now rose up into the air like swords of an army being lifted over head. Then they bent down with the full weight of twenty eight trees and dozens of spike covered vines approaching Rayne from every possible direction.

While this was happening the panther struggled to focus as he realized it wasn’t the blow to the head that had weakened him. He was bleeding to death. With a hardly conscious mind he tried to right himself but then noticed something that even in his daze he couldn't miss. There in the forest through the distant treeline were eyes. Sharp green eyes glaring at the black cat with hate. And the forest itself came to life to torment the target of that green eyed gaze. “...DIE!” A deep masculine voice called out through the forest as the panther realized he was being swarmed now from every direction... and that someone was responsible for this.

Looking left and looking right and looking up he saw that there would be no way to avoid the attack this time. Zecora’s cries from earlier still rang through his ears and instantly his thoughts raced with images of all of his girlfriends as well as the two mares that he dreamed to be with one day. “Heh...” The bleeding panther huffed as he thought of the only place in Equestria that made him feel safe. Then the earth exploded where the panther was sitting as the sharp points of branches drove violently into the earth, twisting and splintering together to end the black cat once and for all.

- Elsewhere -

The space was silent when a swift spark of magic erupted in the air. No pony sat eating or reading a good book. No clink or clank of stonework came from the distant caves. Only the soft rushing of the waterfall made noise as Rayne appeared into the underground home that lay empty.

“Maud...” Rayne called out as he stumbled onto the ground in the pool of his own blood. Quickly transforming back into a stallion his horn then glowed with the last of his strength to magically heal his wounds closed. But the stallion fainted from exhaustion after sealing only his deepest of injuries closed again.

Author's Notes:

So yeah, this chapter starts out while a whole load of badassness like a music video of him hunting creatures. It can be assumed that Rayne continually hunts more Timberwolves primarily from their territory to the south rather than from the Everfree Forest.

But now Rayne has expanded to the farthest reaches around Equestria for his hunting. He even braved the so called Scariest Cave in Equestria. Now the show didn't go into detail as to what lies within but the MLP trading card game lists a Bat-Colt, Multi-Bear, and Abominable Bumblebeast as living inside. But I needed four creatures to fit the song so I threw in a reference to a Malboro from the Final Fantasy game series which is one of the scariest creatures I can think of.

The song in the beginning is Bodies by Drowning Pool.

The Graboid reference is referring to the creatures from the 1990 movie Tremors. They are basically land wyrms that have tentacle tongues that can reach out and grab you.

Okay now as for Rayne hunting a dragon... What he is going for here is the ability to eat gems and stones. You'll see why later in the story. Now the other benefits of being heat resistant and such help too. But those are just bonuses to him.

And if you'll notice, after he attained the dragon's power he told Zecora that there was something he wanted to show her. Obviously he got interrupted and this won't be coming up again for a long time. But this small detail is worth remembering because what he was going to say will end up being very important to the story later on.

Now as for the forest mayhem. No these were not Plunderseeds and no Discord was not responsible. It was the Everfree Forest itself that was coming to life to kill the panther... at someone's command. Someone is upset with the panther. Someone found out about the panther harassing all of the wildlife in Equestria. And someone is going through extreme measures to put a stop to it. And they don't care if innocent bystanders are put at risk as long as their goal is achieved.