[PRP] The Wild Hunt Yearns (Elisabetta x Papillion}

[DavyJnah]

Elisabetta had woken with a start. Slightly disoriented and not quite sure where she was. When she had fallen asleep, she was in the plains, now she was in thick and haunting woods. Around her was fog that was slowly creeping towards her and she felt the hairs on her neck start to raise. She noticed however, she was not alone in the thicket, there was another pony there with her. Another flutter it seemed, but from where she was the female couldn't tell if he was awake or still asleep. Should she call out to him, maybe try to rouse him from his slumber and figure out what exactly was going on? Probably. Did she, not at first. At first she took in her surroundings. Listened as a thunder of hooves came towards her and she could see the ponies bearing down on them. Fear gripped her until at last they were upon her, but instead of attacking, they seemed to be beckoning her to follow, while also rousing her 'friend' from sleep.

"Welcome to the Wild Hunt." One said to her, a chill running down her spine at the words. Not because they had intent to harm her, no no. It was because something was going to happen. What exactly she wasn't sure. So she started towards them and the other pony there.

WC: 225

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

DavyJnah

Papillion had been feeling restless all day. Like something was itching under his skin. At first he chalked it up to the holiday, and all the jump scares from particularly exuberant foals. But the feeling persisted. Finally the stallion could take it no more and went for a walk. He wandered through the familiar forest that suddenly didn't feel so familiar. Finally tired he settled down for a quick rest before heading home.

He didn't expect to fall asleep. But he suddenly woke to the snort of ghostly ponies and their hooves pawing the ground. Papillion jumped to his hooves, intending to take to the air and get away from these frightening ponies. He jumped. He crashed back to the ground with an inelegant ooof. Once more he rose to his hooves and looked around him. His wings were gone. There was also a blue, black, and white mare nearby that seemed less ghostly than the others.

Welcome to the Wild Hunt, one of the ghost ponies seemed to say. Papillion felt something stir within him. He had to do something. He had to chase down the pony that had stolen the treasure he was guarding for his patrons at the inn! This was unacceptable! He gave a snort and a bob of his head to show he was ready.

WC: 220  

[DavyJnah]

magnadearel

She looked to the dark non-ghostly pony, at least he was just as confused by the situation as her. "Hey." She whispered to him. "I'm Elisabetta. I guess we're being recruited." Her voice just a touch shaky. One could see her legs were a little shaky too, but whose wouldn't be standing near these ghastly ponies. There were many of them and they were waiting for the pair.

"You will join us for tonight's hunt. Keep up with us." Said the leader, though he spoke his mouth did not move but Elisabetta was sure she could hear the words in her ears. "Come." He beckoned before taking off into the air. She followed somehow, despite earlier not able to do anything but walk. She was floating with them. How strange.

WC: 130  

[magnadearel]

DavyJnah

Papillion nodded his head to the mare, that didn't seem to be a regular member of the ghost herd. He whispered back, "I wonder why they picked us? I'm Papillion." He tried to give her an encouraging smile. "At least they are not trying to hunt us?"

The stallion glanced at the mare as they were ordered to join the night's hunt and to keep up with them. He pawed the ground once more. Papillion felt something flowing into him. Energy, and with it the desire to run; he felt like he could run all night! "Let's go!" It was effortless for him. His hooves didn't seem to touch the ground. When he actually looked down, he realized that his hooves weren't touching the ground. Papillion let out a yelp and stumbled almost falling but catching himself and resuming stride. The leader gave him a frown and he sensed that anything that might give the herd a bad name would not be appreciated.

"How are you doing?"

WC: 167  

[DavyJnah]

magnadearel

"I am curious to that. I really thought they were bearing down on us to do harm. So I'm glad they aren't." She followed the ghostly ponies, trailing just slightly behind them. How strange that they were floating and running with them, it was exhilarating as their hooves pounded on some unseen ground. The thundering of their hooves cascading over the forest until they were within the clouds. When Papillion asked how she was doing after that, her heart raced. "I'm excited for the hunt."

"We must find and hunt one of own, or at least they used to be." One of the ghastly ponies said, answering the question that burned through them. "They have stolen something from us and it must be remedied and we needed more to help us hunt." There were four of the ghastly ponies total, which meant at one point there were five. Now with Papillion and Elisabetta there were six. Plenty of eyes to see a strange looking pony from how high they were in the sky.

WC: 173  

[magnadearel]

DavyJnah

Papillion felt for her. Since he'd been asleep? not quite awake? Was he dreaming now? He didn't have his wings or his horn! That should have bothered him, but he didn't mind in the moment. This must be a dream of some kind then. But whatever he'd been, he hadn't been aware of their approach at first. It must have been frightening for her if she saw them coming up.

They seemed to be climbing into the sky. This was far higher than he'd ever gone himself. Flutter wings were simply not suited to rising this high. The winds up here could be quite fierce and shred or even tear off a flutter's wings. He enjoyed the view he would probably never have again. Going so far as to run through some puffs of clouds. The only time he got to touch these were when they were fog on the ground.

His ears perked up as the leader spoke again. Hunting one of their own? Papillion was dying of curiosity to find out why or what this pony had done to bring his or her herd down upon him. He didn't have to wait long. A frown crossed his face. How would he feel if one of the inn workers stole something that had been given to him to care for? Furious. "Of course," he replied. "What does this pony look like?" He wasn't sure how he'd be able to even spot them from so far up. Maybe these ponies had an idea of where their former herd mate would be?

WC: 261  

[DavyJnah]

magnadearel

Whooshing through the clouds was fun despite the seriousness of what was going on. Being so high up was pretty great but she would have loved for this to be a different situation altogether. She could tell that Papillion enjoyed feeling the clouds as well. It was so strange how real this dream felt all in all. As if it really wasn't a dream at all. They began to slow when Papillion asked what the pony they hunted looked like. The lead pony grinned and a chill ran down Elisabetta's spine.

"He looks like a skeleton on fire, or at least he did. Now he may look like you, but with fire instead. He is close, I can feel him and our artifact close by. He wishes to raise the dead and we must not allow him to do so." The dark pony near growled.

WC: 145  

[magnadearel]

DavyJnah

Papillion thought that it would have been nice if they could also have sensed said pony or even artifact, but now was probably not the time to bring it up. Maybe if they ever had another need for him, which Papillion seriously hoped not. He roamed his eyes over the ground below. Skeleton or pony on fire. Got it how hard could that be to find?

Almost as if his thoughts had summon the pony into view, the movement of flames where none should be startled him. Papillion circled back for a second look to be sure. There was indeed a pony there. And that pony did appear to be on fire and seemed to be holding something. "I found him!" He shouted to the others. But his shout also unfortunately warned their quarry.

The fiery pony took off and Papillion went after him, determined not to let him get away. He hoped Elisabetta would be able to provide him some support. The sound of hooves ringing rolled out, though his hooves touched only air. The air itself seemed to hold its breath for him. Papillion charged down out of the night. He neighed a challenge and kicked the artifact from the other pony's grip. "This ends here!"

WC: 208  

[DavyJnah]

magnadearel

Clearly her companion had better eyesight than she did as he called out the fiery pony and was descending upon them. The fiery pony was galloping away but they were not quite fast enough as Elisabetta cut them off by slamming into them. Despite the fire that surrounded them they didn't burn her. She hadn't even thought about it when she had slammed into them. Ending the hunt there and then it seemed as the ghostly ponies surrounded the fiery pony and retrieved their artifact. They grinned at the two ponies and thanked them for their help. "Dawn approaches. You will be returned." Was all they said before disappearing with their fiery prisoner.

The sun was rising at this point and all of a sudden everything seemed to change as Elisabetta found herself alone where she had decided sleep. How strange that dream had been! She did not see Papillion or the ghostly horses and she even pinched herself. Definitely real life now. Plus she had her wings this time, no longer did she feel like she was floating on clouds. "What a weird dream...." She chuckled. Well at least it was over now. Back to living her strange life.

WC: 200

Total: 873  

[magnadearel]

DavyJnah

Papillion was afraid the pony was going to get away, when out of no where Elisabetta was there and bodily slammed into the pony. He was pretty impressed by her actions. "Good catch," he said. The others of the Wild Hunt surrounded the offended member of their group.

He blinked as the leader thanked them and said "Dawn approaches. You will be returned." Returned? What did that mean? Before he could ask though, Papillion blinked open his eyes. Dawn was just breaking through the trees in the forest where he'd decided to rest. It looked completely normal and familiar now. He shook his head. "What a weird dream. Did I sleep here all night? I'd better get back."

The stallion rose to his hooves. For a moment he paused and looked up into the sky. He recalled the way it felt to fly high and go through the clouds. It was something that would never leave him. Maybe..... maybe he could find a wind pony to take him up there once in awhile......

WC: 173

Total: 1,029