Title:           Hunting Hope 3
Author:          EgomaniacalMonkeyMan
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/uhiNQgqQ
First Edit:      Tuesday 28th of May 2013 01:08:12 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Tuesday 28th of May 2013 01:08:12 AM CDT

>Hope stumbled across the grassy lawn away from her old home.
>She had been lucky, she knew.
>Had the ponies arrived more quietly, or if they had been given time to surround the house properly before rushing in, she wouldn't have had a chance.
>Lucky that Pinkie had charged in so exuberantly.
Yeah. Lucky.
>Hope's ears were still ringing, but at least now she was able to see as she careened down the back of the hill at breakneck pace, leaping over roots and rocks that endeavoured to trip her.
I miss when the guards were after me.
>The royal guards, consisting almost entirely of white stallions of upper class upbringing, weren't nearly as threatening as any pony had been raised to believe.
Not that they couldn't take any pony in a fair fight, nor was their training ineffective in the few times griffons or madponies had tested it.
>They simply didn't know how to deal with anything larger.
>With Hope's long-powerful legs and fast reflexes they were hopelessly outmatched.
*These* guys, though, mused Hope, are specialists.
She had no chance in a fight against the team which had fought and defeated monsters many times her strength and size.
>Her only option was to run.
Run run run run run run, her animal instincts told her, run until the sun has set.
 
>"But is she really such a monster?" Rarity exclaimed indignantly, "Why, she's not hurt anypony other than those who had her cornered, hardly a fair metho-"
>"And this job is so unneccessary!" Cut in Rainbow Dash, "This isn't a dragon, a runaway animal is hardly worth our time!"
Dash flexed her wings before continuing.
>"And I haven't been able to train properly ever since this wild goose chase began!"
>"Girls!" Cut in Twilight Sparkle, only to be talked over immediately.
>"Yah know how important it is tah capture tha girl," Appeljack snarled up at Dash, "she's a danger ta ponies! Every town weh've chased her through has behn full'a ponies complaining of thefts and broken cahts"
>"But that's just the" Dash interceded, "-"
>"GIRLS!" Twilight shouted again, but again to no avail.
>"That's the point!" Dash continued unphased, "Little thefts and injuries! Hardly a mission for the badassedest heroes of Equestria! What, are they going to sing the songs of how the Element of Loyalty caught a stray human?"
>"That's a Satyr, darling" reproached Rarity, "and she's a good deal more important than some wild diamond dogs."
>"Oooh, yes, a Satyr!" exclaimed the pink puffball, as the argument around her rose into an unintelligible din, "golly aren't satyrs just the coolest beings in the world? It reminds me of that one time when I was trying to sneak into this house, and I played really loud trumpets and hopped into my party cannon, and"
*GIRLS!*
The magically amplified screech of Twilight's voice blew back trees nearby, and at the base of the hill Hope stumbled momentarily before redoubling her pace.
The other ponies froze with their voices caught in their throats, eyes like saucers for only a moment before they composed themselves.
 
>"Ahem. Sorry, girls, but it's very important you listen to me for a bit..." Twilight began, raising her head and closing her eyes as if about to start a lecture on some long-forgotten aspect of an archaeological dig site.
>"She's in monologuing mode now" groaned an exasperated Rainbow Dash.
>"Aheh, now where'd a muscle-headed pony lahk yourself learn such an egghead word lahk that?" retorted Applejack in a whisper.
>"Girls, quiet!" snapped Twilight, "Now where was I?"
>"Oh yes. Well, I know you're all tired and frustrated with chasing... ehm..."
>"Hope" interjected Rarity, "a very human name, if I recall properly."
>"Yes, Hope. But the princess herself gave us this job. And that means no matter how troublesome or mundane it may seem, it must be extraordinarily important."
>"Psh!" scoffed Rainbow Dash, "Yeah, so important that the Princesses haven't even budged an inch to help"
>"Now dohn't ya be tahlking bad about ahr celestial princesses!" scolded the hat-wearing tuft of orange fur, "Although it is true, they dohn't seem ta get involved even in world-threatening events"
>"That's because we're the best!" exclaimed Dash, completely undermining her previous argument, "They know they can trust the fate of Equestria to us!"
Dash puffed out her chest and stilled her wings dramatically, coasting for a moment before returning to her lazy hover.
>"Exactly!" exclaimed a wild-eyed Twilight, "they trust us completely! We have to catch her first! Quickly!"
>"Remember, darling, she's not a monster to be locked away." piped up Rarity, "she's a lost child, and we're capturing her to... banish her to the wilderness. I simply cannot condone adding insult to injury by hunting her like a fox"
>"Of course, Rarity," Twilight hung her head, then perked up as Rarity let loose the faintest of shivers.
>"We... have a heading. She is heading West, and getting farther." Rarity called out.
>"Then we head out immediately!" Exclaimed Twilight as the group got into formation and began the arduous task of climbing back down the mountain.
>"In the spirit of respecting our adversary," Twilight added, nodding towards Rarity, "I shall educate the group on Hope's abilities and history."
She grinned with a faraway stare, oblivious to the groans and muttered complaints of her friends.
>"We shall start with the earliest records of human history, told by Anon himself!" She continued in a teacherly tone, as the ponies marched out of the small country town in pursuit and the sun began its own arduous journey back down to the horizon ahead of them.
 
 
I'm titling this HUNTING HOPE, and I must say I'm having fun. [spoiler]Are you guys enjoying it?[/spoiler]
I've also got absolutely no experience with dialogue, so this chapter might be a bit of a mess.
 
Finally, do you like how I'm telling it? I intended originally for this to just be about Hope, but I keep getting caught up with writing the Mane's side of the story.
If you want me to refocus [spoiler]or stop writing[/spoiler] I would completely understand.