//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Coco Pommel and the Supernatural: New Beginnings // by Taranasauruso_o //------------------------------// Chapter 1 - In which our heroine finds her hooves, a bloodthirsty pony sinks his teeth into something juicy, and we meet a mysterious stranger. - Canterlot at night feels like a completely different city in comparison to its counterpart during the day. The daylight brings warmth to every corner of the streets, and the bustle of merchants and travelers creates a steady undertone of noise that provides constant reassurance that you are not alone. The voices of many a paddler can be heard over the bustle of carts and the stomping of hooves, as each one attempts to outsell its predecessor. The cobblestones are hot to the touch, and as such, skipping from one section of shade to another becomes like a game to the foals, as the prance around their parents along the wide streets. However, at night, the light gives way to darkness, and what was previously seen becomes hidden under a veil of black. The nooks and crannies that seem to be innocent during the day could contain any number of nightmares at night. What limited light that is provided by the flickering street-lamps adds to the darkness, by creating what could be described as ‘safe-havens’. But, just outside the reach of this frail illumination is a ring of darkness, only paused by the next lamp, some fifty meters ahead. Coco stuck to the center of the road as she made her way along the cobblestone, her hooves clicking in the stillness around her. Silence surrounded her. The cold of the night air pressed against her mane as she made her way past closed stores and empty stalls. She stopped at a crossroads, sucking in a deep breath and glancing around her. Ahead lay a street very much like the last, and either side seemed to stretch on infinitely, as if the city itself was a constant loop of fear and loneliness. She sighed, hanging her head, and took a step out towards the center of the crossroads, her hooves sending echoes around her. A sudden crash caused her ears to perk up as she reached the middle, and she glanced up, searching for the source of the noise. A second crash sounded, followed by a stream of cussing, and she swiveled her head to the left, her eyes bright and hopeful. Slowly, she took a step forward, and began her walking once again. Coco wouldn’t like to admit it, but she was lost. She was only supposed to be in Canterlot very briefly, as it should have been a short stop on her trip to Ponyville. She knew not of any street but the main, and she couldn’t even point out her current location on a map. As such, her path from the morgue had been haphazard at best. She had started wandering, her head pounding, and her thoughts elsewhere. An hour had passed, in which the headache had slowly faded, but her questions had grown ever more pressing. The Guard there, ‘Night Shift’, as his badge had suggested, had passed out cold from the sight of her. For what reason she could not comprehend. It could be down to the fact that she had been lying in a body-bag when he had found her, which could be cause for some alarm. Which brought up her first question, why was she in a body-bag? The answer was simple, but didn’t seem to make much sense: she had died. the primary use for a body-bag is for the dead, and as such it would be simple for her to have been placed in there due to her untimely death. But that didn’t make sense, because she was very much alive now. She paused in the street, pondering herself as she inspected her hoof. “There’s no other explanation though, as to why I would be in there. I don’t remember climbing inside, but, I don’t remember dying either.” She glanced back up at the street, speaking to herself. “I would remember dying, right?” After a few moments of attempting to read her memories, her headache began to return, a dull throbbing inside her temples. She shook her head then, and returned to her walking, her mind in the present. Her surroundings began to change as she traveled, the empty stores slowly giving way to larger, more empty stores. Every few meters or so, a light would protrude from a close store, sending flooding wight out into the empty street. She neared a second intersection and studied her surroundings. Four large buildings stood on each corner, their signs swinging softly in the cold wind. The windows on three were dark, their blinds pulled and their lights off. However, the fourth seemed to emanate a dank, orange glow. Beyond the grimy windows Coco could make out at least two figures as the sat on chairs against the window. Coco pressed forward toward the building, her hoof reaching out for the handle. Another shout stopped her, and she dropped her hoof, glancing back up at the building. Behind her, the darkness seemed to beckon, as if reassuring her that inside was more dangerous than outside. Slowly, she turned away from the door, and peered out into the void. The lights here seemed to be even less effective at revealing the emptiness, and as such, she began to squint, forcing her eyes to adjust to the dark. Slowly, it came into focus, and she could make out the lumps of trash cans and garbage bags. Another shadow, far too big to be a trashcan, stood motionless in the alleyway. It was the size of a large stallion, but it did not have the shape of one. Slowly, it began to move forward. A glint seemed to shine from the darkness, as if a torch had been flashed for less than a second. Something grabbed Coco’s shoulder and spun her around. She screamed instinctively and tried to back away, but the grip held her fast. “Miss, calm down!” A voice shouted, shaking her shoulder and pulling her closer. Slowly Coco turned back to face the source of the voice, and met a large beige-coated stallion who stared down at her from the open doorway with a smile. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to stay outside at night?” He flashed her a smile, before letting go of her shoulder and stepping out of the doorway. “Would you like to come inside? It’s awfully cold out here, and we have a nice pot of stew on the stove.” His smile grew slightly, and the warmth he seemed to radiate slowly calmed Coco’s nerves. She took one step up the large stairs, before turning around to glance in the alley from before. The shape was gone, and in its place was nothing but darkness. She shivered instinctively, before following the stallion the rest of the way up the steps. As she stepped over the threshold, Coco felt a sense of relief wash over her, as if the sudden introduction of light seemed to cleanse her of her previous fear. The pair stepped through into a long corridor, its walls lined with large portraits of what Coco assumed to be relatives of the stallion ahead of her. The red wallpaper peeled in the corners, and dark stains spotted the ancient rug beneath her hooves. The pony ahead glanced over his shoulder to smile at Coco, and she returned it, admittedly half-heartedly, before she dodged his gaze, ducking her head towards the floor. As they progressed down the corridor, Coco couldn’t help but begin to internalize herself, her mind beginning to run back into her memories. She couldn’t recall what had happened at the bank, the memories of that time seemed to blend together into one big ball of blurred colour. She staggered and paused, lifting a hoof up to her temples as they lanced with pain. “You alright liddle missy?” the stallion asked, his voice layered with concern. Coco waved him off with a hoof, using her spare one to cover her eyes. The lamps seemed to glow brighter with every passing second, as if her pupils were constantly dilating, letting more and more light into her mind. Then, with an audible ‘pop’, the influx of brightness ceased, and her pain faded. Slowly, she lifted herself to her hooves, rubbing at her eyes with vigor. She blinked suddenly, lowering her hoof to the floor and lifting her gaze to meet the eyes of the stallion. He smiled at her, before turning back towards the hall. A large door stood before them, its darkened hinges sagging slightly after the decades of weight that had been pressed against them. The stallion leaned out and pushed the into the fading wood, the muscles around his forehooves straining with the effort. Slowly, the door creaked open, the bottom scraping against the cold stone floor. Orange light flooded the dimly lit corridor, and the sound of hushed voices slowly seeped out from the room ahead. As Coco stepped forward, she could feel the atmosphere around her slowly change. Warmth spread through the air, and Coco’s shoulders seemed to sag with relief. The room around her was large, but most of the space had been filled with lounges and small coffee tables, as well as lanterns and candles to keep the mood. A large fire crackled brightly on the far end of the room, and beside that sat a large wooden bar, with a row of vividly coloured drinks accenting the large glass shelves behind. The room seemed to directly contrast the outside, its decor a vibrant and inviting change from Coco’s recent experiences. Whilst Coco had been gazing around the room, her guide had made his way up to the large bar and took his place behind it. He motioned for her to come forward, his eyes following her as she made her way up to the stool. She sat slowly, her eyes still scanning her surroundings. The room seemed mostly void of ponies however, and she smiled at that, knowing she could at least relax. “Thirsty miss?” Coco glanced back down towards the stallion, who had placed a small glass on the counter before her, and was busy pouring in a soft, slightly blue liquid. “Very,” Coco started, reaching forward to grasp the glass in her hooves. She paused, however, and slowly lowered her hooves. “I’m afraid… I can’t really pay for the drink.” She lifted her hooves up and flashed the stallion a small smile. “I don’t have any of my bits.” He shook his head, letting a small chuckle escape from his otherwise passive expression. “No no… This one is on the house!” He pushed the glass forward with a hoof. “Drink! I wouldn’t be a very good barman if I let someone go thirsty this early.” He leaned back, resting his body against the other end of the bar, and set Coco with a warm smile. Coco didn’t hesitate, and she downed the drink in less than a second, feeling her headache start to fade as the effects of the alcohol kicked in. Her throat burned, and she relished in the feeling, shivers running down her spine in glee. She placed the empty glass back on the counter and let out a soft sigh, her breath swirling in front of her with latent magic. The stallion smiled, his gaze weakening as he lifted himself back up to pour another shot into the glass. “Hits kinda hard, doesn’t it?” After her nod, he continued. “The kick from these new drinks comes from the magic them unicorns somehow stuff into the liquid. Call it ‘Elixir’, or somthin’ like that. Apparently, some unicorn from Ponyville managed how to stick… I don’t know, emotions?” He paused, as if racking his brains for the right words. “Feelings. Yeah, feelings, into the liquid. Makes em hit kinda hard, and the hangovers last forever.” Coco leaned out and lifted her drink again, her vision skewing as she the warmth of the alcohol slowly spread through to her hoof tips. Goosebumps seemed to pop out of her flesh, and she smiled in contempt, leaning back on her stool in delight. “So, missy.” The stallion leaned forward on his bar, until his snout was level with Coco’s. “What’s a preddy liddle thing like you doin’ out on the street? Especially this late at night.” He eyed Coco uncertainly, but his smile was genuine, and his posture was relaxed. Coco opened her mouth to reply, but paused, her mind getting the better of her. She couldn’t just outright tell him the little she remembered. Her memories were still a jumbled mess, and she wasn’t sure if she could piece together enough of her past to provide a correct answer. Finally, shen opened her mouth once more. “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. Her shoulders slumped as she spoke, and her ears flattened against her head. Instantly, the stallion’s expression faded into one of sympathy. Confusion flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t voice it, instead he focused on Coco. “You don’t know?” She nodded slowly, before she lifted her glass again and finished her drink. The stallion shrugged his shoulders, lifting himself up from the bar and turning towards the stallion who had seated himself a few stools down. Coco glanced toward the pair, her eyes studying the new pony. His head seemed to be covered by the hood of a cloak, but the rest of his body was uncovered. His dark blue coat was contrasted by the deep velvet mark on his hindquarters. The strange symbol seemed to be ancient in origin, it wasn’t from any language Coco had seen before. After a few moments, Coco returned her stare to the glass in front of her, studying her skewed reflection in dusty glass. Her mind turned inwards, studying the jumble that was her memory. She could remember something at the Bank of Canterlot. A dull headache began to pound at her temples as Coco strained her mind, attempting to see what her body was apparently blocking. She could remember four masked stallions, and guns. A bright flash and then… nothing. It was as if the emptiness between that moment and her waking in the morgue was a black void. A voice pulled her out of her memories, the high-pitched buzzing from the headache began to fade as she glanced up from her glass toward the source of the noise. The hooded stallion from earlier had lowered his hood and sidled up toward her, sitting on the stool beside hers. He flashed her a toothy grin, his teeth seeming almost too white in the orange glow from the fire. “Pardon?” Coco asked, cocking her head slightly and leaning back instinctively.   “I said,” his smile grew wider, but his forehead creased in annoyance, causing Coco to lean back even further. “What’s your name, luv?” He seemed to emanate sleaze, and Coco’s nose creased in dislike, and she returned to her glass. “I-it’s…” she stopped, before glancing up at him again. “It’s Coco.” She smiled weakly, her nose still crinkled. “Well miss Coco,” his grin spread as he spoke her name, and she shuddered in response. “You here wi’ anyone tonight?” He leaned closer to her, moving his muzzle to her ear. “Because… me and you could get out of here and go somewhere more… private.” After a few moments of the stallion not moving, Coco pushed against him, sending him backwards off his stool and onto the floor with an audible thud. Instantly, the bartender was there, his hulking frame towering over the stallion. “What did I say about harassing the patrons?” He leaned down and hefted the smaller pony onto his back, before turning and tossing him toward the open door to the hall. He crashed to the floor with a plethora of curses, his eyes darting back toward the bartender. He scrambled to his feet, before spitting on the ground and slamming the door. “And stay out!” The stallion turned back toward Coco, smiling apologetically. “Sorry about that miss. He can get a bit… ‘feisty’, after a few.” “N-no it’s okay.” Coco flashed him another weak smile, before she looked back to her glass. “Want another?” Coco nodded. The bar was now completely empty. Two small glasses had joined the original in front of Coco, and she could feel her mind buzzing with the thoughts of more. The bartender lifted himself from his position leaning on the bar and glanced up at the large clock. He turned back to her, a small smile on his face. “I’m real sorry miss, but it’s time to close this place up.” He accented his words with the flick of a switch, plunging most of the room into darkness. Only the light from the hall and the soft orange glow of the fire illuminated the room. “It don’t feel right sending you out there alone, so-” Coco waved him off as she dropped down from her stool. “No no, I’m alright. I’ll just head back to… to my hotel.” She turned toward the door, before she slowly spun back around. “You wouldn’t happen to have a small map I could borrow though, do you?” The stallion’s smile spread, and he nodded, before he lifted a folded book from behind the counter and hoofed it to her. “We’re on page seventeen,” he whispered with a wink, before he motioned for her to follow him to the door. The two stepped out into the hall, the large oak sliding shut behind them with a solid slam. Then they were out and down the large stone steps. As they stood at the bottom of the stairs, Coco leaned in to hug the larger pony, the alcohol playing with her mind. “Thank you, again, Brew, for your h-help.” Coco said as she broke the embrace. “Don’t worry ‘bout it,” the stallion, ‘Brew’, replied, his large shoulders rolling in bemusement. As Coco began to head toward the end of the street, the map clenched tightly in her teeth, he called out, “Now you come back, ya hear?” “Sure thing! I have to return the m-map somehow,” Coco laughed, before continuing on her way. As she walked further into the darkness, she found herself sink slowly back into her previous mood. The alcohol had done wonders for her confidence, but Coco wasn’t sure if she was ready to face the emptiness of the back alleys of Canterlot this early in the morning. Shadows began to dance around the streetlamps, and the cold clacking of her hooves against the cobbles below soon became the only sound in Equestria to Coco. Around her, silence reigned, slowly spreading the chill back into her bones. Her mind began to churn, and Coco’s heart rate slowly began to increase, sending shivers down her spine. The wind picked up,a nd while the slight reprieve from the silence was comforting, the wind provided no reassurance that she was alone. A sudden crash in the distance behind her made Coco jump, and she spun, her eyes searching frantically in the darkness behind. After a few moments, the crash sounded again, and Coco felt herself let out a small scream, before she spun again, and took off in a gallop, her hooves echoing in the darkness. Behind her, the ever approaching sound caused Coco’s speed to increase, and adrenaline began to pump through her veins. Another crash, this one much closer, came from behind, and Coco glanced around her shoulder, her pupils dilating as something came crashing toward her. She turned then, and slid toward the closest ally, her hooves pushing her against the wall as she attempted to silence her whimpers. The wind had dropped off, and the world again was silent, Coco’s heavy breathing breaking the stillness like a shard of glass against stone. Slowly, Coco leaned out from her cover to view the street. The darkness seemed just as empty as ever, however the streetlamps from before had begun to slowly flash on and off, as if something was interfering with the power. “Hello again miss ‘Coco’.” She froze. The words had been whispered directly into her ear, and the venom behind them set her teeth on edge. Slowly, she turned her head, and came face to face with the muzzle of the hooded stallion from the bar. Another toothy grin was plastered across his face, but his eyes were cold and menacing. She screamed then, and lashed out, her hindlegs colliding with his torso. He dropped back momentarily, his breath sliding out of him with the force. He let out a soft laugh, before he drew back his hoof and slammed it against Coco’s muzzle. She dropped to the floor, the pain swirling through her head. Red spots filled her vision as she attempted to clear the tears from her eyes. As she was reeling, the stallion leaned down and grabbed her by her shoulders, hauling her up against the wall and holding her there with his hooves. She screamed again, pleading with the darkness around them. Silence responded, and the stallion laughed again. “Please! I don’t have any money!” She struggled in his grasp, her hind legs kicking in an attempt to free herself. “I don’t want your money luv.” She paused, her pupils slowly shrinking to pinpricks. “Th-then you want…” Her hindlegs instinctively crossed, and her tail flicked out in fear. “N-no please!” He laughed again, his rough handling crushing Coco’s hooves against the brick of the walls. “I don’t want that either.” Coco’s mind searched for another reason for her capture. Did he plan to kill her? She screamed again, but was cut off as he spun her around to face him. As Coco’s head slammed against the wall, she let out another scream, her eyes staring toward his with fear. Slowly, his smile stretched across his muzzle, and he lowered his voice. “There’s only one thing I want.” His gaze locked firmly onto hers, he lifted his top lip and grimaced. Six long, sharp teeth slid out from the top of his jaw, joining the other six that had spread up from the lower half. They glinted in the moonlight, and Coco felt her blood run cold. Her screaming stopped as her body went into shock, and his mouth slowly opened, stretching impossibly wide. He leaned forward, and Coco realised that he was aiming for her neck. She felt her limbs grow weak, and she began to slump, as her eyes slowly closed. “Hey, fang.” Coco’s eyes shot open, and she glanced to her left, as her captor did too. His jaw shrunk back to its normal size, and he snarled toward the end of the alley. “How about some steel for an entree?” A soft ‘thwomp’ followed these words, and the stallion glanced down at his chest. A thin, metallic rod stuck out from the side, and a deep red stain was slowly forming against his coat. he let out a howl and dropped Coco, his hooves shooting to his side. He glanced between Coco and the alley mouth multiple times, before he shook his head and snarled again. He took off running toward the other mouth of the alley, slowly dripping blood against the cold cobbles. Coco felt herself slide down the wall, her eyes still drooping. As the cold tendrils of unconsciousness tugged at her mind, Coco looked up toward her savior. A large silhouette stood above her, a metallic crossbow draped against its shoulder. “W-who are you?” she managed to stammer out between shaking breaths. The pony leaned down into the light, revealing a deep red coat. A long, golden mane ran down the side of her face, and she smiled in the cold air. “Name’s Red." Her thick southern accent momentarily stumping Coco. "You?” “I-I’m…” she paused, her head dropping to one side. “Coco…” Coco fainted.