Chapter 1: In the Shadows
Equestria, the recent past...
Sawtooth trotted along the now empty roads of Grand Oaks. It was a small place, a quiet community nestled deep in the forest, with the closest thing to a tourist attraction being the abandoned settlement of Hollow Shades about twelve miles away, though not many went there beyond historians and archaeologists.
The sun had gone down, and the crickets were out in full force, singing to their hearts' content amidst the moonlight. The burly mahogany-colored earth pony took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool night air as he headed back home after a long day of logging.
As he moved past the little houses interspersed with patches of trees, a pony came darting out from around a corner. Sawtooth reared back, barely avoiding a collision by inches. "Watch where you're going!" he scolded. "What if you smacked into this?" He pointed a hoof at the axe strapped tightly to his back.
The pony was a dark blue unicorn, a stallion given the size and musculature, but with a mare-like quality to the structure of his face, which stared at Sawtooth with an expression of pure panic and desperation.
"Help!" he screamed, not even registering the reprimand. The stallion's head turned to look behind him at the dark forest. His long mane, colored a deep, solid black and tied behind his head, whipped through the air. "You've got to help me!"
"Now hold on there, kid," said Sawtooth, placing a stabilizing hoof on his shoulder. "Just calm down and tell me what's wrong."
"I-It's my sister. She's hurt!"
Sawtooth frowned. "What happened?"
"I think... I think it was some berries she ate. I told her it wasn't a good idea, but she didn't listen and just popped them into her mouth. We kept on walking, b-but then she... she looked sick all of the sudden and then she slipped and fell down this hill."
Sawtooth’s frown only deepened. The dense forest surrounding Grand Oaks was full of a variety of poisonous berries, with symptoms ranging anywhere from digestive pain to hallucinations. Some were even fatal. Combining that with a fall... "Where's your sister now?"
"Still in the woods," replied the unicorn, pointing with a hoof. "It's not too far in. Please, you have to help me. I... I can't get to her."
Sawtooth turned to follow the stallion's hoof, presumably where he’d come from. The opening in the forest was shrouded in darkness, flanked on each side by a formidable and ancient tree. In the dim light of the waxing crescent moon, it looked every bit like the mouth of a cave.
"Show me the way," he said, already moving forward. "We've got a clinic in town. I'll take her there myself." Soothing Herb lived next door to her workplace, and Sawtooth knew for a fact that she was still up at this time of night.
"Thank you so much," said the unicorn gratefully.
Sawtooth waved a forehoof. "No problem, kid. But I expect both of you to do your reading if you want to wander out here. You should know better than to just eat the first thing you see."
"Yes, sir," replied the unicorn with a sullen nod of his head. The pair began their trek into the woods, hooves splatting into the damp earth and fallen leaves. The unicorn took the lead as instructed, his horn attempting to pierce the encroaching darkness, created as much by the lack of a moon as it was by the dense foliage. A heavy root caught his leg mid-step. He yelped in surprise, crashing into the dirt.
Sawtooth pulled him back to his hooves. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," he groaned, reigniting his horn. He jumped as an owl hooted high above them. "C-come on. We need to keep moving."
Silence fell over the pair as they continued to make their way through the forest. They passed by countless lower-hanging branches, looking almost like claws in the darkness.
As a colt, Sawtooth had been terrified of being in these woods at night, convinced that all sorts of ghosts and monsters dwelled here. He knew better now, of course. He wouldn't call it safe, but it was no Everfree Forest. No monsters roamed here in the dark, only the usual animals. Besides, he was ten times larger now, and strong enough that he could fight off any wild beast that threatened him.
"What were you two even doing wandering the woods at this time of night?" asked Sawtooth, deciding to fill the silence.
"We're traveling," answered the unicorn. "We thought we'd cut through the woods and hitch a ride on a train to Fillydelphia. Sis didn't want to wait for morning."
Sawtooth let out a little snort. "No offense, kid, but so far your sister sounds way too impulsive for her own good."
Rather than being offended, the stallion simply chuckled. "That's my little sister. It's why I stick by her, to try and be her voice of reason." His gaze lowered to his hooves. "Doesn't always work," he added with a frustrated mutter.
"Why didn't you just levitate her back up?"
The unicorn blushed. "My magic's not great, and I, uh, I'm not really good at lifting heavy objects. Not that she's fat or anything, but—"
"It's fine, kid," reassured Sawtooth. "I'm not judging you."
The unicorn gave what sounded like a thank-you under his breath before stopping, his eyebrows knitting together. The path before them forked. "I think it's this way," he decided finally, taking the path on the right.
As they walked along, Sawtooth noticed a glimmer of light. His eyes settled on the single earring perched in the stallion's right ear. He'd never really understood the trend among some of the younger colts and stallions to wear earrings, even single ones. But then, he figured it didn't really hurt anypony, so he let it slide without comment.
What really caught his attention about this one, though, was the material. It was a sort of gold color, but even in the lower light, he could tell that it didn't look like actual gold. If anything, it was sort of reddish, too. Bronze, maybe? But who wore bronze jewelry?
Not that he was an expert on metals or anything. His mark was in logging. But the father of his first marefriend had been a metallurgist. Going over to her house and spending time with her and her family had made Sawtooth intimately familiar with what various metals looked like, from iron to gold, to even fool's gold.
The apple hadn't fallen far from the tree, either. Auri had been incredibly passionate about precious metals herself, always wearing a pair of gold earrings that she polished every day. It was the sort of passion that went beyond superficial beauty or monetary value, and it had only made Sawtooth love her all the more.
An internal sigh blew through his broad chest like a cold wind. The two of them had broken up so long ago, and then Auri and her family had moved away. Old Green Leaf owned their house now, sitting at the end of that pine tree-lined path.
Her dad had told their neighbors the move was because of his work. But Sawtooth couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, if he and Auri hadn't broken up, she'd still be here. It was his fault things ended the way they did. He'd screwed up, forgetting her birthday, brushing her off more and more as he became obsessed with work, finally compounding it by just letting her walk out of his life.
Was Auri still single, even after all these years? Or had she found somepony else? Did she have foals, a little filly that had her mom's bright, perfect smile, or her soft golden mane?
He'd had a number of marefriends in the intervening years, but none had ever stayed. None had ever been like Auri. It had been so long since he'd even allowed himself to think of Auri, and now it was like an axe of pure pain thrust into his heart.
Tomorrow morning, he was going to look her up. That was a promise. One way or another, Sawtooth had to know.
The pair came to a halt at the top of a hill. Peering down the other side, Sawtooth saw that the rainstorm in the late afternoon had turned the soil into a wall of thick, slippery mud. And in the light of the unicorn's horn, he could see a trail where somepony had slid down.
Moving his eyes down to the base of the hill, he could just barely make out the body of a mare, legs splayed out on the grass. From that vantage point, Sawtooth could also see a semicircle of thorn bushes stationed around the base, blocking all access to the mare other than the hill itself.
"Sis!" the unicorn called out. "Sis, I'm back! I got help!"
"Big brother?" rose the weak reply. Sawtooth thought he saw the mare's head move a fraction of an inch, before settling back down in the dirt.
"Stay here," instructed Sawtooth, placing his axe on the ground. "That mud looks pretty unsteady. I can make my way down, but if you follow you might hurt yourself."
The unicorn didn't argue, only calling down to his sister again, telling her to light her horn. A faint blue light flickered below in response.
Setting his jaw, Sawtooth made his way down the muddy hillside. Slowly, step by step, he descended, careful to keep his hoofing. The last thing the poor mare needed was him slipping and crashing down on her. As he finally reached firmer ground, the mare's form came into better view.
She had a lemon-yellow coat and a short, dark green mane that fell long over the right side of her face in an asymmetrical fashion. Her saddlebags lay askew on her body, while patches of dark, wet mud clung to the rest of her, most of it residing on her hindquarters, obscuring her mark and almost burying her cropped green tail. She wore a metal choker around her neck, made from the same material as her brother's earring.
There was a large, pony-shaped splotch of mud on the tree behind her. Had she crashed into it on the way down?
"Who're you?" she asked, amber eyes only half open. Her cheeks looked flushed, though she didn't appear to be sweating.
"Name's Sawtooth. Your brother got me to help you. Can you stand?"
The mare tried getting to her hooves, but only ended up dropping back to the ground. "Don't think so," she groaned.
If she couldn't move, then he'd have to carry her back up the hill through the mud. It wouldn't be too hard for a pony like him. He bent down, moving the mare onto his back, and letting her head rest on his left shoulder. She looked at him with those same half-lidded eyes. "Thanks," she muttered. "Felt so dizzy. Hit the tree, and maybe... some rocks, too."
Sawtooth’s face fell again. The spot where she’d lain had several large rocks. She could have broken something, or even have a concussion. Soothing Herb will have her hooves full with a patient in this state.
He trotted toward the hill, placing his hooves on some firmer spots, ready to make the climb back up, when he felt the mare on his back tense up. "Wait," said the mare, practically whimpering. "Please wait."
"You okay there?" asked Sawtooth, looking over his shoulder at her pained expression. An idea clicked in his head. "Your brother said you might have eaten some poisonous berries. Is your stomach in pain?"
"I... I-I'm..." her body began to shake. "I'm..."
There was a flash, and the unicorn stallion stood before him. "Hey, what—" Sawtooth began to say, right before a dome of pink magic closed over him. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Sawtooth smashed a hoof against the dome. For a pony who wasn’t good at magic, this thing felt pretty solid. “Your sister needs help! Let me out of here right now!”
The unicorn didn't respond, only staring straight ahead, a wicked smirk on his face. Sawtooth pulled back his foreleg to strike again. If this brat thought he could hold him, he was dead wrong.
"—gry..."
The sound stopped Sawtooth cold, and he felt the mare's forelegs wrap around his torso in a tight, suffocating embrace. “Hey, are you okay?” He twisted his head to look at her face. “Don’t worry, we’re going to get out of—”
The eyes that stared back at him now had changed. Amber was replaced by pitch black, pupil and iris blending together into a solid mass that had expanded to such a size that the sclera was rendered nonexistent, while flecks of menacing red light were peppered across the dark surface.
"Hungry," she whispered, her voice distant, before transforming into something deeper. A voice that belonged to neither a mare nor a pony, but to something else. A voice that sounded alien to anything natural or living. A voice that shook with such power that Sawtooth felt it in his very bones.
"Hungry!"
Sawtooth screamed. He screamed and screamed, and screamed, but his voice never penetrated the dome. Not a single sound was heard as all around them, the dark forest settled into silent, blissful tranquility.
Pages turned in the grip of yellow magic, crimson eyes drifting silently over the words. The moon was out, and the night birds had begun their chorus. The lone unicorn grabbed at another page, ready to turn it, when the faint sound of wheels made her ears perk up. They were finally back.
Setting the book down, she made her way to the back of the house. The front boasted a long stone driveway, but the back had more cover, lines of sight blocked by collections of trees and bushes. It was a certainty that they'd be there.
A dark-colored cab was coming toward the house, pulled by a stout, thick-faced earth pony with a heavy five o'clock shadow. She ducked back inside the doorway. An unknown. Grabbing a blue cloak from the nearby rack, she wrapped it around herself, pulling up the hood. Better to play it safe.
The ropes of the driver's harness went slack as the wheels finally stopped. "Here at last," he sighed happily. "Good thing, too, my hooves are killing me. No offense, you two, but that stuff you got is heavy."
The cab doors swung open, and two ponies stepped out, a dark blue unicorn stallion with a single earring, and a lemon yellow unicorn mare with a gleaming metal choker. "None taken," said the stallion.
The earth pony examined the dark, towering exterior before him. "Say... this looks like the back of this house to me. How come you wanted to go in the back way at this time of night?"
From her hiding place, the cloaked mare took a few steps backwards, retreating further into the safety of the hallway. As she did, her flank bumped against an overstuffed umbrella stand. She turned, letting out a cry as the lightweight container fell over with an even noisier thud.
The cabbie's eyes narrowed in her direction. "Hey, is there somepony over there?"
"It's just your imagination," said the unicorn mare, anxiety rising in her voice. "There's nopony there, okay?"
Unfortunately, the pony wouldn't be dissuaded. He grabbed a lantern from the front of his cab, setting it on the ground before him. "Whoever you are, come on out!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls of the house.
The cloaked unicorn cursed under her breath. If this loudmouth kept up, he'd attract attention for sure. Only one thing to do. Stepping out into the night, she trotted toward the group.
"W-who are you?" asked the cabbie, taking a small step backwards. He looked around at the group accusingly. "What's going on? You three up to something fishy? I heard all about those smugglers they busted at the harbor. Are you three in on it? Is that why you had me coming in the back? If it was, I swear I'll..."
The earth pony continued to talk, asking more questions, stating how he wasn't going to be involved in anything illegal, on and on. She gritted her teeth, annoyed as much by his questions as his volume, the latter ever increasing, which only made him even more irritating. They just had to pick a mouthy cab driver, didn't they?
Sparks of yellow magic flowed from her horn. If she had to shut this idiot up, then so be it.
Before she could do anything, however, the blue stallion got between them. "Hey, now. Just relax," he said to the cabbie, shooting her the barest of glances, a sign that he was addressing her as well.
Looking back at the earth pony, he offered an easy, charming smile. "There's been a big misunderstanding here. This is our friend. She's the new owner of this house, you see. Her luggage had to be sent separately, so we," he gestured to his traveling companion, "went to get it for her."
The cabbie relaxed, just a bit, but the look of wariness didn't leave his eyes. "What's with the cloak? And why'd you want me coming in the back?"
"She's a celebrity," the other stallion answered smoothly. He pointed at the rows of grand houses. "Wouldn't you expect that in a neighborhood like this?"
"I... guess so," relented the earth pony. "But why is she—"
"Going incognito. We're all new here, and we wanted her arrival to be a big surprise, especially to the neighbors. You know how gossip can spread in this town."
He turned to give her a look, and in that moment, an alien thought passed through her mind. She grimaced in disgust, but understood it. Moving closer to the cabbie, she let the soft material of her cloak brush against his fur. Close enough for him to feel her body heat.
"I'm so sorry," she said, willing her voice to be as soft as possible. "I really didn't mean to scare you. But you understand, don't you? I just want this to be a surprise."
The earth pony’s cheeks turned a hot scarlet. “U-uh, y-yes ma’am,” he stammered. “I, uh, I guess a surprise ain’t much of a surprise if somepony finds out and starts blabbing.”
The yellow mare bounded next to him. “Exactly! And you wouldn’t want to spoil her surprise, would you?”
The still red-faced cabbie glanced at the mare next to him, then back down at her, still pressed against him as she was. He shook his head. “No, ma’am.”
“Here,” said the unicorn stallion, pulling the cabbie away with a hoof. “Let me sort out your fare.”
The cabbie looked at him in surprise. "Shouldn't I help you get the luggage out?"
"Thanks, but I've got it," said the yellow mare, lighting her horn and removing the first of several cases and trunks. She floated down the first few with ease, but nearly dropped the heavier ones on her head, forcing the two stallions to jump to her aid.
As she watched her friends unload the cab, one case caught her eye. It was large, several feet long and two feet wide, the sturdy-looking wood painted forest green. But what made it stand out the most among all the other cases was the heavy padlock fixed to the lid. The sight of it made her smile.
“Take this too,” said her stallion friend when they finished unloading the bags, sporting a smile of his own. He levitated a small bag of bits over to the cabbie. “A little extra for all your help.”
The earth pony looked inside, eyes widening. “Twelve bits? That’s too much for a tip.”
“I insist,” her friend told him. “You have no idea how valuable some of these things are.” He turned to her. “Isn’t that right?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied, finding herself laughing at their private joke. “So very valuable.”
The two stallions talked a bit more, something she couldn’t quite make out, and then the earth pony was on the road again, his cab lighter, but his wallet heavier.
The minute the driver was gone, a scowl spread across her face. “You couldn’t have just stolen a cab?”
“There were a lot of cops around,” said the yellow mare. “Some VIP was arriving.”
“There weren’t a lot of openings, anyway,” added the stallion. “It was the best we could do.”
“Fine,” she huffed, pulling back the hood of her cloak and allowing her voluminous curls to spring free. “You’re going to deal with him, right? Even if he believed you, we can’t have any potential loose ends if we can afford it.”
He scoffed. “Don’t worry. I talked him into meeting me tomorrow night for a game of poker all the way in town. Trust me, I'll make sure he won't say anything."
Nodding in satisfaction, her eyes moved to survey the pile of boxes. “You took a lot longer than expected.”
"Sorry about that," apologized the yellow mare. "We had to leave the train early to pick up a midnight snack."
She nodded. "I felt it." She'd known the moment it happened, felt the sensation run through her entire body, lighting up every nerve and waking her from a sound slumber. What they were now, what they were doing, it had bound them closer than ever before. All because they'd gone to that place, because they'd met...
Her crimson eyes moved back to the lone stallion of the trio. "How did it go in Fillydelphia, Decepticolt?"
Decepticolt grinned. "It was easy. I got us in the door like that," he said, clapping his hooves together. “Then Zappityhoof took her down.”
"Uh-huh," said Zappityhoof. "I used lightning. It was barely more than a strong static charge, but she was down for the count in one shot. Couldn't even put up a shield, just wham!" She gesticulated wildly, bouncing on her hooves like a filly as she let loose a round of mocking, high-pitched laughter. "Pretty pathetic for a unicorn if you ask me, Goldcap."
Goldcap’s mouth twisted into a smirk, but she turned back to the business at hoof. "What about her neighbors?"
"Won't be a problem," replied Zappityhoof. "The old nag was right. She was the quiet type, kept pretty much to herself. Most of the tenants didn't even know she lived there."
"I convinced the landlord that she was moving," explained Decepticolt. "Nopony will question her up and leaving like that."
"Perfect." She looked down at the box that had caught her eye before. "Take her upstairs. I set up a room for her while you were gone. It's just like the other one, with a barrier spell and security charm." Summoning a key with her magic, she gave it to Decepticolt. "I'll come up soon."
The two nodded, carrying the box inside together. Zappityhoof took a step, then looked back at her friend. "Uh, one thing, Goldcap. You might not be too happy when you get a look at her."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped. She shook her head. "Nevermind. Just get her secure."
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."
She trotted back to the room where she'd left her book. She only wanted a moment to relax, a moment more before they undertook the next big step in their plan.
Her eyes were drawn to the large set of bay windows. Outside stood rows of elegant mansions just like this one, a neighborhood for those Manehattanites wealthy enough to afford it. Glimmering in the distance was the city proper, a bustling, vibrant cultural melting pot, the envy of much of the nation.
To the west, stretching far beyond what she could see, was mainland Equestria, with brilliant Canterlot standing high above all the other cities, and little Ponyville tucked into the valley below.
Red eyes narrowed at the thought of both, bitter memories rising up and stinging like salt in a pair of wounds, one old and personal, the other new and shared. But things were different now, they were different. Now, they would succeed. This time, nopony would be able to stop them.
Turning away from the window, she headed toward the stairs, ready to greet their new guest. “Soon,” she muttered, letting the words act as a balm against her anger. “Soon, we’ll show them all.”