I sniffed the tree, getting the scent of the barghest that has been coming a little too close to town for comfort.
The scent was several hours old. My hunt was far from over. Still, I was on the right track.
As I went, I spotted a twitter mite nest and a couple salamanders and made note of them. Fluttershy could deal with things like that better than I could. She was better at dealing with creachers that, while problematic, weren't dangerous. At least, they weren't dangerous unless provoked.
It was when I caught a scent an hour old that I noticed something strange. Another scent was mixed in with the barghest.
This other scent was strange, unlike anything I had smelled before. On top of that, it was dangerous. I could smell fear in the barghest's trail. They aren't the kind of monster to fear something without good reason.
I groaned in frustration. Barghest are a problem in the Everfree, but I knew how to handle them. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with something new.
I proceeded with caution, trying to learn what I could from this new potential threat. Then, I smelled something that made me very nervous. Magic.
There were few creatures that used true magic. Most used magic that is refined and altered naturally, like a dragon's breath or a basilisk's eyes.
This wasn't like that, though. This was magic woven with a purpose. It was true magic, like a unicorn's or even my chaos magic. That meant whatever this was, it was intelligent.
That could be a good thing. It meant I might be able to reason with it. It might not even be hostile at all. Maybe just some poor being that got lost.
Of course, it also meant that if it is hostile, it'll be that much more dangerous.
"Please don't be hostile. Please don't be hostile," I chanted to myself, willing the universe to throw me a bone.
"And what would you do if I am?"
I spun around in the blink of an eye, left paw projecting a shield, the right grabbing a lightning bolt spell from my belt.
The sound of laughing brought my gaze up to a branch of a tree. Laying there, looking down at me like some Cheshire cat was a pegasus with a shimmering gold coat and a short, silver mane.
"My, my. Aren't you jumpy?" she said, grinning down at me.
"Who are you?" I asked, cautiously. "Don't you know it's dangerous in these woods?"
"Oh, it is," she purred. "But not for the likes of us."
She leaped down with a predator's soundless grace and into the light. That was when I noticed she was certainly no pony.
She looked like one, sure, but she sure didn't smell like one. Her smell was the same one from before, the creature hunting the barghest. And the way she moved was more feline than equine.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I demanded.
She giggled. "Oh, I'm a friend. I even dealt with that unruly pup that you were chasing. And before you ask, I just scared it off. I wouldn't do anything to upset dear little Fluttershy."
That set me on edge. How did she know Fluttershy's name?
One thing I did know was that this being was dangerous. Every instinct told me that this was an apex predator.
"Thank you for taking care of that," I said, warily. "But why did you? What do you want?"
She giggled again as she paced around me. "So protective. I see why you have so many admirers. But like I said, I'm a friend. I'm actually here to warn you.
"Halfway between Ponyville and Hoofington there is a little house."
She turned to look me in the eye. "This afternoon it will be attacked by people with murderous intent."
My eyes widened in shock and fear. "What?! Why aren't you tellin' the guard? If you're so dangerous and you know about it, why aren't you stoppin' it?"
For the first time, the mirth left her eyes. "Because it isn't my place and the guards will fail. You must be the one. It is time you add your voice to the choir, lest the symphony become a dirge."
"... What?"
"See you soon." She flared her wings and a flash of light blinded me.
When my sight cleared, she was gone.
I came running out of the woods at full speed. Fluttershy tried saying something, but I couldn't slow down. I didn't know why, but I was sure that 'mare' was telling the truth and I didn't have time to explain.
It didn't take long for my rush to be noticed. Soon enough, a pair of pegasi were at my sides.
"Where's the fire?" Rainbow joked.
"No time to explain everythin'," I said. "Ah met a creature in the Everfree. She said there was trouble, and Ah think she's telling the truth. Stay here. Protect the town." I turned to Cedric on my other side. "Stay here or come with me. Your choice."
"I don't know what's going on, but if you're this worried, I'm going with you," he replied.
Rainbow didn't argue, but she did say, "Slow down. I'll go get a couple pegasi to grab a chariot. You don't need to be worn out by the time you get wherever you're going."
Damn. Why didn't I think about that? I thought to myself as she sped off.
I slowed to a stop and Cedric landed beside me and asked, "Okay, so what exactly is happening?"
And so I explained my encounter with the strange 'mare' and what she told me. While doing so, I took the time to summon a short sword and a staff, strapping them to my belt and back, respectively.
By the end of it, Cedric was giving me a look that told me exactly what he was thinking.
By then, the chariot arrived and we were climbing on.
When we settled, I addressed his unspoken opinion. "Look, Ah know it sounds strange, but trust me. Ah could tell she was bein' truthful."
"Like how you knew she was dangerous?"
I just nodded. To be honest, I didn't know why I believed her. Or how I knew she was dangerous, for that matter. It was just a feeling, like an instinct.
"What if she only knew something was going to happen because she's behind it?" he asked.
"We'll deal with that when and if we have to," I said. "For now, we need to be ready. Ah want you to focus on savin' anyone that needs savin'."
Cedric nodded. "As soon as everyone's clear, I'm helping you."
I shook my head, "No. Someone needs to stay with them. Chances are whoever's attackin' will try and chase you down, so you'll have plenty of fightin' on your hooves. Besides, Ah'm sure Rainbow'll be here as soon as she gets the guard."
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "You told her to stay and protect the town."
I chuckled. "Yeah, but it's Rainbow Dash. As soon as the guards are in place to protect Ponyville, she'll be on her way."
"We got smoke!" one of the pegasi called back.
I looked ahead and saw a column of black rising into the air.
"We'll stay nearby, ready to take anyone to the hospital if needed," the other pegasus said.
"Thanks," I said. "Take us over them and then hide until we need you."
A couple pegasi took off from the ground as we approached.
"They're armed!" Cedric said before leaping out of the chariot and heading toward them.
I leaped after him, shooting my tether out. It slammed into one of the pegasi's chest and we were pulled toward each other.
I slammed into his back and launched him at the ground. His desperate attempt to stay airborne slowed us enough that when we did land he was knocked out and I was able to roll off into a run without getting hurt.
As soon as I was on the ground and rushing them, they sent three more after me, two earth ponies and a unicorn.
I drew my staff and deflected a bolt of magic before the first earth pony reached me.
I swung high, forcing him to duck just as my knee was raising to his chin. With a crack, his head whipped back and he slumped to the ground.
The other earth pony was a little more skilled. She parried my staff with a hoof, forcing it over her head and me to overextend.
Her other hoof dug into my gut, forcing me back. I responded by launching my staff lake a javelin. She sidestepped easily, but she wasn't the target.
With a yelp of pain, the staff struck the unicorn right in her horn, causing her spell to misfire. The explosion put her out.
As the earth pony was distracted by her ally's folly, I drove my fist into her cheek, sending her flying.
With them taken care of I could finally properly see the carnage these raiders, for lack of a better term, had wrought. The building was on fire, and two mates laid dead. Furthermore, three foals were locked in cages in the back of a cart.
The sight sent my blood boiling. A rushed the raiders, grabbing my staff from where it landed.
The first two offered no problem, going down with ease. This wasn't a movie, however. The rest didn't bother attacking one at a time.
There were at least a dozen on me and another four by the cart. I was giving them a run for their money, but it became immediately apparent that their numbers advantage gave them the upper hand and I was quickly getting overwhelmed.
I fired my tether at a nearby tree and pulled myself out of the fray. They rushed me as a group, keeping together this time.
I fired my tether again, pulling one of them from the group and smashing him to the ground with my staff.
Just as the group reached me, the first two going for a tackle, I ignited my whole body in Silver Fire and leaped away, leaving the fire in my place as a kind of fire clone.
Their brains registered a millisecond too late and the two that were trying to tackle me ran into my flame. Their pursuit ended as they rolled on the ground desperately trying to extinguish the flames.
The rest of them slowed, realizing I wasn't to be underestimated. I fired my tether again, but a unicorn intercepted it with a shield.
When they all smirked and backed off, I knew something bad was about to happen. Only the sound of massive lungs taking in gallons of air gave me enough warning to whip around and project a shield.
Dragon fire washed across the transparent barrier, but the heat wasn't even slowed.in an instant, my fur was slick with sweat.
As soon as the fire ended, a claw half the size of my whole body slammed into the shield, sending me flying into the cart.
Despite the pain I felt, I had to smile. All three cages were open and empty. Cedric had done his part. With them safe, I didn't have to fight. I could just run.
I barely managed to roll out of the way of a massive tail slamming down where I had just been.
I looked the dragon in the eye and realized running was easier said than done. It was obvious this dragon wasn't feral like the last one I fought.
"Ah take it these ain't just some random thugs if they got you workin' for them," I said.
The dragon chuckled. "Oh, no. They're loaded."
I looked behind me at the cart and back. "So... Ah don't suppose, since Ah only catef about savin' them foals and they're long gone that Ah could just skedaddle."
He chuckled. "What, and miss an opportunity to smash someone? Besides, I can't let you save the other one."
Other one? I steeled myself for a fight. "Well, if there's another one, then I have no choice but to kill you so I can save them."
The dragon bellowed a laugh. "You think y-" he was interrupted by a lightning bolt to the face.
He reared back with a pained roar, but managed to stop my follow up attack with my short sword with a backhand.
This time, I was more prepared and managed to land on my feet and countered with a spell infused sword throw.
The dragon just flapped its wings and flew above the sword before diving at me.
Or, at least he would have had a golden bullet not slammed into him from above.
"You're not welcome here! Leave, now!" yelled a familiar voice in a very unfamiliar tone.
Fluttershy hovered in the air above the dragon, glaring down at him.
But the more I looked, the less I was sure it even was Fluttershy.
She was the same yellow with a pink mane, but the yellow on her belly, neck, face, and the base of her wings were from golden scales. Her wings, for that matter, weren't even the same, but leathery and thin. Then there was the long, reptilian tail and vicious claws on their front legs.
Then, she looked at me. I could see the shame and fear in her eyes and I knew it was her. This was the secret she was so afraid to share.
A deep growl drew our attention back to the dragon.
"Half-breed," it snarled. "I'll rip your wings off and mount your head in my cave!"
Fluttershy's expression hardened. "Shiro, there's a pony running away with a foal, heading toward the Everfree. Save the foal. I'll take care of him."
I didn't want to leave her to fight alone, but a foal needed my help. I couldn't just abandon a child.
"Ah'll be back to help you as soon as Ah save the kid," I called.
"I'll be finished by then," Fluttershy declared.
The conviction in her voice sent shivers down my spine. It was her, alright, but at the same time it was a side of her I never knew existed.
I grabbed a haste spell from my belt and took off, heading toward the Everfree. As soon as I had a clear shot, I activated my spell.
Soon enough, I spotted the mare carrying the foal in her magic as she ran for the cover of the forest.
As soon as I got close enough, I shot my tether at the foal and wrenched him from her grasp.
The mare stumbled as her magic was broken, but managed to stay upright and turn to face me.
I glared at her, recognizing her pale fur and dark mane. "You?! You were the mare that stabbed us in the back in the Crystal Spire."
She smiled, warmly. "I'm glad you remember me."
She looked at me, then back behind me toward the house. "Well, I guess this makes us even."
Before I could respond, there was a flash of light and she was gone.
"Damn it," I mumbled before setting the foal down. "You okay, kid?"
The foal looked up at me and I froze.
Earth pony.
Dark blue fur.
Black mane.
White star on his forehead.
"M-Midnight Star?" my voice came out on its own.
"Uh... how do you know my name?" the colt asked.