//------------------------------// // MLP : SH - 1 The Everfree // Story: MLP : Shattered Heart // by gutterratt //------------------------------// One : The Everfree I sat in a booth at the Muck and Buck Tavern, one of several bars located in The Everfree. It's a town that was created by thieves, marauders and mercenaries, hidden deep within the Everfree Forest. Someplace where they could do their dirty business under cover and away from the law. The Everfree Forest was a dangerous place filled with predators of not only the wildlife but the foliage as well; it made for a decent enough shield from the King's hoof. If you weren't careful about where you walked, you could get killed. The forest was dangerous so we were dangerous as well. But, that was the life of someone like me, someone who frequented this town.  The ponies here weren't all that bad I suppose. Sure, they're rough around the edges and fights break out all the time but I can at least say it's entertaining to watch. The waitress mare whose poofy red mane bounced as she trotted to the tables with their alcoholic beverages gave a hard, swift smack to a patron who had given her a spank as a thanks for their drink. Another buck was so drunk he fell asleep in his puddle of vomit and was softly snoring away. The smell of the refuse mixed with the usual body odor and cigarette smoke all the bars were notorious for so no pony bothered to clean it up. A group playing poker shouted in excitement and frustration while a griffon at the table pulled out his pistol to accuse a minotaur of cheating. The escalation broke a couple of chairs and the waitress threatened them with her cutlass before they settled down.  The bartender here was weak, a scraggly old pony with antlers. Probably caught them in one of the months of Chaos. Discord is allowed to use his powers every so often and create chaos in the land. Everypony knows King Sombra only releases his reins once in a while to placate him, to keep him tame when he's back on his leash. These soap bubble looking objects often float around in the air everywhere and if you're caught by one you catch a random mutation. I'm lucky, I haven't had the misfortune of running into one of them and hopefully I never will.  One of the bartender's antlers had been broken not too long ago when he tried to stop a bar fight on the mare's day off. Some dried blood could still be seen on the stump. The old buck couldn't stop two foals from fighting. He really shouldn't be here in this town, no pony respects him and he can't even replace anything that gets broken around here.  As entertaining as pony-watching is, it's not exactly the reason I frequent this place. No, I don't come here for the drinks either, I'm not the type of stallion who enjoys hindering his senses with booze or drugs. I need to be sharp so my wits are quick and my body isn't sluggish. Being smaller than most adult ponies I need all the advantages I can get. I come here for the secrets. The whispers hidden beneath the chatter of the other creatures. Talks of gold and jewels, of secrets and rumors. Anything of value, I must have it. I have been told by some that I have the greed of a dragon and, honestly, they're probably right. I focus on different conversations, searching for anypony who might be making plans for a heist. A mare who is roaming from table to table holds up a photograph, asking if anypony recognizes the stallion in the picture. Uninteresting. I hear griffons talk about some King's forces who have made their way to Griffonstone according to a letter she received. Irrelevant. A mare complains to another how her sister has been missing for a week which is highly unusual for her. She's probably dead or captured and taken as a slave. Somepony else speaks of this tonic they've heard of, something that will cure the plague. Lies I bet, there's nothing that can cure the plague.  Then I hear what I'm listening for. A conversation about somepony recruiting for a job.  “So, you know that Count Markus guy right? The 'high and mighty' stuffing peddler in Canterlot?” one pony says. Hm, Count Markus, Canterlot's auctioneer. I haven't visited his estate in a while. He's probably already replaced what I stole the last time I was there. Another pony gives a disgusted snort, “Yeah, that rich son of a bitch thinks he's better than everypony else.” I can hear him scratching himself. “Well CJ and the birds of a feather were signaling a visit to the neighbors. It took a bit of convincing but I got everypony to agree we’d like you to join us. We could do with a better pair of eyes than Cricket. There’s going to be quite the rum stuffing.” The first pony informs. “Oh yeah? How much rum is in the curbing law?” That's an excellent question. If the rum stuffing is as good as she's boasting, it might be worth me looking into. “Well, we got a hole in need of plugging that says there’s something special hidden under the rug. He was supposed to switch hooves with his uncle but decided to keep it for himself. Seems he didn’t want to fall into boredom, get hooked and drop a glove. We don’t know what it is, but it’s supposed to be a tall buck’s bit.” she says. I hear a paper being unrolled, probably the map. “Right there. The hole in need of plugging who gave us a peach about it said it’s in his slave stables. That's why the Count’s been having so many pigs around his place lately. Someone noticed his unusual behavior and someone else sang their song. They thought it was some kind of rare slave but he's just got the usual: seven earth, one pegasai and one unicorn.”  Hm, many guards means a lot of steel. I'll have to make sure and keep my head down. If it's worth a tall buck's bit it might be worth the risk. But why would he hide it in his slave stables… Actually, that's probably my fault. That was one of the few places I didn't steal things from last time. “Really?” I heard the second pony say, “A piece of unknown contraband worth more than a chunk ‘o gin. You guys have very poor holes to say the least. They can’t even be a little more long tongued about it?” I would have to agree with him on that. The first pony spoke again, “The peach said it was worth at least four dozen chunk ‘o gins but, they're not really sure exactly what it was, just its worth. They found a receipt with how much yellow tin they were going to exchange for it but the word ‘Void’ was written on it and it was found in the bin. The description was half a clock of mustang gem shards, whatever in the hell those are.” What in tartarus is a mustang gem? Sounds like a gamble then. If I've never heard of them they're either completely worthless. That or it's a very well kept secret. I think I'll take my chance. It's not like I haven't stolen useless junk before. Besides, if it's in Count Markus' possession it should at least be worth something.  “You want me to join you guys. To get broken gem shards.” The second pony argued. The first pony tried to justify her request, “W-well, my uncle said that the mustang gem was some ancient thing, owned by the long gone legit rulers of the Crystal Empire. They can’t be worth a rusted button if it was owned by royalty!” We'll see if that's true or not. That was all I needed to hear. I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray on the table, slid out of the booth I sat at and trotted out the door. I probably should have paid for the glass of water I was drinking but the bartender and the waitress were both too busy trying to break up another fight.  The air of the early night was a little chilly and the clouds high in the sky only let me glimpse the majesty of the glittering starscape a few times before they closed the gaps. I looked around at the town that was so familiar to me. Everything in this place was made of wood and stone. They didn't have the facilities to improve the structures so the residents here made due with what they had. That didn't mean ponies didn't break anything now and again. Several shops had shattered windows that the owners didn't bother bordering up. The hoof railing on the walkways that connected the shops together was damaged in several spots. The wooden planks beneath my hooves had almost disintegrated with time and usage. They threatened to shatter under my weight but they somehow held strong.  I passed Crowfoot's Crap Shack, the local pawn shop, and glanced through the window to see if he had any interesting wares for thieving. Nothing new. Oh well, I had a mission to go on. I grit my teeth as I passed Doc Maggot's Slice and Dice. His place always gives me the creeps and I try to avoid it as much as I can. The thought of somepony's hooves inside me freaked me out let alone allowing somepony access to my body while I was unconscious. As I came upon the Crippled Cragidile Inn, a drunkard stumbled backwards out the front door. I halted in my tracks, expecting more to exit considering his unique departure from the building. As expected, another pony barreled her way out the door, lept upon the drunkard and began to beat the shit out of him. A stray dog noticed the scuffle and decided to join in on the fight, probably to try and get a meal out of it. That's my cue to exit. Hate dogs, filthy mongrels.   At the opposite end of town, a couple of loud gunshots rang out followed by several others of a lower caliber. Somepony yelled a reply but, from this distance I couldn't make out what they were saying. Wasn't my business anyway.  I reached the end of town marked by the solid short fence of salt bricks. They were also laid through the forest as a marker for safe passage. The forest itself was so alive and hungry that if we didn't have these here, the plants would consume the very town itself, reclaiming its rightful territory so to speak.  Trotting along the path was more difficult then it seemed. The woodland was quite dense, the trees were thick and entangled with each other. The brush and weeds along the forest floor demanded the room to grow and some even looked to be devouring the taller timbers to reach the sunlight. Joke blue was almost everywhere it could find space to grow. It was a plant that gave you a mutation similar to Discord's chaos bubbles. Ponies constantly argue whether the plant was a natural occurrence or something Discord created. An annoyance to those living in The Everfree all year round instead of just on the time he's alloted to screw with the citizens of Equestria.  I could hear timber wolves howling in the distance and owls calling out to the night. The yowls of chimera were nearby as they fought for dominance of territory. At least, that's what I hoped they were fighting over. If it were mating season for them it would be even more dangerous to be traveling through their claimed land. I could hear low sounds of chicken clucking and something slithering between the brush. Clear noises of a cockatrice nearby. If I looked it in the eye it would freeze me to solid stone. I'd better pick up my pace.  The trees cleared and I came upon the town of Ponyville. This town used to be not so bad until the rebellion started. Due to the rebel's leader residing in the village, Ponyville is known as being the main hub of their operation. It's where they plan the war they are waging against the King. The damage to the country they've fashioned isn't so bad, really. With more death and destruction, ponies like me have more opportunities to make a living. More often, ponies aren't home but working on war efforts or in the King's prison for treason which leaves their homes unattended. These are wonderful times for a master thief like myself.  The rebels had constructed a large wall around their small town made of scraps and debris some time shortly after declaring war against the crown. Honestly it looks worse then the buildings in The Everfree. Being a town right next to where the scum of the land live and on the train's route around Equestria, their home was bombarded by threats and damage almost daily. Their pegasai scouts hovered in the air as they scanned for any suspicious looking ponies and their guard stood by outside the massive gate. They halted anypony wishing to enter their domain and were overbearing on their searches and seizures. Anypony caught in their clutches were quite possibly stuck in an interrogation for hours if they weren't known by anypony within their organization. I knew if I wandered too close to the border guards they might capture me so I steered clear of them. I didn't have time for their foolish paranoias, I had steal to get and the night was still young. My destination was the train station just past the Ponyville gates. I knew Count Markus lived in Canterlot and walking there would take all night so I opted for the transportation. Sure, I would lose a few bits paying for a ticket but my prize would be worth it. I had faith it would be anyway. As I approached the platform lined with benches, I could see a few ponies waiting around for its arrival. One I passed smelt disgustingly sickly so I made sure to stay away. The blight was a terrible thing to catch and there was no cure. Well, I heard somepony claiming there was but I didn't believe them. The plague left you coughing up blood, it caused your skin to bubble up with infection and it made your organs shut down. I've heard it's very painful and that no pony's survived it. I'd much rather not die in a week or two if I can help it.  I reached the ticket booth and I was separated from the mare inside by a pane of glass. She had a radio playing inside and I could hear the news report that the radio personality, Smile Cat, was reading off between the songs he played. It was all the same garbage of who attacked who, which towns were on fire today and what new laws the King had decreed this week. Most of what he had to say was personal commentary on the news instead of what was actually going on. I'll admit, I sometimes listen to his broadcast too but only to see which parts of Equestria were ripe for the thievery.  "Where ya headed stranger?" the ticket mare asked.    "Canterlot." I replied.   "Seven bits." she told me. Seriously, seven bits? It was four bits last month. This was the problem with those damned rebels. They go throwing a fit and it ruins it for everypony else. I know, I was just praising them for making my job easier and now I'm complaining about them. Whatever. I grabbed the coin from my saddlebag and handed the perfectly shined bits over in exchange for my ticket. Goodbye precious valuables, your sacrifice will not be in vain, I assure you. It wasn't long before the train sounded off as it came closer to the station. Steam bellowed from its tower as it chugged along and its breaks screeched as they tried to halt the massive metal beast. When it finally stopped, I boarded and had my admission punched by the ticket pony. Making my way to my seat, the train began to move again. As it lurched forward, the sudden movement caused me to faceplant into the carpeted floor. I groaned as I got up and rubbed my masked muzzle with a hoof.  In front of me on the floor was my small fuzzy friend. She was furiously cleaning off the lint that got on her fur after she fell out of my hood. Others may call me crazy for befriending a rat in these times of the plague but she's my best friend and I wouldn't trade her for anything. Well, I'd have to think long and hard about it if I were offered a large sum but, I'd still like to think I'd choose her over a mountain of gold.  "I'm sorry Thief, are you okay? I always forget you fall out at that part." I told her warmly. She began to give my hoof a couple of licks, assuring me she forgave me. I smiled and helped her back up to my withers.  I found a spot and settled in for the ride. I knew this wouldn't take long, the trip from Ponyville to Canterlot was maybe a couple of hours since the village was so close to the mountain metropolis. While I waited, I watched the world pass by through the dirty window beside my seat. We passed the broken wall of Ponyville and a traveling caravan of three carts with several ponies that were traveling along the road. We had gone past them so fast I couldn't see if any of the ponies were wearing the trademark brand over their cutiemarks that labeled them as slaves. As Saddle Lake came into view, I could see something large break the surface of the water only to dive back down seconds later. I have heard that one of The Eight from the Rouge Rogues was a sea serpent. I have never seen one myself but I have heard they were like massive snakes that called the waters their domain. I suspected I may have just caught a glimpse of one. A small swarm of bats flew high in the sky and I spotted a pegasus trailing a cloud of smoke behind them.  It wasn't long before darkness engulfed the inside of the train as it entered the steep mountain tunnel and up to the entrance of Canterlot. I couldn't see a hoof in front of my face as I looked around. The window no longer provided entertainment for me so I decided to put my other senses to use.  My rat friend, Thief, had been gone for some time now. After I found someplace to sit, she scampered off to explore at her leisure. I wasn't worried for her, I knew she would eventually return to me. Listening for her, I could hear the noises of the night train all around me.  The sound of wheels on the tracks below clicked and clacked as it pulled us all up the mountain, struggling with the train's own massive weight. I could hear the sound of somepony humming a soft tune in front of me. I have a feeling I've heard the tune somewhere before, probably on the radio but I couldn't place it. Doesn't matter. In the booths next to me and a couple seats behind, there was a mare making her bench squeak as she was mumbling, "Don't trust, don't trust, don't trust." to herself. She continued as I heard a foal struggling in her grasp, "Gotta get out, don't trust, keep them safe. I'll keep them safe for you my love. Won't come back, he won't. Don't trust, gotta get out. Don't trust, don't trust." She seemed terrified of something but it was unclear exactly what frightened her so much.  Far behind me I could hear a filly and colt quietly arguing over something but I couldn't quite make out what they said. Loud snoring was in their direction too, probably their parent or something.  Even through the mask that covered my muzzle, I could smell mildew and dirt all around me like the inside of the train had not been cleaned in years. The musty smell was unpleasant but I was used to smells like this. It was a common thing for me to visit the unsavory parts of the cities. Not to mention the Muck and Buck Tavern is far worse with its air quality.  I finally heard some sign of my rodent friend. It was a soft thud against my seat cushion and a scramble of tiny claws before another thump on the ground. I moved to the edge of my bench to find her trying to jump up onto the seat again. There was a large cookie in her mouth that was preventing her from getting a good grip. I put a hoof to the ground, knowing she had better night vision than I had, so she had a way to climb up. Once I felt her on my hoof, I lifted her up to the seat.  As my vision finally adjusted to the dark that surrounded me, I could make out the rat shape next to me. I gave Thief a few pets as she settled in and began to nibble on her prize. She really is a master thief of her own class, I could never match up to her skills. The cookie she was eating was almost twice her own size, it was a wonder how she managed to carry it here from wherever she found it.  "See! I wasn't lying and I didn't drop it, it was stolen." A young voice startled me. I quickly looked up to see two foals at the end of my bench, a filly and a colt. My ears folded and my jaw clenched.  Ugh, foals. Why did they come over here? I hate dealing with them and I never know how to act around them. I may be a smaller stallion but they're so much smaller than I am, so much more fragile, so much more innocent. I always tried to avoid them as much as I could but somehow they always gravitated towards me, forcing an interaction no matter where I went. I'll never understand why kids don't fear me or stay away like adults do. Though I prefer to stay in the shadows and avoid conflict anywhere I can, I never minded kicking the crap out of somepony who deserved it. Of course, I had to pick my battles considering there are many who are stronger than I am and I never intend on losing a fight if I can help it. The element of surprise often works in my favor and considering I'm a pony of the shadows it's my main battle strategy.  But with foals… that was a different kind of fight. They could beat me down with their words, spout off truths that hurt and I couldn't do anything against them. Their hoof strikes were nothing because they didn't have the strength of a full grown pony. They could cry and wail because I stole their favorite toy or family keepsake and make me feel like I just ruined their whole existence. Of course I would give the stupid thing back, I couldn't stand the sound of their blubbering. But that's what they did. They broke me down in ways no pony else did. Their crying somehow trumped my greed and I never understood how, I still don't. Interacting with them was exhausting to say the least.  I looked away from them, hoping they would leave me alone.  "Ahh!" the filly shrieked, "Don't touch it! You'll get sick!" "But that guy's sitting right next to it and he's not scared of it." the colt argued back. "Teddy, those things carry the plague. It'll make you really sick and you'll die! That's how they all died, that's why we're with him!" she told him, probably referring to the stallion snoring in the back row.  "Well..." the colt began, "what if I want to get sick? What if I want to be with big brother again because you're a big butt!? You never let me do what I want! I want to be with everypony else! I want mommy!" As the colt argued, his voice grew louder and I could hear him struggling in his sister's grasp.  "You gotta be quieter, you want him to come over here and hurt us again?" I glanced over at the two of them, wondering when they were going to leave. The filly had a hoof over the colt's mouth, trying to keep him quiet. He glared at her as best he could before opening his muzzle to give his sister's foreleg a big lick. She shrieked in disgust and let him go. The filly then waved her leg in the air in an attempt to get the saliva off.  "Eeeww!" the filly exclaimed, "What is wrong with you? That’s gross!" Okay, I'll admit it, that was kind of funny. I chuckled and looked back out the dark window. The light emanating from the end of the tunnel began to show, gradually brightening up the cabin we were in. I could feel eyes on me and I turned to the foals again. The young colt was petting Thief as she ate her sweet and the filly was staring at me. Why was she staring at me? Stop that, it's uncomfortable and I hate it. The train station couldn't come any sooner, I wanted out. My ears folded again and I turned away. I could still feel her looking at me, she needs to stop.  Finally, I couldn't take it any more and just spouted, "What?" at her.  "Your... eyes." the filly said breathlessly, "What's..." Is this filly really that smart? My whole body is covered, she shouldn't be able to figure it out and yet here she is, ascertaining what I am just by looking at my eyes. At least the vast majority of ponies were dumb. Still, this wasn't good, I couldn't have anypony find out what I am.  When the train finally came to the open mouth of the cave that was the train station, the multitude of lanterns that hung from the cavern ceiling made the space almost as bright as daytime. The train began its deceleration as it pulled into the platform where Canterlot's ticket booth was. I could see tents and disheveled shacks all around as a makeshift camp for those not wealthy enough to be let into the city proper.  "Diamonds! You have diamonds in your eyes!" the filly exclaimed.  I looked over at her to see her tiny face brimming with excitement that she had figured something out. Luckily an interruption broke the elation of her discovery.  "There you two are!" said a stallion whose coat was a green so bright it couldn’t be found in nature. He glared at the two children as he scolded them. "Do you want me to put the chains back on you? Get back to your seats or I'm going to have you two branded the second we get there!" Ah, so they were slaves. Foal slaves weren't all that uncommon in Equestria, I saw them quite often actually. If their masters were nice, they waited until the foal got their cutiemarks before branding them but if not, they gave them their mark as soon as they were bought. Branding prior to getting a cutiemark prevents the pony from ever getting one. It's a sacrifice but at least it's better than starving to death in the gutter.  With the brightness that the train station provided, I could see the foals clearly now. The filly was slightly larger than the colt and they were covered in wounds from whip lashes, marks they would likely carry for the rest of their lives. The colt was cowering under his sister as they both trembled in the stallion's presence.  "Yes sir. It won't happen again." the filly said quietly, her eyes downcast. "S-sorry." the colt replied in a tiny squeak.  I felt sorry for the foals. They were in this situation because the plague took their family. They didn't choose the life they were now stuck in but, that was the way the world worked. You had your lot in life and you had to make the best of it. Sure I could help them out, beat the crap out of this buck and set them free but what would that do? Leave them to fend for themselves and eventually starve to death or get killed at the hooves of the King's city guards for stealing, probably. I wasn't going to take them on as their new guardian so that definitely wasn't an option either. I just had to remind myself that it wasn't my problem, I couldn't go around saving every foal just because they always made me feel bad in one way or another. The world is the way it is and no pony could change it. There was one thing I could do, however… As the foals slowly marched back to their seats, the green stallion slammed his hoof on the floor of the train car, causing them to jump in fear and hurry back to their assigned spot. I grabbed Thief, put her back under my hood and I got out of my seat. As I shoved the other buck out of the way so I could make my exit, I swiped his supplies and hid them in my saddle bags. The green pony threw an insult at me for shoving him but I didn't care. And, like the vast majority of ponies, he didn't even realize I had stolen something from him. When the train came to a complete stop, the train ponies opened the door to let the passengers exit. I stepped out onto the wooden platform and pulled out the whip I had taken from the idiot. Inspecting the weapon, I could see it used to be made of some decent materials but it was well worn. He never took proper care of it and in its current state it was quite useless. I'm surprised it didn't fall apart when he used it on those foals. After tossing the worthless piece of junk in a nearby trashcan, I had made my way to Canterlot.  The camp I was in is known as Estuary Slums. The origin of its name had always been a mystery so there were many stories about it. Some say that during a month of chaos, Discord rose the sea levels so high that this was the only place the survivors had for land. Others tell of a pony named Estuary who was the first one to be kicked out of Canterlot and so, out of spite he settled here and started the camp. There's a rumor this place used to be called Lower Mouth Ghetto and somepony just didn't like the name so they changed it. Doesn't really matter what it's called anyway, this is just where the homeless go when they have nowhere else to sleep. Much to the annoyance of the city guards. Despite the bright lights overhead, the majority of the ponies here were sleeping so it was easy enough for me to pass through their little shacks and onto the road to Canterlot undisturbed. I soon exited the cavern and stepped onto the grand bridge that would lead me to the treasure I set my sights on.