Chapter 1 - In the woods
Co-Author: Bee
Proofreading: Kim
It was dark. Luna’s moonlight barely shone through the hazy mist covering the Everfree forest. There had been no wind nor rain for days. Ember Coal had no idea where the moisture and mist had come from. He didn't care either. The freezing temperature and his hunger were the only things he was worried about now. Ember berated himself: "Why did I come this deep to the forest, what did I hope to find?". He curled closer to the tree that was his shelter, his dull-reddish mane covering the scrapes he had gotten when thrashing through an especially pointy and thick piece of shrubbery.
A large unicorn trotted down the forest path; he had a chestnut coat and a dark brown mane. He was wearing a gray cloak and finely decorated armor on his torso and forehooves.
Ember didn't hear the unicorn close up on him, his fright had forced him into a near-comatose state. He thought that he heard a manticore. His short life was already flashing before his eyes as he heard the manticore come closer at a slow, threatening pace. The young pony was so afraid that he had forgotten his usual brashness: he couldn't even move, much less confront the deadly beast. Ember felt the warmth of the monster’s breath upon his backside and was already prepared to die, when suddenly a bright silvery flash lit up the night and an powerful force swooped past him, knocking the winged lionesque creature several yards away from him.
The bright light coming closer, he heard the cracking of spells hitting the monster again and again. As the confrontation between the manticore and its unknown foe continued, Ember tried to sneak out of his cover, only to totter between the strange armored unicorn and the beast. He stood there in hysteria as he felt surges of powerful magic fly past him. He heard the unicorn yell something, but was too disoriented to understand.
In an attempt to vanquish the beast, the unknown unicorn set off a mighty arc of light from its horn, blasting the manticore several feet into the air, from where it took flight in a hasty escape.
Shimmer Shield watched the creature take flight. He sighed and moved forward to have a look at the shaking young Earth pony who was standing in front of him.
Ember Coal’s whole body trembled as he lifted his eyes up to take a glance at the foreign pony. He felt intimidated; the power he had just witnessed made him realize how helpless and weak he really was. As an earth pony, he had no powers other than his own hoof-strength! He had no magic to cast spells, to heal himself or brighten up the night.
“Who...Who are you?” he asked softly.
He did not get an answer, but the stranger looked around as if he was looking for something. He probably hadn’t heard the question.
“Hey.., sorry for interrupting whatever you’re doing...” the younger stallion asked, now a little louder.
“Shush,” whispered the armored unicorn, “we are not yet safe.” As Ember Coal sat down to check his wounds, the mage-pony started a slow, careful trot around the small clearing his initial spell had created. He picked up some leaves, sniffed the earth and put his ear to the ground, as if trying to listen for critters below. After a moment of silence he hissed:
“We must go NOW. RUN, foal, RUN.”
“I don’t understand! What is going on?”
“If we stay put, then soon a feast will be held, with us ON the table! Now RUN towards where I came from!”
“But I can’t go any deeper into the forest! I’m completely lost already ! How can I trust you?” Now suspicious, Ember Coal stared doubtfully at the other pony.
“You might be a surprisingly powerful unicorn, but there is no other reason I should trust you! How do I know you won’t send me somewhere I’m gonna die!”
“Had I wanted you dead, I would have left you to the manticore or killed you while you were trembling in front of me like a newborn,” said the cloaked pony.
“I...I didn’t think you had actually noticed me... I... I am sorry.
I am terribly sorry.” Ember Coal bowed down to demonstrate his regret.
“It seems my instincts are driving me crazy” he sighed.
“We can discuss your instincts when we are safe, for now we must run faster than a pair of competing Pegasi.” Shimmer Shield gave Ember a few herbs from under his cloak. “These should ease your pain and soothe your nerves, for now.”
The two ponies broke into a gallop, with Ember at point and Shimmer following close behind, yelling instructions on where to turn.
Running so fast that their hooves hardly even touched the leaf-covered ground, the two of them were winded after a short time already.
“Huh... how long 'til we’re safe?” Ember gasped.
“Just a little further, no more than a mile or two. By the way, I didn’t catch your name!” said the panting unicorn, as he nudged Ember Coal to move.
“It’s Ember Coal...”
“I’m Shimmer Shield.”
I am sorry, I can hardly stand any more... a hundred meters more and I’m gonna collapse...”
Sighing deeply, the unicorn, also tired from a long day and the tough battle with the manticore, picked Ember up in a twirl of silvery-gray magic and helped him put one hoof before the other.
“Dammit, that’s impressive! But..no, I can’t let you do that... you’re gonna use up all your energy and then we’ll both end up exhausted.” Ember shook his head.
“Please don’t bother... I can toughen up,” he claimed.
Having heard this once was enough for Shimmer Shield. He released the binding magic, opting to help by leading the way. After two painfully long miles the ponies finally reached a waterfall. It was no fancy sight like the magic-fed falls of Canterlot, but it was pure fresh water nonetheless. Ember had difficulty following his unicorn savior onto a ledge that led to the back of the waterflow. His dreary eyes were set solely on the small pond glistening in the moonlight. A sudden realization hit Ember - the cold haze was gone and he was greeted by a clear albeit cold autumn night. He followed Shimmer to the back of the waterfall, where there was a small cave with barely enough room for three full-grown ponies. On the ground he saw something that looked like the Guard’s saddlebags he had once seen on a veteran back home, and a pony-shaped lump quietly laying in the corner.
Finally, Shimmer Shield allowed them to lie down. Not a moment too soon; Ember’s legs would give in eventually and just a second later, he slumped to the floor as if having gone unconscious.
The last thing he heard was the clinking of metal, as Shimmer removed his armor.
In his sleep, Ember saw monsters, heroes, tales of great deeds, all from the stories of his foalhood in Ponyville. Ember was abruptly woken from a dream about a nice dish of carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnip by a nudge on his shoulder.
The unicorn, now without armor but still covered by a cloak, tiredly waved his hoof towards the saddlebags and the mouth of the cave and mouthed “Eat some and take the next watch, wake me when it gets cold outside.” With those words the bulky unicorn curled up and swiftly fell asleep.
Ember blinked, still tired, but forced himself on his hooves.
“Did he stay awake all time I was sleeping?” he thought, and suddenly he remembered a day during last winter when he had fallen badly ill. His childhood friend, a beautiful unicorn, called Amber Eyes, had been watching over him all day when he had to rest during a bout of high fever. She had been awake the whole time Ember Coal had tried to sleep. Those memories of dedication made him smile at Shimmer..
Ember was curious about the lump on the ground, covered in a similar cloak to Shimmer’s, but his hunger was much more prevalent. He went on to rummage through the heavy saddlebags on the ground and found what looked like a big daisy-cookie. Ember stepped outside and washed the dry and bland mouthful down with some fresh water. His hunger satisfied, Ember wondered what could be under the cloak in the corner, but Shimmer’s order to stand watch seemed more important. He sat down near the mouth of the cave and started thinking about the last few days - why he had gone to forest, how he had gotten lost, his hunger, the manticore and most importantly, the stallion that had come to his rescue.
He could only wonder about the mysterious pony. He didn’t know anything but his name, and the fact that he was determined and powerful, but also caring.
What had he said? Keep an eye on the temperature?
Yes, it definitely was getting colder.