“I’m not sure if I should be upset or cooing from cuteness overload right now.” Cadence muttered partly to herself as she stood beside a very large table, surrounded by beings of every color and form imaginable as she glanced to her left, wherein her daughter was clinging to the fluffy form of their housekeeper.

The Felyne, a pure white female who reminded Cadence of a Siberian cat from back in Equestria, was calmly cradling her daughter in her forelegs while the foal batted her whiskers with the tips of her wing feathers. The small creature’s ice blue eyes were filled with both wonder and everlasting patience as Cadence’s foal giggled and cooed, supporting the foal in her grasp with just enough force to keep her from wiggling free. While it was an adorable sight, Cadence still felt slightly betrayed by her newborn, having seemed to forget she existed in favor of their diminutive, if astonishingly soft, companion.

A cleared throat to her right brought Cadence back to reality, her gaze turning up to face the silver-maned human from the previous day, “Yes?”

“We are ready to begin, if you are as well, Cadence.” The alicorn still felt intimidated by the human’s gruff exterior but pushed that uncomfortable feeling aside as best she could, nodding her consent.

“Then let’s get council underway.” His voice rose a few levels in volume as he addressed the gathered beings across the table from them, Cadence was only able to see over the edge of said table by half a hoof, such was the difference in her height from those around her, “For those of you that do not know, this is Princess Cadence and her daughter, the two creatures that were found in the Ancient Forest shortly after the disturbance that occurred yesterday. She has offered to help us with our investigation, and to provide what information she is able about the circumstances we now face. Treat them with the respect and dignity that every race deserves and do your best to help them in turn while we sort out this mess.”

Cadence waved a hoof nervously, uncertain of the gathered beings before her, “Um, hello, I’m Princess Cadence, but just Cadence will do if you prefer. I don’t know how we ended up in this place, but I want to learn as much as I can and will help to the best of my ability. I ask that you treat me and my daughter well, and I hope that we can become friends in due time.” A smile managed to break through her nerves as several of the humans and Wyverians, she didn’t yet know the differences between them, cheered in approval at her words.

“So, what’s the plan, Commander?” A shorter female in the front row called out. Cadence recognized her as part of the group that had greeted her back in the bunkroom when they had first awoken.

“At present,” the Commander replied from Cadence’s side, “we have yet to find any additional information concerning the disturbance in the Ancient Forest. However, multiple teams have reported back that the local wildlife has become highly agitated since the event, with even usually passive creatures attacking hunting parties on sight.”

Cadence shivered as her mind brought forth the Jagras pack that had nearly killed her and her daughter when they had first arrived in this new world. Faust only knew what else lived in the area if these trained hunters were having trouble.

“With that in mind,” the Commander continued, “all expeditions and quests now have a two-person minimum, even for the more experienced members. We have had a few injuries due to the local monsters’ increased aggression, let’s not add any more to the list.”

“SIR!” Cadence flinched slightly at the call that erupted from the gathered beings, her ears folding close to her head before slowly rising once again.

“Now then, we should begin comparing notes concerning –” the Commander’s words were forcefully cut off as a thunderous roar echoed through Astera, dwarfing the volume of the gathered beings many times over as all eyes turned towards the rising sun.

Cadence covered her ears with her hooves, pulling her daughter and the Felyne holding her against her barrel with her magic, shielding the now crying foal and cringing housekeeper with one of her wings. Her gaze followed those of the beings around her, squinting in the glare before widening in shock and fear as an enormous, winged shadow plunged from within towards the Commission’s base. A second, mighty roar erupted from the creature’s mouth, revealing razor-sharp teeth as the spiked behemoth landed in the courtyard behind the gathered hunters. Two huge wings spread wide in a threatening display as its beady, golden eyes locked onto Cadence and her charges with deadly intent.

Commission staff ran in every direction as the monster, Cadence understood now why they were called such, squared its front legs in a broad stance and roared a third time, non-combat personnel taking cover as hunters raced towards the creature with weapons drawn. Cadence’s eyes widened as the heavily armored being she met before led the charge, the long blade on his back pulling free from its scabbard as the gathered hunters confronted the massive creature. Even as big as they were compared to her, they were dwarfed by the hulking beast that slowly lashed its tail, its gaze shifting towards the hunters for a moment before returning to Cadence and her daughter.

“Nergigante, the Eater of Elders.” Cadence’s blood ran cold at the Commander’s words, “It’s never left the Elder’s Recess before, let alone attacked a settlement. Why would it suddenly do so now?”

“My guess,” Cadence jumped slightly as another heavily armored being stood up from his stool behind the Commander, his aged voice muffled slightly by his helm as he drew his own dark green blade, “it’s here doing what it does best, hunting for food.”

Cadence felt some measure of relief as the older hunter stepped between them and the monster, his stance loose but ready as she glanced up at the Commander, “So what does that mean?”

“Given what we know, Nergigante feeds on other elder dragons, targeting the weaker or wounded members of their species.” Cadence’s eyes widened as the pieces began to come together in her mind, “Most likely it sensed the energy surge from the Ancient Forest and has traced it to a new food source.” The side glance at the foal in Cadence’s grasp confirmed her worst fears, her breathing accelerating as her eyes locked with those of the Nergigante, the beady, golden orbs boring into her with lethal intent.

“For Astera!” One of the hunters cried, a roar of agreement following the declaration as over a dozen hunters descended on the Nergigante, blades flashing and explosions rocking the base as the monster met their charge head-on.

Cadence was frozen in place, awe-struck as the hunters worked in perfect sync, distracting the beast from one side while another hunter attacked from the side or rear. Sparks flew from various parts of the monster’s body as metal impacted against armored scales, but there didn’t appear to be much damage after the blade struck or arrow impacted. The Nergigante certainly wasn’t sitting idle as its attackers swarmed around it like an angry beehive, its wings dropping to the ground and sweeping upwards to knock hunters away while its tail whipped back and forth to clobber attackers behind it. Huge claws tore holes into the courtyard’s flooring as the beast’s forelegs pounded anyone unlucky enough to get too close, its massive horns hammering into the ground before surging upward and launching multiple spikes from its head and neck at the hunters.

Horror began to set in Cadence’s mind as multiple hunters were dragged out of the fight by their fellows, bleeding from massive cuts or impaled by the creature’s spikes. The number of hunters able to continue quickly dwindled as more and more were injured or thrown clear of the flight by lashing wings and tail, until there were only three hunters left standing before the terrible monster. The hunter familiar to her was one of them, although even they weren’t unscathed, chunks and pieces of armor missing from various parts of their gear from glancing blows or deflected spikes.

“This isn’t good,” the older hunter muttered under his breath, “this one’s a lot stronger than the previous Nergigante we’ve battled.”

“Evacuate all non-essential personnel,” the Commander ordered, “take any wounded with you and wait for our signal flare to return. We need to get everyone out of harm’s way.”

Hunters and other staff scrambled to do as instructed, even as the battle continued to rage around them.

“That means you too, Princess.” The Commander added, “Get clear of the base and stay close to the other hunters. We’ll handle this and let you know when it’s safe to return.”

Cadence nodded but was unable to do anything before noticing something changing in the fight before her. The Nergigante didn’t seem to be as focused on the hunters attacking it, its spikes no longer a pale white on its back and limbs. The now jet-black spines were deflecting nearly every attack put against them, and its gaze had once again locked onto her and her daughter.

Cadence’s eyes widened as the beast roared, charging past the hunters harassing it and barreling directly towards them, its jaws opening wide and its foreleg winding up for a massive strike as it reared up on its hind legs. Cadence blankly recognized that she was about to die, the hulking mass behind the incoming strike would surely flatten her if the massive claws didn’t rend her in two. The aging hunter before her turned around and dove against her, wrapping his arms around her barrel as he pulled them against his armored chest, propelling them out of harm’s way as his sword clattered to the ground.

Nergigante’s strike impacted seconds later, shattering the hunter’s blade and driving its foreleg through the wood planks and dirt up to its elbow from the extreme force. Cadence grunted as they rolled free of the attack, the hunter drawing a smaller blade from his belt as he squared off against the massive creature.

Cadence’s heart was hammering in her chest, terror overcoming her thoughts as the elder dragon completely ignored the hunter before it, slowly prying its foreleg out of the ground before advancing on them with saliva dripping from its panting maw.

A deep, rumbling sound came from the beast, which Cadence almost took for growling at first, only for her eyes to widen in greater horror as she began to recognize the sounds as individual words.

“Prey. Weak. Humans. Weak. All are weak.” It was like the rumble of distant thunder mixed with the grinding of stone against stone, a force of nature given voice as the beast batted the older hunter aside with one massive paw.

It gazed down at Cadence and her quivering charges, an almost prideful gleam in its gaze, “Prey. MINE!”

Cadence screamed as the beast surged forward, mouth wide open and teeth gleaming as it attacked with glutenous fervor. Her horn sparked, died, sparked again, then erupted with a brilliant glow as a shield dome surrounded them with its bright pink energy. The Nergigante’s teeth screeched as they ground into the magic shield, the feedback from the impact making Cadence’s already throbbing head shatter into a full-blow migraine as the beast pulled back, swiping at the shield with its forelegs. Each titanic blow sent additional waves of agony through Cadence’s already strained ability to focus, her entire being condensing down to a singular goal.

Keep. The shield. Together!

Sound was muffled from outside the protective sphere, her eyes shut tight as all her focus remained on keeping the shield up until the monster left them alone. Either that, or she passed out from mana exhaustion again. Time lost all meaning as she lay there, curled around her daughter and the housekeeper as she used her wings and body to protect them as best she could. Her entire existence was focused on keeping them alive, even as her head pounded with each racing heartbeat and her horn buzzed with overcharged magic energy.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a gentle tapping on the shield pulled her from her single-minded focus, her sudden return to reality finally breaking the hold she had over her shield. The dome sputtered and faded out of existence as her bleary eyes took in the concerned expressions of the humans and other Commission staff, the young female from before smiling down at her as she crouched.

“Hey there, are you alright?” Her energetic voice soothed some of the worry in Cadence’s mind, for what little it could process anything beyond the agony of her headache.

“I-I think so.” She carefully unfurled her wings, revealing the housekeeper had done a similar shielding hold around her daughter, the foals crying a welcome distraction from the terror from before.

Cadence carefully pried her daughter from the Felyne’s hold, cradling the newborn in her hooves as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Much as she wanted to just lie down and sleep, she had to be certain that the monster was gone before she could allow herself to relax.

“Where is Nergigante?” Her eyes roamed around the courtyard but saw no sign of the hulking monster, the only remains of its presence being the scattered spikes sticking out of various objects around the area.

“It flew off after it couldn’t break your shield.” The Commander stated as he stood off to one side, “We’ve had trouble with monsters like that in the past, but never something like this.”

“Nergigante hunts other elders for food.” The eager female piped up, “Why would it come after us in Astera?”

“My guess,” the Commander replied, glancing at Cadence’s horn, “is that it can sense the energy given off by these two, and thinks that they are the perfect easy meal.”

“I-It wanted to eat us.” Cadence’s voice cracked as her mind conjured the monster’s face in horrifying detail, “I-It said that we were its prey. I-It called all of us, weak, like it was playing with a toy.”

“Hold on,” the Admiral interjected, “are you saying you understood what a monster was saying? It wasn’t just roars and growls?”

Cadence nodded, her body shaking as she held her daughter closer, “It was horrible, like something out of a nightmare. It wasn’t saying much, but it said enough to get the point across.” Cadence looked up at the gathered Commission staff, “It called us prey, said that all of us were weak, that its prey was his and his alone.”

“It must be something about where you come from,” The Commander held a hand to his chin, “or the energy you seem to possess, that might explain your ability to understand monsters. This will require further investigation, but right now we have a bigger problem.”

“What’s that?” Cadence wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what could be worse than a huge monster attack.

“Nergigante is nothing if not a tenacious beast.” His words brought a hush over the gathered crowd, “Once it sets its sights on something, there is very little that will deter it from the hunt. It will be back, so we need to prepare for once it does.”

“How?” Cadence’s voice cracked as her wings curled around both her body and her sniffling daughter, “How do we stop that thing when all of your hunters weren’t enough to hurt it even when they worked together?”

“Good question,” the Commander nodded once, “but I think we might already have an answer.” His hand stretched out and pointed directly at her, “You could very well be the key to our mutual problem.”

“ME?!” Cadence’s voice was almost a screech as her eyes widened in shock, “What do you mean, me?! I don’t know anything about what’s going on! I just want to go home and forget this ever happened!”

“And yet, until we find a way to get you home,” he countered, “you’re stuck here and Nergigante won’t wait around for you to pull yourself together. Your power was enough to repel a monster that even our best struggled against. I believe we can teach you how to use that power in a more offensive way, to take care of the beast before it can harm anyone else.”

“Y-You mean,” a fearful realization began to dawn on Cadence as she looked at the gathered beings around her, “I-I need to fight that thing?!”

“Not alone,” the older hunter spoke up, his grip tightening on the hilt of his shattered blade, “we will be by your side and can teach you how to battle monsters.”

“B-But I’m not a fighter!” Cadence felt like she was losing more and more control of the situation with each passing moment, “Equestria has been at peace for almost a thousand years! Nopony has had to fight in centuries!”

“But this is not Equestria,” the Commander countered, “this is the New World, where every day is a battle for survival. Here, it is kill or be killed when you face off against a monster. We can teach you what you need to know, but unless you do, you’ll be just as helpless as you were today when Nergigante shows up again.”

Cadence’s eyes watered as fear gave way to frustration, her headache not helping her jumbled thoughts at all, “I just want to go home. I didn’t ask for any of this.”

Sniffs forced their way from her muzzle, unbidden, as she held her daughter close to her chest and face, crying into her daughter’s mane as the dam finally broke. Sobs wracked her body as tears glittered in the morning light, her breathing ragged and her body shaking from the excess adrenaline and emotion as she did her best not to completely fall apart. Royal decorum could go buck itself, she just wanted to go home!

A soft coo pulled her thoughts out of the stress-induced quagmire she had found herself in, a tiny hoof against her cheek distracting her as her watery gaze finally managed to focus on the little alicorn in her grasp.

Soft, sky-blue eyes wandered over her face, a second tiny hoof joining the first as her daughter cooed again, her gentle touch and innocent concern a soothing balm to Cadence’s fractured composure. A giggle escaped her muzzle as the tiny filly did her best to rub away the tears that stained her face, a smile curling her lips just a bit as she nuzzled against her daughter’s face.

“Thanks, I needed that.” It was a whisper, but the strength had returned slightly to her voice as she lifted her head, meeting the patient gaze of the Commander as her expression hardened. “So, what do I need to do?”

The hint of a smile almost made itself known before disappearing again, the Commander’s gaze travelling to the young duo who had greeted her when she had first awoken, “You two, I have a new assignment for you. Your guardian and escort duties have been upgraded to instructor status. Teach Her Highness everything she needs to know about hunting monsters. Don’t leave anything out and see to it that she finds herself a suitable weapon.”

“Yes, Sir!” the excitable female replied with a salute, her battered companion simply nodding in agreement beside her.

“As for your daughter,” the Commander continued, “she won’t be able to go with you while you are training and hunting, so we will need to assign her a caretaker while you are otherwise occupied.”

“Heh, I’d hate to see the face of the poor sap who gets stuck with that job.” The Admiral laughed to himself.

“Well, you might need to find a mirror then,” the Commander’s voice held the barest hint of a smirk, although his face betrayed no such emotion, “because that was exactly what I planned to have you do, given you were so eager to bring these two back to Astera when you first found them.”

“Huh? Wait, what,” the large man seemed to be completely at a loss for words, “but I’m your superior! You can’t order me around!”

“Then think of it as you taking responsibility for bringing two unknown creatures into the base without understanding anything about them,” the Commander countered firmly, “as well as the mess that Nergigante made afterwards.”

“But I, he just,” a groan escaped his mouth as he rolled his head back and sighed, “this is going to be a long day.”

Cadence glanced up at the Commander, her grip tightening on her daughter, “Are you certain she needs to be looked after? Why can’t I just do my training here in Astera so she can be at my side?”

“Because the most effective method of training for a hunt is to go on a hunt.” He replied, “There is only so much that can be shown or learned from a book. Most of a hunter’s skills and training are built upon real-world experiences, because that is where the application of what you learn and the adaptations to fit the situation become necessary.”

Cadence sighed, “Very well, just, be careful.”

She had a feeling that this was going to be the start of a long, stressful adventure, one that she liked less and less as she learned more about this New World.

“Whoever said motherhood would be easy is a bucking moron.” She muttered to herself as she followed the Commander towards a side gate on Astera’s perimeter, towards what appeared to be a training area, “Shining, please find me soon.”

Author's Note

For those who are unfamiliar with our resident Elder Porcupine, here is an image of the oh-so-tenacious Nergigante.

Such a handsome face, at least when he isn't using it to pile-drive you into the ground and then pincushion your corpse.

Anyway, thank you so much for your patience with this book. My muse was struggling to figure out how best to get the plot rolling, so to speak, so it took me a bit to figure out the best course of action.

Drop a like, leave a comment and let me know what you all think of this latest update! I hope to update more in the near future so keep an eye out for new chapters, now that the story has actually gotten up and off its feet.

See you next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.