A lone unicorn was walking along the forest floor of the Everfree, the worn trail grass making barely a sound beneath her hooves. It was nearly evening, the sunset casting the forest in deep reds dappled with gold. The insulated satchel around her waist was full from her foraging in the afternoon, making her a bit slower than she would otherwise be on this trail.

Perhaps though, it was to her benefit. The slower pace made it all the easier to tell... something was following her.

Her ears flicked to the side at a crunch in the brush to the side of the trail. Too close, stranger.

Before either could blink, The unicorn moved, a crackling aura of red-orange magic grabbing the cast iron pan at her side and pointing it at the stranger's throat.

The earth pony on the receiving end blinked, glancing down at the cooking implement with a curious eye, the other hidden by their mane. He didn't seem all that startled by the sudden movement, and she took a second in the silent pause that followed to inspect the newcomer.

With her soft pink coat, and a mane that couldn't decide if it was wine red or raspberry pink, this stranger was too bright to fit into the dark blues and greens of the woods.

"Who are you." She cleared her throat, voice raspy and hoarse. "And why are you here."

"Ah- Well, well, Strange pony who's threatening me with a cooking implement! You do seem to have quite the upper hoof here!" He let out a nervous sounding laugh, flashing them a salesman smile, her single golden canine flashing in the dappled light.

"Folks call me Moonshine- and I was wandering while wondering- dreadful habit, really."

The unicorn cocked an eyebrow. Ponies didn't just wander this deep into the Everfree. Unless, of course, they were very lost- or very stupid. Which of the two this pony was, she had yet to see.

"Now that you know what to call me," He interrupted their train of thought, leaning to look around the pan. "May I have your name?"

She stared at him, processing the request as it hung in the air between them like a wire snare awaiting a rabbit.

"...Some know me as Cast Iron." She sidestepped just as he had, too used to setting snares to step into one, even if she wasn't sure what trap it was attached to.

Carefully, She lowered the pan. She had enough food for the next few days. No need for unnecessary waste. "Ponyville is the closest settlement. Follow the trail. You'll be out before midnight."

At her answer, Moonshine seemed to flash between emotions; horror, curiosity, fascination- he finally settled on a sort of despairing confusion, clambering out of the brush and onto the path beside her.

"Before midnight? Alone?! But it's so dark in the forest! You know the stories, don't you? I could be eaten by manticores, timberwolves, zombies- vampires! Who knows what's out here!!"

Cast Iron couldn't stop the small snort of amusement at the list, continuing to walk the trail without answer. He scowled. "Aren't you scared? What are you out here for anyways?"

She gestured deeper into the woods. "I live here."

There was a pause as he went silent, staring at her. Whatever he was feeling about that statement was replaced only a moment later with a bright grin. "...Perfect! I can stay the night with you then, and in the morning when it isn't dark, I'll be out of your mane!"

"...You're not afraid I'm a zombie or.... whatever in disguise, then?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"You haven't eaten me yet!" He chirped in reply.

Yet. Dead Pan sighed, and holstered her pan.
"...Fine. I don't trust you not to throw yourself directly into the mouth of an Ursa Major, and I don't need concerned ponies ruining my trails looking for you."

She holstered the pan at their waist, magic lighting up her horn with a dim orange flame and Moonshine cheerfully humming along with the Everfrees evening chorus of insects as they walked deeper into the Everfrees embrace..

Author's Note

Hello! This is part of an ongoing Worldbuilding/Au Project I'm working on. More of an "Adjacent" universe rather than an Alternate one? When stuff pops up in the story related to stuff thats important to the worldbuilding for whatever reason and you have questions about it, It'll get answered down here, in the Authors Notes! If a chapter gets a several questions about something that I forgot to mention, It'll probably get mentioned in the next chapters Authors notes as well.

It's my first time writing in Quite a while, so apologies if the qualities a bit janky at all.

Any works I pen for this au will have "Everfae" somewhere in the description!
More than one chapter is planned for this, though I can't say how many it'll end up being- I'm not sure!
I hope you enjoy it regardless!
As a reference, "Cast Iron" uses She/They/Any pronouns, and "Moonshine" uses He/Her!