PART

ONE

1 - The Great Hunting Ground

IT WAS A DARK rainy evening in spring, the city of Trottingham was traveling along the edges of a mountain seeking a trade cluster beyond.

In previous years Trottingham would have laughed at such an idea, for trading clusters are easy prey to catch. Going after them was much less entertaining than crossing Equestria for richer cities; everypony enjoyed the ventures to the Frozen North and the battles in the Capital Valley to the west. But the times were dragging on, and prey was getting scarce. Reports of traitor cities were making headlines all across Equestria, and Trottingham could feel hungry eyes watching it from the shadows, which quickly got the city to go into hiding. For ten years it had been hiding, crawling through the far eastern Rustwater Marsh and venturing around the neighboring mountains. Trottingham, a city that once proudly showcased its riches and capabilities, was now in the corner of the world where nothing would find it. For ten years it had eaten tiny static towns and even itself to survive, sacrificing many beautiful parks and grande monuments to keep the treads moving. However, Trottingham excelled in technology, greatly improving its strength and agility. The lord mayor had been pleased at the recent breakthroughs, so much so that he commenced the reconstruction of the Observatory on the top tier. In addition, he had the navigators plot a safe route to a trading cluster a few thousand kilometers due west.

Lord Mayor Magnus Crome - a short, plump, grey stallion with a short black mane and matching tail - realized the importance of the day. Ever since the Big Tilt, he had wanted to avenge his poor town. He had finally hit his goal: Trottingham was never stronger, even if it didn't look so. The city had grown to five tiers in the style of a wedding cake; maybe not the most appealing tiers with dead gardens and ruined waterfalls dotting the streets, but any smaller city would fear its size. The lower tiers had been covered with scrap metal armor which covered everything down to the cities jaw. This "jaw" was actually a jagged hole that had been torn apart for spare parts. This opening was surrounded by the equally rusted and worn caterpillar treads that kept the city aloft. Even though it looked horrid, Magnus Crome was sure it was twice the city it was ten years earlier.

The Navigators were plotting the course and the Engineers were working to keep the city moving. Crome was finally pleased with the mechanics of his city. He paused at the though. Was it really his city? Did he own the mechanical miracle, or did he simply light the path for the ponies who lived on it? Of course he owned Trottingham! He had achieved things the old mayor wouldn't even think of. Before Magnus Crome took the wheel, Trottingham was a petty merchant city roaming Equestria. It was Crome who had built its frightening reputation and had rebuilt itself as a city worthy of any challenge. If Trottingham wasn't Lord Mayor Magnus Crome's city, it wasn't anyponies.

Content with the answer, the mayor turned and walked off towards the old academy.

Trottingham looked like it had a hard time surviving the ten years of isolation. Static towns and tiny traction villages hardly did anything. By the latter years of the decade, the mayor had ordered parts of the city to be turned into fuel. Empty homes, trees and bushes from parks, old airships, and - thanks to the Engineering Committee - even trash had been salvaged to keep Trottingham big and mobile. Trottingham was sluggish and rusty in its movements. Even still, it was a surprise to see a city following from the western horizon. The city was dark at first, but as the sun rose, it revealed a glimmering black traction city matching the size of Trottingham. Panic began to start as the predator picked up speed and the dots that were airships took flight.

William felt the deck plates of the old Navigators Academy start to shake. The colt recognized the familiar feeling of Trottingham's engines picking up speed. He had lived on the city since birth, and he knew every sound and movement the machinery could make. Judging the vibrations, William could tell the city was picking up a lot of speed; such speed could mean only one thing: there was a city nearby.

William wasn't the only one who came to that conclusion; the lecture hall burst into discussion. The entirety of the Navigators Committee - save the pair directing Trottingham - had been gathered in the lecture hall to assist in forming the path to get the traction city safely to the Trade Cluster due North-East. The Navigator Head and Officials occupied the central platform while the surrounding seats were half-full with the Apprentice Navigators, all of them voicing their thoughts on the sudden increase in speed.

"Hey Lightning, I hope the Mayor doesn't change plans because of a city. I'd hate to have wasted four hours of sleep of nothing." A pony close to William spoke to a friend.

"Like hay he would, Derek! My dad says the Mayor wouldn't change direction even if the anti-tractionists walled us off. In fact, I think the Officials are discussing how to get through them right now." Lightning replied.

"Don't you think they'd just get Will. With his unicorn magic, he could take down any size of a city." He pointed at William who had sat at the rear of the room, alone.

"Magic!" A nearby pony broke in. "Don't be stupid. Remember the stories about the last time unicorns cast spells? I'd rather live to become an airship pilot."

"How did I forget?" Lightning recalled, "We wouldn't want a unicorn destroying the world again." The trio glared at William who tried hiding behind the desk.

The room was full of ponies; they were all identical in most ways. They all wore the Navigator's uniform of a navy-blue jacket with golden outlines along the seams that extended the length of their body. The wearers dutie mark was left uncovered by the uniform: all Navigators bore a 'white six-pointed star in a full black circle within a navy blue diamond' icon on their flank. The Historian Committee says that dutie marks used to portray one's special talent in life, but, whether or not it was true, they were now used to denote which social department one belonged to. And, even though William wore the jacket and bore the Navigator's dutie mark, he did not feel like one: he was a unicorn.

William hated unicorns. It wasn't because he always got picked on for being one, nor was it because unicorns somehow became the blame for everything bad since his ancestors cast that bad spell. It was because he was the only living one he knew. His parents died when sky pirates collapsed an upper tier of the city, an event known as the Big Tilt, and he hadn't known of any others. He faced dozens earth ponies and pegasus daily. The earth ponies occupied eighty percent of the cities population and committees, the pegasus were traveling merchants or mailmares. Never had William come across another unicorn; he was alone against a world that hated him.

"Hold up guys. That was no simple spell that destroyed the world." A different pony spoke up this time. The dark pule pony, known as Night Star, was the closest pony William had to a friend. "Don't you think it'd be unfair if I blamed you for trapping us on moving cities?"

"You're starting to sound like one of the anti-tractionists. What's wrong with traction cities?" Lightning sneered.

"I just prefer to live on solid ground and be able to get fresh food. Scrap plates and canned food is not what I want to live off of forever."

"She is an anti-tractionist!" Gasped Lightning.

"I better go tell the mayor." Derek said with heavy sarcasm.

But when Derek abruptly stood up, he caught the attention of everypony in the room, even the Head Navigator on the central platform below. William didn't think it could get worse, knowing that everypony would assume it was his fault (whatever 'it' was), but he was frightened when the Mayor walked into the room. The short, plump, grey stallion noticed all the staring almost immediately.

"Am I interrupting something, Sid?" Mayor Magnus Crome asked the Head Navigator with his usual deep, stern voice.

"Not at all, Mayor." Was the dry reply. Taking the hint, Derek instantly sat himself down.

Not many of the elder Navigators were happy with the Lord Mayor. For ten years he had them navigate rough cliff-sides or wander the treacherous Rustwater Marsh; a marsh that had trapped enough cities to turn the water a rustic orange. Before then, Trottingham was well traveled, often going up to the Icy North, or treading close to the anti-tractionist's Shield Wall to the far East. The Navigators missed the adventure.

"Good. I have brought some news for the class." He announced, and without asking, spoke his piece, "As you have no doubt heard, my city of Trottingham has already garnered a predator city. Coming from the Western horizon, the city appears to be identical in size. I have decided to send a small scouting party to find out the motives of this predator before we exchange fire."

The Apprentice Navigators stirred up a commotion. William knew that the Lord Mayor would only come to tell the Navigators this news in person if he needed to hire one of them. The Lord Mayor cleared his throat, instantly quieting the room.

"I have need of one of the Apprentices, the rest will be needed to continue to plot a course. Not only will this serve as a promotion, but it will also serve as a final piloting test. I assume you all wish to finally receive such an honour." Commotion broke out once more, but was quickly quietened. "However, I already have the pony worthy of the task."

The Mayor walked to the bottom of the platform and removed his pair of glasses and wiped them on his shirt. The room remained in silence; everypony anxiously awaiting the lucky pony.

"The pony I have picked to join Valerian in this scouting is William."

One of the Officials approached William. The face he wore was concerning, his tone no better. "William?" He hardly waited for a response, "Mr. Valerian would like to see you."