Humani Victoria

Chapter 29~ Walls Cannot Hold The Winter

                                                            "Winter Is Coming"

                                                                              ~G.R.R Martin

North-Eastern Unknown, Stalliongrad, Wednesday, 27th of February, 9:42am, 2206 AC

It's so cold.

God help me its *so cold***

Jason held his coat tightly around his body as the wind tore at it like an excited lover, he grit his teeth as painful tears welled in his eyes. The cold burned, it ripped and sunk deep into his flesh in a way that Jason had never felt before, he was no stranger to winter either, his home had seen its harsh winters and long snowfalls. This was something completely different, this wasn't some chill in the air to be kept at bay with thick clothing and a hot drink, no, this was a cold that sunk deep into your bones and stuck there, it made your very soul shiver. Jason's teeth chattered so much his jaw began to ache, his hands which he had stuck in his armpits stung from a lack of blood as his body began drawing the warmth inward to try and fight for the most important organs, it was a loosing battle.

One trudging footstep after another Jason moved forward, he had no idea where he was or where he was going. The world was a sea of white flakes, cold hard earth, and a roaring wind that felt like it was trying to bite Jason's ears off, he could see nothing, no land marks, there was no sign of settlement or even a cave to take shelter in, just him and the cold. Still, somewhere in Jason's slowly freezing brain he figured that if he let moving then the blood would keep circulating and maybe prolong his becoming part of some glacier.

Jason essentially put himself on autopilot as he walked forward, deciding that with this visibility direction didn't matter too much, so his thoughts were mostly to the fate of his friends. He hoped beyond hope that they would not be harmed, but seeing what the Gryphon's had done to the agents didn't barter much positivity. Still, the Gryphon's hadn't seemed to be very interested  in them, only the Dagger, so maybe they could stall long enough for Celestia and Luna to catch wind of what had happened.

Jason meanwhile had bigger problems.

Castle of the Two Princesses, Canterlot, Equestria, Wednesday, 27th of February, 1:35pm, 2206 AC

Luna sat on her balcony, over looking the western half of Canterlot and the lands that stretched before it. Despite the sun beginning the settle into the centre of the sky, Luna found herself unable to sleep, a creeping sense of unease and worry had worked its way into her heart but for what reason she couldn't fathom. So Luna relaxed on her perch, enjoying a cup of brazing coffee rather than the calming teas that her sister enjoyed in moments like these. It was perhaps fate that she was already awake when a Royal Guard knocked politely on her door and told her that Celestia requested her presence in her quarters.

Requests? Or demands? Luna thought to herself as she placed her cup down and followed the guard out into the hall. Her thoughts had been swimming with Nightshades echoing words, was she just eager to please her sister? Was she too submissive to Celestia? She remembered the years before her fall, Luna had been the countering voice to Celestia's own. They had argued often, opposing ideals of two seemingly polar opposite sisters, at first Luna had always assumed thus was a good thing that they kept each other in check. Slowly though it had begun to weigh down on them both, Tia had begun to anger at how Luna was constantly questioning her, why her word that should be respected, how she was the eldest and knew better. It was this and many other things that lead to Luna's fall and the rise of Nightmare Moon.

Celestia was waiting on her room like the guard had said, she was pouring tea into the cup of none other than Nightshade himself. The Captain looked terrible, heavy bags lay under his bloodshot eyes, like he had been crying recently, Celestia herself looked as calm an poised as ever.

"Good morning sister," Celestia greeted.

"Good evening," Luna corrected. "What has happened?"

Celestia didn't answer, she simply sipped at her tea as Nightshade spoke up.

"Contacts in Stalliongrad reported that Agents Blossom, Silver Shot, and Sunshine as well as their civilian assets were attacked by a local religious fundamentalist group known as the Alicornist Church, they were taken into the local chapel where a group of Gryphon's preceded to enter only moments afterwords," Nightshade explained. "They remained inside for three minutes before exiting with the three Element Bearers bound and gagged, our contacts entered the chapel afterwords and found several dead priests, local guards and... Agents Blossom, Silver, and Sunshine were also found dead, the asset Jason was nowhere to be found."

Luna's reaction was slightly delayed but slowly the reality of the situation dawned on her, first came shock, then sorrow as her heart dropped into her stomach, and then came the fury. It burned in her gut and boiled over as the rage consumed her, how dare they she thought and swore on her fathers grave that she would enact revenge that would make Nemesis himself proud.

"Where are they now?" Luna demanded.

"Border forces reported a party of Gryphon's crossing the northern border, it's them," Nightshade reported tiredly.

"Then I shall send a team of agents to track them down and bring them to justice, Captain Nightshade make sure-"

"No," Celestia interrupted.

"No?!" Luna repeated incredulously.

"I didn't stutter," Celestia said calmly, sipping her tea. "Your Agents have done enough Luna, let me handle this."

Luna was about to offer a rebuttal but was interrupted by a knock at the door, Celestia allowed the entrance and seven armoured Ponies walked in and knelt. They were all adorned in heavy steel breastplates and with capes blazoned with the sigil of Equestria on them, at their sides they all carried heavy longswords. Luna turned an angry gaze back to her sister.

"The Knights of Two?" She asked.

"Princess Celestia requested our assistance, Your Majesty," Ser Iron Fire said, still lowering his head.

"They shall find these Gryphons and return the Bearers to us," Celestia explained.

"Their's in not your blood to spill," Luna growled. "They murdered my agents, let them avenge their brothers-"

"No Luna, you're too young to understand but-"

"Don't," Luna interrupted with a shake to her voice. "Don't say that to me, don't you dare."

Without another word Luna stormed out, ignoring the Knights who bid her a peasant farewell and her sisters voice at her back as she explained the situation to them.

"Ser Iron Fire, take Ser Red Petal, Ser Clear River, Ser Cold Ice and Ser Leaf Green and find the Element Bearers-"

Luna burst back into her room and slammed the door behind her, she began pacing angrily as the emotions took her. She had known Blossom, Silver, and Sunshine as she did all her Agents, they had been Nighshades' personal team, she could scarcely imagine how he was feeling. She hungered for the blood of those damned Gryphons, how they had slaughtered her Agents, how they had kidnapped Twilight and her friends, even the thought of what they may have done to Jason stoked the fire of her fury. And Celestia denies her the justice she deserves, because of what? Because she didn't trust her sister, not as much as those trained hounds she called Knights.

With a yell of frustration Luna magically flipped her desk, then with tears stinging her eyes she kicked the desk with enough force that it slid across the floor and slammed into the far wall. Her anger was out of control, she needed to direct it, to inflict pain of something, anything. Turning to the nearest wall she slammed her head hard into it so much that she began to bleed, golden godsblood began running down her face before the wound baked itself. It hurt, but the pain felt good, it was somewhere for this anger to go, better on herself than those around her. Again and again Luna slammed her head into the wall, any damage being done healing in second but the pain was real, soon her entire face and the wall was plastered with golden Ichor.

"GIVE THEM BACK!" she yelled, slamming her head with every word. "GIVE THEM BACK!"

"GIVE THEM BACK!"

"GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!"

"GIVE ME BACK MY AGENTS!"

Near Vanhoover, North-Eastern Equestria, Wednesday, 27th of February, 6:27pm, 2206 AC

The bed was lumpy and uneven, with way too many feathers and it also stank like wet cat, and it moved too like a rocking ship a rhythmic beat. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes but found that she was still blind, she tried to yawn but her mouth was full of cloth that tasted awful , suddenly the pain returned to her, Rainbow's head pounded like a chorus of drums and her legs stung from what felt like tight leather that bound them together. Suddenly the memories came back to her and she struggled against her bonds, screaming in vain through her gag.

"This one's awake!" A voice near to her said. Rainbow Dash felt the movement stop and she was grabbed by what terrifyingly felt like claws, she was thrown roughly to the ground where she then heard the sound of a blade. Rainbow struggled fiercely against her bonds until she felt them release as the blade cut through them, her blindfold was removed too and her eyes were assured by bright daylight.

"Get the unicorn over here to tend to this one!" The same voice said next to her, as Rainbow's vision cleared she could finally explore her surroundings. She was sitting on a dirt road, one that was clearly not used much, not to mention that she was surrounded by Gryphons, all male and big carrying swords that looked very sharp. As she watched one of them approached her and drag Twilight along by her hair, the lavender unicorn cried wordlessly as her mane was torn to pieces by her captors claws.

"Heal your friend, unicorn, or I'll make you," the Gryphon holding her said, still tearful Twilight sparked her magic and the pounding in Rainbow's head stopped. One of the Gryphon's approached her and knelt down, with surprising gentleness he inspected her head and wings and then removed her gag from her mouth.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Rainbow Dash."

"My name is Silverbeak, now, can you walk?"

"I think so," Rainbow answered, her legs felt stable enough.

"Good, then walk," Silverbeak's claws turned rough and hauled Rainbow to her hooves, a rope was tied around her wings and was used as a leash. The Gryphon's paid her no mind after that as they continued to move forward, Rainbow fell back with her friends who where all leashed and pulled along by the biggest Gryphon RD had ever seen.

For the most part her friends looked unharmed, bruised and scared out of their wits but fine for now. Pinkie just stared at the ground with her hair lying flat on her head, Twilight was shaking like she was freezing and tears formed a constant river beneath both her eyes. Rainbow frowned and worked her wings free of the rope that bound them so the loop wrapped around her neck instead, the Gryphon's didn't notice so Rainbow extended her wings and enveloped her two friends with them, drawing both of them close.

"You both alright?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"N-no," Twilight said shakily, Pinkie didn't respond.

"What happened anyway? I can't remember a thing."

"T-the priests captured all of us and brought us into their church, they were going to sacrifice Jason before the Gryphon's showed up, T-then they..." Twilight trailed off as tears welled again, Rainbow squeezed her tighter until she spoke again. "T-hey killed Blossom, Silver, and Sunshine and then... Then they put this on my horn," she pointed to the shackle that bound her horn.

"It lets them control my magic so they made me... They made me teleport Jason, I don't even know where... Somewhere in the tundra."

Rainbow frowned in thought as she inspected her surroundings in more detail, there was somewhat sparse woods around them and a fresh layer of snow sprinkled on top. The cool air tickled RD's feathers and her breath formed an icy cloud. They were still in the north, not in Stalliongrad no but if her sense of direction was correct they shouldn't be too far from Vanhoover, the northernmost city in Equestria.

"Okay..." Rainbow said softly. "In a little while we'll be near Vanhoover I think, I might be able to tell by the sky, when I say so I'll cause a distraction while you two book it for the city."

"B-but what about you?" Twilight asked.

"I'll find a way to get free don't you worry," Rainbow gave a confident smile to hide her true intention.

"No you won't," Pinkie cut in, looking up. "You're going to stay behind so we can escape, you don't want to get away."

"I just want you two to be safe," Rainbow argued. "You can get word to Celestia and she can send help, hopefully catch up to us before long."

"No," Pinkie insisted. "We're not going anywhere without you."

"Pinkie's right," Twilight said. "We go together or we don't go at all."

Rainbow sighed, her friends could be very stubborn at times but she supposed they were right. It was a sparse hope that anyone would find her and her captors should Twi and Pinkie escape, they would cover their tracks extra carefully. RD smiled and held them both close, their shared warmth boosting all of their moral.

"Well, we'll have to think of something else then."

North-Eastern Unknown, Stalliongrad, Wednesday, 27th of February, 7:14pm, 2206 AC

The sun was beginning to dip down towards the horizon and with it it stole any warmth that was left in the land, the wind hadn't died down and it threw great waves of frost into Jason's face. The winters chill had sunken deep into his bones and it felt like even his thoughts were freezing over, his steps were turning into staggering strides like he was about to collapse any moment.

Jason felt tired, so very tired. It would be so simple just to lay down, to die, it would be the most logical course of action. It's not like anyone would get to him in time anyway, he would freeze to death before that happened. No, he was doomed to this fate.

It took a while, as the wailing of the wind drowned out all other sounds but eventually Jason's ears picked it up. A low-toned call, like some large animal was screaming into the cold, the sound echoed through the tundra, stopped, and then stated again. Jason paused in his step and looked around, he saw nothing but a godsforsaken landscape in every direction, the thought had never occurred to him that he was in danger from some form of beast rather than the cold.

He heard the noise several times, and it was only once he covered his ears to try to warm them and help his hearing ability that Jason realized that there was no noise. He was hearing the call in his head. Immediately after discovering this Jason was hit with a splitting headache, as if an ice splinter was growing in his brain Jason doubled over and retched. What little food and bile that was left in is stomach landed on the ground and thawed the snow and ice slightly before freezing itself. Jason's vision blurred and swam, he found it hard to keep his footing and as he was dragged into the darkness he felt the sensation of falling, just before something grabbed him and he felt the sensation of being pulled.

When he woke, Jason was lying on a smooth surface and he was no longer cold, in fact he was pleasantly warm. Rising to his feet Jason saw that he was in some sort of cave, only the floor, ceiling, and walls were all thick clear ice, as if Jason had found himself inside of a glacier. Looking around he saw that there was no detectable entrance or exit, it was like an air bubble inside of a larger ice cube.

Still reeling from waking up in this strange place Jason tried to rationalize the situation. He began feeling along the walls for some sort of crack that he may have been slipped through, the question of what put him in there wasn't as important as finding away out. Just as he began to despair that he would not find a way out, Jason was hit by another splitting headache, his vision darkened for a moment as he doubled over. The pain was gone as quickly as it came and his vision cleared, Jason looked up.

And before him stood a man.

An honest to goodness, living, bipedal, male Human being was standing right there in front of Jason. He was almost a foot taller than Jason, older too as he was at least fifty, with grey curly hair and messy grey stubble and dressed in simple black pants and shoes with a white collared shirt under a black overcoat. In his right hand was a cane that was clear all the way through, as if it was made of ice, the man leaned on it heavily to take the pressure off his right leg. His sharp icy blue eyes stared at Jason intensely.

Jason stared back, completely stunned that in front of him was an actual living Human. His mind and body were a whirlwind of emotions that he couldn't even process them, excitement, confusion, fear, happiness, elation, hope, so many contradicting things that Jason's big dumb mind couldn't even begin to work through. The man before him seemed to be locked in the same dilemma, his eyes reflecting his own internal reaction.

"H-hello," Jason eventually sputtered out.

"Hullo," the man said back, in a slightly accented voice.

"W-whe... W-who..." Jason choked. "Are... Are you real?"

"I think so," the man said, seeming genuinely perplexed by the question. "And you, you are real as well?"

"Hopefully," Jason said. "Who are you?"

"I'm..." The man paused, looking extremely confused. He turned away and limped away, he looked around as if looking for something. "T-they gave me a name, those... Four-legged things... I think they worship me, silly really but they gave me a name, yes... Yes..." He looked at Jason with piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow with energy.

"Glalÿir-Hux," he said. "I am the Man in the Ice."

"W-what..." Jason was more confused than he had ever been. "Are you Human?"

"I was," Glalÿir-Hux said. "A very long time ago I think, I don't know exactly, but you, you are almost pure Human, only recently flushed by magic right? And.... Yes, that energy I felt almost a year ago, that rip in time... That was you wasn't it?"

"H-how do you know?" Jason asked.

"It is written plainly on your face."

"Whatever that means," Jason said. "But who are you really? Glalÿir-Hux is not your real name, and if you know so much then explain to me how you're living in a glacier or how you're alive when-"

"When the rest of Humanity is dead," Glalÿir-Hux finished, he seemed to ponder for a long moment, running his thumb over the ball of his cane. His jaw muscles contorting as he ground his teeth behind his lips.

"Edward Howl," he finally said. "That was my name."

"I was the leading scientist of a research branch under a larger much more ambitious project," Edward explained, finally looking at Jason. "In the year 3067."

"During the war," Jason concluded.

"Correct."

"But that was thousands of years ago," Jason stated. "How are you here? Alive?"

"How indeed," Edward mused. "Let's see... I think... Yes... Okay... Project Issac."

"Project Issac?" Jason repeated.

"The research project I was a part of, Project Issac was started with the sole purpose of researching ways of preserving the longevity of Humanity as well as exploring the possibilities of advancing the Human condition as to more effectively combat the threat of the Alicorns."

"Advance the Human condition?"

"Yes, although that wasn't my area," Edward explained. "My department dealt with the idea of mass cryo-freezing, the idea of freezing a Human's body in stasis to make it last much longer."

"So, is that what happened to you?" Jason asked. "Is all this just you freezing yourself so you can't die?"

"In a way, although this was never my intention," Edward stated. "The Academy was obsessed with magic, we were all obsessed with it, too much I'd say, we thought it was the answer to our prayers, energy without limit."

"So, we experimented with it, we flushed our bodies full of the stuff so we too could wield the power that our Alicorn rivals did, we dreamed of moving the heavens and rocking the earth with a mere wave of our hands. We ignored the pain we were causing, so many good men and women died simply from being flushed with magic."

"How though?"

"Magic is like a virus to us, if our bodies detect it before it consumes us then it tries to fight back, magic is a funny energy, it has its own rules and boundaries and sometimes it almost seems like it has a mind of its own," Edward frowned and looked at Jason like a specimen. "The magic fights back, it mutates and alters our very being to serve to host itself better."

"Host itself?" Jason asked. "Like a parasite?"

"Second Law of Magic, magic must have a conduit," Edward explained. "Magic does not exist without something to flow through, atoms, molecules, us, it needs us and can't live without us, so when our bodies try to get rid of it, the magic tends not to like that. So it fights back and in the mean time it goes ahead and makes itself more comfortable in the body, altering it beyond recognition."

"The result is what the Academy affectionately named 'Abominites' or 'The Rejected' if you prefer, grotesque things, many of them forget who they were or that they were even Human to begin with. Those who survive unscathed should consider themselves very lucky, I certainly did when I had the procedure, I was too eager to experiment, so we started seeing how we could use magical means to further our cryogenic research," Edward sighed. "I went too far, started doing riskier experiments, everyone said that I needed to be careful around the magic but I didn't listen... So I experienced a delayed rejection, my body spontaneously tried to fight off the magic. My colleagues tried to help by body win over, oh they tried but no, to preserve itself the magic had to preserve me, so it did the only thing it new how to do."

Edward limped over to the far wall of the glacier and wiped his hand over it, wiping away the frost that laid over the ice revealing a dark shadow in the ice. Jason approached and peered inside and what he saw almost made him puke again.

"It froze," Glalÿir-Hux said, looking inside the ice at the body of Edward Howl like looking into a mirror.

"...So if... If you're in there, then what am I standing next to right now?" Jason asked, staring uncomfortably at the frozen body.

"A projection, your mind thinks I'm here when I'm really there," Edward said. "Over the years the magic had grown, doubled in power and I've learned to direct it."

"Is that how I got in here?" Jason asked. "You teleported me?"

"Correct, I had felt your energy from afar, I wasn't going to believe that you were real until I saw for myself," Edward paused. "I hope I didn't hurt you, I haven't teleported someone in a while."

"I've felt worse," Jason reassured, then a thought occurred. "But something I still don't understand, even if you were stuck in here at the time how did you survive the scroll? You do know about that don't you?"

"Of course, I felt it when it was activated."

"Then-"

"The scroll was originally designed to exterminate all Alicorn life in existence," Edward explained. "Somehow a traitor stole it from the Academy and gave it to the Alicorns and they twisted it around on us, made the scroll lock onto Human DNA and... Well you know the rest, anyway, I believe the scroll did not destroy me because..." He sighed sadly.

"...because I am no longer Human," Edward finished, Jason frowned and looked at this man, no longer fearing him rather feeling sorry for him.

"If you ask me the scroll got it wrong," Jason said. "You seem just as Human as me or anyone else, maybe more so, you know why?"

"Why?" Edward asked, looking at him.

"Because you haven't given up have you?" Jason said, smiling now. "Your still here, you haven't lost hope, heck you seemed to be pretty okay with the whole thing."

"I've come to peace with it yes," Edward agreed. "That doesn't mean I don't want out of here though."

"I'll tell you what," Jason said. "When I get out of here I'll make sure to find a way to rescue you, I won't forget about you."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Edward questioned. "This ice is thick and even if you chipped away at it, the magic might retaliate, destroying me in the process."

"Let's just say I have some powerful friends, they'll know what to do."

"If you say so, believe me I would like nothing more than to believe that it is possible."

"I'm sure it is," Jason reassured, Edward didn't say anything he just stared at Jason with a strange look in his eye.

"So if you survived, could there be others?" Jason asked. "Other Human who survived I mean."

"Perhaps," Edward mused. "I know of other circumstances not unlike my own, I suppose it's possible that others survived much the way I did."

"So... Human's may not be as endangered as everyone thought," Jason said, his chest filling with the elation with the possibilities, if Edward could still be alive how many others still survived? Hidden away safe from the world, the thought put a smile on his face.

"Jason," Edward said suddenly, getting Jason's attention immediately, he hadn't said his name.

"How did you-"

"I'm in your mind Jason, I can see your name," Edward dismissed. "Anyway I need to know something."

"What?"

"I need to know what you plan to tell the Alicorns," Glalÿir-Hux's eyes glowed slightly brighter as he asked this. "Celestia and Luna I believe their names are, the Sun and the Moon."

"I was-"

"-going to tell them about me," Edward finished. "In the hope that they would be the ones to release me?"

"That was the idea," Jason stated. "I'm sure they can help..."

"Or destroy me without a thought," Edward stated solemnly. "Think Jason, I am a Human with extreme magical ability and an extreme threat to them, why should they even allow me to exist?"

"They're different."

"Are they?" Edward said, shaking his head. "And even if they are the pinnacle of their kind, why should they think that I am the pinnacle of ours?"

"I'll convince them, they trust me," Jason insisted.

"One does, the other not so much, and it's who's who that is really surprising."

"Look, whatever happens I promise you I'll find a way to free you, if there's even a chance I'll take it... You and me, we're the last of them and I'm not about to let to wast away in the ice."

"Jason I-" Edward paused, his vision suddenly shifted to something past Jason, fixing on it with a strange intensity. Jason turned around and saw nothing but the ice that encompassed them, Edward seemed to though as he began to speak to himself.

"Mmm... I see, yes, that does make sense, interesting yes..." His vision turned back to Jason, with a knowing look in his eye. "You are an interesting one aren't you?"

"I don't understand," Jason said, confused.

"Hush, you'll be out of here soon enough now," Glalÿir-Hux reassured. "I need to warn you though, if there are other Humans left, if anything of ours is left behind, don't go looking for them."

"But, why wouldn't I-"

"No time now," Glalÿir-Hux interrupted, placing his hand of Jason's shoulder. "The sun is approaching, you need to listen closely, find a way for me if you can, but the Alicorns cannot be trusted, especially Time, don't trust him at all, and don't go to the lighthouse. You can reverse it all if you can, change the whole course, even if it means I never get out of here, you take that chance and you stop it all."

"What..." Jason suddenly felt drowsy, his vision began fading and there was some really bright light coming from the far end if the ice cave. He squinted his eyes and tried to block the light to no avail.

"Promise me Jason," Edwards voice sounded a kilometre away.

"I p-promise... Promise that I'll release you," that's all Jason could manage before he blacked out as his body was encompassed with a warm feeling that sucked out the cold.

Castle of the Two Princesses, Canterlot, Equestria, Wednesday, 27th of February, 10:27pm, 2206 AC

Celestia cantered down the torch-lit hallway, she had sent her Knights away to track and find the three Element Bearers and their captors. She thought about what Luna had said, about their blood being hers and whatnot, she sympathized really but revenge wasn't the way to go and Luna's agents were becoming too unreliable for her liking. Luna was still young in her mind, those years on the moon had not aged her as well as Celestia so she still kept much of her youthful ignorance. Still young or not it would do Luna much more good to just listen to Celestia's judgement.

Shaking her head if such thoughts Celestia turned her mind to the task at hoof, Jason was missing and while she trusted her Knights with the recovery of Twilight and her two friends but Jason was another story. She had no idea where exactly he was but she had the perfect way to find out.

Celestia's horn lit with powerful magic which interacted with the runes on the huge double doors, one by one the runes glowed and unlocked themselves. The doors creaked open and inside The Orb sat, already glowing and swirling with that greyish-green mist like it was expecting her. Celestia reached out with her magic and The Orb met her halfway, the sensation was a unique one. She was encompassed by The Orb's own energy, it was different then anything else, pleasurable really in an odd way and secretly Celestia found herself liking it.

She thought of Jason, his cheeky smile, his stormy silver eyes, she focused on the fact that despite everything, she did consider him a friend. Images began to flood in her mind, an icy tundra, howling winds and a huge mound of ice laying trapped on the earth and inside it Jason stood... And something was there with him.

Wasting no time Celestia retracted her magic from The Orb and teleported as soon as she was able, she materialized among the chilling wind and frozen earth. The cold had no effect on her, she was heat, she was fire, the very air around her steamed and evaporated, Celestia shot across the sky in a fiery blaze. Her light growing more intense by the second, had anyone been looking up from the ground they would of sworn they saw the sun streaking across the sky faster than a shoring star.

It wasn't long before she arrived at the ice mound, a fortress of solidified water several meters thick. The walls of ice simply feel apart before the sun, great clouds of steam were thrown up into the air as Celestia entered the ice. In a moment she entered a large air bubble within the ice and inside was Jason who at this point was lying on the floor as if peacefully sleeping, Celestia's light faded as she gently lifted Jason with her magic and placed him on her back, he rested comfortably between the crook of her wings. She made sure that he was unharmed before facing forward again and then being frozen solid at what she saw.

Glalÿir-Hux stared at Celestia from the far end of the cave, his cold chill pushing against Celestia's solid heat. Their eyes locked as they studied each other, Celestia was caught completely off guard, she could sense the magic pulsing off this Human and it was like nothing she had ever felt. Despite the clear power this man wielded she sensed no hostility from him, in fact the look he gave her was full of sadness, his icy blue eyes glowing with power and sorrow. They stood off against one another, gods of ice and fire and there was some sort of understanding that passed between them, beings of great power had a way of communicating beyond mere words and somehow Celestia knew that this man meant no harm.

Without a word Celestia blinked out of existence and the ice formed to close the hole left by her, soon all memory of the heat of the sun or the echo of Human voices were gone. It was just the ice, the cold, and the lonely man who resided there.

Near Vanhoover, North-Eastern Equestria, Thursday, 28th of February, 1:15am, 2206 AC

Ser Green peered through his spyglass down the hill, the darkness his most detail but the knight could clearly see the shapes of tents and one alert guard in the bushes. He and his fellow Knights had tracked the Gryphon's all day and had lucked out at finding their camp, Ser Green credited himself for thinking of moving during the night as well.

The Knights had surrounded the camp, Ser Green, Ser Ice and Ser River flanked from the north and Ser Fire and Ser Petal came from the south. Suddenly a whistle came echoing through the night, to any commoner it was the call of some nocturnal bird. The Knights of Two were no commoners and so they drew their longswords and advanced forward.

The Gryphon's slumbered under the night sky, one, Silverbeak, was left as a guard whilst the rest slept. Their three captives were having a harder time of it, Silverbeak had tightened their bonds when they had stopped for the night to make sure they didn't slip away under cover of darkness. The chafing and rough bonds madden sleep nearly impossible, Rainbow particularly found the binds around her wings extremely stressful, she felt trapped with her flight disabled.

Silverbeak was drowsy though, he nodded off a few times before shaking himself awake. Every time he did so Rainbow tried to work free of her bonds before he could notice, she was met with limited success as the rope was expertly tied. She paused as the whistle faintly reached her ears and she paused, her mind when to birds but somehow the sound didn't seem right, her suspicions were heightened when the whistle was followed by the soft rustling of bushes and what sounded like light hoofbeats.

Silverbeak didn't seem to notice though, he didn't react when the hoofbeats grew closer, nor did he move when they grew louder and faster. He didn't even seem to notice when steel flashed through the air and sliced cleanly through his neck. He still seemed to be dosing as his head hit the ground followed closely by his body.

Rainbow shot up and peered into the darkness, the night was suddenly full of rapidly moving shadows, cries of surprise and the sickening sound of steel on flesh. There was a round of curses as Rainbow spotted a form that looked like one of the Gryphons flying away rapidly into the night sky. Somebody lit a torch and Rainbows eyes were assaulted by the sudden burst of light.

"My Lady? Are you alright?" An unfamiliar voice asked, Rainbows vision cleared and she could see the stallion before her. The torch illuminated his features and reflected off his polished breastplate, throwing the blood smear that tainted it into harsh relief.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay," Rainbow said as the stranger cut through her bonds and checked her for wounds, her friends were getting the same treatment by two other armoured strangers.

"You're the Knights of the Two," Twilight realized with a gasp.

"That's correct, Ser Leaf Green at your service My Lady," the one nearest to Rainbow said. "That's Ser Iron Fire," pointing to the one tending to Twilight. "And that's Ser Clear River," pointing to the one near Pinkie who was looking much happier. "Princess Celestia sent us to find and rescue you."

"Ser Green!" Another Knight called, cantering over to Leaf Green. "The dagger is gone."

"Damn," Green said. "We can't pursue him we need to get these three to Canterlot, but mark my words nothing good will come from Gryphon's with the power of a God."