The Nexus

Chapter 5: Ice Storm

Nyrx, a small Terran village located in the north hemisphere between below freezing and hopelessly screwed, was Aurora's secret get away. Sometimes when the war was going really bad, she would expertly sneak away to the village to get away from it all. The bloodshed, the responsibility, the nightmares, they took their toll on her. Whether it was five minutes or five years, Aurora was grateful for the time anyway.

However, with the way the war between the Valkyrie, Terrans, Alchemists and Griffins was going, Aurora was spending less and less time in the tiny village that welcomed her with open arms because she was getting pulled right back into the politics. It was always, "the Terrans aren't keeping up their end of the bargain", "the bloody Alchemists are crossing our borders again", or "the Griffins killed another squadron today". There was never any warm words exchanged, not that Aurora really minded, but she was getting sick of all the complaints. This was one of the reasons why she kept going to the secluded town where people only knew her as Aurora the Wanderer.

No one really questioned why the grey haired stranger kept coming to their town–there wasn't really anything to trade there besides sheep– and no one was going to. As long as she didn't cause trouble or unsheathe her swords, the Terran village didn't mind her aimless walks around their town. Occasionally, if she was on a slight buzz from the hard apple cider, she helped the villagers fix their roofs or bring in the sheep from the small fields at the base of the mountains. If she was in a really good mood, Aurora even went to the town hall to share stories of her adventures across the treacherous tundra that encased most of her nation. She did not mention, however, the Valkyrie capital, Skyfall, in fear of being discovered as a Valkyrie. As far as the Terrans thought, she was just another Terran who lost everything because of the war.

She didn't care though. Between the hard cider and forgetting how many throats she slit that day, she was more than happy to let them believe what they want. At the end of the day, she'll just walk to the mountains and fly from there to Skyfall. It was an easy commute despite the cold weather.

Aurora the Wanderer was half way through her second hard cider when she was pushed off the bench and across the room until she smacked into one of the pillars. Lifted up by an invisible force, every cell in her body screamed in agony as her body convulsed. Whether she screamed or not she couldn't remember because just as fast as it happened, she was dropped to the floor with a loud thud. The few villagers in the mess hall glanced at her wryly before returning to their drinks. Being attacked by an invisible force wasn't that common, but with the increase in windigo attacks, no one questioned the strange phenomenon.

Aurora the Wanderer was no more.

Rising from where she fell, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty and all around badass, took a look around, searching for a mirror or something reflective. Everyone in the mess hall was skillfully avoiding her gaze as she settled down into the bench she had previously–as Aurora–occupied. The half emptied glass of hard cider mocked her as she stared into it's golden brown depths. As far as Rainbow Dash knew, her eyes were no longer magenta. Obviously. Her face had changed, too. Her jaw was too angled for her liking, her nose was not tall and straight with a decent lift, cheekbones were pretty high and slightly defined, and her eyes were sharp but not almond shaped. Unlike her previous hair style, her hair hung down to her lower back in a ponytail with long bangs framing her face. It was also grey. Grey. Of all colors.

Sighing, Rainbow Dash cursed her luck. She wasn't really Rainbow Dash without the rainbow part. More like Grey Dash. Like the time when Discord had turned her into her de-Harmonized self. Except her skin wasn't grey. Truthfully, she kinda felt like Daring Do. Daring Do had grey hair, so does she! Daring Do has wings, so does she! Daring Do isn't stuck in the past with a new face, but she is! She almost drank the last of the hard cider to calm herself down but decided against it. Aurora might have like to be buzzed all the time to forget the war but that didn't mean Rainbow Dash had to. She would not end up like her mother!

At the thought of her mother–or really her adoptive mother–, Rainbow Dash lost her appetite and hastily pushed the glass mug away. She had a job to do and in Celestia's name would get it done! First, she had to find the Valkyrie capital, then she had to find Commander Hurricane and then she had to find Twilight Sparkle. Actually, Twilight Sparkle should be number one on her list. However, Rainbow Dash had no doubt in her mind that Twilight Sparkle was faring better than she was. She had magic, Rainbow Dash doesn't. She could find Clover the Clever in time for the founding of Equestria. Whenever that was.

Her musings were interrupted when the doors to the mess hall flung open, revealing a group of burly men in furs. They guffawed at whatever the leader had said as they entered. Rainbow Dash winced. To her slightly tipsy ears, the sound of their laughter was like nails on a chalkboard. It worsened when the group decided to flop down at the table across from her diagonally.

"White Field, a round!" called one of the Terrans.

Rainbow Dash tried to wrack her brain for a face to go with the name. Aurora the Wanderer hadn't really known anyone's name in Nyrx besides Cold Steel, the blacksmith of the town. It was only because Aurora had gone to him more times than she could remember in her alcohol induced state to get her dual swords fixed. It surprised Rainbow Dash how easily they broke.

"How did it go?" Rainbow Dash overheard White Field, the bartender, asked, setting a tray of mugs down upon the table.

"We killed them like the freaks they are! Slaughtered the lot of them!" The table burst into another fit of laughs as some of the men bragged about the fight.

"The rounds on me then, boys." White Field beamed. He turned to the rest of the mess hall. "Whoever can kill one of those winged freaks gets the first drink free."

Rainbow Dash blanched.

Perhaps a drink would do her good. Though, she couldn't down the contents of the bitter cider. She silently wondered how people could stomach such a bitter drink. How was this supposed to make her feel better when she couldn't even stomach it? Could this day get any worse?

The rest of the town's mess hall burst into excitement as they crowded around the new group to discover how they had killed a scouting group of Valkyrie. Every word made her skin crawl as they merrily laughed, drank and sang to the deaths. She got up and was on her way to leave when one of the men at the table called out to her.

"Hey, Wanderer, where you're going?"

"Out." Rainbow Dash replied in her best Aurora impression. Whether or not it was accurate, she didn't know, but the men accepted her response nevertheless.

As accepted as group of brutes could.

"Why? This is a celebration! Drink! Eat!" he beamed.

"Thanks, but no. I have something to do."

She tried to walk out, but one of the men had already grabbed her by the shoulders. Leading her to the table that grew with every table being pushed up against the original, she was forced to sit between two burly men, promptly sandwiched. A large mug of beer the size of her head was shoved in her hands as the merriness of the crowd grew and grew. A strong hand patted her back.

"Drink, Wanderer! This round is on the house!" the man next to her exclaimed, downing the entire glass in front of him.

Reluctantly, the once rainbow haired Valkyrie took a hesitant sip of the beverage. Since Aurora the Wanderer had already been a tad bit tipsy when Rainbow Dash had arrived, the cold beer easily slid down her throat. The taste was absolutely repulsive. Rainbow Dash swallowed the beverage as best as she could before coughing up a lung. The same man, a Terran with rich red hair and beard, grinned at her reaction.

"Worry not, Wanderer, ale is not for everyone." he smiled, his big hand upon her thin, fur covered shoulder. "The hard cider might be more in your favor."

"Thanks, but I don't really drink." pathetically smiled Rainbow Dash.

The red haired beast of a Terran nodded in acknowledgement. He did not pressure her, but he would not let her leave. Every time she tried to wriggle her way out of the cheering mass of drunken Terrans, she was forced back in. Eventually she gave up and proceeded to eat some of the food brought over. She picked at the fruit and blanched at the chicken and turkey placed upon her plate. Every so often she would eat some pork because pig happened to be featherless. She shot the dead and cooked birds a look of pity.

Cannibalism. That's what Rainbow Dash thought. It would be like Alchemists eating dragons. Magic users eating magic users. If Rainbow Dash was in the right time period, then Valkyrie prisoners of opposing clans would be forced to eat some type if bird as torture. It had been disbanded once the Valkyrie clans united against the threat of the Terrans, Alchemists and Griffins.

By the time everyone was stuffed and full, the mess hall was half filled with sleeping Terrans. Those that had been at the celebration earlier had somehow managed to stumble through the snow back to their poorly built wooden houses. Rainbow Dash wondered how they managed to get home without getting lost. When they had left only two hours ago–Aurora the Wanderer had realized when she first came here–,the snow storm was nearly blinding. Just a sheet of white was all one could see. Now, however, at what she guessed to be four in the morning, the snow would have settled down just enough to become a light flurry. The windigos were less likely to strike now.

Rainbow Dash skillfully avoided stepping on the slumbering Terrans as she all but danced out of the mess hall, her wings listing for freedom from the binds Aurora had put them in. Her steps were light and her breathing even lighter. If she'd learned anything in the eight hours since she had been forced into the cruel celebration, then it was that a drunk, angry Terran was more terrifying than a sober, angry one. Entire tables, which were inches thick, had been toppled and destroyed into tiny pieces. She feared that if she was to wake a sleeping giant then she would end up like the others. Dead while they danced and drank about her death. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of the red bearded at the table she had just left. Thoughts of whether or not he would snap her neck if he found out the truth sent her heart flying in fear and...nervousness? With no time to dwell on the apparent new found emotions for a mindless brute, she pushed open the doors. The moment she was out the door, she could hear the distant roars of the windigos upon the wind, screeching for blood.

It made her blood run cold as she exited the safety of the mess hall to brave the treacherous night. Pulling the furs closer, Rainbow Dash plowed through the two feet of snow that had accumulated during the night. She stayed away from the light of the houses. All she needed was some drunken villager to mistake her for a windigo and kill her. So she stayed in the shadows, traveling the worn path Aurora normally took to get to the mountains. Teeth clattering, Rainbow Dash warily eyed the tundra that separated her from the safe location. She glanced back at Nyrx and contemplated whether or not flying would be good or bad.

If she flew, then she could cut the time is takes in half. She could return to Skyfall by dawn without any Valkyrie knowing she was gone.

The cons? A villager could spot her and get the whole town on a hunt for her. She could collide into something due to the darkness. She could freeze to death. She could get lost and starve to death. She could die. And dying wasn't on her agenda.

She walked. Seconds passed into minutes as she Treader through the fresh snow to a more secluded part of the tundra. Luna's moon was her only guidance. The cool moonlight illuminated the snow, making it as bright as day. Miserable and cold, Rainbow Dash could only curse her luck. Stuck in a whole different continent with no friends to turn to, Rainbow Dash was alone with people that had no problem turning her into a feathery kebab. Even Equestria, in its darkest times was safer. Nightmare Moon? She kicked her butt to the Griffin kingdom and back. Discord, the living God of Chaos? Piece of cake. However, this wasn't Equestria, and she didn't have the Elements of Harmony. Princess Celestia had tasked Twilight Sparkle and her with securing the foundation of Equestria, and Rainbow Dash was growing more and more concerned that she wouldn't live to see it. Would she die here in a foreign body? Or more importantly, could she?

If it came down to living and not forming Equestria or dying and forming Equestria, then would she be able to make the right decision? Or would she be a coward? Nah. Rainbow Dash was cool no matter what century.

With thoughts of death and destruction, Rainbow Dash had ambled towards the tree-line that separated the tundra, the forests and the village. Cautiously looking for any wild animal, Rainbow Dash hurriedly removed her cloak, her heavy furs and shirt. Cold air rushed her, leaving her a trembling mess. Quivering fingers removed the bindings around her chest as much as possible and let her wings free as much as possible without being topless. She quickly slid her white shirt back on. Fortunately, Aurora had already made slits for her wings to go through.

After she redressed, Rainbow Dash experimentally flapped her–Aurora's–wings. The size was definitely an improvement, bigger than before by two feet and a half. It was most likely due to the fact that she–Aurora the Wanderer–was bigger than before. Rainbow Dash now stood at 5'11 instead of the measly 5'8 she had before. There was a lot more muscle on her than before. Most likely due to the harsh conditions this world had shown her. The wing design was more like hawk's, sleek and ready to cut through the wind, than her previous set. Surprisingly, her wings were a snow white shifting into grey with rainbow tips. Not as brightly colored as her hair had been, but it still made Rainbow Dash happy. At the least in her situation, she could still be Rainbow Dash instead of Grey Dash.

Sighing in relief that the wings were just as powerful, or more so, Rainbow Dash took an experimental flight. She lifted herself off the ground, just about two feet. So far so good. She flapped more, floating higher up until she could touch the first branch of the tree. At fifty feet in the air, Rainbow Dash was relishing in the fresh air. Having been stuck between celebrating, drunken Terrans for eight hours, this was Olympus. Higher and higher, Rainbow Dash stood upon the tallest branch and gazed out across the frozen tundra and Nyrx. She could barely see the lights of the Terran town flickering in the distance. A few Terrans were already getting up as the harsh climate forced them to get more firewood for their hearths. The plums of grey smoke could be seen from where she stood. Off in the distance, across the treacherous fields of white, the steep mountains pierced the heavens. A few sheep could be spotted grazing at the green base of the mountains.

History had not been lying when they said there was nothing to see by snow before the first Hearth's Warming Eve occurred.

Rainbow Dash gave the small village one last glance before propelling herself off the tree and into the air. The brisk morning wind nipped at her face as she raced through the sky at startling speeds. Shooting upright like a bat out of Tartarus, Rainbow Dash pierced through the cloud coverage with the sound barrier starting to form around her; the white shield tugged and pulled at her as she raced upwards. Never before had she come close to this level of speed while going upwards and never before had it been this easy. With muscles she didn't even know she had, Rainbow Dash at reached the upper mesosphere in record time before she stopped to catch her breath. Here, breathing was almost impossible for anyone that was not a Valkyrie. Apparently Aurora the Wanderer was in much better shape than she let on.

Her attention shifted to the full moon.

As a child she had grown used to spotting the Mare in the Moon. Every night during camp, Ditzy would try to get her to spot the sight as a reminder of what can happen if you turn your anger on others. Banishment to the moon at the time had been the worst punishment possible. However, once Twilight, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Mane Six defeated Nightmare Moon, a.k.a Princess Luna, the Mare in the Moon had vanished. Just like right now. The silvery surface of the full moon was lacking the craters that crated the image. For now. It was only a netter of time after Equestria was founded that Princess Luna would go insane. After the two Goddesses defeated Discord, though. She wondered where the Princesses were now.

As immortal beings of immense power, they had to exist all the time wouldn't they? Were they already in the unclaimed land that would eventually become Equestria or were they waiting to be created. According to Twilight Sparkle before she had sent them both spiraling into the past, the Sun and Moon Sovereigns had a father named Eclipse, the Celestial King. The thought of child Celestia and Luna was a queer thought.

Celestia, she was starting to sound like Twilight. She shook her head.

A pang of regret shot through her. She wouldn't be able to see the Princesses anymore. She wouldn't be able to game with Princess Luna in the wee hours of the morning, owning the Night Princess at every single game. Except the online games with other people. Princess Luna was oddly boss about those games. She wouldn't be able to thank Princess Celestia for the opportunity to meet the Wonderbolts. She wouldn't be able to get more special editions of the Daring Do books for Hearth's Warming Eve. She wouldn't be able to prank the Princess whenever they entered the castle. She wouldn't be able to tell her how sorry she was for everything she did.

That is what hurt Rainbow Dash the most.

Despite everything she had kept from the Mane Six, Princess Celestia had always been there for them. She was probably the coolest person in all of Equestria, besides Rainbow Dash of course. Even when Rainbow Dash had insulted her, Princess Celestia had helped her more than she could ever imagine.

Guilt gnawed at her soul.