Seven years since the first ships set their course across the sea, and not a single day afterwards did this feeling depart from my stomach. It's as if I have been unknowingly consuming the essence of polin, it’s a horrid sensation, makes my sleepless nights that much worse. I write this letter to you for one reason and one reason only, to inform of the situation that has spawned from the inner workings of my mind. My position does not need to remain a secret, I, along with my advisers are set up in an encampment approximately eighty seven miles east of the Everfree, along the coast of the Arien. Do not fear, we have taken the lonely road, no one noticed us, however, we are difficult not to see along the coastline. I advise you not to take pursuit as by the time you receive this letter I will be half across the ocean, there will not be a trace of our camp left, and most importantly, you’ll be away from Canterlot leaving you more vulnerable than ever.

I do not plan to make this letter any longer than it needs to be, the resources in Equestria are dwindling Princess, we mustn't prolong the inevitable. I knew the risks when I sent those ships out all those years ago, and I wouldn't have done so if I wasn't sure of the future. I wouldn't have sent MY closest of friends to lead the exploration if I knew the land to cease was small, but it wasn't, we all knew it wasn't. It has now been years since the last convoy, or the last scout, or even the last letter was received from across the sea. I have made this choice to not only advance Equestria’s position in whatever is occurring seven hundred miles east of us, but to end the brewing conflict. I have no choice, I must do this. You have said on multiple occasions that losing another princess is a toll Equestria cannot live through, however, I am not so sure that she’s lost.

We are at the brink of war, the cost of survival has never been higher, there is nowhere the unblinking eye of Death doesn't see. I have been driven mad by the loss of my friends, my family, and I, along with the seven thousand with me will not rest until we have discovered our loved ones… dead, or alive. The kingdom I was brought up to lead has already began crumbling, there is nothing I can do any longer. The morale of my troops has already sunken and what they have ahead of them is perhaps the toughest weeks of their lives, an environment never before seen by their eyes… creatures never before encountered, choices never before made. I have been told one cannot fear the unknown unless the unknown can be predicted or known... I am not afraid.

Sincerely, your equal, Princess Twilight Sparkle

Chapter 1

Divinity

The wind howled past the remnants of burnt land and villages around the snow covered hills, with its dry chilling grasp it crept up on any living soul imprisoned in the dense forest ahead, the taciturn, and murky dusk barely did anything to illuminate the milky white snow coating the dead grass in an icy blanket. The only form of light was glistening on a low hill overlooking that same lifeless forest. Almost as bright as any star that light source unhurriedly made its way to the left of the peak, suddenly stopping.

A battle-scarred Stallion stood proudly atop with his wooden torch planted firmly into the snow next to him, the wind raging through his dark brown mane making it blow behind him as he exhaled a single tepid breath. It immediately turned into a cold fog leaving his mouth and disappearing, he gave off a slight shiver through his rigorously plated and fur-coated steel armor covering almost every inch of his muscular body, a small leather satchel was strapped onto his right side, the corners of it coated in glimmering ice. He squinted and then shut his right eye as the powerful wind gusted along him speckling his side with crystalized water, the air so frigid his warmth was not enough to melt the snow on his body. A single, yet prominent scar decorated his face, stretching from above his right eye down to the left side of his muzzle, the fur on the corners of the scar frozen. With a short motion he stomped the ground below him before looking up at the darkness. A few desolate stars dotted the ebony sky, he gave a small smirk before another gust of wind carried enough snow to almost entirely conceal his view. He exhaled, trying to stagger his breaths as much as possible. His pale brown eyes scanned the dense forest ahead of him before darting back to the torch he had planted into the ground. The flame was dancing below him extending its inviting blistering fingers in his direction, he momentarily thought of stepping his steel plated hoof in the direction of the torch but quickly shook that thought out of his freezing mind. He peered behind him with his mouth marginally open as he breathed the dry, frosty air.

“Step forth M’lady!” He bellowed into the pitch blackness behind him, the snow and wind concealing anything more than a few meters around him. A shadowy figure, significantly smaller than him stepped forward, her slender body draped in somewhat extravagant dark cloth, her body almost a wisp in the night air barely visible from afar apart from the lavish golden necklace she wore around her neck, but even it was obscured by the gale. A delicate white muzzle peeked out of her cloth covered face, the fur at the tip of it coated with soft snow. The cloth draped over her back was blowing behind her as the stallion’s mane was, she made another soft graceful step forward as her covered face peered up at him and she spoke in a crisp, elegant, undeniably foreign accent, “ What did you bring me out here for?”

The stallion gave an almost unmoving nod and looked down at her, trying to figure out whether she could see him or not through that dark cloth. “M…M’lady…” she cut him off before he could continue, “You told me this is of dire urgency Gorin… I have traveled far too long and for a vast amount of days to get an answer, now speak.” Gorin shifted uncomfortably and signaled for her to move closer by moving his hoof back towards his body, making a quickly vanishing mark in the silky snow. She stepped forward for a first time, he could now make out the gorgeous detail of her delicate muzzle, however, he could not see the rest of her body, or even her mane.

“Aye” Gorin spoke in a slightly skewered accent, his brusque voice becoming hard to understand through the wailing squall, “it is not safe to speak at Esics, I had to take these precautions...I…” She cut him off once more, “Unsafe? Now what makes you say that?”

He raised a hoof and pointed out towards the forest, “Bleakwood, not a single trace of life makes it out of those woods” He glanced upward towards a much higher peak, “Those villages were pillaged by the chaotics, not a single living soul from the southern kingdoms has step foot there in over one hundred years, and way back there…” He paused and pointed one of his hooves beyond the forest to whatever was shrouded by the storm “there… Highridge peak lays, the only thing between the north and the overgrown.” The mare spoke up once more, gracing his eardrums with her smooth, supple voice “I know the lay of the land darling, why am I here?”

Gorin seemed to ignore the mare’s question, “M’lady, did you know that on a clear day, from this very tor you could see all four edges of the continent?”

The lady walked up to Gorin, her lips unemotional and un-moving, suddenly, Gorin noticed a faint glow resonating from inside her cloth hood in a specific location, exactly where he’d imagine her upper forehead to be. He heard a few, seemingly distant metallic clanks, but quickly noticed a small, ostensibly leather pouch getting lifted from out of the side of her cloth-wrapped body. A thin beige string was wrapped around one end holding in what Gorin knew were golden coins. The pouch floated slickly to the front of the stallion’s hooves, before it dropped next to them. He glanced at her, his eyes almost shut, a hint of seemingly pure disappointment or disdain coated his scarred face, instead of hiding this from whom he called his lady, instead, he showed it clearer than a diamond.

“Your gold has no value to me M’lady” He took one hoof and gently pushed the coin filled pouch next to the mare’s hooves, “you know that.”

The mare briskly replied, “Oh please, you may be my guardian but I’m not a fool, whatever information you are about to spill came from somepony, I suggest… you pay them back.” What seemed like a minuscule smirk appeared on her covered face before rapidly vanishing as she levitated the pouch and rested it inside the leather satchel on Gorin’s side. As she closed the satchel once more, a silence fell amongst the two, only the sound of the howling wind and the mare’s cloth behind them consumed the air. Gorin exhaled and looked back at the sky, his fur now clearly wet and matted from the snow.

“A scout reported seeing a fleet of around fifty advancing towards our west.” The mare’s glance shot up at Gorin, he was still looking at the sky, now slightly more visible than before. His face, unchanging, while his mane blew in the wind mimicking the flames broiling tendrils.

The mare responded, her voice a bit more shaky than before, “Oh? And I came out here in the freezing cold because this is supposed to concern me?” The stallion stood still for a few more moments, focusing on the unbearable cold of the wind and snow instead of her statement.

“No, I brought you out here because you are far from safe M’lady.” He finally peered back down at her as she responded. “Not safe? The only thing not safe is this dreadful storm, my clan is only keeping me safe…” Gorin shook his head and took a step back, “There are eyes and whispers everywhere… there are ponies who know where you’re from, you are far from safe M’lady.”

The mare pawed at the snow covered ground as she seemingly debated what to say next, “I don’t believe you… but I suppose I wouldn’t be a proper lady if I didn’t at least consider my given options, what do you suppose I do with this information?”

“Well…” Gorin began, “you should be there to see them in, to greet them.”

“Who?” She inquired teasingly.

“You know where they are from M’lady, you need to be there.”

“And why should I be there?”

Gorin raised his hoof and wiped the snow from the side of his face, then he gently put it back down onto the ground before answering her, “They are in a foreign land, they need to…” She cut him off with a raised voice, “I have moved on, I have built a life here, I cannot be associated with them, you know that, I know that, whoever they may be… I will not risk the travel.”

Gorin opened his mouth but quickly noticed a flash of that black cloth and her walking away from him, he paused for a moment and then turned around and shouted into the howling wind, “M’lady! I think you are making the wrong decision!”

The mare stopped and turned her back towards him, ignoring his statement, she replied before trotting into the darkness, “Keep the bits, I’m feeling generous today.”

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Author's Note

This is just part 1 of a 2 part chapter