The Legend of Ice and Death
Legend tells us of how the two Royal Pony sisters defeated the Malevolent Discord, toppling him from his 2000 year reign of chaos.
Legends tell us Of King Sombra, and how this once royal and noble Unicorn conquered his own Empire and enslaved his own kind.
Legends tell us of the founding of Equestria.
Legends tell us of many things, but they forget the most important one.
It starts as any other Legend does. Once Upon A Time.
Long ago, long before the three Pony Tribes came to be, The World of Equus was nothing more than a wasteland. The Sun never set from the east, leaving half the planet a burning desert. To the West the moon never set, freezing over the land. Upon this barren land only two entities existed.
The first was a great mass of dust, pulled together by the winds and baked within the heat. He took the shadows as a cloak, to hide his skeletal form from the heat and protect his form from cracking. He walked upon four legs, had large skeletal wings, and a long horn. Where he walked twisted creatures sprang up in the sand. Demons that not even the Pits of Tartarus would house. He commanded them like a Dictator commanded an army. Neither remorse nor care for them. He towered over the desert wastes, his head reaching high into the cloudless sky, proud and uncaring; for he felt no force would harm him.
The second was a strange and small Bipedal creature born of Ice and storm clouds. She was scaled, covered in glistening armor as white as snow, Wings large, nearly clear, and only useful as a shield, her spines sharp and ran down her back and down her tail were as blue as the ice that drifted upon the sea, and her eyes showed a severity that rivaled the storming grey skies overhead. With hands tipped with icy claws and feet covered in scales thicker than any fur boot she walked her storm ravaged land, slowly and carefully molding creatures for the land and sea. With her creatures born she tried to protect them from the cold and harsh storms, making them fat with fur, blubber, and endurance. Her creatures loved her and in turn guarded her as well.
The time went by and the creatures of both desert and frozen wastes grew in number. In the Frozen Wastes, the being of Ice hunted with her predators, and frolicked within the never ending storms.
Vetal, was her closest companion, a mighty Polar Bear the size of a small glacier. The two never left each other's sides. Whether they were hunting upon the frozen shores, racing the caribou across the land, or simply sleeping curled together in the blizzards, the two were never parted. And the two never wanted for more.
On the other side of the world, the skeletal creature looked upon the monsters that writhed in the desert and felt disgust. He could easily drain them of their pathetic lives, it was dull. He craved more. He wanted something he could toy with! Something that would obey him completely!
He sent out his might and gathered all the dust he could. He began to mold it into 6 distinct forms. First four quadrupeds, each resembling him in some way. One had a horn, another wings, another neither. Then He sculpted a strange creature, part bird part land predator. Then he sculpted a creature that resembled one of the many Hellhounds that crept in the desert, but made them stand upon two legs. Finally he made a coatless Biped with long arms and legs a straight back, and a short mane. With these creatures sculpted the being waited for them to spring to life like his other creations. Nothing occurred. Furious the being lashed out at the sculptures, sending them flying across the east, only to let them crash within the frozen west.
The crash had roused the Ice Being from her slumber, she and Vetal moved to investigate. Finding strange dust statues she gently raised them upright, filling in the broken cracks with snow and ice. However they were quickly falling to bits, as they were far from their Desert master. Wishing to save such strange and beautiful things she sought to freeze their forms. Vetal then let her bring the statues upon his back and she brought them to the sea. There she placed one, the hunched bipedal, within the sea. As soon as the statue sank under the waves, the Ice being following it, the statue glowed with a fierce light.
Moments later a sputtering, living, cold Diamond dog breached the surface. She soon surfaced as well, quickly escorting the young Diamond dog to Vetal, wrapping the young Pup in Vetal’s massive sea of fur. She then repeated the process until, the Griffin, Unicorn, Pegasus, Earth Pony, and Human all breathed like her creatures did. She had them all stay close to Vetal, for they were not made for the frozen wastes. She left them promising to return with warmth.
Desperate she went to find the Caribou she raced. Finding a herd of them she begged them to help her. She needed to find someplace where the storm did not blow for these new creatures. The Caribou agreed to search for a land where the Storm did not blow.
She then moved to the Polar Bears. She asked them if they could help her hunt for furs to keep the new beings warm. The Polar Bears agreed, and they started their hunt.
When she returned she brought with her cloaks of Hare and fox. Gracious the new creatures each took a cloak. Days passed as she played with the new beings, asking them questions and teaching and creating games to pass the time.
The Earth Pony wished to see a new color, they could not describe it, but they craved to make it a reality for all to see.
The Pegasus, wish to move the clouds, to play with the weather. And though the storm clouds would not allow it, they still tried to move them.
The Unicorn, wanted to make their horn useful, they taught themselves to channel their might through it, and wished to pass on this knowledge.
The Griffon wanted to hunt and explore the world beyond, but found it hard to leave the safety of Vetal’s grasp.
The Diamond Dog, wished to see what lay beneath the earth, to find things that would shine like ice, but wouldn’t be cold to the touch.
The Human, craved knowledge much like the Unicorn, but they also craved change and new experiences.
After much time the new beings would call them her friends, and would take names.
The Human took the name Asya.
The Griffon named himself Klimmik.
The Diamond dog named himself Delfin.
The Pegasus took the name Skaia.
The Unicorn took the name Faust.
And finally the Earth Pony took the name Terra.
They all decided the being needed a name, and named her Myrsky.
After much time spent together the Caribou came, bringing news of a land to the East where the Storm does not blow, and a strange light burns in the sky. However they warned them that there was no life in the land and the creatures living there were wicked and twisted. Myrsky was willing to take such a risk if it kept her friends alive. Myrsky prepared her friends for the journey. Once ready the band set out for the east, unsure what they would find.
To the east the skeletal beast was striking down his own beasts without mercy. Boredom made him weary and the sun frustrated him to no end. Then to the west something changed, dust kicked up off the ground and new creatures entered his domain. He could see his earlier failed creatures in the dust, with a strange white furry beast, and a draconic being whose eyes were as grey as the storm to the west.
Myrsky and her friends entered the new land and all felt despondent. The land was dead, even more so than the frozen wastes. Here something was leeching the life away, burning it up with abandon. It made all feel uneasy and Terra wept. Still they pressed on and approached the source.
“Greetings my children, I welcome you home.” He called, but the six being simply scoffed at him.
“Children? We have no parent! The Ice that formed upon us in the ocean gave us life! Not you!” Skaia shouted. His confusion fed his fury.
“This land is barren and dead! There is no life here! In the Frozen Waste there were at least creatures living in the storm!” Asya added, looking around with disgust.
“If we were to bring the ocean here the land could grow life!” Terra offered. The skeletal being looked upon his creations in horror. They spoke of their own goals and their own pleasures. They thought for themselves. They were not the mindless puppets he wished to make. They were abominations! Roaring in anger the Skeletal being lashed out at his children, the ground cracked beneath his hooves as he sucked what little life there was from the ground. As he did so, cold pierced his leg.
Standing before him, blocking his massive hoof was a pair of near clear wings; Myrsky pushed the skeleton back, tossing the hoof away. Ice crept up His leg where she touched.
“You insolent Thing! You dare get between me and my children! You dare interrupt my discipline?”
“What is there to discipline? They simply wish to make this land live, where you kill it without regard!” Myrsky returned. The Skeleton roared and attacked once more. His movements sent Myrsky and her friends flying back. With them dazed He took the opportunity to attack. He moved, lumbering forward he took up the Human Asya with his hoof and consumed her.
The caribou had worried that the heat would harm Myrsky that she would melt or grow weak like the ice from which she came. But this did not occur; Myrsky brought some of the storm with her. And in her anger she spread the Blizzard across the East. The frozen west consumed the East leaving the world covered in Ice. The Skeletal being was frozen in a glacier as Myrsky raged at him, chipping away at his massive form, with tooth and claw, until he was barely taller than his children. She spent much time at this endeavor; by the time she was done the snow covered the whole east, and would have buried her friends, had Vetal not shielded them.
Only then did Myrsky call off the storm, and as she did the heat returned to the east and the snow that had piled up began to melt. Water flowed across the land, and the air cooled. Myrsky stood before the being, staring into his empty eyes. With a roar he lunged at the Draconic being, might shot from his horn, wings flared ready to strike. Myrsky responded in kind striking him with claws.
As the two beings battled Terra looked over the land and in an instant Terra raced about the wasteland, poking and prodding at the wet earth. As she did, strange things grew upwards all in colors none had seen. In her excitement Terra ran across the entire east spreading plant life with a grin upon her face.
An Idea clicked into the heads of Faust and Skaia. Skaia took to the sky and began to attempt to drag the clouds on the outer side of the Blizzard to the east. As he slowly dragged the raging storms over, the snow turned to water, and quenched the earth more.
As Skaia and Terra brought life to the earth, Faust focus upwards at the burning Ball in the sky. She reached out her might towards it and began to slowly coax it from its spot in the sky, as she did so she felt another presence to the west and she grabbed it too, coaxing it to where the sun once was.
After hours of labor the East was dark, a time Faust named Night and the west was bright, a time Faust named Day. The ground was alive, and creatures from the West began to trickle over to the east in awe of the strange things growing from the ground.
As the earth was being observed Myrsky and the Skeletal being waged battle. Where Myrsky stepped frost covered the green ground, preserving it. Where He Stepped the land returned to its barren waste. The two battled for many night and day cycles, leaving some areas Barren and dead, and other’s frozen over, constantly hit by storms.
The two were upon a stalemate when Faust, Klimmik and Delfin intervened. All they wished was to live in peace with their friend. Faust prepared a new trick, her might reaching out to grab the Skeletal being, but he was always moving and she could not grab him. So Delfin dug beneath the ground and grabbed his hooves while Klimmik dove upon him from the sky immobilizing him. Faust then reached out with her might and finally grabbed Him. She then thrust him elsewhere, not on the planet but between, existing in a world between this one and another.
When the Skeletal Being vanished Klimmik and Delfin backed off, Myrsky watched them with worry.
“Why do you turn your backs? He still lives!”
“Friend, the being of death and ruin is no longer on this world. Faust moved him!” Klimmik explained.
“Then why do I see him yet?” The question went unanswered as Klimmik and Delfin ushered Myrsky from her spot and back towards Terra, Faust and Skaia.
Overtime the six friends built a world in which they could thrive. Once a year Myrsky would let the storms from which she was born blanket half the planet to renew the land. Skaia tamed and created a weather system. Terra grew beautiful green plants, so happy to show the world the color that always plagued her mind. Faust kept the sun and Moon in motion, having named them as well. Klimmik kept the Skeletal Being’s monsters at bay as they attacked those who killed their master. Delfin dug beneath the earth, crafting caverns and gathering resources.
Over time the six were happy, the land flourished, new animals came to be! And what’s more, Myrsky's five friends were no longer the only ones of their kind. After many Day and Night cycles more appeared as if they sprung from the ground. Unicorns, Earth Ponies, Pegasi, Griffons and Diamond Dogs all appeared all curious about the world. Each of Myrsky’s friends took to teaching their own kind and soon towns began to spring up.
But while her friends rejoiced in their lives Myrsky kept an eye just behind them. For no matter where they went He always followed. He did nothing but watch, yet still his presence scared her. And she had not forgiven Him for the loss of her friend Asya.
Then the time came for the long since halted Battle to start once more. Delfin had been carving out a vast chamber to grow crystals when the tunnel collapsed upon him. Myrsky had been following The Skeletal Being, watching him from afar when he bolted for Delfin’s tunnels. Myrsky pursued him and managed to catch him as Death stomped down upon Delfin and vanished. Roaring in fury Myrsky pursued Death and he ran. Sadly she lost him in the tunnels. Returning to her friend she found he would not breathe and his body was once again slowly turning to dust.
Death had become a reality for the world.
Furious over what occurred to her friend Myrsky took Vetal north and vanished for some time. Years passed and Faust, Klimmik, Terra, and Skaia watched as their fellows died around them. Finally after many long years Vetal and Myrsky returned. Myrsky was weary looking, scratched, and her Might, now known as Magic, poured from her. She approached her friend, a great anger brewing in her mind, far greater than the Blizzards of the beginning. She wore the furs of all the creatures she helped create in the frozen wastes, Polar Bear, Caribou, Seal, Hare, Fox and many more. Upon her back was an icy Battle axe. She spoke to them, her voice like chilling winds.
“Death tries to claim you. The Ice gave you life, the Dust gave you form. May the Ice protect your souls!” With her last words a storm exploded from where she stood. Her Magic poured into the four before her. At the same time her magic poured into the air and folded upon her pulling her into the realm upon which Death Lurked. Vetal the ever Loyal Brother joined her there. When the explosion of magic cleared, Faust, Skaia, Terra, and Klimmik found themselves alone in the wilderness. Each felt a strange chill within their bones, but none of them spoke of it.
Faust searched for Myrsky but could not find her. The winter storms still came, but now the Northernmost and southernmost tips of the worlds were always wracked with storms. Soon the four found that while those around them began to slowly age or die off, they could not. They remained. Faust poured herself into her studies, eventually combining the abilities of all three pony types and turning herself into the first Alicorn. She then tried her hand at creation, molding together creatures that looked like Myrsky, they were called dragons. Though they eventually fell to greed, few Dragons retained a more Noble heart.
Terra and Skaia, decided to create something that would make Delfin proud. Gathering up all the gemstones and ores Delfin loved they crafted a Monument, into which Faust breathed magic to make it glow. Klimmik carved pictures upon the branches, symbols Delfin, and even Asya loved. For they had not forgotten their Human friend.
Soon after the Monuments creation Terra and Skaia grew tired, after centuries of watching those around them die and move on, they moved to the frozen north, hidden from View in a Sanctuary both Terra and Skaia created. Later Faust and Klimmik would join them and the four would live peacefully amongst a familiar storm.
Within the space between worlds two old foes met once more, and a battle began in earnest. An Axe of Ice against a Scythe of Bone. Loyal Vetal joining the fray against the mighty foe.
When the Three Pony Tribes bickered, Death egged them on, hoping for Bloodshed. So Myrsky made and sent down the Windigos to scare them and teach them. Every event in history had these two battling behind the scenes.
When it seemed the Ponies and the world would be at peace Death created Discord to take them over. Myrsky was at a loss on what to do. She was unable to cross back to the world in which she was born, and unable to effect Discord Myrsky felt she had failed. But Vetal found a way and passed a message to Faust. Faust expended all of her magic to create two new Alicorns, both of whom would take her place in controlling the Sun and Moon. Celestia and Luna were born. Klimmik, Terra and Skaia raised them, then sent them into the world.
Even now Death and Myrsky battle between the worlds. A storm holding her own against the end of all things.
If you are ever out in a Blizzard, you may see them. The Skeleton and the Dragoness battling like gods. Or if you are very unlucky, you will find Vetal, the Massive Bear, carrying a message for the one trapped within the frozen storm. You never know.
“You never know.” Twilight Sparkle whispered as she closed the Old tome Princess Celestia had sent her just that morning. The Golden Oaks Library was dark, save the few candles surrounding Twilight on the lower floor. Outside Grey storm Clouds blew a flurry of white snow down upon the town. Twilight looked out the window to the storm and chuckled.
“After reading a Legend like that it almost makes me wonder if the Weather Ponies actually made this storm so strong or if Myrsky did it herself.” Twilight said, staring into the snow she moved to blow out her candles and crawl into bed. However something caught her eye. Whirling around to the window, Twilight gaped, a Snow White bear with a deep black Muzzle taller than an Ursa Major stalked through the snow. It towered over the Town, its Underbelly was at least two times taller than the Tallest building in Canterlot! Twilight couldn’t help but watch despite the blizzard making it hazy.
“Vetal.” Twilight whispered in awe as the massive beast slowly turned its head to face the library, ethereal blue eyes seemed to peer directly at Twilight through the snowfall. Upon his back Twilight caught a faint glimmer of ice, and gleaming blue. The distant and small draconic figure shone through the snowy haze while Vetal nearly vanished within it. Completely awestruck Twilight memorized the sight, vowing to find somepony, or someone who could do the image justice and have it recorded.
In amongst the storm the Great Beast Vetal lumbered along. His sister sitting upon his back, eyes peered through the snow.
“The Purple one spotted us.” Vetal’s voice rumbled, like ice breaking from a glacier.
“Yes. I know.” Myrsky’s voice whispered like the wind, it cut deep, but it did not harm.
“I believe she is Celestia’s student. You know Faust’s Eldest.” Myrsky smiled.
“Ah. I see. Have Terra Skaia or Klimmik visited her or Luna recently?”
“Not that I know of. I think Klimmik recently went to the Griffon Empire to scare some sense into the heir. Chick was a warmonger.” There was silence as the two plodded on; Myrsky’s eyes were trained forward as Vetal scanned the surroundings. “To think the Monument to Delfin and Asya would become the Pony’s ultimate weapon.”
“If I had known Death would spoil their monument so I would have-”
“You did not know he went to turn the Tree into a weapon. We are lucky the Magic Faust breathed unto it turned the taint into Harmony, or I do not believe the world would have lived.” Myrsky nodded. Her spines suddenly shot up and a growl rolled from her throat.
“DEATH!” The mighty roared echoed across the lands as Myrsky charged her Black cloaked foe as he stood over a group of freezing travelers, A Scythe of Bone pulled back ready to strike. The blade only met ice as Myrsky brought down her Axe. The battle began in earnest once more, and the Blizzard blew on.
Author's Note
Hello! This little Myth is a head cannon of mine. I love myths and Legends and felt like writing this one out. as a note Myrsky is the Finnish word for Storm... well the one that Google gave me.
Please tell me what you think!