“If you wish to save the love of your life then that is the deal. Take it… or leave it.”
Prince Shining sighed to himself as he looked over the Crystal Mountains that towered above him. He cursed himself for making that deal all those years ago, but she was dying and none of the best unicorn medics they consulted could figure out why, or come up with a cure. Shining was forced to face the fact there was no way to save her, and then he came. Grogar, a massive ram, his coat as dark as the night he arrived in. He told Shining he had the cure for the Princess’ illness, but it came with a price. Desperate, Shining accepted his offer, an action he’d regretted ever since.
“The Frozen North is not to be travelled lightly. Tell me, my prince, what brings us out so far?” Shining looked over at his sole companion for this journey, a rare crystal unicorn mare named North Star. She wore a cloak over her faint pink coat to protect her from the elements, her compass rose cutie mark hidden beneath the material. According to his sources, she was a great tracker and scout. No one knew the Frozen North, its lands and legends, better than North Star.
“It’s… complicated, and a long story,” Shining replied.
“Well we do have a long trip ahead of us,” North Star said. When Shining remained silent, she started to walk. “Good thing we’re leaving now. In a few weeks the mountains will be all but impassable from the winter storms.”
“Perhaps we should have brought some pegasi with us.”
“It wouldn’t matter. The Frozen North is filled with wild magic, even at the best of times the weather is nearly impossible to control out there.”
The pair made their way through a narrow path in the Crystal Mountains, North Star doing most of the talking as they walked. Her tone was friendly although respectful as she told Shining about the area, its past, legends. Every now and then she’d try to get him to open up about their mission but he continued to refuse to talk about it.
“Not the kind of path I expected we would be taking through the mountains,” Shining finally said, referring to the relatively flat and easy trail.
“You were expecting thin ledges over jagged cliffs, the ever possible threat of avalanches?” North Star waited just long enough for him to nod before she continued. “A lot of ponies say that when I take them this way. They all tend to be rather disappointed.”
“It seems rather well travelled too.”
“It is. Trade caravans to and from Yakyakistan come through here a few times a month at least. It’s quite a profitable route. For those brave or crazy enough to travel it.”
As night started to fall the two took sanctuary in a nearby cave, North Star getting a fire quickly started. After a quick meal she pulled a map out of her saddlebags, opening it. “It’s about an hour’s walk from here to the end of the mountain path,” she told Shining, tapping their location on the map with her hoof. “You might as well tell me where we’re heading.”
Shining remained silent, he gazed into the flames of the fire for a long time before finally speaking a single word. “Tambelon.”
“Tambelon?” North Star gasped. “Why would we go to that forsaken city?” Shining fell silent once more, North Star glaring at him. “Listen, your highness,” she told him, her tone harsh, “My duty is not only to guide you through these lands but to protect you in any way I can. And I refuse to lead you anywhere near Tambelon until you tell me why.”
Shining glared back at her, their eyes locked in a battle of wills until finally he broke and told her the story. “A few years ago, just before our wedding, the Princess became ill, very ill.” He told her of the symptoms, pain and stiffness in her joints, leading to shortness of breath, weakness and eventually a coma. Shining also spoke of all the doctors that they consulted, none able to find a cause, every attempt at a cure ending in failure. And finally he told her of that night, the night after she’s slipped into a coma, when Grogar came to the castle, arriving out of the darkness itself. He offered the cure, but at a high price. “Our first born,” Shining told North Star.
“What?”
Shining nodded. “I was desperate, and deep down… I honestly didn’t expect it to work. So I made the deal. If his cure worked, we would offer our first born in return. I never told her about the bargain.”
“And now your wife is pregnant.”
“I’ve spent all my free time since then searching for Grogar. I didn’t even have a name at first. Finally I found him. Now I hope I can get him to alter the deal. I’ll offer him anything in exchange of our child. Anything,” Shining’s voice was desperate, he seemed on the verge of tears.
“You do know how dangerous he is if he’s the Grogar, right? He was once an advisor of Princess Platinum, herself, with magical skill second only to Starswirl the Bearded.”
“I’ve heard the stories,” Shining replied. “How he arrived and offered his aid shortly after the appearance of the windigos. How he wormed his way into a position of power, only to use it to claim Tambelon for himself after we were forced south by the snow.”
North Star shook her head. “Still to imagine he’s survived out here all these years. Perhaps the rumors of his dark powers and necromancy skills are true.” She shivered at the thought. Taking a moment to recover her courage she looked up at Shining and smiled. “It’s a day and a half from here to Tambelon, assuming all goes well. Then we’ll give Grogar an offer he can’t refuse, even if we have to shove it down the old goat’s throat.”
The next day the pair left bright and early, soon leaving the mountains behind as they headed out onto the snow covered plains that were once home to the three tribes before they were forced south to form Equestria. ‘It’s so different from the stories, mother told me as a child,’ Shining thought as they moved across the snow, white emptiness everywhere the eye could see. A few hoof carved stones that poked out of the snow here and there as they walked was the only evidence that anypony had ever lived in these forsaken lands.
“Are you sure you’re going the right way? Everything looks the same around here.”
“Don’t worry,” North Star assured him. “I know these lands like the back of my hoof. There should be the remains of an old tower just over that next rise. We’ll stop there to eat and rest.”
True to her word, the tower appeared just as she said, the pair moving towards it when North Star froze. She put out a hoof to stop Shining, while sniffing the air and listening intently. “Get down,” she hissed, ducking behind a nearby rise in the ground.
Shining followed her, joining her as they peeked over the top of the snow. “What…” his voice was cut off with a shush from North Star and a hoof in his mouth. ‘Look’, she mouthed to him before nodding towards the tower.
Out of the ruins shambled a pony, a pony that was made entirely of snow. Its eyes glowed red as it stopped, looking around the area before turning and slowly moving off. “What was that?” Shining whispered, as he watched the creature go.
“An abominable snow pony,” North Star replied. “Travellers that had become lost in the wastes, frozen to death. The souls endlessly wandering the lands attacking any warm body they find, angry at those that still live.”
“But it’s just snow?”
“That’s what most people say, until they knock off a limb or even their head and the creature keeps coming, using the surrounding snow to repair itself as it stalks towards them. There is only one way to stop them. Somewhere in its body is a crystal of ice, its frozen heart. Find that and destroy it. That’s the only way to stop these creatures and free their cursed souls.” North Star looked around before slowly starting to move. “We can’t stay here, snow ponies usually move in packs, there may be others around. We’ll have to keep going and eat on the road.”
Any time they might have gained from not stopping was quickly lost as North Star moved at a slower pace. Her friendly and easy going demeanor had become far more serious since their encounter with the snow pony and she’s often pause, listening and sniffing the air before moving on. Shining followed her, stopping when she stopped and not speaking unless she spoke to him first. It wasn’t until the sun started to set and North Star had searching the entire immediate area that she finally relaxed.
Shining looked around the area, a few rolling snow covered hills but nothing else. Dark clouds in the distance threatened snow. “Where are we going to sleep? Out here in the open?”
North Star shook her head, her horn starting to glow as she gathered up snow. “I’m going to show you a little trick that my father taught me,” she replied. Shining watched as her magic used the snow to create a hollow dome with a single opening in front of them. “After you, sir,” North Star told him with a bow once she’d finished.
Inside it was as roomy as a large tent, the ground bare as the snow that once covered it now sitting above them. North Star joined Shining and once more got a small fire started, before covering their entrance with snow. “We should be safe here for the night,” she told him, the fire warming the room. “Snow ponies might be dangerous in groups but they’re also dumb as bricks. They’ll walk right by this place without realizing we’re in here. And any windigos around should leave us alone, unless you feel in the mood for an argument,” she joked.
“You know… the princess’ illness got me thinking,” North Star said while the pair was getting ready for bed. She pulled a few books out of her saddlebag before finding what she was looking for, a book on rare herbs. “It sounds similar to night lily poisoning.”
“A few of the doctors said that as well. But it was quickly ruled out. There’s no evidence that night lilies still exist, everyone I’ve talked to say they’re extinct. Besides the only cure for night lily poisoning is as serum made from its nectar.”
“Maybe…” North Star replied, as much to herself as to him. And yet she still couldn’t help but wonder as the pair fell asleep.
North Star was already awake and up when Shining opened his eyes the next morning. The mare was busy reading a book. “Breakfast is already cooking,” she said, upon sensing that Shining was awake. She continued to read, only looking up from the book long enough to make sure the food wasn’t burning.
Shining glanced at the title, “History of the Unicorn Kingdom?”
“Yeah. Thought I’d get some research in about our destination. You never know what might come in handy. Like this.” Her magic lifted the book up and turned it to face Shining.
“The Bells of Tambelon?” he said, reading the title of the chapter she was on.
North Star nodded. “It’s rather interesting. The city has these huge bell towers on the surrounding walls, and whenever evil approached the city they would ring the bells to summon their forces. Although the last time it was used was centuries before the Cataclysm forced them to abandon the city.”
“Too bad we don’t have an army with us to call,” Shining replied with a chuckle. He moved over a bit and started to eat. “This is great.”
“Thanks. My mother’s an herbalist back in the Empire and she showed me a few common plants that could be added to bring a unique flavor to a dish.”
“Is that how you learned about the night lily?”
“Yup,” she nodded, speaking between bites, “between her and dad, they thought me just about everything I know.”
With breakfast finished the pair heading out, North Star using her magic to reopen the snow dome’s exit. A second blast once they were out caused it to collapse with a fwump, removing nearly any trace of their presence. A storm from the night before had erased their tracks and light snow was continuing to fall as she led Shining forward once more.
After a couple hours, dark shapes started to loom in the distance, the shapes soon becoming that of a large wall. “Here we are,” North Star announced, “Tambelon, once the shining jewel of the Unicorn Kingdom.”
‘And now little more than a pile of rubble,’ Shining thought to himself as they moved through the main gate and into the remains of the city. He could see the remains of the bell towers, all destroyed as they passed. A few of the houses were still standing, testament to the beauty of the former city, but most were in some form of collapse, some mostly intact and others little more than a pile of stones.
As they moved through the city streets, North Star would pause, peeking around corners before motioning for Shining to follow her. Finally she stopped, signalling him to be quiet as he joined her. Just around the corner and in their path was a sole snow pony. “What’s he doing here?” Shining asked, his voice a whisper just louder than the wind.
“No clue. But he looks to be alone. I’ll take care of this.” North Star levitated a nearby stone and rounding the corner at a trot she fired it towards the snow pony. The rock slammed into the creatures head, causing it to explode into a puff of snow. As the creature stumbled, North Star picked up speed, lowering her shoulder and ramming into the beast. It crashed into the wall beside it, snow falling from it. Shining could already see the creature starting to reform as North Star spun around and kicked out with her back legs. The snow pony flew up into the air and shattered to pieces as it smashed into the wall a second time.
North Star didn’t waste a second, she quickly looked through the snow, finding an ice crystal about the side of a pony’s eye, snow already starting to form around it. She tossed it on a rock and slammed a hoof down on it, the crystal shattering. A wispy blue shape floated up from the remains of the crystal before vanishing.
“That was impressive,” Shining said as he joined her. “Have you ever thought about joining the army?”
“I have, but there’s too many rules. I prefer to be a free spirit so to speak. Now the castle should be…” Her voice cut off as they heard a cry behind them, similar to a pony, but twisted. The pair looked to see two more snow ponies stalking towards them.
Before North Star could react, Shining lashed out with his own magic, grabbing hold of a crumbling wall and causing it to crash down hard on the two snow ponies. As the dust and snow cleared, they saw two more wispy shapes float up and into the ether.
“That worked. But we’d better move, there will be more of them here any second. Follow me.” North Star dashed off down the street, Shining right behind her. They moved from door to door, hiding from more snow ponies and even dodging a few windigos. Unlike most of the town the castle still seemed to be in good condition, a few lights visible proved that somepony, or something, still lived there.
Reaching the castle Shining paused, holding a leg out in front of North Star. “I have to do this part alone,” he told her.
North Star looked at him, ready to protest, but instead she just nodded. “I understand. If you need me just give me a shout,” she told him. Shining nodded in return and she watched him head into the castle’s main corridor. “Of course there’s no point in just waiting around here,” she said to herself once Shining was gone. “So let’s see what else we can find.”
North Star wandered the corridors of the castle, small and large, poking her head into any doors she passed. Using all her senses to guide her, her path soon took her to a greenhouse. “And what have we here.” North Star entered the greenhouse, looking over the plants within. “Poison Joke, Death Blossom… What a lovely little garden of horrors this is,” she muttered to herself.
Shining took a deep breath before reaching out his hoof to knock on the doors to the throne room. Just as they were about to touch the wood the doors started to slowly creak open.
“Come in, Prince Shining. I’ve been expecting you.”
Shining entered the room, inside a half dozen snow ponies stood guard in the throne room, ignoring the warmth even as they slowly melted. Before him, lounging on the throne was Grogar, the ram looking even bigger than Shining remembered. Next to the throne stood a large, silver bell. “Grogar. I have come…”
“You have come to alter our deal,” Grogar said, his deep voice cutting off Shining’s. It echoed around the room before dissipating. “And what, do you expect to offer me instead?”
“I will give you anything you ask. Bits. Jewels. Gold. Even my own life if that is your wish!”
Grogar let out a bleating laugh. “Anything I want?”
“Anything.”
“What I want… is your daughter! Even now she is just days away from birth and once she is, she will be mine!”
“Please! I beg of you, Grogar! Anything I have to offer is yours if you just refuse to take her.”
“You have no idea, do you? No idea how powerful, how important, your daughter will be. She will be mine and I will raise her in my image. And then, once she is old enough, she will lead my armies and I conquer your precious Equestria!”
“That is a very nice deal,” a voice called out. Both Shining and Grogar looked upwards to see North Star standing on a balcony that surrounded the throne room. “Although perhaps you should have told the Prince everything before making your offer.” She tossed down a plant, the herb landing in front of Shining.
His eyes narrowed. “This is…”
“Night lily,” North Star replied. “It appears Grogar here has a whole bed of them in a greenhouse. Well… he had a whole bed. I ‘accidently’ knocked over a lamp while I was looking around and you know plants and fire… whoosh! You might want to replant that one quickly. It might be the only one left.”
“My garden!” Grogar roared. “Snow ponies! Kill her!”
A number of the snow ponies moved from their spots, climbing up the various staircases towards North Star.
“You lied to me, Grogar!” Shining shouted. He fired a bolt of magic towards the ram that Grogar easily knocked aside.
“Lied? I think not. It’s not my fault you didn’t examine the cure more closely before using it. The deal still stands. I will have your child as mine… Although since your part in this is already finished I no longer need to keep you alive. Kill the Prince as well!” Grogar ordered his snow ponies.
A blast of magic from Shining vaporized one of the snow ponies as the others started to approach. From outside the two ponies could hear more snow ponies approaching, a pair of windigos flying in through one of the windows.
“That was a brilliant plan, Grogar,” North Star said, “but you made one little error.”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
North Star pulled a length of rope from her saddlebags, flinging one end over and around one of the chandeliers that lit the throne room. Tying it tight with her magic, she gripped the other end in her forehooves and swung down. “Yee-haa!”
Grogar took a step to the side as North Star flew past him, landing on her hooves beside the bell behind him. “You missed.”
“Did I?” North Star asked, one of her front hooves connected with the bell. A loud bong ran out through the throne room, the castle itself shaking slightly from the sound. Grogar and the two ponies froze as the listened to the sound echo and fade away.
Finally Grogar started to laugh. “That was your plan? Even if I hadn’t destroyed all the other bells who would be there to ring them? I’ve watch your journey and I know you came alone. There is no pony that can save you.” He began to laugh again, a laughter that was cut off as, clear as day, the three heard the sound of a second bell in the distance. “Impossible,” he hissed, eyes widening.
“No living pony perhaps,” North Star told him, a triumphant grin on her face. She rang the bell again, and this time it was answered by two, then four, then even more bells, each ring seeming to strike Grogar to his core. “I would have thought a necromancer of your abilities would have studied his history. You of any pony should have known the full power of the bells. To call all those loyal to Tambelon to battle, even those from beyond the grave.”
“No! That’s not possible!” Grogar roared. He fired a blast of magic that North Star just narrowly avoided. Nearby, Shining was surrounded by a number of snow ponies when suddenly a spiritual spear flew past him and through one of them, shattering its heart. Everywhere he looked forms were appearing from the air, solidify into transparent blue unicorns, each one dressed in the uniform of the Unicorn Kingdom Royal Army.
The battle was joined as the two forces of undead ponies clashed, windigos circling above and diving towards the unicorn guard, their attacks pointless. All the while, North Star continued to ring the bell. “You betrayed Tambelon! You betrayed the Unicorn Kingdom! You betrayed the Royal Family!” she shouted out with each strike, her eyes glaring at Grogar. Shining took the distraction to make his way through the battle, blasting any snow pony or windigo that got in his way. As he reached Grogar he bounced off the head of a snow pony and grabbed the scroll that held the deal he’d made away from the ram. As he landed by North Star, Grogar snarled in rage, gathering his dark magics and firing a blast of pure energy towards Shining.
“Look out!” North Star yelled, pushing Shining out of the way, the dark energy blast slamming into her and knocking her clear across the room.
“North Star!” Shining spun to face Grogar, gathering his own magic. The two fired bolt after bolt of magic that crashed into each other, bouncing around the room. Shining kept up his attack as long as he could, but he felt himself slowly start to weaken, while Grogar smiled in triumph. The ram prepared for his next attack when a unicorn spirit pounced on him.
“What?” One after another, more and more of the spirits grabbed him, pulling at him. “What are you…” He looked down and saw that he was sinking into the floor. “No! Help! Help meeeeeeeeee…” And with that Grogar was gone.
The remaining unicorn spirits dealt with what remained of Grogar’s forces, the snow ponies destroyed and the windigos chased off. Once the battle was done, the unicorns turned towards Shining and knelt to their prince, before one by one they vanished, back to rest until they were needed once more.
Shining quickly moved towards North Star, checking on the mare. There was a huge fracture along her crystalline body where the blast had hit her and her breathing was weak. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled. “Probably not the best idea I’ve ever had,” she said with a soft chuckle before closing her eyes once more.
“Oh no! You are not dying on me yet,” Shining hissed. He pulled forth the remains of his own magic and used it to heal her as much as he could. Then he picked her up and carrying her on his back as they headed home.
The trip back as peaceful and uneventful, the Frozen North seemed more alive now that Grogar was gone. Shining used the tricks North Star had shown him to make their shelter for the nights back, and used what little healing magic he knew to keep her alive until they returned to the Crystal Empire. Once home, he handed her over to the most skilled doctors present.
When he was sure she’d be okay he left the hospital. “There you are, Prince Shining Light!” a guard said as he walked up to the castle entrance. “Princess Frost has just gone into labor. You must come quickly.”
It was a couple days later that Prince Shining, along with his wife and new born daughter, entered the hospital room where North Star was staying, proceeded by a pair of their royal guards. “Announcing Prince Shining Light, third born of Queen Platinum and his wife, the Alicorn Princess Laurel Frost.”
“You don’t have to announce us every time we enter a room, Silver Shield,” Shining said to the guard.
“I was just doing my job, my prince. It’s royal protocol.”
While the two ‘discussed’ Shield’s duties, Princess Frost, a tall, white alicorn with a red mane stepped over to North Star’s hospital bed, her child beside her. “I thank you, for aiding my husband in his quest, foolish as it was, and for risking your life to protect him.”
North Star smiled. She was looking far healthier than when Shining had last seen her. “I was just doing my job, your highness,” she replied. “I would do no less for anyone else.”
“And for that you shall be rewarded, once you have recovered. But for now I thought you might want to meet the reason for your journey.” With her magic, Frost levitated the filly, wrapped in blankets, carefully and gently over to North Star.
North Star looked down at the little newborn, an alicorn, and gave her a smile. “She’s beautiful your highness. What’s her name?”
“Celestia.”