Tears to the Wind

It was far from the first time that Twilight's hooves echoed through the long hallways of Canterlot Palace, and it would unlikely be the final time either. This place was almost like a second home to her now, since her alicorn form was granted to her, and her rank of importance became more and more known. These halls that hosted the galas, housed the two high princesses of Equestria, and provided the ponies that lived below the stunning icon of this building hope, and protection.

Today however, there was a tone of urgency in her steps, muffled slightly now by the runner up the center of the hall and leading into the throne room. Celestia and Luna were not upon their thrones this day, but were instead stood to one side, gazing up at one of the many beautiful stained glass windows that surround their hall, an ode to everything they'd done and overseen. Equestria's story, solidified in coloured glass shards for all to look upon.

"Princess Celestia, I came as quickly as I could!" Twilight puffs a little, somewhat out of breath from her sprint up from the station, but comes to a slow halt near to the two older mares as they cast their gazes down upon her smaller frame.

"Thank you Twilight, I must apologize for the short notice, but I have something for you to do and it's rather important." Celestia turns fully to face her now, leaving Luna to remain slowly gazing up at the glowing window above; an image of herself and Celestia. The sun and the moon of Equestria.

"Important? What's this all about? Is Equestria in trouble again? Discord?" Twilight frowns, and it deepens when the white mare shakes her graceful head.

"Not Discord Twilight, but a storm is arriving."

"A...storm? Surely the weather ponies could control it-"

"Not this time, this is not a storm that any pony should be able to control...Twilight this is a storm that threatens everything we built in Equestria, the very lives of our subjects." Celestia slowly moves onward, passing Twilight with a slight brush of her wing, to gaze toward the doors."Please, follow me. I'll explain everything to you."

Twilight pauses, but nods, and follows after Celestia in a medium trot to keep up. Luna follows up behind them, a little slower though she was merely thinking over this entire thing. Though it would seem so simple, she was not sure that this storm was quite what any of them could expect, only she had no proof of that thought, and so mulled it over in her own silence.

To her surprise, Twilight had been taken to the huge library within the castle walls. The room piled high with cases of books, shelves and stacks of so many books... She'd read most of them, of course, but there was few other places Twilight felt more at home within than a library.
"I know you have read many books on the history of Equestria, Twilight. You know a lot about our home place here, and even our story. But there is one that nopony will remember, and it came long before my dear sister met her fate upon the moon, even."

"Before Luna was sent away? But...there is so little history on Equestria prior to that, I don't think I even remember finding a book that old..." Twilight thinks over that, but she is very sure she hadn't read a book on Equestrian History that dated farther than that time at all.

"Well...There is such a book that can, but we must keep it far from other's eyes. The history it details is not for the soft of heart, Twilight. It was a very different time we lived in." Celestia moves to one of the few bare walls within this homely library, where a large curving drawing pokes out and covers the wall with a softly coloured pattern. It looks almost like a pattern you would draw to represent a breeze, and yet she touches her horn to the center of their swirl, and a small light appears.
A lone shelf seems to merge out of the wall itself, and a large book emerges with it, balanced alone upon it.
"This, is such a book." She adds, picking it up with a warm glow of her magic, and paces towards one of the study tables to place the large object down.

"It's...huge- and...well, it's a beautiful book..." Twilight comments quietly, coming closer to inspect the cover.
The book itself was a dark brown cover, aged with it's long time being hidden away, but the details of the illustration are still pretty clear. The edges are covered with a fine metal filligree in gold, similar to the golden ink patterns that cover most of the front itself. It's certainly lovely to look at.

"This book, Twilight, tells a story not even you would know. I haven't had to tell it to anyone, nor Luna. Not even Cadance, will know of this tale. Those who have heard rumor brush it off as legend, a myth. But I assure you it is very real.. You see Twilight, when I was a very young princess to this land, I took on my first student." Celestia almost breaks a smile at that sentiment, and she pulls the cover of the book open to a grand first page.

"His name was Tundra. And, like you, he was extremely talented. He was calm, but knowledgeable... And we held him in as much respect as we have held you. And when the time came, as with you, he was crowned an alicorn."

"An...alicorn- before me, and even before Cadance?" Twilight looks up, mouth parted in both worry and wonder, only turning to catch a glimpse of Luna nodding from her other side.

"Indeed... He was a very trusted pony among us. He even found love, in a wonderful mare... She was the star of her time. A model, beautiful but sweet... And he loved her dearly. Much like Cadance and Shining Armor now; they'd do anything for eachother. But, he could not protect her always... And it lead to their downfall. She passed away suddenly, Twilight. An accident took her from him...And he was filled with despair. We all were."

The pages keep turning, filled with soft and faded illustrations of ponies as the story moves along.

"Despair does terrible things to a pony... And when confronted, after he had mourned all he could- we needed him to return to his role, and he refused... He ran from us. From everything. Our young prince had run and left us all, run to the farthest corner of the north he could... We all thought him dead but, with what's going on I fear that may not be the case."

"You think the threat to Equestria is from him? After all this time? But...how?"

"He was a talented magic user, Twilight... We do not know if it is, truly Tundra, but...he was the Prince of Storms. Bringing us beautiful skies and summer days were all in his power... the shapes in the clouds were once his canvas. Now, the pegasi do it themselves, make a game of it. I believe a storm could be his manifestation, and we need you to stop him."

"Wait- me? You want me to stop him? But- I've never even heard of this pony before-"

"We understand that Twilight," Luna cuts in, pacing around the table slightly with narrowed eyes in concern,"But after all these years he may still not accept our passing through wherever he hides. And should something go wrong, we must remain here to protect Canterlot."

"I...I see..." Twilight lowers her head gently, but bobs it in a soft nod, beginning to look upwards again."Then I shall carry it out... I shall venture to the north and stop this. And, of course... I'll be taking my friends with me."

"We never doubted you would. Have Rarity prepare you thick coats, I assure you that the weather beyond the crystal empire grows severely more worse the further you pass it. Oh and Twilight..."

"Yes?"

"We trust in you." Celestia breaks the softest of smiles, which Twilight easily returns prior to her turning to exit the library at long last, and returning to the entrance hall of the Palace.

To an audience of her friends, all of whom had eagerly awaited her return.
"So? What news?" Rarity smiles, eyes glimmering in hope of something fancy- perhaps a ball? or a Gala?

"We're going on a trip girls, to the far north plains."

"You mean the Crystal empire, right?" Dash grins, floating along in the air with her hooves behind her head, the epitome of relaxed.

"No, the Northern Ice Plains...Beyond the empire."

"BEYOND THE EMPIRE?!" A combined scream of the group, which Twilight flinches away from, frowning and narrowing her gaze at the group.

"Yes, the far north."

"But- but it's so COLD up there!"

"I know- so, we're going to need coats...Rarity, that's your job. And we need them soon, it's gonna be a long trip to wherever we're going, girls." Twilight sighs, but the group seemingly understand her concern and stresses, and head off to Rarity's Canterlot Boutique, to allow the seamstress mare to prepare the aforementioned coats.

It would give the others time to plan things and work out specifically where they were going... And of course, for Twilight to explain exactly what they were doing.