Rising Above All: The Origins of New Edenia

Chapters

A New Start
Glacier Peaks
Empire of Slavery
The Truth of the Ice Queen
The End
Epilogue
Descent into Darkness

A New Start

"So uh...what do we do now?"

That was the question that released itself from one young purple-green dragon. And this question was the biggest problem a certain alicorn called Twilight Sparkle, two pegasi named Flash Sentry and Fluttershy, a bunny named Angel, an owl named Owlowiscious and the dragon named Spike that said such question. The six now found themselves just outside of Ponyville, as they had came there to pick up Twilight and Fluttershy's pets. That and to pick up certain materials and necessities for the trip ahead, which the six unfortunately did not know where to go from here. It was here that the dragon pulled out a map they had found in Twilight's former library home. The others looked over his shoulders as their eyes glued themselves at the piece of paper.

"Hmm..." Twilight said as she rubbed her chin in thought. She then glanced at her companions, seeing their worried expressions. Blinking at this, she let out a sigh before speaking up, "Um...everypony?"

"Huh?" Spike replied as he and the others turned their heads toward the alicorn.

"Hey. If you all want to back out of this, I don't blame you." Twilight said as the others just stood there, blinking. "I am the one to blame for this and...you don't have to follow me."

"Twilight..." Fluttershy muttered, fiddling with her hooves.

The other pegasus shook his head. "Don't say that. We all made our choice Twilight. We're coming with you after what happened with Princess Celestia."

"Yeah." Spike nodded. "We were betrayed as well Twilight. You remember what happened, don't you? She went against us all and you saved us."

"Yeah...you're right." Twilight shrugged, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry."

Her hesitation was natural. After all, the six were now outcasts. It had only been a day since they had left Canterlot. Two days ago, the species known as the changelings had attacked Canterlot under the command of their queen, Chrysalis. She had come there for revenge against Celestia and Luna over events that had happened centuries ago. There, the insect had kidnapped and impersonated the Princess of Love, Cadance and used this disguise to get her minions inside Canterlot without interruption. However, thanks to Twilight and the friends that would listen to her, she was able to fight back the monster and successfully defeat her.

However, such victory would come with a severe cost. In the midst of the conflict, Twilight had learned the truth of origin of the monster known as Chrysalis. Chrysalis was originally known as Abacus Cinch, the sister of famous Princess Platinum, an founder of Equestria. She was a duchess that fallen in love with the legendary Starswirl the Bearded, only to be cheated on by him. As she found out about this, Twilight then found out that Chrysalis was then betrayed by her family as they all submitted to the rule of Princess Celestia and Luna. She even tried to become an Archduchess of a land she was destined to inherit through her family, only to lose her duchy to Celestia. In response, she started a war, only for that to fail as well.

It was that story that made Twilight realize what kind of ruler she had always followed. Celestia could have helped Chrysalis, but instead, took what she had inherited. Twilight had found out that Princess Celestia had helped make the monster. And that fact made her feel only one thing. Betrayed. Betrayed because Celestia had made sure those events were never known to anypony or anyone. She made sure that nopony knew about the monster that had invaded her home, threatened her family and caused them so much grief. That alone was enough for Twilight to leave her old mentor. As she did, she found herself surrounded by friends on both sides. Her friends Rainbow Dash and Applejack had gone against her thanks to the deception of Chrysalis while Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike and her new coltfriend Flash Sentry had stood by her side.

With this, she left Canterlot, though by more...violent means then necessary. After learning the truth, Celestia sealed Twilight and her friends inside her castle, a special spell sealing them inside the palace. It took some time, but Twilight was able to use her magic to escape. As she sealed inside, her magic flared to an amount that most would consider impossible. Within this moment, her unicorn body disappeared as she grew a pair of magnificent purple wings, ascending her into alicornhood. With this new power, she escaped the seal and left Canterlot. She left behind her friend Rarity, who wanted to stay to romance another pony, and she wished her good luck with her new love. She also left her parents, who approved of her new path as she left them.

But that was the past. They were now outcasts, being hunted down by Celestia and her forces. Now, she was with her friends, standing a small distance away from Ponyville as they looked at a map displaying the entirety of Equestria. As they looked at each other, Twilight could only shake her head as she beamed a small smile. "You're right everypony. Thank you for standing by me."

"Of course." Fluttershy nodded as the others nodded as well. They then turned back to the map, scanning it over. Fluttershy was the first to speak back up, "So um...where should we go? I mean, we are outcasts now and um...you know they'll be after us soon."

"You're right Fluttershy." Twilight said as she closed her eyes, frustration slightly taking over. "After all, we're basically fugitives now. We have to leave Equestria."

"Leave Equestria..." Fluttershy muttered. "We have to leave, don't we?"

"Yep." Spike replied as he nudged Twilight, causing them to look back at the map. "So, where to?"

"Well, we can't go north. The northern mountains of Equestria's border aren't something we should go for." Flash announced, causing the others to look at him.

"Why not?" Spike asked. "What's wrong with going north?"

"North is griffon territory. I know I just quit the guard business but uh..." Flash began scratching the back of his head in response. "You hear plenty of rumors when you're in the military. Supposedly, the griffons are having some rough times negotiating with the ponies of Equestria. I doubt we'll be welcome up there. That and the yaks are also up there and uh-"

"You don't have to go any further." Twilight interrupted. "I've read that the yaks are known for not getting along with anyone, pony or otherwise."

"Alright." Spike said as he looked back at the map. "North is out. And I'm guessing east is out too." he said as he pointed to the right side of the map. There, it showed a vast ocean, something that not even a pegasus could cross with the best winds behind their wings. "I doubt outcasts like us could get a boat. And I'm guessing you don't want to steal one either."

"No Spike." Twilight shook her head. "We're not thieves."

"So...west?" Spike asked as he pointed to the left part of the paper. "We got Appleloosa, Las Pegasus, um..."

"Um...could we not go there?" Fluttershy asked as she fiddled with her hooves again. "There's not many animals that way. There's mainly desert and uh...I don't want to just make friends with lizards and-"

"We understand Fluttershy. We won't go there either." Twilight stopped her, causing the shy pony to smile and nod. Twilight then tapped the map with her hoof. "Guess we're going south."

"Guess so. Though there's not much there." Spike remarked as him and Flash glanced back at the map.

"I agree. We either got the Badlands in the southeast or...Appleloosa in the southwest. Or I guess we could go past all that." Flash suggested as he saw that the Badlands was between a large mountain range and a large region of swamplands. "Hmm...say Twilight, have you ever read about what exists beyond the Badlands?"

"No." Twilight shook her head. "Most regions outside of Equestria aren't recorded. And if you're looking for stuff outside of Equestria, you'll probably only find stuff from up north or east. There are charted out lands beyond the waters and the northern mountains but nothing down south."

"Will there be um...animals down south?" Fluttershy asked, causing Twilight to casually look at her.

"Probably. Though the Badlands are a wasteland, I doubt its endless Fluttershy. I'm betting there's something beyond the wastes." Twilight replied, causing a glimmer of hope to appear on Fluttershy's face. Seeing this, the others grinned at the sight.

"I see. Sounds good to me." Flash nodded as Spike gave him the map and the former guard put the paper inside his saddlebag. "Alright. Looks like we'll have be the first to chart out the south then."

The others shined several smiles as they nodded in agreement. With that, they turned to faced the road ahead of them, causing Twilight to speak up one more time. "Hey everypony?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. Thank you for being my friends and sticking with me."

They all nodded as Spike began chuckling. "Oh come on Twilight, we're here to help. You're our friend after all."

"Spike's right Twilight." Fluttershy added. "We're here for you. Never forget that."

Flash then hugged Twilight with his wing, causing her to slightly blush. "And if you do, we'll remind ya. Trust me."

"Heh heh. Thanks everypony." Twilight nodded as she wiped away a small tear as it almost formed under her eye. She then looked at the horizon before them and beamed a new, confident grin. "Alright everypony, let's make the world our oyster!"

"YEAH!"

One month later...

The Badlands. It was considered to be nothing more than a wasteland. A land that no ordinary being would even traverse, as most creatures considered it to be a land that was best considered forgotten. The landscape only wielded a few colors, mainly gray and brown, complete with a flat, almost unending land with just a few rocks here and there. There, six individuals continued their long walk through this wretched land. The journey was a long one, filled with nothing but pain and unending silence. There was nothing in this vast land. No wind, no trees, no life, nothing. And that fact alone truly depressed the six as they continued their trek across the wasteland. That is, till one of their eyes finally saw something in the distance.

"What is that?" Flash Sentry said, his body currently a few feet off the ground as he placed his hoof over his eyes. His eyes were squinting as he saw a small, hazy sight in the distance. The others noticed that their former soldier friend was struggling in the air, causing them to look at each other.

"Got anything?" Spike asked, looking up at the flying pegasus.

"Yeah, I think I do pal." Flash replied as he landed in front of friends. "I think we're about to hit the end of the road."

"Really?" Twilight asked, hopping in place. "You mean, we're finally at the end of the Badlands?"

"I think so. Take a look." Flash said as turned and pointed forward. "There's something out there in the distance."

"Its not another mirage, is it?" Spike moaned, causing Twilight to glare at him.

"Spike, we're not in a desert. I've told you before that the heat in this area is not enough to-"

"I know, I know." Spike interrupted. "But I'm sure that I saw a mirage last week! Those rocks were shaped like a pony, I swear!"

"Yeah yeah..." Twilight groaned with a facehoof. "Let's just get back on topic. So Flash, you said there's something out there?"

"Not sure what it is, but yeah." Flash nodded as he crossed his hooves. "Something's out there. I'm guessing its some mountains."

"Oh thank goodness. I'm so tired of this...dreary place." Fluttershy replied as she pulled out a water bottle from her saddlebag. "And we're running low on supplies."

"I agree. Thank goodness there were some stray clouds two days ago." Flash said as he pulled out his water bottle as well. "I'm glad there was plenty of water in that cumulous."

"Right." Twilight muttered as her horn began to shine. A brilliant purple light covered the horn and then her eyes, causing her eyes to change shape. There, she began blinking as her focus began to increase as she looked at where Flash had pointed to. After a few seconds, she gasped. "No way..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Flash asked, noticing the gasp.

"That's not just a mountain Flash...its a whole range of them!"

"Really?" Flash turned around, looking at the horizon again. "You can see that?"

"Yeah. The spell I'm using helps my vision. It...what in the name of magic?!" Twilight gasped, her eyes going completely wide as she saw a new sight.

"What the-what do you see Twilight?"

"Yeah, what do you see?"

"There's a gate...a gate as big as the mountains!"

"WHAT?!" the others exclaimed, breaking Twilight concentration and the spell.

"Ack!" Twilight yelped, causing her to blink like crazy. "Everyone! Don't do that! You interrupted my spell!"

"Sorry." they said in unison before Flash spoke up, "Is that true Twilight? There's a gate at the end of the Badlands?"

"Yeah." Twilight groaned as she shook her head, regaining her focus. "Looks like we know where to go next."

"Sounds good to me." Flash grinned, looking at the others. "How about it?" They all nodded. "Alright, let's get going. Let's go see that gate!"

Two days later...

Turns out, the distance between where they were and the gate was a bit more than they thought. With this, it took the small group some time before they approached the gate. Their eyes widened at the sight of the gate. The gate was twenty times their size, as it was made of two giant iron slab pillars. The iron it was made of looked to be centuries old, yet still stable as they were as high as the mountains on both sides of the pillars. The ponies couldn't even see the top of the structure, as the fog that covered the mountains also hid the top of the pillars. Between the two pillars were two giant doors, both also made of iron. On them were giant symbols that Twilight quickly recognized.

"What in the-look at that!" Twilight pointed to the symbols. "Those insignias! They look like...windigos!"

"You're right. Though don't the windigos look like they have a crown on their heads?" Spike replied, remembering the books Twilight had shown him over the icy monsters. "I don't remember them wearing those."

"I agree Spike. That definitely is strange." Twilight said as she rubbed her chin. "What's stranger is that windigos are...well, they haven't been seen in centuries. Why do these gates have that as their symbol?"

"No idea. Maybe we should find out why?"

"I agree, though this thing looks super old. I doubt anypony's been here for a long time." Flash remarked as he flared his wings. He turned to Twilight and asked, "Think I should go to the top of this thing and see if there's something that can open the doors?"

"Sure, good idea." Twilight responded as she pulled out a water bottle. "We'll be waiting."

"Got it." Flash saluted before taking in flight. The orange pegasus quickly gained a burst of speed as he began his ascent. Though there was no wind in the wasteland, his wings could give him the push necessary to fly upward. After a few minutes, he found himself on the top. There, his jaw dropped at the sight.

There, on top of the pillars, were ponies. Specifically, ten unicorns. All of them were dressed in a large, light blue coats and they stared at him with cold, dead eyes. Their coats and manes were different colors, but their expressions were all the same. The faces of unicorns showed blank stares, all of their eyes were colored a drab gray without a spit of life in them. Flash continued to flap his wings, levitating in the air as he tried to get closer to them. As he was about to speak up to guards, one of the unicorns noticed him and spoke up first.

"Leave this place!" the pony yelled, causing Flash to fly back a bit.

"Hey, wait a-"

"Leave this place by order of her majesty, Queen Winderia!"

"Queen Winderia?" Flash repeated, blinking. "Who is-no, forget that!" Flash told himself before yelling at the unicorns. "Hey! Listen pal, all I want is just passage for me and my...my...uh-oh." Flash gulped as he watched the ten unicorns alight their horns in unison. Flash then waved his hooves before showing a small, slightly fake smile. "Hey uh...can we talk this out?"

"LEAVE THIS PLACE!" they yelled in unison as a barrage of magic beams flew out of their horns. The former guard quickly took defensive measures, his body whipping around, dodging every shot. "LEAVE THIS PLACE BY THE ORDER OF HER MAJESTY, QUEEN WINDERIA!"

"Okay, okay! I get it! I'm gone!" Flash barked back before doing a fast nosedive, his body flying through the fog surrounding the pillars. A few more beams of magic shot through the mist, but they were just strays. They weren't even close as the pegasus continued his descent, his body trying to switch flying form as he slowly got close to the ground. A minute later, he hit the gravel with a slightly shaken expression on his face. The others easily noticed this, Twilight speaking up first as they saw their rattled friend.

"Flash! Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Twilight exclaimed, getting right up in Flash's face. "Did something happen up there? We saw some weird lights coming from up there!"

"Yeah dude, what happened?" Spike continued as he got closer to the soldier as well. "You were only gone for like two minutes and-"

"Everypony, please calm down." Fluttershy interrupted as she walked between the two and Flash. Hearing this, the alicorn and dragon backed down as Fluttershy turned to Flash. "Are you okay Flash? Any injuries? If you have any, I can get my medical supplies."

"No, I'm good. Thank you Fluttershy."

"Okay." Fluttershy replied as she rubbed his shoulder. "Now Flash, you just returned from going up there. If you don't mind, though you don't have to if you don't want to, but you could you tell us what happened?"

"Yeah...yeah..." Flash sighed, his breathing still heavy from the sudden descent. The flight downward had strained his wings, though that was usual for pegasi that practiced strength over speed. Flash was such a pegasus, as was with all pegasi that were trained in the guard. They were trained for stamina, not the usual quick turns and tricks of most pegasi stunt flyers. "Okay, I'm better. Sorry about that. Its just been a while since I've been under attack and..." he quickly saw that these words caused the others to shudder. "Please don't panic. I can explain."

"Its fine." Fluttershy tutted as she looked at Twilight and Spike, who had both calmed down as well. She then tapped Flash's shoulder again, showing him a kind smile that caused his nerves to disappear.

"Thank you Fluttershy."

"No problem." Fluttershy nodded. "Now, are you ready to tell us?"

"Yeah, I am." Flash replied as he sat down. The others sat down with him as they all waited for explanation. "Okay, you all know I was trying to see the top of this..." Flash pointed at the gate. "Giant monstrosity, right?" They all nodded in response. "Yeah, I made it to the top...and when I did, I found...unfriendly company."

"Unfriendly company?"

"Yeah. Unicorns. Ten of them."

"Unicorns?!" Twilight exclaimed, surprised at hearing the news of other ponies out here in the Badlands. She pointed to the gate, "You found other unicorns way up there?!"

"Yeah." Flash crossed his hooves. "They said they serve somepony called...Windera, I think."

"Windera?" Spike cocked an eyebrow at the name. "Who's that?"

"No idea pal." Flash shook his head. "All I know is that they work for this Windera and then..." a sigh followed the next statement. "They started attacking me. Thankfully, they're not good shots, which is odd for unicorn soldiers."

"Huh." Twilight replied as she rubbed her chin. "So, there's some territory beyond this gate ruled by somepony called, 'Windera'?"

"Yeah. That's what it sounds like." Flash nodded. "There was also something else that was odd..." Flash then told his friends about how the unicorns were acting strangely, mainly the dead looking eyes and the repeating of the same words from all of them. As he explained this, Twilight's expression slowly changed from concern to puzzled and then worry. Seeing this, Flash spoke up one last time. "Twilight? You okay? You look like you got something on your mind."

"Yeah. What you described sounds like...advanced puppet magic." Twilight shuddered, causing the others to glance at each other before looking back at the alicorn. She bit her lip and looked down at the ground as she continued. "That's dark magic, something that ponies shouldn't regularly use."

"So...do you think that a unicorn is behind it?" Flash asked, causing Twilight to look up. "I mean, I can't think of anything else that would use that kind of magic."

"Flash, unicorns and alicorns aren't the only ones that can use magic you know." Twilight deadpanned, causing Flash to give an apologizing smile. "Though...you're not wrong. Either way, somepony is behind this and they are preventing us from going beyond this gate."

"Say Flash." Spike spoke up, "Did you see what was beyond the gate? You know, what's over those mountains."

"No." Flash shook his head. "I was too distracted by the unicorns. Sorry pal."

"Its cool."

"Alright everypony, let's focus on the main topic here." Twilight clapped her hooves, getting the attention of the other ponies. "Well, let's review the facts everypony. We crossed the Badlands and then found this gate. Flash flew up there and found out that its guarded by ten unicorns that sound like they're being controlled by this...'Windera'. And this 'Windera' owns this massive gate, which means we probably won't be able to use the gate."

"Sounds right." Flash said as the others nodded in agreement. "So Twilight, what's our next move?"

"Hmm..." Twilight looked back at the gate and then her friends. She could see they were tired, their bodies worn out after crossing the Badlands for a month. Spike's feet were slightly bruised compared to the others' hooves. She had used the past month to learn how to fly with her new wings, though she wasn't as proficient as she wanted to be, even with the lessons Flash could teach her. Because of this, the pegasi and alicorn weren't always on the ground on their journey, making their hooves less tense over the long trip. However, she knew they were all tired, and as she looked at friends and then the gate, she could only sigh at the options available. "Well...I know that we can't go through the gate. After all, I can't fly as high as you can Flash and...I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to destroy the gate with my magic. It would take a while if anything..."

"Agreed." Flash nodded. "We can't go over the gate or through it."

"Right. If that's the case, then..." Twilight looked at the mountain range beside the gate. Her eyes could not see the top of any of the mountains, only the fog covering the tops of the rocky ridges. She let out a long sigh as another idea popped into her head, though she didn't like this one. The alicorn glanced at her coltfriend and slowly said, "Um...Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"The only other idea I can think of is..." Twilight pointed at the mountain range. "We could find a valley in this collection of mountains. And uh...I hate to ask this Flash, but-"

"You want me to fly and see if I can find a valley close by, right?" Flash crossed his hooves while shaking his head. "You know, you just have to ask Twilight."

"Sorry." Twilight slightly blushed, looking away. "Just, you know...after you flew down and looked like you were really shaken from doing that."

"Its cool." Flash replied as he placed his wing on Twilight's shoulder. "If you don't mind, let me rest a bit and then I'll go see if I can find one."

"Alright." Twilight nodded as she pulled out some food from her saddlebag. "So...how about we have some supper?"

"Sounds good to me." Flash grinned as he pulled out some grub as well. "I need some extra fuel in the old tank. That flight took a bit out of me, especially for a non-stunt flier like myself."

With that, the six friends sat down and ate their meal. As they did, Flash decided that should just make camp for the night. Agreeing to this, that and agreeing that they should camp out away from the gate just in case those unicorns decided to come down. (Though they weren't sure how they would do that) With this, the six soon found themselves entering the land of dreams with the exception of Twilight and Fluttershy. About an hour after trying to get to sleep, Twilight got up from her sleeping bag and walked outside the camp. Seeing this, Fluttershy got up and followed her.

"Twilight?" she whispered, causing the alicorn to turn around.

"Fluttershy? Oh um, did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

"No. Not at all." Fluttershy shook her head. "I couldn't get to sleep either. I just saw you leave and um...was worried."

"Oh...thanks Fluttershy."

"So, what's on your mind? If, you know, you uh...don't mind me asking."

Twilight shook her head as she hugged her old friend's shoulder. "Not at all Fluttershy. You of all ponies should know I wouldn't mind."

"Right. Sorry." Fluttershy muttered as she returned the shoulder hug. "So...is there something wrong Twilight?"

"Well...I guess. I'm not sure." Twilight replied as she returned to her staredown with the night's darkness. She also looked at the gate that they had just found, only to be met with disappointment. "I guess...seeing this gate made me rethink things."

"I see. Did you figure something out?"

"Yeah." Twilight nodded. "I think it helped me realize that I can't go back to Equestria no matter what I do."

Fluttershy went a little back from that. "Really? How?"

"Yeah. This gate is just like Equestria to me now." Twilight explained as she looked up and stared at night's sky. "It's a barrier that doesn't want me and I don't want it. Well...maybe that's wrong. I'm guessing Celestia is still searching for us but...it doesn't matter now." Fluttershy hugged her with her right wing as Twilight continued. "What I mean is...I can't let this stop me. This gate is just an obstacle I have to figure out how to pass and move on."

"So...you just want to move on from Equestria, right?"

"Yeah." Twilight nodded again before looking at her old friend. "And...I'm so glad you all came along. I know that Rarity stayed to pursue her love and...I knew my parents couldn't come but-"

"Stop Twilight. That's enough." Fluttershy interrupted, shaking her head. "Me, Spike and Flash don't regret coming with you and you know it. We're here because of what happened and that's final. You know we can't change that, and that's fine. We're here for you Twilight and we have no regrets."

"Yeah...thanks." Twilight replied as she pulled in Fluttershy for one more hug. "Guess I'm making myself carry too many burdens. After what happened with Celestia and Chrysalis...I just couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand hearing that my mentor would just let those things happen and...not really care. She just let the Chrysalis happen and let her try to destroy everything." A few tears began to well up in her eyes. "I guess...I didn't want to be fed any more lies or excuses. I just want things to be set straight and narrow."

"That's why we're on this journey Twilight." Fluttershy said as she wiped Twilight's tears. "Remember what you told us when you ascended and we all escaped that room that Celestia had us sealed in?" Twilight nodded at this, remembering that moment. "You told us that we would find someplace better, right?"

"Yeah, I did." Twilight glanced back at the gate. "And I can't help but feel like that its just behind this gate...or the mountains beside it."

"Hee hee." Fluttershy giggled. "That's just like you Twilight."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple." Fluttershy remarked with a small kind smile. "You find hope in everything, even the things that block your way."

"Eh...guess that's true." Twilight chuckled. "But I wouldn't be me if I didn't, would I?"

"Nope." Fluttershy nodded. "You're exactly who you need to be Twilight."

"Yeah..." Twilight took one last look at the stars before glancing at Fluttershy again. "Welp, we need to get to bed. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be long day."

"Okay." Fluttershy agreed as they both got up and returned to camp. With that, the two ponies soon found themselves entering the land of dreams as well.

Meanwhile...

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" yelled a unicorn in a hefty light blue coat. He ran down several hallways, all of them frozen over with sheets of ice on the walls. Even the floor was frozen with thick, multi-layered frost that would make the most stable carriage flip over in a second. However, this meant nothing to this unicorn, as he had ran down these hallways hundreds of times. As he got to his destination, he continued to yell, "Your majesty! Your majesty!"

"BE SILENT!" screamed another voice, causing the unicorn to stop at this destination. As his hooves skidded down the ice, a ring of ice magic surrounded him, causing a blanket of ice to freeze him on the spot. Only his head remained as the rest of his body was frozen. His noggin began to shiver at the spell, causing him to whimper as he looked at ruler he was calling for.

His ruler was a windigo, but not an ordinary one. She was twice the size of a normal pony of icy wrath, complete with a light blue coat covered in white snow. Her body was not fully ethereal, but rather solid than most windigos. Atop her head was a large crown shaped like a pincushion filled with towering crystals, all of them colored a dazzling emerald green. Her top of her body also wielded a slight turquoise coat underneath, though she only had two hooves. Her bottom half of her body was at times like a spiral of wind, yet also like a wispy tail of a genie at other times.

"Y-y-y-your m-m-m-majesty. I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry for y-y-yelling. I-I-I just h-h-have a m-m-message from our s-s-scouts." the unicorn whimpered as the windigo tapped her hoof, causing the ice magic to dispel instantly. The unicorn flopped to the floor as his body became drenched in the water that the previous ice was made of. As he began to shake off the water, his ruler tapped her hoof again.

"Show me the message this instant."

"Yes your majesty." the unicorn bowed and then levitated a small piece of paper out of his saddlebag. The paper was enchanted so no ice or water would affect it, as he suspected his ruler would this to him. As he unfurled it, he read it the message aloud. "Your majesty Queen Winderia, we of the scouts of the Gate of Silent Eyes have a report for you. Today, a lone orange colored pegasus tried to fly over the gate. We responded with attacking him and he then flew away before we could kill him."

"I see." Windera calmly replied. "Did the pegasus have any markings of any kind? Was it from Equestria?"

"No your majesty." the unicorn shook his head. "It just says that he had no clothes on, so I suspect he's no soldier. They couldn't see any other identifying marks."

"Hmm..." Windera rubbed her chin in response. "I see. This worries me. Tell the messenger unicorn that the unicorns up there need to be on full alert. I know that those are be manipulated via puppet magic, but they need to be better pawns." she groaned as she laid back on her throne. "Stupid puppets. They're just a little above trash."

"I will tell the messenger at once your majesty."

"Good. And one more thing," Windera said as the unicorn just stood there, shaking. "Yell in my hallways again and you and your family will feel my wrath. The only noise I will allow in my kingdom is silence or the sounds of suffering, such as your family. Remember that."

"Yes your majesty." the unicorn bowed again and turned to leave. As he walked down another hallway, he silently prayed to himself. "Oh...if only somepony or somepony would save us from this nightmare. If only..."

Glacier Peaks

"A sea?" asked Twilight as she listened to her coltfriend after he had returned from his search. It had been two days since they had made camp at the gate they had ran into. Since then, not a single bit of activity had came out of the gate or the unicorns that were guarding it's top. Despite this, the travelers felt that this was a good place to setup camp and see what their next move could be. Yesterday, Flash had flown down the right side of the mountains to see if there was anything beyond there besides the massive rocky skyscrapers. Unfortunately, he didn't find a thing and returned to camp exhausted. It was the second day though, that he found something. When he went to the left side that day, he found a very narrow valley inside the mountain range, just barely enough to be two ponies wide. Being a single pony searching the valley, he easily walked through until he found himself on the edge of a cliff, viewing a vast sea of sprinkling water.

"Yeah." Flash nodded as he took a swig of water. "I found it after I went through that valley I just told you about."

"Huh..." Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. "Think its part of the eastern ocean? You know, the one we tried to avoid?"

"Could be." Flash grumbled as he put his bottle of water down. "Also, when I was on that cliff, I noticed there was a small town at the edge of the sea."

"You mean like a fishing village? Wait..." Twilight said before stopping and pulling out a map from her saddlebag. She looked it over and then spoke up, "Hmm...I don't think its on any map of Equestria."

"Oh my," Fluttershy gasped. "Does that mean its someplace outside of Equestria's boundaries?"

"I'm guessing so." Flash replied as he started rubbing his wings. "Not only that, when I was going through that valley, I kept wondering why it kept getting colder and colder. Then to my surprise, once I hit that cliff, I noticed that there was nothing but snow on the other side of the mountains."

"Snow?!" the others asked in unison.

"We're down south Flash." Spike deadpanned. "It keeps getting hotter and hotter the farther we go. That is, till we hit this gate. But its still hot now! Are you saying there's snow past this gate?!"

Flash nodded. "If I had to take a guess pal...yes. There was a thick sheet of snow around that town in the distance, and plenty of the white stuff around me as well."

"That's crazy." Twilight gasped as she put her hoof over her mouth. "The only way that would be possible this far south would either be an ice spell of immeasurable power or...there's a pegasi unit that is deliberately making sure snow is there twenty-four seven." Twilight looked up to the sky, seeing Celestia's sun still blaring down on the Badlands. "But...that doesn't seem possible with the sun being this hot out here. Could it really be that?"

"No, its not that." Flash shook his head. "Pegasi can't control the weather I saw. Granted, we pegasi can make snow and blizzards but...when I saw that sea and town covered in that sheet of snow, I looked up immediately. There, all I saw was constant gray clouds. The Sun couldn't even be seen in that condition."

"Wow." Spike said as he rubbed his temples. "Just where are we? What country is beyond that gate?"

"I don't know Spike." Twilight sighed as she also took a swig of water. "I just don't know..."

"Um...everypony?" Fluttershy whispered. "Can I say something?"

Flash turned his head to her. "Sure Fluttershy, you can always say something. What's up?"

"Why don't we um...just go see it ourselves?"

The others looked at each other for a second, all of them blinking before letting out a series of giggles. Spike fell over as he started to go into a fit of laughter while Twilight patted Fluttershy on the back. "You're right Fluttershy, we were overthinking things way too much. Thank you Fluttershy."

"No problem." Fluttershy shined a small smile. "I'm always here to help."

"Right." Twilight nodded before looking at each of her friends. "So, we all in agreement to going to that valley and figuring out where we are?"

"Agreed." the others said in unison.

One small trip later...

The six friends were now standing in front of the valley Flash had mentioned before. Their pets Angel and Owlowiscious were fast asleep on Fluttershy's back while Spike was starting to doze off on Flash's back. Twilight then turned to Flash and asked, "So, is this it?"

"Yeah." Flash nodded as he pointed at the valley. "Beyond this valley is that cliff I was talking about. I'll go ahead and warn you, its gonna get chilly once we start to go inside."

"Hmm...okay." Twilight replied as she rubbed her chin. "It looks like the valley is relatively small like you said. Guess we should go in a line."

"Yeah..." Flash rubbed the side of his head before he tapped Twilight's side. "Say, how about I go in front? I'll make sure that nopony sneaks up on us on the other side...that is, if there's anypony on the other side."

"You're thinking somepony related to those gate guards will appear?" Twilight asked, which she got a nod in response. "Okay. Go ahead Flash." With that, Flash put the now asleep Spike on Twilight's back and placed her saddlebags on his back. He then started to walk through the valley, causing Twilight to turn to Fluttershy. "I'll go next, is that okay Fluttershy?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." Twilight grinned before following Flash's hoofsteps. That, and her grin started to get bigger as she stared at her coltfriend in front of her. Nice...very nice view.

A few minutes later, the alicorn and pegasus behind her felt a certain cold chill. Twilight's wings tried to fold inward as she felt the a small flake of snow tap her head. "Brrr...you weren't kidding Flash. There really is snow here."

"Yeah, and its gonna get worse the farther we go in." Flash replied as his eyes picked up the cliff. "Here we go...we're not that far away now."

"Okay..." Twilight then turned her head. "Hey, you okay Fluttershy?"

"Yes." Fluttershy nodded. "Just a little chilly, that's all."

"Same here." Twilight turned back. "How far are we now?"

"Just a few minutes. Don't worry, when we get to the cliff, we'll have enough room to move besides this straight line we're doing right now."

"Okay." Twilight remarked before staring slightly downward again. Darn. Didn't last long, did it?

It wasn't long till they reached the cliff. There, Flash split off from the line so that Twilight and Fluttershy could see the sight he had told them about. Twilight and Fluttershy's jaws dropped as they saw they thick long sheet of snow over the entire mountainside, along with the vast plains of land beside the sea and the town covered in frozen water. Twilight quickly summoned a spell over her eyes so she could see through the skies, only to see that there was nothing but gray clouds. The puffs in the sky were nothing but faucets for the snow that constantly descended down on the land, creating a frozen wasteland.

"Incredible...this must some kind of advanced magic. Or some kind of spell." Twilight remarked as she kept staring at the landscape and it's covered sky. "I don't understand. Why is this frozen...wasteland behind the Badlands?!"

"I don't know Twilight." Flash replied, crossing his hooves. "I'm guessing you just used a spell to increase your vision, right?"

"Yeah." Twilight turned to him. "Why?"

"Hmm...I'm guessing there weren't any pegasi up in the sky?"

"Nope." Twilight shook her head. "Just...snow. Snow everywhere."

"Oh my." Fluttershy gasped as she pointed at the landscape. "If that's the case, nothing can grow or live out here. Except maybe...penguins or polar bears."

"Yeah, you're right." Twilight nodded as she looked at her old friend before looking at the town by the sea. "Makes me wonder who can live down there." Twilight then looked back at the wasteland, squinting her eyes. "Not only that, there's something else out there."

"Out where?"

"There." Twilight pointed at what appeared to be a large blizzard way off in the distance. Flash and Fluttershy tried to follow her, but couldn't see anything but the storm.

"Um Twilight...there's nothing there but that blizzard."

"No, there's something else there." Twilight replied as she walked to the edge of the cliff. "Something that looks like a...a...a city?"

"A city?!" the others yelped in unison.

"Twilight...you're not serious are you? That's a massive blizzard out there." Flash said as he pointed to the storm. "Is that spell of yours really working?"

"Well...I don't know. But I can barely make out something out there." Twilight remarked as she closed her eyes, canceling the spell as her horn lit up for a second. After this, she turned to her friends and pointed to the town in the distance. "Say, why we don't we try that town first? Maybe we can get some information there."

"Sounds good to me." Flash nodded before turning to Fluttershy who nodded as well. He spread his wings as he got close to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the rocky mountainside below them. Flash slightly grimaced at the sight before glancing at his friends. "Looks like we got quite the walk ahead of us."

"I agree." Twilight commented as she looked over the edge as well. "I just hope that town has an inn."

"Same here."

Meanwhile...

"P-p-p-please y-y-your m-m-m-majesty!" a small unicorn servant yelped, his entire body besides his head frozen in ice as he tried to speak. "T-t-that was all in t-t-the r-r-report!"

"I know it is. I just read the scroll, you piece of trash." replied a cold, hissing voice. "However, the news on this scroll is not what I want to see."

"B-b-but your m-m-majesty Q-q-queen W-w-windera, t-t-that's all the m-m-message had on it!" the servant replied, trying to shiver his still frozen body. "T-t-the g-g-guards of the g-g-gate are-"

"ENOUGH!" Windera yelled as she opened her mouth, a large burst of ice flying out of it. Her very breath froze the top of the unicorn's head, silencing him into a statue-like state. Seeing this, she let out a large groan as she fell back onto her throne. "Ugh...idiot. Can he not see that this is a problem?! If that pegasus from two days ago has not returned, that means that he could have gone back into Equestria! I...I can't have that happen right now!" she yelled as she slammed her hooves on the arms of her chair. "Not now...not when I'm so close in completing my goal here."

The windigo then leaned back in her chair, rubbing her chin as another thought entered her head. But...perhaps he didn't go back? If he didn't...there is another countermeasure at my disposal. Perhaps I should start with that? She waved her hoof in a circle, causing a small ball of snow to appear in it. The snow was glowing as a purple and red aura surrounded the frozen water. "I'll only need one of them. That should be enough." she said to herself as she dropped the snow onto the ground. The glowing white powder began to move on its own, its form slowly growing. "Good...good."

The queen then looked back up at the messenger. With a quick tap of her hooves, the ice incasing him disappeared. The stallion fell to his knees, gasping for air as his body vibrated like crazy. He quickly wrapped his hooves around himself as water poured down his body. "Oooohhhhh...t-t-that's c-c-cold. So cold..."

"Messenger." Windera hissed, causing the stallion to quickly bow, his face kissing the floor.

"Y-y-y-yes your m-m-majesty?!"

"Alert all the guards. I want double time on their shifts." Windera commanded as she scratched the side of her head in thought. "And...send an extra units of guards to the Gate of the Silent Eyes. I need to make sure that no outsider stands against me."

"Y-y-yes your m-m-majesty! I will d-d-do this a-a-at once!" the stallion saluted before turning and rushing out of the room. As he ran out, Windera smirked at the frightened fleeing figure. What followed was nothing but laughter as she took pleasure at the fear she had caused in that pony. This alone was more than enough to amuse her. For now.

Meanwhile...

"W-w-we m-m-made it." Twilight stuttered as her teeth shook from the shivering cold. Twilight and friends were not equipped for the cold, especially since the transfer from the scorching wasteland that the was the Badlands was not exactly welcome for the group. After all, they didn't need clothes for the Badlands, but they needed it here. With that in mind, Twilight entered the town that was their earlier destination.

"Y-y-yeah." Flash agreed as he continued to cling to his wings that were wrapped tightly around his chest. Fluttershy was doing the same action, though she tried to wrap them on top of her body so Angel and Owlowiscious could try to stay warm inside her yellow feathers. Spike on the hoof, clung to Twilight's back as she tried to do the same as Fluttershy, but with less results.

"C-c-can we f-f-find s-s-some w-w-warm clothes already?!" Spike exclaimed as he pointed at the town.

"We w-w-will S-S-Spike." Twilight nodded as they began their trek inside the town, their hooves dripping inside the snow.

As they entered, they quickly noticed something was off. The town was small, they knew that from seeing at a distance, but they didn't expect it to be this small. There was only one street, and it was lined with about ten to twelve buildings. At the end of the town was a large wooden ship, though it looked to be only about two-thirds fully built. Seeing this, they trotted up to the closest building and Twilight tapped the door. "H-h-hello? Is anypony in t-t-there? We n-n-need to know w-w-where in this t-t-town we can get some s-s-shelter."

"GO AWAY!" yelled a voice inside, causing them to jump back.

"Huh?" Twilight gasped before asking, "W-w-what do you m-m-mean g-g-go away? We just w-w-want some s-s-shelter. Honest."

"NO YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE UNICORNS!" the voice yelled again. "YOU'RE HERE TO KILL US, AREN'T YOU?!"

"Umm...no?" Fluttershy responded in a small, light tone. Twilight had let her go to the door, knowing she was better at sounding sincere. "L-l-listen, we mean n-n-no harm."

"DON'T LIE TO US! You're...you're..." the voice responded before slowly stopping. A second later, a small window in the door opened and two small eyeballs showed themselves behind it. "Hmm...you wouldn't look like that in this weather unless you're crazy." The eyes blinked as they started to scan Twilight's group over. "But, only one of you is a unicorn. Wait...you have wings and a horn?"

"Y-y-yes. I'm an a-a-alicorn." Twilight nodded. "Please, we mean you n-n-no harm. We just w-w-want s-s-shelter from the c-c-cold."

"Hmm..." the eyes muttered before closing the tiny window. Then, the door opened. "Fine, come on in."

The friends quickly ran inside as the individual that had opened the door for them quickly closed it. As Twilight and the others walked in, they noticed there was a fireplace that was fully lit and quickly huddled around it. While they were still shivering from the cold, Twilight glanced around the room, now seeing the others inside. The one that opened the door was a male deer with two small horns. Also inside with him was two foal age female griffons and a male earth pony with a short beard. Twilight blinked at the sight as she scanned them all over. It was here that the earth pony walked up and spoke to her. "You...who are you?"

"I'm Twilight, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight replied as she turned to her friends. "This is Fluttershy, Flash Sentry, Spike, Angel and Owlowiscious. Who...who are you?"

"I am...nopony important." the earth pony shook his head before walking over to a shelf. There, he pulled out several blankets with his teeth and threw them over to Twilight and her friends. "Here, wrap yourselves in these."

Quickly complying, the group wrapped themselves and Twilight said, "Thank you. And um...thank you for letting us inside your home here."

"Don't thank us yet." the pony hissed, causing Twilight and the others to slightly backpedal. He looked at Twilight with cold, drilling eyes. "Now, I would like to ask you a few questions. I believe we have the right since we let you inside instead of freezing out there."

"Um...sure." Twilight nodded. She knew she had nothing to hide. Not only that, when she looked at the young griffons, she saw nothing but fear in their eyes when they looked at her. Or, fear when they stared at her head. Twilight glanced at her friends, all of them giving nods of approval. With that in mind, she turned and asked, "What do you want to know?"

"I..." the earth pony hesitated, as if he didn't know what question to ask first. After a few moments, he spoke up, "Listen, we don't want any trouble here. All we want to know is why a unicorn is here."

"Well um...first off, I'm an alicorn." Twilight stated as she sat down, clutching the blanket a bit harder. "As for why we're here, we're travelers. We were just trying to find an inn to stay at for the night."

"Travelers eh?" the earth pony then looked her friends over, a skeptical frown on his face. "And why should I believe that?"

Twilight and her friends just looked at each other, not sure how to reply to that. Fluttershy then decided to take the initiative. "Um...mister earth pony?"

"Yes?" he replied back with a cocked brow.

"We um...we don't mean you any harm if that's what you're thinking. We really are just travelers." She said with pleading eyes. Her tone caused him to slightly backpedal. After a minute or so, he shook his head to reply.

"Sorry to say missy, but as long as you have something similar to a unicorn here, I can't trust you."

This statement completely confused Twilight and her friends. They all looked at each other again, blinking. Fluttershy then spoke up again. "Um...what do you mean? Why don't you trust unicorns?"

The earth pony just looked back at the deer in the room, who just gave him a nod. He turned back to the group and walked up to Twilight, glaring down at her. "All unicorns are evil in this land. They're outlawed."

"Outlawed?!"

"Yes." he replied in a low, cold tone. He hung his head as the grim word came out of his mouth. It was here that Flash looked into the earth pony's eyes and saw something that none of the others could see. Despair and bloodlust. The earth pony then raised his hoof and cocked it back, its being slowly tightening as a grimace graced his face. "I'm sorry."

The earth pony quickly swung down his hoof, ready to strike Twilight. However, before she could even start a spark of magic, a sword was at the throat of the earth pony.

"Don't touch her." Flash hissed as his blade got slightly closer to the earth pony. "If you try that again, I won't hesitate to slice you in half."

The earth pony only backed off for a second before narrowing his eyes. "You traitorous pegasus, how dare you defend a unicorn! Don't you know that-" the pony began blinking as a certain realization dawned on him. "Oh...you're her bodyguard, aren't you?"

"He's not my bodyguard!" Twilight barked, "He's my friend!" She turned to Flash, "Put the sword away Flash, we don't want to get into fight here."

"But-"

"Put. It. Away." She commanded, causing him to slowly sheath the weapon. She then turned back to the earth pony, "Now, could we not immediately resort to violence and talk this out in a civilized manner?"

"Grrr..." he growled before finally sitting down on his flank. "Fine. But I want answers. Why are you here, winged unicorn?!"

"We're here...because we don't know where to go right now." Twilight replied while scratching her neck. "Like we said, we're just travelers."

"If you're travelers, why would you come here?!" he yelled back. "And why are do you look like that?! Is it some kind of unicorn trick?!"

"Nope." Twilight shook her head. "I got this...form by pure accident." Twilight then tapped her wings before continuing. "Besides, why are unicorns forbidden here?"

"That is..." the earth pony looked at the deer, only to receive a nod. "The queen has banned all unicorns from this land."

"The queen?"

"Yes. The queen is ruler of this land. She has outlawed all unicorns that do not swear loyalty to her." he replied in a low tone before pointing to Twilight's head. "As long as you have that...accursed thing on your head, you're a menace in these lands. I suggest you leave at once."

Twilight looked back at her friends again. They could read each others minds over this. They were all thinking the same thing: We are really far off from home here. Thinking this, Twilight nodded to Fluttershy, knowing she would be able to calm the pony down.

"Um...mister earth pony? Who is this queen?"

The earth pony just sat there, shaking at the question. He glanced at the deer in the room, gesturing to him. After a few seconds, he looked back at them with cold, icy glare. "You're travelers, correct? You wouldn't be this ignorant if you weren't."

"We are." Twilight nodded. "We were just passing through."

The earth pony sighed. "If that's the case, if I let you stay in a spare house we have in our village, will you leave tomorrow morning and never come back?"

Twilight glanced at her friends, who all nodded once more. She wasn't satisfied with not getting an answer about the queen, but she knew this would be the most peaceful solution. She looked back and nodded. "Sure. Though uh...could we at least ask what this village is called?"

"Glacier Peaks. And that's the last question I'm answering." He then gestured to follow him. Twilight and the others quickly got up and left the house. Thankfully, the spare house was just a block down, and Twilight with her friends found themselves in a spare, well made brick house. Inside was an unlit fireplace that Twilight quickly lit, causing them to gather around it. As they did, the earth pony asked them one more question. "And you promise to leave tomorrow morning, no questions asked?"

"Yes. We're sorry for intruding on your town."

"Its not mine. And be glad we're kind to intruders."

With that, the earth pony left. Flash then nudged Spike with a chuckle. "'Kind to intruders' he says. What a load of horsefeathers."

"You're telling me."

"Now now Flash," Fluttershy remarked. "We did come here unannounced. We don't know the rules here."

"Fluttershy's right. We should be glad we have a fireplace here in this...snow-filled town." Twilight commented before getting up. "Besides, I have a feeling this place has something else its hiding."

"Ya think?"

Empire of Slavery

The Truth of the Ice Queen

It had been quite a trek back to Thorn's hideout. Twilight and her friends had followed what they could only describe as a labyrinth of passageways to the little abode they were now sitting in. As they sat there, Thorn lit a small fireplace.

The elder let out a long sigh, his nose twitching as he prepared his long explanation. He looked up at Twilight and her friends and bit his lip. "Listen up, I would like to ask you that you won't ask questions over this until I'm done with my story. Is that okay?"

"Sounds good to me." Twilight nodded, glancing at her friends who nodded as well.

"Good." The elder cricked his neck before shifting a little closer to the fire. "Now, our story begins hundreds of years ago. Back then, this land was known as The Kingdom of ?. It was named this due to ?. Anyways, it was a peaceful time back then. The kingdom was mainly made up of deer, though it was known to have griffons and ponies there as well. However, that all changed one day."

The elder sighed again as he took a sip of his soup. "The day the windigos appeared." The others grimaced at this, almost backpedaling at the glare the old deer was giving. "They came from Equestria, and they declared that they were kicked out due to the friendship that had been formed there, expelling them from the wrath they so loved to devour."

"Hearth's Warming..." Twilight muttered to herself, realizing what event he meant.

"The windigos then declared that they were going to unleash their wrath upon us, wanting to make a new home here in the South." The elder continued, ignoring Twilight's mutterings. "They told us that they would turn our kingdom into a place of nothing but anger, fear and hatred, something they loved to make."

"That's horrible." Fluttershy commented, putting her hooves over her mouth.

"Indeed. Their invasion and declaration was...devastating. The kingdom was not ready to deal with them." The elder sipped the soup again. "The windigos quickly made their home here, freezing part of the land into a snow-filled wasteland. They destroyed crops, froze citizens, destroyed buildings...they were nothing but monsters."

"But you all stopped them, didn't you?" Twilight interrupted, rubbing her chin in thought. "The event you talked about earlier was Hearth's Warming Eve, and event that happen centuries ago. There's no way they would have stopped with the South. They would've come back to Equestria eventually."

"But there is nothing in Equestria that says they came back, does it?" The elder remarked, causing Twilight to nod in confirmation. "Yes, you're right. The windigos never left the kingdom." The elder chuckled as he finished his soup. "You see...I honestly don't know the details. Even the previous king doesn't." He looked up with a cheeky smile, slightly blushing. "We weren't into recording history back then. Most stuff was passed down the old fashioned way."

"You mean stories?" Twilight giggled, waving her hoof. "We understand, please continue."

"Yes...you see, the king back then figured out a certain magic that could kill the windigos."

The End

"Well well well, look what the wastelands regurgitated for me." Windera chuckled as she saw Twilight walk into the throne room. The bruises and burns from Tartarus had disappeared from her body as she graced Windera's throne with her presence. The alicorn had a face of pure, emotionless confidence. It was liking looking at the greatest poker face one could ever make, not a silver of emotion could be seen on her face. Despite this, Windera just laughed at Twilight, "And you came just in time for your friends to perish under my frozen hooves! I hope you're ready to see their despair alicorn, because I will destroy all of them!"

Twilight just stood there, unfazed by the windigo's threats. She didn't even talk back. She just stood there, like a statue. Seeing this, Windera continued to yell at her. "What's wrong?! Cat got your tongue?! Is my power so great that you can't even speak before my unspeakable might?! WELL?!"

As Windera kept yelling at the purple alicorn, she just continued her stiff, unmoving stance. All the others in the room just stared at her, noticing the large red and black shard pointing out of her saddlebag. While the others stared at her new weapon, Thorn instead stared at her eyes. As a small clump of blood fell out of his mouth, his eyes narrowed and squinted as he looked into Twilight's eyes. Yes...that's good. Thorn thought as he felt the sting of the icicle spears still stuck in his stomach. He knew he didn't have long to live, but he was satisfied now. He knew it the moment he saw the confident, unfazed eyes that Twilight was now sporting. Those are good, strong eyes. You're no longer the frightened alicorn I saw when you first encountered with Windera. With those eyes...you're ready.

One last spurt of blood spewed out of his mouth as Thorn quietly whispered. "I...leave the rest...to you."

With that last statement, Thorn closed his eyes permanently. His lifeless body laid fully down as his head kissed the frozen, icy floor. Seeing this, Fluttershy, Spike and Flash's eyes widened as they saw their new friend give up the ghost. Fluttershy put her hooves over her mouth as she went pale as a sheet. "No....NOOOOOO!!!"

"Thorn!" Flash yelled as he tried to move, his wings still frozen to the wall. "THORN!"

"No way...this is gotta be a dream..." Spike muttered, his body shivering even more as his frozen body began to shake some ice off.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Windera laughed as she pointed to Twilight with a triumphant grin. "Did you see what I have done here?! You were too late! The prince is dead! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Despite the queen's goading, Twilight just stood there, not showing a single emotion. Her entire being just stood like a statue, unmoving as Windera kept laughing. That is, till a small tear slowly appeared under her eye as her horn began to shine. She bit her lip before letting out a low, dark hiss. "You will pay for what you've done here Windera."

"Oh?" Windera's laughing stopped as she cocked an eyebrow in response. "And what makes you think you can make me pay, you scared, pathetic little worm?!"

"Simple." Twilight snorted as she spread her wings into a battle stance. "I'm going to make sure you never step hoof on this land ever again."

"You?! Stop me?!" Windera scoffed as her body began to glow in it's usual light blue aura. "You must be joking." With that statement, Windera's eyes shined a bright light as she opened her mouth, blasting out a burst of icy wind onto Twilight. In a single moment, she became a completely frozen statue. Seeing this, Windera began laughing again. "HA! I've already won!"

Seeing this, the others in the room just lowered their heads as they saw their last hope became a living popsicle. Flash began to yell in anger, his body struggling to escape the ice. Fluttershy's eyes began to flow a waterfall of tears along with Spike, the two just crying at the sight. As for Windera, she kept laughing, slamming her hoof on the ground as she closed her eyes while she kept giggling. "AHAHAHAHA! How pathetic! To think that stupid alicorn was that idiotic prince's last hope! How truly path-"

"Is that all you got?!" yelled a familiar voice. Windera's eyes shot open, only to see the frozen statue of Twilight completely gone. Instead, there stood a completely unfazed and unfreezerburned Twilight Sparkle, her wings fully flared. Despite this, her face didn't show a hint of anger, her expression still showing a completely unfazed emotionless face.

"What the....how did you escape?! Why are you no longer frozen?!"

"Simple." Twilight said as she cricked her neck. "You're not as strong as you think you are."

"Wha...WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, YOU WORM?! HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!" Windera screamed as she began glowing again. "FREEZE, YOU MAGGOT!" Another blast of ice flew out of her mouth, the burst covering over half the room. The already frozen was greeted with a new thick sheet of ice as she continued to blast ice all over the room. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" she yelled before finally closing her mouth. A few seconds later, the mist that had followed from the ice blast faded away, revealing where she had spread her ice-filled fury. However, despite this, Twilight was still standing right where she was at the start, her body not bearing a single bit of ice. "No...how?!"

"I just told you Windera. You're not as strong as you think you are."

"Grrr...SHUT UP!" Windera exclaimed as she smashed her hooves into the floor, the ice inside breaking into hundreds of pieces. "DON'T YOU DARE MOCK ME IN MY DOMAIN! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?! I AM WINDERA, QUEEN OF THE WINDIGOS!"

"No you're not. You're just a monster that needs to be stopped." Twilight deadpanned, causing Windera's face to morph into a swirl of pure, now doubled anger.

"SHUT UP! DIE, YOU PIECE OF FILTH!" Windera yelled as she tried to freeze Twilight again. As she did, Twilight still stood there, unmoving. And just like the last time, Twilight stood there without a single piece of ice on her body. Windera's eyes went wide again before she tried to freeze her once more. She tried again and again, but the result was the same. Twilight just stood there, not a single trace of being frozen on her body. "No...NO NO NO! DIE YOU SCUM! DIE!"

The attack continued. Windera unleased her ice breath again and again, and every time the result was the same. The same purple alicorn just stood there, unfazed and untouched. As Windera kept screaming at the standing alicorn, the others just watched the scene with their jaws dropped. Flash stood wide-eyed, no longer struggling against his still frozen wings. Fluttershy kept glancing back and forth from Windera and Twilight, completely dumbfounded at the sight. Spike was the same way, his eyes also trying to figure out what Twilight was doing.

And yet, after the seventh try, Twilight was still standing tall. There was nothing on her, just her mane flowing in the wind. Not a scratch, bruise, cut or shard of ice. Nothing. It was if she had never been attacked. Seeing this, Windera just stood there, shaking in fear. "No...NO! How...how do you keep doing that?! Why won't you freeze?!"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" Twilight said with a shrug as she let out a small chuckle. "Like I said, you're not as strong as you think you are."

Epilogue

"Incredible." Twilight said to herself as her horn shined, her magic aura flipping another page of the book she was reading. "Just...incredible. To think that Windera has this ancient tome. The tome of Aurora, the alicorn of magic. To think that she wrote this. I had no idea that she was writer like Starswirl. She truly was an alicorn of magic, these spells are amazing."

Descent into Darkness

"There it is." Twilight said to herself as she hid behind a bushel of giant rocks. In front of her, about a good half a mile away were two giant red and black doors, standing tall in the middle of nowhere. The Gates of Tartarus. She knew what they were the moment she got there, she had been here before when she guided Cerberus back to his post as the guardian of Tartarus.