Chapters Prologue: Passion and Voice
"-The day was blazing as the sun continued to drift and the heroes were beginning to run out of time."
(This is going much better than I expected.)
"They were nearing their goal inch by inch and only needed to push themselves more both physically and mentally to get through the dessert without breaking."
(Just need to keep things flowing the right way.)
"They could see their objective in sight. The city was only a little farther as it's castle looked as if it was on fire with the sun nearing behind it. As they walked on and on, it felt only as though it was standing still, like it was painted on the darkening sky."
(Good, good, just stay on the ball now.)
"-Gordon! Are you sure this isn't another one of the desserts illusions? It feels like we are getting no closer-!”
(Wait, should I use "no closer" or something else? What else could I use? No, I need to keep this going, ill fix it later.)
"-Don't worry, we have plenty of time and strength left. Even if it is an illusion this still has to be the right direction.-"
"Even though the heroes knew it was a horrible lie, they pushed more hoping the city would materialize off the canvas of a sky it seemed to be painted on. They soon realized-"
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
(Sigh)
Heavy beating on a wooden door echoed throughout the entire house. It rippled through the air as if it was made of water and could almost be seen bending with the sound. It was excessive and continued as though the stallion knocking was trying to bring it down with an oversized battering ram.
"Hurry up and open this door! Why do you even have so many locks and reinforcements? Do you think anyone really wants to break into your house? Or maybe you're just paranoid?"
"I got them to prevent you from breaking down the door. There is a difference between knocking and pulverizing."
Winter Heart was a dark purple mare with a white mane and tail. They were rather normal and a bit natural as she only lightly brushes it giving it a small strait look with some sharp ends. Her eyes were a cold icy blue and her cutie mark was a pen writing on paper which she got after writing a short story for a town competition. It was open for all ages to promote creativity and community. Despite still being in school she had won it and soon discovered her cutie mark.
She slowly made her way to the door with a casual and cool pace even though it sounded like it was about to be brought down any second. Her magic glowed the same icy color of her eyes as she used it to unlock the door. She quickly opened it to avoid it getting another pound that almost undoubtedly would have ended up sending it flying.
"What do you need? I'm trying to work so I can have a normal life for once."
Thunder Charger, the stallion that nearly broke down the door, looked past Winter to see a variety of papers scattered about around her desk along with on the floor. The recycling bin was practically overflowing so much one could say it was like it was throwing up from being stuffed with so many papers.
"You're still trying to write books and stuff? I know it is your talent but you are having trouble getting them published right? Why not come with me and we could get you a real job while exploring the mysteries of Equestria and beyond!"
Thunder Charger was a rather large stallion with some formidable strength and passion. His body was a rather colorful brown with a darker brown mane and tail. It was a rather normal style most stallions used since they don't care much for how their manes and tails looked. His eyes were a sparky kind of yellow, like lightning. His cutie mark was of a dark thundercloud with lightning arcing from it. It had appeared after he held his ground through a bad storm that threatened to tear down his house. While his family inside did what they could to fortify the place down, he had snuck out and tried to find another way to keep the place safe from outside. He had used his formidable strength he had even as a colt and pulled whatever he could find nearby into a small barricade to keep the strong winds from hitting the house to much. When he was almost finished lightning had struck near him giving him a small but powerful shock that was like a tough punch. It had gotten him raddled up and excited. It made him realize he was a person for adventure, for taking risks and doing things others wouldn't dare. Like most cutie marks it also said a lot about the kind of person they were.
"You know this is what I do. I have no need to go out and do the odd jobs that would need your strength and undying passion to complete."
"That's not what I'm talking about! Equestria is full of mysteries and areas few would dare to go. Those who go to such places become legends who tell of their great deeds and discoveries!"
"How does that sound like something I would do? Why would I even want to go to such extremes and put myself in danger in the first place? I don't have the kind of strength you do, nor do I see the reason you would even want me with you."
"Because going alone is no fun at all! In all the legends they were groups who helped each other out, covering their weaknesses. Besides, I will need someone with skills such as yourself who will be able to tell of my great deeds in the best way possible."
Winter was flattered by the compliment to her skill, and that may have been one of the reasons she thought about it more seriously for a second, but still had little interest in going with him or to the areas he intended to drag her into. They would be dangerous and fast paced, where as she favored her usual clam and slow pace.
"Look, I know we have been friends for a long time, but I really want to just work on getting my stories published. I can't really have distractions and I can't rely on you to do everything in such dangerous areas."
"Oh, I don't plan to go with just the two of us. We have to gather more ponies behind us to cover for our weaknesses. All we have to do is promise to split the profits and make sure they are trustworthy."
Although it was meant to persuade her Winter was actually a bit more disappointed in hearing about splitting the profits. But she knew it would be inevitable if they wanted to get ponies to join them on their adventures into dangerous areas of Equestria.
"I'm not leaving unless you have a plan on where to go that isn't far and already have people ready to go with you."
"So you will go if I get everything set up?!"
It took her awhile to realize she had actually started to succumb to the idea. Before she could try and say anything to oppose it again Thunder had already rushed off to get everything together. She tried looking on the bright side of this. Maybe she could make a good story out of it and then use it to get a stepping stone into having her other work published. She looked at the sun that seemed to sink ever so slowly setting the sky on fire as she had imagined in her story. She unintentionally watched it for a while until dusk soon came to fall.
(Things seem to be moving and changing. I just hope I can continue to drift with my casual pace.)
She gathered her hastily written work and organized it before preparing for bed and whatever was in store for her at the dawn of the next day, which is, assuming he would be back that soon. As night began to fall she drifted her way up the stairs to her bedroom and silently fell into a deep sleep.
Dawn had broken and Winter had woken up from her sleep. She was surprised she was not awoken by Thunder Charger beating down her door or some other loud noise he would have created just to get her attention. She slowly made her way out of bed and neatly folded the blankets before making her way downstairs.
On the table with her work from last night she saw the piles of paper she had organized before going to bed. She didn't like to start things off right in the morning unless she had some good inspiration, so she ignored the papers and decided to go into town to stock up on food and writing supplies.
Winter Heart lived in the town of Weatherville, named after the extreme weather that often occurred throughout the seasons. The weather was also random and never fell into the seasons it was in, meaning it would snow during summer or rain during winter. So the residents always stocked up on all seasonal supplies all the time.
Normally weather is controlled by the pegasi, however not many pegasi lived in Weatherville. Long ago when even fewer pegasi lived in Weatherville, a powerful unicorn who was famous in legends tried to create a machine to help control the weather properly in place of the pegasi. The machine however started to fail sometime after his passing, leaving nobody to be able to fix the crazy weather it would soon start creating. The machine could simply be turned off but then the old issues of controlling the weather would come back, so many just enjoy the whacky weather.
(It's snowing today. Most probably don't like it, but I enjoy the snow a lot. Well everyone has their own season they enjoy, so mine is just winter. It sounds a bit weird saying that though since it's also my name.)
Winter continued down the road and into the general store where she normally got her supplies for writing. She was sure that she needed more paper and some more pens, but she wondered if she would need anything else if she really was about to be taken away on some kind of adventure.
"Hello Winter, back for more supplies?"
"Yes, the usual paper and pens please. Also, I think I will take a journal and some stamps."
"A journal? That doesn't sound like you. Going someplace?"
"Unfortunately I might be, although if I'm lucky and I don't it never hurts to be prepared."
"Alright then, here is the usual plus an extra journal and stamps. That will be an extra 10 bits from the usual."
Winter paid for the supplies and put them in the bag she had brought with her into town. It was her favorite bag that was an icy blue like her eyes and had a snowing pattern on it. She slowly made her way out of the shop when the owner shouted at her on her way out.
"I look forward to reading your journal if you make it back!"
Winter decided to enjoy the snowy day and made her way to the park. She settled down under a tree and took out a scarf from her bag to cover with. She also took out a few pieces of paper and a pen, getting ready to indulge herself a bit under the calmly drifting snow. After a few hours she suddenly heard a loud noise from the distance. It sounded like a kind of crash, like something just rammed into a house. What worried her even more was it came from the direction of her house.
(You have got to be kidding me.)
Annoyed she put her papers and pen back in her bag and made her way back to her house more quickly than her normal casual pace. As she made her way through the town she also noticed something a bit odd. There was nobody outside on the streets or in view of any windows. Actually, most of the windows had there curtains shut. She decided to brush it off on the weather and continued to make her way home.
After a while Winter had finally made it back to her home and saw it was just as she left it. With a heavy sigh of relief she slowly yet casually made her way back into her house. She settled her bag down near her desk and tried to clear off the mess of papers that scattered all over her desk likely when the noise was made.
(It must have been close if it knocked over my papers like this. I hope it has nothing to do with Thunder.)
After cleaning up the mess she made her way into the kitchen with her usual slow pace. She decided to make herself a sandwich before starting any kind of work, assuming she would find any more time to work before Thunder comes back. She wouldn't directly tell anybody, but she was a bit of a glutton in a few ways. She enjoyed indulging herself with things she liked such as food or writing.
After enjoying her meal she cleaned up and made her way to the front window to check outside for any kind of sign that Thunder may be coming. All she saw was snow which was starting to stick to the ground leaving a field mixed with green and white. The snow seemed as though it was becoming heavier as it started to come down in bigger flakes and falling faster than it was before.
(Oh dear, I hope this doesn't turn into a storm. Then again, that might buy me some time to work on my writing.)
With a new hope Winter found the story she was working on before Thunder started breaking her door down. She picked up where she left off in the desert that the heroes were struggling to get through. As she continued with her story she felt like she was hitting some writer blocks. She realized though, that she was actually being distracted by the worry of the noise she heard and how it might be related to Thunder.
(Would he really manage to find his way into something that troublesome? Who am I kidding, of course he would. Even if it was related to him he's too strong for anything bad to happen to him right? But then again it can always happen...maybe-)
Winter continued worrying and mumbling to herself as the snow continued to fall outside the window. The snow seemed to be getting worse as it seemed all the more inevitable a storm was on its way. After realizing how long she had been mumbling to herself, Winter finally noticed how awful it was getting outside.
(Well, it's not like he would be out in this weather right?...But if he got hurt and can't move this would be a problem for him.)
Winter went ahead and assumed the worse. She couldn't just leave her friend out there if he was stuck. She was going to try and make the search quick before the weather got even worse and would give her problems too. This time she got a coat along with her sweater to make sure she was prepared for the heavy snow and winds on its way.
She set out to first check his house to see if he was home. His house was made by himself and was rather large for a modern house. After trying the door to which nobody had answered, and not seeing anyone through the windows, she set out into town in hopes he was seen there.
(Making me worry like this, he really is useless in his own ways.)
On her way through town she noticed again how the streets were empty. While it was normal with the kind of weather that was coming, she felt it was a bit off somehow from normal especially when it was just a light fall earlier that day. She decided to brush it off again and went to the shop owner to ask if he had seen or heard of Thunder.
When she entered the shop it was empty and the owner was nowhere to be seen. It would be easy to assume he closed down with the kind of weather that is coming but the door wasn't locked and the place still seemed as though it was open. Winter slowly made her way around with a "Hello?" to see if anyone was in the shop.
Nothing. It was dead silent with only the strong winds picking up from outside. Winter decided to just ignore the odd reason it was still open and continue through town to some acquaintances houses and see if they had seen or heard of Thunder. On her way out of the shop she thought she had heard something, but when she turned around she noticed nothing out of place, and continued on with growing doubts.
(I need to hurry, the storm is getting even worse than I thought.)
One after another, she tried to get a response from the houses she visited. Nothing. The only thing she could ever hear was the wind getting stronger as snow began to blanket the town. She became worried after each house, but settled down a bit telling herself there had to be some kind of reason behind it.
(Calm down. This storm is pretty bad, maybe the town decided to try and do something about it? They would normally just leave these things alone but maybe they had found something out?)
Winter made her way to the tower that sat in the middle of the town and stuck its way high up into the sky piercing the clouds themselves. This was the tower that housed the machine made long ago to control the weather and was also the home to the unicorn that had made it.
Most of the rooms were locked and sealed off for safety as they were filled with remnants of the things created by the legendary unicorn that once lived in the tower. Only the top of the tower that housed the weather machine was unlocked for visitors to look at. The way leading up to it was a series of spiral staircases that were almost a maze in themselves.
(It's been a long time since I've been here. Not many come by since there's nothing much to do besides stare at that useless piece of metal.)
As she made her way up the seemingly endless maze she eventually reached the top and was greeted by the large door that leads into the room. She was about to enter when she suddenly heard a noise from behind. She turned around to see who it was and was shocked when she finally realized what she saw.
"Thunder! Where have you been?! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
The large stallion made his way closer to Winter in a rather slower pace than he normally would use. He also seemed a bit more calm then his usual self and looked like he was ready to trip over himself. It was very odd of him as he is usually filled with more energy than he could handle.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit weird."
"Oh, I'm just a bit worn out from going all over the place."
"Did you go to sleep when you left last night? It's not good for your health if you stay up an entire night."
"Oh, you're right. I actually am rather tired because of that. Don't worry though, I'll be fine. Right now we have a bigger problem, have you noticed anything?"
"Yes, I noticed many ponies were missing from their homes and the place seems like a ghost town. I thought they might have come here for some reason because of the bad weather."
"Oh, don't worry about that machine, I already checked on it. It seems just fine. I think the problem though may have something to do with one of the locked rooms though. Come on, we should look more into it."
With a bit of a strange feeling Winter left back down the stairs into the maze with the stallion who seemed to know something. While things seemed to make sense something was extremely bugging her about the current situation. She decided she would find out one way or another what is so off, so she continued into the ever so seemingly maze of staircases in the tower.
Chapter 2: Ice and Sparks
Winter Heart was yet again caught up in anything but an ordinary life. After finding her friend Thunder Charger who she was worried about and had set off to find, she was now stuck in an even bigger problem of everyone in the town of Weatherville mysteriously disappearing. Now it seems like everything rests on her and her friend Thunder Charger's shoulders, but something seems off about her friend she has recently rejoined with.
"Are you sure you're okay? Something definitely seems odd here."
"I already said I'm just a bit tired is all. We have bigger problems anyway. Do you know how to open any of these rooms? It seems like a kind of magical lock that needs a certain key."
"Of course it is, don't you remember anything? These were locked with magical keys that were created by the unicorn that once lived here. The mayor has them locked away in the town hall to make sure they stay sealed. I thought you were always interested in legends like these?"
"Oh, I am. I just forget some of the details sometimes; stories are long after all. Anyway, we should go get those keys then to open the doors."
"About that, how do you know what's causing all of this is in one of these rooms?"
"Well, you might have heard it, but there was a loud crashing noise earlier today. I was near the tower when it happened and it sounded like it came from inside. I figured it might have something to do with it."
"Oh, well that does make sense."
Winter and Thunder continued down the stairs nearing the exit of the tower. For some reason it seemed like Thunder had fallen behind Winter and was now following her instead. As they reached the exit and looked outside, the weather seems to have gotten worse. Thick snow now covered the ground in a giant white blanket and the wind was as fierce as a beast. Thunder didn't have a coat like Winter, but he figured he could tough it out with his usual strength and undying passion.
(Something is still off. When I heard that noise it didn't sound like it came from the direction of the tower, but rather the direction of my house. The tower is also rather far away from my house, so it's hard to believe it knocked over my papers from the crash. The only thing past my house is the Phantom Forest. It would be close enough to affect my house as well, am I over thinking this?)
"Something the matter?" asked the stallion from behind.
"No nothing, just a bit bothered by the weather."
They continued through the thick snow and fierce winds until they reached the town hall. Once they made it inside they looked around to see if anyone was still there. Once it was confirmed the place was empty, they looked around for where the keys were locked. After some time Winter finally found the safe that held the keys.
"So this is it? Do you know the combination to open it?"
"I'm one of the few who are trusted with the combination to the safe, so of course I know it."
After a few second Winter had finally opened the safe and used her magic to take out the "keys" to the locked rooms in the tower. The "keys" were actually one of the machines made by the unicorn that once lived in the tower. They were actually metal spheres the size of a small rock that sent some kind of signal to the doors. Each key opened all the doors to a certain tower. The tower in Weatherville wasn't the only one made after all. In total there were about ten "keys".
"Okay then, we will use these to open the doors in the tower. Let's head back"
"Right." Winter had said after closing the door to the safe. It seemed like she had left something inside the safe, but Thunder had ignored it. They made their way back through the fierce snow storm and into the tower again. They went up the first flight of stairs leading to the floor with the first doors. Winter then took out one of the keys and used it to open the door in front of them. It was by chance that they used the right key the first time.
"Wow! These things are a lot bigger on the inside then they look on the outside!"
"That's because of one of the machines the unicorn made during his time here to save space. From what I understand, it was a very powerful and dangerous machine, so he kept them all locked away someplace far away to avoid any accidents that would cause much damage."
They had continued into the room which was almost as large as the town itself. It was filled with all kinds of metal machines of all sizes that made some of them look like buildings. In fact, some of these things looked like they ran on clockwork designs along with the strange metal objects. After a little while Winter stopped, and used the key again to shut the door behind them.
"Winter?"
"I want you to answer this question. What was the name of the unicorn that lived in this tower?"
"What is this all of a sudden?"
"I want you to answer it. We are both one of the few who actually know his name, and it's impossible for ether of us to forget it. I want you to tell me his name."
"Come on, it has been a long day and I had stayed up all night. I'm not really thinking strait and saying I could never forget is a bit much isn't it?"
"That's exactly it. You have been way to calm. You are normally easily fired up and don't often depend on others. Not only that, but it's impossible for you to forget because you were named after him. My grandfather, Thunder Heart, was the owner of this tower. Its real name is also Thunder Heart tower. So let me ask you now, who are you?"
Right then, he knew it was over and quickly noticed a nearby machine small enough to kick. After kicking it strait at Winter who had stopped it with her magic he had quickly dashed into the metal maze while only a strange sound and some green sparks could be seen afterword.
(Was that a green spark I saw? I see...is it a changeling then? That means it can fly and use some magic. I need to be on guard. He will have to come after the keys if he wants to escape out of here.)
Changelings held a corrupted looking form with holes in their legs, a jagged horn, insect-like wings, a dark body, sharp teeth, greenish-blue eyes, and a fin-like mane and tail. They are not native to Equestria and come from far outside it. They had made an attack recently but were believed to have been banished away back into the outlands. It seems some snuck into Weatherville for unknown reasons.
She continued cautiously into the maze of machines and clockworks looking for the changeling that had worked so hard to get into the room in the first place. The swinging and turning sounds from the clockwork made it a bit difficult to hear anything specific but she did her best to stay alert for any sudden sounds.
(Why is a changeling here? What does it want from the tower? If the entire town disappearing has anything to do with it that would take something closer to a changeling army. I'll have to get more information when I catch it.)
Winter still wandered in the oversized metal maze of a town when she noticed something move from above one of the machines. She quickly used her magic to organize a few of the nearby smaller metal machines to create a path leading upwards onto the top of the machine. After she climbed the roughly made stairs she reached the top and found nothing in sight.
(He's fast. I need to be faster. Maybe a kind of trap would work.)
She was about to start moving again when a metal object inflamed in green spark like magic streamed at her from behind. She quickly used her own magic to stop it and looked in the direction it came from to see the changeling. She then quickly used her own magic to throw the object back at it but at a lower angle so it would hit the clockwork he was standing on.
The clockwork he was standing on quickly broke apart from the force of the object hurdled at it and the changeling lost his balance before he could fly off and fell back to the ground with a loud thump. Winter had quickly made her way back down and entombed the changeling in a metal case made from some nearby machines.
"Okay, now you’re going to talk. What are you doing here? What do you want form this tower? Is there an army of you?"
The changeling quickly struggled trying to break free but it didn't help at all as it seemed like the machines somehow got linked together making a prison for him with the exception of a small rectangular hole for him to talk through and see his interrogator.
"You! How did you make this? Even if you used magic this is to precisely made for randomly grabbing nearby junk. That shot also seemed too perfectly aimed when you launched that object back at me."
"I'm a writer, so of course my magic skills are precise. I might not have any fancy spells but what I can do is accurate. Now tell me the things I want to know."
"Exactly why should I?"
"Well if you don't I'll just have to leave you here and come back for you later. My only next lead is the Phantom Forest. I wonder what happens if I go into there with no knowledge? Will I really be able to come back for you?"
"Wait! Wait! I'll tell you, but you have to free me after!"
"Fine, it's a deal then. Now start talking."
"Yes, we do have an army; it is in the Phantom Forest. Of course even we know the dangers of the place so it's not deep within it. Just enough so it won't be noticed form outside. We came here because of the legends of the tower. We figured we could use it somehow to help us feed or take over villages so we could feed from them. Now let me out!"
"You're right; I did say I would let you out. Now hold still."
Winter then used her magic to cast a spell through the rectangular hole which then knocked the changeling out. She said she would let him out, but that doesn't mean he has to be conscious. She can't have him reporting back to the army anyway. She then opened the makeshift prison of metal and carried the changeling out back through the door into the maze of stairs before shutting the door and locking it again.
(Seems my next goal is the Phantom Forest. Why do I have to be the one who fixes all of this? I just want to write books, not live them.)
The storm outside was reaching its peak and going outside would be crazy, but Winter would do what she would have to do. The changeling won't stay unconscious forever and she has to get to the forest before he wakes up and reports back. She braced the doors and her new journey to the forest where she could hopefully end all of this.
Chapter 3: Resolution and Hope
Winter Heart exited the tower and into the storm that had wind so strong, and snow so heavy, she was forced to use a magic barrier using her own magic. She continued to push her way through the thick snow that was blanketing over the town as far as she could see, which wasn't very far because now the storm was enough to blind you. After a while she managed to make it to her house, and then past that to near the Phantom Forest.
(This place is always creepy just too even look at. It's also dangerous with not only the terrain but also the creatures that live inside it. They shouldn't be too deep in so I just have to poke around a little until I see something odd.)
The forest itself has thick tree's and leaves so the snow doesn't fall into the forest meaning Winter could stop using her field once she enters and move easier. As she entered the forest she began to hear many sounds of which likely belonged to a large number of insects including some that are likely dangerous to larger prey as well.
Winter had wondered around for a little while until she eventually noticed what looked like a small tower made of the same kind of material used for the Thunder Heart Tower. It was likely another tower her grandfather made as a kind of outpost to study things in the Phantom Forest. It was also likely using the same machines that make it bigger inside meaning the army could be in there.
(Okay, I need to think of a way to get in there without being noticed. For all I know guards could be at the door along with an entire army. I just need to get in while having an escape ready also...hmm...)
She had sat and thought for a bit thinking of how she would get into the tower when she thought of an idea. The top was likely like the other tower that held the machine to change the weather, which had many openings to change the weather. She used a nearby tree to climb up a reasonable height then when she got close enough used some of her magic to form a path out of the large branches.
(Alright, just need to make my way from here.)
After getting into the tower she saw the same maze of staircases though this time with only just a few doors unlike the main tower in town. She noticed near the bottom a large group of changelings along with a single opened door that was probably left open from long ago. Everyone from town was likely just past that door.
(Okay, now I just need to get through that door. How should I go about this?)
After thinking for a bit, Winter had decided to try using the keys to open one of the other doors on the floors above where there were no guards. If lucky enough, there might be a way into the lower flows from one of those rooms. She made her way down into one of the lower rooms and opened the door without being noticed.
Another maze of metal and clockworks the size of a town had appeared behind the door. The ticking of the clockworks could all be heard throughout the entire area from many directions. Winter had looked around for a while in hopes of finding some other way down into the lower levels.
Finally, after searching for a while she found what seems to have been a trapdoor that looked like it was connected to the lower rooms. She examined it for a bit before slowly opening it with her magic. Through the square hole she could see into the room below along with everyone from town trapped in what appeared as makeshift cages made from parts of the metal clockworks and some reinforcement from some parts of the machines.
(There are some guards...I'm going to need to knock them out first before I start to set them free.)
She looked around her and found some small machines similar to the one she hurled back at the changeling in the town's tower. After using her magic to gather a few of them she aimed precisely where they should go to knock out the guards. She then launched them with a tremendous speed using her magic.
It hit them all almost simultaneously and knocked them all out. Winter used her magic to make a makeshift staircase from the machines in order to get down to the lower level safely. After she finally reached the bottom she opened some of the cages and the one's she freed started to free others. Soon the entire town was free from the cages as the army outside finally realized what was going on with the noise and started heading there way.
(This isn't good. We can't escape from the top meaning our only exit is behind the army. Guess this is time to use my back up plan.)
"Winter!" A stallion suddenly cried out. It was Thunder Charger, who had just been realized from his cage by one of the others. He quickly took a look at the army that was heading there way and looked like he was getting ready to plow through it with his strength alone, which might have actually worked if they tried it.
"Thunder, I need you to settle down for a second, I have an idea that might be able to get us out of here easily. I just need you to trust me and don't interrupt no matter what I do."
"How can I be calm in a time like this? They were lucky enough to put me in a cage. I didn't go down easy and even knocked down one of the large tree's outside in the struggle."
(So that was him that made that large crashing sound)
"Sorry, I don't have much choice now."
She quickly used her magic to knock him out. Even she fully understood the situation though, so she only knocked him out for a few minutes in case they did need him if things got ugly. She had hoped it wouldn't have to come to that though and continued with her plan.
Winter stood in front of all the others as if their leader and waited for the army of changelings to draw closer. The army looked menacing but it didn't seem like they would attack right off the bat. If she was lucky she could work out a deal with them to get out of this mess peacefully.
"Okay, I am going to try and make a trade with all of you. I believe there is a way for us to both benefit from this."
The changeling army came to a stop while looking at each other. At first they hesitated but they then decided to bring their queen to make the deal with the young pony who claims she could help. Soon a path formed in the army as their queen strolled slowly down it with her corrupted and distorted figure.
"I am Queen Chrysalis. You stand before my mighty army with a proposed deal that will help us both?"
"I will make you an offer. As you can see we both are in a tight spot. Our town has been captured by you and you need what is in the tower but can't reach it without us. I will offer you these keys. They open the doors in the tower; however you will not use the tower in our town, but will find other towers such as this and use those."
"And why shouldn't I just take them from you now forcefully?"
"It would be difficult and you only have a chance of getting them. It is still possible we could defeat your army isn't it? Why not take the easy way out?"
"Hmm...I do not like this but for now I will take your offer. You and your town will be left alone if you trade us the keys."
"Good, then let us pass first, and I will give them to you when we are out of the tower."
"Fine, but if you try and run, we will settle this forcefully"
The army made a path for the town as they made their way out of the tower. Once they were all out and into the forest, Winter kept her end of the deal and slowly gave them the keys using her magic. Now that the deal was done they each parted their own ways, hoping to never see each other again.
"Winter! Are you sure that was a good idea? Giving them the keys like that?"
Thunder had awoken shortly after and started to worry once both them and the town was on their way back out of the forest. He was right though, as the keys could unlock doors to all of Thunder Hearts towers, not all of which contain only machines that nobody knows how to work anymore.
"Don't worry, those aren't normal keys obviously. They can actually be recalled back to a certain point using a mat my grandfather had made. I left the mat in the safe that had them originally so we can recall them once we get back"
"But what if they find something within that time frame? They still have the keys until then."
"Most of his towers near here only house more machines like the ones you saw. They don't know how to work any of them or else they would have at least used the ones from the already open room back in that last tower. While some of the other towers might hold something they can use, they would be far away from here in places where no one would dare to trend. They won't find any of those towers within until days later."
"What if they come back after the keys are gone?"
"I have been thinking about that. Well we do plan to leave on an adventure right? I was thinking we could take the keys with us so they won't cause the town any more trouble. They may be useful anyway if we find some of the other towers on our adventures."
"So you really do plan to go with me?! That's great because I was worried you would reject the idea after everything that happened today!"
(Oh great, what have I got myself into this time.)
Once they reached the edge of the forest the thick snowy storm that had only gotten worse was barring them from making it back to town. Most of the unicorns did what they could to create a decent force field for them to make their way through the snow. In time everyone was able to make it back to their homes to wait out the snowstorm.
Winter and Thunder had found it odd that this strong of a storm was being caused by the machine. Just to make sure things were okay, they had both decided to head to the tower and check on it in case one of the changelings did something to it and if they did hopefully they could fix it. They had first gone and recalled the keys though.
They had finally made their way to the tower and climbed through the usual maze of spiral staircases. They soon reached the top with the door to the weather machine. Once they opened the door they were both instantly shocked and even more so confused then they were before, as they noticed the machine had been turned off.
Chapter 4: Eye of the Storm
Winter Heart and Thunder Charger had just saved the town from an army of changelings who were bound to come back after them soon. Before they left the snow storm was getting a bit worse than normal and they had decided to check out the weather machine at the top of the tower in case one of the changelings did something to it. What they found however was even worse than they thought as the machine had been turned off.
"Winter. How are we having a snow storm if the machine is off?" Thunder asked still confused at the question itself.
"Just what we need. The army is going to be back soon and now we have to find what's causing this."
"Well whatever it is, we just need to find it and then I'll show it a thing or two."
"Calm down. First let's try thinking about what it is that is causing this. Were both good with legends, what can create snow storms such as this?"
"You mean maybe it's a frost giant like in the book "World Legends"?!"
"Did you see any giants out there? No, this is likely the work of a creature from Equestria. I think it might be something closer to a snow spirit."
"A snow spirit? But why would something like that be creating a storm on the town? Aren't they normally peaceful creatures who tend to not stray beyond the forest?"
"Something must have happened. They must be casting the storm for some kind of reason. We should hurry and find it before we lose any more time. Night will fall soon and it will only make things more difficult."
"That sounds good. But how do we even look for something like a snow spirit?"
"They can fly, but not for long. To create a storm like this they would need to settle in a high spot in the town."
"But the highest spot in the town is right here on the top of the tower..."
"..."
"..."
"You know I'm not sure what to think when things become so obvious you should have realized them from the start."
Winter who was now back to her casual slow pace looked around on the other side of the machine. Sure enough, the snow spirit was there creating its snow storm. Snow spirits were small and could be compared to an apple. They didn't have any actual wings, but they could fly temporarily using their unique snow magic. Because of their odd shape, one could easily just call it a triangle, which gave them the nickname "snow spikes".
"You are the one creating this storm? Can you please tell us why?"
Winter was using a calm and gentle tone, as it seemed like the snow spirit was almost crying while shaking a bit. It didn't take much for winter to realize it was probably just lost and scared which caused it to panic and create the storm over time. She tried talking to it more in an attempt to calm it down.
"Are you okay? You seem scared. There's nothing to be scared of, we just want to help you."
"That's a lie." Said the snow spirit after a while shacking even more.
"How is it a lie? We only want to help you, why would we lie?"
"I heard the big one say it. That when you find me you were going to "show me a thing or two" to stop me from creating the storm."
Winter instantly gave Thunder a death glare and he received the message immediately with chills down his spine colder than the ones the storm could ever create for him. Almost shaking in fear of Winter, he had slowly made his to the snow spirit to correct the misunderstanding.
"No, I'm sorry about what I said. I thought the storm was being created by a monster or something which is why I said that. I don't plan to harm you in any way, so do you think you could stop the storm for us so we can help you?"
"Do...do you really mean that?"
"Yes, I promise I won't hurt you. I just want the storm to stop is all."
"Okay...I will stop the storm then. But please help me in return."
The snow spirit started to concentrate as it it slowly stopped the storm outside. Of course snow spirits aren't capable of just creating a storm when they want to. It only became a storm because it continued to add onto it after hours, which is why it started as a light fall in the morning. It took it awhile, but it finally got the snow to stop falling and Winter could safely turn on the weather machine again.
"So tell us what happened. Why were you up here scared with the weather machine turned off?"
"Is that what the giant metal thing is? It was already off when I got here; one of those ugly black creatures did it I think. I came out of the forest because I wanted to see new sights! I got scared when one of those ugly black things saw me and threw stuff at me with their magic, so I hid up here and used my magic to create a storm so they couldn't reach me."
"I see. The changelings probably turned off the machine so it wouldn't get in there way."
"Never mind that!" Thunder had interrupted.
"You said you wanted to see new sights?!"
"U-um...yes. Why?"
"You can come with us! We were just about to go out and explore the world!"
"Thunder! This thing was scared off by some changelings and you want to bring it with us to the dangerous areas we are going to?"
"It's fine. If I have the big one protecting me I doubt anything can hurt me. I want to see new places with you!"
"Well...if you are fine with it then. But if you get scared don't be afraid to tell us and we will find you a safe place for you to return to. Okay?"
"Sure!"
"By the way, I never got your name. My name is Winter Heart, and my friend here is Thunder Charger."
"I don't have a name. Snow spirits don't often bother with those kinds of things."
"Can I name it?!" Thunder again interrupted before getting another death glare from Winter.
"I mean...I think Flakes is a great name for the little thing."
"Flakes sounds great! You can call me that!"
"Okay, I don't mean to burst our bubble of fun here, but we are actually a bit stressed on time. You can ride calmly in my bag if you like. I can't expect you to fly the entire time."
"Okay!" The snow spirit had exclaimed before snuggling its way into Winter's bag which she had to admit, she found the design much to her liking. Soon the newly formed party set out from the tower into the new clear day. They had stopped at Winter's house to gather a few more supplies and bits. She also needed to leave her coat behind since bringing it with her would get in the way. After that they made their way to the house of Thunder's Grandfather.
"Grandpa! How have you been?" Thunder exclaimed with his usual amount of overcharged energy.
"What is it you want? Even I know you don't just visit me for no reason."
Thunder's Grandfather was an old but respectable stallion who was said to have gone on adventures of his own. He had a red coat and bright yellow mane and tail that matched both his and Thunder's sparky-like lightning eyes. His right hoof often scared ponies though, as it was made of metal for some reason. Whenever asked about it he would look a bit sad before saying "It was a present from an old friend." which made many guilty asking about it in the first place.
"To the point as usual. Me and my friend Winter are leaving tonight on an adventure. We wanted to ask to borrow some of your extra-large bags for me to carry since they don't sell those kind of sizes in town."
The old stallion seemed to have frozen a bit at what Thunder had just said. After looking at Thunder for a bit he shifted his gaze to Winter. Winter knew this gaze, as he gave it to her almost every time he saw her. It wasn't a creepy gaze, but somehow more of a sad gaze for some reason. It somehow made her feel guilty for something.
"I see. I will lend you a couple of my bags. You should be able to carry two of them, one on each side. Knowing your strength you could fit a pony in each one and still carry it without a problem. They are made of a special fabric also so it will take a lot more then you think for one of them to tear."
After returning with the bags he gave them to Thunder and showed him how to properly carry them. Winter had felt a bit nervous because of the strange look he gave her earlier. While he normally gives her that look it seemed like this time it was much stronger then it was before, and it seemed like he gave the same look to Thunder for once.
"Okay, you should be good to go now. I also left you a present in the bag on your right. Give it a look later, you might like it. Now I wish you luck on your adventures. Do try to stay out of trouble now, and don't wander off to far!"
After giving their regards to Thunder's grandfather they left as the sky darkened and night began to fall. Thunder's grandfather had settled down while watching them set off on their new journey before feeling an old pain and shifting his gaze back down to his metal hoof.
"Adventures should be fun, so don't wander too far off." The old stallion mumbled to himself.
Winter, Thunder, and Flakes who was still resting inside the mares patterned bag, were on their way to start their journey. They only had to decide where to go now. Thunder had convinced Winter the best starting place was a town north of Weatherville. They couldn't go anymore south or else they would hit the borders to the outlands. Weatherville was actually one of the closest towns to the outlands, and many blame their odd weather on that fact instead of the rumored machine.
"So what did your grandfather leave you in that bag?"
Thunder then stopped and took a peek inside the bag with the unknown item in it. After a few second a large grin appeared on his face which made Winter even more nervous than then she planned to be. She wondered if she should just throw the item out right now to prevent any trouble it might cause.
"Please tell me it's not going to cause us any trouble."
"Oh no, it's not that kind of item. I have to say though; I knew a stallion couldn't keep its color at that age. I should use this at the next town."
The words only made Winter even more nervous, but if he said it's not dangerous she took his word for it; at least for now. If he was going to use it at the next town she would find out soon enough. The two of them continued through the night onto the next town while giving one last look at their home before leaving it behind.
Winter and Thunder had just saved their hometown from two disasters in one day. The first was from an army of changelings who were after the secrets locked away in the Thunder Towers. The second was from a small snow spirit who had become scared early in the day from one of the changelings, and had created a snow storm to protect itself. The changeling army was tricked as the keys to the towers were now with the travelers and the snow spirit had accompanied them to see new sights in the world.
"You know this really was a bad idea to make a promise like that right?" Winter had said to Thunder in the middle of the night as they neared the next town. They were heading North by following a plan Thunder had seemed to have thought of as to where they can start their adventures.
"You mean about bringing Flakes with us? Don't worry; I have no intentions of dragging her into dangerous areas. She just wants to see more of the world so we will bring her with us to the towns and she can explore a bit while we go into the dangerous areas."
"She is still our responsibility so we have to make sure she is safe at all times, you more than anything since it was your idea to bring her with us."
"I know, I will take care of her. If things start to look worse than we planned, we will just bring her back home to the forest."
The Phantom Forest was indeed a dangerous place filled with many creatures, but it was rather harmless to spirits. Many of the creatures see the spirits that live in it as harmless or "decorative" so they leave them be. It's one of the things that make dangerous areas beautiful enough to visit despite the dangers.
As they continued into the town Winter and Thunder looked around to find an inn to stay at for the rest of the night. They soon found an inn with a rather odd sign that simply said "Inn" and no real name anywhere. After they made their way inside they were greeted by the mare working at the front desk. They soon made their way to the room they got and settled down inside.
"So it was your idea to come here. What exactly are we going after?"
"Can you bring out the maps you brought with you?"
Winter carefully took out the maps she had brought while being careful not to disturb Flakes, who was sound asleep still in her bag. Winter decided to carefully set the bag down so Flakes could enjoy her sleep without any sudden motion or jolts. The two began to talk in more hushed towns to avoid waking Flakes.
"Okay, let me see these maps...this should be the one."
"That's the map of my grandfather's Thunder Tower locations. Are we going to those?"
"He did go out on an adventure and built these as safe spots for the dangerous areas didn't he? I figured following them could be a start."
"Those towers are mostly in the outlands though. I guess we could visit the few that are in Equestria."
"Exactly. We only need these to start with anyway, I'm sure we can find our own way after a while."
"Alright, well since we have the plan, we should get some rest now."
After they both had settled down into their own beds Winter had used her Magic to put out the candles and topped it off with a force field that divided to the room in two.
"What's that for?"
"Making sure you stay on your side."
"That's really cold you know that. What happened to all that trust for your childhood friend?"
"The only thing I ever trusted was your strength."
"Why do you have to be so cold..."
With his heart broken from the lack of trust, Thunder had slowly fell into his dreams as if to escape the cold reality his friend had slapped him with. Winter however, seemed to have thoughts still lingering in her mind. Eventually her worries were forgotten as the world blackened around her. She never had dreams or anyone in her family for that matter. It was like the rare white color of her mane and tail, which her family was known for inheriting through the generations. She always couldn't tell if it was a blessing or curse to not have dreams. She did consider her white mane and tail as a gift at least, since it was something she could always change if she didn't like it.
Winter woke up as the sun began to rise. She didn't get as much sleep as she would have wanted but the changelings might come after them, so they needed to move quickly. She lowered the force field and decided to wake Thunder up by throwing him off the bed. The stallion that was peacefully sleeping with a wide grin on his face was suddenly awoken when his face became more acquainted with the floor. With an unhappy groan he slowly picked himself off the floor.
"What was that for?!"
"Well I knew how heavy of a sleeper you were so I thought you would need something bigger to wake yourself up."
(I actually couldn't stand that smirk on your face. Your dreams are too easy to read.)
"Try and do it more gently next time? The sun is just rising...are we really getting up this early?"
"We don't have much of a choice. We need to keep moving in case that army comes after us. We can settle down after a while when they probably have given up."
"We can look around the town first right? We still need to find people to join us and-..."
"And?..."
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to grab something to eat, maybe a local special."
"Try and stay out of trouble then. You should also take Flakes with you, so she can see some of the town."
Winter knew what he was probably already hiding. It was that "present" his grandfather gave him. In case it was something dangerous she decided to send Flakes with him so he wouldn't put her in danger. Winter in the meantime wanted to find a nice spot and start on her journal.
She had made her way through the town and found a small park. A tree stood rather calmly almost bent over near the pond of water. As Winter made herself comfortable she took out her journal from her bag and began to write the events that had happened so far. She also wondered how she would form this into a story later on.
Meanwhile on the other side of town Flakes and Thunder had finally left the inn. Thunder originally stayed behind to wake Flakes up and explain what the situation was. What he didn't mention to Winter was he also planned on using the present he got from his grandpa, which was yellow dye for his mane and tail.
"You sure look different with that color." Flakes said still a bit surprised.
"I always thought about changing it. I think it looks better with this color anyway. I probably look like how gramps did when he was younger, with the exception of his red coat. He probably saw that in me and gave me this dye. His mane was yellow naturally but as you grow old it likely fades."
"So what kind of things can we go see in this town?"
"Follow me. I might not know the town but I know how to have fun."
Thunder and Flakes started into town in excitement and probably had enough energy to party the entire day away if they were given the chance. But the adventure had already started, and wouldn't give them much time to enjoy the nice sunny day as they wanted to.
High in the sky, unrelated to Winter or Thunder was a light green pegasus with a dark green mane and tail. His cutie mark was similar to that of a tornado. His name was Ace Whirlwind. He was roaming randomly in the sky with a sly kind of smile that was so pointed you knew it wasn't good. He eventually noticed Winter under a tree in the park writing in a journal. Ace knew everyone in town, and could tell she was new to the place. With an even bigger smirk on his face he descended to the ground near Winter and started his greeting.
"Hello, you must be new in town. Did you want any help showing you around?"
"I think I'm fine thank you."
(This guy has a smile more crooked then a lightning bolt.)
"Oh don't be shy. I'm a very helpful person to newcomers in this town. So what's your business here anyway?"
"I believe that's my business now isn't it?"
"Burr, you’re a cold one you know that?"
"Take a number. Now I should be on my way."
"Wait up, I really can show you around you know. Do I not look that friendly? I get that a lot."
"You're a persistent one aren't you?"
"Well when I see something I like-"
"I'm going to stop you right there. I'm not planning on staying long so helping me out is a bit of a waste of time for you."
"There's no waste in helping a pretty young mare."
"I underestimated you. You're as persistent as much as Thunder is passionate."
"Thunder? A stallion you know?"
"Yes, he is here with me in the town. I'm not sure he would like it if he saw you following me."
"W-What are you talking about? I would love to meet him!"
(I hope he can't fly. Have to guarantee my safety here)
"Is that so? Well I was just looking for him right now. Why not help me find him?"
"Sure! So what kind of stallion is he?"
(Now's my chance to find out!)
"He's light brown with a dark brown man and tail. You shouldn't be able to miss him because of his strong build."
"Well I'm not sure about dark brown but I see a stallion that fits the bill except he has a bright yellow mane and tail."
"He has a cutie mark of lightning arcing from a thundercloud and is with a snow spirit. That should help."
"Well that yellow mane stallion I just mentioned also has that cutie mark and has a snow spirit with him."
"...What?"
Winter shifted her gaze to where Ace had mentioned and saw sure enough, Thunder Charger with a bright yellow mane and tail that matched his eyes just like his grandfather. He hadn't noticed her yet so she casually but surely slowly made her way to him with a rather annoyed "smile".
"Thunder?"
"?!"
(That tone...this can't be good...I need to look for an exit!)
“Thunder!"
"Y-Yes Winter?"
"So she's the dominant one eh?" Ace blurted out.
"You stay out of this." Winter said sending chills down Ace's spine which surprised even him.
"Thunder...what have you done to your mane and tail?"
"oh...uhm....."
"Yes?"
"Well...grandpa left me a present as we set off right? I always thought about changing the color anyway..."
"Thunder!"
"Y-Yes ma'am?"
"I'm not really that annoyed that much by the fact you dyed your mane and tail..."
"Y-You’re not?"
"No...I'm annoyed by the fact that you hid it from me!"
"S-Sorry...I just uh...wanted to keep it a surprise."
"Well I'm surprised alright."
"I-I see..."
(This wasn't the kind of surprise I was going for!)
"B-By the way...who is your new friend here?"
Thunder had changed the topic the best to his advantage onto the green stallion that arrived with Winter. He was still a bit chilled by the mood set by Winter, but otherwise looked like a rather "charismatic" kind of pegasus. His pointed smile leaves a void of where trust should be and gives off a rather bad vibe.
"Excuse me, my name is Ace. I was just showing your friend here around the town. So why are you both here?"
"Just passing through." Thunder said with a rather stern face.
"You're almost as cold as your friend you know that?"
"Regardless, I thank you for showing her around, but we should be on our way."
"Mind if I ask where you're going? You don't often see two ponies and a snow spirit traveling together like this. You seem to have some pretty large bags too. Are you guys going on a kind of adventure?"
"And if we are?"
"Well I'm sure I could be of some help don't you think? I was getting bored of this place anyway."
"What is it you're after exactly?"
"Well, adventure leads to treasure doesn't it? I think that sounds pretty profitable."
("Thunder!") Winter had whispered.
("Do you really plan to take him with us?")
("Well he is a pegasus. He can be useful in our adventures. It's going to be hard to find a replacement anyway.")
("That's true but even you can see the crooked smile of his. Can we really trust him?")
("We will find others soon so it won't just be us looking after him. I think he could be useful anyway.")
With a heavy sigh Winter gave up and decided to go along with it. Thunder then spent some time explaining the situation to the new young stallion along with their plans of traveling. After things were all ready and agreements were met the new group was prepared to set out to the next town. The day was still a bit young, and they would likely reach the town by afternoon.
Winter, Thunder, and Ace were moving along a dirt road that would lead into the next town they were after. The town was northwest of the town they had just left and the road cut through a forest that was so old many had forgotten its name. It is believed only spirits live in the forest but because of its age it has many dark tales surrounding it. Of course, being only old stories many simply brush them off seeing as nothing has ever happened to the ponies that go through it following the road.
Winter and Thunder were walking along the dirt path as Ace drifted slowly on a cloud as if he was lying in a hammock. Flakes was up in the sky resting next to him on his cloud as they talked in more detail about the incident involving the changeling army back in Weatherville. Although Flakes herself wasn't involved much, she had heard about the rest from Winter and Thunder.
"You really pulled a fast one of their queen, huh? If we really do have a changeling army after us we should be cautious of those we talk to. They may have agents in some of these towns disguised at citizens."
"I doubt that." Winter had quickly replied.
"They need to feed on love to sustain their form. Even if they did find a pony to feed off of they wouldn't be able to stay long because that pony will eventually run out of power. It would be difficult if not impossible for them to have agents in a town without anyone noticing."
"We should still be cautious of strangers at least. It's not impossible for them to spot us and lay a trap. I wonder if I could make a profit from this kind of situation."
"So you really did only come with us for the treasure? Let’s just hope your greed doesn't get in our way."
"Even I'm not a fool. I don't plan to betray you for a profit. Having enemies makes things rather difficult in the first place."
"Winter, I don't think we will have to worry about him too much. If he starts to become trouble we can just abandon him anyway."
"Just listen to your friend; I can only help in this kind of a situation." Ace said while still drifting along on his cloud.
They soon entered the forest the path cut into. The path itself was rather wide but the forest was also of a grand scale. Even if the path was safe the sight itself would make one nervous to enter. Ace was also forced to abandon his cloud as the trees rose high into the sky and the path was more like a tunnel carved through the forest.
The silence more than anything is what likely made them nervous. With the exceptions of spirits whose laughs echoed in the distance the forest was so quite it was frightening. Even things such as insects would begin to live in the forest with how large and nurtured it was. It didn't take long before even the laughs in the distance began to scare the nervous party.
"This place is really starting to creep me out." Ace said while preventing his own body from shaking.
"I wonder if we could find legends in here?" Wondered the large stallion who seemed to hold no fear.
"Maybe we should have our new friend look around the forest for something interesting? He should be able to fly quickly after all." Winter had suggested with a small sarcastic tone and holding a smirk.
"Y-You know it's not really a great idea to split up in a place like this. Shouldn't we keep moving so we can reach the next town soon?"
"It's only late morning. If we keep going we would reach the next town by noon so we should have plenty of time to explore."
Thunder liked the idea of exploring the forest. Although he quickly became worried about Flakes in the case some kind of danger did lurk in the forest. It didn't take him long to drop that worry though seeing as other spirits lived in the forest just fine. With the idea of legends in his mind he led the group off trail and into the forest for some exploration.
Thunder made sure Winter had brought her compass in the case they got lost. She checked her bag and made sure it was inside and working properly. After exploring for a while the scenery seemed to blur together as if it was an endless forest with little to no changes. What made them even more nervous though were the laughs of the spirits. It never got closer; it never grew farther, just always the same echo in the forest no matter where they went.
"I don't think I can take much more of this. Can we just get out of here already?"
"We haven't even seen anything yet. Although the scenery doesn't seem to be making any real changes itself. Let’s start heading north out of the forest then and see if we find anything on the way out."
"I really hope we can find something. I would love to see some real legends."
Winter took out her compass and became the new leader as they began to travel north. Still the spirits laughter never faded or drew closer as it continued to taunt them. Surprisingly however they began to see something in the distance. It looked like an old castle that dated back beyond what any of them could imagine. With caution they continued to near it looking for any sings of movement.
The age of the castle clearly showed although only a few spots seemed to have fallen apart. The bricks were an odd black color none of them had ever seen. One thing they were sure of was its strength seeing as the place hadn't fallen apart yet despite its age. Once past the main walls Winter was a bit shocked when she saw what looked like an entrance to a cave.
"Is that what I think it is?" Winter blurted out to herself.
"What? Is that cave special for some reason?" Ace quickly replied.
"You think that's a crystal cave? Well this castle is pretty old so I suppose it could be." Thunder had answered.
"What is a crystal cave?" Ace asked beginning to feel left out in the conversation.
"In Winter's grandfather's map to the outlands he marked many spots as entrances to crystal caves. They are mentioned in some of the older legends but from what can be gathered almost all of them in Equestria were blocked off and forgotten about. The caves are like an endless maze that is nearly impossible to map and many think they might all be connected to each other. They have many types of crystals in them but they are the cheap kind that you can find anywhere because of how many were mined up back when these caves were actually being mined."
"So we can't make a profit from them then." Ace said a bit disappointingly.
"Still." Winter had interrupted.
"This place is indeed old if it has an open crystal mine. We might find something useful inside the castle then."
With some new hope Ace followed the two into the castle. It was pitch black but Winter used her magic to light the candles as far as she could see brightening the place to a decent extent with the number of candles around. Being able to see should have calmed them, but the candles being black and a blue flame emitting from them only put them more on edge then they wanted to be.
Most of the castle turned into empty room with nothing but useless crystals lying around. Even the weapons and decorations were mostly made of crystals. Eventually they discovered a large chamber with what appeared to have a magical barrier in the center. The barrier was being created from a kind of rune made on the floor that not even Winter had recognized despite her study of runes she had done for the sake of her novels.
After examining it for a while she had found a way to safely disable the rune while still being able to reactivate it if needed. Once the dark barrier had disappeared a pitch black book stood on a strange pedestal in the center. It didn't have any kind of markings on it and looked a bit larger than a normal book. It looked rough and old, but well preserved likely due to the rune.
"Finally! Some treasure! An old book like this is sure to fetch a great price!" Ace said while rushing up to the book.
"Wait! That book was being protected by a rune! It might be dangerous!" Winter tried to caution Ace.
"It's a book in an old castle dating so far back the only weapons they had been made of crystals. How dangerous is a book supposed to be?" Ace had said right before opening the book on the pedestal.
Right when he finished his sentence and opened the book large winds swirled around the room as the shadows themselves shifted and danced. The book quickly drew the party into the center and into a dark vortex that disappeared as fast as it appeared. In the blink of an eye the room was empty again as the book shut itself.
Darkness was all they could see. Endless darkness as it silenced any noise, and blinded and sight. Without a sound they were drifting. Were they really drifting? Maybe they were not moving at all, or maybe they were quickly flying through the darkness they could not feel. Time was endless as well in this world of darkness. How long have they been in the darkness? Minutes? Hours? Days? Months? Time was lost in this darkness as well as everything else. Who were they? Where were they? The only thing they could remember was darkness.
A light began to shine as Winter slowly started opening her eyes. With little strength she forced herself up and took in her surroundings. She first noticed Thunder and Ace passed out near her. The second thing she noticed was the ground was as black as night and the sky glowed with red stars and colorful streams of lights. She then noticed what at first seemed like nearby boulders and trees but quickly realized they were only crystals in the form of them.
As she slowly regained her strength she started to remember what had happened. They had found an odd castle in an ancient forest and Ace had opened up a book that sucked them into a portal of darkness. After that it was difficult to tell what happened because when she was sucked into the darkness, it was as if everything had simply stopped. She couldn't tell how long they were in it and was a bit surprised they even got out.
Once her strength had started to come back to her she woke up Thunder and Ace and waited for them to regain their strength as well. They also were a bit shocked at the odd surroundings. Not even a moon or sun in the sky to let them know the time of day. Even the compass Winter had was spinning around with no direction to point them in.
"You couldn't listen when I told you the book was dangerous could you?"
"Hey, you only said it might be a danger. Who would honestly believe an old dusty book would open up a dark portal and instantly drag us in?"
"It was guarded by a powerful rune that I couldn't even identify. In fact, when you opened up the book I'm rather sure I saw runes just like it on it's pages. My best guess would be we are inside the book somehow."
"How is that even possible? I've never heard of any kind of magic like that."
"Well when you have a castle that's been around since the start of Equestria it's not that hard to believe it would have used long forgot types of magic."
Runes were patterns that could be made out of anything and enchanted with magic. Some runes which are only for quick use would be made with easy to clean materials such as sand while other multipurpose runes would be imbedded into an area to ensure multiple uses. What the rune looked like held no real meaning other then to identify the kind of magic it was charged with. Different cultures used different styles so to know what a random rune you might find does it would often require some in depth research in order to pinpoint it's origins and meaning.
"Well." Thunder had began to interrupt.
"We are here now, and we need to find a way out. Also, where is Flakes?"
"I remember she left Winter's bag to help us look around but I don't think I saw her in the room with us."
"Well it might have worked out better this way seeing as she shouldn't be in any danger in that old castle. We should make our way back before she thinks we abandoned her."
None of them actually knew how long they had really been gone though. The idea that they could have been stuck in that darkness for a long time scared them. Once they were all rested up and having regained their strength the group tried looking around for anything unique. Needless to say they quickly spotted a large object in the distance that resembled a castle.
As they made their way to the castle it became more clear that like everything else they had come by, it was also made of crystals. The crystals seemed to be a mesh of the kind that are found in crystal caves while the architecture appeared similar to that of the black castle they were just in. With an odd feeling of nostalgia they walked into the jaggedly formed castle.
Unlike the black candles and blue flames the other castle had, this castle seemed to use glowing crystals that were likely charged with a faint magic. Unsure of where to go the group tried going to the main chambers and was shocked to see a dark shadow shift in the distance. After a few second they realized this dark shadow not only seemed to resemble a pony, but an alicorn.
"I have to say you shock me greatly with your presence. I had assumed the book had become lost to time and my fate here was sealed for good."
"Pardon for not knowing, but who exactly are you?" Thunder bravely asked.
"You seem to not understand where you are along with who I am. I will then explain my situation along with this place. This world used to be my own private world. It took a long time to create the right runes for the book to use in order to make it possible. I was a king once, until those who served me turned on me and trapped me inside my own paradise. With no moon or sun to guide me I cannot say how long I have been trapped, but I am rather sure it was a long time. Even my body eventually failed me as my spirit with all it's great power was forced to take on this shadow of a form."
"The world has changed much outside. Sadly we only found your castle by luck while exploring." Winter started to explain.
"Also, I think I can understand your feelings as well since we ourselves lost track of time when we entered here through the darkness."
"Yes...The void is not like this world. It has nothing in it. No world, no objects, not even time. Going through it can break many easily. Now I am willing to assume you want to find a way out? You are lucky that there is a way for ones such as yourselves. Three magical crystals tie this world together and bind us here. They are shrouded by darkness and can only be approached by those with light in their hearts. It is because of the darkness that used to fill my heart that I was unable to approach them. Now I simply cannot because I am only a spirit of darkness at this point with no real body."
"So the only way out it to destroy those crystals? And we have to destroy all three, not just one or two?"
"That is correct. I will point you in the direction to each crystal and you can each follow your own path. The darkness will only allow one inside it at a time anyway. It will also hold a trial for you in order to pass through it."
They didn't have much choice, so the group split up each on their own path to help save them from this world. While they still worried about the "King" and how much they could trust a dark spirit such as himself, they knew they didn't have much choice. Eventually one by one they came up to the darkness that shrouded an area. Now they only needed to clear the trials before them and make it back to their own world.
The three lost ponies were each standing in front of an area of darkness. It was similar to a barrier but had a loose form as it shifted around like smoke and didn't actually block them from entering. Once they entered the area they were to face a trial in order to reach the crystal inside. The only hope they now have is to destroy the crystals to break free from the strange world they were trapped in.
Ace was standing in front of the darkness, reluctant to go in. He himself was a bit of a coward at most times, but could push himself for his friends. After mustering up some strength he forced his way into the darkness in the hope it would be a simple trial that he could just fly through.
Darkness. At first it was just an endless sea of darkness that one would easily get lost in. Perhaps because it was simply darkness and not the timeless void, it was not as scary as he thought it would be. Before he knew what was happening however the smoke swirled around through the air and soon color became visible. Not just color, but objects came to life as a magnificent city was being created around him. Homes that looked like the rich lived in dotted the landscape along with beautiful yet no doubt expensive scenery and even a royal castle.
It was like a dream come true, and that is what scared him the most. This world before him was one that he had always dreamed of living in one day. It was no doubt one of his deepest desires laid out right before him. The city itself was empty, but he could feel it just from the landscape itself. To him it was as if his heart itself was just poured out into his surroundings.
Confused and still scared, Ace was surprised by some steps in the distance. As he turned to look at who was coming, he then became even more confused and scared then he was before. The one before him was unmistakable with his light green body and dark green hair. It was without a doubt himself. He was notably different however in the fact darkness filled his eye and gave him a dark aura.
"What? Myself? I don't...What?"
"Why are you so surprised? " The dark Ace asked with an unsettling tone in his voice.
"Is this not what you have always dreamed of? To live a relaxing life in luxury and beauty? "
"It is, but I can't stay. I need to get to the crystal so we can all get back to the real world."
"But can you really trust them? "
"They are my friends. I trust them just as they trust me."
"You could use that couldn't you? Having their trust, you can use it to your advantage if it ever starts looking bad for you. "
"You mean sell them out? I don't plan on betraying my friends."
"But how long will they remain your friends? The trust they have in you is already thin as it is. Should you really continue to trust them when they can't even trust you? "
"Even if it is small, I won't betray their trust."
"Even if it would mean obtaining this? If betraying a small amount of trust is all it takes to fulfill your dreams, why not take it? "
"I may be greedy, but even I value my pride in my trust."
"Such delusions are only holding you back. All of your dreams can be obtained at such a small cost, yet you simply throw it away for pride. "
"I understand it now. So this is what the trial is. As expected from darkness. You try to worm your way into our hearts to destroy us from inside."
"I only speak the truth. Will you really continue to blind yourself with such delusions of pride? Is this not only what your heart truly wants? "
"My heart might want it, but not at costs like that. I will obtain my future with my own shortcuts, not petty ones like this."
Ace became clear in his standing, and before he knew it the world had once again started to fade as it reverted into the dark smoke it was before. Soon after the smoke began to clear as a light started to shine through the darkness. When the darkness was gone he was back in the crystal world, but with a shining crystal floating before him. It was not like the other crystals and shined a bright light as its power seeped into his heart.
(This is the crystal holding this world together? But it just doesn't seem right. The light in this crystal feels almost holy. How can I destroy something with such a pure feeling? I...don't have a choice. It's for my friends, so we may escape this world of darkness.)
Thunder was standing in front of the darkness in front of him with a bright light shining from his eyes. This was his duty he owed to get him and his friends out of this world of crystals and darkness. He prepared himself for any kind of fight that may have awaited him from inside. No matter what the trial was, he would be determined to pass it without backing down once. Would his strength and passion save him from this trial though?
As he submerged into the black smoke all he could see was darkness. He held no fear for it however, although he may have held some fear for the kind of timeless darkness the void had showed him once before. He was prepared for any kind of challenge that this darkness would throw to try and stop him from reaching the crystal.
The darkness began to swirl and form around him as a world was being created before his very eyes. This was not any normal kind of world; it was a place he recognized in a way. A large doorway to a magnificent castle stood before him as the land nearby reached its ends. Mist began to fill the area a bit and if he was to go to any of those ends he would likely be greeted with the sight of clouds below him.
"Isn't this the Castle of Legends?"
The Castle of Legends was a magnificent castle that settled on a floating island high in the sky. It originally comes from the book "The Quest for Truth" where the main hero battled inside it's halls against many of Equestria's legends. A place like this Thunder could only ever dream of visiting if it truly existed. It almost got his hopes up as to what he would be fighting for this trial.
As he entered the castle and made his way down the large hallway he could feel his challenge would be in the main room which held a giant sphere of energy in the center of the roof. From the story this sphere was what brought the souls of the legends and bound them to the castle. When he reached this room, he was a bit stumped at what he saw.
"It's...me?"
"Not what you were expecting? Well this is the Castle of Legends after all. " The dark Thunder had stated with a rather unsettling tone.
"I was hoping for something closer to a battle against a legend."
"Of course, you simply want to become a legend right? "
"In a way I suppose, but I have a feeling we are talking about different things."
"There is nothing different about it. You simply have to use your power to become a legend! "
"Then I will have faith and bring my friends back so I can do just that."
"But with such great power you don't really need them do you? You can easily obtain the goal of legend with your power alone. In fact, isn't it their fault you are stuck here in the first place? If you simply went alone, you never would have been stuck in this mess. "
"Maybe so, but if I don't have allies to rely on, my weaknesses will drag me down as well."
"You have more than enough power to overcome your weaknesses. Having them will also stop you from the trials that will make you a legend. Remember how just recently Winter had knocked you out to avoid a fight? That fight could have made you a legend. [Thunder, destroyed the changeling army and its queen.] Is a nice story for a legend isn't it? "
"Others would have been hurt as well. My rage boils to fast at times and I need her to set me straight."
"You don't really need something like that. Others get hurt? Why should you care if it means you can finally become a legend. "
"I don't need shortcuts like that to become a legend. I will become the kind of legend I want even if it is taking the long way. I won't let something like you poison my heart."
With his heart set and his decision unchanged the world around him began to fade and over time the black smoke began to disappear as well. The sphere of energy in the ceiling fell as it's light turned into a pure white beam that formed into a crystal. Its brilliant light reached his very soul as he stared at it in awe.
"This is what I have to destroy? It doesn't feel right, but I must save my friends."
Winter was standing in front of the darkness that was supposedly guarding the crystal. She was worried about what kind of trial was inside, but figured with her casual pace and rational thinking she would be able to find a simple solution. She gathered her strength and was ready to take on whatever challenges awaited her.
As she stepped into the dark smoke she could only see darkness. It didn't really remind her of the void however but was still enough to make her worry of what kind of trial would lurk inside it. Soon a world started to form around her as color and objects filled her view. Soon a familiar maze of metal was ready to greet her.
Clockworks rang through the distance and machines whose functions have been long forgotten created this city of metal. The inside of the Thunder Towers were truly amazing and frightening at the same time. Its power is no longer measurable since its owners passing, but still left a sense that they were made for something on a great scale.
"Such a familiar place I've wound up in. Am I supposed to fight another changeling?"
Winter almost couldn't hear the steps with the clockworks ringing about, but once she focused her hearing on it she could only think of one pony with a pace such as this. With a bit of a confused mind she turned to see exactly what she expected right in front of her.
"Well this isn't what I expected."
"Plenty of unexpected things happen in your life. Or maybe you secretly planned going on a grand adventure when you grew up? "
"That's one dark aura you got on you. Even your eyes are filled with darkness."
"Does it really make me any different from you? Our hearts are actually the same. "
"I somehow doubt that with the way you talk and imply things. I don't have time to talk with myself anyway. I need to find the crystal."
"Yes, you need to find that crystal in order to escape and continue your journey correct? "
"Exactly. I don't plan to stick around in this strange world. I just want to get this over with so I can go home."
"So you lie to not only your friends but yourself? "
"I don't remember lying to my friends let alone myself."
"Then why haven't you told them the truth about the towers? "
"...it's useless for us at this current point. We don't really need it yet anyway."
"Yet another lie slipping from your mouth. You even lie to yourself about your own goals. "
"My goal is to get this adventure over with so I can go home."
"If that was the case then why are we standing in this tower? Even you can tell this is what your heart really desires. "
"What use would I have for a tower I can't even use?"
"It's not what you can use you want, it what you don't know. You have heard plenty of stories about your grandfather yet you could always tell half of them were spun with a web of lies simply to cover up the truth. It's always been about the truth, the truth behind these towers and his story. "
"I might be curious about the truth but I doubt it's something I would go so far out of my way for."
"No...of course it isn't. That's why you lie to them, to use them. You knew from the start Thunder would want to adventure towards the towers one day. So you waited, and fed the silly idea slowly until he became determined. "
"I would never manipulate my friends like that."
"Yet the first map you took from your house was the one marking the locations of the Thunder Towers. You knew he was planning on dragging you to them. "
"I might have known he thought of it, and would be happy I got a benefit from the adventure, but I would have gone with him even if it wasn't to the Thunder Towers."
"Yet another lie? You would have gone with him anyway only because you knew it would eventually lead into the towers. Even now you deny you are still manipulating them even though you plan to go further then they wanted. Your true goal after all is the outlands right? There is little truth to be found in the towers in Equestria. You simply plan to feed them the idea that the towers in the outlands are important, so you can go and look for your truth. "
"I wouldn't manipulate them to do something so dangerous. I know the truth lies in the outlands, but I would never fool them into thinking we had to go into them."
"You hide so many secrets, yet claim the purest of intentions. You seek the truth yet you do so by spinning your own lies. What will you do when you find the truth? How many more lies do you plan to spin in order to find it? "
"I already told you that I don't have any plans to manipulate them. I don't need to listen to you, I already know what I want."
Winter closed off her heart and would no longer listen to what the darkness had to say. Soon the world around her crumbled as it reverted back into the black smoke it original was. As the scene was nearly destroyed, the dark Winter left only a few worlds for the frightened Winter.
"The seeds of doubt have already been planted. All they need is time to sprout. "
The world of darkness had disappeared and the crystal Winter was looking for was now in front of her shining a bright and holy light. The crystal world was soon to meet its end and bring them back into their world. All Winter had to do was destroy the crystal and have hope in her friends.
"What an annoying looking crystal. It makes me feel wrong just standing in front of it."
The final words she had heard from her dark self still echoed both in her head, and even more so in her heart. She had no time for it now though, she had to destroy the crystal and save them all from being stranded in such a horrible world filled with darkness. As she destroyed the crystal, she had only one fear left, and that was because to go back they likely had to cross the void again, leaving another scar from the already traumatized experience.
The spirit of darkness that used to be a king stood high on top of his palace of crystals. He saw as the darkness faded and the light from the newly exposed crystals dimmed out. The world was going to collapse soon and would send them all back into their world. His plans after so long were finally in motion.
"Finally, after so long this prison will be destroyed and I will be free. Nothing, I won't let anything stop me from claiming the world that was supposed to be mine. Finally I will be able to spread darkness once more.
Once the others had left on their paths to darkness the king had taken out a crown that was hidden away in the castle. The crown was made of a strange metal but contained crystal just like the one formed in this world, the same kind that was mined up back in the crystal caves. These crystals however glowed brightly with the magic that was enchanted into them.
"The day has come, and my rein will continue."
The world of darkness and crystal was falling apart as it shook with devastation. As if it was a window that just had a stone thrown through it; it shattered as darkness engulfed the world. Pure darkness, like the void that would send them all back into the world they all so missed. The timeless void would again leave scars on those who venture through it.
Perhaps it was because they were expecting it this time or that they had been through it before, but they didn't lose all their energy when they traveled through the void like last time. While it did wear them out a bit they were not knocked out but instead just a bit dazed when they got thrown back into their world.
Winter, Thunder, and Ace took in the surroundings to find they were back in the room they had left. Although now it would seem a bigger issue has appeared before them. Darkness swirled around the room as the blue fire from the black candles danced with excitement. The dark king began to laugh as he sent the room into chaos. Even ace began to fly around the room as he went into a frightful panic.
"Finally! " The dark king said with a voice as unsettling as the doppelgangers the others met.
"My prison is destroyed and the world is ready for me once again! "
"I knew this was bad idea. You tricked us into setting you free!" Winter shouted in anger at the king.
"I won’t let his darkness stop my strength!" Thunder had shouted as he got ready to charge at the king.
"If we can take a vote, can I suggest we run?" Ace said still flying in a panic.
"It's too late! Nothing can stop me! I am a being of pure darkness! Something like brute force can't even hurt me! "
"I guess that means we run!" Ace shouted as he quickly pilfered the crown the king had on top of his head.
"Wha-?! "
Quickly Ace had opened the doors as the others followed him rushing for the exit to the castle. When ace stole the crown it seemed the darkness that swirled along with the dancing of the flames had calmed down. The king who was now in a rage quickly dashed off to chase them.
"How did you know that crown was giving him power?" Winter asked out of amazement.
"I didn't. I just wanted to make sure we got some kind of profit from this and this looked expensive maybe..."
"..."
"..."
"Don't look at me like that! It helped us didn't it?!"
As the three of them continued through the dark castle they soon found the main doors that led to the outside. What they were going to do after they got out was still unknown even to them. As they approached the doors an odd feeling as though they were forgetting something had struck them and in the wrong way.
"Haha! You won't be able to hide outsid-GHA?! "
The three ponies along with the dark king were all hit with a bit of shock when they rushed outside. Shock might not be the best way to describe it, as it would be more accurate to say a chill. The outside had become blizzard with snow piling up on the ground and wind hitting them all heavily.
"I think one of our friends started causing a bit of a ruckus while we were gone." Ace stated the obvious.
It looked to be about late night even though it was hard to see the sky through the giant tree's that created the forest. An entire day is all a snow spirit really needs to start up a storm like this. They were all struck frozen solid by the freezing winds. They didn't even have the strength to make it back inside the castle.
While trying to think of how to get out of this mess a figure appeared in the distance. A female unicorn with a white body and a light green mane, tail, and eyes came into view. As if it was a miracle itself she leaped strait up the top of the castle where the snow spirit was sulking.
The snow spirit who recognized the pony instantly became filled with relief and started to stop the storm. When the storm stopped and the others down below were finally free of the freezing winds the dark king looked up to the top of the tower. He was about to attack but the unicorn got the first chance as her mane, tail, and eyes all turned into a radiant light that pierced the dark spirit. Only his agony could be heard as the shadow of a form he took vanished from the light.
The unicorn had the snow spirit rest in her mane as she made her way back down to the bottom of the castle. While she did this her mane, tail, and eyes had shifted back into the light green they were before. Because the storm was gone it became more clear they she was using her magic to control the wind to help her move about easier.
When she reached the bottom of the castle Winter, Thunder, and Ace were all a still in shock of everything that had just happened. Flakes had flown out of the unicorn’s mane and was happy to finally see her friends again. While they were relieved to see her as well they were now struck with a giant question of what exactly happened.
"You finally came back! You disappeared and I looked but couldn't find any of you so I started to panic and create a storm..." Flakes explained to the friends she had been parted with.
"Oh yeah! This is mother! Have you met her before?"
"Mother?" All three of them instantly asked in confusion.
"My name is Nature. Most of the spirits in the Phantom Forest call me Mother Nature."
Before Ace got the chance to chuckle at the name Winter began to introduce everyone and explained everything that had happened so far including the situation with the changeling army. The three also tried to figure out why she was known as the Mother of the spirits as she only looked about as old as they did. She did give off a motherly feeling however.
"So how exactly did you become the mother of the spirits in that forest?" Ace asked with a questioning look.
"I lived in the forest the past 5 years. I woke up after having lost my memory and soon became friends with the spirits."
"You have amnesia?" Winter asked curious about her situation.
"Yes. The only thing I really remember was my first name which was Nature. It didn't take long for the spirits to soon call me Mother Nature. It is also fitting to the magic I use."
"I noticed your magic seemed a bit strange." Winter continued.
"I'm not sure how to describe my talent itself. My cutie mark probably looks a bit strange to you being a bunch of colors curving into a sphere. I believe I'm rather well tuned into elements. I can use my magic to control a specific element I want such as the wind I was using to help me leap to the top of the castle. Strangely enough my mane, tail, and eyes change to the color of the element I am using."
"So that's why it turned white when you used that light to defeat the dark spirit?" Thunder had finally spoken.
"Yes. I never really used light before but it seemed fitting for fighting a dark spirit. It also seemed to act a bit different then when I normally use an element. Usually it's just my iris that changes color but when I used the light I could feel my eyes completely turning into a radiant light along with my mane and tail."
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you doing here?" Winter finally asked to help put together the puzzle.
"A couple days ago I left the forest when I noticed a strong snowstorm hit the nearby town. I was worried it might have been one of the younger snow spirits but by the time I started checking around the storm had already stopped. I was looking around nearby areas up until now when I saw another storm."
"I see. So do you plan to take Flakes back with you?" Winter asked a bit worried about the answer.
"Flakes? Spirits don't usually like names. Let alone leaving the forest."
"Well Flakes sure isn't normal then. She wanted to come with us to see the world." Thunder started to explain.
"So that's what had happened. I was worried she might have been stolen for some reason. I'm glad to know you were keeping her safe."
"What will you do now?" Winter asked still worried about the answer.
Nature took a moment to try and figure that out herself. She thought about the situation they were in along with what Flakes wanted. After thinking for a bit it seems she finally came to her answer for more reasons then she would let on.
"Would you mind if I joined you?"
"You want to come with us?" Winter said a bit surprised at the answer.
"Yes. I have plenty of reasons to go, and I also want to make sure Flakes stays safe."
"What about the other spirits you take care of?"
"They are fine without me. They might be a bit lonely but they get by just fine. It's not like I was always there to help them before."
"Well if you are sure I don't see any issues with it. For now we should get going. It's rather dark already." Winter said as she looked up worried about the time.
They all quickly rushed to the nearby town that they were originally heading for. Once they found a place to sleep, they all settled down in the room which was made for larger groups. Winter and Nature slept on one side of the room while Ace and Thunder slept on the other. Even with four around Winter felt the need to put up a barrier splitting the room in half.
"That's pretty cold." Ace said when Winter put up the barrier.
"Try not to take it personally. Even if you are the reason I put it up."
"Now that's just heartless."
"Goodnight."
They all soon fell asleep so they could get as much rest as they could before tomorrow came. They had many things to do and would likely be in town for another night while they get everything ready. Many thoughts filled all of their heads but they all eventually managed to fall asleep to the still night.
The sun was up and the town was now busy with all kinds of activity. Although none of them probably knew an ancient dark spirit broke free and nearly tried to start a war but it was history at this point. In the middle of this town stood an odd group of four ponies who at a first glace would look like they were planning an invasion. They were of course simply planning for what to do for the day.
"It's so nice we can have a day to relax after all that." Ace said while stretching his wings.
"Don't get used to it. A lot happened and we need our rest. We have some stuff to do anyway." Winter said as she tried to organize things together.
"So what are we going to do with this thing? Do you think it's actually worth something?" Ace said while toying with the crown he pilfered from the dark spirit earlier.
"I'll go with you to find a nice price for it." Nature said as she took the crown with her magic.
"You used your wind magic? Why not just grab it with normal magic?" Ace asked now a bit curious.
"I can use elements for my magic, but that's about it. Normal magic is out of my reach so I have to make do sometimes."
"How do you plan to sell that anyway? Are you good with connections even though you live in a forest far away from here?"
"No, we will probably just go pawn it someplace. But that is exactly the reason you will want me with you."
"I don't really get it."
"You will see then." Nature said as she gave him a bit of a smirk.
"Well that should help with the traveling expenses at least. What do you plan to do Thunder?" Winter asked as she shifted her gaze.
To her surprise it seems Thunder had already left someplace. Nature noticed Flakes was missing as well so it wasn't hard to guess they just went off for more sightseeing. Winter herself was going to find a nice spot to relax and update her journal. Yesterday had felt like a week with everything they had done meaning she would have much to write about.
After splitting ways Winter soon found a tree near the river that ran through the town. She often liked these spots with some shade by the water. It gave her a nice view and some cool air. After settling down she pulled out her journal and stamps from her bag. She had some generic stamps like stars or shapes that she planned to use to help mark things. She soon fell into her own little word as she did her best to write down everything that had happened to the tiniest detail she could remember.
On the other side of town was a pawn shop with a pretty rusty metal sign hanging from the side. A bell rang as Nature and Ace walked into the shop followed by some rustling noise from the back. The shop owner seemed to have appeared from the shadows itself as he greeted Nature and Ace.
"Welcome! Here to buy? Sell? You can win ether way!"
"We came here to sell. Take a look at this." Nature said as she gave the crown to the owner.
"This looks rather strange. I don't think I've seen this kind of design before. The crystals are cheap but the metal sticks out. It doesn't seem to be painted black but is black but is instead naturally. Where exactly did you get this?"
"Oh it's such a long story. It should be pretty old though so I'm sure it is worth a good bit to say the least."
"Y-yes it sure looks to be a bit old. So it's a kind of relic then? I have a friend who deals with this kind of stuff so maybe he can put a proper price on it. I can have him stop over here in a couple days."
"As lovely as that sounds we are actually traveling at the moment. If we can't sell it here we will have to make do at the next town. This could be worth much more than a good bit though. Are you sure you would want to let such a priceless chance slip away?"
"What? Oh-no! No-I can cut a deal now. I just need to look at it some more to verify it's worth a bit better."
"Fair enough. Feel free to examine it as long as you like; we are in a bit of a rush though."
"Of course. Just give me a moment."
The owner made his way to the back of the shop where he supposedly had some tools he could use to examine the crown better. Meanwhile Nature and Ace were now alone with only walls trash around them. Some may find a use for some of these things but to them it all seemed mostly useless. Ace took this chance to strike up a conversation about Nature.
"You seemed awfully flirty with that guy. Do you normally do that?"
"Of course not. But were here to negotiate a good price right? This is why I said it was a good idea to bring me, as you can never fail to have a women's touch."
"Well it's not like I can disagree. Hope the crown is actually worth something though. You sure put on a bluff when talking about it making it sounds so great because it's old."
"It could be for all we know. So just think of this as getting simply what we need to continue on even if the crown is worth more or less what he gives us."
Soon the owner came back with the crown after being satisfied with its value. They soon cut a deal ending rather well for Nature and Ace as they left with some satisfaction of the price they got for it. The owner put the crown in a safe he had until his friend could take a look at it later. Even if it turned out to be worthless the metal was indeed unique in a way. If it was some kind of fake he could study it and learn how to spot other fakes he might find later on. Soon he left back to his work not thinking much of the item that had been locked away.
Thunder and Flakes were wandering around the town as they took in the sights. Some of the buildings were large and even fancy here and there. The ponies in the town also appeared to have been a bit more upper class than most. They might not exactly be Canterlot fancy but they did know how to pull off some style.
"There are so many buildings around here! Is it even possible for us to visit them all?" Flakes said still in shock of the sights.
"We don't really need to see them all anyway. We can pick out the ones that seem most interesting and check those. We still have an entire day so there is no rush ether."
"So many places to see! I just don't know which to pick! What about that one over there? It has a giant bottle shaped sign."
"Hmm...wait, no! Come back! That's not a place you want to visit!"
Thunder stopped Flakes from entering the bar and instead pointed her to another place nearby. He wasn't sure how to explain to her why they shouldn't go into the other place but she didn't seem too offended with "It's not a place for young spirits like you." and instead dropped the idea.
After leaving the pawn shop Ace and Nature were wandering around rather randomly as they tried to find something to do. It was still mid-day and they had a good amount of time left before the sun started to set. It hadn't felt like that long though likely because they got to sleep in. Soon Ace noticed something in the corner of his eye.
"Now that is one a fancy sign."
"A giant neon bottle? That is one way to advertise a bar I suppose." Nature said as she stared at it for a bit.
"You look like you want to go in. Isn't it a bit too early to be drinking?"
"I live in a forest. It's not like I get to drink that often. We could probably use it after everything that has happened."
"We can't really spend the group money on it though. Have some bits on you?"
"I may live in a forest but even I need to buy supplies often. I think I can afford a few drinks. What about you?"
"I can afford a few rounds myself. We shouldn't drink too much though, wouldn't want to leave tomorrow with some hangovers."
"I doubt we will drink that much. It's just a place to relax for a while. Let's go in then."
Winter had finally written up a storm in her journal as she did her best to get as many details of the events as she could. Time must have really flown by for her though as it seemed the sun was starting to set. Even with sleeping in she was surprised she had lost so much time without even noticing.
(Well it's not like I had plans to do much today anyway. I wonder how the others are doing?)
(Thunder and Flakes are likely playing games or exploring. I just hope they don't get into any kind of trouble.)
(I wonder what Ace and Nature would do after selling the crown? Would they even stay together? It's a bit hard to see them both having fun in some way.)
(Maybe I should go see if I can catch up with any of them. It shouldn't be too hard to find a snow spirit and a large stallion at least.)
Thunder and Flakes were exiting from the building they were in. It was an older building designed for some older styled games that you wouldn't see very often these days. It didn't seem to really fit the theme of the town but they didn't mind as they got to have fun. The sun had nearly set though and it was getting dark meaning their time was up.
"We can out just a bit longer right?" Flakes said while almost begging Thunder for his permission.
"Winter won't be happy and we need to get our sleep so we can leave early tomorrow. We can come back here again someday though, so don't worry."
"Please! At least just one more place! It will be fast I promise!"
"Well...It's not like Winter is here right now so I guess what she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"Except I know now." Winter said as she appeared as if almost from nowhere.
"Winter! I uh...how much of that did you hear?"
"Enough."
Thunder was getting that glare again. The tone in Winters voice sent chills down his spine as he knew this would cost him later. He thought he would try and win some points back by explaining how he was responsible and stopped Flakes from entering a bar. As he guided Winters eyes to the bar he then saw to his advantage a nice cop out.
"Is that mommy? She looks a bit funny. Is she sick?" Flakes stared in confusion.
"Uh...Flakes, we should probably head back to the inn now. I think Winter needs to have some private words with them."
After taking Flakes with him Thunder started to make his way back to the inn as Winter made her own way over to the two stumbling ponies exiting the bar. They seemed to be happily arguing with each other as they soon noticed Winter getting closer to them.
"Yo! Winter! Where have you...you been? You sh..you should really check this place out!" Nature said while trying not to stumble over her own words.
"Winter is here? I don't think I see her."
"Your shtill wearing your blindfold shilly!"
"Oh, you’re right. Why was I wearing this again?"
"Guys..." Winter said with a sharp tone and a cold stare.
"Hmm...? Shorry, my eyeshight ishn't sho great. Are you shtaring at me? You don't look sho happy. I know what can cheer you up! Come check thish place out!" Nature said while stumbling over almost every "s" she said.
"Do you have the money from the crown?" Winter said while making her sharp tone even more clear.
"Hmm?...money...money...did we have money?"
"I think we had money." Ace said while still wearing the blindfold.
"Letshee...I think we ushed our own money. But when me and Ache were getting into our drinking game we had to ushe shome from the crown thingy. We shtill had plenty left though sho we thought it was okay. Let me find it...hmm?...The bag seemsh kind of lighter then I remember. Oh wait, I think we used the rest on those cool games. They had lotsh of flishing lightsh and shtuff. Do you look a bit shick? I don't think you look sho well."
"Are you really going to leave them like that?" Thunder asked looking at the two ponies passed out on one side of the room.
"But there so happy together. We need to get our rest now anyway."
"You sure I can't sleep on that side with you?"
"I'm sure. Try not to wake me or Flakes. Goodnight." Winter said as she put up her usual barrier.
Chapter 11: Building Tension
The sun was rising on a new day as four ponies and a spirit were waking from their peaceful night. Or at least it was peaceful for Winter and Flakes as they slept on the other side of the barrier. For Thunder it may have been better if he wasn't stuck with two drunks who couldn't control themselves. He wondered if he would have to be stuck in a situation like this in the future and instantly became worried. Soon enough Ace and Nature slowly started to wake up before one of them started to instantly go into a panic.
"I-I can't see! Where am I?! Was I kidnapped?!"
"You’re wearing a blindfold." Thunder said with a bit of an annoyed attitude in his voice.
"What? Oh, I am. Wait, why was I wearing a blindfold?"
Ace and Nature were slowly traveling out of the town with Winter, Thunder, and Flakes. They looked like a combination of being sick and nervous as they slugged their way to follow the others. This was of course a combination of a hangover and guilt from having spent all the money. Ace didn't even have the strength to go and grab a cloud he could use to float on instead of having to walk with them. He tried to look at it simply as punishment for what he did.
They were all on a small path that connected from the town to the nearby forest. The forest was mostly just a normal one unlike some of the other strange or dangerous forests in Equestria. The reason they were going in however was to check out the Thunder Tower that was located deep inside.
It was mostly a silent trip except for Flakes who didn't really understand the situation. She could tell something had happened but felt it was something she wouldn't understand. Winter had also insisted that she traveled with her instead of Mother which made her a bit worried about whatever it was that had happened.
When they all reached the Thunder Tower they decided to split up a bit to look around. Ace and Nature were to stay outside and look around while the others checked the inside. They could tell they were probably just being left behind so they wouldn't get in the way but decided not to care as they didn't want to move much anyway.
"So do you remember anything from last night?" Ace asked after they rested for a bit.
"No. Do you?" Nature asked still a bit in pain from the hangover.
"No. It's a bit hard to believe what Thunder said. How did that happen?"
"Maybe it's better if we just forgot about it." Nature said with a bit of a sad tone in her voice.
Ace felt a bit awkward as he realized he may have accidentally brought up her amnesia problem. He thought for a minute about how to change the topic and soon remembered a flier he saw back in town. The flier mentioned "finding yourself" or something along those lines and had the address to the businesses location.
"Did you notice those strange fliers in town?" Ace said while attempting to steer the topic in a new direction.
"Those looked a bit odd but interesting." Nature replied realizing the mood was a bit strange.
"We should see if we can stop by before we leave town again. I think it might be able to help us, or at least ease us a bit." Ace replied a little excited about the idea.
"Well I only hope the others are as eager about it or else we might not go. It would be nice if we could loosen this tension a bit though."
Inside the tower Winter and Thunder parted ways to look around the tower faster. Flakes stayed with Thunder as he explored the lower levels and Winter checked the upper levels. It was like the other towers with its usual clockwork and strange machines with a few exceptions. It almost felt like a city in itself with its constant ticking and rumble.
The reason most of the machines look the same in most towers stems from two simple facts. The first being that they were also created for testing and so were left behind with no function simply as a kind of blueprint to look back to help form the real machine. The second fact was Thunder Heart first started to make the machines in Equestria meaning most had no purpose at all except to test the designs for the machines basic functions themselves.
Some of the machines may have been for general purpose but even so only a small amount in the mess of machines actually had a real function. The towers in the Outlands however were supposed to have more working machines as they were designed for specific purposes to help Thunder Heart in the Outlands. Winter didn't really expect to find much in the towers in Equestria though.
After a while she got a bit bored and started to think back on everything that has happened so far. Even though it has only been a few days she felt like it's been months with all that has happened in such a short time. Even Nature who she only met recently already felt like she had been with them for almost a week.
She soon started to feel a sense of guilt as she worried about what she has been doing over the past few days as well. She was probably trying to deny it but she had been acting strange ever since they left from Weatherville. She noticed that she had been getting more irritated and annoyed with her friends and lashed out at them a bit.
Even if they did something wrong why was she getting so angry? She would usually try to accept situations as they came but instead has been getting angry at the smallest of changes. She began to ponder what could be causing her blood to boil so easily. Was it stress from the situation with the changelings? Did she really not want to come along after all? Or is what her dark reflection said back in the crystal world starting to make sense?
She started to feel a bit sick and annoyed after thinking about it too long. She thought about talking to Thunder about it but then suddenly became annoyed even more. Whatever it was she needed to worry about it less and loosen up. They had yesterday off but she didn't really do much to calm her stress. She decided to just stop thinking about it for now and try to solve things later.
After a while the group regrouped outside the tower to discuss what to do next. They hadn't found anything particularly useful around the tower and decided to give up on it. When Ace and Nature proposed the idea of visiting the location mentioned in the fliers they were a bit surprised Winter easily accepted it. It seemed like she took some interest in the words "finding yourself" and figured they could use the break.
It was getting to be around noon as they left the tower and Winter took one last look behind her. As much as she wanted to ignore her problems they still filled her mind to the brim as she felt ready to explode. She felt like she was taking a gamble with "finding herself" and decided it was now or never. She turned her head away from the tower as she continued with the others back into town.
