Antipodes: The Winterlands

Antipodes

The Winterlands

The wind bit at White Leaf's face. His cheeks stung as the cold continued to toy with him. He winced at each strike. But the unicorn cherished the feeling. It let him know he was alive. For the time, that was enough.

The pale pony stuck a hoof out experimentally. It, and most of his leg, disappeared into the swirling white. If he couldn't feel the occasional stab of ice, he'd have sworn his leg was gone entirely. Everything beyond his nose was pure white. Essentially, he was blind.

The pony pressed on, hoping that anything he bumped into would either be dead or dying. White Leaf had heard plenty of stories about the creatures that stalk the outside world. Monsters lurked in the shadows. Savage ponies hunted the innocent. Titans, beasts of terrific sizes, paraded through the land. All manner of evils awaited the chance to kill him.

Unfortunately for everyone, he would probably freeze to death before something could eat him.The decent thing to do would be to curl up and wait. When the search party came looking for his body, they wouldn't have to go far. But nopony expected him to be decent. He was an exile. It was time he acted like one.

Go West.

In school, they'd always told him to go West. If he should ever be trapped outside the Community, he should just head West. Unfortunately, they never taught him how to find West—or North or any other direction—much less, how to do it when he was blind.

White Leaf decided he should just go straight until he ran into something. Then he would figure out a plan from there. For now, he had two goals.

One, keep moving. If he had to die, he'd rather not freeze. As long as he continued heading somewhere, he would be safe. Well, safer.

Two, find shelter. White Leaf really didn't care what he found, as long as it would protect him from the cold. Then he could start a fire, eat, and sleep. Sleep for as long as he wanted.

Exhausted, the unicorn pressed on.

"Alright class," Antiquity started. White Leaf perked up. He hadn't noticed her walk in. Truth be told, the unicorn cared little for school. He found it dull and, ultimately, pointless. A pony's role in society was determined by his Mark and by the Council. As long as he could read and write, he was set.

That said, White Leaf treasured Antiquity's lessons. The history teacher was the Community's only female instructor, but that didn't hold her back. She completely made up for her shortcomings with her stories. The blue mare knew the Community's entire history. She crafted each lesson around some story. She believed ponies learned best when they had some way to associate with it.

"It's time we discussed the founding of the Community and the three Laws."

Antiquity smiled. The room was completely silent. Every colt turned to her with rapt attention. The moment the Laws were mentioned, things got serious.

"Nearly two hundred years ago, three great heroes left the safety of Trotston for the freedom of a new land. They were Sir Stolid the Unwavering, Sir Swift the Deft, and Emerald. An earth pony, a pegasus and a unicorn. Sir Stolid was renown for his virtue and his strength. He acted as the captain of Trotston's guard. Sir Stolid fought creatures—monsters twice his size with ease. He saved the city from countless threats. But as time went on, and as Sir Stolid's strength began to wane, he spent more time within the city. He soon began to notice something unnerving.

"Sir Swift was Sir Stolid's replacement. Whereas the latter relied on strength, the former relied on his wits. They had fought together several times. They were close, like father and son. As the duties of his position began to lessen, Sir Swift was soon informed of a darkness within Trotston.

"Emerald was not a soldier. But he was a pony of great importance. Emerald was one of Trotston's two princes. He was compassionate, often going out of his way to please his subjects. Emerald spent as much time with the citizens of Trotston as he could. Like Sir Stolid and Sir Swift, Prince Emerald also discovered a darkness.

"Trotston was ruled by one pony, Emerald's brother, Sapphire. Prince Sapphire was not a benevolent pony. He led with an iron hoof, taking much and giving little. He sheltered his brother and his soldiers from the truth. But he couldn't hide it forever. The three ponies discovered his neglect for his subjects.

"The heroes revealed the truth to those considered elite, those with power. Prince Sapphire demanded they remain silent. He was afraid he would lose his crown. Emerald attempted to work out a peaceful solution. As long as the ruling prince would forfeit his throne, Prince Emerald would never mention his cruelty. Sapphire was far too fond of his power. He refused to give up the crown and turned to fight his brother.

"Sir Stolid and Sir Swift wished to meet the challenge. They decided they would take Trotston by force. But Emerald was wise. Despite his neglect, Sapphire had far too many loyal followers. Fighting would cost them everything. He convinced the others to flee. They gathered all the ponies they could and left Trotston.

"They followed the moon until they could walk no more. They happened upon a cave. The three heroes carefully searched it. They found a shelter large enough for forty times their force. The ponies decided they would settle there for the night."

Antiquity paused. The room was eerily silent, as if everypony was too afraid to even breathe until she was done. When she felt she had suffered the quiet long enough, Antiquity resumed. Her soft, rhythmic voice fill the room again.

"One night turned into one week, and then into a month. The ponies worked to make the cave more habitable. Within a year, the Community was founded. It was without leadership. Everypony simply focused on their own selves. Finally, the three heroes decided to form the Council. Under the guidance of a government, the Community could truly turn into a thriving society.

"For weeks, the ponies debated the rules governing their society. They all understood the necessity of laws but were unable to devise a fair system. Unicorns and pegasi would need restrictions that didn't apply to earth ponies. No matter how they worked it, one group would suffer more than another.

"Finally, Emerald found a solution. The Council was run by three ponies, one of each race. The first Council consisted of Sir Stolid, Sir Swift, and Prince Emerald. They would each create one law that applied to the ponies equally. If necessary, they could modify their laws later."

Antiquity paused to write something on the blackboard.

"Sir Stolid was a proud soldier. But as he aged, he became less concerned with fighting and more concerned with living. He created the first Law."

Antiquity wrote You shall not kill next to Sir Stolid's name.

"Sir Swift was the youngest of the Council members, but he was concerned for the future. He wished to see the Community grow. With a small population, any mistakes could hurt their chances of survival. The alternative interpretation to his law didn't come about until after his death."

Anitiquity wrote You shall further society. Unlike her voice, Antiquity's writing was anything but pleasant. It was barely readable.

"Prince Emerald had a plan for the future as well. He knew they would need to make adjustments, Corrections, at some point. Three ponies could not plan for an eternity. He created the most important Law."

You shall obey the Council. Antiquity gave everypony a moment to copy everything she'd written. By this time, the colts were expected to know the Laws by heart. In a few years, after they all had gotten their Marks, they would be assigned tasks and treated as adults. That meant they'd be tried as adults. No pardons, no exceptions.

"The three Laws are the base of our society. Everypony can live in peace because of them. They are what keep you safe and what makes the Community thrive. Obey them at all cost."

Antiquity let the message sink in. She wasn't required to explain the importance of the Laws. The colts were expected to to know that already. But she liked to add meaning to her stories, a point at the end of each one.

"The Community blossomed under the Council. They went months without a single incident. Everypony obeyed the Laws without question. Instead of working to make sure they did well individually, they all worked together to grow as a community, hence the name. But nearly a year after the start of the first Council, Prince Emerald fell into a darkness."

The bell chimed three times. Antiquity cast a quick glare at the clock.

"And, class, that is all the time we have for today. Tomorrow, we will continue where we left off and discuss the Corrections."

White Leaf awoke with a start. He jumped to his feet, disoriented. He didn't remember falling asleep in the first place. He had no clue how long he'd been unconscious. Judging from the weight of the snow on his back, it had been a while.

He shook himself free of the frost. He tested each of his legs. For the most part, he was fine. But his right foreleg, just below his shoulder, was completely numb. He bit at his leg and felt nothing. The longer he waited, the more likely the rest of his body would follow suit.

The wind had ceased its torrent while he was out. The flurry of snow had slowed to a sprinkling. For the first time since leaving his home, White Leaf could see.

The unicorn glanced around. He was in a long-dead forest. A majority of the short and skinny trees were covered in a layer of ice. The wood wouldn't burn easily, but he could force a fire. Right now, that was his main concern. Get warm before the damage to his body could get any worse. Hopefully, the numbness wasn't permanent. If he lost the use of a leg, there wasn't much he could do. But he'd rather not have to deal with that.

The moon was halfway risen. Or perhaps halfway fallen. Either he was just a few hours off from dawn, or a few hours shy of midnight. He hoped for the former. In any case, he followed the moon. It was the only guide he had.

Snap.

The unicorn whipped his head around, horn glowing a dark blue. He peered through the darkness, but saw nothing. Keeping his guard up, he pressed through the woods.

Crack.

The noise was far too close for comfort. White Leaf yanked a branch free from one of the meek trees, raising it above his head like a club.

Crunch.

"Yea—Aaa!"

White Leaf saw a flash of color before he was tackled to the ground.