“Windy!”

The distant but piercing voice echoed in Wind Song’s addled brain like a flock of angry bats in a cave. Was he still hung over after the night of dancing and debauchery at the Draught Horse? It certainly felt like it. His head ached something fierce, his throat was dry…

“Windy!”

That panic-stricken voice shouting for his attention sounded more urgent this time. He knew that voice. It sounded so familiar, but it was like something he’d heard in a half forgotten dream. He’d reply...eventually. Right now, he was resting. He was so exhausted though he knew not why, but he supposed that’s what happened when you downed...how many was it? Twelve pints? Fifteen? He really didn’t want to think about that right now. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

“Wind Song!” came that voice for a third time, laden with urgency.

The use of his full name startled him out of his daze. When he opened his eyes and saw Orange Blossom standing over him, indistinct but obviously battered and bloody, the whole of the previous day’s events came rushing back to him along with the myriad of aches and pains he had somehow forgotten. The roaring and rumbling had gone, and the sun seemed to be in the right place. The moon was no longer visible, but that coppery unpleasant taste was still in his mouth and throat, which were as parched as the Bone Dry Desert many leagues to the south.

He gagged and coughed as he pushed himself into an upright resting position and spat out globules of mucus and blood onto the wood planks beneath him which were covered in broken shards of glass.

Without sparing a moment, Orange Blossom, face streaked with blood and tears, bent low beside him, and in a voice containing far more gravity than befitted her generally pleasant demeanor, said, “Wind Song! Hurry! The Willow and Snow!” while jabbing a hoof to her right, just beyond Wind Song’s field of vision.

At this, a sense of dread came over him and, forgetting his own troubles for the moment, pushed himself quickly to his hooves.

A few yards away on the balcony lay two figures, legs still held tightly over their heads, eyes squeezed tight shut, tears spilling down their cheeks. Their mouths were open but no sound came out. They were both jerking and shuddering, each spasm appearing as though some invisible force was landing blow after brutal blow down upon them. Honeybell and Moonlight stood over the thrashing unicorns, utterly horrified and powerless to help.

Wind Song didn’t spare time to think.

“Move them away from the glass!” he barked at Moonlight and Honeybell.

It was a good thing he said this because even as he bounded over to help his friends, Willow and Snow Star’s thrashing over the glass-strewn floor was carving deep bloody gashes into their backs and sides. Finding a glass-free place on the platform proved to be more difficult than Wind Song had anticipated, so Moonlight used her tail to sweep a space clean about a yard away.

This whole ordeal only took moments, and as they were heaving Willow and Snow Star into the clean patch of wooden decking, they suddenly stopped moving.

“Snow?!”

Wind Song stopped moving, gazing hopefully at his two friends.

“Willow?!” he called louder.

They weren’t breathing. Wind Song immediately stooped down and put his ear to Snow Star’s nose, listening and feeling for the warm breath that should have been coming from it. But there was none.

Moonlight, who knew something of healing, had already rolled Willow onto her right side and had begun pushing quickly on her side just behind the shoulder.

Wind Song looked puzzled, but only for a moment before he followed suit, copying Moonlight’s rhythmic up and down motion on Snow Star.

“Slower.” she said simply after a moment, surprisingly calm in spite of the situation, and so Wind Song slowed.

Orange Blossom and Honeybell looked on, stricken and worried.

Ten seconds passed. Thirty seconds. A full minute.

The exhausting events of the last few days were finally starting to take their toll on Wind Song. He knew he was only a few moments away from collapsing from exhaustion.

Then, he heard a coughing gasp come from where Moonlight stood. Willow stirred slightly. A dribble of blood ran out of the corner of her mouth. She didn’t open her eyes, but she was breathing. Perhaps that meant there was hope!

He redoubled his efforts on Snow Star and was rewarded a few moments later with a cough and several deep inhalations.

“Snow!” Wind Song called to Snow Star, who stirred and slowly opened one eye.

Wind Song and the others stood back a few paces to give him some room. Snow Star shuddered slightly and began to take in his surroundings, seeming not to recognize his friends. Then his eyes fell on Willow.

“Willow!” he shouted. His voice broke as he coughed again and rushed to her, pulling her into his arms and releasing a hysterical cry of anguish.

“Snow.” Moonlight began. “She’s going to be fine. She just hasn’t woken up yet.” she said, placing a comforting hoof on his back.

Snow Star winced at the contact and jerked backward as though he had been whipped.

Moonlight pulled back, looking a bit hurt. Snow Star seemed to realize what he had just done. He looked up at Moonlight with his two bloodshot and watery eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Moonlight.” he said mournfully. “It’s just, we’ve been gone so long and I thought that you were all...well…”

“‘Gone so long’?” Wind Song asked. “What do you mean? It’s only been, what?” He looked at Orange Blossom.

“It’s only been about seven or eight minutes, Snow.” Orange Blossom said, confused.

Snow Star, who had been stroking his wife’s mane with one hoof, stopped, looking dumbfounded.

“That’s not possible. We were gone for months.”

Snow Star let his eyes drop back to Willow, who had begun to stir at last.

“It’s okay, honey. We’re home safe.”

Willow’s eyes snapped open. She jerked upright and scrambled away from Snow Star back toward the opening that led into Town Hall’s third story.

“NO!” she screamed. “No! Don’t, please! Don’t! Not again!”

She swept her gaze from left to right, looking desperately for an escape, then comprehension seemed to dawn on her.

Snow Star had walked slowly over to her and reached out a tentative hoof toward her.

She gazed at him, a look of pained doubt crossing her face for only a moment. “Snow? Are we really back? You’re not...You’re not…” she stammered as Snow Star bent his head down, gently touching his horn to hers.

Understanding suddenly sparked between them and some of Willow’s tension eased visibly. She collapsed to the deck and began to weep tears of relief.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Snow Star consoled, again pulling her into an embrace, which she returned, sobbing convulsively into his shoulder. “We’re safe, we’re back.”

Wind Song made a mental note to ask Snow Star later about this strange magic whereby he was able to convince Willow that they were back from...back from where?

Seeming to sense the mountain of questions his friends were itching to ask of him, Snow Star said, “Not now. We need to find Fairweather.”

“Wait, but…” Wind Song began.

“No.” Snow Star said firmly. “I’ll recall what happened once and never again, and the mayor needs to be there to hear it. Equestria has an enemy who even the Council of Friendship can’t stand against.”

Honeybell looked puzzled.

“Enemy? Who?”

Snow Star opened his mouth to reply but Willow, who had suddenly stopped crying, looked up and, with a look of total indifference on her face, raised her right front leg, pointing it to the north before saying in a flat monotone, “Her.” She chuckled madly. “HER!” she almost screamed before falling limp in Snow Star’s grasp.

All but Snow Star and Willow turned to look toward Canterlot. Wind Song and Moonlight stepped forward to the balcony railing as though the extra few inches would help them see their foe more clearly.

The royal city seemed to be in its proper place. What exactly was it they were supposed to be looking for? Wind Song was about to turn back to Willow and ask that very question when a sound like the breath of a god came whistling down across the landscape.

Wind Song couldn’t move. The world had gone utterly silent. Held in place by an unseen force, the only things he could do were breathe and, as he soon found, move his eyes. He couldn’t speak or make a sound. Shifting his gaze to the left where Moonlight stood beside him, he saw that she appeared to be similarly immobilized, the expression of surprise she had apparently been wearing when the magic struck cast on her features like a statue. He moved his attention to the town square below him. Without exception, every pony was held completely and utterly still, down to the foals who had been frolicking amongst the flowers left by Fluttershy.

What magic could possibly do this? Even Wind Song knew that magic was affected by distance. Willow and Snow Star had told him that at a few hundred paces, even the most skilled unicorns couldn’t manipulate objects larger than a pebble, and even that was extremely taxing. This was a greater distance by far. A distance it had taken him nearly half of the day to travel, and by flight no less. No, this was no mere pony. This was a force unlike anything he had ever heard of, even in the stories of old. For the first time, real fear took hold of him.

Without warning, a cold, bodiless female voice spoke out of the air.

“Equestria.” it addressed the unwilling listeners.

“We are Black Rose, your empress.”

The words were pronounced perfectly, almost artfully, but with an unshakeable stoicism which implied absolute authority and would bear no scrutiny from its detractors.

“Your former princess...” Black Rose continued, a tone of something which transcended mere hatred creeping into her voice. “...Twilight Sparkle…” these last words were spat, as though the speaker were expelling something nasty from her mouth. “...is dead, the Council of Friendship disbanded and scattered like dust.”

“No!” Wind Song thought desperately.

“For near a thousand years, the citizens and resources of this land have been squandered on the frivolities and personal satisfaction. The wastrel, Twilight Sparkle, sought to keep Equestria locked in an endless state of stagnation, finding the notion of progress to be abhorrent and distasteful. You, her subjects, were to be the basis of a monarchy which discouraged advancement and innovation, all in the name of what she called...Peace.”

Black Rose paused for a moment to allow these words to sink into the minds of her listeners.

“We...” She continued, “...shall do better. No longer will you be slaves to your own ignorance. No longer will this land be held back by a princess who cared only for her own peace of mind. No longer will industry and change be restrained by one who feared that the advancement of her subjects would lead to her usurpation. For my part, I have no such fear. Together, we will build a new Equestria.”

Again, the voice paused before continuing, “Stand with me, and be a part of building our glorious future.”

Suddenly, from below in the courtyard, Wind Song saw a bright flash of light and heard a loud “snap”. A baby blue unicorn mare, the same mare, in fact, who had been distracted while levitating the punch bowl earlier that morning, had evidently been able to break the spell binding her fellows in place. Wind Song wondered how she had been able to do it.

She shouted into the sky, “Go back to where you came from, witch!”

Wind Song thought she had been going to say more, but her words caught in her throat. She gagged. Blood began to trickle down from the corners of her mouth, which she closed tightly, eyes suddenly turning from defiance to panic. Helpless to go to her aid, Wind Song watched as she suddenly convulsed and collapsed to the ground. As she struck the cobblestones of the path she had been standing on, her mouth opened and blood poured out along with something solid-looking. Wind Song couldn’t see, and he didn’t want to see.

Wind Song knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was dead. He screamed internally at his own helplessness. He had always been so capable, so independent. Why was it that now, when Ponyville needed him most, he was able to do nothing?

Wind Song thought he could hear a note of satisfaction in Black Rose’s voice as she continued, “Stand against me, and die.”

All at once, the sounds of the world returned. Wind Song’s control over his own movement returned so suddenly that he only just managed to keep himself from falling to the ground like Moonlight did.

Immediately, cries of lament went up in the town square below. Wind Song didn’t look. He had seen too much today and there was nothing more he could do. They needed to find Fairweather, quickly.

He turned to help Moonlight up, pulling her quickly to her hooves. Honeybell and Orange Blossom had managed to remain standing, but were shaking precariously. It looked like a gust of wind could blow them over. He looked at Snow Star, who still sat on the ground holding the unconscious Willow.

“The mayor.” Snow Star said, looking up at the others.

Wind Song nodded in unison with the others.

As it turned out, a thorough search confirmed that the Town Hall was utterly deserted. Neither Fairweather nor any of her assistants were present. They would need to search elsewhere. As they walked down the steps of Town Hall, Snow Star carrying Willow on his back, Wind Song saw Fiddlesticks from the previous night. Fiddlesticks turned and locked eyes with Wind Song and gave him a knowing stare.

Wind Song tore his eyes away from the pony who he knew now had been right. Equestria wasn’t a place where this kind of thing happened. At least, not anymore. But it had, and he was right in the middle of it. As these thoughts distracted him, he accidentally walked right into Pine Frost who was huddled around the dead unicorn’s body with a little knot of mourners, doubtless friends and family. The old mare’s face was streaked with tears and a look of scornful determination rested on her wrinkled features.

“That was my granddaughter, you know. She was engaged to be married next month, just when the leaves started to change.”

“Pine, I’m so so…”

But Pine Frost interrupted him “You get that bitch, Wind Song. You and your friends, you get her for my granddaughter.” her old voice cracked with emotion.

“Pine, I have no idea what you think we can do to stop whatever did this. We’re just trying to find the mayor.”

“Nonsense.” she shot back at him. “Not once since Twilight’s ascension has Ponyville seen the type of friendship that you six share. Not since Twilight and Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. If any ponies are destined to change the world, it’s you six.”

Pine Frost turned back to the little group of mourners.

“I’ll take that under advisement.” Wind Song said placatingly, convinced that the old unicorn had lost her mind. After all, who could blame her?

Without turning back to Wind Song, she said, “Word’s been getting around that Fairweather went to the hospital to visit with the injured.”

“Ponyville General?” Wind Song asked gratefully.

“That’s the one.” Pine Frost replied, but said no more.

So it was that the six friends, Willow still being carried by Snow Star, made their slow way out of the square and up the winding path toward the hospital. As they walked, Wind Song caught up to Snow Star, who was in the lead.

“Snow?” Wind Song asked hesitantly.

Snow Star jumped slightly in surprise. What in Celestia’s name had happened to them? First pulling away from Moonlight and now startled by his own best friend? He looked so tired and so worn.

“Oh, hey.” he replied blandly, looking forward again.

“I meant to ask you, what happened between you and Willow earlier?” Wind Song asked.

“I already told you, Windy, I’m not going to talk about that now.”

“No, not that.” Wind Song clarified. “I meant, what happened when you touched Willow’s horn with yours? You managed to convince her that you weren’t, well, in the other place.”

Snow Star didn’t reply immediately. After a moment, he sighed and said, “Have you ever heard of the ‘unicorn’s touch’?”

Wind Song shook his head.

“The ‘touch’ is a trait all unicorns share. We can share thoughts, sensations, and emotions telepathically.”

Wind Song’s eyes went wide with surprise. “You mean, you can talk to each other through your minds?”

It was Snow Star’s turn to shake his head as he replied, “No, not quite. We can’t hold a conversation like you or I are now. We can convey impressions, feelings. You know that feeling you get in your chest when you’re happy or sad or angry? Not the words, but the emotion itself.”

Wind Song pondered this for a moment before nodding.

“Well, we can share those impressions to one another telepathically. As with all magic, the effect decays with distance, but in close proximity, the more powerful unicorns can go so far as to alter the emotions of ponies less powerful than themselves.” Snow Star elaborated.

“Does that mean you can even make me feel different without me knowing it?” Wind Song asked, genuinely curious.

“Not necessarily.” said Snow Star. “Depending on the experience a pony has with the manipulation of emotions, they may be able to tell when a unicorn is meddling with their mind.”

“Oh, I see. So, you just pushed on Willow’s emotions to make her feel more comfortable?”

“A little bit, but there’s a bit more to it than that. You see, every pony, regardless of whether they’re an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn, has a telepathic signature kind of like…” Snow Star’s brow furrowed as he tried to think of a good comparison. “Kind of like how each pony has their own unique scent.”

This was something Wind Song understood. He had noticed vaguely how everypony smelled different somehow. The same, but different. He noticed this especially with Moonlight. He couldn’t put his hoof on exactly what it was she smelled like, but it put him in mind of a fresh autumn night breeze blowing gently through the whispering trees, the moon shining through the branches and creating little patches of blue light. In a way, her scent was as distinguishing as her cutie mark.

Snow Star continued, “Well, with unicorns, our horns have to be touching to convey this signature from one to another. It’s something which reveals everything about who you are. And I mean everything. You have to know everything about yourself and be able to admit everything about yourself as it is. The good, the bad, the embarrassing...It’s a difficult process to learn, but it’s more intimate than the closest physical relationship two ponies can have.”

At this, Wind Song felt a bit put out. What a thing it would be to have that kind of relationship with Moonlight.

“It’s a shame we can’t do that. We pegasi I mean.” Wind Song mused.

“Actually, you can.” Snow Star corrected.

Wind Song looked over at him hopefully.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Snow Star replied. “I’m not exactly sure how, but it’s possible with practice. You’ve got to be very familiar and comfortable with whoever you want to share it with, but it’s possible.”

“How did I not know this before?” Wind Song asked, speaking more to himself than Snow Star.

Nevertheless, Snow Star replied, “It’s not something widely spoken of because for unicorns, that kind of communication comes naturally, and once we know what our mental signature is, it’s just a matter of touching horns and willing the other pony you’re in contact with to feel it. It just comes naturally, bearing in mind of course that it’s not something to be shared with just anypony. To have somepony else understand everything about you with no delusions whatsoever, well...that’s giving up a lot of power for exploitation by the wrong pony.”

“So, what does that have to do with why you were able to comfort Willow so much?” Wind Song asked, getting back to the original point.

“Well, when we were in…” Snow Star paused. “...When we were dreaming, we could see each other, but when we touched horns, we couldn’t feel each other’s mental signatures. So, when we got back...er...woke up, I willed her to feel me there and, well, she did. That was proof enough that we were really back and it wasn’t just a continuation of the nightmare.”

This turned out to be a lot for Wind Song to take in during their relatively short conversation, but he figured he understood most of it. He was a bit hurt that Snow Star hadn’t told him this before, but if this was something totally natural unicorns, it was to be expected that he wouldn’t have thought to mention it.

The fact was, Wind Song was a bit envious of the link that Willow and Snow Star shared. He was jealous of how they could so easily be there to reassure one another. Magic really was something else. So useful, but so dangerous. He turned his head unconsciously to look at Moonlight, who was talking to Honeybell and Orange Blossom. He wondered if perhaps, maybe someday he could share the very nature of who he was with her like Snow Star had described. Not yet, but someday.

Author's Note

The Thorn of Equestria - Chapter 4

The Thorn of Equestria

Chapter 4

By Wind Song

REVISED 01OCT20