Beneath The Ice

It was almost evening in Canterlot. After a long day monitoring the Sun and managing royal business, Princess Celestia sat down in her throne room to do one of her favorite things: reading letters from her closest subjects. She received many every day from various ponies, from mayors and representatives to friends and acquaintances. Letters written from Twilight Sparkle, her prime apprentice and the Element of Magic, were usually the first on her list. Although she paid heavy attention to every one of Twilight’s letters, another one took precedence today.

Celestia impatiently loosened the string around the note and unraveled the parchment, using her magic to keep it floating in front of the throne. As she read the letter, the smile that was on her face slowly faded away. When she finished, the paper fell to the ground with a soft rustle and slowly rolled back up into a scroll. After a few moments, she muttered two faint words under her breath.

“Oh no.”

As the sun went down in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle was in the process of closing the town library. Once this was complete, she would finally be able to do what she wanted to all day long: bombard her frontal lobe with a relentless assault of images and words.

“SPIIIIIKE! Can you find “The Complete Unabridged Works of Peter Pegasus”?

“What kind of a name is Peter Potamus?”

“Pegasus, Spike. Pegasus. It’s an alias. I don’t know where ‘Peter’ came from.”

“Oh, okay." Spike slid the library's step ladder over to a set of shelves marked with a P and retrieved a thick bound book. "So, what’s on your list of things tonight?"

“I ran into Lyra today at Pinkie’s shop, and she was going on and on about a bunch of two-legged furless creatures she's seen in her dreams. There has to be some sort of monster story stuck in her head, since there’s no way that she thought of that by herself…”

Twilight turned behind her to see Spike, book in hand, in a state of obvious discomfort. His cheeks were puffing out from his face as if he was about to be sick.

“Oh come on Spike, it’s not going to be that bad.”

With a loud and obnoxious burp of flame, a scroll flew out of Spike’s mouth and landed halfway across the room.

“Twilight... I think that's a letter from Princess Celestia.”

“This would be an odd time for her to send a letter.”

Spike dropped the book and swiftly picked up the scroll. “At least she did it before I had dinner.” He preceded to unroll its contents and read them aloud.

My dearest apprentice Twilight Sparkle,

An urgent matter requires you and the other Elements of Harmony to come to Canterlot immediately. Please arrive as quickly as possible.

With high regard,
Princess Celestia

PS: Spike is to remain in Ponyville while you are gone.

Spike sluggishly lowered the paper down from his eyes, revealing a visible frown on his face. “AWWWW!”

“The Princess doesn’t summon the Elements of Harmony without reason," said Twilight, clearly concerned regarding the contents of the letter. "I don’t like the sound of this at all.”

Spike, on the other hand, was frustrated to be left out. “Oh, come on! I helped you and the others save the Crystal Empire? Why can't I help you this time?”

Twilight walked over to Spike and assumed a consoling tone as she spoke to her trusted assistant. “Spike, if she needs the elements, she needs the elements. The last thing she wants, and the last thing that I want, is for you to be in any danger. Your time will come again, I promise."

Spike loudly sighed, but as usual, understood the circumstance. “Thanks, Twilight. I’ll be good here until you come back.”

Twilight's demeanor quickly switched back to normal as she began to rummage through piles of documents on her desk. “Great! Now, if we take the next train from Ponyville, which is...”

She pulled a folded brochure from a desk drawer and glanced at a clock on the wall. “Aha! We can arrive there before midnight. We have two hours to get everyone ready and at the station.”

Twilight placed the train schedule back into her desk and walked to the library’s entrance. She looked back towards Spike as she opened the front door.

“I’ll go tell Applejack and Fluttershy. You go tell Pinkie and...”

“HEY TWILIGHT!”

Twilight shot out of her doorway with a loud gasp as a pink blur appeared out of a hedge to her left.

“Pinkie!" she said, trying to recompose herself. "How many times have I told you not to do that!”

“Sorry Twilight!" she said as she greeted her friend. "You were talking about Celestia, and me, and the elements, and something, something?”

Twilight was still in surprise, but had regained her wits. “How long were you out here listening to us?”

“Long enough! So what’s going on?”

In order to preserve her own sanity, Twilight had to stop asking questions and get to the issue at hand.

“Well, Celestia has summoned us to Canterlot and we must leave as soon as possible. Could you please find and tell Rainbow Dash for me? Meet me at the train station in two hours.”

“Okie dokie lokie! You can count on me”

As quickly as she had appeared, Pinkie’s head disappeared back into the hedge. Twilight parted some branches with her forehooves, but Pinkie was nowhere to be seen. Someday, I will find out how she does that, she thought, before turning her attention back to Spike.

“Please go tell Rarity. That’s something you’ll enjoy.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Right away, Twilight!” With that, he saluted and was off in a flash.

It was a mild spring night, the air still carrying a hint of moisture from a rainstorm scheduled the previous morning. Twenty minutes before the scheduled departure, Twilight arrived at Ponyville's train station. As she did not know what the journey to Canterlot was for, she only packed a small number of essential items with her. Normally she would have cast a spell to increase the capacity of her saddlebags to include a quarter of her library, but there was no time to prepare.

She grew restless as the minutes begin to pass. A short while later, she saw a bouncing silhouette coming towards her from out in the distance: the one and only Pinkie Pie. She was followed onto the train platform by a noticeably delirious Rainbow Dash.

“Hey Twilight! We’re here right in time I hope! I wanted to get here a little sooner, but Dashie here was having a little trouble. Isn’t that right?”

Pinkie turned to see Rainbow standing with her head down and eyes closed. She crept up towards the napping mare and whispered into one of her ears.

“Wakey wakey my little Dashie!” The pegasus gave no response.

Pinkie then did the only other thing she could think of: she put her forehooves on each side of Rainbow’s head and violently shook it from side to side.

“WAKEY WAKEY!”

“AHHHH!” With a scream, Rainbow Dash was wide awake. “What? Where? Who? Oh, hi Twilight.”

“Rainbow, thanks for coming on short notice.”

“No problem, but…did you really have to send Pinkie to get me? I was in the middle of my mid-evening nap.”

Twilight futilely attempted to conceal a grin across her face. “Luck… of the draw?”

“Sure, Twilight,” she said with a yawn. “Egghead.”

“You can take a nap on the train. It’s an hour and a half to Canterlot from here.”

“Hello again, Twi."

Twilight swung around to see Applejack and Fluttershy, whom had snuck onto the platform during the "discussion" between Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. "Good evening Applejack. Good evening Fluttershy."

"Both of us are ready 'ta go. I let Big Mac know ah might be gone for a couple days. Luckily we don’t have any cider orders ‘ta fill this week.”

Fluttershy had also left her duties in the hands of somepony else.

“I let Angel know about our trip. He has access to some of my supplies so all of the animals should be fine.”

Meanwhile, back at Fluttershy’s cottage, Angel Bunny found himself standing in front of no less than five bushels of wheat and barley. After pulling his jaw off of the floor, he put on a pair of sunglasses and simply… smiled.

“I’m sure there won’t be any problems."

With that, Twilight was ready to go. “Great! We’re all here except for Rarity. Oh, I hope Spike didn’t get… sidetracked.”

With less than five minutes to go until their train was to leave, Rarity finally arrived to the platform, carrying with her a pair of large bags. Spike followed right behind her, huffing and puffing as he carried another set of two bags. As he set them down, he fell over onto his side in exhaustion.

“I’m here girls! I hope we’re not gone for long. I only brought enough for two days.”

Applejack preceded to ask the obvious question. “Is all that really necessary? That’s the amount of stuff ah would pack for a week’s trip into the mountains.”

“Necessary? Is it necessary for me to plan ahead? Always, dear. Hopefully I won’t need any of it.”

Twilight tried to clarify the situation as best she could. “Rarity, I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, or if we even have to go anywhere. Princess Celestia didn’t give me any details in the letter.”

“If she needed us there right way, why wouldn’t she just send a carriage or something?” asked Rainbow.

“She might not have had the time to plan for it. This is very short notice. The last time she called all of us this quickly was when Discord was set free.”

"Ah don't know about you, Twi, but ah have a little bit of a bad feeling about this."

"I do too Applejack," she replied. "I do too."

The whistle of a train was heard a short distance away. Twilight turned to Spike, who was still recovering from hauling Rarity’s belongings.

“Spike, please watch over Owlowiscious while I’m away. I’m sure he can care for himself, but keep an eye on him.”

“Of course, Twilight,” he said while continuing to gasp for air. “Best of luck.”

It had been four hours since she had sent the letter to Twilight and Celestia was growing restless. She had begun pacing around her throne room, periodically looking out of the windows into the clear night sky.

If Twilight got my message, they should be here by now, she thought. I hope she found a way to get here.

A guard yelled from the front of the hall. “Your highness! The Elements of Harmony have arrived!”

Celestia sighed in relief. “Excellent. Send them in immediately.”

With a series of nods, the royal guards opened the split doors into the throne room. Twilight led the others down the center of the hall, past the stained glass windows depicting the elements' victories over Discord and Nightmare Moon, and most recently, the liberation of the Crystal Empire. Celestia addressed them collectively as they respectfully bowed in front of their monarch.

“Welcome my little ponies. I appreciate your swift response. ”

“Princess, what seems to be the trouble tonight?” inquired an anxious Twilight Sparkle. “You only call on the elements in dire times.”

“Although we are not in imminent danger, time is of the essence. And it is not so much what, as it is who.”

Celestia motioned to a guard who brought over a stack of parchment held within a small folder. She opened the file, pulled out the top page, and placed it in front of the six mares.

“Do you recognize the pony in this picture, Twilight?”

It was an image of a dark blue unicorn stallion with a slender build and a silver-white mane. On his flank was an unusually intricate cutie mark: an opened book with two crossed scrolls. Twilight acknowledged him immediately.

“That’s… Lancer. I knew him at the School for Gifted Unicorns. I haven’t seen him in many years. Did something happen to him?”

“Hopefully nothing, yet.”

“The last I knew, wasn't he working in the royal archives for you, Princess?”

“Yes, but he left almost four years ago. I don't really know where he went.”

“So he disappeared, and ya’ll need us to find ‘em?” asked Applejack.

Rainbow Dash had come to a different conclusion. “Sounds like he stole something.”

“He does have something from the archives, Rainbow, but that is not my primary concern. Do you remember much about him, Twilight?”

“Some, yes. He was very talented, but I think many of the other students might have… misunderstood him.”

“Misunderstood may be a positive way to put it, considering some of the things I’ve heard. I had a heavy hoof in his time here and that might not have been the wisest of decisions. I felt he had great potential as a royal scholar. After he graduated from the school, I personally offered him a position in the archives, which he accepted.”

“Working in the royal library would have been a dream job for manypony”, said Rarity. “Especially one from your school.”

“I had assumed the same. When he completed his schooling, he was definitely relieved to move onto something new where some of the other ponies couldn't disrupt him. After some time, it was clear that he was very unhappy. His quality of work, though, never declined.”

“Why’d he continue doing something he disliked?” remarked a troubled Applejack.

Twilight spoke before Celestia could respond. “It was all he knew.”

“Unfortunately, I believe Twilight is right. I did not urge him to grow other parts of his poniality and he suffered from it.” Celestia took a breath and turned her head back towards Twilight. “When faced with a similar situation some time later, I didn’t want to make the same mistake.”

Twilight’s head fell as she pondered the Princess’s statement. After a couple seconds, she felt a small rush of tears flow into her eyes. She blinked a couple times to remove them and brought her head back up.

“Lancer came before me one day and asked to be released from his duties. When I asked him why, he told me that he needed to find a place somewhere out in Equestria that he could make his own. He was unsure where this place was but he was certain that it was not Canterlot. I pleaded with him not to go but he still decided to leave.”

Fluttershy was having trouble understanding the situation. “Um, every pony with a cutie mark has a home for themselves. How could he not?”

“Having talent and being marked for it is one thing. Being happy with it is another. All six of you are at one with yourselves but that is not always true for everypony.”

As Celestia continued, her mood began to further deteriorate into a state of melancholy.

“Much like all of you, I asked him to send me letters while he was away. I wanted to be sure that he was safe and doing well. He was never as frequent as you Twilight, but at the start I received two or three messages from him every month. As time passed they became rarer and rarer. After the six of you defeated Discord, I received the first message from him in almost four months. He had seen some of the chaos surrounding Ponyville and was interested in what had happened. One of his primary studies had been Equestrian history, so I was not surprised he asked.”

“What did you tell him?” asked Twilight. “Wait, was he in Ponyville?”

“He must have been nearby, but he couldn't have been there long. I sent him a letter explaining what had happened, and the backstory that you already know. Shortly afterwards, he responded asking if I knew of the time before Discord’s reign. I mentioned a few things in my response and didn't think much of it. A month later he showed up in Canterlot without notice and requested an audience. I, of course, obliged.”

Rainbow grew a look of confusion across her face. “Wait. He was gone for, like, four years and then just came back?”

“It was a shock for me. When I saw him, it was clear that his appearance had… changed… while he was away. The noble color of his coat had faded, leaving him closer to a dark shade of grey. I was gravely concerned with his health and I pressured him on that as much as I could. He asked to be let into the royal library to study and I agreed on one condition.”

“What was that, Princess?” asked Twilight.

“He had to submit to a doctor’s examination. I was happy to learn that he was completely healthy, at least physically. I should have had them observe other aspects of his health, but nothing of that nature seemed wrong. He spent about two weeks in the library and left almost as abruptly as he arrived. On the way out, he left me a note saying that he would contact me after he returned to his home. It’s been a month since then.”

Celestia looked down to her left and levitated a scroll out of a small basket. “I received this letter right before I contacted all of you.” Celestia passed the rolled parchment to Twilight and motioned for her to read it.

Princess Celestia,

For many years I have wondered why I have not found clarity of mind; why I have not found my calling. I spent many years in your libraries with little to show for my effort. Living on my own has been peaceful, but it has not brought me closer to a state of greater understanding. Much of the knowledge I ingest just seems to lead to more questions than remain unanswered.

Recently, my fortune has changed. I was visited by a strange spirit some months ago who spoke to me of fellow spirits who inhabited Equestria in ancient times. At first I did not believe what he had told me, so I set out to discover for myself. This was the reason for my sudden visit to Canterlot.

During my time there, I found a few items while I was in the archives; some things locked away alongside priceless relics of the past. Artifacts that I could not just read with my eyes or feel with my hooves - I could hear them.

I brought two of them back home with me to investigate further. A short time ago, a powerful vision came to me of a kingdom lost in Equestria’s past; a vast temple carved of stone and ice buried by countless ages.

This place lies at the northern reaches of our land, deep within the Crystal Mountains. There is a spirit that lies dormant in these frozen plains – the ponification of knowledge. It calls out to me in my thoughts and in my dreams.

I have begun preparations and will depart within two days. I am to travel to the Crystal Expanse and reach the heart of this spirit’s realm. Once I learn its secrets, I will bring its very essence to Canterlot so we may usher in a new era in Equestria’s history: one where all doors, all pathways, shall be open to us.

This is my destiny. This is my purpose.

May I have your blessing and protection as my journey begins.

Lancer

As Twilight finished reading the letter, Rainbow Dash had already come to a sound conclusion. “Well, that settles it. Frozen spirits? Talking artifacts? He’s insane!”

Twilight, on the other hand, was taking it seriously. “Princess, he says he was visited by a spirit? The only spirit we’ve run into was…”

“DISCORD!”

Twilight turned to see Pinkie standing stiff as a board, her eyes frozen as far open as they could go.

“He met DISCORD!”

“Pinkie,” said Rarity, “What would Discord want with him?”

"What would Discord want with him!?!" she gasped. “Think about it! He lived in Canterlot, AND he’s a student from Celestia’s school, AND he worked in the royal library for the Princesses, AND he was obviously vulnerable, AND he’s...”

Applejack had no choice but to interrupt. “Pinkie, ah get the idea, but Discord wouldn’t have known who he was.”

Twilight grew a fearful expression as she stepped in between the others. “Girls, as much as I don’t want to believe it, the timing of it all fits perfectly. It... had to have been Discord.”

Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes, Twilight. He never mentioned him me directly, but there were hints in the other letters that led me to the same conclusion.”

“Okay,” said Twilight, “what do we need to do?”

“Before we go any further, there is something I need to show you, my little ponies. The story of Equestria… before Discord.”