Icefall

Chapters

One Hoof in Front of the Other
A Plagued Heart
Even Love isn't Enough
A Despot's Distant Wailing Plaything
Revelations in Boreal Cave
Never Let Go

One Hoof in Front of the Other

Author's Note

Usually with the continued stories that stem from The Adventures of Flare Brimstone, it's only one chapter, but not this time.

There won't be a lot of chapters because I want to get back into my Pokèmon story soon and I wanted this to be fun little side story.

Hope this is at least good. Enjoy.

One Hoof in Front of the Other

Harried Nightmares

It was dark and cold. The wind wailed eerily in a tumultuous blizzard; covering the very earth in shimmering white flakes; vision was poor and the path was uncertain in the frozen darkness.

A filly finds herself within the heart of the blizzard, veering her crystal-like translucent gaze across the plain of snow; alone. Then she blinks and her vision is suddenly filled with the sickly color green. She felt weighted down and floaty.

The filly found herself in another location: a dull and dirty lab, confined in a glass tube. Complex machinery lay amongst the lab, and documents with scribbled-out words were scattered everywhere. The filly knew this place too well; she was a prisoner here; abducted by a cold, harsh-sounding stallion draped in white.

The filly floats over and taps the glass with a hoof. It was hard, but it could be shattered. She tried to hit it as hard as she could, but being submerged in the viscous green water caused the force of her attack to be ineffective.

She thought about using her magic to blast her way out but found she couldn't. Fearful and perplexed, the filly felt the top of her head to feel a circular object clasped tightly around her horn. A cold wave of dread whisked through her tiny body; the ring suppressed her magic.

Feeling the rising panic beginning to overwhelm her, the filly tapped as hard as she could against the glass tube; she was desperate to escape. But for all of her struggling, however, amounted to nothing, yet she did not cease trying; the filly was adamant in her frantic attempt to break free.

A flash of white caught her attention. She gazed at a blurry figure in white. It was her abductor; the stallion who took her from the orphanage to be an unwilling test subject. Instead of anger coursing through her hooves, fear ran rampant instead.

The stallion held something in his hoof: a small device with a blue button in the middle. He held a pearly-white smile as he pressed it.

At first, the filly thought nothing had happened until she saw something thin and bright flick rapidly in front of her. More and more bright thin lights flickered; the filly had to squint her eyes to stave off the bright flashes. Then, a sharp burning surged through the filly's body, causing her to shriek in agony, but no sound came no matter how hard she wailed.

Her body writhed in the vat of viscid green water, helpless to escape; her body wracked and convulsed as she flailed madly, silently hoping to be saved, but no pony came to rescue her. Her eyes bulged and were bloodshot, her white coat spiked in all directions as she begged in muted silence for the pain to cease.

The pain only mounted without relenting. She turned as her agony-stricken gaze fell onto her abductor and a surge of anger and desperation flared in them. Her horn fought against the suppression ring; it glowed with a white glare as ice formed around the glass tube, fogging the abductor's view of his wailing victim.

The white light grew and grew until it enveloped the entire lab in its magical effulgence; the ring shattered and an explosion of ice and snow erupted out of the glass tube before everything quickly turned black.

"Snowy!" called a voice. It was deep, full of concern and fear. "I'm here! Snowy, wake up!"

Snowy snapped open her crystal-like blue eyes with a shriek, lurching forward on her bed. Her heart pulsed madly as she veered her fearful gaze around fretfully and found that she was in her room. Ice and snow covered every inch of her sight; the filly was in a world of white.

"Snowy," the voice said, causing the aforementioned filly to flinch in its direction.

It was the pegasus Flash Sentry, a pony she met before departing to the Crystal Empire a week ago, shivering and covered in snow; his breath billowed out clouds of white mist. He looked frantic.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you hurt?!"

Snowy stared blankly at him as if she didn't know who he was, too unsettled and horrified to respond. She looked beyond his concerned visage to notice two ponies standing in the doorway that led into her bedroom.

One pony was pink with wings and a horn; an alicorn. She held a hoof to her mouth as if she was shocked by what she saw. Another pony was a buff-looking stallion with a blue mane and white coat sharing the mare's concerned countenance.

Snowy gazed at her ice-encrusted window to faintly discern a shimmer of moonlight. It was the middle of the night.

Snowy turned sullenly to face the pegasus, aware and ashamed. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered feebly, casting a guilty glance at her frosty bed, unable to look at Flash. "I didn't mean for this to happen..."

"It was just a nightmare," Flash Sentry soothed, placing a hoof on Snowy's white mane. She felt comforted by his reassuring gesture and met his warm blue gaze. "Was it about... Were you dreaming of Professor Lander?"

Snowy nodded silently. Professor Lander was a researcher who worked for Princess Celestia. After finding out about his desire to experiment on his fellow ponies, Princess Celestia ordered his arrest which the professor fled to evade capture.

At one point, he snatched up Snowy from an orphanage to experiment on her, unknowingly forcing out the filly's unique affinity for ice magic by torturing her in a test tube he held her in for an unknown period.

It wasn't until Flare Brimstone, an agent of Princess Celestia, was tasked to track down and bring the rogue researcher to justice and save Snowy from his ruthless experimentation. Snowy did not know what Lander had wanted as she wasn't told the reason, and she didn't want to know.

After Lander's incarceration, Snowy was given to Flare to look after until Princess Celestia decided what to do with her. It was arranged that Snowy would be in the care of the Royal Crystaller Sunburst, along with Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flash Sentry, who served as her bodyguard.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" Flash Sentry had asked Snowy cautiously. "Princess Luna will be able to help with your nightmare if we ask."

Snowy shook her head quickly. She didn't want Princess Luna to get involved in her problems; she would have felt even more guilty for wasting the princess's time.

Flash rubbed the back of his mane with a hoof. "Okay. Do you want to send Flare a letter?"

"No!" Snowy yelled, causing Flash to recoil slightly at her ardent refusal. The last thing she wanted was for Flare to be bothered. Snowy both respected and loved Flare Brimstone deeply for her willingness to look after her. "I...don't want to be a bother."

Flash sighed and leaned forward, caressing Snowy's mane with his lower jaw gently. "Flare would be over here in a heartbeat for you," he whispered. "She said that you can send a letter anytime you want. You know she wouldn't mind."

Snowy relished in Flash Sentry's gentle touch. Ever since she came here a week ago, Flash had treated her well; he was patient, compassionate, and a pleasure to be around. Snowy felt safe under his watchful gaze, and she appreciated his soft demeanor whenever she was in distress.

Snowy leaned into him, taking comfort in brushing her coat against his orange fur. "I know, but I'll be fine," she murmured. "Thanks for being here, Flash..."

The pegasus smiled proudly. "It's my duty and pleasure to look after you." He turned to face Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. "She's okay," he called softly to them. "It was just a nightmare, but everything is under control now."

Cadance, though relieved, still looked worried. "Is there anything Snowy would like?" she asked her guard.

"She'll be fine," Flash answered respectfully. "Although... Snowy might have trouble falling back to sleep."

"Then you may stay with her for the night," Shining Armor suggested. "I think Snowy will find it easier to sleep with you around."

Flash Sentry saluted. "Thank you, sir."

With that, the two ponies left Flash and Snowy alone. Snowy was already feeling better with Flash by her side. She had taken to him quickly after their first meeting, and she wanted him wherever she went if he wanted of course.

"Before you sleep," Flash began, "do think you can reverse all this ice and snow?" He was shivering. "It's getting a little bit too cold..."

The next day stood Snowy outside a glassy crystal dome with Flash Sentry and Sunburst. It was constructed to harden the crystal guards to the cold of the Frozen North.

They left the Crystal Empire in the early morning and ventured precariously into the pale wastes, the frigid winds assaulting their coats as the chilling frost and ice threatening to consume them, where the dome resided; its location on a boreal hill ten minutes from the empire.

To combat such measures, Sunburst, who has been training his magical strength, produced an orange glow that enveloped him and Flash Sentry to help stave off the frigid cold. For Snowy, however, the frozen wasteland did little to affect her, if at all, allowing the filly to trudge through the never-ending winter without need of magical protection.

When Sunburst learned how tolerant Snowy was to the icy wastes, he chalked it up to her connection to ice magic. Not only did she have the unique ability to cast ice and snow, but it gave the filly a powerful resistance to extremely cold temperatures that would otherwise freeze a full-grown stallion in a matter of minutes.

Flash Sentry was concerned the entire way to the glass dome, occasionally asking if Snowy felt tired, but the filly had merely shaken her head, undaunted and unaffected by the Frozen North's chilling, and sometimes deathly, grasp.

The crystal dome was where she could practice her ice magic without any interruptions, serving as one of the main reasons she was in the Crystal Empire, to begin with.

When Snowy entered the glass dome, she gazed at a wide open space where the roof of the dome portrayed the frigid darkness outside. But she noticed it looked vacant; empty of any equipment aside from a mass of targets lying on the floor in a neat pile used for magic.

"We had the crystal guards remove everything here except for a few targets; we have the dome all to ourselves for a good while," Sunburst explained, shaking his orange pelt of any snow that clung to it. "Today will mark your first day of training. We had you stay within the empire your first week to get you used to being here. You ready to see what you can do?"

Snowy was hesitant and glanced at Flash Sentry for reassurance. Seeing him nod encouragement and settling himself on the floor, Snowy turned to Sunburst and bobbed her head. With Flash being here, Snowy felt a surge of confidence.

"Alright, good," Sunburst said happily. He directed with a hoof to the entrance of the dome. "We have a pony who can be of some assistance."

A unicorn with a lilac coat and mane with purple and teal highlights appeared at the entrance of the glass dome. She was a unicorn, her horn glowing a brilliant blue hue as light shrouded her body. When she entered, the light was gone and so was any snow that clung to her coat.

"Over here, Starlight!" Sunburst yelled excitedly. Starlight teleported next to him, almost startling the stallion. "Glad you can come on such short notice."

Starlight waved a hoof dismissively. "It's not every day I get to visit the Crystal Empire to see my friend," the mare responded merrily. "Twilight has been making me run ragged lately, and with help running the school, it's nice to be away from everything for a while. And don't worry, I got some creature to take my place while I'm gone. So... What's up?"

Sunburst gestured a hoof to Snowy who gave a meek wave at the mare. "I need your help with Snowy's training."

Starlight glanced down at Snowy and waved back with a smile. "So this is Snowy, the one Ms. Brimstone rescued two weeks ago? The one with ice magic?" Sunburst nodded. "Well, you've called the right mare for the job! What do you need me to do?"

"Levitate those targets a few feet in front of Snowy," the orange stallion instructed. While Starlight did as told, Sunburst turned his attention on Snowy. "Your magic from what I had heard is based on your emotions. If it varies in intensity depending on what you're feeling, then having control is essential for mastery; you must have focus, even in the direst of times, because if I'm assuming correctly, your ice magic can become dangerous to ponies around you."

Snowy shuddered at Sunburst's words. She remembered the time when Professor Lander pushed her so hard that her magic caused an explosion of ice in response to her torture. Another time was when Flare found her distressed in a cell, blasting the bat pony's wings and legs in frost until she was soothed by her words.

The most recent was yesterday when she had a nightmare about her torture at the hooves of that deranged professor. Snowy was worried that the next time she had another outburst it could hurt somepony, or worse.

Though fearful, Snowy was gripped by the determination to master her magic. "I understand," Snowy murmured. She gazed at a target suspended in the air by Starlight's magic, floating up and down slowly. "I'm ready!"

Sunburst nodded briskly. "Focus your magic in front of you and shoot a small blast at the target. Picture it in your mind and go for it. And since you have performed high-level magic, even without your notice, shooting a blast of magic from your horn shouldn't be too difficult," he explained. "Whenever you are ready; we have all day."

Snowy did as Sunburst instructed. She focused hard on the floating target, squinting her eyes. A bright blue glow emitted from her horn, and with a small thrust forward of her head, a blast of ice magic shot out from her horn, directly hitting the target with perfect accuracy and destroying it completely.

Flash Sentry was silent but murmurs of shock and awe came from the two older ponies as they shifted their astonished gazes on the filly. Snowy felt daunted as the silence stretched out, but then she felt Flash's tail rest comfortingly on her back and thanked him silently.

"Snowy," Sunburst began warily, "were you by chance angry or felt a negative emotion?"

Snowy was confused. She hadn't felt anything like that. "No, Mister Sunburst," she answered, her head lowering. "Did I do something wrong? I...I-I'm sorry if I did!"

Sunburst quickly shook his head as if to cast off his shocked expression. "No, no, no, you're fine, Snowy!" he assured hastily. "Normally when a unicorn feels angry, their magic can shatter objects. But your magic is amplified based on your emotions from what I understand. What did you feel before you shattered that target?"

"I felt...well, uh...determination," the filly answered quietly. Flash gently ushered the filly to continue. "When you told me that my magic can hurt ponies, I was scared and sad...but then I felt determined; I wanted to master my magic so no pony I care about will get hurt." She glanced bashfully at Flash Sentry and thought about Flare Brimstone.

"Wow," uttered Starlight Glimmer. "Twilight would have a field day with you. Your magic is pretty powerful; you're a natural, and with the right direction, you could be something amazing."

Snowy thought about what the mare said and felt a prickle of fear and excitement. If she became something amazing, then Flash and Flare would be happy and proud of her; she would be praised and congratulated.

Suddenly, her horn glowed and a giant block of ice materialized and plummeted on the floor away from everypony with a crash that rang throughout the dome.

Starlight Glimmer gaped in surprise while Sunburst and Flash went rigid with shock. Snowy gasped and looked down at her shuffling hooves. Something similar happened before she met Flash.

Snowy was having hot chocolate with Flare brimstone and the bat pony said something that made the filly blush, causing her horn to glow and summon cubes of ice that fell into her cup. Was the idea of both Flash and Flare Brimstone loving her and giving her high praise produce such a large chunk of ice?

Starlight Glimmer trotted over to the chunk of ice and warily placed a hoof onto it, only to swipe it away as a brief flash of pain lit on her face.

Sunburst rushed over. "Starlight," he cried, "are you okay?!"

Starlight gently jabbed the stallion's chest. "I'm fine, you worrywart. That block of ice isn't just cold, it's severe!" Starlight Glimmer showed Sunburst her hoof and he gasped; a small amount of frostbite had accumulated on her hoof. "It burned me," she told him, flabbergasted.

"I'm sorry!" cried Snowy, rushing over to Starlight with tears welling up in her eyes. Flash trotted up to Snowy and embraced the crying filly. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Please don't be angry with me! I'm sorry!"

Flash Sentry noticed a wind as bitter as ice beginning to form inside the dome, gradually increasing in intensity. "Snowy, calm down," he urged softly as the wind blew harshly through his coat.

Starlight was taken aback at the terror that laced Snowy's voice and the strength of her magic. "I'm not angry, you silly filly," she told Snowy, her voice as sweet as honey. She kneeled to face her directly. "I'm impressed by the potential of your magic, so don't be sad."

Slowly the wind died away and the chunk of ice suddenly broke into vanishing pieces of ice crystal, leaving the dome filled with the faint sniffling cries of Snowy.

"I think...if Snowy wants to, we can head back to the empire for today," Sunburst suggested.

Flash Sentry had a thoughtful look on his face. "That may be a good idea. Snowy is distressed," he murmured.

Starlight Glimmer huffed and shook the hoof afflicted with frostbite. "Nonsense," she protested. "We just got here!" She turned to Snowy. "Do you want to head back?"

Although Snowy did want to head back after thinking that she hurt Starlight's hoof, she was right. Snowy came here to figure out how to use her magic and use it well, and going back home after barely doing anything would only send the filly into a depressed mood. She needs to make Flare Brimstone and Flash Sentry proud of her and whining like a foal wasn't going to help.

"I...don't," Snowy whispered. She glanced at all the eyes staring down at her and fought to suppress a shudder. "I...want to control my magic and use it to help the ponies I...I love."

Flash nuzzled the filly's mane, eliciting a giggle from the recipient. "Well said, Snowy."

Sunburst gazed thoughtfully at the filly, dipping his head in assent. "Alright," he said. "We can continue since you're up for it... Let's begin with a few theories."

Starlight Glimmer lifted two targets in the air high above Snowy's head. Sunburst wanted the filly to use her magic to create a freezing wind that blew from her mouth. He told her to think of a cold wind and use her magic to conjure it from her breath.

It took a few tries but eventually Snowy was able to exhale a steady torrent of freezing breath that blasted the targets, covering them in a thin coat of icy verglas. Starlight lowered the targets to the ground and praised Snowy for showing exemplary control; she was truly a natural and quite shrewd.

At Sunburst's command, Starlight lifted six targets in a line and told Snowy to pierce all of them with her magic. At first, the filly was daunted by the task, but she glanced furtively at Flash who watched her with mingled happiness and interest, and Snowy felt reassured by his attentiveness.

Whenever Snowy hit the targets, Flash Sentry would praise her, further boosting the filly's self-confidence; it was addicting to be praised so openly and Snowy was becoming excited.

The white-coated filly charged up her horn and thrust it forward, but the movement was fueled by so much goodness that the motion became more intense than Snowy wanted, blasting out a large ray of ice that pierced through all of the targets at once, freezing them solid and causing them to explode into flittering shards of frost that descended to the glass floor.

Everypony gasped except for Snowy who was trotting in place as if her hooves were lit on fire; her excitement had bubbled over, summoning a cloud that covered the entire roof of the glass dome. A shroud of darkness was cast, plunging everything in near pitch blackness. Snow began to fall from the looming cloud; a breeze had started up, but it was gentle and hardly cold; pleasant and refreshing.

Snowy turned her gaze to Flash Sentry, barely able to see his orange coat in the chilly gloam for another sign of any praise or positive affirmation, but only an expression of worry mingled with uncertainty and bemused perplexity was what she saw.

Snowy began to worry. Why hasn't he shown any joy in her latest triumph? The only reason she was able to perform that magic was because of the praise given to her. But now when she looked at him, a gaze of ambiguity was all she saw, and that made her worry. Had she done something wrong again? Perhaps she shouldn't have gotten so happy.

"Flash... Is there something wrong?" Snowy asked the troubling question, afraid of his answer.

Flash Sentry struggled to shift his gaze to meet Snowy's as his attention was still raptured by the snow cloud looming above them.

"I think that we should be heading home for today," he told Snowy, her heart slowly beginning to plummet.

The snow cloud dissipated into nothingness as the area around the four ponies shifted back to normal.

"Did I do something wrong?" she murmured, anxiety layered in her voice. "You don't seem pleased. I... Flash, I'm sorry if I made you mad..." To her surprise, Flash had shaken his head; the filly's fears slowly began to vanish.

"It's odd." Flash Sentry watched Sunburst and Starlight speaking together in hushed whispers, occasionally glancing at Snowy. "It's really beautiful, but it's crazy too," he went on, "that such magic can create wonderful displays which hadn't been performed before."

Flash Sentry's compliments to Snowy's magic caused the filly's cheeks to blow up red; her horn casting icicles that fall around her, shattering into tiny pieces of frost and snow. Flash had done more than praise; he was enamored with her magic, and that made Snowy very elated.

The training went on for a few more hours until Snowy was showing signs of tiredness and Flash Sentry declared that she had done enough for today. Snowy watched, panting from lack of breath from all of the magic training, at Flash, Sunburst, and Starlight chatting a few feet away.

Disinterested, Snowy instead veered her head to the dark blizzard-filled sky. She was amazed at how strong she was and a little proud of her performance. She was a natural and a quick learner.

This was her first training session, and she had managed to impress not only Flash Sentry but also two unicorns that were very adept with magic; she was even beginning to feel a bit more poised.

Silently reveling in her performance, Snowy stiffened, her ears suddenly pricked. There was a noise, but it was faint. It sounded like a husky whisper of a stallion saying something next to her, but when Snowy looked around the glass dome, there was no such stallion.

Slightly anxious yet suspicious, Snowy closed her eyes and focused on the odd whisper, blocking out Flash, Sunburst, and Starlight's words.

She listened and listened for the noise until...there it was! The gravelly voice was murmuring something, but it was still too indistinct to make out. But one thing was for sure: the voice was calling out to grab her attention.

"What are you trying to say?" Snowy whispered hoarsely, trying not to alert the other ponies. "I can hear you, but you sound too far away. Where are you? Show me..."

The voice drifted from one place to another, to here and there, back and forth, side to side as if it couldn't figure out how to stop. Snowy continued to listen, her head moving in the direction she thought the voice called. She kept hardening her focus, using the full extent of her hearing to pinpoint the voice's exact location.

There!

The voice was there and Snowy could hear it albeit vaguely, but it was enough for her to hear what the voice was saying.

"You there," the voice whispered, its reverberatingly husky tone ghostly and cold, sending chills down Snowy's back. "Can you hear me? You there..."

Heart racing, Snowy says, "Yes, yes, I can hear you. Who are you? What are you?"

The voice didn't respond for a few seconds. "Something... A shade; a shadow. But I'm different... I feel something has gone wrong. Something. Something."

"What do you mean?" Snowy asked.

"I am not supposed to be here," the voice answered, its tone troubled. "Something went wrong but I do not remember. I feel different somehow. Vastly different."

"Well, what was the last thing that happened to you? Maybe that could help," Snowy had suggested, feeling somewhat sad for the voice.

"There was this light, a blinding light overtaking my vision," the voice started, its troubled tone straining and agitated. "There was screaming and then the sound of something shattering until darkness shrouded my sight. I'm not supposed to be here..."

Catching her breath, Snowy says, "Are you a ghost?"

"No," the voice answered with such conviction that it could not be wrong. "Something should have happened, something to help me, but whatever happened between before and now is muddled."

The voice went silent and Snowy had to desperately strain her ears again to find it again.

"I am bound...here. Wait... That's not entirely true. I latched onto something."

Snowy was confused. Whatever this thing is has problems remembering the past. "What are you talking about?"

"I believe that somehow, some way, I am bound in magical manacles, to you," the voice explained, almost making Snowy gasp. "I am different from before. I am unable to recollect the past. Perhaps while I am shackled to you, I may gather what I have lost. What is your name?"

Though daunted by what she heard, Snowy answered. "I am... Snowy. What's your name?"

"I am..." The voice had paused, struggling to answer.

"How about I call you Darkan?" Snowy suggested. "Just until you remember your real name."

"Very well, that will suffice," Darkan said, sounding relieved.

Before Snowy could say anything else, her eyes shot open by Flash Sentry tugging on her coat.

"Huh?! What?!"

Flash Sentry chuckled, nuzzling Snowy's cheek with his muzzle, causing her to blush. "I said that we are heading back to the empire. You must be tired; you can rest on my back."

Again, before Snowy could say anything she was hoisted onto Flash Sentry's back with the help of Starlight while Sunburst cleaned the training area. Though she wanted to protest at first, Snowy was reminded how comfortable riding on Flash's back was, so she bit back her complaint.

Unfortunately, Snowy couldn't hear Darkan anymore; she was too unfocused, but she knew that it was bound to her somehow, so she knew that they'd talk again soon. For now, it was back to the castle.

A Plagued Heart

Over the next few weeks following the meeting of Darkan, Snowy went to the glass dome to train as a daily regimen. She had shown great promise in magic, constantly wowing Starlight and Sunburst.

With praise coming from Flash Sentry who watched over the young filly, and her new friend, Darkan, Snowy was able to use her emotions to heighten her magic on her own rather than just randomly.

Thinking about things that made Snowy angry vastly strengthened her ice magic, freezing and shattering the targets almost instantly. When she was told to think sad thoughts, her magic would spread out in a chilling mist that made Sunburst, Flash, and Starlight shiver even with a magic spell that was designed to stave off the cold.

Never once in her training sessions did thinking negatively dampened the potency of her magic; it was only amplified; everything was a plus.

Darkan was also impressed with Snowy, often complimenting her control over the unique magic and imparting advice. Darkan told Snowy that whatever emotion she felt, she had to direct it rather than letting it direct her, essentially not succumbing to anger, sadness, or some other emotion.

Snowy needed to use her head rather than her heart to guide the magic influenced by those emotions. It would make certain situations she might find herself in less volatile.

Snowy took Darkan's suggestion to heart, and sure enough, when she headed back to the glass dome for more training, she found herself able to control the intensity of her ice magic, because before the magic was too strong whenever she tapped into an emotion.

When Snowy was tasked to pierce through the red targets again like before, she had managed to not shatter them into tiny pieces, which elicited much praise from Starlight and Sunburst. Snowy had been glad that day, but it would've been more so if Flash had accompanied her.

Flash Sentry was ordered by Prince Shining Armor to stay behind for a reason Snowy did not know. She was unhappy, but the positive affirmations from Starlight, Sunburst, and Darkan made up for Flash's absence, slightly.

When Snowy returned to the Crystal Castle after another productive day at the dome, the young filly was quite eager to find the handsome Flash Sentry and tell him how well she did. Luckily for her, she saw Flash down one of the long crystalline halls in the castle. He was standing in front of an open door talking to somepony.

Flash Sentry looked bashful, scuffling his right forehoof on the clear crystal surface. His cheeks were rosey, he wore a cute smile, and his brilliant blue eyes were heavily fixated on what was in front of him.

Snowy felt odd. Not the good type of odd like she felt giddy for no reason, but the bad kind. It was making her uncomfortable. Flash Sentry never looked at her like that before, not that he should; that'd be weird, but Snowy couldn't help feel threatened and protective.

The odd feeling was giving way to a sudden rise of anxiety and an unknown fury she didn't know was dwelling inside her, beginning to fester like a rotting wound.

Snowy wondered who exactly Flash Sentry was gaping at like a moonstruck colt. She disliked it; the feelings inside her bubbled like boiling water and she didn't know why.

"You seem to be in pain with the face you're making," said a bone-chilling voice. It was Darkan.

Snowy wasn't fazed by Darkan's voice anymore, not even giving a single tremor. "Flash is talking to somepony," she told Darkan slowly, her crystal-like eyes focused ahead. "He looks so...weird. The way he moves is silly."

"Isn't it obvious?" Darkan said, making Snowy look to her right but nothing was there.

"What do you mean?"

"The face he's making, the way he's shuffling on his hooves, how his eyes are locked ahead as if nothing else mattered; he's in love," Darkan said.

Snowy stiffened. "With whom?" she demanded, almost shouting.

"Calm down, Snowy," Darkan soothed. "If you want to know, then you will need to get closer. By the way the conversation is going, Flash and the pony he's speaking to will doubt you're there. Although, doing so is eavesdropping, which you have no business in. I suggest we go back to your-"

Before Darkan could finish, Snowy had already trotted forward with her head craning downward to sneak a look at Flash's love interest. He was right, about Flash and the pony not noticing her. They were deep in a hushed conversation.

When Snowy got close enough, she could see the back of Flash Sentry's mane. He was talking to a mare judging by her voice. She couldn't see the mare clearly; Flash was blocking her face.

All Snowy did see was the mare having an orange coat like his, but hers was lighter, and when the mare would occasionally bob her head to the left and right for Snowy to see, it was a darkish-brown color. She was all shiny and reflective as all crystal ponies were.

The mare's voice was low; she sounded gentle and serene, but when Flash had said something funny, she'd suddenly let out an unladylike snort of amusement, which caught Snowy off guard, making her gasp and lose balance, falling on her flank.

"Snowy? Is that you?"

Snowy cleared her head and faced Flash Sentry. He had that handsome, beaming smile, and the way his blue eyes glistened turned Snowy speechless.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern, using his right wing to lift Snowy off the gleaming floor. "You took quite the fall. Any bruises?"

Snowy relished in Flash Sentry's worry of her. It was apparent that even being a full day away from Flash made Snowy desperate for his company. He had been with her every step of the way since their first meeting at the train platform in Canterlot City.

"I-I'm fine," Snowy stammered, gently pushing Flash's hooves away from her. He had been checking for any signs of injury.

While Flash took a sigh of relief, Snowy craned her neck to the left to see the mare he'd been speaking to fully. Her face held a gorgeous smile that would make any stallion blush, and her eyes, which were half closed as if she was tired, were a piercing dark red, and she had a tiny black mole under her right eye. She wore a black and white maid's outfit with a frilly-looking black hairband. Her cutie mark was obscured.

The mare, who had caught the affections of Flash Sentry, gazed at Snowy with such a powerful smile that she found it difficult to hold on to the fury festering under her white coat.

"Hello there, sweetie," the mare said coolly, her angelic and motherly voice quelling the fury bubbling inside Snowy.

Her ravishing, velvety, sparkling chestnut-colored mane, which was wavy and flowed faintly as if there was an invisible breeze whisking down the hall, bounced with a healthy fervor. Self-conscious, Snowy instinctively held her mane, and unlike the mare's, didn't sparkle or flow.

"Say something now that you've been caught," said Darkan reproachfully.

Snowy wanted to scowl at Darkan, but she couldn't see him; he was a voice that only she could hear. And he was right. In her haste to see the mare who had grafted Flash Sentry's attention, Snowy had been caught listening in on their conversation.

Luckily, as Darkan had said earlier, Flash and the mare were too engrossed in dialogue to have noticed her eavesdropping. Flash must've thought Snowy tripped, and she was going to let him assume that.

"Hi," Snowy murmured. She had her eyes glowering at the crystal floor, but then her face began to grimace; the reflective surface showed the mare's captivating visage.

"You're Snowy, aren't you?" the mare asked. She was trying to make conversation. "Flash has told me a lot about you and your magic. Of course, I knew you were staying here, but I never saw you until now. Your eyes are very beautiful, and I love your wintry coat."

Snowy felt heat rising around her cheeks and knew she was blushing. Being complimented by a mare who looked so perfect caused a twinge of shame to alight in Snowy's heart, who just moments before was angry at the mare for taking Flash Sentry's attention away from her.

Without thinking, Snowy's horn glowed a bright white and a block of ice appeared and landed on the floor in front of her.

"Oh, my!" the mare exclaimed, but there was a hint of good-natured laughter in her voice. She turned to Flash who watched them in happy silence. "Does that mean I made a good impression?"

"I think Snowy likes you," Flash Sentry said. "Snowy, this is Rosethorn Merryweather, a close friend of mine who works as a maid in the castle."

"But you can call me Rosey if you want, sweetheart," she chimed in.

Snowy felt ashamed of herself. She had let her emotions get the better of her. She was training specifically to wrangle in those emotions, but all of it fell apart when she felt and saw Flash speaking to another mare instead of her and felt a deep fury and terror welling in her heart.

To make things worse, Snowy liked that Rosey had flattered her appearance despite being the picture of perfection, and Snowy knew Rosey meant every word.

"It's... It's n-nice to meet you," Snowy said, stuttering and stammering. "How long have...y-you and Flash met?"

"Ever since we were little," Rosey answered happily, casting a sly glance at Flash who shuffled bashfully on his hooves. "He always had my back whenever I needed...an extra hoof to keep me going. I wouldn't be here without him."

Snowy felt something odd about the way Rosey said that last sentence. It sounded unnerving. The uneasiness rippled throughout her coat and Snowy disliked it greatly yet being a youth means being naturally curious.

"What do you mean?" Snowy asked Rosey with a hint of trepidation. "Do you need help getting around? Is there something wrong with you?"

For the first time since Snowy began talking to Rosey, the mare's pleasant smile withered slightly. It was disturbing by the way Rosey stared at her, but it wasn't with offense or vexation for asking a perfectly callow yet personal question. There was a deep sadness that broke through the angelic smile.

It somehow altered her whole appearance. Rosey looked depressingly somber and solemn, and her eyes weren't just half-lidded for the sake of it; she was downright exhausted. Snowy wondered how a gracious smile could disguise such glaringly blatant features.

"Snowy," Flash began slowly, his voice suddenly weighty and quiet, "I don't think you should ask that question. That wasn't polite."

Snowy was confused and a bit hurt. She knew something was going on with Rosey by her tone, but never did she think her question would make Flash scold her.

"Sorry," Snowy murmured to Rosey, casting a guilty glance at the shining floor. "I wasn't trying to be mean..."

"I know you weren't," said Rosey, her sweet voice making Snowy feel a little better. "If it's okay with Flash, then I can tell you. You're bound to know eventually if you stay around the castle long enough."

"It was the reason why I wasn't with you today," Flash Sentry said. "Rosey needed me."

Snowy's eyes widened. "What was it?"

Rosey nearly hobbled her way to Flash to lean against him for support. The way she moved was sluggish and meticulous as if she was fearful of breaking something. She gazed at Snowy with a smile full of warmth and fondness. The love she exhumed was nearly overwhelming to her.

"I have a weak body, so I get sick easily," Rosey told Snowy simply. "So sick that I need a pony to help me get around; I usually have another maid with me. Too much strain causes my body distress, and it's very easy for it to happen. Flash wasn't with you because he heard that I had fainted in the library and decided to stay with me until I could get back on my hooves."

Snowy stared at Rosey in shock. There was naught an indication of her ailment. "So... it's hard for you to move around?"

Rosey nodded. "Before you came along, Flash had guided me to the front door so I could get back to work, although he insists I don't."

"What does it feel like? When does it happen?" Snowy asked.

"What are you getting at?" Darkan said, sounding intrigued. "Oh, I get it! You are a bright one; I suppose you have an idea. We'll speak about it later."

"It's like an ever-increasing fire burning me from the inside, and I feel my heart start to beat irregularly," Rosey answered, then she suddenly made a face so contorted with pain, that Snowy had little time to react.

Without so much as a warning, Rosey began a series of coughs that rapidly turned into violent hacking fits. Her trembling body lurched forward; her eyes filled with tears. The sound was unsettling and scary as she started retching but nothing came out.

Snowy noticed how terrified Flash Sentry looked and the anger she felt before ebbed away as terror etched itself across her white visage.

"Rosey!" Flash cried out. He had to hold Rosey close to prevent her from falling on the floor.

As Snowy watched, stunned, she saw something spray the opulent, shiny crystal floor. She held a hoof to her mouth and gazed at Rosey who had her eyes shut tightly as she hacked and struggled to breathe. Her hoof was trickling with blood.

Flash Sentry blocked Snowy's view of Rosey and her blood. "Snowy, look away!" Flash Sentry ordered, but Snowy was so terrified that she didn't seem to hear.

"Snowy," said Darkan quickly, "snap out of it and turn your head away! Cover your eyes; you shouldn't be looking at this."

Jolting out of her stunned stupor, Snowy closed her eyes and turned her body away. She heard Flash mutter encouragement to Rosey, who's hacking turned into coughs. Snowy heard the mare's raspy breath trying desperately to suck in air.

"By Celestia, I'm sorry, Flash," Rosey rasped, sounding distressed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... It's getting worse. I don't know what to do!"

"You just need rest, I'm sure of it. You've had a rough day," Flash consoled, but Snowy knew by the tone of his voice that Flash wasn't too sure of himself. "I'll tell Princess Cadance you're too ill to work."

"I'm sorry," Rosey repeated, distraught. "I'm sorry."

"I know, I know, but you don't have to apologize," Flash soothed. He was trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Until now, we always had warnings when one was coming... Let's get you inside and into bed."

Snowy continued to hear Rosey whimpering and apologizing as her door closed. How could a mare like her be racked with such illness? Rosey sounded and is an angel, so why was she stricken with this horrible sickness?

She heard Rosey's door open and the sound of something rubbing on the floor and knew that Flash was cleaning up her blood. She heard him walk back inside Rosey's room and then coming back out.

"You can look now," he told Snowy.

Snowy turned to face Flash, opening her eyes and seeing his cheeks stained with tears. His face was glum, his eyes showed a mounting anxiety that he tried to suppress, and he looked tired.

"Flash?" Snowy called with trepidation, fear rising in her throat. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the stallion told Snowy, attempting to smile but failed. His voice was deep and full of defeat. He gestured to his cheeks. "It's Rosey's tears, not mine. She'll be fine. I need... I'm going to visit Princess Cadance and inform her that Rosey isn't well enough to work for a while."

Snowy didn't know what to say to Flash. He had this haunted look in his eyes, which were quite dull rather their usual bright shine. All she did was trot up to Flash and lean against him. She could feel his right foreleg tremble.

"Let me come with you," Snowy said. She saw him open his mouth to object, but then he nodded silently.

"Thanks," he said. "However, you are to remain outside the princess's quarters while I speak with her. Understand?"

Snowy wanted to protest, but she thought better of it. She guessed Flash was going to go into detail about Rosey's illness and didn't want her to overhear him.

"Okay, I will," Snowy said.

Flash nodded firmly. "Good," he said, as if closing the discussion.

Snowy followed Flash Sentry to the door that Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and their daughter Flurry Heart slept. She watched in silence as Flash announced his presence and a voice behind the door answered. It was Princess Cadance, telling Flash to enter.

"I won't be long," Flash assured Snowy.

Snowy nodded and sat on the shimmering crystal floor. "Okay," she said. "I'll wait for you here."

Even Love isn't Enough

"Is there something the matter, Flash?" Princess Cadance asked. "You look pale. Is Snowy okay?"

"Yes, she is," Flash answered, sounding grim.

"But your face conveys something is amiss," Cadance commented. She trotted up to him and placed a wing over his back, but only to remove it quickly out of surprise. "Flash, you're shaking! What's troubling you?"

"Rosey," Flash answered simply, his voice suddenly gruff and despondent. "She won't be able to work for a couple of days."

Cadance sighed heavily and guided Flash to her couch and told him to sit. Flash obeyed and sat on one of the soft cushions, but his mind was so rattled by Rosey's condition, he hardly noticed how comfortable the couch was.

"I heard about what happened," Cadance started in an airy whisper. "How is she?"

Flash Sentry shook his head. "She's getting worse with each fit. She had another one, but there was no warning like there should've." His front hooves were shaking. "There was blood this time, and it was in front of Snowy."

Princess Cadance put a hoof to her mouth in silent shock. "Is Snowy... How much did she see?"

"Too much," Flash Sentry answered gravelly, rubbing his eyes. "She's right outside waiting for me."

"She's a loyal friend," Cadance said, grinning faintly but stopped when Flash didn't smile. "Flash..."

"She's dying from that accursed magic," Flash growled through gritted teeth. His eyes were alight with a barely contained fury. "That tyrant did this to her..."

Flash was talking about King Sombra, the previous ruler who reigned over the Crystal Empire before he was defeated and imprisoned in the ice by Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna. When the empire re-emerged, so did Sombra, who tried to regain control over the empire but failing after Spike and Princess Cadance was able to defeat him.

King Sombra was described as a ruinous tyrant who enslaved the citizens of the empire in iron-clad chains; a monster with the power to wield dark magic. He was ruthless, and his vile penchant for bestowing anguish on his subjects was merciless and without limit.

Princess Cadance didn't reply. She knew what Flash was talking about and shuffled uncomfortably on her cushion.

"That vile magic of his did this, causing Rosey to suffer," Flash snarled with venom dripping from every strained word that came from his mouth. He gazed at Cadance. "Is there no other cure for what Rosey has?"

Princess Cadance hanged her head in defeat. "Sombra was as crafty as he was evil," she started, her eyes shadowed and troubled, "devising failsafe after failsafe, trying to return to power in some way. Even when he was defeated again with the rest of the villains and Grogar, a part of me will always suspect he'll come back. The cure for Sombra's dark magic curse is gone. Rosey is the last one alive afflicted with the curse."

"But it can't be true!" Flash Sentry exclaimed, distressed. "Are you absolutely sure there aren't any left here? There could be some outside of the Crystal Empire. I can't let Rosey die from this!"

"I have sent guards to scour the cave over and over, time and again, but finding none of the spark lilies," Cadance said. She looked away from Flash's pleading stare. "Sombra razed the entire area so horribly that the flowers won't regrow. And no, there is no other place in Equestria or beyond that may contain the flowers. They were created here, and now they are gone forever."

Flash Sentry didn't relent. "But there has to be a way to regrow the flowers. Isn't there a book or something that documented what the spark lilies are and how to grow them?"

Again, Cadance shook her head. "Any record of the spark lilies and how they can be created are missing, most likely destroyed by Sombra so no pony could figure out how to grow and use them. Not even Sunburst knows, and he spends most of his time in the library; he practically lives there. I have asked him to look for any signs, any record, anything, but he hasn't come to me yet.

"We have an inkling of why they were made. The flowers were created by what we believe to be an alicorn eons ago with the sole purpose, as it seems anyway, of healing and removing the most sinister of curses. We don't know how this alicorn created the flowers or with what magic they used. The complete history of the flowers is unknown because of Sombra."

"What about the ponies of the empire?" Flash Sentry asked. Cadance gazed at him questioningly. "Most of the stallions and mares from a thousand years ago are still here, remember? A lot of us came back when the empire resurfaced! Somepony would have to know!"

Princess Cadance was silent for a moment as if considering, but then she shook her head. "That's not possible."

Flash gaped in shock. "Wh-what do you mean?" he sputtered. "Why not?"

"Flash, no pony remembers much of anything before Sombra's dictatorship," she said. "The memories of the crystal ponies were affected in some way; they can barely remember anything of their past except for damaging recollections of Sombra's cruelty, and those are memories they wish to forget.

"And that's not all. Sombra's influence still reigns inside their minds, haunting them with a dark menace. When most are told to remember anything under his rule, they ended up shuddering and convulsing, shutting their eyes with faces twisting as if they were in terrible pain. They aren't able to tell us much of anything, let alone something useful. We can't rely on them, and I would rather not resurface such painful memories my citizens try to bury ever again..."

"But I can remember parts of my past just fine," Flash Sentry said hastily, but then his voice faltered a bit. "Sure, I can't remember everything...but I remember my time with Rosey perfectly!"

Princess Cadance sighed, despondent, her eyes growing dark. "The love, hope, and light between you both, even at a young age, was powerful enough for you two to retain some of your memories, but you never underwent the dark magic curse like she did.

"If anything, Rosey would know something, but she could have a much more violent reaction than anypony else because of what Sombra did to her, so I never tried for fear of something...horrible happening to her."

Flash stamped his hoof on the crystalline floor. "We don't have much time left twiddling our hooves," he spat, but he sounded on the verge of crying. "I love her... I can't let Rosey die like this! What are we supposed to do?!"

Princess Cadance gazed at Flash Sentry; there was pain across her face. "I can feel the love you have for Rosey. She loves you as well, and it pains me to see you both suffer like this. There isn't anything any of us can do for her.

"The cave the spark lilies once thrived in is too badly scorched; the area is still smoldering even after all these years. I'm afraid that love cannot shine a path for us to tread on this time; we're lost in the dark, stumbling and tripping."

Flash Sentry had sunk into the soft cushions, his angered face shifting to an expression of defeat and sadness. Cadance was right. There was nothing she could do. No pony could.

"Am I supposed to watch the mare I love die in front of me?" he asked no pony in particular. "To see her blood soak her beautiful coat? To hear her struggle to breathe her last breath? What am I supposed to do? I've always helped her, cared for her, but only for her to be taken away from me like this. Isn't love enough?"

"Oh, Flash... I'm so sorry," Princess Cadance whispered. "She still has time. We'll keep searching for another way, I promise."

Flash Sentry gazed into Cadance's eyes for a long while before dipping his head in silent agreement. He got up from the couch, bowed respectfully, and exited her chamber.

Outside the princess's chambers, Flash Sentry noticed Snowy sitting quietly a couple of feet away from the door gazing at nothing. She seemed to be murmuring something as if she was talking to somepony. Flash shook his head; he was just imagining things. He quickly put on a small smile and called for her attention.

Snowy's ears wiggled as she spun around as if surprised and looked at Flash with full focus. He wondered why she looked that way. Had she overheard what he and Princess Cadance spoke about and was hiding it from him? Maybe, but it didn't matter. It wasn't as if she could do anything to save Rosey.

"I'm back," Flash Sentry told her, his voice straining, as the white filly scampered to his side.

Flash Sentry felt Snowy lean against him, offering some semblance of comfort. It wasn't much, but he appreciated his little friend's sweet gesture.

"Are you hungry?" he asked Snowy. "You were training all day today."

Snowy gazed at Flash silently before shaking her head. "Not hungry. I'm...tired."

Flash Sentry instinctively picked up and hoisted Snowy gently on his back and made his way to her bedroom.

"I'll bring you a tray of food later tonight," Flash said quietly. "You're a growing filly and you need to be fed, and as your bodyguard, it is part of my duty to see you well and healthy."

"Okay," Snowy murmured. She sounded a tad grudging, but she seemed to be too tired to argue. "And thanks for the ride, Flash..."

"No problem," he told the filly, but then he lowered his voice so she couldn't hear. "At least there's something I can do..."

"And Rosey will be okay; I promise," she said, causing Flash Sentry to halt for a moment before continuing forward.

"Thank you, Snowy..."

A Despot's Distant Wailing Plaything

"Would you tell me your plan now that Flash has vacated your bedroom?"

Snowy was sitting next to a window in her bedroom with Darkan. She looked solemn and troubled.

"The idea that popped in your head when you were asking Miss Merryweather about her 'illness' piqued my interest somehow," Darkan confessed. "What's your idea?"

"There's something, but I need to ask Rosey more questions about her problem first," Snowy murmured, her eyes narrowing. "I could barely hear what Flash and Princess Cadance were saying, but Flash sounded really mad and sad. Something about Rosey and a curse. I have to do something."

"Yes, they were speaking of a curse rather than illness," Darkan told Snowy, "but it seems we need more...information. When do we depart to Miss Merryweather's chambers?"

Snowy looked to her right, but she saw nothing. Darkan was merely a voice she could hear, though she could feel his presence more and more since the day they met. It never began to bother her until now.

"If you squint your eyes hard enough, you'll see more than you do now," Darkan said, his voice eerie and cold, though Snowy knew it was merely the way he spoke. "Just like when we met, but you will have to put in a bit more effort."

Snowy did as Darkan suggested and focused as hard as she could. She let out a gasp. A looming, smoky shadow of a stallion's silhouette towered over her. Snowy would've been more terrified if she didn't know who the stallion is, or currently is since Darkan was inflicted with amnesia.

Darkan was visible to her now, but not in the truest sense. He was literally a shadow of a stallion.

"You see me now?" he asked. Snowy nodded and Darkan chortled. "Congratulations. You've gained some more insight; be proud."

"You look scary," Snowy commented, tilting her head to one side. "And your horn is curved. That's weird."

Darkan gave another good-natured chortle. "Any normal pony would be cowering, but you aren't normal. Ice magic is incredibly rare and thought to be a lost form. Your parents must've been quite the odd pair of unicorns."

Snowy didn't answer, her face unreadable. She turned back to the window and stared out to view the gloaming sky.

"My apologies," Darkan said regretfully. "A bit tactless on my end."

Snowy shook her head. "I don't know where they are or what happened, but I know you meant well. Thanks."

"Are you ready to head out?"

Snowy nodded, getting to her hooves. "Flash won't be back for another hour with my food, so that gives me enough time to learn more about Rosey's illness... or curse."

When Snowy left her room and made her way down the silent crystal halls, Darkan's shadowy form dissipated into nothingness. It was getting quite late; the hall Snowy trotted down had naught a single soul except for her. There was a chill in the air, but Snowy didn't care; she loved the cold; it felt nice on her wintry coat. Her inherent affinity for ice magic gave her a strong resistance to its negative effects.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Darkan commented with a chortle.

"I never questioned it before, but you can read my thoughts. Is it because you are bound to me?" Snowy asked.

"Of course," Darkan replied in his usual eerie dark tone. "I try to exercise distance as your thoughts are yours alone, though some thoughts I can't bring myself to ignore."

"What do you think I'll learn about Rosey's condition?"

"Since it was a curse placed on Miss Merryweather, I imagine that if you would ask nicely, she'd tell you," Darkan said.

"Yeah," Snowy murmured lowly, her eyes staring at the crystal floor. She looked worried. "I'm scared for Flash and Rosey..."

"It's tragic," Darkan agreed, though his voice hardly changed to one that mirrored sympathy. "By what we saw earlier today, it seems that the curse afflicting the mare has reached a critical point; it no longer gives warnings. It just happens."

"It's terrifying," Snowy murmured, straining to suppress a shudder. She wanted Rosey to get better and happy; that's when Flash was happy. "I have to know what's wrong..."

Darkan gave a low, dark chortle. "Come to terms, have you?" he asked Snowy, but she didn't reply, answering his question. "These thoughts are hard to ignore, but we both know it's better this way."

Snowy was quite enamored with Flash Sentry, having such affection after meeting him on the train platform weeks ago. Maybe that was normal for a filly, to have a deep affection for a pony like Flash.

"You are young," Darkan told Snowy. "What you had was a crush, though, it isn't without good taste; Flash Sentry is quite handsome. But that isn't the real answer," Darkan continued, "instead, it's would you accept it that way?"

Snowy scowled at Darkan's question as they got closer to Rosey's quarters; she disliked that her thoughts, if she was to take Darkan's word for it, was too strong for him to ignore. Perhaps she should work on her mental prowess alongside her magical strength in an attempt to block him out and quit his prying.

"Ah-ah, no, that would not be necessary," Darkan said hastily, letting out a ghostly chuckle. "I tend to ignore most of your inner thoughts, but like I said, some thoughts are harder to ignore than others, and I can be curious if enticed."

Snowy focused hard to the empty space on her right and saw the black shadowy figure of Darkan. She had willed him into her vision. Darkan was surprised judging by his lowered posture and twitching ears.

"For such a young pony, you are quite shrewd," Darkan complemented with haste seeing Snowy slowly glower. "Let's just focus on Miss Merryweather, shall we?"

Snowy glared daggers at Darkan for a few moments more before shaking her head and letting out a suppressed sigh of vexation, turning away and trotting forward at a slightly faster pace. The trot to Rosey's room was silent and Snowy wanted to keep it that way.

When they reached Rosey's door, Snowy went to knock. After some time passes, there was no response. Was she sleeping?

"Put your ear against the door if you want to be sure," Darkan suggested.

Groaning inwardly, Snowy had to remind herself that Darkan could hear her thoughts. Taking his suggestion into practice, Snowy placed an ear to the door and listened. At first there was nothing until Snowy could hear the faint sound of snoring inside. Rosey was asleep.

"What shall we do now?" inquired Darkan.

"Rosey is in trouble, and I have to know what it is," Snowy said with a trace of conviction. "She and Flash need each other. If there's anything I can do to make sure Rosey stays with Flash, then I'll do it."

Darkan chortled. "For a filly as young as you are, you have some maturity," he complemented. "How shall we disturb Miss Merryweather?"

"Magic," Snowy answered with a small grin. "I don't want to make any unnecessary noise, so it's time to get creative."

Closing her eyes, Snowy's horn began to glow a brilliant white. A faint gray mist began to steadily surround her until her body was completely concealed within the mist.

"Using what you've learned today?" Darkan said, impressed.

During today's training session, Snowy was tasked to do teleportation, an extremely advanced magic spell, by Starlight and Sunburst to travel to one end of the glass dome and back. After a few failed attempts, Snowy got creative, with some advice from Darkan of course.

Instead of a flash of white light, Snowy had gathered a gray mist as cold as sub-zero temperatures. The mist enveloped her until her physical body lost its form and she glided across the dome. It wasn't as instantaneous as teleportation, but she traveled at a fast pace.

When Snowy glided back and returned to her physical form, she was surprised and very excited. To Starlight and Sunburst, they were just as shocked. The form Snowy took was reminiscent of King Sombra's smoky black shadow form, though the adults had kept that information to themselves.

When Snowy was asked how in Equestria she could know such a spell, the filly said that she couldn't cast the teleportation spell and instead thought of an alternative way of travel, but she left the part out with Darkan. Snowy couldn't tell them about him anyway; he was a pony only she could see, and she didn't want to appear crazy either.

With having power over ice magic, Snowy could now shift into a misty cloud and travel over long distances. During the ten-minute journey back to the Crystal Empire, Sunburst had tasked Snowy with maintaining the mist form until they got back. Snowy had succeeded in the task but felt tired after, yet her excitement overshadowed it.

Using the form she learned today, Snowy was able to slip under Rosey's door and enter her bedroom. Inside, she turned back to normal with the gray mist dissipating into nothingness.

"You showed great control there, Snowy," Darkan complemented. "It seems my suggestion suited you perfectly."

Snowy wondered how Darkan knew such a spell, but then remembered that the shadowy silhouette he takes the form of is a stallion with a curved horn. A unicorn for sure; he must've been quite an adept in magic.

"You flatter me with your thoughts, Snowy," Darkan said as he came into Snowy's vision as a black shadow again. "I'll admit that the spell seems foreign to me, yet it feels like I've known it forever, a piece of my past perhaps. Now such a spell belongs to you."

Snowy rolled her eyes and looked ahead: Rosey was lying asleep on her bed, her chest rising and lowering. Taking a few steps forward, Snowy had begun to notice Rosey wasn't sleeping as serenely as she thought. She was squirming in bed, her head rocking side to side every other second, and she was muttering something hastily as if she was distressed.

Carefully edging closer, Snowy saw Rosey's face contorting in pain, her eyes shut tight, and her hooves gripping the black bed covering. Her breathing was rapid, and she let out small whimpering cries pleading for somepony, Flash, to help her, to save her.

Snowy was taken aback, her eyes widening as she witnesses Rosey having a fit in her sleep. It reminded Snowy of fidgeting tirelessly in bed. At once, Snowy knew what was happening to Rosey.

"What should I do?" Snowy rasped quietly, her heart beginning to beat fast. "She's having a nightmare...!"

"Calm down and breathe before you panic," Darkan bade seriously, his ghostly voice cold and sharp.

Snowy breathed in deeply and exhaled. "What now?"

"You have to wake her up, but not too hard," Darkan instructed. "You may be on the receiving end of a smack across the face if you're too rough. Put your hooves on her chest and shake her gently."

Nodding, Snowy did as Darkan ordered. She placed her hooves on Rosey's chest gently but only to remove them out of shock.

"What is it?" Darkan demanded, slightly anxious.

Snowy glanced at him. "She's hot," she murmured. "Her body...it's burning up!"

"What?!"

"A wave of heat is coming from her body," Snowy said with worry. "This fit...the curse could be happening again." Snowy gazed back at Rosey, the mare's face showing an expression of agony. Then an idea popped into her head.

"What'd you figure out?" Darkan asked urgently. "Ah, I get it now."

Snowy nodded. "If I'm careful using my ice magic, I may be able to cool Rosey down."

"Remember that your magic is quite strong even without the influence of your emotions amplifying it," Darkan warned. "With a slow and steady pace, you could help Miss Merryweather."

With a swift bob of her head and a stark look of conviction alight in her crystal blue eyes, Snowy got to work. Focusing, she closes her eyes as her horn began to shine with a white glow. She places her hooves over Rosey's burning chest and pressed them down on her gently.

"Remember to breathe, Snowy," Darkan instructed in a hush whisper. Snowy did as he ordered. "Good, that's good. Let the ice magic flow from your horn to your front hooves at a slow but steady pace. You do not need to press harder; maintain that gentle pressure."

Snowy breathed in and exhaled at a steady pace, a mist escaping her lips. Her front hooves begin to glow as the ice magic steadily seeps out and touches Rosey's burning chest.

Snowy furrows her brows as she felt the heat starting...to fight back. She felt the heat attack her hooves, attempting to force her to remove them. Surprised, Snowy nearly loses focus, but she manages to hold on, clenching her teeth as she felt her own hooves beginning to hurt.

"I know it hurts, but you mustn't relent," Darkan told the white filly. "Your magic is working- no, don't open your eyes yet; you must maintain your focus and seeing Miss Merryweather's feeble form could break it. You're almost done; Miss Merryweather is starting to fidget less and less."

The burning heat was beginning to overwhelm Snowy, but she dared not remove her hooves from Rosey's chest. She grunted, swaying slightly on her hooves, and she thought that she might fall until she felt the hooves of another pony helping her to stand upright. She barely felt it, but the touch was there. Who was it?

"It's me you feel," Darkan answered solemnly, causing Snowy to almost open her eyes but she fought back the urge. "Though having to be steered back on track, you are displaying some sublime assiduity, Snowy. Rosey is nearly calm. Keep going," he encouraged.

With the support and encouragement from Darkan, Snowy was able to hold on for a few more moments until Darkan told her to stop and open her eyes.

Snowy's vision blurred after reopening her eyes, but then they adjusted to view Rosey no longer writhing or whimpering in her sleep. Relieved, Snowy almost fell backward if it weren't for Darkan holding her upright.

She turned to him, glad to be in his company. "Thanks," she told him. "You really helped out there."

Darkan released Snowy for the filly to stand on her own before bowing. "My pleasure," he replied graciously.

"How were you able to touch me?" Snowy asked, bewildered. "Were you able to before?"

Darkan shook his head. "It seems my incorporeal form is allowing me to perform actions previously unavailable to me. That's good. I may be able to be of more use to you."

"You are very useful, Darkan," Snowy said truthfully, turning back to Rosey. "She looks so calm now. I can't believe my magic fought what could've been the curse."

"Ice magic is special, as is its rarer cousin: thunder magic," Darkan said. "Not much is known about your kind of magic, but it seems to have some pretty helpful properties, right?"

Snowy nodded in agreement. "Now I must wake Rosey," Snowy murmured. There was a small hint of regret in her voice. "She looks so peaceful..."

"You came here to learn more about her curse, so I suggest you keep that in mind, Snowy," Darkan said coldly. "I will be hanging in the background while you get to work."

Snowy bobbed her head, wishing Darkan could be a bit more sympathetic.

"Sympathy will not assist your endeavor."

Groaning inwardly, Snowy faced Rosey's beautiful visage and sighed. She put a hoof on her chest, not feeling the heat that once plagued the mare, and shook her softly awake.

"Ugh... F-Flash? Is that you?" Rosey sputtered, her eyes slowly opening. When she looked to her right, she saw Snowy. "Snowy? What are you doing in here? Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"

Snowy was perplexed by Rosey's sudden concern for her, but it made her feel good for a reason she couldn't explain. If anything, Snowy should be worried for her instead of the other way around.

"I'm...fine," Snowy replied. "Are you okay? You were having a fit in your sleep."

Rosey looked confused. "I don't feel the curse," she whispered faintly. "Did I?"

Snowy was astonished that the fit had indeed stemmed from Rosey's curse. All that pain she had during her sleep must have gone completely before she awoke.

"Interesting," Darkan uttered. "She appears to have no memory of the fit or any aches. Once the pain passes, it doesn't linger. It can come and go as it pleases. How frightening."

Snowy agreed silently. She saw Rosey scootch over on her bed and patted a space for her to sit. Snowy would've declined respectfully but Rosey's sweet and motherly demeanor won the filly over and she clambered on the bed.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Rosey cooed, her voice as smooth as honey and just as sweet.

Snowy felt Rosey hold her close and blushed, trying hard to not accidentally cast a block of ice on her bed. She looked ahead and saw Darkan with a hoof over his mouth; he was enjoying her embarrassed state and fought to contain a scowl.

"Are you worried?" Rosey asked, grabbing Snowy's attention. She looked glum, staring at a wall. "About what you saw earlier. I'm sorry you had to see that." She gazed down at Snowy. "There's usually a warning when I go into a fit, but it seems my time is rapidly coming to an end, and I might have to leave you and... Flash."

Snowy's heart began to beat fast. How close was Rosey to death? A few days? A week from now? And she sounded like she had given up!

"Compose yourself, Snowy," Darkan said at the end of the bed. "We may not know how long Miss Merryweather has, but she isn't dead yet. Do what you came here for."

Snowy gave a faint nod and locked eyes with Rosey. "I'm here because of your...illness, but when I was with Flash, I learned that your sickness is some kind of curse."

Rosey stiffened and stayed silent for a few moments before she spoke. "Did Flash tell you?"

Snowy shook her head. "He was speaking to Princess Cadance in her bedchamber, and I overheard some of their conversation. Flash is really worried about you."

Snowy saw Rosey's eyes become glossy, looking away towards her window. It was nearly dark out.

"Can you tell me anything about your curse?" Snowy asked, leaning against Rosey for comfort. "Maybe I can help."

Rosey gave a pitiful chuckle and turned to Snowy. "What I have is never going away, sweetheart," she rasped, despondent, her scarlet eyes dark and empty. "Do you know who King Sombra was?"

Snowy shook her head. "I don't," she answered. She glanced at Darkan who was being attentive to the story Rosey was about to tell. "Who was he?"

Rosey gave a massive shudder before calming down. "King Sombra was an evil stallion," she whispered, afraid of this King Sombra appearing out of nowhere. "He ruled over the crystal empire a thousand years ago when Flash and I were very young. He was a tyrant, putting everypony in chains and using his dark magic to make us suffer.

"He would place curses on us, terrible curses that did...things to us. A lot of us passed away. It's gnawing under me. I can feel it... the burning; the blaze of pain gradually gets worse until I succumb to it."

Snowy watched as tears began to slide down Rosey's cheeks, and her heart plummeted.

"I'm dying, sweetheart," Rosey whispered, her eyes growing round. The way the words came out was as if Rosey was terrified of uttering them. "I don't want to go. I want to stay here with Flash, but time is not on my side."

"I don't want you to go; Flash needs you!" Snowy wailed. She placed her hooves on Rosey. "He's so sad and angry he can't find a way to help you. I'm scared if you go away forever, he'll never be the same!"

"But the cavern where the spark lilies are said to grow have been burned beyond healing," Rosey lamented, her voice cracking. "I wish I wasn't born with a weak body; it makes this curse feel worse..."

Glancing at Darkan, Snowy saw him wave his hooves forward as to hurry and ask Rosey about the flowers. Snowy refocused. "What can you tell me about the spark lilies?" she asked.

"A spark lily is a special type of flower," Rosey started, sniffling, "found in a cavern within the Frozen North with the purpose to cure curses."

"Can this flower cure any curse? What does the flower look like?" Snowy entreated, leaning close to Rosey to drink up every bit of information.

Rosey's eyes narrowed. She seemed to be struggling to remember. "The spark lily is... is made up of an unknown... magic. It can cure any curse no matter how powerful, even dark magic curses, which are supposed to be the worst of the worst.

"I've seen them before when I was a filly. It's a special type of lily. A gray flower with yellow petals, and a green stalk. They were being distributed or given to many ponies in secret to cure the curses King Sombra placed on them, but..."

"But what?" Snowy urged, willing Rosey to go on.

"He found out about them," Rosey rasped so quietly Snowy had to strain her ears. Another shudder racked Rosey's body, her eyes beginning to screw up as if she was in deep pain, but she didn't stop. "He found out what they were and where to find them. He set out to the cavern and razed the entire flowerbed until nothing was left other than the charred remains of the flowers.

"To ensure no pony could figure out how to use them again, he took every book that contained information about the flowers and destroyed them, then he placed curses on everypony again.

"With no flowers to remove the curses, a lot of ponies accepted their fates and passed away. To my knowledge, I'm the last pony who's been living the longest with the curse, having it since after King Sombra burned the flowers."

Snowy was trying to take in all the information at once, but it was a little overwhelming. How would she cure Rosey of the curse if the flowers created to do just that are seemingly gone forever?

Snowy thought long and hard about the spark lilies, and slowly did she find a certain connection of how they were destroyed.

"What connection are you searching for?" Darkan asked. He was leaning on the end of the bed, but Rosey didn't seem to notice. "What do we know for sure about the flowers? There's been one constant."

Snowy nodded faintly. Darkan was right. She had noticed something. It was how the flowers are destroyed. They were described to be burned, charred, and razed.

"Rosey," Snowy began, "are the flowers truly destroyed?"

Rosey gazed at her silently for a moment. "They may as well be," she answered, but she sounded a tad unsure. "King Sombra had to have performed some dark magic on the flowers. The flowers are purely magical as they were created with an unknown magic, so they grow on their own. However, the area they grew in is too badly damaged by dark magic for them to regrow."

"I wonder what can be done to regrow the flowers. Have an idea?" Darkan asked.

Snowy couldn't answer; she didn't know. Instead, she asked, "Rosey, do you remember where the cavern is?"

Rosey nodded absently, her eyes drifting to her moonlit window. "There is a cave in a frozen valley fifteen minutes north of the castle," she said, her words beginning to slur; she was getting sleepy. "There's a mountain that at its base is a large entrance that leads into the cavern where the flowers used to bloom. I went there many times with Flash and a few others to help transport the spark lilies. The Boreal Cave."

Snowy rejoiced internally, now having the location where the spark lilies are said to grow. She could head there after she left Rosey's bedroom, and the journey wouldn't be fifteen minutes, not with the mist form she has learned courtesy of Darkan.

Stretching, Snowy leaps off Rosey's bed and made her way toward the mare's bedroom door. She turned suddenly as Rosey called to her.

"Don't go there, sweetheart. There's monsters and other types of creatures wandering around," Rosey warned solemnly, her eyes haunted. "That isn't a place for a pony as young as you. If I do pass away, Flash is going to need you to be there for him, so don't go off doing something dangerous on my account." She lowered her voice until Snowy could barely make out the words. "He doesn't take loss very well. Understand?"

Snowy nodded solemnly, but there was a gleam in her crystal blue eyes. "I understand," she replied in a whisper, turning away with Darkan by her side and out Rosey's door to let her sleep.

"Well," started Darkan, "since we're going to ignore her concerns, shall we head out to our destination?"

Snowy sighed as she closed Rosey's door behind her, gazing at Darkan. "You can be a little more invested." Snowy was a bit put-off by Darkan's lack of feeling.

Darkan gave a chortle that bothered Snowy. "I'm as invested as I can be," he said with a snicker. "I may not be well-tuned to others' feelings as the average pony, but surely my willingness to aid you in Miss Merryweather's plight should be well within the borders of care, yes?"

Snowy glanced away, uncomfortable. "I suppose you're right," she admitted, grumbling. "We need to hurry to the Boreal Cave and see the state of the spark lilies. Let's go."

Before Snowy could race off with Darkan by her side, a deep voice had halted her.

"Go where?"

Snowy froze on the spot; she knew that voice and how she wished and wished it wasn't him. She turned around to see Flash Sentry carrying a tray full of food on his withers, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He wasn't supposed to be heading to her room yet; an hour hasn't passed.

"Well, that was unexpected," Darkan said, vexed.

"Snowy, what are you doing out here?" Flash Sentry asked, his voice a little taut as he trotted up to her. "It's almost near your bedtime. What're you doing outside of Rosey's bedroom? And where do you think you are going?"

Snowy usually admired and appreciated Flash's worry for her; she loved being coddled by him. It was a new and very welcoming feeling, but not now when she was going to head out to the Frozen North.

His questions felt like thinly veiled demands as if he was somewhat disappointed with her, and Snowy didn't want the stallion she grew to quickly have affections for to believe she was up to no good.

"Flash, I... I-I didn't expect to see you so soon," Snowy stammered, still surprised she was caught. She wasn't sneaking around, but it felt like she did by the way Flash looked down at her.

"I got your food early tonight," Flash Sentry said with a brow raised. "I wasn't with you today and I know you've grown to having me around, so I was able to pull some strings with the royal chef to bring your food early. I wanted to talk with you while we both ate, but it seems you had other plans. You don't seem too tired at all."

"May as well come clean," Darkan suggested. "If you tell him what you know and still plan on doing, he may be swayed to assist in your endeavor." Snowy was somewhat doubtful. "If you have a plan to help Miss Merryweather, then Flash will aid you without question. You should already know; use that crafty brain of yours."

Snowy sighed inwardly and faced Flash Sentry. "I know about the curse," she said, waiting for his reaction.

Flash was taken slightly aback, but then he quickly composed himself. "So... you overheard my conversation with Princess Cadance?"

"I did," Snowy murmured, "but only very little."

"I see... So, why are you out and about then?"

Snowy shuffled lightly on her hooves. "I wanted to know more about the curse because I want to help," she confessed, sweeping on, "so I went to Rosey for some answers to my questions. When I sli- I mean, trotted inside, she was sleeping, and when I got closer, Rosey was having another fit..."

Flash Sentry's eyes grew round with fear as he began to turn and head inside Rosey's bedroom, only to be stopped by Snowy.

"She's okay," Snowy soothed, seeing the anxiety burn bright in Flash's eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tight with worry. "What happened?"

"I used my magic to calm her down," Snowy said. She saw the fear leave Flash's eyes to be replaced with a slight interest.

"How?" he asked, stunned.

"I felt the heat coming off of her chest and saw her suffering, so I thought it was the curse," Snowy began to explain. "I used my magic to cool her down, and after a while, Rosey wasn't hurting anymore. I don't think I got rid of the curse at all. I may have only stopped the fit."

A large sigh of relief escaped Flash Sentry's mouth. "Thank Celestia," he prayed with his eyes closed before opening them again. "I assume Rosey told you a lot about the spark lilies and her curse?"

"Yes, she did," Snowy replied. She took in a deep breath and then exhaled. "She even told me where the spark lilies are."

Flash Sentry's eyes began to harden. "And where were you going before I stopped you?" he demanded, his tone reproachful, causing Snowy to flinch faintly.

"I was going to the cavern to see if I could do something," she mumbled.

Flash let out a silent sigh. "Snowy, listen. You are not going to that place; the road there can be dangerous with creatures roaming about. You are staying here."

"But Flash, I may be able to do something," Snowy pleaded.

Flash shook his head, his ears drooping. "I don't think there is anything any of us can do to help Rosey now. I'd like to believe you, Snowy, but I can't see what could be done..."

"You don't understand what I'm saying," she said, trotting up to him. "With what I heard from how the spark lilies are described as razed, burnt, and charred, Sombra used a type of spell, most likely a dark fire spell, to prevent the flowers from growing, right?"

Flash nodded faintly. "I was told the area is still smoldering."

"If my magic could stop Rosey's fit, which comes from the curse, then would it be possible to heal the area Sombra burned with my ice magic long enough for the flowers to regrow again and save her? If the spell Sombra used is a type of curse, my magic should work well against it."

Flash Sentry stared at Snowy for a long while until a glimmer of hope glinted in his sorrowful blue gaze.

"From my memory as a colt, I helped give the flowers to the afflicted citizens of the Crystal Empire in secret, and there were times I witnessed, after I plucked the flowers, that new ones had sprouted in their places almost instantly," Flash recollected. "If your ice magic can truly repair the flowerbed in the cavern by countering the tyrant's dark magic, then there is a chance for the flowers to resprout for me to collect some and save Rosey!"

"And there you have it," Darkan said next to Snowy. "We've got him on our side!"

Snowy felt her heart lift seeing Flash smile so widely. There was a hope shimmering in his beautiful blue eyes, a hope that had previously seemed dim, but it was shining brighter and brighter with each passing second, and it made Snowy feel so happy for him.

What they're about to do has to work; it can't end in tragedy, and Snowy was determined to see that it doesn't.

"We need to head out to Boreal Cave now and see what we can do there," Snowy said hastily, trotting in place as if her hooves were on fire. "This may be our only chance to save Rosey from the curse!"

Flash agreed, setting down the food tray next to Rosey's door. "We must head to the cavern as quickly as possible. I hope you're right about this, Snowy." His smile faltered a bit. "I really hope you are."

Snowy gazed at him steadily; she was confident. "I am," she avowed. "If there is a way for Rosey to stay here and be with you, then I'll do everything and anything in my power to make that happen; I promise."

Both Darkan and Flash Sentry stared at Snowy, surprised.

"Well said, Snowy," Darkan praised, awestruck. "You are more mature than I had thought, but you've always been quite the passionate one, haven't you?"

"I can't tell you how much that makes me feel, Snowy," Flash Sentry breathed, nuzzling Snowy's cheeks with his muzzle affectionately, causing her to giggle. "You've given me hope again."

Snowy relished in Flash Sentry's warmth, embracing him tenderly. She wanted to be like this with him forever.

"Enjoying yourself?" Darkan cut in, jolting Snowy out of her thoughts, gazing at him looking over Flash's back. "Do not forget that we have an objective to attain."

Though Darkan was right, Snowy wished he didn't spoil the moment.

Darkan chortled. "Save the moment for when we come back, Snowy. Let's get going," he said, disappearing out of sight.

Suppressing a sigh, Snowy reluctantly forced herself away from Flash Sentry and stood beside him. "I'm ready."

Flash nodded vigorously, a fire burning in his eyes. "Let us be off to Boreal Cave!"

Revelations in Boreal Cave

Snowy stood on one of the borders facing the frozen wastes, behind the castle with Flash Sentry and Darkan by her side. She found it weird that the Crystal Heart could repel the ferocity of the Frozen North from engulfing the entire empire in its death-chilling blizzard.

The ground a few feet in front of her was filled with snow and ice, and as her eyes trailed slowly to her hooves, the snow and ice would become less and less. Sure, there were a few puddles and patches of snow littered about, but nothing too serious or odd.

"Magic is quite impressive, is it not?" Darkan asked, his wispy shadowy form flowing like Princess Celestia's mane and tail. "The magic of the Crystal Heart is able to allow ponies to live in a world overtaken by an endless stream of snow and ice. Magic is so interesting."

Snowy agreed. Learning about her magic has been the most fun she ever had in her life, especially with Flash and her two teachers, Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer. Her days at the orphanage were dull and full of loud fillies and colts. Snowy was often alone, either playing by herself or drawing in coloring books.

"Days like those are long gone for you now," Darkan said, his voice suddenly proud and a bit haughty. "You are special, and being confined to a pitiful building with those other orphans was not doing you any favors. How your journey getting to the empire may have been harrowing, it ultimately led you to a life many ponies would desire."

Snowy found herself nodding reluctantly. She didn't appreciate Darkan's dismissal of the orphanage, but she agreed with everything else. She felt like she was special, having a type of magic that little is known about and having unique and quite helpful properties such as being able to combat dark magic and its curses.

Darkan chortled darkly. "That's what you should always think, and never should believe it less," he said, leaning down to gaze into Snowy's eyes, though his own is black as an abyss. "A life hangs in the balance, and you hold all the power to save that life, as it seems. Special indeed."

Snowy held on to that thought, that a life was hanging in the balance, and that Snowy seemed to hold the means to save it. There was a pressure beginning to mount. This wasn't some random pony she's doing this for. It was for Rosey, Flash Sentry's marefriend; his special somepony, who's dying from a curse.

Snowy shuffled on her hooves and gazed at Flash who was staring out into the frozen wastes, his eyes fixed ahead. This was important to him; Snowy had renewed his hope. She has to be right about this. If not, Rosey dies, and Flash will never be the same.

"Then let our hooves tread forward," Darkan announced, trotting forward before disappearing.

"It's time to get moving," Flash Sentry said, his voice tight. He had a shield brandished to his right foreleg. "This blizzard doesn't seem to get any better or worse; our vision will be obscured slightly, but as long as you stay by my side, we'll be able to make the careful trudge to Boreal Cave together."

Snowy nodded, understanding. It would be hard for her to lose sight of Flash; his orange coat stood out like a sore hoof. She couldn't say the same with her own coat. Snowy blended into the snow, and the only way Flash could know where she would be from her crystal-like blue eyes.

Flash Sentry sighed. "I should've gotten Sunburst to cast that winter protection spell, but no matter. I've trudged through the Frozen North many times when I was a colt. We'll have to go on hoof; the weather is a bit too dangerous for flight." He looked down at her. "Can you manage? I can carry you."

Snowy didn't want to be too much of a burden on Flash, so she declined his offer. He was already shivering, though he tried to hide it. And besides, the cold weather felt great on Snowy's coat, so even if she was exhausted, she would rather trek the pale waste on her own hooves.

"All right, then," Flash said, gazing forward and began to trot. "Let's go."

The two ponies crossed the border and began to trudge through the snow. Immediately, the two ponies were assaulted by the raging blizzard. Flash Sentry's orange coat was riddled with clumps of snow, but he never wavered in his stride. Snowy hardly reacted, embracing the blizzard's brutal assault.

They didn't talk much at all during the trek, and they couldn't; the Frozen North was a place where a pony had to conserve energy, so they kept the speaking to a minimum.

Snowy had wondered where exactly the cave was. Rosey had revealed it was at the base of a mountain fifteen minutes north of the castle, so Snowy assumed there was a gaping hole on one of the sides of the mountains. Rosey never said anything about which mountain specifically.

"If you were going about this alone, then you may have gotten lost despite given some crucial information," Darkan had said eerily, appearing next to Snowy. She frowned. "Good thing we have an escort who knows the way from his secret missions to aid in gathering spark lilies to his ailing ponies during his youth, eh?"

She didn't like it, but Darkan was right. Snowy was lucky to have Flash guiding her. She did not respond to Darkan, who then vanished again. Instead, she focused on the path ahead.

Minutes roll by and Snowy was beginning to hear something within the blizzard. There was a distant howling echoing throughout the Frozen North, but she didn't know which direction the howling was coming from. It sounded all around her, and she became wary and a bit scared.

Snowy looked to Flash Sentry in front of her. His ears were alert, and he veered his head around the area slowly. His face, when Snowy caught glimpses of it, was barren of any expression; hidden away. She glanced down at Flash's shield, wondering if that would be enough. He heard the howling too and was looking out for any dangers, true to his name. Snowy admired him silently. She felt scared, but having Flash so close next to her gave Snowy a bit more bravery.

Darkan had appeared again and was trotting beside Snowy, looking ahead as if the eerie howling wasn't anything to be frightened of, and, in a way, he was right. No pony except for Snowy could sense him, so he wasn't in any danger. Looking down at his hooves, Snowy saw that Darkan didn't leave any imprints in the snow. She wondered how real he really was.

"I assure you that I am very real," Darkan responded eerily to Snowy's thoughts. He chortled. "Maybe not now, but hopefully soon."

"What do you mean?" Snowy had asked, whispering so Flash couldn't overhear.

"I haven't said, but I have this...feeling inside me since we began our venture to the cavern," Darkan said, slowly gazing down at Snowy, making her shudder. "It's getting stronger the closer we arrive at our destination. I can't tell you why, but I believe that very soon I will be more real than you've ever seen me."

Snowy wondered if that was a good or bad thing. Sure, Darkan was a bit creepy, and he could stand to care more about others, but ever since he came into her life, Snowy always found him helpful and insightful despite his issues.

Darkan stared at Snowy for a while before letting out an eerie laugh. "Good or bad, my memories of my identity are shot, so even if I manage to remember who I am, it wouldn't change the me of now," he said. "Regaining memories doesn't revert me back to my old self, it'll just bestow me information of who and what I once was."

Snowy felt her heart skip a beat. Would Darkan still be the same or different, regardless of what he said? She liked the way he was, for the most part.

The shadowy stallion chortled. "There isn't a way back to the old me unless I desire to retake that mantle again. Besides, I am still bound to you whether or not I regain my memories; it will take a spell to separate us. And you need not worry," he said, going on, "if you think I will change. I won't. When the time comes, I will be the same as you've known, so stow your fears; it doesn't suit you."

Snowy felt as if a heavy weight was being lifted off her chest, but only slightly. She hoped Darkan was right. She and Flash continued forward beside one another. It's been ten minutes since they began to trek to the cavern. The howling the two ponies heard gradually increased until Flash had told Snowy to stay still.

"What's the matter?" Snowy ventured hoarsely, her voice low as a whisper.

Flash Sentry's ears were pricked and swiveled constantly. "We are being stalked," he rasped, his eyes narrowing. "Glacierwolves..."

Snowy didn't understand. "What are glacierwolves?"

"A variant of timberwolves, the species glacierwolf are rabid creatures who are just as ruthless as their cousins, only that these roam about the Frozen North looking for weak prey," Flash Sentry explained grimly. "They hunt in packs to overwhelm their prey, which is us. Unfortunately for them, they will go hungry tonight." He glanced at Snowy. "Stick close to me and be ready; you may have to defend yourself."

Snowy gulped and stuck close to Flash as close as she could. The howling was getting louder and louder, ringing in Snowy's ears. If the wolves do attack, she will have to fight.

"Are you afraid?" Darkan murmured eerily, his chilling voice sounding menacing. Snowy nodded, her eyes darting around. "Fear will not help you or Flash. Stand your ground and defend yourself for the upcoming confrontation, Snowy. And do not worry, I can aid you. If you are in any imminent danger, I will pull you away."

"But I've never used my magic to hurt other things before," Snowy protested quietly. She wasn't training in magic to hurt others, but to control and protect. She felt uneasy. "What if I mess up or something? What if I can't help Flash or end up hurting him by mistake?"

"That won't happen, Snowy," Darkan assured her. "Over the weeks since your first training session, you have shown remarkable control and understanding over your own magic; you're a prodigy. You can do this and remember: Use your brain rather than your heart to guide you. You are showing a lot of fear right now, so it's going to amplify your magic. Just remember to use your head and you'll be fine."

It struck Snowy hard how much Darkan believed in her abilities. There was naught but a pure, raw complement and confidence.

"I tell you how I see it," Darkan added, "and you must see the same thing I and many others do. Stop doubting yourself; there's no room for weakness such as that. Now ready yourself and assist Flash. I will be on standby for any support I can provide."

Feeling a rush of confidence, Snowy illuminated her horn and waited beside Flash Sentry. The howling was near, and it wasn't long until Snowy could discern the faint outlines of the glacierwolves.

They eased into vision like slithering snakes, their white wooden heads lowered threateningly and snarling with a dark menace, showing rows of their bluish-white chipped teeth that dripped foul-smelling blue-green saliva. They were hungry. A hungry predator was a deadly one; Snowy would have to be wary of those sharp teeth.

Flash Sentry glanced at Snowy. "I know you haven't done much self-defense training, but if you are sure that you can do this..."

Snowy nodded, feeling her hooves burn with an energy she hadn't known was there before. "I won't be a burden," she assured Flash Sentry. "I'll fight as hard and as long as I need to!"

Flash chuckled as the glacierwolves crept nearer. "I watch your back, and you watch mine. Call if you need any help."

The two waited as the predators continued to encroach on them until... they sprang. They snarled viciously, teeth bared, as they plunged toward Snowy and Flash Sentry. Immediately, Snowy saw Flash hold up his shield and bashed two of the wolves with a battle cry, sending them flying backward. Snowy admired the stallion's strength.

"Get your head out of the clouds and focus, Snowy," Darkan hissed in her ear, causing the filly to almost jump.

Snowy glanced behind her and saw three glacierwolves rushing towards her. She watched one leap into the air, hoping to knock her to the ground, but she was ready. The wolf was speared instantly on a lance made up of ice Snowy had conjured. She watched as the wolf's eyes bulged and heard it screech in pain before the light in its blue eyes faded, going limp; dead.

Before Snowy could process what had happened, the other two wolves closed in on her. Thinking fast, Snowy casted a shield spell. An orb of transparent ice entrapped Snowy at once, repelling the wolves' attacks.

"Good thinking, Snowy," Darkan praised, "but you have to finish the job on your own; Flash is too busy to help."

Darkan was right. Flash was fighting off four glacierwolves all by himself. He let out another battle cry as he tried to push the wolves away from him. He was faring quite well without her help, which allowed Snowy to focus on the two wolves in front of her.

Her horn glowed and she shot forth a ray of ice that hit one of the wolves right on its face. The wolf yelped before being encased in a block of ice, frozen solid.

"Finish it off," Darkan urged in Snowy's ear. "Kill the wolf and be done with it."

Snowy hesitated for a brief moment before thrusting her head forward, conjuring another ice spear that pierced through the block of ice the wolf was trapped in, shattering the block completely and blowing the wolf into smithereens, killing it. She watched as pieces of the wolf scatter across the snowy field and uttered a tiny giggle in response.

Although shocked at killing two wolves, Snowy felt oddly thrilled as a small smile crept on the edge of her face. It felt exhilarating to destroy the glacierwolves. She liked fighting, and she wanted more of it. She locked eyes with the other wolf who crouched low to the ground. There was fear in its eyes and Snowy found herself grinning wider.

"Snowy, compose yourself," Darkan warned, but Snowy wasn't listening. "Snowy? What are you doing?"

She waited for the wolf to attack her but instead it turned away and tried to run. Snowy wasn't going to let that happen, not after glacierwolves thought they could devour her and Flash for dinner.

She lowered her head, horn glowing, and then quickly reared her head back, erecting a wall of ice that the glacierwolf slammed into. Then, she used her magic to drag the wall of ice toward her, bringing the wolf closer and closer until it was right in front of her, cowering like a scared filly.

Snowy slammed her hooves on the ground, sending magic surging through it. The glacierwolf then found itself bound in restraints made up of ice. It writhed and fought feebly to free itself, whining and yelping but all its struggle amounted to nothing.

Snowy gazed down at the writhing creature, excitement shining in her crystal blue eyes; she felt so alive. Her horn glowed brightly, and the wolf let out a wail of pain. Ice was forming on the inside of its body growing larger with each passing second until the glacierwolf's body erupted with spikes of deadly-sharp ice, tearing the wolf apart and killing it instantly.

"Gracious," Darkan breathed, sounding unsettled. He looked at Snowy, who was breathing hard. "Snowy, you need to ca-"

"No!" Snowy announced, turning towards Flash. He was still busy fighting the glacierwolves, but there were only two of them now. "I have to help him!"

Deaf to Darkan's words, Snowy rushed to Flash's side and used her magic lift a large amount of snow from the ground and throwing on the glacierwolves. Then, with her eyes shining with barely suppressed ardor, flattened the snow, crushing the two glacierwolves without a shred of mercy.

"Great Job, Snowy," Flash Sentry said, breathing hard. "These things won't give up unless their dead unfortunately." He looked up and saw the clouded sky beginning to swirl and blacken, casting a foreboding shadow across the snowy earth. He looked at Snowy. "Snowy, what're you-"

"Where are they?!" she demanded with a dark gleam in her eyes, veering her head around the snow field hoping to catch anymore glacierwolves. "I want more! I want to murd-"

"Snowy!" Flash Sentry shouted, snapping Snowy out of her bloodlust. The area around them began to return to normal. "You need to breathe and calm yourself down."

Snowy gazed at Flash, shock rippling across her face. He was right, Snowy was breathing hard and fast, and she felt wobbly on her hooves. She stared around the mutilated bodies of the glacierwolves and gave a disgusted shudder. Had she done that?

"It's common what happened to you," Darkan said beside Snowy. "That can happen in a pony's first battle. The thrill and adrenaline rush. It can cloud your sight and make you lose yourself, and as a pony whose magic is powered by emotion, that can be a very dangerous and even self-destructive path for you.

"You will need careful training to prevent that type of battle lust from ever appearing like that again. However," Darkan added, sweeping on, "you managed quite well with little aid."

Snowy was afraid. What would've happened if Flash didn't snap her out of it? Would she have turned on him to sate her lust for battle? She liked what she did and found it frightening. As far as Snowy knew before now, she didn't like violence. She was subject to torture from Professor Lander weeks ago and wanted nothing to do with anything related to that, but here she was, having to be brought back to her senses.

Troubled at this revelation, Snowy stared sorrowfully at her hooves. "I'm sorry," she mumbled sadly. "I didn't know I would like to fight...like that. I don't know how to really feel about it."

Flash kneeled down and brushed Snowy's cheek with his muzzle. "It happens," he told her gently, rubbing her mane with a hoof. "More training will help. You're young, and emotions can be hard to keep in check. Try not to worry about it too much, Snowy. Let's just focus on the spark lilies. We're almost there."

Snowy nodded as Flash turned away and began to trudge through the snow. She followed him in silence. Darkan appeared next to her. Snowy looked at him, but Darkan had his eyes fixed ahead. Her ears drooped. Was he disappointed?

"No," he answered simply. "You are a filly. You are young and in need of guidance. You've shown a lot of improvement over the past few weeks. Time is all you need and all you have. Something like that won't happen again."

Snowy agreed. Thinking back, the thrill of battle still enticed her, and a part of her wanted something to hit. This was a part of her that Snowy would have to master with time.

"That's the spirit," Darkan said before disappearing again. "Eyes forward, young one."

The rest of the trek to the Boreal Cave was quiet and without battle, which Snowy appreciated to a degree. Flash Sentry had guided her to the base of a large mountain. She looked around and saw no entrance into the mountain like Rosey had said there be.

"In an effort to hide the flowers," Flash Sentry began, flying in front of the mountain and using his hoof to sweep large clumps of the snow away, "me and a few others would pile up a ton of snow over the entrance so no pony, Sombra, could find it. Unfortunately, when Sombra found out, he forced some ponies to show him the way. This blizzard did it this time, but luckily I remembered exactly where the entrance was."

Snowy watched as, slowly, Flash swept the snow away to reveal a gaping hole that led inside. Flash fluttered down and turned to her.

"This is the Boreal Cave, where the spark lilies used to grow," he announced. "The cavern inside the cave isn't too far. All we have to do is go straight forward and we'll be in the chamber where the spark lilies grew. Stay near me and take no turns."

"I understand," Snowy said. She felt a prickle of apprehension as they got closer to the spark lilies. Rosey's life was on the line, and it was up to Snowy to save her.

Snowy waited for some reassurance from Darkan, but he didn't say anything. She looked around and didn't see his shadowy form anywhere, and when she called for him with her thoughts, he didn't respond. Where was he? Could he be in the cave and was waiting for her? Perhaps.

Sighing, Snowy followed Flash Sentry inside the cave and immediately did she feel a rapid drop in temperature. Her breath was billowing out in a small cloud in front of her, but it was more visible than it was outside the cave. Worried and anxious, she looked to Flash who was full-on shaking.

"The c-c-cave is a bit more c-c-c-chilly than b-be-before," he commented through chattering teeth. "I'll be f-f-fine, d-don't worry!"

Snowy had her doubts, but if Flash Sentry said there was nothing to be concerned about, then she would have to take his word for it, though she kept an eye on him anyway. He led the way through the dark cave, his and Snowy's hooves echoing the further they went.

Suddenly, Snowy felt something brush under her belly and lift her up. She would've panicked, but she knew the touch. It was Flash Sentry.

"It would be faster if you hitched a ride on my back," Flash said, setting Snowy on his withers. "And it would settle my nerves a bit since we're in the dark."

Snowy would have felt annoyed if she didn't like riding on his back. Flash Sentry's back was comfortable despite the shivering. "How close are we?" she asked.

"Not too long now," Flash answered as he began to trot quickly. "The chamber or cavern the spark lilies are in is illuminated by a hole in the rock ceiling, filtering light to make the flowers shine."

As time passed, Snowy was feeling Darkan's absence. Where was he? She had assumed he went on ahead, but she wondered why. She kept calling out to him with her thoughts with no response. She thought to what he said earlier, about him feeling some kind of change. Snowy had a foreboding sense of dread creeping to back of her head and tried to banish it.

"Hey, look alive," Flash called out, drawing Snowy away from her thoughts. "We're here."

Snowy stood on Flash Sentry's withers, leaning against the back of his head to peak over it. She saw a large, enclosed space with moonlight faintly shining through it, and felt a change in temperature. There was a warmth in the air, but it wasn't a comforting warmth. Instead, it was a warmth one would try to avoid. It unsettled Snowy, and she waited with bated breath as Flash carried her closer to the flames.

When they reached the cavity in the wall, Snowy hopped off of Flash and trotted beside him through the space to reveal a small chamber where the moonlight filtered through, illuminating a smoldering patch of land. Dark, greenish-black smoke wisped from the patch of earth. This was it: the flowerbed of the spark lilies, and it was in a poor state.

Snowy carefully eased herself forward with Flash Sentry by her side, telling the filly to be cautious. The burning ground had no smell. but it felt as hot as a flame. Snowy took a deep breath and exhaled. The next step was to use her magic to remove the dark magic keeping the flowers from growing. She would have to maintain control while Flash Sentry waited to pluck any flowers that regrew.

Snowy was also afraid. When she tried to alleviate Rosey's suffering earlier, she felt the curse fight back, causing Snowy to feel a shockwave of pain. The dark magic curse that kept the flowers from blooming would be tougher, Snowy knew, and she dreaded the process. She wished Darkan was here to guide her through it, but he was still missing.

"Snowy," Flash said, jolting the filly from her thoughts, "are you ready?"

Snowy wasn't too sure if she truly was, but she couldn't back out now. She wouldn't, not after giving Flash hope. A glimmer of conviction burned in her eyes as she focused intensely on the scorched land in front of her. She was going to do this even if it killed her.

Snowy stepped forth with her horn glowing to get started but only to be pulled back by Flash Sentry. She heard him yell fearfully and looked up, cradled within his forelegs, at a shadowy figure standing over the ruined patch of land. She smiled. It was Darkan.

"Snowy, do not leave my side," Flash whispered in her ear.

What was he talking about? No pony was here except her, him, and Darkan, and Flash couldn't see him. Why was he so scared?

"Flash can see me now," Darkan said darkly, his shadowed figure still as a statue. "Flash is afraid of who I am."

Snowy glanced at Flash, then at Darkan, and then back again. He was right. Flash did see him, and he wasn't happy. Why?

"Snowy, Flash knows-"

"How do you know her name?!" Flash Sentry demanded, cutting Darkan off.

Darkan tilted his head. "I've known her for weeks ever since her very first training session," he told Flash who gasped in shock. He craned his neck forward. "I've been beside her every step of the way."

"Wh-What's going on?" Snowy asked desperately, looking from one stallion to another.

"I know who you are," Flash Sentry spat, his shield at the ready. "That form is unmistakable, and your curved horn. I never thought to see you ever again. Snowy, this is Sombra!"

Snowy froze. It couldn't be, it just couldn't. Darkan was a bit strange, but he was never what she heard of King Sombra to be.

She shook her head. "I don't understand..."

"Flash Sentry speaks the truth of my identity," Darkan said, his voice leveled and cool.

"Snowy, how did you come across this tyrant?" Flash demanded.

"He was a voice I heard during my first training session," she told him, unable to meet his gaze. "He's been with me since then..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Flash asked, sounding hurt.

Snowy's heart began to beat fast. "I-I didn't know who he was," she stammered, sniffling. She couldn't stand to hear how hurt Flash sounded. "At the time, he had amnesia and could not remember his name, so I gave him one until he got his memory back. I called him Darkan." She struggled to meet his eyes. "He never acted evil in any way. He helped me with my training."

Flash looked confused as he tried to understand. "Snowy, are you sure you aren't under a magic spell?"

Snowy shook her head. "I'm sure. Dar- Sombra never tried to do anything to me. All he's done was help me. He wants to help Rosey as much as I do." She turned to Sombra, eyes pleading. "Right?"

Sombra took a while to respond, then he dipped his head. "I do," he stated.

Flash gazed at him warily, unsure if he should trust the stallion who caused so much needless grief. "How can I be for sure this isn't some ruse veiled as a return to power? You should be dead."

"Do you not believe in the filly you are entrusted to with your life?" Sombra said coldly, unmoving. "Snowy isn't the type to fib and lie; she's too pure for such things."

Flash Sentry snorted crossly. "I want to know more about why you are even here. It's hard to believe everything being said when you are a murderer responsible for many of the deaths in the Crystal Empire," Flash spat. "Tell me why you are here."

Sombra nodded. "My past self always had a way to come back; contingency plans," he started, gazing at Snowy while he gave his explanation. "There are spells to remove a pony's soul from their physical body and hide it away for safety. It's a dark magic called the soul protector spell.

"I had used this spell just before my demise to send my soul to a remote location so that over time my physical body could repair itself and I could reunite with it, but something went wrong during the process midway through, and not only did I end losing my memories, but also my physical body as I am still incorporeal; I am formless.

"Over time my soul lingered around the Frozen North until it responded to a large amount of magic in the Crystal Empire and latched onto it. That is when I met Snowy."

"What do you mean you 'latched' onto her?" Flash Sentry asked.

"Snowy's magic is strong and very unique," Sombra replied before going on, "and I had found myself bound to her. Bound as in chained."

"And what did that do to her?"

Sombra shrugged. "Nothing," he simply said. "I can feed her information and suggest ideas, but that's all I could do then. I was a voice the first time we met, and over the passing weeks did I gain a ghost-like form, and just earlier today was I able to interact with Snowy. But it seems that's all I have gotten until now, since you are able to see me when only Snowy previously could. Though you may see me, I can only physically interact with Snowy and nothing else; my presence isn't as acknowledged by the world around me."

"Are you able to cast magic?" Flash demanded, his eyes narrowing. "Are you leeching off of Snowy?!"

"Gracious no," Sombra answered, sounding appalled. "I cannot perform magic at all. All I can do is disappear and reappear and read Snowy's thoughts. Snowy only stands to gain from this union. It's peculiar. There could be a spell to separate me from her, but I imagine being who I am that it won't be possible. And... I do not know what would happen to me if I were no longer bound to her."

Flash Sentry lowered his shield slowly. "If I am to take your word for it, how will I know you won't betray or hurt Snowy at one point?"

Sombra let out a deep sigh. "I lost something during my botched revival: my memories. My time with Snowy, whilst unaware of my past, have grown to like and support her since our meeting. Regaining my memories doesn't change who I am during those weeks with her.

"There is nothing I can do to bring myself to full power. I have lost the means to use my magic, my physical body is permanently destroyed through a botched magic spell, and I have no plans on doing anything my past self would have done. I am a different stallion."

"Your past self has committed heinous actions," Flash uttered lowly. "So many ponies have died by your hooves. Many of us lost a lot of friends and family. So, I want to ask you this," Flash said, looking into Sombra's dark eyes. "Rosey is the only pony I have left from my foalhood. I love her dearly, and I came here with Snowy with the intention to save her life from the curse your past self placed upon her. With your regained memories, would you truly help us?"

"I can't be of much help, but I will not stand in your way," Sombra said, moving to the side. "And call me Darkan. Sombra is a name that should stay in the past forever."

Flash gazed unblinking at Darkan for a long moment. Snowy, who has been silent throughout the whole conversation, looked at Flash with a hope glittering in her eyes. She knew what he was feeling. He had every right to reject anything and everything Darkan said, but she wished and wished he'd agree.

"Flash, he's telling the truth," Snowy murmured, her voice seeming to echo in the chamber. "He's not the same stallion all those years ago."

Flash glanced wearily at her and closed his eyes. He seemed to be battling with himself.

"I am sorry for what my past self done to the Crystal Empire," Darkan rasped, lowering his head to show respect. "I stand only to aid Snowy."

Flash Sentry opened his eyes and glared at Darkan with a pained ire. "I don't forgive you," he said gruffly. "I have lost too much to forgive."

Snowy panicked. "F-Flash, if you would-"

"However," Flash began, cutting Snowy off, "you are here to help me hold onto the pony I love most. What happened in the past will never be forgiven, and it shouldn't be, but that doesn't mean you cannot be something better than what you were before. Snowy trusts you, and I know she doesn't lie. I'll accept your presence here. I can only hope you stay true to your words, Darkan."

Darkan dipped his head. "Let us make way for Snowy to do what she promised she would do," he said solemnly.

Flash nodded and glanced at Snowy. "Are you ready to begin?" he asked, his blue eyes twinkling. "You are my only hope, Snowy. Do your best."

Snowy took in a deep breath and exhaled, trotting close to the smoldering patch of land. "I am," she whispered, her horn glowing to start.

Never Let Go

"When you begin casting," Darkan began to whisper in Snowy's ear, "breathe deeply and steadily. This will be a tough task for you, and no doubt the pain you will experience will be excruciating, but I and Flash believe that you will succeed. When you want to give up, just remember who this is for."

Snowy nodded. "For Rosey."

Darkan gave a small, but approving chortle. "Yes, that's right. Close your eyes and concentrate, Snowy," he instructed. "Both Flash and I will be unable to help you now, but we will be on the sidelines, so you aren't alone."

"I understand, Darkan, thank you," Snowy said, trying to calm her beating heart.

"Don't give up, Snowy," Flash murmured.

"I won't let you down, Flash," the filly promised. "I won't let Rosey die."

"Thank you," he rasped. "You've grown fast over the weeks, and I am proud of you."

"As am I," Darkan added.

Touched to the core by Flash and Darkan's support of her, it filled Snowy with a rush of determination. No matter what happened now, Rosey was going to be given the spark lilies before the night was over.

Her horn still glowing brightly, Snowy extended her forelegs in front of her to cast a steady wave of frost from her hooves. She could feel the magic move to her front hooves and beginning to seep out of her and over to the burned patch of earth. The banishing of the dark magic fire had begun.

At first, there was nothing but a long stretch of silence. Flash and Darkan were both holding their breaths, and Snowy uttered not a single sound. It seemed that the process was going well all things considered, and Snowy, who was tense and anxious, relaxed herself a bit. But that's when it happened.

Almost as if the dark magic had waited for Snowy to lower her guard, a shockwave of pain surged through her, and the filly was unprepared. Ice melting, she screeched in agony as the smoldering patch of earth suddenly erupted into a raging, swirling black-green flame, forcing Snowy away, causing her to fall and tumble until she fell on her side.

Snowy vaguely heard the cries of Flash and Darkan calling out her name in distress. Her vision blurred as their faces came into view. She felt Flash jerk her body, his face contorted into an expression of terror and regret. She blinked at him slowly and turned her head weakly to Darkan. He was showing an expression of genuine horror, as if he was struck by the dark magic himself.

"Snowy!" Flash cried, shaking her, his voice trembling. "Snowy, can you hear me? Snowy!"

"She can hear you," Darkan said, sitting next to the anguished filly. "She's dazed; give her a moment to recollect herself." He gazed at her. "Snowy, are you able to move?"

It took a while for Snowy to respond, so instead she forced herself to sit up with the help of Flash Sentry. "Strong magic," Snowy huffed tiredly, trying to catch her breath. "Pain... So much pain..."

"I don't want this anymore, not if it means you have to go through that again," Flash said hoarsely, his blue eyes big and glossy as if he was on the verge of crying. "I can't have you do that again. We'll just have to find another-"

"No!" Snowy protested, struggling to her hooves. "If there was another way, you would have known by now. My magic can fight this, I just have to concentrate harder!"

Darkan gazed at Snowy silently for a moment and dipped his head. "Then you may continue," he whispered.

Flash glared balefully at him. "Are you out of your mind?!" he spat angrily, getting up in Darkan's shadowy face. "Didn't you see what just happened? If Snowy keeps doing this, she could die! The dark magic is too-"

"Flash, stop," Snowy pleaded. He gazed at her with sorrowful eyes. "I will be fine, don't worry. This is the only way to save Rosey and I told you I would save her with all I have, didn't I?"

Flash Sentry stared at her with uncertainty, and then he gritted his teeth. "Snowy," he began gently, "there is no telling how long or how many times you'll have to do this. If none of this works, then you will had put yourself in harm's way for nothing!"

"I'm doing this for you and Rosey," Snowy asserted, her voice tight. "That is worth something. I will save Rosey. Please," she stressed, "let me do this."

"She's stronger than you think," Darkan stated.

Flash Sentry closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh and opened them again. He lowered his head. "I understand," he murmured softly to Snowy. He stepped aside. "Try your best, Snowy."

"Thank you, Flash," Snowy breathed.

It took Snowy some time to trot in front of the swirling dark fire. She placed her hooves in front of her and tried again, her horn glowing a bright white as she continued her fight. Her second attempt ended in failure, though she lasted a few seconds longer than her previous attempt. She was blown away, skidding on the rough cavern surface with a cry of anguish escaping her lips, but she didn't give up.

Snowy forced herself off the ground and staggered towards the flames while Flash Sentry and Darkan could only watch on, unable to assist against the dark magic. She released a torrent of ice and frost against the raging flames and fought hard to not be knocked away. The pain was excruciating, and it mounted with each failed attempt, but never did she back down.

Snowy failed again, forced away and writhing on the floor as if she was being burned alive, but even as the torment threatened her life, she would get back up and try again. She wasn't going to let this dark magic defeat her; an important life hung over her head, and she couldn't give in.

Again, for the fourth time, the blistering fire had forced her away. Then the fifth time, then the sixth, then the seventh, the eighth, the ninth, even the tenth time, but Snowy would stumble or crawl back into position and continued the fight.

During her failed attempts, Snowy would glance at Flash holding a hoof over his chest, a barely suppressed expression of anguish across his face. He was so scared for her, even going as far as abandoning the mission for fear of her safety, yet he didn't try to stop her. Snowy wanted to stop herself, but she couldn't. She didn't want to bear seeing Flash mourn Rosey's death; it would shatter her heart.

When she would glance at Darkan, he would only nod and tell her, quietly, to keep going. That encouragement helped her, and she would thank him with her thoughts as she could no longer speak because of the throbbing pain. She kept on trying, blasting forth a wave of frost and ice to try and lessen the brutal flames.

The dark flames fought back, seeping a searing agony that racked her tiny, feeble body, but Snowy was prepared to not be forced away this time. She had conjured strings of ice to root her in place. It worked as she felt another searing wave of agony, one that would've thrown her back. It was a whiplash of force, like being struck hard by an Ursa Major, yet Snowy was able to hold on.

Snowy gritted her teeth and narrowed her crystal blue eyes. Fueled by anger and the passion to save Rosey, her magic had amplified greatly. She summoned more and more of her ice magic and saw the flames beginning to simmer and die, but another wave of pain assaulted Snowy's body and she screamed. She couldn't stop now, this was the best attempt yet. Desperate to hang on, Snowy pushed back against the burning force of the flames.

The flames roared in defiance, adamant to persist forever. Snowy saw through darkening vision that the flames had engulfed her, surrounding her in a blistering tornado of fire. She was being attacked relentlessly from all sides as she shrieked, feeling as if her very bones were on fire.

If the fire couldn't push her back, then it would roast her alive.

"Snowy, no!" Flash shouted in distress. "Snowy! Snowy!!!"

"Focus, Snowy!" Darkan bellowed. "Focus!"

Snowy, her eyes clenched shut, forced them to shoot open. She tried desperately to cast her ice magic, but the flames were too severe for her to concentrate. She was powerless, and she was going to be burned alive, consumed by the dark fire. She held her head in her hooves, convulsing uncontrollably and letting out a blood-curdling wail.

Snowy wasn't strong enough; she was going to burn inside this dark inferno. She had failed Flash after promising that she'd save the love of his life. Now he was going to lose her and Rosey and be left completely alone. She wanted to be by his side forever; she still loved him, and she didn't want to let him go like this, but she may not have a choice.

And what of Darkan? What would happen to him if Snowy perished? Would being chained to her kill him too? He was good company, and a good friend. She didn't want to leave him.

Snowy thought of her savior, Flare Brimstone, and how she loved, cherished, and cared for the filly after the mare saved her from that evil stallion. Would Flare cry for her? Snowy didn't want her to cry, she needed to send letters about her progress in the empire, but it seemed she might not get the chance.

Snowy thought of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, the royals who had agreed to let Snowy live in the empire. Her teachers, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst, who had so much to teach her. She loved spending time with them and learning magic. And Princess Celestia, who gave her the chance to have this future.

All of these connections were about to be burned away. Snowy couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let this dark magic prevail. She had promised to get rid of it to save dear Rosey's life, and she was going to keep that promise, even if it killed her.

Snowy's horn began to shine with a brilliant, blinding white light. Thick pillars of ice were erecting around her, towering over the blistering flames all the way up to the rocky ceiling. They bent and arched around the fire, forming a white sphere and encased the fire inside. A white mist then emitted from Snowy's body until it filled the ice sphere.

Nose bleeding, Snowy screeched, "ENOUGH!"

As her ardent shout rung across the chamber, an explosion of ice and frost engulfed it, sweeping Flash Sentry off his hooves and slamming him against the cavern walls. Darkan was forced to avert his black gaze away, staggering on his hooves from the sheer, magical force of Snowy's explosion. Then everything went white.

When the mist that lingered after the icy detonation had subsided, Flash Sentry was crouched low to the ground, his orange coat covered in white clumps of snow. He opened his eyes to see not a dark room lit by a faint ray of light, but a world of white that mirrored Snowy's room when she had that nightmare weeks ago. Most notably, the dark fire was gone.

Silent, his eyes trailed to the center of the chamber and looked up to see Snowy suspended in the air, her horn still glowing.

"Flash Sentry," Darkan hissed quickly, "pluck the flowers!"

Flash gazed at the flowerbed and saw, his eyes gleaming bright, at least ten spark lilies that sprouted nearly instantly. He galloped over to picked six of the flowers and saw new ones grow in their place. He placed the precious flowers between the shield strap on his right foreleg.

"This is enough to save Rosey!" Flash Sentry exclaimed merrily, his face beaming with joy. He gazed at Darkan. "Rosey is saved; she did it!"

"Indeed," Darkan muttered gravelly, his voice chilling. "But what of Snowy?"

Flash Sentry looked up. Snowy was still floating, surrounded by her magic's white aura. He watched as her flickering horn blink rapidly and died, her aura vanishing. Heart pounding, he rushed to Snowy and caught her before she could plummet to the ground. Darkan trotted quickly to him and grasped Snowy, settling her gently on the ground.

Her white mane was frazzled, her dirty white coat stuck out from all sides, and blood oozed slowly from her nose. She was still and didn't make a sound.

His joy replaced with fear, Flash whispered, "Snowy? Can you hear me?" There was no response. He turned to Darkan, his eyes alight with anxiety. "Can you hear her thoughts?"

Regrettably, Darkan shook his head. "Everything is silent," he said sadly. He put his ear next to Snowy's mouth. "She's breathing, but it's dreadfully faint. We must get her medical aid quickly."

Without needing to be told twice, Flash Sentry gently scooped up the comatose little filly and placed her securely on his back.

"We have to hurry," Flash Sentry rasped, galloping hastily out the chamber with Darkan following close behind. "I can't let Snowy die!"

Snowy found herself alone in a dark world with naught a single soul in sight. She gazed down at the black surface. It was watery, but her hooves didn't feel wet. She looked around and called out into the black void.

"Hello!" she shouted, pricking her ears for any reply. Nothing. She tried again. "Hello! Is anypony there?! Where am I?!"

She kept calling and calling but was met with no answer until a faint murmuring caught her attention. It was indistinct and unfamiliar.

"Who's there?" Snowy asked, casting her gaze around the black void. "I'm over here!"

There it was again, the voice. It was getting louder and louder until Snowy could swear it was in front of her. She blinked and suddenly a tall, dark blue alicorn came into her vision, causing the filly to fall flat on her flank.

The alicorn bore a dark crown on her head, her sapphire mane and tail, which moved like a flowing river, seemed to hold the very cosmos within them, her eyes were a beautiful cyan, and her cutie mark displayed a crescent moon.

The alicorn had a mysterious air around her, but Snowy also felt calm and safe with her as if nothing bad could happen. She never met this alicorn, but she knew her name.

"Princess Luna," Snowy said, her breath taken away by such beauty. She scrambled to her hooves and bowed respectfully. When she looked up, Princess Luna returned the gesture.

"I have heard about you," Princess Luna said with an admiring glance, her angelic voice seeming to echo amongst the black void. "You are the one called Snowy, am I correct? User of ice magic?"

Snowy nodded without hesitation, her mouth seeming to run dry.

Princess Luna let out a titter and sat in front of Snowy. "I desired to meet you, at least once," the majestic alicorn breathed, her cyan eyes glittering like shimmering sunlight on water. "You are very beautiful. I am unable to recall another pony with such a ravishing wintry coat. And your crystalline blue eyes are gorgeous."

Snowy blushed immensely at Princess Luna's overwhelming complements, but she was able to stop a chunk of ice from appearing from her horn.

"You have been through quite the journey," she commented, her massive dark wings enveloping Snowy in their cool hold. "An orphan taken by a selfish professor, made to endure his torture, to being saved by the dearly beloved Flare Brimstone, and then given a new life in the Crystal Empire." Princess Luna smiled. "You are a fortunate one."

"T-T-Thank you," Snowy stammered meekly. She felt so comforted in Princess Luna's embrace that she didn't want it to end. "Do you know where we are?"

Princess Luna's lovable smile faltered slightly. "What can you recall before you came here?"

Snowy looked confused for a moment, but then she remembered. "I was...in Boreal Cave with Flash Sentry and...and Darkan, fighting dark magic," she answered. "I was trying to get rid of it so the spark lilies could recover and save Rosey."

"Yes, that is correct. Anything after?" Princess Luna prompted softly.

Snowy shook her head. "I... can't remember anything. What happened to me? Where am I?"

"You are unconscious," Princess Luna answered, her gentle voice stirring Snowy's mane. "You are recouping in the Crystal Hospital, and the young Flash Sentry is slumbering beside you."

"Is he okay?" Snowy asked.

Princess Luna nodded. "He is well," she assured the filly. "He has hardly left your side; he is a loyal, kindhearted friend."

"What about Rosey?" Snowy asked, worried. All of this was for her. "Is she cured of the curse?"

Princess Luna was silent for a moment before answering, "That isn't my right to disclose. Flash will inform you of Rosey's current condition. Anything else?"

"Darkan," Snowy said, a near-guarded look in her eyes. "Do you know who he was?"

Princess Luna's eyes shimmered faintly, and then she nodded. "King Sombra," she murmured, as if saying Darkan's old name was a taboo or sin. "I and a few select others, including my sister, know everything."

"You can see him?"

"That is correct," Princess Luna replied, her smile faded. "If you are curious, there is no current action against him. From the accounts of Flash, Sombra... Darkan, is a changed stallion for the better. He seems to have no desire but to aid in your life's endeavors."

Snowy let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad nothing will happen to him."

Luna gave another titter. "Do you truly care for him?"

Snowy nodded solemnly, her face serious. "He is my friend," she stated firmly, feeling defensive. "He's helped me ever since we met. I trust him."

Princess Luna stared at her for a moment and smiled again. "I am happy to hear that you feel so strongly for your friend. Do not let that passion you feel die, young one."

Snowy didn't need to be told twice. She knew about Darkan's past, but she still accepted him as her friend, and Darkan sees her as a friend too.

"Princess," Snowy began, "when will I be able to wake up? What happened to me?"

Princess Luna lowered her head until her face almost touched Snowy's. "You are in a coma, a prolonged state of unconsciousness wrought by the events in Boreal Cave," she said. "They are quite rare. It is usually difficult to determine when a pony would awake from such a state, however, with the efforts of the doctor and nurses overseeing your recovery, your reawakening may happen soon. You are quite strong-willed, Snowy."

Snowy nodded, struggling with the information given to her. "Just tell me," she said, gazing deep into Luna's beautiful eyes. "Is everything okay?"

Princess Luna chuckled, kissing Snowy on her forehead. "I admire your worry of others' safety, and I can tell that your efforts have borne fruit; everything is well."

Snowy closed her eyes for a moment and reopened them. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered, placing her head against Princess Luna's soft fur. "I just hope I wake up soon. It's scary in here..."

Princess Luna embraced Snowy. "You may not have to wait much longer," she said, her head pointing up. "Do you see that?"

Snowy gazed up to the black void and saw a fragment of light beaming down. And then another and another. "What does it mean?" she asked, entranced.

Princess Luna met her eyes. "The waking process has begun. The more fragments of light piercing through this darkness, the closer you will be to waking, but...does it seem too slow?"

Snowy had to agree. The black sky may have to be filled with light, and she dreaded the wait time. "Yeah," she murmured.

Princess Luna grew a devious smile across her face. "Normally, I do not meddle with those in comas and prefer as things take their courses, however, you are a special occasion. The medical professionals have done all they could, but I can rush this part of the process if you desire. You could call it a favor."

"Could you do that?" Snowy breathed, eyes widening.

"Those in comas are as influenced by my magic as others in dreams or nightmares," Luna whispered. "All it takes is your answer and the deed will be done."

Snowy didn't hesitate. "Please wake me up."

Princess Luna nodded. "I shall," she answered, but then she leaned back down to Snowy. "Keep it a secret between us." She gave her a sly wink.

"I will!" Snowy said, her eyes shining. "Will I see you when I wake up?"

"I am far away in Canterlot, but I will come to visit you in the coming days," Luna said, nuzzling Snowy's face lovingly, making her giggle. "Stand still, my little pony, and close your eyes."

Snowy did as instructed. She felt Princess Luna's horn touch her head and felt magic flow through. It was so much that she could hardly breathe.

"Open your eyes," Luna echoed faintly.

Snowy opened them and felt a light blinding her, causing her to shield her face with a hoof. She winced in pain; her hoof was aching, and she felt tired and slow. She could feel bandages wrapped around her head, on her front and hind legs, and a soft, thin tube of some sort was inserted in her left foreleg, and taped with a covering so it wouldn't come off.

The tube was connected to a bag of fluids on a long metal pole. Looking around, she was in a white room that had a window giving a view of a cloudless, bright blue sky. The room smelled fresh and the air was pleasantly crisp.

Now fully adjusted to the stinging light, Snowy gingerly turns her head to the right to see Flash Sentry snoring lightly on the side of her hospital bed. He looked so cute sleeping with his muzzle buried next to her pillow. Snowy fought to hide a chuckle; Flash was drooling a little.

Gritting her teeth from the pain, Snowy placed a trembling hoof on Flash's wavy blue mane and stroked it gently. It was warm and soft to the touch. She wanted to nuzzle him so badly.

"Flash," Snowy rasped out hoarsely, suppressing a cough. She rubbed his head and felt him stir. "Flash, wake up."

"Snowy..." He was mumbling. "I'm here for you..."

Smiling, she called out his name again. "Flash, wake up."

Flash Sentry sputtered awake, his big, beautiful blue eyes focusing on Snowy. "Huh? What?" he muttered before his eyes widened and became glossy. He pressed his muzzle against her neck happily. "Snowy! You're awake! I was so worried!"

Her body ached but she didn't care. Snowy relished in his touch, happy to hear his voice. "I'm back," she whispered, struggling to hold back tears.

Flash Sentry gazed at her with so much warmth, Snowy felt her heart fluttering. "There were so many times I had thought I lost you," he sniffled, his brilliant blue eyes watering.

"I met Princess Luna while I was in a coma," she murmured. Flash was surprised. "She really likes me. How is Rosey? Is she cured of the curse?"

Flash Sentry nodded, a bright smile across his handsome face. "She's still recovering, but the fits are gone!" Flash rejoiced. "Because of you, Rosey will be able to be free from that dark magic curse. I can't thank you enough, Snowy!"

Snowy admired Flash's happiness. It stung that he didn't love her as much as he did with Rosey, but she was okay with that. Flash's happiness is all she needs to sate her love for him, and she was glad to have saved Rosey's life. It was well worth it.

"How do you feel?" he asked worryingly, placing a hoof on hers.

"Better that you're here," she answered. "I have some aches, but nothing too serious. How long was I out for?"

"A week," Flash Sentry answered sadly, his voice faltering. "I was so scared that you wouldn't make it. The times I was called... I'll never forget them."

Snowy didn't understand. Why was Flash so sad? She had recovered! "It's not like I died or anything, right?" she said. When Flash didn't reply, Snowy lost her smile. "Why are you so sad? What happened to me?"

Flash Sentry took a deep breath. "You did die, Snowy," he said grimly.

Snowy was stunned. "What?" she rasped quietly. "How?"

"You were so physically weak after the dark magic ordeal, that your heart had failed when I got you to the hospital," Flash Sentry told her, his eyes losing their shine. "Luckily, with medical help and some healing magic, your heart began to beat again, but then..."

"What?" she urged him, unable to believe she had died.

"Over the course of the week, you had flatlined eight times," Flash Sentry said, hearing Snowy gasp but going on. "You died on the first, second, third, and fourth day, two on the fifth, once on the sixth, and once on the seventh. Today, you were stable enough that the heart failures had finally stopped thanks to the efforts of the doctor and nurses. It's more than a miracle you survived at all."

Snowy stared blankly at Flash for a moment. She had died eight times over the course of a week, and she somehow was able to hang on. It struck her as nothing short of incredible, and special.

"You never let death have you, Snowy," Flash murmured, nuzzling her face. "You never let it go, and I'm so glad you are here with me now..."

Snowy nuzzled him back. "Me too," she whispered.

They stayed like that for a long while before Flash Sentry broke away, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I have to let everypony know that you're awake," he told her, standing up. "You will be in here for a while longer, but when you get out, I'll take you to visit Rosey. She's been wanting to thank you."

"Okay," Snowy said, watching Flash trot away. She waved at him, and he waved back before he left the room.

"About time he left," said a bone-chilling voice. A voice Snowy knew all too well. "I have been waiting your return to the land of the living."

She turned to the left side of her bed to see Darkan, but he looked different. He wasn't a shadow stallion anymore, but an actual one. He had a dark coat and a jet-black mane and tail, a curved dark horn, deep emerald eyes, and bore no cutie mark. He was pretty handsome for a being from a thousand years ago.

He chortled darkly. "You're too kind, Snowy."

And he could still read her mind. Regardless, she was happy to see him.

"You have gone through a lot lately, so is it not nice that there is nothing else to worry about?" he entreated smoothly.

Snowy agreed. "How are you?" she asked him.

"I should be asking you that, but I am quite well," he replied. "A few...notable figures in Equestria know of my existence, and instead of finding a way to sever me from you, they have opted to let me live with the faith that I had indeed changed."

"Good," Snowy said firmly. "I never doubted you for a second."

Darkan was taken aback. "I was assuming you'd question it a bit."

Snowy looked confused. "Why would I think that? You're my friend and I trust your word."

Darkan stared at Snowy for a moment before chortling. "You are fascinating," he told her, showing off a sinister smile but Snowy knew he was joking around. "Nothing gets past you, eh? I am glad you came back to us."

Snowy struggled to raise her forelegs in the air, indicating for Darkan to hug her.

"Uh, no thanks," he muttered quickly. "I do not do hugs."

"Aww, please?" Snowy pleaded, batting her eyes innocently.

"No." Darkan frowned a little, but then he sighed and lifted a hoof to place on Snowy's chest. "This is all you get."

Well, it was something. Snowy hugged Darkan's hoof tightly. It was warm and tough.

"Alright, that's enough," Darkan said, whisking his hoof away from Snowy. "When you are able to stand and walk again, we will have to focus on your magic training. One hoof in front of the other, right? Get well soon."

Snowy saluted as Darkan vanished from sight. It wasn't long until Flash Sentry came back, along with Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunburst, and Starlight Glimmer. They greeted her with giant smiles.

Snowy smiled back. "Hey everypony," Snowy said happily, waving weakly with a hoof. "I'm back."

Flash stepped forward until he was next to her bed. "Somepony special came to visit you," he said, causing Snowy to tilt her head in confusion. "She had come here once before, but you were still unconscious." He turned to the front door. "You can come in!"

Snowy stared at the front door that led into her hospital room and gasped, her hooves covering her mouth. Trotting into the room was a young mare with vibrant pink eyes, an orange coat darker than Flash's, a scarlet mane and tail, cute bat wings and ears, and a red bandana that hung around her neck. Her cutie mark was a burning compass with no needle.

This was the mare who had saved Snowy from Professor Lander all those weeks ago, who had loved and taken care of her before she went to the Crystal Empire. It was a mare she cherished just as much as Flash Sentry or maybe even more so. It was Flare Brimstone, the agent of Princess Celestia.

The bat pony sauntered over to Snowy who could only stare in surprise. "Hey there, Snowy," Flare said, her pink-slitted eyes shining with a mysterious brightness that captivated the filly. She nuzzled her, and Snowy drank in every bit of love. "I heard about what happened to you and blitzed over as fast as I could, no train needed. I watched over you that day, telling stories and caring for you with the aid of the nurses. At first, I was worried, but I knew you were a strong filly and that you'd pull through. I was right."

Snowy gazed at the bat pony with undisclosed awe. She glanced at the other ponies in the room and saw them leaving, with only Flash staying. "I-I-I never expected to see you yet," she sputtered, still surprised to see the bat pony. "I'm sorry you had to take time off to come here. I know your job is important."

"My job is important, but you are too," she said, "and I rather place you over my job any day. I was told by Flashy here that you are quite good with magic, capable of fighting dark magic. Very impressive."

Snowy failed to hold in a snort of amusement at Flash's nickname. "Flashy?" she asked, glancing at Flash, who rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, Flare calls me that sometimes," Flash Sentry said, sounding vexed but he was only pretending. "Anyway, she was happy to hear that your progress in magic was going so well."

Flare Brimstone nodded. "From Starlight and Sunburst, you are nearly as talented as Princess Twilight Sparkle, who is the best unicorn of her generation, and that's really saying something when you're only a filly," the bat pony praised, causing Snowy to blush bashfully. Flare looked pleased. "I am very proud of you, Snowy, and I couldn't be happier."

This is what Snowy wanted all along, to love and please those she cared about. From the beginning, Snowy wanted to prove to Flare that she could be strong and can make her proud, and she had done just that in a way she had never thought of. She looked to Flash. She wanted to make him proud of her as well. These two ponies in front of her, they were the ones she cherished above all else, and so far, is doing a damn good job of it.

Flare Brimstone sat on the crystal floor with Flash Sentry following suit, looking expectantly at Snowy. She saw Darkan appearing next to Flash. "Well, well, if it isn't the shadow pony," Flare Brimstone teased, giving Darkan a side-eye glance. "You better be on your best behavior. I know what happened, and I got my eye on you."

Darkan chortled. "Of course," he said, unbothered by Flare's words. "Aren't we all here for Snowy?"

Flash nodded, though he looked a tad grudging agreeing with Darkan. "We are."

Flare Brimstone glared at Darkan for a moment before shifting her attention on Snowy. "Tell me everything about your training," Flare prompted, her red tail swishing eagerly on the floor behind her, forgetting that Darkan was present. "Tell me about your time here; I have all day, Snowy!"

Snowy, smiling big, began to divulge her time living in the Crystal Empire. "Well, the first week was fine, but it was the second week that everything started to take off..."