The Traveler

Frequent time skips continue from last chapter, sorry!

After locating one of the black crystals that windigoes like Icy Step are drawn to and collecting it, we make our way to an isolated place deep into the Frozen North where I begin to build a secret base while gleaning information about what Windigo homes look like, as well as keeping the base's purpose secret from her.

Construction of the base takes me longer than I expected to complete due to the challenges of not decimating their frost crystal food supply to make the special window walls that don't reflect the sun's light, subtly asking how they prefer their homes and making adjustments to suit their preferences.

Eight months after construction is completed, I finish building the last solar array and the group of four batteries. Burying the wires under the ground in bundles where I can, I even manage to build a teleport terminal in an underground part of the base with a simple control terminal with a private network that I manage to create with the help of Evette to only allow Windigoes and myself to turn the portal on or off.

As Icy wanders through the large structure, curious at what the purpose for it is, she finds her master working on another strange marvel she has no understanding of how any of them work. When she notices him put a final piece in place and press a button to make it light up, a mist starts floating down from the inner ring of the glowing tubes.

With the hydroponic tray works, I rub my hands together and then pull out a small, black, teardrop shaped orb, saying, "Now let's find out how this seed will turn out..."

Shocked to discover that it is a seed, she pesters him about what it is supposed to be over a period of a few months when the black plant with a crystal-like texture begins to develop some kind of strange, glowing, purple flowers. When he continues to tell her to wait and see, she grumbles irritably and storms off, leaving a trail of snowflakes behind in her wake.

Two months seem to pass slowly as I wait for Evette to tell me if the plant is ready to harvest yet, until the day finally arrives three weeks later that the four fruits are finally ready. Plucking a smaller one off the bud and hide it in my hands, then walk swiftly through the base to see where Icy Step has gone off to. Finding her on the upper terrace, I hurry up the stairs to her preferred sleeping spot and call out, "Close your eyes Icy, I have a big surprise for you!"

Surprised and curious, she closes her eyes and rolls over, letting out a sigh, saying, "Okay, what kind of gift do you have for me?"

Walking closer to her, I smile underneath my helmet and say, "Keep your eyes closed and open your mouth, I would like you to try something new."

Letting out a sigh, she then says, "I told you what wendigoes eat before, so don't get your hopes up that I won't spit it back out." then rolls onto her belly and opens her mouth to wait for it to be put into her mouth.

Grinning hopefully, I place the pointed top end of the crystal into her mouth and say, "Alright, now bite down onto this new type of crystal."

Preparing for a bit of a crunch, she sighs and bites down, only for the taste to fill her mouth as she chews it happily. Swallowing it down, she opens her eyes to look down at the black crystal with a glowing purple center, saying excitedly, "Those are so very hard to find, did you find a place where they are beyond plentiful?!"

Shaking my head as she takes another bite of it and chews it gleefully, answering, "Nope...I grew this and three others. Does it taste different than the rare, black crystals you eat?"

Taking the last bit out of his hand, she chews it with a soft squeal of delight before chomping onto something as hard as diamond. Separating the hard object and swallowing the rest, she then drops the object into his hand, saying, "It most certainly tastes far better than the one you let me eat after taking the other for studying, the only thing that I can't eat is that thing I put into your hand." Looking down at it and opening her eyes, she sees a small, black, teardrop shaped orb in the palm of his hand, saying in shock, "Wait...is that another seed?"

Nodding my head, I say, "It is indeed, and there are three more crystals bigger than the one you just ate, which means that they too, have one or more seeds inside them. I'm pretty sure you can figure out where I am going with this."

Gasping happily, she then says, "Yes! These seeds mean...that we can grow our own food. This is going to be life-changing for our whole race, I must tell this to the others!"

Before she can race off, I then wrap my arms around her and say, "It most definitely will be, but we must wait until we find out the conditions for successful germination. Maybe there may even be new dangers that might threaten the plants existence, we have a lot to learn about this new plant."

Getting a hold of herself, she calms herself down, saying through deep breaths, "Right...Your definitely right. There are new things we must discover first before sharing this news. What do we do first?"

Smiling, I slowly move my hands up to her collar and say, "Well, the first thing that needs to be done..." then lower my voice to a whisper and say into her ear while preparing to unlock her collar and remove it in one motion, finishing, "Is to trade the slave for a partner." Unlocking the collar and unclipping it without warning, I then back away and dangle it before her, asking, "So, what do you say to my new offer?"

Shocked to see him holding her collar in front of her, her emotions run wild inside her as she is unable to decide what to say first. One thing claws its way to the front of her mind and comes out her mouth unbidden, "Th-Thank you..." The battle to control her mind stops as quickly as it started, gathering her thoughts and straightening her feelings out, saying, "I would love to be your partner very much, I look forward to the time we spend together in the future." Her cheeks turn a shade of purple as she blushes and looks away, asking, "Uhm, would you please remove your helmet so I can look at your face? It only needs to be for a half-minute..."

With the temperature inside the complex being a tolerable thirty below, I don't see a reason not to heed her request and say, "Since it isn't over fifty below in here, I can certainly take this off for a bit."

As Icy watches him take his helmet off with a hiss of escaping air, she slowly floats towards his face and lays her forehooves on his shoulders, saying, "Thank you very much, you choosing me means a lot to me. Let me show you just how much you mean to me now." Pressing her mouth to his, she slips her tongue in and swirls it around his. Accepting him to be hers, she pulls away and kisses her way down the side of his face to his neck. Puckering her lips and kissing around his neck to find his artery, she finds a safe spot and says, "Don't be frightened, this will only hurt for a few seconds." Opening her mouth wide, she sinks her two front fangs into his neck just past his artery. Pulling off, she then puts her lips around the two small holes and pulls a small mouthful of his blood into her mouth. Swallowing it to let her body adapt to taking in a part of him, she then bites her own tongue and licks around the two small holes to seal the wound and solidify their bond together. To finish the bonding ritual, she then moves her mouth back to his and slides her tongue into his mouth and wraps her lower body around his. Holding herself there while she feels him swallow her blood, she lets the kiss last a little longer before pulling away, saying into his ear, "We are now partners for life."

Her words drive home the realization of what just happened as he holds her back, thinking, 'Okay...I just tied the knot with a windigo. I wonder how upset Equise will be when I tell her about it...'

The study and experimentation takes us three years before we understand a few things about the plant, discovering that if the crystals are not harvested in time, they will fall off and crumble to dust. Also, when planting these seeds in open ground, their root structure will branch out and sprout more plants while emitting a cloud of dark spores that will, when inhaled, increase anger and fear within others until they are orally sucked out of the affected by a windigo. Alternatively, when the seeds from the picked crystals are planted, they will not produce crystals at all, but will instead sprout black, thorny vines that will grow and attempt to grab anything around them.

As I look at my windigo wife, I incinerate the last vine and say, "Is that the last of those wretched vines, hun?"

Icy nods her head and sighs with relief, saying, "Yeah, sorry about getting the seeds mixed up..."

Walking up to her, I wrap my arms around her and say, "That's alright, we just need to remember that the good ones have a crystalline, shiny faceted appearance to them, the bad ones look like pitch-black sunflower seeds with no shiny facets.

Nodding her head, she sighs and lets herself hang from his neck, saying, "Do you think that we have enough information to share with the others yet?"

Thinking it over, I nod my head and say, "Lets destroy our current supply of seeds and then designate Labs A and B for harvesting seeds for planting, then designate Lab C and D for crystal harvesting. We need to make sure any seeds from consumed crystals are collected and destroyed, I'll get started on a rule book for maintaining firm control over the growing of this crop and include a guide at the end for any mistakes if they should ever occur. When I get a chance to, I'll have someone produce several copies of it in secret and bring them to this place."

Agreeing with her husband's decision, she then sets about gathering what seeds they have around so far and dumping them into the crusher he built. Once she finishes dumping them in, she waits for them all to be ground into dust then sets herself to the task of making a sign to show the purposes of each lab.

3 Months pass as Icy begins searching for those that will listen to her and can be trusted, bringing them over and showing them what she and her husband have accomplished. After showing them what results from one of the bad seeds being planted, the vine is then destroyed as the gathered windigoes watch the display with wide eyes. Once word spreads to the rest of the windigoes, a few of them attempt to use the bad seeds for their own gain and entertainment, which causes a rift to form between them and the ones that wish to use them as just a food source.

Three more months pass when the rift between windigoes erupts into a vicious, bloody, civil war, resulting in the windigoes wanting to just use the good seeds to grow food to call themselves the Frost Wolves as the others call themselves the Ice Winds. Working together over a span of 2 months, they build a towering icy wall of swirled Ice serves as a barrier to protect their fortress called Frozen Hearth.

The war between the two factions of windigoes rages on for a whole year until the Ice Winds are crushed and driven to the northernmost reaches of the Frozen North where the Frost Crystal forest is located.

With nothing else to do there, I inform the Windigo Queen, Cold Spell of my plans to produce more copies of the book I wrote and that I eventually plan on connecting their portal up to other worlds where they can explore. Handing them a bunch of instruction manuals on how to work the advanced devices, I ask them to choose who will be in charge of operating the teleporter after I build a base on a new world. Looking at the Queen, I then say, "If the teleporter activates on its own and I walk through, I more than likely built a teleporter at my home in the Everfree Forest, and will be listed as Everfree House. Please allow only those carrying messages, my wife, her family, and others with important business to visit my home as they wish."

Queen Cold Spell nods her head respectfully to the one that has done so much for her people, saying, "I and my people owe you a debt of gratitude for what you have done for us. In giving us a way to grow our own food responsibly, you opened a new door to the prosperity of our clan. In helping us protect our food supply during the civil war, you helped protect the balance of this world." Rising from her place on her throne sculpted from flawless ice, she says, "From your selfless acts, it brings me great pride to decree that you will always be considered a hero to our people and along with your family, always welcome within our land you call the Frozen North, Traveller." Floating forward, she kisses his forehead and then returns to her throne, saying, "May the North Star always guide you true."

Making my way to the bottom floor, I look around to see how much this place has changed since the construction was completed. Finding my wife near the fortress's front gate, I notice that her coloring is slightly different and that she has a bit more mass to her and look her over more closely, asking, "Hun, is it just me or is something different with you lately?"

Giggling at how he noticed, she floats up and wraps her hooves around behind his suit's neck, saying, "Well, since you so kindly asked..." then whispers into his ear, "I think that you should know that you are going to become a father in a couple of years, so I would suggest that you not take too long to build a teleporter at your Everfree House so that I and my family can visit from time to time once the child is born."

Shocked and rendered speechless by her announcement for several seconds, all I can get out at first is, "H-How?"

Able to sense his shock through their bond, she smiles and says, "Well, do you remember when I bound myself to you and swallowed your blood?"

Standing there, I nod dumbly and say, "Yeah, what does that have to do with the way windigoes breed?"

Unable to hide her amusement, she laughs and then wraps herself around him gently, saying, "Why everything, ice brain! We female windigoes can only breed if we bond ourself to a male we feel affection toward and swallow their blood, and a female choosing to breed with a male means a great deal to her because windigo pregnancies last for around 7 years. You also need to know that windigoes never fail to deliver their young during winter months."

Once the shock wears off, it gives way to joy as I then spin around in a circle while hugging my wife to me gently, saying, "Oh I'm so happy to hear the news! I'm going to be a father!" I then remember my wife wanting a foal before the decade ends and say, "Looks like I'm going to be a father twice in a short amount of time, would you like to swing by to tell her everything this winter?"

When he stops spinning, she smiles at him and nods, saying, "Of course I will help break the news to the guardian and help smooth things over between you two, its what a wife should do for her husband."

Leaving the Frozen North and heading back south to warmer climates, I collect a bunch of crystal and experiment with it by trying to use it to craft things with it. Having mixed results over a few days until I decide to try refining the impurities out of it, then I successfully craft a spoon. However, it is far to delicate to be of actual use as I learn that firsthand after trying to scoop up a chunk of chopped up Zap Apple. Recycling the material used to create it, I decide to give up on it and make my way through the pass.

When I arrive at the shelter, I head inside to check for any supplies and gather what is inside the boxes before making a thin slab of stone and carving a message in it for my lover, Equise, telling her that I am finished in the Frozen North and that she can stop bringing supplies here. Once I add that I will see her when I get home, I attach a small cord to it and then craft a small column of stone with a spot to hang the sign on and leave them both in front of the door for her to see. Collapsing the structure, I then take my leave and make my way southeast.

Passing through the less cold land where the crystal ponies are at, I decide to make a small detour to see how they are coming along. It takes me a day of walking to get within sight of their location and use my visor's ability to zoom in on something a fair distance away, able to see that their homes are built out of slabs of crystal. Slightly perturbed with how shabbily they seem to be put together, I shake my head while wondering if there is a way to inspire them indirectly.

As an idea comes to me, I look around for any crystal lying around. Scanning the stones around me, I find that they are made out of it and Ferrite. Mining them and other boulders around me at night, I work by flashlight and begin to purify the crystal so that I can begin crafting simple shapes with it close enough to the village where the ponies will eventually take notice.

Finishing up the last piece a little before dawn, I find myself much too close to the town as I look the wide, low-standing monument over. Satisfied with how pretty the purified crystal looks with bits of silver flecks scattered through it, I look at the message upon both sides, reading, 'Beauty can be found anywhere, and in anything, such as this magically modified slab of crystal and the paved path before you. Love, Truth and Happiness are one of the magical keys to being in harmony with others, so try your hardest to discover a way to spread it.' Hearing a door open, I then turn around and race away quickly before they can spot me, leaving a short crystal path and the monument behind me.

It winds up taking me a couple weeks to return to the Everfree Forest and head for my home. Upon finally getting home, I head to the clearing behind the house and pass through the invisible barrier. Summoning my ship to its spot, I wait for a half second before it appears and lands on the ground before me.

When Equise rushes in through the door 2 weeks later with two boxes of supplies in store, she rushes forward and jumps up onto me, knocking me to the floor as she practically shoves her tongue down my throat in joy of me coming home. Even though it isn't mating season, she fights her inner desire to rip his suit off and have her way with him.

Pulling away and sitting on top of his lap, she rests her forehooves on the floor beside his chest as her body squirms with joy at him being home, she says, "OH I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!" Nuzzling her cheek against his for a few long moments, she pulls away and says, "I was so happy to see your message that I hurried straight here to celebrate!" Noticing a strange marking on the left side of his neck, she looks at him curiously and asks, "Uhm...I know that blue streak with a spiral at the back wasn't there before, so where did you get it?" A worrisome thought then occurs to her as she then narrows her eyes and asks, "Please don't tell me that you tried to regain more memories by brewing a potion with the Heart's Desire flower, because that could backfire on you in a great number of ways!"

Raising my hands and resting them on her shoulders, I say, "Take a calming breath, dear. No, I didn't brew a potion to regain more memories or anything of that sort." Letting my words sink in for a bit, I then say, "I'm happy to be home as well, I have missed you. Though, I do have a few developments to tell you about, shall we get comfy on the couch so I can tell you about them?"

Smiling and nodding, she gets off of him and lets him use her to pull himself upright, then follows him to the couch and settles in right beside him, asking, "Please tell me how things went with your adventure to the Frozen North."

Leaving a few things out, I then tell her about what happened during my time up there. It takes me a couple hours to share my story, but I then tell her about my journey back here and what I have done near the village of Crystal Ponies, asking, "I think I am making quite the impact from the shadows, don't you think?"

Amazed by what Equise hears, she smiles and says, "You most certainly are, and I am very pleased to hear this." sitting upright, she then raises her eyebrow and says, "Though I am a little concerned to hear about the plant you created to serve as a staple food for the windigoes. What would happen to this world if those 'bad seeds' get out?"

Understanding her concerns, I move my hands up to her cheeks, then say, "We will just have to believe that things will balance themselves out...with a little help." Turning to look into her eyes, I then say, "What would you say to having a little help with managing the balance?"

Hearing that piques her curiosity, causing her to cock her head and say, "I would love to have help, but I don't know how to share my duty with others. Why do you ask?"

Smiling, I then tell her my idea, which causes her eyes to go wide in amazement as I can practically see her thinking of how much work it would take off her shoulders, saying, "I have discussed this with Icy Steps because she has a fair amount of knowledge when it comes to the nature and properties of magic. However, I would like your help in bringing this idea to fruition, because I have no clue as to what I need to do or get. Heck, I don't even know where to begin starting a project of this magnitude."

Giggling softly, she sidles up against him and wraps her front hooves around his neck, saying, "Don't worry, dear, I think I can help with those details. However, it will require no small amount of magic and cooperation from some ponies I know, but let us enjoy our reunion tonight before setting about on the nuances of this idea you brought before me."

We spend the rest of the week doing things around our house together, having her help me with building a solar array and a couple batteries to power the teleporter I begin working on. Hiding the wires underground and hiding the breaker box within a false panel in my house, I install an easy-to-use control module on a wall in the basement with the teleporter and connect it to the private network I created. Listing it as 'Everfree House' and let the batteries charge for a bit longer before activating the portal and selecting the only destination available, then walk through the portal without my backpack or helmet on to see the shocked faces of a couple nearby Windigoes. Waving at them and saying in Equestrian, "Hello, I just finished building a teleporter in the basement of my home in the Everfree, so I just thought that I would inform the queen of its completion. Once I inform the queen, I change the secret base's id in the control terminal to Frozen Hearth and then head back home through it.

As winter arrives, Icy Step arrives during December to talk about what happened between her and the human, which, surprisingly...goes very well as Equise is not upset in the least. In fact, she is overjoyed to hear the news that it is possible to procreate with him and begins to discuss windigo biology among other things.

Not wanting to get pulled into their chat, I head outside and say, "I'm going to head outside and keep messing around with pure crystal."

Putting their chat on halt for a moment, Equise says, "Okay, I hope you figure it out this time dear."

I close the door behind me to hear Icy Step ask, "What is he working on?"

After spending a few hours trying to make crystal plants, I manage to create a couple fruit bearing trees. Unfortunately, my attempts in creating the one plant I want remain utter failure when I walk back into the house with an exasperated sigh, saying, "UGH, why can't I figure out a way to make this stupid tree?!"

With Icy Step in the bathroom due to her pregnancy, Equise says, "I told Icy about what you are attempting to create, and she said that she might know of a way to help you along. She should be back in a few moments to tell you more about it."

Once she finishes in the bathroom, she flushes and leaves the room, making her way towards the couch and lays down upon it when she sees her husband back, saying, "Hi hun, did you have any luck?"

Shaking my head, I tell her, "No, it remains out of my reach for now, but I hear that you might be able to help me have a break through?"

Nodding, she then says, "I do have an idea, though it runs between light magic and dark magic. Would you still want to hear it?"

Thinking it over for a moment, I then nod my head and ask, "What are you proposing I do?"

In a solemn tone, she says, "Well, since we windigoes are magical by nature and that our bodies and souls are primarily composed of it, due to our connection to this world's magic... You might need to consider using a living windigo to help create a tree this special."

Narrowing my eyes slightly, I then ask, "Are you suggesting I abduct a windigo and use them as a science experiment?"

Sighing, Icy shakes her head and says, "No, not at all! That wouldn't work anyway because it would warp the tree's purity. What you are going to have to do is ask for a windigo to willingly sacrifice themself to create this tree, however, it is likely that you will have to only attempt to create it when everything is ready."

Sitting down in a chair near the fire and putting my hands on my face in mild frustration, I then say, "So I am going to have to wait for a while to do this...wonderful, just wonderful."

Walking over and putting a wing around his shoulder, Equise says, "Just until the others succeed in the task I have given them. There is something good about that though. We will be able to spend quality time with each other until they are prepared."

Spring comes and goes as we try for a foal, which arrives as a big moment for us when she is born an alicorn just like her mother, though having an off-white coat with a mane consisting of four colors, being light blue, light green, a light purplish hue and lastly, a light pink. However, our little girl's mane and tail do not float like her mother's.

While I cradle her in my arms, I look into the filly's slightly darker shade of pink eyes and caress the back of her head with two fingers, asking, "So dear, what shall we name her?" I then hand her back so that she can hold her too.

Exhausted, she looks at her daughter and nuzzles her nose against her daughter's as tears of joy start to spill from her eyes as she says, "Oh Trav...she looks like a beatiful little star. What do you think about Solara?"

Scrunching my nose at the name, I say, "It doesn't suit her, she looks too innocent and pure-hearted for it. Solara makes me think of a cold-hearted mare with a face that looks like she bit into a very sour lemon."

His comment causes her to snicker and say, "Okay then, you pick something that suits her better."

Nodding, I then lean down over them both and look at our filly inquisitively, then say, "Ah, I know. I think we should call her Celestia."

As if liking the name, the little filly squeals with laughter and squirms around in her mother's embrace, reaching out to touch her father in wanting to be held by him.

Frequent time skips continue to next chapter, sorry!