"Congratulations, Moon Flower! It's a colt!" The Unicorn doctor said.
Moon lay there panting. Her frayed mane was deep blue that bordered on black, with brighter streaks of blue through it. She rested her head against the bed, with bags under her teal eyes. She had been in labor for what felt like forever, and it was finally over. But that didn't stop a warm smile from spreading on her exhausted face.
She leaned over, nuzzling her crying newborn. His mane was nearly white like the snow with faint dark streaks, and his coat was blue like ice. "My little Frosty Hearth. You look so wonderful. Oh, we even have the same mark." Indeed, like her, he had a light birthmark that went across his face.
Moon and the doctor couldn't help but shiver. “The room became awfully cold didn’t it Moon?” It was almost as though it were coming from the colt himself.
“Oh, my little Frosty seems to have inherited Comet Strike’s magic. Like father like son.” She giggled, and gently lifted him in a teal aura and embraced him, seeming to calm him down. "Don't worry little one, everything will be well." Frosty cooed and nuzzled her back, and she let out a gentle laugh. "I'm so glad you're finally here."
"Now, Frosty, would you care to try activating your magic for me?" The child nervously glanced around in response to the question.
"B-but, I... Look, it was an accident ok? I didn't do it on purpose!"
"It's alright Frosty. Nopony's blaming you." The doctor reassured, looking right into his green eyes. "I just need you to activate your magical aura. Flick it on and off a few times if you would."
"But... using magic is what caused it. I-I tried casting a spell and..."
"And that's ok. You don't need to cast anything. I just need to see your aura. You can do that, can’t you? It would tell me a lot about what happened."
Frosty nodded and took a breath. "Okay, okay. Just a few uses?" He focused for a few moments, squeezing his eyes as a pale blue aura formed around his horn before letting it fade.
The doctor smiled "Good, now try that a few more times for me?" Again, Frosty nodded and focused. This time the aura seemed to flicker and dim like a weak light bulb. He did it over and over, displaying a normal aura, sometimes displaying an unstable one. Sometimes an aura wouldn't even appear, or the unstable aura would fizzle out by itself. "Hmm, interesting."
Frosty panted a bit. "Um, ah... interesting how?" He asked warily, almost fearing the answer. He knew his magic was like this, but he was scared to learn why.
"Well, you see Frosty, your magic seems to be surging—rising and falling." He walked around, picking up some of his notes in magic. Frosty's eyes cautiously trailed him. "Now, normally this isn't a problem. Most infants deal with magical surges that lessen as they grow older. By the time foals leave infancy, the surges are all but gone. You, however, are not an infant. To have such surges continue at six years of age is unprecedented."
"Frosty opened his mouth, but nothing really came out. The doctor continued, "What's even more unusual is the fact that your surges are like those of a newborn's. For six years, your surges have remained at the same level as a newly born foal. Even after the first year or so, there should be significant changes in the intensity and frequency of the surges."
Frosty continued to say nothing. His gaze was directed at the floor and he hung his head down, eyes squeezed shut. The doctor continued. "If you would permit it, I would like to do a quick scanning spell around your horn and head area."
"..."
"Don't worry." He assured, picking up on Frosty's nervousness. “It won't hurt at all. I only need a moment to see what's going on. If there is something causing these surges, it is almost undoubtedly tied to your horn or head."
"Mmm. Just a quick scan?" Frosty looked up at the doctor, meeting his gaze. "If... if you really need to... I guess we could do that..."
"Alright Frosty, thank you. I should only need a few moments of scanning." He gestured toward a screen behind him. "I'll project what I see into that screen after the scan. Now, hold still for a second..." And he lit up his horn, a ray of violet light projected onto Frosty's head like a flashlight, making him close his eyes.
It was weird, almost warm, being scanned like this made him nervous. He could feel his heartbeat rising as the doctor closely eyed him. Doc said it'd be a few moments, but to Frosty, it felt like hours. After seemingly an eternity, the doctor projected the scan onto the screen, as well as 2 others.
"Okay Frosty, I think I have an idea of what the situation is. Now, see these images? The first is the horn of a newborn, the second of a 5-year-old Unicorn's horn, and the last image is of your horn. Notice anything?"
Frosty closely observed the images, trying to see anything that could be off. "Yeah, there seems to be... a branching bundle? One in each horn."
"Ah, good eye there, I didn't even have to zoom in for you. Yes, you're looking at a bundle, Frosty—a nerve bundle. You see, different species have evolved to use magic in different ways, and some species like Unicorns evolved a horn with a specific nerve. The horn serves as a sort of command center for the magic. It can focus, shape, and project it, using the nerve to communicate with the brain, sending and receiving signals to and from it."
"M-my horn looks almost like..."
"Like the newborn's? Indeed it does. The nerve should have become more refined and developed as you grew older. The horn is much more difficult to control during infancy but gets easier as the nerve develops and grows. Yours doesn't appear to have grown much at all. I wouldn't say there's no growth. But it's far too minute."
Frosty hung his head a bit lower. "So... I won't get better? My magic's... It's just gonna keep being like this? Isn't there something you can do?"
"I wish there were Frosty, but it's quite rare to see a Unicorn with this condition. As I said, it is quite unprecedented, and there's not a lot we can do without experience or knowledge in this problem."
"So, there's nothing to be done? Are you sure we can't just transfigure it?"
"It's not so simple Frosty. Not all transfiguration spells are permanent. Not to mention, the permanent transfiguration of a nerve? A nerve specifically designed to manipulate magic no less? That's dangerous and unknown territory my friend."
Little Frosty could practically hear his own heart pounding in his ears by now. He was stuck like this? Just how many years would he be stuck with this problem? He was only 6 and he finds out he's stuck with a rare magical condition? It was so much to take in. Too much and he felt his eyes begin to sting.
The doctor looked him over sympathetically before placing his hoof on the colt's shoulder. "Now, now Frosty don't worry. I never said you would be like this forever. After all, as time passes who knows? It's not as though struggling with magic is abnormal for Unicorns your age."
Frosty rolled his eyes in response, resting his head on his hoof. "Most of them don't have the magic of an infant."
"Frosty, you just need to practice with your magic. It will never improve if you don't get used to it. Now, please, come along. Your mother is waiting outside, we can discuss the rest with her." With a huff, Frosty hopped down from the examination bed and left the room, entering the waiting area, where a green colt with a small frost burn on his cheek sat. Frosty sheepishly looked away hoping to avoid his angry gaze.
It was just an accident. He told himself. But that didn't stop him from feeling guilty about it. His worries seemed to melt away when he saw his Mom sitting there waiting for him; an azure mare with a braided mane and tail, with white morning glories for a cutie mark.
"Frosty, little one! how was it?" Getting up and pulling him into a warm hug.
"Ah, yes Frosty." The doctor walked up to her before the colt could say anything. "I'm afraid we have interesting news. You see Frosty..."
"Frosty... hello, Frosty? Frosty, wake up!"
"*Gasp*! What, huh? I'm up!" Frosty awoke with a start, his eyes darting around. He had dozed off in class, dreaming of that day with the doctor 6 years ago. The teacher; Professor Hazel, was not amused.
"Dozing off, are we?" He sneered. Frosty chuckled nervously, shrinking into his desk. Half the room was staring at him.
"Um... yeah, I'm... sorry. It was hard to sleep last night. Won't happen again?" He rubbed the back of his neck.
"See to it, that it doesn't. If you want night classes so badly, you can go to sleep at night like the rest of us." Prompting a series of giggles from his classmates.
“Like you’ve never been tired.” Frosty sneered right back under his breath as Professor Hazel turned his attention back to the lecture.
It wasn't that he necessarily disliked school, as much as it was having to be around other ponies. A lot of the ponies in town had a tendency to avoid him due to his magic. Particularly in school, where his use of magic would sometimes surge. Dropping items when it sputtered out, or once snapping a doorknob. It had always been hard to predict, and it was hard to find friends when you're the kid who telekinetically broke off a doorknob. If he really got stressed, he’d inadvertently turn rooms really cold.
It got worse during one use of telekinesis when he was 6, in early Elementary School. One of the colts; Emerald Glint, got too close during a surge, and a spark of freezing magic hit his cheek.
That was the first time it had actually hurt somepony. Emerald only had a small, temporary frost burn but, that didn't stop his and other overprotective parents from wanting Frosty to keep from their children. This naturally bled into their perception of him as well. Of course, he still had to go to school, but he tended to be avoided almost entirely after that.
Ever since, Frosty began limiting his use of magic, hoping to avoid that debacle again. Guilt gnawed at him over it. What if I had hit his eye? He'd think. What if the burn was permanent? The thought was... scary.
A Unicorn who can't do magic. Hmph. He thought to himself as class finished up, and lunch period began. Hazel stopped him before he could leave though.
"Ah ah, you haven't handed in your homework yet." Homework? Crud, he forgot the homework. No, not forgot, he realized as he frantically searched his bag.
"I-ah... had it completed. Before I froze it... by accident..." Frosty narrowed his eyes and looked away. In his eagerness to finish it last night, he grabbed it with telekinesis without thinking to put it away. The next thing he knew, it was turned into a useless sheet of ice. He was up an extra hour trying to fix it, but he found he was better at turning things into ice. The stress of having his magic ruin his work made it much harder to sleep last night.
"Oh? Another one of your surges? Everything seems to be an accident with you. Always an excuse." Frosty winced a little as Hazel raised his eyebrow, but felt another surge welling in him. One of annoyance.
Keeping the same face, Frosty spoke in a hushed growl. "It's not. An Excuse. If it's fact."
Hazel scoffed. "Well, then here's a ‘fact’ for you: No homework, no grade."
Frosty opened his mouth but then clenched it, holding back whatever retort he had. There wasn't really all that much he could do. "Alright, alright. Fine, how about I do it during lunch?"
"That is acceptable, you still have half an hour of lunch." He looked away before saying, "Just bring it up when it's done."
Frosty walked out the door; careful not to use his magic to open it, and down to the cafeteria, muttering under his breath. "Thought I'd at least get to enjoy my meal for today, but no, stuck doing homework during lunch period."
The cafeteria was loud. Full of foals chatting with each other in their groups. Most of them were friendly enough, but they again, tended to either avoid or pay no attention to Frosty. Normally, he might've been a little annoyed, but considering he had homework, it might be a blessing.
He managed to find a seat near Emerald. Not exactly a 'friend' per se, but for someone Frosty accidentally zapped in the face, he was a good sport once the frostbite went away. "Lemme guess, ruined your homework?" he teased as Frosty took his bag out.
"I-well... yeah, sure. What gave it away?"
"The fact you have it out? You never do homework during lunch."
Frosty snorted, rolling his eyes. "Well, I've gotta do it anyway. Hazel said I won't be graded otherwise." He groaned and started on his work. "Hopefully I can get it done with time for a few bites left. I remember most of it."
"Maybe if you didn't sleep in class..." Emerald pointed out, laughing a little.
"Oh, come on. That was the first time it happened." Frosty defended.
"Or,” *Crunch* “maybe you did and don't remember it?" Emerald asked jokingly.
"Mmm-hmm." Becoming steadily more engrossed in his studies than the conversation. A quick peek, and he noticed a piece of lettuce hanging on Emerald's face. "Y-you ah, you got something near your cheek, Emerald."
"That wouldn't happen to be frost again, would it?" Frosty nearly tore his pencil through his paper.
“What?! No! And I meant lettuce." He said pointing his pencil to where it was.
"Relax, I was just yanking you. You’re making the air cold again." He said grabbing a napkin. "And thanks. Would've been embarrassing walking around like that."
Frosty let out a relieved sigh, as he slunk back into his studies. "Yeah... right, sorry." Truthfully, it wasn't too bad doing work, history was pretty interesting. He just didn't like doing it when he could be eating. Still, just as he guessed, he managed to get it done with 5 minutes to spare. But, the entire time a question kept nagging at him.
Is my magic really that bad? He mentally shook his head, trying to ignore it. Still, it was hard to deny the troubles that came with it. The whole reason I'm even here is because of it. "Shut up." He whispered.
“You say something Frost?” Emerald asked.
"Huh? N-no, it's fine." Emerald eyed him for a moment before brushing it off, and getting up as the lunch bell rang. Frosty followed suit and made a beeline through the halls to Hazel's classroom. "Huh." He looked around. "Not here. Well, alright then, I'll just put my paper with the rest of them." Pulling out his paper and setting it on a stack of homework. "Now, what time was it?" Glancing up at the clock, which said 3 minutes to the next class. "Crud, crud, crud! I gotta get going!" Muttering to himself as he sprinted out the door.
The rest of the school day passed by relatively normally. He managed to make it to the next class with a minute left. He remembered enjoying a particular moment where he corrected his biology teacher on a species of fly known as 'Spark Flies', known to imitate the electrical 'Flash Bees', with Frosty noting the darker coloration before Professor Ivory.
Ivory took it in stride. Frosty was generally on better terms with his teachers than his classmates, aside from Hazel who was no-nonsense with just about every student. Frosty was pretty smart for his age. After all, if you aren't going to socialize, you might as well bury your nose in a book. Fine by Frosty then. Who said learning was boring anyway?
That's what he told himself anyway. When they had to group none of them offered to work with him for classwork. Frosty tried going to Emerald and awkwardly tried him. He was nice. "H-hey, Emerald, do you think I-I could; you know, join up with you?" Barely whispering the rest of the question.
Emerald gave a warm smile. "Hey, yeah sure you ca-" *Poke Poke* He turned around and saw his 2 other classmates shaking their heads and silently mouthing 'no' over and over. "Guys, c'mon, it'll be fine."
"He'll probably freeze the papers like he did his history homework. Or one of us." Another classmate jeered. Frosty rolled his eyes, growing annoyed. "Look, he's already lowering the temperature! Brr! Any colder and it might start snowing."
Emerald narrowed his eyes and tried barking back. "Look, just because Frosty-"
"N-no no. It's fine. It's easier by myself anyway." He turned to Emerald. "Don't worry about me, Emerald. I know I'm... difficult." Huffing and turning around to sit by a desk, all alone. Emerald tried calling out to him, but Frosty wasn't listening, already deep in studies. If they didn't want him, fine. Nothing that couldn't be solved by working extra hard. It was fun anyway... and helped him forget the sinking feeling in his chest.
After class was dismissed, he made a beeline out of the school and trotted home. After all, it's not like the town was much better. Coldwind Crossing was a small place located near the northern part of Equestria, and it tended to snow more often than not. Pretty nice town... unless you were Frosty. For a little guy, he was easily noticeable, even in crowds. Most ponies who knew him, made way when they walked.
"H-hi there! Need any help?" He waved at a shopkeeper, who frowned.
"After your telekinesis snapped my sign in half and knocked over my wares? I don't think so!" The stallion growled and shut his door, locking it. Even now, he still felt taken aback when ponies got like that.
He just tried blowing it off with a sheepish laugh. "Ah ha, ok! Next time then?" He saw another mare who had dropped some important-looking papers out of her satchel. "Oh, h-hey there! W-would you like some help? Maybe?"
He saw her scowl as she reached out for them. "No thank you! I have it quite covered from here."
"Are... are you sure? It looks like a lot of papers and-"
"No, Frosty! Look, just leave a girl to clean up her mess would you?" She glared at him, before standing up with the papers. "Please, just go away."
He shied back a bit before trying again. "Y-yeah... but, what if-"
"Just, leave please." Frosty felt his eye twitch a bit.
"Alright, alright, fine. Whatever." He grumbled, trotting away. Yes sir, Coldwind Crossing, town of the century. He let out a sigh. So tired of this. He hated the looks he got from ponies.
Before he could even think the next thought, a voice cut through the air. "Hey, boyo!" Frosty turned around with a huge grin on his face. He knew that voice well, from one of the few ponies who didn't avoid him like the plague. A pegasus stallion by the name of 'Red Thunder'. "Ya look lonely Frosty, hows about I walk home with ya?" Trotting up next to Frosty as they started chatting away.
He was an elderly stallion who usually stayed alone in his house. Frosty seldom got to see him, but he always enjoyed the stories the stallion would tell about his younger days. "How did it feel Red Thunder?" He asked the stallion as they walked down the snow-covered cobblestone path.
The stallion had been in his prime once. His coat had been a deep blood red. But he was now older and lighter coated. His eyes were sunken from old age and his legs were weaker and tired, but he had a certain charm about him. "Oh, I tell ya what, there ain't nothing hotter than angry dragon fire! That was something to see!"
The elderly stallion looked to Frosty. So innocent. So curious. It reminded him of his own son, whom he had outlived by years. His wife whom he loved had died. "Ah, youth." The old stallion had to chuckle to himself. He felt young around Frosty. Like the good old days, back when he was still young. At least he had his granddaughter, but she was busy with work and a family of her own.
Frosty couldn't stop smiling around him. He never had a grandfather, but Red was close.
Still, though, his interactions with the townsfolk were fresh on his mind. Red seemed to notice and gazed at Frosty, searching for words. Frosty looked right back, patiently waiting. He knew that feeling. “Ya know, I saw that little ‘interaction’ ya had with that lass over there. Darn shame it is. The way they treat a colt.”
“O-oh, that. It's… it's fine Red. You know how troublesome my magic gets. The fact is, they're right, my magic is dangerous. I can't just pretend my reputation came out of thin air."
Red frowned. “No boy, I seen the looks ponies give ya. Never seen any looks like it. They avoid you like the plague or something worse. I could understand caution, but that? There's something foul in how they treat ya. They don't see ya fer what ya are. And I seen how it makes ya feel. Ain't nopony deserves to be made to feel like that.”
“I know. It's just… I don't want to hurt anypony.” Deep down Frosty agreed with him. He did hate how it felt, but part of him agreed with the crowds too. His magic is a genuine issue. Nodding, he tried shifting the conversation. "Do… do you think I'll ever do great things, Red?"
"Foal, all ponies are meant to do great things. If ya don't, ya just didn't try hard enough."
"D-do you think I can change my fate? You know, stop these outbursts?"
"We ain't 'fated' to do anything kiddo. If ya get good at magic, then that's how the story goes. If ya don't, same thing. Whatever happens, happens." The old stallion walked beside him, the sound of their hooves clicking as they walked along the road.
“Besides, look at ya. Yer a Unicorn. Ya can do so much with yer magic. I’m certain a little fella like yerself can do anything if ya put yer mind to it.”
"Yeah, but for the average Unicorn, that's normal. Me, I always have to keep my magic 'quiet'. That's what sucks. What's 'normal' for a unicorn seems out of reach to me." He felt his ears pin back and he dropped his head. He didn't know why he bothered trying so hard. No matter what he did, his magic felt more like a weapon than anything.
He was supposed to be 12 years old, yet still struggled with violent magical surges like he were an infant.
Red Thunder noticed, his old eyes watching the foal. "Bah, you'll get there in time. Don't go all melancholy on me now. If ya want things to change, ya gotta make em. Nothing is set in stone unless you let it. Ya just gotta figure out what works and what don't. Even if yer horn is always like that, you'll get better with experience."
Frosty gave a small chuckle. "Heh heh. Yeah, right."
"I'm serious, boy. I know one unicorn who struggled lifting a spoon with his magic back when we were foals. Now, that old coot is one of the best there is. Star Swirl if I recall."
Star Swirl. One of the greatest Equestrian conjurers. A revolutionary of magic, and mentor of Celestia and Luna. "B-but, I'm no Star Swirl. He didn't have a stunted horn. Not like me..."
"Point is, you'll get better with practice and experience, even if yer horn messes with ya. Knowledge and experience are more important than biology."
He couldn't help but smile a little. "Heh, thanks."
They talked and laughed for what felt like hours as they stopped in front of a cottage; Frosty's house. "Thanks for walking me back home. See you tomorrow."
"Hey, kid, before ya leave, do me that little trick ya do. The one ya do with that 'Cold Magic' o yers."
Frosty was taken aback. It wasn't often he was asked to show off his magic. "You sure?" He asked, looking around nervously.
"Do it fer me. I likes seeing ya try magic. Sides, ya got a knack for the cold spells."
"A-are you sure?" Watching Red's warm smile, he felt a rare surge of confidence and caved. "Well, I guess I could give it a shot..."
"Alright, alright. C'mon Frosty, c'mon. Focus!" He closed his eyes and focused. Nothing. "Heh heh. Um let's try..." A small magical aura came around his horn, but swiftly flickered and sputtered out. "Uh oh... ok... come on, come on...! Focus...! You can do this! Okay, Frosty, deep breaths. Deeep breaths..."
Frosty went dead still with his eyes closed in focus. After a few moments, he could feel the air getting colder, and slowly, his horn's aura flared up, generating a cold mist around him and Red. "Ok, now rise it up, carefully" forcing the mist into the air and condensing it into a growing snow cloud. "R-raise it up. Yeah...! Now... shape it..." It was slow work, but he did it, and snowflakes fell around the pair. He started around wide-eyed at his success. Usually, that trick failed.
"See, ya got's talent. Ya just gotta keep trying! You’ve really earned that cutie mark o yers." Pointing to the image of a magnifying glass, with a detailed snowflake underneath it.
"Oh, really? But I practiced this one for months, and I barely pulled it off."
"Don't matter how fast ya learn. That's not talent. This," he snorted a snowflake off his snout. "is talent. Name a foal that could do this at their age."
"Oh, come now, you know what they say about broken clocks." Frosty bashfully deflected. “It's nothing, really.”
"Aye, sure, sure, it's 'nothing'." Red chuckled turning around and giving a small wave goodbye. "I'll see ya around kid." As he sauntered off, while Frosty watched and waved. He enjoyed Red's encouragement, and it was nice to succeed every once in a while.
Still, despite this, despite his occasional successes, it was only a matter of moments before he turned back to his worries as he opened the door to his house. It was a quaint little home, dimly lit.
It had been the end of a long day and he was tired, but he couldn't stop from beaming when he saw his mother. "Mom!" Rushing up to her and nuzzling her.
"Frosty, little one!" Moon lovingly returned the nuzzle. "So, how was your day?" She knew the answer already, but she loved hearing him anyway.
He sighed sadly, his eyes dropping to the ground. "Y-you. W-well. I... you know. Same as always. Almost nopony wants to be around me. T-they're all afraid." He turned his head to the side.
"Almost everypony is. Adults, foals. They all avoid me. All because of my magic." He angrily looked up at his horn and flicked it on, an unstable aura forming around it. "Why does my magic have to be so messed up? Why couldn't I just be born right?"
Moon nuzzled her foal. "Oh, honey, you are normal. There's nothing wrong with your magic. It's just different."
"Mom, the magical nerves in my horn are stunted. The doctor said it'd take centuries for them to grow fully. Centuries Mom!"
"And that's ok. No matter how different you feel, it's always ok. You can still do magic. You're unique Frosty. It's ok to have to do things differently from others."
"But, almost nopony wants to be around me because of it. Even dad isn't around, and I never even knew him. Why? Is it me?"
Moon went silent for a few seconds. "Because..." Her eyes went sad, but then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. He... he loved you very much. But... something... came up." She honestly had no idea what happened. She said he had been so loving all these years. Then a month before she was due, he became… different. More serious and concerned. About what, Moon never knew. Then, he was gone. Only a note apologizing, and without a proper explanation, Frosty found it difficult to believe her when she said he loved them.
Frosty squeezed his eyes before opening them again. He didn’t want to ask this question, but Dad was gone, and few ponies in town even tolerated him, Mom included. "Do... do you love me?"
"Of course I do. I'm your mother."
"B-but do you love me? You're my mom. You birthed me. Of course, you'd love me. What… what if I weren't your foal? What if we never met? Would you... still feel the same way? Would you still be as caring?"
Somehow, some way, he felt guilty about their living conditions. As though maybe they could have had more if it weren't for him. He knew full well that other ponies projected onto his mother by association.
"Frosty. Of course, I love you. I'll love you forever. And if you weren't my foal, I'd love you all the same. Nopony deserves to be judged at the surface level." She cupped his head under her hoof, giving him a small smile. "There's always more pages under the cover."
Frosty felt his face lighting up a little bit, before turning to the ground. "That's why I love you, Mom. You've never given up on me." He sighed again. "No matter how bad I get... you're there."
"I'd be happier if you didn't give up on yourself. I know you think it's bad now, but you have to love yourself before you can worry about being loved by others. What good is my love if you have none for yourself?"
He looked at her and sighed again, closing his eyes and nodding his head. "Ok. I'm… I'm sorry about all this. I just want things to be better for us. I want to be better. I don't want to feel like I'm a burden or some mistake on you.”
"Frosty, me not having you would be a mistake. I love you Frosty, you're not a burden. It’s ok to want to be better, but you should never hate who you are. No matter how low you feel, you aren't bad. Improve if you want to, but please, don't ever hate yourself. Promise me Frosty, promise me." She pleaded, pulling him into a hug.
He didn't know what to do at first. What's so special about him? But, it was Mom. She was always there for him. He had to try. For her. "I-I'll try."
"That's all I ask of you love." She pulled him back into another loving nuzzle. She loved him dearly and so did he. If there was ever a reason to improve his life, it was for her sake. "Now, why don't I give you a few herbology lessons while dinner cooks? I know you always enjoy reading about the flora of Equestria."
"Hey, yeah, that sounds great! You were saying something about Nomad Blossoms last time?"
"Oh, yes the Nomad Blossoms. Those are black and orange, and they never bloom in the same place twice." She continued the lesson, expanding on them and other plants. Moments like these made Frosty happy. He enjoyed learning from his mother. Though they lived in a quaint little home, they had each other and that was enough for Frosty.
At least for now. He still wanted to master his magic. To keep folks safe and be more. Whether he could, only time would tell.
Mornings. Frosty wasn't the biggest fan of mornings. Why not just stay in his comfy bed? He was still groggy and half-asleep, yet the Sun shone through his window forcing him to stir.
"Hmm, turn the light off..." Grabbing his covers and covering his face with them. This only made it harder to sleep as the heat of the light added to the blanket. After a few minutes of twisting and trying to get comfortable, he relented and got up, trudging out of bed like a zombie.
"Ugh, fine." Blinking the crust out of his eyes. At least it was the weekend. "What time is it again? Oh, right." Looking at the clock. "7. I need some water..." Making his way into the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water. "Nice and cold." Just what he needed for a case of morning dry mouth. "Wonder what Mom's doing?" Making his way over to Moon's room, he noticed it was already cracked open. Usually, that meant he didn't need to knock, but he gently called her name anyway, just in case. "M-mom?"
She responded in a welcoming tone and he walked in. "Frosty, up a little early are we?"
"Heh, yeah, couldn't stay asleep with the Sun on my face." He looked over to the side and saw she had a satchel out, full of empty jars. Looked like she was going somewhere. Curiosity piqued him, he knew she'd leave for several hours on weekends, but never really gave it much thought until now. "Hey um, Mom, what are you doing?" Pointing at the equipment.
"Just preparing for a small trip love."
"Oh, well what sort of trip?"
"Resupplies of course. For the medical plants and mushrooms I sell."
Figured as much, but he still didn't know where she got everything. "Yeah, that's the thing. Where do you get all the supplies from?"
Moon gave a short smile. "I'd say it's roughly an hour or 2 of trotting, up near a cave system. That part of the region is full of remedial herbs."
Frosty's ears perked up. "C-cave system? Really?"
Moon seemed to pick up on his interest. "Of course, it's quite plentiful. Is somepony interested in a little trip?"
Explore a dark, scary, creepy cave? That sounded... kinda cool. Frosty never really knew life outside of town, and the idea of going outside of town for once came off exciting. "Yeah, that sounds great! Can I really go with you?"
"If you really want to then by all means, I could use the company. But you should pack things for yourself first. We'll be there for a long time" She instructed while packing up her supplies, and putting the jars away into the satchel.
"O-ok, I'll be back!" He dashed off back to his room to start preparing. "Oh boy, I can't believe this! I'm actually leaving town! Just for a bit, but still!" It wasn't a lot, just some water, snacks, and leftovers from last night for lunch. By the time he was done, his Mom was already waiting near the door, notably wearing heavier clothing.
"It's gotten much colder these past couple days. Are you sure you don't want to wear something for the cold?"
"Who? Me? Nah, it's fine Mom. I can't get enough of this weather." Frosty never really bothered wearing anything for warmth during his life despite the colder climate. Cold just wasn't an issue for him, and if anything, it seemed to make him more energetic.
Moon playfully rolled her eyes and smiled. Just like his father. "Well love," pulling him into a hug, "I think it's time we get going. We have got a long day ahead of us." And she opened the door, letting a burst of cold out, prompting a small wince while Frosty happily embraced it. There weren't many ponies up and about early in the morning, so he didn't have to worry about getting looks. They'd probably be hesitant to do so around his mother anyway.
As they walked out the edges of town, Frosty's mind was swimming with thoughts. What would he see outside, or in the cave? Who knew what he'd find, but right now, as the first hour of walking passed by he only knew his hooves were getting a bit sore. Didn't help he had a pack on his side. And the longer they kept pace the more he took notice as the snow blanket gave way to patches of exposed ground and small plants. The temperature was also increasing. Far from warm and still freezing, but evidently not cold enough to maintain snow.
"Mom, I thought we lived in a snowy part of the region, in the North?"
"We do love, but our little town is located right at the edge where snow becomes common. A bit of walking South and you'll see less snow." Frosty's eyes were excitedly darting everywhere trying to take in the sights. The greens of the plants were a sharp contrast to the white snow he'd often see.
"Say, we're almost there, love. I'd say it's just 15 minutes now. How would you feel about a short little race?" Playfully nudging him.
"A-a race? Alright then! You're on!" And they broke into a gallop. Frosty wasn't the most athletic pony, but it was a thrill to run and feel the wind through his mane and face. He actually managed to keep pace with his mom; if only because she paced herself for him, and even overtook her in the once or twice. "Hah... almost there!" He panted, pushing his little legs to gallop even faster. She mentioned a cave, I think I see something like that coming up. C'mon! Faster! Fast- Unfortunately, he found himself tripping over his own hooves over how fast he was trying to go. "OH JEEZ!"
Rather than his inevitable faceplant, Frosty felt nothing. In fact, it felt like he was in the air. He opened his eyes to find exactly that, with a familiar teal aura wrapped around him. "I got you Frosty." Hovering him over to offer a comforting nuzzle.
"Phew, thanks Mom." Wiping off the sweat from his face while he panted from running so hard.
"It's alright little one. As long as I am here, you're safe. I'm just glad you're not hurt."
"Yeah, I am too. Thanks again. It was fun until... you know..."
"Good to know you had fun, as long as you're careful. And would you look at that, we're already here." Looking up he saw they had already reached their destination, as a large cave entrance awaited them. The hanging rocks near the entrance almost gave it a maw-like appearance. "This is the main entrance, but most of the materials I'm looking for are found much deeper than that. Some of the tunnels form unbelievably long mazelike networks. So, I want you to stick close to me and try not to stray unless I say otherwise."
'Y-yeah, ok. It's... it's not going to collapse or anything is it? Looks awfully dark in there..."
"Don't worry, they're quite sturdy. I've been collecting from these caves for years. It takes a lot to loosen these rocks." She offered a comforting hoof to hold. "So, ready to go in?"
He moved to hold it and then held his hoof back, staring into the cave as the light slowly gave way to darkness, and then to Moon, with a smile on her face, before grabbing her hoof. "Ok, Mom. Ready." And they walked into the cave. It was a bit scary at first as they passed underneath the entrance, but he felt comforted by his mom being there. Their steps seemed to slightly echo through the cave. The ground was uneven and he had to be careful not to trip.
As it got darker, he tried flicking his horn on like a light to guide the way, even he couldn't mess up a simple flashlight spell. Of course, his flickered a lot and it wasn't too bright, but it still did the job well enough. Moon took notice and turned hers on as well. "Oh, I'm sorry Frosty. I've never had company in these caves, and I've never really had to use this spell."
"You... you don't need a light to see?"
"A clear, sharp, mind is the only guide I need to navigate the dark. I have been here many times. I know my way around almost every nook and cranny."
Frosty wanted to ask another question until a sudden movement startled him. *SQUEAK* *SQUEAK* "Oh jeez!" The sudden noise and flapping motions caused him to rear up.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's just a bat." She spoke soothingly, letting the creature land on her. "Hello there, little one." Eyeing the creature.
"Just a bat, Mom?" He panted.
"They're friendly, Frosty. I've known them for a long time."
"You have?" Flinching a little bit as the creature flew in front of his face. "U-um h-hi." It almost seemed to smile at him before flying off.
"Of course they are. That one I've known for the past 5 years. I recognize her by the nibbled right ear."
"Come to think of it, how can these caves support mammals and plant life anyway?"
"I wouldn't know myself Frosty, I'm not a geologist. Maybe there's a pocket of magma deep down warming the caves up."
"I guess it's not freezing cold anymore. Maybe-wait. Do you hear that? Mom, that sounds like water up ahead, is that a stream?"
"That's a sign we're getting close. Should be just a couple more bends... hmm, go through this tunnel, to the right. The ones to the left are dead ends." Sure enough, the water got louder, and after a minute of walking, they entered a large chamber with 6 different tunnels. In the middle was a small stream that ran through the middle. Sunlight seemed to pour through a large crack in the ceiling, illuminating the area. There seemed to be a couple of mosses and small plants.
Frosty's eyes widened at the sight, and his mom simply smiled watching his awe. He even went so far as to dip a hoof in the water, before his eyes wandered towards a cluster of mushrooms. "H-hey, Mom did you want me to maybe grab some things here too? Help you out? I think I recognize a few things. We could maybe split off and cover twice the area." As much as he liked being around his mom, the place actually wasn't all that bad once he got used to it, and he did get the urge to break off and explore a bit.
"Antsy to look around by yourself hmm? I see that glint in your eyes. Ok, fine, these caves are pretty safe as long as you're careful. There've never been any dangerous animals hanging around. But first see that tunnel farthest to the right? On a higher elevation? Don't enter that one. And not the one on the middle left either. Those tunnels have incredibly large complexes that seem to go on forever. The other tunnels are easy to find your way out of. You'd have to try to get lost in those."
"Okay, alright. No far right and middle left got it. Anything else?"
"If you want to start looking, I'd suggest the middle right tunnel. I'll go to the far left. If you're uncertain of anything, just go back to the central chamber and wait for me there."
"Yeah, ok, will do Mom. Love you." Giving her a hug, which she returned.
"Love you too little one." Before walking away, she lit up her horn and briefly enveloped Frosty in an aura. "A little something so I know where you are."
"Got it, Mom! I'll see you in a little bit." He walked away towards his tunnel, stopping briefly to look at the mushroom patch, and then putting some in his bag. "I think she mentioned these once. They're anti-inflammatory if I recall." Walking further down the tunnel, he came across some larger mushrooms on the walls with red and white speckled caps. "Bingo! This is something she can use, right? She mentioned she was running out."
Walking further down the tunnel, he came across some larger mushrooms on the walls with red and white speckled caps. "Bingo! This is something she can use, right? She mentioned she was running out." He didn't need a light spell for this part of the cave, with little beams of light coming in through smaller cracks. Little plants would sometimes grow in these parts, absorbing the Sunlight. Even though his Mom said there were no dangerous animals here, it still felt creepy, like there was no telling what was around the next corner.
But then, maybe that's what attracted him. Life felt so boring when you're unable to use your magic, living in the same town with the same sights. It was a different emotion, a different place, and Frosty; unnerved though he was, secretly enjoyed that nervousness. After an hour and a half of searching and gathering, he went back to the central area. What he had collected so far should be enough. "Hmm, don't see her. Guess she's still gathering things." His stomach growled and he realized he was hungry, and sore from so much walking. "Welp, I suppose now's as good a time as any for a bite."
Opening his bag and pulling out the sandwich he prepared earlier. His eyes drifted back up at the Sunlight shining down as he ate. He looked around the room, taking it all in again. "Gorgeous place." He told himself, taking another bite. He sat there, dipping his lower hooves in the water while he ate. There was little more than a slice of squash left when he was done. He moved to finish it before hearing a familiar squeaking and flapping.
Frosty was a little nervous about the creature, but then recognized something about it. "O-oh hey, it's you, with the nibbled ear. Guessing you're hungry? Bats eat squash right?" Pulling the remaining slice and tossing it. The bat didn't waste time diving into it and swallowing it whole. "Guess that answers that question." He said as it nuzzled him and rested on him. "Heh, y-you know, you're kinda cute when you're not startling me."
A noise caught his attention, falling pebbles and dirt from the upper right area. Frosty instantly looked up and caught a glimpse of a pony-shaped shadow, making him jolt. "Woah! W-what the-what was that?"
"Frosty." A voice whispered up above, sounding exactly like Moon. "Up here."
"M-mom? W-wait a minute, I thought you said not. to go up there?"
"Come here." Frosty was unsure if it really was his Mom or not, and her tone of voice was very off-putting. She'd never sounded so quiet before, as if she were avoiding something.
"But I thought-"
"I said come, Frosty. I need you to do as you're told." She whispered to him.
"But... what if something goes wrong? What if-"
"I know what I said before. That's why it's important you listen to me in the now."
He could tell she was trying to stay quiet. Whatever the reason, it was clear she needed him up there, and fast. "O-okay. I'll be there." He scrambled up to the cave, slipping as he dislodged a few unstable rocks, and saw a silhouette of his mother.
"Here, here!" And she burst to the left.
"Mom, wait up!"
He followed, chasing after her, almost slipping on the uneven floor in the process. While he tried to keep pace, she rushed through the caves. He was starting to get antsy. What was she running from? This wasn't like her. "W-where are we going, Mom? Hey, Mo-OOF! OH! AGH!" In his fear, he stumbled over a rock and slid down a small slope, landing in a dark room.
"Oh, my head..." Rubbing it with his hoof. He wasn't too hurt, just disoriented. "Where are we?" He didn't get an answer, just pure silence. "M-mom? A-are you still there?" His heart dropped when he saw no signs of his Mom.
"MOM, WHERE ARE YOU?!" His breathing became frantic as he fumbled around in the dark. "Dark... TOO DARK! I NEED TO SEE!" And he flicked on a light spell. His panic made it much brighter if still flickering. "*GASP* W-w-what. In Equestria. Is that?!"
Standing in front of him was a giant block of ice that seemed to stretch toward the ceiling, but it was what was inside that shocked him. A long, slender, lung dragon lay encased in the ice, and Frosty had gotten a faceful of it's open maw. It looked ferocious, seemingly roaring and it's claws appeared to be swiping at something, but its movements were frozen in place.
Its scales were a Crimson red with a golden snout and underbelly, with deep blue eyes. On it's head were 2 small horns, deep brown in coloration, nestled in a golden mane on his head. From the side of it's face were a pair of long flowing whiskers, and a small goatee, both gold in coloration. A majestic; if not terrifying, sight.
"WHAT... IS... THIS?" He blurt out in shock. In an attempt to run away, his flailing head flashed his light onto a sleeping hoard of bats on the side of a wall, startling them. The entire swarm burst awake, flying past him in a panic. "Ugh, hey! H-help, what the-hey! HELP!" *ZAP* Frosty was already on edge being lost and alone with a frozen beast, and when he suddenly had a faceful of loud squeaking flying by he went into full panic mode and his magic surged, blasting the ice statue, bouncing off, and hitting the ceiling above him.
The rocks above suddenly started rumbling and crumbling with a sound that thrummed into Frosty's very bones. His brain short-circuited in raw terror and he stood there paralyzed as the ceiling crumbled around him. "FROSTY!" Before the rock could crash into him, his mother appeared as if from nowhere and tackled him away from the falling rubble. The falling rocks narrowly missed her head and legs, as she held Frosty protectively.
The resulting crash was like a loud boom as the loose rocks collided with the floor, and the shake they felt was just as bad, rocking them both. Only when it was over did Moon stop covering him. "Frosty, are you hurt?! Are you alright?" Frosty kept his face buried into her coat, crying and hyperventilating.
"M-mom, I was, I-I was, I couldn't find you, I-I thought-"
"Shhhhh, shhhh, shhhhh. It's okay, I'm here." Gently stroking his head and hugging him tightly.
"I-I didn't think I'd find you." He choked between sobs. "Y-you ran off a-a-and I tripped a-and there was this dragon and bats and I caused a cave in Mom!"
"I... ran off? Frosty, I was walking back from my tunnel when I felt your magic suddenly spike. When I teleported to you, I saw a pile of rocks about to bury you, but I never brought you to... wherever this section is."
"Wha-what? B-but it was you! Your shape, your voice. What do you mean it wasn't you?"
Her eyes went to pinpricks for a moment and she searched around, jolting at the sight of the frozen dragon, which had been hit by rubble too, then looked back to Frosty alarmed. "Frosty I wasn't anywhere near wherever you went. Now, look at me. You're saying something looked like me, sounded like me and led you... here?"
Frosty finally gathered his senses together, though he was still sniffing. "Y-yeah. She looked and sounded just like you. What are you talking about Mom?"
"By Celestia... these caves have never had anyone but me before." She muttered to herself.
"U-um... Mom?"
"We need to go. Now." She spoke sternly.
"G-go where? This is one of the bad caves."
"We're teleporting Frosty. Grab your bag and do it now! Whatever's in here I'm not keeping you in with it!" He worriedly did as he was told and stood next to her as a burst of energy took them to the entrance. Teleporting was surreal. Here one place, then another. He never experienced it before.
Frosty looked at her confused as he clutched the bag. "Mom... are you alright?"
"Yes. I think we should... head back to the town for now. Come on." She took his hoof in hers as they started walking back. "Frosty, I am so sorry this happened. I never should have taken you with me."
"What? N-no, no. You couldn't have known about... whatever that was." Truth be told, despite everything, the adrenaline of it all was... exhilarating. It was something straight out of an adventure! "I had fun until it got serious Mom, honest!"
"That doesn't matter! No matter how safe I thought that place was, I should've known better."
"Mom... you know it's not-" He tried consoling her, but she brushed it off.
"No. I think... I think next time I'll see if somepony can watch you at home like I always do. I-I'm glad you're okay after this ordeal. Really, I am. I knew you wanted to explore and wanted to make you happy, but as a mother, I should've been more cautious. Let's just go home. We can discuss it later."
The walk home was mostly silent from then on, but the sight of that dragon kept swirling around in Frosty's head. What was that thing? What was it doing in a cave? Why was it frozen, and above all else: Why did that thing lead him to it? "H-hey, Mom?"
"Hmm?"
"You... you saw that dragon right? I feel like... like something; maybe that thing, was trying to take me to it. Do you um, know anything about it?"
She thought about it for a second before responding. "I do in fact. That dragon nearly killed me 12 years ago. It was your father who froze it and imprisoned it within that very cave."
"He... he did? What did it do? What did he do?"
"He protected me of course. Me and your father used to live on the edge of town. I was in the basement making herbal remedies when all of a sudden, I felt the house shake."
Frosty's eyes went wide at this. "A-and what happened then Mom?"
"I rushed upstairs to find your father and heard a terrible roaring right as I reached the top. There was that dragon, roaring and flailing and spewing fire everywhere. I don't know if it saw me or not, but that thing launched a fireball that blew up the house and collapsed the basement roof. I managed to duck back into the basement and shield myself, but by Celestia if that fire wasn't intense. When Comet pulled me out, the dragon was frozen solid, and he sent it to the caves, wanting to keep other ponies and creatures from messing with it."
"W-wow... he... did all that? Dad was some kind of hero? What even made it attack?"
"I never found out, Comet was too upset to even speak of it. He said something about giving it time to cool down, but he... disappeared a month later." Her face winced for a moment once she got to that part.
"Heh, right that." Frosty's eyes lowered to the ground. "How could somepony so loving just leave?"
"Frosty, we've been over this, the note said it was important."
"More important than us?!"
"Frosty..." She walked closer to him, leaning in as they walked.
"I know I know Mom. It's just... I miss him. Oh, that's silly. How could I miss somepony I've never met?"
She turned his head towards her with a gentle hoof and smiled at him. "Because he's still your Dad Frosty, and I know how much he cares about us."
"I just want to know why. When you never grow up with him it's hard to feel how much he cares. I guess... if he protected you that has to count for something..."
She stroked his cheek with her hoof and then pulled him closer for a hug. "It does my little pony. It does." Frosty gave a small smile and curiosity began to pick up inside him.
"So Dad... h-he took down a dragon, right? Was he strong?"
Moon simply chuckled. "Strong? That stallion was a true powerhouse if I ever saw one. Comet Strike, a fitting name for him."
"Hey, yeah I figured! That frozen dragon wasn't even cracked by those rocks, or my magic. My ice has to be like paper compared to that statue!"
She giggled at this, nuzzling into his shoulder. "Oh my little pony. If he saw you right now he'd say: "You're looking stronger already!"
Frosty's face blushed, a proud smile stretching on it. "Me? Strong? Do you really think? But, my magic is nothing compared to his."
"You'll get there in time little one. In time." Frosty seriously doubted that, but he knew his mother didn't like that sort of talk. As they walked back home, Frosty's face was beaming. He had his first taste of adventure, danger, and even got to learn about his dad. As scary as the worst parts were, somehow... he craved more. This had to be the most exciting day of his life!
But while Frosty and his mother walked home, deep within the cave, the figure that had led Frosty to the dragon took on a different shape, and an illusion broke away, revealing a cloaked figure. "So, he wasn't strong enough to free the dragon by himself? I had hoped without her influence, Frosty would grow stronger. Evidently not." He stared up at the dragon with a single red eye. "The boy needs to be more powerful. Perhaps it's time somepony nudged Frosty... in the right direction."
