Roots of a Cold Heart

Alphabittle headed west at a steady trot across the rolling hills a few hours northwest of Maretime Bay, at the edge of Equestria’s borders. The coastal town had been cleaning up the damage for days after the freak ice storm that had formed over the Canterlogic factory. Word had spread quickly that help had arrived from the last place absolutely anypony had expected.

In the aftermath, Queen Haven had arrived with construction crews to help with repairs, and he’d be joining her there to help...

...Right after he was done here, seeing the one pony he wanted to see more than anypony right now.

Coming over the crest of the last hill, he was greeted with a view of Equestria’s western coastline, with a long, arched stone bridge that now lead to nowhere, coming to an abrupt, collapsed end looking over the coast.

As he descended the hill towards the bridge, he saw his reason for visiting, his daughter, Misty, come up from the beach with a piece of flat stone just a bit bigger than she was, her horn glowing brightly as she half-dragged it up to the bridge, and took it towards the collapsed edge. The unicorn mare was concentrating so strongly on her telekinesis that she hadn’t noticed him begin to descend the hill. By the time he had crossed the bridge, she had gotten the piece of debris set close to the edge of the bridge, overlooking the coast and sea as it stretched across the horizon.

With the tingling of her magic no longer distracting her hearing, she heard the hoofsteps come up behind her, and she turned to see her visitor.

“Hey, kiddo,” Alphabittle greeted.

Misty took one shuddering breath before lunging forward into her father’s embrace, and began to quietly weep into his barrel.

“Dad…” she whimpered.

“Sunny told me you’d be out here. Everything okay?” The stallion asked.

He felt his daughter shake her head as her shoulders heaved.

“No… We looked everywhere for her, dad. She vanished after the storm collapsed. After saving all of us, after experiencing true friendship for the first time… She’s gone…”

Alphabittle sat there and held his grieving daughter, trying to come up with any comforting words he could.

“I truly don’t know what to say, sweetheart, other than, I’m sorry. Sunny and the others told me what happened. The fact that you were the first to listen, the first to open the doors and hear her out… That’s a gift, Misty. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do that… If I ever came face to face with the mare who took you from me… I don’t know. I’d probably have wound up getting hurt, or doing something that I’d have to live with for the rest of my life. Try to take comfort in the fact that she saw the light, that she found friendship, before the end came.”

Slowly, Misty pulled away from the embrace, and took a deep breath as she got herself under control.

“I am trying, dad. I really, truly am. That’s why I came here. I wanted to make… A memorial, a place to remember, something to commemorate that she likely not only saved Maretime Bay, but all of Equestria, if Sunny’s ancient books are to be believed.”

“Then have at it, sweetheart. I’ll be here if you need anything,” Alphabittle told her.

Sniffling, she smiled, then turned back to resume her work, getting all manner of paints she had borrowed from Izzy. After brushing the surface clean, making sure it was free of dirt and sand, she got to work carefully stenciling out a shape, looking to be a horn sided by a pair of wings.

Once the stenciling was complete, she opened the small containers of paint from her saddlebags, and began working as her father silently observed. The wings became a brilliant blazing blue, and the center horn, a rich, vibrant violet.

With the lettering complete, she finally stepped back, and admired her work.

Dedicated To
Opaline Arcana
of Skyros
It is never too late to reach out in friendship.

Misty took another deep breath as Alphabittle stepped forward and put a leg around her shoulder.

Smiling up at him, she cast a spell on the stone that would protect the memorial from the elements, before she leaned in and hugged him again, before packing up her saddlebags. Without any more words, the father and daughter headed across the bridge, and back over the hills towards Maretime Bay.