I received a letter from the princess a couple of days ago, calling me to Canterlot. I left my home on the outskirts of Ponyville and rushed to the Castle, wondering what was so urgent. As I arrived, I met with the princess and the professor, both of which were scanning through the pages of numerous books. I approached them quietly, not yet sure why I was called here. The princess looked up from her book and smiled at me. She welcomed me with kind words and I smiled in return, giving her the proper courtesies that one must give a princess of her stature. Seeing the still quizzical look on my face, she explained the situation. An unnatural winter had rose over Equestria, one that threatened to keep them under a blanket of ice and cold for millennia. This set my mind racing, for I had no idea how I could help them. My speciality was herbs and potions, not weather control, so I wondered what use I was here. As I voiced my concern, the princess only smiled. “You had something similar happen to you in your old country right? A never ending summer if I recall correctly.” I finally made the connection. She thought that, since both these cases were similar, I would know of a way of fixing the problem. My face turned suddenly sad. I had been there when the summer happened, but I had been just a foal and my people seldom spoke of it. I told the princess this and she frowned thoughtfully. “Then might you assist us still? You are a wise and sageful zebra and we need all the help we can get.” The princess said with a smile. I agreed and with that, I began my research with the professor. The research started off fun. I loved looking through books for clues or information that could help us find a solution to this dreadful problem. But as evening turned to night, we had found nothing. We decided to call in a night for now and start working again once we got our well deserved sleep. I was shown to my room, which compared to my hut back in the Everfree was more of a house than a room. I put my saddlebags in a corner of the room and laid on the bed, thinking. I wondered how we were going to figure this problem out. We hadn't found anything in the first, nor second wing of the library, all that was left was the special magic books at the back. I sighed. What if we don't find anything? What if Equestria is covered in ice and cold forever? I pushed these questions aside and decided to get some sleep. I closed the light, laid on the pillow and slept, dreaming of a cold and snow covered Equestria.
* * * * * *
I woke up the next morning in a cold sweat. I partially remembered my nightmares of last night and they scared me enough not to even try to fathom the parts I didn't remember. I got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, where I turned on the shower and climbed in. I sighed as the hot water poured down ontop of me, easing away the pain in my muscles and the worries in my mind. I stayed there for a couple minute but a knock came suddenly from the front door. I climbed out of the shower and dried myself quickly. I walked towards the door and opened it to see the professor standing there. “Were leaving” he said, a little gruffly as I raised an eyebrow at him. “The princess wants us to gather her six pupils and head North, to the Crystal Mountains. She believes that that is where the winter is coming from.” he turned around to leave and, just before he began his walk down the corridor, said “Meet me at the train station at ten o’clock. Don't be late or I’m leaving without you.” I looked at the clock. Already nine o’clock! I rushed into my room to prepare my things. I packed all the essentials: warm cloths, blankets, some food, along with other things I could need. By the time I was all set and out of my room, it was 9:45. I ran down the halls, down the stairs and through the main hall and out the door. I ran down the streets, ignoring the stares of the ponies. As I reached the train station, I saw clockwork standing beside the ticket booth, leaning against it and staring at his pocket watch. “You're almost late” he said as he looked at me “It’s 5 minutes before departure, lets get on. I sighed as I followed him onto the train.
* * * * * *
We had been sitting at the back of the train cart in silence, both of us not knowing what to say or do. We had found nothing during our research in Canterlot and the only reason we were now traveling was because the princess though this was the path to take. I wasn’t sure but it wasn’t my place to argue about the princess’ decisions. I watched the landscape go bye in silence as the hours went by, not bothering to speak to the professor. he finally broke the silence. "Have you looked in your own library?" he asked me. I nodded and explained how I had turned the whole place over to try to find something. He sighed as I finished talking as sat against the wall "We have no clues, no leads, no nothing!" he said, a little angry now. He breathed deeply until he calmed down. I looked at him curiously and asked him, a little rudely I admit, why she had decided to send him with her? He laughed before answering "I know those mountains like the back of my hand" he said, smiling. "I used to live there, before I moved to Ponyville.” He sat back and smiled at her “Normally I would ask why she chose you, but that’s pretty obvious isn’t it?” He took an apple from a bowl and began eating it, looking out the window distractedly. “Lets get some rest, it’ll be a long journey” he said as he laid down and fell asleep. I watched him for a couple of second, wondering what could be going on in that old mind of his, when I laid down as well and slept.
* * * * * *
I awoke, still tired and in a cold sweat. Sleep had brought me no peace. I had dreamt of many horrors that a snow and ice covered Equestria would bring and didn't even want to try to fathom the ones she couldn't remember dreaming. As she got out of bed, she went to the bathroom and showered. I stayed long under the hot water, letting it ease the pain in my muscles and the worries of my mind. As I got out and dried myself, I noticed a note on my bed. “Meet me at the train station at 10 o’clock” it read. I looked for a name, something to tell me who sent it, but there was none. I sighed again. What was the worse that could happen. I strapped on my saddlebags and left my room, for it was already almost 10 o’clock now. I walked through the streets of Canterlot towards the train station, ignoring the curious stares of the ponies. She walked along the main street and, as she climbed the steps to the train station, was greeted by the professor. “You made it!” he said, smiling broadly. I nodded and looked at him curiously, wondering why we were here. “While you were sleeping so soundly” he explained “I took the liberty of finishing the research.” As I raised an eyebrow at him, he continued “I couldn’t sleep” he said “I need something to distract my old and worrisome mind.” I shook my head. I asked him why we were here. “We are here because the princess has come to a decision.” he said, smiling “She wants us to go to Ponyville and get her six pupils, who will then help us find the source of this problem” I nodded my comprehension and together we climbed onto the train.
* * * * * *
I awoke to the sound of the professor gathering his things as the train came to a halt. At first, I thought we had arrived in Ponyville but, seeing the worried look on the professor’s face, I knew something was wrong. “Grab your things.” he said “We’re moving out.” I told him quizzically, wondering what was wrong. “The train is stuck” he said as he strapped on his saddle bags. “It’s stuck in the snow, so we will have to walk.” I didn’t comprehend fully what he meant until, saddlebags strapped to my back, I stepped outside. If I had though the snowbanks in Canterlot were bad, these were worse. I had to say, they weren’t exactly snow, more like half melted ice that, with the sudden drops in temperature that this winter is causing, froze as the train was going through it. “My instincts tell me, that someone is might be trying to delay thee.” I said out loud as I studied the train’s wheels. “It can't be coincidence that the train froze up now, when we were on our way to stop this winter.” I thought. The professor stopped next to me, a frown on his face. “I agree” he said, a tone of worry in his voice. “Let’s make haste, I would like to reach Ponyville before sundown.” I nodded grimly and began galloping down the path, staying parallel to the train tracks. The professor followed a couple of feet behind me, his old hooves still managing a fast and steady pace. We kept galloping as fast as we could. None of us spoke as we climbed past the silent white hills. As the sun was falling under the horizon, we galloped up another hill. As we reached the top, I sighed ruefully. “Still no sight of it?” The professor said, looking towards the horizon. “Nothing but the blank landscape of rolling white hills and the odd three here and there.” I thought. In the distance, I spotted a cloud of smoke rising in the air, just over the next hill. I pointed it out to the professor and he nodded. “It’s probably not Ponyville.” He said “But its still shelter. Let’s head for it.” he began climbing down the hill with me right behind him.
* * * * * *
The sun had gone as we crested the next hill. The only light came from the reflection of the moon on the pure white snow. The light gave our surroundings a ghostly glow as a light mist rose from the ground beneath our feet. When we reached the bottom of the hill, I heard something. It sounded like a howl in the distance, but when I ask the professor, he shook his head. “There aren’t any wolves in these parts.” he said “We are quite safe, except from the cold.” We both shivered as he said it. Mentioning the cold these days just made you shiver, even if we were clothed in our warmest clothes. We continued on silently and began the ascent of another hill when, suddenly, we heard it again but closer and more distinguishable. It was a howl, more than one actually, at least half a dozen of them. They sounded as if they were only a couple of hundred feet away. I shared my worries with the professor but he shook his head in disagreement. “Your mind is playing tricks on you Enchantress.” he said “They aren’t close, we could reach the shelter soon.” I didn't bother insisting, even though my gut was telling me otherwise. My fears were confirmed when, as we crested the next hill, timberwolves emerged from behind a hill, howling like demons in the night.
