Chapters Twilight leaned over the edge of the dark-blue night pegasus chariot and stared in awe at the never ending, snow covered forest beneath her. “Its so... Big!” she exclaimed, breathing out mist from her nostrils into the frosty air.
Luna laughed from where she sat besides Twilight. “The Everfrozen Forest is the size of Equestria, remember. And without an agricultural or lumber industry, the Reindeer see no reason to chop it down.” She frowned in thought, as though remembering something unpleasant. “Even if it is as dangerous as the Everfree Forest.”
Twilight spluttered with shock. “As dangerous as the Everfree Forest! But I thought the Reindeer lived down there!”
“They do,” Luna replied. “As do Frost Wolves, Manticores and even Windigoes. So if a Reindeer calls you soft, don’t take it personally. Life isn’t as peaceful this far north.”
“Still, it is rather impressive,” said Cadance, the third and final passenger of the chariot. “Ohh, I think I can see the Frozen Palace!” She pointed ahead to a large gleaming castle that rose out of the forest, its tall towers reflecting the sunlight back at us. The two night pegasi pulling the chariot also noticed the structure and began to descend through the clouds, and within minutes they landing in the courtyard. Twilight and Cadance quickly jumped out of the chariot, landing in the thick, crunchy snow, but Luna hesitated, worry etched on her features.
“Princess,” Twilight asked slowly, “is something wrong?”
“No. Well, not really,” Luna said, biting her lip. “Its just... The last time We were here, We were under the influence of the Nightmare...”
“Auntie, your speech is slipping,” Cadance gently chided. “Also, that was a long time ago. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“It wasn’t that long ago for me...” Luna muttered under her breath, but stepped down onto the ground. The moment her hooves touched the floor, a booming shout was heard from the far end of the courtyard.
“Luna!” A large, burly white Reindeer with golden antlers and a golden snowflake for a cutie mark—a snowmark Twilight recalled—rushed up to the Alicorn and seized her in a bone crushing hug. “Its been too long, my friend! I was overjoyed to hear you were back. Why has it taken you so long to visit me, my dear?”
“Arctis...” Luna choked out, gasping for air. The Reindeer blushed sheepishly and loosened his grip. “It is good to see thou—you, I mean. I must confess, I was concerned at what reception I would receive after my... last visit.”
“What, you mean that time you bucked me through a wall?” Arctis growled menacingly. Suddenly, his frown turned into a smile. “Hah, I loved it! Why, I still have minstrels retelling that story to this very day!”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Oh joy. Anyway, I suppose I should introduce my companions.” She indicated to Cadance. “Prince Arctis, my I introduce you to my niece, Empress Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire, who is also the current Avatar of the Spirit of Love; Cadence, this is Prince Arctis, Lord of the Snow and the Frost and Prince of the Reindeer.”
Arctis bowed before Cadance. “I am charmed, milady. It has been many a generation since an Avatar of Love has walked these halls.”
Cadance giggled. “Yes, the last Avatar to visit has left me some strong ancestral memories.” Arctis, for his part, blushed heavily, his red cheeks standing out against his white fur. “And, please, call me Cadance.”
“If it pleases you, I would capture the moon for you,” Arctis said, causing Luna to growl. He threw up his forehooves in panic. “Its just an idiom! It doesn't mean anything!” Luna shook her head wearily.
“It had better not. Anyway, my other companion is Lady Twilight Sparkle BMg, Celestia’s personal student and Her representative, the Countess of the Everfree, the Bearer of the Element of Magic, Discordsbane and Companion to Sun and Moon.”
Arctis raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Thats a lot of titles for somepony as young as you.”
“Yes, it is, and I am not entirely sure where Princess Luna found them.” She turned to the Princess with a frown. “Countess of the Everfree? Really? I never go by that. I don’t think my friends even know that title. And I don’t ever recall being called ‘Discordsbane’ or ‘Companion to Sun and Moon.”
Luna raised her hooves in a defensive manner. “Don’t look at me. I’m just reading the cue card Celestia gave me.” She held up the offending piece of paper, which sure enough, had all of Twilight’s titles—real and fake—written on them in Celestia’s unmistakable hornwriting.
“This is payback for that exploding cake, isn’t it?” Twilight said glumly, causing Arctis to laugh, before turning back to him. “My apologies for that, my lord. As Celestia’s representative, I also convey her apologies for being unable to attend your daughters coronation, and that she wishes the both of you good health.”
“Please, Twilight Sparkle, there is no need to be so formal here,” Arctis responded. He raised a hoof to his chin as if pondering something. “I suppose I’ll just have to go visit Celestia myself. Luna, do you think she’ll enjoy a surprise visit?”
Luna grinned maliciously. “Oh, I think she’ll greatly enjoy one of your ‘surprise visits’.” The two deities began laughing evilly, causing Twilight and Cadance to back away in fright, shooting each other apprehensive looks.
It began to snow, and Arctis gave a start. “Where are my manners, please come inside, come inside. I promised Aneira that I wouldn’t chatter on whilst my guests freeze to death, and by the Paragons, if that isn’t what I’m doing.” He led the three mares into the gleaming, white castle.
“It looks like its made of ice,” Twilight said wonderingly as they walked through the glittering palace.
“It is,”Arctis replied looking back over his shoulder. At Twilight’s confused look, he elaborated. “Its Everice, a magical material that can only be made by the Reindeer. It will never melt. Not even Discord can melt it.” The Reindeer chuckled to himself. “That was always something that frustrated him, that we can make something he can’t unmake.”
“I can imagine,” Twilight said, as she thought back to her own experiences with Discord, looking at the walls with new wonder. “So what other magics do Reindeer posses?”
“Well, there’s Everice,” Arctis said, “but we can also create normal ice with our antlers. We also have basic levitation, much like Unicorns do. Oh, and we can fly.” This last one was said with a grin.
“You can fly? But how, you don’t have any wings?” Twilight said, stunned at this revelation.
“Its our antlers,” Arctis said, tapping his. “He can grab the wind with them and soar through the sky.”
“That sounds amazing!” Twilight said, enthused with the idea. “Oh, I would love to see that. I wonder if I could create a Unicorn version of that spell.”
“You can try,” Arctis laughed. “Many mages have tried it, all have failed. But who knows, maybe you’ll be the first.”
“Father!” a new voice called out as they entered the great hall. A young, snow white doe whose light blue snowmark blended into her fur stepped forwards and nuzzled Arctis affectionately. “Who are your guests?”
“Aneira, these are Princess Luna, Empress Cadance, and Lady Twilight, the last of whom has more titles than I do. Miladies, this is my daughter, Princess Aneira, who is as beautiful as her mother and twice as powerful.”
“Dad!” Aneira practically screeched, blushing with embarrassment, before punching him solidly in the shoulder, causing him to grunt with pain. “And I’m not a princess until tomorrow, anyway.”
Arctis leaned over to Luna and began speaking in a conspiratorial whisper that could be heard halfway across the room. “Punches as hard as her mother did as well.” That earned him another punch, as well as a chuckle from the moon princess.
“So Aneira,” Cadance began, swiftly changing the subject, “I hear that you are a potent sorceress.” Twilights ears perked up at that.
Aneira made to speak, but her father beat her to it. “Potent? Why, my daughter is one of the most powerful mages I have ever seen! She rivals the Eight Paragons in power, and I knew them personally!”
Luna swiftly stepped forwards. “Oh I am sure Twilight can give your daughter a run for money. She, is after all, the most powerful unicorn of her age since Star Swirl the Bearded!”
Aneira and Twilight began to blush as the two gods began to bicker about which one was more powerful. Cadance tapped them on the shoulder and led them away, just as Luna started to use the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“I have a feeling they are going to be there for a while,” Cadance said as they sat down at a table at the far end of the hall.
“Yes, I think they are,” Aneria said, looking at her father. “I haven’t seen father this happy since mother died.”
“Luna seems to be enjoying herself too,” Twilight chipped in, moments before Luna bucked the Reindeer into a wall with a crash. Arctis merely jumped up, laughed and charged at Luna, and within moments the two deities were brawling on the floor. Twilight frowned. “Enjoying herself too much, by the looks of it. Should they be fighting like that?”
Cadance laughed. “Its not like they can hurt each other, now is it? And the palace is made from Everice as well, which is a bonus. Besides, it’s good for gods to fight like this. Better than having them declaring war on each other, at any rate.”
Aneira raised an eyebrow. “If thats the case, shouldn't you be joining in? After all, are you not a god as well, Cadance?”
“No, no.” Cadance shook her head velmetly. “I’m an Avatar—the Avatar of Love, to be exact.”
Aneira and Twilight leaned forwards, intrigued. “What's the difference?” asked Twilight. “I mean, I’ve heard you referred to as an Avatar before, but what does that mean?”
“Avatars are the mortal incarnation of a Spirit,” Cadance explained. “Spirits, such as Celestia, Luna and Arctis, are immortal beings who will exist for as long as whatever they are the Spirit of exists—the Sun, the Moon and Snow, in this case—whilst an Avatar like myself has a mortal life span; when I die a new Avatar of Love will be born, with all the associated gifts and powers, which all relate to their sphere of influence.”
“How is an Avatar made, if you don’t mind my asking?” Aneira queried.
“We're created when a Spirit desires a mortal life. In my case, the Spirit of Love, Eros, rather predictably, fell in love with a mortal. When that mortal died, she was struck with grief and despair, but she also realised that this was going to keep on happening to her—she’d fall in love, the mortal would die and she would fall back into grief again. A rather cruel fate. So in order to limit her pain, she turned herself into a mortal—the first Avatar. However, since love still existed when she died, her powers got passed onto another, newly born mortal. This cycle of reincarnation was then repeated until the modern day, culminating in myself.”
“You said something about ‘ancestral memory’ earlier. Can you remember any of your past reincarnations?” Twilight asked, scribbling notes on a piece of parchment she had pulled out of seemingly nowhere.
“Bits and pieces. They’re not really my memories either—it feels like reading a strangers diary, more than remembering past events.” Cadance admitted, shaking her head.
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted as Luna came sliding down the table. “Good day, ladies. Please excuse Our behaviour. ” She stood up, and with a wild laugh, charged back down the table, where Arctis was waiting for her.
Twilight looked on with concern. “We should probably do something about that, you know.”
Cadance turned and raised her eyebrow at Twilight. “Do you really want to get in between those two?” she asked, her words punctuated with a mighty crash.
Twilight flinched at the noise. “On second thoughts...”
“I thought so.”
It was several hours before Luna and Arctis could be convinced to finished their brawl, and even then the pair had to be bribed with gracious amounts of alcohol and food, which spawned an impromptu feast, much to the cooks dismay and Aneira’s continued embarrassment. The two Spirits sat at the head of the table, getting progressively drunker and drunker as the night went on, as did most of the court.
“Does this happen often?” Twilight asked Aneira, glancing at her father.
“Unfortunately, yes,” the snow white Reindeer replied. “I think it has something to do with the fact that he has no real responsibilities.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, shooing away a servant trying to refill her stein of untouched ale.
“Well, you know how Princess Luna and Princess Celestia actually rule Equestria?” Twilight nodded. “Well, my father doesn't rule the Everfrozen Forest. He brings the snows, yes, and the clans all respect him and his words, but Reindeer society, for the main part, is completely self governing. His title—and mine, I suppose—are purely ceremonial.”
“Your father has had difficulty fitting in ever since the Fall,” Cadance said, gazing into empty space. She came to with a start, and noticing Twilight’s and Aneira’s stares, blushed. “Sorry, old memories from lives better left forgotten.”
“You know about the Fall?” Aneria asked, surprised.
“Parts of it,” Cadance admitted. “You probably know more than I do.”
“The Fall? What’s that?” Twilight asked, confusion stamped on her face.
“The Fall of the Reindeer Kingdom,” Aneria said, eliciting a gasp of surprise from Twilight. She leaned forwards and began to speak in a low voice. “Thousands of years ago, the Reindeer were masters of a mighty civilization, as large and as prosperous as modern day Equestria. Large cities dominated the tundra, and trade and industry prospered, all under the benevolent rule of Queen Skadi, my grandmother. But our peace and happiness could not last.”
“What happened? Twilight tentatively asked, too enthralled in the story to make notes, her quill and parchment left untouched besides her..
Aneria’s eyes grew dark, her expression stern. “Discord,” she spat. “That vile beast tore down our cities, scattered our people, and in our darkest moment, took our Queen from us. My people fled, running wild with panic and fear, as chaos twisted the land. Our civilization fell, never to exist again.” She paused, and looked upwards, composing herself. When she looked back down again, there was new life shining in her eyes. “But throughout all this, we never lost hope. My father, a mere fawn at the time, still mourning the loss of his mother, rallied his people together, creating a bastion of safety—the Frozen Palace. And from the Frozen Palace, came eight great mages; the Paragons, the Defenders of the North. Representing the eight virtues of Courage, Justice, Compassion, Love, Truth, Order, Faith and Wisdom, they held back the tide of chaos, and saved our people. Finally, the Alicorn sisters were able to seal the demon away, and Harmony was restored. But the Paragons did not live to see this victory.” The entire room had fallen silent by this point, everydeer enraptured by the ancestral tale of their people. Arctis had tears in his eyes, whilst Luna was so still she could have been made of stone. Neither Aneira or Twilight noticed. “With Chaos banished from the lands, my people left the safety of the Palace, and wandered across the tundra, seeking any remnants of our old civilization. It was only then did we realise how much had been taken from us, how much had been lost; and as one, we vowed to never again be so vulnerable. We would build no more cities, construct no more permanent dwellings; always moving, one step ahead of danger. Always safe, always looking over our shoulder in fear.”
There was a moments silence, interrupted only by the hollowing of the winds outside, before Arctis spoke. “To the Paragons!” he shouted, downing his drink, a cry that was followed by everydeer. Surprised by the toast, Twilight also downed her drink, spluttering as the harsh alcohol burned her throat. “Hah!” Arctis bellowed. “The Lady Sparkle drinks like a Reindeer!” A chorus of laughs followed.
“And you, my dear Arctis,” countered Luna drunkenly, “drink like a fish!” The laughter grew louder and within moments, the festive mood returned the hall.
Twilight lay in bed, unable to get to sleep, despite her tiredness and the alcohol coursing through her body. Her mind was awhirl with thoughts, sorting the new knowledge she had gained, her worldview expanding as her comprehension of the cosmos grew. She wanted to do nothing more than rush to the nearest library and start yet another research project,burying her nose in between the pages of books until the soft light of dawn broke.
However, she was stymied by the fact that Reindeer culture was wholly oral, and that few Reindeer could read or write. As a result, the Frozen Palace had no need for a library. It certainly didn't help that any librarians, had they existed this far north, would have been asleep at this time of night. So Twilight was forced to lie in bed, unable to sleep despite her body's protests.
Which is why she thought she was imagining things when she heard the first scream.
She shot upright in bed, horn glowing and heart fluttering. Her eyes glanced around her guest room, looking for anything out of place, ears straining for unusual sounds. But she saw nothing and could only hear the shriek of the wind. Wait, that's not the wind! That's the sound of—
"Windigoes!" Cadance cried, bursting into Twilight's room, causing the purple unicorn to jump of her bed in surprise. "Windigoes are attacking!"
"What? How?" Twilight exclaimed as she climbed to her feet. "That feast should have generated enough Harmony to keep them away for weeks!"
"I don't know, but I can feel them in the keep! Come on, we must find Luna!" Without another word, Cadance dashed out if the room, swiftly followed by Twilight.
Galloping down the corridor, they heard the hateful shriek of Windigoes, the screams of surprised Reindeer, and the unmistakable sound of battle echoing all around them.
The two mares paused at an intersection, three corridors branching off in different directions. They looked at each in confusion, but before they could make a decision, they heard a voice calling them.
"Cadance! Twilight!" Aneira cried, trotting towards them. "Thank the Eight, you're alright."
"Where's your father? Where's Luna?" Cadenced asked, frenzied with worry. Aneira merely shook her head.
"I don't know. Last anydeer saw them was in the great hall. I’ve been sending guards to support them, but I haven't heard anything back."
Twilight's eyes grew wide with fear. "This is no ordinary attack. There's something bigger at play here."
"That's what I thought." Aneira paused, before cocking her head at Twilight. "Those are some interesting stockings you're wearing."
"Buh?" Twilight looked down at herself and realised that she was still wearing the purple and pink striped socks she had worn to bed. She jumped behind Cadance, blushing and shrieking with embarrassment. "It's cold up here!" she stammered out, her cheeks burning.
Aneira rolled her eyes. "Soft pony," she scoffed. There was no maliciousness in her manner, however, and in moments the three friends were laughing.
Their mirth was cut short by a fierce howl echoing down the corridor.
"Oh yeah, the Windigoes," Twilight said, looking round fearfully. "We should probably do something."
Aneira pointed down one of the corridors. "Like I said, I've been directing the guards towards the great hall. We can make a stand there. Hopefully, we should then be able to push them into the courtyard."
"Sounds like a plan," Cadance said. "Let's go." The three began to run down the corridor, towards the sounds of battle. As they grew near, signs of battle began to appear—torn tapestries, torches coated in frost and Reindeer frozen solid. A quick burst of magic from Cadance freed the few they came across.
Eventually they made it to the great hall, where a scene of chaos greeted them. Reindeer armed with spears and ice magic battled against the freezing wind of the beasts, which swirled around them, kicking up snow and ice into their faces. Littered on the floor were the frozen remains of Reindeer who had fallen, along with small piles of snow marking the grave of a Windigo. A few Reindeer tried to activate their ancestral magic of flight, their antlers glowing as they began to levitate, but they were quickly mobbed and overwhelmed, pinning the defenders to the ground.
In the center of this maelstrom of ice and wind and snow, three figures could be seen battling. The first two were the unmistakable forms of Luna and Arctis, whilst their foe was another Reindeer, her coat as pale as the snow that obscured her form. That wasn’t what scared Twilight, however. What terrified her was the fact that the two deities were losing.
“Luna!” Twilight cried out as the Alicorn was beaten back. She pushed on through the battlefield, attempting to reach the Princess, but was forced back by a swooping Windigo. Stumbling backwards, she fell into Cadance’s embrace, whilst Aneira slew the Windigo with a shard of ice shot from between her antlers.
"Together!" Cadance shouted over the din of battle. "We'll push through together!"
Aneira and Twilight nodded their understanding, standing shoulder to shoulder with Cadance. Slowly, they pressed forwards into the hall, streaks of white, purple and pink magic firing from their horns, keeping the beasts at bay. Whenever Twilight stumbled over the debris on the floor, Aneira would cover her whilst Cadance picked her up. Whenever Cadance’s spells faltered, the two sorceresses would leap forwards and blast away any threats. Whenever Aneira reached one of her kinsmen, frozen in ice, Cadance would free him whilst Twilight protected their backs.
Eventually, they made it to the center of the blizzard, where they beheld the foe that challenged Luna and Arctis clearly for the first time. She was a Reindeer, snow white like Arctis and Aneira, with a golden snowmark shining against her fur. She stalked towards Arctis like a wolf, who was stood protectively over Luna’s prone body.
Twilight, Cadance and Aneira could only watch in horror as the strange doe leapt forwards, her antlers clashing against Arctis’. The two dulled in a titanic battle of strength, but Arctis was slowly pushed back, stumbling over Luna’s body. The moment he lost his footing, the doe flicked her head, sending him crashing to the floor.
“Father!” Aneira cried, rushing to his side, whilst Twilight and Cadance moved up to Luna’s, standing defensively over her.
“Bah, mortals,” the doe spat. “I don’t have time for you.” Quick as a flash, she flicked her head forwards, shards of ice materializing from her antlers and flying forth, only to bounce off a wall of purple light.
“You’ll find us no easy challenge, villain!” Cadance said with a smirk, taking a step forwards.
“Oh, a villain, am I?” the doe replied with mock innocence, before charging forwards towards the shield. Twilight funneled more magic into it, bracing for impact. Instead of colliding with it, however, the doe simply slipped through the shield, catching and lifting Cadance up into the air with her antlers, keeping the Alicorn pinned between them. Before Cadance could cry out, there was a blinding flash, and when Twilight could see again she gave a cry of horror. There, with an expression of fear on her face, was Cadance, frozen solid—a statue made of ice.
“Cadance!” Twilight screamed. “You...You monster!” Magic began to collect around her horn, Twilight preparing to cast a powerful spell.
“Now I’m a monster,” the doe said with a bored expression. “Make your mind up, would you?” She flicked her head, throwing Cadance high into the air. “Catch.” Twilight spun around and released the magic she had been building up, catching Cadance before she could shatter on the ground. Sighing with relief, she gently lowered the frozen Alicorn to the ground, but the moment it landed safely she felt a blow against the back of her head as something heavy landed on her, sending her tumbling to the floor.
Looking up, she saw the unconscious form of Aneira draped over her back, unwittingly pinning her to the ground. Struggling against the weight of the Reindeer, she was able to move her head round to look at her opponent, just in time to see her bend down to Luna. Her antlers flashed, and Luna began to melt into a silver liquid that floated off the floor. Another flash of light banished the liquid out the window and into the sky. Then she turned to Arctis and repeated the process, this time turning the Spirit into a pile of snow which was quickly blown out another window.
“I win,” the doe said simply, without emotion or grandeur. She turned, and noticed Twilight watching her. Approaching the prone Unicorn, she gave Twilight an unfathomable look. “Well, aren't you a resilient one?”
“What did you do to Luna?” Twilight demanded, struggling vainly to free herself.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business, now, do you?” Without any further adieu, she swiftly kicked Twilight in the head, knocking her out instantly.
Author's Note
Reindeer worldbuilding story, I choose you!
So yeah, Twilight is now exploring the world of the Reindeer.
A note on names: Its completely arbitrary. There is no rhyme or reason to the names of the Reindeer, its just whatever I come up with.
I started writing this for the World-Building Alliance January Writing Contest. It was going to be a one shot with a similar plot to the Hearths Warming Eve episode, only about Reindeer, but sort of evolved into this adventure fic. Stories keep doing that to me recently.
So enjoy!
"Cadance!" Twilight awoke with a start, limbs flailing in panic as something gripped them tightly.
"Twilight, calm down, you're safe," a voice said to her. Turning, Twilight saw Aneira standing above her.
Sheepishly, she realised that she had been placed in a cot, and that her panicked awakening had caused her to become tangled in the bed sheets.
The Unicorn sat up and looked around. She was still in the destroyed dining hall. The remnants of last night's battle littered the ground, with frozen Reindeer dotted around the room like statues, slowly being unfrozen by a hooful of mages.
The whole thing had an eerie sense of calm to it, a stark contrast to the frantic battle last night.
"—light? Twilight, can you hear me?" The voice was saying. Twilight looked over and saw Aneira still stood beside her. Ugly, purple bruises covered her body, partially obscured by her fur, but otherwise she looked none the worse for wear.
"Are... Are you okay?" Twilight stammered out, her words slow and stilted.
"Am I okay?" Aneira laughed, a gentle melody of chortles that soothed Twilight's headache. "We're more worried about you! You took a nasty blow to the head last night. The shamans think you might have a concussion."
Twilight stared blankly at Aneira, the doe's words trickling into her brain slowly, as if there was a barrier of treacle impeding them.
"What... What happened?" Twilight said after a long moment, groaning as her head pulsated with pain. "How long was I out? And what happened? You know, after the battle."
"Here, drink this, it should help with your head," Aneira said, passing over a green bottle. "You’ve been out almost a full day, it’s almost night. As for what happened, I'm not sure." Aneira frowned, placing a hoof upon her chin. “I woke up a short while ago, alone. I think the doe that led the attack left, taking the Windigoes with her. Drink up," she added, seeing that Twilight had made no effort to drink the potion, merely cradling it between her hooves.
Twilight slowly and haltingly drank from the bottle. Almost immediately, her mind cleared as if a thick fog was lifted from it, although it remained slightly fuzzy around the edges and her headache wasn't completely alleviated. Memories of last night flashed into place—the attack, the battle in the main hall, Luna and Arctis battling a strange Reindeer, before losing.
"Where’s Luna?” Twilight said with a start, her voice filled with panic. “And your father? And Cadance? What happened to them?" She threw aside her blankets and staggered out of bed, nearly falling over if Aneria hadn't moved to catch her. Twilight was too caught up in her worries to thank her properly.
"I'm not sure." Aneria's expression was unreadable. "They're gone. Except for Cadance, and... Well it's easier to show you."
"Show me?" Twilight asked, but Aneira had already turned, leading the Unicorn to the center of the room, where a familiar pink ice statue stood. "Why hasn't she been unfrozen yet?" Twilight asked, glancing at Aneria with worry.
"Because, Twilight," Aneria said, looking her in the eye, "she's frozen in Everice. We can't unfreeze her. She's trapped in there."
Twilight slipped of Aneria, falling to her haunches in shock. "No. No, she can't be trapped. She can’t be. There's got to be some way to get her out." Twilight looked at Aneira pleadingly. “There has to be.”
Aneira shook her head. "Everice is unmeltable. Not even somedeer of Discord's power can melt it. I’m... I’m sorry."
A resolute expression appeared on Twilight's face. "I have to try. I have to get her out of there.”
Aneira said nothing, merely stepping out of the way. Twilight lowered her head, touching her horn to Cadance’s. Slowly, she willed power into her horn, arcane energies traveling through her body. The stress of the spell worsened her headache, causing her to gasp with pain, but she kept on channeling, until the agony was near unbearable. Then she released it.
Twilight gasped once again, though with surprise rather than pain. The Everice consisted of thousands upon thousands of tiny runes, chained to each other like the links in a chainmail shirt. They flowed throughout the ice, binding and maintaining it, a river—nay, a delta—of spellwork, shifting, moving, growing.
Twilight fell to her haunches, tears forming in her eyes. It would take all of her concentration to remove just one of the enchantments, and its self-regenerating nature would mean that two more would spring into place almost instantly.
Twilight stared at it, despair welling up in her heart, but as she looked, a pattern emerged in the spellwork. Certain groups of runes would repeat themselves, moving in a precise arrangement. Like clockwork, Twilight thought to herself. A giant piece of three-dimensional—no, wait, four-dimensional—clockwork.
Sure enough, Twilight’s mind began to pick out the smaller patterns, seeing how they fitted into a whole. No wonder Discord could never destroy it—he can’t even comprehend something of this complexity, this edifice of pure order. But even with this new insight, I still lack the power and the concentration to fix this. But it’s a start...
Twilight sighed. “I can see how to break it... but I don’t have the ability. I don’t think anypony does.”
Aneira blinked and looked at Twilight in surprise. “You saw the pattern?”
Twilight snorted. “Barely. It’s so complex, so subtle, that I almost missed it.”
“I’ve never met another deer—or pony—who could see it,” Aneira said. “Not even my father can see it.”
Twilight looked back at the statue, but any further musings were interrupted by a panicky looking Reindeer approaching them, his shamans cowl lopsided and ragged.
“Aneira, quick, you must come outside,” he said, panting heavily.
“What’s wrong, Seiðr?” she asked, but he only shook his head, leaving for the courtyard.
Aneira and Twilight looked at each other in confusion, before galloping after the Reindeer, Twilight occasionally stumbling as her sore legs struggled to keep up.
They emerged into the courtyard, where a gentle shower of snow was falling, but that wasn't what caught their attention.
Seiðr pointed into the sky. "Look at the moon!" He cried, panic colouring his voice.
Twilight fell to her haunches as she stared at the silvery orb—or rather, the shadowy face that adorned it once again.
"The Mare in the Moon," she half whispered to herself.
But this wasn't the Mare in the Moon from her childhood. Whereas the former inspired fear and terror for a thousand years, looking at this one, Twilight felt only sadness.
"Luna..." Twilight croaked out, and she realised she was sobbing. Aneria looked over and wordlessly pulled her into a hug. "Princess Celestia's going to kill me." Twilight attempted to chuckle, but all that burst out was another sob.
"Seiðr," Aneria barked sharply, "help me get Twilight back inside."
"At once, Your Highness," the shaman replied, coming round to Twilight's otherside. Together, they managed to herd the distraught Unicorn back inside and onto her cot.
"Here, Twilight, drink this," Aneria said once Twilight was settled, passing her a blue bottle. "It'll help you sleep."
Twilight numbly took the bottle and gulped its contents down. Immediately she began to feel drowsy, and within moments she was asleep.
Twilight awoke slowly, the sound of muted discussion filling her ears. Blearily rubbing her eyes, she looked over to where Aneria, Seiðr and a third Reindeer were standing, along with Luna’s two pegasus nightguards, all five locked in a whispered discussion.
Twilight pulled back the sheets, and hopped out of bed, her hooves clacking against the hard floor. Her vision blurred and she swayed, only to be caught by Aneria before she could fall over.
“Twilight, are you feeling okay?” one of the guards asked, concern in his voice as he helped Twilight find her footing.
Twilight stood upright, taking her weight of the night pegasus. “Yes, Sergeant Nightwing, I’m fine, I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“That’s good,” Corporal Shadow Flight replied. “After losing the Princesses, we don’t want to lose you as well.”
Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. “Thank you, sirs, for your concern.”
“Just doing our duty, Ma’am,” Shadow Flight replied.
Twilight turned to Aneria. “So what’s the plan?”
“We believe that my Father was also banished, in a similar manner to Princess Luna,” Aneria replied. “Thankfully, my father was a paranoid old goat, so he created an emergency measure in case he was incapacitated.”
“An emergency measure?” Twilight said.
“If I may?” Seiðr asked, stepping forwards. At Twilight’s nod, he continued. “Prince Arctis created a series of virtuous enchantments, which when activated, emit a large amount of Harmony energy, as well as restoring Prince Arctis to his full self. We hypothesized that Arctis would be reformed from wherever he was banished to, should the enchantments be activated. It would also have the effect of banishing the Windigoes, although after their invasion last night, we don’t know how effective that would be.”
“Virtuous enchantments?” Twilight asked. “Like the Elements of Harmony?”
“Exactly.” Seiðr nodded enthusiastically. “The eight shrines—the objects which contain the enchantments—were actually based off Queen Harmony’s work, but instead of drawing on your Queens ideals of Friendship, they are based on the eight virtues of the Paragons.”
“The eight virtues? Thats, uh, Courage, Justice, Compassion, Love...” Twilight paused for a moment, her hoof tapping anxiously against the floor. “... Truth, Order, Faith and Wisdom, right?”
“You’re quite right, lassie” said the third Reindeer, a large, burly warrior with ritualistic tattoos covering his scarred hide, contrasting sharply with his low and soft spoken voice. Despite herself, Twilight quailed in fright as the large and intimidating Deer stepped forwards. “My apologies, M’Lady, for we have not been introduced. I am Andfenga, Prince Arctis’ Chosen.”
“Chosen? What does that mean?” Twilight asked, her eyes burning with curiosity, although she still kept a wary distance from the warrior. Such people were uncommon in Equestria—even her brother, Shining Armor, who was the captain of Celestia’s own royal guard, had limited battle experience, and certainly did not give off the same aura of restrained violence.
“The Chosen of the Paragons are the greatest warriors in each clan—a cross between a champion and a captain of the guard,” Aneria explained.
“Aye,” Andfenga added. “Tis a great honour—and a great responsibility, for we have to uphold the ideals of the Paragons at all times.”
“Hm,” Twilight said, thinking. “It also sets you up as likely candidates for the virtuous enchantments.”
“Quite right,” Aneria said. “We happen to know for a fact that Andfenga represents the virtue of Courage, since he activated the shrine some years ago. The other shrines, however, are dormant. We have never had more than three active at any one time, actually.”
Twilight frowned. "That's a problem... But if Arctis linked the shrines to the Weave of Destiny, then the required Reindeer should appear anyway..."
"We can't say for sure that is the case," Seiðr replied. "Besides, the Weave is fickle. Even if the shrines are linked, like your Elements were, we would still have to prove ourselves worthy. We can never rely solely on destiny to do our work for us."
"True, even I had to prove myself worthy of the Element of Magic, despite having it as my Cutie Mark," Twilight said, pacing up and down as she considered the problem. “But either way, there is nothing that can be done about it.”
“Quite right,” Aneria said. “So the plan is to leave for the shrines as soon as sufficient supplies can be gathered, and hope for the best.”
Twilight chuckled at the simplicity of the plan. When Aneria shot her a look, she explained, “it’s no worse than my plan to take on Nightmare Moon. Heck, the original plan called for me to approach her alone and with no supplies. So what’s our first destination?”
Aneria looked up in surprise. “You’re coming?”
Twilight snorted. “Of course I am. I’m not going to let any friend of mine face this journey alone. Besides, I need to get payback on that doe for what she did to Luna and Cadance. Speaking of which, I don’t suppose you know who she is?”
Aneria shook her head. “Not a clue. Which is why the Shrine of Wisdom is our first stop, as that is where the Great Archive, the largest repository of Reindeer knowledge, resides. If they don’t know who she is, nodeer will.”
“We set off in the morning,” Andfenga said. “I suggest you all try to get some sleep. The Shrine of Wisdom is a good two day hike from here.”
Twilight nodded, before turning to return to her room, when she felt a hoof stop her. Turning, she saw Aneria.
“Twilight... Thank you. For coming with me.”
Twilight smiled in return. “You’re welcome.”
Author's Note
Holy sardines-in-a-can, Batman! A chapter update!
Sorry it took so long. I ended up restarting this chapter twice. Yeah.
Not much really happens, we meet some new characters I should have introduced last chapter, except that they didn't exist back then. We're going to be seeing a lot more of all them, as well as some of the concepts they introduce (Weave of Destiny, virtuous enchantments etc).
Corporal Shadow Flight and Sergeant Nightwing are 'Night Pegasi', the batwinged ones Luna uses, and I will be exploring bits of their backstory as well as the Reindeer stuff. I should have had them a bit more involved in this chapter. Live and learn.
Seiðr is the Norse word for sorcery. Andfenga is the Old English word for defender. I am literaly pulling words out of a hat and translating them into extinct languages here.
Twilight shivered as the biting cold tore into her despite the fur coat she wore. She then shivered again, forcibly reminded that she was wearing the coat of a once living animal.
“Do I have to wear this?” Twilight asked, the freezing wind ripping the words out of her mouth.
“Aye, lass,” Andfanga replied, turning to speak to her. “Tis the best way to keep warm out here. It ain’t pretty, but then, not much is this far north.”
Twilight grumbled, but pulled the fur coat tighter around her. Logically speaking, she understood that the many violent animals that roamed the Everfrozen Forest had to be killed, and that it was a waste to just leave the bodies out in the snow. On an emotional level, however, she was revolted by the article of clothing. I hope Rarity and Fluttershy never see this.
The group, which consisted of Twilight, Andfanga, Aneria, Seiðr and the Night Ponies Shadow Flight and Nightwing, had been trudging through the knee deep snow for half an hour now, and could still see the gleaming spires of the Frozen Palace above the treeline. Tall, snow draped pines surrounded them, closing off much of the cloudy sky, yet also protecting them from the snowstorm that swirled around them.
Twilight shivered once more, before realising that she was falling behind the long-legged deer. Trotting as fast as she could through the thick snow, she came abreast with Aneria and Shadow Flight.
“Hi, Twilight,” Aneria said. “Shadow was just telling me about the Night Ponies—I’ve never met one before.”
“Oh, yes,” Twilight said. “The Night Ponies have a long and rich history...” she paused, catching Shadow Flight’s look “... and one the good corporal here is better qualified to tell you about. Heh.”
“Thank you, Countess,” Shadow said, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, as I was saying, we’re not a separate group of Ponies, like the Earth Ponies or the Unicorn Ponies, but rather a type of Pegasus Pony. The first of my kind were actually normal Pegasus Ponies, who made a pact with Princess Luna in order to help her guard the night. This was shortly after the Chaos wars, when many dangerous beasts threatened the stability of what was left of civilisation.”
“A pact?"
"Yes, the Pact of Night. Princess Luna instilled a small amount of her power into fifty Pegasus ponies—forty mares and ten stallions—transforming them into the first Night Ponies, granting us the many powers that allowed us to take the fight to the forces of Chaos."
"Wouldn't that have weakened Princess Luna?" Aneria asked.
"Yes, it did—it's also what allowed the Nightmare to take hold, to our eternal shame."
Twilight blinked in surprise. “I never knew that.”
“It’s not widely spread knowledge,” Shadow Flight said, his voice dropping. “By creating a link between the first Night Ponies and herself, Princess Luna grew vulnerable to the whispers of the Nightmare. Princess Celestia was too busy trying to rebuild the country to notice, and my ancestors spent too much time holding back the many beasts that threatened Equestria. Our negligence allowed our patron to succumb to the Nightmare, and for that crime we exiled ourselves far from Equestria, to the Deep Caverns.”
“The Deep Caverns? I’ve never heard of such a location,” Aneria said.
“It is a hidden and secret location, it’s whereabouts known only to Princess Luna and the Night Ponies,” Twilight said. “It was a refuge for her Night Ponies that she created shortly before the Nightmare took over. All that’s known is that it lies deep within a mountain far from the borders of Equestria.”
“And that’s all you’ll ever know,” Shadow Flight replied. “We take our isolation very seriously. Only those under the direct orders of Princess Luna may leave, not even our leaders, the Black Council.”
“I thought you were ruled by the Equestrian Government?” Aneria asked.
“Hah! No, after our exile, we renounced Princess Celestia—for we served the Princess of the Moon, not the Sun—and set up our own Government. On it sits thirteen councillors, three from each of the four castes along with a High Councillor whose loyalty is to the city, not the castes. Together they make the laws that bind my people together. Only Princess Luna can overrule the Black Council’s decisions, a right she has yet to use.”
“And the... castes? What are those?”
“Each Night Pony is sorted into one of four social groups, depending on their talents. There are four castes, not counting the casteless, in total. First is the New Moon caste, who are the military and the police. Both myself and the Sergeant are New Moons, as will be any other Night Pony you are likely to meet. We protect the people, the Princess and the government, in that order. We are the arbiters of justice, and it is by our will that the city stands strong, bound by ties of brotherhood and loyalty.
“Next is the Waxing Moon caste—the farmers who grow our food. They are the most respected caste as they vital to our survival, for they cultivate the mushroom farms and other low light crops. They are also the smallest caste, as not many Night Ponies have an affinity with farming, and there are no Earth Ponies amongst our kindred.
“The third caste is the Full Moon caste, who are our scholars and researchers, our teachers, librarians and academics, as well as our doctors. Much of the day to day running of the Deep Caverns is delegated amongst the Full Moon caste, but they also keep our records, and many chose to explore their own fields of study. You’d probably get along well with many of them, Countess.”
Twilight blushed, spinning a hoof sheepishly. “You can just call me Twilight, you know.”
“Old habits die hard, ma’am,” Shadow replied with a grin. “The fourth and final caste is the Waxing Moon caste. Those of the Waxing Moon are artisans—sculptors, architects, woodworkers, painters and their ilk. Their duties are divided into two aspects; building and maintaining the physical city itself, and also producing the many luxuries we furnish our homes with."
"Wow," Aneria said. "That sounds really organised.”
“We have to be,” Nightwing said, joining the group. “Food and space are both scarce within the Deep Caverns, and as such, a strong sense of discipline is required to maintain law and order. Everypony has a place and a duty, and they must follow through on it, or become casteless.”
“Casteless? As in, ponies who don’t belong to a caste?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Nightwing said. “All Night Ponies are entitled to certain things—food, shelter, education—as long as they are a member of a caste. Some, however, are not members of any of the castes, and lack such privileges.”
Twilight frowned. “In Equestria, those are basic rights.”
Nightwing snorted. “Do you not have to pay for your food, for your houses? Do you not have to work for the money that pays for such ‘basic rights’? Pay taxes for your education? It is the same in the Deep Caverns, except the Black Council provides such things directly to those who work. Those who refuse to work for the benefit of the city find that the city owes them nothing.”
“But how do they survive?” Aneria asked.
“Most are already criminals thrown out by their castes, so they simply steal what they need,” Nightwing said. “Others quickly get their act together and become productive members of society once more. Our civilization stands on the precipice, and everypony needs to play their part.”
“That’s quite harsh, even by our standards,” Aneria replied.
Shadow Flight shrugged. “The Deep Caverns are a harsh place.”
The group fell to silence, trudging through the snow. Above them, dark grey storm clouds loomed ominously, and Twilight felt a shiver of fear at the sight of such violent weather. The wind shrieked through the branches of the trees, and the clouds rumbled with thunder, the undersides occasionally lit up by lighting.
The winds fierce howling made Twilight shiver with fear, and caused the Reindeer to halt. Twilight looked at Aneria, only to see a look of horror etched on her face.
“Frost wolves!” she cried, sprinting forwards, quickly followed by Andfanga, who drew a large battle worn axe, and Seiðr, his antlers glowing with arcane energies, all three looking back fearfully. The Night Ponies’ training kicked in, immediately leaping forwards, keeping pace with the longer limbed Deer, but Twilight was so surprised by the sudden movement she found herself quickly left behind.
Another howl echoed behind her, and Twilight realised with a start that it wasn’t the wind. Panic gripped her heart, and she lurched forwards, her movements restricted by the thick snow. Even under ideal conditions, Twilight was no athlete, and now she was trying to outrun some unseen threat through thick snow, whilst burdened down with thick furs and a heavy saddlebag.
“Wait!” Twilight managed to call out, before tripping over a buried root and falling flat on her face. Climbing to her knees, she spat out a mouthful of snow, only to pause as another chilling howl came from behind her. Her blood chilled, Twilight slowly turned around. Loping through the forest behind her, a pack of indistinct creatures, dozens at the least, closed in on her at a terrifying speed.
Frost wolves! the one part of her mind that still worked cried out. Facts about the wild constructs, learned before the safety of a fireplace back in her library, flitted through her mind. They were magical constructs formed from snow, ice and wild nature magic, the primal fury of the north made real. Icy skin as hard as steel, razor sharp fangs and breath colder than the grave; a single bite could induce severe frostbite—assuming that they did not simply rip the limb off.
Twilight could only watch in fear as the pack descended on her. There was no time to act, no spell that could save her, no knowledge that she could utilise. The lead wolf was in mid leap, mere cubits from ripping out her throat.
Twilight gulped, and thought of home.
There was a flash of light, and Twilight flinched back with a cry. When she looked again, she saw that the lead wolf was sprawled on it’s back, a large crystal of ice lodged within it’s body. Twilight watched with amazement as the wolf melted before her eyes, the magic which bound it’s body together dissipating into the Æther.
A cry caught Twilight’s ears, and she turned, seeing Andfanga leap over her, his large axe held within his levitation, spinning and wirling, its very presence causing the wolves to back away wearily.
“Countess!” another voice called, and Twilight turned to see Shadow Flight land beside her. “Are you alright?”
Twilight sucked in a breath, the freezing air biting her lungs. “Yes, Corporal, I’m fine.” Twilight blinked with surprise. Apart from the bruise she had gained when she had tripped, she was completely unharmed.
Footsteps in the snow behind her caught her attention, and Twilight turned to see the rest of the group approaching at a fast pace, Aneria and Seiðr’s horns glowing with magic. Shards of ice flew from between their antlers, shattering against the coats of the wolves and driving them back as Andfanga bucked and hacked through them, destroying the constructs one by one.
But no matter how many they felled, more kept charging out of the trees. First dozens, then hundreds of howls reverberated through the air as a veritable horde of Frost Wolves charged into the fray. Andfenga was driven backwards, and Aniera and Seiðr began to obvious signs of exhaustion.
"There must be every frost wolf in the forest out here!" Aneria cried.
Twilight felt a hoof at her side, and she saw Nightwing stood next to her, supporting her weight along with Shadow. Together the two Night Ponies pulled her backwards, away from the melee and through the trees, the three Reindeer following closely behind.
Faster and faster they began to move, galloping through the snow, away from the wolves, neither pulling ahead of the pack, nor falling behind, instead maintaining their distance.
More howls echoed around them as more wolves joined the hunt, thunder and lightning crashing overhead as the wind blew up a fierce blizzard. Visibility shrank, until Twilight could barely see anything in front of her. Had it not been for the Night Ponies on either side, guiding her every step, she would have become hopelessly lost.
After what felt like hours of running, but was probably minuets, the group bust out of the forest into a clearing, which ended at the lip of an impossibly deep chasm. Twilight came to a stop almost immediately, only narrowly avoiding falling into the gorge thanks to the quick actions of the two Night Ponies supporting her. Shadow Flight tried to take to the air, but the fierce blizzard battered him back down again.
“Over there!” Aneria cried, pointing towards a long, rickety rope bridge that hung across the gap. Twilight felt her stomach drop at just the thought of crossing the precarious bridge in these conditions, but the sound of the rapidly approaching frost wolves killed any apprehension she had.
As quickly as she dared, Twilight walked onto the bridge, trapped in single file between the two Night Ponies, the Reindeer behind her, with Andfanga bringing up the rear.
Snap
Twilight yelped with surprise as one of the ropes holding the bridge snapped. The bridge lurched and she fell to her feet.
"Run!" cried Andfanga, turning to face the frost wolves. "Ah'll hold 'em off!"
Twilight sprinted to the other side, collapsing in the snow. Howls from across the bridge drew her attention, and she saw that Andfanga was the only Deer left on the bridge, single hoofedly holding of the wolf pack, their overwhelming numbers negated by the narrow bridge.
"Andfanga! Get over here, we'll cut the bridge!" Aneria shouted. The burly Reindeer warrior gave no indication that he heard. "Andfanga!"
Snap
The other hoof rail snapped, rocking the bridge and sending several wolves, along with Andfanga's axe, into the darkened abyss, whilst Andfanga clung to the bridge, buffeted about by the force winds blowing.
Andfanga looked behind, and briefly locked eyes with Aneria, before turning back into the melee, antlers lowered. He hit the first wolf head on and flipped it over the side of the bridge, his momentum knocking down the next few wolves as well.
Twilight felt her heart leap into her throat. The bridge was now clear, but if he turned his back to cross it, the wolves would easily catch up and tackle him.
Rather than turning back, however, the warrior chafed once more, back into solid ground. As he passed the bridge supports, he kicked them, breaking the ageing wood and sending the bridge tumbling into the abyss.
"No!" Aneria cried. "Andfanga, get back over here! Fly! I know you can!"
There was no way he could have heard her over the sound of the wind, and yet his horns glowed with magic anyway, his body levitating into the air.
However, strung up in the air like that, the old warrior was at the mercy of the cruel and capricious winds, and he found himself buffeted away from the chasm.
Distracted, it was foals play for a wolf to leap up onto his back. The added weight quickly brought him back to earth, where the other wolves pounced upon him in a frenzy of ice and blood.
"Andfanga!" Aneria cried one last time, howling into the winds as the pile of frost wolves tumbled towards, then over, the lip off the cliff. "No!"
She ran to the edge herself, almost falling in as she did so, before falling to her knees.
Twilight climbed to her feet and approached the doe. "An-Aneria?"
She turned to face Twilight, tears streaming down her face, freezing in the cold. "He's gone... My father's greatest warrior... his best friend... and he's gone."
Twilight said nothing as she simply held the distraught Reindeer close, watching impassively as the the pack of frost wolves slowly, one by one, turned and disappeared into the forest.
Author's Note
I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that to happen until I was about 1500 words into this chapter.
Also, I may have gone overboard with the Deep Caverns stuff. I also realy want to do a fic set in the Deep Caverns now as well. Sounds like a good setting for a political drama type thing, what with the council, the castes and casteless and what not.
Thats actually the reason why the tone shifts so dramatically half way through this chapter—originally the secong half was going to be Reindeer worldbuilding, but then I realised that it would make this not so much a story as an encyclopedia disguised within a narrative.
Tl;dr: I need to plan these things out better.
