The Mare Who Fell In Love With The Windby canonkillerChaptersA Spirit (Named Shadow)Teaching the Storm (Of Words Unspoken)With Gentle Song (Cries the Silence)The Attack (And the Toll)The End (For Now)New Hooves (And Old Bruises)A Spirit (Named Shadow)Once upon a time, in a growing city in the Arctic Wastes, a young mare walked the enchanted border of her empire. Her mane was a pale purple, with a streak of yellow, and her coat was a cheery rose. Her back was scarce of wings, and her head was scarce of horns, but she was the Princess nonetheless. Her magenta eyes glittered against her crystalline skin as she began to hum along to the whistling wind. On the other side of the edge she walked along, the wind rushed and bit with snow. Hidden in the gale, a herd of snow-white horses galloped along, mane and tail billowing like smoke behind them. In the middle, a foal, coat dusky gray against his white brothers and sisters, trailed in the snow. Why, he asked the others quietly, does she not sing? She is lonely. The others replied, nudging him along. What is lonely? He asked, looking up at them through coal-black eyes. They frowned, white eyes gleaming. She is not one of us. That is lonely. He watched her walk and sing as the herd started to slow, preparing to rest for the night. He trotted around the group, anxiously watching the young mare. Can she be one of us? No. The Windigo beside him replied. Can I be one of her? He asked, kneeling down in the snow. No. He sighed, vapor trailing from his mouth. Then how do we stop her lonely? We cannot. Go to sleep. The colt stood up, wandering away from the group. I will. The other Windigo watched him for a moment before tucking its' head down and falling asleep. The colt trotted up alongside the mare, watching her and listening to her song. Her eyes opened, and she saw the young Windigo. Open-mouthed in wonder, the mare put her hoof against the force-field of her city. The Windigo frowned cautiously before doing the same, the magic a solid, warm wall under his hoof. "What are you?" Her voice, muffled by the barrier, coated the shimmering wall with steam. "Why are you here?" I am a winter spirit. He replied, reaching out to try and make a mental connection. The mare gasped, drawing away from the barrier. "You spoke in my head!" Your head. Yes. He tilted his head, looking past her into the city beyond. Why do you have a lonely? "I'm a Princess." She sighed. Is that a bad thing? "I am the Princess of a failing line." She replied. "Nobody wants to be friends with a filly who's better than them." Are you better than them? I do not understand. He leaned his muzzle against the glass, snorting mist against the wall. "They are the ones who do not understand." She paused, removing her hoof from the barrier. "Do you have a name?" What is a name? He asked. Do you have one? Is that what makes you better than the others? "A name is something others call you by. My name is Crystal Heart." I will call you Crystal, then. He nodded, pleased. I do not have a name. Windigoes do not need them. "That's kind of sad. Do you want a name?" It would be nice. She tapped a hoof on the barrier. "You're darker than the others. I'll call you Shadow." That sounds nice. He agreed, smiling. She lifted an ear, turning away from the barrier. "The crystal is calling. I have to go. I'll see you again, yes?" You will. She stood up, backing up from the wall with a soft smile before turning and galloping back to the city. Shadow left his hoof on the warm barrier for a few moments before lifting the hoof and placing it over his chest. I feel warmth inside. He commented idly to himself. I hope I haven't caught her lonely. Teaching the Storm (Of Words Unspoken)"I met a colt today." Princess Crystal muttered into her milk. Her parents nodded over their own food, barely sparing her a glance as they looked over history records and sorted bits. She blew a few bubbles in her glass, passing time between sentences. "We're very close." She said, a little louder. "Mm-hm." "Yes, dear." "Like, in love close." She nearly yelled, leaning closer to the couple. Her mother glanced up at her, smiling in the way strangers do when approached by someone they do not know. "Good for you, dear." Crystal swung her hooves in a wide arc, rearing up like a pony possessed. "I'm gonna have babies!" Her parents showed no sign of reaction to her yelling. With the frown she wore every time she tried to hold up a conversation, she calmly sat down, tucking her front hooves on the edge of the table in front of her. Slowly, like a snake about to strike, she pressed the sole of her hoof against her glass. And even slower, she dripped a single drop of milk onto the paper closest to her. "Princess Crystal Heart, how dare you! Behave yourself!" Her mother shouted, glaring at her as she worked to remove the small stain. Her father fumed, the pencil in his mouth breaking as he ground his teeth. "Go to your room, young lady!" Crystal sighed, pushing back from the table. She left the table with grace and elegance, only needing half a hallway for the fury behind her to end. She promtly turned around, trotting through the dining room. "Hi, mom. Hi, dad." They grunted, not looking up. With a deep breath, she tossed her mane back over her face, trotting outside with great dignity and purpose. As soon as she realized she was free of any passers-by, she broke into a full gallop, breaking away from the city streets and tracing a grassy trail against the rolling meadows on the outskirts. tap tap tap Outside of the barrier, a young Windigo shifted, snow falling from his gray back. He flicked an ear; something was making irritating noises. tap tap tap He pulled his head from the snow, vapor trailing from his phantasmal skin as the temperature changed. His ears drew his eyes towards the glowing barrier nearby, and the filly standing within. Hello. She startled, obviously not expecting the response. I am sorry for scaring you. "I forgot how you spoke." She admitted, "I missed you." How did you miss me? Was I hiding? He tilted his head, trying to understand. Is bad vision an effect of lonely? "Lonely is not an ailment." She replied, placing her hoof against the barrier and shivering as he did the same. "Lonely is a feeling." What is a feeling? "Do you not have feelings? Emotions? Hope, joy, sadness?" I feel better when I am in the cold than when I am in the warm. "That's an ailment. I read about you last night; you're a snow spirit, so you wouldn't like being in the warmth. That's why you exist in the Frozen North, where the sun's heat never melts the snow." I do not know much about my kind. I do not know much about feelings. He sat down, pulling his haunches under him. Is there much more I do not know? "I don't know. What do you know?" I know my insides feel warm when you are here. He tapped his chin with a hoof, black eyes closing as he wondering. But it is not in the bad warm of light and fire. It is a nice warm. The filly's mane hid half of her face as she reddened. "That is a feeling." Is that lonely? She shook her head. "Lonely is like being in a cold, dark place, with nobody around you who cares about you." It is cold and dark out here. She smiled, gently but heartrendingly. "Maybe you should try to come in." With Gentle Song (Cries the Silence)Tell me how to be one of her kind. Shadow hissed, stomping a hoof. It is not right. The other Windigoes answered. You cannot. Shadow snorted, mane billowing wildly. I have always been different! I have never thought with the herd! That can change, their gentle voices crooned, you are young. He glared at them through dark eyes, hating their brightness, their purity, their oneness. I was never one of you! I never will be! He turned away, towards the shimmering barrier of the city. I will be one of them! You will never be one of them, their voices echoed as he galloped away, when you are one of us. A few minutes prior and a few miles away, a small family sat around the table. "Mom? What's going on?" The Crystal Queen looked away from her daughter. "The city has been in danger for a long time from the Arctic weather, you know that." Her father nodded solemnly. "In order to protect the ponies here, we have to make an artifact that will protect the city. But such an artifact requires huge amounts of energy. In order to get that much energy, somepony on the royal line must be... sacrificed. Someone untainted by the feelings of common folk." "Y-you mean, all those times other ponies acted like I didn't exist?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "It was all so you could kill me?" "Don't think of it like that." He mother whispered. "You'll be protecting the city for a long time. Forever, even." "You can't!" Crystal shouted, pushing away from the table. "I fell in love, mom! You would know that, if you ever paid attention to me!" Her parents exchanged glances. "In love? With who?" Her eyes narrowed and she turned, galloping from the room. Her father's pale wings flapped once, and he was blocking her way. "With who?!" "With the wind." She hissed before dropping to her belly, skidding under his feathers and continuing down the hall. Crystal charged through the hallways, dodging capture with only hairs to spare. Free of the castle, she tore down the streets, taking off towards the wide meadows to the outskirts. The King landed on the front yard of the palace, frowning. His Unicorn wife flashed into existence beside him. "We cannot use a tainted heart to protect the city." She whispered. "We cannot endanger our kind." He nodded. "We will need new kin." A deep hollowness danced across the Queen's eyes. "Of course." She breathed into the warm air. "For now," the King replied, trotting back into the castle. "Find her a proper husband." "Of course." She waited on the grass, listening as her husband returned to the castle. She sighed, turning away after a few silent moments. "Good luck, my Princess." The Attack (And the Toll)Shadow was no longer the little one. The time he had spent away from the others had allowed him to grow; his shoulders had gone broad, his movement was stronger and his breath hissed between his teeth like a blizzard. Crystal galloped alongside him, her coat thick to block the chill and her mane and tail bound back to keep them from blowing in the wind. White shapes flickered in and out of the building snowstorm, screeching whinnies across the arctic plain. Can you do this? Can you fight your own people? "It will not come to that," she yelled through the wind. "I will go to the tower and take the child before they can bond her to the city's magic." I will come with you, Shadow replied calmly. The others will be able to deal with the guards. She nodded, and the two of them slowed as they clambered up the embankment. Below them, the city sprawled, protected by a bubble of shimmering magic. The snow ended where the shield began, and Crystal wondered momentarily if it was ever cold within. Are you ready? "Yes." Shadow whinnied, loud and sharp, and the Windigoes charged. They slammed into the shield, dissolving into flakes as they hit it only to reform and try it again. The bubble flexed like rubber, but the repeated cold of the Windigoes was spreading a frosty spray across the surface. Shadow tapped her hoof with his own before running down himself. The Windigoes cleared around them, leaving a path straight to the icy surface. Shadow jumped, twisting sideways, and slammed into the shield at full force. The ice broke under his weight, and the whole bubble shimmered away as he broke through. A solid wall of heat blew outwards as the cold rushed in, and Shadow stumbled and fell. Crystal cantered over to him, nudging him up onto his feet. The cold was rushing in, and Windigoes were rushing into the city around them. Ponies closer to the center were screaming in confusion and panic, and the feral screams of the Windigoes did little to calm them. We go to the tower, Shadow muttered, and hope that we will be there in time. Crystal nodded, making sure he was solid on his hooves before galloping after the Windigoes. Films of frost had formed around the initial break in the shield, and there were wide patches of ice where their hooves had landed on the stone streets. Nonetheless, she only picked up speed, expertly sliding on the ice when there was too much of it. Shadow followed behind, snorting frost at any who tried to stop them. The tower was relatively undefended; the guards had not been prepared for the barrier to break, and were still scrambling to find some formation. Crystal pounded past them, grabbing a crystal-tipped spear as she barreled past. The tower was relatively clear; Crystal took the stairs four at a time while Shadow followed in her wake. Crystal spun, kicking a door in with both back hooves, and stormed in without missing a beat. Her parents turned quickly, fear painted on their muzzles. Shadow was aware, now, that being away from the ponies had made Crystal stronger too; she was thicker, taller, and sturdier. Her coat was flecked with ice, and she swung the spear in her mouth with deadly precision. She walked forward, slowly and elegantly. Her mother looked away, at the back of the room, but her father spread his wings to block her view. "Stop this madness. Spare your child's life." "How did you get through the barrier?" Her father demanded. "And how did you make it fail?" Shadow tilted his head. He was not quite sure how she escaped the city either; she had just appeared in the snow, shivering and weak. "It is easier to leave than to return," she replied, transferring the spear so that it rested in her foreleg. "Nobody else had any reason to try and pass through the barrier, so nobody knew. To come back in, you had to break it down. So I did." The King snorted. "Go back to your wretched wasteland." "Not without my sister!" She yelled. "Where is she?!" He moved directly into her way, baring his teeth. "You'll have to go through me." "With pleasure." The End (For Now)Her father was foolish. He was unarmed and unarmored, and she had a spear and a body hardened by winter. It was over before it even began. She turned to her mother as her father's body was still falling, raising her spear in preparation for another fight. The mare shook her head, stepping aside without trouble. "Crystal, you must understand, the Crystal Ponies will die without a protector." She whispered as she passed. "We need something that will not falter, ever. A single pony cannot do that." "You wouldn't give anyone the chance," Crystal replied. "That's why you were going to kill me!" "There was nothing I could do to stop your father! I was never strong enough." She begged Crystal with her eyes, crumpling to the ground. "He's taken all of my children from me. I cannot go on without knowing that there will be a heir to protect us." Crystal stepped up to what her father had been protecting; a small crib made entirely of blue crystal. Within, curled on a pile of blankets and shivering against the cold, a small pink foal was sleeping. Her forehead peaked with her young horn, and on either side of her back, a pair of wings were still downy with youth. "He was going to kill an Alicorn for his people?" Crystal muttered. The Queen nodded. "He knew I would not bear again, if I even lived another year. I am weak from holding up the barrier for so long; we couldn't allow ages of ponies to waste their lives protecting the city. By sacrificing one now, we could stop anyone from having to do it again." She snorted, turning away from the crib. "By royal decree, you are banished from the empire. Turn to ice and stay with the other forgotten ones." Her mother stumbled; the weight in her words was an Earth Pony magic, not one she could combat. She knelt to the ground and her coat bleached. The room chilled, and when she moved again it was with the crackling snow of a Windigo. She keened loudly and fled the room, leaving a trail of ice in her wake. "Shadow, I cannot leave my people to die." You cannot be saying- "With my final breath and my final blood," she continued, "I give my form to you; I will become the protector of the city and you will become the protector of my sister. Can I trust you to do this?" I - Crystal, you cannot do this! She turned to him, dropping the spear. The tip was wet with blood, as was her chest. "I already have." He shot to her side, trying to lie her down gently. Please, you can't be going." "Forgive me for being so foolish, Shadow. Sing... sing my songs like I used to. For her. Pick... a new leader. P-protect her." Shadow pressed his head into her side. "Don't go." "I love you, Shadow." "I-I love you too." When he opened his eyes, her body was gone. A large blue crystal lay in it's place, warm despite the chill of the city. It began letting off a low, melodious hum as he lay near it, and the temperature of the room rose. Slowly, a shimmering blue bubble expanded from the crystal, passing through him and continuing outward. It grew steadily warmer, and the noises of panic died down as the Windigoes were forced to retreat. The crystal had begun to hover in the air, spinning slowly. Shadow hauled himself to his hooves and trotted over to the crib. He looked down at the young pony, so much like Crystal and yet so different. She was calm and safe now, warm within her crystal city. "I will protect her," he whispered to the crystal. "She will always be safe." It spun a little faster. Author's Note I know it's kind of jumpy and quick, but I wanted to finally get it posted and done. The sequel is A Fear of the Dark. New Hooves (And Old Bruises)The wind was much less bitter with her by his side. Shadow tilted his head, leaning against her shoulder. The wind may have been blowing outside, but in their makeshift igloo, it was nothing more than noise. Together, they had built the little home, supported by a icy rock on one side and by thick sheets of ice on the others. A small tunnel lead to the outside world, but at the moment, neither of them cared. Crystal stretched out a hoof, yawning. "How long has it been, now?" Shadow smiled, nuzzling her mane. Nine months. "Nine months free of my parents, of the palace, of all those dumb rules." She sighed. "I wish you could come inside the barrier. Maybe then we'd find someone who could make you into a pony." Shadow shook his head, mane billowing in the wild way of the Windigo. You'd lose too much, being in there again. "But I want us to be together!" She pressed her cheek up against his neck, sighing. "We can't live like this forever." Why not? There's no rules out here. Shadow snorted, shaking his head. I can't let you go back alone. Their discussion was interrupted by the stomping of hooves outside, of the eerie wail of wind dimming. Little one, is this where you hide? Shadow snorted, gently pressing Crystal's cheek with his own before struggling out into the stinging wind. The herd, frost-white and shimmering, encircled him, pawing and snorting. The castle is changing, one muttered, they have grown warmer. We fear they mean to end us. That is not a problem of mine. Shadow replied, tossing his head. I'm not a Windigo. One stepped forward, ice glittering along his back. You have a Windigoes' skin and a Windigoes' heart. You are one of us. Another approached as well. Your friend caused all of this. The city changed when she left it! They are preparing something to remove us, to protect the city. "It's a child." Shadow turned, eyes widening as Crystal stepped out of their home. She flinched immediately as the wind rose, the Windigoes' gleaming eyes narrowing. "The protector of the city is a child." She continued, trudging through the snow to stand by Shadow's side. "My mother and father plan to kill it to create an artifact that will keep the city safe, even in the darkest of days. They planned to use me, but my emotions became too strong." The Windigoes nickered among themselves, in the language of Wind and Ice, and eventually turned back to the two. We will enter the city as one and stop this from happening. "I can't break down the barrier." White eyes glinted fire in the wind. We can.
A Spirit (Named Shadow)Once upon a time, in a growing city in the Arctic Wastes, a young mare walked the enchanted border of her empire. Her mane was a pale purple, with a streak of yellow, and her coat was a cheery rose. Her back was scarce of wings, and her head was scarce of horns, but she was the Princess nonetheless. Her magenta eyes glittered against her crystalline skin as she began to hum along to the whistling wind. On the other side of the edge she walked along, the wind rushed and bit with snow. Hidden in the gale, a herd of snow-white horses galloped along, mane and tail billowing like smoke behind them. In the middle, a foal, coat dusky gray against his white brothers and sisters, trailed in the snow. Why, he asked the others quietly, does she not sing? She is lonely. The others replied, nudging him along. What is lonely? He asked, looking up at them through coal-black eyes. They frowned, white eyes gleaming. She is not one of us. That is lonely. He watched her walk and sing as the herd started to slow, preparing to rest for the night. He trotted around the group, anxiously watching the young mare. Can she be one of us? No. The Windigo beside him replied. Can I be one of her? He asked, kneeling down in the snow. No. He sighed, vapor trailing from his mouth. Then how do we stop her lonely? We cannot. Go to sleep. The colt stood up, wandering away from the group. I will. The other Windigo watched him for a moment before tucking its' head down and falling asleep. The colt trotted up alongside the mare, watching her and listening to her song. Her eyes opened, and she saw the young Windigo. Open-mouthed in wonder, the mare put her hoof against the force-field of her city. The Windigo frowned cautiously before doing the same, the magic a solid, warm wall under his hoof. "What are you?" Her voice, muffled by the barrier, coated the shimmering wall with steam. "Why are you here?" I am a winter spirit. He replied, reaching out to try and make a mental connection. The mare gasped, drawing away from the barrier. "You spoke in my head!" Your head. Yes. He tilted his head, looking past her into the city beyond. Why do you have a lonely? "I'm a Princess." She sighed. Is that a bad thing? "I am the Princess of a failing line." She replied. "Nobody wants to be friends with a filly who's better than them." Are you better than them? I do not understand. He leaned his muzzle against the glass, snorting mist against the wall. "They are the ones who do not understand." She paused, removing her hoof from the barrier. "Do you have a name?" What is a name? He asked. Do you have one? Is that what makes you better than the others? "A name is something others call you by. My name is Crystal Heart." I will call you Crystal, then. He nodded, pleased. I do not have a name. Windigoes do not need them. "That's kind of sad. Do you want a name?" It would be nice. She tapped a hoof on the barrier. "You're darker than the others. I'll call you Shadow." That sounds nice. He agreed, smiling. She lifted an ear, turning away from the barrier. "The crystal is calling. I have to go. I'll see you again, yes?" You will. She stood up, backing up from the wall with a soft smile before turning and galloping back to the city. Shadow left his hoof on the warm barrier for a few moments before lifting the hoof and placing it over his chest. I feel warmth inside. He commented idly to himself. I hope I haven't caught her lonely.
Teaching the Storm (Of Words Unspoken)"I met a colt today." Princess Crystal muttered into her milk. Her parents nodded over their own food, barely sparing her a glance as they looked over history records and sorted bits. She blew a few bubbles in her glass, passing time between sentences. "We're very close." She said, a little louder. "Mm-hm." "Yes, dear." "Like, in love close." She nearly yelled, leaning closer to the couple. Her mother glanced up at her, smiling in the way strangers do when approached by someone they do not know. "Good for you, dear." Crystal swung her hooves in a wide arc, rearing up like a pony possessed. "I'm gonna have babies!" Her parents showed no sign of reaction to her yelling. With the frown she wore every time she tried to hold up a conversation, she calmly sat down, tucking her front hooves on the edge of the table in front of her. Slowly, like a snake about to strike, she pressed the sole of her hoof against her glass. And even slower, she dripped a single drop of milk onto the paper closest to her. "Princess Crystal Heart, how dare you! Behave yourself!" Her mother shouted, glaring at her as she worked to remove the small stain. Her father fumed, the pencil in his mouth breaking as he ground his teeth. "Go to your room, young lady!" Crystal sighed, pushing back from the table. She left the table with grace and elegance, only needing half a hallway for the fury behind her to end. She promtly turned around, trotting through the dining room. "Hi, mom. Hi, dad." They grunted, not looking up. With a deep breath, she tossed her mane back over her face, trotting outside with great dignity and purpose. As soon as she realized she was free of any passers-by, she broke into a full gallop, breaking away from the city streets and tracing a grassy trail against the rolling meadows on the outskirts. tap tap tap Outside of the barrier, a young Windigo shifted, snow falling from his gray back. He flicked an ear; something was making irritating noises. tap tap tap He pulled his head from the snow, vapor trailing from his phantasmal skin as the temperature changed. His ears drew his eyes towards the glowing barrier nearby, and the filly standing within. Hello. She startled, obviously not expecting the response. I am sorry for scaring you. "I forgot how you spoke." She admitted, "I missed you." How did you miss me? Was I hiding? He tilted his head, trying to understand. Is bad vision an effect of lonely? "Lonely is not an ailment." She replied, placing her hoof against the barrier and shivering as he did the same. "Lonely is a feeling." What is a feeling? "Do you not have feelings? Emotions? Hope, joy, sadness?" I feel better when I am in the cold than when I am in the warm. "That's an ailment. I read about you last night; you're a snow spirit, so you wouldn't like being in the warmth. That's why you exist in the Frozen North, where the sun's heat never melts the snow." I do not know much about my kind. I do not know much about feelings. He sat down, pulling his haunches under him. Is there much more I do not know? "I don't know. What do you know?" I know my insides feel warm when you are here. He tapped his chin with a hoof, black eyes closing as he wondering. But it is not in the bad warm of light and fire. It is a nice warm. The filly's mane hid half of her face as she reddened. "That is a feeling." Is that lonely? She shook her head. "Lonely is like being in a cold, dark place, with nobody around you who cares about you." It is cold and dark out here. She smiled, gently but heartrendingly. "Maybe you should try to come in."
With Gentle Song (Cries the Silence)Tell me how to be one of her kind. Shadow hissed, stomping a hoof. It is not right. The other Windigoes answered. You cannot. Shadow snorted, mane billowing wildly. I have always been different! I have never thought with the herd! That can change, their gentle voices crooned, you are young. He glared at them through dark eyes, hating their brightness, their purity, their oneness. I was never one of you! I never will be! He turned away, towards the shimmering barrier of the city. I will be one of them! You will never be one of them, their voices echoed as he galloped away, when you are one of us. A few minutes prior and a few miles away, a small family sat around the table. "Mom? What's going on?" The Crystal Queen looked away from her daughter. "The city has been in danger for a long time from the Arctic weather, you know that." Her father nodded solemnly. "In order to protect the ponies here, we have to make an artifact that will protect the city. But such an artifact requires huge amounts of energy. In order to get that much energy, somepony on the royal line must be... sacrificed. Someone untainted by the feelings of common folk." "Y-you mean, all those times other ponies acted like I didn't exist?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "It was all so you could kill me?" "Don't think of it like that." He mother whispered. "You'll be protecting the city for a long time. Forever, even." "You can't!" Crystal shouted, pushing away from the table. "I fell in love, mom! You would know that, if you ever paid attention to me!" Her parents exchanged glances. "In love? With who?" Her eyes narrowed and she turned, galloping from the room. Her father's pale wings flapped once, and he was blocking her way. "With who?!" "With the wind." She hissed before dropping to her belly, skidding under his feathers and continuing down the hall. Crystal charged through the hallways, dodging capture with only hairs to spare. Free of the castle, she tore down the streets, taking off towards the wide meadows to the outskirts. The King landed on the front yard of the palace, frowning. His Unicorn wife flashed into existence beside him. "We cannot use a tainted heart to protect the city." She whispered. "We cannot endanger our kind." He nodded. "We will need new kin." A deep hollowness danced across the Queen's eyes. "Of course." She breathed into the warm air. "For now," the King replied, trotting back into the castle. "Find her a proper husband." "Of course." She waited on the grass, listening as her husband returned to the castle. She sighed, turning away after a few silent moments. "Good luck, my Princess."
The Attack (And the Toll)Shadow was no longer the little one. The time he had spent away from the others had allowed him to grow; his shoulders had gone broad, his movement was stronger and his breath hissed between his teeth like a blizzard. Crystal galloped alongside him, her coat thick to block the chill and her mane and tail bound back to keep them from blowing in the wind. White shapes flickered in and out of the building snowstorm, screeching whinnies across the arctic plain. Can you do this? Can you fight your own people? "It will not come to that," she yelled through the wind. "I will go to the tower and take the child before they can bond her to the city's magic." I will come with you, Shadow replied calmly. The others will be able to deal with the guards. She nodded, and the two of them slowed as they clambered up the embankment. Below them, the city sprawled, protected by a bubble of shimmering magic. The snow ended where the shield began, and Crystal wondered momentarily if it was ever cold within. Are you ready? "Yes." Shadow whinnied, loud and sharp, and the Windigoes charged. They slammed into the shield, dissolving into flakes as they hit it only to reform and try it again. The bubble flexed like rubber, but the repeated cold of the Windigoes was spreading a frosty spray across the surface. Shadow tapped her hoof with his own before running down himself. The Windigoes cleared around them, leaving a path straight to the icy surface. Shadow jumped, twisting sideways, and slammed into the shield at full force. The ice broke under his weight, and the whole bubble shimmered away as he broke through. A solid wall of heat blew outwards as the cold rushed in, and Shadow stumbled and fell. Crystal cantered over to him, nudging him up onto his feet. The cold was rushing in, and Windigoes were rushing into the city around them. Ponies closer to the center were screaming in confusion and panic, and the feral screams of the Windigoes did little to calm them. We go to the tower, Shadow muttered, and hope that we will be there in time. Crystal nodded, making sure he was solid on his hooves before galloping after the Windigoes. Films of frost had formed around the initial break in the shield, and there were wide patches of ice where their hooves had landed on the stone streets. Nonetheless, she only picked up speed, expertly sliding on the ice when there was too much of it. Shadow followed behind, snorting frost at any who tried to stop them. The tower was relatively undefended; the guards had not been prepared for the barrier to break, and were still scrambling to find some formation. Crystal pounded past them, grabbing a crystal-tipped spear as she barreled past. The tower was relatively clear; Crystal took the stairs four at a time while Shadow followed in her wake. Crystal spun, kicking a door in with both back hooves, and stormed in without missing a beat. Her parents turned quickly, fear painted on their muzzles. Shadow was aware, now, that being away from the ponies had made Crystal stronger too; she was thicker, taller, and sturdier. Her coat was flecked with ice, and she swung the spear in her mouth with deadly precision. She walked forward, slowly and elegantly. Her mother looked away, at the back of the room, but her father spread his wings to block her view. "Stop this madness. Spare your child's life." "How did you get through the barrier?" Her father demanded. "And how did you make it fail?" Shadow tilted his head. He was not quite sure how she escaped the city either; she had just appeared in the snow, shivering and weak. "It is easier to leave than to return," she replied, transferring the spear so that it rested in her foreleg. "Nobody else had any reason to try and pass through the barrier, so nobody knew. To come back in, you had to break it down. So I did." The King snorted. "Go back to your wretched wasteland." "Not without my sister!" She yelled. "Where is she?!" He moved directly into her way, baring his teeth. "You'll have to go through me." "With pleasure."
The End (For Now)Her father was foolish. He was unarmed and unarmored, and she had a spear and a body hardened by winter. It was over before it even began. She turned to her mother as her father's body was still falling, raising her spear in preparation for another fight. The mare shook her head, stepping aside without trouble. "Crystal, you must understand, the Crystal Ponies will die without a protector." She whispered as she passed. "We need something that will not falter, ever. A single pony cannot do that." "You wouldn't give anyone the chance," Crystal replied. "That's why you were going to kill me!" "There was nothing I could do to stop your father! I was never strong enough." She begged Crystal with her eyes, crumpling to the ground. "He's taken all of my children from me. I cannot go on without knowing that there will be a heir to protect us." Crystal stepped up to what her father had been protecting; a small crib made entirely of blue crystal. Within, curled on a pile of blankets and shivering against the cold, a small pink foal was sleeping. Her forehead peaked with her young horn, and on either side of her back, a pair of wings were still downy with youth. "He was going to kill an Alicorn for his people?" Crystal muttered. The Queen nodded. "He knew I would not bear again, if I even lived another year. I am weak from holding up the barrier for so long; we couldn't allow ages of ponies to waste their lives protecting the city. By sacrificing one now, we could stop anyone from having to do it again." She snorted, turning away from the crib. "By royal decree, you are banished from the empire. Turn to ice and stay with the other forgotten ones." Her mother stumbled; the weight in her words was an Earth Pony magic, not one she could combat. She knelt to the ground and her coat bleached. The room chilled, and when she moved again it was with the crackling snow of a Windigo. She keened loudly and fled the room, leaving a trail of ice in her wake. "Shadow, I cannot leave my people to die." You cannot be saying- "With my final breath and my final blood," she continued, "I give my form to you; I will become the protector of the city and you will become the protector of my sister. Can I trust you to do this?" I - Crystal, you cannot do this! She turned to him, dropping the spear. The tip was wet with blood, as was her chest. "I already have." He shot to her side, trying to lie her down gently. Please, you can't be going." "Forgive me for being so foolish, Shadow. Sing... sing my songs like I used to. For her. Pick... a new leader. P-protect her." Shadow pressed his head into her side. "Don't go." "I love you, Shadow." "I-I love you too." When he opened his eyes, her body was gone. A large blue crystal lay in it's place, warm despite the chill of the city. It began letting off a low, melodious hum as he lay near it, and the temperature of the room rose. Slowly, a shimmering blue bubble expanded from the crystal, passing through him and continuing outward. It grew steadily warmer, and the noises of panic died down as the Windigoes were forced to retreat. The crystal had begun to hover in the air, spinning slowly. Shadow hauled himself to his hooves and trotted over to the crib. He looked down at the young pony, so much like Crystal and yet so different. She was calm and safe now, warm within her crystal city. "I will protect her," he whispered to the crystal. "She will always be safe." It spun a little faster. Author's Note I know it's kind of jumpy and quick, but I wanted to finally get it posted and done. The sequel is A Fear of the Dark.
New Hooves (And Old Bruises)The wind was much less bitter with her by his side. Shadow tilted his head, leaning against her shoulder. The wind may have been blowing outside, but in their makeshift igloo, it was nothing more than noise. Together, they had built the little home, supported by a icy rock on one side and by thick sheets of ice on the others. A small tunnel lead to the outside world, but at the moment, neither of them cared. Crystal stretched out a hoof, yawning. "How long has it been, now?" Shadow smiled, nuzzling her mane. Nine months. "Nine months free of my parents, of the palace, of all those dumb rules." She sighed. "I wish you could come inside the barrier. Maybe then we'd find someone who could make you into a pony." Shadow shook his head, mane billowing in the wild way of the Windigo. You'd lose too much, being in there again. "But I want us to be together!" She pressed her cheek up against his neck, sighing. "We can't live like this forever." Why not? There's no rules out here. Shadow snorted, shaking his head. I can't let you go back alone. Their discussion was interrupted by the stomping of hooves outside, of the eerie wail of wind dimming. Little one, is this where you hide? Shadow snorted, gently pressing Crystal's cheek with his own before struggling out into the stinging wind. The herd, frost-white and shimmering, encircled him, pawing and snorting. The castle is changing, one muttered, they have grown warmer. We fear they mean to end us. That is not a problem of mine. Shadow replied, tossing his head. I'm not a Windigo. One stepped forward, ice glittering along his back. You have a Windigoes' skin and a Windigoes' heart. You are one of us. Another approached as well. Your friend caused all of this. The city changed when she left it! They are preparing something to remove us, to protect the city. "It's a child." Shadow turned, eyes widening as Crystal stepped out of their home. She flinched immediately as the wind rose, the Windigoes' gleaming eyes narrowing. "The protector of the city is a child." She continued, trudging through the snow to stand by Shadow's side. "My mother and father plan to kill it to create an artifact that will keep the city safe, even in the darkest of days. They planned to use me, but my emotions became too strong." The Windigoes nickered among themselves, in the language of Wind and Ice, and eventually turned back to the two. We will enter the city as one and stop this from happening. "I can't break down the barrier." White eyes glinted fire in the wind. We can.
