//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Fire And Ice // Story: Chronicles Of Harmony - Winter // by Frostwyrm //------------------------------// -Chapter 2- -Fire and Ice- --- I never forgot the day I fought a dragon and won. It had come at a cost though – part of me had changed. The magic had altered a fundamental part of my being, my mind. It longed for more; always wanting, seeking the power that I had. It was corrupting me. It never truly left me, it was only suppressed. That was almost a year ago. I have to move on. It won’t let go so easily though. --- Dawn. Light flooded over the vast Coldsong Mountains, bathing them in a soft golden light. Snow and ice glistened prismatically, refracting colours onto the white canvas all around. The sun continued its long journey across the sky, moving higher – guided by magic. The warmth it provided intensified as it rose, bearing down on the frozen mass covering the mountains. The snow didn’t melt. It never melted. --- -Icy Gale- Today was my last day in flight school - an exhilarating yet terrifying thought. It was likely to be the last day I would spend learning about the flight paths of birds, what different types of clouds were named, and hopefully the last day I would be tormented for being a ‘blank flank’. Even after fighting dragons, using magic and surviving blizzards; still nothing. Launching into the sky, I flew higher – watching Skytown grow smaller beneath me. Gazing around, I saw everything… Sheets of fluffy white clouds stretched on for ages, covering whatever lay beneath it. The sun - high above me in the depths of the heavens – blazed down all around me; the warmth on my wings was a comforting feeling. Looking back to the mountains, I could almost see the extent of the superstorm that permanently covered the deepest part of them. The clouds revolved slowly about the centre, lightning arcing through the thick clouds, enveloping them in a blue glow. This display of power reminded me of how insignificant I was, and more importantly the things I needed to do. Locking my wings against my body, I dropped into free-fall, watching the sky rush away from me and Skytown towards me. It was my home, holding all my memories. The open sky gave me the freedom I longed for - away from the place where my past was, away from everything that grounded me. Falling rapidly, I could feel the build-up of a cold wind behind me. It was a curious sensation, knowing that trailing behind me was a wind cold enough to freeze my feathers. Opening my wings, I slowed my fall to alight on the clouds beneath me. Despite it being early morning, Skytown was abuzz with activity as pegasi prepared for the Flight School graduation ceremony. Hopping between clouds, I made my way back home, where my father, Strongwing, stood in the doorway – waiting for me. “I was wondering when you’d come back, you didn’t have any breakfast… Are you alright? You’ve been going out every morning for the last month.” “I’m fine,” I replied. “I just need some time alone to deal with something…” “Hmph, you don’t sound very happy. Perhaps we should start with breakfast; you’ve still got the graduation later today, and we couldn’t have you grumpy during that.” With that, he led me into the kitchen, picking some herbs from the skygarden by the window. One thing I still didn’t understand: skygardens -a simple box of soil and seed mounted on a cloud. Allowing a grin to my face, I laughed aloud at how silly I was acting. Strongwing turned and smiled at me, walking over to my spot near the table. We looked at each other, desperately trying to contain ourselves, before bursting out laughing together – falling over onto the soft cloud floor. “It’s the garden, isn’t it?” “Yeah, I honestly can’t take that thing seriously,” I replied. “Ah, gets you every time. Now do you want to talk about it?” I paused, I didn’t really – but it wouldn’t hurt either. “I’ve been thinking a lot. Thinking about last year…” “With the dragon?” “Yeah …” My throat went dry; it wasn’t something I really wanted to talk about. “I told you I defeated it didn’t I?” I began, “Well, there was more to it. I didn’t just defeat the frostwyrm – it died. I killed it. Somehow I was able to use magic, ice magic. Pegasi aren’t even supposed to have magic!” There was a long pause, I could see him shuffling as he tried to compose his thoughts. There was something he didn’t want to tell me. I could see it in the way he was behaving. He seemed nervous, like someone with a secret that cannot ever be told. “I’d rather we talk about this after the ceremony.” My heart sank. I’d been expecting more of an answer. I knew it would probably a difficult topic. I wanted to know, but I hadn’t expected much more of an answer. “Fine. Though when we do, you have to explain everything – alright?” He nodded solemnly. Neither of us was looking forward to what was going to be said. “Perhaps we should get going, we’re going to be late.” --- We flew in silence, thinking about what had or hadn’t been said. It was an uncomfortable quiet, broken only when we arrived, by the noise from the other pegasi waiting for the graduation to start – hoping to see their now-grown foal succeed. To see their foal, if only… It was a hard reality to face, not knowing why I had this gift, or perhaps this curse. I tried to push the thought out of my mind. A familiar rainbow trail cut the blue sky, curving towards me. Perhaps I could find some joy in today. Spectrum landed on the cloud beside me, a huge grin on her face; it looked as if she was struggling to contain her excitement. “Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! You’ll never guess what just happened!” “You’re right, I probably won’t.” I replied. “I just passed Storm Wind on the way over, and he said to keep an ear out for our names! They must have something planned – dunno what, though…” It was encouraging to hear, but it did little to lift my spirits. All I wanted was a quiet day - a day where I could spend some time reflecting on how much everything had changed. --- Winter I lifted my regal silver armour off the shelf, hovering it over to me using my magic. I despised the armour, but it was a necessity when appearing in public. There were still some ponies who opposed to our rule, and the guard captain thought it might provide some protection, should anything happen. It was both imposing and majestic – the silver metal shining under the cold blue light inside the castle, casting distorted reflections on to the icy walls. The familiar sound of hooves on ice accompanied a blue unicorn, who now stood in the doorway from the throne room. Magically levitating a clipboard in front of him, he proceeded to scan down the page until he found what he was looking for. Looking up, he announced to me loudly, “Princess, you are supposed to –“ “I know what my duties are.” I responded, cutting him off. “I am late for the Skytown flight school graduation. I plan on being there, so don’t tell me I have other, more important things to be doing.” With that said, I summoned a hail storm around me for effect, as I teleported out of the room. --- With a crash of thunder, a stream of dark clouds began to coalesce above the Cloudseum, blanketing the sky and blocking the light. Flashes of blue lightning arced through the clouds, all originating from a collective source. A blue glow began to appear in the centre of the clouds, flashing out to reveal a lone white alicorn with an icy, ethereal blue mane. Adorned in silver armour, she commanded respect and exerted authority. All the pegasi immediately bowed upon recognising the ruler of Equestria’s cold – Princess Winter. Descending down on her wings she landed on the central cloud and strode majestically towards the raised podium, and greeted Storm Wind – bowing before her. She nodded in return and began projecting her voice throughout the Cloudseum, making sure that everypony knew she had arrived. “Citizens of Skytown, I am overjoyed that you have requested my presence for this significant occasion! I thank that you honour your princess as such and [I will congratulate all the successful graduates this year.” It was a spectacular display of power that would bring most ponies to their knees in fear, trembling at the thought of what could happen to them, should she ever lose her temper. Standing in the centre with all eyes upon her, Winter stood watching the crowd with her unrelenting turquoise eyes, which distinctly lacked pupils. Storm Wind stood beside the podium, defiant of the alicorn who dared to interrupt him. However, not wanting to invoke her wrath, he simply gave her a look that would paralyse most of the pegasi he knew, old and new alike. Unamused, she returned the gesture, imbuing it with magic and freezing his wings solid, locking them against his body. “I would advise that you not to try that on me, Storm Wind,” she whispered to him, “Else you might find the rest of you frozen.” A serious threat she guaranteed he would not forget soon. Smiling weakly, he turned back to the podium and resumed speaking. --- The ceremony progressed without any mishaps, and as minutes turned into hours, it Storm Wind began to conclude it. Pegasi were getting fidgety from having sat still for so long and it was evident that many were anxious to leave. Astride the cloud podium, Storm Wind bellowed his speech, thanking and congratulating the young pegasi for the past year. Trailing off, he nodded to Winter, who in turn levitated a crystal case from behind the podium. With renewed enthusiasm, he began speaking once more. “During the beginning of the year, a frostwyrm strayed past the no-fly zone. Two young pegasi, both graduating in this class, were practicing flying manoeuvres nearby. Seeing the easy prey, the dragon engaged with the pair – but through their heroic teamwork, the pair was able to counter the creature with more skilful flying and force.” In the stands, the audience was on edge. Rumours about a frostwyrm crossing the outer limits of their mountain territory had circled around earlier that year; however, they had died out within a few months. Everypony was riveted over the new development; they all wanted to know. “With the assistance and counsel of Princess Winter, it is our honour to present these medals for bravery to Icy Gale and Spectrum Blaze.” --- Spectrum Blaze Oh. My. Goddess. It was only when I realised that everypony around me was pointing and cheering that I finally understood what the pegasi on the podium had said. My name. Opening my wings, I lifted into the air and headed towards the podium. --- Icy Gale What just happened? To my left I could see Spectrum emerge from the crowd as she began flying towards the podium. Leaping into the air, I quickly fell in behind her, not wanting to miss a moment of the glory. Ponies were cheering for us - for us! All I thought we had done was defend ourselves, and now we were heroes? “We hereby do present these two pegasi with medallions for acts of bravery.” Landing on the cloud platform next to Spectrum, we both bowed before the princess, waiting for her to signal us to stand again. The crowd fell silent. She lifted the medallions from the case and placed them around our necks. I immediately felt the weight of the medal on my neck; it was heavier than it looked. “Arise, Icy Gale and Spectrum Blaze, members of the Order of Winter.” Standing again slowly, I looked Winter in the eye, then over at Spectrum Blaze and Storm Wind. They both gasped. Turning, I looked at Winter again, attempting to find what the other two had noticed. Spectrum held her medallion up to me and whispered, “Look at your eyes.” Through the reflection I could see myself quite clearly – my blue coat, icy mane and my unusual turquoise eyes. Turning back to Winter, it only took a second for my mind to comprehend what I was seeing. We both had the same eyes. We both shared those strange, pupil-less turquoise eyes. An expression of shock broke through Winter’s harsh demeanour. --- Winter There was something about the colt’s eyes that had me on edge. It very much reminded me of my own eyes. Is it possible…? His eyes were unmistakable, we definitely shared common blood – of that there was no doubt. How it had come to happen, I did not know, only that there was something else, something I couldn’t quite place that reminded me of myself. I had to ask. I had to know. Focusing on the four of us, I began a teleportation spell to take us to away from the prying eyes of the watching crowd. --- Icy Gale Opening my eyes, the world was sideways. A quick look around confirmed I was lying sideways on a smooth, blue floor. Why wasn’t it cold? Standing up slowly, I tapped a hoof on the ground – testing it, and found, much to my surprise, it was solid ice. Where was I? “Um, hello?” I called out softly. “Gale, is that you?” I knew that voice. Hearing Spectrum gave me hope, at least I wasn’t alone here. “Yeah, right here,” I replied, regaining some strength. “How long are we gonna be here? How long have we been here? I don’t want to die here! There’s so much I’ve gotta do first!” “We are not going to die here. I promise you that. We’ll get out of here.” “Can we get out soon? I’m getting tired and it’s so cold…” “Spectrum, you need to stay awake!” There was no response. I stood completely still and shut my eyes; I could just make out the sound of her breathing beyond the unrelenting ice walls. It was slowly getting softer and less frequent. Her body was shutting down. --- Winter Watching closely through the silver scrying lens, I saw the orange pegasus drift into hypothermia, her heart and breathing slowing. Shifting the image to that of Storm Wind, I smiled as he too succumbed to the unrelenting cold. Shifting again to the cell holding the blue colt, I could see…nothing. He wasn’t there. --- Icy Gale The icy wall began to recede, apparently of its own accord, creating a doorway between the cold, isolating rooms. On the other side of the hole, I could see Spectrum asleep on the icy floor, shivering as she lay in the corner. She would die if she was left like this for too much longer. Rushing through the opening, I knelt beside Spectrum and wrapped one of my wings over her, that bit of extra warmth could save her life. I could feel her coat against my own, cold, as I shared what warmth I had with her. Sacrificing it for her. She was my friend, maybe more than a friend, and I would not abandon her here. “I’m here with you Spectrum, try to stay awake,” I whispered, “We’ll make it out of here, I promise.” She stirred briefly, nuzzling my neck and humming softly in reply, before settling into sleep once more. Shuffling closer so our bodies were touching, I laid my head on top of hers, drawing my wing in closer around her. A tingling surged through my body, converging on my heart – I knew it was more than just a cold shiver. It was something much more. --- Dawn revealed itself as the golden light refracted through the ice, glistening like liquid gold, shining right on my face. Hesitantly opening my eyes, I saw that nothing had changed in the hours during the night - except for blue unicorn now standing on the other side of the room. “Sorry if you haven’t had a proper introduction yet, I am Silver Wind – assistant to Princess Winter. I apologise for the rough accommodation, but we did not have time to prepare for your sudden arrival. She wishes to see you in the throne room immediately. Please follow closely. The passageways can be very confusing.” “Did she ask for both of us, or just one? I asked back, gently nudging Spectrum to wake her. “She asked for you,” she replied, “but you may bring your friend with you” With that, she turned and walked out of the room. Looking at Spectrum, I explained as best I could what had happened since the previous day. It was evident that the effects the cold on her body were still taking their toll from her slow movement and thought. Guiding her towards the door, I spoke softly in her ear. “C’mon, were going to see the princess…” --- After walking down endless, identical blue corridors, twisting and turning through the labyrinthine palace, we arrived at the entrance to the throne room. We were met by several guards, adorned in pale silver armour, standing either side of the great stone door with a statuesque grace. Our guide nodded at one of the guards, who then stepped aside and opened the door into the room beyond. It was as if the room had been there since the beginning of time, the walls were of the purest ice I had ever seen and not a single unnatural structure could be seen within. It was a natural ice cave, a home truly fitting for the ruler of the cold. ”Miss Wind, you may leave – and tell the guards at the door likewise,” boomed a voice from the far end of the cavern, “as far as anypony is concerned, this conversation is not taking place. Understood?” Our guide nodded, then turned and left with evident haste; I could only just hear her whispering to the guards as she relayed the message. Only when the large doors boomed shut, did the white alicorn turn to face us. As she walked over, I smiled grimly at Spectrum, who returned it with a similar look. “Do not fear, my little ponies, we do not wish you any misfortune – only to congratulate your success. We would very much like to hear the story from your own view and perhaps we can also discuss some other things whilst you are here.” “Would it be alright if I sent a letter to my father?” I asked, “We have already sent a letter to your father explaining the situation,” Winter replied, “and he appears to understand our reasoning, though he was most concerned for both of you. We will dispatch a chariot later today to bring him here, as there are some questions we would like to ask him also.” I didn’t feel like talking, so I sat on the floor and waited. --- Winter Hours passed and I watched them sit in silence, solemnly, as they waited patiently for Gale’s father to arrive. In the brief talk I had with the two young pegasi, it became evident that neither was entirely sure what happened with the dragon, or simply didn’t wish to discuss it in detail. I have many suspicions, but cannot be sure yet. --- Spectrum Blaze It was tough, just sitting there, hardly talking – especially after Winter tried to shift the conversation to that ‘incident’. That had shut Gale right up. I didn’t remember most of it anyway, aside from going supersonic and having my own personal rainbow! It had been so awesome! But I didn’t understand why Winter had more of an interest in Gale’s side of the story; my story was just as interesting! Come to think of it, Gale hadn’t told me his side of the story either, why – hadn’t we both been through the same thing? It was like he didn’t trust me, as if he were trying to protect me from something. --- As the sun began to creep down the sky towards the west, bathing the pale, blue ice in a golden light, there was a commotion outside the main door. Guards were yelling, and a familiar pegasus burst through the doorway flanked by two white pegasi guards, clad in silver armour. Strongwing was a stallion in the mood for a storm; he was not happy. When he spoke, it was so different from when I had heard him speak before, it was almost as scary as when Winter spoke at the graduation. “Winter, it’s been too long. Spectrum, take Gale and wait outside – I’ll explain it to you both later.” Nodding cautiously, I placed a wing over Gale and turned him around, leading him towards the imposing grey doors. As we approached, the door slowly swung open, revealing a pair of statue-like Royal Guards , standing expressionless either side of the entrance. Walking past them nervously, I whispered to Gale. “What do we do now?” “I don’t know,” he whispered back, “I guess we could just sit and wait – they shouldn’t be too long, right?” So we sat on the cold floor in silence, listening for any trace of sound through the door. Not even the sound of the wind could be heard. Bored already, I stood up and walked over to the door and pressed my ear against it. Nothing – except the threatening growl of one of the guards. Taking the hint, I backed away from the door slowly, not taking my eyes off either of the two guards and sat back down next to Gale. Sitting on the floor wasn’t any fun though, and it was making my legs cold and numb; I wanted to stretch my wings. Opening my wings and jumping, I settled into a hover before flying back over to one of the guards again. He stared back at me blankly. “Uh, is there anywhere we could fly around a bit while we’re waiting?” I asked as nicely as I could, “It would be really good to, you know, pass the time.” The guard turned his head to the other, who nodded – turning back to me he locked eyes with me and said, “I will accompany you to the courtyard until the Princess is ready to speak with you.” He led us along several corridors then down a set of stairs, which opened into a large, tiled garden area. High above me, I could see that there was actually a roof covering the courtyard made of a thin layer of ice. White flowers grew in patches of soil scattered around without any particular arrangement. Flying up to inspect the strange icy ceiling, I could now see that the flowers had been arranged in a snowflake, identical to Winter’s cutie mark. Pulling into a hard turn, I spiralled down towards the ground, building speed, and swooped past Gale – the wind behind me ruffling his mane. It was like he didn’t even notice - his eyes were shut and he stood silently on the pale blue stone that paved around the flowers. Banking around to my left, I glided back around and landed next to him. “Do you wanna join me?” I asked softly, breaking his meditation. “I thought you’d never ask,” he replied, “but I’d like to know if you’d come for a walk around the garden with me first.” --- Icy Gale “Sure, but we’d better be racing afterwards” Spectrum laughed back. It was so simple: walk around the gardens, find somewhere nice, and tell her how I felt about her. It was easy in theory. Different scenarios raced through my head, as I tried to guess what her reactions would be – but I couldn’t come up with anything. Why was this so difficult? We walked around garden, weaving our way in and out of the flowers, Spectrum following my trail. Turning around to face her, I stopped, admiring her jagged rainbow mane, looking her directly in the eyes. This was it – now or never. “So, what did you want to-“ I gently placed a hoof on her muzzle, stopping her mid-speech. Beneath her orange coat, I could tell she was blushing slightly. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, and I can’t think of any other way to say it. Spectrum, I think…” I think I love you. “Spectrum, I love you.” I stated, as boldly as I could. “Will you-“ She gasped in surprise, and placed her hoof on my muzzle, cutting me off. “I thought you’d never ask…” she replied cheekily. As I leant in and kissed her, a tingling spread through my body – like a lightning bolt surging through me. It was a powerful feeling, and it felt good. --- Winter From the entrance to the courtyard, I stood watching the quiet exchange between the two pegasi, unsure of whether to interrupt or not. Then I stopped watching, already expecting what would happen. If there was any place to declare your love for somepony, the palace gardens were one of the best. Love was a very strange powerful force, sometimes stronger than death itself, never to be taken lightly. Turning to Strongwing next to me, I muttered quietly to him, smiling, “Do you think we should come back later? Now might be a bit intrusive for them.” He smiled back subtly, pausing before he spoke. “I’m sure we were all like this one time, best leave them be for now. No harm can be done leaving them with each other.” “A half-hour should be sufficient,” I told the guard softly, “we will return for them then.” With that, we turned and departed – heading back towards the throne room. There were still many questions unanswered. --- Everything seemed different now, brighter perhaps, when Spectrum was with me. Soaring around the courtyard, we twisted and dived past each other, simply enjoying each other’s presence. The wind carrying the sound if our laughter as we raced around the gardens, perfectly in synchronisation with each other. --- Strongwing Time passes slowly when your intent is to wait. Following Winter back to a small amphitheatre, the awkward tension between us was palpable. For me, I had just witnessed Winter’s foal and my adopted son profess his love for a mare he had been very close to for some time. Winter, on the other hoof, was in a state of shock. Was it possible that she had forgotten that this was her colt, or perhaps had never seen such a display of affection before? Either could not bode well for us. Summoning all the courage I dared, I asked cautiously, “What do you think of him?” She sat in silence, collecting her thoughts and contemplating all she knew. “I don’t know. For once, there is something that truly perplexes me. I find him bold, brash and a bit impulsive, but there is something else I cannot quite place about him. Perhaps it is his eyes - they remind me so much of my own. Why do you ask though? “If now is a time when all truths reveal, so be it. He is mine, but not my own.” I replied. “Speak not this nonsense and explain yourself!” Winter snapped back. Sighing, I began to recount all I could remember. “Is it possible…?” I whispered before continuing, “Some years ago, I found him on my doorstep, wrapped in a blanket. There was nopony in sight but I heard a voice speaking to me, telling me that he was Winter’s colt. Fearing the consequence if I didn’t do something, I raised him on my own for all this time, never able tell him why he had no mother or where he came from, only that he was mine. Can you imagine what I’ve been through? Seventeen years of unanswered questions, for him and me.” “I- I didn’t know…” Opening my mouth to say something, I immediately though better of it and closed it. She didn’t know? Didn’t know what – that she had a child, or that I had been caring for it all this time? All these thoughts only served to confuse me more, as if today wasn’t confusing enough – called to the palace with no reason, escorted by heavy guard, watching Gale declare his love for his friend and then being told by Winter, ruler of the cold, that she just ‘didn’t know’? It was all a bit much right now. “Did you even know you had a foal?” I demanded. “I knew,” replied Winter solemnly, “but he was born from the winter soul – a construct of my own magic that manages the cold when I cannot. For it to create a life in the way it did, it must know something I do not and reacted to that, or it was tampered with by another. After years of searching for the foal, I gave up, thinking the worst.” “Wait, so if you thought he was dead, how did you know that Gale…?” “I didn’t. It was before last winter season, I felt a sudden surge of magic release from the winter soul – my own magic. This should not have been, use of such magic outside our season is prohibited by the Council to maintain harmony and peace between us. Using a magical thread tracking spell –“ Taking a moment to think about all this, I walked over to one of the stained glass windows and looked at the scene it depicted - a blue pegasus with a light grey mane directing an icy blue blast at a white dragon. The creature had shards of ice piercing its chest, expanding outwards… “Did you really…?” I asked, still unsure of what to say. “Perhaps a stylised representation of what occurred,” Winter replied dismissively, “but the best I could manage on my own. He is a part of history now. He did something beyond the ability of most and should be recognised for his feat. Perhaps he might well join the legends of old one day.” “Now that,” I replied, laughing, “I would like to see! It might all go to his head though, thinking he is a hero. However, for the moment, we may have more pressing issues – you have to tell him the truth, he deserves to know.” Nodding in agreement, Winter turned and began walking back towards the courtyard, a serious expression now covering her previously smiling face. A sudden silence fell between us as we approached the courtyard again. “This will not come easy,” Winter said quietly, her voice filled with trace amounts of fear, “it may take him a while to understand and he will need support in these days ahead. Our actions now could have a greater effect – our words must be placed carefully.” There was nothing I could say. She was right. --- Winter nodded at the guard as she passed through the archway leading into the courtyard, who immediately turned and swiftly took to the air, then landed on the far side of the garden. After a short minute, the guard returned, along with the two young pegasi – both looking somewhat nervous. “Icy Gale,” I began, “there is something Winter and I need to tell you. Spectrum, you are Gale’s closest friend and it is only fair that you are told also. This is of the utmost importance and secrecy and is a discussion best held behind closed doors.” Saying nothing, Winter turned and started walking back towards the throne room, leaving us to fall in behind her, with the guard trailing behind us. Nopony spoke on the way, perhaps too afraid of what would happen, afraid of what would be said. Blue light echoed off the icy walls, bathing us in an eerie light as we walked towards the throne room once more. Spectrum spoke in whispers to Gale, their conversation topic easy enough to guess. Little could calm Winter, she almost seemed afraid, but perhaps she also had more to fear. Silver-clad unicorns flanked the entrance, swinging the great doors open for us as we approached. The imposing sight of the hall, windows depicting battles with powerful creatures, telling stories of power and triumph, and of great loss, never lost its ability to humble you. As we reached the far end of the room, the heavy doors closed behind us, the sound filling the empty space. In the safety and security of her refuge, Winter no longer carried any fear with her, standing defiant in front of the throne. Sharply inhaling, she began to re-tell what she told me. --- Icy Gale I sat in silence, stunned by the fact that I was the magical child of one of the seven co-rulers of Equestria. Tilting my head to one side, I asked slowly, “So, if you are the ruler of the cold, and by title, a princess – what does that make me, considering that we share both blood and our connection to the winter soul?” “By blood you are next-in-line to me,” Winter explained, “but you do not have any title. Such circumstances have never occurred before and so, any decision will be made by the Council. For now, do not consider yourself anything more than what you are.” “What do you mean?” I replied, confused. “Strongwing is honoured to call you his own,” she answered, “and Spectrum is honoured to have you as more than just a friend. What I mean is, do not stop being who you already are, do not change because of this – stay true to yourself and your friends, and always be there for them.” “Loyalty,” interrupted Spectrum, “to yourself and your friends.” “Exactly,” the alicorn replied, “loyalty is a part of harmony – something I understand well from my role on the Council.” With a sudden flash of blue light, a scroll appeared mid-air, startling all except Winter, who caught it with her magic and pulled it closer. Looking at the crescent moon seal, her eyes widened. Quickly breaking the seal, she unrolled the scroll and began to read. “Speaking of the Council…” she muttered to no one in particular. --- To my fellow members of the Council of Harmony, I write to you with haste under grave circumstances; the mighty city of the night has fallen. Neither a single stone nor soul remains. The one we once called brother has twisted, taking his chaos too far this time. I do not want to ask this, but too many lives have been lost because of him, I fear we must destroy him before any more of our subjects are lost. At this time I believe the Winter palace to be the most distant and secure location for the time being, and I ask you all to convene there by moonrise today. I fear this may be the dawn of war for us and we must make haste to prepare ourselves for battle. Luna Keeper and Defender of the Night --- Closing the scroll, darkness passed through Winter’s eyes, signs of anger, fear and sorrow flickered across her face. “No,” she whispered, letting the note fall to the floor, tears beginning to run down her muzzle, “it can’t be true… Discord, what have you done?” -End Chapter 2-