Natural Order
The sun shone brightly in the sky, having just passed its midday arc. The sky was clear, and all around the sounds of the Everfree Forest could be heard. Birds chirped, the drone of insects filled the air, and deep in the forest the call of nameless beasts echoed. The forest was as vibrant and lively as always, an untamed wild teeming with life. For his part, Lieutenant Fleethoof couldn’t wait to get out.
It had been bad enough when the captain of the Guard had gathered him and several of the other veteran guards and announced they’d be leaving the castle for an extended assignment, under the command of a rookie no less. But then they’d been forced to babysit not only the prized student of their most esteemed Lady, but also that earth pony he’d seen slinking around the castle for the past several weeks.
He would have given anything to be back in the castle and out of this blasted forest. It had been nothing but trouble since they had crossed the border, and he had just about had enough of it. He couldn’t even be angry at their rookie captain anymore. As much as he hated to admit it, it was the negligence of himself and his compatriots that had led to their current situation, not her leadership. Truth be told, he was rather impressed with the way she had handled the situation, not that he was going to admit that to her face anytime soon. Apologizing was as far as he’d been willing to go in that regard.
Still, he had been expecting her to panic and break down in the face of the crisis, not rise to it as she had. And it certainly had been nice to watch her take that earth pony down a couple of pegs. He certainly wasn’t acting nearly as smug now, with his legs bound and his mouth gagged. Who knew that filly had such gusto? Heck, she might actually earn the rank she had fallen into someday.
His thoughts turned back to the task at hand. The search had not been going well, despite the best efforts of everypony present. No one wanted to be the one that had to tell Lady Winter Chill her student was missing in enemy territory, possibly dead. But searching the forest by day was barely any easier than it was at night; the foliage was so thick that almost no light got through, and several of the larger predators seemed to be more active during the day, something Firestarter had learned the hard way.
Fleethoof paced back and forth in front of the dead coals of the fire. There was only so far they could go into the forest without getting lost themselves. If he was honest, at this point they were doing little more than scanning the area in case Snow Drift managed to stumble her way back. He wasn’t holding his breath on that one.
His eyes drifted over to the bound form of Dead Leaves. He had hardly moved since Aurora left. But his eyes followed them wherever they went, and had regained their characteristic shine. Growling, Fleethoof stalked over to the pony that had put them this mess.
“Well I suppose you’re satisfied?” He ground out, giving Dead Leaves a kick in the stomach. “This whole mess is your fault. If you had just left that pretty little unicorn alone then we would have made it to Ponyville by now, and we wouldn’t be stuck searching this forsaken place for a lost little filly!”
He delivered another kick to the bound pony. None of the other guards present made any move to stop him. They were just as frustrated with Dead Leaves as Fleethoof was, and certainly weren’t about to step in and defend him. For his part, Dead Leaves simply stared back at Fleethoof, the shine never leaving his eyes.
Fleethoof’s eyes narrowed and he stared back at the meddlesome earth pony. Those eyes. How he hated those eyes of his. He could practically hear the laughter behind them, mocking, taunting laughter. Just like all those years ago, when he was a foal. They had laughed at him then, laughed and laughed and laughed until he’d run home crying. He could hear them now, still laughing....
He shook his head, stumbling back. It took him moment to regain his balance. Dead Leaves hadn’t moved, but his body was shaking, his eyes dancing in silent laughter. Fleethoof grimaced, backing away.
“Freak,” he muttered, turning away to take another crack at the forest.
“Well Snow Drift, Welcome to your home away from home.”
Snow Drift gaped at the structure before her, her eyes wide and shining. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was a tree, far larger than any she had ever seen back home, but it had been hollowed out, and she could make out a cozy interior through the windows in the trunk. There was a balcony sitting atop one of the boughs, and another near the top of the tree with what she thought might have been a telescope pointed towards the sky. It was a marvelous structure, and fit in perfectly with Ponyville’s storybook charm. However, it was not these things that drew Snow’s attention and made her eyes shine with wonder.
“You live in a library?” She whispered, her eyes focused on the sign hanging above the door.
Twilight blushed. “Oh. Well, yes. I mean, it wasn’t really by choice, but it was the only space available when I came to Ponyville, and I just sort of became the librarian when I decided to stay. It’s really a lot more comfortable than you’d think. It has all the things you need in a home, and we have plenty of spare space for you so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Snow Drift barely heard her. “I’m going to be living in a library.”
“I hope that’s not a problem,” Twilight said, scuffing a hoof against the ground, “I didn’t really think to mention it, I don’t have house guests that often, and-”
“I’m going to be living in a library!” Snow Drift cried out in glee, her face breaking into a bright smile. A small part of her, deep in the recesses of her mind, recognized what a perfect opportunity this would be to learn more about Equestria and Princess Celestia. A library run by Celestia’s prized pupil would no doubt have everything she would need to learn about her temporary home. But that rational part of her brain had taken a backseat to the filly-like joy that flooded her at the prospect of living surrounded by so many books. She had always loved books, and had spent many nights curled up in the library back at the castle. Sometimes, Aurora would tease her, asking her why she didn’t just make the library her living quarters and let them turn her room into a broom closet. Snow had never said so, but she thought that was a marvelous idea.
“Well I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then,” Twilight said with a smile.
Now it was Snow’s turn to blush. “Oh, no, not at all. I love libraries! I just had no idea I’d get to live in one.”
“It really is nice isn’t it?” Twilight said with pride, “It’ll be nice to have another book lover around. My friends never come by unless they’re trying to solve a crisis. Some ponies just can’t understand the value of a good book.” Her horn glowed violet, opening the door to reveal a cozy room, shelves upon shelves of books lining the walls. “Come on in, I’ll introduce you to Spike.”
Snow followed inside, taking in as many details of the library as she could. It was smaller than she had initially thought, but there were still a great number of books lining the walls. Compared to the library back in the castle, it was tiny. But these were all books she had never seen before. A treasure trove of knowledge just waiting for her. She could hardly wait.
“Twilight!”
Snow Drift was broken out of her thoughts by a purple and green blur that collided with her host, clinging to her neck.
“Thank goodness you’re okay!” The tiny, scaled creature said, squeezing Twilight’s neck hard enough to make her gasp for air. “I didn’t know what was going on when you left with Zecora last night, and then you didn’t come back for so long. I was going to write a letter to the Princess I was so worried!”
“Sorry...I worried...you...Spike,” Twilight gasped, “But I...need...air!”
“Oh! Sorry about that,” Spike said, hopping off of Twilight, “But where were you? I thought you’d be back before I woke up.”
“Well give me a moment to catch my breath and I’ll explain,” Twilight said, taking a couple deep breathes, “Zecora needed my help attending to an injured pony she found in the Everfree forest.” At this, she gestured to Snow Drift, who had yet to take her eyes off of the small purple dragon. “We took her to the hospital this morning and got side-tracked on our way back here by Applejack. Sorry it took so long Spike, but everything is fine. No need to alert the Princess, though I might have a new report to make to her soon.”
Spike looked over at the newcomer, noticing her for the first time. “Oh hey,” he said, extending a claw in greeting, “I’m Spike, Twilight’s number one assistant.”
“It’s um, it’s nice to meet you Spike?” Snow said, tentatively reaching out to accept the offered claw. “I’m Snow Drift. It’s a uh, a pleasure to meet you.”
Spike gave her a curious look, squinting up at her. “Are you okay? You sound kinda funny.”
“Spike! Don’t be rude to our guest, she’s had a very trying night and she doesn’t need you being rude,” Twilight said, stepping forward and pushing him back with her hoof, eliciting a small cry of protest from the young dragon, “Sorry about that, Snow Drift. Spike is really great and tons of help, but he is still a baby dragon, and his manners aren’t always the best.”
“No, it’s fine,” Snow said with chuckle, “It’s just, I’ve never met a dragon before, even a baby one. I was just a little nervous is all.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Spike muttered from behind Twilight, “I thought I had something on my face.”
“Sorry about that,” Snow replied bashfully, “I didn’t mean to be rude. It really is nice to meet you Spike, I hope we can get along and be good friends.”
“No problem,” Spike said, hopping up on Twilight’s back, “Any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine, so I’m sure we’ll get along great.”
“That’s the spirit!” Twilight said with a smile, gently bucking Spike off her back, “Nothing beats the magic of friendship after all. Now why don’t you head upstairs and get the guest bed ready Spike? Snow Drift is going to staying with us until she gets better, and she’s going to need a comfortable place to sleep.”
“Sure,” Spike said, hopping up the stairs, “And then I’ll make dinner! We’ll have sunflower salad, and tulip turnovers, and coriander crackers, and-”
“Woah Spike!” Twilight laughed, “That will be more than enough, thanks.”
“Okay then,” Spike replied, “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me!”
“You have a kitchen? In the library?” Snow asked, perplexed. Twilight had said that the library had everything she needed to live, but she had assumed it was an exaggeration.
“Well of course. It is meant to be lived in, so it would have to. It’s got a bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, basement laboratory, everything really,” Twilight said, leading Snow farther into the library and helping her up the stairs towards the living space, “I’m pretty sure it was originally just somepony’s house actually. They must have converted it into a library at some point. It’s not that big, certainly not compared to the library in Canterlot, but it has a lot of interesting books on local history, as well as a pretty robust fiction section.”
Snow Drift just nodded, allowing Twilight to help her. From up here, she could definitely see how the library might once have been a home. It wasn’t hard to envision the main room of the library as a living room, and all the shelves could have easily been carved out later. It was almost nothing like the library she was so familiar with back home, but being here calmed her, gave her a sense of security she only ever felt when surrounded by books.
Twilight gently helped Snow Drift to the bed before checking her bandages. “Hmm, well it looks like the bleeding has stopped, although you’ll definitely need to change these again before you go to sleep,” Twilight said, her horn glowing as she levitated several books in front of her, “Let’s see, one of these should be useful...aha! Here we go, A Beginner’s Guide to Equine First-Aid, perfect! With this we should be able to get you back in good health in no time at all.”
“Thank you,” Snow Drift said with a smile, “I really can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I’m not sure where I’d be right now if it weren’t for you and Zecora. Probably still in that ditch.”
“I couldn’t refuse a pony in need, especially not a fellow student of magic,” Twilight said, laying the book onto the nightstand, “Please just make yourself at home and focus on getting better. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask me or Spike.”
“I won’t, and I’ll try not to get in the way too much, I don’t want to be a bad house guest,” Snow said, running a hoof through her mane in an attempt to smooth some of the knots out. She winced, pulling on a snagged twig. “Um, do you think I could use the bathroom? I want to try to get a little cleaned up, I’m still covered in dirt, and I need to change these bandages again.”
“Sure,” Twilight said, helping Snow to her feet, “It’s right over here. The first-aid kit should be in the cupboard. Just let me know if you need any help and I’ll be right there.”
“Okay, I shouldn’t be too long, I just want to get a little cleaned up. I’m tired of smelling like that stinking forest.” She wrinkled her nose. “To be honest, if I never have to go in there again it will be too soon.”
Twilight chuckled at that. “Oh I can sympathize. I’ve had a few nasty experiences in there myself, so believe me I know where you’re coming from. I’ll tell you about some of them later if you like, but for now just get cleaned up. I’m sure you’ll feel much better once you do.”
“I’m sure you’re right, I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
The door was enveloped in the faint glow of Twilight’s violet magic before shutting softly behind Snow Drift. She let out a sigh. This was the first time she had been alone since she had woken up in Zecora’s hut. It felt like it that was ages ago, but it must have been early that morning at the very latest. She looked out of the open window and watched as the sun set over Ponyville. Not even a full day. It was hard to believe everything that had happened since she ran off.
Now that she was alone, she finally had a chance to organize her thoughts. It had been a stressful day, and she hadn’t been able to relax and think since it began. Limping over to the bathtub, she turned on the cold faucet and plugged the drain, waiting for it to fill. Most pipes in Equiiria had to be enchanted to keep from freezing, but it didn’t seem necessary in Ponyville. Of course, from what Twilight had told her, it wouldn’t be. The winters in Equestria were apparently mild enough that such a thing wasn’t necessary.
Snow’s mind drifted to the purple unicorn that had opened up her home to her. She was certainly generous, and kind. Lying to her just didn’t feel right, not when she had been so much help. But she wouldn’t betray her teacher under any circumstances, even if it meant deceiving her new benefactor. She just hoped that she didn’t have to do anything more than that.
Snow turned off the nozzle, leaving the tub nearly full. Whatever bad luck may have befallen her, she had at least managed to succeed in meeting Twilight Sparkle and gaining her trust. All things considered, things were going rather well. She was even ahead of schedule. She put a hoof to her cheek, wincing in pain as she touched puffy, bruised skin. She just wished it hadn’t involved falling off a cliff.
Her horn began to glow, its faint blue hue glinting off the surface of the water. She needed to report in to Lady Winter Chill. Hopefully, she would be pleased with her progress. She certainly wasn’t going to be pleased with anything else Snow had to tell her.
Snow Drift let out a slow breath, exhaling a bright blue fog onto the surface of the water and freezing it to a crystal sheen. The ice spread across the water until the entire contents of the tub had frozen. Snow Drift’s horn began to glow brighter, the reflection in the ice sending rippling rays of blue light across the bathroom like her pegasus friend’s namesake. Slowly, the reflection in the ice began to change, the warm interior of the bathroom and her own reflection melting away to be replaced by the cold interior of Lady Winter Chill’s castle.
Snow let out a breath, her horn’s glow fading as the spell was completed. The other end of the spell was a mirror in her teacher’s personal chambers. It wouldn’t take her long to notice it had been activated, assuming she was there. Lady Winter Chill had taught her that spell the night before she had left the castle, and this was the first time she had performed it.
She waited fro what felt like ages, growing increasingly nervous. She was just beginning to think she had performed the spell incorrectly, when her teacher’s face appeared in the ice.
“Hello teacher,” Snow said. She did her best to bow in her awkward position leaning over the edge of the tub.
“Ah, good Snow Drift, it looks like you performed the spell to perfection. I was beginning to wonder when you-” Winter Chill’s eyes narrowed and she stopped, noticing Snow’s injuries, “Care to explain your condition, Snow Drift?”
“Oh, this?” Snow said, gesturing to her bandaged head with her good hoof and trying to sound casual, “It’s nothing, really. I just took a little bit of a tumble in the forest. I’m fine.”
“Snow Drift,” Winter Chill said, her eyes flashing brightly, “You are my only student. I have raised you since you were a filly. I know you better than you know yourself. Do you really think that you can lie to me?”
“N-no, I don’t.”
“Good. Now tell me what happened.”
“It was silly really,” Snow replied, her face burning with shame, “We were camped out in the forest last night, close to Ponyville. I was having a hard time sleeping so I went to get some air. I, uh, talked to Dead Leaves.”
“Dead Leaves,” Winter Chill hissed, “I told him to stay away from you. Perhaps it would have been wise to give you the same warning.”
“Um, well he had been missing earlier in the evening, so I wanted to know where he had been, but he didn’t really answer. He got closer and I, I got scared. There’s something wrong with him. He’s just...not right.” Snow Drift paused, trying to shake off the memory of Dead Leaves’ breath, the crawling sensation she felt as he got close. “I thought I was going to be sick, so I ran. I ran away into the forest and fell into a ravine.”
Winter Chill trembled with anger as she listened. “I told that disgusting creature to stay away from you. I commanded him, and yet he disobeyed me!” The mirror of ice cracked in the tub, and Snow Drift squealed, nearly tumbling backwards. “This is the last mistake he will make. I’ve tolerated his disrespect at my sister’s request long enough. Tell the guards to place him under arrest. He is not to be left out of sight, and is to be bound at all times, understood? When you return, I will show him just how seriously I take these offenses.”
Snow scrambled back up the side of the tub, nodding vigorously. “Of course teacher, I’ll tell them as soon as I can.” She stopped, realizing the potential problems involved in complying with her teacher’s command. She scratched the back of her head with a hoof. “There’s um, just one little problem.”
“And that is?” Winter Chill growled.
“I got separated from the others,” Snow replied softly, looking away, “I still don’t know where they are, but I’d guess still back in the forest looking for me.”
Winter Chill paused, eyeing Snow Drift. Snow couldn’t help but squirm under the harsh gaze of her teacher. A cold sweat began to form on her forehead as she waited for Winter Chill to respond.
“I see,” she replied after a long pause, “Then that begs the question, where are you now? You’re injuries appear to have been treated and you are obviously indoors. I can only assume you made it to Ponyville?”
“Actually, I got lucky in that regard,” Snow replied, letting out the breath she had been holding, “I was found by a Zebra named Zecora in the forest. I was unconscious, so she took me back to her hut for treatment. Apparently, Zecora is good friends with Celestia’s student, Twilight Sparkle. Zecora got her to help in treating me. I am now Twilight Sparkle’s house guest in Ponyville.”
Winter Chill just stared back at her. Snow Drift was just beginning to think that she had somehow disappointed her, even though she had done as she had been instructed, when she heard her teacher begin to chuckle. The chuckles turned to laughter, and Snow Drift smiled in relief.
“Oh my dear Snow Drift,” Winter Chill said, calming herself, “It truly is remarkable how things happen to you. You always find a way to succeed, even in the face of such hardship. I knew I chose right in training you. You seem to be favored by the gods themselves.”
“Of course,” Snow said, unable to hide her grin, “I was taught by one after all.”
“Indeed,” Winter Chill replied with a smirk, “Well it seems everything is going well, or as well as can be expected given the circumstances. I want you to stay in Ponyville and learn as much about Twilight Sparkle and Celestia as you can. The Summer Sun Celebration is approaching, and we will have to act before then if we are to succeed. Remember, you are to under no circumstances mention my name, or the names of my sisters, to anypony. Everything hinges on their ignorance.”
Snow nodded, a small tendril of doubt worming its way into her heart. “Of course teacher. Um, if you don’t mind my asking, what is it exactly we’re going to do? I want to know what’s going to be expected of me.”
“Don’t worry my loyal student, you will know when the time is right,” Winter Chill said with a wave of her hoof, “For now, just focus on your recovery and try to regroup with the others if you can. But don’t jeopardize your position as Twilight Sparkle’s guest. This is a more fortuitous development than I had anticipated. Do not waste it.”
“I understand. I’ll do my best not to let you down.”
“I know you will. Now, I must go. I need to have words with my sister regarding her servant.” With a flash of her horn, Winter Chill’s visage disappeared from the ice, breaking the spell. The ice shattered and melted almost instantaneously, leaving nothing but an ordinary bathtub behind.
Snow Drift sighed, turning the hot water nozzle on and letting it mix with the freezing water in the tub. It was a relief to know that her teacher wasn’t mad or disappointed with her shameful behaviour regarding Dead Leaves. She couldn’t help but feel a warm feeling in her chest as she remembered how angry Lady Winter Chill had looked when she had told her what happened. It was frightening to see her teacher angry, but nice to know it was on her behalf. She may have seemed cold and distant, but Snow knew that deep down she was a kind and gentle leader.
Still, this business with Twilight and Celestia had her nervous. She could remember the hatred in her teacher’s voice when she spoke of Celestia. Snow had never heard her talk that way about anypony before. She didn’t know what her teacher’s plan was, but she couldn’t imagine it would end well for Celestia, whatever it was.
She was startled by a knock at the door.
“Snow Drift?” Twilight called, “Are you doing alright in there? I can come in and help if you need me to, it’s really no trouble.”
“O-Oh, no!” Snow shouted back, quickly slipping into the lukewarm water, “I’m fine, really. I just had a little trouble removing my bandages is all.”
“Oh, okay. I thought I heard you talking though, are you sure everything is okay?”
“Yes!” Snow replied, a little more quickly than she intended. “I-I mean yes, everything is fine, thank you. I was just talking to myself. This whole thing is so confusing you know, sometimes I talk to myself when I’m confused and need to get my bearings.”
“Okay then,” Twilight replied, and Snow could hear the frown in her voice, “Just let me know if you need anything.”
“I will, thank you,” Snow said, listening as Twilight’s hoof beats receded.
She slid down into the water, ignoring for the moment the soaked bandages she had neglected to remove before getting in the water. Twilight really was a nice pony. One of the nicest ponies she had ever met in fact. Twilight hadn’t hesitated to help when she had been injured. She had opened up her home to a complete stranger, and seemed to expect nothing in return.
So that begged the question, if Lady Winter Chill’s plans were bad for Celestia, just where did that leave Twilight?