Ponies of the North

by HarmonicaJay

Book 1: Journey to the North: Chapter I: The Return

The North was as cold as it was centuries ago before the Ponies migrated to the Southlands. The wind whistled through the snow-covered pines, carrying with it the biting bits of ice and snow to pepper and cover all within its path. The forest of pines was the only thing that would grow in the dead winter, a testament to life overcoming the frozen North. For the upcoming Solstice, it was a time for hope that the winter would be merciful upon the Ponies. For woodcutters like Lumbr, it was a way to make a living for his family.

Lumbr was lowborn in the Northlands, but was content. The Earth Pony's father had taught him that there was nothing to be ashamed of for being low born. That in the North, it wasn't your status nor your race that defined you, but your willingness to survive and the strength to make your own way in the world.

“Unicorns have gems, magic to protect them, and the mountains. Pegasi can fly, are fighters, and own the skies, young colt. We Earth Ponies are farmers. We have the land and the forest. We are strongest on level ground. Remember that. Always play to your strength and never let the elements beat you. We own the land, not the other way around.”

Lumbr lived by his father's creed everyday he went out to get more wood to sell at the market in the Capital in order to buy food for his wife and two colts. Winter was the hardest when it came to chopping wood, but Lumbr never let himself be defeated. As his father said, it was the Earth Ponies that owned the land. They had earned it after the idiot Earth Pony tyrant, Chancellor Puddinghead, and the other two tyrants, Princess Platinum of the Unicorns, and Commander Hurricane of the Pegasi, had migrated South with a legion of their followers in order to escape the never ending winter.

While life certainly wasn't idyllic for the Ponies of the North, it was better than then it had been during the Reign of the Tyrants. During that time, the three rulers had bickered, argued, and fought while their subjects suffered. When the three rulers decided to put their differences aside to find a new land that was free of the Eternal Winter, many of the Ponies stayed, feeling that things would be better without them. Over time, the tribes found new leaders that proved to be leagues ahead of the Tyrants in terms of competence. After a hundred years, they had quite forgotten those fools. Things were better. The three tribes kept to themselves in their own parts of the North and were content. It didn't matter if the Tyrants and their followers had found a new home in the South. They weren't in the North and the ponies were fine with that.

As Lumbr inspected each pine tree, his oak handled axe placed on his sled, the rope clenched between his teeth, he began to notice something odd about the trees in this particular area of the forest: They were all dying. It may have been during the middle of winter, but the trees of the North were usually strong enough to withstand the deadliest of blizzards. However, all around him, the pine trees were withering, their needles dropping to the snow in heaps, leaving the branches bare, like a bleached white skeleton, stripped of its flesh. The black Earth Pony scratched his head in confusion when he realized something else: He had never been in this part of the forest before.

The woodcutting business was a tricky one in the North. A pony had to make sure to leave a good number of pines uncut so that the seed could spread in the Spring and onwards through Summer, but this was an area where not a single tree had been touched. He must have gotten lost on the way to his usual chopping grounds. As he inspected each one, it was clear as crystal that these trees were on the brink of collapse. As he tapped one with his forehoof, he could swear that he heard a hollow noise. As if over time, the entire tree had been drained.

“In the name of the Gods, what is wrong with this forest?” As he searched around the forest, Lumbr caught a glimpse of another tree. Unlike the others, this one was no pine tree. It was taller than the others, thin and spindly, yet the wood appeared to be stronger. Its bark was pure white and covered with symbols that looked as if they were letters of some kind. A language long since lost to the Pony folk. It's branches were the strangest however. There were only nine thick branches and they stretched out in different directions. This was the strangest tree that Lumbr had ever seen in his entire life. It was also the perfect one to sell at the market. If he chopped this tree down, he would have one of the most unique set of firewood to sell. He had to have this tree.

Axe gripped between his teeth, Lumbr began hacking at the tree. Chop after chop, he strained at the sheet of ice that covered the bark. When he finally got to the wood itself, it took almost five minutes to make a deep enough groove to continue hacking away at. As he worked on the tree, Lumbr didn't notice that he was carving into one of the markings. However, he did start to notice that with every swing, the ground beneath him shook. He had no idea why, but he brushed it off. Chopping one tree wasn't going to ruin his day. He was dead wrong

By the time the axe head was buried deep in the tree, the rumbling had increased to the point where Lumbr was knocked off balance. The axe was flung out of his mouth and smashed into another tree, rending the hollow pine into little black splinters and needles. Lumbr stumbled backwards, his hooves tripping over his sled, sending him head over hindquarters, his face buried in the snow. As he brushed the snow off, he looked upon the ground in front of the tree. A long crack beneath the snow was forming creating a crevasse. As the ground split apart, snow poured into the gigantic crevasse, leaving the ground bare, exposing the tiny blades of brown grass.

When the earthquake ceased, Lumbr slowly got up to all fours and tiptoed carefully to the crevasse. Before taking a look inside, he glanced at where he had been chopping. When he spied the marred symbol, he realized that there truly was magic at work here and his eagerness to get the most unique tree in the North had broken some kind of seal that had been placed upon the tree.

Well done, Lumbr, ya fool, he thought to himself. Now you've effectively unleashed a great catastrophe upon the North. He chose not to add, “Well at least things can't get any worse,” to that thought.

As he peered in the crevasse, he noticed two things. The first was that it was six feet deep, the same depth that was usually applied to graves. The second was the... creature that lay inside of the crevasse, bound by tree roots that held it down, its forearms crossed over its chest. Lumbr gulped at the sight of it. He had never seen its like before in this world.

It was certainly no pony, that much was certain. It had no hooves, no tail, nor a hide to cover it. Instead, it had bare, hairless, pale pinkish skin that had tinges of blue upon it, most likely from being in the cold ground. It had clothing on like most of the higher born ponies in the cities wore, but none had worn clothing to this extreme. It looked as if the clothes served as a replacement for its lack of a hide. Where its hooves should have been were five long appendages on the end of each foreleg. Its back legs were covered by boots made of what appeared to be... leather. And that was when Lumbr noticed the furs on the creatures shoulder. He stepped back a bit, at the thought that this creature might have killed in order to gain these garments. While most of the Ponies killed wild animals, it was usually for the necessities to continue to exist: food, the right amount of fur for clothes. Nothing to this excess. Lumbr had no clue why this creature's choice to wear clothing distressed him, but it just did. He wondered if the creature had killed Ponies to gain its garments.

However, what truly made Lumbr uncomfortable was the creature's face. It had a slight masculine look to it, but its thin cheeks, thin lips, and long hawkish nose scared him. The mane that it had was the most striking feature of all. Long and wild hair in the color of bright red and orange flames. Whatever this... thing was, Lumbr knew that it had been buried at the base of this tree for a reason.

As Lumbr began contemplating burying the body with snow, the creature opened its eyes and stared up at him. Lumbr took back his thoughts about the creature's mane. The eyes were definitely its most frightening aspect. Its eyes were like coals in a surrounded by pure white snow. Not a hint of color within them. Just black surrounded by white. For what seemed like an eternity, it just stared at him, its gaze not wavering an inch. It looked like it was studying him, sizing him up. It was lucky that it was bound by the roots or Lumbr was sure that it would eat him or skin him, and he was quite comfortable with remaining amongst the living. Finally, the creature broke the silence.

“Excuse me, little... Pony,” it asked in a calm voice. “I appear to be tied up at the moment. Could you please untangle me? I would truly appreciate it.”

Lumbr had not expected this kind of attitude, nor had he expected the creature to speak in the same tongue as Ponies did. Still, he was cautious. Somepony had imprisoned this creature for a reason. Still, it had asked him politely.

Why not, he thought to himself. What have I to lose?

He trotted over to where his axe lay in the snow. Picking it up, Lumbr trotted over to the crevasse and leapt down. Landing next to the creature, he hacked away at the roots that pinned it down. When he was finished, the creature sat up and stretched itself out. Standing up, the creature smiled down at Lumbr. Lumbr was more than a little intimidated by the creature's height. It looked to stand at about 5 and a half feet.

“Thank you, friend. You have no idea how long I've wanted to get out of those restraints.” Lumbr didn't know what to say to this. He had expected the creature to try and kill him. Or... eat him if that was what this thing liked to do. The creature knelt down closer to him and smiled.

“Are you afraid of me, my little friend?” Lumbr slowly nodded. “Well don't be. I'm probably the least threatening of my kind. You should see my older brother. Now he would take pleasure eating you up with a couple of goats.” It let out a laugh that seemed to ease Lumbr a bit. It looked up at the top of the crevasse. “Now... I think its time we got out of this hole, little friend.”

Boosting itself up, It climbed out of the hole, turning back, It held out its hand to Lumbr. “Come on. Let me help you up. I won't bite.” Lumbr lifted his axe up towards the creature, who grabbed ahold of it and lifted Lumbr out.

“Well, that was an adventure and a half,” it said, breathing heavily. “Thank you again for releasing me. 16, 712 years of imprisonment is more than enough for me thank you very much. By the way, I don't think I got your name, friend.”

Lumbr, taken aback by the creature's jovial attitude, extended a hoof forwards. “Umm, Lumbr, Sir. Lumbr.”

The creature shook Lumbr's hoof. “Pleasure to meet you, Lumbr. My name is Loki.” Loki smiled at Lumbr, which eased his weariness a bit. Maybe he had been wrong all along.

For the next half hour, Lumbr filled Loki in on the world. He told him the story of the migration of the three tyrants and the current state of the three tribes. Loki, in return, explained how he was trapped underneath the tree, or sapling as he called it. Apparently, four wicked Princes, Vali, Vidarr, Modi, and Magni, after a horrendous battle that destroyed Loki's kingdom, trapped him underneath the sapling while they ascended to Godhood. Lumbr was shocked at this, especially when Loki mentioned how he was left to be awake while trapped forever.

“The cruel monsters laughed while they marked the tree with their dark magic. They said that I would sleep in body, but not in mind. I would be aware of everything around me, while they ruled over this new world. I promised that I would return to free this land from their evil. But it appears, this land is in more capable ha-... hooves than before. Wonder whatt they were like as rulers back then. They were probably as incompetent as rulers as they were spell-makers if their enchantment could easily be stopped by a lumber pony's axe. Are your people treated well, Lumbr?”

“Well, I wasn't around back then, but if my father's stories are to be believed, then we were far better off staying here than we were moving south. The new leaders are good rulers, especially King Odin of the Earth Ponies.”

Loki's ears twitched at the mention of the name “Odin”. “Really? I should probably go meet this... Odin. And the other rulers, what are they like?”

“Well, Lord Mund and Lady Dia, rulers of the Unicorns are, from what I've heard, difficult ponies. Especially Lord Mund. Commander Blizzard of the Pegasi is a seasoned warrior, but hardly trusts anypony outside of her lands. If I were you, my friend, I would track down King Odin. He might be able to help you.”

Loki smiled. “Thank you, my friend. Now, as for your reward...”

Lumbr smiled and shook his head. “No, no, Loki. No reward is necessary.”

“No, I insist. And for your reward... I grant you the whole trunk of the sapling that imprisoned me.”

Lumbr nodded, confused. “Well, thank you, but I just needed a few logs. I don't think I can drag the whole trunk on my sled. The tree is much too big.”

Loki grinned. “Oh, don't worry about that. Just chop it down and I will take care of the rest.”

Lumbr did as he was bid and ten minutes later, the large sapling was downed. Loki cracked his knuckles and waved his... hands, as he called them, over Lumbr's sled. In a flash of bright light, the medium sized sled was transformed into a large luxurious sleigh, fit for a king. Bright red with gold trimming and a silver wolf head set upon the front. It was... fantastic.

“Thank... thank you, Loki. Thank you so much. If you are ever near my village, look me up. My wife will gladly make you a fine meal. But... how will I pull such a large vehicle?”

“ Oh, don't worry. Just take the reins in your mouth and think of your destination and it will take you there. You've earned it, my little friend. Go home and be happy with your family.”

“Don't you want a ride somewhere?”

Loki shook his head. “No, Lumbr. My destiny is on a different path than yours. Go now. Be at peace.”

After the trunk was set upon the back of the sleigh, Lumbr took the reins, thought of his home village, and was off. He turned back and waved goodbye to Loki who waved back and smiled. A very nice fellow indeed. He hoped he would meet him again and that Loki would find what he was looking for. He felt bad for being scared of him. He decided to tell his children that even if somepony looks different, that is no reason to be scared of him or her. He would have to remember that lesson. It was a good one.

As Lumbr faded in the distance, Loki smiled and waved. Such a nice little pony. So kind. So thoughtful. So... gullible.

Loki grinned to himself. 16 712 years had done little to dull his silver tongue of its power. He could still charm anyone he wished. He had thought of killing Lumbr after being released, but had thought better of it. What would that have accomplished, he thought to himself. In the end, he will burn. Just like the rest of these... creatures. They will all burn before Loki, the God of Mischief.

Thinking back, Loki remembered the truth of the final battle. Of Ragnarök. The gates of Valhalla at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge rendered asunder. How “wise” Odin fell to his wolf-spawn Fenrir. His former oaf of a brother, Thor, dying in battle with Jörmungandr, the World Serpent. Vain Freyr falling to Surtr and his sword of fire. The once proud Gods dying all around him in an ocean of blood. And of course, he remembered Heimdallr, the watchman of the Gods, dealing him a mortal wound as he, in turn, fell to Loki's blades. The wound upon Loki's chest still ached and throbbed, the scar having not quite healed. How he had survived, Loki did not know, but he did know that Vali, Vidarr, Modi, and Magni, the surviving sons of Odin and Thor, had wasted no time in imprisoning him after he eliminated the two humans that would repopulate the Earth. They had imprisoned him with the help of his old friend and former colleague in Chaos and Mischief: Discord.

Discord. Loki remembered the mischievous spirit of Chaos on the day he was imprisoned beneath the sapling of Yggdrasil. The chimeric Draconequus, understandably adhering to his nature, had betrayed Loki's trust and given the four Gods the secret to imprison Loki for all eternity. Wrapping him in a coffin of roots, runes placed on the trunk, Loki was put to sleep. Of course He had told all this to Lumbr, but there was one thing he had left out: Loki had been left lucid. The four Gods may have been their father's sons, but they were not as cruel. They were smarter, of course. Loki smiled to himself at this. Had the spell been successful, he would have been deprived of his greatest weapon: his mind and would have slept for all eternity. During his imprisonment, Loki had guessed that something had gone wrong with the spell, but it didn't matter now. He had been awake and he was not happy. But he had a plan. And he was ready to enact it.

Vali, Vidarr, Modi, and Magni, are gone from this plane of existence. My obstacles have been removed and I will have my day again. They were fools to think that I was gone forever. Gods don't bleed, sicken, nor die. I am eternal. The cycle will continue. And this time, none will survive to rebuild the damage.

He grinned to himself. He was free and ready. He had the names of the pawns for his little game. Lord Mund would be a perfect pawn if his ambition was as great as Lumbr had indicated. He could use him and his resources of jewels and magic. Blizzard would be too risky and unpredictable to attempt control and this “King Odin” was right out. He would have to investigate this king and his family later to see if his suspicions were correct about him. For now, Mund was his target. Now, he needed to consider whom he would bring into his newest army.

If I am alive, then my kinsmen, the Jötunn(Giants), must still be here as well. Most likely trapped as I was, but not for long. They will be the perfect foot soldiers to my army.

Loki thought more about this. Surely there were more possibilities for soldiers besides the Jötunn. He would need his kinsmen, but he needed something else that could truly decimate the ponies of the North. Something swift and vicious that none could stand against one on one in a battle.

The Mountain Trolls! Of course! Yes... they will be perfect additions to my army.

Now, for those that are thinking of the types of Trolls that are more akin to living piles of rock with low intelligence that borders on infantile and are wondering, “Why would Loki want those idiots in his army,” there is an explanation. While Equestrian Trolls do fit that description, the Trolls of the North are vastly different from their Southern Cousins. The Trolls of the North were five and a half feet tall, had black scraggily fur, black beady eyes that could see in the dark, sharp teeth and claws, arms and legs that were akin to knotted tree trunks that helped them traverse the treacherous mountain sides, and an intelligence that was purely animalistic. They were the perfect killing machines.

And the dragons. Surely the dragons still exist in this new world. I wonder if he is alive in this world. He would be the perfect one to recruit. Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel, all my children. I will find them too. I will find them all.

Loki had it all figured out. He had his plan, his chosen pawns, and the candidates for his army. He would find his children and lead them to victory. This time, the cycle would end in destruction. This time none would survive. Nopony would be spared the destruction he would bring upon the North and the South. All would fall to Loki, the God of Mischief.

I will bring them all into my fold. I will wreak upon this new world a war that will end all wars. It will be so grand that Vali, Vidarr, Modi, and Magni will see it from the heavens themselves. The Gateways to the Old Realms may be gone, but I am still here.

Throwing his cloak over his head, the Deceiver of the Gods, Father of the Wolf, and Sire of the Serpent, looked up to the sky and gave a wicked smile to the heavens. No longer was he the trickster that played silly pranks like pulling down his brother's trousers and stealing golden apples. He was more than that. Much more. He had seen and lived through the fire and he would use it to burn them all in the greatest and most cruel of jokes. Grinning, he announced his presence.

“Hear me, Old Gods and Ponies of this New World. The God of Mischief walks the Mortal Coil again. I AM AWAKE!”

Swirling his cloak around him and in a flash of light, Loki transformed into a falcon and took off into the distance.

Comments

[Msande]

Well that was unexpected not sure what I did expect but it was not Loki, that is for sure

[HarmonicaJay]

4156578 Thank you. I figured it was time for a Norse story.

[EggNog]

It was enjoyable. I can't wait for more!

[HarmonicaJay]

4157515 Thank you for the compliment.

[Elkia Deerling]

Awesome story! My two favourite things combined: Nordic mythology and ponies! And you got everything right as well, regarding Ragnarök, the gods and the creatures of the Nordic world. Just two small things:

-Maybe you shouldn't give away too much backstory in one go but sprinkle it through the plot as you go along.
-There are a few spelling mistakes, but that's just nitpicky
-Lumbr is a great (and funny) Nordic OC name

I'm totally going to read the other chapters too! Can't wait to see what happens next!