The Mare Who Fell In Love With The Wind

by canonkiller

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."

Comments

[ProjectRabbid]

neneneneneneneneneneDRAMA

[Leave a Whisper]

can she save the little one?