//------------------------------// // The Ballad of Equestria and of the Windigo // Story: The Ballad of Hearthswarming // by The Dimension Diver //------------------------------// The weary find no respite, and The restless no reprieve. The tragic truth stared back at them, Too shocking to believe. The pennants waved within the breeze, The ponies all stood still. Their gaping shock lined every face And poisoned every will. A tremble from the refugees Broke forth among their legs, And though the luscious grass was free, As distant as the eye could see, To have to share the land would be More bitter than the dregs. The legions of the Pegasi Could hardly find their feet; And yet they stood - a stubborn strain, Refusing to retreat. The Unicorns were deadened by The burden of the sun; And yet they stood, a battle force: The battle would be won. The Earthen Ponies struggled forth, A much bedraggled band, And yet they stood defiantly- As farmers for their land. A curdled hush, a murmur, then A growling, angry roar- The tribes erupted, burnt within, More bitter than before How sad this tale may seem to be, As fated it would fail. But if there are no trials first, Then where would be the tale? The ponies may seem doomed to choke Upon their own conceit- But this is a tale of heroes Who cannot take defeat. For what can make a hero? A will of hardened steel? A hero does what’s good, what’s right, No matter how hard, how harsh is the fight, In a world of black, you’re a scrap of white, No matter what’s the appeal. When the world needs a hero, A hero stands alone A hero is a shock to all- Shocking to the bone. But here a hero stood her ground, And Pansy was her name. She stood to her commanding chief Her face aghast with shame. “Good sir,” said she, “I may not be An officer at wing, But even I have duties in Accord to you, my king. “We may be mighty warriors, though I find myself apart. I have a warrior’s body, But not a warrior’s heart. “All wars we fight seem endless, Though every war must cease. And warriors who are fighting wars Are fighting wars for peace. “But if we fight this here and now, We fight to keep the score; We fight not for the sake of peace, But for the sake of war.” She laid her heavy helmet down, Her armor and her shield. And as the clouds prepared to rain, She stood across from Hurricane Before the battlefield. Her shield was badly damaged and Her armor was a shell. Her wing was bandaged by her side, Her flank was badly lightning-fried And scared she was as well. But Hurricane saw all of this, And found a deep respect. This mare was scared to death and back, But stood there open to attack And knew what to expect. “I never knew you had the guts To say that to my face,” Then Hurricane bowed down his head And grunted, “What I may have said, You aren’t a disgrace. In all my years as officer, Not one stood up to me. Alright then, private, what you say- We may not fly to war today. I’ll give them one last chance - and they Must take it as it be.” He snatched the army banner then, And waved it proud and high, And marched betwixt the mountainsides With Pansy stumbling by. Between the vale and hills and plain He stuck it in the ground And bellowed out a challenge to The ponies all around. “One more negotiation may Be granted here,” said he. May all your leaders show their face And meet with me upon this place And come honorably. The princess of the Unicorns Descended from the herd With gallant Clover by her side, Afraid but undeterred. And from the ponies came the chief, Chancellor Puddinghead, And faithful Cookie at his place With caution in his tread. The six were brought together in The vale between the three, Where Hurricane set down his hoof And stated blatantly: “You blacken our horizons and You threaten us with war. But now I offer better ways, That we return to elder days, The way we were before. “I offer you a treaty, to Unite beneath my reign; The flag of Pegasopolis Will harbor no disdain.” But Platinum scoffed haughtily And sought to keep her grace. “But what,” said she, “supremacy Is given to your race? “You claim to give a second chance, Yet place yourself premiere. What offer can you claim to make Which others fail to fear? “The role of a commander is To hold the battle-line. The office of a ruler, though, Is furthermore refined. “If well you are a leader, You lead accordingly. But we are hardly soldiers, And few of us will be.” Then Puddinghead spoke out, appalled, “And what a whacky name! I couldn’t live in such a place With Hurricane to blame! Myself, I found that Dirt-ville was A title down to earth. Now who’d think Pegasopolis Could have intrinsic worth? “Now Dirt-ville?!” hollered Platinum, How dismal! How uncouth! But Unicornia’s a name Without that muddy language-maim; “‘Tis better far in sooth.” But Puddinghead had none of it And billowed up in rage. “You want to hog the name as well? Just ain’t that peachy? Ain’t that swell? Let’s see if this can ring a bell! Get off the snooty stage!” He scooped a slushy hoof of snow And hurled it at her pate. The snow ran frigid down her ears And in her eyes and froze her tears; Her crown fell down for once in years Relinquishing its weight. Said Hurricane, “I offered peace, You choose to fight instead. Well, all of you can go back home With snowdrifts for your bed!” Another snowball smacked his scalp, He faltered in his stride. The snow was falling thick and fast, The wind was whistling, whipping past. With shock it dawned: they would not last. They struggled in the tide. But Cookie rallied presently And shouted in the storm: “Come everypony, follow me! There’s shelter yonder, I can see A cavern mouth, and hopefully The inside will be warm.” He stumbled forward, step by step Within the howling gale. The other ponies fell in line, A chain by mouth and tail. The snow descended heavily And blotted out the sky, But on pressed Cookie, sure of step, Though doubtful of the eye. At last they found the tunnel-cave; Though dark, it was not deep. Then Clover raised a magic flame And crumpled in a heap. But Cookie, standing sure of hoof Made count of every mane And found that of the six who came, At present, five remain. “The princess is not here with us!” Cried Cookie in a huff. “Leave her to be,” croaked Hurricane, “We’ve heard from her enough.” But Cookie caught, his visage dark, A dagger in his eye, “And when did life and death become As plum as making pie? “You may not care for Platinum, Nor does she care for you; But feathers! That don’t give the right To leave her out on blizzard night Without a coat or firelight To help her make it through! “If you were lost and freezing there In her own royal stead, Then I would do the same for you Or shame upon my head!” With that he turned and plunged again Into the bitter frost. He called her name both long and loud While fighting through the wild shroud, A beacon for the lost. For Cookie was a hero too, A hero to the core. With selfless service, out set he To seek to help an enemy For but the sake of charity This duty well he bore. The chilly wind rebuffed his face, He carried on his cry, ‘Till finally the earth pony Distinguished a reply. He made his way to Platinum, And found her thick in snow. He carried her upon his back, His eye on Clover’s glow. A scanty, snapping fire was A welcome to the pair. They sat beside the fireside In silence with their hooves spread wide Or dusting out their hair. “What tragedy has brought us here,” Sighed Clover with a groan. “How could the winter seek our wake When every scheme and step we take Amounts not even to a break With all our efforts shown? “What would my master Starswirl say If he were with us now? His wisdom would amount to much And he would rescue us from such A quandary somehow.” Commander Hurricane was grim, His eye upon the light. But then he said to Puddinghead, “Your breath is rancid, rotten fed. Move over to the right!” “Not moving,” said the chancellor, “You’ve pushed us ‘round enough. You want some breathing air so bad? Then shift yourself, don’t drive us mad With bullyings and stuff!” So Hurricane stood, calling to him Pansy right away. He said to her, “Mark openly One half the cave’s territory. It shall be ours for all to see No matter what they say.” The private did her duty, though Somewhat reluctantly. But Puddinghead stayed where he sat Glaring defiantly. “Get off our land,” Quoth Hurricane, As stubborn as a rock. The chanc’lor stood with dignity Displaying deep despondency Came calmly and collectedly And cleaned the captain’s clock. He stumbled backwards, fuming from The boldness of the blow. Then sharp he bucked and squarely hit His rival in the stomach pit. He drew his saber by the bit Advancing on his foe. A flash erupted ‘cross the cave- A brilliant beam of blue. The captain’s sword flew far away And shuddering, transfixed the clay; The magic’s aim held true. The princess marched upon the two, Her head held halfway high; A fire danced upon her horn And danced within her eye. “You brute,” said she, “You drawing swords On one whom no sword hath! But now you face a Unicorn, And you shall taste my wrath.” “That fight is mine!” yelled Puddinghead And clocked the princess too. The three began a hefty brawl The others standing shocked withal, Unsure of what to do. A stirring in the blizzard, and A howl upon the gale Sent echoes churning ‘round the cave As dismal as a ghostly grave And even filled with fear the brave- A ghastly, groaning wail. A spectral set of footsteps trailed A patchy path of ice. The unseen phantom pranced around And left its vestige on the ground And circled ‘round them thrice. But Clover saw the icy tracks And reasoned out their fate. “Stop, Platinum!” she cried in vain, “Stop, Puddinghead! Stop, Hurricane! Your fight will break us all in twain! It almost is too late!” But neither did they heed her words And neither did they care. They battled fiercer than before, Completely unaware. Then Hurricane’s hoof hit the ice And froze and stuck him fast. Then Puddinghead a hoof set down Upon a patch of icy ground And Platinum did last. So fastened were the three by fate As slowly did they freeze. The dreaded frost encumbered them And traveled up their knees. Still, heedlessly they threw their words Into the others’ face, A-slandering the things they did Until the ice completely hid Those models of disgrace. But Pansy, Clover, Cookie too All huddled ‘round the fire, Watching grim in fear and dread While Windigoes danced ‘round their head And the ice gathered higher. “These winter spirits,” Clover spake, “They glut on hate and spite. My master called them Windigo, As Starswirl knew and now I know- ‘Twas they who made this dismal snow. But how to set it right?” But Cookie sighed and hung his head, His muzzle turning blue. “I never thought to face the end In such a way without a friend To help to see it through.” “But wait,” said Pansy, “I know you! You helped to save my wing! That’s cause enough to be a friend, More so than anything.” “And you’re the one,” said Clover, “who Had pulled me from the flood! Without you I would long have sunk And frozen stiff my blood.” “And you!” cried Cookie, “You’re that mare Who helped us find the way Without a star set in the sky And half a map to guide us by- I’d know you any day!” The Windigoes ran dark and high But faltered in their gait. The gloomy ice crept up their hooves But stopped and seemed to wait. “Well, what strange fortune found us here,” Quoth Clover quietly. “A Unicorn, a Pony and A Pegasus, all seem to stand, But not at enmity. “The world may never see us now, May never know our fate. But should the world be steeped in snow, Shall everypony see and know That we bear no such hate.” The darkness swirled, the hard ice bit, And Pansy with her wing Saluted sharply to the two And Cookie bowed his head hereto And Clover’s magic shone into The shadows, glimmering… Then flushed in full a flaming hue, The wreaths of fire wrapping through The silver spirits, thrust and drew And twirled, all shimmering- Thus friendship’s primal flame was lit! Upon the cusp of victory, The Windigos were slain. For those who dine on bitter hate, To swallow love is pain. Hark! Merrily had thawed the three Before the flaming heart. Said Clover, “This was not from me, But rather came it from us three, Not one or two apart!” One fire dwindled by the hoof, One burgeoned overhead; For though one fueled itself on wood, The next on friendship fed. Then thereupon good Pansy drove Her sword into the ash And said, “My blade is made for war, But I will draw it forth no more. My lot is better than before; Reverting would be rash.” Then Cookie shook his cold legs free And sat beside the fire. “I don’t seem to have all that much to say, But I’ve got a tune that I’d like to play Since long it’s been from the end of the day.” Forthwith he unslung his lyre. He struck upon a jovial chord And danced the notes along. Ecstatically sang Clover too- The tune became a song. “The friendship’s fire lives in us- It lives within our hearts. As long as one another shares Our burdens, we divide our cares; We’ll never drift apart!” Across the nightly hill and vale The music drifted free. And where it brushed, the snow dispersed. The earthen ponies gathered first About the cave to see. And lo! The other races came A-following beside, As drawn by curiosity They wondered what the song could be That struck the winter’s tide. And deep within the cozy cave The leaders melted too. They looked upon the quiet scene With friendship’s fire glistening, Unsure of what to do. At last outspoken Puddinghead Removed his hat in shame. He spake, “I haven’t done so well As you have with your triple-spell; The winter made a rotten smell And I am all to blame.” Then Platinum drooped down her head. “The fault is mine,” said she. “This may have gone much smoother Had I done less haughtily.” “And I too,” grumbled Hurricane, “Have added to the fire. Where conflict was, so was I too And each offensive swelling grew; Its scope was as my ire.” But Clever Clover understood And looked upon their shame, For Clover had a hero’s heart From whence had sprung the flame. “I well forgive the three of you,” She said without a pause, “For anypony’s self can err, And everypony has been there. A dose of mercy we can share To help a pony’s cause. “However, if we must prevent An encore of our plight, I deem it wise to settle hence This squabbling, petty dalliance, To set aside our difference And doing so, unite.” The pact was drawn, the treaty sealed Three kingdoms merged to one Equestria stood proud and free Embracing friendship graciously Without a shroud of jealousy, To mar what had begun. Before the Princess raised the sun And spun it thence and fro, The friendship’s fire kindled once Eternities ago. And though the moon set many times Across the sunken sky, The fire burns unto this day, And burns the eons by. -A history, dictated by Clover the Clever, recorded and set into verse by Philip the page.