(18)
A Few Months Later
Autumn had finally taken its toll on the Equestrian landscape. The leaves had all fallen and the chilly, Fall days had progressed into harsh, Winter weather. After a week of final preparations at the weather factory in Cloudsdale, the large and tedious Winter project began on schedule. The Weather Pegasi Teams worked day and night for a full week, it was their busiest time of the year as they prepared the snow. Workers worked overtime producing each snowflake with careful delicacy, yet not spending too much time on each one–they had a deadline to keep up with. The Weather Pegasi soon began packing the clouds heavily with snow and sending each one out above the countryside, ready to be kicked.
Down in Ponyville, the young ponies eagerly awaited the snow to fall so that school would be cancelled. Mrs. Sharpener, the head school teacher of Ponyville Elementary hustled to teach her students the amount of work needed to be caught up on before the Winter Break began. The citizens of Ponyville were also eager for the coming snowfall, but not in a pleasant way at all. They were hastily preparing and buying up bundles of food from the marketplace before the imminent snowfall occurred. Transactions were made quickly and prices were raised exponentially due to the high demand of food, salt and items. The town was abuzz with worry and anticipation for the coming weather.
In the matter of a few short days, the Weather Pegasi rolled the snow-packed clouds over Ponyville. With each spot of sky filled with a gray blot of puff, the sun was now hidden by a quilt of patchy clouds. Above the cold countryside were the Pegasi, ready to pounce on the snow-brimmed billows. The much more frigid air above tested the nerves and strength of the new members on the team. In synchronization at the start of a whistle, each jumped forcefully and kicked the clouds below them, beginning the gentle fall of snowflakes. The updrafts picked up the flakes and carried them off and around Equestria. Another job done well for the Weather Pegasi. They flew back home to get under the warm covers in their beds for the well deserved sleep they had missed ever so much.
The fillies and colts rushed out of school to see who could get the first taste of Winter’s gift as they stuck their tongues out to try and catch snowflakes. Hopefully, they prepared for this day, so that they wouldn’t catch a cold from the coming, frosty weather. School was of course cancelled as the little ponies galloped swiftly into the town center to meet up with their friends and family for merriment in the coming snow. Winter had officially begun in Ponyville while in Canterlot, being higher in altitude than Ponyville, had already gotten snow and plenty of it. Snowponies were already being erected in the town center after a mere hour of heavy snowfall. Snowballs cascaded in the middle of Wintery warfare between the young colts and fillies; anyone who was brave enough to venture out into the cold was soon pelted by oncoming bullets of slush. Others had gentler ideas on how to enjoy the weather, which was to stay out of the weather completely and nestle close to the fire in their homes. Along with sitting near their hearths, they would drink warm cider and entertain one another with songs and stories of old.
Ponyville was indeed filled with good fun and cheer during the cold days ahead. Most jobs others held were on standby and either they were loving the time off or hating the fact that they could be making money right now if it wasn’t for this weather. Either way, it was good to take a breather from the mundane and habitual labors of work. Even at Sweet Apple Acres, where the hardship seemed continuous, Applejack and her brother, Big Macintosh, were playing gleefully in the new snowfall. Some even worked harder to fulfill their needs during this season of change, one of which was Pinkie Pie.
Off about half a mile away from Ponyville, in the heart of the dead Whitetail Woods, a frozen pond was the perfect place to learn something new. Pinkie had always wanted to try it, but never had the opportunity to, and this, of course, was ice skating. Zack was even there to help her out; he had taken some more time off from the boring atmosphere at Canterlot Castle to visit Pinkie Pie more frequently. He bundled himself tightly with new sweater and coat designs from Rarity herself, who was getting much better at close stitching from what heat he could feel retaining. Pinkie was dressed in a white, thick coat that covered almost her entire body; the only pink left on her was her mane, tail and face.
The little, pink pony tried her hardest to wade through the thick slush, but with each step, her hoof sunk deep into the snow. Only her head and mane could be seen traversing the snowy fields. Her usual and favorite way of traveling (bouncing around) was hindered in the slush and she had to eventually hop onto Zack’s back to go any further to their destination.
Once arrived, she briskly slipped the four ice skates on her hooves, with the help of Zack tying the laces together. Zack, as well, had never ice skated before, but even if he wanted to, he couldn’t, since they didn’t make ice skates that would fit his size, or a foot. Once the skates were fastened on her hooves, she wobbled out onto the ice; with her legs shaking and with her tail straightened, trying to steady her body. Once stabilized, she took a few short steps and began sliding around on the ice. She was very good at it, which didn’t surprise Zack at all as he watched from the frozen water hole's edge. He had seen her do so much since they met. She had mastered many instruments, much beyond Zack’s adaptability and talent. She was always optimistic and made him smile whenever he was feeling down, which he considered a talent and by far his favorite of hers. She made friends very easily, even if at first she was a little shy, which is hard to believe looking at the way she acts now. And now this–she was ice skating so well, she could bend over and skate on her fore legs while her hind legs dangled in the air above.
“Come on, it’s fun,” Pinkie hollered as she whizzed by Zack.
Zack pressed his hands around his mouth and yelled back, “I’m a little clumsy and afraid I’m going bust my butt on the ice. Besides, it’s much more fun to watch you!”
Pinkie slid backwards on her mane tail; with her legs up in the air and with her puffy tail holding her up, she smiled and mocked, “Don’t be such a scaredy-britches!”
Zack nodded his head and smiled, “I am not a ‘scaredy-britches’!”
She skated back around on one hoof and with her eyes closed; she spoke with wry, “Are too!”
“Are not!”
“Are too-ooo!"
“Are not-taaa!"
“Are too and you know ittttt!"
Zack play growled, sat up from his spot and slowly inched his way out onto the ice. He thought he heard cracking beneath his feet, but played it off as something else.
Pinkie Pie zoomed by on her skates, circled around Zack and blurted, “Catch me if you can, you silly bipedal-er!”
Zack lunged for the pink filly, but she was took quick for him. His shoes lost their grip on the ice below and he fell face forward, ramming his chin on the thick rime. Zack lay still, rubbing his bruised chin and moaning in pain.
“Son of a nutcracker, that hurt,” he writhed in pain as Pinkie skated over to see what had happened. She stopped on a dime, her skates spraying Zack with flakes of ice.
“Oh my goodie-goodness gracious! Are you okay? And what about nuts and cracking?” Zack pressed his body up from the cold ice and sat himself up on his rump, still holding his chin. Pinkie helped him up the best she could and off the ice with generosity.
Zack flopped himself down in the snow and replied, “Thank you, Pinkie. I think I’ll be okay though.”
A sudden voice from afar yelled, “Oh sweet Celestia, it’s a monster!” Both Zack and Pinkie turned with fright to see who it was that saw him, but only to see Valiant Steed walking out of the forest’s edge.
As he stepped out, he bore a smirk on his face as he continued, “That’s what it would have sounded like if you were seen by another pony. You know you shouldn’t be here.” Zack smiled and began to take to his feet, Pinkie quickly hopped on Zack’s back to be lifted around with ease. He didn’t mind it at all as he was use to her hopping on his back at so many random times in the past couple of months.
Valiant sarcastically added, “By the way, that was an awesome landing you made on the ice there.”
“Ya, well it felt awesome... Say, how did you find me here in the first place? The only pony I told was–”
“The same pony I asked first,” he said with a shiver in his tone. Valiant never liked the cold and was bundled up tightly in a black, well-fitting overcoat. His large, white wings stood out from his attire as he breathed in the heavy, brisk air.
“Celestia told me you would be here." The stallion went on, "You’ve been spending a lot of time in Ponyville lately. Ever since you first went to Whitetail Woods, it’s been like you couldn’t leave. Once I got back on guard duty, I never saw you around the castle anymore. I’m starting to miss those shenanigans of yours.”
Zack replied while holding his hands on his hips, “Well I try to spend as much time with Pinkie Pie as I can; and since the Princess hasn’t given me a mission in so long, I’ve been afraid that she has no more use for me.”
“Speaking of which,” he shuddered in the cold as he fluffed his wings, “that’s why I’m here.” Pinkie suddenly hopped from Zack’s shoulders and onto Valiant’s back. The sudden weight knocked Valiant off his stance, but he didn’t fall over. Pinkie bent her head down, eye to eye with Valiant as he looked up.
She asked, “Why you so cold, Mister V?”
“I hate the cold,” he said sternly, with an eyebrow raised to the odd question. Pinkie bent down and snuggled up in Valiant’s black mane hair.
She said with delight, “If you’re so cold, then why is your mane sooo warm and cuddly?” Valiant spread his left wing out and clasped on to Pinkie’s pink mane like a mother cat carrying her kitten. He picked her up and held her in front of him.
He grinned and responded, “Hey now! That’s my mane, Miss Pie!”
Pinkie flittered her eyes and said in a sultry tone, “My friend’s call me Pinkie.”
The stallion saw what she was trying to do and replied, “Tough luck, kid; but I’m a little too old for you.” Valiant let go of her and she sunk into the snow between Zack and the pegasus pony. Her head popped out of the snow; with slush in her mane, she gave Valiant the ‘puppy-dog eyes', but it had no effect on the mature stallion.
“Love’s tough, kid. Better get use to it or it’ll get use to you.” Valiant looked back up and proceeded to explain to Zack what he was trying to say. “Celestia wants to talk to you about your next mission, and hopefully your last.”
“Did she said that,” he questioned with enthusiasm. “Will this be my last mission?”
“Who knows. I don’t ask the questions, I just deliver the messages. She wants you back soon, she doesn’t want any time wasted.” He turned his head towards the bleak forest entrance he came out of and added, “I brought a single chariot along that I can take you back in.”
Zack hid his eager excitement from Pinkie Pie and Valiant Steed, he didn’t want the filly to feel like the time he spent with her over the Autumn break was boring. He enjoyed it greatly, but after a while, he missed going out and seeing the little bit of world he had seen already. From Dragon’s Peak to Appleloosa, he wanted to see more of this magical realm and was eager to do something new. Adventure flowed like a raging river in his veins as it began to rush faster once more.
He picked up Pinkie and replied, “Well, I had fun Pinkie, but you need to go and hang out with your other pony friends.”
“But I don’t want you to go,” she cried out, reaching her hooves out for a hug. Zack obliged to her request and held her close.
He comforted, “I’ll be back in time for Hearth’s Warming Eve. Don’t worry, I’ll be safe! Trust me!”
He held her back some and saw that beautiful smile only she could create directed towards him. He smiled his best back and redirected his attention towards the quaking, cold pegasus.
“Alright, let’s go take Pinkie Pie home, then we can head to Canterlot.”
“F-finally,” Valiant sputtered, “I thought you t-two were gonna kiss or something, geez.”
Valiant turned and out stretched one of his large wings. He made a swift flap with his one wing and created a powerful enough gust to clear a line of snow in front of him. The snow formed like a wave and a long, rectangular path was cleared away; with enough room to lift him and the chariot off of the ground. The moist grass that was once underneath the snow was slippery, yet Valiant had enough traction to still take off from.
The three took off once Zack hitched the chariot behind Valiant. They soared through the frigid air, eyes watering from the wind. They flew over Ponyville as Zack looked below to see ponies, young and small, playing in the new snowfall. He could even spot Rarity and surprisingly, Rainbow Dash helping Applejack form a large apple out of snow. The apple looked almost completed as the final touches were being made to it. While Zack wasn’t paying attention, Pinkie flipped out of the chariot and sailed downward into the town with a gleeful laugh.
“Pinkie,” Zack cried as he reached his hand outward, trying his best to grasp Pinkie Pie. Though it was a failed attempt as Pinkie dived through the air with a smile on her face. Before Valiant noticed, Pinkie plummeted into the large snow-apple the three fillies had worked tirelessly on; the apple was demolished and from its snowy remains popped Pinkie Pie’s head with a smile from ear to ear. Rarity and Rainbow Dash just nodded their heads in defeat as Applejack began ranting on Pinkie Pie’s motives.
Valiant smiled after seeing what had happened and titled his wings. He turned towards the far off Canterlot and began to hastily make his way towards the ivory palace.
__________
Zack and Valiant Steed walked side by side down the warm halls of Canterlot Castle. Fires were tended in nearly every room which had a fireplace, warming the entirety of the palace. Castle workers watched over the fires, which kept the palace cozy and warm, even in the coldest rooms. Hearth’s Warming Eve decor was hung around the castle to keep the old fortress in celebration with the times. The smell of freshly cooked pies and warm ciders filled the nostrils of the two friends as they walked by the kitchen and into the Throne Room. Two lower-ranking unicorn guards nearby the doorway to the Throne Room used their magic to gently open the large doors to let their higher-ranking member and Zachary inside.
Celestia was seen in the corner of the large chamber tending a fire with the help of Twilight Sparkle. She was teaching her filly apprentice how to light and tend a fire without the aid of magic, which both seemed to have a hard time accomplishing. With the sound of approaching foot and hoof steps, Twilight turned and waved happily to see Zack enter the room. Zack smiled and returned a friendly wave back; but noticed that when Twilight wasn’t paying attention, a spark flew from Celestia’s unicorn horn and into the fireplace, creating a roaring fire on the dry wood. Twilight turned and was amazed at the large fire that had sprang to life as if from no where.
Princess Celestia turned to her pupil and remarked, “You see, if you were paying attention, you would have learned how to start a fire without the aid of magic.”
“Oh fiddle sticks...” she whined.
“Now, would you mind seeing how Spike is doing in the nursery?”
Twilight trotted off with a skip in her gait as she happily replied, “Alright then!” As the purple unicorn exited the chamber, Zack gave Celestia a smirk, giving her the hint that he saw her perform magic behind Twilight’s back.
She chuckled and responded to his look, “Oh, come on. Give me a break.”
Zack raised his hands and replied, “Fine, fine. So, Valiant said you needed me?”
She smiled and concurred, “Indeed. You see, it has been ten years since the last time we, Equestria, have continued our peace treaty with the Griffon Kingdoms.”
“The Griffon Kingdoms,” Zack said in astonishment. “I read that they were a broken alliance. More like groups of bandits than a kingdom.”
“You must have been reading old history, my dear Zack. Yes, they were once scattered as groups of bandits. Their king of old died hundreds of years ago, after the Griffon Wars between the Griffons and the Ponies of Equestria. They had been strewed for years, but recent sources from our spies suggests that the Griffons have chosen a new leader and a king has risen up to take control of the once great race. Now he has established reign and order in the old capital of the Griffon Kingdoms, Gryphus.”
“So what do you want me to do,” questioned Zack.
“Every decade, we need to resign a treaty between the Griffons and the Ponies of Equestria so they cannot attack us or harass our race. I need you, along with a group of other ponies I hoof-picked myself to travel by airship to the capital and resign the ten year treaty.”
“An airship,” Zack said with befuddlement. He couldn’t believe the ponies had that technology yet. He soon changed his mind and asked another important question, “Do you expect me to pilot this, ‘airship' of yours you’ve never told me about until now?”
“Well I didn’t think you would care to know–but no. Captain Neighmo will be piloting the airship.”
“So why do you need me exactly?”
“I need you to look out for the crew; and with the Prevailer on our side, any danger that they may come across you will hopefully be able to handle. But I believe that there is nothing to worry about. The Griffons haven’t harmed our citizens in centuries. I’m sure they have put their differences aside and will welcome us with open arms.” Valiant stepped forward suddenly. Zack had completely forgotten about his silent and attentive presence throughout the whole briefing.
Valiant spoke firmly as he knelt down on one knee, “I’m not sure if this is a good idea, my Prince–I mean, Celestia. Having no Royal Guards attending the journey and only sending who? Researchers and airship ponies? I volunteer myself to aid Zack and Neighmo in their journey to Gryphus, if you do not mind.”
“That’s very noble of you, but I am ninety-nine percent certain of their safety and I will be sending two Royal Guards along with them for any ‘extra protection’ they may need. I need you, Valiant Steed, to stay here at the castle. You are in charge of nearly half of my Royal Guards and you need to watch out for them.”
With a heavy sigh, Valiant urged, “May I...” he gulped and hesitated, nervous about disagreeing with his regent. Valiant looked her dead in the eyes and asked with a deep breath, “May I escort the airship to at least the boundaries of the Equestrian Kingdoms?”
“You may do so, but return with haste, my Honorary Brigadier General.” With a heavy burden lifted, the pegasi rose up from his kneeling position and left the chamber promptly.
Zack turned and asked, “When do we leave?”
“As soon as you are ready. The airship is being prepped and the crew is on standby.”
Zack scratched his head; another thought popped into his mind and he asked away, “When will I return? Will I return before Hearth’s Warming Eve?”
“I’m not sure... but hopefully before then.”
“Oh...”
Zack was fine with leaving, but after hearing this statement, he was unsure about the pressing decision. He wanted to be back and celebrate the holidays with Pinkie Pie, but now with this mission at hand and the urgency to leave, his drive for exploration was withheld.
Princess Celestia saw the look of query and dissatisfaction in her friend’s eyes and eased, “I know you’ll be back before Hearth’s Warming Eve. But just know that we need you for this, and hopefully this will be your last mission.” Zack looked up at her and smiled with comfort renewed in his heart. He placed his hand on her shoulder and agreed to go.
Zack packed right away. He brought along only what he needed. Celestia gave Zack some new, heavy coats she made to fit him; it was much better sown than the robes she created when he first arrived to Canterlot. They were heavy, thick, and could block out most of the cold. Along with these heavy fabrics, it was lined with chain mail and was perfect for traveling in, even though it was a bit heavy.
From the time Zack had arrived to Equestria to now, he had gained much more muscle from months of exercise. He was in the best shape of his life and was sometimes surprised at his own strength. Things he had trouble lifting before seemed much easier now and he could defiantly tell from physical appearance that he had become stronger. His stamina had also dramatically increased too, he could run for much longer periods of time and hardly ran out of energy; even when playing hide and go seek for hours at a time in Whitetail Woods with the limitless energy from Pinkie Pie. He was ready for another adventure as he packed his bag, equipped two spare daggers to his hilt, strapped on the Ethereal Sabatons and grabbed The Prevailer.
He met up with Celestia, who was still in the Throne Room with the armored Valiant Steed. Along with the two ponies, another was there with them he did not recognize. As he approached, the pony he couldn't identify stepped over and firmly shook Zack by the hand.
“I do say,” the unknown earth pony eagerly greeted, “It’s remarkable to finally meet you at last! The Princess has told me so much about you! And by Starswirl’s beard, look at these!”
The excited, dark-green stallion raised Zack’s hand up and scanned it closely in the light of a nearby window. The pony had a neatly combed, brown mane underneath a white, sea captain’s hat. His tail was much like his hair and his cutie mark was in the shape of a small, steam engine. It was hard to tell his age due to his thick, brown beard that outlined his face. He was a very energetic pony, but seemed to hold most of his enthusiasm back while in the company of the Princess.
“Remarkable! Truly remarkable! If I may ask, what are you? Oh, silly me, how dreadful sorry, where are my manners? My name is Captain Neighmo Gear. My father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, and my second niece, twice removed and owns a parrot named Steve were all mechanics. Except for me, of course, I pursued the air! Even though I was born an Earth Pony, I’ve always dreamed of flying! So! With the help of Princess Celestia herself, she helped me fund my ideas to create the first airship in the whole Equestrian Military!”
Neighmo drug Zack over by the hand and pointed his hoof out the window into the valley below Canterlot Castle. Zack peered through the glass and saw a magnificent airship off in the distance. The large zeppelin was shaped in the form of a whale and the hull of the ship below was being loaded with all sorts of barrels of goods by other airship ponies.
“Behold,” declared Neighmo, “The Wind Fish in all its glory!”
“It truly is a beautiful airship,” commented Zack as he backed off of the glass window.
Valiant Steed stepped over and added, “Well I’m glad we all made acquaintances, but we’re running on a schedule here!”
“Right,” Neighmo confirmed. “Come with us, Zack, we must make haste!”
Celestia intervened, “Go on ahead you two. I must tell Zack here one last thing. Go go, prepare the ship for take off, Captain Neighmo.”
“Aye Aye, My Princess,” the earth pony responded while back trotting out of the chamber. The two royal guards closed the doors behind them and Celestia and Zack were once again alone. Twilight Sparkle entered the back entrance, along with Spike and surprisingly the Vessel of Millennia. They walked on over to Celestia and Zack; Zack was little confused as to what was going on, but had faith that Celestia would explain.
The alicorn hovered Spike in the air along with the Vessel of Millennia using her unicorn magic. She opened the magical artifact and with her hoof, patted the baby dragon on the back until it burped a fiery, green flame into the lantern. The vessel was soon closed and the fire stayed constantly lit. She then hovered the artifact over towards Zack to hold. He was even more confused at what he had just witnessed than before.
Celestia explained, “I have recently enchanted Spike’s fire breath to able to send certain objects and parchments back and forth. Here, allow me to demonstrate.”
She conjured a random piece of paper using her magic and asked Zack to open the vessel. She placed it inside the lantern and as soon as she did, the parchment incinerated and became nothing but sparkling smoke. The strange vapor swirled around the room and reformed itself into the parchment again in front of Celestia. Zack closed the Vessel of Millennia and examined the strange fire inside.
He commented, “Well, that sure is interesting...”
Twilight barked, “Now we can communicate with you over long distances! So if you are ever in trouble, just write a letter and toss it in the fire!”
“That makes perfect sense.”
Zack, Celestia, and Twilight Sparkle traveled across the snowy mountain pathways into the valley below Canterlot. The winding passageway to where the airship was was narrow and steep. As they approached the landing zone, the Wind Fish seemed much bigger to Zack than before, even if it was suppose to be pony-sized. It towered overhead as he neared it, and it was a beautiful sight to see; the airship looked brand new as a fresh coat of paint glossed over the hull of the ship. Ballistas lined the edges of the vessel while smaller scorpios lined the edges between the ballistas. It was built like a warship, but Zack could tell it was meant for more as he witnessed multiple members of the crew carry on barrels of food, documents and other items for long travel and trade. They approached Captain Neighmo in front of the airship as he watched over the crew preparing for the voyage. He turned and greeted Zack with open hooves, as if he were family.
“Isn’t this just exciting,” exclaimed the forest green stallion. “Finally, we get to test the airways beyond Equestria! The Wind Fish has never been away from her motherland; this will be a stirring adventure for her as well as us!” Captain Neighmo’s attention was caught by a stray crew pony who was idling about. “Hey you," he pointed and barked out, "get back to loading her up!” As Neighmo pursued his lazy crew pony, Celestia called over Zack. As Zack approached, Celestia magicked a scroll over to him and he grabbed it in midair.
“This,” Celestia said, “is the treaty we need signed. I’m trusting you with it; guard it well, we only have one.” Zack opened the rolled up parchment and saw the official seal of Celestia, as well as rules of warfare, trade agreements, boundaries and government statuses.
He rolled it back up and replied, “I’ll take care of it.
“Anchors away,” cried a crew member as the rope of the airship loosened. Zack wasn’t on board yet and raced on towards the swinging ladder. He grabbed hold of it just in time and began his ascent up onto the ship's main deck. Valiant Steed as well took off and circled the airship above. Ever since his accident and his time out of the air, he enjoyed flying much more than he use to. Zack finally climbed abroad as Neighmo reached over the edge to pull him up.
Zack climbed to his feet and panted, “At least you could have warned me before take off.”
“Aye, but you got to be prepared for anything in these skies, boy. No time to waste! We are on official Royal Business–no business for lollygagging! Ha-ha!”
Celestia watched from the ground with Twilight as the Wind Fish hovered off into the distance. A billow of steam puffed out from the smoke stacks of the airship, from which the power of the ship came from. Once it was high enough, Neighmo turned the large zeppelin north and went full-steam ahead towards the Griffon Kingdoms.
Zack was amazed at how fast the ship was going now that it was high in the chilly air. He bundled himself tighter and made his way to the quarterdeck where Neighmo was piloting the Wind Fish.
Zack approached and asked, “So, Captain, how long do you think it will take to reach Gryphus?”
“With fair weather, I believe ten or twelve hours by air; in other words, we’ll be there in the morning. Where as it would take at least a few days by pegasus chariot and at least a month by hoof. You have to account the Icicle Mountains when traveling by hoof. Those ranges are filled with dangers and wonders, many tales come from those haunted mountains. I wouldn’t dare take a hoof in that region, even if I had an army by my side.”
Zack took in a deep breath of the icy air and questioned, “What tales exactly... if I may ask?” The green stallion turned with a very fraught expression. This is the first time Zack had seen Neighmo without a smile on his face.
Neighmo leaned in and said in a grave tone, “Foul creatures, unexplainable miss-happenings. Boy, you best not ever find yourself in the Icicle Mountains. The ice and rock create an inescapable labyrinth. The bitter cold in the chasms deep between the valleys of ice will freeze the blood in you and before you know it, you’re as stiff as a stony lizard. The mountains, alive they are, will play tricks on your eyes and lead you to your death. None have survived the ranges...”
“But... how do you know about these things if none have survived?” Neighmo took in a deep breath and raised his hoof in response, but was suddenly lost in confusion as he stood there and thought in silence.
After a few awkward seconds, he chimed in, “Well, best not be going down there anyways. It’s mighty cold.”
The Wind Fish sailed onward above the billowy mantle and for the first time in a few months, Zack saw the sunset over a sea of pink and red clouds. It was quite magnificent and he couldn’t bare to take his eyes off of the beauty nature had given him. He had forgotten all about his mission as he watched the sun sink into the ocean of clouds and the stars quietly shimmer above the black pool of sky. The waves of clouds and the rays of sunlight warmed Zack, even in the dead of Winter. The airship glided through the clouds like a ship over water. Neighmo was using the constellations to his advantage as he figured out which way was north. The moon above watched over the Wind Fish as it made its voyage above Equestria. After an hour or so, Valiant Steed flew upward through the clouds and onto the deck behind Zack.
Zack turned and greeted his friend, “So, is this the end of the Equestrian border?
“I’m afraid so.”
The two stood in silence for a bit, before Valiant said, “Take care of yourself. Don’t do anything too stupid while you’re away. Pinkie needs you back before Hearth’s Warming Eve.”
Zack smugly and sarcastically responded, “Don’t worry about it. I can take care of myself, you know that best.” Valiant couldn’t help but smile. Zack laughed and reached in for a farewell hug. The two locked in each others arms for a few seconds and pushed off one another.
“Well, I’ll be seeing ya,” Valiant waved off as he took a few steps back towards the other side of the deck. “Just try not to cause a war or anything, bud.”
“And you try not to take all the glory for when I save your ass again in the future.”
Valiant jumped backwards, unfolded his enormous wings and saluted off in the air as the updraft blew him away and below the clouds. Zack made his way to the sleeping cabin so that he would be prepared for his confrontation with the griffons tomorrow. He couldn’t delve into sleep immediately, his mind was racing with excitement, wondering what the griffons would look like and all the interesting things he would see in the new kingdom. Finally, exhaustion took over his mind and he drifted off into sleep.
__________
Zack was awakened by an odd, growing noise coming from close by. He swung his legs over and off his pony-sized bed and waited for his eyes to refocus. The heat from under his blankets had diminished as he left them and the cold of the outside seeped into his room. Even though he was close to the steam engine and could feel the little bit of heat from the other room where it sat, it was still bitter and frigid in the small, wooden cabin. It was still dark, early morning perhaps, Zack didn’t care, he just wanted to know what that noise was. As his eyes focused to a dark area in his cabin, he noticed in the corner of the room the emerald fire inside of the Vessel of Millennia was ebbing as if it was breathing. Zack stumbled out of bed and waddled over to the lantern. He opened the hinge of the vessel slightly and a sudden puff of sparkling smoke circled around Zack. The waft of smoke formed into a ball in front of him and turned into a parchment before his eyes. Zack hastily grabbed the parchment in midair and unraveled the letter.
My Faithful Friend: Zack,
You should be arriving in Gryphus very soon and hopefully everything will go splendiferous. Write back as soon as you can.
Sincerely,
Celestia
Zack ambled over to a nearby desk in the corner of his small room. The desk was meant for writing and had already contained writing quills and ink. He knelt down on his knees, turned the parchment over and began writing the best he could in a lingering morning daze.
Hey. Just woke up. Don’t know what time it is. Haven’t been outside. It’s cold, even for me. So, ya. All is well and stuff.
He rolled up the parchment and opened the hinge to the lantern. The warmth of the magical fire felt good on his skin as the heat expelled onto his hands. He tossed the parchment inside the vessel and watched it incinerate in seconds before him. Another puff of sparkling smoke whisked out of the lantern and through the cracks of a nearby window, making its way towards Canterlot.
Zack made his way over to the window to guess what time of the morning it was. The sea of clouds before him slowly churned with a navy blue tint. It flowed slowly around the airship, encompassing the bottom of the hull. The stars above faintly flickered as the darkness of night slowly waned away to make way for the coming morning. It was early dawn by the looks of it; the sun was an hour away from rising, but light had creeped into the barren skies already.
Another, similar noise drew Zack’s attention over to the Vessel of Millennia. He had forgot to close the door on the lantern as another letter formed itself from smoke in front of him and fell to the floor. He walked over, grabbed it and read the parchment.
My Faithful Friend: Zack,
Okay.
Sincerely,
Celestia
“I hate when people do that,” Zack thought as he crumbled up the letter and closed the hinge.
No matter how bundled up Zack dressed, the cold seemed to have crept into his garments and the icy temperature rattled his bones. He made his way outside and up onto the deck. The wind from the movement of the ship made the air much colder around him. He noticed that Neighmo was still up on the quarterdeck, piloting the Wind Fish. He made his way up onto to the deck to greet the Captain. He noticed that the stallion looked unfazed by the temperature, a hardened earth pony of the Equestrian highlands. He appeared determined to pilot the airship to the Griffon capital with nothing but his natural coat and hat on. He seemed so focused on the goal that he didn’t seem to notice Zack hop onto the quarterdeck to meet him.
“Excuse me,” Zack imparted, breaking the pony’s focus. Neighmo turned quickly with a look of surprise on his face, which soon changed to joy seeing his new friend.
“Ah! Master Zack! I’m glad to see you’re up before most of my stallions. I take it that you’re a morning person?”
“Not entirely. I’m still trying to figure out if I prefer the morning hours more or the night hours.”
A lone earth pony trotted up onto the quarterdeck with a plate in one hoof. On the plate was a single steaming cup of coffee for the captain. Neighmo took his hooves off the wheel of the ship and reached to grab the cup.
“Thank ya kindly, but could you happen to get my bud here a cup of mud as well?”
“Certainly, Captain,” said the waitering pony as he made his way back to kitchen. He arrived no less than a minute later with hot coffee for Zack. He thanked him for the cup as he took a sip. The searing liquid rushed down his throat and heated his body with comfort.
After a few short minutes and when both cups of coffee were drank, Neighmo turned to Zack and said, “I think it’s about time to wake the crew.”
Near the wheel of the ship, next to Neighmo, was a panel of levers. He pulled one that was connected to a chain and in that instant, a loud horn rang out from the sides of the airship.
It rang about six times as Neighmo yelled out, “Prepare to drop! Prepare to drop!”
The crew of ponies rushed out of their cabins and onto the deck, tinkering and hauling lines of rope and pulling levers. The mass and sudden chaos of ponies seemed disorderly to Zack, but each pony was assigned a certain role and each was fulfilling it. There were no mistakes and they knew that any mistake they made would make would cost time and speed. The crew made the ship run smoothly like a well oiled machine or delicately crafted gears in a clock. Zack had no idea what was going on, but had started to realize the airship was sinking into the sea of clouds. The billows soon flooded over the deck of the ship and a layer of fog vanished the crew below. The clouds rose over the quarter deck and the ship was now in a dense maze and mass of cloud. The cloud coverage was so thick that Zack lost track of Neighmo, who was only a mere few feet away from him. Spotlights burned in the fog and parts of the deck of the ship flipped upside down revealing massive spotlights. The lights shot above and ahead of the Wind Fish, guiding its way through the unknown. Snow began to fall and pass by the airship, descending silently onto the deck and around the crew.
“Where are we,” asked Zack, not knowing which way to turn to face Neighmo. A small bit of fog cleared around the deck and he could spot Neighmo once more. The Captain hadn’t moved one inch since they dived under the cloud cover.
“We’re getting close. We needed to dive under the clouds to see where the capital is exactly... but it appears this fog is gonna be trouble for us. Stay on your hooves, lad–or in this case, toes.”
Zack didn’t like the sound of that. The hint of worry in the Captain’s tone made him a little uneasy. Zack made sure he had the Prevailer on him, along with his daggers. He patted himself down and realized his weapons were still there and that he remembered to bring them onto the deck this morning.
Through the veil of clouds, a large rock seemed to float by like a phantom. The pointed boulder sailed through the sea of fog on the starboard side of the Wind Fish. It could have easily taken down the airship if it had rammed the rock. Zack realized that what he had seen was no rock, but in fact the tip of a mountain as more similar rock faces sailed through the blanket of fog around them. They moved silently, the only noises being the hoof steps of the crew and the faint rumble of the steam engine below. It was a very eerie sight to behold as these giants in the unknown silently moved by the airship. It was as if the ship was still and the mountains just seemed to move around the vessel like sharks circling prey.
“Steady now...” assured the Captain as he tightly grasped the handle of the wheel. Zack looked all around for any signs of danger above or below the ship. His eyes couldn’t spot anything strange, or at least stranger than what he was seeing now.
Zack swiftly walked over to Neighmo and asked, “How much longer until we get there?”
“I’m not... entirely sure. This fog obscures me... I have no memory of this place.”
Out of the corner of Zack’s eye, he thought he saw a large, black blur shoot up from the fog and in silent glide. He pivoted around and it was gone. No one on board seemed to have seen it and he thought it was just his imagination playing games with him. Though in another instant, he thought he saw another black object sail up above the ship and out of eye sight. He turned to the Captain to ask him what was going on and if he had seen what he had seen. Words did not need to be expressed when Zack saw in the Captain’s eyes a growing fear arising, he had seen what Zack had saw.
Zack slowly placed his hand on the handle of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment. He turned towards the stern of the ship, staring off into the nothingness which was the fog laden skies of the Icicle Mountains. From the veil of cloud, a dark object in the distance could been seen. Zack adjusted his eyes to the far off object which only seemed like a speck. Though in short time, the speck grew larger, darker, and its shape began to form from the blur it was to something much worse. It flew silently and quickly through the air like a bullet through smoke. Zack’s eyes widened, his heart began to race as the object which grew greater in size than him as it let out a trembling roar. It swooped for Neighmo, who was paying attention to the bow of the airship. Zack raced for Neighmo and tackled him to the floor of the deck before the monster could grab him. Zack still had no idea what it was, but knew for sure it wasn’t friendly.
Zack released Neighmo as he sprang up on his hooves in a swift motion. He saw the object fly overhead, above the deck and away from the airship. The crew caught a glimpse of the flying beast as well as it sailed off into the fog. Once the monster was out of sight, the crew fell silent and wondered what had just happened; Neighmo was speechless as well as Zack. In the maze of mist, the same monster let out another terrifying shriek which caught everyone aboard the Wind Fish off guard. From around the sides of the ship, more of the same creatures swooped over in a blur of blackness. More began arising from the fog below; ten, twenty, thirty, the numbers of flying monsters grew as they rose from the mist below.
The horn of the Wind Fish blew and Zack turned to see Neighmo with his hooves on the wheel, ready to steer clear of the beasts. He beckoned, “Move it! Everyone! Battle stations! Everypony to a scorpio or ballista!”
“What’s going on, Captain,” asked Zack in a panic. “What are these things attacking us?” Both the stallion and Zack looked above to view the mass of large birds flying above and around the zeppelin.
“Rocs," exclaimed Neighmo, "Terrors of the North!”
In that instant, a group of rocs sailed down and swooped at the crew on deck. Some of the ponies on deck which were manning the artillery fired into the oncoming birds. The rocs were much bigger than the ponies and could easily carry one off with their large talons. They all looked about the same, some were a little bit bigger while others smaller, but no less huge compared to the ponies. They had jet black, rough feathered bodies, piercing yellow eyes, jagged and pale yellow beaks with maws lined with sharp teeth. Their wing spans stretched far and each feather was at least the length of Zack’s arm. Their talons were razor sharp and could easily tear the flesh off of any pony with ease. They were quick in the air and could easily avoid the harpoons and spears the ponies attacked them with.
Two of the Royal Guards that were sent by Celestia came onto deck carrying a chest filled with crossbows much similar to the same designs they used in Appleloosa. Everyone on board armed themselves with these weapons as they were handed quivers filled with iron bolts too. Zack and Neighmo armed themselves with a crossbow as well while the rocs tried to dive down and snag the ponies. The Royal Guards, one of which was a unicorn while the other a pegasus, began to fight back. The unicorn used his magic to ward off the oncoming attacks; creating ballistic beams of magic towards the rocs, zapping them out of the skies. The rocs were no dummies as they concentrated their diving assaults more on the larger threat. As three beasts dove in front of the unicorn guard, another roc came from behind, catching him off guard and snagging his back. It sliced the pony’s spine with a force that also tossed him off the ship’s side. The other Royal Guard pegasus rushed to his comrade’s aid, but the rocs planned for this to happen.
Another roc swooped down as the pegasus jumped off board and tried to grab the pony with its talons. A member of the crew who was on a scorpio saw this about to happen and aimed for the large bird. He pulled the trigger of the mounted crossbow and the large bolt fired into the side of the roc. The roc staggered for control, but still grabbed hold of one of the pegasi’s wings. The guard was in the roc’s grasp as it tried to make a u-turn towards the airship. Another member of the crew fired his crossbow into the skull of the bird, which made it take a sharp left turn and away from the Wind Fish. In this inclined turn, the wing of the pegasus pony tore off and he escaped from the bird’s grasp; only to collide into the side of a mountain, killing him upon impact. The roc as well fell beneath the clouds, bleeding profusely from its wounds.
The barrage of attacks from the rocs escalated on board. Equally both sides were being picked off one by one. Either a pony was taken and thrown off the ship or a roc was shot out of the sky. Zack tried his hardest to aim for the flying beasts, but most of his bolts fell behind the quick birds. Zack felt a sudden crash behind him and turned around to see what it was. A large roc landed right behind him as it tried to peck Zack. He side stepped out of the way and drew the Prevailer out. He swung the blade horizontally and sliced a part of the beak off. This wasn’t enough to stop the monster as it proceeded to attack Zack still. He ducked below another oncoming flap of the bird’s wing and thrust his blade into the bird’s chest. The roc let out a dying squawk as Zack kicked the bird off of the ship’s deck and into the fog below, pulling his blade out while doing so. He turned to see Neighmo shooting a roc point-blank with his crossbow on deck, killing the beast instantly.
He swung around and called out to Zack, “There’s too many! We need to lose them, it’s the only way!” He grabbed hold of the steering wheel of the ship with one hoof while with the other pulling a lever nearby all the way down. The steam engine below roared louder as Zack could tell the ship was gradually getting faster.
“We have to give her all she’s got!" Neighmo rubbed the wheel of the ship, coping softly, "Come on, baby! Don’t fail me now!”
Zack looked above the ship and began to realize the rocs were trying to take out the balloon. The material of the balloon was enchanted and made it much harder for the rocs to tear a hole in it. They were trying their best to rip through the material as they used their beaks to try and dig into the balloon.
Zack rushed over to the deck and yelled over the crew, “Focus your fire on the rocs above! Don’t let them take this ship down!” The crew followed Zack’s orders as they focused their fire above. Rocs began falling off one by one as each plummeted below the fog with a body filled with bolts and spears. The captain was navigating the ship violently, trying to dodge the oncoming mountain tops while maintaining the increasing speed. Their plan was working, the roc’s numbers seemed to be decreasing.
Then, Zachary heard a large flapping of wings behind him, much larger than the ordinary roc’s flap. He turned and saw a much larger roc trailing behind the Wind Fish. It roared much louder than the rest and he figured it was most likely the leader of the flock. Its body seemed war-torn from many battles and its beak was blood red. Its feathers possessed a navy blue tint which was much different than the regular roc’s jet black feathers. It flapped its wings, giving it more speed to drastically catch up with the airship. It grabbed hold of the back of the airship, the talons of the creature dug deep into the hull of the vessel. The weight of the leader roc weighed down the ship; the Wind Fish’s bow rose high in the air, sending the crew plummeting backwards and off of their artillery. Zack was beginning to slide towards the roc’s opened maw before sticking his sword into the quarterdeck of the ship. He held on tight as the beast roared once more, trying to stretch its neck out and eat Zack alive. A lone crew member on the deck, still manning his position on a ballista, fired a spear into the leader roc’s beak, hardly doing much damage to it. The roc cried out in pain as it let go of the ship, sending everyone off of their feet and hooves while the balloon tried to stabilize the vessel below. The largest roc swooped up and grabbed hold of the balloon with its talons.
Neighmo jumped up and cried out, “Fire everything you got on the large one!” The crew aimed and shot torrents of bolts and spears into the beast above. The ponies were reloading as fast as they could this time, giving it everything they had to try not to die today. Small holes were all ready being punctured into the balloon from the talons of the leader beast, but the roc gave off a cry of pain as it drew its head back, looking as if it was about to let go of the balloon. Though instead, it rammed its beak into the zeppelin with one finally act of strength before letting go and falling into the mist. The attack on the balloon punctured the material and it blew a large hole into it. The ship faltered greatly and the crew began flying off from the velocity.
The airship spun out of control and into the mists below. Neighmo held on tightly to his steering wheel, trying his best to steer clear of the mountains still as the Wind Fish plummeted. He pressed a large button next to the wheel of the ship, which deployed numerous emergency balloons from the side of the vessel; though still, the airship was falling into the valleys of the Icicle Mountains.
Zack tried to hold on for dear life, still grasping the Prevailer which was stuck into the deck of the ship. The side of the airship suddenly collided with a mountain peak, which shook the ship greatly. More than half of the crew left tumbled off of the sides of the ship. When the zeppelin tried to swerve and stabilize again, it rammed into another peak, causing the sword Zack was grasping to slip from its position. Zack fell and grabbed hold of the side of the ship with one hand. The force the vessel was experiencing was too great and he began to slip. Neighmo tried to reach for Zack with one hoof while the other was grasping the wheel, but Zack couldn’t fling his other arm up for the captain to grasp. Zack slipped and began to plummet towards the unknown ground below.
Icy wind sprayed his face, blurring his vision as he fell faster and faster into the fog. Zack tried to stabilize his flailing body as he dropped at an incredible rate. Once he did, he looked over saw that he was falling next to an ice covered cliff side. He swerved his body and with the Prevailer, he stuck the blade into the cliff’s edge, trying to slow his fall. The ice cracked and shards of sharp ice cut into Zack’s uncovered skin. It wasn’t helping his descent slow up and was beginning to think that this was the end for him. Suddenly, he remembered he was still wearing the Ethereal Sabatons and with that in mind, he began to slow his descent with the help of the magic in the boots. He once again tried to thrust the sword into the cliff’s wall and this time it worked, he was coming to a slower and slower rate of speed until finally he came to a halt.
A cloud of ice and slush enveloped Zack from above as he hung from his sword. The blade was firmly dug inside of the mountain side and it felt secure. When the slush and ice from above fell beneath Zack, he gasped for breath and looked around his surroundings. Fog distorted his vision around him, he couldn’t see the ground, other mountains or the sky above him; only the cliff side and fog was in his line of vision. He didn’t know long he could hang there, or how he would get down to wherever down was safely. His plan was to hang there and wait for a plan to pop in his head.
He heard a crashing sound above him and looked up to try and see what it was. He saw the lights of the Wind Fish gain altitude and hover off. The lights of the vessel grew dimmer in the fog and soon it was out of sight and earshot. Snow and wind fell around Zack, it blew his dangling legs about in the harsh environment. A new thought overwhelmed Zack. He was alone, left alive in the unknown, glacial and mountainous wilderness of the Icicle Mountains. Even if he thought those stories Neighmo told him weren’t true, he was still terrified of the predicament he was in. Zack wasn’t sure how long he was going to last hanging there; his arms began to grow weak as his muscles ached.
Then, in the solitude of the wilderness, he heard a familiar noise from behind him. He knew what it was and was beyond terrified of it. The leader roc plummeted and grabbed hold of Zack with its enormous talons. He held onto his blade as it easily slide out of the mountain side. The roc crashed into the cliff wall and released Zack, squawking and flapping vigorously to try and maintain flight. It was injured greatly and could not keep flight as it fell with Zack. It released him and Zack grabbed hold of a large spear that had impaled the beast before.
As the two plunged into the fog, the roc fought greatly to try and get Zack off of its back. The roc turned itself around and Zack’s grip loosened off of the spear. The bird grabbed hold of Zack once more with its talon and pressed Zack’s body against the icy cliff while still falling. The clothing on Zack’s back was being ripped to shreds as each layer came off gradually. He had to think of something quick, so he used the Prevailer and stabbed the roc’s claw, releasing him. They continued to fall as the roc tried to snap his jagged-toothed mouth at Zack. He drifted out of the way and grabbed hold of the beast’s chest. He dug his sharp sabatons into the roc and held his sword high. He continually jammed the blade into the roc’s chest, trying to kill the monster. The roc tried to retaliate and grab hold of Zack, but with each attempt, Zack swung his blade over his head and cut the oncoming legs of the bird.
Beyond the bird Zack was stabbing, he realized the ground was coming quickly behind the roc. With one final stab, he released the sharp sabatons from the bird’s chest and with the magical artifacts on his feet, he slowed his rate of descent and fell lighter to the ground. The bird fell first, causing a mass of snow to sky rocket above. A crater of slush was left where the roc fell. Zack fell onto the snow; even though the Ethereal Sabatons slowed his fall, it still hurt his legs when he fell from such a tall height.
He steadied himself up and forgot that the magical artifacts on his feet could give him the ability to stand on snow as well. He caught his breath, the icy air filling his lungs and exiting as a puff of hot air. He eventually walked over to where the bird fell to see if the roc had been killed. In a sudden moment, the roc flapped upward and roared at Zack with surprising effort.
Zack fumed back with vigor, “Die already!”
The roc charged him, ramming its head into the snow as Zack easily jumped over the bird and onto the top of its head. Zack held tightly to a spear that was driven deep into the beast’s skull and swung onto the side of its face. He pulled out a dagger and rammed it into the bird’s right eye. It wailed and writhed in pain as it flung Zack off and into the snow. It wildly charged him once more, still going strong and chasing Zack. The large beast jumped high in the air and with its foot, it struck Zack down and pinned him against the ground. The weight of the bird began to crush Zack’s body as he tried to break free. The bird bent its head down and roared, showing its large, sharp teeth and dominance over the feeble human. It bent its head back and tried to peck Zack with a mighty force. Zack was able to dig himself out just a little bit in the snow below him and pushed off of the bird’s foot with both feet. The sabatons rocketed him back in the snow as the bird damaged its own foot. It roared as it looked around to see where its prey had gone.
Zack stood up and gripped the Prevailer tightly, ready for any attack the leader roc was about to deliver. Suddenly, he felt a tingling in his hands and the sword began to glow brightly in the falling snow around him. A bright-red aura, as if from a blazing fire, enveloped the blade; Zack had no idea what was going on with the sword. His attention was broken when the roc roared once more and charged Zack. With a sudden idea, he swung his body around and with his body’s momentum, he swung the blade towards the roc. It sailed through the air like a comet of fire in the night sky and sank deep into the bird’s ravaged chest. Upon impact, the blade erupted on the bird and a wall of fire crawled up the beast. The monster screamed in agony as it flailed its limbs and tried to extinguish the odd fire that began to wrap around the creature. Through the smoke and flame, the magic blade shot back to Zack and into his grip without warning; he was amazed at what he had just performed and was unsure how he did it. The roc, ablaze, roared in pain as it tossed itself off another cliff side. Zack ran over to the edge of the cliff and watched the monster smote its ruin upon the mountain side below. With a thunderous thud, the roc was finally dead as the fire took over its body and the smell of burning flesh filled the cold air around him.
He stared down into the abyss and said aloud, as could as the air around him, “I hate birds.”
Zack fell over and tried to catch his breath, exhausted from the fight he had just barely won. His limbs were aching and his mind was still racing, still afraid of another beast coming to kill him. Snow rained down around him and wind blew his tarnished backside. Blood from the monster stained his sword and clothing. He wiped the blood off of the Prevailer and onto the snow next to him before sheathing the blade. He knew he had to continue or he would freeze to death in the coming night. So he sat up from his spot and continued towards the mountain side he fell from.
Upon walking a great distance towards the mountain's face, he found a narrow pathway in the side of the cliff. He looked upwards, seeing the large, narrow cliffs on both sides stretch high above him and into the foggy clouds. In this ravine, with icy walls on both sides, seemed to be nearly five feet across. It was narrow, jagged and appeared dangerous. He looked to each side of the cliff and seeing no way around, it looked as if this was the only way to get to anywhere else.
Before taking the route, he noticed a strange group of tents halfway buried in the snow next to the cliff on his right. He walked over to it and realized it was the remains of an old camp sight. Zack began to scavenge through the remains to find anything that would help him survive. He found nothing of use, except an old, locked up iron box. He used his sword to pry open the lock box, only to find a small, worn out journal. It appeared very preserved as he skimmed through it, not reading it, but merely judging the condition of the book. He really wished it wasn’t a journal, due to last time finding one and discovering the secrets to Starswirl and Celestia. Either way, he kept the journal and decided not to linger their for too long. As he rose to his feet, a kindled idea came into his mind, but it was immediately shot down. The Vessel of Millennia could have been used to get help, but he remembered that it was still on board the Wind Fish. He had no way to communicate back to Celestia and was now officially lost in the Icicle Mountains.
Zack tried to keep his mind from worrying and to focus on the matter at hand. Worrying would only use up more energy and he had to preserve the rest of his strength for as long as he could. He looked up and figured it was about midday and he had to make haste if he wanted to survive this harsh environment. He began to trek the narrow ravine between the cliffs, hoping that on the other side would be safety and nothing more dangerous for him to face alone. He was no longer fighting the sheer cold of the mountain ranges, but now dealing with his faltering mind which was slowly losing sanity.