Commander Hurricane flew over a dark, snow covered forest, grinning to himself as he held aloft Chancellor Puddinghead, the earth pony tied in thick rope.
“Any last words, you disgusting mudraker?”
“un-insightful comedic reference.” Puddinghead said monotonously.
The Pegasus shrugged and threw the Chancellor down to his doom, where either the fall would kill him...or, otherwise, the cold and the many monsters inhabitant the forest would. He sneered triumphantly before flying away back towards his kingdom in the clouds.
----------------------------
Clover the Clever trotted into Platinum’s bedroom to speak to her...only to find the room empty.
“Your majesty...?” The unicorn asked aloud, looking around to see where her Princess was. Finding no sign of the royal unicorn she trotted quickly down the halls, trying to use her magic to trace any possible clues. She sweated as she searched, biting her lip nervously. There was no way she couldn’t find the Princess, not in the halls of her very place where she’s safe and warm and under the protection of hundreds of powerful unicorn mages, Clover herself among them.
As her search took her to the main hall of the palace, she found...something. She trotted over to it, spotting a strand of the Princess’ hair...along with a half-eaten apple, some straw and...a feather.
Her brilliant mind connected the dots to the only possible conclusion she could believe as several of the royal guard trotted to her.
“Dame Clover,” one of the Guard asked, “what’s wrong? You’ve been shouting and running around all the palace like some...mud pony.”
At that phrase Clover gritted her teeth, eyes filled with hatred and fury. “Gather everyone! We need a public meeting!”
“Everyone....?”
“EVERYONE!” Clover shouted, tears falling from her eyes. “Those filthy Earth Ponies have CAPTURED Princess Platinum! We can’t take this sitting down! Get everyone together so we can save her from the Earth Ponies and their treasonous cohorts the pegasi!”
----------------------------
Out in the freezing cold, Princess Platinum shivered her royal cape and crown ill-suited to keeping her warm in such a terrible winter, not even her specially chosen winter clothes seemed to have much effect, while Private Pansy hovering lightly beside her looking over at her in concern.
“M-maybe w-we should turn back...” Pansy said timidly.
“No, we mustn’t.” Platinum said resolutely between her teeth chattering. “It’s imperative we get there as soon as possible.”
“Where a-a-are we going...?” In all the commotion Pansy hadn’t bothered to think to ask where Platinum was leading the pair before now. “A-and why do we need these stones?” Pansy looked behind herself at the six stones held in a small sack she had helpfully decided to carry in the frail princess’ stead.
“We are heading to the tallest mountain of this area, the Grand Spire.” She pointed her hoof towards an absolutely massive mountain that dominated the horizon, looming over them. “There, we must take the six stones for...” She frowned, shaking her head as she winced. “Something...I wish I could remember my visions more clearly...”
“V-visions?”
“Yes, it’s my special talent. Rather than just standard unicorn magic, I get...visions. Sometimes when I sleep, sometimes when I’m wide awake. I don’t remember the details, only strong feelings...no, more like commands, along with images and vague ideas. These stones were recovered due to my visions, in fact, and it seems it was so I could carry them to the Grand Spire....all else I know is that it will somehow stop this winter and help all ponies...no, all that live in this world.”
Pansy nodded in acceptance at the Princess’ words, for some reason believing her wholeheartedly. She just seemed so sure, so determined to do what she could, Pansy couldn’t help but admire her and want to help...even as guilt at away at her heart. Her eyes gazed up at the mountain as she tried to distract herself with small talk. “We, um, have a different name for the mountain.”
“Oh?” Platinum turned to the Pegasus, smiling in interest. “Do tell, I didn’t even realise that was a possibility. How silly, of course your people wouldn’t call it the same thing, how would you even know? It’s not like our people communicate all that amicably, or that often, after all.”
Pansy looked down. “W-we call the mountain Wind Splitter, as all winds paths are broken by it...” She shivered as she gazed up at it. “S-s-seeing it now...i-it feels...unnatural...th-the wind...it’s almost like its coming FROM the mountain...b-but that’s not how wind works...”
Platinum tossed her royal cape to the Pegasus who yelped fearfully. “It may not be much, but it might help warm you a tad.”
Pansy stared at her wide-eyed. “I-I can’t just take this...I-I’m not e-even cold...I-I’m a s-s-strong p-p-pegasus, a-after all..”
“Oh please, you sound like you’re shivering more than me!” Platinum smiled reassuringly. “Besides, it’s the least I can do to thank you for coming along. You could’ve easily turned me down.”
Pansy looked away, blushing softly. “N-Not really...I...I can’t really say no to anypony...”
As the pair conversed they hear a loud howl coming from deep in a forest at the mountain’s base. Pansy’s eyes widened in terror.
“What was that....?” Platinum wondered aloud.
“Dire wolves.” Pansy answered, shivering in fear. “Th-they live in that terrible forest, they are so dangerous even my father is careful...Th-they only make that noise when they...find something to...to eat.”
Platinum’s eyes widened. “Or somepony. Come, miss, we must go help!” The unicorn dashed into the forest without much warning.
Pansy gasped and followed after her, shaking her head. “No, no, no! This forest is FAR too dangerous and unnatural! It’s resistant to our pegasi magic a-and the creatures are so dangerous!”
“All the more reason why we can’t take the chance that someone might be in danger!” Platinum argued, looking up at Pansy reassuringly. “As long as we watch each other’s backs we should be fine.”
“Y-you trust me...?”
“I trust you with my life.” The Princess smiled widely, eyes sparkling at the Pegasus, making her blush.
As the pair moved through the forest the first thing that caught their eye was Chancellor Puddinghead, the leader of the Earth Ponies, sitting in the middle of a snow filled clearing. The second thing that caught their sight was the monsters surrounding him: four massive, white furred wolves with large, crystalline spikes jutting out from random parts of their bodies, as well as forming their massive claws and razor sharp teeth, each creature sporting six legs as they circled around the pony entrapped by them.
Pansy gasped. “D-Direwolves! Th-they’re among the DEADLIEST monsters in this forest!”
Platinum frowned grimly. “Meaning they won’t just let the Chancellor go, will they?”
Pansy shook her head. “I-I’m afraid not...”
“We can’t let that happen. Whatever happens to me, I won’t sit idly by and watch a pony die!” The Princess charged forward, her horn glowing as she fired a blast at one of the massive monsters. As the blast connected the Direwolf yelped in discomfort and turned to the intruding ponies with an aggressive growl, the other three monsters turning to join it.
Platinum inched back, wincing in fear before sighing and steadying her resolve, her horn glowing bright as she got ready for a fight. “Very well, you brutes! You wish to face the ruler of all unicorns in combat, then it shall be so! I will not make it easy for any of you!”
Pansy stared, taken aback at the bravery of a pony whose kind her father regarded as ‘weak’ and ‘cowardly’...and seeing none of that on display, far more than the Pegasus soldier was displaying herself. Pansy felt...something at the sight, awe perhaps...pride even. All she knew was that whatever those feelings were, they awoke something slumbering within her which reached a boiling point as, upon the princess firing another blast, a Direwolf leapt over the attack, snarling as it brought down four of his fearsome claws towards the unicorn.
“NO!” Pansy shouted as she flew, fast as lightning, curving around Platinum as she punched the direwolf hard into the side, knocking it aside and onto a tree before it collapsed to the ground. Panting and growling, the creature got up as the other three wolves charged.
“Ridiculous, disconnected statement of dubious humour unrelated to the current situation.” Puddingheead dryly stated as he reached under his hat and gripped a seed, his hoof glowing briefly before he tossed it at one of the Direwolves, making it yelp as vines wrapped around its legs and a pumpkin grew to full maturity to slam onto its head, making it howl and squirm blindly as the gourd covered its head.
Platinum dodged the swipe of one of the two remaining direwolves, but a second one manage to knock her crown off her head and slice a portion of her laboriously styled mane, only for Pansy to fly over and grab it from behind in a suplex as she slammed it to the ground. “Don’t you dare TOUCH HER!” Pansy shouted at the beast while Platinum fired several blasts at the remaining beast, pushing it back....however aside from the one still struggling with the plants covering it the other three got back and circled around the two intruding ponies warily, snarling in anger and rage from the battle.
Pansy panted, losing her earlier surge of courage as she whimpered. “Th-they’re too strong, they’re barely winded....W-we could run...?”
“The chancellor’s leg is broken, he wouldn’t be able to catch up with us.” She gave Pansy a disaproving gaze. “Honestly how could you even think of abandoning him?”
“I-I know I-I’m sorry I just...” Pansy looked down. “I-I get scared...I-I’m supposed to be a strong, brave Pegasus b-but I can’t do anything right...”
Platinum smiled reassuringly. “Oh hush, you were plenty brave just now, and anyone would be scared.” She focused back on the creatures, horn glowing. “I can still fight, and I’m sure you can too. We’ll wear these creatures out, surely.”
“O-or die trying.” Pansy added pessimistically, gulping.
The direwolves snarled, the fourth finally managing to tear the restricting plants off of it as it turned to deal with Puddinghead as the other three charged suddenly...only for all four to freeze in place mid charge.
“W-what...?” Pansy blinked, shocked. “W-why did they stop?”
Platinum’s horn glowed idly as she stepped close to one of the creatures, tilting her head. “I-it’s...they’re ALL encased in ice!”
“S-such big scary hairy beasts, f-frozen? J-just like that...!?” Pansy glided to the Princess’ side. “B-but there’s no way...s-surely...”
“Like my protégé warned me, this winter is...unnatural.” Platinum tapped a hoof against the ice encasing a direwolf, not even making a dent in the structure. “I’d hazard a guess that THIS is just how ‘unnatural’ it is.”
“Y-you mean...w-we could end up like these monsters....?”
“Possibly, but you’d think it would’ve happened by now.” Platinum frowned in thought but shook her head. “We best hurry, regardless, this is just proof we need to deal with this NOW rather than later.” She turned to Puddinghead, trotting over to him. “I may not know the best first aid, but I could use my magic to tend to your wounds.”
Pansy flew past her, landing beside the Chancellor and reaching into a small pack at her side. “Don’t worry, Princess, I can handle this. I’ve got medic training for the battle field a-and well w-we did just have something close to a battle....” She tended to the Chancellor’s leg, looking at him. “H-how did you get here, s-sir? Y-you’re awfully far from home...”
Puddinghead muttered under her, uh, his breath and then began to speak monotonously, as if from off a script. “I was having a good time making a nice mug of cocoa when that ugh seriously? ‘grumpypants’ Hurricane came to my home, grabbed me and took me out here before dropping me from the sky to land here and break my leg. Here’s my token of thanks for your help, by the way.” With that, Puddinghead tossed the pair large chocolate balls from under his hat.
“Um, thanks.” Platinum grimaced, thinking about where the treat had been and how long it had been there, while Pansy took a large bite out of her own chocolate without any fuss, the Princess shaking her head as she spoke again. “Anyway, you’re saying the Commander left you here to...to die in this cold?”
Pansy frowned, looking downcast. “F-father...”
Platinum trotted over to the Pegasus mare, draping a hoof over her shoulder. “This..this can’t be pleasant for you to hear. I mean, the implications alone...I know it was no secret he hated non-pegasi but this...?”
Pansy nodded, trying to hide the shame in her voice. “W-we will deal with that l-later, after w-we stop the winter...”
“You’re right...” She gave the chancellor a worried glance before pulling him over her back. “Sorry Chancellor you’ll be coming with us, the risk is too high right now to bring you back home and leaving you here is out of the question.”
“stupid statement about hurricane that understates his murderous racism.” Puddinghead responded foolishly.
“It’s not far now, at any rate, we should be able to find a path up the mountain from here.” Platinum said as she carried the Chancellor while walking, Pansy moving close to help her as the trio continued their journey, a blizzard starting to billow out from the top of the mountain.
--------------------------
In the Pegasus city on the clouds above, pegasi in armour growled at each other angrily as they stood in a mess hall eating dinner.
“Could you eat more quietly!?” One Pegasus shouted. “I can’t even think above your slurping!”
“OH you wanna go!? I’ll Knock your teeth in!”
“Settle down!” One Pegasus called out. “Pansy wouldn’t be happy if she saw us fightin’ among ourselves!”
“Hmmm come to think of it, where IS Pansy?” another wondered aloud. “She’d normally be here by now. You don’t suppose the Commander sent her on a mission?”
“Nah! The Commander would NEVER trust Pansy with a mission, no matter how much we like her!”
“Of course not! She’s a coward who makes the rest of us look bad!”
A soldier slammed his hooves on a table rising up. “What!? Did you just insult the most beloved and adorable mare in the Battlements!? We won’t stand for that won’t we lads!?”
“Yeah!” Several stood up from their chairs.
“Oh you wanna fight!? We’ll give you a fight, you stinkin’ bleedin’ hearts!” Several pegasi rose up in opposition.
The doors of the mess hall slammed open, Commander Hurricane trotting in as he glared at his unruly troops. “What is the meaning of this!? Enough squabbling, show some decorum! You’re pegasi, for goodness sake, not those filthy ponies below who walk in the mud!”
The assembled pegasi flinch and salute the Commander, their earlier argument and growing tension forgotten. “Sir!”
“Oh what would my daughter say if she saw you going at each other’s throat and starting needless fights...” Commander Hurricane said, shaking his head dismally as she hung it low.
“Where is the Private, anyway, Sir?” One Pegasus dared to ask.
The Commander’s head bolted up as he looked among the throng.”You mean...you mean you don’t know. Oh how terrible...” He shook his head, voice low and tinged with sadness. “Pansy...You know how she is, how she’s stood by all of you and tried to make everything easier on you all?”
Several of the troops nodded.
“Well, she was increasingly worried about a potential war and how many would be hurt and so...” Hurricane sighed sadly. “She went off to speak with the representatives of the unicorns and the earth ponies...only for the cowardly, wretched snakes to betray her!” He stood up, slamming his hooves. “I tried to get to her and bring her home, but I was too late! By the time I was there, they had already MURDERED her in cold blood!” He dropped a blood covered knife onto the floor to the gasps of his troops. “This was what was used to do it! I know not which of the MONSTERS did the deed, but doses it matter!? They are both complicit in the death of a Pegasus who only wanted peace! And THIS is how they repay us!? Should we just FORGIVE them for what they’ve done!?”
All the pegasi, eyes filled with fury at the unjust death of their most dear and beloved comrade, stood to attention. “Sir!”
The Commander tried to hide a smirk before he continued, seeing a small few still uncertain.
“What can you expect, from filthy little heathens?
Those two disgusting races are like a curse
The unicorns are cowards
The earth ponies are dolts
they’re vermin as I said and WORSE!”
The other pegasi started joining in, losing themselves to their righteous anger and fury, joined in focusing on a real enemy aside from each other.
“They’re savages!
Savages!
Barely even Ponies!
Savages!
Savages!”
“Raze them from our shores!” Commander Hurricane declared, pointed a hoof dramatically. “They’re not like you or me, which means we do not them!”
“We must sound the drums of war!
They’re Savages! Savages!
Filthy wretched devils!
Now we sound the drums of war!”
Commander Hurricane turned from them as he lead his troops onward to prepare for battle, a satisfied grin appearing on his lips at how easily his plan was progressing.
------------------------------------
Before a crowd of armoured unicorns and mages, Clover the Clever stood, face grim yet determined. “The earth ponies have gone too far this time! Sure, let them stay in their hovels and refuse to aid us, but now they had kidnapped the Princess for Sun knows WHAT reason!”
“But why did they do this?” a mage asked aloud. “What do they gain from this?”
“What’s to understand in the mind of one of those DISGUSTING dirt diggers!?” Clover retorted before continuing.
“It is as we feared
Those earth ponies are villains
The only thing they feel at all is greed
Beaneath those hornless hides
There’s emptiness inside!”
“I wonder if they even THINK?” a couple of unicorns added.
“They’re savages!” Clover continued as the other unicorns joined in.
“Savages!
Barely even ponies!
Savages!
Savages!
Selfish to the core!
They’re different from us
Which means they can’t be trusted!”
“We must sound the drums of war!” the unicorns cried out.
“they’re Savages!
Savages!
Barely even ponies!
Now we sound the drums of war!”
-------------------------------------
In the earth pony settlement, every able bodied mare and stallion was gathered together with what tools they can carry as Smart Cookie trotted before them.
“Those dang unicorns have gone too far!” Smart Cookie cried out angrily. “They obviously weren’t happy about us refusing to share what little we had with them, and so decided to let us all starve in the cold! Well I say we ain’t takin’ this lyin’ down! I say we pay them back a thousand fold for trying to kill us slowly like COWARDS!”
“Shouldn’t we wait for the chancellor’s word on this?” a mare asked.
Smart Cookie spat at the ground in anger. “Who knows where that loony dunderhead is!? He’d probably just try an’ give all our food away anyway, or, or make some DEAL with the unicorns that will only hurts us! NO! We’re not gonna play nice anymore like he wanted! We’re gonna do what we should’ve done YEARS ago! After all....
We knew it all along
Peace was an illusion
HERE’s what you get
When races are DIVERSE
They’ve taken our crops!
They’ve taken our lands!
Who knows what they’ll take
If we do not stop them first!?
They’re savages!”
“Savages!” The earth ponies joined in. “Barely even ponies!”
“Savages!
Savages!
Monsters every one
They’re different from us
Which means they must be evil!
We must sound the drums of war!
They’re savages!
Savages!
“we will stand with you
As we sound the drums of war!”
----------------------------
The winter grew stronger on the land as the voices of anger and hatred filled the air, mixing together so a casual listener couldn’t tell one from the other.
“Savages! Savages!”
“Let’s go kill a few, men!”
“Savages! Savages!”
“This is the only way now!”
“Savages! Savages!”
“Now we sound the drums of war!”
The winds howled ever stronger, harsher...and, if one were to listen, cold laughter.