The sphere of light before Winter stretched on and on, a tunnel of power flowing outwards into infinity, or so it seemed. It seemed almost like a stream, a gentle wash of energy washing past her as it traveled somewhere behind her. But she couldn't bring herself to turn around and look, because she knew what was there: her failure. She'd let the elemental win, it had ripped her from her body and cast her spirit into the void. How long could she last out here? The elemental had been certain she wouldn't survive like this, not for long.
"Well, may as well see what all this is..." she sighed, as she half swam, half glided forwards into the energy flow. "Maybe there's something I can use here to turn this around..." she muttered half -heartedly, already giving up. How was she going to fight an elemental being so so far out of her magic potential?! It was insane, a terrible idea she would never get to live through. She had let her friends, all of Equestria down...
With a shake of her head Winter pushed forward, looking all around herself in an attempt to learn whatever she could. She felt as though she were deep in Luna's night sky, stars glistening so impossibly far away, nothing for miles in any direction. She was alone, in this stream of white glowing energy pulsing so very familiarly. She finally thought to close her eyes and just feel for a moment, finally realizing what she was seeing. It was her magic...no, her power. This was the link of her ice powers, the true magic she had merely directed from somewhere else.
"Guess it's a good thing Tirek didn't get me," she chuckled morbidly. "If he'd caught up with me I think he'd have tried draining this through my body." The momentary smile faded, however, as Winter felt the weight of a realization press on her: this had never been her power. The elemental had done this, she was channeling its might this whole time, none of it had truly been her. Sure she was the face of it, but the strength and skill of her ice sculptures, the soft billows of snow she would tease her friends with...it had all been the elemental, truly, none of it her. But if that was the case, why had she felt so violated before, when it had made that bridge before?
As Winter tried to figure out what was really happening, she felt the energy rushing past her strengthen in flow. For a moment she wrote it off as simply her moving closer to the element, the source of this power...but something was off. It had gotten much stronger very quickly, faster than she would have expected. It was then that she noticed something odd about the stream, something she hadn't noticed before: there were two colors to it. The center was almost pure white with a tint of blue, a force that felt so comforting to her. But it was surrounded by an energy of white with black specks and a purple tint, and as she'd pressed forward that purple tint had squeezed down tightly on the blue tint. It was bottling the strength, throttling the blue's flow back down to Equestria.
Curiosity overcame Winter and she leaned towards the energy barrier, reaching her hoof out into the purple energy. "Gah!" she yelped immediately, yanking her hoof back and clutching it to her chest. The energy burned to the touch, even as she could clearly feel the power of ice she was so familiar with. It felt dark, painful, wrathful...and familiar.
"The bridge..." she gasped, staring at the ring of purple pressing down on her tunnel of light. "This was the energy from the bridge...the elemental's!" She gasped again with a hoof to her mouth.
"'I opened your mind, your very being, to the forces of creation.'" The elemental's words echoed in her mind as she abruptly understood their meaning. And, more importantly, something it had revealed to her.
"It's not me...my power, it's...that's not the elemental, it's me! It's my ice, my snow...it's always been mine." For the briefest of moments Winter's heart lifted from the abyss it had sunk into for the last few days, as she realized that the storm that had lashed out wasn't her madness after all. There was really no way to tell if her power or the elemental's had created the storm, but her basic desire to stop it had been hers after all, and she'd lost against the stronger force...at least then.
"I can't let this thing win!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes as she felt her heart pound in her ethereal chest. "That storm was nothing for it, I can't let it get loose. But what can I do against that...thing..."
As she spoke to herself, she felt the icy energy brush past her, stronger. The elemental's magic was closing around her own stream, trying to cut her off from the element they were both reaching out to touch. Suddenly Winter understood why her powers acted as they did. She was a conduit, her body a battery for the magic and trying to push too much of it through her at once strained her physically. But with enough work and preparation, she could use a lot of power at once. Could it be...
“I can fight it,” she said. “I can stop this thing. It’s feeding off of me, but I don’t have to let it.” Winter closed her eyes, determination flaring in her heart and mind, as she focused in on the pool of energy she and the elemental were both connected to. "Please," she begged, unsure what she was talking to. "Help me. Help me fight this monster, help me protect my friends. I want to go back." Winter begged, as she shut her eyes tightly and concentrated. She reached out with her magic, her heart, stretching to feel the element reaching for her. It touched her very soul just like she remembered, feeling as the energy around her strengthened just a bit as her heart connected to the element. "I can do this, this has to work. Please, help me..." Winter wrapped her heart in the element's strength and pulled it softly back to her, and to her elation the stream's strength magnified. But now she could feel it, feel the strain as the energy pressed against the elemental's. Yet it fought to reach her, washing past her and making her smile broadly. "I need your help, now. Please."
Winter sighed as she centered herself, clearing her mind as she pressed her energy into every corner of the body she felt. She had stored elemental magic in her before, she knew what to do to build her might. And now she could feel it, feel the element's strength flooding past her back to the real world. She felt it fighting the blockage, building strength behind it to fight. "Come to me, please..."
Suddenly, the bottleneck shattered. She glanced up just quickly enough to see the purple flow of the elemental's power flaring outwards at the pressure of her own power. The tidal wave of energy smashed into Winter, but it was so familiar that she couldn't be afraid: this power was right, it was hers, and right now she needed all that she could muster. She let herself lift off the ground and get caught in the avalanche, sending her careening backwards from the element, back towards Equestria, the mountain, her friends...her friends...
Winter gasped, her head snapping backwards as she felt her entire body tingling. Her skin crawled, every square inch, as her entire body rushed to meet her returning essence. Deep in her chest, she felt that pulse of energy she’d summoned, a core of strength she could use. All through her system, she felt the elemental’s presence blocking her, holding her back from reclaiming her body. But she had the advantage now: she could feel her power growing steadily, rising faster than the power the elemental had. It may have had more experience using this power, but Winter refused to let it win.
“What is this?” the elemental growled, and suddenly Winter’s core was struck at from all sides. She winced with the pain of having her very self attacked, but she held firm, drawing the energy out further to fortify her position. “No, NO!” it roared at her, its assault growing stronger, but Winter refused to give in.
“You didn’t make me,” she growled back, forcing her field outwards. The elemental grunted as she expanded her energy, drawing more and more from the well to keep her power consistent. "One gift does not mean I'm yours!" Winter flared her power again, this time feeling a response from her body. As her whole body came into focus for just a moment, she felt the elemental’s energy pressurize, threatening to rip itself out of her body. There was a chance, she could defeat it. She could free herself. “My mother carried me, birthed me, raised me,” she said, the image of her mother giving her strength. “She didn’t understand me, but she cared for me, and that’s more than I can say about you!”
“Enough of this!” the elemental snapped, but Winter heard the strain in its voice. It was weakening, and she capitalized on that. Another surge of energy flowed from her core, along her legs and filling her hooves with her power. More power from the well solidified her hold, melding her soul back into her body.
“My mother and father raised me, tried to teach me to be moral. My brother has tried to help me from so far away. All of them tried to help me be happy. My friends…they made me happy.”
"My...friends..."
"Did you hear that?!" Crystal gasped. Vlyka turned to nod as Crys cried out again. "Winter, can you hear us? Winter!"
As they three stood awestruck, Midnight realized that the ice wall blocking them off had receded further, enough for somepony to get through. Without thinking, he darted through the gap before something happened to cut off his entrance, even when Crystal called out for him to wait. Winter was still hovering above the ground, motionless as her magic still poured out of her like she was leaking everything she’d ever held in her body.
“Winter, can you hear me?” he called, taking off and fluttering right in front of her. “You recognize me? Come on, say something, please...”
“S…Stormy,” came Winter’s voice. It was weak, struggling, but definitely Winter. She didn't look at him, her gaze still vacant despite the light blaring from her eyes, but that didn't discourage him.
“I’m here Winter, it’s okay,” he replied, extending a hoof to touch her shoulder. She was freezing cold, even compared to the temperature around them, and something was radiating off of her that pushed him back, discouraged his touch. But Midnight refused to let it get to him. He shivered at the touch, but planted his hoof firmly and didn’t move it an inch. “I’m here for you, we’re all here for you.”
“Midnight…” Winter smiled. “My friend, all of my friends…”
“They are nothing, YOU are nothing!” the elemental roared, but the more Winter grabbed back from it, its voice sounded less intimidating and more…afraid.
“My friends aren’t nothing!” she snapped. “They’re brave, and caring, and strong, and they came after me despite the risk they had to deal with. They made it up here on their own, when I had to rely on you to kick me through everything. But guess what,” she growled, unleashing as much power as she could muster. She felt the elemental’s influence get pushed further and further out of her, returning her body piece by piece to its rightful owner.
As the elemental’s energy flowed towards her horn, it tried to take root in her head, strengthening her headache beyond what she’d dealt with for two days now. But she refused to let it take hold, no matter what strain it put on her. “I might not have made it up here on my own power, but that doesn’t mean you can just walk all over me!”
“No!” the elemental cried out, but the power in its voice had all but vanished.
“I’m not you, I wasn’t made for you! You don't get to claim who I am!" Winter’s headache softened as she felt her energy spread further out. Her body was finally starting to tire out, her strength and resistance for the element's magic failing, the core was waning and the buildup in her mane softened, allowing it to fall back to her normal style. Her power was draining, but by now it had done its job. She was back, only just barely fighting anymore to reclaim her body.
Suddenly, she felt two more hooves touching hers. It was a lot more than she was used to, but now she felt comforted, knowing that all three of her best friends were here for her. As she felt herself touch down gently, Vlyka and Crystal’s touch migrated up to her shoulders as well, and as the glow in her eyes died down. Her vision finally returned to her, and she glanced left and right, gazing at all three of her friends with a look of shock and confusion on her face. Her expression quickly changed upon seeing her friends concerned looks, and with a tearful smile she sighed with incredible relief. “Crys, Vlyka...Midnight, I…” she began, but suddenly her headache returned with a vengeance.
“You will not best me!” the elemental’s voice shook the room, its voice rather hollow compared to before. It didn’t change the pain in Winter’s head, at least until the energy she was feeling forced on her was squeezed into her horn. Again without her controlling it, her magic fired, releasing a misty white substance that began to collect into a mass of gaseous energy. Everypony stood in awe and fear of it as the cloud grew denser, all except Winter herself; as the energy finished bleeding off her, Winter felt lighter than she’d had in two days. She felt herself recovering already, and though she was still tired she could feel it wasn’t enough to stop her now. “Surrender to me!” the elemental screamed, the cloud of energy surging forward to consume her again.
Winter spread her forelegs and hunched down slightly, bracing for the energy she was calling forth. She channeled as much power as she could muster, her mane and tail standing on end again as she focused all the strength she could muster into her body. She glared at the approaching cloud and took in a deep breath, focusing as she called the energy forth into her horn. “Just chill out.”
The sound of Winter's ice magic bursting forth resounded off the walls, so violent a stone bench in the corner split in two. Behind her Vlyka yelped and covered her ears, as Midnight and Crystal winced at the sound caused everypony's ears to ring. Winter's own ears pained her too, but she could do nothing to soothe it right now. All her focus right now had to stay on her magic blast. The elemental had responded and condensed its magic in the center of its cloud form, firing its own beam back at her. The force of impact between the two snow white beams flooded the room in a blinding light. Winter's blue tinted beam struggled for a moment as she felt her hooves slip, the elemental's beam so strong it pushed against her even though her magic. But Winter planted her hooves firmly on the ice, feeling her natural talent grip the slick floor as she channeled all the element's magic back at the elemental's. It had more skill and know-how to command the element, but Winter would not let herself be bested now. It was too important for her to lose it now.
Sadly, Winter's bravery wasn't quite enough, and the blast of energy shook her to her core and made her legs weak. Her foreleg almost caved as she gasped in pain, shaking as she tried to stay standing. But right as she felt despair root in her heart, she felt a hoof touching her shoulder again...and another, and another. She could feel it, the warmth and love they had for her flowing into her. And her love rose to meet them, flooding her body with the greatest sensation she had ever felt. Her muscles felt lighter and stronger than ever, her mind soothed and ready, her magic rejuvenated. With a steady breath, Winter brought her magic close to her thoughts and twisted it tightly around her horn. The memory of her journey towards the element core had given her an idea, and just like before the magic funneled the strength of her power tighter into a narrow lancing beam.
“No!” the elemental cried, as Winter’s concentrated burst shot clean through its defenses, striking the core of the cloud it had formed. The power it shot back at her washed around Winter's beam and flooded over everypony, casting them into a frigid air. But with the core of the magic dissipated, it was nothing worse than a cold gust of air. “Nooo!” it bellowed, as Winter poured as much energy as she could bear into her shot. The chamber shook violently, the elemental’s roars rattling the very ground around them. Everypony recoiled, but Winter fought hardest to recover, keep the pressure on the creature up as it fought. Her eyes glowed brilliantly, but unlike every time that had happened to her before, she felt the absolute control of her power, and refused to let it get out of hoof. Her continued stream of energy slammed into the cloud and, slowly but surely, it began to dissipate, the rumbling and roaring dying down in equal measures. By the time the voice had vanished, the cloud had all but evaporated, a few seconds longer in Winter’s beam throwing all that was left of it to the winds. Finally, with nopony pulling energy from the well, the storm that had engulfed the cavern died down, as Winter retracted her essence back into her body. It was over; she was free.
Besides Winter’s heavy panting, there was silence between the four ponies for a few uncomfortable moments, just a hair of a gap between them as nopony knew what to say next. As Winter stood there, however, barely still standing after what she’d just done, she closed her eyes and swept her mental gaze all around her body. There was still some odd strain in her body, trying to readjust to physically feeling herself after being completely separated from her body even for a few moments, but beyond that still she felt very strange…but in the most fantastic way possible. For her whole life, she'd felt something intrusive, something that never quite seemed to fit her taking up residence in her heart, something that she'd always wondered why it was there. But now it was gone, her body felt pristine as new fallen snow. The elemental that had clawed its way into her heart and mind was gone.
With her mind and body weakened from the last two days of agony, the incredible relief that flooded Winter's system was just too much for her to bear. Her knees gave out, and as she sank to the floor she began sobbing. After everything that had happened, after all the stress she’d put on herself, any kind of relief felt fantastic, but having such a tremendous weight lifted off her all of a sudden and she just couldn’t cope with the unbridled joy she felt deep in her heart. Surprised, her friends glanced at each other in confusion and uncertainty. Crystal approached her and set a single hoof on her, a gentle sign that told her that somepony was there to help her. Midnight and Vlyka hung back, nearby but giving her space to cope with her situation if she needed it. To her surprise, however, that isn’t what Winter wanted at all.
“Guys,” she sniffled between sobs, grabbing the two outliers with her magic and pulling them forward. Her magic was far weaker than Crystal's on a good day, but in their surprise Midnight and Vlyka didn’t struggle in her grip, even fell towards her as she basically just pushed them. Winter jumped up on her hooves and spread her forelegs wide, grabbing everypony tightly as they came close enough for the biggest hug she’d ever dealt with in her life. Despite their body heat warming her to an uncomfortable level, Winter felt she preferred this right now, especially to the sensation of dark chilling she’d dealt with for two days. She held her friends tightly for a few moments, long enough for everypony to catch on and return it, before Winter let go and everypony backed up enough to give her some space. She sniffled, beaming as she wiped her eyes. “You’re so not going to believe this one."