Snow crunched softly under their hooves as three teen ponies with loaded saddlebags made their way towards a familiar mountain cave. The leader of the group nervously gnawed on her lower lip as she walked, a nervous stone settling in her stomach as her friend's home came into view. Flurry knew that there was no reason for her to be so nervous, that Ruby and Sapphire wouldn't do anything bad to Alto. It was more that she didn't know how they were going to react to him that had her so on edge.
"You okay Flurry?" Sapphire asked, giving her a concerned frown. "You look like you're gonna be sick."
"I-I'm okay," Flurry stammered, forcing a smile.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked, a faint trace of concern creeping into her features.
"Y-Yeah," she giggled. "Just a little nervous is all."
"Why?" Sapphire asked, raising a brow.
"Well... there's a reason Alto doesn't live in The Empire," she frowned.
"And that is?" Ruby asked.
Flurry paused, choosing her words carefully as they crossed through the mouth of the cave.
"Let's just say, he didn't get the best first impression when it came to ponies."
"You say that like he isn't one," Ruby said evenly.
"He isn't," Flurry sighed. "He's-"
She froze. After all this time spent with Alto, she knew he wasn't a Windago, even if his mom was. His powers and appearance didn't match all of the facts she gathered about his mother's species. Granted, he had some of her abilities such as Air Walking and Cryomancy, but none of the records said anything about Windagos having scales or the ability to use Sonumancy.
"I...don't know what he is," she frowned, then smiled as she added, "Other then a really good friend."
"If you say so," Sapphire shrugged.
"Agreed," Ruby nodded.
Flurry giggled at that then resumed her march through the cave, her friends not far behind her. She stopped just at the entrence to the Main Chamber and turned to face her friends, a serious frown coloring her face as she stopped them.
"Before we go in, I want to set a few rules. Okay?"
They nodded, a bit of shock briefly crossing their faces.
"Alright," she sighed. "Like I said, Alto's first contact with ponies wasn't the greatest one in the world. As a result, he doesn't trust ponies very much. It's only because of me that he's willing to give the two of you a chance. So, here's the rules. Rule one: No using the spring unless he says so. Rule two: No coming here without me. Rule three: Let him come to you first. I cannot stress that enough. He's almost at my level when it comes to Cryomancy and if he feels cornered-"
"Got it," Sapphire shivered. "Don't spook him and he won't turn us into Ponycicles."
"Right," Flurry sighed.
"Are there any other conditions?" Ruby asked cautiously.
"Not really," she lightly chuckled. "Are you all ready?"
They nodded.
"Well, let's go," she smiled.
With that, they crossed the threshold into the main chamber, each nervously swallowing as they braced themselves for the tensest meeting of their lives. It was as silent as a tomb as they walked around the spring, giving it a wide birth so as not to offend their host. They looked around, Ruby and Sapphire sporting a pair of nervous frowns while Flurry's was more of concern.
"Alto?" she called, making her friends jump at the sudden break in the silence. "Are you there?"
"Y-Yes," he said, voice echoing evenly from all of the chamber's branching tunnels.
She gave a relieved sigh as she smiled sadly at the set of openings.
"It's okay," she smiled. "Nopony's going to hurt you."
"I-I-" he stammered, a faint tremble shaping the fear in his tone.
"Oh Alto," she said, worry starting to settle in her gut.
Maybe it's too soon. He's probably not ready to meet other ponies yet. Maybe it's not too late to call it quits for today and try again later. Ruby and Sapphire know about him so they aren't going to just pop in unannounced.
As she tried to find a way to salvage the situation, Ruby moved to her side and stared at the five tunnels in front of them.
"Alto?" she asked, tone calm and steady as she stared at each threshold in turn.
"Y-Yes?" he asked.
"Hello, my name is Ruby Strokes, but many call me Ruby."
"N-Nice to meet you," he stammered, the fear in his tone slightly weaker. "Y-You're friends with Flurry, right?"
"I am," she nodded.
"She says your nice," he said feebly. "That you're an artist."
"I am, on both accounts," she smiled. "I would be more then willing to show you some of my work if you'd like."
"I would, but...I-I can't move my hooves."
"That's fine," she said patiently, levitating a small stack of paper out of her right saddlebag. "You're near one of the tunnel entrances, right?"
"Y-Yes."
"Then throw a rock and I'll levitate the pictures to you."
"N-No!" he screamed.
Ruby flinched, then let an understanding smile form on her muzzle as she gave Flurry a brief glance.
"Okay, what if I give them to Flurry and let her hoof them over to you?"
"T-That should be okay."
With that, she let Flurry take the papers in her magic grip and "let go" as the lavender aura around the pictures turned blue. Flurry approached the tunnel entrances, confused on how she was supposed to figure out where he was. Before she could resort to her Scanning Spell, a faint high-pitched ringing came from one of the tunnels. It was too distinct to be wind, but subtle enough to confuse those not familiar with the normal sounds of the caves. She focused on it as she stared at the tunnels, then slowly made her way towards the middle path. Seven feet into the path she came across Alto, a mix of shame and fear covering his face as he locked eyes with her.
"Alto?"
"Flurry," he gulped, breath coming out in desperate gasps. "I-I-"
She threw her hooves around him in a tight embrace, gently rubbing his back as he trembled in her grip.
"It's okay," she whispered. "Nopony here wants to hurt you. They just want to meet you."
"I know," he sighed. "B-But I'm scared."
Flurry smiled, then pulled back enough to lock eyes with her friend. She could see the fear in his eyes, but they showed so much more then just that. She saw frustration, doubt, curiosity, but most of all, she saw conviction. He refused to let his fear consume him completely, no matter how much he wanted to. He was fighting against his instinct to flee what he perceived as danger for her sake.
Flurry looked at the stack of pictures that Ruby gave her. She knew the kind of effects her friend's art could have on ponies. Once, she was on the verge of breaking down from the burdens of her station when she was little and Ruby gave her a painting. It was an image of a tranquil field of flowers with a clear blue sky towering above it. The scene delivered a feeling of peace and hope to all who gazed upon it and was a welcome respite after a long day of studying. It was this knowledge that lead to her letting go of her friend and passing the stack of paper to him. She watched him as he slowly sifted through her friend's work. As his eyes scanned the images, his fear seemed to melt away like snow in the summer sun. His trembling gradually lessened until it ceased altogether, a strong fire slowly burning in his eyes. By the time he got to the last sheet of paper, the fear and doubt had vanished from his eyes as determination took dominance.
"I'm ready," he said, voice quiet but full of strength as he hoofed back the papers.
"Are you sure?" she asked, taking the pictures in her magic.
He nodded, then made his way towards the tunnel opening. As she followed him, she gave the last picture a quick glance. It was a pony standing in the middle of a burning forest, a look of conviction decorating his face as he guided a group of foals through the inferno to safety. Countless scars and burns covered the stallion's body as he moved forward in the face of danger. Flurry smiled as a fire burned inside her while she followed her friend out of the tunnel towards the Main Chamber.
Everything is going to work out. I just know it!
***
This is so not working, Flurry thought.
While her friends took Alto's appearance better then she thought they would, it didn't make the heavy silence that surrounded them all anymore comfortable. It wasn't fear that kept everypony's muzzle sealed, it was the shear lack of common ground. While Ruby was able to test the waters with her art, Sapphire was left completely in the dark as to how she could break the ice with Alto. She didn't know how to approach him in a way that didn't cause problems in the long run as she stared at the alien colt. In a lot of ways she wasn't surprised that he was so strange, considering he was a friend of Flurry's. She knew both her and her sister were an odd pair as well, so even a creature like Alto didn't stand out that much to her. In fact, she thought he looked really cool. The way his scales caught the reflected light in the cave reminded her of freshly fallen snow while his sky-blue mane and tail was like a clear winter sky. Just looking at him got her creative juices flowing and the fact that she couldn't think of a way to connect with him through it frustrated her greatly.
It's the crap with Opal all over again! she thought, jaw tightening as her temper flared. No! Buck that! I am not going through all that again!
With a frustrated growl, she rose to her hooves and stomped towards the cave entrance. Everypony present exchanged confused looks before flinching when an angry yell echoed through the cave followed by the sound of shattering stone. Alto gave Flurry a raised brow, who gave him a sheepish smile in return. His ear flicked as a small series of chipping noises echoed off of the walls, quick and frantic at first, but they slowly became steady as time went on. Eventually, the tapping was replaced by hoof steps as Sapphire returned to the group, something small held in one of her hoofs as she stared at the ground.
"I'm not very good with words," she grumbled. "But I am with my hooves. I don't have my tools, so it's not as smooth as I want it to be, but here. This is what I think of you."
As she said that, she placed what she had in her hoof in the middle of the group circle. It was a small stone figurine of Alto. He was sitting with his legs tucked under himself with his head held up high with pride, his mane covering the left half of his face in a way that made his faint smile more pronounced, The natural layer patterns and dents in the stone almost perfectly matched the effect his scales had on his appearance as the small flecks of quartz in the rock gave the figurine his ice-like shine.
"This is how you see me?" he asked, picking up the small replica and examining it in wonder.
"Yeah," Sapphire grumbled, still staring a the ground as she took a seat beside her sister.
A small smile graced his muzzle a he turned towards Sapphire and said, "Thank you. I was afraid that I scared you."
Sapphire's gaze jumped off of the ground towards Alto, shock decorating her face.
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, you weren't talking to me," he said with a confused frown. "I thought that I scared you. The Storm knows I was scared of both of you earlier."
I still am, he thought, fighting back a faint tremble as he stared at Sapphire.
An irate groan rolled out of Sapphire's muzzle as she face-hoofed.
"Like I said," she sighed, letting her hoof fall to the ground. "I'm not good with words most of the time. I didn't want to say something that'd scare you off. Especially since Flurry managed to get you out here, but I couldn't think of anything to say."
"This seems like a good start," he smiled, gesturing to the figurine.
"It could be better," she sighed. " I could've made something really awesome if I had my gear."
"Even if you say that, I still like it," he said, holding the small carving to his chest with a smile. "Thank you."
"N-No problem," she stammered, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she fidgeted in place. "Name's Sapphire Trail by the way, but you can call me Sapphire if you want."
Alto smiled, then said," Nice to meet you Sapphire, I'm Alto."
With that, the awkward atmosphere between the four foals thinned as Alto and Sapphire exchanged smiles.
***
Echoes filled the tunnels as four sets of hooves moved through them for the first time. Left with little to do in the Main Chamber, Alto offered to show Ruby and Sapphire the rest of his home. Flurry and Alto stood at the head of the group while the two newcomers marveled at the natural crystal found inside the tunnels as they moved.
"Just a heads up," Flurry smiled. "The Ice Bats here are really friendly."
"I noticed," Ruby monotoned.
Curious, Flurry looked over her shoulder at her friend only to fall over laughing at what she saw. Ruby's entire back, neck, and the top of her head was covered with Ice Bats. Sapphire wasn't fairing much better as the curious creatures nestled onto her back while she glared at them. Alto took in the scene and smiled as he let out a small series of chitters and squeaks. The Ice Bats gave him a few squeaks then flew off of the two fillies into the deeper parts of the tunnels out of sight.
"Thanks Alto," Sapphire sighed, checking on her saddlebags. "I thought they were gonna- HEY! THOSE LITTLE SHITS STOLE MY CANDY BAR!"
"Oh the tragedy," Ruby mumbled, rolling her eyes as she checked her own bags. "Whatever will you do now that they..."
She froze, earning nervous looks from the rest of her party as they cautiously backed away from her.
"Uh...Sis?" Sapphire asked with a gulp. "You okay?"
"Ruby?" Flurry asked, protectively resting a wing on Alto's back.
"They took Opal's pen," she said, tone colder then the ice that slicked the walls. "He gave me that as a gift last week to help me draw."
The look she aimed at the tunnel the bats flew down sent a chill down all but Alto's spine as it passed them. Instead, it made him send a quick glance at the figure on his back and an understanding smile graced his muzzle.
"Hold on," he said, then turned towards the tunnel.
They watched as he closed his eyes, then he opened his mouth and a sharp whistle filled the caves for a second. Flurry and the rest flinched as they felt their ears pop and ring as Alto remained motionless. A grimace formed on his face as he opened his eyes.
"Of course they would go there," he grumbled, walking through the tunnel.
"Huh?" Flurry asked, just barely hearing him over the ringing. "Hey! Wait up!"
With that, the small group followed him further into the tunnels. As they moved, Flurry noticed a steady drop in temperature the further they moved. She wasn't alone as Sapphire and Ruby huddled closer to her for warmth with each step they took. Eventually, she had to put her wings around them and cast an Insulation Barrier around herself to keep them from shivering. Eventually, the cold grew to the point that the tunnel was filled with a dense fog not dissimilar to Alto's Haze Spell, but not anywhere near as lethal. Flurry kept her friends close as they traversed through the fog, eyes locked onto Alto's back to keep from getting lost. She nearly walked into him when he suddenly stopped in front of another opening flooded with fog with a deep frown marring his muzzle.
"Flurry," he sighed, staring at the opening. "Did you tell them about my mother?"
"No," she frowned, shaking her head.
He sighed, then said, "I'll answer any questions they have, but not until we return to the spring, understood?"
They nodded.
With that, he walked through, the fillies not far behind. They stepped into a large chamber covered top to bottom with solid ice crystals. The dense fog filled the chamber with a shimmering aurora that dazzled off of the walls like a liquid rainbow constantly flowing through the air. The floor looked like a polished mirror as the four teenage foals walked in as they stared in awe at the spectacle around them. Awe turned to shock when their eyes settled on something against the far wall opposite the door. It was an ice sculpture of a sleeping mare. She was roughly the same size as Princess Celestia, but lacked her wings and horn. LInes of frozen tears trailed down her face from a sharp pair of closed eyes that held strength and compassion in equal measure as her head laid on its side. In the light of the glowing fog swirling amongst the frozen crystals, she laid as an embodiment of beauty and power that few could hope to match. For Flurry, she was something different. knowing what she was staring at, tears formed in the corners of her eyes as for the briefest of seconds she saw her own mother in the mare's place. She barely noticed it when Alto placed his figure in a corner of the room or retrieved her friend's stolen property from where his mother laid.
"Let's go," he said somberly as he passed them.
Flurry nodded, then guided herself and her friends out of the room. The walk back to the Main Chamber was a quiet one, the sisters not sure how or if they even should break the silence while Flurry fought against the pain that filled her. It was one thing to hear about a death, but it was something else entirely to see the end result of it. When they finally made it back, Flurry let go of her friends and took point at Alto's left side as she hugged him.
"Thank you Flurry," he sighed, lips pulled into a frail smile as he gently pulled himself free.
He turned towards the two fillies, not surprised to see cautious confusion coloring their faces.
"I promised an explanation," he frowned. "So here it is."
With that, he retold the tale of his mother's death. It was hard for him, it always was to revisit those old memories. However, he found the pain to be less intense with Flurry at his side, especially when she wrapped a wing around him at the halfway point. When he finished, Ruby and Sapphire fell to their haunches, shock clear on their faces as they stared at him. A shock that was shared by Flurry as tears started to slide down Sapphire's cheeks as she threw herself at Alto in a tight embrace. Ruby wasn't far behind, though she was a lot more tender in her approach as she wrapped her forelegs around the colt. Alto blinked owlishly at their reactions, not sure what to make of the situation he found himself in.
Are all ponies like this? he thought, only for a small smile to grace his muzzle as Flurry added herself to the group hug. And why do I feel so warm inside?