The royal dinning hall was silent, save for the sound of papers rustling as one of the three ponies sitting at the dinner table sorted through a two-inch thick pile of them with her magic.
"Fascinating," Twilight smiled as she scanned through the papers floating before her. "It all makes so much sense now!"
"I was afraid of that," Shining sighed as he leaned his head back in his chair. "So, what is he?"
"That's just it," Twilight giggled, smile widening as she stacked the papers into a neat pile on the table. "There are no records of what Alto's species is, but its clear what his heritage is."
"And?" Cadence asked, anxiously leaning forward in her seat.
"He's half Siren and Windago!" she cheered.
The two royals blinked at her in shock for a second.
"What?" Cadence asked, gobsmacked.
"Well," Twilight smiled, summoning a specific set of papers from her stack. "According to these reports from Lieutenant Gold, Alto was able to use ice and sound magic in manners identical to both of the two species without any mystic aura present on his body. This implies that his magic uses his entire body as its focal point instead of a single part of the body such as a Unicorn's horn. This would also explain his predominantly carnivorous traits in addition to the inherent transformative properties I found in his magic network. He's designed to function as a deep water predator that can walk on land when needed! This is incredible! Do you know what this means?!"
"My daughter is dating a mix of two creatures that tried to end Equestria over a thousand years ago?"
Shining asked with a weary sigh.
"No! Well... yes, but this means that the two species are still alive!"
Cadence and Shining's faces paled. Noticing their reactions, Twilight's smile faltered and she returned the papers to the stack.
"Bear in mind, I don't mean that they are alive in Equestria," she clarified. "There hasn't been a reported sighting of either species in over a thousand years."
"Obviously that doesn't mean much," Shining frowned. "Alto didn't just pop out of thin air Twilight and the last pony to see a Windago is a frozen corpse somewhere in the Granite Mountains."
"True," Twilight nodded. "But how many areas in Equestria are frozen over or flooded to a degree that would be habitable for creatures like Alto or his parents? The only reason he went so long without being discovered is because so little of The Frozen North is explored and he had access to an acceptable source of food and medicine. A source that, if what Flurry's said is true, is too small to sustain a large group of creatures as big as his parents for very long. Besides, the records don't hold back on details of how protective Windagos are of their foals. If there was a large colony of either creature in the area, Flurry never would've needed to call me."
Cadence and Shining let out sighs of relief at that. After everything that happened a month ago, the last thing they needed was an attack from legendary ice or sea monsters.
"Why were they here to begin with?" Cadence asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Twilight shrugged. "Aside from the climate, I can't think of anything that would draw a Windago to the Frozen North."
"So to sum it all up," Cadence frowned. "What we have here is an orphaned foal with nowhere to go aside from an unforgiving wasteland that they only have a chance to survive in thanks to a select set of natural abilities, correct?"
Twilight nodded.
Cadence turned towards her husband, eyes pleading for something that only made sense to the two of them. He sighed and flopped his head into the table as he caved to his wife's machinations.
"I already told you I'm fine with it," he sighed through the table. "You didn't need to do the face for this Caddy."
"Just wanted to make sure," she said, puppy dog pout replaced with a wide smile.
"I really feel bad for him," Twilight sighed as she stared at the stack of data in front of her. "Losing his mother at such a young age and having to survive for years in absolute solitude? There's no way I would've been able to do it."
"She taught him well while she could," Shining sighed as he pulled his face away from the table. "Most trained guards have a difficult time lasting a day out there and he did it for years. I can only imagine the kind of things he had to go through to get that strong."
"He's very well spoken for somepony that never went to school," Cadence added. "I wonder how much of that was from Flurry's lessons."
"Lessons?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, Cadence giggled. "Apparently, his mother never got around to teaching him how to read, so Flurry spent most of their time together teaching him. According to her, he didn't even know what books were before their lessons."
"WHAT?!" Twilight squawked, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock.
"Makes sense," Shining shrugged. "It's not like there was a library out in the frozen wastes or anything."
"No, no, NO!" Twilight snapped, instantly summoning a scroll, quill, and ink pot with her magic.
She frantically scribbled across the paper, all the while muttering, "Not going to let a foal be denied the beauty of books! I need to ask Flurry what she's exposed Alto to and take it from there. Maybe I can ask Spike if he has any recommendations before I leave. Assuming he can pull himself away from his marefriend of course."
"Pardon?" Cadence asked.
"Nothing!" Twilight said quickly, rolling up the scroll and setting it down on the table. "Anyway, I'm surprised your archives have so much information on Windagos and Sirens."
"So are we," Shining said, staring at the thirty ten-foot tall stacks of books and scrolls behind his sister. "They must've been pretty common up here at one point."
"Yeah," she said, frowning as she stared at the books. "Remind me to thank Sunburst for helping me find all of these."
"Where is Sunburst anyway?" Cadence asked.
"Well, let's just say he might be using some vacation days," Twilight chuckled awkwardly .
***
Starlight sighed as she stared at her sleeping coltfriend, a small puddle of drool forming on the sofa's armrest as he snored like a lawnmower.
Really Twilight, she thought with a sigh as she picked up the comatose stallion with her magic. Three days? Three days?! I know Sunburst knows The Empire's royal archives like the back of his hoof, but did you have to trap him in there for three days and nights straight?!
"Not everypony can go a week without sleep, you know," she muttered as she walked into the bedroom she shared with Sunburst.
She sighed as she tucked the near dead stallion in, then stepped out of the room to let him rest. As she made her way back to the living room, her mind ran through recent events and their possible ramifications. Needless to say, things looked like they were going to be a bit more exciting for a while.
"Who do I have to kill to get a dull moment?" she muttered to herself, a humorless laugh slipping past her muzzle as she flopped into the sofa. "I might as well've stayed in Ponyville at this rate!"
***
Gold sighed as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, brush in hoof slowly trying to work her mess of a mane into some semblance of order. She was well aware by now just how much of a futile battle it was, but still enjoyed doing it when she had time to kill. The feel of the tool sorting through her mane helped her relax when the stress of her duties started to get to her. Of course, she had other ways to relax during her days off.
"Hey Goldy," Onyx smirked, letting himself into the room.
A soft smile graced her lips as she turned to face her husband.
"Hi Onyx. Off of patrol early today?"
Chuckling, he closed the gap between them and they shared a chaste kiss.
"Not much to do now that all the excitement's over."
He glanced at her nightstand and noticed a written letter. A mischievous smirk grew on his muzzle when he noticed an unused envelope laying next to it.
"You still haven't sent the letter?"
Gold frowned and turned back to her vanity's mirror.
"I'll get around to it," she grumbled as she ran her brush through her mane.
"Honey, it's been three weeks," he said flatly. "I doubt Rarity's going to give you that much hassle over what happened to your cloak."
She froze mid-brush, then set said tool down onto the vanity's table as she leveled a flat glare at her husband's reflection.
"You clearly never met the mare. One time, I brought my cloak in for repairs and she was in near hysterics over a small blood stain on the collar! When she sees the state it's in now, she'll skin me alive and turn my hide into a designer dress!"
"Yikes," he cringed. "Sounds like a real piece of work."
"And she wonders why she's still single," she muttered.
Onyx laughed at that then rested his head on top of her's as he hugged her from behind.
"How's your body recovering?"
She sighed, then leaned back into him as she enjoyed his warmth and the smell of ash that followed him like a relentless stalker.
"Slowly. Even with my curse reversing the damage, I can still feel the ice and frostbite. I suppose lungs and hearts take longer to recover from frost damage then stomachs."
A bitter laugh slipped past her muzzle as she added, "The Maker must be laughing their plot off right now. I crossed a scaled pony in the past and I burned, now I do it again and I am skewered by ice. What a cosmic comedy my life is."
Onyx flashed a crooked smile as he let his head slide from the top of her head to her cheek as he nuzzled her and said, "You know, I can help you forget all that for a couple hours."
A playful smile formed on Gold's muzzle as she locked eyes with her husband's reflection.
"Really? And what form of sorcery to you possess that can do that?"
His smile grew as he gave her cheek a soft kiss.
"Let me show you."
***
Eight foals slowly navigated the halls of the crystal castle, the castle's youngest Alicorn occupant leading the herd with purpose and an excited smile. While Ruby, Sapphire, and Opal were mostly unfazed by the castle's splendor, the rest of the group were not quite as reserved.
"This is so AWESOME!" Quartz gawked, zipping to random points of the hall.
"Y-Yeah," Platinum muttered, her posture stiff as she followed her new friends.
"Are you okay Platinum?" Sherbet asked from her left.
Platinum nodded.
"I'm fine," she smiled.
Meanwhile, her mind was running at a thousand miles an hour as she struggled to process what was happening.
The palace! I am in the PALACE! Must make a good impression! Must not insult Princess Cadence or Prince Shining Armor! I am in the PALACE! I AM IN THE PALACE!!!
Sunday placed a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder.
Opal looked took a moment to look away from his friend doing a perfect imitation of a spastic hummingbird to give the newest members of their group a cautious glance over his shoulders.
"It would appear that this is their first time here as well," he noted.
"Yeah," Sapphire snorted from his right. "But trust me, the place gets old fast."
He nodded, then asked, "What is Alto like?"
A cheshire's grin spread across her muzzle as she aimed a knowing look at the pony whispering with her sister in front of her.
"What's he like Flurry?"
Ruby let out an exasperated sigh as she gave her sister a flat frown while the only reaction she got out of the Alicorn was a flick of her ear.
"A really good friend," was all Flurry said as she guided the group further into the castle's east wing.
Opal nodded and decided to let the topic drop. One thing his father taught him when it came to mares was that when they didn't want to talk about something, it was usually a wise move to drop it. Considering this was an Alicorn of all ponies, an extra level of caution seemed most appropriate.
After a few minutes of mostly silent walking, the visiting ponies started to notice a slight dip in temperature.
"Whoa, what the heck?" Quartz asked, finally returning to the ground.
"Right," Flurry chuckled as she continued to lead the group. "I guess I forgot to tell you all. Alto likes it cold, so the whole east wing is a lot colder than the rest of the castle. It'll take some getting use to, but I promise you'll be okay."
Reassured by the Princess' words, the newcomers continued to follow her down the hall. As they walked, the cold continued to grow. Soon, they were able to see their breath as they rounded a corner onto a sight that made all but Flurry stop and stare.
One of the rooms had a door that was framed in solid ice with small icicles hanging from the ornate doorknobs. A thick footlong carpet of snow stretched past the door like a welcome mat to all who came to visit. A slight fog filled the air with a small prism of color that bounced off of the walls like a chromatic pinball. Flurry took in their gobsmacked expressions with a giggle as she casually walked towards the door.
"You should see what it looks on the inside," she smiled.
Her friends shook off their shock and trotted after her. Once everypony was present, she turned the frozen knob and opened the door. They were instantly greeted by burst of fog as winter air surged past them, earning a wave of shivers from the group.
"Whew! That'll wake you up!" Quartz chuckled, fluffing his feathers.
Platinum nodded, while the non-winged members of the group battled a bad case of the shivers. Their jaws hit the floor when they saw what laid beyond the threshold.
The room had the bare essentials in terms of furniture. A bed sat at the heart of the room with a wardrobe in the left corner opposite of the door and a vanity set against the wall to the group's right. All of that were minor details compared to the the room's sole inhabitant's choice in decoration. The whole floor was covered in fresh snow that crunched under their hooves as they stepped into room. Icicles hung from every ledge or high place like downward growing flowers on the outer perimeter of the walls and ceiling. The wardrobe and vanity were incased in a thick layer of ice that caught the light from the room's only window like the crystals that made up the castle itself. The bed was buried under a thick blanket of snow as light from the frozen chandelier in the room's vaulted ceiling above it added to the spectral light show. Curled up at the center of the snow-bed with a book open in front of him was the one responsible for the room's current condition.
"Hey Alto," Flurry smiled as she left her stunned party by the door.
Alto flinched slightly as his attention jumped out of his book and towards the Princess approaching him.
"Hello Flurry," he smiled as he hopped out of his bed to meet her. "Is it time for today's less-"
He trailed off as he took note of the other ponies behind her. More specifically, the new ponies in the group. Alto's posture stiffened slightly as he tried to put Flurry between him and the group. The action earned a sad smile from the Alicorn as she gently placed a hoof on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.
"It's okay Alto. Nopony here is going to hurt you. These are Ruby and Sapphire's friends. They're good ponies, like me. You don't need to be afraid of them."
Slowly, the tension started to fade, but it didn't disappear completely. At the very least, it had shifted from fear to caution as she lead the nervous colt towards the group. An encouraging smile from Ruby and Sapphire helped add to his courage as the distance between him and the group shrank.
"Everypony, this is Alto," Flurry said, gesturing to Alto. "Alto, these are Opal Heart, Quartz Mark, Sherbet, Sunday, and Platinum Scales."
As she said each name, the pony in question either nodded or waved at him. In the case of Platinum Scales however, the filly decided to do something a bit more formal as she greeted the Princess' friend. She approached him with wings spread and bowed before him in a manor more commonly demonstrated when one greeted Princess Celestia.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Alto," she said as she smoothly shifted back into a full stand.
He blinked in confusion at her for a moment, then smiled as he mimicked her actions.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well Platinum Scales," he said, still smiling as he pulled out of his kneel.
It was Platinum's turn to look confused as she stared at the smiling colt. Meanwhile, Ruby and Quartz were struggling to keep themselves from bursting into laughter. Platinum's feathers fluffed nervously as nerves she was still getting used to having started to get to her. Alto noticed and took a step back from her, smile melting into a concerned frown.
"I'm sorry if I did something wrong. I'm still learning how to talk to ponies."
"N-No," she stammered, an embarrassed blush coloring her cheeks. "I-I just wasn't expecting you to do something like that."
At that moment, Sunday and Sherbet came to her sides and gave her encouraging nods. She took a deep breath and with much more confidence said, "I am starting to rediscover parts of myself that I kept buried for a long time. The transition has made me a little awkward, but I think I will be better off for it in the future."
"I see," he said, smile back as he retook a step towards her. "That's good. I wish you the best."
"Thanks," she smiled.
"Hey are those scales?" Quartz asked, getting closer to Alto to get a better look. "Dude, that's so cool!"
"U-Um...Thank you?" he said, not quite sure how he was supposed to react to the smiling Pegasus' comment.
Flurry giggled as she explained what Quartz said meant. Opal rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he added himself to the conversation.
"Don't mind him," Opal chuckled. "He's a good friend, but don't go along with any of his schemes unless one of us is in the room."
"Ha, ha," Quartz smirked, giving the Unicorn a playful elbow jab.
As the group mingled, Platinum, Sherbet, and Sunday broke away from the group. As they watched the group two feet away banter, they couldn't help but marvel at their new addition's appearance.
"What exactly is he?" Sherbet asked, intrigued. "Do you think he's half dragon?"
"I don't think so," Sunday said. "Dragon's hate the cold. Maybe Kirin?"
"But he doesn't have a horn," Sherbet protested.
"Well regardless of what he is, he seems like a good guy" Sunday smiled. "Right Platinum?"
"Huh?" Platinum said, blinking owlishly at her two friends before nodding and staring at the mysterious colt.
They shrugged, then returned to pony-watching. Unbeknownst to them, a soft smile formed on Platinum's muzzle as a light blush colored her face as she stared at the colt with the white scales.