//------------------------------//
// Chapter 32: Journey to Destiny 
// Story: Spike's Teacher 
// by Richer19 
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“Are you sure we are heading in the right direction?” Spark remarked huddling himself against his brother’s back in an effort to protect himself from the blizzard.
“Didn’t you ask that like five minutes ago?” Shining Armor responded being at the front of the pack with his wife right behind him.
Cynder, being right behind Cadence, shouted “Yep and he has been asking that every five minutes on point ever since we left Stalliongrad.”
“I just don’t understand why we couldn’t wait for the weather to clear up?” The dragonfly exclaimed with his usual annoying tone.”
Cadence, with a tone that made it clear she was tired of repeating herself, “I told you this blizzard is unnatural and magical in nature. It won’t just ‘clear up’. Now either help my husband light a path or shut you yap.”
Spyro and Spike, acting as the rear guard both blinked as Spark whispered “Dang what’s got her ponytail all up in a knot?”
“Probably because you are such an insufferable insect?” Spike jokingly pointed out.
“I second that reason.” Cynder quickly added earning a small laugh from the group and a grumble from the dragonfly.
Spyro with a desire to diffuse the situation before it gets too much out of control “We should be reaching the last marker where that patrol claims to have seen some odd occurrences.”
“I don’t know how anyone can see anything in this blizzard though” The dragoness replied shaking a bit of snow off of her wings grumbling that the strong headwinds made flying almost impossible. The first few attempts were met with her face covered in snow and merriment from Sparx which was the last creature she ever wanted to hear laughter from her expense. Still she couldn’t help but feel like the winds were intentionally stopping her blowing in just the right angle and pressure to keep her from getting airborne.
After a few more minutes of silence with the cold wind serving as some form of comfort, Shining saw in the distance a flashing purple light with the others seeing it soon afterwards. As they got closer, they could see the light was coming from a metal rod not unlike a street lamp in Canterlot resisting any attempts by the wind of blowing both the light and the pole down into the snow.
Once they all got to the marker, they all let out a sigh of relief. Pulling out the rough map of the area and a note detailing the information provided by the scouts; Shining Armor said “Alright from here the group said they traveled east for a few hoofmiles before seeing what they described as ‘A large snow tower thinner then any mountains.’”
“Wonder what that could mean?” Spike asks shaking off some snow that had gathered on his jacket and using a bit of his fire breath to warm his claws up.
“Hard to say but Resnov never reported anything about a tower and he isn’t one to omit key information.”
“Well hopefully this tower has some heat or something.” Sparx remarked.
“Oh I think heat is the least of your worries~” A chill new voice called out around them.
Acting on instinct, the three dragons formed a circle around the two ponies while at the same time Shining threw up a shield providing a temporary relief from the wind but not the cold.
“Who’s out there?” Cadence called out.
Silence was met at first, the dragons scanning for any kind of oddity in the wind with red, green, and black flames flashing out of their noses. The moments seem to drag on into what it felt like minutes before the voice replied “That sound...so familiar...ah the princess has returned to her kingdom I see. Did you come to bear witness to your failure forever entombed in snow and ice?”
Cadence was no doubt confused “I don’t know what you are talking about. I’ve never been up this far north in my life.”
Again silence for a few moments “I see...well played princesses but it seems your last little trick had a time limit on it.”
“Did something happen involving Celestia and Luna?” Spike asked looking at Cadence and Shining who gave confused shrugs.
“It doesn’t matter now. All that matters…” Within an instant the group was surrounded by black smog thicker than the dark night and immune to any attempts by the wind to block or change it. Shining Armor let out a grunt under his breath as the smog pressed against his shield; testing the magic barrier for any kind of weaknesses. In front of the group, they watched as the smog seemed to dissipate and morph into the shadow of a stallion fully grown and a horrifying distorted horn on his head. His eyes glowed in blood red with purple like smoke coming out of it “Is that the one true king has returned to claim what is rightfully mine.”

The creature laughed his rich baritone voice cackling like shards of ice breaking against hard rock. Slowly the smog seem to dissipate as the blizzard was starting to push through the obstruction. They watched as the creature looked back at them saying “The crystal...is...MINE” before disappearing along with the rest of the fog leaving the group once again alone with only the unforgiving wind as company.
The dragons, sensing the danger passing let out a sigh of relief as Shining removed his shield. Looking back they all notice Cadence appearing to be quite spooked by the whole ordeal. Her eyes dilated slightly and her breath coming out quicker then composed. Without a word her husband moved closer to her, his head wrapping around her neck in a loving embrace which managed to calm her down. Her own muzzle pushing into his neck thankful for his warmth and safety. After a minute they separated before Cadence said “We should get moving. I get the feeling who or what that thing was is connected to that tower.’
“Not to mention its relation to you.” Cynder added getting a nod from the alicorn. The group turned in the direction of east and started marching this time with the wind buffering their left side which was a bit of mild respite.
As the group continued to walk Spyro and Spike moved up next to Cynder and started speaking in a hushed tone so as to not attract their attention.
“So what do you think that was all about?” Spike asked seeing his teachers deep in thought.”
“I don’t know but some of the word choices that...thing made gave some possibilities.” Spyro responded “For starters, it gave the impression that it knew Cadance despite her claim she had never been this far north.”
“Even if she had and met such a creature she would have informed either the princesses or her husband.” Cynder added getting a nod from the male drakes.
“The other thing is the last thing it mentioned. Something about a crystal.” Spike adds. “However I don’t know anything about any crystals apart from the Elements of Harmony and those are back in Canterlot.”
“Then there is a possibility of another Element of Harmony being here?”
“That is something that can’t be ruled out…”
“Well either way!” Sparx proclaimed after getting over his panic from the aberration “How close are we towards the...whoa.”
The dragons looked to see that Sparx was staring at something up ahead. The three followed his gaze to see that while they were talking they had crested over a hill and off in the distance was a large glass like tower.
“We are here.” Cadence remarked and a sense of accomplishment but also uncertainty settled on their shoulders.