Chapter 61
Hope Lost
In a hidden place, a tree grew tall and proud.
Far from any other tree in its twinkling grotto, it stood alone. And in its solitude, it lorded over its domain.
Patches of grass and flowers abounded, sprouting happily among the roots, poking through the chill, white blanket that covered nearly everything there.
It was there beneath the overreaching branches of the sylvan guardian that all cold was abated. The trunk of the tree kissed with frost, and the branches decorated by icicles stood still and green. Even in the wind, which blew the surrounding snowflakes round and about, the leaves and twigs of the tree stood stock still.
All was a far cry from the forest beyond its sanctuary. There, all was calm and peaceful, with hardly any notion of chaos or calamity. But, even that place was not completely free of trouble.
Beneath the roots of the tree, the lone, singular guardian of that place sat as still as the branches that hung above.
As alone and as solitary as the very tree he was tending to, he watched his charge, eyes fixed completely on the storied history that had planted itself there and grew to the branches overhead.
The guardian sighed quietly, lonely and still. Waiting for the moment that he would be able to complete his objective. And before long, he turned to leave from beneath roots. The moment he took his first step, a twinkle of light shone in the roots next to him, giving the guardian a moment of pause. Shutting the light out, he continued on his way.
Soon, the twinkle of light was joined by many others. And the more that joined, the more difficult the guardian found they were to ignore.
Held within each light, he could feel the hopes, dreams, cares, hearts and souls of the kingdom’s inhabitants, and the millions of others who lived before them. It was they who he kept vigil over. They who he stayed for.
Just as it had been only one time so long ago, it was now his task to do what needed to be done. But, for all of his preparation, his fortitude and his will, he knew he could not carry out the objective that he himself had undertaken.
The more he walked, the more he could feel the lights begging him to come back. As if many voices were at once calling out to him, urging him to fulfill his chosen duty.
Flakes of snow wafted in from the opening in the tree’s roots, and the guardian emerged into the grotto. He turned to watch the tree, and saw the twinkles of light were flowing from the roots, up the trunk, and into the outstretched branches above.
His objective turned over and over in his mind, trying to think of another way to make things work. But as it was, he could not escape the terrible outcomes. And as it was every other time he tried to follow through, his convictions waned.
The lights in the tree twinkled brighter, beckoning the guardian forth.
Among the lights, another appeared from around the back of the tree trunk. One that looked nearly identical to all the others, but felt purely and wholly malicious.
The guardian stared at the evil, shimmering light, knowing that it was waiting for him to finish his task. Just as it had stolen their magic before, it was now ready to take what was left in the kingdom.
Amidst the standoff between the two, the lights of the tree twinkled more desperately, egging the guardian on. And as they did, the cluster of shimmering light flashed dimly.
The guardian knew it was prodding him to do what it wanted. What his friends all wanted. But, if things went awry. If he should fail...
He could bear no more. Averting his gaze, the lone caretaker of the hidden grove slowly walked away, and disappeared into a nearby cave.
As the guardian left, the lights of the tree all dwindled one after another. Soon, they had all dimmed. All but two, which watched after the guardian like a pair of unblinking eyes.
They knew all too well the trouble that weighed on his mind. A burden that no creature should have to bear, but was necessary to the survival of all who lived in the kingdom. In time, they knew that he would do what was right. Just as it always had been for as long as they knew him.
And with that, the final two lights faded away. And the tree waited for the moment when it and the others would be saved.
Only, it wouldn’t be all of the others.
A small, singular twinkle of light drifted up from the tree and floated away, out of the grotto. Where it was going, none could say. But wherever it landed, it would only become something more terrible and ferocious than what it was once before.
Beyond the hidden grotto, Twilight Sparkle continued her arduous hike up the side of the mountain.
The overgrowth of dead, frozen vegetation had ended, making the journey that much less prickly. Once or twice, Twilight had to stop to keep the dry twigs from pulling apart any more of her winter clothes. Already, she had to sacrifice her hat, and wasn’t about to face the cold in nothing but her bare coat again. For all she knew, Souris wouldn’t be there to save her life a second time.
Once again, the thought of Souris made Twilight’s mind quiver with inquiry. Why would Souris, an agent of the evil Yen Sid, ever bother to try and make friends with anypony who opposed her?
Even though Twilight felt she was growing closer to her enemy, she couldn’t shake the doubts that clung to her mind. Her first thought was that Souris had some sort of endgame in mind. A long con that would benefit her the most in the end.
“No. She’d never betray her friends for her own gain,” Twilight thought, recalling how Souris fully intended to deliver the powerful magic she had stolen to Yen Sid.
Loyalty. It was a trait that she had never known evil to have.
Twilight thought back to when she nearly fell to her death in Avalon. How Souris, at great risk to herself, rescued her from that fall. And then again when exposure to the elements nearly consumed her.
“That’s kindness,” Twilight thought. “Honesty, when she was instructing me. Generosity, when she offered to instruct me at all. And her view on the world around her. Magic.”
And for all Twilight knew, there was a silly side to Souris that she hadn’t yet shown.
All things considered, Twilight began to think that Souris truly meant it when she said that they could have been friends, had they both survived the cataclysm. And no matter how many times she thought about it, the thought still made her head wobble. In all her years, no creature who displayed so many traits of harmony and friendship would have opposed her.
She lightly kicked a buildup of snow that was on the path before her.
“It’s not supposed to be this way. Nopony like her should be evil,” Twilight muttered aloud.
Then again, there was only the one kind of evil that she knew. Those who disregarded friendship, and hurt others that way.
“What other way is there?” Twilight thought. “What other way…?”
As if the outline of a picture appeared in her mind, Twilight started trying to fill in the blanks with all that she had since learned.
Twilight’s next step slipped, and she saw that the path before herself was no more. Whether it had been a landslide, an avalanche, an earthquake or whatever, the path ended. And in its place was a jagged, uneven slope that went as far up the mountain as Twilight could see through the blizzard.
The sight of the ruined path made her heart sink. The arduous journey through the snowy lands had long since taken its toll on her body and mind. And even though she was sure she could trust that she was directed correctly by Souris, Twilight wasn’t sure if that was the best way up the mountain.
Through the haze of the blizzard, Twilight noticed a small shimmer of light. At first she thought that it may have been the speckle of red that had guided her to where she was now. But, as it drifted closer, she could see that it was actually a single dot of silver light, which shone like a single star among the many snowflakes. Just as quickly as it appeared, it blew past her down the mountainside, somewhere to the ground below.
As if an ember had fallen into a pan of oil, Twilight felt a surge of resolve flow through her being. Something was nearby. Something she knew that would lead her to the answers she sought.
The end of the trail wasn’t going to stop her. Just like Souris had said, she needed to see it through to the end. And with the same painful steps as trying to climb the roots, Twilight began climbing up the broken mountainside, ready and eager to decipher the secret meanings of what she knew.
The twinkle of light drifted rapidly along through the blizzard, maliciously darting about between the trees of the forest. And in moments, it landed upon the snow.
There was a flash of light. In the instant it disappeared, something else had taken its place. Something large, vicious and cruel, with no regard to friend or foe. And it was going to spread its cruelty across the frozen land.
Somewhere else in the forest, a glimmering squirrel stopped moving.
Behind it, a mouse stopped short of stepping on it. Behind the mouse, a unicorn bumped into him, knocking him over, and making the squirrel jump clear of being squashed.
“Oh! Mickey, I’m so sorry!” Rarity said.
Mickey raised his head from the ground, shook the snow from his ears and stood back up.
“Heh. Nothin’ to worry about. These clothes Nagruk-pak gave us are just the thing to keep out the cold. Hardly felt a thing,” Mickey answered. He turned to address the squirrel, “What’s the holdup? Crossin’ traffic, or somethin’?”
The squirrel didn’t answer. Nor did it make any indication that it acknowledged Mickey had spoken to it. Instead, it turned its eyes and its ears to the haze of the blizzard.
Something that shouldn’t have been there was lurking nearby. A terrible thing that was only born from terrible thoughts and deeds that the squirrel never thought it would see in their peaceful corner of the kingdom. If it was there, the situation would only grow more dire.
The squirrel had hoped it wouldn’t be too late. It hoped that if it could show the visitors what was happening, it could have prevented such a tragedy from happening. Hope was running out. And the coldness was reaching more than just the trees. If nothing was done quickly, more souls would be lost.
With an urgent chatter, the squirrel scurried forth and nearly disappeared into the blizzard.
“Hey! Wait up! We gotta stick together out here!” Mickey called, as he hurried after.
“Mickey! Wait a moment!” Rarity beckoned when she too tried to follow, but found the laces on one of her boots had loosened.
She stopped a moment to fix the problem, keeping her eyes trained ahead on Mickey, who was gradually disappearing into the blizzard. Not wanting to be left behind to get lost and freeze, or worse be found by Pete, Rarity hastened her effort.
The wind blew more harshly, and a cold like none she had felt since arriving in the frigid north stung right through her winter clothes.
There was a sudden crash, and Rarity jumped. A sound of ripping, cracking branches snapped her gaze to its direction.
At first, she thought it was merely the wind tearing down the weaker branches of the trees. But the noise remained consistent, coming from the same direction and never letting up.
Then, she saw it.
Something was coming toward her from the trees. Something that must have been very large, from the noise it was making.
“Oh no! Pete!” Rarity thought.
A large silhouette appeared through the trees. One that looked far too large to be allowed. And the next step closer it took, Rarity could see the span of a great set of jagged antlers. Then the glint of a blue-black eye, like a chip of ice. And finally a wildly grinning mouth full of fangs.
Rarity didn’t know what she was seeing. Only that it was evil and that she needed to escape it.
Haphazardly cinching the knot on her lace, the fashionista began a full on sprint through the snow, and quickly jumped to land on the skates on her soles.
The moment Rarity landed she began pumping her legs, skating as swiftly as when she was escaping from Pete.
Beneath herself, Rarity could feel her legs dipping and rising as she glided over the snow. Something was wrong. The snow hadn’t been so uneven before. Some power was trying to slow her down and pull her back to the grinning maw of the beast behind her.
Rarity blinked a moment and an iota of panic receded from her mind. She had simply been skating through Mickey’s footprints that were ahead of her. And she knew that in moments she would catch up to her friend and have half a chance of escaping her monstrous pursuer.
The sound of whipping branches spurred the fashionista onward, sending her skating faster through the forest.
Keeping her eyes to the ground, Rarity tried to focus on Mickey’s footprints, which were growing increasingly difficult to follow. Whether by trick of the light or by the rapid snowfall, the tracks seemed to disappear almost as soon as they came into view.
The broad surface of a boulder entered Rarity’s sight, forcing her to swerve sharply out of the way.
She recovered with a graceful spin, and regained her momentum by pushing off of a nearby tree. To her dismay, she had lost sight of Mickey’s tracks and glimpsed the glaring, icy-black eyes rushing toward her.
Rarity took off with a burst of speed, feeling every muscle in her body put to work. She didn’t know which direction to find Mickey’s tracks. But, she knew that anywhere away from the beast was preferable to being eaten.
Quickly, she had to duck her head and pass through a root that arched above the ground. Then had to rapidly tap her skates to the ground to avoid the multitude of roots that were lain before herself.
A silhouette appeared ahead. Something was climbing over the roots, and Rarity was going to crash right into it.
She lowered her head and braced for impact against the silhouette.
“HEY!!” the silhouette shouted, as it jumped into the air and landed on Rarity’s back. “Watch the horn, will ya!!”
The high, falsetto voice identified the silhouette immediately. She was back with her friend and now stood a chance to survive.
Mickey ducked when a low-hanging branch nearly swept him from Rarity’s back.
“Slow down! Yer gonna get us killed!” the mouse shouted.
The way the woods were growing thicker yet again, Rarity thought Mickey was right. Any other time, she would have complied. But, not when an unknown terror was hot on her hooves.
“Where’s the squirrel? Did you see?” Rarity asked.
“Up ahead! Thattaway!” Mickey said, pointing to the branches ahead.
Rarity could see the glowing outline of the squirrel through the blizzard. Glancing back to the ground, she could see the roots of the trees cropping up through the snow.
“You need to make a path for me!” she said.
“How?” Mickey asked.
“I don’t know! Use your imagination!”
Of course. Simplest of all solutions. The very thing that had seen them through to that point in their quest.
Raising his arms, Mickey cupped his hands together, caught a handful of snowflakes and condensed them into a snowball.
Mickey quickly took aim and threw his snowball where the nearest roots met the ground.
A tiny ramp of snow appeared where the snowball impacted, and allowed Rarity to jump up and over a number of the roots. Right toward the trunk of another tree.
Mickey reached up and compacted a handful of snow from the lowest branches into a ball and threw it at the trunk.
Rarity saw the opportunity the moment it appeared and raised her hooves to skate along the side of the tree and back to the ground.
The moment they landed, something from the trees swung at them, forcing Rarity to duck and spin out of the way.
Mickey scooped up another handful of snow and tossed it at the tree they were sliding toward, allowing Rarity to recover by ramping up the side and landing back on her hooves.
“What in the heck was that!?” Mickey shouted.
Rarity didn’t know. It looked like a branch, but at the same time not a branch. Fearing that their monstrous pursuer had some power that she didn’t know, she continued speeding her way through the forest, and quickly caught sight of the distant glimmer of light.
The squirrel was further off to her left. The same direction that they had just been attacked.
There was nothing for it. If they were ever going to reach wherever they were headed, they would have to face the thing that was out to get them.
The harsh environment and the bitter cold were taking their toll on the fashionista. She could feel her body fighting her, begging for the rest that she relished so in Nagruk-pak’s house. But, there would be no end to the magical quest if she quit.
Hoping against hope that she would avoid any more monstrous encounters, Rarity began skating toward the squirrel.
Mickey was barely able to keep up with the pace Rarity was going. Every amount of snow he gathered was almost immediately thrown to allow a surface for Rarity to skate on.
A root that rose nearly up to Rarity’s nose appeared through the haze.
Mickey just barely had gathered half a handful of snow and threw a tiny snowball at the root, coating it in frost.
With a tiny hop, Rarity landed on top of the frosted root and rode quickly along its length, before ramping up and into the tree branches.
The icicles of the trees nipped and fell out of their way as soon as they were touched. Mickey cinched up his hood to keep out the shards of ice, while Rarity could only lower her head and squint her eyes.
Through her narrowed vision, something caught her eye. A glint of blue-black ice set just above a row of icicles, like a set of razor-sharp fangs.
It was inconceivable. Rarity knew her pursuer was big, but never thought it could crane up so high into the branches. Unless there was some other power at work.
There was no time to think on it. Rarity fumbled for a hoofhold, but could only knock the flimsy branches out of her way as the fangs came toward her.
She felt the blade of her skates touch something solid, just as she thought she was right near the eye of the beast. And with no thought, she jumped as soon as she felt the landing at the very same moment the fangs nearly clamped around her hoof.
After what felt like an eternity in the air, Rarity felt herself land on something solid that was not the ground. Something that was covered in snow with patches of coarse, brown hair protruding like dead grass.
The surface beneath her began to shake, making Rarity struggle to remain upright.
Trying not to think about what she was riding on, the fashionista skated forward with another burst of speed, and soon found herself freefalling through the branches.
When the branches ended, she saw the ground rapidly approaching.
She stretched her legs to the nearest tree and felt her skates just barely brush the bark.
With barely a solid hoofhold, Rarity kicked off and righted herself mere centimeters before she hit the ground.
The world turned to a blur for Rarity, who focused solely on making good her escape.
The light through the blizzard was low to the ground. And the closer Rarity came, the more clearly she could see the squirrel waiting for them by the mouth of a narrow cave. Not so much a cave, but a crack between the rocks. And Rarity was heading right for it.
Rarity turned her legs sharply, skidding to a halt. Too quickly, as the sudden stop sent her and Mickey rolling into the cave’s entrance.
“Gosh! What a ride,” Mickey said, removing his hood and shaking his head.
Rarity wasn’t listening. She quickly rose to her hooves and peered out of the entrance of the cave.
The sight of a small clearing met her eye, and no sight of the monster that had chased her. Until she glanced at the treeline beyond.
A layer of icicles hanging from the trees shifted slightly, somehow in a way that didn’t seem caused by the wind. Icicles arranged like a wicked smile, which chilled Rarity to her marrow.
No matter how long she stared, nothing moved forth from where she looked. Whatever it was, if it was there, it didn’t follow.
“Rarity?”
Rarity jumped slightly, and noticed Mickey standing next to herself.
“What’s goin’ on? Yer shakin’ bad,” the mouse said.
It was only then that Rarity noticed how her knees were trembling, yet Mickey was as composed as ever. Had he not seen the thing that she had just saved them from? Not even for an instant. Reasoning that Mickey had kept his head down and his mind elsewhere for most of their escape, Rarity let it pass.
“It...It’s nothing. Only a tad overexcited,” Rarity said.
No matter how she tried to hide it, Mickey was able to see through the thinly veiled facade. Before he could ask further into the matter, the squirrel chattered at them once more and beckoned them further through the narrow passage.
Steadying herself, Rarity was the first to follow after, shortly followed by Mickey.
The way was lit by the light of the squirrel’s body, revealing the walls of the passage they followed.
For the blizzard outside, it was nothing compared to the cold of the cave. Within the narrow cranny, the air sat steady and still, swallowing up anything that passed through it in a frigid embrace.
Rarity pulled her coat more tightly to herself to abate the chill air. But, to no avail.
A quiet sigh wisped from her throat, her breath lingering as a cloud of white that dispersed the moment she passed through it.
Up ahead, the light of the squirrel’s body revealed something new. There on the walls, a mark revealed itself. More than just a simple coloration of the stones, it was painted upon the walls in a deliberate pattern. A long, broad line that was joined by many others, which formed their own particular patterns.
Looking to her side, Rarity saw how Mickey was looking at the markings too.
He looked over to Rarity and their eyes met. Neither said anything, but the feeling that they were approaching something incredible was almost palpable.
Taking a step closer to each other, they walked onward, ready to face whatever waited for them. Rarity especially hoped it wasn’t another beast.
The squirrel led them on, and an archway appeared before them. Not like the rest of the passage, it had been carved with exquisite detail and painted with the image of a grand eagle’s face, which benevolently stared down at all who wished to enter.
Two quick hops, and the squirrel passed through the archway. Once it entered the next cavern, it stopped and waited for the others to follow.
Feeling no apprehension, Mickey and Rarity both entered the room and stopped when they stood within the glow that emanated from their guide.
Now was the time. The squirrel lowered its head and the light from its body glowed brighter than before, illuminating the entire chamber that they were in.
Every kingdom had its stories to tell. From across the eons, struggles and triumphs, good times and bad, beginnings and endings were always told. And in that one room, every one of them from the snowy lands sprang forth.
The walls, the floors, and even the ceiling were painted with images that were too numerous to comprehend all at once.
As if drawn by some power within the paintings, Mickey and Rarity separated to discover all they could within that one room.
Rarity found herself drawn to a picture of a running river. Along its length, she saw many a happy creature going about their business. From catching and breeding fish, to using water in their daily life then refilling it with rain, everything was as harmoniously balanced as the kingdom could have been.
Among the creatures, Rarity noticed something else. Another creature, not at all like the others was seen. Ones that were short and covered in spines, like two-legged porcupines were seen.
Shortly after, the creatures were divided. The mooses, sasquatches and their skeletal ilk were on one side of the river, and the porcupine folk had moved to the opposite shore. There, they had a more monstrous appearance, far different from when they were seen with their friends on the other side of the river.
Passing by, Rarity found she had been led to a wall, where a great tree was painted. A large, vast, grand tree, whose branches spread as far as the wings of the great eagle who sat atop it.
From within the roots of the tree, Rarity could see all manner of creatures crawling forth. The animals and the citizens of the kingdom were all seen coming forth, as though birthed from some unseen force of magic. And in a state of silent awe, the fashionista remained with her eyes set firmly on the painting of the tree.
Mickey walked his way along the wall, finding many a wonder himself.
A sasquatch warrior entered the forest on his own, confronting the biggest wolf that Mickey had ever seen. Around it were smaller wolves, which looked even more unusual than the giant. And they were all guarding a massive stockpile of food. Just after that, there were images of the other citizens of the kingdom taking back the food that Mickey guessed rightfully belonged to them.
The mouse’s mind whirled with possibilities about what had happened on that day. Every version he imagined sounded to him like a story well worth telling.
Moving along, he looked for another story to learn, and found something he had not expected.
In such an ancient place, he never thought to encounter fresh paint on the walls. But, there it was. Not even yet dry, the paint shimmered in the light, revealing another story to be told.
Mickey walked along the length of the wall and discovered a shockingly familiar sight. The creatures of the kingdom were running scared from a shining light that hung high in the air. Beneath the light was the creature that had presumably sent it.
It’s shape and form was that of a huge, saber-toothed cat with wild, glaring eyes. Any other onlooker would have called it a monster. But for Mickey, there was no mistaking its immense girth or its peg-leg.
Yen Sid’s reach truly seemed endless. No matter how remote or far-flung the corner of the world, there were his minions to terrorize the populace.
There would be no stopping. For as much as he wished to be back at home in Mouseton spending his anniversary with Minnie, there was a greater threat that loomed over the land he was now in. A land he feared he may not be able to help to save, if it truly meant facing against the very man who taught him how to use any kind of magic.
Mickey idled along the wall, mulling his thoughts when he found another opening. One that led further onward through the caverns.
“Hey, where’s this tunnel go?” he asked the squirrel in the middle of the room.
Rarity’s attention was drawn to Mickey’s voice, and saw as the squirrel scampered on toward the opening that Mickey had found. Curious to the discovery, Rarity too followed.
The three of them all walked toward the tunnel’s opening, and passed through to the narrow passage beyond.
There were no more of the paintings along the way. But as they progressed, a new feeling gradually overtook them.
The air ahead was growing warm. As if some great fire were burning in the distance, a gentle warmth started to fill their very being. And to add to the mounting curiosities, a single snowflake was seen drifting before them.
Mickey reached a finger out and touched the floating ice crystal. It was as real as anything they had seen up to that point. By some magic, the warm air had no effect on the drifting snowflakes.
Around a bend in the path, the tunnel opened up to reveal a sight that left the strangers in the kingdom speechless.
When Rarity had seen the painting of the tree, she had never imagined the real thing would be so resplendent. So wondrous. So fantabulous. And with not a single diamond or speck of gold or silver adorning it, she knew that she was looking at the single most spectacular artifact in the entire kingdom.
For Mickey, one look brought him right back to the very moment he and his friends entered Equestria. There before him was yet another very old, very alive, very afraid guardian who waited to put its trust in another to save its kingdom.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
The sudden, low voice made the visitors from Equestria jump and face the owner.
“Nagruk-pak!” Mickey exclaimed. “But, how--Why didn’t--”
“Since when do you speak pony?” Rarity finished.
“I’ve never spoken a word of pony a day in my life,” Nagruk-pak gently chuckled. “It’s simply the nature of this place. Here, all things know one another. The hawk does not hunt the mouse. The warmth does not banish the snow. And should a blade of grass be eaten, another will immediately take its place. Such is the blessing bestowed upon us in this kingdom.”
Rarity smiled slightly at his words, and glanced at the snowflakes that swirled about. Among them she noticed a single speck of silver light and watched as it drifted to the branches that hung protectively overhead.
Within the branches, she was able to see dozens more of the specks of light appear like twinkling stars. And from them, she could feel the very essence of all living beings.
“Nagruk-pak, what is all of this?” Rarity asked.
The moose sighed heavily and maintained his silence. But one look from his squirrel companion, and his resolve softened.
“It’s my responsibility,” he said. “In our times of gravest danger, we of the kingdom return to the protection of Taataviak, the father of our land.”
“Gosh. So, all those little twinkles up there...” Mickey said, looking up to the specks of light.
“Yes,” Nagruk-pak affirmed. “Each one is the spirit of a creature like us. Some of them are my closest friends. Others are from far off places that I’ve never been to. But, all of them seek refuge from the evil that plagues us.”
“So, how come you’re not up there with them? Don’t ya wanna be with your friends?” Mickey wondered.
“It’s not so simple, my tiny friend. There always needs to be a keeper. A creature to take care of everything while the others are gone. As it is, I volunteered to look after things in my village while all the others left this world,” Nagruk-pak explained.
“It must be a terribly lonely thing,” Rarity said. “To stay behind, while everypony else is spirited away to another place.”
“It is,” Nagruk-pak said, barely nodding his enormous head. “But, it’s not loneliness that I fear. It’s what may happen to all creatures here in this tree, should I send them away to Taataviak. That they would be stolen from me, and never returned.”
“By who?” Mickey asked.
“By him.”
Looking to where Nagruk-pak pointed, Mickey and Rarity saw what he meant.
A light, similar to the others but wholly different, was seen hovering beneath the branches. And from around the trunk stepped a single peg-leg.
Mickey and Rarity both readied themselves to attack as Pete’s bulky frame slowly walked into view.
The heavy kept his eyes on his enemies, his snow shovel slung over his shoulder and the stub of a cigar in his mouth.
“‘Bout time ya got here,” Pete said, removing his stub and grinding it against the trunk of the tree, “I was just about to go lookin’ for ya’s. Not dat I’d worry about ya bein’ out dere in dis weather.” He turned his gaze to Nagruk-pak. “‘Course, it ain’t just de weather we gotta worry ‘bout here, ain’t it?”
Nagruk-pak watched in defeated terror as another speck of light drifted up and away from the hidden grotto.
Pete too was watching, and smirked malevolently at the sight.
“So, who do ya t’ink dat was? One o’ yer pals? Yer ol’ granny? Or maybe ya really oughta wonder what it’s gonna turn into next?” Pete said. “Whaddaya t’ink? I seen one o’ these monkeys made o’ snow dat came from dis tree. Or maybe it’s another one o’ dem smilin’ giants. Heh-heh-heh.”
“What’s he talkin’ about?” Mickey asked Nagruk-pak, whose jaw was clenched so tight that it seemed liable to shatter.
Rarity’s mind immediately went back to the near fatal encounter she and Mickey had just escaped from. Something so horrible to have come from something so beautiful and benevolent, it was like entering a whole new world of terrors.
“How many more are ya gonna let go?” Pete asked. “Can ya live with one more on yer conscience? Or two? How ‘bout a whole dozen?”
The light that had accompanied Pete drifted down from the branches, and was quickly enclosed by the heavy’s enormous fist.
“Or, ya can just let ‘em outta dere an’ leave ‘em wit’ me,” Pete said, as trickles of silver trailed from between his fingers.
“He’s not gonna,” Mickey said.
“Say again?” Pete replied.
“These folks are goin’ on to where they need to go. An’ you’re goin’ back to Yen Sid empty handed. I’ll make sure o’ that.”
“As will I,” Rarity added, taking her stand beside Mickey.
“Heh. Well, I ain’t sayin' no to a fight,” Pete said. He struck a match on the tree, lit another cigar, then readied his snow shovel to attack. “Here I come! Ready or not!”
Snow and rock slipped away beneath the hooves of Twilight Sparkle, who continued her way up the side of the mountain.
Her breath had long since left her, and her legs were rapidly growing useless. But, she wouldn’t be deterred. She was going to see through her convictions to the end. As a promise to herself and to all of her friends, she wouldn’t give up.
The sound of tumbling rocks carried from behind herself. Without even looking, she knew what had made them. Once again, the creature had found her. And once again, she was going to be fighting for her life.
Scrambling more quickly up the hill, Twilight steeled her body from the pain wrought on by her struggle, prepared to do anything she needed to get where she was going.