//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Curse of the Frozen North // by AnOrdinaryWriter //------------------------------// [Excerpt from Equestrian Mythology: Creatures and Curses 35-36] Little is known of pre-existing curses in Equestria. There are, of course, various curses that a unicorn may cast related to dark magic, such as bad luck, rapid aging, and killing curses, as well as vanishing curses, for instance, the one cast on the Crystal Empire by the mischievous King Sombra 1000 years ago causing it to vanish entirely. However, curses that have dwelled on this planet since its creation are not often discovered, and as far back as historical records go, scholars have determined that most of Equestria’s landmarks are clean of pre-existing curses (chapters 6 and 8 look into this further). However, discoveries in the recent millennium have proven that, despite being hard to find, our planet is not entirely free of these curses, one such discovery being the topic of this chapter. Within the Frozen North, there is rumored to be a curse separate from the one King Sombra placed on the Crystal Empire, and while it had remained an old ponies’ tale meant to scare children around a campfire for the majority of pony history, recent evidence has suggested that these theories may in fact be true. What many don’t know, as it is often not discussed in schools and books, is that the Frozen North extends past the borders of Equestria, and within that zone is a large, unpopulated mountain range. This mountain range has been referred to by scholars as the Icy Plains, though in old ponies’ tales, it is referred to as the Suicide Mountains, since ponies have often travelled there to die. Two reports of missing ponies back up this theory, where a letter was left for their families saying that they no longer wanted to live and would be going to the Icy Plains to end their own lives, after which they were never found. Furthermore, explorers have neglected to investigate the mountains as many of those who have gone to do so before have never been heard of again. Though, during an exploration mission in 2014, a journal was recovered, written by one of the previous explorers that had gone missing. Within contained detailed information of the nature of the mountains’ curse. A dissection of the journal showed that this curse is directly tied to death and spirits, and the following paragraphs will go into further detail on this. *** The rising sun on the horizon marked my second day in these mountains. As the yellow shade of dawn in the sky was slowly claimed by the bright cyan of morning, the snow below me became a blinding beacon of light. The exposure of my eyes to this shift in brightness quickly prompted me to squint as I waited for my eyes to adjust. Soon enough, they had done so enough that I could see the trail of hoofsteps I had made in the snow leading up to my temporary campsite. They had almost filled themselves in overnight, so I couldn't spot any that I'd left beyond a few hundred meters, but I knew that I had made a good bit of distance from where I started. I wasn't eager to sit here for long. Only long enough for me to eat and wake up completely in preparation for the long trek I had ahead of me. I didn't expect today to be much different than yesterday. My hind legs were still sore from one of the hills I had to climb, and I wasn't at all excited to have to embark on a similar hike again. But I had come here for a reason, and it was necessary that I carried on. I took another bite out of the sandwich I had packed for myself. They were starting to toughen from the cold even after the heat-up spell I had casted on it. Though, I wouldn't need to waste more magic on it as I'd almost finished it anyway. After all, I needed my magic for a more important reason, so being precautious didn't hurt. An icy breeze brushed through my fur, my body trembling in response. It was painfully cold, but I knew it was going to get colder the further up north I went. I wasn't used to temperatures like this, as at home we often didn't see weathers where anything more than a scarf was necessary. Unfortunately, I just needed to get used to it, especially because I wasn't likely to be heading back within the next couple of days. I knew body warmth spells that would help in case of emergency. I ate the last bite of the nearly frozen sandwich and got up to begin packing. The sooner I got moving, the better. Having done this for two days, I had already developed a pattern. I grabbed the saddlebag next to the tent I had pitched yesterday night and, summoning energy to my horn, I focused my magic on the tent before me. The contours of the tent glowed in a light-blue aura, before shrinking to a size where I could pick it up and easily fit it in the saddlebag. Roping it over my back, I stared ahead at the distant hills of snow I had yet to travel. I took a deep breath, and then began walking. The ache in my legs fired up as though held up to a hot iron, and I grunted. But I forced myself to ignore the pain and kept moving forward. It was important that I kept moving. Every break was merely time wasted, and right now, I couldn’t afford to waste time. Time wasted would defeat the purpose of the reason I was here. A reason important enough to me that I was willing to put my life in danger to fulfill it. The pony I came here to find. Amber Starshine. My sister. *** “Hey, Vi. I made dinner for us, did you want to… what are you doing?” I looked behind me toward the voice I heard, seeing my friend Swift standing in the doorway of the bedroom he lent me. My eyes went back to the saddlebag I was currently filling with extra clothes I had miniaturized with my magic. “Packing.” “Packing?” he repeated puzzledly. “Are you staying with someone else? ‘Cause I said you could live here for the next few weeks until you sorted things out.” “I’m not going to stay somewhere else,” I replied, making space in my bag to add some more items. “I’m getting ready to go find my sister.” I heard Swift sigh behind me. “...listen, Vi, I know she was important to you, but she’s been gone for weeks now, and the guards haven’t found her yet. I think it’s a lost cause.” I shook my head. “No it’s not. I found out where she is, I have a chance of finding her this time.” “Wait, hold on, what do you mean you found her?” I paused and sighed, knowing that I was inevitably going to have to explain myself to him. I stood from the floor and turned to him. “I found a tracking spell that can locate ponies on a map. Apparently she’s somewhere in the frozen north, and according to the spell, she’s moved since yesterday. She could still be alive, Swift. I can’t let that chance go to waste.” His face fell slightly, brows creased slightly in confusion. “How can you be sure about that? If a tracking spell was available to the guards and they haven't found her yet, how can you be certain it works?" "I can’t. But it’s my best bet at finding her right now." As true as Swift's words were, any chance at finding my sister alive and well was one that I wasn't willing to waste. Not for a second. Swift looked at me doubtfully. "Well… don't you think they would have found her if she was in the crystal empire?" "Not the crystal empire. The spell showed that she was in the mountains outside of Equestria." Swift's mouth froze on the word he was about to say, realizing what I was talking about. "You mean the Icy Plains outside the borders?" I nodded. "And I'm travelling there tomorrow first thing in the morning." "Hey, woah woah woah…" he said suddenly, holding out a hoof. "Do you realize how dangerous that is?" "Which is why I'm going there alone," I said. I was quickly regretting telling him where I was going. Swift cared deeply about all his friends, I knew. It was the reason I considered him my closest friend. However, at this moment his concern for me was going to be a hindrance, because he was going to try and stop me from going, and I wasn't going to let him. “Vi, ponies have gone missing there, and all you have to go on is a hunch. You’re going to risk your life based on that?” “It’s more than a hunch!” I argued. “It’s my only chance to find her; the only proof I have that she could still be alive and out there, and I have to find her.” “And you really want to risk getting yourself killed when you can’t be certain that she’s really there? It's foolish!” I looked him in the eyes. “Maybe it is. But what would you have done differently in my place?” Swift held back whatever he was about to say next. “My parents were murdered, and Amber is the only family I have left.” I heard my voice quiver, my eyes beginning to burn, but I held back the tears. “I have to find her, Swift. I can’t lose her too. I know you don’t agree with me, but at least try to understand.” He looked down, contemplating what I’d said in deep thought. I didn’t want to yell at him, but I needed him to understand that I was going no matter what he said. From what I could see, I managed to get my point across. After nearly a minute of dead silence, he spoke. “You’re sure about this?” “Yes,” I replied plainly. “And I can’t stop you from going on your own?” “No.” He exhaled. “Just… stay safe, okay? You’re important to me, and I don’t want something bad to happen to you.” I nodded. “Thank you. And I’ll try.” *** I thought back to that conversation that I’d had with Swift. He didn’t agree with me travelling here, but his understanding of my choice was all I needed from him. After all, the words I had said to him had not changed between then and now. I couldn’t lose Amber, and even if it meant risking my life to find her, I was willing. We swore to each other after our parents died that we would stick by each other no matter what. And even though she had broken her end of the promise, I was prepared to go through hell to find her and make sure she never broke that promise ever again. With determination in my steps, I continued onward. She was out there, and I would find her. No matter what it took.