The windigo snorted in anger as she gazed upon Equestria. So much happiness…why couldn’t she have some of it? It wasn’t her fault she could only feed on anger and fear. She yearned for a family. She wanted friends. She was sure the other windigoes felt the same.
Maybe this new ruler, Princess Twilight, could see what her predecessors did not.
Windigos are Ponies too!
By iAmSiNnEr
Twilight groaned. Yet another dead end.
She had been through the whole archives more than nine times. Yet, she couldn’t find a single mention of windigos anywhere other than the usual stories.
Even worse, there wasn’t even a single windigo name.
Twilight sighed. Why had she even embarked on this foolish quest? She had canceled all her morning appointments for this.
She knew the answer. She had received letters from many of her contacts in the North, including Cadance about windigo activity.
It had been fourteen years since their last attack.
Though, this time, it didn’t seem like an attack. There was only one windigo sighted, and it seemed to be non-hostile, just scouting the Crystal Empire out.
Twilight needed some research time to think.
And where better else to research than the Canterlot Archives, Equestria’s greatest source of knowledge?
Still, it had failed her.
Twilight shook her head disappointedly before stretching to her full height, ready to leave. As she did so, she misjudged the distance between her head and a bookshelf. Was it really her fault she had grown almost an entire head’s length since she was crowned Princess?
As it was, several books cascaded to the ground, sending her neatly organized notes into disarray. Twilight groaned again, before stooping to pick up the papers. As she did so, she noticed a small cubby hole in the ground right in front of the shelf, hidden by clever spells that had been disrupted by the falling books.
She reached in and pulled a scroll out with her magic.
“My Research on Windigos by Clover the Clever,” she read.
“Raven,” Twilight spoke. “Could you cancel all of my appointments for the day?”
“Of course, your majesty,” Raven nodded as she scribbled on her clipboard. “But may I ask the reason why? As you know, you have a meeting with the finance advisor after lunch, and Blueblood at four. Both will demand to know why you are skirting your responsibilities.”
Twilight gestured at the papers strewn across her desk. “This takes precedence. Friendship.”
“Friendship?” Raven queried.
“I received reports from Spike that the windigos were strangely active in the North,” Twilight explained. “However, after I sent missives out and letters to ponies I knew, including Cadance, I received unexpected answers. There’s only one windigo that ponies are seeing. It seems to be the same sighting everywhere. And so, I’ve been researching windigos. What I found…” she trailed off.
“What did you find, your majesty?” Raven raised an eyebrow.
“Our history sings about us defeating the windigos,” Twilight muttered, a tinge of anger in her voice. “But there isn’t a single mention of a name or two. Not a single name. We beat so many villains, and only the windigos didn’t have names. After researching further, I found papers written by Clover the Clever that Starswirl buried in the depths of the archives. I’m not sure if he wanted anyone to find them.”
Twilight pulled out an ancient scroll from a box on the table and unfurled it gently. “Clover wrote of an encounter. With one of the windigos. The windigo in question was injured, hiding away in a forest. In this case, the windigo couldn’t heal. It couldn’t feed. As it was dying, it told Clover of its name and story. Freza. And she told Clover that the windigos weren’t always windigos. She didn’t finish her story.”
“Clover then devoted her time to finding out who the windigos were,” Twilight showed the scroll to Raven. “She was never able to find a satisfying answer. However, she likened the windigos relationship with us to predator and prey. She reasoned that they were part of the natural order. So I got to thinking. If we could change Discord, a literal god of chaos, for the better, why not the windigos?”
“With all due respect, your majesty,” Raven said hesitantly. “Discord may have been a one-time thing. For every villain you reformed, three others refused your hoof of friendship-”
“We still have to try,” Twilight refuted firmly. “Windigos may have been ponies at some point. They’re still living creatures. Creatures with thoughts. Creatures with a motive. I’m the Princess of Equestria now. Surely I have things to offer them. Resources to help them, resources to research and find out what alternatives they can have. Perhaps it’s time I made a trip to the North to meet this windigo that has been seen.”
“Your majesty-” Raven protested, before being cut off by Twilight.
“I can protect myself, Raven,” Twilight stated firmly, before her eyes softened. “But if it makes you feel better for your next report to Celestia, I’ll bring Cadance along. She shares my feelings on the matter.”
“That makes me slightly less worried,” Raven sighed. “But I can see I cannot persuade you to give up the matter. But remember, you are the Princess of Equestria. If you go missing for any length of time…”
“I’ve already sent a letter to my friends,” Twilight smiled warmly. “I’m sure they’re more than qualified to rule in my stead.”
“I shall see to the necessary arrangements,” Raven nodded. “When are you leaving, Princess?”
“Immediately,” Twilight replied. “Cadance had a suspicion the windigo wanted to talk to us, but hasn’t gotten the courage to do so yet. I need to get there as soon as I can.” Twilight stretched her wings. “It’ll also be good to see my brother and niece again.”
“Give Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance my regards,” Raven smiled. “Good luck, Twilight.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t dropped the princess for a long time. The last time you called me just Twilight…was at Cadance’s wedding.”
Raven gave a small smile. “Is it my fault I put duty over my memories over the filly who would run through the halls decades ago?”
Twilight wrapped her wings around Raven in a hug. “Thank you, Raven, for staying,” Twilight murmured. “You’ve been a great help for whenever Spike’s not around. Maybe it’s time you take a rest after I return.”
Raven snorted. “I’ve been serving Celestia since the Nightmare was banished. I have no wish to retire just yet.”
“Since the Nightmare…?” Twilight blinked, before shaking her head. “Nevermind. We’ll talk when I’m back. Tell my friends I said hello, will you?”
Raven nodded. “Of course.” With that, Twilight teleported away.
“Twilight!” Cadence greeted warmly as Twilight teleported into the Crystal Castle. “Geez, your magic is getting stronger. Normally I’d meet you at the entrance. Now you just teleport straight into the throne room.”
Twilight grinned. “I’ve been meaning to try teleporting straight here. Looks like I finally made it.” The two locked eyes, before they smiled and lowered themselves into a crouch.
“Sunshine sunshine ladybugs awake,” they chanted as they did their ages-old ritual. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” At that, they promptly burst into giggling.
“Where’s Shining, by the way?” Twilight asked once she recovered. “Been meaning to drop in and catch up with him for a while.”
“Oh, he and Flurry are off settling diplomatic relations with Griffonia,” Cadance explained. “Normally I’d go, but since Flurry just turned fifteen, he wanted her to get a taste of what it means to be a princess. Between me and you,” Cadence leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Shining is trying to get her out of her goth phase.”
Twilight giggled. “Didn’t help that I gave her those books for her birthday, eh?”
Cadence nodded. “Anyways, enough about us! How’s everypony back in Equestria?”
“Doing fine, as always,” Twilight beamed. “Did you know Raven’s been with Celestia since the Nightmare was banished?”
“Yeah,” Cadence shrugged. “The mare’s immortal or something, I’ve never seen her age. I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s probably just her devotion to the job.”
“So, about the windigo,” Twilight said as she looked out the window. “Where did you say you saw it again?”
“Right there,” Cadence pointed at the window. Twilight frowned as she looked out.
“I don’t see anything- OH!” Twilight backed up as a figure flew past the window.
“It’s been loitering around the Empire for almost a week now,” Cadance explained. “What I’m surprised by is that the barrier didn’t repel it. It seems to be waiting for something, which I suspect is you.”
“Me?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How’d you tell?”
“It’s never been this close to the castle until you came,” Cadence answered. “I’m not sure how it knows you’re here, but it does. Should we let it in?”
The windigo answered for her by blasting a window open with a gust of freezing wind.
“Oooookay,” Cadence trotted up. “That’s new.” As she trotted towards the window in question, the windigo flew through the window and landed onto the floor, its pure white eyes gazing at them.
Twilight stared at the windigo, locking eyes with the creature. “You’re scared,” she deduced. “Why?”
The windigo let out a whinny, its hooves pawing at the ground.
“You came all this way to talk to us,” Twilight smiled warmly. “We don’t mean you any harm. I promise I won’t try to blast you into oblivion or anything like that.”
The windigo hesitated for a moment, before it spoke. Twilight was surprised at how…pony like it sounded.
“My name is Rime,” the Windigo whispered. “And I am here to ask for your help, Princess Twilight.”
“You speak Ponish?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
“We do,” Rime spoke in a low tone. “And we need your help. My kind is dying. With you as the new princess, friendship and love are spreading across the world like wildfire. We have barely anything left to feed on.”
Twilight frowned. “I want to help you, but… ponies have long memories. They hate your kind. They sing songs about our victory over the windigos.
“I understand,” Rime dipped her head, before preparing to leave. “I’m sorry for everything that we’ve done, princess. I…” she hesitated. “I just want a family too. Is it our fault we can’t feed on anything else?”
“Wait,” Cadence called out. “Do you know anything about changelings?” Twilight raised an eyebrow at that.
Rime snorted. “Chrysalis? Of course, we do. Changelings are cousins of my kind. They take love, we take anger and fear.”
“I see,” Cadence nodded. “A long time ago, we helped the changelings. They managed to change their nature, and we became friends.”
“That is the only reason why the elders even agreed to let me speak to you,” Rime whispered. “I had hoped, we had hoped, you had a solution. Something we could work out together. We do not want to feed on hate and anger anymore. We see the love in Equestria, and we yearn for it.”
Twilight trotted over to Rime, ignoring the freezing air around the windigo. “We can work something out,” she reassured the windigo. She spread her wings, before wrapping the creature in a hug.
The windigo blinked in surprise, her icy white eyes glimmering for a second as a golden color shone through for a moment.
Cadence noticed the sudden change in Rime’s eye color. “Rime, do your eye colors change a lot?” She asked, interested.
“They don’t,” Rime answered, confused. “They’ve always been white. Why? What did you see?”
“I may have an idea,” Cadence smiled. “What if we gave you love?”
“Gave us love?” Rime hesitated as Twilight stepped away. “How would that work?”
“You came to the Crystal Empire,” Cadence reasoned. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” the windigo pawed at the ground. “Something drew me here, I suppose. A warm and good feeling about this place.”
“The Crystal Empire is also known as the Kingdom of Love,” Cadence explained. “Due to the Crystal Heart’s effects. It absorbs love from its citizens, before multiplying it and spreading the love across Equestria. You may have been attracted by that.”
“...love?” Rime ventured. “I…don’t know how-”
“As the Princess of Love,” Cadence spoke. “It’s my duty to learn all there is to learn about love.” She beamed at Rime. “Love is just the opposite of Hate. By being drawn here by love, you’ve shown me that windigos can also feel love. You just need a little push.”
Rime glanced at Twilight. “Will this work?”
“It will,” Twilight reassured her. “I trust Cadance with my life.”
“I see,” Rime looked at the floor. “If it means anything, we’re very sorry for what we did all that time ago. We had no choice.”
“It’s alright,” Cadence placed a comforting wing on Rime’s back. “I made a mistake with the changelings. I won’t do it again. Every creature deserves a chance. If Discord gets a second chance, you do too. After all, he ruled the world once. What’s that compared to a little winter?”
“Thank you,” Rime looked at Cadance, staring into the alicorn’s eyes. “What do I have to do?”
“Call your friends here,” Twilight smiled. “We’ll take care of the rest.”
Rime nodded, before vanishing in a flurry of snow as she took to the skies.
"Why have you gathered us here, Princess?" Queen Novo questioned. "It's rare that you gather all of us in one place at any given time. Is there some sort of emergency?"
"Of sorts, yes," Twilight nodded. "I need to ask you of a favor."
"What is it?" Thorax asked warmly. "Anything for you, Twilight."
"I need you to forgive the windigos." Twilight stated.
The room burst into an outroar.
"Impossible!" The newly installed Emperor Gruff of the griffons yelled. "Don't you remember their attack fourteen years ago?!"
"Yeah, what he said!" Dragon Lord Ember chimed in. "Eternal winter? Not for me!"
Celestia and Luna remained silent by a side, observing the scene.
"Of course I haven't forgotten," Twilight growled. "If you don't remember, my friends and I helped to stop them. I ask this only because a windigo approached us for help. They're dying out in this new age of friendship. They need our help to continue."
"So, what," Emperor Gruff scoffed. "We're supposed to create strife for them? Not likely. We just rebuilt our first city to its former glory. We're not letting it fall again."
"I'm not asking you to do that," Twilight reassured the room. "I'm simply asking you to forgive them. And of course, come to the Crystal Empire with me. Princess Cadance and I have a plan to change their nature for the better, but we can't do it without everycreature here present."
Luna spoke. "Twilight, are you sure you've thought about this?" She asked. "The windigos are not just any villain. They are a primordial force of nature. Forgiving them will not just make everything right and change them for the better."
"I am," Twilight answered. "Cadance and I have thought this out well. We have considered every angle of the plan. We made sure that it had a chance to work. But we need your support. We need you to forgive."
Queen Novo sighed. "If you had asked of me this before the Storm King attacked, I would have said no. If you had asked of me this before the Terrible Trio attacked, I would have said no. But now I see how friendship is important to keep the peace. If it helps us to never be attacked by windigos again...you have the support of the hippogriffs."
Thorax rose. "For the rest of you," he looked around the room. "Do you remember what it was like when we changelings were still your enemies? You never knew if your loved ones were real. But yet Princess Twilight gave us a chance. I would push that we give the windigos a chance too. If we don't, they may end up bitter and angry, and take a course of action none of us like."
Ember glowered for a moment, before relenting. "He speaks sense," she sighed. "You have the support of the dragons."
Emperor Gruff grumbled. "Fine. You have our support too."
"And ours, too," Celestia spoke. "Luna and I will support this endeavour. But what is your plan, Twilight?"
"We're going to-" Twilight told them the plan.
Celestia smiled faintly. "As usual, you have gone far and beyond, my student. Very well. To the Crystal Empire it is."
“Are you sure this will work, Twilight?” Luna asked, peering into the skies. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but the citizens of the Crystal Empire are getting skittish with this many windigos in the sky.” Above them, dozens of the white equines were flitting around, causing snow to fall.
“It will,” Twilight nodded confidently. “When we do this, we prove that friendship is magic once again.”
“You’ve called so many ponies here,” Celestia murmured. “Your friends, us, and each of the rulers of every kingdom in Equus. Not all of them agree that this is the best way forward.”
“We’ve been enemies with the windigos far too long,” Twilight stated firmly. “Here, today, we start a new friendship. If they want it, which they do, we can forge a new bond. Just because they’ve been this way for thousands of years doesn’t mean they can’t change.”
“Twilight is right,” Cadence nodded. “I didn’t think the changelings could change at first. Now, look where we are.”
“Point taken,” Luna admitted. “But I fear that we may not be enough. Not enough for the nature of ponies to change, to accept the windigos. What you’re suggesting…”
“We just have to trust in Twilight and Cadance, sister,” Celestia said gently. “Who are we missing?”
“Discord,” Twilight replied. “Fluttershy said he’ll be along as soon as it starts.”
“Very well,” Luna nodded. “Shall we begin?”
“I’ll have to be with my friends,” Twilight said. “Wish us luck, eh?”
“We all need luck for this to work,” Celestia murmured. “Let’s hope the ponies of Equestria are forgiving.”
Twilight trotted over to her friends with Cadance. The five of them with Spike were waiting at the Crystal Heart along with six familiar faces.
“Yona!” Twilight greeted warmly. “Sandbar, Ocellus, Smolder, Silverstream, and Gallus! I’m so glad all of you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Smolder grinned. “I was promised a light show.” The rest nodded in agreement.
“And one you will get,” Cadence promised. “Have you memorized your roles?”
“Yep!” Silverstream grinned. “We’re the representatives of our people!”
“Indeed,” Twilight nodded. “Your rulers are the liaison, the link. Remember that when it begins.”
“Shall we start?” Cadence asked.
“Is everyone ready?” Twilight asked everycreature that was gathered. Around them, they all nodded. Celestia, Luna, Dragon Lord Ember, King Thorax were just a few. Dozens of creatures had been gathered for this magical feat.
Cadence closed her eyes before her horn lit up. She began to hum a little tune, the music drifting in the air, calming everypony down. The Crystal Heart began to glow as Cadance’s magic flowed through the air, drawing emotions in.
Twilight breathed. This had to work.
Twilight began to sing.
She sang to the world. She sang of friendship and love.
And as she sang, she forged a new pact with the magic of the Crystal Heart.
In the years, decades, and centuries that the Heart had existed, its magic had only included a few species. Now, Twilight sang to include the world.
As she sang, Celestia and Luna joined her.
They didn’t sing the same lyrics, but that was fine. They sang of their troubles, their disagreements. Celestia sang of her pain of the thousand years she endured. Luna sang of her betrayal and her fall. Most importantly, they sang of what reunited them. Friendship.
Next were Twilight’s friends. Fluttershy went first, albeit a little hesitantly. She sang of her animals, of her friends. And as she sang about Discord, the draconequus himself flew out of a portal to listen. As she reached the crescendo, the lord of chaos joined in. They sang of friendship, and how it helped to reform even Discord.
Rarity went next. Her song was simple. She sang of her heart. Her song was of the love she felt for every one of them next to her. In her song, she told the world that friendship changed her. In the best way that was possible.
One after another, Twilight’s friends sang of friendship and love. With every verse, the Crystal Heart glowed brighter.
And then it was the new generation’s turn. Unlike Twilight’s friends, they went together. Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream, Yona, Sandbar, and Ocellus composed their song. They told the world of their bond, of the adventures they shared. As they sang, their rulers joined them.
They all sang of friendship and how it gave them and ponies a reason to be in harmony.
Thorax’s voice stood out. His words flowed, as a memento to when Spike gave him a chance. He sang his heart out, telling the windigos that they could trust the ponies. That they had a chance at the concept of friendship. At this, the windigos’ skittering stopped, and they floated in the air, listening to the melody that was flooding the air. Cadance joined him.
The Princess of Love sang of love and trust. She sang of forgiveness. She sang of her first encounter with Thorax. She also sang of her family, of her love for them.
As the gathered creatures sang together, a beam of light fired into the sky, originating from the Crystal Heart. It sparked an aurora that spread across the skies, traveling to the creatures of the world. As it did, it asked a simple question of the world’s hearts.
Would they forgive and accept the windigos as their friends?
There was one resounding answer.
The Crystal Heart worked its magic, and the love flooded into the windigos. The white equines gasped as their skin took on colors. Purple, red, green, blue. Every windigo had a different splash of color.
Rime landed first. “I remember,” she breathed. “I remember everything.”
Twilight tilted her head.
“We weren’t always windigos!” Rime shouted out to the world, her voice full of happiness and joy. “I remember!”
“So what were you?” Cadence asked, trotting up.
“We were the Crystal Empire’s chosen ones,” Rime shed a tear. “We spread love across Equestria. We were once magnificent, and numbered in the hundreds.”
“So what happened?” Celestia asked gently.
“Discord did,” Rime whispered. “His magic warped us, turned us into what we were.”
“What?” Discord asked grumpily as everyone looked at him. “I helped to turn them back, okay? I had bigger things to remember than some love-spreading creature that I changed.” Everypony just glared at him more.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Cadance asked Rime. Rime looked back at the rest of the windigos, who were all celebrating.
“We’ll spread love again,” Rime decided. “We’ll make sure we are remembered once again. Also, we’re not called windigos.”
“What are you called, then?” Twilight asked curiously.
Rime winked. “You’ll have to find out, princess.” At that, she let out a laugh of pure joy, before flying up into the sky, off to fulfill her destiny. The rest of the ex-windigos followed her, their shapes flitting up into the sky. As they did so, a wave of love spread out, flooding into the very air.
“I told you we should have given them a chance,” Twilight murmured to nopony in particular. She turned her gaze to the general direction of Canterlot. “I told you.”
As the ex-windigos flew up, Twilight thought she saw a few disgruntled faces. Maybe it was just her paranoia, remembering Pharynx. But still, it was a problem for another day. For now, the world was a better place.