//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Aftermath // Story: Wind Chill's Hearth's Warming // by Nebula Star //------------------------------// Wind Chill’s Hearth’s Warming By: Nebula Star Chapter 4: The Aftermath *** It was early morning by the time Whisper song was finishing filing her reports for the night. After taking Wind Chill home, she’d then ensured Maestro was safe at home as well. But since then, she’d hardly had a moment’s rest, and she wasn’t the only one. All the Dodge night guard had been brought in to handle the incident. They’d spent most of their time interviewing the civilians that had been present. To say most were not happy with what had happened was an understatement. Many of the locals wanted Wind Chill arrested, calling her a monster and terrorist. It had been all she could do not to shout back that what had happened had their own damn fault, that it was their hateful hearts that had fueled Wind Chill’s surge. She’d managed to hold her tongue though, knowing it was useless trying to convince them when they were already angry. Fortunately most of the nightguard knew that Wind Chill and her family were favored of Princess Luna and so were willing to trust Whisper that what had happened was a magical accident. But she worried what would happen when the captain of the dayguard arrived. She knew all too well that he was highly prejudice. He’d withheld Blazewing’s well deserved promotion within the guard for years due to his marrying Tundra Blossom. It wasn’t just ice unicorns either; he was prejudice against nocturne as well and not so secretly resented Princess Luna for pardoning all their past crimes and working to bring them out of the shadows. He’d often tried to work against anything the nightguard tried to accomplish simply because of the nocturne within their ranks. There weren’t even that many; only about a quarter of the nightguard in dodge were nocturne. Of course, that she, a nocturne, was the highest-ranking officer for the night guard in Dodge, didn’t help. He’d likely try to take advantage of the incident to go after Wind Chill, and though he didn’t have direct authority over her or the rest of the night guard, he’d likely try to overturn her judgement on the night’s events. And unfortunately, as a Captain, he did outrank her even if she wasn’t in his direct chain of command. She was glad so many of her fellow nightguard were going to be working late that morning, so that they’d still be there when the Dayguard captain arrived. Hopefully they’d be able to prevent him from doing anything to Wind Chill. She was almost certain he’d want her arrested. Sure enough, he’d obviously been informed of the night’s events when he arrived, so the first thing out of his mouth was; “Why hasn’t that little monster been arrested!?” Whisper took a bracing breath, knowing that as it had been her call, it was up to her to explain. She knew the others would back her up, but it was up to her as Lieutenant of the night guard, to bear the brunt of the captain’s displeasure. “Captain, the incident was a magical accident and we responded appropriately for…” “Don’t give me that! That monster has been terrorizing our community for years!” He countered with a sneer. “Wind Chill is not a monster, nor has she ever done anything wrong.” Whisper Song told him firmly. “I have already reported the incident as a magical accident, and I stand by that decision.” Absently she noticed a few of her fellow nightguards gathering behind her in a show of support. Not that it phased the captain. “Then I suppose the dayguard will have to clean up the nightguard’s mess again!” He snarled. “And we’ll start by arresting that wretched creature for this obvious act of terrorism!” “YOU WILL DO NOTHING OF THE SORT!” A powerful voice said from the entrance. A voice Whisper Song knew, though it had been a while since she’d last heard it. Immediately she fell into a deep bow as Princess Luna strode toward them. Her eyes fixed angrily on the captain. “Your highness!” He said his voice suddenly far less confident. “The young mare is responsible for endangering thousands of innocent ponies, and causing severe damage to one of the city’s most important landmarks.” “I am well aware of what happened, captain. I have been keeping track of young Wind Chill ever since her first surge. What happened last evening was a magical accident and nothing more. As such, the crown will be paying for the damages, and that will be the end of it!” She said with finality. “Is that clear!?” “Yes, your highness.” He said bowing, though Whisper thought he sounded a bit like a foal being told he couldn’t have a toy, and planned to take it anyway as soon as nopony was looking. The princess seemed to notice as well. “Know that Wind Chill and her family are under my direct protection, and I will be most displeased if you or anypony else pursue this further. As I said, I have been keeping watch over her since her first surge, and know much more about the matter than you’ve ever bothered to learn; if you had, perhaps then you’d understand how it was ponies such as yourself, that caused this incident rather than Wind Chill who is more a victim. Truly, knowing what I do about her magic, this incident only serves to make me deeply disappointed in the ponies of this city.” Turning away from him, her expression turned kinder, “You may rise my nightguards,” she said and Whisper gladly stood back up. “I am proud of your handling of the situation thus far, but I know you all are likely tired from your night’s work, so I will not keep you from your dreams any longer. Whisper Song; if you would escort me to Wind Chill’s home, I do wish to speak with her about the incident as well as her magic.” Whisper Song nodded. “Of course, princess.” “Thank you,” Princess Luna said with a smile. Taking the lead Whisper led the princess outside a little smug, noticing the captain was silently fuming while trying not to show it. Trying and failing. Once they left the guard headquarters, Princess Luna stepped up alongside her, her longer stride easily keeping up with Whisper’s quick trot. “How has Wind Chill and her family fared in recent years, Whisper Song? I have kept tabs on them through the years, and especially Wind Chill and her magic. But nothing that would tell me how they are treated within the community. By last night’s incident, I take it, it is not very favorable.” Whisper Song sighed. “No, it’s not. Tundra Blossom has never really been accepted in Dodge and rarely interacts with the townsponies more than is necessary. Blazewing has been held back in the guard, thanks to the captain back there…” Luna snorted derisively. “Yes, him. Were he a member of my Nightguard, I assure you he wouldn’t hold his rank for long. As it is, I’ve assured that he will never go any further within sister’s dayguard either.” “He certainly doesn’t deserve it. I’m a little worried he might try something even against your orders.” Whisper admitted. “Let me worry about that. I intend to keep a closer watch on Tundra Blossom’s family from here out,” Luna said in a reassuring tone. “And what of Wind Chill, how has she faired in the community?” She sighed. “She’s been treated as just as much of an outcast as her mother. Tundra told me that early on in school, most the other foals’ parents told them they couldn’t be friends with Wind Chill. At first a few were still friendly with her, but then, when she had her first surge and terrified all her classmates…” She shook her head. “From what I understand, she never had a single friend all the rest of her school years. Since then, she’s mostly stayed at home and helped her parents.” The princess gave a disappointed sigh. “I feared as much, and it makes sense from what I understand of her magic.” Whisper glanced over at her. “Do you know why her magic is the way it is?” “I have a theory. That is one reason I wish to speak with her.” “Do you think you’ll be able to fix it?” She shook her head. “If I am right, I don’t think ‘fixing’ it will be possible. But we’ll see.” She then glanced over at Whisper Song and smiled. “You are a lot more confident than you were the first time we met.” Whisper blushed. “Well, I am a mother now.” “Indeed, I suppose it is to be expected.” Luna said with a smile. “While I have not had such experience myself. I have witnessed many mares become mothers over the years, and a certain amount of confidence is definitely required for the role. And little Maestro is certainly a foal to be proud of. I really must make it out to hear one of his pieces performed.” “You know of my son’s work?” Whisper asked, a little surprised. Princess Luna smirked. “I am not as behind the times as I once was, and I have always been a great appreciator of the arts. Even were he not your son, or even one of my nocturne, I still would have heard of such a talented young colt.” “He is the pride of my life.” Whisper said fondly, then sighed. “I’m going to have to explain what happened to him.” “Well, perhaps after our visit, you’ll be able to explain all the better.” ~~~ There hadn’t been much sleep for Blazewing and Tundra Blossom that night. When Whisper Song had escorted Wind Chill home and explained what had happened, they’d both known there wouldn’t be. Their daughter needed them. They’d gathered in front of the fireplace, and there huddled together as a family, in a pile of soft cushions. Tundra and Blazewing on either side of Wind Chill, with Blazewing’s wing stretched around the mother and daughter, and a blanket over them all. There they’d stayed, providing their daughter what comfort they could as she cried. It had taken hours but eventually Wind Chill had fallen asleep between them, having cried herself out. Still, they didn’t move, instead staying vigil over their daughter. Very little had been said. Nothing needed to be said. They were still there, Tundra Blossom and Blazewing still keeping watch over their daughter, when there was a knock on their door. Blazewing looked, debating whether he wanted to answer it, not wanting to disturb Wind Chill. That proved in vain however as a second knock caused Wind Chill to stir. “Is that the door?” She asked drowsily. “Yeah, I’ve got it.” Blazewing said softly. Tundra caught his eye, looking worried. She knew there was no telling who might be at their door. He nodded back that he knew. He wouldn’t let anyone harm his family. Getting out from under the blanket and climbing to his hooves, he saw Wind Chill look up at him, and he gave her a reassuring smile, before going to answer. He wasn’t ready for who he’d find at their door. His eyes widened seeing the regal figure of the night princess waiting; he barely noticed that Whisper Song was with her. “Princess Luna!” He exclaimed, dropping quickly into a bow. “No need for that, Blazewing. This is just an informal visit. I know it is still early, but I would like to speak with Wind Chill if that is alright.” “Oh yes, come in, Princess. Wind Chill just woke.” Blazewing said, stepping back to let the Princess enter. Tall as she was, she only had to duck her head slightly to keep her horn from hitting the doorframe. Tundra Blossom and Wind Chill both, jumped to their hooves to bow, or tried to. Wind Chill managed, but Tundra somehow got herself tangled in the blanket they’d been under, and nearly fell trying to struggle out of it. “Be at ease, my little ponies,” Princess Luna said gently, stepping over to join them in front of the fireplace, there she levitated over one of the unused cushions and laid down, gesturing for them to join her. “Let us relax, there are a few matters I wish to discuss with you all.” Nervously Wind Chill, Blazewing and Tundra Blossom looked at each other briefly before Wind Chill took a spot directly in front of the princess, while her parents laid down by her side. Whisper Song decided to simply stand guard nearby. Luna smiled as they seemed to relax, at least a little. “First of all, Wind Chill, I wanted to assure you that I am making sure that what happened at the concert hall will be treated as the magical accident that it was.” Much of the tension left Wind Chill as she let out a sigh in relief. “Thank you, princess.” Tundra Blossom said, her voice full of gratitude. She nodded. “I do fear that somepony may try to take matters into their own hooves; so for the time being, I’m going to arrange for you to be given leave of your duties for the next couple weeks, so that you may be here for your family. In addition, I’m going to ask Whisper Song to assign a pair of night guards to keep watch over your home at night for the next couple weeks, and I wanted to ask you if there were any of the dayguard that you would entrust to do the same during the day?” She asked, looking at Blazewing. Blazewing thought about it for a moment. “Well there’s Iron Hoof, he and I have been in the guard together for years and he knows Blossom,” he suggested, and Tundra Blossom nodded. She knew Iron Hoof well enough, he wasn’t a close friend, but he was friendly enough and had never held anything against her. “Othewise, probably Shieldwall would be my second choice.” Princess Luna nodded. “Very well, I will make the arrangements. Now, Wind Chill, I wanted to speak with you about your magic. I’ve seen the reports from your first incident and your own description of your magic at the time; as well as the doctor’s reports. Now I wish to hear from you directly. How does your magic work?” Wind Chill looked nervous, but she’d lived with her magic for years. She knew very well how it worked. “Every negative emotion around me increases my magic, makes it stronger. Active emotions are stronger, but even somepony with a passive hatred in their heart near me will feed my magic, and any emotions directed toward me are the strongest of all. Once my magic grows too strong, I have to release it. When I do, it takes the form of ice magic; wind, snow, cold; so I usually go to a gorge out away from town, but… If it grows too strong…” “It breaks free?” Luna suggested. She looked down and nodded. “I thought I’d be able to handle the concert. I drained my magic before I left… and…” “Wind Chill.” Luna reached out with one wing touching her lightly on her shoulder. “As far as I am concerned, it is something you should not have to endure. I suspected your magic worked in this manner, and truly I am disappointed in all the ponies that hold enough hatred in their hearts that they granted you such power in such a short time.” Wind Chill looked up at her and sniffed softly. “Thank you, princess.” She smiled kindly and nodded. “I am curious though, why your magic is this way. I have a theory about it; with your permission, I’d like to check if my theory is correct.” “Okay.” Wind Chill said a little nervous. “Do not worry, I’m just going to do a scan of your magic, see what I can find,” Luna assured her, and her horn lit up. Wind Chill held still as the princess’s magic enveloped her in its soft blue glow. It took nearly a minute during which time the princess seemed to be concentrating quite intently on her scan. Whatever it was she was looking for, it must not have been something easy to detect. Finally, the princess looked satisfied and let her magic fade. “It is as I thought.” “What is it?” Wind Chill asked curiously. “You have windigo magic merged with your unicorn magic to such a degree that they are almost indistinguishable from one another.” Wind Chill looked at her in shock, it did make sense. In fact, she had wondered if her magic could be related to windigo magic, but that it actually was windigo magic had never even crossed her mind. “I assure you; her father was an ice unicorn.” Tundra Blossom said, sounding flustered. Wind Chill glanced at her, unsure what she was saying, then blushed as she realized what her mother thought the princess was implying. Princess Luna understood as well, and gave a smirk. “I believe you. Truly, I can only guess how this could have happened. If I recall correctly, you were already pregnant at the time of the battle and you were found comatose on the battlefield after the battle had ended?” Tundra Blossom nodded. “That’s right.” “My guess is that while you laid there on the battlefield on the edge of death, so too was Wind Chill close to dying even as her life was only just begun. In desperation she reached out with her magic and latched on to a nearby source of magic, a windigo that had returned to the battlefield. At that point, her magic would have still been primal, unpredictable and powerful.” She looked back at Wind Chill “I’m guessing you absorbed the windigo’s magic, in order to survive even as your mother was likely fighting for her own life; and as your own unicorn magic was still developing, the two then merged into one.” Wind Chill looked down. “Is there any way it could be removed?” Luna gave her a sympathetic look but shook her head. “I could barely distinguish that there were two types of magic, they are so merged. To try to remove it now would be to remove your magic and would kill you.” “I see.” “But perhaps we can find a way that you can at the very least, drain your magic safely without having to seclude yourself. Then you’d need not worry about such an incident as last night, happening again.” “That would be helpful.” Wind Chill agreed. Luna smiled and nodded. “I will look into it. I do not think it will be too difficult, and I have a scan of your magic now to work with.” “Thank you, princess.” Wind Chill said softly. “Yes, thank you.” Tundra Blossom said sincerely. “You’ve done so much for me and my family, princess.” “Well, you’ve done more for myself and Equestria than I think you know.” Tundra Blossom looked up at her seeming confused. “What do you mean?” “Have you kept in touch with any other ice unicorns?” She shook her head. “Well, to put it simply, many have followed you in turning away from their old ways and becoming citizens of Equestria. And many of them have spoken of you as their inspiration for giving Equestria a chance.” “Me!?” Tundra Blossom said somewhat alarmed. Princess Luna nodded. “After your wedding, the other princesses and I made your story known to the rest of the ice unicorns, so that they could see that we would stay true to our word. Since then, your name has become fairly well known among those of the ice unicorns that chose to seek a new life here. And most have succeeded, only a very small group have stubbornly held to their old ways.” Tundra Blossom stared at her a moment more, eyes wide. “I had no idea…” Blazewing smiled and put a wing around his wife. “It’s good to hear they’ve found a new life here. I think Tundra’s just a little surprised to hear she’s become famous among ice unicorns.” Wind Chill smiled and Princess Luna did as well, glad to see her mood improved. “Well, needless to say, you have proven to me that I was very much right to grant you citizenship all those years ago, no matter what any narrow-minded individuals may think.” With that she stood. “As much as I would like to stay longer, I do have other duties I will need to get back to. I will be sure to check in with you all in the future. For now, should you have any trouble, Whisper Song knows how to contact me.” Standing, they all nodded that they understood. “Thank you, Princess.” Wind Chill said sincerely. Princess Luna smiled and reached out once more, placing a wing on Wind Chill’s shoulder. “Try not to let the ponies of Dodge get you down. Perhaps they will come around in time, but if not, it is their own loss. And try not to think of your magic as a curse, you are unique among unicorns, and if you put your mind to it, I don’t doubt you will find a good use for your power.” “I will try.” The princess gave her shoulder one last pat, then “Then I bid thee all farewell.” With that, the family saw Whisper Song and the Princess from their home. ~~~ The next evening they heard from Whisper Song that repairs were already underway on the concert hall, and that fortunately there wasn’t any structural damage, so it wouldn’t take long, but it wouldn’t be repaired in time for any of the planned concerts, and the tickets were being refunded. Though the crown was covering both the cost of repairs and the refunds, Wind Chill knew the incident wouldn’t gain her any good will from the ponies of Dodge. Her biggest fear however was how Maestro would react. Even if Whisper Song had explained everything to him, she had still ruined the concert, just as he was coming on stage. By the time Monday came around, she was worried Maestro wouldn’t show up after school as he usually did. Her worry was unfounded. “Windy!?” Wind Chill heard as the front door opened followed by the sound of small hoof-beats galloping through the livingroom and down the hall to her room. The door flew open and Maestro rushed in finding Wind Chill sitting up on her bed. “Hey Maestro.” Wind Chill said softly. “Windy, are you okay?” He asked, concern clear in his voice. “I’m doing alright… Sorry about your concert.” “That’s okay. Mom told me about your magic.” He said, taking a step closer. “Yeah, turns out I have some windigo magic in me.” Maestro hesitated just a moment more, then suddenly sprang forward, jumping up on the bed with a flap of his wings and throwing his hooves around her in a hug. Caught off guard, Wind Chill caught him in her own hooves, holding him as he hugged her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was so hard for you to be around other ponies…” Wind Chill smiled, tears coming to her eyes as she hugged him back “That’s okay, I should have just told you how my magic worked.” He held onto her a moment longer then sat back on the bed looking up at her. “So you really feel every negative emotion from ponies around you?” Wind Chill nodded solemnly. “And it all makes your magic stronger?” “Especially if the negative emotions are directed toward me.” “And since a lot of ponies don’t like you…” He trailed off. “Just going into the market is hard for me.” She gave a weak smile. “You know all the times I made it snow and we had snowball fights?” He nodded. “Those were days that I had to run errands in town and my magic got way too strong.” She smiled and gave him a gentle tap on the snout. “I didn’t mind so much then, because we got to have fun.” Maestro smiled back but then turned more serious. “Ponies shouldn’t treat you badly. You’re too nice.” Wind Chill smiled sadly. “Well, ice unicorns did some bad things a long time ago and hurt a lot of ponies.” “Mom told me about the war,” Maestro said frowning. “But she said it was before you were even born, ponies shouldn’t hate you for that. It wasn’t your fault!” “I know, but I’m still an ice unicorn, so they hate me for it.” “That’s not right.” “But it’s how things are,” Wind Chill said softly. “Well, they’re being dumb then.” Maestro said firmly. “They shouldn’t hate you just because of what you are.” ~~~ The next few days were better for Wind Chill. Maestro came by again every day after school, and other than occasionally catching glimpses of the guards patrolling around her home; life started to get back to normal. At least until a rather surprising package arrived for Wind Chill bearing Princess Luna’s crescent moon, as well as the six-star mark of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Wondering what it could be she opened it to find an etched silver crescent moon pendant, and a couple letters. Picking up the one with Princess Luna’s mark, she read: Dear, Wind Chill As I told you, I looked into finding a way for you to safely drain your magic without secluding yourself every time. Working with Princess Twilight Sparkle from the scans I made of your magic, we managed to find a solution. The enclosed pendant bears a specialized enchantment that should allow you to drain your magic into it at any time. The pendant will then slowly release that magic back into the ambient magic field while producing little more than a faint silvery glow. It will take time to release all the magic, but we estimate the pendant should be able to contain nearly three times the magic that you can contain yourself. As an added bonus, you can also draw the magic back out of the pendant should you ever need extra power, though I know that’s not really something you’re worried about. Still, it’s nice to know that is an option. Princess Twilight has included more detailed instructions on how to use the pendant. It is our hope that this will make your day-to-day life easier, and prevent any more traumatic experiences in the future. Her Royal Highness: Princess Luna. Wind Chill looked at the second page and saw that it was indeed more detailed instructions from Princess Twilight Sparkle. She then lifted up the pendant in her magic staring at it in shock. Two of the princesses had worked together on it for her… She was still holding it in her magic when Tundra Blossom came in from the garden. “What’s that, Windy?” She asked, seeing what Wind Chill held. “Princess Luna and Princess Twilight Sparkle made it for me.” She said in a stunned voice. “They said I can drain my magic into it and it will safely release it over time.” Tundra Blossom looked as surprised as she felt. “Oh my… that’s wonderful!” “I’ll have to read the instructions how it works. But Princess Luna said that it can hold a lot of magic, almost three times what I can.” “That will be so helpful for you.” Tundra Blossom said with a smile. “And it’s such a lovely pendant.” “Yeah… I guess I should read how to use it.” She picked up the letter that was marked from Princess Twilight Sparkle and lifted it up in her magic. That was when she realized it was a scroll folded up. She let it unfold and her eyes widened as it reached all the way to the floor, and then unfolded twice more. The instructions were very thorough; probably a lot more thorough than was really needed, but by the end she knew how to use the pendant as well as some important details about how it works. While it could hold nearly three times the magic she could, it would take three full days to release that much through its passive release. She could still release the magic manually if she needed to, but she didn’t think she’d have to if the princess’s estimates were right. As Luna said in her letter, it would emit a faint silvery glow when releasing magic, and if she ever did come close to filling the pendant, it would begin to glow red. In addition, since it would be very important for her and for safety’s sake, they’d enchanted it with security enchantments that would prevent anypony from taking it. When she put it on, she was able to drain some of her magic into it, though she hadn’t really needed to, and was happy to see the faint glow that indicated it was working just as they’d said it would. What was more, the glow was faint enough that nopony would be likely to notice it unless they were looking for it, or it was very dark. All together she was very grateful to the princesses for the gift and intended to write them a letter of thanks and perhaps ask Whisper Song to make sure Princess Luna got it. Wearing her new pendant, she was in a good mood when Maestro arrived that afternoon. That Maestro wasn’t was quickly evident. At first he just went on like nothing was wrong, and they spent some time listening to music from Maestro’s collection. But when his mood didn’t improve, Wind Chill decided to see if she could cheer him up as he had done so many times for her. “Maestro, is something wrong?” She asked as he took the last record off of the player. His shoulders slumped slightly. “The orchestra had a meeting last night.” He said, continuing putting his record away. “They wanted to plan a new concert, get a head start since the Hearth’s Warming concert had to be canceled.” “Are you bummed that the concert was canceled, and they didn’t get to play the songs you wrote?” He didn’t look at her, instead looking through his pack for another record to play. “I told them I didn’t want to work with them anymore and I didn’t want them playing any of my music.” Wind Chill stared at him stunned. He didn’t want to work with the orchestra anymore!? “Why?” She almost gasped. “Because they were being dumb jerks!” Maestro said stomping his hoof. “What do you mean?” He looked back at her finally and she saw there were tears in his eyes. “They kept saying mean things about you, calling you a monster and saying the guard should have arrested you. I said they were being dumber than Chancellor Pudding Head and that what happened was their own fault.” Tears came to Wind Chill’s eyes as well and she walked over to embrace him in a comforting hug. “Maestro… You didn’t have to do that,” she said softly. He hugged her back. “I couldn’t let them say those mean things about you.” “But what about your music?” “I still have my music.” He said though he wasn’t able to hide a little disappointment, but he tightened his grip on her. “Besides, you’re more important to me than some dumb concert. You’re my big sis.” He said firmly. Sis? Wind Chill thought stunned, but then slowly smiled as she realized she felt the same. “Thank you, little brother.”