It was terribly cold. Horrendously cold, in fact.
The pony shivered in her sleep, moving this way and that. Pain wracked her limbs, and especially her head. The cold definitely did not help.
Limbs, lungs, head, eyes, horn. It hurt, it was pain, it was cold.
Rarity opened her eyes slowly, grimacing at the pain of the light hitting her eyes. The curtains did little to block it out, they were so irregular in the fabric, little splotches easily piercing where the material was thin.
The bed was painfully hard. Certainly there were furs aplenty, and she was resting on something as soft as a cotton ball, but she could feel the bedframe on the edges. It was freezing to the touch, and felt as smooth as glass.
Was... Was she in the Crystal Empire? Did a search - and - rescue team find her and the other ponies, and took them to the hospital? But she was in a room, a very large room too. Beautifully decorated, but everything appeared to be made out of glass. Crystals, which added up to her suspicions, but it would be so dangerous to have patients in such a cold room.
Rarity opened her eyes wider, the blue gleaming as she looked around in a daze. No, this most definitely was not a hospital, was it the castle? But again, the castle was never this cold. Her very teeth were chattering and clicking. While the furs did provide ample warmth, the head sticking out of the warmth was so cold. Terrible, indeed.
She didn't turn her head, or even attempted to move a muscle. Too much pain, despite her desperately wanting to call for a nurse. Someone, anyone, to come to her, give her water, and perhaps explain what was going on. And most definitely to turn the heat up.
... To Tartarus with it, if no one was going to fix an immediate problem, then she would put herself through more pain just so she could drift back to sleep.
She finally managed to sit up, vision blurry, and called out "Nurse!" In a raspy voice.
All was quiet for about.... Three seconds.
The doors opened, and before Rarity could appreciate the punctuality, in trotted a mare. A very, VERY tall and slim mare, with soft powdery fur, and a gentle sea-green mane and tail.
"Please Miss, you must lay down! Oh dear, the heating spell must have worn off. Lie down dearie!" The mare said sweetly, as she lifted up a hoof, a blue aura surrounding it.
This wasn't right. Why did she look so... Translucent?
Why was it now even colder then before?
Rarity rubbed at her eyes, her mind screaming that something was wrong, she needed to wake up more. She needed to find out just what was going on here.
The mare's eyes were a glowing purple. No pupils.
The bed and walls were made of crystal... But also something far more colder. Ice. Ice and crystal entwined by a foreign looking magic.
It was so cold because outside of her windows was pure white, with snow piling up around the windows. The Crystal Empire wouldn't allow snow in to that amount.
Adrenaline was starting to mask the pain, as Rarity again focused on her Nurse. The aura had surrounded her body, and she was instantly warmed again. But she hardly noticed, as she instead stared at her nurse.
This was no pony.
She was like a ghost, translucent, and just being near her was freezing Rarity's skin, despite the heat spell. Her snoot was far too long, her markings on her body were in fact swirls. Her mane and tail eternally moved in a still wind, much like Celestia and Luna's.
No. No it could'nt be...
But...
"What are you?" Rarity whispered, but the nurse heard it.
"Oh! I'm a windigo!" She giggled. Her voice far too sweet, far too innocent, far too naive. No one thought the night shift nurse would have to talk to the pony, so of course she would speak as she would please.
And this was all the confirmation Rarity needed to know that she was in a den of monsters.
"Stay away! Don't freeze me!" She cried out, and tried to light up her horn in a moment of fight-or-flight. Tried to was the key phrase, as she could only cry out in the splitting headache ensuing.
Right then. Flight it is.
"Miss please! S-security, I need you in here, our guest is running away!!" The nurse called out, but Rarity didn't care. White hooves pounding against the floor, running so fast her lungs were burning. She was in so much pain, but this was a matter of survival. Pain meant nothing compared to death itself.
Running, running, she saw more of the horrendous creatures. Some with the intent to catch her, others watching in fascination. All of them looking like demons to the fashionista.
She was trying to hide whenever she could, but ultimately she wanted out. She was certain she was running in circles at this point, but she couldn't help it. The castle she was in was massive, and she was too nervous to try bursting through any doors.
But her luck was about to run out.
"Look here little pony, just come with us back to your room. Empress' orders, we just want to help you." Coaxed one, his voice soothing.
"Really, we haven't seen a pony here for centuries, no one is going to eat you." Said another one, her voice a bit gruffer. Prompting her to get smacked on the head by her co-guard.
"You idiot! Can't you see how scared she is??? Why'd you have to go and say that!?"
"Who's an idiot, you idiot!!"
Rarity backed up, ears flattened, as her flank soon hit a door.
And went through.
She burst into the hall, and was in the process of running again when she skidded to a stop. She was in the throne room.
There were very few windigos in here, due to it being so late at night. A multiple of colors, but they all were distinctly the same of the nurse.
Save for one.
On the raised dais were two thrones. One had a regular sized windigo, her color pallet of a lavender mane and tail, fur a very pale blue that ombre into white near the hooves, wearing a small crystal crown. She was older then most of the others, but still quite young. Especially compared to the one next to her.
This windigo commander respect just by her presence alone. Her aura was ancient, belonging to another time, having seen at least a thousand years, but most probably more. She truly was the leader, due to her much taller height, and the crystals growing out of her legs and chest. She needed no jewelry to signified her status, her confidence was enough.
The younger one gasped. "Oh, she's awake! I... C-calm down Miss, I know this is a lot to take in, and we were going to ease you in a little more gently-"
"Stay away, monsters!" Rarity yelled back, shaking with animalistic terror.
The older one held up a hoof, before getting up and walking down towards the frightened pony. Everything about her was terrifying, and unlike with the younger one, Rarity could not dare to even breath, yet alone yell, yet alone move.
"Peace." Was all she said. Rarity was not calmed by this...
But she did listen a bit more. The simpler the sentence, the more powerful the meaning.
"Peace, little pony. You were found among the wreckage of a train heading for our neighbors to the south. Patrol found you, but only you alive. Now please, you need rest so we can return to you Celestia and Luna's kingdom."
That voice was still so commanding, but no hostility or malice perverted the kind words. Rarity began to shiver a bit less, but now her pain had returned in full force.
"Who... Oh no..." Her eyes rolled back, and she fell back into the black.