Small, tentative steps were taken as the six friends made their way through the forest.
Not a soul said a word, not a sound was made. The forest was silent, broken only by the occasional fluttering bird or snap of a twig under a hoof.
They listened intently, waiting for another roar to shatter through the serenity around them. Their necks continuously craned upward, preparing for the warm light of the morning sun to darken from an overbearing shadow. To say that the ponies felt tense would be an understatement in its grandest definition.
But they continued like this for some time, Twilight leading the way. The unicorn's sharp mind was fully concentrated on the task before them, analyzing the area for recognizable clues. It didn't take long for her to be certain they were on the right path.
As the minutes passed by, their quiet anxieties that weighed them down heavily were eased ever so slightly as they came into a clearing in the forest. They all recognized it straight away, the trees that were crushed into splinters, the black scars in the earth, the clear signs of struggling beasts. But it was what was at the far end of the clearing that allowed sighs of relief to be made. Stuck within the tight grip of the trees, a basket lazily swung in the gentle breeze, attached to the tattered remains of a balloon.
Ordinarily, such a mess would render the once helpful balloon forever useless. But luckily, the team of adventurers had a professional seamstress at hoof. With her talents, Twilight's ocean sized knowledge of spells, and a little hot air from Spike, the balloon was repaired and ready to fly in no time at all.
They wasted no time in boarding and taking flight. However, their speeds were slowed by the ever present fear of restarting the heart pounding events of the previous day. So they flew at a slow pace, even Rainbow Dash had no qualms about it, not wanting to try and outrace a duo of dragons again anytime soon.
But as the large span of the forest finally ended, and they could see the comforting sights of open fields, their burdening fears were put at an end as there was not a sign of any ferocious dragons to be seen.
“Well, we're headed in the right direction,” Twilight murmured, looking over a map she had brought, having marked it with the location Typhoon's own map had shown.
It had taken them nearly twenty minutes to be set back on the right course. Surprisingly, the forest they had been in was much bigger than they had thought. Their high-speed pursuit across it covered a lot of ground as well. Now, they were nearing Equestria's northern border, as well as the hold they were searching for.
“Do you think we'll find anything good?” Spike asked, gazing out to watch the scenery pass by. “It seems like everywhere we go is just leading us on to another random place.”
“We're sure to find somethin', sugarcube,” Applejack said reassuringly. “Why, ah bet we find all sorts of cool stuff on dragons when this is all over with.”
Spike's hope filled eyes turned to the earth pony, his smile stretching across his face. “Do you think so?” he asked innocently.
“Of course, Spike,” she answered, smiling as she saw the burning fire of hope inside the little dragon burn even brighter, “it's all a matter of faith.”
Spike looked back out to the wonderful land he called home, his bursting happiness slowly turned to a blissful smile. “I think faith is something I have plenty of.”
They stayed silent after that. None of them made a sound as they took in the beauty of nature that surrounded them. Though not one could simply say that was the only reason, with the attack of those dragons still fresh within their minds, a small tinge of fear was still evident in their senses.
But they all accepted that it was an event passed and they were now safe. All that was left for them was to continue on their journey in hopes that the answers they sought were near.
One thing they weren't expecting however, was just how near they were getting.
It started out slow, small changes to the terrain that lightly weighed down the peace that was felt among the six friends.
The colorful fields of flowers and grasses became nothing but ugly, lifeless stone patches. The beautiful sky that hung above them became twisted by clouds that held the darkest colors of grey they had ever seen. Even the warmth of the sun was snuffed out, leaving them with nothing but a chilling dull light to be cast over them.
Twilight's eyes widened as she looked onward to the worsening conditions before them. Large mountains stretched upward, covering the horizon and what it held. Looking into the abyss they were headed toward, the young scholar felt as though the comforting happiness of Equestria was something of a fanciful dream, only to be replaced by a cold emptiness.
“This is it,” the lavender unicorn breathed. “The land of the three tribes, their old home. Where our ancestors began.”
“But...” Rarity began, mimicking Twilight's own expression of utter shock, “how can that be? Doesn't the old tale speak of the founders defeating the spirits causing such a cold blight?”
“Maybe...” Twilight thought aloud, “maybe it only saved Equestria from turning into what they allowed their own land to become. Maybe it was too late to save their old homes, so they lost it all.”
They looked forward with uncertainty as Rainbow Dash flew through the mountain passes. Their sights began to notice the worsening conditions of the land around them as they traveled deeper into their ancestral homeland.
Large blankets of snow covered the frozen land that had once been the soil. Bare trees, looking as if they were turned to stone, held branches that bent underneath the weight of the piling white flakes. Even the sky endlessly rained down the cold snow on top of them, despite having been summer in Equestria, it seemed to be a never ending winter here.
Looking up into the sky, they could see a terrifying mess of clouds. Almost black in their color as their directionless job forced them to cover the already white land in more snow. They were nothing like the clouds of Equestria, looking so thick, they were certain that not even a pegasus would be able to change their course now.
Then the winds came. Rainbow Dash was nearly thrown out of the sky as a powerful gale struck her from out of nowhere. Everyone else within the basket had to hold on as tightly as they could, fearing that they could be picked up and blown away at any time.
The winds seemed to come from all directions at once, blinding them as the falling snow became an impenetrable veil that blocked out their clear vision. It made the temperatures even worse as well. The biting cold around them felt as though they were in a world sized freezer. It cut into their very bones, freezing them from the inside out.
“Rainbow, are you okay?” Twilight shouted, yelling over the loud howling of the winds that surrounded them.
“Yeah... yeah! I'm doing fine!” Rainbow Dash shouted back. The pegasus squinted through the haze of snow and tried seeing through it to traverse safely. Even as the frost accumulated on her wings, as her lungs burned from the bitter chill of the air, she didn't stop pushing herself further to their goal.
While Rainbow Dash's determination sped her forward, the others did their best to fare against the harsh elements. Sitting idle in the basket made the freezing temperatures even worse. Their bodies shivered uncontrollably while the rhythmic sounds of their teeth chattering was only a quiet whisper compared to cutting winds.
But the eyes of the four ponies lit up as they witnessed a green flame flare to life in front of them, disappearing just as quickly. It was Spike, cupping his clawed hands together as he blew small bursts of flame into them.
In an instant, Spike found himself beset by his friends. His world was encased in a shadowy plane of colored coats as the the four mares huddled around the dragon for warmth. Sharing their own body heat, as well as feeling the radiant flare of heat from Spike's self made flame.
Though it was extremely claustrophobic, the dragon couldn't complain. Not as he felt the softest, most beautiful coat against him, just as white as the snow but holding even more elegance. Rarity's soft embrace warmed him more than his own fire breath ever could.
Their long lasting group hug lasted for sometime. The overbearing winds never died down, the downpour of snow never let up, and neither did their cyan guide.
“Rainbow, you need to stop,” shouted Twilight, “you'll freeze to death if you don't!” The others joined in as well, all speaking the same wise words to the stubborn pegasus.
“No way,” Rainbow Dash shouted, “we're getting close, I know it!” The concerned cries of her friends were purposely left to blow into the wind. Even as the pegasus flew blind, her eyes stinging from the caking snow, unable to keep them open.
To keep going, it was all that was on her mind. Everything else was pushed away from her thoughts as she concentrated on a singular goal. Faster and faster she flew, going against the weather that had made an enemy of her
She was Rainbow Dash, pegasus of Ponyville and fastest flier in Equestria. She was the one who controlled weather, not the other way around. Now, she wasn't planning on letting a little out of control snow stop her.
But a solid wall did.
“Oof,” Rainbow Dash groaned, her body smashing into the hard surface that had come seemingly out of nowhere. The rainbow maned mare toppled over from the surface and landed in the snow with a muffled thump.
The same occurred for them all. With Rainbow Dash's speeds, her sudden stop nearly snapped the basket from the balloon itself. With a jerking halt, the five riders again felt their bodies being thrown through the air. But unlike last time, they didn't crash into a hardened forest floor, but instead were swallowed up by a thick layer of snow.
Heads immediately began popping up from the blanket of white powder, feeling the bone chilling ice crystals clinging to their bodies and making their previous warmth a faded memory.
“I-Is e-ev-veryone alr-right?” Twilight asked, unable to keep herself shaking from horn to tail.
“Ah'm jus-s-st f-f-fine,” Applejack stuttered, checking her head to make sure her favorite hat wasn't missing.
“Jus-st magnific-cent, darling,” Rarity responded, nearly blending in with the snow. Had it not been for the dark coloring of her mane, she might have been lost.
“I'm fine, I'm fine,” chimed Pinkie Pie, happily jumping up and down in the snow.. Even in such horrid temperatures, the hyperactive mare still seemed to have energy to burn.
“Yeah, me too,” Spike said last, sitting in a puddle of slush as he continued to blow heat into his hands.
Twilight looked around the area. Through the snow storm, the unicorn could make out much of the land stretched out far below her. More mountains sprang up in the distance, while an open landscape of white stood beside that. It was hard to tell just what the terrain actually looked like as a single color of white made it impossible.
“Ohhh, my head,” Rainbow Dash moaned, still lying where she had landed.
The others looked to see their balloon still afloat in the air. It swayed forcefully back and forth in the still violent winds that it was caught in. But it stayed where it was, anchored by its pegasus motor who simply stayed half buried in the snow.
“Are you ok-k-ay, Rainb-bow?” asked Applejack, pushing the flier out of the snow.
With Twilight's help, they were able to sit her up. Rainbow Dash lazily swayed back and forth in a dazed state, looking as though she had been woken up from a sleep that just didn't last long enough.
“Ugh, who... who put that rock there?” Rainbow Dash asked, shaking her head as she began to come to her full senses. She looked up to see a large slab of stone protruding out of the snow like a headstone.
It was perfectly smooth on its front and back sides. As the others examined the stone closely, they could see that there was something carved on it. What looked like a pony's head, holding a peaceful expression of serenity, and two wings flaring out at the sides. Twilight recognized it straight away as the old crest of the pegasi tribe. The symbol took up much of the stone, while just at the bottom of it were the letters T H.
The five ponies each shared glances to the other, holding questions upon their faces that none could answer. Looking deep into the area next to the stone slab, their eyes widened as a structure could be seen within the snowy haze.
Still uncertain that what they were seeing was real, they each took slow steps toward it. The closer they came, the clearer the structure became to them. It was a massive building, holding a resemblance to the architecture of Cloudsdale. But rather than clouds, the structure was all stone.
“Th-this was made by pegasi?” Rarity questioned. “I nev-v-ver knew they d-dabbled in s-stone.”
“I guess th-the wind is t-t-to blame,” Twilight remarked, feeling the chilling gale pushing against her more. “A c-cloud structure wouldn't last very long agains-st weather like this.”
“Let's go inside and say hi to everypony,” Pinkie Pie said, hoping toward the structure.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said, containing her physical need to sigh, “I highly doubt that anyp-pony has been here for many years.”
“You never know,” Pinkie Pie retorted, undeterred as she continued moving toward the hold.
The others simply allowed their pink friend to remain in her blissful state as they followed her. Immediately remembering their ride, Twilight released Rainbow Dash from the grasp of the rope and tied it to a jagged rock nearby, triple checking her knot-work to make sure everything was secure.
Approaching the entrance of the hold, the six friends noticed a large, half-circle doorway. They were shocked to see that the doors themselves weren't there, or mostly anyway. A fragment of one remained attached to its side of the doorway. Large splinters of wood littered the ground around it, too large to be buried by the snow. The other half of the large door seemed as though it was ripped from its place entirely. After a quick glance about the area, they were certain that it was no longer nearby.
With careful steps, they made their way into the structure, the nipping cold snow following right behind.
The inside was a dark and dreary place. Cold stone made up the floors, walls and ceilings. Not a light survived after the long abandonment the structure had endured. Upon their first steps into the old place, the ponies felt a shiver travel down their spines. Not from the cold, but from something else. Just standing there brought on a dreadful sense of unease.
With the problem of freezing in the dark, Twilight looked about the chamber for a solution. She found just that as she took notice to a chair lying on the floor nearby. Levitating it into the air, the unicorn brought the wooden furniture down hard onto the ground.
The old chair broke easily, creating a small pile of chair pieces in front of them. Picking up a leg from the previously whole chair, the unicorn lifted it toward her assistant. “Please burn this, Spike,” she requested. With a momentary pause to inhale, the little dragon blew a powerful flame into the stick, igniting it and turning it into a makeshift torch.
Without a word, Twilight brought the torch toward Rarity who, after discovering the scholar's intention, took it within her own magical grasp. The process was repeated once more, giving Twilight her own torch to light the way. Between both unicorns, their torches provided ample light to guide them through the darkness as well as heat the air around them to keep them from turning to ice.
Like most old ruins, the hold was in ruins. It was clear the moment they stepped inside that the old structure had seen better days. Large cracks cut into the walls. The floor was a mess with rubble and dirt. There were holes cut into the ceiling, allowing snow to fall inside and pile underneath the primitive skylight.
Still the unease persisted, as they traversed the hold. Every instinct in their bodies told them that something was wrong, or at least something used to be wrong. A horrible event had transpired within the old pegasi hold, but what exactly remained a mystery.
There were some clues though. Dirt and rock weren't all that made itself clear in the rooms. In some, the gray stone walls were blackened, as though a terrible fire had been cast onto it. Coincidentally, the marks seemed to be in the same rooms where the ceilings looked to have been torn away. There were also the grooves worn into the stone. Straight lines that worked their way deep into the walls and floors, always in fours. The six adventurers each shared glances to one another as their minds began to work out what might have happened.
Despite the terrible feelings the place gave, Twilight, and even Rainbow Dash, found a fascination from their surroundings.
Beakers, burners and test tubes filled many rooms, several still filled with a colorful fluid that aged as well as milk. Scrolls of many sizes were stacked in rooms filled with shelves, clinging onto blankets of dust as testament to their prolonged solitude.
One room seemed strange compared to the others, which all seemed to hold a trait of research to it. It was a large chamber that had what appeared to be a track made into the floor. Rainbow Dash became excited immediately, especially as she took notice different machines that she said were ancient methods pegasi used to strengthen their wings. To the others however, they looked more like hideous torture devices.
The strangest thing that was noticed however was how little the hold seemed to be about making weather. Having been to the weather factory in Cloudsdale, they knew what the machines were like that were used in making snow, rain and everything in between. But nothing of the sort was within the hold itself.
Answers were close however as the six friends found themselves entering an office of some kind. It had what was usually seen in one, a desk, writing utensils, paperwork rolled up into scrolls. Sensing a seat of authority in the room, the six friends decided to investigate it thoroughly.
At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything of importance. An old fireplace that was filthy with ashes, several broken quills that were carelessly tossed onto the floor. Pinkie Pie did find several bottles filled with a foul smelling liquid as well, the labels on them were unreadable but they had an odd sense of shame and self-loathing about them. Thankfully, Twilight was quick in stopping the curious mare from drinking the liquid, having no doubt that such an action was a bad idea.
But an exited gasp came from Spike as he opened a drawer in the desk and found a large book inside. Setting it on the desk, Twilight carefully examined the old piece of literature. Its size was the most noticeable thing, having near three times the amount of pages as a normal book. But looking inside, the scholar came to realize that it wasn't a book at all, but a journal. Though, journal was technically the wrong term for it, as she began to realize. It was a logbook of the pegasus captain who oversaw the hold.
Turning through the pages, Twilight found that it was mostly filled with incessant complaints on how cold the weather was. Other than that, there were many entries that briefly explained the progress of the different projects that were going on within the walls.
It was a research facility. Rather than creating weather like the other holds, Tempest Hold was used primarily in ending the endless storm that ravaged the lands that the three tribes once called home.
Going through to the very end of the log, Twilight stopped as her eyes caught a name that she recognized. Quickly scanning the entry, Twilight cleared her throat and began reading it aloud.
20x17x823
It's cold today.
Colder than it was yesterday. Though warmer than it was two-hundred and fifty six days ago, at least.
Coldstep brings good news on his research. Thinks he may have had a breakthrough in his ice serum, should heighten our natural cold resistance. Hope it works, I've lost too many good men to that blizzard.
That so called “Dragon Knight” Typhoon has been here for several days as well. Burns me up to have to give him a room, but he apparently has the right friends as I've been given orders from the commander herself to allow him to stay as a guest.
Should consider himself lucky we had a spare room, would have had him sleep outside if there wasn't. Poor Swift, I told him to exercise every morning, but he didn't listen. Then he goes and gets lost in the storm. Will have to send a request for a replacement, can't be shorthoofed out in here in the middle of Faust-knows-where.
Regarding Typhoon however, can't say I'm happy with him being here. It's causing a stir within the others, they think of him as some sort of celebrity. It isn't right, pegasus who's more interested in those scaled monsters than the weather, not natural. And that armor, don't get me started.
Says he's here for research on some dragon, can't remember his name, Skittles I think, not sure. Something about it all doesn't sit right with me though. Keeps leaving the hold to go off finding some old ruins in the snow. Spends nearly all day out there, somehow survives the cold, then comes back without a word. Something isn't right, I can feel it in my feathers.
Then again, it may just be an old pegasus feeling the cold air in his mane. At least I still have those crates of drink that came in from the last supplies cache. Made by those earthers apparently, not sure how they do it though. Tastes a bit off but it does keep me warm with every sip, though I wake up with a pounding headache each morning as well.
There were only two entries after that. Only brief mentions of Typhoon were in them, but nothing important.
Twilight looked to her friends after reading it, they all held blank expressions as what was read to them registered.
“So he was here,” Spike said, his small frame beginning to show the excitement that was brewing within.
“But that book,” Rarity murmured. “Why does it end so... suddenly?” The question was met with silence. None of them could answer truthfully, but they all felt that they already knew what the cause was.
“Come on,” Twilight said, holding her torch up high, “there's still more to explore. I'm sure we can find some clue to what Typhoon was doing.” With quite nods, the others followed the lavender unicorn.
More rooms came and went as the six friends trotted across the quiet halls of the hold. Life seemed to be brought back to the long dead ruins as shadows danced from the flickering lights of their torches. Every tap of their hooves on the stone floor echoed endlessly, making it even more clear to them just how empty the old hold was.
They soon came to a large chamber which Twilight was familiar with. It reminded her of when her brother had once given her a tour of the guard barracks. The room they had arrived to resembled the breakfast hall where the royal guards would eat.
The similarities were slight, but still noticeable. A few elongated tables were on the floor with chairs lined up on both sides. It was a much smaller scale compared to the one in the castle, showing how many pegasi that the hold must have had working there. A large fireplace stood at the far end of the room, once used to keep the pegasi warm, now only serving as a reminder to what the ruins were once like.
But it was clear that the room had seen better days. Much like the previous chambers they had seen, it was a mess. Most of the tables and chairs were smashed and scattered about the room. Large blotches of black stained the walls and floors in irregular patterns. The ceiling itself was almost entirely missing, looking as though something massive had crashed through it.
Despite the destruction however, all eyes became fixed on a single spot. Against the far off wall, there was a massive scar of black, much larger than any of the others they had seen. From their distance to it, they could faintly make an object lying in the center of it.
With slow, hesitant steps, they approached the very spot. As they came closer and closer, they found that it wasn't a single object, but what looked like a small pile of fragmented metal, blackened by the same flames that had burned the floor.
Spike slid off of his caretaker's back as they neared the pile. While the others stayed on the edge of the burned floor, the dragon pressed on toward the center. As he stood over the pile, his entire body froze as a gasp escaped him.
With trembling hands, Spike reached down and picked up a piece of the black metal. More small gasps could be heard behind him as they too caught sight of what he held, seeing what it was, as well as what it was made into.
The helm of a suit of armor, shaped perfectly to resemble that of a dragon's head, just the right size to fit a stallion.