A warm golden glow began to blanket the snowy landscape of the Ice Age, as the sun slowly cast its light over the horizon. The snow softly crunched under the foot/hoof steps of Quill Cast, Curtain Call, Atalanta, and Jon Snow. The four slowly traversed across the landscape, walking for what felt like hours. From the moment this journey began, they’ve been tracking the monstrous Wendigo they arrived to find. Thus far, their efforts have proved fruitless as they’ve yet to find the true source of its passage. No footprints, no blood trails, nothing to give them direction. Tracking this monster proved to be a very difficult task.
“How is it we’re not finding a trace of this thing?” Atalanta asked. “My changeling sense of smell could pick up a trail of any animal or creature from fifty miles away in any kind of weather.”
“The problem is that the thing we’re tracking is no animal,” Quill informed his fiancée. “It’s a supernatural creature with many unnatural abilities. Super quick, ungodly strong, and while you can smell it from fifty miles away, they can smell blood from hundreds of miles away. It’s a supreme killing machine and knows how to stay undetected.”
“That’s just in its mortal form,” Curtain Call pointed out.
“Then how are we supposed to find it?” Atalanta questioned further. “Are there any ways to even track it?”
“Only a few defining elements that could help us locate its possible location.”
“Like what?”
“When we first encountered the beast beyond the Wall, we were immediately overcome by a horrid smell,” Jon spoke up. “It was though we were surrounded by Death itself. Even though it was already freezing, you could feel the cold air dropping even further. Then there’s it’s deathly howl, you’ll never hear anything else like it in your life.”
Atalanta absorbed this knowledge and she had to admit, the more she heard about this beast the more nervous she grew. They had many dangerous beasts in Equestria, and thus far most of them paled in comparison to this monster.
“I’m surprised you survived facing it the first time,” Ata spoke amazed.
“So were we,” Quill chuckled. “But right now, we have a chance to finish it off once and for all.”
“Technically… there’s no real way to finish a Wendigo,” Curtain Call corrected. “A Wendigo’s skin is hard like armor. It can’t be cut, stabbed, or pierced by bullets. The only way to hold them at bay is fire, it makes their skin weak. We can’t finish off a Wendigo, only as a last resort, as death releases the Wendigo spirit. We merely need to capture its spirit before it is able to possess another living soul.”
“You sound like some pony who believes in Wendigo,” Atalanta nodded.
“Actually, no… well, not at first,” Curtain Call admitted. “Compared to my buddy, I’m a big skeptic when it comes to the supernatural. But that job in the Blackwood Mountains changes one’s perspective. If you think a regular Wendigo is bad, let’s hope the one we’re after is not the Makkapitew.”
“The Makkapitew?” Atalanta asked worriedly.
“The strongest of all the Wendigos, pretty much the Alpha of the whole race. The word alone means ‘One who has big teeth’ and is ‘the fiercest of them all’ according to the Native Americans. I’ve seen for myself what this monster could do… if this is the very Wendigo we’re hunting, it’ll take everything we got to get back alive.”
“Hopefully we’ll never have to worry about us or any pony else ending up as its dinner,” Quill spoke up.
Eventually, the group made their way to the top of a nearby hill that overlooked the valley beneath. There was a calm, gentle river flowing across the rocky gorge before transitioning into a massive waterfall that fell off the nearby cliffs. What they noticed most, however, was a tiny village composed of little huts and tents.
“Where are we, Jon?” Curtain asked curiously.
“Somewhere we can hold out for the night,” Jon replied. “I doubt very much we’ll find this monster tonight; it’s best we rest and begin our search in the morning.”
The rest of the group couldn’t help but admit Jon had a very good point. They’ve already searched in vain for the Wendigo all day with little success. But for Quill and Curtain, there were other reasons not to track a Wendigo when nightfall descended.
“Are you sure we’re welcome here?” Atalanta asked.
“Of course,” Jon nodded. “I’ve known the tribes people since I was banished to this world. They don’t say much, but they’ve been kind to me. We trade often and they’ve let me stay if I’m in need. Come, I’ll introduce you to them.”
Jon made his way down the hill towards the village and the others proceeded to follow after him. Soon enough, they were walking straight through the village and all the tribes people, the Neanderthals, looked at them as they walked by. Many of them thought it strange seeing two ponies and a changeling walking through their midst, especially since ‘one’ creature was one they never saw before. However, upon seeing Jon Snow leading them through, that alone put them at ease. Eventually, the group stopped at the largest tent as a man exited first followed by a woman holding a baby. Jon stared at the man right in the eyes, gave a small bow of his head, and proceeded t speak to him through a combination of dialogue and sign language.
“Runar,” He greeted.
The man gave a small nod of his head, before Jon turned back to his group.
“This is Runar, chief of this tribe,” Jon introduced. “That’s his wife Nadia and their son, Roshan.”
Quill, Curtain, and Atalanta looked toward the people and, since they lacked the appendages for fingerspelling and sign gestures, they bowed their heads in respect.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Quill greeted kindly. “I am Quill Cast, this is my best friend Curtain Call, and my fiancé Atalanta.”
“Hello!” Atalanta waved.
“Sup?” Curtain Call greeted casually.
Just as Jon said, these tribes people didn’t speak in response but merely grunted with a nod of their heads. At least to acknowledge their introductions before turning back toward the young man.
“We seek shelter for the night, Runar,” Jon informed the chief.
The chief silently studied the group up and down before putting on a small smile and gave a nod of his head. They took this as his approval to stay.
“Thank you,” Jon signed.
Jon proceeded to lead his group to a nearby tent that would serve as shelter for the night. Turning back, the group noticed Nadia putting little Roshan on the ground allowing the little one to try walking to his father. He managed a step or two before toppling over, thankfully into his father’s waiting grasp. Both Runar and Nadai smiled happily at their son’s valiant effort, but he still had much to practice with walking.
“Aww, isn’t that cute?” Quill asked, smiling at Atalanta. “Hopefully one day, we’ll have a moment like that with a young one of our own. Right now, Cotton Swirl is all we need.”
“Don’t worry, honey,” Atalanta smiled back. “One day we’ll have lots of children and we’ll get to watch them grow.”
“All right, lovebirds,” Curtain Call chuckled. “It’s a bit early to be talking about that kind of stuff, ain’t it?”
“Like you’ve never talked about the same thing with your girlfriends?” Quill joked.
“Quill, I never get held down by any pony. I’m a free spirit on an infinite quest for free rides through the multiverse, the calico cats, and Doritos… but mostly the cats.”
“… Lemme guess: Your last girlfriend broke up with you and kicked you out, didn’t she?”
“HEY! What happened last week wasn’t my fault! We just uh… um…”
Curtain Call briefly eyed the little baby neanderthal before turning back to Quill.
“I’d rather not talk about it in front of children,” Curtain Call whispered.
As the two went back and forth, Jon Snow turned his attention toward a nearby pack of domesticated wolves just outside one of the tents. At that moment, the wolves were laying outside, enjoying some relaxation. Suddenly, the ears of all the wolves perked up at once and they stood on all fours, staring toward the stream. All the other tribes people looked toward the wolves’ gaze, as did the rest of the group.
Standing at the edge of the stream was a wolf far larger than any wolf that ever lived. But this was no ordinary wolf at all, this was a Direwolf. It stood on all four legs the size of a large lion with fur as white as snow but eyes red as blood.
The giant wolf slowly walked forward, away from the stream and into the camp. The tribes people took a step back as they watched the wolf slowly walk through the camp. The other wolves in the tribe seemingly knelt down almost in submission to this monstrous wolf. The wolf walked right up toward Jon Snow and the young man knelt on one knee to look the creature right in its blood eyes. A small smile made its way to his face as he reached out and rubbed the wolf’s ears.
“Good to see you, Ghost,” Jon said. “I trust you’ve been keeping out of trouble.”
The direwolf gave a satisfied whine as Jon Snow scratched his ears. While this went on, the remainder of the tribes people quickly returned to their activities. None of them took notice of two large animals staring down at them from the cliffs above.
<>
High upon a cliff overlooking the valley and the village, two saber-toothed tigers a.k.a. Smilodon looked down at the village below. The slightly larger one with the dark orange fur was Soto, the leader of the saber-toothed pack, scanning the grounds with his green eyes. The other was his second-in-command, Diego. The two looked down toward the village, eyeing the tribe and their daily business. But what they focused on most was Runar, Nadia, and especially Roshan.
“Aww look at the cute little baby, Diego,” Soto spoke sinisterly. “Isn’t it nice he’ll be joining us for breakfast?”
“It wouldn’t be breakfast without him,” Diego responded casually.
“Especially since his daddy wiped out half our pack,” Soto growled vengefully. “They wear our skin to keep warm. An eye for an eye, don’t you think?”
“Then let’s show that human what happens when he messes with sabers,” Diego growled in agreement.
“Alert the troops!” Soto commanded. “We attack at dawn.”
Diego nodded his head, starting to walk away and carry out the orders he received.
“And Diego…”
Diego slowly turned his head toward Soto, the latter’s back towards him and his gaze keeping track of the tribe below.
“Bring me that baby… alive,” Soto added. “If I’m going to enjoy my revenge, I want it to be fresh.”
With that, Diego continued his way toward the remainder of their pack so they could proceed to execute their leader’s orders.
<>
Speaking of the pack itself, they were gathered along a clearing just a few miles away from the village. Carcasses and bones of their previous kills littered the ground as three members of the pack lay in wait for the others to return. Two of them had light brown fur, while one’s was grayish brown. All three had hazel eyes. There were two Smilodon in the pack, one small and seemingly overactive and the other slightly taller. The other was technically a Homotherium, and much more rotund compared to the others. They were all that remained of the pack: Zeke, Oscar, and Lenny respectfully.
“Humans…” Oscar grumbled. “When is Soto gonna get over his obsession with humans?”
“We could be hitting that migration that just went south,” Lenny added.
“O-O-O-O-Oh don’t even talk about it,” Zeke shuddered. “It makes my teeth itch!”
“Listen up!”
The pack went silent the moment Diego made his approach before them.
“We attack the humans at dawn!” Diego announced.
“Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho, see?!” Zeke giggled maniacally. “Yeah! Right! There! Now! That’s just—that’s just—what we’re saying!”
“What about that walking buffet heading south?” Lenny whined.
“You’ll be walking buffet if you don’t do what Soto says!” Diego scolded.
“Then let’s get the orders from Soto,” Oscar replied casually. “Why do we have to hear it from you?”
“Because Diego’s the only one I trust!”
All heads quickly turned as Soto loomed over them, the pack leader having just returned after scanning the village grounds and wasn’t appreciating what the pack was saying.
“You mangy pack of worthless kittens,” Soto growled. “Those humans are heading back to Glacier Pass. This is our chance to send them a message they won’t forget. Does everyone understand?”
“Yes, yes, send your message, have your revenge,” Zeke answered quickly. “Please, whatever you want—”
BONK!
Soto threw one paw against Zeke’s head and the tiny Smilodon immediately zipped his lips.
“Get some rest!” Soto instructed the pack. “Diego will give you your marching orders at dawn.”
Soto proceeded to march away, leaving the remainder of the pack under Diego’s watch. It was plain to see they weren’t exactly ‘thrilled’ with this assignment, but they were wise not to go against Soto’s orders. Meanwhile, Diego stood with determination knowing that he carried a great weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Tomorrow, every part of the plan had to go accordingly or else everything they’ve planned for this moment will be all for nothing.
<>
Later that day, the sun was finally starting to set over the horizon until only a faint glow remained. On the other side of the valley, the Mane Six, along with Spike, Gabby and Gilda were putting up their own shelters for the night. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity proceeded to use their magic to conjure up a few tents to provide a comfortable place for their friends to sleep.
“Ah, there we are!” Rarity sighed with satisfaction. ‘These should keep up warm and dry in these frigid conditions.”
“Brrrr!” Gabby shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “I sure hope so, Rarity. “The winters back home have nothing on this place.”
“I’m not surprised,” Twilight responded. “From what I’ve read on the Ice Age, it was thought that at least 30% of the Earth was completely covered in ice. In addition, a zone of permafrost stretched southward from the edge of…”
Twilight Sparkle screamed and clutched her ringing ears as a loud horn made every pony jump and yell in shock. All eyes turned towards Gilda, who held what resembled an air horn in her claw right next to Twilight’s ear drums. She gave a mocking blow to the tip before putting the air horn behind her back.
“What was that for?!” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Couldn’t stand the airhead chatter,” Gilda grumbled. “Don’t lie and say you actually enjoy it.
“But an air horn in the ear?!”
“She should be grateful I didn’t hit her with a shovel.”
Pinkie Pie quickly ran over and helped Twilight off the ground. The poor pony princess still clutched her ears, as the ringing continued.
“I can still hear it!” Twilight grimaced with pain.
“Are you okay, Twilight?” Pinkie asked worriedly.
For some reason, Pinkie’s speaking made Twilight twitch and cry out.
“Stop yelling!” She pleaded.
“I’m not yelling,” Pinkie voiced confusion.
But once again, Twilight twitched and cried out.
“Why would you say I’m yelling?” Pinkie asked.
Again, more twitching…
“THIS IS YELLING!!!”
This made Twilight Sparkle cry out once more as she toppled over once more, clutching her ears so hard one would think she’d cave in her whole head. Rainbow Dash watched the scene for a moment, before turning toward her griffin friend with her hooves crossed.
“That was a real jerk thing to do, Gil,” Rainbow frowned.
“Well yeah, that’s my whole thing Dash,” Gilda rolled her eyes. “You think you’d know a griffon by now.”
Eventually, Twilight Sparkle could sigh with relief once the ringing in her head finally stopped. No longer did everything sound as though her whole ears could explode. When she finally got back to her hooves, Spike came over to ensure she was alright.
“Are you okay, Twi?” Spike asked her. “Everything sounding normal?”
“I think so,” Twilight shook her head. “Just need to let my hearing come back a little more but I’m alright.”
“That’s good,” Spike sighed in relief. “The last thing we need right now is a ‘Twilight Sparkle Going Deaf’ on us. Not sure how that would work.”
Glad to see his sister-figure was alright, Spike quickly glanced to the side and noticed that the remainder of the group had just finished setting up camp. He grabbed Twilight’s hoof and started leading her away.
“Spike, what are you doing?” Twilight asked him.
“I just need to speak with you alone for a second,” Spike replied.
“Alone?” Twilight repeated curiously. “Why? Is something wrong? Have you been having those headaches again?”
Eventually, Spike led them far enough where he could feel comfortable enough to stop.
“No, nothing like that,” Spike assured her. “I just needed to speak to you about something important. After all, ever since I hatched, you’ve been like a big sister to me for the longest time.”
“Aw, Spike,” Twilight smiled happily. “I feel the same about you. You are the little sibling I never had. Is that all you wanted to talk about?”
“Thanks, Twi,” Spike smiled back. “But no… that’s not what I wanted to talk about. It’s about me… and Gabby.”
This made Twilight tilt her head to the side while raising a curious eyebrow.
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“Well as you know, I was hoping for me and Gabby to end up in a nice tropical place instead of this frozen tundra,” Spike replied, voicing disappointment.
“I know Spike,” Twilight sighed. “I’m really sorry about that.”
“It’s alright,” Spike shrugged. “I mean it’s not the ideal place, but that’s not important. All that matters to me is that I need the perfect time.”
“Perfect time for what?”
Spike looked around once more, making sure they were truly alone before reaching behind is back.
“I want to show you something,” Spike whispered excitedly.
Pulling something from behind his back, Spike opened his claw to reveal a scarlet velvet box. Reaching out with his other claw, he slowly opened it to reveal a bright shiny diamond ring sitting inside. The moment her eyes landed on the ring, Twilight’s hoof shot to her mouth and tears came to her eyes.
“Are—are you--?”
“Yeah,” Spike nodded. “I’m asking Gabby to marry me.”
No longer able to contain her excitement, Twilight Sparkle used her momentum in her wings to lunge forward and wrap her arms around Spike. The dragon chuckled at this and placed his arms around her as well.
“I’m so happy for you, Spike,” Twilight sighed happily. “I promise it’ll be our little secret.”
“Thanks Twi,” Spike answered. “I really appreciate that.”
“She’s going to love it. I just know it.”
Eventually, once Spike and Twilight finally separated, the dragon and the pony proceeded to regroup with their friends. By the time they got back, Manny and Sid had just returned with their supplies for their own shelter. Manny was carrying a ton of logs with those giant tusks of his. Sid, on the other hand, merely dragged… one simple stick. The way the sloth was acting that one stick seemed to weigh a ton.
“Hey, Manny!” Twilight called out. “Need any help with those logs?”
“No!” Manny answered, walking by.
“My, ain’t he a ray of sunshine,” Applejack shook her head.
“Oh… hu… phew!” Sid gasped, slowing down. “Boy, I’m wiped out.”
“Uh… that’s your shelter, Sid?” Spike raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, Manny’s a big guy,” Sid argued. “He got a lotta wood. I’m a little guy.”
“You got half a stick,” Applejack pointed out.
“Sorry dude, but there’s no way you can build a shelter with just one stick,” Rainbow Dash agreed.
“Yeah, but with my little stick and my highly evolved brain—OW!” Sid poked his eye. “I shall create fire.”
“Fascinating,” Manny replied.
“Now this I’d like to see,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Well, I’m not one to discourage any ideas,” Rarity voiced concern. “But I truly hope you put enough thought over this, darling.”
“We’ll see if brains triumph over brawn tonight,” Sid declared, snapping the stick in half. “Now, won’t we?”
<>
BOOM!!!
It was dead at night and the rain was pouring down hard, all while lightning pierced the sky followed by the booming thunder. Poor Sid sat on the ground floor, soaking wet and chilled to the bone. But the sloth stubbornly stuck to the task of making fire, rubbing his sticks slowly. By now, all the others were watching from the comfort of their shelters.
“Hey, I think I saw a spark,” Manny spoke up.
“Really?! Where?!” Pinkie peeked out. “Aw… did I miss it?”
Sid looked down… but there was no fire. Sid turned toward the other tents where all the ponies, even their griffon and dragon friends were occupying. It was carefully arranged so Twilight shared one tent with Spike and Fluttershy; Pinkie, Rarity, and Gabby bunked in another; and finally, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Gilda shared the very last tent. Eventually, Sid gave up, tossed the wet stick pieces aside and approached Manny’s shelter.
“Uh, any chance I could squeeze in there with you, Manny, ol’ pal?” Sid asked feebly.
“Isn’t there someone else you can annoy?” Manny asked. “Friends, family… poisonous reptiles?”
“Ah, well my family abandoned me.”
“I still can’t imagine why they would do that,” Fluttershy voiced sympathy.
“Well, they’d rather migrate without me. You should’ve seen what they did last year.”
“I’m scared to ask, but… what happened last year?” Spike asked nervously.
“I mean they woke up early, and quietly tied up my hands and feet, and gagged me with a field mouse, and barricaded the cave door, covered their tracks, traveled through water so I’d lose their scent, and… and… who needs ‘em anyway?”
During that whole lengthy explanation, the Equestrians watched as Sid attempted to make himself comfortable using one of Manny’s tusks as a bed, even latching onto his trunk as a blanket of sorts. Sid was just starting to sleep, but Manny would have none of it. He lifted Sid off his trunk and hurled him back out in the rain.
“So, what about you guys, you got a family?” Sid asked.
But Manny just looked at Sid, and it was rather difficult for Sid to read the sour expression on his face. Silently, he turned around, adjusting himself till his rear was facing Sid before going to sleep. The Equestrians determined it wouldn’t be best to question the mammoth’s actions, especially given the dismal conditions.
“It’s very late, Sid,” Twilight Sparkle yawned. “We got a long trip ahead and we need all the rest we can get. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Yeah… social interaction,” Gilda replied sarcastically.
Soon all the other Equestrians prepared to rest, as they dug their way deep into their tents. That left Sid as the only one awake.
“Okay, you’re all tired, I see,” Sid replied, taking the hint. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
For Sid, being left out in the rain would’ve been somewhat tolerable… if not for all the hail suddenly raining down from the night sky.
“OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!” Sid yelped, pelted with hail. “Uh, Manfred, Manfred? Could you scooch over a drop? Oh, come on, nobody falls asleep that fast! MANNY!!!”
But it was plain to see that Manny was not waking up at any time… that or he was intentionally ignoring the sloth hoping he’d take a hint. Not wanting to wake the others, Sid decided to use Manny’s tail as a shelter at least until the rain and hail eventually stopped. But this didn’t go unnoticed…
“Ahem!”
The sound of someone clearing their throat drew Sid to look toward Twilight’s tent. Spike’s head peeked out from the tent, seeing Sid in such a pathetic state. Shaking his head, as if understanding Sid’s position, he gestured with a few head tilts and a small smile. Without saying a word, Sid waddled his way through the rain and hail proceeding to enter the tent, as Sid sealed the tent opening.
Unbeknownst to any of the sleeping group, along a nearby tree, Scrat was trying to push his acorn to the very top. It was true the rain was making it difficult for the little squirrel to climb, especially with the acorn atop his head. He even had to stop and pant a few times as he pushed himself along the tree. At one point, his acorn nearly slipped off his head and the squirrel quickly caught it with the tip of his nose before grasping it with his teeth. Even after all that, Scrat wasn’t giving up.
Balancing his acorn along the top of his face, the little devil pushed his way to the highest point of the tree. Finally, he reached the very top and stood stall as he tapped the hollowed out treetop with his foot. Thinking he’d found the perfect place to store his acorn for winter, he raised it up high ready to plunge it into the tree.
BOOM!!!
A bolt of lightning struck the poor squirrel where he stood. Now he was basically burnt crisp on the spot. He stood there, frozen in electrical shock, as the acorn popped up in the air and fell back down the tree. The little squirrel gave a small whimper, both from the electrocution… and the pain of losing his acorn… again.
The acorn fell to the bottom of the tree, almost instantly crushed under the weight of a large foot. The foot was ashen white, looking as though it were decaying and mutated. The foot reached upward to a set of long, lanky, white, decaying legs, a hollow torso, very long arms with huge claws on each end, and all the way to an ashen hollow face with razor sharp teeth in the mouth. A pair of milky eyes peered through the brush toward the sleeping creatures in the valley below.
It hungered… oh, how it hungered…
