//------------------------------//
// Ch 1: Wandering Minds 
// Story: My Little Dragon Ball: Icebound 
// by Tundricwolf 
//------------------------------//

It was an early spring morning in the Blizzard Kingdom. Everything was still and silent, a calm gentle breeze swept throughout the kingdom, making the trees and bushes sway and rustle. It seemed to be a peaceful morning…well, except to Glacier and Arctic.

The Dragon and Saiyan brothers, who shared a room, were sleeping peacefully, until their sisters, Winter Winds and Tundra Storm, burst into the room, sheer excitement plastered all over their faces.

“Wake up you too! It’s to nice a morning to be sleeping in!” Yelled Winter. The Pegasus mare flew around the room. She seemed to have a boundless and never ending amount of energy as always.

“Don’t yell so early in the morning Winter. Don’t want to wake mom and dad.” Tundra Storm said calmly, using her magic to grab hold of Winter and pull her back down to the ground.

Tundra Storm. A Unicorn mare, who was in her late teens, was a fairly levelheaded young mare. She held a deep blue coat of thick fur and a long mane and tail, both of which sported a very light blue, so light in fact, it almost looked white. She often kept her mane tied up in a bun, but occasionally let it fall loose. Her eyes were a bright shimmer shade of blue which were covered up by her glasses. Her cutie mark was a mountain covered in snow and surrounding it, snow which fell rapidly resembling a snowstorm.

Winter winds, a Pegasus mare, was also in her late teens. She was a the more bubbly of the sisters, but she does know how to get serious when the time calls for it. She sported a white coat of thick fur, a fairly lengthy mane and tail, just slightly shorter the Tundra’s whenever her mane is let down. Her eyes were a light shade of yellow which, and her cutie mark was that of snowflakes bellowing in a strong gust of wind.

With a low groan, one of the brothers had risen. It was Glacier. The sisters adopted brother. 

“Ugh. How are you two always up so early. It’s like you two are awake before to sun even comes up, I swear.” Glacier groaned groggily, trying to stay awake. Which was futile, as he plopped back down, promptly going back to sleep…for about a second. Winter jumped up and landed on top of Glacier with a thud, waking him once again.

“AAAHH! What the!?” He yelped as he felt a sudden weight upon, with a slight twinge of pain. The yelp was loud enough to wake Arctic from his slumber as he jolted up right in his bed.

“What’s wrong!? What happened!?” Arctic said as he frantically looked around the room. And once he spotted his sisters, Tundra standing with a small bemused smile and Winter laying on a slowly hyperventilating Glacier, he sighed.

“Geez you two. Can’t you ever wake us up like normal ponies?” He said with a tired edge to his voice.

“Preaching to the choir.” Glacier said with a slightly annoyed tone.

Glacier, a Dragon, was just slightly older the sisters were. He was taken in by Sweeping and Snowflake sometime before the sisters were born. He was unlike normal Dragons. He was an Icedragon. A subspecies to normal Dragons. Icedragons are able to more comfortably survive in snowy regions unlike other dragons. While they can produce fire, they also have the ability to take control over ice. Some are stronger and some are weaker with this ability. It’s just a matter of training themselves up to grow stronger with it.

Glacier, is fairly tall. Most ponies come up to about the center of his stomach. His scales are a light blue with a white belly. He held some fur and hair which were deep blue, almost black if not looked at properly. His eyes were a deep ruby red color. He was a gentle young drake but could be a bit hotheaded at times, but even still, he was just as lovable as the rest of his siblings.

Arctic Okami, a Saiyan, was in his late teens, slightly older than his Pony sisters, but younger than his Dragon brother. He was found and taken in by his adoptive parents Sweeping and Snowflake sometime before the sisters were born. He was the same height as Glacier, if slightly taller. He held dark skin, snowy white hair and a snowy white tail. He had shimmering deep blue eyes, which, much like the rest of family, all seemed to glow. Arctic was a bit of a shy, silent one upon first meeting, but, get to know him, and he’ll chat with you, even treat you like family.

Arctic’s appearance was a mystery. He arrived when he was just a baby, so he doesn’t remember much, except for a few bits and pieces of his past before ending up where he was. He often wonders about his birthplace and his birth parents, but he’s still very happy that whatever brought him here, gave him a wonderful family and wonderful kingdom to live in.

With a groan and some pops and cracks of his bones, Glacier stood from his bed, Winter having rolled off of him, now sprawled out on the bed.

“Well, I’m awake. May as well get this day started.” Glacier said as he stretched, thus, popping a few more bones.

“Right there with you.” Arctic replied as he too got out of his bed, popping some bones as he stretched as well.

“Finally! Let’s get this day started!” Winter blurted out as she jumped up and down, absolutely giddy.

“Sshh! Mom and dad, remember?” Tundra hissed to Winter. Winter abruptly stopping and giving a sheepish smile.

“Sorry.” Winter hurriedly rushed out of the room.

“What are we gonna do with her?” Arctic said with a chuckle. The others joined in before Tundra trotted off to her room.

The way the siblings rooms are set up, are so they can share a room, as the bedrooms are big enough for it. Glacier and Arctic share a room and Winter and Tundra share a room. The rooms are split so each resident has their own space. They each hold their own bathroom big enough to be shared.

As the sibling got themselves ready to start the day, one by one they began to notice a smell. A smell they knew very well.

“Pancakes!” All four shouted. The four of them absolutely loved their father, Sweeping Gale’s, pancakes. To them he made the best pancakes. They loved their mom’s pancakes, but loved their father’s even more. And with smell alone, they knew their father was the one cookin’ today.

The four rushed down, having finished getting ready, and with quiet but excited squeals, found that their noses were indeed correct. Their father was cooking and was making pancakes.

“Good Morning you four!” Sweeping Gale said with a broad smile and chuckle. “Mind getting the table ready for me?”

“Yes Dad!” The siblings said, full of excitement and ready to dig in. Their mouths drooling already.

Sweeping Gale, a Pegasus stallion, stood at the stove, wearing a bright pink apron was cooking breakfast for his family. He had a white coat of thick fur and had a deep blue mane and tail both of which were quite short. He was a kind stallion, but don’t let his kindness fool you. Bring any harm to his family and he won’t hesitate to to put you in your place. His cutie mark was three lines ending in swirls representing a gale of wind. 

As the siblings begun to set up the table for breakfast their minds slowly began to wander. Thoughts of what the day may bring filled their heads. But one thought that seemed to always occupy their minds were thoughts of what load beyond their kingdom.

See, as they were told, after the rise of their kingdom, no pony really ventured outside of the kingdom. After a certain point, the residents of the kingdom and the kingdom in its entirety had completely forgotten what lies outside the kingdom. Because of this, many stories had gone around, theorizing about what was beyond their kingdom. Many, old and young alike, began to fear the outside of the kingdom. Some tried venturing out only to return sometime later, because their fear got the better of them. They even tried asking their Queen, Queen Snowblossom, but even she has admitted to being unaware of the outside of the kingdom. But, even still, everypony wonders what really is out there. Even the siblings.

However, they don’t have time to dwell, as the smell of their breakfast grows more and more enticing.

After setting the table, Sweeping begins fixing everypony their plates. Though, two are different, as they hold meat. These are for Arctic and Glacier, as they both eat meat. This doesn’t bother anypony else as the kingdom is home to races that eat meat. As the family gets ready to dig in, a throat is cleared.

“Ahem! Don’t start eating without me!”

The group turned and saw their wife/mother Snowflake Winds. She was standing at the entrance to the kitchen/dining room wearing a robe having evidently just got out of the bathtub.

Snowflake Winds, a Pegasus mare, was covered in a coat of thick deep blue fur. She had pale blue eyes and her mane was a light shade of blueish white. Her cutie mark was a group of snowflakes drifting about in a gust of wind. 

Despite her age, Snowflake was a bit of a cheeky one. She doesn’t mind playing a few harmless tricks on her family. But that doesn’t mean she can’t be stern. She may be cheeky but she can get quite scary when angered. And much like her husband. She was willing to tear anypony a new one if they tried to harm her family.

“We wouldn’t dream of starting without you dear.” Sweeping said with a warm smile.

“Good. I would hate to miss out on enjoying your cooking dear.” Snowflake, or Flakes, as Sweeping liked to call her, cheekily bumped Sweeping with her flank, causing sweeping to give a cheeky yet sultry wink to his wife.

“Mom! Dad!” Cried the siblings, clearly embarrassed by their parents display. The two just laughed and sat at the table. The family soon began to eat. 

As they ate, the siblings mind began to wander yet again about the outside world. Plucking up some courage, Winter spoke up.

“Hey, Mom, Dad?” She said. A hint of shyness present in her voice.

“Yes hun?” They asked looking up at her, noting the shy tone.

“Um, we’ve all been wondering, what do you think goes on outside the kingdom?” She asked, slowly shying away from them.

Sweeping and Snowflake, a bit taken aback by the question, but understanding why she asked, cautiously looked to one another not sure how to answer. After a minute, Snowflake spoke up.

“Dear, nopony really knows. Not even the Queen knows. We live in a kingdom completely isolated from the rest of the land. Whatever we did know about the outside of the kingdom has been lost to time, completely forgotten.” She said with a tenseness to her voice. 

Sweeping soon chimed in.

“While it has been lost to time and many, us included, have a fear of the outside, that hasn’t stop others from trying to go see what lies beyond our borders. But even still, they return, some as soon as a few hours, some as late as two days, because fear keeps them from going any further.” 

Tundra, her mind still wandering, decided to ask another question.

“What do you think is out there?” She asked, her hooves trembling slightly as some fear began to set in. 

“My parents told me that they think it’s a barren wasteland out there. Nopony else really lives out there and even if they do, it’s in small rundown towns and villages.” Sweeping replied.

“I think it must be a forest out there. Full of all kinds of unknown and dangerous creatures. If any ponies do live out there, I hope they’re all doing well.” Snowflake said as she placed a hoof to her chest.

These ideas of what may be lying in wait outside of their kingdom, got the four siblings’ minds racing. Their own ideas and theories of what may be beyond their home filling their minds. But, all together, the four unknowingly thought in unison,

“I wish I could see for myself what’s truly out there.”