Shadow's ear crackled with static.
"Shimmer? I say again, war is coming. Rally the troops." Shadow swore to himself as he was met with more static. Gotta be the storm. Guess I'll find some shelter and try when it's over.
Moving away from the Germaneish ship, Shadow remained aware of his surroundings, the last thing he needed was a griffin patrol stumbling across him. The storm would do a good job of concealing him but the fact remained, he was a black pony on a white background.
After nearly a mile of drudging through the snow, and squinting through the wind in his face, Shadow stumbles across a small cavern in a cliff wall.
Better than nothing. He thought.
Moving inside the cave, Shadow remained wary. The Griffin Kingdoms were known for their harsh conditions and vicious predators. Lighting his horn, Shadow moved deeper until he came to a dead end. Satisfied he wouldn't be eaten in his sleep, Shadow fired a few magical shots to knock down some icicles hanging from the ceiling.
Piling them together in a small circle, Shadow sat back and stared at the ice, doing his best to remember a long since forgotten spell.
"How did he always say to do it?" He asked the darkness. Leaning his head back against the cave wall he closed his eyes, replaying the lesson as best he could.
-----
"Tell me again why I'll ever need to know how to set ice on fire." Shadow stared at the now mostly melted ice in front of him, before turning to his instructor with a rather incredulous look on his face.
"Because your job is going to take you to every corner of Equestria and beyond. You need to know how to survive in every environment. Any school filly can start a fire with wood and leaves. Not many ponies in this kingdom can set a blaze using ice. To my knowledge, the Princesses and I are the only ones who possess the ability. Now, why don't you stop talking, grab a new block of ice, and start trying to learn this!"
Shadow's temper flared but held his tongue. He knew this job would take some extra training and had been eager to learn. He was not, however, eager to be taught.
Grabbing a new block of ice, Shadow closed his eyes and powered his horn once again.
"Now, concentrate. Picture the ice in your mind. Imagine it on fire, but the flame is not orange. Imagine a blue fire. A fire born from the ice itself. Use the fire burning inside of you to light that fire."
The block in front of Shadow lit slowly, but the fire spread quickly, burning bright and blue.
"Excellent! Much better!"
"It's all in the visualization," Shadow said. "Just have to pick something you really hate that's blue and then it'll go."
"What did you picture?"
"Setting your mane on fire. Blue fire, of course." Shadow smirked as his friend and mentor rolled his eyes.
"Whatever it takes, I guess."
Shadow smiled, "Ya know, Shining, you're a great colt, and one heck of a leader, but you've got to be the most infuriating teacher I've ever had."
"Luna said to get your ready for work. And if I took it easy on you, then you'd never learn, buddy. Let's call it for the day. Celestia has Cadence and I headed up north to investigate something. Something in a cold environment where I might have to light some ice on fire." Shining nudged Shadow as they walked.
"Yea, yea. Go save the world, or whatever it is you do. I'm going home to my wife."
-----
Shadow's eyes snapped open.
"Something blue that I hate? Not much in this world that I hate anymore. Except being cold. Maybe that's enough."
Shadow stood and faced the circle of icicles, charging his horn. Closing his eyes, he pictured the ice in his mind, he felt the cold chill run up his back from the arctic environment he currently found himself in and furrowed his brow at it, using his hatred for the cold to light the fire. Opening his eyes, he was met with a small blue fire, crackling on the ice.
"Still not sure how this one works but I'll take it," he said, sitting down next to the curious fire and warming his frigid hooves.
Trying his neck again, he was met with more static and a garbled transmission.
"We .. not read you. I say again .. storm .. to continue .. few days. Exfil.. air .. impossible. Recommend, ground exfil. If you can hear me .. safe and keep moving out .. territory."
Shadow tapped his neck twice to indicate he understood and his ear fell silent. Hiking out of the Kingdoms had not been on the top of his wish list but he could do it. He wondered how far he was from the safe house they had set up for emergencies just like this. He would need some cold weather gear if he was going to make it out without freezing to death.
Shuffling a little closer to his blue fire, he closed his eyes for the second time. The ability to fall asleep quickly was a skill Shadow had picked up, not from training, but from years of working as a secret agent and spy. When you knew you only had two hours to sleep, you had to nearly will your body to shut down in order to capitalize upon it.
Shadow drifted off quickly, dreaming of warmer climates and a family he rarely saw.