In ancient times, the region of Equestria that is now known as the Frozen North was a veritable paradise, home to the three pony tribes: the Unicorn, the Pegasi, and the Earth ponies. The Earth ponies had a natural affinity for the land, and they were the only tribe capable of growing food. The Pegasi had innate magical abilities that allowed them to be stewards of the weather. And the Unicorns possessed the ability to channel magic itself, which is required to raise and lower the sun and moon.
Although the three tribes depended on each others' talents to survive, they did not live in harmony. The Pegasi distrusted the Unicorns due to their 'freaky magic' and thought the Earths were unintelligent. The Unicorns looked down upon the Pegasi's militaristic society and dismissed them as 'brutes.' The Earth pony tribe had an axe to grind with both the Pegasi and Unicorns, for they had to share their food with both of them since they could easily threaten the Earths with their weather control or magical spells if they did not.
An ancient evil was attracted by the hatred and anger that flowed between the pony tribes - the windigos. These foul equine spirits fed off fighting and hatred, which the ponies had in spades, and the power of these windigos caused raging blizzards. The three tribes bickered even more as the weather went out of control, which only further fed the windigos. The more hate the spirits felt, the colder things became.
With no end to the blizzards in sight, the food supplies dwindled and the starving and freezing ponies finally decided to try and solve the issue by hosting a grand summit between the tribes. Commander Hurricane represented the Pegasi, Chancellor Puddinghead represented the Earths, and Princess Platinum, daughter of the Unicorn King, represented the Unicorns. The talks only further divided the tribes as their leaders were unable to get past their differences. Afterwards, each leader decided that they had had enough of the others and the only solution was to set out and find a new land to live in.
As fate would have it, the three all arrived in a wondrous and fertile paradise that had never been seen before. They each claimed the area in the name of their tribe... and their fighting continued. The windigos followed their hatred to this new paradise and soon covered it in a thick blanket of snow. The only shelter around for miles was a cavern, which they all had to share. Their feuding continued as they drew lines in the dirt to mark their territories and a fight erupted over a rock.
The windigos were drawn to the cave and iced over the entrance. Full of hatred to the last, Platinum, Hurricane, and Puddinghead continued to insult each other as the windigos encased them in ice. Princess Platinum's aide, Clover the Clever, had been a student of Star Swirl the Bearded and was finally able to identify the source of their problems thanks to her master's lessons. After explaining to Private Pansy (Hurricane's underling) and Smart Cookie (Puddinghead's secretary) what the windigos were, all three of them realized they had doomed their old home and damned this new land because they were all foolish enough to hate.
As the windigos' powers began to freeze the three surviving ponies, they huddled together in their final moments and each admitted that they didn't hate one another because no matter their differences, they were all ponies. As the windigos' ice seeped over Clover the Clever's horn, there was a burst of fiery, pink magical energy that shattered the ice upon the three and vanquished the windigos. The magic coalesced above them and formed into a giant, flaming heart, which not only provided warmth to their bodies, but warmed their hearts as well, including those of Platinum, Hurricane, and Puddinghead.
The leaders agreed to share the land and live in harmony, a land they named Equestria. Every year, this story of the kingdom's foundation is celebrated during Hearth's Warming Eve. Regrettably, the land they emigrated from did not fare as well as Equestria.
The centuries of strife between the three tribes had seeped into their ancestral homeland and slowly corrupted it. The raging blizzards of the windigos, and the hatred they produced between the tribes, were the catalysts that finally sent the ponies' ancient home into turmoil, bringing manifest the latent negative energy that had built up from so many years of warfare and hatred. The result was an icy wasteland, fraught with peril and magical beasts. Despite the harsh conditions of the land, some stalwart ponies remained and their fortified cities stand as testament to the tenacity of the pony race.
Twilight's journey into the Frozen North began auspiciously enough. A flock of birds flew alongside her and accompanied her all the way to the mountain ridge that divided the Frozen North and Equestria. As if they had flown against a magical barrier, the birds had turned and flew southward as they neared the airspace over the Frozen North. Twilight was sad to see them go, but she couldn't blame them. Just looking at the skies above the Frozen North made her shiver.
Twilight made great progress on her flight north, covering distances that would have taken days by hoof, but eventually the icy winds of this cursed place wore her down and damaged her delicate gossamer wings. Twilight was forced to abandon the skies and would more than likely have to hoof out the rest of her journey. Twilight had read a lot of books about arctic survival so she thought herself prepared, but she was still worried. While the skies had been reasonably safe, at ground level she was fair game for the magically corrupted creatures that dwelled in the Frozen North.
The most common denizens of the Frozen North, besides ponies, are the frost wolves: bipedal, sentient wolves. They were known for crafting marvelous armaments out of ice, which are magically imbued at a secret location known as the Frostforge. These exquisite Frostforged weapons and armor were as strong as any pony steel. Several clans of frost wolves exist, which fight between themselves and raid the resident ponies. Unfortunately for Twilight, when she was forced to land she wound up right in the middle of one of these frost wolf civil wars.
Twilight had selected what appeared to be a nice, tranquil little dell. Twilight set down and was glad to get her hooves on the ground once more. As she gleefully took in her surroundings, she suddenly fell through the ground and found herself surrounded by angry-looking canines. It turned out to be a heavily camouflaged headquarters for one of the frost wolf clans, the Ice Fangs, which had been fighting for control of the area for months against the Winter's Bite clan and had reached an impasse.
Time seemed to stand still as Twilight and the frost wolf officers stared at one another. The frost wolves were all clad in long, white greatcoats and their breasts bristled with medals and ribbons. Snowflake-shaped insignia on their collars denoted their ranks, and they proudly wore a medallion featuring a fang made of ice around their necks.
A frost wolf finally snarled, "Spy!"
The frost wolf commander bellowed, "Those dogs! They've allied with ponies?! Get her!"
Twilight shrieked and cast her teleportation spell as the frost wolves leapt towards her. She was a little too slow and one of her wings was mangled. Back on the surface, Twilight panicked, unsure of where to go. She tried to take to the air and fell face first into the snow. As howls and barks erupted all around her, Twilight jumped up into a tree and hoped for the best as chaos erupted in the dell.
Twilight stared in amazement as companies of frost wolves emerged from the snowy grove below her. Thankfully, the frost wolves' movement attracted the attention of the rival clan, and all hell quickly broke loose. Giant snowballs began crashing down upon the defenders of the dell, and soon catapults on both sides hurled projectiles at the opposing camps as frost wolves charged forwards to battle each other once more.
As the battle intensified, the frost wolves appeared to have more pressing concerns than a rogue pony. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and stealthily climbed down from the tree then began to run. A few frost wolves noticed and tried to halt her escape, but she easily subdued them with some blasts of magical energy.
Twilight kept running until the sounds of battle were far behind her, then sat on a log to catch her breath. She opened up her saddlebags and pulled out a map and a sunflower and daisy sandwich, savoring her meal as she tried to determine where she was. It appeared she was somewhat close to a pony settlement, Evergreen Citadel.
Twilight studied the paths leading to the Citadel and knew she would have a lot of ground to cover. She wasn't sure how much daylight was left, but she estimated that the sun should be setting soon. She couldn't help but be reminded of Celestia, and from there her mind wandered to her brother, her friends, her sorrows. She willed herself off her rear and dispelled her now-useless wings, yet another reminder of happier times.
A trail of frozen tears marked her path as she headed towards the Evergreen Citadel.
---
The first hour of Twilight's journey towards the Citadel had been peaceful, but that would soon change. As darkness fell, Twilight cast a spell to illuminate her horn and pressed onwards. Twilight was used to frequently staying up all night anyways, usually studying or writing reports, and she knew the sooner she got to Star Swirl's tower, the sooner Equestria would be safe.
As Twilight was making her way over a mountain pass, a whirling orb of green light began dancing around in front of her. Twilight watched the light with curiosity as it blinked in and out and spiraled through the air. As she stared at the light, she began to have a very bad feeling about it. Twilight tried to look away but she couldn't, and she found herself absent mindedly following it as it led her off the trail and towards a cavern.
An eerie green glow emanated from the cavern. Twilight screamed at herself to run away but her body continued following the light. As she approached the cavern mouth, she heard a familiar voice call out, "Twily!"
Twilight was shocked. My brother?! "Shining Armor? What?! Where are you?"
Shining Armor's voice responded, "Come on in, little sis. I picked up some of your favorite smoothies and got those donuts you like."
As Twilight wandered into the cavern, the orb of light began to intensify in brightness. Twilight shut her eyes and looked away. When she re-opened them, she found herself standing outside of her brother's home in Canterlot.
Twilight blinked in astonishment. It sure did look like Canterlot. Two royal guards were even standing watch in front of her brother's home, and if she looked towards Canterlot Castle she could *just* barely make out Princess Luna on the watch tower. She warily trotted towards the two guardsmen, who greeted her with smiles. "What is going on?" she asked.
The voice of Princess Celestia rang out from within Shining's home, "Twilight Sparkle, we are waiting for you!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Princess Celestia?"
Leary, Twilight surveyed the area once more. "Well, it looks like Canterlot alright. I guess there's only one way to find out what this is all about."
Twilight walked up the steps to her brother's house and stepped inside. Shining Armor and Celestia were lying on mats near the fireplace. Shining Armor motioned for Twilight to join him. "Come sit with me, Twily!"
"Okay..." Twilight nervously said as she laid down next to Shining Armor.
She discreetly inspected her brother and Princess Celestia. Shining Armor looked exactly as he always had, with a white coat, hair of sapphire, cerulean, and blue. and his cutie mark of a three light blue stars over a purple shield bearing the same six-pointed, pink star featured on Twilight's own mark. Princess Celestia likewise looked exactly as she was supposed to, with a white coat, and her long, beautiful mane and tail of hues of blues, pink, and turquoise that flowed on their own. Celestia bemusedly smiled at Twilight as she stared at the sun-shaped cutie mark on Celestia's flank.
Twilight turned her attention to the room and began to get the feeling that something was missing, but she couldn't place her hoof on it. I know there's something off here, it feels like something is missing... No, wait, somepony, but who?
Shining Armor used his magic to bring over the aforementioned smoothie and donuts for Twilight. "Princess Celestia has been eagerly waiting to look at our old photo albums with you, Twily," Shining Armor said.
Twilight remembered who was missing: Mi Amore Cadenza. How the hay did I forget about her? Twilight cocked her head and snapped at her brother, "Isn't Cadenza going to join us?"
Shining Armor furrowed his brow. "Who?"
Celestia laughed. "She means my niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
Shining Armor smiled. "Oh, Cadence. Why would she be here, Twilight?"
Twilight frowned. "Uh, because you're marrying her?"
Shining Armor snickered and glanced at Celestia. "Oh, am I now? When was she going to tell me, our wedding day?"
Her brother and Celestia both began to laugh. Twilight looked confused and put her hooves on her brother's chest. "So you're not marrying Cadence now?"
Shining Armor snorted. "When was I going to marry Cadence? It's been years since I've seen her Twily, not since she last foalsitted for you."
Twilight put her hoof on her brother's shoulder. "I don't understand. You were marrying Cadence, and she's super evil, and rude. Then at your wedding rehearsal I called her out on it, and nopony believed me, not even you two..."
Shining Armor stroked Twilight's mane. "Are you feeling alright, Twilight? Maybe you should eat something."
Twilight looked down at the donuts. "Oh, I guess I am a little hungry."
As she munched on the tasty treat, Shining Armor set the photo albums down in front of them with his magic.
"Here's Twily when she got her first scooter," Shining Armor explained.
"Aww, isn't she cute," Celestia cooed.
As the two continued commenting on the photos, Twilight sipped on her smoothie and began to relax, falling deeper into the cave's enchantment. She felt like she was forgetting something, something important, but she couldn't put her mind on it. No matter, she thought, whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until after Celestia has seen my photos...
Twilight picked up another donut with her magic and leaned against her brother, sighing in contentment. She finished her donut and closed her eyes, nuzzling against her brother before drifting to sleep.
In her dream, she found herself reliving a childhood memory. It was one of the happier memories from her childhood, a day she got to play with Cadence in the Canterlot Castle hedge maze. Twilight was her filly self in the dream, and was running around looking for Cadence.
"Cadence! Cadence!" Twilight yelled as she merrily trotted through the labyrinth.
Twilight rounded a bend and smashed into Cadence's rear. When this event had played out years ago, Cadence had pretended to go blind from Twilight bumping into her behind. She then took little Twily upon her back and had her guide them out through the maze.
To Twilight's horror, it wasn't the young Cadence from Twilight's memory that she saw before her, but the adult Cadenza, who turned and snarled, "Imbecile."
Twilight whimpered. "Cadence?"
Cadenza laughed and began casting a spell. Twilight's eyes went wide as green flames sprung up around her. Twilight jumped out of the ring of fire and began to run. Cadenza continued to laugh as a wave of green flames pursued Twilight into the labyrinth.
Twilight kept running around and around the maze until finally she hit a dead end. Her heart was pounding in her chest and tears streamed down her face. The green flames began to fill the area and Cadenza casually strolled in and walked over to Twilight. Cadenza lifted Twilight's head towards hers and smiled, then her horn began to glow with magic as she began to cast a fireball spell. Twilight watched in horror as Cadenza's spell was being charged, unable to move, unable to speak.
As the blast of infernal magic struck her in the dream, Twilight gasped and woke up. She saw a green glow and panicked, thinking it was the fire from her dreams. It was perhaps worse than that, as floating above her were two horse shades, foul undead monstrosities that feed off magic. The shades' long tongues were wrapped around her horn, draining Twilight's magic. Twilight screamed.
One of the shades withdrew its tongue and flew closer to Twilight. "Shhhhh...." it hissed, "Go back to sleep young unicorn."
As the shade spoke, its body began to coalesce into Shining Armor. The shade stroked its hoof across Twilight's cheek and her eyes began to grow heavy. She struggled against the shade's touch, and the shade laughed, a sort of horrible whinnying sound.
The other shade withdrew its tongue. "I've never tasted magic so pure!" The shade moved in and whispered in Twilight's ear, "Don't worry little one. Just enjoy the fantasy world we can create for you. You won't feel a thing." The shade morphed into Celestia and said in her voice, "Would I lie to you?"
As the two shades laughed, Twilight saw her opening. She closed her eyes and focused on her teleportation spell. The shades snorted in anger as Twilight disappeared, then pursued their prey.
Twilight had teleported outside the cave and began galloping as fast as she could. One thing was going her way at least, the moon was up and the moonlight provided enough illumination that Twilight could see without having to use magic, which surely would have helped the shades find her. As she fled, she could see the eerie green glow of the horse shades in the distance behind her. She cleared the mountain pass and headed into a forest of fir trees.
After miles of running at full speed through the forest, Twilight was worn out. She slowed her pace, constantly checking behind her for any sign of the horse shades, and shortly found herself at a large clearing in the forest. Twilight froze as she looked out into the clearing and saw what appeared to be frost wolves battling ponies.
Twilight slipped back into the forest and peaked out from behind a tree, intrigued that there was no noise coming from the battle. In fact, none of the combatants were moving at all. Against her better judgment, Twilight decided to explore this strange sight.
The frost wolves and ponies were frozen solid. Twilight began to talk to herself as she inspected them. "Hmm, they all look pretty focused on fighting each other. None look like they were shocked that they were about to get frozen. What could have done this? A backfired spell?"
Twilight jumped as she heard the jingling of bells behind her. She turned and saw a female reindeer wearing a crown, exquisite jewelry, a long, flowing, crimson cloak adorned with bells, and a pure white dress. Her coat was as white as snow and icicles hung from her antlers. A pale blue snowflake cutie mark adorned her flanks, hidden beneath her clothes. She was slightly larger than Twilight in height, but her graceful form weighed far less than a pony.
The reindeer were once beloved across the world, for they would bring wondrous gifts for everypony during the Midwinter holiday. After the pony tribes' feuding brought the windigos and froze over the land, the reindeer cut themselves off from the other races and to this day had never forgiven the ponies for desecrating the land. The Midwinter gifts mysteriously continued after the reindeers' seclusion, but were given to children only. It was widely believed that the unicorns had taken over the tradition, as nopony had ever seen a reindeer in Equestria.
"It was I, Queen Rimeantler, ruler of the reindeer, that did this," the reindeer, Rimeantler, said. Rimeantler narrowed her icy blue eyes and glared at Twilight. "The penalty for all who trespass on our sacred burial grounds."
Twilight felt the temperature around her plummet as the reindeer pursed her lips and began to blow air towards her.
Twilight shivered and kneeled before the reindeer. She pleaded, "Your majesty, I'm so sorry. Please don't freeze me! I had no idea. I was fleeing from some horse shades and wound up here. I didn't mean any disrespect to your ancestors. Please, please, don't freeze me! I need to save Equestria!"
Rimeantler stopped her attack then leaned towards Twilight and examined her horn. The shades' saliva was frozen to the horn and dimly glowed green. "Indeed. I see their mark upon your horn, so your story appears to be true. I shall spare your life, but you must tell me your tale. If Equestria hangs in the balance, my people are at risk as well."
Twilight smiled and clambered to her feet. "Thank you, your majesty! It would be an honor."
The reindeer queen enveloped Twilight in her cloak and Twilight found herself atop a tower of the keep of a magnificent castle. Along the ramparts below, Twilight could see pairs of reindeer walking with torches as they patrolled the grounds, and an aviary full of cardinals could be seen on an adjacent tower. A large brazier illuminated the tower, and Twilight eagerly rubbed her hooves over the fire. A gust of icy wind swept the tower and caused Twilight to shiver as the gentle music of wind chimes filled the air.
"I bid you welcome to the kingdom of Frostfell, young unicorn," Rimeantler said. "You have the honor of being the first pony to set hoof in Icewind Castle in well over a thousand years."
Twilight begrudgingly moved away from the fire to look at the castle. The palace of the reindeer was over a thousand years old and had been built with a white and green marble. The ancient masons had used magic to transform the green veins of the marble into breathtaking imagery including forests and wild life. The most impressive of these images was a large map of the world made from many colors of marble, which was featured on the floor of the throne room. The castle was once surrounded by a large moat, but it had been completely frozen over for centuries.
The outer courtyard featured a workshop where the reindeer produced their Midwinter gifts, a confectionery, and a storage house holding a strategic reserve of maple syrup. Twilight gasped as she saw green grass and flowers in the inner courtyard, a strange sight to see in the Frozen North. Icewind Castle had been built around a hot spring, which allowed plant life to flourish and provided the reindeer a relief against the ceaseless cold of the Frozen North.
Twilight smiled at Rimeantler. "Your home is beautiful, your majesty."
"Thank you," Rimeantler said as she opened a wooden trapdoor. "This way, please, and you may want to hold onto your saddlebags."
The trapdoor led to a spiral staircase, which was covered in a slick layer of ice and formed a slide. Rimeantler hiked up her dress, sat on the icy steps, and slid away into the darkness below, the bells of her cloak jingling frantically as it fluttered behind her. Twilight hesitated and tried to cast a light spell. The horse shade saliva on her horn began to glow brighter and she felt a tremendous pain. She aborted her spell then sat down and shrieked as she rapidly descended around and around through the darkness.
Two reindeer does, RImeantler's handmaidens, caught Twilight at the bottom of the tower. The does were identically dressed in white dresses styled like their queen's, and both their coats were toffee cream. The handmaidens whispered excitedly to each other about Twilight as they followed Rimeantler into the throne room.
The throne room reminded Twilight a little of Princess Celestia's back home in Canterlot. Upon a raised dais was an ornate throne made of stained wood, green padding, and gold. The throne was flanked by two large banners bearing the coat-of-arms of Frostfell: a sprig of mistletoe crossed over an antler surrounded by an icicle-covered wreath of holly leaves.
Twilight's eyes were immediately drawn to the large map that had been magically produced in the marble floor. She studied the map and was shocked to see that Equestria was not marked. Wow, this map was made pre-Equestria! She looked at the area that was now the Frozen North (which was labelled by its old name: Aquilon), and felt saddened as she saw the lush, fertile countryside that once was.
Twilight's attention drifted from the map to strange pillars of ice that lined the walls of the throne room. She strained her eyes and could make out ancient tapestries buried in the ice. Rimeantler watched the curious unicorn as she studied the ice and told her, "You may look at them."
Twilight moved towards a pillar and peered through the ice. She saw scenes of reindeer and ponies frolicking together in the snow outside what appeared to be Icewind Castle. Twilight tilted her head. That's weird, why would they cover that in ice?
Twilight checked a few more of the frozen tapestries and found them to also portray scenes from long ago. Twilight could see Rimeantler and her handmaidens waiting patiently at the doorway leading out of the throne room, and hurried to their side. Rimeantler led Twilight towards the grand hall of Icewind Castle and Twilight's stomach began to growl as she smelled mouthwatering aromas wafting from the kitchen.
Many reindeer were gathered around a central fireplace in the grand hall, and Rimeantler brought Twilight to her table up on a stage at the head of the room. Twilight began to feel self-conscious as the reindeer discreetly pointed towards her and excitedly murmured amongst themselves about a pony dining with their queen. One of the handmaidens fetched a cloth to clean the melting saliva off of Twilight's horn. After she finished cleaning the horn, the handmaiden tossed the cloth into the fire, which produced a plume of green smoke as it burned.
A reindeer bull in a pristine chef's jacket emerged from the kitchen carrying a large covered platter and brought it to Rimeantler's table. He placed some plates and bowls of food in front of Rimeantler and Twilight, then bowed and returned to the kitchen. A maiden came soon after with mugs and a steaming pitcher of mulled apple cider seasoned with nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and ginger.
Twilight licked her lips as she looked at her meal. There was a bowl of stew made with willow and birch leaves, noodles, and the flowers and leaves of sedges. A mince pie made with a mixture of dried fruits, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and brandy. The main course was a heaping helping of a greyish lichen known as 'reindeer lichen' (a staple of reindeer cuisine), which had been sautéed in butter and tossed with herbs and spices. And for dessert, a custard topped with a mixture of wild berries.
"Thank you for the meal, your majesty. It looks amazing!" Twilight waited for Rimeantler to begin eating before tucking into her own food.
"You're welcome," Rimeantler said as she swirled her mulled cider around in its mug and took a deep whiff, then slowly exhaled in ecstasy. She sipped at her drink and said to Twilight. "Once you are ready, please tell me your tale, my friend."
Twilight began to tell her story, in between mouthfuls of her delicious dinner, and soon found herself in front of a large audience of reindeer that had gathered in the grand hall to hear her story. Once Twilight told the story about her brother's unfortunate wedding to Mi Amore Cadenza and the visit by Star Swirl the Bearded, every reindeer was in the sole of her hoof. Rimeantler pressed Twilight for more information, and Twilight found herself talking about the time she earned her cutie mark, her friends, and the position as Celestia's student.
Rimeantler was greatly intrigued by the tale of Twilight and her friends all being connected before they even knew one another. She asked Twilight how she had finally met her friends, and Twilight told the story about the return of Nightmare Moon and her and her friends finding, and wielding, the Elements of Harmony. Based on the previous story Rimeantler suspected that Twilight was connected to the Elements of Harmony, and she become more and more mortified as the story of Twilight finding them progressed.
As Twilight finished the story, Rimeantler hung her head in shame, "I am so ashamed for what I almost did to you, Twilight Sparkle. I don't know if I could ever forgive myself if I froze the Element of Magic..."
Twilight placed her hooves on Rimeantler's and said, "I know you have a good heart, if you didn't, I would be a pony popsicle right now instead of here with you. There was no way you could have known who I was."
As Rimeantler looked up at Twilight and smiled, one of the windows of the great hall flew open and an emerald cloud of shimmering energy flowed into the room with the cold night air. The cloud of energy coalesced into the form of an emerald-eyed reindeer doe. The reindeer was wearing dark green robes and wore a white sash around her waist. Potions, bags of herbs, and other reagents hung from the sash. On her flank was a visual representation of a gust of wind.
The robed reindeer bowed before Rimeantler, then turned to Twilight. "Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. I am Windwalk, a mystic. I must ask you to forgive me as well, for if I had interpreted the signs sooner we could have prevented the mishap at the burial grounds, and the horse shade attack as well."
"You foresaw her arrival? What did your cards tell you?" Rimeantler asked.
"I will try to show you," Windwalk replied as she produced a deck of cards from one of her pouches and set it on the table. She spied Twilight's mug and gestured towards it. "May I?"
Twilight shrugged. "I guess?"
Windwalk reached into a pouch and sprinkled a hoofful of dried leaves into the cider. She slowly whirled the concoction around in the mug as she walked to the fireplace, then quickly turned it upside down and set it on the hearth. She pulled out a chair at Rimeantler's table and turned it so she could look at the fire.
Windwalk began to shuffle her deck of cards while gazing intently at the flames. She divided the deck into three stacks and placed them on the table. She picked up the first stack and carefully studied them. She added the second stack of cards to the first and slowly ran them through her hooves. Something about the cards obviously troubled Windwalk, as she frowned heavily, but said nothing. Her frown deepened as she studied the last stack of cards.
"What's wrong?" Twilight asked.
Without changing the order of the cards, Windwalk studied the deck again before responding. "This is not the same reading they gave me before your arrival. I've never seen the cards run like this before. Let me try again."
Windwalk re-shuffled her deck and divided it once more, then subjected them to the same process as before. Windwalk's frown returned as she found the cards in the same order as the first reading. Windwalk sighed and spread the deck out on the table.
"What do the cards say, Windwalk?" Rimeantler softly asked.
"I ran them twice, and both readings had the same result. They appear to tell the story of Twilight Sparkle's life," Windwalk said as she pointed to the cards that had been in the first stack. "These stand for the past." She pointed towards the second set of cards. "These are the present." She gestured towards the remaining cards. "And these are the future."
Windwalk held up two of the cards from the 'past' pile. One had an illustration of the moon, with Nightmare Moon's image upon it, and the other had six gems of various colors - the Elements of Harmony. Twilight gasped as she recognized them. Windwalk grimly nodded, "I thought so."
Windwalk pulled two cards from the 'present' - the first had an illustration of a wedding and the second had a figure wearing saddlebags venturing out into the wilderness. "The cards say you are on a journey because of a wedding, a wedding you wanted to stop."
Windwalk frowned ominously towards the cards in the 'future' pile. "What the future holds, and what it does not, can be hard to tell, but I can tell you what these cards say. The journey you are embarking on is just the beginning of your adventure. They say you will be tested and pushed to your limits, but you will persevere." She held up a card with shadowy figures that had embers for eyes. "You will have to confront an ancient evil." She picked up a card which bore an illustration of a rundown castle. "An old kingdom, long forgotten, shall return." She held up two cards, one showed a fawn, the other a ray of light. "And thanks to you, a new hope shall be born and save us from the darkness."
Twilight sat on the edge of her seat and leaned towards Windwalk. "Will I save Equestria?"
Windwalk showed Twilight a card with a laurel wreath. "The cards say there will be a great battle in your future."
"Do... do I win this 'great battle?'" Twilight hesitatingly asked.
Windwalk slowly held up the final card in the deck, which showed a Grim Reaper-like entity. "They say that Death will haunt you all along your journey, but I can not tell if it will claim you at the end. I'm sorry."
Twilight looked at the Death card and felt as if she'd been hit by a runaway cart. She sat back in her chair and frowned as Windwalk retrieved the mug from the fireplace. She peered intently into the cup and mumbled to herself, then brought it back to the table. She showed the cup to Twilight and Rimeantler; the leaves presented what seemed to be a most intricate map of the Frozen North. Cities, forests, mountain ranges, and most importantly, Star Swirl's tower, were all visible.
"There's your journey," Windwalk said. "An ancient tower, and the fate of our world, awaits your arrival."
"All of the citizens of the Kingdom of Frostfell are prepared to do whatever it takes to aid you, Twilight Sparkle," Rimeantler declared.
Windwalk shook her head. "No, your majesty." Windwalk held up another 'future' card. It showed two ponies hugging each other. "The cards say that Twilight's journey will be aided by a companion, and I believe it means me."
Rimeantler frowned. "Are you certain?"
"Yes," Windwalk firmly replied. She turned to Twilight, "That is, if she trusts in my readings ."
Twilight pointed towards the 'past' and 'present' cards. "Sure looks like you know what you're talking about, although I kind of wish you didn't with that 'death' card."
Windwalk comforted Twilight. "We reindeer may not harness magic in the same ways as you ponies, but even we have heard of Star Swirl the Bearded, and if he has faith in your abilities, then you should have no need to worry."
Queen Rimeantler held up her hoof and blew onto it and her breath formed into an icy circlet. Rimeantler placed the circlet on Twilight's head. "Please take this with you. The circlet will help protect you against some of the evil spirits that lurk in the North. It will take a little while for us to get Windwalk the supplies she will need, or you may spend the night here if you desire."
"Thank you for the offer, your majesty," Twilight said. She yawned, "I think we'll depart at sunrise, if that's okay with Windwalk."
Windwalk nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me. I get the feeling we may not be getting much sleep on this journey."
While Twilight finished the rest of her meal, Windwalk and Rimeantler discussed the supplies that she would need for the journey across the Frozen North. After Twilight finished her dessert, they excused themselves and Windwalk brought her across the castle grounds and to her residence, which was in a tower near the gatehouse.
Windwalk's home was fairly quaint compared to the luxurious castle rooms Twilight was used to at Canterlot Castle. Windwalk's room had a large table with a few chairs, some bookshelves, scroll cabinets, cupboards, and a padded hammock near a large fireplace. A wooden ladder lead up to a trapdoor, which opened to the tower's roof.
There was a knock at the door and a reindeer brought in a feather mattress. pillows, and blankets for Twilight to sleep on. Twilight neatly organized her belongings and tested out the mattress. She stared up at the stone ceiling of the room and began to study a series of strange symbols that had been painted there. She began to think, I should ask WIndwalk what those mean... and drifted off to sleep before she had the chance.
Windwalk smiled at the sleeping unicorn and tucked her into her covers. Windwalk began to brew a special tea over the fire to help herself sleep, for she knew her mind would keep her awake for hours as it poured over the future she had foreseen. Windwalk gulped down and her tea and climbed into her hammock, almost immediately falling into a deep sleep.
In her dreams, Twilight found herself as a filly yet again. She was in Canterlot and she immediately recognized it as the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, where she first gained her desire to learn everything there was to know about magic. All of Canterlot was decorated for the event, and a fair had been set up with a ferris wheel and other rides. Celestia's royal guards began to play a fanfare on their trumpets and Twilight knew Princess Celestia would soon arrive. She headed towards the stage, navigating past the vendor stalls offering treats, and made her way through towards the front of the crowd.
Twilight smiled happily as an alicorn appeared on stage in a blinding flash of light. Her heart sank in her chest as the light faded and instead of Celestia she saw Mi Amore Cadenza on stage and leering towards her. Cadenza's horn began to glow green and Twilight was lifted out of the crowd and brought face to face with Cadenza. Cadenza watched her squirm and began to laugh. "You thought you were so clever, Twilight Sparkle. You thought you outwitted me? You have no idea what I am capable of. I have plans for your brother-"
Twilight interrupted her, "Leave him alone!" Twilight found she really was her filly self, as she was unable to wield her magic as she normally could. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated on a spell, ultimately producing just a few sparks.
Cadenza snorted and began to laugh, an evil, malicious laugh. She forced Twilight to look into her eyes, which began to burn with green fire. "If that's the best you can do, you will have no hope of defeating me. Shining Armor is mine!"
Twilight awoke with a gasp and found herself covered in sweat. She had slept for less than an hour. Twilight tried to go back to sleep, but whenever she closed her eyes she saw the strange, glowing green eyes of Cadenza before her. She breathed heavily and looked towards Windwalk's hammock. To her surprise, the reindeer was also awake.
Windwalk looked at her with concern. "In my dream I saw a vision of something terrible happening to you, Twilight."
Twilight gave her a weak smile. "Yeah, me too... What did you see?"
Windwalk closed her eyes. "I can only see glimpses. You are terrified. Surrounded. Then I see your lifeless body, slowly covered in snow."
Twilight gulped. "Uh, sorry I asked."
The warmth of the fire and her cozy bedding beckoned to Twilight, but something deep within her urged her to continue onwards. It was as a faint whisper in her mind, like listening to a conversation on the other side of a room, all she could understand was: 'north.' Her dream also continued to haunt her and her thoughts went to Shining Armor.
Twilight stood and stretched her limbs. "I think we should leave now. If I'm going to save Equestria, and my brother, I need to get to those books."
WIndwalk nodded slowly. "Time may be of the essence. Gather your things, I will get Queen RImeantler."
Windwalk's form dissolved into the cloud of emerald energy and she vanished through the door's keyhole. Still sweating, Twilight climbed the ladder and threw open the trapdoor. She sighed with pleasure as the frigid air washed over her and cooler her body. A few minutes later, she heard a jingling of bells and could make out Windwalk's cloud form and the reindeer queen flying towards the tower. Twilight waved at them and headed back inside as the pair circled around to the tower's entrance.
Windwalk entered carrying a load of supplies that had been sent over for her. As she began to prepare for their journey, Twilight described to Rimeantler the dream she had had, which only further worried Windwalk. "Whoever, or whatever, this Cadenza is, it is not good. Dream magic is the domain of Princess Luna, one of the most powerful sorceresses there is. If this Cadenza is able to speak to you in your dreams, she may be more powerful than you know."
"Are you ready to depart?" Rimeantler asked as Twilight and Windwalk finished packing their gear.
Twilight nodded. "I think so. Thank you for your hospitality, your majesty."
Rimeantler bowed her head towards Twilight. "You are welcome."
After Twilight quintuple checked her belongings, Rimeantler wrapped her magical cloak around the three of them and they appeared at the edge of the fir tree forest - the end of the reindeer's territory.
"Thank you yet again, your majesty," Twilight said, curtseying before the queen.
Rimeantler smiled. "You are welcome, Twilight Sparkle. Good luck, safe travels!"
As Rimeantler was about to depart, Twilight asked her to wait. Twilight pulled out her map and had Rimeantler indicate their location. Thanks to the reindeer queen, Twilight had covered huge amounts of land that would have taken her several hours to travel through by hoof, and now the Evergreen Citadel was just an hour or two away.
Twilight and Windwalk said their farewells with Rimeantler then continued heading north towards the Citadel. Twilight's encounter with the reindeer had not only saved her quite a bit of time, but also rekindled the fire within that suppressed the negative thoughts that roamed her mind.
As they ventured across a frozen lake, Twilight and WIndwalk began to chat.
"What's the deal with those frozen tapestries in the throne room at Icewind?" Twilight asked. "Do your people not like ponies? Queen Rimeantler said I was the first one to visit in a long time."
Windwalk looked down at the ground sheepishly. "Reindeer are....reclusive. The local ponies avoid our territory. We also avoid leaving our forest if we can help it, it is our last bastion against the nightmares that your kind unleashed on the land. This wasn't always the Frozen North, you know."
"That was the windigos, not us ponies," Twilight replied.
Windwalk shook her head. "It was more than that. Your tribes feuded for generations, bad blood and bad energy poisoned the very land itself. The scourge of the windigos was merely the last straw."
"I'm sorry," Twilight said.
"Oh, don't be. You had nothing to do it with it. I'm sorry for bringing it up. It's just, us reindeer have been told the tale through generations about how the ponies ruined the lands, and old habits die hard," Windwalk paused, "Perhaps we are not so much reclusive as we are racist."
Twilight gave a weak smile. "Well, this is awkward."
Windwalk laughed. "Quite. If you can believe it, things actually used to be worse around here. As Equestria prospered, the harmony they extolled and the magic of their friendships seeped up into the north and quieted some of the raging spirits of the land. However, that fact does not get repeated near as often as the 'don't trust ponies' tales."
Twilight laughed and the two continued on in silence. On the other side of the lake they came upon a grove of dead trees, the aptly named Dead Woods. Windwalk motioned for Twilight to stop. "I sense a disturbance here. This area was the scene of a terrible battle in ancient times. A powerful unicorn's magic backfired and drained the life of every living thing in the area. The land never recovered."
"Um, that kind of sounds like something we should avoid," Twilight said as she pulled out her map.
"You have Queen Rimeantler's circlet, yes?" Windwalk asked.
Twilight nodded.
"Then we should be safe," Windwalk said.
Twilight folded her map back up. "Well, I don't like it, but if you say so. Let's go."
As they proceeded through the Dead Woods, they both could sense the lingering presence of the ancient unicorn's spell. It nauseated them. Not even the wind blew in this cursed place. The sounds of fallen branches snapping beneath their hooves added to the tension. Suddenly, Windwalk cried out and Twilight glanced over at the reindeer. Something had grabbed onto her leg. Twilight cast a spell and shot at it with a bolt of magic, then shrieked as the glow from her attack illuminated the target - an undead pony.
Windwalk screamed, "Revenants!"
All around them, revenants began to rise from the ground. They were the cursed remains of the pony warriors that died on that day, centuries ago. A bright light began to shine from Twilight's circlet and a magical aura emanated, pushing back the undead.
"Let's get out of here!" Twilight yelled, running forward. The undead continued to rise and shambled after them. Undead pegasi circled over head like vultures. The terrifying groans of the undead spurred Twilight to gallop faster and faster. Luckily, the magical aura of sanctuary from the Queen's circlet held out as they reached the other side of the Dead Woods.
As the two left the Woods, the revenants began to sink back into the ground, and all was silent once more. Twilight panted, "What the hay was that?"
Windwalk breathed heavily, "I... I guess we should have found another way."
Twilight snorted. "Yeah, some place not filled with undead would have been nice. So, that was what your vision was about, huh? I'm not sure how I would have died to those things since I have the circlet." As Twilight talked, a blizzard suddenly began raging around them.
Twilight looked over at Windwalk, who was staring wide-eyed into the snow storm.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
Windwalk pointed with her hoof. "Those were what my vision was about!"
Twilight could barely make out shapes approaching them in the blizzard. They looked like giant snakes and were covered with sharp spines.
Twilight asked, "What are these things?"
"Frost wurms," Windwalk replied. "They are sinister serpents that create storms to disorient their prey. I will hold them off, you need to get to the Citadel."
Twilight frowned. "I'm not leaving you to fight them by yourself!"
"I can take care of them," Windwalk lied. "You need to get to that tower, and for the good of us all, I can't risk you getting hurt here."
Twilight really didn't like the thought of just abandoning her new companion. Twilight started to protest, "But..."
Windwalk shook her head and hugged Twilight. "Get out of here while you still can, Twilight. Go. Now."
Windwalk quaffed one of her potions and charged towards the frost wurms. Twilight knew the reindeer was hiding something, she could sense it in her voice, but she also knew she was right, Equestria was depending on her. Leaving the reindeer behind was one of the hardest things Twilight had ever done. Tears ran down her face as Twilight ran through the blizzard and towards the Citadel. A short while later, a blood curdling scream echoed into the night, and Twilight knew Windwalk had fallen.
The reindeer had lost her battle, and Twilight had lost something of her own. A festering darkness began to grow within her soul, and the flame of her spirit grew a little dimmer. The voice in her mind whispered to her, and Twilight found it had become clearer.
"North," it called to her, "North. Everything will be resolved in the north."
---
It took Twilight almost two hours to reach Evergreen Citadel, and she was battered and bruised after falling down the side of a ravine along the way. The fortified city was a peculiar sight; Twilight had never seen anything like it before.
Evergreen Citadel was originally a small Earth pony town, founded pre-Equestria. After the windigos came and the land began to change, master Earth pony landscape engineers planted a ring of evergreen pines around the town. As the trees grew, the engineers crafted them into a living, impenetrable wall to protect the town. The trees had continued to grow, eventually reaching heights of over one-hundred feet. The citizens of the Citadel had capitalized on this by building secure rings of wooden platforms in the trees high above the ground, which allowed their town to grow in size when the need arose.
The ground level featured the town's original medieval buildings made of stone with thatched roofs. The first platform was built nearly two-hundred years ago after gold was found in the nearby hills and an influx of ponies came to the Citadel. The platform was built forty feet in the air, and featured opulent buildings constructed during this Age of Gold. Another platform was built above the first around eighty years later during the second Gold Rush. This second platform featured colorful Art Deco structures and housed most of the modern facilities in the town.
Twilight made her way towards one of the gatehouses that led into the Citadel. An archway had been carved through the trunks of one of the evergreens and a heavy iron portcullis protected the entrance. Twilight anxiously waited near the gatehouse but nopony came to open the gate for her. She glanced inside and saw the gate guard was asleep, slumped over in his chair. Twilight rolled her eyes and teleported to the other side.
Twilight felt like she had entered a portal back through time as she ventured into the Citadel. The ground level town looked very much as it did in pre-Equestria times. Twilight began to search for someplace to rest and recuperate and found only one establishment that was open at this hour - a cider tavern. The tavern's sign had no name, the only thing that attempted to identify it was artwork of a white-furred paw from some creature Twilight didn't recognize. Twilight could smell the fresh mulled apple cider as she neared the entryway, and fresh tears fell down her cheeks as she remembered Windwalk and how she had read the signs in her cider mug back at Icewind Castle.
Twilight sighed and pulled the hood of her cloak forwards to conceal her tears as she pushed open the door to the tavern.
***
A sleep-deprived unicorn thirstily gulped down cider as she sat alone at the Yeti's Paw cider tavern in Evergreen Citadel. Her coat was a pretty pink and her hair was a medley of shades of grey, evoking the image of a storm cloud. Bags hung under her lovely crimson eyes from weeks of restless nights. The unicorn was called Silver Shock, an adventurous young mare who had journeyed north to try to make a difference, as well as in the pursuit of ancient spells. Her special talent was weather-related spells, represented by her cutie mark of a dark hurricane over two silver lightning bolts. Silver Shock's cutie mark also adorned the cover of a tome she carried with her at all times. It was her life's work; within the tome she recorded every weather spell she could get her hooves on.
Silver Shock's foalhood desire was to try and cleanse the Frozen North and return it to the beautiful countryside it once was. Unfortunately, the foul magics that plagued the North were too powerful for her to combat.
While she wasn't powerful enough to completely alter the weather as she had once dreamed, she was still able to control it on a small scale. So, she remained, traveling between the settlements and using her magic to provide temporary relief against the relentless onslaught of the Frozen North.
About two weeks ago, Silver Shock had arrived at Evergreen Citadel, and that is when she began having terrible dreams. In her dreams, nay, nightmares, a burning terror haunted her. She had fought sleep for days at a time, for when she dreamt, the memories returned. Memories of an ancient tower and the evil which had claimed it.
Dreams, memories, Silver Shock couldn't tell the difference anymore in her frazzled state.
Due to her nightmares, Silver Shock sought sanctuary in the local cider tavern, smothering the memories with the warm embrace of mulled apple cider. It was there one night that her dreams truly did merge with reality. Twilight Sparkle stepped through the doors of the tavern, the sudden blast of wintry air and the merry jingle of the door's bell drawing all eyes towards her. Her battered cloak concealed her tearful face, and she staggered towards the fireplace. All her strength seemed to ebb from her as she approached the blaze and collapsed, basking in the warmth of the fire.
Silver Shock's jaw dropped as she watched Twilight's entrance. It was the burning terror from her nightmares. She whispered to herself, "Has the terror from my dreams followed me at my heels? How has she found me here? How could this broken shell of a mare, barely able to carry the weight of her own saddlebags, be the burning terror which haunts me in my sleep?"
A waitress brought Twilight a mug of cider. Twilight grabbed it with her hooves and could barely hold onto it, spilling the cider as she struggled to bring it to her lips. The laughter of the other patrons permeated the air as they watched Twilight. Silver Shock began to slowly shake her head as Twilight's face twitched. Twilight seemed to have demons of her own, which she struggled to contain...and she was losing.
Twilight glared back at the other ponies and something inside her seemed to snap. Heat began to radiate from her as her flesh began to glow brightly. Her eyes turned into smoldering red embers and her mane and tail burst into flames. With a frightening sneer, the transformed Twilight began casting spells. Out of the fireplace came magical conjurations - blazing creatures made of flame - the furniture twisted into terrifying gargoyles, and the doors and windows magically sealed.
Ponies screamed and tried to flee but they were quickly taken down. As ponies battled Twilight's magical creations, a few brave souls tried to charge Twilight herself. They were quickly defeated by Twilight's magical attacks; knocked unconscious and hurtled against the walls.
As Silver Shock watched in horror at what unfolded, she became convinced that she was truly mad. She sat, petrified, and whispered out loud, "I must be going insane. This terror, and destruction, the horrors I witness! How else can I explain them? Are these the evils from my dream? Or are they born, within the unicorn wanderer?"
The tavern became deathly silent a few minutes later as the rest of the pony patrons were conquered. The flames dissipated and the furniture gargoyles collapsed. The doors and windows burst open and icy winds swept across the room. Twilight transformed back to her normal state and staggered towards the door, looking back over her shoulder at Silver Shock. In a daze, Silver Shock stood and followed Twilight out the door.
Why did Silver Shock follow her? She didn't know, why do things happen as they do in dreams? All she knew is that, when Twilight beckoned, she had to follow her. From that moment forward, they traveled together. North. Always, into the north.
---
Twilight and Silver Shock traveled north, over the mountains and into the vast sea of frozen lands. Silver Shock used her talents to fight off the bone-chilling weather of the Frozen North, a deed for which Twilight was most thankful for. As the days passed, Twilight told Silver Shock more of herself. Twilight was once a powerful magical apprentice, the personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself, but now a dark and secret burden weighed heavily upon her. Silver Shock had pressed Twilight for more details, but Twilight remained tight-lipped and the majority of their journey was conducted in silence.
Silver Shock was in awe of Twilight. On one hoof, she was completely terrified of her, on the other, she wanted to befriend her, but the memories of that terrible night in the cider tavern would not soon be forgotten. She often wondered if Twilight had ensorcelled her with some dark magic, as she still couldn't fathom why she was following this mysterious wanderer.
So far, the journey had been extremely uneventful. The area they were now traveling through was rumored to be haunted, for it was an ancient battleground where the three pony tribes had fought, but if there were any ghosts, they did not bother the two wayfarers. The native fauna avoided the place, so Silver Shock was thankful there would be no attacks, if not a little terrified that there may be specters lurking amongst the snowy fields. Disturbingly, a dark cloud seemed to follow them, always just over the horizon.
Silver Shock had noticed Twilight became even more troubled during the sunrise and sunset, and Twilight always became distant with Silver Shock around those times. It had finally clicked with Silver that Twilight's mentor was Celestia, who has the power to raise and set the sun, and something must have happened between them before Twilight began her journey.
On the ninth day of their travels, Twilight had her map out as the sun began to set, and Twilight laughed then looked back towards Silver. "Quickly, before the sun is gone!"
Silver Shock faithfully galloped after Twilight as she raced towards a ridge. Far across a valley, they finally laid eyes on their destination: the legendary tower of Star Swirl the Bearded. Silver Shock's bemusement at Twilight's mirth quickly faded as the memories of her dreams came flooding back.
"Twilight," Silver said, "there is something evil in that place. I have seen it in my dreams. The same dreams that I saw you in. I want to know what this is all about. Now."
Twilight looked back at her companion and sighed. "I'm not evil, if that's what you're thinking."
Silver Shock scoffed. "I was at the tavern, remember?"
Twilight sheepishly looked towards the ground. "That...that was a mistake. I'm not perfect. Sometimes...sometimes my emotions get the better of me, especially anger. Which is why I'm here, actually..."
As Twilight broke down into tears, Silver Shock moved over to comfort her. "Oh, Twilight," Silver said, "I'm sorry."
Twilight looked up at Silver. "It's not your fault.. I..I think maybe we should set up camp here. I can try to explain everything in the morning... It's just... you know I'm not evil, right? I'm the Element of Magic for hoof's sake."
"Element of... The Elements? The Elements of Harmony?" Silver asked with amazement.
Twilight grinned. "Well, yes. I thought you knew?"
Silver shook her head. "No, I had no idea. You never told me that. I.. I don't even know why I'm here, really. I... I just couldn't resist when I saw you at the cider tavern. Almost like you were drawn to me, and I was compelled to follow."
Twilight smiled and rubbed her horn against Silver's. "Unicorn magic happens for a reason, you know? Maybe you've been up north too long, I thought everypony knew who I was. Well, if they didn't, they sure do now, and not for reasons I would like to be known for..."
As Twilight began talking at length about the Elements of Harmony and how she met her friends, Silver Shock set up their encampment using her magic. Silver Shock was surprised at the sudden change in her companion's demeanor, but she was glad of it. She drifted asleep huddled next to Twilight as Twilight rambled on, the words falling upon the slumbering ears of Silver Shock. In the middle of the story she was telling, Twilight had a sudden epiphany. "Wait, didn't you say you had dreams about me earlier?"
Twilight stared with curiosity at her sleeping companion then looked towards the night sky. "Star Swirl the Bearded, where are you?"
Perhaps it was the warmth of Twilight's body, or the sound of the crackling fire, but for the first time in many weeks, Silver Shock slept soundly. However, the dreams returned, but these were clearly not her own. She beheld the vision of a great colt, a white unicorn. Twilight was there, too, cowering on the floor. The colt glared down at Twilight in anger then stormed out. Twilight's friends, which Silver Shock was able to deduce from the story Twilight was telling about the Elements earlier, ignored Twilight's pleas and departed. Even Princess Celestia herself scowled at Twilight and left, leaving Twilight all by herself. Laughter from an unknown source began to echo around the hall as Twilight sat crying all alone. Green flames began to build up around Twilight, and a grinning, pink alicorn princess appeared, laughing maniacally.
Silver Shock then found herself soaring above Equestria. Below, she saw a terrible sight as legions of strange creatures flew around, terrorizing the ponies. She flew towards Canterlot Castle, and in the throne room she saw that same alicorn, seated upon the throne. Beneath her hooves were the battered crowns of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
The alicorn flew towards her and Silver Shock awoke with a start. Silver glanced towards Twilight, who was looking down at her. "Now you know what I seek, Silver. It is the safety of Equestria, and my brother. Sleep now. We set out with the dawn."
As Silver Shock drifted back into a worried sleep, Twilight wrote in her journal.
"Many moons have passed since I left the town of Ponyville behind me. Since then, I've tried to forget the terrors that I beheld amongst the cold earth. The twisted nightmares that have haunted my every waking moment.
There was something deep within me. I could feel it, driving me towards the north. Assuring me that my salvation lies within the ruins of ancient kingdoms. The tower is finally within my sight. I feel as if I'm my old self again. The wanderlust within that prodded me forwards before seems to be missing, thankfully. Tonight I may finally get the rest my weary body demands.
Star Swirl still has not returned to guide me. Oh, I wish my friends were here! The peculiar unicorn that has been accompanying me appears to have secrets of her own. I may not have reached this place without the aid of her magic, and to me that is proof that whatever her secrets, she means me no harm. I think, no, I know she's scared of me. She reminds me a little of Rarity mixed with large amounts of Fluttershy...
Though I know the way, I know not what perils may arise to hinder my journey. My nightmares about Cadence have continued, and I think she may be stalking me. There's this dark cloud that has been pursuing Silver Shock and I for days. It always seems to have a sentience about it, as if I watch it it does not move. I wish Rainbow Dash was here to teach it some respect. She is so good at busting clouds...
I miss my friends so much. My faith in myself and in magic remains undaunted. Yet, I fear that the better part of my soul may remain behind....forever."
---
The next morning, they walked over the hill towards Star Swirl's tower. They had no idea then of the horrors that were in store for them there.