After leaving his uncle's home, Ice wandered how long it would take before he would be able to reach Neighbraska. It was half way across the country after all and he had no money or magical knowledge outside of the basic levitation spell. Although, as he knew, that wouldn't help very much in his current situation. He could fly, but not halfway across the country. So in light of this, he decided to continue walking so that he could find a constant source of plants to eat on his journey. About five and a half days had passed since he had left Califoalia and he was approaching a quite pleasant-looking forest, with a sign saying “Welcome to the beautiful Spring Forest. Home of bountiful plants and wondrous natural water springs.”
Ice saw the sign and thought happily “This sounds great, seems like there would be a lot of food and water in there. Maybe I'll stay there a while.” And so he trotted into the forest with a relieved smile, thinking of all the plants that he'd be able to feast on.
From the moment he entered he could see the abundance of life both plants and animals. He said out loud “This place is great! Everything seems so alive and vibrant, I can literally feel the liveliness of everything around me!”
As the day went on he had plenty of fresh fruit to eat and the natural spring water was much cleaner than any water that he had ever experienced at his uncle's house. “I sure could get used to this place, maybe I'll just stay here for the rest of my life. I feel so peaceful here. I've never felt true peacefulness in my life before.
” He continued to search around for the rest of the day for a place to sleep until he found a nice little clearing with a small stream running through the middle and blackberry bushes all around. So he laid down, but before he fell asleep he stared up to the sky and fell into amazement.
“Whoa, I've never seen the night sky like this before. It's so beautiful, all the stars and that full round shining moon. They complement the dark blue sky perfectly. I guess every dark has a light in it after all.” he said still in awe. After staring for about half an hour he finally fell asleep.
The next morning he woke to the sun shining brightly down on him and birds chirping all around. “This is much better than waking up to uncle yelling all the time.” he thought to himself. So he got up and started searching for something to eat, he grabbed some blackberries and put them in a bowl made of twigs that he had made the day before. Then he saw a plant that he had never seen before. Its leaves were a bright yellow, its stem was green like most other plants and it had a peculiar burnt orange berry on it. So he decided to try it out, so far everything he had eaten in this forest was excellent so he saw no reason that this would be any different. So he went back to his campsite with his fruitful bounty of delicious looking food, but things soon took a turn for the worse! As soon as he took a bite of his newly discovered plant he began to feel woozy. It wasn't long until he started to convulse and passed out altogether. On top of that, a mysterious figure in a red and black cloak found him lying on the ground after the fact.
“What do we have here? A fool who ate an unknown plant without fear? I hope it is not too late. For he has great things yet to happen in his fate!”
Ice finally woke up around night time, but he was shocked to find that he was in a bed in an unfamiliar cabin. “Oh finally awake I see. This fact fills my heart with glee.” the mysterious voice said.
Ice got up and asked defensively “Who are you? Where am I? What happened to me?”
“Calm down young one. I wish no violence to be done. My name is Genevere. And you are in my hut my dear. That plant you devoured can be deadly. Unless treated by the correct medical medley.” Ice looked relieved,
“So you saved my life? I'm grateful, but why, you don't even know me.”
“That is not important my dear. For your future is quite clear. You will do something great. But it might cost you a piece of your fate.” Not sure what she meant, he just nodded and thanked her again. Genevere began to speak again “I do not mean to pry. But this journey you are on, I must ask why?”
He thought for minute and replied by saying, “Well my parents died in the battle of Mt. Zephyr and my only remaining family hates me. So I decided to go somewhere to the east to start anew. It’s been harder than I thought though.”
“Why is that my dear? Let Genevere hear.” she said curiously.
“Well first off, no pony seems to like me because I'm a blank flanked alicorn. Second is I don't have any money. And third my parents died before they were able to teach me any magic.” he said in a saddened voice.
“Well with two of those I can help you. But for a cutie mark you must be to yourself true. Stay with me for a year or two. And I shall teach you some magic to do.” She said with a caring grin.
His eyes widened and he jumped from his bed and asked excitedly, “Really, you'll teach me how to use magic? Thank you so much!”
She grinned and said “Yes, while I may be a zebra of the earth. I have many books to increase your magic's girth.” So Ice decided to stay with Genevere for a couple of years to learn magic and earn some money.
Meanwhile, the sisters were already halfway across the country. They had reached a small town that lied on the side of a mountain named Canterlot. This is where a troop of many unicorns combine their magic to raise and lower the sun due to the absence of Dusk and Dawn; who formerly had that responsibility. Luna and Celestia witnessed it happen on the first day they got there. But raising and lowering the sun took a large amount of energy each time and the unicorns were getting exhausted from it.
“Tia, why do they all look so depressed and tired?” Luna inquired.
“I'm not entirely sure, but I would guess that taking over our parents' job of taking care to the Sun is too taxing for them after a while. And it has been around five years since they died in the war. After doing this for so long they're probably running out of energy by now.” Celestia replied.
“Oh, I guess that makes sense. Poor unicorns, I wish we could help somehow.” Luna said with a slight frown on her face. Celestia just hugged her and took her to hotel that they were staying at. The next morning Celestia noticed that something was off. The sun still wasn't up and it was nine o'clock in the morning.
She thought to herself “Where's the sun at? It should have been up about two hours ago. Unless... oh no! They don't have enough energy to raise it anymore. The stress of doing it day in and day out has finally taken its toll.” Celestia jumped out of her bed and rushed down to town square. Only to find that her suspicions had been accurate. “I have to help them.” she thought to herself . She rushed up to the front of the pack, despite all of unicorns yelling at her to stop interrupting what they were doing. Once she was standing in front of the horde she rose her angelic wings and her horn started to glow in what seemed to yellow sunlight.
“She's an alicorn!” one of the ponies exclaimed. Another one said “I don't believe it, I thought they all died back in the war!” As the unicorns were all bickering to one another about the probability of this outcome the young princess flew in the air drawing their attention. She raised the sun, seemingly effortlessly by herself. All of the unicorns were in amazement at the young mare's magical ability.
One saying, “So this is the power of an alicorn. To think that a single pony could raise the sun by themselves.” As Celestia hovered back down the unicorns noticed that her flank was glowing, and then out of nowhere an image of a golden sun appeared on both sides of her back legs. Just as she landed back on the ground Luna showed up and looked panicked.
She ran over to her sister and said, “Why'd you come here without me? I was worried that something had happened to you; just like our parents.”
Celestia hugged her and said, “I'm sorry Luna, but I had to come help. Please forgive me, I know I promised not to leave you alone.”
Luna hugged her back and said smiling, it’s ok as long you're safe.” When they let go of each other Luna's eyes got bigger and she yelled “Tia! Look! Your cutie mark showed up! It's so beautiful.”
Celestia turned around and smiled “I guess I got it just now! You're right, it is beautiful.”
It wasn't long before all the unicorns asked the two sisters to stay in Canterlot to raise and lower the sun every day. Celestia graciously accepted the offer and eventually the castle was built and the city grew in size as well as population. On top of this, many new neighboring towns were founded. Among these towns was one named Ponyville . Luna had also discovered her cutie mark as well: a wondrous silver crescent moon in a pitch black sky. It appeared one night when Celestia asked her to try to lower the sun as a test of how her magic was coming along. Needless to say, she was overjoyed when it happened. During this time Ice Breeze had completed his magic training with Genevere and continued on his journey eastward to Neighbraska, still without a cutie mark of his own, even though he was practically grown-up already. But before we head over to see Ice's progress on his quest, we must know the story of Luna's snowy friend: Snowdrop!
On one Spring Sun Celebration: a celebration of the first sun raising of spring, a blind pegasus filly as white as snow offered up a self-crafted snowflake that she carved using one of her feathers. The other fillies from her school laughed at her for bringing snow to a celebration of spring
. Despite this, however, Celestia allowed her to explain why she did this. Snowdrop explained that people wished on the twinkling stars at night and that she had heard the same twinkling from the snow one night. “If people wish on stars, then maybe they should wish on the snow as well. Just because it's different and can be a nuisance sometimes doesn't mean that ponies shouldn't like them. They're both wonderful in their own way, you just have to look for it.” Snowdrop explained.
Luna looked shocked that she would say that, for no pony before then had ever said anything good about the night time that she had worked so on hard on each and every night. Celestia saw how Luna was affected by the snow white filly's explanation and chose her snow as the sign of good faith to winter for years to come. Celestia then got Snowdrop to make more each year and always dropped one on the first day of winter to hopefully calm the usual winter blizzards. And since that first snowdrop was dropped each year, the storms had stopped coming.
During the years to follow Luna and Snowdrop would have long conversations almost every night. One night Snowdrop asked, “I haven't ever seen your night, princess, I bet it's beautiful. Is there any way that you could show me it one night?”
Luna paused for a short time and responded by saying, “Sure, I promise that I'll show you one day.” Luna didn't know how to do this since Snowdrop was blind after all.
Snowdrop jumped with glee and shouted, “Yay thank you Luna!” then she proceeded to follow Luna's voice in order to give the night princess a hug. The years to come were basically the same, they had talks and enjoyed each other’s company, but a long time had passed since they had first become friends. Luna could tell that her friend didn't have much time left to live and she still had not found a way to show Snowdrop her night yet.
That was until one night, she asked a great wizard known as Star Swirled the Bearded “My blind friend has very little time left and I was wondering if thou hast any way to let me show her the night time she so badly desires?”
Star Swirled looked at her and inquired, “You ARE the princess of the night are you not? Isn't it your duty to watch over your subjects at night? Then can't you view and enter your subjects' dreams to protect them mentally as well?” Luna had never thought of trying that before.
“I-I'm not sure.” she stammered.
“Well then let's test it.” Star Swirled said as he cast a sleeping spell on himself. Luna's horn began to glow a deep blue as she stained and before she knew it she had entered Star Swirled's dream! “See? I thought you'd have this ability. Now try changing the scenery in here.” Luna concentrated on the world around her picturing a beautiful mystifying night. The sunny day that was once there slowly grew darker in hue until it was a deep blue-violet night with millions of stars and a gleaming full moon. “Excellent!” Star Swirled said as the night turned back into the original day.
“Why has thine dream changed back?” Luna asked confused.
“It is MY dream after all, I can change it at will, but since Snowdrop wants to see what the night time truly looks like I bet she won't change hers. Luna exited the dream and Star Swirled woke up and then they parted ways after Luna thanked him for the advice.
The next night Luna visited Snowdrop in her hospital room. She was looking dreadful that night, but she was still elated to hear Luna's voice. “I have a surprise for you Snowdrop.” Luna said quietly.
“Re-really what i-is it?” she responded very meekly.
“I hath found a way to show you night time at long last!” Luna exclaimed.
“T-that's great! How can you do it?” Snowdrop asked excitedly.
“You have to go to sleep so that I can enter your dream and show it to you.” Luna explained. Snowdrop agreed to this and Luna waited for the old mare to fall asleep. Luna showed up in Snowdrop's dream with great haste.
“So, this is what you look like princess. You look just as I had imagined.” Snowdrop said.
Luna replied with, “Just you wait, this shall be worth your long waiting period.” The scenery shifted from a cloudy graveyard (which bothered Luna as it was) to a beautiful night filled with twinkling stars and the fullest moon that Luna had ever created. She even created a lake in front of the two so that the moonlight would reflect off the surface to amplify the beauty. Snowdrop's eyes lightened up immediately as she gazed at the wonders of the night sky.
“It's all I ever imagined and more! It's all I've dreamed of seeing.” Snowdrop blurted out excitedly. But the excitement was cut short as a sudden burst of pain woke her up. Luna automatically rushed to her bedside knowing what was probably about to happen.
Tears started to fall down rapidly as she begged, “Please don't go yet! You're the only real friend I've ever had, I still wanted to show you...”
Snowdrop interrupted her, “Please don't cry for me princess, I knew I didn't have much longer. You were my best *cough* friend and you showed me *cough cough* the most wondrous and beautiful thing I had ever seen. Plus, if it weren't for you and your sister all those years ago I would've still felt useless, but not anymore. You two gave my life meaning that day and I thank you both for that. Please tell your sister that I lo…” her sentence was cut short by the sound of a flat-line. Luna fell to the floor crying as the doctors came in.
Later, when she finally exited the hospital it was pouring down snow, she looked up at the beautiful white flakes and whispered to herself, smiling gently while looking back to Snowdrop's room, “We love you too, my snowy friend.”
Now let's rewind a bit to hear what had happened to Ice Breeze during this long time period. After two long years of intense magic training and doing many odd jobs for the forest rangers and surrounding villages Ice Breeze bid adieu to his now good friend and mentor Genevere and continued on his way to Neighbraska. As he started out this time though he noticed something different: for the first time in his life, he actually felt confident in his abilities despite the fact that he was still a blank flank. He was now wearing a bright gold cloak in order to cover his flank up as well as his wings, seeing as no pony took solace in the fact of him being an alicorn. He continued on his way for about six or seven months, until finally he had arrived at his destination. The city was as big as he had imagined, plenty of wheat and hay farms along with many different shops and a big living district. And the icing on the proverbial cake was the huge river that flowed only about a mile from the city itself. He stared at the city and thought to himself, “This place looks amazing, a river to the east and another forest to west. It just seems so peaceful here, I could definitely get used to this place.”
As he started walking into the city he noticed all the ponies working around the place. “Everypony seems to have a directed job to do, it's so orderly. This is perfect.” he thought to himself. Just as he got to the city's edge a deep blue coated unicorn colt with a burnt orange mane approached him.
“Heya, you're new around here aren't ya?” said the curious unicorn.
“Yeah I am how'd you know?” Ice replied.
“Not hard to tell by the way you're gawking at everypony. I'm Cerulean Shield and armor spells are my specialty, not much on force fields, but I can magically enhance one’s body to resist almost anything. By the way, what's your name newbie?” asked Shield.
“I'm Ice Breeze and I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but I don't know my talent yet.” Ice said with a sad tone.
“You're still a blank flank after all this time? You look practically grown up, must suck to be you.” Shield replied.
“It has its ups and downs.” Ice answered jokingly.
“Well that's good to know, I gotta go, but I'll see ya around now I guess.” Shield said as he walked away. After about ten days Ice had finally settled in with a job and renting a house. The ponies in town apparently had thought that he'd be a good potion and elixir maker since his training with Genevere the zebra, as all zebras have some knowledge of elixirs. So he spent most of his days in the shop whipping up various elixirs and most mornings gathering ingredients from the river and forest. One day just as shop was about to close up he heard a familiar voice say,
“WAIT! Don't close up shop yet!” He saw as Cerulean Shield entered the shop with a surprised look on his face as he entered. “Ice? Is that you? I didn't know you ran this shop.”
“Yep, I run the elixirs shop here, so what did you need?” Ice kindly replied.
“Oh right, do you have to help with pony flu? My mom is feeling kinda down with it and the hospital's closed by now.” Shield answered nervously.
“Sure, I made one yesterday. Just give her one dose tonight and one in the morning and she should be just fine.” Ice said smiling.
“Wow thanks dude! You know, we should hang out sometime.” Ice just smiled and agreed.
The next couple of years went by smoothly, everypony admired Ice for his elixir and medicinal prowess and he and Cerulean Shield had become very good friends. Despite the fact that freak storms had been happening everywhere, Neighbraska seemed as peaceful as ever.
That is until the citizens of the fair city heard a maniacal laugh, “MUAHAHAHA! So this is the next site for some chaos, eh? Good, it's filled with plenty of ponies. I'll make sure the storm wipes out everything hahaha.”
All the citizens came outside only to find a very black sky with the wind picking up and the once calm river flowing extremely rapidly and coming over the banks. “What's happening?” one of the town ponies asked.
“What does it look like my dear? It's a storm of pure, destructive, luscious chaos. I'm sure you're all wandering who I am by now. Well I am Discord, the embodiment of disharmony and I am here to avenge my parents! In fact, let's make it a little more interesting shall we?” As the last draconicai finished his sentence he raised up his arms creating a volcano on the north side and a mountainous rock slide on the south. “Well have fun with this my dear ponies. It will keep going until every last one of you have been destroyed. HAHAHahaha.” was all the ponies heard as the draconicus disappeared in a bright green mist.
After the initial shock was over, the ponies of Neighbraska went into a frenzied panic. They had absolutely no escape route with fiery magma to the north, an earthy rock-slide to the south, a flooding river to east, a hurricane force wind blowing trees at the city from the forest to west and lightning-filled storm clouds above so that no pegasus could fly out.
As everypony was running around trying to find a way out and the militia was trying to stop at least one aspect of the storm for an escape route, Ice and Shield were coming out the elixir shop only to find pandemonium spread across the city.
“What in the world is going on here? It was clear when I went into your shop.” asked Shield.
“I'm not entirely sure, but I'd say draconican chaos magic.” Ice replied with a worried look on his face.
“What's a draconicai?” inquired the curious blue colt.
“Well my parents used to tell me about them. They were a chaos loving race of animals made from different animal parts.” answered Ice.
“Were?” said Shield. Ice looked at him and anwered,
“Yes, they were apparently annihilated in the great war around one hundred years ago. But as you can see that's not entirely true.”
“I've heard of that war, all of the alicorns were wiped out as well right? Shield inquisited.
Ice looked down to the ground with a tear falling from his left eye and said, “ Umm, yeah, yeah they were, but enough of the history lesson just look. No pony has a plan, they're just running around blindly.
I need to get this under control!” His demeanor changed as some of his alicornian leadership instincts took over, he raised his horn using magic to amplify his voice and shouted in what now nationally known as the Royal Canterlot Voice, “CITIZENS OF NEIGHBRASKA PLEASE CALM YOURSELVES! RUNNING AIMLESSLY WILL NOT HELP RIGHT NOW, FOLLOW MY LEAD AND WE MIGHT SURVIVE OR CONTINUE THIS FOOLISH BEDLAM AND BE DOOMED TO PERISH! NOW WHICH ONE DO YOU CHOOSE?” The towns-ponies and Cerulean Shield looked surprised at colts unusual initiative, but decided to follow suit anyway.
“OK, ALL THE PEGASI GO TO THE WEST AND TRY TO COUNTER ACT THE WIND WITH WING POWER INDUCED WINDS. ALL THE EARTH PONIES, GO EAST AND TRY TO BUILD A BARRICADE TO KEEP THE FLOODING RIVER OUT OF THE CITY. UNICORNS GO TO THE SOUTH AND TRY TO USE YOUR MAGIC YOUR MAGIC TO LEVITATE THE FALLING ROCKS AWAY. AND LASTLY, SHIELD YOU'RE WITH ME TO THE NORTH I'LL EXPLAIN WHEN WE GET THERE. AS LONG AS NO PONY TRIES TO FLY UP, THE STROM CLOUDS SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE. NOW SPREAD OUT!!!”
As Ice finished his strategy speech all the ponies rushed to their commanded positions. Once they reached the northern magma stream Ice asked Shield to do something that shocked the blue colt.
“Shield, I need you to use the strongest fire armor spell that you know on me.”
“For what?” Shield inquired.
“I'm not sure why, but I feel like I can stop it, but I need to get into the center of it!”
“That's insane! That IS lava, you know that right?” argued Shield.
“YES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO ARGUE RIGHT NOW!!” Cerulean reluctantly agreed and cast the spell. Ice's body glowed with a bright orange aura showing that he was now heat resistant. He rushed into the lava flow with great speed. He could tell the spell was working, but the pure heat burnt his cloak off of his back revealing his wings.
Shield gawked in amazement and managed to stammer, “Y-you're an alicorn!? Why didn't you tell me?”
“I didn't tell you because everypony's always hated me for it, just because I was different and rare.” Ice replied while trying to conjure enough strength to hold all the lava back.
“Aww, I wouldn't have cared either way and I bet none of the town ponies would have either. That's what being a friend is about: accepting the similarities AND the differences of one another.” Ice smiled bigger than he ever had, but his sudden loss of concentration would prove costly as some of lava slipped out of his weakened grip. At the same time Shield was pre-occupied with discovering his friend's new wings that he didn't notice the encroaching lava.
“SHIELD WATCH OUT, GET BACK!!!” Ice yelled as he regained his composure, but it would prove to be too little too late.
“What are you talking ab....AAAUGH!” Shield screamed in agony as the lava had started to burn his legs away and climb up his legs to his body. As Ice saw his only real friend being burned alive and screaming, something snapped in head. His eyes flashed open and his horn started to glow a bright fiery red.
The lava started to wrap around the horn as if being drawn to it and then it seemed as if it all just reversed its stream back into the volcano. With one final burst of magic, Ice, without knowing how closed the volcano and sealed it back underground. He then quickly flew over to Shield in a speed that neither had ever experienced before as if the wind itself was propelling him. He grabbed his injured friend and took him to the center of town where all of the hospital workers were stationed and told them to try to heal him while he handled the other disasters. First he quickly went east to help the earth ponies. Once he arrived all of the ponies there were surprised to see an alicorn before them, but had little time to gaze as Ice's horn began to glow, but this time it was in a deep blue not fiery red. As he used his magic, the river seemed to calm down at his command and then froze over to prevent any water from escaping. The earth ponies were trying to realize what just happened as a powerful gust of wind knocked them over as Ice flew to the south at blinding speed. The rocks were starting to pile up and the unicorns couldn't hold many more, then out of nowhere all the rocks mended together and sunk into the mountain Discord had created. As the unicorns looked up they saw an alicorn hovering above with his horn glowing in an intense mahogany color. They started to ask him how he had wings, but he was gone in a flash to the west. Finally arriving at the forest entrance he signaled for the exhausted pegasi to stop, they gladly agreed as they watched his great wings open up and his horn glow a bright green to amplify his wing strength. With one blast of his magic imbued wing wind blast the opposing wind just stopped all together. As the pegasi began to thank him he rushed back to center of town to where Shield was.
He got there quickly and asked the nurses how he was doing, but they told him that there was nothing they could do seeing as half of organs had been melted.
Ice rose his wings and his horn glowed yellow as he said, “I-I understand, but I won't have him die with a stormy sky above him.” Then as the yellow aura around his horn grew larger a gigantic lightning bolt came out and struck the cloud that it came from resulting in an internal explosion causing the cloud to dissipate. As soon as the cloud was gone Ice's flanks began to glow. And soon he had a star on both sides with the top point being a bright yellow representing lightning, the top left point was brown to symbolize earth, the bottom left point was red-orange to show fire, the top right was blue for water and ice and lastly the bottom right was lime green for the wind element.
He then bent down to talk to his friend one last time when Shield said smiling while continuously coughing up blood, “ Hey, you *cough* finally got your cutie mark. It's about time huh?”
Ice looked back and saw it and then replied, “Yeah, I guess it is.”