“Twilight, I don’t get why you’re so excited about this.” Rainbow Dash groaned, hovering beside the purple alicorn as she trotted happily down the road to Fluttershy’s cottage. “So Fluttershy found a big chicken egg. Big whoop.”
“I’m not really gettin’ it either.” Applejack admitted, keeping pace with Twilight. “I mean, I see chicken eggs all the time. Sometimes they come out big.”
“I guess I’m not really all that excited about the egg, honestly.” Twilight said, looking back at her friends. “Mostly, I’m still a bit excited about what happened this morning.”
“You still haven’t explained to us what actually happened.” Rarity said, adjusting her sun hat to keep the glare out of her eyes.
“That’s because I’m not really sure what it was.” Twilight explained. “I thought I mentioned that.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re so hyper!” Rainbow Dash sighed.
“Doesn’t it?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know what it was! It’s a mystery!” She said, stopping briefly and clopping her front hooves together a couple times. “I felt a huge magical disturbance this morning. Just think of all the research it could warrant!”
“I love a good mystery!” Pinkie Pie said as she hopped along, Holmes-esque deerstalker cap bouncing on her head.
“Shouldn’t you be more worried about a magical disturbance?” Rarity asked. “I believe I faintly felt what you did, and I think it deserves a bit more caution.”
“Well of course I’m going to be careful.” Twilight said. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t be excited by the potential of new magic to discover.
“Girls! Thank Celestia you’re here!” Fluttershy exclaimed when she saw her friends crossing the bridge to her home. “Come in, quickly! I’m not sure how much longer it will last.” She said as she quickly ducked back into her house.
“You heard her, girls. Let’s see what’s wrong.” Twilight said, galloping in with the rest trailing behind her.
“I still don’t get why she needed all of us to see-” Rainbow Dash began but stopped herself when she saw the egg.
The egg resting on the living room table was about the size of a pony’s head, and was surrounded on all sides by radiant shards of ice jutting into the air. “Fluttershy, what in Equestria is this?” Twilight asked, approaching the egg slowly.
“I don’t know.” Fluttershy said, retrieving a blanket from the closet and tucking it around the egg. “But it won’t warm up no matter what I do.” She said as the blanket flash-froze to the shell, almost as if to prove a point.
“This was in yer chicken coop?” Applejack asked, gently prodding the egg with a forehoof. “Land’s sakes!” She shouted, pulling her hoof back and looking at the small bit of frost accumulated on it. “That’s colder than anything I ever saw.” She said, rubbing her hoof along her other foreleg to warm it up.
“I just don’t know what to do.” Fluttershy said, looking down at the floor. “I’m worried that whatever is inside won’t be able to survive much longer like this.”
“Fluttershy.” Twilight said. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe whatever is in this egg is supposed to be cold?”
“Well, I thought of that at one point.” Fluttershy said. “But what creature hatches in the cold? No living thing works naturally like that.”
“Maybe it isn’t natural.” Rarity suggested, studying the egg as she circled the table. “Pinkie Pie!”
“Wha?” Pinkie Pie asked, her tongue frozen to the shell of the egg. “How wath I thuppothed to know I’d get thtuck?”
Please, Pinkie Pie! Focus!” Twilight said, using her magic to carefully separate Pinkie’s tongue from the egg.
“Leth thee… Yep.” Pinkie Pie said, prodding her tongue with a hoof. “I can’t feel my tongue.” She said before bursting into uncontrollable giggling.
“Anyways, Rarity makes a good point.” Twilight said, turning back to Fluttershy. “What if this egg is from something you’ve never seen before? Something that isn’t like other creatures.”
“Well…” Fluttershy said, looking to each of her friends in turn. “I guess it’s as good a shot as anything. I’ll go get some ice.” She said as she walked into the kitchen.
“So Twilight, you ever heard of anything like this before?” Rainbow Dash asked, flying low to get a top-down view of the egg.
“No. This is new to me.” Twilight said. “In all my studies, I’ve never read or heard about an egg that generates cold like this.”
“So what can you tell from lookin’ at it?” Applejack asked, keeping her distance from the egg.
“Well for starters-” Twilight began before Pinkie Pie interrupted her.
“It’s really, really cold.” Pinkie said, nodding her head for a few seconds afterwards. Everypony else in the room just looked at her for a few seconds until Twilight broke the silence by clearing her throat.
“Well, yes.” Twilight said, walking closer to the egg. “But it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” She said, concentrating some magical power on the egg. “Maybe I can identify it if I-”
“Greetings, young one.” A feminine voice echoed in Twilight’s mind.
“What the?” Twilight asked, dropping her spell and looking around at her friends.
“What’s the matter, darling?” Rarity asked. “Is everything alright?”
“None of you said anything just now?” Twilight asked.
“You alright, Twi?” Applejack asked. “Yer lookin’ a bit pale.”
“I’m… Not sure.” Twilight said, looking at the egg again. “I think I’m starting to get what that magical disturbance from earlier was.”
“Sorry that took me so long.” Fluttershy grunted as she walked back into the living room straining to carry a large bucket filled with ice on her back. “I had a hard time finding something that could hold the egg and still have room for enough ice.”
“Let me lend you a hoof there, Sugarcube.” Applejack said as she pressed herself against Fluttershy’s side to share the weight.
“Oh, thank you Applejack.” Fluttershy said as the two carried the bucket over and eased it onto the table.
“Here.” Twilight said as AJ and Fluttershy backed away. “I’ll get the egg inside.” She said as she lifted the egg with her magic.
“Thank you for this.” The same voice from before said to Twilight as her magic enveloped it. “I owe you my thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Twilight said, unsure if the voice could hear her as well.
When Twilight set the egg down into the ice bucket, there was an immediate reaction. The ice was seemingly being absorbed directly into the egg, causing it to radiate with a faint light, as it grew slightly larger. It continued to grow until it had absorbed all of the ice in the bucket, and then it began to move.
“Is it hatching?” Rainbow Dash asked as the egg shook violently enough to tip the bucket and roll itself to the edge of the table.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she lunged to grab it.
“Stop!” Twilight urged as she flared her wings to block Fluttershy. “We don’t know what it’s doing. We can’t risk touching it right now.”
Just then, the egg rolled off the table and to the hard, wooden floor. When it hit the ground, it made a slight dent in the wood but was its self unharmed. The egg continued to shake as fresh ice shards rose up around it, keeping it from moving further. As it shook in it’s own icy grip, a bright blue light began to drift down from above.
“What in Celestia’s name is that?” Twilight wondered in awe as the six mares watched the light drift lower and lower. Eventually, it finally reached the egg, causing it to shake violently once again before exploding in a blinding white light that coated the immediate area in a fine snowy powder.
“Thank you for helping me to be reborn.” The voice from Twilight’s mind echoed from the center of the light. “I am in your debt, small creatures.” It said as the light began to fade.
When the light receded, Anivia stood anew. Her wings folded at her sides, and her ruby eyes vibrant with life. However, she had also retained the painful reminder of her recent defeat. A black horn of ice still jutted from the center of her forehead.
“Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy said as her eyes went wide as saucers and her wings flared in awe.
“What… Are you?” Twilight asked, similarly amazed.
“I am Anivia. The Cryophoenix.” Anivia said, spreading her wings as wide as Fluttershy’s cottage would allow. She stood at least two and a half ponies tall and spoke with authority true to her regal appearance.
“That. Was. AMAZING!” Pinkie Pie shouted with her hooves in the air as everypony else realized she was now wearing sunglasses.
“I’ve never heard of a cryophoenix before.” Fluttershy said. “In fact, I’ve only seen two other phoenixes before.”
“So you’re like a regular phoenix…” Twilight began. “But you control ice instead of fire?”
“That would indeed be the case.” Anivia said, bringing her wings to rest at her sides again. “I apologize if I sound forward, but I have yet to learn your names.”
“Oh! Sorry.” Twilight said before clearing her throat. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie.” She said, indicating each of her friends in turn.
“I see.” Anivia said. “So I have you to thank for finding me and providing me with shelter in my time of need, Fluttershy.” She said, turning to face Fluttershy. “For that, you have my undying gratitude.” She said, bowing her head.
“Oh, it was nothing, really.” Fluttershy said, beginning to blush softly. “I love to tend to all creatures. Big and small.”
“I’m afraid I must apologize again.” Anivia said, turning back to the rest of the group. “But I know not where I am or how I have gotten here. However, I must return to the Freljord as soon as possible.”
“The frel-what now?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Anivia quizzically.
“I’ve never heard of the Freljord either.” Twilight said.
“The Freljord is my home.” Anivia said. “It is the farthest northern peaks of Runeterra.”
“Runeterra?” Rarity asked. “Wherever might that be?”
“Are we not on Runeterra?” Anivia asked, tilting her head.
“I’m not sure where that might be.” Twilight said. “But this is Equestria.”
“Equestria?” Anivia repeated. “In all my years, I have never heard of this place. In fact, I have never heard of horses that could speak either. What manner of creatures are you?”
“Well, ‘horses’ isn’t entirely inaccurate.” Twilight said, rubbing her chin in thought. “We’re ponies.”
“I apologize.” Anivia said. “I meant no offense.”
“None taken.” Applejack said.
“So wait, you’re saying you’re from some country called Rune-whatever it was?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“No.” Anivia said. “The country of my origin is known as Valoran. Runeterra is the planet upon which Valoran exists.”
“You’re from another PLANET?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You guys! We’ve just found a REAL. LIVE. ALIEN! How awesome is that!” She shouted, scrunching her face up in her hooves.
“You’re from another world entirely?” Twilight asked. “This is incredible! Princess Celestia will want to know about this.”
“A princess?” Anivia asked.
“Princess Celestia is the leader of Equestria.” Twilight explained. “She’s also a very powerful alicorn, and my personal teacher.” She added, smiling a bit as she said it. “She might be able to use her magic to help you get home.”
“Then I can afford to waste no time.” Anivia said. “If it isn’t too much trouble, I would ask that you take me to your leader.”
“See?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Rarity. “So totally an alien! Awesome!”
“Alright.” Twilight said. “You all stay here for now. I need to get the library and have Spike send a letter. Even with such an important guest, we shouldn’t just show up unannounced.” Twilight said as she left the cottage and made a beeline towards Golden Oaks library.
“This place is barren. Fitting, I suppose.” Lissandra growled as she felt her surroundings through the ice underneath her. “This is not the ice I know, but its power is the same. Runeterra is far from this place, but opportunity can be found. If only one knows where to look.” She said with a smirk.
Through the ice Lissandra could feel the presence of life not far from her. She could feel hooves on snow, she could feel a magnificent city in the tundra, and she could feel her own dark power aching to cleanse this world in ice as well.