When Ditzy woke up the next morning, her first instinct was to pull the covers over her head and go back to sleep. Her limbs felt leaden, her head was heavy, and on top of it all, the room was chilly. Puissance practically bought the whole place, can’t she at least heat it? the mailmare grumbled to herself. She probably turned down the heat just to spite me. Wicked old nag…
It took several minutes before she coaxed herself out of bed, and fifteen more minutes in the shower before she felt even vaguely equine. Drying herself thoroughly--Cheerilee had instructed them on how going outside wet could be very dangerous in the frigid weather--she stumbled down to the dining room, brushing a few stray strands of blond hair out of her eyes as she did so. “Hi,” she said to the Elements as she sat on an overstuffed cushion under the watchful gaze of a portrait of Commander Hurricane. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” grunted Raindrops, who looked as tired as she was. “Just eating.”
A few more grunts came to Ditzy from around the table, and the mailmare decided that maybe eating in silence was preferable.
Breakfast was an elaborate frittata served with several ounces of caviar and covered in cheese from a specific breed of East Pferdreich cows that only produced a few dozen liters of milk a year. The camel servant explained how the cheese itself cost about 400 bits per serving, with the caviar another 200 on top of that, but Ditzy didn’t care. The meal had no taste at all to her, and she was just satisfied when it was done and the rest of the day could begin.
The silent Elements followed another servant to the front hall where they got into their coats and went outside. Vicereine Puissance awaited them, as did the half-windigo foal--now wearing a sable cloak studded with diamonds and sapphires--perched on her back. “Shall we?” said Puissance with an unusual brusqueness, making Ditzy wonder if she too had slept poorly. “Unless there’s any objections?”
“I recognize those constellations,” said Trixie suddenly, gesturing at Ice Heart’s cloak. “That’s from the Orion quadrant in the night sky.”
Ditzy rolled her eyes. Imitating Luna. Of course.
“Given the historic nature of this meeting, I thought it best for him look presentable,” said Puissance. “And while I understand you could have provided some illusory clothing, I thought it best for him to wear a tailored, hoof-selected outfit instead of… ‘showmare chique.’” She flapped a wing at Trixie’s hat and cloak. “Now. Follow me--”
“Can I run in the snow while we go?” asked Ice Heart, genuine pleading in his voice. “I promise I’ll keep up! And--”
“No. Stay on my back until we reach your father,” ordered Puissance.
Ice Heart’s face fell, but he didn’t complain, and the Vicereine flew off towards the windigo. The Elements followed, trudging through the snow which now reached up to the base of their necks in places. Ditzy thought she heard Trixie muttering something unpleasant, and smiled at her in sympathy. “Just a little longer. Then we’re done, right?”
“Right. Yeah.” Trixie nodded slowly. “I mean, unless she carries a grudge. Otherwise, sure, we’re done.”
Ditzy frowned to herself and stopped talking.
They were going to the same place as the previous days, as far as Ditzy could tell, but the journey still seemed much longer to her. It was the weather, she thought; she felt cold even bundled up as she was. Come on, Ditzy. Just a little longer and then you can go home… to your bed, and your fireplace, and your bouncing little muffin…
After what felt like hours, Ditzy heard an excited squeal. “Ohmygosh, it’s him! It’s dad! HI DAD!” Ice Heart began to bounce up and down on Puissance’s back, causing the Vicereine to shake slightly in midair. “HI! I’M UP HERE! HI!”
Trixie rushed forwards, cresting the small hill in front of the steppe just as Puissance landed on top of it. Ditzy ran too and saw the windigo, which if anything seemed to have grown overnight. It looked at her with a piercing glare that almost made her stumble. Besides her, Ice Heart was yelling, “DAD! DAD!”
“We should probably say hello first,” said Trixie, whose horn glowed. Ice Heart squeaked as Trixie’s telekinetic grip settled around him and held him in place. “If he’s as excited as Ice Heart, he might do something crazy.”
“I think he already noticed us, Dame Lulamoon,” drawled Puissance. She pointed a wing at the monster. “With all due respect, I would like to complete this as quickly as possible. If you’ll release my ward, we can begin.”
Trixie glanced at the other Elements. “Get ready,” she cautioned. “We might need to use the Elements, girls. If the windigo tries to foalnap Ice Heart, or hurts him in any way--”
“We’ll blast him!” said Lyra. Somehow, she had retained a bit of her usual cheer, and her smile was positively warming to Ditzy’s frozen body. “You can count on us, Vicereine!”
“Good,” said Puissance. She took a long breath, as if steeling herself. “Very well. Ice Heart, I will take you to him.”
“What?” said Cheerilee, just before Ditzy herself could jump in. “Didn’t the windigo agree that you would remain back here with us while he met Ice Heart alone?”
Ditzy saw motion in the corner of her eye. When she turned to the windigo, she noticed that it seemed to be pacing above the far side of the steppe. After having remained still for so long, the sight of it moving was unnerving, almost as if a gargoyle had come to life and was walking around. Plus, its gait looked all wrong. Its legs moved through the air in a manner similar to that of ponies, albeit somewhat more stiffly, but the windigo moved more quickly than its leg motions should have allowed.
Meanwhile, Puissance was frowning at the knights. “Yes, of course,” she said. “I will transport him to the center of the steppe, leave him there, and then withdraw, allowing the windigo to advance as agreed upon. Do you have any objections, Dame Cheerilee?”
Cheerilee frowned. “I do. First--”
“That was a rhetorical question, Dame. I am in charge of this meeting, and I am going to guard my foal until the very last possible moment.” Puissance’s eyes flashed. “I suppose it might just be a mother’s paranoid eccentricities, but I would personally feel more comfortable if my foal were by my side for as long as possible. And if I cannot defend him during the actual meeting, then I can at the very least protect him on his way.”
“Defend me?” said Ice Heart. “But Auntie, Dad won’t hurt me! He loves me!” He grinned. “I can feel it. He’s not mad. He just misses me and he wants to be with me.”
“Feel it?” asked Trixie. “Like, you can sense what your father is feeilng?”
Ice Heart looked at her blankly. “He’s my dad,” he said. “Of course he loves me and my friends. That’s just obvious.”
Puissance was silent for a moment. “Dear,” she murmured, “Your Auntie is worried that he may love you so much that he takes you away and your Auntie never sees you again.”
“He wouldn’t do that!” said Ice Heart. “He’s not mean, and…”
His voice cut off as Puissance gently lowered him down and nuzzled him. “I hope you’re right, dearie,” she said. “But your Auntie still worries for you so.”
The two remained like that for a long moment before the windigo hissed and the clouds overhead began to swirl ominously. Puissance shook herself and helped Ice Heart climb onto her back. “Lulamoon,” she said, in a tense voice. “If he attacks us, utilize your Elements immediately. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Vicereine.”
Ditzy watched as Puissance walked down the hill and crossed the steppe. Despite her best efforts, Ice Heart began to bounce up and down on her back, and and seemed almost ready to jump off and run towards his dad. For better or for worse, though, he stayed with Puissance until they reached the center of the steppe.
Puissance lowered her body and let Ice Heart clamber off. She turned, hesitated, and then seized him into a sudden hug. Trixie chuckled. “I guess she’s got a heart after all, huh?”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” said Cheerilee.
Ditzy was about to chime in, but then the windigo jerked forwards.
The motion was so sudden that it took Ditzy by surprise. One moment it was on the other side of the steppe, and the next it was soaring towards Puissance and Ice Heart. Its hooves thundered down on empty air, and the wind gathered behind its back as if the weather itself were assisting it. In moments it had neared the center of the steppe and the two ponies within it. It froze there for a moment, saying and doing nothing.
Puissance began to step backwards, but Ice Heart grabbed her with a wing and called out, “Dad! It’s me, Ice Heart! And this is Auntie Puissance! She’s been taking care of me and she’s an awesome Auntie! She even brought me all the way here! And--”
The windigo hissed, and it didn’t sound friendly.
“What’s wrong?” muttered Trixie. Her horn glowed, and after a moment, so did her eyes; Ditzy recognized the telescopic-vision spell. “Come on, this is what you wanted! Just--”
The windigo took a sudden step towards the two ponies but stopped abruptly and cried out. Its voice was full of anger, hate… and pain. It reeled backwards before slamming a foot down and burying Ice Heart and Puissance in a wave of snow.
“Woah!” yelled Raindrops. “Girls, Elements time!”
But even as Ditzy prepared to use hers, she saw Puissance and Ice Heart pushing through the snow. Puissance looked chilled--apparently her fire ruby had its limits--and definitely the worse for wear. Ice Heart, by contrast, didn’t look hurt… but when he spoke, his voice sounded horrified. “Dad! Stop!” he cried out. “Don’t hurt Auntie!”
Raindrops looked at the others, baffled. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know!” said Trixie. “The windigo aren’t supposed to be vulnerable to anything except for friendship and love, and--” Her eyes widened. “And Ice Heart’s love for Puissance is keeping it at bay. Stars above, I didn’t think of that. But that means--”
“It’s going to freeze Puissance solid just to get her out of the way,” concluded Carrot Top.
The windigo reared back and then charged, jumping straight at Puissance, but Ice Heart moved between it and his Auntie, and it crumpled as if it had slammed into a solid wall before it got close. When it pulled itself up again, Ditzy could see a new crack along the left side of its body. “Girls. We need to do something.”
“Right.” Trixie held up her crown. “HEY, WINDIGO!” she roared. “YOU BLEW YOUR CHANCE! GET OUT OF HERE!”
It was impossible to tell if the windigo understood, but it did look in their direction. It tossed its head disdainfully and once again turned towards Puissance--still shivering and looking sick--and Ice Heart--
And the Elements fired.
Ditzy felt that familiar rush run through her, the most basic components of magic triggered by the deep friendship of the six ponies who bore their symbols. Her breath left her in a rush, and as a burst of rainbow blasted out from her and her friends, she almost collapsed. Even though she remained upright, it took a moment before she could raise her head to look down below.
The windigo was no longer near Puissance and Ice Heart. It had been knocked back across the steppe. When it rose again, it sported several new cracks, some of them overlapping with the old ones. But still it roared, its voice like a winter gale, and moved forwards again. Ice Heart had climbed on to Puissance’s back, and the old mare was flying towards the Elements, but the wind itself seemed to be fighting them.
“Why didn’t it work?” demanded Raindrops. “The windigo should be unconscious or dead, not blown back a few feet!”
“I knew we should have brought the user manual,” said Cheerilee. Nopony laughed.
Carrot Top raised a cautious hoof. “Trixie, I’m not sure I’m strong enough for another blast--”
“I know! I know, I know. Let me think.” Trixie watched the windigo for a moment before her horn glowed a brilliant blue. “Well,” she said. “Here goes nothing.”
An illusion appeared on the steppe before them. It was all eight ponies, Ice Heart included, leaving, with the windigo remaining there. The real monster looked down at it and roared, and a gust of wind almost sent Ditzy tumbling back down the hill.
Trixie’s horn glowed again and the illusion changed. This time the illusory windigo pursued the retreating ponies--and then the Elements turned and blasted it with their magic. The fake monster broke into thousands of pieces and crumbled to nothing. There was only an empty steppe, and the illusory ponies walking away.
The windigo stopped advancing towards Puissance and Ice Heart and looked at Trixie. For a moment, nopony made a sound.
And then the windigo snorted, turned, and vanished into the snowy wastes.
Trixie let out a long sigh of relief. “Alright,” she said, with a small smile. “Told you I’m the best windigo-talker in all Equestria.”
“Never doubted you for a moment,“ drawled Raindrops.
And then the Elements were congratulating Trixie, or at least, all of them except for Ditzy. She just watched the Vicereine and Ice Heart approaching them, a grim expression upon her face.
***
When Puissance landed, she turned her head towards Trixie and said, “Shall we?”
“Ah, yes, of course.” Trixie paused. “But, uh, by the way--sorry we didn’t use the Elements before you were buried in snow--”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” said Puissance in a tone suggesting that worrying about it was the only rational response. “I’m sure you all did your best. Of course, I do need to mention that in my report, but I assure you, Princess Luna is known to be very forgiving.” Not stated was the obvious counterpart that Luna might be forgiving, but Puissance herself was quite another matter.
Trixie winced. “Of course. However, I still request that you accept my most humble and sincere apologies regardless, Vicereine.”
Ice Heart said nothing to this, He gripped Puissance tightly as if he was trying to hug his way right through to her heart, but aside from the occasional sniffle, he was silent. Puissance carefully tucked a wing over him. “Don’t worry, dearie,” she said. “I’m sorry your meeting with your father didn’t work out, but you know that, whatever that windigo thinks or feels, my love for you is as strong as ever.”
“I know,” whimpered Ice Heart. “But I just… I wanted you and him to be friends. I wanted to be able to meet with him, and talk with him, and make snowponies with him…”
Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. “Uh--”
But before she could say anything else, Ditzy approached. She looked at the Vicereine with narrow eyes and swept a wing at her. “You planned that,” she said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You knew the windigo wouldn’t be able to approach if you were out there with Ice Heart. You knew he’d get mad and hostile enough that we would drive him away.” Ditzy’s vision had taken on a reddish tint, and she was only dimly aware of her shivering body. “You used yourself, and your ward, as bait.”
“That’s perfectly absurd,” said Puissance, and Ditzy marveled that she somehow sounded offended at being called out. “And I would remind you, Dame Ditzy, that while Equestria’s laws apply even to Vicereines… they also apply to knights. I would be very cautious when making statements which could be construed as slanderous.”
“Slanderous?” Ditzy flushed red. “You used your child to provoke a windigo, you could have killed him, and you dare--”
“Ditzy.”
The mailmare turned to look at Trixie, who had a weary expression. “Ditzy, the entire purpose of this mission was to figure out if it was safe for the windigo to meet Ice Heart. It wasn’t, and Puissance was the one that proved it. She’s in the right here.”
“But it was only unsafe because of her!”
Trixie shook her head. “Suppose it wasn’t a windigo, Ditzy. Let’s say it was just a regular father and he flew into a rage when his foal’s legal guardian showed up with his foal. Would you then let that pony meet with his child, even if the guardian were subsequently absent? Wouldn’t you worry that the father’s rage might trigger for some other reason… and this time, trigger when there was nopony to protect the child?”
Ditzy ground her teeth. “That’s not the same thing--”
“It is entirely the same thing,” said Puissance. “Or are you saying that you would let your ‘Dinky’ meet with that windigo without your protection?”
The mailmare shook her head. “You put your foal in danger. Deliberately. I don’t care what goal you had, that’s--”
“This conversation is pointless.” Puissance flew into the air. “We will return to the hotel. I will send a message to the Princess informing her of all that has transpired, and then we will leave this town for good.” Her gaze drifted down to Ditzy. “I suggest you stay out of my wing of the hotel, Dame Ditzy. I would hate for your mouth to land you in further trouble.” And she flew away, with a sombre Ice Heart still on her back.
Ditzy scowled and ran forwards into the snow, falling behind Puissance but soon outdistancing the others. Her vision was still tinged red, and her body shook with cold, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to catch up with Puissance and destroy the old crone. Nothing else mattered as much as that. She was an evil, wicked, vile old mare, she thought. Somepony had to stop her.
As she crested a large hill, she glanced behind herself and thought for a moment that she saw the windigo on a distant plain, moving parallel to her. But she blinked and it was gone, and she had no more time or energy to worry about it.
***
When Ditzy reached the hotel, she turned to Trixie, who had caught up with her on the final stretch. “I’ll come up to the room in a few minutes, okay?”
Trixie sighed. “Ditzy, I can tell you’re about to do something stupid.”
“You already made it clear what side you’re on.” Ditzy shivered and again wished that Puissance would spend a few more bits and get the hotel heated to something approaching a reasonable level. “So, thank you kindly for the concern, but I’m going to take it from here. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“But…” Trixie trailed off as Ditzy walked down the hall. And, when Ditzy looked back, she noted that the showmare hadn’t followed her. With a contemptuous flick of her tail, she went down the hallway, and she did not again look back.
She found Puissance in a small antechamber off of the main lounge. Ice Heart was sitting on one of the chairs, looking forlorn, but Puissance just looked smug. “Excuse me,” she said, causing both of them to turn. “But I would like to speak with you, Vicereine. Privately.”
Puissance was silent for a long moment before an obviously-fake smile crept over her features. “Of course. Dearie, could you go play in the hallway for a few minutes, please?”
“But…” Ice Heart’s voice trailed off. “Yes, Auntie.” He sighed, got up, and trotted out.
Puissance watched him go before shutting the door behind him. “Poor thing,” she mused. “I hope that the Ice Village I’ll be building for him in the Vault can perk him up.” She chuckled, then turned back to Ditzy. “Well, Dame?”
“I have a proposal for you,” said Ditzy.
“Oh?”
Ditzy nodded. “Let somepony else raise Ice Heart--outside the Vault. Let him interact with foals his own age.” She paused, every fiber of her straining to keep herself calm, to remain peaceful, not to jump across the room and scream at the old nag. “Call them nannies and caretakers if the title of ‘Ice Heart’s guardian’ matters that much to you, but let other ponies bring him up.” She locked eyes with Puissance. “He deserves better than to be raised in isolation.”
“I see.” Puissance tilted her head. “Well then, Dame: your proposal is rejected. Thank you for your time. Do you have anything else to say?”
Ditzy’s eyes flashed. “I think you should reconsider.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because I’ll tell Luna.” Ditzy grinned. “I’m a real mother. I didn’t just birth my foal, I raised her. I’ll tell Luna that Ice Heart’s environment is flawed from the very foundations, that any foal raised with no friends, no companions his own age, is going to have problems.” She shrugged. “I have the Right of Approach. She’ll listen to me. And then she’ll take Ice Heart away.”
The Vicereine was silent for a long moment. Then she padded up to Ditzy. “Is that so?” she murmured.
“Yes. It’s so.”
Puissance squinted at her as if she had suddenly become a bug-like creature. “Well. Of all the…” She paused, then turned and slammed at the door. “Firestarter!” she bellowed.
In moments, the door burst open and a bulky unicorn with a red coat and a flame cutie mark came in. “What?”
“I thought I told you to heat the hotel properly. It’s barely warmer in here than outside. What exactly am I paying you for?”
The servant looked confused, though Ditzy had no idea why. The room was downright chilly; she was surprised she couldn’t see her breath.
Cutting off the servant’s protests with a raised wing, Puissance snapped, “Get this hotel up to a bearable temperature. In five minutes. Or you’ll be walking back to Califurlong--and then only to clean out your desk. Are we clear?”
“Uh--yes--”
“Then go!”
When the servant was gone, Puissance shut the door and smiled. There was tooth in it, Ditzy noticed. “Honestly, Dame,” the Vicereine said, “I appreciate your passion. But if I wanted advice on how to be a mother to my foal, do you really think I would seek it from one who… well…” She gave a little sigh. “Well, I’m sure you try hard, but I think we both know the truth, don’t we? You’re hardly the perfect little pony yourself. And you’re in no position to give advice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” snapped Ditzy. “Because I happen to think I’ve done a fine job raising Dinky. She’s fed, clothed, sheltered, has the best education--”
“Oh really?” Puissance smirked. “I was under the impression she didn’t actually qualify for the best education. Or did she get into the Sharpwhinny Academy after all?”
Ditzy flushed. “She scored very well on that entrance exam. And it’s hardly on me--”
“Every single one of my foals has qualified for Sharpwhinny,” drawled Puissance. “And my grandfoals, and--once Scepter stops fighting his private tutor-- my great-grandcolt will do so as well. I was able to provide them with access to the best teachers in the land to prepare them for that test. What preparation, exactly, did you provide for your foal?” Her grin grew. “A hearty breakfast? A good-bye hug? Charming, I’m sure, but hardly the kind of support that your daughter needed…”
“Just because I don’t hire ponies to teach my daughter to the test,” hissed Ditzy, “Doesn’t mean I can’t afford to raise her properly.”
“Is that so?” asked Puissance. “Can you afford to get her the healthiest artisan foods from the family farms of Califurlong, or do you buy her cheap, local, inferior produce every night? Are you able to supplement her school lessons with magic tutoring from the Professors at Luna’s Magic Academy? If your daughter became seriously ill, would you be able to place one telegraph call and have the finest physicians in Equestria at her side in mere moments?” She chuckled. “Well?”
“Dinky doesn’t need all those things--” began Ditzy.
“Oh, I think we both know that’s a lie,” murmured Puissance. “Haven’t you ever lain awake at night, listening to the fitful snores of your dear little foal, and lamented how you could never give her the life she truly deserves? How she’ll always be held back because her poor mother couldn’t afford the very best for her?” She tilted Ditzy’s head up with one of her wings.”I could help, you know. Just say the word and I’ll give you all the money you’d need to raise your foal as a foal should be raised. You’ll be able to buy her the finest clothes, the very best food, the most intelligent and skilled tutors…”
Ditzy backed away. Puissance’s wing felt like ice under her chin. “Never,” she growled. “I won’t take your money.”
“I see.” Puissance shrugged. “So sad… for her.”
Ditzy was tempted to slap the Vicereine, but managed to restrain herself. “Maybe I can’t get her the best food or clothes. But I can give her love. And a foal needs that more than she needs some Prench tutor. Every day I’m there to support my daughter and help her grow. I guide her as she discovers the things she loves in life.” She smirked. “But you don’t support your own children, do you? How many of them have been exiled from Equestria?”
“I support them more than you could ever know,” snapped Puissance. “I only want what’s best for them. Sometimes they make mistakes, yes, and then I have to correct them--but it’s for their own good. And believe me--when all is said and done, they know it.”
“Best for them? What’s best for them is that they be happy! You should let your ponies do what they want--”
“So if Dinky decides to become a salt addict, you’ll stand by and wish her well?” challenged Puissance.
Ditzy rolled her eyes. “That’s different. What I mean is, you should let them pick careers and lives that will make them happy. Not force them down different paths.”
“Maybe that’s the best that will happen to Dinky. After all, with you raising her, perhaps enjoying a happy life of comfortable mediocrity is the best she can aspire to.” Puissance’s eyes glinted. “Some of us, however, have higher aspirations for our children than mere frivolity. And my children know it. Deep down inside, they love me. They all do.”
“Greed,” hissed Ditzy, “Is not the same as love.”
“Nor is pity,” said Puissance. “When your daughter sees you once again obtaining inferior food, or clothes, or anything else for her, because you simply can’t afford the best… well, she might say she doesn’t mind. She might say she loves you anyway. But believe me, she knows, Dame. She knows full well that her mother is letting her down.”
Ditzy saw red. Her legs were starting to tremble under her constant shivering--and Puissance was shaking too, she noticed--but she dismissed this. “I think we’re getting off topic,” she managed. “As I was saying--let Ice Heart be raised outside the Vault, or I’ll tell Luna that you’re not raising him well. She’ll take him away. She’ll shut down the whole Vault.”
“Ridiculous,” said Puissance. “My dear, do you think that Ice Heart’s friends are the most unusual that that Vault has to offer? There are ponies within it that would not survive in the outside world. Luna will never close the Vault.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” said Ditzy. “Especially when I tell her how you keep the ponies isolated from their families. She’ll probably have it torn down on the spot.”
Puissance was silent for a long moment. “I try to be tolerant of other pony’s opinions,” she said at last, “But I also fully intend to defend my legal rights. Dame Ditzy, if you lie about me to Luna--if you say one false thing that impacts me in the slightest--you should be aware that I am more than willing to sue you for slander. And my lawyers are very good.” She grinned. “I would be very cautious about where you step, Dame. It would be most unfortunate if you set yourself up for a judgement which bankrupted you. After all… where would your little muffin live, if her mother lost all her money because she slandered the Vicereine?”
Ditzy couldn’t say anything. She looked at the mare who had just threatened to leave her daughter homeless and tried to suppress the coldest rage she had ever felt.
“...but perhaps I go too far,” mused Puissance. “After all… it’s hardly your daughter’s fault if her mother is intemperate.” She grinned. “Well, I’ll make you a deal. If you slander me, Ditzy, make no mistake--I will bury you in court. But if that should happen, and you are no longer able to care for Dinky at even the mediocre level you are now… I’ll adopt her and raise her as my own. Just like Ice Heart.” Her eyes gleamed. “I suppose it would be difficult for her at first, but I assure you, I am quite experienced as a mother, and I’m certain I could do an excellent job. Why, in a few months she might not even remember you at all.” She chuckled softly. “Quite generous of me, yes?”
Ditzy had a brief vision of Dinky being forced into the Vault, and before she knew it she had reared back. She wanted to buck the Vicereine and send her flying across the room. It was the biggest temptation she had ever encountered, and the single thought holding her back was that, if she did, Puissance would sue her, and the bitter old crone would then own her and her descendants forever. But still, she was so evil, so wicked, so in need of righteous punishment, and the hotel was so cold that it was making her even angrier, and--
“Excuse me.”
Both mares turned to see Cheerilee standing in the doorway.
“Couldn’t help overhearing,” chirped Cheerilee, though Ditzy could hear the anger in her voice. “Ditzy, might I have a few words with the Vicereine?”
Ditzy took several long breaths. She could see her breath when she exhaled; she wondered what in the world had happened to Firestarter. “Not necessary,” she managed.
“I think it is.” Cheerilee entered the room and gently steered Ditzy outside of it.
“But--”
Cheerilee leaned in close. “I know the law,” she whispered. “I’ve got this. Don’t worry.” She winked. “Just leave it to me.”
She got Ditzy outside of the room, turned to Puissance, and then kicked the door shut behind her. “So!” Ditzy heard her say. “About the definition of slander…”
Ditzy shook her head as she paced and tried to warm up. “Depraved, vile, wicked old nag…” She kicked a chair. “I’m going to destroy her. If it’s the last thing I do, I--”
She stopped talking. Ice Heart had poked his head up from behind one of the couches, and tears were staining his cheeks.
“...are you really going to hurt my Auntie?” he whimpered.
Ditzy was going to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
***
Ditzy kneeled down so that she was face-to-face with Ice Heart. The rising voices of Puissance and Cheerilee in the antechamber faded from her perception, as did the feel of the carpet under her legs, and even the bitter chill. She only saw the foal.
“I don’t want to hurt her,” said Ditzy at last. “But… Ice Heart, she’s treating you so badly. You deserve friends, lots of them, ponies you can play with and laugh with and grow up with. She’s keeping you from that. It’s not fair of her, and I want to put a stop to it.”
She looked down. “You’re a wonderful foal. I only just met you, but I can tell you’re kind, and intelligent, and energetic. You should be exploring the world with friends and neighbors. Not locked in a Vault like a museum exhibit.”
Ice Heart shook his head. “But other ponies are mean to me,” he said. “My cousins, and the others I bumped into when I was running away… they called me mean things. They said I’m a monster. They said somepony should call Luna to banish me.”
“Some ponies are very mean,” agreed Ditzy. She gestured at her own eyes. “I had all sorts of horrible nicknames too when I was a little foal. But there are good ponies too. And the thing is…” She smiled slightly. “On the balance, it’s worth it to try to make new friends. Maybe a few ponies you meet will be mean. But there’re so many that would accept you for who you are. Don’t you want friends, Ice Heart?” She locked eyes with him. “Don’t you?”
The foal said nothing for a long moment before fluttering his wings and clambering up one of the big chairs in the hallway. “Yes,” he said, in a low voice, like he was ashamed. “I do. But… not if they’re going to hurt me!”
Before Ditzy could respond, he had flapped behind the chair so that only his face was peeking over the top. “Ponies drove me out of towns!” he said. “And--and some of them threw rocks at me! And I was scared, and sad, and I don’t ever want to feel like that again!” He shut his eyes. “Auntie Puissance said I can stay safe in the Vault for as long as I want, where nopony’ll ever be mean to me again. Sure, sometimes I want to leave and see other ponies… but Auntie Puissance told me she’s looking every day for other nice foals who might want to live in the Vault and be my friend.” He managed a smile. “The other Vault ponies said they’d help too. And Auntie promised that once they find some, she’ll bring them in and then I play with them!”
Ditzy sighed. “Your Auntie is a very rich and powerful mare, Ice Heart. If she was really looking hard to find you friends, she could have found some already.” When Ice Heart said nothing, she continued. “I know there’s ponies out there who would be afraid of you, but there’s a lot that wouldn’t. And they’re not hard to find. You should ask yourself why Puissance can’t seem to find them.”
“But…” Ice Heart looked away. “You don’t get it,” he insisted. “She’s not my Mom, but she gave me a home. I feel safe with her. Maybe she’s not perfect, but she’s still a really good Auntie. And she’s my only family. I mean, I wanted to see Dad, but then he hurt Auntie, and...” He trailed off, his eyes glistening again. “Please don’t be mean to her.”
Ditzy wasn’t sure what to say. “You really love her, don’t you?” she managed.
Ice Heart bobbed his head up and down.
The mailmare was quiet for a few moments. Puissance was in the wrong, she could be doing so much more to help Ice Heart get friends and companions… but at the same time, how could she tell this foal he was wrong to love his adopted mother who had taken him in when nopony else would? If somepony found Dinky and recounted Ditzy’s various screw-ups as a mother, would her daughter react any differently?
What was she trying to do, anyways? Tear down Puissance? Yes, that felt right and just… but would that help Ice Heart? He clearly loved the mare. Shouldn’t she take her own advice and prioritize his happiness?
“Alright,” she said at last. Distantly, she noted that the chill had died down, and she smiled as her shivering subsided. “Maybe I could help your Auntie.”
“Help her?”
“In finding you some friends.” She leaned her head in close. “I know some really friendly foals who would love to meet you. They’re kind and energetic, and they accept anypony. In fact… some of them are friends with a pegasus-unicorn hybrid.”
Ice Heart blinked. “I thought Auntie Puissance had all the hybrids in her Vault.”
“Not this one.” Ditzy winked. “There’s a hybrid in Ponyville. And you might think ponies treat her strangely. But actually, she has lots of friends! She plays every day with a unicorn pony who really likes fireworks, and every week with earth ponies who like tea parties, and last week she dressed up as a princess in a Hearth’s Warming Pageant and got to put on a show with a bunch of other foals! And a few weeks ago, just before winter began, she was playing ‘pirate’ with a dozen friends and they had so much fun…” Ditzy let a smile wash over her features. “I think you would have enjoyed it.”
Ice Heart looked eager for a moment before his face fell. “Well, a hybrid’s one thing,” he said. “But I’m half-monster.”
“No you’re not,” corrected Ditzy. “You’re all foal. And I promise you, there are ponies in Ponyville who would love to make friends with you, amulet or no.” She winked. “I Pinkie-promise, even.”
“Huh?” asked Ice Heart.
“It’s…” Ditzy trailed off, realizing that explaining Pinkie to another pony could take hours. “Well, nevermind that.” She was silent for a moment longer. “Why don’t I talk to your Auntie and the other Vault ponies? I’ll say I’m very sorry for being mean to them--and then I’ll offer to help them find you some friends. Would you like that?”
Ice Heart tentatively nodded. “Uh huh. But--but only if they won’t be mean and won’t hurt me.” He looked nervous. “I don’t wanna get hit with rocks again.”
“I swear to you, I’ll make sure that each and every one of the foals is as kind as can be,” said Ditzy.
Ice Heart said nothing.
Ditzy sighed. “I know I haven’t done much to earn your trust,” she said. “But what if I run them by your Auntie first? I’ll work with her. She’ll check everypony I suggest. How’s that?”
At that, the pony nodded. Ditzy wasn’t sure how much of a victory it was--surely Puissance could just veto everypony on spurious grounds--but at least it was something. And, who knew, maybe Puissance’s heart would be touched when she saw how badly Ice Heart wanted some friends after all. “Wonderful.”
The mailmare straightened and stretched, realizing that she didn’t feel cold at all anymore. I guess Firestarter got things going, she thought. “You can climb on my back when I go see your Auntie,” she said. “Does that sound fun?”
“Yep!” Ice Heart climbed on. “Thanks, Miss Doo.”
“Like I said--it’s Ditzy.” Ditzy turned back to the door and noted with relief that she didn’t hear anymore shouting. Maybe, she thought, Cheerilee and Puissance were getting along. She pushed open the door--
And was struck with a blast of sub-zero air.
The antechamber was completely frozen over. The fire in the fireplace was dead, ice coated the furniture, and snow even drifted down from the ceiling. In the middle of it all were Puissance and Cheerilee, standing with hooves pointed at each other, both coated completely in thick ice.
“Auntie?” whimpered Ice Heart. Then: “AUNTIE!” He jumped off of Ditzy’s back and ran to Puissance. “AUNTIE! AUNTIE! Somepony help her!”
Meanwhile, DItzy had run over to Cheerilee. She tapped the ice, but it was impossibly thick. She looked at the earth pony’s anguished look. The windigo, she realized. That’s why we were so cold and grumpy, why I was ready to punch Puissance. It was feeding our hate, making us snap at each other, and when Cheerilee and Puissance went too far… A cold lump formed in her throat. What now?
“Somepony screamed. Is everypony okay?” Ditzy turned to see Trixie and the other Elements run in, followed in moments by the Vault ponies. “Ditzy!” cried Trixie. “What happened!”
“I think the windigo followed us home!” said Ditzy, fighting to keep panic out of her voice. She looked around for some way to warm up Cheerilee, but there wasn’t even an ember left in the fireplace, nor a single lit candle in the room.
Trixie’s eyes widened. “No,” she muttered, rushing to Cheerilee’s side. “No, no, no, we are not going to lose a friend up here…”
“We can’t use the Elements without her--” began Carrot Top.
“I know!” yelled Trixie. The wind was blowing her cape and hat around, but she didn’t even seem to notice. “Okay, fine, we can fix this. I’ll work out a spell to--”
“You!” The Elements turned to see Silver Sculptress sweeping a hoof at Trixie. All the Vault ponies were either glaring at them or trying to minister to Puissance. “You were supposed to keep her safe! Do something!”
“I’m trying!” snapped Trixie. “I’m trying!” She put a hoof to her head. “I’m--I’m working on it, okay?”
Nopony answered her.
“We’ve got this!" Trixie screamed. "Everything is under control!”
At that moment, the windigo burst through the outer wall of the lounge.